Lauren Dukoff's 'Family' of Free Spirits

Devendra Banhart and Lauren Dukoff walk around the Space 15 Twenty gallery in Hollywood, giggling. Friends since they met at Malibu High School 10 years ago, the pair, who call each other Obi (Banhart's middle name) and Lo, are also artistic collaborators: Dukoff has been photographing the indie folkie-turned-major-label-star since Banhart was spending his afternoons practicing piano in the high school music room.

The photos collected in her new book, "Family," offer an intimate glimpse into the lives of Banhart and an ever-widening creative tribe that has formed here in L.A.



Spanning the period from May 2006 until late last year, "Family" follows Banhart from stages around the world -- including a headlining gig at Carnegie Hall -- to private moments writing at his desk and playing guitar on the deck of his Topanga Canyon home, where sketches, lyrics and found art decorate every wall, and the crimson velvet couch was said to have belonged to Jim Morrison.

Wearing sandals, bell-bottom jeans and a vest in one shot, and suspenders and sunny yellow jazz oxfords in another, Banhart also reveals the original fashion sensibility that has inspired international designers such as Roberto Cavalli and Karl Lagerfeld and local names like Trasteverine and South Paradiso.

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Howl Festival

Howl Festival

is five days of dance, music, performance, poetry & writing @ Tompkins Square Park, Sept 5 - 11.

I was happy to see that the Cockettes are performing there Sept 6th. An outrageous gender bending legendary hippie performance troupe from San Francisco around 1969-1972. A recent Cockettes DVD has introduced them to a new generation. link


link

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Where Have All The Hippies Gone?

Some local Atlanta folks are organizing an exhibit of Life on the Strip. They wrote they would like to hear from:

People who were hippies or are interested in hippies or this era (1967 - 1977) of great change in The South. Do you have some memories you'd like to share? Or some pictures of folks on The Strip or in The Park during those days of change for Atlanta and the world? Does your older brother or your parents? We are interested in anything. Posters, film, recording, anything you think should be shared. Let's get our story down right before "The Man's" official version is the only one available to the future. No one of us has the story. The story was all of us at once. Can you contribute your part?

Visit TheStripProject.com still under construction.

I had my picture taken all the time on the strip during this period; maybe I can find something of me and my friends. On second thought, do I want to see some of those pictures?

Related:

* Voices From The Underground (Press) - History and images, featuring East Village Other, Berkeley Barb, The Seed, etc.

* "The Summer of Love lasted three years in the South. I tried to capture some of that spirit in these photographs. They were shot over a 30 month period and many were originally published in The Great Speckled Bird, Atlanta's underground / anti-war newspaper." Photography by Carter Tomassi, Berkeley, CA, who has also worked on many major film projects. (let us not forget The Cockettes) link

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Good Morning! How are you doing this fine day?



Mother, What Did You Do In College? I watched "The Cockettes" (Rise and fall of the acid queens & gender benders) with pure delight last night. I was living a parallel universe with them in the early 70's at our own Montrose Commune in Tennessee and going to great lengths to dress up in the funkiest, glittery-est finery that I could; teaching each other insane makeup techniques; sticking flowers, feathers and glitter all over ourselves and taking every opportunity to throw a party. Many of us were in the Art or Drama Dept at the Univresity, so we already had that innate flair. The Cockettes were certainly an inspiration, as were other similar groups who I can't remember just now.



{blog site of the day}

Blue Ridge Blog - Marie is a great professional photographer for her local paper and delivers breathtaking local snaps daily. Stop in and say Hello.



saturday morning me//

Sky's flannel duck pj pants/

U-T football jersey/grey slippers/

carrot juice/banana/green tea/

thinking: 'bout making a Tunnel Of Fudge Cake/

listening: Dancing In The Trance

hair: considering cheap wig or new hat/

so hows about you?/



I feel a sin coming on.

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