Hyena Art Gallery and the Outsider Misfits of Art.

(I originally wrote this piece in hopes it could get published in an art magazine...to my knowledge it hasn't to any of the ones I'd submitted it for.) (((Photos Enlarge When Clicked)))

HYAENA and The Outsider Misfits Of Art: 

By Daniel Krone (Photographs by Sarah Chorley) 

Bill how did you come up with the name Hyaena? 

In Native American culture they have the coyote (the trickster) but in African culture they have the Hyena. Hyena's may have been the earliest inspirations for the Werewolf myth. Rich Europeans brought them over from Africa and at night heard the laughter and the growls and thought it was a man-creature robbing graves. Hyaena and its unusual latin spelling isn't quite the obvious choice and like the outsider art carried within the galleries walls that isn't quit the obvious choice for any other gallery. 

Bill is originally from Boston and before the Hyena art gallery Bill worked at a record store and was in the punk band "The Gutters". His taste in the wild and bizarre was long established before his art dealing career and his punk days. Bill began collecting serial killer art and gathered his first piece around age 16. 

The Hyena Art Gallery opened up here in Burbank in 2006.  He scouted the gallery for several months before he honed in on the final location eating up the foot traffic he knew would play a big part of curiosity seekers becoming regulars in the begin of the gallery's beginnings. 

September 18th 2013:

It is a full moon out tonight which is a rather fitting thing considering the artistic electricity in the air.  

Tonight is a rather special night here at the gallery. It is a once a month endeavor started by Clint Carney (one of the gallery's regular artists) a little over  a year ago ago called "The Art Autopsy", a nighttime show-like event where sculptors, painters, musicians, and generally all different kinds of artist are encouraged to come out, drink a glass of wine, and sit in the presence of other artists and be creative. There is something very refreshingly bohemian about the whole experience. 

I think the misinformed stigma behind most artists, especially the kinds of outsider artists showcased here at this particular gallery, is that they are not social creatures, which considering my relationship with Hyaena's owner (Bill Shafer) could not be further from the truth. It is more of a warm welcome when one comes in here, like a holiday or family dinner, as opposed to the cold snotty receptions I've received at other art gallery show openings. 

I met Bill Shafer, owner of the Hyena Art Gallery, about 3 years ago while doing a very abysmal door to door salesman job and despite the decorum of the gallery was taken back by his openness and candor and more enveloped by the sheer variety of art the small gallery seemed to showcase. "The art" (the type he showcases) as he said would be 'just another  Halloween specialty art show' at any other gallery pushed away in the back burner til the next year. But he proudly showcases this type of art all year round. He was "sick of selling shit I hated", as he stated to me. 

The first thing that hits you when you walk into the gallery is how very much its own thing it really is. Unlike most galleries I've seen you won't find too much blank space on the walls. It is literally covered wall to wall in eye candy. And from the cute art of Julie Bossinger to the introspective macabre of Clint Carney's work despite that it streamlines to the bizarre is sure to have something for any open minded weary soul. This gallery is an overwhelming feast for the eyes in such a small space. 

Bill also is a strong dealer and collector of serial killer artwork. His gallery Features many pieces from John Wayne Gacey, Henry Lee Lucas, and even Ted Bundy's original signed court certificate. As Bill has told me numerous times before he is fascinated by the artwork of the insane. 

The Hyaena Art gallery is unique in many more aspects than just the art it showcases. It turns over a new show every month now. It used to turn over shows every 2 weeks which I think must be a record for any art gallery. But whilst doing that he fills the space with smaller pop-up events like 20$ requested drawings on Sundays by some of his regulars (Kat Philbin, Jeremey Cross, Angus Oblong, and Big Tasty) among others.  Right next door to the gallery is a bakery that makes Hyaena it's own custom peanut brittle (quite fantastically delicious if you ask me with an extra kick fitting for the gallery's taste *cayenne pepper) which is a unique local community incorporation of the gallery. But by far one of my favorite contraptions the gallery featured in its artillery is a wild instillation I can't imagine in any other art gallery in the world . . . an art vending machine. Yes, you heard me correct. His artists come in with a  series of small sketches and for 5$ you can buy a token turn the key and get a small random piece of art from one of Bill's regulars. 

The one thing I take overtime on my frequent trips from the gallery is that art should be unique, expressive, and available to the general public. I don't make tons of money. But keep coming back for the sheer affordable variety of amazingly unique and beautiful artwork the gallery has to offer. In the same vain of that 'punk rock' mentality Bill Shafer has created an establishment that throws away the normal sterile still life approach to the artwork and says dive on in into the id of the art world. It's okay. It's safe. Just keep telling yourself…it's only art, it's only art, it's only art. 

Dir En Grey - An Excellent Rock Show.

