Hellooo 2010!!!

What the heck is happening up in here, blogspot.com? I transferred my blog over to WordPress.com in December. I have total appreciation for blogger, I really do, but I have to admit that WordPress feels more "adult", and I don't say that just because they asked me what my "Gravatar" rating is (G, PG, R, X!)

I'm including a pic of my fun new friend Otis, whom I miss so so much! I had the privilege of hanging w Otis while his ?Dad? went away for the holidays. Got some serious, solid bro' time with Otis. I learned, on one of the first days walking him, that the Grateful Dead had a puppy/dog in their family named Otis. Apparently Bob Weir had a pooch named Otis and you can do a lil internetting to find out more about it.

Well, I'd like to make it official, that any bloggy-type posts will be made on my wordpress blog at: http://wonderpiece.wordpress.com/ Who knows what the flip will happen in 2010. Really looking forward to something being diff' about this year.

Big Light Tourdates

Big Light Tourdates

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"Just Like Crazy Otto..."

I figured this is as good of a place as any, to chat up my computer screen. It's a nice, newer friends birthday today. She's a deadhead so instead of just posting "happy birthday" to her on her FB wall, I dug up a Ramble On Rose.

I had also brewed up some DELICIOUS loose "Redwood Chai" along w some mango black tea (ultimately love the organic mango black tea but I haven't been able to find it in the city...only at Way of Life down in Santa Cruz. I used some honey in it that a dear friend gave me from the Santa Cruz area, as well: Pacific Crest Apiaries Raw Wildflower Honey. MAJOR YUM!

Got my haircut yesterday. A newer friend who I feel I've known for years has been doing my hair for the last year. It's always a ridiculous scene going to see him, because I'm trying to grow my hair back out, except he loves cutting short haircuts, and frankly, I love getting my hair cut short! So, it's really kinda stupid. Anyways, it had been forevz since he cut my hair, so it was def getting long...well, he was telling me how this haircut he was giving me was sorta like a "Joan Jett" cut...and I was like...alright. That's fine. He went on to tell me that he cut a Joan Jett wig for someone at Halloween, and also a David Bowie wig, too. By the time our cut was done, he said, about my hair, "Well, it's kinda in between the Joan Jett AND the Dave Bowie cuts!" WHAT?!!! Whatever, it's actually really cute. And the whole reason behind telling you this hair story is cuz with all the 80's energy swirling from getting my haircut, I'm now going to see KISS tonight!!! Again...WHAT?!!! Cracks me up...

Emerald Triangle - NorCal run

so i got word that neal casal was playing bass w some of his friends at the independent in SF...on monday, november 02. the only issue with this was that i was JUST going to be returning from my epic dash to the desert where phish pummeled me with EIGHT sets of music, including the set of a lifetime playing the rolling stones exile on main street. needless to say, i wasn't quite sure i would exactly be in the kind of shape to return and hit another show. but it was neal's birthday, so rallied and WOW! i was happy i did! the music of those 6 dudes was INCREDIBLE! just my style, of relaxed psychedelic alt-rock/country/jam type of songs. i loved it. plus, new young singer songwriter lauren shera opened the show, so that was nice, too. even though i could barely stand at the end of the night, the music DEF made my re-entry from phish's halloween festival bearable. read this review from SF Weekly here, since they say what i would if i could muster it out!

Reinvented, Redefined :: Phish 8

there were SO many choice moments during 8, mainly (pun intended) the HUGE highlight of phish + sharon jones & dapkings impeccably performing the rolling stones album 'exile on main street' in its entirety. jeez, i have so many favorite songs on that album, it was just too hard for me to pick my fave that they played that night (the list is something like: sweet black angel, sweet virginia, torn and freyed, LET IT LOOSE, shine a light, loving cup...see what i mean?!!!) so instead of picking one of those epic songs to youtube here, i'm throwing out the dark horse curveball fave "UNDERMIND". holy shit!!! i danced so hard w some newer friends...check this shit out!!!

Inara George - new release!

