Author Archive
The Point: Atlanta, Georgia is Choke City USA
The Argument, Abridged: Modern Atlanta sports franchises never fail to create hope for fans during the regular season, only to collapse splendidly in the playoffs.
The Evidence, Abridged: The ‘07-‘12 Hawks seasons, the ‘08,‘10,‘11 Falcons seasons, the ‘10 Braves, that one season when the Thrashers made the playoffs and got swept by the Rangers in the first round.
The Argument, Expanded: First, let me just say outright that I support all of Atlanta’s sports teams. I own a Braves cap that is many years old, several pieces of Hawks memorabilia and (I don’t wear football jerseys. I’m too thin.) I cheer hard for the Falcons these (post-Vick the Dick) days. Shit, I even own an Atlanta Thrashers beanie. Although I am a transplant to this city, having moved here for the first time in January of ‘02, I have long-since considered this place my home. One of my favorite shirts is an ‘I <3 ATL’ shirt. In short, I like to represent the city in which I live.
Here’s the bad news, though: Atlanta is a nationwide joke when it comes to sports.
It’s true! And here, here and here are some pieces of evidence to prove it.
But, that’s just what other people say, right? We shouldn’t listen to outside influences when it comes to admiring our own athletes. Or should we? The articles linked above each mention Atlanta’s fanbase as a major reason for the low national opinion of the city as a sports center. And when the media says the same thing repeatedly, the average person tends to believe it. I even bought that excuse for a while, allowing the blame for the failures of our franchises to rest partially on my own shoulders.
You know what, though? Fuck that bullshit.
It’s not my fault!(Or yours!) It’s the goddamn teams.
The Evidence, Expanded: Okay, we’re going to get a bit technical here. Bear with me as I examine the recent postseason performances by our teams.
The Braves: The only recent postseason appearance by the Atlanta Braves was the 2010 season in which the Braves narrowly captured the Wild Card spot in the National League. The season was notable as it was long-time manager Bobby Cox’s final season. The late regular season push by the Bravos electrified fans who wanted to see something special go down in the beloved Cox’s last year at the helm. When we landed the Wild Card spot, Braves fans surged in support of their team. The end result was the Braves lost in four games at the hands of the San Francisco Giants. Lame.
It should also be noted, when discussing Atlanta sports history, that the Braves hold the only championship for any team based in Atlanta. It came in the 1995 season when the Braves defeated the Cleveland Indians in six games to win the World Series title. This win, however, stands in stark contrast to the fact that those same Braves made the playoffs eight times in the nineties (including an insane five World Series appearances) and only came out with a single win.
Still, thanks Braves. Without you, we’d literally have nothing.
The Falcons: Several years back, the Atlanta Falcons stood on the shoulders of a giant. Michael Vick was supposedly the best thing since canned dog food and his tandem running/passing game was supposed to revolutionize our offense and carry the Falcons in a new millennium. (See what I did there?)
Then came the infamous dog torture revelations. The Falcons quickly parted ways with the criminal known as Vick. A good decision, to be sure. In the wake of the disastrous rupture, the Falcons drafted a sought-after Boston College QB. Ryan, although young and untested, showed Atlanta fans the meaning of Great White Hope, putting together four winning seasons in a row.
This, coupled with a fresh strategic direction under the supervision of new head coach Mike Smith, promised to allow the Falcons to soar. So far, though, things haven’t quite worked out for the boys in red and black. Despite his other-worldly early success of the Ryan/Smith duo, the spark simply never ignited into post-season success.
The dreams of Falcons fans, made vivid and seemingly reachable by four impressive seasons in a row, turned into three playoff appearances and three playoff defeats.
Ryan and Smith have now gone 0-3 in the postseason, having yet to put together even a marginally acceptable performance in that span. We lost to the underdog Cardinals in ‘08, failed to make the playoffs in ‘09, got the shit kicked out of us by the Packers in ‘10 and then finished the ‘11 season with one of the most embarrassing losses of all-time at the hands of the New York Giants.
