Merry Christmas!!!

i'm just sliding in, under the gun to get this christmas/kwanzaa/channukah/holiday message in before the buzzer.

i've been hard pressed to come up with some top 5 or top 10 list of shows or albums or whatevz. i'm not sure its possible. i mean, i guess if i got "serious", i could do it...with the caveat FOR SURE that i would prob amend it, and/or change it at whim, or ya know...amend & change being one and the same, of course.

fuck. january and february of 2008 seem like millions of years ago, right? its a good thing i have this blog cuz i would never remember what the eff i did this year!!!

off the cuff, since this is a remote report from the back shack, and i don't actually have my own computer at my fingertips for pix or whatevz or my itunes to see what i actually listened to the most, i'll say that there were some artists that made a HUGE impression on me this year, mostly thru live performances here or there, in and around the bay area. i feel like this is saying the sorta obvious, like saying the unsaid, but i realize that people check in from other places. and if you don't live in our town, i HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend checking these artists out sooner than later.

BIG LIGHT: click here to listen
mother hips: website
jackie greene: oh god, so hard to get me started on this, but go ahead...start here, for easy access!

i could get all micro about it. i still might before the end of the year. after all, there are a few days left to get down to the REAL nitty gritty. until then, hope your holidays are just the way you want them!!!

and, here's the instant gratification youtube vid, to round out this christmas post. (note: vid IS from 2006)

no no no yeah yeah yeah

i just shake my head...here's one from the archives...hadn't watched this in quite some time, and found it just too (______) not to post~ enjoy!

Sensations & Big Light in Novato, CA

sensations are another very cool "california soul" type of band, consisting of half of the mother hips (greg loiacono & paul hoaglin) + former drummer of cake, todd roper. i caught a super rad, groovy norcal show of theirs on friday night, along with the SF darling band BIG LIGHT opening (who sound better than ever).

below, you can download a sensations track, thanks to iodapromonet, and also be directed to various places to buy the LP.

we are also VERY excited to see big light opening for the mother hips on saturday night, december 20 at the great american music hall. VERY excited!!!

Sensations
"Slow To Show" (mp3)
from "Listen To My Shapes"
(reapandsow, Inc.)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Rhapsody
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

Puppycam update

i haven't written anything on the blog in a bit. just sorta coasting, i guess. i read something "newsworthy" tonight, so i thought i would share it here.

this puppycam has gotten 15 millions views for over 773 years worth of time. is that just nutso or what?!! here's some more stats, as well as the webcam itself.

(i just spent some time trying to embed it here, and the cyber spirits denied me~ sad but true...)

talk about cheap thrills!!! i just watched one get up, go to the water bowl, drink water, come back to the pile, yawn, scratch its head, then crash back out!!! brilliant!!!

Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter

so pretty~ "your eyes told"

special ed

MIDLAKE

just got turned onto this band~ GREAT tunes...

so grateful

truly a gift, enjoy this heartwarming 6 min, 34 seconds...

All I Ask...Don't Tell Anybody The Secrets...

it had been almost 10 years since i'd seen lucinda williams. right around the time car wheels on a gravel road came out (GREAT GREAT GREAT album~ go buy it, if you are slightly interested in lucinda).

it was just never really in my flow to catch her since that one night at the catalyst in santa cruz, nearly ten years ago...until this past monday at the fillmore.

she started the show with a delicate solo acoustic guitar song, "passionate kisses". it was adorable. and the words "delicate" and "adorable" don't normally go with "lucinda williams" but that night, it was just that.

i was surprised by so many songs off car wheels...so i was super happy! and the songs i didn't know were amazing as well.

another great surprise was watching chuck prophet SHRED on guitar for the encore. damn, he is NO JOKE> my first time seeing him play. i'd heard his name, but had never seen in him action. SERIOUS!!! super stoked i went to the show!!!
here's a link to her profile on the lost highway website

"Be On My Side...I'll Be On Your Side"

such ridiculousness

Traveling On A High Frequency~ again!

robert plant, t-bone burnett (w/ his lovely wife), and elvis costello are posing with jay blakesberg's TRAVELING ON A HIGH FREQUENCY book, back in early October, when they were all here for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. robert plant was freaking out about a moby grape pic that was in the book. (photo above also snapped by jay)

last night was jay's SF book release party at the Independent. the scene was bubbling & loud & excited!!! by the time i arrived, there were probably about 150 people milling about the room, or sitting at tables w candles, watching a screen with a slideshow of shots all from TOAHF. it was hard to take your eyes of it, frankly!!! UNREAL. over 300 people clocked in throughout the event.

i've been fortunate enough to see this project from the very wee early stages of it, and to see it all POP last night was so satisfying!!! jay is one of the hardest working people i've ever known. AND NICE!!! and he LOVES his music. i'm so thrilled for him, and my best wish to him is to continue Traveling On A High Frequency!!! you are really doin' it, jay!!!

order TOAHF here, which also comes in limited edition (i wouldn't be surprised if those sell out by next week, the NYC book release party) here's the invite to that~ tell whoever you know in NYC to go!!!
(here's a link to my previous post about the book).

