What a crime. Rocco's used to be so cool until recent changes in management and employee attitude. I know, I'd been going to Rocco's for over a year. When I first moved to Portland in July of '08, Rocco's was one of the first things I bragged about. The pizza isn't the greatest of quality, but that was quickly made up for by how nice and friendly the staff was to me. Within only a handful of visits I came to know almost the entire staff by first name and they always greeted me warmly. I began to make Rocco's a daily habit of pizza and beer, and anytime I needed to meet someone downtown it would be at Rocco's. I considered listing Rocco's as a sponsor of RovingFestival.com and began having all my business meetings there; inviting upwards of 5 or 6 clients at a time, all paying customers of course. I've celebrated several birthdays there, including my own. We'd buy beer all night long some nights, just hanging out and having fun.

Until Recently.

Just a few days ago I remarked to a friend that I don't meet as many cool people at Rocco's anymore. They just don't come around. Most of the type of people I see now are tourists who have never been there before nor will probably ever go there again. Or simply just the Mom-n-Dad types with their kids. No more artists, musicians, scenesters, skaters, hippies, punks, or any other genre for that matter. At the same time, I'd also noticed those friendly faces behind the counter being replaced by scowly, frowny, pimply faces of the less-than-friendly type who definitely aren't interested in knowing my name. And now Rocco's wants to be a bar, applying for it's liquor license after which everything on the menu went up by 25 to 50 cents.

Then it happened.

Yesterday I walked in to Rocco's to order a pizza and beer as usual. As I stepped up to the counter and placed my order, one of these not-so-friendly types steps up next to the guy taking my order and says "I know you come here a lot, but we can't have you sitting at the tables without buying something more." When I asked what he meant he explained that if I want to sit at Rocco's tables for prolonged periods of time I must buy something more than my original order; in other words I must continue to buy stuff in order to continue hanging out. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Not only is he wrong for the most part, I normally do continue to buy things, but I told him that that was a rather disrespectful thing to say to such a faithfully returning customer who has spent well over a thousand dollars of his hard earned money at this establishment. He just laughed and said he doubted it (pizza + beer = $5 to $20 times 300+ days: you do the math). I said if that's how he feels I'll just take my business elsewhere and he agreed that would be best. As I walked out I spat on the front door quid pro quo.

The Gentrification Bandwagon.

Gentrification is usually something that happens to slum neighborhoods by wealthy landowners who are interested in increasing the value of their land or property. It usually comes with a price as the ever increasing property values tend to drive out less successful businesses, despite whatever cultural value those businesses might have. Or, as it seems, if you're Rocco's, you go along with the gentrification program, increase prices, and kick out the lower class so the middle to upper middle class aren't offended (gentrification literally means to make suitable for gentlemen i.e. the wealthy). You do this first by eliminating troublesome employees (the ones friendly to the lower class), then eliminating the troublesome clients (the artists, musicians, etc.). The problem is this: Rocco's isn't having problems making rent; Rocco's isn't dealing with external gentrification. In fact, they're expanding, adding a bar to an otherwise bar-less block of the city. On that same block we have a coffee shop (plenty of artists there) two artsy and independent book stores (yup, artists there too), and a place called the Independent Publishers Resource Center (you guessed it; artists). Down the street you have New Avenues For Youth, a resource program for wayward teens seeking to get away from drugs and alcohol, Whole Foods (you can guess what types shop there) and a place called Living Room Theater, showing independent and artsy films. Not to mention Powell's Books, the largest used book retailer in the world is across the street.

The point is:

I used to tell people that if you are going to visit Portland, or even move there, you haven't seen Portland until you've been to Rocco's; an epicenter of the city's culture. Now, I'll be sure to tell everyone I know to steer far away from Rocco's lest they get a bad impression of this otherwise very cool and very artsy town. And to those who own Rocco's, perhaps someday you'll realize what you had and maybe by then it won't be too late.

Want to join the Artopium Art Troupe? Want to travel around the world, throwing art and music festivals? Tired of your usual, boring life and want to do something exciting and different? Do you enjoy camping; ever want to do long distance and long term camping? Do you have an artistic craft that you would like to sell? Want to become a gypsy? Want to do something so unorthodox that your Mom will worry about you, your friends will think you've lost your mind (but secredtly admire you), and ultimately feel the satisfaction of doing something worthwhile? Contact me. Let's talk.

Visit RovingFestival.com for more info!

Festival In The Works

OK Folks, the next festival you've all been waiting for is now in the beginning stages. I've definitely decided that it will be in Portland (bet you didn't see that one coming). I have a few ideas about the location, but I won't say exactly where at this stage in the planning. Let's just say I'm shooting for downtown somewhere. And this one's going to be big! No joke. ... read more.

Amazing new features on Artopium.com

I'm incredibly excited to bring to you the news that Artopium.com has gone through some wonderful and innovating changes, granting more freedom and flexibility for you, the artist to sell your Creative Works online. It's been a long journey, but I think you'll be impressed by all the new features. Here's an almost complete list of what I'm calling Artopium 5.0. ... see all the new features .

