dusk devils at safari sam's

happy independence day!!!!!!!!!

it's a special day... a movie i recommend is "god grew tired of us." and "1776"!! songs? "man in black," "this land is your land," "american music." food? watermelon, of course!!!!
w/our smog & wildfire smoke, we really shouldn't have fireworks here in bakingfield, but we do, so enjoy safely. i LOVE LOVE fireworks, but increasingly worry about them...
hope everyone who reads has lots for which to be grateful. :) today i'm 13, & i have much. independence: what a concept, & how lucky we are to have it, relative to many on this planet. (some have more, i could complain, but why? not now.) focusing just on music: 7 new songs since home from texas; safari sam's sunday; fun friends to play music w/(read below); dusk devils just reached 3500 myspace friends!! to see, go to www.myspace.com/theduskdevils ... . not too smoothly worded, but i got buttloads of gratitude, in spades, & wish the same for you. :) :) :)

dusk devils at safari sam's this sunday & more live music, too!

also: fattkatt starts up again at the crystal palace on july 9; more info at www.fattkatt.com ... & there's live music 7 nights a wk at trout's/the blackboard stage: www.myspace.com/troutsblackboard

tossin' & turnin' & burnin' all up inside (outside, too)!

here's a slideshow of lst night's sauna gig at trout's! to see the pix in more detail, click where it says "view all images."
we were all so extremely happy w/how the evening went, from friendly greetings from the paxtons to friends who came out in support to the crowd's enthusiastic response to all the dancers! who surely must've really wanted to do so, since the ac was broken!! to the blackboard playboys', rockwell's, lynda's & the trout's staff's kindnesses to swell dinner & laughs afterwards at la tapatia. i haven't had so much all-around music fun since crashing a taping of the blasters on AFPP!
well, at this pt, i'm uncertain where my sun. eve's going, so will write more later... happy bd to philbert, the band's baby!! hope you enjoy the pix, & if you were there, that we gave you a good show. :)

TROUT'S sat june 28; SAFARI SAM'S sun july 6

we'll be on at 7 pm!!!
we'll be on from 12:30 pm-2 pm!!!
on other notes: r.i.p., george carlin, whose cynicism never fully hid a hopeful & idealistic heart; ... in austin, i had the most wonderfully quenching & delicious drink, tho i don't know the proportions: combine crushed ice, coca-cola, cream, & vanilla syrup. the result: a cocablanca. heaven!!!!... finally, phil & mark are contributing song ideas!! (artistic mark also made the top flyer... cool!) what a happy thing this band is lately!! :) now we just need time to actually learn our new songs we're writing, & to play more shows, too! :) these are what i would call "golden problems," most definitely...

my sleep-deprived texas train trip: snippets

not pictured: burnin' mike vernon, luann williams, kinky friedman :)

bass ackwards in the lone star state: the queen of know-nuthin speaks

if you are ever in my presence & i suggest we take a short cut or say anything that suggests a "clever" or easier, softer (& especially cheaper) way, please slap me!!!! i have had many adventures on this trip & now am (literally) cooling my heels in the hi-austin after a day out in 100 degree texas heat wearing the wrongest & stupidest shoes any female could've conceived to wear for such a trek!!! of course the shoe broke, so i being so goddang resourceful found a pin in the road & a hair tie & "fixed" the shoe & proceeded to walk another 10 miles w/my blistering dogs taped w/stickers i peeled off the wall out front of the record store & basically all it accomplished is i was slowed like a turtle & nearly crippled myself!! i love this place a lot (tho not as much as i love my loved ones), but that combined w/my FIVE HOUR wait yesterday at the amtrak station in rural cleburne (the station was closed, of course, & it was 100 degrees, & i was all alone, but then i found a penny, & found one today, so i stick w/foolishness, thinking it's all part of the great plan, most certainly) mean i am more than ready go home... i have had a swell time, but more than anything, more than music, more than mama, i await my sleeping car on tomorrow's train (which of course cost a zillion dollars to grab because i only realized i had to get one or croak after the "going to war together"-like grubby camaraderie of riding over w/NO SHOWER). i'll get on this time, shower up, & get rocked to sleep by the train's gentle gait.
...dang, i hope that didn't constitute an expectation on my part. my serenity is directly related to my expectation level... so that wasn't an expectation at all, i say: just a hope. :) i know it's ok & in fact is good to hope. :)
will report more later on the great music i've heard & will hear, my beautiful family, their beautiful little italian donkey, the beautiful rural texas dusks alive w/night-singing bugs & peaceful, endlessly flat & lovely canopies of lime-green fields & dark, stately post oaks... below i'll list some music, so "all yall" can know what's been up here... & more details later. :) peace happiness & good times to all who read this...

safari sam's 7/6 plus dusk devils demo cd available

i have a feeling i'll be writing while i'm gone on my train trip to the lone star state, but meantime, i'll post the following exciting (por moi) things!!!
the cd has six tracks: the texas song; mercy; rock boppin' baby; not goin' after him; green door; the mess around. please get hold of me if you're interested in one!!!

"you can't judge an apple by lookin' at the tree, you can't judge honey by lookin' at the bee, you can't judge a sister by lookin' at the brother...

you can't judge a book by lookin' at the cover." -ellas mcdaniel, aka bo diddley. he passed away today, age 79. what a loss for everyone! i only got to see him once, long ago down in smellay, w/little richard & jerry lee lewis. tho i was bombed out of my gourd, i remember his set smoked!!! we tried to see him at rockin' 50s last yr in green bay, but he got sick & didn't make it to the event. everyone thought he was a goner then, & the mood was heavy as the 100s of primitive/american music vinyl freaks in attendance held their breath somberly, hoping against hope for the improved health of the "original architect of rock&roll". we heard he was playing music at the hospital w/in days...
you gotta love anyone who takes his stage name from a phrase that basically is a classier version of "jack s**t." i like the humility. people who are great don't need to hoot about it. his rockin' clave-rumba songs were so fun, so cool, so smoking & sexy & rhythm-bound, & then when you listened to the lyrics, wow: poetry, too. he introduced the world to the duchess, jerome green, the hambone beat, "love is strange". he was one of the BIG FIVE, art fein says, along w/chuck, fats, elvis, little richard, jerry lee. (wait - that makes six. i must be wrong...)
some of my favorite bo diddley songs: roadrunner; you can't judge a book; mona; cadillac; bring it to jerome; pills; ride on josephine; say man; hey! bo diddley; dearest darling; we're gonna get married; who do you love?; pretty thing; crackin' up; hush your mouth; don't let it go; what's buggin' you?; gunslinger... i've been sick today, & it seems fitting now. goodbye to a great man.

