City Slides Q&A

According to my sources, Drew, you rode your bicycle from Baltimore to Philadelphia last weekend. Tell us a little about the trip.

The trip was pretty exciting for me. I got rid of my car and have been riding my bike everywhere for about three years. This trip was kind of the pinnacle of all that riding. I did it on my fixed gear Bianchi, so I am pretty proud of that (100 miles on a fixie is no joke). As far as the actual trip went, the first 50 miles was a lot of fun. Maryland has some beautiful stuff going on, and the Conowingo Damn is pretty awesome. The last 50 miles was a different trip, it was more about survival. I started getting some serious pains in my elbows and shoulders and had to make some adjustments to my bike in order to endure. Also, route 1 is basically a highway complete with exit ramps and tractor-trailers. It wasn’t your Sunday ride in the county (what we call the country side in Baltimore). I saw a lot of mono-cropping farms along the way. Lots of small towns doing their thing and that’s always good to see. All of the cops along the way smiled and made me feel good. There were also share the road signs the entire trip so I felt safer knowing that. Seeing the Philly skyline from the top of a hill in Media was like Dorothy seeing the Emerald City. I did it, am proud of that, and encourage everyone to get on a bike and get moving.

City Slides is a Baltimore based band. Tell us a little about the city and surrounding areas (Hampden, etc).

(Drew) Baltimore has adopted me with its big beautiful arms. I am from Gloucester City, NJ (across the Walt Whitman Bridge, next to Camden) and moved down here about 3 1/2 years ago for a job and girl. I lost the girl, but still have the job, so it’s all good. Baltimore is the city of neighborhoods. I live in Remington, kind of an in-between neighborhood. We still have our crime and all, but it’s getting a lot better. I live with songwriter MacGregor Burns and local rock-violin legend the VCR. If you’ve ever seen the Food Network show Ace of Cakes, I live a block south of that place. I moved here from Hampden, the quirky artsy sceney neighborhood north of Remington. I loved Hampden, and would def. go back, but the stars have placed me here. We actually do a pretty regular gig in Hampden on the “Avenue.” We busk outside, probably our favorite thing to do, and maybe the thing we are known for the most. Unlike a lot of other cities Baltimore’s street performing scene is small. Except for the performers down on the harbor doing their thing you don’t see much. I do, however, feel that is about to change. We are actually going to be busking the Station North Arts Festival this coming Saturday with a bunch of our friends. It’s complete freedom, it’s what the music we play is all about, if you consider us a folk band.

John lives in Govans, and has an amazing garden and raises bees. He lives with his many cats and dog, and beautiful wife, Lesley. John and Lesley are amazing people. Their home has felt like home since day one. They have that remarkable ability to make you feel welcome and relaxed immediately. John has been a huge influence on me as a human being. He has also helped my confidence; he really gets behind me when I come up with new ideas, or bring old ones out of storage.

Patrick and Atom live in a cozy neighborhood called Hamilton. Hamilton is the shit. Great art; bars; people. Almost all of my friends live in Hamilton, and if I had a family I’d take care of them there. The gardens that Atom and Patrick maintain there are top notch. You really have no idea, you’d have to come to experience. The local spirit in Baltimore is amazingly strong. I have never felt such strong support for local ideas anywhere else in my life. Hamilton encompasses all of this.

Tell us a little about each member of the band.

None of us owns a TV set. Okay, I’m Drew. I write the songs, sing the songs, and play harmonica. I am 26 years old and this is the 5th band I have been in. My previous bands primarily being punk bands, and of course a member of the legendary Baltimore band Good Guise. I am a strict vegetarian and bike advocate. I am currently involved in the urban gardening movement in Baltimore. I also cook, and organize events around the city. I definitely tell the worst jokes in the band, but make up for it with my serious winter beard.

Patrick- You can find Patrick in a tree or dancing to good music. He likes talking and listening too. Patrick whistles with the birds and barks at the dogs. He plays accordion in Cityslides and has been playing with the guys since Good Guise. As a retired classical pianist, Patrick enjoys cleaning for others and rockin’ epic reggae jams on concert grand pianos.

