Posts Tagged ‘2016’

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My Thoughts on G-Easy and Success.

January 14, 2016
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G-Easy at the Midland, 1/12/16

Walking up to the massive crowd lined up for the G-Easy show on Tuesday night, my mind was blown. He had sold out the 3,000 capacity Midland Theater, in Kansas City, months in advance. The crowd was mostly young white kids, between the ages of 13 and 19. It was like a teen riot outside the Midland.

I went to college with G-Easy, at Loyola University New Orleans. His fashion sense was always over the top and he had a vision for himself even back then. I hadn’t seen G-Easy live in at least eight years. The Oakland-based rapper has improved greatly since his NOLA days.

It seems like the mainstream has really caught up to G-Easy. His rapping was strong and on-point all night and the beats were fresh and lush. Backed by a drummer and a DJ, he rapped with confidence and ability throughout his show. His stage set up had a very NOLA vibe. The Saint bar scene was a nice shout out to the CBD dive bar. It was like some amped up version of NOLA run through the G-Easy filter.

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G-Easy at the Midland, 1/12/16

Over the years, G-Easy has stayed focused on his vision of grinding hard and moving towards success. His party-centric music seems true to who he is as a person. His music feels like a natural extension of himself and he’s not trying to be a poser. Maybe that’s why he does so well with younger rap fans. He held the crowd’s attention during his 1 hour and 40 minute set. As local music critic Bill Brownlee put it in his review of the show, “The immediately accessible music is ideal for party-minded young adults who have outgrown the output of boy bands but aren’t yet prepared to embrace more challenging sounds.”

His style of rap might not be for everyone, but it’s great to see someone be successful and do what they love. You can hate all you want, but no one can argue with a sold out tour. Tech N9ne even joined him onstage in KC. That is some serious business. G-Easy is doing something right and knows his market. It’s amazing  to see him go from the basement of the student center at Loyola to selling out a venue that holds 3,000 people in Kansas City. Never give up on your dreams and keep pushing forward. G-Easy knew that a long time ago.

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G-Easy crowd at the Midland, 1/12/16

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Posted in Kansas City, music, New Orleans, NOLA, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Neck Splinters and Woodpecker Attacks: The Wooden Tie Life.

January 14, 2016
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Rocking the wooden tie with Larry the Cable Guy. #whitepeople #gitrdone

I am not a fashion guy at all, but I am a big supporter of wooden ties. In life, one should try and be funky in as many ways as possible. As you plow through a bland day, it can be fun to amp things up any way you can.

However, attempting to be fashion forward can have issues. The other day, I was walking down the street and got maliciously attacked by a woodpecker. Ugh, white people problems. Anytime it gets cloudy, I start getting paranoid about my tie warping.  I have to get up ever day at 5 am to coat my tie with Thompson’s deck sealer. I feel like a hungover Bob Vila. Awhile back, a colony of termites tried to burrow into my tie. I have the Orkin man on speed dial now.

Wooden ties seem to be gaining in popularity now. I rep a wooden tie for Wooden Tie Wednesday every week now. I’d like to think I was one of the first people to wear one. So many folks are biting my style! They are barking up the wrong tree.

However, it’s not all wooden tie problems all the time. It is nice having random people come up to me on the street and say, “Oh my god, it’s the wooden tie guy!” I’ve been called a lot worse downtown, it’s a nice change of pace.

Bradley Walsh is my wooden tie maker of choice. He sells his pieces at Eclectics. He’s out there, whittling away the hours to bring the wood to the people.

Through all the neck splinters and woodpecker smackdowns, life’s rough and smooth patches, it’s all about bringing the funk.

 

 

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Don’t Weigh Yourself Down With Too Many Goals.

January 12, 2016

One year, I made a list of goals to accomplish within the year. By the end of the year, I had completed one of four goals. The next year, the first goal on my list was to write a list with less goals. Success was more easily achieved by narrowing my vision.

