Previously in Part 1

After more than two months of government-imposed restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19, Downey business owner David Devis is facing an economic challenge common to thousands of businesses that serve the public: can he survive financially until restrictions are lifted?

Devis’s little eatery on Second Street, LA Buns, is providing employment for five people and himself while the core of his business, the Epic Lounge event center, remains closed.

“The restaurant is now supporting both places,” says Devis.

Challenges for Devis are likely to remain even after most retail activity resumes because the Epic Lounge is an entertainment facility where people gather in large numbers. The dilemma for health officials is how to determine when events at such venues can safely resume.

While the Epic Lounge has a modest physical presence in Downtown Downey, it has authored a cultural legacy that many hope will continue when the pandemic ends.

Part 2 of this story picks up with the closure of this fabled venue, and the eventual reopening and expansion of Devis’s vision.

Part 2 - Closure

Given the young age of audiences attracted to concerts at the Epic Lounge, it was no surprise that the venue’s popularity raised concerns among many residents. The size of the crowds prompted city officials to make a more detailed inspection of the facilities.

In February 2008 Devis received a list of building improvements required for the lounge to remain in business; these included a new smoke alarm system and the addition of a new bathroom.

Devis had a day job as a printing broker for fliers, business cards, advertisements, etc., so he wasn’t suddenly without income when his lounge closed, but he didn’t want to give up on the vision he had.

Many people would have walked away when faced with these Herculean tasks. Devis continued paying for his lease, and put all of his extra money towards making the improvements.

“The fire alarm alone was $10,000,” he recounts. “It ruined my credit. I ate Cup of Noodles for months.” It took him over a year.

“So finally, when I did everything they asked, I crossed my Ts, dotted my Is,” Devis says, “they had no choice but to let me re-open. But I knew I was going to be walking on eggshells for a very long time.”

Even though the venue served no alcohol, Devis felt the all-ages format of the concerts was a problem. The presence of young teens provoked too much worry and antagonism among city residents.

Devis opted to apply for a beer and wine license as a restaurant/event center. His first event after reopening was a comedy show.

“I sold beer and wine out of a cooler,” he tells. “And as soon as I made some money, I bought a little refrigerator.” Eventually he applied for and received a full liquor license.

Having an on-site restaurant meant that sometimes people under the age of 21 could attend select events. Devis sublet the restaurant space to various eateries, finally having success when LA Buns opened in 2012. He also made sure that the bar was far across the room from the stage.

Expanding Arts Scene

Devis’s reopening of the Epic Lounge coincided with an emerging arts movement in Downey spearheaded by millennials.

For decades, Downey was known for the musicals produced by the Downey Civic Light Opera and performed at the Downey Theatre, and performances by the Downey Symphony Orchestra. Younger residents wanted the opportunity to produce and attend a wider range of events, and they petitioned the city for help with venues.

In early 2010, Downey residents Gabriel Enamorado and Valentine Flores put together a photography exhibition at the Downey Theatre. The attendance on a Thursday evening, over 700, demonstrated the enthusiasm for a broader range of art events.

**Flora Cheng conducts string quartet for a full house at Epic Lounge in 2019. Photo by Carol Kearns**

During this time, two new non-profit arts organizations appeared. The Downey Art Vibe successfully petitioned the city for financial support, with Gabriel Enamorado, Valentine Flores, and Joe Manacmul, opening Stay Gallery on Downey Avenue, a block from Epic Lounge. (Stay Gallery is also currently closed to public events.)

Reflecting on his motivation for influencing the arts scene in Downey, Enamorado writes in an email, “We would imagine Downtown Downey becoming a cultural arts hub, full of public art and spaces. Epic Lounge showed us that the community we live in was not void of art and music lovers—it was a beacon of hope for the arts, and still is.”

Andrew Wahlquist and others founded the Downey Arts coalition (DAC), an umbrella organization with the purpose of supporting a variety of artists and genres. Collaboration was the watchword and the various groups often worked together.

Bookings at the Epic Lounge began featuring a broader range of the arts, including theater, poetry, and film, as young arts advocates approached Devis about the use of his space. Devis was not only open to new ideas, he was generous.

In 2013, director, choreographer, and producer Sylvia Blush offered a series of one-act plays to a sold-out crowd with standing-room only.

“David was incredibly generous with the amount of time that we had for rehearsals,” says Blush, “and worked with the budget we had to make sure that we could put on a quality experience without breaking the bank. He was so gung-ho about helping us as artists.” Chairs and cocktail tables were rearranged to make the space into an ad hoc 99-seat theater.

“And then when we had the first event,” continues Blush, “he was excited and wanted to know when we were going to do the next one.”

