First up: The Beach Boys ‘Smile’ album and box set will be released by Capitol Records on Tuesday, November 1st…(yours truly wrote the liner notes)… that morning, be sure to tune in to the CBS Early Show for a segment about the album that’ll feature some incredible and never-before-seen performance, studio and conceptual footage of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys during the time ‘Smile’ was recorded in 1966.
Now….Join me Saturday, October 22nd for a night of live, swirling-organ-sound ’60s garage punk fuzz, dynamite gal lead singers and some badass cats with The Love Me Nots, The Wooly Bandits, Magic Christian (featuring Cyril Jordan of The Flamin’ Groovies) + Mod Dylan. I’ll be spinnin’ sounds right out of the ‘Riot on Sunset Strip’ book, including some of thee most hardcore Soul and R&B from pre-1969 Los Angeles, heavy dollops of Psych, ’60s Garage, Soundtracks, Folk-Rock and some burnin’ ’50s stuff to boot… all locally-derived record-makers! Dancing ’til 3. The Bullet at El Cid Restaurant (the historic El Cid Flamenco Theater in Silver Lake), 4212 W. Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90029 (323) 668-0318 $12, 21 and up.Note: For those who’ll be in Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Echo Park or Downtown earlier, stop by The Echo (1822 W. Sunset) between 5 p.m. and 9, Magic Christian and another combo they’re touring with will be playing, and I’m DJing that event, too, for longer; I’ll be playing all instrumental Easy Listening versions of Go Go ’60s hits, for you earlybird-drinking Loungeheads.plus Friday, October 21st, The Nashville Ramblers are on the West Coast this weekend as well, and will be playing a big set in San Diego on Friday, October 21st at The Til’ Two Club… then on Saturday night the 22nd… same night as The Bullet, take your pick… The Nashville Ramblers will be opening for The Muffs at The Crave Lounge in Ventura. a Wild Weekend indeed!Dig the YouTube: http://youtu.be/cyNg867AGng
MoveOn.org Civic Action: Global Warming = More Hurricanes. Pass it On.
Nowhere to Hide: New Damning Evidence That Oil At BP’s Deepwater Horizon Site Is From Macondo Well (Photos) | Stuart H. Smith
Eme Tiki – The Smile Sessions box art revealed. The set…
Dionysus Records » Blog Archive » Tiki Oasis 11 – the best one yet! Some words and lots of video
Kon-Tiki – (Full Feature Program) – YouTube
Matt Cuddihy – InnerViews | Korduroy – DIY Surfing
Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin: Listening Party with Brian Wilson
Special book available for Brian Wilson fans. Here’s a quote from Facebook:
Genesis Publications Launch Limited Edition That Lucky Old Sun featuring unique collaboration between Brian Wilson and Sir Peter Blake
London, 17 June 2009 – Genesis Publications, the world’s leading publisher of signed and numbered limited edition books and fine art prints, today announces the launch of That Lucky Old Sun, an extraordinary book and print set that is the culmination of a unique collaboration between one of popular music’s most revered figures, Brian Wilson, and one of today’s greatest British artists, Sir Peter Blake.
As Brian prepares to tour Europe and North America in 2009, this fine art boxed book and print set will launch with just 1,000 copies available worldwide. Described by Brian as ‘a spiritual record’, it includes 12 exclusive new prints created by Peter, presented as numbered, fine art serigraphs.
David Berger writes:
Hi every one!
Here are the latest tour updates…SUMMER EUROPEAN DATES:
July 4, 2009
Deutsches Theater
Munich, GermanyJuly 5, 2009
Serenadenhof
Nuremberg, GermanyJuly 6, 2009
Paradiso
Amsterdam, HollandJuly 8, 2009
Tempodrom
Berlin, GermanyJuly 9, 2009
Museumsplatz
Bonn, GermanyJuly 11, 2009
Guilfest
Guilford, EnglandJuly 12, 2009
The Sage Gateshead
Gateshead, EnglandSeptember 4-6, 2009
Stradbally Hall
County Laois, IrelandFALL U.S. DATES:
October 24, 2009
Pabst Theatre
Milwaukee, WIOctober 26, 2009
Count Basie Theatre
Red Bank, NJOctober 27, 2009
Bergen Performing Arts Center
Englewood, NJOctober 29, 2009
Keswick Theatre
Glenside, PAOctober 30, 2009
Community Theatre at Mayo Center for the Performing Arts
Morristown, NJ
When I came across this little bit of info on a new documentary about surf culture related movies, I thought I’d pass it along to Domenic Priore. He is a renowned pop culture historian, specialized and based in Southern California. I didn’t think that much sending the link, but when I read his reply, the conflicting views became obvious to me in an instant. Having read his recent book Pop Surf Culture I had already a good idea about the strong “bohemian” element in 20th century surfing culture, quite the opposite of today’s dominant “jock” (competitive, corporate, surfer risking his neck for Pepsi) – kind of thing.
KK: Hi Domenic, do you know about this?
