I'm a little embarrassed for how last night turned out.
I felt awkward, and in the end both hid in my room and sulked on the edge of the crowd. I should have done what I've been doing elsewise, just dive right in and socialized, but maybe the combination of having my room to hide in and the daunting task of approaching a well knit group were too much for me. I bowed out around midnight, and only the second band had played by then. I'm kind of running out of things to say. How far does "How did your day go?" and "Are you from Kansas City?" go?
I need to rethink my plan of attack. If I'm going to make the most out of this, I can't sulk when there are shows at my house. It isn't too late to redeem myself, I just have to overcome last night. Maybe next time I'll cook food for the band or something to get me more involved. These people are friendly, I just don't know what to say. However, this summer is a summer of changes and social awkwardness is something I'm ready boot out the window.
A genuine smile goes a long way. If you feel awkward and act awkward, people pick up on it and treat you as such. Remember that Karen.
Not much happened yesterday. Work entailed more packaging and a little printing. I stayed late to finish some boxes, but in the end only almost finished them.
The show was interesting, but like I said, I took the social scenario entirely the wrong way and completely bombed. I could have enjoyed it a lot more. The music was good, but I was in the wrong mindset to really appreciate it.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The heat smothered me in my bed
I meant to finish my post last night, but I came home and just plain passed out. I think my brain was fried a little from the humidity.
Anyway back to Monday night and then I'll sum up Tuesday.
The Power and Light District is a large outdoor complex that hold a great deal of bars and restaurants. There is a plaza with a fountain that bands play from time to time. If Pacific Place, in Seattle, was outdoors and just the food court section, you'd have the Power and Light District. It is a contrived meeting place that has locals either loving it or hating it. Come to think of it, downtown Disney has a similar vibe, but with out the shops , take that how you will.
P & L takes the place of parking lots and old buildings that were coming into disuse. I've said before that Kansas City is going through a revitalization phase, Power and Light was an attempt to bring people to a downtown that once wasn't used after five and business was finished. It is a modern move and happening across America, not just here, but Joe mentioned that any local color that was there, has been lost.
AMC has headquarters in Kansas City, but until Power and Light, didn't have a theater to match. Now they do. I didn't expect anything unusual when I went, the theater on Main was the only one I'd seen. Stepping inside, I knew something was different. First I was greeted with a two or three story entry, giant chandelier and marble-like floors with famous movie quotes set within. Although it was the seat assignment that said I was someplace different. A symphonic hall would have made more sense for the atmosphere. A full scale bar and restaurant added to the effect. The theater itself was probably the largest I've ever been in, and had a screen to match. Everything was very classy, and except for the screen in front of me, if you'd shown me the room otherwise I would not have guessed it was for movies.
Up was good, I agree with Trillian's review so I'll post it here: "Up was a really wonderful movie. A wonderful little story about an old man attaching balloons to his house and traveling to South America to fulfill his late wife's desire for adventure. There were talking animals and large birds and plenty of heartfelt moments that were not overwrought in the slightest. Highly recommended!" The only thing I'd add, is the dogs flying planes were a little much, then again, how else was the guy supposed to have a fighter squad?
Tuesday, June 2nd
I spend yesterday in a very hot and very muggy Hammerpress putting together rep packages. Lame. Brady apologized, but stressed the importance and money they'll bring when finished. On Thursday he is going to take Wendy and I out for drinks, or at least buy drinks and bring them to us, in exchange for our diligent efforts.
Thunderstorms were on the horizon all day long, and it finally rained around 2, dramatically cooling the air off. Last night was almost cold.
The evening was spent at Halliday and Danielle's. Danielle is part of a potluck group that meets every other Tuesday at rotating houses, it was her turn to host. Alas, this weekend she broke her wrist, so I helped her make sweet potato fries and finish her cake. A large group of people arrived, probably twenty or so. The food was excellent and Halliday's spring rolls were a hit. The sweet potato fries could have used more garlic.
Around ten I bowed out and meant to come home and finish this blog and Joe's poster, but Flora and I bedded down to a short nap that turned into a night's sleep.
Now Flora is meowing outside my door, probably wanting to come shed on me. Tonight, the Pistol hosts the first show of my stay. We'll see how that goes.
Anyway back to Monday night and then I'll sum up Tuesday.
The Power and Light District is a large outdoor complex that hold a great deal of bars and restaurants. There is a plaza with a fountain that bands play from time to time. If Pacific Place, in Seattle, was outdoors and just the food court section, you'd have the Power and Light District. It is a contrived meeting place that has locals either loving it or hating it. Come to think of it, downtown Disney has a similar vibe, but with out the shops , take that how you will.
P & L takes the place of parking lots and old buildings that were coming into disuse. I've said before that Kansas City is going through a revitalization phase, Power and Light was an attempt to bring people to a downtown that once wasn't used after five and business was finished. It is a modern move and happening across America, not just here, but Joe mentioned that any local color that was there, has been lost.
AMC has headquarters in Kansas City, but until Power and Light, didn't have a theater to match. Now they do. I didn't expect anything unusual when I went, the theater on Main was the only one I'd seen. Stepping inside, I knew something was different. First I was greeted with a two or three story entry, giant chandelier and marble-like floors with famous movie quotes set within. Although it was the seat assignment that said I was someplace different. A symphonic hall would have made more sense for the atmosphere. A full scale bar and restaurant added to the effect. The theater itself was probably the largest I've ever been in, and had a screen to match. Everything was very classy, and except for the screen in front of me, if you'd shown me the room otherwise I would not have guessed it was for movies.
