I’ve never climbed a 14’er, which seems
to be a right of passage for most Colorado residents.
If I was so daring and earthy, I would expect that at
the onset, I would be quite enthusiastic about this
adventure, about conquering the elements and challenging
my body and mind. But then as I am woken up at some
ungodly hour by my outdoorsy friends, I may start to
have some doubts.
As they begin trekking at lighting speed while I could
begin to wonder what the hell I was thinking, and how
if I were in my right mind, I would be rolling over
and dozing off to sleep again had I chosen to say “no”
to this invitation.
Between dizzy spells, feelings of nausea and wheezing,
the morning sun welcomes me into the day, as if to sing
the Gloria Gaynor song, “I will survive.”
Yes, goddamn it, I’m not going to give into this
damn mountain. Although the air is a bit thinner, it
is actually refreshing and crisp, and as I get higher,
the sights of my surroundings start to fuel me to the
top. And when I get there, the feeling of accomplishment
I have with my friends who me along confirms that I
was right to say “yes.”
Again, I have yet to speak from experience, but I have
heard those 14’er stories from friends over a
pitcher of beer and a basket of cheese fries. But this
scenario came to mind to me during this last week stretch
before our Street-2-Screen celebration kicks into gear
next Thursday, May 15 with the screening of BOMB IT
at Starz FilmCenter.
I got my first dose of negative, verbal aggression
from a caller, whose name I believe is Mr. Johnson (first
name omitted on purpose), according to my caller ID.
He never would give me his name. But it was quite the
one-sided conversion as he yelled in protest to our
upcoming graffiti celebration, leaving me little opportunity
to speak. He compared my support of the graffiti community
to that of supporting abortion and arson, if that give
you any idea to the nature of his call.
I was happy he made the effort to ring me up because
it confirmed why Street-2-Screen was created: to educate
and create a discussion surrounding both vandalism and
the support of our local artists and art community.
Yes, Mr. Johnson, I may be crazy, but not in the way
you think I am. I appreciate your admission that you
didn’t know anything about graffiti other than
the tagging you see in your neighborhood. But ignorance
is not always bliss, especially these days. If you choose
to attend (and we would appreciate a more civilized
manner than what you expressed on the phone), we are
presenting our Education panel that is free and open
to the public. We hope to open people’s eyes (including
yours) by presenting the positive programs that are
taking place and what the future may hold for more mural
programs in Denver.
Although you couldn’t stand me using the term
“graffiti artists” because you only see
them as vandals, solidifies why the Commerce panel is
taking place, presenting how these artists are building
lives for themselves and their families through their
own businesses, how corporations are embracing their
craft, and how they contribute back to society through
youth programs.
You might want to take my suggestion and check out
the film BOMB IT, which will also give you some insight
into how graffiti is expressed in places all over the
world. If after all that, you are still as adamant as
you were earlier today, I would have much more respect
for your highly negative and insulting opinions of me
and what I’m trying to do here. We can then agree
to disagree.
Mr. Johnson, I thank you for your call. And I hope
to see you at one of our events. Maybe you can learn
something from us and maybe we can learn something from
you. At least there will be a dialogue (hopefully, a
civil one). But this time, it’s not going to be
one-sided.
We also present this week, some pre-event insight for
your reading pleasure, courtesey of Keith White from
Your
Name In Graffiti, the company that will
be providing live graffiti talent Friday, May 16 at
our Street-2-Screen party at The Falcon, and will be
part of our Panel Day on Saturday, May 17 at Starz FilmCenter.
Jef
Hoskins also spent some time with TOPR and Conceit,
the former of which will be performing at the S2S party
and the following Saturday night at Redfish Fish House
in Boulder.
Thanks
to Lisa Kennedy and the Denver Post for their inclusion
of Street-2-Screen in their BestBets entertainment section
today.
Cheers,
-Kim Owens, editor
kowens[at]kaffeinebuzz.com
www.myspace.com/kaffeinebuzz
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Buzz Weekly Picks |
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Paper Dolls' Naughty Mambo Pin-Up Party
– Friday, May 9 – 3 Kings Tavern –
Denver – 8:30pm, $10 ADV/$12 DOS, 21+
When I was talking to a friend of mine about
the Paper Dolls photo session concept, she asked
if it was an alternative Glamour Shots? I hadn’t
really thought of it that way, but yes, I suppose
it is. But the creator and photographer Jim Narcy
has taken the spark of the pin up girl that shot
out of the ‘40s and flamed it into a modern
day way to celebrate the female form.
This Friday, May 9 at 3 Kings Tavern, Paper
Dolls pays tribute to Mother’s Day with
a party for the winners of their pin-up contest
for mother's ONLY.