EVERGREEN

happy birthday neal!!!

the stars aligned, and made it possible for me to catch this awesome night of music at the nokia theater...turns out neal casal was sitting in with phil & friends on the saturday night after his halloween gig at the apollo theater, and also the night before he left for cardinals tour/promo stuff in the UK.

AND it was the eve of neal's 40th birthday!!! wow!!! seriously, what a way to close out a decade and ring in a new one!!!

the show was great, neal was amazing, and i was very very happy to see phil & friends back at their annual residency of the nokia theater. as sterile and futuristic as some think that place is, i actually really love it.

neal sang lead vocals on he's gone and ship of fools~ check it out here, on LMA.

major thanks to i.Gene Dulyn for the photos! contact i.Gene at: photoplus@frontiernet.net for more info.

cardinals, apollo theater, 10/31/08

great gig. very clean night of music from the cardinals, much like 2007's halloween, but not quite as jammy, believe it or not. i adored that 2007 halloween show.

the apollo theater was cool~ the lighting on this night was particularly LOVELY (thanks dee!!!) it really was. i wish i had a good pic of it, but the staff was pretty intense about no photography.

i was sorta trying to get my groove on from so many diff spots, because these days its so hard to DANCE in these lovely "uptight" seeming theaters, with so many in the crowd conflicted by, "i wanna dance but no one else is, now i'm pissed someone else is standing in front of me" vibe...

favorite parts of the show: last 5 songs in the first set, jam in freeway, & crossed out name. GREAT stuff.

my first time seeing ryan play using that enormous amp~ it was so cartoon!!!

The Clinch Mob, 10/30/08

awesome night of music in the bowery, at the R BAR...

i thought i was going to see a danny clinch photo exhibit. when i realized it was his band, i was stoked! walked in and ran into my friend pete levin, who was playing keyboards that night with danny. we got properly adjusted, and the show started.

smokin'! they were rockin'! i run downstairs to use the ladies room, and on my way back up, i tripped UP the stairs~ boy was that embarrassing, but much to my surprise, i sorta ran right into phil lesh, who was carrying his bass!!! i was like, "woah, things are about to get freaky in here!!!"

so yeah, phil started playing...then jackie greene showed up...they sat in for about 15-20 minutes...probably about 100 people in the VERY groovy, not TOO hip place...it was a blast~ GO PETE!!!

Crossed Out Name vid

Cardinology streaming

HERE
photo by neal casal

Lurk or Lead?

seriously, if you are: an employee, an employer, self-employed, unemployed, IMploding, or EXploding, in my "heretic", wholehearted way, i fully think that each human can be better off after hearing this info than you were before you heard it.

right now, you can download it for free simply by registering at this audible.com website~ easy breezy. & the knowledge this guy, seth godin, drops is priceless. its sorta the obvious, but its chunked down in a very inspiring way.

oh. and it doesn't hurt that he's adamant about stating deadheads & jerry garcia to be at the forefront of contemporary tribes and leaders =) happy listening!

Tribes for Free here

Can You Really Make Money Doing What You Love?

post by seth godin (my first time using digg to repost or whatevz):

"Do your art. But don't wreck your art if it doesn't lend itself to paying the bills. That would be a tragedy. And the twist, because there is always a twist, is that as soon as you focus on your art and leave the money behind, you may just discover that this focus turns out to be the secret of actually breaking through and making money."

i highly recommend reading the rest of this!!!

read more | digg story

Thank You, JamBase!!!

everything happened really fast, but the short version of THIS particular story, is that JamBase just carved out a piece of their server space for this here wonderpiece's (sorta sterile) story about some recent shows!!! unreal...such a funny thing. and to think, because i wanted to come onto this site a wee bit ago, this blog-space to get a little frisky w my words, that i'd put words together well enough for someone ELSE to post them. cute, neat, cool~ FUN!!!

here's a link to my review from the phil & friends sweetwater shows.

major props out to RR & RS for being my advocates, or just planting the seed even.

