Mightyjoecastro.com

Post #991 – Vote for the Slingluff Gallery

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:38:12 +0000

Hey loyal readers – do a brother a quick favor and take 5 quick seconds to vote for the Slingluff Gallery for Best Art Gallery in Philadelphia. Why? Because it is, homeboy. They’ve been bringing some really great artists to Philly over the last few years, including Jon Carling, Julian Duron, Bigfoot, Jason Adams, Mike Egan, Ed Trask and will be doing shows with Dave Delany, Russell Shoemaker, and Andy Jenkins in the next few months. Plus, they’re tight with Smokin’ Joe Frazier, and you wouldn’t want to piss that guy off, right? And did I mention that I have a show coming up there this October? So, yeah, I’m biased for sure but the spot is rad. So please vote here!

Post #990 – No One Will Ever Believe You…

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 04:22:42 +0000

There’s been this odd urban myth that Bill Murray likes to walk up behind random strangers in NYC, put his hands over their eyes and say “guess who?” When they turn around and see him, he says “No one will ever believe you,” then disappears as quickly as he showed up. Not sure if that one’s true or not, and Bill’s not confirming nor denying it, but much like the existence of ghosts, vampires, Bigfoot or little men from outer space, life’s a little more exciting if you believe it’s true.

Anyway, here’s a rare and rad interview with the legend himself. The guy’s a total inspiration and a comic genius. Shame on the academy for never giving Bill Murray an Oscar. And if you’ve never seen Quick Change, you’re totally blowing it.

Post #989 – The Dawn or My Appeal

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:58:37 +0000

I finished another new painting recently, for my October show at the Slingluff Gallery in Philadelphia this October. This one’s called The Dawn Or My Appeal and is 16″ x 8″, oil on canvas. Click the thumbnail for the bigger picture.

Post #988 – Science Skateboards

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 01:12:15 +0000

The good folks over at Science Skateboards recently dropped a trio of sick board graphics as part of their artist series, featuring designs by Steve Harrington, Matthew Green and Chris Morgan. Science is a full-on, skater-owned, independent brand out of the UK, now in their 5th year, and it looks like they’ve got a great thing going on. I’m presonally partial to the Curtis Mayfield graphic -’cause you gotta dig Curtis Mayfield – but all three are solid. Refreshing to see something new and different out there. Anyway, I dont think they’re available in shops stateside yet, but you can order them online here.

Post #987 – One Way Or Another

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 15:25:05 +0000

I’m super stoked and honored to be a part of the latest We Are The Contributors benefit. This year, instead of bidding on art that’s already been created, you will be able to “purchase the artist’s time” so they can turn a blank maple skateboard into a custom piece of art, which, in my opinion, is a pretty cool idea. There are some pretty amazing artists in the line-up, and, at $150 per custom board, it’s definitely a steal. But you only have until August 15 to place you order, and I know there’s a limit on how many people can buy time from each artist, so don’t sleep on this one. Plus money raised from the event will go toward providing skateboards to at-risk youth who can’t afford them in Canada, so you can feel good about that as well and earn some bonus karma points. Check out all the participating artists here. Special thanks to society6, clubmumble and all the curators for having me involved. Get the full scoop and artist list below:

ABOUT “ONE WAY OR ANOTHER”
We’ve teamed up with Society6 and Club Mumble to curate our second art show in support of
Contributor. Building on the success of last year’s group show, “One Way Or Another” plays upon the personal nature of a skateboard. Things like how you grip your board, how loose your trucks are, and heck, how you know that the size of your wheels down to the slightest of millimeters will
make the hugest difference. In the end, this little wooden toy seems to be made just for you.

Combining an open call at Society6 and a group of specially invited guests (curated by Andy Jenkins, Bob Kronbauer, Sandro Grison, Justin Cooper, Mike Giles & Annie Lam), we have selected over 40 artists/collectives from around the world to create original artwork on full-size blank maple decks. These specially made boards will be sold at our online shop, with all the proceeds going directly back to getting skateboards to kids across Canada.

What makes this project unique is that rather than people buying a already finished piece of artwork, their purchase will commission an artist/studio to make a board especially for them, so when it arrives, it’s an awesome surprise – kind of like a familiar chocolate with a hidden tasty centre!

ART SALE INFO
To see full listing of artists, please visit www.wearecontributors.com
* Sale continues from July 8 to August 15, 2010
Online shop can be accessed directly at www.wearecontributors.bigcartel.com

ARTIST LISTING
Alain Cheung
Allister Lee
Amber B Dianda
Andrew Schansberg
Anthony Smith
Aurelie Grand
Bob Haro
Bombo
Chad Vangaalen
Chris Piascik
Daniel Rossi
David Ko
Don Pendleton
Emilio Santoyo
Emory Allen
Evan Melnyk
Jason C Arnold
Jess Fogel
Joe Castro
Joe Van Wetering
Jordan Crane
Keith Scharwath
Kelly Litzenberger
Lydia Nichols
Maurizio Santucci
Max Erds
Michael Sieben
Mike Perry
Pete Panciera
Porous Walker
Randy Laybourne
Roger Allen
Rollout
Rory Doyle
Steph Walker
Steve Cabellero
Tim Barnard
Todd Francis
Todd St. John
Tony Larson
Travis Millard
Tyson Bodnarchuk
UPSO
Wade Mickley
Will Bryant

Post #986 – this vacuum cleans records!

