Freddy Steady Go

My Top 15 Most Influential Films

2014-09-12T01:46:00.001-07:00

There is a new one of those annoying games circulating around facebook lately, to compile a list of your 15 most influential films. After being tagged (dominated) by my mate Andrew Lindsay, I rolled my eyes a little, shrugged it off, ...and then spent the rest of the day mentally obsessing on it, digging up old memories of the films that are significant to who I am today. This was actually an annoying game I could sink my teeth into.

Narrowing this down to 15 movies is near impossible, and to battle this I've created an 'honorable mention' for some of these films, similar movies that hold the same value for me.

These are in no order whatsoever, and by no means a list of my all-time favorite films, this is a list of the films that shaped my brain from a young age. ...and as the list was compiling it became clear that my adult brain is apparently better suited for technicolor nonsense in a fantastical galaxy far far away...

Here we go....

Fantasia (1940) : The first film I ever saw in the movie theater (I was 5), accompanied by my mom and dad at the super cool old Laurel Theater in San Carlos. Until viewing Fantasia many years later, as a child all I remembered from that night are vague memories of the funny dancing hippos and the little bare-cheeked cherubs (which my dad nicknamed 'no pants wilsons'), and I recall me and my parents laughing and laughing. ...and I remember being really frightened during the sorcerer Mickey sequence with the scary lifelike brooms. I also remember really enjoying my first helping of classical music and being mesmerized by the ornate fountain and the plush blood red interior of the theater lobby. Fantasia is the first memory I have of animation, and I was instantly hooked by my Disney gateway drug. In the years that followed, we'd often pay a visit to the Laurel for more seminal animated classics like Snow White, Bambi, Jungle Book, and when I was old enough I'd attend the Animation Festival with my brother Bill or my father, usually held at the Varsity Theater in Palo Alto. My love for animation never ceased.

(honorable mention: The Rescuers, The Triplets of Belleville, Yellow Submarine, Up)

2001 A Space Odyssey (1968) : A cinematic masterpiece equally sparse and lush, electronically advanced yet primitive. I saw this in the theater in my early teens and it wasn't what I expected at all. I was thinking it would be along the lines of Star Wars. It was visually glorious, but at the time for me it was lonnnng and dull. How come nobody is talking? I didn't get it at all.

Maybe it's because I was in the mood for more action, but likely it was because I was on one of my first movie dates with a girl from 8th Grade (name witheld) at the Hillsdale Cinema and I was too concerned about intentionally pressing against her knee or touching hands at the same time reaching for popcorn.

Since then, the Also sprach Zarathustra overture plays in my head during potential intimate situations. Not a good influence at all... Obviously my young brain was not ready at first, but over the years I've seen this movie several times, and I pick up something new with each viewing.. iconic modern furnishings by the greats: Saarenin, Nelson, Jacobson, Mourgue... early IBM computer gear displaying modern font typefaces such as Futura and Eurostile... the expansive sets and revolutionary special effects... I get it now. I really REALLY get it. A big impact on my design style, 2001 is elegantly dynamic & slow burning, a truly epic film with multiple layers of commentary on our society that resonates even more today.

M Hulot's Holiday (1953) : My first taste of the masterful Jacques Tati, I saw this film with my parents at the Stanford Theater when I was 13 years old. My father considered himself a dime store Tati in his own right and possessed his own brand of Tati-esque moves and wobbles, and any slapstick comedy like Laurel & Hardy, The Three Stooges or Martin & Lewis hit his funny bone like a tickle machine. As any father feels it's his duty to pass on his interests to his children, dad loved to force feed our family with films highlighting the silly antics of his comedic heroes. This then, was the creme de la creme of dad's preferred humor, Tati executes these scenarios with a highbrow slapstick style all his own. Mr. Hulot's Holiday was my mom & dad's favorite film which says a lot about their personalities. Perhaps the origin of my obsession with French culture.

Willie Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971) : This one blew my little mind. I was around 10 years old watching it with my mom and dad on our klunky television, eating a platter of cold cuts, bread and mustard (super bowl food as dad called it), trying to absorb every delicious detail of the film sets & costumes and thinking Gene Wilder was not really a very nice man at all. I remember a year later when I had to sell those expensive 'world's finest' chocolate bars at school, I tried to make a 'golden ticket' to insert into one of the wrappers in the box of 16, but once the wrapper was off I would just eat the chocolate bar every time. That was an expensive school year for my parents, I was waaay more Augustus Gloop than Charlie.

(and thankfully, I didn't see this in the theater at the time or The Wondrous Boat Ride scene would've damaged my little brain even more.)

(honorable mention: Mary Poppins, Escape To Witch Mountain)

The Party (1968) : The mighty Peter Sellers in top form. This Blake Edwards swinging cocktail hiccup of a film has you bumbling about in the back pocket of Peter Sellers' indian character Hrundi V Bakshi while he desperately tries to fit in with the in crowd at a swanky film industry party where he doesn't belong. We've all been there! So quintessentially late 60's in decor and costuming, with a groovy often sitar-driven soundtrack by Henri Mancini. The film's pacing is unbearably awkward and hilarious, Hrundi tries to fake his way from room to room with mixed results, all extremely funny. This is a classic fish-out-of water tale with well-executed sight gags (including the famous 'birdy num-num' scene) showcasing the brilliant timing of Peter Sellers, a movie which teaches us it's okay to be a little geeky and mad as long as you believe in yourself. One of my favorite 60's films and the reason I started wearing red socks.

(honorable mention: Murderer's Row, Bedazzled, Cinderfella, Billie)

Quadrophenia (1979) : Like many of us, this was my introduction to the british Mod subculture style and attitude that has defined me for most of my life. I saw the film in early 1986 at a friend's house (Brent Willson) when I was 15 years old, and it captivated me even more than the New Wave and punk music & fashion I was cutting my teeth on at the time. After hunting high and low for the MODS book and subscribing to WHA-A-AM! Magazine at the insistence of the only Mod I knew (Mark Harvey), I quickly got a handle on the niceties and details of the Mod styings (albeit a loose one, American mod kids in the 80's tried our best with little to go on) By August that year I had purchased a minty 1979 Vespa P200 and a closet full of Fred Perry shirts from the thrift store, was making ritual trips to the tailor for suit alterations, bought my first fishtail parka from a military supply store in San Mateo, and had stolen my first pair of bowling shoes from San Carlos Bowl. Quadrophenia has stuck with me all these years, in 2011, a bunch of us Bay Area old-timers had a ride out to see the film on the big screen at the Castro Theater for the San Francisco Film Festival, and in 2012 a small group of us went to see The Who performing Quadrophenia at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. All together now... "We are the mods, we are the mods, we are..."

(honorable mention: Absolute Beginners, Repo Man, Valley Girl, Straight To Hell, The Decline of Western Civilization, URGH! A Music War, Dance Craze, The Wall, Suburbia)

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992) : I am a big David Lynch fan and I spent 2 years of my life riveted to the television every week dissecting who killed Laura Palmer when Twin Peaks originally aired from 1990-91 (it helped that I had a huge crush on Sherilyn Fenn), and while not the most epic piece of film making on this list, to see this seemingly normal but tweaked-out suburban mountain-folk multi-dimensional universe created by Mark Frost and David Lynch come to life on the big screen was a big thrill at the time. I hate scary movies with splat and gore but I really enjoy psychologically disturbing fantasies of a very real stylized unreality, and I can't remember being more excited to see a new movie. We were there on opening night complete with tailgate party in the parking lot, entering the UA6 Theater in Redwood City like kids going into a fun-house, and leaving with foggy terrible visions of BOB in our minds. But it was done, we had our needed closure of the Twin Peaks saga... except BOB has had this nagging way of popping into my head in dark alleys and rooms ever since.

(honorable mention: Santa Sangre, Dead Ringers, Silence Of The Lambs, Sling Blade, Blue Velvet)

Star Wars (1977) : This movie inspired most of my creative playtime fantasies as a little boy ever since seeing it in the theater during it's original release. Finally pressured by me and my best friend at the time (Kenny Austin) because every other kid in our school had seen it already, our moms took us to Century Theater in San Jose. It was 1978 (I was 7), and the 'big' cinema was a scary place for me and Kenny. We sat together, and our moms were two seats away. I remember a lot of other kids in that theater but we had to be some of the youngest. We were glued to the screen the entire time except to look at each other with tandem mouth-gaping expressions of disbelief. After the film, Kenny and I were instantly fighting in the lobby with air light-sabres and making zsew-zsew laser noises, yeahhhh...NOW we knew what the fuss was about! They had a merchandise stand there, and our moms let us buy 'something little, you can't have the Darth Vader mask honey'... I bought a large 5" pin of Luke Skywalker, and Kenny bought one of Han Solo, thus cementing our make-believe roles from then on. Later that year my mom constructed a Chewbacca costume for me for Halloween, and I was well on my way with my Star Wars figure collection.

(honorable mention: The Empire Strikes Back)

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004) : Wes Anderson can do no wrong. I absolutely loved Rushmore. I dug The Royal Tenenbaums as well. But when Mr. Anderson created The Life Aquatic, for me he created a perfect film. All the right touches are here, the impeccable sets, the colors, the dialogue, the awkwardness, the triumph... The incredible soundtrack featuring Seu Jorge, David Bowie, Mark Mothersbaugh and Sigur Ros., The choice of actors (Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Anjelica Houston, Jeff Goldblum..) This movie is flawless. I'm not sure how Wes Anderson manages to create his weird vintage-esque environments for all of his films while maintaining a strong sense of the present day, each are distinctive yet feel like the same time-period, but we aren't exactly sure when that time-period is. He is one of the great film making geniuses of our time and a massive inspiration.

(honorable mention: Moonrise Kingdom, The Science of Sleep, You Me And Everyone We Know)

E.T. (1982) : I saw this seminal Steven Spielberg film during it's original release at the UA6 Theaters in Redwood City. I was 11 years old and I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried like a baby when E.T. died in the incubation scene, only to explode with raining tears of joy and pleasure when he came back to life minutes later. This was my first experience with crying in the theater, I wasn't aware that fabricated situations with actors and props could stir up these deep emotions. I was a wreck over that little alien. I saw E.T. again not too long ago, and it is a definite classic at any age, the soundtrack by John Williams is unmistakable... whenever I hear the lilt of the main theme I get a fuzzy feeling. After seeing this movie I kept the ticket stub, the first time I'd ever done that. And I still have it ferreted away at the bottom of a box somewhere.

Vertigo (1958) : Another flawless film for me. I didn't see this until I was around 17 years old, I had seen Rear Window in the theater with my dad a couple years before which I thought was great, but Vertigo spearheaded an obsession with Alfred Hitchcock and a devout worship for the graphic design style of Saul Bass, passions that haven't let up since. ..and grrr... the subtle heat of mysterious Kim Novak smolders like a handful of pine needles thrown into a campfire. (just don't ask me for my Jimmy Stewart impersonation, you will be instantly disappointed and irritated).. Being from San Francisco adds another personal level to the movie, it's fun to see the locations in the film how they were, some of these SF places I pass by every day.

(honorable mention: The Birds, North By Northwest, Psycho)

Faster Pussycat, Kill Kill (1965) : This list would not be complete without a Russ Meyer film, and in my opinion Faster Pussycat Kill Kill is his finest work. Russ Meyer hit the nail on the head with this black & white outing, epitomizing the genre of his own design: B movies with questionable story lines featuring buxom babes dominating mousy men. The angles and scenarios here are bold and choppy, stylized and aggressive as is the script, but all we really care about is Tura Satana in her black leather outfit and those cars that the rouge female gang buzzes around in (1959 MG A, 1963 MG B, 1965 Porsche 365, 1958 Triumph TR3A), eye candy at every turn. I saw this in the theater in 1997 in Las Vegas, fueling my appreciation for hot-rod culture. A year later, I was the proud owner of a 1954 Chevy Bel-Air 2 door hardtop roaring down the Las Vegas Strip.

(honorable mention: Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls, Hot Rods To Hell)

Mars Attacks (1996) : A guilty campy pleasure, and my favorite movie from the mind of Tim Burton. When I lived in Las Vegas in the mid 90's, Alberta and I had a pad at The Diplomat Apartments, conveniently located around the corner from the closed-down Landmark Hotel, a spiked astro doorknob building sticking into the sky, so perfect and so googy atomic-age looking. (the details of our love affair with the Landmark and how we got to know her interior intimately despite the closed doors are fodder for another blog post).. One night at work I heard a rumor they were imploding the Landmark building at 4am the next day for use in an 'upcoming blockbuster' ...so at 2am I hustled out of our apartment with my camera to catch the action. Sure enough, the building came down at 4am, with explosions and actors and crew running around everywhere. I was one of the few bystanders there, the Las Vegas Times interviewed me for the newspaper. A very sad moment but cool to be in that mix, and discovering later that it was featured in Mars Attacks was the ideal reward. Besides my personal connection with the movie, it has everything I require from a twisted throbbing oozing brain of a film. Purely strange and abnormal fun. The only other movie on this list besides Star Wars that I purchased action figures of, in fact the year of the release, I was so nuts about Mars Attacks, I paid $75 for the Martian Spy Girl figure at a comic book shop, I had the bug bad. Not the best influence!

(honorable mention: Edward Scissorhands, Serial Mom, Hairspray)

Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961) : This film has so much going on for me influence-wise. The completely drop dead gorgeous Audrey Hepburn, the cucumber cool of young George Peppard, politicially un-correct and ridiculously asian Mickey Rooney. Underlined by the butter soft yet swinging soundtrack by Henry Mancini (which features most prominently in one of the best movie party scenes ever), This is a time-capsule-perfect vision into mainstream early 60's New York society style, clumsily radiating with the romantic ambiance of a thousand moonlit rivers dotted with pollywogs.

(honorable mention: Auntie Mame, Pillow Talk)

Foul Play (1978) : Another film set in San Francisco, this movie was my first time experiencing three legendary comedy actors.. Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn and Dudley Moore. This was another 'living room cinema' moment with my dad ogling our prehistoric TV, this time I remember laying on the floor together on our hideous rust-colored shag carpeting and eating from a large box of Sun-Maid raisins. I was around 8 years old at the time. I can't remember why exactly I liked this movie so much, but as far as influence goes, because of Foul Play and Chevy & Goldie, I discovered both Saturday Night Live and Laugh-In, opening up a massive and expansive catalog of clever and left field humor that has been with me my whole life. It also introduced me to the man of my nightmares as a young child, the albino character (played by William Frankfather) haunted me for years and years, while watching the film with dad that night, every time he came on the screen I'd jump out of my skin and hop over my dad ...and was only able to barely peek over his shoulder to look at the TV. (honorable mention: '10')

Mixtape Mondays 2007-2008 : The Top Ten Years

2014-03-17T05:28:00.001-07:00

Top Spins - May 11th 2007

Container Ship Ten - June 12th 2007
A pic of an APL ship I snapped on SF Bay

Ahhh, 2007-2008.
Such significant years. For me personally, a time of resurgence and reinvention. For me musically, a time of rediscovery and obsessive tendencies for the hottest sounds. My 'mixtapes' during these years were a series of graphically intensive top ten lists I'd create and trade via email with my best mate Artie who was living in London at the time. This was an unscheduled ritual for us... the tunes and imagery culled from whatever was going on in my life at the current given moment, traded in a 'tag you're it' fashion. During this period my tastes were wide open and morphing, some days I'd be diving into obscure French/Canadian garage sounds of the 60's, other days I'd be exploring the latest independent techno twinged bands or obscure groovy ambient tracks (circa 60's to present) that had somehow missed my radar. I was still buying records like mad, with frequent trips to Tower Records, Virgin Megastore & Amoeba, focusing my attention on quirky stuff I'd heard about in passing and the perpetual acquisition of slippery vintage classics. Many hours were spent digging through the new releases and the clearance bins in search of all things groovy... without limitations.
What you see above and below is some of the artwork I created for the lists and emailed to Artie to share my ten favorite new-found sounds of the moment. I never imagined that I'd be able to find much of this music again today, so color my surprise searching Spotify to find almost all of it there. A lot of this stuff was completely unknown or impossible to get during the time I compiled these Top 10's, and has since been sold or disappeared from my collection, so clicking and hearing these tracks again & compiling a playlist has been the highlight and the soundtrack of my last couple weeks.
Give it a listen. And don't mind if it gets too weird in places for you, stick with it or click through, there's sure to be a song just around the corner that you will bug out on.
Cheers dudes
Top Ten-Pack - The Now Sound of Fred's Turntable circa 2007/08

Taupe 10 - January 27th 2007

Dust & Scratches, Themes for an Auction House - April 14th 2007

It's A Gas Baby - August 24th 2008

Fredwind Presents: Mad Props - November 5th 2007

Jack Purcell's Lonely Mix - February 12th, 2008
Artie had left his shoes on my deck before leaving for London and they remained untouched.
6 months later I snapped this pic

Mixtape for a Dumpy Traveler - December 17th, 2007

Success Stinks - February 4th 2008

Club Oxbow Presents RHLNDR - September 11th, 2007

Crate Digger - March 9th, 2007

Foreplay Mix - February 25th, 2007
A picture of my set of golf clubs.

Do Not Cross, The Mortgage Mix - July 20th, 2008
The photo is a foreclosure home in Lodi that my brother & I cleared out.

Hot Mess - April 30th, 2007

Maximum T & T - September 1st, 2008

Oh sXit! - February 13th 2008
Artie had just fried his laptop by spilling a Vitamin Water on his keyboard.
I re-inacted the crime scene.

Stovetop Ten - May 24th 2007

Soundtrack to a Bright Future - July 31st, 2008
A pic I snapped of the USCG Barque Eagle sailing past the SF waterfront.

Gitanatop Ten - May 20th 2007
My little tribute to my favorite sailing team at the time.

Groundwerk Volume 1 - December 22nd, 2007
The schematic artwork is by my brother, a conceptual look at a putter I was in the midst of designing.

Isle Tones - April 21st, 2007

The Real Nowhere Man Mix - December 4th, 2007

Trimaran Rock City - April 1st, 2007
An obvious swipe of the iconic Sub Pop 7" graphic style.

Aquaphenia - May 22, 2008

Loick Peyron de retour avec Artemis Racing (FR)

2014-03-13T12:49:00.001-07:00

Mixtape Mondays - Mad Hatters : 50 Britpop Brimmers & Baggy Headhangers

2014-03-10T18:42:00.000-07:00

In 1989 at a friend's party in SF, I was introduced to two crazy British fellas named Jesse and Julius who were visiting from Oswestry, friendly and engaging lads with a heavy dose of lazyitis who were eager to perform an awkward hip hop-inspired handshake upon meeting another authentic Californian. Wide-eyed and baggy-tailed, their style was spot on in a cleverly assembled scrubby manner, outfitting themselves in the latest thrifted 60's gear with just the correct amount of Fred Perry & Adidas flourishes ...a wardrobe recipe that fit right in with our equally tuned-in yet ramshackle posse. While seemingly harmless at the time, these two gentlemen ended up crawling under my skin from that day forward like a squirrel with a box of Triscuits, a power couple that would change my life forever. The initial union at that party was crazy cool, both of them flaunted a ridiculous sense of humor, incredible taste in music, impressive drinking stamina.. and were quite proud to have assimilated 'dude' into their vocabulary so effortlessly. We instantly got on like a house on fire.. (or maybe rather like a duplex with a blown out water heater and a smoldering rubbish bin, but...) It was evident, these cats were birds of a feather. At one point toward the end of the evening they informed our crew that they were leaving for LA the next day. You're WHAT? No..no... Obviously we weren't going to let that happen. We trapped them in San Francisco for the rest of their stay, and those days we spent together were some of the craziest memories of my later teenage years. We called ourselves the Mad Hatters, never leaving the house without a hat on our heads... and, yer.. the mad part is a given. I hadn't even been to the UK yet but I was well mad for it...
The next year, Jess and Jules were at school in Manchester and we planned a visit. My brother and I were already organizing a little tour of Europe and we decided to swap out our plans for London in favor of a stint in Manchester. It was to be the final stop of our month-long tour, and up until then and all throughout Paris, Geneva, Munich & Amsterdam, me and my bro were gearing up for our visit to the musical motherland with a tape I'd made featuring the likes of The Stone Roses, The Charlatans, Ride, Happy Mondays & My Bloody Valentine.
Our arrival and subsequent week in Manchester is a complete blur, excessively quiet pubs disturbed by Scrumpy antics, sleeping on stairs, failed attempts at using a mythical 'AT&T Card', dice games and early morning mohawk-shaving sessions not withstanding... our late night visits to The Hacienda and hungover afternoons in the Northern Quarter record shopping seem like a dream now, if it weren't for the vinyl purchases to prove we were actually there, I wouldn't remember any of it. We bought so many records we had to ship them to SF, and opening the packages back home was like an extended Christmas morning, instantly turning our West Coast friends on to the new sound of England.
I've kept in touch with Jesse & Julius over the years, and with many thanks to facebook, last year I had the pleasure to visit them in London for a Mad Hatter's reunion. It was like time had stopped, we were as retarded as ever, still behaving like little juvenile delinquents in the adult world. Jesse is now an accomplished writer, most famous for his series Peep Show with partner Sam Bain, and Julius is most famous for being on another planet entirely, his tweets are crazy cool, we're bound to see him gracing the mainstream airwaves with his obtuse humor anytime soon. Both dudes are happily married with kids, they've finally achieved Dadrock status. Living the dream.
This mixtape covers everything I love about the Britpop scene... an homage to the raw emotions of freedom from those early days of '89/'90... all of the attitude, the funk, the dissonance, the grooves, the drugs, the swagger & the rock n roll in tact... I hope you enjoy it too. http://bit.ly/pophattersmix
Cheers big ears,
-fred

Mad Hatters Reunion Tour, chilling with Jess and Jules at chez Armstrong in London last year.

Me in 1999 on one of my DJ nights 'Tomorrowland' at The Orbit Room SF

Mixtape Mondays

2014-03-03T20:15:00.002-08:00

My first experience with a mix tape was when I was 11 years old during a weekend stay at my brother Bill's bachelor pad during his fraternity days at San Jose State. It was 1982 and my brother was a full-blown new waver and record collecting nut, consuming new release vinyl the second it hit the shelves at Tower Records. This was one of the most exciting times in musical history, the late 70's and early 80's music scene was dynamic and outrageous, new bands were coming out of nowhere with imagery and sounds projecting both style and substance in a revolutionary pop art punk fashion causing an overthrow of the classic rock anthems and cheesy novelty disco acts dominating the radio airwaves. Bill's tastes were my guide map, he was finely tuned to the cream of the New Wave crop, and my eyes and ears were wide open and fixated on discovering this good weird stuff too. Sitting on his floor flipping through his records that weekend was like browsing an outrageous miniature art collection that seemed to come from another planet...

My little mind was blown!

What resulted from that session was a mix tape my brother dubbed 'Tyke's Tunes' featuring bands like The Vibrators, Madness, Devo, B-52's, Missing Persons, Adam & The Ants, Dead Kennedys, Human League, The Ramones, The Pretenders, The English Beat, The Residents and so many others...the best of the best. That 90 minute tape was like gold to me and ultimately changed my life. New wave and punk became my soundtrack, 'Tyke's Tunes' was like a prolific trend setting transmission beamed down from outer space to my world of little classmates who were happy settling with The Eagles and The Carpenters. I would play the mix tape everyday, learning all the words to the songs, cautiously adhering to the promise I'd made to Bill to not play 'Too Drunk To Fuck' if mom or dad were in the room.

Not too long after my life changing weekend with Bill, I remember feeling inspired and cramming a cheapo 60 minute Radio Shack cassette into my parents hi-fi after school one day. Already dialed in to Dr. Don Rose on KFRC, I was ready to groove out to the new hot sounds of 1983. The cassette ran the whole time as I sat and watched the tape on the tiny wheels dwindle down... hoping they wouldn't run out in the middle of Rockwell's 'Somebody's Watchin' Me'. The resulting mix and the songs I'd grabbed were less than great, complete with commercials and Don's knack of talking over the intro of every song... but still I loved it. Dude. I made my own mix!

...although this time on the more socially acceptable tip of popular music, the tape featured hits like Steve Miller's 'Abracadabra', 'Designer Music' by Lipps Inc, 'Rumors' by Timex Social Club, and 'Man Eater' by Hall And Oates. It kept me occupied for the moment, but I counted the days until I could have another opportunity to travel to Bill's pad again for another freakout session to listen to the 'good' bands, often calling him to ask about new records he had bought.

I never looked back from those early days and by 1990 I was fully equipped with two turntables, a crappy Realistic mixer and a kick-ass Nakamichi tape deck thanks to Bill. Forever my mentor, my bro helped me get everything dialed in, teaching me about grounding wires, recording levels, recording time, needle wear, record handling, fade outs and segues. In the 90's, my reputation for my record collection and my mix tapes defined me. Those who know me understand what I'm talking about.... for those who don't... stay tuned... that'll have to be another blog post.

Flash forward to 2014. While technology has surpassed the physical presence of a cassette tape, the idea of making and trading mixes is still fresh in my mind. My preferred online resource for making a playlist is Spotify, and while not completely comprehensive for obscure and rare tracks or contemporary music that was released before the 70s, the Spotify library is relatively complete and does the job for me. The interface is simple and efficient, the streaming solid and fast, click and go and before long you've made a mix and are able to share the link for anyone with an internet connection to listen to anywhere.

