The Secrets of Seizureman

Buzzcocks!

2009-08-25T16:38:00.002-04:00

I love the Buzzcocks! And I always love hearing something by them that I've never heard before. Thanks to the wonders of YouTube, I found this song by accident. They have a great power pop sound, and I love the sloppy little solo that says so much in the middle. I love the way their guitars work together, and how their drummer keeps the good times rolling even while changing moods a couple of times through the song. Judging by how few people have watched this video, it seems like a lost treasure that deserves more attention. So here it is. Pete Shelley at his best!

Health Care Reform!

2009-08-25T08:10:00.003-04:00

My friend Kenneth is one articulate fellow. Here is a short video he made which puts that fact into vivid perspective. I agree with him 100%! I love that he linked this video to Sarah Palin's Facebook page!

Peaches Meets Miss Piggy

2009-08-22T14:34:00.002-04:00

I love the "Andy Griffith Show" version of this video (see below), but this Muppets version is hilarious! The editing is well done, and the band has always been one of my favorite bands, ever since I saw them play with Alice Cooper on The Muppet Show when they did "School's Out" together when I was but a wee child.

Peaches

2009-08-20T14:04:00.002-04:00

Peaches is coming to Philadelphia in November! Yeah!!! My friend Josh and I were lucky enough to catch her in New York City a couple of years ago and she changed my life. The show was incredible. She sings, she changes costumes, she shows her wacky videos, and she even played an electric guitar. Her music is wild, and the topics she chooses to sing about are titillating to say the least. When I found this video, I realized that she is truly a genius. I can't wait to see her at the TLA in November!

Danny Macaskill

2009-08-06T17:05:00.004-04:00

This guy is not only amazing, but he inspires me to get up off my ass and do something active and fun for a change. I think I'll dust off my skateboard and go for a ride tonight in honor of this fellow. I also really like the song by Band of Horses. I wish I knew more about them. It's kind of a sad song to pick for such an exciting bunch of action, but I really like the way the shots are all edited to its ups and downs. The song kind of makes me want to cry, but the video makes me want to laugh. Funny how that works.

Tom Wilkes Has Passed

2009-07-22T11:16:00.005-04:00

One of my art/rock & roll heroes just passed away. His name is Tom Wilkes. He's the graphic artist who helped to create some of the best classic album covers of all time. Looking over his contributions to my record collection, I realized that he's helped to shape a lot of the images in my mind when it comes to the music/art combination. He will be missed! Here are some pictures of him and only a few of his great images:

Shit and Shine!

2009-07-18T06:51:00.004-04:00

I've been dying to hear something new that I like, and I've decided that Shit and Shine is what I've been looking for. I'm a big fan of the Butthole Surfers, who always made me feel like there was an outer edge of groovy rhythm and rock that had still never been explored. Then they went poppish, and I started losing hope in the joy of wacky new music. That was many years ago. Lately I've been settling for old memories and traditional songs. Along the way, I've been turned on to Aquarius Records in San Francisco, which sends me an e-mail every few weeks, highlighting all of the great stuff I've been missing by being in the underbelly of the beast here in Delaware, where very little great music shines in to spread its life-giving light on my musical vacuum. So today, this morning, as the sun was rising, Aquarius sends me their latest. And lo and behold, their record of the week is a new one by Shit and Shine. When they mentioned the Butthole Surfers a dozen times as a comparison sound in that band calculus that they use to describe things most of the world has never heard, I decided to take a listen. And I am impressed. I love multiple drummers in a band. And I love more than one bass player too. Remember Green Jello? How about Grotus? I think Sharkbait had two bass players too, but maybe I was drinking back then. Anyway, I see four drummers lined up in Shit and Shine, and another one to the side. Five drummers?! There might even be more. Regardless, I'm hooked. The description offered by the music gods at Aquarius say this is some kind of London music collective, but I say it's awesome. Here's a video I found floating out there. Now I'm gathering loose change to buy the record, just to take a chance on something new and explosive. I need the inspiration, and I think I've found a little today. Hooray for me. Finally!

Sky Saxon Has Died

2009-06-25T14:52:00.003-04:00

I love the sound of The Seeds. I'm sorry to learn that their guitar player, Sky Saxon, has died. This song is awesome!

Prince

2009-03-27T09:37:00.004-04:00

SUPERBOWL Rehersal07 - Prince

I love most forms of music, and yes, I admit it: I love Prince. This press conference from a couple of years back proves he's still a powerful force in the universe. I've never seen anything like it. He even funks up the NFL network, no less!!

Bumble Bee

2009-03-10T14:48:00.003-04:00

Here are two oil paintings of bumble bees I recently completed. They're each four feet by three feet, which makes the tiny little critters very impressive in all of their enlarged glory. It's the same little fellow in each. He still lives in Montreal, where I found him, but I'm sure he's forgotten me. Fickle little creatures, bumble bees.

Watchmen

2009-03-08T23:04:00.003-04:00

After watching the new movie Watchmen today, this little bit of hilarity is a perfect counterpoint. The actual movie was great. I love the graphic novel, and the filmmakers did a great job translating it into a compelling flick. I've read and heard several bad reviews, but those critics can bite me. It was an amazing translation of the original story, and the visuals were mind blowing. All of the characters and plot lines were handled with just the right touch. Plus, I loved to see Kelly from The Bad News Bears acting again, as an adult. Of course, he was great in Breaking Away, but his role in Watchmen was just incredible: a Bad News Bear Gone Bad. Really bad. Bad but good. Really good.

Pylon

2009-02-26T15:27:00.003-05:00

Another great guitarist is dead, this time of a heart attack. Randy Bewley died at the tender age of 53. As one of the unsung heroes of the Athens, GA, scene, from back when The B-52s and REM got most of the spotlight, Randy took a back seat to many of his contemporaries. It's a shame, because he had a cool, laid back style. This song, Danger, is a good example of his low-fi sound. RIP Mr. Bewley. I'm glad to know Pylon continued to play from the late 70s all the way until recently.

R.I.P. Kelly Groucutt of ELO

2009-02-20T21:36:00.005-05:00

I think I'm just going to make this a place where I pay tribute to all of the great musicians who die every week now that everyone I've ever loved to listen to is getting to the age when that kind of thing happens. Every time I look at the news, somebody else who I admire has passed on to Rock & Roll Heaven. For example, the great bass player Kelly Groucutt died of a heart attack on Wednesday night at the tender age of 63. He was merely a babe! Well, when I was in Junior High, listening to my brother's radio show on WMPH-FM, Mount Pleasant High School's radio station (in Delaware), I remember calling him up to request this song, Mr. Blue Sky. It just seemed like such a nice little tune. (Dig the epic ending!) It always reminded me of a Beatles song, but since the Beatles were already done by that point, ELO served as my personal Beatles. Their albums were the soundtrack to my whole Jr. High experience. ELO wasn't exactly the coolest band out there, but I always liked how catchy their songs were ... and still are. Thanks Kelly!

R.I.P. Snooks Eaglin

2009-02-20T10:31:00.005-05:00

Snooks died on Wednesday, down in New Orleans, where he made a name for himself as a legend while playing some great music. He has a really awesome guitar style that I've never seen before. Watch that crazy thumb of his! He picks with his thumbnail, which makes his little solos sound wild! RIP Snooks.

(I'd Go The) Whole Wide World by Wreckless Eric

2009-02-18T14:55:00.004-05:00

Do you ever get a song stuck in your head, then forget it, and then try to get it back? Well, that happened to me this week.

