the joint is jumpin, it's really jumpin, come in cats & check your hats, i mean this joint is jumpin!

See below for this Saturday's show... Friday's a semi-private deal, no booze, no dope, email me if you are interested... Look what else's up in June! Thanks for spreading the word. :) :)

joon shoze and un feliz dia -- un feliz fin de semana!!

june 4 - private event
june 5 - opening for LEE ROCKER at rockin' roots 2010, stramler park. see flyer below for details.
june 12 - element lounge, bksfld, all night long
june 26 - opening for WHITEBOY JAMES & THE BLUES EXPRESS, vinny's, bakersfield, details to come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(no, dusk devils are not breaking up. in fact, when i move, i hope to get together w/musicos in smell - i mean, swellay! we shall see...)
que tengan un buen dia, mis amigos y queridos. :) :)

a long meditation on the horrors of leading a band that includes professional session players, a dd gig, & la vida sonsa

-the other day we got to play w/mark yeary, who truly is an awesome piano player! he has backed many, most famously merle haggard. his physicality & smoothness reminded me of gene taylor - hopping from island to island, square hands always perfectly balanced to attack the keys with strength, speed, & agility. when he sang, too, in a voice somehow both laid-back & energetic, his style still reminded me of gene the boogie-woogie king: muscular yet no effort wasted, soulful but w/lightness of touch. mark yeary is one swinging cat!
-i asked him to play some nola style songs & he did both roberta & some fats domino! his band was really solid, w/steve woods on guitar. two fellows well-known by all but me played trumpet (wow!!!!! a tall man named john...) & saxophone (we did honky-tonk w/him, an elderly fellow probably famous except to this know-nothing). later in the night, ray mcdonald strolled in & smoothly crooned some merle songs...
-i found out i'm not a band leader except w/dds. when you're talking about a band that's practiced only in certain tunes, then you're expected as a unit to follow, there're just too many carcasses to haul thru the mud on a tune that's unknown by even one poor soul.
-yes, mark yeary, the fantastic & famous pianist, wanted me to lead. my playing already was suffering bc i was nervous to play in front of him! but he kept looking @ me to kick it off & i kept looking at him hoping he'd kick it off. some songs would've been great if we didn't do 95 go-arounds, but i wanted to be sure everyone got a chance on every flippin' song. see how polite i am??? there were 85 musicians on the stage & i wanted to give each one a go-around... the set groaned... finally, phil, dear man, stepped in & pulled everyone out of the drink. yes, he's more portable, but his musical direction was also more adept (not to mention he can pull any style out of his can, like a human jukebox). i just wanna go fast! in the presence of fine musicians (except dds), such as folks playing music w/thrilling-to-watch but terrifying-to-accompany finesse, my star does not glimmer or shimmer. it just gets dimmer. and i feel dumber. like a bummer.
- enough already on this; i know. but rats. and dang! still, we all were honored to be around such great musicians... that trumpet just killed me!! i truly had no idea that this kind of & quality of music was going on in bako! i will go back again - to watch! and i think phil will have little problem sitting in... go to julie's branding iron 3rd friday of each month to catch this swell show. it'll just kill you!!
- now here's a flyer for our next show (corrected for a 3rd time!). we also have a private deal on june 4 & a few more pending. i might be moving, but we're not dead, no sir!! one possibility's such a kick. a kick! i'll reveal its secret @ later date... bwahaha
-this eve, my doggies are here (they finally laid down to rest after the border collie spent the 1st hr here bouncing like a jumping bean); i've started packing a tad; the mountaintop residence is turning into an actual abode rather than dump bringing horror to my loved ones; my dear cousin's coming in this wkend from tx; i "get to" make an amend in lotusland (character building & soul-clearing, i hope). next wk, the last of school, i'll hope to have a library party. am gonna miss those kids so much. hope i don't start blubbering too much. wouldn't want my dear students to cry even one tear, not a one. i hope i'll always remember them, least as long as i'm on this wild blue.
washington irving: "there is a sacredness in tears. they are not the mark of weakness, but of power. they speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. they are messengers of overwhelming grief... & unspeakable love.”

tell yor friends

see above

if nothing changes, nothing changes

music i used to listen to: manic depression is touching my soul i know what i want but i just don't know how to go about gettin' it feelings sweet feelings drops from my fingers, fingers manic depression is catchin' my soul [man] so weary, the sweet cause of pain you make love, you break love it's all the same when it's over music, sweet music i wish i could caress, caress, caress manic depression is a frustrating mess
well, I think I'll go turn myself off and go on down, all the way down really ain't no use in me hanging around in your kinda scene
und: well, i've been down so g*d* long, well, it looks like up to me (actually, this 1st was a novel by richard farina... still have a copy)
the good thing in all this is, the only way from here is up. otra ves. ein andere. again. etc.
today was dad's bd & tomorrow's mother's day & surrounded by love, giving all i can of it, life goes on. ob-la-di, ob-la-da.

good timing/carpe diem!

we don't have any immediate gigs... but what serendipitous timing! phil is w/his family, mark's w/silence club, randy's knee-deep in the good times, & my home in the mountains just closed!! went there yesterday to mt w/handyman, hope to go back today to see bout getting some paint on the walls, oh wow - can't believe i'm gonna live someplace so beautiful!... however, it's gonna take a bit to get in there since it's a super fixer-upper, to put it mildly, if i haven't said so already. the drive home last night from there was spectacular; the mountains & colors just make my heart swell.
pix to stir your imagination (do mine, anyway):
where i'd like to be:
how i'm feeling right now:
my bud & everyone else's: sacre bleu; carpe diem; hail hail rocknroll; wail, baby, wail!

wow.

at 1st, i thought this was the picnic where we'll play at noon, but then maybe it was hart pk, but i don't think it's either. still, what a shot. :) this morn i'm listening to NPR &the birds are singing joyously. my house is in escrow, the sun is shining, & later i get to see 100s of friends, then my little beautiful cousin, who is having her 1st communion. today is a good day, & may it be for you, as well.

evol.

