Watch It Grow 2009 Nationwide Art Tour

Sedition Books, Houton, TX

2009-06-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

We went to Houston unsure of what to expect. Everyone we spoke with in Austin basically told us that Houston was not the place for us. We caught a ride in with our friends and navigated the expansive highway into town. A few blocks from the exit, we came across a tiny outpost of loving creation, Sedition Books. You could tell from the outside that this was a place for freethinkers and artists, and looking in we saw a diverse collection of people who had gathered for their weekly potluck dinner. Maybe the rest of Houston is not for us, but this was definitly our kind of place. We went in and said hello, set up Thrashley's new paintings and figured out how to make the store's stereo system work out as a PA. We started the night with a discussion of public art and political message - why we thought it was important or even acceptable to be making art in the street or other public areas. This was the first time we really had to answer questions about what we were doing - people were interested and wanted to know why we had come all this way. It was a challenge to explain, and we found ourselves learning a little more about what we were doing in the process. This led into the poetry performance, with beats playing over the stereo and no microphone. With everyone sitting in a big circle, it felt more like an intimate talk - and afterword we did a discussion of the work. The immediate feedback, questions and answers developed a new element to the show - participation and integration. This expereince really gave us a new perspective on what we were doing, how it can impact others, and what we could do further develop and refine it.

Thanks to everyone who is making it happen for original, personal, diy culture at Sedition Books. Check out their online presence and if you are in Houston, drop by, because they are a friendly and fun bunch of people.

SXSW

2009-03-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

I'm gonna keep it short and simple. A lot of good bands and a lot of free beer! Dan played a block party show by UT and I threw up some stencils at the Shepard Fairey bandana show.

Tour Splits. Only a 28 Hour Bus Ride to Austin for DMLH and Caustic

2009-03-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

ARIZONA
NEW MEXICO
NEW MEXICO

TEXAS

INVOLVING:

12 Cups of Coffee
11 Hundred Miles Traveled
10 Stories of Meth Addiction
9 Hours of Waiting
8 Witnessed Sex Offers for Money
7 Pieces of Luggage
6 Children Crying
5 Cities to Transfer
4 Stops at McDonalds (Greyhound must have some deal with them, I kept to the stale bagels from Flagstaff)
3 Hours of Sleeping
2 Ladies fighting
and 1 Junkie ODing in the Dallas Bus Station!!

Flagstaff, AZ: Finding Peace in the Canyon and Getting Joosed at a House Party

2009-03-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

On Friday, we took a day trip out to the Grand Canyon to collect our thoughts and enjoy the beautiful desert. We hiked about a mile and a half in to a spot called "Ooh-Aah Point" on the Kaibab Trail. The name speaks for itself as the point takes you about 40 feet away from the canyon wall, giving you an almost 360 degree view of the canyon.
It was incredible and no picture we took did the canyon justice. I hope anyone who reads this gets the opportunity to see this place sometime in their life because it will blow you away.

The next day, Dan had the opportunity to play at a house party by the NAU. Everyone was getting "JOOSED" leading to an insane high energy dance party that went on until the early morning.
College Parties. Wow.

Flagstaff, AZ: Haunted Hotel Show and After Party in the Humphrey Bogart Suite

2009-03-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

When we first started booking this tour, we really had no intention of getting paid for any of our gigs. In fact, we were mostly looking to perform and make shirts for benefits. So it came as a surprise to me when I received an email from the booking agent at the Monte V asking me how many beds we needed and whose name to write on the check.
WHAT?!?! Money?! BEDS?!
Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.....
So we invited our friends The Canyon Animals (made up of kite93, jack the mc,and dj samplistic), Parable Paul, and Unfiltered to play the show along with DMLH and Andreas for a Coast to Coast Hip Hop Showcase!

Everyone rocked well on the mylar backed stage and we got the videos to prove it:
Unfiltered:

Parable Paul:

Kite93:

Jack the MC:

Canyon Animals:

Andreas:

DMLH:

After the show, we cracked open the bubbly in the Humphrey Bogart Suite, and had a toast with all our old and new friends in Arizona that joined us for one of the craziest nights we've had on tour!
Free hotel rooms and paid gigs?! I still can't believe it!

