Sunday, March 28, 2010

sunday solo: the pumpkin that never dies


Having had this pumpkin since October, it became an easy decision to have it join the beIMAGED family. I have never seen a pumpkin last this long, but apparently it does happen. While other people shine some light onto a pumpkin's life expectancy on Yahoo, I say welcome to the fam, my little hearty friend.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

the abandoned land of new york


Where there once stood an utterly unique and eccentric place called European Health Spa in Westchester NY, there now sits graffiti walls, dilapidated land, a broken and faded statue of Atlas, an architectural masterpiece that has been left behind, and an unshakable feeling that this place was once full of not only people, but stories too.

Located right off of Central Park Avenue, the busy road running from White Plains to Yonkers, this mysterious building eerily sits on swollen wet grass with human life rarely entering the grounds. Silent and still, life simply moves past it. But if you are like me, you cannot help but to stop in your tracks to take a closer look.


Taken from "Westchester County Architecture", what the building looked like when first built:


The greens and graffitti having taken over much of it; the globe once in the arms of Atlas having crumbled down to the ground, the building now:









"The European Health Spa, designed by Don Parry, was constructed in 1969. More than 40 years later, the building still stands as one of the most intriguing structures in Westchester County.

It’s hard to imagine what this building looked like in its day. A quick walk on the grounds, one can see no expenses were spared in creation: Inset lighting built into the land, an Atlas mounted on a pedestal of imported lava rocks, and brushed aluminum rails as just a few.

Perhaps rivaling the design is the legacy this building has left behind. Among many of the controversial topics surrounding the building was the live tiger caged near the restaurant inside the club.

To this day, the three triangular concrete pillars set behind the Atlas and in front of the building still stand. What most passerby’s do not realize is 40 years ago, these pillars were full-out gas torches seen from the road after dark." --anonymous

Now sitting in darkness, the lights of the fast-pace street and fast-pace city of Scarsdale NY, shine onto the empty building to show something inanimate that is still full of so much life.

Friday, March 12, 2010

otis cd release party: sullivan hall
















Photos by beIMAGED Photography were taken on February 26th at the band OTiS' colorful, funky, and entertaining CD release party, held at Sullivan Hall in NYC.

For words on the new album, jump to the other beBLOGGED entry: OTiS CD Review

Saturday, March 6, 2010

mayer hawthorne, the county and hipster new york


March 4th, 2010 could have been any other Thursday for New York City folk, had they not attended the silky-smooth Motown throwback concert performance of up and coming recording artist, Mayer Hawthorne at Webster Hall. With tunes similar to those off of Raphael Saadiq's latest album "The Way I See It", a great deal of influence from old-school Motown Sound (think: The Supremes/Al Green/James Brown), and with a punch of contemporary hip-hop vibes, this artist has much to offer in the way of musical entertainment. The New York City performance was the first of his tour with The County, and they certainly started it off right, with the song: "Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'" off of album, "A Strange Arrangement".

Shaky and incomplete clip, but this shows you the pleasin' start to the show:





Dressed in a classy suit, red tie, and dare I say "emo" glasses, mixed with his somewhat self-proclaimed "pimp identity", and cursing like a sailor lingo, Mayer certainly has a charm about him. Songs like "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out" make you feel all warm and gooey on the inside while the beat gives you something to dance to. And "Green Eyed Love" - sexy, daring, more hip hoppy, and yet, still soulful - stands out as one of the best ones on the album to groove to. (Play this song on vinyl or hear him perform it live, and you'll get it.)

The venue was something out of The Twilight Zone, lit up with hipster fans, all resembling the thick black frames-wearing performer. Almost every single attendee looked related in physical traits and in dress. Can't be such a bad sign: he appears to be someone worth emulating.

Number one highlight of the evening was when Mayer's two Michigan pals joined the band on stage and broke into doo-wop style dance moves in the background, all the while being dressed in 21st century clothes. It was real and playful - and it made the performer and his crew people you want to be friends with. Oh, and Mayer's air guitar skills. Those were pretty sweet, too.

I could have done without the band's un-satiating cover of N.E.R.D's "Fly or Die" which didn't quite fit, but all in all, the tour blast-off was phenomenal. Quirky performer, amazing music, and not one dull moment.







Check out the Mayer Hawthorne myspace page for his tracks and upcoming tour dates. He is going everywhere from Massachusetts to Manchester, and he is more than worth it to see live.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...