ModestGeniusXL

Weather Beacon Black...It's Not Coming Back

We received some very grave news the other day:  the world renown KCCI weather beacon in Des Moines will be going dark.  If you are not from Des Moines and/or never heard of this local landmark then it means absolutely nothing to you.  For all the rest of us that matter, it was like a little piece of us just died inside.  So yeah...this definitely qualifies as an obituary.

The weather beacon had been a staple in the Des Moines community ever since 1988.  Well technically, I guess it actually started in 1960 but then turned off in 1973 due to an energy crisis.  Even as old as I am I was too young to remember that.  That was before I was in Des Moines anyway.  So when it came on in 1988 it was an even more special reason for me to have an affinity for it since it started the same year I graduated high school. 

Someone at KCCI came up with the brilliant idea to give a very, very brief weather forecast for the entire city to see.  The weather beacon is an array of lights on the downtown broadcast tower that changes colors based on the weather forecast.  In a time before internet, it truly was a genius marketing ploy.  Complete with catchy sayings to make the weather forecast even more simple:

Weather beacon red...warmer weather ahead
Weather beacon white...colder weather is in sight
Weather beacon green...no change in temperature foreseen
Weather beacon flashing night or day...precipitation is on the way

I moved from the Des Moines twice since 1988 thinking for sure that by the time I came back the weather beacon would be gone.  Or at least not be used anymore.  Certainly they wouldn't have continued in in the age while the internet thrived and everyone could get weather info 24/7, would they?  They sure did.  And it's a good thing too.  I know there were plenty of days that I would round the curve on I-235 looking to see those lights to get the weather because I had forgotten to get the forecast earlier.  Not to mention that it was just good to see a familiar structure from my childhood was still intact.

Alas, the time has come when the weather beacon will go black for good.  Apparently there are two main reasons it is being shut down: the old bulbs aren't made anymore, and the tower itself must lose weight or face a massive overhaul.  Naturally, this has prompted several DM residents to start a campaign to save the beacon.  Complete with its own fan page and all.  As much as I like the weather beacon, I can certainly think of several other more important things they can spend that money on.  It had a good run while it lasted.

Rest in peace, weather beacon.

 

 

I'll Make Me a World in Iowa 2012

I can't believe I almost went and forget to tell y'all about this year's event.  I'm pretty sure this has been a staple on my blog since I first started it. I may have let my previous weekly features fall by the wayside, but not this annual event.  Even if it was one that I almost didn't go to.  Almost that is.  And it wasn't even a very strong "almost".  I knew I would be missing it.

Are there any of the folks who follow this that aren't familiar with I'll Make Me a World in Iowa?  If so, let me give you the Cliff Notes version of what it is:  an annual event celebrating Black culture in Iowa.  Another way to look at it is one big function to help kick off Black History Month in the central Iowa.  Either way, it's a great opportunity to showcase all the great things that our people are doing here in Central Iowa.

It didn't dawn on me until very late in the game that I needed to have t-shirts for the event.  Not to sell but just to wear.  If there was ever an opportunity to get the XL-Images name out there on a broad scale then that was it.  Of course, I didn't think of it until the week of.  Who was I going to find to get quality shirts done in less than a week's time?  That's where The Book came in handy yet again.  I got more than a few good suggestions and one great one.  I'm pretty sure I have now found my permanent supplies for my XL-Images gear going forward.  At least that gear that requires screen printing.

The funny thing about wearing that shirt to I'll Make Me a World is I never expected to get so much adulation from wearing them.  Sure, I was expecting folks to inquire about what I was doing and that would be a chance to get them my card so we could connect.  What I was getting was folks would see the name and commence to tell me how much they loved my work.  Then they would ask for a card so they could call me to set up an appointment.  Only time will tell how many of them come through, but it was still a pretty good feeling.

The vendors were all pretty much all the same usual suspects.  The heavy hitters that consistently want to put a good front in the community (The Principal, Nationwide, Wells Fargo, etc.) were all there.  What I was checking for was the local folks making noise.  Like my dude Josh with Jaytees Apparel doing his thing.  Only his first year with a table and he was selling t-shirts like hotcakes.  Gave me even more inspiration to get my own table next year.  Be on the lookout for it.