Unfiltered before the champagne.......
...Unfiltered after the champagne....

Flagstaff, AZ: Marcia and Dre Find Friendship over Karaoke

2009-03-04T16:43:00.000-08:00

I'm sure Marcia and Dre will be the first to admit that they haven't always seen eye to eye on this trip. They both come from very different places and have very different ways of looking at the world, which at many times had led to frustrating arguments between all of us. They had never met before we left for this trip, but I feel like by the time we made it Flagstaff they had really started to form a unique friendship.

Don't just stand there....

This whole trip Marcia had wanted to go out to karaoke since she had only been once in her life. You wouldn't have thought that though by her amazing confidence and personality on the karaoke stage!
We decided to surprise her with a birthday cake to make up for the fact that she spent her 21st birthday on a farm and in a car on the way to San Francisco. In the video below, she goes up to sing "Gloria" with Kyler while we get the cake ready. After the song, the whole bar sings happy birthday to the "Queen of Karaoke"!

And the award for Drunkest Person to Eat Shit goes to.....

*Note* I wrote this blog post when I was waaaaaaaaasted.

Think we had our car fixed? Think again!

2009-03-03T14:48:00.000-08:00

We made it up to Flagstaff only after our car broke down AGAIN! It died while barreling down the mountain into Camp Verde and Marcia had to hang out the window with a flashlight so we could see the road in front of us. We took the first exit we could onto General Crook road, a small dark road with no cars in site. We tried flagging down the few cars that did go by but no one would stop for us. Our friend Dana eventually had to drive down from Flagstaff and use AAA to have our car towed all the way to her house as we slept in the back of her car exhausted and hungry.

We knew by now the problem was the alternator, but we weren't quite sure how much it would cost to have fixed or that we could afford. Luckily though, the next day Dana's friend Kyler showed up in the morning and offered to help replace our alternator. What we thought would only take an hour or so became an all day project. We were so thankful to Kyler and offered him money/food/beer, none of which he would take.

Thanks to Kyler we saved money and got the Green Machine up and running with no problems. We saw him here and there all week, forcing drinks and clove cigarettes on him as thanks for saving our trip and reminding us that there are still good people out there willing to help you when you need it.

Tempe, AZ: Party at the Canyon Animal House

2009-03-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

We finally made it to Phoenix with a few hours to kill before arriving at the Canyon Animal house in Tempe. In noticing all the stencils around the house, I took to testing some of my stencil on old boards in the backyard to make sure that Homeland Security hadn't ruined anything.

Andreas and DMLH opened the show, followed by some really great performances by Unfiltered, Parable Paul, Hearing Aids, Canyon Animals, and Adverse.

The next day, DMLH and Andreas spent all day recording a track with Adverse and The Canyon Animals for The Canyon Animals' new album. The chorus is all about "watching it grow" and should be available for the public to listen to in the next few months. It's incredible!

Highway 8 out of Yuma: Car Troubles and Border Patrol

2009-03-01T01:11:00.000-08:00

After reuniting with Dre in San Diego, we left late in the evening of the 27th for Phoenix. We decided to take Highway 8 most of the way, not realizing how close it really got to the Mexican border. About 30 miles outside of Yuma, the headlights started to dim and we realized our battery was dying. Nothing was around us except for desert and suspicious 4 wheelers on the hill shining huge spotlights( I later found out about all the problems happening along the Mexican border and am convinced those 4 wheelers were Minutemen). We found a gas station a few miles down to buy a new battery which Dan and Marcia installed with no problems.

Relieved to have a fresh new battery in the old Green Machine, we headed back out on the road straight for Phoenix, or so we thought. Before we even hit Yuma, the car started to die again and we realized this problem was bigger than just the battery. We pulled into a gas station in Yuma where Berl, the cashier who was obviously high on speed, told us of a 24 hour diner where we could drink coffee until the morning came and the auto shop opened.

