Brian Butler - Artist Who Draws

all photos copyright 2008 Larry Hoyt

- click on image to enlarge -

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Friday evening (7/25/08), I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Central New York artist Brian Butler during a reception for the closing of the Contemporary Gallery.

Brian is one of several artists whose work had been shown during the gallery's one and only group exhibit, which ends August 1.

His very busy, richly detailed drawings catch the eye with abundant miniatures depicting everything from faceless human figures to forests of cones, anonymous urban high rises to a rogues gallery of beleaguered human faces. Brian also incorporates larger stylized versions of sci-fi figures and border-line grotesque horror images.

Not surprisingly, Brian acknowledges his love of comic book images, citing the influences they have had on him, consciously and subconsciously. He also admits to something close-to-an-addiction regarding video games - often violent video games. "Everybody has a dark side," he mused.

When asked to chose one adjective to describe himself, he answered fairly quickly "eccentric".

Another word that came up in our conversation was "obsessive" - Brian's obsessive commitment to drawing detailed miniatures in his work.

The saying of this magic word, obsessive, prompted gallery co-founder Courtney Rile to check on and quote a comment made by Post-Standard art critic Katherine Rushworth in her July 13 article on the Contemporary Gallery:

"Brian Butler's obsessively detailed pen and ink drawings are obsessively compelling."

"It's what I do", he said, with no further explanation needed.

In cooperation with the Contemporary Gallery, a 16-page "coloring book" of Brian's work has been published is for sale at the Gallery for the ridiculously low price of $10!

If one includes the coloring book's cover drawing, that's 17 Brian Butler drawings for less than a dollar a piece. Only 25 copies of "The Coloring Book" were printed, and they are numbered and signed by the artist

(although I must add that on the copy I purchased, Brian's signature looks a bit rushed; still, I do trust that that is indeed his signature.)

On this blog, I shall generally refrain from making pronouncements regarding what I believe is good art, bad art, great art, or non-art.

So much of what goes into those judgements depends on the eye of the beholder, plus a great many other variables.

But I can say unequivocally that I found Brian and his art to be very interesting. Brian is obviously very passionate about his work and he seems to be taking it out as far as he can go.

I wish him all luck and great success.

A Very Funny Video!

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Contemporary Gallery, 230 Harrison Street, Syracuse

all photos copyright 2008 Larry Hoyt

- click on photo to enlarge image -

from the top:

-- gallery co-founder Courtney Rile (at an nightime TH3 reception)

-- gallery co-founder Roslyn Esperon (overseeing the gallery during the day)

-- a decorated pillow on a too-comfortable chair

-- "Dancing Mother and Child" (Lowenstein)

-- large lizard sculpture

-- "Cityscape" oil painting (Catherine Weiss)

-- "Charting" mixed media (Sean Ward)

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There's an exciting new art gallery in Syracuse, and it's only going to be open for another two weeks!

(until August 1, 2008)

To anyone and everyone who loves high-quality art, and who wants to support the growing art scene in Syracuse - my strong suggestion is get yourself down to the Contemporary Gallery at 230 Harrison Street.

They're having a closing reception at the gallery on the evening of Friday, July 25.

And even though this will be a closing reception, I am sure that this art community get-together on the 25th will also be very much a celebration.

From everything I've seen and heard about this art space, and from I've read in the Post-Standard and also in the Syracuse New Times, the Contemporary Galley has been a much needed temporary shot in the arm for the local art scene.

(Without going into detail here, I'll just mention that another fine local gallery, the Orange Line Gallery, was recently forced by its landlord to vacate its space at the Coffee Pavilion at Hanover Square... but that's a blog for another day.)

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This past Thursday, July 17, I had the great pleasure of meeting and chatting with Roslyn Esperon and Courtney Rile, the two energetic young ladies who co-founded and operate the Contemporary Gallery.

These two former Syracuse University students had met last summer while working at the Delavan Art Gallery.

