Somehow, Christmas has snuck right up on us.  I know I’ve been busy and I bet you are too… maybe you haven’t even noticed that I haven’t posted for a week!  But it wasn’t for naught.  My shopping – done!  And as of today, wrapping is also done!  Wheeeeeeeeee! 

This weekend I really got my holiday festiveness on while attending a performance of the Nutcracker at Springfield Symphony Hall, starring my two nieces.  Okay… they were actually a mouse and a soldier but to me they were the stars!  And then I went to two great parties – Margaret & Jeremy’s Soulstice party on Saturday night and Jennifer Myszkowski’s wrapping party (TM) today. For Margaret & Jeremy’s party, I whipped up some cranberry salsa which is always a big hit.

For the wrapping party (TM), I went with David Lebovitz’s holiday snack mix, although I changed it up by eliminating the pretzels and using all nuts – peanuts, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, whatever was left in a can of mixed nuts I had, and even a bunch of sunflower kernels.  I went easy on the chili powder this time because it was a wee bit too spicy for me the last time. 

And now I just have to finish planning for foodstuffs to bring to Christmas dinner and for another Christmas get together on Saturday.  So, what do you still have to do?  Do you have cooking or baking to do?  Share your status in the comments.  And to keep you grooving while you are wrapping or cooking, here’s a fun little music find.  It’s Huey Lewis & The News with an a cappella version of Winter Wonderland.  The video is unofficial and a little goofy, but just listen to those harmonies.  Good stuff.

I got a big thrill yesterday when my husband and I were at Flavour Cooking School for the Intimate Vegetarian Dinner cooking class.  We were perched on our stools at the big table, watching the other students filter in, when an extremely familiar-looking woman sat down across from me.  It was Elizabeth Berg, best-selling author of many books, including one of my very favorites, Joy School.  Her most recent book, Home Safe, is on my “to read soon” list.  And she was actually one of the subjects of my very first blog post, because I saw her be interviewed Mary Schmich at the Printers Row Lit Fest.

So, how did I behave?  I tried to be cool.  I wrote a note to my husband and slipped it over to him.  He scanned the class and then nodded seriously, acknowledging the depth of my experience.  Through the course of the evening, I beamed benevolence her way, and took pains to be particularly witty with my few, but well-placed comments.   I noticed that she took notes and asked good questions.  Also, she ate sparingly of the bread pudding with maple syrup, although it appeared that she enjoyed it.  (I, on the other hand, managed only with great restraint to not actually lick the little ramekin it came in.)   At the end of the class, we were alone together in the coat room.  I thought about saying, “I love your books!”  or “You’re my neighbor, want to be my friend?”  But instead, I just said, “Have a good night,” and left her in peace.   I imagined that sometimes famous people want to do what they are doing in that moment, not deal with fans.

However, empathy did not keep me from telling everybody about it at work today (or from blogging about it, obviously).   It reminds me of being totally bowled over when I first met Barbara D’Amato at an Midwest Mystery Writers of America chapter meeting… I am such a huge fan and here I was meeting her in a social setting where she actually talked to me as a fellow author.  That was a positive experience – not embarrassing at all.

I also remember encountering Huey Lewis (of Huey Lewis and the News) at a hotel in Baltimore.  I was there for a conference; he asked me where the business office was.  I walked him over there, with the nagging feeling I should know him.  I actually thought that he was a dentist that I wasn’t placing.  The end result?   I made the poor man tell me who he was.  (“I’m Huey Lewis.  My band’s playing a concert here tonight.”)  Duh!  Even worse, my response once he introduced himself was to say, “Oh, I loved you in Back to the Future!”  Double duh.  But I do have his greatest hits on my iPod and I did love him in the movie, so perhaps I am forgiven.

It’s funny how everyone has their story about the famous person they’ve met.  My friend Tracy shared french fries with Oprah once.  My husband saw the guy who played Trapper John on M*A*S*H at a bike race in Denver.  My whole family saw John Mahoney (who keeps a condo in Oak Park and hangs out here when in Chicago) having breakfast at a diner here in town.  He smiled and nodded when we grinned at him.  The bar at the Ritz is well-known for athletes, actors, and other celebrities, and some dentists I know rubbed elbows with Michael Jordan there.  My friend Debbie saw Beck at Mity Nice, and I saw Jerry Springer lunching there.  And, of course, at this time of the year, there are numerous Santa Claus sightings.

O que você precisa saber sobre esse filme:

1. foi co-produzido e dirigido pelo Bruce Paltrow, o que explica a presença da Gwyneth, que ganhara o Oscar um ano antes.

2. Quem também participa do longa é o Scott Speedman, o Ben de Felicity.

3. A cena abaixo é praticamente a única que vale no filme inteiro.

PS1: Da série fofocas que nós amamos: Speedman assumiu o papel após Brad Pitt terminar o noivado com Gwyneth.

PS2: E alguém se lembra por que o romance chegou ao fim? Segundo a EW, we’ll never know for sure if the reason was lust — or greed, envy, sloth, or any of the other deadly sins.

PS3: O melhor de Duets ainda é a trilha sonora, o que inclui a Mrs Chris Martin cantando Bette Davis Eyes.

Another Show has been added at the Fox Theater Jan 22nd 2010 to celebrate the Life of Norton Buffalo. The Friday Night Show has been added after such a huge response and almost immediate sellout of the Saturday show.

The headline says it all, have a great weekend!

Huey Lewis and (adorable) Gwyneth Paltrow (!!!- surprisingly good)  – Cruisin’ – an old Smokey Robinson hit…

Speaking about Smokey Robinson – Baby come close

Eddie Brickell – Good Time (you remember Windows XP being delivered with this clip?) Thanks, RH for bringing it back

Carmen McRae – How long (Verve remix)

Nina Simone – Feeling good (Verve Remix)

Nina Simone -Sinnerman (Verve Remix)

Musicians and friends are coming together on Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 at The Fox Theater Oakland to honor and celebrate the life of Norton Buffalo.

