Speed of Life

Notes on the Painting: A Balance of Shadows

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:25:35 PDT

We were not meant to survive. We were meant to live.

- W.S. Merwin

Gregg Chadwick

A Balance of Shadows

72”x96” oil on linen

A Balance of Shadows was begun in 2004 as a visual poem reflecting the tensions of our era. Today, May 24, 2012, I laid a thin transparent layer of lapis lazuli across a section of the sky. Sourced in Afghanistan, this precious stone, when ground into pigment, creates a radiant blue that has been considered auspicious in both east and west. The word depicted in Japanese script in the upper left section of the painting is satori. The word satori is a Japanese Buddhist term for enlightenment or "understanding". In the Zen Buddhist tradition, satorirefers to the experience of kensho. Kensho when used in Zen traditions refers to "seeing into one's true nature." Ken means "seeing," shomeans "nature" or "essence." Satori and kensho are commonly translated as enlightenment, a word that is also used to translate bodhi, prajna and buddhahood.

A series of interactions between this painting and viewers worldwide has taken place on the web. Poets, writers and artists from Brazil, to Hong Kong, to Greece, to the Netherlands have interacted with the painting in online dialogues. I have traveled widely in my quest to understand the international connections between east and west. These global interactions inflect my understanding of the painting and help me understand my need to create this work.

Throughout my life I have been compelled to create artworks that depict a world caught between color and elegy, between memory and dream. Inspired by the Buddhist practices of people across the globe, I have created images referencing Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, Burma, The United States, India and China. These artworks seem to depict a world in which humanity struggles not just to survive, but to live. My paintings bring out questions. What does it mean to honor the space between seeing and being? What is the place of beauty in the modern world? Where is the space for contemplation in contemporary life?

In reference to my paintings of monks inspired by Eastern Philosophy, the art writer Peter Clothier has said:

“They exist in an aura of light rather than on some earthly plane. They move through space like transient beings, absorbed in their own silent, meditative isolation. In this way, they seem to project some of the real values of their Buddhist faith: the inevitable passage of time that is at the root of so much human suffering, the illusory quality of what we take to be the real world and, most importantly, the promise of an escape from suffering into enlightenment.”

- Gregg Chadwick, May 2012

Seeing Deeply With Art Writer Peter Clothier at Gregg Chadwick's Studio on Thursday, May 24, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:12:16 PDT

Dear Friends,

I am honored to invite you to register for the next One Hour/One Painting Art Meditation Session which will be led by the distinguished art writer Peter Clothier at 6:30pm on May 24th, 2012 in my studio at the Santa Monica Airport.

Peter has recently hosted One Hour/ One Painting sessions at the Diebenkorn: The Ocean Park Series exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art and at the LA Louver Gallery. When describing Peter Clothier's sessions, I am often asked what to expect. In short, Peter will guide a small group of people through an exercise in 'concentrated looking' over the course of one hour's time. He will do this by taking us, as individuals in a group, on a visual and contemplative tour of my large, six by eight foot, painting A Balance of Shadows. We will experience color, shape, space and image in a concentrated yet calm and meditative manner using our eyes and minds.

I see this as an 'exercise in learning how to see' or 'how to see more deeply' rather than an exercise in the making of an art piece. To clarify, we will not be making a painting of our own during this session.

While I will be at the session, I am not leading this event. It is being organized and led by Peter; there is a $25 charge per person payable to Peter Clothier by check or credit card at the event but please reserve a space with Emily (emilypersist86@gmail.com). I am honored that Peter has chosen to hold his event in my studio (but I do not receive any of the fees.)

Please see the flier below for further details on the piece we will be viewing, location, time, and how to register. If you have any questions feel free to contact me via email or my cell

415 533 1165, Peter's assistant Emily at emilypersist86@gmail.com, or Peter Clothier at peterclothier@mac.com.

This session will be discreetly videotaped for possible inclusion on the website of the Buddhist Journal, Tricycle. More on Tricycle at: http://www.tricycle.com/

I hope to see you at my studio on May 24, 2012.

Gregg

Peter Clothier's Bio:

Peter Clothier has a long and distinguished career as an an internationally-known art writer, novelist and poet. Peter avoids the jargon that obscures much current writing about art by using readily understood language that illuminates rather than obfuscates. Clothier seeks to achieve a harmony of mind, heart, and body in his work, and looks for this quality in the artists he writes about. His work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Artscene, ARTNews and other publications. Peter writes a daily weblog,The Buddha Diaries, and is a contributing blogger to The Huffington Post. He also hosts a monthly podcast entitled "The Art of Outrage," on ArtScene Visual Radio."
Peter Clothier's latest books are Persist and Mind Work.

Never Underestimate Your Opponent: Lori Compas Poised to Make History in Wisconsin Recall Election

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Sun, 13 May 2012 19:00:45 PDT

by Gregg Chadwick

"Nice people can be strong. And happy people can be smart."

Lori Compas in the Wisconsin State Journal

Lori Compas

As the June 5, 2012 recall elections creep closer in Wisconsin, important political realities are becoming evident. Governor Walker, his Wisconsin loves me bluster nevertheless, will most likely be recalled.