Up was good, I agree with Trillian's review so I'll post it here: "Up was a really wonderful movie. A wonderful little story about an old man attaching balloons to his house and traveling to South America to fulfill his late wife's desire for adventure. There were talking animals and large birds and plenty of heartfelt moments that were not overwrought in the slightest. Highly recommended!" The only thing I'd add, is the dogs flying planes were a little much, then again, how else was the guy supposed to have a fighter squad?
Tuesday, June 2nd
I spend yesterday in a very hot and very muggy Hammerpress putting together rep packages. Lame. Brady apologized, but stressed the importance and money they'll bring when finished. On Thursday he is going to take Wendy and I out for drinks, or at least buy drinks and bring them to us, in exchange for our diligent efforts.
Thunderstorms were on the horizon all day long, and it finally rained around 2, dramatically cooling the air off. Last night was almost cold.
The evening was spent at Halliday and Danielle's. Danielle is part of a potluck group that meets every other Tuesday at rotating houses, it was her turn to host. Alas, this weekend she broke her wrist, so I helped her make sweet potato fries and finish her cake. A large group of people arrived, probably twenty or so. The food was excellent and Halliday's spring rolls were a hit. The sweet potato fries could have used more garlic.
Around ten I bowed out and meant to come home and finish this blog and Joe's poster, but Flora and I bedded down to a short nap that turned into a night's sleep.
Now Flora is meowing outside my door, probably wanting to come shed on me. Tonight, the Pistol hosts the first show of my stay. We'll see how that goes.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Up and getting away
Monday was hot. Too hot, at least in my apartment - so I decided to bolt and do some exploring.
I drove back to Westport and bided my time. I did a little looking at American Trading Company - the Kansas City version of Buffalo Exchange and found nothing worth buying except a dress I could have possibly taken in - it was a size fourteen, and a wide brown belt which I'd seen the other day. I got the belt, but not the dress. Maybe I should have, but then again it was twenty-five bucks, so maybe not.
After spending way much to time in ATC, I mosied over to McCoy's, a local brewpub, and enjoyed their deck for an hour or so. I arrived around four and happy hour was at five so I just sat it out and read the local weekly newspaper. Decks are a big thing out here, and it is a trend that makes sense. The weather is so nice, why would someone eat inside, when they can eat out. McCoy's deck is especially fine with trees and umbrella shades taking the heat off the sun. At night, it is all lit up. Halliday recommended McCoy's to me as one of the best decks in KC, and I can see why she'd think that. Come five, I ordered a pitcher of beer and found it to be too much, after having a glass and a half, I gave the rest to a couple nearby.
Westport is where Halliday works and I briefly visited her before setting off to find Utrecht. The Utrecht here is not as large as the one in Portland, but it has a little of everything. I grabbed some paper for printing and a few scratch boards.
The night ended with Up, the new Pixar flick everyone has been talking about. The only movie theater I could think of was in the Power and Light District so I headed downtown to find it. I had a very interesting movie experience and I will elaborate further when I get back home, right now everyone is waiting on me to go to a potluck, I think I'll pick up some drinks to bring.
I drove back to Westport and bided my time. I did a little looking at American Trading Company - the Kansas City version of Buffalo Exchange and found nothing worth buying except a dress I could have possibly taken in - it was a size fourteen, and a wide brown belt which I'd seen the other day. I got the belt, but not the dress. Maybe I should have, but then again it was twenty-five bucks, so maybe not.
After spending way much to time in ATC, I mosied over to McCoy's, a local brewpub, and enjoyed their deck for an hour or so. I arrived around four and happy hour was at five so I just sat it out and read the local weekly newspaper. Decks are a big thing out here, and it is a trend that makes sense. The weather is so nice, why would someone eat inside, when they can eat out. McCoy's deck is especially fine with trees and umbrella shades taking the heat off the sun. At night, it is all lit up. Halliday recommended McCoy's to me as one of the best decks in KC, and I can see why she'd think that. Come five, I ordered a pitcher of beer and found it to be too much, after having a glass and a half, I gave the rest to a couple nearby.
Westport is where Halliday works and I briefly visited her before setting off to find Utrecht. The Utrecht here is not as large as the one in Portland, but it has a little of everything. I grabbed some paper for printing and a few scratch boards.
The night ended with Up, the new Pixar flick everyone has been talking about. The only movie theater I could think of was in the Power and Light District so I headed downtown to find it. I had a very interesting movie experience and I will elaborate further when I get back home, right now everyone is waiting on me to go to a potluck, I think I'll pick up some drinks to bring.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Vice and junkyard dogs.
I'm still acclimating to the weather. I feel sticky from when I wake up till about ten at night. There is a subtle blanket of heat that makes it hard for me to concentrate on anything and Sunday was excellent proof of that.
I intended to finish the poster mock up and start in on my zine, but instead the day was spent reading and meeting the colorful folks of West Bottoms.
Uriah and his girlfriend Jenny came home and I briefly talked to them before they went back to Jenny's place, I don't think I'll be seeing a lot of them around.
The warehouse where the Pistol is located, also houses a variety of other occupants. One is "The Ship" - an old bar that has been dismantled and rebuilt downstairs to form a modern sort of speak easy. The aesthetic are 1940's dive and resemble an old galley, thus the name "The Ship". It is used from time to time as a practice space for bands. Joe took me downstairs to meet a Cajun inspired group and we got to talking about St. Maximo.
