Occupy the Burgh

So two weekends ago, I attended the Occupy Pittsburgh protest. With my cardboard sign that fit perfectly around my camera lens, I pulled double-duty as protester and photographer. In the beginning, we were a small group at the top of Uptown but as we began to march, I looked back and saw a sea of people. As it turns out, we had a crowd of around 2,000, the same as Chicago! Although I cannot be downtown at the campsite due to my crazy work schedule (oddly enough, I am still a part of the 99% despite my working three jobs...yay, America!), I drove past the site the other day and saw a cluster of tents! I am hoping this movement gets on its feet and makes a real change in this country's policies.

In the meantime, check out some of the photos from the rally.

Senior Photo Time

So, it was time for Jessie's senior pics (can't believe she's already a senior) and we headed out to the Cowdens' farm for the shoot. Train tracks, barns and trees...some of my favorite props! She was by far one of the most laid-back seniors I've had, along with her brother, so the session was a breeze. I'm thrilled about what we got and I hope she is too!

Free Hugs...With Some Djembe on the Side

So I stumbled upon a peaceful gathering today while killing time in Schenley Park. After a few minutes of me staring at the circle of love happening in front of me, I realized this seemed familiar... While doing some bodypainting at the All Good Music Festival in July (yes, that's right), I ran into a girl from Pittsburgh who was telling me about an event she was organizing that was going to take place on August 14. It totally slipped my mind until today when I found myself in the middle of it all.

While I've been dealing with more stress than I thought possible over the past month, it was refreshing to be a part of this event today, even if it was for just a few moments. The mysterious figure I spy at every festival I attend, Gregory, was there with his "Free Hugs" t-shirt and mentality. Along with him were dreadlocked brothers and sisters playing djembes and dancing wildly in the grass. Even a snake made its way into the fun.

If this isn't peace, love and happiness, then I don't know what is.

Free hugs with Gregory!

It's All Good!!!

After several years of attempts, I finally made it to the All Good Music Festival in West Virginia! Was it what I expected? Absolutely not...it was better. I don't know how many thousands of people were there, but from the top of the hill, it looked like a swarm of bees. Beautiful, half-naked bees. Good vibes were everywhere to be found along with body paint, dogs, Indian headdresses, hula hoops and tie dye.

The night shows were breathtaking as we watched from the top of the hill where you could feel the vibrations of the music and the energy of the people. Neon lights took over my eyes as jam bands like Primus, Papadosio and Orgone rocked it out. Strange glow-in-the-dark contraptions like a large jellyfish and a dragon bopped around the crowd and fire lanterns were launched into the sky throughout the night.

I discovered so many new and incredible bands and saw some familiar ones as well (yes, Dana Fuchs). Watching everyone dance wildly to the music with no inhibitions made me smile more than I thought possible and made me realize that it is really all good. Unfortunately, the weekend had to come to an end and as I woke up Sunday morning, I found myself covered in dirt and burnt to a crisp. On the drive home, I wondered if it was worth the lack of sleep, the peeling my skin will experience in the next few days, and the long shower I would have to take once I crawled back into my apartment.

What a silly question I asked myself :)

Pride in the Streets!

Pridefest took over the streets of Pittsburgh once again yesterday as thousands of people celebrated gay pride. These celebrations almost remind me of Nelson Ledges where nothing is out of the question and anything goes! There is so much energy at these parades and I wish every parade was like that. I don't think I have to say much else...the photos speak for themselves :)

Happy pride!

Nelson Ledges never disappoints...

So this past weekend was possibly my last trip to my version of Heaven...Nelson Ledges Quarry Park. This festival was dedicated to the Trippin' Billies and Badfish, two pretty awesome bands. Of course, there is more than just music to witness at the quarry. Unusual sites are never so unusual here and nothing is out of the question. For instance, as a friend and I rested on the beach, a man walked over to us looking confused and asked, "Uh, have you seen a tall guy wearing a Cookie Monster costume?" Hmmm...no, I don't believe I have. However, we did see a Fred Flintstone, so this inquiry did not seem so strange.

Tie-dye and hula hoops were everywhere to be found and it seemed as if body paint has become an acceptable form of clothing...I am all about this. Disco Pizza made its way into my stomach and I savored every last bite as I sat on the beach taking in some sites. We even made some friends who, let's just say were having a good time, and it just so happens they will be attending All Good. So it seems we will be in good company!

Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure. Peace and love my fellow hippies.

