Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Fun and cool video. Shot down in the French Quarter, performed by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band featuring Clint Maedgen on vocals. I haven't been going down to the Quarter to juggle in the past couple of months due to the somewhat oppressive heat. After seeing this video, I plan to go down again soon to street perform. It's a privilege to be part of the F.Q. scene.

CRUDE

Here it is. Much thanks to my friend Russell for the many hours invested in this project. In the middle of production, he received a call to help out on the special effects for a low budget ghost movie. That gig payed, Binge didn't. Russell still managed to work on both projects.

So here is the first real animated BiNGE project. It was a learning experience for the both of us.

Coming soon to a computer near you..

starring

A guy who worked on a film with
BRUCE WILLIS

and he worked as a background extra on a show starring
JOHN GOODMAN

the other guy worked with a director who worked with
LINDSAY LOHAN

Probably in July 2010 the latest BiNGE animation. My co-conspirator Russell is putting all of the pieces together between naps. I just saw the opening sequence, totally different from what I would have done. It was great, I like to have a collaborative effort with others. I hope none of you will be disappointed with the two minute epic.

Bad Decisions

Bad decisions, nothing will make me laugh out loud when I'm by myself more than when I think about all of the bad decisions I have made. Bad decisions when it came to money. Bad decisions of who I associated myself with. Bad decisions of careers. Bad decisions.

I decided to change my life and reinvent myself to be one who makes the right choices when I moved. I moved from Jersey to ground zero of the world's worst ecological disaster a month before it happens. Good decision. Really, I love this city, love these people. I made the right decision. My friend in Seattle said. "Wow, you had to move front row center to the end of the world." "Yea, New Orleans has been chosen to be the host city of the Apocolypse, that's cooler than the Olympics."


In the past three months I have been homeless sleeping in a car, I've rubbed elbows with TV stars. I got to be a twelve foot high Jester leading a parade down Bourbon Street. I've gotten to be a street performer in the French Quarter. I've smoked up with Asian gang members. I had U.S. Marshals point weapons at me, handcuff me and run me down to Orleans Parish Prison. I've walked the same streets as pirates, artists and musicians have for hundreds of years. I've made great friends. Like Waffle and Dr Maad.


Moving to New Orleans, the best decision I ever made.

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Hey Crablady

Someday, my now 13 year old daughter will be tearing up Bourbon Street with her rowdy college girlfriends. When they say how cool Bourbon Street is, Laura can turn and say "My Dad led a parade down Bourbon as a twelve foot tall Jester back in '10." I thought I would be bringing up the rear, nope. They put me on the point with a brass band behind me.

There was a large group of cardiologists in town for a convention. My employer was contacted for some revelers and a big head for a promotional event. I was given a big head job...wait, that doesn't sound right. Paid to do head... given money for head.


Anyway, I was a juggling reveler in the beginning at the convention at a sweet old downtown hotel. The Roosevelt. Classy and grand. When another reveler named Steve and myself walked in dressed like we were, people spun and looked at us in awe. It was like the Joker had just taken over the Gothem City Hilton.


On the way over to the job, I heard someone say the words "Yea, the crab lady will be there." I'm thinking, "Nice, she sounds like a keeper. Even though it's been a while, don't introduce me." Actually she was a crawfish. The hottest most drop dead gorgeous crawfish I have ever seen. Very sweet girl. I'm not sure, but I think I now have a fetish for women dressed as crustaceans. Pretty much rounds off my list of weird thoughts. The girl dressed as a gator was smoking hot too. I digress.


All of the convention attendees were treated to marching in a parade down Bourbon Street. Complete with brass band, permits and a police escort. I almost knocked a cop off of his scooter when he stopped short in front of me on Canal Street. I wasn't scared of the cop, I was at least six feet taller than him.

As soon as we started, people lined up, snapping pictures. Behind me the band wailed out some Jazz classics, Steve danced with some Doctor's drunk wife and Crablady flung beads. Strippers were coming out of the clubs to see what was going on. Down the middle of Bourbon with two police escorts, navigating by neon signs, sweating my ass off. It paid a week's rent and was a blast. I'll see if I can get hold of some pics from tonight's parade.



So, what did you guys up in Jersey do today at work?

How's the weather?

When I left Jersey there was lots of days filled with drizzle. Day after day of annoying light rain. For the past two months or so down here mostly sunny and humid. Natives keep warning me of the summer to come. That's what weeds outs visitors from those who stay. Back in NJ I always dressed as if it was ten degrees colder than it was. Long johns when it was 50 degrees out, long sleeves when it was 70. My passengers would bitch because I seldom turned the air conditioner on in my cab during the summer. Of course they usually were 100 pounds over weight and had been drinking heavily for six hours.

Today rain, lots of hard driving rain blowing sideways with non stop thunder. Storms that creep in dump a ridiculous amount of water then roll off leaving things steamy and more humid. Every morning I crawl out to the deck with cigarettes, coffee and shades just to sit there in the sun like a reptile starting it's day. 8 am, 80 degrees and humid.

Predictions from the TV meteorologist seem to point to a very active Hurricane season. To make matters worse, a severe storm will push the oil slick far inland, perhaps into Lake Pontchartrain. The churning storm waters of the Gulf combined with high winds might send some of the oil airborne. This of course will coat everything inland with a thin slimy coat of crude oil.

Locals are angry, but resigned to this. Being the oldest city in America they roll with any punch that hits them. Four nations have flown flags over New Orleans, countless floods, wars, hurricanes have given this town the "F*ck it, let's party tonight, tomorrow we die" attitude. Most people I have met said they will not evacuate again. I can't say what I will do, probably face the Apocalyptic summer with a Hurricane in hand laughing because it still is better than New Jersey.

