Prior to the Awesome Show, Tim and Eric starred-in/created Tom Goes to the Mayor, another Adult Swim program that, unlike it’s follow-up, was primarily animated and much more story-based.  The limited animation style of TGTTM was created from highly expressive (both facially and bodily) still images -processed through photo-shop to resemble photocopies and making for incredibly jumpy transitional movements for the characters- to tell the stories.  The program, which evolved from a web series, had a very specific aesthetic of it’s own, while including random live action clips interspersed throughout it.  When the Awesome Show was created, it adopted some of those same live action characters (ie. married news team, Jan and Wayne Skylar).  It also brought with it some of the many co-stars/cameos that Heidecker and Wareheim had managed to work with on Tom Goes to the Mayor (Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifianakis, Jeff Goldblum, etc.).  With the shift into the more fragmented approach of the Awesome Show, an altogether new, yet equally distinct, aesthetic was created that came to define the duo.  Eschewing the static imagery and stiff facsimile look of the two-tone TOM for schizophrenic blips and the diced-up scattered imagery of their new program, the live action felt decidedly more “animated” and, for lack of a better word, psychedelic.  It was like laying half-chloroformed in a bin of mixed candy’s while a wall of televisions flipped through clips of Max Headroom, QVC, white noise, Univision, and Sid and Mary Krofft outtakes.  While TGTTM was like a pill high (or, low, rather), The Awesome Show was like floating out of an LSD or Molly trip, while spiking your high back up with OJ, wasabi, and a cocktail of  the shit that gets you crunk, but wasn’t necessarily created for that intended purpose (solvents, dramamine, nitrous, Robitussin).  The strychnine was dirty.  The cinematography often felt like a real life John Kricfalusi cartoon. This was a style that followed Wareheim into directorial work in videos for the likes of MGMT, The Bird and the Bee, Major Lazer, and Depeche Mode, as well as commercials for Old Spice.  They’ve done live tours and even some short films for HBO‘s Funny Or Die presents, but this week the comedy duo is attempting to translate their trademark tomfoolery onto the big screen (or small screen, depending) with a handful of somewhat unorthodox promotional methods.

THE FILM

Co-presented by Funny Or Die, Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie revolves around the concept that the stars were given one-billion dollars to make a film, but pretty much blow it all immediately and are then expected to repay what they’ve fizzled away.  From there, hijinks and comedy ensue.  Many Awesome Show pals and semi-regulars such as John C. Reilly, Zach Galifianakis, Jeff Goldblum, Will Forte, and Will Ferrell make appearances, along with the folks who’ve starred in memorable sketches/segments and earned most of their own recognizability through the Adult Swim program (James Quall, David Liebe Hart, and Palmer Scott).  Perhaps the most intriguing twists come with their consistent casting of historically more “stoic” or “serious” personalities like Robert Loggia (Scarface, Big), William Atherton (Ghostbusters, Die Hard), Costas Mandylor (Picket Fences, Mobsters), Ray Wise (Twin Peaks, 24), and even business tycoon/executive producer, Marc Cuban (Dallas Mavericks, Lionsgate ent., etc.).  There is even narration provided by Michael Gross of Family Ties fame.  Simply based on nothing other than the trailer alone, the film is unmistakably a Tim & Eric production, but, as stated before, it is intended to follow a somewhat cohesive storyline and veer away from their typically and disorientingly warped pacing, which is far less likely to work as effectively in a longer format.

THE PLEDGE

Tim and Eric have stated that, after 5 seasons in as many years, the Awesome Show is effectively over in it’s current form.  Just like their previous jump from Tom Goes to the Mayor, the guys are moving on to new projects with the hopes that they will be received as successfully as the one that they’re moving on from.  To ensure that help to insure that people support their newest venture, Heidecker and Wareheim have created a form that anyone can print out and sign, pledging that they will make the effort to go out and watch Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie, among other things.

In a relatively short period of time, an impressive number of celebrities  (as well as us lesser, common-folk) have videotaped themselves signing the document.  Here are a few of the more notable uploads…

Elijah Wood

James Murphy

Aziz Ansari

Paul Rudd

Weird Al

More videos on the official BDMPLEDGE Youtube Page HERE.

SIGN THE PLEDGE!

Rango’ed

Over the last week or so, Heidecker and Wareheim premiered their decidedly “raunchy” Billion Dollar Movie at -of all places- The Sundance Film Festival in Utah.  Throughout the frenzy of publicity that occurs at the world famous “indie” film fest, the duo participated in more than a handful of interviews.  Most of the footage simply shows the guys toying with interviewers and/or pushing the idea of a conspiracy that their film was actually being re-edited by studio heads to incorporate outtakes from the animated Johnny Depp lizard/Western vehicle Rango and pleading for the fans to help petition against Sundance, begging the festival to hear their pleas and show the “original” pure and “un-Rango’ed” version.

Instead of promoting their film in the typical manner and allowing the interview to progress in the direction that the interview is likely hoping and prepared for(discussing the film, etc), this following interaction with In The Can demonstrates Tim and Eric redirecting the tone and subject in their own unique and expertly perfected manner.

[If you're short on time, but still into really awkward shit, jump ahead to view the 6:47 - 7:25 mark]

As their wolf cries about Rango continued, it was great to see people like Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development) jump in to perpetuate the absurdity.

Here’s a nicely polished and edited little video that shows a condensed 360 version of the entire Rango’ing saga.

THE RELEASE (Sundance, Theaters, On-Demand, & Youtube)

Not all of the press that Tim and Eric participated in at Sundance was focused on or redirected towards the propaganda about Rango.  In fact, some of the interviews actually showcase footage where the filmmakers are the most “out-of-character” than we’ve probably ever seen them.  One such interview with The Hollywood Reporter stays pretty much on topic throughout it’s majority, but they do make tongue in cheek references about people walking out of films.  For those of you who bother to watch until after the credits of the last “Rango Saga” video (@2:36 mark) you will see footage of Eric Wareheim claiming that he and his partner “killed Sundance” and that the movie was “a total hit“.  Whether that’s an accurate account of the film’s reception or not is subjective, but what we do know is that plenty of people got up ans simply walked out in the middle of the screenings.  [To be fair, it's not the only controversial movie that drove uncomfortable patrons from the theaters mid-screening; Rick Alverson's, The Comedian, a drama about aging uncouth hipster's -also starring Heidecker and featuring Wareheim, along with James Murphy of LCD Soundsytem and DFA Records- also proved to be incredibly polarizing.]

In an even more frank and straightforward interview with /FILM, they discuss how they didn’t bother to “cater” their work towards the Sundance “community” at all and make sure to stress that the film was intentionally created to be viewed on the big screen, implying that witnessing the full and varied audience interaction is part of the overall experience.  In that same interview, they further explain that their compromise with finding alternate methods of release outside of theaters came from an acknowledgement that, with the films limited theater release, many fans might be unable to view the film otherwise.  In fact, their Video On Demand release, which began yesterday (January 27th), arrives more than a full month before the March 2nd theatrical debut for the public.

Taking further advantage of what current technology has to offer, Tim and Eric have also made the film available for advanced screening on Youtube.  You may have noticed, through accidental clicks or otherwise, that Youtube has added the option to rent feature length films on the site. No?  Yes?  Well, they have and the Billion Dollar Movie is one such movie that is currently available.  This evens the playing field further, for those who do not have access to On demand through their televisions.  Here… I’ll let the creators sell you the idea themselves.

If you still haven’t caught on yet, you’re being bamboozled with the stalling youtube video above; it’s all chicanery and Hollywood magic.  It’s a parody y’all… shenanigans.  But seriously folks… if you want to rent it on youtube, you can do so through HERE.

To visit the official Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie website, CLICK HERE.

If you’ve made it through this entire post (videos included), great job!

