Tonight was another long awaited show, Royal Blood. I’ve been a fan of theirs for nearly a decade now but this was the first opportunity we had to see them live. That when we finally got our chance it turned out to be at The Catalyst, well that was just icing on the cake! I’d been sitting on these tickets nearly 5 months, so excitement levels were high!
The opening act – Hot Wax – we’d not heard of. We checked out some of their tunes ahead of time, didn’t dig it, and set out late for the show.
Right about 9pm the lights dimmed and the theme from “the Good, the Bad and the Ugly” came busting out of the P.A. setting the scene for what turned out to be an unbelievably amazing show.
The band was to tight and powerful, it was really a sight to behold. Bassist/vocalist Mike Kerr is one of a kind, the most unique player to hit the scene since Les Claypool. How he manages to play “guitar” on a bass, while holding down the bass lines AND singing simultaneously?!?! I don’t know what kind of wizardry/voodoo this guy is putting out there, but what he does seems physically impossible. Seriously, I’ve now seen it with my own eyes, and I still don’t know how he does it. I was miles beyond impressed by his performance.
Drummer Ben Thatcher was solid as a rock throughout the entire set. For my money, he’s the closest thing we’ve to got a modern day John Bonham. I’ve seen a lot of “alternative” bands over the last few decades, and most of the drummers are “blah”… This was certainly not the case with Ben, he was outstanding from the first note to the last. A real pro.
Ben Thatcher, putting in the work!!
They played an hour-plus set, followed up with a 3-song encore, and honestly I’d kinda forgotten how many great songs they’ve put out since their debut album. It was really an amazing show, well worth the wait!
I’ve seen a lot of great shows this year and I can say without reservation that Royal Blood was amongst the best. I would absolutely go see them again, without hesitation.
Another night at The Independent, one of our favorite venues, to see one of our favorite live bands, Des Rocs!
Christopher Shayne from Phoenix, AZ was the opening act tonight, and someone we’d never heard of. When they took the stage I didn’t know what to think – the first guy I see is sporting a cowboy hat, the next guy has long hair reminiscent of Chris Cornell, followed up by a dude with a foot tall Mohawk! Once they hit it, it all made sense! Lynryd Skynyrd meets Soundgarden with a good ‘ol boy meets punk attitude. Let me tell you, these guys KILLED IT! It was fantastic from start to finish. “All killer, no filler” as the saying goes. I was beyond impressed, the drummer was rock solid, powerful and right in the pocket through the whole set. The guitar work was excellent, particularly when they broke into harmonized leads, just mesmerizing. Really, the whole band was straight up professional and they tore the roof of the place. I was actually bummed when the set was over, they left me wanting more!
Christopher Shayne, rockin’ the joint!
The second act – Starbenders – we’d also never heard of, and they gave up a mixed performance. Musically, they were pretty good. Drums and bass were pretty basic, but solid. The lead guitarist looked like a younger version of Slash minus the top hat and tattoos, and played some impressive stuff wrangling his Les Paul around. My biggest gripe came from the vocals…most of it was ok, but she used a weird voice + effect thing – a lot – that was frankly just grating. Like literally the sound frequency was painful…I don’t know how to describe it exactly but it really distracted from an otherwise decent set. What I will say, certainly some of the songs were really good and they all gave 100% on stage. It was definitely a performance, not a recital.
Starbenders
Finally the main event, Des Rocs! What can I say, this guy is simply one of the best live acts on the scene today. This was (I think) the 5th time seeing them in SF, and once again they just knocked it out of the park. The energy they put out on stage is electric and it is the kind of show that ALL rock shows should aspire to. If you like live music at all, you owe it to yourself to see them at least once, you won’t regret it!
Des, tearing it up!
When all is said and done, it was a fantastic night! Excellent musicianship all around, tons of energy, cool venue. An all around win!
The long awaited new album has finally hit the streets! For anyone new here, I’ll tell you right up front that I’m highly biased toward this band. Bret Domrose, Dogstar’s guitarist and vocalist, and I have a friendship, a brotherhood really, going back 40+ years. I was the drummer in the first band he ever played in, and in every subsequent band and lineup for the next 10 years. I’m the one that talked him into singing (we parted ways with our original singer, so it was him or me, and I’m awful on vocals!) and I wrote all the lyrics for the first few years we got him on the mic. We played countless shows together, in every club from Watsonville to Oakland that would have us, and recorded I don’t know how many original songs. We were together for the first song of ours that got on the radio and did our first interviews together. He was my Best Man when I got married 32 years ago… And that’s just scatching the surface!!
