Landlocked: Flowing the Concrete Sea

2012-01-24T14:19:00.003-05:00

I had the honor of playing one of Sonny Moorman's acoustic songs for him at a recent blues jam in Cincinnati. Sonny and his drummer popped in on the second verse and it made for a really special performance. Thanks, Sonny!

For those who don't know about Sonny Moorman - Sonny has been on the Cincinnati music scene longer than almost anyone around hear. He gained national recognition as one of the finest and most tasteful blues players. When you get a chance to hear Sonny play you are being to treated to some of the best blues guitar you may ever here. So, catch him out around town when you're ready to put down the Dubstep and have your mind really blown.

New Live Terminal Union Performances

2012-01-12T15:58:00.002-05:00

Ian and I are currently in the middle of our January residency at Stanley's Pub. We're playing every Wednesday this month in one of the east sides more well known music venues. Ian was playing here back when he was 16 years old. Our friend, Noah Hunt, got his whole start there before he joined the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band.

We've had decent crowds each night so far. I'm most excited about the number of my skating homies who have steadily been building up their attendance. It means a lot to me because this Americana style of music is not typical skater fare. So when they are there diggin' the tunes and having a good time I'm happy. Hanging with them outside of the skate realm is great as well.

Here's a live version of Terminal Union playing John Prine's Souvenirs.

Generational Shredding

2012-01-11T15:27:00.002-05:00

A quick clip of nearly four generations of skaters goin' at it. 1 tween, 1 teen, 1 adult and 1 geriatric. This is nothing hardcore here. Just the essence of skating, that's all. Having fun on your board.

My Ode To Skating

2011-12-28T22:14:00.004-05:00

skating, slamming, progression, style, ageless friendship.
Passion for rolling on wood attached to wheels, going fast,
power sliding, chirping, clipping, BOWLS, speed train carves -
Knowing your true dirty self through skating.

Some OLD lady looked me dead in the eye after a fly-out and
said, "It looks like magic." I replied back back to her, "It feels like
magic." She looked back with dark, sad eyes and asked, "It does?"

Skating is an ethereal gift to those on the sidelines - never

underestimate the power of what it can do in your own life.

Milk life.

Something for the skaters and musicians -

2011-11-11T22:26:00.002-05:00

Two new videos to share. The first is another skating compilation from the last few weeks on the east side. Lots of footage from the Beech and a fun session at the garage mini ramp. Skating continues to be the driving force in my life that pushes me to create, challenge fear, take hits, progress and simply have fun.

The second video is a solo guitar performance I recorded today. It's a Doc Watson arrangement of an old tune from the 1900s called Warm and Windy. This style of guitar is called Travis-style thumbpicking made famous by Merle Travis. In this style the guitar gives the effect of two instruments, a bass and a guitar playing together. The thumb holds the bass line with the other fingers playing the melody. The secret to this method is syncopation. It's no different than what the great ragtime pianists like Scott Joplin were doing. It's an amazing thing to play on guitar and extremely rewarding. I gravitated to this style when I was younger after realizing the limitations of strumming or playing single note lines. Hope you enjoy.

From Time Magazine - 1965

2011-10-18T10:02:00.002-04:00

More essence:

Terminal Union Update

2011-09-25T00:07:00.004-04:00

My music project is rolling. Ian and I have gone quite a ways in 7 months. We've worked on finishing 13 original songs and have another 25 roots, alt-country, americana classics down cold. This project is turning into everything I was hoping when Ian and I first got together. We wanted to create something that was focused 100% on the music and creating. We moved away from the idea of catering to a bar crowd and instead focused on writing our own material and seeking out the places in Cincinnati that embraced it. So far it's working well. We booked our first Artist in Residency at Southgate House starting in October. We'll be playing every Wednesday night and inviting local artists to share the stage. We hope to see you there.

Here's some recent videos. The first is a new, original song I wrote last week. Ian put harmonies on it and we are really having fun playing it. We both feel this is a perfect example of the kind of the core sound we are going for.

SKATING - Mass Montage: End of Summer 2011

2011-08-31T13:18:00.003-04:00

Here's a massive montage from the last month or so of skating. I found that I just love sittin' back and watching skating with some tunes. No need for every clip to be a banger. It's a long one at over 10 minutes. But, if we skated together recently then there's probably a clip of you in here. This edit covers so much sick skating from skaters all over Cincinnati. Most of the footage is from the east side homies but there's shots of Louisville, Newport UndertheBridge, FLOPA and Matt Siimpson's back yard Mile High ramp.

Skating is always best when you are shredding with your homies. I'm pumped for every session and thankful to still be rolling in my geriatric state.

The Devil's Toy - skating evolution

2011-08-24T12:21:00.007-04:00

Trying to take in the enormity of the progression of skateboarding in the last 50 years. I found these two very early (~1965) skate films/shorts The Devil's Toy and Skaterdater. These are some of the first skate films ever made.

Times have changed but the spirit of skateboarding was evident in it's infancy. These kids were the early stoked-out pioneers - bombing hills barefoot with metal wheels on 2ft boards. Full on cop chases, getting booted, hassled. They had completely no idea what they were doing but they were doing it. So, skateboarding was rejected from the start yet skateboarders number in the millions today. Maybe because we're all feeling the same thing that's worth fighting for: that overwhelming feeling of joy, rush, living and freedom from simply rolling!