And Scott Fitzgerald, one of Governor Walker's key supporters in the Wisconsin State Senate, is scared for his political future and could be on the road to political irrelevance. Shockingly, in the June 5 recall election race for Wisconsin's 13th District, Fitzgerald is afraid to debate his opponent Lori Compas. Not only is Fitzgerald scared of Compas, he revealed himself to be an out of touch and misogynist candidate by saying that he is sure that Lori Compas is a puppet for her svengali husband as well as unions and protest groups.
"I don't for one minute believe she is the organizing force behind this whole thing." Fitzgerald said in the Mothers Day Edition of the Wisconsin State Journal .

When told of Fitzgerald’s statement, Compas was stunned.

“That is pretty insulting, but it does seem in keeping with his general views on women,” she said. “He doesn’t seem to have a lot of respect for them. That’s OK; he can keep
underestimating me.”

Compas said that if Fitzgerald really doubts she is a serious candidate, he should accept her invitation to debate. “I have challenged him to five debates,” she said. “If he thinks I can’t handle myself, he should come out and face me.”

Today she also released a video that pokes fun at Fitzgerald:

In the opinion of my Wisconsin friends and family, Lori Compas epitomizes the future of Wisconsin in her measured, inclusive, intelligent ideas. It seems that Fitzgerald has forgotten one of the most important axioms in politics: Never underestimate your opponent.

On June 5, 2012 expect a record turnout for the recall elections. And mark my words, this record crowd of voters young and old will be led by the women of Wisconsin.

More at:

Senate recall challenge by Compas is giving 'Fitz' fits

Huffpost on Fitzgerald's Mothers Day Gaffe

Mitt Romney vs. a young David Bowie?

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:17:40 PDT

by Gregg Chadwick

Must watch video from 1964 of a young David Bowie standing up for the rights of all. The recent news stories about Mitt Romney's extreme bullying and cruelty during his high school years comes to mind.:

"A high school classmate of presidential candidate Mitt Romney told ABC News today that he considers a particular prank the two pulled at Michigan’s Cranbrook School to be “assault and battery” and that he witnessed Romney hold the scissors to cut the hair of a student who was being physically pinned to the ground by several others.
'It’s a haunting memory. I think it was for everybody that spoke up about it … because when you see somebody who is simply different taken down that way and is terrified and you see that look in their eye you never forget it. And that was what we all walked away with,' said Phillip Maxwell, who is now an attorney and still considers Romney an old friend."

Romney's actions show an almost pathological lack of empathy. We need empathy not cruelty in our President! We need a POTUS who accepts all persons equally!

Hat tip to Eric Kleefeld!

More at:
Once a Bully, Always a Bully

Happy 18th Birthday to My Wonderful Son Cassiel Chadwick!

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Fri, 11 May 2012 09:24:00 PDT

The Existensialist (Portrait of Cassiel Chadwick)
30"x22" monotype on paper

Happy 18th Birthday to my University of California Berkeley bound son Cassiel Chadwick!

Revealing the Unseen: The Provocative Art of Ramiro Gomez

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:15:08 PDT

by Gregg Chadwick

“Often these sectors of the labor force become invisible—we’re used to them attending our gardens, taking care of our kids, cleaning our homes and they almost become invisible.”

-Lizette Guerra, archivist and librarian at the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center

"Happy Hills is my body of work documenting the predominantly hispanic workforce, who work tirelessly behind the scenes to present the beautiful images of the ideal Hollywood Hills homes."
- Ramiro Gomez

Ramiro Gomez Outside the Beverly Hills Hotel During an Artistic Intervention
from a video by Jorge Rivas

The artwork of the young Los Angeles based artist Ramiro Gomez reveals the unseen hands and faces of the often underpaid and under appreciated laborers who keep the more affluent areas of the Los Angeles basin manicured and green. Using the simple materials of cardboard and paint, Gomez creates labor portraits of the hispanic workers that work behind the scenes at posh hotels and trendy restaurants. With a utility blade, Gomez cuts out these almost Hockney like figures and then places them in public settings where his artistic subjects work. These artistic interventions are witty, respectful, and deeply provocative.

Ramiro Gomez
Leonardo Torres
11"x8.5" acrylic on LUXE interiors magazine

Ramiro Gomez also creates smaller works on paper that utilize pages from lifestyle magazines. These small scale interventions include figures of laborers that Gomez documents in acrylic paint. If you are in the Los Angeles area and driving through Beverly Hills, take note of the workers who often remain unnoticed. Ramiro Gomez' artwork is a powerful reminder to remain attentive.

Ramiro Gomez

Socorro folds the laundry

11"x8.5" acrylic on LUXE interiors magazine

Video by Jorge Rivas

Jorge Rivas in ColorLines notes that:

"A recent UCLA study found nearly 75% of child care workers and 35% of maids and housekeepers in Los Angeles County were paid at an hourly rate lower than the minimum wage. Many home health care workers (97%) and child care workers, maids, and housekeepers (87%) also reported being required to work when they were not on the clock - that is, they did not get paid for all of the work they did, according to a Research & Policy Brief from the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment."