Norton Buffalo appeared on more than 180 albums performing with numerous artists over the course of his storied career and spent 33 years as a member of the Steve Miller Band. Join us on January 23rd at the Fox for a benefit concert with many of Norton Buffalo’s friends, including The Steve Miller Band, The Doobie Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, Huey Lewis, George Thorogood, Elvin Bishop, Roy Rogers, Charlie Musselwhite and The Knockouts.

100% of net proceeds from this concert benefit the Buffalo family. Tickets are a non-deductible contribution.

Click Here and Enter the word breadbox into the code section to find Tickets

Well.

Today we delve into the realm of popular music. Or, to be slightly more accurate, music that was briefly very popular, but is now an embarassment to the very idea of sound – yet somehow, still remains AWESOME.

Which brings me to today’s list – Thirteen Guilty Pleasure Songs You Hate to Love. (Or Love to Hate.)

Thirteen: The Sign. (Ace of Base.)

Ah, 1993. A simpler time. A time before balloon boys and black presidents and lady gagas ran amok, choking our nightly news with the same tenacity as a green Jolly Rancher in a child’s throat. And the non-grunge soundtrack to that bygone era would no doubt be peppered with plenty – puh-lenty – Ace of Base.

It what pretty much came down to a coin toss, I went with “The Sign” over “All That She Wants.” Both are maddeningly catchy  pop anthems from the early nineties, but I suppose it will truly be “The Sign” that this weird, and oddly sexy, Swedish band will be remembered for.

And nothing else.

Twelve: Stay (I Missed You). (Lisa Loeb.)

One year after Ace of Base broke into North American homes, depositing their sugary sweet sound into teenage ears like some weird Swedish Santa Claus, a local girl with trendy glasses also made a bit of an impact.

Let’s face it…if you were a dude in the early nineties old enough to understand the basic differences between men and women – you had a thing for Lisa Loeb. Her girl-next-door image, her sweet voice, her awesome pre-Tina Fey eye gear…this girl was all that. Just ask Ethan Hawke.

And while her big hit single “Stay” may not neccessarily be a guilty pleasure for the feminine set, I often get strange looks from people whilst blaring it from the speakers of my Toyota Tercel while driving.

Though it may just be because I’m wearing those wicked glasses.

Eleven: Toxic. (Britney Spears.)

Say what you will about Brit – and there’s a lot to say, I’m sure – this song kicks ASS. From the offbeat synth/violin riff to the onbeat sweet percussion, this is a song full of hooks that gets under your skin and into the meat of your brain no matter how embarassed you might feel listening to a damn Britney Spears track.

Oh, and the video, like most of Brit’s visual work, is also something of a guilty pleasure. At least, I always feel strangely guilty three or four minutes after watching it…

Ten: Lovefool. (The Cardigans.)

While the opening choppy guitar may be reminiscent of Television’s “Elevation” (not to be confused with U2’s “Elevation”, which is neither as good as the Television song, nor as catchy as “Lovefool”) this song nevertheless reamains a remarkably potent pop nugget. Made famous for it’s appearance in Baz Lurhman’s “Romeo & Juliet” MTV “opus,” it became a pretty big hit for this Swedish band, and the mere mention of it too this day still get’s her bizarrely accented voice stuck in my head.

Interesting that this is the second Swedish band to make the list – though not the last. Which brings me to….

Nine: Anything by ABBA. (ABBA.)

Even if you change your mind, they’ll still be first in line. North America took a chance on Sweden’s ABBA, and by gumption, they stepped up to the challenge – delivering pop tunes so sweet that they gave our ears cavities, sending us all rushing to our dentists. Or ear doctors. Well, whoever you would see about damaged ear enamel.

“Take a Chance on Me,” “Mamma Mia,” “Waterloo,” “Dancing Queen” – the hits didn’t stop. Even today they’re still making musicals and movies based on ABBA’s long gone career. Catchy as hell, these are songs that everyone seems to know the words too – but of course, would never be caught dead singing them out loud.

Eight: Fields of Gold. (Sting.)

What do you get when you combine a peaceful melody, lush production and a friggin’ lute?

Sting, of course.

Let’s go back a bit. To, say…1979. When Sting was considered “cool”. Here was a white Englishman fronting the world’s biggest and coolest reggae band…and, let’s face it, one of the biggest bands in the world. Then the band broke up, and the other two dudes from “The Police” kind of just disappeared. This was the coming – the hearkening, if you will – of Solo Sting.

Not content to just sing and play bass anymore, Sting decided to add a few new weapons to his arsenal. The guitar. The piano. And THE LUTE.

And then you get “Fields of Gold” a gentle, yet delicate song that transcends beauty in every pluck of the lute string. But, it’s by Sting, so I’m not allowed to like it.

Quick crib note for anyone paying attention: listening to “The Police” = COOL. Listening to Sting = NOT SO MUCH.

Sorry, Sting.

Seven: Invisible Touch. (Genesis.)

“She seems to have an invisible touch, YEAH!

She reaches in and grabs right hold of your heart!”

And, with those words, Phil Collins single-handedly destroyed the legacy that was Genesis, forcing Peter Gabriel to go all solo and weird.

But damn if it ain’t catchy.

Six: The Power of Love. (Huey Lewis and the News.)

Let’s get one thing out of the way. Huey Lewis is not cool. Huey Lewis will never be cool. Huey Lewis is the opposite of cool, and the News is just there to reiterate the fact. Having said that…

“The Power of Love” IS cool. Granted, it had the good fortune of appearing in a film (“Back to the Future”) that was and shall always be cool (despite featuring Huey Lewis in a cameo acting – wait for it – uncool) but that doesn’t detract from the fact that this song is an anomaly. It shouldn’t be cool – all power chords and inane lyrics- but it damn well is. Maybe it’s just because I associate it with skateboarding and time travel and Michael J. Fox…all cool, by the way. Whatever it is, it is what it is.

Cool.

Five: Kiss From a Rose. (Seal.)

