Saturday, July 27, 2013

High Fidelity

Back in Rochester for my birthday weekend. I had a great time yesterday catching up with friends and family... even a lobster dinner and bonfire in the mix! Year is off to a good start.

Today I enjoyed an early morning jog around town, and was home in time to listen to the rebroadcast of our My Exit show over breakfast. Thanks for the nice comments for those who listened in. Here is what we played for our anniversary playlist:


Dancing on air... photo by John Whipple for Jeremy and
Sarah Clowe. All rights reserved.
-"Strange Effect" live- Diego Garcia, "iTunes Live from Soho" EP
-"Under My Thumb"- The Rolling Stones- "Forty Licks" 
-"Lips Like Sugar"- Echo & The Bunnymen- "Ballyhoo: The Best of Echo & The Bunnymen"
-"There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"- The Smiths, "The Queen Is Dead"
-"You Can't Hurry Love"- Stray Cats, "Runaway Boys: A Retrospective '81-'92"
-"Cry To Me"- Solomon Burke, "Ultimate Dirty Dancing"
-"Get Up Offa That Thing"- James Brown, "20 All Time Greatest Hits!"
-"Say Hey (I Love You)"- Michael Franti and Spearhead, "All Rebel Rockers"
-"Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key"- Billy Bragg & Wilco, "Mermaid Avenue"
-"In My Life"- The Beatles, "Rubber Soul"
-"Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall"- Coldplay, "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" single
-"Analogue" (live)- A-ha, "Ending On a High Note"
-"Scarlet Begonias"- Grateful Dead, "From the Mars Hotel"
-"I Found You"- Alabama Shakes, "Boys & Girls"

I would love to do more radio... I miss the days when I had a regular show here in Rochester on WBER-- I have been listening to the station since I have been home, and recognize a few of the DJs. 

If you're in the Capital Region this weekend and up at the crack of dawn, you can catch me on Radio Disney Albany's "Backyard Show" this Sunday, July 28, at 6 a.m. I am the featured guest, talking about the Snow White exhibition and other happenings at Norman Rockwell Museum. You might be able to stream it online as well.

I have also heard that a recorded interview I gave to WGBH radio has been making the rounds during NPR stations' broadcasting of Tanglewood concerts. Again, talking about the Museum and our summer lineup.

Who knows... maybe my radio days are just getting started again...

Related Link:

"My Exit: Jeremy and Sarah Clowe," All Over Albany, July 22, 2013


Thursday, July 25, 2013

Sound of Sunshine


Wow. What a great week this has been for music. 

Take me out! Franz Ferdinand, live on Letterman. Photo by Jeremy Clowe. 
All rights reserved.
Thanks to all who tuned into our radio show this past Monday. Sarah and I were heading back from the Franz Ferdinand concert in New York City that evening, and were able to catch the live streaming of the show off our phone. I really think Sarah sounded great, and I enjoyed our banter and song selections. For those who missed it, WEXT will rebroadcast our My Exit show this Saturday, July 27, 8 a.m. ET. 

Franz Ferdinand shining light on the dark of the
matinee. Photo by Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.
Franz Ferdinand was fantastic. We queued up outside of the Ed Sullivan Theater an hour or so before showtime, and caught a glimpse of Paul Shaffer as he left the building following that evening's taping of The Late Show (no sign of Dave Letterman though). It really was interesting being inside of the historic theater, seeing the stage set in-person and realizing how small the venue actually is (I kept thinking that this was where the Beatles made their U.S. debut!) Franz Ferdinand ran through a rocking, energetic set... seriously, I was completely in my element, dancing in the aisles to the band's infectious blend of angular, artsy, indie rock. FF have been consistent songwriters over the years, and I loved hearing many favorites (especially The Dark of the Matinee!). Their new stuff sounds solid as well. 

