Red Bull Soapbox Derby, Atlanta 09

I believe I was just writing some ridiculous post on racing only a week ago, and already there’s a racing event outside my house? Clearly I have a lot of sway with the powers that be.  I believe we should also have an epic science fiction and fantasy convention in this city. Maybe someone will hear me and make that happen, like, next week.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Derby itself, aside from some free cans of Red Bull. I wasn’t even planning to go, but on my way to Caribou at 10th and Piedmont for coffee I was sucked in with the rest of the crowd and ferried down 10th along Piedmont Park—where blonde girls in sunglasses and tight white tops did gymnastics and doled out cans of Red Bull. (No sugar-free, apparently, to the dismay of one grizzled old granddad who looked profoundly disappointed when he heard this.) A party bus, with lounge seating set up outside to promote Red Bull & Cola, swamped with people looking for handouts.  Daft Punk and Peter, Bjorn + Jon remixes blasting through the speakers lofted on twenty-foot poles. Lawn chairs lining the edge of the park.  And the huge stage platform where the cars would launch from.

And of course, there are the racers and the cars themselves.  Traffic slowed to a standstill around the pits, where competing teams dressed up to suit the theme of their uh, non-auto-mobile. An Oompa-Loompa team driving the tunnel boat from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,  an Avengers team dressed up as Marvel heroes, a zombie team driving a brain on wheels, a couple Greco-Roman chariots, a coffin on wheels representing the Clermont, some mad scientists driving a shopping cart(?), a Barbie-mobile… the whole cultural gamut, pretty well-represented.  Hopefully there will be some pictures posted later to represent the dedication and general awesomeness of these teams.

From what I saw, they’ve really pulled this off well- to the benefit of Atlanta and Red Bull.  So, mission accomplished, Red Bull marketing peoples. You’re making me reconsider my immediate skepticism of any corporate-sponsored event. And you taste so good.

TypeCon2009 in the ATL July 14-19th

Yes, yes, god, yes, yes!!! I need to work on my Helvetica Neue Bold Condensed Oblique Cosplay!

TypeCon2009 explores type for the screen, Dutch design, type in motion, advertising typography, the new life of wood type, and much more. Special events include the premiere of “Typeface,” Kartemquin Films’ new documentary on the Hamilton Museum, a keynote address by Jim Sherraden of Hatch Show Print, the Type and Design Education Forum, and an international exhibition of type and design. With dozens of workshops, presentations, panel discussions, special events, small group tours, and exhibitions in the works, TypeCon2009 promises a typographic adventure you will remember for years to come.

BE THERE OR BE OLDSTYLE.  This is without question worth the $150 I will be paying for admission.  If anyone thought it was impossible to out-nerd Dragon*Con, well, I will be doing it and doing it SO HARD.

The 27 laws of Matthew

These are the 27 things I will do this year.  They’re all out of order, or in no particular order at all. They’re all priorities.  Some of them have been redacted for public consumption, but it’s still slightly embarrassing so I think I’m on the right track. And I think making them public makes it harder for me to renege on them.  It should make for a good year, I hope.  Goals after the jump.

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Efterklang Pictures

Some great photos of Casper Clausen & crew from Tuesday’s Efterklang show at the Earl in Atlanta from Carina Barnard. [Alas, no visual evidence of the twinnitude of the opening band.]  Thanks Carina! Shots are after the jump.  Trying to get a video up too, will come later.

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Asobi Seksu @ Eyedrum 3/25/09

This was the first time I’ve visited Eyedrum.  It’s in a really safe and beautiful part of town⁽¹⁾. It has this cool distressed gallery feel to it and was slightly creepy to explore.  More on that later.  Tonight was Tealights, Tyvek, and Asobi Seksu.

First I have to say that the person selling merchandise was kind of a dick and nowhere near as wonderful a person as the girl whose name I can’t remember/pronounce from the Efterklang show.  This remarkable absence of personality kind of permeated the whole thing, which was sadly not as much fun as I hoped it would be.  Doors were at 9, but we were let in at 9:15, and the first band performed at 9:50.  The first band: Tealights.⁽²⁾

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