4th of july - sonic youth / rara band

click here for 99 photo slideshow on picasa

http://picasaweb.google.com/stefanog/July4thSonicYouthRara/photo?authkey=bKTqlQMLtxo#s5219743772306463042
4th of july 2008
between prospect park brooklyn
and battery park in lower manhattan

the radio predicted rain
and possibly storms

in prospect park
i was invited by the haitian rara band people for a barbecue -
it is early
i see trays with marinated chicken -
take a few shots

at 2 45 i start riding to manhattan to catch the feelies the opening band -

riding over the brooklyn bridge is insane with all the distracted
pedestrian tourists invading the bike lane

I get a crew pass from sonic youth's tour manager -
there are some issues with the passes -

the "artists" can't go to the VIP / guest section that has slight;y
better free food -
pulled pork and mac and cheese -
and with the crew pass I can go just everywhere!

the feelies look aged after all these years but they sound just the same.
after all they disappeared for 20 years or so.

sonic youth sound great
i like these summer open air loose and fun shows -
like a picnic in the park with old friends -
hanging out outside rather than in a cramped windowless room backstage
with too much bread and cold cuts.

at 8 I ride back to brooklyn hoping i can make it across the bridge
before they close it for the fireworks / safety.

I see cops and yellow tape at the entrance of the brooklyn bridge.
"i have to ride to brooklyn" i tell a cop -
he asks me for ID to prove i live there and
i am free to go.

the bridge is deserted and i see the macy's fireworks barge being pushed
by a tugboat.

I ask 3 cops if i can take their photo at the roadblock
but the captain tells me photography is not allowed on the brooklyn
bridge "because of 9/11].
he looks around for a sign to confirm what he is saying
but I can only see one that states "NYPD video surveillance on the bridge".
I tell him that probably every year the tourists that visit the bridge
take millions of photos and if i were a terrorist i would probably use a
concealed video camera instead.

I see a girl walking up on the bridge pushing a stroller with her kid to
see the fireworks.

I ask her how did she get thru
"my boyfriend is a cop!"
she replies with a smile.

prospect park
there are 2 big rara bands playing near parkside and flatbush avenue -
by the pond -

this vodou lady introduces me to some musicologist that is studying
haitian drumming -

there is a guy playing melodies on a regular trumpet -
sounds like a vocal part.
it gives some sort of jazz flavor -

--
i go to rehab - the new old club on avenue b and
3rd st

thurston moore is playing with 3 kids from northhampton mass -
2 guitars
2 drum kits

symmetric on the stage -
sometimes furious

feels like 2 channels of a stereo
competing and blending in

--
have to weed thru 12 GB of stuff 1300 images
down to 450 now -

been taking L-Carnitine supplement for a month
helps me focus -
helps me ride miles and miles with less fatigue
makes it all easier -
and i feel i dont need coffee as much anymore
energy without the nervousness and the crash of starbucks cups

I95/I75 STEFANO GIOVANNINI exhibition at MAX FISH

more details on facebook


STEFANO GIOVANNINI -> I95/I75
PHOTOGRAPHS
@
MAX FISH
178 LUDLOW ST
NY NY 10002
APRIL 10 2008 | 7PM TO 9PM

RECENT PHOTOS
that capture what I saw and lived in the past few months.
photos that can draw some attention in a buy setting.
on tour - in the waves - grilled fish in a portuguese restaurant in montreal - vodou drums - kids - teeth - eyes.

STATEMENT
In the summer of 2007 I purchased an old Toyota from Craigslist.
I found myself traveling outside New York City. Mostly down on the I95 and I75 freeways to southern Florida.
I felt a sense of freedom by finally having a car and a green card.

Photos were taken over the past few months
On tour with Cat Power documenting life on the road. Riding the bike in the streets of New York from Jackson Heights to Rockaway Beach, from Park Avenue to Flatbush. In the southern part of this country I saw a lot of Veterans some showing pride some showing demons in their eyes. Young cadets with innocent faces seem to carry on the tradition. I wonder about what their gaze will be like in 30 or 40 years. In Miami I stumbled upon the murals in Little Haiti. An artist that goes by the name of $erge seems to have painted hundreds of places. The music of the Vodou drumming from the yards in the courts, the smell of spiced BBQ. I rediscovered the love for the Ocean.

