Rockstar J (not to be confused with "Rocking J") - Eccentric/Painter/Frontman/Musician/Philosopher

I call him "Rockstar J" an older free thinking eccentric artsit. I've called him jackass, drunk, friend, rockstar, devil, and family. Like me, J has a certain way of living by his rules and only his rules. That is, unless he's doing the morning cleaning of Tex Mex(the bar in the center of town, on the edge of the Vortex). He takes his duties here very seriously, although... more than once, I've seen him fall flat on his face in mid step and in mid task. Hey everybody likes a good stiff buzz, I say. Anyhow, I first encountered "Rockstar J" while performing with his band "RAW" at Rocking J's Hammock Hostel. He has a raspy smokey voice. He likes to scream, "Welcome to Hell Mother Fuckers!" several times throughout his gigs.  He's right, of course. Like his day job, I've seen him fall flat on his face more than once... mid sentence, mid song. CLASSIC! Beyond the apparently and acceptable rockstar sized alcoholism. J is a masterful artist and colorful addiction to the music and art scene of the twisted little Caribbean paradise.

Rockstar J lives in a colorful little house in the center of town. It would be hard to miss if the yard were kept at all. Behind the green weeds and vines, grows a vibrantly airbrushed house completely stacked full of art supplies and signature "J" artifacts. Every table is completely cluttered with every color of the rainbow chalks, pastels, pens, pencils, and gem stone. He plays bass and masterfully belts out his versions of Johnny Cash, Rolling Stones, and Doors... when he's in between drunk and sober somewhere. Otherwise he can turn into an ornery ass "mother fucker"... lol.

Like many of us castaways, J has found a way to survive here. It's not always an easy path, but some how, he survives, he smiles, he yells at people, he stumbles, and he makes amazing art pieces. He is a master airbrush artist.  He loves giving weird and quite unusual gifts. Each completely unique in its conception and execution. He once gave me a 3 dimensional dihedral thinga majig... so proud was his explanation how how difficult it was to construct such an unusual shape while keeping all the angles correct. It's hanging in "Rocking J's Hammock Hostel" these days. One night, he was wearing these ABSOLUTELY SIC ASS pair of airbrushed bell bottoms. They had clouds and stars painted all over them.  After talking with me and Carrie Alexander, one night, he walked away wearing these pants and across the rear stated, "KISS MY ASS"! We both immediately bowed down and started exclaiming "Oh shit! Rockstar! Classic!" while giving devil horn salutes. I bought those pants a week later. I call them my Rolling Stone magazine cover pants.

The town is very accepting to folks like me and "J". We can be complete jackass drunks, and the following day... the town treats us with a fresh blank white canvas to start on.  This place and people like "Rockstar J" feed and breed free thinking creativity. Now.. at this moment, 7:00 am at Tex Mex, J putters around with broom in hand and a familiar hacking(we all smoke too  much). It's a good life in this little INTENSE Carribean town... may you all have the privilege of experiencing such a movie like rock n roll people and places like this place. nothing but love J... those are my "cover" pants. amen to you... devil horn salute.

Queen Luana - Painter/Goddess/Free Spirit

When first visiting Puerto Viejo I met this lovely young woman with jewels glued to her face. She wore brightly colored clothing made from scraps of other clothes and vibrant rags. I never saw Luana without a paint brush in her hands unless she was eating and even then sometimes she'd be painting away. Luana was a special kind of character. She had the worst ADD and seemed to always be dreaming with a glazy look in her eyes. The more I got to know her, the more respect I gained for her as an artist and painter. This girl had a unique style of bold graphics, cartoony surrealism, nature inspired and femininity oozed from every piece. Overtime I became familiar with Luana's style. I could spot a piece from a mile away... which is actually pretty easy to do... considering her paintings were mostly large scale murals.
Luana was a special kind of artist, a living canvas. She left a trail of signature "Queen Luana" art work everywhere she walked. It was like a trail of bread crumbs leading to her presence. The fresher the paint, the closer she was. She wore a dress made out of old tin cans and road a bicycle brightly colored in ribbons and trinkets. She always seemed to have some kind of sparkling jewels adorning her body. Often, when speaking with Luana, she'd space out after the third or fourth sentence, if I was lucky. She has this amazing ability to paint seemingly without looking at what she was working on. I grabbed a brush more than once and participated in her murals. It's quite easy to fall into a groove painting along side this young master. Luana is one of the most prolific artists per square meter I've had the pleasure of knowing at this point in my journey. It seemed fairly easy for Luana to make, at least, a meager living being an artist. Everyone with a hotel or a sign in town had to wait, but not too long, as she was super fast at the production of the large scale murals and signs. She also made a living doing face paint on Friday nights or special occasions.
Luana is now in KHO Phangan, Thailand, painting her way across the globe. Everyone that knows her is a fan of her as an artist and a person. She's what I label "The Greatest Artist of All Time"... which represents a person that "IS" art. May you all have the honored privilege of meeting this amazing young woman as she paints her way to a town near you.