The food was incredible as always.  There were half a dozen food vendors there with the best soul food you could imagine.  I could have easily gotten a sampler platter from each of them and called it a day.  Not that they all had sampler platters available.  Or that I even needed that much food if they did.  One thing I do know is now more than ever I am convinced that I HAVE to get to Patton's the next time I'm in Des Moines and looking to eat out.  If you don't know about them then you too have been sleeping.

The headliner this year was Shemar Moore.  It's obvious what demographic they were appealing too, huh?  It's been obvious for the past two years.  Last year was Boris Kodjoe.  If I didn't know any better I'd say that the folks in charge of getting the headliners for I'll Make Me a World were women.  Further evidenced by the fact that the featured performer was Kenny Lattimore.  It's as if they book folks that they want to see the most.  Let's switch it up a little, ladies!

I will admit that I was impressed with how Shemar carried himself.  He could have easily gotten up there and been very full of himself.  Much like Vivica Fox was when she came.  Instead he was down to earth.  Even when he went to flash his abs after SEVERAL requests from women in the crowd he was humble about it.  Afterwards, he was more than willing to take photos and sign autographs (for those folks that waited in line).  He didn't go into a private room making himself available to only IMMAWII staff like Kodjoe did.  Most importantly, Shemar did it all with the attitude as though he genuinely enjoyed being there.  Or maybe he's just a better actor than the folks that came before him.

Naturally, I got some some great photos of different moments from the day.  I contemplated creating a photo gallery out here but then decided you can better appreciate them in high definition as they're meant to be seen.  So you can click on this link to view them in all their awesomness:

I'll Make Me a World in Iowa 2012 : XL-Images Style

All in all, I would venture to say it this year's version was one of the best ones I've seen.  Probably because I left early before it was time for the youngsters to start acting up as usual.  Or maybe because they had more big names than usual with Shemar, Kenny Lattimore and even comedian Jonathan Slocum.  But again, they really could use more input from us guys when getting their entertainment.  So next year if they could reunite En Vogue as the featured headliner(s) along with my table just off to the right of the stage then they can count on 2013's version on being an even bigger success.

 

Iowa State Fair 2011

I probably could have been more creative with a title for this post if I really tried.  However, the more I thought about it the more I felt that it was quite appropriate to keep it that bland.  It fits with the theme of what the State Fair is.  Every year I start believing in the hype enough to go and every year I get reminded of why I should have stayed home in the first place.

At least this year the day that I chose was some ideal weather.  It wasn't near as unbearably hot as we have been having over the past couple of weeks.  I believe the temps were in the high 70s.  Maybe low 80s at some point.  But there was a slight breeze going which cooled it off a bit too.  Sure it was hot, but not unbearably hot.  Easily one of the better days you could ask for weather-wise to attend the Fair.

The biggest hassle with the Fair is normally parking.  If you want to find a decent spot close you can expect to pay no less than $7.  Either that or you're parking blocks away and walking.  Even though it wasn't as hot as it had been I still didn't feel like doing that much walking.  Therefore, I did my usual thing of locating a local resident close by offering up their yard to park in. The cheapest I found was some cat charging $6.  Not bad to only be 2 blocks away.  I got even luckier when I saw that no one was around to take my money.  Not a bad deal getting parking that close for free. 

There is something I notice every year at Fair time that still baffles me.  Anyone that's been there knows that it involves a lot of walking.  A LOT of walking.  So why would you wear shoes that aren't built for that type of comfort?  I can't count how many people I saw wearing flip-flops.  You might as well be barefoot if you're going to wear those.  And the cowboy boots with shorts?  No way those can be comfortable walking long distances.  But I'll be doggone if they aren't all over that Fair.

I also forget every year what a big scam the Midway is.  Even the most basic ride takes 5 tickets to ride.  One ticket is $1.  So you're paying $5 to ride carnival rides.  That meant a 2 ride max for G.  It could have been one with me riding with him, but I had to get pictures.  Plus, it's not like I was going to have any fun on any of their rides.  I get more enjoyment out of seeing him enjoy himself. 