BUT... My big problem with this scenario is it doesn't completely capture the mix tape experience. Everyone whose created or been given a mix knows that half the fun of a good mix is the artwork! The anonymous personalization capacity of Spotify beyond a profile picture is something to be addressed, so for now I create my own artwork in Photoshop while I am compiling a playlist, cutting and pasting and free-transforming while I am simultaneously clicking away tracks online. Takes me right back to the fun process of designing a tape cover, an even better experience in many aspects. The new style of the artwork production has replaced the tactile procedure of arranging clippys and text with gummy spray adhesive thumbs and a xacto blade... and is not limited to the restrictive cassette cover size!

So... here are a few modern 'mixtapes' for your listening enjoyment.

If you'd like to keep up with my playlists, you can find me here: fred eagle on spotify

I'd love to hear yours too, cheers!

PS: If you need a little inspiration for your next mix tape artwork, have a look at my brother's incredible photography. He's still got it. ; ) - misterbigidea on flickr

'Swizzle Sticks' is my latest mix, a compilation of audio cocktails and sonic bar snacks suitable for a perfect evening out and about or cozy soiree buzzing around about at home. The cocktail genre has always been my forte, but seeing as many of my cocktail genre mixtape staples in the easy listening/incredibly strange/go-go vein are unavailable on Spotify, I've opted to create a less predictable and less retro mix. This playlist still includes some googie-era favorites and some go-goers, but features a few modern groovers you may not be familiar with, and also a shot of pop & soul classics tossed in for good measure. The resulting mix pours out crisp and clean, a bubbly concoction of past and future grooves to soundtrack the ultimate vibe at your favorite hole in the wall or patch of outer space. The now sound of the space-age bachelor pad at chez fred eagle.

swizzle sticks mixtape

On my most recent trip to Paris, I spent 2 weeks at the home of my friend Thierry, a professor and historian who lives in an apartment in the 13th arrondissement with his incredible collection of books and records. Thierry lives in the building which was the former location of the Atlantic Records recording studio, known most famously as the home of several Serge Gainsbourg's recordings and the place Louis Armstrong layed down his first Paris sessions in the early 1950's. Thierry's apartment is on the first floor, directly above the basement that housed the original studio. There are obviously some old souls seeping through the floorboards there... Thierry and I couldn't stop playing records the entire time I was there... transitioning between punk and jazz, britpop and french music seamlessly. It was raining hard throughout my stay and we would stay up into the wee hours with the windows wide open trading stories and flipping discs of our favorites while we enjoyed some nice bottles of wine and cheese. This mix takes me right back to that happy place... listening to the rain, rocking out, feeling sentimental, feeling old and feeling young at the same time.

paris when it drizzles mixtape

Widely recognized among my friends as one of the greatest wedding receptions we've ever experienced, my good friends Jon and Karen pulled out all the stops for their celebration of marriage. This reception was like a homecoming and a family reunion, Karen and Jon have a beautiful collection of artistic friends and we all know each other in some way... catching up with everyone was so so cool. The soundtrack for the event was especially perfect, delivered by an ace deejay panel.... difficult to go wrong with the lineup of supreme music afficionados Carrie Swing, Carlos Perez, Otto von Stroheim, Dean Curtis, Alec Palao, Sean Cavanaugh and Michael Beller behind the decks. We danced and danced, we laughed, we cried, we hugged.. we ate and drank until the place shut down to the sound of all of these tunes. I will never forget that day, I love Jon & Karen and their union means the world to me too ... and to everyone in attendance, a special time for all of us to share. I held the distinction of being Karen's 'something blue' and had dyed my hair Tiffany Blue to coordinate with the theme, quel honneur! This mix tape was my gift to the happy couple to thank them and commemorate the event, albeit with minor apologies to the deejays as some of their cool songs were unavailable on Spotify...

jon & karen's reception hits mixtape

A compilation for my girl Alberta, my musical soul mate... We've shared 22 years of musical discovery and obsessive vinyl collecting together... making analog mix tapes with perfect transitions and DJing parties were some of our favorite leisure activities back in the olden times before computers. 'Bertie's Bag' will be an ongoing series, this particular mix is jam packed with a batch of 60 of her all-time 'hot hits'. This mix features songs you know and love, and the songs you don't know are surely soon to be favorites too. An ultimate party soundtrack... also great for cleaning, vacuuming, doing the dishes and walking the dog... which all of them I better do soon or I'm going to be listening to 'Bertie's Nag'

bertie's bag mixtape

If you are feeling thirsty by now, Alberta is one of the top mixologists around and has been at the forefront of cocktail culture for many years... have a look at cocktails on the fly and freshen up your hi-ball with new flavors to complement your listening experience.

Inside the music mind state of master sailor Loick Peyron. What exactly does Loick listen to at sea? I spent some time with him dissecting this question resulting in the Spotify playlist 'loick's offshore mix' featuring a tune Loick listened to on board during many of the races throughout his career. Always a purveyor of fine taste, Loick's musical interests are diverse and in the pocket. Everything you need is here, music from some of his favorites: The Who, JJ Cale, The Police, Serge Gainsbourg, The Doors... soundtracks he digs: Game Of Thrones, Red Dead Redemption, Star Wars... hip tracks by The Black Keys and Air.. and many more. Loick's taste in music is sophisticated but mischievous not unlike the man himself. His playlist sets a idyllic ambiance for your next maxi-trimaran trip around the world, or your next session at the breakfast table with a p'ti cafe and a smoke ...while you plan your current top-secret strategic attack on the water.
loick peyron's offshore mixtape

Until next time, happy listening...

-fred

What Difference Does It Make? SF Screening w/ François K

2014-02-28T06:44:00.000-08:00

If you aren't yet hip to this film documenting the search for the soul of music, do yourself some couch digging and plug in for a heavy dose of optimism. 'What Difference Does It Make' is a film all it's own, a supreme audio visual testament to the power of creativity. A must see for deejays, musicians, record collectors, knob-twiddlers, and next-big-things, this hour and a half long journey throughout New York as experienced by the eyes, ears and musical prowess of the Red Bull Music Academy members provides for an engaging collage of textures and vibes, both mellow and chaotic. The freestyle emotions and undefinable reverence that the art of making music holds for these individuals (and all of us) is realized with a slick yet gritty sensitivity. The stylish editing and surprise guest appearances from music legends & household names (Brian Eno, Debbie Harry, Giorgio Moroder, Philip Glass, Erykah Badu, Rakim & many more) fuel the story as it extends it's tendrils across the city with no apparent rhyme or reason, flowing and imperfect like an impromptu jazz session. The experiences of the students as they noodle together in the fully equipped RBMA studio to find their groove will resonate deeply with the fellow artists in the audience struggling to make sense of music's fickle obsessive nature and the relationships we create while creating music. The freedom of discovery is celebrated with armchair philosophy and gold-plated words from our musical heroes who encourage viewers to keep the creative flow going no matter what.

If 'IT' is in you, 'IT' needs to come out.

Bad bad Leroy Webb, my favorite artist in the film. Subway goosebumps.

'What Difference Does It Make' is moving and poignant, groovy, encouraging, hopeless, refreshing and completely human. It would be impossible to finish this film without a smile on your face and itching to get back to that dope track you were working on. Or that painting you just started. Or that book you were writing...
To watch it online at the Red Bull Music Academy site or download to your desktop, click on our old mate Lee 'Scratch' Perry below

Red Bull have their fingers on the pulse for sure. Always poised to provide a memorable night of forward-thinking youth culture while recognizing the pioneers of the genre, the San Francisco screening for 'What Difference Does It Make' was true to form, a double bill which included a moderated discussion with legendary French ex-pat deejay François K. As a celebration of 15 years of the RBMA, this free event had been highly publicized and on my radar for quite awhile... I'd shot in my rsvp well in advance along with a handful of my mates in the extended Sweater Funk crew, and at exactly 7pm on the 22nd we were in the heart of The Mission, filing out of Pancho Villa taqueria with full bellies and our eye on the prize. Smart thinking. By 7:30pm there was a line all the way down the block from the Victoria Theater, this was easily a sold out gig.

Once inside and settled in, the ambiance was super chilled out with an electric playful attitude courtesy of the Academy members in attendance we'd soon meet on the big screen. The hour long discussion with François treated us to intimate anecdotes from the glory days of DJ life, we happily would have listened to him all night while he dove in and out of his vast catalog of tunes and memories with host Shawn Reynaldo from XLR8R. François sharing his experiences with us was cool to be a part of, like listening to an old family friend. The man is as multi-faceted as he is humble, François is reserved and soft spoken, clever and insightful... and a total Dude.
A brief clip to illustrate la classe. François reflects on Larry Levan and begins to talk about the worldwide rebirth of the NYC DJ.
Merci pour votre temps, grand mec.

Front and Center. Shane, Kirk, Ileah, Brian, Sue & Danika
...and zee French Touch, pausing for a photo with François K.

Many thanks to the Red Bull Music Academy for what you do. Keep The Faith!

#FollowFriday on twitter RBMA RedBullSFO Do415 François K
And a special shout out to my new Jedi Master : Tom Moulton for flagging this bomb for us.
Currently in heavy rotation

Eagle For Hire

2014-02-22T11:08:00.002-08:00

Operation: Panic Button. After the jet-lag wore off and the lively email banter fell by the wayside, I realized I'm living in the most expensive city in the world with no safety net. I've been surfing an incredible wave but now there is sand in my margarita, all the girls have put their winter coats on, and I have to sell my surfboard!
Just when you think things are really clicking in life, the silence replaces the laughs, ideas become inconvenient, and productivity comes to a screeching halt in the rough surf. Reality deals it's unpredictable hand without a lighter... cigarettes become a forbidden luxury item, weighing them dollar for dollar against a satisfying meal is not easy when you're accustomed to puffing away like some dragon royalty. These past 5 months abroad have been the most incredible memories of my life and now I am paying for it... I wouldn't change a thing but I need to get myself out of the red and Into The Cool something fierce. Although currently in freak out mode, I know the boat will come back into port soon.
So...I'm wrapping up an intensive week of Social Media self home-schooling today... been busy at the computer immersed in the latest bells and whistles and brushing up on new techniques to keep ahead of the curve, enjoyed some nice research and gained new knowledge, SEO tutorials, a template-creating fest and generally going batty over tweaks and settings. And with all synapses firing, I've made it out alive with a way better grip on the mainstays of community management and strategic communication. Freestyle only goes so far before it's time to face those waves, slathered in sunblock with swimsuit pulled high.
I've built a coordinated thematic campaign proposal for new clients, with solid examples from Google+, Google Pages, about.me, Facebook, MySpace, twitter, flickr, Instagram, Photoshelter, WordPress, tumblr, Blogger, Pinterest, Klout, YouTube, Vimeo, Spotify, Soundcloud, and even CafePress, Etsy and eBay. ...and while I was on fire, I had some Moo cards printed too. Pair those with my stellar resume and countless successful years of freelance design solutions and I'm one hott Moondoggy.
If there are any brands or personalities out there looking for a tip-top sophisticated online media presence, a savvy marketing manager, photographer, graphic designer, therapist, copywriter & scene-maker in one fell swoop, please do get in touch. I've got you covered dudes. ; )
See you hanging-ten on the other side
-fred

It's A Mod Mod Moscow...

2014-02-04T01:24:00.001-08:00

3 days in Russia with French Boutik & The Riots!

The Moscow Dream Team
(l-r) Denis, Kirill, Serge, Iky, Sasha, Terry, Zelda, Gabriela, Alex, Maria, Oleg, and me

1.24.13
Russian Visas in hand and fighting a lack of sleep after battling our suitcases in Paris, Serge and Gabriela and I left for the Charles de Gualle Airport at 5am, arriving like clockwork to meet Iky, Terry, and Zelda at the check-in counter. French Boutik was in full formation and bound for Russia! Our bags were securely tidy and tagged and we made our flight without a hitch. The flight was stopping first in Austria where we'd change planes, just enough time for a quick nap en route, and a little breakfast at the Vienna Airport before our final leg to Moscow. We arrived at the Domodedevo Airport at 6pm, extremely fatigued but high on adrenalin...amplified slightly by our passage through Customs. Once through the pearly gates, we collected our baggage and headed out, greeted by our mate Kirill from The Riots. After a little laughter and hugs, we hopped in two cabs and motored into downtown Moscow...

The Domodedevo Airport was like another planet for us.
Unable to read anything and completely freezing when we stepped out the doors.

After a 40 minute drive, we arrived at our apartment for the weekend, greeted enthusiastically by the other two Riots, Alex & Sasha, and Oleg aka Mobkid. It was a happy meeting to say the least! We dug into our suitcases and pulled out some celebratory gifts from Paris for the occasion, Some nice French wine and cheese, saucisson sec, and a bottle of Calvados. After a couple hours of revelry and good music we headed to the 16 Tons Club to scope out the gig for Saturday night. We arrived to a full spread of amazing food in a special little room adjacent to the main bar, the club pulled out all the stops to take good care of the Frenchies... Merci! Oleg's wife Maria and The Riots right hand man Denis joined us just after dinner for drinks and nonsense... annd...our party continued into the wee hours. We closed the club and made tracks for our apartment, too excited to sleep and high on laughs and friendship. More cool tunes and French wine ensued and as the sun was coming up we all bedded down for the night.

Tiger Prawns - 16 Tons style.
And of course it wouldn't be a proper visit to Moscow without taking part in...
a little recreational vodka digestif session. (or 44)

We woke up on Saturday a little rough around the edges but super happy. Dudes. We are in Moscow!
My morning ritual of expediting showers for the group and fueling them full of coffee kicked in, we were to be at the club at 2pm for sound check and it was already noon. As the Boutikis prepped and packed, I stepped out on the balcony for a smoke and soaked in the ambiance.. it was absolutely bone-chillingly cold outside! Halfway through my cigarette it began to snow.
Tick tock-tick tock, it was time to leave for the club.

The view from our apartment in downtown Moscow

Once at the 16 Tons Club, we filed in with our gear and ordered a round of espressos. We set up on the stage, The Riots sound-checked first followed by French Boutik, and two hours later, the levels were dialed in and we were set for the show later that night. Zelda, Iky, and Terry left with Maria to have a look at Red Square, and I stayed with Serge, Gabriela, Alex and Sasha for lunch at the club. A quick bite down and a round of beers, and we left via taxi at 6pm for a live radio show at Moscow FM. Right out of the cab, we passed through security at Moscow Media and were escorted to the studio, miked up and debriefed and were live on air before we knew it. The hour long feature on The Riots and French Boutik was brilliant, the duos each played an acoustic song and chatted with deejay Maria Bravikova, covering everything from the symbiosis of the two groups, the history of Mod, tackling the language barrier, and the electricity of the current independent music scene...

Maria Bravikova hosting Alex, Sasha, Serge and Gabriela for the live session on Moscow FM.

Leaving Moscow Media HQ
I forgot my gloves and my hat. After 5 minutes I couldn't feel my fingers or my ears!

Back at the apartment, we had a couple of hours to kill before leaving for the show. Half of us took a power nap and the others powered through with a little coffee, snacks and wine. Once we were all up and assembled, we left the pad and entered onto the freezing streets again, this time taking a different route. We had all heard so much about the notorious Moscow Metro, and this was our only opportunity to see it first hand. A 15 minute walk later, we were buying Metro tickets and descending down the escalator, rubbernecking and pointing right and left. The reputation of the Moscow Metro holds true. Beautiful indeed.

Headed to the club... Serge and Sasha in fine form.

A nice example of the beautiful Metro stations in Moscow. Like nowhere else in the world.

In a half hour we were back at the 16 Tons Club, right on schedule. We were escorted through the rear entrance to the backstage area, once again impressed by the attention to detail from the club. Bowls of fresh fruit and beverages were at the ready, I poured some drinks as the groups tuned up and changed clothes. On the main floor people were spilling onto the stage area at a solid pace, already dancing thanks to Oleg's prowess behind the turntables. The place had filled up and it was time for The Riots to have a go. This was my first time seeing them live and they absolutely killed it, Sasha's voice is one of the best around, Alex is a machine behind the kit, and Kirill's casual effortless bass style completes the equation perfectly. Their set is powerful and utterly perfect. The dance floor was ablaze and the girls were mad for it, but before long The Riots were finished and Oleg kicked it into high gear on the decks again, spinning soul classics and obscurities to the delight of the crowd. A half hour later, French Boutik took to the stage with an eruption from the audience, everyone was excited to have an intimate look at this French import they'd heard so much about. French Boutik did not disappoint! Their hour-long set was tight and energetic, full of style and class but with a unique playful stage persona... despite their impeccable appearance, these cats don't take themselves too seriously and are never afraid to cut loose and have a blast. For their encore, the floor was full and everyone was dancing like crazy, so when French Boutik finished, Oleg picked up the torch and never let go. We were all on the dance floor, sweating and grooving until 6am ...and we would have been there well into the next day if it wasn't closing time at 16 Tons. We all said our goodbyes and staggered into taxis, and were shuttled back to the apartment...

Super set by The Riots at 16 Tons (l-r) Sasha, Alex, and Kirill

DJ Mobkid, giving the people what they want!

Gabriela, Terry, Iky, Serge & Zelda... French Boutik on fire in Moscow!

Gabriela being interviewed for a documentary on The Riots and the Moscow music scene

We managed to get a couple of hours of sleep in before leaving the apartment at noon. We relocated to Sasha's flat a few minutes away with just enough time to relax for an hour with a cup of tea. There was a knock on the door, it was Oleg, Maria, and Kirill aka the Moscow airport express, ready to transport French Boutik for their flight back to Paris. We walked down the stairs with luggage in tow, loaded up the two cars and it was time for them to leave. A bittersweet moment for sure, I had to say goodbye to my French family for the past four months! Needless to say, it was a little emotional for me watching the cars drive off into the distance. Not missing a beat, Sasha, Oleg and Denis picked me up by my bootstraps and shuffled me down the street to see some sights and we ended up at a cool cafe for drinks and a bite. This time wandering about was precious, my only little glimpse of the city outside of our club schedule. Moscow is like another planet, cold and mysterious and completely intriguing. I know I'll be back here in the future to check in on my new mates. So so great to get to know these guys better, so much in common despite our different geographical worlds. The Russian hospitality continued that night back at chez Riots and unfortunately was difficult to stop our momentum! The result was none of us hearing either of the three alarms we'd set, until Alex rustled me awake at 12:30pm, DUDE! My flight was at 2pm. Neither of us thinking so clearly, they poured me into a taxi to the airport, which finally arrived at 2:20pm. The rest of the day was spent at the Domodedevo Airport wheeling and dealing for a flight out the next day, after which I returned to the dudes pad shortly before midnight...which was... Sasha's 30th birthday!! We had a laugh and some drinks but kept it civilized, and without fail the next morning I was on my train for the airport, showered and sussed with a head full of incredible memories...watching the icy Moscow scenery... en route to San Francisco.
What an unforgettable 3 days... See all you dudes again soon. Thank You!
-fred

Family Portrait - The Moscow Crew on the last day

Tripping around in downtown Moscow

View the entire photo gallery here
French Boutik online
The Riots online
Mobkid's Moscow Mod Scene
Rolling Stone write-up

Leroy Burgess Turns It Out for the Sweater Funk Five-Year

2013-07-25T16:50:00.003-07:00

A little background before we begin...

I started writing a blog post to share our incredible experience with Leroy Burgess last month and as I was compiling elements for the piece the article took on a life of it's own... Not entirely surprising that the flow would become extravagant with the LB opus touch! Currently working with a new 6-piece band for the forthcoming Black Ivory show in Brooklyn, I'd like to personally thank Leroy for taking time out of his schedule to provide me with a few quotes last week. Cheers my man.

I'd also like to thank the Sweater Funk deejays who offered up nice personal reflections about Leroy's influence and his long standing impact on the Boogie community. Top stuff, thank you.

Our weekend with Leroy was one we will talk about forever. And don't just take our word for it, be sure to follow this blog to the end for 'MY ADVENTURE IN SAN FRANCISCO by Leroy Burgess', his personal account of his trip to SF.

Alright then. Let's get this party started... Here's a little Leroy Burgess soundcloud mixtape event teaser compiled from all-vinyl to promote the show by Sweater Funk's Guillermo, have a click and read on...

I got the call on Friday June 28th around noon just as planned. It was my old mate Kirk Harper on the horn.... "You ready bro? We'll be at your place in a couple of hours". Hell yes I was ready, this was something I had been looking forward to for a couple of months now. I quickly finished up what I was working on, hopped in the shower, threw on some clothes and jammed down the street to snag a sandwich and a Red Bull for the trip. Just as I arrived back at my place Kirk pulled up across the street with Jon 'Sweaterfunk' Blunck riding shotgun. The Leroy Burgess airport shuttle was ready for takeoff and as the official unofficial Sweater Funk photographer I was honored to be a part of this adventure. It was ON.

For the uninitiated, Mr. Leroy Burgess is considered the King of the Boogie scene. His body of work is overwhelming... all solid and all groovy. His sound is recognizable and distinctive and his prolific contributions to the Boogie community are vast and wide. Somewhat of a soul rennaisance man, Leroy Burgess is well regarded in the music scene as an ubiquitous performer and producer, equally comfortable behind the mic on stage or tweaking knobs on the soundboard. It's his brains and heart flowing through the iconic groups Black Ivory, Aleem, Universal Robot Band, Logg and countless others that have made you smile and sweat over the years. Leroy is one of the major reasons that the Sweater Funk nights started in the first place and continue to thrive, his massive influence on the popular San Francisco deejay collective is readily apparent and his colorful energetic vibe is always spiritually present when the Sweater Funk crew is shuffling platters... both among the doctors flipping vinyl and the patients going ballistic on the dance floor.

It made perfect sense then that Leroy Burgess himself was flying into town from NYC to throw down an exclusive live set for the Sweater Funk Five Year Anniversary Party scheduled for the following night at the Elbo Room. The proteges and their mentor hosting a wild celebration in the name of friendship and unity and all things funky. The universe was aligning so we all could get our groove on...almost too good to be true. This was the stuff that dancefloor dreams are made of, a mad case of Boogie Logic.

We pulled into SFO airport right on schedule, parked the car and headed across to the Virgin America baggage claim to meet the man responsible for so many groovy times in our lives. Kirk and Jon were restless with anticipation and a "dude is this really happening" excitement, and just as I was about to step outside for a cigarette Kirk spotted Leroy, already out there with the same idea. We greeted him out front, brotherly welcome hugs were exchanged, a couple of pics snapped and we hustled his luggage into the car and made tracks for Highway 101... destination downtown SF to get Leroy checked into his hotel.

People Take Pictures Of Each Other... The Leroy Burgess SF Welcoming Committee. June 28th 2013

The car motored away from the airport with Kirk at the helm and Leroy on navigation... Jon and I were in the backseat like a couple of grade school bullies en route to Disneyland sitting behind Walt Disney. As we began chatting, Jon shot me the greatest wide-mouthed look and hit me on the leg. Yes dude, this was really happening. These moments in transit were quite special, the type you wish you could record with an imaginary optical implant so you can access them later and freeze the best quips & expressions at your leisure. Leroy was as we expected, a total dude and kindred spirit.... Funny, personable, humble, generous, and eager to share his life and experiences with us. It's maybe the only time I've ever been pleased that the traffic into downtown SF was bumper to bumper... allowing us to fully absorb Leroy's laid back vibe and tap into his brain for souvenirs we were anxious to collect. He fielded our inquiries with enthusiastic humor and insight while the lilt of the Booker T album 'The Best Of You' floated on the car stereo underneath his voice. This was also an opportunity for us to share more of the Sweater Funk history with Leroy and tell him a bit more about his host city for the weekend. Leroy had only been to SF one time before, many years ago and for just one day with Aleem so he was curious to know more about the City. It was a fun exchange of knowledge and laughter, such a comfortable clicking environment of love and respect and the simple joy of life and music.

He told us the story behind Black Ivory's wicked dancefloor smash 'Mainline' :

"My friendship / brotherhood / partnership with Russell Patterson and Stuart Bascombe currently spans 44 years and is up to 7 albums so far. After the "how we got together' origin story, this is the one I'm asked about most.... the creation of "Mainline".

By 1977, the group was four albums in. And, while music was then in a serious transition to more up-tempo forms, we continued to be typecast as a 'slow-jams' group. I could feel the faster tempo calling me.. and felt that I could not accomplish anything realistic to that end while remaining in Black Ivory. So, I left the group to begin my journey into dance music (and eventually boogie).

Stuart and Russell remained together and were working on the fifth album, "Hangin' Heavy".. when I got a call from Leonard Adams, their manager at the time.. looking for song submissions. I had already composed "Mainline" in early 1978.. but it was basically sitting on the shelf... unassigned. They liked the song a lot. I saw it as an opportunity to reunite with my partners to again create something special. I insisted on Patrick Adams (our original arranger/producer) to do the strings and horns... and of course, James Calloway to rock the bass guitar (as usual). The other rhythm duties were split between members of the current Black Ivory band and members of MFSB.. including the incomparable Earl Young on drums and Bobby Eli on guitar.

