TLGY West Coast Tour Departure

Joe decides his guitar needs a new look! Part 1.

Video documentation of the first part of the transformation.

Joshua moves up just a little bit…

Before…

After…

THANKS PEDALTRAIN PRO!

A world traveler with a hungry heart, an artist, and a friend.

Here is a glimpse at one of the most talented people we know. Katie Moon. Please come see her at Oranje this year. Once you meet her, you will see why we love working with her and why she is gaining so much attention for her work.

Here is an interview with her via The Columbus Daily Paper. Check out her photography here and you will fall in love. We did.

(via Katie Moon’s Facebook page)
Question & Answer w/ The Republic (Columbus daily paper)
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Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 9:02pm
Question & Answer w/ The Republic (Columbus daily paper).

I haven’t been able to find the article online yet, but wanted to share what we chatted about…and to give you an idea of what to expect from the upcoming exhibit at ORANJE. Other than chatting about the ORANJE stuff, being interviewed was a little awkward for me because I’m a pretty private person (unless it’s a close friend of course) …I definitely prefer to be on the other side of the lens, so to speak. Anyway, if you get a chance I hope you’ll pick up the ORANJE preview article…there is some great info about the event and the other artists/musicians involved this year. =) Hope to see you on Sept. 19th!! … Thanks for reading!

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(written) What will the concept of your gallery be and why?
• “Roots & Wings”. It is a dedication to the local scene that brought me up (the roots), and the international cultural world that has since stolen my heart (the wings). =) Visually, the gallery space will be separated into two primary sections. The “Roots” section is an interactive homage to the contemporary arts scene in Indianapolis. It is my way of showing gratitude to all of those who have encouraged, supported, and inspired my development as an artist. The “Wings” section of the exhibit showcases the international cultural opportunities that I feel extremely blessed to have experienced over the last year and a half. It is an interactive showcase of cultures, communities, and sights from around the world. Together, the two sections create a cyclical view of the creative world that I now call home….a statement of appreciation and a statement of the freedom that is gained through pursuing and believing in your passions.

(written) How long have you worked on planning and putting it together?
• In a sense, you could say that I’ve been planning and putting the components of this specific exhibit together for my entire life. Meaning, that rather than saying…I want the theme of this gallery to be X…so I will take 10 shots of X and put them on display…I really wanted this exhibit to be a very personal expression of the positive role that the arts have played in my life and in the lives of so many others. Living life with roots and wings is a personal motto that was instilled within me by my parents at a very early age. I am extremely thankful for the people that they were and for the way in which they saw the world.

(written) How long have you been a photographer?
• I really didn’t start thinking of myself as a photographer until about a year ago… but I suppose the contributing factors have been developing since my father gave me my first camera when I was a little girl. You see, my father was an extremely talented artist, a painter….I grew up surrounded by his paintings, discussing color, concept, and constantly developing a deeper understanding of people and the world. Art was a part of him, and through his influence, later became a part of me as well.

(phone) After looking at your work, I was surprised that you’ve only recently become a photographer. Why did you decide to start pursuing photography?
• Life is funny sometimes….the way things happen that you never expect. Three years ago I was living in Miami, in charge of the Marketing Strategy for Macy’s, when my father suddenly passed away and my mother was re-diagnosed with breast cancer for the third time. I moved back to Indiana to take over her full time care while she was going through chemo, and then hospice. It was really that specific experience that brought me back to my roots, a creative life. It (taking care of my mother and being surrounded by my fathers art again) re-exposed me to all of those influences…art, music, and culture growing up. When my mother passed away 8 months later, it was as if life handed me a blank slate and asked what I really wanted to be. I knew that I could always go back to the corporate world…but I really wanted to take the risk and see where my creative passions would lead. I started shooting again, mostly music stuff at first….and then one thing just sort of led to another. Sometimes you get lucky and randomly discover where you are meant to be. Like I said, life is funny, some pretty amazing and unexpected things can come out of both love & pain.

(phone) What are some of the major projects you have been involved with or will be a part of?
• I guess moving to and working for Fashion Television, Bigfoot Entertainment, and the International Academy of Film & Television in the Philippines – and the trip to Morocco w/ National Geographic in October would have to be the two big ones from this year.

