Featuring Brian Strang's daughter skateboarding! Yeah!
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Infinite Plastic Internal split cassette/CD release out now!
It's Infinite Plastic Internal in lo-fi!
Saturday, February 15, 2020
Us2 Trio/Voi!Maa!-Luggage Store Gallery, SF; 2/13/20
Thankfully, I was able to get my drums up the stairs of the Luggage Store without losing any of them, find a parking place reasonably close by, and get set up for a pair of sets.
The first, by Us2 Trio, featured bassist Eli Pontecorvo and electronic musician Andrew Palmer. I've played a bunch of times with each of these guys. We all know each other well, and the chemistry and fun of the set proved it. We got in almost forty minutes of what I felt to be pretty skilled improvised music. About five pieces in all, the set felt really energetic, intimate, and fun. I was glad the we managed to self edit, keeping the pieces short enough for exploration but not fatiguing. We touched some cool spaces.
After a brief break, Voi!Maa! began to hit. Things started off pretty well, with a nice ambience being set up before we launched into some heavier areas. A nice, dynamic was set up, and we kept up the energy. After a while, the piece seemed to start to drag a bit, and I frankly ran out of ideas. I was hoping for a hard stop, but the rest of the group kept going. It actually sounded really cool, so I just sat and listened. Not the most pro move, I guess, but I really did feel as though I had not much to add to what Mika, Kersti, and Eli were expressing. This continued to the end of the forty or so minute set. I was bummed, and split as quickly as I could. Sometimes in improvisation, one falls flat on one's face, and I guess that that set was one of those for me. It's a risk you have to take, I guess.
Such a night of mixed emotion, from feeling really high to pretty low. Life's like that. At least I was able to avoid Bay Bridge traffic on the way back to Richmond, ruminating the entire time about what it means to both succeed and fail, almost simultaneously.
Many thanks to Andrew for sitting in!
Below: back to the small kit, as it's easily portable!; Us2 Trio relishing some fun improvising!
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Playing two sets at Luggage Store this Thursday!
Thu., 2/13/20
Luggage Store Gallery
1007 Market St.
SF 94103
8PM
Us2 Trio (Eli Pontecorvo/Andrew Palmer/Mark Pino)
Voi!Maa!
$8-15 sliding scale
I guess it's time to find out what the Market St. area is like without cars allowed!
Monday, February 10, 2020
Looking back on two shows
OK, my performing year for 2020 has finally been kicked off, with two really fun shows last weekend!
PAC Trio, ABCO Artspace, Oakland; 2/7/20
It had been a long time since I'd been over at ABCO. I used to rehearse with Janina Angel Bath there, what, seven years ago? The space is happily the same, funky and very d.i.y. Its West Oakland location has not been steamrolled by development yet, and hopefully the sweet crew that lives and works there have plenty more time in which to do their thing.
This show was PAC Trio's second, and I was really excited to playing out with Josh Allen and Alex Cohen again. These two are great musicians. The fact that I get to share a stage with them is a real honor for me. That probably sounds corny, but it's really true. Somehow we got place right in the middle of a three act bill. I had been told that we'd play last, so I was a bit taken aback when I got the call to get up and jam. Usually, I need to warm my wrists and ankles up, and had no time to do so. Despite all that, we started playing with our usual energy, diving right in to some really fiery and free spaces. I felt as though we played really well, too. I used my practice kit for the set, on account of the fact that Josh likes to hear drummers play similar sounds that he's heard during rehearsals. It was cool to be playing my old Ludwig Vistalite out for the first time in years. That drum just sings. Additionally, I used some cracked cymbals that I've had for about thirty years now. I'm not even sure how I managed to hold on to them for so long! They still sound good, at least to me.
PAC Trio hit very hard, fast, and loud for two pieces, totaling a bit over 30 minutes. I was hoping to go on for a bit longer, but we left it at that.
PAC Trio plays exorcism music, and I'm stoked to get to play with Josh and Alex. These guys rule.
Below: funky old kit; PAC Trio post gig posed
Crow Crash Radio, Lucky Horseshoe Tavern, San Francisco; 2/8/20
Next evening, and after a really cool, hassle-free and moonlit drive over the Bay Bridge, I found myself at the remarkable Lucky Horseshoe in Bernal Heights. Remarkable because this great little tavern seems to have managed to become a refuge for SF residents that are not of the tech demographic. Indeed, I saw many friends, acquaintances, and familiar faces, all of whom have lived lives outside of the tech world. It's heartening to see. Bernal Heights definitely seems like a kind of refuge from goings on a bit to the north and east of it.
