Kingtone

Sat. Sept 13 9pm $$
Starry Plough - 3101 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA
It seems I will be onstage all night…At the top of the bill, I’ll be backing up Mr. Dylan Champagne for the CD release of his fantastic new CD, New Equation. Before that I’ll be playing with the fab Val Esway & el Mirage and to start off the evening I’ll be sitting in with the talented Joni Davis.

Mon. Sept 15 9pm free!
Ivy Room Improv/Experimental Hootenany!
Kingman’s Ivy Room, 858 San Pablo, Albany, CA
It’s the second go round for this fun outside sound musician/fan hang with featured act Ross Hammond, Phillip Greenlief, John Hanes and Lisa Mezzacappa. I’ll be DJing between short sets curated by Mark Growden, Laurie Amat, Morgan Guberman, Herb Heinz/Mark Briggs, Jeff Hobbs, etc.

Sat Sept 20 6:30ish-late $5-$15 Sliding scale donation
2nd Annual Koi Pond Chili Cook off to Benefit the Mother Mary Ann
Wright Foundation. 140 San Pablo Ave. Oakland, CA
I’ll be doing a short set of my songs. you heard that right, songs not improv or noise.

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.

I’ve got some SF Bay area shows and a short West Coast tour with two extremely talented NYC based players, Rob Price and David Grollman. Every time we’ve performed our brand of NY improv/noise it has really clicked.

Do come to a show - there are none planned beyond this, although some will pop up, I’m sure.

Sat May 10 - 2.30-5.30pm (FREE)
Lanesplitter Pub Anniversary Party
San Pablo & University, Berkeley, CA
I’m playing guitar in Joe Rut’s band and then with Val Esway & el Mirage.

Mon May 12 - 8.30p
Ivy Room
San Pablo @ Solano, Albany, CA
Strangelet (Suki O’Kane, Jonathan Segel and I) will make experimental noise with a groove (or not). This oughta be interesting considering the decor and vibe of the new ‘Kingman’s Ivy Room.’ I suggest you all come to see if we get kicked out.

Fri May 16 - 8pm
Totally Intense Fractal Mindgaze Hut
671 24th St, Oakland, CA
The Cinepimps (Keith Arnold, Al Alvarez, Suki O’Kane, et al) will unleash a barrage of film and music.

Price, Grollman, Menegon West Coast Tour

Tues May 27 - 8pm
21 Grand
416 25th St., Oakland, CA
w/ Suishou no Fune (Japan)

Wed May 28 - 8pm
JavaLounge
2416 16th Street, Sacramento, CA
also w/ Ross Hammond, Panic Opera (Reno)

Thurs May 29 - 9pm
Red Rock Bar
241 S. Sierra Street, Reno, NV
w/ Schitzopolitans

Fri May 30 8pm
Boise Experimental Music Festival
El Korah Shrine Center
1118 W Idaho, Boise, ID

Sat May 31- 1.30p
Boise Experimental Music Festival
El Korah Shrine Center
1118 W Idaho, Boise, ID
Strangelet (LM solo)

I have tinnitus - a common problem amongst musicians and people who work and/or live in noisy environments. Quite a few well-known music personalities do also and have spoken up about it (Pete Townshend, Roger Miller of Mission of Burma, etc), but for those who are unfamiliar with it, tinnitus is a general ringing in the ears that is usually the result of sound over-exposure.

My experience is of a noise floor that sounds something like a million tiny crickets that masks quiet sounds, especially delicate high pitched sounds. In a loud world, this can be less noticeable, but retire to a truly quiet place and…there it is. It is something that never goes away and pure silence is something many of us have not experienced for many years.

For the most part, this has been manageable. But of late, I find it takes less and less sound exposure to induce higher levels of ringing and a feeling of fatigue and sensitivity to sound. Not good.

A few weeks ago, I was on tour with Val Esway and El Mirage and my ears pretty much went on strike. I came to the conclusion that I might have to hang up my guitar and start looking for a new career path. This was sobering.

So I came up with some ideas. One - wear earplugs way more often. Duh, right?! Never been so easy, tho. Earplugs are a bit like aural condoms - get my drift? But on they go for all but the most intimate of experiences. Two - cut back on the use of headphones for recording (really damaging). Three - limit critical audio listening and hours spent in front of speakers. Four - try playing quieter music.

For now the plan is to perform less and work on some more acoustic and low volume electric based music. It is something I am excited about. Change is good and I believe lots of cool music will come it.

I’m off to play a few shows around the CA central valley with Val Esway and El Mirage. We’ll be a neat little trio with Val on bass, myself on guitar (with my new Gretsch 6120!) and Berge Thomasian on acoustic guitar. We’ll be doing shows with our LA friends, Nellie Bly. If you find yourself in Fresno or San Luis Obispo, do look us up!

The photo is one I took at an El Mirage gig this past summer.

The Boots of Val Esway from my vantage point onstage as a member of El Mirage, performing at the Lanesplitter Pub’s 9th Anniversary Party.