Well, California is behind us as we just entered Oregon for tonight’s gig in Bend with the D. I’d like to revisit a taste of the last few days’ highs.

Jerry Sprinter in Oregon

First off, I’d like to give our tour manager Shades props for being strict on the departure time. Getting all the clowns roped in and ready to go is no easy task and for that I am grateful. If you’re in the band and reading this, get your ass up earlier to shower.
Before we leave California, let’s leave with this: I got to spend a few days with my sister Kim and her woman Amber.

Amber and Kim backstage in Oakland

They let me crash in their hotel room in Santa Barbara, crash in their home in Alameda, took care of me and overall got me away from the circus/clown car for awhile. In my last post I mentioned those moments you share and how sometimes only those that were there fully understand. I had one of those best moments ever with my sister when we were watching this 3-year-old girl in a dress chase the pigeons in Dolores Park in San Francisco. The girl was laughing and loving life, and I thought about when Kim and I (and my other sister Becky) were all young and now Beck has kids– the innocence. The few days I got to spend with sis and sis-in-law reminds me how much I miss them and how much they rule.

The Oakland show at the Fox Theater went well, and our friend JC Hall came. Always good to see that man, believe me. Early morning after the Oakland gig we played a Mutiny Radio show in the Mission. The piano there was tuned a half step sharp (higher), so I tuned my acoustic to the piano’s tuning.

Dean at Mutiny Radio

Something tells me the piano wasn’t the only thing higher that day. Dean had to transpose the key of each song on the fly in his head while playing sax. Dude did a great job.

Our day off was spent walking around the Mission. Kyle and I ate at a Salvadorian restaurant–Skip refused, instead he ate an 11 dollar club Sammy next door and came in our place after to complain about it.
And so tonight we’re back with the D, and tomorrow we hook up with the original Sights’ bass player, Mark Leahey, in Portland.

All the best,
Eddie

Current tour weight (unknown, kinda regret posting on day one without updating along the way)

PREVIOUSLY…

Photos by Shades

The Movement Electronic Music Festival continues on Sunday, so get ready for a long weekend of love and pulsing beats.

The action starts at noon, and artists appearing across the many stages include Carl Craig, Josh Wink, Public Enemy, Claude VonStroke, Malik Alston, Pirahnahead, MK aka Marc Kinchen, and Zed’s Dead.

Visit the Movement website for more info.

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Alright, it’s not like I’ve been purposely neglecting my diary duties. I just, y’know, got busy. I’d like to get current, let’s see how current we can get.
So we played the Whisky Tuesday night and it went very well.

The Sights

Before the gig we went to Lemmy‘s office, the Rainbow, on Sunset Strip. Lemmy wasn’t there, but there were a few Sunset Strip skeletons hovering around our dinner table. It was sorta weird, ‘cos I met Patrick from Alive Records (the label our last record came out on) for the first time. That wasn’t too weird, but there were people from the old label there as well. It’s like your ex is eating at the same table with you and your woman. The old label reminded me of when I threw pizza here last time. I don’t remember that, but I’ll take it. It was good to meet Patrick and see the old label people. It’s good to know we can still be friends, ‘cos I can hold a grudge. I should be better with that by now, I know.

Patrick and Eddie at the Rainbow

Wednesday was D-Day: Tenacious D day one. We loaded into the Santa Barbara Bowl early and found ourselves in the canteen. It hit my eyes first, then my nose, and finally found me: backstage catering. We eat, and eat and eat. Everyone working backstage is so nice, the weather is about 78 degrees, the food is endless, nobody is watching if I take too much, I’m not pocketing an extra coffee creamer (caramel of course) for later, and it is at this point I regret tracking my weight. You see, I’ve been surviving on peanuts, bread, bananas, and coffee. My diet before D-Day was a mix of Lord of the Flies berries meets Karen Carpenter scary. It’s not that I wasn’t gaining weight (I was), but I felt squirrelly in my scrappiness. I am a scrounger, I save and hoard in the van knowing I’ll use it later. Not only that, but some of the non D gigs can be rough. Small clubs, more characters. This is nothing new for me, I am used to that. But when you contrast that world (wormholes that see drunks drinking in shifts) to the D world, well this where life gets interesting.

