tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683762727969838232024-03-13T04:14:44.362-07:00Stuart Thornton - Travel, Music and MoreStuart Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536531755163857758noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468376272796983823.post-2973906596008610082019-12-31T17:30:00.001-08:002019-12-31T17:30:15.802-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhX5fM7Hm9gKsw-JIWO44863p0yBKwn5BI-Wtq9KQCvmX0E_ggtnkYqKsD8MLMUd2OVWz_-QhINDqe4kxkaB8YbHjBCsHwd0wOdbSs7KOgp3pnMihFsr1Zq7f2i0uqdVCXKZ-Q2Arm6eN/s1600/Best+Shows-YLT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhX5fM7Hm9gKsw-JIWO44863p0yBKwn5BI-Wtq9KQCvmX0E_ggtnkYqKsD8MLMUd2OVWz_-QhINDqe4kxkaB8YbHjBCsHwd0wOdbSs7KOgp3pnMihFsr1Zq7f2i0uqdVCXKZ-Q2Arm6eN/s320/Best+Shows-YLT.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">Best Shows of 2019<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">Due to overwhelming interest—specifically from my pal Mike in Michigan—I am resurrecting this list of the most memorable concerts I saw all year. Flipping through my phone, I realized that I saw a bunch of great concerts from local bands in Monterey (The Silhouette Era! Shoobies! Lovers and Strangers!) to world touring rock music juggernauts (the one and only Rolling Stones). Also, I saw concerts all over California in 2019 as well as some in New York City and Detroit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">Here’s my nine best for 2019.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">Fantastic Negrito at Carmel Valley’s Folktale Winery on April 30<sup>th</sup><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">It was a real treat to see Oakland’s Fantastic Negrito do his surreal take on the blues in such an intimate venue. Songs including “Lost in a Crowd” were rushes of lyrics and emotion. Even his onstage banter was memorable. At one point, he made the observation that Europeans view America in the Trump era like they would a supermodel farting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">The Church at Santa Cruz’s Rio Theatre on May 10<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">I’ve been a fan of The Church since high school but never got to see them live until this year. Though on their <i>Starfish</i>30<sup>th</sup> anniversary tour, Sarah and I came late and missed them playing their super hit, “Under the Milky Way.” Thankfully, we did see them do “Reptile” along with some great songs off their other albums. The highlight by a mile was “Tantalized” from 1985’s <i>Heyday</i> that built from a gathering storm of early U2 like ferocious guitar strumming to a powerful liftoff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">The Mekons at Big Sur’s Henry Miller Library on July 23<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">A trio of great pals from all over the U.S. converged for this outdoor show under the redwoods at Big Sur’s Henry Miller Library, which helped make this concert so special. While The Mekons have a truly sprawling discography, the band’s 19 song set was relatively concise and touched on all their different variations: the gentle pop of “Ghosts of American Astronauts,” the fractured art dub of “How Many Stars,” and several country rock stunners. It all ended with the pure rock and roll rush of “Memphis, Egypt.”<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">The Rolling Stones at Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium on August 18<sup>th</sup><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">It seemed like this one wasn’t going to happen. Mick Jagger unexpectedly underwent heart surgery this year, which postponed this show for months. Then, the night before the show, I found out Ticketmaster had not only sold my extra tickets on their resale site, but ALL of my tickets. What was almost a disaster turned out to be a blessing when Ticketmaster’s replacement tickets put us just 10 rows away from the band’s acoustic stage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">Having never seen the legendary rock act, they exceeded my expectations. Throughout, Keith Richards colored their hits with slashes of guitar, while it seemed like an on-fire Jagger was still celebrating his successful heart surgery. The song selection was stellar as well. Two <i>Exile on Main Street </i>songs—“Tumbling Dice”! “Rocks Off”!—in the first half hour! A moving “Sweet Virginia” played just a matter of feet away from us! A dynamic vocal duel between Jagger and female backing singer Sasha Allen on “Gimme Shelter”! Despite the price of the tickets and all of the work it took to make this one happen, The Rolling Stones more than rewarded us with a stellar stadium show. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">Yo La Tengo, Kevin Morby, Mattson 2, and more at Big Sur’s Fernwood on September 21<sup>st</sup><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">Initially, this multi-day music festival anchored by Yo La Tengo was supposed to feature a performance by David Berman’s Purple Mountains. Having released one of my favorite albums of the year, it was beyond disappointing to learn that Berman committed suicide a few months before this gig. Thankfully, singer/songwriter Kevin Morby did a trio of Berman’s Silver Jews songs as a tribute at this bucolic outdoor mini-festival including “Random Rules.” In addition, his set, which included a couple numbers sung with Waxahatchee’s Alison Crutchfield, closed with a superb “Harlem River” where he unleashed some searing guitar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">The centerpiece performance of this very fun weekend of camping and music was done by headliners Yo La Tengo. The show began with a few minutes of improvised noodling, which made me wonder if this was going to be some sort of avant garde performance. Instead, it was a master class in slow burn build that culminated in songs including “Double Dare.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">The two short encore sets included a cover of the Beach Boys’ take on “Sloop John B” and Big Star’s “Take Care.” Then, Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan simply stated: “You have a nice place here. Thanks for having us.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">Fontaines D.C. at Los Angeles’ Gold Diggers on September 26<sup>th</sup><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">Like The Rolling Stones show, this performance was a case of great fortune coming out of something that looked like it was going to be a great disappointment. Sarah and I drove down to Los Angeles to see the great new Irish rock act Fontaines D.C. To say that we were bummed when we were greeted with a hand drawn sign cancelling the show outside of the Teragram Ballroom would be an understatement. Anyway, the night went into a different direction when we (Sarah, Ed Mullins, and I) gave up and ended up in Jumbo’s Clown Room where country superstar Sturgill Simpson was celebrating the release of his new album, <i>Sound and Fury</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">Anyway, a quick peek on my phone in the bar’s restroom alerted us that Fontaines D.C. were doing a free makeup show at a bar called Gold Diggers, just a mile away. So, instead of seeing the band in a 600-person room we were treated to an intimate performance in a room that could hold 150 people max. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">It ended up being the most explosive show I saw all year. In just an hour, the band played most of their debut album <i>Dogrel</i>. The whole room exploded after they did “Sha Sha Sha” and started slamming, jumping, and yelling along to “Hurricane Laughter.” At one point, the band’s singer made his way into the crowd—I believe it was during “Too Real”—as the band built up to an incredibly driving racket. It was a performance that I’ll never forget. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">Idles at San Francisco’s The Fillmore on October 10<sup>th</sup><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">This was a tough ticket to score. Having sold out quickly, I finally found a reasonably priced resale ticket for my pal Geoff and I. It was worth my effort.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">The British post punk/punk act Idles puts on a combustible show. With both lead vocalist Joe Talbot and guitarist Mark Bowen acting like crazed frontmen, there was a lot of energy and a lot to see. Also, it was revelatory to see how they utilized repurposed rubbish from pop culture’s scrap heap in the show including Bad Finger’s “Without You” and more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">Mudhoney at Detroit’s El Club on October 15<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">Over the years, I’ve learned that some of the most ferocious performances can be from once popular bands that have continued to toil fruitfully past their time in the spotlight. Mudhoney’s Detroit show proved that though they are decades past their “grunge days” they haven’t lost their biting sarcasm and ability to create pummeling rock. Songs like “Touch Me I’m Sick” still deliver blows, but the last four songs of their encore set—all classic punk covers including a standout “The Money Will Roll Right In” by Fang”—produced the knockout punch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">Built to Spill at Santa Cruz’s Rio Theatre on November 21<sup>st</sup><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">After many missed opportunities, I finally saw the great guitar rock band Built to Spill on a 20<sup>th</sup> anniversary tour celebrating the release of their classic album, <i>Keep It Like a Secret</i>. They didn’t have the legendary three guitar lineup I’d heard they’d had a few years back. Instead, this incarnation of Built to Spill was essentially Doug Martsch with a new band backing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">The show scrambled the setlist of <i>Keep It Like a Secret</i> and added a few surprises including a glammy cover of Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets” and the inclusion of tracks from other albums (“Strange” from <i>Ancient Melodies of the Future</i>, “When Not Being Stupid Is Not Enough” from their 1995 collaborative EP with Caustic Resin.