Punk Your Chucks

Black Label Society Concert

2012-02-12T01:10:00.010-05:00

It probably goes without saying that Chad Szeliga has become good friends with MAG and has come through for some exciting events and opportunities. Just recently it was announced that Chad would be taking over as drummer for Zakk Wylde’s, formerly lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society. Chad informed MAG of this great news over several conversations. For some perspective, Zakk Wylde is widely considered one of the top rock guitarists in the world. It was an excellent opportunity for Chad and so well deserved, as he is one of the most talented drummers MAG has ever seen.

MAG had seen Black Label Society when he painted shoes for Nick Catanese when Chad was drumming for the band, Hourcast. And being the awesome guy that he is, Chad invited MAG to one of Black Label Society’s first concerts of 2011-2012 tour with Chad as drummer. Of course, this included the entire back stage treatment and just generally hanging out with Chad before and after the show. As a way of thank you, MAG painted a special pair of Harley Davidson boots for Chad, which turned out amazing.

The concert, held at the IZOD Center in New Jersey, would include Thin Lizzy, Black Label Society, and Judas Priest. Chad met MAG outside and gave him a full tour backstage. This included dressing rooms, stage, and being invited to a Black Label Society meet and greet with their fans. There were even some Punk Your Chucks fans who knew that MAG would be going and were even asking about the boots he had painted for Chad.

MAG was able to get an autographed Punk Your Chucks t-shirt, signed by all the members of Black Label Society, which would probably go for big bucks on ebay, but he told me he wouldn’t be selling it…I tried people.

To list all the people that MAG got to meet or hang out with during this experience, would probably take awhile, but I’ll give it a go. Being a long time fan of Thin Lizzy, MAG was especially excited to meet the band including new lead singer, Ricky Warwick, who had replaced the late Phil Lynott, who had passed away in January of 1986. Warwick was originally part of the Scottish band, the Almighty, and also did some background vocals for Def Leppard. MAG got to meet a few original members, Scott Gorham and Darren Wharton as well as new member Damon Johnson, formerly from Alice Cooper and Brother Cane, and Marco Mendoza formerly of White Snake. I was told they were all really good guys, friendly and easy going.

While there, he got to say a brief “hello” to Eddie Trunk, host of “The Metal Show” on VH1. As for the show, it was as expected—awesome! Thin Lizzy was amazing. Black Label Society was quote, “crazy awesome.” Chad was unbelievable on the drums, always making it look easy. MAG hung around for some of Judas Priest, one or two songs before spending the rest of the time hanging out with Chad backstage.

So, another amazing concert experience with full access and amazing meetings, all thanks to Chad Szeliga. More more more to come, not all of the news being for concerts, but no less amazing. So stay tuned. I will try to update as often as I can, but it is so much easier written here than done…

Collection of Concert Stories

2012-01-27T01:24:00.017-05:00

With life carrying on as it does there has not been much of an opportunity to update. So this will be a short compilation of stories as the title suggests to fill in all I’ve missed. There has been a lot going on and I have been slacking. Much excitement to come, or so I have been told, but that’s all I get to say on that. Spoilers.

First in line is a pair commissioned for the lead singer of Alien Ant Farm, Dryden Mitchell. MAG handed Mitchell the pair at their show at the Gramercy Theater in New York City. The famous NYC theater that has been around since 1937 as a theater hall, then to movies, a revival for the classics of Hollywood, and even temporarily as an Off-Broadway play house. Now it’s the stage for live concert venues and shows. Alien Ant Farm put on a great show and was just as great to meet in person.

