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I figured I had to see Dylan when he was going to play the Fox. I'd read and heard about how unpredictable his shows could be lately, but I didn't mind. I wanted to see someone who I won't say is great, but sure is pretty damn interesting. I had heard that he didn't play his old songs, but he played plenty. I had heard he didn't speak at all during shows, and he didn't. I had heard that his unusual voice was far more unusual, which was quite true. Usually you'd recognize a song by the melody, and not the lyrics. And even with the huge hits, it would take awhile to figure out what song it was. And I was with a huge Dylan fan too. Typically he'd speak through the verse quite quickly. On the BART ride home I think we figured out how to nail an imitation of his delivery. There was an announcer at the beginning of the show that introduced him as "Columbia Recording Artist, Bob Dylan". It seems quaint to introduce yourself that way nowadays. They played "Leopard-Skin Pill Box Hat", "Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again", "Just Like A Woman", "Visions of Johanna", "Masters of War", "Highway 61 Revisited" (where I swear he changed the words to "Highway 65"), and "Like A Rolling Stone". Overall I really enjoyed the show and I was glad I got to see Bob Dylan at some point.
It was a beautiful warm and sunny Sunday afternoon. This was welcome, since the summer in San Francisco had been much cooler and foggier for longer than usual this year. TMBG played some old hits, such as "She's an Angel", "Anna Ng", and "Birdhouse of Your Soul". I had heard a few of the others before, but the majority of the songs were new to me. They were fun on stage. So Stern Grove is a sunken knoll in a pretty big eucalyptus tree grove. There's also a few redwoods in there. It's free, and is usually so packed with people that they start finding spots in the woods up above the grove. TMBG dedicated a few songs to the Ewoks up in the trees, which I thought was a pretty funny reference since it was a perfect description of the scene.
So many little things that used to go on this site are just so much easier to post to Facebook. Sorry dear readers, someday I'll make an iPhone application of my own that will update this web site I wrote all myself. Then you'll get timely updates and quips here at good old bolsinga.com.
So I've been loving my property. Lately I like to camp up at the top, which has a broad view of Anderson Valley. All the stars are out and it's just something else. I'm pretty damn happy with the property. Two weeks ago I glazed some windows. I've also learned how to use a chain saw. We've also built some stairs, a deck, and a water tower. I've killed my first mammals. I shot a mouse and a chipmunk (both who invade our cabin) with a compressed air pellet gun. That chipmunk is the biggest thing I've ever killed. It's an odd feeling.
Today Facebook introduced a way of sharing your location. If you use their web site on iPhone, you're using code that I wrote. Same thing goes when you browse photos on Google, and flick them from side to side. I made that stuff work. So a few weeks ago I changed my role on the iOS team at Apple. I'm now working on Maps, which I think will be really fun. I like the team and the code and the concept. It's a trifecta. #
Somehow I bought 10th row center tickets to this show. I bought them online like anyone else. So we had great seats. Her harp was lined up directly with my line of sight, so unfortunately, I couldn't see how her hands move across the harp. But I did learn that there are harp pedals that she uses. It was an unusual lineup in the band. There was a harp, a drummer, a couple of violins, a trombone, and a guitarist (who would also play other strummed instruments). Joanna also did a few songs on a grand piano that sounded great. So I'll be the first to admit that Joanna Newsom isn't someone that is easy to listen to at first. You must get used to her. And live she just has so much charm that you just will have to like her. It was a great set, full of new songs and old ones. She is so talented she just puts on a great show. Robin Pecknold is the singer for Fleet Foxes, and he opened up solo on acoustic guitar. He's pretty funny and unassuming in between songs. His voice is great. He played a bunch of songs I hadn't heard, and a few Fleet Foxes songs too. It's hard to explain just how great he sounds. At the end of the entire show, Robin came on stage with Joanna and her band, and they played a cover of what I was told is a Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow song called "The Picture". It was good (I had no clue what it was), and I doubt you'll see those artist's names on this site ever again. Joanna was laughing; Robin seemed embarrassed. The crowd loved it.