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt;">Martsch was in fine form vocally and on guitar throughout. The highlight was an extended jam on “Broken Chairs.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Stuart Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536531755163857758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468376272796983823.post-40137313275136083312016-12-24T09:03:00.001-08:002016-12-24T09:03:39.726-08:00<b>Best Shows of 2016</b><br /><br />This year, I took in a lot of music including shows by a handful of legendary acts including Iggy Pop, The Cure, Black Sabbath, Television, and Booker T. Honorable mentions go to Heron Oblivion playing an opening set at Felton’s Don Quixote’s and Alfonso Ponticelli’s skilled acoustic playing at Chicago’s Green Mill with his terrific band. Here are 12 other shows from 2016 that I’ll remember far into the future.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KPPLtPCkmaSid18KsL8Wy4DyK5rlHfBUkKDP_piME3WVN4wV9KQUhTICA1_1o1YvtTD_tR0QNGmuQCMtcWGoT_s513k-_Bdc9FxeYl6O8S-0bcm__77PjudL9HzVxdCt6KmyW7-dwIwp/s1600/Imarhan+Under+Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KPPLtPCkmaSid18KsL8Wy4DyK5rlHfBUkKDP_piME3WVN4wV9KQUhTICA1_1o1YvtTD_tR0QNGmuQCMtcWGoT_s513k-_Bdc9FxeYl6O8S-0bcm__77PjudL9HzVxdCt6KmyW7-dwIwp/s320/Imarhan+Under+Tree.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imarhan at Henry Miller Library</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br /><b>Ty Segall & The Muggers at San Francisco’s The Fillmore on January 18th</b><br /><br />To complement the strange vibe of their Emotional Mugger material, Ty Segall and his new band emerged on The Fillmore stage decked out in giant, creepy baby heads. They were peeled off to reveal a stellar backing band including Kyle Thomas (a.k.a. King Tuff), Mikal Cronin, Emmet Kelly of The Cairo Gang, and Cory Hanson of Wand. Freed from his guitar, Segall proved to be a compelling frontman though his constant spitting and strange fixation on licking his hands got a bit old. The band sounded great though whether playing the twisty new stuff or the glam rock of Manipulator. <br /><br /><b>Iggy Pop at San Francisco’s The Masonic on March 31st</b><br /><br />It’s difficult to not be overcome with excitement when Iggy Pop comes out onstage dancing maniacally to the opening drumbeat of “Lust For Life.” Backed by a killer band including Josh Homme, the 68 year-old frontman was in fine form from his canyon deep vocals to his constant onstage cheerleading. The set zeroed in on material from three albums: 1977’s The Idiot, 1977’s Lust For Life, and this year’s Post Pop Depression. <br />Songs from The Idiot were especially affecting including “Funtime,” which found the punk legend stagediving twice, and “Nightclubbing,” where Pop began seated on a stool before getting up to stalk the stage. Unexpected highlights included the unearthed punk gem “Repo Man” and “Baby.”<br />The main set ended with a stellar version of “The Passenger” and “China Girl,” the latter becoming an extended guitar jam. The night concluded with the tongue-in-cheek “Success” as Pop sang about attaining a car and a Chinese rug. With Pop working the stage like a closing salesman, there’s no other music legend that deserves his hard won fruits of labor than this performer. <br /><br /><b>Imarhan and The Mattson 2 at Big Sur’s Henry Miller Library on April 20th</b><br /><br />Having a pair of twin brothers from Southern California who play jazz combined with surf rock and a new band of refugees that are part of a movement of African bands revitalizing guitar music proved to be an inspired pairing. The Mattson 2 featuring Jared Mattson on guitar and Jonathan Mattson on drums played an intuitive set of sometimes transcendent, instrumental music with their pal Farmer Dave Scher on keyboards and a giant tube that he blew into at one point. (It was 4/20, but this instrument was not a bong.) One fun aspect of the set was watching the brothers communicate using hand signals, head nods, and an unspoken familial intuition to take the songs in new directions.<br />Featuring Sadam, the young, stellar touring guitarist of Tinariwen, Imarhan started their set heading down the same hypnotic, dusty trail traveled by the elder, more traditional Tinariwen. But, as the night proceeded, the young band hit the gas and went into funkier directions aided by Imarhan’s two percussionists—one using a unique half egg looking instrument called a tinde—and Sadam’s frequent blasts of wah-wah pedal inflected guitar lines. Both bands were able to take the audience into a rarefied headspace, a destination that only so many groups can reach.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0P2EGghAe7G3v9FvlDYdQpNAgW70i7OMnY4zz8WVggs3ZZYYcrkCCVGT6GfeJspTdU7Knh9L0cXFoRosys9Dbpl11seTm10v6X0RZnDwv0PlCPTTn0apk938LB6MrvqBB5N6FxFPK8M0/s1600/Sabbath+Photos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0P2EGghAe7G3v9FvlDYdQpNAgW70i7OMnY4zz8WVggs3ZZYYcrkCCVGT6GfeJspTdU7Knh9L0cXFoRosys9Dbpl11seTm10v6X0RZnDwv0PlCPTTn0apk938LB6MrvqBB5N6FxFPK8M0/s320/Sabbath+Photos.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Sabbath at Oakland's Oracle Arena</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><b>King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard at Santa Cruz’s Moe’s Alley on May 24th</b><br /><br />This was the wildest show I saw all year. The Australian psych rock band King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have been hyped as one of the best live acts around, and this Santa Cruz show did not disappoint. Before King Gizzard hit the stage, The Murlocs, starring the headliner’s Ambrose Kenny-Smith on vocals and harp, played a strong, bluesy garage rock set that culminated with a couple of wild numbers at the end.<br />The crowd was primed, and when King Gizzard started playing in front of a projected psychedelic light show, crowd surfers spun above the audience like broken tops while the floor became a boiling stew of slam dancers. The band came out of the gates strong with songs like “Gamma Knife” off their latest album Nonagon Infinity, which is being billed as the world’s first infinite album due in part to recurring musical motifs sprinkled throughout the album. Live, the idea of sprinkling instrumental refrains during the set is a stellar idea. The crowd got clued in on the fact that certain repeating passages meant that the music was going to get faster and heavier.<br />After some rowdy audience members got kicked out, frontman Stu Mackenzie ordered that everyone who was ejected should be let back in. He then noted that if the audience didn’t break glass or hurt each other than “who cares” what else happens. It was probably for the best that the band then went into some jazzy, mellower material for a while after that. The night ended with the band stepping offstage to the crowd chanting “Lizard.” Though the band didn’t return for an encore, everyone in the audience appeared fully satisfied with what had been a wooly rock show. <br /><br /><b>The Cure at Mountain View’s Shoreline Amphitheater on May 26th</b><br /><br />With Robert Smith’s unique voice fully intact and Simon Gallup’s bass lines girding their songs, The Cure sounded remarkably fresh for a band that has been around for 40 (?!) years. Though Shoreline is a big venue, the sound and lights were visceral even from the lawn. <br />An early highlight was an unexpected mini set of songs from The Head on the Door (“A Night Like This,” “Push,” “In Between Days,” “Kyoto Song,” and a heavily funky “Screw.”) The regular set also included a generous dose of Disintegration songs including a “Pictures of You,” where the crowd held up beaming smartphones.<br />The three encore sets included favorites like “A Forest,” “The Caterpillar,” and “Boys Don’t Cry.” A surprise came with the underplayed gem “Dressing Up” from The Top. After the show, it would be difficult for anyone to complain they didn’t get their money’s worth.<br /><br /><b>Get Covered Benefit Concert at Big Sur’s Henry Miller Library on July 21st</b><br /><br />This was the most fulfilling show of the year. I put together this festival with the immense help of the Henry Miller Library and a small army of volunteers. The idea was to have Monterey County’s best musicians perform a short set including a song by an act that passed away in 2016. All attendees who entered the library grounds to see the show had to donate a hat that would cover the local homeless population from skin cancer. <br />I overbooked the event causing all the acts to have just 20 minutes onstage. It ended up that the solo acts and bands whittled their sets down to just their best material and a cover. Being biased, I found every set wildly enjoyable from El Camino Sutra’s two-guitar attack to Keith Bruecker’s triumphant return to the stage to Jordan Smart’s closing songs including a killer take on Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades.” More importantly, we raised $1,000 for local non-profit Spero Collaborative and received over 150 hats for Monterey’s homeless. I hope to do this again!<br /><br /><b>Avi Buffalo and The Isn’ts at Monterey’s Pierce Ranch Vineyards on July 23rd</b><br /><br />There was a lot going on during this show. The Get Covered Benefit Concert had just wrapped up, and Big Sur was on fire. About as intimate as a venue can get, Pierce Ranch Vineyards can only accommodate an audience of 30 or so people. Those lucky individuals on this evening were treated to The Isn’ts (a stripped-down El Camino Sutra) performing with great local saxophone player Ben Herod followed by a passionate solo set from Avi Buffalo, an artist on Sub Pop Records. <br /><br /><b>The Mystery Lights at Santa Cruz’s The Catalyst Atrium on August 1st</b><br /><br />This was an emotional high point. I wrote about The Mystery Lights before anyone else back in 2007. Since then, the band’s principal members Mike Brandon and L.A. Solano moved to New York City, got signed by Daptone Records subsidiary Wick Records, and released a damn fine self titled album. I’m pleased to report that almost a decade in The Mystery Lights have lost none of what made me love them in the first place including potent garage rock songs with a punk edge, killer guitar playing, and Brandon’s unbridled exuberance onstage. Brandon hopped around like a Roman candle during this show, pausing to enthusiastically thank friends and family including his grandmother for all of the support over the years. Meanwhile, Solana has gotten to be an even better guitarist. It was a superb homecoming and a real reunion of Monterey County and Santa Cruz County’s rock scenes.