Joe has an intricate shine in his living room that houses a Guatemalan figure of St. Maximo - the patron saint of vice. It is surrounded by liquor bottles, cigarettes, money, and a wide assortment of other things. The Ship houses a similar one. A Latin mix of Mayan mythology and catholic dogma; the purpose of Maximo is to take one's vices away. It used to be, and in some places still is, for a week in February a man would dress up as Maximo, and while sitting still like a statue, people offer him their vices. Over time, Maximo has somewhat become the patron of the West Bottoms.
Since the day was somewhat cloudy, I took a walk and explored more of the area than I was able the other day. During the day there isn't anyone to bother me and so I feel safe wandering around, so long as I don't go on certain streets. The buildings looked abandoned, but as I found out later, they're not.
Old warehouses tower like a science fiction city that has been emptied. I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again, the whole area is surreal. Looking back, it is the sort of landscape a video game would have. The men in combat suits should have been dropping out the windows. In October a few of the warehouses are opened as giant Haunted Houses with names like "The Beast" and "The Chambers of Edgar Allen Poe". I'm told tickets run from 25 to 30 dollars and the only amazing thing about them is the size.
West Bottoms also has a Graffiti gallery. Some of the professionals of Kansas City have taken one of the walls and made a large mural of their work. Kansas City has a fair amount of artistic graffiti on it's walls, not just on warehouses, but all throughout.
The sun came out and I had to go home for a while, but later as the evening came, Joe and I went for a bike ride tour of the Bottoms. Uriah is a bike master and collects bikes to rebuild, then sell. Alas he sold a my-size bike just before I arrived so I rode around on a little BMX bike with no breaks. Since there are no people or no hills in West Bottoms, this is not a problem, my foot worked fine, well it did until I biffed it. Stupidly I tried riding down a gravel road and totally ate it. I scraped up my arm and possibly broke my little toe.
Joe and I walked over to one of the seemingly empty warehouses and went inside to find a bathroom to clean up my arm. Instead of empty, the warehouse has apartments, artist studios, and even a print collaborative. I met a few of the residents and sat for a bit then we rode on.
We ended the night at Vic's, a nice, older man who runs a woodshop/junkyard. He had a first aid kit to patch me up and we ended up spending a few hours talking to him. Vic is the type of guy people don't mess with. He talked a small amount amount the past, but I can only guess the rest, and what I can say is Vic has seen parts of the street I hope I never see. Before we left, Vic introduced me to Rosie, his junkyard/guard dog. Vic says she won't eat my face off once he introduces me to her. I believe him, both on the fact that now Rosie knows me and the fact that she'd eat my face if she didn't.
West Bottoms gets a bit rougher at night, so I didn't stay out too late. Instead I came home and watched Terminator on Netflix. Man have movie effects changed...
I intended to finish the poster mock up and start in on my zine, but instead the day was spent reading and meeting the colorful folks of West Bottoms.
Uriah and his girlfriend Jenny came home and I briefly talked to them before they went back to Jenny's place, I don't think I'll be seeing a lot of them around.
The warehouse where the Pistol is located, also houses a variety of other occupants. One is "The Ship" - an old bar that has been dismantled and rebuilt downstairs to form a modern sort of speak easy. The aesthetic are 1940's dive and resemble an old galley, thus the name "The Ship". It is used from time to time as a practice space for bands. Joe took me downstairs to meet a Cajun inspired group and we got to talking about St. Maximo.
Joe has an intricate shine in his living room that houses a Guatemalan figure of St. Maximo - the patron saint of vice. It is surrounded by liquor bottles, cigarettes, money, and a wide assortment of other things. The Ship houses a similar one. A Latin mix of Mayan mythology and catholic dogma; the purpose of Maximo is to take one's vices away. It used to be, and in some places still is, for a week in February a man would dress up as Maximo, and while sitting still like a statue, people offer him their vices. Over time, Maximo has somewhat become the patron of the West Bottoms.
Since the day was somewhat cloudy, I took a walk and explored more of the area than I was able the other day. During the day there isn't anyone to bother me and so I feel safe wandering around, so long as I don't go on certain streets. The buildings looked abandoned, but as I found out later, they're not.
Old warehouses tower like a science fiction city that has been emptied. I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again, the whole area is surreal. Looking back, it is the sort of landscape a video game would have. The men in combat suits should have been dropping out the windows. In October a few of the warehouses are opened as giant Haunted Houses with names like "The Beast" and "The Chambers of Edgar Allen Poe". I'm told tickets run from 25 to 30 dollars and the only amazing thing about them is the size.
West Bottoms also has a Graffiti gallery. Some of the professionals of Kansas City have taken one of the walls and made a large mural of their work. Kansas City has a fair amount of artistic graffiti on it's walls, not just on warehouses, but all throughout.
The sun came out and I had to go home for a while, but later as the evening came, Joe and I went for a bike ride tour of the Bottoms. Uriah is a bike master and collects bikes to rebuild, then sell. Alas he sold a my-size bike just before I arrived so I rode around on a little BMX bike with no breaks. Since there are no people or no hills in West Bottoms, this is not a problem, my foot worked fine, well it did until I biffed it. Stupidly I tried riding down a gravel road and totally ate it. I scraped up my arm and possibly broke my little toe.
Joe and I walked over to one of the seemingly empty warehouses and went inside to find a bathroom to clean up my arm. Instead of empty, the warehouse has apartments, artist studios, and even a print collaborative. I met a few of the residents and sat for a bit then we rode on.
