Grog

Bun in the oven

Sanchez_Boon — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:38:44 GMT

Ok, so most people have already figured it out or caught the buzz on the rumor mill, but we just got the official word that the chromosomes are rockin', so we can now make the official announcement. Drum roll please..... Heidi and I and cranking out a miniature human! That's right, and it's a girl! In the tradition of long obnoxious names in my family her name will be Clara Mae Matzau Wohlwend Zegri. (we've been calling her Speck and that will probably be her nickname for a while). Heidi is 18 weeks along and everything is healthy and growing properly. Seeing her move and hearing the heartbeat is intense. There's a little person in there. It's totally mind blowing. People have asked me "Are you ready?" "Are you freaking out right now?" and I guess those are natural feelings of stress and worry that you are supposed to have. Honestly though, I have never been more confident or calm about anything. Can you ever be really ready? No, way. But I am completely focused on the beauty and possibility of the situation. Plus we are very lucky to be surrounded by a unique and amazing community of family and friends (you are all hired as Aunts and Uncles, by the way). I am so looking forward to taking this next step in life, to be a father. It's just great. I love kids and I've always reveled in being an Uncle. Helping Christina grow and develop from an adorable drooling lump, on up to the beautiful woman she's becoming has been one of the great joys and privileges of my life. Just as being Uncle Sideburns to Adele and having the honor of being there in the room with Stephanie for her first fart when she was only a few hours old. That still makes me smile to this day. Now I feel like I've been given a gift. I am so lucky to have found the great love of my life with Heidi and together we have the opportunity to bring the best parts of us together for our own little girl. My mind is full of the possibilities for Clara Mae. I can't wait to see her grow, to hang out with her and get to know her, to have her throw Cherrios all over the floor and make up silly songs together. I see this as a chance to get a front row seat for the thrill of discovery. To experience the raw innocence and unbridled joy of a child, of our beautiful child...It's just overwhelming, in all the right ways. This kid is gonna be awesome. Grow and be strong little Speck. I can't wait to meet you.

Tea Totaler

Sanchez_Boon — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 09:30:32 GMT

I have a beverage problem. People I have spent more than a few minutes with might say that I have a drinking problem, but that’s only because the beverages I enjoy most are beer and whiskey. If I really liked orange juice for instance, than people might say “hey that guy sure isn’t going to come down with a case of scurvy anytime soon”. The thing is, I have an irrational need to have some sort of liquid available to me at all times. It is impossible for me to attend a concert or go to a party or a bar without holding on to a pint glass of something or other. Even at home, if I’m out of beer, I will pour myself giant cups of ice water and walk up and down the hall with them or sit in front of the TV and place the glass in front of me. I may only take a couple sips, but it is important for me to know that it’s there. As a result, I pee a lot. Sometimes once or twice an hour, I even wake up in the middle of the night to drain a few drops. People have said that I should get it checked out, that it could be diabetes or prostate cancer or something. But I know exactly what it is. I drink stuff. Lots of stuff. All the time. I can’t walk down a city street without a cup of coffee or a brown bag o’ suds. I can’t settle into bed at night to read without a glass of water, which the cat usually drinks half of, I couldn’t even write what you are reading right now without a cup of tea.. When I lived by the Panhandle in San Francisco, Jeff, my roommate at the time, and me realized that we were drinking too much booze and decided to take a break and detox. We agreed that for a month or so we would drink tea instead. The first week went by fine, we felt healthier and the ritual of preparing tea was quaint and charming. By the second week however, ten minutes wouldn’t go by without a high-pitched ‘Wwwwwzzzzzzeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!’ sound coming from the kitchen. At the sound of the kettle bubbling to whistling temperature, Jeff and I would leap from the couch and race to the stove carrying our over sized mugs under our arms like children from a burning building. Over the next couple of weeks we drank so much tea that our bodies sloshed loudly as we walked though the house. If one of us happened to want to have a conversation while in motion it sounded as though we were trapped inside a washing machine. “So anyway SLOSH the other day I was GURFLUSH talking to that BRUBLEBUB girl at the coffee shop FLUMPH about the new Earl Grey they just got in”. We consumed any and all varietals we could get our hands on with equal, ravenous gusto. In the morning it might be a Darjeeling, followed by an English Breakfast with a cup of Chai for dessert. Once caffeinated we could spiral anywhere on the map from Green, to Chamomile, to Orange Spice, to Sleepy Time. It might have been three in the morning, but if I heard the sound of the kettle bubbling, a Pavlovian response would be triggered and I would roll out of bed and shamble towards the kitchen, cup in hand. Jeff and I finally realized that we had a problem when we found ourselves one day scouring the couch cushions for change in order to purchase the Seasonal Sampler of Celestial Seasonings that was on sale at the Safeway. Digging for change was somehow more normal or respectable when you were using the money to buy booze or drugs. Even if one didn’t agree with the substances being purchased, at least it seemed natural. Ransacking your hide-a-bed for another hit of water and dried leaves however, that bordered on loony. One day near the end of the month we finally hit rock bottom. We had been hitting the tea in every way we new how, but nothing seemed to satisfy the thirst. Reusing tea bags from the night before, double brewed, iced, frozen into ice cubes and eaten as Tea-Sickles, anything and everything, so long as it was Tea. We needed help. Then, one morning it simply dawned to us that our ever diligent and faithful companion had been there, waiting for us the whole time. I was just about to ask Jeff if he wanted one lump or two and as he lay on the ground holding his full, water balloon of a stomach when some other words came out instead. “Hey…you want to go get a beer?” Jeff looked at me as though I had just said, “Well well well, will you look at that? The Arc or the Covenant has been here in the pantry behind the Cherrios this whole time.” Without another word we bolted to the corner store and grabbed the first six-pack we could find, then we slinked back to our apartment looking over our shoulders as though the Tea Patrol was watching us to make sure we were properly steeped. Once inside we knew we were safe. We came back into the kitchen, drew the blinds and popped the caps off those frosty, 12 once bottles of salvation. The beer tasted nothing like tea…and it was grand. I still live with my beverage dependency to this day. It’s a daily struggle, but in times of panic I just remind myself that I will always have beer by my side. And everything is gonna be alright.