<br /><b><br />Soberanes Fire Relief Benefit Concert at Monterey’s Golden State Theater on August 12th</b><br /><br />This benefit for the Soberanes Fire Relief Fund drew some of Monterey County’s biggest music legends out of the woodwork. After pal and Henry Miller Library ringleader Magnus Toren came out in fire gear to kick off the multi-act show, the audience were treated to rare sets by Johnny Rivers, Al Jardine of The Beach Boys, and Mike Nesmith of The Monkees. Standouts included Rivers’ “Going Back to Big Sur” and Jardine’s “God Only Knows” aided by Sharon Van Etten and Meg Baird. <br /><br /><b>Black Sabbath at Oakland's Oracle Arena on September 15th</b><br /><br />I was in the Bay Area on the day that Black Sabbath was supposed to play their last ever Bay Area show. It's always worthwhile to see legendary acts before they stop performing, so I bought a ticket hours before the show.<br />The evening began with footage on a giant screen that looked like a video game. The camera went into a dilapidated house and up to some sort of monster who started breathing fire. Then the first sounds of the band's self-titled single ran out.<br />They played their biggest hits ("Iron Man," War Pigs") and some deeper cuts ("Fairies Wear Boots," "Snowblind"). Ozzy's vocals sounded good but his constant pleas for the crowd to make some noise felt like they’d be more at home at a hip hop show.<br />That said, the band sounded great, especially guitarist Tommy Iommi who casually delivered monster riffs and stellar solos. The punky riffs of set closer "Children of the Grave" still sound fresh. If this tour is truly "The End" than Sabbath went out with a bang.<br /><br /><b>Ween at San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on October 15th</b><br /><br />Having seen Ween almost 10 times, the quirky band led by Dean and Gene Ween never disappoint live. Even the lesser Ween shows I have seen—mostly when the two frontman seemed to barely acknowledge each other onstage—have had their moments of impressive rocking.<br />The band broke up in 2012, but 2016 saw the return of the Ween with a number of shows in select cities. I didn’t see their first night in San Francisco, but on their second outing, they opened with a six song acoustic set that began with the gem “Birthday Boy” and ended with “The Mollusk.”<br />The plugged-in portion of the night kicked off with some of their strongest rock songs (“Transdermal Celebration,” “My Own Bare Hands,” “Buckingham Green”) that helped make the case that Dean Ween is one of the better guitarists working today. Later on, a lectern was set up for Gene Ween to deliver the spoken words of “Israel” and then the classic drive-through goof “Pollo Asado” while smoking cigarettes. The main set ended with a ragged, guitar driven “Tender Situation” that would make Neil Young and Crazy Horse proud.<br />The three-song encore set that followed ended with Dean Ween adding an amazing six-minute Funkadelic style guitar jam onto the end of the country ballad “Fluffy.” Welcome back guys!<br /><b><br />Television at Santa Cruz’s Rio Theatre on October 23rd</b><br /><br />Before Television came out onstage, a recording of solo piano played overhead as the room was bathed in blue/green lighting. The great twin guitar band opened with a song that kept the water theme going with “Prove It” and its lyrics about waves. Television then went headlong into “Elevation” with its twisting guitar lines adorning the song like a beautiful vine and then “Venus” with its playfully poetic lyrics.<br />A few numbers seemed to be jazz inspired and placed the quartet’s impeccable musicianship in upper realms. The set ended with the epic “Marquee Moon,” the best dueling guitar song of all time. <br />Before their sole encore number, frontman Tom Verlaine remarked that they were going to play a surf song since Santa Cruz is a surf town. It made sense. It also made me think that possibly surf rock instrumentals inspired the guitar interplay on their masterpiece album Marquee Moon? Stuart Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536531755163857758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468376272796983823.post-76213488610779753472016-03-30T17:30:00.001-07:002016-03-30T17:30:13.639-07:00Kem Nunn's Great Surf Novels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsKmvtMzJe1jDAs33cxudQ9255a1Z_7UsG2dC_Nb8Qr4i1RaNOfgsHGSgDi9h2eJhKLdIPKeaeehyphenhyphendfNe5-AIjXqmvsUU8RyOixlIN1rPCF46CsU_JVwXi0uxvN6jKHQyuDIYfnEyfHik/s1600/Tapping+the+Source+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsKmvtMzJe1jDAs33cxudQ9255a1Z_7UsG2dC_Nb8Qr4i1RaNOfgsHGSgDi9h2eJhKLdIPKeaeehyphenhyphendfNe5-AIjXqmvsUU8RyOixlIN1rPCF46CsU_JVwXi0uxvN6jKHQyuDIYfnEyfHik/s1600/Tapping+the+Source+Cover.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTzqkB44ObQZ5MX5RCFTY4A7UjzDq724GrjW2zZTx2szOjxTtYSkc20yaS5wNzv8Y4oQIEM1K7XrP7eiDTobGHaeIK8aFlC0N3cGzho9x81hvY2yJfivG77GTYN5eVcdSJkJC_gCwsBIt/s1600/The+Dogs+of+Winter+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTzqkB44ObQZ5MX5RCFTY4A7UjzDq724GrjW2zZTx2szOjxTtYSkc20yaS5wNzv8Y4oQIEM1K7XrP7eiDTobGHaeIK8aFlC0N3cGzho9x81hvY2yJfivG77GTYN5eVcdSJkJC_gCwsBIt/s320/The+Dogs+of+Winter+Cover.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:128;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:128;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
My first introduction to the writer Kem Nunn came in Jane’s
Addiction’s 1989 video film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Soul Kiss</i>.
Between segments of the band playing ferociously onstage, the group’s bassist
Eric Avery sits on the toilet and gives a brief synopsis of Nunn’s 1984 novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tapping the Source</i>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just a little more than 30 years after being intrigued by
that unorthodox book plug, I’ve finally read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tapping the Source</i>. This comes a couple of years after reading his
other great surf novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dogs of
Winter</i>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Both novels nail the vibe of California surf culture and
also dive deep into the dark underbelly of the Sunshine State. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dogs of Winter</i> follows an aging surf
photographer that secures an assignment to shoot photos of a reclusive surf
legend riding waves at a Northern California secret spot called Heart Attacks.
But the strength of the book is that a plot twist comes out of nowhere like a
giant sneaker wave. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tapping the Source</i>
concerns a desert hick that moves to Huntington Beach to search for his lost
sister. While there, he becomes immersed in the city’s surf scene, biker
culture, and drug underground.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the back of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tapping
the Source</i>, it notes that this is “the classic novel that inspired the
movie <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Point Break</i>.” The primary
similarity between the movie and novel is the relationship between two
characters. In the book, it’s Ike Turner and Hound Adams, who definitely inspired
Patrick Swayze’s character Bodhi. But unlike the somewhat goofy 1991 film, the
novel ends up paddling out into deeper, darker waters. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fans of California literature will approach these two books
the same way a surfer tackles a great wave: savoring every moment while moving
down the line. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Stuart Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536531755163857758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468376272796983823.post-59121263782599360342016-03-24T15:32:00.000-07:002016-03-24T15:32:24.829-07:00
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:128;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:128;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Son Volt’s <i>Trace</i> and Existentialism</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIWMPNqx1xjo0ODqeeSMrrnaWv6QoySy4FatKIlG3BBgdeDGO47GN-ZrmhgDuqn2LyZ9WpKqyKCT4C1fTU_LfuGGjMgzlQYCh4atRWuxoY2ffnVoZXj4xHXQChFuuep_0FPHJZI7INIGS/s1600/Son+Volt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIWMPNqx1xjo0ODqeeSMrrnaWv6QoySy4FatKIlG3BBgdeDGO47GN-ZrmhgDuqn2LyZ9WpKqyKCT4C1fTU_LfuGGjMgzlQYCh4atRWuxoY2ffnVoZXj4xHXQChFuuep_0FPHJZI7INIGS/s320/Son+Volt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve always been interested in the philosophical theory of
existentialism though I can say that I have never felt like I’ve fully grasped
it. Recently I purchased the reissue of Son Volt’s 1995 landmark album <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trace</i>, a stellar mix of dusty, road
weary ballads and vigorous blasts of guitar rock topped with Jay Farrar’s
lyrics that read like CliffsNotes into the worldview of an existentialist. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Existentialism’s core is that an individual creates his or
her own existence through personal decisions. One of the philosophy’s major
proponents Jean-Paul Sartre coined the phrase “existence precedes essence” or
essentially the meaning of being human is revealed through living. Another
aspect of existentialism seems to be that both society and religion are
arbitrary forces in an individual’s life. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The realization that there might not be anything more than
this life seems to cause two reactions. One is an existential crisis where one
becomes despondent because there is no satisfying explanation about the world.