More at:

Ramiro Gomez Website

Jorge Rivas on Ramiro Gomez in ColorLines

Maurice Sendak: An Artist In Love With the World and the Things That Go Bump in the Night

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:40:22 PDT

by Gregg Chadwick

“Dear Mr. Sendak, How much does it cost to get to where the wild things are? If it is not expensive, my sister and I would like to spend the summer there.”

-From a letter sent by an eight year old reader to Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak
Where the Wild Things Are
Pen and ink and watercolor on paper 1963

Maurice Sendak was an artist in love with the world and with things that go bump in the night. Sendak looked deeply at the world around him. His vision included the visible nature of our existence and the invisible, but no less real, world of dreams. Sendak's beautifully crafted artworks for his books began with simple pencil sketches that were then enlarged and fleshed out with pen and ink which was then layered with glowing watercolor washes.

The finished paintings on paper reflect what Dave Eggers described in a Vanity Fair article on Sendak as the "unhinged and chiaroscuro subconscious of a child." Sendak's books and images appealed to readers of all ages. Sendak took the deep mysteries of life head-on and allowed us all to journey to where the wild things are.

In an interview with Terry Gross in September 2011, Maurice Sendak reflected on his mortality and the transient nature of life in general:

"Yes. I'm not unhappy about becoming old. I'm not unhappy about what must be. It makes me cry only when I see my friends go before me and life is emptied. I don't believe in an afterlife, but I still fully expect to see my brother again. And it's like a dream life. I am reading a biography of Samuel Palmer, which is written by a woman in England. I can't remember her name. And it's sort of how I feel now, when he was just beginning to gain his strength as a creative man and beginning to see nature. But he believed in God, you see, and in heaven, and he believed in hell. Goodness gracious, that must have made life much easier. It's harder for us nonbelievers.
But, you know, there's something I'm finding out as I'm aging that I am in love with the world. And I look right now, as we speak together, out my window in my studio and I see my trees and my beautiful, beautiful maples that are hundreds of years old, they're beautiful. And you see I can see how beautiful they are. I can take time to see how beautiful they are. It is a blessing to get old. It is a blessing to find the time to do the things, to read the books, to listen to the music. You know, I don't think I'm rationalizing anything. I really don't. This is all inevitable and I have no control over it."

We are fortunate that Maurice Sendak's love for beauty and the mystery of existence forged a unique vision that led to his magical books and images. He will be greatly missed.

Maurice Sendak
Outside Over There
Pen and ink and watercolor on paper 1978

Portrait of Maurice Sendak by Annie Leibovitz

More at:

Maurice Sendak, Author of Splendid Nightmares, Dies at 83

Sendak on Sendak Exhibition

Terry Gross Interview With Maurice Sendak - September 2011

On A Serious Note: Tomorrow - May 8 2012 - Please Vote for Lori Compas in Wisconsin's 13th Senate District!

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:59:07 PDT

For my friends and family in Wisconsin and across the United States.

Please support Lori Compas in her May 8, 2012 election for Wisconsin State Senate in Wisconsin's 13th Senate District!

Find out how Lori plans to restore honesty and integrity to Wisconsin's political system.

Much more info here:

Lori Compas for Wisconsin!

A message from Lori about the upcoming primary election on May:

Lori Compas for State Senate

Don't fall for Scott Fitzgerald's tricks: The person running against me in the primary is a FAKE DEMOCRAT. His name is Gary Ellerman and he's a Fitzgerald supporter. This photo of him with Scott Fitzgerald is all over the internet -- it was taken at the 2012 Jefferson County Republicans' Lincoln Day Dinner. As you can see he has the GOP elephants on his nametag. And yet his name will be on the primary ballot with a D after it -- this is a lie, plain and simple. Please tell your friends.

Wisconsin - Vote Arthur Kohl-Riggs May 8 - The Most Interesting Republican In The World

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:49:23 PDT

Introducing the Great Recession by William Pilgrim and the All Grows Up

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Mon, 07 May 2012 12:42:55 PDT

by Gregg Chadwick

I am always on the lookout for passionate new artists. I remember when I first heard a demo tape from a band called the Himalayans which morphed into Counting Crows. I almost wore out that cassette as I drove around San Francisco just to hear those songs. I got a similar feeling when I first heard Ishmael Herring, singer-songwriter of William Pilgrim & the All Grows Up. This is a band to watch!
Loving the song "Water When the Well Is Dry".

More at:
William Pilgrim & the All Grows Up

Edvard Munch's "The Scream" Sells for $120 Million

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:42:08 PDT

Edvard Munch
The Scream
23.5" x 32" pastel on board 1895

This pastel, one of four versions of Edvard Munch's The Scream, sold tonight at Sotheby's for a new world record for any work of art at auction - $119.9 million.

In blood red paint on the front of the original frame that holds this pastel version of The Scream, Munch wrote the words to his poem that inspired the image:

I was walking along the road with two friends. The Sun was setting —
The Sky turned a bloody red
And I felt a whiff of Melancholy — I stood
Still, deathly tired — over the blue-black
Fjord and City hung Blood and Tongues of Fire
My Friends walked on — I remained behind
— shivering with Anxiety. I felt the great Scream in Nature.

Carol Vogel in the New York Times writes: "Munch made four versions of The Scream, three of which are now in Norwegian museums; the one that sold on Wednesday, a pastel on board from 1895, was the only one still in private hands. It was sold by Petter Olsen, a Norwegian businessman and shipping heir whose father was a friend, neighbor and patron of the artist."

