Brian Wilson visits Montreal

I've been a Beach Boys fan for a kicking long time, and it has always been a dream to see Brian Wilson in concert, performing live. Say what you will about about Lennon, McCartney, the Stones; I think Wilson is the greatest creative musician of his era. For the casual fans out there, go beyond the surfing tunes ( which are nonetheless great) and listen to the real genius of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. I encourage you to download " God Only Knows", " In My Room",
" the Warmth of the Sun", " California Saga", and of course " Good Vibrations." Now remember one thing: Scratch it Carl!

Brian Wilson to Perform His Lost Masterpiece "SMiLE" in the United States for the First Time on National Tour
New SMiLE Studio CD To Be Released on September 28 by Nonesuch Records
Los Angeles, August 6, 2004 -- Following the ecstatic reviews, ticket frenzy and extraordinary audience response that accompanied the historic first-ever performances of the ‘lost’ masterpiece, SMiLE in the U.K. and in Europe earlier this year, Brian Wilson will unveil his much anticipated work in the United States during a month-long nationwide concert tour. The only legitimate complete studio recording of SMiLE will be released on September 28 by Nonesuch Records to coincide with the United States concert tour.
The legendary writer, producer, arranger and performer of some of the most unforgettable and inspirational music in rock history, Wilson will perform with his extraordinary ten-piece band backed by a Swedish strings and brass octet.
In addition to SMiLE, the concerts will include classic Beach Boys and Brian Wilson favourites, as well as selections from Wilson’s recently released solo album Getting’ In Over My Head (Rhino) featuring tracks with Eric Clapton, Elton John and Paul McCartney.
Brian Wilson’s European debut performances of SMiLE resulted in rave reviews:
“Groundbreaking complexity and sophistication…[the concert] made it seem like the grandest of American symphonies and Wilson the national heir to Charles Ives.” --Michael Hann The Guardian (London)
“Nothing could prepare us…the music echoed everything from Philip Glass to Kurt Weill to Chuck Berry…Leonard Bernstein said Brian Wilson was one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. He was not wrong.” – Joe Muggs Daily Telegraph (London)
“Wilson immediately transports listeners onto a transcendent plane…the premiere of SMiLE clearly transformed the vast majority of the nearly 3,000 fans on hand who gave Wilson a five-minute ovation at the end.” Randy Lewis Los Angeles Times

Powder Magazine

I'm not a huge fan of Powder Magazine, but I happened to come across article at their website. Enjoy!

DRUGGED MONKEY: The Origins of the Whistling Turnip
Given the success of various endeavors, as exemplified by the army of clitori (maybe the first plural usage of clitoris ever) standing at attention like little Vienna sausages, we decided that our next business move would need to be just as bold. We liked the craze that exploded out of the Livestrong bracelets and decided we would create that next fad and the object we decided would best do that for us would be giant dream catcher necklaces made out of boondoggle. They'd hang down to waist level and come in 3 colors that showed support for our various charities: Necrophilia Persecution Awareness, Nicaraguan Horse Prostitution, and senate bill #8735 the "Hot Girls Must Wear Thongs" manifesto. So we headed out to several Indian reservations in the hopes of finding the Great Boondoggle Shaman.

We did our best to befriend the noble people and even spent time shooting street signs and drinking hairspray, but no matter how many times we asked, they pretended they had never heard of the Great Boondoggle Shaman. It was then that "Shaves with Foam" gave me a small toad and told me to lick its skin. The ground beneath my feet began to move downward as my eyes rolled backward to watch the movie inside. The whistling turnip was back. He'd foiled most of my earlier attempts at fame. He was always one step ahead, but this time he was just sitting there, whistling as he always did. I wondered if the whistling turnip had always just lived inside my head. It was then that I approached the turnip wearing my emotions (brand sleeve cover) on my sleeve. I remembered the time he stole my sure-to-be number one panflute rap album I'd been working on. I remembered the time he set fire to my telepathic pasta making experiment. And even the time he threw out my bathwater with the baby. (That water had at least 2 more good baths in it.) I whistled my grievances to the turnip and I listened intently as he whistled his reply. It was about then I realized that "Shaves with Foam", "Runs with Scissors" and the mystical toad were playing Prussian Roulette (which involves 3 potatoes, an angry fisherman, and the complete works of John Tesh). I knew things weren't going to end well so I headed for the casino and ate a boiled bag of eggs. After paying the Rooter service I wished I would have removed the bag before eating the eggs.

weekend update

what what, Montreal in the summertime, st-jean baptiste, made in Quebec, tabernac.

