http://www.GetOffOfMyLawn.com

http://www.IlyaMusic.com

http://www.CoverMeBadd.com

http://www.MoreSuper.com

http://www.myspace.com/TheRubyRoomSD

http://www.myspace.com/GabeVega

http://www.myspace.com/u31sd

http://www.Street-Scene.com

http://www.BeastieBoys.com

CATTLE DECAPITATION LOSES A MEMBER

Metal Blade reports: An update from Cattle Decapitation front man, Travis Ryan: "It is time to announce a few things that have been going on in the Cattle Decapitation camp. First off, we have officially parted ways with bassist Troy Oftedal due to musical and personal differences. There is no bad blood and we wish him the best of luck. Filling in on upcoming tours will be our friend Rahsaan Davis. You may have seen him on our recent tour as Troy left tour early due to a physical ailment."

  Cattle Decapitation has been keeping busy throughout 2009 supporting what has been unanimously declared by press and fans as their best record, The Harvest Floor. This fall will be no exception. San Diego's finest death/grind torch bearers have just confirmed an October tour with legendary metal acts, Soulfly and Prong.

 Travis Ryan comments, "We'll be hitting the road in late September with Soulfly, Prong and Mutiny Within for a US tour! Starting in our neck of the woods, the tour will lead us across the country, along the east coast and back home. We have a handful of dates already and there are more on the way! We here at Cattle Decapitation are all about diversity. So when we were asked to do the Soulfly/Prong tour we said "why not!?" I for one am very excited to see Prong. I've never seen them live and when I was in 7th and 8th grade they were one of my favorite bands! True, a very interesting lineup, but that's awesome as our last couple albums have proved we definitely like to switch things up to keep things interesting. - more on this story

The Harvest Floor also contains an enhanced portion which sports an iPod-ready documentary titled “Pandemic: The Damnation Epic - The Making of The Harvest Floor,” which pretty much makes the new production an apocalyptic multimedia epic.

The song "A Body Farm" is available for streaming here: http://www.myspace.com/cattledecapitation

The new CD features guest vocal appearances by Ross Sewage (Impaled) and Dino Sommese (Dystopia). There is also a special appearance by Jarboe of Swans, lending her haunting voice to the death-dirge title track. Jackie Perez Gratz (Amber Asylum) graces a couple tracks with her electric cello.

 Related links

• MySpace page
• Blurt "Beating Meat"
• Blurt "According to Travis"
• HELLO SATAN: DARK METAL IN SAN DIEGO,
• "Cattle Decapitation Brand Veggie Burgers" 

GIVING HUNGER THE BLUES - BENEFIT CONCERT Sept. 2nd with Steph Johnson and Bushwalla

TriLink BioTechnologies (TriLink), announced that it is sponsoring North County's Food Bank and Feeding America San Diego's Giving Hunger the Blues, a concert to kick-off hunger action month. TriLink has purchased tickets for all employees and 50 customers, as well as sponsoring the event. This donation will provide 13,320 meals to San Diego families in need.

The Giving Hunger the Blues concert will be held at the House of Blues in downtown San Diego September 2nd at 6:30 pm. It will feature On the One, Steph Johnson and Bushwalla. Tickets are $20 each and are available online at http://www.active.com/donate/blues09. All proceeds benefit Feeding America San Diego and North County's Food Bank.

"As a member of the San Diego Community, TriLink BioTechnologies is proud to support North County's Food Bank and Feeding America's Giving Hunger the Blues concert. At $20 per ticket we can have our entire team out for a fun evening of great music and provide much needed food for San Diego families," said Richard Hogrefe, CEO of TriLink BioTechnologies.

"Hunger is a reality, even here in San Diego County," said Stan Miller, Executive Director, North County's Food Bank. "With our country's current economic situation, I see more and more people turning to food banks everyday for food assistance. We are delighted to have the support and leadership in the community of TriLink BioTechnologies."

TOM WAITS IS THE DEVIL

The final installment in Heath Ledger's career, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, won't make it to U.S. theatres until Christmas, but you can score a peek at the trailer for director Terry Gilliam's hotly-anticipated film here. The film also stars Tom Waits who plays the Devil.

