Monthly Archives: September 2019

Joseph Duo & Chris Hondros (1970-2011)

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I was very fascinated with this story. Because years ago I saw the above picture where Duo is running fiercely and shirtless with his trusty RPG while others are ducking for cover. Apparently Chris Hondros in the below picture was a war/ conflict era photographer. He traveled the world photographing wars in the scariest places on the planet. Duo was living in a place where war was coined “the endless war” as it was going on for well over two decades. I will spare the specific details because you can look these guys up on the internet and Hondros has a WIKI page. However DUO isn’t as documented except through Hondros. The reason is that this picture captured so much attention that it was on every magazine, bus stop , news article, art gallery and you name it. All with Duo running at the camera with his battle cry. It’s reported that at that time he walked around shirtless as a commander of his army firing machine guns and rocket launchers without any fear so much so he captured the attention of Hondros. Duo had dropped out of high school to join the army and later it was a means of survival to feed his family. He was pure fearless and gnarly as fuck. the ultimate combat weapon and not a big guy at all, very Shmedium. Hondros was so taken by his presence that he reached out to Duo seen in the lower picture and convinced him to go back to school, get out of war zone and also helped Duo enroll in college. Duo later received a law degree and also got into politics for his country. Hondros said that in some of his pictures they display how uncomfortable war is and how some folks even enjoy it given the nature of Duo in the picture. Bloodlust is how he described it. Although if you ask Duo how he feels, he says he doesn’t like the picture any longer and decided to never raise a weapon towards anyone ever again. He says he was happy at the time defending his country but would much rather help his community in a positive manner instead. There is a movie out called “Johnny Mad Dog” that covers many of the conflict zones Duo was navigating through. Hondros died in an Air Strike in 2011 while doing what he always did. His work and his art has been celebrated for years since his death, including art galleries and donations for worthy causes. Just wanted to share this and to anyone else interested all you have to do is google those names.

Hustlers Movie (2019)

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Yea Yea, Jennifer Lopez at 50 owning the pole, yes we know. Just like Demi Moore, Madonna, Sandra Bullock and several others all in great shape in their 50’s so get over that part. This movie is an extraordinary view at what the strip club life is like. Not just the retards these women put up with but also the stigma of what comes with being a dancer. The scene where Destiny tries to go elsewhere for a job yet no one will hire her because the only experience she has is dancing, is probably close to home for many. Not to mention every stripper knows that when every other bitch is doing sex-worker stuff in clubs it’s hard to compete. Well unless they want to do it too. Not only will clients be degrading they will also expect dancers to do “more” for money. This film is about a group of women rising up above all this and making their own way. If you ever danced in Seattle or knew someone that lived it, then this movie will bring back some memories. The strip club scene is slightly different in each state but the fact still remains that these women are sales people looking to drain rich dudes wallets without giving away too much but their time. When J-Lo does her opening scene on stage you can’t help but recall movies like Strip Tease or Show Girls, two of the movies that paved the way for strip club movies. However J-Lo blows past Demi in this not just in her dance routine but in her character too. She is the OG of the strip club, making her money, wearing designer fur coats and expensive luxuries paid for in stacks of $1 dollar bills. The cast is well put together and even though Cardi B feels played out like a Geri Curl (in my opinion) she has a great cameo that is believable. This is a good look into the life of strip club dancers you may not have known or even more fun if you do know.

Travis Thompson Live @Showbox Market 9/20/19

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Second time seeing young Travis do his thing and good for him on his second time headlining a show. Showbox Market is the Historical live music spot easy to get to in Downtown Seattle. I chose the VIP table option which if you buy tickets early usually you can get a spot with reserved seating and an excellent view. Travis had his family in the same area who were all very nice folks to sit next to. His new album Reckless Endangerment has a different bolder sound to it that his other albums which still rings true to who he is and what he represents. Which is a small town kid from Burien representing Ambaum BLVD. The album cover he used is a flipped over car with him pouring out a 40oz sitting on a lawn chair. Original as fuck if you ask me. This is a very humble guy you can spot him through the West Seattle and Burien area just hangin with his people or at the Skatepark. He makes a point between sets to thank the audience and remind them how happy he is to be there. His music is rap but not gangster rap or talking about exotic cars and random shit that isn’t him. Rather his lyrics are of his life experiences, having fun with his friends and dreams of making it to the top to share his empire with his friends and family. So when you hear his lyrics they are catchy with great beats in the background. Check out young Travis when you can because these $25 shows won’t last long with his talent.