So here are a few things to check out next time you're online ( oh wait, that's probably now!):

www.freshsports.ca

A really sick freeride shop based in Calgary. Check out the Freshtival!

www.newwayproductions.com

This outfit in Quebec City documents the hottest prospects in the 418 area code. Among them, JD Zicat won the Level 1 Superunknown contest this season. As well Justin Meilleur is a pretty cool cat, although I didn't appreciate the mess that him and JD left at my apartment. David Beaulieu is another up and comer to keep your eye on. The company is run by Charles Burroughs, who, like all of his riders, is young, talented, and full of potential. We will be collaborating on a QC event for L1P.

Most importantly, I urge you all to check out Lafleur's on Rue Notre-Dame in Montreal, in the far east end. Best dogs and conversation in town. You should probably read " Two Solitudes" the Hugh Mclennan novel, before you visit.

Man, we live in a weird province, a divided society. Who knows if he referendum movement will surge again? If the separatist movemen loses, and Quebec stays within Canada, I'll buy the entire province a hot-dog at Lafleurs!

Anyway, I'm thinking of starting story chain, in which a bunch of writers combine to create an exceptionally long piece. Hit with me an email if you're interested in participating. joshwisenthal@hotmail.com

Peace out

Garrett Brittain Interview

Here's a little interview with Garrett Brittain. Although we might disagree with what constitutes an " appropriate" introduction, Garrett is a exceptionally nice person whose photography has done nothing but inspire me. So check it out, and keep it real.

Interview Tuesdays: Garrett Brittain Revealed
by Josh Wisenthal
The first time I met Garrett Brittain was at a screening of PBP’s “The Game” in Montreal. Rocking the original Level 1 Productions t-shirt, Garrett wowed me with a plethora of stories about some dude named Josh Berman who had made a ski movie called “Balance”, which, much to their amazement, had been purchased online by someone other than the kids who starred in it. The last time I saw Garrett Brittain, he was ripping the spring bumps at Tremblant, rocking the biggest smile of anybody that afternoon. Meet Garrett Brittain, photographer of extreme ski situations.
JW: Why don’t you start by introducing yourself.
GB: My name is Garrett Brittain. I am a skier.
JW:How did you become involved in newschool skiing, freeskiing, whatever you want to call it? GB: As a ski-obsessed pre-teen, I was able to catch onto the whole newschool movement at its inception. Johnny D’s “State of Mind” will be burned into my brain for the rest of my life. My longtime buddy Scott Hibbert and I got real involved with it all and the rest is history
.JW: What about Level 1 Productions, when did you first hear about it, when did you jump on board?
GB: I met Berman in Vermont a year or two into the whole revolution at Josh Novotny’s house where we were all convened for the Anti-Gravity Grail comp at Mount Snow. Berman was coming off knee surgery and had been filming that whole winter. He had some early edits together which we were all blown away by. Unbeknownst at the time, it was the early makings of his first film, Balance. We all teamed up and that fall L1P was born.
JW: What does Level 1 mean to you?
GB: L1P is lots of things to me. First, it’s the child of a whole helluva lot of talent, creativity, not only from Berman, but from an entire class of inspired athletes. It represents my friendship with the sport and the great people involved.
