ChinaShop recently sat down with the artistic couple to discuss the challenge of combining their very different styles and plans for future art shows together.

What was the theme behind the show?

Renee: Broken dreams and fairy wings. The title was the perfect way to bring together the yin & yang of our styles. Jeff is very edgy, comic book world, tattoo line work perfectionist and loves letter forms and typography. Me, well I like all the opposites: wiggle lines, squishy fuzzy soft characters that pull you in and beg for you to feel like you were just hugged by a monster.

Jeff: For me it wasn’t a theme as a whole, more just a few ideas I really wanted to do. If I had to call out a theme, typography might be the closest.

Is this the first show you have collaborated on together?

Renee: Of this size, yes. We did a smaller plush show together a few years ago at the 1988 Gallery on Melrose for the Plustopia show. We contributed 3 pieces to that. Jeff would sketch out the characters on his schedule from work and bring them home then I’d build the characters in 3D plush. I loved working with him. He’s always so complimentary and genuinely taken back by what I can do. He’s probably my biggest fan… OK well my mom too.

Was your collaborative piece, “Broken,” fun to make? Do you do a lot of paintings together?

Renee: This is the first painting we did together and it was amazing to work with Jeff. He’s a real pro and just so so easy. We are thinking about doing another big show since we really liked how the “Broken” piece came out. It lit a spark in us to do more.

Jeff: Absolutely! I think we knew it was gonna be a bit of a challenge to marry our styles due to the fact that they were so different. I really liked the end result and I’m looking forward to the next ones.

What was your favorite piece that was displayed in the show?

Renee: “The Great Gumball Incident.” I don’t know why, I just really connect to the girl … it’s like she’s a caretaker. There might be a clear cut forest in the background but this little guy slipped on gumballs and his little horn fell off and she’s just band aiding him up… taking care of what she can.

Jeff: probably “Dreams” piece. My love for typography really knows no bounds. There’s just something about letterforms I love.

What is the process involved in making your work?

Renee: Ideas for me are drawn from storybooks my mom read me as a kid as well as moments in my life. I sketch and sketch and sketch until I get the feeling I like, using the pose and the face…It’s all really important to me. Thee second I feel connected to the sketch, I get into transferring to the larger sheet and water coloring.

Jeff: My concepts tend to revolve around tattoos, typography, Graffiti and old music poster art. I obsess over my line work, because this is the part I truly enjoy the most. The coloring is kind of a relaxing stage.

Did you both always want to be artists?

Renee: Yes! The only other thing I ever thought about was a chemist. I used to hide in my basement when I was a kid and just mix chemicals from around the house and from my chemistry set but I’d always do art on the side.

Jeff: There was part of me that always knew I would be an artist of some kind, but I of course chased the childhood dreams (skateboarding, musician) before I got here.

Tell us about the cuddly monster characters that appear in your artwork?

Renee: I just love making things that make me laugh, smile and literally that make me feel complete. I know how they sound, talk, walk, or move… what they do… I really need to find an animator.

Renee, do you always go after themes of conservation and preservation in your pieces?

Renee: Definitely the environment… Most of the time I stay pretty out of what’s going on in the news, a bit naive but I get pretty overwhelmed by what I see in the news or online. I’m pretty sensitive to things that are negative so when something picks at me, I like to feel like I can put a band aid on it by putting a piece of art out there to make people aware or just for a second think about things… create something new.

Why are these issues important to you?

Renee: Well it’s so simple to change and we don’t. The muscle to just buy a lot of packaging or a plastic water container is so easy. So many things have been short formed, even catching up with friends and being a decent person in society. I guess it’s important because I live here too, and I don’t want to live in my own shit to be blunt.

When you’re not making art – what are you doing?

Renee: I’m 1 of 3 partners at Eyerus, a visual communication studio in Los Angeles and I run the biz’ started it in 1999 with 2 of my best friends. I also snowboard plus I’m a foodie for sure.

Jeff: Being a bit of a foodie, listening to music, watching animation, videogames (I’m shamelessly addicted). I’m also a graphic designer at Eyerus as well full time.

Renee, you have a really diverse background- working for MATTEL, in the fashion industry…what has been your favorite sector?