Recording in New York City's famed Hit Factory Studios over five to seven days, we all united to create what is considered to be one of the hottest dance tracks ever.. something I will always be immensely proud of" -LB

Traffic thinned out and before we were ready, the Leroy airporter express spilled onto 3rd Street and passed AT&T Park only a few blocks from Leroy's hotel. We pulled up and instinctually hit the virtual pause button on our chatter and exchanged our temporary goodbyes... in only a few short hours we would meet again for dinner with the rest of the Sweater Funk family in full force. Kirk sped up California Street to drop me off, and after a quick disco nap I was a fresh new man walking down Taylor Street in the evening sun with a cigarette hanging out of my sideways grin which was momentarily appeasing my empty stomach. That emptiness would change soon enough for sure, Kirk had arranged a special dinner for everyone tonight at his signature haunt-- the R & G Lounge on Kearny. I arrived at the restaurant and was greeted out front by half of the crew... exchanging energetic hugs and high fives not unlike a pack of giddy Bad News Bears. In a heartbeat Kirk pulled up with Leroy and son Andrew with fiancee Melissa on his arm... a brief introduction and we were led to our private dining room upstairs. We were joined in minutes by the rest of the Sweater Funkateers who must have smelled the freshly cracked bottle of Jamesons wafting out the door, likely their limp bodies uncontrollably following the scent like the wolf in the Merrie Melodies cartoons.

Boogie Nights Of The Round Table. Sweater Funk anniversary dinner with Leroy Burgess June 28th 2013

What followed was an indescribable imbibing session of the highest order, a ten-course meal livened-up with some of the most stimulating and hilarious conversation that little room has ever seen. The gigantic lazy-susan in the center of the setting appropriately spun back and forth like God's Turntable to distribute the savory goods to we self-appointed Boogie Knights of the Round Table, all of us taking turns 'scratching' the food towards each other as if mixing a hot slab of vinyl. Leroy's stories only punctuated the natural flow of our culinary remix, waxing nostalgia about his multi-faceted career with all ears bending... even the abalone, duck, crab, trout, shrimp and chicken were all listening with tempura-battered ears.

Below are couple highlights from Leroy's impromptu dinner science class, he speaks about his relationship with Stevie Wonder and also about his collaboration with one of my favorite French groups Cassius:

"In 1972, Stuart, Russell & I were invited to attend a performance at Harlem's famed Apollo Theater by the one and only Stevie Wonder, who'd just released his "Talking Book" album. This was an absolute dream come true for me.. as I'd been seriously enamored and connected to his work since "Fingertips". I was out of my mind with joy.

This was in the days when 3 shows a night was the norm for the Apollo, We were there for the very first afternoon show and were warmly welcomed by the Maestro himself. It goes without saying that the performance exceeded all expectations.. Stevie pulled out all the stops (as he always does) and I was completely floored.

After the show, we returned backstage to congratulate him. I couldn't resist asking him if I could stick around for the remaining performances that day. He said sure. Thus began the mentoring relationship between he and I.. which would prove invaluable to my musical development, even to this day.

He taught me how to develop perfect pitch, how to play piano without having to look at it, song construction and arrangement, lyrical development and many other things.

Among his most impressive lessons was the importance of humility. Suffice it to say, upon meeting him, I was literally 'gushing'... almost to the degree of a crazed fan. He began by insisting that I 'de-pedestal-ize' him... that, despite his fame and success, he was just a human being.. no different from me or anyone else.. and that, with the right training and mindset, I could accomplish many of the things he'd accomplished. I carried this most important lesson into my entire way of thinking.. all throughout my life.

I was at the Apollo every day... for the next 7 days, each one containing a new pearl of wisdom from the young genius. And I emerged to become the musician I am today.

The Icing On The Cake: I composed (with James Calloway) a song for flutist, Bobbi Humphrey called "No Way" and was treated to the awesome surprise of Stevie coming in to perform a brilliant harmonica solo on our composition. It doesn't get much better than THAT!!!!" -LB

"In late 1999, recovering from serious surgery from a dangerous pneumonia infection in my left lung, I was contacted by my friend Jason Thain of London, informing me that a pair of famous Dance producers called CASSIUS were looking for me.. to compose a melody and lyrics for a couple of songs they would be including on their forthcoming album. Jason forwarded me the MP3s.. I listened to the songs.. and liked them very much. With the aid of my friend and assistant, Roy Parham, I constructed a couple of melodic themes and sketch lyrics.. did a quick, croaky vocal demo and sent it to Jason to forward to them. About a month later, the pair, Philippe Zdar and Hubert Blanc-Francarte showed up in New York at my doorstep.

They really liked my ideas and we began discussing how to move forward. They would fly me to Paris to complete work on the lyrics and record the lead vocals. Roy accompanied me, as I was still in a recuperative and frail state from the operation on my lung. Working in one of the studios used by the Beatles, we began the arduous task of constructing the lyrics. Philippe had very specific ideas about what each line would say and it was my job to create them. "Under Influence" took two days to create... and "Til We Got You & Me" took a third. Then, we took a day off, before beginning to record the lead and background vocals.. which took a further four days. In the end, we were all very happy with what we created. The entire process took 10 days" -LB

With a contented mind and belly I hit the pillow hard. Tomorrow was a brand new day and it already felt like a legend in the making. I spent the main part of the afternoon locking down things with work which went by smooth and tight, thanks to my soundtrack of all things Burgess smoothing out the edges of my workload. I was scheduled to meet Leroy, Andrew and Melissa at the hotel to accompany them to the Elbo Room at 10pm and after a short walk to downtown in the balmy night air we met out front right on time. We jumped in a cab and I could tell that Leroy was getting in the 'zone' like a shamen during the short ride to the Mission District. We filed upstairs and the dance floor was already bouncing, the Sweater Funk deejays were greasing up the dance floor for Leroy's impending Boogie fest. A few cocktails later and catch-ups with some old friends and it was time.

Leroy hit the stage with a fever and the joint lit up frantically like a spliff after a job interview. The next hour solid was exactly that. SO-LID. Leroy blessed us with a carefully selected set of floor shakers that brought the house down. The years have been very kind to Mr. Burgess, he sounded impeccable and this man can move. At times one had to wonder if the ghost of James Brown was living in his shoes... his energy and groove were supremely infectious, funking that stage apart in his silver suit. And most of all, Leroy was having a blast... completely in his element and owning the club. It was slightly difficult to remember that I was working, I had to switch gears back and forth between rallying with the party people and snapping some photos of the action... more pics here

Despite the crowd being worked into a tailspin and clamoring for more, it was time for Leroy to wrap it up...He exited the stage and instantly emerged in the back room with a satisfied grin, freshened up with a towel and a Tamla tee shirt... Kirk rallied the troops and the Sweater Funk family convened around him to pop open a victory bottle of Hennessy. The final hour of the Leroy Burgess SF experience was spent in that small room with spirits larger than life, guests brought back stacks of vinyl for him to sign and Leroy gave everyone a special intimate little piece of himself to take home along with his signature. Then as quickly as it erupted to life, the night was coming to a close, the overhead bright bar lights meant it was time for last minute embraces and email exchanges.

The extended Sweater Funk posse took to the stage for the big group photo with the man of the hour front and center and I climbed on top of the audio cart to capture the moment. We grabbed our gear and proceeded down the stairs for the bittersweet scene out front of the club... it was time for me to say goodbye to Leroy. But I know this wasn't 'goodbye', it was merely 'see you soon brother'.

Many thanks to Leroy for the incomparable time together & the unforgettable memories, and special thanks to Andrew and Melissa.... beauty obviously runs in the family, inside and out. And big love to the Sweater Funk heads for all you do. This connection was something special for everyone...the positive vibes surround you like Dolby and it is a complete pleasure to be a part of (y)our super cool family.

Happy Fifth Anniversary mates, here's to a zillion more.

peace

-fred

The SweaterFunk crew weighs in on a heavyweight:

The Leroy Burgess Influence and preferred jams of the man...

Jon 'Sweaterfunk' Blunck: "Leroy Burgess has been my favorite artist ever since I first heard 'barely breaking even' by the Universal Robot Band about 20 years ago on a rare groove compilation and realized there was one guy behind so many amazing tracks recorded under so many names. Everything he's recorded is completely permeated with a joyous tension that feels like it's about to explode. Hard to explain but it's the kind of beautiful aspirational music that brought us together as a crew from such varied backgrounds and compels us to throw a party for free every single sunday."

Christina Chungtech: "I remember my very first Sweater Funk DJ set like it was yesterday: sweaty palms, expectant energy in the air (no one really knew who I was so I felt like I had something to prove, and I was yet to know that it would be my crew audition/initiation/hazing set), my intro to Lipo Lounge mai tais, and a bag full of records that had me shaking in nervous and excited in anticipation. What would I end up playing? I myself wasn’t actually sure but came with two specific goals in mind: that I would start with Kwick’s Nightlife and peak my set with (tempo wise, at least!) Universal Robot Band’s Barely Breaking Even. That song is my anthem, my karaoke jam, my pep in my step, the kaya to my toast, the apex to my nadir, and the Ren to my Min - you know what I’m saying? It’s the jam of all jams that takes me to church every time I hear it and still to this day I think of that magical feeling of euphoria I had the very first time I played it during my very first set at Sweater Funk every time I hear it played. This is just one story of one Leroy essential classic!"

Jacob Guillermo Peña: "Probably my favorite Logg jam! That's why I made it the first song on the 5 year mix. I didn't want to mix the intro so you could hear those chords as you ascend into the song! That and his vocals are the thing that always make me turn my head and pay attention 'it must be a Leroy Burgess tune' "

Megan 'Mama Bear' Pattison: "For me 'over like a fat rat' was like Sweaterfunk 101 when I first started coming to the Li Po...over the years we all have played the same record enough times for me to associate that song with a particular crew member, I could name off a record for each of y'alls! For me, that song will always remind me of Sheels and the excitement you feel when you first hear the piano intro, knowing that the song just gets more layered and sassy with each bar that passes."

Ken K Maxx: "Leroy's music is uplifting and supremely soulful. It is not possible to not be moved by his music. A goal every musician/artist might aspire to"

freditor's note:
( the newest K Maxx release carries a formidable torch of dancefloor boogiefire & analog sexytime, check it: K Maxx EP )

Kirk 'The Selecter' Harper: "For me it’s listening to KDIA circa 1972 during the vocal group falsetto era of The Stylistics, Manhattans and Blue Magic and hearing Black Ivory’s “Don’t Turn Around” for the first time. It quickly became one of my favorites and my mom took me to the Record Factory on Irving St. to pick up the picture sleeve 45 single. At the time, I had no idea who Leroy Burgess was but over the years he became one of my biggest music heroes. Fast forward to 2013…after we finalized Leroy for our anniversary, I scoured mom’s storage to see if my single was still around. Bam, there it was…crispy, clean, sleeved and in great shape...my mod godfathers taught me well...mint minus, ya feel me. I immediately called Jon, “Guess what Jon, I found my old Black Ivory single from mom’s, Leroy ‘s gonna sign it this summer.” Jon and I both freaked for a bit, we knew this show would be special, we couldn’t wait for the anniversary weekend to arrive. When I finally shared this story with Leroy, both of us got a little choked up. We both realized, stuff like this doesn’t happen very often and we were so grateful that everything came together…it was pure soul magic…Sweater Funk Style!"

MY ADVENTURE IN SAN FRANCISCO by Leroy Burgess
July 3, 2013 at 3:30pm
After coming off the over-the-top rush of performing with my boys (BI) and many of my classic Soul heroes in Atlantic City Saturday past (6/22/13).. my thoughts and energies began to focus on the SWEATER FUNK 5th Anniversary gig in San Francisco, coming up the following Saturday. I'd been hoping to get back to SanFran.. a single day in '86 with the Aleems did not do it justice. So, I was anxious to get back and really check it out. It was extremely cool being accompanied by my nephew/stepson Andrew (Mr. Two-Oh) Jackson and his fiance, Melissa Torres... making it a family thing too.
KIRK HARPER and the amazing Sweater Funk crew pulled out all the stops.. to make this 4 day trip permanently memorable. I really can't say enough about how these brothers and sisters showed me love.. and made me feel welcome, blessed and honored. More on that later.
I took a window seat to see the city as I flew in. It did not disappoint. From the air, you could really glimpse the awesome majesty of it.. and I didn't want to miss that. After being met by Kirk personally at the airport, we headed to the Westin Hotel in midtown and I checked in.
Around 7pm, after being joined by Drew & Melissa.. Kirk pulled up to take us all to dinner.. to meet the Sweater Funk crew. 10 courses, private room. Amazing. And although we called it an early night, the electricity was fully buzzing in everybody of what was to come.
The sound check wasn't until 5pm.. giving me the day to chill and get my SanFran on. Drew & Melissa joined me around 1pm.. and we were treated to a fantastic outdoor Circus performance in the park across the street from the hotel. I was struck by how friendly, open & genuine people seemed here.. very laid-back, polite & cool-with-everything. I'm really feelin' this vibe. I also considered it a great honor to share in this historic moment with the people of San Francisco.. after the landmark Supreme Court decision and the subsequent Pride parade which followed. People are people.. love is love.. and fair is fair. It's about time somebody really GOT that.
I decided to do things a little differently for the show and asked for a live keyboard to play.. along with the music tracks. It gave me the opportunity to jam and create segments into the songs. It was pretty cool. By show time, the Elbo Room was packed to the hilt. I decided to wear my silver & black gear.. got dressed, waited to hear my name and the intro bars of "Get Loose". Then, I surrendered myself to the lights on the stage and energy of the audience. One of the coolest things about performing for me is connecting with the audience.. getting close and interacting. Hearing them sing along to the songs I am blessed to be a part of really does it for me. Again, the Sweater Funk crew and their peeps did not disappoint... but became as much a part of the show as I was. It really lifted my heart and touched my spirit. Thank you all so much to all those in attendance.
On Sunday, after a good breakfast, I step out of the hotel and smack-dab into SanFran's annual G&L Pride Parade... and happily joined in as the entire city got it's party on. The music, the colorful costumes and floats, and the conspicuous absence of judgmental mentalities... made for a wonderfully festive afternoon. I even ran into my friend, actor Idris Elba, who was also enjoying the festivities. Again, I got the sense of sharing in an historic moment with the people of SanFran.
In the evening, I rejoined Kirk and the Sweater Funk crew as they did their regular thing at a cool little club called The Knockout.. over drinks and the best of boogie. The vibe was so cool, I couldn't resist hamming it up on the open mic a couple of times. I know... it's shameful... but I couldn't help it.
Finally, on Monday, Kirk came through to take Andrew, Melissa & I on a tour of SanFran.. where we marveled at the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island (just as the fog rolled beautifully in), the Masonic Hall, Steve McQueen's routes for the film, Bullit.. and too many awesome sights to mention here. We had a great dinner to close the weekend and headed to the airport for our RedEye flights home.
I want to thank: Kirk Michael Harper, Jon Sweaterfunk, Lou Sweaterfunk, Fred Eagle, Christina Chungtech (for the amazing Inspiration), Ken Maxx, Freddy Anzures, Mamabear, Jacob Guillermo, Eric Boss, Damon Funk and the entire SWEATER FUNK CREW for a weekend I will never forget!!!!
Peace and GOD'S blessings to you all!
LB.

Corndogs, Dames & Daddy-O's! ... Mid-Century Supper Club Picnik 2013

2013-07-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

How to stuff a wild picnic... Mid-Century Supper Club Picniks attack the Oakland waterfront! (click pic for full size)

It was THAT time again. Time for the Mid-Century Supper Club to convene for some fun and frolic among platters that matter overflowing with vintage-inspired dishes large and small, tall and fat, obtuse and three dimensional. Be they tasty traditional classics from tried and true vintage recipe books or grotesque experimental recipes from the more obscure 50s & 60s culinary ephemera...or even the oddball post modern edible presence, we were all in for a treat. One thing is a given with these parties, flavors and seasonings (and mystery ingredients) aside, the food was sure to 'look' appealing and/or 'authentic' in it's often gelled and technicolor glory....which is half the battle and all the fun. On this, the first day of summer the theme was for BBQ/picnic oriented fare, and as usual we supper-club purveyors of obsolete cuisine pulled out all the stops.

For the uninitiated, the Mid-Century Supper Club is a group of like minded folks with a deep love for the magical days of 1940s-late 60s style and culture, our fascination extending from clothes and architecture and music to popular edible party dishes of the era. These golden years were the times when socializing was the real deal and the focus fell hard on the creativity and appearance of the food we enjoyed at social gatherings. Hosting elaborate thematic parties from one's home was a preferred way to enjoy each other's company, and these parties were rife with well-dressed revelers, potent cocktails, and unique snack trays which bore the latest trend in foodstuffs. These dishes required meticulous preparation and stylistic display techniques which we simply don't see in our current socializing environment. While the intensive ritual of artisan cocktail imbibing reaches ridiculous levels in today's social scene, many forget about the brightly colored angular and symmetrical aspic laden jell-o-ver the top world of vintage dishes and hors d'oeuvres. Not for us, the MCSC have become the torchbearers for this affinity for defunct recipes and we faithfully recreate them for the enjoyment (and horror) of the rest of the group. It is incredibly fun to share this spirit with kindred friends, a group of nutters who appreciate the finer things in life that our parents (and even grandparents) enjoyed.

(for more background on the MCSC, see 'Food Photography And The Art of Irritation, rule #6 : Join The Club' here)

A small sampling of the variety of mid-century picnic cuisine which arrived for our feasting enjoyment.
(more photos here)

After the hugely successful annual Supper Club holiday party last Christmas, it was quite clear that these events had caught on with our extended family of food classicist aficionados like a fever. The word had spread in a great way, and attendance was overwhelming... however this also meant we had outgrown the traditional methods of the parties being held at either of the supper club hostesses Karen Finlay or Jennye Garibaldi's homes. It was time for a little organizational magic from the Dames aux Gateaux, an all-ladies social club with a flair for the past and the spirit and passion for celebrating the vintage lifestyle in the modern day. These girls seek out local Bay Area haunts for their dining pleasure, descending for dinner and drinks on long-time establishments which have retained some of their vintage charm and been spared the dreaded face-lift of the all too frequent 70s & 80s remodel. For this event, the Dames were on the ball as expected, and we were going to need their expertise what with Jennye away in New York for the scheduled time of the party (we missed you dude!). With some careful planning and strategizing, The first edition of the Mid-Century Supper Club Picnic was set for June 23, 2013.

The Dames aux Gateaux
Moe Gadishu, Alexandra Tyler, Lynn Landry, Shona Spitfire

Baby-Doe von Stroheim, Karen Finlay and Rusty Blazenhoff

It was Saturday, the day before the big picnic and after a lucky last minute schedule change which freed up my Sunday, I was only able to confirm my attendance two days before. I was at my brother's place in Stockton without much of my 'secret weapons' for the shindig, and besides this last minute planning didn't leave me much time to pour through my vintage cookbooks and pamphlets to find something kooky and authentic to bring to the party. It had been widely publicized on the facebook Event page that we weren't allowed to have any hard alcohol in the building itself which sparked a desire in me to find a creative solution to our problem. After searching around for unique Jell-O shots as options, I found this very inspired recipe for watermelon margarita shots using fresh watermelon, tequila and gelatin, poured into hollowed-out lime husks and sliced to resemble mini-watermelon wedges. Although a definite deviation from classic mid-century eats, it was a perfect one I thought. I doubled and followed the recipe faithfully save for skipping the chocolate chip 'seeds' in favor of poppy seeds and substituting the tequila for vodka (a more popular party liquor and hard to turn down the bottles of Stoli Apple staring me down from their end cap at Trader Joe's at only $5.99 a pop). Thanks to the thorough assistance from my brother Billy (aka misterbigidea, don't miss his insanely cool photo documentation of everyday life in the Central Valley here), we spent the majority of the evening and on into the wee hours of Sunday morning making our little spiked watermelons.

My other hurdle was a proper outfit for the picnic. A crucial element that is always a priority of mine for the MCSC, but this time I had to wing it. Again, with limited resources and no time for a dry-cleaning run, I opted for a decidedly east coast Corinthian flavor fit for lazy days lounging around dockside.The simple pairing of patchwork madras casual slacks and red deck shoes would do the trick... ironing a blue oxford shirt and dusting off my vintage Ray-Ban aviators and I was feeling somewhat presentable for the picnic.

Sunday morning came on like a fluorescent light and I was out of the house unshaven and in a blur to make my train to Oakland. I was met at the Amtrak station by Karen's husband Jon Burchard, a good mate of mine who had his kids Annabelle and Andrew in tow, both of them happily cruising in the back seat excited for the picnic. This was a unique opportunity for the youngsters in our Supper Club family to join the festivities too and several kids were scheduled to be there. The Dames had rented the Martin Luther King Shoreline Center in Oakland, a quaint architecturally pleasing multi-purpose reception facility situated on clean sprawling grounds right on the waterfront. We pulled in and pitched a hand to apply the picnic fabric on the tables, fired up one of the barbecue pits and cracked open a beer... Miller High Life, of course.

Matthew fires it up. Burn baby, burn... almost as lethal as his Coleman full of margaritas

Right at high noon the guests began filtering in and spreading their dishes out on the tables, coolers of beer and sodas were towed in, three more barbecues were ignited, and by 12:30 the picnic was already in full swing. Everyone mingled about sampling this and that, talking and laughing enthusiastically over beverages and plates of food, all of us admiring the show of exotic edibles on display while children scurried around and played games. A few vintage cars pulled up front and center and we found ourselves in the midst of a mini makeshift car show, the owners more than happy to talk about their rides.

Vanessa Kunkel makes the scene in her beautiful Nash Metropolitan... sporting festive togs to match, natch.

Once mood master Otto von Stroheim hit the grounds and dialed in his sound system, things really got cookin'...a sure thing when Otto is deejay-ing, he never fails to set a perfect ambiance for every occasion with tunes culled from his extensive collection of boss sounds.

Don't mess with the men in plaid, dad! Obviously me and Otto mean business of some sort

With the party at full kip and stomachs starting to fill up, it was time for the awards. The Dames rallied us all onto the front deck for the prize giving, the extremely informal MCSC tradition to distribute silly cool prizes to the more outstanding dishes and their creators. Always a highlight of our Supper Club parties, this 'ceremony' was no exception, laughter and applause were shared and proper nods given to the exceptional artists and their creations. A big 'thank you' was showered on us by the Dames, the music kicked back into gear and we were well into the mix again, picking and nibbling at the remaining food until the sun began to dip low and the picnic inevitably wound to a close.

Clutching a bottle of Chandon, the prize for 'best use of alcohol' for me and my bro's 'Water Mel-O' watermelon shots. Many thanks to Rusty Blazenhoff for the pic, be sure to check her out on flickr here
If I look a little smug in this photo, it's because I've won a prize at all but one of the MCSC events I've attended. Not an easy feat, just ask my arch-rival Enid Westberg aka froggyboggler, cultivator of all things knick and knack.
Check out her awesome photos here

We had the extreme pleasure of hosting two accomplished authors for the picnic, Heather David who wrote 'Mid-Century By The Bay' and Andrew Danish who penned 'Palm Springs Weekend', a real treat to chat with them about their mutual love for mid-century culture. There was a rumor floating around early in the weekend that we would possibly see our hero the Maestro himself Charles Phoenix in attendance, however he was booked for one of his infamous gigs on Sunday and was unable to make it. Hope to see you at the next one, Charles! We'll save some better weather for you. Despite this being the 'first day of summer', we were teased all afternoon by rain that never quite materialized, rather setting an interesting vibe of overcast skies and the occasional misty air, a nice moody backdrop for our little picnic.

Local celebrities all... Andrew Danish, Baby Doe von Stroheim, Heather David and Karen Finlay

Many thanks to Karen and The Dames for executing the most ambitious Mid-Century Supper Club potluck to date... this went down as smooth as marshmallow Fluff and without a hitch. And thanks to all of you super cool folks in attendance that continue to outdo yourselves and make these parties what they are, an explosion of creativity and camaraderie which oozes massive style and originality. Hats off to all of you.

See you at the next one mates.

biz

fred

Oakland Hillbillies in full flex...
Greener pastures with Dolin, Matthew, Griselda, Mari, Dr. Kirk, Jon, Karen and my brother the scarecrow.

Mid-century cuddles and ruckus at the 'juvenile delinquent table' with some of my favorite people... Barbizon, my brother Billy... and local legends Mark Kliem & Mark Ruisi - Mousketeers by day, Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence by night.

If this type of throwback thing us up your alley like O'Malley, don't miss the legendary Southern California celebration of all things tiki otherwise known as Tiki Oasis, this hip-happening is from August 15-18 in sunny swingsville San Diego. Follow the link below for all the latest news from T.O. HQ

Tiki Oasis homepage

Healthy Oceans Project beach clean-up with Artemis Racing

2013-07-01T02:38:00.001-07:00

Team Artemis and friends at Treasure Island with our haul. photo: ACEA / Gilles Martin-Raget

There doesn't seem to be a shortage of sunshine in San Francisco lately and this is great... the type of weather we've been having is bringing out the best in everyone. There are more people out and about on the weekends taking advantage of these crisp clear hot SF days than I've seen in many years. Outdoor concerts and events are announced constantly and it's become slightly difficult to make time for everything.
The Beach Clean Up day presented by the America's Cup has been an event dialed in to my radar since announced, the concept of having each of the AC teams cleaning the shore in different dedicated areas of SF at the same time was a great idea. Add to this a little healthy competition and a volunteer sign-up system based on team preference AND this beautiful weather... and we found ourselves a lot of smiling faces with gloves and trash bags getting down and dirty on Saturday morning. All in the name of the Healthy Oceans Project.

