NO MORE TAT FREE
I love all of the ridiculous parties in LA and NY. Why? Because of all the free stuff! What’s insane is that half the people living in these cities can barely pay rent but it’s super simple to go get drunk every night and even snag a full meal without dropping a cent. It’s not rare that you come home with a new t-shirt or album or maybe even something you drunkenly swiped from the bar. But the YRB Magazine party I went to last night in LA takes the cake on freebies for the poor, and rich. How about free double sized drinks, Pinks Famous hot dogs and no lie, free freakin’ tattoos. Talk about an amazing party.
Up until yesterday I've been tattoo free...and all it took was the right moment and the option of "free" and I closed the deal. Other than the tattoo mania going on, there were some intense games of ping-pong, hot dog ravishing, red carpet flukes, WWE dudes and Rae and I even got to model our vintage inspired and revamped outfits for the YRB Spring collection. Of course...the fun didn't stop there. We left around midnight and plopped onto Cahuenga with C-star where we danced in giddyness at Pash with Classixx and The Sounds. I’m happy to say I woke up with a full tummy, fuzzy hangover, and a new inked adornment. Now if we can only get parties to give away free lofts or something.

FIERY BLOW UP
Burning burning fires in Los Angeles...again. The sky turned black today and even blocked the sun. The good news is the fires are under control. It feels like spring or summer all over the country right now. Tornado warnings in the midwest, heat hazards in east coast cities, fires and pool parties in LA. And tonight at Blow Up it's gonna be a bikini meltdown...just like back in June. Come ready to drop your drawers and blow your tops.

Come...let's sing a diddy.

SERIOUSLY
One of the greatest movies ever...and I'm really excited because this is one of my favorite scenes in the entire movie. Why isn't this song in Guitar Hero or Rock Band or what the hell ever!? Everybody does want some ... yummy.



Two days back in LA and I'm still sort of semi-replenishing myself back to normal status. I have a little over a month before going back on the road again. And by road I mean off to Philly and New York. As for now, I'm just working on all the regular monthly and weekly events I do here in LA while planning some new stuff for the new year. There'll also be a fashion show in December featuring the Shadowscene Botwear line!! Wooo!! Fancy!
Furthermore, I don't know what is with the weather but its practically 90 degrees in Hollywood and people are actually throwing pool parties this weekend coined "the end of summer" pool party. Fuck, I guess I'll have to throw a "summer kick-off" party in December.

Get some!

SOUTHERN SHINDIGS
Let’s talk about parties in Texas. We all know Austin is amazing but how about all the other party zones in that mini self-contained country of a state? Next Spring I’ll let you know about Houston but as for this tour I hit up Dallas. First thing’s first: if you’re gonna go to a party in Dallas, don’t drive from San Diego. It takes 22 hours and all there is to see is an abundance of rocks, retard cacti, tin dinosaurs (actually cool) and long open stretches of vastness. The parties however, are a bit more interesting. Lots of Lone Star, Washington Apple shots and blues funk dancing. It’s a small scene but a rad one and the after parties come complete with tiny bedrooms and wigs. Next time I’ll be sure to stay for more than 24 hours!

BIG DAY
I woke up just outside of El Paso this morning...and heard on the tv:

"So what do you think change is?"
"Um, it's like nickels and dimes and stuff. Not cash."

