Driving across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge / Tunnel Linking The Eastern Shore Of Virginia to The Mainland

Driving across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge / Tunnel linking the eastern shore of Virginia to the mainland

Only a few places on earth make me feel as alive, the moment I see them, as the Chesapeake Bay. There is nothing quite like this region and especially the mouth of it opening into the Atlantic Ocean, linking the eastern shore of Virginia to the mainland. Growing up on the Delmarva peninsula we are isolated from everything, except the salty air, austere locals and the beautiful land between the bay and ocean. Life is a bit slower and the dialect is as crisp as Old Bay seeping into a cut after eating hard shell crabs, but I hope it never changes. This 17 mile wide expanse is something to be thankful for on this holiday as it is one of the cradle's of history for the East Coast and the birth of America.

The Power Of An Image

Using an old advertisement for Marsh Stencil and Ink to showcase where we are today

At an early age, imagery and experience begin to shape the rest of our lives. One of the fond memories I have growing up involves working and playing down at my grandfather's crab house in Wenona, MD. After we fished the floats (soft crabs shed their hard shell), we would then have to clean the soft crabs and prepare them to be shipped out.

So many times I would look at the wax boxes for shipping along with stencils that had to be applied and was always curious about how it all worked. Not that it was anything complicated but maybe it was at that moment when the seed had to have been planted to thoroughly enjoy branding and entrepreneurship. As soon as the family name went on the wax boxes with the Marsh Stencil and ink brush, it was one of the final processes before the crabs could be driven to market and the watermen would finally get paid for their week of hard work.

When I found this old advertisment in a design magazine, all I could think of was how proud I was to see those stencils being applied to wax boxes to ship our freshly caught seafood. It would make me damn proud to have my grandfather still around to see the work I do today and to let him know how much I appreciate the value of hard work and the smell of salty air by the sea. Would be great to enjoy a puff on a cigar together and watch all the watermen coming in out of the harbor at the back of the crab house and just talk about anything. Thanks for the memories Pop Pop.

Check out the video below about Alan Parks from Tangier Island, VA. Nuthin' better than a good ol' tide wooder accent and hearing talk about the bay.

Found this photo on flickr of the old family crabhouse in Wenona, MD. Wish I could go back in time...

Lowside Magazine And The Timonium Motorcycle Show

Magazines are a life blood to any scene. Whether it be a black and white photocopied punk zine, or a full color gloss edition, with excellent photography and writing. One of the main aspects we dig about Lowside Magazine is their continued approach to taking the high road. It never feels as if anything is forced or as if they are trying too hard. They just make it cool and keep it interesting. 

There is longevity in making something that is not dated to a certain era or style. Really hope to see the magazine grow in readership and page count. Get out to the Timonium Motorcycle show if you are in the area and say hello. Great bunch of folks up in Baltimore and wish we could have made it up north this year. 

Lowside Magazine hosts the The Dirty Hands, the better aspect of the Timonium Bike Show

The Lowside After Party is going down at Rocket To Venus, in Baltimore MD

Clutch create a blu-ha-ha, From Classic Rock Magazine

Maryland's finest, the almighty Clutch

Clutch have released the title track from highly-anticipated upcoming album Earth Rocker. Hear it below.

Their highly-anticipated tenth album hits shelves in March and they’ll tour across the US and Europe in the coming months.

Classic Rock recently said of Clutch’s live show: “They’ve proved themselves to be the beating heart of 21st-century rock’n'roll. Out of step with the times but by no means retro, their supremacy is something to be very smug about indeed.”

How To Ruin Our National Anthem, Just Ask The Fray

If there is one thing that will unite many Americans instantly, it is when the Star Spangled Banner is sung at an event. With all the hacks that have been butchering this great song of late, such as The Fray, why don't you learn a history lesson and see exactly where it stems from. Better yet, why don't ya read below from the song lyrics and understand the story as told and written by Francis Scott Key during the bombardment of Fort McHenry in the Baltimore harbor in 1814. Please leave the song alone and sing it the correct way with absolute bravado and reverence for our country.

Cover Sheet for the Star Spangled Banner lyrics

"O! say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country, should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation.
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!"

The Fray butchering the National Anthem from Presswire on yahoo

Here is how the Star Spangled Banner should be sung

Journey - Circa 197? - Qball's Biker Photography from Living The Life

“Journey” circa 197? from “Living The Life”, biker photography book.

