Stephen Tow's Blog, page 3

The Course

So last Spring (2017), I put together a course on “Classic Rock,” which covered the 1963-73 era. Since apparently it went so well, my boss at Del Val decided to expand it to a full three credits to cover the entirety of rock n roll history. I figure I’d begin in the 1920s with early recorded blues and country and move it forward until the 1990s. I think after that rock n roll as we know it ceased to become a major cultural force. (And no, I’m not one of those old people who talks about how much better things were “back then.” It’s just that rock n roll used to be a major cultural rallying point for young people. Nowadays, it’s around, but it doesn’t drive or at least participate in culture the way it used to.)

Putting it together, I decided to focus on one era or genre each week…like one week we’ll do 1950s rock and one week will be British post-punk. Mondays will be lecture-oriented, to provide context to the students for each area we cover. Wednesdays will be entirely discussion, where the students get to talk about songs they were assigned to listen to and write about for that week.

Given that I’ve been writing about music for quite some time and have made a few contacts, the course will also feature guest speakers interacting with the students via Skype. Two of the speakers will visit us in person. To see more details about the course, a syllabus will follow. I will post an update each week.

Course Syllabus: Critical Issues in American History

(i.e., Rock n Roll history)

Delaware Valley University

(LA 4116, Section 201)

Spring 2018

Classroom: Feldman 102

Meeting Times: M/W 12:15 – 1:30 pm

 

Instructor:  Stephen Tow
Phone: xxx-xxx-xxxx (cell)


Email: xxx@xxxx.com.

 
Office Hours: T/R, 11 am – Noon (#Pub); and by appointment

 

Text: None! I will provide notes for you in class. That should make you happy.

 

Course Description: This course is a combination music appreciation and music history class. We’ll begin with pre-World War II blues and country and work our way through the many varied eras of rock n roll up through the early ’90s.

 

Course Objective: I want you to understand and appreciate the context of the music in addition to just learning about its history. My ultimate goal is to help set you on a lifetime of exploring and discovering music. Most of us get to a certain age, maybe start a family, and continue to listen to the same music we first heard in high school. The new stuff is “terrible,” and “things were so much better back then.” Trust me, you will be tempted to fall into this trap. Don’t do it! There will always be talented people creating incredible music. It may be harder to find, but it’ll be out there. And I don’t care where you end up musically. For example, if because of this course, you get into Ornette Coleman and Miles Davis, then I’ve done my job.

 

Evaluation:

 

Class attendance/participation (30%)
Song reactions (55%)
Guest speaker questions (15%)

 

Class attendance/participation

 

This is an upper-level course. That means you will be expected to show up prepared and motivated to discuss each week’s topics. Your consistent attendance and participation are an easy way to get a free 30% of the grade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Song Reactions (SR)

 

Each week you will receive a list of songs to listen and offer your reactions to. You will be expected to offer insightful analysis beyond, “I liked it” or “It sucked.” Further direction will be provided with these assignments up on Blackboard.

 

Guest speaker questions

 

For the guest speakers, you are expected to have at least five questions prepared to ask them. They must be thoughtful. In other words, you have to go beyond queries like “Where were you born?” which anyone can Google. You will be required to email your questions to xxx@xxxx.com by the morning of the relevant speaker’s class appearance. In addition, I will ask you to listen to certain songs before each guest speaking date. The song lists are on Blackboard.

 

The following musicians have agreed to chat with us (in order of appearance):

 

Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull

 

Ian is a founding member and the visionary behind Jethro Tull, formed in 1968 in London. Initially part of the late ’60s London blues boom, Tull quickly transitioned into what would become their signature sound: combining elements of British folk music with progressive rock. Ian’s distinctive vocals, flute playing, and flamboyant performances would make Tull a unique voice in rock n roll’s annals.

 

Chad Channing, Nirvana

 

Chad was Nirvana’s first “real” drummer, when he joined the band in 1988. He played their first Seattle show, in April 1988, to about 10 people at the Central Tavern. Chad toured with the band in America and Europe and is featured on Nirvana’s first album, Bleach, which came out in 1989. He also played on some of the demos for Nevermind, but left the band and was replaced by Dave Grohl for the final sessions.

 

Since Nirvana, Chad has worked on a number of projects including two albums by Before Cars, in which he plays a bunch of instruments on. Mostly he sings and plays guitar. Before Cars sounds nothing like Nirvana…Chad terms it “alternative folk.” Before Cars’ second record, How We Run, was released in 2014, and is a classic (in my opinion.)

 

Roger McGuinn, the Byrds

 

Roger is the legendary founding member of the Byrds, who helped create the Southern California folk/rock sound of the ’60s, featuring his distinctive 12-string Rickenbacker guitar. The Byrds also brought country music back into rock with their 1968 effort, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, beating out their contemporaries Flying Burrito Brothers and Eagles.

 

Terry Marshall, Marshall Amplification

 

Terry, along with his parents, a few engineers, and a handful of guitar players (Pete Townshend of the Who, Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple, and Eric Clapton) started the Marshall amplification company out of a small instrument shop in West London in the early 1960s. Prior to Marshall’s ascent, the only amps available for rock guitarists came from the Vox Company of England or America’s Fender. The Voxes, (you see them in early Beatles and Stones set-ups) were not powerful enough for the increasingly larger venues and the Fenders were too expensive.

