Saturday, December 3, 2011

Off Comes the Moustache

Well, folks, November is over, which means Movember is over. This year the Spin's Barbershop Team boasted 38 moustached men, and we raised just shy of $9,000. I am extremely proud of the team, and want to thank them for their month-long commitment, as well as all of those who made generous contributions to the men assembled. We hosted weekly "Mid-Week Movember Meet-Ups" at the Red Door in Fremont, and enjoyed fine local brews from the good folks at Fremont Brewing. Extra big thanks to Pete at the Red Door and Matt at Fremont Brewing. Looking forward to next year, even if my upper lip isn't.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Seven Days In

Week One of Movember, and I'm proud to say we are 32 members strong and have raised just over $2,500. I have a feeling it's going to be a big - and bushy - month. If you are interested in joining up or supporting the Spin's Barbershop Team, you can find us here.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Movember 2011

Halloween is creeping closer, which means that Movember is upon us as well. This weekend I will be doing the final push for Team Spin's Barbershop recruits. As Movember begins I'm planning Mid-week Movember Meet-ups at the Red Door in Fremont with beer specials from the folks at Fremont Brewing. Wednesdays: Movember 9, Movember 16, Movember 23 and Movember 30. Whether you join the team as a moustache grower, or just want to support the men of Spin's, come on down to the Red Door.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Four Chairs Full

I'm glad to announce the welcome addition of Sherry to the shop. She made the move from Lucky 7 Barbershop just up the street, and is renting the fourth chair here at Spin's. As of right now she's working Thursday through Monday roughly 11:00am-6:00pm. Welcome aboard.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Gone too fast

If you're a fan of A Tribe Called Quest, then it's a no-brainer. If you're interested in documentaries, New York, the highs and lows of being in a music group, hip hop or just something new for your brain, I would also recommend it. My man Josh Weldin and I were lucky enough to sneak in under the wire and see the Michael Rapaport directed film Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest. I think it was only in Seattle for about 10 days, and it's a shame, because there were so many people I wanted to encourage to run out and see it. Incredible footage and personal interviews from this seminal 1990s hip hop group. I own very few movies, and I can't wait to purchase this one and have it as part of my collection. Since its time in theaters was brief, my advice is keep an eye out for it on DVD or streaming.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Lou livens up the shop

I am very excited to welcome the July/August artist, Lou Samson. I spotted her work through the window of Fuel as I walked up 45th one day. As I took a closer look I was totally taken by the images. Right up my alley - bold, colorful, local, pieced together with a combination of screen printing and stencil. It is the ideal show for the barbershop, filling the walls with a blast of freshness. Please stop in when you get a chance and take a look for yourself

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Sign of the times

A few nights ago I was out with some friends on 12th Avenue up on Capitol Hill. As we came to the corner of 12th & Union something caught my eye through the window of what is now High Five Pies. It was so instantly familiar to me - the dented green can, the unique shape, the weathered lettering -  but altered just enough to suit this new business' needs. In 1955, my grandfather, Spiro Diamond Nicon (the original Spin) opened a tavern on 3rd & James across from the King County Court House. He ran the bar until 1965, and then sold his share to his partner who kept it going until 2000 or so. For almost half a century, the once neon-lit sign hovered above the corner, becoming an iconic landmark for the full spectrum of downtown passersby. The name of that establishment was Spin's Friendly Tavern. The folks that brought you Fuel coffee - and now pies - took something old and made it new again. I'll have to find out if they know this little slice of Seattle history....

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Banksy+Fairey = Pranksters

Regardless of your stance, graffiti and it's offspring - often categorized as Street Art - is a worldwide phenomenon. No surface is safe as the practitioners make their mark. Banksy, with the help of Shepard Fairey, truly paint the town with "Exit Through the Gift Shop." I'm always a bit late to movies, so if you've already seen it, you beat me to the punch, if you haven't, I highly recommend it. It takes a good hard look at the art form, and turns it on it's head.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Fo' Dough Grafiks

What's that you say? That's right, fo' dough grafiks - as in "images in exchange for federal reserve notes." More precisely, the business name and mantra of the March/April artist, Daniel Fleming. Daniel scours the city snapping unique yet recognizable photos, digitally manipulates them, and then prints on canvas. The results are distinct and delightful. For the past couple years Daniel has had his studio right around the corner from the barbershop, so we have had the chance to get to know him as a neighbor and friend. I am the proud owner of four Fleming pieces, and Chez and Jordan have collected a couple as well. All images are for sale - right off the walls - so please stop by in the next two months to check out the show.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Aging hip hop fans and beyond

My wife recently gave me Jay-Z's new book, Decoded. Needless to say, I was quite pleased to crack it open and plow through it over the days that followed. It's a nice blend of autobiographical stories and musings, interspersed with heavily annotated transcriptions of a handful of his classic material. If you're a fan of Mr. Carter, it's a no-brainer. If you have an interest in digging a little deeper into this thing called hip hop, I would recommend it. I just passed along my copy to my aunt to get the pre-hip hop generation perspective.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Jan/Feb Artist

For the next two months Spin's will be featuring "Accreted Terrane," a show by local artist and long-time client, David Francis. David also splits his time as a CoCA board member and Pratt instructor. You will find 15 provocative pieces showcasing 2D and 3D experiments in found objects and mixed media.