RTK Music – June update

The next two Saturday nights will be filled with music.

Saturday, June 6: Music in the Key of Life

This is going to be an awesome evening of vocal music at California Heights UMC in Long Beach.  Personally, I’ve only got a small part singing in the chorus on a few songs, but for fans of good vocal performances – there is going to be some amazing singing happening!  If you enjoy vocal music, be there.  Plus, it’s a charity event supporting Mary McLeod Bethune Transitional Center for Homeless Students and California Heights UMC’s Children’s Center.

More info: http://www.musicinthekeyoflife.com

Saturday, June 13: K of C House Band Party

Another rockin (k)night of covers with the House Band at the Manhattan Beach Knights of Columbus Hall. $10 cover will go towards the Knight’s Scholarship Fund. I really enjoy doing these gigs with my friends from American Martyrs because my buddies let me play lead guitar!

Saturday, June 13
Knights of Columbus House Band
7:00pm – 11:30pm
Knights of Columbus Hall
224 1/2 Sepulveda Blvd (2nd Floor)
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Map: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=224+1%2F2+Sepulveda+Blvd%2C+Manhattan+Beach%2C+CA
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/editevent.php?info&eid=80133517897

(FYI, this will be a really busy day since I’ll be heading to the K of C Hall immediately after leading worship at Faith UMC)

Recordings:

I’m heading into the studio to lay down some bass (yes, bass!) tracks for a new Doug Sparks / Melanie Bomar song called Whether Together or Apart.

Speaking of Doug, he just released a really strong collection of tunes under the NoVanGogh moniker. It’s a digital-only release called My Own Gallery and it’s available at most online places, including iTunes and Amazon. Doug and I have been collaborating on songs for years, and this collection includes three of the songs we’ve written together: One Wish, Never Fell So Hard, and Romance Is Dead.

Also, a while back I recorded three original songs for use in an upcoming Faith UMC Music Ministry CD.  One of the songs will be my personal contribution to the benefit recording, the other two will feature other artists from church.

So, lots of things are happening, and even more things are in the works!! It’s an exciting time!

Newsflash

Brett Favre is considering unretiring. Really? Give it a rest, Brett…

And now for some music news:

Be sure to keep checking Doug Spark’s MySpace page for updates on the NoVanGogh project’s new digital-only release called “My Own Gallery”.   It is an awesome collection, and Doug definitely took the time to sequence the songs just right.  NoVanGogh is really an art collection of it’s own – an assemblage of vocalists and musicians that Doug has worked with over the last few years to give voice to songs he has written with a variety of songwriting partners (the release includes three of the songs he wrote with yours truly.)  Fans of female vocalists should definitely check it out, since only two of the tracks are sung by guys.

As for me, I did a mini-set of 5 songs at last month’s Coffee House showcase event at Faith UMC and at various times was joined by Alex Smith on the cajon drum, Rick Izumi on soprano sax and Rev. Ken Suhr on piano. Some of those songs are planned to be recorded for Faith’s upcoming Music Ministry CD.

PS: yes, there will be another Rockin Knights gig. Keep June 6th open.

You saw WHAT on eBay??

I got an unexpected email earlier tonight from Larry Wilke, an old friend who was the drummer in our former band Dear John.  Included in the email was this link to an eBay auction.

Yes, someone is selling a copy of Dear John’s debut 7″ Frustrated Conversation/I Don’t Want Her to Know (including the picture sleeve) for a whopping $25 plus shipping and handling.  I wasn’t aware there was so much interest in that record!  Apparently, the seller got it when he bought out the stock of a local St. Louis record store.  I wish him luck in his endeavors.

I don’t want to compete with my new favorite eBay seller, but for what it’s worth I still have a few copies of that 7″ if anyone’s interested.  These come in a plain white sleeve, though, since there are no more picture sleeves left.  The entire Dear John catalog is also available digitally – for specifics, check out the discography here.

For the record, (pun intended) it was great hearing from Larry, and we’re hoping to get together when he travels to LA next time.

Friday, January 6, 1978

Yes, another Facebook meme had crossed my path a few weeks ago (courtesy of fellow rock fanatic Will Betheboy) and in true obsessive/compulsive fashion, I was diligently attempting to track down the exact dates of some key concerts I had been to, attempting to identify the 10 most important/memorable rock n roll shows in my life.

Of course, #1 is Friday, December 17, 1971 – my first concert: Alice Cooper, Pacific Gas and Electric, and Dust at the St. Louis Arena Annex. This show probably demands a write up of its own since it’s memorable for many things, including, well…I will save that for that post.

What I did stumble upon (no pun intended) was this: an article published last January in the Memphis Commercial Appeal celebrating the 3oth anniversary of the Sex Pistols appearance in Memphis. Of course, that show would probably rank #2 or #3 on my all-time list.  Again, not just for the show, but for the various incidents and encounters that happen when 3 21-22 year old punks decide to go on a road trip through the Ozarks.

The central cast of characters in my story, Jim R and Jim S both recently resurfaced in my life thanks to (of course) Facebook. Not long after I posted a link to that news article, I received an email with this attachment.  So I have always remembered that headline, and was immediately transported back to that Friday in Memphis.

