Sleep of Oldominion: Trials and Smiles on the road

Nice blog post from Sleep of Oldominion, including a brief but positive mention of his performance in Monterey. You can view the blog here

, or read the entire post after the jump.

Trials and Tribulations of Indie-Rap Tours

“I’ll Never Beat the Clock on this Infinite Tour”

The troubles began the day before our first show in LA. We planned to leave a day early since LA is an 18 hour drive from Portland. I decided to take my own car rather than rent a car in order to keep expenses low, so I had some work done on it to make sure it was ready for the long trip. When I went to pick it up, my debit card was declined even though I deposited enough money in my bank account to cover all expenses. I called my bank and discovered that my debit card had been counterfeited and $800 had been taken from my account. Identity theft… sweeeeeet! The issue was resolved the next morning, which was the day of the show (an 18 hr drive away.)

Once this issue was resolved we started our journey to LA. We smashed all the way there, speeding pretty fast, but we didn’t arrive until 12:35 a.m. I went straight on stage and played a 45 minute set for a thinned out crowd of people who stuck around to see me. It was a good show but I felt a little rough around the edges from the long drive. After a couple of shows everything starting to come together; the shows were great and I was having a wonderful time. And then my wife’s grandmother passed away.

I didn’t really know what to do being that I was so far away, so I decided to fly my wife and son to Oakland so we could be together. This was a decision that I knew would make travel very tricky but I had to do it. We only had one more show in California and it was an all ages B Boy jam in Monterey Bay. We had to fly my brother Jon The Baptist to Albuquerque in order to make room in the car. Most of my family lives in New Mexico so it was a good place to set up camp. The B Boy battle ran over time so by the time I got on stage most of the crowd had left. This show was the first time my son had seen me perform so I felt blessed to do it. It was funny…he wouldn’t just stay and watch, he had to be part of it. So I ended up carrying him in my arms the whole peformance, which was only 15 mins. Babies are the new bling ha ha.

We left the next morning, making our way to New Mexico from Oakland. We decided to go through Las Vegas and stay the night with my dad. We ran into some pretty bad monsoon weather on our way and it looked like we’d be following that storm system for the rest of the tour. When we got to New Mexico the car started acting funny. It was shaking when the brakes were pushed, so I had to take it to a mechanic and fly to Texas for the next leg of the tour. I didn’t have enough money to fly everyone out so my family and my brother stayed in NM while DJ Zone and myself went to Texas for a few shows.

Our original plan was to fly into San Antonio and catch a ride to Austin where the show was, but during our layover in Houston there was a flash flood/ lightning storm and the airport was closed. It opened up but our flight was delayed and we would not make it in time to make the show. We ended up having a buddy drive from Austin to come get us and take us back. This was going to get us there late but it was still the better option because if we sped the whole way we could make the show. And we did. We got there 5 minutes before I had to go on stage.

The show had a good attendance and the energy was real good. This show was one of the best shows on the tour, but the other shows in Texas were good too. After Texas we headed back to NM to meet up with the family and rock some more shows. I ended up doing a show in Albuquerque with De La Soul and it was a great night. De la ripped it, we ripped it, and everyone had a blast. I can’t believe how long De La has been touring and they still look exactly the same. It’s like they don’t age. The next day we headed out to Colorado with my family and Zone in my car while my brother and manager drove in another car. The first show in Colorado was in Boulder at the Fox Theater. We were playing with DJ Newmark (who killed it by the way). There were a few heads who came out but it was not packed…and when that venue is not packed it feels very empty. Despite that fact, it was a great show. We then headed out to a venue called Mishuwaka where we played with Hay Stack.

The venue was outdoors and it had a river running behind it. Really beautiful setting. I was nervous prior to my performance because there were a lot of mainstream-ish acts who went on before me (or they at least made an attempt to make that kind of music) and the crowd seemed to love it. This made me feel like they would hate my music once I hit the stage with material from Hesitation Wounds. Thankfully, I was wrong. The crowd loved it. However, there was one guy who asked my manager “Who’s next?” When she replied that Whiskey Blanket was next he asked “Are they better than this guy?” My manager responded by saying that she didn’t think so and he said “So they suck then!” Apparently I didn’t impress this guy much. haha. I did manage to impress Hay Stack. He stopped in the middle of his set and gave respects to Whiskey Blanket and myself. He said, “Sometimes you come across a band or a lyricist that you just know is going to make it.” He said it made him smile seeing me and Whiskey Blanket smash it. It was a strange night overall but it ended being one of my favorite nights of the tour.

After Colorado I went back to NM and stayed for a week so I could spend sometime with my Grandfather whose health has been bad for the past couple of years. My Grandfather actually raised me, so his failing health has been extremely difficult for me to deal with (to say the least.) While I was there I wanted to help him out with some yard work and house work. I mostly just wanted to soak up as much time with him as possible and let him meet my son. After this brief break in NM, I packed up the family one last time and headed to Arizona. On our way to the Phoenix we blew out a tire while driving in the middle of nowhere. I had a spare but it was just a doughnut and it was too late to get a new tire. I could only drive 45mph on it, but that’s what we had to do in order to make the show. We were still about 200 miles away from Phoenix so it took a long time (driving at 45mph and all), but once again we made it to the venue just in time to rock the set. It was a good show. It was the last show. And as you can imagine, by this time I was more than ready to get back home.

The drive home was very chill; just me, my wife and my son. We made it a casual thing, turning the road trip into a mini vacation…mostly stopping and visiting our family up the coast en route back home. All in all, I had driven 13,000 miles by myself and rocked some twenty odd shows. I was also pretty broke from it all but I was home! To tell you the truth I can’t wait to do it again.

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DJ Kazzeo Blog - 9.20.09

You knew it was coming: DJ Kazzeo weighs in on Kanye. Oh boy.


Rest of post here

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RIP Roc Raida

Damn. Hip-hop lost another unique talent today. Roc Raida, world DJ champion and a member of the X-ecutioners, passed. I'll try and update a link with more details today, but you can check www.hiphopdx.com or www.sohh.com for info. Above is a video from Roc Raida's 1996 DMC DJ Championship set. RIP Roc Raida.

Rest of post here

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Racist Backlash: This Kanye thing is getting carried away now...

After the jump, I posted a YouTube video with a collection of the racist comments people have been Tweeting in the aftermath of Swift/West-Gate. WARNING: It's very offensive, possibly NSFW.

It's also a really sad commentary on our post-Obama society.