We ended the night at Vic's, a nice, older man who runs a woodshop/junkyard. He had a first aid kit to patch me up and we ended up spending a few hours talking to him. Vic is the type of guy people don't mess with. He talked a small amount amount the past, but I can only guess the rest, and what I can say is Vic has seen parts of the street I hope I never see. Before we left, Vic introduced me to Rosie, his junkyard/guard dog. Vic says she won't eat my face off once he introduces me to her. I believe him, both on the fact that now Rosie knows me and the fact that she'd eat my face if she didn't.
West Bottoms gets a bit rougher at night, so I didn't stay out too late. Instead I came home and watched Terminator on Netflix. Man have movie effects changed...
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Grand Tour de Kansas City
Saturday was spent doing two things: exploring the West Bottoms and going on a grand tour with Halliday and Joe.
During the day, nothing much goes on in the West Bottoms, or at least nothing goes on outside. It's so hot I can't blame anyone. There aren't any trees and the only refuge from the heat is in the shelter of the warehouses. I think the optimal time to run around here is probably at dawn and sunset, I'll do the latter tonight, maybe I can borrow someone's bike. The riding around here would be great.
The grand tour included all the major highlights of Kansas City. KC is far more interesting than I could have anticipated. It is a happening city, and I guess I should have known that due to how large it is. All cities have a counter culture worth looking into, Kansas City's just happens to be right up my alley. Then again; it could be my hosts. Halliday and Joe seem to know a large group of people. Everyone we ran into I was introduced and there is no possible way I could remember all their names, but everyone was friendly, I even met a guy who went to PNCA.
A few highlights of the tour included:
- Westport, trail head for the Santa Fe Trail, and home to the oldest remaining building in KC. Westport also is a indie hangout and has the equivalent of the buffalo exchange, an excellent brewery, and the Broadway Cafe - which put a Starbucks out of business.
- Thrift stores, the prices are what thrift store should have. Here, you can buy a thrifted dress for five dollars or under and such things as the dollar barrel exist.
- The city of fountains, the only city with more per capita is Rome.
- Shakespeare in the park, doesn't open until July.
- Riverfront Market
- KCAI and the surrounding museums, not part of the art institute chain as I previously suspected, the grounds seem worth looking through.
- The Plaza, an older part of town that has been remade into an expensive outdoor mall.
Joe gave me some info for an upcoming show, today I'm going to put together a poster for it and work on my zine.
During the day, nothing much goes on in the West Bottoms, or at least nothing goes on outside. It's so hot I can't blame anyone. There aren't any trees and the only refuge from the heat is in the shelter of the warehouses. I think the optimal time to run around here is probably at dawn and sunset, I'll do the latter tonight, maybe I can borrow someone's bike. The riding around here would be great.
The grand tour included all the major highlights of Kansas City. KC is far more interesting than I could have anticipated. It is a happening city, and I guess I should have known that due to how large it is. All cities have a counter culture worth looking into, Kansas City's just happens to be right up my alley. Then again; it could be my hosts. Halliday and Joe seem to know a large group of people. Everyone we ran into I was introduced and there is no possible way I could remember all their names, but everyone was friendly, I even met a guy who went to PNCA.
A few highlights of the tour included:
- Westport, trail head for the Santa Fe Trail, and home to the oldest remaining building in KC. Westport also is a indie hangout and has the equivalent of the buffalo exchange, an excellent brewery, and the Broadway Cafe - which put a Starbucks out of business.
- Thrift stores, the prices are what thrift store should have. Here, you can buy a thrifted dress for five dollars or under and such things as the dollar barrel exist.
- The city of fountains, the only city with more per capita is Rome.
- Shakespeare in the park, doesn't open until July.
- Riverfront Market
- KCAI and the surrounding museums, not part of the art institute chain as I previously suspected, the grounds seem worth looking through.
- The Plaza, an older part of town that has been remade into an expensive outdoor mall.
Joe gave me some info for an upcoming show, today I'm going to put together a poster for it and work on my zine.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Catching up - Part 3
Finally, I have time to write about the good stuff.
Hammerpress
is the dream I thought it would be.
Hammerpress consists of five people. Brady Vest is the founder/boss and does most of the printing. He and Matt are the only full time employees. Matt works on a lot of the computer designs with Jen, who is increasing her hours to help the work load. Wendy is a older lady who does all the shop keeping and organization that is needed for their store. Finally Bobby is another printer who comes in a works on Fridays and Saturdays. I haven't met him since he was off this Friday.
The shop is going through a change. The bread and butter of Hammerpress is wedding invitations. A custom designed, handset wedding invite costs around 3500 dollars. The pricing is new as well. From what people have been saying, not many people understand what it is that Brady does, well people looking for wedding invitations that is. Brady said what he does is more like painting than printing. When people ask for one of his creations they are asking for a piece of fine art and apparently that doesn't sit well with most. Along with the new higher price, there is a waver customers sign off on saying they are okay with signing off on a drawing, since by the time Brady has a proof it is too late for major changes.
The newer option is a computer designed invite which is then printed using a metal plate ordered from Michigan. Most of the design elements used in the computer designs are from existing type that has been scanned in, thus still retaining an element of the hand-done. Though, this too takes time. Jen estimated a custom invite take four to five days to finish. Since invites is not all Hammerpress does, they are attempting to streamline the process by creating twelve layouts customers can choose from, then customize with their names and wedding colors. Those will be out in June.