- wasn't that the name of a sonic youth LP? on the front was this snarling, crawling monstrous chick... my brand of love's just backwards, & tho i've been snarling & monstrous in my time, i hope my brand of love's not. love in my estimation is noble, brave, kind, generous, heart-swelling, hormonal, obsessive, lascivious, perverse, etc. etc., but also awkward, oblique, bashful, stumbling, bumbling, stupefying, stupid-making: evol.
- my band practiced here tonight. stripped down, all sounded so grand & smart & fun & exciting... i want to record us next time we practice at my little place... yes, after i got over my pity party (the guys are much better musicians than am i), we sure had fun, i think. :) yes, this wkend we're playing a sober picnic... then markoni gets to go play the beerfest. priceless! from the sober drunks to the drunk drunks - what a capper! just goes to show reality trumps fantasy in the departments of interesting, weird, & funny. :)
- this past wkend, my sis & i did a 5k. i'll let her tell you about it, tho i'll say it was her 1st... here's a pic of us (from andy noise) w/my hair flying attractively. not. it sure was fun to share that experience w/my little sissy, tho. :)
- then sunday this man & i went to venice beach & saw the creature pictured. i said, "you are awesome!!!" & he replied placidly, "you have to take root before you can branch out..." on the sand, a crush of stoned youngsters & hippies & more were beating out a gigantic drum circle-dervish to celebrate "4/20," which you either dig ref to or do not. i didn't really, til the big man told me, cause in my old life, every day was 4/20.
- lastly, here's a pic that needs no explanation.

wop-bob-a-loo-wop a wop bam boom

music is love & friendship, passion & excitement, peace, catharsis, joy. and kicks!!!
without music, life wouldn't be worth a fig.

i can shake a chicken in the middle of the room

- boy, last night's show at the branding iron was fun fun fun. :) 1st, phil & i met w/a couple opening a diner downtown at 19th & eye - they've got 45s glued along the tops of the walls all around the whole gigantic place! i looked @ most all (hundreds) & didn't see any that'd make a vinylphile cry if he/she saw it glued... we loaded in & then @ the last sec i had to speed home cause i'd forgotten to bring the plug for the PA head. ahhhh!!! then we played a (sort of) mellow little set bc it was early, & the crowd was very appreciative & happy & warm. by 2nd set we screwed it down quite a bit more & by 3rd set, robert tidwell was there screaming his mike ness versions of rockabilly tunes & phil even improvised a jazzy blues-billy thing when i left the floor to go answer a Q from an audience member & i so love riffing like that, tho i know sometimes it can be hair-raising, like when you don't know where the song's going next & just have to use your ear... all tight on the stage together, we cozied in & it felt swell to play together, like we were one unit rather than 4 separate souls.
- we met art byrom, who was really nice & complimentary, & i just loved how all the women in particular kept getting out to dance together, like the band & i were empowering them (i never really noticed a common theme running thru our songs - not just of sex, but of a certain independence) & several times i saw people singing along not just our covers, but w/MY ORIGINAL SONGS!!! - yes, looking @ me while i played & singing MY SONGS w/smiles on their faces... oh my gosh, that was too too cool!
- here's a pic from lovely angel of when i got on bass for a minute bc mark claimed he didn't know how to play johnny b. goode (i think he wanted to go burn one) - that bass was huge & heavy! but the pic's kind of cool. :) mark & phil were just hilarious throughout the show, what comedians. and the ladies really like phil, who always dresses up smart for the shows... he had some crazy running joke about chickens going all night & i realized we do two songs that mention them! i couldn't even sing "let's have a party" for the longest time bc i'd crack up when it comes to the line "i can shake a chicken in the middle of the room"... sometimes i still do laugh when i get there, but it's ok, it's all ok, we're sharing in the happiness of the room. :) next we need to add in the cramps' version of "chicken," tho i guess we'd have to do the dusk devils' version, since no one can well-imitate the cramps!!
- then we all went to zingo's & shared egg sandwich, biscuits, & country potatoes. i came home & everything went to crap. that morning had been so calm & peaceful, walking the labyrinth at st philip's & enjoying the lovely weather, & this morning's going to be good & beautiful & it's off to the drunk society where i'll be w/good good people, so life goes on til it doesn't, & then who knows what'll happen? ashes to ashes, dust to dust, make hay while sun shines, we must we must...