Renee: My favorite sector is running my design shop, Eyerus…nothing harder and nothing more awarding. I love love love how my shop feels like a group of talented people who want to make a huge difference in design. Everyday we say to ourselves, “This is it. Let’s make some good shit” and I swear I have the best group of designers anywhere!

How does it feel to have your work sought after by people like Danny Elfman & Bobby Lee?

Renee: Crazy… Amazing… Flea from Chili peppers was interested in a big 12-foot whale I made for a show for his 4 year old but the gallery sort of didn’t know it was for sale.

What was the story with the band-aids that held up the info cards under your art? Do you guys always do that?

Renee: The band-aids were done for just this show. “Broken Dreams… “

What’s next on your art agenda?

Renee: Well we are both doing the OAC (Oceanic Awareness Collaboration) show in San Fran at White Walls Gallery. I do a lot of non-profit shows for the environment this is one of my favs. I’m also doing another show later this year on all my water creatures like my Trojan whale and sir jellies for the CAVE Gallery in Venice Beach. I also would like to find someone to bring my creatures to life. I want to do some animations about the environment from my perspective… make it fun and warm.

Jeff: Back to the drawing board of course. For me it was one of the first shows I’ve done in a very long time. I really wanted to see what pieces people responded to, if any. My work is so graphic in nature I always wonder if people are gonna enjoy it on a fine art level. More shows together would be nice.

Words by Nicole Pajer (@NicolePajer). Photos by Dustin Downing (@MeTakeaPhoto)

“Broken Dreams and Fairy Wings” will be on display at The Hive Gallery thru January 28th.

729 South Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90014
www.hivegallery.com

When the lights dimmed for the series of shows, models bearing everything from comic book accessorized suits to dresses made of playing cards and Dixie cups took to the catwalk with ease. The shows were a success, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats and occasionally bringing them to laughter. Following the production, ChinaShop sat down with Closs-Farley to discuss her vision for the show, unusual ensembles, and what goes through her head while models walk the runway.

What was your inspiration for the line?

I wanted to create a fundraiser Fashion Show for The Bootleg Theater using their offbeat name. I thought it would create a sexy line of clothes. I also didn’t want the participating designers to have to spend any money in building these clothes that we would auction off. They so generously were offering their time and talents. So, I added a twist to the fashion construction challenge by asking the designers to make their designs from found, recycled or stolen items. I thought it would give the show this black market feel and create a desire for a “hot property” purchase with our audience. I also, wanted to create a show where we can support and celebrate our local design talents by bringing them together in one space to share their talents with the community in a joyous evening. It was built to be fun for everyone involved.

What would you say was the underlying theme to the fashion show at The Bootleg?

I built three tracks for the show and pooled the dresses into 20 dresses for each track. Here is how I broke it down:

1) Track 1: Guilty Pleasure
2) Track 2: Illegal
3) Track 3: Fatal

Bootleg: pitch-dark, black-market, shameful, dim, blackened, inglorious, grim, calamitous, fatal, fateful, black, dark, sinister, opprobrious, bootleg, disgraceful, smutty, contraband, pitch- black, smuggled, ignominious, disastrous, bleak, mordant

You’re known for your unusual pieces… what are some of the more unusual designs / materials that you’ve used in creating your ensembles?

My favorite material this year was the business checks I used for the men’s suit and the 1950′s woman’s evening dress, purse and hat. I saved those checks from the early 90′s. I started a jewelry business that failed and I thought to myself that one day I was going to make a dress out of them. So, when I was thinking about what I wanted to make, I thought of my sister who recently did some time in the slammer for check fraud. She is a very artistic soul. I thought I’d dedicate these outfits in her honor. I thought that was genuine Criminal Couture. I sealed the check in clear packing tape and created a fabric with the 20 feet by 4 feet of checks taped together, patterned the dress, and whipped it out. I laughed so hard when it was finished. I think my sister would be impressed. I can’t wait to show her the pictures.

I also, loved the Dixie cups I put on the New Years Eve dress. I called it “Drunk Dixie”. I always see these girls at parties and I thought it would be funny to just put the finger on the nose with this one. It cracked me up every night when the model went out in this one. The audience just laughed so hard. I always like to have a sense of humor with my clothes. I love to make people laugh with clothes.

