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SPECIAL REPORT: HOT DOG HEAVEN!
Posted by Joseph Fiedler at 1:52 pm on October 8th

Guitar, Bass, Drums / Featuring Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe, Jim Keltner, Plus Juliette Commagere


A Benefit for the Richard deLone Special Housing Fund (which assists those with Prader-Willi Syndrome)



I had the unique opportunity to see the legendary guitar virtuoso Ry Cooder in a very rare performance last week. Sorry, no photos were allowed.   I got within 7 heads from the stage [which is only about three or so feet high]. The Great American Music Hall is a dream venue, as exists only in the imagination elsewhere.  Joachim Cooder’s [Ry's son] band opened [featuring Juliette Commagere up front].  Juliette and her sister are the female voices on Ry’s colab with Cuban guitarist Manuel Galvan, Mambo Sinuendo –which also has Keltner and Joachim on percussion. She's glamorous and GLAM, plays the Keytar and sings on lots of Cooder albums besides. She said that she wasn’t nervous, BUT she had just met Steve Earle downstairs [it was as exciting as all hell]!  The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival was opening that very evening in Speedway Meadow [Golden Gate Park] with Robert Plant and Allison Krause so there was considerable buzz [nearly everyone who is or was anyone plays there]. Commagere's group has a heavy 80's synth sound with lilting vocals by the gorgeous Ms. C. and a quartet with cello, brass and violin. Then the deLone family came on to thank everyone for coming out to support their foundation [Prader -Willie syndrome] and that yes, both Ry Cooder and Prader -Willie are RARE!  Father Austin deLone played accordion. As they thanked the musicians for lending a hand they were especially thankful to Elvis Costello [who always seems to be around here] and next thing you know there he was onstage, playing guitar and singing from 12 or so feet away, I nearly peed. He did 3 songs from so close it might have been at home. Then another break before the guys took the stage  [I stood from 7pm till 12.30!].  The band was superb in every way.  Ry and Lowe look ancient though, Keltner must have a coach, he looks youthful and fit. Ry used only 3 axes; a Strat, a Tele and some little electric thing I’ve never seen. [All  pushed thru vintage fender amps].  The songs stretched all the way back into his early career with a heavy emphasis on country-ish poppy Rockabilly stuff [How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live? From his debut album RY COODER updated with lyrics about the previous nights vice presidential DEE-BATE]. Also threw in Fool For a Cigarette from PARADISE AND LUNCH. Imagine The Everly Brothers with Steve Cropper-type-of-thing. Maybe that was for Lowe?  BTW He’s great. Quite a showman.  Cooder too, he’s a major mugger and overly dramatic like an old bluesman or Grand ol’ Opry country star. A real hot dog! I was surprised. I thought he’d be more serious, less Leon Redbone more Mahavishnu John Mclaughlin. No pick either. When he touched that aspirin bottle to the strings I went to another place.  I’m not kidding.  You cannot imagine.  I aspire to that place, man!  Pinky Heaven! After a rousing John Lee Hooker number [This Is Hip! from Mr. Lucky], Elvis joined them for the encore.  I was lucky.



Meanwhile, I had gone with my neighbor Mark [he drove] who is a project manager for big architectural projects [SF Jazz, etc.].  He ducked out for air after Elvis played and never came back.  He hadn’t eaten. I thought that because he was tall, he didn’t want to push back up front.  After the show, I couldn’t find him so I called his mobile number.  He was in the hospital! He’d passed out on the sidewalk! Never even saw RY!  He’s OK though but it was quite a drama.  I think that it’s a plus to have a sidewalk incident at a Ry Cooder concert on a balmy night in San Francisco, at least in my humble estimation [as long as it’s not TOO serious].  I’ve got Mavis Staples tix for next Wednesday. I’m hoping Ry makes a guest appearance there [he produced her most recent record].




 


 


 


 


 

Juliette Commagere

 
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Circus!
Posted by Joseph Fiedler at 2:46 pm on September 30th

 


Considering the circus-like atmosphere of our current econo-political climate, here’s a fitting little event that I’m involved in.  Many of you might know that I’ve been a vegetarian for 33 years [like Kerri says, it’s like not driving a car!] so the compassionate nature of this anti cruelty art event was very much to my liking.  I missed the opening but it looks like it was pretty cool, not to mention, large.  The artist roster includes the eminent Richard Downs, David Brinley, Kim Scott, and J.S. Berger among others.  Thanks to Gale Hart of A Bitchin Space for a cool opportunity!  Here a few pix, more can be found @ A Bitchin Space.



