Timber!

When my daughter Chloe was first born, I rarely slept. I will never forget one night, this was 2002, when I was up at 4 a.m. feeding her. I started flipping the channels because it was obvious it was not going to be a quick one. 

I fell in love that night. Justin Timberlake's making-of-the-album thing was on MTV about his first big solo album. I was not of the N'Sync generation. But ever since that I have been inexplicably mesmerized by JT.

Justin Timberlake, sir, you have brought sexy back again and threw in Jimmy Fallon for the ride.

Click below to watch a clip of Timberlake and Fallon doing a hip-hop medley backed by the Roots.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/30/timberlake-fallon-history-rap_n_744931.html

And now Chloe wants to perform Eminem's "My Name Is" in the school talent show. Now I get to have that conversation. 

The Sublime Machine

It’s not unusual to see Bud Gaugh’s young daughter bopping along with the music stage right, wearing headphones during a Sublime with Rome concert. “It’s totally a different world touring now than before and with the responsibilities,” Gaugh says. “It’s a blessing to be coherent and responsible.”

A couple of weeks ago I interviewed the remaining members of Sublime and their new singer, Rome Ramirez.  Their debauchery and recklessness before and after singer Bradley Nowell's heroin overdose are legendary.

These days, Wilson is more pragmatic, approaching the band as a business. “We’re not a fiasco like we used to be,” Wilson says. “I’m not really into sleeping on people’s floors, you know? But as far as the music, we sound a lot like we did back then.”

“I didn’t really grieve properly after Brad’s death,” Gaugh agrees. “It took some time to do it." Nearly two decades and 12 or so steps.

Nowell's sneakers were not easy to fill, and some people would like to see the band only in their memory. But for many, they never even got to see Sublime because by the time the band's big breakthrough happened, Nowell was gone.

Gaugh faces the criticism head on. When a sound guy he worked with through his band Del Mar expressed reluctance to give Sublime with Rome a chance, Gaugh listened. The guy told Gaugh straight out that he felt replacing Nowell was wrong.

“I told him, ‘Well, I just want you to follow the music,’” Gaugh recalls. He convinced Soundman to give it a shot before passing judgment, giving him a ticket to a show and a promise that afterward they would discuss it reasonably. “Just let the music speak for itself,” Gaugh said.

Soundman is now a fan. “People really identify with the music,” says Gaugh, adding the songs are so iconic it's hard to retain ownership. “They cling onto it like it’s their own.” There is a sense of possession and entitlement, he says. “It’s about our lives and their lives.”

As for the reluctance of some Sublime fans, Ramirez takes it all in stride. “I could go online and read about me all day long, or I could read about Paris Hilton or Barack Obama," he says. "There is always something people are looking to talk shit about. But we’ve had a really positive momentum.”

Here the article I wrote about Sublime with Rome that came out today in the first issue of the new alternative newsweekly, City Beat Long Beach:

Sublime with Rome is still doin’ time as this city’s most famous musical exports

By Arrissia Owen Turner

Other than Snoop and Dre, there aren’t many musicians or rappers who repped Long Beach as hard as Sublime during the last few decades.

Out of all five of the people on that list, only bassist Eric Wilson still resides within cabbing distance of Fern’s on Fourth Street and the neighborhoods where backyard parties spawned the “Summertime” savants.

Bradley Nowell died of a heroin overdose on May 25, 1996, in San Francisco while on tour. He was 28. With Nowell gone, the band came to an abrupt end just two months before their self-titled major label debut.

Sublime was on the brink of securing their place in KROQ flashback history with the self-titled release, the third and final full-length recording with Nowell. Sublime spawned the band’s only No. 1 hit, “What I Got.” To date, they’ve sold 17 million albums worldwide.

The band’s meteoric rise was indelibly connected to the tragedy the remaining band members faced as they grieved along with fans who were taken by Nowell’s reggae-influenced, punk-laced emotive vocals.

The fans take immense ownership of Sublime’s music that is so strongly intertwined with Nowell’s legacy. It seemed futile to continue as a band without their lead singer.

