We've got your 'Hons'... and they're right here in Bawlmer Merlin Hon! There is a fantabulous phenom in Baltimore called 'The Hon'...
She was made famous by Baltimore film maker John Waters in movies like "Pink Flamingos," "Polyester," and the original movie and eventual Broadway hit "Hairspray." Hon is short for the term of endearment 'Honey." Which is what I usually call my own hubby... as in "Hey Hon, whatcha doin' Hon!"
The fab 'Hons' we are talking about here are the big bold B'more ladies with mile high beehives and a big helping of friendly sass.
The more gaudy and covered in baubles n' baggage, well...the better for shopping and walking 'downy avenue' in Hamden Hon! Must be where Marge Simpson got her good looks.
If you get the feeling that the Hon is a very revered woman in Bawlmer you may be correct. For the Bawlmer Hon is celebrated every year at the Honfest in kitschy hot pink flamingo style! The Baltimore neighborhood of Hamden becomes a colorful streetfest full of those loveable tacky trashy 'Hons!' Everyone is invited to join in the fun!
This is one of the most wacky wonderful festivals you could ever attend! If you are a people watcher, this is surely hot pink n' purple paradise for you! Smiles fill the air...as well as pink flamingos!
The Honfest was started by Denise Whiting owner of the 'Cafe Hon' because the annual contest for the 'Best Baltimore Hon' at her restaurant became so gosh darn popular! Below is the iconic fixture of Hamden's 'Cafe Hon'... "Big Pink!" You gotta love it!!!
The 'Cafe Hon' is a mecca for Hon lovers. In business for 18 years I think they know their Hons! So you can go learn more at the Cafe Hon web site which is chock full of info... on... well...Hon-ness!
You will find Hons both young and old dressing in this fab gear garb. The look is: colorful sixties, some sparkle, some trash, some blue eye shadow, a tower of hair well encrusted with hairspray, and a mad dash of Elvis for retro snazz. So join in and get wiggy with it!
If you need help getting your 'do' piled high, they got you covered in the foo-foo gorgeous 'Glamour Lounge' right on the avenue Hon! Relax on the sofa, and be one with the Hon you know you are!
This funky festival has lots-o-foodie treats, live bands, and Hot Hon glam supplies for your inner child's dress-up-pleasure. The contest for the 'Best Baltimore Hon' is still a highlight of this weekend event and here is this years reigning Queen! Isn't she lovely?
One thing you need to do before you come to the Honfest is to learn some Bawlmerese. Then you will understand the locals and street signs like the one below. Oh and that's Denise on the nifty sign with her pal big 'E.' They are keepin' it real and tellen' ya where to go!
Let's check in with the magic of this Honfest video just to learn a few more tips about looking 'bootiful' gals! You know you are going to have fun while you stroll 'downy avenue' in your hot pink feather boa and cats eye shades! Because "youz is lookin real purdy now Hon!"
Oh there is my hubby with our pink smoothies getting flocked!
Aowyn was out wandering amongst the flamingo's too, and was a bit startled by the pink plastic goodness. She was not quite sure if the pretty in pink birds of this Flamingo Land were real or not!
'Hectic Red'... the absolute best Baltimore Classic Rock Band were at the Honfest! Whoo Hoo! Does not get any better than this Hon!
Everyone of all ages loves classic rock...even Hons! Take a listen to Hectic Red Live on this video and you will see why I have been a fan of those Bawlmer boys for 23 years!
There's the hubby again... the fantabulously talented Ben Sherman doing his amazing guitar thing! Yes... he is the man and my King! Am I lucky or whatttttttt??!!!
The Honfest Volunteers were rockin' to Hectic Red and giving them the thumbs up! Everyone young and old is dancing and moving!
Rich Filbert enjoying the energy of the Honfest crowd!
Hons were observed gathering near the big red machine!
Danny Grim was giving a shout out to the Hons, and suddenly there was a rainstorm in the middle of the Hectic Red show. The crowd came back from their shelters fifteen minutes later to sunshine and more great classic rock! Everybody is happy and dancing with joy!