Our first professional promo pic, and bumper sticker circa 1987. Bret on the left, a much younger Boring Old Man in the center…
Suffice it to say, I’m a HUGE fan of Bret and subsequently Dogstar. That being said, I’m going to be as honest as I can be about this new record. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t anxiously awaiting this record for a long, long time!!
BLONDE: I’d heard this one live a few times before I got the record and really liked it, but the recorded version hit me in a different way. It’s mid-tempo yet upbeat, and lyrics that convey a longing… A strong opener that doesn’t beat you over the head with bombast.
HOW THE STORY ENDS: Hit and miss… Some outstanding parts, some parts barely beyond basic. Harkens back to their early days.
EVERYTHING TURNS AROUND: Great song overall, quiet/loud transitions, nice vocal harmonies. Excellent guitar work, but it’s subtle and takes a few listens to pick it all up. An excellent choice for their first single from the record and one that’s already been on my heavy rotation list since it’s release.
OVERHANG: Very much reminds me of “The Cure” with the introduction, then its right into a solid 90’s power chord structure.
DILLON STREET: A distinct “Americana” sound, very different than the first part of the record. The first Dogstar song with harmonica, which while well done (??? what do I know, harmonica isn’t exactly in my wheelhouse) could have (and in my opinion should have) been replaced with some slide guitar.
LILY: This one may be my favorite on this record. Very power-pop-ish, but not in a cheesy way. Outstanding guitar work once again.
LUST: This is the other contender for my favorite track. A really great song, BUT the drums kinda suck the life out of it. Yes, as a drummer myself, I’m horribly biased. I just find missed opportunities all over the place drum-wise on this particular track. I’d give it an 8.5 out of 10. With a snappier drum performance, this one could’ve “gone to 11”.
GLIMMER: A little slow for my taste, but a strong, solid song nonetheless. Excellent guitar solo. Lyrically, one of Bret’s best to date. This one really paints a picture, so to speak…
SUNRISE: I’m torn on this one. Could’ve been another power-pop burner, but the “power” part is lacking. Again, the vocal harmonies are outstanding but overall it’s just tepid. Not a throwaway, but not a hit single either.
SLEEP: If I didn’t know better I’d swear this was a remake from the early days of Bret and I – dripping with 80’s vibe. This one has a Wire Train influence proudly on its sleeve. Top notch guitar solo once again, Bret was really shining here!
UPSIDE: Strong intro, good energy. For the first 10 seconds or so you might think you’re listening to a cover of a tune by The Church, then it quickly jumps into classic Dogstar – power chords, rolling bass and strong vocals.
BREACH: A real burner to close out the record! This one needs VOLUME to get its point across, there is nothing subtle about this track. Another good choice for a single and a favorite at the shows. Reeves throws out a couple quick solo bars that lend an 80’s punk feel to it. Overall, it grabs you, shakes you up a bit and before you know what hit you, it’s over. Well done!
Overall, in my not so humble opinion this is a strong album, if a little lopsided. While there is nothing earth shattering or world changing about it, for a straight up rock and roll record made by real people on real instruments, it is immensely enjoyable. I haven’t lived with it long enough to determine whether or not it will displace “Our Little Visionary” as my favorite Dogstar record, but I ABSOLUTELY think it is much better than “Happy Ending”.
The songwriting has certainly matured and the production is far more layered and dense than their past endeavors. Bret sounds sincere in his singing and the vocal arrangements are really outstanding throughout the record. His guitar work has really come a long way too – don’t get me wrong, I think he’s always been fantastic – he’s stretching out and entering into musical territory that is altogether different for him, while maintaining the gritty yet melodic style he’s honed over the last several decades.
When all is said and done, I think it is a record the band should be proud of. Unless you’ve done it yourself, nobody understands just what it takes to put a record together, especially a non-computer generated record, and Dogstar have really captured something here.
Selfishly, I hope the band takes another long hiatus so Bret and I can get back to the project we were working on before this Dogstar resurgence, but I am extremely proud of Bret for this one, he did an outstanding job and has made a record that I believe will stand the test of time, like all the best rock and roll records of the past 60-70 years!
Well done gentlemen! Congratulations on some excellent new music!