 

So the Marshalls set about creating an inexpensive amplifier, using the musicians as guides for the sounds they wanted. Because the Marshall amps were musician driven, they became increasingly popular. By the latter 1960s, everyone from the Who, Led Zeppelin, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience were using them and they became the standard bearer and the sound of rock n roll.

 

Judy Dyble, Fairport Convention

 

Judy was the original lead singer for Fairport Convention, a band formed in London in 1967. Initially labeled the “British Jefferson Airplane” (Judy hates that description, by the way), the band quickly displayed its appetite for musical creativity, eventually becoming pioneers for combining traditional English music with contemporary rock.

 

In 1969, Judy teamed up with Them’s Jackie McAuley (Them’s front man was Van Morrison) to form Trader Horne, which released one record, Morning Way, in 1970. Despite that band’s brief existence, the audience was vast. Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant counted himself a fan.

 

Judy recently embarked on a solo career and continues to make music to this day.

 

Lenny Kaye, Patti Smith Group

 

The Patti Smith Group was an early pioneer of the New York punk rock scene. Lenny’s guitar work perfectly juxtaposed with Smith’s poetic lyrics. Beyond that, Lenny has been a key figure in a number of areas including production and music journalism. He also compiled Nuggets, the seminal sampler record of 1960s garage rock and psychedelia. Since he lives fairly close by, Lenny will visit us in person. He is a one-person rock encyclopedia. You had better appreciate him. No pressure, though.

 

Rob Morgan, the Squirrels

 

Who are the Squirrels, you might ask? To understand that Seattle band, you must begin with Rob Morgan. And before we go any further, let me share a little story about Rob with you.

 

A few years back, I took my wife and daughter to Seattle for vacation. We met up with Rob for breakfast at a local diner. The ladies got their own table, so Rob and I could talk about Seattle music. After breakfast, we all met outside and started to chat. I braced myself as my two worlds were about to collide: family man world vs. Seattle punk rock world.

 

My daughter, who was 11 at the time, looked up at Rob and said, “We have a dog. She’s a black lab named Coco.” “I’m afraid of dogs,” Rob deadpanned, “but I like tarantulas.” That prompted a look of disbelief from the ladies.

 

Rob’s band, the Squirrels, is indescribable. They are a comedy mash-up punk rock group. What other band in the world would think of combining the lyrics of “Black Sabbath” with the music of “Silent Night?” They also put out a parody of the Pink Floyd classic album The Dark Side of the Moon called The Not-So Bright Side of the Moon. Rob is opinionated, crotchety, brilliant, and funny as hell. He, along with a few other self-described weirdos, created the Seattle punk rock scene in the late ’70s. During my Seattle book launch in 2011, he was included as part of a panel of musicians at a local bookstore. He had the entire audience, including the bookstore rep, in stiches as he stole the show.

 

Kevin Whitworth, Love Battery

 

Love Battery is one of the best Seattle grunge era bands. Unlike their peers, the band introduced melodic psychedelia into the mix. Their 1992 Sub Pop album, Dayglo, is a classic. Love Battery features the swirling twin guitar attack of Kevin and Ron Rudzitis.

 

Rogers Stevens, Blind Melon

 

Rogers is a founding member of Blind Melon, who made a name for themselves during the early ’90s alternative explosion. Instead of following the sludgy riffs of Soundgarden and Alice in Chains, however, Blind Melon featured a kind of a hippie aesthetic, sort of a groovier version of Led Zeppelin. The band’s first self-titled record, released in 1992, became enormous on the strength of the classic “No Rain,” although the rest of the record sounds nothing like it. The band fell apart after lead singer Shannon Hoon’s 1995 death, and Stevens decided he’d had enough of the music business. He attended college at Delaware County Community College (aka Delco to us locals), then Temple, then Penn Law School. He is now a labor and employment attorney in Philadelphia. Rogers will also visit us in person.

 

Grade distribution (as per University grade policy)

 

A = 93-100; A- = 90-92; B+ = 87-89; B = 83-86; B- = 80-82; C+ = 77-79; C = 73-76; C- = 70-72; D+ = 67-69; D = 63-66; D- = 60-62; F = 59 or below.

 

I do encourage you to see me with any questions you may have.  Please don’t hesitate to call or email me with questions.

Class Schedule

 Week
Class Topic
Assignment


 
 
 


1/22
Introduction; roots, electric blues
SR 1


1/29
1950s rock and rockabilly

Guest speaker: Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull (January 29)
SR 2


2/5
The Beatles
SR 3


2/12
The Stones and the British Invasion

Guest speaker: Chad Channing, Nirvana (February 12)
SR 4


2/19
Bob Dylan, Motown and Stax Records

Guest speaker: Roger McGuinn, the Byrds (February 21)
SR 5


2/26
San Francisco and Los Angeles
SR 6


3/5
Heavy blues and early metal

Guest speaker: Terry Marshall, Marshall Amplification Company (March 7)
SR 7


3/12
Spring Break, no classes
 


3/19
Prog rock, British folk/rock

Guest speaker: Judy Dyble, Fairport Convention (March 21)
SR 8


3/26

 
Glam and punk rock

Guest speaker (in person): Lenny Kaye, Patti Smith Group

(March 26)
SR 9


4/2
Seventies mainstream
SR 10


4/9
New wave and post-punk

Guest speaker: Rob Morgan, Squirrels

(April 9)
SR 11


4/16
Hardcore punk, Eighties Mainstream, Paisley Underground
SR 12


4/23
Eighties underground

Guest speakers: Kevin Whitworth, Love Battery (April 23); Rogers Stevens (in person), Blind Melon

