Meet Thomas Burso, aka Epic Beard Man, aka Tom Slick, aka Vietnam Tom, the 67 year old, self-proclaimed “motherfucker” who recently became an internet sensation after a YouTube video of his fist fight with a fellow bus passenger went viral on February 16. The video has since received more than 3.7 million views and is still causing heated, sometimes racially charged debates to break out all over the web. And since his display of old man strength, Burso has inspired video game parodies, various YouTube video responses, an Epic Beard Man Facebook fan page, a twitter account, t-shirts, several photo mashups and most recently a two part documentary about Burso himself.  So much has already been said of Epic Beard Man, the only thing left to do is let the videos and links speak for themselves.

This is the video that got it all started.

• Watch Lyanna Washignton, the woman who captured the fight on camera, in an interview with CBS5 explaining how it all went down from her perspective here
• Read what Micheal, the man who was beaten by EBM, had to say about the incident here
• Watch EBM’s description of the what happened here
• Watch bonus footage of EBM after he exited the bus here
• Watch a Mortal Kombat parody of the fight here

Part one of the I am a Motherfucker documentary about EBM:

• Watch EBM get tasered at the Oakland A’s game like he described in part one of the documentary here

Part two

posted by: Harold Johns III

“Lewis Takes Off His Shirt”, from Owen Pallett’s latest album Heartland (read our review here), features Pallett’s trademark looped violin and vocals augmented by the Czech Symphonic Orchestra. The video, directed by M. Blash, features the film and stage star Alison Pill (Milk, The Miracle Worker).

A limited edition Heartland orchestral score book is now available from Pallett’s website. The book (189 pages) is bound by hand and includes the full orchestral score of the album, lyrics and for all you synthesizer geeks out there, diagrams for ARP 2600 patches. The score book is limited to 300 copies so you better act fast.

Owen also continues to add more North American tour dates including a performance at this year’s Coachella Music Festival. Full dates below.

Live Dates
04-08 Toronto, Ontario – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
04-10 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
04-11 Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
04-12 Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall
04-13 Columbus, OH – Wexner Center
04-14 Pittsburgh, PA – Andy Warhol Museum
04-15 Washington DC – Black Cat
04-18 Indio, CA – Coachella Festival
04-20 Boston, MA – Institute of Contemporary Art
04-22 New York, NY – Webster Hall
04-24 Baltimore, MD – Metro Gallery
04-25 Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church
04-27 Atlanta, GA – The Earl
04-29 Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
04-30 Austin, TX – The Mohawk

posted by: Harold Johns III

Studio Synopsis:
“Director Tamra Davis pays homage to her friend in this definitive documentary but also delves into Basquiat as an iconoclast. His dense, bebop-influenced neoexpressionist work emerged while minimalist, conceptual art was the fad; as a successful black artist, he was constantly confronted by racism and misconceptions. Much can be gleaned from insider interviews and archival footage, but it is Basquiat’s own words and work that powerfully convey the mystique and allure of both the artist and the man.”

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child was released on Feb 21.

Side note:
The song you hear throughout the trailer is “Salty Peanuts” by Charlie Parker

posted by: Harold Johns III

Studio Synopsis:
“The Cove is an astounding piece of investigative journalism with the heart of an action thriller. Led by Louie Psihoyos, leader of the Ocean Preservation Society, and Richard O’Barry, an internationally recognized authority on dolphin training who is best known for his work on the 1960’s TV show Flipper, the film follows a high-tech dive team on a mission to discover the truth about the international dolphin capture trade as practiced in Taji, Japan. Utilizing state-of-the-art techniques, including hidden microphones and cameras, the team uncovers how this small seaside village serves as a horrifying microcosm of massive ecological crimes happening worldwide.

“The Cove is also directed by Louie Psihoyos, who brings confidence and precision to his insider’s account of this life-or-death covert operation. A celebrated photographer who has created images for National Geographic for 18 years, Psihoyos captures the magnificence of the dolphins themselves and the ocean that surrounds them.”

Not only is The Cove one of the best, most emotionally affecting documentaries I’ve ever seen, it also captures an important leap in the way activists can use technology to further their cause. And given the tragic events that transpired at Sea World recently, The Cove’s message will resonate all the more, as you learn why exploiting both dolphins and whales in captivity is so harmful.

Learn more about The Cove here

posted by: Brent Carter

Both of these performances by no-wave pioneers DNA were taken from Downtown 81, a feature film starring the legendary American artist Jean Michel Basquiat. The film was conceived by Edo Bertoglio and Glenn O’Brien as a rare real-life look into the ultra-hip subculture of early 1980’s Manhattan, but was not properly released until 2000 due to financial constraints. Although the plot is minimal, appearances by Debby Harry, Lee Quinones and Fab Five Freddy along with performances by other post-punk musical stalwarts like James White and the Blacks make it a must see. Plus, getting to watch Basquiat make his art is a beautiful thing.

For further listening we highly suggest DNA on DNA, a 2004 compilation of all their singles and live performances by No More Records.

Side Notes:
The dialogue audio for the film was lost, so actor Saul Williams dubbed the late Basquiat’s voice. However, the musical soundtrack, mostly live club performances recorded on location using a RCA 24 track mobile unit, survived.

The rock group Blonde Redhead takes its name from the DNA song of the same name.

posted by: Brent Carter