CITY ARTS FEST 2011

OCTOBER 20-22

(buy tix)

These days, the festival format is pretty much dominating the live music industry.  Not only is it a reflection of a financial necessity to redirect focus on the performance element in an age where recorded material is pirated to such a degree that “consumers” actually expect the product to be free of charge, but the idea to corral multiple artists and genres to present them like an audio smörgåsbord mirrors the desires of the growing demographic who listen to mp3s on shuffle and have come to rely on immediacy, expecting to have the ability to switch between any number or variety of options with no more than a simple finger swipe on their ipads.  The 90s had one primary standout festival, the touring Lollapalooza; now resurrected as a yearly one-off that doesn’t move from it’s static location in Chicago.  That model was mimicked with a more streamlined focus for the female-centric Lilith Fair (97-99, 2010), by the jam band revival set for the H.O.R.D.E. Festival (1992-98), and with the punk  fueled Warped Tour, which has opened it’s arms to a slightly more eclectic lineup -along with extreme sports- in more recent years.  There was also a couple of attempts at multi-day fests like Woodstock, but… I think we all know how that turned out.  Once Coachella started to really get rolling at the turn of the millenium, Bonnaroo picked up the formula on the other side of the country.  Then, slowly (and then, quite a bit more rapidly) the multi-day festivals with huge varied lineups really began popping up all over the country.  Rothbury, Wakarusa, Treasure Island Music Fest, ACL, Vegoose, Fun Fun Fun Fest, Outside Lands, etc. etc. etc….  The tours weren’t traveling as much anymore, so the people began to.  And what about those that can’t travel?  Well, if you won’t have a handful of festivals rolling through your city throughout the year, then I guess every city’s gonna have to throw a shit ton of festivals themselves.

Here in Seattle and the greater Washington area, we’ve already had the Sasquatch! Festival, The Capitol Hill Block Party, Bumbershoot, and Decibel Fest, this year, with the Earshot Jazz Festival scheduled for next week.  Last year, the folks at City Art Magazine decided that wasn’t enough and came up with the brilliant idea to launch the city-wide Heineken sponsored CITY ARTS FESTIVAL.  Not only did they toss yet one more festival into the already overflowing pile, but they also had the nerve to do it in the Fall, in an attempt to drag out the “festival season” which had, by all intents and purposes, already officially ended.  Summer’s over.  People are going back to school.  It’s getting cold, especially here in this city.  Is another music festival really fucking necessary?  Well… I’m not gonna waste my time with rhetoricals.  Instead, I’m just gonna explain why, in fact, it definitely is relevant, by pointing out some of the factors that set it apart from the others and make it a unique experience, while bringing attention to particular elements, performances, and artists that might be overlooked.

The BASICS / This Year vs Last

Modeled after other city-wide festivals like Austin‘s SXSW and Portland‘s Music Fest NW, the CITY ARTS FESTIVAL welcomes over 175 different artists to appear at more than 20 of Seattle‘s top venues.  Last year’s festival showcased performances by acts like Belle and Sebastian and Cat Power in such classic and beautifully majestic theaters as Benaroya Hall (home of the symphony) and the 5th Ave Theatre (est. 1926; originally hosting vaudeville acts).  That’s one main difference/benefit of City Arts taking advantage of all that the city has available; you’re generally not going to able to experience these acts playing in these environments.  This year is no different.  The main issue with last year was that it was the first year and with that comes a lot of learning.  At times if felt a bit scattered and more like a bunch of disconnected events, rather than one unified festival.  We covered the fest last time and, as someone who dealt directly with organizers, I can guarantee that kinks have been worked out and that this year is already running exponentially smoother.

Wristbands & Individual show tix

Unless you’re only planning on catching one event, our recommendation is to pick up the 3-Day All-Access Wristbands.  They are only $69 and cover access to any of the events throughout the entire 3-Day festival.  My only real concern with buying wristbands at festivals like this is how functional they truly are.  What I mean by that is, if there are conflicting acts that I was hoping to see scheduled at the same time or if my pass would limit access to an event that had reached it’s occupancy limit.  Last year, there was more than one event that was standing room only and festivals like Bumbershoot have always had occupancy limits which makes it incredibly easy to get locked out of the very shows that you bought the tickets for, in the first place.  This years City Arts Fest, on the other hand, is not only holding extra spaces for every event to, pretty much, guarantee that wristband holders are not prevented entry, but they’ve also done an amazing job with the schedule to avoid as many conflicts in that respect as possible and there is even a dedicated line for wristband holders.  Not to mention that for every wristband that you purchase, you’re automatically entered to win a Hawaiian vacation for two, through Alaska Airlines.

Broke as a joke?  There are actually a handful of City Arts Fest events that are completely free to the public.

SUGGESTED EVENTS:

There are obvious big names that people are going to want to check out.  These are the names that many people are buying the tickets for in the first place, so we don’t really feel the need to tell you to check out someone like ROBYN w/Yacht at the Paramount.  Then there are acts like CRYSTAL CASTLES – incidentally, scheduled late enough to check out after the Robyn set- who, although we “recommend”, are playing so much this year that their appearance at CAF isn’t one of the factors that truly adds to the uniqueness of this particular festival.  Mudhoney is always solid and worth seeing again, but as a local act, there will always be opportunities to check them out in the future.  Then there’s the one thing that really makes CAF a festival like no other: the focus on various forms of art.  This isn’t just another music festival, that simply includes the word “arts” in the title because it’s named after the goddamn magazine.  It’s actually a festival that, beyond music, also features discussion panels, visual art showcases, and film.  Here’s a heads up on a few events and exclusives that we feel that you should know about…

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CHARLES KRAFFT

(Visual Art)

CULTURE CLUB: VISUAL ART CURATED BY FREE SHEEP FOUNDATION

Thursday October 20

FRED Wildlife Refuge

FREE

Curated by the Free Sheep Foundation, the Fred Wildlife Refuge will be showcasing the work of local Seattle low brow legend Charles Krafft and it’s completely FREE to attend.  We recommend hitting this up, even if you didn’t purchase a ticket or plan on going to any of the rest of the festival.

Originally working as a painter in the more traditional sense, Krafft redirected his focus into ceramics, approximately 2 decades ago.  Juxtaposing  traditional methods of blue & white tin glaze Delftware pottery from the Netherlands with his own, often crass, social commentary, the artist invented what he refers to as “Disasterware“.  Beginning with his own parodies of ceramic collector’s plates -substituting flowers and fields for horrific imagery and that of historic tragedies- he eventually moved on to create everything from ceramic figures of grenades, automatic weapons, and swastika windmills.  His other big trademark comes in the material that he uses for the products itself.  Creating his own clay body called “SPODE“, the sculptor makes his own bone china containing human remains, by mixing in crematoria ashes.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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MAN MAN: Live Laser Show

(music, visual/performance art)

Saturday

October 22

Laser Dome

Doors10:30 pm

$18 adv / $22 dos

All Ages

Dressed in his trademark white polo and tennis shorts attire (headband optional) with white smears of facepaint framing his mustached  snarls and grunts -not unlike a 70s Lord of the Flies porn-star version of John Mcenroe- MAN MAN frontman, Honus Honus (aka: Ryan Kattner), leads his multi-instrumentalist troupe through howling performances fueled with the tense cleansing energy of a ritual sacrifice.  Part Rain Dogs-era Tom Waits, part shambolic Captain Beefheart blues, part all-out tribal drum circle, and part something that’s all their own, the Philadelphia quartet has made a name for themselves through these explosive live shows that mix the spooky macabre vibes of a haunted house with the salvation of a baptist church ministry.  Recently, a more futuristic element of synthed-out blaster zaps have been swirled into the mix, evoking imagery of hovering UFOs blowing up dishwashers and other scattered household appliances in an abandoned junkyard.

MAN MAN isn’t new to the festival game -they’ve played Coachella, Bonnaroo, etc.- but, their performance at City Arts should be different than any before.  This time, they will be one of only 3 different CAF acts to perform in the Pacific Science Center ‘s laser dome accompanied by a live laser show!  Given the unique nature of the event, we don’t know exactly what to expect.  What we do know is that you probably won’t want to miss it.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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COLOR ME OBSESSED:

Replacements Documentary

(FILM)

Price: $6 – 10

All Ages

In the middle of seeing all this music and art, why not take a moment to head over to the North West Film Forum to check out a movie?  It will give you a nice break, allowing you to sit down in a less crowded environment and change up the monotony, while still being engaged in the festival.  Our suggestion is Gorman Bechard’s newest film, Color Me Obsessed, a documentary about the pioneering 80s rock band, The Replacements.  I love a good documentary and can pretty much watch one about anything, as long as it’s made well, but sometimes, directors feel like the subject will carry the film all by itself and phone it in pretty hard.  One thing that I generally appreciate is when someone works to redefine the structure of a doc; to find and take a new approach to the format.  Color Me Obsessed promises to do exactly that, building a film around a subject that never actually appears in the film at all.  The following information -taken from the press release- should help to explain:

“Bechard has been a diehard fan of 1980s rock icons The Replacements for nearly 30 years, and Color Me Obsessed is a movie about that fandom. Unlike other music docs, there’s no concert or other footage of the band in the film—in fact, Bechard has still not met a single Replacement. Their music appears nowhere on the soundtrack. Instead, the film engages fans like Dave Foley, critics like Robert Christgau, and other musicians like Colin Meloy and Lori Barbero to talk about this iconoclastic, deeply influential group and their music. It was Bechard’s way of making a movie about his favorite band that anyone who’s ever had a favorite band can relate to. And if he picks up a few new fans for the Replacements along the way, even better. “

There are additional showings on the following 2 days, as well as a later 9:30pm screening on the 21st.  The reason that we recommend this particular Friday 7pm show, however, is because it keeps your schedule open and allows you to attend another CITY ARTS FEST exclusive later that evening.  The showing gets out at approx. 9pm but, if you scurry just a few blocks down Pike St. and over to the Comet Tavern, there will be an All Star tribute to the Replacements beginning at the same time (9pm) and running until 12:30.  That show is $8 for single tickets and will feat. members of The Fastbacks, The Cops, Virgin Islands, Kinski, Fort Union, Concourse d’Elegance, Cataldo, Kyle Bradford, Ben Fisher, Gabriel Mintz and a special appearance by John Roderick.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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BUILT TO SPILL

(music)

The first time that I was supposed to see Built To Spill was in 1995.  The show was $8 and the opener was HEAT MISER, a band featuring Elliot Smith and Sam Coomes (Quasi).  I had the tickets, but I didn’t make it.  I saw them later that year at the Mercer Arena (now the Opera House) as part of the Bumbershoot festival, instead.  Believe it or not, the Bumbershoot tickets were even cheaper than the other ones, back then (we still sneaked in).  The last time that I saw BTS play was last November in Olympia at the Capitol Theater, a place that is both featured in the Built To Spill LIVE (2000) album booklet and a venue that frontman Doug Martch personally told me that he’s never been able to get a good sound out of.  That show resulted in a reunion of Martsch and K Records founder, Calvin Johnson‘s (Beat Happening) 90s collaboration, The Halo Benders.  It was a benefit and they came all the way out to play that show at a venue they weren’t even very fond of, based on the simple request of a family who’s young daughter was suffering from cancer.

I’ve been seeing BTS shows for the last 16 years (half my life) and in the last decade and a half, I’ve spoken to Doug a handful of times.  These conversations and quick interactions have been in places that vary from the green room at the Crystal Ballroom to sitting out on the sidewalk at night, post show on the streets of Olympia.  Whether we were discussing the possibility of arranging an interview for the site or it was back when I was just some 16 year old kid standing outside of the, now-defunct club, RKCNDY, he’s always been the same equally approachable, humble, and personable guy.  It’s that unpretentious realism that comes through in the music.  The last time that I talked to him in person was in ’09 after the band played a free show on the UW lawn.  He told me that he was in town recording their last album There is No Enemy.  There is some talk that he may be coming to town this time for a similar reason.  This City Arts performance will actually be the one and only U.S. Built to Spill show for the entire year.

I’ve seen Built to Spill so many times, at this point, that it would be hard to count, but it’s one of those rare bands that have burrowed itself into my life and, as cliche as it might be, have provided the soundtrack to so many different stages of it.  It’s interesting when you consider how big Elliot Smith became or bands like Modest Mouse, who not only use to open up for BTS in those early days, but have admitted to owing an insurmountable debt to Doug Martsch‘s work for their own existence.  Martsch, on the other hand, has always stayed a steady course, avoiding any fanfare, and simply offering up consistent work on a consistent basis, for the last 2 decades.  As one of the greatest indie rock bands of all-time, it’s ironic that their consistency is something that may actually play against them being celebrated more than they are, at this point in their careers.  People love a reunion /comeback and I have to believe that, if they had disappeared in the 90s like other groundbreaking acts such as Pavement and the Pixies, they would be getting even more recognition for what they’ve provided to the music world and people would be losing their goddamn minds over them playing a show right now.  BTS have just gotten stronger and tighter over time, as they add more and more to their repertoire.

If you haven’t seen them in a while, you’re likely to find something completely different the next time that you do.  They had a phase when they were busting out reggae versions of Elton John‘s “Daniel” and ending their show’s with 20 minute dub versions of “Cortez the Killer” (Neil Young).  A couple of years ago they began playing the M.I.A. hit “Paper Planes”, live.  When I caught them in Oly they played “Ripple” (Grateful Dead).  The first time that I ever heard a Daniel Johnston song was actually through their version of “Some Things Last A Long Time“.  Somehow, all of their covers sound almost too perfect.  Even the music of others is reinvented and takes on a completely new life through the filter of the Idaho 5-piece.  Everything they do seems so effortless, that it’s easy to forget how great they still truly are.  If you haven’t seen them in a while, this will be a perfect opportunity to remind yourself of just that.  If you’ve never seen them live, then this is a definite must see.  If they are, in fact, recording a new album in town, there’s a good chance they’re gonna premier some new shit at this show, as well.  They usually do.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Daniel Barrow:

Every Time I See Your Picture I Cry

(Visual/Performance Art)

I’ve never seen the full extent of what Daniel Barrow does as an artist, but there’s one thing that I can pretty much guarantee: you’re not likely to get the same exact experience anywhere else.  There are a handful of things that I do know about him:  He’s from Canada, he’s the 2010 Sobey Art Award winner, and he’s supported acts that range from Miranda July to Antony and the Johnsons.  I also know that he is an illustrator and that he likes to bring his artwork to life by animating full stories in real time in front of a live audience.  The equipment that he uses includes a simple CD player and overhead projectors.  To picture a man narrating a story that’s accompanied by drawings on sheets of acetate projected onto the wall, can sound a bit antiquated, but, based on the imagery that we’ve seen, the work is quite impressive.  Somehow, the combination of his illustration style and the method of delivery don’t feel dated, current, or futuristic.  Instead, they seem to exist is some fantastic alternate universe.  This year,  Daniel will be appearing at the City Arts Festival to present one of the stories/worlds that he’s created titled, “Every Time I See Your Picture I Cry“.

The following press release info should be able to explain what he does better than we can:

“Barrow has developed an intimate mode of ‘manual animation’ using the antiquated technology of an overhead projector. From a position amongst the audience he recites live narration while manipulating layers of transparencies in continuous motion. Accentuated by interference patterns and sleight-of-hand trickery, Barrow’s hand –drawn images contrive an absorbing tale of comic book grotesques. “Every Time I See Your Picture I Cry” is a bizarre confessional detailing the grand but hopeless scheme of an estranged garbage collector and failed art student.”

“Unloved and rejected by society, the protagonist begins a universal art project in the form of a telephone directory of ‘profound and intimate insights’ to chronicle the lives of those around him. As he snoops through the windows and waste bins of fellow citizens, his survey is rendered futile by a maniacal killer who follows in his wake, picking off subjects one by one. Invoking introspection, pathos and dark humor, this award-winning performance piece is accompanied by an unassuming Beach Boys-inflected score recorded by Amy Linton of The Aislers Set.“

The following footage is not of the show that Barrow will be presenting at the festival.  It’s from another one of Daniel‘s pieces called, “Learning to Breathe Underwater“, but it should still provide a quick glimpse into what this guy is all about and what can be expected by anyone that makes their way to check him out on Saturday the 22nd.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Freestyle Fellowship

(hip hop)

In the late 80s – early 90s, the West Coast managed to carve out their mark on the hip hop world through the introduction of gangsta rap groups like N.W.A. Around this same time, there was a little South Central Los Angeles health food center known as The Good Life that began hosting weekly workshop-style open mic nights.  The Good Life was somewhat of an epicenter for talent to grow at the time and that environment helped to birth a good deal of future “conscious”/”back pack” rap legends.  The Pharcyde came out of that area and time period and was connected to that scene.  The Good Life crew, specifically, retained a heavy focus on freestyling and some incredibly talented battle MCs came out of those open mics (ex. Otherwize took the title over Eminem in the 1997 Rap Olympics).  Jurassic 5 was born out of those Good Life open mic sessions, as was the entire Project Blowed collective and compilation (feat. rappers like Busdriver and Abstract Rude).  Both part of the Good Life scene and members under the “project blowed” canopy, was a crew by the name of Freestyle Fellowship that incorporated live jazz elements, toyed with scat-like vocal deliveries, and caused some immediate quakes in the rap scene that are still being felt to this day.  Over time, FF members split off to pursue solo careers of various success (Mykah 9 and Aceyalone, especially) and, although certain members may have done work with each other over the years, a proper Freestyle Fellowship full-length hasn’t been released since Temptations in 2001.  Even the 2001 Shockadoom Ep was originally recorded in the nineties.