When In Rome

It wasn’t until a friend of the band came across then-20-year-old Rome Ramirez early last year, an aspiring singer-songwriter with guitar skills to boot, that the idea of reforming Sublime was even considered. The result is Sublime with Rome, made up of drummer Bud Gaugh and Wilson and “featuring” Ramirez. The “with Rome” part is sort of a big deal.

The Sublime songwriting process remains the same with Ramirez as they work on new music, sometimes coming up with parts while on stage, just like in the old days.

“So far, we basically have the same chemistry as we had with Brad,” Wilson says. “Which is a relief. That is what Sublime was: chemistry.”

Sublime’s roots run deep, sprouting from a decades-long friendship between Wilson and Gaugh, childhood friends. They formed their first punk band, the Juice Bros., with future Sublime manager Michael Happoldt.

Wilson went on to start his own project called Sloppy 2nds, which Nowell joined. Not long after, Wilson introduced Gaugh to Nowell, a recent UC Santa Cruz business major dropout who graduated from Woodrow Wilson High in the Belmont Heights area. Wilson gave Gaugh a glowing review of Nowell, enticing him to take a listen.

Click below for the full story:

http://citybeatlb.com/?p=92 

Cars and Guitars

A couple weeks ago, my friend Donna (left) and I got a close up look at Eric Clapton's Woody. We had lunch with Jimmie Vaughan of the Fabulous Thunderbirds (and the same womb as Stevie Ray) and Michael Anthony of Van Halen, got our picture taken with one of the General Lees owned by Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and lingered around ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons' Cadzilla and Mexican Blackbird cars.

We were at the NHRA Hot Rod Motorsports Museum in Pomona, previewing the "Axes and Axles" exhibit on display through next year. I had an interesting chat with Vaughan about classic cars and laissez-faire capitalism.  

“It has a lot to do with the free market—people being able to decide what they want to do with their stuff," Vaughan said. "People want to be individuals. Many people started customizing their cars and guitars, dolling things up, he said. “It’s the same as guitars. Anyone can get a guitar and write a song to express themselves in their own way. Being an individual. ... And with a car, you can paint it, make it go fast or slow, or whatever,” Vaughan said. 

 Vaughan sees Americans’ affinity for muscle cars spreading to Europe finally. It’s very American to modify cars, he said. But it’s an issue of being free to do so in some places. Vaughn likened his guitar on display to a comfy old Ford.

Anthony, now in the band Chickenfoot, lent his 1933 Ford Roadster. The steel chassis rails were massaged until they barely resembled Ford’s original rails then fitted with a 350 Chevy and a 700 R4 transmission. It’s a hard-top convertible with Bonspeed Wheels and a concave grill by Dan Fink Metalworks.

Anthony had the car built in 1994. He fought to keep many of the traditional elements, details like the windshield posts. “I always told myself my first car if I could afford it would be a black flamed Roadster,” Anthony said. Many years later, he sought out Boyd and met his partner, Brad Franshaw. “I figured I would go top notch.”

It was also important to Anthony to keep as much of the original body parts as possible for the hand-built car that took 18 months to complete. “I like to be really involved,” Anthony said. “I didn’t have the time to build something like this before."

Aside from the revved up rods, there was also a display that showed how a Telecaster is built. And, even though he wasn't there, Jeff Beck's ride was there in all its cherry red glory. He has a huge garage in England where he has many classic cars, most of which he refurbished himself. He's handy.

Jeff Beck's ride

All photos above are by ME.

Here's the story in this week's IE Weekly:

http://www.ieweekly.com/cms/story/detail/room_to_vroom/3515/

*****************************************************

Room to Vroom 

 IE Weekly

Six strings and six cylinders are embraced at the “Axes and Axles” exhibit

By: Arrissia Owen Turner

Eric Geisert pointed to his Telecaster. It’s on display at the “Axes and Axles: the Art of Building Cars and Guitars” exhibit at the Wally Parks National Hot Rod Association Motorsports Museum, and he was talking to guitar great Jimmie Vaughan at the VIP launch luncheon for the exhibit. 