Who are your fashion icons?

I have so many designer inspirations in both fashion and costume design. Here are my designer icons…

Edith Head, Sandy Powell, Colleen Atwood, Alexander McQueen, Bob Mackey, Oscar De La Renta, Gianni Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, Coco Chanel, Valentino Garavani, Christian Dior, Elsa Schiaparelli, and oh so many more…

What is the biggest fashion risk you’ve ever personally taken?

I wore wigs everyday for six years. I loved it. No one questioned it, and I learned no one looks for it either. It was the most freeing and glamorous six years of my life. I love hair!!! I stopped because my second child freaked out everyday I put one on. Now she says “When you going bring back the FUN?” I started going through my endless collection and wearing them out again.

What is going through your mind when you’re watching models wear your pieces down a runway?

I love it that these models feel beautiful and confident about wearing these clothes with such strong themes. It becomes them and then they sell the shear energy of the piece… It is the most you can hope for with clothes.

What can we expect from you for 2012?

This year I want to explore fashion in politics for the election year – fashion in politics past and present – and how to push the voting envelope towards the future. The question being: “Can politics be sexy?”

Anything else you’d like to add about yourself or the line?

I love Los Angeles and the artists it cultivates. I want the world to know the stories it tells through clothes.

Words by Nicole Pajer (@NicolePajer). Photos by Dustin Downing (@MeTakeaPhoto)

“We were looking for someone to do figure drawing over here. Something to bring in a lot of people who might want to see the studio, maybe looking to break into the business, or even show their portfolio while here,” tells Titmouse’s Ben Kalina. “The crew behind ‘Metalocalypse,’ ‘China,Illinois’ and ‘Black Dynamite’ have found some really talented artists at these events and we always look forward to the unique social gathering that Dr. Sketchy provides.

“We sadly now live in a world where we are mostly connected through electronic gadgets,” says Bob, the convivial toastmaster of Dr. Sketchy’s Los Angeles. “And I think that creates a need for people to get together in the flesh and experience the bohemian side of the art world.”

Bob’s job at this Dr Sketchy event, there are some 100 chapters now, is to award the artist who’s drawing the model chooses as best, a slick art book from his company, Baby Tattoo Books. Baby Tattoo Books have released books featuring artists like Ragnar, Justin Jorgensen, and Christy Kane.

It’s not too late to join in on 26 hours of non-stop artistic inspiration coming Saturday, January 21st at 8:00 PM and posing through Sunday, January 22nd at 10:00 PM. For real, there will be 26 hours of ‘round the clock male/female models to scribble in their extraordinary clubhouse at Studio Servitu in Downtown Los Angeles.

Artists will be given wristbands with in-and-out privileges to come and go smoke as they please. Reserve a spot now for $39 in advance or pay $45 at the door.

Words and Images by Dustin Downing (@MeTakeaPhoto)

http://www.drsketchy.com/branch/LosAngeles
http://www.titmouse.net/
http://www.babytattoo.com/

Last night I got to meet one of my all time favorite designers, Jonathan Adler. You may recognize him from such television reality series as Top Design (which sadly won’t be coming back). But well before “See You Later Decorator” fame, he was, is and always has been a talented and gifted potter, designer, and entrepreneur.

With 16 actual stores, and an amazing online store you have no excuse to not buy yourself or your loved one something with a bit of whimsy this year. Each year I end up dropping vast amounts of money in his shop on Melrose and I thought I would share with you all my 5 favorite Jonathan Adler finds this year for the holiday season! Trust me, when you give a gift as sharp and fresh as these, no one could possibly be disappointed!

5. The Muse Collection Teapot ($95), Creamer ($28) and Sugar Bowl ($28) – Although any one piece in the Muse collection is a fabulous gift, I think these three together really say “Should I call you for breakfast or just roll over and wake you up.” Isn’t it time for tea?

4. Charade Studded Taper Vase ($88) – This provocative piece says you’re not afraid to be a little naughty and nice. The perfect size at a pretty price. This isn’t exactly for your old Aunt Millie…or is it?

