Hammjamm Defined
Webwarlock's Note: Recently, Ice tried to create a wikipedia entry for a term most of us around here have come to know and love: Hammjamm. Obviously, the world needs to know what a hammjamm is, yet despite Still Flyin's best efforts it has not made its way into the mainstream; and despite Ice's best efforts it has not made its way into Wikipedia either – an explanation from Ice: “It got rejected because it was related to a band. I tried to fight it by sending links to other articles that used hammjamm separate from Still Flyin' but no dice.” Alas, Wikipedia may not be ready for a hammjamm but we know you are. So without further ado, here is Ice's Hammjamm entry:
Hammjamm is a physiological state of euphoria and optimism that occurs when a good time becomes better. There are no defined rules or ways to have a hammjamm but is usually obtained while amongst friends. The term originates from Still Flyin' guru, OJ Hammond, and then was popularized by the band, Still Flyin'. Many believe that seeing Still Flyin' in person is the easiest way to experience a hammjamm, but others have also reported having a hammjamm while doing such various activities as eating steak on a raft and admiring the ponytails of others on a street corner.
LEVELS
There are many different levels of hammjamms. The most common occurrences fall between the levels of 1 – 10. A level 1 hammjamm while very low on the hammjamm pole is still considered a special thing and shall not be treated lightly or looked down upon. Any level of hammjamm is still a far more extreme of a time than one would find at a party. A level 10 hammjamm, however, is very rare. There have been reports of hammjamms reaching level 10, but little evidence has been produced, as when a jamm reaches this level it is almost impossible to separate one’s self from the atmosphere they are encapsulated in. Level 10 hammjamms have mostly only been noted upon in the aftermath.
NEGATIVE LEVELS
There is no such thing as a negative level hammjamm. If a hammjamm were to dip to a -1 level it becomes the opposite of a hammjamm and therefore need to be classified as a harsh.
LEVEL 100
Legend holds that a hammjamm could in fact go to 100, but would be impossible without the presence of Shaq, a water craft and custom made t-shirts.
SPELLING
A source of constant controversy surrounding the word. Although it has been spelled many different ways by many different people, there is only one correct way. Hammjamm. Try to remember this tip while writing up hammjamm reports or inquiries: a hammjamm is not something you take a break during. There are no spaces, no single “m's”. Another tip is to picture Still Flyin' when you think of the word hammjamm; one thing, held together tightly with a double dose of everything, especially “m's”. If that doesn't help you though, here it is straight from the Guru's mouth:
“Hammjamm is one word. Like Soccer or Blasters.”
FAQ’S
A lot of people have wondered if they have ever experienced a hammjamm and usually turn to SA Rawls, of Still Flyin’, for advice. Here are some examples:
1. Duderonomy writes: “Dear SA, I flipped over a table while slammin' a brew, landed on my feet and danced the riverdance. Is that an acceptable hammjamm and if so what level?”
Dear Duderonomy: That was a level 4 hammjamm. Good form, but the question is how long did you dance the river dance? If you were to tell me “SA, I danced the river dance for 5.5 hours to the same song and my bros just kept refreshing my brews as I needed new ones.” Then I'd say that was a level 7 hammjamm, but as is I'd say yes it is a hammjamm and it's a level 4 hammjamm.
2. Zoogroove writes: “SA I was at the zoo and a giraffe smiled at me. Is that a hammjamm?”
Dear Zoogroove: Only if the giraffe was smiling because you just got done powertubing with some rhinos in the orangutan pond after the goat herdsman sold you scissors to cut through the fences of the gate so everyone could have Free Zoo Day. That includes the gates to all the animal cages.
3. TubCurio writes: “SA I accidentally whizzed in the hot tub only because i was megajammin' a brew and so entranced in a good volleyball game with myself, is that a hammjamm?”
Dear TubCurio: Only if you were the only dude in the tub and you spiked that shit.
4. Floyd writes: “Dear SA I was tired and fell asleep at 8:30 at night and woke up the next day at 3 in the afternoon. Is that a hammjamm, like jamming some sleep?”
Dear Floyd: NO.
5. Gluemaster7 writes: “SA, my mindjam riff lifted me off the ground like three feet and I was able to thunderdunk a mini keg. Yeah, my mind riff was a power riff. Meanwhile in the background the Ghostbusters theme was on repeat. Is that a hammjamm?”
Dear Gluemaster7: Yes that is a level 8 hammjamm. This email just got you placed on the Global Hammjamm Watch List. Watch yourself, kid.
6. Billy writes: “Greetings SA, I made up the phrase HCIBC to combat theWWJD phenomenon. HCIBC means ‘How Cool Is Billy Corgan’ and I ask like 28 people a day ‘HCIBC’. Hammjamm?”
Dear Billy: Smash this…level 3 hammjamm.
7. Ponyboy writes: “SA, I just deep fried a sock and ate it cause I was bored. Am I hammjammin'? p.s. I have a ponytail.”
Dear Ponyboy: My initial reaction was no, but that was before I knew you had a ponytail. Level 1, your arm whip is just beginning to pick up some steam.
8. Great Scott writes: “SA, one time I saw a rainbow and started sweating profusely. I tried to cool down by drinking a bottle of red wine but it didn't help. Then I entered a racquetball tournament and won. Was that a hammjamm?”
