Meet Charlie Pecoraro | performer, creative, inquirer, in progress

We had the good fortune of connecting with Charlie Pecoraro and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Charlie, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?

I have a lot of projects, but the one that I’m most excited about is my historical travel show, and here is why.

It’s called The World’s Oldest Show, and it’s about businesses that have been open for hundreds, if not thousands of years, and often times operated by the same families for that whole time.

On the surface, the show features the wonderment of exploring the histories, the age-old techniques, tools, & locations of these ancient businesses. How is it possible that they have remained opened for so unbelievably long?

But underneath, what I hope to accomplish with this show is both; giving exposure to independent businesses that face unimaginable competition from soulless multi-national corporations, AND contributing something positive & interesting to culture.

I grew up with a very old dad (he was 62 when I was born, and he lived to 100yrs old), and he would tell me about playing Jazz guitar in the 1920’s, 30’s, & 40’s, how hard things were during the depression, and how songs & movies were uplifting so that people could continue to find value in living. I think most would agree that today, nearly 100yrs later, as a culture we’re experiencing an existential crisis of stress, anxiety, purposelessness, & loneliness. But artists aren’t putting out encouraging movies or music. Right now art is commiserating with, and almost encouraging the down feelings of the times. What we need though, is for artists to lead the way, shine light, give hope, & inspire love for life.

My show isn’t a culture savior or any sort of philosophical antidote, but I hope it showcases snapshots of people with purpose, with creativity, grit, & community, contributing something beautiful to the world. And I hope to do it in a lovely, soul-warming style. That’s what I have to contribute, that’s my little corner right now, and we all have a little corner of soul-igniting passion to give back to the world.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

The journey of creating is never predictable or linear. When you first start out, you have a concept in your mind of what your creative career is; how it should look, how it will feel, what exactly you’ll be doing. But life continues to surprise & challenge you, and that’s a great thing. It grows you and nudges you towards areas you could have never thought to seek out yourself. The downward turns force you to confront yourself, ask hard questions, & either double down or change course. And I believe both are valid.

If someone has a deep longing to be a creative, and they quit, they’ll regret it for the rest of their life. But if someone realizes that the professional creative life isn’t for them, that it’s not what they thought it was when they first started, they MUST change course and find a more fulfilling road. I’ve had this conversation with myself nearly every two years and I haven’t been able to talk myself out of it (yet:) There’s a fine line between being stubborn or too cowardly to change course, and sticking to your vision. And only you can say what that is for you. Always make the more courageous choice, because it’s really what your soul wants.

What my journey feels like, is seeing myself touch many more different areas of creativity, learning many more skills than I thought I would need to initially, and seeing them sown together little by little into a cohesive whole. I don’t know if this is everyone’s journey; on the outside looking in, it feels like most others press hard on one thing for a long time and find progress that way. But because I’m interested in so many things, it doesn’t seem like that’s quite my personality. However it’s beginning to feel like the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It feels like a long payoff, and I know I’m not alone in that feeling as a creative.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

You have to break LA into pieces if you want to give a visitor a cohesive understanding of the city.

DTLA: Chinatown (Yang Chow, Melody Lounge), Philippe’s, Union Station, Olvera Street, Clifton’s, LA Conservancy’s walking tour of Broadway, Little Tokyo (authentic mochi at Fugetsu Do, best ramen at Daikokuya)

Eastside: Dodger game, fun overpriced cafes, Tamales Alberto, Eastside Deli, Figaro Bistro, The Dresden, Vista Theatre, Tiki Ti, Red Lion Tavern, urban hikes from Charles Fleming’s Secret Stairs book!

Hollywood: Catalina Jazz Club, Miceli’s, Boardners, Musso & Frank, Thai Town, actually SEE a movie at The Chinese, Professional Drum Shop (oldest drum shop in the world), Amoeba, The Record Parlor, Frolic Room

WeHo/Beverly Hills: The Troubadour, Dan Tana’s, The Rainbow, The Comedy Store, The Record Collector, window shopping up Rodeo, meal at Beverly Wilshire

Westside: Getty Center/Villa, ride on the over 100yr old Santa Monica Pier carousel, fresh scones & a proper pint of Guinness at The King’s Head, Aero Theatre, Ramen in Japan Town, Malibu Seafood Market & a byob sauv blanc, walk & a gummy on the beach to see the sun set at the end of the pier (also the Western terminus of Route 66)

There’s more to LA, of course, to the East, South, & (yes, even) The Valley. But that’s not really what out of towners love to see. That’s more for us locals to dig in & get to know the details.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

Through successes, failures, grief, & jubilance, my family & close friends have encouraged & kept me afloat my whole life. Thick & thorough relationship is why we’re here on this planet, and I count myself fortunate to have deeply trusted & sincere people in my life.

Instagram: charliepecoraro

Linkedin: charliepecoraro

Facebook: charliepecoraro

Yelp: charliepecoraro

Youtube: charliepecoraro

Other: I’m @charliepecoraro on just about everything. New website is in the works.

And for anyone who’s into Jazz, I’m also documenting the most overlooked record label in Jazz, Pablo Records, on IG @pablo_jazz_records, where I do interviews with Pablo recording artists, & post records from the catalog from my collection, with tidbits & historical connective tissue.