3. Jet Set Ornament Set ($48) – Christmas ornaments given as gifts at Christmas time are so… expected. HOWEVER, things I know to be true include, but are not limited to, the receiver of this gift will a) keep it, b) remember you every year they decorate their tree, and c) cherish it as a real quality gift. You just can’t do that with a bottle of wine.

2. Glitter Vice Candid Canister ($138) – These gorgeous containers actually come in a variety of shapes, sizes, sentiments and prices, I just love that the largest one says “Glitter” on it – cuz that’s an awful lot of the sparkly stuff. They are perfect for stashing your secrets. True story, my husband and I have a jar we put every receipt or piece of ephemera in that commemorates special things we do together. One day we plan to dump out that jar of awesome and rediscover the fun we had together. You should start your secret stash today!

1. The Banana Bud Vase ($68) – The banana has been a long standing symbol of… well… I was going to say Pop Art but yes… now that you mention it.. it is sort of penis like in design. NO seriously… its amazing! It’s this happy, unassuming, phallic fruit… AND it’s a bud vase! It also accents any decor since it comes in silver, gold, black and white. Gift it to your boyfriend, to your girlfriend, to your girlfirend’s boyfriend… whoever receives it will do so with a smile! I guarantee it!

As for meeting the man himself, it was one of the biggest highlights of my year. Thank you  Jonathan Adler for creating truly inspiring objects of design!

As for the rest of you…. you’re welcome! Christmas shopping… DONE!

Words by Barbie Brady (@barbie5x5). Photo of Jonathan Adler by Dustin Downing (@MeTakeAPhoto). Other images by JonathanAdler.com.

When we finally caught up with Anberlin frontman Stephen Christian, he had just cooled off from being the brunt of a budding prank war between his touring mates in Atomic Tom. He had apparently done something to get on Atomic Tom’s bad side as the need for them to dump water all over his leather jacket and stage ready hair was a necessary measure. “I’m not sure how I’m planning to retaliate but rest assured, it’s going to happen,” says Christian.

During our sit down chat with Christian, he explains why you shouldn’t listen to Anberlin while lying on the beach with a bottle of wine, that he always loses when gambling, and that a tour in Singapore comes with a necessity for bodyguards.

You have a crazy line going on out there. Is that typical of an Anberlin show?

Sometimes. It depends. Now if we’re in Texarkana, probably not but in Los Angeles, it’s pretty great.

How has the fan reaction been to this past album versus previous ones?

It’s critically the most acclaimed and I think lyrically people are really connecting to it. So far, really good.

Are you pretty tame when it comes to touring on the road?

What do you mean by tame?

Do you have any interesting stories that come to mind?

We do. I mean when you have 12 guys in a bus and you put us with a band like Switchfoot where we all get along, it’s an adventure and a lot of fun. The other day we stopped off at Reno and besides the things that happen normally in a casino, it’s awesome. We did go-karts and hit golf balls into the lake. All in all people came out with a couple of hundred dollars so that’s a win.

What are your games of choice?

I hate gambling. I hate the fact that inevitably I’m going to lose. I’m just one of those people where it’s just hard to part. I’ll give myself $20 and it’s gone within minutes.

Do you take that $20 to the Blackjack or craps table?

Blackjack. I’ll win one and lose every other subsequent time. That’s how they get you. One of our guys up to $550 and we were like, “Dude just walk away.” He was like, “I only need $100 more for an iPad.” Everybody told him, “Walk away!” He only ended up with only $200.

There are many different stories circulating about what the band name means. What’s the actual story?

It was one of those things where it was something I thought I heard in a Radiohead lyric. I was in college and it was 2002 and Kid A came out and I was listening to “Everything in its Right Place” and I thought he says, “Anberlin” or something like that – one of those noises that happens in the background. I tried to look up the lyrics and it wasn’t actually it. It was something that I thought I heard.

Any pranks while on the road with Switchfoot?

No but Atomic Tom just started one.

What happened?

Well, when they first walked in, I just ran and tackled them. We’re headlining so we can do that kind of stuff. I can tackle who I want, right? Then as I was going back to our dressing room, another guy came and dumped water on the back of my hair and on my jacket just seconds before you came down. When you mess with the hair, that’s strike two! I’m a headliner, I’m untouchable, I’m a made man…

Is your hair already show ready?

