PERFORMANCE BLOG

hear's what you missed...

Oct. 18, 2007 - Vibraphone Launch Party @ Rickshaw Stop
Well, this was my last show in SF before moving to Portland and going to Guatemala for 6 weeks. I couldn't be more happy to play with some great bands and great friends. The Rickshaw is a decent sized place so we were worried if we could fill it up. We got a very respectable turnout and it was a big success. They have a built-in projector and screen which was perfect for the visuals. After the first couple songs I got some sound issues worked out and things went well. I played the new song "Soul Slides Away" for the first time with the new video footage. It's a tricky song to pull off live but it went pretty smooth. It was a sad song to end on this particular night. It's like the end of an era.

Oct. 13, 2007 - Headphone Festival
I've done the headphone fest every year and would always do it because I love the idea behind it so much. Basically you perform thru a mixer and headphones. The audience can only hear you w/ headphones. This forces an intimate listening experience between performer and each individual audience member. This year the headphone fest was held in a new art space. The surroundings weren't as "underground" as in the past and was a bit sterile. Somehow my timeslot got moved from 9:30pm to 4:30pm so it was a bit underwhelming. Then again it might've been a primetime slot for European listeners (it's big in France). Being freed from playing with sync'd visuals, it was a great opportunity to experiment and extend some songs. For "Iris" I added a bunch of electronic white noise at the end. "Aftermath" worked great as an instrumental. The set ended with a new droney, noisy piece meant to be massively mind-melting. I'm hoping to have some mp3s of the set available.

Update! Videos of this performance are now on YouTube: Iris, The Aftermath (instrumental), untitled drone piece

June 11, 2007 - Make Out Room
For a Monday night, I couldn't ask for a better show. I was surprised to look up after the 2nd or 3rd song and see a very decent turnout. Some friends from comedic activist group The Ronald Reagan Home for the Criminally Insane even showed up. I debuted a new tune: a super droney, noise collage. It got out of control so i had to end it prematurely. Everything went well, I only wished it had been a notch louder. It was a nice mix of bands. Six Eye Columbia was really cool, just impossible to describe. And Levator was super sweet and sounded amazing as a full band. I was happy to support them for this stop on their tour. If i'm lucky there might be some video of the show floating around soon.

May 11, 2007 - Edinburgh Castle
We dubbed this show the "Night of the Mission Creek Rejects" since we had all applied for the Mission Creek Festival (which was being held at the same time) but were ultimately rejected. It was one of those nights where everything seemed totally up in the air and I had no idea what to expect. You just basically show up and see what happens. 2 bands were added to the bill very late, one of them came. It was a pretty "intimate" event. I feel my last 2 shows at the Edinburgh were disappointing but this one was pretty solid. I played "Iris" last this time and had a very happy ending. Cupids are sounding so good lately, they're getting dangerous. I'm a huge fan of these local weirdos. I couldn't stay for the last band, Crimewave. I did manage to meet some really cool folks so it was totally worth it. Yeah, i just said totally.

Apr. 6 & 7, 2007 - Knockout Bar, SF / Fort Oregon, Berkeley
Both of these shows were really great and made up for the last one where i had so many problems. Played at the Knockout Friday with Solar Powered People from Modesto, Saint Rorschach and Early Black both from Tucson, AZ. Nice meeting some young guns who are doing the postrock thing so enthusiastically. Saint Rorschach had it down and were inspiring to watch. I'm feeling like an old geezer doing this stuff. The next night was an all ages basement show at Fort Oregon in Berkeley. Many beers were drunk and it was a fun night. I got to play w/ a couple of my fave local bands, Echodrone and Cupids. I love Echodrone's control over their huge sound. And Cupids are just the coolest. It's so hard to do something truly unique and that's why I like them so much. I wish there were more places like this, it's such a refreshing change from the usual venues. I was happy with both of my sets. No major mistakes and it felt loud and powerful. Even the new song seemed to turn out well. A rare thing indeed.

Mar. 24, 2007 - Starry Plough, Berkeley
After not playing for a few months, I returned rusty, with pink-eye and a sore throat. I debuted a new song by starting in the wrong key. It was tough going but I made it thru intact with a couple of nice moments. It was great playing w/ friends Oceans of Fire and Montana. The Starry Plough is a restaurant/bar with stage. It reminded me of a cafeteria. But the sound guys mic'd our amps and made us sound pretty awesome. I didn't think people danced to this kind of music but, being Berkeley, a few valiantly tried which made for an entertaining evening, if a little surreal.