At Max Fish I can not show it all. Just some glimpses before a larger installation. Photos you can see at a busy location when the sun comes thru the windows or at night when the lighting is darker and colorful.

OPENING RECEPTION thursday APRIL 10
Come for reasonably priced drinks and special priced photos.
I would like to raise funds with the sale of these 16x20 in prints for a trip and documentary project to Haiti and a book.


ABOUT THE ARTIST
Stefano Giovannini is a self-taught photographer from Milan, Italy who relocated to New York City in the year 2000. He began taking photos as a teenager. Before pursuing his passion for photography, Stefano studied medicine for some years, but felt he would be happier elsewhere, doing something else. He has since worked for major and independent magazine publications in Europe and the U.S., including Nylon, Soma, Jane, Entertainment Weekly, as well as the Timeout NY guide, and many more, but he is probably better known in the U.S. (well, at least in New York) for his photographs of musicians, including Sonic Youth, Cat Power, DJ Olive, Luna, Beck, Blonde Redhead and many others. He is also increasingly well known for his web journals where his photographs of New York City are characterized by an impulsive, semi-anthropological approach.

--
Posted By stefanogiovannini to stefpix texts at 4/03/2008 12:35:00 AM

http://stefanogiovannini.com
http://stefpix.com
http://stefpix.blogspot.com

little haiti BBQ/The Yard

40 images slideshow
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the BBQ on 2nd ave NE
finally the stylish looking woman that grills the chicken and the ribs
lets me take her photos -
she liked the couple of 4x6s prints of her storefront i gave her.

her son sells CDs and DVDs inside -
for 3 dollar i get a small plate of chicken spicy rice and beans and
spicy pickles.

haitians like italians like chicken legs more than the white meat.

i am surprised to see chinese green tea with low sugar for sale -
15 calories vs `150/180 calories of
sodas sweetened with corn syrup.

-- a cuban woman asks me if i am from argentina - she tells me i look
like i am from there -
she has a tattoo on the neck and a chihuahua in her arms -
i ask her what is she doing in the haitian neighborhood -
she says it is the only place where landlords let her keep her pets
without charging extra fees and deposit.
she pays 350 a month for a 1 BR apt.
---
a guy on probation asks me to make a call to the probation office -
it closed hours earlier - he seems not on top of it - i suggest him to call his lawyer and go the next day in person -
he has no money for the bus -
i give him a couple of bucks he did not ask for -
a soda and a RIDE.
he has the expression of someone with good intentions that made wrong choices in life.

---

at the yard hangout - that is how the place where people play dominos is
called
the chicken is getting marinated and kids are playing.

there are some free rooster -
african kind of chickens that are never eaten just kept as pets.

i drink a guinness and a couple of shots of these herbal haitian liquors
bois coshon [literally "wood pig"].

there is a 8 year old kid -
i met his 25 year old mother

he wants me to take pictures of him an d see them on the LCD of my camera -
i ask about his dad.
he tells me he passed years ago - he went to Haiti they chopped his head
off and never gave the body back.

--
riding back to south beach 8 miles away
it is very windy as usual
my legs spin a bit faster just a little tipsy and
still hungry
for pizza

temperature drop/surf waves

40 images slideshow
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---

"aren't you cold?"

a bunch of different surfers kept asking me as i was swimming with my
camera at 4 30 / 5 pm today jan 2nd.

the waves were nice -
the outside temperature was probably below 55 - the strong wind was a
bit chilly
25 degrees F less than yesterday.
in the water i felt fine - it was certainly warmer than outside -
and swimming against the current - fighting the waves constantly keeps
you warmer than standing on a table.
i wish i got in the water earlier as the sun was getting too low on the
horizon -
and those 3 towers they built in recent years block large portions of
the sun in the last hour of daylight

the spots in the shade felt cold and i wished that south pointe tower
would just be demolished as an insult to the skyline - an insult to
tasteful architecture - an insult to the right of people to enjoy the
beach at sunset.