The 2nd Annual Circus Show & Other Atrocities juxtaposes the dark, painful lives of performing animals with the fun, amusing atmosphere of the carnival. The show has over 100 national and international artists. The performance line-up starts with Dan Piraro, creator of Bizarro, who will be joined by comedian and MC, Keith Lowell Jensen, singer Larisa Bryski, plus jugglers, belly dancers, firebenders and other performers, freaks, artist-made midway games and rides, as well as raffle prizes including original artwork and more with proceeds donated to animal protection groups.



On display in the gallery through
Closing Reception October 11th.


A Bitchin’ Space 

2114 19th Street

Sacramento, CA  95818


 


 

Pan shot of the Gallery. My paintings are on either ends [Elephant and Tiger]

 

Richard Downs

 

Crowd

 

My Tiger.

 

Curator and artist Gale Hart brings together performers and visual artists to create a unique and powerful event. PHOTO BY DOMINICK PORRAS


 

Another Gallery shot.

 

Some of the ever popular fire twirling.

 

and as always...girls in cages!

 

Elephant 5x5 feet, mixed on stretched canvas.

 

David Brinley

 

J.S. Berger

 

Kim Scott

 
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Scandal Sketchbook
Posted by Joseph Fiedler at 5:01 pm on September 24th

I put up another sketchbook called Scandal.  Recently I discovered the Staedtler Mars Lumograph pencil and the combination of the Lumograph and the Moleskine paper is sublime.  Subject wise, I’m all over the place with an emphasis on Dick and Jane, Suburbia and the natural world.  This time I have a fake party sequence that has a narrative quality although none existed except in my head.  I used all cribbed pix from Facebook.  I’m also going back to an old study of sculpture as well as old British army barracks, if that makes any sense.  Take a peek…

SCANDAL


 

Barracks

 

Greek Sculpture

 

Fake Party [with actual party pictures]

 
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Recent Work Post
Posted by Joseph Fiedler at 12:28 pm on September 16th

The Socialization of Boys
AD Ananda Walden

 


Here are a few  SKETCHBOOK style projects that I recently completed.  The Boys article was a lead piece for the Hartford Courant on the different ways girls and boys are socialized [with emphasis on boys] in making the transition from high school to college.


The Facial story is part of a series of HEALTH related topics for Hour Detroit Magazine [the Detroit City Mag] and evokes the 'balance" involved in this particular procedure.


Cardio Care is also from that series but for a different AD and basically talks about new procedures available at local hospitals.  It was the only article that I actually had text for [other than just a synopsis].


 


 


 

Detail at Actual Pixels

 

Facial
AD Jessica Decker

 

Cardio Care Today
AD Cassidy Zobl

 

Detail

 
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Can't Help to Mention...
Posted by Joseph Fiedler at 2:38 pm on August 6th


In the
history of warfare, only two nuclear weapons have been detonated offensively, both by the United States of America during the closing days of World War II. The first was detonated on the morning of 6 August 1945, when the United States dropped a (uranium) gun-type device code-named "Little Boy" on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The second was detonated three days later when the United States dropped a plutonium implosion-type device code-named "Fat Man" on the city of Nagasaki. These bombings resulted in the immediate deaths of around 120,000 people from injuries sustained from the explosion and acute radiation sickness, and even more deaths over time from long-term effects of (ionising) radiation. The use of these weapons was and remains controversial.

I've been to Hiroshima and have rung the peace chimes over a mound of ashes of 10,000 people.

 

Little Boy

 

Fat Man

 
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ENJOY IT WHILE IT LASTS!
Posted by Joseph Fiedler at 1:41 pm on July 31st

Art Dorks Invade Chicago August 9, 2008

DVA Gallery

The Art Dorks are a cyberspace collective with brick and mortar applications. Originally the brainchild web community of CNN’s Brendan Danielsson, the Dorks quickly evolved into a collective. Their work is really not easy to define; influences range from the 1980’s to the 1880’s and they each bring a different feel to the mix. While Dorks tend to associate with the lowbrow kind of thing, don’t define them by that. All share a love of drawing and whether they make monsters or meat, robots or rabbits, it is work that revels in and celebrates growing up in a pop, sci-fi, kung-fu cornucopia of a culture.  My kind of razzamatazz!
 

