You're Invited!

Join me to celebrate one year of F.I.B, hope everyone can make it, it surely will be a scene!

The Artistes!
Adam “Big Sky Brooklyn”E
Art Dog
Brian Berger
Matt Boyle
Nancy Drew
Alex Lockwood
Donald O'Finn
Gail Rothschild
Miss. Heather
Triada Samaras
Frank Shifreen

and of course yours truly but you are already here!

The Musicians!
The Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co at 9.
The Anabolics at 10.
Les Sans Culottes at 11.
and..... just added at midnite Georgio "the Dove" Valentino!

All happening at Freddy's Bar & Backroom
located at:
485 Dean Street Brooklyn, NY 11215
phone: 718.622.7035
That's the corner of Dean Street and 6th Avenue in Brooklyn.

Rally for Down Zoning with Bill DeBlasio Tomorrow at 16 Court Street at 11 am.

Art Dog did not write on the sign with all the info you need if you are interested in going to this rally that Councilman Bill DeBlasio has organized it. Hmmm.... I wonder why?

Personally, I can't get past his pro-Atlantic Yards stance and view that an $80,000 income makes one qualify for "affordable" housing.

Oh and by the way Art Dog will be participating in F.I.B's Group Art Show on February 2nd. I am not complaining but the complicated way that I have been instructed to pick up the work, something to do with a blindfold and a map and a text message better be worth it!

Uh..you forgot to mention something!

I find the choice of words very curious on this mural outside the site on 3rd and Bond that is currently being excavated in preparation for the construction for a bunch of "luxury" (is there any other kind?) condos.What about what happened AFTER the revolutionary war? Industrial Revolution anyone? Coal processing plants, fertilizer factories, oil refineries? They all existed rather close together in this very area. This piece of land is in between the uber toxic public place site and most likely not to be built Whole Foods site on Third Street. It's at spitting distance from the canal itself which is, an aquatic brownfield.

Also, since when is an artist excited about war? Let's do some slight word changing, shall we?"

You are here, where revolutionary war battles were fought by developers, steering longtime residents into the marshlands of brooklyn, right here where the ground is still soft, you are here at the site of excavation where toxins are released and brownfields are revealed.

There that's better!!!

Idiot-rodder pays homage to Robert Scarano.

I know this is a cheap shot but it's just a wee bit of pay back to the man who pisses on everybody else.

Stepping outside today, these crazy kids were pushing their stolen shopping carts past F.I.B headquarters, I had no idea what was going on for a split second before I had that A-Hah! moment. Living on this block I am used to people pushing shopping carts by my door but usually they are full of scrap metal not beer. I heard about the Idiotarod but it was nothing that I felt the urge to check out, a bit too jockular and dorky for me, but I got to catch some of it anyway, apparantly part of the Idiotarod route was to loop around the deadend on 2nd Street and go along the shore of the Gowanus and come out on the Carroll St. side. There was a bit of a back up and a whole lot of confusion. Some obligitory picures for your pleasure...

Yes, there are other Utz Girl fans out there!

Somewhere in Pennsylvania, I-78, November '06.

You never know when you'll see the big eyes of the Utz girl gazing at you! This was sent to me from Brian Who Walk in Brooklyn Berger this morning, who,in true NY "snowbird" fashion is wintering in Florida at the moment and writing a book on the cult of the "early bird" special. Brian is also one of the participants in the F.I.B Art Show and will be showing some of his awesome Brooklyn street photography.

The Girl on the Potato Chip Truck

Does anybody else out there love the Utz girl as I do?

The Anabolics at Magnetic Field * Saturday!

The Anabolics are one of the bands playing at F.I.B's Art & Music Extravaganza at Freddy's on February 2nd, they are also playing a hot show billed as "Corpse-A-Palooza" this Saturday at Magnetic Field with The Bamboo Kids and the Mighty Fine. They say they are doing a tribute to dead guys born in January. All three bands are strong. Expect to hear some Elvis and some Sam Cooke!
Magnetic Field is located on Atlantic Avenue between Henry and Hicks Streets.

Heath Ledger

Sad that he died so young and I'm sure the Brooklyn Paper is going to have a field day with this as stalking Heath was one of their favorite activities. I received an email today that is too good not to print.

Subject: PEARL HARBOR

I know nothing about heath ledger or his idiot or genius (i have no idea) wife but i wonder if that paper is going to run

THE GIGANTIC FULL PAGE HEADLINE

like it's world war iii

since they were w/o question among The Greatest Most Fascinating Brooklyn People Who Ever Lived

1) bc it hyped real estate even more

2) it some "validated" the decision of yokels who played along with that or perhaps themselves never REALLY wanted to live here.

I wouldn't recognize him or his woman if they were pushing an suv-sized stroller into me on smith st so this has nothing to do w/their work........they shoulda stayed outta brooklyn too, PLEASE.