--
my underwater 240 dollar camera
i wish i got the pentax optio W30 instead of the olympus stylus 790 SW.

some reviewer from a scuba website wrote me that the camera I got looks
sexier -
but i'd rather have an uglier camera that does not have movie limits in
movie lenght and that is waterproof for 2 hours instead of 1.
what you do with it, substance, features feel more sexy to me than just
looks-
and i feel strange when people refer to some gadget as "sexy" -
or to a friend as a "buddy".
--
the colors are not bad - but i need to watch for droplets on the lens -
actually the pentax has a special coating that prevents water drops to
stick on it-

usually i to research what i buy -
i read an articke about smart shoppers that was really interesting

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/22/business/yourmoney/22money.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin

well I just got reminded that impulse buy is not smart.

with a little research i should have found out earlier that the pentax
optio x30 is the fave camera among whitewater kayakers and paddlers that
post on related websites.

anyway my DSLR is way better shoots faster and has so much more tonal depth - a richer histogram.

---

NYrs Evei was tired - rode 120 miles the 4 days before -
with my camera on my neck -
it is not so much of a distance -
but also had been swimming a lot
and i had heartburn for days from the energy drinks i drank to drive
down here - the indian food - and some stress in my mind -

now back on smoothies - oats and grains - some cuban sandwiches -
i love publix - half a gallon of organic vanilla soymilk is just 2.79
and they sell frozen ruhbarb that i love blended with bananas peaches
apples OJ ginger and soy milk.

i don't iunderstand how florida orange juice is more expensive in
florida than in new york city.
doesnt long distance shipping cost a lot?
isn't real estate more expensive in manhattan?

anyway i love publix and wild oats is good too- although not as good as
food bazaar in brooklyn and wholefoods on houston street -

i wonder if there is some cuban market that sells great exotic fruit
like the chinatown market on rutgers and henry streets

---
so i just rested -
i went to swim at dusk on new years day -
the water was calm as a lake -
there was a dark rainy cloud..

---
a surfer was asking about my camera -
he told me miami is no good for surfing - you gotta go to south america -
he was italian as well i could not hear it in his accent and he could
not hear it in mine -
he works at this place la locanda

which means "the inn"
in italian

little haiti markets -> jimbos

63 images slideshow
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map/route
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1521471


swam in the waves and in the early afternoon
rode my bike over the venetian way to downtown miami.

feels great having my own 2 wheels -
i see things in a different way and get to places faster.


and such a more accurate ride than a beach cruiser - the road bike goes
where i want to
and handlebar brakes feel a lot safer than pedal brakes.

--

downtown fancy hotels and fancy high rise condos -
with passed out homeless and crackheads just one block away.

so many here just drive to these gated dwellings.
just drop off their cars to the valet parking guys for a 15 dollar.
hard to see the poverty just around the corner.
--
On North Miami Ave there is a yard sale -
an older hatian guy and a younger Bahamian.
I ask him if I should go there with my free jetblue bonus ticket, but
mexico seems a more convenient option.
--
$erge, the artist, is painting a martin Luther King Mural on Martin
Luther King Boulevard which is 62nd st NW by the I95.


---

In the houses nearby some people just chill out drink beers and smoke
blunts on their porches

--

There is a market a few blocks down
some women sell vegetables out of their pickup trucks or tables.
pumpkins, turnips, macaroni is what they sell.
no fruit at all.

I switch to french when I kid asks me if i speak the language.
he lets me take his picture -
when i show some prints of the vodou ladies I took a few nights before
his mother and her friends let me photograph them.
it is always good to carry with me some 20 cent walgreens prints.

---
I love the architecture of downtown miami -
old buildings and new high rises blend and match
upscale and desolate -
empty lots
and sleek towers -

adjacent worlds apart.

---

on the causeway to key biscayne
it is already dark -
on Virginia key on my way to the dive bar Jimbo's
there are no street light but
the moon is bright and I can see the road ahead of me.

people are playing bocce on the most uneven field [?]

a south beach girl is getting drunk with her apparently german fling.

some latino photographer is shooting a semi naked latina girl wearing a
furcoat in the backseat of a convertible car.