The Devil's Toy

Skaterdater

Chillin

2011-08-22T17:45:00.006-04:00

Got to let my body heal up a bit after going super hard the last few weeks. Goin' hard for an older dude doesn't mean throwin' myself down rails and gettin' crazy. It just means skating hard, non-stop, few breaks, 50-50s, feebles, frontside schralps, super-stretched out layback powerslides, marathon mini sessions, bowl sessions, trains CARVES!!!!! I can't be one of these totally chilled out rip masters who shred some mind-blowing flip trick then sit down for 15 minutes and start complaining that their K-Slims aren't tight enough. Old dudes know that you have to get it when you can - When you have a chance to skate, you have to. Unless your body won't let you.

Lately for me it's just back pain that forces me to take time off of skating. Taking time off is OK - it's good for your body and your mind. Let's you see things differently, helps you appreciate the times you are rolling and helps you think about your own longevity in skating. Will any of us be lucky enough to f/s grab carve the deep end when we are in our 60s? We really don't know yet. That's how young skating is. I think it's possible that we will see a fast growing group of older skaters reaching their 50s and 60s who are still stoked as ever and skating at advanced levels. Guys like Tony Alva at ~55 is doin' it hard still. I'm still ten years away from 50 but find myself consumed at times with skating longevity. I don't want to stop rolling. No skater does. But that's the beauty of life and skating in general. We are all only rollin' a short while so you got to get it while you can. There is no destination in skating - it's all a journey.

Branson at 7 - Summer Skate Montage

2011-07-15T12:46:00.003-04:00

Branson continues to amaze me with his hyper-sonic youth progression. I'm lucky to capture these moments in time.

In the end it's 100% about fun, progression, fears, creativity, friendships, pain, failure, success, adventure.

Newport's Skate Park

2011-07-12T00:12:00.002-04:00

Check out what's going on under the 471 bridge in Newport, KY. This is a 100% DIY skate park being built by the locals from Newport. They are making amazing progress. Check out their photo journal and blog here:

http://under471.tumblr.com/

Sweet Sunshine: An Amazing Photographer in the Making

2011-06-28T13:04:00.009-04:00

Got to skate with the Fickle guys a few days ago. We hit the garage mini-ramp then headed down to Newport to skate under the bridge. These guys go so hard and skate on a different level. And Aaron, known as Sunshine, has been taking off with his photography. Check out his shots from our session under_the_bridge in Newport:

Click Here for all HI-RES 471 Bridge Session Photos

Branson performing a quick risk analysis under the bridge.

Matt Simpson: Hard-core father and working man.

Here's a quick vid clip of some fun on the garage mini. Branson tryin' to show off to the Fickle guys his new BS Disaster he's been landing. Sick!!!

Have Another Round (Courtesy of CPD) Covered in CityBeat

2011-05-24T15:45:00.005-04:00

Mike Breen, long-time music editor of CityBeat, wrote another article about the Bones tragedy. This time he was kind enough to cover the work we did on our new song Have Another Round (courtesy of the CPD). In the article Mike talks about how musicians are coming together in order to keep Bones' cause front and center in the news.

Some good news along those lines: Just today the Cincinnati Enquirer ran a big article regarding past conduct of the officer who shot Bones. You can read it here:

Link to Cincinnati Enquirer Article

Link to Mike Breen's CityBeat Article

Here's an excerpt from Mike Breen's article regarding Have Another Round (Courtesy of the CPD):

"The recently formed Roots/Americana/AltCountry duo Terminal Union has recorded a song inspired by Bones and the sketchy circumstances surrounding the shooting. Members David Faul and Ian Mathieu weren’t best buddies with Bones, but the levity of the situation — and literal proximity to it — moved them to construct the song. With melancholic harmonica, percolating banjo and rich, expressive vocals, “Have Another Round” is an excellent, pure expression of the sadness, confusion and outrage that followed Bones way-too-early passing.

While Faul had never met Bones, Mathieu (a local music vet who recently relocated back to Cincinnati after some time in Nashville) had seen him perform when he was in bands during the ’90s and had a few drinks with him in the weeks leading up to his death. Mathieu was also living in Northside within a couple hundred feet of where the shooting occurred in early April. Faul says Mathieu woke up amidst the early morning commotion and looked down as paramedics drove up, checked the body and left in less than a minute.

Mathieu knew someone had died and the next morning he saw the reports that it was a police shooting. Faul says between that and the media retrospectives about the 10th anniversary of the police shooting of Timothy Thomas that sparked widespread unrest in Cincinnati had pushed Mathieu to begin writing a verse for a song. For more material and perspective, Mathieu attended the initial police press conference about the shooting. That’s when he found out it was Bones who had been killed.

“He was very put off that it just seemed like another day at the office for everyone attending the press conference,” Faul says. “This is what really got (Ian) worked up and inspired him that this was a song he needed to finish.”

Give “Have Another Round” a listen below and on Terminal Union’s ReverbNation page"

New Video: Live Performance at Stanley's

2011-05-23T13:35:00.003-04:00

Ian and I have a gig at Stanley's pub on Thursday, June 2nd. We wanted to get out a little bit before our first performance so we headed to Stanley's last night for their weekly open mic. A guy we meet named Brenton was cool enough to film and post a video of us at our first performance. Thanks, Dude! We have plenty of kinks to work out but overall it felt great. This is a version of Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend:

David "Bones" Hebert Tribute

2011-05-17T20:29:00.005-04:00

Ian was living in a house in Northside just 200 feet from where David "Bones" Hebert was shot by the CPD. A few days later we wrote and recorded this song in his honor:

Fisheye Lens Test for iPhone4: Short Skate Montage

2011-04-15T14:21:00.003-04:00

These small fisheye lenses for iphone and other mobile devices are really nice. For $25 you get a good effect. It makes things so easy to capture on the fly. It doesn't really replace the real deal but for small timers this is a good find and well worth it.