PEACEFUL SONG

thanks to JS for kicking this down the pike.

blistering peaceful valley by cardinals, from last night!!!!! st. louis, fox theater. long live the cardinals!!! love those guys to the maxxxxx

now this is what i call peace of mind.

FREE HUGS campaign

in my futile attempt at breaking my string of posts about ryan adams and/or the cardinals, i googled youtube to find a sick jerry/GD vid to share. instead, this fascinating FREE HUGS vid came up. 32 million people have watched it, so i sat my ADD ass down, and watched the whole thing. and it made me warm.

i'm basically a hugger. more a hugger than not, at least. i'm not like a RELENTLESS hugger, but i'm more inclined to hug than not. i dunno. so much heinous stuff goin' on, well, hugs are underrated. hope you get one today. for that matter, hope I get one!!!

full tilt hilarity

*edit* 10.08.08 welp, the fickle blogger strikes in the video realm once again. dunno if i need to fickle blog and delete this post or just leave it up with my own fickle addition~ so i guess, fickle is contagious! i'll leave this big empty blob there, and fill it in, if that crack up puts it back up.
*edit #2* 12.15.08 found it on youtube!!!!



pretty sure this was recorded earlier in 2008. there is NOTHING funnier to me than watching someone crack themselves up. as always, thanks ryan!

Rock=tember

pic by jay blakesberg...

i can't possibly review the MMJ berkeley greek theater show better than dennis cook did @ jambase, so here's a link to his (always) stellar review...

meanwhile, as if i didn't get dropped on my head enough at MMJ, i've had the distinct privilege of seeing phil & friends @ the sweetwater this week. go figure, i sorta freaked out when they starting playing ryan adams "let it ride" on monday night, and "easy plateau" on tuesday night. do i hear a "cold roses" on the horizon for tonight? so funny, going to ryan shows (in the past) hoping to hear a dead cover, and now @ phil shows, hoping for a ryan cover!!! ahhh, the world works in mysterious ways...this pic taken @ phil & friends show from the greek theater last fall.



thanks to you for giving a shit enough to check in here. life is precious, folks~ sometimes tragic for no reason. give yourself a hug*

it's offish' (sorta)

i can't tell you how happy i am to finally get it straight. ryan blogged today about finally signing a paper that says he can be a member of the cardinals!!!!!!!! its been sorta driving me nuts, not knowing what the EFF to call my most favorite music in the world...i mean, it really doesn't matter much either way, but just for the sake of sakeness (not to be confused with sake that you drink or sake that you eat if you eat salmon that is sushi)...here are some great links to read some very clear distinctions (for now) about my favorite band in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!

neal casal speaks on current cardinalocity
ryan speaks on newly reborn foggy

Multi-Message Jesture

DMB played @ the greek theater in berkeley recently. i caught the 3rd night, a special night of music: last night of DMB tour, last night of 3 night run @ the greek, & last but not least, Leroi Moore's birthday, the founding member of DMB who passed away in August. there was a slide show played in his honor. touching. also, dave took the time to say that the last time they played there was right after "mr. jerry garcia" passed away...needless to say, it was a great show, & i was honored to be there. leroi tribute photo by danny clinch, 2003.

specifically posting this as i prep to get "aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhed" to high heaven tomorrow @ the greek, when My Morning Jacket begins their second leg of the U.S. tour supporting Evil Urges. SUPER EXCITED.



also caught another RIDICulous show recently: the mother hips @ cafe du nord. here's a clip of theirs off the AMAZING album, KISS THE CRYSTAL FLAKE. wow. couldn't help but notice that tim bluhm was wearing his Dark Side of the Moon shirt @ du nord, just a few short days before Richard Wright, co-author of DSOTM, passed on...



REST IN PEACE, Richard Wright & Leroi Moore. Thank you for your art & inspiration.

More Than A Feeling~ Boston

not only is boston captured here @ giants stadium (albeit nearly empty) in 1979, performing their anthem of guitars, they happen to capture a sentiment that fits perfectly around the MFC right now!!!

the cardinals (featuring ryan adams) seemingly communicated some seriously "more than a feeling" feelings in BOSTON on Sunday night, @ boston pavilion. hard not to notice the multiple lead/harmonizing guitars on the boston youtube vid without comparing them to the scorpio brothers, ryan adams & neal casal.