elaborations, fascinations, celebrations, admirations,

ok, so to explain the below pix:
1. dancing - those were from the al hendrix show we did w/al & token okies at ethel's. beforehand, phil & i practiced over at robt tidwell's beautiful italianate home in the country w/rt, franky kiplinger & kirby shropshire, who are mensches. then al came to town w/sweet wife laraine & we practiced again. the show was swell & fun & loaded w/bikers & al kept throwing me unannounced solos, prefacing each w/"here's jenny angel! jerry lee better watch out!" so then i'd choke real good, tho a few times i caught the right ideas & notes & it was kinda like flying, what exhilaration... mom, dad, angie & friends showed up, & one of my favorite persons on earth came in as we did "i push right over." that was really cool. al played well, super-rocking, even, &, of course, the phil was dressed to the nines. afterwards, he & i had really great ethel's hotdogs & fries & i am going to start him a fan club, mebbe... we dusk devils pretty much blew out the pa, tho not on purpose. am starting to think the piano, the mightiest instrument of all, is a formidable beast to pile on a pinche PA used only to 4 or 5 strings instruments... 88 keys pounding down like thunder, well, the PA is gonna be pretty much doomed sometimes...
2. ok, so then i  went snowshoeing again (only nearly fell to my death from the side of a steep snow-covered mountain this time; no injurious falls except when i tried to jump from bunk bed to king bed, forgetting i am decades beyond 10 years old, but @ least i didn't crack my head, like last time)... was eating in the dining hall & after the 1st taste looked @ each other in wonderment: this food was just spectacular!!! long story short, since i've gotta go to bed soon, is the chef somehow was talli counsel, the 1st african-american white house chef, chef for presidents carter, clinton, &, yes, obama. there he was, beaming broadly, chatting up the lodge-stayers, dressed in fine pressed black uniform that bore proudly the seal of the president of the united states! chef talli said he plans menus & travels w/the obama family when they go places on air force one. & he had cooked dinner!! all were eating a meal fit for a president! naturally, it was one of the most mouth-watering, scrumptious meals i've ever had: jumbo prawns, pesto ravioli, feta-stuffed lamb w/raspberry coulis, pumpkin-sweet potato pie, & even more than that - must pause to wipe drool from chin... how chef talli ended up cooking that night @ kings canyon's montecito lodge, well, i have no notion, only gratitude! (did i mention the food was free? included w/lodging? merciful heaven...)
3. ok, whiteboy james: he rocked the doubletree for pat evans' no stinkin' service charge blues series. his band was spectacular & james was so crazy fun & terrific! it kinda made me crazy, too, actually... after ending one exciting lead, scott abeyta weaved, panting, sweating, dazed, like he was gonna faint! the whole band was that much into the intense performance! the bakersfield audience was blown away, screaming for more. but james & the blues express left the stage, & pat declared, grinning, "i'd hate to follow that!" wbj & i chatted & bussed before & after the show; he is super-friendly & cute & funny & ingratiating & well-liked by many, many. i hope he comes back soon!! as i left, a large man grabbed my arm & enthused, "you guys need to open for them!!" i agree. that would be one fun, crazy-a** show, all right. :)
4. mi casa - i think i've gotten a place in frazier park, for the bottom line is that my choice @ this pt is breathe or die. the house is @ 5000 ft elevation. it's on a largish lot & backs up to national forest! you can stand in back & hear the wind rustling thru the trees! the house looks from the side like a hotel, which i really like, & has wrought iron railings, which reminds me of NOLA, so of course i'm in love w/the place, which to call a "fixer upper" would be a compliment. :) my family is horrified. restoring it will be my summer project. i can't wait! i love my house. from the second i saw it, i imagined how it will look when it gets some tender loving care. i had a vision! i'll fence the large yard & my doggies will come visit. i will listen to the trees. i will get calm. i will be able to breathe. :)
5. no pix on this, but am back to work. i missed so many of the kids so much while i was out, more than i even knew til i saw their sweet faces!!! i brought them lucky pennies w/a little note from me, thinking, they might not value these, but it feels right to give them out... the word's gotten round, & now lots of kids are coming in the library for their lucky pennies. one boy told me his penny fell on the floor; he went to pick it up & found 12 bucks. two came in today & told me, "the lucky pennies work! they brought us good luck! we won our soccer game!"
what could be better than stories like this? children big & small are the breath of life, the reason to keep trying, our future, our innocence & hope, & our joy.
time for bed! what a life! whatta whatta! mwah!

long long long long time since blogging

am back to work! the kids are so swell. :) will fill this in later meanwhiles, here are pix...

the lost rocker

messiness & gratitudes

-while i was at sansum clinic, the weather in sb was perfect. i got to eat at some of my favorite restaurants like petrini's & cajun kitchen. mama enjoyed the hostel-like, reasonably-priced hotel, half residents on ssi, half europeans w/large backpacks, paper cranes covering the lobby ceiling, university bookstore volumes in the shelves. it rained like heck a few days. the stately library had an awesome book sale: sherman alexie, russian short stories, all for $1.50. the drs at sansum were, to a one, kindly & friendly, taking their time to assess me. i've never gotten such care from traditional medicine except one day prior, in bakersfield, from an endocrinologist whom i immediately liked, w/his humble sweater, patient air, & scuffed shoes. the problems between my ears already have been being treated for about one month; after one psychotic episode & meds adjustment, i can gratefully say that i feel like my old self, but w/o as much nervousness & disquiet... my sansum test results: perfect hearing; severe allergies (i knew that, but each person who walked in to observe my skin test saw my inflamed back & exclaimed, "boy, YOU'VE got some ALLERGIES!!"); sinus tests still out; & best of all, NO THYROID CANCER, tho one set of tests is still out.
there is much for which to be grateful. amor vincit omnia. amicitiae nostrae spero sempiternum fore! happy wkend, friends. :)

yurt, dome, or yome? & "you gotta dig a little deeper": the best movie in town's at the dollar theatre

have caught on fire w/house-hunting mania (quietly, tremblingly so, from my computer here)... what variety of properties the mtns have! have put 2 bids in in last 2 days... we'll see! meanwhile, for the property i hope to get, shall i add to it a yurt, dome, or yome? google these terms together, & fascinating sites on alternative dwellings come up... next, here are pix from my favorite movie of late. a magical valentine to nola rather than a glossing-over of jim crow & the plantation era, as have heard it described, it has wonderful vernacular joyful songs, inspired voice acting, beautiful color & animation, lovable characters, & of course, all set in new orleans, so the enamored & noble little firefly speaks gentle mumbly-mouthed cajun; the villain is basso purple-clad voodoo bad (his human disneyland imitators resemble esquerita or screamin jay, & how cool is that?); the gigantically happy bashful sidekick gator blows horn & is named after jordan, armstrong, or prima, take your pick; & the rescuer is a toe-cracking, cackling, gospel-singing little blind hoodoo lady named mama odie. the princess & the frog plays now in bakersfield at the dollar theatre - go see it, if you haven't! "dreams do come true in new orleans"... the city is pure enchantment, despite hardships; this movie celebrates that & i believe aids in the ongoing rebuild of the crescent city's spirit, as did the recent victory of the saints... hope you'll see it, or already have. :)

tweedeedeedeedeedle-eedee / "the greatest wealth is health" (virgil)

- was surprised to find this video on youtube! it's the only one i've seen where i'm clearly reading words as i sing (taped to the piano) - now i know i need to smile more when i'm doing that! was happy, tho, to hear my voice problems at that time weren't too apparent.
-please watch & rate the video (if you like it, that is) :)
-another on youtube from that same night also is under sofein's videos... if you will, please watch & rate it, too (again, if you like it, that is...) :)