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:22:08 +0000

Been digging through a very dusty box of rare 45s from the 50s & 60s, looking for a few diamonds in the rough for an upcoming podcast – and in researching the most effective way to clean vinyl, I came across the VPI vacuum record cleaning machine. Not to sound too much like a total music geek but that thing is soooo sweet and I would love to get my hands on one. So, if anyone out there in the vast corners of cyberspace either works for VPI or, out of the extreme generosity of your over-sized heart, would like to donate one to the cause, please let me know. I have no problem with putting a little “This podcast is brought to you by VPI Industries, manufacturers of such fine products as the HW-17 Professional Record Cleaning Machine” etc, etc at the beginning of each podcast. I’ll even get Nick P. to read the sponsor line like it’s a radio commercial from the 40s. Hey, it never hurts to just put it out there, right?

And for everyone who was interested in the She & Him posters, I just sold out of my stock. But stay tuned – I may be able to dig a few up from the screen printers archives. Thanks.

Post #985 – notes from the weekend

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:39:39 +0000

Thanks to everyone for the kind words on the She & Him poster – if you’re interested in one, I still have a few for sale on my etsy store. But get one quick because they’re selling fast and once they’re gone, they’re gone. Here’s the link.

The show, by the way, was great – She & Him threw down a solid set, playing most of the songs from their two albums, and closing with an amazing cover of Chuck Berry’s Roll Over Beethovan, with M. Ward taking the lead on vocals and the whole band just fully rocking out. A nice surprise – not many bands can do old rock-n-roll tunes justice without just turning them into punk anthems. And Zooey’s voice is just as strong live and it is on record, and the backing band and singers were all on point. Definitely worth checking out live. You can check out some photos from the show here.

Finally watched It Might Get Loud over the weekend, which, as a guitar player, was really, really inspiring. There’s nothing like watching Jimmy Page throw on a 45 of Link Ray’s Rumble and revert into a smiling, excited little boy right in front of the camera. I really enjoyed the Jack White segments – just his whole attitude and approach to the guitar is right in line with my way of thinking. It’s worth just watching the intro to see him build that homemade guitar. And the footage of the Edge is golden as always. A great film.

Post #984 – She & Him poster

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 04:13:39 +0000

I’m a big fan of She & Him, so I was stoked when I got the chance to design the poster for their July 2 show at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia. If you’re unfamiliar with the band, She & Him is a collaboration between actress Zooey Daschenel and the multi-talented musician M. Ward, who’s made a name for himself both as a successful solo artist as well as a member of the Monsters of Folk. They recently released their excellent second album, Volume II, which is worth checking out if you’re a fan of summery 60’s style pop music with a little Patsy Cline thrown in for good measure. A solid summer album for sure.

The print measures 19? x 25? and is a 3 color screen print on 130lb Mint Green French paper cover stock, printed by ABNRML. The prints were limited to a run of 100, and will be available for purchase tonight at the show. If you can’t make it out, I do have a few extras that will available for purchase via etsy. Click here for more info.

Post # 983 – Something to be Proud Of (the Delaware Music podcast)

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:52:02 +0000

The idea of doing a Delaware Music podcast has been in the back of my mind ever since I started transferring my collection of old 7 inch vinyl to digital. I thought it would be a shame if this music got lost because, even though most of these bands never really broke through nationally, or sold a million records, the songs here meant a lot to me growing up, and they meant a lot to the hundreds of kids who came out to see these bands over and over again in the local church halls and school gymnasiums. They’re a part of our youth and our history, and that’s something worth savoring and sharing, no matter how corny you think that sounds. And, if you’re not from Delaware, I hope I can turn you on to some great music. There’s something on here for everyone, I’m sure.

Overall, most the tracks on this collection are from the early to mid-90s, when I spent most of my time hanging out in Newark, playing shows and seeing bands, but I did include a few from the past decade as well. In no way am I claiming this to be the end-all, be-all documentation of the music scene or Delaware’s Greatest Hits or anything silly like that. Unfortunately, there are many, many bands that I originally planned to include in this podcast but didn’t because I either couldn’t track down the tunes or was trying to keep this beast under an hour. These are just some of my personal favorites – much respect to all the artists included here.

And finally, this podcast is dedicated with love and respect to Art Callahan, former owner of the Barn Door, who gave many of these bands their first shows as well as a second home. Thanks for the support and the good times, Art.

So here’s Something to be Proud of - the Delaware Music podcast – enjoy!

Post #982 – CAC Members Show

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 21:02:10 +0000

I have a painting in the upcoming members show at the Community Arts Center in Wallingford, PA. – the opening reception is this Sunday, June 27, from 2-4pm so stop by if you’re in the area and take advantage of the air conditioning. Seriously though – the CAC is a great organization with an killer exhibit space in a beautiful old stone building, surrounded by woods and garden . Definitely worth checking out for sure.

Sorry for the delay in posting but we’ve had some minor technical difficulties. Heads up though – new Podcast coming in hot on Monday. Word.