at club bim bam, come on in, chief big jam session about to begin

(to paraphrase the late great ronnie dawson...) here's a pic of our sound check from last night. the stone bar was beautiful, & reminded me of the original king-king! it was a good night, tho i feel like a sack of jello right now; we got home at 3 am, & i ain't used to it!!!
it was a fun evening, tho my try-out of a different piano stand (borrowed from bassist mark-thx!) didn't really work! i wonder if i'll ever figure out ALL the logistics that go w/this? i also couldn't hear myself sing, which means i screamed my voice out early in the set. oh well! people seemed to enjoy us. "something different" is what we always hear. "YOU are just incredible," one woman told me, beaming. :)
lil mo is one super-energetic performer; he reminded me of one of the bowery boys. his band did straight-up rockabilly, along w/an R&B tune & some "born bad" tunes like "save it" & "tongue-tied jill"; i really liked those!! i loved the songs deejay lucky la rocka spun between bands, an eclectic combo of primitive R&B, rocknroll, rockabilly, & more. he really mixed it up, & i always appreciate that!!
we had a good set & the folks at the stone bar were ultra-nice to a one: lucky, who invited us; carl, the owner; the door man; the bartender. we even got some dough! who says there aren't good people in hollywood? :)
it was fun to hear art fein cheering because he literally yells "yaaaaaay!!" & claps loudly, & to see his friend randi's (heaters & blasters fan #1) huge enthusiam. art's friend luann speculated about places in austin we might play. yay! who knows? i guess it could happen! that would be so swell... :)
john bazz & i crossed paths last night; ironically, he played bakersfield (not with the blasters) at fishlips. "meet you at the starbucks on laval road," he joked. hope he had as good a show as we did! i thank blb for driving us to hollywood in the super van; that sure made the traveling easier. :)
a show i won't be going to today is local son john owens' public debut w/his stroke-of-genius-named band buckshot - they're on at 2 pm at trout's for lloyd reading's 89th bd party & BBQ, open to the public. it looks like they'll do contemporary country, but if i hear otherwise, i'll get to another of his shows. john had & probably still has an unbelievable singing voice, a cross between his dad & roy orbison. if his songs are as amazing as his pipes, i'll become a fan, no matter what. :)

HULA SWING & PUMPIN' PIANO ROCKNROLL!!!

That's how Lucky La Rocka is billing our show next Saturday in Hollywood... details below, or here: www.myspace.com/klubbimbam... The flyer's so pretty, I'm gonna post it again right here: Hoohah! Fershlugginer! Potrezebie!
today i got to run a 5k & came in 2nd!!! (this was a very very small event, please note...) it is just gorgeous right now in backwardsfield (not a contradiction of terms as of this moment!)... w/3 days left of school, i have no complaints & look forward to going back to the drunk convention today at the doubletree. friends! a common solution! nice people! and tomorrow's band practice - yahoo! we want to play music, help spread the word about good old rocknroll boogie-woogie & guitar-twanging american music... & meet others who love it, too! please let us know if you got a show, or know someone who does... & thank you mucho!!
so at this second, this is a nice life. hope yours is, too. :)

don't scratch the wax!!

that is quite a cool name for a rockabilly show promoter... :) sonny vincent sent me a nice email w/link to a bunch of pix people took at friday's show... i just knew that dress wasn't fancy enough!! oh well. :) in the 2nd pic, you can see phil dancing w/my sis in the background. what a swell time!!! :) :) :)

fleeblebleebleblubblebloobleblee

man, am i worn out!!! last night's show was amazing. only one other time have i played to a total "target" audience, & that time, the sound guy fubar'd things up. it's so different when folks know, understand, love the genre. they cheered so loud, i could hear them while we played, & we were LOUD!!! even on my piano solos, people cheered!!! thanks, sonny & don't scratch the wax, for having us. what a treat!
deke dickerson watched the whole set! then afterward he came up w/compliments. that was very cool! then deejays sonny & jose put on "that certain female" right after we were done & deke kicked it off w/a big big rocker: that made me think we'd raised the noiviss energy bar. yah!
deke played his set w/chris sprague & wally herstam. they're an all-star rockabilly line-up. they must have 10,000 gigs between them. top musicians!! i'd love to get that tight. maybe some day! dd did an instrumental where the guitar sounded like singing - wild!! they did "buck owens' 1st hit," "hot dog" & also "buzz buzz buzz," which we did in our set, so that was a little weird. after, we talked about al hendrix, who REALLY wrote "hot dog" (not buck owens).
rick, i have to confess: when you were horsing around w/chris ("drummers rule!! yaaah!!"), i WASN'T hitting record on your camera. i was too embarrassed to tell the truth. sorry!!
as he was leaving, i asked bass player mark, "what did you think of the crowd reaction?" & he just smiled, then peered at me & giggled a little, "yeah, that was really cool..." who knows? maybe he'll stick around... for now, he's gonna help us out on the hollywood show. whoopee! :)
i have to get a new piano stand, tho. at one point, i did a glissando & raked the keys too deep & the dang thing started to slide off the stand!! that would've been a disaster. i also learned not to eat ice cream before a show. i had to pound two energy drinks to get my eyes opened back up!!
my sister & her friend had such a great time. it was so wonderful to look out & see people having a great time. :)
what fun what fun what fun!! philbert is the best. what a bunch of guys. i love my dusk devils. :) next show: may 31 in hollywood (read below)... tonight: elvis interpreter don rose at trout's!

deke dickerson, exotiki, DUSK DEVILS

we have two great shows upcoming! here are flyers:
-> have seen deke many times, most impressively w/the collins kids (his stuff w/dave & deke combo & untamed youth also was very cool)!!! he knows every joe maphis lick, so they always pick him to play w/them... he writes a column for guitar player mag, too, & is a stone-cold guitar/amp expert/ scholar. a link to the venue is here, www.myspace.com/tularedust, & you can find deke's website easily via google. there's a lot to read, & guitar players will plotz!!
-> exotiki, playing hawaiian-swing, has an all-star lineup you won't want to miss... here's a link to the venue: www.myspace.com/klubbimbam ; i'm certain you can find exotiki on myspace, & if you know this music, you'll appreciate the band members' expertise & history!
->tho i love playing for any crowd, i'm thrilled that at both these shows, everyone there will know EVERY song in our sets (except the ones i wrote, that is)... yippee!! i do hope to meet other '47-'63 vinyl nerds, & see people singing along; that would be so cool!
-> visalia's only 1 hr north of bakersfield, hollywood 70 mins south. hope you who read & are nearby will consider going!!! thank you ahead of time for helping to spread the word, too! :) :)

happy bd to ruben, grandma mary, billy mize, & a goodbye

we just got back from ruben's bd in the desert. i've known ruben & family for 17 yrs!! ruben is 55 going on 30. he's a life-long working musician who teaches guitar & puts out LPs. he is light-hearted, a super guy, lightning on the guitar, always gracious & fun to be around. :) i used to follow his band, the blazers, & was entangled w/their old bassist. i had to get sober because of that, so it was all for a reason! plus i made some life-long friends in him & his ex (they're still friends), mi "comadre," donna, who's the most resourceful woman i've ever met... :) the blazers were on rounder, now little dog. the new LP comes out in august; ruben said there was info on www.littledogrecords.com , but i can't seem to find it!! the site's worth checking out, if you like roots-americana alt-country, etc.
anyways, here's 2 pix from the party. we rolled in yesterday & their lovely daughter, my bd buddy, asked me to help her play the beatles' birthday song at her dad's party... we went thru it twice, then had to hit the road. of course, i couldn't hear the keyboard when i played (monitor pointed away). no se importa: the surprise bd song had R teared up w/happiness. :) we also played volver volver, tiburon, another cumbia, a few blues tunes, & johnny b. goode. then the music got real mellow, so we headed back to the barn. this a.m., R & B had a long discussion about the physics behind guitars (B is a biker, but also a "mad scientist"). then we all stuffed ourselves on mexican food & B, the boys, & i drove home in the love wagon.
R heads today to the chris gaffney benefit at the doll hut, where his high school buddy & blazers mate manuel (whom everyone now calls "big manny") will play along w/many others. chris gaffney recently passed away after a brief illness; you can donate at www.helpgaff.com. meanwhile, candye kane is swathed in love, recuperating after her major cancer surgery; bakersfield this afternoon celebrates billy mize's bd at trout's(www.myspace.com/troutsblackboard), & my family lovingly remembers dear departed grandma mary, mary elizabeth ollivares forquera, who would have been 97. she is gone, but never will be forgotten by us all.
a nice weekend. so good to have friends & family. so good to have music. both mean love & life, in my book.