Skaters: Branson, Nick, Jace

Music: Town Mountain covering Bruce Springsteen's I'm On Fire.

Louisville, KY Skate Trip

2011-04-14T15:30:00.003-04:00

I just spent three days with James and Roy skating an amazing park. The Louisville Extreme park is well worth the hour or so drive. It's definitely crazy crowded on the weekend nights but we had plenty of time to ourselves during the day. Get down there and skate it. Louisville skate scene has a great vibe and some serious rippers (unfortunately not really seen in the video below, just old dudes hanging on to scraps and going with it).

Here's Roy's montage:

Get out there and skate with your friends. Go to new places. Always hit new spots. Be respectful to local riders. Enjoy the journey.

Be Safe Out There - Heavy Slammin' -

2011-04-02T20:40:00.015-04:00

Skateboarding is dangerous. Difficult. Not easy at all. Skateboarding hurts for everybody who tries it. You will slam many times very hard. If you are called by it you'll get up and continue the journey. Seasoned skaters speed through the streets and parks with the kind of ease and grace of a swallow. Always at ease yet always on toes. Although the ride is relaxed the navigating, computing mind never is. The instant you leave the moment is usually followed by the moment your body hits the ground. The best riders commit themselves in meditation to oneness with their boards at high speed. The best riders will still get hurt. Contrary to public opinion skateboarding is a thinking man's game with an added, sometimes heavy, twist of fate.

- Cincinnati skater Justin Gibson all zen'd out on a salad grind -

Ghetto Skateboards, FL

If skateboarding was easy everyone would be doing it. Skateboarding challenges every athletic and mental muscle in your body. Stay on your board and stay right in your head. Keep the moment forefront at all times. Remember what you are doing is a gift bestowed upon and given to very few. But, respect your limits and respect your intuition.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please send all positive thoughts, vibes and prayers to my friend Kyle who took an incredibly heavy slam today and got a concussion and ruptured spleen. Kyle is a Vet, husband and all around generous and friendly guy. Sessions at Beech Acres are always better when he's around. Hoping he gets better soon.

Whoever is filthy, let him be filthy still...

2011-03-14T23:11:00.008-04:00

Cash sings of Revelations - It's Alpha and Omega's kingdom come -

Amazing before and after satellite photos
03-11-2011
Japan's Northeast Coast
8.9 magnitude Japan Earthquake, Tsunami 2011

Model-computed energy from the March 11, 2011 tsunami as visualized by the NOAA Visualization Lab

That Vintage "Nashville Sound": The Last Date by Floyd Cramer

2011-03-07T15:38:00.003-05:00

From Wikipedia: "Floyd Cramer was one of the architects of the "Nashville Sound." He popularized the 'slip note' piano style where one note slides effortlessly into the next. This was a major departure from the percussive piano style which was popular in the late 1950s.

Cramer moved to Nashville in 1955 where the use of piano accompanists in country music was growing in popularity. By the next year he was, in his words "in day and night doing sessions." Before long, he was one of the busiest studio musicians in the industry, playing piano for stars such as Elvis Presley, Brenda Lee, Patsy Cline, The Browns, Jim Reeves, Eddy Arnold, Roy Orbison, Don Gibson, and the Everly Brothers, among others. It was Cramer's piano playing, for instance, on Presley's first national hit, "Heartbreak Hotel." However, Cramer remained strictly a session player, a virtual unknown to anyone outside the music industry.

Cramer had became well known following the release of "Last Date", a 45 rpm single in 1960. The instrumental piece exhibited a relatively new concept for piano playing known as the "slip note" style. The record went to Number two on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music chart, and sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc."

Apple Hill Studios Live Performances -

2011-03-03T21:50:00.003-05:00

Just me and Ian working through some material at Apple Hill Studios.

The Devil's In The Details - written by Ian Mathieu

Here is a short clip of us working on the Avett Brother's Ill With Want, from their new album, I and Love and You. If you are into alt-country, no depression style music then you have to check these talented brothers out. They were invited to share the stage with Bob Dylan at this year's Grammy awards. Doesn't get more legit than that (at least in my book).

New Clark Jenkins album featuring Chris Walker: Listen!

2011-02-22T12:09:00.016-05:00

Chris Walker was and will always be known as one of Cincinnati's most respected and beloved bass players...

He was a true musicians Musician if you know what I mean. For years Chris was one of Cincinnati's premier bass players in the local, performing and recording music scene. He played with everyone. I was always so drawn to him because he seemed to be driven entirely by music and he gave himself to that drive completely. There are few people who truly live that way. Chris sacrificed much to lead a life dedicated to music but no matter where he was playing he was always in the moment and in the song and at ease. That to me is a true musician's Musician.

Chops and style: Walker was in a league of his own.

The year of Chris' car accident I had been playing with him in a group called the Kelly Evans Trio. It was an original project fronted by a talented singer/performer. But, the group was led by Chris. When Chris called me the prior year and asked me to play B3 and keys with the group I was floored. At the time I was focused on playing out live and working on my Hammond and keys chops. It was a period where I was really trying to get my playing to the next level. Having him ask me to play in that group was an amazing confidence boost. I'll never forget that experience and the music we made. I learned so much playing with him.

One of the few live performance shots with Kelly Evans Trio/Quartet.