After all this time, Freestyle Fellowship has finally reunited with the lineup of Mykah 9, Aceyalone, P.E.A.C.E., Self Jupiter, and DJ Kiilu Grand, and are releasing a new album called, The Promise.  In all honesty, the “conscious” rap movement is one that I lost patience with years ago.  Everyone wants to come across as deep, but are far too overt with letting the listener know how “conscious” they are, instead of simply delivering mind-blowing and thought provoking material.  Freestyle Fellowship is the type of crew that has always been focused on the actual craft of their art and whatever labels and/or honors that were bestowed on them came after the fact.  If you’re seriously into hip hop and continue to eat up some of the conscious rap trash that’s being spewed out these days, you owe it to yourself to hit up this show.  After all, these are the guys that these lesser artists are imitating.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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CLICK HERE to check out the full schedule

CLICK HERE to view a pdf grid of the entire festival

Since making a massive entrance onto the art world last year, Ken Harman‘s Spoke Art has grown rapidly from it’s original concept as a “transient art gallery and publishing house” to locking down a permanent residence in San Francisco to host their expertly curated monthly art exhibits.  Even with their new space, Spoke Art remains a hybrid between the two; a solid stable location that still  maintains it’s mobility.  Growing up as half Peurto Rican and half non-practicing Jew was similar, “Yeah, it is a religion but, technically, we’re Jewish… ethnically, I mean… but… we’re not religious.“  It can get a little confusing.  Last week we posted a preview for SINK OR SWIM, a group art show held at the Spoke Art Gallery that was organized by outside curators.  This week, we have a preview that’s the exact opposite: an exhibit curated by Spoke Art that is not only being held outside of the gallery, but in an entirely different city, altogether..

Back in April, Spoke Art took it’s first real jaunt outside of the Bay Area, heading to New York City‘s Bold Hype Gallery for it’s tremendously received “Quentin vs. Coen – An art show tribute to the films of Tarantino and the Brothers”.  The show featured more than 100 different artists -painters, sculptures, printmakers & more- interpreting the works of infamous Oscar winning filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Bros.  Following its success, the exhibit was transported to the West Coast in June and Quentin vs. Coen: ROUND 2 was held at the recently acquired Spoke Art Gallery in San Francisco.  Tomorrow marks the 3rd and final installment of the nationally touring art show and, this time, it’s scheduled to be held in Los Angeles as part of the multi-gallery event, Beyond Eden Art Fair.   Not unlike it’s Bay Area predecessor, Quentin vs. Coen: ROUND 3 will feature pieces from the previous 2 installments, along with a healthy blend of new contributions.  [Scroll down to view a selection of preview images from the event].

ADMISSION IS FREE!

Here’s the lowdown…

DETAILS:

What:

“Quentin vs. Coen : ROUND 3– an art show tribute to Tarantino and the Brothers

When:

Saturday October 1st: 6pm – 11pm
Sunday October 2nd: noon – 5pm

Where:

LA Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park
4800 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90027
www.beyondedenartfair.com

LINKS:

Spoke Art
Beyond Eden Art Fair
Spoke Art Facebook
Beyond Eden Art Fair Facebook Group
Event Page

[CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE]

Gene Guynn
“True Grit”
24” x 24” (circular)
oil on wood
$950

Blunt Graffix – [Artist Matt Dye]
EZEKIEL 25:17 “and I will strike down upon thee”
Screenprint on Royal Metallics – white gold
Edition of 15
26 x 26”

Steven Foundling
“Takin Er Easy for All Us Sinners”
Polymer Clay, Wood, Acrylic Paint, Fabric
8” x 8” x 13”
$1200

Jason Liwag
Every Dog Has it’s Day
S/N edition of 50.
18” x 24”

Michael Ramstead
“Traditional American Folk Song”
Oil on wood
16″ x 12″
$400

Max Dalton
“First Things First”
Giclee print, signed, 1/1
24″ x 36″
Framed – $1,500 [ON HOLD]

Bruce White
“Anton Chigurh”
Acrylic on black velvet
11″ X 14″ (comes framed)
$300

Ruel Pascual
“AKA Mommy”
18″ x 24″
oil on linen
$900 – SOLD

Nicole Guice
“You Can be a Spy Too, Madam”
ink
$550

Terry Fan

 

PURCHASING DETAILS:

To view available pieces from the previous installments CLICK HERE.

As they are off-site for this show, Spoke Art requests that those who are unable to make the event in person, but are interested in purchasing a piece, do not contact the gallery number. Instead, please send an email to spokeartgallery@gmail.com. Please be sure to include your name, phone number, and best time to contact you.

All work is sold on a first come-first served basis.

Payment plans are available on certain pieces, so please do not hesitate to ask.

Prints will be released later via the Spoke Art site, so keep tabs on that, if you’re interested.

These days, MTV rarely even plays videos or music related programming at all.  Instead, the station has opted to place their focus on terrible reality shows about knocked-up underprivileged teens and self-involved over-privileged teens.  This downfall started back in 1992 with the premiere of The Real World, which, in turn, helped to spawn the reality show craze that continues to poison television programming and culture at large.  It might be easy to forget now, but 120 Minutes and Liquid Television weren’t the only MTV original programs that were not complete trash throughout the 90s.  In fact, around the same time that The Real World first aired, the music channel was also taking a stab at launching a handful of now-historic comedy programs.  The original version of The Ben Stiller Show began with MTV, but later moved to the FOX network where it grew into a full-blown sketch comedy show, featuring the writing talents of Judd Apatow and future Mr. Show creators, Bob Odenkirk and David Cross.  It ran one season before being canceled.  Jon Stewart also hosted a talk show on the network, but it was later syndicated out, replacing the old Arsenio Hall time slot.  That had an even shorter run.  Of all the shows that came out during this time period, however, my favorite was probably the sketch comedy show THE STATE.  The program starred  a comedy troupe of the same name that had found previous work recreating the details of viewer letters in MTV‘s You Wrote It, You Watch It, also hosted by Stewart.  Like the other programs, The State didn’t last very long, but the talent involved went on to create such shows as Viva Variety, Stella Comedy, Reno 911, and Michael & Michael Have Issues, as well as to be involved in Adult Swim programs like Super Jail and Childrens Hospital.  Sure, not all of those subsequent ventures by THE STATE troupe were necessarily “successful” hits either, but that doesn’t make them any less awesome.  Perhaps one of the most simultaneously unsuccessful and awesome attempts by the gang came with the 2001 film, Wet Hot American Summer.  Coincidentally, it’s also one of my favorites.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Wet Hot American Summer is set at a Jewish summer camp in 1981 and, as you could probably tell by the trailer (above), it parodies such movies as Meatballs and Little Darlings, from that time period.  Starring and co-written by David Wain and Michael Showalter, the film also features other cohorts from The State like, Michael Ian Black, Ken Marino, and Joe Lo Truglio.  Further contributing their improv/sketch comedy talents are Molly Shannon (SNL), Amy Poehler (UCB, SNL), Janeane Garofalo (The Ben Stiller Show), and A.D. Miles (Dog Bites Man, Late Night w/Jimmy Fallon, ).  Rounding out the cast are future 30 Rock cast members, Judah Friedlander and Elizabeth Banks, as well as a varied selection of actors that range from Paul Rudd (Anchorman, 40yr Old Virgin) and David Hyde Pierce (Frazier) to Bradley Cooper (The Hangover) and Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU).  It was an all-star cast, before they were all stars, and, while the ensemble is undeniably impressive and the film was great, it was still a critical and commercial wreck.  There was no surprise there, everything else that I ever seemed to like tanked just as hard.  The Big Lebowski was also considered a failure when it was first released but, unlike the Coen Bros‘ cult classic, I was never fully aware that so many others were so fully aware of the summer camp comedy, or had even heard of the film at all.  Now, with 2011 marking it’s 10 year anniversary, the folks behind Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles are finally giving the film the recognition that it deserves in the form of a WHAS-themed group art exhibit.

