There was a day not long ago, the heavens stood still. The clouds shook with thunder and shattered into fragments. Through the Soul Forge’s flame, a figure of perfection streaked down unto the world leaving an amber sky. Legend has it, a punk angel received her wings on that day.
As I wandered aimlessly, going on such adventures required of a punk prophet, I was visited by Mercury, messenger of the gods. He was in one of his many forms, a bicycle punk. His messenger bag was filled with heavenly items: PBR, Show Flyers, etc. From his bag he delivered one particular item, The Last Hope Manifesto CD.
The Last Hope’s CD Release Show was over a week away. If it had been delivered by anyone else, I would have simply concluded it was the work of the devil and burned it. The mere fact that Manifesto had come to me before it’s release could only have meant two things. This is destiny, or it was from the future.
Receiving a CD before it’s released is a tricky situation. If you tell the band about it, their creativity process could be impacted thus resulting in a different cd, time paradox, or parallel universe. Erroring on the side of caution, I decided to wait until the CD Release party before ever listening to The Last Hope. Time Paradox resolved.
Photos of The Last Hope CD Release Show
TheSixtyOne, Demonoid, and bands sending me mp3′s is where I get my music. (Ask me for Demonoid invites here.) Originally, I wasn’t sure what a CD would do. Googling it revealed that in the before times, CD’s were used much like the Edison Phonograph Cylinder to store music. Digging further, I found Apple hid a CD/DVD reader in my iMac.
Non-organic
I was surprised to find out that The Last Hope’s Manifesto was non-organic and non-edible. We can finally put the myth to rest that Manifesto is made of candy. The drool proved the CD to be surprisingly water resistant. Field tests show that rubbing The Last Hope’s Manifesto on SUV’s won’t immediately set them ablaze as one would hope.
Contrary to popular belief The Last Hope doesn’t prevent winter. I left Manifesto in my garden over night to see what effects it would have. My parsley and cilantro did not become ‘herbs on steroids’. Most everything was still killed by the frost. Manifesto survived the winter night’s frost to look pretty bad ass.
Contrary to Popular Belief the Last Hope Doesn't Prevent Winter
Shameless Self Promotion: Buy it at Active Left
The Last Hope’s Manifesto is a refreshing roundhouse kick of ember punk. A panda might be able to eat more bambo, but this album delivers a consistent row of chaos spikes.
Their lyrics are emotionally revealing, highlighting the spiritual struggle and symbolizing the evolution of world mythology beyond the sword birthing into new social theories on autonomism in a post colonial world; Indeed, Manifesto impeccably meshes Emma Goldman’s anarchist romanticism with Noam Chomsky’s polished rhetoric exemplifying DIY Culture and reminding each of us in our hearts:
@BrookeKenny Showing up isn't the problem. It's being able to look back and saying you were active that earns the title I Was Around. in reply to BrookeKenny#
@heuristical Not really meaningless. I just got back from a show of someone I met on myspace and said my G20 reports affected her. in reply to heuristical#
@sa_raine We're talking about musically, I enjoy Destroy Everything, Derek Zanetti, imadethismistake, and Pedals on our Pirate Ships. in reply to sa_raine#
@PGHCityPaper How about 89 characters? Manny Theiner is rumored to accept 'silent partnerships' for write ups in the City Paper. in reply to PGHCityPaper#
Scott of Evil Twin Booking should get access to this account when he arrives in Copenhagen for live tweets from the event. #Cop15#
This post starts out in a convenience store where it faithfully ends.
Oh No He Di'int!
Surrounded by expired snack cakes, she belches the typical clerk’s complaints: “Not suppose to be here”, “Better than these people”, and her primary sin “When my art career picks up” Little does she realize that ringing hipsters up for American Spirits does not count as contributing to counter-culture. The closest she has come to art is her attempt of collecting artists in the bedroom.
One day, a journalist made the tragic mistake of publishing her critique in a weekly periodical. The Beehive Coffeehouse has yet to recover. She started proclaiming her criticism on every speck of design that passes through. Never mind offering a divergent point of view because “You don’t understand.”
Even I was interrupted by her faux criticism when she said, “Why do you have a camera? You don’t do art.”
@JonKranz came to that realization. He had spent years in art school and subsequent horrible jobs before discovering his art career was another rebranding of the Emperor’s New Clothes. His real talent was in marketing, copywriting, and archeology. He’s now documenting a mysterious civilization that limits itself to 140 characters.
You should listen to his NPR Commentary about fantasy selves:
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Killing the Hipster Dream
In the same coffee shop, I came across the enhanced edition of the CP Holiday Guide. By enhanced I mean an anonymous punk offering social commentary through picturesque alteration. So effective was the message, that I instantly took it home to create a hero’s homage.
The secret behind hipsters, is they are great consumers at heart. Rather than attempting to actualize their dreams, the paint brush and skateboard become conversational props of prefabricated lifestyles.
This girl, bought into the art rhetoric. Her plans of opening up a coffee shop, art gallery, or professionally modeling is her attempt of imitating a life less ordinary. The lie of solidified acrylic tubes beside an empty canvas hinders her from opening the world with her own fruitful career.
I Didn’t Pull the Trigger: I Designed the Gun
Wife Beater, an magnificent band, needed a poster. Hipsters needed told.
Hiptser Productivity EKG - Proving Hipsters Have No Souls.
In producing art, you’ve already crushed the hipster productivity curve. Patches, cardboard cities, digital imagery, and writing are usually beyond the philosophical calling of the typical hipster. In this case, a photoshop tutorial and three hours of work can accomplish amazing result.
Best Place to Pick Up Hipsters: Andy Warhol Museum
As Gandolf forgot about the Giant Eagles in the plan to get The Ring to Fire of Mordor, I had completely forgotten about the poster once finished. A month passed before The City Paper Best of 2009 Awards revived it.
The poster took on a second life. A secret task force sprung into action. The laser printers spun, sleeper agents were activated, and on Carson Street copies were distributed despite the rain. The street was the canvas for the message. Whatever that was.
Oddly enough, I was inside at the event. My friends had congregated to receive their accolades and I was photographing their prize moment. The night went smoothly except for a few whispers about the graffiti outside.
Nothing of Value was Lost
Behind a counter of an unmarked convenience store, another pack of cigarettes join the countless cartons that have come before it. The spread sheet of stale snack cakes are a long call from the accounting books of the independent bookstore dreams. A customer with white headphones asks her, “Isn’t that flyer outside awful?”
Unaware of the poster’s origin, she answers, “It’s no Warhol.”
At Hot Metal Faith Community building; Hope is sometimes translated to wait, interesting. #
@sdesocio I go to Hot Metal several times a week, and am involved in extra community activities. in reply to sdesocio#
Just picked up the super stapler and zine making material. #
@MarkDykeman I'm a renaissance man. I silk screen / make t-shirts, posters, zines. Also do Social Media, server admin, and journalism. in reply to MarkDykeman#
@sdesocio Just drop by any time. The Sundays are usually filled with theatrical interpretations. in reply to sdesocio#
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