This song has been haunting me since I heard it for a moment during the great radio show "This American Life" the other day. They had a funny segment by a comic describing how he was once his "Girlfriend's Other Boyfriend." It was a pretty hilarious ode to Valentine's Day. Anyway, ever since I heard the story, and the song, I've been trying to figure out who sang it, because it's a great love song, with a great vocal. Then, during my search, I found out where I had heard it before: Stranger Than Fiction. I think this is the best part of the movie, which was interesting on some levels, but less wacky than most Will Ferrell classics.

In my search for the song, I also found this cool little movie by Michael Saikin to go with the original song:

But the best part of my search was when I found the original songwriter, Wreckless Eric, performing the song himself, back when he was a Stiff Records recording artist:

2009-02-14T23:24:00.001-05:00

the sopranos, uncensored. from victor solomon on Vimeo.

This is a classic example of the beauty of the spoken (dirty) word(s). It's mesmerizing!!

Lux Interior is Dead, again

2009-02-05T13:46:00.001-05:00

RIP Lux. 62. Another sad departure.

The Sounds of Doom and Gloom!

2009-02-03T15:56:00.002-05:00

This is wild. It's horrible, but it cracks me up!

The Barons in New York

2008-12-02T13:29:00.004-05:00

Here are more exciting photos of The Barons' return to Long Island, New York. This Saturday, December 6th, we'll be back in Delaware at The City Tap in lovely downtown Smyrna. Join us for some good ol' fashioned punk rock and roll!

The Barons on Long Island, New York

2008-11-21T11:18:00.006-05:00

As you can see, The Barons rocked out Finn's Pub on Long Island last weekend. Here are me and the boys in mid flight. Also, the gig in York, PA, on the poster below, will not feature The Barons as the poster promises. It seems there was a little mix up, and some Barons are not available, so we'll be hunkered down for a couple of weeks until our upcoming show in lovely Smyrna, Delaware on Saturday night, December 6th, at The City Tap on Smyrna's main drag. This is a call to all of our friends down south, such as Cecil County, MD, (that's you Kris and John) to come out and see us in our native habitat of Delaware. Hopefully Skinny Skin and Robbie will show up too! We're featuring our new drummer and even a new song or two. And the best part is that we now have some copies of our new CD to sell! Be the first on your block to bring home American Beer Drinking Songs: a classic punk rock album if there ever was one! (Thank you Motherbox Records!) I hope you'll join us for all of the fun! Oh, and if you click the title, you can visit the Barons' MySpace page and revel in the glory!

2008-11-10T09:49:00.000-05:00

It looks like the Barons have another gig on November 21st in York, Pennsylvania! It will be our second chance to show off our new drummer, Terry, who blazes on those skins. The first chance to hear him will be this Saturday, up on Long Island, NY. Check the yellow flyer below for that one. All of the bands from both of these shows are from Motherbox Records, who will be putting out our new CD any day now. I'm anxious to see the finished product. What's nice about Motherbox is that their releases are all available worldwide via CDBaby, Amazon, and most of the other places you can buy music online. The new record comes with a lyrics sheet too, which should help everyone sing along while they're drinking beer and kicking up their heels. Come out and join us for the rollicking fun!!

2008-10-03T09:39:00.000-04:00

Here's my new poster for The Barons' show next Friday night, October 10th, at Mojo 13 with some of our label mates. SuperBuick pumps out kick ass skater punk rock from PA. We've played with them before and it's always been a blast (hence the poster). I've heard great things about Bull Dozer, too, and I'm anxious to see them rock the house. The other bands are supposed to also kick out the jams with some great breakneck rock and roll. I I hope you can make it! Hopefully we'll get some go-go dancing like the last time we played at Mojo 13 (see video below)!

2008-10-01T13:42:00.000-04:00

The Barons will be playing in New York again on November 15th, as you can see by the poster. But we'll be at a Motherbox Records showcase with many of these bands at the lovely Mojo 13 in Delaware on October 10th, next Friday. Come on down! We go on around midnight at Mojo 13. We might even break out a couple of new songs! Come out and support the wonderful record label that's putting out our CD next month.

2008-09-17T15:55:00.000-04:00

The notorious "Haunted Trailer" video is now available by popular demand, complete with go-go dancing and beer-fueled mayhem! Come see The Barons on Friday, October 10th at Mojo 13 for a showcase of bands on our new CD label, Motherbox Records! Rock and roll!

2008-09-07T23:34:00.000-04:00

In my effort to never be satisfied with anything I make, I've diddled around some more with my painting and ended up with this new version of The Barons' new album cover. Hopefully I'm done with it, but I'm still waiting for the final word from my editor/bass player.

2008-09-05T17:50:00.000-04:00

Here is the cover of the next Barons album, which should be available on vinyl from Dim Records and CD from MotherBox Records by the end of the year. I still have to make some adjustments, but I'm glad to be finished. I've been working on this for far too long, but I like how it turned out. The image is completely out of my head, which is different from the photo-inspired oil paintings I've been doing lately.

The Barons will be playing at Mojo 13 on Friday, September 12, if you care to stop by and see us rock the house. We'll go on around 10, so you'll want to show up early enough to get a nice spot up front. I just got back some Barons stickers too, which I'll be handing out at the show. Be the first on your block to proudly display your very own Barons sticker! Yee ha!

2008-07-29T23:22:00.000-04:00

The Barons had a blast in Newark, Delaware, on Saturday night! Whew! Now we're off to Allentown, Pennsylvania, for a gig on August 2nd. Rock and roll!

2008-07-23T13:15:00.000-04:00

As you can see from the flyer, The Barons are playing at the East End Cafe in Newark, Delaware, on Saturday night. We'll start at around 9:30 or 10. I'm hoping we see some familiar faces in the audience since it is one of our only Delaware appearances this summer. I've been dying to play a show in Newark, where I lived for four years in the 1980s. It will be the first time for me to perform there since 2000 when my band at the time, Humboldt, played at a place once called the Down Under with the band Daze Alone. Good times! Saturday night, the 26th, should be a fun show, so I hope to see you there!

2008-07-11T10:02:00.000-04:00

A week after our gig in Newark, Delaware, my band The Barons will be playing up in Allentown at this Saturday night benefit for WWII veterans. Since The Wretched Ones will be headlining, this should be incredible. They sing about beer like we do, so it should be an inspired performance. I really like this poster somebody made, although I hope nobody gets the wrong idea from the iron cross somebody attached to our name. I'm excited about playing with all of these great bands! The guitar player from Maddog Surrender is back from Iraq, so it will be interesting to hear his stories. I'm glad we're all helping out a great cause.

2008-07-09T14:38:00.000-04:00

I'm so swamped with my big July 15 deadline that I've had barely a moment's rest. The Barons play in Newark, DE, on Saturday night on July 26 at The East End Cafe at the end of Main Street. We're opening, for a change, which is nice. Then we play in Allentown, PA, the following Saturday night with the nice fellows in Maddog Surrender and The Wretched Ones. That should also be a blast. Come out and support beer-drinking rock and roll. We might even play some of our new songs!

2008-06-25T23:44:00.000-04:00

I learned today that the owner of the New York CD label called MotherBox just posted this video on YouTube. It features our performance of "Social Disease" in Long Island, New York, when The Barons played at Mr. Beery's. Here we are in all of our glory. Paul's video is much more fun than all of the stationary camera videos I've posted so far. Although you can't tell from the video, the audience actually went nuts while we played. This is probably our first song of the nights, so the people are still just starting to get pumped. Thanks Paul! Rock on!

