Rialto Nights: Drumming Through the Inland Empire
so here i am in rialto, california, after another night of sweating it out on the drums for a band that barely knows my name. the numbers on my phone? 5354819. whatever that means. maybe it's the number of beats i've played this week, maybe it's just random static. doesn't matter. what matters is that i'm sitting in a 24-hour diner at 2am, waiting for my coffee to cool down, and thinking about how this place feels like a fever dream sometimes.
i just checked the weather and it's 14.95°c right now, feels like 14.88°c, whatever that means when you're stuck in a van with no AC. humidity's at 91%, so it's sticky as hell. i'm not complaining, just stating facts. if you get bored, san bernardino and fontana are just a short drive away, though honestly, who gets bored here? there's always something happening, even if it's just the sound of trains rolling through at 3am.
"you gotta see the old fox theater," a guy at the counter told me. "it's like stepping into a time machine, but the seats are uncomfortable and the popcorn's stale."
that's rialto for you. charming in a gritty, lived-in way. i've been told to check out the foxy theater if i want a taste of the old days. apparently, it's got more character than half the venues i've played in la. and speaking of venues, if you're a musician, the inland empire is full of hidden gems-just don't expect a red carpet.
people here talk about the "rialto renaissance," but honestly, it feels more like a slow burn than a renaissance. there's a new coffee shop every other block, but none of them are as good as the 24-hour diner i'm in now. still, if you're into vintage clothes, rialto vintage market is supposed to be the spot. someone told me you can find band tees from the 80s that still smell like the last guy who wore them. charming, right?
"don't go to the train tracks after dark," a local whispered to me. "unless you want to see things that aren't there."
i don't know if that's ghost stories or just rialto being rialto, but i'm not about to find out. instead, i'll stick to the main streets, where the neon signs still flicker and the air smells like exhaust and tacos.
anyway, here's a map in case you're brave enough to visit:
and because i'm feeling generous, here are some random photos i found online that might give you a sense of the place:
that's it for now. rialto's not for everyone, but if you're into raw, unfiltered experiences, it might just be your kind of place. just don't forget to bring a jacket-it's chilly out there, even if the vibes are warm.
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