Posts Tagged ‘Live Music’

A Night of Music at SUB-Mission in San Francisco

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

Sitting on the pot, taking a shot at SUB-Mission in San Francisco

Sitting on the pot, taking a shot at SUB-Mission in San Francisco

A few weeks ago I went on a road trip to San Francisco. It was great to get away and hang out with my brother.

We visitied a new club called SUB-Mission and had a rip-roaring good time.

As the bands (Skitzo/Savage Machine/Farticus/Cretacious/Fluff Grrlz) spewed out their version of 80’s hardcore metal/punk, and as guys and gals stood watching with their arms crossed and heads bobbing, I pranced around in the audience, pink flower in hair trying to nudge people into action.

The highlight of the night is when I was running around in circles creating my own mosh pit and the singer from Farticus basically jumped me. The two off us were locked tight, she was singing, I was holding her and time stood still as I thought to myself, “holy crap, what do I do now?”

What I did was set the singer back on stage and go on about the business of actin’ a fool. The next day, as my brother and I recounted the evenings events, I said, “now that’s life…THAT is living in the moment.” I can guarantee you, it will never happen again.

Evidently, someone caught my insanity on video. I’m the blur that you see going by during the video and the one who the singer, Vag jumps on at about 1:56. I’m not sure if I’m proud or humiliated but one thing is for darn sure, I had fun!

So get out of the darn house once in a while and have some fun. If you’re in San Francisco, check out SUB-Mission. It’s located in the Mission District and the SUB stands for: Strength, Unity, Brotherhood.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Authenticity, Community Activism, Feminism, Live Music, Music Notes, Punk Rock, You Tube | 2 Comments »

A Week of Tongue in Cheek: Chlamydia’s Not a Flower

Thursday, January 29th, 2009

Maybe my humor has gone a little far South this weekend. I did make 665 1/2 the Song of the Week and I wrote an article about Shitting Glitter, but this is a year of breaking free from self-imposed limitations so pooh on you.

Eva Brontosaurus
I could not contain my laughter on Thursday night when I saw comedy troupe Eva Brontosaurus at DiPiazza’s. They sang about STD’s and excrement the way Donny and Marie sing about country and rock and roll.

eva_brontosaurus1Somehow they were able to stage it so that songs about diseases and body fluids were funny. I guess it starts with the choice of wardrobe.

I shot this photo before they went on stage, they were already making fun of themselves then. (Unfortunately, I didn’t capture the shiny red patent leather pumps the singer was wearing, that was like the cherry on top of the hot fudge sundae).

Later, when they began singing love ballads about blood and urine and feces with perfectly serious faces, I began to bust out. Theatrically they are like a bad high school drama team. Think Molly Shannon as “Superstar” from Saturday Night Live.

View the complete photo gallery at Michael Zampelli.com

Check out their MySpace page to find out when Eva Brontosaurus is performing again.

Apple iTunes

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Authenticity, Comedy, Live Music, Music Notes, Photography, Strobist, You Tube | No Comments »

Song of the Week – 1-27-09 – 665 1/2 by Rosemary’s Billygoat

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

Who knew you could have a sense of humor about Satan? Well, Rosemary’s Billygoat doesn’t seem to take the devil too seriously at all. Watch the video and read the lyrics and just see if 665 1/2 won’t make you laugh. I dare you.

Here’s a little sample of the lyrics:

Well ever since I was born,
I’ve been growing horns
I eat Christians for breakfast
Pentacostals for lunch
and then you come along
and I got me a hunch

you think you’re evil
don’t make me laugh
At best, you’re a 665 1/2

You can listen to the studio version of the song here:

This band was the halftime entertainment at the Saturday Roller Derby bout at the Doll Factory in Los Angeles. Michael Zampelli was there to document the evening on behalf of LAist.com.

Rosemary's Billygoat

To see the entire photo gallery, go to michaelzampelli.com.

Apple iTunes

The song of the week is brought to you by Michael Zampelli, former owner of Southern California punk rock icon, Zed Records. For almost 30 years, this mecca of punk and alternative music kept Southern California enthusiasts adequately supplied with unique, original and innovative music.

Currently, Zampelli manages a hockey fan message boards at www.letsgokings.com with thousands of subscribers. He takes photos for the LAist and the LA Derby Dolls. Each week he will contribute a song with a theme, a message and a beat. Enjoy and stay tuned.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Authenticity, Behavioral Learning Theory, Community Activism, Live Music, Music Notes, Politics, Public Speaking, Punk Rock, Rock, Social Awareness, Song Lyrics, Song of the Week, Soul, You Tube, iTunes Music | 1 Comment »

Obscurity is Rewarding – Find Something Rare and Get Happy

Saturday, December 27th, 2008

Today I returned from a visit in Austin TX to my life in Long Beach, CA. I am inspired to scour my bathroom clean and hook up a turntable. It started with a lighter that reminded me of the song 99 cent lighter(featuring WILL.i.am of the black eyed peas) by Blood of Abraham, which I only have on vinyl. I became obsessed with hearing it. Thus the quest to put the right audio input to the into the amplifier and get the speakers hooked up correctly.