Yeah. Is it not? Wardrobe! I hope it looks good while you’re recording! That’s all that matters. We’re going to have to figure out a prank back though because that was ridiculous.

If you could describe the perfect setting for someone to listen to an Anberlin song in, what would it be?

Wow. That’s a good one. I like that question.

Driving down the road? On the beach with a bottle of wine?

No. That’s unromantic! Honestly, I think the best would be probably Aaron Rodgers putting it in right before a football game – some athletic event because we’re a lot more fast paced than usual. I think it’s a lot more. If you’re going to jog a marathon, then this might be the motivating factor. Lying on the beach? I’d feel so sad for them.

That was just an on the fly example. There might be one song that you have that the beach would be an appropriate setting for.

There are a few but for the majority, it would be rather distraught.

Do you have a big fanbase in any strange markets?

We do. A couple random ones…in the Philippines and Singapore we have billboards when we come and it’s like, “Holy crap.” The promoters do the pyro and they do all this crazy stuff and we need bodyguards. Last time we were in Singapore, we headlined this big festival for them and we were all trying to keep a straight face because we’re not big compared to like U2 and The Rolling Stones and all that. So we had bodyguards and they were trying to bring us into this festival to do this meet and greet and people were jumping over barricades and we were trying to be so cool but we couldn’t. We were all laughing and smiling and pointing. Somebody was taking pictures and I was like, “Dude act like we’ve been here.” But we haven’t.

One of you guys was taking pictures of the crowd?

Yeah like, “Look at this. What the heck?” It was hysterical. We just don’t know what that’s like.

How’d you get so big over there?

I don’t know. I think it’s that not a lot of bands go to these places so when American bands do, it’s a big deal. It’s not like Dallas, Texas where everyone goes there because they are driving thru You don’t drive thru The Philippines, you‘ve gotta make a conscious effort to get there. They maybe see 10 American bands a year. One of them is Mandy Moore and Justin Bieber…

Does Mandy Moore have a billboard over there too?

I’m sure she does. It’s one of those things where if you go a couple of times, people are just so invested so it’s really cool.

Do you remember your first show as a band? Was it a success?

Are you kidding me? I wish it was that cool. We were in Gainesville, Florida and I think we had a show in Illinois. And it was us and a band called Copeland from Central Florida and we stopped in Gainesville and total attendance with the both bands was 16 people so it was horrific. But that was our 1st show ever. I didn’t expect anything but I thought Copeland would draw a few people or something. It turned out there was 10 people and then two guys at the bar, the bartender, and three people ended up showing up.

Were they into the show?

I want to hope so. I was just so nervous. I was trying to just remember all the lyrics to all the songs so it was pretty great.

Words by Nicole Pajer (@NicolePajer). Photos by Dustin Downing (@MeTakeaPhoto).

An in-depth story behind the punk/ska/metal/funk/whateverthef*ck outfit that went on to inspire a legion of bands, Sunshine highlights the band’s highs, lows, and road to relative obscurity. Perhaps Primus bassist Les Claypool’s statement sums it up best: “They should’ve been the band that went way beyond any of us that were influenced by them.”  And as The LA Weekly put it, “Gwen Stefani should still be paying Fishbone royalty checks.” Some might wonder if that’s necessarily a compliment.

So what exactly happened? Talk to most fans and they’ll tell you Fishbone never really quite fit conveniently into a single genre. In the early days, neither the black nor the white kids really knew what to make of the group. Even their beginnings as a straight-ahead ska band gave way to funk, punk, and metal influences — earning as many looks of confusion as they did stage dives.

It also doesn’t help that they’ve reunited more times than Kiss, and had more rotating bandmates than Spinal Tap. The price of flakiness has been high: Cut from Columbia Records. A steady inconsistency in album releases, and impatient fans who just plain didn’t know what the hell was going on. A new label, and new problems: Bassist John Norwood Fisher ‘kidnapped’ former guitarist Kendall Jones when the latter left the band, all in an attempt to get them back together for a Lollapolooza gig. Jones pressed charges, and Fisher endured a long and costly trial (which saw a benefit concert with Tool, Porno For Pyros, and Alice in Chains come together) after which he was eventually acquitted. Most blamed the catastrophe on Jones’ recent fanatical religious conversion. Afterward, the band was dropped by Sony.

