The Hiawatha of the Milwaukee Road fame graces our Shank Hall Bogus Slogan Poster. This 3/4 photo gives evidence to the power, speed and beauty of steam rail. Gears, wheels, pipes, valves are hidden behind the streamline cowling of 1930's industrial design. This magnificent engine is probably cruising at 60+ mph. Nearly too fast for the shutter.
The Proletariat Artist League combines imaginative people from all avenues of the world of art. Their annual Benefit All Mankind™ concerts are consciousness raisers on the futility of war. Each year a new location is used to help spread the word. Funds raised are used for commercial campaigns to advertise the crimes of despots and corporation abuse of the environment.
This concert was a ripping success. Drunk with Lead was called back for a second encore which cut into Bogus Slogan's set time. But this was not a problem - Bogus Slogan's encore was two songs in one. A musical trick the band has used since their beginnings. The drums held a steady rhythm as bass / keyboards played "Belittle One" and guitar played "ReSpirited." Vocalist, Mason Kimmers, alternated between the two.
Girls with Snakes. In their farewell performance. What should have been a 35 minute opening act, lasted 3 and 1/2 hours, ending in a bedlam of chaos as the County SWAT team cleared the Orpheum in what was clearly not a practice drill. G w/ S was a foursome of shapely, heavily tattooed women who were highly prized as performers by the locals. Music was an after thought because eventually, the girls writhed as much as their pet snakes did.
Our men of Bogus Slogan happily watched from the theatre's backstage, as each girl brought forth (from large storage boxes at the back of the stage) their beloved snakes. By the end of the musical part, all four girls were center stage "dancing" with the reptiles. At this point, one would assume that after a few minutes, the writhing would end and the next act, Man and Pearl, would get their 45 minutes. Nope...
Benjamin Owen, BS's drummer, walked on stage and started playing on the G w/ S's drum kit. As a stripper's "bump n' grind" beat echoed in the hall, the remaining BS members ran to the dressing room to get their instruments. Now everybody was happy.
After ninety minutes of audience participation, the theatre's management became unhappy. Responding police saw 2000 delirious fans. When it was learned that cutting the power to the stage would make the whole theatre go dark, (a public safety issue), the authorities called in the professionals.
It certainly left my original Apple II in the dust. A 6502 cpu running at a snail's pace. I was very loathed to leave that simple world behind; especially since I had been able to program in assembly (machine) language. But, Apple EOL'd (end of line) the II. I continued to use an Apple IIe, even buying a replacement from a friend when my original motherboard failed. But then I saw the bouncing ball of the Amiga 1000. I know now, I wasted my money, but that machine was fun. 
Not an overly dramatic photo. Darkening, and cropping the lower portion would help. But here are the challenges of a class one railroad. Moving tonnes of freight over miles and miles of the United States of America as quickly as possible. Everyday. Heat, cold, rain, snow. Mountains. Physical breakdown of machinery. Government regulations. Labor union requirements for safety. Environmental restrictions. Public indifference. Past due account receivables... In about 20 minutes there will be another one. And then another... Cajon Pass is always busy.
Union Pacific 3755, a General Motors' Electro-Motive Division SD40-2 capable of 3000 horsepower is heading a mile long intermodal container train going to Chicago and eventually the East Coast. Running hard on the BNSF North track, there is still two miles of mountain before reaching the Summit and the High Desert of California beyond. Behind 3755 is UP 2401, a General Electric C30-7 (3000 hp). Then UP 4948 (ex-Southern Pacific), SD45T-2, (3600 hp). Lastly 3 UP 5000 series SD70Ms, each 4000 hp. 21,600 hp, lashed together, pulling...
Here comes a train.
The primary tracks for 14 new songs, were finished in February. In March & April, the group recorded the overdubs, re-tracks and mixed the new full length album, "A Little Heart."
The American debut record release party will be at the group's favorite hang-out, Prestos. Tickets will be available beginning May 1st from the Bogus Slogan fan club, Sloganeers. The album will be released in America on June 20th. Advance copies will be given to all who attend the party.
The first single, "Running Out of Nice," was inspired by a group member receiving a two page "Honey Do" list three days before last Fall's European Tour began.
Belisima Project Forum is a special showcase arts theartre, with a capacity of 1500, that Bogus Slogan likes to use for international fund raising events.