Alas, there is a reward at the end of the quest. I am listening to 99 cent lighter on vinyl now and it is a visceral treat. Which reminds me of my week in Austin and seeing Gayle Gold and Criminal Tower live. I got excited, blogged about it, then shot e-mails and MySpace messages to musicians and promoters.

Deena Odelle (Gayle Gold singer, writer and artistic-type) is passionate about her work like I am so she sent me a great e-mail with detailed info about her band members and their musicial backgrounds. It’s really fascinating so I want to share with you what she wrote me. If you want to see photos and video from the show, go to the previous blog. Here’s a picture of me with the band…it’s becoming a tradition to get these photos whenever I can.

Note from Deena: Hey great! very fun. You’re awesome. Next time I’m in Cali I’m gonna email you and see what good music is going down.

Just so you know (if you want more juice) though (Gayle Gold) is a new band, all the band members are already known for other projects. Here’s some background on us that might give you more insight:

Sam V. (guitar) is the main song writer. He is also Gary Barftits recently (mentioned in the Austinist) who just came out with an album called Good One, Cheryl on Instincto Records.

Chad Allen: (synthesizer) was in Oblong Boys and Zom Zoms. He also founded Low Red Center. Low Red Center also just came out with an album that’s #3 on the KVRX Charts!!!

Winston Reed Chapman (drums) is a former member of Austin indy-pop sensation Belaire and just formed a group called Bob & Barbara, who already have been signed to Business Deal Records.

And I’m the woman behind Nanobangbang- a variety show that’s worked with over 10 local musicans. I’m also in Low Red Center and so is Sam Gary.

Phew!!!! Also, if you want some musical comparisions– Gayle Gold is influenced by Frank Zappa, Fred Frith, LiLiPUT, and Pataphysics.

OK hope that’s some good leads and info for you!


Frank Zappa – You Are What You Is is available on iTunes. Watch the YouTube Video here.

In my opinion, connecting with people and their stories and influences is what life is all about. It is fascinating to me the series of events that lead us to where we are in life. I feel like we miss some of that when all of our information and interaction comes from the mass media or a select group of co-workers or family members. For me, getting back into live music has provided that charge that makes life enjoyable, flavorable and interesting again. The music scene is very happening and vibrant. Get out there and experience it even if you just start by visiting some MySpace pages or buying something unusual on iTunes.

P.S. Most of the links above go to MySpace or iTunes so you can check out the music for yourself. Happy clicking.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Authenticity, Electronic and Dance Music, Live Music, Music Notes, Photography, Punk Rock, Relationships | No Comments »

Austin Underground Music the Eve before Christmas Eve 2008

Thursday, December 25th, 2008

Gayle Gold live at The Parlor in Austin TexasSure, Austin Texas is a musical mecca with a vibrant night life but let’s face it, everything slows down as it gets closer to Christmas. Lucky for me and my brother Matt, we were able to catch one live music show during our Christmas visit.

After scouring the list of gigs on Austin Chronicle and visiting dozens of MySpace pages, we decided to check out a show at The Parlor. It wasn’t on Sixth Street, where I’m told most night life takes place but it was in a strip of town that seemed to be dedicated to a DIY way of life. No corporate chains nearby that I could see, only a series of arty, alternative looking stores with neon signs.

The Parlor is actually a pizza joint by day. They clear some tables at night to make way for the bands. The space between the bands and the audience is a tiny walkway to allow patrons to slip past the band to the counter where they can buy pizza and beer. The live music shows are always free and all ages.

I snapped a few photos and some bits of video with my early X-mas gift, the Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS. Although I have 5 videos total on my YouTube channel, I want to show you this one so you can see the people walking past the band to get inside. Since the entry way is right next to the “stage”, there really is no other choice. Here’s a video sample of Criminal Tower playing their song Chinese Kids on Crack.

A couple of notes of interest about Criminal Tower. The band is comprised of two young men ages 16 and 17 years old and this was their second live show ever. Personally, I’m impressed by their drumming skills and sense of humor. You can see more snippets of video including their songs Megatropolis in the Fourth Dimension and The Pregnant Cowboy over at YouTube.

Deena Odelle of Gayle Gold www.deenaodellehyatt.comGayle Gold is the other band we saw. What a pleasant surprise that was. At the time of writing this article Gayle Gold doesn’t have a MySpace page so we really had no idea what we were in for. I asked the singer, Deena Odelle if she was influenced by the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s perfomance style because she reminded me a bit of Karen O. She admitted that she likes the music but had never seen a live performance.

I don’t mean to pigeon hole the sound as Yeah Yeah Yeah’s because it’s not. In fact, I’m not sure I can pigeon hole it as anything. I did manage to shoot a couple of short videos of their performance. Here’s a sample:

Though you can’t see it here on these videos, the singer did from time to time writhe and crawl on the floor, hence the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s reference.

The name Gayle Gold was inspired by a band member’s ex-girlfriend. Most every song had a food tie-in and band members wore special 1/2 and 1/2 shirts made just for the evening.

The Parlor is located at 100-B E. North Loop, Austin TX 78751. You can find out more about their upcoming shows by visiting their MySpace page.

P.S. I didn’t have any pizza because I had just come from a family gathering where I pretty much chowed down. The pizza looked great and at least some of the choices on the menu were vegan-friendly.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Live Music, Music Notes, Punk Rock, You Tube | 1 Comment »

Song of the Week – 12-23-08 – I Can’t Stop Partying by Rivers Cuomo

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008

Happy Holidays. Party safely and enjoy some live music if you can.

The song of the week is brought to you by Michael Zampelli, former owner of Southern California punk rock icon, Zed Records. For almost 30 years, this mecca of punk and alternative music kept Southern California enthusiasts adequately supplied with unique, original and innovative music.

Currently, Zampelli manages a hockey fan message boards at www.letsgokings.com with thousands of subscribers. He takes photos for the LAist and the LA Derby Dolls. Each week he will contribute a song with a theme, a message and a beat. Enjoy and stay tuned.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Live Music, Music Notes, Rock, Videos | 2 Comments »

Live Music and a Little Long Beach for You

Thursday, December 18th, 2008

I oughta be ashamed of myself. As much as I love music and I’m always going on and on about it, I am occassionally 100% guilty of walking right past a street performer without so much as a glance in their direction. In fact, sometimes I get extra stiff because heaven forbid, they might need money. How dare they need money. I need money and it’s so awkward to say no.

Well, tonight two things happenend within 5 minutes of each other and it opened my heart to street performers once again. First, I clicked on a YouTube link in an e-mail from my friend Dr. Marjorie and it had this video in it. It’s all these amazing street performers from all corners of the world performing Stand By Me. (By the way, Seal just released a new album with Stand By Me on it, you might want to check it out if you’re into classic soul and Motown kind of stuff).

Not 5 minutes later, my husband urged me to come outside. “Listen, it’s real live carolers” he said. So, I went to check it out and to take it a step further, I went across the street to take their picture and guess what? They sang a song for me and only me. They even took requests. I asked for Silent Night. Here they are tuning themselves up to “play” it.

The Cal State Long Beach choir prepares to sing Silent Night acapella near La Parolaccia

It was amazing and a little awkward to have all these people singing just for me but I opened my arms, smiled and said thank you. It felt good. After they sang for me they went to La Parolaccia restaurant. One of the best places for Italian food in Long Beach.

Here they are actually singing silent night.

Choir from Cal State Long Beach sings Silent Night near La Parolaccia Restaurant

I guess this is a wake up call for me to remember to enjoy my surroundings and give a little acknowledgement to the street musicians. I could tell by the looks on the faces in this group that they truly received joy from singing to people so it’s a win, win if you pay attention and give a smile once in a while. I needed to remember that.

P.S. Although I asked the group where they were from, I have now forgotten but I know they were affiliated with Cal State Long Beach. If you know the name, will you post it here please? Thank you.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Ambient, Authenticity, Community Activism, Electronic and Dance Music, Gospel, Hip Hop, Live Music, Music Notes, Politics, Public Speaking, Reggae/Ska, Rock, Social Awareness, You Tube | No Comments »

Rivers Cuomo in Long Beach – Front Page News

Monday, December 1st, 2008

It just keeps getting better. I didn’t realize it but the Rivers Cuomo hootenanny in Long Beach was front page news and I was right alongside Press Telegram staffers soaking it all in (my story appears on LAist.com).

Spin magazine was also in the house. They have a short video and write up on their site and plan to have a complete video sometime later today. While searching Google, I discovered my name is even on USA Today.com (they linked to the Gothamist feed).

Even though I know it’s not about me, it’s fun to be a part of history in the making. Plus, thanks to the Internet I can actually watch the process unfold from various points around the world while sitting at the kitchen table listening to my copy of Alone II – The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo. Buy it today on iTunes.

Photobucket

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Live Music, Music Notes, Rock | 1 Comment »