(written) What has been your most memorable artistic experience?
• Wow, that’s really difficult to say. I think it would have to be the first day of my 3 month contract with Fashion Television in the Philippines. I remember waking up at sunrise and taking the stroll past 2 large sounds studios, a 20 foot dive tank, and 10 caged ostriches toward the posh cafe w/ red velvet carpet and a grand piano. Just as I was about to take the turn through the glass doors embossed w/ the FTC cafe logo…I looked to my left, only to see a man across the street standing in front of his humble tin shack, washing himself out of a bucket. You see, that morning, I was blessed to receive a great deal more than a cup of coffee. I felt extremely fortunate to be working as talent for this fashion hub in Asia… but it was meeting the man across the street….the man who lived in a quasi-third world country, without running water, and who woke up every morning with a smile upon his face….that changed my life forever. That was the day that I decided that I wanted pursue international cultural photography full time…and that I wanted to be a person that helped others to see and experience the world in a deeper way.

(written) For attendees who stop by your gallery, what will you be talking with them about?
• To me, ORANJE is a celebration of cultural experiences…the things that make our community unique, and the experiences that make each person within our community unique. In that regard, I hope to encourage an open dialogue between visitors about their personal cultural experiences and the positive ways that they impact our community.

(written) What do you hope people will experience from your gallery?
• I suppose, just a feeling of being in the world and a part of it. I want people to be able to experience both sides….the global community that they are a part of and the local community that they call home.

(written) How many times has your work appeared at Oranje, and why do you want to be part of this event?
• I am extremely excited and honored to say, that this will be my first year as a contributing artist at ORANJE. =) I have gained so much from visiting ORANJE in previous years and it is wonderful to be able to be a part of it all this year. ORANJE is one of those events that you walk into and say, ‘wow, we are surrounded by some amazingly talented and creative people.’ I feel very lucky to be able to share space with the artists that will be at ORANJE this year. Their collaborative works in music, fashion, film, and art are incredibly inspiring, to say the least. There really is something for everyone. I really can’t say enough about the work that Adam, Ryan, and Beth do to put the entire event together. It’s pretty amazing.

One More Day

Tomorrow officially begins the next chapter for TLGY. After tomorrow, we will have all officially quit our jobs. Tomorrow is the first show of a month long tour that will culminate with our relocation to Nashville TN. We have all (except for Darren) called Indy our home for a long time, albeit some longer than others. And while we love this town dearly, We feel it is time to move on. As a wise man once told me, “You can’t get better by staying the same.”. I couldn’t agree with this statement more. You have to stay hungry and push yourself out of your comfort zone in order to achieve the things you want to achieve. So wish us luck and send us good thoughts as we enter this next phase in our journey. I hope you are as excited as we are.

Rock On,
TLGY

Les Paul is dead.

Les Paul died yesterday. This won’t be the most eloquent post you read about him. But I just want to say this. I love this guitar.
It’s heavy. It feels like rock and roll. It weighs hard on your shoulder and reminds you that you have work to do. But the kind of work that little boys and girls hearing music beyond their generation for the first time dream about.
It’s loud. It sounds like rock and roll. It’s loud, but seemingly always at the perfect volume. It will slice its way through the noise and define the mood when the mood defies definition. But it can breathe a quiet melody, soft spoken when the note needs to be whispered to be truly heard.
Lastly, it is beautiful. It looks like rock and roll. Its curves draw your eyes around it like a woman, thin in the middle, wide at the hips. It looks like it’s moving. It’s small in stature, but stands long and lean, its shape remarkable in its efficiency. The single cutaway allows you to massage the base of her neck, and she responds with intimate and frightening intensity.
I love this guitar. It is rock and roll. And it’s great. Thanks Les.

“I learned a long time ago that one note can go a long way if it’s the right one, and it will probably whip the guy with 20 notes.”

-Les Paul
1915-2009

Joe gets something stuck in his ear.

I have a knack for getting myself into situations like this one. Just ask… well… anyone who knows me.