Eric Haller - Mystery Man/Buddha/Rockstar

Eric Haller I know well and don't know at all. I've spoken to him several times about music, addiction, music, rockstars, music, and the imminent vortex explosion. He has a past that I shall not dwell but is scattered with amazing legends. His appearance is unique. He has a sort of Lex Luther crossed with the Buddha appearance in daily life. His head is bald and shiny. He always has a kind of witty grin on his face. I see Haller ride through some of the sketchiest places, day or night with confidence and poise. I think he has a machete but I'm sure a deity of his stature really doesn't need one. I asked him one time, "Eric, you don't worry about the late night thugs?" He said, "Loveless, I am completely aware." It's true Eric Haller has poise and intellectual superiority over just a common man. There's something special about Haller.He' has a certain almost buddha like presence... until... until... he's the front man.

Then there's a whole new buddha with technicolor sound blazing from his fingertips, rockstar growl, clean falsetto, and a head swaying to the heavens as he feels what he plays. It's quite a site. At one of Rocking J's birthday parties, he was absolutely completely in a rockstar moment. I remember being drunk and on mushrooms when the whole party peaked as sober Eric's music peaked with us. I looked him in the eyes and silently spoke, "Rockstar". His eye contact was true and intense as he gave a certain nod yes. Eric Haller is a true superstar rock n roller. Once in the studio he played some keys. I remember him giving me a kind of 'hmmmm what would Loveless like look." Then he layed into some up tempo quick fingered dixie land kind of ditty. I did love it. He blew me away.

He is a key rockstar in the musical foundation of Puerto Viejo. Haller is also the most active participant in the local government and public safety roles. He'll always give you an honest answer with a kind a laugh like, "Well, Loveless, you ready for the truth." And he does indeed uphold respect, honesty, integrity, and generosity... 4 rules of a Devil. So's he completely legit. But there is this elusiveness... a kind of mystery to him. Kind of like he knows something we don't. I see him on his bicycle in all kind of random spots with the same look of vulnerable invisibility. To repeat: when he's the front man it's a completely charismatic larger than life rock n roil persona.

Today you can see Eric Haller on his bike... lol... or rocking out 3 to 7 nights a week at Mango'sand Tex Mex.

Rocking J - A character larger than life

So the first, larger than life, character I met was Rocking J. I arrived at his hammok hostel on my first day in Puerto Viejo. I'd been there a few hours when J appeared from his lair. When he swaggered through the hammock area up to reception, I was in the nearest hammock to reception soaking in the circus. He greeted every young lady and was friendly with all the guests. He had a joint behind one ear and a grin like the "Cheshire Cat". He had a huge presence that carries even outside of his castle. He loves his hostel, his life, his party, and his ladies. At the time I met him, he was a single bachelor living in a fast lane that just showed up at his doorstep everyday. The more I got to know him the more I began to appreciate his drive, vision, uniqueness, and powers. J is what I call a manifest-or. In particular, he can manifest big material objects, beautiful women, and rock-stars with ease.