Decker- I'm 58, married to Leslie, born and lived in Baltimore, play a 1933 National Resonator guitar, I cut some fingers off my left hand Oct. 07 so now I have to use a bottleneck, I try to stay engaged with family community, do no harm and such.

Atom- Adam loves cheese and he does small things on a large scale. He is about to get hitched on an island this harvest season. He is a maker of many things and has many on-going experiments. As a retired falafel chef, he spends his days gardening in Baltimore city and rearranging rocks. Adam likes to write songs on guitar and in City Slides he plays the bass.

Describe the music you write, record, and perform.

Our music is “streetgrass.” We aren’t schooled in playing any type of traditional music, and what we come up with comes straight out of our psyches. Therefore, we reflect our individual experiences and surroundings. Our songs all come from our work, whether it be gardens, children, biking, friends, family, the world from the radio news, it goes in the brain waves and comes out music waves. In the true spirit of localvorism we keep our sounds close to home. I am hugely influenced by two main artists: Propagandhi (Canada progressive thrash) and Bob Dylan. I want to take on the social ills of society in a poetic way. Crafting words that intrigue and, if successful, cause listeners to be proactive. I only write when I am inspired, which is hard to come by, but is never dry. Music for me has always been a way of inspiring people, and a cause for change. It’s not a new idea. My songs come from something I cannot explain and don’t even think about that much. I never try to write a song, it’s either there or it isn’t. As for recording, we haven’t gotten there yet. I do some stuff in my room on Garageband just so I can throw it up on Myspace so people can have an idea of what we are all about. We’d love to record, but are waiting for the right time. Performance is another thing totally. We are all very uniquely different and that is ever present in our performance. Right now we are very focused on doing original material that speaks of who we are, and what we are all about. It’ll show, come see us.

Who designs the art for your CDs and flyers for your shows?

Various friends. We have the best friends, everyone is quite amazing. I am working with Philadelphia artist Emily Andrews for our CD cover. It’s getting there. I actually did a flyer today for a show we have coming up. Mike Clarke (commonseed.org) did this amazing poster for this huge event we just held called the Urb Ag Gala, or urbagala, for short.

Have you had any careers not related to music?

We are all Renaissance men. (Drew) I am a teacher currently, teaching cooking and nutrition. I have worked in demolition, fence installation, dishwashing, landscaping, ticket-taking, web design. You name it, I’ve probably done it.

Patrick- piano teacher, house painting, construction, sculpture, landscaping, gardening, cleaning, organizing...

Atom- Stone Mason, Gardner, Chef, Recycling yard worker, Consultant… I have never had a career related to music (taxable income).

Decker- I worked for Johns Hopkins University Homewood Campus for 36 years doing building maintance, doing work for folks when they cant't afford contractors, grow plants, rob bees and putz

What are your goals, musically?

(Drew) All I want to do musically is discover my innermost artist, and never let anything get in the way of that. I just want to write the best songs I can write, and have fun doing it. I take it pretty damn serious, but am able to laugh at myself along the way. I’d like to sell out the 2640 space as a headlining group, and meet Bob Dylan (already met Propagandhi). Play for those who will listen, and that’s about it. I’d love to be in the position where I could write songs all day if I wanted. I’ll wake up in the morning and start something, then have to go to work and lose it, which kinda sucks.

Patrick- I enjoy when we connect with the music so tight that we are one mind; flowing and growing together. I think it’s cool when this can extend to our audience, especially when we play on the street!

Atom- keep it interesting and edgy without being obnoxious and preachy.

Decker- I provide the dirt and then watch it grow, my responsibility is to do my best to support whoever is putting themselves up front, I'm honored to stand with these fellows, Drew is a powerful poet and he's growing rapidly as a songwriter, Atom is pretty much a legend within our circle with his creative nature, I sense the potential for some amazing art and relational growth reflected in our music.