We spent hours at the diner playing dominoes as the cook told us about all the good drugs he's had that came from Oregon. At dawn, we returned to the car and got it to start. Instead of waiting around Yuma for a mechanic, we decided again to get back on highway and head for Phoenix where we could deal with the problem and have time to make it to the show.
...
If the pictures below aren't obvious enough, the car died again, and we spent the night sleeping at a rest stop.

The desert sun came beaming through the windshield around 8 in the morning, waking Dan and I up in the front seat. We started the car again, but weren't on the highway long before seeing a sign on the side of the road that said something like "Border Patrol 1 mile, be prepared to stop".
I dont want to get into the details of this story seeing as how some of us havent even gone to court yet, but our car was searched and some of us were detained in the van below.

All I can say is that we did make it to Phoenix that day, but the first 12 hours spent in Arizona were tiring. After all the jokes we made in the car about "finding our dreams in Yuma" before we even left California, it is Yuma that gets the last laugh as we spend this next month figuring out how to make it to back there for court.

Vista/San Diego, CA

2009-02-27T09:34:00.000-08:00

After spending over a week moving from town to town, highway to highway, it was nice to finally spend a week relaxing by the beach. We got the chance to see some old friends, and make new ones at a small coffee shop in Oceanside.

Before leaving San Diego, we visited this community center called Writer's Block. Its a legal graffiti yard where anyone is welcome to come and paint on the walls. Everyone who works there is really friendly and I got the chance to talk with other artists about techniques and inspirations.

We spent almost 2 weeks in California and now it's time to head to the Desert!

Riverside and the City of Angels, CA

2009-02-23T16:11:00.000-08:00

We drove from San Francisco straight down to Riverside, CA for a show at the Pharaohs Den cultural art space. This place is rad.
Run by a bunch of positive hip hop heads, they have a fully functioning recording studio with a wide range of instruments, a huge performance space with a stage and a decent sound system, as well as visual art from a number of artists hanging on the walls. This show was a little sparse in terms of attendance, but that didnt stop any of the acts from giving their all. We saw great sets from Okerason, Dropjaw, MC Homeless, and Cadillac Ron. Everyone had really distinct styles, and we got a wide sense of all the different work being created under the banner of indie hip hop. After the show we stuck around for a bit to talk and chill, but ultimately left to find some rest with our friend Jordan in Murrietta, before heading into LA the next day.

While in LA we went out for an overpriced meal on Venice Beach, then made our way to a house show at our friend Melissa's house on Longwood (is that west hollywood?) where we got to see Abe Vigoda and a bunch of dope punk bands tear it up all night. The next day we toured Hollywood Boulevard while they were setting up for the Academy Awards and Caustic left a present for the local stripper boutiques. At night we went out to the VoicesVoices tour kickoff show at The Smell, an all ages, community run venue that is getting big props for being the developing ground for the indie noise pop that is taking over youth culture right now. VoicesVoices was joined by some 12 other improv musicians (including Bobb Bruno, minus the rabbit suit) for a collective jam that was pretty damn transcendent.

We left the show and got on the 5 for a straight shot toward San Diego. Adventure!

San Francisco, CA

2009-02-18T13:20:00.000-08:00

We had a beautiful drive through the Redwood Highway 101 to bring us to San Francisco, giving us a view of some badass trees as well as a chance to leave a friendly mark on an abandoned building on the side of the road.

A few hours later we crossed the bridge.

San Francsico is such a great time, every time. We were celebrated Marcia's birthday on Monday, and Ethan Clarke's on Wednesday. In between we scoped the local scene, checked out the museum and cooked meals with our friends. With no official shows to play, we spent the last days with our portland homies celebrating the joy of our friendship. For both thrashley and I this meant leaving our best friends, who at the right time in their life would have just stayed on tour, but at this point had to head home. From here on out our caravan of seven turned into a jeep full of four. Onward to LA!

Orleans, CA

2009-02-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

We left Eugene in the late morning after breakfast and map viewing at this coffeeshop across from Redundant Cartridge on 13th near U of O. I wish I could remember the name, because they had great italian coffee.

