Johnny Cupcakes

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity (some may say honor) to meet up with Brendan Brown, former bass player and vocalist for The Receiving End of Sirens (TREOS). Now, if you haven’t heard of them, I suggest you remedy this immediately and check them out A.S.A.P. Initially, I had anticipated a quick afternoon hangout with the chance to ask a few questions I had written out. Within the first few minutes of sitting down these are thrown out the window and we begin to chew the proverbial fat and let the conversation lead the way.

We begin to discuss life and the many places it brings you, and the changes it can bring. For Brendan, it was his marriage to his wonderful wife, Stephanie, and the birth of his two children, Parker and Adeline. It was also the step away from his music career into an entirely different field: marketing. When I asked him where the connection between the two was, he answered “While touring with the band, I realized how much of an impact an honest, emotional connection with the crowd has.” With this approach in mind, Brendan has been collaborating with like-minded individuals to develop some next level social media marketing applications. I wish I could tell you more about this amazing new technology he is about to release, but I’ve been sworn to secrecy. I guess you’ll just have to wait and see, but I promise it’ll blow your mind.

Along the way, we meet up with a mutual friend of ours, Brendan Ciecko. Mr. Ciecko owns a company called Ten Minute Media and organizes an event known as Idea Mill. It also just so happens that Triple Crown Records CEO, Fred Feldman, is in town for a show. So, the two of us trudge through the city and meet up with Fred at one of my favorite restaurants, Eastern Standard. We sit down and let the conversation commence.

Fred and Brendan trade old stories from back when Brendan’s band was on Fred’s label. After laughing until my stomach hurt, the conversation inevitably turns toward the upcoming TREOS reunion show. I was fortunate enough to attend this sold out get together and was once again blown away. Although all the guys in the band have moved on to new projects or endeavors, the time that has passed seems to have no effect on the strong connection that is shared between these musicians and their audience. After all, just like Brendan said, it’s all about that connection.

Rambo Pencil Eraser I couldn’t pass up on this gem. Close your eyes and picture a little kid using this as a pencil eraser. I don’t know about you, but a few things come to my mind: #1) This little kid is bad ass. #2) He’s got a half-naked man holding a knife and a missile launcher on his pencil. #3) Nobody is going to mess with him. #4) For a kids pencil eraser, the pencil sure is sticking in an adulty place. #5) Seeing that the eraser is twice the pencils size and ten times it’s weight, how the heck is this kindergartener able to hold his pencil up efficiently?

BBQ Chips Packaging Looking like an oversized pack of baseball cards, this waxed, vintage potato chip packaging makes me smile. The artwork is so simple yet effective that it makes me want to have a BBQ party of my own. Great color choice, typography and geez—at ten cents you can’t beat it! Come to think of it, I bet the color of the packaging is a small glimpse into the bowel-y future.

Revenge Toilet Paper During the build out and grand opening of Johnny Cupcakes Los Angeles, I was temporarily living at the Roosevelt Hotel. As a treat, I flew out my friends, family and employees from back home and also got them rooms at this neat-o hotel. While a couple of pals were sharing one of the rooms, I snuck in and replaced their toilet paper with Revenge Toilet Paper. Don’t worry—it wasn’t poison ivy TP—but rather un-wipeable, rough TP that does not tear at all. Most of the day went by and I didn’t hear anyone talk about it, until my friend Sherry shared her story about going to the bathroom. She admitted that she had to use a tan towel that was hanging up. In the saddest voice, my friend/designer Clark quivered the words, “Wait…that’s my towel.”

My talented pal Boyce just put together a short, well-blended video of recent memories. Featured footage includes, enchanted forests, awkward outtakes, anniversary anarchy, dodgeball hangouts and more. This makes me miss London and all of my friends and family there. Enjoy!