They devised a plan, asking several real estate companies and landlords if they could renovate a downtown space, install and operate a temporary gallery, and then leave that space in better condition than it was when they first moved in.

J.F. Real Estate agreed, and Contemporary Gallery opened it's seven-week run on June 11.

The impressively diverse exhibit mounted by Courtney and Roslyn is entitled "Whimsy: Celebrating the Power of "Why Not?" -- which may in fact describe at least part of the reasoning behind opening such a temporary gallery in the first place. I mean, why not?

Of course, real-world answers to that whimsical question are many and daunting.

It takes an incredible amount of time, energy, passion and commitment to pull off such a project, and thank goodness (literally), both Courtney and Roslyn seem to be the right people at the right time to make this project a success.

Hopefully, their work will inspire others.

I was very impressed by the artwork in this exhibit, and I shot photos of a few of the many pieces (displayed above).

I also want to thank Roslyn and Courtney for allowing to shot a few photos of them.

More information about their gallery, and more photos, can be found at

http://www.contemporarygallery.wordpress.com/

The gallery is open 11 am to 7 pm, Wednesday through Friday.

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more photos by Larry Hoyt can be found at

www.flickr.com/newfolkfotos

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Hot Rods, Antiques and the Symphony

all photos copyright 2008 Larry Hoyt
-- above images shot at Syracuse Regional Market
-- click on photo to enlarge image
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If variety is the spice of life, then this is going to be one hot'n'spicey meatball-of-a-weekend here in beautiful Central New York.

In addition to the wide array music and theater events that take place every week, there are several special events worth noting.

Hot rod and specialty car enthusiasts will want to check out the hot wheels that will be rolling at the Syracuse Nationals Hot Rod show at the New York State Fairgrounds, Friday thru Sunday, July 18-20.
more info at
www.rightcoasters.com

Folks looking to buy or just admire high-quality antiques will want to wander the paths and check out the antique deals to be had at shade-filled Longbranch Park in the Town of Geddes, just north of Liverpool. The nationally known Great American Antiquefest takes place at this lovely setting, Friday thru Sunday, July 18 -20.

And folks interested in listening to jazz and classical music in a relaxed urban setting should consider attending this weekend's edition of the Candlelight music series, on the corner of South Franklin and West Jefferson Street, in beautiful Armory Square in downtown Syracuse.
The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra performs at 8 pm at this free event, with a jazz trio opening the musical evening at 6:30 pm.
There are several fine restaurants on Franklin and Jefferson Streets that take outdoor seating reservations for these weekly Candlelight music events.
Or you can bring your own chair, find your spot, and then listen to some great music, surrounded by a friendly crowd and impressively varied architecture.

Here's a few Heads-Up for more events coming to downtown Syracuse in the next few weeks:

ARTSWEEK - July 24 - 27
featuring the Syracuse Arts & Crafts Festival at Columbus Circle, July 25-27; and
Jazz in the Square, at Clinton and Hanover Squares - July 24 - 26
www.jazzinthesquare.com

HANOVER SQUARE ART & MUSIC FEST - August 2
this year's debut event for art and music in downtown Syracuse
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A Sad Old House, and Meeting Nahkeem

all photos copyright 2008 Larry Hoyt

-- click on photo to enlarge image

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Exploring the North Side of Syracuse during my evening bike ride, I came across a heart-breaking sight for anyone who loves older houses.

Near the corner of Danforth Street and North Salina Street, there stands what must have been at one time a fine, handsome brick house, adorned with fashionable details and ornamentation.

Today, the house appears as a tattered ghost of its once proud past. Many windows are broken or covered with plywood, or even bricked up completely. The roof, especially towards the front of the house, is in need of major repair.

If this house were a human cancer patient, one would probably think it best to get in touch with Hospice and make arrangments for the final days.

But as I was taking some pictures of this house, a young lad named Nahkeem came by on his skateboard and asked the inevitable question: "what are ya doin'?"

I explained that I was shooting photos to show to people who might feel sad and/or angry that such a fine old house was in such bad shape.