SAN DIEGANS ON SWEDISH POP COMP

Sweden's, Wall of Noise Records, has just released Souvenirs - Little Gems of Pop - a compilation featuring 21 Rickenbacker packed power pop and jangle tracks, taken from rare vinyl.

"After the success with the three volumes of "Home Runs", we´re back with another powerpop compilation in pretty much the same style, "Souvenirs - Little Gems of Pop." It´s great North American pop from 1975-95."

Two San Diego artists, circa the mid eighties, appear on the album. Just in time for The Zeros to recieve thier Lifetime Achievement Award on Sept. 10, bassist Hector Penalosa has two tracks included, one with Flying Color; "Through Different Eyes" and a solo song, "Hurt So Bad." Also included is Manual Scan with "She Said It's Late."

www.soundasleeprecords.com

 MOWER MAKE IT A DOUBLE ON THE ROAD

Kerosene reports: Mower has announced the dates for their upcoming headlining tour in support of the group's new album Make It a Double. The band will hit the road August 13th in Glendale, AZ and run through September.

"The fans that have been coming to see Mower support other acts now have their own tour. We'll get to keep playing when the energy is at its best and go longer every night, then raise hell afterward with our friends. That's what we do and who we are," says Mower's Brian Sheerin.

 "We fire off song after song without a lot of chatter and play rock and punk and metal, and whatever other style we feel like. This tour is a run through some of the towns that have partied with us and enjoy what we do and want to let loose with Mower. We'll be playing material from the new Make It a Double disc and older songs we haven't been able to include in the past. The people that are coming to these shows know they are going to be a part of something unpredictable and exciting and we're expecting the same from them."

MAXAPALOOZA COMING TO TOWN SEPTEMBER 26

First annual fundraiser to raise money for treating those with Neuroblastoma, an overlooked cancer which claims the life of one child every 16 hours.

What if in the span of a few hours you could be front row, dancing to the music of The English Beat; learning how to skateboard from actual pros fresh from competing at the X Games; sitting inside a real World War II fighter airplane; and also cruising in a classic hotrod? Oh, and meeting, Darth Vader, Clone Troopers and Chewbacca from Star Wars, too.

Not only will we be celebrating Max's life and everything that made him so special, including his love of LEGO, but we'll also be partnering with our friends within the wider business community of Carlsbad and helping to raise awareness and funding for this hugely important area of pediatric cancer research.

The proceeds from Maxapalooza will go to finding more effective, less toxic therapies for kids with advanced Neuroblastoma, an overlooked pediatric cancer that forms in the nerve tissue in infancy or, in some cases, even before birth. It is the most common solid tumor cancer affecting children today and has the lowest survival rates, and currently, no cure. Almost 50 percent of cases occur in children younger than two years old.

Maxapalooza is inspired by Max Mikulak, a courageous inspiration who was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma at the age of three. Max passed away in late August 2008 at the age of seven after battling hard against the disease for four years. He was known to those who knew and loved him as always "living life to the Max."

"As any parent of a child who has died at an early age will tell you, there is a desire to create a legacy from the tragedy that took their child from them. With Maxapalooza, the legacy we are creating is part celebrating childhood, and part funding the research that will help to make sure that in the future, parents do not have to lose a child like we have to a common yet overlooked disease," said Max's father, Andy, who along with his wife, Melissa, founded Max's Ring of Fire, a non-profit organization, to raise money to treat Neuroblastoma.

Funds raised as a result of the event will directly support the research of Giselle Sholler, M.D., at the Vermont Cancer Center, who is a pediatric oncology specialist dedicated to finding treatment alternatives for Neuroblastoma and Medulloblastoma which claim the lives of one child every 16 hours.

