Mike, could you respond to Mr. Mackie's comments to Seattlest?

The image was removed from the agency’s web site within days of my receiving the letter from his lawyers. That seemed suitable at the time - we informed them we complied and that was pretty much the end of it I thought. I did not get served a law suit until about one year later and was completely shocked....To my knowledge, the image was destroyed and not re-distributed by myself or anyone else that I know of. I had even tried to get it back just for my own records but was told the image had been destroyed, as per their request. After being served the law suit, we’ve been working this entire past year on trying to resolve this. Nothing myself or my lawyers have done have seemed to satisfy Mr. Mackie or his lawyers. If he wishes this to end as much as I do, as he mentions, he might wish to make that clear to his lawyers.

You posted a request for donations to assist you in your legal fight recently. What's the response been like since then?

I introduced the legal defense fund web site on Sunday, Jan. 31st on my private Facebook page, initially to enlist my friends and family to help in the mounting legal costs. By Monday, it had jumped from my Facebook page to others’ Facebook pages to Twitter, and beyond. So, what initially was started as a small request of friends and family turned into something much bigger.

Had you been interested in issues of fair use or involved with the Stanford Center Fair Use Project or EFF before this?

I’ve obviously been interested in it as a photographer prior to this whole thing happening and, in the last two years of this, have seen a lot of stories and such. The Shepherd Fairey case with the Obama “Hope” poster was how I initially became aware of the Fair Use Project.

This was not intended to be fought over in the press. The legal defense fund was set up initially so my friends and family could assist with some of the mounting legal costs associated with trying to defend myself in this matter. I posted a link to it on my private Facebook page and it somehow took on a life of its own. I have been surprised and thankful for the support from people all around the globe.

Well, first and foremost, it seems to be extremely supportive. There's not really a competitive quality to things like a lot of people have told me they thought. Everyone is trying to do everything they can to help each other out. And there are a LOT of amazing songwriters and bands coming out of LA right now: Jason Boesel, Blake Mills, Delta Spirit, Romany Rye, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Haim, and Chief to name a few.

CSN are cited quite often by music writers when discussing your record. Do they rank that highly among your self-identified influences? Who else falls do you cite as most influential?

They don't necessarily. I understand people mentioning them because of that California sound and 3 part harmonies, and I do love their records, but in regards to songwriting, I feel like its two very separate approaches. Some of my biggest influences, at least right now, would be Warren Zevon, Will Oldham, Bill Callahan, Tom Petty and Jackson Browne. Along with the more universal ones like Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan.

Are there any sites you hope to see or activities you hope to do while in Seattle?

To drink really amazing coffee.

What else do you have planned for 2010?

Tour the larger part of the year and then make a record to hopefully be released early 2011.

*Short list of current favorite Seattle bands in this category includes but is not limited to: The Cave Singers, The Maldives, The Moondoggies, The Dutchess and The Duke and of course Fleet Foxes.

If you had your choice, what would be the perfect activity for listening to Arrow?
Getting your teeth cleaned and listening to it on your iPod.

Do you really want people to connect your music with dental work?
I hope it takes them away so they feel no pain!... I listen to vinyl at home, and I love it for many reasons. It's a real physical experience, and it can make me just sit down on my couch and look at my speakers and listen. I feel like our music can pull that from a listener, but maybe this one can be something you listen to while going through the motions of your day... What I'm trying to say is you should get this record on vinyl because it sounds good... I feel like it can pass through a little more, and every time you listen to it, your ear will grab on to something new.

You're on tour with Van Dyke Parks?
Our first spectacular is in Seattle, and we are just really really excited about it. We do lots of touring and collaboration, but for us, it's just such a high level of excitement us, musically and artistically. We love him as a friend, we love him as a musical mentor... If you look at the last 40 years of great touches he's put on music, and how unknown and under-appreciated his own music is, it's kind of horrifying. We were just on tour this last couple weeks with Nouvelle Vague, and we were listening to a CD we burned of songs that [Parks] will be doing... and we were just freaking out at how good it is... Real music geeks absolutely know Van Dyke, but it's amazing how beautiful and accessible his songs are, having been a little bit under-promoted. We're just excited to be a part of us doing his thing 100% and him doing his thing 100%.

