November 18, 2007

Last night was a big party in Houston, TX in the pouring rain - all hot and humid like a swamp - and Sound Exchange was packed, feeling like a steambath as 3 local bands pounded out the punk rock. LAWS, Sporatics and Welfare Mothers.

Houston was also a hit n run city on this tour... not like the leisurely 3 weeks I spent between Oxford and Memphis... however... in Houston I enjoyed:

Vietnamese lunch: Les Givral's
Most Brooklyn-like (ie: universally hip) bar: Poison Girl
Drinks and art in a fabulous converted department store: Notsuoh
Night-cap: Pimm's Cups at some secret speak-easy type bar with Rosa and Kurt... its all about the cucumber!!!

Camera Co-Op. This place RULES. I'm going back to Houston just to buy vintage cameras. I scored a fabulous gadget bag - vintage 1950s leather one in perfect condition for $20.

FINALLY: this is a LINK to some photos of the event on the Hands Up Houston message board that one of the attendees posted. You can see my BW photos on Sound Exchanges bright red wall. I couldn't have requested a better situation!

Earlier this evening in Silverlake... the hipster capital of Los Angeles... Punk 365 and Creem celebrated the publication of those books with a signing / art show at La Luz de Jesus Gallery... a few of us photographers who are California-based are showing some pieces there, and they'll be hanging til December 30. Please check it out and see stuff that's not necessarily in PUNK 365... you can buy lots of the photos also... mine are for sale, as are Chuck Krall's, Dawn Wirth's and others'

For me, there were three distinct highlights:

Seeing a beautiful installation of my 7 pieces of art. Billy Shire is a genius. he made me look good!
Los Trendy - the new band featuring Tony Kinman
Seeing my friends - Bob Matheu with his wife and two lovely daughters!!! Gail Zone, Pooch Flipside, Eddie Munoz, Tony Kinman & Kristie, Chip Kinman & Lisa, Bill Heiden and Erin Austen Abbot.

Congratulations to Holly George Warren for such a nice turn out for her beautiful book. I am so proud to be part of it.

A sojourn in Los Angeles is made all the better because I get to spend quality time with Jackie Sharp in her beautiful home.