Inauguration Plans

Sanchez_Boon — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 19:17:27 GMT

Hey hey, just letting any folks who may be around the Vallejo area know that the denizens of the Zegri Compound are planning on going to a couple events at the awesome historic (and financially struggling) Empress Theater downtown for the inauguration. First on Sunday the 18th at 7pm. Our good pal Johnny Steele is doing a comedy show there with Will Durst and a couple other guys. It's called the ObamaHaHa and Bye Bye Bush Bash. Here's the link: http://www.empresstheatre.org/events-calendar-detail.aspx?evt_id=240 Then early on inauguration morning 8-10:30am they are playing the coverage live on the big screen and serving Bloody Marys and Mimosas! Here's the link for that: http://www.empresstheatre.org/events-calendar-detail.aspx?evt_id=241 Word! -R

I wrote a novel this month!

Sanchez_Boon — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:46:45 GMT

Whooohooo! Both Kelly McCubbin and I wrote over 50,000 word novels in the month of November for the National Novel Writing Month challenge! What a great experience. Whew. Now I should probably go back and read what ever the hell it is I wrote.

Election Night Fight Night!

Sanchez_Boon — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:25:27 GMT

Hey Kids, Duck on Bike Productions is teaming up with Music Hall Productions to put together THE election night party in the bay area. It's all going down at the Ghost Town Galleries in Oakland. Come on down and spend this historic night with your friends and some fantastic local music. 7 Bands, Live wall to wall projection of election coverage, Beer and Cocktails, Beautiful people! Below its the official blurb with all the info that's fit to print! Be there! -Rick ------------------------------------------> Election Night Fight Night! John"Maverick" McCain vs. Barack "The Bomber" Obama The world awaits and this is the moment the world has been waiting for… Lets Get Ready To RUMMMBBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!!!! Why stay at home on this historic night? Be there ringside with friends in a private underground bar to usher in a new era, whatever it might be. Revel in your civil duty and with fantastic live music, cold beer and the slinky "Swing State" Ring Girls! Or just kick back, grab a beer and chill in our Live Internet Streaming Election Center Lounge. A live musical mandate! Featuring: The Gomorran Social Aid & Pleasure Club, One Man Banjo, David Wagner and the Duchamp Cowboys, Dan Cantrell, 5 Cent Coffee, Just Henry, Liquor Cake, DJ BLU-82 All culminating in an all star filibuster jam session! Date: Election Day! Tuesday, November 4th Location: Ghost Town Galleries 2519 San Pablo Ave. in Oakland Doors: 5pm, live music starting at 7pm, come after voting! Only $5 at the door (all door proceeds go to the bands and no one turned away for lack of funds)