Dear Great Scott: That sounds like a special time, but more like an inner hammjamm. Next time try switching to chardonnay.
9. JCVD's Pal writes: “Hi SA, Jean Claude Van Damme and I stayed up all night kicking trees in the woods and running through bonfires naked. That is a hammjamm, correct?”
Dear JCVD's Pal: Level 3.5, It's hard to have a clean hammjamm with a lot of fire involved but it can be done.
10. Trouser Oldie writes: “Hey SA, I've been wearing the same pair of jeans for 18 years straight. To combat the stench I washed them twice a day in the sink for the last 7 years. Now when I wear them it looks like I'm wearing a sash with a bunch of strings hanging from it. Hammjamm or what?”
Dear Trouser Oldie: This isn't anything too wild, but the years of steady dedication make this a level 7 hammjamm.
Posted by: Ice
MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2010
Alternative Aero
Posted by: Izzo
MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2010
Nostradamus 2010
Hello to you. We are so excited about the chances of 2010. 2010 is all about chances. A chance to invent an invention. A chance to patent that invention. A chance to patent what you've always dreamt of inventing. You could invent a world without hangovers. Below are Still Flyin's chances in this new year. To paraphrase an inspiring call to arms: give us a chance, and we will no doubt take it from you.
Chances to link mindz through the magic of sound recordings:
Back in September we holed up in the legendary Hyde Street Studio C for five days and churned out 10 new songs. Can you say CCR? Can you say Green Day? Can you say Del Tha Funky Homosapien? Can you say Digital Underground? Can you say Kid Rock? Can you say Grateful Dead? Can you say Blue Oyster Cult? Okay, just kidding on Kid Rock (IF ONLY!), but seriously all these other people recorded at the studio we used. As of now Haima is slaving away mixing these new jamms. They sound quite different, but we are very excited for you to hear this new stuff, and your first chance will be in February when Runaway Train II b/w All Lips Touch is released as a seven inch single and also internet digital. Then in May an ep of sorts with some songs too long to fit on a seven inch will be released, followed by another seven inch in the summer or fall. That's the plan at least.
Chances to hammfive us in the flesh:
We'll be in Europe for 25+ shows in February and March and are very excited to go to places like Italy and Austria and Croatia and Scotland for the first time. And we'll be back in Europe again in May – big news on that very soon! Americans, don't worry, we'll be sure to play some shows in our own land as well. Auzjammers, if we don't make it over there in 2010, we promise to be there in early 2011. Everyone else who might want us to come play for them, get in touch! We want to play in every nation in the world and beyond.
Chances to use the internet:
Well, we just finished nine months of weekly blog entries without having the same band member post twice, and we didn't miss a week. Give us a spiritual highfive for that. We're not exactly sure what the next phase is for this here blog, but it will keep going in some form. And Guru and Ice aren't done with their videos yet. We've got part three of their 2 Spicy Dudes ongoing series coming up and maybe their version of the Matrix films as a play.
Thanks so much for the read.
Yours naturally,
SA
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2009
The Year in Review
A few of our favorite music moments from 2009…
Mark Monnone – Bass Guitar
I wanted to put Yellow Fever from one to ten, as I quite like them in at least ten different ways. Alas, here are nine other bands that blew my mind at some point this year:
Deerhoof at De Affaire Festival, Nijmegen, Netherlands
Milk Teddy at The Empress, Melbourne
Je Suis Animal at Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
The Ladybug Transistor at Bruar Falls, Brooklyn, NY
Beach House at Apolo, Barcelona
Sleepy Township reunion show at The Tote, Melbourne
Minimum Chips reunion show at The Tote, Melbourne
Tenniscoats at The Tote, Melbourne
The Icypoles at The Toff in Town, Melbourne
Raul Sanchez – Saxophone
10. Being asked to play saxophone with the Still Flyin' crew!
9. Overnight traveling gigs to nearby places like Monterey, Nevada City, Sacramento, Chico, San Jose and feeling some rad love from the locals.
8. Kicking off Life/Style DJ night with Tony Sison this year – Thursdays at the Beauty Bar – playing basically whatever the hell comes to me from glam to soul and punk to rock.
7. Winning Best DJ Night Bars/Lounge Category in SF Bay Guardian's 2009 Readers Poll December 9th issue – As for me, having been DJing for a little less than a year…this is quite a nice surprise.
6. The Aerosols gig with The Fresh and Onlys and Woven Bones 12/09 at Amnesia – rad times indeed.
5. Penny Arcade Christmas Soul Dance Party with Ron Silva and The Monarchs, B and Not B, A&R, and The Selecter DJ Kirk. People got DOWN! 12/09
4. Still Flyin' CD Release Show with Nodzzz, Ingot Rot at Cafe Du Nord, 5/09…afterparty was pretty rad too!
3. Halloween Party at the Bottom of the Hill – Loquat, Love Like Fire, plus Tony, Greg and myself DJing.
2. Mission Creek Music Festival at McLaren Park – 7/09 – Dead Meadow, Bart Davenport, Kelley Stoltz, Xoel Lopes, Moore Brothers, Aerosols, Black Fiction, and so much more…amazing day indeed.
1. Meeting, Hanging Out, Partying, Chilling, Drinking, Performing, and Dancing with all the folks I came across at this year's rad events!!! Let's do it again in 2010!