More at:
The Scream Sells for 120 Million

Light of A New Day: Full Text and Video of President Obama’s National Address From Afghanistan

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:54:01 PDT

The remarks of President Barack Obama on the war in Afghanistan, as prepared for delivery at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, on May 1, 2012 (U.S. time):

Good evening from Bagram Air Base. This outpost is more than seven thousand miles from home, but for over a decade it has been close to our hearts. Because here, in Afghanistan, more than half a million of our sons and daughters have sacrificed to protect our country.

Today, I signed an historic agreement between the United States and Afghanistan that defines a new kind of relationship between our countries - a future in which Afghans are responsible for the security of their nation, and we build an equal partnership between two sovereign states; a future in which the war ends, and a new chapter begins.

Tonight, I’d like to speak to you about this transition. But first, let us remember why we came here. It was here, in Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden established a safe-haven for his terrorist organization. It was here, in Afghanistan, where al Qaeda brought new recruits, trained them, and plotted acts of terror. It was here, from within these borders, that al Qaeda launched the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 innocent men, women and children.

And so, ten years ago, the United States and our allies went to war to make sure that al Qaeda could never again use this country to launch attacks against us. Despite initial success, for a number of reasons, this war has taken longer than most anticipated. In 2002, bin Laden and his lieutenants escaped across the border and established safe-havens in Pakistan. America spent nearly eight years fighting a different war in Iraq. And al Qaeda’s extremist allies within the Taliban have waged a brutal insurgency.

But over the last three years, the tide has turned. We broke the Taliban’s momentum. We’ve built strong Afghan Security Forces. We devastated al Qaeda’s leadership, taking out over 20 of their top 30 leaders. And one year ago, from a base here in Afghanistan, our troops launched the operation that killed Osama bin Laden. The goal that I set - to defeat al Qaeda, and deny it a chance to rebuild - is within reach.

Still, there will be difficult days ahead. The enormous sacrifices of our men and women are not over. But tonight, I’d like to tell you how we will complete our mission and end the war in Afghanistan.

First, we have begun a transition to Afghan responsibility for security. Already, nearly half the Afghan people live in places where Afghan Security Forces are moving into the lead. This month, at a NATO Summit in Chicago, our coalition will set a goal for Afghan forces to be in the lead for combat operations across the country next year. International troops will continue to train, advise and assist the Afghans, and fight alongside them when needed. But we will shift into a support role as Afghans step forward.

As we do, our troops will be coming home. Last year, we removed 10,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Another 23,000 will leave by the end of the summer. After that, reductions will continue at a steady pace, with more of our troops coming home. And as our coalition agreed, by the end of 2014 the Afghans will be fully responsible for the security of their country.

Second, we are training Afghan Security Forces to get the job done. Those forces have surged, and will peak at 352,000 this year. The Afghans will sustain that level for three years, and then reduce the size of their military. And in Chicago, we will endorse a proposal to support a strong and sustainable long-term Afghan force.

Third, we are building an enduring partnership. The agreement we signed today sends a clear message to the Afghan people: as you stand up, you will not stand alone. It establishes the basis of our cooperation over the next decade, including shared commitments to combat terrorism and strengthen democratic institutions. It supports Afghan efforts to advance development and dignity for their people. And it includes Afghan commitments to transparency and accountability, and to protect the human rights of all Afghans - men and women, boys and girls.

Within this framework, we will work with the Afghans to determine what support they need to accomplish two narrow security missions beyond 2014: counter-terrorism and continued training. But we will not build permanent bases in this country, nor will we be patrolling its cities and mountains. That will be the job of the Afghan people.

Fourth, we are pursuing a negotiated peace. In coordination with the Afghan government, my Administration has been in direct discussions with the Taliban. We have made it clear that they can be a part of this future if they break with al Qaeda, renounce violence, and abide by Afghan laws. Many members of the Taliban - from foot soldiers to leaders - have indicated an interest in reconciliation. A path to peace is now set before them. Those who refuse to walk it will face strong Afghan Security Forces, backed by the United States and our allies.

Fifth, we are building a global consensus to support peace and stability in South Asia. In Chicago, the international community will express support for this plan, and for Afghanistan’s future. I have made it clear to Afghanistan’s neighbor - Pakistan - that it can and should be an equal partner in this process in a way that respects Pakistan’s sovereignty, interests, and democratic institutions. In pursuit of a durable peace, America has no designs beyond an end to al Qaeda safe-havens, and respect for Afghan sovereignty.

As we move forward, some people will ask why we need a firm timeline. The answer is clear: our goal is not to build a country in America’s image, or to eradicate every vestige of the Taliban. These objectives would require many more years, many more dollars, and many more American lives. Our goal is to destroy al Qaeda, and we are on a path to do exactly that. Afghans want to fully assert their sovereignty and build a lasting peace. That requires a clear timeline to wind down the war.

Others will ask why we don’t leave immediately. That answer is also clear: we must give Afghanistan the opportunity to stabilize. Otherwise, our gains could be lost, and al Qaeda could establish itself once more. And as Commander-in-Chief, I refuse to let that happen.