5 Cent Coffee represented at the World Music Expo in Spain!

Sanchez_Boon — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:56:04 GMT

Alrighty, I haven't said anything about this yet, until I knew it was for sure. Check it out! We are on the 2009 Roster for a promoter based in Portugal called SMOG Producoes Culturais: www.smog.pt They represent and book European tours for Yard Dogs Roadshow, Fishtank Ensemble, Vermillion Lies, Vau de Vire Society and more! Seeing that they seemed to specialize in music and live shows similar to ours, I hit them up with a CD about 6 months ago. I didn't expect much, but figured it couldn't hurt. Well, the cat got back to me about 2 months ago and asked for some more promo materials and now we have been added as one of the American bands they represent! They have a booth at WOMEX (World Music Expo) in Sevilla Spain on October 29th-November 2nd. It is a huge convention with a gazillion festival promoters, record labels and booking agents from around the world. Check out the website: http://www.womex.com They will be handing out our CDs, wooden nickles, stickers etc. to Industry types in Europe. Who knows it could yield little or nothing, OR it could mean a European tour! Keep your fingers crossed! Whooo!

Opening for Mark Growden tomorrow night!

Sanchez_Boon — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 23:52:49 GMT

Hey Kids, We are excited to be playing a couple songs to open up for the Mark Growden Trio tomorrow (Wednesday October 22nd) at the Dark Room Theater in San Francisco. Come on out! Mark Growden Trio 5 Cent Coffee The Dark Room 2263 Mission Street, between 18th and 19th San Francisco, CA 94110

This Thursday October 9th! Obama-Rama! Be there!!!!!!!!!!

Sanchez_Boon — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:57:48 GMT

Hey kids I hope you will join us this Thursday October 9th at the Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco for a rare political performance at Obama-Rama! A political Vaudeville Extravaganza! It's a benefit for the Barack Obama campaign and the premier show for Spitshine's new production company "Duck on Bike Productions". We've got a full night of entertainment in store for you, including: Music by the Mark Growden Trio, Kitten on the Keys, 1 Man Banjo, Kelly McCubbin, Brass Farthing and of course yours truly 5 Cent Coffee. Also variety acts by the likes of Eric Masters doing magic, comedy by Johnny Steele, DocPop the YoYo Genius, burlesque by The Indra and Honey Lebang, Old Doc McCain's Medicine show and more surprises. All of this great entertainment will culminate with a performance by the legendary swing troubadours Lee Presson and the Nails. This will be a phenomenal show with some of the best talent in the Bay Area playing for a good cause. So come on down! Below is the skinny and a link to buy Advance Tickets: Duck on Bike Productions is proud to present: Obama-Rama! A Political Vaudeville Extravaganza! Music by: Lee Press On &The Nails Mark Growden Kitten on The Keys 1 Man Banjo 5 Cent Coffee Kelly McCubbin the Uke Apocalypse Brass Farthing The Whistlaires Circus acts by: Members of: Vau De Vire Society Magic by: Eric Masters Burlesque by: The Indra Honey LeBang. Plus: DocPop the Yoyo Genius Old Doc McCain's Medicine show & many more! Your MC: Local comedy legend Johnny Steele. Date: Thursday October 9th 2008 Location: Rickshaw Stop 155 Fell St. San Francisco, CA Doors: 8pm Show: 9pm (Sharp) $10-$50 sliding scale (all proceeds go to the Barack Obama campaign). BUY ADVANCE TICKETS HERE: http://5centcoffee.tripod.com/obama.html An old-timey vaudeville variety show with a modern political edge to support the Barack Obama campaign. An eclectic mix of Music, Burlesque, Comedy, Magic and Variety acts of all shapes an sizes. http://www.myspace.com/duckonbikeproductions See you there! -Spitshine

Tonight! Shout Baby Shout CD release party!