(April 25)
SR 13


 
4/30
Nineties alternative explosion
SR 14


 
5/7
Wrap-up
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Artists We Will Cover

 

Roots and electric blues

 

Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, Memphis Minnie, Leadbelly, Big Bill Broonzy, Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Big Mama Thornton

 

1950s rock and rockabilly

 

Jackie Brenston, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Fats Domino, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Cash

 

The Beatles

 

The Rolling Stones and the British Invasion

 

Rolling Stones, Who, Yardbirds, Kinks, Small Faces, Animals, Pretty Things

 

Bob Dylan, Motown and Stax

 

Bob Dylan, Temptations, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Jackson 5, Booker T and the MGs, Otis Redding

 

San Francisco and Los Angeles

 

13th Floor Elevators, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Moby Grape, Buffalo Springfield, Byrds, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Sometimes Young, Flying Burrito Brothers, Beach Boys, Association, Love

 

Prog Rock and British Folk Rock

 

Moody Blues, King Crimson, Yes, Jethro Tull, ELP, Genesis, Rush, Renaissance, Fairport Convention, Pentangle

 

Heavy Blues, Early Metal

 

Jimi Hendrix, Free, Led Zeppelin, Faces, Humble Pie, Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple

 

Glam Rock/Punk Rock

 

David Bowie, T. Rex, Alice Cooper, Queen, Stooges, Velvet Underground, MC 5, Patti Smith Group, Television, Ramones, Talking Heads, Sex Pistols, Clash

 

 

 

 

Seventies Mainstream

 

Steely Dan, Eagles, Journey, Van Halen, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Boston, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac

 

New Wave/Post-Punk

 

Cars, Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, Gang of Four, Joy Division, Echo & the Bunnymen, Cure

 

Hardcore Punk/Eighties Mainstream/Paisley Underground

 

Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Black Flag, Minutemen, Dead Kennedys, Police, Dire Straits, Prince, U2, Rain Parade, Bangles, Dream Syndicate

 

Eighties Underground

 

Sonic Youth, Husker Du, Replacements, R.E.M., Big Black, Scratch Acid, Pixies, Butthole Surfers, U-Men

 

Nineties Alternative Explosion

 

Mudhoney, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Love Battery, Young Fresh Fellows, Stone Temple Pilots, Blind Melon

Seattle, 2017: Lordy, I hope there are tapes (Day 3)

Day 3 was pretty quiet. I checked in with Jack Endino for breakfast in Ballard. Just for kicks, I brought along the obscure Leaf Hound CD I had bought the day before to see if he recognized it. And of course he did. He gave me the Jack response, “This must be a reissue, because the copy I have is badly recorded.” I also mentioned this other similar band that came out around the same time (1970, give or take) called Bubble Puppy (I mistakenly said, “Bubble Buddy,” accidentally quoting Spongebob, and of course Jack corrected me.) I did have one thing in my pocket Jack had not heard of: a song called “I’m Rowed Out” by the Eyes, which is…in my opinion, the ultimate Mod song. Check it out. Tell me this song doesn’t put you in London in 1966.

Jack and I talked a little about Chris Cornell’s passing and the U-Men box set (Sub Pop is putting it out in November!) that he remastered. Some of the tracks used the original vinyl as a source since the master tapes couldn’t be located.

Later I was supposed to catch James Burdyshaw’s band, Sinister Six, play at a house party in Fremont (This trip should be called the Ballard-Fremont Express), but I showed up late and saw these guys instead, a psych duo from Seoul, South Korea.

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Later, I met Kevin Whitworth, guitarist extraordinaire from Love Battery, and Leighton Beezer once again, for a drink on Cap Hill. Mostly those guys reminisced about the days of old. Kevin mentioned working at a restaurant across the street in the mid-’80s. And at the time Robert Plant and Phil Collins were touring together and they stopped in for a bite to eat. Kevin was invited to sit and chat with them. One of the guys was super nice. The other a total dick. Guess which one was which?

That was pretty much it for me. A quiet day, like I said, plus I had an early flight out the next morning.

Overall, a fun trip, and I’m looking forward to next year’s visit…in the meantime, who is that mystery band that will be playing at Dawn Anderson’s benefit concert on October 5? No one’s talking.

Seattle, 2017: Lordy, I hope there are tapes (Day 2, Part II)

So here’s the deal: I built this trip around two bands I desperately wanted to see: Kinski and the Squirrels. If you know anything about me, you’ve heard me rave about Kinski, so I won’t go into more of that here. I’ve seen them twice, once in Seattle at the Victory Lounge on Eastlake, and once in my hometown of Philadelphia at Johnny Brenda’s in Fishtown. The Squirrels? Well, if you haven’t read my book, I wrote a special addendum on that band. Read it and you’ll understand why I had to go see them…especially since they don’t play very often with their classic line-up (this time featuring singer and front man Rob Morgan, guitarists Joey Kline and Jimmy “J.T.” Thomas.)

The Squirrels had booked a show at the High Dive in Fremont on Saturday September 2. Kinski was playing as part of the “Northwest Psych Fest” at the Sunset in Ballard the previous evening. ‘Perfect,’ I thought. ‘I’ll book this trip and enjoy these two great bands over the holiday weekend.’