Awesome. But then I had to laugh because a 9 year old insisted that Obama has better hair. Fuck yeah! Wearing an Obama pin or shirt in Texas is like wearing a vintage Red Sox tee in New York. It looks like things may get radical since I'll be driving through this state all day long. Fortunately, I've already voted and don't need to worry about "changing my attire" before going into vote or even going near a voting facility. It's so fucked that it's illegal...somewhere in places like the Potomac river, to wear your flair on the biggest day that you should be open to voice or at least showcase your support. GO VOTE!!! (But leave your propoganda at home.)
In other news, I am finally getting caught up after all the drama of losing my wallet in New York. A 6 hour flight from NY to LA ended up becoming a 17 hour travel stint complete with a full interrogation process, delayed flights, potential cancellations and re-routed trips, oh....and no more free snacks or drinks on the plane. You've got to be kidding me. I can't even get a damn peanut on a flight anymore! So, my two days in LA were spent running around getting a new license and replacing all the other cards and materials needed for my tour. The good news was my new passport came in so at least I had that going for me but what a bitch it is to spend the small amount of "off-time" I had just dealing with all of my travel mishaps. It was a bit of a bummer since it took away from the enthusiasm I usually have on Halloween. But, The Heavy, Mr Roboto and +1 fixed that for me. Our party at The Echo on Thursday was so damn good I could have been stuck in a vat of molasses and still been thriving on. The Heavy were absolutely amazing and Pop Levi literally had everyone in awe. We had about a hundred random costumes floating around for everyone to mix and match, not to mention the possibility of a dance off if you wanted to swap with someone. There's nothing better than a drunken costume party with kriss-krossed mixed-up costumes and my fruit salad hat with a pineapple weighing my head down. Photos of my favorite costumes coming shortly...but let's just say a striped PJ suit with a strap on and a "zebr-antler" man definitely are high on the charts. Oh the joy of animal costumes...and such.
Wake up Texas!! Dallas, here I come.

LOSING NYC
NY has been exhausting. The week has been nonstop with all the CMJ mania and I was suppose to be in Philly last night but ended up losing my wallet at Studio B. Losing a wallet on tour sucks. I can't get my rental car and I can't hit up the ATM for cash. I can't do much other than wander around the streets of NYC. Apparently Studio B doesn't even open until tomorrow at noon. And who knows if my wallet is even still kicking around there. So argh, the decisions. It looks like I may be skipping out on Philly this time around and just heading up to Boston with the bit of cash I still have. And then it'll be some intense high security scrutiny at Logan when I attempt to get on the plane without an ID. Hoooray!!
So I'll be here, hanging in Brooklyn for a couple more days and then Heart-throb in Boston on Tuesday night. Yarg...the adventure continues.

SNOOZE PORT
So P-tao and I are sitting in the Burbank airport waiting to get on our flight to NY for CMJ!! Yaaarg!!! This weekend in LA was way more hectic than anticipated. You'd think chilling in your home city would be semi chill but no, I had double the shoots and double the work. But I did get to cuddle up with the kit kats. I hit up HTDJs and then the Obamarama party and Blow Up LA. Obamarama was awesome! I hung out with Stessen from People-Food and even scored a few Obey tees. It smells like a bacon egg sandwich in here and there's lots of Jamaican music. Am I on holiday. Oh...so for those of you checking on MISSBEHAVE, I got my first recap up this past weekend, so go check it out. You can read up here daily or go to Missbehave and see what the gossip is.
Tonight in NY it's Angels & Kings for The Bronx afterparty. Of course there will be a million other last minute pop up parties I'll peruse through so I'll try to keep you posted. AAAH! Why are intercoms in airports soooo loud! P-tao just fell out of his chair.
P-tao: "I did not fall outta my chair, bitch."
Hmmm, he's right. He just flinched a bit and squealed like a little girl.
P-tao: "Like a manly girl, with balls."

NYC here we come!! Sleep...please.

OREGONIAN AGAIN
I slept a bit in the car ride from Seattle to Portland since we left straight from the party. And then I slept again for a couple hours once we got back to Hoop's house. And then...at the crack of...9am, Rae and I hit the streets to explore. It's pretty relaxing in Portland, completely different from Seattle. We had an old lady lunch and then browsed around art shops and met some cool people. Then a bizarre dude on a bike rode up to us asking about the knife shop...yeah. Some weird horror film shit. I guess he wanted to talk about his knife, I mean that's totally normal right? After our adventure I ate another sandwich and then watched the debates and Tijuana show in NY live on the internet. Damn the internet is amazing. Ryan and Case showed up and we drove over to Holocene for the Portland fiesta. Apparently Portland and Seattle are always vying to be on top...so I had to try and pick which city was better. I couldn't. One is sassy and dirty with some truly 'real' people where you know someone always has your back. The other is quiet and quaint with lots of smiling faces and interestingly enough, no one even flinches when you take their photo. Let's just say I wouldn't expect anyone in Portland to throw their sippy cup of booze onto my camera (thanks OC).
Rae and I got ridiculous in Portland...limbos and playing jacks, photobooths and dance-offs. Holocene was wild.