Cruise Movie (2018)

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This movie was near impossible to find and I stumbled across a trailer for it on youtube some years back, been looking for it ever since. I never was able to find it and the movie never made it to any theaters in my state. Often some independent films will be limited release to see how they do and from there decide if they should distribute. Also depending on music rights and so forth other things can jam them up down to even the time the movie is released. All that being said this one fell between the cracks and sadly wasn’t mainstream. Set in 1987 during a time those cars; like his mint Grand National, a vehicle still highly desired and fast to this day. Those cars filmed were fairly new to be owning in street drags at that time. They do a great job of finding mint stock basic Toyota’s and stuff in the background scenes. These actors are all B level and you won’t recognize anyone except maybe the main chick which some reviewers said she was a bad actor. I felt she nailed the part beautifully. The main character is a young teenage Italian kid but don’t worry this not another mob movie but does show how active the mafia was in the 80s during that time. Also it’s not another love story even though the guy does meet the girl and fall in love with the girl. The twists and turns to their love story isn’t clear which leaves you engaged. This is a drag race film but don’t expect fast & The Furious CGI and theatrics and cars jumping across the screen, no, this is too low budget even if they wanted it. These are realistic drag races that don’t last 5 mins to race down a quarter mile in slow motion mixed with fast motion. You feel like they actually raced and edited it. So you feel the heat when the cars take off. Although home boys Grand National has a cam’ed v8 motor sound dubbed over his real car sound as we all know Grand Nationals don’t sound like that. You don’t mind the fake engine noise if you are getting into the actual content of the moment. You then appreciate the noise towards the end when his National pulls off. Almost makes it beefier and sounds cooler whether fake or not. Also the type of ways these kids get money and car prowling felt real and raw New York Street kid shit. You knew some of it was theatrical for car theft but nothing you couldn’t look past to get the basic nature of the message the film maker was sending. The soundtrack is amazing and some 80’s classics you know and some you may not know from the B side of UK to just more non mainstream 80’s hits. They never miss on creating 80s background and the outfits were never over the top as some real 80’s folks just wore less bright clothing. Some 80’s folks just wore dull colored regular shit. So you don’t feel like it’s a remake but rather a movie that actually took place in the 80’s. That’s actually one the best art forms of the film is that it doesn’t look and feel like a remake rather it looks like an 80’s film you just never saw before. Released in 2018 however and with a strong story and believable plot this is one to really look for but unfortunately the one way to see it is to buy it through’ Youtube, HULU, Comcast and possibly amazon. Haven’t yet seen a way to own it as I like to collect movies.

Ja Rule & Ashanti Live @Showbox Sodo 2/18/19

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The only blurry picture I have from this show at the Showbox Sodo. This venue is easy to get to downtown and is a large warehouse style venue with bar located in very front and to the north wall. You can pay extra for seating and designated waiter attached to the seat upgrade otherwise open room standing only. Which means get there kind of early to have a good spot or fight your way to the front near the stage. I enjoyed the show they are a classic duo with classics we all remember. I didn’t feel any negatives from the show and would consider seeing them again if at a venue likes this.

Bumbershoot Live @Seattle Center 8/31/19

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If you aren’t familiar this is a music festival held in the Historical Seattle Center area which the area has various live music locations with different stage setups and musicians of all genres. Over the years the ticket sales have gone up and the artists seem to have lessened in popularity meaning they haven’t had really any super big names in their lineups in past years. Usually there is a about 20 or so artists at different time slots and different locations. This can be difficult if you are intending on seeing certain artists that come on at the same time in different spots. The venue is large and all ages so don’t be surprised seeing teenagers wearing rave-esq clothing walking around. This specific year I went to catch LP and Two feet. Both played amazing and I have another post about LP as she is a very great live performer. I was impressed with Two Feet as well, great delivery and you can choose the option of VIP tickets to have better areas to watch as well as no lines anywhere. I recommend this if you are choosing to do all 3 days of the festival just makes it easier to move about the areas without the need to push through larger crowds. This year I only went Saturday but I arrived shirtless which is frowned upon in the beer gardens. Some ask you to wear a shirt but I don’t take no fuckin shit so I threw on some electrical tape over my nipples I found at one of the bars and refused to wear a shirt. Why is it the nipples matter so much? As if the rest of my skin isn’t a problem but the small area of nipples changes things. I waiting for Jai Wolf to come on and a metal barricade fell on someone and they were seriously injured. The next day they honored a free entry to anyone who missed that show that got moved to the next day. I was also really impressed with H.E.R. as her music has a very deep R&B vibe but when she did a stellar Prince Cover rocking the guitar like she built the song herself I was really amazed. Overall I would say it’s worth going to any Bumbershoot if you are a music head since they have so many artists each day for 3 days you are bound to like someone performing. Also being centrally located in a historical spot in Seattle with views of the SpaceNeedle it makes it not only pleasing for the locals but also tourists.