Personally, I'm offended, but it's still useful knowledge: people are not and never will be afraid to express their racism and hatred in full view of the public. Just give them a reason and they'll oblige.

I'mma fall back on my Kanye-bashing for a second because this is pretty sobering.

Credit Rob Harvilla of Village Voice for the o.g. post, and Breihan for Tweeting the link.

Damn, this is just sad people.

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VMA's post mortem: Kanye = World's Biggest Hater; Beyonce & Taylor Swift = American Heroes

I guess I'll be calling this "Swift/WestGate" until someone comes up with a better name.

Last night's MTV Video Music Awards was a coup for MTV and, in the long run, for Taylor Swift. Sure, she shrank to about the size of of a dust bunny when Kanye rushed the stage and morphed into Dr. Evil, but she recovered and probably gained about 500,000 or so extra fans as a result. Expect her album sales to get a bump in the coming weeks.

Much has been made of Beyonce's class in surrendering the stage to Swift, but really B had no choice. It was either let Swift take a bow or run the risk of being sucked into the pit. I anticipate Beyonce's album sales will get a little spike as well, but that's typical of top VMA award winners, so it may be hard to tell if it's a direct result of her good will.

So basically, Kanye set up both Swift and Knowles for their big moment, while setting himself up for a huge backlash.

It will be interesting to see what kind of reception West gets on the Jay Leno Show when it premiers tonight. He's scheduled to perform with Jay-Z and Rihanna. The plot thickens.

Overall, this was probably the best edition of the VMA's in the past decade or so. Plenty of drama to talk about and not just centered around Swift/WestGate either (really, someone help me come up with a better name).



I walked into the newsroom this morning in the middle of a full-blown discussion of Lady Gaga's wardrobe selections. When she won her award, I was wondering if she could even see through that mask/veil she was wearing.

Highlights for me were Pink's performance which sparked a mini-debate with my girl and me. She insisted she was singing live, I argued she had to be lip syncing. Either way she killed it.

The Em/Tracy Morgan sketches were great. Em needs to get back on his acting game. He's nice.

And of course, Hov's performance was momentous. But what was up with Lil Mama? Her and Kanye need to split the meds in half from now on.

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Kanye's Wikipedia page gets nasty post-"Swift/West-Gate"

Click on the above image to get a full view of what it says. Wow!

Pitchfork staffer Tom Breihan posted this screen shot on his Twitter page. This was apparently taken immediately following Kanye's hater-moment at the VMA's.

Pretty much says it all, I think.

Rest of post here

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*SMH* Why Kanye?

Peace to MC Lars for posting this on FB. Kanye has become quite the monumental hater.
Rest of post here

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Kylie Battlin performs “Danger” @ The Rubber Chicken Poetry Slam, 9.9.9

Pacific Grove High School grad Kylie Battlin recited Amir Sulamain's poem “Danger” this past Wednesday @ The Rubber Chicken Poetry Slam.


Battlin came in a close second in the state wide Poetry Out Loud competition. “Danger” was one of the poems she recited in the competition. Glad she's still around doing her thing.

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Pretty good Jay-Z article in Village Voice

Former VV blogger Tom Breihan Tweeted on this article, and I gotta admit, this article gets it right. I'm pretty unapologetic in my Stan-ism of Hov, so this piece gives a nice perspective. Link here

Rest of post here

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iTunes 9 is here

Apple held some big media event at its Cupertino headquarters today, where they launched a new line of iPods (the new Nano's look pretty tight) as well as the spanking new iTunes 9. I'm getting ready to write up a brief review of the new software, but in the meantime I figure I should ask folks what they think about this latest iteration. More after the jump.



Personally, iTunes is my primary music library resource. My digital collection is up to 33 GB now, I carry my 4 GB 3G Nano with me as my primary mobile library (it bumps nice in the Civic) and since I can sync my Palm Pre with iTunes (I'll have to use a third party app now with the iTunes update), iTunes is an essential tool in my day-to-day activities. How about for the rest of you? Just curious.

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DJ Kazzeo Video Blog - 8.29.09

Kazzeo. That SC B.S., he on it. He goes in a little bit on the city of Philadelphia and gets candid on DJ AM's passing.
Rest of post here

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MC Lars 5-year video retrospective

Pebble Beach's most famous rapper, MC Lars, posted up a five-year retrospective of his video work (Geez, has it really been five years?). Above is his latest video, a collaboration with K Flay called "Single and Famous." You can view the entire retrospective @ MCLars.com. The entire retrospective can be viewed after the jump.

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Video: Sledge Grits cover "The Climb"

Salinas' cutest sibling rock band, The Sledge Grits Band, gives Miley Cyrus a real run for her money on this cover of "The Climb." This is also some sort of trailer for their new web site, http://gritsworld.com.
You can also subscribe to their YouTube page @ http://www.youtube.com/user/bluewendybear. Lots of fun videos and stuff there.These girls just don't quit.

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The Beat Video Blog w/ Tech N9ne

Semi-late pass here. This was shot Aug. 9 @ the Rock The Bells festival stop at Shoreline Ampitheater in Mountain View. KC's finest Tech N9ne on The Beat video blog. You can view it in the media player to the right.
Tech is a really cool, down to earth cat and professional as all get out. I had a great time meeting with him and chatting with him in person. So great to be in the presence of an MC with such a humble disposition. Props to Tech N9ne, Kazz Kaliko, and the entire Strange Records Crew.

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Kenny Neely - "Heartless" Live @ the Rubber Chicken Poetry Slam

The handsome, blonde-locked gentleman Kenny Neely gave a scorching rendition of of Kanye West's "Heartless" this past Wednesday @ The Rubber Chicken Poetry Slam. Video is to the right in the media player.

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The Beat Video Blog w/ Reflection Eternal

Yes, indeed. We had the privilege of interviewing Hi-Tek and Talib Kweli during Rock The Bells '09. Enjoy!
Special thanks to camera girl G for handling the Flip Cam. This was by far the most exciting and fun video I've put together. Share your thoughts, por favor.