Story goes he smoked a joint on his beach one day and decided to make it his beach. He put what money he had as a down payment and returned to the states to work off the remainder he needed for his dream hostel. What stands today is spectacular structure and atmosphere unlike any other. He's a stack em deep and sell em cheap kind of business man. However, he provides a rock-star party at a backpacker's budget. He's got a crazy son, in some ways, like me. A mystic with supposedly magic powers that is a handful at times... and an even wilder younger brother ERIK, who ran the restaurant. More about him in the future. I started hanging in the hostel almost full time it was infectious. A wonderland for free thinking travelers of all ages and backgrounds. This place became my home away from reality.

I starting hanging out with J on an increasingly regular basis. I remember the awe in my eyes the first time I was invited to his house. This architectural master piece sits on the beach in the back of the hostel. There were angles everywhere and incredible artworks he had collected from all over the world. The wood work was artistic and detailed. There was an indoor grill stored inside of a jukebox shaped structure that seemed to grow out of the hard wood floors. His bathroom has a waterfall and retractable roof for showering under the stars. Hammocks were draped from various points here and there. A spiral stair case lead up to the ultimate playboy's secret weapon... a small bedroom which also had a retractable roof so the ladies could really see stars. The back porch, sitting on the second story opens to a full view of the beach and nightly bonfires. Many nights were spent with Daisy air rifles popping shots at tin cans, and once at our crazy friend Felix Lopez's ass for 20 bucks. Ahh fun times.

J is a child at heart, a Peter Pan, and the ultimate boyscout. He exemplifies the ways of the boy scouts. He told me a story about finding an old boyscout's bag full of belongs in South America from the 1930's. He went on an adventure with his son and nephew to Austria to successfully return the baq in the honor of his boy scout past.

Every night J has a bonfire at 10 pm. The reception area has guitars and bongos for the guests. This is where I started noticing the talent that was passing through his hostel daily, and eventually inspired me to build a recording studio with J. In more recent times, J has been constructing an ARK based on a vision he had of a huge wave. The ARK is constructed of 9 upside down shipping containers welded together and welded shut. The ARK houses an art museum, recording studio, convenient store, dorms, ice bar, workshop, storage, food area and temporary hospital. It's in the shape of a pyramid. A little trivia, if J ever asks you to guess a number, it's 3... ALWAYS 3! J is a great guy, powerful shaman and world class spacial artist. These days you can see him sporting around town in a lime green Land Rover blasting music and making people smile. He's really good at making people smile and showing them how to have fun.

Puerto Viejo, Rockin n Rollin town of freedom

After living in Costa Rica for about a year working as a commercial ultralight pilot in a little town called Samara on the Pacific Coast, I decided to find a new place to call home. I took to the road on my motorcycle and did a complete loop of Costa Rica. I was always some kind of Hippie artist at heart. I really felt I was more of a Carribean side kind of dude. Where life was slow and easy. On my journey, around this spectacular paradise i found all kind of interesting little towns. Each with it's own unique little flair. Fishing villages, cocaine fueled party towns, surf towns, farming villages, gringo infested towns, places where white people are not welcome and places full of criminals and drop outs from God knows where.

While I was traveling, I had heard of a rasta surf town called Puerto Viejo. There were also rumors of this crazy party hostel called Rockin J's that rented tents and hammoks on the beach. Some of the people that recognized the type of person, I appeared to be, kept telling me to go there. They said I'd love it.

I rolled into the town with an unexpecting sort of expectation. As I turned the corner of black beach, the energy was apparent and almost physical. Me and my Honda dual purpose motorcycle purred slowly into town.I pulled up to what I now know as Mango's Sunset which has an old sign that says "Sunset Sports Bar... 'a sunny place for shady people.'" In fact as I write this... I'm sitting on the illustrious Carrie Alexender's porch staring at it 4 years later. I pulled to the side of the road and asked an old Rasta with dreads like the Lion from "The Wizard of OZ" where the hammock hostel was. He pointed in the direction of the infamous hostel. I rolled into the gates that had massive steel dragons flanking it. I was greeted by a Mohawked Madman named Erik, Rocking J's brother, upon entering the hostel. I was wide eyed dragging my backpack and camping gear.