Around October, MAG was contacted by a good friend, Debbie Martin. Martin, being a former customer turned friend, is a HUGE rock and roll enthusiast and is good friends or acquainted with names like Johnny Winter, Bob Dylan, and Dave Mustaine of Megadeth. And, no less, the Ramones. Yeah. That’s what I thought, too. I may not have been that generation, but I don’t know anyone who can’t name at least three of Ramones' songs. I was the kid in high school with a Ramones t-shirt and head phones in their ears. So, it was pretty exciting when I heard that Punk Your Chucks was going to be painting a pair for Marky Ramone and his new band, Blitzkrieg. Martin arranged the meeting and for MAG to paint a pair of Pro Keds for the legend. He also got to see the band at the Gramercy Theater, and I’m sure they were “forming in a straight line” for that one. Apologies, had to put at least one reference in there. Seriously, “the kids were losing their minds” about it. Okay. Now I’m done.

Finally, is an amazing opportunity found by none other than MAG’s close friend and sensei of all things that rock and roll, Chad Szeliga. Once again we return to the Gramercy Theater for a show with Scott Ian, formerly of Anthrax, and now guitarist for The Damned Things. The show included Hourcast, with Chad filling in as drummer and played an excellent show. Fair to Midland also opened and I was told they were really impressive, just amazing. MAG was

given the opportunity to meet with a lot of them, like Darroh Sudderth, lead singer for Fair to Midland. With a bit of persistence, they were also able to get a quick “hey” to Scott Ian. MAG brought a pair of Horror chucks for Chad and also did a pair for lead singer of Hourcast, Patrick McBride. I was told it was an unbelievable performance and that I really should have been there. At the show, a few Breaking Benjamin fans showed up and were rewarded by almost an hour of talking and signing from Chad. From all the stories I hear, I wish every celebrity could be half as obliging and humble.

If that wasn’t enough star gazing for one night, outside the theater Aaron Neville of the Neville Brothers happened to be strolling by. MAG was able to say “hi” and get a few pictures. Only in New York, am I right? I’m lucky if people even know what state my city is in.

So, I’m all caught up…or not even close, but that’s okay. There are a couple more stories I still need to update and then I’ll be posting them as well. Exciting stuff and I can’t wait to share. Look forward to more soon. Seriously, I’m actually going to update this time.

Epic Concert Stories

2011-06-16T22:01:00.007-04:00

Epic concert stories. Everyone has at least one, that one concert experience that stands out above the others. They are stories you write about, and that is what I’m here to share with you. For some time now, MAG has been in contact with Chad Szeliga, drummer for Breaking Benjamin and OurAfter. They’ve exchanged phone calls and emails and have become long distance friends. Chad was to substitute for the drummer of Hourcast for their concert in Irving Plaza, NYC. MAG would have the opportunity to hang out backstage during the show featuring: HourCast, Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society, Anchored, and Rev Theory. Any rock fans dream come true.

Two days before the show, MAG gets a call from Chad asking if it was possible to get a custom pair of Chucks for Black Label Society’s guitarist, Nick “Evil Twin” Catanese. Even though two days seemed like a daunting task, MAG didn’t want to let Chad down. He had the pair done and painted in time for the show. Because this wouldn’t be a complete story without someone getting an awesome pair of custom made sneakers.

On the day of the show, MAG met up with Chad in Jersey to hang out with the band for the day. That’s when he actually met Chad Szeliga for the first time and he described it as “like they were the oldest of friends.” How cool is that? A rock star, famous rock star, coming up to you and giving you a hug like you’ve known each other for years. It’s rare to find people of fame that are still so down to earth, and from what I heard, that was the general attitude of the rest of the band members. Not what you would expect and extremely cool.

