Wambolt Collective

May I have your attention please..

Thank you. I am very pleased, even pleasantly so, to announce a very exciting new venture I have undertaken. I know what you’re thinking and yes I do have a an extremely full plate as it is but this new project is something that will bring it all together.

After witnessing the potential of what can be done with a little space and a whole lot of initiative such as the BBB complex and what the crew at 8B are doing, I decided to give it a go. I am now renting out Unit 6 in the same complex I wrote about on JaxScene (or JaxREAX, whatever). Right now it’s a clean slate but I have some major plans for the future.

The plan right now is to use a portion of the space to build practice rooms for local bands. As of now we are looking at 2 rooms and it looks like they already have tenants. There is some additional space available for artists or anyone who is doing something to further advance the culture of Jacksonville. Hit me up at jack@jackdiablo.com if you’re interested.

There will be shows and parties from time to time and I will be diligent in promoting the shit out of them because I’ll be taking a serious financial hit until it really gets off hte ground. In the sprit of what I feel makes Jacksonville such a great place, I intend on making every show/party free to attend. We’ll be running on donations so if you enjoy yourself and would like to see more events happen, pay what you can or what you feel the experience was worth.

As of now, we should have things up and running around the middle of August. There are some really awesome people working with me on this and I have no doubt that it will be successful with Duval’s support. I should have a name for it by then, you can comment your suggestions.

There isn’t any real thing called the Wambolt Collective but it’s starting to feel like there might be, an off the beaten path nucleus for art, music and culture in our fair city.

Stay tuned for details in the near future and let’s make this happen!

Shark Attack!

Don’t freak out, everything is going to be okay!

I got a new tattoo from Kyle Miller at 8th Day in Five Points today and wanted to share it with all of you because it is so incredibly DOPE!

You may or more than likely may not remember my previous post on the last tattoo I got from Kyle. Read about it here if you want. I was so impressed with the fantastic job he did on the first one that it only felt appropriate that I get him to finish the bottom part of my sleeve. Since the other one is of a giant kraken taking down a pirate ship I wanted to stick with the theme of scary underwater shit. Here’s the old tattoo right after it was done:

I figured a shark is scary enough and would fit well across the back of my forearm so I took my idea to Kyle and we looked through some books and discussed ideas. He made a quick sketch of what we talked about and a week later came up with a sick-ass design of a shark and a giant sea snake fighting. I came up with the idea of a treasure chest below it and Kyle suggested a giant pirate dabloon (sp?) as an additional piece. My upper arm is done in a more traditional style than the squid so I wanted the rest of the lower part to be a fusion between traditional design and Kyle’s individual style for something truly unique. Here’s the sketch:

So after another week of anticipation, today I went in to get it done. Check the blank slate:

In progress:

The linework:

And the wrap-around finished product:

Pretty sweet, huh? Even though the design isn’t a traditional one, the shading is an the coloring will be. I think the treasure chest looks pretty old school though and the snake is very Japanese-style and how gnarly is that shark?! I’ll be heading back in for the coloring session in a couple weeks. There’s still some space for some small pieces and once the upper arm is done, I’ll fill it in with stars and dots. Can’t Freakin’. Wait!!!

Just Print It!

My good buddy, Tom, has a passion for print-making and collecting. And damn if it isn’t contagious as hell!

Lately I’ve been spending a pretty ridiculous amount of money on prints I’ve found that I simply couldn’t live without. Probably not the greatest idea considering my financial situation, but as long as I tell myself it’s an investment of sorts, I still manage to sleep okay.

I’m not sure what it is about the medium that draws me to it. Maybe it’s the tactility of that heavy paper. Could be the scarcity of a limited run. Or perhaps it’s the beauty of an image created with a limited amount of colors and detail. I’m not an art critic, I just know what I like so the why is irrelevant.

Now to the point.

It’s no secret that these are tough times economically. People aren’t eating out as much, they aren’t buying clothes they don’t need, and I would imagine that for the most part, they have a hard time justifying buying art at a time like this. But printing makes art affordable. You can make a single piece, reproduce it a limited number of times and make your work more accessible to everybody. Seems like a great way to make ends meet while you do the regular art stuff until the economy picks up.

Lucky for us, there are already quite a few folks doing the damn thing here in the Jacksonville area. I’ve purchased prints from Halftone Def and Dog & Pony Showprints that are spectacular. Armageddon Visuals is currently working with local artists who are looking to make the jump and see their images printed as well. I think it makes good business sense and I predict the trend will get even bigger in the near future.

