History of Sideshow Takeovers
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Sideshows, also known as “Sideshow Takeovers” is a meeting of powerful and heavily modded cars and sideshow audiences, most of the time illegally, in a public road or lot where drivers perform “Donuts” and other car maneuvers.
Origin of the Sideshow Takeover:
Performing Sideshow Takeovers did not start in a way that public roads were interrupted. Sideshows started where African-American youth from local music venues, clubs, and rest of the city of Oakland, California in the early 1990s. They will meet up in parking lots of shopping malls such as Eastmont mall in Bancroft Ave, Oakland, CA.
The initial intent of the sideshows is to exhibit their elaborate car modifications (hydraulics, decals, spinning rims, and etc.) in the Bay area and as a social event for other car mods enthusiast. The performance of the dangerous car maneuvers (donuts, ghost riding, and etc.) is an example of showing off their cars and driving skills. Often, the tires will generate smoke and tire markings also known as “burning rubber”.
Oakland Police tried pushing away people from performing sideshows from the Eastmont Mall, this resulted for Sideshows in public streets and later on to Southern California and later on picked up by the country’s metropolitan areas.
First mentions of Sideshow Takeovers:
The Hip hop group “The Coup” originating from Oakland, California released an album named “Kill My Landlord” in 1993 is one of first mentions of the Sideshow Takeover. Specifically in the song “Foul Play”
“Little do they know they’re a little or a big hoe. But they have a car they can side at the sideshow”
Another early mention of Sideshows:
Luniz, previously known as “The LuniTunes”, is a Hip Hop duo comprising of Yukmouth and Numskull from Oakland, California. In their album “Silver and Black” released in 2003 mentions sideshows happening Eastmont Mall’s parking lot in the song “I’m a Raider”.
“But I know, from the Lake on Sundays, to the five-o Now we to Eastmont with the sideshows”
Honorable mention:
Richie Rich explicitly describes car maneuvers in the song “Side Show” under the group “415” released in 1990. Notable member of the “415” included DJ Daryl, producer from Oakland who worked with Tupac. Song link (YouTube)
Renaissance of the Sideshow Takeovers:
Los Angeles, California: The City of Angels has experienced the rise of car clubs with the aide of social media and it’s live streaming features. The city experiences Sideshows every week in their streets with a sizable amount of audiences.
As a response, the city founded a multi-agency task force directed at enforcement against street racing and sideshow activities. LAPD’s dedicated Sideshow Instagram posts pictures of the cars they impounded and accidents, to deter audiences, car clubs, and drivers.
Atlanta, Georgia: “PINKFLAMINGOUSA” (Instagram link) documents sideshows in the city, compiling them in a VHS cinematography aesthetic. Atlanta has about one major sideshow takeovers every month.
Atlanta Motor Speedway hosts Stuntfest, which focuses in drag racing and car shows that comes along with it.
Note: Drag Racing culture dates back to post-WW2 and is undoubtly the predecessor of Sideshow Takeovers.
Nashville, Tennessee: Might be an unusual city, as the city has a “southern” or “country” connotation. There are about 20 Car Crews in the 615, the Music City. Early recordings, similar to California’s, can be traced in 2016.
“From Inside the Illegal Drag Races of Nashville” (YouTube link) by Vice
Detroit, Michigan: The Motor City has just recently picked up Sideshows. From a recent viral video, drivers in the city blocked off M-10 (Michigan highway) — performing a sideshow takeover.
Closing remarks:
From the Bay Area to the country. There is a need for a public place for where you can meet up and show off your vehicle. Public events relating to cars might already be prevalent in Drag strips or Race tracks. Infrastructure for Sideshow Takeovers could be a possibility for the future if capitalized. Not only it should be done for the money and safety of the people and neighborhoods, a community of car shops can occupy and built up a big parking lot.
Sources:
“Undercurrents: Making an Alternative to Sideshows Work” By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
“Civic Sideshows: Communities and Publics in East Oakland” by Cristina Cielo of Sociology in University of California, Berkeley
Los Angeles Police Department http://www.lapdonline.org/
“Shutting Down the Streets of LA: Sideshow Takeovers” by Vice
“Inside the Illegal Drag Races of Nashville” by Vice
