Sunday, May 23, 2010

Attention All Freestylers:

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Because of AJ Kohn's recent addition to The Solitary Life staff... and, to make damned sure that I didn't sound like a complete dumbass whenever I talked with AJ about upcoming articles and features... I spent some time last week Googling "freestyle skateboarding" in a vain effort to do some long-overdue self-educating about the past, present, and future of freestyle. Unfortunately for us all, this is much, much easier said than done...

It seems that there just are not very many fully comprehensive, all-encompassing resources out there, regarding the history of this niche within skateboarding. Well, when we see a problem here at The Solitary Life, our first inclination is to fix it. If there's no documented history of freestyle on the web?! Then, gawd dummit, we're gonna write one...!





The best place to find "historical" archives these days are on YouTube... but, knowing where to look, and what to look for, can be a mighty challenge. Here's some contrived "footage" from 1965, posted by some dude named "takapaiki". As you can see, the history of freestyle goes all the way back to the very roots of skateboarding, itself.



But, there's a problem. Outside of AJ, there's not a single freestyler on the staff. Doh! And, we're pretty sure that AJ doesn't have the sort of time on his hands to write it all down, himself. We think, at least. But, AJ has surprised us before. So maybe, he'll do it again...?

In any rate: Sooner or later, we're going to need the help of the freestyle community... past, and present... to get this thing done.







Was this one of the last full-length freestyle video parts ever...? Rodney Mullen, circa 1989, in the first World Industries video ("Rubbish Heap"). As you can easily see here, the freestyle tricks of the late '80s became the foundation for what would become the technical street skating of the '90s, and beyond.




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We've decided that, in order to recognize the vast and immense contributions that freestylers have made to the world of skateboarding, we're going to make September "Freestyle Month" here at The Life. Hopefully, if we don't go totally ADHD on this project, that'll include:

- Comprehensive coverage of The Worlds in Philadelphia (which happens to be September 18th and 19th, in Philadelphia... clearly, "freestyle month" is intended to coincide nicely with The Worlds...)

- A comprehensive "History of Freestyle" article...

- The first-ever Solitary Life-sponsored and organized event: A home-grown "King of Flatland" comp, right here in Indianapolis, Indiana...

- AJ's usual Freestyle Report,

- A guide to some of those nutty tricks that you guys are doing these days ("Coconut Manuals"...? Seriously...?!)

- Interviews with freestylers of the past, and present,

- Product Reviews on new freestyle gear, and,

- A round-table with ten of the best up-and-coming freestylers, from around the world.






Killian Martin came out at the very top of AJ's "Freestylers To Watch" list, and the reasons why are pretty obvious to me. This goes to show just how far freestyle has come, in spite of the industry's claims that "freestyle is dead", and "there's no progression going on in freestyle". Well, I happen to disagree. Here, we have a perfect marriage of speed, style, confidence, creativity, and cinematography... all blended together to create a whole that's far, far greater than the sum of it's parts. The differences between Killian's part, and the Rodney footage above are subtle, yet dramatic.





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We're definitely going to need your help to pull this off. So, what do we need, you ask?! Photos. Memories. Stories. Recollections. Names, dates, times, and facts. Spreading The Word. But maybe, most importantly: Your Participation. We wanna get everyone involved, to make damned sure that this becomes an accurate, impartial, and definitive history of a key part of the skateboarding legacy.


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Support The Skatepark Day: Greenwood, IN; May 23rd, 2010

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"Support The Skatepark Day"
Greenwood, Indiana
Saturday, May 23rd, 2010



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Yesterday, the second of a series of "Support The Skatepark" days went off at the Greenwood skatepark, also known as "Northeastway Park". If you haven't seen it, Greenwood's park is... well, kinda sad, really. Basically, it's a whole buncha prefabricated steel obstacles that are slowly sinking into the asphalt slab that they're sitting on. "Janky" comes to mind, real fast, whenever I think of the Greenwood park...

The turnout was small, but significant. The "small" part probably happened because:

- The park sucks. Which we all knew, already...
- The weather was being... how's a "nice" way to put it...? Let's say: "Typical Springtime Indiana". Another way could be: "Predictably Unpredictable"... and, lastly,
- It was muggy as hell out there, with the Humid-O-Meter holding steady at about 10,000%...