Joining the gang from Artemis Racing was my natural preference and at 9am it was time to power down my coffee and walk over to the 'little french navy barracks' to catch a ride with Loick. The sun was already starting to heat up the City and I was hoping the complimentary t-shirt mentioned in the submission form would be a nice thin cotton. We walked down the block to the corner cafe to connect with Artemis sailors Julien Cressant and Iain Percy, sitting and chatting a bit before heading on the road. The Artemis Team territory for clean-up was out at Treasure Island and we were halfway across the Bay Bridge with Loick at the helm of the 'navy' car at 9:55... right on schedule and ready to meet our teammates-in-trash to get down to business.

We arrived and most of the Artemis team were already there mingling with the volunteers and snacking on sailboat-shaped butter cookies w/ blue frosting sails... several children had shown up to meet the guys and they were happy to see the big turnout... I was too. Sometimes I'll hear feedback from friends about a promotional sporting 'meet the team' event where the team representatives are scarcely the rock stars, and it's disappointing to only get to meet one or two of the athletes and a couple reps from marketing & support crew. Today was very different, we had the communications and shore support AND all of the Artemis boys. It was fantastic to see that the team had made this event a priority even though it meant sacrificing a couple rare hours of their sacred Saturday days off. I signed in and put on my shirt (yes! nice cotton! ..and cool design too)

We had a debrief from Genny Tulloch, posse'd up and set out to find some 'treasures'... I split off with Loick and Genny and a volunteer named Kate, we decided to tackle the west side of the island.
It didn't take long to find some goodies and we started to spread out as we filled up our bags. I noticed a handful of the Artemis guys and friends were also descending down the rocks about a hundred yards away from us like little swat team spiders. I had gotten pretty far down the shore when I spotted a piece of silver fabric flapping in the surf. I tried tugging on it with no give, quickly realizing it was a massive boat cover that was woven in and out of the rocks, obviously washed in and trapped there for some time. I pulled at that thing and moved rocks for the next fifteen minutes and finally freed it up as the rest of the gang passed me and continued on down the coastline. I dragged the tarp back to be weighed in and disposed of properly, I killed three huge glasses of water, and took off toward the east this time to seek out more trash.

I bumped into KTVU who was there to film some ambiance for the 10 o'clock news and I sent them down in the direction where I had seen Curtis Blewett and Andy Fethers from Artemis. Before I knew it, my bag was about full and I made my way for the trash collection HQ again. Once I was there everyone else started trickling in with their stuffed bags and it was a good time to hop on board the weigh-in detail. I grabbed the clipboard and began tallying up the bags as they were weighed and processed... the guests and the Artemis team were laughing and having fun over what was left of the melting sailboat cookies. Some autographs were signed and well-wishes exchanged, and we all splintered off into the parking lot with the sun blazing overhead, driving back home with a nice feeling of satisfaction and the imminence of a well deserved nap.
In the car Ju said: "That was a really good morning. It's so important for the environment that we keep on top of this stuff"

Tallying up the day's catch. photo: ACEA / Gilles Martin-Raget

One thing I'd like to recognize is that the shoreline of Treasure Island is relatively quite clean. As a native of the SF Bay Area this made me somewhat proud, I've partcipated in beach clean up events before and it can get pretty gnarly with needles and oil and repulsive finds. It was nice to see that the residents and visitors of Treasure Island have some good respect for the area. We didn't find anything too out of the ordinary... a suitcase, a pair of Nike trainers, an ID card, a couple of beach balls, several mylar balloons... and one of the Artemis dudes found 10 bucks: an instant Healthy Oceans Project donation!
Definitely the most disgusting trash item prevalent on the island was the plethora of cigarette butts, as evidenced by a sweet girl who came to weigh in her very light (yet very full) bag. "It's not going to weigh much" she said. "I've been picking up cigarette butts the whole time"... ackk. it was really charming and sad.
So, if you are a smoker and you're on Treasure Island, Watch Your Butt !!!

Big thanks to Artemis Racing and the America's Cup Event Authority for the solid endeavor and the cool day.
as Loick said, "Let s do that again soon"

more photos on his page: Artemis beach clean up on Treasure Island

cheers
-fred

Cavallo Point Taken... 'Race For The Cup' ushers in the AC for the North Bay

2013-06-27T06:44:00.000-07:00

After three solid days of rain here in SF we woke up to bright blue skies on Wednesday. A welcome change in weather and an idyllic setting for the much anticipated 'Race For The Cup' event scheduled at Cavallo Point in Sausalito... an America's Cup launch party for our north bay friends hosted in partnership with Marin Magazine and Protector Boats. Featuring a gallery exposition of work from AC photographer Gilles Martin-Raget and an intimate chat with Artemis co-helmsman Loick Peyron and America's Cup tech expert & navigator extraordinaire Stan Honey, as one would expect this was a sold out event and inked onto many calendars for some time.

The fog was just beginning to lick over Nob Hill when I walked over to Loick's place aka the 'little french navy barracks' which he shares with Artemis teammates Julien Cressant and Thierry Fouchier. I was running a little late, a block away and I already heard the baritone rumble of Loick's Chevy truck idling in the distance. "Allez let's go!" he yelled as he saw me down the street. I ran and hopped in the truck and a few short minutes later we were cruising across the Golden Gate Bridge in ol' Lady Blue 65 with the windows wide open, playing catch up over a cigarette and listening to the Red Dead Redemption soundtrack.

We arrived at Cavallo Point in fine time. The party was just beginning, nice ambient live music setting a perfect casual tone as guests began to saunter in and fill up the fireside patio. The attentive hosts weaved through the crowd with trays of tasty hors d'oeuvres and drinks, I caught up with some familiar faces while Loick was interviewed on the front lawn for Channel 5.

For those who have not been to Cavallo Point, this is hands down one of the finest hotels in the Bay Area. The proximity to the Golden Gate Bridge is magical, the grounds are immaculate, and the facility and staff posses a certain indescribable unique characteristic of being very elegant and prestigious yet completely down to earth and spirited. This was a recurring presence throughout the evening, complemented perfectly by Loick, Stan & Gilles who were all having fun mingling and chatting up the guests ...before we knew it, the familiar knife-on-wineglass 'tink tink tink' let us know it was all time to head inside.

In fine company.
The Dudes: Stan Honey, Loick Peyron, Kimball Livingston, myself, and Mike Martin
Thank you Marin Magazine for the photo

The room was filling up quickly, Stan and Loick were fitted with microphones and they took the stage with the moderator for the evening, Stephanie Martin. The tone of the discussion was completely relaxed and entertaining, Loick and Stan's clever quips often drawing laughter from the crowd. The talk was short & sweet and extremely entertaining, the room was pleased to have been treated to a special private window into the America's Cup articulated nicely through Stan and Loick's collective knowledge and experience. No surprises there, these two gentlemen are at the top of their game both as sailors and dynamic speakers, and Stephanie's experience in communications lent itself nicely to provoking insightful commentary. In closing, the Cavallo Point manager Euan Taylor hopped up behind the podium to thank the special guests and invite us to dinner.

The available moments before dinner were an optimum time to have a look at Gilles' photo expo in the hotel, such impressive work and so cool to see some of the images I've loved for many years in a larger scale gallery setting. Gilles is one of the best in the business without question and I admire him both as a professional and a friend... looking at his photos lit a spontaneous fire of inspiration underneath me... it was the ideal opportunity to grab him and snap a portrait pic. Have a look at the Scuttlebutt article on Gilles entitled: Wind, Water, Winning - The Works of Gilles Martin Raget

The party migrated upstairs in anticipation for dinner, the Cavallo Point staff efficiently seated everyone and poured wine, bustling back and forth from the kitchen to ensure everyone was properly attended to. I sat with Loick, Stan & Gilles and their fellow AC luminaries Mike Martin and Ian Murray...the lively ambiance that followed was an event unto itself, the dudes and their wives trading stories and barbs while we enjoyed a five course meal and wine pairing selected by Murray Circle Chef Justin Everett.

We're all still not sure how or why Loick and Gilles were wearing identical outfits. Chalk it up to zee french touch.... La classe for sure.

After the superb meal it was time to wrap up the evening and find Euan to express thanks for hosting us... Loick fired up ol' Lady Blue and we were back on the Golden Gate headed to SF, happily reflecting on the night's events.

Thanks to everyone for the super soiree... The America's Cup is alive and well ...and without a doubt the excitement is building everywhere.

a bientot

-fred

Advertising The Sailing Lifestyle. Part 4: Women's Jib

2013-06-04T04:56:00.000-07:00

Women have always played an important role in sailing, evolving from their mythical presence of the siren calling sailors home into port to a formidable force on the water as both as amateurs and professionals. Throughout our sailing history names like Florence Arthaud, Isabelle Autissier, Sharon Sites Adams and Ellen MacArthur have resonated across the world and made us dream big, and today we have the likes of Sam Davies, Dee Caffari, Shirley Robertson, Alexia Barrier, Emma Creighton, Liz Wardley, Genny Tulloch, Paige Railey... and a host of other talented female sailors keeping the dream alive. We love these girls, many of them able to sail circles around their male contemporaries. There is nothing quite like having a chick dance around you on board a boat anticipating the skippers needs before any of the guys are clued in, weaving in and out of the rest of the crew with the focus & confidence of a champion and the agility of a fox.

There is also no comparison to being beaten in a race by a female crew and enjoying a beer together back at the yacht club. It is one of those rare times when elitist men will put their egos in their back pocket for a brief spell and give the ladies their due. The camaraderie we experience with the girls during these moments is great fun and an important lesson for everyone; bonding and communicating in the same language, laughing and clicking at the bar without the pressure of romantic intentions and facades... good healthy competition and rivalry bringing us together on equal footing. The sport of sailing is fortunate to have broken the gender boundary for the most part, girls are able to compete with the dudes in just about every race or record, limitations are defined by their own desires and personal abilities and not by what rest room they use. The reality might be humbling for some of the more prideful macho male types in our little village, but women who sail can be just as strong, just as talented, and just as dedicated to our sport as the men. These sailorettes have everything to prove and much to lose, but from my experience these things are insignificant to them. The girls are motivated by a fierce love for the sport and a deep passion for being on the water. Just like us. If only we could look so well put-together in our foulies.

The global presence of women in sailing doesn't stop at the tiller, every successful campaign is dependent on the talent and efficiency of the team on shore, and the ladies more than often are at the helm of the show. There are also some incredible female sailing photographers out there braving the seas to get the shot, some giving the men a run for their money too... check out the photography of Jen Edney and Nathalie Colloud.
It seems that currently things are only getting better for the female sailing community and that's fantastic news for everyone. I'm excited to see the developments of the all-woman team for the next Volvo Ocean Race.

While I was sorting through my vintage magazine collection for 'sailing-lifestyle' ads to scan, it was not surprising to see a handful featuring women in some context, but it is interesting how women and sailing were portrayed, what we were to assume sailing meant to them, and how we as a culture defined women in general. Have a look at the ads below and see for yourself. While the image of women in advertising today has deteriorated considerably, rife with objectification and sexism, we'll always have that magical era of time-passed to disappear into when we need a little refreshment from (and respect for) the opposite sex as she once was in print media. And for the fine fair ladies of sailing today, despite our current magazines sadly lacking advertising featuring the depiction of female sailors, in the 'real' world you've made a massive impact. Well done.
You've come a long way, babies.
Sail on les filles...

-fred

Advertising The Sailing Lifestyle. Part 3: Smoke On The Water
Advertising The Sailing Lifestyle. Part 2: Happy Place
Advertising The Sailing Lifestyle. Part 2: Auto Pilot

It Doesn't Get Any BAADSer Than This - Disabled Sailing With Loick Peyron

2013-05-29T01:04:00.000-07:00

Loick sizes up the fleet for Awareness Regatta 2 in San Francisco May 25, 2013

There are good days and there are great days. Then there are those indescribably great days which materialize into significant life events. The Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors (BAADS) hosting Loick Peyron for the Awareness Regatta 2 ticked the latter box with such a strong hand for so many of us that it has pushed the pencil right through the table.

It started a few months ago when I had the pleasure of working with the BAADS for the first Awareness Regatta, a concept from the ma(d)stermind of event coordinator Fernanda Castelo, a disabled sailor with an infectious smile and a spirit that can't be contained or deterred. Her passion for sailing is addictive, once she leaves her wheelchair and is hoisted into her dinghy she hits the water with her eye on the prize. Her flair for the race course is tastefully punctuated by her trademark black velvet equestrian cap on her head and despite her fierce competitive nature, the infectious smile is ever present. Fernanda's idea for the original Awareness Regatta was to have a day of inclusive sailing with representatives from Team Oracle racing in the BAADS access dinghies. This would be an opportunity for the BAADS to share a little of their world with the big dogs, and to also gain some insight into the highest level of professional sailing; the America's Cup. All in the name of fun.

Oracle Racing Team embraced her idea with open arms, and after careful planning, Fernanda's vision materialized on Pier 40 and throughout the day of racing in McCovey Cove. Oracle had sent Brian MacInnes and Sam Newton, both intelligent choices; their formidable sailing backgrounds and friendly demeanor lent itself nicely to the intended Awareness Regatta aesthetic. Returning to the South Beach Yacht Club, we enjoyed drinks and a nice Q & A session with Brian, a complete gentleman and athlete both on and off the water. The evening wrapped up with cheers echoing across South Beach Harbor and wide grins on every face. Awareness Regatta was a huge success.

What struck me most about that day happened early on. As I sat on board the media Whaler, idling in the harbor watching the dock-out, I was overcome with emotion and I couldn't hold back the tears. Witnessing these disabled sailors being lifted out of their chairs and onto the hulls of their boats was so incredibly moving to me... when just an hour before I was complaining to myself that I had to walk so far to get to the event. Despite their physical limitations, these 'disabled' sailors aren't disabled at all, they have more strength and ability in their minds and wills than myself and most everyone I know. I wiped my eyes and shook it off, and just as the BAADS were heading out to the breakwater, the Artemis AC72 gave us a fly by with a hull in the air. My first reaction was not the popular 'yeahhh AC action', it was: 'mann Loick would love the BAADS experience'. Back at the yacht club after the regatta I mentioned it to Fernanda who said 'Really? do you think he'd do it?' Of course he would. We instantly began strategizing over a margarita..
The next day I asked Loick for his thoughts and he said "Yes, definitely, I'd love to, let's do it dude".
And so the wheels were put in motion for the next chapter in the Awareness Regatta story. From that moment it has been a complete pleasure working with Fernanda, Loick, BAADS Commodore Cristina Rubke, and South Beach Yacht Club's AC Chairman Lisa Gidley to bring this vision to life. Before we knew it, the sun was high in the sky above the dinghy docks at Pier 40 on the big day.

We rumbled up in Loick's '65 Ford truck just in time for the skipper's meeting, the dock was already a hive of activity, sailors and volunteers bustled around while the media tried our best to stay out of the way.
The BAADS were thrilled to see Loick, and he wasted no time rolling up his sleeves and immersing himself into the preparations and dock out procedure, providing a motivating soundtrack with his signature whistling lilt and occasional percussive chuckle. There was a very comfortable level of focus & organization on shore which maintained the necessary dynamic of seriousness and laughter. No surprises there, efficiency and smoothing out the edges while putting everyone at ease is what Loick does best. One by one the sailors departed from the dock with Loick's assistance, and when the dock was clear he climbed into his boat and headed off to the course. We gathered our gear and Lisa swung the media Whaler around.. I hopped on board with Chris Barrineau and Jen Edney and we motored out to the race track at Piers 30-32. The little access dinghies were already in place rallying around the front yard of the America's Cup team bases... game faces were on. We zipped around to get some quick portrait shots of the sailors and then the 5 minute gun for the Liberty class popped off.

The racing was close while it lasted, the BAADS were in hot pursuit of their new french friend. Two races in and after Loick had nailed both bullets, the breeze started to kick up significantly and the remaining races were called off. Fernanda was skippering a double-handed 303 with her crew mate Kathy Bello Shephard and they also won their two races... she gives her account of the racing:

"A windward - leeward course was set, with the length of about 2 piers from leeward pin to windward pin. The start line is set at beam reach (directly across the wind), and the pin was slightly favored with winds up to 10-15 knots. We had a great start in spite of not having a watch/timer on our wrist; however, we were close enough to a chase boat who were assisting with an audible count downs at 35 seconds, as we gained speed for the start we counted one thousand one, two, etc. We had a fabulous start.

We were ahead of our fleet of four, rounded the windward mark and headed downwind. As we rounded the mark, we immediately noticed that the fleet of 8 Liberty's started their race and we did not want to get caught in their course, and be in the middle of traffic, so we tactically sailed between the port side of Race committee boat and Pier 32 building. The rest of the 303s sailed between Race committee boat and start pin.

As we passed the Race committee boat Kathy reminded me that we'll catch a strong gust of wind right at end of the building, so we had to brace ourselves because as the dead down wind shifts the boom will fly across causing an uncontrolled jibe. We decided a port tack way above the mark, and take advantage of the strong gust that will soon take us off, and by golly it worked! Made sense to sail wide above the mark to avoid a flying jibe, rounded the leeward mark to port by barring off and to avoid fleet traffic again. Worked well in the first race.

Now our stretch is the finish line headed upwind, and time it well so as not get caught into downwind racer's traffic. As we started, we used the same layline angle for our finish.

Second start our timing was not good. We were behind two boats, first out was Nettie Wijsman and Kimball Livingston. Trailing, we tacked behind them and made up a ton of ground. We were smooth tacking on the layline without overstanding the windward mark. We replicated our course downwind, we were lucky because our contenders messed up right up to the leeward mark, their sails spun quickly on their jibe. We rounded the mark and the finish was on sight. It was fun, it was windy and we won both races. Races 3- 5 were called off due to wind conditions at 20+/- knots."

The fleet headed into the harbor and back to the South Beach Yacht Club where the atmosphere was fizzing to life earlier than scheduled. We settled in for drinks while Loick had a quick power nap in his truck, emerging just as the chicken and ribs were being shoveled from the barbeque as if timed like a clever alley cat. The casual environment of SBYC is always perfect, something unique and it's the main reason it is my preferred yacht club in SF. This afternoon was no exception, the sunlit deck and warm hospitality from the staff complemented the informal meal perfectly. Loick sat with Kimball ('dude keep an eye on my bag') Livingston, BAADS sailors Brian Pease & Kevin Seimens, and we witnessed a very memorable experience from that table that lit the club on fire. Ask Kimball.

Dinner was winding down, and Loick sat for a little Sharpie signing session with BAADS sailor Carwile LeRoy and SBYC members before hopping up to the front of the club to field questions from the room. Loick discussed everything from his early days in the Mini-Transat to the Trophee Jules Verne to the AC, and all stops inbetween. Topics like family, perseverence, fatigue, 'the french way', and even the current climate of sailing in Asia were all adressed with an insuciance and wit exclusive to Mr. Peyron. Throughout the chat, Loick emphasized safety at sea and the importance of preparation and proper training, a hot-button topic for our local sailing community. Hearing the wisdom and insight from his lifetime of sailing experience was an invaluable gift to everyone there.

Loick was then presented with his broken dinghy rudder he had snapped in the racing a couple of hours earlier which was signed by all the BAADS and accompanied with a nice bottle of Pinot Meunier. Fernanda led us into an enthusiastic round of 'For He's A Jolly Good Fellow' with Loick beaming and the whole place radiating along with him. Riding that high, it was time to give our final departing hugs, exchange our last bits of information and say goodnight. All of us, including Loick, have cryogenically frozen that experience in our minds so that we're able to access such an unmeasurable level of positivity whenever we need it. This is what the Awareness Regatta program is all about. Hope to see you in the near future for the third chapter in the series, Cheers.

( fade out to scene of '65 Ford truck slowly chugging away from the yacht club and down the Embarcadero, trails of Marlboro smoke wisping out of the windows ... )

photos
Jen Edney
Chris Barrineau
Loick's facebook

press
America's Cup
Blue Planet Times
Sailing Anarchy
Pressure Drop

website : baads.org

The Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors with Loick Peyron South Beach Yacht Club May 25, 20013

Advertising The Sailing Lifestyle. Part 3: Smoke On The Water

2013-05-08T20:30:00.001-07:00

We all have our vices. For better or worse, many of us seek comfort from additives that aren't good for us. Despite sharp warnings from the Surgeon General and grotesque imagery on cigarette packs, a large percentage of the population still puffs away on their cigarettes, even though the popular smoke-break has become more difficult than ever seeing as cigarette smoking is now a publicly forbidden pastime. Smoking was once a prevalent force in advertising long before studies revealed it to be extremely harmful to one's health, and even shortly thereafter the ads continued. In the past smoking was perceived as the epitome of 'cool' and the quintessential expression of relaxation. The relationship between smoking and sailing are no exception, the thought of smoking on board a boat instantly conjures up imagery of salty captains and rugged crew members of days gone by, or unwinding on a pleasure cruise after a long afternoon of messing about on the water.

I have been both a smoker and a non-smoker and now a smoker again. Smoking was the norm in my glory days of being in a band and working in bars and nightclubs in SF, we all smoked on the job and so did most of our clientele. And after quitting for 12 years, I've taken up this nagging habit again thanks to several recent trips to Europe. It isn't something I am proud of and I know I will quit again soon, but for now it's something that I enjoy. Because of my complicated friendship with cigarettes, I can fully appreciate the pleasure one receives from a good smoke, and also completely understand the disgust that some people have when in the presence of a smoker.

It's interesting to look at these ads below, the perception of smoking and sailing as something fun and almost even somewhat healthy. The refreshing experience of the great outdoors was complemented nicely with the addition of that tobacco crutch... or so we thought. The truth is, the natural high of sailing needs no embellishments, the pure invigorating feeling of flying along the water unassisted by nothing but the control of the wind is something that can't be harnessed and sold in convenient little packages.

Advertising The Sailing Lifestyle. Part 2: Happy Place
Advertising The Sailing Lifestyle. Part 1: Auto Pilot

Advertising The Sailing Lifestyle. Part 2: Happy Place

2013-05-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

I've received some nice response to my first installment of this series I posted last week entitled Auto Pilot, thank you all for reading and for your messages. Not surprisingly, the popular reaction from members of the sailing community to those idyllic car ads which feature the 'sailing lifestyle' in some capacity is... "So.. What Happened?"

This is a difficult question for sure. As the years go by and technology changes our gauge on the 'good life', having to process and form opinions and perceptions of our hyper-chaotic immediate surroundings are enough for our brain to deal with. For most of the population, whatever is happening this very instant has a tendency to take precedence over our rich history and what happened in the 'olden days'. All of us are feeling the pressure of the 'now'. Because of this, it's easy to look at vintage advertisements with warm fuzzy nostalgia and with a desire for simplicity and innocence... these days it's difficult to just find a minute to yourself, let alone be able to break away for an afternoon of sailing. or a pleasure cruise in a car. We are constantly bombarded with so many distractions and propaganda in the media today, ultimately advertising now confronts us with the demand to consume life instead of enjoying life. Thankfully our society has an unbelievable perpetual popular culture archive occurring organically, and we have the means to access it anytime. These things, these ideas of our 'happy place' make us feel good and we should embrace them. It's always important to look back to the past for some perspective on the present, our knowledge of history is increasingly relevant to how we live our lives today and how we communicate with each other as humans. It's also very therapeutic and enjoyable to lose yourself in the way things were, aside from sailing there is no better escape than letting your mind wander through a good classic book or vintage magazine, or listening to an LP on an old record player. Tune the 'real' world out for a few minutes.

That is, if you can find the time.

My first sailing experience was at eleven years old, with my brother on a 10' Montomery dinghy my dad had just bought. A few years earlier, my parents had purchased a waterfront vacation home on the Georgiana Slough in the California Delta, and summer was in full swing again. We would all muck about in the water from sunup to sundown, taking full advantage of our new playground and our new little boat. The property was magical, across the slough from us was a picture-perfect dilapidated barn behind a levee wall covered in blackberry bushes, met at the water's edge with a natural beach which only appeared at low-tide. We would swim over with coffee cans and jars to pick the blackberries for mom's famous cobbler, and then cool off by walking out into the water up to our necks, searching through the sand and mud with our toes to find clams for bass fishing.

On this particular day, I was with Tom on board the 'Misty' for transportation duties of our family foraging, he was at the tiller and I was in charge of gathering all the containers of berries and clams from my mom and my sister. We'd beach the dinghy, load up, and then sail back to our house on the other side and drop the bounty off with my dad. I felt like a little bad-ass sailing on that boat... until... we were on our second trip back and were buzzed by our neighbor Brett on his shiny new white Jet-Ski. He had just customized the machine to shoot out a massive rooster tail of spray, and he completely soaked us as he passed. I looked up and Brett nodded at me and my brother and smirked. I remember feeling so lame at that moment, like some sort of Huck Finn farmboy with my ill-fitting outdated life vest, holding stupid berries and stupid clams on a stupid sailboat. This emotion was a complete contrast to the 'cool' nodding experience I'd had years before riding in my dad's MG. What happened? It wasn't the embarrassment of getting hit by his spray, we were all friends and this type of playful water harassment was normal. It was because my 11 year old brain didn't like that his leisure time was more advanced and faster than mine, and therefore more 'fun' and more 'cool'. It's strange to think that such a perfect and memorable day with my family was ruined for me in a second by jealousy for something I didn't have, and something I couldn't do. Something I assumed was 'better'. I often think of that period in my life and would give anything to go back to those times in the Delta. I would be super proud of that stupid sailboat. And perhaps if Brett is thinking of that incident today, he's visualizing my family picking berries and our sailboat with the same endearment we have for these vintage advertisements.