The theatre, oval in shape and with an opening in the roof was built through corruption and extortion over 100 years ago. One man, with vanity on his mind, converted, the money, time and resources of others to a personal vision of "public good." His private theatre of human depravity lasted only 2 years. He was assassinated by his second in command.
Though the origins were stained, the architect chosen was a master. Acoustics similar to the Greek and Roman outdoor amplitheaters made the need for a modern sound system unnecessary. For electric concerts, a long extention cord is run from a next door residence and the groups uses their practice amps to rock the house.
Bogus Slogan uses "Advertise in the First Amendment"™ as a moral underpinning for spreading the tools of free speech throughout the universe. The Belisima Project Forum is one of those tools.
Sunshine. On a cloudy day. The David Nagel's series 9 brushes paint a delicious squiggle - I chose multiple colors and the finished set can be seen in layer 1.
To make the "ribbon" float, a dark grey base layer (layer 2) is set below. Layer 3 shows the beginnings of the brown color swirls. The final brush strokes, bring a soft black "highlight" topping for a sense of dimension.
Mimi's cloudbrushes, a ZenithPointStudio favorite, builds up texture that confuses the vertical with the horizontal, and gives this 9' x 6' charming illusion its own style.
Girls. Girls. Girls.
Men's magazines focus on the many curves of a woman.
Bogus Slogan focuses on what the female is saying. How her lips move. How her eyes and facial expressions convey the multitude of human emotions.
Exploring a woman's feelings, in a candlelight dinner, can satisfy even - whoa - whoooaaa. Where's that real world.
Bogus Slogan cherishes it's large groupie collection. The perks of the rock star life is groupies and more groupies. As long as you can hold the stage for at least 45 minutes, some girl in the audience is going to throw her panties. She goes in the database. Whew! Feeling better now.
The Daisy Foundation, created by jewelry designer Roberta Kline, holds monthly fundraisers for their charitable medical research programs. This concert, at the Blades Lounge, was unique in that only invitations to women were made. And they were allowed to bring one guest, of course another female. Each of the supporting bands were all girl groups. Headliners, Bogus Slogan took home a record number of panties.
I would be somewhat unhappy if anyone looked at "Available for Parties" and began to talk about their high school chemistry class. Attraction of covalent bonding molecues. Suff like that. Please, let us gravitate toward seeing two distinct personalites at a cocktail party. There, much better.
With the photoshop brushes from David Nagel, I painted quick slashes of black and grey. A tighter nap brush with predominantly blues and yellow, looping on itself to create a "rope" effect, is used to build up the object on the right. A fan brush "dots" the span between the two.
Only twice was I ever called to my high school Principal's office. Badder living through chemistry was the reason for one of these requests.
The Fighting Temeraire, tugged to her last berth to be broken up (1838)
Because humankind has a consciousness, and has recorded its passage through history, we can "remember" time... by reading a book or watching a movie. However a painting must stand by itself (if you don't read its caption).
Imagine you are standing on a bluff, overlooking the river. It rained earlier, but the sun now sets as you watch one of those new steam contraption ships lead an obsolete, wood and sail man of war to her demise. Shortly, the wooden steam tug will be replaced by iron, then comes steel. History repeats. A "modern" man of war, the U.S.S. Missouri (BB 63) is towed across the Pacific Ocean to be permanently moored in Pearl Harbor as a museum. Tugs in space. Lunar salvage yards. - Just looking at a picture, painted some 170 years ago - remembering history - projecting a future. Pretty neat to be human?
Live Rock n' Roll at its finest. Mister Smoothy and the Villains just tore up the crowd. Bogus Slogan hit the 18 foot x 6 foot stage by entering through the traditional Roc-Shak snake train. The snake train requires that at least half of crowd make room by leaving the Shak. From the parking lot, in comes the band, in comes the fans. Time to rock n' roll.
Ida's Shack-a-Delic lasted a full decade before the city government forbade gatherings greater than 15 customers. The record attendance for the Shak, was a Banters concert when an amazing 536 people truly filled (cubicly) the little building.
The Shak originally was a water turbine powerhouse that generated electricy for the local farms. Now it is a little cafe - with most of the tables outside. Directions are on the poster.
Outside of Wheelock, ND, probably west, is where this photo was taken. Shot from INSIDE an Amtrak "Empire Builder," at 60 miles an hour, this blur of an abandoned farm house might be my favorite photograph.
