ATLANTA — The well-played guitar of local man Cody Marksen entered its next chapter as a wall decoration in his suburban condo, sources actively searching for a “Reservoir Dogs” poster confirmed.
“One day I woke up and it was just… there,” said Marksen, the former guitar player of Atlanta hardcore band Incitement. “I remember playing some backyard pig roast show with bonfires and dirtbikes, pretty sure I jumped through a table that was covered in gasoline. The next morning I woke up to it on the wall and my wife was dragging me to a wedding I’d forgotten about. Now I’ve gotten used to having it up there and don’t have the heart to take it down. The guitar became a statement piece for the living room. It’s very chic, I love it.”
The new phase of the guitar’s life hasn’t only affected Marksen’s career in music, but it’s starting to take a toll on his relationship too.
“One of the things I really loved about him was how talented he was,” said Hannah Slovak, Marksen’s wife of 7 years. “He could headwalk 13 people deep and still keep playing the heaviest breakdown you’ve ever heard. Now he’s started obsessing about which of his old passions pair with Millennial Gray, he’s up all night just comparing paint swatches to old guitars and even replica skateboards. It’s driving me crazy. I’ve been finding myself with wandering eyes for these greasy dudes in shitty butt-rock cover bands at the dive bar near us. I never thought I’d say it, but I miss being married to a band guy. If this keeps up I bet he’ll start wearing sweater vests or some shit.”
The living room wall being a tomb adorned by old creative relics isn’t a new concept. It’s been a common practice in interior design and home decor for generations.
“We set aside about 40% of our budget for non-used instruments and creative pursuits, specifically,” said Stefon Lurchsin, interior decorator, “Vintage guitars, harps, baby-grand pianos, you name it. They’re quite useful for providing a feeling of creative integrity within the space, and artistic mystique of the owners, however hollow, while also supporting the flow of the room itself. I tell ya, for how well they tie everything together, vintage Jazzmasters are the new rugs.”
At press time, Marksen was too busy tactfully hanging old skateboards on the wall to comment further.
Photo by Matt MacDonald.