Another soundtrack song makes the list, and, like “The Power of Love”, maybe I just have fond memories of it due to its association with BATMAN. Albeit, in one of the worst Batman outings ever. It’s grandiose and corny and peppered with stupid lines like “but did you know/when it snows/my eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen” which is barely even coherent. Whatever though – it was in a BATMAN movie, and Seal could and still can emote like no other. And, since I’m sure this song had at least something to do with his hooking up with Heidi Klum, I can only assume that it’ll work the same for me. Karaoke, here I come!

Four: Karaoke Songs. (Various, but mostly Journey and Bon Jovi.)

Karaoke, here I am!

This entry is less about the act of karaoke as it is about the songs people choose to karaoke with. Songs that you would never find yourself listening to at  home alone, or possibly even at a party, but dump a few cocktails down your throat and throw in a creepy dude with a microphone and songbook on hand, and suddenly you’re singing every damn lyric without even glancing at the screen.

“Living on a Prayer” and “Don’t Stop Believing” are usually the most well documented. For instance:

Yeah. Just like that.

Three: It’s All Coming Back To Me Now. (Celine Dion.)

This is what happens when you give Celine Dion a Meatloaf inspired song attached to a Meatloaf inspired theatrical video:

And it’s AWESOME.

Two: Do You Really Want To Hurt Me. (Culture Club.)

“The Wedding Singer” may have helped this one, but whatever. This song was ALWAYS awesome. It’s a weird song (to say the least) that should probably come off as horrendously creepy, but somehow Boy George manages to sell it legitimately. Nowadays however, with Boy George’s recent drug woes and wrongful imprisonment of male escorts (seriously), the song has achieved a darker tone, and has finally reached its destiny of being the weirdly creepy song we all knew it could be!

One: The Rose. (Bette Midler.)

I’ll let this one speak for itself:

“Some say love it is a river
that drowns the tender reed
Some say love it is a razor
that leaves your soul to bleed

Some say love it is a hunger
an endless aching need
I say love it is a flower
and you it’s only seed

It’s the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance
It’s the dream afraid of wakingthat never takes the chance
It’s the one who won’t be taken
who cannot seem to give
and the soul afraid of dyingthat never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely
and the road has been too long
and you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winterfar beneath the bitter snows
lies the seed
that with the sun’s love
in the spring
becomes the rose”

Was anybody else singing along while reading that? Because god knows I was.

And I honestly don’t even feel that guilty about this one.

Well.

That is that. Stay tuned for more blog updates, where I hopefully discuss good music.

Although, seriously…some of these count.

Also, if any of these songs are now stuck in your head – or, god forbid, if ALL of them are stuck in your head, battling it out for supreme annoyingness – I personally shoulder none of the blame.

Despite my own beliefs to the contrary, Huey Lewis was not singing about getting a new truck.  The song was “I Want a New Drug” not “I Want a New Truck” and though it might seem that Huey was looking for a new drug (and we know that not only rock stars seem to need them, but pop stars too) he was actually talking about love. 

Now, before I go on, let me say that love is awesome.  But right now, I’m stoked about my new truck.  It’s not new in that it’s an ‘09 or ‘10.  It is new in that I have never owned it before.  It’s big, it’s shiny, it feels like a cloud moving down the road.  So that’s good.  I have a feeling that this baby is gonna be able to pull the trailer that I’ve been working with for the last couple years.  This tiny 5′ x 8′ enclosed trailer ate my last truck for breakfast.  It was a long year and a half to two year breakfast…but it really did make short work of it.  I take this trailer out to the art shows I work.  And since I haul glass, it’s a heavy pull despite it’s small stature.  Now, with the new wheels I will cruise with less stress. 

So even though Huey was not singing about a new truck I think the end is the same for us both.  His new drug and my new truck pragmatically speaking are the same:  something that you can rely on to take some of the stress and strain out of life.

This is the song I should listen to when I’m down.

Dreamed of my arm. My left arm, specifically. Someone told me that I could peel my tattoo off and so I tried to. Yep. Peeled it right off. There was only a faint grey imprint left. And then it hit me that I really, really missed it, and I cursed myself for my usual stupidity. A tattoo is not just something you get rid off one day (I think people normally think of it the other way around… but screw them). Thought of how disappointed the artist would be in me, how disappointed I was in myself for losing such a gorgeous piece of artwork, then thankfully woke up.

Yeah, this was boring. Am uninspired. But…

To my beautiful tattoo: I’m so happy to be stuck with you.

Juke Joint Soul Blogspot – 9/2009

Sunday, September 20, 2009
AZ Kenny Tsak & 56 Deluxe – Like I Do

AZ Kenny Tsak & 56 Deluxe
Like I Do
self-release

Run Time: 56:20

Do you remember Herb Alpert’s Whipped Cream album from way back when with the cover model on the LP nude but covered in whipped cream in all the right places? I thought of that album cover when I looked at 56 Deluxe’s album debut. However, the second thought that came to my mind in this day and age of style over substance that things were not going to be very good. Yet, when I tuned in to the disc itself I was immediately harkened back to the dawn of the age of blues-rock when it was at its finest points in the late 70s and early 80s. Tsak (pronounced SACK) and his gravel voice and decently paced guitar solos instantly reminded me of the days of George Thorogood & the Destroyers first few LPs.

Tsak has been on hiatus from the music business since those early 80s I spoke of, working on a family-run business. Like all good things in one’s life, they circle back around and Tsak along with old pal and bassman Avery T. Horton, Jr. put together 56 Deluxe and went on the road. I’m guessing that Tsak worked in some kind of product marketing firm or something, because his slick packaging of this CD and his “56 Deluxe Girls” are instantly recognizable brands when you meet them for the first time. I admit, I went looking around the internet for Tsak’s “marketing tool” to see if one of them was a girl I knew from the adult industry. It turns out I was wrong, but in any case, you can imagine what I mean when I say the packaging is “eye popping.” Yeah, I’m a dirty old man, so what? The blues ain’t pretty. Tsak and his group tap into that masculine edge with their rough and dirty grooves throughout the disc, even tapping some well-mined territory with Chick Willis’ “Stoop Down Baby” and Willie Dixon’s “I Just Wanna Make Love To You.” However, Tsak and company aren’t afraid to add to this well of the male sex drive with tunes like “Full Time Lover” and the jumpy rocker “My Tastee Cake.”