The Thrashers: Honestly, not even worth discussing. Let’s all try to just communally forget that they even existed. Wait…you already did? Okay then.
The Hawks: Even in the glory days of the legendary Dominique Wilkins, the Atlanta Hawks proved unable to capture championship gold. In fact, this article is really about the Hawks. I went to game two of the Eastern Conference Quarter Finals this season and watched as our Hawks took an eleven point lead in the third, only to collapse and lose by seven. It was really an illustration of the overall attitude that Atlanta teams seem to have in the postseason.
But this isn’t the first time the Hawks made me pop a boner only to leave me with (red and) blue balls. The Hawks have made the playoffs the last five season in a row, not once advancing past the second round.
In fact, the Hawks have made the playoffs an unbelievable twenty-eight times since moving to Atlanta without once coming home with some shiny new rings.
Is that even actually possible???
The Conclusion: Some of Atlanta’s recent postseason woes are understandable. For example, all three of the Falcons’ flops have come against teams that went on to either play in or win the Super Bowl. The Braves’ close loss to the Giants was disappointing, but the Giants went on to win their first World Series title in half a century.
But that’s cold comfort, is it not? I’m simply not satisfied with teams that do nothing more that act as a stepping stone for other teams’ advancement into greatness. I mean, are you?
They call Atlanta a poor sports city, but I have to disagree. Atlanta is a great sports city – one of the best – until the regular season ends.
As I write this, our Atlanta Braves are currently off to one of the best starts in recent history. They seem to have all of the tools to make a stab at the World Series.
But it’s all too familiar.
I’m rooting for the Braves hard, let me assure you, but that specter of amassed failures lurks in my mind, making it difficult to have any real faith. And you know what? That makes me fucking sad.
So, where does it end?
Well, one of two places.
We’re either going to finally ride the Matt Ryan/Josh Smith/Jason Heyward rockets to the Moon or (as they’ve all shown the tendency to do) we’re going to continue to explode shortly after launch leading us to another dismal period of “franchise rebuilding” like the one that took place from 2000-2007.
If the latter occurs, I predict that the Falcons fan attire in five years will include a paper bag over the old shame-filled noggin.
Wait…you’re telling me that even that ‘Aints won a Super Bowl?!?
God. Fucking. Damn. It.
I guess I’ll need to begin this article with an anecdote, so here goes: I met Troy Sanders while I still worked at Twain’s Billiards and Tap. He came in to eat with his wife, his infant son and some friends of theirs. Having seen him and some of his band mates come in before, I thought little of it and treated them the same way I would any other table. After all, I was at work.
After a while, one of my coworker’s families came in to eat, and upon learning of Troy’s presence, insisted that I inform him that they would like to buy him a drink. Rock stars love drinking, right? Except not this time. Troy respectfully declined the offer citing his need to drive his wife and baby son home. A classy and sensible play, but to be entirely honest, it’s not what I expected. We non-heavy-metal stars like to imagine guys like Troy double-fisting bottles of Jack Daniel’s at all times, so seeing him politely decline a second beer (he had one 12 ounce beer in the 2 or so hours they spent at Twain’s; a brewery) sort of through me for a loop.
Haley in Iron Tusk video
Instantly a new image of Troy and his life formed in my imagination. What if things in his life weren’t all head-banging and drunken fist fighting after all? Could the rock star image presented by countless Decibel and Revolver articles possibly be a skewed reality? Could a guy who I had so many times heard bellow ‘I am completely immersed in darkness/As I turn my body away from the sun’ really be a soft-spoken and considerate family man? I was determined to find out for myself. So braving the totally uncool act of acknowledging that you recognize someone from a band, I offered Troy my card and told him my idea.
Lo and behold, a few days later he responded. It seemed he was tired of doing the same ‘cookie cutter’ interviews and was ready to get more personal. I just got lucky with my timing I suppose.
Before we met up, I tried to do some internet research about Troy’s personal life, so I didn’t come to the interview empty-handed. Turns out, there isn’t much information about his family life to be found. The Wikipedia article on Troy has this listed under his personal life section:
Sanders has one daughter named Haley, who is following in her family’s musical footsteps by playing guitar; and a newborn son named Yuri.
