New and Better Photos

Down at Odyssey, some people have put together a nice photo-taking setup--I took advantage today --
As always, everything is for sale.

The plates are a collaborative effort between Beth and me. We'll have much more of this sort of thing in the future....

My friend Carrie helped me so much (not with what is below) by framing all of my paintings about to go up at the Pisgah Brewery. They look fantastic! Thank God for friends and thank God for frames.

Pisgah Brewing and Painting

As of next week, a selection of my paintings will adorn the walls of the Pisgah Brewing Company's tasting room walls.

The Brewing Company is a place that I've only recently discovered (when Sirius.B played there a couple of weeks ago), but it is a great place in Black Mountain, NC. The tasting room (and back area) has a great vibe, the beer is delicious (voted best local brewery in the Mountain Xpress) and the people there are super laid back.

You can read more about the brewery at their website:

pisgahbrewing.com.

Reminder: All art on this site is always for sale. As is the Sirius.B CD (which you can purchase at siriusbmusic.com).

To see some of the paintings that will be on display, click here.


By for now.

FRAMES?

I've been offered a show for my paintings and sculpture at the Pisgah Brewery --

One small problem: I haven't got any frames and the show goes up in a little over a week!

Donations are appreciated! Write me if you're local and you have any old frames (with or without pictures in them already) that you wouldn't mind getting rid of. I'd love to take 'em.

Thanks!

Charlotte

Know anyone in Charlotte with connections to venues? That knows a good band?

Let me know! I'd really appreciate your help.

Work For Sale

All New Bottle Stoppers!
$30

Send an email to panchoromerobond@gmail.com if you are interested.

Get 'em while they're hot!


Stopper #1

Stopper #2SOLD!

Stopper #3

Stopper #4

Stopper #5

Stopper #6

Stopper #7

Stopper #8

Stopper #9

Stopper #10

Stopper #11SOLD!

Stopper #12

Stopper #13

Stopper #14SOLD!

Stopper #15

Stoppers not made yet, will be soon, can still be ordered

Oil and Vinegar Set, $60SOLD!

Valentine's Sushi

My Valentine's Day was relaxing and wonderful. Beth and I spent a lovely day doing very little. We did, however, make the best homemade sushi in our experience. The trick was in the rice. Some pictures follow below -- The best photo of the lot, unfortunately, is also the photo with the piece of fine fiber (hair?) protruding from the sushi roll.

(Note: We made some spicy tuna. It was easy as hell, delicious, and super authentic tasting. My recipe -- Sriracha and Mayo with some fresh sushi-grade tuna, all chopped up)

The Count, Censored

This is great. The original song is great, and I love this ingenious addition/subtraction.

It is so good, in fact, that I wonder to what extent the writers of the song actually had something like this in mind. (Sorry to be so deliberately vague, but I don't want to give it all away).

A Gypsy, a Jew, and You!

So my new band (a side project, not a replacement project) has played a number of times recently. The band is made up of Lauren Baker and I. Lauren is primarily playing the accordion and singing, while I sing and play guitar. We call ourselves--temporarily--A Gypsy & A Jew.

The band was formed late one night, when, bellies filled with hummus and wine, Lauren and I began singing for all those at Beth's house that would listen. Everyone seemed to enjoy the music. Lauren (the Jew) came up with the name and we started working on a set list. Since then, we've opened up twice for Sirius.B and have played one show on our own at the recent artists' reception at Odyssey Studios (where I also had a piece in the gallery).

The show was a rousing success, and really energizing to me musically. Sirius.B is wonderful to play with, but there is also a part of me that thrives on a more organic, acoustic, vocally-driven music. It is also nice to be somewhat less-practiced, more raw perhaps (or certainly). We were able to ask members of the audience and our friends to come up and join us, which they did with great skill and musicality. Beth, Evan, and new friends Adam and Jacob all joined Lauren and me with their varied rhythm instruments (coolers, buckets, shakers). The crowd joined us with their stomping, hooting, and frenzied hollering. Noted artist and media darling Jonas Gerard even started up a circle dance during one of our tunes.

In all, it was a wonderful, fun, exciting show for us to play.