“Do you remember signing it?” Geisert asks. 

“Oh yeah, in a parking lot in Salinas,” Vaughn says within seconds, giving the mid-’70s original cherry sunburst Telecaster stripped of paint its due. Along with Vaughan, the guitar boasts sigs from fellow guitar greats Jeff Beck, Billy Gibbons and Chuck Berry. All but Berry have cars in the exhibit. 

There is something about cars and guitars that often go hand in hand. The Telecaster, Fender’s first solid-body electric guitar, celebrates 60 years, and it’s the inspiration for the guitar-centric exhibit. Telecaster was introduced as the world’s first commercial, mass-produced, solid body Spanish-style electric guitar body. 

The museum rolled in custom hot rods and more guitars, as well as Van Halen’s Michael Anthony’s chili pepper bass. Anthony’s 1933 Ford Roadster is on display, a black and flamed rod designed by Chip Foose and built by Boyd. Vaughan, Beck, Billy Gibbons, Eric Clapton, Brian Setzer, Eddie Van Halen and Kenny Wayne Shepherd contributed to the collection.

“Axes and Axles: the Art of Building Cars and Guitars” runs through June 2011, at the L.A. County Fairgrounds. The upside is that before and after the testosterone-fueled love-in courtesy of the NHRA, you can spend the rest of the day stuffing yourself with fried Twinkies and riding the Ferris wheel. What could be more American?

The exhibit highlights the synergy between guitars and cars, a la axes and axles, plus it breaks down how a Fender is built—highlighting the various ways they can be customized. Both use many of the same techniques and materials, and the first Telecasters used DuPont paints, the same used for many cars during the 1950s and ’60s.

At times, viewing the exhibit is like walking into Beck or Setzer’s garage with old-school hubcaps on the walls, rock posters, Fender banners, guitars and car parts scattered.

The exhibit was about four years in the making, with museum Executive Director Tony Thacker gassing it the last two months. “This was a push for us,” Thacker says. “We know cars, but pulling the guitar part off was tough.”

It’s particularly difficult since Clapton isn’t listed in the White Pages. To get to someone like Clapton, you have to go through many of his people. But once he got through, it wasn’t a hard sell.

“They got it right away,” Thacker says. Clapton’s burgundy Chevy ’47 woody wagon is on display, completed the day prior to the luncheon by Roy Brizio Street Rods.

There were some guitarists’ strings that were less hard to pull, reaffirming the crossover between guitars and cars. Thacker is friends with Billy Gibson and Michael Anthony through car collecting. Jimmy Vaughan found out about the exhibit through attending car shows.

Vaughan’s enthusiasm for classic cars goes back to his childhood, starting at age 12. The Fabulous Thunderbirds’ guitarist didn’t pick up his first guitar until three years later. The two make sense to him, too.

“It just goes with the cars,” Vaughan says. “It’s all so American. It’s all I’ve ever done.” Vaughan, whose ’61 Cadillac Coupe de Ville Ironic Twist is on display, and Gibbons, whose 1958 Ford Thunderbird Mexican Blackbird and the 1946 Cadillac Cadzilla are also featured, bonded by age 14 over cars and guitars.

Thacker grew up on the same street as Beck in England, he says. Giving up a ’32 Highboy Roadster probably wasn’t that hard since Beck owns at least a dozen Fords. And, you know, it’s for the kids.

“We need young people to work in the industry,” Thacker says. “The exhibit is to teach kids about guitars as an entry into the car world.”

The guitar part pretty much takes care of itself. Kids are drawn to making noise naturally. Thacker enjoys working the kids into a Fender frenzy. “Before the Telecaster, that was just a wooden box with a hole in it.”

“Axes & Axles: The Art of Building Cars and Guitars” at the NHRA Motorsports Museum, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona, (909) 622-2133; www.museum.nhra.com. Thru June 2011. $1 with paid admission.

Hot Dawg

Stranger Dangers 

I made it though my first snowboarding contest of the season unscathed. Barely. The Ski Patrol guy stayed close to me thankfully. That was reassuring. The thing some people don't get is that photographers put themselves in harms way knowingly. There is a different sort of dedication to get the shot, especially news reporters. 

There is no second chance to get the photo after the action happens. We go on auto-pilot. I was terrified of big dogs for many years. But one day I found myself within three feet of a tiger that was not restrained. He's a pro, of course, one of the tigers from the movie Gladiator. I should note that he was not just standing there. He was pretending to attack me. I was really hoping the lion wasn't a method actor. I will have to dig up some of those photos.

A bear at that same exotic animal compound killed its trainer. That bear was in Semi-Pro, the scene with Zoe Deschanel as the trainer. Love that movie. "Everybody panic! If you have a small child, use it as a shield! They love tender meat."  

So when the announcer at the snowboarding contest told me I better move from a particular spot because I might get hurt, I sort of chuckled. Really? I might get hurt? Not these five guys standing in the same exact spot? Just me? Thanks. 

 

I almost got flattened standing on the side, as well. It's part of the gig. I have many pictures of this man about to take me out. And not to dinner. 

I missed the awards ceremony because some knuckleheads resorted to fisticuffs. That resulted in this picture, left. I got in an argument with his friends while on the phone with my editor. And then I had another call to run to.  http://bigbeargrizzly.net/articles/2010/09/22/news/doc4c995fb61797f810988110.txt 

Literally, run. It was around the corner. A guy hit an electric pole and there were live wires all around. He was arrested for DUI. He was reportedly driving about 45 mph, according to a witness, in a residential area. He hit a stump and went airborne into the electric pole. 

About 20 minutes later, I covered the film festival across town. And there was a filmmaker named Polly Green (her movie was "Soft Power Health") wearing very cute shoes that I think my daughter would have melted for.  I am drawn to these right now because I recently watched The Great Gatsby, The Great Waldo Pepper and The Sting. 

And then I called it a night. 

 

Boarders rail at the Scene

Big Bear Grizzly

Smokin’ Snowboards rider Anthony Mazzotti pulls off a backside rail slide no sweat under Indian summer-like rays during the Sept. 18 Hot Dawgz and Hand Rails contest at Bear Mountain Resort. (ARRISSIA OWEN TURNER/Big Bear Grizzly)

By ARRISSIA OWEN TURNER
Reporter

Wednesday, Sept. 22

Bear Mountain kicked off its 2010-11 season Sept. 28 with the annual Hot Dawgz and Hand Rails contest. The event featured some of the best professional snowboarders hitting more than 100 tons of autumn snow for a shot at the $14,000 purse in the Pro Invitational Rail Jam.

Mike Casanova

Nick Visconti won first place, Jake Kuzyk took second, and Johnny Lazzereschi placed third. Mike Casanova walked away with $5,000 in the Red Bull Best Trick Contest and Jess Kimura won $1,000.

Riders in the running included local Zak Hale, Ryan Paul, Dylan Alito, Ted Borland, Anthony Mazzotti, Mike Casanova, last year’s winner Scott Vine and many more.

The event also featured vendor booths, autograph signings, DJ Slipmat spinning and plenty of shwag. The event finished with the premiere of two new snowboarding films, Bear Mountain’s “Paint it Red” and the People’s “Cheers.”

For more Hot Dawgz and Hand Rails photos, visit www.bigbeargrizzly.net.

Upcycle with People

 I Plan on Being Trashy Tomorrow

(Photos with white background are courtesy of Terracycle, the other pictures are by me)

I would have rocked this when Chloe was a baby

I'm upcycling like a madwoman. It's not a promotion or a boost in society, it's a type of recycling where a company, Terracycle to be exact, gets the licensing rights for different iconic brands' packaging, which includes its marketing and symbols.

The trash—we upcycle Frito Lay chip bags and Capri Sun—is made into kicky little pencil holders and three-ring binders among other nifty school supplies. The school receives money and Terracycle reuses them to make money. It's pretty simple. And we get postage-paid stickers. We just need to find the boxes.

I got involved last year after back-to-school night. They raised a couple thousand the previous year by recycling. This motivated me to get involved, which is something I rarely do. I usually report on other people doing things.  I am sort of watching from the outside.