Then the Psych Fest organizers moved Kinski to Saturday night, at 10 pm, the exact same time the Squirrels were set to go on. So what is one to do? Simple. Figure out a way to see both bands.

I started at the High Dive at 9, saying hi to Rob and then catching the opening act…Mark Nichols performing as a one man band. Mark was…well, I came up with a new word to describe him: fantastical. Among other things, he played an inspired version of Aaron Copeland’s “Hoedown,” as part of tribute to the recently departed Keith Emerson and Greg Lake (ELP covered the piece on their 1972 Trilogy album.)

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[Mark Nichols doing his thing.]

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[Mark and the Rob Morgan performing together. Notice the spectator on the floor with a beer by his side.]

After about a half hour of Mark (and yeah, I had the “why don’t more people with off-the-charts talent like Mark become famous” moment…see Bruce Pavitt’s comment he told my class once, “There is no justice in the music industry.”) I ubered it over to the Sunset, about a 10 minute ride away from the High Dive.

Perfect timing. Kinski was just setting up. Plus I got to say hello to Five and Zinnia Su, who are fans and supporters of the band. I also got to say hi to Mia Katherine Boyle, front lady/singer/guitarist of MKB Ultra, and who happens to be Jack Endino’s girlfriend.

I picked a spot about two feet in front of guitarist Matthew Reid-Schwartz and braced myself. (It’s just so cool to see one of your favorite bands play right in front of you.) They immediately launched into “Detroit Trickle Down,” the opening track from 2015’s 7 (or 8), with guitarist Chris Martin playing a massively distorting slide. The band offered up some more selections off that album as well as older stuff…one of my favorites being “The Narcotic Comforts of the Status Quo” from a split EP they did with Sandrider.

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[The fantastical (see, there’s that word again) Kinski. From left: Chris Martin, Lucy Atkinson, Matthew Reid-Schwartz, Barrett Wilke.]

Not much else that I can say about Kinski than I’ve already said, other than this: they were 45 minutes of pure, unadulterated sonic bliss.

As soon as Kinski was done, I ran out the door, and ordered up a car to take me back to the High Dive. Fortunately, I was able to catch the last half hour of the Squirrels’ set. One of the highlights (and this is so typical Squirrels) was a mash-up of Aretha Franklin’s “Freeway of Love” with AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell,” the final result being…you may have guessed: “Freeway to Hell.”

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[The Squirrels. From left: Joey Kline, Rob Morgan, Bill Ray, Keith Lowe, J.T., and Bruce Laven on keyboards (not pictured.)]

After the show, I said quick congrats to Rob, J.T., and Joey, and then headed back to Capitol Hill with a smile on my face.

What a night. What a freaking night!

 

Seattle, 2017: Lordy, I hope there are tapes (Day 1 and Day 2, Part I)

Time for the annual Seattle pilgrimage. This trip was built around attending some shows and meeting up with the usual suspects. So without further adieu…

Got in Friday afternoon, after a flight from Philly that left at 8 am ET. I met up with my good friend Dave O’Leary, a fantastic writer and cool guy at his favorite haunt: the George & Dragon Pub in Fremont. Dave introduced me to his wife Allison and some friends. He’s a regular. If you’re a friend of Dave’s, you are a friend of the George & Dragon.

That’s about all I have to say about that first night. Suffice it to say, I now know not to get off a long flight and start drinking local beers with a higher alcohol content. So, yada yada yada, I was in bed by nine.

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[Mountains outside of the plane as we begin to approach Seattle.]

The next morning, I met Leighton Beezer (His name is actually John Leighton Beezer, but I call him Leighton…everyone else calls him John, so I thought I’d be original) for breakfast on Capitol Hill. As I’m walking toward the restaurant, I pass under a store overhang and hear “Polly,” the 1993 Unplugged version, coming from a speaker. I think, ‘How cool! They’re playing one of my favorite Nirvana songs as I’m strolling along in Seattle!’ Then I realize, ‘Right. That’s my wife’s ringtone.’ (Sometimes I even amaze myself how completely out of it I am at times.)

Met Leighton and a couple he’s friends with and enjoyed some breakfast at the Crystal Kitchen. Turns out he’s putting together a benefit show on October 5 for Dawn Anderson. If you’re not aware, Dawn, a favorite Seattle music writer of mine, has been battling breast cancer and funds have been extremely tight…wonderful health care system have we in this country. And I’m sure the current party in power we’ll make it better. Ok, I’m done with politics…sorry.

So this show will feature the Thrown Ups, Leighton’s old improv punk/grunge band, Jack Endino’s Earthworm, and Swallow. I had heard a rumor about a mystery band appearing at this show…but Leighton will not confirm or deny it. That’s killing me. Could it be a grunge reunion show? Could it be a major act? No one’s talking.

During breakfast, Leighton provided a heartfelt theory of what drove the grunge scene. I won’t go into details, because it’s quite personal, but suffice it to say…it was young kids who experienced serious tragedies early in their lives, and used music to move beyond those tragedies. It was pretty powerful stuff.

I had some time to kill, so I walked around Capitol Hill and stumbled into a record shop called Zions Gate Records. As I scanned the CDs (yeah, I still buy those), I saw a copy of the Groundhogs’ Thank Christ for the Bomb. Then, as I walked toward the register, I couldn’t help notice what the store was playing…it was hard blues, with a Hendrix touch, supplemented with this fantastic blues turnaround (I’m a sucker for a great turnaround.) The next song was even better.