Or then again, I could be crazy, who knows?

Here’s a sample of the posters I’ve purchased lately:



Shepard Fairey’s contribution to Adopt-A-Pet. Already sold out and based on the iconic Obama HOPE image and a quote from Obama about “a mutt like me”. Already sold out of course and proceeds went to pet adoption.



Halftone Def Studio’s 74 Soundsystem poster. I love the gold on black. And dub.



Dog & Pony Showprints turn out some dopealicious gig posters. Very much looking forward to see what they’ve been mysteriously hinting at on Twitter. I hope it’s those Dr. Dog and Black Lips posters!



“Scorpiowl” from John Howard, aka Monkeyink. Gorgeous!



“Peace Bomb” from Methane Studios. Just got this one in today.



“Hare” by James Jean. This guy blows my mind. I fell in love with his covers for Vertigo’s Fables comic, and so proud to own some of his stuff!



“Mr. Jones” by Print Mafia. Gots to have a Dylan poster!



It’s a beard poster, yes! From Beard Revue.

The Pull List – 2/11/09

Oh no! Two Pull List posts in a row, I’m slacking.

Thankfully my stack this week is about half that of the past two and with significantly less Marvel stuff. Still looks to be some good reading though. Here’s the three I chose for this week:

Batman #686 (DC)

By Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert
To say that I have eagerly been anticipating this two-part story is an understatement. An epic understatement. Neil Gaiman is by far one of my favorite storytellers. I use the word storyteller as opposed to author for a reason. He could be considered a novelist or author as he has several published novels that are quite good. He could be considered a writer as he has an intimate history in writing some of the best comics and graphic novels out there. But, what he really does with all these mediums is weave beautiful, intricate, archetypal stories. If you need proof or an example, you need only read his prolific and exalted comic opus, The Sandman. Read it and you will see how he can make any material timeless and amazing.
So Gaiman doing Batman. First off, the title of the story, “Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader?” is an homage to Alan Moore’s Superman story, “Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow?”. Appropriately so, since these two are some of the headier, heavy-hitting writers in the biz. The story takes place at Batman’s funeral. His friends and enemies have all gathered to pay their last respects and Selina Kyle, Catwoman, speaks first, recounting their relationship and her version of how he died. Then Alfred takes his turn and tells a tale that can’t possibly be true. All the while, Batman himself is speaking with an unnamed character about how wrong all of this is.
Exactly where all of this is going, I can’t be sure, but I’m along for the ride. It’s only a two=part story too, which is nice, so the whole thing isn’t drawn out and we can get right into Battle For The Cowl in March. The question still remains as to just how dead Batman is because as we all know, no one really stays dead in comic books.

Incognito #2 (Marvel/Icon)

By Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
I could have sworn I already wrote about #1 but apparently not. No time like present.
This book is on Marvel’s Icon imprint, which is not unlike DC’s Vertigo I guess. While not quite as violent as the MAX stuff, it still allows the writers to stretch their vulgar, gritty limbs and make some really cool stuff without pissing off the parents. This creative team are the masterminds behind the wonderful Criminal series. Brubaker is the current king of noir comics, a today’s Frank Miller. This book is slightly noir but more pulp than anything else.
Incognito is about a former super-villain, thought dead, who has been put into a kind of witness protection program. He’s put on power-suppressing drugs, but eventually he grows dull of his normal life and takes to the streets, this time protecting people from bad guys. The kick for him is simply in the ass-kicking though, he has not a care for the victims themselves. Since the first issue, he’s been suspected and fingered and now he’s being extorted by a co-worker and pursued by his old gang of baddies. It’s pretty good stuff and yet another win from an already established killer team.

Thor #600

By J. Michael Straczynski, Olivier Coipel, and Marko Djurdjevic, Stan Lee, David Aja, Chris Giarrusso, and Jack Kirby
I have never read a single issue of Thor before. I take that back, I did pick up the Angers: Disassembled Thor trade but that’s it. But this book is huge! And expensive at $4.99. But it is, after all, a landmark issue.
So, I find it surprising I’ve never gotten into this book before considering how much I’ve always loved mythology of all kinds. JMS has done a remarkable job of making Thor modern and relevant while mainting the themes and motifs of Norse lore. I’m not sure what happened between Ragnarokk and what happens in this issue, or why Loki is a woman now, but it didn’t stop me from following and enjoying this story. We see Loki doing his/her usual trickstering but in a way that is more Machiavelli than Anansi. SPOILER ALERT: Thor battles his grandfather, Bor, who was brought back by Loki and also put under her spell. When the dust settles, Thor is victorious, but grief-stricken when he learns of his victim’s identity. Left with no choice, Balder banishes Thor from Asgard and Loki begins to manipulate the Asgardians into relocating to Latveria to couchsurf with Dr. Doom! I think Imight have to start following this a little more closely!