When it was time to get to the show, they realized they couldn’t get the buses through city traffic. But it’s okay. Everything was fine. Tour manager Becky Hunt had a “connection” that would be able to take them to the show. The contact, and this is extremely weird and coincidental, turns out to be PJ Gasperini, the drummer for Sugar Red Drive. There was a moment of “Wait, who now?” Because MAG also keeps in contact with the band Sugar Red Drive, most notably, their drummer, PJ. So we hear a chorus of “It’s a Small World,” and they spend the rest of the time before the show killing time. Talking Chucks, music, nerf guns…

Laughing all the way to the show, they arrive in the late afternoon and wait for the techs to finish setting up. While waiting MAG got to meet, John DeServio, bassist for Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society and drummer Mike Froedge, and finally Zakk Wylde himself. Former lead guitarist for Ozzy Osborne. Yeah, it was that kind of ‘WOW.’ Zakk asked about the shoes and when Chad told him they were for Nick. Zakk threw them on the ground. Chad explained that it was all a joke and not to take it personally, but MAG was too star struck. “Dude, Zakk Wylde just threw my shoes on the ground. AWESOME!”

Finally, Nick arrives and he is presented the shoes, which he loved. He put them on immediately and posed for pictures. The concert opened with Anchored, who I was told were incredible. They were followed by HourCast who were also outstanding. And Chad was exceptional. MAG made it a point when relaying this story to me that he had never seen a drummer play like him before. Like a machine, with a dozen twirls and flourishes without missing a beat. Next was Rev Theory, another good show.

Black Label Society was up next, but MAG only got to hear two of their songs before he had to leave with Chad who hitched a ride on Anchored’s tour bus. For the song, “Crazy Horse,” Zakk came out in an old fashioned Indian headdress looking like a Native American Viking. It was an awesome performance and MAG really wished he could have seen more. He is going to check them out the next time they’re in town so he can see their full show.

On the tour bus with Anchored, Hourcast, Chad, drum and guitar techs, they headed back to Jersey to chill and bust out the XBOX 360 for some innocent Fight Night Boxing and football…except they forgot the lead singer of Hourcast …he made it back on his own. Nice.

We come to the end of this adventure and all I can say is that I often heard the phrase, “You should have been there.” One of those rare moments were you get to hang out with generally cool rock stars. It was described as one of the coolest meetings MAG had ever encountered. Good show with good people. And there were even kinder words about the one responsible for everything, Chad Szeliga. According to MAG, he is one of the nicest people he’s ever met. After the show a kid, teenager, came up to Chad with a pair of drum sticks and asked if he could show him how to do a special trick with them. Chad stops right there and doesn’t even hesitate to give the kid a run through of exactly how to do the motions. You could tell he wasn’t just talk, but a genuinely outstanding guy.

A Fateful Rainy Day

2011-04-06T00:36:00.004-04:00

It all began one dark and stormy night. Amidst a torrential downpour, MAG finds himself traversing the dark streets of New York City. Despite the blinding water obscuring his view, MAG observes a man in a red beret. Closer inspection reveals that this is none other than Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels and radio host of AM970/The Apple. I know, right?

And so, naturally, MAG introduces himself. But, alas, Curtis at that very moment, receives a phone call. Technology, psh. Now, this might seem like the end, but no. Curtis tells him to hold on a minute, and MAG waits. Phone call ends. Cue pleasantries, maybe just a tiny bit of brown nosing, and the pitch. Curtis says it all seems cool and that he’ll give him a call.

Next day.

Director of Promotions, Eric Krauss, contacts MAG and they set up a meeting at none other than the radio station for AM970/The Apple located in the Empire State Building. Everything is going so perfectly, wouldn’t you say? With the shoes finished and no doubt a certain spring in his step, MAG gets ready for the meeting. But wait. Another setback. Curtis has been called away and they have to reschedule. A new date was set for April 1st. To make an already long story not quite as long, MAG gets to the studio and runs into to a rather familiar foe. He can see the looks and the uncertainty that follows, so he decides to start off with the shoes. Once in Curtis’s hands it is apparent that this is not just some weirdo off the street. This is an artist, with talent and, in hindsight, a very normal off-beat style. Talent can come in any shape.

After the initial shock, Curtis confessed to his preconceived opinions. “A lot of people contact us, and I thought you were just some schlog off the street, I didn’t realize how awesome the artwork and shoes were.” What followed were pictures and a ten minute interview. The interview information will follow in the next post, right now they are still editing and all that fun techno stuff. And more importantly, he loved the shoes.