You may recognize the name Gallery 1998 from other art exhibits from them that we’ve posted about in the past.  Focusing on pop-culture-centric artwork and emerging talent, the gallery has consistently managed to curate one impressive exhibit after another, while drawing from a pool that consists of some of the finest contemporary pop artists in the game.  Along with their growth came an additional Los Angeles location, affording them the ability to run two completely separate exhibits simultaneously.  The “Camp Firewood” group show will bring together over 65 individual artists to contribute their own unique interpretations of Wain and Showalter‘s classic, Wet Hot American Summer.  The opening night will be held this Friday night, June 10th, and will take place at the Venice location.  Among the participants are names like Augie Pagan, Brandon Schaefer, Jeremy Tinder, Ian Glaubinger, Dave MacDowell, Dave Perillo, Derek Deal, Rich Pellegrino, Phantom City Creative and many others.  The show will continue to run until the 29th, but we recommend making it out for the opening night to anyone that has the ability to do so.  Director/co-writer, David Wain will be hosting the event and there should be plenty of more surprises on hand.

EVENT:

“Camp Firewood:
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Wet Hot American Summer”
June 10 – 29, 2011
Gallery1988 (Venice)

OPENING:

Hosted by David Wain
Friday, June 10th from 7-10 PM
G1988:Venice

LOCATION:

Gallery1988: Venice
214 Pier Avenue
Santa Monica, CA  90405

Gallery 1988 graciously sent over a sample of some preview images for the event that we’ve posted below for your viewing pleasure.   We’re sure that those of you who are familiar with the film will agree that it appears to be shaping up rather nicely, with another standout piece by New York-based painter, Casey Weldon.  Still haven’t seen the film?  Well… there’s a related event being held this Thursday at the Los Angeles film school, which will include a free screening of WHAS and a Q&A with Wain and podcaster, Jeff Goldsmith.  You can find out more about that event HERE.

(click images to enlarge)
Aaron Jasinski

Adam Limbert

Andy Suriano

Casey Weldon

Justin Santora

Justin White

Rich Pellegrino

Shannon Finch

We just received a second round of preview images for next month’s highly anticipated “Quentin vs. Coen – An art show tribute to the films of Tarantino and the Brothers”.  Presented at NYC‘s Bold Hype Gallery by Spoke Art, the exhibit will run from April 7 – 9 and features over 100 artists (painting, silk screen, & digital) presenting their own unique interpretations of scenes and/or characters from the films of these highly respected filmmakers.  In addition, the opening will also feature a costume contest and complementary White Russians.  The quality and range of the work from the last preview was very encouraging, but there was one particular Kill Bill/Barton Fink-hybrid by Stefan Fähler (“KILL FINK”) that peaked our interests about if any others would be contributing further cross-overs, mixing the work of both Tarantino and the Coens into singular pieces.  The latest images (below) display how artists like Seth Patrick, Evanimal, and Steve Seeley have taken on that mashup challenge, as well as a few additional fine quality works by Brian M. Viveros, Killer Napkins, Johanna O’Donnell, and Gustavo Ponce.

[ VIEW PREVIEW #1 for additional images and a full list of contributing artists.]

[CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE]

Brian M. Viveros
Kill Bill (work in progress)

Steve Seeley
True Grit x Kill Bill

Killer Napkins
Raising Arizona

Evanimal
Pulp Fiction x Fargo x Big Lebowski x O’ Brother x Reservoir Dogs x Barton Fink
Initial Sketch
“It’ll be a hand done acrylic gel and acrylic paint transfer, series of 10. Each is unique and each will be face melting (hopefully).”- Evanimal

Johanna O’Donnell
“Comfortable Silence” (Pulp Fiction)
12 x 12
acrylic on wood

Seth Patrick
Big Lebowski x Reservoir Dogs x Pink Floyd

Gustavo Ponce
Inglourious Basterds

Earlier this month we posted an interview with San Francisco-based artist, Serge Gay Jr. Those who read it and/or already know about Serge should also be familiar with the fact that, beyond being a growing force in the fine art world, he was also recently nominated for a Grammy for the artwork that he provided for Cee-Lo Green‘s “Fuck You” video.  Last week, we also posted some preview images for the upcoming Spoke Art event “Quentin vs. Coen – An art show tribute to the films of Tarantino and the Brothers”, wherein we premiered Serge‘s contribution, “Furious Anger” (above left), which the painter created in homage to the film Pulp Fiction.  The beautifully crafted image was an instant standout and includes such “subtle” imagery as a bag of smack, a pocket watch, and a gimp mask.  We immediately had to wonder if it would be released as a signed, limited edition Giclee print, just like his Life Aquatic-inspired print, “LIFE“, from last year’s Bad Dad‘s exhibit.  The answer to that question is a resounding “YES“.  In fact, with the recent re-opening of his online store, Serge is not only offering the limited edition print RIGHT NOW -almost 3 full weeks before the launch of the exhibit that it was created for- but he also has some great original pieces available for some absurdly low prices.

HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES OF WHAT HE CURRENTLY HAS AVAILABLE…

“Furious Anger” – {BUY}

$75.00

“Life”- {BUY}

$75.00

I don’t think that it’s been even a year since Hi-Fructose writer/web editor, Ken Harman introduced Spoke Art to the world, but his brainchild instantly began creating some sizable waves.  In fact, the ripples have actually managed to wobble the ship here at Monster Fresh and splash a bit of water onto our metaphorical decks.  Like much of the world, we were first introduced to the “transient art gallery and publishing house” through the exhibit “Bad Dads – a tribute to Wes Anderson”.  Those of you who read our preview of the event and the subsequent offshoot and related posts might be wondering, “What’s with all of the art coverage?  I thought this was a music site!“  The answer to that question is, “Not really.”  It’s true that, over time, the lopsided majority of content has often become music related, but we’ve often posted about the contemporary art world in the past and the original intent has always been for us to tangentially wander like a somnambulistic moth towards anything that we find interesting and “post worthy” (some of our first content even dealt with purchasing nuclear missile silos, for chrissakes!).  Spoke Arts‘ latest undertaking, “Quentin vs. Coen – An art show tribute to the films of Tarantino and the Brothers” more than falls into those categories and, with contributions from over 100 different artists, this first run of preview images [featured below] will, more than likely, only be marking the beginning of our coverage for this project.

Up until now, the San Francisco-based gallery/publishing house hasn’t done much to live up to it’s description as “transient”; presenting shows isolated to and often focused on it’s greater Bay Area community.  For “Quentin VS Coen“, however, Harman is making big moves and presenting his latest curatorial work on the opposite side of the country at the Bold Hype Gallery in New York City.  The concepts of group or even pop-culture-themed exhibits aren’t anything too revolutionary.  In fact, they seem to becoming more and more of a regularity.  It’s true that the idea to create an ongoing series of “versus” exhibits does put a slight spin on things, but Spoke Art‘s appeal has nothing to do with reinventing the wheel.  What they ARE doing, on the other hand, is utilizing top-of-the-line components to create some of the most hardcore, mind blowing, and versatile, multi-terrain wheels out there.  We’re talking about retractable wildcat claws popping out of spiked off-road tires for scaling crags type shit.

The impressive amount of potential behind this show doesn’t simply stem from it’s top-notch theme or even it’s sheer number of contributors, but rather the variety and quality of those providing the pieces.  The best part of any group/themed show is witnessing the various interpretations of the artists and this show features a solid array of talent that have been brought in from the worlds of painting, digital art, and screenprinting.  If the style in the show flyer [see header image] looks familiar, that’s because it is the work of Greg Gossel, who created the mixed media piece, “ZISSOU” for the Bad Dads show.  Besides Gossel, there are a number of other works from fellow Bad Dads contributors, including another amazing acrylic piece from our recent interviewee Serge Gay Jr. [included below].  Sifting through the list of confirmed artists presents one terrific surprise after another, as well as a number of familiar names that we’ve written about and covered in the past.  Some such artists include, Munk One (“INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS: The Lost Art of the Film“), Charlie Immer “(Lush Life 2“, “Idiot Box“), Gregg “Gigart” Gordon (“Amazing WEEN So-Cal Screenprints“), and Todd Slater (“Is This Thing On?“).

Spoke Art recently shot us an email with the first run of images available.  Please peep out the following details and the aforementioned images below them.  Make sure to check back for more, as we intend to update the site with further “preview” posts as more images become available.