-speaking of sofein, was sposed to lunch w/him yesterday in frazier pk, where i went bc 1) had no doctor's appts yesterday; & 2) have concluded i must move from bakersfield before summer hits if i'm to continue to live... looking back on this blog, i realize i've been sick now for SIX YEARS (tho probably longer, since this blog only goes 5 or so)!! i've had to conclude my poor health is due to the filthy air here, unfortunately, since i do love so much about backwardsfield, tho it's like a bad relationship, as i've said, one you can't get rid of but sometimes surprises you by being a real good time... art is going thru bereavement following the recent passing a very dear friend, grief that expressed itself in his back, so staying home in his hollywood bed, he was able to rest & i was able to be super-busy w/realtors. i was delighted by the variety of properties in frazier park! - left w/a feeling of real excitement. ideally, w/a place there, i'll be close enough to bako to see family, loved ones, doggies, dusk devils (& maybe find a band in socal, too!) & still live in a place where i can jog, hike, maybe rest & find peace, but most importantly, GOOD HEALTH!!!!
- found out the other day too that i have a bona fide "other" health condition besides thyroid & sinus/allergy problems... it was sort of a shameful moment of realization, but now, like realizing & facing alcoholism, i can accept a solution. some say "there are no accidents"... i dunno bout that, but perhaps all this bad health news will lead to a better & happier life for me & those who care about me.
- i agree 100% w/the following: "in order to change, we must be sick & tired of being sick & tired" (unknown) or, put another way, "to goodness and wisdom we only make promises; pain we obey" (proust).
-a few more truths & jewels: "joy and temperance and repose / slam the door on the doctor's nose" (longfellow).
- "diseases of the soul are more dangerous and more numerous than those of the body" (cicero).
- "a good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book" (irish proverb).
- and lastly, for myself & for you, if this be your problem, too, i second that "mens sana in corpore sano" (your prayer must be for a sound mind in a sound body) (juvenal). rock, rock, rocknroll, the feeling is there, body & soul...

all plans for now are cancelled.

sorry if this inconveniences anyone. have a nice weekend.

happy vday blablabla & the axe falleth

- just finished a bunch of valentines for the kids at my school, tho i'm not there. could only recall them as a whole (about 100) by going into the online library program & selecting my top patrons, then going thru kids' names & trying to match w/faces. can't believe it's so difficult to remember after just a few wks away from school, but i guess that's typical of the state i'm in (not golden...)... my personal, prized valentines are universal monster ones my sister gave me one yr, but i never fill them out & give them away; i just keep them, which mebbe is valentine abuse, as having a drink & setting it down bc you're "starting to feel it" is alcohol abuse (well, just kidding, sort of...). here are a few valentines that are similar to mine; one i think's real pretty (the bride truly made the wrong choice).
- yesterday i got some bad health AND work news, sort of a double-whammy, but i spose all happens for a reason, be careful what you wish for, take your lumps & keep moving forward, as long you're not pushing up daisies, there's hope... but the poor kids; that's what kills me. at my school, these cuts (not that they had much before) leave them w/nearly zero enrichment, nearly zero for those who need it most. i'm too beat to get on the soapbox, but really, it's not just disheartening, but seemingly evil, or maybe more apt, callous & greedy, that the dedicated counselor; the talented clerk who organizes all the special school events & provides the extra niceties that make the school warm & inviting; & yo are cut by the district while (mama calls them) the "hallwalkers" & politicians downtown remain. my boss is a swell guy; i can only imagine how stressful this whole mess must be for him... :(
- i need to get to band practice. hope i can sing. either way, it'll be so swell to see the guys. :) in summation, the world keeps turning, & happy vday to all. may we all recall the many forms of love & not feel one bit lonely this time of yr... an article i read in a back issue of utne reader wrote of these wisdoms from a kenyan culture: love your community; trust your elders; don't fear death. these words to me speak of true love, a recipe for happy life. nuff for now.
- ps - the lost rocker, al hendrix, will be at the crystal palace fri & sat night around 930 pm, doing a mini-set w/the token okies, & i get to sit in, if buckaroo jim shaw will let me use his piano. so come on down, everyone!!!

LOOK AT THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1. go to this link: http://www.rockabilly.nl/
2. click on "Latest Additions"
3. click on the 2nd link, "Jenny Angel and the Dusk Devils"
thank you, memphis mike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yes, receding hairlines are associated w/elevated testosterone levels... whiteboy & the lost rocker

well, i'm glad i'm a videonut today, cause look what i found!!!
whiteboy james & the blues express is coming to town fri march 26 as pt of pat evans' no stinkin' service charge blues series!! keep your eyes out for venue & ticket price... you will love this guy! the 2nd song below really flipped my ears, sounding like phil alvin fronting the paladins in their early days!!!! talk about teeth-gnashing pogoing laughing grinding intensely thrilling fun... yes, i will periodically on here remind you, dear reader, that the one & only whiteboy james will soon come to town, & w/any luck, the lost rocker al hendrix will be there that same wkend on his way to viva las vegas! more info as i get it. :)

WHITEBOY JAMES and the BLUES EXPRESS

LINE 9 BLUES REVIEW | MySpace Video

WHITEBOY JAMES AND THE BLUES EXPRESS

LINE 9 BLUES REVIEW | MySpace Video

the great dane & the great proboscis

it's been wks & i still really have no singing voice. have been babying it, hoping it comes back. dratted vocal chords!!! dratted insane snarling growling singing style!!! if i were a crooner, i'd be back at it by now!!
oh well.
yes, have been home a lot, so've been playing lots of piano. lots of classical, actually, trying to rebuild dexterity, also just for enjoyment, variety. forgot til these past wks about the many composers i really love! most recently: mussorgsky, faure, kabelevsky, brahms, tchaikovsky, the bach inventions, of course... then there are the czerny books; oh, how i loved czerny exercises when i was a kid! i think the repetition calmed my ocd tendencies, mebbe.
here are some videos i love, both sort of piano-related, from the great dane & the great proboscis (the latter is the only thespian i can think of who acts w/his nose).

