neondreamscapes

ARTINGER CUSTOM GUITARS

neondreamscapes — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:48:17 +0000

Once again I count my blessings that I have the good fortune to make a living, however meager, doing what I truly love.
….and I admit it, I love guitars, and everything about them! The variations of their sonic palette is infinite, as are the players that finesse, throttle, bludgeon and seduce those glorious sounds from these musical sculptures of wood & metal. Nowhere else on the planet are more beautiful, and more interesting instruments created than in the humble workshop of luthier Matt Artinger, in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. I’ve known and worked with Matt for over 10 years, and consider myself a lucky man indeed to be able to spend even a few days a year photographing, and playing these stunning instruments. Every one a work of art, every one a player’s dream.

ON THE ROAD WITH BARRY LOUIS POLISAR

neondreamscapes — Sun, 19 May 2013 23:15:55 +0000

Underwear is Everywhere! My Brother Threw Up on My Stuffed Toy Bunny! Diaper Rash! …… and who can forget that immortal anthem- Don’t Put Your Finger Up Your Nose! Yes friends, these and many more delightful ditties celebrating the joys of childhood, warped or otherwise, sprang from the creative mind of children’s singer/songwriter and author Barry Louis Polisar. Barry and I have been friends and collaborators for over 35 years ( I’ve illustrated 3 books with Barry & several albums and CDs) so when he called and suggested I accompany him on a short roadtrip to Mifflinburg, PA. I of course jumped at the chance! We of course, swapped stories and compared notes over breakfast at the West Shore Diner in Lamoyne before arriving in Mifflinburg, where a charming street festival was in full swing, with wine tastings, traditional German cuisine, and buggy rides and demonstrations of the fine lost arts of the wheelwright, blacksmith, and buggy maker, recognizing the town’s long heritage as an American mecca for the production of fine buggies. Barry helped kick off one of the inaugural performances in the town’s new cultural arts center, located in a lovely old former church, situated in sight of three, count ‘em three cemeteries. The audience was excited and appreciative, and of course, who can’t relate when Barry says” I’ve Got A Teacher, She’s So Mean!” ….. and did I mention, Barry wrote the opening theme song to the movie “Juno“?

Every musician needs a good cup of Joe to start the day

a bit of tasty festival food in Pennsylvania

If I had a hammer, I guess I’d be a smithy

Mifflinburg is historically a center of the buggy makers art

The many faces of Barry Louis Polisar

….and of course the happy faces in the audience! Hey, wait a sec, isn’t that guy with the spiked hair in the heavy metal band, Ministry? Guess Barry has a wide fan base!

….and so ends another happy day on the road!

SHOEFEST

neondreamscapes — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:57:57 +0000

The day dawned overcast and cloudy as we left our quiet suburban Maryland town and hit the road for a return trip to the Amish country of nearby Pennsylvania, but as we neared our first destination, the Prospect Diner in Columbia, the sun broke through and cast its warm rays over the meeting place of another of Mod Betty’s Retro Roadmap get togethers. Betty & her amiable spouse, Retro Roadhusband once again played host to a meeting of the local lovers of the great, but vanishing American roadside, graciously coordinating a day of fun and exploration a stone’s throw from York, PA. Diner aficionados from as far away as upstate NY made the journey, and there was a feeling of goodwill and camaraderie shared among the participants celebrating the spirit and vision of the small town American entrepreneur. After a breakfast meal that couldn’t be beat, and enough coffee to sustain an army, we set out to explore, and unearth the treasures in the local antique stores. Bargains and treats galore awaited the patient and practiced eyes of our intrepid shoppers, and afterword we retreated to lunch at the classic American lunchcounter at Hinkle’s Pharmacy , celebrating 120 years of service to the local community, and was this place hopping on a Sunday afternoon! After fortifying our crew, we set off again for our special tour at the Haines’s Shoe House in nearby Hallam. The brainstorm of local shoe salesman Mahlon Haines, this charming bit of wacky architecture was built in 1948, and , though never actually inhabited by an Old Woman with so many children, is surprisingly cozy and quite comfortable inside. A satisfying find for any commercial archaeologist! We took the boot, bid a sad farewell to our roadside friends and returned to our antiquing, while many of the adventurers had a last bite to eat at the yummy Maple Donuts before setting sail for home. Our thanks go out once again to the ever vivacious Mod Betty for putting it all together. So, till next time, put on your traveling shoes and be on the lookout for that wonderful bit of America while it still exists!