One of the very best bands I've ever seen is "Dir En Grey"

(Older video)

(Love this song)





Last night I had the pleasure of seeing a band I've been wanting to see since I was in Highschool live at "The House of Blues" off Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood California.

When I first moved out to Los Angeles 6 years ago maybe a week after my first gig I saw on the marques of the Wiltern Theatre off Wilshire "DIR EN GREY" . . . I didn't have a steady job and not enough money to spare to see them. They have a reputation for being great live and had been added to my bucket list. The joy about living in a city like Los Angeles is eventually they come back.

Cut to this past Friday, I was out at a free show at the House of Blues to see my roommate play with Ben Dukes (a country music singer) who put on a great show. My roommate is his violinist. But something caught my eye at that show..."Dir En Grey" November 24th . . . *.* What!!!!!


One of the biggest metal bands in the world, whose frontman has been compared to frontmen like James Hetfield for pure charisma was playing two days from now, at a price I could afford and I didn't have any other plans, I debated for a second then ran up during the Ben Dukes show to buy tickets.

Fast forward Sunday 24th night. As I approach the House of Blues I noticed the line was out the door, a sure sign it would be a packed house. It was a a little under 2 hours before they were scheduled to go on. I parked at a lot up by the liquor store, walked into a 5 star restaurant and pushed my way though to use the restroom and splash some water in my face, adrenaline was just starting to work through the system. Black hoodie, green seasonal sweater, and kaki pants. I was not the strangest dressed person there, but at a J-Rock metal show, that's to be expected. I stood in line behind rows and rows of goth-dressed people of all races and colors, though a mostly Japanese crowd it seemed.

I hit up the resturant upstairs when I first got there. I wanted to save my energy, I didn't want to burn myself out by the time Dir En Grey played, I got there 2 hours in advance, I didn't expect it to be a packed house so early. But I was there 2 hours early so I sat in the bar upstairs listened to a blond acoustic solo act cover Top 40's songs simply and predictibly. I ordered a plate of fries and had a glass of water...the ground beneath me was shaking, it was a strange juxtaposition to listen to this sweet girl singing top 40 hits like Foster the People's "Pumped Up Kicks"  and feel the strong vibrations and aftershocks of the metal below.

I decided to walk down and watch the opening band, who knows, maybe I'll like them. The were a band I'd never heard of, loud and fast, the crowd still wasn't moving much but that's to be expected, they were nodding cheered loudly after every song but not rampant energy. They were called "Dagoba" yes
 Kinda like this, spelled different though.


They were pretty good but a band one could consider typical of the metal genre, loud and with predictably messy hooks, they were however very polite unlike a lot of bands I've seen who just are rude to the audience they did manage to hype everyone up...as if this audience needed help. I had finished my Pabst Blue Ribbon (11$ by the way, an atrocious price) and as the band finished there driving pounding metronome of sound, I took a breather.


I relaxed outside, got my muscles working, and I'd assumed there was an intermediate band. There wasn't.

My mind wasn't ready because the girl at the ticket counter told me they'd go on at 9:40 and it was almost 8:40 at the time the first band finished, I thought I had another band inbetween. They went on about 9:20 and for the first few minutes my mind was set that they were someone else. A rookie mistake but also misinformation. I couldn't tell because the lead singer Kyo was wearing  a black shroud and face paint. 
It covered him completely in the beginning and and waved ghostlike in the movement of the "House of Blues." His voice sounded like opera and movements were erratic and wild like budo dance.

It slowly dawned on me that the band I thought was an opener was actually "Dir En Grey" . . . . . what!?! And I didn't have good placement on the floor...what!?! Luckily no matter how packed it is if you've got floor tickets and are as skinny and slippery as me you can weasel your way to a better spot.

(Apparently from the same show I was at, but not on my camera)

Once I realized they were I began to position myself for better placement, the first 4 songs I saw from the stairs leading into the floor. Eventually, a very large man on the stairs content with his position noticed my antsy-ness to jam out and get my adrenaline glands firmly squeezed in the raw tribal dance that is any metal show but especially one with such a cult and legion like following, made a path for me.

There were basically 4 stages of the show, like a weird evolution.

1.) The Shrouded Kyo

2.) Then he lost his shroud and did several songs with his back to the crowd a Go-pro attached to his mic and his performance projected onto a screen, it was very surreal, his ghoulish head peaking out from a screen at an odd angle while the guitarists took center stage.  (Not a good picture but you kinda get the idea.) 
3.) Then there were a series of powerfully weird images projected onto the screens akin to either "Tool" or "NIN"if you've ever seen the kind of stuff projected on their screens you have kind of an idea what I'm talking about. The guitars aired from normal metal to serenely melodic, and Kyo's voice ranged somewhere between a Japanese angel singing and a banshee out for blood and a lot of times all in the same song. 