trout's/how cool's grease ball pix

mercy... what my baby does to me

me am impressed! nearly the greatest video ever...

here it is!! :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_5w1KPgzuU&feature=related

in the wonderful alternative universe called youtube lives my chubby wunderkind of a child, who also appears to be a southpaw... in bizarro world, this boy would be king & presidents & politicians would wear little pointy hats & dance on hind legs in circuses. every now & then a pipsqueak like this comes along at school & makes teaching extra wonderful... & maddening.
ps - read post below about saturday's show... remember to tell them the dusk devils sent you, if'n you go... :)

grease ball at trout's, sat apr. 19

this from mommy pie, trout's promoter:


**Flyer correction! Music starts @ 4:00pm with IRON OUTLAWS!! 5:00pm MOTEL DRIVE!! 6:00pm THE DUSK DEVILS!! 7:00pm FATT KATT and the VON ZIPPERS!! 8:00pm PIN-UP GIRL contest!! 8:30pm TALLEST POMPADOUR contest!! 9:00pm FATT KATT and the VON ZIPPERS!!
FASHIONS from HOWCOOL. COM!!
VINTAGE CAR SHOW (Pre-1967!! Domestic & Import!!) BBQ available from GRILLS GONE WILD!! DRINK SPECIALS & SPECIALTY "Rockabilly/Greaser" SHOTS ALL DAY!
Come out and soak up the culture, baby! Art, Fashion, Hot Cars, Gorgeous Girls (and Guys!), Great Food, and more... taking place at the LAST of the Original Bakersfield "Honky Tonks" - The Blackboard Stage @ the Legendary Trout's Nightclub! This ain't your Grandpa's "Honky Tonk," kiddies: extensive expansion, remodeling, and renovations make TROUT'S the biggest AND best Nightclub in Kern County!!
Check it out - you will be glad you did!

slide show from tribute to merle, buck, & the bakersfield sound at trout's last month!

nada decir... pero hablo y hablo y hablo :)

- i've got nothing to say, but it's ok, to quote the beastles!!! don't know about you, but i've been so busy i can't even breathe!! haven't uploaded pix or videos, managed to take care of 2 non-music commitments tho one more looms, something every day after extra-busy work & every evening, too, however, tonight's busy-ness was nice cause we practiced! these guys i play w/are so silly & energetic - so gratifying. :) we are gelling, we are hopping, we are swinging, we have fun. :)
- as a friend said, "not everyday's gotta be fireworks"... no break in sight: the next 3 wkends will be running, traveling, speaking w/jani at desert convention; music show; candye's benefit apr. 20 (go to www.candyekane.com for locations); ruben's 55th bd. how can blazers ruben be 55?!?!
- for many yrs, NO ONE wanted me around: so tho busy, i am thankful. :) life is short & strange. who knows what tomorrow'll bring? who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?!?! the shadow knows... (i don't believe that "evil" stuff; just wanted to quote lamont cranston.) :)
- ok, well, i've bored myself enough for now... blablablablablabla :)

saturday, ethel's, 11 am!!!!!!

here's a pic of us w/rockwell from last wkend's show... i'll post more when i get more energy. still a little worn out, i guess!!!
next, this sat, 4/5, at 11 am the dusk devils will be at ethel's old corral, a friendly saloon en route to hart park on alfred harrell hwy. people ride their horses & motorbikes right up to the door at this place; there's food there, too. a fundraiser for the alzheimer's association, the day's official event is a motorcycle poker run; we're the 4th card stop. however, anyone (21 & over, that is) can drop in around 11 am & we'll be there playing about a 1-hr set. yes, the show is open to all, no charge! still, you can sign up for the event at www.adakc.org, if you ride & want to support the cause... ethel's is at 4310 Alfred Harrell Hwy (near fairfax), 661-873-7613

help candye kane & chris gaffney

candye kane, the wonderful & vibrant blues singer & activist, recently found out she has pancreatic cancer. like too many in the u.s. & in particular most working musicians (not the 0.000001% that "make it big"), she lacks health insurance.
there was a syndicated article in the paper about this phenomenon yrs ago. candye is young & strong, but too many older musicians (saw a bunch last night at trout's, & now wonder how many locally are in this boat), after decades of long nights singing & breathing in smoky bars filled w/drink, dope, lechers, & lonelyhearts, find themselves in poor health w/little way of getting medical care. poor families have car washes; ill working musicians, even those making it w/their music, like candye, must rely upon friends, family, &, if they have them, fans, asking for donations & having fundraiser shows.
candye is pro-active: since diagnosis, she has made huge lifestyle changes, & last wk cancelled her european tour to "get my health back," she wrote, adding, "If you want to donate $$ to the cancer fund, check out my myspace www.myspace.com/candyekaneband for a benefit near you or you can send money thru www.paypal.com. My user name is candyekanetour@aol.com. Or you can send a check to: candye kane cancer fund, 315 s. hwy 101 #47, encinitas, ca 92024."
chris gaffney of the hacienda bros & dave alvin band also recently was diagnosed w/liver cancer. a long-time close friend of the blasters & many more, he's a well-respected vocalist-musician in his own right. you can help out chris & his family by visiting www.helpgaff.com .
the inscription inside the "mighty woman with a torch" reads in part, "give me your tired, your poor..." our social & sacred duty is to care for all, & governmental change in november may allow that to again begin to happen.

buzz buzz buzz goes the bumblebee...

whoo! time for sleepytime tea, after tonight's fun show!! yes, the tribute to the legends of the bakersfield sound festival will be going on all weekend - tonight's music started around 7 pm, tomorrow's will begin around 6:30, & sunday's at 3 pm. thank you to annie & don kidwell for doing a great job w/sound! (when i lost power in the middle of "mercy" -- of course, of all the dang songs! --, they were right up there fixing things), rockwell & lynda for being the consummate cheerful host/hostess, & rick for doing the gig, period! he's getting an award in san diego tomorrow morning!! i showed rockwell my al hendrix cd & he grinned & exclaimed, "i love that guy! he is the nicest man! 72 yrs old & he sings like he's 21!" wow!! he was really hip to things, & his enthusiasm is infectious! he put the cd on while we set up & introduced all the acts like a pro. i think this guy is on to something, w/his generous & friendly promoter personality... lloyd reading was there, all dressed to the western 9s, & larry petree the same, & inez savage, & i'm sure there were many more bksfld sound historians there, but those were ones i saw...sonny langley opened the show w/some beautiful acoustic western ballads. it turns out i know promoter lynda's mom real well! i saw glenn pogatchnik coming in as we left, & hope to visit w/him more later in the wkend... yes, the rest of the festival lineup can be seen at www.myspace.com/troutsblackboard. bob manning & nashville west as well as surefire country drove 1000s of miles to get here for it, & tomorrow's "legends" night w/red simpson, tommy hayes, a big "special guest," & more, so if you can, head on out to trout's this weekend for some good western swing, vintage bakersfield sound, & rockabilly music!

tribute to legends of bakersfield sound fri. march 28-sun. march 30

we're on at 8 pm; cover is $5 each day/night.