I’m feeling a bit neglectful of the ol’ blog these days and I just got back to town, so I figured I’d re-cap the last 10 days or so…
The first week of October was not unlike a big punch in the face. Work was ridiculous and on top of the ridiculousness of the day-to-day stuff, we were also hammering out the operational budget for next year. Now, I wear many, MANY hats in this gig, and do a lot of different things, but accounting is something I simply despise. I recognize that it’s a necessary evil, but I just really loathe that part of the job. A week of eyes glazing over and constant, recurring headaches, it was unpleasant to say the least. The Polyphia show was supposed to be the highlight of the week, but that was a bit of a bust too, so the week was just grueling. There was a light at the end of the tunnel though, an impending road trip, kicking off on Sunday, October 8th.
Sunday, October 8th we hit the road to Anaheim, CA for an out of the ordinary trip. For the last 25 or so years, the Mrs. and I have wanted to experience a Disneyland Halloween, and this year we finally did it. We tried to make this trip last year but our planning started only 3 months ahead of when we wanted to go and there was NOTHING available. Seriously, nothing. So this Halloween excursion had been on the books now for 10 months – a long time to wait! And to be honest, I’ve kinda lost my appreciation for Disney over the last few years, between them gobbling up so many other companies and intellectual properties, putting out crap movies and all their “woke” nonsense, I had considerations of calling the whole thing off. Nonetheless, a Disney Halloween was a bucket-list thing since I wanted to go long before the company started going down hill…
The last time we’d been to Disneyland was for our daughter’s 5th birthday – she’ll be 30 this coming February – it’s been a while!
We were expecting long lines and exorbitant costs for everything, and we grossly underestimated both. I’m a maniac for roller coasters, but waiting 2 hours (no, I’m NOT exaggerating!) for a 2 minute ride takes a lot of the fun out of it. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about the entire thing. When we first got there I found myself grinning ear-to-ear at the “magical” aspect of the place. Part of that was nostalgia, but really if you take in the architecture and the design and the special little touches everywhere, it really is unlike anything else in the world.
But the crowds! Good grief! It was just a non-stop, undulating sea of people everywhere you turned. And let me tell you, after seeing thousands upon thousands of these folks doing their best to make it an awesome day for themselves, I started to lose what little faith I had left in humanity.
This is not to say that no fun was had, there were some fun moments…just hours of waiting in “cattle chutes” in between those moments of fun. The Mrs. and I decided upon our departure that we won’t be back unless we end up with grandkids to take. Even then, it would be a tough sell…
On the bright side, we did get to ride the “Incredicoaster” at the California Adventure park on our last day, and I just gotta say WOW!!! Hands down the best roller coaster I’ve ever ridden – by a country mile!
As for the Halloween aspect, the main reason we went, it was underwhelming. There were a lot of decorations put up for it, some pretty stunning in fact, but overall it wasn’t all that different. Maybe the 80 degrees and sunny weather kept the Fall spirit at bay, I dunno. All I can say is Halloween didn’t seem to make it any more magical than it already is, it just brought in a ton of extra people.
The Haunted Mansion, Halloween Style…
After roughly 48 hours in Disneyland across 3 calendar days, it was back home for a layover/re-pack/car swap and a single work day for the Mrs. (and I got to put in some volunteer time at the school too, while she was working). On the 12th we set out again for one of our favorite destinations, Pismo Beach, CA.
I’ve said before that Half Moon Bay is our “home away from home”, but Pismo is a close second. The fact that one of my oldest friends lives there AND I can always count on him to head out into the surf with me, makes Pismo a very welcoming destination indeed.
This time around we tried out a few new places – the new food destinations were awesome, the outdoor hot tubs at Sycamore Hot Springs, eh, not so much… Nonetheless, we had a really relaxing time and I got to surf two days in a row, which almost never happens!
Pablo (right) and the B.O.M. (left) heading into the Pacific!
The whole reason for this trip was in celebration of the Mrs. and I hitting our 32nd (!!!) anniversary. Still having a hard time wrapping my head around that one… Add to that another 3 years together before we got married and we’re approaching double the years together than years we’d lived up to that point. It is staggering. Heck, our daughter is nearly 10 years older then we were when we got together, how time flies, eh?!?
We got back home late Sunday afternoon and the girls had a spa appointment to go to, so I headed out to my studio for some much needed drum time. I decided before I left on this trip that I wanted to change things up with my kit, and started tearing it down before I left. Last night I got a new, much smaller configuration set up and took it for a test drive. It’s pretty close to a “standard” set up now, which kinda rubs me the wrong way, but I’ll keep messing with it ’til I find a set up I love…Or I’ll go back to the “everything but the kitchen sink” set up, cuz I’m weird that way…
Before…After.