So here’s the reaminder of the list, sadly not reviewed.
Green Lantern Corps #33
Hellboy: The Wild Hunt #3
G.I. Joe #2
Nightwing #153
Punisher #2

Oh yeah, ran into EB5K at the comic shop and he passed along a flier for a cool art show coming up with him and Brian Gray and others. Looks really cool!

My New Favorite Local Band: Buff Clout

It was a cold one last night, but not too cold to stop Art Walk from being dopetastic! If you were too lame to brave a little cold weather then you missed a killer art project in the OLB, and if you missed that, you missed my new favorite local band – Buff Clout.



When I heard them start to play, all I could think of was holy shit, is this happening? It’s not what I’ve come to expect from a Jacksonville band, but then again, I have no idea what to expect from Jacksonville bands. They played two shows of the same set and during the first I mentioned to someone that only real musicians would probably be able to appreciate this. I say that because it is spazzy and mathy. I personally have a soft spot for irregular and constantly shifting time signatures and this duo brought the thunder like Geddy Lee and Neil Peart! They didn’t sound like Rush though. Not at all. They also didn’t sound like Dillinger Escape Plan, which was the other band that came to mind. It is unique and impressive in a way that can only be explained by observation. And lucky for all you toolbags who missed the show, they just so happen to be playing tomorrow night at Shantytown. For FREE!



In other local music news, I was handed a compilation CD last night from a friend I met at the House Show a couple weeks back. The album is for a new local label, Infintesmal [sic] Records who have an impressive list of bands they are promoting. The disc has 24 solid tracks from groups like Tuffy, Honey Chamber, Horse Thieves, and Lazerstar, just to name a few. It looks to be a limited run of 100 and they sell for $5 so if you see this, be sure to snatch it before it’s gone! There’s some really good stuff on here. They also have some shows coming up. I fyou don’t want to see Buff Clout, their band, D.M. Waltz is playing Cafe 331 tomorrow. There is also a showcase show at Shantytown on February 20th.

And finally, Wild Flower, Telepathik Friend, Guardians of the Thickets and others are playing Shantytown this Sunday at a benefit show. Be there!

Return of the House Show

Just the other day, my roommate, Cherri, was lamenting the fact that bands don’t play house shows anymore. Freebird is too far and Jack Rabbits can be a bit expensive if you are on a budget and just want to catch a decent show. Shantytown has some great free shows and Fridays at TSI are typically pretty sweet and reasonably priced. But as far as house shows go, you don’t hear about them too often (I don’t at least). So when the crew that brought you the Laundromat Show announced a party in an Avondale abode featuring an almost identical lineup, I was left with no choice but to attend.

I thought it might be a little awkward at a party where I knew no one, but nearly everyone there had read the post I did on the previous show and were incredibly grateful and excited that someone got it, so I felt very welcome. Before the bands played, DJ Cholesterol treated us to an eclectic mix of sonic ear-tickles. It was all very cerebral. Eventually a pretty decent crowd had amassed with many of the same faces from the last show with quite a few new ones as well.

Around 11, Telepathik Friend fried our brains with his animated “wrapping”, knocked some shit over and nearly strangled himself with mike chords in the process. Guardians of the Thickets came on next with a slightly different line-up than last time and droned away. Late Great Magick Owl (or Ghost?) took the floor and incorporated a little interpretive dance into his set with some kind of cardboard costume as he writhed around like the dragon in a Chinese New Year parade. Finally, Wild Flower set up their musical gypsy seance and brought it all together. The whole experience was, as Avery put it, ethereal. Couldn’t think of a better word than that.

What was most impressive to me about it was how completely different the entire experience was. In both sound and ambiance, it was like seeing an entirely different group of acts. Chalk it up to the location, the intimacy of the setting, the ability to manipulate the lighting, or simply the lack of dryers and washing machines humming along, but it was completely unique. Watching these kind of performances gives you a sense of being truly connected with the moment. I probably mentioned something along these lines in the first post, but it bears repeating. You get the sense that this is the only time you will be able to see this particular performance. It is so dependent upon the environment and the general vibe, the ebb and flow of energy, that it could never be recreated in the same way.

