There are 2 new establishments that have recently opened up in the Van Ness Village area that excites me. One is a violin studio and the other a fringe performance space.
Last night both places (next door to each other) opened their doors to the public at large for the monthly ArtHop. The violin studio, owned and run by local violin wiz, Patrick Contreras featured the art of Teresa Flores (seen in the pic below) and inspired a spontaneous jam session.
Next door at KP Actors Gym the photos of Kien along with the art works of my friends, Brandy and Ronnie were on display. The new performance space was graced with the talents of Boxcar Figaro and Leah… performers for the upcoming Rogue Festival.
This is all worth counting on so many levels… especially for the local arts scene. KUDOS to Brandy, KP and Patrick for commiting to their passions. BTW… The Fresnan thinks so too and has included some video from last night. To find out what Da Count is all about… click the flashing sign above. To view my previous counts CLICK HERE.
Yeah, I’ve been absent from blogging… and frankly I’m not sure when this will pass. But to make up… here are a few images from this week.
The Rogue is a month away. Get a jump on your promo opportunities at ArtHop on Thursday, Feb. 4. Get dressed up (if you have a costume… even better) and troll ArtHop venues to distribute flyers for your show!
One of the upcoming Rogue Cafe venues is hosting ArtHop. KP’s Actors Gym at 1470 N. Van Ness will be featuring photos from former Rogue performer Kien Lim. They invite you to distribute flyers and perform previews if you so desire… between 5 and 8 PM.
ON THE INTERNET
If you have a Myspace, Facebook or even your own website use it now! Set up events, etc to get the word out. The idea is to create your promo with basic information with a link to your site that provides more details, promo videos, etc.
This seems to be a fast growing trend at the moment here in da Big NO. Personally I am pleased as punch. I’ve always thought that I was a fount of useless information and this provides an outlet for that.
The first one I stumbled upon was about a month ago organized by the Fresno State history department. A couple of weeks ago another started with 5 teams and by the second week there were 17. Not to bag on sports fans but to the local business owners it provides evidence that pursuits of “nerdiness” is good for the cash register. So, mega kudos to those who are organizing these events. That in itself is so worth the count this week.
To find out what Da Count is all about… click the flashing sign above.
Some of you know that I do have some very talented, creative and accomplished Malaysian friends. I’m talking about folk like Kien and Mike who are both stellar musicians.
Over the years I have continually kept an eye out for other talent… and some have emerged. The 2 right now that are making some impressive inroads into the indi pop scene are Yuna and Zee Avi. And we are talking about international touring, sold out shows with audience sing-a-long type success.
This both makes me smile and inspires me. I’ll let their work speak for themselves.
Here is a podcast interview with Zee on Studio 360.
… endings and beginnings has always intrigued me. I recognized a long time ago that life is a continuum with a series of these markers spread throughout. Some turn out to be the size of slivers and others parking lots. It is those sections of transitions and how we cope with them that further shape us.
Yesterday I think I moved on to a new beginning. It’s been coming for a while. The week started with me changing up my daily schedule. Then, with the sun being gloriously out yesterday I ventured out. First for a coffee meet-up with my old friend Theo which also included a nice walk around the Tower District. Later it was drinks at a couple of the establishments with friends… which was a fine way to end the day.
Baby steps… but forward moving ones.
I would say more… but at this writing I do not happen to be in a contemplative mood. So, here are some pics from my day instead.
Which I have owned for 3 years now. It is a Canon IS3 and I love it! OK… it is the longest I’ve had a digital camera since I’ve started owning them. The 3 previous ones did “the trick” at the time but longevity just seemed too elusive for their lifespan. So, I finally buckled down to shell out (a pretty price) for this one… and still got it at a deal.
I’ve been known to take it every where I go… both for work and play. Has it made me a better photographer? I will say that it has made me more aware about composing a shot. I love the fact that it has great automatic settings… with easy to use manual functions. I’ll admit there are still functions that I have yet to try… but that will happen in time. My Dad (who also owned a Canon) once told me, “It doesn’t have to be the most expensive… it just has to be good.” That was the measure I used when buying it and haven’t looked back since.
For better or for worse I have been able to capture on record moments and events from the past 3 years because of it. The bonus is that most of them have turned out great. That in itself is count worthy.
* To find out what Da Count is all about click the flashing sign above.
Below are some some random pics from over the years including some from my memory card from the last month.
… previous postings from the past 5 years. My blogging certainly has evolved over that time. I won’t say whether it is better or worse (LOL)… I will say that it is different. I’m guessing that the mindset one happens to be in at certain points in life does show up in one’s output.
March 29th will be my 5 year blogiversary. In that time my blog has moved 3 times. The First was here… the Second here (I know I threatened to take it down… but didn’t)… and you are currently at the third site.
Anyway, I thought that every once in a while I will feature a retro post… just for kicks. No, I will not repost it but just link to it. Today it is THIS one. (Feel free to comment) The first posting from July 17th 2006 is here along with the original comments that accompanied it. BTW… the pic is from that posting.
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Here is the video of the day on the Haitian disaster.
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There are 2 new establishments that have recently opened up in the Van Ness Village area that excites me. One is a violin studio and the other a fringe performance space.