2008-06-04T22:01:00.000-04:00

The Barons play again at BankShots in lovely downtown Stanton, Delaware, on June 14th. (That's a Saturday night.) We're headlining, so we'll go on about 11 or 11:30 p.m. after Lousy Break and a couple of other local punk rock bands -- if you care to show up. Think of this as your personal invitation! I hear we just got signed to Dim Records in Germany for our second record/first LP album. Although Dim published The Barons' first vinyl EP earlier this year, the new album will be the band's first full-length vinyl record. Yee-ha! I love the smell of vinyl records! It will be called "American Beer Drinking Songs." I don't sing on any of the songs on the album, but I'm working on a painting for the cover. I'll show some early versions of the artwork here in a few days once it starts to shape up a little more. Stay tuned!

2008-05-26T22:56:00.000-04:00

Saturday night's gig at Mojo 13 was great. Many of my friends showed up to root me on and hoot and holler for the band, so I felt very gratified and humbled. Here is our second song of the evening, Social Disease, since I kind of messed up Mercury Rising, the first song (not that anybody noticed). The audio is better than the video, but it's still nice to see all of the members of the band, even if they are all fuzzy and haloed with glowing bodies. I found myself drinking many beers, which gave the entire evening a surreal feel. I'm thankful to have so many nice friends and family members who showed up to listen to us so late at night. The other bands, such as Lousy Break, Circuit Theory and The Odd Squad were also very nice to us, and the woman who ran the Pit Bull Adoption group that was selling t-shirts said she sold more than she could have imagined, which is very cool for her and her charity. Delaware rocks!

2008-05-23T08:59:00.000-04:00

Here's the latest lineup for Saturday's show! (Only one mutant bully pup this time.) Come on out and support great bands and a great cause!

2008-05-18T18:14:00.000-04:00

After an exciting evening at Mr. Beery's on Long Island up in New York, and a long drive home until 5:30 am, I'm hoping my voice will recover enough from the festivities to rock Mojo 13 next week for this Saturday night show. Now that it's 12 hours later and I have a couple of hours of sleep in me, I'm feeling good about our New York premier. It usually takes at least 48 hours to get my voice back to normal, so I should be fine. The crowd and other bands in Beth Page, NY, are some of the nicest people I've ever met. Talk about supportive! And the deal on beer for band members can't be beat: free Bud or $1 beers on tap. Considering their tap selection is so vast and tasty, this was one of the nicest things anybody has ever done for me. As a band that sings mostly about beer and drinking it, we were all quite happy. The drive was well worth it! Thank you Mr. Beery's!!! The band formerly known as The Devilles were awesome. The musicians in Quarterlife Crisis, Southpaw, and SuperBuick were equally great. It was refreshing to see bands stay around to support each other before and after playing, the way it should be. I hope the trend continues next Saturday night at the show on the poster. Come on by!

2008-05-16T09:09:00.000-04:00

Here is another Seizureman hit: Betrayed! That's my friend Wil at the beginning, reacting to the sound of our friend Dave tumbling into a house to retrieve a lost disc golf disc. Long live Seizureman. The song is a Lauer original!

2008-05-15T10:24:00.000-04:00

The videos from my old band Seizureman just popped up in my life. Here is another one we made several years back!

2008-05-14T21:15:00.000-04:00

After a short-lived cover band project I did with Darren and Mike called Humboldt, we recorded a bunch of songs in Mike's living room as Seizureman. After a while, Mike made some videos to go along with some of the songs. I just found a disc he burned of some of them, so here is one of them. The video features some photos of my paintings and some photos of friends, etc., plus Mike's psychedelic input! There is more to the song, but I think you get the point.

2008-05-06T08:44:00.000-04:00

The fellow who made this film trailer, Jeff Scher, has a new video on the New York Times Web site called All the Wrong Reasons: http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=13b4d8a18911bca85c21f003d4e40a6c67526881

I love animation and subliminal imagery, so this little video gives me all sorts of goose bumps.

Here is something else he has done with his talents:

This stuff just hypnotizes me.

2008-05-02T08:47:00.000-04:00

I've finally finished my revisions to the Hatchetface logo I started months ago. I'm told this is the one they'll make into T-shirts, rather than the doodly one I did way back. I'm looking forward to wearing mine with pride. I like the Zig-Zag border (with my usual tweaks). They are touring the New York/New Jersey/Pa. region for several days starting at the end of next week. Those groovy women are gong to kick some Mid-Atlantic region ass! Go see them! (To find their schedule, type HATCHETFACE into the music search on myspace.)

2008-04-29T08:33:00.000-04:00

"Now let me tell you a story about the way I live. I've got to work all week, 'cause that's the way it is. But when it comes to the weekend, and I've got money to spend, from Friday night to Sunday, the party never ends! It's a Friday night and everything's alright. It's a Friday night, rock and roll all night! It's the end of the week I've got a pocket full of money. It's Friday night and I'm ready to party. Now, some of y'all might think that's funny, but by Sunday morning I'll be down to my last penny. ..." Credit goes to my bass player Kurt Beers for the lyrics. There are more verses, but you get the picture. I like the way Wes rips up the guitar solo.

2008-04-28T16:10:00.000-04:00

This is a video of my band The Barons playing at the world famous Mojo 13 last night. The video is rough, you can't see Wes on guitar or Kurt on bass, but me, Ed and Roger are in the picture. Rock and roll!

2008-04-25T14:41:00.000-04:00

My band, The Barons, will be playing on Sunday night at the wonderfully local MOJO 13 on Sunday night around 9:30 or 10. What a way to end the weekend! I hope somebody shows up. I'm interested to see who doesn't have to get up early on Monday morning. The bands we'll be playing with mostly play the psychobilly, which always makes me yee-ha! I love the stand-up bass, especially when it gets the royal rockabilly treatment. The Koffin Kats look cool, according to their Web site, but I haven't heard anything from them yet. I'm ready to get loose! Here is a flyer I made for the show last night around 2 am. I tried drawing directly into Photoshop with the mouse. It's a little shaky, but it's much faster than all the hand-drawn stuff I like to do. Since I wanted to send it out by the morning, this is what I came up with in the couple of hours I had before sleep demanded my attention.

Priest!

2008-04-22T09:56:00.001-04:00

2008-03-31T22:01:00.000-04:00

If you are in New York in May, come out to our little gig. I hear Super Buick rocks the hizzow. You can tell the gig will be fun by the old school flyer. Seeing nuns smoking always makes me laugh for some reason.

2008-03-31T21:46:00.000-04:00

I've been painting this strange object for the past month every time I get the chance. Now I'm done and I like looking at this mutant totem I've created. I used varnish for the first time and I like the glossy glow. Here are the front and left side views. My camera batteries ran out, so you'll have to wait to see the other side. Or go see it in person on display at Mojo 13 (that's why it has 13 fingers). The owner, Jared, has these objects all over his bar, decorating the walls. Once we add fur to this puppy, it will be what the experts call a "circus punk." You've seen them at the carnival and probably tried to knock some over with a softball in a rigged game on some distant memory midway. I like to know that it will be staring down on all of the goings on going on at the place, surrounded by others like itself, yet strangely different. It's a nice collection of great local artists, so I feel lucky to be included.

2008-03-27T23:06:00.000-04:00

My new band, The Barons, will be playing in beautiful downtown Smyrna, Delaware, on Saturday night, April 12 at City Tap. I didn't make this poster, but I think it is very cool. I believe our very talented drummer, Ed, made it, but I could be wrong.

To hear our songs, recorded before I was the singer, go to www.myspace.com/thebarons. There are a bunch of great originals posted. Our vinyl EP is out on Dim Records in Germany if you're ready to crank up your turntable. You'll have to Google them for the address.

The address is 19 W. Commerce St. #21 if you need to MapQuest it. The Zip Code is 19977, but you probably knew that. I'm psyched because it will be my first real show with the world-famous Barons! Woo hoo! Rock and roll!!!