Do you have side projects you work on?

Drew- no, but I do poetry and short stories.

Patrick- I have been teaching piano at a music school part time for about four years. I would like to write individualized curriculum for each student I teach. In this way, my students could get valuable customized attention. This means I need to learn all styles of music for piano; classical, jazz, reggae, blues, honky-tonk, etc. I have been recently bartering with a private piano student for cooking lessons. This has been a very unique experience I would like to cultivate. I write words and create music. One day the two will merge as one.

Atom- Yes…..good guise band, solo stuff- Atom Fisher

Decker- I play with some folks from my Church, we get down with the Lord from time to time for special music

Favorite lyrics to a song?

Drew- my song? My favorite lyric is from For Rebecca, “It’s all in the same sentence, the beauty of remembrance.” That line is all about letting your guard down and letting love come flowing into your life, but love can be like a sentence and ends in different ways sometimes; exclamations, question, or just periods. I wonder if the person I wrote that for has ever heard it. As far as other lines go. I’d have to go with Dylan, “The ghost of electricity howls in the bones of her face.” Beautifully poetic. The kind of poetry where you know what he’s saying without thinking, but have no idea what he’s saying when you do stop to think.

What are you currently reading?

Drew- Jesus, I am an addicted reader. Let’s see, luckily I am by my bed and my books are here. Finishing Seedfolks and A Confederacy of Dunces, picking at Rimbaud’s work and Vonnegut’s Bagambo Snuff Box (short stories). About to get into American Fascists and Finnegan’s Wake (a present).

Patrick- Holy Bible, Mycelium Running by Paul Stamets, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, how to fix your bicycle by helen garvy, Art & Physics by Leonard Shlain. Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss.

Is there anything that you would like to share with our readers?

Drew- Destroy your TV, get a bike, plant a garden, elect yourself, write a song, make your way to the Gawdenyu!

Atom- Things are looking up. This “economic crisis” will breath life back into people, forcing us to live in community again.

Patrick- climb a tree... or dance... or both... at once!

Decker- Stay connected to your passion and respond to those things that are written on your hearts with an honorable pursuit

Website: www.myspace.com/cityslides

Morgan Craig

What is your background?
I was born in a suburb of Philadelphia. As a child, my family moved around, only to end up back in the Philadelphia area. My parents instilled a strong work ethic in me, which began with a paper route at 11, and led to my working full time throughout my high school and college years. I believe this has helped both with my development as a painter, and the formation of a cohesive body of work.

How would you describe your work?
The relationship between the interiors of buildings and the psychological makeup of the soul of man continue to be the fulcrum of my concept. For me, the interior of each edifice represents a multitude of semiotic messages written by the inexorable hand of time. In reality, buildings are as ephemeral as the ever-changing landscape, and the human form, prey to the vicissitudes of existence.

You’ve been to Chernobyl in Ukraine. Tell us a little about this trip. What series of events lead to you taking this trip?
The Ukraine was a welcome sojourn from my daily existence in the occident. The trip provided me with an abundance of subject matter, as well as an experience I will never forget. Standing atop a high rise in the middle of an abandoned city, can be a truly overwhelming experience. It was very hard to remain focused on the task at hand-gathering source material-and not become engulfed by all of what had happened in the Zone of Exclusion. My heart goes out to all of those who perished, suffered, and continue to suffer because of man, his avarice, and his insatiable thirst for power.

Tell us about a memorable experience you’ve had…
When evaluating a building, always make sure that it is unoccupied. Early one Thanksgiving morning, many moons ago, I received quite a surprise, when two men with cell phones came barreling out of a building.
I had been considering the structure’s potential for quite some time. Because of its close proximity to a thriving-well, I don’t know if thriving would be the best word to describe it, but let us remain positive-neighborhood, I felt it was best to attempt to gain access at an early hour, on a holiday. I surmised that most would still be fast asleep. My girlfriend was filming a documentary of my process, and thus decided to tag along. I brought along my mastiff, Tolstoy, as well.