"But they're fixing this house up," said Nahkeem. "I work for the owner."

In my rather quick, two-minute interview with Nahkeem, it never became totally clear just what work Nahkeem did for the owner.

"He and his wife were here, working on the house, but then they left. They haven't been back in a few weeks," said Nahkeem.

In answer to my questions, I was informed that Nahkeem is 10 years old; he attends McCarthy School ("It's a bad school, for kids who are bad.")

Nahkeem has apparently misbehaved a bit at school, but we did not go into details.

When Nahkeem saw my bike leaning against a fence, he asked if he could ride it.
I said "I think it's a little big for you" but he was determined to prove me wrong, which he did, as he rode my bike up and down the driveway a few times and then across the front yard.

I have no idea how accurate or inaccurate were Nahkeem's observations regarding the rehabilitation of this house. I hope Nahkeem is indeed working for the owner of this house who is indeed in the process of bringing this architectural treasure back to life.

I plan to stop by this house again, and I will post an update to this blog. I hope Nahkeem will be there again to give me all the details. And once again, I will let him ride my bike.

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more of Larry Hoyt's photos can be found at www.flickr.com/newfolkfotos

Larry Hoyt's videos can be found at www.YouTube.com/NewFolkNow

Larry Hoyt's music can be found at www.cdbaby.com/cd/larryhoyt

Looking Back On Roots, Brews and Blues

all photos above: copyright 2008 Larry Hoyt

from the top:

-- Pete McMahon of the Kingsnakes;

-- Terry Mulhauser of the Kingsnakes

-- folks dancing in the second line

-- trumpet player from the Rebirth Brass Band

-- folks dancing on the "reflecting pool" after the rain

-- Clinton Square and the evening sky

(click on photo to enlarge image)

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This past weekend (from Thursday, July 10 through Sunday, July 13, 2008), Syracuse, New York was home to some of the very best blues and roots music to be found anywhere. The folks who organized and presented the New York State Blues Festival, and the Empire State Brewing & Music Festival, should be thanked and congratulated for doing such a fine job.

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In a previous blog entry I mentioned the excellent music and good-time atmosphere that pervaded the Inner Harbor Block Party on Thursday, with roots and blues music provided that evening by both the Fabulous Ripcords and Los Blancos.

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The highlight of Friday night's BrewFest was the lively performance by Donna the Buffalo, a veteran group from the Ithaca area, who deserve their national reputation as purveyors of upbeat, groove-filled dance tunes that are certifiable crowd-pleasers.

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Other performances in Clinton Square this weekend that I was able to enjoy while shooting lots of photos were the BluesFest sets of music by the Rebirth Brass Band, from New Orleans, and the Kingsnakes & Friends, from right here in Central New York.

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In my opinion, there's something incredibly beautiful about the mix of historic architecture in the buildings just to the east of Clinton Square. In the late evenings, during the many festivals that take place at Clinton Square during a Syracuse summer, these older buildings are often highlighted by the setting sun, making for an incredibly impressive cityscape vista.

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As I've pointed out in this blog before, and as I will point out again, Syracuse is far-and-away the music center of Central New York, and some might argue, the music center of all of Upstate New York (especially if you're a blues fan).

There's lot of excellent music going on in the clubs and bars and other venues here in Syracuse, 52 weeks a year, often 7 nights a week.

I just hope that more and more people become aware of this, and then make it a point to attend some of the high-quality live music taking place in this area.

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more photos by Larry Hoyt can be found at
www.flickr.com/newfolkfotos

videos by Larry Hoyt can be found at: www.YouTube.com/NewFolkNow

music by Larry Hoyt can be found at: www.cdbaby.com/cd/larryhoyt
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Syracuse's Blues and Brews Weekend

photos above, from top: (click on image to enlarge)

--Jeb Puryear of Donna the Buffalo;

--Donna the Buffalo onstage at the Empire State Brewing & Music Festival, Syracuse;

--barefoot dancer at Brewfest;

--Brewfest crowd at Clinton Square;

--Colin Aberdeen of Los Blancos at Syracuse's Inner Harbor

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all photos by Larry Hoyt - copyright 2008 Larry Hoyt

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It long has been my opinion that the music scene in Syracuse is the proverbial glass that is both half-full and half-empty.