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Bunny on Top of the Bunny Cage and Jäger on the Lawn: Some Thoughts About Mardi Gras.

January 12, 2016
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A classic shot of the Mardi Gras Bead Tree (image via uptownacorn.com)

With Mardi Gras coming up soon, it’s a good time to talk about the glory of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. There are a lot of misconceptions about NOLA Mardi Gras. It’s not about some irrelevant, trashy tourists flashing in the French Quarter. The real party is Uptown, on the parade route. Mardi Gras is like strange fun for your whole weird family.

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Mardi Gras 2007

Everything about Mardi Gras in NOLA seems excessive. I’ve never been to a bacchanalian Roman orgy, but Mardi Gras must be pretty close. It’s marching bands bringing the funk to the people, the overblown joy of a four hour parade. It’s the stranger that hands you a Jell-O shot at 7 am. As a friend of mine described it after a late-night party one year, “Mardi Gras is the bunny on top of the bunny cage and Jäger on the lawn.”

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Mardi Gras 2007

I think a certain part of me pines for a Mardi Gras family. Propyour kids up on a ladder at the crack of dawn, holding a beer with your kids weighed down with bead neck. Mardi Gras is more than just Mardi Gras Day. It is two weeks of krewes parading, Mardi Gras balls and revelry. The first weekend is more of a family weekend and then the intensity ramps up during the second weekend. By the time Fat Tuesday comes around, it is almost a comedown from the mayhem.

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Mardi Gras 2007

Mardi Gras is a time when subtlety is kept at a minimum. The fashion at Mardi Gras sometimes best resembles an electric space pimp from the future. It can get intense out there on the route. One year, I got a trombone to the side of the head. It was a rookie mistake, never bend down to pick something up. At least it wasn’t a tuba. One year, an old lady knocked me down for beads with an oxygen tank. She’s throwing down on Mardi Gras, nothing is stopping her! That’s dedication.

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Mardi Gras 2007

Mardi Gras is New Orleans is unlike anything else you will ever experience. It is a funky, glorious time. It’s going beyond Bourbon Street and tapping into something real. Get out there, throw down, beast it and laissez les bon temps rouler!

 

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Joy is the Reason We Are Here.

January 10, 2016

“Serious as life can be, at our deepest level, joy is the reason we are here.” -Deepak Chopra.

I was doing a meditation recently and this Deepak Chopra quote really hit me hard. Joy is the reason why we are here. It almost doesn’t matter what hardships you have gone through in life, life is all about how you respond to challenges.

It can seem difficult, but the choice to live a joyful life can help improve your well-being. Being joyful can open your heart up to even more joy. It’s the cyclic nature of joy. The act of looking for joy can often help you find it in unexpected places. It can help open you up to the oneness of the universe. Choosing to be joyful can create more joy in the world. When it comes down to it, despite life’s trials and tribulations, joy is what life is all about.

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My First Exposure to the Weird, Wonderful Art of Finland.

January 9, 2016
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Vessa-Pekka Rannikko “Canary” (2013)

The pieces featured in Dark Days, Bright Nights: Contemporary Paintings from Finland, the recent exhibition about Finnish art at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art really struck a chord with me. I am no art critic and the exhibition served as my first exposure to the art of Finland. The works are visually stunning, trippy and fresh. I love the use of tone and texture. I wanted to share the weird beauty of these works with you.

Yayoi

Mari Rantanen “Yayoi (Yayoi)” 2014

Framed

Reima Nevalainen “Framed” (2014)

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Reima Nevalainen “Between the Lines II” (2011)

Sunna

Left to right: Mari Sunna “Close” (2013, “Gladiator” (2013), “Cage” (2011)

Marika

Marika Makela “Idan kukkia (Eastern Flowers)” (2013)

Jarmo

Front, left, right: Jarmo Makela “Karpasten herra (Lord of the Flies)” (2013), “Kuninkaiden kumarrus (The Bow of the Kings) (2014), “Europa, Europa” (2014)

