Biscuits Lives!

As far as I can tell, Chuck Biscuits is not actually dead. It was an evil hoax, perpetrated by an unknown entity. It looks like he doesn’t even have cancer.  Though, like many others, I bought it like a bag of bagels at the dollar store, the whole occurence wasn’t totally without merit. It prompted [...]

Goodbye, Chuck . . .

In less than a month, yet another key figure in the early ’80s So-Cal punk scene has passed away. Chuck Biscuits, the bombastic, powerhouse drummer who played for D.O.A., Circle Jerks (in video above), Black Flag, Danzig, Social Distortion and surprisingly, Run DMC, passed away Oct. 24 from throat cancer. He [...]

Getting my spook on: an epic fail

Normally I love the Halloween season. Yes, season. I have at least three large storage containers stuffed with rubber bats, glow in the dark skeletons and other creepy 3-dimensional objects that only see the light of day for a few weeks each year.
I could blame my apathy this year on pumpkin spice deficiency since [...]

Moving beyond ArtWalk

Let me preface this post by saying that I’m a big fan of ArtWalk, I’ve been to nearly every one and I always have a great time. I also try to buy something original if I can and encourage others to follow suit. I will be in attendance this weekend for the Harvest ArtWalk. I [...]

Legendary L.A. punk promoter is mourned by many

“When Brendan started the Masque, it was a pure act, creating a place for people he liked, to do their thing, have fun and get wild, no salesmen allowed.”– Flea, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Flea’s is just one of a rapidly growing collection of memories and tributes popping up in newspapers [...]

VCReporter one year later . . .

It’s been one year since I returned to VCReporter to reprise my role as arts editor. It’s a labor of love and I’d be loath to find a more perfect fit.  I feel I’ve accomplished much of what I hoped to, yet there’s so much I wish I could do with the section (art & [...]

Mayor Arts Awards

The city of Ventura will hold an awards reception on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. to honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the arts here.
They are:
Artist in the Community: Michele Chapin (Stoneworks Studios)
Arts Leader: Chris Velasco (PLACE/WAV)
Arts Educator: Patricia Strickland (Theater Arts instructor St. Bonaventure High School)
Emerging Artist: Veronica Valadez
Congratulations to everyone!

The Nu Camelot:Michelle Obama gets art

Comparisons of Michelle Obama to Jackie O continue to gain validity with every speech she gives. A champion of the arts, her desire to bring culture back to the White House is refreshing, even comforting to those of us who lamented the backyard BBQ aesthetics of the Bush days.
Her most recent appeal for the arts [...]