Hammerpress does a great deal of design work for businesses too. Anything from posters and menus to cd covers and business cards. Some is handset, some is computer made, it all depends on the price bracket. Brady does almost all of the handset design work and almost no design work on the computer.
Posters are to Hammerpress somewhat as stocks are to a persons paycheck. They don't make much at the time of printing but payoff over a longer period. Brady mentioned that there are four or so to be done in the time span that I'll be here and that I'll get to work on those when they come up.
Stationary is the last part of Hammerpress and a large part of their business. I'll get into more of that as I describe what I do around the shop.
Wednesday, May 27th
Upon arrival I was taken on a tour of the shop. The front room is a store where prints, cards, and some things that Brady thinks to be interesting reside. Brady is a self proclaimed pack rat and so the decor is a little garage sale chic. Although anyone who knows my taste should know that is not a bad thing. The office is to the left of the door and that is where all design work takes place.
The back half of the shop is where all the printing happens. Hammerpress has nine presses, three of which are Ruths (Vandercook Universal I). It also has a jaw dropping amount of type. Brady has accumulated so much type he has to store some of it in his backroom because he doesn't have room in the studio. I think I might have drooled when I was looking through their drawers. For those of you who looked at Abra's type catalogue, you know that page where all the circus and western fonts were? Yeah, that's Brady's type cabinet. He even has a few alphabets of wooden fonts that must be a good five or six inches in length. There are just about as many crazy ornaments and vintage image blocks as there is type. Brady gets his type from a variety of locations, auctions, eBay, Craigslist, and some of it is new from the foundry in San Francisco. His type is his pride and joy and rightfully so.
Brady returned from a large stationary trade show in New York a day or two before I arrived. Through shows like that and representatives is how he sells his product to other stores. Once, through the New York show, Urban Outfitters hired him for a job of printing 25,000 alphabet cards.
Anyway, Wednesday was spend folding cards and preparing orders that came out of the show. Wendy helped me and showed me the ins and outs of packaging. She also offered up some ideas about where I should go around town.
***!* for anyone who wants Hammerpress ephemera, you should contact me. Make-readies and old merchandise are all at my disposal. There is a whole backroom full of stuff that Brady intends on just throwing out if anyone isn't interested in it. Old wedding invites are up for grabs too. I know that sounds funny, but they are some of the coolest stuff there. *!***
That night I intended to make dinner for my roommates, but I fell asleep and the gas went out until June 1st. So no cooking for me.
Thursday, May 28th
This day I spent printing. I printed 300 plus wedding invitations for a friend of Brady and about the same for some cd packaging. I've already learned a few things:
- most of Hammerpress' work is on cardstock. It's cheap and takes printing well. Some design work is on different types of paper, but a fair amount is on simple cheap cardstock.
- designing at an angle on the press bed is not as hard as it looks, just time consuming. One also needs a wooden corner to build off of, but I think something like that could easily be made for PNCA.
- every press has a character of it's own, no matter where you go.
In the evening Joe and I went over to Halliday and her roommate Danielle's where Halliday made a delicious stirfry for us. We had some wine and sat around enjoying the evening until Joe and I left for a succession of houses where I met a bunch of people.
The night capped off at this house where we "porched it". Somehow it felt like a flashback to a 1920's speakeasy- if I could flashback to the 1920's. That feeling probably had to do with the girls who lived there. They were flappers a bit in look and much in spirit.
I learned about the zine culture of Kansas City, which is very little. I was invited to submit to two coming out this month and I think I will. I need to work on mine, I'm not sure what the topic will be on. Oh - in all of this I went to a place called the Arts INKubator Press and will be taking part in their co-op for the summer. That's where I'll be screen printing.
Friday, May 29th
More rep packaging today. A great deal of rep packaging actually. Jen was helping me put things together and said that this is a once a year occurrence that means big business. Eventually Hammerpress intends to do all of their sales to stores through representatives.
About mid morning bus loads of people came through Crossroads from a convention happening at the Art Institute Kansas City (AIKC), so I didn't get much done but sales were great. I stayed late and hung out talking for a bit. Jen and I are going to go thrift storing on Monday, which will be great since for once in my life I didn't pack enough.
The Led Zeppelin themed party consisted of a bunch of people with one thespian hostess dressed up in a velvet jump suit and some music videos playing in the background. Around ten we went to Davey's Bar to see some bands. The show was rocking, at least the first two bands that played, by the time the third was on, it was one am and I was getting tired, so the last two didn't strike my fancy in the same way.
After, we grabbed some Mexican food and then I was dropped off to go to sleep.
now here I am. There is a cat name Flora demanding my attention and shedding great piles of hair, all over my bed, in revenge for not getting it. I need to go get ready. Later I am having a grand tour from Halliday and I think I'm going to go stare at some trains.
My first week was fantastic. Hammerpress is inspiring, laid back, and welcoming. The Pistol is a ready made social network that I am welcome and included in. My weeks here are already getting booked with a potluck, fashion show, first Friday, and a trip to St. Louis on the horizon. Good things are happening.
p.s. one of my oldest friends (dating back to elementary school) lives and hour and a half away. Going to go see him sometime too.
Hammerpress
is the dream I thought it would be.
Hammerpress consists of five people. Brady Vest is the founder/boss and does most of the printing. He and Matt are the only full time employees. Matt works on a lot of the computer designs with Jen, who is increasing her hours to help the work load. Wendy is a older lady who does all the shop keeping and organization that is needed for their store. Finally Bobby is another printer who comes in a works on Fridays and Saturdays. I haven't met him since he was off this Friday.