Another reaction is a sense of freedom that life is entirely what one makes of
it and therefore it’s best to pursue your dreams. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trace </i>hits on many
aspects of this philosophy even on the relatively upbeat opener “Windfall,”
where Farrar sings: “Hold on to what you can/ Waiting for the end not knowing
when.” The next song “Live Free” is basically a guitar fueled screed against
determinism, the opposing theory to existentialism that believes human actions are
created from external pressures. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The existential belief that just existing is more important
than societal pressures and religion is expressed in “Out of the Picture” and
“Tear Stained Eye.” The latter addresses that there’s nothing larger than
living with the lyrics: “Can you deny, there’s nothing greater/ Nothing more
than the traveling hands of time.” The former rails against societal
constraints with a bit about there being “too many rules to the game.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My favorite song on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trace</i>
is the plaintive, stately “Ten Second News,” where Dave Boquist’s lap steel
passes lazily through the track like a pickup truck puttering through a one-stoplight
town. It begins with the line “when you find what matters is what you feel,”
which might just be existentialism boiled down into one perfect phrase. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here's a great version of the song played live back in 1995:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/n2JDHtRJnmo/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n2JDHtRJnmo?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
Stuart Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536531755163857758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468376272796983823.post-1324133888614757842015-12-18T08:58:00.001-08:002015-12-18T09:03:12.738-08:00Best Shows of 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLskXiNvhTgfaKmTnZjPrKOEDRfvy9LVotANPeMOEBpg3fqu4oEkZpfOjUYLYGhp4Aac3U9_fuNsGz72e2e1FhhUikzdR2MMBAJXRNy-0Boln_imPKF_1EEgD7iTGhyphenhyphenoNwAIJ3J585haRe/s1600/Ex+Hex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLskXiNvhTgfaKmTnZjPrKOEDRfvy9LVotANPeMOEBpg3fqu4oEkZpfOjUYLYGhp4Aac3U9_fuNsGz72e2e1FhhUikzdR2MMBAJXRNy-0Boln_imPKF_1EEgD7iTGhyphenhyphenoNwAIJ3J585haRe/s320/Ex+Hex.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ex Hex</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b></b></div>
<b>Best Shows of 2015</b><br />
An unexpected situation caused me to miss a handful of shows including Chicago's Riot Fest, where I had hoped to see sets by Iggy Pop, Motorhead, and Ice Cube among others. That said, I still saw a bunch of great performances, mostly in California. Here's a handful that stuck out.<br />
<br />
<b>Tweedy at Santa Cruz's Cocoanut Grove on March 19th</b><br />
This night was hard to beat. There was amazing songs, humorous stage banter, and real tension when Jeff Tweedy stopped the show to kick out a guy who kept taking photos of the band after a few warnings. The night started promisingly enough with an opening set by The Minus 5 featuring R.E.M.'s Peter Buck on guitar. The next portion of the evening featured songs of <i>Sukierae</i> performed by Tweedy and his son Spencer and their band. The band took songs including "High as Hello" to unexpected heights. Then the group departed leaving just Jeff Tweedy onstage to do solo versions of Wilco, Golden Smog, and Uncle Tupelo songs. A real surprise came when he pulled off a hair-raising take of "Remember the Mountain Bed" from Wilco's collaboration with Billy Bragg on 2000's <i>Mermaid Avenue Vol. II</i>. Amazing. His fast strumming version of Uncle Tupelo's "Gun" was stellar also. The encore set with the full band was spiked with superb covers including John Lennon's "God," Neil Young's "The Losing End," and Doug Sahm's "Give Back the Key to My Heart," which Uncle Tupelo covered on their last album Anodyne. The night wrapped up with Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey crowding the stage for a closing "California Stars." It is difficult to get any better than this.<br />
<br />
<b>The Replacements at San Francisco's The Masonic on April 13th</b><br />
The Replacements have all those qualities I love in a band. How the hell was I just a casual listener until about five years ago? While this year's reunion tour included just Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson, the band delivered big at this show with sloppy exuberance, a few sublime songs, and some seriously off-kilter moments. The show began with rowdy oldies including "Takin' a Ride" and "Treatment Bound." At one point, Westerberg decamped to the interior of a tent set up onstage and delivered some freestyle vocals over the band's jazzy noodlings. The first encore found Westerberg alone with an acoustic guitar doing "Skyway." Then the band came out to join him for "Left of the Dial" and "Alex Chilton" to end the night. To hear those three songs in a row live is incomparable.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-jOddtCqbVOEzHmDOgI0Ym3jJ9D9cUGhHCfdgQf-BwQCJDhUo8-8LI8EYSTNN6Tgv9TCzTKR-SMXI49QCtpxEGrLVZgyk-G7sw2DPGsq2zS0uu-Vt7deF6KmVDhC6aZuKv9LmcaUTohHk/s1600/Ride-Light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-jOddtCqbVOEzHmDOgI0Ym3jJ9D9cUGhHCfdgQf-BwQCJDhUo8-8LI8EYSTNN6Tgv9TCzTKR-SMXI49QCtpxEGrLVZgyk-G7sw2DPGsq2zS0uu-Vt7deF6KmVDhC6aZuKv9LmcaUTohHk/s320/Ride-Light.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ride</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b>Drive-By Truckers at Monterey's Golden State Theatre on April 24th</b><br />
The Drive-By Truckers stop in Monterey was on their "The Dirt Underneath Tour," which is essentially a mostly acoustic showcase of Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley's songwriting skills. The two delivered the songs and the stories behind the songs. One true standout was "Road Cases" and their explanation for the song. Hood described a Georgia band called Atlanta Rhythm Section that once was huge but then started hawking their equipment to local pawn shops to pay for their drug and sex habits. The song was inspired by Hood seeing road cases (or the gear that protects guitars and other instruments) in those stores stenciled with "ARS" and imagining one day when his band's gear is up for sale due to his own band's drug and alcohol problems. Quite an interesting backstory. The night ended with a terrific cover of the Faces' "Ooh La La."<br />
<b><br />Tinariwen at Santa Cruz's Kuumbwa Jazz Center on August 17th</b><br />
Looking wildly exotic in their flowing robes and desert head scarves, Tinariwen transcend any cultural borders with a hypnotic blues rock sound that resonates with any real fans of guitar-based music. While I had seen them last year at an even better show in Big Sur, the group of Saharan Desert refugees impressed once again in this very intimate venue. The band members don't speak much English, but had a recurring bit where one of the guitarists would ask "is it OK?" after each stellar song. It was more than OK. <br />
<b><br />Ride at Santa Cruz's The Catalyst on November 14th</b><br />
Reunited British band Ride played The Catalyst just one night after terrorist attacks roiled Paris including one on a Paris music venue where Eagles of Death Metal were performing. In response, the quartet walked onstage in Santa Cruz with the colors of the French flag projected on a screen behind them. Singer/guitarist Mark Gardener then looked back at the flag and announced that "we'll do it harder in response to that shit." They delivered fully with a set that featured impressive solos from guitarist Andy Bell, boundless energy from Gardener, and superb singing by the frontmen that allowed the vocals to float above the band's supremely loud two guitar attack. Many reunited groups tend to phone in performances, but Ride, and Gardener, in particular, were truly fired up for the show, remarking about the greatness of the crowd, the venue, and the band's year in general. The set was split mostly between songs from 1990's <i>Nowhere </i>and 1992's <i>Going Blank Again</i>. It ended with a stellar sounding take of early single "Chelsea Girl" that was quickly paced and spiked with sections of Sonic Youth style noise sludge. <br />
<br />
<b>Ex Hex and Mac McCaughan & The Non Believers at Richmond's Strange Matter on December 9th</b><br />
You know that it is going to be a good night of music when the opening act could be a headliner. Mac McCaughan (of indie legends Superchunk and founder of Merge Records) delivered a thrilling set of guitar-based indie rock with his backing band The Non Believers that included terrific songs like "Box Battery" and a superb cover of under-appreciated Richmond indie band Honor Role's "Southern Girls." (I am gonna have to find a record by them some day.) Ex Hex followed it up with a raucous and rocking set featuring many moments of instrumental interplay between vocalist/guitarist Mary Timony and bassist Betsy Wright. Maybe I am biased because this show was in my hometown, but it felt special.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Stuart Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536531755163857758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468376272796983823.post-47901220801069480492015-05-12T17:10:00.004-07:002015-05-12T17:10:56.433-07:00A Singular Experience at Big Sur’s New Camaldoli Hermitage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCCQspq9E-v7nhl9ayxBSHDgBxjyPd18jFH8XaXIQdUQZfD-EJP_5J1MdQvLyY3wXBBS8_xJ1u9_lwfA9I91PKeDy9nm5Wuu_QEMlR2CKrEnWEs_7pmLkbB_IZ7paEZEQI14VQxjjFL853/s1600/Hermitage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCCQspq9E-v7nhl9ayxBSHDgBxjyPd18jFH8XaXIQdUQZfD-EJP_5J1MdQvLyY3wXBBS8_xJ1u9_lwfA9I91PKeDy9nm5Wuu_QEMlR2CKrEnWEs_7pmLkbB_IZ7paEZEQI14VQxjjFL853/s320/Hermitage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Most people drive through Big Sur’s stunning South Coast with no knowledge that a group of Roman Catholic monks reside in a unique community two miles above Highway 1. Even less folks know that members of the general public can stay at the New Camaldoli Hermitage and experience what the monks refer to as “the precious gift of time for a contemplative life.”<br />