Stanley's Pub, 2006. Musicians: Kelly Evans, Chase Blowers, David Faul and Chris Walker

Around that same time my good friend Clark Jenkins from Big Whiskey was recording an album that Chris was playing bass on. The project was put on hold for quite some time after Chris' accident. After Chris' death last year Clark began re-work on the album that includes Chris' initial bass track recordings. It's been a really difficult project for him. I can't really imagine trying to do it myself. With help of lots of friends Clark is finishing up the album and he's just released the first six songs on his site. Please stop by and check it out.

http://www.bigwhiskeymusic.com/fr_store.cfm

I wanted to share one of the tracks from the album here on my site. 50 Miles is a song that Clark wrote and asked me to record Hammond B3 on back in 2007. The track features Chris' bass playing as well. For obvious reasons this song a total treasure to me. Thanks, Clark, for your work and dedication to get this album finished.

Hope you enjoy the track.

50 Miles : Clark Jenkins
musicians: CJ, Chris Walker, Joel Cotton, David Faul, Austin Spiegel, Mer Hogan, Chris Verbanic, Elton Clifton

Pre set shot before Kelly Evans Trio gig - Chase Blowers, Chris Walker, David Faul

Blue Whisp, Cincinnati

Midpoint Music Festival, 2006

...RIP Chris - you are missed by so many...

Another Ollies Edit

2011-01-23T22:33:00.000-05:00

Branson and I had another great weekend at Ollies. It seems like a joke to have to pay to skate but when it's winter in the rust belt you do what you have to do. It's been brutal all winter long around these parts. It feels like most ground surfaces have been covered with water, ice or snow since before Thanksgiving. It's hard to think that spring is right around the corner. It's really not. We're still in the thick of it. In the meantime it seems that everyone is inundating YouTube with skate edits from Ollies. The options are limited out there this time of year.

So, here's some more clips from Ollies to throw into the pile. Actually, there is some really good skating in here - from both young and old. And don't forget to watch all the way through or else you'll miss a very special performance of John Brumley on Broom.

The best part about weekends at Ollies is just hanging out with my boy, my friends and meeting new people with a love for skating. We skate, sit, bs, someone gets broke off, someone learns two new tricks, we skate nearly every inch of the park. No one takes it too seriously yet everyone works on progression - from 6 year olds to 46 year olds. It's really like nothing else.

You won't find this vibe on a golf course - And no disrespect to the golfers of the world - My Grandpa, Branson Faul, my son's namesake, passed away on the 18th hole of Lunken's golf course in 1976 after a beautiful drive. He actually spoke of his love for golf and wanting to "go while playing" someday. That's the kind of passion that seems to have always guided my life.

More Footage at Fickle HQ: Branson landing two new fakie tricks -

2011-01-19T23:21:00.001-05:00

Branson/Lew: Fickle Warehouse Session - Jan 2011

2011-01-19T20:24:00.001-05:00

Ollies Weekend Edit - January 2011

2011-01-13T18:59:00.002-05:00

It's been a year since I've had this blog up and running. It's been a year more full of skateboarding than I could have ever imagined. Branson is really taking off on his board. Less than one year ago he couldn't even drop in. Now he's working on his first blunt fakies. Also, big things going down in Cincinnati with Fickle Boards and new announcements coming soon. In the meantime enjoy this quick edit from last weekend at Ollies. Skaters: Branson, Brennen, Wes, Ethan, Sean, Matt.

Skating and life in general is a gift. Make the most out of the ride. The times I share on my board with Branson and my friends are truly some of my most memorable.

Cardiel SOTY 1992 Footage

2010-12-19T22:08:00.002-05:00

Cardiel charges like a battered and hardened NorCal surfer. His lighting speed takes everything he does to a higher level:

Mark Gonzales - Non Fiction Street Part 1997

2010-12-10T00:07:00.003-05:00

Neil Young Warehouse Fire

2010-11-09T14:02:00.002-05:00

When we lived in Half Moon Bay Neil Young was just sometimes part of the landscape. Neil's connection with the San Mateo coast and Half Moon Bay is clear in his play Greendale. That whole play was a take on being a coast-sider in a small, northern CA town. I was a major Neil fan long before we ended up in that part of the country. In some kind of child-like way I always felt privileged knowing one of my heroes shared the same beaches, trails and open space that I felt so connected to. A lot of my teenage years were spent huddled over my Neil records and my guitar. He's got one of the best acoustic styles of playing that lends itself well to beginning guitarists (still does to this day).

Here's some sad news I saw today about a fire in one of Neil's warehouses in San Carlos, CA. Apparently they were able to save 60% of the items but loses included guitars, recordings, cars, equipment:

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Spooky Montage: Halloween Ramp Jam 2010 - Newport, KY

2010-11-04T23:01:00.007-04:00

Tons of skaters showed up for the Halloween Ramp Jam under the 471 Bridge. The young dudes resurfaced some of the worn mini and added a vert tombstone just to stay in season.

This is a chronological montage of the night with no soundtrack. Just sights and sounds from the deck. Things got crazier as the night progressed. Hope you enjoy the edit. This is what skating is all about.

Thanks Andrew/Galaxie Skate Shop and all the Newport guys who helped make this happen.

Big Drop Under The 471 Bridge

2010-11-03T13:54:00.002-04:00

The 2010 Halloween Ramp Jam under the 471 bridge in Newport was a blast. Most of the young, local skaters organized this event and spent a few days before re-surfacing part of the mini-ramp. There is a bunch of footage coming. In the meantime check out Jap dropping in from the top of the tombstone:

2010-10-26T14:35:00.002-04:00

9/11 Tribute: Neil's Finest Hour

2010-09-12T00:18:00.004-04:00

I wanted to post a musical tribute today for remembrance of 9/11.