JW: What do you think about photography as an artistic medium, as compared to, say, film or writing?
GB: I love it.
JW: How is your personal outlook expressed in what is presented to the audience?
GB: All I try to do is emulate stuff by guys like Winterton, O’Brien, O’Connell, Abbott. Guys who have been at it for a long time and who’ve given skiing that awesome look in their photos. Your outlook is formed from all sorts of places. I try to present through photography how awesome skiing is and how good the athletes I shoot with are.
JW: Allright, I’m done waxing philosophical. Tell me about your season. Any good trip stories? GB: Awesome season. The best pre-season to date, shooting urban all fall and early winter with the man, the myth, the legend David Crichton. Finished school for good at Christmas, and did the L1P travelling roadshow thing for the rest of the winter. No single trip I took was better than the other. I was just glad that I got to travel throughout the U.S. and Canada to places where I otherwise wouldn’t have had a chance to. Overall though, I’d say sledding all week in Crested Butte with Rainville, Liam, Solberg, Berman, Steele and the Two Plank lads (Corey and Ben) is real tough to beat. Sorry about the sled, boys.
JW: Who pushed it hardest this winter? Who is the rookie of the year, and which grizzled veteran will surprise everyone?
GB: Well, Vanular and Rainville are just two machines that are on a mission. Those kids are so good it’s not funny. You can’t not mention Gagnier, the new king of slopestyle. Couldn’t happen to a better guy. I’ve gotta shout out DC here though. No one will know it, but he was on the biggest charge in the world at the start of the season. As soon as misfortune is done running it’s course with Dave, everyone will see how great of a professional he is. Dan Marion is the newest kid to make the big step and he impressed the hell out of everyone.
JW: Let’s talk tricks for a moment. Doug Bishop mentioned in March that he would puke if he saw another kid pull a right-side corked 1080. Any thoughts?
GB: I’ve always been an advocate of style over tech stuff. You watch any comp too long and you want to puke. My interests lie mainly in the freewheeling backcountry stuff and urban skiing. Lots of the guys started getting the switch take-off and landings dialled out there. Big stuff. That’s what I’m into. As far as the right side 10’s go, you can’t deny someone like Gagnier who’s got all the tricks and shows them off the way he does.
JW: At the Orage Masters, Bushfield attempted a switch double back, Hibbert tried a switch-back to railslide, and I even saw Philou Poirier pulls his famous switch-back in competition this year. What’s the deal? Are these now officially “ old school” manoeuvres? Are “ throwback” tricks in these days, like Larry Bird bball jerseys and Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars running shoes?
GB: I wouldn’t read into it that much. Everyone’s just having fun. Though those tricks aren’t necessarily at the forefront of what’s “in”, it’s still all good.
JW: Scenario: it’s 2010, the Winter Olympics are in Vancouver-Whistler. Where do you see skiing? Where do you see yourself?
GB: I’m sitting in front of a TV cheering on Sidney Crosby winning hockey Gold. Seriously.
JW: Why should every kid in America, and the world for that matter, be stoked about the release of Shanghai Six?
GB: Everyone should be stoked on the freshest cut of progression out there.