So, before we rush to consider what happened to the real or advertised 'sailing lifestyle', let's relax and enjoy another group of ads I scanned which express the carefree unpolluted climate of days gone by... that seemingly unobtainable 'Happy Place' feeling of sailing bliss sorely lacking in our current pressurized marketing world...

Advertising The Sailing Lifestyle. Part 1: Auto Pilot

2013-05-01T12:13:00.002-07:00

Aaah this mythical world of sailing, this dream of the open water where adventure and leisure seem to collide perfectly. Nothing makes you feel more alive than the sun setting behind the main and tucking into the helm with the taste of salt water on your lips while the waves lap approvingly behind the stern. It's not easy to transmit such a euphoric feeling to those who have not experienced this, it's only once you are there does it all make sense. As modern humans we are easily lured in by what others are doing, the propaganda of keeping up with the Jonses is strong for sure and it's easy to fake happiness and freedom when we are required to. This is the reason that when you actually become swept up with something you truly enjoy, the experience feels so pure and special. There's nothing like the proud satisfying feeling of 'dude I'm actually doing this' , a feeling so meaningful that it makes you happy even when you aren't doing it yourself, you see someone else having the experience and the vicarious passion is plenty fine. Looking at them smiling and thinking to yourself 'dude I totally know what that's like'.

When I was a little tyke, my dad's Sunday driver was a pale yellow 1957 MG Roadster convertible and mannn... did my family love that car. We'd cruise over the hill to Half Moon Bay for sandwiches on the beach and I felt so cool driving in the back seat with my brother's oversized ski-goggles stuck to my face and a braided Marathon Bar hanging out of my mouth. I remember one afternoon we were driving back home and another MG pulled up beside us, the same car but dark green. Naturally my dad and the other owner started quickly comparing notes like peacocks while we were at the stoplight, his wife smiled at my mom and they both kinda rolled their eyes. There was a kid in the back seat a few years older than me and we looked at each other just as the light turned green and they started rumbling away. He gave me the slickest knowing smile and a 'thumbs-up' and I did the same. The whole way home it felt so great, that little three second connection with my emotional co-pilot who I'd never see again. Our little transfer of 'cool' was all we needed. This is the same feeling I get when I'm out on a boat and I know I am not alone.

I've come to realize that the harmony between auto & boat and transportation in general is deeply linked. Those same feelings and desires for the open road and the open sea & sky have always been kindred spirits. I've been a collector of vintage magazines and ephemera ever since I can remember and it's fun to see how the lure of exploration and discovery has been illustrated over the years. I often raid my little archive for inspiration and not surprisingly my tastes seem to be dictated by what's happening in my life. When I had a Vespa it was the scooter stuff that jumped out at me, when I had my '54 Bel Air it was nothing but Chevy on my radar. Once Alberta started her 'Trip Out Tuesday' airline-themed parties we were obsessed with all things jet-age. And for the past several years my affinity has leaned toward the sailing and travel side of things.

So I decided that over the next few months I'll be sharing some of the things that I currently dig in the series 'Advertising The Sailing Lifestyle'.

Here's the first group I'm calling 'Auto-Pilot' ... car ads geared to the men and women who are chasing the dream of luxury and freedom just like all of the other Joneses, just like me and you.

Enjoy.

Bands I've Seen Live '83-'13: The Master List

2013-04-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

Awhile back, maybe 3 years ago, there was a 'band's I've seen' trend on facebook. People would write a facebook note listing all of the bands that they had seen live in concert and tag 10 of their friends who were supposed to, in turn, make a list, tag 10 friends, and keep the ball rolling. It was kind of a cool chain letter, the comments and flashbacks that this exercise dredged up for everyone were entertaining.

After being tagged a few times, my attitude switched from 'I'm not gonna do that' to 'okay I'll play' and I began drafting a list of bands, often reaching into the deepest cob-webbed corners of my brain to pull out concert memories. I always felt that I was missing some key shows and as a result I never shared my list... and by the time I felt I had my list in a somewhat completed state, it was too late.
Because as with every fleeting facebook trend, momentum for the 'bands I've seen' idea fell by the wayside, not as a slow burn, it took a massive nosedive. Even the entire concept of the facebook 'Notes' feature seems to have been taken victim, apparently falling through the cracks of the past two facebook design updates. It's still there, but you have to really look for it. Too bad, the Notes app was a nice mini-blog tool and an asset for professional facebook Page administrators.

I came across my draft the other day and it was a kick to look at again. I completed the list with a few of the recent concerts I've been to... and seeing as 'Band's I've Seen' on facebook is dead, we find the list here instead.
This is not chronological at all and jumps all over the place, a completely freestyle list-making process... as bands popped in my head, I jotted them down. I've kept it as a hard list with minor notations (mainly +++ meaning I've seen this band too many times to keep track, in the mid-late 80's bands like O Mighty Isis, Fishbone, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Primus were playing locally every weekend, as were Big Sandy, St. Vitus Dance, Royal Crown Revue & The Broun Fellinis in the early 90's, and No Doubt and Green Day were everywhere every week in the glory days of the late 80's/early 90's California underground ska and punk scene... I was lucky to play with them both before they broke it big, sharing the stage at small Bay Area joints like Berkeley Square and Gillman Street, back when Gwen was a smoking bob-headed brunette and Billy Joe needed dental work something fierce. In the mid-90's I lived in Las Vegas for 5 years and our weekend ritual was going to see Sam Butera & Keely Smith perform at the Desert Inn casino, probably the performers I've seen the most)
There are so many incredible tales to tell here, funny and ridiculous memories of youth... perhaps at some point I will elaborate on some of these bands and the experiences of seeing them live...
Until then, without further ado, here is a list of 'band's I've seen'...
Consider yourself tagged. You're it.

-X- New World Tour 1983, my first concert - I was 12 years old

-X-
The Sonics
Dead Kennedys
Ramones (x 3)
Sonic Youth (+++)
Nirvana
The Cramps (x 5)
Gerald Wilson
Roy Hargrove
Harold Land
Steve Turee
George Benson
Christian McBride
Milt Hinton
Tom Waits
Ornette Coleman
The Dickies
George Duke
The Damned (x 4)
The Mummies (+++)
Verbal Abuse
Fang
Corrosion of Conformity
Phantom Surfers
Blowfly
Stefon Harris
P.I.L.
Redd Kross
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
DJ Spooky
Bad Brains
The Who (x 2 - '89 & '13)
Dave Grusin
Winton Marsalis
Branford Marsalis
Dorothy Donegan
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Koko Taylor
Thomas Dolby
Art Blakey
O Mighty Isis (+++)
Dot 3
Tad
DRI
The Accused
Drunk Injuns
Herbie Hancock
Ron Carter
Tower of Power
Clark Terry
Ruben Blades
David Sanborn
Chick Corea
Joshua Redman
Charlie Hunter Trio
Nick Rossi Set
Sonny Rollins
Big Sandy & The Fly-Rite Boys (+++)
Beastie Boys (x 3)
The Chesterfield Kings
The Broun Fellinis (+++)
New Order
The SugarCubes
Laughing Hyenas
Toy Dolls
Poison Idea
Love and Rockets
The English Beat
Red Hot Chili Peppers (+++)
Ride
Lush
My Bloody Valentine
Primal Scream
Slowdive
Faith No More
Psychefunkapus
The Pixies
Nick Lowe
Arrested Development
Mazzy Star
Marti Brom & her Jet-Tone Boys
Enrique
The Jazz Crusaders
Lucky Thompson
Donald Byrd
Sister Double Happiness
Oasis
RKL
Circle Jerks
Robert Seidler
The Tennessee Rhythm Riders
Thompson Twins
Cherry Poppin' Daddies
Kim Lenz & The Jaguars
Fishbone (+++)
Cro-Mags
Fugazi (x 3)
Front 242
Luke Vibert
Smashing Pumpkins
Butthole Surfers
Hole
Plaid
Jimmy Smith
Si Zentner
L7
Grady Tate
Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra
Missing Persons
B-52's
Cypress Hill
Primus (+++)
Air
The Soup Dragons
Kraftwerk
Charlatans UK
Echo & The Bunnymen
Dave Brubeck
Max Roach
Lee Ritenour
Fantastic Plastic Machine
DJ Shadow
The Makers
Bantam Rooster
The Aquabats
Dinosaur Jr.
Mudhoney
Ralph Carney (+++)
Paula West
Lavay Smith
Medeski Martin & Wood
Nation of Ulysses
Guitar Wolf
Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
Saint Vitus Dance (+++)
Frank Sinatra Jr.
Joe Williams
Grateful Dead (x 3)
Les McCann
Clark Terry
Cornelius
Neurosis
Cheater Slicks
Clown Alley
Diana Krall
The Dwarves
The Swingin' Utters (+++)
Tito Puente
Black Star - Mos Def/Taleb Kweli
Bad Manners (x 3)
Rancid
Citizen Fish
The Residents (x 3)
The Residents w/ Snakefinger
No Doubt (+++)
April March
Untamed Youth
Ice-T
MDC
Green Day (+++)
NOFX (+++)
Ministry
Jane's Addiction (+++)
Steel Pulse
Bertrand Burgalat
Madonna
The Upsetters
Nat Adderly
Stanley Turrentine
Richard 'Groove' Holmes
Gene Harris
Reverend Horton Heat
Depeche Mode
Siouxsie & The Banshees
Third World
Herbie Mann
Book Of Love
The Descendents
ALL
Bauhaus
The Jesus Lizard
Howard Jones
Bernard Purdie
Grant Green
Kenny Burrell
The Bomboras
Manual Scan
Untouchables
Simple Minds
Adam Ant
The Loved Ones
The Toasters
Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Royal Crown Revue (+++)
Hepcat
Sam Butera & Keely Smith (+++)
Dance Hall Crashers (+++)
The Liquidators (+++)
Skankin' Pickle (+++)
Animotion
Shriekback
Kiss
Buckcherry
Christ On Parade
The Cult
Devo
-M- aka Matthieu Chedid
Vampire Weekend
Madness
The Specials (x 2 Paris 2011 & SF 2013)
Black Moth Super Rainbow
Vintage Trouble
Lumerians
Honeycut
Pigeon John
Tears For Fears
Carina Round
Joe Jackson
The Skatalites
The Omens
The Saturn V
The Chuckleberries
Cellar Doors
The Ogres
The Barbary Coasters
French Boutik (+++)
Orchestral Maneuovres In The Dark
The Selecter
Lee Perry
The Three O'Clock

The most recent show I've seen - The Specials live at The Warfield SF - March 23rd 2013.
Such a great show filled with fully-fledged members of the Nite Club that I hadn't seen in years.
Now I'm 41 years old. The more things change....

Style de Voile: The Sailing Graphics of Jean-Baptiste Epron

2013-04-07T02:29:00.000-07:00

( défiler vers le bas pour la version française de l'article.

un grand merci à mon ami et collègue Pierre de C, pour ton temps et ses mots... )

Groupama, Ericsson, Banque Populaire, Foncia, PRB, Sodeb'o... Some of the most famous sponsors in professional sailing. These high profile companies will only put their name on the latest and fastest record-chasing boats. You've likely seen these decorated machines and can instantly visualize their branding, be it striking or subtle. Without the mighty logos tastefully plastered on these vessels and the funding behind them, even the most talented crews and dynamic skippers would sail past in anonymity. Effectively communicating a sponsorship commitment to a sailing campaign is a delicate balance best achieved by broadcasting the brand loudly but tastefully. This requires a livery that is equal parts bold & striking and slickly elegant. As with almost every make-or-break decision in communication and marketing, the weight falls heavily on the applied science of graphic design.

'Graphic design' has always been an amorphous label further diluted by the term 'graphic designer', and it's often difficult to separate the men from the boys. In recent years those who feel they know their way around Instagram filters even consider themselves designers. Design websites and blogs devoid of substance and talent are erected daily much to the frustration of the old hands-on guard who have tediously and methodically pasted-up and letraset-ed their way to success. Or not. Thankfully, field experience speaks volumes, and in the current design and marketing field, most companies looking for a fresh campaign have their ace pilots at the ready to tackle new horizons in design. This A-team group of graphic design stallions for hire are well established, well regarded, and always have sharp ideas ferreted away between their formidable back catalog and impressive client list. These men and women have been at the forefront of creative visual manipulation for many years... They are simply the best at what they do. You are about to meet one of these talents.

In professional sailing there is one name that echoes across the graphic design world: Jean-Baptiste Epron. ...and for good reason. JB's work has been seen on many of the household-named professional sailboats in France and he has enjoyed numerous sailing victories and sailing records together with his clients. JB's design style echoes his personality, strong and confident but with an approachable spirited side, his designs exhibit a distinctive creative and lively feel while maintaining the polished and sophisticated image necessary for the big name sponsors. All of the boats that I mentioned above have had their graphics designed by Jean-Baptiste. ...and that brief list is just the tip of the iceberg. A sailor himself, JB is very much in tune with what works for a campaign and what doesn't, and he is a brilliant idea-man both on and off paper. It's amazing to think that even though these boats look incredible, some of his best designs often end up on the cutting room floor.

The victory palate of Jean-Baptiste Epron...
A color wheel of some of modern sailings most memorable boats

I spent some nice time with JB at his home in Paris, his surroundings are sparse and modern with a clean atmosphere conducive to conceptualizing fresh thoughts and ideas. Though far from sterile, his home also features warm comfortable touches complimented by the youthful exuberance and playful clutter of his young children. Chatting casually over a nice bottle of Cotes du Rhone, JB shucked oysters while I admired his impressive archive of work and picked his brain a little about what makes him tick...

video screen capture courtesy of: Monocoque 60' Banque Populaire - Armel Le Cléac'h

How did you get involved with graphic design?

This is an old dream I am just realizing for the last year. I have always loved boats, races and sailing stories. Ever since I can remember I've been drawing boats and from my childhood these two things haunt me.
As I was living in Paris, I've long thought this dream would stay unreachable… But little by little I was entering this world, beginning to race with talented skippers with whom I began winning the first races …
I learned, little by little and day by day my “job" as a sailor, ( tour de France à la voile, solitaire du Figaro, transat en double, IMOCA, ORMA and Trophée Jules Verne) and at the same time I began proposing to “make” the sponsored boats more aesthetic and efficient.
The first sponsor to trust me was Franck Cammas for “La Solitaire du Figaro” (Athena), and since then I've never stopped drawing his boats. After, I worked with Michel Desjoyeaux, Karine Fauconnier, Bernard Stamm, Thomas Coville, Alain Gautier, Loick and Bruno Peyron. What a perfect life … split between sailing, onboard multi & monohulls with skippers and talented crews while dreaming up graphic identity of the most beautiful sailing projects.

What are your design inspirations?

Well … I can’t say I have a particular influence from somewhere or something. I am a self educated designer, my education is from business school (to keep my parents happyyy … ) Somehow I try to get inspiration everyday by mother nature's created shapes, this is what inspires me the most, my references.
I can find these shapes on my “souvenirs” of a wave, the shadow of a leaf, colors of a butterfly; the more simple it is the most interested I am. In fact I collect all these shapes, images created by accident, with fortuity.

How important is it for a sponsor to have a boat with sexy graphics?

In this job, you have to imagine an “advertising message” that will evolve in the middle of nature , there are no billboards, no hoardings in forests … so the real key is to find an acceptable visual way to advertise in the middle of the ocean.
You have to be smart, to find the perfect limit between good exposure for the sponsor to be satisfied and for the brand to be recognized quickly and easily, but this “advertising message” can’t be incongruous in such an environment.
It is primarily necessary to enhance the shape of the boats to create a lively effect, a bit like a girl putting on make-up before going out.
Above all, a boat is already an enchanting object... to be improved with mild artifices, lightening her when powerful, over heading her when clumsy.

What is the biggest challenge when creating a design package for a sponsor?

Guidelines are definitely not thought to end on a boat… and you have to convince the communication team that it will be necessary to adapt the logo to the boats proper constraints, elongation of the hull, the sail's transparency etc…
Then you have to reach a design which will be coherent over a multitude of support, from a business card to a 1000m² spinnaker. When a company is driving a sponsoring project, it has to be seen, it has to be known...

What is your most successful design story?

Drawing beautiful winning boats is truly the best, and sailing on them is an absolute dream, this is what happened onboard the Orange boats for the Trophée Jules Verne, and also the racing years I enjoyed onboard Gitana’s trimarans. Awesome memories, fantastic human tales with unique sailors, Bruno and Loick Peyron, Bernard Stamm, Lionel Lemonchois, Yann Elies and other lesser known but equally genuine and talented sailors who are passionate about the sea and boats.

What is your favorite design that you've done?

Orange 2, for the history, the adventure, the memories... for my part the graphics are not the best, but I do love it.

...and your least favorite design?

Things like Maitre Coq, a lost battle…

Do you compromise sometimes?

Yes, because when I start a project I never really know how it will end, my business is a compromised work, I have to find out what will please my customer, I don’t think I am an artist who imposes his choices. On the other hand I try to influence, to lead toward my convictions.

Are you a designer outside of the sailing world?

Yes, I designed interiors for a long time, my Paris apartment renovation, a lot of graphic design, logos, and a bottle of wine for Benjamin de Rothschild. Jean Louis Etienne's flying balloon and Generali’s captive ballon at the entrance of Paris. Racing cars, bags and lamps...

What is the most bizarre thing you've designed?

A bag, made of film boxes and sailing tissues

Who is your hero?

Eric Tabarly. He gave me the desire to live my life and I now live by chance in Tabarly’s town in Brittany, Armel Le Cleac'h also lives in this small village.

Do you ever try to reflect the personality of the skipper when designing a boat's theme?

Yes ... but I can’t forget who pays me and what are the project objectives.

What music do you listen to when you are working?

Barbara for ever

When you are working from home is it ever difficult to stay motivated and focused?

I really love this job. I mean, it’s a real pleasure, to start a project, re-design a boat, doing the drafts... but when the weather is good enough to go sailing it’s hard to stay home and work.

What would be your fantasy design job?

Designing planes

Do you have any advice for young designers? ...and sailors?

Sail and design!

What's next for you?

Racing in the mini-fastnet, on the Actual 50' trimaran and some races on a 40 footer at least...

Thanks JB, see you out there...

JB at his home office in Paris working on designs for the Swedish team Artemis Racing,
Challenger Of Record for the 34th America's Cup.
Not limited to a simple boat paint job, the graphics theme is applied to every facet of the brand.
From the letterhead to the support rib to the team gear... to the fan apparel and beyond, every aspect of the team's presence receives a little of JB's magic touch

Orange 2 Dream Team - Bruno Peyron, JB Epron, Roger Nilson, Lionel Lemonchois, Philippe Péché, Yann Éliès, Ronan Le Goff, Sébastien Audigane, Jacques Caraes, Florent Chastel, Yves Le Blevec, Nicolas de Castro, Ludovic Aglaor & Bernard Stamm onboard maxi-catamaran Orange 2 ... lighting up to celebrate their record-breaking Trophee Jules Verne victory in 2005 in a time of 50 j 16 h 20 min 04 s

( version française )

Groupama, Ericsson, Banque Populaire, Foncia, PRB et Sodeb'o sont quelques un des sponsors les plus prestigieux de la voile professionnelle, ils apposent généralement leurs logos sur les chasseurs de record les plus grands et les plus rapides du monde. Vous connaissez surement ces fabuleuses machines à vent et reconnaissez instantanément chaque sponsor, quelle que soit la mise en forme de son identité visuelle.

Sans les grands logos disposés sur ces navires, et par conséquent sans le sponsoring financier associé, même les équipages les plus talentueux et les skippers les plus dynamiques navigueraient dans l’anonymat. Réussir une campagne de communication à travers un sponsoring voile c’est trouver l’équilibre délicat entre une diffusion vigoureuse mais subtile de la marque commanditaire.

Ceci exige une livrée marquante, souvent audacieuse qui maintiendra la singularité et l’élégance propre de chaque navire. Le résultat dépendra de la maitrise parfois scientifique de la conception graphique.

Cette conception graphique a toujours été une étiquette amorphe, altérée par le terme designer graphique, c’est effectivement difficile de séparer la poule de l’œuf.

Dans un futur passé proche, ceux qui pensaient connaitre les filtres Instagram pouvaient s autoproclamer designers. Certains sites Internet et autres blogs de Design, littéralement dépourvus de substance, étaient érigés jour après jour. Ceci entretenant la frustration des vieux de la vieille qui ont méthodiquement et laborieusement « pasté et letrasé » jusqu’à la reconnaissance (ou pas, d’ailleurs) de leur talent. L’expérience du terrain finit parfois par parler d’elle-même, et dans le domaine actuel du graphisme la plupart des entreprises désirant proposer une campagne stimulante peuvent puiser dans leur stock d’aviateurs chevronnés et s’assurent ainsi le contrôle de certains horizons du design. Ces pilotes d’élite de la conception graphique méritent incontestablement l’estime qui leur est attribuée, et des idées rafraichissantes et pétillantes s’échappent régulièrement de leurs books emplis de clients prestigieux. Ces hommes et ces femmes étaient et sont à l’avant-garde des manipulations créatives depuis de nombreuses années. Simplement les meilleurs dans ce qu’ils font, j’ai eu l’honneur de découvrir l’un des leurs.

S’il y a bien une personne qui réussit à faire harmonieusement rimer voile professionnelle et conception graphique, c’est Jean Baptiste Epron !

Le travail de JB a pu être admiré sur un grand nombre de voiliers de course, ces mêmes voiliers à bord desquels il remporté de magnifiques victoires et autres records autour du monde. Le style graphique de JB confirme ce que l’on se laisse imaginer de sa personnalité. Robuste, confiant et teinté d’une immense ouverture d’esprit, ses travaux exhibent une créativité vivace qui sublime le polissage et la sophistication d’une image nécessaire aux gros sponsors.

Tous les bateaux mentionnés ci-dessus ont été « décorés »par Jean Baptiste, et cette liste rapide n’est qu’une partie émergée de l’iceberg ! Il est triste de se dire que quelques unes de ses meilleures créations n’ont pas pu voir le jour.

J’ai passé de très bons moments en compagnie de JB, chez lui à Paris. Son quartier clairsemé et moderne crée une atmosphère propice à la conceptualisation d’idées acidulées et novatrices. Sa maison est tout sauf un environnement stérile, elle présente de chaudes notes rassurantes complétées de l’encombrement ludique d’enfant.

Pendant quelques bavardages désinvoltes autour d’une bouteille de Cote du Rhone, JB ouvrait des huitres tandis que j’analysais ses impressionnantes archives de travail, cherchant inexorablement à comprendre les arcanes de son cerveau et ses mécanismes de création.

Comment es tu arrivé dans le monde du graphisme ?

C'est un très vieux rêve qui se réalise depuis quelques années. J'ai toujours aimé les bateaux, les courses, les récits de marin. J'ai toujours dessiné des bateaux, depuis que je suis tout petit ces deux choses me hantent.

Comme j'habitais à Paris j'ai longtemps cru que cela resterai des "rêves" inabordables… Petit à petit j'ai pu approcher ce monde, en faisant des courses avec des skippers talentueux, grâce à qui j'ai pu remporter mes premières victoires…,

J'ai appris jour après jour mon métier de marin, (Tour de France à la voile, Solitaire du Figaro, transat en double, IMOCA, ORMA, et Trophée Jules Verne), parallèlement j'ai pu commencer à proposer de rendre les bateaux sponsorisés plus esthétiques et plus efficaces

Pour les sponsors, le premier à me faire confiance et à promouvoir mes services c'est Franck Cammas pour la solitaire du figaro (Athena).

Depuis ce jour j'ai toujours dessiné ses bateaux. J'ai ensuite travaillé pour M. Desjoyeaux, K. Fauconnier, B. Stamm, T. Coville, A. Gautier, Loick et Bruno Peyron.

C'est la belle vie, partager mon temps entre naviguer, faire des belles courses sur des multis, des monos, avec des skippers et des équipages de talents et imaginer l'identité graphique des plus beaux projets sportifs de la voile…

Qui/Comment/ou sont tes inspirations de design ?

Je n'ai pas d'influence particulière je suis autodidacte, j'ai fait une business school, j'essaye tous les jours de trouver de l'inspiration dans les formes crées par la nature, c'est ce qui m'inspire le plus, mes références en quelque sorte.

Je les trouve dans les souvenirs de la forme d'une vague, l'ombre crée par une feuille, les couleurs d'un papillon, plus c'est simple et plus cela m'intéresse. Je fais collection de de toutes ces formes – images – créées par hasard.

A quel point est-ce important pour un sponsor d’avoir un bateau aux graphiques séduisants ?

Dans ce boulot, tu as à imaginer un message publicitaire qui va vivre en plein milieu de la nature…, il n'y a pas de panneau publicitaire dans les forêts… alors ce job c'est de trouver acceptable visuellement de faire de la pub au milieu de l'océan,

Il faut être malin et trouver la limite entre une bonne exposition pour que le sponsor soit satisfait, qu'on le reconnaisse rapidement et facilement, mais aussi que ce message publicitaire ne soit pas totalement incongru dans un tel environnement.

Il faut arriver à mettre en valeur les formes du bateau lui donner un côté vivant ! Un peu comme une femme qui se maquille avant de sortir.