Later, after the bands had cleared their gear, it was time for a freeform dance party extravaganza. You don’t get music and dancing like this at any Jacksonville discotheques, I’ll tell you that much!

Check out all the pics here.

Freeform Freakout!

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I posted a flier for a show both on here and on JaxScene for a show that went down last night and I was right, it was a ton of fun! I’d doubt anyone went to the show as a result of my blogging but they should have.

So last night at the laundromat on Park and King, a few noise-bands got together and put on a free show. I had no idea what to expect from this and that certainly didn’t include people actually doing laundry and listening to crazy experimental music. But that’s what went down and it was pretty awesome.



First, the music. I’ll be frank, it’s not for everyone. If you can’t handle acts like Animal Collective, then seriously, stay away! But if you appreciate experimentation and find beauty in chaos then you would have enjoyed yourself thoroughly. A casual observer would probably scoff at Telepathik Friend’s rapping over psychedelic beats and intentional mike distortion or roll their eyes at his helmet made of day-glo pipe cleaners, but they aren’t paying any attention to what is really going on. It’s all the more evident when Guardians of the Thickets sit in a circle of sorts and hammer out all kinds of insanity. If you do pay close enough attention you will hear the order emerge from the chaos. Even though the girls are hitting the bass drum with anything from a ladle to a branch from the tree outside, there is a distinct and recognizable rhythm. The bearded guitarists’ drone riffs reminded immediately of the dark 60’s-inspired music that is really taking hold in Austin and LA right now. Making such music is actually a lot harder than it looks. What is most admirable about it is the all-out rejection of classical tonality, chord progression, rhythm, instrumentation, etc. It’s all about the moment but it transcends simple improvisation. Getting distortion from the mikes, the sounds of the dryers turning, that stick from outside, and dragging the guitar against the linoleum are all elements of the music that make it impossible to reproduce. And therein, to me at least, is its beauty. It’s all about the experience and you simply have to be there to get it.



So what struck me most about this experience was simply that it was happening. Right here, a few blocks from my house. That this is still possible, for people to come together and throw an impromptu show away from the standard dives, in Jacksonville and more specifically, in Riverside, fills me with hope. And this is exactly why the Southbank will never become the new Riverside! There, I said it.



One more thing. Maybe I’m just lucky because I have no real responsibilities at the moment and can enjoy the freedom of doing whatever the fuck I want, but it’s time to get out there and DO STUFF! A free show built on so novel an idea and in such a bizarre location should, if nothing else, pique your interest enough to at least check it out. There is so much going on in this city that nobody seems to really care about. If I can find all this great stuff to do, then so should anybody. So get your ass out there and support anything and everything local you can. Especially music. And support non-local music too and maybe some better bands will come through. So I’ll see you tonight at Los Campesinos! over yonder at Jack Rabbits. You are going, right?

Some Flyers, Etc.

Here’s some forthcoming events you may or may not be aware of yet. People spend a decent amount of time making pretty flyers to promote their events so here they are for maximum exposure.





Had a great time at Wu-Tang last night. For the most part anyway. It was very cool to see local artists like Tough Junkie, Willie Evans Jr., and Rob Roy get such great publicity. And let it be known that they did a great job keeping the crowd moving before the Wu FINALLY took the stage. And also let it be known that Plush screwed the pooch with the whole microphone situation. It was pretty embarrassing to have a high-profile group come to a town that many similar acts skip entirely and have them perform with hissing, popping, overmodulated mikes. Nevertheless, it was thrilling to see these true pioneers and legends in the flesh, even if minus ODB (R.I.P.) and Method Man.

On another note, I just finished an interview with EU who are doing a profile of JaxScene for the February issue. I mainly talked about the JaxScene Network and what our goals and such are with the whole project. While I’m on the subject, I’ll say that one of my goals for the new year is to get as many local bands as are willing to get on board and use the site to promote their music and their shows. Hopefully this will help fulfill Mr. Marchy’s Nostradamus-like predictions for seeing a resurgence in local band activity. If you have a band and would like more info on how to participate, leave me a comment, or better yet, catch me at the bar and buy me a beer (PBR is just fine with me).