RIP, brad delp who passed in early 2007. ironically, there was a tribute concert played for him in August 2007 at the same pavilion the cardinals just played.

i dunno. i grew up listening to boston. it was some of the first music i remember being REALLY into. around the time third stage came out.

after watching BOSTON rock out on that youtube vid, have a listen to the cards show from 09/07/08, if you feel like staring at your speakers for awhile. cobwebs, magick, fix it, sinking ship, & color of pain are insane brand new tunes. look here to stream the show (i attempted to embed the thing here, but failed :(

the good & the good!!!!

so yeah, phish played togeths for the first time in awhile...yeah. true story.


also true story. this sicko cardinals & ryan adams show got released from 2006 and it is sickness to the Nth degree, only upon hearing the first notes. but i get it. its a really fucking sick night for the cards. check here if you are torrent friendly and here to stream the show from LMA

*upon first listen, this blue hotel is worth the price of admission. hope you hear it*

"Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
October 23, 2006
The Savoy
Cork, Ireland

Disc I
01. Free Spirit (jam) >
02. What Sin Replaces Love >
03. Dear Chicago >
04. Blue Hotel >
05. Face Opera (jam) >
06. Arkham Asylum >
07. Egyptology (jam) >
08. Tears Of Gold >
09. Bartering Lines >
10. Freeway To The Canyon >
11. Expressway To Yr. Skull >
12. The End >
13. Ryan Takes Off Hoody (jam) >
14. Cold Roses >
15. Strange (jam) >
16. Mockingbird (w/ DJ Reggie Rap) >
17. Please Do Not Let Me Go >
18. Beautiful Sorta >
19. Peaceful Valley >
20. Disco Duck Rap

Disc II
21. Intergalatic Ducks
22. To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)

Encore
23. Dear John
24. Games
25. Judy Garland
26. New York, New York
27. A Kiss Before I Go
28. Meadowlake Street
29. Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run) >
30. Shakedown On 9th Street
31. Willow Jane
32. I See Monsters

Ryan Adams (Vocals / Guitar)
Neal Casal (Guitar / Background Vocals)
Chris Feinstein (Bass / Background Vocals)
Jon Graboff (Pedal Steel / Guitar / Background Vocals)
Brad Pemberton (Drums)

FOH: Jon Carter
Taped: John Carlin and Jon Carter
Mastering: Joel Swaney
Source: SBD Matrix (w/ 2 onstage mics)
Lineage: SBD > DAT > CDR > EAC > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > CD Wave > FLAC(8)

Thanks to Ryan Adams and everyong else you made this recording possible.

Please give support by purchasing official merchandise.

THIS RECORDING IS NOT FOR SALE - DO NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN!
DO NOT REDISTRIBUTE IN A LOSSY FORMAT - KEEP THE RECORDING PURE!"

sunshine daydream!

i'd never seen a show at fort mason, but yesterday was your quintessential san francisco day of outdoor music (minus the fog!!!) phil & friends played a rad set during a hot, warm, sunny EPICLY picturesque situation. honest to goodness, this was just too good to be true if you like the music of the grateful dead. the golden gate bridge was delicately placed in the backdrop, along with the overly beautiful marin headlands.

& for realz, the music was spot on!!! thxx to MM for this pic below*

Back to Beck

by divine intervention, i saw beck perform at a super sold out 500 person club in SF last night. i'm so excited i was there, because i couldn't make it to the outside lands set, AND it was pretty much full tilt off the richter GREAT!!!

i've gone on and off with liking beck's shows. and the show i saw last night @ the independent FULLY FULLY FULLY got me back to really being way into him.

pretty sure he opened with devil's haircut, and then just RAWKED the place. thoroughly enjoyed myself. by the time he was closing the set with the GORGEOUS erie "chemtrails" off the new album, i was just so stoked. i couldn't really tell you all the ins and outs (setlist) of tunes he played, but it was solid.

this pic snapped by autumn de wilde~ don't know when, but beck's hair must grow fast cuz it seemed really long last night!!!

thanks to everyone at the independent for being so rad =)

"...Sleep In The Stars..."

a very pleasant & especially lovely 9 minutes and 49 seconds:

cardinals: heartmending @ the fillmore

its no secret, there really is no music more favorite to me than the cardinals & ryan adams. you people who personally know me or check in here often accept my unabashed subjectivity towards their music, and for that, i appreciate you (for other things, too, but i'll start with that)!!!



i knew the gig was gonna start around 10p or 10:30p, so when the house lights went down at 10:20p, for some reason, i was still not prepared for how i was going to feel when the cardinals started their set.