Hot Rods and Old Mags

I once had a friend who used to say that F.I.B was a teenage boy trapped inside a woman's body (except I dig guys) in that my interests are of a boy from the early 1970's. Cars, comic books, record collecting, you get the idea. So, that being said my inner teenage boy was stoked to find these books lying out in the frigid cold this Sunday. In DIFFERENT locations! The "Customized: Art Inspired by Hot Rods, Low Riders and American Car Culture" is in MINT condition and AWESOME! The Dune Buggy Handbook has some great Rat Fink type dune buggy cars in it and is a fab reference manual should I ever need to get a spare part for my dune buggy, and the Consumer Report mag featuring cars from 1980 is pretty cool despite the fact the most of the cars sucked that year. The teenage girl trapped in my woman's body who actually WAS a teenager in 1980 appreciated these New York magazines from around that time. (I found these at a secret spot that always provides on Sundays.) No talk of development, condos or losing landmarks. It was all about the arts back then. Can you imagine that New York was once one of the centers of cutting edge theater, music and art? I actually used to read New York magazine in the late 1970's and all through the 1980's because my grandmother had a subscription. I have to say that the magazine made me never want to leave New York. They had the listings for all the clubs and ads for places like Fiourucci's, where I bought my first tube of green mascara. Yeah, the city was dirtier then but you didn't have to be as well off to live here as you do now. I only left New York once. I moved to San Francisco and lived in Marin County (beautiful but boring) and Haight Ashbury (I dug it except for the teenage runaways and cracked out hippies). I drove back to New York in my 1977 metallic celery green Pontiac Ventura (Nova with a nose job) with the white interior and white racing stripe. Drove her across country and moved into this very apartment 15 years ago and never left. The car, LaRue was her name (named after Gidget's friend) was a fixture on the block, people still ask me "what happened to that car?" She's in hot rod heaven now baby!

Save the Date!

Some advance notice here to make sure you put Saturday, February 2nd down as the night that you will be going to Freddy's Backroom for F.I.B's non virtual gathering of the Brooklyn tribes. The group of artists has grown a bit since I last posted and I am really excited! Also the third band to be playing on the bill will be the power pop/punk/garage sounds The Anabolics! I'll have you know that all three bands,Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co., Les Sans Cullottes and The Anabolics entertain the eyes as well as the ears as they are snappy dressers ALL!

Art Opening is from 7 to 9 PM.
Music starts at 9.
Freddy's is located at:
485 Dean Street Brooklyn, NY 11215
phone: 718.622.7035
That's the corner of Dean Street and 6th Avenue in Brooklyn.

Vampira 1921-2008

I'm going extremely off topic here but I'm a little sad to hear that Vampira born Maila Nurmi in Finland went to the otherside recently.

I've always had a fascination for her. I dug her Charles Adamsy beatniky vibe. This years Coney Island Film Festival screened a fantastic documentary on the golden age of television horror hosts called American Scary which I saw on opening night. I mentioned in my blog post that I hounded the producer, Sandy Clark, for more info on Vampira. I actually entertained this little fantasy (and my friends can attest to it), that I was going to go to L.A and meet her. She had ended up somewhat destitute and was apparantly easy to approach despite being an american icon. There is not one book written on her life and I wanted to write it. Well I missed the boat on that one, but you know, it probrably would have remained a movie in my head anyway. I read in her obit that her friends and fans are trying to raise money to bury her in "Hollywood Forever" cemetery. I hope Tim Burton steps in and takes care of it, he OWES her BIG TIME!

Her death wasn't really big news to the world so I just thought I'd say something.

Sweet Dreams Vampira!

Film Premiere & SIT & Die Co.* Sat! FREE!!!!

Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. are one of the well dressed and talented bands that will be playing at F.I.B's Art & Music Spectacular on February 2nd. These cats will be playing over the bridge in Manhattan Towne on Saturday night at a really cool sounding event. Read on babies!

This Saturday at the Knitting Factory -- it's a movie date with SIT & Die Co.! You'll get the US premiere of the feature length documentary film "Rockabilly 514" at 9:00 and a full length performance by Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. at 10:30 -- all for free!

Boy, that's some kinda date, alright.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 19th * Knitting Factory "Tap Bar"
74 Leonard Street (between Broadway & Church St.) in downtown Manhattan
Doors at 8:00, film at 9:00, band at 10:30.
No cover!

Watch the trailer for Rockabilly 514 here.

Brought to you by Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer and Tomcats Barbershop.

Boots

I've been meaning to post this picture for a while, I guess I just like taking pictures of my boots, but as extra note the image on the TV is from one of Donald O'Finn's videos and I am happy to say that he will be showing his amazing piece called "Borough" at Freddy's on Feb. 2nd! Be there or be square!

Big Time Score on Sackett Street!!!!

So. I'm on my way over to the F.R.O.G.G meeting tonight and spot this canvas in the garbage. It's dark, I can't really tell what it is but it sort of looked like a landscape of the Gowanus. Hey guess what? It is! And it is a beauty and I will treasure it always. It is done by R. Buckner. Anybody out there know anything about him? One of the F.R.O.G.G folk said he is a painter indeed. Why would he throw out such a beautiful painting?

