---
The University Daily Kansan
Music
Thursday, May 3, 2001
Section B - Page 3
Artists survive on multiple jobs
Continued from page 1B
rent's only $180 a month."
Like many artists, he struggles to pay his bills. He said the $10 per hour salary he gets from the cafe helps, but he also depends on selling his art.
"The feedback's been pretty positive," Joshua said. "They usually sell for $50 to $100. It's cool to have a boss who lets you put stuff on the wall."
Brian Mitchell spends his days working at Everything But Ice and his nights playing guitar or jamming with his band. Mitchell said he doesn't have many expenses, and gigs help to pay the bills. Photo by Selena Jabara/KANSAN
He is more productive now that he has conquered a drinking problem of 13 years, he said. He quit drinking last year after he said he realized his life was deteriorating.
Now, Joshua is a handful of credits shy of a teaching degree and hopes to teach preschoolers how to paint and draw.
Joshua also plays piano Tuesday nights at Java Dive. Next door at the Bourgeois Pig, he is planning a display Aug. 12 of his art and cartoons.
Across the street from where Joshua buses dishes at Paradise Cafe is Brown Bear Brewing Company, where underground musicians such as Brian Mitchell spend weekends performing. Brian can be found there tuning his gold electric guitar onstage, preparing for open mike night.
Peace, love and guitar
Brian performs regularly on the Brown Bear stage, where he knows the right crowd as well as the mahogany neck of his guitar. Comfortable with his skills, he rarely glances down to see the chords he strums.
The music he plays — jazz, Latin, rock, reggae and folk — brought him to Lawrence four years ago. His guitar goes where he goes. Their connection is so intense that Brian, 23, apologized to his guitar after bumping its black case into a door frame.
"You don't understand. This is my baby, my life," he explained, hugging the case to his chest.
Dressed in patchwork pants, a Phish T-shirt and a Rastafarian hat, Brian closed his eyes, nodded his head, smiled in satisfaction and pounded his left Bickstock clog to the beat of his music.
Music is Brian's life, but he pays the rent with his job at Everything But ice.
"I sleep until about 11 every day and go to work from noon to six." Brian said. "Then I go home and practice, and then I usually go find an open mike night somewhere."
Brian's white house on Kentucky Street demonstrates his love for music. His family room windowsill is lined with CDs and cassettes, and the adjoining wall is covered with Phish concert fliers. A drum set is pushed against a wall next to the front door, and wires for amplifiers and speakers snake across the wooden floor. His answering machine plays a guitar riff, followed by a beep.
"I live pretty meager," Brian said. "I live in the basement and there's no electricity in my room. But I only go down there to sleep."
Brian spends hours every day jamming in his family room with his roommate, Danny Spika, a member of the local band Random Happening.
Brian and his band, the Revelry Trio, will tour several towns this summer, including Omaha, Neb: Austin, Texas; and Norman, Okla.
Underground artists explained
Freaks, weirdoes and hippies are three words Brian uses to describe underground artists in Lawrence, suggesting a stigma that comes with putting art first and income last.
But he doesn't care.
"I've been in the underground, and that's where I want to stay." Brian said. "It's the vibe I dig. We're all here to learn and be better."
But chasing a career in art financially can hurt and students who major in fine arts often graduate without having a concrete job ahead. Some end up working other jobs to support themselves.
It's not like getting a pharmacy degree. Jeremy Matchett, associate dean of Pharmacy Practice, said his school had a 100-percent placement rate for graduates.
In contrast, Vickie Hamilton-Smith, director of communications for the School of Fine Arts, said, "We do not have any information tracking how our graduates do after graduation as far as getting jobs. It's something that may be we should focus on in the future, but no one has been doing it."
Underground artists seem drawn to Lawrence's artsy environment. James, the comedic actor, called it a liberal town to which artists migrate. Brian said he thought he'd get a career as a professional musician faster if he lived in Lawrence.
They also appreciate the numerous outlets for
For more photos and audio clips from Revelry Trio,
See www.kansan.com
More information
their work. The Lawrence Arts Center is home to dance and play performances, Liberty Hall, Granada, The Bottleneck and University Theatre book performances every week for dancers, acting troupes and bands.
In addition to restaurants and coffee houses that display local art, even government agencies find ways to support artists.
Karen Johnson, administrative assistant to District Court Judge Michael Malone, has hung the work of local artists on the walls of the judicial center since 1985.
"I rented pictures from the library for the first few months," Johnson said. "Then I decided to call the Arts Center and ask if they had any artists who wanted a place to display their work. These people have a wonderful talent."
For Lawrence's underground artists, developing that talent entails physical and financial pain. Besides the blisters and cracked skin that appear on her feet after intense rehearsals, Jennifer Wilson feels the pinch of a nearly unaffordable lifestyle.
sources are priceless and valuable.
"This is really difficult, money-wise," Jennifer said. "It's stressful when you get down to the last few dollars. You wonder why you're doing it. I can't really go out because I don't have the resources. If I can't afford to go out for a friend's birthday, I say I'll take a rain check—and that's a reality check."
If you or someone you know suffers from bipolar depression, you may be eligible to participate in a research drug study. This study consists of 8 weeks followed by 6 months of open-label therapy. Qualified participants are eligible to receive the following at no cost: study drug, medical and psychiatric assessments, lab work and sessions with a physician and/or a clinical study coordinator.
Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria:
Males and females 18 years and older. Subjects must be diagnosed with bipolar depression and must have experienced at least one previous manic or mixed episode. Subjects must not have any serious, unstable illnesses or have
substance dependence within the past 30 days.
CALL TO FIND OUT IF YOU QUALIFY (816)926-0932
Lease before you leave.
With fully furnished 3 & 4 bedroom apartments AND individual leases, let us take the hassle out of finding a roommate.
Call today for more details.
Call Us: 1-866-518-7570
2511 W. 31st St.
(behind Super Target)
ATTENTION ALL TRADITION KEEPERS!
FREE your mind from finals with a FREE meal.
Finals Dinner Wednesday, May 9 | Adams Alumni Center Stop by anytime between 5 p.m. & 8 p.m.
Steve Macelli's Italian cuisine is molto delizioso - hearty enough to cure all your finals woes. We'll dish up meat and veggie lasagne alongside salad and herbed breadsticks. Relax with a free shoulder
(If you haven't already received your Tradition Keeper benefits package,you can pick it up at dinner)
massage while you enjoy a mouthwatering dessert.
RSVP to saagurus@falcon.cc.ukans.edu or call 864-9779 by May 7.
kansan.com
Stop by the Adams Alumni Center at 1266 Oread Avenue if you'd like to become a Tradition Keeper – Finals Dinner is one of the many benefits of membership.
Bowling, Billiards, Trivia (w/ prizes!), Karaoke, movie "Happy Gilmore" and massage therapist
Door Prizes DVD player, camping set and 1 hr massage Breakfast (served by faculty and staff)
---