You guys, I had another kid and I’m totally underground. I don’t think I’ve updated this blog in 10 months. I will surface sometime soon and put some more recent, relevant content up here. Deep breath! Going under! *
Every year since 2003 the Sacremento Poor Boys have hosted Midnight Mass, a traditional pre-’65 car show/all night event. Here’s a link to the youtube clip. This year they asked me to do the design for the shirts and posters. They wanted something different than the usual “big drawing of a hot rod” kinda thing, so here’s what I came up with.
I was a little nervous about how it would be received because It’s a departure from the tried and true car show tshirt. I wasn’t sure that people were going to want to deviate from the norm. They sold out in one day. I guess I should have known there’d be deviants at this show.
After all, it’s the people that make up the show, really. The turnout and the vibe were better than any previous Billetproof show that I’ve been to, and the quality of the cars was very high. The highest I can remember. Maybe Billetproof has taken all the hokey rat rods with it? Thank you thank you thank you. The pinup girl contest was a hit, and the swap meet was great in the new location. Everyone had fun, and I can tell you that mini bike races are going to be a fixture from now on. I am working on my bike already, making some mods and updates so that I can wash away the bitter taste of dust and defeat. Adding the Road Devils and Nightmares to the mix was the best idea we ever had. They’re both great clubs and good friends. Including the cars from the clubs, we hit the 400 car mark.
There are still some stickers, tshirts, patches and posters on the sinsofsteel.com site. Thanks everybody! See you next year!
I’ll cut right to the chase on this: We were used, taken for granted, insulted and left for dead by the very same Billetproof franchise we brought to Detroit and helped to promote and nurture. So this year, the Poor Boys and the Peckerheads in conjunction with the Road Devils and the Nightmares are putting on our own show instead. You can read the whole story at www.sinsofsteel.com, and pick up some of the drama from the HAMB, but the bottom line is that the Davisburg show is still on. Still the first weekend in June, still at the Davisburg Fairgrounds, still the best collection of traditional hot rods, customs, choppers and bobbers in Michigan. There will be bands, the burnout contest, pinstripers, cool vendors, minibike races, a vintage parts swap meet, and more. See ya there!
While I was hanging out at Autorama this year, I got a text from Kent at LIFT gallery telling me that a couple more of my paintings from the Circus Mobius show I did with Audrey Pongracz had sold. It was good news, but made all the sweeter when I stopped by the store to pick up my check. Turns out it the person that bought them was none other than Meg White. That put an extra little kick in my step, you know? Thanks Meg. Wanna do a show together?
I just want to add that if you haven’t been there, go to LIFT and check their store out. They regularly feature artists from Detroit, and also pull in artists from all over America and Europe. They are big into the vinyl toys, and they have all kinds of cool books and just… stuff. Hit them up online at http://www.liftfootwear.com.
Man, what a blast! As usual it was a great weekend hanging out with friends, surrounded by baddass cars. Our pals t
he Road Devils had a great display. It was a garage that had displays inside of it showing the heritage of the club going back decades. A couple of buddies from our Sacremento chapter came out for the show. Always great to see those guys. I’m slated to do the art for their Midnight Mass show in August, can’t wait to get started on it. Unfortunately the show is only about 3 weeks away from the due date on our new baby, so once again I will let another year slip by without attending Midnight Mass. Next year fer sher.
I put up a flickr set of pics of our display and the trophies we made for Autorama Extreme this year. Tim King and Roger Atwood scrounge the parts and make the trophies, and I pinstripe them. Every year there is a trophy for best club display, but you can’t win it two years in a row. Since we won it two years ago, it was time to pull out the stops and go large with our “Tournament of Thrills!” themed display based on the traveling daredevil shows of the 50s and 60s. Naturally, our hard work paid off and we won the Best Club Display again in 2010! I believe we hold the undisputed record for most “Best Club Display” trophies collected in the history of Detroit Autorama Extreme. Justin brought his Hemi-powered Model A. It sounds killer, here’s a little video.
We had table with tshirts and fliers promoting our upcoming show SINS of STEEL (formerly Billetproof, now kicking more ass!). It’s coming up on June 5th, same date, time, and location as Billetproof was. Go to the SINS of STEEL website for more info: www.sinsofsteel.com.
The 53rd annual Detroit Autorama is this weekend and The Poor Boys have been hard at work on our display for the Autorama Extreme in the lower level at Cobo Hall. This year it’s sponsored by Ol’ Skool Rods and they’re calling it Autorama 1953 instead, whatever that means. Taken at our research facility and test track is this smuggled picture of the centerpiece. 
I can’t say much, but the theme is Poor Boys Thrill Show and it seeks to recreate the traveling daredevil thrill shows of the 50s and 60s. Come down and say Hi and ride our kiddie ride (if you are a kiddie that is). Also, we will have a booth to promote our new car show: Sins of Steel (formerly Billetproof). The show is in Davisburg at the 4H Fairgrounds, same as before, but we have added even more attractions this year and the show now belongs entirely to US. I’ll post more on that next month, but the website is in the works right now.
I’m stoked to announce my newest show, Circus Mobius, in conjunction with LIFT Gallery (click here for press release) (click here for map). For this show I’ve teamed up with one of my favorite Detroit artists, Audrey Pongracz, to create a body of new paintings and vinyl toys. The opening on Saturday December 12th will continue with the carnival theme and feature flame eaters, circus food, and costumes. Come dressed up in you best carnival getup, Audrey and I will be! Pick up Real Detroit next week for more info. See you there!
The Lincolns UK proudly release their debut album Hot Blonde Bitches November 14th at the Park Bar in Detroit. Recorded in the summer of 2009 at High Bias Recordings in Detroit by underground scenester Chris Koltay, the album captures the raw energy of The Lincolns UK and harnesses it in a limited edition vinyl EP and a full length CD, together in one package. Listen to preview tracks at myspace.com/thelincolnsukdetroit. Come help us celebrate the release at The Park Bar and support local live rock’n'roll!
I had a comment asking where I’d put the battery, and it occurred to me that I didn’t really post any pics of how I rearranged and compressed the electrical system. So here’s a tour…
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