Hi!
Whoa- it has been especially long since I last updated this website and emailed the world to spread the news! For this I simultaneously apologize and offer my most heartfelt “you’re welcome”. I don’t know why I have taken so long—it’s not as if I stopped doing stuff, but maybe the output hasn’t been as worth-reporting. Here comes my report, though, so you be the judge!
The studio has actually been booming, if “booming” is how one could describe the snail’s pace at which I have been sewing tiny sequins onto small-to-moderate-sized rectangles of embroidered fabric while half-watching days and days’ worth of programming of old movies on TCM alternating with listening to my precious Spotify song list or my favorite podcasts, “I Saw What You Did,” “The Plot Thickens,” and “You Must Remember This”. The point is that slowly, I have been turning out some new pieces of which I am very proud.
I’ve had a beautiful, antique embroidered linen tablecloth in my stash of raw materials for years now, never including it in any of my pieces, because the minimal checkerboard design is so plain and sparsely spread out over such a large, empty field. After a long spell away from the studio, the unusualness of this tablecloth called to me as a way to think about this “Then and Now” series a little differently: as geometric abstract paintings!
I gathered my baggies filled with Todd Oldham’s overflow of sequins from his work in the 1990’s and started with this piece, made specifically as a donation to Visual AIDS for their “Postcards From the Edge” fundraiser.
Using what remained from the tablecloth, I played with proportion, scale, and composition, letting the existing fine yet fraying embroidery from the tablecloth and Todd’s signature color selections and combinations take part in creating the results which I see as a mish mosh of Kandinsky, Delaunay, Johns, traditional Indian mandalas, and Crazy Larry Krone.
The last one I made (the first image, at the top of this post) took forever! In the middle of making it, it looked particularly beautiful with its empty spaces and exposed overlaps of collaged fabric, so I took it over to Todd Oldham’s Pennsylvania studio, where we scanned it to use for a print that will adorn some new Larry Krone + Todd Oldham Maker Shop SWEATSHIRTS! There will be two designs, both of them priced to BUY! Stay tuned, those should be available soon, and I won’t be shy about telling you!
Speaking of telling you, if you would like to listen to me actually talking about the things I like to say from the comfort of your own home or subway car (just think—I won’t be there, so you won’t need to pretend to be interested!), I feel strongly that you will enjoy hearing my interview with my friend Aboyade on the first episode of her podcast “The Awkward Artist”. The subject—on which I am an unofficial expert—is FAILURE, and Aboyade asks some great questions to which I offer answers that are in my signature style of longwinded/passionate/cute.
And somehow between all of my answering and sewing of things, I have managed to continue to keep America’s fashion scene fresh and funky with injections of House of Larréon into our culture on an ever-expanding platform. Like in Rolling Stone Magazine’s May issue!
Rolling Stone wanted to do a feature on HOL muse Bridget Everett. Knowing that I am Bridget’s exclusive couturier, they asked me to create a special gown for the photo spread and to style the shoot, which took place at our home away from home, Joe’s Pub.
I came up with “Frilling Me Softly,” a modern, tulle-forward take on a 1930’s Jean Harlow boudoir look. Stylist Liana Le took my cue and modeled Bridget’s hair after that of Marlene Dietrich in Shanghai Express, while Theo Kogan created her makeup masterwork on Bridget’s face. I think she looks lovely, beautiful, and gorgeous. Don’t you?
And then Accessories Council Magazine creative director and photographer Andrew Eagan reached out with the proposal that I style a Bridget Everett/House of Larréon feature, including an 8-page fashion spread of Bridget, plus the cover:
In the photos, Bridget wears all Larréons that we enhanced with Larréon-approved accessories, such as Presley Oldham + Todd Oldham Maker Shop jewelry and esenshel hats made by Rodney Patterson. There’s even a little feature about me with a portrait taken by Andrew that I love.
In anticipation of the big photo shoot, I made some decoupaged bracelets for my Accessoirées du Larréon line. There are still a few left if you would care to peruse them in my SHOP.
In March I did something fun. Joe’s Pub asked if I would do a presentation onstage at their benefit gala to help auction off an original House of Larréon garment worn by Bridget in her Off-Broadway show “Rock Bottom”. Bridget donated the piece, but she could not attend the gala, so I showed up for basically an abbreviated Ted Talk on the topic of House of Larréon and drinking.
Later I joined stranger-to-me-but-I-guess-he-likes-my-singing, Jim Andralis onstage for his tribute in song to our dear, departed friend, beloved voice teacher Barbara Maier Gustern. Was there a dry eye in the house? Don’t ask me, I couldn’t see anything through my tears.
I’d like to marry a man like that Jim Andralis. Oh wait, I did! Since we’re so close, I can tell you that Jim is recording a new album that is sounding so good, and I’m not just talking about our duet which is already in the can. You’ll have to wait for that, but there is lots of Jim Andralis content that’s available NOW and SOON. Check out Jim’s Instagram, website, and Spotify channel to hear all of his beautiful music and see his beautiful music videos.
OK, I can tell this is getting long, because I am starting to bore even myself, and usually I’m my best audience!
Let me just leave you with the assurance that I still run around singing and playing music. Like at Jessie Kilguss’ songwriter night at the Branded Saloon recently
And this just in: I will be presenting a brand new show “What a Difference!” at Joe’s Pub on Monday, August 21st at 7:00pm! I have placed this announcement so low in this newsletter because A) I am nervous about it and don’t 100% know what I’m going to do yet, and B) I will be sending out a special email as the date gets closer and my shit is more—as they say—together.
