Here we go again. Hopefully this will be the end of my found material/Silver Jews kick.
Silver Jews – Punks in the Beerlight
Have a good weekend, and drink lots of beer. Congrats to my old roommate Chris Pancoe on getting married.
Minneapolis played host to another successful Sound Unseen festival this past weekend, and I managed to make some time to see the film ‘Silver Jew‘, a rough documentary of the Silver Jews touring Israel. I was excited for this movie for two reasons; 1. I like the Silver Jews, and 2. It was playing at the somewhat-recently renovated Ritz Theater, just a block from my house.
I’ll spare you from a long-winded review of the movie, save for a few brief impressions. Unless you’re an enthusiastic Jew fan, you probably don’t need to see this movie. Image quality and sound quality are pretty poor, and there isn’t much excitement. The best part is getting to hear David Berman wax philosophical about some random and not-so-random thoughts.
David Berman walks the fine line of being both a successful poet and rock musician, and in the movie he talks about the difference between the two (and how he likes being a touring musician more). I can’t quote directly, but if my memory serves me somewhat correct, he says something to the effect of:
‘(As a poet) I feel like I’m sketching on some obscure frozen pond in Wisconsin, whereas on tour I’m surrounded by people who get it.’
I often feel this way when I’m working in the studio on a project that will eventually only be seen by a limited audience. Due to the temporal nature of my work, I’m lucky if it will be installed for a month, and even then, the crowd is limited to that of my friends and those who frequent galleries on a regular basis. Needless to say, this is a very small number. Sadly, I think the number of people who attend poetry readings and buy poetry books is even smaller than the art-world.
Part of the lure of photo-books for me is their permanence and their ability to reach wider audiences. Still, the photo-book world is an even a smaller niche than the gallery-visiting one. Which brings me to the beauty of pop records. I love them. I love how widespread they are, and how they can speak to people from all walks of the world. And I love that they can sell millions of them. But is the content debased or forced into cliché in order to fit in a 3-minute song?
In other words, are there any pop records that are capable of conveying a message that’s just as meaningful as a work of art, or even a photo-book? And as a follow-up question, since most of us aren’t making pop records, how do we deal with getting our sketches off the pond?
Devo – Beautiful World (1981)
Atari Sunset – Chromogenic prints, ink. 2007.
Thanks to everyone who came out to the opening a few weekends ago. It was a wonderful turnout, and I appreciate everyone’s feedback and great energy. For those who don’t live in Minneapolis and weren’t able to see the show (it’s up until October 7th!), I’ve posted it online. This isn’t a free pass for the locals who’ve been to lazy to check it out, however. Remember, the internet is no substitute for the real thing, especially when it comes to sex, conversations, and art.
My all-time favorite Minneapolis restaurant, Pane Vino Dolce, is officially closed–I guess they shut their doors at the end of July. It really is a shame, as it was pretty cheap, and it was hands-down the best Italian food I’ve had outside of Italy. There will always be a special place in my heart for their simple, yet amazing spaghetti, and the mouth-gasm inducing pecorino packets, not to mention a stellar wine list. Any recommendations to help fill this culinary void? I know the owners started a French restaurant a while back, Cave Vin, but I’ve yet to make it out there (55th and Xerxes). Does anyone know if that’s still around? French food is generally less forgiving to vegetarians, but I can give it a try.
Speaking of vegetarians, word on the street is the Triple Rock is going to start serving complimentary bacon at the bar every Wednesday night. This could spell disaster for both my vegetarianism and the city’s waistline (not to mention cholesterol level). They even mention a ‘Bacon Mary’. And that’s enough to make me throw up.
Easily one of the creepiest videos ever made—this one was nestled in the gem of a film ‘Eraserhead’ by David Lynch. The Pixies did an amazing cover of this song on one of their BBC radio appearances. I think the Lady in the Radiator and the guy from Mask would make a great couple. I don’t even want to know what their babies might look like…
“In Heaven”
Rocky Dennis
Literally. I’m like 10 meters tall. It’s great. If you’re in Salzburg, stop by Fotohof and check out my ‘Photo Evolution’ illustration covering their building while it’s getting a fresh coat of paint. Big Thanks to Andrew Phelps and Kurt Kaindl for pulling this together–it looks great, and I’m truly honored. Perhaps this will be an impetus for reprinting those t-shirts…
In honor of the great year that was 1994, I’ve selected a few videos that I feel really capture the look of your average mid-90’s music video. In other words, most of these are truly terrible videos, but the music is great, so whatever. Enjoy.
Pavement – Gold Soundz (off of 1994’s Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain)
Frank Black – Headache (off of 1994’s Teenager of the Year)
Ween – Voodoo Lady (off of 1994’s Chocolate & Cheese)
Guided by Voices – I am a Scientist (off of 1994’s Bee Thousand)
I had a friend over the other day–we were drinking beer, listening to music (the Silver Jews’ Starlite Walker, to be exact). I was reading the liner notes to find out when the album was made, and then it hit me *FUCK!* The record was made in 1994. So many records made in 1994 have gone on to be legendary (for me, at least). Here’s an abbreviated list:
Beck – Mellow Gold
Frank Black – Teenager of the Year
Blur – Parklife
Jeff Buckley – Grace
Guided by Voices – Bee Thousand
John Spencer Blues Explosion – Orange
Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
Sebadoh – Bakesale
Ween – Chocolate & Cheese
Weezer – Blue Album
That’s a pretty strong outing for the indie-rock world. This isn’t to say that a bunch of shit wasn’t released in 1994, either–oooh, no. Let me drop a few turds in your glass just in case you forgot:
Blues Traveler – Four
Live – Throwing Copper
Dave Matthews Band – Under the Table and Dreaming
The Jerky Boys – 2
Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Question the Answers
The Offspring – Smash
REM – Monster
TLC – CrazySexyCool
and last and definately least:
Yanni – Yanni Live at the Acropolis
What a year, what a year. Can any other year beat this?
The glory of Heritage USA is long-gone, but it is also quickly losing its graveyard status. The few times I visited, it seemed like the population kept growing–(due to the revitalized interest by new ministries) but mostly in the RV park. From what I could tell, they still televised sermons in the main church/hotel, and there was also a lively camping scene. However, not all the old fixtures were spared–between my two visits (about a year apart), the remains of the waterslides & the ampitheater were all but erased.
Waterslides Past & Present
Ampitheater Past & Present
Heritage @ sunset (my last visit)
That’s really all I got. It’s one of those stories where I happened upon something really cool, tried to make art out of it, and totally failed. My only suggestion is to try and visit it, if you can.