Dec. 09, 2006 - Cool Waves Festival II @ House of Shields
Had a good time playing as part of the Cool Waves festival. This was my 1st show using samples and it worked really well. There were some sloppy parts in the set which was disappointing. It was a special show and i hoped to perform better. I'm giving out DVDs with the videos on them at shows now instead of CDs cuz i'd like people to get the full experience. Oceans Of Fire and Cupids were great bands to share a bill with. For live footage of each band, go here.

Sept. 22, 2006 - Knockout Bar
I actually had fun playing this night which is something i can seldom say due to my anxious nature. The Knockout is becoming my favorite place to play. A Friday night, a big crowd, plus it was with Astral who's one of my favorite local bands and are incredible. I added some new visuals, a new intro bit and some different effects. Everything felt loud and powerful and i hit the important synch points where the music and visuals come together for the big payoff. As for the rest of the night, i missed dinner and had way too many vodka tonics and paid the price. NOT fun.

Sept. 09, 2006 - 2nd Annual SF Headphone Festival
This is such a unique event that i'm proud to have been a part of each year. 12+ hrs of nonstop experimental, mostly ambient music, 20min sets per artist. Only the execution leaves more to be desired (my 11pm time slot was delayed til 2am). I think the range of artists was more diverse and more satisfying this time around. Basically you have to wear headphones to hear any music. If you're not wearing them you can see the artist playing but will only hear idle chatter from the crowd. The idea is to sit down, relax, take whatever gets you in the mood, put on some headphones, and lose yourself. I showed up during Atman the Sibling's set. Once i slipped the headphones on it was like being immersed in an ocean of soothing, mind-altering sounds. The mix of droned, layered guitar and violin was perfect. I also dug the sets by Mass and Bookworm a lot. I played extended versions of 'Iris' and the 'dark' new song. Only problem was i had all these brain-frying fx from my Korg i was looking forward to adding but it didn't work out. Still, it gave me some good ideas for the next show.

Aug. 16-17, 2006 - Blakes on Telegraph, Make Out Room
Two back-to-back shows opening for Rachel Goldstar in Berkeley and SF. Blakes in Berkeley was a surprisingly cool place mostly because they had lots of couches and it's close to the campus. They must do alot of hard rock shows there; 3 security dudes were working and No Moshing signs were posted. Obviously they didn't have much to worry about this night. I had a great time. Even though i felt my set was on the sloppy side, i got some of the best feedback ever from folks i had never met before. Thanks so much, it was humbling and even overwhelming. I brought 10 cds to give out and they all disappeared fast so i didn't have any for the next show. I was really hoping to play better at the Make Out Room the next night but it was just so-so. A pedal died right at the start and everything felt very hectic since they were behind schedule. But i was happy how it all sounded. It's a spacious, beautiful room and everything sounded big which is what i'm always after. Pretty uneventful except that Foxtail Somersault sounded better than they ever have.

June 18, 2006 - Make Out Room
This was a Nick Drake Tribute night. 8 acts playing 15min sets each. The Drake songs i covered were a faithful acoustic rendition of Fly and an epic "symphonic" version of Horn. Despite nailing each while practicing at home, i got very nervous on stage and struggled to get thru them. Something about going on 1st and never playing the songs before i guess. So i was dissappointed w/ my own set but enjoyed everyone else. By far my favorite was the local band Charles Atlas who played with Denise from Sunshine Club. They were absolutely amazing.

May 10, 2006 - Knockout Bar
The Knockout Bar has many accessible outlets on stage. That fact alone warrants a big thumbs up from me. But it's also a great place to play with lots of TVs with mildy trippy programs, cool music over the PA, and plenty of room to sit at a table. Singer Sky, from Levator, has 2 of every pedal and she loops her guitar AND voice. Totally hypnotic. They were a real treat to witness and was another bill i was proud to be on. My set was alright. Came up w/ a cool new riff for the Bardo Pond cover. The set list had a real nice flow this time. It peaked 1/2-way w/ the chaotic dark new song and ended w/ a rousing See The Light. Too bad it was a Wed night, folks missed a good one.