Jaime Knight – Flyinette
Not necessarily in any particular order.
1. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest – I didn't think I was into this band until I saw them at the Fillmore in 2009, now they're one of my recent faves (thanks Stacy!). Also, I HAVE to support the fellow gays. Go Ed!
2. Au Revoir Simone – Still Night, Still Light – We got to play with this band on our 2009 Summer European tour. Not only are they super nice ladies, they make awesome nu-new wave music.
3. The Websites AKA Noah Rose. This kid went to the high school I teach at and is a total genius. Look out for him!
4. Radiolab! This WNYC radio show is the best thing to happen to radio since This American Life. It will BLOW YOUR MIND!!!!!
5. Duh, Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion – Only one of the BEST bands of the new Millenium.
6. Japanther – Tut Tut Shake Yr Butt – This is one of my favorite contemporary punk bands and on this album they collaborate with Penny Rimbaud from one of my favorite not contemporary punk bands CRASS!
7. Yellow Fever – Rat Catcher EP – Some old stuff some new, but all the best from our friends Yellow Fever.
8. Pains of Being Pure at Heart in Copenhagen with Yoshi. One of the best nights of my summer holidays.
9. William Kentridge – 5 Themes at the SFMoMA. One of the greatest artists of our time. Check him out!
10. Martin Puryear also at the SFMoMA. This barely made it into 2009, but if you missed it you're bummed.
Mindy Schweitzer-Rawls – Flyinette
2009's Guiltiest of Pleasures
Lady Gaga – specifically the song "Poker Face" – Did not know much about Lady Gaga, but quickly caught on and must say I am now on the Gaga wagon.
Black Eyed Peas – "Boom Boom Pow" – I have never liked the peas, but damn this song got my hips moving from side to side and round and round.
NKOTB reunion concert – Donnie Walhberg, need I say more?
2009's Favorite Albums and Live Shows
Slow Club – Yeah So – I saw Slow Club play at SXSW and was so impressed with Rebecca's (the lead singer) beautiful vocals and the chemistry between the two of them vocally and on stage. Hands down this was my favorite album of the year.
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix – Loved this album and enjoyed the way it sent out the happy vibes.
Masters of the Hemisphere show in Athens, GA – I am a huge Masters fan, not just because my husband is a member, but because of the smile their songs put upon my face every time I hear them. It was so great to see them play again and to see it in Athens, GA surrounded by dozens of my favorite people in the world.
Excalibrah (featuring Peace Goat) in Chapel Hill, NC – I already knew that Excalibrah was guaranteed to provide an energizing and over the top performance, but when he added Peace Goat into the mix this first night, I could hardly contain myself. Peace Goat is such a gentile goat filled with love and excitement for life, not to mention his endearing voice and super hot wardrobe.
Bren Mead – Percussion, Vocals, Bass Guitar
Top 10 Still Flyin' shows of 2009
10. 7/18/09 De Affaire Festival, Nijmegen, NL – Awesome village. Amazing festival. Deerhoof blew our minds later in the evening. The festival put us up in a great boat hotel.
9. 7/25/09 Secret Garden Party, Huntingdon, UK – Burning Man UK! Brit hippies everywhere. Things got really crazy when the sun went down. Weather went sour the second day but not before the fun was had.
8. 4/8/09 Carabar, Columbus, OH – Awesome show. Awesome club. Awesome staff. Fed us awesome food. Poured us awesome shots. We miss the Carabar.
7. 1/17/09 Proud Galleries, London, UK – Too crowded and extremely hip. Still, the venue was interesting enough and we played a fine show to a good crowd.
6. 1/22/09 Pustervik, Gothenburg, Sweden – Great hammjamm with Love Is All. They joined us on stage for part of our set and everyone had a wonderful time.
5. 4/5/09 Cake Shop, NY, NY – High energy. Highlight – Frank's crowdsurf/saxophone solo.
4. 7/12/09 MS Claudia, Hamburg, Germany – The miserable weather didn't stop the jam. The MS Claudia is a party barge on the water in Hamburg. Once everyone is on board the boat cruises around the harbor and the party begins.
3. 9/24/09 Bruar Falls, Brooklyn, NY – Gary's birthday jam was a full tilt sweat box.
2. 2/4/09 East Brunswick, Melbourne, Australia – Everyone took a knee. Even Haima, who was running sound.
1. 2/8/09 Laneway, Sydney, Australia – My favorite sweat jam of the year. Shirts came off and the bodies piled up.
Worst show of 2009
1. 4/7/09 Zodiac, Baltimore, MD – Terrible, terrible show. That's what we get for taking a chance on the Wire.
Sean Rawls – Guitar, Vocals
We played 85 shows in 2009, these are my faves:
10. 10/28/09 Des Moines, IA Vaudeville Mews – Had to include this just based on the 10 person audience buying us 27 shots during our set.
9. The first half of 7/25/09 Cambridgeshire, UK Secret Garden Party – This one was teetering on the edge of complete oblivion: 50+ people and rapidly growing crowd dancing onstage in front of us until I taught the crowd how to "extend that shit" with their brews and one dude extended it over some PA equipment, drenching it in beer. The crowd was instantaneously forced off the stage after that, taking the wind out of the jam.
8. 2/6/09 Perth, AUZ Laneway Festival – Tear away clothes. Exploding giant stuffed animal head. Jamming it into the stratosphere.
