Shocks my brain!!!
Dear diary…last weekend? It rocked harder than a room full of grandmas. Yeah, diary. It really did.
Why?
Oh, I’ll tell you why. We got to kick it back up the east coast to join our good friends from Roy Hobbs Agenda and Juggling Suns at the Stone Pony on Friday night. On Bob Marley’s birthday, no less. It was really good to see Jordan Simms and Chris Pedersen again (from former Breadbox Band fame) and Roy Hobbs was pretty amazing…their tunes are well crafted and very spacily jammed out. They pull off the type of musicianship that makes you forget what song you’re in. A Marley medley of Soul Shakedown Party->Mellow Mood with guest guitarist sit in by Mark Diomede (from the Suns) was very appropriate and definitely influenced my color selection for the evening. I threw in some rastas in honor of Bob’s bday (a fellow Aquarian!!!) and named the painting in his honor…
Marley and the Stoned Pony.
Painted live to Roy Hobbs Agenda and Juggling Suns on 02/06/09 at the Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
30×40
$750
Getting to see Juggling was great as always and it’s been awhile so it was refreshing. Aliens went into the painting as well as some glow in the dark paint provided by the best clown I know, Larry Phunston who handed out party whistles for all of us to use in between tunes (which we did). He does some amazing light work with LED wires (at least that’s what I think they are). Because of him and Roy Hobbs, I also added a hidden, psychedelic clown in the painting (RHA played Stuck in the Middle With You). I love this job on the for reals, ya’all.
Diary? I think everyone should take a minute and visit Brianne Diomede’s website on the other for reals. Why? Because she’s amazing and awesome and super batik-stylie talented. And she also paints live paintings which are really fun and influence me every time I paint next to her. She made us a custom comforter with a peacock on it! And it’s effing rad!!!
And she also gave me a present for my bday when we left on Saturday. I had sent her an image file earlier this month and she made a t-shirt of it!!!! Here’s a pic of me with the shirt on…you might recognize the image. I’m going to figure out how to have these for sale REAL SOON.
It’s The Conduit shirt! And that’s me and Pete Mason, father of the Phanart project…a 420 page book of art created by Phish fans which was recently published. I’ll tell you more about the evening in a second.
Okay, you can’t see the image that well, so here it is, diary. Because you won’t stop whining about how you want a clearer view. But I don’t mind yo whining, diary. I got mad loves for ya.
Yeah…you were right, diary. It was better to post the actual picture. Did I ever tell you that a print of that work is in the Disco Biscuits recording studio in Philly? I didn’t?? Well now I did.
So many thanks to Brianne and Mark (and the wonderful AZ!), Jordan, Chris and the rest of RHA and Juggling…Barry, Drew, Johnny Bud, Dolla Jill, Tatum, Betho, Larry, the Stone Pony (who put up with us having a ton of stuff there) and everyone else we got to see again…thanks for making our stay at the Jersey shore an exceptional experience. I love those phreaks!!!
Saturday saw me and the J-love swing up to Troy, NY for the book publishing party at Revolution Hall. As mentioned above, Pete put this book together over about four years and finally got this labor of love completed. They donated all sales of the book over the course of the evening to the Mockingbird Foundation. We set out a bunch of art, including to Phish related pieces that were included in the book. I created live paintings for both the McLovins and The Flow and will be making a limited edition run of both paintings together, matted and signed or something of that nature.
(Photo by Mike Wren)
McLovephish: painted live to the McLovins at Revolution Hall in Troy, NY on 02/07/09
(Prints of this painting are now available!!! 10×13, black frame, matted to 8×10, signed, titled with venue and band name, $60! Other print sizes available…see bottom of the page)
Hey Diary…did I tell you the the McLovins are three young men aged 14 and 15?!?!? The guitarist is freaking 14!!!! And he shreds! These guys play their own original tunes, as well as many amazing covers (Weather Report, Clapton, etc). They gained almost instant notoriety via the web when they posted a Youtube video of themselves playing YEM and jamming the absolute hell out of it. I say again. Four. Teen.
The Youtube YEM is arguably better than post hiatus Phish. These guys have many years to develop into the rockstars they’ll become and they looked like they were having a blast onstage. Two of the members, including the drummer (Drumlovin…Jake Huffman) had been sick with the flu all week but they played like champs. Jake couldn’t even talk, let alone sing, but they did their thing like true professionals and nailed even the hardest progressions nearly flawlessly.
When they closed their set with YEM, I wrote on the back of the canvas, YEMcLOVINS and held it up high for the crowd to see and the audience began cheering wildly. It was awesome. I did that one for the kidz, yo.
Jake’s Mom is buying the painting, so sorry for those of you that were interested. They told me they’d be hanging it in the basement where they record their videos, so my work will be on display for the world while these up and coming kids revolutionize the genre. You’ll see.