Last thing: I want to tell you that I was on TV. Not really me, but my recipe. Well, not really my recipe, but the recipe that I’ve claimed as my own, because I did create it myself (after eating it somewhere and copying/perfecting it). I’m talking about St. Louis Sushi, which was featured very prominently on my favorite TV show (and everyone else’s who has seen it), Bridget Everett’s “Somebody Somewhere”. The show is amazing, and you can stream it on MAX. And you’d better because you’ll need to catch up before Season 3 comes around! Anyway, this is St. Louis Sushi:
And it has been setting the world on fire. I have seen a lot of bastardizations of this fabulous finger-food since it has been in the spotlight, so I would like to share my recipe below in an excerpt from my multi-genre memoir-in-progress, More Than You Need to Know About an Artist You’ve Never Heard Of. This is from the chapter “Krazy for Kanapés”
St. Louis Sushi This is the one that started it all: my signature canapé that guests expect to see at every party I throw. I claim it as my own and even had it published in TV guide as such, but the real story is that when I was a teenager in St. Louis, somebody from an older crowd of friends served it at a house party I attended, and I immediately fell in love (with the dish). After the party, I asked around, but nobody could tell me who brought them or what they were, so I conducted my own test kitchen laboratory and recreated them. Usually when I serve St. Louis Sushi, it’s the first taste of this particular slice of heaven for my guests, but every now and then, somebody is like “Oh yeah, this is a Polish Rose,” or “Big whoop, my grandmother used to make these.” Still, for most people in my circle, St. Louis Sushi is a Larry Krone Original, so I don’t argue. And to be fair, I have refined the technique of making it, and there is that TV guide evidence, so… One note: you may be tempted to make a higher tone version of this recipe using gourmet ingredients instead of square ham and block cream cheese. I’ve tried it, too: cornichons & chèvre wrapped in cured salmon, farmstand pickled radishes smothered in mascarpone, then wrapped in prosciutto. These combinations suck, and they don’t stay together when you slice them. Stick to the recipe, trust me. And always use Claussen pickles or the closest thing to them that you can find. Ingredients 1 8oz package of block cream cheese (not whipped or in a tub) 1 package (8 slices) of square ham. This should be boiled or honey ham (not chopped or smoked). Must be the square kind—Oscar Meyer style—NOT sliced to order from the deli counter. 1 jar of pickles - Claussen brand pickles are key! If they are not available, another kind of dill or garlic pickle (not sweet or bread & butter) that you find in the refrigerated section can substitute. When buying the pickles, look for jars with consistently straight, uniform, not-too-big pickles. Instructions Leave cream cheese out an hour or so to soften it. Spread out a sheet of paper towels. Lay 4 slices of ham on the paper towel then put another paper towel on top. Repeat. This step is to dry off the ham & make the cream cheese stick to it. Note: you can do what I do and use clean dishtowels for this, if you prefer to save the planet. Dry off the pickles thoroughly with paper towels (or a clean dishtowel). Score or divide the softened block of cream cheese into 8 even sections. Spread one section of cream cheese evenly on a slice of ham. Place a pickle alongside one end of the slice of cream cheesed ham, and roll, wrapping the pickle with the ham, cream cheese side in. Be sure that the edges of the ham meet, completely enclosing the pickle. You can trim the excess ham for skinnier pickles and use those trimmed scraps to patch fatter pickles where the ham can’t make it all the way around. Repeat for each pickle. Refrigerate at least an hour to set the cream cheese. When ready to serve, slice crossways in about ¼-inch intervals to make little sushi-inspired discs! Discard (or eat) the rounded pickle ends. You should get 6-8 pieces from each pickle. yields about 50 pieces, enough for a party of 20.
I leave you with the lyrics to a new-ish song I wrote as a kind of a tough love pep talk to a person who shall not be named but who you may know as being me. I can get so crabby and stuck when things don’t go my way, especially after I’ve just pushed myself to be ambitious and really get shit done. This is me reminding myself (and you, maybe?) to not wrap up my whole identity into successes and failures but to just be myself and enjoy life a little.
You Used to be Fun by Larry Krone ©2023 Look at you There on the couch Look at that man there Running his mouth You think you got it together and you’re so strong But I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong Look inside You’ll find the sun The man I knew Used to be fun You’ve been trying way too hard And you’ve been crying way too hard You spend all your time working And you convince yourself you’re tough And you spend all your time hurting Because it’s never enough They step on you and don’t play fair You give them your heart but no one cares And that’s what you get What did you expect The world’s a nightmare But that’s what we’ve got Maybe you’re not cut out for it But maybe you are Yeah, you used to be fun And not take shit from anyone You used to spread your love around Till the grind just wore you down You used to take it all in stride You used to live this life Look at you It’s still inside
Thank you for your attention, everybody, and for reading this. Do YOU have something to say to ME? Send it on over, and I’ll read it, too!
*P.S. and by the way, Gregory Kramer is also a wizard when it comes to solving website problems & stuff. He helped me spruce up and unkink this old dinosaur, and I could not be happier with the results! Contact Greg thru his website if you’re interested in hiring him for your website needs!
Oh, and please follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube if you are so inclined.
Thank you, and good night.