Friday, November 30, 2007
Los Angeles, CA
If you are ever in downtown Los Angeles, make a visit to The Original Pantry at 9th and Figuerora. Through a door which has no key, you'll enter a cafe that has never closed since 1924. They are never without a customer. Expect to wait for a table, as there were already 50 patrons lined up on the sidewalk at 8:00 in the morning for breakfast. More than 2,400 eggs are used every 24 hours here, and more than 3,000 hogs are required to supply the pork used at the Pantry annually. Through many long years the Pantry has endured as a staple of Los Angeles' diverse culture and style.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
San Diego, CA
There were many introductions to be made, on this the first night of the Unlimited Sunshine Tour, as the bands met for the first time. This is a deep line-up, and the first night brought strong performances from all the bands: Agent Ribbons, Oakley Hall, King City, Detroit Cobras, and CAKE. It is a true pleasure to be a part of this experience.
We had our first tree giveaway this evening. Gentleman Zach from Vista CA demontrated a superior knowledge of the Fuerte Avocado sharing the stage with us, therefore he is now the honorably appointed caretaker. Zach's home of Northern San Diego County is known as the avocado capitol of the world, and we know Zac will enjoy his young tree.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Monterey, CA
Monterey, California. You might know this coastal central California city for Cannery Row, John Steinbeck, nearby Pebble Beach, or their world class aquarium. Neighboring city, Castroville, is the world's foremost supplier of artichokes. What's more, it was here that Jimi Hendrix set his guitar ablaze during the 1967 Monterey Pop festival. As a matter of fact, we performed on that very stage as part of the first annual Music Summit festival. Bassist Gabriel Nelson maintains a belief that he could perceive the faint impression of woodburns from the voodoo fire, indelibly marked on the timber, in front of his bass cabinet.
What is really fascinating about this place, that the modern citizen might not know, is that for some time it was the only port on the North American west coast, other than Sitka, Alaska and San Diego, California. The customs house, where all incoming shipments were taxed, is the oldest state building and #1 on the register of state historic landmarks.
The idea of manifest destiny, gave the United States enough of a sense of entitlement to wrestle control of Mexico's Alta California to take for their own. Over the course of just a handful of generations, we are brought to this current time. From Native Americans, to Spanish Missionaries, to Mexico, to U.S., to scuba diving and the PGA tour. Just like that. Blink of an eye. Teletransportation can't be far off.
Don't forget to think of the Franciscan monks of Monterey next time you select Jack cheese for your sandwich.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Santa Fe, NM
In Santa Fe, on the grounds of the Indian School, there is another unique amphitheater. Unlike Red Rocks, where the fascination is derived from nature, this facility is man-made. Originally, this space was built as an experiment in ecologically minded urban living. When the project had to stop because of code violations, someone had the good idea to build amphitheater seats into one side of the deep excavation. The first impression is that you are on the production sets of "The Planet of the Apes", or "Logan's Run."
The architect, Paulo Soleri, coined the term "arcology" as shorthand for "architecture for ecology". The concept of this particular structure can be likened to a "city-as-a-hill," in that it would have functioned as a multi-directional megastructure with life flourishing on its surface for aesthetics and urban agriculture. The living space is basically underground. There are sidewalks that take you downhill to the center, and it is apparent that the walls and top could be used for growing things. It also looks like rainwater and sun would be used as wisely as possible. Holy moly, the mirrored ball looked great here.
It had been a long time since we had been to New Mexico. Too bad, because the people, culture, food, and landscape are unlike any other in the country. Hearty thanks to a great audience.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Morrison, CO
During the Jurassic Period, the Red Rocks area, in what is now metro Denver, was lush with tropical vegetation. Over the eons, mountains emerged, waters receded, and the dinosaurs disappeared. The dinosaurs left bones and footprints, and so it happened that this was one of the first localities west of the Mississippi to yield dinosaur bones in abundance.
Native Americans also camped, hunted, prayed, and celebrated here. They left behind their tools and buried their dead in the deep crevices between layers of stone. When Euro-Americans first visited the area, the Utes were using Red Rocks as a special place. The Utes may well have used Red Rocks for their summer Bear Dance, which they stage to this day. Grizzlies, according to the creation myths, were the reigning animals on earth, sent by the Great Spirit to keep order. Bear Dances were originally held on the first day of spring to celebrate bears coming out of hibernation.
By the late 1930's this natural amphitheater took shape as a modern performance space, with staircases and seating. During construction, workers tested the acoustics by spinning a coin on the stage and listening at the top of the amphitheater to hear its fall. Later, boosters would insist that listeners sitting in the back row of the rock-walled amphitheater could hear whispers uttered on stage.
