SuperNormalRecords.com is proud to announce that we have just surpassed 100 absolute unique visitors to this site since the beginning of the “April’s Fool Tour”. Looks like Tyler Christensen “The Hobo-Traveller” is interesting after all. Thank you to all of our visitors who made this milestone possible.
Keep coming back again and again as new content is uploaded twice daily!!
Leaving Phoenix proved to be a little more challenging than the itinerary on my Southwest Airlines Ticket-less Travel Confirmation print out had claimed. The pilot exited the cockpit and rocked the mic informing the passengers in esoteric terminology that there was a computer failure and we would be delayed 20 minutes while they repaired the navigation system. This comforted me, oddly enough, due to the fact that at the last turn down the walkway – you know the one where you take that final step of faith into the aircraft and you can see the outside of the fuselage and hear the engines just outside the little accordion thingy, I saw something disconcerting.
The pilots announcement comforted me because as I was taking that step-of-faith I spied a maintenance worker writing a work-order and I peeped over his shoulder and there were the pilots comments written on the sheet. All I could make out before I stepped onto the plane was the word computer and FAIL!
Trusting in the diligence of Southwest Airlines and all their crew was a wise decision I found my seat and settled in. The pilot informed us promptly and we waited patiently. Eventually we taxied down the tarmac to the end of the runway. The plane made that fateful turn and where there is usually an un-earthly whoosh of the engines and a incredible amount of G-force there was solely a click and the pilot’s voice.
“As you may have noticed we made a wrong turn. That was intentional. Apparently, the problem is not fixed so we are heading back to the gate. Thank you for your infinite patience.”
We ended up de-planing and walking a circle back through terminal 4 at Sky Harbor International Airport. The pilot had informed us that we would board a spare plane. I thought, “wow, a spare plane who knew there were just extra planes hanging around?” We departed about an hour late and people were complaining and whining about their appointments. Perhaps they would rather descend into the inevitable cloud cover of Portland, Oregon without a Navi? Best we live fellow travellers… Best we live and be late.
Max Busted
Portland Oregon is world renowned for it’s public transit. They have a light-rail system they call The Max, which I mentioned in the previous post, takes travellers directly from the airport to city center in no-time. When I exited the Portland International Airport (PDX) there were Tri-met employees in official garb directing travellers to shuttle buses that were running the Max Red-Line route to the city. The Max was down for repairs. I realized that this trip was to be an improvisation of transit and all things moving. Just like the theme of this tour – it’s a shoot from the hip shot-in-the-dark good-timin’ kinda thing.
Hawthorne Traveller’s Hostel
Hawthorne Langhorn
Ya see-ya see, I stay in the Hawthorne Travellers Hostel in a district of Portland, Oregon called Hawthorne. Named for the Boulevard that is the epicenter of this bohemian mecca. The original resident of Hawthorne Boulevard was an insane asylum and wackiness still prevails in all things along this stretch of asphalt. Over 300 local independent shops/restaurants/bars line the boulevard and some of the best reasons to visit Portland are on Hawthorne Boulevard. If you hit this city and miss Hawthorne you missed the point, Journeymen. The Hawthorne Hostel is an embodiment of a sensibility that is pervasive in the hearts and minds of Oregonians in general. The hostel has an ecoroof. The rooftop is covered in plant-life to limit the structures impact on the environment. Also, new this year is the hostel’s newly-installed water reclamation system. Rainwater is collected from the roof of the hostel and conditioned and used as a non-potable water source. The toilets flush with rainwater, wa-wa from the roof for the pee-pee in the turlet. A bit of ingenuity that utilizes the frequent rainfall in this part of the country. Now, if we could just get Arizonans to use solar panels, perhaps we could make an impact similar to that of the Hawthorne Hostel.
