Odds and Sods for Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Good afternoon!

ETA: Stellar Dr. Dog review in Wired!

ETA #2: Ditto - Nashville Scene!

I'm getting a late start today...sorry...the dog still gets me up at 3AM every night though that's a hell of a lot better than every single hour like it was last month and the vet did say the medicine takes 4-6 weeks to fully kick in. But hurrah, Monty continues to improve and look better every day.

So as you know, my son, the fabulous drummer Eric Slick, has been on tour the past couple of weeks and he just played a bunch of gigs and parties at South by Southwest this weekend. I didn't have to dig too deep on the internet to find reviews and photos...man, they are everywhere! And it is still completely surreal to me that in less than two weeks, I'll be able to see him on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Fear not, I'll be posting huge billboards around the internet that day.

Here's a Dr. Dog SXSW poster I found online, created by a rather amazing artist named Nate Twombly and you should click on that link to see more of his work because he's GOOD!



So on Thursday, March 18, Dr. Dog played the Convention Center at SXSW, and here's a kind of blurry pic from the stage but woo hoo, I also have a You Tube from that gig and it's pretty damn decent....





This photo pretty much says it all...these guys are loving life, aren't they? But I think someone in the band must have bubble envy....



The next day they played a party sponsored by Filter Magazine:













On Saturday, they played at Rachael Ray's party. Look, there she is!



Here's the menu served at her party - erm, by the way, Eric is no longer a vegetarian. But Julie and I are gonna double team him when he comes home in an effort to get him back on our team. Nah, I'm just kidding. I've learned by experience that people do not want to be converted which is why I seldom argue politics or religion (unless you favorably mention the names of Fox News, Glenn Dreck or Scara Phallus and then I do indeed go nuts and never speak to you again):



If the menu whetted your appetite, here's a photo of the food itself:



Performing right before Dr. Dog was Andrew WK, and oh look, he made friends with Eric:



When Dr. Dog took the stage, all of Twitter groaned that the sound system was terrible but they were still great nevertheless:



Heh - here's Rachael rocking out at her party...I'm thinking there's a strong resemblance to Elaine dancing in that famous Seinfeld episode:



"Once, there was a time I was in an Austin alley with Dr. Dog, as they oogled their photospread in the magazine"



Post-SXSW - Eric back on tour in Houston with Lithuania and Hop Along and chililng post-show:



I was kind of disorganized collecting links to reviews, blogs, newspaper articles, etc. because THERE WERE SO MANY! So rather than cut and paste them all here, I'll just give you the links and you can click and read at your own leisure/discretion:

All About Jazz

American Songwriter Magazine

Spy Magazine

Sarahenity Now!

Way Left of the Dial

Teen Vogue

The Panic Manual (More thorough review apparently to follow - I'll update if it pops up)

Entertainment Weekly

Gah, there's so much more...I give up - just google Dr. Dog and SXSW and you'll find more stuff than you'll know what to do with. It's just so freaking awesome.

So while Eric is on tour, I've been hanging out a lot with daughter Julie Slick, helping her make decisions on her debut CD...i.e., the artwork, release date, and best of all, listening to completed tracks. Oh how I wish I could blab who some of the contributors are, but I will say this: Julie is indeed the Crimson Queen. Or Princess...I know she's my princess, anyway. She came over here and worked her usual dinner magic on Sunday - we chargrilled vegetables and she made a blood orange dipping sauce that was so damn fine, I'm gonna give you the recipe as emailed to me by the Princess herself:

"Preheat the oven to 400. Cut off the tip of the head of garlic, so that the cloves are exposed but the head remains together. Cut away a piece of aluminum foil that will wrap around the entire head, and place the garlic in the center. Drizzle some olive oil over the top, sprinkle with salt, and wrap it up. Add it the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the cloves are deeply golden and softened completely. Let cool.

Meanwhile, in a glass measuring cup, I added: the juice of 4 blood oranges, plus enough grapefruit juice to make 2 cups of liquid. I poured this into a small saucepan, and added 1/2 cup wine, 1 small shallot (minced), and scant 1/4 cup sugar (can be omitted, but the resulting sauce will have a more bitter bite). Bring the sauce up to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low and simmer until the sauce is reduced to about 2/3 cup. Remove from heat, and pour into a food processor or blender. Add 1 tsp mustard, a few tablespoons of white wine vinegar. a handful flat leaf parsley, a handful of basil, and squeeze cooled roasted garlic cloves into the processor/blender, and pulse until well combined. With the machine running on low, add about 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or really, as much as you'd like - depending how thick and deliciously fattening you would like the vinaigrette to be). Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper, and serve."

If you are a meat or seafood eater, this would also be perfect for that as well. I cannot begin to tell you how insanely delicious it is and since blood oranges are in season right now...go for it!

Oh yeah, not to be another annoying self-promoter, just another reminder that my latest book, Bitten to the Core is now available in paperback.



Again, you can purchase it directly from my publisher right here. I know I promised a live stream release party months ago but now that Julie is around to help me, I'm gonna see if we can't make that happen. Perhaps we can do it in conjunction with the release of her CD...the two of us together, sharing some wine...a bizarre and twisted version of the Home Shopping Network. Hey, I think it's an idea with legs!

While I'm busy self-promoting, I'd better remind you of the following upcoming gigs which all involve Julie and Eric one way or the other.

Let's start with Mr. Eric Slick.

Tonight, March 24, Eric will be playing with Lithuania and Hop Along at The Bishop in Bloomington, Indiana.

Tomorrow night, March 25, they'll be at Blue Arrow Records in Cleveland, Ohio.

Friday night, March 26, they'll be at the Neville Co-op in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Saturday night, March 27, they wrap up their tour at the The Terrordome but I'll get back to you on that one because I read something in our local paper that the Terrordome may have shut down.

Julie is busy, too.

Friday night, March 26, she plays with Andre Cholmondeley in Andre's band, Hidden Agenda, opening for the Great White Caps, at the Fun House in Bethlehem, PA.

Sunday night, March 28, ah, together at last, Julie Slick and Eric Slick with Robbie "Seahag" Mangano on guitar, a/k/a Paper Cat at their debut New York City show at the Cake Shop on the lower east side.

Friday night, April 2, Julie will be doing a jazz gig at Ortlieb's Jazzhaus with Calvin Weston and here how it's being advertised:

"THE REAL RETURN OF MAD COW, w/ DION PACI, GUITAR; BRIAN MARSELLA, KEYS, TOM SPIKER, BASS & G.CALVIN WESTON, DRUMS, WITH SPECIAL GUEST JOHN SWANA,TRUMPET. & BASSIST JULIE SLICK
DOORS AT 8:00, $10"

While I'm thinking about it, let me give you the rest of the Hidden Agenda tour again, though yeah, Julie is only with them Friday night but I think you'll be very happy when you see who is with Andre the rest of the time:

MARCH 2010 Tourlette with hidden agenda
trio playing a few covers, improv and music by andré cholmondeley
DRUMS: bob ramos, jon braun(thu/25th)
BASS: antar goodwin, julie slick(fri/26th)
GUITAR: andré

24 WED NJ New Brunswick COURT TAVERN (with Stretch*)
25 THU PA Plains JAZZ CAFE' (with Stretch*)
26 FRI PA Bethlehem FUNHOUSE (with Great White Caps)
27 SAT TBA
28 SUN NJ Asbury Park A BENEFIT FOR CHERI JIOSNE
ASBURY LANES (Cheri Jiosne Benefit #2)
With Silent Auction
Music By:
The Ribeye Brothers
hidden agenda, DubProof, Mike Haleta Laptop, Alan Gowa, Out Like Lambs & others
Healthy Snacks by Laura Dardi

*STRETCH.....the legendary jazz/rock/funk/fusion trio.
original lineup of Dave LaRue, Glenn Alexander and Bill Elder.

Also, very important, here is the info for Cheri Jiosne's benefit on Sunday at Asbury Lanes:

~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday MAR 28th

A BENEFIT FOR CHERI JIOSNE

Musicians, Artists, Friends come together to help Cheri in her battle against breast cancer...

*Please come and support her in her brave battle!!

Here are some of the great friends that have come together to celebrate Cheri and help her with her cause..

Ribeye Bros
Michael Haleta
hidden agenda
great white caps
DubProof
Alan Gowa & Andre' duo
Tommy & Abby Anton
Alice Balzarini
and more!!!!