Now in addition to your own tunes, you've got a couple of really great covers out there. What's the attraction for you in doing cover songs, and what are some other songs you'd like to offer your own take on?
I think the two songs we have done cover versions of [Tears for Fears' Everybody Wants to Rule the World and Genesis' That's All] are really, really really great pop songs. We find no point in doing a cover of a song if you're going to do it similarly to the original, because the original is usually great, and why would you try to mimic that? So we kind of Reasonify everything we do...It's fun, too, when we're performing live, because even though these songs aren't metal songs or polkas, they're a little out of the realm of what people think we would do, so whenever we bring a new one out, there's a nice sense of surprise and enthusiasm. We like to think outside of our box, whatever that box is... When I was 4 years old, [That's All] was my version of rebellion. I think I heard it on the radio a while ago and I was like "Tuba! We need tuba! We have to do this song!" And now we're on this exciting quest of touring and picking up a new tuba player in every town... and we've been having such a blast.

You've also collaborated with artists like Sufjan Stevens and Shara Worden - if you had your pick, who would you like to work with in the future?
I don't know... most of them are probably dead... I love David Bowie, but that's not attainable. I don't really think that way - I have my people that I love that I don't really put in my head that I'd ever get to collaborate with, and Van Dyke is definitely on that list, which is why it's so wonderful and so surreal.

Clare and The Reasons play Tuesday, February 9 at The Triple Door with Josh Mease and Van Dyke Parks. To listen to tracks from their latest album, Arrow, visit their website at www.claremuldaur.com/.

Scenic and costume designer Peter Docherty frames his stage with Romantically Draped Curtains, ushering the audience into the marble and gold-leaf palace where the story takes place. His cast is dressed in the heighth of fashion: at Princess Aurora’s christening the king and his court is festooned in the styling of the High Renaissance era and the fairies in beautiful classic tutus and sparkling tiaras (likely resulting in at least one little girl demanding to be enrolled in ballet class).

The fairies dance in a series of sprightly solos to bestow Beauty, Wit, Generosity and so forth upon the infant princess. The court dances in an inordinate number of gold boots. The king and queen lounge in yards of velvet. But as it happens, the disgruntled Carabosse (a charming Olivier Wevers) shows up and manages to get her curse in; the court is dismayed, spinning wheels are banned, etc.

Sixteen years pass and the lovely Princess Aurora appears to dance at her birthday party and society debut. One of our favorite classical ballet sequences is the Rose Adagio - which includes long, difficult balances, yet in her dancing the ballerina must be the living embodiment of each fairy’s bestowed charm, though we don’t remember there being a Fairy of Intense Concentration and Athletic Ability. Carabosse appears to fulfill her curse and Aurora’s suitors are, of course, useless as they blunder after the evil fairy with their swords drawn.

After Aurora has been asleep for 100 years the cast is again dressed in the heighth of court fashion, emulating the Versailles-vogue of Louis XIV. The third and final act of the ballet is our favorite, as the court celebrates the wedding between Aurora and her prince with a series of short character vignettes; the fairies joyously reappear and the prince and princess dance a final lovely pas de deux. The court dances. The end.

PNB’s acquisition of Ronald Hynd for The Sleeping Beauty and its ability to clothe its stage, choreography and company in opulent, elaborate dressing is an advertisement in artistic opportunity and wealth. The ballet’s many solo roles and short character variations demands a deep and capable cast, so at any point you will see PNB’s entire professional division onstage - with five different ballerinas rotating through the difficult role of Aurora. “The Sleeping Beauty is perhaps the greatest technical challenge of any ballet in our repertory,” says Proud Papa Peter Boal; indeed it is a testament to the company’s depth of skill and talent. PNB’s next classical undertaking is a new production of George Balanchine’s Coppélia over the summer. Can’t wait.