favorite dog videos

-whistling puppy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHAshi4vdbg&feature=related
-"i love you": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXo3NFqkaRM&NR=1&feature=fvwp
-puppy falling asleep: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCYaw5tGYAs
-intelligent border collie puppy (roscoe is just as smart, tho not as trained): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf0Vr0MSdHg#watch-main-area
-this is what gusgus looked like when we came home on the plane from texas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yCulYWicQc

gratitudes

(in no order)
1. aunty rita is getting out of the hospital
2. drummer randy got out of the hospital
3. phil & mark, funny generous buds
4. beautiful clear blue skies above & snow-capped mountains surrounding this usually smog-choked valley
5. sister angie visiting & cheering me up
6. noble, kindly former spouse
8. amy the angel, squarely in my corner
9. friends of bill
10. the pic above: drummer randy smiling confidently :)

14 days of plague

this is getting really ridiculous. and probably dangerous. i hope the rx today will bring help. mama says i need to insist that they help me.
going to lie down.
may you be better than i am.

day 10 of plague, fun w/dusk devils, the stupid poison of self-doubt, the juanenos & dear grandma mary live on

this is day 10 of my plague. but i know i will get better. so andale.
1st angel said we were "too good for bakersfield" (she is so sweet), then randy flattered the crap out of me the other night after treating the band to dinner @ the crystal palace (where token okies played). we had laughs, a ton of food, mark & i fought over the gigantic desserts (the mud pie was spectacular), then said our goodbyes & it was then that randy proceeded to say i was about the coolest thing since sliced bread. he is excited about the band! his enthusiasm is so neat to see! i felt very grateful! :however, also a bit like a weasel, for i fear i'd prompted his compliments by being too typically self-deprecating (tho, in my view, realistic) in stating that if we DO have professional photographers shoot us (the guys've been talking about this), i would prefer the cameras be ABOVE my head, not below, the latter not being exactly the most favorable angle for a middle-aged gal... randy, what a mensch, disagreed & basically said i had no bad angle.
well, if you go to youtube, you will see the latest video from the elvis show. and i will leave it to you to decide if being filmed beneath the chin really is my best angle. personally i think the shots on the big screen behind me look much better! anyways, thank you, franklin o & art, for posting our video. am thinking of barnum now... no publicity's bad pub...
........
...
suddenly pictured mama smacking me for writing all of this at all. she says my sister & i spend too much time worrying about our looks, & rereading this, well, i guess she's right! body dysmorphia plagues all american women to some degree, tho, says my friend. & lately i've been really thinking about a beautiful & talented woman i know named candye & how proud she is of her plus-sized frame, & how full of self-confidence & sexiness & awesomeness & courage she is & i feel a little foolish for worrying about this dumb sack of bones & skin "i" presently inhabit. so maybe if i live to be 100, i'll be over all this & will see it's what's on the inside that matters, & even if the world might judge me by my outsides at times, why the heck should i do that? how does that insanity help one bit? thanatos or eros: what do i choose? or rather, what SHOULD i choose?? life's just too short to boo-hoo about one's shortcomings. too dang short!!!
today we went to uc irvine, my family & i, to make sure we stay on the juaneno rolls. we went in honor of grandma mary, who always wanted to see the tribe, her tribe, be recognized. this is supposed to be the year it happens! am trying not too be too cynical about the whole thing, wondering why in the world the u.s. gov would give prime so-cal real estate to a group of indians. maybe in grandma's memory; maybe in the name of miracle; maybe in the name of mercy & fairness; maybe it will happen. why not hold the hope? there were 1500 people there today, a huge crush, a far larger swarm than the 100 or so they'd anticipated, of medium-hued & tan people w/long straight black or graying hair who'd traveled from as far as arizona, lots of people who looked kind of like my sister & i, several who touchingly (for us all) resembled grandma mary enough that mama looked so happy, & dad teared up, & i felt comfortable, & maybe these were our people, after all, maybe i DO belong someplace on this earth. the star people, the acjachemen, the juaneno band of mission indians live on, exist, thrive, recognize one another, & maybe in 2010, will be "recognized" by the united states of america. i do hold the hope, mostly in honor of prudencia maria antonia elizabeth ollivares forquera, who ate abalone & mussels & played w/her brothers & sisters & was adored by her father & grew up along the shores of san juan capistrano, then los angeles, then pond, then finally delano, where she became our beloved grandma mary, whose memory we so cherish & hold dear in our hearts. maybe for her & all those like her, the beloved & departed ones, the juanenos will be "recognized."