From Thrasher's Wheat:

---------------------------------------------------------

It was Neil Young's finest hour.

On September 21, 2001, just days after the 9-11 terror attack on the United States,

Neil Young performed John Lennon's "Imagine" on the broadcast musical benefit telethon "America:

A Tribute to Heroes".

Simulcast live from London, New York and Los Angeles on the four major TV networks and the

Internet, the program was seen by an estimated 89 million viewers and netted roughly $230

million in donations.

For many, Young's performance was emotionally wrenching and heart felt. Performing on a

grand piano and accompanied by a small orchestra of violins, Young's rendition of Lennon's

"Imagine" spoke to many of us who were suffering from the terrible tragedies in New York,

Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Notably, Young changed the lyrics from "imagine no possessions, to "I wonder if *I* can".

(thanks Marilyn)

Those in the studio that night, reported that Young appeared to be on the verge of tears upon

completing the song. Pulse Magazine wrote that Young's performance of "Imagine" on the

Benefit telecast was "one of those moments you never forget."

---------------------------------------------------------

Home Park "Mini-Line" - Branson

2010-09-11T23:42:00.002-04:00

The garage mini-ramp is currently in repair for the upcoming cold season. We're going to resurface it and put a better bottom in place. For now we have one of the quarters pushed off to the side. This opened up a fun line between the quarter and a wood bank/stone extension:

Home Park "Mini-Line" - ep1: Wood To Stone from David Faul on Vimeo.

River People: End of summer montage - Original Music

2010-09-08T23:49:00.006-04:00

End of summer montage from two days of skating. Clips are from a marathon Beech Acres session with Ben, Lew and Native from Fickle Boards plus Ghetto Justin and Dustin. I gave Branson the opening clip because he is skating so strong - layin' down early grab 180s and stomping them. The other park footage is from a trip with Jimmy to Dry Ridge, KY. Dry Ridge is another coveted Wally Hollyday designed/built park in our area. The other being the new Centerville, OH park that just opened this year.

Included is summer footage of some dirty skaters just washin' off in the river.

---------------------

Music

For this video short I used two pieces of original music and a clip from OCMS.

Intro: David Faul and Jared Manker - "Octave Space"

Recorded live at Apple Hill Studio. This was a two-part guitar instrumental. Jared improvised on a Spanish nylon string over my guitar that was tuned to open C and capoed up a fret or two. I do lots of guitar playing in all kinds of alternate tunings. For me it's an effective tool for bringing out new sonic qualities from a guitar and it opens endless paths for new creativity.

Main: David Faul - Anderson Rhodes Trio

Recorded live at Apple Hill with Jared Manker on bass, Chuck Sengo on drums and me on Fender Rhodes piano. This was an original, jazz-funk tune we wrote and recorded for our demo.

If anyone is interested I can send you full MP3 files of the original music you can add to your library.

Outro: Old Crow Medicine Show - "Caroline"

---------------------

River People: End of Summer Montage - Original Music from David Faul on Vimeo.

20 Years Ago Today...

2010-08-27T09:11:00.002-04:00

What new, musical heights would Steve Ray Vaughn have reached if he were alive today? It's been 20 years since he flew away from a gig and never returned.

Here's a tribute to arguably the best blues guitarist in the world:

Caged Rats: Newport KY

2010-08-26T14:36:00.005-04:00

Months of sweltering in the summer heat turns the caged rat to a state of manic and compulsive behavior. Excessive exercise such as this releases stored energy and creates a sense of calm within the pack. What appears to the eye as depravity is in fact one of the rats' keys to survival:

Caged Rat from David Faul on Vimeo.

New Colerain Bowl Footage + Bonus Clip!

2010-08-25T09:54:00.005-04:00

Here's some footage of Ethan's few runs in the new Colerain bowl. It's crazy to be skating a bowl while the coping is being installed up above you. In some of these clips you can see Tom's crew in action while Ethan skates. Since the coping was still being set we obviously couldn't get on it. But the walls and lines felt incredible. Bowl skaters in the Cincinnati area are really lucky for this gem. Thanks to Tom at Who-Skates for building this park and for allowing us the chance to check it out. You can see more of Tom's work here.

Looks like the rustbelt is finally getting a piece of the action that has been happening up and down the west coast for years; legitimate skateparks offering all terrain for all skill levels, built and designed well and most importantly CONCRETE. The new mega-bowl bowl up in Centerville is another example of world class building going on close by. The pre-fab ramp builders (pump and dump) are facing some tough times ahead. Think about this - there are places in Oregon where you can find 10 parks of Colerain and Centerville quality all within an hours drive of each other. That's a lot of concrete being poured. I think the time will come when we have the same offering around here. How about Northside and Newport? I know there are already people working to make that happen. Good things to come.

No more of this --- please think about the children - look how sad and confused:

Music: Greyboy Allstars - V-Neck Sweater

Sneak Peak: Colerain, OH Bowl Footage from David Faul on Vimeo.

Sneak Peak: New Colerain Skate Park by Who-Skates

2010-08-18T22:42:00.015-04:00

I've been following the progress of a much anticipated new skatepark in Colerain for well over a year. The original Grindline plans were thrown up on the web and what looked like an amazing park went a step further with an out-of-this-world 10 ft vert bowl including tiled pool coping. There are many bowls around town but nothing can really compare to what they had planned. Tom and his crew at Who-Skates (check his site here) were hired to build the park and began work in early 2009. Everyone was hoping to be skating a completed park by the fall. Heavy rains that year caused servere damage. Building was shut down around late summer and did not resume again until summer 2010.