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Rock The Bells '09 mini-recap

Team Beat & Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli & Hi Tek) together at last. Oh Fa Sho' (more after the jump).
So RTB '09 is a wrap. I took Monday off to recover, so give me a late pass for posting this a full day after the fact.
Truth is we didn't get to experience a whole lot of the festival because we were busy chasing down interviews. So a good portion of the day was spent back stage waiting for Reflection Eternal (pictured above) and Tech N9ne (pictured below).
So I can't give a full-fledged festival review, other than to say that the few acts I did see (Slick Rick, Reflection Eternal, The Roots, Busta Rhymes) and a few I caught glimpses of (Raekwon, Evidence & Alchemist, KRS-One) were pretty good bordering excellent.
Sound at Shoreline Ampitheater was excellent a couple of weeks ago for No Doubt, but for a hip-hop setting, the bass was so muddy and loud you couldn't get a full appreciation for the musicians on the main stage. Over on the Paid Dues second stage, sound quality was a lot better, and honestly this type of festival is better suited for a smaller second stage, where fans and performers have a better chance for interaction. That's what makes for a better hip-hop show.
As for my interviews, I have nothing but good words. Kweli and Hi-Tek were great for the brief meeting we shared. Both have this understated presence about them that is ultra-cool. They were really cool about letting me video tape my interview (when I asked if I could use my Flip Camera, Kweli said non-chalantly "I fucks with the Flip Cam." Very cool.
Tech N9ne was a great interview overall. I've interviewed him before, so it was nice to have that mini-history to draw upon. He's a really cool, but serious cat. His interview was the most in depth and personable.
Oh, and in case you didn't notice, that's my future wife in the pic above. I had to put that out there so Kwe and Tek and N9ne and their crew weren't trying to put the moves on her or anything. I'm just saying tho.

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The National Poetry Slam championships 10 years later

Ten years ago, I was 22 years old and competing in the National Poetry Slam Championship.
Just writing that sentence is proof of how old I am, but also proof that at one time in my life, poetry was really the only thing I truly cared about.
This week marks the 20th anniversary of the National Poetry Slam, taking place in West Palm Beach, Florida. More than 60 poetry slam teams from across the nation competed.


For the uninitiated, a poetry slam is competitive poetry match where judges, picked at random, give numeric scores to poets based on performance and content. It was invented by Chicago poet Marc Smith as a means of promoting poetry in the community beyond the academic set.
I discovered in 1998, at the urging of a friend. I was writing a lot of rap lyrics at the time, not doing much with them. My journalism career was already well underway, but I still had a strong desire to do something creative.
My friend would pick me up at random to go out of town and hit up open mics, wherever we could find them. Sometimes, we'd travel as far as San Francisco and Oakland just to get our creative fix.
One night in Santa Cruz, we stumbled upon a poetry slam, signed up, and proceeded to earn a majority of 9 and 10 scores for our two poems. From that point, I was hooked.
That lead me on a path to the 10th annual National Slam Poetry Championships in Chicago, where I competed as a member of the first and only Santa Cruz/Salinas national slam team.
Competing in the National Poetry Slam is like being in the freak olympics. There were cross-dressing poets. And cowboy poets. And hip-hop poets. And Guatamalan/Iranian/Muslim/Catholic poet.
To fit in, I died my hair green. It just felt right.
Over the course of five days, I experienced a flash flood of culture and talent that would carry over for a decade. I still slam on occasion, nowhere near the number of times from those early days.
I've been in a bit of a creative rut of late, and I know at some point I'm going to have to get over it. But thinking back to those early slam years, and marking more than 10 years as a slam poet, I'm reminded of how awesome an experience it is.
So props to the folks out in West Palm Beach duking it out right now to be slam champions of the world. Hopefully one of these days, I'll be able to get back there myself.

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Set Times for RTB '09 @ Shoreline Ampitheater

The folks @ Guerilla Union just posted up the set times for the Shoreline Ampitheater
stop of the 2009 Rock The Bell festival. Full sked after the jump.

On the main stage, I'm curious to see who fills the TBD slot before Reflection Eternal is set to perform. My guess is Common, since A) he's scheduled to perform according to the festival's Web site and B) him and Kweli could potentially support each other's sets.

Also, I'm kinda bummed that Slaughterhouse is performing the second stage. To catch them, I will have to miss most of Busta's set, which is not a good look. Also, to catch Buckshot and M.O.P., I'll have to miss what I presume will be Common's set and RE. Decisions, decisions.

MAIN STAGE
ROCK THE BELLS FESTIVAL 2009

NAS & DAMIAN MARLEY 9:05 - 10:20 PM
BUSTA RHYMES 8:15 - 8:45 PM
BIG BOI 7:30 - 8:05 PM
THE ROOTS 6:40 - 7:20 PM
REFLECTION ETERNAL 5:50 - 6:20 PM
TBD 5:00 - 5:40 PM
HOUSE OF PAIN & LCN 4:10 - 4:40 PM
RAEKWON 3:30 - 4:00 PM
TECH N9NE 2:50 - 3:20 PM
CHALI 2NA 2:20 - 2:40 PM
THE KNUX 1:50 - 2:10 PM

OPENING DJ 1:00 PM - 1:50 PM
DOORS 1:00 PM
PETE ROCK (Host)
SUPERNATURAL (Host)
KRS-ONE (Host)

PAID DUES STAGE
ROCK THE BELLS FESTIVAL 2009


RZA 8:40 - 9:10 PM
SLAUGHTERHOUSE 8:00 - 8:30 PM
SLUM VILLAGE 7:20 - 7:50 PM
SAGE FRANCIS & B. DOLAN 6:40 - 7:10 PM
M.O.P 6:00 - 6:30 PM
BUCKSHOT 5:30 - 5:50 PM
EVIDENCE & ALCHEMIST 5:00 - 5:20 PM
NECRO 4:30 - 4:50 PM
PSYCHO REALM 4:00 - 4:20 PM
EYEDEA & ABILITIES 3:30 - 3:50 PM
MYSTIK JOURNEYMEN 3:00 - 3:20 PM
SHORT DAWG 2:30 - 2:50 PM
MICKEY FACTZ 2:00 - 2:20 PM
TABI BONNEY 1:30 - 1:50 PM

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Black Francis coming to Henry Miller Library Aug. 14

Big, bald, chubby, Matt Pinfield-looking Frank Black aka Black Francis is coming to Big Sur for a special show @ The Henry Miller Library. If y'all are like me and got a late start on the Pixies, no sweat. The band has been pretty much in non-stop reunion grind mode the past few years, and they are set to go on tour to support the 20th anniversary of their seminal release “Doolittle,” which features the song that helped me discover the band to begin with, “There Goes Your Man" (now a romantic comedy staple).

In preparation for that tour, Black Francis (Franky baby's solo project) will hit Henry Miller Library @ 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14, with support acts TBA.

In the meantime, you can check out this blog post from the Seattle Times, featuring a few homebrew videos from his Seattle show.