If I don't finish what I plan on doing for the F.I.B show at Freddy's, I got my backup, because this is truely found art. Thank you R. Buckner!!!!

D.I.Y Network submits a special "Found in Brooklyn" story.

So, somehow the the D.I.Y network has found F.I.B but as they say this is a"found in brooklyn" story. Please read the following email.

Hi Lisa, (it's really Lisanne)

Brooklyn contractors did on this new DIY Network show called Under Construction. The show follows them as they build, demolish, and renovate projects all over NYC. We're doing some promotion for the show, and got the following behind-the-scenes footage that captures a virtual warehouse of dog poop in a Park Slope backyard:


As a fellow Carroll Gardens resident, I can always sympathize with a poop problem! Would love to know what you think.

Cheers,
Jerri Chou
360i on behalf of DIY Network

What do I think? I think that building is pretty hideous. No sound on my computer so I hope the dialogue was fascinating!!

F.R.O.G.G Meeting Tonight.

There will be a F.R.O.G.G (Friends and Residents of the Greater Gowanus) tonight at the Smith and Vine Wine Store (and yes they serve wine) at 6:30 PM. If you have ANY interest about what is going on with the Gowanus, I highly recommend that you come.

Where: Smith & Vine : 268 Smith Street
Time:6:30 pm

Found in Park Slope

Although I DID get kneecapped by a child waving some sort of stick around and who was also too big to be in a stroller on my jaunt to Park Slope today, I came upon some evidence that there are still other forms of life residing here besides this "stroller mafia" that I've been hearing so much about lately.Why let pesky clothing get in the way of your sun salutation? Hot Nude Yoga anyone?

Punk Rock Photo Exhibit by Theresa K. @ Magnetic Field this *Thursday*!

Awww...wasn't Dee Dee cute!

One of my fave rock photographers Theresa K. will be at Magnetic Field on Thursday night with photos from the "golden age of punk rock".

Theresa K. started taking photos in her native Los Angeles as a teen going to the early punk shows in the mid 1970's. Bands caught behind her lens included The Germs, X, The Go-Go's, The Alice Bag Band and The Cramps when they were unknown to the rest of the world outside of L.A. She has continued to photograph steadily since then and her work is a treasure trove of punk rock history which include casual shots of The Ramones, The Dead Boys, The Pretenders, Blondie etc. etc. Her photos capture the rawness and energy of an era before bands hired stylists and nobody expected to make any money. Bands doing it for the love baby!

Prints will be available for purchase at reasonable prices (I've heard she's got some rare early Cramps pics!). Check out her blog for more info.

D.J. Phast Phreddie of the Boogaloo Omnibus will be providing appropriate musical accompaniment.

Magnetic Field is located on Atlantic Avenue betwenn Henry and Hicks Streets.

Found on Third Street

Lying amongst a pile of self-help books.

Found ON Brighton Beach!

Went out to Coney Island today to clear my head, my head was in such need of clearing I forgot my camera so due to the limitations of my cel phone camera (ah technology!) I could not get this shot in full. The best part is left out! This gem of a message in the sand says:

This city is my fav place (Manhattan & Brooklyn)
Fuck This, I AIN'T LEAVING!

My sentiments exactly!

I've been here far too long! And where else can I jump on a train and take in the sea air?

On my contemplative jaunt along the shore from Coney Island to Brighton Beach I saw quite a few renegade swimmers of the Russian persuasion catching some waves and also some other great messages in the sand that were way to big to photograph, my fave was BINGO! WE MISS YOU!!!!

P.S- If you want to see some friggin' AWESOME pictures of the Polar Bear Swim on New Year's Day, check out Brit in Brooklyn. I love how this guy always seems to throw himself into the middle of everything, water on the lens and everythang!

A Belated Happy New Year!

I haven't had much to say in the New Year except that if anyone has lost a hula hoop on Bond Street it's up in the tree across from the N.Y.F.D E.M.S station. Yup, and that is that Scarano building I've yammered on about several times behind it too.

I've been using the free time that I have not spent looking for work (YES. F.I.B still needs a job, this temping life barely pays the bills, any tips (or donations) greatly accepted!) has been spent getting the Art and Music extravaganza together over at Freddy's. Not only is the group of artists I've got together excellent there are also quite a few blogosphere notables such as Miss. Heather, Adam "Big Sky Brooklyn", Brian "Who Walk in Brooklyn" Berger and Art Dog included in the bunch. Also, some fab bands will playing. So far F.I.B's got the always groovy Les Sans Cullotes and the highly entertaining Susquehanna Industrial Tool and Die Co. on board. Stay tuned for the third band!

But yes, the best of everything to everyone who reads this in 2008. May you have a roof over your head, some food in your fridge, good health, great friends and more than a couple extra bucks if you need it. Have a great '08 Babies!!!!