April 1 would of been D. Boon's 52nd birthday and I was thinking about him that day. I was fortunate enough to see the Minutemen play in San Francisco (I can't remember what club it was) and the very next year being in the opening band (not sure which band it was but it really doesn't matter) on a 4 band bill with them headlining at the Mabuhay Gardens.

By about 1983-84 punk rock began to become a sort of 'rule-oriented-lock-step' movement (pretty much what it is today). By this time most bands were 'hardcore' sounding like an endless army of Black Flag tribute bands. On the other hand, the Minutemen stood out splendidly. They definitely had a sound and style all there own and did what they felt was right. They seemed to approach music without any rules attached, sort of like an experimental jazz musician might have and they made it okay to actually be able to play your instrument well. Hey, I kid you not, I was no Van Halen but I got dogged constantly by other punks for playing a little too proficiently (again, see 'rule-oriented-lock-step' movement).

If you get a chance, see the wonderful documentary, We Jam Econo; Story of the Minutemen.

Great guys. Mike, George and Boon.

Been back in the water as of late 2 to 3 times a week. Starting to get the hang of being 'there' again as well.

This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago with my phone. I rode that little right there (which is actually about 3' and the clean-up waves were 4') for two hours all by myself. Ah, Dawn Patrol.

On February 25Th I drove 100 miles up to my home town of Sacramento, CA to see the legendary improvisational jazz saxophone master, Roscoe Mitchell (one of the original founders of the famed, Art Ensemble of Chicago) perform at the 24Th Street Theater.

The opening group was lead by one of my early "musical teachers," if you will, Mr. Tony Passarell and his Thin Air Orchestra. I met Tony over 30 years ago when I was a skinny, little high school musician and Tony was a music major at Sac State. He, along with (the late) Erik Kleven, Henry Robinette, Mike Curtis and Rick DaPrato were my musical "uncles" as we all hung out at the original Esoteric Records (Alhambra @ J Streets... then owned by Rick DaPrato, across from the McKinley Park 'Duck Pond') in the 1970's and I was to be schooled on all things musically cool, informative and groovalicious!

The show was great! After The Thin Air Orchestra performed a flawless set, Mr. Mitchell came out and floored us ALL with solo Saxophone compositions. I was very impressed that at his age he still can play and command his instrument like a man AT LEAST half his age.

Then the Thin Air Orchestra came back on stage to play about three more pieces with Mr. Mitchell. Egad! It was truly AMAZING!

I was also fortunate enough after the gig to meet Mr. Mitchell and get him to sign an LP of his I own (see photos).

Big up's to Tony Passarell, old pal and bad-ass bassist Gerry Pineda and guitarist Ross Hammond (it was great to meet you, Ross) and a BIG gracias to Brian Gorman (Northern California Improvisational Arts Foundation) for throwing the whole shebang together so well!

What a night!

Not only am I hiking daily around the immediate area I live in but I'm also stretching it out to encompass the entire county that I have been living in for 18 years (this coming June). Here is what it looked like from the 6.6 mile Pantoll hike on Mt. Tam Saturday.

pic one... me looking at SF (your point of view is looking South down the coast).

pic two... View of the bay.

pic three.... my personal favorite, view of Stinson, the Callas, Sea Drift, the Groin/Bolinas Lagoon, Bolinas (aka the home break) and Duxbury Reef . Way Cool!

This little sign is stapled on a telephone pole down my street a little ways. There are no other signs like this anywhere else on the street or immediate neighborhood (I've checked). It is so innocent and so perfect I took a picture of it this morning on "the hike" and post it here for your edification.

Another sight on my daily hike. This little, blue (cobalt?) face painted on a tree down the street from my place. I pass it every morning at the beginning of the hike. Could this be a new trend, Suburban graffiti?

During my daily treks I get a chance to see all sorts of fun stuff. Here is a picture of a place I call The Poetry House, which is about 2/3 through my morning hike. The words on the fence are removable so you could (and people do) write a poem. I wish that headboard with the ‘free’ sign wasn’t there to obscure the whole effect of the shot I took this morning.
If anyone is interested where this place is located feel free to email me.

I really don't want to sound like a dick here but is it me, or is our government responding to the terrible crisis in Haiti a HELL OF A LOT faster (and better with a lot more gusto) than they did with the hurricane Katrina crisis in Louisiana/Mississippi?

It took me a little while but here's my first post of the year. Some of you already know that I had a bit of a health issue at the end of last year which landed me in the hospital. Well, it's all better now and as part of my "doctors orders" rehab I've taken up walking (about an hour every morning) to help build me up so I can get back out in the ocean surfing, on my bike, etc.
I've even taken up yoga (!) as part of the new regime.

On my long walks which wind through the hills of Fairfax I've noticed that here in Marin County we are heavily into green velvet (see picture). I took my little camera with me this morning to document this.
Dig it.

The yearend is fast approaching and I’m hanging in there and I hope you all are too. It’s been a big year for us what with our son graduating high school and then later this past summer he goes away to college half way down the state. Where did the time go?

I've had fun opportunities to be in many great group art shows with wonderful artists all around the bay area and I'm still cranking out the comix too!

There’s also been lots of stress in the financial world for all of us and then me ending up in the hospital for a week and getting out just before Christmas. Yeegad!

Still, it's almost a new year. 2010 seems so futuristic…. Then again, it is futuristic.

I hope it’s a good one for you.

1968 Ampeg 'Reverbojet' J-12R. Got this one a couple of weeks ago from my buddy and excellent guitarist, Ron Corral, Jr. (Twang Ten, formerly with the Rhythm Drivers).

