Fear & Loathing in Columbus, Ohio

I feel as if a legitimate introduction is inevitable. My name is Brandon. I live in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. I am 22 years old. I am gay. I post video-logs to my YouTube account:

Branflakes0909

I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to express a tidbit of my creativity with the followers of this blog.

I was told that the Whetstone Diaries is under my control until the 27th. I was never really much of a blogger. As a sophomore in high school I took html and javascript classes and tried setting up my own website...which failed miserably

This is my account of the activities that took place in the Short North & Goodale Park during Pride Weekend in Columbus, Ohio

---

part I

---

My brother and I met up with our friends
Radu, Malin, and Trent



We hadn't even made it to the festival grounds and I was already somewhat inebriated at this point. I was under the assumption that things were supposed to happen like this. We made our way through the vendors and found ourselves near the alcohol tents. A friend gave me a drink ticket which was used to purchase one beer. After the walking/sitting/chilling/listening/looking, I had decided that I was hungry. Devon and I split up with our friends and headed back to the car to retrieve our lunch; which consisted of peanut butter & Black Raspberry jelly sandwiches and chips&salsa.

The next few hours were spent drinking rum and walking around the festival grounds to meet new people. When we felt like we had walked enough, we met up with some people at my friend, Roger's, place. After having a few more drinks, we headed over to Union to hang out with people on High Street. Devon and I were not willing to spend 10 dollars to see the Andrew Christian underwear show at Axis. As soon as the show was finished, a man approached my brother and I and offered us free entrances into Axis Nightclub. After gettin' down with some glowsticks we helped host an after hours party at Trent and Radu's apartment.

...to be continued.

Birds of C.A.W is up, and I'm out!

Well, very nearly. I actually leave Saturday but I have so much to do I figured I better update now. The Birds of C.A.W. show is up and ready to rock this Saturday. Come on out, it's gonna be a rockin show! The thumbnail to the left is a clip of my print that's in the show, go there to see the whole thing.

Now, as I said before, I won't be able to be there because I had arranged a prior obligation that I said I'd help out with. I will be gone till Sunday the 27th. Everything is set, house sitter is housin, all ducks are in rows (for the most part), I just need to pack and get myself ready as with the past two shows I've had not much time to do these things. However I have been here before! It will be all good and fun will be had by all.

But! I will miss both Comfest and Columbus Gay Pride! I KNOW IT'S VERY UPSETTING!

Comfest actually I'm ok with not going to. The last few years it's just gotten too crazy with too many people, it's just not the same vibe, ah well. Now Pride on the other hand...

Now sometimes people ask me if I am a gay. My mom has asked me several times actually... probably because I'm single and have had gay-supportive bumper stickers on my car... and she's weird and seems to forget the dudes I have dated in the past. Yeah, I are a straight person. No, really. Totally like the dudes for dating. Yup. I do love me some homersexuals though, and I do loves me some Pride! I learned my first ballroom dance moves at my very first pride festival, and I've always had a rockin' time since. So yeah, bummer that I can't be there.

So I worked out an alternate solution that should entertain everyone.

My friend Brandon aka branflakes0909 on the youtubes will be my guest blogger for the week I am gone. He has promised to cover Pride for me, and in general be entertaining for ya'll while I am away. I dunno what he's gonna do, maybe something like this:
It should be entertaining. It better be or I will have to kick his ass!

So yeah, just about off...

Well we gotta sign off with some music!
Here's a clip from Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Origin of Love

Have a most festive Festivus Columbus, and Happy Solstice! See you soon.

Go West and Birds of C.A.W.

Last night the Franklinton Arts District put on their Go West festival. Quick readers digest for you @ The Other Paper about the neighborhood here. Nikos Fyodor Rutkowski asked me to take part in the 'Horror Show' section of the block party, and so I did! That painting is below, titled 'Terrible Vision'. It's painted with acrylic with copper leafing and an iron oxide background, size is 16" x 20". Not the greatest photo, I need to retake it as the flash makes the background look more sparkly than it actually is.

Looks like everyone had a great time! My photos from what I had a chance to see are here. I got there kind of late as I had to work on stuff, more on that later... I also shot a short video, sorry about the blurriness, I need a better camera I think.


What I've been working on is the book for art show The Birds of C.A.W that Helma Groot and myself are curating, & I'm also getting the rest of the printing stuff ready to go. The opening will take place on Saturday, June 19th from 7 p.m. to midnight at CS Gallery, 66 Parsons Avenue Columbus, OH. The opening will feature live painting by Heather Alexander and a performance by Colleen Leonardi.

The artist participating in the show are:
Mabi Ponce de Leon
Terri Maloney Houston
Laine Bachman
Jamie Hesper
Megan Coyan
Melissa Vogley Woods
Angela Matteson
Kira Scott
Stephanie Rond
Judy Gerdeman
Patty DeMarias
Peggy Mintun
Lisa McLymont
Wendy Yeager
Barb Vogel
Kim Glover
Katie Niewierski
Brittany Leigh
Cyndi Bellerose McAfee
Colleen Leonardi
Yvette Vandervelde
Sara E. Adrian (of course!)
& Helma Groot

The amount of talented women here is just crazy! I've seen much of the work already and it's going to be a great show which will consist of smaller works of an avian theme. The book will be available at Wholly Craft in August, but will be available online sooner and I will of course let you know when that happens. The rub though is I won't be there for the opening as I have agreed to be in Wisteria. More about that later. I'll be leaving this Friday the 18th, & I intend to update then with an announcement of a special guest blogger that will update you during the week I am gone.

The last couple of weeks have been crazy busy, however the major sweatin' is over with (huzza). My G-ma is hanging in there...

So, I think you may need some music. Here is Culturcide with Fake Dancing

What's going on & what's coming next

Heya folks. I know it's been what, a couple weeks since I posted (I try to get on this weekly at least). My thoughts and time have been occupied largely by my maternal Grandmother who is terminally ill with cancer. The extended family helped moved her to Columbus, and there has been many visits and questions and tears over the rapid decline we're witnessing. For me this is compounded with the two major deadlines that are coming up. I have to finish a piece for Go West which will be on June 12th, and various deadlines for the Birds of C.A.W. show that I'm co-curating with Helma Groot that will open on June 18. The stuff I have to do includes finishing my own piece, creating and publishing a book for the show which will be available through Lulu and Amazon, intake and hanging the show, and all of the other little bits and pieces that go along with that. With both there is not much time left, so I've been scrambling and not updating my various blogs like a good internet-whatever-artist should do.

So yeah, I'm fine really. Just a lot going on right now.

Barring any family business (which may definitely come up at this point) I still intend to be going to Wisteria's Summer Solstice Festival (Facebook event here). One of the things I haven't had a chance to update about was going down there for the work weekend. I was only there for Saturday-Sunday morning as my G-ma looked like she was going to pass so I went home early. Work weekends at Wisteria are, well, work... but a lot of fun also. A great way to connect with people, and the Memorial day weekend is a big work weekend with attendance rivaling a small festival. I spent the morning pulling weeds around the swimming pond and the afternoon painting a sign that explains the recycling procedures. That night was drumming around a bonfire and revelry. It's interesting to me how such simple things as lounging in the grass with the stars above you and friends laughing or drumming or just staring at the fire can create such feeling of community and family that no technology no matter how groovy just can't fulfill. After running home and making sure my G-ma was ok the next evening was spent with my extended family on my brother's back porch talking with relatives I had not seen in a long time. Although the circumstances are sad it was good seeing them again.

Here's something I rediscovered recently. This is Clannad, I will find you (Live)