the opener, magnolia mountain started off really solid. they used the bridge from most of the 07 shows, which despite my not loving it, i was fine with hearing, as i was just sort of loosening up to the whole idea of a cardinals show taking place.

i was struck with the "it is what it is" feeling. i mean, i'm @ my hometown venue, i'm surrounded by many of my closest friends, i've got my favorite band playing...by the time Mag Mt. ended, i was READY.

the bartering lines>goodnight rose was gorgeous. let it ride was really pretty, esp in that room, with the chandeliers. i was personally happy with this tune selection because so many of my friends who were there are not necessarily hard core r.a./cards regulars (some DEF are), and the cards made those first few tunes very accessible and beautiful.

then comes the first new tune of the night. i'll need to hear this song again to truly comment, other than to say, it was nice to hear something debut.

the everybody knows was SMOKIN'. yes. SMOKIN'.

wonderwall: soft & tender, of course, and really moody. amazing to hear in that room.

why do they leave: amazing, per UJ. started with harmonica, so that's neat. cuz sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't.

peaceful valley: this was rad. the intro was minus the meandering frolic that they played in 07. i always enjoyed that frolic, but they just got right to the nitty gritty with this PV. it was heavy right off the bat. like it used to be. so that was rad. towards the end jam I SWEAR i heard a trouble on wheels tease. did anyone else hear this? i was sure they were going into it. then they peeled off and went into...

beautiful sorta, which was fine. admittedly, i was a little disappointed for a SPLIT second (just cuz i LOVE trouble on wheels, which is rarely played & i SWEAR i heard a tease), though i do LOVE beautiful sorta and i was just absorbing the whole thing perfectly fine.
"i'm buzzing like a jar full of lightning bugs!!!" pretty much, yep. i was.

GO EASY: this is by far my favorite new song. maybe because i can use someone telling me that more often than not. and the sound of neal and ryan singing this together, "go easy...go easy on yourself", well, okay guys! thanks for the advice!!! it really is an "instant classic", hands down.

off broadway: was excited to hear this because a friend who is a new cardinals fan was there, and he REALLY loves this song. so i was especially stoked for him. not to mention, it just sounded great!

long ramble...ya know...most of the time the stories are pretty hilarious. this one was no exception. it had to do with ryan being @ a danzig show and how they had nuns dressed as strippers (but he didn't come right out and say "strippers" and it was cute how he was having a hard time spitting that word out) so yeah, ryan was going on & on about how only danzig could pull something like that off and that he didnt remember staying for the encore. or something.

cold roses: they RIPPED into this, esp after a fairly long break with no music during the danzig/stripper story & they really did shred this song. i give it an 8 (out of 10) as far as versions of cold roses i've seen, so that's pretty good. maybe even an 8.5. or really a 8.75. yeah. almost a 9. def decent. & just to give you a gauge, i'd give the cold roses from halloween an 11, as well as the one from seattle earlier this year (can't remember the date) an 11, as well.

shakedown on 9th: i was distracted looking for friends during this song, but it gave me a great soundtrack to track them down...

i see monsters: yum.

Set 1 (1:30)
~~~~~~
Maggie Mountain->
Bartering Lines->
Goodnite Rose
Let It Ride
*New Song "I Fix It"
Everybody Knows
Wonderwall
Why Do They Leave
Peaceful Valley->
Beautiful Sorta
*New Song "Go Easy"
Off Broadway
(Long Ramble About Danzig)
Cold Roses
Shakedown On 9th Street
I See Monsters

interestingly enough, just in reviewing this show, i'm sorta puckered out after the first set. it was def a long, AWESOME first set. i was in the poster room when i realized the second set had started, and of course, panicked. i'll list the second set here now, with the encore, then write how the songs went for me...

Set 2 (1:10)
~~~~~~
Rescue Blues
Dear John
Mockingbird
* New Song "Windowpane" ("Like Yesterday" is the name I've seen written)
Elizabeth
Pearls On A String
A Kiss Before I Go
Games
When The Stars Go Blue
Please Do Not Let Me Go
*New Song "Evergreen" (confirmed name as I've seen it written)
Two
Easy Plateau

rescue blues: great hearing the slyder (jon graboff) on the axe for this.

dear john: lovely & had a sicko neal solo.

mockingbird: omg. go easy is going to give mockingbird a run for its $$$ being my favorite tune, but i will ALWAYS always always love hearing this mantra of "Don't Give Up On Love". there was a new arrangement, as well, and it sounded THICK and ridiculous. esp for the first time hearing it. LOVE. nothing too diff or flashy, sorta subtly diff, but def diff. towards the end.