Tsak and Co. aren’t really forging new ground in the blues-rock arena. However, they’ve set themselves apart in a few ways. Tsak isn’t a flashy, over-the-top, pyrotechnic filled guitarist. His solos are concise and show well-rounded command. His gravelly vocals might not be the taste for some, but being as he’s indulging in the male bravura of roadhouse rock-blues, they fit well. Horton & drummer Andy “G” are a well-rounded rhythm section. Frank Perez’s tenor sax lends to the 80s feel of some of these tracks. In fact, I almost thought that the album opener and title track sounded a bit like Huey Lewis & the News. Overall, I feel the disc is a reminder to us all in the blues world who’ve been here awhile just how much potential blues-rock had in its beginnings, and how if it would’ve stayed true to its original ideas and pathos, we might not have to sort through so much of it to find the good stuff. Tsak has a good formula going here. If he continues down this path and doesn’t fall off of it like many in this genre do, he will keep winning over new listeners with each new record.

Posted by Ben the Harpman at 4:38 PM
1 comments:

Johnny Aruba said…

Wow, this reviewer “nailed’ it! I have been listening to, and enjoying the CD, been reading the good reviews, been reading the reviews that are inject what they want to hear themselves say instead of reviewing what the music is saying, and this one is in right-on, 70s like!
Thanks Harpman!

September 21, 2009 9:34 AM

Boys are back in town es posiblemente el mejor tema (cuanto menos el más famoso: tenían tantos tan, pero que tan buenos… Cowboy song sin ir más lejos) de Thin Lizzy (Jailbreak, 1976). Cuanto más la escucho más me emociona. Una canción por la que no pasan los años. [La versión del video es de una actuación de 1983, ya con John Sykes a la guitarra].

Numerosas bandas han rendido pleitesía a Phil Lynnot y sus muchachos versionando éste u otras de sus canciones: Pearl Jam, Metallica, Molly Hatchet, Anthrax, Bon Jovi, Everclear… e incluso Huey Lewis (ignoro si Bruce Springsteen la ha llegado a tocar algun dia):

Y ojo a esta versión: The Re-Entrants

I remember how going off to college was such a system shock to me. I had left my home town feeling really pretty knowledgeable to begin with, but I of course had had these set psychic parameters under which I had operated, and I really didn’t even know they existed. I thought I was pretty down. I mean, I’d read some books. I’d been in love. I’d seen a boy naked. I’d smoked 4 cigarettes. Shit, son. I knew life.

Felt infinite; was actually remarkably sheltered. That’ll happen.

That’s youth, right? Or at least the big fish/small pond phenomenon that follows a liberal upbringing in an otherwise Mellencamp-esque small town.  And I can just recall how I spent my years away at college—and especially my first year—and I literally could almost feel an expansion of the mind at times. (Yes, literally. I’m not one of those silly people who says “literally” and means “figuratively”.) A felt expansion. The reading of a line of text, the cocking of my head to the side, the swell of my muscles, the rise in blood pressure, the flaring of the nostrils, the squinting of the eyes, the furrowed brow, the tingling in the hands, and the feeling of a dull push against my brain or chest that would let me know I either was prepping myself for a slight myocardial infarction or that I probably wouldn’t be the same as I had been before having read that sentence. It always threw me off, and it was pretty gosh darn cool.

I’m not talking about getting smarter. I’m really not sure that boning up on reasoning, problem solving, and the logical order of things was the effect that college had on me, aside from being able to tell you mathematically how much caffeine intake is equal to relative parts retained information. And, subsequently, that cramming doesn’t equal long-term memory retention. No, I refer to world view. That whole “broadening your horizons” thing—this is a realistic description of the occurrence. I’d read something completely new and wonderfully upsetting to my previous existence (this wasn’t hard to find), and I’d sponge it up and let it change everything. Over and over again, like an excitable tot on Christmas morning opening present after present and mentally arranging the way they were going to change the terrain of her play area.

I can remember these moments vividly, and I can still feel the little budge in my psyche, if I concentrate hard enough on these individual occurrences. What I find difficult is to have more of these moments now. My horizons have been expanded. A lot. A whole lot, for anyone who is not familiar with the liberal approach I tend to apply to—well…life, the universe, and everything. I’ve been exposed to a great deal and have kept a very open mind, and that seems to have served me well. And you know, in the last year, I can say that I have grown exponentially on a whole host of fronts: the intricacies of complex relationships, the intricacies of very complex relationships, self-awareness, the mechanics of emotional well-being, and my ability to take in the city at a rate that doesn’t make me hyperventilate or foam at the mouth too much anymore. But these have all felt like downhill momentum from quondam lessons learned. I would like to find something to feed my craving for a new major expansion; I would hate to feel it’s all settling down.

So I keep looking for classes or books or something that will spark a great big, cataclysmic “Wtf, mate?” in my spongy, spongy head. I haven’t found anything that seems to be promising yet. I don’t have a religion to speak of, so a manifest destiny on that particular front would certainly shake my fundamental core sufficiently, I’m sure. I just haven’t found the spiritual direction to take. Grant me a vision! I don’t know. Any suggestions for ever altering my current psychological state is most welcomed.  Note.

I really don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow at Centurion. I know about Australia. I just don’t know about England any more. I thought I did back in September and was able to write snurdy little posts about it. But know all I now is that Stuart Broad’s bum hurts and that Ryan Sidebottom is looking increasingly like the third Hairy Biker.

Owais Shah seems to personify England at the moment. Fragile in confidence, jittery at the crease, rubbish in the field, but capable lately of confounding us all with the odd moment of virtuosity. It’s all a bit strange.

