Archive for the the arts category
weekend wrap up.
by josh on November 3rd, 2009
ok, so as i stated on sunday, i really wasn’t in the mood to write a whole dealio here due to the copious amounts of alcohol still straining through my defunct liver.
but to quick wrap up the halloween weekend? first it started at venice beach. i hadn’t been there in a few years so i figure it’d be fun to go bum around there for the afternoon. i had to be at my buddy’s place in culver city later that afternoon, so….made perfect sense as he was just a shot down venice blvd. from the beach. if you saw the pictures in the previous post, obviously that can sum up venice beach that afternoon…..but just to touch on a subject that maybe can’t be seen. i forgot how friendly people were there. everyone was out enjoying the day and enjoying the people around them. it was refreshing in a sense that isn’t often seen too much in the ol’ orange county. it was a true melting pot of folks too. from the 60 year old white dude playing basketball with the ballin’ brothers to the sore thumb midwest tourists finally realizing what kinda “medicine” can be enjoyed in the 2 story green clinic. heh. it was a great day, and filled with nods of acceptance in a land that seems to sometimes forget how to be neighbors.
after that it was onto my friend laith’s place. a few pre-concert beverages and catching up was in order while were waiting for his lady friend that was stuck being our chauffeur for the night. it’s really great that we’ve been able to reconnect over the years. see, i always thought of him as a good friend back in high school….and add in the fact he is really the only one i know from 10 years ago that is braving the socal vibe….and well, it’s just nice some familiarity in the mix. even better, it seems as we’ve both changed over the years….we have done so on similar levels. well, i mean minus the fact he spends his time trying to cure HIV and i am fixing shitty photography. hahah.
on to echo park and the dead man’s bones concert. traffic sucked because of all the freaks trying to get into the hollywood gala….so we were a little late. however, it being saturday night in los angeles, the show conveniently waited for us rockstars before it got started. as i said to 2 other gals waiting in line, “it’s LA, everyone is fashionably late.” speaking of waiting in line….as i was standing there i saw a familiar face. walking right past me was this girl that i had just seen a few hours ago on venice beach. she was at beach doing a little dance routine to michael jackson’s thriller. was freakin’ hilarious because of course i belted out a half buzzed “hey! i saw you on venice beach today!” she nodded and her entourage shared a laugh with me. fuckin’ awesome…again, only in los angeles.
the dead man’s bones show was pretty much everything i was hoping for and expected. a small small show in a seedy bar with halloween costumes passing us by in a blur. the highlight was by far a cover of bang bang (my baby shot me down) that featured this little girl from the choir on vocals. i can’t find a video from our show, but here’s one from the chicago show: -click to view- overall though, they rocked it. a perfect choice for a halloween night boogie.
after that it was back to culver city….then to another bar….and then a nightcap of in and out burgers before crashing.
must say though, the more and more i spend time in los angeles….the more i am beginning to think a move is in order. the people are just more friendly. everywhere we went that day people had smiles and were full of awareness. in orange county? it’s like people are too wrapped up in themselves to even notice there are other people out in public with them. like they go out wanting to have private parties instead of embracing the mix of folks that maybe could surprise them. depressing. i keep telling myself i like it here because i can pick and choose when i want to deal with the congestion of los angeles, but fuck that….los angeles is where it’s at. i’d rather be wrapped up in it if the alternative is where i’m at. time to start looking at some options. stay tuned….
dead man’s bones tonight!
by josh on October 31st, 2009
so headed up to echo park to take in a show from ryan gosling’s band, dead man’s bones. super excited! i tried to get tickets to a couple shows they did in sept. at a puppet house out here…..but no luck. so needless to say….i sprang at the chance to see the final show of the tour on halloween night here.
here’s a video from the philly show:
let the right one in.
by josh on October 14th, 2009
trailer:
just watched this, and….maybe the whole reason for this post is just cause i am still in awe and don’t have anyone here to share it with. the trailer is sorta misleading, because while this could be considered a “horror” movie….it’s really so much more than that.
unbelievable in so many ways. just watch it if you get a chance.