7. 3/19/09 SXSW Music For Listeners/Moshi Moshi Party @ Red House Pizzeria – Nothing too unique. Just a straight-up thunderjam.
6. 7/17/09 Tubingen, Germany Stadtfest Haagtor @ Sudhaus – The events of this show should be turned into a movie. Not really a good show at all, but hilarious – stories that will last a lifetime.
5. 3/20/09 SXSW Austin, TX Music By The Slice @ Homeslice Pizza – The second pizza show on this list. Three sets, three slightly different lineups. Jammed the face off of everyone each time.
4. 4/5/09 New York, NY Cake Shop – Frank crowdsurfed while doing a sax solo. It was that kind of show.
3. 2/9/09 Sydney, AUZ Annandale Hotel – Went all the way into another jam realm for the last show of one of the best tours ever, which culminated in a reenactment of Eddie Vedder in the Even Flow video.
2. 7/12/09 Hamburg, Germany MS Claudia – Sailed around on a barge with the amps tied to the walls while jamming it to the absolute bone and trying not to fall over from the harsh waters.
1. 2/4/09 Melbourne, AUZ East Brunswick Club – Dudes brought us homemade Still Flyin' boogieboards, someone else gave me a windsock that I still have on my guitar, and people crowdsurfed onto the stage during the encore. One of the best crowds we've ever had. Those dudes were DOWN FOR A JAM.
Zach Cincotta - Law
In no particular order:
Dust-to-Digital Grammy win – Atlanta reissue powerhouse label Dust-to-Digital won the Best Historical Album Grammy this year for their Art of Field Recording, Vol. 1 box set.
Bear in Heaven – Beast Rest Forth Mouth LP – One of the best records of the year. Hell, a Pitchfork editor talked about it on ABC News. Charlie Gibson is a fan of Bear in Heaven! Life is weird sometimes.
Volcano Choir – "Island, IS" from Unmap LP – I listened the shit out of this track.
Atlas Sound – "Sheila" live at the Great American Music Hall – I went mostly to hear them perform this track, and they knocked it out of the park.
Animal Collective – "Brothersport" – On the whole, I thought the record sounded too much like hippie techno, but I liked this track a lot, despite the fact that it was probably the most hippie techno track on there.
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadaeus Phoenix LP – Another trendy pick. Don't care. Catchy as hell.
The Units – History of the Units – The Early Years: 1977-1983 LP – A long awaited (by me anyway) reissue of early tracks by this completely forgotten SF synthpunk band. BUY IT NOW. LOVE THE UNITS.
REM – Murmer: Deluxe Edition – I grew up outside Atlanta and went to UGA, but I never really got into REM until this year. It gives me high hopes that Neutral Milk Hotel will finally make sense to me in, like, 10 years.
Footage of Rhys Chatham and Liquid Liquid live at Lincoln Center – Okay, I didn't actually go to this, but I watched the entire show on youtube. It blew my mind. I've seen Chatham play with maybe 15 guitars at the most. But 200 guitars? That's just crazy. Paired with a reformed and still utterly amazing Liquid Liquid?…Dang, I should have shelled out for the plane ticket.
Major Lazer – "Pon de Floor" video – Bren showed me this video for the first time. It features a lot of dry humping. It is amazing.
A couple other things that might have made the list had I actually experienced them:
Jon Mueller – Physical Changes LP/CD/DVD – The Collection of Colonies of Bees and Volcano Choir drummer is an amazing solo drummer. His Metals live set was the last experience for me that pointed to the future of music. Minimalist metal completely performed on drums. Somehow it worked. Totally stand-up dude, too.
Megafaun – Gather, Form & Fly CD – Their first album was awesome. I need to get this. I'm also kicking myself for missing their show at Cafe du Nord a while back.
Kylie Minogue live at the Fox Theater – Oh god how I wish I went to this.
Isobel Knowles – Trumpet
1. Body Electric Dance Off 2009 – I joined a dance class this year and we did a routine to 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' by Kylie Minogue. There were 6 classes, 6 Australian hits and 6 amazing feats of choreography performed by people like you and me. A very community kind of event.
2. Animal Collective at the Forum Theatre in Melbourne – Went to see them the other night. It was sensational. I could feel my hair blowing in the breeze from the subs. It was a music feast for my whole body.
3. The Leafs – My friend Gus started a band with his friend Mike called The Leafs. They have a song called 'The Biggest Dream Catcher in the World' which is something they plan on building.
4. Trapped in the Closet sung by Michael O'Neill at Kyle's Karaoke Korner – I don't know that I'll ever see anything like it again.
5. The Mangles – I went to a party where there was a cover band – all dudes playing the Bangles hits. Pretty Awesome.
6. The first Icypoles show with our new drummer – We played with two of my favorite musical acts in Melbourne, Kes and Darren Sylvester.
7. El Guincho – It was so great to see them play so many times at the beginning of the year. Favorite record of the summer.
8. Haima played a track that had Marvin Gaye's backing singers without the rest of the music through the plate reverb that he just finished fixing (after it sitting silently in various hallways for many years). Wow.
9. Qua's Q&A album – Every track a masterpiece. I loved it so much I designed a giant visual performance to go with his live set. It included overhead projectors, lighting gel confetti and a giant dancing shadow puppet that was hooked up to the drummer with ropes and pulleys.