Come hear our classic hits like Party On, 3 More Pints, Friday Night Rock & Roll, Raw Deal, and a dozen other songs about beer, women, beer, partying, and beer. It should be a great show.

I might even wear my new hat!

2008-03-17T21:56:00.000-04:00

Doodling helps me focus.

2008-03-14T10:30:00.000-04:00

I was watching this weird movie "Blowup" from 1966, the year I was born, on TCM last night, and who should unexpectedly peep his smiling face at me from my TV screen but Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page with the Yardbirds. Suddenly this bizarre movie goes from just drifting around London's swinging '60s culture of pot smoking, hot sex, topless models, painters and photography to a scene where Jeff Beck is smashing his guitar because he has a bad guitar cord. I could have sworn the song was "Train Kept a Rollin,'" but the words are all different. It still sounds great, except for that crackling guitar, which is soon dispatched. I'm still not sure what the movie was all about, but it was kind of mesmerizing.

2008-03-04T19:41:00.000-05:00

I touched up this album cover to get rid of the hidden sheep I never really found in the hat's plume. Any other secret images are strictly in your own brain. If you compare this version with the earlier one, you will find all sorts of new, anally retentive dots and dashes. I darkened some of the colors, and greened up the lawn a little. I also added some flowers and shrubbery. Hardcore punk rock bands need more flowers and shrubbery on their album covers.

2008-02-26T13:46:00.001-05:00

Here is a piece of art I did for a local punk rock band called The Incited. I'm not sure if they like it yet because a couple of the members of the band are currently serving in Iraq, so it might take them a while to send me their input. I hear that there is a hidden lamb's head in the plume of one of the hats. Although it was completely unintentional, I'll probably blur it out into abstract obscurity once I find it. Just painting this picture made me feel more patriotic.

2008-02-13T23:34:00.001-05:00

Here's a new logo I did for a local band of rad women. I'm planning to see them Saturday night at the East End Cafe in Newark, DE. I haven't heard them yet, but I'm sure they rock out. Amy is the bass player from Eph Tradition, but I think she might play something else in Hatchetface. I like their name because it makes me think of that girl from John Waters' Crybaby who painted her eyebrows on in the weirdest way. And that makes me think of Baltimore, which reminds me how much I'm enjoying the new season of The Wire ... I'm not sure if the band actually likes the logo or not, since I haven't heard a word about it since I sent it to them, but I still like its Zig-Zag style. That was Amy's idea. I hope they dig it because I'd love to see it on a T-shirt.

2008-02-09T16:13:00.000-05:00

This is a longer video I just made from the High On Fire show with more video and photos. Now it's off my chest. It felt like a real waste not to do something with the extra minute of audio I had from the show, so here is the montage. I still can't figure out what he's saying, but it seems like he means it!

2008-02-09T13:34:00.000-05:00

Here is another psycho-psychedelic photo of the singer from High On Fire, who made a lot of noise last night at our local bar. Bad teeth are bad ass!

2008-02-09T01:44:00.001-05:00

My ears are ringing still from the High On Fire show at Mojo 13 about 45 minutes ago. What? Huh? I can barely hear the click of my mouse over this high pitched whine. The band was cool. It was the first time they played in Delaware. Here is the last 18 seconds of their set. Their singer/guitarist was fun to watch. I really liked his 10-string guitar. These fellows are relentless!

2008-02-02T22:15:00.000-05:00

It's funny when a band's name is on the tip of your tongue but you just can't imagine the sound the band makes. Mogwai has been that way for me lately. Now I've finally figured it out and I'm glad I did. It's kind of soothing music, like a tamer Tool. Or a mellower Rein Sanction, with some slicker Sonic Youth sprinkled throughout. This video has nifty graphics to go along too. I like the end of this animation a whole bunch. It feels kind of hopeful. I wonder why I never hear anyone talk about Mogwai. What the heck does that mean anyway? Are they a phenomenon somewhere? I found their CD My Father My King in the local library. I like it, but haven't really figured it out yet. I bet I'll find a mood when it will be perfect.

2008-02-01T00:28:00.000-05:00

I just finished this picture for my friend's record label. It always amazes me how many bands are still out there playing old school punk rock. Stiff Middle Finger is a husband and wife combo who fight on stage between songs. It's kind of cute. And The Barons are kind enough to have me sing for them, but not on this CD. I'm trying to keep up my pen and ink chops, so I always welcome these little projects. My next job is creating the back side of this CD. Then a cover for Hatchetface: a local girl metal outfit featuring my friend Amy from the notorious Eph Tradition. Rock on Mid-Atlantic region!

2008-01-14T22:56:00.001-05:00

Dusty, the singer for my favorite local rock and roll band The Barons, just moved to Florida. They've asked me to sing for them, so I'm going to give it a spin. I've got some lyrics to learn, but I'm looking forward to singing the joys of beer! They actually have some vinyl coming out soon on a German label featuring their big hits Party On and Booze, Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n Roll. I'm excited to see some of my artwork on the cover of a real 12-inch! This is a video of Dusty singing for The Barons here in lovely northern Wilmington.

2008-01-08T16:49:00.000-05:00

Inventions and art excite me to no end. This guy Theo Jansen is an inspirational fellow who has much to teach the universe. It seems as if there are thousands of these amazing people out there who have never been given the proper kudos for their work in the realm of imagination and thrill. I can't wait to stumble on one of his creatures on some beach somewhere over the horizon.

2008-01-03T22:25:00.000-05:00

In honor of my man UncaJesse at Trophy Shot (uncajesse.blogspot.com), my favorite blog, I thought I would throw down with a salsa tribute to his sexy one-legged russian stripper. The first time I saw this video I welled up with tears. Now it gives me inspiration to kick out the jams. This guy rocks! And I like the music too.

2007-12-28T00:45:00.001-05:00

The MC5 deserve more credit for simultaneously creating punk and metal. Dig the fancy footwork and the state-of-the-art live video editing! Kick it out!

2007-12-28T00:11:00.000-05:00

I was listening to my brand new iPod shuffle (the greatest Christmas gift of all time), and I stumbled on a rare gem. The MC5 have a great song called Looking at You from their album Back in the USA. It may be the perfect song! The driving bass line never changes, which is just fine with me. The lyrics are hormonally inspired, as you can see below. Rob Tyner's unique voice is unparalleled (that's him on the left), the drums are pure punk rock boogie woogie, and there are even three Wayne Kramer solos set on fire by Fred "Sonic" Smith's endless crunch. Where has this song been all my life? How did I miss something so awesome? Was anything better in 1970? Not much. Tell me if I screwed up any of the lyrics. I hear that The Damned recorded a version of this song ...

Looking at You
by The MC5

When it happened
something snapped inside,
made me want to hide.
All alone on my own, all alone on my own.
I stood up on the stand with my eyes shut tight.
Didn’t want to see anybody.
Feeling happy, having a good time, now hey!
Doing alright, doing alright, doing alright, doing alright.

I stared into the dancing crowd.
Felt like screaming out loud.
I saw you standing there.
I saw your long, saw your long hair.
Opened up my eyes baby, you made me realize,
all I want to do now, all I want to do now girl,
is look at you, looking at you babe,
look at you, looking at you babe.
Yeah, hey, hey!

I stared into the dancing crowd.
I felt like screaming out loud.
All I want to do, all I want to do, all I want to do
is look at you, looking at you, babe,
look at you, looking at you babe,
looking at you, looking at you, looking at you baby,
you baby, you baby, you baby, yeah!

2007-12-27T14:34:00.000-05:00

Datarock - New Song

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I'm still contemplating whether I should go see Datarock for New Years in Philly, or sit out the fun and chill at the homestead. As a big Devo fan, I really like bands that put on silly costumes and rock the house.