SACRE BLEU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! christmas in march!!!!! shakin like a monkey in a coconut tree!!!!

i should clean house more often!! dios mio, heavens to mergatroid, i just found a dvd/cd that someone made me, i believe fredo in the netherlands (he mailed it, then i lost contact w/him for yrs til myspace came around), that has SIXTEEN HUNDRED FOURTEEN SONGS on it!!!! the emphasis is on female r'billy, hillbilly, & blues singers & rocknroll piano... there's a gal named ginny angel who (i'm not kidding) i sound a little like. every song's super rocking!! i called art fein, nearly out of my skin, & he was someplace (i couldn't hear where bc i couldn't bear to turn down the music) but did hear him say "i'm happy for your embarrassment of riches" & "wow - that sounds like too much" - i'm so happy i'm about to go visit my sponsor bc it really IS too much... i don't even know where to start song-wise, but will w/bob correll's "piano man," which i've been playing over & over & over, so thunderingly over the top rockin sloppy w/just that right mix of driving honky-tonk psychedelic jerry lee that makes a soul go wild!!! thank you, heavens, for bob correll, who has forever erased from my nightmares that other song of the same title by a certain pop-pianist whom i shall not name -- THANK YOU, bob correll!!
here's some to look up, if you wish: buffalo bop "doll" series; varetta dillard, teresa brewer, davis sisters, charline arthur, big mama thornton, big maybelle, bonnie guitar, keely smith, bonnie lou, damita jo; all them chicks at the hop, gals of the big d jamboree; rocknroll w/piano vols 1-6; 6 gene vincent LPs!; wynonna carr; various rockin' gals; ruby wright; real gone girls; ella mae morse; memphis belles... and MORE!!!!! i may owe fredo my 1st born now...

like fish out of water, like fire without oxygen; felice/feliz pasqua

spring break this yr: my cheerful cousin & her kiddies visited from tx; rt 66 thru ca & nv popped w/romantic ruins & cactus & wildflowers in purple, gold, yellow, white, red; flagstaff was again cool, great bbq, lovely old hotel signs; sedona was gorgeous but boring, w/a puzzling hole where history should be, kinda like vegas that way, didn't get to meet heaters mercy, either (art tried to set it up), but maybe another time; the dogs got their sea legs riding along & got to do much frolicking; and again here i am w/asthma, even went to emergency rm last night... on the bright side, i'm still breathing (shallowly)... goddang, i guess this is just my lot now, & so be it. i know it'll get better, & i'm not alone in being sick, for instance, my friend the beautiful plus-sized full-of-life blues singer is sick, too, & about to go on the road to europe, anyhow! tomorrow's easter & friday's the 1st of our run of 5 shows (see info above, below), so if a gal's gotta be chronically sick, i guess if she's got music, life's still worth living. :) here's a link to my easter vid from last yr: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhm6tRZ3Gd4

sunday morning coming down, sunday kind of love, ain't at sxsw & oh well palm sunday not-the-blues

many shows upcoming (read "dusk devils shows" post below). we're practicing today. family visiting from the lone star state. happy dogs at my feet. happy hubby at yoga. roof over my head, sweater to stay warm. no complaints. :)

when i die, buried 6 ft deep w/a rock&roll record at my feet, phonograph needle in my hand, gonna rock my way right out of this land

need to go to work today. the illness has moved into my throat & ears, so teaching 7th graders should be... loads of fun!!! get my rx diagnosis today, too, so maybe will have some answers for continual sickness. (or not, & will just continue to limp along.) sometimes i think i was supposed to croak 12.75 yrs ago, but was granted a reprieve for whatever reason, so now i get to be a happy person of fairly strong body but fragile respiratory health. weird!
this line of thinking is nothing but one tiny soul believing itself to be more important than it is. "we are all red blood & white bone underneath," said carl perkins, & after that ash to ash, dust to dust, then part of that billion-band of souls flying around & i hope having some fun while watching over the ones still trapped in their flesh & bone jalopies.

you don' t know me, but you don't like me / say you care less how i feel/ how many of you that sit & judge me...

have walked a mile in my shoes? (well, that's not what it says, but that's how i read it...) boy, homer joy wrote some good lyrics, there, well-expressing a local mentality, a sort of moral code that's not unique, but better than some i've heard in song...
but have you heard of al hendrix??? good gravy - this man was playing in bakersfield for yrs & yrs! is he still alive? is he still playing? i'm trying to find out... just listen to "train of love" (not the strong jc tune), then "monkey bite," then pick some others: http://cdbaby.com/cd/alhendrix ... his voice reminds me of charlies feathers & rich in its resonant expressiveness: brave, humble (both), humorous (some of rich's early cuts), homely (feathers). and many of these tunes blast because the old bakersfield sound was a hash of C&W, rockabilly, mexican, R&B, like eggs w/bacon, grits, biscuits & gravy, & hot sauce! (i like to add jelly, too.)
"sounds like a hillbilly," grinned hubby, not derisively a bit. when you're talking vernacular music, that's always a term of endearment - either that or the person speaking doesn't know what's what.
geez, i'm sick of being sick. if it's not cold & flu season here, it's allergy season. then there's summer asthma season. oh well; better than being mentally ill, i guess. olen sed his "mr oscat" honky-tonkin' kids' show at border's the other night had 100 people singing along! (see his link at right), & tonight the blasters are playing the 1st ever "grand ol' echo" in hollywood.
geez, i'm sick of being sick... but grateful for another day not pushing up daisies! :) hope you love al hendrix & order his cd, like i just did. :)