Aside from the years I lived in New York City, Los Angeles, and Nashville, I have been actively involved in the Syracuse music scene for, let's say, about 38 years or so.

Venues have opened here , and then venues closed. And then other venues opened.

Bands formed and then disbanded, and then those band members formed new bands.

It seems like it has been a never-ending cycle. The more things have changed, the more they stayed the same.

As far back as I can remember, there have always been a good number of high-quality live music events going on in Syracuse, but often there were not enough of these events to satisfy everybody (especially those area musicians seeking paying gigs).

But lately, I get the feeling that more and more high-quality music events are happening in this area, and part of the purpose of this blog is to let Central New Yorkers and the rest of the world know that the Syracuse music scene is alive and well and growing.

This weekend, July 10 thru July 13, Syracuse's proverbial half-empty musical glass is over-flowing with excellent high-and-low-profile live music.

Blues and Brews are being served this weekend in Syracuse.

This good-time music party began Thursday evening with an Inner Harbor Block Party that featured live music by the J Project, the Ripcords, and Los Blancos.

The Ripcords and Los Blancos play a mix of electric blues and American roots music that I find energizing and entertaining. Both of these Central New York-based bands are also playing at the New York State Blues Festival, which gets underway at Clinton Square in downtown Syracuse, today, Saturday, July 12 and continues through the day and night tomorrow.

much more information on this can be had at

http://www.nysbluesfest.com/

I also had the great pleasure of attending the last part of the Empire State Brewing and Music Festival on Friday night in Clinton Square that featured a rockin' lively set of music by Donna the Buffalo, from the Ithaca area.

Simply put, Donna the Buffalo is a great band with a great, identifiable, roots-oriented sound that invites one and all into the hippie dance tent. The songs of Donna the Buffalo are filled with catchy little riffs, sweet melodies, country harmonies, and chugging rhythms that are puntuated with crowd-pleasing dynamics.

Often, they play songs at an even keel for a while, then bring things down, and then rev things back up, making a fun time for those folks dancing, and also for those other folks who like to watch other folks dance.

As I write this blog on Saturday morning, I plan to post a whole bunch more of the photos I shot both Thursday and Friday nights on my Flickr site:

www.flickr.com/newfolkfotos

Please do check out these and other photos on my Flickr site. You will not have to pay

anything if you enjoy them... there'll be more, later.... Larry

www.waer.org/threads.html

www.YouTube.com/newfolknow

Larry Hoyt & the Good Acoustics at Sterling Stage

top two photos of Larry Hoyt & Good Acoustics getting ready and playing onstage coutesy of http://www.janetleephotography.com/;

bottom photo courtesy of Jeff Stanton

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This past Saturday, July 5, I had the great pleasure of performing with the Good Acoustics at the String Fling, at the Sterling Stage Kampitheater in beautiful, rural, Sterling, New York.

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www.sterlingstage.com

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Saturday was a pleasant sunny day with low humidity and a temperature around 80 degrees --which makes a big positive difference while traveling and playing at this kind of outdoor/semi-outdoor festival.

I'm sure most music fans and musicians who have attended summer music festivals can relay horror stories of other festivals that took place under scorching heat, near-freezing cold, and/or endured never-ending torrential rain storms.

Thank goodness we had such a perfect, beautiful day!

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Of the four Good Acoustics, I've known bassist Dave Goldman the longest -- at least 20, maybe 25 years (!!!). I almost cannot believe it's been that long!

Somewhere back in the way-back-when, Dave and I actually played together in an oldies band called the Troublemakers. I forget how many gigs we played, but among the most memorable was a winter-time gig at a little dive, the Round House, in East Syracuse, right down by the railroad tracks.