To really appreciate Red Rocks Amphitheatre you need to be there or at least see a good photo. We are grateful for this second opportunity to perform here. To the organizers of the 2007 Monolith Festival and all those present, we thank-you very much.
*Special thanks to Thomas J. Noel, for his writing and research in,
"Sacred Stones: Colorado's Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre."
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Aspen, CO
The population in Aspen around 1880 was actually triple of what it is now. When the United States government de-standardized silver, Aspen felt the economic impact in a big way, as this was a major mining town. They have obviously bounced back. Some citizens here even consider this to be the center of the universe.
The late composer, musician, friend, father, son, and brother, John Denver, has a sanctuary down by the river just on the outskirts of downtown. It is a pleasant amphitheater shaped meadow with several seven foot tall half dome granite boulders that have entire song lyrics engraved on them. A Stonehenge of popular songs.
We took the 72 up and out of town the morning after the show. We stopped to admire "The Grottos" along the way, a chain of waterfalls with interesting rock formations and swimming holes. Once out of the valleys, we took in the Continental Divide at Independence Pass. At 10,000 feet up, in Leadville, we almost stopped for ten frames of bowling at Kristi Lanes, but we imagined physical exertion at that altitude would be too exhausting.
If you are interested in living in Aspen, you should consider that the supply of real estate is limited and demand is just getting greater, so you'd better jump on it. The Prince of Saudi Arabia's house is listed for only 155 million dollars. Better hurry.
Aspen might be worth visiting, if only just to see and touch the 8 foot tall grizzly sculpture on the pedestrian mall. It is made entirely from nails...and feels like it!
Friday, August 17, 2007
Del Mar, CA
We performed in the “Plaza de Mexico,” rather than the infield where we have in the past, at Del Mar's horse racing track. The production company built today's stage in front of the main entrance's mission style tower. It was a very fine place for music. At concert time the ornate plaza was packed with all ages from 8 to 80 on this coastal Southern California August evening.
Our dressing room was a trailer in the parking lot immediately adjacent to the stage, which meant the usual Cushman transport was not an option this time. In the past we have embarassingly enjoyed the commute on this maintenance cart to the previous location of the stage on the infield of the racetrack. The feeling of being on a Cushman vehicle is satisfying, for the simple reason that there are so many moments in one's life (airport, high school campus) when the envy is palpably felt of wanting to get a lift on one of these trucksters. In professional sports, an athlete must be severely injured in order to enjoy this form of transport off the field as he is warmly cheered by the crowd.
Del Mar is the place "where the surf meets the turf" according to the song written by co-founder Bing Crosby, a resort where he and his fellow Hollywood elite came down to enjoy the cool ocean breezes in August. The elite of the entertainment world came to see the elite of the horse racing world, as top jockeys John Longden and later Bill Shoemaker and Laffit Pincay Jr. called it home. As well, the great Seabiscuit defeated his stablemate Ligaroti in a match race at Del Mar.
From December 1941 to July 1945, World War II forced the shutdown of racing in California, which made for a convenient point for dividing the first two eras of Del Mar. The post-war period was when Del Mar truly flourished as the place to see and be seen in the racing world.
Even if you're not a betting person, the incredible feeling can not be denied of watching the genetically endowed horses straining to keep their speed around the turn, and you are sensing the almost surreal swell of excitement and swarm of volume coming from the cheering spectators in the grandstands as the horses are coming into sight towards the straightaway.