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Rock The Bells Lineup @ Shoreline Ampitheater

There has been no official time slot list released for this Sunday's RTB Festival at Shoreline Ampitheater. But combing through the official festival Web site, I have been able to acquire the line-up based on scheduled appearance dates for each artist. Lineup after the bump.

According to the Web site, these artists are scheduled to appear at the Aug. 9 festival date:

Nas & Damian Marley
The Roots
Common
Busta Rhymes
Big Boi
KRS-ONE (Host)
House of Pain w/La Coka Nostra
Reflection Eternal
Tech N9ne
RZA
Raekwon
Sage Francis
M.O.P.
Slaughterhouse
Eyedea & Abilities
Necro
Slum Village
Chali 2na
Evidence & Alchemist
The Knux
Psycho Realm
Buckshot
Mystyk Journeymen
Mickey Factz
B. Dolan
Tabi Donney
Supernatural (Host)
MURS (Host)
Pete Rock (Host)

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It's Rock The Bells Week!

Hard to believe this will be my fourth year attending Rock The Bells.I know, time flies, right? But it's been an annual highlight and thanks to the power of archiving, I can give a quick re-cap of my previous RTB experiences (more after the jump).

For a recap of the the 2008 RTB, click here and here.

For some reason, I didn't chronicle the 2007 festival on my blog, but to get a wrap-up of the 2006 festival, click here.

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R.I.P. Baatin of Slum Village

Signing in a bit late with this one, but gotta give final props to Baatin, one of the original members of Slum Village. He passed away earlier today. AP swipe after the jump Detroit rapper Baatin dies of unknown causes at 35
Associated Press
3:36 PM CDT, August 3, 2009
DETROIT - Authorities say Detroit rapper Baatin, who co-founded the group Slum Village, has died in his hometown. He was 35.

The rapper, whose real name was Titus Glover, was found dead Saturday. The Wayne County medical examiner's office hasn't yet determined the cause of death, but county spokeswoman Vanessa Denha said Monday there were no obvious signs of trauma or foul play.

Baatin founded Slum Village in the late 1990s with high school classmate James (J. Dilla) Yancey, who died in 2006. The group won critical acclaim in 2000 with its national debut, "Fantastic Vol. 2," followed in 2002 by its highest-profile commercial release, "Trinity." Baatin left the group that year.

The Detroit Free Press says Baatin rejoined Slum Village for its upcoming album, "Villa Manifesto," due Sept. 22.

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DJ Kazzeo Blog - 07.30.09

DJ Kazzeo at it again.

Man, this guy is too much. Calling out Gen. Steele of Smif n Wessun and Michael Vick. Guns blazin'.

Sure glad this guy is on my side, because I would hate to incur his his video blog wrath. Big up Kazz!

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Andre Nickatina x The Roots = Dope!!!

Came across this while combing through okayplayer.com last night. I guess Andre Nickatina's DJ posted this. Fresh. More after the jump, including my interview with him and Pep Love.
I've never been a huge fan/consumer of Nicky T's music, but I eff's with this big time. "Ayo For Yayo" is one of those undeniable Bay anthems. Anytime I hear it I'm reminded of riding home from a game or something with my ol' school Baktun 12 homies. Memoriez:).
While I'm at it, I might as well post up this interview with Andre here. Of course, there's always my interview with Pep Love, which you can view here. Pep and Andre are playing tonight in Salinas @ Fox Theater. Don't say I didn't warn you.

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Jupiter 7, Brother Ig performing live in Salinas Aug. 1

Looks like a hip-hop show happening this weekend in Salinas. This one @ The Light music and culture shop in Oldtown Salinas.
Don't have a whole lot on Jupiter 7, but you can check his myspace at http://www.myspace.com/jupiter7. He reps the 'Town (Oakland) and has an indie/underground (undie?) sound.
Brother Ig reps for San Jo and has a Gospel/Gangsta steez. You can get more here.
Holla back if you go and let me know how it went. I won't be able to get out there this weekend because I just don't feel like working:)

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New Pep Love coming your way/ Pep Love performing Friday in Salinas

Just had a quick chat with Igor Katz, president of Ineffable Music Group. He gave me a quick update on the upcoming Pep Love record. Said a new single is scheduled for release in August. Pep is also scheduled to perform Friday night, opening up for Andre Nickatina Friday night at Fox Theater in Salinas. Doors open at 7 p.m.
I'll re-up my Pep Love interview from earlier this year and give you some more details on the show manana. Peace.

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Live: No Doubt @ Shoreline

Late Pass:I attended the No Doubt concert Saturday night at Shoreline Ampitheater. Sans notebook. Here's why:

There was a big flap with my review tickets. I was handed off to the marketing director, who was understandably busy, but never the less apologetic for the mistake.

I didn't get my tickets until about half an hour before No Doubt was set to perform. It was a nice reminder of just how unglamorous this job can be, and how it can happen quite quickly.

So back to my review.

No Doubt started its set by projecting 50-foot tall silhouettes onto a giant white sheet, that sort of ghostly effect that Prince used during his Super Bowl Performance a couple years ago. It looked pretty cool up close, especially with each member walking towards the sheet, their image growing larger with each step as they approached.

Once the sheet was pulled down, the stage revealed an all white set-up with a large, raised spider-looking platform, with a riser drummer Adrian Young and narrow extension ramps.

They opened with "Spider Webs," an instant crowd-pleaser, and sounded studio-tight. Their entire set equaled the sound quality of their albums, impressive given they've been on hiatus for more than six years and lead singer Gwen Stefani was steeped in a successful solo career during that break.

The set list:

Spiderwebs
Hella Good
Underneath It All
Excuse Me Mr.
Ex-Girlfriend
End It On This
Simple Kind of Life
Bathwater
Guns of Navarone
New
Hey Baby
Running
Different People
Don't Speak
It's My Life
Just A Girl

Encore:

Rock Steady
Stand and Deliver
Sunday Morning

Most of the songs had a sonic sheen to them that was almost mechanical. This was the final stop before heading home to So-Cal for the tour's closing dates, so the band could have been winding it down after a long tour.

While the energy was fluid and the songs were lemon-fresh, there was a choreographed feel to the steps and moves that came off a little stale. Gwen is a great performer, charming and spirited, a punk-ska-cheerleader if there ever was one. But her moves left a little bit to be desired. Her punk-rock karate kicks looked like recycled fare. And when she addressed the crowd with a breathless echo, you could sort of tell the scripted bits.

