Posts
I recently completed the 3rd painting in the WIG band image series. I found out they were playing at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco on Saturday night so I drove over early to meet up with them and show them the latest painting. Robert (singer/songwriter) bought the previous version that's shown in an earlier blog post and I decided to send a blank outlined version of the poster with a box of crayons and a challenge to make their own version (I guess that's #4 in the series). I showed the painting to everyone and they mentioned that their version is at the studio and is slowly being colored in by each band member. It was a great night and performance, consisting of a series of interesting conversations with people who were each fascinating in their own way. You gotta love San Francisco because everyone you meet is doing something interesting and is somehow connected to something cool, not always to each other, but to an art scene, silicon valley, or a subculture the rest of the world is not privy to yet.The painting is on tough canvas so I just rolled it up and put it in my coat, all the while reciting, "Don't lose the painting. Don't let rockers crush the painting."
I met Joshua and the guys from a new blog (http://www.lifemusiclove.com/) seeking to bring together people with an appreciation for great live music, film and art. They were there to interview the band and do a photo shoot. They mentioned that they had contributors for music and film, but were still looking for an art contributor...enter JP! So it looks like I'll be one of their art contributors, which I'm very excited to do. I imagine I'll contribute a variety of topics; tips on how to improve your art career, general observations, frustrations and dealing with them (see, "Do as I say, not as..."), trends, outsider art, the use of technology, you name it.
The band Loquat opened up for WIG and I had the chance to hang out with Earl and Ryan over some tacos. They were really nice and laid back, very fun to be around. I've been listening to their tunes on myspace since I got back. Think Bjork meets The Pretenders meets....well, meets more people than a speed dating event. They still have their own unique and beautiful sound too. Their bass player, Anthony, and I talked bass for a while--as only bass players can :o) He has a funky new Fender that I had never seen before and the most bizarre camera I'd ever seen, save for the Quaker Oats box pinhole camera I made in Photography 101, but I digress. This camera was so cool that while at the Sundance Festival, he met Brad Pitt and the director from Benjamin Button, David Fincher, and got a few photos just because the camera was interesting. Apparently the cam has a cult following and Fincher is one of them. I don't know these things, but apparently in starbiz land it's considered polite to ask someone like Pitt if you can take a photo (who knew?) to which he replied that he'd rather not since he'd had a few beers. Enter the bizarre orange camera and the rest is history.
"Don't lose the painting. Don't let rockers crush the painting."
In 2 degrees of separation news, a good friend of mine Todd Z, turned me on to Flight of the Conchords, the show about 2 dorky Kiwis pawning their musical wares on the streets of Manhattan (and comedy ensued). I worked in a usability lab with Todd at Indiana University and learned all my chops from him. He's really sharp and currently works in the user experience field in Silicone Valley. While hanging out with the West Indian Girl drummer, Mark Lewis, he mentioned that Brett and Jemaine record all of their songs at his studio in L.A. and that he's played drums on 5 of their songs, including "Business Time." I just about fell over. How cool is that? He said they're cool guys but are a little more serious when they're trying to figure out what the chorus should be. Apparently, they record the tunes in L.A., film in NY, come back to make tweaks...I was starting to think they're just frequent flyer whores but I'm sure it's all very necessary. And who's complaining??
Fran was cool enough to put me on the guest list so I got to hang out in the green room, or whatever you call the place where bands drink and argue and sleep before the show. It sounds glamorous, but if you think it's a corregated shack with a fridge full of beer, no bottle opener and a wilting sofa you'd be accurate. I had a fun time chatting with the band and their friends. One nice guy was Tim Brunet who has been working with the band on their marketing, video, photography and the like. I'll be sending him a link to this painting.
Finally, I came across a Hoosier (yes, we embraced) and a hilarious Buckeye who were informing everyone in the green room/shack how the world REALLY worked. The Buckeye dude was into marketing and was telling us about his big pitch to YouTube this week. Since I don't want to let the cat out of the bag (or get sued) I'll just observe YouTube over the next months and years and see if they become what he has envisioned for them. I'll smile if his wish comes true.
The band had a great show and I thought the sound quality was pretty good too. It was loud but not blaring and you could hear the vocals very clearly. Mariqueen had a cold but managed to pull it off without looking exhausted or sound bad. I don't know how she can wail like that when she could barely talk before the show. Hey, she's a professional.
After all that, I hopped in the car, drank a Pepsi to keep myself awake and drove back to Sacramento feeling positive, inspired, and connected. The painting was next to me on the seat, safe and uncrushed.