We had a good six hours of driving ahead of us, through southeren oregon on the 5 and then northeren cali on the Klamath River highway, CA-96. This river winds through the Siskiyou Mountains and following it starts to feel like guided meditation after an hour or so. The terrain is rocky with more trees and vegetation as you get closer to the river. We finally arrived to visit our friends Karis and Justin who intern at the Rolling River Nursery, a family-run permaculture farm. These folks are for-real modern homesteaders who live and work with the land, utilizing all resources and working toward being entirely off-grid. Their hot water is heated by a wood stove, the outdoor toilets are composting, and the animals and plants are all selected to work together in abundant synergy. We made pizza with fresh goat cheese, goat meat (on one for the meat eaters) and veggies from the garden. After dinner we did a living-room performance of new Start Fires material including the classic standby "Genocide Tactics"

7 of us slept on the floor of a one-room cabin, and woke up to tour the land before heading to san francisco. Alex got to feed a goat, we walked to the rivers edge and snacked on fresh-picked citrus along the way. We also took a few branches from a felled eucalyptus tree to freshen the air in the green machine.

It was inspiring to see this family living well off the land and making it work financially. They work for themselves and create their level of comfort and enjoyment through the effort. Their dedication to living low-impact and sustainably is activley paying off by reducing their living cost, keeping them healthy and productive, while giving back to the world through the sale of organic tree and plant starts. We left feeling renewed and set off on the journey through the peaks of the Siskiyous to head south on the Redwood Highway 101.

Eugene, OR

2009-02-15T13:57:00.000-08:00

Our first day on tour was spent 2 hours south of home in Eugene, OR. A few of us headed out to see if the Factory Fabrics free wall still existed, which it didnt, and on our way back to where we were staying, we were attacked by a mob of drunk people dressed as zombies who got fake blood and grey makeup all over Mady's car. We then decided to take it easy our first night on tour, painting the walls of Devin's cell above Redundant cartidge with colorful abstract paintings and stencil designs.

Eugene, OR

2009-02-15T13:39:00.000-08:00

I met this guy at the Tour Kick off party who gave me this letter addressed to someone at The New Orange in Eugene. It is part of an anti mailing service where you write someone a letter and hand it off, person to person, in hopes that it eventually makes it to its rightful recipient. He heard we were headed to Eugene the next day and gave it to me to hand off to someone else when i got to town.

I made sure to add my own little present to the letter before giving it to Devin who was convinced it was some girl that worked down the street at a juice bar. Hopefully the letter makes its way to Christy in some way or another.

Tour Kickoff Party at the Hush - Friday, Feb 13th

2009-02-14T22:58:00.000-08:00

We kicked off our tour at our favorite show spot in Portland, The Hush, a chill spot that is community run and all ages. We were also celebrating the release of the Start Fires album "Dedicate Your Growth To The World", which was available in a limited edition hand-packaged version, with a double sided full-color poster insert collaged by DMLH and Shermstixx. We displayed Caustic's art around the room, including painted vinyls, her TV installation piece, and her 3X5 fencing stenciled with a bust of Emma Goldman on stage.

Caustic's TV installation piece

We were joined by several friends performing that night, including garage blues from Orange Jam, and pdx hip hop from Nightcrawlers and Gepetto, with DJ zone keeping the beats live all night.

the first half of the show

Andreas brought a half hour of dope jams that were entirely new to the Portland audience. His topics range between spiritual relationship with the world to getting crunk with fly party people. He really impressed, bringing high energy delivery with crowd-pleasing demeanor. Check out the shirt he collaborated with Caustic on in the beginning of the video!

Andreas live at the Hush

Finally Start Fires took the stage for their last show in Portland for a few months. We tore through a 45 minute set with the energy of a punk band, dancing like disco acid freaks and laughing the whole time.

Start Fires!

We had a great time, sold some albums, and said farewell to our friends to pack up and get ready to head out the next morning! Thanks to everyone who came out to send us off, all the artists who performed, Everyone at the Hush for creating the space for us and everyone who helped us bring all our crazay speakers and art down there so we could get it together in time.