Monday was back to the grind, sadly. Morning commute traffic, 444 emails waiting and back to trying to solve everybody’s problems “yesterday”. Thank goodness for the recharge!!
All in all it was a great week, in spite of the hiccups, and I’m feeling invigorated and ready to seize Fall – my favorite season!
So tonight I did something I haven’t done in a long, long time – go to a show solo!
Back in the day, I used to do this all the time but its been decades. So I felt a little out of sorts, if I’m being honest.
I got there late due to the sucktastic San Francisco parking, and the opening act was already underway when I got to my seat. It was an usual act, a duo comprised of a keyboardist and a drummer, by the names of Domi and DJ Beck, respectively. I will say they both clearly spent time on their instruments and were obviously talented. That being said, their frantic jazz fusion music wasn’t my cup of tea. I was a little glad I got there late honestly, 3 songs was enough to get the gist and that type of jam just isn’t my thing.
Domi & DJ Beck
I don’t know if it was the unexpected heat wave we were experiencing out here in the Bay Area or if the Warfield’s mechanical systems were on the fritz, but it was BLAZIN’ hot in there, which made the wait between the opening act and the headliner grueling!
Polyphia finally hit the stage about 9:20 The opening song started off with a slow burn, but quickly built up and they were off to the races!
I’ve been waiting a couple years now to see these guys live, and sat on the tickets for a few months in anticipation but to be honest, the show was a mixed bag.
On the positive side, the guys played great. Their guitarists outshine pretty much every modern fusion/prog player I’ve heard in the last decade. They really are phenomenal, especially when playing harmonized parts in unison. It is really something to behold.
That being said, the sound, the actual mixed sound from the PA system was horrendous. The bass guitar was so heavy in the mix that when things got really going with all the players, the sound just devolved into a rumbling, distorted mess. The drums too, we’re just completely buried – you could hear the back beat just fine, but ZERO of the finesse of his complex drum parts. He was also using very “dry” cymbals with little to no sustain – which can sound great recorded or in a small club, but here they were utterly lost in the mix.
Long story short, between the immense heat (along with some disturbingly rank body odor from someone seated in my general vicinity!) and the auditory assault from the bad mix through the PA, after 45 minutes, I’d had enough. I made for the exits before the set was over, not to mention any encore tunes.
I was glad that I got to see them, even if it was mildly disappointing. Knowing these guys CAN pull it off live was highly encouraging in this age of backing tracks and fake performances. That being said, I doubt I’d rush out to see them again any time soon.
As for the venue, I’ve decided to avoid the Warfield for a while, unless one of my “bucket list” performers comes through. Not that there is anything “wrong” with the venue (air conditioning aside, which was the first time I’ve experienced that there, and I saw my first Warfield show in 1982!), but the neighborhood has become so unbelievably bad I just want to stay out of it. Oddly, it’s not that I feel unsafe (thought truth be told, the Tenderloin District, where it is, happens to be either #1 or #2 of the most dangerous places in San Francisco according to crime stats) it’s just that it is really depressing. I’ve hung out in that area since my early teen years and I don’t even recognize it anymore. One “sidewalk shantytown” after another, up and down every block. Crazy people walking around screaming at nobody or everybody, drugged out zombies wandering aimlessly, and the non-stop, overwhelmed stench of urine and general filth. It really drags you down, being in the environment, even when nothing “bad” happens. It’s a real shame. San Francisco used to be THE place to be in Nor Cal, but over the last few years it is increasingly becoming the place to AVOID.
The best part of the ride out of town was this handsome devil
So like I said, a mixed bag. Keep up the good work Polyphia, and maybe find a different sound man to run your boards – it would make a world of difference!
Saturday night was our third time seeing Chris Porter and once again he was fantastic!
The Emcee for the night – Marcus Howard – had some great bits about his day job as an elementary school teacher. Considering both the Mrs. and our daughter (who was there with us) are both elementary school teachers, that got a lot of laughs! He did a great job getting the crowd revved up and kept things rolling in a positive way.
The opening act was a guy we’ve never heard of, Kris Tinkle. This guy was hilarious! Seriously, we were cracking up through his entire set. I can’t imagine why he isn’t more well known. I’d happily go see him again.
