Gregarious

I just got back from the Handsome Furs concert at Brillobox, here in Pittsburgh.  It was an awesome show!  I had so much fun.  The openers, The Cinnamon Band’s drumming and harmonies were great.  They cracked a small joke about being labeled as an “Alt-Country” although I think that’s pretty accurate.

As for the Handsome Furs, they had so much energy and played a fantastic set.  Highlihgts included “Handsome Furs Hate This City,” “Nyet Spasiba” and the finale, “Radio Kaliningrad.”  The crowd was so excited it seemed that the Furs responded with matching energy.  They played their whole set with George Lucas’ first film “THSX 1138″ projected on a screen behind them, which made for a creepy yet entertaining background.  Every now and then, between songs, Dan Boeckner would turn around and hilariously comment on cool scenes in the movie.  Unfortunately, their set ran a little short and the Furs neglected to play some of my favorite tracks: “Thy Will Be Done” and “Cannot Get Started.”  Despite the short set, this was definitely one of the top 5 concerts I’ve ever  been to.

Holy crap!  There has been so much ominous news surrounding the making of this movie but thanks to the tip from NY Magazine’s Vulture blog, the trailer makes me forget all of it!  I love Spike Jonze’s music videos: “Sabotage” by The Beastie Boys, “Weapon of Choice” by Fatboy Slim, and “California” by Wax among dozens of others.  He’s also directed some visually complex and compelling movies like “Being John Malkovich,” “Adaptation” and “Jackass: The Movie” (just kidding on that last one).  Accompanied by one of my favorite Arcade Fire songs, “Wake Up,” this trailer is beyond promising for what is to come in October.

Dieter Rams, designer - Cold War Modern from Victoria and Albert Museum on Vimeo.

I saw this fantastic interview with Dieter Rams on Core77 the other day.  Rams has a lot to say about how he changed the design industry through his work with Braun during the mid 1900’s.  He also briefly speaks about his theory of the Ten Commandments of Design.  I also would like to add how nicely edited this short interview is.

Bathtub IV from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

This is a cool music video for the song “Clementine” by Megan Washington.  It utilizes tiltshift photography, which is a method usually used to make normal scenes look miniature.  The technique is very cool and the song is pretty good, so enjoy!

Last night my friends and I went out for some sushi and ordered Sapporo beer.  My friends were getting on my case because I kept examining the beer cans.  I was really impressed with their design: they were made with thicker aluminum, making them feel heavier and more substantial, even when they were empty.  Also, the way the can tapers at bottom is very nice.  Finally, the brushed finish, combined with the flat edges around the surface made it really nice to touch (in a design-appreciation way, not a creepy way).  So, my hat goes off to Sapporo beer for designing a great beer can.

This is a spread from the sketchbook of “Thumbs O’Neill.”  I am so inspired (and a little envious) of O’Neill’s fantastic drawing style.  I have been struggling for years trying to develop my own, personal illustration style and I’ve grown increasingly frustrated over not being able to find it.  My professors tell me that, as a student, I’m trained to copy what I see.  I have been reassured that the best way to develop my own style is to just keep drawing and one day (after a few years) POOF, I’ll wake up with a drawing style.  But, until then, all I can do is practice… and keep checking O’Neill’s blog for inspiration.

I’m so excited for Gary Hustwit’s next movie to come out!  His first movie “Helvetica” was so well done and extremely interesting (note the use of Helvetica in the movie poster).  In “Objectified,” Jonathan Ives and Karim Rashid, among others, attempt to explain people’s relationships with products and the design that goes into them.  Apparently the movie is currently being featured in film festivals this month and will be opening to the general public soon.  Check out the trailer…

Welcome to “Gregarious.”  I will be using this blog to talk about things that involve/interest/inspire/irritate me.  Some of those things will probably be related to design, illustration, music, movies, comics, and other nerdy interests of mine.

I’m not really sure who will be following this blog (probably v.i.p. family and friends) but it doesn’t really matter because I will be posting here, anyway.