The Ruckus

Awwwwww shit son! The little joint at Dellwood and Osceola finally got those interwebs! That means, like it or not, you will be hearing a whole lot more out of me from now on. It also means I’ll actually have time and access to start making shit happen over on the JaxScene Network so keep an eye out for some better content in the near future. In the meantime you can get your fix of Jaxvillian bloggage over at the extremely dope JaxReader page where all the cool kids go to read about this fine little city of ours. And chew on these kick-ass events happening this week.

Wednesday 1/14


Wu-Tang @ Plush
Best protekt ya neck cuz the Wu is coming and bringing the whole crew (supposedly). Local Hip Hop Hell recording artists will be opening so come early and show some J-Ville love. If you haven’t already scored your tickets you can still probably do so at Royal Treatment Records (BBB), Shantytown, or Nicotine in 5P. I propose we get our own little Urban Core crew together to bring the muthafukkin ruckus, hmmm?

Bike Maintenance Workshop @ Zombie Bikes
The good folks over at Zombie are now hosting bi-monthly workshops on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month covering all topics from changing tubes to messing with de-railers. Class starts at 5:30 and goes until 7:30 just in time for…



Movie Night @ Zombie Bikes
After the workshop, hang around for movie night! Bring a chair and probably a blanket (or fuck it, freeze your ass off, whatever) and food or beverages (or not) and get to know your neighborhood bike community. Showing this week is BMX Bandits starring Nicole Kidman.

Thursday 1/15
Midnight Mass 4th Anniversary Party
For the fourth anniversary of Midnight Mass, the party starts around 8 at Shantytown this Thursday with music from Devil Runs The Truckstop and Elevated Hip Hop Experience. Around 11:45 the gang will ride from Shanty to the normal meet-up spot in the parking lot across the street from the Cummer on Riverside.

Friday 1/16


Jupiter One @ TSI
C’mon people, it’s penny PBR from 9-11pm and then live music, it doesn’t get much better than that. And, as always, you can dance the night away with Nick Fresh until 3am.

Sunday 1/18
Southbank Sunrise
If you are an early-riser and not still drunk from Saturday night, you may want to head over the Main Street Bridge and watch the sun come up with free coffee, the morning newspaper, and jazz music. There are pics on JaxScene and this little tumblelog.

As always, get your daily list of cool shit to do at JaxScene.

PEACE!

Some Kinda Weekend

Hello again, friends…

It’s been another one of those crazy weekends where shit is all fucked up but you manage to put on your happy face and make the best of it and end up having a grand ol’ time.

In case you missed it, Joe Van Dyke put on a killer art show at Fuel on Friday night. I must say I was extremely impressed and it far exceeded my expectations. The atmosphere was very fun and relaxed, completely free of the pretension that plagues some showings. It was all about local artists and their art and hanging out. The perfect recipe for success in my book.

It seems like every time I go out these days I meet someone new who reads the site. On Friday it was Brian Gray, who I’ve been wanting to meet for a long time. He, Tommy Armageddon and I talked for a while about the state of the Jacksonville art scene and shared ideas, not what you usually get to do at an art show.

Being in need of some color for my new haze gray room (more on that in a later post), I bought a ridiculously underpriced splash of color from a young art student, Devin Balara. I’m no art critic to be sure but I found her finger-painted canvases hypnotic and an interesting change of pace from what everyone else was showing. She was ecstatic about the sale and told me it was the second piece she’d ever sold and the first to someone she didn’t know. That’s what it’s all about.

There were many other great artists there including Nicole Middleton, Preston Nettles, Bryan Register, and Grant Thornton, just to name a few. Keep an eye out for the next show he puts out. Guaranteed good time. Check out all my pics here.

And, of course, Saturday night was the BBB Art Show, featuring artist-created Burro Bags and bicycle frames. I missed the bike polo tournament because I was napping after MY LAST DAY ON THE SHIP, WOOT! But I did get there around 6:30 and everything was already jumping. The art was fantastic, especially the bags. Arturo was there, Bold City was there, and 74 Soundsystem kept the party jumping.

There was some high-octane action with games of whiplash, tall-bike jousting, and footdown. Lots of fun and very entertaining. At the end of the night I walked away with some socks from the raffle and a Tommy Armageddon bicycle frame.

And yet, the weekend isn’t even over. Tonight is the Luminaria bike ride through Riverside and Avondale and should definitely be worth checking out. Just the right thing to put you back in the holiday spirit.

Peace!