the teachers you never forget

there was mr williams who ran track w/us & looked a bit like groucho marx; mr jackson (r.i.p.) the handsome nam vet & amazing musician who loved us kids so much; mr stidham the kindly & encouraging flat-topped high school art teacher... mom rescued me from the piano teacher who hit my hands w/a ruler. then for many childhood yrs i studied w/a lovely, soft-spoken, kind, beautiful woman from wales. she had me do a lot of chopin & some debussy (those are the composers i best recall), some gershwin from his multi-taloned manuscripts, but best of all, boogie-woogie, lots of it, which she pronounced "BOO-ghee WHOO-ghee."
"you really have a feel for it, jenny," she'd gently say.
i loved my teacher, tho i was a lazy child who wanted to use her ear, not take the time to learn to play properly.
when i staggered my way into college, my teacher was an instructor there. in a feeble stab at trying to be good, i took piano from her. i wasn't a music student & was lucky she took me. i rewarded her by going to lessons reeking of sauce, high as the ceiling. i remember the worried look in her eyes, my guilt, coming home from a wild wkend at the coast to a recital that i bombed. my hands wouldn't stop shaking at the keyboard; i flat couldn't play. yecch. what memories.
many yrs later, i got hitched. i didn't invite her. i didn't think people'd want to come to my wedding. many felt left out; i had, as usual, been wrong. this was just one more example of my being a perpetual heel, i think.
she came to my folks' house w/crystal goblets as gifts. i visited w/her a bit, so happy to see her, knowing in my heart i was a turd for not remembering her. she was a person of love & music, she loved me, i should've invited her. all this stirred in my head; for all appearances, our visit was lovely & i tho i knew i was a turd, i was still so grateful to have seen her.
right now mama's trying to help assemble a reunion of her bc choir, the 1st american choir to ever win the eisteddfod international choir competition. today mama lamented, "oh, i wish i knew whatever happened to yvonne," who'd been in a later madrigal incarnation.
i got online & w/in 10 mins found my teacher, now the music director for a beautiful episcopal church... in the same beautiful nw town where my long-lost uncle has long lived. i immediately called the # & heard my teacher's lilting voice, left her a msg about my now lovely life, & thanked her for always sharing w/me music.
i am so happy to know she is living in a beautiful & musical place. my mother will be so happy, too. heavens bless the internet. :)

dusk devils' upcoming shows

-> fri. MARCH 28, 8 pm: tribute to merle, buck, & the bakersfield sound at trout's saloon & the blackboard stage... this is a 3-day event paying homage to our great local country AND western music. more info: www.myspace.com/troutsblackboard
-> sat. APR. 5, 11 am: alzheimer's assn. memory poker run at ethel's old corral, 11 am... this'll be lots of fun, w/riders stopping in while on the charity ride... more info: www.adakc.org/
-> APR. 19, trout's, bakobilly show, details tba
-> sat. MAY 3: CSUB, relay for life
-> sat. MAY 31, 9:30 pm: stone bar, 5221 hollywood blvd, klub bimbam w/thomas yearsley's exotiki, www.myspace.com/klubbimbam
-> woulda, but couldna... the dusk devils trio was gonna do art fein's poker party, but we'll be on various vacations, & my cousin'll be here from tx, & it's spring break, so we had to say no. boo-hoo! art recently divulged he's unofficially our manager, so i hope that means he'll find a spot for us in upcoming months... :) hey, art, how bout the barn dance? :) also, kevin/styx from fattkatt is organizing the local r'billy hayride for summer, so that'll be fun!
-> so if you wanna hire a little 3 piece w/a lot of energy, please get hold of us at one of the contacts at top. we put a lot of heart & sweat into our sets, & guarantee you'll enjoy a dusk devils show. :)

the miracle worker, dr bridgette bonnet of bakersfield; billy at trout's this wkend

thx to good genes, i rarely get a cavity. my old silver one finally blew out, so the nice dentist replaced it w/the tooth colored stuff... hadn't had a filling in 7 yrs, & despite his & his friendly assistants' kindnesses, the experience was pretty wretched & i even got sick!! the epinephrine made my heart race & stomach flip; i had to get many shots to numb the stupid tooth; then i probably sucked in a flea-mine of mercury while he drilled it out, since i couldn't breathe thru my nose.
yesterday i was convinced something was seriously wrong: had my head off pillow for about 2 hrs, slurred words, couldn't eat. i talked to mama that eve & she reminded me that it's the same for her, & was for her mama, my beloved departed little juaneno grandma. lightweights!! oversensitivity: it can be such a boon, allowing a person to appreciate Life & Its Beauty, & such a hazard, like when you gotta take medicine or feel excited or blue...
today i worked (weakly) & the nice doc called this pm to see how i was. then i went to see the miracle worker, my naturopath chiropractor, the little good witch, dr bonnet w/her mysterious but effective cures, & i not only felt better afterward, but smiling & singing, even. you can find her link at right; she is quite the cheerful curandera & i am so grateful (also "weller") to know her. :) ... despite this, i think i'd better lie low & rest & make sure "good health" is really mine for now.
thank god my dentist is so nice: in the dentist chair, experiencing fear i hadn't in a long while, i had memories of my orthodontist, whom i called w/a kid's exaggeration (better to be sarcastic than scared) "dr mengele," a real sadist. i remember him putting his knee on my chest, his face an angry mask! i got braces at age 8, for pete's sake. pure meanness!!
enough ranting about someone who's passed on... i hope to go to the "bakobilly" fest at trout's this wkend, at least drop by. fattkatt'll play along w/young blues rockers the councilmen. tho a musical half-&-half, the show promotes rockabilly culture. i'll go for music, so here-here to some good tunes! :)

swing it

this is incredibly wonderful :)... wait for the duo between louis prima & pee wee russell... & who is that on piano? the guy's really getting a workout. imagine playing like this! even watching it: what joy! imcomparabile! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxBYC3gEnZs

frankenelvis

http://flashface.ctapt.de/
this is the coolest site i've seen lately. if you go to it & type in "frankenelvis," you'll see something i made. flashface allows you to make faces police sketch-artist style (but not save them; drat): great for blowing off steam. anyways, it worked wonders this pm, when i got news of something at work as i was leaving (late, i'll add) that knocked the wind out of me, it sounded so horrible.
fortunately, things have cleared up, my good kind boss sed via email... thank good goodness... hope you make some cool faces, & when you do, send me the link, please.
tomorrow: to 1/2 marathon or not to 1/2 marathon?... my health & the rain will determine the answer to that question. be well & cheery, all who read this...

"pore little critter own the road," where's my dunce cap?, & the baby whale on the stage

yow, i am that critter, & am i SORE!!! yesterday i ran (jogged) about 7 miles around ventura beachtown in prep for next wk's 1/2 marathon here in bako (www.bakersfieldtrackclub.com/btchalfmarathon.html) ...man, after last wk's traveling & all the sick i've been getting (people say frm my "germ factory" students, but "they say" this yr's flu is esp bad, so i don't wanna blame the kids too much)... i did NOT wanna go to ventura, which shows my 1st instinct is always wrong. i had a nice time! we went RV "camping" w/fellowship friends, many of whom have these RVs the size of & w/more amenities than my old studio apt. we camped in B's "love wagon," his souped-up van w/4WD, "penthouse" (pop-top slab-bed), reading lights, TV, potty, heaters, swivel chair, cooking gear. last night the group had a potluck, so about 20 of us hung out & ate & had smores at the bonfire & as usual, being around all those witty folks made me wonder where i put my dunce cap... the dogs had nice lawn to lounge on & even an off-leash area along the ventura river near some farmer's land. :)
came home & art had sent a video of the elvis show!!! i was reminded that carlos guitarlos's songs that night rocked!, esp his version of "promised land," swellingly, thunderingly sloppy-tight wild & grooving!! art put on the vid all kindsa neat stuff, headed off w/US! i watched gene taylor 2x, then went down to the piano & played what i heard & to my amazement, saw my hands doing things they never have... i think w/gene's vid piano-side, i'll be able to learn some frm the master, who's now in belgium. what fortuity to have caught him while he was here!! the blasters are on the video, & rip, & a bunch of others, too... lastly, i got a little reality check watching the vid. looks like i got a bit too much into the holiday sweets this year (cue whale calls)! however, life's too short to worry much about such stuff, & i'd rather be a baby whale than a user of people or mean or greedy, so i think i'll go set up for band practice now. :) and then go for another run. :)

i don't know what to write i don't know what to write i don't know what to write i don't know what to