In the van on the way back to the hotel, we rehashed all the jokes we had learned over the last couple of years. Chris Bailey, our tour manager, is a master joke teller, with a delivery as good as the punchline itself. In more serious matters, Chris recommends the great Science Fiction novel “Childhood's End,” by Arthur C. Clarke.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Anchorage, Alaska
The view from the plane on the way up to Anchorage is excellent. It's easy to forget there are so many islands off the west coast of Canada that are actually Alaskan. This region is known as the Inside Passage. The greenness of this view gradually changes to steep coastal cliffs and glacier-filled valleys flowing into the Gulf of Alaska. Mountain peaks dramatically jut through the thick layer of clouds. As the plane approaches the airport, we see that we lucked out with a rare sunny day in Anchorage. Flying into the airport, the mountains around the city appear similar to a lush Polynesian landscape. In the airport terminal the visitor is greeted with a mini natural history museum of taxidermy: polar bears, geese, linx, wolves, brown bears, owl, trumpeter swan, and mountain goat. Other celebrated animals of Alaska are the bald eagle, sea and river otters, puffin, moose, caribou, salmon, the humpback whale, and the prehistoric musk ox. The day after we arrived, Dan Fiacco, owner of The Moose's Tooth (where we'll have our concert), set us up with a great tourism experience, to take a helicopter ride up to a glacier where we would do some dogsled mushing. No amount of reluctance would have kept us from this opportunity for adventure. Even the newspaper clipping from just two weeks ago about a sightseeing plane crashing in mountainous terrain and killing everyone aboard was not the slightest deterrent. The flight was brief, just up and out of the lower valley, through a mountain pass, and down onto the glacier which was 100 feet of snow on top of 1000 feet of ice. It's important to mention that the helicopter pilot mentioned that these glaciers are in "catastrophic decline.” The focus of the excursion was really the sled dogs, with the chopper ride as a short commute to this Iditerod training camp for a man named Dario Martinez and his crew. Dario is Italian born, German raised, and a true Alaskan for 20 years ever since he first arrived on vacation here. He lives night and day on the glacier with the dogs for 3 and 1/2 months of the year. Although the chopper flight is available, Dario says he sometimes takes the five and a half hours to hike down, which includes a considerable glacier ledge that requires crampons to descend. At night, the dogs are let off their chains, and they chase a snowmobile around the glacier. There were about 60 mixed breed huskies at the camp, and we had a turn to ride about a mile loop under dog power, helping Dario with the brakes on the downhill sections. The dogs love to run, and as the dogs could overheat in the summer weather, slowing them down is more of the emphasis than speeding them up. While we were visiting, the dogs that were not in harnesses for the sled all were chained to poles at their dogloos. Instead of pulling at the chain, some of the dogs run in circles, creating a well-banked perfectly circular racing track over time. During times of heavy running, these slender dogs will consume 12,000 calories in one day of commercial dog food, beef, lamb, and salmon, while very willingly running up to 125 miles. Agile and slim they are bred to be more like marathoners as opposed to the bulkier dogs used for shorter distances and heavier loads. The huskies are bred with Greyhounds, Border Collies, and some other breed choices that are surprising but make sense after meeting the dogs. The annual Iditerod race keeps alive the great tradition of dog-powered transport. Iditerod means “distant place” in Athabaskan, a native language of Alaska. Iditerod was a mining district in the Alaskan interior. If you were travelling there, you'd call your route the Iditerod. While we were waiting for the first half of our group to take their turn being pulled behind the dogs, some of us took a snowmobile ride up the glacier to an even more picturesque view of the mountain range, blue jagged glaciers, and the valley below. If it looked a little like Maui flying in on the sunny day to Anchorage, up here it looks like the landscapes from the Lord of the Rings films. The show at Moose's Tooth was a great time, and we'll never forget the reception we received. Thank-you people of Anchorage, Dan, Dario, and Ken the Shaman. The security backstage was excellent in its respectfulness and organization.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Fairbanks, Alaska
Sean Penn directed Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild" outside of Fairbanks recently. It's the story of Christopher Mc Candless, a fun-loving and virtuous young man who ventured to Alaska to live off the land, perishing in the process. Adam Wool, owner of the Blue Loon where we will be performing, says they might be considering having the world premier at his establishment, as The Blue Loon has a substantial screen and regularly shows current feature films.
In 2003, the parking lot of the hotel we stayed was the starting line for the Iditerod 1,049 mile dog race. Pike's is an easy and satisfying place for all types of tourists, and it is obvious right away that this is the place of choice for many of the big tour companies. Overheard this snippet of conversation from a senior citizen New Yorker woman: "And you can enjoy your bagels and lox here, real lox, fresh Alaskan lox."
Pike's also features an ice bridge crossing here. It is a boat ramp in the summer, and in winter, when the temperatures in Fairbanks can regularly and easily range to -50F degrees below zero, cars and trucks use the frozen hard and thick river as an extensive crossing. At least once a year, someone attempts the crossing too late in the winter, and their car becomes stuck in broken ice.
At 11:22 p.m. ...still light outside. 11:52p.m., ...still light.
The Blue Loon is along the main highway to Anchorage, but seemed it was in the boonies along a dirt road. This illusion of reclusivity is because the highway is undergoing complete reconstruction by the department of transportation.
Back in the day, Fairbanks didn't have enough pull to get many nationally known musical groups. Some big concerts to come through were Kool & The Gang and, separately, Quarterflash. The Howling Dog Saloon was one of the few places to go for a good time. The Howling Dog boasts possession of "The Holy Carpet." In the 1980's Ronald Reagan had his one and only meeting with Pope John Paul. It took place in the rain on the tarmac of the Fairbanks airport, and was the biggest thing since... Kool & The Gang. Somehow the Howling Dog got the red carpet they were standing on. Now it is tacked up on the wall behind the stage.