While researching the Moon Monterey & Carmel Guidebook, I had the distinct pleasure of spending an evening at the hermitage and experiencing a place that is a world apart from contemporary culture. There, your tethers to technology are abruptly cut. Wi-Fi signals are devoured by the Easter egg blue sky, and the most transfixing screen around is the giant Pacific hanging down from the horizon.<br />
I stayed in a private hermitage, which was essentially a trailer with a view that a Silicon Valley type would sell a start-up to own. It had basic amenities including a bed, a restroom, a desk, a fridge, and a stovetop. This being a retreat run by devout Roman Catholics, the trailer was “decorated” with a crucifix over the bed, rosary beads, and other religious items that may make some uneasy.<br />
More relateable for a guest who hadn’t been to a church service in over a decade was a framed quotation on one wall that basically summed up why 17 men were living up here in solitude. It was a framed copy of St. Romuald’s Rule that said in part: “Sit in your cell as in paradise. Put the whole world behind you and forget it. Watch your thoughts like a good fishermen watching for fish.”<br />
With the absence of cell phone signals and laptop update chimes, thoughts emerged from the silence like sleek, meaty creatures from the deep. Sitting at a strategically placed bench with a sweeping South Coast view, I looked up and saw a sky freckled with stars. In the distance, the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse waved a wand of light over the land and sea that washed away the stars for a few seconds.<br />
There, humanity and civilization seemed truly dwarfed by nature. The few lights strung haphazardly along the Big Sur Coast were pale reflections of the pinpoint power of the stars above. The highway below was a faint band on the mountains that seemed as transitory as a high tide line or a ring of detritus in a drained bathtub.<br />
I had been describing Big Sur with words for almost two decades, and I had begun to repeat myself like an old blues musician. Suddenly, I was flush with fresh imagery and ideas. Old thoughts and attitudes were thrown out like dirty bathwater.<br />
To use modern jargon, the New Camaldoli Hermitage is a great place to reboot.<br />
New Camaldoli Hermitage is located at 62475 CA-1, a half mile south of Lucia in Big Sur. 831/667-2456, www.contemplation, Overnight stays $105-250
Stuart Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536531755163857758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468376272796983823.post-24561045919649148412014-12-03T12:54:00.005-08:002014-12-03T13:29:49.343-08:00<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
mso-themecolor:hyperlink;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;">Best Shows of 2014</span></h2>
<span style="font-size: small;">I saw dozens of concerts all over California and beyond this year from burly metal bands in a Las Vegas dive bar to a surf jazz duo in an old Venice Beach speakeasy. Of course, most of the shows I caught were in my local area, which is the greater Monterey Bay region. Here are the dozen standout shows from 2014 that continue to reverberate in my mind. They are listed in chronological order. Below this list are snippets from the shows and links to a few, fuller concert write-ups that I did this year for Relix Magazine.</span><br />
<br><h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">Pixies at Big Sur’s Henry Miller Library on April 15th</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">My younger self would have been blown away to learn that decades after almost wearing out a cassette of the Pixie’s timeless 1988 debut Surfer Rosa I would see them perform to just a few hundred people under the redwoods on the California Coast. With Paz Lenchantin (A Perfect Circle, The Entrance Band) filling in as touring bassist for the recently departed Kim Deal, the still ferocious quartet began the evening with “Bone Machine” before ripping into classic tracks including “Gouge Away.”<br />The star of the show was perennially underrated guitarist Joey Santiago who manhandled his instrument and its electrified amplifier cord on a wild and wooly “Vamos.”Black Francis had played the library a couple of times as a solo artist, but the frontman didn’t acknowledge those performances or address the crowd in any way except for uttering “one more” before ending the evening with a suitably noisy “Planet of Sound.”</span><br />
<br><h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">DIIV at Santa Cruz’s Catalyst Atrium on April 30th</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">DIIV’s Santa Cruz performance was a total revelation. Led by diminutive frontman Zachary Cole Smith, who appeared to be dressed in a graduation gown or tunic, the Brooklyn four-piece bettered the songs off their superb 2012 debut Oshin. Though the songs on Oshin have a shoegaze sound, Smith and fellow guitarist Andrew Bailey played the songs with a contagious enthusiasm that caused them to move all over the stage on highlights like “Doused.”<br />Their set also included a handful of surprises including a few unreleased new songs that sounded as great as anything off Oshin and a hypnotic cover of Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.” The biggest surprise came during the encore when pop starlet (and Smith’s girlfriend) Sky Ferreira joined the band onstage to sing Cat Power’s “Nude as the News.”</span><br />
<br><h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">The Cure at Napa’s BottleRock Napa Festival on May 30th</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">The Cure doesn’t make it over to this country often, so when they hit these shores, it’s worth it to hit the road to see them. Performing in the Friday headlining slot at the BottleRock Napa Festival, Robert Smith and company treated the crowd to a generous 33 and a half song set. (More on that half song later.) The show balanced the band’s pop hits (“The Caterpillar,” “Friday I’m in Love”) with darker material (“One Hundred Years,” “Give Me It”). Impressively, Smith himself pulled out several stellar guitar solos throughout the evening.<br />After the first encore of “A Forest,” the band launched into a parade of hits including “The Lovecats,” “Hot Hot Hot!,” “Freakshow,” “Close to Me,” and “Why Can’t I Be You” before the plug was pulled on the latter song due to the festival’s strict curfew. With so many timeless tracks performed over the two and a half hour set, the band’s performance easily warranted the several hour-long drive to the festival. </span><br />
<br><h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">Guided By Voices at Santa Cruz’s Rio Theatre on June 10th</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">Known as low-fi indie rock pioneers, Guided By Voice played like a full-fledged, arena rock band at this Santa Cruz show even though they didn’t have an ocean of fans. Frontman Robert Pollard swung his mic around like a ninja between swigs of Miller Lite, while guitarist Mitch Mitchell did guitar windmills as a cigarette dangled from his mouth during their rocking set.<br />The band was in Santa Cruz to support three albums: 2014’s Motivational Jumpsuit, 2014’s Cool Planet, and the 20th anniversary of their classic 1994 release Bee Thousand. The crowd ate up favorites from the latter including “Tractor Rape Chain,” “Echos Myron,” and “Ester’s Day.” Just three months later, the band announced that they had broken up for good, meaning that this stellar group will never have a chance to play to a stadium of fans.</span><br />
<br><h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">Paul McCartney at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park on August 14th</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">Who was going to join one of the last living Beatles at his special show to shut down the San Francisco sports stadium Candlestick Park? Neil Young? Carlos Santana? Once, McCartney took the stage and began playing “Eight Days a Week” with his great backing band the questions of possible guest stars vanished. A living Beatle was onstage, and there was pretty much no one on earth who would be able to steal the show.<br />The nearly three hour, 40 song set was essentially a victory lap through one of rock’s best catalogues. It included “Blackbird,” “Eleanor Rigby,” and “Yesterday” along with entertaining stories about Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison, and John Lennon. The evening ended with a run through a section of Abbey Road’s second side suite including “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” and “The End.</span><br />
<br><h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">Beck at Monterey’s First City Festival on August 23rd</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">The last time I saw Beck he underwhelmed with a set at the 2008 Outside Lands Festival. With a back injury healed and a stellar comeback album, Morning Phase, Beck was a different beast when he performed the First City Festival’s Friday headlining set. It all began with a high energy “Devil’s Haircut” and took a breather in the middle with mellower material including a bold “Wave” done with footage from space playing in the background.<br />An unexpected highlight was a trio of tracks from 1999’s Midnite Vultures: “Get Real Paid,” “Sexx Laws,” and “Debra.” The celebratory show ended with an extended jam on “Where It’s At” that made detours into a few cover songs including the Rolling Stones’ “Miss You.” Welcome back Beck.</span><br />