But, it was "significant" because, in spite of all of the "wrongs"... the day still ended up being all right. A few heavies came out to play, there were tunes on-site (a big thanks goes out to Paul Christian for that one)... and, one small girl even came up to me, and handed me an ice-cold, glistening Coke. Now, there's the kind of kid that the world needs more of. She instantly became my Favorite Person Of The Day. Maybe even, Favorite Person of the Week...

Here's a few photos that I took, while I baked in the sun for the afternoon:



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Matt Rome, doing a backside nollie bigspin to backside disaster on Greenwood's smallest quarterpipe. He's just about to catch that board, and then beat the shit out of the coping with it. For the record: This single quarterpipe is about the only good thing to skate, at this park. So, naturally, most of us spent most of the day skating it...



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Dan Craycraft, getting ready to sweep up around the coping. Personally, I'm kinda liking the fact that kids are so easily mashing up the "old school" and the "new school"... although, I still prefer to just call it "skateboarding", and leave it at that.



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Dan, again. This time with a clean nosegrind on the "bench" obstacle. He did this about six times in a row, and it seriously looked this good, every time.



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Nate Jones, midway through a frontside 50/50, frontside shove out. The perfect ending to a pretty good afternoon...


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'Zines: Going Postal, Franklin, Indiana

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So, I was down at Greenwood's skatepark yesterday, talking it up with Bart Kelley, from the Old Indy Skaters... when all of a sudden, Bart spots something out of the corner of his eye. Like, "What is that?!" All excited-like, as if the dude was hiding something really, really cool and important.

Well, this dude had just showed up, and put down all of his stuff... which included a Powerbar, some sort of drink... and, a little stack of "somethings" that were sort of buried underneath. Well, those "somethings" that Bart had keenly picked out of the pile-'o-stuff, were a little stack of 'zines...

Now, let's back this shit up for just a second. Many of you guys out there will surely be asking yourselves, "Okay, oatmealhead... what in the hell is a 'zine'...?!"


"A fanzine... is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleasure of others who share their interest..."

- from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanzine)


I'll tell ya: A 'zine is "typically"... I say "typically" because, 'zines come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, formats, and styles... a small, handmade magazine. Usually cut-and-pasted together (by hand, using good 'ol scissors and Elmer's glue), and reproduced (photocopied) at your local neighborhood Kinko's. The reason? "Just because". It's something to do to pass the time, a creative outlet, a way to interact with the world around you, a way of speaking your mind... or, some combination of all of the above.

The word "zine" is actually short for "fanzine", or "magazine". And, it's been around since gawd-knows-when. Wikipedia claims the 1940's, but I doubt they're right on that one. In all seriousness, 'zine-like publications have probably been around for as long as the "flyer"... or even, the printed word itself.

In skateboarding, 'zines were pretty popular underground publications during the '80s heydays, and continuing through well into the early '90s. Thrasher even did (or, "does"?) a column called "Zine Thing", which was written by renowned 'zinemaker, Wez Lundry (creator of Pool Dust 'zine).


However: With the advent of e-mail, websites, forums, and blogs in the late 1990's, and the early 2000's... you know, that "electronic media" that we all use, and love, today... 'zines kind of lost their popularity.

So: It's kind of a real dinosaur-sighting to see one anymore. Thus: Bart's enthusiasm. And, there ya go! More information than you probably wanted, or needed...

Anyway, back to the topic at hand: The 'zine. This one is called "Going Postal", and the guy behind it is a hella friendly chap named "Sailor Nick" that hails from Franklin, Indiana. I never did get his "real" name... I guess that just goes to show what a dimwitted "reporter" I am, huh...?!


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Here it is! The subject of Bart's infatuation! Seriously, though... I think we all fried a circuit (or, two) when we saw this peeking out from Nick's pile-o-stuff...


This one's a fairly "small" example of 'zine-dom, weighing in at a mere 16 pages on a half-sheet format... that means, the 'zine is made from half-sheets of copier paper, folded and stapled together. But, in this case, size doesn't matter. "Existence" is more than enough for me. Besides: It's totally free. So, I'm not even gonna go bitching about how small it is...!