new track: can't really say, other than i did love all the new songs. some stuck with me more than others, i guess...there wasn't a new song that i was like, "Oooh, i don't like this..." but as always, there will be some that i like more than others and so far, i only know that i love GO EASY, evergreen, and cobwebs are fine. the other 2 are prob fine, too, i just can't remember them as well.

elizabeth: there was something interesting about this version...though i can't remember what it was! omg. it was either that there was no intro or no outro or something like that. silly me, it was a long show!!!

pearls on a string: a first-timer, whom i'd given easy tiger as a gift to, has a daughter named pearl, so i was excited they were playing this!

a kiss before i go: honestly, the fillmore was like a bliss bubble for me...i was just so happy to have that music in that room and to be there for it. cute!

games: i had wandered to the front left by now, and though this song is not normally a fave, i enjoyed the heck out of it @ the fillmore. "high & mellow, slow & steady..." ohh yeah...

when the stars go blue: pretty.

please do not let me go: at this point, the set had been super mellow for a bit, and was seeming to wind down, which was fine for me. again, pretty.

evergreen: i really love this new tune. good stuff.

two: loved this new version. a fave of one of my bestie's who was in town from the east coast, i was thrilled they were playing this.

easy plateau: what started as a fun romp, ended with a purging-style, hypnotic pleading ryan adams..."I want an easy plateau..." it was seriously so intense, not unlike the chicago HOB "What Sin" ending that happened in jan 07. it was almost a pain transfer, hearing him sing/scream this, but somehow, it falling on my ears with no judgment made me realize, that i too, want an easy plateau. sometimes exactly the way he was asking for it, even though it might not come out quite like that. thanks, ryan, for taking it to that level...it was almost shamanic. wild. i dunno. INTENSE.



Encore: (20 min)
Sweet Lil Gal
(Improv Song)
Nightbirds
*New Song "Catch Me" ("Cobwebs" is the name I've seen written)

sweet lil gal: amazing.

improv song: silly, something about asking the band to come back out.

nightbirds: i'll never forget this part of the show for as long as i live. i had a moment with a friend that ended in me on the ground, laughing so hard i could barely stand up. it was so weird, during this serious song...but i did enjoy it to pieces, and apparently, i really needed a good laugh.

cobwebs: "if i fall will you catch me?" ending with a new song~ bold move. good for them!!! what a long show...to go along with this long review!!!

oh yeah. i noticed right off the bat ryan has a new guitar. i don't know anything about guitars other than i'd never seen the one he had...and he used it often.



couple things to note: they used the backdrop from the summer/fall 07 tour, the starry night backdrop, which was GORGEOUS in the fillmore. the lights looked awesome, and there really was that float-y, twinkle in the air, bouncing off the chandeliers

as always, huge amts of gratitude to the cardinals & the cardinals crew, esp the fillmore, for hosting such a sweet night of music.

thanks to la cienega/katie for shootin' the vids*

setlist: courtesy of ryan adams archive
pixx courtesy of: To Be Young forum, (VIA Ryan Adams Archive)

"It's Alive"

thanks to ryan & his sweet sweet cohorts for making san francisco a shiny place to be this weekend*

THIS IS IT...

Spacewolf's first Cardinals show!!! Anaheim HOB, 9.08.06

Let me sing a song for you
That's never been sung before
All the words were meant for you
And never been said before
She kisses when she sleeps
She kisses when she's sleeping
Let me sing a song for you
A song that's worth the dreaming

Don't waste my time
This is it
This is really happening

What's the use in marigolds
These flowers are for you
All the lights go after burn
The sky it splits in two
I kiss her on her teeth
I kiss her on her teeth, hmm
Let me sing a song for you that alters your belief

Don't waste my time
This is it
This is really happening

July recap

I snapped this pic on a street wandering in venice beach.

I feel I sorta ended up doing a poor job recapping my July on here. Really, it was just so FULL. Briefly, from where I left off...

July 12: Big Light and Surprise Me Mr. Davis @ cafe du nord. got there for the last song of Big Light cuz I had popped in at the independent for a little New Mastersounds, but the Big Light song I heard was really cute. It was Gillian Welch's "Wrecking Ball", which they learned I guess earlier that day, cuz they were in Santa Cruz, which is referenced in the song.

The SMMD portion of the show was ridic, per UJ. Can't say enough great things about their shows, and songs. Seriously. When their new album comes out, you will not be able to get me to shut up about them. Hey...smoke 'em if you got 'em...