Hello Olympia, Farewell Zebulon

2009-02-09T03:49:00.001-08:00

This past friday we made our journey to Olympia with a crew of six to check it all out and rock a party for our friend Zeb (VT crew) who is going to live in the wilderness of Montana for a while. Olympia is a sweet town. I have always heard good things about it, but had yet to make the 2 hour drive North to find out for myself. After figuring out where the house was (actually in Tumwater, which is SouthWest of the city center) we headed into town to find some food. The exit we took spit us out at at the base of the capital building, which is a fairly impressive way to enter a city even if it seems to represent the elite power structure. It makes me wonder what the country would feel like if we built freeform abstract sculptures to represent our progress. Anyway we parked along the park and walked down to fifth or sixth st. While scoping coffeeshops and bars we found a flyer wall, and I took some notes on who had the dopest looking flyers. First place went to a spot called Le Voyeur, which looked like it could have been someone's house show based on the flyer.

After some more walking we decided to eat in a funky looking place with blacklights and flowers painted on the windows...turns out this was Le Voyeur. The food was way nice, big portions and dank sauces, with every plate vegan and omnivore adjustable. We ate our fill and I checked out the stage area - low blue lights, no actual stage and some grungy booths on the side - exactly what Start Fires likes. Thrashley left a gift for everyone who doesn't finish their plate and we headed back to the house for the party. Zeb is a sick drummer and we got a chance to see him jam out with some of his homies - I got some video, check out the drum hanging from the ceiling.

It was a small party but we got a chance to rock with Dre which hasnt happened in over a year, so we got a good practice night in. Dre was killing it on the mic.

We stayed and partied with Zeb into the night, then headed back to Portland in the early morning. It was great to get out and do our thing in another town, and to get an idea of what its going to be like for the next 3 months.

Here We Go!

2009-02-01T18:35:00.000-08:00

Caustic Process

2009-02-01T14:30:00.001-08:00

Thrashley has been busy stenciling, stamping, painting and generally going all out in preparation for our nationwide art tour that is coming up in just about 2 weeks. WOW. I suppose I could say the same though. I have been spending every free moment finishing the Start Fires LP in the basement with Alex. I came upstairs the other night and found the first floor thick in the midst of the Caustic Process. This is a map of her action, drawn to look like a mess of creation. If you look carefully you can follow the path that Thrashley takes through the drying shirts, aerosol layers, brushwork, and inspiration.

13 days and counting…

Getting Ready

2009-01-27T18:25:00.000-08:00

All week long and up until we leave we will be working hard to get everything ready for tour. We have a few albums to record and put together, shirts to make, vinyls to stencil, roads to map, emails to respond to, you name it. Its been hectic and insane but really fucking fun and worth it. I can't wait!

Officially Stoked - West Coast Tour Dates

2009-01-27T01:33:00.000-08:00

YARO!
yes yallz, have we got some good times ahead. My brother told me that 2009 is the "year of the blossoming flower" (at least one translation, it could also be "the enlightenment") in the Mayan tradition, so we have picked an auspicious time to watch it grow. Two months ago we had an idea and now we have a plan. It's moving toward Spring and we are finally seeing some shoots. We officially will be rocking shows from here to Texas, with room to connect with people and check out the world in between. Here is what it looks like:

February 13 - Portland OR - Tour Kickoff Benefit show at the Hush/Aftermath, w/True MC, DRE, Improv Logic, Night Crawlers, Ink:rementals, $5+Donations, 14 NW 3rd Ave, above Tube. (did I mention this is an Album release party? oh?)

February 14 - Eugene OR - Show Me Your Ink is a monthly night of art and music that apparently goes down above a storefront just near U of O. We will bring the party of space travelers with Start Fires, True MC and DRE plus live installation painting by Mady Hampton and Thrashley Caustic. (and hopefully a late night loop pedal set by Cantino!)

February 15 - Orleans CA - We will be sharing art and music over food and good drink at Karis' Cabin, while learning about the life of one Permaculture farm that manages to survive well in our society.

