JOHN KAY AND STEPPENWOLF with THE HAILERS at The Saban Theatre, Beverly Hills 3.3.17

He was born Joachim Fritz Krauledat, April 12,1944 in Tilsit, East Prussia, Germany, now Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, so one can understand why he might have anglicized his name in the 1960s to JOHN KAY.

As lead singer of Steppenwolf in the '60s and beyond, Kay's gruff, emphatic vocals helped concoct and sell a slew of psychedelic hits for this Hollywood, Calif. by way of Canada band, most of them still heard today in all sorts of film soundtracks: "Magic Carpet Ride," "Sukie Sukie," "The Pusher" "Rock Me" and of course the anthem written by the late Steppenwolf drummer Jerry Edmonton's brother Mars Bonfire-- "Born To Be Wild," official hymn of bikers everywhere.

With a so stellar a setlist one can imagine what a well-received show this was for longstanding and new fans. In great shape and voice plus tough as ever, John Kay led his Steppenwolf in all the favorite songs and, unlike the old days and most of his contemporaries, WITHOUT SHADES !  Kudos to his "Save The Elephants" t-shirt too...

Overheard conversation of Steppenwolf fans,"I'm glad I got here early, the first band was really good!" Which would be THE HAILERS, ten fine musicians dedicated to writing and performing original material that fits right in with classic rock-- catchy, rocking and occasionally winsome material which they call Future Retro. 

Below, Lord and Lady Hailer Robert Mills and April Carson; assortments of all these Hailers onstage at the Saban Theatre

 

Mention should be made of the gorgeous Art Deco Saban Theatre of Beverly Hills, Calif. Above is a detail of its beautifully restored ceiling.

PHOTO OPS:

 

 Left, Art Deco gals April Carson of The Hailers and California Rocker Editor Donna Balancia; right, your humble photojournalist plus April, guest photographer 

© 2017 Donna Balancia.

AFTER THE RAIN 2017

 Above, during the rains, Gia the Scottish Deerhound cozy in her hearthside place by the fire, with Deerhound effigy I drew in the background...

Below, fortunate end to our six-year drought in Southern California, wherein we had received about the same rainfall as the Sahara desert, 3 - 6" per annum. Not necessarily enjoyed by equines Indy and Cody in their new pasture digs with shelter...

 

Below, much more acceptable to them, my friend Liz's Arabian Cody and my National Show Horse Indy in their new pasture digs with oodles of horseworthy space on a clear day after the rains.

 Guest photographer © 2017 Kurt Ingham, noting the blazing verdancy of our back yard after six drought-stricken years of dirt and weeds. Gia and Sarabelle definitely approve of this new development...

SOUPçON OF MARSUPIALS

...well...maybe it is! Gremlins come to life in a pygmy opposum? Better to get a quokka (third pic) or raise a baby wombat in a sanctuary.

 

For further convincing, witness the cuteness overload of rescued baby wombat below:

video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCZ9Zyi6XaA

ART BOOK FAIR 2017, downtown LOS ANGELES, Feb. 23-26

 











The ART BOOK FAIR of Los Angeles remains a colorful, must-see free event for our local denizens, this year from Feb. 23 - 26. Held at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Geffen Building, Downtown L.A., it was chock full of goodies like punk rock ephemera, xerox portraits, pop up books inclusive of pizzas and vaginas (not in the same book,) "Teen Angel" Latino tchotckes and Japanese kawaii kitsch as well as more traditional art fare. Mr. Twister (above left with Patty Hearst's Symbionese Liberation poster behind) and I were pleased to see (above right amidst her work) artist/ photographer Antic-Ham of Redfoxpress/Franticham whose partner Francis Van Maele had returned to their island home in Ireland after setting up their installation, Leigh Kaplan and wife, proprietors of art book store Arcana in Culver city, plus the many displayed works of Gary Panter, whom I first encountered as a punk illustrator (immediately dragooned for my book "Punk Rock 'n' Roll" in 1977.)

 

 

 

THE BLESSINGS TEAR AWAY ALL COMERS at Hollywood's STATE SOCIAL HOUSE 1.28.17

 Excitement and excellence on Jan. 28, 2017 at West Hollywood's Station House (onetime site of the 1960s Sunset Strip's famed Old World Restaurant, beloved of long-hairs unwelcome at any other eatery than Canter's and Ben Franks in those prejudiced days,): The Blessings in full Stones-y cry with singers Jeremy White (also on guitar and harmonica) and Lavone Barnett-Seetal (also on percussion,) lead guitarist Mike Gavigan, bassist Lights Out Levine, drummer Jason Upright and keyboardist Jeffrey Howell.

 

                                                                     
The Blessings often have been described to others as Exile on Main Street for their sophisticated, catchy C&W/blues-infused songwriting and similar Exile instrumentation arrangements and swagger, but with a Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream-type on vocals accoutred as Gram Parsons were he living in old timey Deadwood, S.D. 'Totally works, and hugely popular with all audiences. 
                                                      
Other bands on the bill were The Downbeats; The Tearaways with predictably impressive drumming from Rock and Roll Hall of famer, Clem Burke of Blondie; and 
Joe Normal and The Anytown'rs. 