Speaking of which, legendary local band High Karate rocked Mojo 13 last week with their reunion gig. They donned their 3 spirits of Christmas costumes for the gig, which made the occasion all the more festive. For a band with 3 members in 3 states across the nation, it's amazing to see them come together so perfectly with such minimal practice time together after more than a dozen years. I love their mashup of Manic Depression with the words for Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee.

For now, to Datarock or not to Datarock, that is the question ...

2007-12-13T23:03:00.000-05:00

I know this is old news, but my art show at the North Wilmington Library in November was awesome. More people turned out than I could have imagined. The curator said I had more people than she's had for any other artist's receptions, so what more could I want? You can't tell it from this picture, but I had a nice group of groovy people show up from near and far. The city of Wilmington sprang for several bottles of wine, and everyone had a blast. I even showed my clay animation (look up delawareeditor on YouTube) on a big TV for the kids. Hopefully they weren't too traumatized by the gooey violence.

2007-12-13T22:26:00.000-05:00

The world's most famous wife beater Ike Turner died at 76 yesterday. He could rip it up on stage too. Look at Tina go! As somebody who respects a good spasm, I can't take my eyes off her. These people drip cool. The people in the audience are going nuts! No wonder. This is the real deal, music to shake you. It's sad to see him go, even despite all the brutal violence he perpetrated against this talented woman.

2007-12-08T12:39:00.000-05:00

I saw The Sword in Philadelphia last night and was not disappointed. I love the dueling lead guitars! Plus, the opening band Valiant Thor, who also did the dueling lead guitars with a slightly more punk rock twist, was very awesome as well. I also loved to watch the teetering girl in the front row stumble on stage with that bewildered look of a young person encountering Jack Daniels in all of his powerful, debilitating glory for the first time. She had that perplexed look we've all seen before from the inside. I hope she made it home safely. The Sword rocks! I'm looking forward to their new album in March!

2007-12-01T11:21:00.000-05:00

The balls in my doodles are becoming breasts. I like breasts. Actually, I love breasts!

2007-11-26T12:42:00.000-05:00

Eyeballs are so universal, they always seem to be saying something. Eyes like to see eyes, and gravitate right to them. These eyes tell me that there is more than one direction from which to view anything. After I painted it, I decided to use fewer eyes in my eyeball dominated work. There is a time and a place for an eyeball, and not everything revolves around them. A good vision is like icing on the cake.

2007-11-24T11:15:00.000-05:00

Balls.
Big balls.
I could talk about big balls,
but AC/DC said it all.

2007-11-23T19:51:00.000-05:00

Oops, wrong holiday. Anyway, here is a poster I did for a Philly bar where my friend Kevin likes to drink. It's in Northern Liberties and has a very nice, local feel. They are famous for their costume parties, so here is my addition to the fun. I really like the excitement that comes with finishing one of these posters. I've posted a bunch of my old ones at Lauerart.com if you're curious what they used to look like back in the 1990s. Although I'm a big fan of color and paints, I sure do love ink! It's stark and it says so much with so little effort. Black against white has a way of burning its contrast into your brain like no other image. Forget those cones. Rods baby, rods. Hot rods. Hot, rods stroked by the luscious body of Lindsay and her beautiful shape. Mmmm, Lindsay ...

2007-11-05T17:36:00.000-05:00

This is a compilation of many of my drawings and paintings from over the years. The music is some wacky stuff I recorded with my friends at 552 Ashbury Street in San Francisco while I lived there near the corner of Haight and Ashbury for a couple of years. Some of the pictures are indecipherable, but I think the weird overwhelming experience of seeing all this stuff at once is kind of fun and psychedelic. It's mostly chronological, so you can get a sense of how primitive my stuff was when I started drawing when I was in my late teens. Then comes my cartoons from the University of Delaware's student newspaper, The Review. Next are my posters for Slim's. Then there are some of my cartoons from my magazines Edge City and Anthem. Then my paintings add a little color to the picture. Have a nice trip!

2007-10-08T22:02:00.000-04:00

My paintings will be hanging at the North Wilmington Library (34th and Market) through the month of November. Here is a poster I drew for the show. The reception is on Friday, November 2nd, from 5:30 to 8 pm. Everyone is invited. Please come out and say hi! The poster also works as an "I Spy" type of game for the young at heart:

I spy with my little eye, three eyeballs, five skulls, two butterflies and seven bones.
Twenty spirals, 126 dots, 10 stars, one martini glass, and a cyclops sun all alone!

Now go to it! (Some of those numbers are arbitrary, so please don't knock yourself out!)

2007-09-19T22:46:00.000-04:00

Sometimes these doodles turn into elaborate maps of my subconscious underworld. Here is one from years ago that got way out of hand.

If you get far enough away from any design, the original meaning fades where a new one begins. The same happens when you zoom in. I have been thinking about animating this doodle by zipping around and zooming in and out of it, like a fly's journey above a cityscape below. I'll scratch that itch another day.

I recently found out that I will be having an art show of my paintings at the Wilmington Library (here in lovely Northern Delaware) starting November 2nd. Although it might be one of the most obscure locations on the planet, it will be nice to see my paintings hanging in public again. I'm still trying to think of a title for the show. I was thinking of calling it "Symetrical Bliss," but then I noticed that the concept only applies to half of my stuff. Stay tuned for the culmination of that thought ...

2007-09-19T02:06:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the skeletons that dance around in my past. I'm not sure what this cartoon signifies, so I'll leave it at that. The music involves some of my friends during our San Francisco days in the basement at 552 Ashbury Street. Good times!

2007-09-14T17:00:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure about the subject of this painting, but I think it has something to do with the lingering vision planted in my prenatal brain by the feelings I received when I first touched the umbilical cord connecting me to my best friend at the time: good ol' placenta. We were buddies back then; inseperable. Now I'm left with only a hole in my belly and a fond but fleeting memory that continues to haunt my psychic visions.

2007-09-13T10:49:00.000-04:00

My step-daughter Camille took this photo of herself and added a little digital effect to it to give it that comic-book feel. I loved the photo and painted it on a 36"x48" canvas, covering it with tiny raised dots of oil paint. This photo hardly does it justice, but it does slightly transmit her amazing beauty ... at least a little bit.

2007-09-07T22:31:00.000-04:00

This is a cartoon called Eyeland in the Sky that I tried to animate with GarageBand. I think the music is me and my friends Jesse, Norman and Scott at my place on Opera Alley in Eureka, Calif. We called the band Opera Alley. We played one gig at a party in King Salmon where the women took off their shirts and danced. If I remember this recording correctly, the two-drummer thing was too much for Norman, so he up and left in the middle of the next song. I love when two drummers play together. Butthole Surfers, Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers. Even Cypress Hill had two drummers for a moment or two at Rock the Bells. Mmmm, double drumming ...

2007-09-06T15:37:00.000-04:00

Here's my latest attempt to integrate my life with YouTube.

2007-09-06T00:13:00.000-04:00

Dig the groovy spiral I've weaved for myself. I think this is the black hole I vanish in slowly and infinitly forever, procrastinating my real work. I'm turning into silly lines that have started to spin inward. This doodling gets me only deeper into itself, splendidly serving no practical purpose. I think I'll add some colors to this twirling nonsense and see where it lands. Stay tuned.

2007-08-31T00:10:00.000-04:00

Wow. Or should I say, WOW!

I just had an amazing trip to San Francisco. I love that city. So much fun in one little place. While I was waiting for my friend Josh to shoot a videotape of a flute-playing beat boxer from Oakland named Tim Barsky, I sat down with a Sharpie in the other room for an hour and drew this doodle. I was so inspired to do more art I even came home and painted a self-portrait. Stay tuned for the finished face!

