Forget about the falling on the way acceptance, the drug addled 'stars,' the mile a minute gibberish, the CGI bear or even Babs making people wet in the general eye area.
The Oscars last night were all about the beard. Full stop. Below is our proof, should you need it or missed it... we could go on pasting examples of fine facial hair fortitude, but thinking you agree we've made the case when the beardiest picture won top Honors, while best actor went to the dude protraying one of history's most famous beardo.
Congrats Ben, you deserve it... you've come a long way since your hairless child-face in Reindeer Games. Kudos.
We are tagging this post under Beard Ball, because frankly that's what it was at heart, just take a look at the volume...
By now you know... Adam "MCA" Yauch of Beastie Boys fame has passed away. We mourn him not only as a musical trailblazer, fellow tribesman, a great axeman, sick rhymealogist or a Brooklyn brother... we mourn him as a fellow beardsman. Even in the early days (see at the bottom) Adam was scruffy... and toward the end he was a full beardo. We will miss you, and sing your laurels for years to come, MCA. Rest in Peace.
Sad news today, beardos. Ryan Dunn, best known for his antics on "Jackass," has died in a car accident this morning in Pennsylvania. He was 34 years old and provided numerous laughs on the show along side his friend, Bam Margera.
Further details are still coming in.... You'll recall that in May, Build-a-Beard also had to report on the car accident that took the life of Randy Savage.
Sorry to bring you sad news on a Friday, but we have to recognize and commend a fallen beardo... a macho beardo, a beardo so macho that he wrestled dudes for over 4 decades every day in spandex pants and tassels, a beardo who's trimmed beard spoke for himself, that is when the mouth wasn't screaming OH YEAH!
That's right, you got it... we are sorry to report that Randall Mario Poffo, better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, died today in a car accident in Florida (as reported by TMZ)... his black (turned snow white beard), will be remembered for years to come... definitely saddened by these news, he was an early inspiration for me to grow a beard, and to eat slip jims...
We would like to posthumously award Randy the title of Beardo of the Month. OH YEAH!
From Shotgun Players theater company -- Rasputin: healer or hedonist or both? Playwright Jason Craig and composer Dave Malloy, who brought you Beowulf: A Thousand Years of Baggage, team up with Artistic Director Patrick Dooley to delve into the world of Russia's infamous bad boy mystic.
If you're in Berkeley, head to Ashby Stage (located at 1901 Ashby Avenue, at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way) from now until April 24th. Tickets range from $20 - $24. Check out Laughing Squid for more details on the production.
(Photo credit: Pak Han Featured in photo: Ashkon Davaran)
It's the case of an Orthodox Jewish rabbi from Brooklyn vs. the U.S. Army. Menachem M. Stern of the Chabad-Luvabitch community, a Hasidic group in Brooklyn, alleges in federal court that the U.S. Army has denied him the right to serve as an Army chaplain because his faith prohibits him from shaving his beard.
Last we checked, it's 2010, and seems downright ridiculous that the current Army grooming standards do not allow beards. Stern says the Army rules, which only apply on entering service and can be waived for those who cannot shave for medical reasons, are discriminatory and violate the Constitution.
We felt the latter point in this comment summed it up best: "I'm sure the Army has good reasons for it's no-beard policy, but there are also good reasons to ensure that the core of chaplains serving our nation's brave servicemen and women is as diverse as those in need of their ministry."
Back in late September we met up with three of the most magnificent souls in music, four counting our lovely beard loving folkster Sophie Madeleine, namely Emily Hope Price, Jeremy Styles and Jocelyn Mackenzie of Pearl and the Beard (self described as: three voices, one cello, one guitar, one glockenspiel, one melodica, several drums, one accordion, ninety-six teeth, and one soul).
This team of lovely souls, voices and laughs hit us right where it hurts, and it's been hurting SO good ever since. Not to mention the fact that they sell beards at their shows, Emily and Jocelyn went out of their way to make sure my (super) pregnant wife had a place to sit at their EP release... and trust me when i say there was NO room. Thank you again ladies.
Emily introduced me to the rest of the band as 'the guy that will make us famous'... which is laughable and humbling all at the same time... so, to try and live up to such hype, and to give back to a band that has changed the way i look at harmony, whether musically or socially (seriously)... Build-a-Beard stopped by the band's tour bus (cause we do that now) and the sublimed interview is below, and what resulted is our longest and most engaging Q&A to date.
Trust me, buy their EP, then their CD, then go see their shows... just trust me.
EHP = Emily Hope Price JM = Jocelyn Mackenzie JS = Jeremy Styles
So, this is the chance for us to make you famous... we are honored, and humbled you think this will help your cause... either way, tell us the 'story' behind the name of your band, Pearl and the Beard. JS: We tend to keep that a bit more vague, and open to interpretation, but as far as the Beard portion goes, when coming up with the name I was pretty obsessed with beards. They are sort of like a great butt or boobs on a man's face. I would just stare at a beard and be captivated with my lookin' balls.
You sell plush beards with a single pearl on it (a la Cindy Crawford's mole)... do they sell well? We get the feeling that people that can't grow beards FLOCK to fake ones, what say you? and where can our beardly deficient readers get their hands on it? EHP: We made them in order to support our beardless market. JM: Yes, and they’re actually selling quite well! They are made in America by the nimble hands of two fine young American art school graduates, our friend and former photographer Juliet Hinely, and myself. They are made by hand, individually crafted by Juliet and yours truly. They are time consuming to make, and a labor of love. The ONLY place you can get them is at a show! So come on down!
You have one beardo among you... who sometimes shaves... do you guys push him to shave or does he go willingly? JS: In the years we’ve playing I’ve only shaved once. EHP: No, you’ve shaved more than that! JS: Well, maybe one more time. I shave willingly. But I like going extreme. I’ll shave when it starts driving me nuts and I start twisting it in my fingers. JM: But you do trim, though. JS: Yes.
You're on tour to support your new EP, what are some crazy facial hair stories you've had on the road previously. bad hair days would qualify if they are on the chin... we'll also take the weirdest facial hair style that may have attended your shows. EHP: Well, we could talk about Franz Nicolay and his awesome moustache… but that’s it. JM: Our friend Brandon Mastrangelo [of Burning Oak and Larcenist] had a really sick beard going for awhile. EHP: We also talked about beards being one of the requirements of making a song a sea shanty. JM: Yeah, between Pearl and the Beard and our friends in Larcenist (formerly known as Vessel), I think we determined that for a song to be a sea shanty, there have to be at least six guys singing at the same time, and at least four of them have to have beards (see our old Sunday Brunch Episode for more specifics... notice Jeremy's lack of a beard) JS: Occasionally we’ll rub beards with people. EHP: Yes, we love the occasional beard rubbing. It’s better than a brass rubbing. It leaves more of an impression. JS: What’s a brass rubbing? EHP: You know, like in Indiana Jones, when he rubs the thing on the thing… JS: Oh yeah! EHP: It totally makes a good “impression...!” ALL: LAUGHTER! JS: Who else had good beards? EHP: Justin Tam [of Humble House] had a good beard for awhile… JM: Yeah, but it was pretty under control. JS: Oh, but don’t forget E-S Guthrie… JM: Yeah! His hair was so long, and his beard was like down to his bellybutton or something. Then he cut it all off. I liked it long, but he still looks good. So really our answer is: we’ve only encountered incredible hair.
I gotta say all the stuff written about your band is very ethereal, very soul and depth related... hell you guys even listed Gospel as a style on your FB page... that said, if we created a religion of worshiping facial hair (i.e. theopogonology), would you write our gospels and join in on the cult, erm club? JM: Well, only if we get really great titles. EHP: Jeremy, you would be the King of Panda Express. I would be the Queen of Tornados and Electronic Disturbance. JM: What would I be? EHP: You would be Queen of Tears. JS: I’d rather be Jeremy the Boob Grabbler. EHP: What did I say you were before? JM: The stupid King of Stupid Panda Stupid Express. But that doesn’t have anything to do with beards. JS: Well, would we be in the gospels, or would we just be writing them ourselves? EHP: I think we could write some. JS: I personally like to keep my options open when it comes to clubs, but I’d be happy to contribute to some of the literature.
Seriously though, how would you define your style personally, there is so much in your music from strings to stomping, bells whistles, a glockenspiel, call and answer whooping (which i love) and other layers upon layers of goodies... for god's sake there are only three of you! JS: Acoustic. JM: Done. Answered. JS: Other people have said we’ve created a new genre, whether I agree with that is arguable. EHP: I’ve never heard that. JS: I’m just saying what other people said. If you quote other people then you’re not wrong! EHP: The newest description we got was “Andrew Lloyd Webber sitting around the campfire.” But I talked to a musical theater guy who totally disagreed with that. JM: I don’t know. I just think we make music that we like to listen to. [Composer and multi-instrumentalist] Jim Altieri said to me once that if there’s music that you want to listen to that doesn’t exist yet, you just make it yourself. That’s what my favorite part of our sound is… we’re making music that we ourselves want to hear. You can’t go wrong with that.
What is your musical training has been? know that it couldn't all be learned on the fly... JS: I started taking very uncomfortable guitar lessons, then I was self taught with books and covering songs. Now I just watch other guitarists on stage and learn from what they’re doing. And I’ve been singing for always. JM: I’m a total faker. These two tricked me into learning how to play instruments, and I’m glad they did. EHP: Jeremy and Jocelyn found me passed out on the side of the road carrying a simple clover. JS: We replaced a forty of Colt 45 you were holding in your hand with a cello. EHP: And they were like, “Play something!” and I was like, “Okay.” JM: Yeah. EHP: And I was like, “Guys, I don’t know how to play this thing!” and they were like, “That’s just fine.” JS: Yeah and I said, “Just play like you drink.” EHP: Yeah. What’s funny about that is I don’t drink.
We've heard some of your tracks (like Lost in Singapore) compared to classical giants like Brahms... whom are actually your inspirations and what gets your creativity flowing?
EHP: Macaroni and cheese! Only from Kraft! Also, Annie’s is great. JM: And the box has bunnies on it. JS: Yeah. JM: I get inspired by everything I see! And I love They Might Be Giants. But my friends bands are the best bands I love. I can’t tell if I love their music because they are my friends or they become my friends because they write great music or both. JS: Last night I saw this guy Jacob Augustine and he really flipped my skirt up. It’s sort of a bittersweet feeling to see a new artist that makes me feel challenged, like I need to go back to the drawing board and write something better. EHP: I love Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, Franz Nicolay. JM: Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Uncle Monsterface, O’Death, Emilyn Brodsky, Tatters and Rags, Dinosaur Feathers. EHP: Anna Vogelzang JS: Radiohead has helped me write more songs than I care to remember. Oh and bee tee dubs, Jacob Augustine has a phenomenal beard. Fudge about.
Anything we didn't ask, that you are DYING to share? JM: Just that our new EP is for sale from our website www.pearlandthebeard.com and www.blackvesselep.com, through our label Family Records, and on iTunes, Amazon, etc. JS: Sounds good! JM: Also, when I was little I would watch Mtv and secretly wish that I could grow a beard like ZZ Top. My mom would tell me that if I really wanted to grow one I just had to wish for it and keep trying, and then I would realize my dream. Little did I know that she duped me.
I was somewhere around the office, on the east edge of Manhattan, when the fear began to take hold. I was headed to LaGuardia Airport just as I read a headline about flights to Canada being delayed or canceled because of the ash plume... I got worried for a second, I remember saying out loud "NH is not that high up north..."
Heading to Manchester for a 30 hour business romp, I jumped in a cab, got through security and to the terminal in record time... now facing more than an hour at the gate before boarding... So, as always, I was scouting beards... While there were surprisingly many there that day, for some reason, I wasn't on my game... the blame has to be the rigid environment of airports and the overarching loathing of travel that would preclude me from approaching other high strung beardos... or we can just blame Eyjafjallajokull.
That said, I did see a gent with an interesting and very neat beard style (thick but short trimmed side burns, with a twice as bushy goatee)... Finally, I get on the plane; a worn looking sucker with two propellers, with the landing gear that somehow folds in side them... Scary... Res ipsaloquitur… Let the good times roll.
Upon landing in MHT, and making a B-line to the men's room, like clockwork I came across that very beardo! Clearly, the beard gods were making me tell him about B-a-B and comment on his awesome facial hair DIY... it worked before... so we get to talking, and lo and behold Mr. JD Wilson divulges the secret to his tidy bushiness... it's a product called MANE 'n TAIL... yes, as in horse.
JD went on and on (about bees wax) and on and on (about mineral oils)... all to assure me that yes, while it's true this product was originally intended for horses, it does work wonders AND has a cult following, for HUMANS... all while we're standing in the men's room of the arrivals terminal.
And so dear B-a-B fans, I'm proud to present my bounty of beard scouting from New Hampshire... Search and ye shall find... Per their own Facebook group info:
Mane 'n Tail products were originally developed for horses. People started using the products to achieve the beautiful results they saw with their own horses manes and tails. This is where the legend of Mane n Tail products comes from, by nourishing, conditioning and fortifying the hair and scalp to aid healthier hair growth.
Wow, seriously? Yes, for real... The sages have spoken, the truth is here, the follicles will rejoice... Bushy, itchy, medium length beards need this product, bad! You can get it here, and by clicking on the magic jar below...
P.S. As hairy fate would have it, I had the seat right behind JD on the loud and bumpy ride up north. He was reading the whole time with the overhead light on, it was the right time to snap a candid... which I did, twice, not yet knowing the wisdom his beard was to hold. So I guess the trick is on you JD... cheers.
Thanks to our good friend Scott Baldwin (aka @scbaldwin) for alerting us to a beardo interview deep within the pages of GQ... we know, we know, we're pretty shocked too (but it's about damn time)... upon closer review, we here at B-a-B have found a new hero, in one Patrick Melcher.
While we've written about awesome skater beardos before (Scott Herskovitz: Proving it Doggy Style) and we've supported beardo skater art for some time (i.e. Art Bombs creations on Tumblr)... Patrick's feat is not to be outdone -- and we're not just talking about being a proud beardo in the pages of GQ). In addition to throwin it down on the street (do skaters throw down?), Patrick got 2nd place at the World Beard and Mustache Championships, yeah that's right... 2nd place! And how could he not, check out his awesome facial DIY creation below, as well as an excerpt of the GQ interview.
Check him out, he's worth it...
"GQ: How did the 'stache come about? Melcher: My teammate Richie Jackson was the direct influence. And I grew this really neat mustache, then put it on my webpage, and this dude contacted me. "You should join our beard club." So I joined the Bristly Chaps of Los Angeles beard club, and they invited me to the world championships in Anchorage. So I went and won second place for the Imperial Mustache. It was in the L.A. Times, TMZ, and on CNN."
We like traditions at B-a-B, and good thing there is a TON of great animation out there, so we're able to continue last week's trend... besides, don't say you don't like nor appreciate it. Beards, presented in cartoon form and on a day off; three of the best things in the world combined into one hairy, weekly post. Sit back, bask in the fact that it's just Sunday morning, grab some coffee and enjoy!
The first is a cute (and informative) teaser of toxicjOEcartoons's The Adventure Beardcomb! Says it should've been available this past summer and yet we can't find a trace of it... sad, and we do feel teased.
We particularly like the second video (via fayheady), not just because of its lovely elevator type, uber peppy chorale music in the background, but mainly because of the beard that fights back against those that wish it to be shaved... right on hairy brother; needy significant others take notice.
The last one found us by way of, Beardo creator himself, Martin Fletcher and it's on the longer side (over 20 mins) because it's a full episode of Dexter's Lab, titled A Beard To Be Feared. Brilliant indeed, thanks for passing it along.
Well that'd be all folks, hope you enjoy the rest of your Sunday and what remains of the much needed recovery from the weekend's escapades. Chin up y'all!
I can't speak on behalf all of B-A-B community (or staff), but I've personally never been much of a comic book or super hero kind of beardo. However, I did always try to understand those around me that were/are completely obsessed with the trade, because real people are more fascinating.
That said, in comes Martin Fletcher (a fan on Facebook) and blows that whole perspective out of the water. B-a-B community, please meet Beardo, the bearded super hero (followed by several shots of the creator himself, with a fine style and chin mane of his own). Mr. Fletcher (can we call you Mr.?) what you did here is good, nay, great. Let this be a call to action for you to develop this character, and we'll post your strip on B-a-B... our door is always open for such talent and facial fuzz goodness. Think about it, and say yes.
Now, I will reiterate, i am by no means an expert, and yet Mr. Fletcher's initiative induced an interest within me to answer the burning question which superheroes have beards or other facial hair... I am not going to attempt to claim that i fully answered this question (you can see much more involved folks discussing it here, and here), but below are my top 3... I encourage a civil discussion.
Credit: Getty
Credit: GettyTo Paul Rudd's Monet beard:
Credit: Herald SunHugh's chivalrous facial hair follicleness:
