Support Rockabilly Model!!!
Oct 25th
Exciting news! Coming in spring of 2010 vintage lifestyle artists, aspiring models, photogs, car clubs.
There will be a social networking section added to RockabillyModel.com so you can post your own portfolio, create a group and network with others right here on the site.
In an effort for Rockabilly Model to produce and practice the art of vintage your support is always appreciated. All contributions will help us in our efforts to produce photo shoots, public relations events and fashion shows.
Please support Thou Art Grand by contributing through Paypal.
For those able to offer any sort of personal support, please contact Joe@Rockabillymodel.com. Thank you for your support.
Time, Place and Energy
Nov 5th
I was on the ground floor of the vintage lifestyle/retro art movement in San Jose,California during the early 1980’s. There was a pod of about thirty people or so, mostly punks, skaters and allies of mine who routinely shopped the goodwills and thrift stores in search of the coolest items and clothes from the 50’s,60’s and 70’s.
I remember walking down the street in my plaid Bermuda shorts, sporting a white T-shirt under a cool olive green cardigan sweater, that I scored for fifty cents, with some Chuck Taylor low cut white tennis shoes and a freshly mowed flat-top hair cut, hand and hand with my girlfriend Beth wearing a 1950’s cocktail dress and heels with a Marilyn Monroe platinum blond, tease-up hair-do and smeared make-up for that just molested look, the general public looked at us like we were aliens. That kind of reaction resonated with me.
When the 1990’s roll around and retro for the most part wasn’t cool anymore, I kept practicing the art of vintage. I was always interested in taking a special time, place and energy, a fashion, an art, an architecture, a certain verbiage or even a morality from one time and putting into another time.
The Rebel Yell
America is a young country and a throw away society. We are so ready to discard our fashion, art and sometimes our own souls when moving forward on the fast track to the next big thing, never taking much time or consideration to look back, define and hold onto what is genuinely classic Americana. Rockabilly is one of the retro movements that has remained a constant over the years, preserving the birth of the rebel yell and holding on and never letting go to one of America’s great gift’s to the world: “Rock n’ Roll”.
Today we see vintage in our daily contemporary lives, from the guy down the street working on his ‘57 chevy and the re-birth of car clubs, the preservation and restorations of turn of the century Victorian homes, to professional sport teams wearing their throw-back jerseys. Retro is certainly the new paradigm when defining American art, fashion, culture and architecture.
Remember, it’s easier to know where you’re going when you know where you came from.
Welcome Home America.
Until next time,
Peace and Love, Joe
1970’s Fashion Photo Shoot
Nov 2nd
I’m very excited about our early 1970’s pre-disco fashion photo shoot. I have a direct connect to that period. I was a teenager and in high school at the time. The early 70’s was an absolute window of freedom on many social awareness fronts, from Billie Jean King and her liberationists tennis match with self proclaimed male chauvinist pig Bobby Riggs to women entering the work force in huge numbers, busing and integration, interracial dating, and the counter culture was claiming victory with troops being pulled from Vietnam.
Probably never again will young Americans have so much freedom in the fashion they wore. Girls wore everything from granny dresses to hot pants, mini’s to maxi’s, high waist pants with halter tops that started more than halted. Boys wore flared pants with large cuffs and brightly colored collared shirts and everybody seem to have at least one burgundy sweater vest and both sexes wore their hair long.
I guess the fashion reflected the crazy times, Nixon-Agnew, Watergate, gas shortage, energy crisis and streaking had become the national pastime. To this day I still don’t know what image is scarier, Linda Blair’s portrayal of the devil in the movie “The Exorcist” or poor little rich girl Patty Hearst armed with an assault rifle robbing the Hibernia bank in San Francisco, you decide.
Society didn’t adhere to the norms that came with structure any longer. We were optimistic and a little frighten about the possibilities of experiencing actual freedom for the first time. Freedom to buy a foreign car or go to a different college than your old man did. New -age religions, enlightenment and the sexual revolution. We also had a sound track that co-conspired along with us. The top three Pop-Rock acts of the 1970’s were “Elton John” “Paul McCartney and Wings” and “The Carpenters” not to mention great Soul acts like “Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes” and the “Dramatics”. It was all happening in the freedom-fest of the early 1970’s.
Before I go I would like to quote a line from one of my favorite songs from that precious time. It’s the 1973 classic “Free Ride” by “The Edgar Winter Group”. It goes like this:
“The mountain is high, the valley is low,and your confused on which way to go, so I flew in to lend you a hand and lead you into the promised land,so go on and take a free ride”.
Until next time,
Peace and Love,
Joe
I Just Want My Life Back
Oct 30th
This morning when I was reading the San Jose Mercury over a cup of coffee and a donut, there wasn’t one mention of Wilcox High School, Rockabillymodel or me. Great! Can we move on now?
I want to get back to the place I know and love. A place where everyday you come to as a student, a staff member or an administrator and nothing is handed to you on a silver platter. A place where we all work hard on our friendships, academics, activities and sports.
What I’ve admired about Wilcox students over the years is that they’re very proud of who they are, where they come from and what they’re about. Through my school years in the 60’s and 70’s I went to catholic school, where we were basically sheltered and segregated. I never knew what the real world was until I started working at WHS over 20 years ago and in my early 30’s, this special place showed me the true meaning meaning of love, compassion, understanding and tolerance.
WHS just might be the coolest high school on the face of the planet where students of all walks of life, cultures, races and religions come together and learn about humanity. They love and respect each other, whether they are a jock, a cheerleader, band geek, drama nerd, goth, punk, hip-hop, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Hispanic, White, Black,Asian, Indian, Gay or Straight. Whatever the case may be they’re movin’ and grovin’ together.
Sometimes when I’m in the hall way during passing period I just stand back and watch and admire them and realize this is the future of America, very diverse, smart and aware of the world around them. Wilcox will go on and be a great and successful place without me, but because I’m there, along with some other dedicated staff and faculty members, I think we make it just a little bit better, maybe we give them the extra love and support they need to reach their full potential to go forth and serve and make the world a better place.
What the students learn at WHS everyday can’t be taught in books. It can’t be marketed, exploited or suppressed because it’s about heart and soul. I painted a quote in one of the stairwells a few years back. It reads “The Heart that Loves is always Young” and we do throw the L-word around a lot at Wilcox, when I tell someone I love them the best part is they come back with a “I love you to Joe”.
Until next time- Peace and Love.
Joe
School Board Meeting and Rockabilly Model
Oct 29th
At this time I would like to thank everybody for their love and support, it means the world to me.
Urgent Notice:
The school board is re-working the time and place for the allegation meeting, it is no longer at Don Callejon School Nov.12th.We will keep everybody up to date when we get more info from the school district.
Take care, Joe.
Nov.12 is the next school board meeting. I’ve have been officially put on the agenda to speak to the board about the allegations that have led to my termination as Lead Custodian at Wilcox High School.
The meeting will be at:
7:00pm Thurs Nov.12th.
Don Callejon School
4176 Lick Mill Blvd
Santa Clara,Ca 95054
As for Rockabillymodel we will continue to produce and practice the art of vintage through fashion and art. Next photo shoot is scheduled Nov 18th in studio, we are taking a look at fashion in the early pre-disco 1970’s, and the window of freedom that Americans enjoyed.
Upcoming Photoshoots
Oct 25th
Nov.18th-1970’s Pre-Disco: A look at fashion in the early 70’s
TBA – Blue Jean Baby Queen: Do you remember the prettiest girl you’ve ever seen?
TBA – Lowrider: Nobody on the face of the planet is cooler than the Lowriders.