Talking of wierd, the Dunhill Links Championship is started up in Fife today. It’s a pro-celebrity tournament, but you won’t spot any Tarbies or Wogans on the fairways. Think more randomly. Like Marco Van Basten. Or Kelly Slater. Or Greg Kinnear. And Huey Lewis. He’s from Huey Lewis and the News. I don’t know if one of his New has flown across to cheer him on.

My favourite partnership is most certainly that of Colin Montgomerie and Tim Henman, two sporting nearly men who have made a career of blowing it. Jimmy White is caddying apparently. 

They’re not going to win. That much I do know.

*WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:

http://ia310819.us.archive.org/1/items/JonHammondSTEPHEN_DOC_KUPKAonHammondCastShow/STEPHENDOCKUPKAonHammondCast.m4v

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6018886424158341265&ei=uVm4SrDmGdX5lQeElOiGAg&q=kupka+hammondcast#

Stephen Doc Kupka co-leader Baritone Saxophonist of Tower of Power and President of Strokeland Records interview with Jon Hammond of HammondCast Show KYOURADIO just prior to Tower of Power 40th Anniversary Fillmore Show in San Francisco. Doc and Jon speaking about the history of his career in TOP and writing with Frank Biner, Frank’s last recordings on his album for Strokeland “Bumped Up to First Class”, “Doc Goes Hollywood“, memories of Bill Graham and much more! ©JH INTL. http://www.HammondCast.com & http://www.strokeland.com/

Bill Graham, East Bay Funk, Fillmore, Frank Biner, HammondCast, Huey Lewis, Jon Hammond, KYOURADIO, Stephen ‘Doc’ Kupka, Strokeland, Tower of Power, B3, XK-3c, Local 6 Musicians Union, Baritone Sax

*WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:

http://ia310819.us.archive.org/1/items/JonHammondSTEPHEN_DOC_KUPKAonHammondCastShow/STEPHENDOCKUPKAonHammondCast.m4v

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6018886424158341265&ei=uVm4SrDmGdX5lQeElOiGAg&q=kupka+hammondcast#

Stephen Doc Kupka co-leader Baritone Saxophonist of Tower of Power and President of Strokeland Records interview with Jon Hammond of HammondCast Show KYOURADIO just prior to Tower of Power 40th Anniversary Fillmore Show in San Francisco. Doc and Jon speaking about the history of his career in TOP and writing with Frank Biner, Frank’s last recordings on his album for Strokeland “Bumped Up to First Class”, “Doc Goes Hollywood”, memories of Bill Graham and much more! ©JH INTL. http://www.HammondCast.com & http://www.strokeland.com/

Bill Graham, East Bay Funk, Fillmore, Frank Biner, HammondCast, Huey Lewis, Jon Hammond, KYOURADIO, Stephen ‘Doc’ Kupka, Strokeland, Tower of Power, B3, XK-3c, Local 6 Musicians Union, Baritone Sax

Last Saturday, Tom Keefe of the Blackout Film Festival filmed a short interview with me at a bar in his neighborhood. Two days ago, the promo video he cut together was featured on CNN’s Headline News.  Don’t believe me?  Check it out!

I’m not sure why my name appears in capital letters at the start of the segment, but I’m not complaining.  The Blackout Film Festival is tomorrow, Saturday September 19th.  Get the info, get your tickets, and go!

Posted by Keith

It’s finally here; the bastard child of Summer that arrives annually prior to the autumnal equinox that I’m going to just name mid-Virgo.  You might also want to call it, weeks one through three of the NFL season.  Either way it hits all temperate zone dwellers with a hard dose of reality that says there probably won’t be a long stretch of awesome weather until sometime in next May or June if you even make it ’til then.  That being the case, this past weekend was the last chance for many to bask in some pure, unadulterated summer fun and sun.  And what a weekend it was.  Wrote a recap about it…want to hear it? Here it goes.

The weekend almost got off to a false start on Thursday as there were some whispers circulating about a possible happy hour in the name of our dearly departing friend Andy S, who would be going boating for a solid month in the Nautical Northeast.   Said drink gathering never happened, but managed to materialize the following evening in the West Village at an enjoyable Cheesesteak, Wing and beer joint known affectionately and professionally as Wogie’s. Quite the gang was on hand as myself, Suli, Reva, Andy, Jes P, Kishore, Andrea, Morwin, Ahmad, Erika, Jeff P, Ajay, and possibly several others gathered to inhale wings, brews, and engage in general tomfoolery.

Andy Before Being Shipped Out To Sea

Knocking back cheap Yuenglings proved old hat for our merry band of seated revelers as the alcohol loosened up our conversational inhibitions. The night featured a debate on bald eagles, marriage proposals, waffle fries, and plenty of laughter as the well wishing wore into the evening hours from the late afternoon.  The final bill despite our large crew was none too damaging giving us cause to continue a little further into the night.

Several people split after Wogie’s but several of us made a pit stop at Vol De Nuit on West 4th for a savory belgian brew before the pull of different neighborhoods drew us apart yet again.  The semi-final portion of Friday involved a trip with myself, Morwin, and Jes all the way to Soho to engage in some rice pudding via from Rice to Riches.

Now, I had never been to said Rice Pudding emporium before, but my preconceived notion based on the one person I had seen toting a bowl of the tasty dessert led me to believe that there was only one type of rice pudding there and it contained raisins.  Raisins do not appeal to me so I have yet to go out of my way to sample the aforementioned pudding.  Much to my surprise, upon arrival I was greeted by a vast array of options, most of which did not involve a helping of nature’s candy.  Jackpot.After sampling two flavors, I went with the French Toast with some graham cracker topping.  Delicious.  I shall be returning to this establishment that boasts such a wealth of flavor.