To open the rain delay second half, the Hectic Red guys sang their own tribute to the Bawlmer Hon. They tickled the crowd with Bawlmerese accents to the very appropriate song by Queen, "Fat Bottom girls." (Sound is distorted by the fan's cell phone being next to the speaker stack...view the You Tube of that moment here.)
John Suchy wearing the Hon pink and wowing everyone with his keyboards, guitar and vocals.
At the end of the evening the crowd began chanting and flickin' their bics requesting an encore please!...and another!
Two encores were enticed by the Honfest crowd and Hectic Red gladly filled the requests. So everyone left into the sunset of the evening at Roosevelt Park and 36th Street in Hamden quite happy Hon!
I got in on some Hon action to celebrate the Baltimore Hon, and designed a line of clothing and merchandise for the Hectic Red store at Shermanator Gear 2. Now you can go get your Hon on too!
This past weekend Hectic Red's gig had a Halloween contest included. As synchronicity would have it, the winner was a little one who had asked her mommy to buy her a Hon wig while at this years Honfest. That beehive wig was almost as tall as she was! Her purse is made from labels of the local brew 'National Bohemian', which in Bawlmerese is called a "Natty Bo." Forget the Twilight crowd on Halloween...this girl was a Bawlmer stylin' Hon... and won!
So ends this super pink Honfest post.... I hope you enjoyed your experience......... Hon!
Credits: Frames: Coffee Shop Blog's Vintage template pack from kpauli flicker, First Hectic Red Group Photo elements: Itkupilli - Test sheet items, Random Alpha - Deviant Scrap/Holliwood Studios
I created a design for the Sony ATV authorized lyrics inspired products line. I am not sure if I will do anymore as Sony ATV now owns my design. I thought it was worth it though, to be able to legally use Beatles lyrics on a design. That was the fun part! This artwork is a colorful modern take on the Lennon/McCartney lyrics of "Come Together" that simply say world peace to me. This design just came together for come together. That is God in the details to be sure!
The products with my new lyric design can be found for sale in Shermanator Gear. There are posters, various mugs, and apparel available. All designed by the 'never gets any sleep' 'all nighter' 'I must be crazy' person, aka The Painting Queen of Crystal Visions Art.
The design can be put on a large assortment of men's, women's, children's and infant clothing, and in many colors too. Since I am only allowed to make 10% of each sale, this artwork was done just for the joy of doing a legal Beatle design. I guess I will just have to buy some of my own stuff! UPDATE: Some fabulous person with cool taste bought 15 of my Black "Come Together" Tote Bags! Awesome!
When you combine an artist/designer and a professional musician together what do you get? Why lots of Music Merch of course! In this day and age that means an online store filled with music themed products we design ourselves. In the continuing creative effort to bring our fans more merchandise choices we have opened a new fan store at Zazzle called Shermanator Gear 2. I am excited to be designing even more items for 'Hectic Red', Ben Sherman Guitar, Music Teachers and creating new designs for Ben's other musical projects as well.
Currently we are researching more online companies to possibly add to our online store Empire. I have to design some product, test their interface, and purchase something to check the quality. You can be sure that we are on the look out for the coolest shhhwwag we can get!
One of the supreme joys of the Queen is getting to share in the King's musical world!To be at a Hectic Red Event is to be around happy people who support The Big Red Machine's awesome live music!
I always enjoy the crowd! The guys in the HR band are talented, friendly and eager to put on a great show for the audience. The fans are extremely loyal and always full of enthusiasm and appreciation. Totally cool! After all… 'Hectic Red' IS the best Classic Rock Band in the entire Baltimore area people!!! That is why I am passionate about getting the word out about Hectic Red! This is a labor of love!
No other band 'round these parts does the HR set list. The four part harmonies of Rich, Danny, Such and Ben are unmatched. Really… now who else around here has that? Nobody. These same four guys have been together for the entire 22 years! No other band in the Baltimore area can say that either! Some local bands are known by the name they made for themselves back when they still had their best players, but now those bands for various reasons have a changing rotation of musicians. Hectic Red gets their dynamic tight playing from 22 years experience of always playing together…Rehearsal not necessary!