What it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in "spirit" and "substance". There's an appeal to "get involved" in Indy's new skatepark (damn good advice, that is)... some "arty" photojournalism... hot pics of Jeff Holcomb and Tim Devlin (by Indy's Paul Christian)... which brings me to another point: Contributing to 'zines is fun stuff. It's a great way to make friends all over the country, and even the world. The "network" might be smaller than it was in the '80s 'zine-boom, but it's still out there. And, 'zinesters tend to be incredibly cool people, to boot. So: These are the kinds of friends worth having. Just sayin'...



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The innards of "Going Postal". What's not entirely apparent is that, Tim Devlin's crailslide is in the deep end of Zionsville's kink-sink. That is some burly shit, right there...


So, how do you get one...?! It's pretty easy. But: It's also sort of "old-school". Are you ready?! Okay, here goes: You have to actually get an envelope... ask your mom and dad what those are. Then, you'll have to go to the Post Office, and round up some stamps. Shit, man... I don't even remember how much stamps are these days! Isn't that some crazy shit, dude?! Anyway: Then, you'll want to send Nick a SASE (Stands for: "Self-Addressed, Stamped Envelope"). That's all. It's a little bit of work, sure enough. But: That's part of the fun, too.

It's just kinda neat to get something in your mailbox from time to time that isn't a bill, or junk mail...

If you wanna be extra-cool, though... and, being extra-cool to extra-cool guys like Nick is always, a good idea... you might wanna toss in something a little "over and above" the SASE. Like, a photo, or a well-written letter, or a buck or something. 'Zines are kind of a pain in the ass to make... but, the real prize is being creative, and inspiring others to get creative, too. If you wanna go the full monty? Make your own 'zine, and send it along. Grease the wheels, and make a contribution to the coolness.

Going Postal 'Zine
Sailor Nick
3171 Compass Drive
Franklin, IN 46131


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What...?!: Killian Martin, May 23rd, 2010.

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Every once in a while, our roving freestyle reporter, AJ Kohn, will send over a YouTube link to something that we "Just have to check out for ourselves". And, because AJ has pretty discriminating tastes, we always pay attention to what he says...

It only happens a couple times a year, at the most. So, when we get mail from AJ, it's usually
not the standard-variety sheep-shit that everyone else is always spreading around. This week, AJ sent over this link to a three-and-a-half-minute-long short film by Brett Novak, of Killian Martin.

Really, there's not a whole lot to say about it. Because, no amount of words will ever do it justice. Just, check it out for yourself, and go
"What...?!" Just like we did, when we saw it for the first time...

Sit down tight, because you're about to be blown the hell away:






Many, many thanks to AJ Kohn for contributing stuff like this to The Solitary Life. You rule, buddy.



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Make a contribution...! (5.22.10)

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Saturday, May 15, 2010

Music: Best Local* Bands Ever

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Okay, here's the deal: I've only lived in Indiana for about eight years now. That includes a couple years in Muncie, and the last six (or so) in Indianapolis. In that time, I've seen some damn good bands. That makes me super lucky, because you'd never know who's good, and who's shit by reading Metromix, or Nuvo. Hey, Indianapolis: Can't we get a music rag that actually reviews local music...?! By "local music", I don't mean nationally-recognized bands that are playing "locally". I mean: Actual, local-band reviews! Yeesh, already...

Anyway, here's the point: Here's a short-list of the very best-of-the-best "local" bands that I've seen in my time here. Some of them are no more... which is too damn bad, if you ask me, because some of those "no mores" kicked some pretty substantial ass. Others are from towns and cities "within a few hours' drive" from Indy. I say: Close enough, dammit.

Check one of these out, if you can. Even better: Go MySpace-Touring, and hear them all from the luxury of your laptop...! Which is why we searched out everyone's MySpace pages for you. See how hard we work, to help you be a lazy-ass...?

But, seriously: Support your local music scene. If you don't, you may wake up one day to find that it's either vanished, or that it suddenly sucks. Here's the list, folks. Go see a band today:


The Shake-Ups:


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First saw them at: The Melody, a few weeks back.


