Tessera

"I hope my art, my music, and my tattoos begin a renaissance of sorts in the modern world, to remind everyone what the world could be. To inspire and provoke wonder." -- Kirk Nilsen in conversation with Ink 19's Randy Radic Image courtesy of Kirk Nilsen

Kirk Nilsen – Ink 19

Ink 19’s Randy Radic spoke with Kirk Nilsen about his new music and the art of tattooing and the medieval traditions that influence both.

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"Hitchcock is truly a multi-medialist. Beyond his music, he writes surrealistic liner notes and draws the sometimes-included comics and illustrations... He is also known for his paintings, one of which was used on the cover of Gotta Let This Hen Out." — Anton Warner, Ink 19, June 1991. #ink19is35

"Clearly, Fakebook has had as deep an influence on [Roberts] as it has had on me, even deeper because I did not find myself with ten recordings of tracks on Fakebook and a suitable bonus track to release." -- Julius C. Lacking Cover art by Scott Roberts

Scott Roberts – Ink 19

Fake Fakebook. Review by Julius C. Lacking.

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"[C]omedy comes when we find life unbearable. And so we have to laugh at it... ‘This doesn’t make sense.’ So, you know, what are you going to do? Have a breakdown, explode, kill yourself — or just laugh." -- Robyn Hitchcock, in conversation with Ink 19's Arn McConnell Image by Jeremy Dylan

A Conversation with Robyn Hitchcock – Ink 19

Robyn Hitchcock is having a moment.

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"It can be tempting to nitpick the details about the future a film like this gets wrong, but what it gets right is about humanity." -- Phil Bailey

Soylent Green – Ink 19

Although we are not eating people as far as we know, 1973’s Soylent Green still gets a lot right about life in the future of 2022.

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"The film really does a terrific job of melding Hong Kong action with the more fantastical elements so common in Taiwanese Wuxia films of the era." -- Phil Bailey

The Nine Demons – Ink 19

One of the most notorious kung fu movies, Chang Che’s The Nine Demons, gets a delightful glow up. Gary & Joey think it deserves a second look.

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"Ever the cockeyed optimist, accepting misfortune and calamity with a shrug of his shoulders, Hitchcock continues waving off anxiety and existential dread, while still earnestly wondering at love’s complexities and puzzling over cosmic riddles." -- Peter Lindblad

Robyn Hitchcock – Ink 19

The Confuser (Tiny Ghost Records). Review by Peter Lindblad.

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"There’s a liberating feel-good quality to the melody, loose and tense and urgent at the same time. The overall effect is both irresistible and magically persuasive." -- Randy Radic

Shawn Brown – Ink 19

“What a Way to Go” (Bootney Lee Records). An Ink 19 Premiere by Randy Radic.

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"The highlight of the night was when Barron joined Blues Traveler for a rendition of a song he and Popper wrote together, called 'Champipple,' an ode to a fictional beverage consisting of Ripple wine and ginger ale from the 1970s sitcom, Sanford and Son." -- Kristian Hartter Images by K. Hartter

Blues Traveler – Ink 19

Ink 19’s Kristian Hartter steps into a 30-year dream under hazy Colorado skies for Spin Doctors, Blues Traveler, and Gin Blossoms, on the first date of their 2026 Summer Tour at Las Colonias…

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"On the surface, Shame and Money may sound like a standard drama of familial and socioeconomic strife, but what distinguishes Morina’s film is the emotional complexity and humanness that he imbues into his main characters..." -- Lily and Generoso Fierro

Shame and Money – Ink 19

Beginning with Father (Babai) and Exile (Exil), Visar Morina’s Shame and Money carries on the German-Kosovan filmmaker’s nuanced exploration of intricate family issues concerning location and…

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"ITrombone Shorty brought all the energy, joy, and tradition of a second-line parade while simultaneously pushing musical boundaries in the way only true innovators can." -- Jeremy Glazier

Trombone Shorty – Ink 19

Trombone Shorty brings the excitement of New Orleans to Iowa City, Iowa.