Scheduled "look, touch, and ride" activities will include:

• Live musical performances to include a headline appearance by The English Beat; local San Diego bands to include A Dull Science, Jason Lee & The R.I.P. Tides, Modern Rifles, Critical Me, and Bayou Brothers
• Special skateboarding demonstrations by Grind for Life founder Mike Rodgers and other world-class professionals such as Bucky Lasek, Cara Beth Burnside, Mimi Knoop, Paul Luc Ronchetti, and Jean Postec
• Be at the helm of one of the vintage World War II aircraft on display to include P-51 Mustangs, a Stearman Biplane, and B-25 Mitchell Bomber
• Hop in and take a spin around the perimeter of the event in one or more of the cool low-riders and classic hotrods on display courtesy of Los Peligrosos Car Club
• Get close to Darth Vader, Storm Troopers and Chewbacca as The San Diego Star Wars Society will be on hand to capture guests in up close and personal unique photo opportunities

Silent and live auctions items to include:

• A "one-of-a-kind" Lego Masterpiece courtesy of LEGOLAND® California Resort
• A special evening of relaxation for 10 at Casa Blanca Salon & Spa in Fairbanks Ranch
• One full year of free, no-time-limit, parking anywhere in Del Mar
• Wii suite of games from EA

"We at LEGOLAND California are honored and thrilled to be supporting this very special event," said Peter Ronchetti General Manager of LEGOLAND California Resort. "Not only will we be celebrating Max's life and everything that made him so special, including his love of LEGO, but we'll also be partnering with our friends within the wider business community of Carlsbad and helping to raise awareness and funding for this hugely important area of pediatric cancer research."
For a complete list of the auction items available at the event, please visit Maxapalooza.com.

Maxapalooza tickets are $250 and include VIP admission to all activities, special cocktails and hors d'oeuvres along with special brews provided by Stone Brewery. To purchase tickets and/or make a donation to support the fight against Neuroblastoma, visit Maxapalooza.com. Maxapalooza is a 21 and up adult only event.

Win Travis Barker's Vintage Caddy

THE DAY BIG JAY McNEELY GOT ARRESTED IN SAN DIEGO FOR PLAYING SAX IN THE STREET

Jazz sax symbol Big Jay McNeely shares this tale in the new issue of All About Jazz - after being asked about his wildman stage theatrics, he says "It felt incredible. One time it got out of control, and I got locked up."

AAJ: Where?
Big Jay: In San Diego [circa mid-'50s]. I didn't have a wireless microphone for my sax. So I walked up the aisle playing but then kept going straight out the door onto the sidewalk with everyone following me. I was outside the club blowing my horn the way I was inside. A cop saw this and called the station house. More cops came and arrested me. They had some law that said you couldn't play outside like that.

AAJ: Was your exit something new?
Big Jay: Nah. I had done that at Birdland in Seattle and the Band Box. But it wasn't allowed in San Diego. The funny thing was the band inside on the stage was waiting for me to come back into the club. But I was in jail. So someone in the band came running down and bailed me out so I could finish the set [laughs]. The kids went nuts.

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=40261

 WHAT I'M WATCHING:

 Man, I can hardly find a single positive word about this movie online, and I’m frankly mystified – given one of the most dubious and potentially pointless tasks in movie history, “Make a sequel to Donnie Darko,” I feel the filmmakers did a thoughtful and somewhat marvelous job.  

It’s no Donnie Darko, don’t get me wrong – the original is one of my all time faves, but this story of Donnie’s little sister Samantha isn’t meant to be and shouldn’t be taken as a “continuation,” despite taking place a few years later. Rather, it’s more of a flipside – the Darko universe, where timeslips can cause ripple effects that destroy reality, as it relates to the “manipulated dead,” who are charged with the task of at least attempting to mend the damage. Whether they want to or not.

Frank the Doomsayer Bunny in the original Darko was one of the manipulated dead – this time, Frank’s POV is examined as his task falls on others (note the plural – S. Darko isn’t just the story of Donnie’s sister, even if it seems to be during the first hour or so…it’s that sort of Serling/M Night/O Henry/D Darko turnaround of all you thought you knew that allows S. Darko to successfully capture the feel of the original, while telling an altogether different story).

I recommend that S. Darko viewers listen to the DVD commentary, and you’ll see what I mean about the careful thought and consideration put into it by the writer and director. Every little detail in their film fits perfectly into world(s) portrayed in the original cult classic. They are clearly true fans of Donnie, and they truly understood (as well as anyone can) the universe created for the characters to exist within ---

Part of S. Darko’s appeal, for me, is the LOOK – filmed with a new “red camera” technology that allows for digital film that still closely mirrors 35mm, I was astounded by the Utah landscapes and the way the characters and their dusty little town appear so crisply delineated, yet still so warmly rendered, with a depth of field that flatters and beautifies both inanimate objects and the charismatic cast, all of whom are outstanding.