Chris Porter killed as usual. A few of the bits were repeats from previous shows, nonetheless they were still dang funny and he kept the show flowing and had us in stitches the entire time.
I got a chance to meet Chris after the show, and he was so different than his stage persona. His act is very cynical and a bit angry – in a HILARIOUS way, mind you – but face to face he was so mild mannered and friendly, it was a bit of a surprise. I picked up a copy of his new record and he graciously offered to sign it for me, so I got a cool souvenir from the show on top of an aching gut from all the laughs!
All in all, it was another great night of hilarity. If you have a chance to see either of these comics, don’t miss it!
I’ve been trying really hard to avoid the news lately, and political stuff in particular. That stuff is worse for you than a steady diet of Jack Daniels’ and cigarettes! The whole world seems to have lost it’s collective mind, and seems intent on taking me down with it, so I’m enveloping myself in music even more so these days.
So rather than letting the political Progressives raise my blood pressure, I’m gonna focus on progressive MUSIC and stay on an even keel today. I was pretty young when most of this stuff came out, and to me it really holds up all these decades later. Sure, we’ve got up and coming “kids” doing things with instruments we never thought possible nowadays, but these guys below are where all that started. The original risk takers and mold-breakers!
If you are at all familiar with this genre of music, you will undoubtedly notice several notable prog bands missing… Well, what can I say – if I put them ALL in I’d be here all day! And some of the classic prog bands, I just never really got into (looking at you, Emerson, Lake & Palmer!) and besides, “progressive” is a bit subjective, really. I mean, you could say the Beatles were “progressive”, and you wouldn’t be wrong, but their name NEVER comes up in discussions about (capital P) Progressive bands. And these selections aren’t necessarily my favorite tracks from all the bands, but I do enjoy them all. Anyhow, that is enough of my yappin’
Enjoy!!
Not my favorite Prog band, but I do consider them the Grand Daddys of the genre…
Who could possibly pick a FAVORITE song from these guys?!?!
On the road to Pop, but still delivering the goods with this one. Before Phil sold his soul to Disney.
Who’d have thought a violin had space in Rock music? Way ahead of their time…
To me, these guys set the standard for Prog, but they are Weird and not exactly “radio friendly”. Nonetheless, these guys are beyond masters of their instruments!
Straddling Prog and “stadium rock”, this band had a big flash and quickly disappeared but WOW, what talent!!
Have a great weekend everyone! Thanks for stopping by!!
I debated writing this review due to being raised with the ethos of “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”… But after some reflection I figured honesty is the best policy so I’ll tell it like it was in my not so humble (musical) opinion.
First off, I’m a huge fan of Qveen Herby and have been for several years now. The Mrs. and our daughter are too. There is literally NOBODY like her. We’ve been waiting a LONG time for her to finally hit the road and do some live music, so when she finally announced a limited tour, we JUMPED! We were so excited for this show, more than many others we’ve been to recently. Seeing an artist you love for the first time can be such a thrill!
My daughter and I been to the Rickshaw once before and loved it. We were really looking forward to getting out there again. But something was really outta whack this time and we did not have the excellent experience that we did the last time around.
Things got off to a rocky start, right off the bat. The show was listed as “doors open at 7pm, show starts at 8pm. We got the venue at 8:02, and there was a line of people down the street and around the block… Not a good sign.
We didn’t actually step foot into the club until 8:45. Pretty bad for a show scheduled to start at 8! Anyhow, once we get in, I’m immediately drawn to the fact that there is essentially NO musical gear on stage. Just a table, center stage, and I can see some sort of device with a few protruding knobs and that’s it.
We stand around in the room that is getting increasingly packed and the next thing you know the “opening act” comes out at 9:15 – and it’s a freakin’ DJ. <Insert MASSIVE eye-roll here>. Good grief. The DJ proceeds to “perform” a 30-40 minute “set” of the most inane, generic disco night club crap you can imagine. About halfway through I commented to the Mrs.,”I find it odd that someone who clearly doesn’t like music chose to become a DJ…” It was absurd. As boring as watching paint dry. And certainly not something I’d ever expect to see at a concert.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, it was over.
Then we wait. Then we wait some more. Then we wait a little longer. And after just a little more waiting, the main attraction hits the stage at 10:10 with…no band. What. The. Hell?
Qveen Herby looked great and her voice sounded fantastic. Her singing is great and her rapping is as good as any rapper I’ve ever heard. BUT! There is only so much one person can do to fill a stage, no matter how talented.