For those who don’t know, this is really big. Sliwa’s fan base is huge, and it is just an added pleasure that he turned out to be such a nice guy. I was told that the entire experience was very cool and exciting. Which I can believe, but I would also add well deserved. More to come on this story, we will be adding links and all that to the video later. Looking forward to more exciting things to come. Until then.

Shoots and Scores (Haha, get it?)

2011-03-08T19:17:00.013-05:00

Okay, so the concept of professional sports has always eluded me, but I will give this a try. With that being said, and hopefully your understanding, punkyourchucks.com had the awesome opportunity to paint for Chris Andersen of the Denver Nuggets.

A special bonus was that Andersen hooked MAG up with tickets to a game in Madison Square Garden. Nuggets vs. New York Knicks on March 23, 2010. At the game, which I assume was a blast but I wasn’t there, MAG got to hand Andersen the sneakers personally, and they even posed for a few pictures. Also available for pictures were Punkass and Skyskrape from TapouT, the world’s leading mixed-martial arts apparel, gear, and lifestyle brand on the market.

So, basically awesome! And that’s it for this entry. More to come, always more…

Twilight Cover Comes to LIfe: Kimbra Hickey

2011-03-02T21:33:00.012-05:00

So, we’re still catching up on old, but no less awesome, news. Punkyourchucks.com has had the great privilege to paint custom pumps for Kimbra Hickey, the hands of Twilight. The picture to the left, taken by Steve DeCanio, is Kimbra and her shoes.

It’s an iconic book cover, which I’m sure even those who are not fans, would recognize. The two hands extending an apple toward the reader, the apple representing forbidden fruit and, as the author Stephenie Meyer claims, to her it speaks, among its many implications, choice. But what most readers, myself included, rarely consider is what lies beyond the image. What went into making that cover instantly recognizable as Twilight. Thanks to Heidi Bennett, who runs the largest official Twilight facebook fan site, punkyourchucks.com came into contact with Kimbra Hickey, a hand, leg, and arm model who posed with the apple for the cover of Twilight.

Kimbra, who has done a number of things since and before Twilight, even brought MAG in for a photo shoot with her and the apple. Well, probably not the same apple I assume that one is well past its sell by date. Needless to say, you bring an NYC bred graffiti artist/painter and put them in front of a camera, a few high jinks are bound to ensue.
This awesome picture was taken by Bill Diodato, and despite MAG’s consumption of the apple needed for the shoot, they were able to continue. The rest of the pics are on MAG’s facebook page for those who want to check it out. How cool is that, though? Well, opinions are always varied, but to me that screams way cool.

You can check out the shoes painted for Kimbra at punkyourchucks.com and a visit to her website is highly advised. You’ve probably seen Kimbra a hundred times before on a billboard or in a magazine, although it might have only been her hand or foot. With the growing popularity from her work with Twilight, which she had no idea was going to blow up so huge at the time, Kimbra has went on to create her own product designs and they’re totally worth checking out. Big things can come from the smallest opportunity. I think that’s why they tell you to open the door when it comes knocking.

We’re bringing this new post to a close and MAG, as far as I know, is still in contact with Kimbra so this might not be the last we hear of her at punkyourchucks.com. It certainly won’t be the last we hear of her in the Twilight community and beyond. More to come, oh so much more…a blogger’s work is never done, I guess.

Taking Over: First up- Samuel L. Jackson

2011-02-26T18:22:00.018-05:00

Wow, it’s been a long time. Does reliability mean nothing anymore? It’s about standards. Now, let’s see if we can jump start things into a new kind of trend. I have A LOT of catching up to do and I have recently started correspondence with the artist behind punkyourchucks.com, MAG. I’ll be asking him questions about what’s going on with the shoes and keeping up with new stories and the latest buyers.