The show at The Blue Loon in Fairbanks was as about as unique as any we will ever play. The stage was outside at one end of their large quonset hut, with a view beyond the audience of a rustic tree branch fence holding back the woods. The crowd was one of the most honestly happy and enthusiastic that we've seen. They made us glad that we finally made it to this amazing place.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Istanbul, Turkey
The lines are long and bulky today at the Stansted airport, and they really don't seem to be moving at all.
We are due to arrive in Istanbul at 8:15pm after a three hour flight and a two hour time difference. We are surprised to experience a separate security examination, immediately after the initial examination, just for shoes. We'll get you Richard Reid!
The last two times we were here to perform, we stayed closer to the center of town where the Hagia Sofia and Blue Mosque are situated near the banks of the mighty Bosphorus river. Since we were situated with greater proximity to the Masstival Festival this time, we were worried that we would be robbed of a true experience of Istanbul. However, arriving in Istanbul we were relieved to meet Nazli, our guide, who informed us that the hotel was not in the middle of nowhere, but near restaurants and a neighborhood.
We drove into the city past many eye-catching minarets, the towers surrounding the mosques. The sunlight was fading, and an orange sky reminiscent of dusk in Los Angeles hung over the city. It seemed odd to be zooming through town on the expressway, because the memory from last time is entering on worn roads winding around low hills.
We are staying at a Movenpick Hotel, which is Swiss, but they have new hotels all over the world in places like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Cairo. The lobby has an interesting sculpture: a two story column made of roughly hewn clay, with a gigantic orange crescent balancing on top. In the fountain at its base are giant stone tablets giving the impression that they might contain an ancient wisdom or code of laws. Nazli informed us that the sculpture was a Greek motif that comes from Anatolia, the largest geographical area of Turkey where the world famous ceramics and rugs come from. It's amazing to think that the first bridge between Europe(the Istanbul side) and Asia (the Anatolian side) was opened as recently as 1973.
Outside the hotel, as we head into the warm evening, we see an engaging sight of seagulls soaring slowly around the heavily lighted sky above a skyscraper. There are also many Turkish national flags near the mosque next to the hotel. One would think It must be some sort of holiday, because in the distance across the city, fireworks could also be seen. Actually, Nazli informed us the fireworks are probably from a wedding or soccer match, and the flags are in relation to the upcoming elections.
July 22nd will be the election, thus there are many campaign billboards and posters, in addition to rows of many small Turkish national flags along the roadway. These flags say "Saadet Partisi" on them, which means Saadet party, a party associated with religious fundamentalism. Some citizens feel the secular values that the republic was founded on are in jeopardy. You can read about the election results here. The politics of Turkey are complex and intertwined with their turbulent history.
On our first evening, some of us went immediately to a satisfying meal of Turkish food, while some made their way to Masstival to see the incomparable Sinead O'Connor.
The next day, performing at the festival was great. We played well together.
We look forward to returning to this unique and important country soon.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Henham, England
We travelled northeast from London to Suffolk County. On the Henham Park Estate, the Latitude Festival celebrated its second year on a little slice of heaven in Southwold.
Where usually a small flock of sheep would be grazing among the giant sycamores and where in mid-July the meadows have brilliant green grass like early Spring in California, there were cabaret shows, poetry, literature readings, all day stand-up comedy in a large tent with a giant chandelier, a film and music tent that when it wasn't showing a variety of music documentaries was presenting a bizarre mix of both Willy Wonka films edited in with scenes of a determined and sweaty Sigourney Weaver with a flame thrower fighting space aliens while a live improvisational ensemble played along, a special children's area, tarot readings, a speed dating service, and a sculpture tent where one could realize their idealized self-portrait from clay. There was also a circus side show featuring an Elephant man Elvis impersonator and a 365 pound lady.
The multiple music stages and camping areas take up the remaining space, therefore, the resident sheep have been given a reasonable boundary near the lake, their wool dyed yellow, blue, and red in accord with their festive circumstance.
Some say this festival is like its more famous neighbor, Glastonbury, but more compact and much less people. Whatever the case, this festival is top notch.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
London, England
The IndigO2 theater, where our concert was held, is an almost brand new venue in Greenwich, east of downtown London. Although it is far from the city center, it's possible to get there by underground or ferry. It is a part of the millineum dome project. The review of this show is posted at the top of the band page at cakemusic.com.