Long story short, we ended up leaving early – we’d seen enough. Frankly, it was kinda like watching a music video. All the music, all the background vocals and harmonies were simply play-back tracks. Essentially the “band” is a laptop. That does not make for an exciting show.
All that being said, we’re still glad we went to see her. I was really happy to see her get a packed house on her first gig in SF and it was cool to see/hear darn near everyone in the building singing along, word for word. I’m happy that she’s getting the recognition and love she clearly deserves. She is very entertaining and unlike so many other performers these days actually has a great voice – it’s not studio gimmicks and trickery. She’s the real deal. But for my money, if you’re doing a LIVE show, you better have some musicians on that stage! Otherwise, you’re just selling tickets to a Karaoke night.
Qveen, we still love you and your songs, but you need to go back to the drawing board when it comes to a live show. Costumes and lighting and props are great for plays and musicals, but live MUSIC needs live MUSICIANS!! If you put the care and feeding into the live act that you do for your videos, you’ll be unstoppable! I hope to see you continue to grow as an artist, and I hope this won’t be the one and only time we get the Qveen Herby experience IRL!
And to the Rickshaw staff…I’m willing to give y’all the benefit of the doubt due to my initial visit to your venue, but last night was a DISASTER. Y’all need to get your shizz together to make these events more successful. Just sayin’…
It is personally shocking that we’re already in September. They say time moves faster as you age, and I can attest to that!
Nonetheless, September happens to be “National Preparedness Month”, so here I am again to implore any and all readers to embrace preparedness and set aside a little time this month to work on your personal and/or family plan.
I know ” prepping” and “preppers” get a bad rap, and if you only look at the fringe elements I can see why. But honestly, it’s just a little common sense, mixed with a touch of planning ahead. It doesn’t have to be anything off the wall crazy, it doesn’t need to become your lifestyle, but there is really no downside. Think of it as an insurance policy or a savings account. Worst case scenario, you save a little money buying food you were going to eat anyway because you bought it before inflation devalued our dollars just that much more. Best case scenario, it could in fact save your life. Or at least make post-disaster a little more bearable while you put your life back together.
Let’s face it, in an emergency the LAST people you want to rely on is The Government. Nobody is going to care about you and your family as much as you are. So do something about it while you can. Even a little something is better than nothing.
I’m not going to go into all the details of what you should do – there are countless other resources for that. But for this month, just worry about the basics: food, water, shelter, first aid/medical needs, hygiene…and don’t forget to include your pets in the planning. They rely on you too!
If the whole pandemic thing taught us anything (aside from the fact that you can’t believe anything the media or the government says!) it’s that disruption can happen quickly and once something is no longer available, that’s it. It doesn’t matter how much you need it or want it or how much you’d be willing to pay. If it’s not there, you’re outta luck. That something may come back, it may not. Maybe in a month, maybe in a year. Maybe never.
There is already a lot of chatter about new “variants”, mask mandates and lockdowns. The war is eastern Europe is not going well for anyone and the house of cards in D.C. seems to be on the verge of tipping. China is having financial problems, and “activists” are turning into arsonists to show us how bad climate change is… Not to mention the usual suspects of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and all the other stuff Mother Nature does from time to time to remind us who’s boss.
Look, I know. This stuff isn’t fun. It isn’t sexy or exciting. In fact if you think about it too much, it can give you anxiety and stress you out. The “what if’s” you discover when you start going down that rabbit hole can shake you to your core – ask me how I know. People that do emergency stuff for a living look at people two ways in an disaster situation, you are either an asset or a liability. If you are squared away to take care of you and yours for a week with no outside input, that puts you in the asset column.
That’s a good place to start- put back enough that you can get by without assistance for a week…enough food and water to survive, a way to charge your phone or laptop, some basic first aid stuff and meds if you require them. A way to see and cook if there is a power outage. Simple stuff.
I feel by now if you’re seeing this message and you’re not already doing at least a little something, you’re never going to. That the people that understand are already doing it and I don’t need to keep harping on the subject. That I’m preaching to the choir. That’s OK. I gave up trying to convert people to this way of thinking a number of years ago. Prepare or don’t, makes no difference to me. After all, the emergency response people will need liabilities to deal with, lest they get bored!
But seriously, I look at self reliance in an emergency as a civic minded thing too. If more of us looked after ourselves and our neighbors, there would be even less need for Uncle Sugar and all his beauracracies.
The Boring Old Man 