Jes Shows The True Meaning of Going From Rice to Riches

With dessert bowl in hand I wandered towards the Delancey F train stop only to come up with a clever idea once I reached Orchard St. I was in my brother’s neighborhood and decided to make a detour as it was early yet.  I stopped inside the nearest bodega grabbing a six pack of Guatemala’s own Rio Claro Cerveza and onto his apartment.  While there I had a brief discussion and down one and a half beers before being sent abruptly packing when my brother received an urgent call that he had to grab some equipment. With than a Friday evening full of activity came to a close and I hopped the F back to Park Slope.

Saturday morning arrived like a warm but strangely overcast day.  It seemed like everything would be fine and dandy if I could just get the haze out of my head.  The previous night hadn’t been a drunken catastrophe by any means, but it left the lingering heaviness of fried food and cheap beer.  I attempted to run it off in the early going but my previously devoured morning bagel only seemed to contribute to that weighed down feeling and really put a damper on any sort of exercise activity.

One quick shower though, and just like that I was up and at ‘em,  ready to shake the two liter bottle of carbonated life and burst into full on weekend mode.  Thankfully, I had something to do that was heavy on the labor day weekend tradition.  My old roommate Rob was having a BBQ at his place down the avenue and I felt obliged to make an appearance.

It was ultimately a rather small gathering, but with a very comfortable feel.  Myself, Suli, Reva, Rob, Katey,Alice, Cyrus, Bethany, and Jen were all on hand for grilling  up some goodies and more spirited discussion.  I knocked back a few beers and conversed in the fading yet warm glow of the September sun, whilst engaging in plenty of off color humor with my fellow partygoers.  At around 7:30 I received a text from my good friend Andrew inviting me to go see his brother’s burlesque show at Union Hall starting at 11pm.  I told him I would and then notified everyone at the party to see if they wanted to go.  The overall consensus was positive, but by 10:30 it seemed everyone was content on just hanging there.  I said my goodbyes and made my way to Union Hall on foot arriving just before the show started.Andrew and I walked in and had a few minutes to hang back before they opened the doors.

Finally a few minutes later they had let us in.  It was my original intention to not drink, take in the burlesque show and catch a good night’s sleep, but I violated those conditions rather quickly.  Andrew asked if I wanted a beer and after about a jiffy of deliberation I decided to break my covenant.  The burlesque show, though sparsely attended was fantastic. Doc Wassabasco, Gigi La Femme, Nasty Canasta, Johnny Porkpie, and Anita Cookie really know how to put on a classy show.  If I were writing a headline based solely on that event it would say, “Tits and Class”.

I didn’t get rowdy or anything during the event, that’s not why I mentioned the drinking.  Rather, it was what came after that the drinking aided in abolishing all of the fear bones in my body.  Actually, it probably wasn’t the drinking, it was more the fact that there was a microphone on hand and the word “karaoke” uttered.  Once the dancers cleared the stage a whole new setup came into the room promising a rip-roaring cover song-fueled extravaganza and I was on top of it.  The first one to put a song in, I immediately got on stage and entreated the crowd to be entertained by my rendition of that old standard, Lisa Loeb’s “Stay (I Missed You).” Judging by the reaction and the crowd comments after, it was a pretty good rendition.

My next on stage moment came with Andrew as we went up to sing Huey Lewis’ “Power of Love” joined by Gigi La Femme and Anita Cookie.  I thought I’d be able to ace this one, but I was clueless.  Andrew and Anita more or less kept us in this one save for maybe the chorus.  Good job Andrew.

Seeing as we were so quick on the draw once the karaoke came out, Andrew and I hopped on stage one more time, following and Anita rendition of a Journey song.  This time we conquered U2 and BB King’s “When Love Comes To Town”.  Now, we had done that song on my birthday, but I had the feeling that we absolutely killed it this time.  Though, if anyone was videotaping our drunken vocal episode, I could probably be proven wrong.

After our final duet triumph a couple of frat boys came on stage and did some lame songs.  I don’t even remember what they were.  They just seemed horribly clichéd.  I decided though that I had one more in me.  It was between Talking Heads “Once In A Lifetime” and Public Enemy’s “Bring Da Noize”.  Now, I generally have a rule against white people doing hip-hop, but I have this odd desire to at least see if I can keep up with the version of that song with Anthrax.  Anyway, I chose the former and before I launched into it one of the girls made a comment regarding my voice.  I’ve always been a little insecure about my voice and it’s sort of nasal high pitched-ness, but I kind of purposely played it into a bigger deal due to my slightly inebriated state.  The performance of the song itself was okay.  I had delusions of grandeur when it came to performing a suitable David Byrne impression, but never quite pulled it off.  I’m sure I did a lot of dramatic stumbling around the stage to simulate his erratic mannerisms, but I don’t think it really translated. Still, it was okay, and I was none too ashamed of my theatrics.

That would be the last karaoke performance of the evening and after leaving the room said dancer apologized to me after commenting on my insecurity.  I let her know that I was joking which somehow led me into a discussion with her of the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Vegas and the World Championships held there each year, where she had won an award the previous event. Being around the Burlesque show had somewhat reignited my interest in my Hall of Fame book idea as I was asking Andrew’s brother about the competition earlier.  I thought perhaps if this crew was going to the next one perhaps I could tag along and at least write some material on it.  Being in that world with people from that world seems like the way to do it.

Saturday night hysterics and heroics aside, the night had to come to an end, but I was all smiles and sleepiness when it did.  I hit the bed sometime around 3:30am and nearly eight hours later found myself preparing to go to brunch with my mom.

My mom arrived slightly after noon carrying heaps of items thankfully procured from a world record breaking Costco outing.  I surmised that I probably wasn’t going to have buy food for the next 2 weeks.  I’m sure I’ll prove myself wrong on that end, but it’ll be fun and monetarily rewarding to try and hold out.