2007-08-01T00:49:00.000-04:00

I really like this 3-D effect I get when I think about the light source for a doodle. I've been drawing many orbs lately, shadow and all. Now, when I doodle, I've been trying to add that shadow effect from a single light source all over. Voila. Here is my first full-page doodle using my new trick. Anyone can do it! Draw a few lines, then shade one side of all of them. Do it on some squiggles and it raises them off the page. The possibilities are endless. Too bad this kind of self-stimulation doesn't pay money. It's mostly just a spaced out meditation on the weird world of warping wiggles and bulging bubbles. I think I'm going to try working a figure or some people into my next one ... or at least more of a recognizable exploding head.

2007-07-16T16:52:00.000-04:00

Here is another recent form from my forming formations. Doodling makes me feel productive in a very nonproductive way. Maybe it's the antidote for productivity: Procrastination's reward. It definitely provides stress relief at the least, and cures boredom too. I look forward to getting my work for money done so I can get back to the real business of doodling my time into oblivion. (Note the infinity sign for oblivion.)

2007-07-15T21:49:00.000-04:00

I continue to find these little critters scurrying around in my subconscious. Here's a doodle I did moments ago, depicting one of the shapes that pops up now and again.
Exorgonic = releases energy.
Endergonic = receives energy.
Those are my newest vocabulary words I'm trying to work into conversations in which I describe the nature of the universal flow. (So far they still haven't come up.) It's been 40 years since Monterey Pop. I love that film of Jimi Hendrix setting fire to his guitar, wearing a wickedly mischievous grin, supposedly dosed on two hits of Owsley's Monterey Purple. There's a great intro where the artist who throws paint with hands full of brushes creates a giant painting of Jimi in huge colorful strokes and splashes. That's entertainment!

2007-07-14T21:26:00.000-04:00

Here's another one of my basement doodles from a few days ago. I've decided to work on moving past outlines and getting more into 3D form. I have a long way to go, as a longtime lover of the outline school of doodlography, but I'm determined.

By the way, I'm really enjoying the new White Stripes CD, Icky Thump, and I'm looking forward to driving up to Maine next weekend to see them in Portland. I can't wait!

2007-07-13T19:47:00.000-04:00

I've been doodling again lately, while watching laws get passed on C-SPAN 2. I've been seeing the Senate lately because the TV in my basement only has two channels, and I'll be darned if I'm going to watch nuns pontificate over the doomed destiny of my eternal soul. On many nights, in the middle of some lawmaker's glorious statement, baseball from Baltimore and Washingon, D.C., interrupts. Both Congress and baseball are both very hypnotic and full of strategy and jargon. I like their juxtaposition.

I just read a rare and interesting article in the latest Rolling Stone magazine about Owsley Stanley, the LSD-maker and Grateful Dead manager who turned on many pivotal people in the '60s and '70s with his high-grade acid. I enjoyed reading about his combination of genius and lunacy through the eyes of the famous people who knew him before he disappeared into the Australian outback. It's sad that he's so obsessed with an impending end of the Northern Hemisphere through environmental crisis. He seems kind of cool in a Dr. Strangelove kind of stylee. He makes a living as a jewelry maker, and still collects lots of royalties from the recordings he made long ago. He even helped create the Steal Your Face logo, but never got a dime. It's nice to hear he's still alive and kicking!

2007-07-06T16:57:00.000-04:00

I call this painting, "The Orb." I've heard a variety of interpretations of it, which is gratifying. I see a guy who is worshipping this giant, man-made orb, while he's missing all of the exciting details in the nature around him. The big orb blocks his view of the real spiraling excitement going on in the sunset, trees and grass. My friend Herb had a much different take on it, which is probably even better than mine. The images in the painting all came from Arcata, California.

2007-06-15T18:04:00.000-04:00

I just finished this poster for a show happening next month. It should be fun. Once upon a time, in the 90s, there was a band called Marcus Hook. The name comes from a little burg in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania. It is known for its oil refineries and bleak horizon. Marcus Hook's bandmembers dispersed to the far reaches of Maryland, Delaware, San Francisco and somewhere in PA (not Marcus Hook). They produced many CDs and records (on Neck Records) and played many fine shows. Although Marcus Hook is long gone, its members play in The Barons, Tube Dutch, Caterpillar, etc. Most of the members will play during this show here in Wilmington on July 6, hence the flyer. The brothers Duvall are an interesting act. I'm hoping Al plays his banjo and Andy hits a skull and fire alarm with his drum sticks while he taunts the crowd. But I expect the unexpected. A band called Smashing Orange once featured Rick from Tube Dutch, but that was long after he and The Baron's Kurt played in Your Worst Nightmare and The Stiffs back when Stiffs singer Rich could thrash a party and threaten everyone within arms length wearing a lunatic grimace and a Madonna T-shirt.

2007-06-11T10:34:00.000-04:00

This drawing is the back of the new ALLEGED BRICKS/THE BARONS CD I drew for them from a variety of sources. Notice the Wilmington skyline on one side (that's where The Barons are from) and the DC skyline on the other (ALLEGED BRICKS' hometown). The skinheads and clothes are sort of a throwback to earlier eras, but I like the feeling of the punk rock community on their street. And the humble fellow observing the scene is kind of wondering which way to go: Should he return back with his skinhead homies or chat with the ladies who seem to be more interested in the punk rockers? I guess we can all write our own scenario. Life looks like fun in Punkrockville! Although the Delaware Memorial Bridge does not take you directly to Washington, D.C., there is a pretty big link between our nation's capital and the Wilmington music scene. Minor Threat's DIY ethic lives on in many bands and local lables like Neck Records. The Bad Brains still interest me to no end. These connections between these cities and people carry the lifeblood of music and culture that makes my tiny spot in the vast Eastern sprawl an interesting place to be these days.

2007-06-04T18:43:00.000-04:00

Here is my cover from the new CD by The Barons and Alleged Bricks. They are a couple of local bands that have teamed up to spread Oi! to the world. I painted it in gouache, which is a type of paint I'm just beginning to enjoy. I like that The Barons sing about people getting along. Mostly they sing about drinking beer, but they always have an underlying theme of racial harmony and justice for the working man. Somehow they've wrestled the old-school punk rock sound back from the Nazis, who took it over for a few years there, and are making it fun again for people like me who just want to hear some straight-ahead rock and roll. The Barons have a sound somewhere between Foghat and the Rev. Horton Heat, and that's just what I need on a Saturday night at midnight to go along with my pint.

2007-05-14T21:31:00.000-04:00

OK, I'm interested again. Blogging is cool when you are dedicated, like my good friend Unca Jesse. But I'm lame and forget to post for a year. Almost.

I've got no revelation today. I did get a big dose of longevity this weekend. My grandparents have been married for 70 years. I went to their anniversary party and many people turned out, old and young alike. They are each from families with more than a dozen kids each. I met several of my grandfather's siblings, many of which are older than he is. I like the idea of having good DNA that lasts a long time. More time to have fun. Only one seemed to be losing his memory. The others were sharp as a tack. My grandmother reminded me of two divine lessons she passes on to me and others whenever she gets a chance. Her one saying is: "Just do your own thing, darling." I think that explains some very deep ideas in a very simple phrase. Her other favorite line she uses to dismiss hasty judgments: "Whatever." In other words, no biggie. No comment. Profound words from a wise woman who taught me how to dig clams and make tasty cabbage.

