Spring Break, as an artist, doesn’t really have a name. He’s just a guy that created something that exists to make you smile. One of those things that you see on your way home from a long day at work that makes you chuckle to yourself. Just two elongated, “drippy” tits staring right at you with the words “Spring Break” underneath. Toilet humor at its finest, brought to the streets of the world. From Seattle to NYC, all the way to Prague. He’s everywhere.
I wanted to bring attention to his work because it’s something that has fascinated me for a few years now. Initially, I thought it was just a random scrawl that someone did once on a wall in midtown Manhattan, until I started seeing it more and more, soon realizing it was kind of a “thing”. I started exploring online and found more and more pictures on Flickr in so many locations throughout the world. My fascination only grew from there, when I started trying to figure out who would come up with something like this. I’m not going to try to look too deep into this. Bottom line, I find it funny, that’s all.
A new layer of the Spring Break onion was peeled back a year or two ago when talking with my friend Andy / Astronautalis, who had corresponded with Spring Break and had acquired a shirt featuring his alter-ego “Bad Dad”. I was already intrigued by the shirt because for years I have worn a shirt that just says “ONE BAD DAD” in white block letters, so when I noticed that Andy was wearing a shirt that said “Bad Dad”, I had to find out where he got it. When he informed me that it was done by the same guy who did the Spring Break tags, my brain exploded. It turns out, he’s also hit numerous places with this tag as well. Just a simple face, sort of reminiscent of Carl from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Moustachioed and white trashy, with the words Bad Dad next to it. It’s not fine art, but I love it. Simple, to the point, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
He’s a man of few words, but he loves himself some music. He provided this short, but incredibly sweet (for the most part) mix of some of his favorites.
What was your first concert?
uhmmmm… Maybe Goo Goo Dolls when I was 11.
Last concert?
I play in a band, but besides that, I snuck in to see Built to Spill.
First record?
I think it was Nirvana, Nevermind
Last album you bought?
Chrissy Zebi Tembo re-release on Mississippi Records
Impressionable record:
All Nirvana records and Green Day Dookie
How important do you feel music is to your creative process?
I listen to music all damn day. I like listening to sad music because it’s like real beauty ya know. You cry, you smile, you get a little angry. It’s got all the human emotions and I feel like artists make their best art as well as music when they’re depressed or melancholy.
Everly Brothers – “Love Hurts”
Aaron Neville – “How Could I Help But Love You”
Falcons – “I Found a Love”
Chrissy Zebby Tembo – “Lonely Night”
Cambodian Cassette Archives – “Sat Teey Touy (Look at That Owl)”
Henry Essence – “14yr Old Lover”
The Go – “Dirty Room”
Dwarves – “Free Cocaine”
The Kinks – “Such a Shame”
Pink Floyd – “Bike”
The Dream – “The Doting King”
Blind Willie McTell – “Pal of Mine”
Check out Spring Break’s playlist below on Spotify. Be sure to like Background Noise on Facebook for updates on future episodes. You can browse ALL the Background Noise episodes right here.
Oh, and check him out on the Instagram.