Sanchez_Boon — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:05:32 GMT

It has been a great week! I will gush officially about it later, but it's not over yet and the best is yet to come. Because tonight, Friday October 3rd, the official Shout Baby Shout CD release party will be at the Plough and Stars in San Francisco! Yano & Yuko will be headlining a night with all of the bay area bands on the compilation, including performances by: 5 Cent Coffee, The Goat Family, Tippy Canoe, Kelly McCubbin and Liquor Cake. It's their last night in town, let's send them off in style! Plough and Stars, San Francisco 116 Clement Street at 2nd Avenue 8pm $5 Beer, Japanese Swing and Blues, and BEER! Do it!

Three chances to see Yano and Yuko perform this week!

Sanchez_Boon — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:49:30 GMT

Starting tonight in Berkeley, then tomorrow in Vallejo and then the big CD release party in SF on Friday! Be there! Tues, Sept 30th: Da Silva's Ukulele Co. (Berkeley) w/ Kelly McCubbin, 5 Cent Coffee 2547 8th Street, Suite 28 Berkeley, CA 94710 Wed, Oct 1st: Townhouse (Vallejo) w/ 5 Cent Coffee, the Hoboheimians Boxcar Band 401 Georgia St. Vallejo, CA 94590 Fri, Oct 3rd: Plough and Stars (San Francisco) w/ The Goat Family, 5 Cent Coffee, Tippy Canoe, Kelly McCubbin, Liquor Cake 116 Clement Street at 2nd Avenue, San Francisco

Yano Tadasee & Yuko Tumi tour!

Sanchez_Boon — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:33:26 GMT

Hey Kids, We here at 5 Cent Coffee headquarters are proud to be hosting our good friends form Japan, Yano Tadasee & Yuko Tumi as they tour the bay area for one week only! It's the Shout Baby Shout tour in support of the first Japanese/American roots music compilation album produced by Yanoo Records. http://sound.jp/yanoorecords/va.html Yano is the godfather of the Roots music scene in Tokyo and his influence has spawned swing, jazz, blues, and jug bands throughout the country of Japan. We are thrilled to be playing with them at all of their west coast performances along with some of our favorite home town heroes. Check it out! First, we are thrilled to be asked back to the 6th annual Sutter Creek Jug Band Festival up in gold country. We will be playing both days Sept 27th & Sept 28th. Two full days of Jug band music, good food and good times. For full line up and location information go to: http://www.jugfest.org Next we will be heading back down to the city of Berkeley on Tuesday Sept 30th to play alongside Kelly McCubbin the Uke Apocalypse at the DaSilva Ukulele Co. Who knows, maybe we will whip out our International Dueling Johnsons! Then, the very next night, Wednesday Oct 1st we will be in downtown Vallejo at the Townhouse Bar with the super group Hobohemians Boxcar Band. Whooo! Free show + Cold Drinks = happy super fun time. Do it! Finally on Friday October 3rd, the official Shout Baby Shout CD release party will be at the Plough and Stars in San Francisco! Yano & Yuko will be headlining a night with all of the bay area bands on the compilation, including performances by: 5 Cent Coffee, The Goat Family, Tippy Canoe, Kelly McCubbin and Liquor Cake. It will be their last night in town, let's send them off in style! We Hope to see you at most if not all of these shows. It will be a great time with some great music. Below is the skinny and attached fliers! Sat, Sept 27th & Sun, Sept 28th: Sutter Creek Jug Band Fest (Sutter Creek) Sat 7:30pm Sun 11:00am For full line-up and location information go to: http://www.jugfest.org/ Tues, Sept 30th: Da Silva's Ukulele Co. (Berkeley) w/ Kelly McCubbin, 5 Cent Coffee 2547 8th Street, Suite 28 Berkeley, CA 94710 Wed, Oct 1st: Townhouse (Vallejo) w/ 5 Cent Coffee, the Hoboheimians Boxcar Band 401 Georgia St. Vallejo, CA 94590 Fri, Oct 3rd: Plough and Stars (San Francisco) w/ The Goat Family, 5 Cent Coffee, Tippy Canoe, Kelly McCubbin, Liquor Cake 116 Clement Street at 2nd Avenue, San Francisco Be there! -Spitshine

Duck on Bike Productions!