Even if you've never been to our State Fair you know that it's renown for the food.  They'll deep fry anything and sell it.  Case in point was this year's latest addition of a stick of butter on a stick.  Don't ask me what it taste like though.  No way I was trying it.  Instead I decided to try the steak sammich that I've seen every year and always passed on.  I should have just stuck with my old reliable gyro.  Or even the walking tacos they were selling right next to it.  Should have known better to experiment when food is that expensive.

Of course we had to see the Butter Cow exhibit while there.  That's when G asked me a very good question:  why is the Butter Cow famous?  I had no idea.  My best guess and answer was it's just further proof of how boring we are.  It doesn't take much to excite us apparently.  Which was further evidenced by the fact that there was a line nearly out the door to walk by that display to take a picture of it.  I will give them this though...that Ag building (at least I think that's what it was) had some pretty awesome ice cream.

It didn't take long for me to realize...again...why I don't frequent the Fair more often.  Every year I say I'm not going back but every year I buy into the hype.  Then I get there and end up getting sick, broke and exhausted.  All after just a couple of hours in the gate.  I wouldn't go at all if it wasn't for the complimentary ticket I get from work. 

What I really wanted to do was go there, find a spot near the highest traffic then perch and do nothing but take pictures all day.  However, I had G with me so that wasn't going to happen.  Although I got a few good pics they weren't quite enough to make a decent album  You can check out the spars photo album it did muster at Iowa State Fair 2011.  Make sure to cherish those Fair photos because I doubt you'll be seeing anymore for me in quite a while if ever.

Midwest Hair Battle 2011

Remember when I said that I wouldn't do posts about any of my photo gigs?  It was mainly because I felt it wouldn't make good business sense.  Well I had to break the rule in this instance.  This was my first Hair Show so there was no way I could not describe the experience to all of you.  Still, I will try to keep it to just the show itself as opposed to what it was like to actually shoot it.  That's one way to make sure I avoid any potential conflict.

Coming into this, the only exposure I had to a hair show was the kind that was portrayed on Chris Rock's documentary "Good Hair".  That's a huge event that takes place in the ATL where ther's probably about 5 times the Black population.  Of course it would be on a much broader scale. Especially given the fact they've been doing it for years longer than the folks here have been.  Therefore, I really didn't expect a whole lot going in.

As soon as I walked in and saw the stage I knew that they were trying to take things to the next level.  It was more than just the standard tables with cloth over it like you tend to see at college stepshows.  It looked like a first class set up made to highlight professional performances.  Complete with a complex sound system, light show and everything.  As a matter of fact, some of the competitors even had smoke shooting up to coincide with their presentations.  I'm surprised someone didn't bust out with pyrotechnics.  I would be lying if I told you that I wasn't a little impressed.

Honestly, I'm not a fan of the whole big hair thing.  Especially when the folks go over the top with it by putting in designs and props so that it looks purposely unnatural.  However, I can appreciate that it's being done at the hair shows for the purpose of art.  It does take some skill to craft a hairpiece so elaborate and sturdy that it can support a fish tank with live fish in it.  Yes, that happened.  I would certainly hope that no one would go out in public with those type of designs though.

I still don't understand the criteria that is used to judge the styling.  It was looking like the stylists were chopping away at the models' hair as fast as they could to come up with a quick design.  But the final product didn't look a whole lot different than before they started.  Maybe it was just me.  It could be that they are being judged on the presentation of their performance and its originality?  If that's the case then the stylist who had the "Lion King" theme (Tina Turner was her name) deserved the win.  Her whole set was so off the chain that I wanted to stop taking pics and just sit back and enjoy.

Folks do realize that when you have a competition there will be winners AND losers right?  Apparently not some of those stylists.  The way that some of them were unable to graciously accept defeat was unbelievable.  But I will have to admit that it was quite funny.  In a sad way, of course.  I should have gotten a picture of that one cat ripping up the carpet because he was so upset about not being one of the top two finalists.