The venue had a barroom, which was heated, and a band/music room that may or may not have been heated.

Outside on that cold winter's night, the temperature was something in the range of 15 degrees;

but inside the band/music room, the temperature must have been at least 50 degrees!

I think that gig was one of our last as the Troublemakers.

For me, it is truly great to have re-connected with Dave, who is a genuinely great guy, and a man of many talents and interests.

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I've known mandolinist and vocalist Ed Van Cott for a few years.

I first met Ed when he came to perform at an open mic I was hosting at the time at the Lucky Moon Cafe.

One of the very best things about open mics is the likelihood of running into talented musicians who might be looking to hook up with other musicians to play some gigs.

Again, I feel very fortunate to know Ed and to be able to play music with him. He's very knowledgable regarding bluegrass and gospel music, and he somehow is able to sing harmony with my sometimes erratic lead vocals. Ed also likes to crack jokes, which I consider a very worthwhile talent.

Ed also plays in the bluegrass band, Diamond Someday.

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I met violinist Judy Stanton a few months ago at an acoustic jam hosted by a mutual friend of ours -- that is another great way to meet other musicians. The first time I heard Judy play, I was immediately struck by her talent. She has played with symphony orchestras, with rock bands, and with a klezmer group. Once again, I must say how fortunate I feel being able to play with someone as talented and as upbeat-positive as is Judy. And she is also someone who likes to crack jokes.

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The newest member of the group, and by far the youngest, is 15-year old guitarist Lee Detota.

I met Lee via his mom when I told her that I played in an oldies band and we were considering adding a lead guitarist. It's obvious that Lee likes to play, and he has achieved a high level of technical skill for someone his age. Lee says his favorites are the Allman Brothers, and at this String Fling gig we added the Allmans' "Rambling Man" to our repertoire.

(Now I just have to figure out what key is best for me to sing "Rambling Man" in (which can depend on the time of day and how raspy my voice happens to be at the time..)).

If Lee stays as interested in the guitar as he seems to be now, I predict Lee will have a great many more opportunites to play higher-profile gigs in the future.

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One of my favorite songs to perform live is Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again," which contains these wonderful lines:

"On the road again, I just can't wait to get on the road again

The life I love is making music with my friends, and I can't wait to get on the road again."

I really do love making music with my friends, and as long as there is beautiful weather on a sunny day, then pack me up and put me on the road again!

I am ready to play!

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http://YouTube.com/NewFolkNow

4th of July Vegan Barbeque and Acoustic Ska at the Recess Cafe

One of the great things about living in the Westcott Nation (aka the Westcott neighborhood in Syracuse, New York - just east of Syracuse University) is the variety of cultural and entertainment experiences available in the 'hood and right nearby.

Case in point: the vegan barbeque and acoustic ska show that took place today, July 4th, at the Recess Cafe on Harvard Place, right smack dab in the middle of the Westcott Nation.

I'm not a vegan;

I'm not even a vegetarian;

but I thought the food they served was pretty good: they had vegan alternatives to a chicken patty, to a beef hamburger patty, and veggie hot dogs, plus regular vegetable items, such as corn on the cob, baked beans, and the trademark food item for summers in Central New York: salt potatoes -- those little potatoes boiled in salty water and then served with melted butter (but in this case, served with a vegan alternative that I believe was called Earth Balance -- not bad).

Musically, the first act was a very pleasant surprise: four relatively young musicians known as the Gnarwals who played and sang acoustic renditions of original ska-flavored songs. This gig was one of their very rare acoustic performances and it worked just right within the intimate confines of the back room at the cafe.

I shot lots of photos of the Gnarwals and others at the cafe; I've posted a few here on my blog, plus others appear on my Flickr site:

www.flickr.com/newfolkfotos

and also on the Meetup photography site

www.photo.meetup.com/444

Happy Fourth of July, everybody --may all your days be filled with Independence!