I told them I'd be staying 3 days and that I needed a tent. For the record, I stayed for 45 days instead of 3. As I stood at the reception area I did a 360 slow rotation of my body and head. This place was magical. Every square inch was covered in mosaic tile work and paintings. There was a main hall with no walls with 2 rows of 50 or so hammocks. It had an almost Morrocon feel that some hippy decorated with art and weird artifacts. There were musicians, artists, freaks, squares, young people, old people, buddhists, Devils, Gods, atheists, and beautiful bikini clad women from all over the world. I stored my gear in a huge locker. I found my tent. It was upstairs in a giant open air sleeping area with 30 other tents. This place was visually overwhelming. The music and smell of marijuana was in the air. I wandered the campus reading all the mosaics from travelers far and wide. It was completely over stimulating for my eyes and other senses as well. There were people swinging side by side in hammocks passing joints. It was like the 60's or maybe an early 70's Key West. I had always dreamed about a town like this as a kid.

I made my way to the beach out the back gate. About 40 meters behind the hostel was the most tranquil beach with gently lapping blue water and what appear to be a reef right up to the edge of the water. I sat there by myself just meditating and trying to be quiet as the waves rolled in softly. There was a sense of freedom and bohemianism was blooming everywhere.

I got on my motorcycle and went for a short tour of the town. I glided leisurely along the jungle road. The beach view 'pica a booed' in and out of sight through the palms trees. There were no big hotels, gas stations or fast food places. The fantasy like paradise road lead me from one secluded beach to another. When I road back to Puerto Viejo looking for a beer and some food, I noticed the people were rastas, surfers, tourists, and a pretty much even swirl of every color from every place. I stopped at Tex Mex, which, I now realize, sits on the edge of the Vortex. The Vortex is a term I used to define the epi center of all the activity and energy in this amazing town. The beer was over priced and the service slow, but that's expected behavior in Costa Rica. There was always the smell of weed in town here and there. As a first time visitor I was cat called by rastas in the shadows peddling pot and cocaine.

It was a small town with the obvious drop outs, freaks, and artists. There weren't many cars mostly bicycles and motorcycles. There wasn't a gas station, Mc Donald's, Starbucks or Holiday Inn. Few buildings were over 2 stories high. The town looked as I imagined a bohemian artist town on the Carribean should look in my mind's eye. It was and is a beautiful picturesque paradise. This place is on fire with creativity and free spirited cultural. As I learned more about this place I began to realize it was a booming musical geiser. A town full of yet to be famous rockstars, painters, philosophers, freaks, eccentrics and weirdos. Everyone I met seemed to be one of the best at what they did, but decided to create a new life and cultural on a beautiful beach away from the "normals" aka humans. I was home. I predict in the next 24 months this will be one of the most famous musical towns in rock n roll history. I believe in it so much I built a free recording studio. If you are such a person, visit this place soon before the corporate tyrants exploit and ruin it. Tell them the Devil sent you. Paradise on earth welcomes you.

Paths taken, paths changed, paths lost. Casualties of human connections.

So there are friends you know that will always be your friend. There are friends you "think" will always be your friend... that were never your friend. There are enemies who become your friend. Their are true friends from unexpected places. And their are enemies from the best of friends.

So this said: "Can't we all get along?" "No." Human condition grows through adversity. You change how you treat people and yourself based on the results of those actions. But sometimes... the way you treat someone is an adverse reaction to how they treated you. And more often than not. People can dish it more than they can take it. If I'm constantly defending myself against you. I will eventually take the offensive. And this is gonna hurt you. Sorry for that... but don't pick at me unless you mean it. And if you pick at me first. Expect it. It's coming... and it's probably gonna hurt. I'm pretty smart too. And I bow to "know" one! Get it? If you aren't "one" you won't. lol.

Art is my Zen! N 0 W... d 3 F 1 N 3... 4 R 7

I really love being an artist... sometimes I find a virtual turd of my own art. I look at it for a while... and I still don't like it. However, I remember hating it and thinking "I wasn't good enough." And those feelings made me take note and change who I was. I look at myself and my art with much more pride as I get older. I learned the most about myself when I was by myself. Drawing, painting and trying to make up songs. I am tearfully grateful for GOD creating me able to express myself so well! AMEN!