After unloading the shipment it was time to make a run for brunch at the Miracle Grill on 7th Avenue.  I had heard horror stories about said restaurant’s service and while it wasn’t extemely attentive, it wasn’t absolutely ignorant either.  Mediocre to fair is a safe assessment.  I found the food however to be very tasty as I dug into my Chicken Quesadilla allowing it to quench my alcohol addled stomach.  Conversation was mostly pleasant, but you can never get through the day without a little mom nagging.  It’s in all of their blood and that’s why they’re called mothers.  Food was gorged upon, understandings were reached, feelings were shared, crises were averted.  All in all a productive early afternoon session.

As my mom and I were departing my phone rang with a familiar name flashing on it’s extremely limited display space.  Jes P was calling and I knew just what she wanted.  Coney Island was a calling.  We were headed to see Brooklyn Cyclones take on the Lowell Spinners for the regular season finale at Keyspan Park.

Myself and Jes After Having Caught Cyclones Fever

I always think taking the Q to Coney Island from Park Slope takes much longer than it does, so I arrived at my late afternoon destination a little early.  Jes was running late so I killed some time walking on the boardwalk.  Unfortunately, I was clad in shorts and a t-shirt completely forgetting the fact that Coney Island was probably a bit windier than the more inland areas of Brooklyn. Oh well, I wasn’t going to buy a sweatshirt or anything.  I was just going ot have to grin and bear it.  It wasn’t actually that cold, it was more just a windy situation.  Jes finally showed up around 5:15 with her roommate in tow.  I wasn’t aware here roommate would be joining us, but I figured the more the merrier.  Just after introducing herself however, she split off and headed into the park.  Apparently, she had her own season ticket.  One season ticket for one person going to all of the games by herself…that seemed pretty weird.

We got to our box seats in section 13 row U along the 3rd base line.  $16 can get you a lot in a minor league ballpark.  Neither of us were in the mood to drink after monster Saturday nights so we settled in to watch some quality baseball.  The only problem was that there was a terrible family of total trash behind us.  It’s not that they were poor and lived in trailers and had sex with their cousins…they were probably pretty rich based on the fact that I think they had Mets season tickets.  They just had no idea had to act in public.  These two punk kids just sat there berating their mother the entire time and being general douchebags.

Their douchebaggery was only made worse when thundersticks were handed out to the crowd and the kids were hell bent on making the loudest noises imaginable without actually paying attention to the game.  Actually, the thundersticks dilemma sort of applied to the whole crowd as scores of fans mindlessly bashed the inflatable noisemakers together appearing mindless as they bashed them in front of their faces appearing hypnotized by the impact of two such objects upon one another.  They would bash them together in non rhythmic fashion and smile to themselves or attempt to bash a neighbor.

The Crowd In the Uncertain Stages of Thunderstick Mania

Aside from the idiocy there were plenty of thrills on the evening.  In addition to my company, the Cyclones were starting New York Mets all-star Carlos Beltran in Centerfield.  In addition to being relegated to the DL on my fantasy team for the better part of the last three months Carlos is quite the accomplished player.  The first pitch he faced was easily directed for a single.  That seemed to bode well for the rest of his at bats.  He eventually made it home to score the Cyclones 2nd run, but that’s really where his highlights stopped.  Beltran struck out three times and blooped out for the game-ending hit with runners at the corners.  Your 2009 New York Mets!

Beltran Coasting Into 3rd

Being at the stadium though was quite fun though.  In addition to loudly heckling players or participating in home team high jinks there’s just a great feeling to that stadium that was heightened by the prospect of winning a prize on “fan appreciation night.” The announcers would proclaim the names of entire rows that had won a prize and with each announcement you hoped you were one of them.  Our row was never announced but Section 13 Row P won something from Baskin Robbins.  Row P sucks. Jes did get lucky though as she somehow managed to catch a free shirt thrown by one of Brooklyn’s own Beach Bums.  Unfortunately that shirt was the worst shirt ever as it was more or less a 2xxL billboard for Applebee’s with only a small Cyclones logo on the arm.

The Worst Shirt Ever

One of my favorite miscellaneous moments of the evening involved the not so thinly veiled racism when after Lowell’s catcher Chia-Chu Chen both Jes and I swore we heard an asian gong-type percussive sound.  I also thought there were not enough Sandy the Seagull mascot sightings.  He only seemed to make his presence known in the 9th inning when the ‘Clones were down and needed a rally.  Even then he wasn’t doing much to liven up the crowd…just pointing from the balcony at children before making his way into the stands.

Sandy the Seagull In The Contemplative Final Moments Before His Assassination

Finally, the game ended a 4-2 loss and we had a few options.  We could a) wait an hour and a half for the fireworks,b) wait on line to run the bases, or c) get out of there.  We had originally opted for b) because getting photos of ourselves running around the bases would probably be awesome, but when the entire stadium is in line to do so, it loses it’s appeal.  Instead we got out of there, grabbed some ice cream and hung out by Nathans for a bit before taking the subway back to our respective homes to end this Sunday success story.

Monday morning brought a confusing mix of laziness and ambition.  My previous evening of sleep had been marred by horrible noises which at different points I perceived to be a) my roommate getting laid or b) cats being raped with a lit branding iron.  The noises were closer to b) minus the branding iron and the rape.  Turns out cats just get horrifyingly moan-y when they’re lonely. The result was a Monday morning where I had previously planned to get out of bed early and go for a run…yet my repeatedly interrupted slumber from the night before caused me to want to doze as late as possible.  Ultimately I beat back weariness and had a good run in the park.

After a shower, I got myself good and dressed and headed up to Morwin’s in Midtown to celebrate the last mental day of summer.  There were a few folks on hand in the earlier going, Suli, Reva, some of morwin’s friends whose names escape me…and Rich M fresh from arriving from Hong Kong that morning.  The crowd grew slowly and steadily never reaching probably more than 13 partygoers.

Rich Sporting A Fine Summer Look

Ahmad Cuts The Meat...Mmm Meat.

Reva’s friend Kristen arrived, Kishore, Potts, Siska, Ahmad, Erika, Ajay to name a few.  It was a laid back terrace BBQ boasting ribs, steak, sausages, dogs, and several varieties of chips.  I enjoyed a few St. Pauli Girl’s and let the summer fade on cue.  And just like that the summer had abruptly drawn to a close, just like this post is about to do.