But who cares when the band looks as hot and sounds as tight as they did. Young stripped to his skivvies and some thigh-high, whit and black stripe-printed panty hose. Guitarist Tom Dumont's faux hawk was as sharp as his licks, and bassist/music director Tony Kanal orchestrated the fury.

And of course, there was Gwen, looking fly and making the guys and girls fall in love with her all over again. Hopefully, this tour leads to some new material from the band, but if this is it, then what we have is one of Cali's best modern rock bands blowing kisses to the fans.

Who need a notebook when you have the memories.

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Sledge Grits Band making moves

Just got off the phone with "Momma" Wendy Sledge for the Sledge Grits Band, and she shared some exciting (albeit spare) news.Looks like the band is set to meet with some So-Cal agents shortly, and plans are in the works to make the Sledge sistas a household name.
Of course, nothing is confirmed at the moment, and Momma Sledge was under a strict confidentiality agreement not to give any further details, but it's all exciting and redeeming at once.
Of course, the band was robbed (IMO) earlier in the year when they didn't make the second round of the CBS Morning Show's "Singing Family" competition. But the national television appearance did give them some much deserved exposure, and potentially laid the groundwork for them to be freed up for a more solid opportunity.
Who knows, maybe this turns into one of those Jennifer Hudson/Chris Daughtry deals, where losing the contest actually works to their benefit because they aren't bound to some contract stipulation. In any event, the girls are on the move, and we'll be watching.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, that is indeed the girls with Luda in the above picture. Killin' 'em out there!

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Tonight: Steele of Smif N Wessun on Wednesday Wreck w/ DJ Kazzeo

DJ Kazzeo of KHDC 90.9 FM, just blasted this Tweet:
“’General Steele from Smif N Wessun (Cocoa Brovaz) calling in to my show tonight. Tune in. 6pm. 90.9fm KHDC in Salinas, CA
You can follow Kaz on his Twitter page at www.twitter.com/kazzeo. Tell 'em I sent ya:)

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I goofed up

Editor's Note: I wrote a feature article on local author Gwyn Weger, which ran in the July 19 Leisure section and which you can read here. I made a bone head mistake and misspelled the author's name in the article. Shame on me.

The reader was right to let me have it for that mistake. I stand by the rest of my article.

Dear Marc,
After reading both of your reviews in this Sunday’s paper (July 19th), you have motivated my usually behind-the-scenes rear end off the couch and into action. And no, congratulations to you are NOT in order.
Your “review” of fellow writer and friend Gwyn Weger’s novel is absolutely shameful. If you have any conscience at all, my suggestions to you are as follows:
a) Just pretend you didn’t do that review and get ready to do another one. A REAL one in the upcoming weeks.

b) How about actually READING the novel. Your blog site states right up front that “Marc Cabrera has nothing better to do than watch a lot of movies and television, and listen to a lot of music…”. And look, that’s great and you do excellent work on movies, tv, and music. A good example being your “Reason to Watch the Emmys” article extolling the show “30 Rock” also this Sunday.


c) But you obviously don’t read books (nor do you claim to), so why try to do a review? Being a writer, you should at least have some idea of how much time, energy, heart and soul it takes to write a book (think article times 1000+), so the least you could do is to try to maybe spend at least an hour or so reading at least SOME of it, then at least fake it – and here is the important part young man – by rendering an actual OPINION/REVIEW.

d) And my rule (and recommendation to you as well) is: if you actually invest your time and read it, you can say whatever you want as a critic. Skewer it, give it a medal, whatever. However, if you don’t read it, then you are restricted to only saying good things about it. Here is a suggestion for a rewrite/re-review from me, a person who has read stuff from Steinbeck to David Foster Wallace, and who actually read Weger’s novel and thought it was a great read that I would highly recommend:
"All I really wanted to do," she said, "was write an entertaining book." And that is exactly what she has done. “She” is local author Gwyn Weger. The book is called East Garrison. Not only was the book entertaining, an easy read, and hard to put down, but I found it almost impossible to believe that East Garrison is Weger’s first novel. Buy it, read it, spread the word.
A few Examples without giving away the plot (just like your 30 Rock article).
A paragraph or two about the author. No more. Skip the stupid nazi stuff for Christ’s sake (Would YOUR mother like to read something like that? Come on Dude).
End with a reiteration of “I loved it. Read it” or “Not worth your time”. In other words, an actual critique. Anyway, I think you get the idea….

And oh yeah one more thing MarK: how about spelling her name correctly this time might be a nice touch (you don’t like it either, do ya?) It’s GwYn. Not GwEn).
And lastly, by emailing this little love note only to you and not posting on your blog or writing a letter to the editor or anything intentionally publically humiliating or degrading like that, my intent is to express my anger and frustration to only you (at least at first) with the sincere hope that my note has the desired effect to NOT embarrass you, but rather to you know that people actually READ the stuff you write, that your articles actually do have an EFFECT on the artists you write about, and of consummate importance, to INSPIRE you to want to “make things right” by actually doing your job and actually reading Weger’s book and doing another REAL review.
Sincerely,
(name withheld to protect reader's privacy)

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Video: Interview with Sleep of Oldominion/Strange Famous Records

The boy-boy Sleep of Oldominion is scheduled to perform Saturday at “Redemption 3.” I found this recent interview clip on YouTube.
This guy is a dope lyricist and the Sage Francis co-sign is a good look, but is it just me or does he look like a cross between Michael Cera and Jonah Hill? Lyrically superbad, fa sho' tho (sorry, it was there for the taking).

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Video: Sledge Grits Perform live @ Monterey Blues Festival

The lovely young ladies of the Sledge Grits Band serve up some proper goodness on this clip, posted by momma Wendy Sledge earlier this week.

My favorite parts, other than Mimi's wonderful singing and Keiko's absolute shredding on the guitar and Kariel's silky smooth bass playing — little Bo-Pah's tiny head barely visible above her drum kit, her curly locks balancing a miniature tiara on top.

Another highlight: the ladie's voice at the end asking "how old is the drummer," and a response from I'm assuming Daddy Sledge “She's 7.”

The girls are going on a pretty ambitious tour of Monterey County Free Libraries, playing three libraries a day over the next two weekends. Check their revamped MySpace page (www.myspace.com/sledgegrits) for all the info.

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New Joints from Para La Gente

I promised these last week, but sorta kinda lagged. PLG is on a mission through Mexico right now, touring through Chiapas and Mexico City with Boca Floja.