Montreal Expos RIP

Here's a little article I found about the Expos. Baseball is the timeless game, and I think that it fits into my philosophical outlook. Unfortunately, WE DON'T HAVE ANY BASEBALL IN MONTREAL. Anyway, this post goes out to Chris Maughan, Sohil Rangwala, Dave Kauffman, Mitch Melnyk, and everybody else in the city who believed.

Top 10 Memorable Moments in Montreal Expos History
Guide Picks

From Michael Dowd,Your Guide to Baseball.FREE GIFT with Newsletter! Act Now!
MLB now has only one Canadian baseball team (Toronto), as the low-drawing Montreal Expos have relocated to Washington D.C. ABOUT BASEBALL provides a list of what we think are the franchise's top 10 most memorable moments since its inaugural year of 1969.
1) Stoneman's No-No (April 17, 1969)
The Montreal Expos were just two weeks old, as 25-year old righty Bill Stoneman, who had never won a game as a starter, took the mound at Philadelphia. Nine innings later, Stoneman had pitched the Expos' first no-hitter, as Montreal blanked the Phils, 7-0.
2) "Blue Monday" (Oct. 19, 1981)
Canadian baseball fans certainly remember this day, as it probably was (and still is) the highest-profile moment in Expos history. The Expos lost a chance to advance to their first World Series when pitcher Steve Rogers allowed a ninth-inning homer to L.A.'s Rick Monday in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. (Best-of-7 in the LCS did not begin until '85). The Dodgers went on to win, 2-1, and advance to the World Series.
3) Rogers Plays Hero Role (Oct. 10, 1981)
Oh, how quickly they forget. If not for Steve Rogers' clutch performance vs. the Phillies nine days before the Rick Monday homer, the Expos would not have had the opportunity to play for a World Series berth. The right-hander shut out the defending champs (whose lineup included Mike Schmidt and Pete Rose) in Game 5 of a special Divisonal Series created due to a strike-shortened season.
4) Rose's 4,000th Hit (April 13, 1984)
Many forget that Pete Rose, MLB's all-time hits leader, spent time with the Expos. In '84, "Charlie Hustle," past his prime at age 42, notched hit #4,000, leaving him 191 short of leader Ty Cobb, who he would surpass the following year. Rose was banned from MLB in '89 due to a gambling scandal, and admitted to betting on baseball (including bets on the Reds, who he played for & managed) in January 2004. However, Rose remains out of the Hall, and may never get in.
5) Dandy Dennis (July 28, 1991)
Veteran righty Dennis "El Presidente" Martinez, the most successful Hispanic pitcher in big-league history, pitched the majors' 13th perfect game and first-ever by an Expos hurler. Martinez, who retired with 245 wins over 23 seasons, shut down the L.A. Dodgers' lineup, which included stars like Eddie Murray (a future Hall of Famer) and Darryl Strawberry. The right-hander was 36 years old.
6) Home Opener at "The Big O" (April 15, 1977)
After eight seasons at Jarry Park, the Expos debuted at Olympic Stadium (considered an architectural nightmare). The stadium had initially been built for the '76 Summer Olympics, and saw more than 57,000 fans attend its first baseball game. The ballpark would become the butt of baseball jokes, as it began to struggle severely attendance-wise in the 1990s. Those issues forced MLB to move the franchise to Washington D.C. in 2005.
7) The Dream Team's Nightmare (Aug. 12, 1994)
We have all heard about that '94 Expos team which boasted Larry Walker, Moises Alou, Cliff Floyd, Marquis Grissom, Pedro Martinez, Ken Hill and John Wetteland (among others). The talented bunch had a 74-40 record and sat six games ahead of Atlanta in the NL East when a players strike ended the season in August -- and dashed any hope of Montreal's World Series goal.
8) Stoneman Strikes Again (Oct. 2, 1972)
Stoneman, who amassed an awful lifetime record of 54-85, managed to throw a second no-hitter - this time at Olympic Stadium. In a 7-0 victory over the Mets, the righty pitched the first major league no-no outside the United States.
9) Lea Joins No-Hitter Club (May 10, 1981)
For a team not known for illustrious history ... the Expos sure know how to toss no-hitters. In '81, 24-year-old Frenchman Charlie Lea pitched a no-hitter against San Francisco at The Big O. Montreal won, 4-0, but Lea's success would be short-lived. After starting (and winning) the 1984 All-Star Game, the promising right-hander would encounter arm problems and was finished by 1988 at age 31.
10) First All-Star Game Outside the U.S. (July 13, 1982)
The Big O hosted the first MLB All-Star Game played outside the U.S. The fun part for Expos fans was that hometown stars Gary Carter (catcher), Tim Raines (left fielder) and Andre Dawson (right fielder) were voted in as starters. The NL defeated the AL (for the 11th straight time), 4-1.
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Steele Spence, Freedle Coty, and Quebec City

In the coming days, I'll be interviewing Steele Spence, one of the sickest pro riders in the world. Check out Steele at www.4frnt.com. As well, I interviewed Freedle Coty, Level 1 staff cinematographer, last week, and it should be up at www.level1productions.com on tuesday. also, a huge level 1 event is being planned for quebec city during the month of october, hopefully at the imax theater. be sure to check that out.

Birthday

So today is the big day, june 22. 23 years old. on account of the rather sudden death of my grandmother, i spent my birthday with my aunts, uncles, and cousins from out of town. It was a nice change, although it seemed like someone was missing, especially considering that i had spent all 22 other birthdays with my grandma. the weather in montreal is super gorgeous, so that's a plus. gotta love being born on the first day of the summer!
Here are a few links to check out:

www.level1productions.com

these guys are my ski gurus. i've been working as an intern at the company for a little while, so check out my stuff in the news and updates section.

www.libertyskis.com

a dope little ski company which i have done some work with. peep da hotness spinks, justin meilleur, and of course, the master of Liberty Canada, Julien Heon.

www.powder11.com

because eric is the best clothing company owner/cigarette representative in the world.

Welcome to the People's Republic

What up cyber kids.
Welcome to my new webpage. I'm essentially doing this as a creative outlet to keep myself active and to keep people informed about my life. This is an online diary, raw and unedited. Cause if you don't know, now you know.