Kaffeine Buzz: How did you decide to
create Paper Dolls and what have you learned from
your clients along the way. Are they looking for
something other than your standard lingerie photos?
Jim Narcy: I decided to create
Paper Dolls-- A Pin-Up Party because I fell in
love with the concept of the company as a whole
and the effect it has on our clients. You can't
separate "A Pin-Up Party" from the name
Paper Dolls. Our photo shoots take up the better
part of a day and are done is a social setting
among friends or a group of ladies that are interested
in a certain pin-up theme. This social environment
nearly eliminates the pressure of being in front
of the camera-- worrying about not having a perfect
body etc. Besides, who has a perfect body? It
doesn't exist. When clients are relaxed and feel
the freedom to play in front of the camera it
allows me to capture their spirit. This is where
true beauty emanates. The results have been outstanding
and often surprising. Clients are regularly overjoyed
and say to me, "Oh my God! I never thought
I could look that good!" The boost in self
confidence and true joy I see in their eyes is
a great reward. I discovered a noble purpose in
what I do and it’s not just about making
money or "taking pictures of hot chicks."
Personally I shoot a lot of editorial work and
from time to time photograph professional models.
Contrasting this reaction with the typical "ho-hum"
response I get from professional models is striking.
These are the elements that sold me on the company.
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Yo! Magesty, Does This Offend You, Yeah?,
Astra Moveo, DJ Michael Trundle - Saturday, May
10 - Bluebird - Denver - 8pm, $10 ADV/$11 DOS, 16+
“If
you can’t get past the name, get out of
the way.” – from www.myspace.com/doesitoffendyou
Fresh off their weekend at Coachella,
Does It Offend You, Yeah? arrive
to a rather sparse, but highly energetic reception
at Slim’s in San Francisco.
The turnout is probably partly to blame on their
set being at the barely rock-o’clock hour
of 9pm. Considering that this is a two-band bill
(with Yo Mejesty the headliner), one would expect
a later start.
A bit more of a crowd had gathered
by the time the boys took the stage after a twenty
minute push-back, presumably for the room to fill.
Drummer, Rob Bloomfield is strangely
missing as the band begins. The band intruduces
themselves to a rousing applause, and someone
yells, “You guy were great at Coachella!”
Singer/bassist, James Rushent
replies in his British accent “Thanks”.
Before they begin, someone else yells, “Tell
us a story about Coachella,” and all Rushent
has to say is, “Portishead stole the show.”
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TOPR, Dick Nasty, Foul Mouth Jerk (GFE),
DJ ATM, Input, Drzen - Friday, May 16 - The Falcon
- Englewood - 8pm, $6 ADV/$8 DOS, 16+ Next
Friday, May 16 San Francisco rapper, TOPR, will
arrive with his crew - Dick Nasty, Foul Mouth
Jerk (GFE), and ATM - ready to perform with Denver's
Input and Drzen at the Kaffeine Buzz Street-2-Screen
graffiti and hip-hop party at Falcon Bowl.
But first - Kaffeine sat down with TOPR and Conceit,
who are both local legends in San Francisco Bay
Area rap and are united in their focus on expanding
the recognition of themselves and their crew while
maintaining an allegiance to the self-motivation
of independent hip-hop that is undeniably the
most singular influence on their style. Well,
that and maintaining a healthy buzz…
The two rappers have collaborated on numerous
singles, mix-tapes, albums, groups, and expansive
crews during their years in San Francisco.
Having just disbanded his Strangeface
collective (which included TOPR and dozens of
other members), Conceit recently took first place
in a YouTube Video contest, winning him an Interscope
record deal and $10,000 from Guitar Center. As
a result, he also garnered attention from local
press and, via the internet, from individuals
all over the world. MORE
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Your Name In Graffiti Live Artists - Street-2-Screen
- Friday, May 16 - The Falcon - Englewood - 8pm,
$6 ADV/$8 DOS, 16+ The idea of offering
customized graffiti art to others was generated
by graffiti artist Wiser. This
idea was made a reality with the assistance of
Dynamistic Productions and graffiti
artists Kanz and Dread.
Your Name In Graffiti originated
from the idea that everyone can enjoy graffiti;
from little Johnny to Grandma Zalinsky.
We strongly believe that graffiti can be appreciated
by everyone, given a proper introduction to it.
Adults tend to experience graffiti on personal
property, resulting in a negative perception.
Kids are introduced to it now in the media, but
do not have any real connection to the art form
itself. We at YNIG are promoting the understanding
of, and connection to, graffiti art by helping
humanity flex its right brain, one piece of artwork
at a time.
As YNIG grows, the idea of a “starving
artist” will fade as more help and opportunities
become available to dedicated artists.
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