The tenets of the Advanced Theory are clear. The genius of Advanced artists has evolved past the point of ordinary people’s understanding. Advanced artists wear sunglasses indoors. They favor leather jackets. They insist on putting their pictures on the covers of their albums. And when they make ostensibly baffling decisions or pronouncements (often involving musical theater), it is not a joke. Except when it is an Advanced joke, and we don’t have room to get into that here.

Dave Smalley is the most Advanced man to come out of the ’80s hardcore scene.
Read More “The Advancement of Dave Smalley” »

Fourth in a series of 6, Dag Nasty’s Dave Smalley presents: “Top 9 Things That Rocked in 2008″

photo: LegendsMagazine.net

9. Bill Harris artwork in Fredericksburg

Harris is a painter who does stunning, often subtly dark works in lovely little Fredericksburg. He’s a talented artist who creates beautiful still lifes, yet does some understated, twisted works as well. He’s a master of color and line, and the subject matter often makes you think. He paints a lot of portraits and nudes, sometimes with something melancholy or even brooding about it–like “Invisible Sum,” where a nude woman halfway out of a bear costume stares forlornly into her purse. One wonders what the backstory was for that one. Or “Alone Together,” where a tattooed girl stands singing into a microphone in the middle of a restaurant, with no one paying attention. Some of his stuff can be seen on his Web site: wcharris.com. He’s often in his studio at LibertyTown Arts Workshop. Two big thumbs up. For those not in the know, Fredericksburg boasts an amazing art scene, with a host of artists and galleries doing really cool stuff.

8. Comic book movies

I’m a serious comic book geek, most especially into Marvel titles, but also some DC, from the early days of the Fantastic Four battling the Mole Man to about the ‘90s, when the costs of comics started to skyrocket and the artwork/stories started to suck. (Killing Captain America?! Heinous.) In the New World Order, Marvel and DC have shifted their genius quota to the movie side, and this year’s releases of The Dark Knight and Iron Man were easily deserving of all-time-top-movies status. Everyone’s written about Heath Ledger as the Joker in The Dark Knight, and he is brilliant in the role, but the whole film is perfectly paced, thoughtful, and disturbing–a tribute to the dark side of the Dark Knight. Christian Bale is equally brilliant as Bruce Wayne. As for Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. simply IS Tony Stark–he nails every nuance of the character perfectly, and the armor is ubercool. They even brought in the Dude as Obadiah Stane–a master stroke.

Read More “DC Punk 2008 Part 4: Dave Smalley” »