American Royal BBQ

© Trey Kazee

I have a tendency to brag about Kansas City. Nothing like hometown pride to inspire bold proclamations - both true and embellished. However, if there's one thing about Kansas City that cannot be overstated it is barbeque. Texas, Memphis, and the Carolinas may lay claim to award winning barbeque, but only one place owns (yes, we literally own it) the blue ribbon: Kansas City. Both in quantity (the the metro area is home to more than 200 bbq joints) and in quality (food critics declare KC the Mecca of BBQ) Kansas City stands above the rest. This weekend, barbeque connoisseurs from across the globe descend on the city for what has become known as the "World Series of Barbeque", the cook-off to end all cook-offs, the American Royal Barbeque competition. For competitive barbequers, this event marks the season finale of the barbeque circuit. If I wasn't heading to Dallas for the Texas State Fair this weekend, you would find me in the West Bottoms, reeking of smoke and covered in sauce. For those seeking the zenith of smoked meats and spicy sauces, look no further than the American Royal.

By the way, I must admit a bit of hypocrisy here. The photos I'm featuring on this post were actually shot in Texas. A friend from Dallas, Trey Kazee, embarked on a barbeque odyssey of his own around the great state, taking these finger-lickin' good photographs. It's much more fun posting pictures shot by a friend than Google searching for stock photography. Plus, Trey possesses spectacular abilities in the craft (let's declare him Photographer of the Day). So, if these pictures look good, just imagine how amazing the American Royal must be to consistently out do all the barbeque Texas brings to the table.

- Joel

© Trey Kazee

Water for Elephants

I've started and stopped this post a few times since finishing Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen this past weekend. I read it on the recommendation of a blogger buddy and was not disappointed. However, I must admit that I was skeptical upon seeing a plot summary of the book: following the death of his parents, Jacob, a Cornell veterinary student, abandons his exit exams, hops a train (which just so happens to be a circus train) and becomes the circus vet, ultimately falling in love with one of the performers, which causes one calamity after another. Fortunately, I didn't judge the book by it's cover, nor by it's plot summary, and was supremely rewarded. Without spoiling the details, here are three reasons I enjoyed the book:

1) I found the the book revealed much about the plight of the elderly. The story is told as a flashback; Jacob recalls his days on the circus from his wheelchair in a nursing home. The flashback chapters account for the majority of the book, yet it was the present day chapters, as Jacob describes the challenges and the loneliness he was experiencing in the home, that I found most eye opening.

2) Don't get me wrong, the flashback chapters were wonderful. Though three main characters were primary to the narrative, the circus setting allowed the author to develop a host of unique personalities. The cast included carnival hands, big show performers, freak show additions, a rotund circus boss, and an entire zoo, including Rosie the Elephant. I enjoyed the evolution of these characters over the course of the story, most of all Walter.

3) If you've ever read Cormac McCarthy, you've seen the pinnacle of descriptive writing; the entire world seems to come alive with McCarthy's personification. Read McCarthy if you want a greater appreciation of the English language and the power of metaphor. However, with Sara Gruen you get meticulous detail. It is not hard to imagine the Depression-Era circus as she outlines and colors each setting with precision.

I relish fiction but gravitate towards historical fiction above all. I appreciate Gruen's research and the knowledge she cultivated about her subject before ever putting pen to paper. It makes a fascinating narrative all the more relevant in my opinion. All in all, a great book. Try it out for yourself. If you're like me, you'll refuse to put it down in the last hundred pages.

- Joel

New Music Tuesday

A few good albums dropped this week. I've posted about these artists before, so this time I've included one previously posted track and one new one. Technically, Sufjan's album didn't drop yet, but if you pre-ordered it you were able to download the entire thing today. Additionally, the photo above is the Beastie Boys and not one of the artists mentioned below. But they looked like they were ready to jam out, which is what I am ready to do with all the new tunes.