Pour moi un bateau est aussi un bel objet qui doit être mis en valeur par de légers artifices, le rendant plus léger lorsqu'il est très puissant, ou aérien quand il est un peu "lourdeau"…

Quel est d’après toi le plus gros challenge lors de la création d’un design package pour un sponsor ?

Les guide lines ne sont pas prévues pour finir sur un bateau…, il faut réussir à convaincre les personnes de la communication que, souvent, il faut adapter les logos aux contraintes particulière d'un bateau, forme allongée de la coque, transparence des voiles…

Ensuite il faut réussir à faire un design qui soit cohérent sur une multitude de supports, allant de la carte de visite à un spi de 1000m2.

Quand une entreprise s'engage dans un projet de sponsoring il faut que cela se voit et surtout que cela se sache…

Quelles sont tes design stories les plus réussies ?

Dessiner des beaux bateaux qui gagnent c'est top ! Et le rêve absolu c'est naviguer dessus. C'est ce qui s'est passé sur les Oranges et les Trophée Jules Verne, mais aussi ces années de courses sur les trimarans du Team Gitana.

Des souvenirs incroyables, des histoire humaines fantastiques avec des gars, des marins hors du commun: Bruno et Loick Peyron, Bernard Stamm, Lionel Lemonchois, Yann Elies et puis les autre moins connus mais également des vrai marins, des mecs qui aiment autant les bateaux qu'être en mer…

Quel est le design que tu aimes le plus?

Orange 2, pour l'histoire et l'aventure, le dessin n'est pas forcement le meilleur, mais je l'aime beaucoup…

... et celui que tu aimes le moins ?

Des choses comme Maître coq, une bataille perdue…

T’arrives t’il de partir sur des compromis ?

Oui, parce que à chaque début de travail je ne sait pas comment cela va finir, mon travail est un boulot de compromis. Il faut que j'arrive a trouver ce qui va plaire à mon client. Je ne suis pas un "artiste" qui impose ces choix, en revanche j'essaye d'influencer, de guider vers mes convictions.

Es tu un designer en dehors du monde de la voile ?

J'ai longtemps fait de la déco d'intérieur, de la rénovation d'appartement à Paris, beaucoup de graphic design aussi, des logos…. Et puis une bouteille de vin pour le Baron Benjamin de Rothschild ainsi que le ballon de Jean Louis Etienne, le ballon captif pour Generali à l'entrée de paris. Quelques voitures de courses, des sacs et des lampes…

Ton design le plus étrange ?

Un sac fait de boites de film et de tissus à voile

Quels sont tes héros ?

Eric Tabarly m'a donner envie de vivre cette vie

C'est le hasard mais j'habite le même village que lui en Bretagne, il y a aussi Armel Le Cléach dans ce petit village….

Essaye tu généralement de refléter la personnalité du skipper lorsque tu t‘attaques à son bateau ?

Oui, mais je ne dois jamais oublier qui me paye, et qu'elle est l'objectif du projet…

Quelle est la musique qui accompagne tes heures de travail ?

Barbara for ever

Arrive tu à rester motivé et concentré lorsque tu travailles de chez toi ?

J'aime trop ce job, c 'est un plaisir d'attaquer un projet, redessiner le bateau et faire les drafts…, mais quand il fait beau , suffisament pour partir naviguer c'est plus dur de se retenir

Quel serait ton design le plus fou ?

Travailler sur des avions.

Quelques conseils pour des jeunes designers ? et jeunes skippers ?

Naviguez et dessinez !

Et la suite pour toi ?

Courrir le mini fastnet, naviguer sur le Trimaran Actual 50 et au moins quelques courses en 40 pieds.

Merci JB, a bientot...

One of the sexier boats in recent memory, then and now. The Farr designed IMOCA Open 60 originally launched as Gitana Eighty (top) in July 2007 for the 2008/09 Vendee Globe and skippered by Loick Peyron, is enjoying her current life as SynerCiel (bottom) having just finished the 2012/13 Vendee Globe with Jean Le Cam at the helm. Both very cool campaigns and branding.
Both designed by Jean-Baptiste Epron

Artemis Racing Team, Challenger Of Record for the 34th America's Cup - AC72 AC45 and support

Magic Carpet Rides - The 41 Year Old Man & The Sea

2013-03-05T04:59:00.002-08:00

The Arrival (of the big dude with two flares ...to the backyard)
4th of July 2012 in Maine at Cam Lewis' Big House on Vinalhaven Island

"He rested sitting on the un-stepped mast and sail and tried not to think but only to endure"
-Ernest Hemingway / The Old Man And The Sea - 1952

The Old Man And The Sea. My father's favorite book and a big influence on me as a child. Some of my earliest memories are of Dad reading this book to me as I nodded off to sleep, the harmony of his soft voice with the wind and waves echoing outside my bedroom window providing a euphoric calm. My father was my captain and my mentor and it makes me happy that after all these years my dad is undoubtedly very proud looking toward me from the stars at my career in the sailing world.

Being involved with the professional sailing media is a unique and ironic place for me to be. You see, I can't sail my way out of a plastic bag. Or a paper bag. Even one of those biodegradable bags would give me problems. This is a slightly bizarre situation considering my love and affinity for the water from a very young age. My folks had a quaint little waterfront vacation house in the California Delta and I was a bonified river rat at age 7, frolicking and fiddling around with every water toy available... capsizing Hobies and Lasers and our 11' Mongomery dinghy, and spinning around on the first generation of Jet-Ski's until my Mom would bellow my name at dusk. The sound of her voice echoing across the slough meant it was time to reluctantly drag my pruned body inside for a hot shower and dinner. However as I got older and the inevitable teenage boy emotions kicked in, I regrettably turned my back on the Sea, my leisure interests leaned sharply toward music and design and girls. I spent endless nights in the driveway strapped into a Sony Walkman the size of a deli sandwich, visions of logos and slogans dancing around in my head while I skateboarded until my tailbone was sore. Shortly after that I started riding Vespas and became obsessed with the Mod scene, my athletic outlet was duffing around our little crappy golf course in Redwood City, yet the only tactical and navigational skills I was cultivating were limited to gassing up my scooter and remembering to pick up my plaid pants from the dry cleaner in time. Here all these guys were out ripping across lakes and bays and oceans, and I was huddled inside at my desk listening to the Dave Clark Five, drinking way too much coffee into the wee hours and attempting to learn this new thing called Photoshop on my brother's old tractor-sized Mac. It's provided me with some cool skills and talent, but I envy all of my friends who realized the freedom of the wind and the surge of a sailboat when they were young and impressionable and adhered to this lifestyle from the get-go. These guys and girls have continued to chase that unparalleled physical & mental rush for their whole entire lives only to get better and brighter - the best in the world now. Adapting to and shaping the climate of our current somewhat sexy state of sailing is a rewarding feeling I imagine, but would not be possible without years of experimentation, mistakes & triumphs, and miles and miles on the water. Now looking back, there was a time when the ocean was calling my name too, but I wasn't listening. I chose to obsess on popular culture and pursue a career in graphic design and branding. That's why despite literally missing the boat, it's a great pleasure for me to strenghten my bond with the water again after all these years. I've missed you old friend. The Sea is a powerful and mythical place and without any warning She has brought me back into her clutches. If I could go back in time and visit a 13 year old me, I'd tell myself : "Dude, I know that you think skateboarding and 7 Seconds are the best it will ever get, but you're blowing it, little me. You need to go SAILING right now. And besides... you are going to fall off your skate really bad in 1990 and hit your head anyway and you'll never pick up a skateboard ever again."
"...and little dude, 7 Seconds will end up kind of sucking."

I'm not completely green, I do get out there every now and then with my friends in SF for the basics and I've definitely made some progress over the years, but I easily fall into the 'media guy' role when I'm on a boat and I haven't had the time and resources to really attack the sport of sailing as a legitimate sailor and not just a well educated and well connected piece of rail meat. I'm not happy with this arrangement at all, but for the moment, my time is best spent on shore managing various media outlets for the guys who actually do sail. I am incredibly passionate about sailing and fairly proficient with the history and terminology, but I look forward to the near future when I am confident with my skills onboard a boat. ...and even though I won't ever get the opportunity to pull a Hot Tub Time Machine move to steer little me into the world of sailing, I have been provided with the extreme privilege of steering some of the fastest and most technologically advanced sailboats in the world. For me to be able to do this is a complete honor and a life-changing experience, and I know that my father is right there next to me every time. The fever for attacking the waves and the power of being at the helm is strong for sure, and once you've felt that lift, there is no denying the drug when an opportunity arises again.

Below are a few of my favorite personal sailing moments... I can't thank these guys enough for being so generous with their drug, for opening my mind and including me in on their world ...and most importantly imparting some of their invaluable wisdom & experience along the way.
Thanks to you I am now both thinking AND enduring. Cheers dudes.

Gitana 13 - Gateway Drug
2008 - San Francisco
Gitana 13 had just broken the Gold Route Record from NY-SF and I was invited onboard for their media/vip test sail a few days before they left for the SF to Yokohama record. Lionel Lemonchois and the crew were total dudes and happy to chat and share their experiences with all of us. I was well aware of the impressive history of the boat as former Innovation Explorer, Orange, and Kingfisher 2, and being onboard this legendary vessel was intoxicating. To increase an already perfect experience, Lionel and the guys got the boat up to 34 knots. This was my first experience sailing on a boat like this and the main reason I persued a career in the sailing world. I shot a rough little video clip below while we were flying in the open water outside the Golden Gate Bridge, a bit primitive but captures the moment. The photos of us flying a hull in the slot are thanks to Peter Lyons, more of his great work is at Peter Lyons / Lyons Imaging.
A few of my photos are here: G itana 13 in San Francisco

Alphena One - Shakedown

2010 - La Baule FR

After working with Loïck Peyron for a couple of years, we finally met in St. Malo just before the start of the Route du Rhum. He invited me to his neck of the woods the following week to have a go on a little day sailor he had a hand in designing, the very sexy Alphena One. It was a light wind day on the Bay of La Baule, a perfect opportunity to get to know Loïck a little better and get some sailing tips from the master himself. It was a memorable day out there for sure and I think we both came away from our time together with the conclusion that 1. I am a crazy American, and 2. I make a mean ballast. Many thanks to Loïck for taking the time and to Duff for the photo. Lots of great shots on Duff's site duffcomm. For more on Alphena Yachts have a look to alphenayachts.com

Energy Team AC45 - 6th Man Planking

2011 - Plymouth, England

While working for Energy Team France for the America's Cup World Series leg in Plymouth, they had me on as 6th Man during one of the races. A complete surprise from Loïck and Bruno, I had no idea this was happening until I was brought some foulies to the media center and ushered onto the support rib minutes before the race. Once on the AC45, the only debriefing I received was from Peter Greenhalgh who told me to "stay as flat as possible dude" ..thus, the AC45 'planking technique' was born. A good technique obviously, Peter Stoneberg had the same style as 6th Man with Yann & the guys in San Diego when we won our first race. Because of the surprise circumstances of my ride I don't have any pics other than the one of us above in a tangle with Aleph and Artemis courtesy of Morris Adant, but if you want to see my big helmeted head clumsily tacking across the AC45, have a look to this video below. Some of my photos of Energy Team are here: Energy Team ACWS

And for more from Morris Adant check out his site FlyPicture

Banque Populaire V - Training with Legends
2011 - Lorient FR
I returned home from Plymouth with Loïck, and still on a high from the fast and furious guest spot on the Energy Team 45, two days later I was scheduled to join him for a training day on Banque Populaire V with his other guest Luca Basani from Wally Yachts. They had just stepped a new mast on BPV and this was a little technical outing with the dream team to test everything. At one point Loïck gave me the helm while flying a hull at 24 knots. Talk about a white-knuckle ride. The boat performs beautifully even with a gringo at the wheel. Many thanks to Brian Thompson for the photo. Below is a nice video piece from the trip I shot and edited to thank the team, and here are a handful of photos from our day: Banque Populaire V Training Day

Race For Water MOD70 - Cam's Test Drive
2012 - Newport, RI
The night I arrived in Newport for the America's Cup, I met with Steve and Yvan Ravussin at the Black Pearl. They invited me and a friend onboard their boat the next day for a sail with Cam Lewis and photographer Billy Black. An incredible trip. The first photo above is me doing my best impression of Steve's relaxed helming style shot by John Saul. The second photo is a great onboard snap by Billy Black, one of the best maritime photographers around. Thanks for the pic Billy. Have a look at his site for some great sailing pics: billyblack.com

Oman Musandam MOD70 - The new Sid Vicious
2012 - Newport, RI
At the MOD70 KRYS Ocean Race warm-up party at the Newport Shipyard, Brian Thompson invited me for a ride on the Oman MOD70 the next morning, the team was doing some practice maneuvers for a couple of hours followed by a photoshoot by Mark Lloyd. Another great day, very cool to sail with Brian again and spend more time with Ryan Breymaier and Sidney Gavignet. At the end of the day, Sid (Vicious) entrusted me with the stick and I got Musandam up to 22 knots, hull flying. Big thanks to Meredith Erickson for snapping the action shot. A handful of of my photos from these trips in Newport are here: MOD70's in Newport and I also put together a cool video piece of my day on Oman for the guys: Training day on Oman Musandam (video)

l'Hydroptere - So THIS is flying...
2012 - San Francisco
As a thank you for some work I did for the uber-talented photographer Christophe Launay and the Hydroptere team, Alain Thebault & Jacques Vincent invited me onboard for an afternoon with the sailing team while the boat was in San Francisco. They had me out there during one of Christophe's photo shoot days (full gallery here: l'Hydroptere in SF by sealaunay) and it was such a privilege to sail in SF with these guys and to spend some good memories flying across the bay at 32 knots with Jean Le Cam and Yves Parlier. We were also joined by the record breaking speed-crazed kiteboarder Robbie Douglas, what a mellow cool guy. Thanks to Yves for the nice pic of me in the hot seat and to Christophe Favreau for the snap from the helicopter. More of Christophe's work here: christophefavreau.com

Hope to see you on the water very soon...
fredeagle
fred.eagle@yahoo.com

Food Photography & The Art of Irritation: Foodtography essentials: Ten Easy Steps to a newer and better you

2013-02-04T18:58:00.001-08:00

In 1989 I embarked on my first trip to Europe with my brother, a whirlwind vacation over the course of a month covering Paris, Zurich, Munich, Amsterdam, London and Manchester. It was a trip of legend, everything I'd hoped and planned on and everything we never expected, and more. and being a ragtag eighteen year old able to consume alcohol in fashionable european establishments was the butter on my baguette. I took full advantage of this brilliant foreign law.. and more.

But thanks to my youthful excessive american behavior and wayy too much of a good thing, much of those memories are a little foggy today. however I'll never forget our experience with my brother's friend JB...

JB was a photographer colleague of my bro, they had worked on several ad campaigns together for my brother's agency. I didn't know much about the man except that he was a handsome french dude, and that we were about to stay at his place in Paris for a few days..

After our arrival and walking through Paris for a couple of hours with our suitcases, it was time to hit up JB. We dug into our crispy fresh Berlitz guide for coordinates and were off to our new home for the next week. It was a short walk featuring the distraction of a couple record stores, but in an hour we'd arrived with a box of vinyl under our arms.

JB lived in a somewhat secluded spot in Paris a little group of very old houses which we found out later were formerly Marie Antoinette's stables. The buildings had been transformed into loft spaces and were infested with successful artists, several of them milling around outside when we strolled up. We found his place and hit the buzzer.

JB answered with a huge smile in a casual Parisian work outfit that screamed cool, and a perfect lock of hair hanging askew over his left eye. Some abstract 70's french noise-wave was coming from the stereo inside... "Come in, come in!" he said, "I'm right in the middle of a session"...

JB's loft was incredible. 50 feet high, stark white with stainless steel and hardwood, completely open with a kitchen area to the left and stairs up to his loft bedroom on the opposite side. His work area was the focal point of his environment, and currently there were three directional floodlights trained on a small cup of yogurt sitting on a white table. Forgetting my manners and with low blood sugar controlling my emotions, I said "Dude, that looks awesome, can I have a bite?"

He laughed. "You can, but you don't want to. It's plastic" ... He motioned over to a small side table which was his mixing station, and popped open his 'special effects' briefcase, filled with paints and polymers, tongue depressors, brushes and Q-tips. "You see, in order to make food look good, it has to be TOO good." he said. "You need to capture the shine and the drips and the beads and that's impossible unless you can control it"

I remember thinking to myself that JB's briefcase had to be the coolest thing I'd ever seen. My mind was spinning on the possibilities of creating liquified striations on food that was too good. He took us into the kitchen and opened the fridge and pulled out a yogurt and said "but this one you can eat" and handed me a yogurt and spoon. It was the same brand and flavor of yogurt that he was photographing. "Hmmm.." I said.. "Is this your polite way of telling me that you need a model?" He answered with a smirky grin: "yes, I do my friend. do you know any?"

Pondering. Paris 1989

Seriously contemplating JB's magic suitcase at a Brasserie in the center of Paris in 1989, captured via my first inappropriate timer shot during a meal. My premiere foray into not actually eating my food, rather just mugging for the camera with it.

During the week of our stay at JB's, we had a vivid taste of 'the good life'. His flat was frequented by interesting artists, beautiful women, eccentric bohemians, and JB's taste in music and food was unexpected and perfect. His personal style was uneffected yet chic, utilitarian Paris high fashion. The dude was all cool.

At some point over dinner with two hotty girls from Amsterdam, I told JB: "I want to be just like you dude, how do you do it man?" ... He smiled and took a slow sip of his vodka and said.. "You need to be a food photographer"

Although the memory is burned into my mind, I failed to act upon what could have been my calling, that of a jet-set food photographer, dressed down to count, a camera and a girl on each arm and a briefcase full of my fake food imbellishing supplies.

While this lucrative career and comfortable lifestyle has thus far eluded me, over the past few years I've taken it upon myself to always have a camera in tow ready to document the day's events. Often that includes taking photos of food. Yes, I hesitate to admit it, but I'm one of 'those' people. I take pictures of my food. and other people's food. At first this behavior was met with grunts and rolled eyes, but as time went on it became natural for my dining companions. And now in a strange turn of fate, I've gone from the irritating guy with the little camera who keeps arranging plates on the dinner table while everyone is trying to eat, to the guy everyone invites over for dinner and "bring your camera"...

What's different for me, is that I have a few rules with myself about violating the intimate relationship of ingesting meals, and guidelines on how or why I should document that particular moment. If you see a photo on Instagram of a plate full of an unknown diarrhea-esque meal, it's definitely not me. I'm sure it tastes fantastic, but stop taking photos of that Vegan restaurant dudes.

So, why take photos of your food anyway? So hungry you can't control yourself? Loneliness? Boredom? Documenting your food so you can tally up your Weight Watchers points later?
For everyone involved in this silly ritual, there is a reason for the photo. Some better than others. Don't fall down the rabbit hole of blandness and make your food photos count. You don't have to be a professional photographer at a Michelin starred restaurant to put your food photos on the map. I am far-removed from a pro, without decent gear and with inexpensive taste in meals, but I like to have a little fun at the dinner table for sure.

Here are my Ten Golden Rules when committing the culinary photo nasty that will hopefully help you in your quest for that glistening meal pic without alienating your friends. You too could be one of those guys who should've listened to JB.

1. Set The Scene, interior design your meal

Rule Number One. With a little effort your photo capture could echo Baccus meals of ancient times, or blaze new trails with the synthetic dining imagery of a future world. Before you take the photo, mentally step back and compose the shot. Visualize the four coners of the camera frame and how everything is sitting to the camera's eye. Shift some things around, quickly but articulately. Think of JB's f/x briefcase and how to better treat the otherwise flat elements of the shot. Move the candle toward the food, strategically tilt the little desk light, move the fork, twist the pint glass so the logo faces away. Of course these tweaks are not always executed without someone's heavy sigh halting progress, but given a few short moments it's amazing what your little pocket-stylist subconscious can do when no one is the wiser. and if you end up getting the end result, you will never hear that intimidating sigh again. An important note here is that you are only as good as how well you know your camera. Whatever your hardware of choice is, iPhone, CoolPix, CyberShot, SLR, etc... make sure that you take the time to spend some quality learning experiences with your rig before embarking on confident decorative dinner table diversions. If you are in need of a camera upgrade, now is the time. Good little cameras are powerful and inexpensive. And they are everywhere. with everyone. Creativity and artistic sensibility are what makes the photos different.

Wait a second... I sound really serious about this food-photo stuff all of the sudden.

Giving Thanks. Thanksgiving. Isleton 2011
A last minute conceptual photo that materialized just as our dinner was hitting the table, impressing our dinner guests (assistants) and the cook (photographer). No one seemed to mind that once we had nailed the photo, the champagne was luke warm and the turkey was ice cold. The pie however was perfect. (perhaps because we didn't stop to take a photo of it). This is one of my favorite examples which demonstrates the essence of Foodtography.

Fishmas! - Christmas Dinner. SF 2012
Alberta and I were in no mood to cook, but the thought of a creative festive place setting was enticing. We made a trip to Trader Joe's for an assortment of fried seafood, some vegetables, and rum with needed supplies for Dark & Stormy's. The 'Merry Fishmas' concept didn't hit us until we were walking back from the store, at which point we gathered some river rocks from a hotel garden (which we returned later), cut some branches and twigs from a nearby yard, and hit the hardware store for some cheap blue lights.
Arranging our table was just as fun and gluttonous as eating all that fried fish.

Red Velvet randomness for my girl. SF 2011
A few days after her birthday in September last year, on a rainy blue mood kind of day, I thought it would be nice to surprise Berty with a little something special for no reason. I dug out one of our vintage tablecloths and a swanky pop LP, swiped one of her cool lights from the left side of her vanity, dished out some birthday cake, and whipped up two coordinated cocktails made with pomegranate juice, vodka and mint. I snapped a photo and posted it to facebook, waited a few minutes and then said "Hey honey, have you checked your facebook? Someone just posted a photo of you". While she was checking her page, I put on the record and walked into the bedroom with the cake and the cocktail... (note to dudes: chicks lovvvve stuff like this, just remember to return the vanity lamp to it's original location)

Oysters on the mortar shell. 4th of July, Vinalhaven Island, Maine 2011
In direct contrast to the forced ambiance and premeditated actions mentioned above, this oyster photo was a complete accident with no adjustment required. On the 4th last year, I spent the holiday back east at the family home of sailor Cam Lewis. Cam is beloved for being notoriously a little nuts, and that weekend in Maine gave me an intimate sampling of this behavior. He is totally crazy in the best ways possible. On the evening of the 4th, he hauled a massive box from the shed and declared that it was fireworks time, and all of us dudes began to wire up the display on a piece of plywood with one large fuse. About halfway through the procedure, the ladies came from the kitchen with a platter of fresh oysters and silently set them in the middle of our workspace, Cam didn't miss a beat, with pliers in one hand he grabbed an oyster with the other and slurped it down as if firework time and oysters were a family tradition. It was such a cool moment. I pulled out my camera and snapped a shot. It was a dark night out there and a crappy photo. I couldn't miss the opportunity so I had Xavier run into the kitchen for a flashlight and we illuminated the setting a little better. Still not a perfect photo but we captured the random decadent yet sleazy ambiance of gunpowder and oysters.

2. Friendly Persuasion. Take the helm

Put aside your kajagoogle too-shy tendencies and become the master of ceremonies. It doesn't take Dine Juan to romance the table into thinking that your pending food photo is a brilliant idea. A little complimentary and creative manipulation goes a long way in helping you shed that foodphotogeek personna that's been dogging you. Think of things this way: If it's a good pic, they will love it. If it's not a good photo, at least everyone had a fun experience during the procedure. There are several ways to incorporate real living people into an otherwise mundane picture of stagnant food. Involve the table, specifically the host or the guest of honor. Or someone that couldn't be there. Or a household pet. These techniques work especially well during birthdays or family gatherings. But realize that no one is going to do this stuff for you. It's up to you man. Step up to the plate and orchestrate that killer photo while including everyone in the process.

French guys with French fries. Sausalito 2011
A visit to SF from France from my right hand colleague Pierre and friend Tim, a brilliant day sailing with John Saul onboard a 38' Wyliecat tester for Bearmark Yachts. This photo was taken at the great Cafe Roma just outside the harbor in Sausalito after our little sail. We were having a blast. And it shows. This photo is just one of many images throughout their stay that I look at and makes me feel warm and fuzzy with a bit of nostalgia. I love those dudes. With every action there is a reaction. DON'T take photos of your crappy times.
DO take photos when life is good and in full swing.

