The Regenerate Degenerate

i love girls, girls, girls, girls...

2011-03-06T16:36:00.001-08:00

surf's up dude

2011-02-17T21:50:00.001-08:00

These guys turned out to be a lot cooler that I expected.

2010-05-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

Laser Crystal: Josh Johannpeter, Nicholas Read, and Mikale De Graff

It was Mikale's idea to burn the bike. I had set up another shot at the studio but onece we started talking it was clear the this the right way to go.

read the column it ran with: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/lazer-crystal-mikale-de-graff-nicholas-read-mcmlxxx-nineteen-eighty-thousand/Content?oid=1743501

I wish it was this time of year again.

2010-02-02T18:46:00.001-08:00

click to see it big. it looks better.

Oh Shit. I'm really bad at this.

2010-01-21T23:32:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't kept up. If you're still around, check out these selections that ran in The Chicago Reader last year.

The Ponys
Read: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-ponys-ride-again/Content?oid=1222996

Trouble in Mind Records - Bill and Lisa Roe of Cococoma
Read:http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/fall-arts-guide-2009-people-to-watch-bill-and-lisa-roe/Content?oid=1185231

Ersin the Turk
Read: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/how-do-you-say-superfan-in-turkish/Content?oid=1205100

My boy and yours, Chrissy Murderbot
Read: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/dance-music-in-his-dna/Content?oid=1180673

Naladge, from Hip Hop's The Kids in the Hall... Not television's
Read: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/new-school-mind-old-school-grind/Content?oid=1155445

The Golden Birthday
Read: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/neoprimitive-pop/Content?oid=1103916

it takes a VILLAGE

2009-08-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

Village: More to come

Village, Minimal Animal. Check it:

http://www.myspace.com/villagegroup
http://www.reverbnation.com/villagegroup

not much to say

2009-04-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

I've been working on some new lighting that I really like. Let me know what you think.

Jason Stein, Bass Clarinet Player

Wrack, Led by Kyle Bruckman

Overlooked Hotel

2009-02-03T09:37:00.000-08:00

One morning this summer I got a phone call from Scott Masson asking if I would be interested in working on album art for the OFFICE record that was slated for release sometime in early autumn '08. My response, of course, was "HELL YEAH!" Scott, and Tom Smith who played guitar in the and at the time, were (still are) both good friends of mine and I couldn't wait to jump at the chance to work with them. We set out planning a series of elaborate shots to take place in a hotel room/ballroom/rooftop at the Congress Hotel. The congress was built right after the Great Fire and held all the Shining-esque, haunted charm of a Hotel that old. After countless hours of scouting and planning and about a week before the shoot date The Congress, in their much talked about dickheadish-ness, doubled the rate and asked that I carry an insurnace policy so huge that the premiums would have bankruped me. That part of the shoot was off... (read more about why the Congress Hotel sucks here: JERKS

The second phase of the shoot involved the 4 core band members making their escape in canoes on the Chicago river. This concept was first put into my head my Mannequin Men drummer (and friend) Seth Bohn, months earlier when we were discussing concepts for MM promo shots. The concept was never used and fell to the back of my mind. Then during a "brain storm" session on the lanai Tom said "Wouldn't it be cool if we were paddling away from the locks in canoes?" without any knowledge of Bohn's original idea. I consulted with Seth and he gave me permission to use the concept. Tom and I researched the river taking a 6 mile canoe trip from where the river crosses Belmont down to Dearborn street and back. Then with guidance from Canoe Guide Jack Snarr (who was also the former Dean of Admissions for Northwestern Medical), crucial assistance from Photographer Eddie P (www.eddiep.net), and Molly Marcucci (www.littlemollycake.com) we set out to make the shoot.

Unfortunately at the end of 2008 the record had still not been released and the former line-up of the band disbanded. Leaving only Masson working under the OFFICE moniker. Tracks were removed from the working copy that I had been listening to through the whole process and the album, now titled Mecca, was released independently and for free download and with new artwork by Scott. It was truely a bummer for me to see the album released without the art we all worked so hard on but I guess thats just business. Scott and Tom both continue to write music and make art, just not together.

you can download Mecca here:
http://www.last.fm/music/Office/Mecca

Time Machine Engage...

2008-12-08T21:35:00.000-08:00

I was looking at these Mannequin Men photos that Hacker and I worked on and felt like sharing. It's still some of my favorite of my own work. You can see more of them on flickr.

I jacked the concept or rather was drew inspiration from a photo in the Mudhoney, Superfuzz/Bigmuff album.

They ended up using them on their Private Schools/Sewers 7" that came out on Criminal IQ records in summer 2007 and one ran in the Reader in the Sharp Darts column.

i need to learn how to spell squirrel...

2008-12-03T15:13:00.000-08:00

Merry Fucking Christmas!!!

2008-11-26T11:11:00.001-08:00

Last week I got a chance to take part in the only Christmas tradition that I really give a shit about, Snow Angels... Dan had originally asked me if I was interested in working on a promo a few months back at the Mannequin Men session where we recorded the sing-a-long choruses for Us and All Our Friends... I, of course, had a bunch of ideas already in mind. I was actually planning to solicit them to do a shoot this year anyway, so I thought it was really fucking cool when he asked. My original big idea was to have the guys playing at a party for a big group mall Santas, but that proved a bit too hard to orchestrate... maybe next year. Anyway, this is what we came up with and although this is not a final version, I already love it. Hope you enjoy it too. Also, thanks a lot to Emily Dunn, Sara Jean Stevens, Caitlin Kerr, Eddie P, and Sara's pup Piper for doing all of the real work. I think that sexy canine has got a big career in dog modeling.

Happy Holidays!

Dirty

Rochester NY,

2008-09-30T05:42:00.000-07:00

this is the photo booth at the eastman house.

the cats and me...

2008-06-05T06:54:00.000-07:00

these are the cats:

and this is me: