Jay – Page 11 – The Boring Old Man

Concert Review: Grandson & K.Flay at the Warfield Theater, San Francisco.

Monday night brought us back to the historic Warfield Theater in San Francisco for the much anticipated Grandson and K.Flay show. This was the Mrs.’ “birthday” show and we’ve been sitting on the tickets for months, so the excitement levels were off the charts and it turned out to be an awesome night!

Opening act Jack Kays was already on stage when we got to our seats and he was OK. Nothing surprising or spectacular, but solid. I wasn’t familiar with his work and what I heard gave me an early 00’s “Emo” vibe. Not really my thing, but I’ve certainly heard worse. At the very least he seemed to be engaging and enjoying himself.

Next up was K.Flay. All I can say is WOW! She came out swinging and delivered an amazing, high energy set that was just off the charts. Her band was outstanding; energetic, technical prowess and just great tone. Her guitarist, who’s name I just couldn’t catch unfortunately, was OUTSTANDING. Really a top-notch, stellar performance. These guys, and K.Flay herself earned my highest regards. This was our 3rd time seeing her show, and it just keeps getting better!!

Grandson’s set was a mixed bag to be honest. Jordan (who essentially IS grandson) was great. He is so enigmatic and enthusiastic it’s impossible to NOT dig what he’s doing. He’s a little creepy and comes off as a little dangerous, but in the best possible way. His performance was certainly as strong as ever before, but the song selection for the set was a bit lacking. And if I’m being perfectly honest, his band was not up to the level we’ve come to expect. His guitar player was good, really good even. But not great. The bass player has been replaced by backing tracks, and the lack of real, interactive bass was noticeable. And his new drummer… I’m not saying he was bad – quite the contrary. He was actually extremely proficient and had chops for days, but he was NOT the right drummer for this band. Yes, I’m highly biased and critical of drummers – 45 years behind the kit will do thst to a guy. Now, I don’t know who this guy is, but I kept hearing gospel drumming throughout the set. Don’t get me wrong, gospel drummers are some of the hottest guys out there, it just didn’t work for me in the context of Grandson. Overall though, it was still a great set.

In the end I’d have to say that K. Flay stole the show, but it was a great night of high energy and excellent musicianship. If you ever have the opportunity, I highly recommend both artists!

Thanks for stopping by!

The Storm Before the Calm.

Well it’s been a while and I’ve been lagging here, so I figured I should at least do a little catch up.

The last couple weeks have off the charts ridiculous at work. Longer hours, bigger work load and fewer guys to distribute the load to. And oddly instead of commute-time traffic getting better after schools letting out for Summer, it’s been exponentially worse the last few weeks. Not that I’m not accustomed to bad traffic, its just that extra hour – hour and a half a day eats into my non-work life…

I did get a day out fishing last weekend with my brother-in-law Kaptain Karel. Unfortunately after a couple hours at sea, seasickness whipped me pretty good as the swells got a little gnarly. Nonetheless, it was still a good day overall and I’ve got a bunch of nice fish in the freezer.

On the music front, things have been slower than I’d like, but I’m still getting out and playing here and there, even posted up a few new clips in my YouTube channel.

Random beats. I record ’em so I don’t forget ’em

I’ve also got a new potential band in the works with some folks I found on BandMix.com. We’ve not yet met in person so it may be nothing, but they’ve given me a few tunes to learn over the next couple weeks while the guitarist is out of town. So who knows? Come mid-July I might finally be back in an actual band for a change. I don’t like to get my hopes up, as I’ve been down this road many, many times over the last 4 decades. Nonetheless, I’m excited about it and looking forward to jamming with some new folks.

The best news of all however is that I’m officially on vacation for the next week! And it’s shaping up to be a good one. We’ve got a concert to go to, its the Mrs.’ Birthday, and we’re heading back down to Pismo Beach for a few days. That should also allow for me getting back in the water for the FIRST SURF OF THE YEAR! Geez, how sad is that? The year is half over and I haven’t surfed a single time. Something has gone sideways if that’s the case… it HAS been a weird one, that’s for sure.

Anyhow, that’s about the size of it for now. June has been a blur thus far, but a much needed respite is in the wings. More to come…

Thanks for stopping by!

Bay Area Gem: Sonia’s Kitchen, San Jose, CA.

Sonia’s Kitchen is one of my favorite places of all time. I’ve been a huge fan ever since my first foray into the place, which was somewhere about late 1987.

Now, I will say in spite of being a regular there for 35ish years, I’ve never, and I mean NEVER had anything besides the cheesesteak sandwich. Why? Because it is THAT good! Seriously. That being said, I cannot attest to anything other than their cheesesteak sandwiches.

Now, I LOVE cheesesteak sandwiches and I have eaten them at many an establishment over the years, but Sonia’s are the one by which all others are measured. And they have yet to be bested. What is amazing is that they have remained consistent, as in exactly the same today as they were in the mid-80’s. That is saying something!

Now, I have my gripes with them too… Primarily the hours of operation: Monday- Friday, 11am – 4pm. Back in the day they were open later, and you could grab a sandwich after work, but as the employees aged (and passed away, sadly), there are only two of them left, and I guess that’s all the business they can handle themselves. The situation being what it is, anytime I have a day off during the week, we make it a point to make the trek. And I never regret it. When I first started going there, I worked maybe a mile from the place. A year or so later, I moved downtown and I only had to go about 6 blocks, an easy bike ride. Now it takes a 15-20 minute drive to get there from home, and it is worth every mile!

Nowadays I really try to relish each visit, knowing each time could be my last. The proprietor is at an age, she could’ve retired 15 years ago easily, and the cook has been there every single time I’ve been there, at the same grill. He’s no spring chicken either, but he still whips up a mean sandwich! They started with 4, now it’s just the two of them and I’ve NEVER seen an “outsider” working the shop, not a single time. She works the counter, he works the kitchen, and that’s it. So, yesterday’s sandwich may have been my last. I certainly hope not, but I know such a thing of beauty cannot last forever.

So if ever find yourself in San Jose, and you’re a fan of cheesesteak sandwiches, you owe it to yourself to stop in at Sonia’s Kitchen. They are on William St., between 9th and 10th streets. As my pops likes to say, “you better get, while the getting is good!”. The best kept secret in San Jose. Don’t let the look of the place fool you, it’s a diamond in the rough!

Thanks for stopping by!

Double Nickels today…

Hit another milestone today, the 55th year of my existence begins. Ugh. Hard to believe.

It’s been a good day tho. Took some time off work. The Mrs. treated me to donuts (a blueberry fritter, no less!) and I spent a slow morning doing odds and ends before heading to my studio for some drum time. Even took the time to replace my severely worn out snare drum head.

Early afternoon I picked up the Mrs. from work and she accompanied me to a local legendary record shop, Streetlight Records in San Jose. I’ve been going there since maybe 1982 (the old location that was in a converted house!), but the last time I was there was ’19, before “the Plague”. I had a nice time flipping through the racks, and was happy to see they are really leaning in to the vinyl Resurgence! I found a vinyl copy of an instrumental Beastie Boys album, and left “feelin’ like a kid again”. The icing on the cake was stopping off for a Slurpee on the way home! Good Times!!

In the evening our Girl came over for pizza – my favorite – and some classic comedy movies. A quiet but delightful night!

On top of it all were well wishes from family, friends and even a couple co-workers.

All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a nicer day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Flashback Friday! In the Beginning edition

I’ve spent a lot of time over the last couple weeks both immersed in music, but also catching up with old friends and reminiscing about the “good ol’ days”. All that put me in a mood to do a flashback featuring songs we used to cover in my first REAL band. And by real, I mean we actually got out of the garage and played gigs, in front of real, live people. Sure, we were only 15 and 16 years old at the time, and were probably terrible, but that band – The Laters – would set a couple of us on a lifelong path of passionate love for live music, writing songs, performing for audiences…all that good stuff.

Ahhh…good times!

More than a couple of these are considered classics now, but this was cutting edge stuff back in 1983/84. Enjoy!

He was right, they DON’T write ’em like that anymore!

Have a great weekend everyone. Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Birthday Clint Eastwood!

Born this day, May 31, 1930!

American treasure. Legend.

I’ve been a fan as long as I can remember, and I’m grateful he’s still with us!

Happy Birthday good Sir, and good health to you!

Concert Review: Duran Duran at SAP Center, San Jose, CA

It has been quite the weekend for music! After a packed day yesterday at the Bottlerock Festival, the Mrs. and I had a night out Sunday with Duran Duran in our sort-of Hometown, San Jose. The concert was at the SAP Center, home of the San Jose Sharks hockey team. We’ve been to a number of shows there over the years – Rush, the Who, Imagine Dragons, to name a few – so there was nothing new and/or notable about the venue itself. I will say though, despite not being a fan of giant venues, if there is a choice between SAP or the Oakland Arena, I’d pick San Jose, hands down. The fact that it’s less than 15 minutes from our front door doesn’t hurt either!