Vous l’avez peut-être déjà deviné avec le titre de cet article ? Non??

Voyons…. et si je vous parle d’une voiture qui voyage dans le temps, d’un chien qui porte le nom d’un grand savant….

Si je vous parle de Marty McFly, de Biff, de Doc ?

Eh oui, je vous parle bien du film Back to the Future, le premier opus. Ah ça me rappelle un moment de ma jeunesse quand j’étais en vacances avec mes parents en Ardèche et qu’alors existait le cinéma en plein air et sur un court de tennis avait été improvisé une séance de cinéma….

Les chaises de camping, chacun avec sa petite couverture et là, j’avais pris une grosse claque : je venais de voir le film qui marquerait toute une génération et plus précisément celle des années 80. Vous vous en souvenez ?

Il y avait tout dans ce film : l’humour de ces années, les fringues avec les tennis Nike et les lunettes de pilote (que Tom Cruise portait à cette époque-ci aussi dans Top Gun), il y avait les jean’s un peu petits et serrés, les blousons en jeans, la voiture De Lorean avec ses petits boutons façon K2000.  Il y avait cette musique de Huey Lewis. Il y avait des acteurs géniaux comme Michael J. Fox et Christopher Lloyd.

Il y avait surtout cette idées géniale de voyager dans le temps ! Comment voulez-vous que mon imaginaire ne s’en imprègne pas et que mon écriture n’en subisse pas des effets par la suite ?

Et vous, si vous pouviez voyager dans le temps, le feriez-vous ? Corrigeriez-vous des erreurs ?

the power of love
is the heart of rock and roll
and its the new drug

Birileri The Dodos’a folk rock serpmiş, hatta bir de vibrafon eklemiş. Yeni albümleri ‘Time to Die’ ile The Dodos yeni karakterini ortaya koymaya kararlı.

‘Time to Die’ öncelikle bedava müzik anlayışından korkmayan bir albüm. Daha doğrusu bunu bedava olarak değil, özgür olarak nitelendiriyor. Çünkü The Dodos albümün adıyla kurduğu web sitesinde 15 Eylül’de çıkması beklenen albümün tamamını dinleme seçeneği sunmuş bizlere. Hatta Meric Long’un sevimli bir üslupla bizzat gözlerimizin içine bakarak konuştuğu bir videosu da mevcut anasayfada; “Albümü dinlemenizi ve hissetmenizi istedik” diyor. Bize de bu misafirperverliğe teşekkür edip, albümü dinlemek düşüyor.

Kısaca hikayelerine bakarsak… 2006 yılında Meric Long’un solo projesi olarak ‘Dodobird’ adıyla kurulmuş. İleride davulun başına Logan Kroeber geçirilince kuş kanatlanıp uçmuş, isimleri ‘The Dodos’ olarak şimdiki halini almış. Meric aşçılık, Logan da resim işini bırakmış; iki ev arkadaşı kendilerini müziklerine adamışlar. 2006’da ilk albümleri ‘Beware of the Maniacs’ı yayınladıktan sonra, daha çoklara isimlerini duyuran ‘Visiter’ albümlerini de 2008 yılında ortaya çıkarmışlar.

Yeni albümleri ‘Time to Die’ 15 Eylül’de French Kiss Records tarafından piyasada olacak. Peki The Dodos bu albümle ne kadar değişmiş derseniz, cevap net olarak ‘oldukça’. The Dodos akustik ve perküsyon ağırlıklı karakterini yine koruyor; ama bu kez üzerine biraz folk rock, biraz da tatlı melodiler eklenmiş. İki farklı ismin dokunuşu mevcut. Bunlardan birincisi The Shins, Fleet Foxes, Built to Spill gibi toplulukların yapımcısı Phil Ek… Albüme folk rock yağdırma fikri tamamen kendisinin eseri. İkinci dokunuş ise topluluğun artık ikili olarak değil, üçlü olarak geçmesine de vesile olan Keaton Snyder. O da kim derseniz, albüme tatlı melodi dediğim atmosferi veren vibrafonun sorumlusu.

Albüm ‘Small Deaths’ parçasıyla keyifli bir açılış yapıyor. Ardından gelen gitar ve davulun yer yer yükseldiği, sonlara doğru vokalin enstrümanlarla kapıştığı ‘Longform’ parçası biraz ‘Visiter’ albümünü anımsatıyor. Üçüncü parça ‘Fables’ albümün kalbi. Vibrafonun The Dodos’a kattığı eğlenceli havayı hissettiriyor. Akıllara kazınan nakaratı ve eğlenceli melodisiyle fazla tutulacak parça bu olacağa benziyor. ‘The Strums’, armoninin kendini gösterdiği parça; az buçuk Belle & Sebastian kokulu. Albümün beşinci parçası ‘This is A Business’ ise beklenmedik sertlikle diğer parçalardan kolaylıkla sıyrılıyor.

‘Two Medicines’ albümün en dinamik girişine sahip. Seri bir a capella ile açılan parça aralarda yine vibrafon enerjisiyle yerinde durdurtmuyor. 6.23 dakikalık parça ‘Troll Nacht’ ise vibrafon solo ile başlayan, ardından Meric’in gitar maharetini sergilediği bir parça. Oldukça akıcı bir melodiye sahip. Aynı şekilde sekizinci parça Acom Factory de gitar zevkini yaşatanlardan…

The Dodos bu albümle karakterini iyice oturtmuş. Sırada nasıl birşeyler var diye merak ederken Huey Lewis parçalarının yeniden yorumlanacağı bir toplama albüme katkıda bulunacakları haberini aldık. The Dodos armonileri ve vibrafonlarla bir ‘The Power of Love’ veya ‘Stuck With You’ cover’ı kulağa gayet hoş geliyor.

www.monomundo.com ‘BEATNIK’ dergisinin 9. sayısında yayınlanmıştır.