Greetings & Salutations

accordion? yes accordion...

2007-08-20T16:54:00.000-07:00

My mom gave me an accordion about a month and a half ago. She is a brilliant player and both my great aunt and great grandmother taught accordion lessons. I only heard Norwegian polkas growing up and I thought they sounded pretty tacky. Then about 10 years ago I heard this cat from South America named Astor Piazzolla, and his music made the hair on my arms stand up. In the last several years I've discovered Eastern European and other assorted Gypsy music (all using the ubiquitous accordion). Shortly before moving back to Minneapolis from Atlanta, I called my mom and asked if she still had any accordions laying around, and that I was hell-bent on learning the instrument finally (as daunting as all of those buttons looked).

Sure enough she had two, but sold two others a couple of years ago which made her a bit sad because they were excellent instruments. In any case, the one she gave me required some repairs, and after $150.00 and some strange vibes from the accordion shop guy, one of the switches gave out on me a few days ago. We both decided that we were scammed, and that the shop needed the money when they should have told us it was not worth repairing. So I frantically started searching around Ebay for a new squeezebox, but was a bit shocked to find out that they start at $450.00, and that other accordion shops in the area had ones that started at $600.00 and topped out at a whopping $5,000.00. These polka people are dead serious about their accordions!!!

To make a short story longer, I had lunch with my mom today and we stopped by a used instrument shop, only to find the one accordion they had to be too small albeit beautiful. After figuring out what type of amplifier I would need at the very least, we left the shop, and as soon as we got into the car she offered me her incredibly beautiful and expensive accordion. It used to belong to my great aunt who bought it back in the 60's or 70's for a crapload of money even for the time. Needless to say it is an incredibly valuable instrument now (priceless to my mom and I because we both share a passion for our cool relatives and their old stuff).

Alright, I just want to finish by saying in about 6 months from now, my brother (a stellar drummer), Mike Lewis (a stellar upright bass player), and myself are going to takeover the world as a band called !SALUD! (!CHEERS!). Of course I'm overly ambitious and we'll probably only end up taking over Minneapolis.

Take care everyone!

Max Roach...

2007-08-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

Max Roach dies at age 83. As you all know music is my life, and this man was an absolutely stellar drummer, definitely in my top 5 of all time. There are those people in the world that just have this innate way of being tapped into the universe somehow. I only reserve the word genius for those that possess this ability, and Max was one of them. I get goosebumps every time I hear his recordings. Damn, what I would give for a time machine to take me back to the late 1940's through the early 1960's to have heard these giants play in New York. Perhaps I was there in a past life, which may explain why I am so drawn to this era and genre of music.

I know I haven't been writing much, and it seems to only be about amazing people that have passed on. I apologize, I'm not morbid, just an admirer who dreams of having a life like these cats. More soon my good people, I promise!

Take care, much love...

Sol LeWitt has left the building...

2007-04-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

Sol LeWitt helped establish Conceptualism and Minimalism as dominant movements of the postwar era. A patron and friend of colleagues young and old, he was the opposite of the artist as celebrity. He tried to suppress all interest in him as opposed to his work; he turned down awards and was camera-shy and reluctant to grant interviews. He particularly disliked the prospect of having his photograph in the newspaper. He died yesterday at the age of 78 in New York, April 8, 2007.

Sol LeWitt means a lot to me. He is one of the very first artists that I remember as a kid, and I think it was one of his pieces on a Walker Art Center field trip. I was around 10 years old or so, and I just stared at it because it was so big and so simple, but it honestly made me feel something over all others. Other art affected me, but Sol made me feel like I could do it.

Needless to say, 25 years later I am finally beginning to do it. I'm graduating on April 20, and these past two years of hell, mentally and physically have finally taught me about how to think conceptually, which is not to say that I am a better designer, although I feel like I've grown a ton as a designer. But Sol LeWitt was THE pioneer of conceptual art and design, and how can I compare? I don't. I just interpret what I think is correct in my mind, heart and gut.

Even though I may never have a show at The Whitney, let alone a complete retrospective of my life's work, I really found something to strive for, something to live for, something to work for. We all have to work, and I feel fortunate to have found my career. I will not waste any more time the rest of my life wondering why I didn't make it to where I wanted to. How many people do you know that love their work? I know a bunch, so I figure I'm on the right track and I'm with the right people.

In any case, raise a glass to Sol LeWitt, a truly brilliant mind and soul!

Take care, I love you, thank you for the inspiration!

familia...