“Great selection,” the rather young cashier commented.

“Thanks,” I responded. “By the way, what are you playing? It’s fantastic.”

“It’s a band called Leaf Hound, and the record is Growers of Mushroom.”

“Ok, I’ll take it.”

“Right on. They had one fantastic record that came out in 1970, and then they broke up. So no one knows about them.”

I listened to it in the car. Yeah, wow, that’s all I can say.

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I headed back to the 11th Avenue Inn to rest up for that night’s shows featuring two great bands: Kinski and the Squirrels. More about that in Part II.

 

Seattle 2016: Shockingly, More Cats

Sunday, October 8

Sunday would become the most intensely packed day of this trip…and most of it was cat-free.

After playing a little guitar on the Inn porch, and annoying some of the guests with an acoustic version of “Drain You,” I headed down to a bar called Buckley’s in Belltown. There, I would take in a football game, which started at 10 in the morning. That takes a little getting used to…drinking beer so early in the day.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I am a long-suffering Philadelphia Eagles fan, who began following the team in 1975 when it was especially horrid. I had found that a group of 40-50 Eagles fans congregates each week at Buckley’s. So, I took the light rail from Capitol Hill to Westlake Center, and walked to Belltown from there. As I neared the bar, I saw two Eagles fans in front of me, one wearing a Brent Celek jersey (tight end), and the other donning an old school Randall Cunningham uniform. They almost got hit crossing one street, so I couldn’t resist shouting, “Figures, a couple of Eagles fans causing problems.” They turned around, saw the bird logo on my shirt and smiled. New friends.

I chatted with these guys, Matt and Brian, for most of the game (which the Birds unfortunately lost, 24-23). About an hour in, I mentioned how I heard about a new Eagles-fandom documentary called “Dallas Sucks” (we fucking hate the Dallas Cowboys, by the way, and their cockroach “fans” who live in Philly but have never been to Texas.) Matt smiled and said, “Brian’s the director of that documentary.” Wow. So apparently this Eagles thing will end up on Showtime soon. Brian (last name Bennett) is working on a Sun Records piece now. Life can be so incredibly cool sometimes. (Here’s a link to a story about the project: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/re...)

(Fellow Eagles fans. From left: Matt Ferguson, Brian Bennett.)

After a bit of sulking following the Eagles loss, I headed over to get my burger fix at Two Bells Tavern. Jim Tillman from the U-Men told me about that place and yeah, their burgers rule.

Following that, it was off to Fremont to meet my writer friends Dave O’Leary and Clint Brownlee. Dave has written two fantastic novels: Horse Bite and The Music Book. Both are semi-autobiographical pieces centered around Seattle music, love, and coffee. I met Dave in 2011, during my book launch, which was about a week after Horse Bite came out. Both of these guys are the among the coolest people I know. Clint is working on a novel, and I’m excited to see how that comes out.

We met up at a Fremont bar called the George & Dragon, which is a pretty authentic English pub (except they wait on you and the beer is cold), owned by someone from the UK. It’s funny…I’ve only met Clint & Dave a few times, but they feel like old friends. When we get together, it seems like no time has passed, even though it’s been over a year. I wish I could hang out with them more often. Good people.

As it started to get late, Clint had to leave, and Dave invited me back to his place to watch the first debate. Sounded great…hang out, make fun of Trump, and enjoy some homemade lasagna. That was until I walked in the door. Guess what Dave has? That’s right, a cat. So, I had to leave. Again, why oh why does everyone in Seattle own a cat?

I headed back to Capitol Hill and grabbed a tuna sub at Subway for dinner. It reminded me of why I don’t eat at Subway. It sucked. (By the way, we call them hoagies in Philly. Don’t ask for a “sub” here.) But things were about to get better.

Over in West Seattle at a small bar called the Parliament Tavern, a group of musicians gathered together to put on a tribute show to John Lennon, as Sunday was his birthday. Leading the group were two stellar long-time Seattle players: Joe Ross of the Green Pajamas and John Olufs of Red Dress. Early Green Pajamas…we’re talking 1984…were heavily influenced by the Beatles. Red Dress, well I’ve written a lot about them on this blog. They are kind of like James Brown meets Frank Zappa, played with sort of a Band aesthetic.

(Joe Ross of the Green Pajamas [second from left], and John Olufs of Red Dress, lead the John Lennon tribute show.)

The band offered up the Beatles repertoire more or less chronologically. The crowd of course loved it and sang along because: a) you’ve got some of the best musicians in Seattle playing it and b) it’s the freaking Beatles. Joining Joe and John at different times were James Burdyshaw, of the 64 Spiders and Cat Butt. James did a nice acoustic version of Dear Prudence, then went electric and killed it on Yer Blues.

(James Burdyshaw of 64 Spiders and Cat Butt performing “Dear Prudence.”)

One of the many highlights of the evening happened when the stage was cleared for Laura Weller-Vanderpool and Bonnie Hammond, also known as Capping Day. Capping Day had some wonderful songs in the late ’80s, done in sort of an Indigo Girls harmony style…none better than “Mona Lisa.” Anyway, they did “Across the Universe,” which actually brought tears to some of the fans. I was sitting with Chad Channing from Nirvana, who said it is his favorite Beatles song.