Inara George
"Accidental" (mp3)
from "Accidental Experimental"
(Everloving)

More On This Album


I discovered Inara George at the suggestion of a major music industry person in 2006, so I fell in love with All Rise. Inara George is the daughter of Lowell George, who may be familiar to you because of his classic (in every sense of the word) band, Little Feat. Inara George's new release is due out on Tuesday. I like her tunes. Inara George Oh yeah. She is also in that totally indie pop group, The Bird and the Bee, whom I also really like.

current trey interview

classic trey chatter about halloween, britney, & staying off the internet (his phone voice is pretty cute):

An Acoustic Evening with Tim Bluhm, Neal Casal & Fred Torphy :: October 8

Tim Bluhm is affectionately known in San Francisco for his major role in the California Soul rock band, The Mother Hips.

Neal Casal has charmed many in the U.K, Europe, & Japan regularly over the last two decades with his solo work, and has recently gained U.S. recognition with his role touring with Ryan Adams & The Cardinals.

Fred Torphy just wrapped Outside Lands & Wanderlust fronting his SF-based band Big Light.

These three exceptional singer-songwriters bring their solo tunes to the Make-Out Room for one special evening of acoustic music. Thank you for helping make it a night of music to remember.

$12, doors open at 7p, music begins at 7:30p sharp & will conclude by 9:30p.

About reapandsow>presents:
reapandsow>presents is a division of San Francisco-based digital music distribution company, reapandsow, inc. We book, produce and promote events in the SF bay area and beyond, including the Annual Golden Gate Gramble and the reapandsow Artist Showcase at South by Southwest 2009.

Big Rock Candy Mountain

Big Rock Candy Mountain
"Hey Kid Give Me Your Money" (mp3)
from "Big Rock Candy Mountain"
(reapandsow, Inc.)

More On This Album


definitely driving & rocking. we're pretty excited about this at reapandsow. check it out!

Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers

Nicki Bluhm
"Keep It Loose" (mp3)
from "Toby's Song"
(reapandsow, Inc.)

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


if you download this song "keep it loose", i think you will be humming it happily when you least expect it. if you like what you hear, you can purchase the whole album from any of the above links.

pretty nicki will be kickin down the grooves with the gramblers at the Great American Music Hall opening for Hot Buttered Rum on saturday, september 12 here in SF. photo cred to jay blakesberg.

New Radiohead

credit goes to NPR for the nudge on this alleged new Radiohead song (sounds like them, just hasn't been yet confirmed that its actually them)

phish-centric

can't help myself from posting some favorite phish pix of recent. credits go to a particularly vibrant & lucky phishhead, jeff kravitz. love these shots from the gorge, quincy, WA!

Oh! Sweet Nuthin'

easily the highlight of the show, phish throws a major bust-out into the second set at shoreline in mountain view on wednesday to save a rather mediocre show. don't get me wrong, it was amazing to be with so many friends all at one show (a tad overwhelming, frankly), but i was relatively uninspired until "stealing time from a faulty plan" which came late in the first set. its okay. it's not like i'm bailing on phish being one of my "go-to" bands. i def enjoyed most of the second set (wasn't thrilled with maze, but i'm not a maze fan in gen). either way, this vid is solid.


just for phun, thought i'd throw in the original cover, the only other time the band played this tune, over 10 years ago (WEIRD) in vegas for halloween. my girl & i dressed up as sammy sosa and mark mcguire that year. talk about PHUN* i love the line "...just like a cat she landed on her feet..."

Sonic Youth @ the Independent, SF, CA

this picture may not reflect how incredibly AWESOME sonic youth were last night at the independent. funny, i was flipping through this blog recently, since i've been posting more again on it, and saw the beck post that i made after seeing him last august at the independent, one of my favorite places to see music in SF. the intimacy of this 500 person club for these major performers is so incredibly seductive.

last night thurston moore shimmy'd out to an equipment case that was an extension of the stage during one song, and kim gordon was just RAWKING a gorgeous blue bass right in the faces of those in the front row. i was happily checking the show from upstairs. it was a stellar situation to walk into...knew about the gig, wanted to go, didn't get tix, forgot about the gig, then was reminded of it while at yoshi's, checking out "wild magnolia" from new orleans. yoshi's sf was cool, and i'm BEYOND excited to see everest there sept. 01. BEYOND!

i don't know the names of many sonic youth songs. but i WAS that typical fan that new the "hit" they saved for the middle encore, exprssway to yr skull. thx again to the people at another planet entertainment, and the kind folks at the indy. very grateful!