(no music news at all in this post.)
-> the title's what i've told my students to write when they are stuck. the idea is, it leads to something to write about.
-> ...on the horizon, ideas are galloping up like my texas pup, gonna knock me down in a big blustery !whomp!... here goes! it worked!
-> i have "fear of flying"... there's little i hate more than the acceleration & thrust of jet engines. (insert chicken clucking sound here.) worse than that is how airlines puff you for explosives, prod, poke, separate, strip, search you, filch your goods w/no apology. i know: terrorists. but it's hard to fly nowadays & keep much dignity. arms outstretched, mild-faced grandpas, white-haired grannies, schoolmarms, milquetoasts, depressed-looking teens, middle-aged twerps, golf guy, trophy wife, all are frisked, zapped, grilled by TSA muscle. everyone's made timid --we just wanna fly, for god's sake! --, looking like they just got pantsed & trashcanned by the school bully. there's only kick, no kiss - & once you're on the tin can, no food, no pillow, no movie, seats like cracker boxes, it's all rub. americans are so desperate to fly, time starved, stressed out, pulverized by the need to Own More Stuff, the gotta get to pt B AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, we endure it all.
-> as soon as we get bullet trains, i'm never flying again. NEVER. and once we get time machines, well, bar the doors, katie.
-> denver's criticized as "the LA of the rockies," but i love smellay, & i love denver, too, w/its sprawling brick buildings & ungentrified 50s-60s neon sign boroughs & old motels & bars & great restaurants like lucille's cajun/creole & big record stores w/real vinyl & even the uptown spots look good to me, tho i never spend time there, just drive thru & peep.
-> boulder's "the sta barbara of the rockies," & i'm less comfortable there, tho do love the university's creekside bikepath & wonderful shows (peking acrobats!), stately homes, yuppie mega grocery marts stocked w/plenty, & i love window-shopping the pearl st mall, like i love doing that in sta barbara, never buying one nickel's worth of nothing, happy i breathe the same air, see the same sites as the rich & it doesn't cost squat & no one can stop me because this is america.
-> it's hard to run in these places w/their extreme elevation, but it's worth it. lungs scream but heart glows at snow & sky & brick & sandstone & flagstone & aspen & foliage & deer, squirrels, raccoons, magpies, that awesome mountain view, rockies as far as you can see & every peak & valley has a name. i plod along for miles, freezing, happy, picturing south american ancestors, squat, strong, charging endlessly up alpine paths, powered by sturdy lung & leg.
-> every time i've been, the public johns on the pearl st mall are piping ray charles in some kinda weird coincidence or maybe even miracle... for me, the ghost of texas stacy is in boulder, & memory of blasters, moto trips, brother in law paul, so in the end, i guess i love boulder, too, even tho i feel part-mutant when surrounded by its long-limbed golden youth swathed in north face & casual ski apparel.
:) esquerita wouldn't fit in in boulder, either, tho. :)
-> dr derek sent me a funny "dusk devils" pic he created the other day & put on his metaphysics website (go tw the bottom): http://www.qm21.com/quote.html... met him decades ago when he was selling R&R memorabilia to help fund his (i think) ontology school. he looked like a sort of fey gerard depardieu (i love GD!) & sold the coolest stuff for cheap, like a wooden fab four stamp, rockabilly bootlegs, never-glued on holo-cover frm "her satanic majesty's..." worked under him at buck owens' yrs later & he & jack-mormon loren (r.i.p, dear guy, artist, anarchist, friendly oversized shlub in buddy holly glasses) scanned (a recent techn at the time) my drivers license & did obscene things to my tender visage. in the early oughts, dr derek wrote for my underground paper (r.i.p.) & now has a book coming out called "man is dead."
"man is dead." brilliant! read about it at www.qm21.com.
i read like crazy yesterday, about raymond carver's editor who pared RC's stories into their famously spare style, & about how bad soy really is for a person, as bad as corn syrup because it's in everything we eat, & today i got to take flowers to dear silvia who has endured so much, & to angie, & spend time w/my dear niece. we had a family pizza & told stories & my sore back feels less stoved up... & i guess i figured out what to write. :) buonanotte. :)

crystal palace slide show

sorry we don't have pix of everyone, like dear jani, olen, shirley and kelcey, rick's friends, people who came in after we started. i wish i had a pic of my hubby & i, my folks & i... oil well... what a fun night! :)
dusk devils are up and running. :) two shows coming up, but i'll write about them later. :) felix fin de semana!!!!

j'wheez!

too beat to put up the slideshow of last thurs, so will tomorrow. here's one pic til then.
whatta long, long, long day... 13 hrs! how'd that happen?? came home to this email: "Love that honky-tonkin' sound you've got. She's the next coming of Wanda Jackson, I do believe! All the best, Barbara Martin, Publisher, Western Swing Monthly, Austin"... AUSTIN! them's some nice words she wrote... from AUSTIN!!
also, 3 chord whore mailed me to do the 1-man band this wkend w/them... and i can't. boohoo!!! but i'm grateful they'd think of me (esp now that my high hat's fixed & i actually know which way to turn the kick drum) & happy the shows & kind words are coming in. :) "there's life in the old gal yet," quoth mehitabel, & life in the old guys, too.
no, phil & rick, i'm not calling you old. :) only in the best sense. like wine, tho the dusk devils (best bela lugosi imitation now), vee never drink... vine. our spirits don't come out of no bottle, not today, anyways... :) zzzzzzzzzzzzz

crystal palace last night, fun times in bako, the good, the puzzling, & the ugly, wardrobe error #5,326