Hailing from: Indianapolis, Indiana


MySpace at: www.myspace.com/theshakeups


Other websites: www.theshakeups.net

Sounds like: The Rentals is probably the closest. Which was Matt Sharp's band after he left Weezer.



The Skinny:


The Shake-Ups have gotten a lot of press here as of late, and for good reason: They're really, really good. Great sound, great musicianship, excellent songwriting, and awesome vibes. If you don't like smiling and having fun, then don't go see this band. You've been suitably warned.


Playing next at:
The Melody Inn, on June 24th.





Pessoa:


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First saw them at: TOC's 3rd annual Skate Jam, two weeks ago.

Hailing from: Avon/Greenwood/Bloomington, Indiana.


MySpace at: www.myspace.com/pessoasongs


Sounds like: Gawd, I don't know? I'm gonna say: Angry Pixies.


Sound: Highly "experimental". Wild mood swings, even in one song. Tight, punchy, and arty.



The Skinny:


This band truly stands out from the rest, mostly because they're so hard to pigeonhole into any one category. It's very rare for me to see a band that I've truly never heard anything like, before. This band, you'll almost have to MySpace, just to see what I mean.

What I do know is that, they sound great, and they're obviously extremely creative and talented people. I wish I could say the same thing about Nickelback.

Playing next at: The Earth House, 7:00 May 29th.





Down On Hayley:



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First saw them at: I forget. An Indiana Skate Co show, maybe?

Hailing from: Fishers, Indiana.

MySpace at: www.myspace.com/downonhayley

Sounds like: A lot of modern-day pop/punk bands. But: Better. I'm gonna say: Early Saves The Day.

Sound: "Pop-Punk"...? Clearly, I suck at music-criticism. That's why I'm not writing for Spin, or Alternative Press over here.



The Skinny:


There's a lot of bands doing this sort of gig out there. But, very few of them sound this good. Or, write such good songs. I have one of their CD's, and it's one of my prized possessions. I don't say that often enough these days... unfortunately, this band didn't have the "staying power" to stay around for very long. Which really is too damn bad, because they were really, really good.



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If you can find it, by all means: Get it...!


Why do good bands break up, anyway...? Maybe we'll never know the answer to that...




Revel In The Morning:


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This photo of Justin goes a long way to illustrating the intrinsic, brute power of a "typical" Revel In The Morning show...


First saw them at: The Speakeasy, in Muncie

Hailing from: Muncie, Indiana

MySpace at: www.myspace.com/revelinthemorning


Sounds like: At The Drive In, but with more energy. If you can believe it.


Sound: Very angry protest-punk, but with songwriting skills and a live show to die for.



The Skinny:


This is one of the "once-was" bands I was referring to. Strangely, their entire "career" as a band only spanned about 11 months or so. They only played a handful of shows... but, those shows were riotous ensembles that had to be experienced, to be believed. This band was truly "dangerous", on many, many levels. From their extremist left-wing ideology, to their brutal live performances, to the intrinsic energy that was barely contained within this four-piece... they simply kicked ass. I wish they'd reunite. Please...!


Thankfully, a few of their choicest songs are still on their MySpace.



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I was smart enough to buy the EP when I had the chance, and boy, was I lucky to get it...!


Playing next at:
Pray hard, and maybe it'll happen..





The Spitshine:


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First saw them at: I think, The Speakeasy again.

Hailing from: Muncie, Indiana


MySpace at: www.myspace.com/thespitshine


Sounds like: I'm gonna have to with a heavier, MC5-infused version of The Kinks.



The Skinny:


Probably, the best band that you've never seen. Ryan Ramsey and the crew have always kicked ass. I first saw them years ago, when it was just Ryan, plus one drummer... sort of like a pre-White Stripes White Stripes, but with a dude pounding the skins. Their sound was way, waaay out of whack with what two dudes should legeally be allowed to produce in any given band. Nowadays, they are a four-piece... which means a bass, more guitars, and even more noisy hecticness. Rock 'n roll, man... it's a beautiful thing. Praise the Lord.


Playing next at:
Couldn't find the info, anywhere. If anyone knows, fill us in...!




Devil To Pay:


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The band. Photo by Greg Andrews.