After the show, which was streamed live on the Letterman website, we were able to meet the Scottish rockers... a real treat! The following day we relived the concert by watching the webcast, still dumbfounded by how small the studio is. You can catch the show here and, if you're look close enough, see me raise my arm in triumphant indie rocker glory.
JC with Alex Kapranos, lead singer of Franz Ferdinand.
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.
Last night we kept the live music theme going by checking out roots rocker JD McPherson  at The Ale House, a very small pub in nearby Troy, New York. I only found out last week about this last-minute show, and I was elated! I have been waiting for McPherson to play in the area... hell... even the East Coast, since I first heard his music a year ago (his album Signs & Signifiers was high on my list of favorite albums for 2012). 

JD McPherson and band rocking out The Ale House, Troy, NY,
July 2013. Photo by Jeremy Clowe. ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.
This show really was intimate... it felt like we were in the band's living room! The brick and mortar design of the pub lent a real throwback atmosphere to the gig. Rockabilly at its finest, and McPherson did not disappoint! I mentioned before how, as a performer myself, I am a little intimidated by his vocals... he brings such raw energy and conviction. Real soul. The music has a similar quality... in fact, we met the band after the gig and spoke with them at good length about how they deliberately sought out vintage equipment and recording methods (analogue vs. digital) to get the right groove for their first album. It was a truly memorable evening... a raw, feel-good vibe... the crowd loved the band, and they seemed to feed off of that energy. Sarah said she had a smile on her face the entire evening, and for me it was just a dream to see them in such a venue... Before last week, I had been tempted to drive out again to the Newport Folk Festival, where they are playing this Friday, but they finally came to our backyard. A special evening... I hope they will return soon.

Mr. and Mrs. C with JD. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.
This weekend we are heading back to my hometown to visit friends and family. Really looking forward to getting away... with music blaring from the car radio, of course.

Related Links:





Monday, July 22, 2013

Music To Our Ears

Tonight's the night! Tune into Our Exit show on WEXT. To celebrate our anniversary, Sarah and I play some of our favorite songs, and I think you'll enjoy the results. You can get a preview today on the site All Over Albany, and listen live to the broadcast at 11 p.m. this evening on the station's website.



Speaking of music, Sarah and I are on our way to New York City this afternoon to attend a taping of Live on Letterman, featuring Scottish indie rock band, Franz Ferdinand. Our first time seeing the band, so we're excited... and cool to know that the venue is where the Beatles made their North American debut (Ed Sullivan Theater). You can watch a live stream of the concert here.

Related Links:

http://exit977.org

"My Exit: Jeremy and Sarah Clowe," All Over Albany, July 22, 2013

www.cbs.com/shows/liveonletterman

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Comic-Conned!

It's funny... I lived in San Diego for a short time, so I understand how appealing its climate and geography might be. What has surprised me is how popular its yearly Comic-Con has become, making the Southern California city a yearly destination for more than just its beautiful coastline. 


Yikes! I'm back in the "comics game?" With "friend" at
The Albany Comic Con, October 2012. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe.
The San Diego Comic-Con was founded in 1970 (same year I was born). When I lived in the city (early 90s), I don't remember as big a fuss being made about it as there is now. How times have changed... this past week the media has been bombarded with coverage about the Con, including a cover story in Entertainment Weekly which included details about the upcoming Spider-Man film (more on that in a bit). Over 125,000 fans were expected to descend on the convention this weekend--a number that apparently keeps growing each year. 



I remember a time when it was somewhat embarrassing to admit you liked comic books. Now it seems there is no end to the movies and media being influenced by them. The San Diego Comic-Con celebrates that... in all its geeky glory. Granted, SDCC is more than just comics, with equal attention being paid to science fiction movies and other fantasy-type genres... but as artist Alex Ross told me last fall during my video interview with him, there is something vindicating about the fact that this overall medium has finally gained mainstream respect.


I've come around as well. Can you blame me? I told a friend recently that I think comics were my first entry into art appreciation. The visual storytelling definitely had an influence (even more than film), and I sometimes think about revisiting my old comic book creating days (cheaper than film, no doubt).