As of now the park is near completion, however, there is still no word on the actual open date. This is a massive new facility that will house the park, huge kids playgrounds, baseball fields, etc...The word is that all this needs to be completed before it will be open regardless if the skate park is finished or not.

I had a few email conversations with the builder, Tom, and he invited me and the kids over to check out the park and have a run on this new, holy-ground of virgin concrete. I have to say that this was a truly generous offer on Tom's part and we're very grateful! Tom has been traveling around the country since 1987 building skate parks of this quality. It was a great experience to meet someone who follows their love and passion with that kind of dedication.

So we made the drive to Colerain in about 40 minutes and Ethan tagged along because he started convulsing when I told him where I was going. The park is amazing, all of it. But the bowl is something that must be seen in person and will possibly give you vertigo. It looked unworldy to me. Beautiful, smooth lines, rounded to vertical. Standing dead center in the deep end surrounded by 10 foot walls felt like I was in a church. Concrete so smooth and fast like only the best parks. This kind of design and building is where the industry is heading. The days of pre-fabricated, metal, death parks are coming to an end.

Here are a few pics:

Yeah, Ethan, sweep it up nice for daddy:

Tom and his small crew built all this with their hands, concrete and tools. It's functional art:

The park isn't just a single, bowl mecca. It's got two amazing, plaza-type street runs and a huge flow bowl. You can see the non-skate related work being done in the back ground:

Here's a shot of the flow-bowl with the big bowl in back:

July Monster Montage :::

2010-07-11T23:22:00.004-04:00

Here's a bunch of new footage (early July) with friends at the Beech (more beech footage - yawn?). Tons of ripping going down, new lines discovered, a slow motion fly-out filmed specially for Andrew of the Galaxie Skateshop and a visit from Fickle Boards.

Andrew recently wrote a very interesting blog where he talks about the importance of staying true to the things that make skateboarding special. The whole skateboard community benefits from guys like this. You can check out his blog and get info about The Galaxie Skateshop here.

Hope you enjoy the vid.

July Monster Montage ::: NG Dirties and Friends from David Faul on Vimeo.

Heat Stroke: Dry Ridge and L-burg footage

2010-06-27T20:10:00.004-04:00

Here's some footage of Jimmy, Ethan and I hitting up Dry Ridge and Lawrenceburg skate parks.

Music: Soulive, Uncle Junior from the album Get Down

Heat Stroke: Dry Ridge and L-burg June 2010 from David Faul on Vimeo.

Driveway post-park sesh: Another wild clip!

2010-06-18T22:42:00.002-04:00

Check out Branson tryin' to get fancy:

Rock to Fakie Stone Wall What? from David Faul on Vimeo.

2010-06-18T22:40:00.000-04:00

Josh Viles, Fickle Boards: Insane Over-vert Drop

2010-06-13T22:15:00.005-04:00

Josh is a young ripper from Knoxville. He rides for Fickle. Check out this crazy drop-in from Ollies skatepark in N KY. For the small handful of people there at 1:00 am Sunday morning it was quite a show.

Crazy 16 ft over-vert drop-in: Josh Viles, Fickle Boards from David Faul on Vimeo.

Never too early for an early grab -

2010-06-07T22:17:00.003-04:00

Click for clip.

Branson Bombing with Bruce Lee

2010-06-06T11:23:00.002-04:00

A 30 second clip to get your day started off right.

I was going through some old studio recordings last night and came across this vamp I played and recorded on piano. It immediately reminded me of this mellow hill by Beech Acres where I had filmed Branson a few days ago. I put them both together and threw in a Bruce Lee quote for good measure. Hope you enjoy it for the simple reflection that it is.

Branson Bombing with Bruce Lee from David Faul on Vimeo.

Rollin' On Monmouth with Galaxie Skate Shop --- Newport, KY Mem. Day Parade

2010-06-02T15:28:00.005-04:00

Branson and I headed down to Newport, KY to roll with Galaxie Skateshop in the 2010 Memorial Day Parade. All hell broke loose as the Galaxie crew shredded down Monmouth for this epic five block journey.

Mixed in with these photos are a few clips of Kokomo Joe, Gary Collins and Wes Vickers on the Newport bridge ramp during the Galaxie/Instrument BBQ fundraiser.

Make sure to stop in to Galaxie Skate Shop whenever you are in Newport. Andrew runs one of the best independent shops in our entire area and is constantly giving back to the skate community.

Rollin' On Monmouth with Galaxie Skate Shop from David Faul on Vimeo.

No Good Dirty --- Dry Ridge Skate Park with Fickle

2010-05-29T11:20:00.003-04:00

Jimmy, Zulu, Lew, Ben and I hit up Dry Ridge, KY for some fun on an old school snake run. Please note most robots were to be found in cubicles and golf courses on this morning.

Lew Ross and Ben Osborne of Fickle Boards are insanely talented skaters. Lew is the creator and owner of Fickle Boards, one of Cincinnati's finest skateboard companies. He started his company with very limited capital and has worked tirelessly to build a successful, small business. Lew and his team are constantly on the road. When they are not ripping up a local park in their hometown area you'll find them picking up fresh wood in PA, hosting a local skate night somewhere in Georgia or talking to a new shop, in person, in TN. I have a lot of respect for guys like this who not only follow their passions but ACTUALLY live and breathe it.

http://www.fickleboards.com/

No Good Dirty --- Dry Ridge, KY Skatepark With Fickle from David Faul on Vimeo.