2006-07-14T14:52:00.000-04:00

Staying Up Late Translating Doodle Portals

I asked my 7-year-old daughter what she thought about this picture and she gave me a 15-minute, in-depth explanation that was as good as any I could have come up with myself. I suspect putting off bedtime was the primary reason her story was so extensive, but she had some great insights that helped me see my picture beyond my own interpretation. Part of her description had to do with the person in the picture seeing a portal in the sky that was lifting people out of the sand, and this person is starting to form into another body, but that other body isn't real. I had never thought of the spirals that are inside and outside of the figure as "portals," but she recognized them immediately thanks to all of the spiraling portals spinning around the characters on Cartoon Network these days. I like her concept of portals and I think it nicely describes the stuff being conjured in this picture. It reminds me how much I like the idea of personal translation as it applies to art and how many ideas can come out of a few simple lines.

2006-07-11T15:03:00.000-04:00

Possessed by Funk

I've been traveling around the United States lately, namely the southern and eastern parts, and have been enjoying some mighty fine music everywhere I turn the radio dial. The funny thing is that I have unintentionally found myself drawn to things I have heard and things I thought I had heard, but they have all taken on new meaning and nuances in my life that are making them more exciting than ever. For example, I thought I knew Sly and the Family Stone, but I was wrong. Now, I knew that he took everyone higher at Woodstock, which was a funkified feat unto itself, but his recorded music is deeper than I imagined. That man and his group of hipsters could funk it up before we knew we needed funking! I found an old Greatest Hits album and Stand! at the local Goodwill and they've been staying in heavy rotation on my basement turntable where I listen to albums in quadraphonic sound while I paint. I like the part in the song "Stand" where he says something like, "There's a midget standing tall, while the giant above him is about to fall." The political incorrectness of the "midget" remark shows how long ago Sly was singing about the rights of little people, and I have to admit that it made me laugh out loud when I first heard it, but I love the sentiment that runs through all of the songs on these records (even if they occasionally digress to goofy pop ballads). Sly was all about bringing people together and having a good vibration for all, regardless of differences. I especially love all of the vocal effects the many singers create with their nonsense words and pulsing rhythms (in stereo). Nobody has done it as well as Sly since (sorry Prince). Where would Michael Jackson or Prince or Bob Marley or Missy Elliott be without Sly's guidance so long ago. And where would Sly be without James Brown.

I read a fantastic article about James Brown in a recent Rolling Stone that takes the reader behind the scenes of a James Brown recording session, The James Brown Show, and the man himself. The story describes a powerful musician who remains the living embodiment of innovation and groove despite his fame and insecurities. The wonderfully written story left me inspired to hear more, so James Brown Live at the Apollo has stayed inside my car's CD player for a week and refuses to get old. After reading the story in RS, I feel like I can see the show before my eyes, with James making cryptic hand signals to the Flames as they race around his plethora of hits. Without peer, Brown is the greatest screamer who ever belted out his soul to everyone within earshot. What a great record and testiment to his genius!

My whole dive into the funk began when I stuck a Meters record (Second Street Strut) on my turntable before heading down to New Orleans for a few days. Although they make chicken clucking sounds on one song, and sing a little on a couple of others, the funk is mostly instrumental, creating some of the grooviest tunes ever heard. The euphoria they bring me makes me feel slightly cheated by a childhood and young adulthood of nothing but "The Home of Rock and Roll" and its ilk playing nothing but whitebread for me until I finally moved away to the West Coast to hear the true colors that real radio can bring. I found that even the south has a more diverse selection of music on its radio stations than here in the northeast. Why was I kept from the beauty of Funkadelic and Parliament on WMMR and WYSP while I was in middle and high school? Eddie Hazel's guitar riffs are just as ripping as those of Hendrix, Page and Clapton, but somehow I think there was a blatant racism and closed-mindedness that kept his genius segregated from my ears. Seek out the funk my friends, and let the seizures begin! (And long live Syd Barrett!)

2006-06-13T12:55:00.000-04:00

Some Simple Symbols to Sample
Meditating on the idea of meditating, I realized how much I like to meditate. Does a nap count as meditation? (Mmm siesta!) When I'm drawing these twisted, squiggly worlds, it takes me to a groovy place in my psyche where everything is growing, whirling and supernatural. It's a sea-monkey world of infinite possibilities. I started this drawing in an Alex Grey workshop last summer. I'm still working on it because I never know when to quit.

2006-06-12T13:22:00.000-04:00

Let the Man Dance!

I watched with fascination as the scene on the dance floor unfolded before my eyes. I was watching The Barons (whose picture is on the left) play and enjoying their show from various angles of the room at Mojo 13. (That's the hip little dive-bar-gone-punk-rock venue that has brought music to my ears for a couple of months now.) I found myself standing by a sitting mustachioed man in a plain white T-shirt drinking his beer and secretly smoking a cigarette (despite Delaware's recent ban). He was friendly enough to make small talk with me as we both watched the band rip through their set. Appearing to be around my age, which is a rising 39, he motioned to the low-key audience that stood about 20 feet back from the foot-high stage. He mentioned the fact that the 50-odd people were relatively motionless even though the band was kicking out some high-speed, world-class punk rock. "They're barely bopping their heads," I replied.

Although the music drowned out the conversation where we stood five feet from the corner of the stage, I heard him say he had some history with punk rock. He shouted, "Dare me to show ..." The rest was overpowered by The Barons' raucous assault and the damaged cilia in my right ear. He gave me a mischievous grin and flew from his seat, bouncing around the wide open space on the dance floor in front of the stage while the band continued to tear it up. In old-school pogo style, he bounced on his feet about six time, with a bottle of beer sloshing in one hand and his cigarette glowing in the other. (A regular seizureman!) On about his seventh bounce, one of the larger, younger fellows in the front row, apparently annoyed by this older concertgoer's recklessness, gave him a hearty shove that literally decked the bouncing man. In a flash, he hit the wooden floor hard with his head and back. His cigarette flared up in a big puff of smoke and sparks, and his beer gurgled onto the floor. Stunned by this sudden turn of events, he lay motionless for several seconds, staring dumbfoundedly at the ceiling.

When he regained his wits, he looked to the man who had flattened him with an inquisitive but forgiving look and reached up his hand with man-to-man, mosh pit camaraderie. I was disheartened to see the initial disgust and denial on the face of the fellow who had provided the bouncing dancer with the flattening blow. Perhaps he had been splashed by the beer, or disapproved of his cigarette, but the extended hesitation before he begrudgingly hoisted his fellow music fan to his feet spoke huge volumes about the unnecessary chasm between people who have more in common than differences, and the missed opportunities for shared fun, dancing and music. My heart went out to the guy who had the bravado to pogo in the face of the complacent audience, and I was disappointed by his defeat at their hands. Dancing was unofficially banished for the night at the moment his head hit the floor, never to reappear for the rest of the evening.

Once the bouncing man was back on his feet, he made his way to the bar in the next room. Minutes later, he was nowhere to be seen again, undoubtedly sporting a hefty new lump on the back of his noggin.

Then I remembered a strange thing: There was a similar incident earlier in the evening on the dance floor that had passed right by me until I found I had something else to compare it to.

While watching the speedcore intensity of Prone to Violence, a band (whose picture is below) that reminds me of FEAR on speed (with a much better guitar player), two lively fellows stepped onto the dance floor between the audience's standing and the band's thrashing, and individually banged their heads frantically while stomping around trying to spark a mosh. Their acts of controlled aggressive behavior went barely noticed by the audience and subsided after the song ended. Since I was holding a pint of fresh draft, I was happy that the belly-butting and body flinging didn't spill a drop. Although this first move to charge up the dance floor at Mojo 13 with some activity failed to produce more than two sweaty rowdies, it was a valiant try. (Better luck next time my seizureman brethren.) Shortly after the band finished its set, I noticed one of the headbangers standing outside of the club chatting with his friends. Although he seemed to be pleasantly conversing, a fresh spattering of blood was strewn across the front of his T-shirt. Could he have been the first victim of the anti-dance vigilantes?