For now, let me inform you of a contact by Amanda Tracey, she runs Samuel L. Jackson ’s production company UPPITV, about shoes for Jackson. Yeah, you read that right. Samuel L. Jackson was given a pair of Air Force Ones with his production company’s logo on them. Jackson has starred in films from Pulp Fiction and Jurassic Park to Ironman 2. I guess he’s just one of those names that you know. And he is totally sporting a pair of custom Punk Your Chucks Nike’s. Tracey also ordered a pair of custom Chucks for her colleague Eli.

The shoes took about two days to complete and according to MAG, “Nike's are harder to paint than Converse. I enjoy painting anything new, different is cool, the same is monotonous.” I’ve taken a crack at drawing back in the day, and I can tell you…to paint the same thing over and over, well, I don’t know that I could do it. That takes a special kind of talent and patience that eludes even more devoted artists. It’s a skill in itself. So go check them out at punkyourchucks.com. Now. Just kidding, at your own leisure or whenever. But seriously. Check it out.

So much more to come, how many months worth? Yeah, enough said. Look for updates soon.

MAG gets personal with Tokyo Love-In!

2010-08-20T21:00:00.000-04:00

Last month we had the AWESOME privilege of meeting Michael Chin (Tokyo Love-In) and Pete Longworth. They are from Australia and met MAG at the recent New York Film Festival in NYC.

Mike and Pete are two of the most talented photographers I ever met. They came over to our apartment and took over 2,000 photos, as well as video footage of MAG and his studio! Check out one of the videos below!

Keep an eye on these guys. Their photos are so beautiful. I don't know how they do it. Mike is also a talented composer (he composes the music on his videos and I have to confess I play it over and over just to hear that beat!).

Be sure to check out their websites to see more of their work (Mike's site and Pete's site). You will be impressed!

Oh, and don't let me forget about Kerry Payne. Another gifted photographer. We hung out with her, Mike and Pete on her rooftop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Now those who know me know I'm deathly afraid of heights. But I have to tell you, it was a gorgeous view! And Kerry was so warm and friendly. You feel like you know her instantly.

MAG Paints Sneakers for Noah Tepperberg

2010-08-20T20:45:00.000-04:00

MAG just finished a pair of really cool custom sneakers for Noah Tepperberg.

Noah Tepperberg is the co-founder of the Strategic Group and the Strategic Hospitality Group. He is also co-owner and operator of Avenue and Marquee in New York City, LAVO in Las Vegas, and part owner of Tao Las Vegas.

Noah's assistant Ashlee ordered this pair as a birthday present for him. He loved them.

MAG went downtown to meet Noah today and was very impressed!

MAG with Noah Tepperberg
MAG with Ashlee

MAG Paints Sneakers for Toby Rand of Juke Kartel

2010-08-10T01:18:00.000-04:00

Remember that show called Rockstar Supernova? It was Tommy Lee, Gilby Clarke (Guns & Roses) and Jason Newsted (Metallica).

Well if you did watch the show you no doubt remember Toby Rand. He didn't win, but left a lasting impression on everyone.

Toby has a new band called Juke Kartel and MAG was so excited to paint a custom pair of sneakers for him.

Check out the photos...MAG personally handed the sneakers to Toby in California last month. And MAG says Toby is one of the best performers he's ever seen on stage. So if you ever have a chance to see them, be sure to check them out. Right now they are on tour with none other than Slash!

MAG Paints Sneakers for Living Dead Lights

2010-08-10T00:45:00.000-04:00

It's been a crazy year! There are lots of things to catch up on. So this will be the first post of many...

First, MAG painted sneakers for an awesome band called Living Dead Lights.

CHECK OUT THIS NEWS ABOUT THEM...

August 3, 2010 Living Dead Lights released their self-titled CD. It's the Hot Topic edition and will be available in Hot Topic (Southern California) and http://hottopic.com

Punk Your Chucks is proud to be part of their "DEAD EDITION" giveaway for all fans who purchase their CD. All you have to do is email a copy of your receipt for buying their CD to: info@livingdeadlights.com. Make sure you include your name, address, email and telephone number.