But this recycling thing is where I make up for what I lack in participation at the school. I wish I could be there more to help in any way possible, to spend more time with my daughter and get to know her friends. The trash talking helps.

We recycle bottles, cans, the chip bags and Capri Sun pouches, ink cartridges, laptops, PDAs and cell phones, plus take box tops. It's quite a circus on recycling drop-off day.

Chloe and I are so obsessed, I once made a date carry out two large bags of recycled cans from a wedding reception. We have picked up cans, bottles and chip bags in parking lots everywhere from a baseball game to Disneyland to Amangela's to last week's skate contest. I pick through my parents' trash. We do it everywhere.

I would be completely embarrassed to dig through trash in public if it was not for the school. Which is a shame because I should be that passionate about recycling whether or not my daughter's class gets points. Ms. Hochee's class is kicking our, er, bums. So hopefully tomorrow we will make a comeback. Eye of the Tiger.

I do go to great lengths to recycle. But it's not that time consuming. It just takes a little organization. And it's a way to give back to the school in one swoop without it taking a huge chunk out of my finances.

So tomorrow is our next recycling day. We do it once a month. It's dirty deeds done dirt cheap. It's all accomplished by parent volunteers who Victoria Nagata and I wrangle. My boss is patient about me coming in later on Recycling Day. I am grateful.

If anyone wants to save Frito-Lay bags for us, I would be happy to arrange a pick up. It's another way to recycle but you can't plop it on the curb. It ends up in landfills instead of hanging from someone's shoulder. I  really am that obsessed. I collect it from people at my office. I even recycle the stuff they give me that doesn't have a CRV or licensing rights. Treat me to your trash. It's for the kids.

For more info on Terracycle or how you can start your own upcycling group, visit http://www.terracycle.net/. There are a ton of different products that can be upcycled. We've chosen two to keep it simple for parents and kids. As we get more buy-in, we will add more hopefully.

I wrote a story about the recycling program before I got involved volunteering.

Click below for the full story:
http://bigbeargrizzly.net/articles/2009/11/11/community/valley_spotlight/doc4afa1bd541805141019279.txt

Boy Oh Boy, Oh Boy

Crushed

Here's my most recent Mother Load column, timed perfectly with the Ryan Sheckler business. It's about crushes on older boys. 

The Mother Load

Ryan Hall. I can't remember what country he's from.

Big Bear Grizzly

By ARRISSIA OWEN TURNER
Reporter

Published: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 9:49 AM PDT

Chloe felt horrified when she was first assigned a reading buddy. Reading buddies are volunteers, whether from the community, parents or high school kids, who spend time listening to kids read.

Not everyone has a reading buddy. In my 7-year-old daughter’s class only a few do. She’s one of them. Chloe is not sure why she is one of the chosen ones, but she knows she doesn’t like being different.

“Why me, Mom?” she asked.

I tried to explain that her teacher thinks she can benefit from a little extra practice. Chloe was visibly crushed. She’s been reading chapter books all summer and is very proud of her progress, as am I.

Chloe has a tremendous amount of confidence, but she knows she struggles with her schoolwork. She is doing so much better right now.

For years, we have had a mantra. I would ask her, “What would Ryan Hall say?”

Click below for the full story:
http://bigbeargrizzly.net/articles/2010/09/15/community/doc4c900d896503d934661025.txt

Dyrdek Charms Me Again, in Seconds

Ryan Sheckler (Photo by Joe Kunkle)

Day out with Dyrdek

(Photos by me, unless otherwise noted) 

Who is the coolest aunt in the world? According to my nephews, Jorden and Devin—Me! Take that Brea (my sister and fiercest best-aunt competition in the Owen family).

Jorden and Devin in front of Dyrdek's world-record setting skateboard

This past Saturday we, along with my daughter Chloe, headed to the Street League DC Pro Tour's second stop in Ontario. I covered the contest for OC Weekly (see below). 