The shop is going through a change. The bread and butter of Hammerpress is wedding invitations. A custom designed, handset wedding invite costs around 3500 dollars. The pricing is new as well. From what people have been saying, not many people understand what it is that Brady does, well people looking for wedding invitations that is. Brady said what he does is more like painting than printing. When people ask for one of his creations they are asking for a piece of fine art and apparently that doesn't sit well with most. Along with the new higher price, there is a waver customers sign off on saying they are okay with signing off on a drawing, since by the time Brady has a proof it is too late for major changes.
The newer option is a computer designed invite which is then printed using a metal plate ordered from Michigan. Most of the design elements used in the computer designs are from existing type that has been scanned in, thus still retaining an element of the hand-done. Though, this too takes time. Jen estimated a custom invite take four to five days to finish. Since invites is not all Hammerpress does, they are attempting to streamline the process by creating twelve layouts customers can choose from, then customize with their names and wedding colors. Those will be out in June.
Hammerpress does a great deal of design work for businesses too. Anything from posters and menus to cd covers and business cards. Some is handset, some is computer made, it all depends on the price bracket. Brady does almost all of the handset design work and almost no design work on the computer.
Posters are to Hammerpress somewhat as stocks are to a persons paycheck. They don't make much at the time of printing but payoff over a longer period. Brady mentioned that there are four or so to be done in the time span that I'll be here and that I'll get to work on those when they come up.
Stationary is the last part of Hammerpress and a large part of their business. I'll get into more of that as I describe what I do around the shop.
Wednesday, May 27th
Upon arrival I was taken on a tour of the shop. The front room is a store where prints, cards, and some things that Brady thinks to be interesting reside. Brady is a self proclaimed pack rat and so the decor is a little garage sale chic. Although anyone who knows my taste should know that is not a bad thing. The office is to the left of the door and that is where all design work takes place.
The back half of the shop is where all the printing happens. Hammerpress has nine presses, three of which are Ruths (Vandercook Universal I). It also has a jaw dropping amount of type. Brady has accumulated so much type he has to store some of it in his backroom because he doesn't have room in the studio. I think I might have drooled when I was looking through their drawers. For those of you who looked at Abra's type catalogue, you know that page where all the circus and western fonts were? Yeah, that's Brady's type cabinet. He even has a few alphabets of wooden fonts that must be a good five or six inches in length. There are just about as many crazy ornaments and vintage image blocks as there is type. Brady gets his type from a variety of locations, auctions, eBay, Craigslist, and some of it is new from the foundry in San Francisco. His type is his pride and joy and rightfully so.
Brady returned from a large stationary trade show in New York a day or two before I arrived. Through shows like that and representatives is how he sells his product to other stores. Once, through the New York show, Urban Outfitters hired him for a job of printing 25,000 alphabet cards.
Anyway, Wednesday was spend folding cards and preparing orders that came out of the show. Wendy helped me and showed me the ins and outs of packaging. She also offered up some ideas about where I should go around town.
***!* for anyone who wants Hammerpress ephemera, you should contact me. Make-readies and old merchandise are all at my disposal. There is a whole backroom full of stuff that Brady intends on just throwing out if anyone isn't interested in it. Old wedding invites are up for grabs too. I know that sounds funny, but they are some of the coolest stuff there. *!***
That night I intended to make dinner for my roommates, but I fell asleep and the gas went out until June 1st. So no cooking for me.
Thursday, May 28th
This day I spent printing. I printed 300 plus wedding invitations for a friend of Brady and about the same for some cd packaging. I've already learned a few things:
- most of Hammerpress' work is on cardstock. It's cheap and takes printing well. Some design work is on different types of paper, but a fair amount is on simple cheap cardstock.
- designing at an angle on the press bed is not as hard as it looks, just time consuming. One also needs a wooden corner to build off of, but I think something like that could easily be made for PNCA.
- every press has a character of it's own, no matter where you go.
In the evening Joe and I went over to Halliday and her roommate Danielle's where Halliday made a delicious stirfry for us. We had some wine and sat around enjoying the evening until Joe and I left for a succession of houses where I met a bunch of people.
The night capped off at this house where we "porched it". Somehow it felt like a flashback to a 1920's speakeasy- if I could flashback to the 1920's. That feeling probably had to do with the girls who lived there. They were flappers a bit in look and much in spirit.
I learned about the zine culture of Kansas City, which is very little. I was invited to submit to two coming out this month and I think I will. I need to work on mine, I'm not sure what the topic will be on. Oh - in all of this I went to a place called the Arts INKubator Press and will be taking part in their co-op for the summer. That's where I'll be screen printing.
Friday, May 29th
More rep packaging today. A great deal of rep packaging actually. Jen was helping me put things together and said that this is a once a year occurrence that means big business. Eventually Hammerpress intends to do all of their sales to stores through representatives.
About mid morning bus loads of people came through Crossroads from a convention happening at the Art Institute Kansas City (AIKC), so I didn't get much done but sales were great. I stayed late and hung out talking for a bit. Jen and I are going to go thrift storing on Monday, which will be great since for once in my life I didn't pack enough.
The Led Zeppelin themed party consisted of a bunch of people with one thespian hostess dressed up in a velvet jump suit and some music videos playing in the background. Around ten we went to Davey's Bar to see some bands. The show was rocking, at least the first two bands that played, by the time the third was on, it was one am and I was getting tired, so the last two didn't strike my fancy in the same way.