You can tell by their fun attitude the HR guys enjoy what they do too!
I was a fan when the band started out 22 years ago at the Dulaney Inn in Towson…so I am not being prejudiced just because my fiancé is the lead guitarist. HaHa! It happens they perform to perfection some of my personal favs from when I was a skinny hippie girl… Funk 49, Long Distance Runaround, Southern Cross, Suite Judy Blue Eyes, Steely Dan, Genesis...Beatles… and the Hectic Red rendition of the 'Dixie Dregs' version of 'Led Zeppelin's Kashmir' is to die for! Powerful sound! I love these guys!!! They all are such sweethearts that it's no wonder everyone enjoys working with them at gigs...even Club Sharks!
John Suchy is a man of many talents…the utility man sings wonderful vocals, plays acoustic and electric guitars, and really killer keyboards. Sometimes all at the same time!!!!
That rascally Knight Danny Grim sings the high vocals, while playing bass, along with his famous Moog Taurus foot pedals! Yikes!!!
My old friend Rich Filbert, sings vocals and harmonies while he plays his drums with absolute precision. And yes... ladies.... he is still single. (I attempted some drum lessons a few times with Rich back in the day....well, I still cannot play, but I have huge respect for the skills of drummers! Especially Rich!) Finally the guitar virtuosity of Ben Sherman enables HR to perform thrilling versions of Joe Satriani's Satch Boogie, and Eric Johnson's 'Cliffs Of Dover…and if you never had the experience of hearing Ben's guitar playing live…. it is jaw dropping! I am a total fanatical fan every time Ben plays his solos. I get lost joyfully on the wave of his creation in that moment! I get to hear and enjoy all the crowd comments while the guys are on stage; along with the kind words people have to say about Ben directly to me.
One of the constant phrases I heard the past year over and over from fans was "Ben Sherman IS the Sh*T!" One show where HR was playing with Rob Fahey and Crack The Sky, … Rob told a story to Ben that I overheard. Apparently someone had come up to Rob and told him that he needed to check out this guitarist that this particular guy had just seen the other night. "Who was it?" asked Rob. "His name is Ben Sherman." "Oh man," says Rob, "Ben Sherman IS the SH*T!" Right then and there, I said to myself that I have to design a tee shirt with that phrase on it. Especially now since even Rob Fahey said it! Haha!
I wore my shirt to last night's gig and every time someone told me how fantastic Ben's guitar playing was I just pointed to my sh*t sh*rt! Now the latest phrase I am hearing is "Your guitar playing is SICK man!" What kind of t-shirt design would that be???? Haha! (If you want one of these new designs you can buy 'merch' online at Shermanator Gear) Last night's HR gig was not far from home, which was a treat for us! Yea! The crowd went wild and even at the end of three sets gave standing ovations along with cries of "More! More! Do one more song!" Hectic Red did and still the chants continued… This is the way it is at HR gigs! People love 'em! This is just what happened last year at the Towsontown Festival! The crowd was on its feet multiple times during the show, and just kept yelling for more at the end of the Hectic Red show in a rousing ovation! Which is why I am at a loss for why HR is not playing there this year. (Ah the smelly underbelly of the local music world snarks across the swamp. That's my politically incorrect rant, ha!ha!)Now back to last night…How great is it that HR fans stayed out for all three sets?!!! What fan dedication! Kudos to Jenny coming out with an injured leg and her psychedelic cane! Also to Lauren supporting HR with a pinched nerve! A big shout out to the Lighting Babe and her Revel Grove crowd. I feel very blessed that all these good people have been so kind and welcoming to the Queen. Thank you all!
An added note: Ben had someone come up to him today who had been at the show the other night. The young man in his twenties looked at Ben shaking his head and said, "Dude!........Duuude!... Unbelievable! That was the best cover band I EVER heard!!! I called all my friends and said, "You missed it Dude!!!"
I think that pretty much sums it up for the committees, venues and agents who are not booking Hectic Red! Duuuuude!
Ahhhh....My Very own Guitar God!!!! The Queen is sooooo happy!