click to see all the photos:

SEATTLE SHOCKER
Cold...desolate...Capital chaos. Seattle has lots of crack. I thought Philly had crack. But I guess that's just in the bell. Well Seatown's got it on every corner, every nook and cranny, every doorstep and doorway and sidewalk bench. There's also lots of rusty bikes. And yes...it is gloomy. Rae and I finally ditched the coffee shops and napped on couches curled up like little kittens because we were freezing even under the blankets. I think that's because I somehow used the biggest blanket as a pillow. Oops!! And then the dismal daytime turned into funtime with Champagne, Champagne! Tigerbeat, Hoop Dreams, Hi-Deaf and Case One played some awesome sets and the best thing was people actually danced. Not just a little shuffle, shuffle sway. Motherfuckers in Seattle can get down.
Pearl and the guys put on an amazing show and even flaunted the mic around a bit for me rhyming about Champagne and Shadowscene. Ooh the hits to come. The best was the surprise of The Lashes boys coming out and getting to see them all. Eric and I played with pumpkins and stuff and then I somehow ended up having a pumpkin photo shoot in the bathroom. How these things happen I'll never know. I blame it on aliens. Photos may tell the story better so check 'em out!

PEET'S NOT BEST
I'm in Seattle drinking lattes from Peet's. Their internet sucks. So I took my Peets and walked down to Tully's. Now I'm at Tully's sipping on Peet's and wishing it were Seattle's Best. Last night we hung at Moebar and partied with Tigerbeat and Hi-Deaf. The best though was getting to finally see my friend Pearl who I haven't hung out with in a couple of years. Pearl is fucking awesome. We had some freestyle fun and let's just say it's going to hit a new momentum tonight when I break out some lyrics with Champagne, Champagne at Havana. Seattle is full of hoodies and boots, plaid and beanies. It's chilly and even when the sun is shining it seems a little...desolate. Or maybe I just haven't fully woken up yet today. But walking down the street feels a bit like zombie town. Rdub told Rae and I to pick up some personalities on the way back from the coffee shop. Has the rain seriously already dampened our behavior!? Shitballs. Maybe its the booze consumption from last night draining our fun libidos.
Regardless, it's hilarious how long people spend in coffee shops. And you don't need to buy a damn thing. It's like camp for the homeless (Rae and I included). I had a Greek salad, I'm still hungry. So I think it's time to see what else Sea-town has to offer. Adventures with Pearl are about to begin.

LET'S SHASTA!
So Rae and I had an awesome drive up through Napa and into the valleys past Mt. Shasta. We are finally in Portland and passed through some cute little towns where everyone wears Uggs because they should. We've realized our road trip consists of a few themes (kitties, dogs in bars and MGMT) and our drive sessions are like elementary lessons. First it's english class with Mad Libs, mathematics where we analyze our gas mileage and do long division followed my music class where we scream and sing along to 90's hits. With all this educational focus we were stumped when Garmin told us to get off the freeway!! We had some doubts about following the nav devices route. 101N or a shady back road...hmmmm. So...we flipped a nickel and it landed on heads. Therefore, we followed Garmin's advice and were more than happy that we did. The winding roads and views were amazing and it definitely saved an hour or two on the drive up to Oregon.
Seven hours later we hit Mt. Shasta which was freezing and it was when we really noticed that first of all Jeppy is missing some key insulation and we totally blew it on the packing game. Let's just say fast packing is not encouraged. Since our pre-party and NKOTB bash had us up all night, the 20 alloted minutes for packing with blurred heads led us to forgetfulness when it came to scarves and jackets. And the wind is definitely a bully up north. We rested in Medford for the night at a lovely Motel 6 where the heater was so hot it didn't matter if we had hats, scarves or pants for that matter.
Motel 6 beds suck. When I woke up my back hurt like an elephant sat on it all night. After coffee..a thriftstore...new scarves and fluffy vintage vests we hauled ass to Portland and then celebrated with a brew. Portland is full of insanely colored houses, neon paintings in the street, bridges and dogs in bars. I feel like I'm in a cartoon but its rainy. Oh...and the excessive politeness is amazing. Here's an intersection scenario:

"You go."
"No, you go."
"No, really, it's ok...you go."
"Aww no you go first."
Me: "Ok fuck it, I'm gonna go!"

