Antrim Dells

The band is Antrim Dells and they are new to me and new to town as far as I know. Built around songster Jacob Bullard who has come down from Northern Michigan to join the simmering Grand Rapids music scene. There music is quiet and intense at the same time.  They will be in our show at The Establishment June 7th along with Gifts Or Crreatures.

Wealthy Orphans With Gifts Or Creatures

"I'm continually moved by the human experience," he said. "Inventions, urban and rural spaces, theology, people and places - they all color and inspire my writing. Some are a figment of a memory, some slightly fictitious, some actual truth. They are a sort of people's history from where I stand."

These are the the words of Branden Foote of Gifts or Creatures.  This is a Husband and Wife duo from Lansing who we met at the Grass Fire Festival last year.  They are wonderful and their music is thoughtful and creative.  They will be joining the Wealthy Orphans for a show at The Establsihment Thursday night June 7th in Grand Rapids MI.

This is the event on facebook.

On The Road

I would be hard pressed to think of a book that has made a deeper impression on me in my youth.  I was 22 and is was the summer of 1982.  I remember sitting on the curb of a building on Lake Drive long since torn down, reading On The Road while my laundry spun dry.  I really loved that book and the characters who were living their lives like "roman candles in the sky".  I have been living my life on fire ever since.

Becoming What We Eat

There is a tremendous amount of food every week that goes from our kitchen to our dining room table.  We have an unusual situation in that all seven of us are home most of the day, every day. With the exception of breakfast, we eat all of our meals together as a family. We spend about $1,200.00 on food every month. We also use food we grow on our micro urban farm as much as possible. We have the remainder of a rhubarb crisp on the kitchen counter.  The rhubarb we grew here.

We make an effort to purchase organic locally grown food as much as possible. We choose to shop at our neighborhood grocery store and the farmers market. We do not have a car to drive out to the big box stores where the food is less expensive and besides we do not see a future in those stores. Those stores do not have a good vibe and force people to use their cars.  Our farmers market is right in our neighborhood and is one of our favorite places in the whole city.

Good food prepared with love and attention to detail.  This kind of cooking takes time but it is time well spent because we are literally made out of the food we eat.  We are after all becoming what we eat

Craftsmanship A Religion

In this film we have a portrait of Tom Sachs, an artist who takes work and the making of things into high art.  His love and devotion to the process of work itself reminds me of the Shakers.  There is and incredible degree of craftsmanship that is carried through each of his projects.  He is also an artist who does well working with a team of builders that he employs to realize his unique vision. 

I need a steady diet of artist portraits like this to keep me motivated and on track with my own peculiar trajectory in this world.  Please share with us any visionary individuals you think we should know about. Thank you.