What You’ll Find at NVR OVR’s ‘Pop-Up Inside a Pop-Up’

When Marty Aranaydo first thought about doing a month-long pop-up store in a huge space on 12th and Harrison in Oakland, he joked that the building was big enough to be a cultural center.

And then he stopped laughing, and started planning events.

The space, the former site of Lucky Duck Bicycle Cafe, has been home to SoleSpace Lab of late. But for the next month, it’ll be what Aranaydo is calling “a pop-up inside of a pop-up,” where he’ll sell shirts and baseball hats from his NVR OVR brand. And, concurrently, he’ll host a series of events in the spirit of the cultural centers he grew up attending.

“That’s where I got the idea that if you know something, you should share it,” says Aranaydo, listing places like the Intertribal Friendship House, the Spanish Speaking Citizens Foundation and Eastside Arts Alliance as institutions with a pivotal role in his upbringing.

“La Peña was the first place where you could get on stage or get in the sound booth. You could even throw your own event,” says Aranaydo. “Some of the best DJ sets of my young life happened there.”

It’s Aranaydo’s love of third spaces — hangouts for likeminded people to share skills, stories and culture — that has spawned his latest endeavor.

Some of the events over the next month include lessons from DJ Fuze of Digital Underground, an afternoon event with the Native American DJ Association and a DJ battle. This Saturday, Aug. 24, there’ll be a record swap and sip, followed on Sunday by a tie-dye skillshare.

After a soft launch, the series kicked off on Aug. 17 with a celebration for Aranaydo’s late friend and legendary aerosol writer Mike “Dream” Francisco, who would’ve turned 55 on Aug. 15.

During the event, people observed projected images of Dream’s work, and longtime Bay Area aerosol writer and community pillar Spie shared stories of painting with his friend and fellow TDK crew member.

At one point during the presentation, Aranaydo grabbed the mic to provide further context of his relationship to Dream and Spie, noting the importance of their work.

It’s rare for a shop owner to be able to speak about the art and culture their crew created and sustained for over four decades, but that’s one of the many things Aranaydo is offering with this space.

“It feels irresponsible to just ask people to support my cool-guy shit and give me money,” says Aranaydo of selling clothing and apparel. “I want people to not just buy something. I want them to walk away with much more.”

The NVR OVR pop-up shop is at 302 12th St. in Oakland, with events slated from now through Oct. 15. Details and more info here.