Last Call: To the Ledges

Yes, it is a long title, but it is no easy task to sum up the Nelson Ledges Quarry Park in one sentence. Even this story will not fully explain all that can be known about this bizarre place—one must go there and experience this world for oneself, something I have had the pleasure of doing several times.

Live performances of psychedelic rock; fire and drum circles that last all night; long-haired men and women wandering around who appear to be lost in a generation that is not their own; and, of course, the smell of bammy (look it up) are just a few elements of the experience of Nelson Ledges. When you first make your way from your newly organized campsite in the woods down to the beach by the quarry, you may believe you have been transported back into the 1960s upon witnessing the aforementioned sights (and scents). However, it is the 21st century and you are in eastern Ohio. Whether it's Grateful Fest, a festival honoring the Grateful Dead, Summer Hookah, a two-day concert headlined by "Ohio-grown" band Ekoostic Hookah, or Reggae Fest, you will find yourself wondering on the drive home, "What just happened?" The stories you will be able to tell will be unforgettable and, sometimes, unbelievable to those who did not accompany you.

Of the four times I have ventured to Nelson Ledges (twice for Summer Hookah, once for Memorial Day Weekend, and once to see Pittsburgh favorite Rusted Root), I have not managed to escape crazy experiences that demand retelling. During my first trip to the quarry, I was frightened. As soon as my friends and I pulled into our campsite, our "neighbors" warned us that they were wild, and they weren't kidding. For two days and nights, they did not sleep but instead held a nonstop party involving hula hoops, fire and djembes. Loud noises that sounded like gunshots erupted throughout both nights. We later discovered the noises were fireworks, and we've heard them every time we've returned. Sleeping, as a result, is close to impossible.

During the musical performances that weekend, we discovered that there are people out there who prefer to wear next to nothing and who don't care if their dancing is not at its best—they do it anyway. Of course, now we have become those people. Sweating as you've never sweat before is a requirement when living in the music at the Ledges, as well as wearing as many glowstick accessories that you can find. Side note: the glowstick I wear around my neck becomes my dancing partner at the Ledges.

These are a few things you must witness, along with many hand-made clothing vendors, cheap (or free) food and people who look as though they have lived at the quarry for many years. Bicycle Man, as my friends and I know him, is an older white man with long, gray, scraggly hair who wears a blue T-shirt and ripped jeans while peddling barefoot at quite a normal pace during the day. Once the sun goes down, however, his speed nearly slows to a halt. He defies gravity as he balances on the bike and hardly moves an inch per minute. Eventually, he will get to the other side of the venue but it takes several hours.

The Bicycle Man may be a treat to view, but no one is more entertaining or mysterious than Gregory. Gregory, whose name we learned while sitting in a drum circle on the beach, is an older black man who wears train conductor-style hats, hand-painted tanks that say something along the lines of "Hugs, not drugs," and cut-off jean shorts. After seeing him once, we realized we have seen him at almost every festival or concert we have attended in past years. This past summer, I have seen him seven times and each time he has been surrounded by groups of young women who adore him. He is a man of mystery that I cannot comprehend. Despite the confusion, he provides yet another burst of life and color for the Nelson Ledges experience that I could not live without.

Last but not least in my unraveling of this dream world are the ledges themselves. When you go to the quarry park, it is almost a rule that you must jump off the big ledge into the water. It took me two days to build up the courage for my first jump, but I eventually closed my eyes, held my hands together in prayer, and leaped.

The feeling you get while taking part in the jump, I believe, serves as the best summary of the Nelson Ledges experience for those who find the park to be a safe haven for their somewhat quirky, wild and free spirits. You may be taking a risk and you may be doing something most see as odd, but the sense of freedom you encounter along the way makes the splash worth it.

May you all have the privilege of making your way into the "twilight zone" that is known as Nelson Ledges.

Peace, Love and Wood

So now that I finally finished school (!), I had time to finish the wooden wall hanging I started weeks ago. As some of you may know, I live, eat and breathe music; therefore, when I got the urge to use my hands in some crafty way, I figured this symbol was perfect. It's been sitting in my room for quite a while now after I used a scroll saw to cut the shape out of wood and sanded it down in March. Today, I did the final step of staining it with a light, natural color. It's almost 2-feet tall and 1-foot wide.


If anyone is interested in purchasing this (I know there's a huge market for peace sign/treble clef wall hangings), send me a message. If not, it will find a happy space somewhere in my dad's basement once I move away :)

I'm Addicted...to Travel Porn

You heard me right...travel porn. And it's not what you think. I don't need to go to therapy...I just need to see the world.