Mosh-pits surged and swelled almost at random, even on quiet songs, and the pits adhered to the rules of the pit. 1.) Don't punch, only push and move around. 2.) If someone falls, help them up. 3.) Create a wall as needed.

The crowd at this point was just starting to find it's identity as a focused mob and don't get me wrong. It was a mob. They weren't sure which parts to clap for, pause for, scream for or dance for. But they were trying...

Then almost at random right at the adrenaline was to it's boiling point, the walked off. The lights went down....

The house lights did not go up.

We waited. We chanted 'One last song, one last song' then 'Dir En Grey' 'Dir En Grey....'

We continued to wait. We were all hoarse. Everyone in the room was. We were all sweaty and tired but we wanted more, this couldn't be the end could it...

They waited almost 30 minutes. Some people had left. NEVER LEAVE A ROCK SHOW UNLESS THE HOUSELIGHTS TURNED ON, EVER. I've never seen a great band who didn't do an encore. Amateurs don't do encores. These were professionals...but in my concert going experience, I'd never waited that long for one. They came out and sang 3 songs. It seemed like an eternity (but in a good way) each song enveloping the crowd in it's own way, but now, they were ready forged to party harder from the kiln that is waiting...waiting...waiting, always knowing in the rock and roll world the ENCORE! is the best fucking part. They played 3 songs each progressively louder . . .

Then they played the fan favorite the final song, and like a bat out of hell Kyo screamed "LOS ANGELES, LOS ANGELES, LAST SONG LAST SONG LAST SONG LAST SONG LAST SONG LAST SONG" for so long I thought the final song they were going to play was titled "LAST SONG"

. . .

And it played on an on for like 6 minutes to which even though it was in Japanese it seemed everyone knew the words and were singed in unison. (Video below, with red background) Even the hulking gorilla's of men to the tiny caffeine fueled super-fans were tired. Each member of the band came out and did an individual thing to the audience.

Kyo came out and started the audience clapping, he was smiled and laughing, the ghoul shrouded skeleton demon had transformed into a man, he was visibly tired but grinning like a maniac.


The drummer came out and threw drum sticks at the audience, the guitarists through mounds and mounds of guitar picks, it was like Mardi Gras. Everyone was sweating, so they began to through out water bottles and throw buckets of water on the audience to cool them off. Imagine with that kind of light in a room full of maybe 1'000 people, it can get kinda sweaty. This went on for like 20 strait minutes. They didn't play any more songs....but they were more appreciative of their audience than any band I'd ever seen.





And as I was leaving, exhausted and broken, covered in sweat and maybe blood I passed Sunset Blvd. Jesus on the way to my car and he waved at me and smiled...a perfect surreal concert experience at the "House of Blues" on Sunset Blvd. The likes of which I won't forget anytime soon.


Below is about 1/4 the pictures and 1/8 the video I took from the actual show. (Click photos to enlarge.)

DIR EN GREY: HOUSE OF BLUES SUNSET BLVD 11/24/13

Photos and Video by Daniel Louis Krone

  There passion for their audience was something to be admired.

My Top 10 Songs sung by Women.

I saw this very patronizing article disregarding female musical artists. So I've come up with my rebuttal. My top 10 favorite songs by female artists. This doesn't mean the band has to be all women, like "Kitty" but the main voice and focus from the song has to be a woman or have a twinge of femininity. (Must be sung by a woman) This was brought on by a band called Chvrches , which is stuck in my head. That and I live with a violinist and know tons of her musician friends and you know my first music video was from a girl fronted band , and because, women are awesome you haters. Anyways here's my Top 10. 

10.) Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit (Sung by the Goddess, Grace Slick*)  

9.) Machine Gun - Portishead (sung by the radiant Beth Gibbons)  

8.) Charlotte by Kitty*  

7.)  "Nevermind" - The Birthday Massacre (Sung by the adorable Chibi, I am too lazy to look up her real name) (Best female goth band vocalist pic ever!) 

6.)  (Needs no introduction) IF YOU MAKE A LIST OF GREAT FEMALE SINGERS AND DON'T INCLUDE THIS WOMAN SHAME ON YOU.

5.) Ghosts - Laura Marling (Yes that's Marcus Mumford playing drums, leave him alone this isn't about him.)  

4.)  Edith Piaf is a LEGEND. Because yes, that's why, if she's good enough for the movie "Inception" she's good enough for this list, but I like this song much better.

3.) This song trumps other great songs by them because of the way they play it live. Everytime, they kill it. (They're one of the best live shows, I've seen them twice.) 

2.)  Dear God I love her.   

1.) Ode To My Family - By The Cranberries (Sung by the spectacular Dolores O'Riordan)  Because yes that's why.