It’s been said “It aint the destination, but the journey”. When it came to my old club “Dirt That Moves MC” it got even more involved than that. We couldn’t even keep it together at a cross road. Some would go right, some left, some straight ahead, while others did a 180. A couple of hundred miles could take all day and into the night. A trip to Daytona Bike Week took nine days. We had break downs within 50 miles of home, flat tires, bar stops, stripped gears, beer runs, fried wires, piss stops, more beer runs, side trips to visit old friends, broken chains, beer runs, piss stops, well you get the picture. Damn, I nearly forgot the best part, fights. It was said the only way to get us from stop fighting each other was to have an outsider step in, and get pounded. We fought over women, beer, bikes, or just being bored. We would party all night long, fall down in the dirt, get up the next morning with wicked hangovers and attitudes to match, then ride off in the wrong direction. Damn, I love my brothers and miss those aimless times.

Long May You Ride, Q-Ball

Buy the book "Living the Life"

Qball aka Doug Barber with "Journey" circa 197? From "Living The Life" biker photography book

Living The Life - QBall Photos - Santa's Helpers

“Santa’s Helpers” circa 199? from “Living The Life”, biker photography book.

Tis the Season to be? This time of the year brings out the best and worst in folks. Point in fact is Toy Runs. Here in our neck of the boon docks one local club blocks the main thorough fair to collect toys and money for local children in need. Some years it’s freezing cold and wet, while other times it can be quite balmy like this photo where the Club’s defense lawyer was dressed as Santa in flip flops.

Those trapped in this traffic ambush reacted in curios ways. The town’s newbie’s and uninitiated driving high dollar cages would roll their windows up tight. They wore faces of disgust and fright, dialed 911 on cell phones, and wondered if they could escape unharmed. The long time locals where prepared and looking forward to help. Some drove up in old ratty pickup trucks loaded with toys. Others dug deep into their worn out jeans and gave all they could. Friends would stop in the middle of the street to talk creating an opportunity for cub members to smile and offer candy canes to fearful cagers impatiently blowing their horns. Ya gotta love the holiday spirit.

Long May You Ride,
Q-Ball

Get the book, Living The Life

QBall's photograph of "Santa's Helpers" - Living The Life

Livin' The Motorcycle Life With QBall - Photos And Stories

“Dirt That Moves MC” circa 197? from “Living The Life”, biker photography book

The name of my old club “Dirt That Moves MC” was earned honestly by two of the founding members. After spending a month on the road with little more than the clothes on their back, and sleeping where ever they fell down, they pulled into a Harley dealership. It was raining buckets and they were looking for some shelter and free hot coffee. As they walked across the show room floor dripping puddles of muddy water behind, someone behind the counter said “here comes dirt that moves”. With that a club was born. We wore the name proudly, and fought to keep its honor. We were an unorganized band of tightly bonded brothers, and damn proud of it.

Long May You Ride,
Q-Ball

Find out More about my book - Living the Life

Qball Photo - Living The Life, Cover Photo

“Ricky’s Beach” circa 197? from “Living The Life”, biker photography book.

I’ve been asked many times where the cover photo was taken, and what significance it has. Well here ya go. After a miserable, cold, wet, nine day ride, fraught with break downs, mishaps, and some damn good times we arrived at to Daytona Beach Florida. Most of us were dog tired and looking forward to just kicking back in the sun. Ricky on the other hand was like a kid at Christmas. Shortly after hitting the beach he was running his sidecar rig up on two wheels down the beach. I grabbed my camera and documented his display of youthful enthusiasm. Ricky was always in the fast lane, right up until the day he died. I never planned on selling or publishing any of these photos until recently when the pressure/encouragement from friends became more than I could bear. When going through my photos looking for a cover, this image stood out as the personification of why we all ride. It was also my way of honoring, and thanking Ricky for all he showed by example.

Long May You Ride,

Q-Ball

Living the Life - Buy the book

Living The Life - The Infamous Photography of Doug Barber aka QBall

Life on two wheels just seems to be that much more fulfilling than sitting on the sidelines and talking about where our paths will take us. Ya gas up and go, its quite simple. People come and go in life and we have friends that are merely acquaintances, but the relationships we have with our machines and or those that have a similar mindset, form a bond that others can never understand. Events are planned around the next run or batch of trouble we can get into and those times are etched into the memories like a family photo.