So yes, now we go. Today it's off to Seattle for Outsourced at Moebar. Rae and I are rocking our jeans for the 6th day in a row and now have plenty of ironic layers to put together so we should be pretty toasted and toasty warm by tonight.

SAN FRAN DISCO
So I'm still here in San Fran...one more night, and tonight we literally Blow it Up. We spent the six hour drive filling out Mad Libs and raging to old school 1994 style CDs and mixtapes while trying to avoid the "gusty winds blowing dust" sections of the highway. It was hot and then it was cold and then it was freezing when we finally pulled up on Haight Street.
Rae and I kicked off SF with some Thai food at 'Visit Thai' where we pretty much set up camp since we weren't squared away on sleeping arrangements yet. From there we found the coolest looking bar which I wish I could remember the name of. Cheap beers, black and white walls with sticker grafitti and some kick ass bartenders. One of them now manages the place after she visited it 8 years ago and decided never to leave. Whaaat!? Two PBR's later we made the two block journey over to SF Underground for "Work". Richard Oh and Sleazemore faced off and Patric definitely blew us away. For fucks sake, there are some sick ass DJs here...put them on the map! We danced a lot, made some rad new No Cal friends and branded ourselves with Sparks slap bracelets. Some dude looked like he was about to pass out, but puked on the sidewalk and then five minutes later was back at the bar. That's commitment. And tonight...let's look for some fuckin' teamwork...cause we're gonna seriously blow .. it... up.

SUNNY MORNING
So I still have to throw some goodies into a suitcase and pack up Jeppy for the haul up to San Francisco. It's bright as hell but at least not 100 degrees like it's been all week. Last night we had Awesometown which was ... awesome! Jasepi and Neil had the dancefloor packed and no lie, people were legit wearing headbands...sweatbands! It's a workout apparently. And then, it was off to the Standard in Hollywood, which seemed soooo much further away than expected. NKOTB had an afterparty for their show in Los Angeles and I've never seen so many ladies in the Purple Lounge or anywhere in LA when it comes to going out. And let's just say there was enough flair to make the dude in Office Space more than stoked. NKOTB old school posters, buttons, t-shirts and more. It was like 1989 reincarnated. The guys were really nice...and there was no hangin' tough. There were however some fantastic old school dance moves being shredded on the floor. Then it was back to home where i snacked on the top of a mini muffin. Apparently Mokey snacked on the rest when I was sleeping since I woke up to the crumbs all over the kitchen counter and floor. Merf!?
Time to put on my jet pack and get on the road. Tons of pics from UNITY, Awesometown and NKOTB coming soon*.

*Soon : As soon as my ass is not driving up north and has more than 5 seconds allocated to internet usage and photo review.

Yarg!

ROCK THE ROAD!!
The 2008 Fall tour is here!! This year we got FLAUNT magazine, IAMSOUND Records and Love-Made to join us on the adventure. And what a time...the tour rolls around weeks directly before and following the huge election and will be covering, or uncovering, some of the best parties and scenes in the country. Last year was amazing and this year is sure to top it. More dates and events to be announced in the upcoming week. If you're in Los Angeles, be sure to come out to Awesometown on Wednesday for the Official Launch party!! And if you are in any of the featured cities...let us know if there's something unique we should be checking out!
Rock!

LATE NIGHT PONDERINGS
i kind of love living alone. because it means i can come home and drop my drawers on an instant. i dont have to worry about fluffing my snarl of a hair in the morning or being embarrassed about my half crooked sleepy eye when i first wake up. cus fuck it. it's just two cats staring at me and ogling my face until i put a biscuit in the bowl. or a triscuit.
i also realized that my dear mokey who is now 15 years old is nearing his lapse of life. its heartbreaking. but, since i've been sort of preparing for the past 3 years, well, i acknowledge the inevitable. but i had a funny. and that was when i considered the concept that if there were a "tales from the kitty crypt" mokey would straight up be the crypt kitty keeper! And yes that's an amazing thing because the crypt keeper is fucking cute. yes...he is. skin and bones and all. and that laugh! holy molasses! Mokey...boney little bastard that he is, is totally the kitty crypt keeper.
i need more sleep. i have been a silly little disrupt character all day. but i like it that way.

p.s. fuck capitol letters. way overrated.

p.p.s. goodnight. good morning. good heavens.

