Author: hugh

Survival of the Crunchiest

sfmoma catwalk
sfmoma catwalk
SFMOMA catwalk installation by Olafur Eliasson

Judging from other photos I’ve seen of this catwalk with nothing on it, Eliasson accomplished something unexpected in removing all sense of vertigo I usually feel when traipsing around in high places. I’ll have to see his show at P.S. 1.

I had a nice birthday yesterday. I have good friends.

I’ve been looking at Survival Acres and it’s all a bit fantastical. As a business selling survival gear, the fear-mongering is no less shameless than the posturing against Iran that’s in vogue. (See also Iraq WMD.) From the “About Me” page, “I am expecting a collapse of society and particularily [sic], the United States, someday, hopefully soon.” If it really all comes down to roving gangs smashing doors down for the last cans of Campbell’s Soup®, ShopRite Oatmeal, and freeze-dried stroganoff, a lot of us might justifiably off ourselves, thank you very much. Even if you’re out in some rural fenced-in compound with your own farmland and biosphere, will it be worth it? Maybe I’ll become an Eco-Geek.

Update: I heard about this the other night as it was happening. What the hell is going on in Harlem?

Remember

108st
108st

There was a white cat named Mummy hanging out at the Ding Dong for the past couple of weeks. She was running in and out of the bar the other night, between people’s legs and out under parked cars. I said, “Someone should put her in or she’s gonna get hit by a car.”

You know what’s coming… I was leaving and I saw Mummy across the street and up about 40 feet. I ran over and called to her but before I could get to her she darted in front of an oncoming SUV which didn’t even attempt to hit the brakes. She spilled out behind the back of the car rolling and tumbling. She jerked around the way animals and humans that have broken their necks do. I watched as the spasms died down and the light went out of her eyes and carried her to the curb.

I haven’t been able to get that image out of my head for the past few days. When you witness a violent death, you can’t help but feel something is wrong. And I had foreseen it.

On this Memorial Day, let’s remember the soldiers who went ahead despite the warnings fighting what we always assume is the good fight. If their deaths were witnessed, let’s hope the living can somehow find peace in their heads. Let’s remember the soldiers out there now who as Josh says, are becoming increasingly invisible.

I knew the Iraq project was going to be a disaster before it started and almost nobody listened to me then either.

Update: And his name shall be Assrocket.

California Wildflowers, Point Reyes

Selected Selections from your amateur photographer…

california wildflower
california wildflower
california wildflower
california wildflower
california wildflower
california wildflower
california wildflower
california wildflower
california wildflower

I hope everyone’s having a nice Memorial Day weekend. My birthday is around now and it’s always a good time.

The blogosphere knows but maybe you don’t — Emily Gould, late of Gawker, has a long yarn up at the New York Times about the dangers of putting too much of your private life in a blog. This is exactly why I don’t… On the other hand, she did it. She’s a respected professional writer now which is not easy no matter how you slice it.

War, Inc.

I was dumb enough to volunteer for a screening of John Cusack’s new movie and ye, sucks pretty bad. He should’ve stuck to being low-budget absurd and focused more on the writing. There’s a lot of money in this production and it’s wasted on a flat script.  I can’t believe Mark Leyner had a hand in this.  The real jokes are few and the transparency of Marisa Tomei’s character for Cusack’s crush on Naomi Klein is the stupidest plot driver since being caught masturbating in a pie. I have a crush on her too but jeez….  Ben Kingsley and sister Joan  can’t push the slapstick hard enough either.  This could’ve been good but it’s bungle city.

Streets of San Francisco

Stanyan St., SF


Succulent, SF

Todd Barker
Todd and his whirly

Here are some shots from San Francisco. It’s a cool town. Todd is one of the few people I know who will oblige me when I say, “Let’s play fake jazz!” He’ll even say stuff like, “Make it faker!” I’ll have some color shots up soon.

I enjoyed this interview with Tom Waits.

How many celebrities would even allow this to happen?

Musical Peeps: Kato, Bowman, and Mollica

Eric Roeser, Urge Overkill
Eric Roeser, Urge Overkill

Nash Kato, Urge Overkill
Nash Kato and um, Brian Quast of Urge Overkill

Taking good pictures of bands is hard! You have to take a million shots especially if you’re not used to your new camera. Then, if you’re taking millions of pictures, you must put on your photo editor cap and get the axe out. These Urge Overkill shots are bad but it’s to illustrate that I’ve been overwhelmed with gigabytes of photos and travel and music. I’m going through the San Francisco photos and I’ll post some when I’m good and ready but this post is about the music I saw in New York the past few weeks.

Opening for UO was Los Angeles band Suffrajett. Great lead singer blah blah. I feel funny saying something significant as I haven’t listened to their music enough although I’ve played a few tracks at the Ding Dong.

It’s a shame Urge Overkill never had the big breakthrough they deserve as they’re a perfect guitar blend of garage, glam, punk, and classic rock. While it’s great they’re back together and recording again, they’re a little past their prime to ever really get there looking as craggy as I do. They played around three new songs along with the classics at the Bowery Ballroom a few weeks ago and they’re good. Fingers crossed for the new rekkid when it’s time. Shame on them for being one of those bands that refuse to play their big hit because they’re sick of it. (Incidentally, Neil Diamond played a show at The Bitter End a couple weeks ago. See, why can’t the Ding Dong Lounge get The Melvins?)

Deborah BowmanOne of my first acquaintances at the Ding Dong Lounge was Deborah Bowman. She’ll get mad at me for saying this but the regulars live for the times she gets on the bar with a hula hoop. She’d been touring on a cruise ship around South America and elsewhere doing her cabaret show of Broadway tunes and she finally put one out there for her New York friends up at the Gatehouse at City College. Deb has an amazing voice, charismatic stage poise, candor and showmanship. She’s poised for stardom.

In my neighborhood, there’s an amazing little institution called the Bloomingdale House of Music which offers low-cost music lessons to Manhattan kids. They’ve been adding great jazz musicians to their faculty and a friend and I caught a recital by Mark Mollica. (pictured: Drummer Ted Poor and bassist Ike Sturm.) Mark’s set was unusual in that he took a handful of rock songs and rearranged them jazz stylee with very impressive results. If you’re familiar with The Bad Plus‘s take on some rock standards, this is nothing new. This is the way to turn kids onto jazz and new music in general. Jazz purists who snub their noses at this practice are full of shite.

Short Sabbatical

Hey kids, I’m in San Francisco for a few days. In college at UCSB, I was a sometime guest in a band called The Whitefronts and I jammed last night with their drummer/guitarist and trombonist–who I don’t think I’ve seen since I last played with him. We slipped right back into the old songs lickety-split. Good times. I’ll have pix and more musings up soon.