It's back to real life here in Pittsburgh after a week in Jamaica and as I sit here at my new, somewhat adult job at the Wood Street Galleries for the second day, I am already restless. I've spent my day surfing the Web for airfare deals (ignoring any for American Airlines), hotel packages for Thailand, hostels in Holland, festivals in Germany...I can't stop.

I haven't been as fortunate as some of my friends and acquaintances who have flown to every part of the globe in which I wish to find myself- India, Kenya, Amsterdam, Nepal, San Francisco,Portland...but I have been here and there. I've ventured to NYC, Washington, D.C., New Orleans, San Antonio, Hawaii and, most recently, Jamaica. Every time, I leave those places feeling as if I am leaving home. It may seem strange, but a hotel bed is where I sleep best and sitting in an airport terminal is when I am the most excited. Living merely out of a small suitcase with only a bare minimal selection of clothing makes me high.

I told you...it's a drug.

The sights (often ghastly yet mesmerizing) of New York City at 3 am, the sounds of Bourbon Street in New Orleans followed by the amazing tastes at Cafe du Monde as the rain pours down around you, the crashing waves in Hilo Bay and the scent of tea tree mint shampoo used to avoid bugs in the mountains of Kalopa State Park, and the peaceful beats of Bob Marley entering your ears as you cruise along the northern coast of Jamaica...this is love and I can't get enough.

I look out the window here in downtown Pittsburgh thinking, "There must be something else out there." And I know there is because I've had a few tastes and it tastes delicious. As a recent college grad with thousands and thousands of dollars in loans to pay off (hello, deferment!) and one part-time job with slowly forming photo shoots, I don't have the luxury of globe-trotting just yet. However, I will not let my addiction go unfed. I will feed the beast what it yearns. I will make my trip (sadly, my last one) to Nelson Ledges where I will jump off of the cliffs into the quarry after spending the day lying on my raft in the water as a reggae band plays in the distance. I will venture to Toronto on a 6-hour bus ride to merely walk around a new city for two days. I will attend AllGood for the first and probably last time, returning home undoubtedly covered in dirt and tie-dye and stained with good vibes and body paint.

Irresponsible may be the word some people in my life may use but that is the farthest from the truth. Tell me of your addictions, your loves, your desires and when you see your smile reflecting back to you in my eyes, maybe then you will understand my obsession. Until then (and until I can satisfy this awful desire with an around-the-world ticket), find me a rehab for those like me who cannot get rid of my collection of travel porn.

Photography Card Advertisements!

Okay friends...I am in the process of ordering larger-sized business cards, therefore I need your opinion. I have three to choose from, and mixing and matching is always an option. So let me know which photos and colors you think are best!

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Toto...I don't think we're in Jamaica anymore.

So I'm back in Pittsburgh where it's 50 degrees and rainy after a week of 84 degrees and sunshine in Jamaica. Not all was well, however, as we had to make an emergency landing in North Carolina due to our plane losing pressure. Imagine my face when the oxygen masks flew out of the compartment above our heads...I may have even peed a little. After three more flights, we eventually made it to Montego Bay where we sat in the sun all day for 6 days. Of course, there were some excursions, one being a lovely booze cruise, which turned into utter chaos...don't ever put 50 white people on a boat with alcohol- it doesn't end well.

We also went to Negril where we got to see a bit of the real Jamaica hidden from tourists. Like in Hawaii and most other tropical areas where resorts dominate the shores, further inland is not so glamorous. Shacks were built one on top of the other and locals walked around like zombies, begging for you to buy just one of their many trinkets. I found hope, though, as our tour guide, Dalton, told me that he and the rest of Jamaicans more than appreciate tourists. Tourism is the one industry they rely on therefore the more, the merrier. The IMF (which is not in a good light right now) still controls the economy but Dalton assured me that Jamaica is doing much better than other countries that are in the same situation. With gas costing more than US$6 a gallon, let's hope things get better for them.

Our last stop in Negril was a bar on the coast where we got to go cliff diving (video to be seen soon on Facebook). It took several minutes of me trying to "reason with my fear," as my partner-in-crime for the week Rachel puts it, but I took the leap. I bruised my butt on impact but it was totally worth it! We also got to swim inside a cave under the cliffs, but unfortunately I have no photos to show the beautiful site. Below are the photos I was able to catch of my celebratory trip. Now it's back to reality where I have $80,000 in loans to pay off and horrible weather to accompany that realization.