Chillin' in the garden... PLUS A BONUS CLIP!

2010-05-17T13:52:00.003-04:00

This was a great encounter in my sister's back-yard gardens. Don't kill snakes!

I've included a bonus clip of Branson going BIG at the Beech on Saturday:

Black Rat Snake, Cincinnati, Ohio from David Faul on Vimeo.

Season Opener 2010: Rust On The Coping

2010-05-01T13:27:00.004-04:00

After a long winter's sleep the east side is back up and running. Enjoy these clips featuring just a few of the talented skaters from this part of town: Evan, Jimmy, Nik, Branson, Ethan, Logan, Eric, Westside Mark, New Richmond dude, Jace, Drew.

Season Opener 2010: Beech Acres Skate Park, Cincinnati, OH from David Faul on Vimeo.

Determined As The Seasons...

2010-04-12T14:52:00.002-04:00

The spring weather is making Branson crazy. Check out this short clip of him learning to fly-out over a two board stack.

Two Board Stack! from David Faul on Vimeo.

Ollies blossom as the Rust Belt thaws.

2010-03-26T22:24:00.004-04:00

Branson's First Drop In -

2010-03-18T22:50:00.003-04:00

Check out this short video of Branson's first drop in on transition. I was so proud of him. He had been running around the house all week saying he was going to do it. So when he said he was ready I grabbed my camera. So glad I did.

Branson's 1st Time Dropping In from David Faul on Vimeo.

That's the Way the World Goes Round ::: Learning to roll out

2010-03-05T22:15:00.002-05:00

Branson is on cloud nine after learning how to roll out of the mini ramp today. Enjoy this 30 second clip as he puts the pieces together on this fundamental move.

Set to John Prine's That's the Way the World Goes Round.

Branson Learning to Roll Out ::: John Prine -World Goes Round from David Faul on Vimeo.

Into The Mystic: Venice, CA Skate Edit

2010-03-02T14:13:00.004-05:00

Had a great time spending a few days in Venice, CA with Dickey. Here's some footage of the boardwalk scene and the new Venice skate park (still less than six months old).

Untitled from David Faul on Vimeo.

Ollie's Skatepark Edit

2010-02-21T23:30:00.002-05:00

Here's a quick edit of Branson and some unknown shredders at Ollie's skatepark today in Kentucky. Branson is having a blast and starting to look much more comfortable on his board.

The music is Greyboy Allstars with Inira George - How Glad I Am. Check 'em out out here.

Ollies Skate Park Edit - Branson/6 yrs old ::: Greyboy Allstars - How Glad I Am from David Faul on Vimeo.

When Jazz Ruled The World

2010-02-19T14:00:00.008-05:00

After leaving California in 2004 I knew I wanted to start a Fender Rhodes based jazz trio in Cincinnati. My goal was to create something authentic and different from the typical jazz piano trio. I searched for two months and found what I was looking for: a 1975 Rhodes Mark II and a 1974 Fender Twin Reverb. Those two pieces combined weigh in at about 150 lbs and can make gigging a nightmare (as I found out throughout the year). But, the tone and look of a Rhodes is unmistakable and incomparable.

I was lucky to hook up with two extremely talented musicians and improvisers. Chuck Sengo, a Tanzanian drummer/percussionist who had toured the world but somehow ended up in this town looking for gigs. Chuck was years ahead of me in terms of jazz improv and his overall sense of time. Jared Manker at the time was just in his early 20s yet well versed in jazz theory and possessed an exceptional gift for technical, Victor Wooten-style type runs on the bass.

In early 2005 we formed as Anderson Rhodes Trio and played throughout town for the year. Our set list was focused on 1950s-60s be-bop/hard-pop and more jazz-funk modern stuff like John Scofield. In fact, have a listen to Anderson Rhodes Trio's version of John Scofield's Hottentot below. This track and entire demo were recorded LIVE at Apple Hill Studios in 2005.

The trio disbanded at the end of 2005 but Jared, Charles and I continued to make music together in other projects. Throughout the course of the project we all found out how extremely difficult it is in this town, or any town for that matter, to keep a jazz trio working consistently. There is not much of a demand for jazz these days. But the spirit of the project was realized and there are some great tunes left behind.

Hope you enjoy this track from the archives:

Anderson Rhodes Trio - Hottentot (scofield)

Caught Inside at the Rust Belt

2010-02-14T11:27:00.010-05:00

I wasn't kidding, folks. I think we are at least 10 days into this carnage of White Death. I'm coming up gasping for air on this beautiful Sunday morning...just to see I'm about to take another one right on top of the head. For all those dedicated to the sacred ground that is dry concrete let's hope this is winter's final swell.

If you're interested in real carnage, real swells and hell-man chargers then check out the highlights from yesterday's 2010 Mavericks Surf Contest from our old town of Half Moon Bay, CA. When the winter swells are big enough this small little spot, just a few miles south of San Francisco, will see waves break larger than anywhere else in the continental United States. It's an amazing thing to see. $50K was awarded to the winner.

Here's the article and re-cap from yesterday's contest:

Chris Bertish Wins The Mavericks Surf Contest

Get it while you can! Ain't you heard? White Death's a comin'!

2010-02-04T21:39:00.008-05:00

I knew today was going to be the last day to get some skating and filming in before White Death hits the tri-state area. Oh, it's comin'. And it will leave a wrath of moisture rendering any outdoor skating surface unrideable for at least five to ten days. That's a big deal, people. The good news is that there will be plenty of time for music.