The opening act of the night was Bastille, however since we were recovering from the day before and moving slow, we didn’t make it in time for their set. I’m not familiar with them other than having heard the name, so I don’t know what I missed…

Next on the bill was Nile Rogers & Chic. All I can say is WOW! The energy was off the charts and the band was on FIRE! It’s not every day you get to see a living legend on stage, and let me tell you even at 70 years old, Nile Rogers was AMAZING. They played (of course) the classic 70’s Chic tunes, but also a bunch of songs Niles had a hand in over the years, made famous by other artists like David Bowie and Daft Punk amongst others. It was one of the best live performances I’ve seen in a long time, truly spectacular.

Nile Rogers, the man, the myth, the legend. Laying it down!

Duran Duran came on stage with much fanfare and launched into a moody number (which I didn’t recognize), and honestly I thought it was a very curious choice to open the show.

The 4 original members: Roger, Simon, John & Nick (L-R)

From there on out though, it was essentially a “greatest hits” set, spanning 4 decades of their work, with a couple new songs and a (seriously ill-fated Rick James) cover thrown in for good measure.

I’d never seen Duran Duran before, so I have nothing to compare this performance to. And I have a mixed history with the band. I first heard their song “Planet Earth” as a middle-schooler back in ’81 on KFJC – one of the greatest college radio stations ever! – and was really taken in by their unique sound. They were New Wave pioneers and when their Rio album came out the following year they took MTV by storm and their popularity grew by leaps and bounds on the strength of that record. I considered myself a fan.

Then it all went to Pop music hell, trying to compete with Madonna and Michael Jackson and I COMPLETELY lost my taste for them.

Fast forward 10 years, and they came back with guitarist Warren Cuccarillo (of Frank Zappa and Missing Persons fame) and knocked it out if the park with the eponymous DURAN DURAN album in ’93 and I was back in the fold.

That is taking the long way around to say I absolutely LOVE some of their songs, and others leave me flat, and their set was a pretty good mix of the two.

Musically, they were pretty solid. Simon LeBon’s voice was very strong and true – clearly he’s taken care of his instrument over the years. Bassist John Taylor (who is criminally under-rated as a bassist IMHO) was rock solid, grooving and fun to watch. Drums and keys – Roger and Nick, respectively – performed admirably, but nothing extraordinary. However, I’ve got to give props to their guitarist- whose name I couldn’t decipher over the PA. He was OUTSTANDING, whoever he is. Andy Taylor, the original guitarist, is a phenomenal player and very unique. Their second guitarist Warren Cuccarillo is a freakin’ wizard. So this guy had HUGE shoes to fill, and he NAILED IT, from start to finish. Really exceptional playing, I wish I knew who it was…

So to be perfectly honest, it wasn’t the best show I’ve even seen. Don’t think it would even make the Top 10 (though to be fair, considering I’ve seen about 1,000 shows in my life, Top 10 is pretty tough to break into!). That being said, I did enjoy the show and I’m glad I got to see them once. I also understand it was only the 2nd show of the new Tour, so they still have some kinks to work out before they really hit their stride I think. If they can fine-tune their set list, and the sound and lighting guys make some (seriously needed) tweaks, it can become a stellar show.

When all is said and done, I’d say I really enjoyed my time with Nile Rogers, Chic and Duran Duran. It was a fun night, good vibes and brought up a touch of nostalgia at the same time. A night well spent!

Thanks for stopping by!

Concert Review: Bottlerock Festival, Napa CA

If you’ve been reading my stuff for a while, you may have noticed the vast majority of concert reviews come from nightclubs and theaters, not arenas and coliseum events. I’ll make exceptions occasionally, but big events are really not my thing. However, today was one of those exceptions and we traveled north to Napa for Day 2 of the annual Bottle Rock Festival. The festival is a 3 day affair – if you’re a glutton for punishment and have a LOT of extra dough lying around you can make a long weekend of it and watch an absurd amount of bands play.

Sensory overload is the best way to describe the day. There were SO. MANY. PEOPLE. It was rather overwhelming. That being said, we did see a lot of good musicians ply their trade, and though it was crowded as anything I’ve ever witnessed, the patrons and staff were pretty well behaved. Lines moved quickly, no scuffles broke out (that we witnessed, anyway) and all in all it was a really fun day.

East Forest was the first act we caught. Very electro. Spacey, background music is how I’d describe it. Not exactly suited for a live show, especially outdoors, at noon no less. But hey, it was background music for us while we got ourselves oriented to the venue and figured out where we needed to be and when.

Paris Jackson was not someone we planned to watch, but we happened upon her set while we were getting some food and libations, and I was SHOCKED by how good she was. I expected the daughter of the “King of Pop”, would be nothing but fluff, but to my surprise she and her band were rocking, with Paris herself digging in on guitar as well as vocals. It was a pleasant surprise and I’ll definitely be looking into her discography.