DP: No, Kahuna, thanks for the tip. It sounds really stupid, like, the opposite of what Pop Surf Culture has to say about the whole thing. It’s hilarious that “real surfers” have yet to outlive the beach movie stereotype they disdain, despite the years of vitriol they have aimed in William “I Love Lucy” Asher’s direction. Jocks don’t have a concept who The Pyramids are, put it that way, but will celebrate a republican like John Milius, who, in Big Wednesday, made a big deal about, well, his being pissed off that a health food restaurant replaced a hamburger stand in Malibu. God forbid they allow a different point of view to exist from their jock trip, sorry, but it pisses me off, again, because, I grew up having to read in SURFER about how “Surfers are blonde haired and blue eyed, those beach movies had ITALIANS playing surfers!” as if that was some kind of big problem. At the same time, I grew up observing “surfers” having gang fights with “cholos” who could care less, but these “surfers” were really just racist American white kids that had it in for Mexican-Americans, or the more activist Chicano movement as well. I’m not a fan of Frankie Avalon all that much (another family values creep) but he was, for the most part, a really good comedian in those movies, and surpassed his own singing career a few times singing Brian Wilson/Gary Usher/Roger Christian songs such as “Runnin’ Wild,” which is cool and actual rock ‘n’ roll… unlike Frankie’s own recording career. I get big, ironic laughs out of Avalon stuff like “These Are the Good Times” as well, though, I mean, what don’t these jocks understand about COMEDY?… especially MUSICAL COMEDY? Morey Amsterdam, Don Rickles, Buddy Hackett, Timothy Carey, Buster Keaton fer chrissakes, again, what’s the problem? We hear nothing but put-downs from “real surfers” with money to burn and a forum… never mind the evident enjoyment of less professional people who surf without NASCAR-style sponsorship. Besides, Big Wednesday is not even close to the coolness of Ride the Wild Surf in any way, shape or form. There. Can you please pass this email on to Greg MacGillivray, whose own surfing movies I pretty much love?
KK: With surfing as a topic of motion pictures I think it’s a field where the fact is always head and shoulders above the fiction. Avalon or Big Wednesday – it doesn‘t matter. And, I can only speak for Europe, here these films practically had no impact on pop culture, let alone the surfers. Yet the scene bears lot’s of similarity to America, from what I gather. Which can only mean that magazines and documentaries where the true forces in shaping the surfers’ representation through the years. People recall seeing Crystal Voyager. I saw a yellow surfboard attached to the van of a neighbor hippie son, as he came back from Morrocco in the late 70s, a little later I picked up a styrofoam bellyboard from their trash. The first german surfers on the island of Sylt had John Severson movies screen to the lifeguard car (horse carriage kind, instead of towers) on the beach in the 1960s and listened to The Astronauts and Beach Boys. My impression is that the jock thing only started here after windsurfing started to be too jock dominated and the cool guys just left it to them. Unfortunately the jocks followed faster than you can say thruster. I will attach a link to a home-movie of a trip to Mazatlan, with music that was obviously dubbed on at the actual time. Listen for the jumps in the music when the footage is re-spliced. It’s a great selection of surf tunes!
I added some links to Domenic’s pure text replys, I hope he doesn’t mind.
Domenic Priore writes:
O.k., lots of fun stuff to think about, and to do: I’ve set it up so that if you live anywhere near New York, San Francisco or Los Angeles, there will be a ‘Riot on Sunset Strip Film Festival’ near you. Please check out:http://dumbangelmag.blogspot.com/
There’s lots of cool pictures here as well, and a link to watch Lloyd Bridges driving ‘The Silhouette’ for a couple of minutes… along with some groovy Love, and Brian Wilson ‘Smile’ stuff.
In L.A., I’m doing a ‘Beatnik Sunset Strip’ slide show at Skylight Books in Los Feliz, Thursday, June 26 (free), then the following Sunday (June 29), will be hosting two documentaries at The American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theater… the Love documentary Love Story, and one on jazz vibraphonist/arranger Gary McFarland This is Gary McFarland. Both events start at 7 p.m.
In New York, it will be the ‘Riot on Sunset Strip Film Series,’ over two months of midnight movies at The IFC Center in Greenwich Village, each weekend starting July 25.
In San Francisco, The Red Vic Movie House on Haight Street will feature the ‘Riot on Sunset Strip Weekend’ featuring Riot on Sunset Strip, The Trip, You Are What You Eat and the Love documentary Love Story. This will happen August 28 through 31st.
So, have a look, it’s an easy thing to peruse, and a lot of fun this summer to come from it. …
From Wrecking Crew News:
Hi Wrecking Crew supporters!
After playing to great response at SXSW, Buffalo, Nashville and Seattle Film Festivals (see reviews), we are thrilled to announce that ‘The Wrecking Crew’ documentary will have it’s Los Angeles premiere on June 28th, 2008. The film will play under the banner “Movies That Matter” as part of the Grand Performances Program in downtown LA at 350 S.Grand. Ave.
This is a free, outdoor festival-style screening under the stars. You can bring a picnic, deck chairs, blankets and even white wine, they don’t allow red wine as it can stain the granite in the Festival area. If a picnic is not your speed, there are some great restaurants in the area. Even though tickets are free, please make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to eat and find a place to sit. Don’t forget a chair or blanket.
We are also very honored to announce that the presentation of the film will be followed by a live performance by Wrecking Crew alumni Hal Blaine (drums), Carol Kaye (electric bass), Don Randi (piano) and Chuck Berghofer (upright bass). Vocals by Julia Fordham and other guest aritsts.
Please Help Us Spread The Word. Its Very Important That Musicians And Music Lovers Know Of This Event. Thanks For Your Support.
I wrote a bout the Wrecking Crew movie here earlier.
A big article and interview on Brian Wilson in the Washington Post.
(through the exotica mailing list)
The Beach Boy’s Hymns to the Dream State of California Belied The Nightmare He Was Living
By J. Freedom du Lac
Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, December 2, 2007; Page M01
LOS ANGELES — Brian Wilson still hears voices.
They stalk him sometimes when he’s on the concert stage, bedeviling him from inside his head. They ridicule and threaten the original Beach Boy, backing him into dark corners that don’t exist. Watch closely, says his wife, Melinda, and you can tell when Wilson’s schizoaffective disorder is having its way. His eyes become distant and glazed. Another auditory hallucination…full article at washingtonpost.com