On and On and On

The new new Jack White solo album "Blunderbuss" dropped (finally) and I have to say it’s FUCKING AWESOME!!
The CD is so good and I have been listening non-stop to it. I know it’s early in the year but I have a feeling it will
be in my TOP 5 albums of the year.

Some of my favorite tracks (since they all are GREAT) are Sixteen Saltines, Love Interruption, I’m Shakin’, and
Trash Tongue Talker. Highly recommended if you love any of JW’s previous work ala’ The White Stripes, The 
Raconteurs or The Dead Weather, and even if you don’t and just like Rock and Blues.

Just digital specks of cyber dust… blown away.

Sad to hear Hillman Curtis passed away. He was one of my first inspirations when starting working
with web & design. A great designer, as well as a great teacher, author and filmmaker. I had the
chance to listen to him speak a conference once and he was inspirational l to say the least.
He was definitely someone I wanted to be as great as and part of my generation. Dead at 51.

Tick. Tick. Boom.

Went and saw The Hives and The Bronx at the Belly Up Tavern last night. Man, what a great show!!! It really
literally blew me away how great both bands were and what a great show they put on. I was lucky enough to
see The Bronx (as Mariachi el Bronx) on the Foo Fighters tour, but not their full-on punk show, and I have to
say they exceeded expectations. It is the first time I have ever seen a HUGE pit open up at the BUT and it
was pretty fucking cool! Their show was loud and rocked!
 
Once the crowd was all warmed up, out came The Hives, playing all their hits, having the lead singer Howlin'
Pete Almqvist talk up the crowd, and hearing some new tracks off their upcoming (June 1^st) album, LEX HIVES. 
If you’ve never seen the Hives, make it happen! They are a great live performance band that loves their fans.

Pix HERE 

Space, White & Fuzzy

Tasia has left on her annual pilgrimage to the desert and the Coachella Vally Music
and Arts Festival, with HUGE headliners like Radiohead and Dr. Dre / Snoop Dog.
That leaves me flying solo for a few days, with some stuff planned (dinners, drinking
and some music shows of my own).

It will be nice to re-charge the relationship batteries and be happy with myself
(first and foremost), So I can be a better person when she gets back. I am pretty
much the same person no matter who is around and do the same shit day-in and
day-out. I have a structured schedule I stick with and do not deviate much from.
Work. Gym. Creative time. Me time. Us time. You time. I do wish I was more flexible
in that way and do break out of my box (and comfortability level) on occasion.

But I know that’s not who I am (after 41 years). I enjoy the time I have and the
things I set aside to do. That includes TV time and even sometimes just relaxing.
TRUST ME, I’m never just “sitting around, doing NOTHING”. My brain works 20
hours a day. And I have to get all that energy and creativity out of me. Recharging
is a natural course of action for creative people. Hell, I believe everyone needs to
recharge. We weren’t meant to run and run and run… burning ourselves out.

Take that much needed day off. Take your vacation time. Do something new, fun
and exciting. A new hobby. Go someplace you’ve never been. Look at art.
Get outside and sit in the sun.

Recharge. Renew. Rejuvinate.

Busy doesn’t cover it...

Busy as a one-armed paperhanger. So much going on I seemed to have missed out on some things.
Oh well. I cannot complain because I am really happy and busy is part of that. Projects I am working on:

First and foremost is my website and the re-design of visualHYPE. Design is complete.
Off to the programmer and should be done in a few weeks. SUPER excited!!!

Next, I am turning the home office into a REAL work space. New chair. Giant corkboard wall.
And some cool hand-painted wall graphics. I wanted this to be at the top of the list so I can
really start to work on getting more freelance. And a comfortable space is always needed for that.

My Sketch-a-Day book has been getting neglected. I must resolve that.

Also, I want to do some more original art. That may include the now renovated and cleaned garage.
Plus the office is a great studio as well.

If anything has been suffering, it’s been my photography and the lack there-of. But with a big trip
coming up plus warmer weather, I will start carrying the camera everywhere.

Creativity waits for no one.

Big things have small beginnings...

Full Size HERE
The summer movie season is already upon us, with the opening of The Hunger Games. But for me I have
a solid #1 that I am looking forward to seeing...

My top 5 movies of the summer:

#1 - Prometheus (June) – The trailers have been INCREDIBLE and have literally made my jaw drop! Watched it
3 times in a row and thinking about it still makes my hair stand up. Ridley Scott has outdone himself with this
one (I think). I have heard it ties together questions from Alien, Aliens and Blade Runner. I cannot wait!!!

#2 - The Avengers (May) – Up until seeing the Prometheus trailer, this was my #1 movie. The action and intensity
from the Marvel movies leading up to this and the trailer, have solidified it as a summer blockbuster. Being able
to flush out the backgrounds in all the solo movies will help not needing time to explain all of that in this movie.

#3 - Batman / The Dark Knight Rises (July) – I cannot believe this is my #3 movie. I LOVE the first two. We saw
them filming in LA last summer. But I feel that Prometheus and The Avengers just seem like better flixs. The story
on this seems week, but then again it is Christopher Nolan at the helm. The first two were phenomenal, plus add
in his last film - INCEPTION, and his resume is stacked!

#4 - The Bourne Legacy (August) – The continuation of the Bourne movies, acting as almost a re-launch, but not
really. It is introducing a new character (played by Jeremy Renner / The Town & the Avengers) and explaining more
of the Bourne methos.

#5 - The Hunger Games – Reading the book now, A little behind on the whole HG craziness, but I am trying to
finish it so I can catch it in the theaters.

Other summer movies I am excited about:
Brave
Men in Black III
Snow White & the Huntsman
The Amazing Spider Man
The Dictator
Expendables 2
Ted

Dance, Monkey, Dance

Its that time of year again to see what bands will be touring this summer
(and later this year). Tasia will have an opportunity to see a couple of these
bands at Coachella, but I’m still hoping for west coast dates from them.

SHOWS:
face to face @ the Casbah - Old School punk in an intimate setting!!!
Who could ask for more?!

The Hives @ BUT - Excited about seeing them (never had), and they
have a new CD ready to drop any time now.

Band of Skulls @ the Griffin (San Diego’s newest music venue. I’m excited
to try it out , especially with a caliber of band as BoS)

Reverend Horton Heat @ HOB

Tenacious D @ SDSU OAT

Everclear / Sugar Ray / Lit @ Del Mar Fair – July 2nd

Def Leppard / Poison

The Scorpions @ Sports Arena

Touring (possibly a San Diego date):
Jack White (new album out this month and is doing Coachella)
Black Keyes (they are doing Coachella)
Soundgarden
Foo Fighters (in Vegas?? in the Southwest. Maybe in Atlanta)