Photos of Jackson Rathbone with our sneakers!

2009-11-11T09:54:00.000-05:00

Jackson Rathbone (Jasper from Twilight movies)

I know a lot of you have been waiting for the photos of Jackson Rathbone with our sneakers. Well we finally have them!

Jackson Rathbone (Jasper from the Twilight movies) asked us to paint a unique custom pair of Converse for him. They came out awesome and he will be wearing them on his current tour with his band 100 Monkeys.

Ben G from 100 Monkeys

Consequently, we also painted pairs for his bandmates Ben G and Jerad. Jerad got Vans and Ben G got custom high top Converse. All have a 100 Monkeys theme. Enjoy the photos!

Jerad from 100 Monkeys

The Twilight Lexicon

2009-10-25T21:23:00.000-04:00

We just finished this pair of chucks for Laura Byrne-Cristiano (A.K.A. Pelirroja or Pel) ~ Co-Owner, News Writer, & On Air Personality of the longest running Twilight site on the web: http://www.twilightlexicon.com/.

Laura is the chief content writer for much of the Lexicon’s daily news. She notably debunked the Vanessa Hudgens casting, and Stephenie Meyer lawsuit rumors ahead of major media. She evaluates items of interest to the fans of the Twilight world on a daily basis. She routinely connects with representatives from EW, Access Hollywood, and EXTRA to name a few.

Back in 2003 Laura “met” Lori on a Harry Potter site devoted to the character of Remus Lupin. Lori, with whom shares her Remus Lupin and Jane Austin obsessions, got her into Twilight by nagging, begging, and pleading for someone else to read it. Lori, in case no one has noticed, is persistent. Laura is still stunned that she bought the book, since she has been terrified by vampires as long as she can remember.

Twilight Custom Converse

2009-10-20T08:12:00.000-04:00

The Twilight Saga is the biggest deal since Lord of the Rings, and I have to admit, I am a Twifan!

How did Punk Your Chucks get involved with this phenomenon?

Well, I first heard about Twilight from my oldest daughter. I would call her and she would not have time to talk because she was reading this unbelievable book called Twilight. She read every book (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse first), one after another, sometimes staying up all night. Then she raced to Barnes & Noble when Breaking Dawn came out.

I had no interest at first. That was until we received a request to paint custom sneakers for the producers of the movies, Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey.

MAG was hired to paint two pairs of Twilight Converse for Marty and Wyck so they could wear them to the New Moon premiere. It was then that I started to think that we should probably buy the movie. I thought it would be embarrassing if we have this deal and yet don't know anything about the stories or movie.

So we went out and bought the Twilight dvd movie, as well as all four Twilight Saga books.

First we watched the movie together. Then we watched it a second time, then a third...

Both MAG and I fell in love with the movie. I would never have imagined that MAG would love such a story, but he does. He has since watched it more than I have!

About a week or so after first seeing the movie I started to read the books. Needless to say I couldn't put them down. I read all four books (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn) within a few days.

After Mary Bowen and Wyck Godfrey became clients, many others followed.

We have since painted custom Converse sneakers for Peter Facinelli (who plays Dr. Carlisle Cullen), Jackson Rathbone (he plays Jasper Hale), as well as Jackson's bandmates from his group 100 Monkeys.

We have also painted Twilight Converse for:

Heidi, co-founder of the official Twilight facebook fanpage.
Amanda Bell, Twilight columnist with examiner.com. She also wrote a wonderful article about us.
Chris, Administrator with Twilighters.org.

And we are currently painting chucks for:

Laura Byrne-Cristiano (A.K. A. Pelirroja or Pel)~ Co-Owner, News Writer, & On Air Personality for the Twilight Lexicon website.
Several administrators for the Twilighters Anonymous website.