First, there was the car ride from St. Louis to Memphis, with the obligatory stop for gas in the middle of BFE. While Jim S filled the tank, Jim R visited the bathroom, and exited having changed into his evening clothes – a white dress shirt ripped to shreds with his Kansas U school ID safety pinned above the pocket.  This of course led to us scrambling out of the parking lot (ala a certain Charlie Daniels song) as the locals got a good look at us.  Saved by a Duster with slant-6, baby!

We arrived in Memphis around dinner time and were scheduled to meet up with our other friends from Saint Louis that had made the pilgrimage.  We somehow found our way entering into TGIFridays through the rear door.  This is when we found out that The Scruffs, a great Memphis based powerpop band (and our group’s connection to the tickets) had been unceremoniously dumped from the bill.

We got to the Taliesyn Ballroom very early.  With the lights in the hall still on, the crowd seemed like a casting call for a wanna-be Fellini film. This was 1978, really really early 1978, and not many folks in Memphis had figured out just what you wear to a punk rock concert – there were even some folks in KISS makeup!!

31 years later, when people find out that I saw the Sex Pistols, they always ask “So, how were they?” (Or ooh and aah like friends of my young pal William, who, when told I had seen that tour seemed in awe that someone old enough to see them still lived! – thanks, Bill).

But in a word, they were good. Not great, not awesome, but definitely better than I expected. Outside of Sid, they were a solid rocknroll band and Johnny Rotten was definitely the showman and had a knack for tossing off memorable lines.  I’ve repeated one of them many times over the years: “I’m not here for your entertainment — you’re here for mine.”

After the show, we gravitated to a bar where we finished off the evening while Memphis legend Alex Chilton held court at one of the back tables.

Maybe some of my friends will fill in some of the blanks or post comments about their memories of the show.

If you’ve read the above articles, you are aware that this was the same weekend Memphis was swollen with mourning Elvis Presley fans celebrating what would’ve been his 43rd birthday. The Saturday after the show, we ventured out…

and encountered the woman who had no face…

(to be continued…)

Another Houseband Gig This Friday

“Really? You want us to do this again?”

It appears the houseband has yet another opportunity to inflict our notorious mix of 70’s and 80’s covers on the 90266  this Friday night.

The event is not totally secret or private but it’s not exactly open to the public, either so if you’re interested in dropping by for a beer or two, catch me on email, phone, text or DM/@ me on twitter.

It’s Kevin’s birthday, so it should be show to remember…

Next Live Show: Friday February 20 at Suzy’s

Just confirmed that I will be opening for my friends The Dark Ride when they play Suzy’s on Friday, February 20th. I’ll be doing a solo acoustic set before they take the stage and kick it up a few decibels.

I hope you will be there – the fun starts at 9:00 pm.

Suzy’s Bar and Grill is located at 1141 Aviation Blvd in Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. Phone is 310.379.0082

(It’s on the corner of Aviation and Prospect next to Big Lots!)

(note that this post originally said Saturday…so just to confirm it’s Friday February 20th…)

My selections for the iPod Shuffle Game

(Warning:  time-wasting internet music meme!)

My friend Steve Pick uploaded up his version of this game on his Facebook page this morning.  I got one out of 25 and wondered what eccentric collection of tunes would appear if I did the same thing.  With over 21,000 tracks to choose from, I figured it would be interesting.  So here they are  – good luck!

Here’s the rules I followed:
Step 1: Put your music player on shuffle.
Step 2: Post the first line from the 1st 25 songs no matter how embarrassing
Step 3: Strike through once someone guesses both the artist and the track correctly.
Step 4: For those who are guessing, looking up the lyrics is CHEATING.
Step 5: If you like the game post your own

Post your guesses in the comments section below – I’ll update as often as I can.

1 Once I had myself a good woman but I just didn’t treat her right

2 Madman drummers bummers and Indians in the summer with a teenage diplomat

3 Reality, it burns – the way we’re living is worse

4 When I get high, I get high on speed

5 I know where you’re goin’, ’cause I see where you’ve been

6 Times are tough for English babies

7 The stars will be fading soon

8 Games, I never used to play

9 Guess your old enough to know kids out on the east coast

10 Tell me one more time the reason why you must leave

11 I’m coming out of my cage and I’ve been doing just fine

12 I tried to reach you but I could not find the time

13 If I’d known how I’d feel know, I never would have spent the night

14 Close the door, put out the light.

15 Tough is as she does won’t you slump on over and stir my shuffle down

16 I still don’t know what I was waiting for

17 She said, darling I’m in love with your mind

18 Snowy nights and Christmas lights, icy windowpanes

19 Hey, this life is never fair

20 Have mercy baby on a poor girl like me

21 Anyone caught speaking Esperanto is thought crazy or headed for jail

22 I took a record of pretty music

23 You know if you break my heart i’ll go, but i’ll be back again

24 Hold on to your hat, hold on to your heart

25 Smeared black ink, your palms are sweaty

(FYI, no way I would get a lot of these without the answers – I just put the list together and can’t remember some of them!)