First saw them at: It was probably so loud, that it short-circuited the memory banks. Because, I can't remember for the life of me. I do know this: I've seen them several times, now. My eardrums won't let me forget them, either.

Hailing from: Indianapolis, Indiana


MySpace at: www.myspace.com/deviltopay


Sounds like: Motorhead, but heavier. If you can believe such a thing.



The Skinny:


Let's talk "heavy" here for a sec. Let's say that nowadays-Metallica is, one pound. That means that, early Metallica was maybe, ten pounds. In that equation, Deep Purple might be like, a hundred pounds, and Black Sabbath maybe, a thousand. In those cases are true, than Devil To Pay is like: A 100,000 lb. freight train. No shit: These dudes don't screw around. They're massive, overpowering, pummeling purveyors of metal. They call it "southern rock". No: Lynard Skynard was "southern rock". These guys make Skynard look like The Village People.


Playing next at: The Melody Inn, June 11th, 9:00; Locals Only, July 16th, 9:00




Blue Sky Goodbye:


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First saw them at: The Speakeasy again, and several times since.

Hailing from: Indianapolis, Indiana


MySpace at: www.myspace.com/blueskygoodbye


Other websites: www.purevolume.com/blueskygoodbye

Sounds like: Oh, God, this is a hard one... I'm gonna say, Blink 182, but a bit more "serious". If that makes any sense at all.



The Skinny:


Definitely, one of the best of the best, as far as Indianapolis bands go. They do it all, and they do it well: Great songs, great performances, great energy, and great recordings. The Identity EP is a favorite of mine: I actually own several copies, because I keep on buying 'em up for whatever reason. I guess this band just moves me to give them my money over and over and over again... maybe they should try playing Wall Street, instead of central midwest corn towns all the time. Then, they'd be rich...!


Playing next at:
These guys seem to be having a really hard time keeping their web-stuff current... I hope they're still around...?



The Lipstick Vogue:



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First saw them at: The Speakeasy again, and several times since.


Hailing from: Muncie, Indiana


MySpace at: Nada...?

Other websites: Try their label, Wooden Man Records (www.woodenmanrecords.com), home of equally-awesome The Everydays, and Killjoy Confetti.

Sounds like: The Smiths meets Lou Reed meets something really, really loud.



The Skinny:


Muncie is a rather downtrodden ex-manufacturing, current-college town that either spawns intelligent outward rebellion (see Revel In The Morning), or inward reflection and questioning, which is what we have here. The Smiths are an obvious influence, as is the early New York art/punk scene (think less Ramones, more Television)... both, genius bands in their own right... but mixed, embellished, and re-interpreted by this uber-talented four-piece, it's "classic" in a way that's too far ahead of it's time to describe fully, today. I own the self-titled CD, and it's aging extremely well. I predict that this band is gonna be huge in ten years. But they would've been huge already, if only they lived on the Eastern Seaboard somewhere. Fuckin' Indana...


Playing next at:
Wish I knew...




The Slurs:



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First saw them at: Only the Lord knows... for several years, they were everywhere.


Hailing from: Indianapolis, Indiana


MySpace at: www.myspace.com/theslurs


Sounds like: The Sex Pistols meets something really raw and dirty, like... The Heartbreakers!



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The Skinny:


Maybe the most influential "local" band, The Slurs were everyone's darlings, best hopes, and shining stars. They played so many gigs, they were virtually omnipresent. They were, quite literally, The Sound of Underground Indianapolis... the only "debatable" part of that being the "underground" part, because this band was immensely popular with anyone and everyone that had a clue. Problem is, as far as Indianapolis goes... only a very tiny percentage of the overall populous actually "has a clue". And, that might almost explain why the various members have moved on to other projects.


Playing next at:
Sadly, no more.




A Suburban Blood Drive:



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First saw them at: Indy Skates in Greenwood.


Hailing from: Louisville, Kentucky


MySpace at: www.myspace.com/asuburbanblooddrive


Sounds like: Fugazi, on PCP.




