The Hop

An Escape to The Riviera Maya

Kenn — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:29:41 +0000

It has been almost a month since our visit to The Riviera Maya and the withdrawals are almost gone. The lady and I spent a full week at The Barceló Maya Caribe Resort in hopes of getting away from reality and soaking in some rays. During our 7 day stay the drinks were flowing, the food was endless and the sun shined strong. Have a look at some of the snaps we took and perhaps you’ll feel influenced to take a little time away for yourself.

Retail Spaces: 2nd Annual Gentlemen’s Reserve

Kenn — Mon, 14 May 2012 02:53:23 +0000

It’s that time of year again. The second annual Gentlemen’s Reserve has come and gone, presented by the good folks of FREE/MAN and hosted by Old Faithful. We managed to get our butts over there as things wound down during the last leg of the bustling 2-day event. Truly a unique experience getting to talk face to face with the actual people who make the products sitting on the table in front of you.

Read on for the full scoop.

GR Headquarters this year was situated at Old Faithful Shop in beautiful gastown Vancouver. 320 W Cordova St.

As we uttered once already the 2-day pop-up market was made possible by the jolly good fellows at FREE/MAN. We’ve been able to work firsthand with the man behind the name and it’s been a joy to see the brand continuing to expand every which way.

“Caste Projects is a creative think-tank and production studio for projects in design, image-making, communication, arts, and culture.” Caste brought in some of their hand-worked items for sale, while also offering their skills in custom-making all the tables for the vendors.

R.C.P. came straight out of DC to offer up their all-american shirt and tie line for GR. Fall 2012 sees owner Read Wall upping the ante and working on a full collection. For every item sold, Read’s Clothing Project provides a child in Africa with a book.

Faribault Woolen Mill Co.

Southern Field Industries was a clear standout amongst the handful of vendors at the market. Originating from the Saitama region of Japan, owners Manabu and Keiko handcraft various canvas and leather items. It was a real treat to finally hold their products for the first time after lusting over them via online photos.

A FREE/MAN favourite, hailing from Los Angeles. Rogue Territory.

That’s the scoop for now folks. Unfortunately all we can do now is sit and wait til year 3 of Gentlemen’s Reserve which is likely already in the works, til next time!

stills by Kenn Navarra

My Mark II: Photo Journal No.3

Elixir — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 07:26:11 +0000

To continue where we last left off I bring to you my 3rd journal entry. Eleven rooftop photographs from Main Street to Downtown. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I did taking them. One love, Fisheye.

Main Street & 10th

Seymour & Pender

Homer & West Hastings

Cordova Street

Richards Street

Richards & Cordova

Everything’s better when you’re high.

Field Trip | O.W.L. Rehabilitation Society

Justin — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 09:00:20 +0000

This past Sunday I revisited a little piece of my own childhood by taking a mini-field trip out to O.W.L. (Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society) in Delta, BC. We woke up bright and early on a surprisingly sunny Sunday, packed up the SUV with a handful of beloved kidlets and went on our merry way out to the boonies. O.W.L. is a non-profit organization whose staff of volunteers are dedicated to public education and the rehabilitation & release of injured and orphaned birds from all over the province of British Columbia. I remember visiting their facilities over a decade ago and was more than overjoyed being able to share the same experience with the young ones that I brought along with me that day. It was definitely a rewarding way to spend an afternoon standing face to face with these majestic birds of prey, not to mention learning a thing or two about each of their stories.

The muddy trail towards the office where we would meet our guides for the mini-tour ahead of us.

That’s the motto birdy, O.W.L.!

So as soon as we walk into the facility’s office we are greeted by Sarah the Barn Owl who was born and bred in captivity, which means she has been accustomed to humans from an early age. The kids stood just a few steps away in semi-fright/amazement.

ABOVE: Three of O.W.L.’s student volunteers welcomed us in to begin our tour.
BELOW: We all silently look on at the hawks and falcons.

ABOVE & BELOW: This is about as close as we got to Sampson and Delilah, the resident Great Grey Owls. These stoic, wide-eyed creatures are the tallest of all North American owls and are definitely interesting to watch, especially when they make their subtle 360-degree head movements. Creepy..

ABOVE: Kermit, Serenity & Piggy were a bit more lively looking like they were in some Snowy SWAT team get-ups. Each of these Snowy Owls were rescued after suffering near fatal collisions with airplanes and automobiles.

ABOVE: The ever-majestic eagles were a sight to see! That’s Flash & Curly up top who have lived at O.W.L. for 5+ years and are said to have a healthy life expectancy.
BELOW: Big Daddy sits atop his perch, like a BOSS!