- Joel

From the album Ring

Glasser - "Home"

Glasser - "Plane Temp"

From the album Halcyon Digest

Deerhunter - "Helicopter"

Deerhunter - "He Would Have Laughed"

From the album The Age of Adz

Sufjan Stevens - "I Walked"

Sufjan Stevens - "Vesuvius"

Bo Knows

Bo still knows commercials. Growing up in Kansas City, I've always been a major Bo Jackson fan. I'm digging the new Nike commercials. Watch a few below.

- Joel

Sleigh Bells

Sleigh Bells is my new go to band when I need to get fired up. Their album Treats will land in my top 5 of the year. They recently dropped a single that included a new track. Try it out below. FYI - like all the band's music, the track is very loud and very fuzzy.

- Joel

Sleigh Bells - "Holly"

Royal Forest

I saw this video on the Public School blog. The band is Royal Forest. I haven't listened to much of their music but the song in the video is good. It was shot at the sand dunes in Monahans, Texas. As you can see, they snuck in the shoot right before a big storm. Good stuff.

- Joel

Rappers

So this one is waaaayyyyy better than the beer diagram.

- Joel

Beer

I drink beer very infrequently, but I found this poster to be pretty interesting. Too bad Boulevard Wheat didn't make it onto their diagram. Find more things like this here.

- Joel

Reading List

Not that you care, but my reading list has quickly become a log jam. Here's a glimpse.

- Joel

Water For Elephants - Sara Gruen (currently reading)

Following the death of his parents, Jacob Jankowski abandons his college finals and becomes a circus hand.

John Wayne - American - by Randy Roberts and James S. Olson

A biography of arguably the most famous American film star in history.

The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane

A classic of American literature that explores the cruelty of the Civil War.

The Virginian - by Owen Wister

Written at the turn of the century, this novel inspired a generation's worth of Western films.

I Curse The River of Time - Per Petterson

A brand new fiction book (released in August), Arvid Jansen, the main character, retrospectively explores the loss of his mother, his marriage, and his philosophy (Communism).

Song of the Day

I remember the first time I saw The Jerk. I was little and didn't know if I was supposed to laugh or think the guy was stupid or both. But what I remember most is the duet with Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters. I can vividly remember how their harmonizing made me happy. Enjoy a modern take on that song below (you can use the widget to download the track), and watch the duet below that.

- Joel

Photographer of the Day

Can I live here? I'm not sure who made these photographs, but I want to go there. Here's where I found them.

- Joel

Song of the Day

I heard this song today from the Fleet Foxes and it reminded me just how good they are. If you like acoustic guitars, you'll like this.

- Joel

Fleet Foxes - "Mykonos"

Photographer of the Day

© Jonathan Chapman

Jonathan Chapman. This guy has great stuff; excellent use of lighting and contrast. His talent probably warrants a second post. Check out his portfolio.

- Joel

© Jonathan Chapman

© Jonathan Chapman

Fall Is Coming

© Andy Goldsworthy

These pieces by Andy Goldsworthy remind me that fall (or Autumn depending on your flavor) is coming.

- Joel

© Andy Goldsworthy

Glasser

This week's big album for me was Lisbon by The Walkmen. In two weeks, Glasser drops her debut album. If you're at work, or at home, and want something to spice up your day, put Glasser on in the background. You can stream the entire album below. I really like it.

- Joel

Photographer of the Day

© Johnny Lucus

Johnny Lucus.

- Joel

© Johnny Lucus

© Johnny Lucus

Silence Is Golden

© Gardar Eide Einarsson

If you google the phrase above, you'll find all sort of ridiculous and borderline trashy t-shirts and graphics. But I find the piece, created by artist Gardar Eide Einarsson of Norway, to be clever. It will be shown as part of the Dublin Contemporary 2011 exhibition.

- Joel

Song of the Day

© Scott Pommier

This one goes out to my cousin's husband Marc - not because he likes indie music but because he's a deer hunter himself. I'll never forget the time we laid down feed at his tree stand in the middle of a blizzard. Just one of the many things that makes Marc who he is and another reason to love him. I'm not a hunter myself, but I'm enjoying manly things more and more every day.

By the way, I really like the song below. Give it a shot.

