Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Crucial

Cali Thornhill DeWitt 


Kevin Morby and Cali have matching tattoos.

Kevin is in one of my personal favorite bands The Babies as well as the excellent band Woods 

Gold, standard.

Jason and his awesome hairless dog Cheska who he got direct from Lima. 

 Petting her feels like petting the stubble on my own chin.



I met Cali on Myspace.

In 2006 I went to an art opening for a Mark Gonzales / Christain Hosoi collaboration, and happened to see a band called “Soiled Mattress and the Springs” play. They were awesome and fun and like nothing I’d seen before. When I went home I eventually tracked them down and discovered that they had a record out on a small LA label called Teenage Teardrops. I sent off a message on Myspace asking if the record was still available, and when I got the package from Cali a few days later it had a drawing and a mix cd and another record included. My first internet-based friendship was born.

Cali is a classic 'how does he do it all?' dude. Teenage Teardrops has spent the last 6 years releasing an incredibly eclectic collection of records and books. He is an amazing photographer and his photo blog has served as my window into LA for many years and has introduced me to a whole community of artists and bands that I would otherwise never have known. He and his wife Jenna make things under the name Witch Hat, including photos, zines, mix tapes, posters, prints, everything. Add to that directing and starring in videos, opening an art gallery, having a book of photos published, designing amazing show fliers, and bodying the internet as a member of the Zen Mafia, and he stays busy.

It's no exaggeration to say that Cali's work has changed my life for the better in tons of different ways.  As both a friend and an artist his positivity and productivity have served as inspiration and affirmation. Also he introduced me to Famous Ben's pizza, for which I'll be ever grateful.

Favorite his blog and look at it every day. You wont be sorry.