The Single Clerks turned into one of the great rock bands, the Fragging Dolls. When lead singer, Blandy Weathers entered rehab for the third time, Single Clerks finally broke up. Six months later, Weathers left the rehab facility and rejoined with bassist Boss Plumber to form Fragging Dolls with new guitarist, Moss. Their drum chair mimics the saga of Spinal Tap. The constant turnover is now written into their employment contracts for drummers. A fan favorite, the Fragging Dolls are constant tourers. When Neh•Na Records released the first album, "The Inner Mind Attacks" - the Frags became a legend.
Big Gun Productions, during the 70's, was THE promotion house in Orange County, California. When they tried to grow beyond CA, their affiliates mis-mangaged enough concerts that the parent company had to cease operations. This Bogus Slogan Concert in Balboa, California might have been BGP's first as promoter. The Rendezvous Ballroom was a 1930's icon and is probably gone only because it sat on land too valuable for public entertainment.
Also "Fleet Maneuvers at the Rendezvous" was one of the earliest BIG venues that Bogus Slogan played. A special double sized print (54" x 80") of the poster hangs behind the reception desk in the ZenithPointStudio lobby.
I ended up with 330+ cassettes. At 102 minutes per cassette (Maxell made a cassette with 50+ minutes per side), that's over 550 hours. Who needs a life. Click on the button to download PopWorks 1a (51m). The link will be active for at least 30 days. More to come.
I never tried to make a second attempt with the Sherwood. I had no faith that I could catch that spirit again. And while the PopWorks series is edited, it was done in linear time. New elements were added to a "work tape" which, when filled, became the next collage tape.
In 1965, three amateur film makers brought their super 8 film cameras to the Club Hullabaloo. Forty one years later, digital technology has combined sound and video of Bogus Slogan's performance.
The sound recording, taken from the mixing board tape, has been digitally restored to near concert sound and synced with the super 8 film. The DVD has the complete Friday show, three songs from the Saturday show and the Saturday double encore. Running time is 158 minutes. Full details and SetList are on the back cover.
Also included is Robert Soelberg's 1966 experimental film, "Touch Sensitive Lips." A film noir tribute to the groupies of Bogus Slogan.
The backdrop is a video still of Beauty from the Japanese Anime Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo. A screwy oddball in the pantheon of human cartoons.
Franklin Roosevelt, American President, had the good fortune to live in interesting times. Born into wealth, he was liberal because of human necessity. As America's great depression arose from a loss of faith, Roosevelt used federal policies to move the USA towards governmental support of the individual. As World War II erupted - being another attempt of an individual or a small elite group for world empire - FDR was the leader in the fight for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - Bogus Slogan's favorite slogan. And he did this while crippled with polio.
In a never ending quest for political satire, the writers for the NBC's the Late Show starring Conan O'Brien, placed an optimistic FDR on snow skis traversing the New York backcountry. ZenithPointStudio used the video still as the backdrop for the BS Poster for the Hyde Park Winter Carnival. The slogan of never giving up is idealistic, but you might get a little further than where you are right now.
I would think that every one has the ability to create. Maybe not the equal of Vasarely, Brahms or Ansel Adams, but a charcoal sketch; a watercolour for their personal enjoyment. Don't we see a child's stick figure painting on every refrigerator? But at some time, you see a great work of art and leave with your artist block installed.
Vasarely: VASA ARNY (1976))
Larry Day introduced me to my first great work of art. The Op art of Victor Vasarely. Mr. Day is the father of the guitarist in one of my early bands. 
During a rehearsal break, he said he had a bass drum cover for the band! My first band had the proper descriptive name of "the unknowns." When we combined with another band, some one, who's identity is lost in time, convinced the group to use the name "World of Us." Larry, in the style of Vasarely, made the Op Art cover, with the band's name in contrasting color squares. He used thin "tissue" paper. The result was a very professional emblem.
discovery of inspiration. Combine Bivala, Girl-Flower, Untitled - Combine parts of them - Combine with the color palette of Monet - combine parts of them with the early cubist monochromatic color scheme... I am sure there is a combination out there that will set off my artist's block.
The "Screamer" record release party poster is an early art project that ZenithPointStudio completed for Bogus Slogan. Fans love to be next to their music heroes, and having a party to listen to the new album brings together the two most important things. Money and Product. Actually, fans who can get a ticket into the private party get a special gift bag from the band as a thank you. Of course a free copy of the album is included.