- Joel

Deerhunter - "Helicopter"

Jessica Hische

Check out the design work of Jessica Hische.

- Joel

Quote of the Day

"When a man walks into a room, he brings his whole life with him."

- Don Draper, Mad Men, Episode 408

All Day Son

© Will Bryant

I don't know Will Bryant, but my friend Allison does. He like art and basketball. I think we'd be friends.

- Joel

Song of the Day

A great jangling guitar jam.

- Joel

Women - "Eyesore"

Lisbon

The Walkmen are just about my favorite thing going right now. Their new album drops tomorrow. In honor of that, here is another live performance of theirs. This time in France with the same acoustic feel as one I posted last week. The great thing about the video below is that you can skip through to different songs - kind of like a DVD. Very nice. Also, if you like performances like these and are a fan of bands like Beach House, Vampire Weekend, Bon Iver, or The Dodos, just go here for their performances.

- Joel

Global Orphan Project

© Joel Thomason

Two years ago I had the opportunity to accompany a team of dentists/hygienists, my mom being one, to the Dominican Republic on a medical mission trip. That trip still remains the only time I have traveled beyond America's borders (photos above and below). The week spent in the D.R. profoundly impacted my conceptions of wealth, contentment, kindness, and love. How could people with so little (in comparison to everyday Americans) be so cheerful? I returned from the Dominican wondering if the possessions I surround myself with actually make me less happy.

I've been given the opportunity to return to the same island, this time on the Haitian side. I will be traveling to Haiti to serve on a trip organized by the Global Orphan Project, an organization that "catalyzes care for orphaned and abandoned children living in extreme poverty". In mid-November, I will be spending five days in the city of Port au Prince working construction, and assisting in a variety of other ways, to improve existing orphanages operated by the Global Orphan Project. I can't wait!

By the way, if you'd like to help out financially, I'm not too proud to accept your charity. I'll need to raise (or personally fund) about $1100 between now and November. Drop me an email if you'd like to help out.

- Joel

© Joel Thomason

© Joel Thomason

© Joel Thomason

Banksy in Africa

Banksy appears to have made his way to Africa. If you've never heard of Banksy, he is a mysterious graffiti artist from England. I think these photos are from earlier this year. I love the creativity.

- Joel

I wandered back to the These Are Things shop today. These greeting cards are great. I also really like this calendar. I've had so many travel adventures this year. Maybe a calendar like this is what I need to make 2011 even better.

- Joel

Sometimes The Blues...

Surprise surprise, Swedish songsmith Kristian Matsson, aka The Tallest Man On Earth, dropped an EP on Tuesday. His album The Wild Hunt, which debuted in April, has been a favorite of mine this year. If you can appreciate a Dylan-esque growl, I think you'll like him. Check out the track "Like the Wheel" below. This track actually appeared as a bonus track on The Wild Hunt but has been reworked for the EP.

- Joel

The Tallest Man On Earth - "Like the Wheel"

The Walkmen

The Walkmen release their next album in nine days. The band stopped by the New York Public Library earlier this month and played a few of their new tunes.

- Joel

Photographer of the Day

© Akos Major

Akos Major. Straight outta Budapest.

- Joel

© Akos Major

© Akos Major

These Are Things

These Are Things is a Colubus, Ohio based design shop. I ran across their work on the Public School website. I love their simplicity; so much of design can be unnecessarily crowded. After browsing their shop, I'm a big fan of the U.S. map and the "Hater" print.

- Joel

Song of the Day

The steady flow of Sufjan continues. Check out another track from his forthcoming album, The Age of Adz, below.

- Joel

Sufjan Steven - "Too Much"

The War on Drugs

While much of the indie world meddles in the Mad Men era (1960's), it appears The War On Drugs has decided to take their talents to the age of disco and classic rock. I like their modern take on a classic sound.

- Joel

The War On Drugs - "Comin' Through"

Photographer of the Day

© Will Govus

Will Govus. I guess this guy just graduated from high school in '09. Pretty impressive stuff for a high schooler/young adult.

- Joel

© Will Govus

© Will Govus

© Will Govus