2011 Nite of the Hot Rods Car Show – Custom Car Cult

Posted by Nick K on Jul 20, 2011 in Featured, Shows & Events | 2 comments

NorCal Hot Rods and Custom Car Show Pictures

Nite of the Hot Rods #5

107.7 The Bone Rock Girl Brittany Cervantes

11:05 am on Saturday morning I was in the back yard pulling some unwanted weeds and up in the skies were some wicked black and grey clouds just looming over the city of Concord, CA. As I had 10,000 years by High on Fire running through my head and anticipating the sky to rip open at any second I pondered the thought of, “How cool would it be if the weather stayed like this for the show tonight?”

Meaning, the 5th Annual Nite of the Hot Rods at the Riverview Lodge in Antioch, CA. The day went on and the thunderhead started to disappear the closer it got to show time. Reason why I thought it would be cool that the weather stayed that way is because the show, like every year is held on the pier at the lodge, but this year there was something different in the air, something a bit weird. Kind of like that feeling you get when you walk into a room and everyone stares at you in a way like they all know something and you don’t, but you will find out soon enough whether you want to or not!

The calm before the storm…eerie. Speaking of the storm, all of a sudden it got very humid outside as I stepped out on to the pier and I looked up to notice not a cloud in the sky. Strange. I turned around to see nothing but faces, faces staring, like I had just stepped into a cult collective. Now the definition of cult simply states,
1. a particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, especially as manifested by a body of admirers.
3. the object of such devotion.

On July 16th,2011 in Antioch,CA at approximately 4:30 pm on a very humid late afternoon at the Riverview Lodge, the Dragoons Car Club era had come to an end and a new beast was about to unleash it’s fury upon the Northern California car club scene. This beast was to be known as the Dragoons Car Cult. It’s rites and ceremonies…The Nite of the Hot Rods! The object of devotion..the love of classic rides! Of course you can not forget “Manifested by a body of admirers.”

The admirers came in droves this year. This was the most I have seen in past few years. This show was packed! Clubs rolled in from as far as San Jose. Local clubs like Swanx, Villainz and the Road Knights to the Style Kings,Bay Bombs and Road Lords. Not to mention the Lucky Bastards CC rolled in for a rare stop. Just to check out the cult following was fabricating madman Alex Gambino and friends. I asked Dragoons guru and cult leader Max Ballesteros what was the idea of going from Dragoons Car Club to Car Cult. He told me that one night he was checking out some old clips of Charles Manson and thought that would be cool to go with cult rather than club. I would have to agree with Max 100%.

Other notables that came out to feel the Manson vibe was Skoty Chops of Skoty Chops customs and Korena and Hank of NorCal Knockout fame. This show certainly had a cult following. This years carnival of fun was filled with music,vendors and rides from the primered to the classic. Vendors this year included Gearhead Magazine, Bella Beauties,Indigo Skin designs and Charlottes Web were a few. Food and Bevmo’s where at easy reach with the Lodge right there on the pier. Also the Nite of the Hot Rods Miss Dragoons pin up contest is always a crowd pleaser and will fill the lucky gals purse with 100 spot. I was lucky to grab one of the participants in the pin-up contest and 107.7 The Bone Rock girl Brittany Cervantes for a couple of quick pics. I’m sure MRIM fans of all likes will enjoy. Thankx Dixie!

The show awards this year where supplied by the local clubs like Swanx, Villainz and the host of this years cult-ural event the Dragoons. Awards went out to the clubs pick of Best in Show. For the 1st time in NOTH history the Dragoons had show shirts at their booth. In new DCC fashion the shirts had awesome designs and the one that caught my eye and ended up in my camera case was the “Ignore your local Dragoons Car Cult” tee.

By this time the show was at it’s peak and had no sign of slowing down and Stigma 13 was ready to light up the stage with the sun getting ready to fade off into the bay. I found it time to say my alohas and bail back to homestead. Reflecting back on the show on my way up hi-way 4, I have to say this show was a the true meaning of a cult classic. The Dragoons really put this one out there and everyone bit. How could they have not? Awesome venue, great location and perfectly set time wise. As I pulled up to the house and got my camera gear together I grabbed my IPod to bring it into the house. I looked down and there it was in all it’s glory…10,000 Years by High on Fire. Now that’s weird.

As always, catch all my pictures from the 2011 Nite of the Hot Rods “Cult” Show in the MyRideisMe.com hot rod picture gallery

And if you missed it, here’s last year’s show: 2010 Nite of the Hot Rods and the 2009 Nite of the Hot Rods Car Show

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N/Koljian