I’ve been remiss, and I apologize; Adventuring and feasting without so much as a quick blog post to share the sweet deets and spread the love. I’ll chalk it up to a mental block, yesterday healed by the power of music. I had the pleasure of seeing my good friend dust off his dancing shoes and hit the road again after a good long break. House of Pain shook the House of Blues the other night and the fun is fresh as ever. I’m at exactly the age where after 20 years, bands like this bring me a rush of memories from the old neighborhood (Tarzana) and make me wax nostalgic about an exciting time… without the drugs this go around. The perspective over time is amazing, and the music that moved me then, still does today. See them in your city when they come through. Really great show and a great time. Godspeed on tour kids.
JW Blog
King Fantastic
You may have read about one of my favorite musical duos ever, hopefully you’ve given them a listen and feel the same. Killer Reece and Troublemaker tore up the Foundation Room at the House of Blues last night in HLYWD. The show was short and sweet, I could’ve done with a couple more songs but I was glad to get what tasty treats were offered. These guys are the real deal, and live they put up a raw display of the album’s clever lyrics and driving rhythmic beats. Paying respect my beloved city Los Angeles, the room was ablaze last night. I love these guys both and I’m telling you this right now, get their music and bump it in your car on 11. The beats and lyrics are so infectious you’ll take the long way home.
3 Skulls are better than none
Seems I forgot to squeeze out this additional bit of HLYWD trivia from my post about Sly’s Expendables. I’ve been a fan of vegetable-dyed, hand sewn leather goods ever since my friend Eldon bestowed its few but exceptional virtues upon me. The stuff we use is made primarily for saddlery and tack gear, it’s a little stiff and a bit unforgiving at the start, but once you get some wear under your belt (so to speak) you’ll have yourself a leather piece to last a lifetime that feels as comforting as your grandpa’s hands ever did. There’s nothing like a perfectly worn wallet or key chain to make you feel at home until you get there. So that’s why we make things this way. We get our hides from a tannery that’s been doing it the same way for 140 years. No chromium, no weird caustic chemicals, just vegetable dyes in pots in the forest. We cut and punch everything out by hand and use two needles and thread to pull it all together. Earnest and study are the orders of the day when we’re making something from leather. And this Single Buckle Triple Skull leather bracelet is no exception. Start to finish, made by hand, cut and sewn, the Sterling Silver pieces cast right here in our little foundry, this like everything we make, is the genuine article. Expensive? No. Does it cost a lot, yep. But if this helps any, Sly can be seen wearing one most every day, and that includes in his latest movie. So if you want me to make you one too, go here.
Sly’s Expendables
Always up for a good fight and with a flair for going over the top, Sly classed up the screen this month with some GOOD ART in the release of The Expendables movie. I’m so glad that in a world of skinny jeans and latte’s, Stallone has the gumption to single-handedly keep lit the torch of mega action films. You go Rambo, er Rocky! You see what I mean, he’s not just legendary, he’s a bunch of legends. His lucky ring is a custom GA job; a large rose-topped Sugar Skull in Sterling & 22KT gold with propeller blades for eyes, lightening bolt brows, sticks of dynamite for cross bones and a bomb for a third eye. Subtle. What you won’t see in the movie is this huge bracelet I didn’t get done in time.
You want in on this action? Get your own right here!
Hockey & Punk Rock
The Vancouver Canucks were in LA today to deliver a whooping to our LA Kings. So of course with so many of my favorite Canadians here (and a special delivery of a beautiful Nucks Jersey from Langdon), I proudly went dressed as the enemy, and I loved it. We were but smidge of blue in a sea of black. Nice work Kings, we’ll (they’ll) get you next time! Also, the blimp is cool, the white towels are lame. However, what’s not lame… The Briggs. They’re a bitchen’ LA band, they played at the game tonight. And Jason LaRocca is my friend!
HLYWD BLVD area
AMG SLS UNVEILING
Tommy Kendall unveiled the new SLS at a sneak preview bash at the LA Auto Show tonight. Now I’m not Merc fan #1, but this is the first ever car designed ground up by AMG, and it’s sick.
Adrian slows down in HLYWD
On vacation from being one of the fastest men alive, Formula One driver Adrian Sutil spent some time in LA this last week. Sunshine, fat-arse foods, California girls… it didn’t take much to drag him away from Switzerland for a week. Adrian drove the 2009 season for Force India and he’ll start training again for the 2010 season in a couple weeks. Follow his progress this next season on his website.
Glay visit Los Angeles
Glay came to LA to play a couple shows at the House Of Blues. These guys are legends. Hard driving rock & rollers, they’ve been together as friends and a band since since high school, more than 15 years. And they’re some of the coolest people I’ve ever met. I instantly felt like I’d reunited with some old warrior brothers from a long time ago. After the show Moto and I went back to the Marquis to party with the band. Brilliant HLYWD night.
Thanks a million Moto, Hisashi, Jiro, Takuro, Teru and Toshi.
My Best Friends are Pirates
The necessity of a two thousand dollar lighter is an absurd question; the pure joy of its luxury is an experience to relish.
The degree to which an object can communicate or evoke a state of mind is a mark of its magnitude. I believe art is communication, and art has the ability to effect how you feel. As a work of art can uplift the spirit, so too can an everyday object bring joy well beyond its function. And if it does, it may well be art.
While the obvious focus of my attention is toward the aesthetic, the authenticity of GOOD ART is found when the lines of necessity and luxury are blurred to such a degree, as they are indiscernible from one another. Most everyone has a keychain that works. Who’ll dare have one that looks & feels amazing and costs the price of a months rent? If you find yourself with a keychain made by me, instead of just expecting it to work, you might catch yourself clinching with joy and sporting a new swagger in your step.
I expect only the true pirate possesses the insouciance and moxie to trade a fortune for a trinket. But those who dare already command the stars and squeeze pleasure from the finest details of things wrought for beauty and the purpose of uplifting the spirit. Aesthetics, and communication in that realm, are the purpose of GOOD ART HLYWD.
Founded 1990 in Los Angeles, California, our purpose is to create and innovate the best of handcrafted, high-end luxury goods for use in everyday living. For more than 20 years this drive has remained steadfast. With a bend toward the extravagant, usually sumptuous and always luxurious, we have distilled the arrogance and grit of the clubhouse into the exclusivity of a good old-fashioned fistfight. Cost no object construction and the tenacity of being clever are the hallmarks of this design house. We’re so glad you found us, now be sure to only tell your most favorite friends, and then again only those who are true pirates.
JW