The following info come via the official press release:

“Spoke Art is proud to present: “Quentin vs. Coen – An art show tribute to the films of Tarantino and the Brothers”, a followup to last yearʼs highly successful “Bad Dads – a tribute to Wes Anderson.” For “Quentin vs. Coen”, Spoke Art has arranged a battle-royal style art show featuring over 100 world class artists from the new contemporary art scene. Painters, screen printers and digital artists were invited to reinterpret their favorite scenes, characters and films from the heralded directors, resulting in an eclectic showing of inspirational fine art.

The first installment of our “versus” series, “Quentin vs Coen” looks to expand on the concept of a pop-culture themed art show by pitting together two directors who share overlapping or similar stylistic themes, and allowing the viewer to decide their favorites. Though there are many distinct differences between the bodies of work created by both Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers, their crafting of generation-defining soundtracks, the penchant for ubiquitous violence, their casting of the same actors (notably Steve Buscemi), and their ability to constantly create spectacular works of varying genres (everything from Kung-Fu to crime dramas to westerns), have cemented both Quentin and the Coens as some of the most important directors of our generation. For our upcoming show, Spoke Art has recruited an extensive network of renowned and emerging artists in a spontaneous and free for all art exhibit. No restrictions were placed on content or subject matter, allowing each artist to chose their personal favorite scenes, films and characters. With over 100 artists, “Quentin vs. Coen” offers a broad range of affordable prints and also fine art works.

The show opens on Thursday, April 7th at Bold Hype Gallery in New York City and will be on view until Saturday, April 9th. We will be celebrating our opening night with a costume contest and complimentary “Caucasian” cocktails (White Russians).“

DETAILS:

What:

“Quentin vs. Coen – an art show tribute to Tarantino and the Brothers

When:

April 7th, 8th and 9th

Where:

Bold Hype Gallery -
547 W 27th Street, fifth floor.
New York, NY 10001

LINKS:

Spoke Art
Bold Hype Gallery
Spoke Art Facebook
Event Page

Confirmed artist list:

PAINTERS:

Andrew J Spear, Audrey Pongracz, Ben Kehoe, Becky Dreistadt, Brian M.
Viveros, Casey Weldon, Chad Hasegawa, Charlie Immer, Christopher Mitchell, Daniel
P Williams, Dave Greco, David Choquette, David Rose, Derek Gores, Edith Lebeau,
Eric Bonhomme, Evan B Harris, Garry Booth, Gene Guynn, Greg Gossel, Gustavo
Ponce, Gwendolyn, Irma Rivera, Jason Levesque, Jesse Riggle, Jing Wei, Johannah Oʼ
Donnell, John Felix Arnold, Kenyon Bajus, Killer Napkins, Lauren Gregg, Lucas
Gluesenkamp, Miguel Heredia, Morgan Blair, Munk One, Nimit Malavia, Omar
Hauksson, Rafael Santiago, Rich Pellegrino, Roland Tamayo, Sam Wolfe Connelly,
Sarah “Sae” Soh, Saul Gonzalez, Scott Scheidly, Shannon Bonatakis, Sherri Cobb,
Steve Seeley, Steven Daily, Tatiana Suarez, Tessa Morrison, Tiffany Liu, Tom Haubrick,
Tristan Eaton

SCREEN PRINTERS:

Aaron Hartman, Aye Jay, Brandon Schaefer, Brian Methe, Bungaloo,
Cassie Podish, Charles Moran, Christina Perry, Clint Wilson, Daniel Williams, Darin
Shock, Dave Perillo, Derek Gabryszak, Evanimal, Gigart, Henry Contreras, Ibraheem
Youssef, Jacques sym7, Jeff Proctor, Jeremy Berkley, Jessie Phillips, Jim Mazza,
Johannah OʼDonnell, John Howard, John Perry, Jon Smith, Joshua Budich, Justin
Anville, Justin Parpan, Land Land, Lilʼ Tuffy, Lloyd Stas, Mark Wesler, Matt Dye, Matt
Leunig, Max Dalton, Mike King, Mike Mitchell, Oliver Barrett, Omar Hauksson, Pete
McDonough, Rafael Santiago, Reza Rasoli, Rhys Cooper, Roll and Tumble Press,
Stefan Fahler, Tim Doyle, Todd Slater, Trey Wadsworth, Zach Landrum

[CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE]

Lloyd Stas
“Fargo”

Serge Gay Jr.
“Furious-Anger” (Pulp Fiction)
{buy limited edition print HERE}

State of Shock
“The-Jesus”  (The Big-Lebowski)

Audrey-Pongracz
“Mia”  (Pulp-Fiction)

Sam Wolfe Connelly
“PineBox”  (Death Proof)

Brandon Schaefer
“Inglorious Basterds”

Stefan Fähler
“Kill Fink”  (Barton Fink/Kill Bill)

Tim Doyle
“Basterds” (Inglourious Basterds)

Dave Perillo
“The-Big-Lebowski”

Gregg “Gigart” Gordon
“Vantino” (Reservoir Dogs)

Brian Methe
“Barton Fink”

Greg Gossel
“Jules” (Pulp Fiction)

Greg Gossel
“The Dude”  (The Big Lebowski)

Jason Levesque
“Mia Wallace” (Pulp Fiction)

Joshua Budich
“Kill-Bill”

There have been more and more incredible group art exhibits popping up over the last couple of years and they don’t appear to show any signs of slowing down.  The benefits of these shows is obvious; providing variety, by showcasing the skills and perspectives of a number of different artists.  The benefits to the artists, on the other hand, can become a double-edged sword.  Being included among a crowd of established and burgeoning talent can provide a forum to demonstrate one’s abilities that they’ve never had before.  The downside with such a platform is that it can be far too easy to get lost in the mix and have your work drowned out by the rest of all the exceptional pieces on display.  Even if you contribute a piece that is arguably stronger, a more recognizable name can easily divert the attention away from it and steal the spotlight.  The hope is that, if you continue to create quality work and continue to find a format to display it, the work should undoubtedly speak for itself and your talents will eventually become difficult to continue to ignore.  One such artist whose efforts and consistency are managing to prove that theory and push him to the forefront of his profession, is Kevin Tong.

Like a number of artists, the Los Angeles-based designer has found a decent amount of work creating concert posters, but, throughout the last year, he has really made some big moves, raising his stock as an independent artist in the gallery world and an immediate “go to” for contributions to group shows and series.  In the last 4 months alone, he has entered our radar with some impressive creations for organizations/clients that range from All City Media, Mondo Tees/LucasFilm LTD, Gallery 1988, and ChuckPalahniuk.net.  What first brought Kevin‘s work to our attention, however, were his contributions to the Wes Anderson-themed “Bad Dads” exhibit at the Lopo Gallery, which we posted a preview for back in October.  Now, as Gallery 1988‘s “Is This Thing On?” exhibit comes to a close (feat. Tong as one of 100 artists paying tribute to comedy legends), Spoke Art is reissuing Kevin Tong‘s trio of Wes Anderson prints in a variant that we haven’t seen before: wood.

Here is a video demonstrating the screenprint process of the originals:

Click here to view the embedded video.

When, Hi-Fructose managing online editor, Ken Harman launched Spoke Art last year, it hit the ground running and, although they continue to host more new and wonderful montly exhibits at LOPO, the Bad Dads show was so successful and Spoke Art has been able to retain enough interest in the pieces to continue gradually releasing their availability to the public up through now, months later.  In fact, If you jump to the 2:57 mark in the above video, the wood versions of Tong‘s pieces are clearly shown, suggesting that a variant release has been planned since very early on.