That’s it.
Haley wearing Joey Jordison’s Slipknot mask
So, despite my attempts to come into the interview armored with questions, I was left with almost no ammunition, and having no idea what to expect. Luckily for me, Troy’s an ace with interviews and winging it was preferable to him.
Troy chose the location: McCoy Park in Oakhurst Village. A cool little community recreation and skate area that, despite having lived in Oakhurst for a year myself, I had never seen. Purge photographer Christy Parry and I met him in the square and followed him to his chosen spot to commence our very informal meeting.
Haley and her cousin Kyra Sanders (Blood & Thunder video)
At first, mostly out of instinct I think, Troy began telling me about Mastodon‘s goings-on and their changes as a band. As much fun as it was to hear it from the horse’s (or mammoth’s) mouth, I had to steer him back into the direction of his home life and family. We began by talking about what touring life versus home life was like for him. He wasn’t shy about telling me that coming home required a finely tuned on-and-off switch in mindsets, which at this point had become automatic for him. ‘Exiting the tour bubble,’ as he put it, was essential to maintain a balanced home life. Things happen on the road at an entirely different click, and coming home at the end of it can sometimes feel surreal. He was happy to say though, that his family was supportive of his lifestyle choice and happy for him in his success.
His wife, Jeza, plays a vital role in maintaining the necessary equanimity to fill the role of a supportive father and husband while living on the road a great deal of the time. She is the steward of his dual life at home in the same way his touring manager plans and organizes while he’s thrashing for the masses. For her part, Jeza enjoys the time she gets to spend with the house to herself. (If you don’t count sharing it with their infant son Yuri Blue and their two rescued dogs Dozer and Helmet) Jeza and Troy have been seeing one another for 9 years and were married a year ago September 18th, (Happy Anniversary, guys!) but little has changed for them since it was made official. Their relationship is much like that of a traveling salesman and his family; as a father, Troy makes ends meet the best way he knows how– by leaving his family periodically, and Jeza respects him for his sacrifice.
Left: Troy, brother Kyle, Haley & Kyra (Blood and Thunder video shoot) Right: Haley w/Kirk Hammett‘s mummy guitar
In fact, as a family unit, they’re really not much different than mine or many other families. My father was in the military, and while he tried his best to keep us with him as he was stationed from place to place, his job did keep him away at times. Haley Jayne, an enthusiastic young lady in her own right, can relate to this. She misses her father while he’s away but understands what touring means and why it’s necessary. She has lived with these conditions most of her life (Mastodon began their heavy touring when she was only 3), and to her it’s normal. And while it can be argued that her family is non-traditional, Haley herself is a happy and well-adjusted youth, a fan of Lady Gaga, T-Pain and Eminem. She claims to be ‘a normal teenager who is ‘not too popular,’ but has ‘plenty of friends.’
Having lived through the teen years, I know first-hand how easy it is to harbor resentment for one’s parents at that age, and yet Haley seems to have none. Living part-time with Troy and Jeza and part-time with her mother, Haley recognizes that with the hardship of having an absentee father part of the time, come the perks as well. She has been in two of the band’s videos (‘Iron Tusk’ and ‘Blood and Thunder’), met Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, and played soccer with Phil fucking Anselmo! (I have to admit, at the age of 13, I probably would’ve traded my life away for that last opportunity.) She loves her ability to come back stage at shows and feels like the music industry is as natural a line of work as bank management or being a school teacher. And while she takes a healthy interest in music, having learned to play the guitar, Haley is undecided on her career interests. (And who can blame her? It was a full decade later before I knew what I wanted to do with my life.)
Haley with Will & Jada Pinkett Smith
Troy and Jeza are careful to instill in Haley (and little Yuri, too) a sense of humility. When Haley’s schoolmates find out her father is in a righteous band like Mastodon, it’s easy to see how they could be impressed, but her family makes sure that she realizes that her different circumstances do not make her any better or worse than anyone else she meets. She is simply a member of a unique family. Just like the rest of us.