Devin, Jorden and Chloe with Josh Kalis

But first, let me explain that 13-year-old Devin has barely spoken to me in a year. It gets tougher and tougher to impress—let alone entertain—a child once they pass the tween stage. So I seized this opportunity, and it paid off big time. By the end of the day, Devin actually smiled, thanked me and told me that the day was really cool. Success.

Devin's highlight, Terry Kennedy signing his deck

And even though they weren't down in the media area with me and Chloe, Devin and Jorden did get to meet plenty of the pros after and get autographs. Chloe, on the other hand, had no idea who any of them were, but she quickly caught on to what all the Ryan Sheckler-mania was about. At 7, she is already acutely aware of cute 21 year olds. Cue cringe. 

As she stood at the railing hoping for some sort of encounter with Sheckler, she spotted Rob Dyrdek, who was standing in the middle of the chaos minutes after Sean Malto was declared the winner. He was having a conversation with someone, saw Chloe (who was about 25-feet away) and made a b-line toward us. 

Sean Malto and Chloe

"You look so excited, I just wanted to see what you were so excited about," Dyrdek said to her. I had not met him in person before. She was delighted. He signed her Diary of a Wimpy Kid DIY Journal, which has a spot for autographs. Chloe had to of been the only one getting a Wimpy Kid book signed. He was unphased by it, as were the rest of the skaters. 

Chloe went on to talk to and get autographs from Greg Lutzka, Torrey Pudwill, Nyjah Huston and more. She even sat in on the press conference and got her picture with Malto. If she was not a fan of skateboarding before, she should be now.

When I offered to help her learn to skateboard—she has all her own gear in the garage just waiting for her interest to evolve!—she told me she was quite content remaining a scooterer, which I explained to her is not an actual word.

"Too bad," she said. "That's what I am."

It was like Paul Rodriguez, left, knew I was obsessed

So aside from what is in my article, below, what I couldn't stop wondering all day was: What does Paul Rodriguez, Jr., do when he has his face in his hat before every trick he attempts? Is he thinking about all the errands he needs to run, how he is starting to overshadow his father's career as a comedian? God? Is he praying? Is he thinking about his girlfriend? Is he visualizing what he will spend $150,000 on if he wins? 

It was driving me crazy.

Dyrdek, as always a man after my heart, asked P. Rod during the press conference. 

"When you do the hat ritual, do you hear nothing?" Dyrdek asked. 

"I'm pretty zoned in there," Rodriguez said. "The more nervous I get the more intense I get."

But it was Sheckler who made the most sense to Chloe. "The falls really hurt," he said jokingly. Yes, as does falling for a 21-year-old skater when you are 7.

Chaz Ortiz, realizing that all that dumb stuff in math he's been learning really does matter in the real world—and some guy named Ryan Sheckler

 ************************

Sean Malto Wins Cali Stop of Street League DC Pro Tour

By Arrissia Owen Turner, Tues., Sept. 14

(Photo by Joe Runkle)

​ 

Sean Malto barely pulled it off. After a day of nearly 100 percent accuracy, Malto capitalized on skater Chaz Ortiz's shoddy math skills and walked away with $150,000 first place prize money.

Sept. 11 was the second stop of Street League DC Pro Tour Fueled by Monster Energy at Ontario's Citizen's Business Bank Arena, and the contest boasts the biggest prize purse ever for a skate contest, a whopping $1.2 million overall between three stops.

The final is Sept. 25 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, perfect for the Kansas City, MO, resident Malto, who turned 21 just days before the Ontario leg of the tour.

The contest is Dyrdek's newest venture, utilizing his much-anticipated instant scoring device that he hopes will revolutionize the way street skating contests are run. He also wants to break down the action to where regular joes can understand the brevity of what's going on with the boards. 

Click below for the full story:

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/heardmentality/etc/sean-malto-wins-cali-stop-of-s/

Tattoos Leave the Sleeves

On Saturday, Sept. 11, Timeless Art Gallery hosted an opening night reception for its newest exhibit, Blood Money. Timeless is tattoo artist Corey Miller's newish gallery located two doors up from the tattoo studio, Six Feet Under, in downtown Upland. The exhibit runs through October and features gobs of tattoo artists' paintings, including Corey's.

