Hey, it’s Jane. Bobby’s pretty bad at introducing his friends, but if you haven’t noticed by now, I’ll be chiming in on the blog…

Last night, I attended the opening exhibition for Hanni El Khatib’s “Family” atHVW8, featuring badass work by Hanni El Khatib, and fellow artists, Nathan Cabrera, Keith P. Stone, Nick Walker, and Dr. Woo. In keeping with the show’s title, I am going to open with a personal anecdote about my friend Hanni and I. Once upon a time, on a quaint residential street in Los Angeles, Hanniand his lovely girlfriend lived in the apartment above mine. We are both pitbull owners, and when our dogs would play fight, it would cause quite a disturbance. Since meeting Hanni, I’ve had the privilege of seeing him play at some of the best venues in Los Angeles, but the most memorable performance was in his living room.

One summer night, after day drinking and getting a little psychedelic on our old shared front lawn, I coerced him into singing for us. He’d just gotten this shiny-gold-crooner-style microphone, and I wanted to see it in action. Needless to say, it was one of the coolest musical moments I’ve ever witnessed. We’ve since both moved out of that apartment complex, but our lives still intersect quite often… like last night, to celebrate the opening of his perfectly executed “Outlaw Americana” art show, which was complete with a live Mariachi band, and visuals that make you want to tattoo every surface of your body. The artwork was red, white and manly, there was PBR o’ plenty, and the vibe in the room was intimate and friendly, thanks to libations provided by good friendSean B.Congrats to the guys on a successful evening! (Insert sound of motorcyle engine revving to signify the end of this post.)

words by Jane Helpern