MAG - The Man Behind the Art

2009-10-20T01:30:00.000-04:00

MAG was born in New York City (Washington Heights). His mom was a very gifted artist too. She was a kindergarten teacher for the NYC school system. Sadly, she passed away at the age of 63.

MAG's father was estranged from his family when MAG was very young. His father has also since passed away (cancer).

When MAG turned 18 he joined the United States Air Force. He served in Saudi Arabia in the 1980s during Desert Shield. He lived in a tent for four months and still talks about it! Funny fact: He loves animals. He tried to bring a camel back to the states to keep as a pet. But the quarantine was too long and expensive so he backed out. He served his country for about 8 years before receiving an honorable discharge (and several awards from the service).

MAG has worked as a welder, machinist, etc., but his heart has always belonged to art. It has always been his dream to earn a living doing what he loves.

MAG's talent is not limited to just sneakers either. He is a very gifted sculptor and he loves to paint vinyl toys.

MAG and I have been married for 16 years. We were married in Charleston, SC.

We have four children: Nicole, age 21; Joey, age 18; Gabrielle, age 14; and Matthew Jr., age 11.

Our children are also very talented. Like they say, it runs in the family. Our daughter Nicole is a gifted artist and writer. Our daughter Gabrielle is also very talented at drawing and writing. Nicole is pursuing a career in writing while Gabrielle is working on building a portfolio to work for Pixar one day.

I know MAG is called a "celebrity" artist all the time, but honestly, he is just a regular guy who loves to paint. He is extremely hands on with the kids and is more domestic and I am!

MAG also loves making his customers happy. He gets so excited when he receives feedback from happy clients.

If you want to contact MAG you can email him directly at mag@punkyourchucks.com
He reads all his emails and will answer you!

Our Celebrity Clientele - Tommy Lee

2009-10-19T23:21:00.000-04:00

Out of all the celebrities we have painted for, Tommy Lee is by far the most interesting story!

We received an email from "Tommy Lee". Well, I did not believe it at all. I thought it had to be a joke and I made it clear how I felt.

Despite my doubts MAG emailed this "Tommy Lee" back. Of course, he did ask if someone was pulling his leg.

A day or so later another email..."Yo dude, trust me, it's me."

Well, now we're intrigued. So MAG writes him back. He emails back saying he would love a pair of our sneakers with his tattoos on them.

At the time he was in the group Supernova (Rock Band Supernova TV show). They were getting ready to go on tour (we already had tickets). MAG asked him for backstage passes and got this response...

"Hell yeah dude!

Just email me a few days before

the show and I'll hook ya'll up!!!

I'm a size 10 1/2 - 11"

"I do my own stunts,

Tommy Lee"

This was too good to be true. There's no way Tommy Lee was emailing my husband back and forth! But MAG was convinced and proceeded to paint the most awesome chucks for him.

Then the day of the concert (in Buffalo, NY) was here. MAG and I, chucks in tow, went to the venue and checked the front desk for backstage passes. No passes were left for us...

Oh no I thought. I see MAG standing there and I just knew it was a cruel joke. But MAG refused to believe it. He asked them to please contact Tommy's assistant and they said they would.

About one hour later an envelope is left for us at the front desk. Inside are two backstage VIP passes, and two more tickets for the concert! I can assure you all, I got an "I told you so" that night.

We watched the concert and had a blast (we were big fans of Supernova at the time).

After the concert we proceeded to go to where everyone was waiting for the meet and greets. People paid over $750.00 each just to meet them!

We're sitting there and down comes Tony Sullivan, Tommy's personal assistant. Well, he grabs us and personally takes us upstairs.

We get upstairs and walk down this hallway. First we meet Lukas Rossi (winner of the Rock Star Supernova television reality show). We're talking to him and then out comes Tommy Lee!

MAG's first reaction was ****** (you can imagine what he said). Tommy laughed and hugged him.

