Melody Nelson takes NYC, pubs and all.

First night of the tour off to a great start,
After meeting up with the mates at a local rehearsal spot.

As we transverse the city we end up at where else a pub for a few brews to take the edge off of a long arduous flight and flight mishaps. After a bit to eat and a cool down they finally got to make they're NYC/US debut at the Trash Bar Brooklyn.

Aiden

 Rich

 Peter

It was a brilliant night one of many more to come. So if your in NYC for the next couple of days check them out click on the link below for tour info.

Taking a stroll through modern days at MODERN AND VINTAGE SHOP

Taking a stroll down the rejuvenated stretch of Franklin ave, north of Eastern Parkway heading towards Fulton st - I won't get into the reason for the upswing wink nod but know it's there, I find that the area is really in blossom if you will. There are boutiques, and cafes, and bars opening up on either side of the street. The street is seeing life the likes of which haven't been seen in the area for some time. As I pass over park pl on my journey a glimmer of green catches my eye. A terrarium!

Let me catch you up dear reader on why this was so profound to you see I have been bitten by the green thumb of micro environments. Just before my walk I was taking a walk through Brooklyn's Botanical gardens on the search for live moss. SHHHH. I know you aren't suppose to touch the plants much less take them but hey they were of the beaten path and growing wildly with out a tag, go fig. Any way terrarium building is some thing I been finding as soothing relief in my life. I may not be the best green thumb on the planet but I life that I can help life grow.

Back to the what the item that lays before me this handsomely made half sand and soil terrarium, ooooh what a concept. I as I look around the surrounding items I find some pretty nice statement pieces, tables, chairs, shelving. Okay the lure is in my mouth and I'm hooked. I enter into the quaint store front and see some of the most fun and funky pieces this side of Williamsburg, most of the stuff out there is junk, not only that this store is a Black owned business, egad! I walk around for a bit and as the avid busy body I just have to poke my nose in their affairs and ask a few questions about the store.

Kaos Blac: So how long have you, the store, been here?

Modern and Vintage: Four months.

Kaos Blac: So tell me about your store.

Modern and Vintage: Its a modern store we do carry a lot of nick-nacks, little trinkets for home, and I also carry large furniture - because of space we're creating a website that one can go on and you know look at any sofa's or dresser's we may carry.

Kaos Blac: Whats your biggest area of sales items, I see you have a lot of glassware.

Modern and Vintage: Yeah a lot of glassware - it seems like the neighborhood, I'm always buying new glassware items for the store.

Kaos Blac: I see you have a lot of greenery in your store.

Modern and Vintage: We try to incorporate a bit of every thing, everything to help in home decor plants, painting, furniture, we aren't your typical antique store.

Kaos Blac: So is you website live now.

Modern and Vintage: Not yet but we're working on it.

Kaos Blac: Cool so we'll be checking for it, but in the meantime come into the store which is located at...

Modern and Vintage: 708 Franklin Ave.Brooklyn, NY, 11238 bet Park and Prospect. (the google maps is old trust me it's there!)

I invite you all to stop in and check out their wares. 

Color Me Black

Just in time for the upcoming holiday season of Kwanzaa a friend of mine, Chris BlackAmerica of the band Black America, is putting together a great book to be shared for the family. "Color Me Black" will be a historical informative coloring book.

‎"COLOR ME BLACK" .. is a very necessary and vital addition to the consciousness building of the worlds black youth as well as all children.. it will be a tool that families can use to learn and bond together around the true greatness that we as the founding mothers and fathers of human life on this planet have contributed not only to ourselves but to all of humankind! It will feature up to 100 of the greatest black human beings that have ever lived and along with an interactive website will be a most fun and positive way to learn about many empowering and important facts.
The book will contain beautiful drawings by some of our most talented artists as well as a paragraph introducing each subject.. one will then be directed to a corresponding page on the website to engage in even more detailed info..
I think this is a brilliant concept and the responses have been extremely positive..many many interested people are already making inquiries.
As to how and where and when they can purchase one for themselves and their loved ones. COLOR ME BLACK will be available in several different languages in order to connect with our people no matter where they reside upon mother earth.. to let us all know that we are one great people !!! I am so looking forward to the completion in the spring of 2012 !!!
Untill then.. be well and great good fortune.. Alafia and Hotep! 
Blacklove !!! Blackunity !!! Blackfamily !!! Blackpower !!! COLOR ME BLACK !!!

In order to  make this book a reality Chris along with Ray Hands, For Fathers Project.org, Pharonic Designs, Homage Skateshop, The Honiblue Institute are putting together a fundraising event on December 11th at the Ray Hands Loft.

It'll be a great night of music, art and support for a great project. And I'll be there to boot so come on down and support.

Yinka of Sabatta, a son of Nigeria gets a warm welcome at the Shrine.

For those of you not in the know The Shrine or Afrika Shrine was the name of the club Fela Kuti help create as a place to perform and share his music with the people of Nigeria. The shrine was a hot box of Fela's political aspirations and musical expressions.

- Fela Kuti's Shrine in Niigeria. 

During a raid on the Shrine in in 1977 after 7 years of shows and celebration the Shrine was burned down by the Nigerian government. Fast forward to today, 2011, there is currently a new Shrine in Nigera heralded by one of Fela's children, Femi, also the is the Shire in Harlem which is a homage to the original. This bring's us full circle to the title of this piece and Yinka Oyewole the man behind British rock outfit Sabatta. He's been on tour for a bit and decided to stop off on our side of the pond. Lucky for me I caught up with Yinka as he and locals Howard Alper and Brian Saltz, who backed him up, performed a few tracks off of the latest Sabatta self titled album,  

I have the album at hand and it's a beast of pure hard rock, a raucous good time. Check out some live footage of Yinka at the Shirne.

 

It was a great show and speaking with Yinka after the show he reviled to me that it was honor appearing at our Shrine, it turns out as a child he actually got to see Fela perform at The Shrine in Nigeria, talk about coming full circle. Maybe Yinka can be the voice of our generation, to find out if he is check out Sabatta's website, http://www.sabatta.net/. 

2009 - 2010 Studio Immersion Project Fellowship II opening party.

I recently attended the opening of part two of the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop 2009/2010 fellowship showings as a invitee of one of the featured artist Brandon Cox.

The Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop (RBPMW) is a co-operative printmaking workspace that provides professional-quality printmaking facilities to artists and printmakers of every skill level. We are committed to inspiring and fostering a racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse artistic community dedicated to the making of fine art prints in an environment that embraces technical and aesthetic exploration, innovation and collaboration.

We seek to improve the overall quality of fine art printmaking by providing low cost, unfettered access to printers, equipment, and education. It is our belief that focusing on the art first, that happens to be a print, allows for more innovative printmaking and leads to greater exchange of ideas and cultures between members. Robert Blackburn created a welcoming and supportive creative environment with a spirit of openness that serves as the backbone of the workshop today.

The showing featured works by Brandon Cox, as well as Monique Schubert, & Ryan Wallace as they explored their own themes and ideas via print and video.

 Artist Brandon Cox

Panda Panda @ lit lounge

If your in town come out tonight and see my girl Wildcat as she performes with her new band, Panda Panda. They go on at 9:30 so show up early.

Hella Gay BROOKLYN Dance party

Dj's Nolita Selector and Narcissus brought a lil bit of Oakland to Brooklyn with the premiere of Hella Gay BROOKLYN Dance party, after the jump, who coined that anyway, are some shots I took as well as DJ Narcissus.