The Flow came up next and provided two sets of Phish, which gave me the next best thing to painting with the band on stage. It was really fun to create on this particular evening, especially considering that Phish and the Phish fans, really, had inspired be to really want to pursue artistry as a career. Now here we are, painting on stage for a book of Phish fan art and I have to admit that the feeling is one of utter astonishment. That things work this way, that the road unwinds in such a way…that God smiles and we all say Boy! Man! God! Shit!!
Their sets made me giddy for Phish’s return. Here’s the painting that resulted…
Mockthunderbird: painted live to The Flow at Revolution Hall in Troy, NY on 02/07/09
(note lot stickers Hood and Godfather/Divided Sky-Join the Phamily)
24×36
$400
Whew!! What a weekend of music! Thanks to everyone at Revolution Hall, especially the staff who were incredibly accomodating. Thanks to Meg, Greg (both of you!) and Ryan for everything and for hanging out/being cool cats.
Also, we got to meet Jack Lebowitz from the Mockingbird Foundation so that was really cool, too. I spoke with him about possible doing prints of the nights paintings to raise money for the organization. Diary…you’ll be the first to know if that pans out. I promise.
Sunday saw us in Philly (thanks Brett and Rel!!!) where we ate great Indian food and perused South Street. Monday was bday dinner with the fam and last night, Basshound let me drunkenly freestyle on the mic! Why? I don’t know!!! Diary, I’m telling you, it is never a good idea for ya boy Redbeard to do shots before the show. Never! So you better tell people not to buy them for me. I’m going to continue the work I started last night on Sunday at the 8×10. They play wrap up their winter tour on this particular evening, so it should be a rager.
Also, come out to the Virginia Brewing Company for the St. Valentine’s Dub Massacre on Saturday…guaranteed good time, featuring- Kj Sawka,Chronicles of The Land Squid, DJ ARCEE and One.man. I’ll have paintings on display and for sale as well as lots of prints and other goodies. And, of course, will be painting.
Finally, along with McLovephish, I got two other captures today, so I can now make prints of the following paintings…
Beat Home Bass: painted live to Orchard Lounge at the Canal Club in Richmond, VA on 01/23/09
Happy Hallowqueens and Kings: Painted live to the Travis Elliot Band and Kings of Belmont on 10/31/08 Halloween!!! @ Rapture in Charlottesville, VA
And I’m making up some posters for the Phish shows at Hampton…reserve yours today! I’m making a limited run of each night…here’s the progress so far, soon to be completed with another alien themed third panel…it’s a triptych!!!
AND! I’m painting on Saturday night, 03/07/09 with The Heavy Pets, post Phish in Hampton. I’m also painting The New Deal at the Norva on 03/21/09. Guaranteed to be amazing. March is going to be like the NBA of painting for me. And I’m rootin’ for the Nuggets.
More dates TBA!!!
Peace and love to one and all and thank you for the recent support!!! Your purchase of all things art makes these performances possible so THANK YOU, ONE LOVE and GOD BLESS!!!!!
Watercolor paper prices (2009)
______________________________
Watercolor Paper, 16 mil cold press 100% cotton rag
8×10: $75.00
11×14: $90.00
16×20: $110.00
20×24: $130.00
20×30: $150.00
24×36: $170.00
30×40: $190.00
UPCOMING SHOWS
02/14/09: St. Valentine’s Dub Massacre @ Virginia Brewing Company, WINCHESTER, VA
02/15/09: Basshound and Data Frogs @ 8×10, BALTIMORE, MD
02/20/09: William Walter and Company @ Sine, RICHMOND, VA
02/27/09: EQ Produktions presents: Biodiesel and Chronicles of the Landsquid with MO Theory @ The Canal Club, RICHMOND, VA
03/07/09: The Heavy Pets @ The Tribeca, NEWPORT NEWS, VA
03/11/09: EQ Produktions presents: OTT and MO Theory @ The Canal Club, RICHMOND, VA
03/13/09: William Walter and Company @ Sine, RICHMOND, VA
03/14/09: EQ Produktions presents: Juan Maclean and Long Jawns @ The Canal Club, RICHMOND, VA
03/21/09: Weapons of Mass Production presents: The New Deal, Telepath and Future Rock @ The Norva, NORFOLK, VA
03/23/09: EQ Produktions presents: EOTO @ The Canal Club, RICHMOND, VA
03/25/09: EQ Produktions presents: 2020 Soundsytem @ The Canal Club, RICHMOND, VA
03/27/09: William Walter and Company @ Is, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
03/28/09: Basshound and The Former Champions @ Is, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
03/27/09: William Walter and Company @ Is Dancehall, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
03/28/09: Basshound and the Former Champions @ Is Dancehall, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
–
Jon Blake
Crazyredbeard Productions
1843 Ivywest Lane
Charlottesville, Virginia 22901
The site: www.crazyredbeard.com
crazyredbeard@crazyredbeard.com
434-295-9653
