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Desert Island Stitch: The B-52s

Desert Island Stitch: The B-52s

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Who are the B-52’s? Kitschy Art? Surf Rock? Punk? Party Band? LGBT Pioneers?

Short Answer: Yes.

The B-52’s are a band like no other, and with no real contemporary. Their catalogue is filled with songs written to make you get up and dance. From that crazy freakouts on “Rock Lobster” to the stomper “Private Idaho.” I challenge you to find a lyric more perfectly evocative than “Orange Popsicles and Lemonade” from the song “Summer of Love”….! I’ve even been known to karaoke “Love Shack,” quite poorly, but the energy of the song gets people movin’ and groovin’!

B-52s Desert Island Stitch

Their iconic 1979 self-titled debut album hits like a shot and carries the listener away on a timeless journey of guitar riffs, keyboards, and bongo drums. Naturally I had to add it to the list of Desert Island Stitch pieces.

Because the cover is a group shot of all five members, I knew there was going to be a loss of detail due to the size of the stitches. However, since there is so much color blocking going on, I felt that I could still capture the tone of the cover in thread.

Side x Side Comparison

While creating this piece, I documented the progress, snapping a photo after every movie or television show we watched. I stitched the photos together and created this clip… spoiler alert: total stitch time: 77 Hours and 17 Minutes

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Garbage Cover Image
Desert Island Stitch: Garbage

Desert Island Stitch: Garbage

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My interest was immediately piqued when I heard the intro to “Vow” for the first time… “I can’t use what I can’t abuse”… and then the track immediately clocks into full kick-ass mode… “like Joan of Arc, coming back for more.” I had no idea who this band was, but I loved the rawness of it all, especially after picking up the “Subhuman” import single. The album is gorgeous pop defiance, one minute seducing you, the next, punching you in the face… so here we are at number eight of my Desert Island Stitch series with Garbage’s self-titled debut…

Garbage Desert Island Stitch

This piece was quite a journey from start to completion. The first stitch made at the end of last year, the original goal was to have it completed before the start of 2020, but the design process took much longer than planned… and then there was a cross country move that put things on pause for over a month… oh and a global pandemic made shit a little weird for everyone.

Garbage Desert Island Stitch Close Up
Garbage Desert Island Stitch Close Up

With each of these pieces there has always been a point in the process where I doubt myself and think that its not going to work out. Since this one took so long I sat with a lot of doubt. it wasn’t until I had finished the “G” that I stopped second guessing myself. But I have to say, I’m really pleased with the final result, especially how I was able to make the “G” look a little soft around the edge!

Garbage Desert Island Stitch Comparison
Garbage Side x Side Comparison

I must confess, my love of the band goes beyond the music. Picture it… Los Angeles, 1995… my first experience seeing them live was at the Roxy [can you believe they let an 11 year old into that place? I know, right?]. The tiny little venue heated up right quick as Shirley took the stage. After the show, everyone was herded out but we snuck back in to the venue through a back door and sorta hung around like we belonged. We spied Shirley mingling between small groups of people inside. I was able to steal her for a second to snap a quick pic and she excitedly signed my box set of the album.

Shirley Manson and Happi Devil after the concert at the Roxy

A few months later, I was able to meet the boys [Butch, Duke, and Steve] after the show at the Glasshouse in Pomona. The best part was talking at length with them about the wildly different packaging designs for each of the 7″ singles. I have to say, they were all just the fucking nicest people.

Anywho… lemme know what you think of Desert Island Stitch number eight in the comments below… only two more in the series to go… what could be next?!

Live at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery October 21, 2016