I have only one problem. I don't like the band name at all. At first, it seemed cute, and though I quickly tired of it, people seemed amused and intrigued. I'm now, however, quite sure that I don't like the name, and I don't feel good about being the gypsy (since I'm not a gypsy) of the group. Nor do I relish saying the "Jew" part all the time, for though the term is not at all offensive (or shouldn't be at least), I fear that some people might think it offensive somehow.

So, I'm working on a name change. Any ideas? A prize goes to whoever (if anyone) comes up with the name we end up choosing.

Hopefully we'll record some of our stuff soon, and as our setlist grows, we'll be able to play longer and more official shows. Until then, we rock a mean party, private or otherwise, and we're always available (unless we're not) for a chance to share and create music with everyone/anyone.

So be in touch, and stay tuned.

Help with Shows?

This post is primarily directed at people in the Southeastern United States, though it is also directed at people anywhere who know people in the Southeastern United States.

My band, Sirius.B, is currently booking Spring and Summer dates. We are at the moment looking to fill various dates in April and one or two in March. You can hear our music, if you haven't yet, at www.siriusbmusic.com.

Basically, I'm just throwing this information out there as a means of luck-based networking. If you know someone, or you are someone, that would enjoy playing music with us (within 5 or 6 hrs. of Asheville) on a weekend date, let me know.

Thanks!

Plasticky

Can you believe that people like this really exist? LA must be a crazy place.

Heads

Caveat: These pictures kind of suck.

In my defense, today my bottle stopper bases arrived and I was finally able to assemble more head stoppers. I assembled and quickly photographed, but I was in a rush and the light was terrible. But, dear hypothetical readers, I wanted to share with you all a sense of my joy and show you the bizarre scene that is my area in the studio.

And so, enjoy a few crap pictures. Better ones to follow soon.

FaceBook?

When did Facebook become so damn ubiquitous? All of a sudden everyone I know has a page.

Mom? Dad? Uncle Chuck?

I've got no problem with it all, I just find it so bizarre. It strikes me as odd that I, a 29 year old, have a Facebook page. And, to be honest, I haven't really figured out the reason that I have one. Maybe living in the mountains I have lost the parts of my soul that understand social networking? Maybe I just don't spend enough hours in front of the computer these days? I don't know. It's a mystery to me.

I have, indeed, been quite busy, and spending time before the computer has been a rare activity these days. Seems like not so long ago, I somehow found the time to waste on watching online television (thus making my pride for not owning a TV completely absurd), knocking out entire seasons of favorite shows with a pugilistic excellence that would have impressed Ali himself.

All that seems a thing of the past since I started working four jobs or so and trying to find the time to learn the skills necessary to actually call myself a potter. I've been practicing my wheel-throwing skills, which are improving rapidly. Last night I threw with porcelain for the first time, which was delicious. It felt and looked exactly like it would feel to throw cream cheese. I don't think it would have tasted as good though.

If it had tasted good, I'd still be snacking now, since my less than neat throwing style generally results in the creation of clay deposits in the least likely of places. (Perhaps not quite as unlikely or interesting as you're thinking....though I've generally got some clay in my ears, on my nose, and currently there is a nice chunk stuck to my spectacles).

I've also been spending a great deal of time on my bottle-stopper heads. I finally found a wholesale distributor for the necessary hardware, thus ensuring a constant supply of the product. (Which is always for sale -- 30 buckaroos with shipping. Every piece is unique. Every piece is guaranteed to make you chuckle every time your seal or unseal a bottle of whatever it is you've got. They make great gifts too...)

I'll put pictures of the new pieces up soon.

Oh, and check out my new business cards. Enjoy 'em:

The Peeler

Apparently, the really cool old English guy that sold the vegetable peelers in Union Square (NYC) has died. If you have ever seen him, you know who I'm talking about.

'Tis a sad day. He was awesome.

Read about him here

Lego Art

I just saw this in the NY Times and thought that I'd share it. Enjoy!

Christopher Niemann

Gallery Show

Some of my recent pottery work (which, I guess, it all is) will be on display at the following show. You can, in fact, see my bottle stoppers in the foreground of this picture (it's the photo for the postcards).

My new musical side project (still nascent stages), temporarily named "A Gypsy and a Jew" will provide the music for the evening. Lauren Baker is the Hebraic half of the group, and is an extremely talented vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. It should be a great time.

If you're local, be sure to come out and enjoy some wine and nice work by local artists.