It’s not uncommon for artists to issue smaller/more limited versions of their prints in variants.  Sometimes a smaller run is simply created in another color option and, at other times, they are even released with specialty inks, such as glow-in-the-dark or metallics.  For Tong‘s new wood variants, the prints were screen-printed directly onto their wood backdrops, not simply wood mounted after the fact.  This new variant offers the benefit of the natural wood grain’s integration into the print, as well as an increased sturdiness that makes additional framing/mounting unnecessary.  More than a simple gimmick, the style of these prints actually looks like they belong in this format.  Tong‘s aesthetic often contains a blue-print-like precision, as showcased through his very technical MOON print for All City Media‘s “Redrawn” series (re-imagining film work that the design firm has worked on in the past), the components of his Palahniuk RANT print,  and with the schematic breakdown of R2D2 in his “A Linch Pin Droid” piece for Mondo Tees‘ officially licensed Lucas Film Star Wars series.  It’s no surprise that, while the Bad Dads exhibit drew it’s name from the underlying theme of “father issues” that many of Anderson‘s films possess, Tong ‘s prints are focused primarily on another important element in the auteur’s work: the architecture.  Incorporating Anderson‘s dollhouse-esque views into the building infrastructures with his own personal style, Tong created pieces featuring open-walled views into the family home from The Royal Tenenbaums and the Hinckley Cold Storage (aka: robbery site) from Bottle Rocket.  If it seems out of place and/or surprising for the Rushmore print not to involve a structural breakdown of the academy, that may be due to the fact that it’s actually more of an alteration to another Rushmore print, previously created by the artist for Gallery 1988‘s 4th annual “Crazy 4 Cult” show back in July, 2010.  The bottom of each print features images of the characters from each of the corresponding films, with illustrations that lend themselves more to the childlike approach used in Tong‘s Conan O’Brien inspired, “With Strings Attached” print.

DETAILS:

All prints measure in at 19″ x 25″.  They are signed and numbered with the Rushmore and Bottle Rocket prints limited to a total number of 30 each and the Tenenbaums print with a run of 40.  With the original prints priced at $60 with runs of 150 each, the wood variants’ $80 price tag is surprisingly low.  If you’d like a set of all 3 wood variants, there is also a super limited supply of matching number sets set aside at a further reduced price of $200 total.

With their matching bold color schemes and wooden backdrop, the set reminds me heavily of wooden childrens toys and puzzles. Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing a follow up 3 set series, including a breakdown of the Belafonte, The Darjeeling Limited, and the Fantastic Mr. Fox underground tunnels/farms/treehouse.

Check out detail shots of the prints below.

BOTTLE ROCKET - (BUY)

RUSHMORE - (BUY)

ROYAL TENENBAUM - (BUY)

SET OF ALL 3 VARIANT - (BUY)

Opening: Saturday, October 30th 

8PM – 12AM

 

 

LoPo Gallery

San Francisco, Ca

 

Last month we posted a preview for the “Mr. Bill Murray” exhibit that was held at Los Angeles‘ R&R Gallery.  The group show featured a variety of artists creating Bill Murray-centric pieces, many of which were based around roles that he’s played in the films of, semi-regular collaborator, Wes Anderson.  In that post, I referenced Tim Doyle‘s “Murray Times Six” print from 2009.  I had even wondered, momentarily, as to why the artist wasn’t included in that exhibit.  That curiosity led me to Doyle‘s Flickr page and immediately, to a brand new Bill Murray print that he had just created for an entirely separate exhibit.  Yep, a completely unrelated show that would warrant him revisiting the image of the world’s favorite Ghostbuster, all over again.  This Saturday‘s “BAD DADS” exhibit in San Francisco should finally be enough to quench the, otherwise, insatiable appetites of anyone with a thirst for Wes Anderson and/or Bill Murray tribute paintings (… at least, temporarily).

One of the best things about group exhibits are that they can  function as a means of exposure to new artists that many people may, otherwise, never become aware of.  Another amazing benefit, beyond “grouping” and unifying artists, is the ability of themed group shows, such as these, to showcase the differences in interpretation that each of the participants have brought with them.  The theme which fuels BAD DADS is the film work of Wes Anderson and the show is set to feature contributions from nearly 70 different artists.  With the filmmaker already possessing such an incredibly strong and recognizable aesthetic of his own, the chance to witness his art filtered through such a contrast in styles from so many others, is something that is already proving to be fascinating, at worst.  Ibraheem Youssef is offering a series of stylized minimalist movie posters [see above flier], while Serge Gay Jr. has opted to demonstrate very different approaches in all of his submissions, to the point where each of them look as if they could have been created by a completely different artist.  Nigel Sanders paid tribute to all of Anderson‘s 6 feature-length films by dedicating the sides of a Rubik’s Cube with a painting for each and Casey Weldon‘s 6 mini paintings are all different representations of Bill Murray, if he were to have been cast as different characters in the films.  Some made multiple pieces, some just did one, some chose to focus on one film, others decided to hop around, and Jessica Deahl even turned her focus onto the Darjeeling Limited-related short, Hotel Chevalier.

“But why is it called, BAD DADS?” you might wonder.  As SPOKE, the “transient art gallery and publishing house“, which is presenting the show, explains:  “nearly every Wes Anderson character has family issues, notably father issues!”

SPOKE is a newer “organization”, but they have already begun doing some amazing things.  BAD DADS is only the second show that they’ve curated, with their inaugural show being the highly successful “A Decade With No Name” in Oakland back in August.  BAD DADS will be held at San Francisco‘s Lopo Gallery and, although I could very well be mistaken, I believe that it may be the inaugural show for the brand new art space, as well.  The entrance to Lopo is located on the second floor of the Space Gallery on 1141 Polk St. and, like Space with it’s “onsite” bar, both of the venues are strictly 21+ establishments.

I had hoped to post something about this exhibit a while ago but, beyond having a full schedule, I held back for a couple of reasons.  The first is that it’s common for people to space out and forget about something if they aren’t reminded or alerted to it closer to the event date.  The second, and most important, is that more and more images and details have continued to seep out slowly.  Below is a shitload of samples, which include the preview images that were sent over to us by SPOKE, as well as whatever else we’ve been able to locate.  Whatever additional details we’ve been able to learn about the individual pieces have been posted where applicable.  If you like what you see below and are able to make it out to the San Francisco area this weekend, you should definitely hit up the opening, because many more pieces will be on display there and, as everyone knows, the work always looks exponentially better in person.  Images never do them justice.

Here are the details about the opening…

OPENING DETAILS

Saturday, October 30th
LoPo Gallery
1171 Polk St
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
8PM

“The show will debut with a special Halloween party on Saturday, October 30th at San Francisco’s newest art space, LoPo Gallery.  We’ll have a bevy of affordable, limited edition prints as well as an amazing selection of original art available for purchase both at the gallery as well as through our online store.”

Show includes a set by SF’s DJ Theory.

To RSVP on official Facebook event page CLICK HERE.

LIST OF FEATURED ARTISTS:

(w/hyperlinks when available)

Akira Beard, Ana Bagayan, Audrey Erickson, Audrey Pongracz, Becky Dreistadt, Blake Loosli, Brandon Schaefer, Bungaloo,  Caia Koopman, Carlo Ramos, Carolynn Haydu, Casey Weldon, Chuck Sperry, Dabs / Myla, Dan Black, Dave Correia, Dave Greco, Dave Macdowell, Drake Brodahl, Evan B Harris, Eric Davison, Gabriel Gaete, Garry Booth, Gene Guynn, Greg Gossel, Helen Bayly, Ibraheem Youssef, Irma Rivera, Jacob Borshard, James Datz, Jasper Wong, Jason Hernandez, Jason Vivona, Jeben Berg, Jeff Rassier, Jeremy Sorese, John Euland, John Felix Arnold III, Jon Smith, Jonas Lofgren, Joshua Budich, Justin Parpan, Ken Keirns, Kenyon Bajus, Kevin Beehner, Kevin Tong, Lauren Gregg, Little Friends of Printmaking,  Lucas Gluesenkamp, Max Dalton, Mike Davis, Munk One, Nigel Sanders, Roland Tamayo, Rich Kelly, Rich Pellegrino, Robert Bowen, Sandi Calistro, Saul Gonzalez, Scott Campbell, Scrojo, Serge Gay Jr., Shannon Bonatakis, Tatiana Suarez, Tiffany Liu, Tim Doyle, Todd Slater, Zoltron

SAMPLE IMAGES

(organized by film represented)

{Place cursor of images to see if a “hand” icon appears.  Many of them can be enlarged when clicked on.}

BOTTLE ROCKET

Ibraheem Youssef
“BottleRocket”

Kevin Tong

Tim Doyle
“Mambo Guajiro”
6 color print (edition of 150)
12″ x 24″

RUSHMORE

Tim Doyle
“I Found out I was Wrong”
5 color print
12″ x 24″

Casey Weldon
6″ x 8″

Jeremy Sore
[handpainted frame and mat]

Jacob Borshard
“Yankee Racers”

THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS

Ibraheem Youssef
“The Royal Tenenbaums”

Ana Bagayan
{sketch}

Ana Bagayan
{finished painting}

Tim Doyle
“Death of Buckley”
5 color print (edition of 150)
12″ x 24″

Dave Greco
Giclee on Watercolor paper
17×22

Max Dalton
[for details shots, click here]

Caia Koopman

Kevin Tong

Ken Keirns
“I think we are just going to have to be secretly in love with each other…”
Oil on Board
8″ x 10″

Blake Loosli

Casey Weldon
6″ x 8″

Casey Weldon
6″ x 8″

Casey Weldon
6″ x 8″

Dave MacDowell
“FLY”
Acrylic on Canvas
18 x 24

Lucas Gluesenkamp
“Baumersquatch”

Serge Gay Jr.
“Royal”

Tatiana Suarez

Shannon Bonatakis
“Margot Helen”

THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU

Brandon Schaefer
Giclee Print
13×19

Audrey Pongracz
“Blue Star Cadet”
22″x 28″

Ibraheem Youssef
“The Life Aquatic ~ Zissou”

Ibraheem Youssef
“THE LIFE AQUATIC ~ HENNESEY”

Ibraheem Youssef
“The Life Aquatic ~ Guitar A”

Ibraheem Youssef
“The Life Aquatic ~ Guitar B”

Tim Doyle
“Mutiny on the Belafonte”
5 color print (edition of 150/hand printed)
12″ x 24″

Serge Gay Jr.