(Capping Day plays “Across the Universe.” From left: Bonnie Hammond and Laura Weller-Vanderpool.)

The band played a little past midnight. Such a wonderful way to conclude this trip…well, pretty much conclude. Monday would turn out to be a chill day before catching an early flight home on Tuesday. To repeat my Facebook post, I want to thank everyone for another fantastic Seattle visit. I look forward to seeing you again next year.

(Looking out across the water from Fremont.)

Seattle 2016: The Cats Revengeth, Day 2

Let me begin by saying, why can’t everyone in Seattle own a dog? I like dogs. I have two. I’m not allergic to them. So, in other words, why can’t people construct their lifestyles around my health needs? Is that really asking too much?

Ok, so we’re up to Saturday, October 8. For the most part, this day turned out to be fairly mellow. After breakfast, I hung out on the front porch and played my rented Taylor for about an hour. A neighbor came by with his young daughter and said, “We heard you playing. Mind if we listen for a while?” I’m like, “Sure. As long as you don’t mind some acoustic death metal.” (I didn’t actually say that.) Anyway, that was very cool. The neighbor’s daughter spun around as I meandered my way through “Amazing Journey.”

Her dad ordered a copy of my book as I played, prompting me to think, “Maybe Tribe would have been a bestseller if I had just sat out on a corner and played Neil Young and Who covers.”

Next, it was off to Ballard to meet Jack Endino and Mia Katherine Boyle for breakfast. I have a dog named Mia, and I was tempted to say something stupid like, “Mind if I call you Human Mia?” but fortunately the little man in my brain responsible for shortcircuiting idiotic comments shut that one down before it could escape my lips. (Too bad that little man doesn’t exist in Trump’s brain. Sorry for getting political, but I couldn’t resist.)

We chatted about Jack and Mia’s current musical projects, as well as some of the Sub Pop grunge era reissues…most notably an upcoming U-Men box set primed for 2017. In case you haven’t figured it out, I love the U-Men. The remastered compilation will feature some previously unreleased songs.

I always learn something interesting each time I meet Jack. On this occasion, Jack had just returned from a production gig in Italy and he talked about that country’s fascination with more theatrical proggy-style rock and how music fans there don’t identify with straight-ahead AC/DC-style riff rock.

Mia handed me a CD of her band with Jack called MKB ULTRA along with a t-shirt (yay, t-shirts), we said our goodbyes and I headed back to Capitol Hill. Almost forgot, Jack’s in an improv band with Five called Beyond Captain Orca. The name just seemed so obvious (and apparently was a random utterance by Five’s girlfriend Zinnia Su.) After chilling for most of the day (read: that means taking a long nap…sorry, I’m old. I yell at millenials for their man buns, bushy World War I-style mustaches, and jet packs.)

Later that evening, I met up with former Mudhoney bassist Matt Lukin for beers at a West Seattle bar called The Bridge. Matt might be the most entertaining human being on the planet. I think we high-fived 20 times…about what, I’m not sure. He thinks Mick Harvey is a dick. I didn’t even know who Mick Harvey was until I found out he wrote a song called “Out of Time Man,” which shows up at the end of the first Breaking Bad episode. (I kind of like it…even performed it an open mic a few times.) I know Mick Harvey was in the Bad Seeds. But, apparently he’s also a dick. High five!

(Matt Lukin, apparently embarrassed to be seen with an Eagles fan.)

(Dick’s, a Seattle institution, and where I had dinner.)

Seattle 2016: The Cats Cometh, Day 1

It’s been almost a year since I posted anything to this blog, and that means you readers will have one of two reactions: 1) Wow! We’ve been waiting a year for this! Why have you kept us alone in the dark for so long! or 2) (crickets.)

I arrived in Seattle late Thursday evening, October 6. Went to sleep. Exciting, I know. So, let’s start with…

Friday, October 7

I’ve stayed at a few places during my now 15 trips to Seattle…the University Inn in the U-District, the Belltown Inn in (duh) Belltown, Rob Morgan’s couch in Ballard, and on this trip, the 11th Avenue Inn on Capitol Hill. The Inn is a great place to stay…you’re in the middle of a vibrant neighborhood, the cost is reasonable, and it comes with breakfast and free parking. The new Light Rail line has a station two blocks away, which connects you to other neighborhoods as well as the airport.

I usually start with some musical-related interactions, but today I want to begin with a conversation I had with the breakfast chef. He’s in his 30s, I’m guessing. Anyway, we got to talking and it turns out he’s from Texas, but has lived in New York, Germany, and Prague. While in the Czech Republic, he bought a motorcycle and used it to explore the local countryside, as well as Slovakia and Hungary. Later, he moved to Seattle where he now paints and cooks. Moral of the story: talk to people. They’re fascinating.

Ok, enough with the background stuff, let’s get to the music.

I met my friends Leighton Beezer and Five at a vegan cafe called the Wayward in Wallingford. Not my idea, of course. I come from the “eat a fucking burger” school of cuisine, but the Wayward’s food was quite tasty (I think I originally typed “nasty,” but it was good…really) and I enjoyed it. I wanted to interview the pair about their improvisational approach to music-making. Since the Wayward was a bit noisy, we reconvened at Five’s house a few blocks away.

Five has a cat. Everyone in Seattle has a cat. And I’m highly allergic. See the problem here?

So we did our interview on Five’s porch. Before I get on that, a little context is in order.