I recognize that many Americans are tired of war. As President, nothing is more wrenching than signing a letter to a family of the fallen, or looking in the eyes of a child who will grow up without a mother or father. I will not keep Americans in harm’s way a single day longer than is absolutely required for our national security. But we must finish the job we started in Afghanistan, and end this war responsibly.

My fellow Americans, we have traveled through more than a decade under the dark cloud of war. Yet here, in the pre-dawn darkness of Afghanistan, we can see the light of a new day on the horizon. The Iraq War is over. The number of our troops in harm’s way has been cut in half, and more will be coming home soon. We have a clear path to fulfill our mission in Afghanistan, while delivering justice to al Qaeda.

This future is only within reach because of our men and women in uniform. Time and again, they have answered the call to serve in distant and dangerous places. In an age when so many institutions have come up short, these Americans stood tall. They met their responsibilities to one another, and the flag they serve under. I just met with some of them, and told them that as Commander-in-Chief, I could not be prouder. In their faces, we see what is best in ourselves and our country.

Mandel Nganmandel / AFP - Getty Images

President Barack Obama greets troops during a visit to Afghanistan's Bagram Air Field on May 1.

Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, coast guardsmen and civilians in Afghanistan have done their duty. Now, we must summon that same sense of common purpose. We must give our veterans and military families the support they deserve, and the opportunities they have earned. And we must redouble our efforts to build a nation worthy of their sacrifice.

As we emerge from a decade of conflict abroad and economic crisis at home, it is time to renew America. An America where our children live free from fear, and have the skills to claim their dreams. A united America of grit and resilience, where sunlight glistens off soaring new towers in downtown Manhattan, and we build our future as one people, as one nation.

Here, in Afghanistan, Americans answered the call to defend their fellow citizens and uphold human dignity. Today, we recall the fallen, and those who suffer wounds seen and unseen. But through dark days we have drawn strength from their example, and the ideals that have guided our nation and lit the world: a belief that all people are created equal, and deserve the freedom to determine their destiny.

That is the light that guides us still. This time of war began in Afghanistan, and this is where it will end. With faith in each other and our eyes fixed on the future, let us finish the work at hand, and forge a just and lasting peace. May God bless our troops. And may God bless the United States of America.

Live In New Orleans: When the Saints Come Marching In / Rocky Ground - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:27:51 PDT

Forward!

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:14:10 PDT

Something In the Night: Springsteen and the E Street Band at the Los Angeles Sports Arena

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 10:34:35 PDT

by Gregg Chadwick

"This was perhaps the most inspirational show I’ve witnessed in 30 years of attending thousands of concerts, including at least a dozen by Springsteen. There was maybe one better: When he played Jazz Fest in New Orleans after Katrina and turned the city of ruins into a city reborn. But Morello’s lead on “Ghost of Tom Joad” will be forever seared into my conscience as a testimonial, and a hope."
- Evelyn McDonnell, The Los Angeles Times

Last night the skies of Los Angeles cleared. The storms of the past few days receded only to be followed by the fierce weather of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Wrecking Ball Tour. The sold out Los Angeles Sports Arena sported a new coat of paint but the ghosts of past political and musical triumphs seemed to hang in the air.

With the house lights up, the band entered the arena with the theme from the film The Magnificent Seven blasting. This 1960 American film, directed by John Sturges, is an old-west epic loosely based on Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's iconic film Seven Samurai. Evoking both aging gunfighters and ronin battling for a cause, the band came ready to rumble, opening the concert with Springsteen's Badlands.

On November 5, 1980 at Arizona State University, the day after Ronald Reagan's election, Springsteen famously expressed just before the E Street Band launched into a ferocious version of Badlands, "I don't know what you guys think about what happened last night, but I think it's pretty frightening."

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Badlands

(Live at the Los Angeles Sports Arena - April 26 2012)

Last night's version opened without comment. But it was clear from the tone of the song and the themes of Springsteen's current album Wrecking Ball that our times are no less frightening.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

(Live at the Los Angeles Sports Arena - April 26 2012)

photo by Gregg Chadwick

In the Los Angeles Times, Evelyn McDonnell reminds us that "Springsteen has an unmatched gift for expressing our national pain — and also delivering us from it." Springsteen's song Badlands evokes this pain and then in a triumphal fist-pounding, arena shaking, musical catharsis propels us to “Keep pushing till it’s understood and these badlands start treating us good.”

By the song's conclusion, many in the raucous audience were hoarse voiced and dripping with sweat. Laidback L.A.? Hell no.

The next song played, We Take Care of Our Own, has grown richer and more nuanced in the live performances since it was debuted at the Grammy's in Los Angeles the day after Whitney Houston's untimely death. Some of the shared sadness of that day has worked its way into the sometimes ironic lines of the song and the audience last night at the Sports Arena belted the refrain with Springsteen and the E Street Band as if in a bid to exorcise the demons of greed and self-centeredness that have haunted our recent history.