The fact is that there is some really smart work being published right now. Here are some of the things that have been turning my head:




Hawkeye 

From the infamous "Pizza Dog" issue
of Hawkeye #11. Beautiful artwork
by the Eisner Award-winning David Aja.
© David Aja for Marvel and Subs.


Hot on the heels of last year's Avengers film, Marvel Comics kicked off a new series focusing on the off-duty events of the team's resident archer, Hawkeye. I don't think this character ever really got a lot of respect, but I always dug him (especially in the 1980s). With this book, writer Matt Fraction and artist David Aja have consistently produced a very different kind of superhero comic, both thematically and graphically... and it has been noticed by the public. I take pleasure in knowing that I have been along from the beginning of this series, and have first printings of each of the books. Really, they are that special... Aja's artwork is just so stunning. He worked as an illustrator and comes from a Spanish background--maybe that is the difference. I find myself so excited when I see his work, and the team has done some very creative stories, including a book where Hawkeye's dog is the main character. Great graphic design... a lot of humor... and refreshing that you don't need to follow the rest of the Marvel books to understand the plot. I hope they keep at it, because this book is a "bullseye" success.




Optic Nerve

For much the same reason I love Aja's art, I also dig cartoonist Adrian Tomine. I initially discovered his work through The New Yorker (his November 8, 2004 cover, "Missed Connections," has long been a favorite).
Photo of Adrian Tomine at WCMA. ©Jeremy Clowe.
The classic "Missed Connections" by Adrian Tomine.
©Adrian Tomine for The New Yorker. All rights reserved.
I have only recently started looking at his graphic novel work, including the long-running Optic Nerve, which contains very personal, off-beat, tales... no superheroes, mainly outsiders trying to find their way in the world. It's an introverted style, and the artwork has a sharp, design-like quality that fits perfectly. This past spring Tomine gave a talk at Williamstown College Museum of Art, and I had the chance to drive out and meet the artist. He produced a recent book called Tales of an Impending Marriage which I found amusing (his wife is also named Sarah).



FF / Batman '66

Cover of FF #5, artwork by Mike Allred.
©Mike Allred for Marvel and Subs. 
Another Marvel comic I have been getting into is FF. This is another book by writer Matt Fraction, and features a similar laid-back jokey kind of style. The book follows the exploits of a team of superheroes chosen to fill in for The Fantastic Four while they were on an intergalactic mission. Ant-Man, Ms. Thing, Medusa, and She-Hulk are called on to look after The Future Foundation, a group of kids with superpowers. Trust me, it's better than it sounds... and the artwork is by a comic book creator, whose work I have enjoyed for a long time. MIke Allred was the creator of a book called Mad Man, one of the few comics I enjoyed picking up in the 90s; he has a sort of retro style that is a lot of fun to look at... very graphic (sense a trend?). In the FF, there are many references to Jack Kirby, one of the most influential comic artists ever... and co-creator of The Fantastic Four. I think what I enjoy about these books is that bring back some of that good-spirited, colorful wonder that initially attracted me to comics in the first place... comics had gotten so grim and homogenized in recent years, that it is refreshing to take some inspiration from the old school.

Interior art from Batman 66 #1. Artwork by
Jonathan Case. ©Jonathan Case for DC Comics.
Speaking of which, there is a really fun DC Comic that was just released this past week called Batman '66 (with cover by Mike Allred!). The book is written and illustrated in the style of the old Batman TV show from the 1960s. I love the concept, and so far the art and story is a lot of fun... artist Jonathan Case draws the characters to look exactly like Adam West, Frank Gorshin, et al... and I love his very dynamic compositions. Writer Jeff Parker has written dialogue that you feel could have been plucked from that old series, yet it somehow manages to avoid some of the "campiness" of the TV show... not in a "nod and wink" sort of way, but in just presenting the material very straight-forward. You know the universe, and it just seems to exist in a natural way here. Fun so far...