Apr. 22, 2006 - Hangar 1018, LA
My 2nd trip down the I-5 to play a warehouse party in LA. I've learned to leave a lot of things to chance w/ shows and just go w/ the flow. There will always be factors you can't control. Like rain. I was to play the outdoor stage which would've been very cool late on a warm LA night under the smoggy stars. But the rain drove the outdoor acts inside and in turn pushed everyone's schedule back. I went on last at 2am. The folks who stayed really got into it and were nice. It was a blast playing, i just felt bad for the ones who stuck it out until the end. Mono from Poolabomb, who put the event together and invited me, was so generous and cool. He's coming to SF to play in July and i'm gonna make him teach me to program some beats on my new Korg sound thingy. Recommended roadtrip listening: the last 3 My Morning Jacket records. Thank god for the ipod.

Apr. 8, 2006 - Edinburgh Castle
This was Tomihira's CD release party. Lots of cupcakes and good times were had by all. One of those shows that's easy to take for granted where everyone knows each other so well and everything goes smoothly. It was Foxtail Somersault's debut with new singer Muriel and it was a heavenly match. All the pieces are in place for them now, so watch out. Tomihira tore thru all our favorites sounding every bit as great as they've always been. I got to play a new song and it turned out really well for the first time. Not exactly a crowd-pleaser, it's dark and solemn, but i'll take it. After having started almost every single show with Close Your Eyes, i finally reordered my set and played it last. Turned out to be a good idea. Much thanks to Dean for inviting me, it was a privilege to play on such a great night.

Apr. 1, 2006 - Johnny V's, San Jose
Oceans of Fire invited me down to their home turf to share the bill and bring tha spacerock to San Jose. Ended up getting a late start and had to leave out the last song. This sucked in that it was a brand new one i'd been working on & stressing over all week to finish and put the visuals together. But it was also good cuz i was really nervous about various sound issues and wasn't feeling very confident, so i'm sure i would've totally butchered it. Some stuff came out great some was loose & sloppy. A real nice turnout though. Oceans sounded awesome and it always feels like a good match when we play together. The big surprise for me was Shinobu, a scrappy young indie rock band. They were catchy as hell, had a great sound and tons of infectious energy. i couldn't stop smiling while watching them. Somehow, a funk band got on the bill too. Outside it was a crazy party scene with lots of tough dudes w/ attitudes and their tricked-out rides cruisin down Santa Clara Blvd. I packed everything into my little geek-mobile and went cruisin back to SF.

Mar. 11, 2006 - House of Shields
What a fun night. Great friends, great set by Oceans of Fire, and i finally nailed my set w/ hardly any complaints which is saying alot. HOS is a lovely place and Saturday shows rule. 'nuff said.

Jan. 26, 2006 - Amnesia Bar
Dedicated the set to our fish who died that day: Ms. Thang. She was always bitchy to the others but i think it was out of lonliness since she was the only one of her kind in the tank. i can relate to her frustration. It ended up being a decent, loud set with some nice moments. i was stressed cuz it was a little too dark and i was afraid of fucking up by looping a bad note. that didn't happen although it was hard to relax and get into it. Also, playing last is tough cuz everyone wants to go home and i had to set everything up quickly. Luckily a few kind souls stayed. Linedotstar and Jerseyturnpike both played sublime sets. There was a 4th band who slipped onto the bill but I forget who they were.

Dec. 15, 2005 - 12 Galaxies
It was a real privilege to play the SF Indie List Party with great local bands Rum Diary & Oranger. I got the chance to play for some new folks and gave away alot of CDs. I felt bad about starting so late but Ben, the nicest sound person ever btw, wanted me to wait. Played the same set as usual (Close Yr Eyes, Last Breath, new one, Infinite) just because it's the perfect "opener" length at 35min. Wasn't sure how it went over, just tried to play well and hoped it sounded good. The last 2 songs felt really strong. Everyone seemed to like it so i'm happy. I hadn't seen Rum Diary for awhile and they really delivered. They're a well-oiled machine and totally cool guys. I love the blasts of noise that seem to come out of nowhere. I was looking forward to hearing Oranger since their new record has been getting lots of great press. They donned their santa hats and apparently played most of their new stuff early in the set which was my favorite. They looked like they were having a blast which makes it fun for everyone. They're the kind of band that's best heard drunk in a packed club...then again who isn't? Thanks to Jake & Annie for letting me play!

Nov. 20, 2005 - Rite Spot Cafe
This was the 1st time playing this stuff on an acoustic and to my surprise it worked wonderfully. Still used the loops and delays and a little distortion. The sound was rich and warm. Some songs worked better than the electric versions. i might start including both acoustic & electric stuff in my normal set now. The Rite Spot has a nice, intimate feel. Lots of places to sit and enjoy the music. Judith & Holofernes was an excellent act to be playing with. Really lush mix of acoustic and portuguese guitars with a dose of melancholy. Too bad more folks didn't come but it was a great night either way.

