YO! Benny Fresh

Top 10 Favorite U.S. Cities:

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 01:57:00 -0400

Today I was chatting with one of my store managers about music and culture and touring. We talked a bit about my past touring history and he soon asked me which (U.S.) cities were my favorite to visit. Some of my choices were obvious and some I really had to think about… Here’s what I came up with. (Excluding my obvious favorite, Minneapolis.)

Top 10 Favorite U.S. Cities:

10. Charlotte, NC - The first time Sing It Loud played in Charlotte I absolutely hated it. Every time we were near the area we would stay at Pat Brown’s adorably accommodating relative’s house. Turns out I did a lot of growing up at that house and in that town- I started to fall in love with it. (Also, Sing It Loud’s fan base became pretty great there!)

9. Tampa, FL - To be honest, Florida was one state that I always (and still) dreaded going to. Why is it so humid!? But the friends I’ve met there are irreplaceable, life-long friends. Every person I had a relationship with from Tampa I still consider one of my good friend to this day.

8. Burlington, VT - I’ve only been to Burlington once. I was 18 years old and I thought it was the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen in my life. I hope to go back soon.

7. Nashville, TN - The people, the drinks, the food, the people and the drinks.

6. San Francisco, CA - San Fran is one of the most beautiful cities in America, but there is a feeling and an atmosphere that totally envelop you when you’re there. Just ask my good buddy Aaron Knickerbocker!!!!!!!

5. Portland, OR - I can’t really explain it, you just have to go there to understand. It’s absolutely gorgeous and I’ve never met a more friendly and unique people as I have in Portland. It’s like a liberal Minneapolis… on the ocean.

4. Boston, MA - Being a Midwesterner, I’ve always had an infatuation with the New England lifestyle. Perhaps we can call it, “Coastal Envy”. There was always something so much cooler and interesting about Boston than other cities; like the popular, preppy kid in high school (not the asshole; the one everyone actually liked). Boston is very much that kid and they are proud of it. There is an unmistakable vibe in Boston. It makes you feel alive.

3. Austin, TX - More crazy things have happened to me in this city than I care to recall, but I can tell you I have experienced the entire spectrum of human emotion inside the Austin city limits(pun intended), and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Cheesecake, whiskey and ribs - ‘nough said.

2. Milwaukee, WI - There is honestly no other city like Milwaukee, insanely unique and incredibly warm and welcoming. The people and sooo indescribably friendly and the landscape is so freaking weird…. One minute your playing a huge and incredible show at an old brick a mortar building intended to be a U.S. Nazi headquarters, the next walking by the hotel where Jeffrey Dahmer raped and murder one of his first victims, then the hood, then past a prestigious university, then the hood, the a beautiful city situated on lake Michigan. Ridiculous; I love it.

Which leaves us with number one…

1. Seattle, WA - Seattle is in a league of her own. Seattle is like your first love. You’ll never forget the way she made you feel. She will be forever on a pedestal. You will compare every other relationship to her and every time you see her you’ve fall in love all over again.

(Runners up: Ashville, NC, Madison, WI, Buffalo, NY, Chiacgo, IL, Iowa City, IA, Dallas, TX, Philadelphia, PA, Cleveland, OH, Detroit, MI, Baltimore, MD)

Field Notes: Settings - New York

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:42:01 -0400

Greenwich Village Dinner.

Field Notes: Ball - New York

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:40:39 -0400

Ball Game.

Field Notes: West Side - New York

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:39:38 -0400

West Side

Word Association: Bell

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:29:20 -0500

Word association:

The word “Bell” keeps popping into my head today.

Bell - A simple noise making device.

Belgrade - The capital city of Serbia (not sure why I know that)

Belstaff - An English jacket company thats been turning out expensively cool leather and waterproof jackets since the 1920’s

Belle - My dog.

The Bell Jar - Great novel by American writer Slyvia Plath published in 1963

Bell Boy - A job that would suck.

Went to Madison, had some fun.