Recap: Saturday at the Red Car

Last Saturday’s gig at the Red Car went off without a hitch. Mike V and I traded vocals on a bunch of interesting covers and added our own sensibilities to our individual originals. There were some familiar faces in the crowd such as Brad, Art, EJ, Rev Ken, Tommy…my wife even showed up for a bit.

But the bad news: before the gig started, as I was tuning up my Gibson Hummingbird, the bottom strap decided to not work and – crunch….

Ouch - that hurt!

It is now at Dr. Toru’s…

Mike V and RTK at the Red Car 1/17/09

Mike V and I will be returning to the Red Car Brewery next Saturday, January 17.  We’ll be playing from 7pm until 10pm.  Lots of originals, lots of covers, some surprises.  Of course, it’s a kid friendly environment with great food and microbrews.  We hope to see you there!

The hardest list I ever created – EVER!

Every record store geek makes list, as documented in High Fidelity.  Every music fan has their top “something or other” list: Top 50 heartbreak songs, Top 5 songs containing “arthritis” or best songs about food.

But finding the ONE best or favorite record for each year you have been alive?

I was reading this blog post the other day and became obsessed with this meme, and compulsively began the task of adding to the vast array of folks who have attempted it.

I figured it would be challenging but doable.  I figured the biggest challenge would be the earliest years of my life when I would not have any emotional attachment to the recordings.

Okay, so I was wrong.

And I cheated – a little.  Note that there are a few “ties” in the list below.  A few years had releases that hold such critical placements in the soundtrack of my life, they were inseparable.  Now,  @betheboy suggested a tie-breaker of which record I listened to, from start to finish, most recently. I am taking advantage of using the ties to showcase a few extra important recordings, some of which have been forgotten, or in some cases, never found.

I’ve resisted offering detailed reasoning behind the choices – maybe in subsequent posts I will shed some light on the process.  Some are obvious choices, and there may be some head scratching at the ommission of other “obvious choices”.  Basically, for the most part, the recordings listed below are the most important recordings to ME that were released during that year.  This is an emotionally charged list with only the slightest relationship to the generally accepted positions some brilliant recordings claim on other lists.  Yep, this one’s mine.  And I am well aware that my favorite record of 2008 will change in weeks as soon as Stay Positive by The Hold Steady comes out.

There are alot of years of rock and roll (and countless hours of obsessive listening) represented below…and I have the gray hair and hearing loss to show for it.  Proudly!

So, how does this compare to your list? Or are YOU up to the task?  If so, post a link to your list below…

1957	Elvis Presley	Elvis’ Christmas Album
1958	Bille Holiday	Lady in Satin
1959	Miles Davis	Kind of Blue
1960	Miles Davis	Sketches of Spain
1961	Patsy Cline	Showcase
1962	Dave Brubeck	Music from West Side Story
1963	Beatles	Please Please Me
1964	Beatles	A Hard Day’s Night
1965	Bob Dylan	Highway 61 Revisited
1966	Tommy James/Shondells	Hanky Panky
1967	Beatles	Sgt. Peppers
1968	Spirit	The Family That Plays Together
1968	Tommy James/Shondells	Crimson and Clover
1969	Who	Tommy
1970	Spirit	12 Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus
1971	Alice Cooper	Love It To Death
1972	David Bowie	Ziggy Stardust
1973	Alice Cooper	Billion Dollar Babies
1973	David Bowie	Alladin Sane
1974	Roxy Music	Country Life
1975	Pink Floyd	Wish You Were Here
1976	Various Artists	Live at CBGB’s
1977	Mink DeVille	Mink DeVille
1977	Television	Marquee Moon
1978	Elvis Costello	This Year’s Model
1979	Clash	London Calling
1980	Joy Division	Closer
1981	Cure	Seventeen Seconds
1982	Elvis Costello	Imperial Bedroom
1983	REM	Murmur
1984	Husker Du	Zen Arcade
1984	Minutemen	Double Nickels on the Dime
1985	Replacements	Tim
1986	Elvis Costello	Blood and Chocolate
1987	John Hiatt	Bring the Family
1988	Pixies	Surfer Rosa
1989	Cure	Disintegration
1990	Posies	Dear 23
1990	Temple of the Dog	Temple of the Dog
1991	Nirvana	Nevermind
1992	Arc Angels	Arc Angels
1992	Bedlam	Into The Coals
1993	Sarah McLachlan	Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
1994	Soundgarden	Superunknown
1995	Oasis	(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
1996	Chavez	Ride the Fader
1997	Bob Dylan	Time Out of Mind
1998	Lyle Lovett	Step Inside This House
1999	Sigur Rós	Ágætis Byrjun
2000	Pete Townshend	Lifehouse Chronicles
2001	U2	All That You Can’t Leave Behind
2002	Trail of Dead	Source Tags & Codes
2003	Joe Strummer	Streetcore
2004	Rachael Yamagata	Happenstance
2005	Hold Steady	Separation Sunday
2006	Hold Steady	Boys and Girls in America
2007	Wilco	Sky Blue Sky
2008 so far	Gutter Twins	Saturnalia