Today is the first day of the Get Out and Do Something tour hosted by Vans veterans and two of skateboarding’s most noteworthy individuals (as well as my personal favorites), Ray Barbee and John Cardiel. The idea for the tour came about as Barbee and his band played in-store performances a few months back. From there it was deemed only natural that skateboarding’s most dedicated ambassador and testament to perseverance and positive thinking, John Cardiel be involved and the east coast adventure was born. Featuring music from Ray Barbee and the Mattson 2, Cardiel spinning some of his favorites, giveaways from Fender, Anti-Hero, Element, and others… these stops are not to be missed!

Get Out and Do Something Tour
Monday, August 30, 2010 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM (ET)
Virginia Beach, VA | Vans @ Lynnhaven Mall

Tuesday, August 31, 2010 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM (ET)
Newport News, VA | Vans @ Patrick Henry Mall

Wednesday, September 01, 2010 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM (ET)
Mclean, VA | Vans @ Tyson’s Corner

Thursday, September 02, 2010 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM (ET)
Columbia, MD | Vans @ Mall in Columbia

Friday, September 03, 2010 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM (ET)
King Of Prussia, PA | Vans @ King Of Prussia Mall

Saturday, September 04, 2010 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM (ET)
Paramus, NJ | Vans @ Garden State Plaza

Sunday, September 05, 2010 from 8:00 PM – 12:00 AM (ET)
Brooklyn, NY | KCDC Skateshop

On August 18, Ryan Decenzo and Red Bull descended upon Yonge-Dundas Square here in Toronto for a seemingly impromptu run from the top of an 18 wheeler in front of  rather lengthy line of waiting motorists. That particular intersection is home to Toronto’s only 4-way crosswalk and could certainly be argued as being the busiest junction in the city. Ryan proceeded to kickflip the first gap, ollie the second, and frontside 180 his way from the roof of a van to the street below. Watch the video below and check it out for yourself!

The Red Bull Traffik Jam was an adrenaline filled no miss kind of skate project. It was street, crowded and it could be the resume to my next career as a stunt man.

BLAKSEED Visual Syndicate is a new firm focused on branding and visual business identities. Having gone through the rounds of promises broken over these past few years, a group of artists/designers has banded together with the purpose of leaving our mark. Comprised of Boston by way of New York based graffiti artist turned design guru EIKNARF, visual artist and sculptor Chris Annett, digital design and animations veteran Al Adsit, programmer/coder Scott Harmer, and myself… we are making every attempt to bring an element of substance back to design and marketing.

With a broad base of artistic capabilities and a strong understanding of current and potential trends, we are dedicated to providing digital design and branding services required by our clients as well as the innovative marketing streams that set us apart. We will continue to focus on a socially conscious approach to our industry. Design and the arts as a whole has provided each of us with an outlet of expression, without which we may never have become who we are as both individuals and a collective today.

Stay tuned as we continue to develop our website and home base, expected to launch in late September, 2010.

http://blakseed.com

As you can see, I’ve made a few changes around here. A lot of the coding within my last design was running a little ragged and truth be told, I simply didn’t want to spend any more time tweaking it. So, I decided to start from scratch and keep things neat and tidy. This design would be the result of a day’s worth of work. I’ve also spent some time delving further into branding/logo works as of late. My penchant for clean and simple seems to be shining through more than ever and I must say that I’m pretty happy about it.

Here are a few examples of what I’ve been working on as of late:

I know I’m a little late on this (try almost two weeks late) but this video is simply too good not to post. Steve Berra (The Berrics) joined Mexican skaters Jesus Gonzalez, Eder Martinez, Mario Saenz, Angel Santiago and American Luis Tolentino for this Burn Ignite film, shot on location in Mexico City. As much as I love a good ol’ thrash video, I think these little art projects are truly incredible. Last year’s much more organic (ie. lacking the aerial shots that come with a big name energy drink budget) Wizard Smoke speaks to that as well. So if you have a moment, look onward and enjoy!

Every now and then I will make it a point to post something slightly personal… and no, that doesn’t mean that I will share torrid details of my ever so exciting life with you (to be honest, you’d likely be thoroughly bored with such things). It means that I will pull the occasional written piece out of my ranting and raving archives and if you’re really lucky, maybe even something new. In this case though, I’m posting something I had written roughly three years ago. I can’t exactly recall the circumstances that inspired what you’re about to read, but I do feel it is no less poignant now than it was then. Sometimes it feels pretty good to revisit one’s past, it can provide you a strengthened resolve to carry on toward a better future. For now, please read on…

Time has a tendency to bring about change, I’m sure we all know this… but today I’m interested in the subtlety of it all. Those days in which we wake up knowing that today is drastically different than yesterday but in truth, we have no idea how, when, or why it came to be that way. Somewhere along the line we lost the focus that we all fight so hard to hang onto. We spend each day in a constant struggle, attempting portray to others (and ourselves) that we truly know what we’re doing or where we’re going. The fact is, every day that passes only proves to show just how futile such attempts are.

Could it be misplaced faith?