Breakfast at the Prospect Diner

A braintrust of the great American road experience

The Retro Roadmasters outside the Prospect Diner

Scouting for treasures

Strange things from another time uncovered by our intrepid archaeologists

A full house for lunch at Hinkle’s Pharmacy

The Shoe House

MEN & MEAT FIREPIT EVENT

neondreamscapes — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:22:04 +0000

In a secluded corner of the Maryland suburbs,not far from the pre-heated seats of power that control the workings of the free world, a small and select group of independent-minded men have gathered 3 times a year to participate in a time honored ritual shrouded in deepest secrecy, the inner working of which are known exclusively to a quartet of living souls, known only as “The Four”, or, to the outside world as the public face of The Gentlemen’s Tasting Club of Olney. Led by a shadowy figure referred to as “Mr. President”, the foursome lead lives that to the unsuspecting populace may seem ordinary, even mundane, and go about their daily routines in business, family and love wrapped in the cloak of kindness, creativity and respectability, but for 3 days out of the year, when they invite a finite number of deserving men to participate in the deepest secrets of the infamous GTC, participating in the rigorous, and quite often humiliating and painful initiation ceremonies reserved only for Gentlemen of accomplishment and distinction. Through the generous, but mysterious underwriting of Miss Molly’s Meat Rub, the often copied, but never equaled Men and Meat Firepit Event continues to this day,lurking in the shadows of Stonehenge on the Ascott, as strong, independent, smelly, rude, funny, flatulant and always loving men, caring and protective of their womenfolk, and the community at large, travel forth, from far and wide, to ignite the fires of freedom and spread the good word of meat, whisky and bad jokes told well and oft repeated! We salute you! …..Hey, remember that time when you woke up in a bathtub full of ice and your kidneys were gone ..
Miss Molly says” Time to eat? Rub the Meat!”

Salmon & Oysters

The closest thing to greens at the event- used as a brush

The President’s special twice fried fries!

No chicken here- These are pheasants- wrapped in bacon and stuffed with sausage

RICHIE HAVENS 1941-2013

neondreamscapes — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:21:58 +0000

The musical world lost a great voice yesterday when Richie Havens passed away at the age of 72. I only saw him perform live twice, but his magnetic presence and incredible right hand were the stuff that legends are made of. Mr. Havens provided me with one of my most memorable personal moments in the music industry in 2007 when I had gone to photograph a performance and interview Arlo Guthrie at the Wolf Trap Performing Arts Center in Vienna, Virginia. Richie was opening for Arlo that night, and my editor and I arrived that afternoon during sound check so he could do his interview prior to the show. While the writer was busy in the green room chatting to Arlo, I stuck around on the Wolf Trap stage to watch Richie warm up and do his sound check, snapping candids here and there. Eventually, the backing musicians left the stage to rest up, and I was left alone on stage with Richie. We talked for a few minutes, a very quiet, sweet and charming man, and presently he began to strum the opening power chords of the Who‘s “Won’t get fooled again” on his battered old Guild acoustic. As I sat on the stage at his feet, Richie Havens proceeded to bless me with a command performance of that rock classic for 20 minutes, singing, stomping, growling and smiling as if this was a moment that he lived for. To play THAT song, for me, and me alone. It was magic! We will miss you, Richie, and I thank you for a musical present that I will always cherish! Rest in Peace. Freedom.

NEW JERSEY-THE GARDEN STATE

neondreamscapes — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:20:49 +0000

It was a gray and dreary day as The Diner Hunter and I set out for an impromptu road trip to the Garden State. Although many folks associate New Jersey with refineries, turnpikes and the likes of someone named Snooki, we chose to view a different version of the Jersey shore, although our journey did ultimately lead us to Seaside Heights, to see the roller coaster and surrounding damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy. Once off the highway, New Jersey is home to a huge diversity of small towns, scrub pine forests and cranberry bogs. Along the way we saw our usual roadside collection of abandoned buildings, darkened neon and diners. Jersey is the repository of hundreds of diners of every shape and style and we barely made a dent in the list.

After breakfast, Wildwood was one of our first stops. A piece of beachfront history suspended in time, every manner of so called “DooWop” motel and retro signage exists here, and their amusement park’s roller coaster rose out of the morning mist like a vision from a bygone era, a hole in the old space/time continuum.

If you love vintage style neon, this is THE place to be-

More retro neon in Wildwood – I need a shower, now!