Sanchez_Boon — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:52:49 GMT

Hey Kids, So I wrote a blog a few weeks back when I was getting laid off which you may have read. It was all about this crazy community building production company idea, (if you didn't catch it then scroll on back). Anyway, I started plugging away at it, but quickly realized that I wasn't sure where to start. Instead of giving in to frustration as I am sometime wont to do and putting it off I thought, what better way to get a production company started than to put a big freaking show together and build the infrastructure around it? The concept came out of a conversation between my brother and I on the day the primaries ended. We talked about pooling some cash together as a household to donate to the Barack Obama campaign, but realized that the couple bucks we could spare would largely be a drop in the bucket. Then it dawned on us that we are talented people in a liberal region stuffed full of super talented people, so why not throw a benefit show to support the Obama campaign! I decided to shoot high and see if I could get some of the home town heroes out there in the bay area to be involved. I honestly expected a bit of a brush off, but to my surprise almost everyone I asked has offered to donate their time for this event. It's really inspiring to see that the community is still there and that they are all willing to come out for a good cause. I am so excited about this show and what these new relationships I am making will lead too artistically. My brain is buzzing with possibilities and I can't wait to see where we can all grow to as a nation with a real leader in Barack Obama and on a local level where we can grow as an artistic community. So, without further ado, I am proud to announce my first of hopefully many shows by Duck on Bike Productions! Obama-Rama! A Political Vaudeville Extravaganza! Featuring Music by: Lee Press on &The Nails Mark Growden Kitten on The Keys 1 Man Banjo 5 Cent Coffee Kelly McCubbin the Uke Apocalypse Brass Farthing The Whistlaires Circus Acts by: Vau de Vire Society Magic by : Eric Masters Burlesque by: The Indra Honey LeBang Plus: DocPop the Yoyo Genius Old Doc McCain's Medicine show and many more! Your MC- Local comedy legend: Johnny Steele Rickshaw Stop 155 Fell Street San Francisco, CA Thursday, October 9, 2008 Doors 8pm / Show 9pm (Sharp) $10-$100 sliding scale (all proceeds go to the Barack Obama campaign). Click here for tickets! http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=395149217 An old-time vaudeville variety show with a modern political edge to support the Barack Obama campaign. An eclectic mix of Music, Burlesque, Comedy, Magic and Variety acts of all shapes an sizes. ----------> Stay tuned! New details are emerging constantly.

5 Cent @ Kimos this Thursday

Sanchez_Boon — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:33:39 GMT

Hey kids, We're playing with this hip ska cats called MMFM. Plus some other groups, should be a hoot! Kimos is a classic dive in SF if you haven't been there. Check out the flyer for more info. Word!

I have my own On-line Radio show!

Sanchez_Boon — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:38:25 GMT

Check it out. I know it's small time, but I'm pretty excited about it. I have a slot down at OzCat Radio (3 blocks from the house) every Monday night from 6-9pm. I actually started last week, but I didn't tell anybody because I was afraid I wouldn't know where all the buttons were. Now I do! So if you are sitting around, log on and listen. I'll be spinning all kinds of stuff. You can even call in and make a request! OzCat is this cool scene here in Vallejo, they are all about supporting local artists and creating a scene here. They are streaming 24 hours a day and they are working on getting their FCC licenses and become Vallejo's first and only local radio station. Some features I introduced on my show last week were the "Leadbelly Minute" and the mid show "Bowie Medley". I think those may become standard fixtures. Anyway, it's fun. Tune in if you like. Here's the link: http://www.ozcatradio.com/ Studio Hotline: 707.554.4097

