Oh man, did I have a fantastic interview on Monday’s KXFM 104.7 with the Laguna “Godfather of Restaurants & Rock & Roll” - Ivan Spiers.
It took me 10 months to haul in this big fish and it was worth every minute.
A life larger than Laguna Ivan Spears has lived more lives than most cats – music exec, surfer, apparel mogul and restaurateur. In this candid interview, he shares the wild path that took him from Zululand, South Africa to Laguna Beach, with detours through London’s 1960s rock scene, the Canary Islands surf breaks, “every farm town” in Central Cali, and SoCal’s early restaurant boom.
The madness behind Mozambiques originations When Ivan bought the long-shuttered Tortilla Flats building in 2000, he had no idea he was about to spend five years rebuilding it from the studs (with a HAZMAT team to boot). What emerged was Mozambique, a three-level restaurant and live music venue that’s now Laguna legend and home to some of the biggest touring bands around. Here’s his story on the “astounding discoveries” he made along the renovation way.
Daryl Hall was just hanging out on Mozambique’s Veranda?
Ivan explains how a 15-minute casual convo with Daryl Hall (yes, that Daryl Hall) and Joe Walsh on his rooftop Veranda at Mozambique turned into his excursion to Pawling, New York two weeks later. What ensued from there?
The birth of “Ivan’z House”
Ivan reveals the story behind naming his recently (and massively) expanded upstairs music venue at Mozambique, and the painstaking soundproofing that makes the live shows electric and neighbor-approved.
The heartbreak of Skyloft and Bodega:
He opens up about the rise and fall of Skyloft and Bodega on January 3rd this year, the battle with new absentee landlords after Sam Goldstein sold, and the toughest part about closing the doors and walking away.
A rockin’ new chapter with Rumari
Ivan and Italian-aficionado chef Braulio Mello are breathing new life into this beloved 44-year-old spot. The refreshed menu … the expanded and uber-popular happy hour, and the renovated dining room are making locals fall in love all over again.
