Weather:
Still some humidity but I’ve seen signs of fall. We’ll all be in sweatshirts in no time.

This weekend my favorite rocking rockers The Party Downers will be playing the Low Dow Hoe Down with Sweet Cobra and numerous other bands. There’s also a really wide mini ramp. This is becoming a yearly Labor Day tradition. Unfortunately I won’t be there. Please do me a favor and head down and take a bunch of pictures and film the Party Downers set for me.

Also this weekend two of the best artists out there, Mark Penxa and Don Pendleton, join forces to get you unnerved with The Worst is Yet to Come. I also won’t be there because it’s several states away. Please do me a favor and head down and take a bunch of pictures and give Mark and Don a bunch of high fives from me.

In the not so distant future, (September 16th) you can attend the closing opening viewing reception for the Center of Multiple Middles. It runs from 4:30 – 6:30pm at the President’s Gallery at Harold Washington College. New work by Alex Cohen and Steven Erst. I will be there so I’ll try and do the picture taking and the high fiving.

The Boardmen are putting together a BBQ at the Wilson Skateboard Arena. I’m sure it will involve some sort of BBQing, skateboarding and general good times. That’s on September 18th. I’m trying to come up with something to give away as a prize for some sort of contest that I need to make up.

The following weekend there is a Anti-Gala for Criminal Class Press. You might recognize some of the artists names there. I’m still working on my pieces but they’re looking pretty sharp so far.

In other art realted news, my talented friend and former neighbor Brian Yates has just launched his website and the busy busy busy Lauri Apple is drawing portaits of everyone in New York over here. Okay it’s not everyone but it’s the entire New York City council and that’s like the population of a small Idaho town.

That’s a lot of stuff.

Okay these things happened:

These are some old pictures I forgot to post from earlier this spring.

I wanted to do more pictures like this but for some reason it just didn’t happen.

Just some dudes living. In related news, I’m about to take my last Dude Life board apart. It was a good run

I’ve also been trying to make more pictures. This one has a long title that I really love. “He often looked towards heaven as the train hurtled forward, the engine steadily gaining momentum, the cornfields softening as they blurred.”

This doesn’t have such a long title. “Portrait of Mort from Bazooka Joe at age 30.”

This picture is slowly changing.

I’ve seen this a few places now. Weird chemical graffitti. I need to ask my science teacher friend if it’s accurate and what it makes.

I love the mail so of course I love this.

School starts in Chicago on Tuesday. The kid who wrote this is probably excited.

This rabbit was at the Lincoln Park Zoo but he was just visiting.

This guy was working on some Whodini tricks.

Murphy’s Fries. Pretty good.

Hit up this supersecret spot for some shredding. I’m sporting the amazing Lee Bender shirt by Putrid. Pick one up at Uprise or Yeah. Rad shirt, rad cause.

Juan took the shredding up a notch.

Then we headed to Derek Erdman’s farewell show.

I was too slow and the piece I tried to buy was snatched up. In fact most everything was bought by the time we left.

CND Gyros by my work has been in business forever. Last week was their last day in the building. The place was always stuck in a bit of time warp where the Bears still had cheerleaders and you could drink a beer with lunch.

There was a line out the door of people wanting to pay thier respects.

This made me laugh.

Went out and rolled around with Alex and Zandy.

Found spots.

Inspired kids.

Checked out the Finster exhibit.

Skated yellow curbs.

Here is the video documentation.

Last Friday I met Tony for some New Orleans style dinner.

Then we headed over to the new Rotofugi to check out the Playboy Exhibit.

Probably my favorite.

Mike Giant’s piece.

My second favorite.

Tony, Oscar and Brooks.

The new Rotofugi space is really great. Once this is operating it will be even better.

Godspeed Rotomatic mechanics!

Gumball Head success!

A few days later I woke up in the middle of the night regretting that I didn’t bring this tape home so I could hear what was on it.

Have the best Labor Day imaginable.

Weather:
The other night it was real humid. I sweated so much it took a full day for my shirt to dry.

Things have been humming along at an exciting pace.

There’s 2 new Parking Block zines from Jason Leisge and Dennis Pomales. There’s also a bunch of new artists on deck. The zines have been getting some nice mentions here and there and everywhere. If you’re on Facebook stop by the page and give it a thumbs up. I’ll have some interesting announcements next time and of course much more folding and stapling in the future.

Kyle is an all around solid dude and he’s got a great way to introduce people to new music. Spend some time over at Giant System with your headphones on.

Tim is somewhere in Woodward land but he’s been posting interviews at an alarming rate. He also said some nice things about SuchLuck so pay him a visit and give him a high five!

That’s the word around the campfire.

What happened? Well a number of things.

I finished moving.

I found this picture Mark Gildersleeve drew for me many many years ago. It’s pretty outstanding.

There was America.

I went and saw bugs.

Large bugs.

People seemed to be into it.

Not the people on the left. They were making out like teenagers in a broom closet. There may have been some butt grabbing.

Purple Rain.

Dave got shoeless.

Mark ate Pakistani food.

I enjoyed it.

Transit.

I spent the day with the Buster Brothers. We went and looked for things to skate.

Then we skated them.

There was some unrelated nonsense.

This was my favorite spot.

Alex gave it a flip.

The day ended in a rickshaw.

I took a brief leave of absence to visit with family.

SAG at Logan.

I blew it with this picture. Backsmith on the curved rail.

Davs.

Over the hip, Nate with the vert measure.

Nate floating one.

I didn’t film too much this summer so I put these together to empty my camera.

Buster Bear Til Infinity. YouTube version here.

Dude Life Time Machine. YouTube version here.

Perpetual motion.

More soon.