The video edit below would never have been possible without a stranger named Greg Maloney. Greg works at Parkside Church right next to the skate park on Salem Rd. He saw my video camera and brand new fisheye lens fall off the back of my bumper as I left the park yesterday. After searching endlessly up and down Salem and calling the cops I pretty much gave up.

Now, I'm not a bible thumper but I do believe in God. Something in the back of my mind the next morning told me, "You have to check the church." Greg has worked at Parkside for 15 years and he had the biggest smile on his face when he saw me pull up the next day. He yelled, "You lost your camera, didn't you?" Man, that dude is alright. If you ever lose anything I hope you have an angel like Greg looking over you. So, here's a shout out to Greg and Parkside Christian church on Salem Rd. Get on in and get your Jesus on!

The short edit below features another Beech Acres ripper named Nik Smith. Nik's got great style. Very steezy. Charger. Poor guy said he's never seen any footage of himself. That's not right. Now it's fixed. I hope you enjoy this edit with music by Xavier Rudd - Messages.

Remember that the real gifts in life are not things at all. The real gifts exist in our experiences with those we love, those we befriend and those moments within the nature surrounding us. Well, at least in my opinion.

Nick Smith edit - Beech Acres skate park - Cincinnati, OH 2010 from David Faul on Vimeo.

A Break In The Music - For Skating...

2010-02-02T09:40:00.006-05:00

The sun was shining and the concrete was dry on February 1st, 2010. In the dead of winter that equals perfect skating conditions no matter what the temperature. With this gift on a Monday, a mid-day park session was in order.

1 minute video edit from the session:

There are a few shots of my old, decrepit self in here but most of these clips are of my friend and local ripper, Ethan. Ethan is one of those guys driven by skating for the pure love of it. He doesn't follow the pros, read the mags or really care anything about that entire scene. He knows it's all about fun. I've seen that attitude take his skating to new levels over the past year.

I ran into Ethan at Beech Acres skate park almost exactly one year ago to the day. We'd skate the mini-ramp for hours while the park was empty. As we got to know each other he revealed, "Man, I can't even frontside carve, kick-turn or anything." Yet, his backside skating was decent. With his passion it was clear that his skating was going to take off. One year later and he's doing flip tricks on transition!

Is this story/video proof of so many things that are rarely recognized in the general public about skateboarding;

a) it's ability to drive us to higher levels mentally and physically
b) it's ability to help us overcome our fears and recognize our limitations
c) it's ability to foster our own creativity
d) it's ability to connect us in a unique way with nature and our own surroundings

The list could be endless but in the end it's all about fun. That's the beauty of it all.

Beech Acres Skate Park Edit - Xavier Rudd - Yirra-Kurl from David Faul on Vimeo.

"Lovers But Not At All" - More Hammond and Piano Tracking

2010-01-30T22:21:00.011-05:00

Tyler Morrison, owner of Liquid Sound Studios in Louisville, Ky, sent me the final mix of another track we worked on together this month: "Lovers But Not At All" by Tyler Stiller. Stiller is a young guy from Louisville who writes, sings and plays guitar in a style similar to John Mayer. He has a ton of personality and has serious chops for someone his age. I think he is barely 20 years old. I was lucky enough to be able to lay down both Hammond organ and acoustic piano on this track. Morrison's final mix, you can hear below, is probably one of the best I've heard from him. Morrison himself is only in his mid-20s and already has a recording/producing resume many would dream of. Both of these guys are laying a solid foundation for success.

"Lovers But Not At All" hasn't been available for sale as of yet. Feel free to enjoy the track here on my page. Use some nice speakers and crank it for full effect.

Recording Hammond organ for I Remember You Re-Make

2010-01-27T15:10:00.014-05:00

This week I've been working on laying down a Hammond organ track for Dan Varner's upcoming single release, I Remember You. Dan and Tyler Morrison (Liquid Sound Studios, Louisville, Ky) have done an incredible job on this recording. It's a modern mix on this classic, rock anthem from 1989. If you were in high school in the late 80's or early 90's then you'll remember this mega-hit from Skid Row.

All tracking and producing, besides the organ, was completed at Liquid Sound Studios in Louisville. Working remotely my goal on the Hammond track was to capture the best performance AND the best sound quality so that Tyler can receive the track for final mixing.

I'll post the final track once it's released. Looking forward to hearing how the Hammond organ eventually sat in the mix.

Here are the details on the organ track:

Hammond XK-3

Roadbox MKII Leslie cabinet

Stereo condenser microphones on cabinet

Here's a clip showing the tracking process in action:

Recording Hammond B3 - I Remember You remake - from David Faul on Vimeo.

Dead of Winter - But signs of life everywhere

2010-01-26T16:57:00.018-05:00

After nearly six months without recording capabilities I'm finally back up and running in the studio. The tones on the acoustic guitars, drums and Hammond B3 are sounding better than I remember. For my piano tracks I continue to go back to my Kurzweil PC2x controller running a MiniGrand PT plug-in.

Performed and recorded in Apple Hill Studios using Protools 8.03 with DIGI 002

Guitar: Martin OM-28V
Piano: Kurzweil PC2x running MiniGrand plug-in
Drums: Vintage Rogers kit, 1971

Stereo microphone recording on drums and guitar using Shure SM-81 and RODE NT-1000

Press play below to hear:

Dead Of Winter, David Faul, 1/2010

Like what you hear? Buy your own MP3 download of "Dead of Winter" for $.75 cents! Damn, that's cheap.Buy Now