Kingtone

Albany CA is a sleepy little city that is part of the East Bay just north of Berkeley. A mostly ‘middle class’ (for the SF Bay Area) kinda place where people raise kids without the fears of many modern urban dwellers. It has a conservative 1950s feel to it, and from what I hear the cops there like it that way. Strangely enough, it is home to some amazing talent and subversiveness. Maybe that is not strange at all.

Here’s some examples I have experienced.

This past weekend I played on a session with Drag City artist, Edith Frost. It was a nice song titled, My Euphorbia and was recorded for a possible future DC comp that apparently has something to do with the tracks being performed live. Those in attendance were Edith, Wil Hendricks on standup bass, myself on guitar, Val Esway and Heather Davison on backup vocals. Edith and Wil (via Chicago) live in Albany.

Last monday night, we kicked off a new monthly ‘Improv Hootenany’ series at the Ivy Room in, you guessed it, Albany, CA. The idea is to have a place for outsound artists to hang out and try new and crazy music collaborations in an upscale, comfy, dimly-lit place where fans can come, sip a cocktail and appreciate the music with no cover. There was a featured set from Myles Boisen and John Hanes, sets curated by Jonathan Segel, Joe Rut, John Shiurba, Carnacki and yours truly - aided and abetted by the likes of Suki O’Kane, John Brumit, Karry Walker, Pat Spurgeon (of Rogue Wave), Morgan Guberman and some great walk ons. The whole evening was glued together with special DJ sets by LA based Scrote and Carnacki.

Several now legendary punk bands hail from Albany, CA - like Operation Ivy and offshoots like Schlong and Rancid. Schlong and OPIvy’s maniac drummer was Dave Mello, whom I played with in the HO! along with Albany’s Tim Romain and Joey Schaaf - who also played in The Dance Hall Crashers and in Zebu with myself and Dave Mello’s brother, Pat Mello (also of Schlong). Tight webs, these band lineages often are.

Albany, CA is also the home of Gerald Gaxiola aka The Maestro: King of the Cowboy Artists, which is, coincidentally, also a movie by El Cerrito’s Les Blank about The Maestro and making art for art’s sake. Every time I see it I want to be and remain, an artist.

note: El Cerrito is just north of and pretty much the same kind of place as Albany. And yes, Creedence Clearwater Revival started in El Cerrito.

Yesterday I was listening to Low’s new cd Drums & Guns, trying to decide whether I liked it or not (the jury is still out), when I received a call from none other than my friend, former bandmate and stellar drummer Pat Spurgeon of Rogue Wave.

Pat was standing in front of the Acme Bar in NYC, loading in for a special show they were doing. He called to ask if this was the very same place we played on the Reverend Phantom and Junkie Tour in 2001 (tour stop in AZ pictured left). It is indeed, I replied.

We joked how ridiculous it was that a) we had dragged all of our gear down into that basement venue and b) they only gave us a percentage of people who paid before and during our set. Since we were on at 8pm and we had three or four people there, we got…squat! More absurd, the other band’s fans were lined up in the hallway outside the entrance door, waiting to pay (so their friends would get their money), yet they were listening and watching our wild music/film set. I think one of them even got on our mailing list…one fan at a time baby.

Anyway, hurray for Pat and Rogue Wave. Today their fine new album, Asleep at Heaven’s Gate comes out and tomorrow night (Sept. 19) they appear on the Conan O’Brian Show. I feel vicariously triumphant.

Great news. My friend and excellent musician, Pat Spurgeon won the ‘organ lottery’ and received a kidney transplant a few nights ago. He has been trying to find a donor/match for a year and this gift came along suddenly and thankfully.

Heal well Phantom Drummer!!

Reverend Screaming Fingers (Lucio Menegon)
& Phantom Drummer (Pat Spurgeon)

Composed and improvised instrumental music to juxtaposed found slide images and 16mm film prepared by San Francisco filmmaker Thad Povey.

The music - based around the electric guitar and drums and incorporating keyboards, loops and other devices - consisted of composed and structured improvisational pieces cued by film projections.

For our 15 date US tour in 2001, we setup facing each other with the projection screen between and slightly behind us. This enabled interaction with each other, the projections and the audience.

The overall effect was stunning - with no two shows the same. Musically, we were able to stretch out and explore our compositions and really try some cool stuff with the improv parts. The effect and importance of Thad’s visuals can’t be overemphasized - wild splashes of color from prepared film, flames, disasters, racecars, absurdities of the human psyche - they all came together to create some incredible synergistic moments from show to show.