More Words About More Things

Kitchenpoet covers the scene on Higgins, during the summer.

A more recent photo of yours truly taken by the bewitching woman below.
Teri Llovett's band, Full Moon Prophets, will play their last two shows in the middle of November. On Saturday, November 14, will be their last monthly show at the Union Club. Music starts by 9:30pm. The next night, on Sunday, November 15, the final show will take place at the Top Hat.

I'm using this shot again, because I love it. I like the Independent Telephone building as architecture, and as a photographic subject. Here it is framed by a window in the Union Hall. I'm thinking about making it my logo for social commentary rants. Speaking of social commentary, see below.
No, not all Wal-Mart shoppers are this stupid, but, obviously, some are. note: I didn't take this shot; someone emailed it to me.

The officer has just heard a horn honk and is looking behind him down Higgins towards Front. The horn is coming from the Mercedes to the left. The driver wants the policeman to move so he can turn into the alley.

A sad story, all too common in Zootown.

Yes, I approve of the power box paintings. They add nice color touches to downtown.

I can't end this post without mentioning Peter Bowen, whom I saw again at the Festival of the Book. Last year's fest introduced me to him and other regional writers. Since then I have read several books by them. In Peter's case, I have tried to read everything he's written. His Gabriel Du Pre' mysteries are a delight. If you read mysteries, adventure or local authors, find a Peter Bowen book to read. The library has most of them.

Mando Mike Passes Through

Rocky Mountain School of Photography has started their free winter lecture series in the quarry at the school. I attended the first of the monthly events, and thus arrived for only the last hour of the weekly open mike session at Brooks and Browns. There was a duo named CaseyJo up when I arrived. Then they invited Mando Mike to join them.

I hadn't seen Mike all summer. Once upon a time he was one of the Bad Intentions, playing behind Amanda Cevallos. He turned up many places for music, including the Irish folk jam at Celtic Connection. He said he was working at Glacier and just passing through on his way to the organic family farm in Idaho. Later, he brought his guitar up for his own set.

Seth joined him with a harmonica, and Carla Greene contributed the bass.

Other musicians took their turns.

Mike Avery filled in for Louis, who was down with the crud. Teri Llovett MC'd, as usual. Many of the regulars were there, and most joined in for the group finale.

The open mike at Brooks and Browns occurs every Tuesday, 7-10, and is beginning to attract some original songwriters to join the talented regulars.

Brooks and Browns is the bar in the back of the Holiday Inn. In addition to open mike, it hosts other music on weekends. Baba ganoush played for hours there recently, as previously reported. Malarkey will bring their Irish sound there Friday, Oct. 30.

The flickr set which goes with this post is titled BBMike, October 20, 2009.

Wolf Releases CD @Badlander

Wolf Redboy takes his music seriously, and his music is always ahead of the curve. He released his CD, Baby You Know Me, at the Badlander, on Friday, October 16. It is hard to describe how original Wolf's material is, because no one else does quite what he does.

Lee seems to have a lot more fun, while performing. Check the flickr archive for more images of this lovely lady on stage during this event.

The band consists of Bill Birkenbuel on guitar, Abe Jindrich on drums and Max Russell on bass.

The Final Third

Wow! All original material played by my favorite cellist and some other talented musicians called Friedericks Teeth.

Bethany is already a star and plays in two other bands, Butter and Wartime Blues.

She is joined by future zootown stars. That's a kitchenpoet prediction you can bank on. Take any chance you get to hear this group, because they are making a feel-good sound.

This whole evening with three bands is on the flickr archive in three sets.

Velcro Kicks in the Palace

Velcro Kicks wrapped the show, which Baba ganoush opened and Friederick's teeth continued on Wednesday, October 14, at the Palace. This power duo has two familiar faces. Tony Mats was playing behind Olivia in Black Velvet Elvis, during their glory days in Zootown. And can that be Stagger Lee Rooster of Rooster Sauce Fame on the drums?

All three bands from this evening will soon be represented on the flickr archive. I'm looking at the images I captured during the Hellgate Roller Girls benefit. That is my next project.