On the bus ride out of town the next morning, we noticed a plaque marker affixed to a typical “flat” type dwelling. The historic marker said Benedict Arnold had lived there until his death. Everyone in the United States is always referring to Benedict Arnold as the infamous traitor during the Revolutionary War, so it seems worthwhile to know the whole story. Without General Arnold's earllier contributions to the American cause, the revolution may well have been lost, so why would this pharmacist and book-seller from New Haven, Connecticut sell the Continental Army down the river to the British forces? Here is his story.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Utrect, Holland
We had some time off in Utrecht and saw some things before show day.
A museum here shares with visitors the world's oldest reprogrammable automated instrument. It is a carillon, a series of bells that are struck with hammers, from the year 1480. The progress of automated instruments that followed is represented here all the way up to the era of the Orchestrion (also known as Draaiorgels), decorated pipe organs that read by punch cards and include percussion instruments. These camper trailer sized party machines with colorful and thematic carved wood facades were enjoyed at fairgrounds and dance halls, with even larger versions placed in concert halls.
Another notable item, aside from the player piano with an actual automated violin trio built in, is a plush purple carriage for children that was commissioned for a princess. The music is programmed through grooves carved into a long wooden alley that the wheels of the carriage follow. The two sets of bicycle pedals between the facing sofa seats propel the carriage down the lane, causing the levers to activate a xylophone, cowbell, woodblock, and cymbal on a table between the seats.
Just outside of Bunnick, up the canal from Utrecht, is Fort bij Rijnauwen. The Dutch army regularly used the waterways around Holland to defend themselves against French and German forces, and this fort was the next line of defense. Pentagon shaped, with roughly the same diameter as the Pentagon building in Washington D.C., this is an obsolete structure that has become a nature conservation area. Owls, foxes, bats, wild birds, a wide moat with otter, fish, and a variety of insect life, are all protected here. The fort itself is brick and completely covered by tall trees. The last time the government used it for the military was 1885.
During World War II, the German army used the moth-balled fort as an armory. The Nazi army left behind stockpiled explosives as the Canadian Allied Forces came into command. Young Canadian troops who were guarding the cache became bored as their detail dragged on. They alleviated their boredom by detonating some of these explosives in the walls, thereby carving out the only damage done. This recreational destruction was the beginning of the wildlife preserve, as the cracks in the walls became an ideal place for kingfishers and bats to nest.
Returning to the center of town where the clock tower is, we were surprised by what sounded like a combination of noisy rooftop birds, coffee-shop reggae, and bells from the tower. The reality was discerned only after several minutes of observation had passed. It was actually an official performance by a man improvising on the carillon bells of the clock tower to the sounds of his own recorded music which had been amplified through hidden speakers within the tower. People were quietly standing still, listening, and looking up towards the sound, which included many samples of jungle birds squawking and screeching.
This same distinguished clock and bell tower was originally connected to the main cathedral 30 meters away, but a very strong tornado had cut right through and separated them. Now the city governs the tower, and the church the austere but spectacular cathedral.
Regarding local television programming, the comedy central show “Reno 911” is popular here. It's amusing to think this hilarious parody is inspired by a town right up the road from our Sacramento base of operations. Just wondering... is there anywhere else in the world that features the “Theme from Hawaii 5-0” in a dishwashing detergent commercial?
The show at Tivoli revealed to us even further how gracious the people of this country are. We were hit by a wave of sound as we took the stage, and the energy continued throughout the set.
We hit the road the next day for London, accompanied by a giant papier-mâché head of Satan that a German woman had travelled with by train all the way to the show.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Weert, Holland
We rolled into Weert early in the morning, and had a few hours before pick-up for an unusually early show (1:30). It was quiet and empty around town. Every once in a while a dog would bark, pigeons would scuffle, or automobile wheels on gravelly cobblestone would break the silence.
There is a curious sculpture of a long-nosed clown with a crown in the main square. Rogstaekers Monement it says. Aangeboeeje Doeer De Optochtdaelnemers 5-1-86. Explanation anyone? Believe it or not, making the monument more of a mystery, there is a bronze manta-ray incorporated in the memorial's design.
The festival is called Bospop, and is at the Sportpark Boshoven. Just as yesterday in Evreux, the concert site is a large grassy field, which practically always is an interesting place to perform music. There's just something captivating about being amongst the elements.
We arrived early, had koffie with melk and suikersticks, and prepared to perform. It was sunny and warm today, really the first time we'd seen this type of weather so far on this trip.
The crowd was large, and typically very stoic at first. It was the beginning of the day after all, or maybe it was just an honest reaction to us. They warmed up considerably after our first song, and for the remainder of our time we enjoyed winning over a crowd consisting of some who probably did not know the majority of our music before the concert. It was quite a decent show, and during our last song today, “Short Skirt, Long Jacket,” John managed to get opposite sides of the crowd singing along in competition with one another.