Nov. 9, 2005 - Hotel Utah
Truth be told, i wasn't really feeling it this night but the other bands were fantastic. Missed cues and whatnot, it was just ok. But damn, Carta were hypnotic, incredibly talented and restrained musicians. The obscure Brian Eno cover was icing on the cake. Brookhaven was super tight with some really powerful moments. I felt lucky to play with such cool bands. The rest of the night was a blur...

Oct. 21, 2005 - Lipo Lounge, SF
The Lipo is a concrete basement below a divey Chinatown bar that you can rent out and put on your own shows. You can pretty much do whatever you want down there. It has a real underground charm with a camouflage-decked bunker serving as a stage, disco ball, cozy couch and dark corners. This was the launch party for Fruit Lamp Records, a recently formed collective of artists started by Skip from Estereo. Boy Tiger started the night off with a voice that'd make Neko Case jealous. I was next and had a good set that was more on the bombastic side. I debuted an untitled instrumental set to video footage of 2001: A Space Oddessey. It was sloppy but no one seemed to notice. I was working the door during Scott McChane's set but i heard some beautifully downcast, intimate and well-crafted tunes. Estereo was solid as always, transforming a cover of Madonna's "True Blue" into a sweet indie pop song. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and meeting some new folks. This was the 1st time i smelled pot during my set. Finally!

Sept. 17, 2005 - Hangar 1018, LA, CA
First show in LA. It went fine but hardly anyone was there cuz i went on so early. Didn't really justify the 6-hr drive there and back. But I loved the idea of playing an arty warehouse show in LA. The visual/sonic aspect of my set is perfect for those kinds of places. Everyone there was super cool. I listed to a bunch of old 80's tapes on the drive down and rediscovered the Screaming Blue Messiahs. They rocked my world and made me drive faster. When i got into LA the first thing on the radio was "Spaceage Love Song" by Flock of Seagulls, an excellent way to arrive.

Aug. 27, 2005 - SF Headphone Festival
Had no idea what to expect, but everything was meant to go thru headphones. For me that meant leaving the amps home and plugging direct from the pedals into a mixer. The down side is the distortion tone sounds thin and compressed. The good part is everything crisp & clean. Everyone was either milling around, setting up for their set, sitting on the floor or sofas, or zoning out to the videos w/ their headphones on. There was a tiny kitten running around who wouldn't stop long enough for anyone to pet it. I was afraid it would get stepped on. The set went well. I think it was a nice break from the mostly laptop electronica that was more prominent. Met some nice people including Mono from Poolabomb, who set me up w/ an LA show in Sept. Major kudos go out to Tena from the Deletist for organizing such a cool event. I hope it keeps growing.

Aug. 24, 2005 - The Cherry Bary
Unfortunately Foxtail Somersault had to cancel. The only thing worth mentioning was an old friend Mark Dansby, bass player from my former band Vaportrail, unexpectedly appeared from Palm Springs. So I ended up playing a very intimate set for him, my girlfriend, and the soundguy. FUN!

July 24, 2005 - Hotel Utah
I was psyched to be playing w/ Foxtail Somersault and Oceans of Fire who i consider to be friends and really like their music. My first time seeing Oceans of Fire. Even as a duo I think they're on to something pretty cool. Not many bands remind me of Love & Rockets but they do (partially) and i think it's a very good thing. If they get a full band lineup they're gonna be dangerous. Got to witness a new chapter of Foxtail as they played their 1st show w/ a new singer and Dean Tomihira sitting in on bass. Even in transition they still sounded dreamy & pretty as ever. Kickers cranked it up, tore thru a couple tunes and were outta there. It felt good to be playing again after almost 3 mths. I was very very happy with how everything went.

May 5, 2005 - Kimo's
Funny i hadn't played here before despite living across the street from it. Sure made it easy to load & unload. Kimo's has a history of booking/sound problems. Apparently another booker just quit and sabotaged the soundboard. So we all sounded shitty to some extent because of it. Despite that it was a fun night and nice to meet fellow Cool Wavers Jon from Morning Spy and the Plot Against Rachel folks.

March 24, 2005 - Edinburgh Castle
Wasn't perfect but it went over well. Some friends came who hadn't seen the new visuals and were duly impressed. Thanks to Dean from Tomihira for volunteering to do sound. Otherwise it would've been a long night. I gotta get a weekend show.

