Last week, we announced we’d be giving away the last of our one-of-a-kind tributes to this year’s Bonfire Sessions events: three hand-painted JanSport Right Pack Monochrome packs with the skylines of each Bonfire Sessions’s city painted right on them produced by Denver artist Emily Dwan. We asked our Facebook fans to submit a picture of themselves in their favorite outdoor spot and we received tons of submissions on our page.
Alas, like all contests, we had to pick a winner. Kelsey Kuch sent us this sweet picture and took the prize! Thanks Kelsey!
Our friends (and this year’s Seattle Bonfire Sessions performers) The Moondoggies, will be playing a free show this Sunday, October 16th at 4:30pm in Seattle at the Fisher Pavilion.
The show is part of a whole day of free music at Coopalooza: learn more here.
You can check out more on the Moondoggies and hear some tunes at their site here.
Have you seen the incredible, one-of-a-kind cityscape JanSport bags we’ve been giving away on Facebook? We commissioned Denver area artist Emily Dwan to decorate three bags to celebrate this season’s Bonfire Sessions events. Each bag features an illustration of a Bonfire Sessions city: Seattle, Montreal and Austin.
Aside from our cityscape bags, Ms. Dwan has quite the diverse and extensive portfolio. Check her out on facebook or on her website. She also happens to be a pretty rad person: Check out our Q&A with her below!
When did you discover art was something you were good at?
Books were never my thing, but art class was always my time to shine. I always won sandcastle contests and killed at sidewalk chalk. I have enjoyed creating artwork and going to museums since I can remember. It has always made me happy to produce something from just a blank canvas and an idea.
Where do you find inspiration for your work? You obviously have a thing for skylines, but what else?
I enjoy drawing my surroundings and “recording” a moment in time. When I lived in Chicago I was surrounded by buildings, so I frequently found them on my canvas. Besides skylines and landscapes, I also have a much more abstract side to my work. Much of my abstract work is inspired by street art, music and emotions, while my skylines are inspired by the culture and beauty of the place itself.
You’ve now lived in several great communities for the arts, including Chicago, Bloomington, IN and now Denver: have you noticed any huge differences in the scenes like what people are into and how artists are received? How have these places inspired your work?
While enrolled in the fine arts program at Indiana University, I focused on refining my artistic skills rather than sharing them. Since I rarely had time to work on personal projects outside of school, I kept my artwork fairly private at that point in my life (aside from family and friends).
After I studied abroad in Florence, Italy was when I really blossomed as an artist. The artwork in Florence reflects the city’s scenic beauty, strong religious history, and traditional, picturesque style of art which, in turn, greatly influenced my personal work. I was blown away by the overwhelming beauty of Europe, not just Florence, and constantly painted landscapes and cityscapes of the different places I visited. Read More
We’re happy to report that we finished the season this past Friday in Austin with our best free show under the stars yet! Over 250 hardcore fans waitied in line outside of Lustre Pearl for up to 4 hours in the Texas heat to make sure they got in to see a free and special intimate set with the Black Angels.
The show was face melting to say the least, and the buckets of free ice cold PBR made the long wait in the heat seem well worth it. The Black Angels delivered their brand of 60’s phsycadelia with a special energy reserved only for those sets in which the band can actually see, feel, and smell the presence of the crowd only inches off the front of the stage.
A huge thanks to everyone that came out and made this such a memorable event, the Black Angels, all of the staff at Lustre Pearl, and of course the city of Austin, TX for being such an incredible place to throw a party!
Stay tuned for more photos and video from all of this season’s free concerts!
If you want to see the Black Angels for FREE this evening in Austin, make your way over to Lustre Pearl near downtown at 97 Rainey Street. Space will be limited to the first 250 people in line and you will be allowed to start lining up at 4pm. Get there early!
As an added incentive, the first 50 in line will get a shiny new JanSport pack and we’ll be hooking up the rest of the crowd with some other sweet JanSport swag.
Don’t know if you can get there early enough? Want to know how that line is looking? Follow us on twitter and facebook for line updates throughout the afternoon.
See you tonight!
Instead of hanging on 6th street this Friday, come join us over at Lustre Pearl just around the corner at 97 Rainey Street (from downtown, head East on 1st street towards the highway and make a right on Rainey) for a FREE evening with the Black Angels. Ice cold beers, grub and frozen treats are on us!