Painting by tattoo artist Henry Powell

Corey became quite famous three years ago from his role on Kat Von D's "LA Ink," but before that he was sought out purely for his amazing tattoos and artistry (exhibit A on my back). He's got about one more season in him before he gets back to being a round-town guy, focusing his attention back on his own business.

His paintings are gorgeous, and the great thing about when he's not filming the show, touring with Metallica and designing custom drums for Ludwig is that he gets to go back to being a regular guy who three young kids call Dad—and hopefully more painting.

Corey and Salba

Opening night, Corey picked up sticks and played a short set with legendary pool skater Steve Alba, aka Salba, another Upland local known for greatness. Plus, the Belgian beer and food truck were top notch. I got to see plenty of friendly faces in the old 'hood I haven't seen in a while, which is always a highlight, as well.

Here is a cover story I wrote three years ago for IE Weekly about Corey:

Six Feet Under Sideshow

 IE Weekly

Will reality TV spoil Corey Miller? Or at least Upland?

By: Arrissia Owen-Turner

Jack Rudy’s eyes glazed over. The iconic tattoo artist, the gruff old guy behind much of the best black and grey fine-line, single-needle tattooing of the last three decades, didn’t utter a word. As I entertained his daughters 10 years ago at the grand opening of Corey Miller’s Six Feet Under Tattoo Parlor in Upland, regaling them with my ideas about a wacky TV show based on a tattoo shop and the shenanigans that ensue, Rudy was steadfast in his lackluster.

There definitely wasn’t any anticipation on his part, even if Rudy’s daughters were ready to sign on completely. Unfortunately, they were still in high school and didn’t have a production deal or the know-how to write a TV show treatment.

My idea eventually came to fruition, only I’m merely writing about it instead of skipping maniacally to the bank. Miller, on the other hand, has been roped into reality TV fame, or at least soon will be, having been tapped by Miami Ink star Kat Von D to co-star in the spinoff L.A. Ink, which premieres August 7.

This is not happening without a lot of soul searching on Miller’s part (plus dropping a one-year waiting list of clients), for he knew there would be a backlash for “going Hollywood.” Most tattoo artists live a silent code inside a members-only club—there are traditions passed along, and honor in the art and trade.

“Some of the old-timers don’t dig it, and some of the new guys, they won’t want to hear it,” Miller says. “As much as I probably worried about that, though, about 99 percent were supportive. But I paid my dues, and I make my own decisions. If I could say anything to my mentors, it’s that (tattooing is) going to change. We don’t own it.” Besides, if Miller hadn’t said yes, someone else would have.

Click below for the full story:

http://www.ieweekly.com/cms/story/detail/six_feet_under_sideshow/1030/ 

Rob Goes Big

When Rob Dyrdek called me, I was ready to give my schpeel, introduce myself explain why I am talking to him and what my story is about. But I just heard this, in a very low, seductive tone: "hey."

I was a little smitten, to say the least. Three years ago, after attending ASR in San Diego, my friend Kathryn and I retired to our hotel room at the end of the night exhausted. Since I do not have cable, I immediately grabbed the remote and got down to the business of keeping up with the kids to find out what's happening in pop culture. 

That night, there was a "Rob and Big" marathon on MTV. I was enthralled, and totally entertained. I sort of fell in love with Rob Dyrdek that night, the ridiculously funny plot lines revolving around Rob and his mini horse and skateboarding dog. There was fending off dirty girls, defeating evil with a net gun, filming music video spoofs and campaigning to get on Kashi cereal boxes with his best friend, Big—a 6-foot-6 black man with more tolerance for nonsense from this little white skateboarder than was sometimes believable. 

Rob's career has run parallel with the extreme highs and lows of the skate industry, giving him a unique perspective into what needs to happen to sustain the industry, and to help it grow. He knows what it's like to receive a $2 royalty check at Christmastime, something nearly unheard of these days with skateboarding having become such a huge industry. 