Phish Red Rocks 8.01.09 MOUND

wow

neal casal at pleasure point paradise spot

neat treat for the santa cruz locals in the newly renovated women's surf shop right off 41st avenue, paradise surf shop. pretty trippy seeing music in there, but the set up was great, and the sound didn't suck at all. ashley lloyd started the evening, neal belted out a GREAT set, complete with all his fancy, subtle guitar mastery and epic songwriting, followed by a passionate performance by carey ott. suffice it to say that i could not be happier that neal feels at home at The Point in santa cruz. its music to my ears!

Elbow on KCRW

i LOVE this band. from the brief intro, this is an incredible treat. can't believe they've been together for 18 years! that's not nothing!

hiss golden messenger...again

i'm so into this HGM album & i urge you to buy it from this link that i'm providing to the iTunes store. i wrote a geeky review for the sucker on iTunes (i've NEVER done that) and this is what i said:

not easy to review this complex yet simple sounding album. i keep coming up w all these polar opposite ways of describing it: timeless but contemporary, vintage yet current, seemingly "less is more"-sounding but full at the same time. i find myself enjoying this album more every time i hear it. love when that happens.



and i'll officially use that as a great intro to my new gig doing Artist Relations at reapandsow.com, a digital music distribution company based here in SF. i may never have heard this album if i wasn't working at reapandsow. or maybe it just would have taken me a longer time. either way, i'm beyond excited at this new opportunity to work so congruently with what has obviously been a passion of mine for as long as i can remember. i almost credit peter gabriel, back in 1993, when i saw him on the US tour. or secret world. or whatever it was called. that show blew me away. it wasn't long after that i started seeing ekoostik hookah in tiny little bars on the east side of cleveland, followed by phish, then the grateful dead...so that was really my trajectory. then lots more hookah and phish...until i smashed head first into ryan adams music...but i digress.

reapandsow is an awesome organization filled with passionate people who commit their lives to music. now i'm one of them. thx for being patient as my transition from being a Fashion Jewelry Designer sales rep clunkily landed me doing what i want to be doing: serving a purpose to both artists and fans by connecting the two. not unlike what i was doing before just a switch of atmosphere. yay!

hope you get to follow your dreams today...

Hiss Golden Messenger

GREAT album, great band, great tune...peep it!

"Hiss Golden Messenger, who dip a twig down into ontological anthills, nibbling at the crawling wisdom they pull up and spitting it out with sticky, effervescent insight. Born from under-sung S.F. great The Court and Spark, this now bicoastal aggregate is like a blue-eyed answer to Niyabinghi music, observing, "The truth is that we're here and then we're gone," yet still knotting their talented fingers into something celestial, folkloric and deep paired with a sparkling, enormously easy to like musical feel that draws freely from '60s English folk, Meddle era Pink Floyd, Jamaican strains, Winwood-esque pastoral jazz-rock and more."

Dennis Cook - 2009 -

Hiss Golden Messenger
"Watch Out for the Cannonball" (mp3)
from "Country Hai East Cotton"
(reapandsow, Inc.)

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

choice phish youtubes

i fell in love with phish in the fall of 1994. or maybe it was before that. i guess it was spring of 94, when i saw my first phish show. being in love with phish has been a roller coaster, to say the least. i don't know if its especially because i am beside myself to get to my first show in almost 5 years or if its because the way they are playing (based on the recordings i've heard) sounds pretty epic, or if its just a vibrational thing (i think its prob the latter) but i got inspired to poke around on youtube for phish 1994. i found this incredible documentary that has had me SMILING ear to ear while i've been watching it. i'm reminded of that fall tour that i saw many of these bluegrass acoustic songs for the first time, and the spirit and energy was just completely transformational!

i can't possibly describe the way i've been feeling lately about phish. i guess i've never quite been able to articulate it...me and every other phishhead that feels phish as a life-path. i'm newly inspired to love phish again. its time. so i punched in a favorite combo into the youtube search tonight: phish 1994. this is what i found...SO FUCKING GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!