The Skinny:


I saved the best for last, here. Short-lived, from a city two hours away, A Suburban Blood Drive was the best band that I've ever seen play Indianapolis, by far and away. Their show was truly scary: From the first chord they struck, shit was flying everywhere. It was a little less "performance", and a little more "band rioting"... a SWAT team might have been advisable, at this one. Rock music has oftentimes been figuratively referred to as "dangerous". A Suburban Blood Drive made the danger, palatable. They damn near wrecked the venue; many pieces of their own equipment were manhandled beyond recognition. It was truly, fucking awe-inspiring. I had their CD... but, I think one of my exes has it now. A sad loss, to be sure. Thank Gawd for MySpace!



Playing next at:
Pray harder, and maybe it shall come to pass...



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Shows: The Shake-Ups CD Release Party

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The Venue:


The show was at The Monkeys Tale, at 925 E. Westfield Boulevard in Broad Ripple (Indianapolis). Nice place. Huge outdoor patio, with umbrella-equipped tables. And, ashtrays. They serve Pepsi, and that's always a bummer... but otherwise, a cool place.


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My favorite photo of the whole evening: Patrick, clowning around. Note the reactions of the backgrounders...!



The Opener:



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The opener. They're playing again at The Melody pretty soon; we'll keep you informed.


They kept referring to themselves as "Nighthawk", as well as "Thunderhawk"... but, I think that Thunderhawk was the actual name of the group. A cool band. Very witty, laugh-out-loud songs. Think "Dinosaur Jr." with a sense of humor, and you're pretty close. I liked them, obviously. If I can ever figure out their real name, I'd even be quite happy to see them again.



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Bitsy reacts to the wittiness of Thunderhawk's "drinking" song... funny stuff!




The Turnout:

Not so great. Probably due to The Reverend Horton Heat playing a few blocks away...


The Crowd:

Those that did show up, looked pretty damned happy that they came. Lots of "Oh, my gawd, this band kicks ass!" sort of reactions. Smiles and laughs all around. Good times.


The Shake-Ups:

Were a bit tired (so they claimed, at least) from a show in Dayton, Ohio the evening before. You wouldn't have known it, though! This band, once they're "on", has enough energy to light up a sizeable suburb. Lots of jumping all over the place... hell, I get tired just watching them. Which is part of what makes them so good, of course.


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The biggest complaint that I had about the show, was the less-than-adequate lighting on the bands. They basically played on a dark patio, backlit with only a wall of Christmas lights for illumination. Taking photos was more than hard enough (as you can see). Playing couldn't have been much easier...


They sounded great, they played great, the set-list choices were great.... yeah, man. "Great!"
Woo-hoo! Party on!

In other words: A typical Shake-Ups show.



The "Snacks":

Airheads, this time. Bitsy handed them out, so I wouldn't have to get smashed in the noggin by their usually-rambunctious "snack-tossing" interudes, again. Warning: The Shake-Ups have a tradition of tossing snacks into the crowd at every show. Editor's advice: Come hungry, and wear a helmet and kneepads.


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Bitsy handing out the "snacks"...


Thanks, Bitsy. You're the awesomest.


The CD:

The CD Release-Party was for their newest, "Warm Fuzzies". A perfect title for this band, I might add. Of course, being a bona-fide fan, I bought the entire discography. Which includes:

- "Last Everlasting" (5-song ep),
- "Breathing The Flood",
- "Twist of Lemon", and
- "Warm Fuzzies"

If you buy the entire set, it'll cost ya about $35. Not too shabs! So, what's the verdict?! Well, here it is: "They're all great!" Duh...


I'd like to genuinely thank everyone involved for the good time, and a grand evening out. If you missed it, then you're a loser. No worries, though: Just catch the next show on June 24th, at The Melody Inn.

(And, don't forget your helmet.)


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Sunday, May 9, 2010

Aperture: Best Foot Forward @ Major Taylor

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Today (Sunday, May 9th, 2010), Enemiez held their "Best Foot Forward" contest at Major Taylor in Indianapolis, Indiana. Sorta...



I arrived at around 11:30 or so... which was supposed to be "late", given that the promo for this event clearly stated that it would be starting promptly at 11:00. Well, when I arrived, there was no "event" happening yet. Just, a bunch of skaters skating. Which was just fine by me, because it gave me a few hours before "the event" actually got started (at almost four in the afternoon) to shoot some photos. Apparently, Enemiez isn't as "organized" as they'd like to think they are, but whatever. Their loss was my gain, nevertheless.