Leighton was in a grunge era band called the Thrown Ups (that piece of information is now in my wife’s head…one of the useless bits of knowledge I have imparted to her. Once she picked up the home phone and yelled down to me, “Honey. It’s Leighton Beezer from the Thrown Ups.”) The Thrown Ups became the quintessential “fuck band,” in that, other than Leighton himself, the other members looked at it as a side project. The players, at different times, included Mark Arm and Steve Turner from Mudhoney, and Scott Schickler of Swallow. The Thrown Ups were an improvisational punk band. That is, no songs, no rehearsals. Whatever happened on stage happened. That included heaving oysters at the audience at the Gorilla Gardens and covering themselves in cola-infused mud during a show at the Central Tavern.

But enough about high art. The Thrown Ups represented the essence of all things grunge as it existed in the pre-Nevermind ’80s: get on stage and go for it. To paraphrase Leighton, ‘Don’t worry about whether you’re playing the chorus or the verse. If you forget what you’re doing, jump into the audience. A show that ends up as a train wreck will probably be a better show anyway.’ That freedom, camaraderie, and musical spontaniety exemplified grunge in its pure form. Heavy music was certainly the prequisite, but as Jack Endino once told me, it was more about getting the feeling out than playing the song note for note perfect. The Thrown Ups represented all of that.

I met Leighton for the first time in 2007, at a bar in Belltown called the…damn, I forget, wait, I think it was called the Rendezvous. Anyway, we had a beer before his performance that evening. After we finished, Leighton received a dumbfounded expression from the hostess when he inquired, “Do you know who’s playing tonight, because it might be me.”

Half an hour later, with a patch together crew of players including the aforementioned Five, Leighton’s band took the stage. They gave us 45 minutes of…well, I’m a writer and I can’t really put it into words. They played and it was great. Ok? The musicians fed off each other in a way only artists can, at times featuring cascading crescendoes of noise, and at other times lowering the volume to create some beautiful sonic textures (that sounds like I know what I’m talking about, doesn’t it?)

The next time I saw Leighton was in my hometown of Philadelphia. He played a bar called the…I forget that one…small place, which isn’t there anymore. On South Street, maybe? A small dive bar. Leighton’s band, called Empire Vista played songs that evening. Wow, with vocals and everything! After I wrote a review of that gig, Leighton emailed me: “You thought they were songs?”

For over 30 years, Leighton has focused on developing the concept of a band that won’t rehearse and eschews arranged material. I became fascinated with that concept and decided to interview him and Five about it.

I will post the actual interview shortly, but suffice it to say the conversation opened my eyes a bit. I’ve been playing guitar myself for a long time, badly, but have seriously worked hard at it the last two years, and I’ve become good enough to play a few songs at open mic nights. My teacher Thomas is awesome and has helped me discover talents I never knew I had. Thomas has taught me technique and theory in addition to songs, which he allows me the freedom to change as I see fit.

Five is the anti-Thomas. Five’s approach to teaching guitar is as follows: Grab the instrument, randomly twist the tuning pegs, and then begin playing. Don’t worry if it sounds like crap, it may or not be as such…but the important thing to grasp is, does it sound good to you? Or perhaps better put, does it feel good to you? So playing guitar becomes much more of a spiritual experience than let’s say a mechanical one. I told Five I’d try that approach when I get home.

After that experience, I drove up to Edmonds to catch the ferry over to Kitsap, on Bainbridge Island. Guitarist Derek Burns was throwing a birthday party for Paul Burback, of Before Cars and Paundy, at his house in Hanville. Hanville is apparently Bainbridgian for, “houses in the middle of nowhere.” It’s about a half hour drive from Kitsap, and beautiful does not begin to describe the setting. It feels like you’re sitting out in the woods on an island, probably because you are in the woods on an island.

(About to depart Edmonds for Kitsap on the ferry.)

I arrived early, and Derek offered up some salmon salad he made from his own catch. One of the reasons I love coming here is to explore the pronounced cultural differences between us Easterners and those who call the Northwest home. One of Derek’s friends asked me if I was a fisherman. (Yeah, right. My uncle once took me fishing for flukes off the coast of Point Pleasant, New Jersey. I think we anchored about three quarters of a mile off the shoreline.) These guys were talking about venturing out of the Columbia River and into the Pacific Ocean, sometimes anchoring hundreds of miles from land to fish for tuna. They talked about how fear of the ocean is a healthy thing, it helps keep one alive in a sometimes brutal, unforgivingly massive body of water. I looked at them with an expression that is best described as a combination of admiration and ‘good luck with that.’

(The bustling traffic behind Derek’s house.)

I think what strikes me about these folks is how utterly at ease they are. They are so comfortable with who and where they are…it’s a refreshing change from the city attitude people possess in places like Seattle and Philly. Absolutely no pretense.

Soon, Derek, Paul, and Before Cars/Paundy mate Andy Miller began to jam. (Couple of tidbits…Paundy is the combination of “Paul” and “Andy,” something I didn’t know about until last night. Also, Derek apparently possesses one of Kurt Cobain’s distortion boxes in his living room. I don’t think Derek gives a shit about its late famous owner other than he likes the sound of it.) They rocked out, of course, but in a sort of jazzy, groovy way at times, sometimes more bluesy. No vocals…someone apparently neglected to bring a PA.

(Jam session. From left: Derek, food, Andy, Paul.)