Shout Baby Shout Vol. 1

Sanchez_Boon — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:43:37 GMT

Hey Kids, Check it out! I've been working with our Pal Yano from Japan and he has put together a hot trans-continental compilation album called Shout Baby Shout Vol. 1 It's a beautiful idea to blend the roots music from japan with the current resurgence of roots inspired music here on the west coast. Here's the website for it: http://sound.jp/yanoorecords/va.html There our 14 bands from Japan, 1 band from Switzerland and 5 bands from right here in the bay area! I got to recommend the 5 groups from here, I think you will recognize some of them. Anyway, I received some copies hot off the presses in the mail yesterday and they will be for sale at the Jug Band Festival this Saturday in Golden Gate Park! We are already working on Vol. 2! By the way we will be performing at thee afore mentioned Festival. below are the deets: woohoo! The San Francisco Jug Band Festival Saturday August 16th 9am-5pm FREE! Here's the schedule: 09:00-09:40 …and the Leasebreakers 09:40-10:20 Aesthetic Cling 10:20-11:00 Five Cent Coffee 11:00-11:40 The Hokum Hot Shots 11:40-12:20 Tarantulas Jug Band 12:20-13:00 Loose Acoustic Trio 13:00-13:40 Kapakahi Jug Band 13:40-14:20 David Olney & Sergio Webb 14:20-15:00 Dan Hicks & The CJBA All-Stars 15:00-15:40 Axelrod, Cary, & Foss 15:40-16:20 Skiffle Symphony 16:20-17:00 The Goat Family

Off to Lark Camp!

Sanchez_Boon — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:37:10 GMT

Whoooo! See ya'll next Sat!

Tom Waits, Glitter & Doom concert streaming on NPR

Sanchez_Boon — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:40:00 GMT

This is the entire Atlanta show from the same tour Heidi and I went to Phoenix to see. It's fucking awesome! http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92916923

In the Paper again/ Plus 5 Cent Coffee Live tomorrow night in SF!

Sanchez_Boon — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:21:59 GMT

Hey kids, So this inst as big as being in the Chronicle, but we got our picture in the Vallejo Times Herald for our gig in Glen Cove on Sat. Check it out: www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_9940853 Also! Tomorrow night! (Thursday July 24th 2008) we're playing in SF. Below is the blurb. ------> Hey Kids! That's right, next Thursday July 24th, 5 Cent Coffee will be performing at the historic Eagle Tavern in good ol' San Francisco CA! We are proud to be sharing the stage once again with our heroes The Goat Family as they kick off their pacific northwest tour! Also you will swoon to the extraterrestrial, PBS nature show sounds of Cheetahs on the Moon! Its gonna a hoot, so come on down! Yeeha! Below is the skinny: The Goat Family www.myspace.com/thegoatfamily Cheetahs on the Moon www.myspace.com/ohmycheetahs 5 Cent Coffee www.myspace.com/fivecentcoffee LIVE @ The Eagle Tavern 398 12th St. San Francisco, CA Thursday July 24th 9pm-ish 21+ $5 cover Be There! -Spitshine

Big Books

Sanchez_Boon — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:38:16 GMT

So I'm reading War & Peace. I didn't want to tell anyone until I at least hit the triple digits in case I fizzled out after the forward. As of last night I'm on page 104! You see, back when I was about 19 I picked up James Joyce's Ulysses and in confusion, I shamefully put it down after 50 pages. I believe at that time that was the first book I had ever started and not completed. It still sits on a book shelf to this day, mocking me. Now in 2008 I feel ready to face those epic classics which have made me tremble since that Joyce bitch slap. So I figured, why not start with the biggest classic I could think of. I remember making jokes in my youth (perhaps some of you have told similar ones) which referred to War and Peace. i.e. when my brother would hog the bathroom and take an hour long dump. I would pound on the door and scream "Hey, what are ya doin' in there? Writing a Russian Novel"? Ironically, I read 3 pages on the toilet this morning. Anyway, I read a review of a new translation in the New Yorker last December and said "dang nubbit I'm gonna read that thing". Our very own Chad McComber was nice enough to purchase a copy for me recently and wrote on the inside sleeve: "May this book even an incredibly uneven table". So far the tome has not been used as furniture and in fact the story is quite good. Who knew? There are a couple challenges of course, not only does the book weigh 5 pounds but it also was written 150 years ago in Russian (nicely translated) with whole paragraphs sprinkled throughout in French (not translated). The narrative slips in and out of text book historical fact and flowery poetic language and in the first hundred pages he has introduced at least 30 characters of which none has come forward yet as the clear hero of the story. BUT, even with all of that it is beautifully written and I feel like I may be able to actually plow through this thing eventually. First, War & Peace, then Anna Karenina, Moby Dick, Les Miserables, and yes someday I will conquer that drunken bastard Joyce! ....then maybe I'll read some comic books for a while.