Walking around one realized, man, there were a lot of aging Dutch hard rock fans there. So many people over 50 in one place looking like aging rockers. Surely there are myriad places where you can hang with this demographic back home in the States, but for us it means going to Europe to do it. A lot of black leather and long grey hair. Faded tattoos. The sun beat down hard, and a German metal band was loading up their cliched set with every rock convention in the book. Just when you thought they were going to bust into a Scorpions or AC/DC song, it turned out to be one of their originals. They were super tight with strong vocals, and judging from the crowd's reaction, this band has had some major hits in Europe.
After a couple hours of soaking up the Weertness, we got on the bus. Elmar, our German bus driver drove us to Utrecht.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Evreux, France
In 1972 there was an event called Wattstax at the Los Angeles Coliseum. 112,000 people attended for seven hours of music by nearly every artist signed to Stax Records at the time. It was known as the “Black Woodstock.” Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, The Bar-Kays, Carla Thomas, and Richard Pryor were among those performing. And in the year 2007, one could step into the library in Evreux, France to hear almost that entire day of Memphis soul.
The clock and bell tower is the most eye catching feature of this village. It's as if the steeple were taken right off the top of a giant cathedral and set down on the ground. Striking. There are two Juliet balconies on the opposite side of the clock jutting out from the spiral stairwell.
At 12:00 noon the bells in the tower rang. What followed was an alarming surprise. At top volume, the air raid siren wailed from the peak of historic Hotel de Ville across the courtyard. Surely, you could have heard it for kilometers around. The sound was deep and loud. Every Wednesday and Saturday this happens.
Evreux is close to Giverny where Monet drew inspiration for his impressionist paintings. The village has one of the most elegant waterways we've ever seen. Walking paths above low stone walls are on both sides of a clear and steady stream that passes over varied hues of fully submersed and voluminous water-plants that wave in the current. It appears the designers threw fragments of broken dinner plates among the riverbed for effect also, as well as adding geranium covered bridges. They are gardeners here. On our way out to the concert site we noticed several large plots that obviously required careful thought and attention.
There was a “jet meeting” (as a Frenchwoman translated to us) in the sky today. We're sure this meant “air-show.”
We were sort of evicted from our hotel rooms due to a misunderstanding of check-out time. As we waited in the lobby with our luggage we could see the television on the other side of the room. There was something on with French teen-agers doing gymnastics from bun-gees plus other stunts within the walls of a medieval fort in a reality based contest show. The music accompaniment was very tense. As we were leaving, the contestants were turning over fortune telling cards in a dungeon setting.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Brugge, Belgium/Cactus Festival
Guten dag. We begin this European tour in a city with windmills, fortified stone gates, canals, bell towers, clip-clopping horse drawn carriages on cobblestone streets, accordion buskers, and scores of bicycles, not to mention chocolate, wafels, frites, and moules. We are in the medievally designed city of Brugge. This city is likely what the novice European traveller looking for old world charm might hope to encounter on this continent.
The wind is swift today, and different strata of clouds are crisscrossing in patterns never seen in California's central valley. The air temperature is nowhere near the 110 degrees that bears down back home in Sacramento.
Inside the windmills, the power of the giant blades rocks the entire housing back and forth. The wooden axle and gears, which together are roughly the size of a large automobile, were used for grinding grain into flour. Built on demand from the local bakers, there used to be one windmill for every thousand Belgians. Today, they are mini-museums, and unintentional thrill rides at 30 rickety feet up.
The Cactus Festival is set up at Minnewater Park, a place close to the canal and one of the fortified city gates. This music festival is in its 15th year, and started out as a small free concert for locals at another green space nearby.
The wind continued to blow hard all day, and by the time we went on at 10:00 p.m. there was still daylight. The audience seemed older than we are used to seeing. This might be an accurate observation, but it's possible that objectivity had been effected by random factors such as their eye-wear, emotional composure, and lack of ironic fashion statements. The Belgians are reserved as an audience, but respectful. They were perhaps also more unfamiliar with us than we've become accustomed to lately, and we welcomed the challenge of winning them over. After the show, one of the festival staff said, “No, come again?.... “No after show?” We quickly realized she was referring to the convention of the encore. We had actually played our allotted time, and did right by the stage crew and the next band, The Waterboys, by getting the hell off the stage.