Alberta Street Public House
After checking in and stowing my belongings I grabbed the guitar case and jumped on the 14 Hawthorne bus to MLK transferred to the 6 and then to the 72 and it dropped me on the front door of the pub where I was to strike the first note in this unorthodox tour: The April’s Fool Tour. How’d it go? I was lucky enough to capture some video of one song, so here it is:
Post-show the rain was kind enough to only creep up from the street via my jeans to about mid-leg before I arrived home. I went to bed at 1 am early for this town, but, the full day of travel followed by a rock show took it’s toll on my 30 year old frame and I climbed up on my bunk and was out in a jiff. Interesting side note: when I was checking in yesterday, Hillary behind the desk said
“You will be in the St. Helen’s room which is downstairs and-”
“Don’t tell me it’s St. Helen’s 2?”, I replied.
“How could you guess that?”, she said.
“That’s the same bunk I had last year!”
“Wow! Here’s to serendipity, looks like it’ll be a great trip.”, she said as she handed me my linens and I headed downstairs.
Things like that tend to happen to me when I travel. For instance, at the Fat Straw (an Internet coffee shop where I do my uploads and write blogs) I went to YouTube and signed in still was a moniker that I used to use to write fake reviews of my music years ago before I decided not to fake it and just be legit. I won’t give you the name to protect the account holder. I promptly logged out after I said, “Noooo way!” But it blew my freaking mind.
Video a go-go
On this tour I am supplementing my text and photo based blogs with video. I am currently staring at the screen waiting for the uploads to complete. When YouTube does it’s trick I’ll post a little ‘walking tour’ of P-land for your work-averting pleasure.
What’s next? How’s about a little Stumptown Stroll?
View the next post for the video debut of “Stumptown Stroll: Tyler’s walking tour of Portland, Oregon”
Tune in tomorrow for “Stumptown Stroll: Hawthorne Boulevard”
“It’s the end of the year, so, forgive me if I get a little introspective.” – Tyler Christensen
Rewind, Play, Then Fast Ever-Forward…
January of 2008 brought about the launch of SuperNormal Records. A local independent record label founded by Tyler Christensen, SuperNormal Records is fast making a mark on the local Arizona music scene as well as reaching out to other communities to provide and promote independent music, art, and culture. Originally concieved as a means to “promote artists organically”, SuperNormalRecords.com has held fast to its’ mission while taking bold steps and leaving small footprints.
The trail can be traced back to October of 2006 when Tyler Christensen and his brother (Ryan Christensen) conceived and breathed life into SuperNormal Records over a brief chat. The evolving music industry presented many unforeseen opportunities for the independent musician. Recording and editing software became readily available and well suited to the task of making a run on the big record companies of the day. But, vast differences lay between what the traditional record label was, and what SuperNormal Records was concieved to be.
A Dream Defined…
SuperNormal Records’ mission was to focus on independent artists, starting with Tyler Christensen (SuperNormal Tyler). From modest beginnings, and merely a twice monthly blog about the happenings of Tyler’s forays in the music industry to a full-fledged promotion and production house (complete with video editing capabilities), to mounting and managing local and regional tours and events.
One such event was SuperNormal Records’ first official tour. Mounted in May of 2008, “The SuperNormal Records Public Transit Tour: An Exercise in Sustainability” was a one-week jaunt to the city of Portland, Oregon. The tour was a huge success and opened up the Northwest Market to the offerings provided by this little label. Knowledge gained on the road served Tyler well back at home in Phoenix, Arizona. Local LIVE performances were stripped down to their barest elements and made easy to mount in a heartbeat, and the pulse of the Portland experience beats fervently in the live events and the observed exhibitions of SuperNormal Records.
Tyler at PDX Airport on the last day of the Public Transit Tour 2008
Though the primary focus is music, it is not only music that piques the interest of SuperNormal Records. Art Exhibitions, and other general cultural interests catch SuperNormal’s eye and the site’s blog has grown to focus on local/regional events of note. From highlighting the maturation of Phoenix Arizona’s arts community, to advocacy for use and growth of Public Transit systems, to musings on the mundane; SuperNormal Records.com is a living document sinuous in it’s methodical approach to production and promotion.