<br><h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">Monterey Jazz Festival at Monterey’s Monterey County Fairgrounds on September 19th-21st</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">Every year, the Monterey Jazz Festival is filled with revelatory performances, and this year was no different. Friday night’s highlight was the Robert Glasper Experiment’s set that launched off into space when saxophone player Casey Benjamin started doing otherworldly vocoder-assisted vocals. Throughout it all, drummer Mark Colenburg did some mind-bending work.<br />Saturday afternoon stretched the boundaries of jazz with sets by Booker T and Gary Clark Jr. It was a real treat to see Booker T lay down the ridiculously funky “Green Onions” on organ and also strap on a guitar for a cover of Hendrix’s “Hey Joe.” Though Clark is touted as the next Hendrix, he didn’t touch his “Third Stone From the Sun”/If You Love Me Like You Say” mash-up. The set was more scattershot than his October 2013 performance at Oakland’s Fox Theatre, but his gutsy guitar flight on “When My Train Pulls In” was one of the best songs I saw played live all year long. Saturday ended with a barrage of hip hop from The Roots that rankled a few jazz purists. It included a medley that dipped into Guns N’ Roses “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” which was a daring maneuver at this long running and prestigious festival.</span><br />
<br><h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">Thurston Moore Band and Sebadoh at Santa Cruz’s Catalyst Atrium on October 9th</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">A tour featuring two of my favorite acts: the underrated indie rock act Sebadoh and Thurston Moore, formerly of Sonic Youth? There was no way I was going to miss this one. Sebadoh’s set was a blast of nostalgia and noise with the trio generously dipping into many of its gems from 1994’s Bakesale. Songwriters Lou Barlow and Jason Lowenstein switched back and forth between guitar and bass on songs that ranged from heartfelt to barrages of knotty indie rock.<br />As for the headliner, the new quartet led by Thurston Moore did the near impossible feat of playing most of their new album The Best Day to a mesmerized and engaged crowd who had never heard it before. (It would be released two weeks after the show.) Part of the new band's power came from the interplay between Moore and his new guitarist James Sedwards. While Moore contributed punky riffs and slabs of noise, Sedwards would add a killer straight ahead guitar solo to standout songs in the set including single "The Best Day." On other songs, the impressive improvisational nature of the band shined strong like when the seven minute long instrumental "Grace Lake" was stretched and twisted into an unexpected 20-minute epic. This amazing night of music showcased indie rock at its finest.</span><br />
<br><h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">Tinariwen at Big Sur’s Loma Vista Gardens on October 30th</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">This band of rebel musicians from Mali played music that was somehow both familiar and wholly exotic at their intimate, outdoor show in Big Sur. The familiar element was the group’s hypnotic guitar grooves that recalled the rough around the edges primal blues of Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside. These killer grooves were topped frequently with chants in the North Africans’ native language. The crowd in Big Sur couldn’t understand the lyrics but the band’s powerful music elicited excitement and created a real connection between the group and its audience. </span><br />
<br><h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">Hiss Golden Messenger at Santa Cruz’s The Crepe Place on November 10th</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">After seeing a superb show by Hiss Golden Messenger at Big Sur’s Fernwood way back in 2007, I have always kept an eye on this superb band led by Californian turned North Carolinian M.C. Taylor. Returning to the West Coast for a fall tour, Hiss Golden Messenger’s show at the intimate Crepe Place made many compelling cases for me to keep following this band far in the future.<br />Led by Taylor with valuable assists from bassist Scott Hirsch and guitarist/organist Phil Cook, the group brought songs from their newest album Lateness of Dancers to life with a serious groove. Surprisingly, they didn’t play the upbeat “Saturday’s Song,” but Hiss Golden Messenger did find time to do their own take on Waylon Jennings’ classic “Lonesome, On’ry and Mean.” The show ended with Taylor doing a stunning version of Lateness of Dancers standout “Drum” while in the crowd.</span><br />
<br><h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">Angel Olsen at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall on December 1st</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">Dressed in a glittery orange dress, singer/guitarist/songwriter Angel Olsen and her band had a large San Francisco crowd enthralled as they performed a set that included dips into country, folk, and indie rock. Her band was great especially the guitarist, but the most arresting section of the show occurred when Olsen performed without her backing band. The highlight was a goose bump inducing “White Fire” where Olsen’s voice and guitar kept the giant crowd captivated and dead quiet.<br />Though a situation kept me from seeing all of opener Kevin Morby’s set, some of the songs I heard evoked both Bob Dylan and the Velvet Underground. I’ll be sure to further investigate music by this former Woods bassist.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Relix Pixies in Big Sur Article:<br />www.relix.com/reviews/detail/pixies</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Relix Guided By Voices in Santa Cruz Article:<br />www.relix.com/reviews/detail/guided_by_voices_in_santa_cruz</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Relix Monterey Jazz Festival Article:<br />www.relix.com/reviews/detail/monterey_jazz_festival</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Relix First City Festival Article:<br />www.relix.com/reviews/detail/first_city_festival</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAijBK9BhAQecQ4SpD8QdGsE52s9x4rIXYj6k9gAzGVaUPJ_fSd_BQCiC1CqCOvOJC7qKBtNXbaOCIZkLQ7YfR3sUd42lXrtTBaoZerXkk2Gi-Tap85BUeIO81iZOsBBcyffLqr_zcwFb8/s1600/DIIV2.m4v" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAijBK9BhAQecQ4SpD8QdGsE52s9x4rIXYj6k9gAzGVaUPJ_fSd_BQCiC1CqCOvOJC7qKBtNXbaOCIZkLQ7YfR3sUd42lXrtTBaoZerXkk2Gi-Tap85BUeIO81iZOsBBcyffLqr_zcwFb8/s1600/DIIV2.m4v" height="180" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUULRvE-CmXUv3UyB4gG9ntUmNWalU7YyCdKiy3Cvz9mFFUtDzXHPmpgybgUhRO7N0hotzYP8udq6hMEP0aWT7oMBNkxAHab5Ff4fDL1lfh__XcOdScWH8JbfrR4j3pHY7fbSKYF4CS2Lm/s1600/GBV.m4v" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUULRvE-CmXUv3UyB4gG9ntUmNWalU7YyCdKiy3Cvz9mFFUtDzXHPmpgybgUhRO7N0hotzYP8udq6hMEP0aWT7oMBNkxAHab5Ff4fDL1lfh__XcOdScWH8JbfrR4j3pHY7fbSKYF4CS2Lm/s1600/GBV.m4v" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMz-ueufaVyBYW0_G85NZxLLdB7ti3aBI-QJb9irVZKbq-x3eDRIrZVXUh-qqK3F-ohYNeid_XvTk20UTzoYWjXoY1mevIGIgIL4bPxkYn1dI3xE2MjPZYk7C2FKuT3yNkLGSFj-cETiyo/s1600/Thurston1.m4v" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMz-ueufaVyBYW0_G85NZxLLdB7ti3aBI-QJb9irVZKbq-x3eDRIrZVXUh-qqK3F-ohYNeid_XvTk20UTzoYWjXoY1mevIGIgIL4bPxkYn1dI3xE2MjPZYk7C2FKuT3yNkLGSFj-cETiyo/s1600/Thurston1.m4v" /></a></span></div>
Stuart Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536531755163857758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468376272796983823.post-37351286857476248892014-11-11T11:55:00.000-08:002014-11-11T11:55:40.670-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_vK-wy5AppnaVfzKUOfvwo_XBHLPwJZJEOdS7fNxcHdOSDL-07Jdrha2t4BM3x4N9B2ItcMf3GUWn-_jCaebT6030Gd0Bykf5q70IIrmK-UUDIoq0Ud-Vx2oDxZ5FzJHCVLJbRT20kmt/s1600/Hiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_vK-wy5AppnaVfzKUOfvwo_XBHLPwJZJEOdS7fNxcHdOSDL-07Jdrha2t4BM3x4N9B2ItcMf3GUWn-_jCaebT6030Gd0Bykf5q70IIrmK-UUDIoq0Ud-Vx2oDxZ5FzJHCVLJbRT20kmt/s320/Hiss.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2>
Hiss Golden Messenger at The Crepe Place</h2>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:128;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:128;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Weeks ago, I saw that Hiss Golden Messenger was scheduled to
perform on November 10<sup>th</sup> at the small Santa Cruz venue, The Crepe
Place. It seemed like it could be an ideal winter show: a spare acoustic
performance by frontman M.C. Taylor whose songs have questioning lyrics that
are ideal for this season when thoughts turn inward.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I and the dozen others experienced at Hiss Golden
Messenger’s performance was something far different but equally suited to the
season: a bunch of crockpot country funk songs seasoned by a full band
including the stellar Scott Hirsch on bass and a ripping Phil Cook on guitar
and organ. The set was surprisingly hearty and sustaining like a good stew or
chili. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At times, the band had shades of J.J. Cale’s sly guitar
grooves. Near the end of their set, the group did a version of Waylon Jenning’s
superb country classic “Lonesome, On’ry and Mean” in their unique style. The
show ended with the band getting in the crowd and playing their song “Drum”
with Taylor instigating the crowd to sing the lines: “Take the good news/ And