The festival staff couldn't have been more hospitable at this well-run event, and we thank them.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Charleston, SC
Palmetto, pecans, and pirates. We are stuck with the second hotel in a row that is out in the middle of nowhere. Sure, we are close to the airport, but far away from the charms of historic downtown Charleston. The first image to jog our memories of Charleston as we arrived from Atlanta was that of the Palmetto tree. In South Carolina this tree is strong as an artistic motif almost everywhere. The Palmetto is the state tree, and their flag bears its image as well.
The sidewalk along the airport roundabout is embedded with oyster shells, an iridescent reminder that Charleston was once a walled city. The builders used oyster shells as a primary material for the fortification.
The wind keeps on kicking up on this cloudy day. It's left over from tropical storm Barry, our driver tells us. We are playing at the Plex in North Charleston, where they feature boxing on the last Thursday of every month. Seriously, it is a relief to get back into a regular rock club. It seems that we've played so many different types of venues lately, and this type probably feels the most comfortable.
Today is Xan's birthday. We are hoping to surprise him with the presentation of a cake on-stage. Although he is on the road for his birthday, this might be a memorable moment. The candles are going to be lit in the design of the letter “X”, and hopefully they will all stay lit as they travel across the stage. It turns out that all the candles except one kept their fire, and Xan made short order of blowing them out after the audience regaled him with a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday to You". After the show, the Spiderman themed cake was sliced and Xan personally walked into what was left of the crowd to share the gooey bites.
Later on, pulling band members away from the action around the club's
mechanical bull, we are on our way back to the hotel.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Atlanta, GA
Our apologies to the people of Dorothy Lynch Home Style in Duncan, Nebraska. The journal entry from Council Bluffs mistakenly referred to their salad dressing as Jennie Lynch. We have been informed that the original recipe was born at the local Legion Club in St. Paul, Nebraska, where Dorothy and her husband ran the restaurant in the late 1940's. As Legion Club members were introduced to the recipe the dressing fast became a "must-have" favorite. There you have it.
We are here today in Atlanta for the 99X Big Day Out. The influential radio station, 99X, has been putting on this show for several successful years. This is our third time being a part of it. The most memorable moment from all three was probably seeing The Ramones perform while we were here several years ago. One of their stage strategies was setting up flight cases to use as a block of steps to walk up every once in a while. A very simple device equalling great rock spectacle.
The weather is overcast and warm today, comfortable weather for performing and attending. The crowds in Atlanta always bring it, and today was no exception. It is always a thrill to play here. Atlanta is a music loving city.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Sparks, NV
Being at John Ascuaga's Nugget has posed the question, “What exactly is this nugget of John Ascuaga's?”
The nugget must be a reference to a gold nugget, because there is a huge outcropping on one side of the building which serves as the form for a brightly painted sculpture of a gold prospector. We were properly introduced to owner Steve Ascuaga after the concert, and we give our best regards to his grandfather, John Ascuaga. We didn't embarrass ourselves by asking Steve about the nugget, but one of us did immediately ask for a twelve pack of beer. Maybe that was not off-base since they are indeed in the hospitality business after all. Oh, the humanity!
There was tension during sound-check. Our beloved Mt. Shasta backdrop's overall glory was being compromised because the bottom hung too low below the stage line. The reason for this was the combination of a drop ceiling, stage lights, and fabric lengths that disallowed for the top of the Shasta portrait to be lifted to the logical place for a proper composition. We found a simple solution, however, and implemented it. Everything had to be just right for this evening!
Sound check was delayed for a spell because of a BINGO tournament next door, but once we had the green light, we were on our way. The acoustics were great, and we were looking forward to what was practically a hometown show.
After a fine concert with a superb audience, we relaxed at Trader Dick's and reminisced of the old days in Sacramento. Distant memories were recalled, such as the time we played the Cattle Club with Deftones and Korn. Generalized social concepts were conjured too.
Agent Ribbons opened the show and revealed to everyone that this duo from Sacramento is the real deal.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Chicago, IL
Chicago is the first city to be revisited since this road journal began thirteen months ago.
It is raining as we leave the airport in Omaha. When we arrive in Chicago, we see that it's raining there too, so the show at Northwestern will be moved inside. Their Mayfest is usually on a large field by the lake. Now the show will be inside a gymnasium. To add insult to injury, the student committee are all sunburned from setting up yesterday at what was supposed to be the beautiful outdoor concert site.
The new venue is a stately limestone building with ivy growing on the outside walls. The facility inside seems suitable for the show, but is a far cry from the open field on the lake that the students were looking forward to. An interesting feature of this building's interior is the basketball marks on the orange ceiling. The marks are of different sizes due to the greater or lesser impact of what must have been intentional throws, and the overall effect is of a surreal celestial landscape.