BBQ this Saturday!

Sanchez_Boon — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:35:01 GMT

Hey kids My mother is having a mellow hippy BBQ at the compound on Saturday. We'll be grilling and drinking beers with some summer of love veterans, so if anyone wants to come on by you're welcome. Bring a little beer and/or something for the grill and/or your self. Should be kicking off around noon. Word!

Yeeeha!

Sanchez_Boon — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:59:27 GMT

Thanks ya'll who came out to our hillbilly hoedown! It was super fun! Check out pics from the party below. Taken by the lovely and talented Paula Wirth: http://www.flickr.com/photos/inkvision/sets/72157605902485484/?page=3

Tom Waits in Phoenix!

Sanchez_Boon — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 01:46:52 GMT

Heidi and I are driving to Phoenix tonight to see our hero play the Orpheum Theatre! It's the first of an 8 show tour through the south. (Why he never plays somewhere we don't have to travel across the country to see him I dunno). It will be totally worth it though. There is simply nothing like Tom Waits live. He's calling it the Glitter and Doom tour, so if it's anything like the Orphans tour in 2006 that means a new album called Glitter and Doom should follow! I'll post the full report here upon our return, which should be sometime Wednesday night. Clank Boom Steam!

Ending and beginnings

Sanchez_Boon — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:40:37 GMT

Laid off last night. My last day is tomorrow. Feh. I've been canned so many times it doesn't phase me as much as it used to, but it's still a strange feeling. The money was laughably bad, but the work and the company was actually kind of fun and rewarding at times. The job wasn't perfect and I didn't want to be here forever. Things are tough all over though I guess, so they had to cut something. It's always a little funky to have to leave somewhere not on your own terms. I'm trying to look at it as a blessing and the more I think about it the more I realize that it really is. I have some plans/dreams that have been percolating lately and I've been slaving for other people my whole life (although, I'm sure I will again while I set some things in motion). The main longterm goal right now is an idea about starting my own production/booking/artist community enriching/record label type company. I know that it will be a lot of work and probably really hard to make profitable, but that's not really the reason(s) I want to do it. In observing my behavior over the past few years I've found myself spending most of my slack time at work and free time in the evenings doing something along those lines, not because I have to but because I actually really enjoy doing it. For years I've been saying "whew, all this band management, booking and promotion is a drag, I wish I could just play music." I'm sure that I've babbled that sort of comment at some of you reading this at one point or another. However, over the past few months I've come to a realization that either I've been lying to myself or I've actually learned to love it. Now I find myself getting all giddy about making a flyer for a show or putting a CD into a mailbox or getting a big show together or sending an e-mail to some club for the forth time. It's weird but the whole package is what is turning me on right now. Playing music, recording, packaging, promotion, cat wrangling for a show, rehearsals, everything. I've been gigging in this town since I was seventeen years old (what's that 15 years or so?) and over the years things have changed considerably. I remember booking gigs in the early 90s by hanging around at a club, sometimes for hours, with a dubbed cassette tape of a band practice recorded on the built in mic from my boom box. I would write a home phone number on the case with a sharpie and wait for the booker to hopefully stumble in. After that promotion consisted of literally cutting and pasting flyers together at Kinkos in the wee hours of the night, then taping one to every light pole up and down Haight Street. Now-a-days of course, it's all Mp3s, e-mails, ringtones, networking sites, you tubes, online press kits etc. It's overwhelming, frustrating and exciting all at the same time. I feel like I'm learning something new and bringing some of my old school knowledge together in someway everyday and honestly it kind of gives me a chubby. Something that has always been most important to me is the community aspect of the Bay Area music scene. Live music took a deep, crippling hit during the dot-com boom and the Bay Area was a creative wasteland for a couple years, long after the bust. It was hard to get a paying gig anywhere if you weren't a cover band in the marina and the art bands that were at the heart of the scene either split up or receded to coffee shops and underground art gallery shows. A big lesson I learned out of those dark days was that as rehearsal studios closed, venues switched to DJ nights or put a pool table on the stage and fired up the juke box. Bands broke up or moved out of town, and everybody lost. The musician, the music lover, the San Francisco native, and the recent new blood that rolled into town. I had an epiphany then which I have tried to hold onto as a mantra to this day and that is: For the artist, community is everything. There is no place in my mind for competition in the music scene. If a community can band together and support each other we all succeed. When one group makes progress, everyone around them benefits. It is past time for all of us artist and fans and friends to band together and do our best to leave any jealousy or ego at the door. I fear that if we don't acknowledge the special thing we have here, and learn to work side by side and lift each other up, we will not be prepared to weather another disaster like those dot-com years. Fortunately art is making a strong comeback in the new millennium with some of the best music and performances I've ever seen. With this rebirth and the new ways that bands and artists of all kinds can promote themselves, I believe that together we can get this unique west coast sound back on the map. I think that is at the root of my mission statement for this venture. Over the years I have clung stubbornly to a couple of the old things I learned back when I was playing in bars I wasn't old enough to drink in. Things like the "Code" where if you are in a band you show up at load in time and stick around till the end of the night to support the other bands instead of rolling in, playing your slot and hitting the road (sounds simple, but you would be amazed how many people except the latter as the norm these days). Also, the headliner should play last instead of the "sweet spot" in the middle. I'm pretty sure that I'm the only one left who believes that, but hey somebody's gotta. What I would like to do is blend those old traditions that made the old scene so great and successful with the new, almost infinite opportunities available to musicians today. I think somewhere in the middle, a grass roots movement could grow way beyond me and you and become something truly beautiful and legendary. Something on par with the Punk scene in New York in the 70's, the Metal scene in LA in the 80s, the grunge scene in Seattle in the 90s. I've been to all of those places and nothing there is as exciting as what is happing right here, right now. The Bay Area underground will be the next big thing it can be on our terms. This scene is what we make it and no one can go at it alone. I'm not sure where to start, but I am inspired as hell right now. I hope you can join me.