spirit it away.” It was a truly powerful and communal experience.</div>
<br />
<br />Stuart Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536531755163857758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468376272796983823.post-73961073075537458262014-11-10T10:11:00.000-08:002014-11-10T10:11:01.010-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsk6bWaYRrwRcUate3v-TK2YTJNx4dSJuqTn_ohrKVW759KiTI6WYPpeE32yFQHHEmccDJ8wQFoS-8aGTgBKCpDjl08YcVFvOkLQzJGFe4l3SUjrSDsyXZZ7a141pBDSLPAzhtR5n4JsUO/s1600/Moon+SB+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsk6bWaYRrwRcUate3v-TK2YTJNx4dSJuqTn_ohrKVW759KiTI6WYPpeE32yFQHHEmccDJ8wQFoS-8aGTgBKCpDjl08YcVFvOkLQzJGFe4l3SUjrSDsyXZZ7a141pBDSLPAzhtR5n4JsUO/s1600/Moon+SB+Cover.jpg" height="320" width="234" /></a></div>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:128;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:128;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
<br />
<h2 class="MsoNormal">
Behind the Scenes of Moon Santa Barbara & The Central Coast</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In many ways, a guidebook is as important for what it leaves
out as what it includes. There were a few places I went while doing research on
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Moon Coastal California</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Moon Santa Barbara & The Central Coast</i>
where I thought, “I travel here so you don’t have to.” Of course, these
disappointments, near misses or just plain unworthy places are not included in
the books. There are so many worthwhile attractions, restaurants, parks,
recreation activities, bars and more in the regions covered in these books that
there is no reason to lead a reader to a place that is not up to par.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One example of a spot that did not make the cut for
inclusion in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Moon Santa Barbara</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">& The Central Coast</i> is a place of
lodging in an agricultural town outside of Ventura. There are a few worthwhile
sights in this area to warrant coverage of the region in the guidebook, but I
would never recommend one establishment that I spent one painfully fearful
evening in. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was a major sign that the motel, which had a couple of
almost glowing reviews on the Internet, would not be book worthy as I walked
towards an ambitious tower-like building where the lobby was located. The sign
was actually a sign: a banner haphazardly hung up on the building that
announced rooms were available at nightly, weekly, and monthly rates.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I walked into the motel’s shabby lobby, there was also
something else that made me skeptical of the handful of positive Internet reviews
of this motel that I had found: every corner of the room had a security camera
perched in it like a quiet, malevolent spider. It was a crowded holiday weekend
with all of the other area establishments booked up, so I checked in with the
night desk lady anyway even though she was busy attacking some leftovers with a
fork.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Up the stairs and down a hallway lined with a shabby, faded
rug I went to the doorway of my room. The door was a slab of crappy wood that
was strangely too small for the doorway it was in. Even worse, I noticed that
the wooden door had been chipped away near the doorknob by someone I’m guessing
had been trying to break into the room.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Luckily, my key worked, and the door swung open to reveal a
room that looked like it would have been considered run-down a couple of decades
ago. The furniture was rickety and appeared to have been purchased at an old
elementary school’s garage sale. I knew that it would be unwise to see what was
under the bed or under any of the furniture so I sat on the edge of the bed and
turned on a device that a millennial would never be able to identify as a television.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When hunger struck, I turned off the giant, thick screen TV
and walked out in the hallway. I moved towards the staircase and passed by two
young men in sleeveless white T-shirts. Every part of their exposed
bodies—including their necks—were covered in sinister tattoos of snakes and
daggers. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After passing them, I turned to look back at them to see if
they were really as stereotypically evil looking as I thought they appeared at
first glance. Surprising to me, they had stopped walking too and were looking
towards me while whispering.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I continued on but was shaken. Thankfully, the Mexican
restaurant next door to the motel was quite good and a couple of Coronas
soothed my nerves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By the time I got back to my room, I was eager to get the
evening over with so I could move on to better accommodations the next day. I
turned on the ancient TV and lay down on the bed with all my clothes on. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I turned off the lamp on the battered nightstand and looked
over towards the door. Since the door was smaller than the doorway, the light
from the hallway came into the room from all sides. But as I looked at the
doorway something caused me to suck in my breath and hold it. The bottom of the
doorway darkened due to the presence of an individual standing right outside of
my room in the hallway. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eventually, I started to breathe, but the light under the
doorway was still blacked out by someone who was standing ominously just feet
and a crappy piece of wood door away from me. After what felt like the length
of a thriller film, the shadow in the doorway finally left. Maybe it was just
someone standing and texting right in front of my door? Or maybe it was one of
those sinister tattooed guys standing there preparing to chisel away at my
battered door so that he could get in my room and rob a stupid out-of-towner?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I thought about my options. I was in the middle of nowhere,
and every other lodging option in the area was booked for the holiday weekend.
My fear subsided, and I realized I was wiped out from traveling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I got up from bed and opened the single pane sliding glass
window of my room. I looked down 10 feet and realized I could survive a jump from
this height if necessary. I left the window open.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then I sat on the edge of my bed and looked toward the
doorway. I stared for a half hour, and another shadow didn’t appear.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Still, I dragged all of the battered furniture in my room
including the TV stand in front of the too-small door as a precaution. If someone
broke through the flimsy door, they would stumble over the hill of furniture,
waking me up before they could reach me and stab me with a knife. By then, I
reckoned, I would have jumped out the open window and run to my nearby car.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I didn’t sleep well, but I slept and checked out early the
next morning. I didn’t get stabbed that night, but you will still be unable to
find any mention of this establishment in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Moon
Santa Barbara & The Central Coast</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Stuart Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536531755163857758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468376272796983823.post-20341191019514204322014-11-09T15:57:00.000-08:002014-11-09T15:57:09.850-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLe4FezBu_b6NeB0xXelCk_k1bqYdF-2av5cFZadjl9UoeDoy3eFIUzLjeCcx-5jo1g7MTFUWZkUl-qPIlCLGSeHafammLubhWy8zUMPTGYN7NYzl1o35DOs3NGyVuVauJ4xHSwcWWnfw/s1600/Moon+Coastal+Ca+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLe4FezBu_b6NeB0xXelCk_k1bqYdF-2av5cFZadjl9UoeDoy3eFIUzLjeCcx-5jo1g7MTFUWZkUl-qPIlCLGSeHafammLubhWy8zUMPTGYN7NYzl1o35DOs3NGyVuVauJ4xHSwcWWnfw/s1600/Moon+Coastal+Ca+Cover.jpg" height="320" width="234" /></a></div>
<h2>
Behind the Scenes of <i>Moon Coastal California</i></h2>
While researching and writing <i>Moon Coastal California</i>, I explored all 900 miles of the California coast from San Diego to Crescent City. A lot happened during those months on the road that informed the write-ups within the book. The book covers such a large area that memorable experiences have sometimes been distilled into just a sentence or two. For instance, the book's entry on The Lost Coast's Usal Beach (pages 301 and 302) is just two paragraphs long, but a lot happened during that evening when my friend Shane and I visited there.<br />
Reached via a mountainous<span style="font-size: small;"> dirt road, <span style="font-family: Times;">Usal Beach is located in the Lost Coast's Sinkyone Wilderness State Park. The remote expanse of dark sand was everything a Northern California
beach should be. Looking back towards land, the bluffs rose like giant sleeping
animals, and the massive trees bristled above them. Pelicans dropped into the
ocean like large stones. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Inland from the beach, there are 35 primitive campsites. Shane and I chose one and set up our tents for the evening. After listening to a superb North Coast pirate radio station by our campfire, we called it a night and went to sleep in our respective tents.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:128;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Fzzzow.