10. OF COURSE THE STILL FLYIN' AUSTRALIAN TOUR!!! – Always the best fun a person can hope for. Perth was my favorite show. Sean's poolside dance game was my favorite moment. GOOOOOOD TIMES.
Yoshi Nakamoto – Drums
Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career – Hit after hit. My favorite record of this year, released this year.
"Forest and Sands"
Felt – The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories – I was influenced by my friend Laura's love of Felt to really give them a listen after years of neglect. My favorite record of this year, released twenty five years ago.
"Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow"
The Lucksmiths at The Neu Club in Madrid, Spain July 6th 2009 – The tears flowed for me that night during their set, I'm going to miss seeing them on stage together.
de Affaire Festival - Nijmegen, Netherlands – My highlight of the Still Flyin' summer tour. An amazing festival in the middle of the city in a park that seemed to stretch forever in all directions. I watched the Dutch salsa dance to Luis Diaz y los 5 del Son from Cuba. I watched Deerhoof play my favorite show of the year.
Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest – Beautiful voices singing beautiful songs accented by beautiful drumming.
"Ready, Able"
The Papercuts – "The Wolf" from the album You Can Have it All – My favorite song of the year.
Best Coast – "Art Fag" 7" & "When I"m With You" 7" – Nick from Eux Autres turned me onto Best Coast who've become my favorite new band of 2009. The Rondelles meet The Ronettes.
"This is Real"
Talking Heads – '77 – I listened to this for the first time on a stroll in Melbourne. Australia, you bring out the best in Still Flyin'.
"The Book I Read"
IndieTracks Festival – Derbyshire, England – It was inspiring to see the sight of thousands of pop kids out in the middle of rainy England celebrating music community. Old friends and new, train rides, train lounge, Elefant Records, Teenage Fanclub and a closing night dance party.
Eux Autres – I played my first show as their drummer in 2009 after being a fan of theirs for years. We spent two memorable weeks touring Europe, hanging out, seeing sights and meeting wonderful pop kids.
Still Flyin's 85 shows in 2009 – 53 cities, 9 countries, 3 continents, 4 different bassists. I'm lucky to have been a part of this all.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2009
Gus And Tara Bone Up On The Holidays
Hey there…
This is Tara
…and this is Gus.
We are part of Still Flyin's Australian ring-in crew. This is the last time we were part of Still Flyin'…on tour in Australia, February 2009.
Here are some of our personal highlights from that tour:
Gus boogie-board jumping the luggage whilst waiting 3 hours for soundcheck in Perth.
Tara in a sequined-vodka haze whilst waiting for that same 3 hours to pass.
In our off-times waiting for Still Flyin' to come back…these are some things we have been doing:
Tara went on tour with her and Izzo's band, the Icypoles:
And Gus played some shows. One was a huge stadium-bushfire benefit-one with AIH. John Farnham was on the bill!!! (If you don't know who that is, then BONE UP PEOPLE!)
Some shows filling in a spot with The Ruby Suns…
…and DJing with the Rainbow Connection (featuring great pal, and Still Flyin' enthusiast, Kovac).
The end & Merry Christmas, dodos!
Posted by: Tara & Gus
MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2009
Meet the Ausfahrt
Hey, this is Åke – aka The Ausfahrt, James Assfart, Orca/Killer Whale, The Jam Scientist.
I've been a spirtitual member of this band ever since I joined the band on stage at the Emmaboda Festival in Sweden 2006. Not knowing all that many people in the band at the time and wearing a blond wig, I jumped on stage dancing like a madman*. Felt like a proper way to join this band. I have since toured with the band all over Sweden, Europe and the US and had a better time than I could ever imagine when Darren Hayman and his wife helped me put on that wig in Emmaboda. Thanks to Still Flyin' I also play with Love Is All nowadays. Here's some of the memories:
*Later I met Thrilla and found out I had not known what mad was.
Gotta go now. Today, (December 13) all Swedes across the world are celebrating the patron saint of the blind, Lucy of Syracuse. The men do this by wearing white robes, pointy hats and gold stars on sticks and/or Santa outfits. You also need three people to dress up like gingerbread men. The girls wear white and put candles in their hair. And we sing like there was no tomorrow. Like depressed aardvarks.
It's all part of the tradition. I need to get this blog done since I have to be at work before eight tomorrow morning so we can drink spiced wine and eat S-shaped buns flavored with red stuff from a crocus flower. But anyway…
The love I feel for this band is indescribable. I would put Icyhot on my man parts if they asked me to. Oh, wait, I did that already...
There you have it.
L.U.V.
Ausfahrt.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2009
The Matrix 2009
Posted by: OJ & Ice
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2009
Paul & Jill’s Thanksgiving Travelogue
Hey friends, Paul K writing. Many regular followers of this weblog may not recognize me, but I am one of the many players who works somewhat behind the scenes as part of the vast operation of wheels, gears, and pulleys that helps bring the Still Flyin' experience from garage rehearsal spaces in SF's mission district to the world at large. True, I sometimes play bass in the group since the Hound left the fold, though I am mainly a partner in the worldwide Antenna Farm Records conglomerate that released the first 2 Still Flyin' EJs (extended jams!) and that earlier this year released the Never Gonna Touch The Ground album on the lovely vinyl format.