365 days in the life of…
So, at the end of a full Gregorian calendar year, on the last Friday in 2008, SuperNormal Records is putting together its’ final show of the year. To be held at Mama Java’s Coffeehouse, “Goodbye Beginning” will take place on Friday December 26th, 2008 from 8p.m. to 9:30p.m. A symbolic homage to the beginnings of Tyler Christensen’s professional music career, the artist will play a one and a half-hour show in the quaint, intimate setting of a locally owned coffee shop. As a teenager, Tyler’s first gigs were in coffeeshops and this show will not only take place in a place similar to where it all began, but highlight how it all began.
“On Friday December 26th, I’ll take to the stage for an hour and a half of selections from my original music. Modelling the show on the singer/songwriter/storyteller model will lend more time to expressing the intentions behind the songs, plans for the future of the label, and general thank-you’s to those who have helped me along the way.” -Tyler Christensen
One of the key plans to be unveiled is Tyler’s upcoming record. Slated for a Early 2009 release, Tyler will take time off from performing to hit the studio and track the new record. This upcoming CD will be the first official release by SuperNormal Records. In so being, you can expect an unorthodox method to be employed in the production and promotion of this recording.
Through SuperNormalRecords.com Tyler will interact with fans and involve participants in the song selection and sequencing (order of the songs) on the record. Fans will visit SuperNormalRecords.com and vote on what songs they want on the record, and even decide the order in which they will be placed on the CD, and in the iTunes Library.
Be a part of the SuperNormalRecords.com experience and join us Friday December 26th, 2008 at “Goodbye Beginning” @ Mama Java’s Coffeehouse, 3619 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85018 PHONE: (602)-840-5282. View Mama Java’s Website [MAP IT] Free event (donations graciously accepted). 8p.m. – 9:30p.m.
DECEMBER 26th 8pm-9:30pm
“Goodbye Beginning”
An Evening of Acoustic Music with Tyler Christensen
First Friday Artwalk Downtown Phoenix, Featuring Ashley Pope Ronnfeldt
On Friday December 5th, 2008, Rockin A Gallery in Downtown Phoenix had it’s doors open for the monthly “First Friday’s Artwalk”. One of the artists featured was Ashley Pope Ronnfeldt, a local Phoenix artist and painter. Ashley had half of the gallery space at Rockin A devoted to exhibiting her latest works.
Her work is a blend of raw elements and textures with central figures dominating the canvas or fiberboard workspace. Utilizing various materials as her canvases, Ashley imparts a natural element to her often un-natural scenes. Hairy an acrylic on fiberboard mixed-media piece features an over-sized female face super-imposed on a rough texture of black and white symbolizing a dissonance or noise akin to what an analog television will look like on February 19th, 2008 if you don’t don’t have cable. In the figures hair are ransom-note-style cut-outs of words and phrases, positive clear messages atop a static charged background and our main character treading somewhere between the elements.
Other works display a more innocent and soft tone, like the acrylic on canvas piece titled New Begnnings. Again texture takes precedent with the background being a rough-hewn white which resembles a cloudy sky that fades to ominous dark edges. Overlayed is an image of a young girl dragging a cluster of balloons through the sky. A blond hapless dreamer pulling her puffed up dreams behind her and forging on unrepentant or heedless into the possible pratfalls in the dark spaces.
First Friday You Say?
The first Friday of every month downtown art galleries stay open late into the night and art lovers embark on self-guided tours of art exhibitions, musical performances, bars, and restaurants. First Friday’s began when local business owners began to occupy spaces downtown and open community art spaces and music venues to highlight what has always been a thriving art community.
As early as 1988, with the passage of the bond election to build the new central library, the Arizona Science Center, and the Phoenix Museum of History came the official recognition of the existing organic art movement in Phoenix. This new infusion of energy led to the Jackson Street Studios, an arrangement to accommodate artists displaced by the America West Arena (now the US Airways Center). A local community art association responsible for maintaining events like First Friday, Artlink was founded with this energy and some of the art spaces existing during that time, such as Alwun House, live on today. {1}
Attend a First Friday Artwalk
First Friday has grown. During the 1998 season, there were 13 spaces open each Friday. There are now more than 90 participants in the First Friday Artwalk. Spaces are situated from Indian School Road to Buchanan Street, from 12th Street to 17th Avenue. Impossible to walk in one night, a free Shuttle-Link service allows Phoenix First Friday visitors to reach most of the spaces. If you aren’t already familiar with First Friday’s routes, just stop at the Phoenix Central Library first and pick up a current map. {2}
When is First Friday?