March 17, 2005 - Amnesia Bar
Yeah, St. Pattie's Day. Didn't realize it when it was booked. We were mostly background music to all but a few. Vessel didn't show. Still, Venus Beltran sounded great and I was satisfied with my set. The video projections worked as well as i could've hoped. It's just frustrating we can't draw the kind of crowd who'd really be into this type of thing. Where are you?? The Amnesia is perfect for it's mellow, dimly lit atmosphere and seating. I fantasize about playing there with other like-minded acts and the crowd shows up on the same wavelength, there's a vibe in the air and the night becomes a fucking EVENT, ya know? Patience, grasshopper, patience.

December 30, 2004- Amnesia Bar
A nice-sized crowd, mostly to see Nice Kitten and Petracovich. Petracovich was amazing. She (Jessica) put a spell on the room. I warmed 'em up as usual to a good response.

November 15, 2004 - Edinburgh Castle
Wasn't sure what to expect being short notice and all but it was good. Parts of Speech (Paul) and his friend David played separate singer/songwriter sets after I opened. It was Belle & Sebastian-ish, indie pop. I had to leave before Inventing Edward. My set went well. Played a new quiet piece that I'm liking alot [Last Breath]. It ends in a wall of distorted hiss from the wah pedal that keeps feeding back on itself but doesn't get too loud. Will try to add a little vocals. Of course a big crowd showed up at the end of the last song. I'm trying not to take it personally.

July 31, 2004 - Brainwash
Not much of a show. Park Ave. Music didn't play cuz the PA set up wasn't good enough. Low Rise didn't show up at all. So i played a few songs for a couple friends, hung out and went home.

July 29, 2004 - KDVS radio show
So i got there and didn't have a pick. I found a tiny shard of a broken one in the corner of the studio so i used that. I had some sloppy moments on a couple songs but a few turned out great. Plus this is the kind of music that if i fuck up something it kinda sounds like it was meant to be that way. Vocals were drenched in reverb but it fit the spacey sound and covered up my singing flaws. I got to play a full hour so i whipped out the Vaportrail song "Finders Keepers" and i resurrected an untitled song that's a couple years old that i'd like to start playing again. Andy, Kara & Brian were super nice and did a great job with the mix. They want to put a song on an upcoming KDVS compilation. Thanks to the caller who really dug the set. i'm gonna put a demo CD together using 3 or 4 of the songs.

July 15, 2004 - Amnesia bar
My first time here since it used to be the Chameleon back in the day (where Vaportrail played twice). It's a hip, dimly-lit club now. Great all-around mellow atmosphere which suited the bill well. I was happy with the set, except once again the last song had some problems and it ended anti-climactically. The Deletist plays really cool stuff with a sequencer and an 8-track. i wish they would've let Venus Beltran play louder. It sucks when you can't play at a comfortable volume. cool Wire cover though! Shannon, the booker, is the bestest. She's a music fan first and treated us right (ie; free drinks). Couldn't ask for more, would love to play there again. thanks to Dave for asking me to play.

May 28, 2004 - The Brainwash
Best performance so far and the best bill I've played on. The last song i cut short cuz the guitar went dead at the end, but no big deal. I love what Venus Beltran is doing with shoegazer guitar and analog drum sounds. Hope Chest is always a pleasure to hear and really knows how to spread the love. We all agreed it was a wonderful night. Looking forward to playing again July 31.

May 21st, 2004 - Rockin Java cafe
I always get more nervous playing here than other places. I have trouble getting into it and feeling confident but everyone says it went well. Comfy Chairs were improv post-rock. They had a nice crowd, but it was hit and miss. We traded CDs and their recorded stuff is actually very impressive. I'm still listening to them at home and it doesn't get old.

April 24, 2004 - the Stork Club
My 1st show as Halcyon High. This was a short-notice thing. I had a chance to play so i just did it. Didn't know the other bands. Hut Dwellers are kinda 90's indie party rock. Richard Bitch is just kinda crazy. The Stork is always nice to play cuz they give you good sound. But I find it amusing to end a long, epic song with a powerful, glorious noise that totally envelopes the room then hear about 4 people clapping sporadically. But that's the way it is sometimes. It doesn't bother me anymore, i'm thankful to whoever shows up and appreciates it. Afterwards the sound guy came up and said that was the most beautiful thing he's heard at the club. That's all i needed.