I’ve done entire U.S. tours playing in rooms that hold no more than a big family party. But we’re doing those in between the D gigs, and so the differing gig schedule gives me balance, perspective. The sun shines on the D gigs, everyone is there to serve and smile. It’s great, the band and crew are a lot of fun, and everyone wants to know how they can help. If it was like this every night, though, I’d lose the creatures we’d meet along the way in the small clubs. It’s the education I get from those–either talking to them, or just watching them, that helps to fuel why I tour. You try to explain some of the things you see or people you meet, but it can be hard and sometimes the experience is best shared by looking across the table with whoever you’re with at that moment.

Soundchecking Santa Barbara Bowl

It fascinates me, this back and forth between the gutters and the golden gate. There I was, onstage at the Santa Barbara Bowl, and if I looked to my left, the ocean. Look straight and it’s a few thousand people. I was nervous that the voracious D fans would be leery of accepting us, but they’ve been very warm. Then the next night it’s back to some place with a weird smell and a soundman named “Smokey.”
Anyway, met KG and JB within a few minutes of arrival. Sweet dudes, and Jack made sure to let us know who his wife is. I am excited to play with a band whose show I can watch every night and have fun with. I’ve watched both night’s shows and they’re hilarious.

All the best,
Eddie

Current tour weight: unknown (really shoulda brought a scale; is there a Target around?)

PREVIOUSLY…

Photos by Shades

The Movement Electronic Music Festival starts on Saturday, so get ready for a long weekend of love and pulsing beats.

The action starts at noon, and artists appearing across the many stages include Mr. C, Roni Size, Pursuit Grooves, Daniel Andres, Mike Huckaby, Seth Troxler b@b Guy Gerber and Lil’ Louis.

Visit the Movement website for ticket info.

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"This driving shit sure gets in the way of my texting!"

Backstage at Tenacious D shows provides wonderful light for texting from your mobile phone.

Champion enjoys a bit of texting in the Arizona sun.

PREVIOUSLY…

Photos by Shades

On June 1, Patti Smith will perform live in the Detroit Film Theater with son, and in-demand guitar hero, Jackson Smith on guitar and daughter Jesse Smith on piano. Also joining Smith will be Detroit-based players James Simonson (bass), Joe Mazolla (guitar) and Eric Hoegemeyer (drums).

A statement says, “In conjunction with the DIA exhibition Patti Smith: Camera Solo, musician, artist and poet Patti Smith will perform a live concert in the Detroit Film Theatre… Smith will cover both her classic recordings as well as new work, and tickets will include admission to the museum and public opening of Camera Solo. Seating is by general admission, main floor and balcony. This is an all-ages show.(approximately 2 hours with intermission). Patti Smith: Camera Solo was organized by the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, Connecticut. In Detroit, the exhibition is supported by the City of Detroit.

Tickets are 25 on the main floor (or $22 for DIA members) and $18 on the balcony (or $15 for DIA members).

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Wayne State University will host a Literary Walk on Saturday, June 30. The event will feature a number of local authors reading from and talking about their work.

Of interest to City Slang is the music area, at the WSU Welcome Center from 2:00 p.m., not least because I’ll be there talking about MC5: Sonically Speaking and The Stooges: Head On. No apologies for the shameless self promotion.

In addition, Susan Whitall and Kevin John will be talking about their Little Willie John book (which is awesome, by the way).

Book from all of the authors will be available on the day. Other authors and speakers will include poet M.L. Liebler, Bill Harris, Terry Blackhawk and Jim Daniels.

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I am in a Starbucks on an iPad sitting across from Shades who is on his laptop. I am the guy I make fun of. Don’t tell anyone.

You know how you can think the world is so cruel? Well I’m pretty cynical, but I gotta say, our pal Rick Fusco is a true friend.

Rick Fusco

Fusco helped Eddie keep his faith in humanity.