After a while, I became infused with the essence of Derek’s cat. And I began sneezing uncontrollably. And I had to go outside on the porch, where I remained for the rest of the evening. (To riff off a Gallagher bit: “Good thing I have allergies!”) I hung out there until I got too cold, and let the combination of cat reaction and beer dissipate so I could head back to Seattle.

Saturday (today) would be a much quieter day, beginning with a breakfast with Jack Endino and his girlfriend and sometimes bandmate, Mia Katherine Boyle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kinski in Philadelphia, October 30, 2015

My wife once asked me, “Why the fascination with Kinski?”

“Imagine,” I asked her, “you really like, say U2. Except you get to see them at a bar from ten feet away.”

My interest in Kinski began a few years back, when I was finishing up my book. I had been attempting to get an interview with Sub Pop’s Jon Poneman, but he ignored my repeated emails and calls. So, during a Seattle trip, I ventured to the company headquarters in hopes I might get to talk to him in-person. Unfortunately, the building was locked, so I waited for someone to enter and I snuck in behind her. I headed up to the Sub Pop office and told the receptionist who I am and that I was hoping I could chat with Jon. She said the standard, “He’s in a meeting with Dwight and Andy and is not available.” Then she gave me a CD and ushered me off in a “kid, here’s a CD, now leave me alone” way.

I opened up the CD and noticed it was a recording of the 2008 Sub Pop 20 Festival. I had been to the second day of that festival for the Green River reunion, but had no idea about the overall quality and variety of the bands over that weekend. I listened to the entire CD when I got home…and one track that stood out was “The Wives of Artie Shaw” by Kinski. First, the title was great. Second, it was an instrumental. Third, it was an instrumental that flat out rocked in a “we’ll hammer you over the head kind of way.” Fourth, well, they were just so incredibly tight.

I didn’t get to see Kinski live until April of 2015, during a fun-filled long weekend in Seattle. Then I found out they were coming to my hometown of Philly in October. Unfortunately, while I can always find people to see shows in Seattle, and usually know the people performing, I have trouble getting a crowd together at home. I feared I might have to go alone, when my wife suggested asking the husband of one of her friends. I thought, ‘Hmmm, Steve might want to go. He does like Soundgarden. He had mentioned seeing them on their 1994 Superunknown tour.’ So I asked him and he said yes. Turned out to be a good choice.

We listened to a Kinski mix I put together on the way down…he had never heard them before…and he liked them instantly. We headed over to a bar in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood called Johnny Brenda’s. (It’s just so cool when I get to see a favorite Seattle band play Philly.) Kinski would take the stage at 10, as the middle act…sandwiched between openers Kohoutek and headliners Bardo Pond. The latter band had led Philadelphia’s psych/noise movement in the late ’90s and it turns out Steve had heard of them and had friends at Brenda’s who were fans.

(Kinski. From left, Chris Martin, guitar; Barrett Wilke, drums; Lucy Atkinson, bass; Matthew Reid-Schwartz, guitar.)

I chatted for a few minutes pre-Kinski with Steve and his friends. Steve had told them I was a Kinski fan and had seen them in Seattle. Not being familiar, they asked me about them. “They’re sick good,” I said, and proceeded to give them my backstory about how I became a fan. Daniel, one of Steve’s friends, said, “I love discovering bands late, like after they’ve put out six albums. Then you can go back and have something to listen to for weeks before you get tired of them.”

10 pm arrived and Kinski stormed the stage, opening with “The Narcotic Comforts of the Status Quo,” (how can you not love a band that has songs titles like that?) a track from a split EP they did with fellow Seattle band Sandrider. “Narcotic” starts off with this sort of major key guitar drone, accompanied by a warm bass line (Lucy plays this piece with a bow) and Matthew on flute. Then, “Bam!” Kinski lurches into a killer riff…or several killer riffs. (Did I mention this band is loud? I told Steve to bring earplugs. Fortunately, he did…and he thanked me for it…he had told me how he suffered partial hearing loss at recent AC/DC and Neil Young shows. Earplugs are a good thing…bring them and don’t lose your hearing.)

(No, this isn’t Jethro Tull.)

Following that, Kinski focused on material from their current record, 7 (or 8) (an album so titled because the band can’t decide whether it is in fact their seventh or eighth record), but they did delve into some older material, most notably the extended piece “The Party Which You Know Will Be Heavy,” and the killer Groundhogs-ish riff based, “Crybaby Blowout” (I have to give myself props here, as I told Steve they would probably play that one…he recognized it from the sampler we heard on the trip down.) “Crybaby’s” riff…, I think that could go on for 20 minutes. Take a gander yourself.

Focusing heavily on the new record, which alternates between killer riffs and extended pieces, the band treated us to “Powder,” “Drink Up and Be Somebody,” and my favorite song title off this album, “I Fell Like a Fucking Flower,” so named after Lucy destroyed Chris’ girlfriend in an arm wrestling match…prompting Chris’ girlfriend to utter that phrase. Kinski finished with “Detroit Trickle Down,” the opening track from 7 (or 8), which absolutely killed the audience. They played for an hour, which is perfect for an old man like me. Of course, I still wanted more.

Kinski: masters of volume and tunings

http://www.songfacts.com/blog/writing/kinski/

Vaporland, the Prequel

http://www.songfacts.com/blog/writing/vaporland_the_prequel/