SPEECHLESS
We are so glad to hear that DJ AM and Travis are pulling through and in better condition today. Apparently, Adam was even cracking a few jokes this morning so yaaay! Best wishes to a fast recovery and condolences to families and everyone involved.

BORED?
You won't be able to stop playing with this. Hahaha. That's what sheeee said!

SHADY TOUR Vol2.
The second annual Shadowscene US Tour is lining up with a kick off of October 8th....yip yipppper. Last year's was a blast; more details to come!

WAKING GLOOM
It's really refreshing to wake up to an overcast morning sometimes. I feel like it takes the rest of the world just as long as me to actually wake up. No cheating because of the sun. Tomorrow is Nocturnal...and boy oh boy is that name oh so appropriate.
Digitalism are in town so I'll be running around with Isi and taking photos at the festival with all the So Sweet artists as well. The fest starts at 7pm and Digitalism don't even play until around 2am. Ptao and I are planning on hiding back and sidestage ducking around all the neon that will be flying around our faces. It promises to be an interesting night for sure. Tote bags are almost complete, tees are in printing (half printing which means still rolled up in boxes with a jug of ink beside them) and new stickers and goodies are in the process. Now it's time to run off to a hike before the sun sets sail.
Video!!!!!

UNDERSTANDING
A night...tonight. Where I wander off on my solo mission as usual. And make discoveries so profound, I wish I shared them with you more often. Sometimes headphones are my bestfriend...but outside of them, I have three people that really rally my thoughts and emotions. Three. Out of a million people that I've laughed with, giggled, drank, drunk, tickled, played, fooled, messed, witnessed, accused, forgiven. Just three.

I live in the muckiest and most interesting of places. And I see so many things. And I backstep retreat just so I can fully encompass what is happening, even when I am not photographing. There is so much that is unseen, even though I am ShAdowSceNe. There are some things I file away for people; to protect and hide...in little shadows.

I miss stuff. I miss people. I miss the days of writing. I miss the days of disappearing in a non electro flashing-light singing my heart out and breaking my fingers on an E-string. That's why lately I choose to divide my time a bit differently. There are a couple people who bitch at me for this but damn. If I can't make myself happy, then I can't make you happy.

I live in a day to day world where I hear an abundance of words. I freestyle. I sing. I dance. I echo what I hear and feel within. No, I don't need anyone to make me feel these things, although they do. But I quite easily see them when I look around. I feel them when I wander around. I hear them when I try not to listen. I'm over-observational. I'm too caring. I'm self doubting but at the same time wreckless. I'm too smart for my own good. I think too much. I just spilled a bit of my guts on a bright white screen. Can you feel blue energies writhing in your eyes?

I used to write a lot. And then someone told me I wasn't doing anything for a good cause...and that art wouldn't change anything. Someone's an idiot. However, I shelved nearly five books of text that now sit in a dusty closet. I live to live. I live for all the amazing people that send me messages saying I inspired them...to move to Germany...to learn a new artform...to not care what people think...to be real.

Are you still reading this? Oh, okay. Hai.

I meet amazing people. I meet people that you may have tossed your change to. I tossed them a day of my life by spending an afternoon to really learning what it's like to be someone else. I've had drinks with a homeless man because he protected me from the "unsafe zones". I then was thrown out of a bar for trying to buy him a drink. I've slept in a cemetery. I've slept on a train. I've not slept for three days straight. I'll change my contacts in the dark. I'll cuddle with a stone. I'll recite songs in my head because they'll hit harder than your words. I'll echo your tone with a shotgun lyric and you'll still be prone...to read this...and think about how you could change a wrong. How can you make something right? Why are you so upset? Why so many questions and a wandering mind. Just stop. Have you tried to make yourself smile? It's awkward...and refreshing. Push your skin up and vibrate to something that's not familiar.

Share something today. Make yourself uncomfortable. I promise you'll laugh about it later.

It's a bright day, even when it rains. Find something and lose it. I told a best-friend tonight...that when when things are stolen, they come back twice as amazing.