03/27/2024
Hello frens, and welcome to another edition of the blackhat Buzz. We had a few shows this week and I got to work on some new cover art for Doug Strange. All things considered, it’s been a pretty good week. Rhey Did a show on Friday at Frogee’s with Shawn from Paint the Town Rad, and Matt went to the Cross Eyed Cow Pizza in Oro Grande on Saturday with the Loose Affiliates. We had a couple more discussions about podcast progress and we think we are almost ready for a test recording day. MaDu even gave us a sick selection of intro songs to pick from. We are getting excited at the progress and hope to have our first episodes for you folks soon. Just a few loose ends to tie up.
TO THE MUSIC!!!!
Friday 03/22: FROGEE’S BAR, APPLE VALLEY, CA
From the few folks I talked to about this show it sounded like a really awesome one. Here’s what Rhey said about it:
“Shawn from Paint the Town Rad booked us for a show at frogees which I got the pleasure of working for the vocalist Omar’s birthday. It was an awesome night full of great music and the crowd really enjoyed it. Violent Imp kicked the night off with a two man band followed by One Square Mile, Guilty By Association, Thrashsquatch, Paint the Town Rad, and last but not least Narcoleptic Youth. I had heard a lot about them from passing conversations and they did NOT disappoint. Their set was absolutely killer and the guys were so nice as well. I was really grateful to have this opportunity to work with such amazing artists, and remembering my earplugs really saved my hearing that night.”
Saturday 03/23: CROSS EYED COW PIZZA, ORO GRANDE, CA
The Loose Affiliates have been making efforts to expand their playing area and check out some other venues in areas still nearby, but outside the usual towns. I don’t recall how they found this place, but it sounds like they’ve found a venue that really fits their vibe and they had a really good time playing this show.
According to Doug, The Cross Eyed Cow Pizza venue had a great ambience and the crowd was awesome. Everyone really enjoyed the show and the Loose Affiliates walked away hoping to play there again soon. The marketing effort for that show, which included local flier distribution and social media blasts turned out to be surprisingly successful. I hear that a few people mentioned seeing the fliers and that’s what brought them to the show. It does pay to do the footwork, even if it doesn’t always feel like it. I don’t have photos from the show, but Doug sent a few of the venue for your viewing pleasure. I forgot to ask if the pizza was good, but I’m willing to bet it was.
THE ART CAVE
I’ve been in a bit of a funk creatively lately hoping to figure out better ways to market the art I already have, showcase older works, and try to generate some business selling prints and other items that I don’t have to constantly monitor and pay tons of money for. I hate marketing myself and my art, but it has to be done if any of it is going to move. Part of the problem is inspiration. I made some silly bookmarks the other day because I thought it was a cute idea, but they didn’t come out as well as I would’ve liked and they would also be a thing I would have to actually print and ship myself. Nah… I don’t want to be my own marketing team, but I don’t know anyone willing to skill-trade for some assistance. It’s tough doing it all yourself, but hopefully my journey of learning more about it can be shared with you in a relatable way. That is all for this week. I hope to be able to bring you a few more educational issues soon as well as some more exciting news, but I’ve got a lot of projects in the air right now. Can’t wait to see what actually sticks.
Just a few doodles from the last two weeks for tax…
One last thing before I sign off… For everyone affected by all of the heavy, tragic losses our community has felt in recent weeks, we love you, we see you hurting, we feel the losses, and we are mourning with you. If anyone organizing memorial or fundraiser shows needs donations for any raffles and are open to some of my old tie dye merch or art prints let me know and we can work something out.
Normalize telling your friends you love them. See ya next time folks!
blackhat 