Anyways, rather than talk about the vagaries of running a record label in the year 2009 (I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him) or talk about how fun it is to occasionally play bass in the band (at this rate, I am sure every reader of this blog will have their chance before too long) I thought I'd actually just share a recap of how Jill and I spent our Thanksgiving.
Jill is my wife and partner at the record label. We don't really have Hammjamm names beyond the shortening of our last names to their first initial, "K". She's Jill K and I'm Paul K. When we got married, it was super convenient, because we already had the same last name. I suppose that my association with the band entitles me to a better pseudonym than "Paul K", but I already had this one pretty well set. Besides, all the ones I had in mind, like "Rageasaurus," "Captain Kickass" or "Town Drunk" were either already taken or vetoed in committee. Below is a photo of the happy couple. She took all the photos you see here, by the way.
Anyway, back to Thanksgiving. This was a holiday that bummed me out for many years. Name the PC violation and this shit has it in spades. First off, if you're a vegan, the only thing worse than trying to piece together a meal of edible sides was when someone who didn't know the first thing about vegetarian cooking decided to make you something to eat. 9 times out of 10 it's a bummer, all the much worse because they're trying to be nice. It's just that someone who doesn't know how to cook green beans without using bacon should not start trying to figure out how to cook a veggie meal that doesn’t taste like shoe leather during the most extravagant meal they'll be cooking all year. No dice.
Second, the day after Thanksgiving is even worse. We’ve already suffered through the wonderful symbolism of a native people breaking bread with their honky visitors as a preamble to genocide, now let’s move on to the melding of Christianity’s most holy day with the utter garishness of the Christmas run-up. I got sucked into one of these door-buster or wallet-buster or whatever-you-want-to-call-it things a few years ago. I pretty much went from something a week before protesting the WTO to a Macy's event where the only consolation I could take was that certainly with all these people trying to stab each other for bargains, capitalism was certainly on its way out. Black Friday is more American than July 4th, and I think the only place you can find the American capitalist dream at its peak (outside of China, I suppose) would be at a Target, Wal-Mart, or Best Buy at 5 am the day after Thanksgiving.
So, I'm a bit older now. I eat turkey. And though I prefer it to be organic or free-range or whatever, I'm certainly not masochistic enough to ask the family member who is preparing it where it came from. I am also no longer quite so nauseous at the prospect of unbridled capitalism as represented by the big box store frenzy every year. I guess I've come to accept it, the way you accept a bad smell that won't go away or a racist uncle.
But a big part of enjoying Thanksgiving is taking it into your own hands. Assuming you are not stuck in the retail or service industry, you're looking at a 4 day weekend here, which is the next best thing to being unemployed short of, say, working in the retail or service industry. Jill and I live across the bay from San Francisco in Oakland, which, compared to SF, is almost like living in a national park, complete with the new rules allowing concealed weapons. But it's still not enough for us and we still love to get away. This time around we headed to Point Reyes Station, a national park about 30 miles north of SF on the west edge of Marin county…and for that matter, California.
Of course Marin is an anomaly. This is where the Quicksilver Messenger Service, David Crosby and Carlos Santana went to live and where the Dead went to die. But it was hella redneck before that, a processing center for all of the agricultural product from Northern California on its way to SF and LA. First the acid-rockers moved there, and then all of the hipster rich people headed up there…followed by average rich people who don't even aspire to slumming with artists. So what you see there now is a weird mix of 3rd and 4th generation hippies, many of whom have become rich through land values or the drug trade (remember Marin's status as an agricultural processing center…) who look like rednecks but eat organic and drive trucks that run on vegetable oil. Then you have this kind of upscale crowd who seem to be out in Marin for the weekend before heading back to running their Google-funded-iphone-application-startup venture. They are very similar to the nasty runoff from the wine country to the north up in Sonoma or Napa, though amazingly enough, even more insufferable.
The funny part is that it doesn't matter. Wandering through the lost town of Bolinas on your way to Point Reyes, you'll note that whatever faction you might be checking out, they're all eating the same locally produced chevre, along with a Lagunitas or Boont IPA, from right down the road. There is not a McDonald's within 50 miles of here, and if there is some place in America where you cannot find a Mickey D's within an hour drive, this is it.
Point Reyes became a national park many years ago, when a huge batch of coastal lands was bought from dairy farmers and converted back, as best they could, to its previous state. It is rather large and has hundreds of miles of trails both inland in dense wooded areas and along cliffside beaches. I have been there a dozen times or more and still discover something new every time. Did I mention that it's beautiful? Stunning even? Well that's northern California I guess.
The trails at Pt Reyes are just an embarrassment of riches in terms of vistas and wildlife. And yeah, I know deer are like vermin, but try and still feel that way after getting up close to a pair of baby deer who aren’t running away. It’s a birdwatcher’s paradise as well.
This time around, Jill and I visited a couple of old haunts, but spent the bulk of our time putting in 15 miles on the Wildcat Camp trail, passing Bass Lake and a number of other lakes lining the cliffs over the beach before climbing down to the beach itself to check out a rather incredible waterfall splashing almost directly into the ocean from the cliffs above. Incredible. It's an odd thing to see a lake from above with the ocean spreading out behind it, but I suppose it makes more sense when you hike down to the beach and see that water cascading down the cliff.
