DUBBLE YOUR PLEASURE

© DUB

HUSTLE & FLOW AT THE CONVENTION CENTER Text by JOHN GRAFMAN Photos by KURT FUHRMAN, JOHN GRAFMAN & DUB Rule number one: You can never have enough. Rule number two: See rule number one. Two simple rules and DUB magazine's Custom Auto Show & Concert Tour at the L.A. Convention Center came close to nailing them both.

© DUB Before stepping a foot inside the convention center, I am staggered by the mass of humanity gathering outside. Are they lining up for this or is there something else going on concurrently in one of the other adjacent halls at the center? Literally, tens of thousands are surrounding the building's perimeter - from the front to the rear. This is barely believable. Given that this is the first stop on the national DUB tour, one might have thought that the momentum to have a full house wouldn't exist. If this is any indication of the dates coming up, the DUB tour will need larger venues!

© DUB While not everyone made it in the door due to capacity, 27,000 did pack the South Hall. The event took on a life of its own with so many people. This is a circus of cars and car enthusiasts. So why do so many plunk down their hard earned dollars and eat up a weekend day? Inside is a wonderland of autos, scantily clad young women, swag for the asking, and sounds that could wake the dead. The guys at DUB definitely adhere to rule number one. You can't swing a dead chicken and not hit something worth gawking at inside the hall.

Photo by John Grafman On hand are new DUB Edition versions of the 2007 Cadillac Escalade, 2006 Jeep Commander, 2006 Buick Lucerne, and 2006 Mercedes-Benz S550. Beyond the cars DUB has on hand, I spot everything from a Mercedes SLR at Giovanna Wheels which are debuting their own line of tires manufactured by Michelin, a Lamborghini and Rolls Royce Phantom at the Luxury Ride Leasing booth, to nearly every possible variation of some rather normal cars that have been taken to the extreme.

Photo by Kurt Fuhrman On hand are every type of automobile from sports cars, to luxury rides, to SUVs and so on. They all have one thing in common at his show, Dubs! Twenty-inch tires and wheels (a.k.a., double dimes, or dubs) are the minimum to be shown here. It seems like every month someone has a larger wheel on the market and the tire companies scramble to make some rubber to fit. Is bigger better? Back to rule number one, and number two.

Photo by John Grafman Mega effort has been taken to create the cars at this show. Too bad many of these cars are only trailered from one show to the next, as they would blow people away on the freeways and streets anywhere in the world. So many of the vehicles on display are worthy of not just an article, but also perhaps an entire website dedicated exclusively to each. They are that worthy. A few auto are out of place among the hundreds, as they don't measure up to the same caliber of quality and design. The days of a one-man effort are drawing to a close as the energy and expertise needed to run with the big dogs is more than just one person can offer. The support offered also by sponsors is worth their weight in gold.

© DUB Personally, I am not a big fan of the Chrysler 300 (yes, call me crazy) - up until this show. Several lowered and modified versions actually just might make a convert out of me. Dropping the car seems to change its personality from Dr. Jeckel to Mr. Hyde. A dark, sinister, bad boy look reaches far past what the car looks like coming from the manufacturer as they have to conform to particular standards. This is just a single example of the hundreds on hand that show what can be done with some imagination, hard work and money. If it can be dreamed up, it can be made. Feeding the frenzy and adding to the amplitude on the main stage are multi-platinum selling artists Mike Jones, Slim Thug, Paul Wall, and Xzibit. While the stage is on one end of the hall, there are no dead-zones as countless audios systems fill the air with music. More is better, right?

© DUB Giving away swag and rounding out the event are committed sponsors. DUB is bringing such recognized names as Pepsi, BFGoodrich, Amp'd Mobile, Rockstar Games, Bud Light, and Budweiser. This year's events are also sponsored by Energizer e2 Titanium, American Racing, Best Buy, XM Satellite Radio, Borla Exhaust, HD Radio, Mr. Clean Auto Dry, Michelin, Hot Wheels, Car Domain, Meguiars, Car Crazy, Ebay Motors, and Yahoo Autos. Could DUB be going a bit mainstream or is mainstream going DUB? Either way, the results are positive. The inclusion of companies like these make it happen. Those who didn't make this show will have to wait until the next one. While the DUB show moves on to the rest of the country, DUB will return to California later in the year for Stop 15 in San Mateo on September 24 and Stop 16 in San Diego on November 19.

© DUB Maybe it's a little premature to venture a guess based on this first show of the tour, but it's all pointing to even more dates, larger venues and with more incredible sights to see at the events in 2007. But if there is any doubt, just follow the rules!

© DUB For more on the DUB Show go to http://www.dubmagazine.com/dubshow.