It’s not unusual…

I love The Mavericks. Raul Malo is one of my favorite singers. The guy can belt. I think that he’s teetering on the precipice of cheese with this one, but they pull it off. Tom Jones, eat your heart out!

Over the falls…

Primus. Hmmm. I’m not sure what I think about Primus. I think they’re definately a one-trick-pony, but I do find myself drawn into their ‘schtick’ sometimes. It can be damn funny. I think Les Claypool is a great bass player, but again, it’s just too much of the same thing throughout most of their songs.

Except for Over The Falls.

I love the look of the video because it meshes perfectly with their ‘bent’ take on things.

Rockin’the United Center part 2…

So an earlier post chronicled one of our bands evenings playing as pre-game entertainment for a Chicago Bulls basketball game at the United Center. Well, we played again and, well, of course… there’s another ‘story’,

We played the job and it went without a hitch. I must admit, it’s a fun job. A few days after we played, I was talking on the phone with my daughter’s new teacher. I had only met her once before at Curriculum Night and I had only really talked to her about my daughter.

So, out of the blue, she asks me how my band is doing? I was a little shocked to hear that come up since I’m not in the habit of telling anyone I’m in a band the first time I meet them, but I figured my daughter had said to her… my daddy is in a band or something like that. But the teacher says… “hey, I saw you at the Bull’s Game.” “Wow… how come you didn’t stop and say howdy”? She says she was at home, grading papers, watching the game on TV with her husband, and when they broke for a commercial, she saw a band playing in the hallway… “Hey, that’s Xxx’s dad, that’s Xxx’s dad!” They were showing us play on the WGN superstation! YESSSS!

How cool is that? Made my day!

What the hell is a Jawa….

Okay, I really don’t like Kevin Spacey all that much. Yeah, he was Verbal Kint/Keyser Soze, but anything else… well… eh. I remember seeing him host Saturday Night Live a while back and he did these impressions. Not the typical ones and they were pretty darn funny.

and

Don’t Taze Me Bro…

I knew this was coming. Just a matter of time. And it makes me laugh!!!

I love Christmas…

Okay. I could get into a whole big ole’ discussion on what’s coming up, but you’ll just have to watch this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PMoXHP4ko4

Back when my band was making it’s first CD, we would gather at my friend Andrew’s studio and during downtime and such, we would hit the TV. Hard. So hard in fact, that Andrew found this… the Junior Christian Science Bible Lesson Show… a weekly L.A.-based cable access show. We would watch these and we would be rolling on the floor. Oh. My. God. You can do some searches for more of his videos (the 20 minute space alien/christian doctrine one is a fave) over the net.

This video features one of his ‘guest hosts’ (one of our favorites), but the genius behind the show is David Nkrumah Liebe Hart. He’s the puppeteer (who’s head and hands you can plainly see working the puppets), writer and voice of the puppets.

TV as it was meant to be!

The Ditty Bops…

What’s better than a musical duo that performs an eclectic mixture of of folk, bluegrass, blues, western swing, ragtime and a bit of vaudville? Well, a couple of hot chicks that perform an eclectic mixture of of folk, bluegrass, blues, western swing, ragtime and a bit of vaudville… that’s what!

My new, most favoritest band is The Ditty Bops. Okay, so they both “swing the other way”, if you know what I mean, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have a crush on the tall one, right? Check out this video for “Wishful Thinking”. A well crafted song with a great melody and a video that’s funnier than hell!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkEaDXpqF4U  Last year they did a cross-country tour on bikes! They also had a 22-part cable access show in 2005. Very funny and quirky. Harmonies (and legs) for days. How can you miss!

Bass porn…

While I can (and have) spent time in front of the computer finding ways to make sure I will not pass go, collect $200 and will surely go straight to hell, I have spent an equal amount of time with bass porn. I can sit for hours and ‘ogle’ basses… especial hollowbody basses. To me, there is nothing so artistically scrumptious or aesthetically pleasing as a well designed bass guitar. Being a bass player, I may be a bit biased.

I ‘think’ I have found my holy grail. This is a “Landscape” ARB204 model. It’s manufactured in Japan by Quest International. Solid spruce top, flamed maple back (ooooh), a beautiful antique sunburst finish (unngghh)… purfled edge (grrrkk).  Damn, I need a cigarette.

Converting yen to US dollars just made my head spin, so I’m just waiting (stalking) their website. While they have distributors in France and Canada (umm, that doesn’t help ME!!!) I’ve yet to see a U.S. distributor. But when they do… I think I’ll have to sell the car and one of my kids!!!

Brunettes are evil…

At least that is what I learned growing up watching TV in the 60′s. Yup. Evil. No two ways about it. And to prove it… here are my favorite ‘evil’ twins from the 60′s.

Evil Jeannie.
Good blonde Jeannie’s evil twin sister named… umm, er… Jeannie’s sister. Wow. So evil she didn’t deserve her own name. Now THAT’S evil. Personally, I didn’t like her all that much. She was actually really mean. Vindictive. A real jerk to her sister. Evil Jeannie would probably be a real good time out on the town… until she cooked you and ate you or something equally nasty.

Morticia Adams.
You see, she WAS the evil twin. Ophelia Frump was her sister and Ophelia was the blonde ‘good’ one. Ophelia was a nut case, and probably should have been institutionalized. Morticia was the bad one. Well… never really too bad, just, in my opinion, a bit psychotic. While the dress was interesting, that whole queen of the dead thing never really peaked my interest. She always seemed like she’d want to bring Gomez along for some hi-jinx. Nope… she missed the evil brunette seat on the bus and went straight to ‘crazy goth brunette” on the bench. Kinda like you’d picture Elvira’s mom.

And the winner is…

Cousin Serena.
Samantha Stephens’ smokin’ hot, party girl cousin. Wow. Now that’s what evil was all about. You can’t tell me she wasn’t a great night out. That was an ‘evil twin’ who knew how to throw down a good time. All she ever really wanted to do was loosen up her dry, drab cousin. Samantha really needed a good time too… being married to Durwood/Dumbo/Doofus and all. Lot’s of feather boas, mini skirts and that crazy mole. That’s what evil was all about.

Dishonerable Mention.
Now, my buddy Steve threw in Jethro/Jethrine Bodine from the Beverly Hillbillies, so I thought I’d mention it here. Not that Jethrine was brunette, evil or really even a woman, but the thought and concept was creepy enough to be mentioned. Steve, you are in your genius!!

Sword Swallowing, or my epiglottis tickles…

Now there’s an interesting skill set. How does that switch in your brain get flicked to the ‘on’ position? Do you get an itch in your Esophageal Sphincter and, well, hell… guess there’s only one way to ‘scratch’ it? Huh?? When your chosen profession relegates you to a job description of “blade glommer’ or “steel slurper”, are you really “being all you can be”?I can see some of these sideshow professions being useful… fire breathing for instance. Hey, that’s a workable skill… make him a bouncer at a bar. Perfect! But a sword swallower? When does that come in handy?  Maybe if you’re at a party and someone bursts in and yells, “Quick, somebody hide this sword!”. Boom, your time to shine!  Gulp! TaaDaaaaa….

Nope… if my esophagus starts to itch, I’ll use the old, tried and true method. Sit on some cheese and swallow a mouse.