Donahue,
Matt
Art by Leo
All photography by Chris Brunkhart, except as noted.
“The artist makes himself a seer by a long, immense, and
reasoned derangement of all the senses. All forms of love, suffering
and madness - he explores himself, he tries out all the positions
on himself and keeps only their quintessences. Unspeakable torture
where he really needs faith, and all superhuman strength there
is, where he becomes in the midst of everyone else the great
sick man, the great criminal, the great condemned - and the
supreme Knower! - since he has reached the unknown!”
-Arthur Rimbaud, from the book A Season in Hell
Don’t
call it a come back. Don’t call it a disappearance either.
If you want to call Matt Donahue anything, call him Leo La Dome.
A patient predator who is a incredible survivor of difficult
times. To soothe his pain he ƒnds sanctuary in his music, from
guitars to organs, ¼utes to trumpets, Leo is able to captivate
his audience.
And really, how important are details? To me, not very, and
Leo would say the same. Its important to Leo to have close knitted
relationships with his friends and family. To have understanding
sponsors who can nurture the enigma of talent that ¼ows like
an artesian well from Leo’s hands. Some have prospered
from his wheel of ideas, and these are his accomplishments of
most recently, but in time fade away quickly. So Leo stands
ready for more abuse, he has the ƒght of a champion, and the
heart of a lion.
-Mike Estes on Leo La Dome
It was in Verbier, Switzerland, where he wrote his name and
number in my book. I couldn’t read it too well, so I just
named him “La Dome.” It ƒts his looks and style, and
his love for everything and everyone.
La Dome could stand for a lot of things. It depends on how you
say it and how he feels. He could be anybody. The great snowboarder,
the funky musician, the European lover and lots of other characters.
I just know him as “Leo,” my American friend who likes
having fun. As the romantic guy, Leo is full of passion. But
he can deƒnitely be one of the boys who will piss on your leg.
One thing is sure, he likes playing beðer than working and impresses
people all the time. I saw him get the longest ride I’ve
ever seen, surƒng in Biaritz, France.
In Hawaii, he was doing back¼ips of this big cliff. It all looked
so rad. That’s what La Dome is all about, those “wow
moments,” they just make you feel good. When you see his
paintings, you just want them on your wall (That reminds me,
you still owe me one La Dome, get on the case!). He is an inspiration
for a lot of people, but there is only one Leo La Dome in this
world. It’s just fun to hang out with him and listening
to his loose stories of lost love and dreams lived. Wherever
I go, they know Leo. I know why. Because he is the silent, legendary
man.
-Raf Mas on Leo La Dome
This
past summer, I had the privilege of joining Leo Le Dome on his
initial Southern European tour. In the month I remained with
him, camping in shanty-town outside Biarritz, France, we were
bitten in the asses by spiders, dropped in on by French boogie
boarders, and sneered at by old Basque folk. It was all rad.
And all of these in¼uences can be heard on The Jazz Solos of
Leo Le Dome. Occupying a space some where between Bootsie Collins
and Captain Beegiart, The Jazz Solos... embrace Le Dome’s
rural Oregonian roots with karmic highs and rasta-man overtures.
Progressive bridges and samples can be heard throughout the
record as well, from the old school tendencies of Kurtis Blow
and Whodini to the aural arrangements of DJ Shadow, Le Dome’s
latest offering goesway back to the way back and back again
to the Y2K realities of living in the rainforest.
Many have called Portland the Pittsburgh of the Northwest (some
even say Warsaw), and although his blue-collar Jailblazers faded
quick-style in the Western Conference Finals, LeDome’s
faith in his own hard work remains intact.
Though other acts have gone on to brief major label success
for instantly gratiÃing signing bonuses, most of these
alternative also-rans have now either been cut, or can only
sell-out that 1992 Breckenridge Sound a little harder. LeDome
has remained a loyal grass-roots man with former label, The
Movement Records, and now on with Palmer Entertainment, having
rejected the major label offers in his past life.
Today, aside from The Oregon LeDome Project, he is a respected
studio sessioner up the Highway 26 Netherlands, still occasionally
turning in performances like his legendary gig at this past
halloween party at his residence along the Sandy River. Although
many of the gold-rush alternative rockers of the late-nineties
have given in to the regimented requirements of constantly ƒlming
rock videos, LeDome has remained commited to his own sound.
More than ever, Pink Leo is one of the few to keep the funk
alive. In a world of monotonous house mixes, Leo has a downbeat
as funkdelialiphic as ever.
-The Walrus on Leo La Dome
Matt
Donahue, the venerable Don Leo Carillo, one true son of the
Lebowskis, contemplates the professional’s nature while
waves of amenities leisurely lap his athletic frame. Like The
Dude in The Big Lebowski-the movie that for him has become an
obsession- Donahue rarely plans but is often right on time.
Always in the moment, a musician, artist, student of life, rental
shop worker, world-traveler and professional snowboarder, he
belongs to everyman yet is beholden to none. He lives the thing
they call “lifestyle” hour to hour.
“Some people call him a hero but what is a hero?”
Donahue ponders in the jacuzzi of the essential Dudeness. He
peers into the bubbling waters through the fabric of space and
time, ƒnally proclaiming, “This aggression will not stand.”
Drifting through one state of time to the next. Unquantiƒed.
Master of Le Dome and his domain. What will The Dude do next?
Does it matter? It’ll be done good.
-Bic Biro on Leo La Dome
Don’t
call it a come back. Don’t call it a disappearance either.
If you want to call Matt Donahue anything, call him Leo La Dome.
A patient predator who is a incredible survivor of difficult
times. To soothe his pain he ƒnds sanctuary in his music, from
guitars to organs, ¼utes to trumpets, Leo is able to captivate
his audience.
This
past summer, I had the privilege of joining Leo Le Dome on his
initial Southern European tour. In the month I remained with
him, camping in shanty-town outside Biarritz, France, we were
bitten in the asses by spiders, dropped in on by French boogie
boarders, and sneered at by old Basque folk. It was all rad.
And all of these in¼uences can be heard on The Jazz Solos of
Leo Le Dome. Occupying a space some where between Bootsie Collins
and Captain Beegiart, The Jazz Solos... embrace Le Dome’s
rural Oregonian roots with karmic highs and rasta-man overtures.
Progressive bridges and samples can be heard throughout the
record as well, from the old school tendencies of Kurtis Blow
and Whodini to the aural arrangements of DJ Shadow, Le Dome’s
latest offering goesway back to the way back and back again
to the Y2K realities of living in the rainforest.
Matt
Donahue, the venerable Don Leo Carillo, one true son of the
Lebowskis, contemplates the professional’s nature while
waves of amenities leisurely lap his athletic frame. Like The
Dude in The Big Lebowski-the movie that for him has become an
obsession- Donahue rarely plans but is often right on time.
Always in the moment, a musician, artist, student of life, rental
shop worker, world-traveler and professional snowboarder, he
belongs to everyman yet is beholden to none. He lives the thing
they call “lifestyle” hour to hour.