Man, this baby is smooth. 18 watts, tube amp.

I still have to put it through a few more paces but so far, I can't complain.

Here's my 1959  Kay "Style Leader" guitar. It's pretty much all original parts except the tuning pegs. Oh, and the strap buttons that I just put on. I'm also not too sure if it originally had a sun burst finish or not. The only pictures that I've seen of this guitar has it with a sun burst finish. 

None-the-less, it's a pretty rare bird and plays surprising well though it has a bit of 'fret buzz' around the 12th fret.

I just can't say enough good stuff about Derf and his excellent graphic novel, Punk Rock and Trailer Parks.
It all takes place in 1980 in Akron, Ohio during the hey day of the punk scene as some of the most influential bands of the day come through Akron as the hero of the book, The Baron encounters all of the shit most people put up with while being a teenager along with discovering punk rock, love found and lost, bullying, bizarre characters in the trailer park, losing a best friend while a lot of the seminal forces of punk rock drift through from the Clash, the Ramones, the Plasmatics and even the Godfather of rock critics, Lester Bangs can be found within these pages.
I’ll shut up now because I don’t want to give too much but this baby is quite the page-turner and Derf’s goofy cartooning style is really fun. It can remind one of Peter Bagge’s Buddy Bradley in a way but Derf definitely has his own style and voice.
Man, I wish we had a place like the Bank (punk club) like they had in Akron, Ohio out here in my home town in California.... but then again, an hour and a half ride down the freeway and I was in San Francisco seeing it all anyway. Great book. Check it out!

Las Chicas Mexicanas de East L.A.


This is a picture of my mom (on the right) with her best friend from James Garfield high school in East L.A. The photo was taken around her Sophomore year circa 1942. That very summer before my mom was to attend Garfield for her Junior year that coming fall her house burned down and she relocated to the town of San Gabriel and finished her last two years of high school at Alhambra High school.
I found this photo again after she died back in 1998 in her home in Sacramento, California.

Here's my resonator slide guitar. I've had it about 5+ years now. Not too sure about the year it is. My buddy John Pedersen (Amazing Grace Music, San Anselmo, CA), who I bought it from claims that it's from the late 1920's. I'm thinking that's it's from the mid-1930's. I also think that the body is different from the neck....
Okay, here's the deal... I'm thinking that it's probably a late 1920's National body, which someone welded the seams back together on it (why it's probably painted this monkey shit, Krylon brown) and that the neck is probably a mid to late 1930's Dobro. I don't know about ANY of this but I do know that it plays and sounds fantastic!
When I get my video camera back I'll try to learn how to download these guitars in action. Until then, just dig the picture.

Another art show... Yep, it's the Box Show in Pt. Reyes Station. Note that my box for this years show is part of the header this year. Come check out the show, it's a lot of fun!

Here’s a picture of my crappy, circa 1960 Japanese guitar I bought at a pawnshop last year for the HUGE sum of $40. It was pretty much unplayable and I had to work on it a bit to get it running and boy, does it run! YOW!
I like to call it my Hound Dog Taylor model, though it's somewhat like, yet not exactly like the late and great Theodore Roosevelt "Hound Dog" Taylor's axe.

I like to use it for open tuning slide guitar stuff. Great and nasty tones emanate from this slab of cheap wood with a couple of tin pick-ups screwed into it and strings stretched across it's heavily scared carcass. I really like it.

Hopefully, I’ll figure out how to post videos on here soon and I’ll put this guitar through its paces and you’ll be able to better hear and see it (while simultaneously being able to mock my playing and my taste in guitars as well).

My dear friend and drummer for my band Los Bottle Rockets, Mr. Curtis 'BPM' Cirillo loves to tease me about never really buying a guitar over $125. I don't think that I do that purposely. I just like the sound and feel of something more than it's label, I suppose.

The infamous, "Heavier-than-a-Samoan" one speed tanker bike I've been carting around with me for most of my life (I even delivered news papers on it for a spell as a young lad). It's a mid-1960's Schwinn "Typhoon" that was originally candy apple red but a relative, who is no longer with us so, out of respect shall remain anonymous painted it orange circa 1970 in East Los Angeles because he, "Thought it looks better orange." I think I'm the second owner as I bought it used for $15 in late 1969 in East Los.
I've given this bike away twice over the years and it still came back to me. It sat in my mother's garage until her death in 1998 and then under my house until a couple of years ago when my wife asked me one night at the dinner table what I wanted to do with it.
I had totally forgot about it and was so stoked that I still had it that I hauled it out the next day, cleaned and lubed it up and ride it to this day.
Here it is replete with the huge, Wald basket (able to hold a few 6 packs of Anchor Steam beer), "Dennis, the plastic crab" on the front, cob webs and rust spots. A beauty to be sure.

For anyone who may read this blog I am in a group show in Oakland, CA this month and next month, July 13 - August 28.
The Many Faces of Frida.
It will be held at the Craft & Cultural Arts Gallery, State of California Office Building - Artrium.
1515 Clay, Oakland, CA 94612.

After almost 4 years I have officially moved out of my San Rafael studio and back into my home studio. Part of the reason I was in San Rafael to begin with was because the home studio had someone living in it.

Now, the home studio has been remodeled (slightly) and painted, etc. I will begin unpacking it today and hopefully I’ll be back in full production by tomorrow.

The only downside to being here again is missing all of the nice people I have made friends with in SR. I’ll miss my breaks (walks) for coffee and chatting with everyone. Naturally I’ll be able to go back and visit on occasion as I’m only a town away but with work schedules and all it would require extra time. I’ll try to show up once a month or so for lunch, etc.

In the mean time I have to get back to work.