MEDICINE LIVE at the Echo 8.11.13

 

 Medicine reunited for their first gig in 18 years at The Echo, 8.11.13! Medicine are a much beloved West Coast band that released music on Rick Rubin's American Recordings and Creation Records in the U.K. They toured abroad with Spiritualized and the Jesus and Mary Chain, and garnered much U.S. college and alternative radio airplay for their distinctive shoegaze with improbably catchy guitar noise and wistful but strong femme vocals. Brad Laner, whom I photographed 20 years ago in his nascent version of the band (Debt of Nature, see photo at bottom) performs the former and lovely Beth Thompson is their comely and graceful dancing chanteuse alongside Jim Goodall on drums since the beginning, and Dale Jennings, bassist.

 

  Above, 20 years ago in my studio, Debt of Nature: Brad Laner, Marianne Grubbs, Eddie Ruscha. Brad arrived with a firm sense of what he wanted to convey, and we all nailed the session on this very first shot (rare.)

R.I.P. ELMORE LEONARD

Rest in peace Elmore Leonard,acclaimed, popular, successful and quite prolific writer (forty-five novels) who died today at age 87 in his Bloomfield Hills, Michigan home. He began writing Westerns in the 1950s, then Leonard refined and modernized crime fiction for our lifetime.  Above is an original  book cover of his source material for one of my alltime favorite films, Jackie Brown. Although many elements were changed by screenwriters Roger Avary and Quentin Tarantino (also Brown's director,) according to Wikipedia, Leonard loved its screenplay, considering it the very best of the twenty-six screen adaptations of his novels and short stories.

AHAB/REHAB LIVE at Paladino's: wish granted!

Have you ever wished that bands who cover classic rock chose better songs or even just played better? Wish granted, and then some! Ahab/Rehab (and sometimes 3Hab: they have several variants of themselves, much as George Clinton has done with Parliament/Funkadelic) play great hard rock choices not limited to radio/tv/video heavy rotation with the expertise of the lifelong music pros that they are.

 Ahab/Rehab reprised their good taste and their precise Saturday night looseness at Paladino's, 8.2.13. More info on this great, FUN band and their pedigrees, click LINK and LINK.

James Apache Hawkins: "We're guitar players who sing..." (as does drummer Tony Mattuecci.)

PHOTO OPS, family reunions edition:

Above, Danny Isaacs and Tracy Marshall Isaacs, proud parents taking the night off from their adorable little daughters to see friends rock out. Danny was known as "Danny De Muff" when he was in The Dogs (Tony Matteucci of Ahab/Rehab remains the Dogs' drummer as well.)

Comely duo, singer Meritt Morgan and her mother Beth enjoyed the gig as well. Meritt is a former spouse of Loren Dog of The Dogs.

A.M. BIRD FEEDER ACTION !

9 seconds of procrastination via bird feeder action in our back yard this morning. Above, the production still; below, the video...

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Rest in peace KAREN BLACK, COWBOY JACK CLEMENT

Bad news from America: 
both individuals passed away on the same day this last week, our iconic beauty and namesake of the current band The Voluptuous Horror Of Karen Black, who since the 1960s specialized in off-kilter vulnerability, shown in the video below performing Shakespeare just a year ago since you'll be bombarded with Five Easy Pieces clips ad infinitum; and major C&W producer/musician Cowboy Jack Clement. Even if outside your purview, watch his vid y'all. Not only do we see/hear Cowboy Jack on steel guitar dueting with Johnny Cash, but also the latter literally slithering on the ground in and out of a Ferrari!


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JAMES WILLIAMSON FIELDS SOUTH AFRICA

Three representative photographs by yours truly here LINK adorning an interview with Iggy and The Stooges' guitarist extraordinaire James Williamson by cogent South African journalist/musician Michael Flek (of the continent's first acclaimed punk band Wild Youth.) Above, James with his Trussart custom snakeskin-patterned guitar.

LONG TALL MICK

 

Long Tall Mick is Mick Lynes, Montreal-bred, London-based traveling troubadour who alit at West Hollywood's Genghis Cohen club 7.27.13. during his U.S. tour.  

Mick introduces his audience to specific places and people in his life, self-accompanied on guitar and harmonica in a languid but forcefully bluesy style reminiscent of the early 1960s artists who first influenced a young Bob Dylan. A quick glance at his Facebook page shows his eclectic but superb taste in pop culture. Special mention must be made of Mick's excellent sartorial style, what with his silk brocade jacket and Gram Parsons-esque chapeau.

 

"Thank you, thank you..." and a full court bow.
Below, used Long Tall Mick set list.

WEIRD MOON OVER HOLLYWOOD

Weird moon resembling a slice of a cheese wheel over Hollywood at Fountain and Highland, returning from photographing Mick Lynes gig in West Hollywood.

LOMPOC DOG SHOW 2013

The Western Sighthound Regional Specialty (part of the Lompoc Dog Show cluster, Lompoc, Calif, an hour's drive north from Santa Barbara) always held last weekend in July, always perfect weather. Guest photographers: above left, Kurt Ingham, above right, Mary Ann Rose.
 

 Above, Paula Pascoe with her little puppy Dunsmuir Lehigh Aliwen Rose that won bigtime (quite an achievement for a baby,) and friend Laura Shuder. I suggested to her that she'll have many more formal winner pics, but few that show the fun and pride of owning Scottish Deerhounds like this shot.

 

Above left, winning Jaraluv champions taking a well-deserved siesta; right, spectator Kenzie, with the Best Smile in Show.

 

2 hounds, a Bassett and a Borzoi 

Below, Mr. Twister, media, and Sarahbelle, Golden Retriever.

These last two photos by guest photographer Mary Ann Rose, we win a raffle prize at the Golden State Scottish Deerhound Club banquet later that night;

and pose with Jean Weiss, whose Deerhound Leo competed in the lure coursing competition (see video below for example of same, a training run by Terri Crawford's Mangus demonstrating alternately keen chasing of lure and playful Deerhound behavior.) Regarding the two photos at top, Karis and I were not deemed the best American Bred Bitches, despite any and all fearsome reputation thereof...

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