Here's something you might be interested in.
Jon Kanis once asked me, "Are you a Plimsouls fan?"
Like any right-thinking music writer, I said, "Of course." Which is how I found out Kanis was Peter Case's newsletter publisher and road manager in the early '90s. This impresses me, and I was already impressed with Kanis. I have been since his 1997 folksy/psychedelic EP A Pair of Opposites, the first of his many collaborations with überguitarist Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa's one-time touring axeman).
Two of Kanis' bands, the Assumptions and Listening to Rocks, will play December 3 at the Tucker's Corner toy drive (details below).
"One of the best things about 2011 is that I've played more gigs this year than probably ever before," he says. "Solo acoustic performances, bass duties in The Assumptions, vocal and bass duties in Listening To Rocks and my summertime cover band project playing bass and singing with Got It Covered [aka ADD/C]. I re-activated my artistic tendencies as well by doing a ten-panel art installation at the Ruby Room back in August."
The art show (which is still hanging) is entitled A Royal Flush.
So what about Kanis' internet State Controlled Radio show, which was MIA for much of 2011? "I have plans to reactivate the show once again in 2012...I have, however, archived all 240 programs that have been produced to date and if you missed any of them when they were first webcast you are strongly encouraged to go to my blog and check them out."
Previous interviews on SCR include conversations with the likes of Peter Case (but of course!), Pat MacDonald, Neil Innes, Henry Diltz, Jon Auer, Tony Sheridan, 4 Out Of 5 Doctors, Barry & The Remains, Will Sexton, Will Kimbrough, Tommy Womack, and Charlie Cheney.
San Diego musicos featured on the show include Mike Stax, Steve Poltz, Gregory Page, Cindy Lee Berryhill, The Truckee Brothers, Gary Heffern, Mike Keneally, Bart Mendoza, and disc jockey Jim McInnes. The multi-part programs on Frank Zappa, Neil Young, Jack Nitzsche, and the history of music in the 20th century are fascinating as well. To check out any and all SCR programs, go to http://www.jonkanis.com/blog/state-controlled-radio/
(Kanis performs underneath his mural There's No Business Like Show Business at one of the many Hovercraft Project gatherings, in October 2003: Photo from Kanis' Facebook album)
"I didn't learn how to play the guitar," says Kanis, "until I moved to the West Coast and, six months later, having just turned 19, I bought a fairly cheap Martin copy, a Montaya, for around $150 at the now-defunct Dave's House of Guitars on El Cajon Boulevard."
Before becoming a full-time musician, Kanis spent six working for David Peck's local company Reelin' in the Years Productions, an historical music film and video archive. Kanis has always had an ear for good music and good musicians; witness how his early '90s backing group the Wondermints is now Brian Wilson's touring Smile band.
In addition, he began running his Spin Wizard mobile DJ business in 2000, having accumulated at this writing over 120,000 tracks in his playlist.
Regarding his equipment, he uses the aforementioned Montaya, with a handful of modifications from the guys at Top Gear, a black Epiphone that stays tuned to open C, a black Telecaster copy, and a Bedrock amp, a couple of powered Mackie speakers, and a cheap, functional Behringer four- channel mixer that allows him to entertain as a disc jockey in addition to playing solo or with a group.
Here's his voice and acoustic guitar demo on YouTube. "A huge thanks to my friend Steve Laub for his superb audio/visual skills and to our buddy Dave Foster for his masterful editing."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4n6f4xukHo&feature=youtu.be
Jon Kanis once asked me, "Are you a Plimsouls fan?"
Like any right-thinking music writer, I said, "Of course." Which is how I found out Kanis was Peter Case's newsletter publisher and road manager in the early '90s. This impresses me, and I was already impressed with Kanis. I have been since his 1997 folksy/psychedelic EP A Pair of Opposites, the first of his many collaborations with überguitarist Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa's one-time touring axeman).
Two of Kanis' bands, the Assumptions and Listening to Rocks, will play December 3 at the Tucker's Corner toy drive (details below).
"One of the best things about 2011 is that I've played more gigs this year than probably ever before," he says. "Solo acoustic performances, bass duties in The Assumptions, vocal and bass duties in Listening To Rocks and my summertime cover band project playing bass and singing with Got It Covered [aka ADD/C]. I re-activated my artistic tendencies as well by doing a ten-panel art installation at the Ruby Room back in August."
The art show (which is still hanging) is entitled A Royal Flush.
So what about Kanis' internet State Controlled Radio show, which was MIA for much of 2011? "I have plans to reactivate the show once again in 2012...I have, however, archived all 240 programs that have been produced to date and if you missed any of them when they were first webcast you are strongly encouraged to go to my blog and check them out."
Previous interviews on SCR include conversations with the likes of Peter Case (but of course!), Pat MacDonald, Neil Innes, Henry Diltz, Jon Auer, Tony Sheridan, 4 Out Of 5 Doctors, Barry & The Remains, Will Sexton, Will Kimbrough, Tommy Womack, and Charlie Cheney.
San Diego musicos featured on the show include Mike Stax, Steve Poltz, Gregory Page, Cindy Lee Berryhill, The Truckee Brothers, Gary Heffern, Mike Keneally, Bart Mendoza, and disc jockey Jim McInnes. The multi-part programs on Frank Zappa, Neil Young, Jack Nitzsche, and the history of music in the 20th century are fascinating as well. To check out any and all SCR programs, go to http://www.jonkanis.com/blog/state-controlled-radio/
(Kanis performs underneath his mural There's No Business Like Show Business at one of the many Hovercraft Project gatherings, in October 2003: Photo from Kanis' Facebook album)
"I didn't learn how to play the guitar," says Kanis, "until I moved to the West Coast and, six months later, having just turned 19, I bought a fairly cheap Martin copy, a Montaya, for around $150 at the now-defunct Dave's House of Guitars on El Cajon Boulevard."
Before becoming a full-time musician, Kanis spent six working for David Peck's local company Reelin' in the Years Productions, an historical music film and video archive. Kanis has always had an ear for good music and good musicians; witness how his early '90s backing group the Wondermints is now Brian Wilson's touring Smile band.
In addition, he began running his Spin Wizard mobile DJ business in 2000, having accumulated at this writing over 120,000 tracks in his playlist.
Regarding his equipment, he uses the aforementioned Montaya, with a handful of modifications from the guys at Top Gear, a black Epiphone that stays tuned to open C, a black Telecaster copy, and a Bedrock amp, a couple of powered Mackie speakers, and a cheap, functional Behringer four- channel mixer that allows him to entertain as a disc jockey in addition to playing solo or with a group.
Here's his voice and acoustic guitar demo on YouTube. "A huge thanks to my friend Steve Laub for his superb audio/visual skills and to our buddy Dave Foster for his masterful editing."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4n6f4xukHo&feature=youtu.be