Author: Joy Shannon

Joe Sorren's paintings remind me of the sweetness of the simple moments in life, like a flower covered in dew sparkling in the sun or a child quietly playing in a garden. We have to intentionally stop being mentally absorbed in the incessant activities of our lives, to mindfully notice these sweet and movingly beautiful moments happening before our eyes everyday. Going to see Sorren's paintings on display feels like this. Like a visit to a park just to lay down on the grass and...

16 April, 2012 /

  When real estate investor Davin Gumm set out to refurbish the Pacific Building in the heart of the Santa Ana Artist's Village, he hoped that the office spaces would attract tenants who would use the lofts for "creative uses." Gumm's Copper Door beer bar in the basement of the Pacific Building has become a notable music venue that showcases quality local music, so it's only fitting that the Pacific Building lofts would attract artists immersed in the local scene. So far, a fashion designer, musicians,...

03 April, 2012 /

I arrived rather heartbroken to the Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros concert at the Observatory in Santa Ana this last Wednesday March 14th. I was heartbroken for no reason associated with with show, but admittedly I would have rather stayed home and watched the UK versions of "Top Gear" and “Cash in the Attic” while eating chocolate. Luckily I remembered how fabulous I am, found my will power, got gussied up and went to the Edward Sharpe show. I am so deeply glad I...

18 March, 2012 /

I was supposed to write about the OC Music Awards that I attended last Saturday for my next blog, but instead I have chosen to write about a Swedish Satanic metal band called Ghost. I might say that I have chosen to write about the lesser of two evils, but Ghost revels in being pretty comically evil. Never fear, I will write about a few bands worth mentioning from the OC Music Awards, but I need some time to process. While at the awards ceremony, I...

07 March, 2012 /

[caption id="attachment_3407" align="aligncenter" width="545" caption="Pacific Building Interior, Studio 213 (photos by Sherwood Souzankari)"]   Sometimes I can be a European-elitist, chiming into many political debates about health care, homelessness, college tuition costs, or funding for the arts with sentences that start with "Well, in Europe…" Truth is there are plenty of things that the United States can learn from Europe. My excuse for saying so is that I am actually European. I am first generation Irish to be raised in the US, and I spent much of...

01 March, 2012 /

[caption id="attachment_3167" align="aligncenter" width="545" caption="Steve Carson from Echo Echo"][/caption] by Joy Shannon On Thursday February 9th, I was invited to attend a "Backstage" concert filming at DPS Productions in Irvine. I found myself in a dark industrial complex near John Wayne Airport and wondered where the concert could be amongst the rows of identical office buildings closed for the night. Yet, just around a corner I discovered a crowded and lively studio that looked like it was airlifted from a Los Angeles film lot. I have previously...

14 February, 2012 /

[caption id="attachment_3121" align="alignnone" width="545" caption="Joy Shannon and the Beauty Marks performing in 2011. From left: Joy Shannon on harp, Andy Zacharias on bass, Sean Wallace on guitar, and Graham Spillman on drums. (photo by Matt Frantz.)"][/caption] I have never separated the arts into sections. The music I make sounds like how my visual art looks and vice versa. For my bachelors degree, I created a specialized major which included visual art, theatre, and music because I could not choose just one of the arts to focus...

13 February, 2012 /