2ndclepunkbuddha

My esteemed colleague E contacted me through Facebook recently with a proposition.  We had met last year on the MegaBus on the way to Chicago for Durandemonium 2013.  After recently moving to my city, she asked if I wanted an extra ticket to Blossom to see the Vans Warped Tour.  I laughed for a moment when this was put before me.  For those of you who are not familiar, the Vans Warped Tour is a touring music festival that has been going across America, primarily featuring punk rock music on a variety of stages rather than just one, sponsored, of course, by the shoe manufacturer Vans, which appeals to skateboarders.  This year is the nineteenth anniversary of said festival, and I had never been to it before due to schedule conflicts, one thing or another, and, quite honestly, I was never into skating.  Also, at some point, one realizes that they are a bit too old to do certain things; and, skateboarding is one of those things that one gets too old to do quic...

I read a wonderful quote from Kurt Cobain not too long ago.  It really has nothing to do with who said it, but it was one of those moments when it just makes sense to you all of a sudden : "Thank you for the tragedy, I needed it for my art."  Much of art, whatever medium you choose, is really motivated by tragedy.  Songs are written about broken hearts, paintings and drawings are created depicting innermost feelings and thoughts, and a variety of writings are dedicated to such illustrations.  There is a lot of meaning in that little symbol of the yinyang, which is like those two classic masks depicting happiness and sadness as it applies to theater arts.  Just as much is motivated by joy and happiness, to be sure, but most there is more to be found in the darker sides of life.  Recently, I have become a tagalong for one new venue in which to display one's art, and it's usually a tragic one : comedy. I have seen many people who think that they ar...