Oysters with Wind Report. Salon Nautique, Paris 2010
While in Paris in 2010, I tagged around with Loick Peyron for a day while he buzzed around the main hall. His freestyle public presence is something to be admired for sure, I tried to soak it all in while I tailed his erratically elequent and organized hummingbird behavior darting around the perimeter of the boat show. As Loick and I spun around to the Wind Report stand, I spotted a tray of oysters out of my peripheral vision with my internal oyster-cam. "I'll be there in a minute dude" I said. Loick nodded and kept walking into the back area. I bellied up to the oysters, greeted my host, and was sampling my first french oyster while he poured me a flute of Mumm champagne. I smiled inside, Here I was accompanying a living french legend at the best boat show in the world, casually sipping oysters and champagne behind red velvet ropes.. I needed a pic for posterity. I sized up the scene through my lens but something wasn't right. Instinctually I began arranging the oysters and the lemon wedges around the tray a little.
The dude in the pic is Florent who slyly cackled out of the side of his mouth french-style, equally startled and somehow pleased with my spontaneous oyster design...
"Wait," he said.."Did you really just put that lemon in front there because it's better for the photo?" I nodded confidently "Yup." He shook his head and smiled in a very "that's so retarded and ridiculous yet totally cool" way, and mumbling to himself, he left to go find someone to share his observation of the crazy American micro-styling the hors d'oeuvres. He returned with an inquisitive Yannick, just behind him was Loick. Florent explained his findings with joyous sarcasm, pointing to me and my camera and the oysters. Yannick knowingly looked at me and rolled his eyes. Turning to Loick he muttered something in French and pointed to me... Loick looked at me and recoiled his massive eyebrows and said "Oh No! Not Zeees Guy!" and made a beeline for the opposite direction. Without question I was the crazy Yankee at the boat show that year. It was a really cool little snippet of time that would've been lost unless I'd taken this photo. And arranged the lemons.

Feelin' Fine. Isleton 2010
And we were. It was Berty's birthday, a beautiful day in the Delta. We'd just come in from swimming and it was time for drinks and dessert and the great unveiling of Berty's present. Somehow by fate's hand, we'd ended up with three different birthday cakes, two of which we'd been slowly attacking with forks while they sat in the fridge over the long weekend. When it was time for the candles, we were unsure which cake to apply them too. Wait, I thought. We have three cakes. What's a good three-letter word that says Birthday? I started slicing fruit in preparation to spell out some letters with the candles on the top of the cakes when it hit me: O-L-D.
The fruit was sliced and arranged, the candles put in place, all we needed was a surface for the birthday girl. Hey, my present! That year I was gifting Bert with my most-cherished and coveted 70's lucite bar cart. It was perfect. We set it all up, wheeled out the cart onto our patio, lit the candles, put a flower in Berty's hair and handed her a bottle of American Honey. The sun was just setting and the photo is a bit dark but it was a very happy moment of celebration. (The O-L-D on the cakes wasn't a big hit, but the lucite bar cart sure was)

Pizza at Sodini's. SF 2010
This restaurant is one of my favorite haunts in San Francisco. In the heart of North Beach, there is always a nice electricity in the air as we arrive for dinner, Sodini's is usually full of lively types enjoying their meal amidst the Rat Pack clutter, crooner classics booming from the Hi-Fi. And who doesn't love crayons and butcher paper tablecloths? Highly conducive to a fail-safe food photo. This one falls under the "celebrate someone who isn't there" category. This is just one photo of an ongoing series, whenever we are at Sodini's we like to give a nice crayon tablecloth shout-out to my friend Duff in Talmont St. Hilaire.

Macho Cheese. Isleton 2012
This one is bittersweet. One of our final photos taken at our awesome house at Ox Bow Marina in the Delta, a house that had been in our family since the 70's. Another sunny day, this photo taken after a nice swim just as the sun was dropping down behind the farmland across the slough. We made some sort of melted cheese thing and sat on the porch reflecting and having some drinks until it was dark. There was no moon that night and I can still see the bright stars peppering the sky above our heads and I feel the crisp night air and the emotional time it was for us. Normally this photo would make me very sad. But then, like magic, there is a LOL-dog in there and I can't help but smile looking at his little brown head. When in doubt, go for the dog move. They are irresistable. Macho is my ju-ju for an otherwise difficult occasion.

3. Utilize The Floor
It's a proven fact: good things happen on the floor. Twister. love-making. Linoleum. basketball. naps in front of the television. food pics. Food pics? Sure. Another clever move that will keep them guessing... head for lower ground. This can be a delicate maneuver, but executed properly and you have a winner on your hands. Some interesting results can be achieved when your focal point deviates from the dinner table and heads downtown...

Wine with Napoleon - Paris 2010
I had arrived at my friend Gentry de Paris' apartment near Rumbateau one cold evening, our world's unexpectedly colliding in the City Of Lights. We hadn't seen each other in over ten years and we both were experiencing a distinctively French twist on our lives at this moment, it was a happy reunion and cause to celebrate. At the time Gentry was a well-known burlesque dancer and rabid Parisian socialite, always at the forefront of chic style and wit. It was a bit of a surprise then, when she answered the door in a robe sans makeup. "Dude, why didn't you dress up for me?" I joked. She bit back: "Shut up and pour us a glass of wine, I'm totally in the middle of adjusting one of my costumes." I couldn't find a wine glass to save my life until I noticed a mismatched pair sitting on the floor next to an empty dog bowl, obviously abandoned en-route to join the other dirty dishes in the sink. Instead of picking up the glasses, I opened the bottle and sat on the floor and poured us each a tug. Hearing the commotion, Gentry's pet pug Napoleon scurried out to greet me wanting in on the action. I found his bag of food and poured him a small amount in his bowl marked "RABBIT" ... Gentry came from the bedroom half dressed in a bejeweled gown of her own design, with safety pins in her mouth mumbling for some assistance. I obliged, we gave each other a big hug and not questioning the odd placement of our wine, she stooped awkwardly down for one of the glasses, chugged it and said "thanks dude" and walked back into her bedroom to continue her costuming. Napoleon followed. I sat there on the floor chatting with her for the next half hour, her muffled voice dishing the dirt from the next room. It was a retarded moment. So perfectly representative of the ease and familiarity of our friendship and the ridiculous circumstances that we've experienced over the years. I snapped the pic.

Sushi with a good backbeat. Paris 2011
I accompanied my friends French Boutik to their band practice in the 11th to snap some photos and hear their new tunes. On the way I realized how extremely hungry I was and stopped into a small sushi place for something to go. While waiting for my food, I popped across the street for some cider. I picked up my bag of sushi and when I arrived at the practice spot, I sat on the floor opposite the band and began to eat. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Gabriela's tambourine and maracas and scooted them into the frame. I spent a few minutes fiddling with the setting and snapped a photo at which point I gazed up at the band and they were all looking at me laughing. Instead of defending my makeshift percussive sushi composition, I distracted them with some california rolls and a swig of cider. Which I served from the floor.

Plouf Patio with the Pooch - SF 2012
Now mind you, as I sort through these photos I realize another disorder has developed throughout my cozy relationship with my camera. I cringe to think that I am also becoming one of THOSE guys too. The "omg my dog is so cute look at heem" guys. Except unfortunately this isn't a guy thing at all. It's a girl thing. Especially when the dog in question is a long-haired chihuahua. At some point I will tell you all the long sorted story of how Macho the rescue dog came into my life but this is not the time nor place. But rest assured, when I do unload this emotional tale of love and struggle and victory, your heart will melt and you will love him as much as I do. This type of little dog would be the last on my radar of pets to own, but sometimes life dictates circumstances that are beyond one's control. Thankfully I am confident in my sexuality or I might feel a little strange with the magnetism that my dog & I have on other men. I never realized the dog park was such hot cruising grounds. It doesn't help that his name is Macho. But I digress, we are talking about this photo. Dude. it's oysters AND a dog. and he's on the ground. Slam-Dunk. Just someone please call my ass out if I ever change my Skype name to 'MachosDaddy'.

The Kat that ate The Kanary - Thanksgiving 2011
When I see photos like this it makes me realize how rad my friends are. It's a very comforting feeling to have people close to you with an understanding for the absurd and a desire to participate in your joint vision of scenarios that are stupid cool. After my extremely taxing pre-dinner session featured in the first photo of this blog, Kenji took it upon himself to cause a little photo-inconvenience of his own. The table was just about cleared except for the turkey, I was popping off some macro shots of the flowers and leaves when Kenji declared it was his turn for a Thanksgiving photo souvenir, he promptly laid down on the floor as if in extreme pain from overeating. It was a great shot. Then he growled "Me.Want.Turkey" in a Cookie Monster-esque voice, and Alberta put the tray of turkey on his chest. Again another great shot. But when he tore of a piece of the bird and shoved it in his mouth I knew we had a winner. Floor success yet again. But in this instance, it's not so much the dude behind the camera, it's the dude in the photo. Guys like Kenji are a diamond in the rough. Treat these dudes well and be thankful you have them in your life to share these retarded moments. Someday they might not be there to sprawl at the foot of the dinner table when it's time for the money shot.

4. What Not To Photograph

You are what you eat, don't be a lonely fatso with a trigger-happy smartphone.

Don't be a super-sized American in a foreign land photographing your crepe.. Or the Instagram portrait of a tragic alcoholic. Or a diabetic spinster. With no money.

This rule is very straightforward:

We all eat breakfast. We all eat lunch. And we all eat dinner. ...and we all snack.

Why do we need to see pictures of you doing this if the subject matter is less than stellar?

Snacks seem to be the biggest problem here.

Think twice before exclaiming "OMG YUMMMM!!!" while uploading that photo of your Dr. Pepper and Twix bar (but if it's a Mr. Pibb and Red Vines? - Rock it bro, that sh!t is crazy delicious)

Besides these key points, there are many different food items that simply do not photograph well due to texture and/or lack of color or contrast. This includes (but not limited to): refried beans, hummus, baba ganouch, lentils, mashed potatos, whipped cream, melted butter, pudding, gravy, most sauces, and creamed spinach. I will save you from the eyesore and refrain from posting any of these particular infractions.

Super Size Me. The Sonics in Paris, Thanksgiving 2012
Politics and food don't belong together. Except in France. This is especially true for opinionated food-oriented initiatives such as free-range, foraging, foie gras, kosher, buy local, and fast food. Somehow the french can intelligently discuss these matters with rabidly conflicting opinions while leisurely absorbing the comfort and civility of food and wine. The french may have very strong stances which incite borderline arguments, but however opposing their feelings may be, they are never important enough to eclipse hospitality and the enjoyment of each other's company. There almost seems to be an intellectual challenge afoot when the frenchies gather together in the presence of food. In the States we can't pull this off, feathers get ruffled and emails get sent, and the following day someone has or is soon to be 'unfriended'. We are too damn sensitive for political sparring, and too boisterous to keep it together when a button gets pressed. Much like religion, food and politics don't work well together. Well, unless it is Food AND Religion or Food AND Politics, in which case Christmas, Thanksgiving, Sabbath, Easter, Hannukah, dinner with Bill Clinton, and peanut butter celery sticks with the Dali Lama all have their place among food photo's best.

"Dude, check me out, I'm a sloppy pig" August 2010
My birthday was a simple one in 2010. After sleeping well until the afternoon and slounging around the house all day, I had a couple of friends over who were sharing my lazy mindset. We did next to nothing for the entire night, climaxing into actually putting on shoes and driving to Jack In The Box (followed by a commando run through the truck stop mini -mart just in case The Box wasn't fulfilling enough). Back at the house, we were eating our (equally luxurious and wretched) birthday treats and it struck me how incredibly gross it all was. I took a pic. And it's gross. Dinnergeddon. We all have those days of corporate comfort food convenience and we can all relate, but these types of images only confirm what a sad culture we can be. So please, let's all promote positive foodtography instead. If you are being a pig, don't take a photograph of it.

Toast and Gaviscon. London, 2011
I was staying in London with my good friend Jesse Armstrong who writes the Peep Show TV series on BBC. I hadn't seen Jess since 1990, when the aforementioned Europe trip with my brother crashed into Jesse, Julius and Jason's flat in Manchester at the height of the baggy mad scene. It was an outrageous week of questionable liquids and revelry which I wouldn't trade for the world. Now in our 40's and Jess and Jules & Jas living up to their dadrock potential with kids of their own, it was high time for a proper catch-up. The evening began in pubs around London and rapidly deteriorated (got brilliant) once we arrived back at Jesse's home. We stayed up most of the night even though the dads had appointments the next day. This is a photo of my breakfast at around 10am. A dis-harmonious landscape of messy eating, alcoholism, and digestive disorders. However much fun we'd had on our marathon reunion binge, this wasn't the way to capture it. I look at that piece of toast and instantly I'm transported back to that table, sweating and miserable, head spinning and pounding, trying to choke down some toast so my stomach didn't cave in on itself. I much prefer looking at the photos from earlier in the evening. And I do. Moral of the story, if you are too drunk to make a wise decision behind the lens, don't take a photo. Or if you do, save it and laugh about it later with your fellow drunkards du jour, but please don't upload it online. Every Instagram filter possible can't prevent you from you and your friends looking like total drunk asses.

Der Sea Dog. Oakland 2010
We've learned our lesson about not posting fast food photos, this only cements the sentiment.
Staying with my friends Jon & Karen in Oakland for the weekend, and the day after a sailing event, I opened the Sunday paper and there was a coupon for the new featured 'Der Sea Dog' at the crappy hotdog joint Der Wienerschnitzel. It seemed like the perfect tongue-in-cheek Sunday Brunch to cap off my regatta experience from the day before. "Dudes. We HAVE to go." I showed them my coupon and it was agreed. Yes, dude. we had to go. We arrived singing sea shanties and I even ordered like a pirate "Yearrrg, we'll 'ave three der sea dogz matey!!!" ... (the hispanic cashier was not impressed but I was undaunted, I figured she had heard the pirate routine before). We received our order, I unwrapped the puny things and took a bite. It was simply one of the most hideous and disappointing 'food' items that I've ever had. Completely nasty cold particle-board 'fish', stale bun, wilted lettuce, and tartar sauce so old that had a crispy outer shell. I wanted to cry. Or run. or vomit. So what did I do instead? I took a photo of the monstrosity. Now when I look at this image, I'm overcome with feelings of despair, acid reflux, and the distinctive pungent smell of the Der Wienerschnitzel floor cleaner. Never again.
As with the birthday food gorge photo: If it's not a good memory in the first place, do yourself a favor and don't photograph it.

Hairy Shrimp. Oakland 2010
At another food photo mishap at Karen and Jon's, the lovely Safeway shrimp platter we'd selected came with a surprise side of forensic evidence. Except it wasn't on the side. It was ON the shrimp. A beautiful specimen of dark brown hair just sitting up there taking in the view of two dozen shrimp. The main problem with this photo is that none of us noticed the hair while eating the shrimp. Only after I had posted the photo on facebook and our friend Dawn (who was there) squeeled how gross it was did we all spot the hair. Even though the two events were months apart, I wondered if it was the disgruntled girl from Der Wienerschnitzel at the other end of that piece of hair who was trying to get me back for my self-involved pirate-speak. (same hair length and color, hmm..)
Thankfully, at the time we were actually eating them, the shrimp were terrible and we ended up throwing that tray away. Damn, here if we'd known that they came with bonus hair and eczema, we'd of finished those little suckers!!
This is an important one, for your health and for your public image. Don't take a photo if your food has unwanted or humanly-shed substances in or around it.
The message here is twofold, not only do you need to keep a CSI out for foreign bodily discharge on your food, you need to be a good detective once the photo is online. If your food looks questionable, so do you.

5. The Doritos Clause
For some reason capturing this iconic brand of overly-seasoned snack triangles in various environments is an endeavor embraced by the public conscience (and even championed in some weirdo circles by fan-girls of the deleted and recently reborn Taco Flavor). People are crazy nostalgic for these orange devils. The sub-genre of Taco Bell photos has also been widely accepted, maybe due to their crossover capacity or because it's another fast Mexican snack that Californians hold dear to our hearts... our little guilty comfort zone. Everyone can appreciate these brands, so if the Doritos are flowing the film should be rolling. But take these photos while you can, perhaps the main hook for Doritos some years back was their pioneering marketing trend of Limited Edition Food (Mountain Dew flavored Doritos anyone?) ... This trend thrives today across many different food mediums and we have the Doritos team to thank, specifically the flavor geniuses and graphic designers responsible for the bizarre Doritos presence in the asian marketplace. Have a look at this formidable repertoire of weirdness for a deeper feel for this initiative: 35 Strange Doritos Flavors From Around The World

Tease-o-Rama - Isleton 2009
Gentry was having a difficult week in Paris, experiencing intense withdrawls from some of the things that make America the place to be, namely Doritos, Taco Bell, and Nutter Butters. As an homage to her unfulfilled desires for the spicy, creamy, and cheesy, I rallied the culprits and paired them with a bottle of Veuve Cliqcout. Adding Gentry as my screensaver and slapping a Bertrand Burgalat LP on the turntable to set the mood was almost like fine dining with her in real-time, except without the cute twisty smile and the snarky comebacks.

High Numbers - Oakland 2010
Another homage to another favorite girl with a Doritos fetish, this one was snapped for Carrie Swing, somewhat of a victory shot featuring the newly reissued Taco Flavor now in handy 99cent size. Karen and I had stumbled on this bounty at her local corner store ripe for the picking and so we picked up the lot. or at least like $8 worth. In another configuration this photo would just be a grouping of bags or snack shelf fodder, but add the incongruous pizazz of the groovy tv tie-in hardcover and surely Carrie was frug-ing and jonesing at the same time. It's a shame that she was never able to actually enjoy any of these Doritos with us, if memory serves me correctly these bags all ended up empty and wedged in between Karen's box springs and the bedroom floor.

Jacked - Macho at home in SF 2011

Fiery Fusion - Macho at home in SF 2012

6. Join The Club
What better way to fine-tune your food fixation than to spend time with other weirdos just like you? Surely there are several 'normal' channels and organizations for championing good food and socializing, however in the case of my friends and I, we much prefer to get a little jiggy with jell-o and ambitious with aspic. The Mid Century Supper Club parties were born from a longstanding mutual passion for 50's and 60's culture and the recreation of classic and often defunct dishes culled from vintage magazine ads and recipe books. Originally started by a flickr group of four women with fine taste who were inspired by the blog "My House is Cuter Than Yours", thanks to Jennye Garibaldi and Karen Finlay the concept perpetually took on a life of it's own by way of hosted parties to promote the spirit of mid-century cooking and entertaining. These gatherings began as an outlet for trying something new while meticulously bringing those 50's & 60's graphics to life as real three-dimensional (and hopefully edible) modern creations. Authenticity and presentation were the key to success, prizes were awarded after the group had sampled and voted on each others dishes. Every Supper Club event had it's own theme, and guests were encouraged to adhere to the concept and arrive in festive attire. Somewhere along the way the shindigs took a little turn for the outrageous and now the campy characteristics of mid-modern have arrived front and center. Not surprising when you've invited a room full of super creative artistic types in the first place and then asked them to bring strange food... things were bound to eventually go haywire in the best ways possible. It's always a blast to see what people come up with at these parties. What started as a charming idea featuring harmless meatloafs and deviled egg trays has blown up into adventurous guests bringing display tables, animatronic dolls, and LED illuminated gingerbread. And the staunch retro-correct purist in all of us is totally cool with it. In our idyllic extended nuclear family, it seems mid century food appreciation is a gateway drug opening the mind's-eye to post-modern tendencies and a flair for pop art.
Massive gratitude to the four original torchbearers (charm and poise, eartha kitsch, julia & miss retro modern on flickr) for changing the way we look at our food. For more stylish madness have a look to the Mid Century Supper Club

Baby Doe's edible flocked christmas tree lot - MCSC Holiday Edition 2012

A snapshot of the table as things were just getting going - MCSC Holiday Edition 2012

Persuasive Potluck Goes Latin - MCSC Lounge Key Party 2011
One half of a mid-century themed DJ coffin featuring vintage teak record decks 'playing' the food. This was the turntable on the left hand side... chips and guacamole spinning around in a bowl made from a melted LP.

"I got 2 turntables and a quesadilla..." - MCSC Lounge Key Party 2011
Now we crossfade to Persuasive Potluck deep in the groove. The record player on the right had it's auto-play return arm stacked with six quesadilla 'records', each 'playing' a different flavor, in between the two decks was a 'mixer' featuring salsas and condiments. Resting on the floor and slid below the formica and teak DJ table, underneath each record player were the boxy acrylic dust covers for the decks, turned upside-down and filled with ice, Jarritos, Tecate, Dos Equis, and horchata. Ole!

Liberace Ham Salad with musical statuette - MCSC Holiday Edition 2012

Pineapple Upsidedown Kook - MCSC Tiki Party 2009
Me posing with another eye-popping and jaw-dropping creation from Enid, our current reigning dish queen for the Mid-Century Supper Club and my creative nemesis when it comes to the vote count. Enid and I have developed a healthy rivalry over the years, she sure knows how to clean up at the awards ceremony.

7. When To Say When
Here comes the grunt..
There will come a time when despite your playfully innocent camera-toting motives and festive demeanor, your friends are having none of it. Don't push your luck. Reputations are easily soiled by a failed attempt of capturing the moment. The main disturbances that cause your friends to turn on you are: excessive staging of plates and food, making people pose (dude no, hold your fork like THIS), not having your camera ready when everyone else is, and making your friends wait to take the first bite of their meal because you are scrambling to get a picture in before the utensil breaks the surface of a dish that is rapidly getting cold. Be very wary of this behavior and learn to recognize your friends seething disgust behind those fake smiles. This is when 'that guy' becomes THAT GUY. If the mood is not right, it's just not right. It's not going to get any better. Put the camera away. I know it's difficult, but when things smooth over, you'll be able to re-introduce the camera (usually that same night when too many drinks have been poured and everyone is in the loosey goosey pocket together)

Pensive Cheesecake. Paris 2012
Much to Gabriela's frustration, I couldn't get this photo right. What started out as a wonderful dessert between three friends, at this moment was slowly sliding downhill into the danger zone. I should've picked up on the signs right away, but at this point it was too late. To increase the pressure, somehow on the way to the restaurant, I had bumped my camera and accidentally changed a setting, but I wasn't sure what had been changed. Meanwhile, the glorious strawberry dessert sat there idly oozing as I fumbled with my camera. I persisted, even fending off their probing forks so I could get the shot. Not a good road to take, especially because I I still couldn't nail it...

Then Serge had this to say about my obnoxious photo styling:

okay okay dude, I deserved that...

Rum and Tonic. Paris 2012
Presumably sensing the tension in the air, as we went to the bar to settle up, the owner had set out five shots of Père Labat rum. Three for us, one for the waitress, and one for himself. Because of my failure to perform during dessert, I was anxious to photograph his presentation at the bar before we all drank. But I had learned a valuable lesson. This time, I popped off one quick photo and without looking at the result, promptly put the camera in my jacket. There are certain intimate imbibing moments that are best not documented if you don't have your act together behind the lens. And if you feel like your camera might be obtrusive and making people feel uncomfortable, chances are it is. Never go for the hot photo at the expense of your guests, it's best not to challenge the rhythm of the evening. With the camera asleep inside my parka, everyone was free to socialize without fear that our every sip and bite was being documented. We ended up standing at that bar with the owner for another round, by the time we were ready to leave, we were feeling pretty buzzy and in top spirits. The stupid dessert incident from just an hour earlier was all but forgotten. And as luck would have it, this one pic that I shot couldn't be better. It perfectly catches the mood. Be good to your camera, he's got your back in a pinch. This was actually a big turning-point for me and a good lesson on how to gauge the situation and be respectful to everyone else.
If you build it, they will come. Don't be a rookie and kill the mood.

Dude. Stop. Oakland 2011
In a similar situation, a disgruntled Jon who's been watching my tedious garnish arranging finally calls me out on my behavior, and strongly suggests with this bottle-thrusting gesture that I put the camera down and pour us a glass of wine instead of a glass of dill.

Fajita Downer. Alameda 2011
It's later that same evening and I still haven't taken the hint. Check out the body language and facial expressions in this pic as the tension comes to a boil. Jon is completely ignoring me. Karen is sullenly taking a bite of her food slow and disappointed style, the silent-treatment is in full effect on her end. And my brother is about to snap, you can see his mouth forming the 'f' word as in "put the f'ing camera away or I'll put it away for you"... it even seems as though he is about to backhand me here. I got the message alright. Things slipped back into a normal groove once I put the camera away.
Sometimes it's just not meant to be.

8. The Old Cupcake On The Foot trick
Only under extreme conditions should you attempt this move, this is reserved for when you've pissed everyone off at the dinner table beyond repair except your lover and/or the person you came with. (who are only mildly pissed because they know you so well). If you came alone, your nearest default friend is your waiter or the youngest person in the room who has big enough hands to hold a cupcake. If you are unsure if ANYONE likes you anymore, this move needs to be executed solo. The idea is to choose a partner to either: A. place a cupcake unknowingly on someone's foot, you snap a pic, B. leave the room quietly with you to stage a photo of a cupcake on their own foot to show the table, or C. bake a cupcake or purchase one so you can attempt A or B. In every different scenario, cupcake flavor and footwear victim may vary, but when your friends see you photographing a cupcake on someone's foot shortly after you've made a dick of yourself for food pics, they don't know what to make of it. They assume you are serious, realize you are taking the piss and voila: they love you again. It's comedy gold and your way of saying "dudes, I'm sorry, I know I'm being lame with the food pics, I think you misunderstood.." putting the blame on missed-signals and gold-intentions via a little healthy comedic self-depreciation. Sometimes you just need to take one for the team.. Everyone has a personal trigger that flips them from being super upset to having fun and going with the flow. A cupcake on the foot is a universal trigger. Hilarity will ensue, and in some rare cases cats will lose control of their bladders & women will swoon at your room-melting prowess. (see below)

BEFORE (cupcake on chelsea boot)

AFTER (putty in my hands)

9. All you need is love
It seems that some of my most successful food photo ops have occurred under the pretense of romance and minimal finance. Creative platters happen when trying to do something special for my girlfriend without the financial means to be an obvious stud. It's a good thing Berty enjoys a little TV while dining in bed, I'm able to whip up impressive variations on the 'breakfast in bed' theme without a struggle, showcasing my flair for minimal extravagance in the comfort of my own boxers. These little portable trays of ad-hoc cuisine are often just glorified munchies, but with some effort on the presentation and a kiss on the check upon delivery, they've become an important component in our relationship. With our freestyle schedules there is never a proper time for tray service, rather these events happen organically or when I hear her squeak "I'm huunnn ggrrree" from the next room at any given time of the day. It's become a fun game to scour the kitchen for new ideas with old groceries and see what develops. This often involves a trip outside to snip some flowers for the setting, and maybe pick up a magazine from the newsstand to throw on the tray for her.
What's even better is she completely appreciates the gesture, understands the procedure, and on more than one occasion I've been on the lazed-out horizontal receiving end of one of HER magical trays. I much prefer these spontaneous meals over cooking a decent one, and having to arrange everything on a tray or nightstand feels like I've been given a three-dimensional canvas to paint with food. Being a terminal romantic, this is a challenge I attack with passion. Which causes me to mention to be forewarned that these moments are not always photo-friendly, crazy things can happen when you introduce food into a sleeping woman's boudoir. Expect spills, thrills, and pillow fights.