Perhaps I have it all wrong and this bloggy talk of rigged elections and dubious excuses for war has my mind swirling in a conspiratorial blur. But, beyond their mutual affection for dancing at punk rock shows, I noticed another commonality between the two victims of pain I witnessed that night: Both wore plain white T-shirts. Hmmm. Was it the dancing that singled them out for injury, or could it have been their logolessness?

Do you have the strength to buck convention? Do you have the courage to go undefined while all the rest sport emblems to mark their identities? Are you brave enough to dance while others stand still? It was only a few months ago when I saw an innovative skinhead at Bankshots (another Wilmington live music venue) dare to add karate kicks to slam dancing as his own personal statement, so don't believe it when the timid tell you that Delawareans don't dance.

Good luck fellow seizuremen and seizurewomen. May the pogo be with you.

2006-06-07T20:56:00.000-04:00

Dreaming and drifting baby! This blogworld freaks me out! Some of those folks out there are blowing my mind with their super smarts and sweet ass jobs typing away at the cosmos. Tickity tacking with their brains laid bare and their giant naked egos swaying in the breeze. I was trying to follow some of the gaming banter and the Lost clues, but wowza! Reading the personal diary stuff of families and common folk warms my heart, and I am proud of that Chasing Ghosts vet. He has nothing but love for our boys overseas and works to get more support for veterans from their president, as Bush rarely mentions them in speeches and all that. I almost warmed up to his perspective completely, and all of his heart, but I say we end that fiasco as fast as possible to save our sons. We can try to democratize those people when our regime starts to set a better example. It's embarrassing what we do overseas. What's this about the CIA and secret torture chambers in Romania and Poland? Did we expect any less? I need some good tunes from Rowan University's student radio station, Rowan Radio, to clear these images from my head.

I noticed folks talking about that great article by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the new Rolling Stone. What a great piece of journalism! I saw that some folks took shots at his belief in exit polls, but I say those same experts and statistics should be well regarded. We all knew there was funny business going on with the past couple of elections, but it wasn't ha ha. It was that peculiar stench kind of funny that reminds you why surrealism says so much. We're in Dali days baby. Things are dripping and exploding in the strangest of places. The article's illustration by Matt Mahurin was sad, spooky and ominous. Kennedy says that the 2004 election was so fraught with fraud that we are truly hailing to the wrong chief. I believe every word of it.

By the way, that DVD by The Residents is called Icky Flix. I hear they have a Web site at www.residents.com, but I haven't been there yet. I'll report back once these seizures subside.

2006-06-06T18:26:00.000-04:00

That's Dusty (below) from The Barons singing about beer (as usual). If you are near Wilmington on Friday, June 9th, be sure to catch them at Mojo 13 with Tube Dutch. Both bands feature former members of Marcus Hook, so you know they rock the Kasbah!

(Ee-gad! I am so lame about writing regularly, but I'm trying to improve because I dig getting those responses from out in the blogosphere. I appreciated that comment from Boston about dreading the sound of chainsaws in the neighborhood. Mmmm support!)

Not only do I love trees, but music makes me feel all tingly as well. I was watching a new DVD by The Residents (those men and women wearing the big eyeballs as heads) I picked up at the New Castle County Library (here in Wilmington, Delaware) and I was inspired to work toward adding more random imagery in my life. The video, which is a collection of all many of their older and somewhat newer video pieces, was sometimes hard to watch, other times it was downright captivating. When it got redundant, I pushed the search button. My favorite part was at the beginning when the band (although art ensemble is probably a better word) was dressed in hoods made out of what look like newspapers, in a room covered completely with newspapers, and they bounced around like spastic, hooded, drum-beating machines. What a trip! I saw The Residents perform a few years ago in Amsterdam at the Milky Way (also called the Melkvekt, or some such Dutch translation), and it was awesome. I am so glad I finally saw them perform live because I never really got into their CDs and records that have come out over the years. Once I saw them live, I realized why they have continued to be a phenomenon. They are actually a theater troupe that plays music on guitars, drums and synthesizers, while acting out their songs, usually hidden beneath bizarre masks and costumes. Their songs are actually wonderful stories that come together when the theater portion ties up all the stray images bouncing around in their freaky, sometimes-spoken tunes. Anyway, I was amazed that Delaware's libraries are carrying such subversive stuff. The Residents' one-minute movies on the DVD were also quite freakish and somewhat provocative. They make me want to pull out the video camera and compose some of my own wacky undulations!

2006-06-02T11:53:00.000-04:00

OK, there's more than trees growing in my mind these days. I am truly digging the new club up the street in Claymont. Mojo 13. Nice digs. What was once called Sneaky Pete's and The Brandywine Tavern before that and what is often refered to as Nick's or some other personalized moniker, is now a tavern that features regular live bands and even all-ages shows for kids on weekend days. What a timely rise to the occasion! After the Barn Door closed a year or two back, live music has been hard to come by in Wilmington, even though there are some interesting places featuring live, original bands on a regular basis, such as Bank Shots and whatnot, but they are a little farther away, and Mojo 13 is within walking distance. Perhaps I might even pull out my electric scooter and zip over there for a drink tonight! It's a peaceful ride home too, on Philadelphia Pike, with the Delaware River shining on one side and Bellevue State Park rustling on the other. Some of the bands I've seen at Mojo 13 have been excellent. Tube Dutch from around Baltimore. The Barons from Claymont. Even Toothless George from Philly was great for about 5 songs while playing with a spur-of-the-minute ensemble. And the Bionic Crayons (or is it Bionic Crayon) were a breath of fresh air. How about those Coffin Lids! They rocked the house! OK, that's what I've got to say for now about the place. I'm hoping to see Eph Tradition there on Saturday. Hopefully DJ will perform his famous beer bong stunts! Watch out front row! I've heard they are playing with a Philly band called Bitchslicer. Sounds spooky. My guess is that it's NOT a punk rock girl band of cutters, and perhaps a death metal band from Philly, but I could be wrong.

To quote a famous song by Absense of Authority, "It's only a spasm momma, I can't help it. I'm Seizureman."

2006-05-24T22:16:00.000-04:00

I'll admit that I become dumbfounded and deranged when I see my neighbors here in Delaware cut down their old trees. Inevitably they cut down a fine strand of old growth hardwoods, and then move to New Jersey within a year. The natural areas in Delaware are drying up and becoming developments of McMansions. The old neighborhood where I live is lucky to have the rich canopy of 75-year-old trees protecting us from wind and rain, but the chopping continues unabated. The ignorance is staggering.

For the past three years I've been priding myself on my ability to let all of the trees that naturally plant themselves around my house grow as big as they can, leaving them unravaged by my lawnmower. Over the last two months, many of these trees that are nearing six to 10 feet in height started to develop some kind of yellow blight. The leaves of some are so gnarled they look like seed pods. Almost every leaf is spotted with yellow dots and some branches are ringed by a fuzzy yellow corrosion. I thought I might wait it out and let the trees fight the infection off and maybe next year they'll grow back big and strong and blight free. But then I reconsidered. I took a small saw and cut every last infected sapling down and stuffed them all into my big green garbage can. I love trees like a tree-hugging hippy, but those nasty saplings had to go. I was afraid they might somehow infect their giant parent tree above them all. Considering that most of their stems had been cut in the past, I know they'll be back next year. I might even let them grow up and see if the blight is gone. If so, let it grow. But if it's nasty, with that yellow fuzz spreading across its surface, I'll tear it limb from limb. - Seizureman