Could it be that our attempts to lock down all that lies ahead and even that which surrounds us right this very moment, has left us devoid of this world’s most precious gift… the spontaneity of life. Desperation has been left in such a negative light but by nature, it is that very desperation that has brought about any great change in this world. How could it be that such a “negative” sentiment can be of such worth? I suppose it’s all a matter of perspective. William S. Burroughs said it best when he said, “Desperation is the raw material of drastic change. Only those who can leave behind everything they have ever believed in can hope to escape.” When it all comes crashing down… we learn to rebuild, we learn to live. What’s funny is that we spend our entire lives waiting for great events to create change, and yet we are all missing the point. Great events occur every day, slowly, consistently. It is that very concept that leaves us in silence, wondering how the hell we got to where we are today. While waiting for something life changing, life never stopped changing. She’s a sneaky mistress but a dependable one.

Rest assured knowing that tomorrow you will be different than you are today and each day beyond that… the possibilities are endless. Never doubt the urgency of life, but please don’t forget that as the years wear on there is infinite promise. Find worth within those times that you’re at your worst. Take them as a gift, a starting point. It is the one time in your life when you can honestly smile knowing that things couldn’t possibly get any worse. Again, keep it in perspective. Keep your eyes not on what you’ve lost, but on the vast world of possibilities that can be seen from that very moment. It’s a big world out there, and this is only the beginning.

*Originally written August 20, 2007

Let’s face it, posting mixtapes isn’t exactly a new practice within the blogging community. I’m certainly not reinventing the wheel here. However, it’s a quick and easy way to avoid the ever so interesting question, “So what kind of music do you like?” Each edition herein is but a small glimpse of whatever it is I’ve listened to over the years but hell, it’s better than nothing. In this instance I find myself touching base with a part of me that many who started out on early 90′s hardcore/punk can appreciate… the more pop fueled side of the dreaded “emo”. Fact is, there were some pretty solid jams that helped me through a few rather serious issues back then and though they may not all hold weight with me now, they still served their purpose. Let’s delve a little further shall we?

I could spend this entry speaking as to the history of the genre itself but I’m not going to bother. Not because I don’t find it to be interesting on some level, but simply because that’s what Wikipedia is for. I will also explore the earlier years of the genre within a mixtape to come so all you Dischord fanboys/girls, don’t get your panties in a twist! Anyhow, I had initially thought about posting a blurb regarding each individual song and what it meant to me but aside from the fact that even I don’t have that kind of time on my hands, I believe that hearing a band for the first time and seeking out information and other catalog works on your own is half the fun when it comes to being a fan of music. With that said, on with the show!

Download: Mixtape Vol.1 – Hard Goes Soft (65MB)

Albany by way of Cohoes based End Of A Year have returned with their new full length, “You Are Beneath Me”. If you are familiar with the band and expected Revolution Summer era Dischord sounds, chances are pretty good that you weren’t let down. What does come as a surprise is that this album seems to have silenced many critics and and fence sitters in one fell swoop. To put it in plain English, this is one solid post-hardcore record.

EOYA pound out rhythmic, mid-paced melodies while vocalist Patrick Kindlon once again proves that he is one of the most intriguing and amusing lyric writers in the industry today. His distinguishable restrained shout vocal style seems to really have found its’ place on this record and I for one as a listener, couldn’t be more pleased. It is rare that I find an album with which I find no real fault but this is such an album.

The track below serves as more of an introduction than a proper example of what the record itself sounds like. Though more spoken word than anything else, it does provide a little insight as to Kindlon’s dry comedic delivery. So take the chance to hear it through, then pick up the album at your local record shop or via Deathwish Inc.

End Of A Year – Composite Character

Tangible Interaction and Chairman Ting recently collaborated on Vinyl Cube, a project showcasing the works of what seems to be various Vancouver area artists (as it appears on the accompanying website) on a lit vinyl cube. They were so kind as to post a video highlighting the process and even a little fun had thereafter. Not too long ago the Chairman also completed a piece on the wall of Rethink‘s Toronto office (you can find the video for that project here). Needless to say, good things are coming out of that camp!

Sebago has been on fire as of late and this release is no different. As part of Ronnie Fieg’s Nexus Project, the company teamed up with Montreal style aficionado and blogger extraordinaire Marcus Troy for these two wonderfully styled boat shoes. Using textiles that are new to the Sebago camp, the more I look at these, the more I can’t help but love them. The blue and grey is right up my alley personally (though the red and buffalo brown leather are certainly eye catching in their own right) and if the financial gods shine down upon me, I’ll no doubt pick up a pair when they are released on June 25th. Detailed images follow the jump.

Marcus Troy will have the first go at Ronnie Fieg’s Nexus Project with two unique Docksides, Sebago’s iconic style. Both styles are made with high grade materials that Sebago have never used before, “Buffalo” brown leather, “Roughout” Grey suede, red and blue soles and premium leather linings. Priced at $110, 48 pairs per style will release on Davidz.com as well as the David Z. Flagship store at 10am est. on Friday June 25th.

http://marcustroy.com