There is limited space in the venue and folks will be let in on a first come, first serve basis. You’ll be allowed to start lining up at 4pm and the first 50 people in line will get a shiny and brand new JanSport bag complete with that new backpack smell!
Let’s review: This Friday, September 23rd, Lustre Pearl in downtown Austin, a concert under the stars with The Black Angels, beer, food, and backpacks, all for FREE! See you Friday Austin!
Our secret show with the Black Angels is just 5 days aways and we’ll be announcing the show location this Wednesday. You can also RSVP by clicking here to get early show location info along with updates leading up to this Friday’s show so you can arrive early and secure you entrance to this intimate performance.
In the meantime, here’s a little photo hint: can you guess this downtown Austin venue?
While we’re excited to visit one of our favorite cities on earth, Austin, TX, we’re saddened by what our friends there are experiencing from the raging wildfires.
After researching the community’s needs, we’ve decided to make a financial donation to The Capital Area Food Bank of Texas (CAFB), www.austinfoodbank.org. The funds raised will go directly to helping CAFB in their disaster response efforts. We look forward to meeting with CAFB in person next week.
For more info about The CAFB, visit www.austinfoodbank.org.
As you all should know by now, our Austin secret show guest artist will be Austin locals The Black Angels. The guys will be on tour all through the fall playing a series of dates in the Mid-West, South, and East Coast (sorry West Coaster’s, you’ll have to wait!).
Check out the dates below and try to catch these guys! In the meantime, if you’re going to be in Austin next week make sure to RSVP for JanSport’s FREE show with the Black Angels by following the link to the right to get early info on how to attend!
| London, UK | The Scala | Mon | Sep 19 / 11 |
| Marfa, TX | El Cosmico | Sat | Sep 24 / 11 |
| Houston, TX | Fitzgerald’s (Upstairs) | Thu | Oct 13 / 11 |
| Dallas, TX | The Prophet Bar | Fri | Oct 14 / 11 |
| Lawrence, KS | Bottleneck | Sat | Oct 15 / 11 |
| St. Louis, MO | Old Rock House | Sun | Oct 16 / 11 |
| Minneapolis, MN | Fine Line Music Cafe | Mon | Oct 17 / 11 |
| Columbus, OH | Newport Music Hall | Wed | Oct 19 / 11 |
| Chicago, IL | Metro | Thu | Oct 20 / 11 |
| Louisville, KY | Headliners Music Hall | Fri | Oct 21 / 11 |
| Newport, KY | Southgate House | Sat | Oct 22 / 11 |
| Toronto, ON | Lee’s Palace | Mon | Oct 24 / 11 |
| Montreal, QC | Cabaret du Mile End | Tue | Oct 25 / 11 |
| Cambridge, MA | Middle East Downstairs | Wed | Oct 26 / 11 |
| Philadelphia, PA | Union Transfer | Thu | Oct 27 / 11 |
| Brooklyn, NY | Music Hall Of Williamsburg | Sat | Oct 29 / 11 |
| Brooklyn, NY | Music Hall Of Williamsburg | Sun | Oct 30 / 11 |
| Brooklyn, NY | Music Hall Of Williamsburg | Mon | Oct 31 / 11 |
| Baltimore, MD | Ottobar | Tue | Nov 01 / 11 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | Ziggy’s | Wed | Nov 02 / 11 |
| Atlanta, GA | The Masquerade | Fri | Nov 04 / 11 |
| Nashville, TN | Exit/In | Sat | Nov 05 / 11 |
| Austin, TX | Emo’s Alternative Lounge | Sat | Dec 31 / 11 |
We could not be more excited to announce that our third and final secret show of the season will feature none other than Austin based psychedelic rockers The Black Angels.
These guys have been bringing their brand of dark stoner rock to the masses since 2004. If you love the classic sounds of groups like The Velvet Underground, The Doors and Black Sabbath then this is the band for you.
Just like the first two shows of the season, we will be releasing details on how to attend two days prior to the Friday, September 23rd show. BUT, for the lucky ones that RSVP, you’ll receive an email about where to line up on Tues. the 20th.
Remember, this event is limited admission, so make sure to RSVP by clicking the link to your right and you will be the first to hear where to be, to attend the event!
See you in Austin!
