Brothers have the lowdown on Salinas
Jesus Espinoza was 22, his younger brother Juan just 20, when they attended their father’s funeral.
“It was a realization life is short,” Jesus says. “You don’t know when you’re gonna go. It made me ask myself, ‘What am I gonna do to make people appreciate a purpose for me being here?’ ”
Today a framed photo of Dad watches over Jesus, now 35, and Juan, 33, from a corner of their year-old Deadend Magazine retail store (16 Midtown Lane, Salinas; www.deadendmagazine.com). It’s the brickand-mortar spinoff of the online magazine dedicated to lowriders. Deadend has grown into a brand that draws 83,000 Instagram followers, customers who want their T-shirts and hoodies, and international fan mail — West Coast lowrider culture is huge in parts of Japan.
The shop is a shrine to this automobile-driven existence. Branded gear like trucker hats, flags and coach jackets, and tubes of Sauvecito Pomade hair gel is surrounded by crisp photos of custom American classic cars, chop tops, lowriders and souped-up hot rods including a 1954 Chevy 210, a 1934 Ford threewindow coup and a 1964 Impala, all with immaculate paint jobs.
The brothers get to indulge their obsession for classic cars, traveling to and covering 70 events a year, hosting their own 300-vehicle Custom Capitol gathering in Prunedale’s Manzanita Park and doing two Burrito Bike Ride benefits a year. But they also get to honor their dad’s hobby and that desire to have a purpose.
“People can see us as an example of being creative and making something of a passion,” Jesus says. “Young kids have told us that. You don’t have to be in a big city. You can do something with your talent on your own. We did this because this is something we like.”
Here appear other things they like in and around their native Salinas.