We were out of the car for no more than 5 minutes, when the men appeared. Lucid, I remained. Any sense of panic would have caused more of a mess. Calmly, I explained to the apparent “man in charge” my intent. After allaying any fears he had of my vandalizing the building, he proceeded to tell me a tale of schizophrenia, drug addiction, and living in an amalgam of buses. I was denied access, but the tale he wove was worth the foiled attempt.

Do you have any other trips planned? I have a few trips in development, but nothing is indelible.
What about industrial decay appeals to you? The amount of abstraction within a subject deemed representational; the relationship between something manmade, and the elements that Mother Nature has at her disposal; the ability to toy with fact and fiction weft together by the irrefragable hands of time. Structure is metaphor.

What advice would you give to anyone considering going to school vs. independent study?

School provides a framework which forces one to produce, or fail. Unless you have incredible drive, independent study can lead to indolence.

Tell us a little about your experiences as an art teacher.

I could write a book, no, make it a several volume set. I think we will leave it at that.

Have you had any other careers, related (or not related) to art?

I briefly worked for a now defunct magazine.

How do you stay involved with Philadelphia’s art community? Are you a member of any local arts organizations?

I’m a bit of a recluse, and, at times, rather socially inept, therefore, I find myself to be somewhat removed from the Philadelphia art community. I have rather incendiary opinions about some of those individuals involved in Philadelphia’s “art” community that, for the sake of singing your reader’s ears, I will keep to myself.

How have you handled the business side of being an artist?
At the nascent point in my career, I had a fortuitous bit of good fortune: I was able to sell several paintings on my own. I was grateful, but had the prescience to know that I needed to find gallery representation. I have received a tremendous amount of support from the two galleries that currently represent me: Wexler and Lawrence Asher.

I have also had some experiences with galleries and individuals who were duplicitous, and engage in a variety of subterfuge. Fortunately, I was privy to their game, either through friends, people who had already fallen prey to their deceptive ways, or my own intuition. Needless to say, I cannot name the aforementioned parties, as I would risk legal action. Suffice it to say, when journeying through the bowels of the art world, one must tread carefully.

What are your goals? What are your plans for the future?

One of my goals has been, and continues to be to remain relevant to the discourse of contemporary art. I would also like to see my work continue to evolve, be it in size, scope, direction, or concept. The future is so unpredictable…

There are some inherent risks involved with exploring abandoned buildings and structures. Do you have a list of items you bring with you when visiting a new site (rope, rappelling hooks, flares, etc)?
(laughter) Some things are better left unsaid…

What are you currently reading? The Gulag Archipelago by Solzhenitsyn.

Books that have strongly influenced you?

Celine’s Journey to the Edge of the Night, Proust’s 7 volumes of Remembrance of Things Past, Cioran’s A Short History Of Decay, various works by Russian writers including Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, and Gogol, the existentialists, Lefebvre, Bulgakov, and countless others. Literature has always been a significant part of my life and work.

Is there anything that you would like to share with our readers?

The George T. Stagg and the Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year are some of the best bourbons I have ever tasted. I recommend that you seek them out, and have a taste for yourself.

Do you have any upcoming exhibits? I am involved in a group show in Reading, PA. There are a few more in the works, but nothing definite.

Website: http://www.morgancraig.org/

Check out Morgan's current exhibit at the Wexler Gallery in Philadelphia. Show runs from March 6 – April 25, 2009.

Sonya Berlovitz

What is your background? How did you get involved with theatrical costume creation? I grew up in the theatre. My dad was an amateur actor and my mom was a professional seamstress. They both encouraged my involvement in Community Theater as a child actor. Throughout junior high and high school I sewed most of my own clothes. As a young adult I was able to start sewing for a theatre company run by my sister and three other artists – they gave me my start in costume designing professionally.