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Jarmo Makela “Karpasten herra (Lord of the Flies)” (2013)

BurningBush

Left to right: Heikki Marila “Perkele (The Devil)” (2014), “Palava pensas (Burning Bush) (2014)

Nio

Left to right: Leena Nio “Silmapako I (Ladder I)” (2014), “Ansa II (Trap II)” (2014), “Spook” (2014)

Doora

Rauha Makila “Gerli” (2013), “Mura” (2013), “Doora” (2013), “Petite” (2012), “Alek” (2013)

Petite

Rauha Makila “Petite” (2012)

Susi

Left to right: Nanna Susi “Menen tulen varas (Coming-Going-Thief)” (2014), “Valkoinen pilvi (White Cloud” (2014)

E1

Heikki Marila “Excelsior 1” (2013)

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Heikki Marila “Excelsior 6” (2013)

Jani

Left to right: Jani Hanninen “Twin Peaks” (2014), “A 13” (2014)

MR

Mari Rantanen “Anna (Ana)” (2014)

MR2

Mari Rantanen “Sonja (Sonia)” (2014)

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Left to right: Sirpa Sarkijarvi “Lapiomies (Shovelman)” (2011), “Son” (2011)

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Sirpa Sarkijarvi “Vides sukupolvi (Fifth Generation)” (2011)

Tuori

Left to right: Anna Tuori “It Is All Now You See” (2013), “Splendour in the Grass” (2013), “Things I’ve Seen I Can See No More” (2013)

 

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Feel Like Funkin’ It Up: The Glory of the Rebirth Brass Band.

January 6, 2016
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Rebirth Brass Band, at the Maple Leaf (Image via http://www.rebirthbrassband.com)

The Rebirth Brass Band is a NOLA institution. They combine jazz, R&B, rap and funk into their own distinctive sound. I have seen Rebirth Brass Band 80 times. Rebirth took home a Grammy in 2012 for Best Regional Roots Music Album.

Rebirth are known for their sweaty Tuesday night gigs at the Maple Leaf Bar. They travel all over the world, spreading that NOLA sound.  They come back, every week, to play in the legendary music venue/dive the Maple Leaf. Rebirth have played their Leaf gig for over 25 years. Catching a Rebirth Brass Band at the Maple Leaf is like seeing a team win with home field advantage. They play with intensity, fire and passion. The shows are always packed to the maximum, everyone dancing and getting down for over two hours.

Every show Rebirth Brass Band plays is different, you never know what tunes they are going to bust out. They will often start their set with a gospel number, to get things warmed up. The classic songs will be played, but you will also get the epic jams.

Rebirth is fueled by Crown and Coke and keep the partying crowd fired up. The crowd is a diverse mix of funky locals and college kids. Everyone is united by the Rebirth Brass Band’s joyous sound. The looser the band (and crowd) gets, the funkier they play. Rebirth rarely uses a set list and leader Tuba Phil just calls out songs as they go. They have never played the same set twice. They will roll songs into each other for 30 minute jams.

Rebirth represents NOLA by throwing down hard at every show. They bring the party to the people. Even after all of these years, Rebirth still feel like funkin’ it up every week.

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“When the Going Gets Weird, the Weird Turn Pro.”

December 31, 2015
Weird

Just a Friendly Reminder to Keep It Weird in 2k16!

“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro,” stated the late, great writer Hunter S. Thompson. Going into 2016, it’s important to remember to keep it weird. You can’t fake the weirdness. A friend of mine always describes his left-of-center worldview, “I’m so weird, I can’t even help it.”

Authentic weirdness is a natural extension of yourself. It can’t be bought in a store or co-opted from a website. It comes from a real place, deep inside yourself. Keeping it weird can lead to more creativity, helps you tap into something real and move beyond the bland zone. Do not be the mayonnaise of people. Light it up, at least be the sriracha mayo! Listen to my audio piece on keeping it weird in 2k16 here. Beast it hardcore in 2k16, folks!

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