The Blessings performed four new songs, past cd releases' favorite fare plus a bringing down the house cover of David Bowie's "Diamond Dogs" (debuted earlier at the Bowie tribute by FOXES magazine, see LINK, and visibly enjoyed by Mr. Burke this night) with finally enough cowbell courtesy of Lavonne. Many brand new fans forever were converted according to much personally overheard buzz. Reporting the news-wise, there was, however, An Incident. (Quoth the drummer of The Blessings to me, "You turn up at all the weird gigs, dontcha?") 

One of the bands played seventeen songs in a row without any affectation that there were encores, about one hour longer than the time always allotted to this venue's bands. Possibly because no club manager in this multi-story venue was present at the time, overkill unfortunately blunted an otherwise nicely harmony-sung set. At long last right when the Blessings' crew were supposed to be setting up, one of the first aforementioned band's members dallied quite a while talking to chums without striking this person's own complex instrument set up.

When a Blessing politely asked this person at least to move same aside whist chatting so that another Blessing could set up in the only spot for this instrument's space requirements, the person in question blew a gasket. Everyone in the club, from other bands to audience members to yours truly in absolute proximity earshot will vouch for the veracity of this account of the person yelling why they allegedly wouldn't, "I have a gold record!! How many gold records do you have?"* plus spouting a few obscenities to all Blessings, and who may have shoved a concerned girlfriend hard. 

I can't imagine how this someone had the gumption to do this to tough gal/professional Gospel Choir Director Lavonne who just stared at said tantrum with steely incredulity, but everyone present next to the small stage area can attest to same, and perhaps even documented it with phones and cameras. As the one-sided shouting accelerated in a traditional would-be fight circle enclosed by onlookers, finally the sound technician and other staff two storys below heard the fracas and escorted the alleged troublemakers out of the club entirely so that The Blessings could start their set. The word afterwards from the rest of the acts centered on a complete disgust with this over the top behavior by a fellow musician. Hey, it's hardly the substance-abuse excesses of the Hair Metal era any more in 2017! Who wouldn't even have the manners of a pig in this day and age?

 

sample set lists; below: a fracas
 

PHOTO OPS:

Blessings' guitarist Mike Gavigan relaxes with new fan, writer Terry Moreland Hendersen, after the former's girlfriend Heather is judged safe and sound again.

*yes, truth in advertising, the gold record was for a bubblegum hit way back in the 1970s...

JAMES WILLIAMSON AND DENIZ TEK COLLABORATE ON 'ACOUSTIC K.O'

When rock's 
rowdiest
punk pro- genitors convene to refashion a few faves into acoustic fare, results = pure gold.

They also are rock's two most extraordinary extreme over-achievers: James Williamson, former Technology Standards vice-president of Sony Electronics plus guitarist extraordinaire of Iggy and The Stooges in the crucial Raw Power; and Deniz Tek, Radio Birdman guitarist/founder, E.R. surgeon and Top Gun U.S. Navy jet pilot.  Williamson has collaborated and recorded with a variety of esteemed alternative musicians since 2011, starting with The Careless Hearts through all the artists on his Re-Licked solo release recorded in 2013 such as the BellRays' Lisa Kekaula, Jello Biafra, Carolyn Wonderland and many others (see LINK,) not to mention 2016's slew of 45singles with Petra Haden, more with Ms. Kekaula and newcomer Maia. (see LINK and LINK.

♫ UPDATE! ♫ Here's the spankin' new video of James' and Deniz' instrumental "Night Theme" with troupe of ballet dancers. Yes, it all works beautifully! ♫ Click LINK. ♫

James Williamson met Deniz and Anne Tek in 2011 at the Ann Arbor MI Tribute to Ron Asheton (see LINK) and later connected in Hawaii, where the former maintains a second home with wife Linda, and where Deniz and Anne 'r and r' from Australia to the States.

Herein, he reimagined some of his best loved Stooges' and Kill City material as acoustic, with vocals throughout by Deniz plus Giant Drag's Annie Hardy (pictured below) dueting on one track as well. "Night Theme" springs to life anew arranged by James and orchestrated by Mark Culbertson. The clever title, courtesy of Stoogeologist Hakan Beckman is worldplay on the notorious Metallic K.O. album of the chaotic  demise of Iggy and The Stooges live onstage at the Michigan Theatre, Detroit, 1974 (but happily resurrecting phoenix-like in 2004 as The Stooges (Iggy Pop, Ron Asheton, Scott Asheton, Steve McKay and Mike Watt) and in 2010 as Iggy and The Stooges (Iggy Pop, James Williamson, Scott Asheton, Steve McKay, Mike Watt, Toby Dammit.)

 

Obtain ACOUSTIC K.O here: 
in USA: LINK*

iTunes: LINK**

in the U.K.:  LINK***

in Australia: LINK****

in France: LINK*****

Benelux: LINK******










*https://www.newburycomics.com/products/james_williamson_deniz_tek-acoustic_ko_ep?variant=32648973196

**https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/acoustic-k.o.-ep/id1196643439?ls=1&app=itunes

***http://www.propermusic.com/product-details/Deniz-Tek-and-James-Williamson-Acoustic-K-O-10-245419

****http://offwhiterecords.com/store/catalogue/james-williamson-deniz-tek-acoustic-k-o-10in.cfm

*****infos@foo-manchu.com

******https://www.bol.com/nl/p/acoustic-k-o/9200000073605275/?suggestionType=typedsearch

Video link:  https://www.yahoo.com/music/video-premiere-iggy-the-stooges-guitarist-james-williamson-debuts-night-theme-193316833.html