Not only were there dangerous birds of prey in cages in front of us but there were plenty to see above us. There were a bunch of eagles swooping over head that were not a part of the rehab facility but likely interested in communicating with their fellow brethren.

ABOVE: The Turkey Vultures strut their stuff on command like they knew we were watching. Pretty amazing to see.
BELOW: A HUGE rat trap! I wonder what that’s for…

There’s Daisy & Demon the Barred Owls. Daisy on the left, was emaciated plus had a fractured left wing when she came to O.W.L. Demon on the other hand, has been here since 1991, he’ll never be able to fully function in the wild because of his substantial neck injury that forces him to tilt his head that way at all times.

Out in the back, for some reason they had one lone penned up Llama. Haha *shrugs*

ABOVE & BELOW: Just as we were walking back to the car, the kids saw this. It’s not everyday you get the chance to see a golden eagle sitting randomly atop a telephone post, I just had to get a closer look at its gold-tipped wings.

3800 – 72nd Street, Delta, BC
Canada V4K 3N2
Telephone: 604.946.3171
Fax: 604.946.3172
Email: owlrehab@dccnet.com

Night in the Life at Red Bull Music Academy

Justin — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 06:51:51 +0000

RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY. You’ve seen us speak plenty about this esteemed institution of higher musical learning, mostly about their popular guest lectures with some of our favourite artists in the industry. This Autumn, RBMA’s world-travelling series of music workshops and festivals is taking 60 lucky “students” to the mecca of it all, New York City. In two two-week sessions the selected talent pools are enclosed in a creative force field amongst fellow musicians, engineers, songwriters, vocalists, producers, DJs…you get the picture.

The info session in Vancouver held on March 3rd, played out like a “day in the life” at RBMA. Distinguished host mymanhenri and recent 2011 graduate, Exeter, broke the details of the Academy down to the attending congregation at Open Studios. The info session was then followed by a lecture + after-party featuring Martyn & Egyptrixx.

mymanhenri, a revered Toronto DJ and proponent of the Academy, kicked things off for us. Besides getting into the basics, he got into more of the application process explaining the hard-hitting questions that will most likely come up for the Academy hopefuls. One interesting question was, “how do you organize your record collection?”

Even if the evening was just a little taste of what the Red Bull Music Academy is, it had these musicians attentitve in their seats, licking their chops for that chance to get on a plane to the big Apple and attend the esteemed institution.

The Q&A portion with 2011 Madrid alumni, Exeter, ran down the absolute awesome-ness of attending the workshops from the opening introductions to the finished products of their recordings. To be in a room with multiple musicians who are each masters at their craft can be both an overwhelming and inspiring experience.

Before me and the guys slipped out, we sat and listened to the featured lecture of the night with Martyn & Egyptrixx. A couple critically acclaimed DJs/producers who have staked claim in techno and a countless number of subgenres in the past few years. Definitely an ear-opening conversation and an integral part of the RBMA experience.

This is your last warning shot: Interested producers, musicians, DJs, instrumentalists, and vocalists can download an application form from the Academy website from February 2, 2012 and send it off with a selection of their tunes by April 2, 2012.

For more information on Red Bull Music Academy, please visit:
www.redbull.ca/rbma www.redbullmusicacademy.com
www.facebook.com/redbullmusicacademy
www.redbullmusicacademyradio.com
www.vimeo.com/redbullmusicacademy

My Mark II: Photo Journal No.2

Elixir — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 23:01:39 +0000

Simply walking around downtown Vancouver this year has sparked my love for photography all over again. In this 2nd edition of my photo journal I found myself walking through different streets downtown noticing the subtle nuances of the city, from other people’s art work to new and old architecture. I ventured to the top of some parking lots downtown, getting a bird’s eye view of our beautiful city. I hope you enjoy some of the photos I took. One love Fisheye.

An Evening With: Allen Stone at the Electric Owl Social Club

Justin — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:35:33 +0000

One look at Allen Stone and you might pigeonhole the man with some unfair presumptions as to where he may lie in the spectrum of your musical palette. To be frank, he dresses like the archetypal hipster/hippie youth who grew up in the Northwest, usually sporting a sizeable cowichan knit and/or denim shirt, toque or fedora. But then he straps up his guitar, steps up to the microphone and opens up his mouth to let out that celestial, gut-gripping, greasy soul voice.

I hate to admit it but most of us jumped on the Allen Stone bandwagon when his infamous “Unaware” video hit the youtube circuit heavy about 6 months ago. But I think he reeled everyone in a matter of seconds. Hook, line & sinker. Skip to just a few weeks ago, the man and his entourage make their way across the border to grace his growing clique of Vancouver supporters. A couple hundred of Stone’s newfound supporters assembled at Main Street’s Electric Owl Social Club to witness a musician who we can bet will have millions of supporters after he wraps up this year of touring.