With the almost five hours of "practice" time available, I got a rare opportunity to shoot some of Indianapolis' heaviest and burliest, doing what they do best. Here's some of the better pics from the day:



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Jesse Kirby, backside 5-0 on The Widowmaker (the centerpiece quarterpipe at Major Taylor, where most of these pics were shot). Jesse arrived just as the camera was running out of battery juice... so, this is the only shot of Jesse that I got. Sorry, man.



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Jeff Holcomb with a stand-up frontside 5-0 (top), and a classic smith (bottom). Jeff was kind of hard to nail down, because he was all over the place with highly unpredictable runs... very, very spontaneous. He did those stand-ups all day long. I only shot about 50 of 'em... yet, I managed to miss the few backside tailslides that he managed to pull off, right in front of me (because, he pulled 'em out of his bag right when I least expected them). Jeff's easygoing, confident, and relaxed style is a real treat to shoot. I'm a lucky man.



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Charles Six got a lot of tricks nailed down during the "practice" sesh... including (top to bottom) an ollie indy to fakie, a blunt to fakie, and a kickflip to fakie. The kickflip took a few tries, and Charles was starting to get a little pissy... but, I don't think he realized how good they looked, from my vantage point. Charles looks clean as hell, even when he's bailing... our boy's got impeccable style, which is emphasized by the fully tucked, noseboned ollie-to-indy over the island in the last photo.



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Just as I was arriving at Major, Eric Bose sauntered up to me (like he usually does whenever we're at Major at the same time), and pointed Chris Pannel out to me right off the bat. He said something like, "That dude almost never skates here, unless there's a contest or something. But, on those few days that he actually skates the place...? He skates it like he owns it." I'm paraphrasing... but, it's not that far off from verbatim, either. Eric doesn't fuck around with this sort of stuff, so I made a careful note to keep my eye on this dudeman. And, he truly ripped. It was quite a sight to behold. He doesn't just "skate" the place... he fuckin' manhandles it. Check it out: The top photo looks like a straight-up tailslide, but it's actually a 5-o to tailslide, which he did about a dozen times, back to back. The ollie blunt popout's the same sort of gig; that kind of popout requires some brute force, coupled with a whole lotta finesse. The back lip... I mean, look at how far he extends that shit! After all that, the frontside air and the melon over the bump were just bonuses. If you think these look good, man... I have another 20 or so, just like 'em. Chris is a destruction machine, no doubt about it...



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... and then, this dude shows up, straight outta nowhere, and puts another whole slant on the entire session. This is Scott Anderson. His look, his skating, his style... all, completely unmistakable. There's just nothing else like it. The guy shows up, and just starts blasting. Fuckin' full-on. He never said a word... the true definition of "Letting the skating do the talking". And, his skating just never shuts up. That lien to tail up there? He pulled those virtually every single time... that's another trick that I probably shot 20 of. And, reviewing the photos... it was really hard to pick "the best one", because they were all so consistently good. The frontside air is one of the best I've seen in a while, with that fully-folded, tuck-knee stance. The third pic is a fingerflip lien to tail... but, it much more closely resembled a fingerflipped Madonna, with the ridiculous front-leg-extension going on. The handplant isn't the best of photos... I should have shot that one from the other side of the quarterpipe... but, I hadta toss it in there, anyway. You just don't see those at MT that often, so it's kind of a treat. And, lastly: That blasted method over the bump... completely out of hand...


All in all, it was a pretty grand day to be a skateboarder. Thanks to Enemiez for showing up five hours late, and then barging in on a raging photo session to sticker the park with their politiganda. One of the Enemiez dudes actually got pissed at me, for stealing a waiver to use as a scratch-pad to get everyone's names. Really,
douchebag? We're gonna get on someone's shit over a piece of fuckin' paper?! Okay, all goofballs, make a note of this: Never, ever piss off a reporter for a skateboard magazine. That just results in bad, bad press. Which Enemiez probably has enough of already, I'm sure...

But, the skateboarding kicked ass. As it always does. See ya next year! And, I promise: I'll even bring my own piece of paper next time...



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