I initially thought I had taken around 800 pictures.  I knew I had went thru one full memory card and then thought I did part of another.  I was way off.  I had filled up 2+ memory cards.  That meant I shot over 1300 photos.  Needless to say it's going to take a minute to get thru all of those and get them edited.  Unfortunately, that means I don't have a photo album to coincide with this post yet.  Until then, you'll have to make do with this shot from that "Lion King" set.  And take note that after this experience, I will definitely be attending next year as well.

 

Thursday Throwback

E-40 "Concert"

I'm going to cheat a little bit on this one too.  It's not much of a throwback per se since it just happened last weekend.  But I'm so far behind in my postings that it seems like it was ages ago.  Therefore, that qualifies the event at the 504 Club as a throwback.  Besides, folks have been asking me when I was going to post the pics from this event for a while now so the timing was perfect.  I couldn't do it without a corresponding post though.

I made a decision not that long ago that I would stop doing posts about First Fridays.  It was keeping consistent with my practice of not doing posts on shoots that I do.  It's just better if I not delve into my inner thoughts when I do those.  That would include First Fridays.  However, this function would not be included since I wasn't hired to shoot it even though I tried to get the gig.  This was purely a recreational shoot which means it was subject to my criticisms.

I had no intentions of going to this event.  I already knew I had a very long Saturday ahead of me so I just felt like chillin'.  But then I found myself getting a little antsy as I was over at Cousin Michelle's.  I wondered if E-40 was really going to be at this 504 Club like they were advertising on The Book.  Only one way to find out.  Made a quick text to Michelle to get the hook up with free entrance. I wasn't trying to pay $20 to get in.  Folks start tripping with what they charge for everything when the Relays roll around.  The kid wasn't falling for it.  So Michelle came thru with the hook-up and we were in there.

The other reason I was interested in going was to get a look at the layout for 504.  It would be the venue for First Fridays tomorrow so I could get an advance look to see what I was working with.  The location immediately looked familiar.  It was a former hood bar from back in the day.  It had a name or Excalibur or something like that.  Only I don't remember it being that big back then.  Or that plain.

I'm going to need someone to explain to me how a place is going to have a VIP section and it consists of patio furniture.  The chairs in the regular portion was better than VIP.  Not to mention that it was only "secluded" by some chincy looking yellow rope.  And if I'm not mistaken, there weren't even any drink specials going on there.  I personally don't see how anyone could feel very important with that kind of set-up.

So I guess the party was sponsored by some cat named Bangladesh?  And I guess he's from Des Moines?  So apparently he's a local celebrity of sorts because he produced that Lil Wayne song "A Milli"?  Don't feel bad if you don't know it.  I'm not a Lil Wayne fan either.  But for those of us who weren't familiar with the song, they played it non-stop for probably a good 20 minutes so Bangladesh could take the stage. 

My guess was that E-40 wouldn't show up until well after midnight.  If he was there at all. I wasn't believing anyone there when we got there at 10pm and they said he was already in the building.  No way he was showing up that early.  Sure enough, it was after 1am before he finally came out.  Keep in mind that our clubs close at 2am.  Some of them at 1:30 to give folks enough time to clear out.  Therefore, I was confident that dude wouldn't be on the stage long. 

I was right.

E-40 probably performed for a good 15 minutes.  If that.  What he basically did was hit a verse from each of his best known hits.  Don't get me wrong...he did rock it for those 15 minutes.  I had actually forgotten he had that many good songs.  Still, it would have been nice to hear the full version of those cuts.  It would have been even better if the sound system didn't sound like it was hooked up to a boombox for the sound quality.  I guess I can't complain too much since it was free.  I felt a little bad for those folks that paid $20 for that though.  And the place was PACKED so 504 got over big time with that one.