Finally, for those who like knowing stuff, here are some additional Sleeping Beauty tidbits:

• Walt Disney’s version of the fairy tale gives mad props to Tchaikovsky's score from the ballet, adapting it to furnish the music for the film: “Once Upon a Dream,” etc. etc. One of the film’s spookiest scenes is Aurora’s bewitched ascent into the castle tower, brilliantly coupled with the music from the Puss in Boots pas de caractère in the ballet’s third act.


• The Seattle Public Library carries The Complete Fairy Tales by Charles Perrault, whose version of The Sleeping Beauty is widely recognized as the original basis for the story we know today. It’s easy enough to school yourself on the seminal versions of "Sleeping Beauty", "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Puss in Boots" - a character who shows up in the Shrek movies as well.


• We saw an excerpt from Donald Byrd’s The Sleeping Beauty Notebook last fall at Spectrum Dance Theater’s Byrd Retrospective. The New York Times reviews the piece in its entirety. We’ll be on the lookout for any plans by Byrd to show the complete piece here in Seattle.


• Word on the street is that Tim Burton is considering making a Sleeping Beauty spinoff film from the perspective of Maleficent. Make it good, Mr. Burton! kthxbai.

Through Februrary 14th // McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer Street // $25 - $160

We had originally hoped to make this more of a healthy Super Bowl foods post, but then we realized--who are we kidding? Guys don't want to eat turkey burgers or fresh spring rolls while watching football; this is their day and they want all of that delicious fried food that they associate with the big game. Plus, turkey burgers and fresh spring rolls are foods we love to make in the summer and foods that we would much rather dedicate an entire post to when the season is right.

Regardless, we chose instead to do a recipe on homemade buffalo wings because that's what they want, what they love, and more importantly, what they'll eat (and hopefully thank you for). This was our first time making buffalo wings, and we were actually quite shocked by just exactly how much they taste like any others that you might get with a drunken pizza delivery order. If we would have realized long ago how easy they were to make on our own, there would have been many past Super Bowls where they would have been a favorite.

So if you're watching the Super Bowl this year, we hope that you'll be enjoying some great food and a good cold one with all of your friends. We know we'll be.

Homemade Buffalo Wings
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lbs. chicken wings
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup Frank's Hot Sauce
• Vegetable oil for frying

Optional Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. Tabasco sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp. cider vinegar
• Cayenne pepper to taste

Preparation:

Cut the tips off of the chicken wings and either throw them away or save them for making stock. Cut the chicken wings in half at the joints. Heat a skillet with 2" of frying oil on the stove top. Fry the chicken wings until they are finished, about 5-8 minutes. Drain.

While your wings are frying, melt butter and the hot sauce in a pan. Once the wings have drained and the sauce is melted, toss the wings in the sauce to coat. Serve and enjoy.

Blue Cheese Dip
The Joy of Cooking

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 finely chopped parsley
• 1 to 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice or red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• Pinch of ground red pepper
• 4 oz. Roquefort or other blue cheese

Preparation:

Combine all of the above ingredients in your food processor and process until smooth. We normally put in 3/4 of the blue cheese before it processes and then add the last 1/4 at the end so that there will be some blue cheese chunks throughout.

Note: This recipe makes quite a bit though it says it only makes 2 1/4 cups. If you do not plan on using it later on, we would recommend cutting it in half. However you could also use on salads or as a dip for any other veggies you may have out.

The sound has expanded, becoming more vibrant, alive and natural. More of a live band feel. Wanted to capture the dynamics of our live show on this record. As far as the writing goes, I felt an improvement in the consistency of lyrical quality. Felt like I had a better handle on that, in general. Just more of a sense of what I like and don't like.

Overall, the sound of your new album comes off as more optimistic. Do you feel that's at least a somewhat accurate interpretation and if so, to what do you attribute the shift in tone?

Definitely. Leaves was pretty moody and brooding and sad. I was wanting to change that with this one, at least a little bit. I was just in a happier, more hopeful place and I wanted WW,WB to reflect that. Just really wanted to put something a little more positive out into the world...

As you've played Seattle a number of times, what are your favorite memories of your time here?

One of my favorite show was at Neumos with Silversun Pickups. That was the first time we played Seattle and the audience's energy was over the top. It was just after our first EP came out, and people were just starting to get to know us and SSPU (who are very good friends) were getting huge so it was a really exciting show for all of us.