This was our first time doing this whole trail (though there are still a bunch of offshoots left to discover) and we felt pretty accomplished. Accomplished enough at least to spend much of the next day just kicking it on the north end of the park at Kehoe beach, drinking beers and waiting for low tide to roll in so Jill could photograph some starfish in the tide pools. The beaches here are incredible, strips of pristine sand bordered by sheer cliffs on one side and rocky surf on the other. And yes, I think I got a sunburn in November.
We wrapped the trip with a visit to the nearby town of Marshall for BBQ’d oysters out of a shack by the side of the road called ‘The Marshall Store’. If you are on highway 1 do not miss this place. It was incredible. And I should also mention where we stayed, the Motel Inverness, where our modest (and relatively inexpensive) room was fortified with a common room that they called “The Lodge” that was done up like a ski chalet complete with pool table. For the most part we had this to ourselves and we were stoked.
Sadly, it all comes to an end, and like any working person (guess I do have plenty to be thankful for!) we headed back to Oakland on Sunday night in time for some Simpsons and another work week. But before I go, I'd like to encourage any SF readers to explore the incredible network of State and National Parks that wind through the Point Reyes peninsula and Tomales Bay. Super rad, to say the least. And I'm sure that for most readers, there are a set of tremendous national parks somewhere near you, so the next time you're looking for something to give thanks for, take a short trip and check out something beautiful where there is no cell phone reception. You won't regret it.
Posted by: Paul
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2009
Bass-Dude BONE-anza!
Hi, Marky Monnone here, aka Marko Mañana, aka Marco Tomorrow. It's a real pleasure to grace the blogzone together with all my assumed names.
Recently, just as Daylight Savings and the backyard barbie were beginning to do the dance, I shipped out of my hometown of Melbourne and relocated to America. San Francisco for the time being, and then off to New York for the real guts of winter. A brave and ridiculous move; I'm counting on the character I build to step up and karate chop the old wimpy character who yearns for the smell of cut grass at a Saturday morning cricket match somewhere along the Frankston line. Needless to say, New Character needs a decent set of thermals, if anyone knows the best place to find some…
If you've been lucky enough to witness the Still Flyin' jamoeba roll through Australia and Europe, chances are you've seen me jamming some guitar at the occasional show, but now I find myself promoted to bass-dude, and I have to say, them's some large canvas sneakers to fill! So, as a kind of tribute to all the great bass mules who came before me, here's a little introduction for you all.
WYATT
The proverbial loaded gun, proverbial sharp knife, and proverbial blunt axe all in one. In becoming the original Still Flyin' bass-dude, he put aside his indifference to reggae as a testament to his strength of will and courage. A native of somewhere in California, Wyatt now resides in Gothenburg, Sweden, because he likes food in tubes. Wyatt and I both rank our identical Cyclone Rollercoaster t-shirts as our most prized possession. For the record, he had his first.
SCOTT
I met Scott when he rolled with us on the Mind Whip tour as sound guy, but man, there were so many people on that tour that right now I can't even picture in my head what he might look like, hence no picture. But I'm sure he rocks the bass like you wouldn't believe. I look forward to drinking a 'rita with him at the Still Flyin' alumni wingding.
HOUND AKA THE HOUND
A nasty piece of work if ever there was one. Anyone who knows The Hound knows this guy is rock 'n' roll through and through. He once spent three months sleeping on my floor, with only enough money budgeted for six cans of Melbourne Bitter a day. A complex dude, The Hound also has a sensitive side that not many people would know. The other morning I saw him cook up a quesadilla for his daughter before sitting down to watch a little Tinkerbell.
PAUL
Though I've corresponded with Paul a bunch, in our respective label-dude guises, I've only met him in person once, briefly, at SXSW. I'm pretty sure he thought I was out of my mind on bourbon or vegan barbecue or something, as I gave him a big hug and didn't want to let go! I think it was his sweet seventies vibe that got me. SA tells me Paul is probably the bass-dude who's rocked the hardest, and that stank is DEEP!
JAIME AKA PRINCE PROFESSOR JAMMIE
Master printer. Master sage. Master bro. Usually content with rockin' the backing vocals with the Flyinettes, Jaime slipped back in to bass mode (having muled the four-string with #Poundsign# and Dear Nora in the past) for a period of rehearsal sessions. This may sound like he didn't play much bass, but, as with all members of the band, his contribution has added unique flavour to the giant Still Flyin' JAMbalaya!
HAIMA AKA THE H
Studio mule of the highest order. This guy arrives in the studio sometime in the afternoon, starts tinkering a little — a knob tweak here, a fader slide there — and before he knows it, it's four days later! Debuting his bass prowess on the newest Still Flyin' recordings, The H is a quiet achiever with an eye for detail and a stomach for gluten-free za. One of Melbourne's finest dudes.
BREN AKA BRENDUDE AKA TM
Brendude's flexibility as a musician is matched only by his skills as tour manager. It's a joy to behold, watching this handsome gent deflect the amorous advances of ladies everywhere to keep focused on the greater good (read: trying to control ten adult babies as they stumble haphazardly around the globe). Whether jamming the bass, guitar, or percussion, Brendude's musicianship is as tight as his lobby calls.
So there you have it, the bass-dude round-up. I am indeed honoured to be counted among this number and look forward to more thunderjams, more hi-5s, and more travel in search of great snackers everywhere!