elvis show report

had been in bed for 2 days, but was reminded the show must go on, so suited up & waited for a  friend to drive me to the elvis show. he showed up late, so already i was in a mild state of panic. then we got lost! argghhh! before that, as we ascended the grapevine, i felt pressure in my ears & the left one closed up – whop! it stayed that way for 18 hours!!! when i was singing, i could only partially hear what i was doing – this is 2 shows now i’ve done not in good voice! anyways, the place was packed & you should’ve seen all the cameras flashing! people cheered & laughed. art had us do 3 songs! he threw his head back & yelled “yaaaay!” at the end of my babe. yes, there was a great, positive energy in the place. the guy who brought me said, “so this is your thing; you're in your element.” he doesn’t listen to rocknroll, but i could tell it was lighting him up, anyways. no one can resist the pull, the fun, the oomph of this music! he commented on how amazing it was that once i’d been a fan & now i get to be on stage. i told him that yes, w/much elbow grease, much trying & trying, much tenacity, i did get to be up there now, & yes, it was amazing! w/my sites only on fun, & by stepping into it & taking an active pt, i get to take a dip in the "stream of music," as phil alvin described it.
my band mates were happy. randy & i had a red bull shot; that helped my energy level for a while. we hung out a lot with whiteboy james, who is cute & funny & gracious & crazy-nice. “how’d you like to have jenny for a librarian?” he crowed, when told what i did. james has the rubberiest face & is totally into universal monster movies. he stole the early hrs of the show singing “trying to get to you”! what a terrific voice & stage presence the guy has! phil alvin sauntered up, emperor-like, in a red sharkskin-like zoot suit he’d gotten for 6 bucks. he planted his lips on my cheek & kept them there for a good ½ minute while my friend snapped a pic. wow! carlos guitarlos was funny & “a dirty old man,” said philbert. we took a pic & he prodded me & commented extensively on the size of my waist (small). i said hello to count smokula (who performed w/screamin’ jay-like nose bone), lynda kay, paul body, south bay surfers david, ronnie blakely, rip masters, greasey george, danny dean, skip edwards, todd eckhart, lisa, blasters, mike vernon, john palmer, jessie fein, lisa finnie, dave raven, marty rifkin, etc. etc. manuel was sick & wasn't there! :( john k showed up from bakersfield w/his lovely daughters! dave alvin came in w/his hollywood-beautiful girlfriend, all decked out in elvis leather. michelle shocked gave an eccentric performance, looking like the little tramp. groovy rednecks were hilarious, as usual! before carlos went on, art told to him to keep it short bc the show was running over, so what did he do? a 12 min version of “shake rattle & roll,” w/all instruments taking 2, even 3 goes-around & a sing-along w/the audience! these guys like to rattle poor art’s cage, for sure. despite it, art ran around w/that happy, glazed smile on his face. the joint was jumping! his show was a huge success! candye kane showed up in her feathery splendor & giant, warm smile & tore up the stage w/a fiery version of “bear cat/hound dog”! she & laura chavez & drummer, son evan, were nice & friendly & warm as ever. earlier, i’d heard phil alvin saying the blasters would do “american trilogy,” but i thought he was kidding. well, they were up last, & they indeed did do it! i was blown away… phil took what could’ve been corny, ironic, a diss & delivered it w/such sincere power, it knocked everyone on their ears. he never plays to the hipsters; he plays to the music. w/his magnificent confidence, “american trilogy” was powerful, so memorable! then, in a move that just killed me, they went into “do the clam”… i was blown away by the coolness of his song choices! :) whiteboy james & i stood together in the crowd & laughed & laughed, instand friends! then the show was over & phil drove randy & i home. phil is a bull! he had worked all day & was up near-24 hrs by the time he dropped me at my doorstep. i just love my band, made new friends, saw a lot of familiar faces, had another memorable elvis night. since then, i’ve been lying around limp as a noodle due to stupid head. tho the ear has opened up, i still feel pressure on both sides, as well as pain, malaise, bleh… stupid, stupid head!! again, if only i could get around w/o it, i’d be fine!!
happy bd to the king of rocknroll, & thank you to art & ronnie mack for having us once again at the show! :) i couldn't be luckier, really.

happy birthday, elvis; dusk devils in LA times

narducci's: mama mia's pix & the rev rocks

read below about dusk devils at elvis birthday show this friday, jan. 8, 9 pm, at the echoplex in los angeles!
last friday i got off the plane from nyc @ john wayne airport in oc & ran to baggage claim, where my sister, mama, & maddy were waiting. we jumped in angie's car & sped home. angie andretti got us to bakersfield from santa ana in no time! i'd been traveling for 15 hrs by the time i jumped in the shower. i threw on the nearest stage-kinda outfit & drove to narducci's. the rev horton heat's gigantic tour bus was out front; the place was beyond packed. the guys looked dapper in black; philbert wore the shirt i got him for xmas! tim gardea's crew put up a security gate between audience & stage, then turned on the floodlights. we did "let's go let's go" for soundcheck, then they opened the doors & people RUSHED in! this was the 1st show i ever did where i felt light-headed, prob from the heat of the lights, all the bodies, & my extreme fatigue. the huge audience, there to save their spot for when the rev came on, packed the rm & screamed & roared between songs! fantastic! unreal! my head swam; i couldn't see the piano keys due to the lights; all i could do was smile & look over @ the guys, who all beamed, & focus on standing up, not fainting, steamroll ahead... when i started to sing, i realized i only had about 3/4 voice due to all the cigarette smoke & my tiredness... oh well! the show must go on, & it did! :)
because the rev's gear dominated the stage, we played w/all 4 of us in a row across the front of the stage, & i liked it! i could see everyone. we gelled better. i think this might be our new stage setup! after, we got tons of compliments, & some more gig-bites, i hear. lovely mia grabbed me as i jumped off the stage & said "time for family photos!" i went looking for her later, but she was lost in the crowd; some of her terrific photos are here. 800 lb gorilla played while we ate some tasty narducci's chow served by friendly waitress & hung out w/lovely sister angie, the tidwells, & randy's & phil's friends. the paxtons were there, & it was nice to see them, too!
i hear everyone had a good time late into the night; myself, after eating, i poured myself in my truck & drove home. sleep didn't come soon enough, but it did.
what whirlwhind fun... i'm still wiped out!!!!

he'd be 75 this year...

we'll be on around 9 pm...
thanks again to art for having us @ his annual elvis birthday bash! we'll do 3 tunes then be off...

i heart ny, eat a whole loaf of ezekiel bread, & more happy new year blablablaing!!