Coming from a town that has a fascination with all things Sea- (planes, Hawks, Tac, etc) we're curious how you settled on naming your band (presumably) after the Jack London novel (or possibly the vintage arcade game)?

After the Jack London novel. Like Jack London and the protagonist in The Sea-Wolf, I'm originally from the SF Bay (Berkeley) and have that nautically influenced culture in my veins. Mostly, though? I just liked the name. It's connection to my roots just made it stick.

Were you an Augusten Burroughs fan before your collaboration? How would you describe that experience?

I'd never read any of his books, but knew of him because Running With Scissors was on my list of books to read. He approached me about the idea of writing and recording a song inspired by his new book and including it in the audio version. I was a little unsure of what he was looking for, but he pretty much gave me free rein, so I just decided I'd write a song immediately after finishing the book so as to hold on to whatever feeling it brought up in me, no matter how far out from the book it was. I decided to treat it like an exercise, so I read the book and wrote the song in a day. Luckily, the song turned out pretty well and everyone was happy.

Are you seeing a shift in your fan base as huge masses have been exposed to your music via nontraditional avenues such as New Moon and Gossip Girl?

Not sure. We finished our Fall headlining tour before all of that, and now we're opening for Phoenix and playing in front of audiences that are mostly there to see them. So it's hard to tell if there's been a demographic shift.

What are you most looking forward to in 2010?

Touring, touring, touring!

"DANCE STEPS ON BROADWAY" by JOEL DAVIS-ALDRIDGE from the Seattlest Flickr pool.

Hipple and the stock photo agency he works with removed the photography in question, and his stock photo agency settled via their insurance company. I understand that it's important to enforce copyright, but it seems like once the image has been removed, you've made your point. Why are you continuing your suit against Hipple?

He blew the stop sign, and he got caught, and now he's claiming that he's the victim, but he is generating the expenses that are being incurred by continuing this thing and not saying "Stop. What can we do to make this right?"

Yes, anyone can make a photograph of my work. What they can not do is use my work for their profit without any contact with me...(Hipple) is playing pretty loose with the facts here and in many other claims.

A critic can use a piece of a film being reviewed as fair use...If a movie maker used that same piece of film (without gaining a use agreement) in a movie they made (and claimed copyright to) is that fair use? No. It is copyright infringement.

What about the argument that it's not copyright infringement but derivative use? Andy Warhol's lithographs of Marilyn Monroe come to mind, for example.

That's worth a discussion, it also requires acknowledgment of the base image, and agreement with the owner of the base image.

According to Hipple, he attempted to settle with you out of court, but was rejected once he brought up "fair use."

It is not fair use.

Anyone can have whatever opinion they want about copyright. I even have some issues, especially as this is about the 30th infringement I've had to fight, once to the US Supreme Court to protect my copyright. However, whatever one's opinion of copyright, it is Federal Law and available for prosecution when an infringer does not take the easy way out when offered two and half years ago.

This is not an inadvertent snapshot of a shoe on a sidewalk. This is a staged photograph. It's about three feet from the copyright notice. I find it unfortunate that he's brought this online - he can stop this whenever he wants.

We plan to get Hipple's side of the story as well. More to come.

7:00 and 9:00 p.m. // Northwest Film Forum 1515 12th Ave // $9

ROOSTER SNUFFERS:
Common misconceptions about Alice in Chains:
1) The group reuniting was the first sign of the apocalypse. Turns out, it wasn’t. A band’s gotta do what a bands gotta do, and a fan’s gotta love what a fan’s gotta love. Plus there have been tons of other signs well before 2005 that the world is going to end.
2) Replacement lead singer William DuVall is related to Robert Duvall. Check your brain.
3) AIC is a grunge band. Maybe. Probably not.
4) It’s just not the same anymore. Actually, it’s pretty close.
And everyone seems happy that the group is making music again. So what the heck, keep it going AIC. It isn’t Over Now. Get it?

7:30 p.m. // The Paramount Theatre // $36.50 - $46.50 (If the scalper’s fair)