After, we grabbed some Mexican food and then I was dropped off to go to sleep.
now here I am. There is a cat name Flora demanding my attention and shedding great piles of hair, all over my bed, in revenge for not getting it. I need to go get ready. Later I am having a grand tour from Halliday and I think I'm going to go stare at some trains.
My first week was fantastic. Hammerpress is inspiring, laid back, and welcoming. The Pistol is a ready made social network that I am welcome and included in. My weeks here are already getting booked with a potluck, fashion show, first Friday, and a trip to St. Louis on the horizon. Good things are happening.
p.s. one of my oldest friends (dating back to elementary school) lives and hour and a half away. Going to go see him sometime too.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Catching up - Part 2
Okay, so after driving approx 1850 miles, I was in Kansas City.
Tuesday, May 26th
Spent most of the day sight seeing. Mom wanted to see both Truman's home and Jesse James' farm, which conveniently happen to be in/near Independence. Truman's home was interesting although most of it was under construction so we were unable to see much of it. Jesse James' farm was simple, but really, there isn't too much to say on the matter except what was said in a short movie shown just before the tour of the farm house.
The most interesting part of Independence sadly didn't have much information on it. Independence is where many, if not most, of the Oregon and Santa Fe Trail pioneers started. Coming from where they ended, if was pretty cool to be there thinking about what it took to found my home.
The evening was spent picking up essentials that I'd essentially forgotten to pack. I briefly dropped off what I did pack at the Pistol Social Club (more about the Pistol later) and went back to the Quality Inn. Went to Walmart to get an air mattress and lights because my new room lacked furniture of any kind.
Early the next morning I dropped off my Mom at the airport and went to my first day of work...
Now for the really interesting stuff. What should I say first? Do I talk about the Pistol, Hammerpress or Kansas City first? Since I know most of you are interested to learn about the happenings at Hammerpress, that is the last thing I will describe. Haha! Actually, it makes sense to talk about things in order as I came across them, and well, that still puts Hammerpress last.
Kansas City
is not surrounded by amber wave of grain. Surprise! Surprise! It actually is very leafy and the suburbs remind me a little of North Carolina. The drive into town is obscuring since all the trees are the same height and one can't see beyond them. Kansas City itself (Missouri side, I've yet to really explore the Kansas side) is slightly smaller than Seattle, but the downtown is only slightly larger than Portland. The architecture is industrial chic. Joe (you'll get to know who he is soon) told me that Kansas City has enough concrete to rival Los Angeles (I only sort of doubt it) and is second to Chicago for trains passing though (I don't doubt it, I get to hear many of them personally). Either way, both statements reflect the culture of the place, if that makes any sense.
Neighborhoods are somewhat ethnically divided. There is a distinct mexican quarter, black quarter, italian quarter, etc. Joe says Kansas City it isn't as segregated as it looks off the bat, but no city is. However the cultural "districts" seem to make it so that each part of the city is vibrant in distinctly different ways.
Hammerpress is in a place called the Crossroad Arts District. It is what the Pearl is to Portland, but not yet as pricey. Once upon a time the warehouses were cheap rental space for artists, then fancy galleries moved in raising the rent and what we all know to be gentrification set in. Like I mentioned, the ritz that oozes from some places in the Pearl does not yet inhabit the Crossorads, but Kansas City is still in the revitalization stage.
Once booted from Crossroads alot of the artists moved to the West Bottoms, which is where I am now....
The Pistol Social Club
is both home and music venue. Actually, music venues are holed up and down this place. The section that I live in is drywalled apart from the show space. First I think I need to describe West Bottoms to really describe my home.
When Kansas City was a fledgling town, and even when it was not such a fledgling town one of the huge markets was livestock. In fact, I believe it was the market. Anyways, West Bottoms was the stockyards until Kansas City had no stockyards anymore. Already cris-crossed with train tracks/yards, they took over and the only thing to make it's home in West Bottoms that was not a warehouse or train related, was a rodeo area, now rarely used.
So I live in a section of warehouse surrounded by train tracks, and thus frequent trains. It's somewhat surreal. Upon first look, it seems sketchy, but really isn't. People look out for each other and there are almost no homeless or wandering souls. Joe says the surrounding warehouses are filled to capacity with a variety of people and venues. There is an auction house, screen printing studio, apartments, and an architectural salvage store to name a few.
The loft I live in consists of drywall made rooms, an old kitchen and communal bathroom. My room is huge with a brick wall, old wood floors, and gigantic windows that get glorious sun all day long. Alas, I have nothing to furnish it will, but my air mattress and plank shelves will do. The communal room is also a bit surreal. It seems like a set from a movie. It contains alot of large mismatched furniture that some how all pulls together to create a perfectly bohemian setting, although I think it became so by chance verses purpose. "Everything is here because it's too big to go anywhere else." Pictures will explain much better than I can.
I have two-four roommates depending on who is here. Joe is my only consistent roommate so far. Joe Hammer (fate says that is not a coincidence) is the manager of the Pistol Social Club and is the caretaker of the building. I gather he's in his early 30's or late 20's. His girlfriend Halliday spends time here often, but she has a place of her own too. She uses the space as a studio for her fashion line. Uriah and his girlfriend are here sometimes (Uriah is my third actual roommate) but I've yet to meet either. It seems he's been staying with his girlfriend and then they went to the lakes. They're supposed to be back on Sunday. Joe and Halliday are fantastic and have taken it upon themselves to include me the the local scene. They're into Rockabilly which is refreshing to get a dose of from time to time (again, fate says this is not a coincidence).