-> the good: 1st of all, big thx to fattkatt for inviting us!! :) his band's gotten real tight, over their 100 shows at the crystal palace! when fk sang orbison's thrilling "running scared," mom & i clasped our hands, a little worried, maybe, even, then proclaimed "yay!" when he hit the high note, flat out hit it! fk invited all his ex-bandmates & most showed up, & i had to laugh at all those slap basses bumping around onstage like elephants in a tarzan flick. whatta lotta furniture! les webb rolled & flipped around like ray campi - whatta ham; whatta showman! and matt munoz honked big just-right sax on every tune, even "tiger by the tail" - fantastic! matt adds a warm dose of grinning cool & top musical chops to all he's near; the guy is majorly skilled & fun!... most of my life i've gone south to hang out at music shows, but last night matched the good times i've had in smellay. i found out phil can dance (i knew, uncannily, he could), & rick danced, & we all danced, friends, strangers, funny, silly, just wupped it up w/o a care & had so much fun.
-> i respected that fk & co invited all & i heard no backbiting or gossiping, saw no one-upmanship, no grousing or criticizing, just the sharing of the stage w/the desire to make music, let bygones be bygones where needed, put on a show. we all had to come down for work the next am, so left after hearing blonde, voluptuous nikkita sing "angel baby" - she has a much purer singing voice than i ever could muster, & just the right intonation for that song, esp on those high, high "ooh-ooh, i love you" parts. :)
-> the puzzling: phil - the guitar player who doesn't turn up! i know he's just a little noiviss for now, but when he realizes how good he really is & puts it on 11, well, wow!!! the dd's just reconfigured about 45 days ago, so i think it's prudent for him to build up before turning up; we've done two showcases on big stages in the last 23 days & he's learned about 20 songs in that time!... on the other hand, rick, who drummed under contentious conditions w/dd's back in '04, plays so happily these days... we all get along well, & he's so expert, well, he can wear that crazy what-he-calls "dusk devil" hat anytime (for a while, i thought his superman T would be his stage shirt). heck, he could wear a burlap sack, for all i care. the man can really play!
-> tho of course it was fattkatt's show, good gravy, i can't count how many people showed up to see US, but i know we made the palace some serious G's, & i know auntie rita will let them know it! i felt so grateful for all the love & attention, & committed to give it back to the audience. the friendly soundman power (no, i didn't razz him) dialed us in well, & tho big rooms are always weird because the sound goes OUT, i felt pretty good about the whole thing & could hear people laughing & cheering, not just politely, but enthusiastically (couldn't see them, tho!)... afterward, compliments, compliments, compliments. :) i was heartened by the young staff slapping me on the back, shaking my hand, grinning; you could tell a bunch of them just loved it. another especially nice moment was seeing my young niece all dressed up lovely to see me play, & meeting kevin "styx"'s daughter, tiny little kimberly, who shyly told me that she can play chopsticks on piano & then, at her daddy's coaxing, that her stage name is... "kimberly angel." oh goodness; that was a "died and gone to heaven" moment for me. :) also, i was so touched to see my dear friend jani.
-> the ugly: i don't know what i was thinking when i got dressed. i'll use my "i was sick" excuse. i need a professional! i knew my skirt was blue when i left the house, but really... my brain said i matched. my draggy makeup, well, that's fun, like painting a picture; but matching clothes? i love clothes, but matching can just make a head hurt.
-> for yrs & yrs, i wore black everyday, head to toe. when i saw pix from last night, i remembered why!!! my sister has said many times she's coming over to "geranimal" my wardrobe. i think i need to give her a call.
-> in the grand scheme, all is so incredibly trivial. :) thank you, if you were there, & thank you, if you read this. may your weekend be filled w/health & love. soyez gai, chéries!! PICTURES TO COME SOON...

dusk devils at fattkatt's 100th crystal palace show thurs 1/31 7 pm

today was a lovely albeit hazy ca winter day, so i jogged about 7 miles on our local bike path & am too tired to crawl to the big computer & make a nicer flyer. made this w/paint: challenging in its limits! i kinda like how the "spray-painted" logo & rick's "rockabilly shirt" came out.
this will be a fun show. i always say that these days, but i always mean it, too. :) it was nice of larry to invite us, i think. my family will be quite happy, & i hope the audience will be, too. :) if you're in bako & are so inclined, please come.

louis prima zooma-zooma lord it's good to be alive

we dusk devils are building a repertoire for the new yr, & tho some folks name it rockabilly, it's NOT just that, it's all the wonderful stuff we can gather under the umbrella of "american music" or primitive or uptempo vernacular or whatever it's all called. so much of what i truly love would be wrong for me to play, or i'd be unable, or it'd dishonor the original to even TRY... but some beauties, well, i CAN do 'em, & so i DO!
"angelina zooma zooma..." good lord!!! louis prima sings w/the wonderful infectious warmth of that favorite funny loving uncle, the one you want to sit w/all night, & eat & drink & laugh, & his expert orchestra-famiglia bumps, swings, sings, & swells w/loose & lively thrills, humor, happiness... truly, what ecstacy it is, just to flip your ears to & dig the cozy rollicking funride of a louis prima recording!! (ok, i'm tired & blubbery, so excuse my hyperbole, or don't...) i listen & long to have known him. i think at this second that must make him the best performer ever, if, like drummer rick says, performers & entertainers' duty is to make the listener escape, transcend the mundane, have hope, be happy!! (and phil alvin would more soberly add, to carry forth the collective experience & history of those who've gone before us...)
i've also been listening to big joe turner, buster brown, irma thomas, brenda lee, etta james, little junior parker, no bands, just swell swell swell blues & country vocalists par excellence, & olen taylor's exciting local project, now on myspace at www.myspace.com/mroscat ...
my friend didn't call, so here i am at home tonight instead of seeing 800 lb gorilla/shack shakers at fishlips, as well as trout's, so i sit here & it's a more relaxed but as i've gushed about so happy time, awash in "american" song - you know, "american" as in louis prima rasping in italian, or the conjunto/ ranchera/ norteno & french/african/scots-irish influence of 'billy & bop & dixieland & new orleans sound, a creative fountain of integrated joy & energy, made by warm & crazy & wily & heartfelt & blessedly talented humans... to be a tiny part of it, a listener, an interpreter, an enthusiast, a doer, well again, whatta kick, whatta surprise, whatta whatta. :) :) :) ... here's a link where you can buy louis prima songs online: http://www.amazon.com/Capitol-Collectors-Louis-Prima/dp/B000002UWF

22nd annual elvis birthday bash hosted by art fein, fonda theatre/music box, hollywood, jan. 2008

here's a little slide show...if you were there but don't see your pic, pls don't feel left out! 60% of our pix came out too blurry to even print bc of the artificial smoke & lighting... mom made my shirt & people came up offering her dough to make THEM shirts. she could be "ramona of bakersfield," like manuel or nudie, but so far, mom says "no." but i hope she felt flattered!! :)
it was tremendous to be part of this show. pamela de barres said i was "such a joy." i left stage to kudos from skip edwards AND gene taylor... that alone, well, my lord: what could be better? i gave away & sold all my cds (the one i sold, the kind man INSISTED on buying) & got cds from rip masters & danny dean. phil alvin gave me an R-rated compliment & quizzed me on musical instruments; johnny legend & count smokula were funny & kind; carlos guitarlos, so talented, was really cool to talk to! lisa haley was so full of life & joy!! lynda kay, the curtises, mike stinson, groovy rednecks were rockabilly-alt-country cool. dave raven & the house band smoked!!! ray campi, billy sheets & i talked about teaching. handsome jerry angel recommended drum tips; bill bateman & i grinned goofily. paul body was the best dressed man in the house!; fur & steve killed w/gorgeous lonely cowboy song; harry orlove's 13-yr old daughter sang like a nightingale; james intveldt had his 77-yr old dad come out & sing, & i think that was the best moment of all, mebbe! --well, except for the BLASTERS, that is, w/whom gene played!!
art walked around w/that dazed, glazed smile on his face, having more fun than everyone combined cause it was HIS party! the only bummer was that ruben & manuel didn't show... but gene did, then play w/many acts, including a duo w/bateman ("blue moon of kentucky")!!
there's just too much to recall in total except i felt no sour notes all night, nada, left stage w/o that weird let-down feeling, elvis was remembered warmly, & the audience got a heckuva show!! we contributed our little bit of joy to the festivities, & again, i thank art so much, & the dusk devils w/whom i now play & have so much fun. i truly do wish those i've played w/before, but no longer do, have this kinda fun, too. this is the reason to play music, i think: shared happiness & thrills!... what a cool, cool deal. :)

