Jay – Page 14 – The Boring Old Man

Thank goodness it’s over!

The year 2022 will go down in my personal history as the worst year ever, and I’m glad to see it go!

Don’t get me wrong, I had a lot of fun moments this year. I made some improvements in certain aspects of my life, and I got to hit the road a lot and do some traveling, so the year wasn’t entirely without some silver linings.

BUT! I’ve been sick more this year than in the previous decade COMBINED, which completely wrecked the excersize regime I worked so hard to establish in ’20 & ’21. Lacking the consistency at the gym led to a really lackluster year for surfing. Not surfing really did a number on my mental health. The decline in mental health made my job all that much more difficult to tolerate and made my productivity in both my “side hustle” and general “around the house choring stuff” fall off a cliff. And to top it all off, I’m starting to feel the old, familiar financial squeeze that I (fortunately) haven’t had to deal with since I started this job nearly 5 years ago. I also lost a dear friend this year, completely unexpectedly. I could go on, and really get down in the muck, but this blog isn’t really about spewing bitterness, so I’ll stop right there.

So yeah, I haven’t exactly had a banner year…

But instead of bitching and moaning about what a craptastic year ’22 has been, I will review the good stuff that happened and the good stuff I’m looking forward to in 2023.

First, as I mentioned, this was a great year for travel. Aside from all the local stuff, we hit Hawaii, Los Angeles, Napa and Oregon this year. And all those trips were great. Tons of fun, no bad vibes, nothing negative happened on any of those adventures. Who knows what ’23 will bring, but I DO know that a trip back to Oregon is already in the planning stages for late Winter/early Spring.

This was a big year for music too. Not only did we get out to a bunch of shows (most of which were FANTASTIC!), but I also started getting my groove back – both figuratively AND literally – spending a lot more time at the drum kit than in the previous years. Thankfully the drums help fill the void left by the lack of surfing. It’s not the same certainly, but both activities put me in that Zen mind space, which is something I found myself in desperate need of this year.

I’ve also had a bit of a regrouping with some old friends this year. I don’t know if it’s an age thing, or a general sense-of-mortality thing in this post-Plague era, but I’ve been back in touch with a lot of old friends this year, which has been pretty cool. It also helped take the sting out of the passing of my other friend…

This blog has been one of my highlights as well. I just jumped into it without much of a plan or direction, but I’ve found that it’s been a great outlet for me, which has helped me keep some equilibrium mentally and given me an opportunity to work with the written word again after a decade’s worth of slacking; another bonus in the positive mental health arena! I’m coming up on a year now of writing here and I think I’ll keep at it, simply because I’m enjoying it. Much to my surprise I passed 500 visitors a short while ago. I never expected that considering I have no “presence” on the ‘net to publicize this page, and I’ve only told 3 or 4 people about it. I realize that’s a tiny, miniscule number in the grand scheme of things, but considering my circle of people is very, very small it feels like I’ve talked to a whole bunch of new people this year and made a few new friends, which I can appreciate.

Looking forward into 2023 I see some good things on the horizon – of course I say that with the caveat that the “powers that be” running this psycho-circus don’t A) bankrupt us, B) starve us, C) make us all glow in the dark or D) all of the above…

I’ve got a few different music projects starting to heat up, which is super exciting for me.

More travel to places I’ve never been are on the itinerary. Getting back into the swing of things at the gym is another good thing I’m making happen. And I’ll keep plugging away here – more comcert, book and product reviews, more musical flashbacks, and hopefully continued improvement of my writing overall.

And lastly, a potential new business venture that could be a “game changer” for me and put me on a whole new path.

Will all of this actually happen? Who can say? I can’t predict the future any better than any of you can. But what I DO know is that without plans, drive and a sprinkle of good luck, we all just stay in the same spot, wallowing in misery.

I don’t know about y’all, but I’ve had more than enough misery over the last few years. It’s time to really start living again!

Thanks for stopping by and reading. I wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2023!!

Happy Birthday! Terry Bozzio

Mr. Terry John Bozzio was born this day in 1950, in San Francisco, CA. He’s had an active career as a musician since the early 1970’s, lending his talents to a plethora of recordings over the last 5 decades, and he’s STILL a phenomenal musician!

I became aware of Terry in 1982 with the release of “Spring Session M” by the band Missing Persons. I had been playing drums for quite some time by then, and had my heroes, but Terry was something altogether different. His playing was explosive and frankly dangerous sounding, but at the same time he displayed technical skills that were basically beyond my comprehension- and I was no slouch! I had never heard anyone, ever, play drums like this guy, and I wanted to know everything about him.

Since this was the pre-internet days, information was limited to say the least, but I poured over every magazine and newspaper article I could find on him or the band, and when I’d learn of another group he played with, or another drummer that influenced him I’d seek out their records in the used record stores we used to have around town. I was mildly obsessed.

When I learned Missing Persons was releasing a second album, I was ecstatic as well as intrigued. It was in an article about Terry that I learned he basically designed an electronic drum kit, from the ground up, for that record and tour. At the time, drum machines were fairly new on the scene and electronic drums – what few there were – were more novelties than instruments. But Terry wanted to mimic the sounds of a drum machine, with an actual drummer, and again when the album came out (Rhyme & Reason) it blew my mind. I’d never heard anything like it. It was completely different than their previous album and yet, it was undoubtedly Terry. It took me a long time to absorb that record honestly, and of the Missing Persons catalog it sounds the most “dated” now, but it was revolutionary at the time. And if I recall, he actually got a patent on the electric drums he invented!

The world’s first bespoke electric drum set?

It was sometime around their second album that I discovered that I’d heard Terry before Missing Persons, I just didn’t know it. When I was really young, like 5th grade or so, I had an older neighbor that used to let me hang out and listen to records and he used to play Frank Zappa albums, particularly “Live in New York” which Terry was on! As it turned out, Terry played on a bunch of Zappa records and if you know ANYTHING about Zappa, you know he only used the best of the best musicians for his bands. So this really elevated his status with me, even though I was already quickly becoming his biggest fan from his work in Missing Persons.

A couple years later Missing Persons came out with “Color in Your Life”, which was again very different from their earlier work, but just phenomenal. To this day it remains my favorite record of theirs.

During this period, Terry began endorsing the new Remo drum line and set out on a clinic tour. At the end of the tour, they put his drum set up for sale at the San Jose Guitar Center, and since I was an up and coming drummer myself and gigging a lot, I splurged and bought Terry’s used kit. It was a dream come true!! (I had that kit for the majority of my musical “career” until it was sadly stolen in the early 2000’s by a filthy scumbag. But I digress…)

My Terry Kit, in some club somewhere…the only thing I changed were the “BOZZIO” bass drum heads.

Sometime around the late 90’s, Missing Persons got back together for a reunion show in LA, and fortunately for me my best friend Bret (who lived there at the time) not only got us tickets, but also arranged for us to meet the band! So yes, I was lucky enough to meet my hero and he was as nice and gracious as you could possibly imagine. Another dream come true! Then the band went out and played one of the best shows I’ve ever seen in my life! It was mesmerizing. And finally, after a decade plus of struggle, some of his secrets were revealed and I was finally able to figure out a lot of parts that had eluded me for years! It was beyond awesome.

I’ve continued to follow him all these years, we even had a brief correspondence via email regarding the composition of the Remo drum shells, etc. and I was able to see him live in a solo setting a number of years ago, which was another spectacular experience.

I don’t throw the word genius around often, but in the world of music it is a title deserved by Terry Bozzio.

Yes, I was a drummer BEFORE I knew of Terry, and yes I have many other influences and drummers I admire, but Terry formed me as an artist more than any other, and without his work I would not be the drummer I am today. And not just about drums – he inspired me to write lyrics, to get interested in the production side of making records, the strive to be an artist, not only a drummer. And he made it cool to be smart, to read books, to explore, to have other interests outside of music. I owe the man a lot!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart Mr. Bozzio, for all your work throughout the decades. My life is richer for it, undoubtedly.

Cheers to you and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Thanks for stopping by.

As the mad-dash escalates this week…

Keep this in mind when you’re facing lunatic drivers, overly congested parking lots and long lines that move at a snail’s pace…

The last few years have been so weird that it seems like people are going out of their way to make up for lost time the Christmas, which I can understand. But becoming a stressed out mess in an effort to “get back to normal” is defeating the true purpose and meaning of Christmas.

Take a breath. Relax. Love your loved ones. Enjoy your time together if you’re lucky enough to have someone to spend the holiday with.

And most importantly, be nice to your fellow humans. Everyone I know could use a dose or two of kindness bestowed upon them, it’s been a rough year.

Just my 2 cents…

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip!/Concert Review: Dogstar at Gold Diggers, Los Angeles.

Tonight was a rare and once in a lifetime event. We were cordially invited to the “record release party” celebrating Dogstar’s new – yet to be named – album.

Full Disclosure: Bret Domrose, the guitarist and vocalist for Dogstar is my best friend. He and I came up together, learning the ropes of playing live shows, song writing and being serious, professional musicians. In fact, the very first band Bret was ever in – The Laters, circa 1984 – had me as the drummer. He and I went on to form several bands afterwards, culminating in a record deal with an indie label that went bankrupt just prior to our record’s release, and from there our lives took very divergent paths.

There is a good chance if you’ve heard of Dogstar at all, it’s because of their infinitely famous bassist, Keanu Reeves. It is true that they got a lot of breaks that most bands wouldn’t have received if it weren’t for Keanu, but bottom line, Dogstar is a great band with a lot of really fantastic songs.

Tonight they played their first live show in DECADES, playing their recently recorded album, in its entirety. And let me tell you, it’s going to be a great album if this gig was any indication!

There is evident growth in the songwriting, and Bret’s guitar work has never been better. Keanu is a solid bassist and really held things down with his playing. Drummer Rob did something I’ve never, and I do mean NEVER seen, playing a harmonica solo while playing drums!

It was a great set, the band was in good spirits, the sound was great, the energy high and the crowd was all smiles!

It was an awesome night. We were able to see a bunch of old friends that we haven’t seen in ages and I was able to introduce our daughter to Keanu finally after hearing about him practically her entire life. (When she was only 2 years old, I went on tour with Dogstar so she’s heard the stories about my times with Keanu and Uncle Bret many times over the years!)

Our kid in the foreground, Mr. Reeves in the background…

It was so good to see Bret on stage again, and I’m really proud of the work he’s put in and the really stellar songs that came out of the project. He’s an extremely talented guy and I feel lucky to call him a friend.

Thanks for a great night guys. I can’t wait to get my hands on the new record!

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip! Los Angeles/Hollywood, CA

Into the heart of Darkness…

Unlike the late Randy Newman, I do NOT love LA. It’s been a few years since I’ve been here, and I was in no hurry to return but one of those “once in a lifetime” things popped up, and here we are!

The trip took us roughly 5.5 hours, not too shabby! On the way we made a pit-stop for fuel and restroom facilities and found an Arby’s, so we had to stop there too. Say what you will about Arby’s… People seem to love ’em or hate ’em, but we love their sandwiches. All their locations in our neck of the woods have closed down, so this was our first time in one for years and we were quite happy with our decision to stop in!

We checked into the Roosevelt Hotel, which has quite the history: the first Academy Awards were held here, Marilyn Monroe lived here for some time…many Hollywood legends have stayed here over the decades. Some say a few are still here, haunting the joint but so far we’ve seen nothing unusual.

Today we’re just gonna kick about and do some touristy stuff until it’s time to get ready for tonight’s event. More on that later… For now, we’re gonna take our daughter to see the Hollywood Walk of Fame stars and the Chinese Theater with all the famous people’s handprints and what not… But first, breakfast!

Thanks for stopping by!

Time…sure could use some!

My goodness, I can’t believe how much time has flown by since my last post.

I wish I could say it’s because I’ve been having so many adventures that I didn’t have time to write, but sadly that isn’t the case…

It seems like Thanksgiving was just a couple days ago and already Christmas is right around the corner, before you can blink an eye it’ll be 2024!

I have been busy on a new project, involving music stuff, which has taken most every spare minute over the last month. I don’t want to jinx it by talking about it just yet, but I’m pretty excited about the near future and what might come to be. Please forgive my reluctance to discuss, I’ve had way too many of these prospects fall flat over the preceeding decades. If things pan out, my readers will be the first to know. Right now I’m just getting the new “office” set up and getting myself back into the proper state of mind for this endeavor.

Otherwise, things remain more or less the same. I recently finished a new book series which I’ll be reviewing as time allows, and I have an exciting road trip coming up this week that I will write up upon my return.

In between, more work at the new office and getting out into “the Wilds” for Christmas shopping!

Good Times ahead, come on back for more if you have a chance!

Thanks for stopping by!

The little things in life…

My buddy SK gave me this yesterday. Picked fresh on his property last weekend…

So today I pulled out some gear and got busy…

And now I’ve got this chilling for tomorrow’s breakfast!

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that bring a smile…

Have a great weekend, thanks for stopping by!

Thankful

It’s that time of year again, hard to believe, but true. The “holiday season” is upon us!

These past few years have been a non-stop dumpster fire and quite frankly I’ve found it difficult to maintain a positive attitude, not to mention being grateful. But when I stop to think about it, I DO, in fact, have a LOT to be grateful for.

Part of the reason for starting this blog was to help me remember the positive things, to give me something to look back on when things are not going so well. And honestly, it’s worked that way when I needed it. I have focused on maintaining a positive vibe, and have tried very hard to keep this blog from becoming a toxic rant-fest, as that’s where my head has primarily been over the last few years. It hasn’t been easy. I’ve had to stop myself numerous times from spewing angry stuff, calling out both the imbeciles and the grifters, and just straight up bitching about the (many) things that have been getting under my skin. Not that I always succeed, but I always make an effort!

But today, I want to “give thanks”, because when I stop to consider it I am pretty fortunate and have come a long way in the last decade.

First and foremost, I am grateful for The Mrs. We’ve been together for 34 years now and just celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary this year. We’ve been through some really rough times over the past few decades, but we always come through the other side intact, and we’re still best friends. After spending more than 3/5’s of my life with her, I can’t imagine it any other way.