Butt Freaks From Outer Space

A video slide show of the story board art from Butt Freaks From Outer Space. I first had this idea last summer. Originally written as an animation project, it is now intended for low budget indy. I looked into costs for a high quality animation, about $3,500 per minute. I refuse to even pay that much for sex. So a live action film will be the cheapest way to go on this script. I have heard first hand how even crummy no budget films get scooped up by distributors for $20,000 to $30,000. It's the leading industry down here right now, why not try to jump on board?


Kind of a 1950's B monster movie meets 1970's exploitation meets parody. A disillusioned man in black rescues porn stars from a butt raping alien named Earl Grey. Romantic comedy.

Here is the YOUTUBE version because of copyright stuff. This was the best song I could get for nothing. Actually, I kind of dig this song on the video. Puts a different spin on the story.

Thanks George...

I am pleased to report that some one at the top must have gotten wind from somewhere and our meal was much better today. We ate with the cast & crew.

We received calls from the casting company on Friday for work on Monday and Wednesday of this week. Saturday I was contacted by a different casting company looking for extras to work on the film "Green Lantern" for about five days this week. That would've been more lucrative, but I stuck with my commitment on Memphis Beat. I overheard several other background extras make the same comment.



Monday we pissed and moaned about the quality of food served to us at lunch. Yes, we are only extras which places us in the category of cattle. The extra wranglers were cool and the day went well. This morning in the holding room you couldn't find craft services with a Geiger counter. My buddy and I went down the catering truck with a sign on it "Cast crew only, Extras go to holding" What's next, segregated drinking fountains for extras and crew? We grabbed our coffee from the catering truck, who's going to argue with two bad ass cowboys. Ok, one bad ass cowboy and an Amish dude.

On the walk back to holding, a homeless junky saw our hats and took us for easy out of town marks. "I haven't eaten in two days, can you spare seventy five cent so I can get a burger?" In unison, my buddy and I pointed back to the catering truck. "Go up to that truck, they'll feed you for free." "Yea, just tell them you're a production assistant." An hour later crafty showed up in the holding room with coffee and snacks. When lunch came around, we were herded into the same dining area as the crew. The food that was left was great.



Like any job, you have coworkers who whine and bitch all day. "It's too hot, we've been waiting for hours, when's lunch?" Shut up, it's the easiest most fun job you'll probably ever do. Be on your mark, do what you're told and shut up so the rest of us can hear the director. Where else can you go to work and be dressed up like a cowboy, a cop or a criminal and be fed?

Two months of cartoons in two minutes

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Slide show of all of the cartoons that I have drawn since arriving in New Orleans. BP oil spill, looking for work on Bourbon Street, working as a background extra on films, being arrested by US Marshals in a case of mistaken identity.

Across the river from Algiers

About a month after I came into New Orleans, I found myself across the river in Algiers. This is where Mardi Gras starts. The floats and the performers reside here the rest of the year. A mellow, diverse suburb of NOLA, still considered to be New Orleans. I took these photos while out for a walk on a muggy afternoon.

Mr. & Mrs. Roper

Ocassionally you will read in these blogs about my new landlords. Ocassionally they visit this blog. Very private people, very much the artists. I have seen that it is possible to live an artist's life. It's not easy, it takes many talents. I can't tell you much more about them. However, at times I think about one of my all time favorite movies.


Ok,it's not quite this bad.

My respect for this city

In the past six weeks I have spoken to many New Orleans residents who were here during Katrina. Everyone has a story worthy of a TV movie. Chilling first hand accounts that most Americans couldn't imagine happening in their towns and cities. One man spoke of returning into the city early on and being involved in the clean up. Streets littered with debris and corpses of pets. A woman who took her own life rather than to leave her pet dog behind. He assisted with the logistics of removal of unimaginable amounts of refuge. Landfills just for building debris, appliances, trees and another just for autos. Waffle told about street after street being lined with refrigerators. After the power has been out for several weeks, you don't even want to open up the fridge. In true NOLA fashion, people were going down the streets and painting artwork on the curbside appliances that may still be there for months. Here is the Walmart that I now do my shopping in.


I have heard stories from both sides. Accounts of executions by police or vigilantes. Accounts of looting and pillaging for weeks afterwards. So many neighborhoods are still scarred or missing entirely. The scars are more than building materials, there is an ugly racial tension in NOLA. A hostilely and anger that I never sensed in the most diverse areas of New Jersey. NOLA is a very divided city, and was prior to the storm. Events of the aftermath just galvanized sides. Regardless of personal political views, what you see in the mirror will determine what side of the line you are placed.

Each side will have a different spin on events and tragedies from the storm. I'm sure the truth falls somewhere in the middle of the accounts

What I did today @ work

If visiting the French Quarter, stop by Royal and Toulouse Street
I was having a great day until I dropped one of my balls into the gutter. Wouldn't be first time.

Feret Street Fair.

Every weekend New Orleans has something going on, festivals, concerts, street fairs or disasters. This weekend was a small street fair at this end of town. Not a fashionable street by any means, but lots of good people. Food, today was the first time I spent money on food since getting into town. I almost went for the Catfish & fries, but the fries looked like just frozen supermarket fries. I went for three soft tacos for $5."> A couple of live bands played, on any given day you can find a Dixie Jazz band playing outside for free. Down here at street fairs and festivals they have Smoke Shop vendors. I could never see that in Jersey. As soon as you bought something there would be a Jersey cop behind you to bust you for "Possession of paraphernalia." In NOLA you could ask a cop for directions to the nearest head shop.

New Orleans week one

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Slide show of photos I've taken since in New Orleans.