That’s a lot of crap. And yet despite years of ongoing craziness, assorted neuroticisms, and erratic behavior, the band recently managed to reunite long enough to put out their second album in ten years. Besides a metaphor for what keeps the band together, their latest, Crazy Glue, is a mish-mash of everything that’s made the band great: hyperkinetic ska, infectious bass grooves, metal riffage by former Suicidal Tendencies guitarist Rocky George, and the funk that made em famous.

After seeing them live at Amoeba, it’s also clear that there’s no frontman on Earth – or any other galaxy for that matter — quite like Angelo Moore. “Weed, Beer and Cigarettes” brings back feelings of what it was like to be a teen again, and “DUI Friday” proves there’s no bassist like Norwood Fisher, who could take on Victor Wooten and Flea with a single slap of his bass. Obviously I’m a devoted fan, but as much for their dysfunction and insanity as their music. Lord only knows if the glue keeps em together this time — but even if it all comes unraveled again, there’ll be some crazy sh*t behind it all.

Words by Jeff Nau. Photos by Dustin Downing (@MeTakeaPhoto).

Those skills shined brightly at their recent anniversary party up at the Atwater Crossing & Innovation Complex. It was a fair-ish event with food trucks, the requisite photo booth live-screen painting by local shirt shop Hit+Run, and a bike valet. Local dublab DJ’s spun to the outdoor crowd while names like Take aka Sweatson Klank, Julia Holter, Gaslamp Killer, & Daedelus kept the hipster crowd’s moccasin covered toes a tapping.. A mini-film fest and a #hellofanidea popcorn booth tied for second on the billing. Kutmah was to be beamed in live from the NTS Radio Studio in London but somebody forgot to set their alarm.

I caught GLK backstage and he praised the crew, “dublab is one of the finest collectives of young people doing music and art. They just flat out enrich our Los Angeles community with culture.”

Next time your in traffic just dial the ol’ cell browser to dublab.com and take a break from your favorite Pandora “dubstep” station to listen to what those artists probably have been spinning for years. Ninja Tune artist and longtime dublab DJ , Daedelus- “It’s a very powerful and bright force for Los Angeles to have an internet radio station that not only is yelling about good music but connecting the dots in a meaningful fashion between musicians and their audience.”

dublab isn’t a site just designed for an aural voyage of musical circumnavigation either. dublab and Creative Commons have also recently joined forces for an art and music exhibition built on audio loops and 12 inch circular canvases available on its site for the listener to share, remix, and resubmit to the ether. Dublab directors Bryan “Morpho” Younce & Mark “frosty” McNeill’s first foray into doc, “Secondhand Sureshots,” sent beat benders Daedelus, Nobody, J.Rocc and Ras G on safari into L.A. thrift stores with orders to make new music out of five finds. A nice new film about putting new life into old vinyl.

Fancy a dublab DJ at your next party? Dublab’s DJs and sound system are available to the public and have been heard spinning at The Museum of Contemporary Art-Los Angeles, The Getty Center, and Disney Hall. 60% of dublab’s funding is raised through event production. Also, dublab’s Fall 2011 “PROTON DRIVE” fundraiser is going on now through November 18th.  Click here to find out more.

“Seemingly the only master they have is like, ‘What can we do that’s good and next?’”
-Daedelus

Words and Images Dustin Downing (@MeTakeaPhoto)

Ulicny and the boys came through LA to open two sold out shows with Foster The People and Cults at The Wiltern Theatre this past week. Prior to their set, Ulicny gave us the rundown on the band’s unique sound. We also discussed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, his mother making his Halloween costume, and the celebration that occurred when the band’s touring van hit 300,000 miles.

What’s been your favorite moment on the road with Foster The People so far?

It’s been kind of a whirlwind – playing these bigger venues. We’ve definitely done a lot of fun stuff along the way. We’ve gotten to see a lot of stuff in the cities that we’ve stayed in.

What’s the most notable thing you saw on the road?