The Caribbean ( design art from the Library of Congress)

This part of New Jersey is also home to re-purposed Muffler Men & all manner of strange creatures from the Land of the Giants- must be all those chemical mutations

The most beloved giant of all is Lucy, The Elephant who has made her home in Margate, New Jersey since 1881.

American Roadside architecture at its zaniest- Even the municipal offices are cool

neondreamscapes — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 19:50:12 +0000

Pennsylvania seems to be the state that my wanderlust feels compelled to visit, so for the second time in a week, I’ve laced up my traveling shoes, cranked up the old jalopy, and headed west to the Keystone State and a new adventure out along America’s highways and byways. This was a leisurely journey, with no real destination or objective in mind, so my beautiful traveling companion and I settled for the scenic area around Lancaster county, home to a substantial community of Amish and Mennonite families, as well as Jennie’s Diner, in Ronk’s PA.

Jennie’s is THE place to go if you have a hearty appetite and appreciate friendly service and delicious food.

Although only a minute from strip malls and an amusement park & putt-putt golf, you’ll see the old ways practiced directly across the street from this busy diner.

Another few minutes down the road and you’ll run into the Strasburg Railroad, and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, always fun for young and old alike!
And darn, wouldn’t you know it ( because, after all, this is a blog about neon & diners & roadside stuff) we luckily happened upon some great old neon and motel signage along Rt. 30, The Lincoln Highway

This is Amish country, and, as anywhere around the world, kids will always be, well, you know…..kids! The Amish are private people, and generally avoid photographs, so this was taken from a discreet and respectful distance.

On a sunny spring day like this, all the other cultural rituals play out as well, and this wedding party in downtown Lancaster seems to be having a great time clowning around prior to the big event.Beauties every one!

The many styles of architecture in Lancaster County

Of course, no roadtrip would be complete without ending the day as it started…..at a great diner.

THE RETURN OF SMILING JOHN

neondreamscapes — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:51:35 +0000

Since he was a young lad, my son Spencer has always delighted in his trips to the barber shop, not a stylist, not a designer salon, not the Hair Cuttery, but a real and true barber shop! Living in the Nation’s Capitol as we do, such a relic of bygone times has become harder and harder to find, especially if the head in question demands a haircut in a style of a decidedly bygone era. A few years ago, at a event known as Sledfest, we discovered the amazing husband/wife duo of Devon “Di-Di” Shilling, and her husband, Smiling John! They run a friendly, affordable and always welcoming shop in York, Pennsylvania. Although it is a bit of a haul from stuffy old D.C., it is always worth the roadtrip through the back roads of the Keystone State. Spencer gets a great haircut, we have a good time on the road, we get to share tales of razors, hot rods & Rockabilly, and of course, there always seems to be a diner of lunch counter somewhere along the way. It is, after all, the land of Texas Hot Weiners. In PA. Go figure!

The man, the legend, an artist with a straight razor- Smiling John Shilling

Nothing better than a hot towel & lots of lather

Always under the watchful eyes of THE KING

Going to DiDi & John’s is like a trip to the local art gallery- Body art, that is

Would YOU trust this man with a straight razor? You bet!

You can always count on a stylish look in York!

THE PHOTONES

neondreamscapes — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 14:54:01 +0000

Another slow week in the world of paying gigs, so it looks like another round of working out ideas and concepts with the aid of Number 1 son, and the beautiful Rebekah, joining forces as The Photones!- This legendary duo looks as good as they sound, and their string of hits can be heard on juke boxes from Halifax to Salt Lake City, from Leesburg to Silver Spring! Amazing how far a little imagination and the willingness to have a good time visually can transport a concept!

A few simple props and a little attitude goes a long way

The many moods of The Photones

Too Cool for Words- Is that Blind Melon Chitterlings?

A Discography going back for years- Look at that vinyl

Be on the lookout for this amazing duet- Many Thanks to Rebekah & Spencer for being so helpful & patient-Great Job showing how it should be done!

HALIFAX SLIM

neondreamscapes — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:09:20 +0000

Sometimes, I just get the crazy notion into my head to work up designs for non-existent bands or companies and ad campaigns, just to keep my mind and chops occupied. While working with my son on product shots for his Vintage Haberdashers site ( some of the coolest vintage men’s clothes available) I took advantage of his good looks and patience to grab some studio shots that translated well into a classic C&W look that I could work with- The results are displayed in this post- Now, if I could just get my clients to sit still & dress the part!