Burlesque and 5 Cent Coffee tonight in Oakland!

Sanchez_Boon — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:47:13 GMT

Check it out! Tonight, come on down to the Stork Club in Oakland for a night of hot burlesque and cheeky comedy culminating with a set of music from your favorite neo-skiffle junyrard blues trio! That' right, it's the First Friday Follies, put on by the premiere east bay burlesque group, Belles Du Jour! It's a full night of entertainment starting around 9pm with performances by Amelia Mae Paradise, Belles Du Jour, Glam-O-Rama-Girly Show, Honey Le Bang, stand up comedy by Michael Capozzola and our MC Sinclair! Then just when you think you've seen it all, 5 Cent Coffee will hit the stage to whisk you away into a clanky, swampy, sexy nirvana! I know what you are thinking, this much world class entertainment must cost a hundred dollars at the door right? WRONG! This smorgisboard of pasties,stand up comedy, glitter, spanky pants, and duck on bike can all be yours for the low low price of ZERO! That's right there's no cover, so come on down! Here's the skinny: First Friday Follies featuring: 5 Cent Coffee Belles Du Jour Honey Le Bang Glam-O-Rama-Girly Show Michael Capozzola your MC Sinclair ...and more! @ the Stork Club 2330 Telegraph Ave Oakland, CA Friday June 6th Doors: 8pm Show: 9pm No Cover!! See you there! -Spitshine

Just Call me Johnny Fever!

Sanchez_Boon — Mon, 19 May 2008 18:34:17 GMT

Check it out! Heidi and I will be guest DJs on KALX radio is Berkeley this Thursday (late) night! Here's the official blurb from Peter Hurney: ------------> Once a month we'll hi-jack the Midnight Express show and take the Midnight Ukulele Express out for a ride. You'll enjoy an hour of music by bands that include the ukulele into their sound, from George Harrison to George Formby, from Tiny Tim to Tippy Canoe and from Ukulele Ike to Uni and Her Ukulele. Hosting along with me on this show will be the band 5 Cent Coffee who just returned from their Japanese tour and promised to join with us in the studio with a bunch of new music they found in Japan. I can't wait to hear what they found! That will be this Thursday, May 22nd at Midnight, Pacific time on KALX 90.7 FM in Berkeley and for those of you out of our listening range KALX can be streamed live on-line at http://kalx.berkeley.edu Peterhurney www.pohakuukulele.com remember; chocolate's not just for breakfast anymore