We went to North Bend, Washington where that show Twin Peaks was filmed and we got to see the waterfall that’s in the show and the hotel, the Great Northern, that’s in the show. We went to the little diner and got coffee in the diner. We really like David Lynch so that was cool.

You call yourselves electro-dance-sexpop? What exactly constitutes sexpop?

We probably at some point put that in there to express a genre. When we first got started, venues made us give them a genre…

Be honest. You just wanted to put the word sex in there because sex sells.

OK. We just wanted to put the word sex in there [Laughs].

I read a quote in your bio about you playing a show at someone’s house where people were standing on the washing machine and countertops while screaming, “Break the floor!” How fabricated is that and can you please elaborate?

That’s definitely not fabricated. That story has been blown out of proportion because I’m sure there have been a lot of bands out of Athens, Georgia that have played shows in peoples’ houses and have broken the floor simply because the floors in a lot of the house in Athens are not very well constructed. It’s a true story. We were playing at our friend Chris’s house and we had a ton of people in there and there were other bands playing. By the time we got on, there were so many people there that the beams under the floorboards cracked. After the show it was just concave.

You’re known for creating dance riots at your shows. Is dancing a prerequisite for attending a Reptar show?

Yeah. We want it to be. Any rhythm-oriented music can be translated to a body movement and I think that we all really like doing that. We all like dancing. We dance when we go see shows where that’s appropriate so, definitely!

I’m sure you get asked this at least once a day but is there a connection between the green dinosaur from Rugrats named Reptar and your band name?

Not really. I mean…yes there is because that is the name of the dinosaur from Rugrats, but honestly I think whenever we get asked that question that we make shit up because we don’t remember why. I don’t think any of us really remembers why we decided to name the band that. We named the band that because it was stupid and silly. We never took this band very seriously so it was just like, “OK we’re going to name this band after a cartoon character from a show in the 90’s that we all watched.” There is no deep-seated meaning to it. You have to name your band something. We didn’t put any thought into it clearly. It’s silly.

Is it difficult to recreate your album sound live?

No because when we record, a lot of it is recorded live. When we go into the studio, we record it as a band. There is some overdubbing but most of the stuff is live.

Are you working on a new album now?

Yeah. We’ve been writing a lot and we have all the songs pretty much lined up for a new record. We’re going to go into the studio November 15th and that will hopefully be out by March or April. We’re really excited to have a full length because we are really slow and bad at recording. It will be good to finalize that.

What’s your rider like? Anything random on there that you request before each show?

We don’t request anything random although we played a show with Dan Deacon and we were hanging gout with him and he suggested that we put clean socks and clean underwear on our rider because that’s one thing that when you’re on the road is always good to have. Up until this tour we haven’t had a rider. We’re still figuring that out. Right now all we have is some chips and salsa and beer.

Are you allowed to specify your beer of choice or do you just write “beer?”

I don’t even know what we say. I honestly don’t even know what is on the rider but whatever it is, we always get High Life or PBR.

Is that when you know you made it? When you get the beer that you request?

Probably. That’s when you know! But it’s not that bad. I mean we’re drinking “The Champagne of Beers” so we’re living the high life right now.

Has the salsa been good?

That’s one thing that’s been really surprising. The quality of salsa on this tour is just exceptional!

What are you going to be for Halloween this year?

I’m going to be an octopus, again. I have an awesome octopus costume and honestly it’s just so cool that I would feel bad about using it just one year. People have been giving shit saying you can’t be the same thing twice but I don’t care.

Did you make it?

Yes and no. I made it with significant help. My mom helped me make my Halloween costume. I’m 21 years old and yes I enlisted my mother to help me make a Halloween costume.

Has she made you costumes in the past?

Yes. I think the last one was when I was six. She made me a ninja turtle costume.

What ninja turtle were you?

The quiet one, Donatello. I really like the live action ninja turtles movie though…The one in the beginning where the pizza guy delivers the pizza and the ninja turtles beat the guy up with cold cuts.

What type of bus are you guys on?

We have a van – a Chevy Express with like 300,000 miles on it. Actually 300,000 as of a couple weeks ago. We’re pretty please that it hit that.

Did you celebrate when you hit the 300,000 mark?

We freaked out. We had a freak out session and we went to Dairy Queen and got ice cream. That was our celebration.