Their new album "People Living Growing" is available all over the place, most notably at www.Myspace.com/ParaLaGente.



“Say Something ”w/ Boca Floja:



“Leaders of the New New School” w/Alex Lee

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“Redemption 3” this weekend in Monterey

It's back for the third go-round. "Redemption 3,” brought to you by the good folks at Project Redemption, returns for another showcase of hip-hop elemental extravaganza.
Summary here Doors open at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 18, with the battles scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. It will be held at Monterey Filipino Center, 629 Pearl St., Monterey.
Among the highlights for this year are a scheduled b-boy battle between Boogeyman of Oceanside, So-Cal crew The Freak Show vs. Eddie Boy of Las Vegas' Runaway Tribe.
Scheduled performers are God Squad, Saylah, Joint Venture (yup!) and Sleep.
Tickets are $7 at the door, with discout two for $10. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/Redemption831.

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“The Beat @ Wave St.” w/ Stephen Covell

After a two-plus week haitus, “The Beat” returns with a new episode of “The Beat @ Wave St.”
This episode we interview Peninsula singer/songwriter Stephen Covell, a Pacific Grove High School graduate now serving in the U.S. Army and currently stationed in Iraq.
Covell, a member of the Army 82nd Airborne 573rd Cavalry Recon Squadron, sings songs about his military experience. He writes personal, poignant stories of the fears and insecurities attached with serving his country and the bonds that are built in the field and in the line of fire.
The interview also features highlights from his Wave St. Studios performance. Enjoy!

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Not a local showcase, but local native Jacob Seedman, founder of the Shalom clothing brand and a Salinas High School alumni, is promoting this event tonight in The City.

Seedman's Shalom Cultural Peace Project has been designing his line since 1999. He is gearing up to unveil his fall line later in the year, and the line is currently on sale locally at Bill's Wheels in Salinas. Read the bio after the jump and get more info @ www.ShalomClothing.com.

Founded in 1999 in Salinas CA, by Jacob Alexander Seedman. Shalom CPP is a message driven lifestyle clothing company. Seedman’s vision was to create clothing that represented the message of peace, and incorporated culture and his environment. By the end of 2000, Seedman faced an unforeseen trademark infringement that halted the growth of the brand. After a 4-year battle, Seedman regained the trademark and was off and running once again! At the end of 2007 Shalom CPP was carried in stores worldwide, and had gained a diverse following. Due to several changes, Shalom CPP is returning after a two-year incubation with some cult classics and a newly revamped look. Shalom is proud to reenter the market offering the best quality Eco friendly apparel. The message remains the same. Shalom: the essence of peace. Make peace not war!

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Video: Kyp Malone @ The Apartment

Just interviewed Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio, in anticipation of his June 28 show @ Henry Miller Library in Big Sur. Above is a video of his solo performance. His solo project Rain Machine is scheduled for release in September.
On the phone, Kyp was a real mellow dude with some nice perspective on his band's critical success and the state of music as opposed to the state of the music industry. I'll post up the audio next week. In the meantime, enjoy the video.

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Ol' Factory Cafe, the rumor mill, and siverback gorillas

Late pass on this one, but it was too funny not to share. Morgan Cristopher, owner of Ol' Factory Cafe, put out this newsletter last week to address the situation with Ol' Factory taking on some of the shows left over in the wake of Monterey Live's closure.

Also, FYI, the Para La Gente show previously scheduled for June 27 @ OFC has been moved to Blue Fin Billiards on Cannery Row. So local musicians have another option for booking shows. Interesting.Hello Factory friends-

Yes, Monterey Live closed.
Yes, we agreed to help them out by giving them a place to move their previously booked concerts.
Yes, they have brought over some of their equipment, tables and chairs in order to continue presenting live music.
Yes, we have a shiny, new, baby grand piano.
Yes, we're still located in Sand City.
No, we have no plans to move Sand City... (ever try to pick up a Costco?)
No, we have not entered into a business "partnership" with Monterey Live.
No, we do not have their hard liquor license... (though I still keep a nice bottle of scotch in my office).
Yes, the Ol' Factory looks a bit different these days.
Yes, we really had four death metal bands last Saturday... (that won't happen again!)
No, my head isn't pounding any longer... (after all it's been 4 days...it stopped pounding yesterday).

So, all you rumor-mongers, that's the story.

But let's revisit this death metal thing for a second. For those of you who don't know what death metal music is, imagine 8 angry African rogue elephants, in heat, plus a 450-pound Silverbacked Lowland Gorilla, angry and in heat, plus 3 angry New York City cab drivers who've just been stiffed on their fares, thrown into a blender. It's sort of like that. Except that you have to put your own head into the blender, too. And while that's going on, now imagine a bunch of men ranging in age from 18 to 60 slamming their bodies into one another...and no one's holding a football. Yes sir, it was a memorable evening.

But the point is that this took place on the same stage where we've had a string quartet with a million-and-a-half dollars' worth of instruments playing Beethoven's String Quartet in C-Sharp Minor, Opus 131. Take that, Carnegie Hall! That is the absolute spectrum of music known to humanity. I assure you, everything you own in your record collection falls somewhere in between those two extremes.

And we like it that way. It's easy to play it safe. The Ol' Factory likes to take risks. We're in Sand City, for goodness sakes.

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Listen To My Voice! with Chino XL

“The Beat” podcast is back with lyrical legend Chino XL. Talking with Chino was a real interesting experience. This guy is one of the most fierce MC's breathing, and to hear him open up on all things hip-hop was a pleasure.
This is a guy that KRS-One personally acknowledged as one of the illest on the mic. Heavy duty stuff. Chino was real open on when he first made a serious impact on the scene, '96, after his single "No Complex" hit with a bang.
He's since carved a nice career as an actor and writer (he did some stuff recently with The MTV Movie Awards).
Of course, he's still a beast on the track. His new album, "The Rican-Struction," is scheduled for a September release. Take that suckas!

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Dream Hampton Tweets on 2Pac

The girl-girl/hip-hop writer Dream Hampton shared some really nice 2Pac memories on her Twitter page (@dreamhampton). Here are a few:

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Happy Birthday 'Pac

Today would have been Tupac Amaru Shakur's 38th birthday. A modern pop music legend and hip-hop iconoclast, 'Pac's legacy is likely to live on for at least a couple more decades. More than 12 years after his death, his life looms large still. Hip-hop's very own James Dean, 'Pac was one of the most complex and contradictory figures in modern pop music. His defiant stance was always balanced by a noble charm, a charismatic force of nature who made up his own rules as he went along.
I can't say I always cared for his music (or his caricature), but I have never denied his absolute necessity to the game. He was John Lennon, Gram Parsons, Sam Cooke and Bob Marley rolled into one, a rebellious martyr who felt every moment, entering in a flash and exiting in a fury.
Here is one of my favorite 'Pac songs, "If My Homies Call" off his debut album “2Pacalypse Now.”
Thug in Peace big homie.