The night was just beginning and Max Weinberg's superb drumming guided the musical evening. Gary Tallent's, at times under recognized, bass joined with Max's drums to provide a thundering pulse to Springsteen's songs of loss and redemption. Phil Gallo in Billboard explains that the Wrecking Ball Tour is the first "E Street outing without the late saxophonist Clarence Clemons and keyboardist Danny Federici. Springsteen has opted to fill the holes created by their absence with an element no one would have believed was absent, a sweet soulfulness and militaristic percussion. Clemons' brawniness and the wails that evoked moments of isolation and desperation are replaced by a horn section that alters songs moods like lighting, blue on one song, fire-engine red on the next."

Springsteen sang the song Wrecking Ball last night like a weathered boxer urging an exhausted opponent to continue an endless well-matched fight for the love of the sport. The audience ate it up and when Springsteen sang the repeated lines "Hard times come and hard times go" in a poignant howl, the young woman behind me laid her arms around me in an expression of empathy. The sacred moment was shared.

The call for community continued at the Sports Arena in a passionate version of The Ties That Bind. The song was deeply influenced by the sound of Creedence Clearwater Revival's powerful Who'll Stop the Rain and in context with the Wrecking Ball material, the continual flux of life, death and shared existence embodied in The Ties That Bind proved almost overwhelming:

You sit and wonder just who's gonna stop the rain
Who'll ease the sadness, who's gonna quiet the pain

After this early emotional crescendo, the stakes grew higher. How would the powerful, musical and emotional connection of this evening continue? Springsteen countered all bets by bringing out the incredibly talented and passionate musician Tom Morello. Beginning with Death to My Hometown, Morello joined Springsteen on stage for four powerful songs spread throughout the night.

Morello's searing guitar solo closed Jack of All Trades a few songs later.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band With Tom Morello

Jack of All Trades

(Live at the Los Angeles Sports Arena - April 26 2012)

When he wasn't on stage, Morello sat with his family, close to the edge of the stage, and according to nearby concert goers sang along exuberantly with nearly every song.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Something In the Night

(Live at the Los Angeles Sports Arena - April 26 2012)

A key moment of the evening was found in this tours' premier of Something in the Night.
This haunting song is full of an almost existential darkness. The recorded version from Springsteen's 1978 album Darkness on the Edge of Town contains one of Bruce's most heart wrenching vocal roars. Last night in Los Angeles, Springsteen growled and roared for all of us as he sang:

You're born with nothing,
and better off that way,
Soon as you've got something they send
someone to try and take it away,

As on the Darkness album, the band next crashed into a thundering Candy's Room. Without missing a beat at Candy's conclusion, Springsteen yelled out to the band,"She's the One."
Jake Clemons, Clarence Clemons' nephew, blistered the saxophone solos in She's the One and held his sax aloft in triumph at the song's end to roars of affirmation from the crowd.

The LA Weekly asks a question in their review of last night's show:

"We've been watching Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band play in concert for decades, and it seems as if he and his crew get better with every tour. How? With few rare exceptions, aren't rockers supposed to kind of get stale once they get older?

Whether it's today's troubled zeitgeist or solid new material from the album Wrecking Ball or the recent passing of longtime saxophonist Clarence Clemons, Springsteen was inspired and inspiring in a nearly three-hour show, once again making fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena true believers in the power of rock 'n' roll."

For me, the continual growth in Springsteen's concerts is his extraordinary ability to push his art to the edge. Sometimes it involves stripping his music down to the barest essence. Other times, as on this current tour in support of Wrecking Ball, Springsteen adds to his sonic arsenal by bringing in a full horn section, backup vocalists and extra percussion to play off of Max Weinberg's bedrock drumming.

On this tour, Springsteen is also openly embracing the music of his formative years, especially the sweet soul music of Smokey Robinson and the inclusive music of Curtis Mayfield. Each night, Springsteen sings an homage to the soul greats in what has become known as the Apollo Medley. During this stretch, Springsteen ventures deeply into the audience, often - like he did last night at the L.A. Sports Arena - chugging a borrowed beer. Like a good natured parody of a Superbowl ad, Bruce tipped the beer back letting it spill across his face and down his shirt. Soon after, he was held aloft by the crowd and bodysurfed halfway across the arena to the main stage. Tom Morello met him at the stage with a giant grin and his guitar emblazoned with the words:
Arm the Homeless.

Evelyn McDonnell evocatively describes Morello's musicianship:

"Then stroking, beating, hugging and pounding his custom ... guitar, Morello made it a sword, a trumpet, a beat box, a megaphone. It was an ear-shattering, time-stopping performance to which the audience played mesmerized witness. Tom Joad was there, and Clemons, and deceased E Street keyboardist Danny Federici too."

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band With Tom Morello

Ghost of Tom Joad

(Live at the Los Angeles Sports Arena - April 26 2012)

Land of Hope and Dreams brought the train into the station for the encores which ranged from the gospel beauty of Rocky Ground, to the surf guitar of a Ramones inspired cover of California Sun, to Born to Run, to Dancing in the Dark, and finally a celebratory and elegiac Tenth Avenue Freeze-out.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

California Sun

(Live at the Los Angeles Sports Arena - April 26 2012)

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (With Pam Springsteen)

Dancing In the Dark

(Live at the Los Angeles Sports Arena - April 26 2012)

Bruce Springsteen Is Held Up by the Audience Beneath a Portrait of Clarence Clemons

(Live in Buffalo - April 2012)

A Springsteen concert is a shared experience of mourning and communal rebirth. Joan Walsh writes in Salon that,"If there were a church like this, I’d be there every Sunday." Springsteen and the E Street Band play again tonight in Los Angeles and then the Wrecking Ball Tour moves on to New Orleans for the Jazz Fest on Sunday. Joan Walsh encourages us to jump on this train,"If you can see him this Sunday in New Orleans, do it. Experiencing this show in the land of stately above-ground cemeteries and glorious marching-band funerals, as well as Hurricane Katrina and the Superdome, might be the ultimate way to experience this sad, heroic, redemptive tour."