I’d single out S. Darko herself, Daveigh Chase, reprising her original sparse role in the original as Donnie’s little sister Samantha, as particularly riveting. Not just because she’s lovely, but for her wandering and ethereal portrayal of a lost young woman whose fate – in life and beyond – is something she seems to already know that she has no control over.

Samantha even keeps acting out her fate in various ways, as if rehearsing for a play she’s never read and doesn’t even know exists, before it actually happens to her, remaining aloof and apart from the world around her, even as events in her life illustrate her integral (if involuntary and possibly unwilling) role in saving that world.

Some people in the Darko universe have the power to change the future – but, perversely and sadly, others are doomed to play supporting roles that ensure the big-picture events play out fated. Else the universe could be destroyed.

SPOILER ‘GRAPH (most obvious spoiler, anyway): Great to be the essentially superpowered (or at least hyper-evolved, or super-aware) Donnie – except you have to die to save everyone. Bummer to be his sister, or to be one of the Manipulated Dead – except their role in saving the universe is no less important, perhaps even more so, else the powerful Donnie(s) would never know what to do or how to do it (or even that anything needs to be done at all).

OR, think of it this way – gotta have apostles, even tho there’s only one Jesus, and he gets to call the shots AND gets all the glory. But every single thing we (think we) know about the Jesus story comes from the apostles, doesn’t it, and how could Jesus’ have happened without them???? ----

Sher, there are some “red herring” bits that never really pay off (and may in fact be continuity errors) in S Darko – same with Donnie, tho I admit it’s more of a challenge to piece together what you’ve just seen after viewing S. However, I DID find myself thinking about S a lot after viewing, reaching several “aha” conclusions that may or may not be valid or intended. Just like after I viewed Donnie the first time (and the second, third, and fourth times).

And the new metal bunny head, obsessively created and worn by Iraq Jack even tho it makes his head bleed, totally rocks! THIS is a bunny that’d get my attention – and inspire my life-changing and world-changing action – a lot quicker and better than the fuzzy dime-store Frank of the original Donnie!

I have to wonder if someone saw S. Darko who was completely unfamiliar with Donnie wouldn’t find it a fine movie? Maybe they’d love S’s ambiguous and thought-provoking story and cast a bunch, just like so many as they first see Donnie.

S. Darko fills in the backstory enough and efficiently, I feel, so maybe S is best enjoyed by viewers who AREN’T already fans of the Donnie original. Those original fans certainly don’t seem to be the right audience for S, as they seem to universally hate and pan the sequel.

An aside ----- If someone’s first Planet of the Apes movie they see is Escape From the Planet of the Apes, the third entry where the entire story is flipped upside down, they’ll probably like it fine, perhaps even better than the Heston original once they finally see it. The original is great, sure, but Escape – tho completely different – is also a great flick. Same universe, a couple of the same characters, but a wholly different take and setting ---

I wish more people would give S. Darko a chance. It’s no Donnie Darko, sure – but it’s a fine Escape From the Planet of the Apes.

MOWER VIDEOTAPES BACKSTAGE PARTIES (DON'T WORRY, SCOTT STAPP AND KID ROCK WEREN'T THERE)

(www.antimusic.com reports) Mower have taken the insanity of their backstage antics and captured it on film for their new video "The Party", which can be seen online.

The video features two elements that are synonymous with the band; wild women and outrageous parties. "The Party" is the lead track on Mower's new album Make It a Double, which hits stores on July 28th through Suburban Noize.

"The video shoot for 'The Party' was the most fun out of all our videos. We had one night to call a bunch of girls and invite them to the shoot. We bought as much booze as we could, threw a party and filmed it. No script, no acting, just a bunch of people getting drunk, singing and listening to the same song 100 times and we had a blast," says Mower frontman Brian Sheerin. "It's a whiskey drinkin', Jager shooting rock n' roll song about the good times we've had partying up the coast in Los Angele, and a great way to kick off our new album Make It A Double."