Fzzzooooow. Ffffzzooooooowwwww. I woke up to the the sound of gunshots near
our campsite. Outside the full moon seemed to shine down on my tent like a
spotlight.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">What time
is it, I thought reaching for my cell phone. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">“3:03
A.M.,” it glared at me ominously. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">In the
distance, I could hear Shane snoring in his tent. Then ffffzzzzzzoooooooowwww.
I grew up around hunting and guns, but this shot sounded cold, metallic, evil.
It also sounded like the shooter was coming closer. I sat up in my tent, and I
felt as alone as I’d ever felt in my life. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Fffffffffzzzzzzooooooowwwww.
Shane suddenly stopped snoring. “Did you hear that,” I whispered to him. Even
if I’d drunk a whole pot of coffee, I wouldn’t feel this awake.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">“Yeah, I
heard that,” he said. “It’s not good.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">We both lay
still in our tents. I began thinking about why someone would be firing a gun
this late. It could be drunken rednecks, but there was no drunken shouts or
laughing. No loud country music or Skynyrd blaring. Maybe the shooter was
trying to scare off a bear or an elk?<span>
</span>But only a shot or two would probably be needed to do that.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Ffffzzzoooooowww.
Another shot. I started thinking of survival. In the tent, I felt as helpless
as a fish caught in a net. Someone could just walk up and blast the tent with
bullets and that would be it. I thought of getting into my car, but then I
realized a shooter would look there after the finding the tent empty.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">My mind was
telling me I should drag my sleeping bag into the woods.<span> </span>I could sleep there without being as
paranoid. If we were hearing the sounds of a madman, he’d check the tent and
cars first. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">“Want to
meet outside,” Shane called out.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">“Yes,” I
said softly.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">I scrambled
outside my tent and soon Shane and I were standing out in the moonlight. Though
we were in the open, it felt good to have someone around.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">“What if it
is someone walking around popping campers,” Shane said echoing what I was
thinking.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">I shivered
uncontrollably. It was not because of the cold outside.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">“I did
bring this for bears,” Shane said and slid the handle of a pistol out of the
pocked of his hooded sweatshirt. It was somewhat reassuring but it didn’t
vanquish all of my fear.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">We got into
his car. Shane sat in the driver’s seat with his hand fingering the butt of the
gun like it was a lucky coin. I sat in the passenger seat and tried to look
outside the rapidly fogging windows.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Around 50
feet away in the woods, a light appeared. Ffffzzzoooooowww. The light was gone
right as the shot rang out. It was like it had been blasted out of existence.
Farther away, a car alarm went off. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">“We need to
get out of here,” he said.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">The task of
packing up and driving out seemed pretty daunting. We were still not sure what
was happening out there. Maybe the lateness of the night had simply caused our
minds to wander to their darkest corners. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">If there
was a shooter, we’d definitely be vulnerable by packing up. Also, instead of
fleeing from whoever it was, there was a possibility that we would drive right
up to the individual on accident. Also the thought of driving the twisty
mountain road back to the highway was very daunting in the dark. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">“We are not
going to be able to sleep here,” Shane reasoned. “It will be torture if we
don’t get out of here.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">He was
right. Even if our darkest thoughts were incorrect, a night in this isolated
campground sounded like an awful prospect at this point.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">A few
seconds later, we were cramming our half taken down tents into our respective
cars. I slid the cooler into the back of my vehicle, and Shane tossed our
sleeping bags into his backseat.<span> </span>I
looked one last time at the glowing embers of the campfire, which looked like a
giant highlighter had left its fluorescent mark on the land.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Shane drove
out first, and I followed. We passed a lone, still raging campfire with a small
tower of flame. In the trees beside the fire, a dark figure looked up at our
late night procession. Both Shane and I quickly hit the gas to get out of the
area as soon as possible.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Exiting the
campground, our cars spiraled up and out of the beach area to the ridge above.
It reminded me of the time I went skydiving, and the plane corkscrewed into the
sky to get up high as fast as possible for the jump.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">I sipped
from a cold cup of coffee that was still in my car from the day before. I
cranked up a mix CD so that I’d have some company. The taillights of Shane’s
car were as reassuring as my childhood nightlight. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">My mind
wandered on the drive. What was going on in the campground below us? A
shoot-out between rival pot farmers? A domestic disturbance turned ugly? Luckily,
my body kept driving, and my car seemed to magically follow Shane’s taillights
like a bullet whizzing toward the red light created by a rifle’s laser scope. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">As I
reached the bottom of the mountain and turned onto the paved road below, Usal
Beach felt like a half remembered nightmare. Later, while fact checking my entry about Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, a state park ranger told me that locals would often camp out and spend their evenings there blasting their guns into the night sky. That information informed the last sentence of my Usal Beach write-up in <i>Moon Coastal California</i>.</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;"> </span></span><style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:128;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:128;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
<br />
<br />Stuart Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536531755163857758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-468376272796983823.post-47402037468663983152014-11-07T17:55:00.000-08:002014-11-07T17:55:36.206-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDDSwJ7eKBpE1dN-XsHXPZT6ft3diY37ru5Ou_4b9NsmtPNzBkJtWh5dBi0bTAibEN6By3X9MJCsLaxRFidW-hNstcCJw16zfsR1hd639BBDCySzkGJzDjKaeBwJ0yfzkX5-dRWvApDTC/s1600/stuart_thornton_author_photo_300px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDDSwJ7eKBpE1dN-XsHXPZT6ft3diY37ru5Ou_4b9NsmtPNzBkJtWh5dBi0bTAibEN6By3X9MJCsLaxRFidW-hNstcCJw16zfsR1hd639BBDCySzkGJzDjKaeBwJ0yfzkX5-dRWvApDTC/s1600/stuart_thornton_author_photo_300px.jpg" height="320" width="291" /></a></div>
<div class="yiv1090293998MsoNormal" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415410879917_7968">
<b>Hello there, Welcome to my blog!</b> I should have created one
of these things a while ago to write about what I love including traveling,
music, the outdoors, water recreation, and more. First, here’s a little about
me. I grew up in the fine state of Virginia surrounded by history, rivers, and
friendly folks. After securing a bachelor’s degree in English from University
of Mary Washington, I spent years exploring the Western U.S. before moving to
the wild Big Sur coast of California. During my time in the Golden State, I
have worked at the Big Sur Ranger Station and been a staff writer for the
Monterey County Weekly. I have also contributed article to National Geographic
Education, <i>Via Magazine</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, </span><i>Relix
Magazine</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, </span><i>East Bay Express</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, and more. My current passion is authoring
guidebooks for Moon Travel Guides. The past few years, I have traveled all over
California to discover the best attractions, restaurants, hotels, campgrounds,
hiking trails, and more for </span><i>Moon Coastal California</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, </span><i>Moon Santa Barbara & The Central Coast</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, </span><i>Moon Spotlight Cambria and San Simeon</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, and </span><i>Moon California Road Trip</i><span style="font-style: normal;">. On this blog, I will be writing about my projects,
travel experiences, life experiences, the latest in arts and entertainment
along with anything else that pops into my head! Be sure to visit my website <a href="http://www.stuartthornton.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.stuartthornton.com</a> for more
information about my books, articles, and events.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDDSwJ7eKBpE1dN-XsHXPZT6ft3diY37ru5Ou_4b9NsmtPNzBkJtWh5dBi0bTAibEN6By3X9MJCsLaxRFidW-hNstcCJw16zfsR1hd639BBDCySzkGJzDjKaeBwJ0yfzkX5-dRWvApDTC/s1600/stuart_thornton_author_photo_300px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<br />Stuart Thorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536531755163857758noreply@blogger.com0