Allen Stone and his uber-talented supporting cast of musicians are well on their way to conquering the world tour that they’re currently on. They’ve got notable stops overseas, but before that they hit up Jimmy Kimmel in a week and the SXSW festival immediately after. And to think, his tipping point occurred much because of a song that was recorded live from his mother’s basement.

Stone may not appear to be the typical soul singer, but he did have a fairly stereotypical soul-artist-in-the-making upbringing singing in the church of his hometown, Chewela, WA. Birthed in the rural environs on the outskirts of upper east Washington, at first Stone was forbidden from listening to any secular music, and it wasn’t til his mid teens where he discovered soul music. Stevie was his favourite.

Soul music not sappy music. Stone’s not obsessed about talking about lovey-dovey girlfriend experiences or down-on-his-luck relationship issues. Instead he’s dipping into social consciousness (see “Contact High”) and first-world problems (see “Unaware”). The live performance was so on point. He interacted with onlookers any chance he could, one dude from the crowd even went topless during the crowd participation dance off. ‘Twas a hell of a night and I guarantee the next time he rolls through town, Allen and his entourage will be rocking in front of a few thousand.

For the unaware…get a little, teeny, tiny taste of Allen’s greasy, home-cooked soul below.

My Mark II: Photo Journal No.1

Elixir — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:59:15 +0000

My ratty old Nikon had finally run its course (RIP), so last month I felt it was finally time for me to treat myself to a more advanced piece of equipment. I just recently picked up a Mark II 5D and invested in photography classes. Here are a few of the test shots I’ve taken as I practice different methods and techniques. Follow my work in progress as I shoot through the ides of winter. You can expect a weekly or bi-weekly photo journal entry from me for now on. Enjoy! One love, Fisheye.

Masters of their craft.

Custom built.

God’s house.

Bait cars.

Harbour centre

Ready to fly

Lost in the smoke.

Gold nights

The docks.

Pack of rats.

Old on the outside.

Enter these doors.

Moonlight

Bridge to the clouds.

That’s all for now guys, photo journal no. 2 is in motion.

Retail Spaces | Ebbets Field Flannels

Justin — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:10:27 +0000

In the second installation of my Seatown travels last month, I present to you the famed pushers of mid-century American athletic garments, Ebbets Field Flannels. I popped by their retail space on Occidental Avenue in downtown Seattle, just a few steps away from Qwest Field. Founder Jerry Cohen has been running the genuine sports throwback industry for some time now. EFF wasn’t created to produce an urbanized rendition of the throwback; Cohen has a pure affinity for vintage sports apparel and the craftsmanship behind it. Using original materials and manufacturing techniques, Ebbets has managed to reinvigorate all those old nostalgic memories for a new era of customers. Like a kid in a candy store, I was lucky enough to have finally visited EFF in the flesh to see their wide array of vintage flannel jerseys, jackets and ballcaps.

Use the slider below to roll through our photos.

Vintage stadium signs adorn the shop walls of Ebbets Field Flannels. Stadium status garments piled and hung everywhere.

Vintage team jersey flannels from 1880 to 1971 line the upper walls of the store. All original wool blend materials, lettering and patches. I wanted them all.

Jerry and the team specialize in reproducing this stuff to a tee. But the shop’s also propped with plenty of old-time memorabilia like gloves, baseballs and old blown-up photographs of the ballpark.

Flannel jerseys for days. This is what a throwback should look like.

Signed, sealed, delivered, it’s yours.

These headpieces are what I came for. Every cap comes fitted and has a soft, unstructured crown made of broadcloth wool. The crowns come a bit higher than usual but that was easily resolved by soaking them in water and popping them in the dryer.

Historically inspired hockey sweaters with authentic cresting and the whole nine. Ebbets also recreates old varsity clubhouse and grounds-crew jackets using 100% virgin wool, leather pocket treatments, satin lining and button fronts.

When it comes to traditional uniforms like these, the EFF guys are truly the best at what they do. If something’s not in stock, no fear. Garments can be made to order just for you and sent out in only a matter of weeks.

Ebbets Field Flannels
www.ebbets.com
408 Occidental Ave. South
Seattle WA 98104
+1(888)896-2936

Birthdays with the December Born Crew

Justin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 23:03:40 +0000

This was just one of those nights where family and friends came together for some joint birthday shenanigans. We parked ourselves at HousexGuest in gastown and proceeded with brewskies, cocktails, bottles of wine and one shot wonders. And as you may guess, it got bad, real bad – Michael Jackson. Pardon if this looks like a Facebook photo album, this is just how we roll sometimes.

“All I need is a beer, huddle with my homies and a cheers.”