*note: but make sure you get the swedish version with subtitles…and not the stupid ass english dubbed version. i tried to download this from amazon….but all i could seem to find was the dubbed version. and itunes? i couldn’t tell if it was dubbed or not…so i didn’t want to take any chances. that said, i had to steal it…..but i will now be buying the dvd. seriously tho….who really wants to watch dubbed anything to even warrant people doing this shit? they ruin films. just say no.
making the world beautiful.
by josh on June 9th, 2009
*pukes*
i always laugh when you hear about these magazines being accused of photoshopping (or airbrushing as it’s usually wrongly called) images of people. just in the last few months it was danica patrick in sports illustrated….or that ghetto ho kim kardashian and her non-retouched photo getting out on some website.
hate to break it to the world….but EVERY photo that makes it to the public view…is touched up. i mean, assuming we aren’t talking about tabloids purposely posting nasty pictures of celebs or something. sometimes there isn’t a lot to do, but other times there’s a lot of work involved. here’s just one example i found when cleaning out some stuff….
i was happy with how it turned out. it at least looks real.
what irks me is how a lot of “fashion” and “glamour” photographers/retouchers butcher the hell out of some of their models. they just blur the crap outta their skin completely and call it a day. or worse, call it “pin-up art”. i dunno, maybe it has more to do with personal taste….but i find using today’s tools to go beyond realistic photographs is more of design work than photography.
water bottle thing.
by josh on March 19th, 2009
so we had a fundraiser at work the other day. sigg donated abuncha blank water bottles for ppl to make into an “art project”. then there was an auction and the money went to some hippie save the world something or another.
it was pretty fun though. as i mentioned, i’ve never really painted before….so it was cool to just mess around with that.
here’s my gem of a bottle:
apparently a couple ppl actually placed a bid on it, but i am not sure who the winner was. i think i’ll just convince myself that the hottest chick in this place got it….and she is now in love with me and my “art”. uh huh…
sarah silverman rockin’ maher.
by josh on March 15th, 2009
real time with bill maher is by far one of the best shows on tv. imo.
this last friday sarah silverman made an appearance.
she rules. simply put.
louis ck.
by josh on March 3rd, 2009
this dude is hilarious if you’ve never seen him. he had an hbo show (lucky louie) a few years back…..and of course it only lasted for one season. probably because i was the the only one that watched it.
either way, he’s got some dvd’s out and stuff, so if you ever come across him…..
-click to view-
…i recommend. the dude is hilarious.
jesse james.
by josh on February 16th, 2009
so i caught the “the assassination of jesse james by the coward robert ford” last night on one of the movie channels.
i am still in awe of just how good of a film this is.
trailer (click to view):
i have not seen something this good in a long-long time. it was originally released in 2007…..but much like a lot of others (i imagine)….i hadn’t gotten enough exposure of it and just now am seeing it.
there are shots in this that are so amazing…..i can only describe it as “poetry moving pictures”.
also features a soundtrack from nick cave.
brad pitt is really the dude to thank here though. i am not sure of his exact imvolvement in this picture, but he is listed as a producer too. and really, if brad pitt even helped an ounce to help get this picture made? well damn, it’s hard to hate brad pitt. minus a couple of his lamer movies….when he is taking on projects like this….and even babel too…..he is way beyond the tabloid regular the media is trying to make him into. the guy kicks ass, even i can say that.
if you get a chance to see this…..do so. it’s long, but is nothing like i’ve seen in recent years.
yikes….apparently i am going to a show.
by josh on December 4th, 2008
going to see the aimee mann christmas show this saturday. up in LA at the wiltern.
1. i didn’t realize it was a crappy “christmas” show when i signed up for this ordeal…..
2. i also didn’t realize it’s really more like a variety/comedy show either…
3. i am pretty sure i’ll see some asshole celebrity and tell them to fuck off in the course of the evening. hah!
actually it should be pretty cool. to give you an idea of what i am dealing with?
here’s a video:
-click to play-