The Tunnel rocked. The room here is so small. I wish I could hear The Tunnel in a big room.
My friend from high school, Lisa Prodromo, has just moved to the San Francisco area. We first had gone to see shows together back in 1987. One I remember fondly was R.E.M.. Lisa had painted a portrait of Michael Stipe, and we were lucky enough to have seventh row tickets. At one point in the show, our friend Gary snuck to the front and got the painting to Mr. Stipe, who then held the painting in front of his face while singing the song. So she just moved here, and said that we must go see a show. Built To Spill was the next week, so we chose that one. It had been about 23 years since we first saw a show together. Of course the band rocked. However the best part was when the band started, nearly everyone there smoked out. This despite the no moshing and no smoking signs everywhere. This is San Francisco, after all. I looked at Lisa and she had the best "What the hell is going on?" look on her face. Nothing like a San Francisco night life virgin look.
It was billed as a Neil Young solo show. I scored pretty good seats. On stage, he had an organ, a piano, and a smaller organ set up. There was also a Tiffany style lamp on stage. He came out and didn't say much of anything in between songs. He played all sorts of classics and newer songs too. He'd switch between acoustic and electric guitars. "After the Gold Rush" was played on the organ, and sounded great. Of course he sounded exactly like Neil. I often wished I was hearing an entire band, especially during "Cinnamon Girl". He went through his set quickly, and the show seemed pretty short at the time. Right now I'm so glad I got to see this great show in a great venue.
This was a record release party for an album called "Beyond Berkeley Guitar". I still have to get the album. I'd describe it as many local guitarists inspired by the tradition of folk steel guitar from the 1960s, in the vein of John Fahey. I'm sure that description doesn't do anyone here justice. I really enjoyed all the performers I got to see & hear. They only played about 10 minutes or two pieces each. This only gave you a small feel of what they could do. During the beginning of the show, I could see the guitarists hands more, so I enjoyed that portion more. Basically I got to see lots of guitar playing it will take me years to ever come close to.
I think this should have been called the inevitable reunion tour. It was a great show. We got there a little late. According to the Internet, they opened with what as far as I know is their only hit, "Cut Your Hair". The stage was nice and stark, I couldn't imagine Pavement having over-orchestrated set decoration. So they sounded great and played lots of the hits. The crowd was totally into it. Since we arrived a little late, we sort of found and snuck into a pretty darn good spot. The band was at eye-level, and the sound was good. Erika's friend Angel had snuck tequila in that was poured into a fake pair of binoculars. When we took swigs, it looked like we were looking at the band with our chins. So the tequila made for an even more interesting show. I had heard from Aram (who worked this show and the night before in Stockton) that the original drummer Gary was going to play with them tonight. A few times during the set, someone who I correctly assumed was Gary would wander on and off stage. He was wearing what I'd call a "New Mexico themed" shirt. Sometime before the encore, a bystander asked us to shut up. That hasn't happened to me in awhile. Just before the encore, Gary came up to play drums. They actually played "Box Elder"! They then left for the encore. For the encore, I had predicted "Two States" and "Summer Babe", and I was correct. It was wonderfully fun. This band has great songs I still love to hear. It was great to hear them again.
My friend Trevor played this show as well, but he played first so unfortunately I missed him. I got home from work and had to have dinner. By the looks of things, I arrived just after he finished up. Thankfully I stuck around to see the other two guitarists. The first played a couple acoustic songs and a couple electric guitar songs. For each he'd loop what he had played back onto itself with some gadgets he had. The pieces invoked Robert Fripp style repeats. Next up was an amazing finger picking style guitarist. I asked him afterwards, and most of his songs were his own compositions. He first played on a nice small guitar, and the second half of the show was on a 12-string. How I'd explain finger picking style is like John Fahey or those records of Jim O'Rourke's where he's clearly influenced by Fahey. It was so great to see it played live; it would take years for me to ever get there. Watching both of the guitarists play was a highlight for me. Trevor plays again next week, so I hope to catch him this time.
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