Not only did he prepare kickass chicken fajitas, he has an Echo Park pad with the perfect lifestyle. The last time I left him (in Detroit) he had a short crop ‘do but now that he’s in California, well … Let’s just say he’s adopted the look of Jesus, or The Dude, or some lost Manson follower. May be that’s what happens to all the Detroit ex-pats once they move three hours to the left: they just get real gone. Maybe the dude’s crazy ( I’m endorsing the Manson theory). If that’s crazy then it’s I’ll take it ‘cos he hooked us up with his amp repair guy, fed us, and hung with us at the world famous Whisky the next night. It’s people like Fusco, people with character, who remind me the world is alright.

Fusco's Echo Park crib is a swell place for Dean to relax.

Kyle kickin' it Fusco style.

Jarrod enjoying some phone time at Fusco's.

After we left Rick’s we arrived at Burger Records for our gig. The Burger dudes were great too, and it was good to have sax man Dean thrown back into the mix. Kyle, Jarrod, Dean, and I rehearsed our harmonies in the van on the way up and I was feeling good about it. Everyone was so accommodating and nice about sharing parts. “Four part harmonies” and “nice”  in The Sights? I felt like we should’ve been wearing letter sweaters and calling ourselves Chip, Kip, Flip, and Sk…?

'One toke over the line sweet Fusco': Burger Records.

The funniest part about the Burger gig was the obvious stench of California reefer that enveloped the entire record store. The funny part wasn’t the stank, but rather the nervousness a few of the Burger dudes were about making sure the door was shut while bands played. Y’know, sound issues and all. I guess the laws are lax here …  like Fusco’s shaving routine. Thanks to Fusco and thanks to a Burger Records.

All the best,

Eddie

Current tour weight: unknown (but I bet last night’s Stouffer’s didn’t help)

PREVIOUSLY…

Photos by Shades

I know with the latest issue out everyone’s eyes (and ears) are peering (and bending) towards the big techno-trounced music festival MOVEMENT - soon to saturate Hart Plaza with dreamy/droney synths thrumming up your ear drums with hypnotic  felicity – and that’s not to mention the galaxy of characters flailing, juking, grinding and floating their way around the paved dance floors, an extra-terrestrial congress ripe for people-watching.

 But, …still, I thought you might dig on some of the tunes by hip-hop/electronica producer Jah Connery - He’s working on a number of new projects, including a new cassette of ambient, left-field hip-hop inspired / techno-deconstructionist musings, but this track is plucked from a previous work (the Killa Tape), in case you wanted to get acquainted. Just a sampling of some other sounds from Detroit’s working-class indie-musician underground, sounds you might not hear through the forthcoming glorious-storm of Movement.

Something else keep your ears open for, this week/weekend:

Moon Pool & Dead Band (the holy House-twisting union between Wolf Eyes’ Nate Young and SSM/Sights’ Dave Shettler ) will perform a improvised set of meditative/stormy, contemplative/dark-dance dissertations utilizing analog synths and an electic array of percussive elements at the Detroit Institute of Arts on Friday on 7pm -which leads into a screening of a documentary on noise-pop/art-rock icon Genesis P Orridge (of Throbbing Gristle) The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye (view trailer)

Dig in: Moon Pool and Dead Band - “Rare Tears”

More MP&DB sounds and news here.

Legendary Detroit label Strata Records is being honored at the Scion iQ Project Museum, an online archive of creative culture.

“The Strata Records exhibit takes us on a tour of the Detroit art gallery, music venue and record label started by trumpeter Charles Moore and pianist Kenny Cox in the late 1960s. Motown had already relocated to Los Angeles, but back in Detroit, something heady, funky and downright revolutionary was brewing. That “something” was Strata, a magnetic center for the Detroit jazz scene as well as a destination for heavyweight musicians like Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman, Elvin Jones, and Herbie Hancock when they came through town.”

The Strata exhibit includes entries by John Sinclair and Stanley Cowell, as well as a Stratamedia Newsletter. The iQ Project Museum will be formatted for both computers and mobile devices. New content will be added as the iQ Project Museum evolves.

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