Did I mention the Pistol Social Club has a giant cap gun outside the building? Well it does.
Alright, well I have to go to a Led Zeppelin themed party and then a few shows or something, I'm honestly not quite sure. I'll finish this up later. Keep you waiting....
Tuesday, May 26th
Spent most of the day sight seeing. Mom wanted to see both Truman's home and Jesse James' farm, which conveniently happen to be in/near Independence. Truman's home was interesting although most of it was under construction so we were unable to see much of it. Jesse James' farm was simple, but really, there isn't too much to say on the matter except what was said in a short movie shown just before the tour of the farm house.
The most interesting part of Independence sadly didn't have much information on it. Independence is where many, if not most, of the Oregon and Santa Fe Trail pioneers started. Coming from where they ended, if was pretty cool to be there thinking about what it took to found my home.
The evening was spent picking up essentials that I'd essentially forgotten to pack. I briefly dropped off what I did pack at the Pistol Social Club (more about the Pistol later) and went back to the Quality Inn. Went to Walmart to get an air mattress and lights because my new room lacked furniture of any kind.
Early the next morning I dropped off my Mom at the airport and went to my first day of work...
Now for the really interesting stuff. What should I say first? Do I talk about the Pistol, Hammerpress or Kansas City first? Since I know most of you are interested to learn about the happenings at Hammerpress, that is the last thing I will describe. Haha! Actually, it makes sense to talk about things in order as I came across them, and well, that still puts Hammerpress last.
Kansas City
is not surrounded by amber wave of grain. Surprise! Surprise! It actually is very leafy and the suburbs remind me a little of North Carolina. The drive into town is obscuring since all the trees are the same height and one can't see beyond them. Kansas City itself (Missouri side, I've yet to really explore the Kansas side) is slightly smaller than Seattle, but the downtown is only slightly larger than Portland. The architecture is industrial chic. Joe (you'll get to know who he is soon) told me that Kansas City has enough concrete to rival Los Angeles (I only sort of doubt it) and is second to Chicago for trains passing though (I don't doubt it, I get to hear many of them personally). Either way, both statements reflect the culture of the place, if that makes any sense.
Neighborhoods are somewhat ethnically divided. There is a distinct mexican quarter, black quarter, italian quarter, etc. Joe says Kansas City it isn't as segregated as it looks off the bat, but no city is. However the cultural "districts" seem to make it so that each part of the city is vibrant in distinctly different ways.
Hammerpress is in a place called the Crossroad Arts District. It is what the Pearl is to Portland, but not yet as pricey. Once upon a time the warehouses were cheap rental space for artists, then fancy galleries moved in raising the rent and what we all know to be gentrification set in. Like I mentioned, the ritz that oozes from some places in the Pearl does not yet inhabit the Crossorads, but Kansas City is still in the revitalization stage.
Once booted from Crossroads alot of the artists moved to the West Bottoms, which is where I am now....
The Pistol Social Club
is both home and music venue. Actually, music venues are holed up and down this place. The section that I live in is drywalled apart from the show space. First I think I need to describe West Bottoms to really describe my home.
When Kansas City was a fledgling town, and even when it was not such a fledgling town one of the huge markets was livestock. In fact, I believe it was the market. Anyways, West Bottoms was the stockyards until Kansas City had no stockyards anymore. Already cris-crossed with train tracks/yards, they took over and the only thing to make it's home in West Bottoms that was not a warehouse or train related, was a rodeo area, now rarely used.
So I live in a section of warehouse surrounded by train tracks, and thus frequent trains. It's somewhat surreal. Upon first look, it seems sketchy, but really isn't. People look out for each other and there are almost no homeless or wandering souls. Joe says the surrounding warehouses are filled to capacity with a variety of people and venues. There is an auction house, screen printing studio, apartments, and an architectural salvage store to name a few.
The loft I live in consists of drywall made rooms, an old kitchen and communal bathroom. My room is huge with a brick wall, old wood floors, and gigantic windows that get glorious sun all day long. Alas, I have nothing to furnish it will, but my air mattress and plank shelves will do. The communal room is also a bit surreal. It seems like a set from a movie. It contains alot of large mismatched furniture that some how all pulls together to create a perfectly bohemian setting, although I think it became so by chance verses purpose. "Everything is here because it's too big to go anywhere else." Pictures will explain much better than I can.
I have two-four roommates depending on who is here. Joe is my only consistent roommate so far. Joe Hammer (fate says that is not a coincidence) is the manager of the Pistol Social Club and is the caretaker of the building. I gather he's in his early 30's or late 20's. His girlfriend Halliday spends time here often, but she has a place of her own too. She uses the space as a studio for her fashion line. Uriah and his girlfriend are here sometimes (Uriah is my third actual roommate) but I've yet to meet either. It seems he's been staying with his girlfriend and then they went to the lakes. They're supposed to be back on Sunday. Joe and Halliday are fantastic and have taken it upon themselves to include me the the local scene. They're into Rockabilly which is refreshing to get a dose of from time to time (again, fate says this is not a coincidence).
Did I mention the Pistol Social Club has a giant cap gun outside the building? Well it does.
Alright, well I have to go to a Led Zeppelin themed party and then a few shows or something, I'm honestly not quite sure. I'll finish this up later. Keep you waiting....
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