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“Listen To My Voice” w/ Omar Cruz

“The Beat” podcast returns! “LTMV” is back with a vengeance, as we talk with L.A.'s finest, Omar Cruz.
The mixtape warrior has been bubbling on the Latino rap circuit for a few years now. He's gotten some national shine thanks to his hosting gig on MTV Tr3s' “Pimpeando” car lifestyle show. His debut album “Sign of the Cruz” is scheduled for release later this year, featuring guest shots from The Game and Los Lonely Boys (!).
He talked with “The Beat” about the album, his take on the Latin Rap scene and his headlining gig on the Latin Hip-Hop Tour. Watcha!

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“The Beat” gets props from Chino XL, Omar Cruz

I'm never one to fish for compliments but I was pretty stoked to peep out Chino XL's Twitter page (@ChinoXL) last week and find this:





Okay, so he got the paper's name wrong. Big deal. And it turns Chino was a no show at last week's "Latin Hip-Hop Tour" Salinas stop. But Omar Cruz showed up.

Speaking of Mr. Cruz, he also had some kind, albeit brief, words for “The Beat” in response to Mr. XL's Tweet:



I really do love my job.

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Big American Family doing it big

Indie rockers Big American Family released their single "Pin Drop" in February. You can check it out here (Some technical difficulties have prevented me from streaming it at the moment, but you can get a full listen on their MySpace page.

The band will perform Tuesday night at Ol' Factory Cafe in Sand City. Should be a great show.I caught BAF last year during the Central Coast Talent Show I judged at Fox Theater. They were among the best of the night and they deserve some shine. I 'm hoping to get a feature on them in the near future. Stay tuned.

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Review: "The American Clock" @ The Western Stage

Given today's national economic crisis, there is an eerie prescience that resonates from Arthur Miller's "The American Clock," a vaudeville set in the wake of the 1929 U.S. Stock Market crash.
Opening the 2009-2010 season for The Western Stage, Miller's play is as much about American denial and doom as it is an examination of the times.
Juxtaposed with the nation's current economic plight, it's an earnest reflection staged and executed handily by the Salinas-based theater company.
Beginning with the large cast of more than 20 players, "The American Clock" is not the commonly known style of vaudeville punctuated by slapstick comedy and musical numbers.
Instead, as described in the production notes, it's meant as a series of short pieces, some dramatic, some musical, providing glimpses of the different people affected by the crash and the onset of the Great Depression.
That series begins with Arthur A. Robertson (a terrific Jeffrey Heyer), the lanky, wealthy New York City investor who sees the oncoming crisis and tries to warn those he cares for: a humble shoe shiner, then his personal therapist.
As he sits in his session, a woeful sense of guilt overwhelms him, as he reveals his plan to pull out all of his money, despite his therapists insistence that the market is on the rise.
"The stock market merely represents a state of mind," Robertson says presciently, revealing a lesson most of the American public is aware of. He then leaves somberly with some final advice, invest in gold bars and store it in your basement.
From there, Miller unveils the Baums, a Jewish family from Brooklyn. Young Lee Baum (Jacob Estrada in an understated debut performance) serves as the play's other protagonist, on a soul-searching mission that takes him from New York to the deep south and eventually toward socialism and a journalism career.
Doted on by his caring-turned-paranoid mother Rose (Anna Shumacher, bold and heartbreaking) and noble but spineless father Moe (Fred Herro in an eloquent turn), Lee Baum is the false hope that everyone in the play harbors blindly.
Baum eventually turns cold as the failed hope of the Depression era he comes of age in.
Using those characters to provide a loose narrative thread, Miller's script captures stolen moments from throughout the turbulent period, from Iowa farmhand revolts to beggars roaming the streets of Brooklyn.
Director Jon Patrick Selover does a tremendous job blocking out the action in the cramped confines of the Hartnell College Studio Theater.
Letting his cast spill out along the edges of the space, the numerous transitions flow smoothly, allowing the audience to stay in rhythm during the long stretch (the play clocks in at a robust 2 hours and 45 minutes).
Selover's production crew also comes through on most ends. Although the sketched New York skyline serves as a lazy backdrop, Tomas Reyes' sound design and John Englehorn's lighting design more than make up for the spare set.
Also, Melissa Chin-Parker, Maria Elena Cordero and Diane Kelsey's costume design is a detailed inspiration, with lots of double-knits and dreary color tones to reflect the drab era.
The director gives his large cast enough to do without wasting anyone's time. Highlights include Terry Durney, who steals the show as the shortest-tenured corporate president of all-time, Joe Yedlicka as the Baums' Jewish grandpa heading toward senility, and Tom Kiatta as the Iowa farmer who loses everything and stumbles into the Baums' Brooklyn enclave begging for work.
The production's only setback is the unclear connections between some of the side characters, which extends the play about a half-hour too long.
No doubt Heyer would have a tough time trying to trim a Miller script, but the production loses some steam leading up to the final scene involving the Baums and a persistent bill collector.
But leave it to a master like Miller to provide a forward-looking portrait of American fear in such a drawn-out manner.
Walking out of "The American Clock," today's audience has a clear sense of the playwright's message: Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.

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"The Ecstatic" is slowly edging out "Born Like This" for my favorite album of the year (so far)

Been bumping Mos Def's "The Ecstatic" non-stop the past 12-hours or so. Mos really came correct with this one. I gotta give it up to him.
Of course, tastes change and I could very well go back to MF Doom's "Born Like This" as my favorite album of the year (so far), so this post is certainly subjective. Boogie Man!

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Big American Family show back on @ Ol' Factory Cafe

New word back from Sarah of BAF. Their Tuesday night show @ Ol' Factory Cafe is indeed back on. It's unclear right now what is and isn't a go @ Ol' Factory, I'll try and track down someone over there for something official.
In the meantime, catch Big American Family at 8 p.m. Tuesday night @ Ol' Factory Cafe. That's affirmative.