r.i.p, bitchin' jim

i just found out our friend jim died yesterday. he'd been gravely ill for some time, tho he still turned up at mtgs, wearing a surgical mask to protect him from all our germs, just as outspoken as ever.
i will sure miss that sweet, crabby old man & the twinkle in his baby blues. he helped desperate & despondent men & women find a different & better life. he was doing the vital work we learn we must do... we learn we must, then we find we love it! for what could make a soul feel more useful than bringing hope to someone who's given up?
jim did it all the time, in the mtgs, at the prisons, everyday & every night. he didn't think about being inconvenienced. he just did it.
one time brian confronted jim about all the political stickers he had plastered on his truck, right alongside his fellowship sticker. "that's violating the traditions," b said. "'we have no opinion on outside issues.'" tempers flared big time, but right away, jim took the felloship sticker off his truck. nothing's more important, he knew, than being an example of our "program of attraction." to mix it w/politics possibly could upset & therefore prevent a dying person from finding rescue.
jim was someone i never would've met if it weren't for the fellowship. i was grateful to be able to love that old man, & he loved me, too. those who understand "how it works" know everything besides finding daily relief from our potentially fatal malady is an "outside issue." old, young, rich, poor, atheist, hindu, conservative, communist, black, brown, white, gay, straight: if you be similarly afflicted, you're welcome to attend.
we are a "strangely assorted crowd," "wrecked in a common vessel" & saved from hell on earth. jim knew that, & shared his experience, strength, & hope til the end. i sure will miss him, but i'm sure glad to have known him at all.

elvis show whoopee!!! wow!!

we didn't really get good pix (except, of course, of the ever-photogenic blasters), but what a night, oh what fun! the most exciting moment for me was when gene taylor unexpectedly walked in... he was supposed to be in austin before heading home to belgium next wk!!! he did a duo w/bill bateman & played w/the blasters, just one wonderful moment in a/n (for me) unprecedented night of music! i got to rub elbows, give & receive many compliments, play to the largest crowd yet, enjoy excitement & thrill that kept me up all night long, have my folks there as well as my hubby. overall, what a wonderful opportunity it was to celebrate & share in an amazing night!! this yr, i was overwhelmed by the sense of being part of a greater good, w/everyone communing to provide the audience w/the greatest show on earth (well, in LA, for that night, anyway). :)
severely sleep-deprived, i will have to write more later. thank you, art, for having us for the 5th yr, & les, for filling in on bass!! & of course, thank you to phil & rick, whose enthusiasm, talents, & dedication make this thing so darn fun.
today, i am exhausted & very grateful. :)

"wail, baby, wail!!!" FPKK sat., honey piazza fri., the shack's shakin'!

absolutely no socially redeeming value dept: come see the only flick my spouse has watched more than 5 times (hmmmm... could the 3 main actrixes' large, large lungs be the draw??)! enrique acosta (action folk singer) is reviving my old film society, BAMS, converting it to monthly midnight movies, still free!, tho now in the confines of a REAL theatre (instead of the backyard, where we used to have shows). here's a link to the event:
http://events.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuse
action=events.detail&eventID=394121.2968
... greg goodsell & i are on the BAMS board, but really it's enrique's baby, now. :)
& tonight! not just FLICS at the FOX (7 pm, www.flics.org), not just terry hansen & the westerners at trout's oildale, but honey piazza, beautiful, accomplished boogie-woogie pianist, & her hubby rod's jump-blues band, the mighty flyers, at the doubletree, 7 pm, $20, hosted, as always, by pat from world records' no stinkin' service charge blues series... if this dang horrid dust storm will blow off, i'm going!!
tues is elvis's birthday! & the elvis birthday bash! (see posts above, below)...
& on 1/18, bloodshot records' legendary shack shakers will appear at fishlips w/local metal-punks 800 lb gorilla...

Felican Novan Jaron! Elvis's BD! & Write This Down: 661-325-5041!

The ELVIS BIRTHDAY BASH 2008 is Coming!!
(from www.sofein.com) Good Rockin' - Elvis Bday show, 7:30 pm, Jan 8th, 2008 at The Music Box (nee Henry Fonda), 6126 Hollywod Blvd (at Gower), LA, CA.
The lineup so far: Alan Clark, Barry Holdship, Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters, The Blasters, Brian Ray, Count Smokula, Danny Dean, Doug Fieger, The Dusk Devils, Fur & Steve, Gaucho Gil, Glen Glenn, Groovy Rednecks, Harry Orlove, I See Hawks In L.A., Johnny Legend, Jimmy Angel, Justin Curtis, Lisa Finnie, Lisa Haley and the Zydecats, Mojo Monkeys, Neil Morrow, Paul Marshall, Ray Campi, Rip Masters, The Rocketz, The Stardust Ramblers, The Surfaris... with More to Come!
Bonne annee, Gelukkig nieuwjaar, Hauoli makahiki hou, Feliz ano nuevo, Gott nytt år, Felice anno nuovo... and tonight, if you are a bakersfieldian & might drink & drive, instead call 661-325-5041 to get a free taxi home! just take a sec & write it down... who knows? might come in handy. :)

(materialism slave & greed dept.): I GOT A SNARE DRUM!!!!!!!!!

santa is good!!!!!! i now get to add another instrument to the roster. here are my grades (w/in the genre of music i know - outside of it, all would be "F"):
sing: B; pianny: R hand, C, L hand, B; bass, C+; drums, D+ (A+ for enthusiasm, tho); accordion, D; flute, D; rhythm guitar: D; clarinet, D-.
now all i need's a guitarron to fulfill my dream to play in a mariachi. i've got the outfit, & my spanish accent's very good, tho grammar is that of a complete moron... que lastima...
playing drums is the funnest yet!!!!!!! you can effortlessly make sound: no embouchure, no toughening & contorting of fingers, no scales, no strong lungs needed: just go!!!! i can beat out crude approximations of what i hear, & it's bound to improve because it's so fun to practice!!
what the heck do i know - i'm pure slop when it comes to all this. but what joy! (insert vonnegut quote about god & music here.)
happy holidays to you!!! may we all be santas for one another today & everyday... spread joy, share, be good, turn blue, rock rock rock.

merry christmas, happy hannukah, happy kwanzaa, happy festivus, solstice, nothingness, & everythingness to you!!!!!

they're coming to take me away, hoho, heehee :)

wed. 12/19: wangdangdoodle bebopaloo papaoomaomao