February 16 - San Francisco CA - Network Mondays at the Azul Lounge (1 tillman place, sf) seems to be a dope spot for heads to kick flows, connect and have some drinks. Its hosted by a guy named Sellassi who raps about cultural issues and politics from the perspective of a positive black man. We are going to come through to rock some songs and freestyles and see who is out there killin it. Also we will be celebrating our homegirl Marcia's birthday so yeah, lets get crunk.

February 19 - Riverside CA - Apparently a bunch of indie hip hop tours are converging on this date at a place called The Pharaohs Den. They are a collectively run art and music center, which includes performance and recording space. We will be rocking early on in the night, but with a bunch of dope emcees (and vegan food if you show up around 5) you can't really miss on this night.

February 28th - Phoenix AZ - I was searching out interesting emcees in Pheonix and came across Kite93 from the Canyon Animal crew. These guys have a house to hold shows in and on the 28th Adverse (Dorian 3) is coming through along with a whole bunch of dope emcees.

That brings us to March, which I know will include at least one party during SXSW in Austin, a Space Traveller Party in Flagstaff, and a night of dissent at Sedition Books in houston. More on that soon ----

ps: i have been packing up my life here at one34....lots of paper.

I Don't Know About You Guys, But I'm Ready To Go!

2009-01-17T14:31:00.000-08:00

One Reason Why We'll Miss Portland

2009-01-17T14:26:00.000-08:00

Goin' Down This Old Dusty Road.....

2009-01-14T19:44:00.000-08:00

In the madness of planning this tour, I realized I will be having to walk away from a few things I'm involved with and would like to see that its still going on when I return. So if anyone in the Portland area is interested in any of the following, please email me.

a) Helping out with SE Food Not Lawns 35th and Hawthorne site planting starts and getting the space ready for the spring.
b)Collecting and painting scrap wood for the 2nd round of GMP Midnight Mission Street Art Project.
c)Submitting art, essays, or information to Contagious Liberation (not that i did a lot, but Brian could use all the help he can get)
d)Say hi to my mom whenever you walk past the Oyster Bar. She's a nice lady and loves to tell stories. Plus she pours a stiff drink.

FOUR MORE WEEKS!!! I will miss you Portland, and can't wait to spend the summer with you!

NorthWest Kickoff

2009-01-13T02:36:00.000-08:00

an interview with DMLH

So, what's crackin' G?

Okee-Dokee well, we are rolling along over here just getting the soil right. During the first two weeks of February we are hitting up a bunch of spots in and not too too far from Portland. It looks like we will have some guests up in this piece during that time as well. First of all my brother Dre is going to be here, as well as our homie Talent, aka True MC. These are the dudes I was rocking with in VT and we are going to be recording some new cuts and mashing up our sets into a non stop party. Powsner and Mady Hampton are on board to take photos and video so we can document the process, and I think one or two more heads might make it into the Habitrail.

Word. Tell me about this first part of the tour.

We are going to meet up with our homie Zeb in Olympia for a house show near the Evergreen Campus on February 6th, along with some more pdx hip hop and some groups from Oly. We are aiming to rock Eugene the very next day, but that show hasn't been finalized. If all goes to plan we will rock a benefit show at the Campbell Club, for the Campbell club, to help them deal with their court problems after the cops busted their doors in. If that is not happening we will probably record some new jams and do some video performances here on the blog, maybe live from in front of Beulah. On February 8th we will be representing for our friends Saudade, who are playing with Moodring, Tenses and Tape Deck Mountain at the Hush/Aftermath space which is above TUBE on Nw 3rd / Burnside in Portland. Saudade is working it out to come with us down to SF and we are stoked on it. Later that week on February 12th we are going to crash a metal show in at the Jabberwocky House in North Portland, with AGORA (who are currently changing their name to...) who will be rocking some hydrochronic death grind.

FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH OF FEBRUARY:
START FIRES last show in Portland until summer.
w/ DRE, True MC, NightCrawlers, Improv Logic, Orange Jam, Saudade
@ the Hush/Aftermath, NW3rd / Burnside, above Tube.
WATCH IT GROW TOUR BENEFIT: please donate $5-10

Word, G. Hit me up with a txt and I'll be there.

Sure, or you can join my email list for a schedule and invitations to private parties:

the next day is for lovers,
we will be headed to Arcata...
YARO!

Unconfirmed Updates!!! More friends joining the first leg of the tour!!!

2009-01-04T05:18:00.000-08:00

So now we are at the 6 week countdown until we leave for tour and there are some updates!!

The first leg of the tour (Portland, Eugene, Arcata, San Francisco) may include Alex Connor a.k.a Shermstixx making this a Start Fires west coast tour!!
check him out here

Also our homie and photographer Mike Powsner was here all the way from New York for New Years. He talked with us about joining the tour, taking great photos and documenting the whole thing.
check him out here

So it looks like the Watch It Grow Tour is growing and people are getting stoked. We should have our west coast dates and projects up on the site this month for everyone to check out, so until then take care and remember to have fun!

-Caustic

Oh DMLH, how you have grown.

2008-12-27T13:30:00.000-08:00

Im sure you've already gathered that the main theme of this tour is not only self growth for those involved, but us learning to grow together. Everyone who is apart of this tour has a different goal, yet we are all helping one another to achieve them.

As long as I have known Dan, and many years before that, he has always been involved with helping developing artists realize their full potential. He was one of the founders and main organizers of the Nine37 art collective and Five Town Massive in Bristol, Vermont. For the last ten years this festival opened up new doors to artists of all different mediums and styles as well as involving this small town with its growing Arts community.
you can find out more info here:

www.myspace.com/fivetownmassive
http://nine37.blogspot.com/

I can honestly say if it weren't for DMLH's constant support and inspiration for the last 3 years, I may not be on this tour. I never considered myself an artist and found the stencils I made to just be my way of opening peoples eyes to the problems our world is facing, never thinking they would go anywhere past Portland sidewalks.
Since working with him, my stencils have been apart of reclaiming projects, craft fairs, benefits, and now a national art tour.
In response to DMLH's post showcasing the stencils I have worked on for the past 6 months, I would like to showcase DMLH's growth as a performer in the years since I have been blessed to be called his friend.
And also to show everyone how much fucking fun you will have if you make it out to see him play.

This is DMLH performing on First Friday at 2013, an old store in portland that was dedicated to selling all locally made crafts, clothes, and music. He dedicated alot of time to helping get this store get off the ground and First Fridays were a chance for anyone to come out and perform or showcase their art.

Two years ago, DMLH's good friend Alex Connor aka Shermstixx moved to Portland and together they formed Start Fires, a futurebeat empowerment hip hop duo that have been rocking house shows and venues consistently since 2006.

Even when the police shut down a house show they were about to play, it didn't stop them.

And when Shermstixx had to get a tooth removed and couldn't play a Start Fires set, DMLH still went on, playing a solid 45 minute set alone even though he was recovering from a cold and losing his voice.

Start Fires was Interviewed by Portland Noise during a show at Chaos Cafe, talking about their history and how the Portland community has responded to their music.

Watch Start Fires on Portland Noise

Not only has DMLH's energy at shows become more and more engaging, but so has his stage presence. His crazy colored shirts, glasses, vests, and hats are not commonly seen in hip hop, making him stand out even more and helping him open up to a larger audience. Here is a show he played with Start Fires at The Hush, an awesome all ages venue that also serves as a living space with monthly community meetings he has been attending off and on for over a year.

So here we are now in the present, and I can't wait to see where DMLH goes with this tour. I am fortunate enough to be with him every step of the way, knowing that( Like my stencils and I) he is doing this not only for himself, but as a response to the world around him, hoping to find solution to the problems, and having as much fun as he can along the way.