Mower's Make It A Double is the group's third studio album for Suburban Noize Records and features guest appearances by Rob Caggiano (Anthrax), Mikey Doling (Snot), Roy Mayorga (Stone Sour) and Fernando Apodaca (Mad Juana). The effort was recorded in Los Angeles, CA with producer Eddie Wohl (Anthrax, 36 Crazyfists) and includes nine new Mower tracks that harness the band's explosive live energy and six songs by Mower's jazz lounge alter-ego, Slower, that experiment with creepy riffs and hazy, mellow tones. The album is available for pre-order at www.SubNoizeStore.com and comes with a limited edition autographed.

The party video can be see at www.MySpace.com/Mower ---

THE RETURN OF ROCK 'N' ROLL COMICS!

THE FORMER MUSLIMS - AKA SOFT PACK - HEADING OUT ON NATIONAL TOUR

PR Reports: Los Angeles transplants and irreverent rockers The Soft Pack are set to tour this fall at a slew of North American venues.

Before embarking on a headlining tour, they'll open three California shows for France's Phoenix. The four-piece, who play stripped down, straight ahead rock 'n roll, have had quite the year: They've had a successful residency at LA's venerable venue, Echo, criss-crossed the US and Canada on tour with White Lies and Friendly Fires, and found a new home with Brooklyn-based label Kemado Records.

In anticipation of the release of their debut LP (date TBD), which they will record with Eli Janney (Obits, Secret Machines) in Brooklyn this August, Matt Lamkin (vocals), Matty McLoughlin (guitar), David Lantzman (bass) and Brian Hill (drums) will bring infectious riffs, smart lyrics and incredible energy to stages across North America. - more on this story at antimusic.com

HARE KRISHNA MEMORIES

 Say, did you ever go to the Hare Krishna temple on Garnet in PB? I used to be addicted to their vegetarian feasts - when I lived at the Palms on 12th and Island downtown in the late '70s/early '80s, I bussed to the temple at least once a week, usually on Sundays when they had the biggest variety and desserts like rice pudding, halava and ambrosia fruit salads.

 I spent the night once and wasn't too happy about everyone waking at 4am to stare at their feet and chant on their beads (mandatory participation), but - once they served breakfast (maybe the best I've ever had, with mysterious unknown fruits and chewy grains and edible flower petals!) - I was perfectly happy to have stayed over!

 STRANGE STAGE MOMENTS – Bart Mendoza

Agua Dulce : “We were  on stage playing during a bikini contest when a very large (contestant) collapsed on to the conga players drums. We kept playing.”

Scott Anderson / This Holiday Life: “At one show, when it was time to hit the stage, we couldn't find our drummer, Mark (Nagel). After freakin' out, we had to take the stage without him. We started into one of our most rockinest songs without drums. Meanwhile, Mark, sitting on the toilet, heard our song and thought, "Weird, why are they playing our CD right before we go on?"

Wendy Bailey:  “We played a show in East County where the only person on the dance floor was a homeless woman, who for two songs, kept flashing us. We tried to ignore it, but at least she seemed to be enjoying herself.”

Cathryn Beeks: “In 1998 I was performing with a Cleveland band called 3 Penny Pussy when the two lead front guys dropped their pants and each poured whiskey on their male extremities only to light them on fire a second later.  If anyone was suspicious that it was a hoax the smell of burning hair convinced them otherwise.”

Ed Been / Y3K:  “One night at The Blue Haven in Chula Vista, there was a heavy set woman in a dress that insisted on doing handstands.  Much to our horror, she was not wearing underwear at the time.” 

Cindy Lee Berryhill: “I was opening for Sarah McLachlan when a piece of the bridge fell off my guitar, mid-song, rendering it unplayable. Rather than stop playing, I motioned for the bassist to keep going and turned the lyric into a request for audience members to come onstage and help look for the missing guitar piece, while we continued. They found it and I reattached it as I improvised lyrics, going back into the song where we left off. That was the ultimate audience participation.”

James Brady / New Day Mile: “During my teens in New Jersey I attended a Sunday Bible study every week. The woman running it asked if my band would like to play at the youth group meeting at her church. We were a metal band, so we were a little shocked at the request, but we were happy to get our first gig. It turns out we were opening for a slide show that depicted our kind of music as the type that leads to violence and suicide.”

