Stoke

Catching up with an old friend

Dug into my closet for one thing and came out with something better. My daughter was a little confused when she didn't see an LCD screen on the back of this camera.

Thank you, Fuji, for still making an instant film that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

SHAHS

Just got some copies of a 7'' cover I designed for the Missoula, MT outfit SHAHS. It's being put out by my friends at Death by Audio- the record label/ guitar pedal factory/art &music venue/recording studio/dude ranch. Wouldn't it be nice to have one of those around here?

Remember when....

It isn't necessary to imagine the world ending in fire or ice. There are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia.

-Frank Zappa

The quote is to prevent overuse. Free download links to a shit ton of 90's hardcore records. Plenty of your friend's old bands are in there.

http://www.lemmingtrail.com/mb/220134/

Nate W. McKee

Tight bro and former bandmate turned composer has posted some new tracks that he's been nice enough to make available for streaming/donation based download. If Steve Reich compositions were filtered through the mind of a contemplative child in a Malick movie engaged in the wonders of boyhood- fireworks, stillness of abandoned space, observing absurdity in adult rituals, the concept of "forever", ....

Decide for yourself.

"Creation is the ability to capture the feeling of childhood utilizing the abilities of maturity."

-Schopenhauer

Al Brown from Chicago - Part 1

In our last visit with Amy's grandfather who recently passed away we found out about his short stint as "Al Brown from Chicago" in the Madison Wisconsin Professional Wrestling circuit.

We were sitting around the table with her entire family. It was a sad visit for us because we all knew it was the last time we would see him. He was an incredible man that meant more than I will every understand to Amy's family. More incredible because he wouldn't let us be sad. He kept telling stories and kept his strength and kept the whole affair impossibly lighthearted.

He was a great man having taken in the shoe shine boy from the military base in Korea in and provided him a life in this country. A leader of men in the military. Always shaven and proud.

That is why we were all caught off guard when he began to tell us of his days as a professional wrestler in the 50s. Apparently he was a monster in high school and was taken under the wing of Jimmy Demetral who was a local legend in Madison Wisconsin. Jimmy was the older wrestler who played the bad guy and Amy's grandfather played the young up and comer.

In his memory I have decided to do what I can to dig up as much as possible on his short career in wrestling. At this stage there is very little out there, but I am hoping that with the help of the web maybe I can find something out there. I will take any help I can get as I am not a web guru.

Wanted to share his Obituary.

Other well known wrestlers from Madison
Jimmy Demetral
“Sailor” Art Thomas

FULL

Me and Mike are sourcing equipment tomorrow morning for a project to fill the void that the defunct manned space program has left in our psyches.

Here is a video I shot of him this spring, the day before he blew his elbow into a million pieces at the same spot. Check out his blog here. Get dusted.

Untitled from Stay Young on Vimeo.

Public Art Project. 330 Granby St.

Just got finished with this before running up and down to New York the past couple of weekends. Seems like a year ago, but it's only been two weeks.

... I Realize it's Just a Picture in a Frame.

13,447 paper airplanes made from an entire World Book Encyclopedia set.

Title taken from Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing by Marvin Gaye

This project is part of Hampton Roads: The Canvas public art initiative. It wouldn't have been possible without AltDaily.com and the countless friends who pitched in. I'm having an opening for it Sept. 7th... more info to come.

Colin Stetson.

Tour de force. Maelstrom. Muscular virtuosity... and other phrases commonly used by music critics are fuzzy far off smoke signals when trying to describe the blanket of holy shit sound this man's saxophone throws over you. Colin Stetson's new album New History of Warfare Vol. 2: Judges is just solo sax. A combination of clicking of pads to loop percussive effect, circular breathing, throat singing, and magick are employed to make this no overdub, no looping pedals, mostly first take album that seems like it's a direct transmission of the unified field.

Blow my mind now, even though Laurie Anderson does occasional guest vocals.

Friends of the porpoise.

We all forget our trunks sometimes.

No need to be cynical. They did it for you...and better than you'd ever be able to. Just relax.

Part Andy Kaufman song and dance performance art; part parody on bigotry, sexism, and an attack it's overly sensitive politically correct counter weight; part hessian nihilism; and just a small part grindcore AxCx were the unrecognized geniuses of their time. This is a ridiculous late eighties performance that looks like it took place in a VFW hall or barn. If you want to hate on the subculture you're apart of- be it a surf scene, music scene, or small town know that your effort will probably look like the uninspired efforts of small minded yokel compared to these guys. If you can pole vault this incredibly high bar...by all means. The opposite also resonates here- anything you might take way too seriously might turn you into a cartoon.

Like all good conceptual art, recounting the performances/projects/ideas are almost as strong as being there

Their wikipedia page is always good for a laugh.

Shaka

Outer Banks Surf Check - 1988

See the hot video action.

Old Blue..... You got me in a strangle hold

After a long season of disappointment and one hell of an dreadful surfing experience yesterday Old Blue rewarded my faith and rosey patience tonight with an incredibly peaceful 45 minutes of glass, solitude, and 3 foot peelers.

This ones for you Old Blue!!!

"Who gets the glasses?" fifth intstallment

"Who gets the glasses?" fourth installment

"Who gets the glasses" third installment

"Who gets the glasses?" second installment

"Who gets the glasses?" first installment

Stewart Yoda

So many things that I love about surfing and art all in one image.