Cartoon Justice-Musicians Union Hall Local 6, San Francisco CA; 1/13/19

It hadn't been too long since Cartoon Justice had played at the Union Hall for SIMM series, but, man what a difference, at least as far as set up and other logistics went. All members, including our guest bassist Shawn Miller, were able to rendezvous with real ease, affording ample time to set up and even do a sound check. This ease seemed to be reflected in our set: a relaxed, albeit focused foray into two pieces, totaling a cool forty five minutes' time.
We started off with a shorter, all improvised piece. Things felt flowing and groovy right from the start. I was able to get into the vibe with everyone, interacting with Mika, Eli, Kersti and Shawn in what felt like equal measure. For the second piece, we debuted an evolving piece that has been written about the Amazon rain forest, and its perilous state as corporations plunder the resources therein. We drew musical inspiration from Hermeto Pascoal and Airto Moriera, loosely moving through three distinct parts. Mika's directions were sent out and noted by all. Having some notation helped a lot; I felt that everyone was able to sync up and agree as to which parts were to start. Really smooth transitions, and, again, I felt very much inside the music as it was happening. Such a great feeling, as always. It was a real pleasure to play the house kit of Earl Watkins  Hall, along with letting my old Box of Rocks reappear after many years on mothballs. Good percussive stuff!
A really nice night for Cartoon Justice in SF. We'll begin rehearsing for a very busy period this March, details soon.

Below: Shawn Miller's notes; Cartoon Justice run the changes down

Above: Hopefully the music felt as ecstatic to the audience as it did to me (photo by and courtesy of Andrew Joron, thanks, Andrew!)

Below: a live clip