Crow Crash Radio was honored to play a set for Jay, the guitar player for Rabbles, who was celebrating his 50th birthday. I was stoked to be playing a really nice DW kit that belongs to Rabbles drummer Dave. Such lovely drums, and they sounded dope, of course. As for our music, we played a lengthy pieced that we'd sketched out in rehearsal, which strung some raw ideas together with a few older songs. All of it was played without any full stops, except for the last piece, Isabel's Song, wherein Jay joined us on guitar. I felt as though it flowed smoothly, despite some hiccups in rhythmic syncing every now and then. We got a good, psychedelic feel. It was one of those sets that could have lasted five minutes or forty, I don't know. Time stopped for me, and I just enjoyed the vibes. Hopefully Lucky Horseshoe's patrons felt the same way. Another fun night with Brian and Andrew!
Below: DW backline kit, truly beautiful; video by Elisa Brasil (thanks, Elisa!)
All told, a very fun weekend of music making. Another show this week!
It had been a long time since I'd been over at ABCO. I used to rehearse with Janina Angel Bath there, what, seven years ago? The space is happily the same, funky and very d.i.y. Its West Oakland location has not been steamrolled by development yet, and hopefully the sweet crew that lives and works there have plenty more time in which to do their thing.
This show was PAC Trio's second, and I was really excited to playing out with Josh Allen and Alex Cohen again. These two are great musicians. The fact that I get to share a stage with them is a real honor for me. That probably sounds corny, but it's really true. Somehow we got place right in the middle of a three act bill. I had been told that we'd play last, so I was a bit taken aback when I got the call to get up and jam. Usually, I need to warm my wrists and ankles up, and had no time to do so. Despite all that, we started playing with our usual energy, diving right in to some really fiery and free spaces. I felt as though we played really well, too. I used my practice kit for the set, on account of the fact that Josh likes to hear drummers play similar sounds that he's heard during rehearsals. It was cool to be playing my old Ludwig Vistalite out for the first time in years. That drum just sings. Additionally, I used some cracked cymbals that I've had for about thirty years now. I'm not even sure how I managed to hold on to them for so long! They still sound good, at least to me.
PAC Trio hit very hard, fast, and loud for two pieces, totaling a bit over 30 minutes. I was hoping to go on for a bit longer, but we left it at that.
PAC Trio plays exorcism music, and I'm stoked to get to play with Josh and Alex. These guys rule.
Below: funky old kit; PAC Trio post gig posed
Next evening, and after a really cool, hassle-free and moonlit drive over the Bay Bridge, I found myself at the remarkable Lucky Horseshoe in Bernal Heights. Remarkable because this great little tavern seems to have managed to become a refuge for SF residents that are not of the tech demographic. Indeed, I saw many friends, acquaintances, and familiar faces, all of whom have lived lives outside of the tech world. It's heartening to see. Bernal Heights definitely seems like a kind of refuge from goings on a bit to the north and east of it.
Crow Crash Radio was honored to play a set for Jay, the guitar player for Rabbles, who was celebrating his 50th birthday. I was stoked to be playing a really nice DW kit that belongs to Rabbles drummer Dave. Such lovely drums, and they sounded dope, of course. As for our music, we played a lengthy pieced that we'd sketched out in rehearsal, which strung some raw ideas together with a few older songs. All of it was played without any full stops, except for the last piece, Isabel's Song, wherein Jay joined us on guitar. I felt as though it flowed smoothly, despite some hiccups in rhythmic syncing every now and then. We got a good, psychedelic feel. It was one of those sets that could have lasted five minutes or forty, I don't know. Time stopped for me, and I just enjoyed the vibes. Hopefully Lucky Horseshoe's patrons felt the same way. Another fun night with Brian and Andrew!
Below: DW backline kit, truly beautiful; video by Elisa Brasil (thanks, Elisa!)
All told, a very fun weekend of music making. Another show this week!
Sunday, February 2, 2020
Upcoming shows!
January of 2020 was a slow month for me. I spent a lot of time practicing, not such a bad thing, really. Anyway, February is starting off a bit more busy on the gig side!
Fri. 2/7
ABCO ArtSpace
3135 Filbert St.
Oakland 94608
PAC Trio (Pino/Allen/Cohen)
Vol. (album release)
Dunkenlman/Fluke-Mogul Duo
8:30 PM
$ NOTAFLOF
Sat. 2/8
The Lucky Horseshoe
453 Cortland Ave.
SF 94110
Crow Crash Radio
Rabbles
8:30 PM
Free (this is a birthday party for Rabbles guitarist Jamie)
So, yeah, next weekend should be fun. Let's see if all of that time spent shedding in January will have paid off.
ABCO ArtSpace
3135 Filbert St.
Oakland 94608
PAC Trio (Pino/Allen/Cohen)
Vol. (album release)
Dunkenlman/Fluke-Mogul Duo
8:30 PM
$ NOTAFLOF
The Lucky Horseshoe
453 Cortland Ave.
SF 94110
Crow Crash Radio
Rabbles
8:30 PM
Free (this is a birthday party for Rabbles guitarist Jamie)
So, yeah, next weekend should be fun. Let's see if all of that time spent shedding in January will have paid off.
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