Most impressive is his pursuit to put legal skate plazas around America for kids to skate free from threat of hassle from cops and where they will not harm civic centers and library railings. The Rob Dyrdek foundation is donating a world-class skate course from the DC Pro Tour plus $50,000 for construction and design to the Andres and Maria Cardenas Recreation Center in Panorama City. 

Now I love him even more.  

 

A League of His Own

Rob Dyrdek set out to re-invent skateboarding contests—and things got gnarly on the streets

Rob Dyrdek at the Street League press conference

By: Arrissia Owen Turner

Rob Dyrdek is not afraid to fall flat on his face—he’s practically a pro at it. It’s that fearlessness that not only makes Dyrdek an amazing skateboarder, but also makes his entrepreneurial spirit equally gnarly.

Dyrdek played a starring role in street skating for the last two decades, became a successful businessman, a philanthropist and starred in two hit MTV reality shows. Now he’s primed to become the Ian Cairnes of skateboarding. The former pro surfer helped revolutionize surf contests in the 1980s, which resulted in zealous fandom for the sport.

At heart, Dyrdek comes off as a cross between an avid Midwest sports fan, a hustler, a jock, a math geek and a little bit of a mama’s boy. But there’s no questioning his love for and awe of a slab of Canadian maple atop four polyurethane wheels and the endless possibilities.

Click below for the full story:

http://www.ieweekly.com/cms/story/detail/a_league_of_his_own/3482/ 

My Favorite Carnie Ever: Clint Howard

A strange thing happened after I talked to Clint Howard last week. He mentioned the names of two character actors who he bonded with when he was younger. I had never heard of either of them offhand. One of them was very hard to figure out, because I wasn't sure I heard his name right. Strother Martin.

A couple nights later, I was watching Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid--I am on a month-long Robert Redford movie marathon--and wouldn't you know it, there was Strother Martin. It's interesting how you can see the same actor over and over and not necessarily remember him by name, or even notice that you've already seen him in three other episodes of Bonanza. But there he is.

Clint reprising his role from Apollo 13 for Family Guy

Clint talked about the pressure of having one quick scene. He's become so well known and respected as a character actor that people have extreme high expectation of him obviously. He has to walk in and nail that scene, and make it stand out. People call him for small parts that are going to be memorable, whether you remember that you've seen him in 100 other movies or that he's Ron Howard's brother.

Clint told me about a time a couple of years ago when he had a part coming up in a movie as a Starbucks assistant manager who he kept describing to people as being like Barney Fife on steroids. "Everyone agreed with me," Clint said. Realizing that he does actually know Don Knotts, he decided to give him a call.

"I got a master class in comedy from him over the phone," Clint said. He spent about a half hour talking to Don about acting, things like the differences in delivery between Barney Fife and Mr. Furley from Three's Company.

"The things I learned, I will never forget," Clint said. "I am so grateful. It's sort of melancholy. He passed six months later." At the memorial, Don's daughter told Clint what a wonderful time her father had on the phone with Clint that day. Knotts had told his daughter that he was worried that he wasn't making sense though.

"You can't believe how spot on Don Knotts was," Clint said. "That's the insecurity of actors. Meanwhile, I was soaking it up like a sponge."

Clint in Gentle Ben

Here's the link to the article I wrote about Clint Howard:

He’s a character

 

Howard honored at the Big Bear Film Festival

By ARRISSIA OWEN TURNER
Reporter

Published: Wednesday, September 8, 2010 7:03 AM PDT

Clint Howard has a philosophy about his eclectic body of work as a character actor. He’s like a carnival worker with a booth on the midway.

“Every night people walk down the midway and they look at the various acts in the booths, and they are entertained,” Howard says. “I am just another actor in the carnival. If people want to walk by and drop a couple coins in the cigar box, that helps me put food on the table.

“I am an entertainer. It’s not that important. I am the same type of person who has the bearded lady in the carnival or the two-headed monkey, or who swallows swords. God gave me an interesting face and I have an interesting personality.”

Click below to read the full story:
http://bigbeargrizzly.net/articles/2010/09/08/community/arts_and_entertainment/doc4c86b890efdf0616414286.txt