There are photos just as I promised.  No album out here though.  Not sure I'll be putting anymore photo albums on the blog.  Probably just family stuff going forward.  If that.  I'm just feelin' SmugMug too much not to take advantage of the high def quality that it offers to view the photos there.  So you can check out all the photos by clicking this link: E-40 "Concert".  If you're an E-40 fan, I actually got some very good pictures of him.  One of the benefits for being on the same stage with him the entire time.  The entire 15 minutes.

 

Harlem Comes to Des Moines

Is it Thursday already?  You ever had one of those weeks that fly by but it's because you're flooded with work instead of actually having fun?  Yeah...that's how this week has been.  Which would explain why I'm just now getting to this entry about an event I attended this past Sunday.  So technically I guess this could almost be considered a Thursday Throwback, huh?  Fugetaboutit...a Thursday Throwback it is...

It's probably once a year that the Harlem Globetrotters make a stop to Des Moines.  I know they've been doing it ever since the days that all we had was Vets Auditorium long before The Well was just a twinkle in Wells Fargo's eye.  At least as far back as the Curly Neal days.  I always wanted to go when I was a kid but never got a chance to.  It's good to see that they're still around to entertain further generations.

I wasn't planning on going to this one.  I mean they were asking $25+ for tickets.  I'm not trying to pay that much money for the Globetrotters and neither Curly Neal nor Meadowlark Lemon were nowhere to be found.  But G wanted to go.  Lucky for him the Boys and Girls Club had discount tickets available.  Not quite free but close enough to it to warrant going so we were in.

It was interesting how Wells closed off the upper deck for the show.  Here I was thinking that we had some good seats because they were in the lower level.  Well all the seats were in the lower level.  And even with that restriction the place still wasn't sold out.  I just wish that our seats weren't behind the backboard.  It made it a little difficult to see some of the action.  I guess you can't complain too much when you're getting a discount.

I tried to see if I would recognize any of the Globetrotters.  Sometimes college players who don't make it in the pros will end up traveling with the Globetrotters for a few seasons.  I'm sure most of the cats probably did play college ball but none of them looked familiar to me.  Maybe some were even on one of those And1 teams but still I couldn't place any of them.  I didn't even know who Big Easy is which is their current version of Meadowlark Lemon's role.  Regardless, all of them were still pretty entertaining.

It's funny how certain things can just bring a smile to your face as they immediately transport you back to your childhood.  That's how it was as soon as they started playing "Sweet Georgia Brown" and the Globetrotters did that world famous Globetrotter circle.  Sure I was thinking of watching that on tv when I was a kid, but I also started thinking of my junior high school basketball days.  We used to mess around and do that before practices.  Every kid wanted to be a Globetrotter.

The one thing that I was disappointed in was they didn't make a single trick-shot.  I'm not counting the 4-point shot which was really nothing more than a long-range 3-pointer.  I'm talking about things like the patented half-court hook-shot which had always been a Globetrotter staple.  Or the half-court behind the back shot.  Of course I didn't expect to hit them on the first try (although that would have been AWESOME), but they couldn't get it after a few tries.  That was a little disparaging.

The funniest part of the whole show was their oversized Big G mascot.  It was one of those huge goofy-looking plastic costumed people.  He was only on the court for a couple of minutes but it was HILARIOUS.  I was digging him more than their regular Globe-E mascot.  They may want to consider switching permanently to Big G.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take my camera to the game to get the high quality shots that I wanted.  I took several with the iPhone but none of them came out very good at at all.  Even the one that I took with G and BamBam (one of the Globetrotters. Yeah...didn't know him either) didn't look good.  This was the best one I could get from the day.  I should have just went ahead and smuggled my camera in like other folks apparently did.  I'll know better next time.  The important thing was that G enjoyed himself and even got a signed free t-shirt in the process.  Okay...so it wasn't a Globetrotter shirt (which I still don't understand why that wouldn't be the kind of t-shirts they would throw into the crowd) and so it was only signed by BamBam...he had fun and that's all that mattered.

 

CREAM Green Party

I probably could have squeezed this post out sometime late this weekend if I really wanted to.  Then it would have been closer to the Friday that it actually happened.  However, I knew I would need something to talk about on Monday so I held off.  I'm pretty sure no one really noticed a post on this function hadn't yet gone out anyway.  Especially since the pics were already posted.  We'll get to those in a minute.

