Monday, June 18, 2007

Bonnaroo







Where to begin?

My advice for the Bonnaroo Camper is to get a hotel and take a shuttle into the events everyday, but if that is not an option, I think the most important thing is to find the Holy Grail, top secret barley used Port-A Potty and the rest of the trip is easy. I found out over that weekend that I have a fear of these little plastic poop houses and being far from home this was not cool. We did find such a thing in a sea of 90,000 people, the Holy Grail; it did exist standing there glowing and clean.

To be honest our crew camp ground was actually like staying at Trump Towers, we had a couple of showers, couple poop houses, trees for shade, next to the main stage, and in the center of the whole event with barely 30 people on our grounds. We were straight balling.

Also make sure your sleeping game is up to par. Out the whole group, John Wins the Best Bed Award. Luxury type sleeping, Doubled up memory foam (4 inches) on a thin mattress in the camper shell of his truck covered by tarps cleverly blocking the sun at all angles. TRUMP. I get the worst, air mattress that deflates by morning. I was super jealous of Tindels set up. It is wise to bring ear plugs for your nights sleep cause wack ass DJ Shadow will play till four in the morning.(Yes,his live shows are wack) Plus the usual water, water, water and if you smoke know that a pack of smokes is 10.00$ Kevin found out the hard way.

Anyway, we go to install the four by fours with the Such and Such crew. They did a huge fire installation and a fire burning burlesque stage show. It was FRESH. It was crazy to see the guys manipulate and control fire. My faves by far, was the invention of a Florence, Alabama native (my hometown) it was this simple looking contraption, that only appeared to be a ladder and a couple of pipes. When the zip cord was pulled it would let off this huge explosion and send up giant smoke rings and shock waves to the heavens. Come to find out, this thing shot a gallon of gas through a pipe after every explosion. For the "Politically Correct" environmental Earth saving people his argument was you wasted more gas driving here than I have for my art, I don’t question your drive don’t question my art. It was like BOOM!!! For Real.

If I remember correct John said "Ween was the freshest." They were melting faces all over the campgrounds and sending the 3rd generation hippies into some sort of jiggin frenzy. Maybe it was the shrooms? I was feeling GirlTalk, "Throw some d's" mash up with and old 80's pop tune, it was priceless. John and I both agreed that it was huge imagination and impressive. Gogol Bordello, a gypsy punk band was also super fresh.

I never thought after college I would just pass out on the ground in my own filth without the help of whiskey's thump,but there I was, it was the norm and I was in Romewithout whiskey. I also learned that the huge fountain in the center of the grounds recycled water back through, so it was a hippie DNA dirt bath and we never got in. I also understood that certain wind gust smell like piss for a reason. I learned too, when "Apple" or "Peace" or whatever his or her name maybe meet and there is a connection, while following whatever the heck band, if you get the urge to "hippie hump" its best to do it in a field in broad daylight next to some giant four by fours.TindelMichi:A back drop for love.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Big Wheels

I can remember the first time I saw BIGFOOT. I was with my dad and we were at the Von Braun Civic Center. Now, I think how cool my dad is, not that he took me to see this larger than life truck, but that he did it in a sea full of good ole boys and rednecks with style and grace. My dad is larger than life and bigger than those petty situations.

But anyway, I remember feeling this sort of electricity all over me, sort like when someone scares the hell out of ya and you just about pee yourself. It seemed like every kid in the building was about to piss themselves in anticipation of this machines glorious roll of destruction. The sound is what got me. The size is one thing, I've never been one to brag on Texas, but i've dealt with big thing my whole life. It was just the engine and what it was capable of. The deafening grumble of power just did something to me. From then on, I don’t think I was ever the same.

The noise that an engine of this magnitude makes is one to me that seems pure in its nature and its function, animalistic, sophisticated and barbaric. I imagine this is what the nature of dinosaurs must have been and what they sounded like. The hellish roar of raw power is enough to stop your heart. It is truly amazing. This is what I think our art career is about.

The raw power or the will to take something so simple like a truck ,yet so complicated , that for some reason it seems more like the truth to me than anything out there, but over looked, because of what seems to be dumb down southern stereotypes. The truck is so powerful that it develops its own cult following and because of the complexed simplicity most of the intellectual art types can’t get it. I think some smarty asses have fell to realize that it took great minds to build these trucks to their car crushing status and that those mechanics are not just ass backwards uneducated people that know how to tinker a little better than others. I don’t think we are these artists that care or even need these long artist statements to explain how the hell we get down.

It’s simple...Who: TindelMichi, What: Two Fat Southern Boys, Where: Southern, Doing what: Paint. Hell a one line artist statement. Anyway…

Just making a quick comparison, John and I are these two big monster trucks on our glorious roll of destruction. Engines open and blaring, the cars under BIGFOOT are actually galleries under our wheels. The crowd yelling in the arena is actually the people who show up at our shows and make chit chat, small talk and show support. They are a vital part of the cult and the most influential and most meaningful at that. I would guess the sports announcers are the critics, they merely call it how they see it and you can’t be mad at that. So get your truck right. As I said before, there are some galleries under our big wheels and we are simply rolling over and around them unwilling to give up the 50% just to sit on your prestigious roster. At some point maybe we will park our trucks out front, walk in and strike a deal, maybe even hang a show. I guess until then, we will continue to do donuts around God’s green earth and keep THE BIG WHEELS TURNING.

http://www.bigfoot4x4.co.uk/assets/movies/BIGFOOTDonut.mpg

Monday, June 11, 2007

Cooper: Back 40 King

Yesterday was a sad one at TM studios, Big Cooper Jenkins, Johns dog died. If you have ever visited our studio he was there. The guardian of the TM empire, a night in shiny fur armour. Cooper, is the true king of the back forty. A regal canine, one of a kind of his kind,larger than the species, protector, and friend.We love you and you will be missed.

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Lights off in Time Square

TindelMichi recently hit NYC again with the Urbanmedium.Got busy in the streets.It was fresh.The funniest thing happened probrally the funniest NYC story ever.

John takes off from the telly, toward Times Square.The time is 8 or so in the morning.I am still sleep from the booze the night before,but manage to navigate him verbally to Times Square.Its only 10 blocks up and 4 over from the hotel.His mission was to get there. On our last trip, we didnt get to act like tourist.We only painted for a week installing an art show in the "trendy"Williamsburg area.

We are one block from King Kongs famous view of the city. As he left i yelled "10 up 4 across!!!!"
I lay there and drift off.I am quickly awakend by my own thoughs of John in NYC...all on TRL and the News with a huge TM sign with a monster truck on it,talking to all the host of the shows...So ,i jump up and scramble to get dressed.As i hit send on my text to John"I will meet you in Times Square." I hear his phone "bleep beep deet deet"

Im like damn he forgot his phone.I heard the door open and it was John. I was like "DUDE!! How was IT, I was just on my way to get photos with you." He was like "i didnt make it." "WHAT!!"

"Yeah,I got tired of walking i guess and i manage to spend 20 bucks" WTF i was thinking, huh..you did what.He was like "yeah dude,I didnt see it...I swear they musta had the lights turned off, I swear it wasnt there."

True Story.

Later, we walked to the very spot where John turned around.I know it was the place because of the lion that was in the one photo he took.I began to laugh hard ,cracking the fuck up and said "John you never look left."Two blocks was all he had to go.He laughed, we laughed and that is the greatest TindelMichi NYC story ever.