About me:
Brent Eyestone is a multi-faceted, self-described "obsessive creative." His body of work spans many disciplines, portions of which are summarized in brief below.
MUSIC COMPOSITION AND PERFORMANCE
In spite of being a late bloomer (not starting or joining bands until midway through college), Eyestone has since written and performed on over 60 internationally-distributed recordings spanning 11 years. In that time, he has performed in 47 U.S. states (including Alaska) and various foreign countries, clocking in at approximately 400 individual live shows to date. Never one to separate skateboarding from music, Eyestone realized long-running childhood dreams in 2004, when Thrasher Magazine selected the FORENSICS album Things To Do When You Should Be Dead Anyway to its year-end "Best Of" issue, and again in 2007, when Tony Hawk used the AUGHRA composition Courage And Courtesy in the soundtrack, official trailer, and Making Of... featurette for The Beginning, Hawk's first video in 10 years on Birdhouse Skateboards. In 2008, Eyestone was selected to perform in composer Rhys Chatham's A Crimson Grail 200-guitar orchestra for a very special performance at New York City's Lincoln Center.
Since 1997, Eyestone has owned and operated the independent record label Magic Bullet Records. Originally started in his college apartment, Magic Bullet has released over 100 titles into circulation on a host of formats (CD, vinyl, cassette, DVD, digital download) across the globe, introducing music fans everywhere to bands like BOY SETS FIRE, MAJORITY RULE, STEPHEN BRODSKY, and THIS WILL DESTROY YOU for the first time. In addition, the label has supported and archived releases from established acts such as CAVE IN, OLD MAN GLOOM, PG.99, SUPERSUCKERS, and (most recently) JFA amongst a rich roster showcasing all of the wonderfully divergent sounds that comprise independent music.
Magic Bullet Records is distributed in North American by WEA, the Lumberjack-Mordam Music Group, and Dischord Records, in Canada by Sonic Unyon, in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe by Shellshock, in Germany by Indigo, and in Japan by Disk Union.
Founding the Blistered Avalon Music (SESAC) moniker in 2004, Eyestone established himself in the music synchronization/licensing industry quickly through bringing his music and the music of various bands from the Magic Bullet Records roster to notable independent and mainstream outlets worldwide. To date, Eyestone has placed music in film and television projects to a client list that includes Sony Pictures Studios, NBC, HBO, Nike, Activision, Fuel TV, VH1, MTV, the BBC, Major League Soccer, and Birdhouse Skateboards (among many others).
GRAPHIC DESIGN | ART DIRECTION | PRINT | FINE ART
An award-winning graphic designer (recognized by such publications as Communication Arts), Eyestone spent many of his formative years taking on album-related work and honing the craft of creative packaging. Beginning with the custom matchbook casing for BOY SETS FIRE's This Crying, This Screaming, My Voice Is Being Born (issued as the first ever title on his own Magic Bullet Records imprint), Eyestone soon began taking on outside clients, designing album packaging, clothing, and various visuals for noted underground bands such as RORSCHACH, BIG BOYS, CAVE IN, and DARKEST HOUR, and independent record labels such as Robotic Empire, Gern Blandsten, and UndeRadar. Along the way, Eyestone has had the honor of working with many from his personal visual canon, art directing and collaborating with the likes of Aaron Horkey, Spot, Pushead, Derek Hess, Stephen O'Malley, STK MTN, FangsAnalSatan, and Aaron Turner.
In 2006, perhaps burned out on the confines of pixels, dpi, and the like, Eyestone self-imposed a temporary respite from computer-generated work and began a series of hand-rendered and painted pieces for many of the CD, vinyl, cassette, DVD, and skateboard deck projects he had taken on for the period. The music and skateboarding art communities took notice instantly and Eyestone was extended his first ever formal gallery show, held in Vienna, Austria. Other gallery shows have since been opened in the United Kingdom, Sweden, and North America.
Upon moving to Fredericksburg, Virginia in 2004, Eyestone founded Magic Bullet Skateboards with his brother, Mark Eyestone. The goal was twofold: 1.) make available an affordable alternative (locally) to the overpriced major brands, and 2.) offer yet another platform for Eyestone and his favorite bands to explore and express furthering visual possibilities, challenges, and aesthetic. To date, the Eyestone brothers have sold thousands of micro-batch boards via Mark Eyestone's local shop (Fredericksburg Skateboards), Magic Bullet Records' mailorder services, and on the various bands' tourdates.
Unintentionally spawned from the partnership of the Eyestones in Magic Bullet Skateboards came Magic Bullet & Fred Skates Presents, an entertainment series meticulously curated by both brothers in efforts to provide the community of Fredericksburg, Virginia with unparalleled all-ages programming, completely free to the public. Marked by a strong variety show tone, MBFS events have featured everything from film screenings to competitive eating competitions to international touring bands and far beyond. In many ways, MBFS is the brothers' way of giving back to a community that has significantly enabled both to do exactly what they want in their creative/professional endeavors.
Furthering the collaborative efforts of the Eyestone brothers is the existence of two films about skateboarding in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Tracking the dynamic characters that make up a small town's skateboarding presence, Fredericksburg Skateboards (2005) and City By The Battlefield (2007) both saw international DVD release, domestic Pay-Per-View and On-Demand cable offerings, and critical acclaim in publications the world over. The brothers continue to constantly brainstorm and document the ever-evolving skate scene of their town for future installments in what is to be an ongoing series.
Eyestone has also produced several DVD titles featuring a multitude of live music content over the years.
Note: this profile/account is intended to disseminate and report public information pertaining to Brent Eyestone and general inquiry. If you are a personal friend of Brent's, a private account has been set up here for greater ease in communication.
It was my third year in a row and it's definitely always a good time. Hahaha I assumed you knew BECAUSE of all the Burning Angel stickers going around at Dude Fest (because I brought them, ha)
happy earyl birthday, mr eyestone. thanks for years of putting out awesome music and not compromising. please, still hold true and beat the shit out of bill o'reilly. seriously. please.