Oh, and apologies for submitting my blogjam a day late. Please refer to my aka right at the top of this posting.
x MM
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2009
Purebred Riffin’ with Lick-o-Mania
Hey, friends!
This is Licky (a.k.a. the tenor Spiritual Flyinette). Long-time friend and super fan of Still Flyin’, I was fortunate enough to jam with the band at CMJ and the cross-country Purebred Riffs tour. This was my first-ever tour and it was a pleasure to jam, hang, chug brews, and basically spend 24 hours a day with 8 awesome dudes and dudette(s). Here is my account of the jam highlights of the Purebred Riff Tour:
Oct. 25 Geneseo, NY – First day of tour! We played a startlingly sober set to an appreciative student crowd at SUNY. Our hostess Becky and her friends made us a delicious vegan dinner. I made a positive first impression on the band by losing my cell phone (again) and having more bags than I could carry, thus earning the tour nickname “Carrie Olson”. We quickly settled into our van routines. Tosh began his reign as Nap Master. Tater set up his photo booth. Mahhky began a tour-long quest for snackers and ‘ritas. (In case you didn’t know it, Marky’s vegan).
Oct. 27 Chicago, IL – Billy Corgan came to our show!! Ha ha, I wish. We played at Schuba’s and the free food and drinks were awesome. Long-time SF friend Brody joined us on-stage for some jams. Mindy’s parents came to the show and let us crash at their sweet pad…
Oct. 28 Rock Island, IL – …Until we woke up 4 hours later to make the early drive to our Day Trotter session. SA deserves big props for making sure that we didn’t die in a fiery crash. Waking up in the van to the France’s “Scatman” was a killa way to start the day. The Daytrotter session was a lot of fun. We recorded 3 new jams and one classic jam.
Oct. 28 cont’d Des Moines, IA – Omg. I can’t believe this was the same day. We started off the night right with dinner at a Chinese pizza joint. Then, an ordinary show quickly reached new jam heights when the band was delivered 3 ROUNDS OF SHOTS. Good lord. It was a struggle not to barf during “Dead Memory Man” but I succeeded. The jamming continued into the night. Our TM Bren entertained the van with some fly Michael Jackson dance moves. We received word from St. Simon’s Island that Thorn had taken an icy ocean plunge in Thrill’s honor. Maria single-handedly inspired Van Jam part 2. JAMMIN’!
Oct. 30 St. Louis, MO – We passed some eerie flood-ready lakes and the Gateway Arch on our drive. After our show, Thrill opened his own bar and served delicious PLS’s while wearing the biggest smile we had ever seen. Rival proprietor SA opened up Duck Camp late in the night. There were some pretty drunk people in the van that night (not me).
0ct. 31 Halloween in Dallas, TX! – We ate bbq and searched for costumes about 10 minutes before load-in. We played an outdoor show at the Amsterdam. SA won creepiest band costume for his ghoulish stocking mask. Brendude was second creepiest. Marky was a red-neck trucker and Tosh had some sweet glasses with giant cracked out eyes. Wish we’d taken more photos.
Nov. 1 Austin, TX – Great to be back in Austin! We played at Stubb’s Jr., following a crazy show by Gogol Bordello. Great dancing crowd. This was also our first show with the awesome Yellow Fever who joined us for the rest of the tour. Cool dudes.
Nov. 2 Long ass driving day – Gabe basically morphed into a machine to get us across west Texas. I was mesmerized by the landscape. Lots of naps and snackers were had. We braked for a Flood Plain Jam.
This was our only night off from playing shows and we celebrated with ‘ritas at a Taco Cabana in El Paso. Chef Tosh prepared his finest tortilla chips when Taco Cabana proved unsatisfactory. Later on, we had a chill-down back at our La Quinta, Still Flyin’s hotel of choice.
Nov. 3 Tucson, AZ – After a brief stop in Las Cruces (to Maria’s delight) for green chile sauce, we were on the road to Tucson. Tater’s sweet friend Erin made a delicious chili dinner for the band. We played at the Hotel Congress, a beautiful Southwestern hotel/club that looked right out of the 1940s. No ghost sightings at this hotel jam, unfortunately.
Nov. 4 San Diego, CA – Southern California! The band was treated to a Mexican pizza that was HUGE. Just look…
Gabe was the man of the hour at his hometown show. Friends chanted “Ohhhh oh!” in the tradition of Laura Branigan between songs. “Couple of Smokies” was played upon request. A fun, drunken show. At the end of the night, our TM decided the van needed to rave as hard as the rest of us.
Nov. 5 Los Angeles, CA – A somewhat notorious drive to LA, which featured Space Hog’s “In the Meantime” for about 10 hours. Tater debuted his new juggling act with Thrill’s PLS mixers. We played a fun show that night at Spaceland. A number of friends were in the crowd, including Crog, who bought us a round of shots. Here’s Thrill jammin’ leftovers at Crog’s:
Nov. 7 San Francisco, CA – Back in SF! We had a pre-party jam at Sean and Mook’s, complete with literature and wild hounds. Take a peek:
The homecoming show was a lot of fun. Great to have a full crew of Flyinettes and Brah in the mix. The crowd was awesome. The Flyinettes took a victory walk during “Victory Walker”. I shed some dudette tears at the end of the night for the good times we’d had. Thanks for the jams, Still Flyin’!
Posted by: Licky