For Troy, being at home with his family does not completely remove him from his alternate life as a recognizable musician. He has work to do on that front even while stationed in Atlanta. From band practices, to publicity work, the grind never seems to stop. As I’ve already shown, even while out for a simple meal with friends and family, there is always the chance that he will be recognized (or as is band mates like to call it, …’Don’d') and approached by fans. He doesn’t mind it too much though, realizing that it’s all part of the game.
Although the Sanders love Atlanta and have called it their home their entire lives, they have a ’5 year plan’ to change settings when the time is right. When Haley is 18, preparing to enter college or whatever she chooses to do after high school and Yuri is 5, and entering elementary school, Troy and Jeza intend to move the unit to Blue Mountain Beach, Florida, (I guess Georgia’s Blood Mountain got boring for Troy.) where Yuri will no doubt experience an upbringing not unlike Haley’s: perhaps unusual, but amidst a stable family nonetheless. They chose this time frame in an effort not to disrupt their children’s upbringing and sense of security, because the kids are what is most important to them.
Brother Darren, dad Barry, mom Jody, brother Kyle, Haley & Kyra (Slayer show, Tabernacle 2005)
That, I believe, is the root of what I found spending time with the Sanders family. That they are, at the very core, just another family. Look at your own family. Whether they are button-down, middle-class types, or wild and sometimes dysfunctional (I think most families are a little bit of both), they are what you were born into. The Sanders family is not different, despite the reputation sometimes pinned on Troy and fellows like him by the media. Sure, they have their ups and downs, and sure there might be misconceptions from those looking in from the outside, but I believe this is the case with each and every family that I’ve ever spent any time with. Mine included.
Photo Credit: Christy Parry (Black&White Photos/Header)
Thanks to Troy for the great family pics.
I’ve already been at this party for an hour and a half. The room around me swells and boils with the shirtless bodies of hundreds of people. There’s little room to breath inside the packed out Drunken Unicorn and even less to move, but the crowd undulates and writhes like one sticky, sweaty organism.
The scene around me is already chaos when the riff starts. It’s a thundering heavy metal breakdown; akin to something you would hear at a Hatebreed show. I instinctively raise my arms to protect my face from the inevitable violence of flailing limbs, but thankfully the crowd around me isn’t interested in moshing. They seem to be waiting. Like caged bulls burdened with foolish human riders, they steam from their nostrils and stamp their feet in anticipation of the sound that will signal the opening of the gate. I realize that the breakdown, in my mind the moment of truth at a show, is to these people a mere preamble. At this realization, my heartbeat doubles. What the hell is about to happen?
Then the beat drops, and all hell breaks loose.
Let me rewind a bit. Dylan Eiland, AKA Le CastleVania, has been a friend of mine for several years. I met him when he arrived at my home with some mutual friends severely trashed on his (I later found) signature Bombay Sapphire and proceeded to quickly befriend me. I’ve always had a place in my heart for other enthusiastic fellows and I guess he felt the same way, so despite our differences in styles, we bonded quickly.
At that time, Dylan hosted a regular dance party at the Drunken Unicorn on Saturday nights, and he was already 6 years into his career as a producer, DJ and musician. I lost track of Dylan’s life after a while, due both to my erratic work schedule and his increasingly busy tour schedule. But I knew that his career was doing well and was satisfied to see him when I could.
When I was asked to do an article about him and his success for Purge, I jumped at the opportunity. The only thing better than writing for your friends is writing about them. I caught up with Dylan at the Drunken Unicorn as he and his fellow performers were setting up for the night’s FUCK YESSS Dance Party which Dylan hosts the first Thursday of every month.
The lanky, mild-mannered DJ explained to me that while he is far from his career goals, things have really taken off for him since last we down to chat. Having founded his AlwaysNever label imprint a few years back, Dylan now works not only behind the mixers, but in all arenas of the music scene. A DJ by trade, Dylan works now as a producer, a label head, an event coordinator and in marketing of all of the above. Needless to say, Dylan is a pretty busy guy. With a year-round tour schedule that consists mostly of one-shot dates around the world, Dylan spends a lot of his time at airports.