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"The fight choreography is optimized for the 3-D process with no shortage of kicks, staffs, spears, and swords thrusting out of the screen" -- Phil Bailey

Magnificent Bodyguards – Ink 19

What’s better than Jackie Chan? Jackie Chan in 3-D!

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"The thing I’ve always loved about Shonen Knife is the joy they bring to their music. It’s infectious. It lets us disconnect from the darkness around us." -- Bob Pomeroy Image by Alayne Unterberg

Shonen Knife – Ink 19

Legendary Japanese pop punk band Shonen Knife are the opening act on Men at Work’s summer tour. For some people, like writer Bob Pomeroy, they are the main act.

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"Re-Cut benefits from years of playing these songs and having better equipment at their disposal. Comparing the two albums, I’d say the original is like a really good demo, while Re-Cut is the fully realized version. I like them both for different reasons." -- Bob Pomeroy

Shonen Knife – Ink 19

Let’s Knife Re-Cut (Good Charamel Records). Review by Bob Pomeroy.

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"Each return to the chorus mirrors the narrator’s inability to break free from a relationship that continually inflicts pain. It is a clever piece of songwriting that allows the music itself to reflect the emotional cycle being described." -- Danielle Holian

Daniel Seavey – Ink 19

Love’s a Gun (CV Entertainment). Review by Danielle Holian.

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"Told with a gritty visual style punctuated by proto-punk bands on the soundtrack, director Sadao Nakajima’s satiric and tragic tale is a fascinating study of the commodification of life." -- Phil Bailey

Aesthetics of a Bullet – Ink 19

Sadao Nakajima’s odd but affecting tale of a doomed anti-hero who just wants a shot at the good life gets a Blu-ray release from Radiance Films.

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"Boone explores the strange contradiction of appearing to have everything while quietly mourning the absence of someone who once made success feel meaningful. It is this emotional duality that gives the song its lasting resonance." -- Danielle Holian

Benson Boone – Ink 19

The Time Of My Life (Night Street Records). Review by Danielle Holian.

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"Reality folds into fiction so gracefully throughout many layers in Pereda’s latest that the resulting arrangement sounds brightly across the planes of reality inside and outside of the film..." -- Lily and Generoso Fierro

Everything Else Is Noise – Ink 19

With Everything Else Is Noise, director Nicolás Pereda blends nuanced performances with a perceptive storyline and experimental sound design to create a comical feature that makes incisive remarks…

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"Still operating in the background, deeply embedded in cold mystery and isolation, Tricky again deals in unsettling, throbbing theatricality." -- Peter Lindblad

Tricky – Ink 19

Different When It’s Silent (False Idols). Review by Peter Lindblad.

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"His effortless stage presence, encyclopedic knowledge of music, and limitless musicianship make me wonder if this is what audiences must have felt watching Mozart at his piano or Luciano Pavarotti fill an opera house." -- Jeremy Glazier Images by Jeremy Glazier

Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives – Ink 19

Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives treated an Englert Theatre audience to a masterclass in musicianship, bridging past, present, and future in a timeless performance of American music history.

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"Powered by gleaming platinum guitars and Michael Heister’s evocative voice, 'I Wanna Feel Alright' explores myriad aspects of love and longing." -- Randy Radic

Mark Bryan & The Screaming Trojans – Ink 19

“I Wanna Feel Alright” (Stone Point Records). Review by Randy Radic.

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"Gene Simmons puts on a great live show. While the fire breathing and blood are no longer part of the spectacle, the pure love of rock and roll and performing to fans from 5 years old, like Luke McBride, to fans in their 70s is still front and center." -- Jeremy Glazier

Gene Simmons – Ink 19

Gene Simmons and his band play to an all-ages crowd of ecstatic fans in Riverside, Iowa — no fire extinguisher required.

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