Blush, who has directed plays in Los Angeles and Orange counties and at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, finally was able to return to Epic Lounge in 2016, when she produced an eight-night run of a new series of one-acts.

Because it was theater, and not a comedy event, Blush says that Devis wasn’t making a lot of money from the event, even though the bar was open prior to curtain and after curtain.

“He was really investing his space in giving us an opportunity to bring theater of a different kind to Downey,” concludes Blush. “He’s been a very humble person who puts humanity before business.”

Some events regularly attracted grandparents who also wanted to see more variety in the live performances in the city.

**A screening of an original film by Forrest Hartl at Epic Lounge in 2015. Photo by Carol Kearns**

Well-known southland poets also gave readings at Epic Lounge for the monthly poetry series, Poetry Matters, founded and curated by Lorine Parks. Devis made the space available at no cost for the few months when it could not be held during its usual evening at Stay Gallery.

Devis willingly rearranged furniture for art exhibits and film screenings presented in between his schedule of rock concerts. It mattered little to audiences and performers that the décor remained somewhat the same. Disco balls hung from high open rafters; dark red walls were the background for faux Grecian-like columns and large plaster griffins. The look was somewhere between edgy and sketchy, but there was no question that Devis was welcoming.

Downey videographer and film maker Julian Park screened his film about the mystery guerilla artist who painted whimsical portraits of children around town and signed his work Bumblebeelovesyou. The mural outside the building was later painted by Bumblebee with the approval of the city. Bumblebee is now known internationally and his work appears on Google headquarters in Venice and the Kodak Building in Hollywood.

Devis’s band bookings expanded to include the likes of Deke Dickerson, the California Feetwarmers, Petunia and the Vipers, and Downey homeboys Phil Alvin and the Blasters.

For three years, 2013-2015, the Epic Lounge was a major stage for Make Music Downey, a free, public music festival organized by members of DAC. Stay Gallery was also a stage for these events.

Last fall a full house gathered for a concert by a young Downey composer and pianist, Flora Cheng (Warren High 2007), who was accompanied by a string quartet.

For the past five years Epic Lounge has also been a venue for Glennfest, the free, public film festival in October featuring award-winning international and indie films hard to find at the major movie chains. Over time, a movie screen and improved sound system were added.

Civic Support

When the lounge is not busy with performances and art exhibits, Devis has been a reliable friend to those seeking an affordable venue to fundraise for a worthy cause. The Downey Symphony, now in its 61st season, held several fundraisers there.

Devis has also opened the lounge to support fundraising for musicians suffering from cancer, and for causes like breast cancer awareness and suicide prevention.

“You name it, we’ve done it,” says Devis. “And it feels good to do this. You’re doing something positive, and when you do something like that, you create positive vibes. I wish people would ask me more to do events like that.”

Devis got a little of that community love back a few weeks ago after vandals had smashed the glass entry door. Downey resident and Warren High graduate (2018) Jacob Robledo donated the cost of replacement.

Robledo, who works from home for Universal Music Group while attending Los Angeles Film School, describes himself as a self-taught musician.

“I play 14 different instruments,” he explains. “I get my inspiration from my grandfather who played Bolero music in Mexico.” Like so many young musicians, Robledo has attended shows at Epic Lounge and feels a bond with the venue.

“I knew how much life [Epic Lounge] brought to the Downey music scene and it kind of broke my heart that someone would do something like that.”

Devis said Robledo’s generosity left him speechless because Robledo is fighting his own serious battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Robledo is currently in remission.

“This kid is fighting this disease and he still finds it in his heart to donate to the lounge,” exclaims Devis, “it’s breath-taking. You know, even though there are people smashing windows, there are people ten times nicer and greater than those doing stuff like this.”

Despite the economic challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic, there is one change to the Epic Lounge that is now cheered by many.

Last September Devis was actually able to buy the building—quite an accomplishment for a man who started his business as a self-described “young punk” 18 years ago and continues to be guided by his inner compass. Building tenants include the well-known restaurant around the corner, Ichiban.

Devis’s approach to this new challenge of meeting a mortgage payment during a government-enforced business closure continues to reflect his empathy and optimism.

“We want to work with all our tenants,” he affirms. “We’re going to give them a few months rent-free.”

While his road to economic survival during this pandemic is daunting, Devis’s history of perseverance will be a major factor to any success.

Enamorado speaks for many who want to see the Epic Lounge reopen after the worldwide health crisis has passed. “I can only hope that Stay (and Epic!) Will come out of this on the other side to see the light of another day. There is so much more work left to do!”

The cultural legacy of Epic Lounge