Archive for May 13th, 2008
Ever wish your Moleskine was a just a little bit fancier and “up to par,” so to speak, with the creativity, sketches, and witticisms contained within the soft-leather wrapped hardcover? Now you can! All in thanks to Engrave Your Book, a website which lets you put your “awesome” artwork, dirty pictures/words, or even your ugly mug right on the cover. The custom laser engraving looks incredible and will surely do justice to the goldmine of thoughts, ideas, phone numbers/addresses/ all on the ruled or unruled (because you can’t have any constraints) paper. Check out their artist series or some of the favorites they’ve picked. Here’s an example:
May 13th, 2008
It seems like a standard story shared by lots of people: You’ll be at a friends house for anything from a get together to a house party, and the next thing you know, Harold Hunter’s flashing his trademark (and slightly goofy/sinister) grin while chatting it up at the kitchen table. Then, you’re a little geeked that you’re in the presence of one of the best street skaters/”star” of the film kids when he strikes up a conversation with you out of the blue. Well, let’s honor and celebrate the life of this same person with the 2nd Annual Harold Hunter Day featuring a skate jam and party. Details are on the flier.
May 13th, 2008
Please excuse my lame title for this post, but the last floor I expected my dancing shoes to receive a hearty worn-down happened to be, you guessed it, on the swarthy planks of a boathouse. Not just your average boathouse either, but one of many along a lighted and not-so-historic strip in Philadelphia called Boathouse Row. Up until I found myself mixing and mingling inside the Crescent Boat Club, the whole event was all kind of a mystery. I knew it was the Chimeras record release party. I knew it stamped the return of one of my favorite Philly bands, Casual Viking. I knew my other highly-touted favorite band, The Tough Shits, possibly could be playing as well. But, the phone calls and questions continued: “Wait, you’re playing on Boathouse Row in a boathouse? What? Uhh? OK? You have a ticket for me? See you there.” Ending with a click and followed by the scratching of a furrowed brow.
Once I found out the cut of the jib, or rather the rhythm of the rowing, it kind of all turned into an exciting, slightly awkward, and arousing experience like prom night for a virgin. I’ll leave out some details, but that’s the kind of thing best saved for folklore and documentaries. And, forgive me for using the tired cliche, but it certainly was a night of triumphant returns on so many levels. Allow me to regale you with my favorite events from an evening spent on the banks of the splendid, impressive, and mighty Schuylkill River.
After an all too long hiatus, an added member, and a literal game of musical chairs, Casual Viking decided to showcase their new licks, line-up, and frankly all-around better songmanship in front of a crowd of friends and fans drooling at the ears for their Fall-like aural pleasures. With Kevin #1 staying on “vox” and guitar, Kevin #2 sliding from drums to keyboard/synth, Pat walking down the rhythm line and sitting behind the drums, and new recruit Steve taking over on bass, the boys unleashed a whole new set of songs that Tough Shits bassist, Eggs Gruskatell, could only describe as “spyrock.” Please note: picture 4 (bottom right) would be perfect if they were a hardcore band putting out a picture disk. Just saying.
After CV’s set ended, a mass of overheated bodies trod out on the deck to chat and play catch-up with faces they hadn’t seen in a while. Suddenly, a boom and a blaze burst out near the horizon, or rather, from across the river and down a bit. It seems we were being treated to a fireworks display, and it wasn’t even the Fourth of July! As the snaps and crackles caused ooh’s and ahh’s, the Tough Shits ran out to their van to grab some of their on-tour pick-ups: a handful of large bottle rockets. And, what better way to celebrate an event than by lighting one up and letting it fly from your crotch (bottom left photo: James from the Tough Shits) and your ass (bottom right photo: same).
After The Chimeras (I didn’t snap any pics of them, bummer. I was too wrapped up in their songs) played their set, including songs off their new album, Party of God, and a few old ones too (including the first song they played the first time they played with CV and the TS’s), the Tough Shits pooped out their first show since arriving home from a six-weeks plus tour of the country that included a basketball to the face after a self-described “horrible” show at a California Mexican restaurant. Let’s just say, the home crowd made things rowdier than usual thanks in large part to an anxious and drunk crowd itching to hear their nice rock and roll. The usual craziness ensued during the set: several people (band members also) crashing to the floor, Gregg (Tough Shits bassist) breaking a string for the first time, James (Tough Shits drummer) knocking over his kit twice before they were even finished, and some asshole (wonder who that could have been!) up on someone’s shoulders. Fun times as always, everybody. Definitely one of the best times of the year.
May 13th, 2008
Clearly I have a one track mind today but this ish is CRAZY! And it’s only one in a series! Now that’s devotion, patients, and skill! Props to the artist, Blu, who has developed a way to take a stationary art form and make it move. MUTO is a piece that travels across public walls, and transforms shape… and generally mesmerizes the shit out of you! I’m really into this guys style, but its also really creepy… Respect. Seriously. Check this shit out!
May 13th, 2008
This movie presents the brutal truth about graffiti writing. They don’t glorify it or knock it down. They straight up tell it like it is. Infamy, directed by Doug Pray, follows 6 of the most prolific graff artists in the country as they show how its done. They get deep and inspirational in the interviews with the artists exploring what drives or inspires them to risk everything - from arrest to physical abuse from gang violence to death - to do tags, throw ups, and even murals. The answer… addiction. Being one of the only illegal forms of art, its the thrill of running away and getting away with it. It’s the thrill of the hunt. The movie jumps from the south Bronx, to San Francisco, to Hollywood, to NORTH PHILADELPHIA! to the Mexican Border, to Cleveland.
The artists chosen are not only the most prolific, but represent the variety and the different styles of the art form:
- CLAW of the PMS crew in the south Bronx is praised for her unique use of an iconic bear claw and the way she uses her graff skill to prove to the boys that she can compete in the same playing field.
- EARSNOT of the IRAK … as in I steal…. crew out of NYC. The crew follows the mantra that “every night is new years eve.” Infamous for their sticky hands, they brag about their ability to acquire their supplies without ever opening their wallets. In addition, their stuffs pretty dope.
- ENEM the hometown crew NPH. ENEM, who hails from the North Philadelphia section of Germantown gives us a lesson in the difference between graff from the illadelph and graph from elsewhere… Although people have been tagging and doing throw ups for a very long time, the practice of writing your name every where - aka tagging the shit out of the city - was developed here in the 1960’s. The style differs, too. Long, sweeping and often unreadable simple tags plaster every inch of say, the artists bus root. It’s all about telling people where you’ve been that day. Enem is also involved in the cities Union 237 Gallery.
- JASE is infamous for what he writes on. He’s hit 40,000 of the 2 million freight trains in the country. He claims “[my] graffiti has seen more of the country than I ever will.” As vice prez of a spray paint company, this BA - burning America - member is like no other.
- SABER holds the unofficial world record for the biggest graff painting ever! At 250′x55′ its almost the size of a NFL football field. And he’s only 21!
- TOOMER of the TKO crew has been forced to alter how he approaches his art. Residing in a gang ridden section of south central cali, he’s developed a style that turns his graffiti into all out murals. Feeling threatened when they saw his tags on their turf, gangs would beat him, causing him to be tactical with the space he writes on.
For a truthful, in depth, and entertaining perspective on this art form, check this movie out!
May 13th, 2008