Sun, 13 Feb 2011 20:16:47 -0500

Went to Madison, WI to see some music and hang with my friends. coupla photos I took

The Tribe and Big Cats

Sat, 12 Feb 2011 17:15:38 -0500

Just a quick photo of my boys

My boys in the band “Bad Rabbits” just recorded the...

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:24:08 -0500

My boys in the band “Bad Rabbits” just recorded the DOPEST cover of Michael Jackson’s Human Nature. Enjoy and reblog!

Archive: Ben's Friend Peter

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 18:28:43 -0500

I was going through my old hard drive today and I found these photos of my friend Pete. He moved into an old victorian mansion here in Menomonie, WI back in the summer. I though I’d snap a couple pics of him inside the joint. Enjoy.

Stephen Jerzak/Allstar Weekend Tour

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 22:13:00 -0500

I spent the last month and a half as a stage tech for my good friend Stephen Jerzak. We just finished up a stint with Allstar weekend and the fantastic boys of The Scene Aesthetic. I came across a few pictures from that tour.

Enjoy.

Smith Street Tattoo

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 21:57:51 -0500

My best boy Aaron and myself took a little New York City vacation about a month and a half ago. Aaron got some work done at one of the coolest shops in the country, Smith Street Tattoo (Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn). Aaron is an ink junky and tattoo connoisseur so he was more than ecstatic to get a couple pieces done by the OG’s of the biz. I can’t wait to get back out there and get some work done myself!

Smith Street artist…

-Bert Krak

-Steve Boltz

-Dan Santoro (seen in photo)

-Eli Quinters

Inspiration: Blue-Collar Backyard

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 13:49:18 -0500

Growing up I loathed the fact I was living in rural Wisconsin. Too many simpletons, I thought. Too many squares. Where was the culture? I felt no one in sleepy west-central Wisconsin had any goals or aspirations. They simply wanted to stay there and do what they had been doing for years, “nothing”.

I later discovered the culture, the integrity, the vigor, the inspiration and the overall “right stuff” were right under my nose! These people aren’t squares or uninspired, they’re living the life! Working for everything they have, loving the land they live on and building an amazing community. And most notably all the beer and cheese you could ever ask for. It’s easy to see what draws people to our humble corner of the country.

All of this hometown spirit has had me on a bit of a hunt this past week. I wanted to incorporate my love for style with the products made by the men and women from my backyard! The item on every style savvy young adult’s christmas list this year is definitely boots. Thick and chunky for the gentlemen, tall and chic for the ladies. Everyone wants them and I found a few great, strictly midwestern companies that having been hand-crafting boots since the days of Paul Bunyan and his logging buddies.

Unfortunately these companies are more geared towards men’s boots but I found a fairly new company based out of Virginia crafting some of the ILLEST boots I’ve seen in a while. Ladies you’ll have to sure to check out the last company listed.

Weinbrenner Shoe - Meril, WI

(Thorogood and Hellfire Boots)

Check out the American Heritage Collection -
www.weinbrennerusa.com

Chippewa Boots - Originally from Chippewa Falls, WI. Now being produced mostly in MIssouri.
- Check out the Arroyos/Packer Series.
Men’s-

Women’s -
Red Wing - Red Wing, MN
-Red Wing is easily the most recognizable name in the list.
-Be sure to check out their Japanese site. Red Wing makes a whole line just for the Japanese market. There are some really cool items on that site. (Tip from - A CONTINUOUS LEAN blog.)
US site - www.redwingshoes.com
Japanese site- http://www.redwingshoe.co.jp/

Sorry ladies… slim pickin’s at Red Wing for the Females.
Rider Boot Co. - Based out of Virginia, Manufactured in Italy.
- www.riderboot.com
-I stumbled across this brand and thought it too amazing to not share with you guys. Now Rider Boot isn’t manufactured in the mid-west or even the United States but the company is based out of Virginia. If you happen receive a generous amount of xmas cash I suggest you pick yourself up a pair of these bad boys. The craftsmanship and design in these boots are really something special.
Men’s -

Ladies -

Hannah Grace

Sun, 14 Nov 2010 16:41:29 -0500

I did an impromptu shoot with my little sister Hannah. She’s turns 14 in a few weeks; I can’t believe it. I wish she was ugly so I didn’t have to deal with the boyfriends that are sure to come! haha

It's Time.