Words by Nicole Pajer (@NicolePajer). Photos by Dustin Downing (@MeTakeaPhoto).

While the last of the fashion show details were being worked out backstage, ticketholders gathered inside the studio tent and mingled over hor d’oeuvres and cocktails. Fashionistas stood with drinks in hand, gawking at the style conscious attendees. Each new guest seemed more done up than the next. Guests arrived clad in brightly colored skirts, feathers in their hair, full-length gowns, suits, party dresses, costume jewelry, animal prints, designer handbags, vests, and fedoras.

Celebrity appearances included the comical Jack Black, who couldn’t walk a foot without instigating a camera flash, Kim Kardashian look-alike and pop singer/actress/dancer Melissa Molinaro, and Emmy winning hairstylist Curt Darling.

When the lights dimmed and the final warning to take your seats was uttered, The Gallery LA’s own Mikey Koffman, kicked off the event. Models strutted down the runway bearing Franco’s latest designs, which included: oversized hats paired with high waited shorts, patterned fitted suits, gorgeous floor length gowns, strapless dresses, bright floral bathing suits, breezy sun dresses, plaid shorts, ruffled dresses accented with belts, brightly colored ties. Attendees snapped photos on their smart phones and smiled when they connected with a piece of clothing that passed by. Franco’s Spring Collection featured something for every occasion – evening attire, casual wear, lounging, and business events.

Following the show, guests took a final peak at the goodies in the exclusive lounge and designer suite collections such as Skinny by Jessica Elliot, sifted through their gift bags, and headed off to Tru Nightclub, for an after party of epic proportions.

Words by Nicole Pajer (@NicolePajer). Photos by Dustin Downing (@MeTakeaPhoto).

According to the show’s co-founder, Henri Myers, who helped to hand pick the brands in the showroom, COEUR is about evoking freshness in the LA market. “Pretty much all the designers here are brands that we find needed a bit of some type of visibility in LA here specifically. A lot of brands included in the show are from New York or elsewhere. They didn’t have showrooms or showroom reps or agents and we’re really providing a space that they can all be under one roof.” Myers explains that the name of the show, COEUR, means “heart” in French. “It’s about all the things that we love and introducing the things that we love to everyone else.”

From vegan crocodile handbags to jewelry designed specifically for fingernails, the COEUR Showroom was the place to pick up one-of-a-kind goodies.

Among our favorites were:

BiJules and her original concepts in fine jewelry which include nail rings, bar rings, top of the finger cocktail rings and what Jules, referred to as jetsetters. The underside of these single fit bar rings boast a replica of a foundation of an international city skyline representative of all the cities that she works in – Paris, New York, and Milan.

Osborn Design (above) and their array of hand crafted shoes. The shoes are the creation of Aaron and Carla Osborn who run one of the largest orphanages in Guatemala. The couple utilizes traditional materials such as natural cork, Guatemalan fabrics, recycled shopping bags, and various prints to create one-of-a-kind kicks.

Dannijo’s colorful collection of necklaces bearing bright skulls. The current line features an Indonesian Day of the Dead theme and employs the use of Swarovski crystals.

Fannie Schiavoni and her archive pieces – especially the chain draped harness and chain Cleopatra necklace. We don’t quite know when we’d wear them but they sure were fun.

Lux Revival’s impressive wall full of vintage necklaces. We zoned out in front of these for a good 15 minutes before pulling ourselves out of the booth and on to other sights.

Cinderblock necklaces – Where else could you pick up one of these?

Matching Rake and shovel bracelets and necklaces – Guaranteed conversation starter.

Raven Kauffman Couture’s Everyday Exotics vegan hand cast rubber bags. The designer takes an impression of a real skin, which is then hand painted by the same folks that used to work in the exotic skin industry. “We use all the same techniques that you would use on leather, but on rubber,” explains Raven. Yay for realistic looking fake leather bags!

The COEUR show is expected to return in March. Meyers Is planning to explore other markets and expand to include more brands. Go through your accessories, think about what you might be missing, and make sure to catch this next time around!

http://coeurshow.com

Words by Nicole Pajer (@NicolePajer). Photos by Dustin Downing (@MeTakeaPhoto)