Serge Gay Jr.
“Because I Hate Fathers, and I Never Wanted to Be One”

Greg Gossel

Casey Weldon
6″ x 8″

Drake Brodahl
“Living Aquatic-ly”
cel vinyl acrylic on Aquabord
12″ x 12″

Kenyon Bajus
“Papa”

Tatiana Suarez

THE DARJEELING LIMITED

Tim Doyle
“This Time Tomorrow”
7 color print (edition of 150)
12″ x 24″

Casey Weldon
6″ x 8″

Rich Pellegrino
“Peter”
Gouache on Board
5″ x 7″

Rich Pellegrino
“Francis”
Gouache on Board
5″ x 7″

Rich Pellegrino
“Jack”
Gouache on Board
5″ x 7″

Sandi Calistro

Carlos Ramos

HOTEL CHEVALIER

Jessica Deahl

FANTASTIC MR. FOX

Lauren Gregg

Tiffany Liu

Nigel Sanders
“Rolling Stones”
Painted Rubik’s Cube

These days, artists don’t get much more prolific than Paris-based performer Jason “Chilly Gonzales” Beck .  Unfortunately, they don’t get much more criminally overlooked either.  Hopefully you read our review of the musician/producer’s performance with Andrew W.K. last February, as part of his month long “Piano Talk” residency at Joes Pub in NY (other nights included A-Trak, Sia, & Princess Superstar).  This was not their first public encounter, with Gonzales successfully challenging and defeating Andrew in a piano duel at the exact same venue on Sept. 25, 2009.  Earlier that May, the “Entertainist” further established his piano skills in Paris, France by breaking the “world record for the longest solo-artist performance” (27 hours, 3 minutes and 44 seconds).  Further accolades include a Juno award and an Grammy nomination.  Although most U.S. residents do not know Gonzales by name, the majority should be familiar with at least some of the work that he is behind.  You know that new iPad commercial that is accompanied by that infectious little piano jam?  That song is called “Never Stop” and, along with a separate rap version, appears on Chilly‘s upcoming full-length, Ivory Tower.  He is a frequent collaborator with fellow Canadian-born, European superstar transplants, Peaches and Feist.  In fact, Gonzales is responsible for performing on Peaches‘ I Feel Cream (2009) and c0-writing half of the songs on the release.  He also co-wrote/produced 2 tracks from Feist‘s The Reminder and played piano, organs, vibraphone, and drums on the album, after offering similar contributions to her 2004 effort Let It Die.  Now that Ivory Tower‘s Sept. 14th U.S. release is quickly approaching, it appears that creating a simple album isn’t enough for the self-proclaimed “President of the Berling Underground“/”Jewish Supervillain MC“.  Instead, Ivory Tower is also the title of a feature-length film that is co-written/produced/starring Gonzales and features acting performances by Peaches, Feist, and fellow Montreal-native/collaborator, Tiga.

In it’s most basic form, the film has been described through the following summary:

“The story centers around two champion chess-playing brothers, Hershell (Gonzales) and Tiga (Thadeus) who share a love for the same girl Marsha (Peaches)“

A much more elaborate explanation was provided in a director’s note from Ivory Tower director, Adam Traynor:

“Ivory Tower is a Tour de Force, a series of set pieces performed with simple gestures in modulating forms. It’s a Rocky-inspired sports parody; a Sirkean melodrama; a nouvelle nouvelle vague; Free Jazz riff; a music video; a Youtube bricolage; a silent era Pastiche; a commercial.

In the end, Ivory Tower’s modal composition is the closest we’ll get to an explanation of Hershell’s esoteric vision for “Jazz Chess.” This is why (forgive the cliche) I like to think of Ivory Tower as several movies in one. So much so that I gave it some additional titles.

“Hey Hershell”

The brilliant nomad pitted against forms of progress which seem inevitable to those whose lives are shaped by them. A feel-good coming-of-age story.

“Mutual Zugwang: The Brothers Graves”

Hershell and Thadeus Graves are polar opposites- and thus they’re the same. Hershell the self-deluding idealist and Thadeus the ruthless competitor. They’ve switches sides in the middle of the game once before – will the do it again?

“White Queen is Drowning”

Marsha’s not so much caught between two brothers as between the future Mrs. Marsha Graves and Marsha Thirteen, performer of the ingenious violinstallation.“

When we received our first visual teaser for the film and the first audio sample for the Alex “Boys Noize” Ridha-produced soundtrack, they turned out to be one and the same.  The following video for “I Am Europe” pulls double-duty by both, showcasing the track and operating as an “unofficial trailer” for the movie.

I AM EUROPE

Click here to view the embedded video.

Obviously, that previous footage focuses heavily on the relationships between the 2 brothers and chess, addressed through Traynor‘s first two examples of films within the film.  This brand new video for “Bittersuite“, on the other hand, shines the spotlight on Peaches and elaborates on her character’s turmoil with her current relationship and with her past as an innovative performance artist, as described through the director’s concept of “The White Queen is Drowning“.  As with “I Am Europe“, the video for “Bittersuite” is again comprised of scenes from the film.  This time it’s presented as a “flashback of the egomaniacal Hershell missing the performance of his girlfriend, Marsha Thirteen, as she presents her new work, ‘Violinstillation’.”

BITTERSUITE

Click here to view the embedded video.

Screenings/Release Dates

The supporting album for Ivory Tower has an official release date of September 14^th on the Toronto label, Arts & Crafts.  The film itself, will be hitting the festival circuit first and then receiving a theatrical release later this year.

For those in the U.S., Gonzales has two special presentations of Ivory Tower planned later this month.  His stop at L.A.‘s Largo (Sept. 19th) and at the Galapagos Art Space in NY (Sept. 21st), will each feature a screening of the film and a live 1/2 hour performance of solo piano by the artist himself.

Full list of advanced screenings are as follows:

Los Angeles	19 September at 19 Largo Presented by Chilly Gonzales at the piano 366 North La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA Tickets at 310.855.0350 only
NEW YORK	21 September at Galapagos Art Space Presented by Chilly Gonzales at the piano 16 Main Street, Brooklyn, NY (718) 222-8500 www.galapagosartspace.com
HAMBURGH	24 September at Fliegende Bauten Presented by Chilly Gonzales at the piano Glacischaussee 4
FRANKFURT	26 September at Künstlerhaus Mousonturm Presented by Chilly Gonzales at the piano Waldschmidtstraße 4
BERLIN	28 September at Babylon Cinema Theater Presented by Chilly Gonzales at the piano Rosa-Luxemburg-Str. 30 Tel: +49 030 – 242 50 76
PARIS	3 October at Cine 13 Sunday Night Acoustic Series Launch Presented by Chilly Gonzales at the piano Cine 13 at 1 avenue Junot 75018 www.cine13-theatre.com Tickets : ++ 33 (0)1 42 54 15 1
VIENNA	1 October at Votivkino Cinema Währinger Straße 12 presented by Chilly Gonzales at the Piano www.votivkino.at
GENEVA	11 February, 2011 at Theatre Forum-Meyrin Place des Cinq-Continents 1 Tel : 41 (0)22 782 81 21 www.forum-meyrin.ch

CHECK OUT THESE ADDITIONAL PROMOTIONAL IMAGES