Become a Premium Account holder! (Beta)

This is still a very new feature and is still  in the beta testing  phase. I am going to give away a few Premium accounts and let artists  use the features such as adding works to eBay, completely for free for  one year. ... read more.

I've been to the Great North West
and back. And I've outlined my personal adventures here:

http://artopium.livejournal.com

but here's a quick update:

I've gone home for the holidays. :)

My last few weeks in Portland were wet and a bit dreary, but I managed
to stay dry by squatting in what I must say is the finest and most
pristine squat I have ever had the privilege to squat in. About 8 of us
were sleeping in a 5 bedroom, 4 story (including basement) mini-mansion
that someone found as an abandoned foreclosure right near the PSU
campus. Besides, my tent is on it's way out.

For Halloween I had the distinct pleasure of partying with a group of
some brilliant musicians and beautiful gypsies that form three of
Portland's finer bands; NIAYH (Stands for: Now Is All You Have, check
out their music video), Def Kids, and Shelter Kids.
They performed at Reed College which is supposedly known for "rich
hippies", whatever that means.

Besides going to the National Rainbow Gathering in Wyoming, I went to
the Oregon Regional Rainbow Gathering held this year in the Ochoco
National Forest just outside of Prineville. I got there near the end of
the gathering and there were maybe 60 or 70 brothers and sisters
present. It was nice, as it created a real sense of intimacy and
closeness. I have to admit that there were no elders there and that
there
was a bit more drinking than you would normally see at a rainbow
gathering, but it was made up for by the mad pirate "space bag" play on
the last day, and the family vibe that was felt by everyone.

I spent a week in Seattle, Washington, the first weekend of which I spent at
Hempfest,
an amazingly huge festival of music, art and products for the purpose
of marijuana anti-prohibition, and pro-legalization. I would have to
say at least 30 to 40 thousand people attended throughout the day and
witnessed the 3 stages of great, live bands, and the many booth vendors
along the Seattle beach a few
blocks down from Pike's Market.

Anyway, go check out http://artopium.livejournal.com to read more. There's pictures too.

So, we're getting ready for our first out-of-Austin adventure by going to Wyoming at the end of the month for this years national rainbow gathering. We hope to create our own kitchen and camp area full of creativity and art. Our Artopium Art Camp combined with the so-famous "Millaways" rainbow kitchen, so to speak, run by the now very famous Freeman from FreemanTV.com.

We are currently encouraging the support of our members and fellow "patrons of the arts" in the form of sponosrships or simple donations. Any contribution you can make will greatly help.

I am also making jewelry again, in an effort to raise money, and also to just get into the spirit. At rainbow, money is deeply discouraged, so I thought I might start making it again to trade with while I'm there, and to try to raise money for food, fuel and supplies. I make fine beaded and hemp necklaces, bracelets and anklets, using fine crystals, jade, hematite, bone, glass and more. I made and Artopium page where you can see my entire collection which you can visit here:

Artopium.com/mikesjewelry

Visit RovingFestival.com for more info:


Hosted By: Artopium Mike
When: Saturday Apr 26, 2008
at 2:00 PM
Where: Pearl St. Co-op
2000 Pearl St.
Austin, TX 78751
United States
Description:
Artopium Mike

Click Here To View Event

You may learn more about Artopium's "Love In" by clicking the flier below. Please click the link next to "Follow the external link" when prompted by Myspace.

When:  Saturday, October 13 Noon-10pm

Where:  Hot Mama's Espresso Bar, 2401 E. 6th St.

(2 blocks East of Chicon on East 6th St.)

Austin, TX (click here for google map)

Serving beer and wine in the café, with grilled Mediterranean food being provided by Ararat Restuarant.

Tickets:  Free before 2:00 pm.After 2:00 it is $7 at the gate.

      ..>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               ..>

Performers	Belly         Dancers	Fire         Dancers	Time
Gabriel			1:00
Oziene Experience			1:30
Sara         Wood			2:30
Kalia			3:00
Miss Scarlet (Story Telling)			3:30
Fashion         Show (TBA)			4:00
Sina         Najmaei			4:30
Lux Divon			5:00
Ahmed Garcia	TBA		6:00
Story Telling			7:00
	Mirage		7:20
Hipnautica	Tinkrhell	FireHawk	8:00
Mohammad Firoozi from Atash	Marysol & Rania	Lowrent the Clown's fireballs	8:45
		Fire Dancer Malana	9:30

 
 
      ..>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ..>

Vendors

Henna Star

Dominique         Vyborny brings "Cranky" and "Plucky"

Mystical Oasis

Austin         Byers

Hidden Dragon

Happycat

Char

Peggy         Oster

Thunder Puppet

Conform         Now

Amaranth         Healer

Psychometry         Readings

Amy Cline

Alitsa

Darren         Minke

Jennifer Nowzaradan

Tara         Cochrane

Chris Minley

Jen         Piquard

Jeanpierre Verdijo