“Touring alone is tedious.” he admits when I prod him on the subject. “I mean, I don’t have a band and no real reason for a road crew. I do it all myself. It does get pretty lonely though, especially when no one speaks English.” While he does have his grievances with the long hours, he knows that it’s the way to get the job done. “It’s way more work than people realize; even when I’m traveling I’m working.”
In this business though, traveling is essential, as networking is the name of the game. DJ’s create the vast majority of their fan base through live shows, so the need to stay mobile is apparent, even after 11 years in the game. “It’s a double-edged sword. I mean, it’s lonely, but I get to see the world.”
I would say that’s a definite truth. Since his touring kicked into high gear, Dylan has visited dozens of countries and every continent except Antarctica. “Australia is definitely my favorite place to play. I love the people there. I always have a great time.”
Touring aside, Dylan has a lot of work to do while he’s in Atlanta. His label alone keeps him busy. He is currently pushing a release from Atlanta party posse Rrrump and putting the finishing touches on his own EP, ‘Nobody Gets Out Alive”. (which after attending his Fuck Yesss party, I have a good idea of where he got the name) Nobody Gets Out Alive will be Dylan’s 2nd release, a follow up to his wildly popular 2007 EP release ‘Trouble Tron’. With his efforts focused primarily on remixes for other artists so far in his career, Dylan has been left with little time to perfect and promote his own works, but he plans on changing that as well in the coming year, with a full-length LP now on the horizon.
Dylan admits that he has a lot on his plate, but that’s the way he prefers it. “The only way to stay ahead of the pack in this business is to stay as busy as possible.” With a label, an LP, a heavy touring schedule and potential mash-ups with members of Blood Brothers and The Mars Volta all on deck, I would say that LeCastleVania is staying well ahead of the pack. The only question is when will the constant rocking cause Dylan to take a pit stop. I asked him directly.
“This is my life, it’s what I love. I’m not slowing down any time soon.”
Like anyone else, I love to see my friends succeed. In fact, that’s what Purge is all about, promoting our friends. So, with that in mind, be sure to check out Le CastleVania’s new releases coming at you soon, and if you have a first Thursday free, make sure you see the spectacle that is the Fuck Yesss dance party at Drunken Unicorn. A few years down the line, you’ll be glad to be able to brag to your friends, “I saw him when he still played small club shows.”
Good work, Dylan. Keep those bodies moving.
Don’t miss the next FUCK YESSS party at the Drunken Unicorn on Oct. 7th.
Photo Credit: Tim Song (Top 3) & Jason Travis (Bottom 3)
If you’re reading this article then, chances are that you’ve probably heard of WonderRoot; You’ve undoubtedly heard the great things that people say about them, and who knows, you may have even paid the location a visit or two. However if you’re anything like me, despite all of this, you may still be a bit confused about what the hell it is that they actually do in that little house on Memorial Drive.
The Purge crew (being the curious so-and-so’s that we are) visited with some questions to find out; as it turns out, when it comes to the Arts community, there isn’t much that they don’t do!
Occupying an unassuming business-front on Memorial Drive in Reynoldstown, WonderRoot is easy to overlook. Make no mistake though, the building hosts real and true wonders. Founded in 2004 by Chris Appleton, Witt Wisebram, and Alex West, it has become one of Atlanta’s most valuable (and under-appreciated) resources for the Arts.
Executive Director Chris Appleton sat down with us to answer our questions and give us his view on how WonderRoot’s role in the community was originally envisioned and what is has become. With the passion of an inventor, he described his brain child as “both an incubator and a tool” for Atlanta’s creatives, something of a novel concept for a comparatively small-scale arts city like Atlanta. The real deal is this: a negligible membership fee (and I do mean negligible, $10/month or $60/year) buys anyone interested unlimited use of WonderRoot’s facilities (when available), access to their daily classes and the loving support of their helpful volunteer staff.