These great times are consistently remembered by an individual such as Doug Barber or as we definitely prefer to go by, QBall. While looking at his book and photos in Living the Life, you can see folks living on the fringe and truly enjoying their time. Bikes and Hot Rods to all of us are a means of escape, not necessarily from a bank heist, but one in which are thoughts are allowed to run free and be passengers along the trip of a lifetime. While diggin' through his photos, that departure point is on every single page. This book is now forever sitting somewhere close by so we can look over and experience wander lust while grinding away through our daily workload. 

Qball is also taking things a step further for us, we asked him if he wouldn't mind contributing some photos and notes on the randomness that is life to post here on the blog and he obliged. Be on the lookout for more posts from him and in 2012 plan on all of us hittin' the road to numerous events or just idlin' up to a bar to shoot the shit.

In the words of QBall, "Long May You Ride."

Go ahead and purchase the book now, click here

Living the Life - The Photgraphy of Doug Barber, aka QBall

Hellbound Glory and Jay Berndt Reviews Over At VTwin Biker Dot Com

One life lesson I learned from my folks is that life is all about who ya know, not what ya know. Constantly being on the road with bands and bikes allows me to meet folks far and wide and forever have stories to share over a beer. That is my kind of livin' and I truly enjoy meeting new folks and talkin' on the randomness, that can be life. Over this past weekend at the infamous Heavy Rebel Weekender, conversations went from talkin' on Knuckle and Pan motors with some great folks from southern Maryland, what makes outlaw country the only punk rock in our current existence, an old '51 Chevy truck we are going to be purchasing for a shop truck build from Mopar Rob and many many more conversations over cold PBR.

After a recent trip we did down to St. Petersburg, Florida for the big Dime City Cycles party I got to chat with Doug Barber, aka Qball on all sorts of topics. Qball was passin' along stories of biker gypsies, outlaw clubs, road side fixes, photography and livin' a true biker lifestyle that this gray beard in the makin' can without a doubt appreciate. After he clued me in on his music preferences I had two cd's just waiting for him to check out and enjoy. Glad to see he is diggin' them and posted them up for review.

Also, if you haven't heard or seen his photography book Livin The Life, we know of a great purchase you are about to make. Take it from us, this book is hands down an amazing collection of photos that bring to the light the greasy souls that are American bikers that live on the fringe.  Buy it today and help support one amazing photographer with years worth of stories and good times. Lookin' forward to seein' ya on the road sometime soon Qball.

Review of Hellbound Glory and Jay Berndt on VtwinBiker.com

"When your on the road there is always certain folks you look forward to seeing, and Rusty Knuckles is one of them. He is not only a talented graphic designer, he is also a genuinely stand up kind of guy. It’s no wonder he has such a talented crew of musicians under his label. The last time I saw him was in Florida, and was telling him how much I liked raw country and the new rock a Billy music. Mind you he has several bands he manages ranging from country through heavy metal, all of them with a twist, some mixing the best of country and heavy metal cranked up rock a Billy, blow the ink right of your skin music.

He gave me two disks and I said I’d do a review.

Hellbound Glory at first sounds like the honky-tonk music my daddy use to drink to. But the lyrics are of modern day’s trials and tribulations being numbed the same way daddy did. Actually not much seems to have changed. What makes the lyrics special is the rye sense of “Fuck It” humor that runs like a cold beer down your throat. I found myself laughing and crying at the same time while drinking heavily the whole time. Shit, I would have had this review done sooner, if it weren’t for the drinking. From the first note till the end, I felt right at home with this music. It’s a classic, and a new favorite. Better have plenty of cold beer and a dry bandanna.

Jay Berndt, “Sad Bastard Songs”. First off Jay Berndt has a commanding voice that would keep you listening regardless of the song. His music is all American Country and Western, and spans it all. The first cut “Sad Bastard Theme” radiates it’s Celtic heritage, while the rest of the CD high lights country blues, western, and country rock. The CD is a great mix of all that I like in Country & Western music, and Jay’s voice drove it all home."

- Doug Barber aka Qball 

Hank Williams Records by RustyKnuckles

Jay Berndt - Lonesome On'ry and Mean by RustyKnuckles