Batwoman

Cover art for Batwoman #20 by
J.H. Williams. ©J.H. Williams
for DC Comics.
Holy Bat-a-rang! Another book I recently discovered is Batwoman by DC Comics. Ok, forget all I have said about my tastes up to this point... this comic book has a painterly, surreal quality to it, with story and art themes bordering on the mystery and horror genres. Credit must go to J.H. Williams, who writes and illustrates, telling the story of Katherine Kane, a wealthy heiress who was inspired by Batman to fight crime. The character has apparently been around for some time, but this book reads like a completely new creation. 


Rachel Rising

Sarah has really been getting into artist Terry Moore's work-- he has a new book called Rachel Rising, which I haven't read, but is apparently another horror-based book. The artwork looks great (detailed pen and ink, graphic), and I have been familiar with Moore's work in the past... accessible characters and art. He used to create a series called Strangers in Paradise, followed by Echo, and I actually interviewed him back in 2007 during the time of Norman Rockwell Museum's LitGraphic exhibition, which he was featured in. I need to post some of that interview, and finally read his new books...

Rachel Rising print by Terry Moore. ©Terry Moore Art.

Spidey?...

Interior art from Avenging Spider-Man #22.
Artwork by David Lopez.
©David Lopez for Marvel and Subs.
Eh, what have I gotten myself into with this blog... I need to pack it up for tonight. But I wanted to express a little of my newfound excitement about comic books lately. 

But what about Spider-Man? Yeah, he's always been my favorite. I'm not sure I have time to get into the movie that I alluded to at the beginning (interesting story there), but I'll do so in a future blog.

Regarding the comics, I'm not sure what they're doing with the character right now... Peter Parker is "dead," replaced in mind by his old foe Doctor Octopus who took over his body (long story). That feels sacrilege, but certainly offbeat. This past week I picked up one of the Spidey books (Avenging Spider-Man #22), because the artwork looked interesting. David Lopez has a nice, clean, dynamic style... similar to what I have been talking about before. Incidentally, like David Aja he is Spanish born... maybe there is something to this. The artists I find myself drawn to seem to be more international than I have previously experienced in the comic book world. Anyway, writer Christopher Yost kept an interesting story, that finds a more "aggressive" Spidey than we are used to. I'm not sure I have the patience to continue with the books and current story line, but there is another book due from Lopez, so I'll probably check that out. Would be interested to see his future work on the webslinger...

Ok, that's enough for tonight. But as you can see, my sense sense (or inspiration) is tingling... stay tuned.


Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Harmonious!

Now that's what I call "The Clowe Show!" Photo ©Jeremy Clowe.
All rights reserved.
Another way Sarah and I chose to celebrate our anniversary was to head over to the WEXT studios last week. Music has been such a big part of our relationship that we thought it would be fun to record a MyExit show together. 

This was my third time in the WEXT studios, and each time has been a great experience. For Sarah, it was her first time DJing... and I thought she did a great job! I was particularly impressed with her volume control (makes sense, knowing that she is a teacher). 

Anyway, you can listen live to OurExit show next Monday, July 22, 11 p.m. ET, and again on Saturday, July 27 at 8 a.m. 97.7 FM around New York's Capital Region or online at exit977.org

Next week should be a great week for music... I'm finally going to see rockabilly artist JD McPherson in concert at Troy's Ale House (should be quite the intimate show!) and I just won tickets to see Scottish indie band Franz Ferdinard in New York City next Monday ("Live at Letterman"). And the hits keep on comin'...!

Related Link:

"The Clowe Show!," blog entry, May 15, 2012

Monday, July 15, 2013

Going The Distance

Butterfly, begin... looking back at our wedding ceremony.
Photo by John Whipple for Jeremy and Sarah Clowe. All rights reserved.
Today was our one-year anniversary... I can't believe it went by so fast! Thanks friends for all your well-wishes. We had a very nice weekend celebrating. 