The First Friday art walk in downtown Phoenix is held on the first Friday of every month, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. For more information about First Friday, contact Artlink at 602-256-7539.
SuperNormal Tyler dropped into Darwin’s Waiting Room (Famous Wings) in Phoenix, Arizona for a solo acoustic performance. At 11:11p.m. Tyler Strolled through the door with an acoustic guitar, and harmonicas in a case, and a jam packed backpack on his back complete with a chrome mic stand sticking out of it like a large antennae. The quintessential ‘indie’ Tyler had just hopped off of the 41 westbound bus and was making a casual beeline for the stage.
“I have begun to play local shows in the same vein as I did when I was on my Public Transit Tour of Portland, Oregon (May 2008). The idea was to utilize public transit to get to all of my gigs. I think I have nearly perfected the method of light travel and pre-planning to the point where I prefer to not rely on anything but the hopes of a good time. No cars, no MPG’s, no CFC’s… I think that I just might be the greenest musician on the planet.” – SuperNormal Tyler
Well, green to a point, he sure did bring a lot of paper with him. A key component of Tyler’s live show’s is the ream of paper stacked up on whatever is handy, be it a barstool or a table. Due to his prolific songwriting Tyler is constantly workshopping new tunes and a live performance is sure to be a presentation of his latest efforts in songwriting. No two shows are the same and no matter if you saw him play last night or twenty minutes ago, it is a fresh experience packed with new material everytime.
Tyler Early In The Set
Blazing through his set and shuffling through the ream, about an hour in Daylon Greer the Local ‘King of Covers’ walked through the door. JT’s, a local pub down the street ,was having their 11th anniversary, and Daylon had been out celebrating and bar hopping all day. It was great to see these two local performers interact on stage, even if the whiskey was playing Daylon’s harmonica more than he was. After depleting the bar of a fair share of it’s stock of Jack Daniel’s Daylon and his girl headed out the door and back into the night.
Daylon Greer and SuperNormal Tyler
Tyler closed out his set with a message by playing his song “Walking”. Indulging, as he rarely does, in a little songwriter/storyteller moment, he explained the story behind the song. An up-beat, positive number about a simple walk downtown, the crux of the story and the reason for the song relies on when Tyler was doing laundry in a laundromat downtown and took a walk around the block while his clothes (complete with his favorite shirt) was tumbling in the dryer. He returned to find the door open and his clothes gone. Rather than let the experience sour his chin-up stroll around downtown marvelling at passers-by, and passing on a little good cheer on a day where ‘morning made a masterpiece’, Tyler released the negative overtones of the theft by crafting a little ditty. ‘ my clothes are gone/i hope whoever needs’them puts them on and goes out walking/head held high in pride/ in their brand new clean clothing’ . The resounding choruses reverberating across the bar and out the door into the end of the night; ‘we owe eachother the world / and the world don’t owe us a thing’.
I decided to fast today. I hadn’t eaten at all and the hunger had come and gone, and there was a show I wanted to see at the Doug Fir. I don’t know why I wanted to see it, but for some reason I opted out of eating, in favor of seeing this show.
Upon entering, I found out why I wasn’t supposed to miss this for a plate of pasta. There was an Amoeba Music show, and it was featuring some stellar singer/songwriters.
Quincy Colemanhad finished up her set as I arrived. Country-tinged rhythms and she utilizes the nearly patented Dwight Yoakam toe twist move.
Brandi Shearer and her band took the stage next. Chris Bruce was on Guitar and he has mastered tone like few else, I told him so in the stair well. Nice guy, humble in spite of his glowing talent. The drums were tight, but, I was having such a good time I failed to do my job and get his full name. Ramey? something, sorry man.
Kate Walsh, from Brighton, UK closed the night. Smooth and nearly flawless performance, and impeccable songwriting. Nice little ‘lovey-dovey’s and Heart-Breakers.