2006-11-25T13:52:00.000-08:00

I miss my family, and I just found my dear friends in Canon Falls (whose blog I do not read often enough), and subsequently I became more homesick. However, Ann's sister and her two kids have been here all week, and even though I'm not getting as much schoolwork done (which is stressing me even more), it is good to see them. They live in New Mexico in a late 1950's schoolbus, and they are soon to be converting a bread truck into a bath-house (not a brothel, but a hippy bathing area). I must hand it to them, they've managed to stay away from what most of us consider real life, and have managed to remain off the grid and under the radar of any governing party for nearly 7 years now. I really respect them for that even though I would never do it, and Lennon who's 10 now and was in our wedding a couple of years back is quite the smart kid. He is constantly reading good books, and Ava (Ann's sister) has been home-schooling him. I'm still not sure about the fact that he doesn't get to hang with other kids, and when he is around them he puts on his headphones and retreats to a different room.

In any case, without getting too sappy, I'm looking forward to graduation next spring and getting back to my family and friends who I also consider family.

crazy holidays...

2006-11-22T15:58:00.000-08:00

We all know the song and dance around the holidays, but what's so damn important about them anyway? I do miss my parents and friends, but I think of Public Enemy's "Don't Believe the Hype" whenever the holidays roll around. Everyone talks about going to see their relatives and how it will be shitty or great or some such thing, and then this whole cycle of repetitive conversation or small talk begins whether we like it or not...

So, where do your parents live? Damn, must be cold there right now. What are you going to eat? Shit, I'm gonna gain 10 pounds and watch grandpa fall asleep on the couch with his mouth wide open, snoring louder than the football game in the background. Oh, my sisters' kids are so irritating, and my aunt is annoying as hell always talking about the latest romance novel, or what Oprah had to say about homeless kids around the holidays.

Fine, we all get the point, it pains me just to write about the pointless conversations that go on. My point is that we all know what goes down, let's just talk about other things. In closing, please do not tell me about how much food you ate when I see you, instead, talk to me about what kind of crazy shit your grandmother said. All of us designers are "weird" enough to have some hilarious stories about what our relatives think of our decision to "decorate bottles."

Take care, I love you all, and happy holidays!

More Interesting...

2006-11-19T12:54:00.000-08:00

I promise to write some interesting and funny stuff soon. This has been a bit too serious thus far. And my time is limited because of schoolwork. Although, I have seen some overachievers who manage to write brilliant words everyday and still get all of their homework done.

Alright, I'll try harder, I swear!

Discovery...

2006-11-19T11:29:00.000-08:00

It is simply amazing that I know so many brilliant people. I received an email from a dear friend in regards to a new band that I was honored to work with on their album art (well, building it in the computer anyway, they did all of the art). The email was a word doc that was full of reviews by other genius musicians that we all know. And when I returned to the original email, there was a link to a website that I found to be absolutely incredible (see Mental Contagion link in "my pals"). It is a website created by two friends of mine in addition to many other great creators, and it features artists and writers. Sounds like alot of other emerging artist sites, but this one is truly exceptional, and all of the contributors and editors have some serious credentials. They are truly doing some great thinking, writing and creating.

It is because of people like this and all of the people around me here in Atlanta that keep me inspired and passionate about what I do, and to challenge myself to push my work further than I think is possible.

Thank you all for being in my life, I am honored and priveledged to know each and every one of you!

Take Care...

My official blog...

2006-11-12T09:26:00.000-08:00

I'm joining this world of blogging because I have been inspired by some friends and teachers at PC. This crazy school has been the best decision and experience of my life so far (aside from marrying Ann of course), and everyone that I have met here has been inspirational and amazingly supportive.

In any case, I just wanted to fill a little white space, get my proverbial feet wet, send some love out to the people I look up to and respect.

More soon, take care, greg

On Tom Waits...

2006-11-12T09:22:00.000-08:00

For the first time in my life, I saw Tom Waits. I had missed him twice in Minneapolis, and I swear it was a sign, because tonight was the most amazing show I have probably ever seen. He played nearly all of my favorite old tunes, 9th and Hennepin, Blue Valentine, Singapore, oh too many to mention. I was in awe and practically lost it when he played 9th and Hennepin. For those that do not know, it was the once infamous street corner that was nothing but hookers and drugs back in the mid to late 70's, years before I would even know who Tom was.

He was in true form and his son played drums and percussion. It was epic, and I simply could not contain myself as the night went on. I haven't been this moved by a show for years, and it was worth every penny of the $75 dollars I paid for it. Actually it was worth more than that, because in my humble opinion, Tom Waits is the best damn songwriter and musician that I've heard in this lifetime that I am in right now. I listened to him practically non-stop while being on tour with The Pacers thanks to Mick the guitar and keyboardist.

I think it was around 1986 that I first put "Small Change" on permanent rotation in my meager record collection. It was probably the second time that I was ever so flipped out over a musician, the first being Louis Armstrong, which is why I played trumpet for a time.

In any case, I've been rambling about this for long enough in a more than buzzed stupor, and if you are not familiar with Tom Waits, you better run (not walk) to your local record store and buy "Rain Dogs!"

I love you all, take care,