MAG handed Tommy his sneakers and he freaked out. He started calling everyone over to see them. Then Lukas said he wanted a pair too (we painted for Lukas too which I'll talk about in another post).

MAG and Lukas Rossi

We hung out with Tommy for a while, took photos, laughed, had a blast. And I have to tell you, he was a gentlemen to me. I was very impressed with him. You read about him in the tabloids and his bad behavior, but truly he was a sweetheart in person. He was real and didn't make you feel like he was above you because of his celebrity.

MAG, Lukas Rossi, Tommy Lee, Dilana
and me (the odd one out)

Before we left, MAG, Tommy Lee and Lukas made plans to meet up again at the next show in Toronto, which was about 2 days after.

MAG and his friend Steve went to the Toronto show and this is a very funny story...

Before the show MAG and Steve were standing in front of the stage (left), in front of everyone who paid for front row seats (that's where Tony Sullivan told them to go). The head of security came over and asked to see their tickets. MAG said, "I don't have any, but I'm a friend of Tommy Lee."

At that point the guard called over about four more security guards (between MAG and his friend they must have looked threatening). Then he said, "I've heard it all before."

By this time, the lights were still on and everyone in the first three or four rows were staring at them like they were insane. MAG said, "Well, do you want me to call Tommy?" and he goes, "you better do something."

So MAG called and Tony said, "I'll be down in a second."

Two minutes later Tony shows up, slaps a VIP pass on MAG and his friend, and says, "See you after the show."

Right then, the first four rows broke out into applause. The security guard then says, "Well, that's a first." and MAG tells him, "I told you I was telling you the truth."

Massey Hall in Toronto
Jan. 2007
MAG hanging out with "ax king" Gilby Clarke, originally from
Guns & Roses (Illusion era)!

Our Celebrity Clientele - Will Smith

2009-10-19T22:45:00.000-04:00

Anyone who has visited our website knows that MAG has painted sneakers for many celebrities. So I'm going to give you the inside scoop right now...

When you think of Will Smith what comes to mind? The Fresh Prince? Or just that he's the biggest star in the universe! I loved him in Independence Day. And I'm always impressed when a rapper crosses over into acting and does it successfully like he did.

Well, our first celebrity client was the one and only Will Smith.

We received a call from Akiva Goldsman's (Director) assistant while they were filming I Am Legend. It was Will's birthday and they wanted to give him a cool gift that was one of a kind, so they commissioned us to paint a custom pair of low top chuck taylor converse sneakers for him.

We couldn't believe it. This was the most exciting thing that happened to us so far.

The I Am Legend crew surprised him on the set with our sneakers, his birthday gift. We were so excited. Celebrities can hire anyone and yet they hired us! That defintely got us thinking...if they want our shoes, then who else would?

How we began

2009-10-19T22:25:00.001-04:00

My name is Gina and this is my first blog post. I'm going to start from the beginning, the birth of Punk Your Chucks.

First, if you're wondering who I am, I am MAG's wife and co-founder of Punk Your Chucks.

How did we begin?

It was several years ago. I saw a pair of Converse online with Green Day painted on them. I could not believe it. I thought they were so cool!

I knew my husband was an artist, so I asked him if he could do the same type of art. He said he would try. So I bought our first pair of Converse. They were green.

He painted another design of Green Day and I put them on ebay. Well, they sold for over $150.00! And that's how it all began.

We then needed a name for our new company. I came up with the name Punk Your Chucks myself. I thought, well we're not just painting chucks, we're punking them out. So the name Punk Your Chucks was born!

For a few years we only sold our sneakers on ebay. We did very well, but we wanted to take our business to the next level. So we decided to have our website made...www.punkyourchucks.com.

We paid a lot of money for the design of our site (I could never do it myself). I still love it. It's easy to navigate and hopefully enjoyable to visit.

So that's how we started, next blog: the start of our celebrity clientele!

This is the first pair of Converse MAG ever painted. When I saw these years ago I flipped out!