Setlist:

Badlands
We Take Care of Our Own
Wrecking Ball
The Ties That Bind
Death to My Hometown (with Tom Morello)
My City of Ruins
The E Street Shuffle
Jack of All Trades (with Tom Morello)
Something in the Night
Candy's Room
She's the One
Easy Money
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
Apollo Medley
The Ghost of Tom Joad (with Tom Morello)
The Rising
Lonesome Day
We Are Alive
Land of Hope and Dreams
* * *
Rocky Ground (with Michelle Moore)
California Sun
Born to Run
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out (with Tom Morello)

Song by Song Reviews of Wrecking Ball on Speed of Life:

1. We Take Care of Our Own

2. Easy Money

3. Shackled and Drawn

4. Jack of All Trades

5. Death to My Hometown

6. This Depression

7. Wrecking Ball

8. You've Got It

9. Rocky Ground

10. Land of Hope and Dreams

11. We Are Alive

More at:

"Bruce Springsteen's widescreen vision of America on Wrecking Ball is filled with terror, tension, tenacity and above all else, triumph which may not replenish your bank account, but it will replenish your soul."

-Anthony Kuzminski, Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball, antiMusic

"What was done to my country was un-American."

Shackled and Drawn

Jack of All Trades

Death to My Hometown

From Down Under: Sean Sennett Talks With Springsteen About Wrecking Ball

All Things Shining by Hubert Dreyfus and Sean Dorrance Kelly

The Working Man's Voice - The Wall Street Journal

A More Chaste Review of You've Got It by Jonathan Lack

Onstage and Backstage with Springsteen at Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Parsing the Samples and Quotes on Wrecking Ball

Bruce Springsteen, Théatre Marigny press conference, Paris, February 2012

Jimmy Fallon Interviews President Barack Obama on Late Night

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:57:36 PDT

Slow Jam The News with Barack Obama: Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:10:52 PDT

The Last Waltz: Levon Helm Died Today

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:24:01 PDT

"We lost Levon at 1:30 today surrounded by friends and family and his musicians have visited him.
As sad as this was, it was very peaceful."
- Larry Campbell, Levon Helm's guitarist and band leader

As a fitting send off for Levon Helm please watch The Band Perform "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" from Martin Scorsese's Film "The Last Waltz."
Rest in Peace Levon Helm!

More at:
Levon Helm Dies at 71

Live Video of the Dalai Lama at San Diego State

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:40:57 PDT

Watch live streaming video from hhdl at livestream.com

Live Video of the Dalai Lama at San Diego State
Compassion Without Borders

**APRIL 19TH, 9:30-11:30am, San Diego State University. --Upholding Universal Ethics & Compassion in Challenging Times.-- To access the webstream, please visit <http://sdsu.edu/> on the day and time of this event.

**APRIL 19TH, 1:30-3:30pm, University of San Diego. --Cultivating Peace & Justice.-- H.H. Dalai Lama s talk will be streamed online at <http://www.sandiego.edu/dalailama/media/> at 1:30pm on April 19th.

Sending Love to Levon Helm

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:46:21 PDT

I am sad to report that Levon Helm, who has played drums and contributed lead vocals while in the groundbreaking musical group The Band is "in the final stages of his battle with cancer." Levon's website notes, "Please send your prayers and love to him as he makes his way through this part of his journey. Thank you fans and music lovers who have made his life so filled with joy and celebration...he has loved nothing more than to play, to fill the room up with music, lay down the back beat, and make the people dance! He did it every time he took the stage."

Rolling Stone writes that ,"Helm was diagnosed with throat cancer in the late 1990s. He recovered, but it took him many years to recover his singing voice. At the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony past Saturday evening, Robbie Robertson sent "love and prayers" out to Helm."

From The Road (1995), shot 8/5/94 in Rockford, IL

The Band:
Levon Helm - vocals, drums
Rick Danko - vocals, bass
Garth Hudson - keyboards, accordion
Jim Weider - guitar
Richard Bell - keyboards, vocals
Randy Ciarlante - drums vocals

The Horn Section:
Joe Mulherin - trumpet
David Woodford - tenor sax
Joe Sublett - tenor sax
Garrett Adkins - trombone
Howard Johnson - tuba, baritone sax

Video (c) 1995 by High Five Entertainment, Tribune Entertainment
Atlantic City c. Bruce Springsteen

Listen to Levon Helm's Finest Moments, from 'The Weight' to 'Atlantic City'

Please Read A Letter From Lori Compas in Wisconsin

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:31:50 PDT

Dear Friend,

Outrageous. By now you've heard that the GOP has put up fake democrats to run against me and 3 other democratic challengers in the State Senate recall elections. This is yet another insult to Wisconsin's proud tradition of clean elections and we need to fight back.