As far as the day leading up to the party, it was one of my busiest Fridays ever.  I know I probably say that more often than not, but this one really was.  I took the day off to spend time with my folks and my two oldest children that were coming to town.  By the time I got done spending quality time with everyone and all the running around I was physically exhausted.  That was by 7pm.  I only had a couple of hours before I would have to kick it into gear.

I contemplated taking at least a 45 minute nap beforehand.  That would be good enough because I could then I could always following that up with my customary 5-Hour Energy Drink.  The problem was that I found I couldn't get to sleep.  I don't know if I was just too wound up or what.  I laid my head down on the bed in the hotel but only managed to get a 15-minute nap in.  That could explain why I was working with not only an upset stomach but also a headache.  Didn't matter though.  The show must go on.

Even though I get the virtual pluggers about the parties in advance, I always forget what the theme is.  My memory usually isn't jogged until I show up to the event.  That's how it was this time around when I arrived wondering why so many folks were wearing green.  Were we really that close to St. Patrick's Day?  Well it was that plus they were keeping with the whole Green Party thing.  I, on the other hand, went with my standard dark outfit so I can blend into the background while taking pictures.

So how was the turnout?  Well it's important to note that CREAM is still in the infancy stages.  It would have been unreasonable to expect that they were going to pull the same numbers that First Fridays did just one week prior at their 2-year anniversary bash.  Even though it usually appears to be very similar clientele since it's held at the same location.  It's just a matter of time before the CREAM folks get there.  I would venture to say with the weather getting better that these upcoming months are going to find them having some

I made the executive decision that I was going to switch things up with the cameras.  Up until then, I had always been doing club shoots exclusively with the Canon.  Only because I could never get the right settings on the new Nikon to get the shots I wanted.  However, that was no longer the case once I incorporated the speed light.  It only took a few little tweaks and I was able to get the nice high quality shots I was looking for.  It sucks to be the Canon though.  Figuring out that troubleshooting effectively retired it from action.  It had a good run while it lasted.

There was one one other change they I recently made regarding my club shooting.  It also started with this event.  I decided from now on I would save myself the trouble of repitition.  No more creating a separate photo album out here.  There's no need when I have already uploaded them to my main website where they are higher quality anyway.  Not to mention folks can order prints directly from there.  You can view all the images in all their HD glory by clicking this link:  CREAM Green Party.  Enjoy and maybe we'll see you at the next event!

First Fridays March 2011

This most recent First Fridays marked a special occasion for the monthly event.  They were celebrating their 2-year anniversary here in Des Moines.  One could be technical and say it was longer than that.  There was a First Fridays that was attempted for a few months prior to Breon and the crew taking it on.  That didn't pan out though as it eventually died out.  This version of First Fridays has had more legs than its predecessor.  As evidenced by the fact that is on it's second year.

I personally was running around like a chicken with his head cut off Friday.  It was one of the rare First Fridays nites where I wasn't working a half day at the day job.  I went right up until 5pm. Then I had a shoot scheduled for 6pm to do a headshot for one of my frat brothers (which came out very good if I must say so myself).  Finished at 8pm leaving just a couple of hours to spare.  After spending some time fellowshipping, it was already after 9pm before I knew it.  And I still hadn't eaten.

That's when I remembered that the club where First Fridays was held has a restaurant attached to it.  Having bar food wasn't my ideal dinner but it would have to do.  Or so I thought.  I arrived there to find out that the restaurant wasn't even open this time.  It hasn't been for the past few First Fridays for some reason.   Fortunately, the First Fridays folks had secured some food to celebrate their birthday.  Burritos and a variety of similar treats from Chipolte.  Now THAT's what was up.  Just one of those and I was straight.

I had to give Michelle a hard time about the lack of birthday cake.  How do you celebrate a birthday but have no birthday cake?  Were the Jehovah Witnesses sponsoring the event?  Instead, they had homemade sugar cookies all shaped in the number '2'.  My FAVORITE kind of sugar cookies.  I could have ate those joints all nite.  Even though I didn't, I made sure to take home a good portion of the remaining ones. 