How would you describe your work? Do you have an area of expertise/ specialty?
Many of my costumes have been constructed from several fabrics of the same color pieced together. For me this represents a kind of painting with fabric. Seams are sometimes left on the outside with raw edges showing, sometimes cutting across a costume at an odd angle so as to make the inner workings of a design visible to the eye, as if turning the process to the outside. I try to keep my designs fresh; unexpected; with details that sometimes surprise. I’d like the viewer to think of my costumes as a part of a theatre architecture that is revolving and evolving, never static. If I had to pick an area of expertise it would be in original works with a lot of movement.

Have you studied fashion design in school? What did you like best about the school you attended? What advice would you give to anyone considering going to school vs. doing it on their own? BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Certificate from La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. I loved La Chambre for the discipline it taught me and that is where I learned to drape. I loved the Art Institute for encouraging my individual artistic voice. Well, since I have done both (I went to the SAIC when I was 30) - If you’re going to go to school choose one that is in a city and has a program that you feel passionate about – then figure out a way to afford it. There is great value in doing it on your own, but having the luxury of time you get in a school to research and develop your skills is invaluable. It’s a gift everyone should have.

How have you been influenced by the theater/ fashion/ costume community? Film community? Who/ what inspires you? My background in fashion and painting has contributed strongly to my process. I often draw on both contemporary fashion and historical references as inspirations. By using this eclectic approach I believe I can speak more directly to the audience by giving them something with which to identify. I am constantly researching designers’ new collections; in particular the Japanese designers Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo. I am strongly influenced by the poetry in their work. For any given production I will look at film and other theatres’ versions to see what kinds of interpretations have been made of a story. It’s a way for me to have an inner dialogue about the work.

Do you intend/ plan to continue to work in theatre? Do you see yourself working in film? Some other entertainment industry? Yes, I will always be working in theatre in some capacity. I have actually designed a few independent, lower budget films. I would like the chance to design another film, but since they usually require an overwhelming time commitment during a shoot, it’s often difficult to combine the two fields.

Have you had any careers not related to art? I have many times throughout my life taken on secondary jobs to supplement my income. Everything from waitressing to daycare.

How have you handled the business side of being an artist? It’s difficult. I am not naturally an aggressive person and I think you have to have a bit of that to make a good business out of your art. Although, I’ve been a costume designer for 29 years so in some regard I’ve succeeded.

What are your goals? What are your plans for the future? I am hoping to branch out into designing for more regional theaters outside of Minnesota. I would like to incorporate more travel into my work as I find it very regenerating and inspirational.

Do you have side projects you work on? Have you collaborated w/ other artists in the past? I am almost always working on commissions for clothing I’ve designed. More specifically, I am currently working on two wedding dresses, one for a woman who has written a script and will be presenting her ceremony in a theatre complete with extras.
As a costume designer I am always collaborating with other designers, the director, actors and technicians. My longest collaboration was with Theatre de la Jeune Lune of Minneapolis where I had designed over 50 productions – most of them directed by Dominique Serrand, one of the five founding members of the company.

What was one of the most memorable projects you’ve worked on? 1929 for Theatre de la Jeune Lune in Minneapolis and Paris. It was the first production I designed and had a bigger cast than any project I’ve worked on since. More recently The Miser which was a co-production between American Repertory Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville and Theatre de la Jeune Lune. It toured around the country for two years with largely the same cast. All of the elements, design, direction and actors were in complete harmony on that project.

What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in the costume industry since you got involved? Where do you see the industry going in 5 years? 10 years? I’m probably aging myself by saying this, but younger designers today don’t seem as willing to work for little just to gain experience. There doesn’t seem to be as much value placed on the process.

Favorite painter/ artist: Some of my favorites: Sonia Delauney, Picasso, Matisse, Egon Schiele, Anselm Kiefer, Maira Kalman, David Coggins

What are you currently reading? Azar Nafisi’s “Things I’ve Been Silent About”

Is there a book that has strongly influenced you? “New Fashion Japan”

Sonya's Website: www.flickr.com/photos/sberlovitz/sets