Yesterday we kept the weekend's exhibition theme going by traveling to the Hyde Museum to check out Modern Nature: Georgia O'Keeffe and Lake George. Sarah has been a longtime fan of the artist, and actually interned at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico, during college. It was interesting to see the local influence on O'Keeffe's work: her husband, photographer Alfred Stieglitz, had a family home in the area, and they visited frequently during the 1920s. O'Keeffe's compositions and colors, in particular, are exceptional. I loved seeing the Lake George area translated on to her canvas... I feel like she captured the mood of the area's scenery. Later we walked around downtown Glens Falls... appropriate since the town was known for its paper industry, and this was our "paper anniversary."

No butterflies were harmed during
the eating of this cake. nom, nom!
Tonight we had a delicious Indian dinner (of course) at Lazeez in Albany--probably our favorite restaurant in the area. Then we went back to our place to enjoy wine and de-thawed wedding cake, which they tell me is a tradition for your first anniversary. Well, it was just as delicious the second time around... big props to Villa Italia in Schenectady. We also settled in and re-watched our wedding video... much love and laughter. 

We're doing great, and I'm feeling good... I have given myself a goal of working out every day this month--at the gym or comparable exercise at home. I haven't missed a day, and I'm halfway through July. So here's to another year of health, happiness, and love...







Love. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.
Special Thanks:





Sunday, July 14, 2013

Action Man

Photo of Jarvis Rockwell touring his exhibition at Norman Rockwell Museum.
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe for Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights reserved.
It seems like only yesterday that we opened a new show, but last night I worked yet another opening for Norman Rockwell Museum's latest exhibition, Jarvis Rockwell: Maya, Illusion, and Us. The oldest son of illustrator Norman Rockwell, Jarvis Rockwell has forged a career an artist in his own right. What I find interesting is that Jarvis decided to create much more conceptual work than his father. Those visiting this 60 year retrospective will see examples of early portraiture which eventually give way to more abstract figures, shapes, and performance-based projects, questioning everything from social to existential matters.


Scaling "Maya V." Photo ©Jeremy Clowe.
All rights reserved.
Perhaps the most fun element in the exhibition, Maya V is the latest in a series of Hindu-inspired pyramids that the artist has created entirely of action figures. Apparently Jarvis Rockwell has collected these highly detailed figures since the late 1970s, following the death of his father. Along the way he decided to incorporate them into his art, creating miniature tableaus that arrange the figurines in surprising, often dark narratives (I remember being amused that this was the work of Norman Rockwell's son when I started at the Museum). The first Maya exhibit I saw was at the contemporary art museum Mass MoCA over a decade ago, and it was quite a sight to behold--I even recognized a few Star Wars and superhero figures that I once owned as a child.

As the curatorial staff readied the exhibition last week, I had the opportunity to literally jump in and help with the construction of Maya V, as well as document some of the process through my own video and photography. Considering my long affinity towards monsters, superheroes and movie characters, I had good fun helping to assemble the project. It was also interesting to see the connections and narratives that other staff members created with various figures. Jarvis Rockwell basically assigns the directive and allows others to take care of the pyramid installations, and I think the communal aspect of their creation is a cool concept.





One of my contributions to the
action figure pyramid (of course!).
In some ways, I'm sure it hasn't been easy being the son of such a famous artist, known for his more sentimental, commercial illustrations during a time when artistic tastes were shifting in a more modernist and abstract direction. Jarvis hasn't always been easy to reach out to in terms of understanding his father's work (he once emphatically denied my request for a video interview about the subject). However, I think he has begun to make peace with the family legacy and his own contributions. It is nice to see an artist come into his own, and I appreciated hearing his thoughts about how the artistic process has gotten "easier" over time.

Jarvis Rockwell: Maya, Illusion, and Us will be on view at Norman Rockwell Museum through October 20, 2013. The artist will be stopping in from time to time to work on a special wall drawing/collage, so you just might catch him during a visit. Wouldn't that be every kids dream... to draw on the wall of your father's own house aka museum? 


Related Links:

Exhibition press release, written by JC for NRM

"Portrait of a Young Artist," Norman Rockwell Museum blog written by JC

"Maya V" Installation photos by JC for NRM, Norman Rockwell Museum Facebook