Poorflint's Weblog

The English Beat

poorflint — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:00:21 +0000

Friday, June 6, 2008, the English Beat at Soho in SB. They were great. Dave Wakeling is an amazing performer. He is world class. A funny thing happened that afternoon before the show. I was walking by Soho, and I heard a band playing. It sounded a lot like The English Beat and of course I knew they were playing there that night, so I went up to see what was going on. Sure enough they were doing a sound check. I was the only person in the audience, so I got a command performance. And I got to see them a little in non-performance mode. I enjoy encounters like that. They’re not all that common, at least in my experience.

Mitch Kashmar and Friends

poorflint — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 06:53:53 +0000

On Saturday, May 31, 2008, I had the good fortune to see Mitch Kashmar and some of his friends play a great show. Mitch on harp and vocals, Jim Calire on keyboard, Steve Nelson on bass, Tom Lackner on drums, and to top it off, Fernando Harkless on sax and Stuart Ziff on guitar. Fernando and Stuart are bandmates with Mitch in WAR, and they are awesome. What a band the six of them made that evening. Mitch has played with Jim, Tom and Steve for years, and he plays almost nightly with Fernando and Stuart. They were amazingly tight as a whole even though they don’t play as a group regularly, if at all. A tribute to the pure talent possessed by all of them (or that possesses them). They played an awesome show.

The show was in the lobby bar at the Pasadena Langham Hotel (fka the Ritz Carlton Pasadena) a very pleasant and somewhat unusual blues setting. Before the show was almost as much fun as the show itself.

I’ve been recording some songs with Tom, and he mentioned that he was doing a show in Pasadena with Mitch. He said that he was looking forward to it, because Stuart would be playing and Tom had really enjoyed it the one time they had played together. As Tom put it, Stuart has a groove a mile wide. Mitch has mentioned playing shows down there before, and I’d always thought I might go sometime, so I said I might go. Tom asked that I let him know if I decided to go and maybe he could ride with me because he doesn’t like to drive at night. Well that’s all it took. I said yeah I’ll go, let’s plan on it, I’ll pick you up.

On Friday I called Mitch to see if we could give him a ride. He said yes, so we were all set. On Saturday I went to Tom’s and we loaded up his kit and then we drove down to pick up Mitch and Becky. We hung at Mitch’s place for a little while, checking it out, loaded up, and then before we left, Mitch’s friend Chef Denis Dupoitre (think French) called. Chef Denis is the chef at the Pasadena Langham Hotel and a fine harp player in his own right. Denis invited the four of us to dinner, and of course Mitch accepted. Once at the hotel, we enjoyed the hospitality of Chef Denis and ate dinner on the veranda. Dinner was delicious. Chef Denis later sat in on a couple of songs and played some great harp. Another friend of Mitch’s, Ames, also sat in on a couple of songs. He was very good also, but I was particularly impressed by Denis. I think the combination of his culinary art and his musical art revealed him to have the true soul of an artist. Or maybe I was just swayed by his hospitality. I don’t think so, but it didn’t hurt that there was a little personal connection. A truly unusual and entertaining evening. I got home about 3 a.m., but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. One of the best times I’ve had in a long time.

More bands

poorflint — Sat, 31 May 2008 17:07:29 +0000

Lots of music happening. Last weekend was Memorial Day weekend. I saw Area 51 on Friday, Senior Year on Saturday, and Tommy and the High Pilots and Them Terribles on Sunday.

Area 51: awesome soul and funk. Great singers (one male and one female), great horns (sax and trumpet), and great rhythm section. Great music, great show. I think I like them.

Senior Year: Saturday night I couldn’t decide whether to go out or not. I couldn’t find anything about this band online. Eventually I decided to give it a shot on the theory that maybe it would be one of those great surprises that you sometimes luck into. And it was. I still know nothing about these guys except that they really rock. 80′s rock with a great lead singer. Female singers not so great, but not bad either. But all in all very high energy, very entertaining, and very fun. Anyone know anything about them?