While $10 a month (or $5 a month if you pay for a whole year) seems like it couldn’t possibly buy you anything worth a damn, take it from the Purge staff, this is the deal of a lifetime. With a fully functional recording studio, digital design studio, ceramics studio, dark room, and more all equipped with the most modern tools of the trade, a membership here is tantamount to attending a full-scale art school, with the major difference that I can see being about $30,000 a year.
While WonderRoot isn’t exactly an accredited learning center, that doesn’t mean that they can’t teach you many of the things that you need to know to begin your own production. Pair that with providing you the tools necessary to make your vision a reality, and it becomes something that makes the trivial membership fee seem like you’ve somehow ripped them off by signing up.
But wait, there’s more!
The money you spend to receive these benefits is also used by the establishment for the purposes of promoting Art in all forms all around Atlanta, from the smallest scale indie Art show to city-wide artistic endeavors. They also promote and host concerts, book and poetry readings, comedy acts and print and distribute the Loose Change literary magazine. All of this is funded entirely by the small membership fees. Talk about making every dollar count!
After learning all of this new information about WonderRoot, we were understandably blown away. After taking a moment to put our jaws back in place, we decided to dig deeper, because obviously, there was something very special about the people making this happen.
We asked Chris what it was that inspired him and his comrades to devote themselves to such a selfless project in the name of Art. As it turns out, it isn’t exactly as selfless as it sounds (although it’s pretty close). You see, Chris and Alex (Witt left the pair a few years back to pursue his own music career, and we wish him the best) decided that the best way to create opportunities for area artists was to create a ‘root’ system on which their ideas could grow; A place to provide a literal support network for their metaphorical flowers. As artists themselves, one can see how the creation was almost a selfish act. Although, I admit, that’s a bit of a stretch.
On a personal level, Chris is inspired on a daily basis by the volunteers and artists who take advantage of WonderRoot’s facilities. Those that self-start and attempt creation with a ‘can do’ attitude provide him with an ever-renewed motivation to do what he does. (On a personal note, I sure hope he thinks of Purge that way, seeing as how we aren’t getting paid.)
Chris and Alex, acting in almost director and producer roles respectively, feel as though they’ve achieved a lot so far, citing development of youth programs and the launching of Loose Change amongst other accomplishments. They are, however, far from satisfied. They have laid out what Chris called a ‘5 areas for 5 years plan’ to help guide the path of WonderRoot in the future.
The major points include: creating better artists by providing them with materials and assistance in their endeavors, creating positive community change though example, developing youth artistic voices (WonderRoot focuses heavily on youth related activities and community service), aiding in the opening of new Art centers throughout the city (either as satellites of WR or as independent centers), and becoming an even stronger advocate of the Arts in our beloved city(if that is possible).
For Chris, WonderRoot is a full-time job; He is the first to tell you that the center is far bigger than any individual. According to him, the most important people at WR are the volunteers. Without them, he says, WonderRoot could have achieved no success. Still, in this writer’s opinion, their business savvy leadership has a great deal to do with turning Atlanta from a small pond-which a big fish might outgrow-into a great lake of opportunity suitable for projects of all sizes.
Chris and the gang are focusing on the future, half-jokingly claiming to be on the way to a ‘vast media conglomerate’. While these may seem like lofty aspirations to some, you’d be foolish to doubt them after seeing what they’ve already accomplished from scratch.
The next time you have the creative itch, even if you doubt your abilities, take your idea to 982 Memorial Drive. I can guarantee you that they are waiting for you to come in and share your hidden talents. They have no agenda as to the types of projects they support or the type of people they work with. All they ask if that you work hard, believe in yourself and ask them for help when you need it.
After all, that’s what they’re here for.