-> don't mean to sound sacrilegious, but after flying home yesterday from nyc & going straight to a great gig & then waking this morn w/this weird feeling of surreality & opening my mini fridge hungry & wondering blearily what the heck i'd find & seeing not just ezekiel bread, but coffee already made in there, i knew there was a god!!!... today i've done nothing but eat nearly the whole load of ezekiel, read a dumb book (wishful drinking by carrie fisher, recommended by mom & angie, neither of whom are alcoholic, as funny, but i thought it was just sad!! - so full of self-loathing!!), unpack, & look @ pix from my trip.
-> THE TRIP! i was gone for 7 days & yes, what a trip! feel like i'm still there a bit, tho i'm happy in my little house, & it's swell not to be freezing anymore!!
-> these are some things i loved about nyc:
1. central park!!! was there every day, exploring & walking (broke it into quadrants, pretty much, & explored a different area ea day), tho the day i was to run around the famous lake, it froze, then the next, snowed... if i lived in nyc, i'd be in central pk 2-3x a week!! what a wonder; what a treasure; what a gift of the city to its people!!!
2. the rockettes!!! after watching the somewhat corny but magnificently produced christmas show at beautiful radio city music hall, w/its magical sets (especially the numbers w/the toy soldiers & where they seem to drive around the theatre district, & the gorgeous creche/nativity scene w/blues & & pinks & purples & live camel & sheep, even!), lighting, & dancing, i realized if a) i'd grown up a "normal" girl; & b) in nyc; c) i would've wanted to be a rockette! a rockette gets to dress up & be whatever she wants, accompanied by all her rockette sisters, & she gets to learn all these cool dance steps that must be a tremendously fun workout & she gets to be pretty & fun & innocent yet alluring all in one!! i want to be a rockette!!
3. the upper east side markets, filled w/friendly, down-to-earth people & your coffee made up just how you like it (they say "milk & sugar?", then fix it for you before smartly brown-bagging it up) & delicious cheap fresh food, like an egg sandwich on a kaiser roll for $1.50!!
4. new york pizza!!! folks say ny pizza is better bc of nyc's municipal water system: it's sweet, clean water. i thought, bull! how can mere water affect how food tastes?!? so the 1st place i went to have a slice, the italian owner, when asked why the food in nyc is so much better, replied w/o a hitch, "it's the WAWDUH!" i gladly ate crow cause along w/it came delicious nyc plain pizza w/just sauce, a little cheese, thin, slightly crispy crust... now the problem is that bc of that pizza, along w/the water-boiled then baked ny bagels i enjoyed, i'm RUINED & CAN NO LONGER ENJOY EITHER IN CALIFORNIA!!! (fortunately, w/my sieve-like memory, i'll only be ruined for a few wks at most...)
5. christmas lights & decorations everyplace! what a festive, magical place to have gotten to be over the holidays!
6. walking about 10 miles a day! (tho took the subway quite a lot, & cabs a bit less...) it felt great to explore everyplace on foot. went as far north as 112th st in harlem, as far south as greenwich village, as well as east & west sides;
7 all the cute & beautiful & wonderful dogs being walked everywhere, tho i wondered how those dogs lived, w/no yards & no real place to stretch their doggy legs... a dog is such a lovely & loving creature, & to see so many added to the yuletide cheer.
8. steam heat in the hostel rm, reminding me of my old 1920 apartment in bako... i love steam heat! -and along w/it, a really hot shower, wonderful after a cold, cold day.
9. the man ray exhibit @ the jewish museum!!!
10. the hostel rm, w/its cozy crawl-space futon bed, which you climbed a ladder to reach;
11. the sign at the airport when i flew out on christmas day: "FLIGHT 1225 TO NORTH POLE: Limit one reindeer per passenger"
12. walking in the cold xmas night, looking for a bite to eat, cozy while bundled up, w/festive people walking their dogs (i waited for them to 1st say "merry christmas," in case they were jewish, cause why be the presumptuous gentile?)... then watching saturday night live christmas & the office on tv in my hostel rm (i don't have tv, so this was a real treat!)
13. reading malcolm gladwell's outliers one night, w/its particularly fascinating chapter about pilot semantics & something called "power distance index" & another about why some people fail/are unhappy despite genius intelligence (i have many friends like that!!)... this slim book, a quick read, has much thought-fodder!
-> things i didn't like:
1.  THE WEATHER!!! good lord, i've never experienced brutal cold quite like that, even on the motorcycle trips thru colorado i used to go on! one day, it was 16 degrees & then an arctic front & windstorm blew in, painfully penetrating any coat layer, & suddenly it was way below zero!! @ times square on new yr's eve, i thought i was gonna croak from the cold... then it started sleeting!
3. the stress of having to change rms @ the hostel, tho all worked out bc i got into a better rm w/a view of 73rd st, even, so when it suddenly snowed dec 31, & when firewks were shot off from central pk that eve, i got to see it all!!
4. accidentally erasing my 1st set of pix!! crap!
5. crazy crowding @ the museum of natural history... the place was overrun by holiday mobs, insanely packed!
6. the scheister restaurant owner near times square who jacked up the prices on his food to rip off people trapped w/in the ball-drop barricade ($25 for soup, two cookies, a roll, & hot chocolate!), then not just closed his bathrooms to the public, but blocked the door w/a frigging pastry cabinet! what a jerk!!
7. this pop song about new york that @ the time i thought uninteresting & now can't get out of my head &, worse, don't know the name or artist of!!
-> anyways, that's enough for now. later i'll try to write about our awesome show last night w/rev horton heat. i got home to bakersfield from new york city at 5:45 pm yesterday & was at the show at 7:15. whoopee! what a day! what a week! what an experience! :) hope you, too, have had a holiday adventure, whether you went on a sojourn or stayed right at home. feliz ano nuevo. :)

dear friends and loved ones (and all yall),

here's a little card i made up for the holidays (boy, i miss photoshop!!)... this has been a year of big change for many of us. here's to the hope that in all change is growth as well as opportunities for reflection, greater knowledge and wisdom, and, ultimately, satisfaction and betterment.
i wish you happy, peaceful holidays and a bright new 2010.
if you're interested in our show w/rev horton heat and 800 lb gorilla at narducci's on fri jan 1, 2010, please contact any of the following guys for tickets:
phil hickerson at philman.dude@hotmail.com
mark powell, markdoodage@aol.com or firebrats@gmail.com
randy journey, randy@journeyac.com
with warmest wishes and love,
jenny