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 14:33:48 -0400

It’s time….To start inspiring people. Let your colors show. We are the artists and the visionaries. We are the destiny, we are the forthcoming, we are the eminent, we are the future and we are beautiful.

Douche of the Week.

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 18:34:18 -0400

This weeks DOTW award goes to: The Obion County, TN Fire Chief & Mr. Glenn Beck

The story goes as follows. A family in rural Tennessee lost their house this week because they had forgot to pay their $75 “rural fire coverage fee”. This is a fee Obion County has in place for residents that live outside of the city limits. Fire fighters came to the burning house after the Cranik family had called 911 but refused to extinguish the flames because the family hadn’t paid there $75 fee. Consequently the family had to watch their house turn into ashes. After the news was made public, Mr. Glenn Beck, a seasoned asshole, stated on his FOXnews show that the family “got what they deserved”.

Wow.

Watch the story here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39516346/ns/us_news-life/

Douche of the Week.

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 13:50:00 -0400

This is a new segment I’m starting highlighting the people that make me say: “That guy is a douche!”

This week’s DOTW award goes to: Andrew Shirvell.

Andrew is an Assistant Attorney General for the state of Michigan. He has waged an internet campaign against a homosexual student assembly president at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. (Shirvell is a UofM Ann Arbor Alumnus) This grown man has been drawing swastikas on a college students picture! What a douche.

Here’s the story:

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/09/28/michigan.justice.blog/index.html?iref=allsearch

Quick Tip: Wrinkles Suck!

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 13:20:41 -0400

For the gentlemen:

Guys, none of us like wrinkles in our shirts and the thought of extensive ironing is enough to make us cry. Well Benny Fresh is here to help. This is a tip I thought everyone knew. After talking with some friends I realized not many guys are aware of it! So here you go!

Before you jump in the shower hang your shirt up on the bathroom door! The steam from the shower will be enough to take out most of your wrinkles! Not all of your wrinkles will disappear but it will take a 15 minute ironing job down to a quick once over on your shirt!

Here’s a quick example I did this morning on a J Crew plaid.

Before:

After Shower:

After 30 Second Ironing:

Now you’ll be looking fresh and wrinkle free!

Also: If you shirt isn’t severely wrinkled, you might not have to even touch an iron!

Bang! Bang! Shoot 'em up

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:01:34 -0400

Hey guys, It’s happens to be that time of year again… The PERFECT time to get your senior pictures done! And who better to take them then Benny Fresh!?

Here’s where I’ll be for the next month.

Email me at YOBENNYFRESH@GMAIL.COM to set up a shoot in your city.

September 28th - Charlotte, NC

September 29th - Cincinnati, OH

September 30th - Indianapolis, IN

October 1st - Saint Louis, MO

October 2nd - Chicago, IL

October 3rd - Cleveland, OH

October 4th - Lansing, MI

October 6th - Philadelphia, PA

October 7th - Manchester, NH

October 11th - Boston, MA

October 12th - New York, NY

October 13th - Asbury Park, NJ

October 15th - Toronto, ON

October 16th - Detriot, MI

October 17th - Milwaukee, WI

October 19th - December Available anyhwere MN, WI

Shoots I’ve done while on the road:

one forty plus: Intolerance

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 20:51:50 -0400

one forty plus: Intolerance:

I feel like anybody who is against the building of an Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero isn’t contesting that they’re being intolerant, rather they’re arguing (however spuriously) that they’re being justifiably intolerant. It reminds me of another specious debate, “is waterboarding…

Senior Shoots Summer 2010

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:17:39 -0400

Here are a few pictures from my favorite senior shoots this summer. Everyone I got to shoot was awesome and unique in their own way. They made it so fun for me. Thanks again to the lovely ladies I shot on this past tour.

Keep in mind kiddies the next couple months are the perfect time for senior portraits:)

hit me up at YOBENNYFRESH@GMAIL.COM