(More exclusive memberships are available at different pay scales. For more information, please contact info@wonderroot.org or visit them online at www.wonderroot.org)
Photo Credit: Tim Song
What makes a ‘Man’? It is a question that has inspired people since the beginning of history to commit acts both magnificent and monstrous in attempts to reach an authoritative definition. Although the elusive and tenuous implications of ‘Manhood’ shift constantly between generations and cultures, most people seem to agree with the familiar axiom, “I know it when I see it”. Is it something as simple as a beard and a dick? Bulging muscles and a clenched fists? An affinity for demolition? Or is it something harder to understand? Local tattoo guru Russ Abbott is on a quest to seek out and enshrine the definition.
Also, to party.
As esteemed owner of Ink and Dagger Tattoo in Decatur, Russ has already achieved an almost legendary status in the body art sub-culture at the relatively young age of 31 . In saying that his endeavors ought to be taken seriously, I am at once stating the obvious and also offering a somewhat tongue-in-cheek sentiment; Russ only takes himself seriously part of the time. A likable and honest fellow, Russ seems to revel in the well-respected life he has carved for himself, in his family, in his business, in his art and above all, in his Manhood.
Perhaps it’s his jovial take on the definition of masculinity that has afforded Russ so much success. Folks seem to respond well to a man that can be both admired for his responsibility and readily approached for his playful nature. This amiable complexity, I believe, is the very essence of Man Day.
If you seek a definitive glimpse of ‘Manhood’, the second annual Man Day event is an excellent place to look. This year, Decatur brewery/pub Twain’s Billiards and Tap will host Man Day, a celebration of all things Y-Chromosome. Russ has coordinated an epic celebration of testosterone with events ranging from an Extra Hot Wing Eating Contest to a (no shit) Heaviest Balls Showdown. There will be live music, burlesque, freak show acts and so much more. Suffice it to say, Russ has worked hard to ensure that those timeless bastions of masculinity will be represented and honored.
In the spirit of Russ’s personal definition of the word, Man Day is not to be taken too seriously. Fun is the name of the game and no one is to be excluded. (Especially you ladies. After all, what could possibly be less appealing to men than a shindig with no dames?) With the help of his good friend, local artist, all around manly mofo, Tyson McAdoo, Russ is no doubt at this very moment dizzy with activity making sure Man Day goes off without a hitch. During our interview, he jokingly told me that so much organization made him feel like a “wedding planner”. Worry not though, attendees will not be subjected to any lame-ass J-Lo rom-com atmosphere at this party. Nothing but macho as far as the eye can see.
This Saturday, August 14th, throw on your jock-strap, wax your moustache, slam a cup of black coffee and head into Decatur. From noon until four, Russ and his crew will be giving $50 Man Day flash art tattoos at Ink and Dagger (pictured at bottom). After 5 pm, the gloves come off and the high-fives commence. Come be a part of Mr. Abbott’s rough and tumble vision and see first hand what (to him) defines a man. Also, be on the look out for Russ’s new brain-child, the Man Theme Park. (Yeah, it might be a while, but you know you want to go.)
I am of the opinion that no one, writer or otherwise, can communicate someone else’s ideas better than that person themselves. So, in keeping with that, I will leave you with some words from the Man himself. I asked Mr. Abbott why a person might want to attend Man Day. Take it away Russ:
“Because their lives are boring and mundane and for just one day a year, they can let loose and enjoy a day of making poor choices and acting stupid. Ink & Dagger Tattoo is doing manly tattoos for cheap- that’s always a big hit. Plus, Man Day gives guys a chance to celebrate all things macho and compete for coveted titles like “manliest mustache” and “best beer gut”. You can get drunk and look at half-naked women. You can watch Captain Stab-Tuggo stick his head in a bucket of live lobsters. It’s like a normal day at the bar times a million. You can bet there’s gonna be a lot of cougars there looking for a one night stand too. People need Man Day for different reasons. We’ve tried to cover them all.”
Well said, sir. Well said.
Man Day 2010 will be at Ink & Dagger for the tattoos 12 to 4pm, Party at Twain’s 5pm to midnight.
$50 Man Day flash art tattoos teaser
What does Russ’s Grandmother think about Man Day?
Photo Credit: Jason Travis