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The Sketchbook Project in Oklahoma City

September 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment

I needed coffee beans. 

I mean, I have coffee beans, but I accidentally bought beans that were so darkly roasted that they damn near taste like ash. So…I needed coffee beans. I decided that on my Sunday, late afternoon errand-running trip I’d stop by Urban Agrarian and fix the situation. As I pulled up I saw this… 

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It totally piqued my curiosity. After I finished up shopping and hugging my farmer, I beelined over to the black trailer. Two folks were inside and gave me the low down on The Sketchbook Project. It is a traveling library of artists’ sketchbooks. I created a library card and searched the catalog for a sketchbook to peruse. I chose a book by the criteria of where it was created: San Francisco. The system pulled a book from there along with a random selection.

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These books are born as blanks and anyone can purchase them. Then, the artist fills the pages. Or tears the pages. Or cuts. Or glues. or sews. Lots of the books are deconstructed and reassembled. There are no rules other than the books have to be mailed to The Sketchbook Project by the deadline so they can be catalogued and prepared for one of the national tours. For a year the current edition of books tour the country in these mobile pop-up libraries. At the end of the year, the books go back to the mothership, the Brooklyn Art Library. Oklahoma City was an unplanned stop due to a cancellation in Boulder, CO.

I was a teensy bit heartbroken that  I discovered them at 4:30 and they were closing shop at 5:00. But I did my best and got through about 8 books. 

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Daily miracles, people. Daily miracles.

I accidentally found the coolest thing ever. Check out @thesketchbookproject. #thesketchbookproject

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I love the Internets

September 29, 2013 By Leave a Comment

There’s a lot of stuff I share on the Internet every day. Here’s a weekly round up of the things I most enjoyed last week by category. 

Inspiration

  • We all choose our feelings. And which ones do you choose? Do they make the world a better place?
  • Neko Case mentions inspiration for a song. “That song is a verbatim conversation I heard,” Case says. “You can survive and you’re an awesome, plucky little kid, but you have to take care of yourself because your mom’s a fucking asshole, but you’re gonna have to pay for that later; the fact that you can turn around and start singing again, you’re gonna pay for that later, also. It’s really fucking unfair.”
  • I won an award here in OKC. And this is how I acknowledged it: Instagrammed the photo op. Life is a series of meta moments around here. 

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  • What Real Men Look Like in Underwear Ads Love it. I think its easy to assume only women have body issues. I’m glad someone is acknowledge the pressure on real dudes. And just to be clear, I’d totally put pressure on these real dudes, ifyouknowwhatimean.
  • How well do you see color? I scored an 8 (0 is best), which I was perfectly satisfied with. I had FB friends score in the 40s. I totally win at color. 
  • Husky loves to play in the leaves. That dog likes leaves like I like music festivals. 

Music

  • Van Halen – 5150 David (from Dr. Pants) mentioned this album on Twitter the other day and I’ve been listening ever since. There was a time if you’d asked me what my favorite bands were, you’d likely get this answer, “Journey, Van Halen and The Black Crowes.” The Van Hagar version of this band was my favorite version and this was one of my favorite songs. 
  • Dr. Pants – If I Were John Cusack This song was played in my living room.
  • Marian Call – Shark Week This song was also played in my living room. 
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There was a concert in my living room

September 26, 2013 By 2 Comments

A little while back I texted my friends and veteran house concert troubadours on their opinion of my house as an appropriate venue for hosting a show. Not their show….just a show. David thought I might be able to get 30 or so people in the space. 

I never did anything with that information. It was just another one of my Beautiful Ideas. 

Maybe a week later he asked me if I’d like to host a house concert? A lovely woman by the name of Marian Call was embarking upon a tour across the states. She and David had talked about getting together for a show for a while but it never seemed to work out. I think. Maybe that’s the story? It’s the new truth because it’s late and god-so-help-me, I just want to get this story told. So I can tell all the other ones waiting in the wings. 

My answer was yes. Actually, since we’re making up stuff around here, I was all, “Oh hell yesss, muthafucka!”

Profanity aside, I truly was excited to have them play here. I am a fan of David’s band, Dr. Pants, and to have that glory happening under my roof seemed like a no-brainer. I had never heard of Marian Call, but I trust his judgement.

Bryan, Marian’s guitarist for this leg of her tour, had flown in Saturday night and Sunday morning I scooted to his hotel to pick him up. Later in the afternoon, we three moved sofas, unfolded chairs and ::boom:: a venue was born.

So...this is happening.

 FYI to any indie folk artist who are looking for a place to have a house concert in Oklahoma City, my house seems as if it could hold 45 or so people. The final count for Sunday was right around 30, so things didn’t get crazy. In fact, things only got cooler as the evening wore on. 

 Right when they were supposed to, people arrived and they all had their proper donations. Some even had extra and I think the bands  had a successful night in Casa de Sheri. I had a successful night, too, as a friend from Texas brought up a case of bottled Fat Tire each for David and I. As I cleaned up after the show I proudly tossed vegetables from my crisper drawer to make room for all those lovely bottles. 

I don’t remember a whole lot of detail from the show. There were a lot of friends in the room, which was a perfectly acceptable distraction in my book, plus I was knee deep in Fat Tire and whatnot. Sitting here tonight, I can think of ways to improve for next time as a person who wants to be writing about these many adventures upon which she embarks. Perhaps I’ll keep a camera with me? Or….I don’t know….take photos of all these lovely friends who attended? Next time. Next time I will be more present and less flittery. The times lately that I’ve most enjoyed the magic of live music, I’ve been writing words in my head as I’m listening and watching. All systems are go and I’m taking note as to not forget.  

One memory did surface, and it’s one I experience more often and more deeply as I become better friends with David and his wife K.C. I get a little weepy or get chills at least once during the evening, whether it be a Dr. Pants set or a K.C. Clifford set. To see people I love do the work they love makes my heart swell and makes me want to be a more open and vulnerable person. This is how music makes me better. I watch their vulnerability and it gives me joy and strength, even when it involves throwing donuts to a captive audience. You know what…. ESPECIALLY when it involves throwing donuts into a captive audience. 

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Marian was delightful! She sings a lot about nerdy / geeky things, but then just funny / cool life observations, too. And she uses a vintage typewriter as a percussion instrument. Correction, she brilliantly uses a vintage typewriter as a percussion instrument.

And she handed out props for songs…

And Dr. Pants did what Dr. Pants does…

And it was glorious.

A big, huge thank you to David Broyles, K.C. Clifford, Marian Call and Bryan Ray for being so lovely to the newbie and for helping make a wonderful house concert happen. All I did was provide a venue and place for two musicians to sleep. They did all the magic and I’m, once again, grateful for the daily miracles. Sunday had miracles stacked to the rafters. <3

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