Joe Teresa: The Best Friend Highland Park Ever Had
Thursday, June 26, 2003
by Edward Rivera

A friend remembers:

I knew one day I would have to write this story, and I dreaded it. I knew one day my good friend Joe wouldnt be around anymore.

Already the guy was pushing the envelope. In his 80s, he wasstill leading karaoke night, staying up till 3 in the morning, hanging out with his friends in his place, and generally running his own little kingdom.

And for a long while, it was good to be king.

Joe Teresa bought a run down bowling alley on Figueroa Street in the late 60s, and even then he saw the writing on the wall. That bowling alley wasnt going to be an alley forever. Things were changing, the neighborhood was changing, and Joe got smart.

He took out the lanes (except fortwo in the back, shhh), dismantled the pin machines and decided to make a go of the place as a rock nightclub.

It was so foolhardy it worked. Mr. Ts Bowl became a staple on the alternative rock and roll circuit, and bands from all over the country added the bar to their club tours.

Every day new manila envelopes would appear in the mail with a cassette or a CD and a picture of another young rock band hoping to play the T Zone.

A couple of tapes probably arrived there today.

Its unlikely that music will get listened to. The loss of Joe probably means the loss of a Highland Park institution. He owned the building, he owned the building next door, and a few others. But he was never and absentee landlord. Now that hes gone, the family will come in, and things willprobably go the waythings usually do.

Its not much of a tradition or a history, but it will be swept out, and perhaps the building will be sold. Theres another sad day Im dreading.

For all the talk and lip service and cheap promises about the revitalization of Highland Park, Joe was a one-man urban renewal project. Friends knew he was a soft touch. Down on your luck? Joes got a few bucks.

When I suggested that Joe serve as the 2001 Grand Marshal of the Highland Park Christmas Parade, some shook their heads in disapproval. But knowing the leadership of this community as I do, I knew there was not one community leader, not one business owner, and certainly not one politician who had quietly done for people in Highland Park what Joe had done.

He deserved to lead the parade.

When I considered a run for City Council in 2001, Joe was there. He never asked about politics or issues, never asked for anything in return. He decorated the club, put down the checkered tablecloths, put Sarge to work in the kitchen and was proud to host a fundraiser.

His good friend Andrew Barrera, who closed down many a karaoke night with Stormy Monday Blues told me, Ive had the opportunity to have met many important people in my life, but Joe was truly one of my best friends, and a friend to the Highland Park community. His place was a a tribute to his own big heart and persona.

See that photo over there? I hadto go down to the bar to get one to run in the paper. I knew there would be plenty of photos tacked and taped to the walls behind the bar.

When I went in, the place was dark, and they were working on a memorial. People were quiet. The juke box was silent.

I wept like a baby in the car on the way back home.

Those who believe say you first see the ones youve loved and who loved you in your life when you get to Heaven.

Joe is probably still working that line of people.