Brooklyn : “ I was watching a drummer friend of mine play at Humphrey's Backstage Lounge. He'd told the band he was playing with that I'm a singer/songwriter and near the end of their set they introduced me to the crowd as an up and coming singer. Well, the crowd started cheering to get "Brooklyn on stage!". (The band) pulled me on stage to sing whatever it was they were playing at the time. I don't know what they were thinking I was going to do, but it was a song I'd never heard...and it was in Spanish., so even if I had known the melody...I wasn't going to sing the correct lyrics. It must've sounded like a bunch of muffled humming. It was more than a little humiliating.”

Amy Castner / Compass Rose :  “I had a seagull crap into the f-hole of my violin while I was playing at a party on Sunset Cliffs a couple of years ago.”

Ron Fountainberry / The SoftLightes/Incredible Moses Leroy :  “Last year we were on tour with Wolfmother and in Austin one particular guy flipped me off the entire show. I don't know how he was able to keep his arms up the entire show. There were several times on that tour that I thought we would be murdered for our lack of hard rock.”

Greg Friedman / The Truckee Brothers: “In my old punk band we played a charity Christmas show at a school for the mentally disabled. We started off too loud and the entire audience was crying in agony. We turned down and by the end of the second song they were overjoyed and screaming out "You're better than Michael Jackson". It was amazing to be responsible for such completely opposite emotions within the span of five minutes.”

Larry Grano / Soul Persuaders:  “At Dick's Last Resort. I was singing and some young lady came up who had a leash attached to a dog collar around her neck ...and handed me the leash. What does one do ? After mugging Johnny Carson-style for the crowd, I read her tags and called her owner.”

Marie Haddad : “A guy came up to me during a show and told me that he was a psychic and that he wanted to do a reading for me during a break in my set. I was, of course, intrigued, and so at the break we sat down for a little bit and i listened to his reading. he predicted that I would be getting a new pair of boots for the rain! Darn it if he wasn't spot on with that one.”

Lee Harding / Echo Revolution: “A classmate (a guy) came to our show once.  He never said two words to me in class, so I was jazzed he had come out.  At some point in the set, he was 2 feet in front of me while I singing at the mic and started licking himself and dancing totally homoerotic.  Yeah.”

Robin Henkel : “I remember that I (fell) asleep onstage one time.  Before a show with Big Rig Deluxe, I'd eaten a huge Mexican meal and was sitting in this comfy chair playing steel guitar.  It was almost like trying to stay awake while driving.  After dosing off, the steel bar, which weighs about a pound, fell out of my hand and hit the wood stage with a loud clunk.  That's when I woke up right in the middle of a tune the band was playing and had no idea how long I'd been out.”

Dave Humphries:   “In England, we were playing in a workingmen's club, halfway through a number and noticed we no longer had bass. We looked around and saw our bass player with the neck of his guitar at somebody's throat up against a wall. Some guy had been messing with his girlfriend and he wasn't very happy about it. On another occasion the same bassist left the stage to sell bingo tickets while we were still playing.”

Laurie Lewis / Mamas and Papas “We were on tour in Germany and (singer) Spanky MacFarland was green as green could be. I asked her what was going on, and she just shook her head and walked back behind the stage and projectile vomited. This was an outdoor stage and she didn’t notice that there were people behind the stage as well, so she basically threw up over a whole bunch of people. But then afterwards they brought their shirts up that were covered in puke and asked if we would autograph them.”

Jane Lui: “I once had a chick pole dancing to a song about my dad. I loved it that she responded with her whole body. You have to be strong to pole dance.”

Dune Murderous / Defamation League: “One time I belligerently kicked Khemical Ali in the ribs during a performance, prompting him to start vomiting almost immediately. Somehow he didn't miss a verse and trudged on.”

Josh Pann / Circa Now :  “One time this really drunk guy starting dry humping my monitor. He nearly unplugged it so I couldn't even sing. I looked for help to my band mates and they were laughing just as hard. The song finished without vocals.” 

Gregory Page: “At Lestat’s a guy walked on stage and stood at attention next to me while I was singing. I knew he was on drugs. First I asked him politely to leave, and he just stood there like a statue mumbling to himself. Then I said "Hey mister see that plaque on the wall? it reads “The Gregory Page Stage,” now get the F-ck Off My Stage." Police were called and he was taken away and I continued singing…”

Patric Petrie / Skelpin: “One night my skirt flew off mid-twirl during a performance at downtown’s annual “Shamrock” St. Patrick’s Day Street Fair. I was in the middle of playing a fast tune, jumping all around, and couldn't stop to grab it. What a show.”