Thrashley's Stencils Summer 2008

2008-12-19T18:02:00.001-08:00

When I first met Thrashley she was a young activist with a million ideas and the energy to work on them all. She was one of the first people in Portland who I really connected with on the level of direct action and creating art for the greater good. We both volunteered at an ancient indie movie theater and spent time talking about possible street art projects and bouncing ideas around. She told me about her interest in stencil making and showed me some of her stencils around town. They were simple but meaningful, images of her cultural heros, or direct political statement. 2 years went by and I noticed a few new pieces popped up on her photobucket page, notably the starving child, which has now undergone several transformations and applications.

Her hand cut lines were smooth and well defined and a greater sense of overall design seemed present in the final pieces. At this point she was combining images to create a sense of perspective, or setting, as well as using multiple layers to achieve greater detail with individual images.

In the summer of 2008 we found ourselves living together in a collective house of artists, and in that space dedicated to the creative process, her work really began to take on a whole other dimension. She has always been politically and socially active, and with that as her driving point, she went to work on creating images that would speak her mind. Images of young women and girls started popping up, with reflective personal statements.

At this time she set out to create as much work as she could with the goal of hanging the pieces in the street to enrich the local community. This project grew and became a larger effort involving many people, but it was her original action and continued effort that made it come together. You can read more about this at one34.wordpress.com.

Through these projects she has come to view her work not so much as "art" to be enjoyed, but rather a point from which to engage the community around her and express her views. This focus is driving her new work, which juxtaposes images from The Great Depression with those of The Consumer Ideal.

I recently had the good fortune to watch her through the entire process of creating a stenciled image. We captured it on video and added some music from our friend Shermstixx:

Her work continues to grow, and as we set out across the country to put it up in new places, I wonder how that story will affect the work and vice versa. She has a talent for being direct, and taking action, and the combination will only result in continued free expression. Who knows, maybe you will end up with a stencil mural in your favorite cafe!

Puzzle Pieces

2008-12-10T00:54:00.001-08:00

The parts are starting to take shape into something of a more tangible plan. This week we felt the universe give its blessing for this tour. First of all my brother Dre called to tell me he would join us on the first half of the journey, through California and out to Austin for SXSW. That was great news, but later on that night he called with another well timed coincidence - his friend happened to be driving across country to visit his older brother in CA during the same time Dre would need to get out here. So now Dre has an adventure ride out here, to join up on our adventure leaving from Portland.
It is going to be an adventure. We have teamed up with our good friend Michael Cantino, who creates music under the name Orange Jam, to tour from Portland to San Francisco, with stops planned in Eugene and Eureka along the way. He plays a soulful garage blues that you can feel when he lets it out, which will be a fine complement to the soulful empowerment raps that Dre and I will come with later on in the night. We are looking to find artists that want to play with us, to turn these nights into 2-part shows, starting with the acoustic garage music and ending up as a hip hop dance party. That way we can get people of different scenes to mix up, as well as give people who love good music a night full of it. We are planning on doing this night at small venues, including house shows and gallery spaces, and doing our best to get in touch with as many cool people as we can.
As well as getting a better idea of how the music is going down, Thrashley found a great resource of legal walls for street art across the country, so we have started to include those spots on our itinerary. She will be doing life scale stencil and wheatpaste art that deals with themes of life, love, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, in all the different forms and meanings those take.
This week also brought us the message from our good friend Dizzy, who is heading from Salt Lake city to Austin for SXSW, and I am pretty sure that we will be there with him for the whole ride.

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So, Portland, to Eugene, To Eureka, To San Francisco, To Salt Lake, To Flagstaff, To Albequerque, To Austin? Sounds like a pretty awesome time!

tracing a map

2008-11-25T19:58:00.000-08:00

I have been researching various collectives and people around the country. We want to meet as many people in as many places as we can, to find out what they are doing and to share our ideas about how to live the change we believe in. I have just been doing some early internet searches to see what is out there, and I have found a few neat resources:

Slingshot hosts a list of groups and collectives organized by regions of the nation and Canada.

Papercut Zine Library has a good list that is focused on indie and micro media.

And if you are in the area of New York, you should check out this.

And it starts...

2008-11-17T19:37:00.000-08:00