And her name was Cassandra

So I just got into the homestead this morning, went to my fav restaurant Cholada/Thai Beach on PCH and who do I see about to come in? None other than the lovely Tia Carrera! My first and only reaction: rapid fist pumping and celebratory cheers of "Yes!" thrown subtly into the warm, noon-day sun. Perhaps my greatest dream had just been met: to visually meet a member of the best movie and contributor to over 90% of my vocabulary: Wayne's World. And finally, I must address my gratuitous use of the colon. There it is, I addressed it :)

Going to California

I'm going to California tomorrow.

Here is a video of my latest bowl riding attempts.


Here is a clip from the tour in Texas with Rob Balducci. This was at The Granada Theater in Dallas, Texas where we opened up for ANdy Timmons. There were about 600 people in the theater.

Now it's on

Ooopdate

Things are Grrrrreat. I've been working on some hot new dance tracks. Stay tuned and you will be happy. I started to grind when I skate the pools---that's an unbelievable feeling. My good friends Jason and Beth are getting married today and I will be shooting there wedding, very exciting. It's up near my old Drop Zone in the Fingerlakes region on upstate New York. Good times will be had by all.

LA Massacre

I finally found it: the final scene in Thrashin'! Check out the ridiculous slides they pull at the ending duel right after the Encinal Canyon scene (the one with Zuma beach in the background). Wooooooooo!

Powerslides in Cali and Bowlriding in Chelsea

So here are some new vids of me on my quest for rockskatedom. I watched Thrashin' the other day and I immediately became obsessed with powerslides upon seeing Gator Rogowski doing these things at 20-30 mph on Encinal Canyon Road.



Also, I went skating yesterday for my BDay and learned a lot. I still majorly suck at bowl riding but it's getting better. This is more of an educational video for me rather than a showcase of my skilz. I also figured out how to break a leg while skating. Just put a lot of pressure on a straight leg in the right position and a bone will snap. Now I know what not to do. And no I didn't break a leg. I just figured out HOW to do it.

Teaming with Life

A band is born from David Greenbaum and my own love-project. The album was recorded entirely in David's Beverly Hills Poolhouse in the span of a week and was written produced, performed as a 100% collaboration. Photos by me and artwork by David. Check out myspace.com/teamingwithlife to hear it.

My Day Today

This is the Pier 26 bowl that they moved to 34th Street and 12th Ave just above the heliport in Manhattan, where I skated today. They disassembled this one and put it back together with a 7 foot bowl connected to a 12 foot deep end. A little bit different than the picture.

So, I skated my first swimming pool/bowl today. It was a huge occurrence for me because the reason I got so into this whole deal was to carve the walls of a dry swimming pool as per the Dogtown and Zboyz gang. You gotta go back to the roots and start where it all began, me thinks. I definitely suck, but that is a good thing, because then I can enjoy the growth even more than if I was Tony Alva right off the bat. At first it was just me figuring out the whole spiel, and then some dudes showed up and it got rocking. What I was so stoked about was the drop-in that I was able to do practically every time. It was about 3 feet bigger than what I was used to. Before I was doing 4 foot quarter pipe drop ins, and this thing was around 7! After I saw a dude do it, I just walked up to the ledge, visualized the nature of the drop and went for it. Cracks me up every time because the mind can get you so tied up into this state of suspension that keeps you from doing anything and when you let it all go and just act, it flows naturally. Anyways, Eastern Phil lesson aside, it was rad. And then, on my last run, I totally fell on the drop and added to my bloody knee collection. Oh, by the way, the leg is healed, so expect a collage of the daily healing process in the next few days.

लुक वहत I bought!

I finally did it! I bought an oldskool drum module. Now I get to sound like drummers from the best era on the face of the planet: the early 90s! FYI, once I hook this baby up to my live drum setup, I'm going straight for the 808 on the bass drum and hand claps on the snare. Watch out. I'll post some samples of nastiness within the next 2 weeks.

Also, FYI, if you're wondering about the title of this entry, my browser seems to be partial to devanagri script. For those of you, be it few, who don't read sanskrit, it reads: "Look what . . ."

:)

A Muse,

and,

A well of inspiration

You guessed it! Hill Bombin skills or hospital bills! I took an unfortunate yet thrilling fall while running into a pretty hefty gravel patch at high speeds the other day. Definitely a good learning experience as well as an ironic slap in the face that my injuries would have been reduced perhaps by 90% if I had adorned the proper safety gear that I had purchased not more than a day before. Funny, huh? Not haha funny, though.


Matt Walsh at Winston-Salem Christian Rally.

The tour went wonderfully well. This is probably the tightest the Andy Friedman roadshow has ever been. For the last 3 days, it has been four piece plus Paul Curreri, monster musician/finger-picking guitar extraordinaire. A highlight came while I was reclined on a street bench outside of the Hunter-Gatherer in Columbia, SC where I was mistaken by the cops for a 17 year-old runaway. I had the whole bar rooting for me, but it only went so far that 10 people hit the streets to help my cause before the fuzz realized that I was a mature 24 year old in town on business. Yes, very mature.

Now, Andy, Greg Donahue, Caleb Stine, and myself are held up in the Curreri-Sproule household to record a new record. As I type, I hold a 1950s toy guitar in my hand after having an enlightening lesson with Paul. It's been raining today. The house overlooks the Thomas Jefferson's Monticello residence, even though the mist engulfed it for most of the afternoon.

Stoked

So I've been getting into skateboarding lately. I've realized that it so very close to surfing and being in New York City, I need some kind of experience that reminds me of home and is functional. Originally for my transportation around the city, skateboarding has turned into an amazing way for me to push the limits that I place on myself as well as experience the growth that takes place when one focuses on mastering a task. Blah Blah Blah, no really, this is so much fun. I went to my first skate park yesterday on 103st on the Upper West side and began to learn the way of the half pipe.

Here's a useful quote:

"I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain."

---Frank Herbert, Dune

I finally finished The Life Aquatic after watching the first half twice without successfully making it through to the end. One word: genius. Each scene is quirkier and wittier than the rest.

Here's a clip from an American Express commercial with director Wes Anderson.

Self Portrait in White Knuckle Death grip

A new music video from Andy Friedman, a guy I've been playing around the country with.

My new favorite band

ओम्ग!!!

Oh My God!

I'm on the road with Andy Friedman and the Other Failures, The Defibulators, and The Two Man Gentleman Band--all worth checking out. Being on the road is enlightening in many ways: one that comes to mind immediately being the fact that NYC is not the center of the world as illustrated above by the New Yorker. Right now, Minneapolis is the center, in two hours it will be Madison.

Two Gentlemen in a bed.

Selda

I just bought this record in Baltimore. It's a really awesome fusion of Turkish, politically fired, rock/folk music. From the good year of 1975.

Amy Winehouse and NYC

Things I have learned in NYC #1

You know something's wrong when you hop in a cab, tell the cabbie where you're going, and he replys "Where's that?"

Run away!!!