My painting CATCH! [30x40, mixed on canvas]

 

Detail

 
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HIGANTE Y CALIENTE!
Posted by Joseph Fiedler at 3:31 pm on July 21st


I got an email last week from illustrator Richard Downs inviting me up to see him in Nevada City [CA].  He said that he’d be appearing that Saturday as a giant Spanish puppet [Higante] in a children’s parade with his wife Gwyn’s Afro-Cuban drumming ensemble at the annual World Music Festival.  How could I refuse, especially on the heels of the Stauffer-stock Karaoke sing-off the night before in San Rafael?  It was a hippy- dippy, tie dyed weekend, that’s for sure.  Here are a few pix to prove I’m not exactly bull-shittin’ you, man!
 

Some of the drum ensemble's gear

 

Downs with the rig under construction

 

Downs suiting up

 

Higante gets underway

 


 

There were kids and belly dancers and all sorts of carnival/burning man, gypsy types

 

Another "puppet"

 

She was leading

 

It was really hot!

 

parade overview

 

The main stage during a break

 

Another "puppet"

 

Happy Hippy campers

 

Richard, Scary and Nano

 

The sweat soaked Karaoke posse: Stewart Bradford, John Hersey, Scary, Nano, Stauffer, Stauffer's Mom, Hunt and McCauley [kneeling]? Who took this picture? Photo courtesy Robert Hunt

 
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Drink'n'Draw San Francisco Style
Posted by Joseph Fiedler at 4:13 pm on June 24th




For a couple of months now, I’ve been attending [irregularly] a weekly session of Drink’n’Draw here in San Francisco.  We go to Rickenbacker’s, have beers, eat bar food [the grilled cheese with avocado and pesto is quite good as are the garlic parmesan fries!] and sketch a bit.  There’s always lots of stuff that’s new and several movies to discuss too.

Eric Joyner is a native Bay Area dude [San Mateo] living and working in downtown SF.  His paintings of robots and doughnuts have made him quite a sensation on the Lowbrow set and he has a new book of his work out on the Dark Horse imprint.  I met Eric through illustrator and former Bay Area bon vivant Francis Livingston but I can’t remember how [bad sign].

Daniela Yew is a freelance writer and artist based in San Francisco. Originally from Munich, Daniela Yew draws on her lifelong interest in China as well as nature and fabric design to decorate painted eggs, following a tradition popular at Easter time in her native Bavaria. She is also a librarian at the SF Public Library in the Mission and an avid practitioner of collage sketchbookery. She is married to a Chinese American native of the Bay Area whom she met while studying in Taiwan.  Her husband, Anselm Yew is a freelance illustrator/animator in SF and is descended from an ancient line of fierce Mongols.

Drink’n’Draw is held @ Eddie Rickenbacker’s Bar on Second Street every Monday night 7-10pm.  Eddie was the famous flying ace of World War I. He was also a cousin of Adolph Rickenbacker, co-founder of Rickenbacker Guitars.  Rickenbacker’s is filled with antique motorcycles [hung from the ceiling], model trains and various other memorabilia, making it a good place for D’n’D!  On my first visit, the waitress asked if we’d mind it if people smoked cigarettes and pot!  It’s pretty mellow and there’s a giant cat too!
 


 

The old bikes are really beautiful!

 


 

Anselm and Daniela

 

Daniela's egg and a drawing

 

Anselm's drawings

 

Eric Joyner in his studio

 

Eric's palette

 

Eris's robots

 

Eddie

 

Rickenbacker Guitar [the instrument of choice for that Jingle Jangle sound!]

 

The cat!

 
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Bo Passed!
Posted by Joseph Fiedler at 1:17 pm on June 2nd



The legendary Ellis MacDaniel [Bo Diddley] is dead at 79. NYT
story

Lyonnaise potatoes and a pork chop!  Shave and a haircut - 2 bits!  The barnyard chicken scratcher is gone! Here's a model of innovation and style that has impacted generations!  In addition to his ground breaking branding and singular guitar styling, his album covers from the 1950's and '60's are among the great gems of commercial art.

RIP Bo baby!
 


 


 


 


 


 


 
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New Sketchbook Images too!
Posted by Joseph Fiedler at 1:48 pm on May 21st



Awhile back I bought my first Moleskine Sketchbook, you know, the one that Hemingway used.  Now I've become addicted to making pictures in them.  I draw mostly from 2 dimensional images, images that have already been translated from 3D to 2D.  Images like old Dick and Jane readers, my Golden Guides, a 1960 Matchbox Cars catalog, etc.  I also try to draw from real objects as well [much harder to do].



I read that as a superstitious Spaniard, Pablo Picasso thought that making pictures would help stave off death.  Here I go.....you can check it out @ Scandal, the Narrative Sketchbook and  Regular Sketchbook.  You can also look at the Sketchbook page on my website.


 


 


 
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