July 13: Big Light and Surprise Me Mr. Davis...AGAIN!!! This was your quintessential hippie Sunday afternoon party. So awesome. Seriously.

July 16: The Police @ Concord Pavilion...missed Elvis Costello (I know, shame on me) but had to get my bearings. This show LARGELY exceeded my expectations in a big way. It was AWESOME. I was so pleasantly surprised!!! Had heard the 07 shows weren't that great, so figured this wouldn't be either. But it was!!! Had the pleasure of making Mr. Copeland's acquaintance and he was really, really groovy. Great human, great drummer.

July 18: Big Light and The Mother Hips in Redwood City...FUN. Really cool room, the Little Fox. Big Light sounded great, and I sound like a broken record but I don't care, The Mother Hips are A M A Z I N G.

July 19: Download Festival @ Shoreline Amphitheater~ saw lots of new music that I enjoyed: The Whigs, Cut Copy (whom I had remembered from Coachella), Mute Math...those were the stand outs for me. Each of whom were REALLY great.

July 21: N*E*R*D @ the Fillmore...my friend Matt Iarrobino was doing lights for them, and WOW! He was really good at it!!! I hadn't really clued into the music before the show, so didn't know what to expect, and was very stoked I was there. The crowd was PUMPED!!! On a Monday night!!! Great show.

July 31: Chuck Gonzalez & Stereo Glitter opened for Big Light @ 12 Galaxies~ per UJ, yeah, Big Light AGAIN. Whatever, they are our local band and I LOVE their songs.

And thank Goddess, that wraps up July. Don't make me pick a fave*

symptoms/cause=SICK 'SAND'!!!

thanks to hidden track!!! that hour at APW is gonna fly by

Hidden Track - Trey Anastasio and Classic TAB: Sand from Hidden Track on Vimeo.

Hurts so bad, I guess

Bob Lefsetz is up to his old trixx. He just has no shame spewing whatever he feels like about the music industry. NO SHAME!!! No one is safe. I find it hilarious, somehow. I have his blog in my Google Reader, along with about 20 other blogs that I glance at every other day.

So when I read this particular post, and realized that John Mellencamp retorted about Lefsetz's comment, the whole thing just cracked me up. It sure is 2008!!!

link to original post:

LEFSETZ says:

"22. John Mellencamp "Life Death Love and Freedom:

Sales this week: 18,885
Percentage change: -30
Weeks on: 3
Cume: 102,219

Why does he look twelve on the cover?

Act your age. Unless you think you’re really gonna get Top Forty airplay and the little kids will understand. You want to be PART of your audience, not miles away. Mellencamp should be showing every line in his face, his history, just like his audience.

If your career is based on credibility, and Mellencamp’s was, don’t do a commercial. It undercuts your cred.

The star here is T-Bone Burnett. He should have his own label."


Comment by John Mellencamp | 2008/08/07 at 17:51:39

"I thought that you were a fan of music. Seems that a man of your age would have learned not to judge a book by the cover. Listen to the music, it shows every line and every scar.

As far as credibility goes, 23 albums, millions sold, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, etc. etc. etc…..35 years in the business. and for commercials, you mean no "cred" like Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, & U2?

You choose to sit behind your computer and have the illusion that you have an answer….leave your house sometime and get in the real world, the world of struggle, survival and longevity. Nothing is as it seems.

You are either for music or against it. So much negativity, how is that helping?

In the words of the great rock journalist, Timothy White "in the accomplishments of anyone there is real promise for everyone."

PS The one thing you have gotten right is that T Bone Burnett is a wonderful producer and gentleman."


I don't find either of them particularly right or wrong here. I'm just innocently amused by this for some reason. Carry on. I was even gonna put in a YOUTUBE, but every single one says "disabled by request". That's annoying, Mr. Mellencamp's camp.