Love Is All You Knead. Valentine's Day, Isleton 2011 (before)
Valentine's Day has always been a special occasion for good and bad, it's Berty and my anniversary but it's also the day that we had my mom's funeral. Every year instead of succumbing to the melancholia of losing my best friend in the world and gaining my soulmate on the same day (though many years apart), I channel that confusing energy and put it towards something goofy and commemorative, something colorful and creative. Flowers are always present, sometimes even Hawaiian shirts which we wore to the funeral. With every death there is a dynamic rebirth to replace the loss, and for my family on Valentine's Day anything can happen. I know that my Mom is right there with me on that day, beamed down to earth to join us in the fun and craziness. On this day a couple of years ago, the date snuck up on me and I had nothing planned. Berty and I were stuck in the Delta on a beautiful sunny day with no car, no money and at the tail end of a grocery run from the previous week. We pooled our culinary resources and as we started pulling things from the cabinets and fridge everything just started to flow, we were having so much fun whipping up these little pizza breads, snacking on chocolate & cheese... picking flowers in the yard, all while grooving out to my makeshift DJ set. Then we stumbled on a bottle of Veuve Clicquot that I had stashed and completely forgotten about. There was no question that Mom was there with us. And she was living it up. We were living it up together.

Love Is All You Knead. Valentine's Day, Isleton 2011 (after)

Yup. Mom was there alright.

10. Warning: Burritos are extremely delicious

When making a run for the border, try to maintain a cool head dude. Channel that energy. You are on the verge of making some every foolish decisions, don't go into the first bite unprepared. Under NO circumstances is it wise to allow your burrito to be in charge. They will prey on you like a tortilla-wrapped succubus. Bring yourself a distraction. Burrito time is good ringtone changing time, or perhaps toting along a mexican mini-comic with the sexy cartoons is more your speed. Soduko if you must. Better yet, bring along a stack of your business cards and host an informal photoshoot...

Dipping For Dollars. SF 2011

If you decide that there is no way around photographing yourself with your little mexican roll of heaven for the world to see, keep it tasteful as illustrated in the image below. Notice the added stylish flair that Emma the Pomeranian adds to this particular photo, lackadaisically clutching her Bohemia bottle like a seasoned gringo at breakfast. And check me out. Totally in control. Inside I'm unraveling and wishing my hair was cilantro, my heart feels like a butterflied shrimp and I'm trying to come up with the best way to take a bath AND eat a burrito at the same time. And despite the rainy day ambiance of the pic and my too pale face, it was a bright sunny afternoon. Those would be the burrito sweats kicking in.

Puppy Love. SF 2011

I learned this the hard way. Upon returning from a 3 month trip to France completely devoid of the raw emotional power harnessed within the mighty burrito, I came into the situation like a vulnerable little boy with taste buds made of rubber, I ran into that burrito without any facial control whatsoever. I remember the smell then bliss then nothing. I don't even remember the photo below being taken, but obviously it was a good experience for both me and the burrito, though perhaps better suited for a bachelorette party gone retarded.

Let this godawful image serve as a brutal reminder of how not to artistically represent your food. Failing that, feel free to perpetuate burrito orgasmica at Burrito Love

Burritogate. Oakland 2012

It's important to make a distinction here. When and if you find yourself completely smitten with the food in front of you, provided that you are wearing a leopard coat with a pink cat-eared fur hood, a kingly costume-shop crown, and a suit and tie, all bets are off. Speaking from experience, you and those within a two foot radius of this regal outfit have somehow earned the disgusting privilege of smearing food wherever you see fit. Notice the similarities to the forbidden burrito etiquette and embrace the differences. Main one being: everybody loves a good cupcake. Even slammed into their face... frosting first. I've not tried this technique with other wardrobe ensembles, but I wager that anything along these lines is a good alibi.

1st Annual Leo Party, Redwood City 2009

And speaking of a good cupcake, here's a rack of beauties... I snapped the following photo during the filming of the popular Food Network show Cupcake Wars, recorded live at the America's Cup VIP hospitality area Club 45 on the waterfront in San Francisco. The victorious team of two lady bakestresses on site had just won the battle to create most aesthetically pleasing execution of an "America's Cup(cake)" ... And they were goodies. Those Golden Gate Bridge spans adorning the tops are pure white chocolate sitting on blueberry frosting. Well done ladies.

America's Cupcake Wars. SF 2012

And one final photo before we go. My favorite thing to eat (and photograph) is oysters.

I'm not sure who decided that these grotesque mud-dwellers were edible, let alone that they were considered a delicacy, but whoever you are: Thank You!

There is nothing like a platter of fresh oysters and drinks with good friends. Generally oysters aren't the best candidates for a sexy macro photo thanks to their somewhat disturbing vagina-like tendencies, but oyster presentation and ritual are always photogenic no matter where you enjoy them. And more often than not, once you pull out your camera for an oyster photo the rest of the table will follow suit.

Escapism. San Francisco 2012

With that, I wish a belated Happy New Year to my friends far and wide.

Here's looking at you from a chilly February window in San Francisco.

Happy eating and telling everyone about it...

-fred

fred.eagle@yahoo.com

This particular blog entry would be sorely lacking if not for the continued inspiration and participation from the following supporting cast of dudes & dudettes. For a different online universe have a look at what my mates are up to...

Miss Flighty, my main squeeze and mixology superhero: Cocktails on The Fly

Carlos Perez, ace face and ace friend, style for miles: Mod Male

Serge, Gabs, Zelda, Iky & Elian aka French Boutik, the now sound of Paris: French Boutik

My brother Billy, Trader Joe's artist by day, photographer by night, incredibly awesome 24/7: Mister Big Idea

Peep Show series on BBC, written by my mate Jesse Armstrong, largely inspired by a magical time in our lives.

Jess on twitter, always a good time: jessearmstrong1

My udder nutter from anudder mad mudder, Julius on twitter: trouteyes

Karen Finlay, hostess with the mo' stess, partner in crime and the twin sister I never had: 97 Things Blog

Jon Burchard, mod audiophile, top dude & Karen's better half: Like Dynamite To The Brain

Carrie Swing, mod as they come, makin' time, makin' trouble and makin' the goods: Carried Away

Gentry Lane, burlesquette and groovy gal around (many) towns: Gentry de Paris

Enid aka Froggy Boggler, undisputed queen of quality junk: FroggyBoggler

Baby Doe von Stroheim, an eagle eye for class, camp and culture: Devil-Ettes

Paula Wirth, professional foodtographer extraordinaire and creator of: Eat Drink Oakland

Kenji Kato, tech genius, future astronaut, part-time guardian angel: kenjikato

Le Duff, french sailing photojournalist & grand papa #twailor: duffcomm

Katy Davidson, a UK bird with a unique passion, expert in all things oyster: mangez moi oysters

Plouf Bistro - my favorite french spot in SF

Sodini's - my preferred little italian joint in SF

The ever-changing world of Doritos

you'll run into more of my pics & writing here:

the ac34 in san francisco

This Is The Modern World... Again.

2012-08-04T16:16:00.013-07:00

40 Year Old Sturgeon - Coming Soon to a Mod Gone Wrong near you

Mod seems to be everywhere right now.

And it is.

but the return of my brand of Mod started to kick into gear a couple of years ago...

Things started to get clever again for the Fred Perry creative department.

Paul Weller was back. Pretty and Green now but streamlined and vibrant with a striking new single.

An Adidas/Vespa collaboration was launched. Somewhat of a branding curveball which surprisingly worked.

The reunion show by East Bay mod heavies The Loved Ones at the Burritt Room in SF only perpetuated the rumblings of a colorful rebirth. Strobe lights and harmonicas crackled to life, and shapeless Mondrian-style dresses were boldly on the racks as if to confront the San Francisco nightclub fashion fog and the monochrome hipsters that swam there. The mood was engaging in the name of everything danceable and fun. But with a new found sophistication, we wouldn't let this exposure go the Austin Powers route again.

Digging the scene in Paris

What'cha Gonna Do About It. With little time to process the resonating mod rebirth, France again beckoned and I responded with an extended work/play trip. Third only to Italy and Great Britain on the mod hospitality meter, it is France who is responsible for the effortless element of contemporary suburban style. That devil may care finesse. In France the clothes hang differently. In France you don't fall down.

At this time France was giving us the early incarnation of pop modernist sextet French Boutik, we'd witnessed a blistering sold out live show at the Olympia in Paris by The Specials, and a proper scooter rally weekender in Paris went off brilliantly, the first of it's kind in many many years. As it would happen the development of a hot new offshore multihull sailing class called the Multi One Design aka MOD classe was percolating at the VPLP drafting tables in Vannes and in nearby Lausanne, SUI. While completely unrelated, the modernistic synergy was beginning to spark and click, a strong argument for the anomylous power of style and passion which Mod encompasses. Mod is indeed everywhere, but only if you have your presets saved.

Okay, who let the damn greaser get his bike in pole position?!

Nutty Never Dies. Wish we could say the same about the Gold Dust Lounge.

Rally. Once home again in SF, the momentum continued with a series of must attend live events, namely a crushing set from rocksteady pioneers The Skatalites in Oakland. Nutty Camden Town skankers Madness at The Warfield were the next night. and flawless. The next week brought a Film Festival showing of Quadrophenia on the big screen at the infamous Castro Theater. and then the weekend to follow, Paul Tunkin's legendary UK Blow Up club blew into town and blew up the Monarch bar with Paul at the helm of the ones and twos, and Cellar Doors providing us with a smoking set of distorto psych pop. The old SF mod crowd came out in force for all of it. We attended these events in fine style, paying our final farewell to SF's iconic Gold Dust Lounge with a cocktail gathering before Madness, and arranging a very memorable scooter ride to the showing of Quadrophenia.

Some things never change. Much of the old crew at the Orbit Room for the ride to Quadrophenia

Yerself is Steam. The now thriving Mod Male blog had found it's footing and a loyal audience.

Levi's revived their essential Sta-Prest line of trousers.

Scooter Rage celebrated it's 25th event.

PULP had an epic return to SF.

Back in the UK, Noel Gallagher was making some noize on the airwaves with his High Flying Birds and Amorphous Androgynous.

Andrew Lindsay turned his attention to footwear

It was still steady on in our humble San Francisco scene. The club nights 'Phonogram' and 'Mod Make Out' were getting traction.

Enter Bradley Wiggins, The Krys Ocean Race, and The Who announcing their North American Tour.

Prepare for takeoff.

Brit Paup. Much has been reported on Wiggo's rise to fame and his affinity for mod culture and I've honestly enjoyed having the radar tuned in. Always nice to hear soundbites of our little subculture making the news especially in the global context of a victorious Tour de France campaign. As expected there have been a few novelty and poorly researched editorials in the mix, but on the whole the Bradley Wiggins Mod connection has put a unique cultural veneer on the sport of cycling.

And as I write this, Wiggo has bagged the gold medal for the cycling time trial. Yep, he's Mad For It.

Oasis may be gone, but we get the Stone Roses back again.

Fair enough trade. My Ian for your Liam.

and I'll raise you a Wiggo.

Wiggo giving Brannif a run for their money for title of coolest Space-Age uniforms

The Real Me. As I enjoy to champion all things Mod, the opportunity to prop up the new MOD70 trimaran circuit became inevitable. Though the MOD70 sailboat class has little to do with the traditional mod scene, the pure intoxication one receives onboard one of these vessels will snuff out a handful of leapers. Why dabble in the artificial blues when you can call upon your reliable dealer ocean? These boats are the newest sexiest multihulls to have a go at the offshore circuit and as predicted the program is off to a smashing start, the Krys Ocean Race was sailed from NY to Brest, FR with much fanfare earlier this month. We joked with the british sailors about the MOD connection when we were in Newport and there are several similarities which propose a fun juxtaposition. As my friend Jean-Philippe says - "Real Mods ride bigger scooters" ... In this case sans wheels and mirrors, and injected with wind powered carbon fiber, but just as sexy and efficient as a decked out Rally GS. Have a look at this video I shot onboard the Oman Sail MOD70 'Musandam' ... If these are the new mod bikes, we've grown leaps and bounds in the style department. So perhaps this is an Aquaphenia for the new mod generation? However I'm not sure where to send these guys shopping for big enough mirrors!

Professional sailing has become my new Mod. It is my work and my pleasure. There is little to compare with the sense of community and camaraderie found in the sailing circles, and the mere concept that this sport is dictated by wind and weather and water gives us a romantic presence of freedom and mysterious adventure. It's new and invigorating to me. It brings me right back to scooter meetings and band rehearsals, and those not to be missed concerts of the 80's.

and just like those simple days of discovery, I can sail a wicked tune, but I am still a rusty trawler.

MOD 70 in flight - Onboard the 70 foot trimaran Race For Water / Multi One Attitude

Makin' Time. The announcement from The Who that they will be touring the Quadrophenia album in the US in the coming months was timely indeed and came hot on the heels of the 1 day only North American screening of the Quadrophenia 'Making Of' film. The band aren't in the Bay Area until February 1st, so that's plenty of time to re-apply all those old patches to the fishtail parka. A jacket which has seen as much action in 2012 as it did in 1987.

For you San Francisco residents, Pete Towshend's son Simon will be playing the Boom Boom Room on September 15th.

Simon has managed to channel Keith Moon in recent days. It's a difficult job as the drummer for The Who.

Power to the people. My mates French Boutik have returned this week from a two day stint in the UK supporting groove all-stars DC Fontana. French Boutik have just released their new EP which you really need to pick up.

The now sound of France

If you missed them live, perhaps you were cuddling with a cup of PG Tips and tucking in to the Olympic Opening Ceremony. We got a brief Mod101 refresher there, was especially nice to hear The Kinks, The Jam, et al soundtracking some highlights of the opening shindig.

I'm so sorry to say Paul MacCartney however was like listening to an amplified ill-fitting burlap crombie.

As much as I love Macca, it might be time for him to step down before he pulls a Bette Davis.

With every action there is a positive reaction... so bring on the new breed.

and a 70 foot trimaran for Sir Paul.

cheers,

fred

Big Ups to our SF home team Mod Deejays:

Carlos Perez aka Thee Mod Male stylin and profilin

Ground Control to Major Sean...

Rude Boys Out On Bail

Turntable Hooligans Miki and Liam up to no good. ...ever.

Part Mummy. Part Monkey. Russell always spins the fever

Mixtress Galine blows it up up and away

Image Is Everything • Part 1

2012-01-25T04:35:00.001-08:00

original jetski logo circa 1974

jetski in my mind - fred eagle at home in 1986

As a kid growing up in the middle-class suburbs of San Francisco in the 70's and 80's, creativity and originality seemed to greet me at every street corner, whether it be by punny advertisements at the local shops, clever bumper stickers on tricked out Volkswagen bugs and BMX bikes, or even via the cutting edge gardening techniques performed by Mrs.Whatsername and her legion of topiary-obsessed housewives. I found that every little thing in my young world had it's own style and substance and rhythm, from the slimy iridescent tracks left behind by a snail commuting across my driveway, to the manufacturing seam left behind on the arms and legs of my plastic Star Wars figures. My eyes were always wide open to receive these nuances, and for better or worse many of the corporate logos, advertising, fashion, and decorative elements of the period have been permanently wedged into my subconscious. I learned the value of stylish imagery at a very young age and my love for popular culture and design only gets stronger as the years continue.

I am the youngest of four siblings, my mom was a former TWA stewardess, an incredible woman who seemed to be able to do anything with her hands especially with fabric and textiles. She achieved her success as a teddybear designer and dollmaker, professional seamstress and decorator. She also moonlighted as a ravenous antique hound, though ravenous not by todays 'hoarder' standards, her acquisitions were without obsession and specialization nor greed, her collections were driven by human stories and emotions and love. My mom and I have clocked countless hours together both as vendor and consumer, often assuming the roles of antique host and parasite on the same weekend.
My father was also a designer and draftsman and managed his own plastic factory which specialized in vacuum-formed components for the leading electronics and computer manufacturers of the era. I spent many days at Dad's shop, a transformed quonset hut populated with a handful of employees controlling the latest milling and finishing equipment of the time. Dad would often fashion 'toys' for me out of plastic scraps, and one of my fondest rainy-day memories was dad holding and steering my hands at the upright sander, together customizing medical tongue depressors into 'boats' by sanding them into aerodynamic shapes and embellishing them with logos by drawing on them with various colored Sharpies. We'd then race them down the curbside gutter, our vessels propelled only by the runoff of the rainwater, cheering on our little guys en route to the gutter opening at the sidewalks edge (aka: the finish line)

My parents both had an eye for originality and distinction, each one exclusive in their opinions, and their wide eyes were only succeeded by their passion for creation and designing. I can't thank them enough for instilling in me a rabid sense of style, foremost in the way that they taught me how to appreciate art outside of the normal forums where one would recognize artistic talent. It wasn't in the staunch environment of art galleries and exhibits where I would see these great works, rather supermarkets, garage sales, thrift stores, classrooms, and in the odd decorative living room arrangements executed by the bohemian contemporaries of my folks. Because of this extensive informal training, I appreciate and dissect commonplace items and find artistic value in everyday visuals. Sometimes to a fault. It can be a little tedious or inappropriate seeing as I am unable to turn it off, but I guess I wouldn't enjoy life half as much if things were processed differently in my mind.

In 1977 my family purchased a vacation house in the California Delta which is a series of sloughs and rivers that cut and snake through miles of farmland to connect the SF Bay with Lake Tahoe. The Delta scene at this time was such an electric environment to grow up in, the height of the jet-ski hot-boat hobie-cat windsurf waterskier feathered hair leisure-activity boom. The graphics were loud and sexy and fantastic and they were everywhere. My radar was on constant alert and some of my earliest design appreciation memories took place in this waterworld, where I'd find the coolest examples of icons and logos on boats and in harbors and marinas and back-alley bait stores.

Around the age of 14, it became evident to me that my outside style inspirations were sharing similar elements, primarily 'shocking', 'fresh', 'fast', 'slick', 'minimal', 'sarcastic' and with a space age nod to pop history and nostalgia. This was in 1983 at the height of the UK New Wave music movement which I embraced thanks to the guidance of my older brother who was the creative director for a successful ad agency at the time. The New Wave cool-factor was only overshadowed by my affinity for old magazines, vintage clothing, atomic age memorabilia, and an understandable appreciation for the more gritty local punk scene simultaneously exploding in SF and Southern California. I was captivated by the different methods that bands would utilize to market their anger and their politics and brand their sexuality (or lack thereof) ...

The Residents - Eskimo - 1978

By the age of 16, I had arrived at what I felt was my mod/punk calling, striking a personal harmony with otherwise conflicting genres. This included coordinating transportation and I'd feel a sense of empowerment alternating between driving my flawless blue and silver 1978 Vespa or cruising on my thrashed pink Rob Roskopp skateboard. One day wearing a 3 button suit, crisp Fred Perry and Weejuns, and the next day sporting a plaid flannel, crumpled baseball cap and Vans.

This hybrid would continue in the years to follow, though I would often deviate to specialize, fixating on the finer qualities of each subculture and honing my appearance accordingly. I'd bounce between being super authentic mod or super militant punk, or both at once, and obsessively buy the records and the gear to complete the picture. It was a wonderful time of personal discovery, and actively searching for historical knowledge of vibrant yet fading subcultures in a time where one didn't have access to detailed information like we do today was always a challenge.

That said, thanks to these current modern technologies and generous kindred spirits uploading images and memoirs online, I am able to revisit these influential childhood representations of individuality without much of an effort. Seeing as info and statistics run deep, wide and thorough on the internet, I often learn considerably more about my favorites than I was aware of.

So without any further fanfare or posturing, I'd like to share with you a handful of the meaningful imagery old and new which captured my attention during these years. This will be a work-in-progress, to get to the heart of the matter will require some quality time with my collection and the scanner, but here are a few to begin with. Stay tuned, I will be adding more pics soon as they present themselves.

Image is indeed everything, but when backed with substance and intelligence, we find the ideal strategic recipe of: Everything and More

Hathaway Man advertisement - 1951

The Specials first album - 1978

France Gall - 1965

Adler Socks advertisement - 1962

Atari advertisement - 1982

The B52's first album - 1979

Charles Eames and Ray Eames - 1959

Braniff advertisement - 1966

Kraftwerk promotional ad for 'Das Modell' - 1978

Pirelli advertisement - 1959

Yves Saint Laurent mondrian dress - 1965

The Teen Idles - Minor Disturbance - 1980

L'Ethylique

2011-09-11T13:10:00.000-07:00

A spontaneous extended weekend on the streets of San Francisco with camera and my girl Miss Flighty... developed into an off the cuff and inspirational photoshoot for L'Ethylique, the new French sophisti-cocktail punk leisure lifestyle magazine from Paris. L'Ethylique is positioning themselves as the new voice for high fashion urban French glamour-trash with a blurred focus on alcohol, footie, love of all things gonzo, butterflies, and more alcohol... as seen through the lens of cheap red Ray-Ban knock-offs. It will be interesting to see how it takes off, apparently my official staff photographer business cards are in the mail, so we might see more images in the series.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the weekend:

Art Chantry Official : Coming soon to facebook

2011-06-28T00:34:00.001-07:00

Don't tell anyone, Art Chantry is going digital.

okay, well, just enough to host a proper home on the web mind you.

But you knew that. A digital approach to his creative technique would kill the mighty halftone beast we know and love. Art has meticulously cut & pasted his way into modern graphic design lore without drop shadow digitalism mucking up his vision and it never will. It's just that Art's constantly swelling body of work and his legion of supporters have outgrown their current organization. This is good news. No better time to manipulate the efficiency of today's commercial communication techniques to further the career of a brilliantly cynical man who should have his own island by now. Take that, Social Media. Chalk one up for the weird little artist guy.

One of the most imitated and distinctive graphic designers in recent memory, Art exists and thrives in his archaic methodical universe of defunct design equipment, insuring his design style to retain it's organic low-fidelity/high-energy appeal. Art Chantry's work is legend, his striking imagery a future throwback of 50's and 60's subculture nods neatly folded into a head-on bus crash with gritty street minded 70s punk rock. This graphics hybrid defined the Northwest music scene of the late 80's-mid 90's, and it's Mr. Chantry we thank for some of the era's most iconic artwork.

I've had the pleasure of working with Art lately, my jaw dropping at every turn while I put in a helping hand to get him up and running on his official facebook page. He's no stranger to the medium. Art has been affectionately snapping and biting at folks on his personal facebook page for awhile now, the decision to go 'pro' is a result of breaching his allotted 5 thousand 'friends' limit. Perhaps it's The Man's subtle way of letting him know it was time for things to change. Change? Art Chantry?
Well sure. While many people assume he would resist deviation from his habitual tendencies, I gather that Art is wide open for productivity and progression in certain aspects of his life. Those who know his reputation as a staunch classicist romanticize his existence and assume he resides in an abandoned military bunker like a Howard Hughes recluse, struggling to open cans of Olympia with his 6 inch long fingernails and burning his unsold screen prints in an oil barrel to keep himself warm. This is only partially true. Art has a nice pair of fingerless wool gloves and a flatcap to keep him warm too.

Art is oblivious to fame, and gross fortune has eluded him, but as a self-poclaimed 'crappist', that's probably a good thing. It's sufficient enough for him to be surrounded with the loads of cool
crap he does have, collected during the many phases of his ongoing residence as diy graphic design royalty. Most importantly, through it all, Art has not compromised his ideals, and for once that's not a cliché. It wouldn't suit him otherwise. However fleeting and talentless the current flavor of mainstream America is, its overwhelming presence can sometimes have a tendency to drag the best creative minds into paralysis, but with dudes around who have Art Chantry's electroshock intellect and affinity for the unique, we are all going to be just fine.

Here is a little preview of things to come, Art's page should be fully loaded by the end of the week. Come by and give the old timer a 'Like' would you? You won't be disappointed, there is plenty to do there. One of Art's photo albums has around 500 images, primarily pics of random graphic design oddities, each more intriguing than the next. Art provides a background and an identity for each with his own little editorial spin through a series of essays penned in his signature bitter magnetism ...

The Voice of a Generation.

Look familiar? A small sampling of the often-imitated designs of Art Chantry

Some of the subject matter of Art's essays . killer killer stuff

Putting out the fire with Chantryline™