slog fog grog glog nog blablablabla blog

how be you? wed i started taking a med that has knocked me flat... after several days of going to wk, mtgs, LA, two gigs in a somnambulant state, mama suggested i 1/2 the dose... so now i feel merely groggy. toni told me the body'll adjust: the stuff's sposed to balance me, not knock me on my butt!!! from all i've read, i need to give it at last a wk. but what a wk! i'm used to being over the moon w/hahahas, wawawas, not near-comatose!! anyways, somehow i got to covina fri night & got to play a gig w/manuel, russell scott, raul, & then ruben showed up, too! me playing w/the blazers: who'd've thought, back when i was their #1 fan nearly 20 yrs ago? the sound took forever to dial in, then turns out the snake for the PA had gone bad, so they whipped out a little one just like mine, & it worked fine! russell was fun to talk to & it was cool to watch him thump away to my left as he called out changes to me w/a sleepy smile on his round face... yes, there was no set list @ all, no rehearsal, & yet i hung w/the big boys!! what a lucky gal i was that night, yessir... after, manuel & i had tacos & talked about Life, then he gave me gas money & i somehow got to dear donna's, was there long enough to chat a bit, yard sale, then pour myself back in the truck & home, listening to a great npr show about "a christmas carol," then got dressed, loaded up, & was out to the branding iron. the place was pretty dead for a while tho a nice cowboy who can really dance ended ea of our songs w/loud cheering & "we love you!!" then the place started filling up w/among others robert & dear angel, then wes & jennifer from token okies, then my family came streaming in, mama, dad, aunt rita, danny, aunt dodie, even uncle ralphy, aunt pam, & cousin aimee from seattle! (uncle ralph's a honcho for the seattle indian health bd & was even on the cover of the NY times the other day!). it ended up being a swell load of fun & the band played REALLY great! i felt, thru my stupor, that it was quite an evening, in the end. :) next day was a family party w/lots of grub & music: yes, brian had the piano delivered back from our old house to mom's & dad's & it felt like home to play that dear old beast again. dad & uncle ralphy sang christmas carols, then i crawled in the back rm & passed out... the last few days since 1/2ing the meds've been a bit better, tho all i've done is clean the house, wrap gifts (to memphis mike's awesome awesome rocknroll christmas dvd he sent!!), do big book wk (yeccch), laundry, went this morn & lounged w/our darling dog boys (b went to colorado for the bit)... about to go pick up toni, then it's band practice again... anyways, tomorrow'll be prep day for the yuletide, then head back east. may you be warm, well, & happy. :)

better cleopat than giant andre, i spose

"Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
Her infinite variety; other women cloy
The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry
Where most she satisfies" (antony & cleopatra)
(blogger won't let me add the image i'd like to, of mehitabel from don marquis' archy &..., one of my all-time favorite reads...)
i got the "cleopatra" comparison again this past wkend & then again today, which is much more flattering than if i were told i resembled, say, andre the giant, but it prompted me to look her up & find this awesome quote... the line favoring her over other women makes me a little queasy, for isn't that the problem for too many of us fems? comparing your outsides to my insides? revolted by but under the lash of "you can never be too rich or thin"? that whole line of blah?
despite it, i felt a tad powerful reading the quote, tho it's not about me, & maybe becky (cattie ness) would say it's the uncanny recognition of the goddess w/in, or maybe it's just a cool quote... ok, just sitting here glutted on oatmeal waiting for it to digest so i can go for a jog, then go play at the school's winter concert this eve, then a little party, then hope to hit at least pt of my home mtg... if you're in covina fri, come see me w/the big manny band! sat dusk devils are at branding iron! (read post below for links)
happy warm eve to all. :) xoxoxoxxoxoxoxox

radio free bakersfield

when i lived at the old house, i had a music rm where i'd record songs on a tascam portastudio kind of thing... spent hundreds of hrs in there... nice memories of my old life (actually, i have many, if i think back)... anyhow, many songs are on the link @ right that says "jenny angel/ex-girlfriends/DIY music"... two days ago, 7 mos after moving here, i busted out the tascam & hooked it up. it was revelatory, reminding me that the creative process can not just be cathartic, but can & does positively redirect the magic magnifying mind: curse (thoughts too often heavy) turns blessing in a moment. what a happy thing for which to be grateful!... seemingly coincidentally, jorge from (the revivified, original created by bako's jeff burgess) radio free bakersfield then emailed & said he was running one of my old songs, recorded w/the tascam, on his show. it is one of the 1st ones i recorded, back in 07. listen for it here: http://radiofreebakersfield.com/ ... thinking of vonnegut's quote about music & wishing all a happy end-of-approaching-winter-break week... may you be filled w/& cheered by the restorative creative spirit.

new shows!

we got some new shows & had a great practice last night - i threw "just wanna boogie" on the pan & the band flat-out fried that sucker up! what a treat that was... that tune will be quite a dance-hall destroyer (ref to randee vee, rockabilly drummer queen & hoofer) when we get it really dialed in...  wishing all teachers & students (& their families) a happy last few days of school, too - vacation, here we come! whee! :)
here is a link to our shows: jenny fri w/big manny, dds @ elvis bd bash, sat @ branding iron - hope you will come out & see us, if you can & wish! now it's off to the salt mines... :)

arrrggg... happy dang weekend.

out of the blue, i gotta call from manuel this p.m. saying he was playing in bakersfield at 2 pm & for me to bring my keyboard down. i work til 3!! then they didn't give me the name of the place!! then his bass player for this gig called & said come on down, but his message was too garbled for me to get the place!!... so i was all excited & called them back & said i'm here, but no call backs. so here i sit, waiting on males. story of my life... i imagine they'll have to jump back to LA, anyways, w/this awful weather, or risk getting stuck on the grapevine in snow. still! i have a well-working heater! instruments! a few amps! extra blankets! a floor! we could have had a heckuva fun jam session right here in my houselet! oh well. i spose i should be grateful they asked me... wasn't meant to be... now gotta called philbert & let him down gently. he was gonna try to get some of this action, too... rockin christmas songs will have to wait.
www.myspace.com/bigmannyband

well, i usually never put this kinda thing up

but i think both these are pretty funny, tho one, mordantly so. thank you, toni!! well not much is up except it's freezing here in bakingfield. (my students would write "wtf???" & i spose i just did, too.) last night randy hosted practice & then got us naked juices & frugatti's pizza, a "noni's special," which was pretty great: basil, garlic, cheese, that's it. i learned in NYC they call cheese pizza "plain," not "cheese," so there's a tidbit for you, if you're a californio, like i am... am going out that way @ the holidays & am trying to regenerate some excitement for the trip, for i fear i'm not just gonna be lonely, i'm gonna freeze... on the other hand, w/this trip, my whole life could change, blossom, bloom again. i certainly cannot foretell which it will be; maybe it'll be something in the middle (imagine that)... guess all happens for some reason, so making the best of it & trying to have no expectations is probably a wiser mentality. i mean, for heaven's sake, i'm going to NEW YORK!! no matter what happens, like my NOLA trip, it'll be an adventure... heading to see one of my angels now... stay warm, friends!!!