Apparently folks really wanted to get out to celebrate that 2-year anniversary.  Or maybe they were just in the going out mood Friday night.  Whatever it was, by 10:30 Bar 2060 was filling up QUICK.  1o:30 is usually the time that folks start filtering in.  That certainly wasn't the case Friday night.  I thought for sure they were going to hit capacity before 11pm at the rate they were going.  It was pretty close.  They hit that mark around midnight.

The last time I recall First Fridays being so packed that they had to turn folks away was the one they had on July 4th weekend almost two years ago.  They were still downtown at Peoples then.  There had been a couple of nights close to the same turnout but never matching that intensity.  Well they equalled that for their 2-year anniversary.  There was a line out to the middle of the parking lot of folks that couldn't get in because the place had hit capacity.  And it didn't even take a holiday weekend to do it.  Very impressive.

The size of the crowd caused a snafu that I should have planned better for.  That being the disappearance of my coat.  I would usually wait until folks start clearing out before I get my coat on just to make sure none of the drunk folks bump into me and spill something on it.  This is the first time that my coat came up missing.  With my car keys in it.  And I live 45 minutes away.  I thought for sure I was screwed until I noticed that a lady's coat which was similar looking to mine was in the coat area.  Some drunk chick took my jacket thinking it was hers.  It didn't take long for me to find it either since she was slumped down on one of the chairs by the bar.  I tried to politely get my coat back and that wasn't working.  It eventually took a waitress and one of the security guys to get her to surrender it. 

I really can't say enough about the security there at Bar 2060.  It doesn't seem like that there are that many of them until something actually pops off.  That's when they swarm like a pack of wolves to diffuse the situation.  Something was bound to happen that night with folks packed in there like roaches wall too wall.  Fortunately it wasn't until almost the end of the evening.  But as soon as it did, security was ON it.  They even make sure to follow the "Roadhouse" train of thought where they take it outside. 

I was still able to get some good shots, but it wasn't easy.  It was so packed in there by 12:30 that it was impossible to move around anywhere.  That's how I get most of my pictures is by working the entire club and staying mobile.  That tactic was rendered totally useless by the time 1am had hit.  I found myself taking more crowd shots than usual since I couldn't get good angles on more intimate shots.  I even contemplated not doing an official photo album here since I already post an album on The Book and on my website.  Then I decided I might as well stay consistent.  Therefore, you can once again check out the pics in the First Fridays March 2011 photo album if you weren't privy to the other links.  Then get ready to do this all over again when the CREAM event takes place this Friday.

ZKL Black and Gold Ball 2011

This one got off to an interesting start from the beginning.  And when I say "beginning" I mean with the onset of getting the tickets sold.  It dawned on me that now that I have more contacts and networking outlets than I did last year then I could potentially sell a table's worth of tickets.  So that was my goal.  10 tickets sold.  Pretty modest considering other bros were averaging two tables.  However, if I did 10 that would be 10 better than I had done in previous years.

The initial response was very favorable.  I had all types of folks interested.  I thought for a minute there that I would actually need to get more tickets.  However, the closer the time got to the ball, the less the solid the commitments were getting.  The "Sounds fun..let me check on something"s turned into a myriad of excuses why folks couldn't make it.

Long story short, I still ended up selling my 10 tickets.  Just barely, but I sold them.  In fact, I sold all 10 tickets without taking myself into consideration.  The tables only have 10 seats.  I didn't have a seat for myself!  But something told me that given the history of the commitments leading up to that date that something would open up.  Sure enough, I was right.

The soror who was going to be sitting at my table told me just minutes before the Ball that she couldn't make it.  There was the one open seat.  Too bad it didn't stop there.  My boy (who I won't put on front street by saying his name, but it rhymes with Schmill) told me minutes before that his sitter fell through so he couldn't make it.  Even though they had known about it for a couple of months.  Another couple couldn't make it but gave their tickets to their friends.  Those friends showed but decided to sit at the table next to mine since their church friends were there.  A First Fridays associate decided not to show.  So my sold out table ended up with 5 empty seats.  I have to admit that was a little embarrassing.