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Chino XL headlines "Latin Hip-Hop Tour" Friday in Salinas

Chino XL is one of the most provocative hip-hop lyricists to emerge from the Los Angeles underground in the past decade-plus. A battle MC on-par with the likes of Canibus and Eminem, Chino proved his mettle early on in his career when he got into a little lyrical squab with none other than 2Pac (Chino insists there was never any beef on his part and his lyrics were taken a bit out of context, but whatever).

Chino will be in town Friday night at the Fox Theater as part of the "Latin Hip-Hop Tour." After-party will be held at "The Planet" in Monterey. Click on the flyer above for more info.

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Kyp Malone (TV On The Radio) coming to Henry Miller Library

TV On The Radio lead singer/guitarist Kyp Malone will make make his way to Big Sur June 28, to perform his solo project ‘Rain Machine.’
TVOTR has been one of the most critically lauded bands of the past few years, a band that turned considerable blog-buzz into legit broad-appeal acceptance. I haven't heard anything from Malone's solo side yet, but if nothing else, it should be interesting. Info below:

Sunday, June 28
'Rain Machine' - aka Kyp Malone of 'TV on the Radio' (TVOTR)

Kyp Malone, as co-writer, guitarist, and co-vocalist, the secret force behind TV on the Radio, 2008's most critically acclaimed band (name Best Album of the Year by Critic's Polls for Rolling Stone, Spin, New York Times, Pitchfork, et al).
Rain Machine is his debut solo project. Showcasing his mournful, four-octave voice, idiosynchratic instrumentals chops, and imagistic, deeply spiritual lyrics, there are already rumblings in the underground that it may be a classic-in-the-making, almost creating a genre unto himself.
June 28 marks a rare solo appearance by this talented artist and the only west coast concert before his official tour in the fall."
Tickets are $ 15 (plus 1.30 service charge). Call 831-667-2574

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SalinasRadio.com coming to iPhone

Local upstart SalinasRadio.com, a streaming radio station showcasing local musicians, will soon be available on your iPhone.
SR founder Mike Rodriguez recently Tweeted his station will be placed on the RadioTime directory (www.radiotime.com) and by extension, will be available on portable devices like the iPhone through Wunder Radio (www.wunderradio.com), a streaming radio app. iPhone owners can download the Wunder Radio app from the iTunes store (costs $5.99) and then find SalinasRadio.com from the RadioTime directory. Then you'll be able to hear your favorite local bands on your iPhone. Pretty cool.
EDIT: Got word from Mr. Rodriguez himself that “users can listen in for free on their iPhone without the WunderRadio application by downloading the free ShoutCast application and searching for us. :)” (that emoticon was courtesy of him, not me).

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Jay Won (again)

Me and my girl were arguing (playfully) about who the biggest rap star is. I said Em, she argued for Kanye and Jay. I was wrong, she was right, it turns out, as Jay was named No. 1 on The Source's "Power 30" list. AP swipe below:

Jay-Z tops The Source magazine’s ’Power 30’|

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s been a minute since Jay-Z released an album, but he’s still got enough swagger to land on The Source’s ‘‘Power 30’’ list.
The hip-hop magazine says Jay-Z tops the list because he’s an industry leader and a top businessman, with his ventures with Live Nation and Rocawear, and his part-ownership of the New Jersey Nets.
Others on the list include Diddy, 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, will.i.am, Snoop Dogg, T-Pain and Kimora Lee Simmons.
President Barack Obama was given top billing on the honorary power list because of his influence on the new hip-hop generation.
———
On the Net:
http://www.thesource.com

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Confirmed dates for Monterey Live shows now @ Ol' Factory Cafe

The aftermath of Monterey Live's closure has meant some shifting venues for acts that were booked through June at ML (an indication of how swift the ax fell on the joint). These acts and dates have been confirmed for Ol Factory in June. I'll try and post more as they come along:


Wednesday, June 10
COVER: - N/A

The Decomposeurs and
http://www.myspace.com/decomposeurs
Jason Stie and The Trees
http://www.myspace.com/jsandthetrees


Saturday, June 13
COVER: $5.00
Microtonic Harmonic
http://www.myspace.com/microtonicharmonic


Tuesday, June 16
COVER: N/A
Lauren Shera
http://www.myspace.com/laurenshera
and Big American Family
http://www.myspace.com/bigamericanfamily

Thursday, June 25

COVER: $7.00

Para La Gente - CD Release Show for Para La Gente
http://www.myspace.com/paralagente
Realization
http://www.myspace.com/40831music
and Aces
http://www.myspace.com/allcityelite

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PLG preps release of new album "People, Living, Growing"

Got a nice, quick note from Para La Gente bassist Zach Stahl. Their new LP "People Living Growing" will kick off with a record release party June 25 @ Ol' Factory Cafe in Sand City. Still waiting for some digital tracks to share with y'all. In the meantime, I'll re-up Cambio's dope solo single "Who I Am." Soon come.

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Message about Monterey Live closing

Got this quick response from Hattie Catania yesterday, booking agent @ Monterey Live, regarding its sudden closure:

Marc,
Sorry not to reply.
Super busy REbooking shows (which somehow takes much more time)
Shows are going to Ol'Factory mostly and I've sent some bands to Tobin at Jose's
(dates that he had opened)
might send some July and August shows to Steve Vagnini who is booking a new place.
Sad and surprised.
~Hattie

Can't ween a whole lot from the message, although the last part, sad and surprised, pretty much sums up my attitude on it. I know PLG and Big American Family were scheduled to do shows there later this month. PLG (who I am posting about shortly) is moving to Ol' Factory. No word yet on where BAM will go.

I'll keep y'all posted as I hear more.

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Damn Shame: Monterey Live closes its doors

File this under "that sux." Monterey Live, site of some great personal memories along with the breeding/breaking ground for a lot of great local and touring acts, shut its doors as of Sunday night. The last show was reportedly Sunday night, according to my editor. Trying to get some word from the folks over there, but in any event, this is a sad day for local musicians and fans. Monterey Live was a great venue with good sound and atmosphere, one of the few places that hosted a nice variety of musical styles, from punk to hip-hop to cabaret. I personally have had some great nights on that stage and watching shows. I might have to put together some sort of top memories list together, but that place rocked. If this is indeed the end, RIP Monterey Live.

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"The Beat @ Wave St." w/ Stellar Corpses

The latest episode of "The Beat @ Wave St." features Santa Cruz rockers Stellar Corpses.

Now on tour and scheduled to play Wednesday night at Giovane's in Salinas, the guys sat down for a quick chat with your truly. Now playing in the media player. Yee.

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