Patric Petrie / Skelpin. “We were performing a corporate gig at the Embarcadero Marina in 2006, when my wireless mic’d fiddle slipped from my hand as I danced. Unfortunately, I was still in motion, so I managed to drop kick the instrument into the audience. No one in the crowd thought to catch it, instead they moved en masse out of the way. It was like watching the Red Sea part. I’ll never forget the sound it made when it hit the concrete.”

Jordan Reimer: “When I was on tour in San Francisco in ‘06. I was playing at a nearly empty coffee house/laundromat called the Brain Wash Cafe when a homeless man came in with a tree branch that had a large, white, blooming flower on it. He walked up to the stage and set it on top of my amp for me. For a while I thought it was really creepy, but after a while I realized the true meaning of it. He gave me all he could, and that is a very touching action.”

Victoria Robertson: "I was booked to sing the National Anthem at the Miramar Airshow each morning of the event. It was very unfortunate that the sound company didn't prepare for my solo as much as I did that weekend.  During Friday's show, the band began but my microphone didn't kick in until "...what so proudly we hailed", missing the first 10 seconds of the 1 1/2 minute anthem.  As if this wasn't unfortunate enough, the same mistake was repeated Saturday and Sunday.”

Randy Seol / Strawberry Alarm Clock:  “At an open air festival we played in the seventies, there were supposed to be fireworks following our set. There were problems right away. One of the guys setting them up was showing off or something. The first blast made us wonder what was going on. The second blast slightly injured the fire marshall who came over to investigate the first. By the third blast we were running.”

Randy Seol / Strawberry Alarm Clock: “We got to play a big music festival, on a side stage. It was a big production, with modern dancers and backing singers. For some reason, we had our keyboard player playing from a hot air balloon tethered to the stage. A woman ran out of the audience and started tugging at the rope and just about tipped the gondola over while our keyboard player screamed for someone to stop her.”

Amber Shaffer / Secret Apollo : “At the Ken Club, our drummer sat down on his drum stool and his phone fell out of his pocket.  It managed to fall through the 6 inch gap between the back wall and where the stage begins and slipped another 2.5 feet to the actual floor under the stage. The sound guy brought a flash light over and we saw the phone resting on a floor covered with a foot of garbage: old beer cans, set lists, sticky stuff I don't want to know about and certainly it's share of bugs and unidentifiable objects. And who was the only one with arms skinny AND long enough to fit in that 6 inch gap? It was bad enough having to lay face down on the Ken Club stage, but then to have to blindly stick my hand in that mess and dig around for a phone-like shape? Steve's still paying me back for that one.

Mike Stax / The Loons: I suppose (lead singer) Ray Brandes getting yanked off the stage by the cops mid-song back in the Tell-Tale Hearts days was kind of surreal. He reappeared a few minutes later with one of his best ever one-liners to the audience: "It seems I had a couple of library books overdue."

Anna Troy:  “I played an outdoor gallery opening in North County on a makeshift stage. The gig itself was nothing unusual except that I was told to keep an eye out for poisonous spiders, because the stage had been built in an area that was known to have them. I had a hard time concentrating on the music while looking around for spiders, especially since I noticed the soundman occasionally making “squishing” motions with his foot.”

Brandon Welchez / Crockodiles: “While in the Prayers, in Los Angeles a pretty well-known Hollywood transvestite closed our show with us with an impromptu cover of “Louie Louie.”

Rockin’ Johnny White (promoter): “I've had my share of the girl with the new boob job who wants everybody in the club to check them out. But that one always starts out like this "Do you dare me to flash my Boobs?" And I always reply "Yes."

HIP-HOP BAND BACK FROM THE DEAD

A local “retired” hip-hop act, Kastle Vania, is back in the game, having called it quits after winning Best Hip-Hop at the 2002 SDMAs. Now calling themselves Kastle Creeps, their new album is slated to debut with a July 31 CD release party at Portugalia.