Lupe Fiasco was the next set we saw. He was high energy and had a great vibe. He was funny, and had a lot of audience interaction, and he really poured it out for us, delivering a great set to an enthusiastic croud. It was a groovy good time, for sure. Would recommend his show if you have the opportunity.

Next in the agenda was Dogstar, the whole reason we went to this festival. Yes, Im highly biased. Regular readers may recall that the the guitarist/vocalist of Dogstar, Bret Domrose, is my best friend going back decades. I was the drummer in his first several bands and we cut our teeth together on the Bay Area club circuit back in the 80’s and 90’s before his career took off. This was the first-time Dogstar played to a big audience is a VERY long time, and you could tell they were having a good time with it. The crowd reaction was solid, but a little slow to respond at first. By the mid point of the set they had really picked up steam and finished really strong. It was a great set and I couldn’t be happier for those guys, hitting it again after a decade’s long hiatus.

Cautious Clay was the next artist we checked out. I didn’t know but one song from him prior to today, but he have us an impressive set too. His band was slamming, and he himself busted out the sax and guitar (a LEFTY no less!) which I had no idea he played. He definitely earned my respect with his performance today!

Tove Lo was the last act for us for the day. She was playful and sexy and obviously having a great time. Her band was solid and the performance was strong, but it was also very “programmed”, using backing tracks and loops and whatnot, that kinda takes away from the magic of live music. But I’ll give her props for her set. She’s clearly a professional and the set was flawless, if not electric with the musicians stepping out and adding some spice to the original compositions. I don’t think I’d go out of my way to see her again, but I wouldn’t be purposely late if she was opening for another show I was going to either.

The main headlining acts were Duran Duran and Lizzo, both playing different stages with overlapping times. The four of us were going to split up to see our preferred artists, but in the end we were all kinda wiped out after Tove Lo, and we decided to call it a day and head home.

All in all it was a great day. Expensive as all get out, but still a great day. Beautiful weather, great food and drink, fantastic music from a wide variety of artists. Who could ask for more on a May Saturday?

Thanks for stopping by!

Could be nothing…could be ugly.

Now I TRY to not get to wound up over “conspiracies”, but with social media lighting up over this, it kinda got me thinking they might be on to something…

Feel free to jump to your own conclusions. All I know is that things are not going well for our “leadership” at the moment, and we’re on the cusp of election season. Just sayin’…

Water, food, shelter, medicine and a means of self defense. If you panic now, you’ll beat the rush.

Thanks for stopping by. Now go do something to prepare yourself for our uncertain future!

Concert Review: Hoodoo Gurus at the Great American Music Hall, SF

Oh man, I have waited sooo long to see these guys!!

I was just a kid when they first hit the American airwaves – Sophomore year of high school if I recall – and never got the chance to see them live before they started getting overlooked and leftout in the world of music.

The Hoodoo Gurus are one of those bands that are hard to define. When they first broke they were certainly lumped into the New Wave category, but their influences are obviously wide ranging. You can hear British Invasion, 70’s Detroit garage rock, surf music, a little twang of Americana/Rockabilly all thrown in the mix, but what comes out the other end is something wholly original and one-of-a-kind.

They announced a tour a couple years back and I was ecstatic! I grabbed tickets the day they went on sale. Then “The Plague” hit… Show postponed. Then show canceled and tickets refunded. Sad days indeed.

But finally, FINALLY the day has arrived and we’re off to one of our previously visited venues, the Great American Music Hall in the sewer on the Bay, San Francisco. (Yes, everything you see in the news about SF is true, sadly.)

We got to the venue a tad bit late and much to our surprise, Hoodoo Gurus was already on stage, doing their thing. NO opening act. D’oh! I was a little bummed out that it appeared that we’d missed a third of their set, but gratefully I was proven wrong. The Gurus poured out a set nearly 2 hours long! It was FANTASTIC!

They played ALL my old favorites, and several gems I’d forgotten about! And a few tunes from their recent album that was just released. It was a great set, top to bottom. And as a special treat, they brought out a couple guys from seminal SF Hippy band, the Flamin’ Groovies for the last couple tunes in the encore.

The band was in fine form, and if you didn’t know of them you’d never guess these guys were in their 60’s or thereabouts. Lots of energy on stage, the playing was great and the vocals were on point, including the harmonies. The Gurus were really on their game last night!

Thanks for a great night fellas! I regret that it took me nearly 4 decades to catch your live show, but it was well worth the wait, and then some!

And thank you Reader, for stopping by!