It's a three-fer this week!

First, in the summer of 1970, you couldn't pass through the un-airconditioned parts of Los Angeles without hearing radios blaring "Viva Tirado," the groundbreaking hit from El Chicano ... an East LA band who were the first Latino group to play The Apollo. We get the story from band member Bobby Espinoza. 

Then, as KPCC's Adolfo Guzman Lopez works on his new podcast, The Forgotten Revolutionary - the new season of Imperfect Paradise from LAist Studios - we listen back to an early instance of Adolfo talking about his background on KPCC ... the occasion being the time he was name-checked on "The Simpsons." 

And finally, we listen to the trailer for The Forgotten Revolutionary, which is about Oscar Gomez, a tragic star of the Chicano rights movement, whose radio show used "Viva Tirado" as its theme song. It's also about Adolfo's history as an activist, which he is revealing for the first time as he explores what happened to Gomez.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live; and bythe Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

(Off-Ramp theme music by Fesliyan Studios.)

With Governor Newsom contemplating mandatory water restrictions - because we are actually using MORE water this year, despite his warnings - it seems like a good time to bring back the time Sanden Totten, now the host of Brains On, took a timed Navy shower back in 2015 ... on the radio.

The Navy shower is a strategy for getting clean when you're on a boat with limited freshwater, and lots of sweaty seafarers in line behind you. (People in the Navy apparently call landlubber showers "Hollywood showers.")

In this episode, Sanden also chats with an astronaut about how they use and reuse water in space. And drink what used to be pee. You have been warned.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live; and bythe Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

(Off-Ramp theme music by Fesliyan Studios.)

Clifton's Cafeteria gets a new operator who promises to revamp gently ... the Mann Bros in LA ... Barry Cutler remembers THE Kevin McCarthy ... Sacred Fools' 14th Season ... Mark Peel on the best table in the house ... CyberFrequencies ... John Cale on Paris 1919 ...

KPCC's John Rabe interviews members of The Sacred Fools Theatre Company about their 14th season and their mission to fully exploit the theatrical medium.

Lou Adler remembers bringing Rocky Horror to Los Angeles ... Eat-LA/Off-Ramp Collaboration highlights affordable gourmet regional Mexican cuisine ... Tomatomania ... Charlie Chan Redux ... Dinner Party Download ...

Yunte Huang, author of "Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History" in conversation.

CyberFrequencies ... chef Mark Peel joins Off-Ramp ... Jerry Brown Parody Ads ... Dan Walters on 50 years in newspapers ... An East LA polleria that observes strict Muslim dietary laws ... The Roving Archers ... Lou Adler and The Fabulous Stains ... Do we have just one true love in our lives?

Actor Christopher Murray on life with father (Don Murray) ... RH Greene on Mel Gibson, before the fall ... Dinner Party Download ... kids who get back-to-school supplies at the Salvation Army ... Ellington singer Herb Jeffries ... Lou Adler on sitting with Jack and discovering Cheech and Chong ... Jonathan Gold and Rick Bayless have a Mexican Food Fight.

The Off-Ramp TemperaTour ... CyberFrequencies and life on the web ... Lou Adler on Monterey Pop ... Burning Man vets ... the historical Arab roots of Ground Zero ... Wm Link, Columbo's co-creator, speaks!

Wm Link talks with Off-Ramp's John Rabe about Columbo.