Another ongoing project is my first print show, which is on the calendar for First Friday in December, at the Palace.

Two Servings of Baba ganoush

Baba ganoush is well known on the streets for their improvisations near Taco Del Sol, during the Saturday Markets. On Wednesday, October 14, they opened a show in the Palace, which also featured Friederick's Teeth and Velcro Kicks.

Two days later, they were back in action, playing for hours at Brooks and Browns. Their motto displayed at both shows said, "Baba ganoush, more than a Mediterranean appetizer." That is true, as their music is a tasty treat.

A Few Words About a Few Things

There's a new version of Windows coming, and I don't expect it to break the pattern Microsoft has established of releasing rushed, half-baked products full of glitches and security holes. Other writers have kindly understated that some users had problems with Vista. Some problems?! Vista is the biggest whore Bill Gates ever pimped, and that's saying something, because Millennium and 2000 weren't worth a shit either. I hope I never have to buy another version of Windows; I hope I can buy an Apple next time and tell Microsoft to kiss my ass.

In the meantime, I work with two computers, one with XP and the other with Vista. When I first purchased the XP model, I deleted the Microsoft word processor and spreadsheet that came with it and installed WordPerfect and Quattro. The Vista machine came with Microsoft Office, which I deleted and replaced with Star Office. I quit using Internet Explorer, as soon as I learned about Firefox, and have since switched to Google Chrome (thanks to a comment someone made on this blog).

"Stupid is a condition; ignorance is a choice," is a line from Non-Sequitur by Wiley Miller.

A critic of Max Blumenthal's book, Republican Gomorrah, summed up the concept as ..."fear of freedom propels people into authoritarian settings."

Fear is a common tool used by the neo-cons to shape public opinion in this country. If you aren't aware of this shadowy group of would be fascists, do some research, because they have been a major force in our nation for some time, and had almost complete control during the reign of George II. They are the ones whipping up fear and hate towards immigrants, gays, members of other religions and anyone else they can blame for the world's problems, in order to turn people to their own views.

Fascists understand the power of faith and work to bury knowledge, while teaching people belief is more important. They sweep climate change under the rug, along with evolution, facts, reasonable arguments, and reason altogether to promote belief systems, which the masses are too willing swallow.

Our military enterprises are supposedly to protect us and to spread democracy. Actually, they are merely acts to spread and maintain the most powerful empire the earth has ever seen. They also serve to make the war-makers more powerful and wealthy. Their lackeys can't see reality through the massive propaganda raining down from the media sources they control.

Be independent. Go beyond questioning authority to questioning everything. Search for reliable sources, rather than just accepting what the corporate media pumps out. Those same corporations manufacture the weapons used to kill "them" around the world. Promoting war is part of their advertising campaign.

Don't believe their us and them campaigns. We are all humans, and that fact is more important than all those trumpeted differences. Make peace where you can. Help everyone any way you can.

Since I'm trying to keep my rants brief these days, I will stop there, with just one footnote.

Been there, done that long ago, haven't done it since, won't do it again.

Two Lively Shows at the Top Hat

The Clumsy Lovers, from Vancouver B.C., are regular visitors to zootown. I've seen them in Caras Park three years in a row, and they played the 2008 Roots Festival. In addition, they play the Top Hat at least once a year. They are the kind of band that makes people tap their feet, and it's just hard to keep from dancing a jig, when they start playing.

On Friday, October 9, they put on a particularly energetic performance. The lead said Rebecca was on fire with her fiddle playing.

The very next night on Saturday the 10th, the Ragbirds came calling with more rhythms which could not be refused, and again their was fast and frenzied dancing. I had never heard Ragbirds before, but I swore to see them again, because they were a knockout, as was the beautiful woman up front.

The Top Hat seems to be specializing in feel-good bands, happy sounds and danceable tunes. It is a very pleasant venue for friendly folks. So once more I must say get up, turn of the tv and get out to a local venue for some live music. It's almost always better than the canned stuff.

There are more images of both these bands on the flickr archive.