My fake Democratic challenger is Gary Ellerman. He's a life-long Republican and founder of the group, "Walkers for Walker."

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin filed a complaint with the Government Accountability Board alleging that these Republicans are committing felony election fraud, by collecting nomination signatures under false pretenses. This morning I gave a statement to the Board.

"...If you allow a Republican to appear on the ballot as a Democrat, you’re saying that it’s acceptable to place false information on a ballot. This would undermine citizens’ confidence in this process specifically and in government in general. I think it’s telling that after all the talk of election fraud at the polls this past year, we’re now facing fraud on the ballots themselves."

However, moments ago the GAB announced they will allow these fraudulent candidates to remain on the ballot!
What's more disturbing than having to run in a primary against a fake candidate is the confusion this is causing among citizens in our district. When I was knocking on doors this weekend, I spoke to a woman who was confused and upset about all the news of these fake Democrats. She was concerned that there will not be an indicator of who the fake Democrat is and even went as far as asking if I had proof I was the real candidate.
Make no mistake, this is intentional chaos being created by my opponent and the the Wisconsin Republican Party.

It is more important then ever to get our message and the truth out to people in the district. Can you donate $50 today to help us reach more voters?

Volunteers continue to knock door-to-door and speak with friends and neighbors, and as I continue to meet hundreds of folks one-on-one and in small groups across the 13th District. But we must also spread our message in other ways. We need to buy radio ads and send direct mail. This is expensive but critical to reaching a broader audience. It's particularity important in order to reach more people rural areas where it is not realistic or efficient to send volunteers door-to-door.

Please help us reach as many voters as possible by giving a donation today! A donation of $100 will allow us to send a mailing to 300 people. Can you help us reach those people?

On Wisconsin!

P.S. You can read my full statement to the GAB today here.

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Paid for by the Committee to Elect Lori Compas

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Thank you for helping me fght for open government, civility, and a bi-partisan commitment to progress.

Downbound Train

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:53:38 PDT

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform Downbound Train at the Times Union Center in Albany, April 16, 2012

Bruce Springsteen performs an acoustic Janey in Albany on April 16th 2012 as a special request. Before singing the song Springsteen said,""This is for Molly, in memory of her mom, Jane."

Jackie Robinson Day 2012

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 12:22:19 PDT

Jackie Robinson during his collegiate years in Los Angeles

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."
-Jackie Robinson

"When Jackie Robinson took the field in Brooklyn 65 years ago, he transcended the sport he loved and helped change our country in the most powerful way imaginable.It is a privilege for Major League Baseball to celebrate Jackie's enduring legacy each year, and we are proud that every April 15th, our young fans around the world have an opportunity to learn everything that the No. 42 stands for -- courage, grace and determination."

-Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig

Today marks the 65th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's first game for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Jackie Robinson was the first African-American baseball player to compete in the major leagues when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Today in honor of Robinson, every player in Major League Baseball will wear Jackie Robinson’s No. 42.

Rachel Robinson, Jackie's wife, had vivid memories of April 15, 1947:

"As Jackie Robinson was getting ready to break baseball's color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Rachel was hustling to get to Ebbets Field in time to see it."

"She waited a long time for a taxi because drivers routinely passed up black passengers. She worried their baby, Jackie Jr., would be cold because she had dressed him in spring clothes. And she stopped at a hot dog stand in the ballpark, where a vendor was kind enough to heat the boy's bottle."

Rachel Robinson at the stadium. (From Spike Lee's documentary on Baseball and Jackie Robinson)

"It was an exciting, exhilarating time — but it also was a stressful time," Rachel Robinson said.
Rachel and Jackie met while they both were students at UCLA. Rachel Robinson earned a degree in nursing from the UCSF School of Nursing in 1945 before marrying Jackie in 1946.
A few years after Jackie Robinson's retirement from baseball, Rachel returned to school and earned a masters degree from New York University. In 1965 Rachel became an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Yale University.

-Jackie Robinson during his collegiate years at UCLA played football, ran track, was the leading scorer on the basketball team and played baseball.

More on Jackie Robinson and Rachel Robinson at:

Baseball pays tribute to pioneer Robinson

Los Angeles Dodgers Site on Jackie Robinson

New York Times on Jackie Robinson

Rachel Robinson at UCSF

In the Hanami Rain

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:01:53 PDT

Gregg Chadwick
In the Hanami Rain
40"x30" oil on linen 2012

Where Dreams Come True: Caine's Arcade

noreply@blogger.com (gregg chadwick) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 12:49:05 PDT

Please watch as 9 year old Caine Monroy, who built an elaborate cardboard arcade inside his dad’s used auto parts store, is about to have the best day of his life...

A short film by Nirvan, produced by Interconnected.

Hours

Saturday: 8am – 5pm*

Sundays: by appointment*

* Appointments: to schedule a visit, please call 323-225-5997 and ask for George.

Address

Caine’s Arcade (located inside Smart Parts Aftermarket)

538 N. Mission Rd

Boyle Heights, CA 90033

View Larger Map

More at:

Caine's Arcade

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