Moving Puerto Viejo? Costa Rica? Why?

First and fore most, like most of you, my perfect day involves sand, surf, and sun. I have an instinctual drive to be close to the water. That said, life in Costa Rica is more difficult, so don't fool yourself. It's no bed of roses, chocolate and fast food can be scarce at times. There are no Walmarts. Paved roads are a luxury. Petty theft is rampant. But there is something magical and healing about the life there. It's a simpler way of life. A life where personal relationships are more important than material things. A life where like minded people are there to relax and enjoy the passing moments of everyday. A life full of travelers, artists, and free thinkers. A life for me. I'm stoked to be headed back down that way. I hope that oil doesn't wash up there.

Under Pressure: Mercury/Bowie

WOW! Such a nice recording of when 2 aliens cross paths! AMEN!

Music and new beginnings.

I am having fun, all the time, working on the EP with TDoug. It was well worth the journey back. I am optimistic about a continued growth in this music thang. That said, I try to stick to my guns and do what I say. I came here to make an EP and a few videos with TDoug. 6 months later we're almost at our 6 songs... maybe more? 1 video in the works. 1 starting. That's cool. I like accomplishing goals.

Last time I went to Costa Rica, I was in a bad place. I'm in a really good place now. I know what I want and what I'm willing to do for what I want. I know that doesn't include a commute on a freeway to a beige cubical. I've know for a while, but I didn't know how I was gonna make it work. I got a good plan this time. A plan... just like the music... a plan that will lead me closer to joy and joyous people. Amen!

Hello Blog.

I missed you. That FaceBook whore didn't mean anything to me. I was just messing around with something new. I neglected you for over a year. I'm sorry baby. It won't happen twice. Woot! woot!

Moving to Puerto Viejo August 1st

So, of all the places I've been, I feel most relaxed and at home in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica. I have decided to move there as soon as my lease is up at the end of June. I will do my usual family visit to ATL and perhaps NOLA before heading South. I am starting to do an increasing of amount of freelance and web design work. This work can be done remotely. In addition to that endeavor, I have been making plans to open a New Orleans style Daiquiri shop. I am really looking forward to being back in the Jungle and on the beach. I will be renting a nice 2 or 3 bedroom place within walking distance to the beach with WiFi and cable TV... plus a few hammocks. I will post my contact information, as soon as I get settled, for those that may want to visit.

Goodbye FaceBook

After my last melt down. I have decided that FaceBook takes too much of my time. I'm too opinionated, vocal and loud to be on there. I have found I'm much more productive since turning it off. I'm going back to this blog and old fashioned email. Later. It's was amusing.

-chris

Oh Adobe.. Oh Adobe

Oh Adobe... Oh Adobe... you will be in my life forever... won't you. The first program I used on the MAC 7600 was photoshop 2.0 in 1993?.

Using PhotoShop lead me into graphics where I became an expert level PhotoShop and Illustrator user.

That in turn bought me into designing web pages using Dreamweaver and Flash. Designing web pages paved the way for programming. Programming lead me to Adobe.

At Adobe I spent 7 years working on mostly on installer technology for Creative Suites and Point Products.

NOW! I am installing CS3 and CS4 on 150 MACS as my main project. Essentially, I will be configuring, testing and reverse engineering the hell out of years of my own work in some cases. THAT'S JUST WEIRD! LOL!

Following Adobe was following my heart as an artist and free thinker. Adobe is why I use a MAC. I was able to take 2+ years OFF and travel the world after working for them. They afforded me the opportunity to buy an airplane and nice cars. Nothing but good has come out of it. I am honored to have been part of such a KICK ASS company! At such a magical time!

So for all my friends still working there THANKS. It is a really great place to work. The people there are what make it great. I met some of the most interesting people in my life at that company. I will always be a fan of the work you do for me! Rock On!

After much thought

I have decided to go back to blogging in lieu of FaceBook. I can write a more in depth article, and not be tempted to write everything I "don't think".