Big Light

thanks to IODA PROMONET for kicking down the legal MP3's for you to have. this band, Big Light, has been the highlight of my summer. enjoy this track, then go buy the EP from somewhere or go see a show!!!
www.myspace.com/biglightband

Big Light
"Hard Knocks" (mp3)
from "Big Light"
(reapandsow, Inc.)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Rhapsody
Buy at Napster
Stream from Rhapsody
More On This Album

Desire

Song is from Ryan Adams 2002 album Demolition
Written by Ryan Adams
Performed here by The Cardinals, summer 2007, BBC4 (or somethin)

Lyrics:

Two hearts fading, like a flower.
And all this waiting, for the power.
For some answer, to this fire.
Sinking slowly. The water's higher.
Desire

With no secrets. No obsession.
This time I'm speeding with no direction.
Without a reason. What is this fire?
Burning slowly. My one and only.
Desire

You know me. You know my way in.
You just can't show me, but God I'm praying,
That you'll find me, and that you'll see me,
You're running and never tire.
Desire

new Cardinals dates

courtesy of www.ryanadamsarchive.com

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals

September 25, 2008 - Proctor's Theater - Schenectady, NY
Presale starts Wed, 07/30/08 at 10:00 AM EST and are ONLY available via phone. Call 518-473-1845 and reference the password SPACEWOLF
Public tickets go on sale to Sat, 08/02/08 10:00 AM EST. Can also order by calling 518-473-1845

September 26, 2008 - Landmark Theater - Syracuse, NY
Presale tickets available Thu, 07/31/08 10:00 AM EDT Password: SPACEWOLF
Public tickets on sale Fri, 08/01/08 10:00 AM EDT

September 27, 2008 - Auditorium Theater - Rochester, NY
Presale tickets available Thu, 07/31/08 10:00 AM EDT Password: SPACEWOLF
Public tickets on sale Fri, 08/01/08 10:00 AM EDT

September 29, 2008 - Palace Theatre - Columbus, OH
Presale tickets available Thu, 07/31/08 10:00 AM EDT Password: SPACEWOLF
Public tickets on sale Fri, 08/08/08 09:00 AM EDT

September 30, 2008 - Playhouse Square - Cleveland, OH
Presale tickets available Thu, 07/31/08 10:00 AM EDT Password: SPACEWOLF
Public tickets on sale Fri, 08/01/08 11:00 AM EDT

October 2, 2008 - Murat Theatre - Indianapolis, IN
Presale tickets available Thu, 07/31/08 10:00 AM EDT Password: SPACEWOLF
Public tickets on sale Fri, 08/15/08 10:00 AM EDT

October 3, 2008 - Fox Theater - St. Louis, MO
Presale tickets available Thu, 07/31/08 10:00 AM CST Password: SPACEWOLF
Public tickets on sale Fri, 08/08/08 10:00 AM CST

October 5, 2008 - Overture Hall - Madison, WI
Presale tickets available Thu, 07/31/08 10:00 AM CST Password: SPACEWOLF
Public tickets on sale Fri, 08/22/08 at 05:00 PM CST. Can also order by calling 608-258-4141

Beyond Beyond Excited

I'm just completely beside myself that Ryan Adams & The Cardinals are coming to SF again. And at the Fillmore, no less, a second home of sorts for me. It was at that last R.A. Fillmore show that the deal got sealed for me, so it's just gonna be really full circle to see him there again, with this ridiculously talented line up.

So that's it really. I've been on such a rampage lately, that I don't even know where to begin. So I'll begin with what I'm just fully pumped to the maxx about: Ryan Adams & The Cardinals at the Fillmore. Gosh, I hope these next few weeks FLY by, which they no doubt will...

pic by Jay Blakesberg, Herbst Theater, right around a year ago.

N*E*R*D @ the Fillmore

didn't know anything about them. got super schooled. hot show.

Traveling On A High Frequency

I stopped by Jay Blakesberg's studio one day in May. What I found was his latest project's progress: a massive book, Traveling On A High Frequency, archiving the last 30 years of Jay's concert/musician photography. For this book, he compiled a smattering of over 1200 photos beginning in 1978. My favorite statistic is that only about 45 were shot with his digi. I find that fascinating.

Seeing 300 or so pages of said book laid out on the floor of Jay's studio (amidst his finalizing the order they are now published in), I was *shocked* into taking this pic of him. Guess that's one interpretation of Traveling On A High Frequency. Wonder what the others are?

Here's the cover (Flaming Lips). There will be a book release party at The Independent in SF on November 11 for the west coasters. The east coast should get one on November 17, a night off during "The Other New York City Marathon", aka 2 week Phil and Friends Nokia run.

After seeing the mock-book that did end up going to production, the word of 2008 fully becomes present: WOW. You won't believe it when you see it. Major amts of High Frequency comin' outta that sucker. HERE for latest news

July 10: Gov't Mule and Ratdog

First time at the Performing Arts Center in San Jose, and it was nice! Sounded great in that room. Had never been to Mt. Winery in Saratoga, where the show was rescheduled from, but this was a very respectable second. I think. How would I really know?