This party did not go very smoothly. The local fire department would not ok the permit for a live performance from the band. Supplies for the bar were "lost." No running water in the warehouse. There was no key for the front door, so everyone entered by the loading dock.
Upon arrival of the band, everything turned out fine. The evening continued with our boys leading a community group sing from the songbook of Bogus Slogan.
Do you like long walks on the beach. Australia can provide. Located on the southern edge of the continent, away from the wave glory of the east coast is 90 Mile Beach.
And on a warm December evening, following a wonderful day on the sand, you could rock out to the sounds of Bogus Slogan. This concert was near the end of an exploratory tour of the Southern Hemisphere that BS management convinced the group would be an easy way to enjoy a longer "summer." However, even with modern aircraft, Mexico, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, Japan; the tour proved to be too ambitious. The band "jumped ship" on a Hawaiian layover.
As psychedelic waves lap against skimboards & surfboards, we rest easily under the atypical palm tree. ZenithPointStudio did not take the time to research native trees since the ubiquitous Palm (Queen Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana)) symbolizes universal fun in the sun. (Next time a good old river red gum, (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) will do the trick) With a print run of 150, "90 Mile" has become a rare item for collectors. Seventeen have been publicly traded, the last price was $115.00 in 1971. Probably a little more today.
When America stops for the night, she wants all the comforts of home. He wants sushi?
Still operational. The last time I looked in, the owners were repaving their parking lot. What do you order for breakfast?
DON'S MOTEL
Long Beach, California (2001)
On Friday, March 10, 2006, the CityView Gallery will host the ninety-seventh Annual American Natural Objects Gallery Preview and Reception. A hosted bar and buffet will be available during the first hour. Doors open at 7 pm. 
The Competition awards ceremony begins at 7:30 pm with the Pacific Trust Collection's President, Karin Greene presenting art grants from the PTC Foundation to the winners.
The Gallery show opens to the public on March 16, 2006.
The CityView Gallery is located in the Capitol Building in the heart of Laguna Beach. Parking is limited, so please arrive early.
Music Food Heat. America's Independence Day Concert in New Orleans. Drink Dance Music. Twelve hours non-stop each day. Bogus Slogan was honored to be the Saturday headliner. Scheduled for a 90 minute show, the greatest crowd of them all demanded and got seven encores - BS was a no-show at their own afterparty - Crawling into the limo, they told the driver to head for the refuge of the Mobile, Alabama Dandford Plantation Bed & Breakfast (A Slogan favorite).
Maelson Telsers of the New Orleans International Music Festival commissioned ZenithPointStudio to create the program poster. He asked for a design that represented the "swirl of colorful sound" that the festival traditionally brought forth. ZPS realized that with so many bands, even a 27" x 40" space would present a challenge to cover all the information for the festival. So the studio PrintWorks got out the small printer.
A background swirl of color, with a delicately painted frame, directs attention on the center panel where the band names are listed. Over 1000 prints were made and widely distributed through out the Louisiana Parishes. However, the inks used for printing were of a lesser grade and most posters which have been exposed to direct sunlight have faded. A mint condition "New Orleans International" will probably cost you $575.00. That was the sale price of the most recent transfer in December 2005.
Under the guidance of famed interior designer Frederika Jasen Penner, renovations to expand the inside space into the outside world of the new executive offices of the Pacific Trust Collection of Laguna Beach have been completed. Stunning views await visitors entering onto the main lobby floor. Reception, research library and conference rooms have been placed on the upper level. Executive offices reside on the middle level; while modern, state of the art, inventory storage and art restoration rooms are on the bottom floor.
Pacific Trust Collection President Karin Greene in a prepared statement:
We are thrilled with the results. A two year long process has culminated into these divine workspaces for the administration and promotion of the Collection's properties. Both employees and guests are cradled in the comfort and luxury of Ms. Penner's imagination. Her design has left abundant wall space to exhibit the best of the Company's art work.The Executive Offices of the Pacific Trust Collection of Laguna Beach are open Tuesday through Friday, from 9am to 4pm. Please call to make a visitor's appointment and for directions to the building.
We look forward to expanding our role in the International art community, as thousands of new artists emerge through exposure on the Internet. The new executive offices will work in conjuction with the existing PTC facilities located adjacent to the CityView Gallery in downtown Laguna Beach, California. The original office space will be used as a public workshop, classroom and as additional inventory storage.