It rained during most of the afternoon, so the meteorological forecast was certainly accurate. Moving the show indoors would have felt very sour if the day turned out to be sunny, but the move was justified after all.
The act before us came off the stage drenched in sweat, saying it was hotter than Coachella where they had just been. When we hit the stage it was certainly hot and muggy, but the enthusiastic crowd had endured more than us for sure. They were great. Enjoy life in Evanston, Wildcats!
Friday, May 25, 2007
Council Bluffs, IA
Council Bluffs was named for the 1804 meeting of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with the Otoe tribe that took place nearby. This might seem long ago, but when you are here you can see the layers of history from 200 years ago to the present if you use some imagination.
The time from the Louisiana Purchase, to westward expansion, to transcontinental railroads, to the interstate freeway system, boom, boom, boom, it's really just a blip of time. Wagon trails are still visible across some parts of the western states.
The present city of Council Bluffs was first settled by the Pottawatomi during the1830s after they were removed from what became Chicago. By 1848 the town had become Kanesville (named after Mormon leader Thomas L. Kane), and was the main outfitting point for the Mormon Exodus. The Mormon Battalion began their march to California during the Mexican-American War from here. It was also here that plural marriage was first openly practiced.
Later, the town was renamed Council Bluffs and remained a major outfitting point on the Missouri River for the Emigrant Trail with a lively steamboat trade. A little later still, Council Bluffs became a major railroad center. The railroads also made Council Bluffs a center for grain storage. Several grain elevators continue to dot the city's skyline.
The late 20th century brought economic stagnation and a declining population. How do you ignite urban renewal in a jiffy? Gambling! The liberalization of Iowa's gambling laws was followed by the opening of The Bluff's Run Greyhound Park in 1986. Yes, Greyhound racing, as in dog racing. We saw some races on closed circuit television. Those dogs are fast! By 2005 Council Bluffs was the 19th largest casino market in the U.S..
The casinos are on large open fields near the Missouri River. In between the casinos there are bike paths that pass through areas with foxes, deer, vultures, jackrabbits.....and an anti-freeze manufacturing plant.
Unanswered question:
Why is what we've known as "French" salad dressing in California called “Jennie Lynch” here?
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Nashville, TN
We've played several times by now on this stage that is placed on a barge docked along the Cumberland River at the waterfront in Nashville. One unforgettable evening a few years back, the city incinerator just adjacent to the waterfront park was furiously burning in what looked to be a catastrophic incident. There were no official demands for an evacuation because the wind was blowing the smoke out across the river and away from the concert site. It was an eerie but beautiful scene to see that inferno in the mild Nashville evening as we continued to play for a festive and appreciative audience.
Tonight we were part of the the Crawfish Boil Festival that included bands the Bodeans, Son Volt, Cowboy Mouth, and. Sister Hazel. The highlight of the evening was playing two songs during our set with Charlie Louvin. For those of you who don't know, Charlie and his brother Ira were together the Louvin Brothers, the most influential harmony duet in country music history. On other occasions, Charlie has joined us on the Unlimited Sunshine Tour dates, and once in Nashville he brought us out to the Grand Ole Opry where he was singing that night. Be sure to visit The Louvin Brothers Museum across the highway from Opryland next time you are in Music Town, U.S.A.. It was most certainly a great honor to perform with him again and to be around his classic friendliness and humor.
There is so much to say about Nashville that instead of attempting to
say it all, we encourage you to check out these sites:
Ryman Auditorium
Parthenon
Printer's Alley
Music Row
Tootsies
Robert's Western World
Country Music Museum and Hall of Fame
Friday, May 11, 2007
Baltimore, MD
Question: Where did a battle in 1814 against the British take place at which Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the poem “In Defense of Fort McHenry,” which eventually became the national anthem of the United States?
Answer: Baltimore!
A few more notable facts about this city:
It was in Baltimore that Edgar Alan Poe wrote poetry, and has a well-known gravesite. (The local NFL team is called the Ravens, get it?) The king of camp, film director John Waters, and “Diner” director Barry Levinson both derived inspiration for their screen characters from Baltimore and are from this city themselves. Oprah Winfrey made her start on television here. The HBO series, “The Wire” is set and filmed in Baltimore. There are historic ships here from as far back as the Civil War to World War II, so as the city tourism board encourages you to, “Get In On It!”
Our stage manager and sound engineer, Bobby Mac, hit his head pretty hard on a door latch attached to the top of the entryway of the van we were taking to the airport. He was seeing stars and bleeding an alarming amount. Gabe ran to get some ice, Bobby stopped the bleeding, and we were off to the airport.