---

my odometer says 28 miles - i get some 2 dollar bud lite can and 2
dollar smoked fish.
8pm ride back to south beach
36 miles total
my feet and my butt are sore -
my legs are ok.
need better cycling shoes and maybe padded shorts rather than swim trunks

cape florida-jimbos

44 images slideshow
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44 images slideshow
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miami resolution.
20/30 daily miles on my bike.

here it is easy to ride a long time without stopping - there are some
climbs on the causeways
and the sweat on the back dries fast rather than turning into chilly
dampness like in nyc now.

yesterday there were too many jellies in the water to swim carefree.
i did touch a couple and i think i got stung on once on my foot.

last night rode to 77NW at the end of little haiti - looking for more
places to shoot - what has changed.
they opened and independent/hipster record store next to churchill's pub
http://churchillspub.com/
on NE 2nd av.
i get some Malta drink at the bodega -
there is a mass on the lot outside -
a young preacher talking in the PA about Jesus Christ's suffering to
save humanity.

---
today after a swim -
craving for larger waves i rode to Key Biscayne -
south of Miami Beach.

about 15 miles away.
such a different scene,
sailboats, kayaks
people riding nice road bikes,

in south beach i see mostly heavy and slow beach cruisers with rusty chains.

--
crandon park on
http://www.key-biscayne.com/kb/beaches/crandonbeach/beach1.shtml

http://www.key-biscayne.com/about/light.html

thick vegetation mangroves sailboats and quiet beaches.

ran into a curious raccoon and some turkey sized vultures.
some elder guys with telescopes -
they let me look at the sun.
just a fuzzy red dot in the telescope.
--
found that dive bar Jimbos on Virginia Key
had a Bud Lite and some smoked fish for 2 bucks -
they told me to come back sunday -
they have music and people start drinking in the morning.

it is on the waterfront surrounded by ficus trees
--
my odometer says 39.5 miles - gmaps says 37.88...
i think the odometer might be more accurate.

it was nice to get off the bike seat...

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1515903

brighton beach - russian snack/turkish coffee

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----
i biked on a rainy night and drove on a sunny day

i wanted to see the ocean and buy cheap fruit in Brighton beach

under the elevated train there is always a dim shade -
and intermittent noise

tin Brighton beach
mostly Russian and Caucasian [from the Caucasus] people
Turkish-like food
kosher yogurts
a lot of fruit and vegetable stores.

one starbucks
and no bars at all in sight,
--
from a food stand on the street
for 2 dollars
i buy a baked bun
filled with ground lamb meat and spices.
it tastes amazing but i eat it too fast.
i wonder if it is Russian or Turkish food -
it might as well be just from Uzbekistan,
--
i get an apple pastry and Turkish coffee at some old bakery.
one woman is wearing bright fuchsia lipstick and flashy watch and jewelry.

she speaks little English and she lets me take her picture...
another woman translates for me her question "do you like Russian girls?".

it is hard to give diplomatic answers to blunt questions sometimes.

---

on the boardwalk
it feels way windier and colder -
i wish i had a warmer sweater and gloves.

2 old Russian guys are playing chess on a bench

they speak almost no English

the larger guy seems to be going to win easily -
but he loses his queen -
i cant understand why he did that move-
and his game is over in a few minutes.

---
prospect park a few days earlier -


Chinatown markets

Baxter street bail bonds -

the usual intimidating angry signs you always see in nyc

hurricane noel / swim

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hurricane noel off the florida coast
40 mph winds

the weather changes every 15 minutes sunny and windy then gloomy cloudy rainy downpour.
on the beach red flag and no one allowed in the water flag.

the only few people are surfers and bums.

the homeless of miami beach don't want to send their nights in the shelters in downtown miami.
"full with crazy crackheads"

i drive from the beach to the city -
some streets are flooded -
i help my friend download her travel photos to her iMac G5.
so slow - just because Apple for years sold computer with insufficient RAM to do anything but write letters and emails.
60 dollars in memory would compensate for years of slowness and frustration -
the view from the high rise is stunning - the bay and the fog moving in fast.

at 6 30 i go to the beach
some very big waves - but the whole ocean is tumbling and rolling.

it is hard to swim - the wind just pushes me south.

very few surfers try hard - but too many waves one after another -
there are no lifeguards -
this time
it is too much of a challenge and too little fun.
i could stay longer and try harder -
but the blisters on my toes turned into woulds -
the fins rub on those.