Betsy & Iya Jewelry


Posts Tagged ‘blitzen trapper’

Sweet Sunday (part two).

Monday, June 8th, 2009
video-snapshot-of-suzanne-bakker(This picture has nothing to do with Sunday.  BUT I thought it sort of encompassed how much fun we had together.  This picture was snapped from the computer on the morning of my birthday, when W surprised me with a video chat with our Dutch friend, SB.  It kept cutting us off and we kept having ridiculous faces prepared for when it would cut back in.)

After our lovely, hand-holding, perfect-paper finding adventure, W and I met a good friend for a cool beer at the Deschutes Brewery on 11th and Davis.  We were meeting her family for the first time.  It’s similar to meeting your significant other’s family for the first time—you wanna look good, be funny, smart, cool…etc.  I think all of the above was accomplished.  The three beautiful women were all wearing my jewelry.  It was a nice surprise (and also kind of funny).  Many laughs were exchanged, and fun was had by all.

Immediately on to another adventure.  I’d never viewed Portland from a downtown rooftop…MAN, I’ve been missing OUT!!!:

(okay okay…this is NOT Portland, but…A bit like this, sans the palm tree and light and waaaay better with a more picturesque background—but you get the idea.  This picture from Corbis.)

The moment we stepped onto the rooftop outside of the large open studio where Blitzen Trapper’s new music video would play for the first time, I knew I had really done myself a disservice by forgetting my camera.  Portland’s beauty provoked feelings the way a new, pure love does on a third or fourth date—giddy, secretly sweaty, short breath (constantly reminding yourself to take deep ones) perfection.  In more ways than completely exposed outside living rooms, my perspective was completely shifted.  That night, Portland could do no wrong.

brk(second set, Blitzen Trapper video.  I helped make those masks too!)

That set the tone for the evening.  What followed, far exceeded my expectations.  I forgot just how many friends/acquaintances helps make up the enviable talent pool of folks from which to work with in this town.  Soon the studio was filled with some of my most favorite people in Portland.  We were all gathered around in a ridiculously hip studio for the release of a music video that most of the people in the room had put their rough working hands on.

img_2206

(some of the crew after the first day of shooting.)

While it took me a moment to get over—not bringing my camera—I ended up embracing the fact that I only had one lens to look through that night.  It created a sort of urgency in me, to make the evening as good as it wanted to be.  It happened that way.  The amount of meaningful conversations had, were right up there with the silly ones.  I left feeling full of inspiration and joy.  In fact, the WHOLE weekend was a beautiful one,  full of newness, friendship, hope, talent, and love.  …hope yours were lovely too!

(maaaan, that sounds cheesy, BUT IT’S TRUE, PEOPLE!  believe me!)

***Song of the Moment: Black River Killer, by Blitzen Trapper***

Video Killed the Radio Star.

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

Hey!  I’m back!  This weekend and beginning week has been exhaustingly exhilarating.  SB is in town among other old friends; we’re rediscovering the city, keeping up with orders, AND…doing some still photography for a music video??

Seriously.  It is as cool as it sounds.

bt-camera

I remember when I first moved to Portland a few years ago—fresh out of graduate school, no job, a little depressed, watching LOST episodes for hours/days on end, but mostly taken with the amount of coolness that seemed to run rampant in this town.   At the tipping point of that cool was a little band named, Blitzen Trapper.  One of my first good times in Portland involved BT.  W and I had become fast friends with their mad-skilled drummer through a wild connection web that involved a great gal from Buffalo, me, California and some hysterical clowns.    We’d heard B talk about their music and listened to a few different albums, but the modest Towne Lounge that night would be our first live experience.  We all had SO much fun—climbing on booths, laughing, being generally riDICulous, listening to great music, and taking loads of  uncool pictures.  At that point, I don’t think any of us knew just how big BT would get.

bt-brian-mt-hood

Skip ahead 3(ish) years, they’ve written and produced a few more albums (2 of which have sprung forward with critical acclaim), been signed to Sub Pop records, gone on multiple Ameri-Euro tours, and all seem to be making a living doing what they love.  (Insert: just this morning I was in a waiting room and picked up a recent (older) Rolling Stones magazine where I was reminded that “Furr” was voted #FOUR for 2008 top songs. WHAT!?!!)  What’s better is they seem like the same unassuming folks I saw in that small, sweet, PDX venue years ago.  B (their drummer and the dude pictured above and below) is definitely the same old, insanely talented, awesomely sweet, humble and goofy dude.

bt-brian-shoot

AND NOW they’re making wildly awesome music videos with other insanely awesome PDX folks.  GEEZ, I might yak from talent overload!

My friend, D, was asked to write and direct their next music video.  He is also one to be reckoned with…I’M SO LUCKY these people are in my life.  Good friends, J & T, created and made 60 + masks (from scratch, btw) for a special scene in the video (a bunch of our friends banned together to help reach deadlines on this one)—wowza!

bt-masks

And D pulled me in last minute to be the dedicated still photographer.  WHAT!?  I was so flattered and thrilled that he wanted to take my dabbling to the next level.  It was the perfect punch out of my mini-depression/self-pity turn last week.  I went into the weekend with bouncy legs and finished the shoot yesterday with a huge grin on my face, the highest of spirits and fresh inspiration to carry me through.

Without revealing too much, here are a few favorites from the weekend.

bt-hat

bt-courtroom-door

This last one was taken on the first day of the shoot.  The weather was enviable; the sun, my closest friend.  I am so grateful for moments of spontaneity and jolts of oh-yeah-my-life-is-actually-quite-amazing-duh.

bt-shoot

I hope your weeks are bright and your days, thoughtful.

If you haven’t heard their music—run, don’t walk over here.  I also, highly recommend a live show.  I, myself, am debating the Sasquatch Festival this year.  I about had a heartattack when I saw the lineup this year.  Some of my alltime favorites are gonna be there (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, M. Ward, Of Montreal, The DoDos, Erykah Badu, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Mos Def, AND Tim & Eric Awesome show great job…dying a little here).

You better believe I’ll be posting a link to the video as soon as it’s ready.  Lookout.

***Song of the Moment: Lady on the Water, by Blitzen Trapper***