Tommy and the HIgh Pilots: Other than their name, everything about this band was awesome. Lead singer (Tommy I guess) is very charismatic and talented. The songs were good and the band was tight. Drummer was awesome. Again, a real find.

Them Terribles: Tommy and the HP opened for Them Terribles, and for my money, outplayed them considerably. I may be prejudiced however, because Them Terribles didn’t come on until almost 12:30, so I was pissed and tired by the time they started playing. I’ve said it before, but I can’t stand bands who jerk the audience around with their self-indulgent time tables. I make allowances for reggae bands because it’s genetic with those guys. With the rest of them, it’s either arrogance or disdain, and I can’t tolerate either one. Anyway, they were okay, probably a lot better than I’m willing to give them credit for. Maybe I’ll see them again under better circumstances.

This weekend I’m missing Beliza Pura, Cornerstone, and Mother Hips because of other plans. I’ve seen them all before and they’re all great. Next weekend will be The English Beat and The Soul Survivors, two very high energy bands. I can’t wait. Also Mother Juggs and The Cash Prophets. Hopefully I can catch them all. On June 14 Mystic Soul will be here and on the 18th Me Too and the Gimme Gimmes. Are we having fun yet Zippy Pinhead?

And I quote

poorflint — Sat, 31 May 2008 16:45:33 +0000

Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe. — H. G. Wells

What’s the Point?

poorflint — Sun, 18 May 2008 06:50:10 +0000

So someone asked me what’s the point of this blog. Here’s what I came up with:

“The purpose is to be what it is. The point is to see what it becomes.”–Poorflint

And I Quote

poorflint — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 20:13:46 +0000

Endeavor to Persevere. — Chief Dan George, The Outlaw Josey Wales

Pato Banton 4/20

poorflint — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:57:45 +0000

So, I saw Pato Banton on 4/20. He’s got a great band and he’s a very charismatic performer. It was a great show. Lots of 420 celebrants doing their thing. Too bad it was Sunday; I had to cut it short because I’m just too damn old. Like the t-shirt says “If it’s too loud, your too old!”

420

poorflint — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:26:46 +0000

Today is 420. To those people to whom that has significance I say, “Peace.”

To the rest of you I say, “Tolerance.”

It’s also Earth Day…an interesting confluence.

Peace on Earth Day.

And I quote

poorflint — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:01:28 +0000

He has spent his life best who has enjoyed it most. — Samuel Butler

Arrogance

poorflint — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:46:32 +0000

Can you tell me why arrogance has become such a pestilence on the Land? Or has it always been that way and I just didn’t notice? More and more it seems the people in government, whether elected or hired, have the attitude that their guiding principal should be their own agenda and damn what we have to say about it. I see this in my city at all levels, from the city council to the planners. They treat the people who live here like we’re a nuisance, a rabble who don’t know jack. The most frustrating thing is that for the most part they aren’t very bright. Which would be okay, because after all, they are beaurocrats, but they treat US like we’re idiots. I think the worst in our city is the Traffic Department. They’ve lately fallen in love with what must be the latest trend in city chic, the roundabout. They’ve started taking out 4-way stops and replacing them with roundabouts for no rhyme or reason. Then, and this is what I’m talking about, they euphemistically call them “traffic calming devices” and promote them as enhancing pedestrian safety! Did you ever try to cross a street at a roundabout? So, instead of a 4-way stop where everybody stops, slowing traffic and allowing pedestrians to cross calmly and safely, nobody has to stop and it’s open season on pedestrians. Can you believe that when I questioned their “pedestrian safety” rationale, one of the erstwhile members of the traffic department actually told me that the pedestrians can cross halfway to the island in the middle of the street and wait there for an opening to make it the rest of the way across. Silly me…I just couldn’t see how that was safer than having all of the traffic stopped until that foolish pedestrian was all the way across the street. God, am I stupid!

I love the city I live in, but I can’t stand the City.