But I wasn't going to let something like that keep me from enjoying the Ball.  Afterall, there were bros coming to town that I hadn't seen in forever.  Like Josh from O Pi who I've kept in constant contact with thanks to Twitter and text.  And Larry from O Pi who was responsible for making that tight XL-Images logo that I now have splashed everywhere (I really need to do a post about that site REAL soon).  Not to mention the bros from the chapter who are always a good time anyway.

The program portion probably went a tad longer than it could have.  It wasn't without some unintentional comedy though.  I still can't believe that I must have been the only person who missed JT refer to some snack food as "crack snacks".  Then there was Felix who apparently gets very long-winded when he gets nervous.  VERY long-winded.  But hey...he gave XL-Images a shout out so that was good.

The best part about the Ball was it was one of the most successful ones we have had in years.  We had estimated we would sell right around 300 tickets.  That totals 30 tables.  After we started counting the guest list and doing the seating arrangements we found that we actually did 33 tables.  It's been a while since it's been like that.  I know the scholarship recipients for this year and next year are really going to appreciate that.

Now you know a Black and Gold Ball post wouldn't be complete without some pictures.  I made it a point this year to float around more than I have in the past to get more comprehensive photos.  Plus, I was also testing out a new lens and a borrowed speed light to see how the combination would work in that lighting.  Not too bad if I say so myself.  Check them out for yourself in the ZKL Black and Gold Ball 2011 photo album.  Mark your calendar now and next year you could see yourself in some of these pics!

CREAM Lover's Ball

The name by itself sounds a little odd.  That is if you don't have your mind in the right place.  You just can't let the 'CREAM' part throw you off.  It's an acronym that all the old heads should be familiar with.  Because Cash Really does Rule Everything Around Me.  Although the more that I think about it, you could almost alter that to make it more relevant to today's economy so that it means Credit Rules Everything Around Me.  But then that Wu-Tang song wouldn't sound as good.

Anyway...don't mind my usual wayward meandering.  That has very little to with the second event that the good folks at CREAM, Inc. put on this past Friday night.  It was their second event in two months.  Fortunately, this one fell around the middle of February so you know what that meant?  That's right.  A Valentine's Day theme.  Thus, the name The Lover's Ball.

I honestly always wondered what the club atmosphere would be like around Valentine's Day.  It just seemed like it would be the perfect environment. You have the one day that was a fabricated holiday to try to celebrate manufactured love.  Isn't that pretty similar to what some folks experience in the club when they go there looking to hook up with "the one"?  Or maybe it's just because that was how I last remember it from my days of clubbing.

So you know with a theme that means we have to talk about the dress code, right?  I don't think there actually was one.  I think it was just assumed that since it was called a Lover's Ball that folks would have a Valentine's Day type air to it.  Maybe a little red here and there?  Or possibly some pink?  Well not so much but there were more than a few ladies up in there doing their best Nicki Minaj impressions with the colorful hairdos.  Not quite sure what Nicki has to do with Valentine's Day but it is what it was.

This was the second nighttime event that I've had a different camera but haven't yet felt comfortable enough to use it.  The Canon still gets me great shots and has been consistent for me for several months now.  The Nikon that has stepped into the picture is clearly better; however, I'm still learning it's nuances.  And by "nuances" I mean learning how to use it take pictures that don't look like crap. Once I get its settings down, it will be on.  Until then, you can view the photos in the CREAM Lover's Ball album.

I really wanted them to have a good turnout for the evening.  I realize that I get paid either way.  It's not like I work on commission.  Still, the folks who make up CREAM, Inc. are all good people.  I have this thing about wanting to see good people succeed.  For this to only be their second event, it wasn't too bad of a turnout at all.  Although it took a minute for people to fill the place up, they had sufficiently done so before the end of the night.  Word of mouth of the packed venue-- as well as people checking out my photos of the event online --should ensure that CREAM will have continued success.