I am thankful for our daughter who has grown into a fine young woman. She’s very responsible and pretty self sufficient, especially compared to her cohorts. She’s never been in any kind of real trouble, she’s helpful and just a pretty nice person. That we share a love of music and soccer doesn’t hurt either!

As much as it drives me bananas, I am thankful for my job. Being healthcare “adjacent” during the “pandemic” took me to the edge both mentally and physically, and it certainly left some scars. But the fact that I didn’t have to worry about a paycheck when it seemed like the whole world was going up in flames was something to be grateful for. And while I can say whole heartedly that I have no love for my job/career, I have learned a TON being here and I’m always grateful for new knowledge. And honestly I’m grateful for my team too. They test me and sometimes aggravate me beyond belief, but overall they are a solid group and when it comes down to it, they will come together and perform amazing things to keep this facility afloat.

I’m thankful that my parents are still around, even though I don’t see them very often. I was very concerned about them during the whole Covid nonsense, and I am very glad that they both came through unscathed. Now, if we could just convince my Pops to retire…

I’m thankful for the friends that are still in my life. They are few and far between, but those guys have been with me a long, long time. Some of us go back to the 1970s, a couple from the early 80’s…my “newest” friend came in to my life in 1990, so yeah I’ve got a lot of years clocked with these gentlemen and I’m grateful for all of them.

I’m thankful for my health. In spite of the fact that I’ve been sick more in 2022 than in the last 10 years combined, I’m grateful that I am still “healthy”, still able to hit the gym and have been able to steer clear of pharmaceuticals into middle-age. No small feat.

Last but not least, I’m grateful for still being able to get out and play music. It’s been feeding my soul when all else seemed misery.

All in all, I have a lot to be thankful for, I just need to remember to remind myself of the fact from time to time.

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving, good health and serenity!

Thanks for stopping by!

Flashback Friday! Southern Fried Boogie edition

Once upon a time in this Country we had a plethora of what was dubbed “Southern Rock”, and while I’m not from the South, (heck the closest I’ve ever been to “the South” was a trip to Dallas decades ago!) a lot of this music really spoke to me. Maybe it’s that Tennessee Rebel blood in my veins, who knows…

Anyhow, it was a good time in music, just good, old fashioned Rock and Roll! Musicians that could actually play their instruments, solid songwriting, some clever lyrics along the way… Good times!

I recently heard a song on the radio – yes, that’s right, I still occasionally listen to <gasp!> “terrestrial” radio – that sparked the idea for this flashback.

I present some of my old favorites from the Southern Boogie days. And just for kicks, and to really get at the heart of the music, I searched out live versions of my favorites. Enjoy!

Last but certainly not least, and sort of an “honorable mention” as most people don’t consider them a Southern Rock act, but Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers originally hail from Gainesville, FL which as I understand it is every bit as Southern as the rest of “the South”, despite the influx of retirees from up North. The Southern charm just oozes outta their music!

Enjoy your weekend! And thanks for stopping by!

Concert Review: The Dip at the Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA

Saturday night we took another trip up to San Francisco to the historic Fillmore Auditorium, this time for The Dip. This was our second time seeing them and coincidentally the Mrs. was sick again and couldn’t make it. Last time they came to town she had Covid, and this time she’s got a nasty cold and cough, which she figured probably wouldn’t be too welcome in a crowd!

The opening act was a solo female singer / guitarist whose name I didnt catch. Just as well… She didn’t play a single thing that caught my attention, and I was not alone. Everyone in the joint was talking amongst themselves, paying little if any attention to her. She did have a great, fuzzy green jacket though, I’ll give her that. It reminded me of Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street, one of my childhood favorites! Musically, it was dull and devoid of anything original or interesting.

The Dip on the other hand were on FIRE! They had added a trio of backup singers to the crew, which really filled out their sound. To be clear, they already had a pretty full sound, with 7 musicians on stage but the added vocals was a delightful icing on an already delicious cake!

The band was clearly in high spirits and made note of the special occasion of playing the Fillmore. The vibe of the room was great and the band just really gave a stellar performance.

Last time we saw them, I was really tuned into the bassist and lead guitarist, but this time around it was the drummer and the trumpet player that really stole the show. They both had really standout performances that night.

The singer mentioned during the set that it happened to be the drummer’s birthday… I couldn’t help but think what a “bucket list” kinda night that must have been- playing the historic, iconic Fillmore Theater for the first time, on your birthday AND having the performance of a lifetime!?!? Are you kidding me!?! That’s a dream come true right there…

It was a bummer that the Mrs. missed this one, but I had a great time hanging out with my daughter and we really loved what The Dip put forth for their fans. It was a great show and I look forward to more in the future!

Thanks for stopping by!