*There will be a silent auction, special vegan menu, baked goodies, bowling, drinks, and great, great music all day long..

Doors at 4pm
Bands start at 5pm
$10 suggested donation at the door
$15 for all the you can bowl
all ages
21 and up to have afternoon

So Sunday should be an awesome day. You can attend the benefit for Cheri at Asbury Lanes and then shoot under the Holland tunnel to New York City - less than an hour away - to catch the Paper Cat show in NYC.

Man, I hope I remembered everything. Now you know Eric probably has gigs set up all next week once he's back in Philadelphia but I'm not going to worry about that now - I'll post them on Monday if applicable along with hopefully reviews, photos, and You Tubes of all the respective shows this weekend.

But for now, man, I'm beat and I have a novel to work on. In the next few days, I'm going to test out my query on you. A query is what you send an agent to see if they are interested in reading your novel toward possible representation toward possible sale with a mainstream publishing house. So far, I've managed without an agent but this is my first truly mainstream book, ever, so I'm gonna give it a shot. Basically you have to sum up your entire novel in a couple of sentences that will cause the agent to gasp and say, "Wow, how brilliant! I must write to Robin immediately and ask her to send me this book at once!"

Ha ha, oh, I'm kidding. I've been writing a long time now and have been there, done that. The real reason I want to post the query is so that you guys will know what I'm writing about and maybe give you a tease or taste of an excerpt. Hey, why not? You've been sticking with me so far...

Oh yeah, in other writer news, in two weeks I'm off on a top-secret mission with three of the best writers in North America. Oh, the stories I will have for you then!

Maybe.

Or maybe I won't be able to tell you anything. What happens on that mission may stay on that mission.

Alrighty, then. I'm obviously rambling and need to take a break before delving back into the novel.

It's been fun, though.

Later,
xo

Bitten to the Core: Available in paperback!

ETA: "Dr. Dog played at Harvest of Hope Fest March 12, 2010. This is an interview with Scott McMicken of the band, concert footage and a fan commentary. This was shot and edited by Andrew Ford for The Gainesville Sun."

And there's lots of Eric Slick drum footage.



Good morning, good morning!

So while Eric Slick is down in Austin, TX at South by Southwest and Julie Slick works on her debut solo CD, their mother has some news of her own.

Bitten to the Core is now available in paperback! Hurrah!



It's available directly from my publisher right here and I'll be providing links for other retailers after I am awake. Actually, they may not be there yet. I'll let you know when but to be honest, everyone benefits when you buy directly from an independent publisher or an indie bookseller. Thanks!

More later,

xo

Stormy Monday

Where is the sun and what have they done with it?

I know I like a good storm as much as anyone but this is ridiculous. Three days non-stop? Blech. Oh well, I'm not really complaining. Hopefully today will be another day of productive writing.



Hey, my strange little flash fiction story is up at Short, Fast, and Deadly - click and scroll down and marvel at how my weird brain works sometimes...

In other news, Eric Slick, on tour with Lithuania and Hop Along, continues to work his way across the country where he'll meet up with Dr. Dog for a bunch of shows/parties at South by Southwest. One thing you can say about Eric, he adapts very easily from five star hotels to this:



Haha - I stole that photo off of Twitter where Lithuania's guitarist, Dom, had posted it as "Man Love" but trust me, it's not; it's vintage Eric who can sleep standing up in a typhoon but at least has a van in which to crash this time. By the way, nice headband, Eric.

Erm...the above is not exactly a great segue for my next comment, but here's a couple shots and short clip from the show, which was at a punk gay bar in Asheville called Cookie LaRue's and because our good friend Andre Cholmondeley lives nearby, he was kind enough to attend and be my personal photographer/videotographer:







And here's one of Eric playing bass with Hop Along:



Anyway, tonight they'll be playing at Wonderroot in Atlanta which is a community arts center...then tomorrow night they are down in Tallahassee, Florida at the Far Side and man, between Cookie LaRue's, Wonderroot, and Far Side, those are some interesting links, huh. Here's another.

Julie came over for dinner last night and damn I wish we took photos. Gary made homemade vegan creamy tomato soup with fresh basil, flaky biscuits topped with Earth balance (soy butter substitute which, and I am a food freak, you cannot tell is not the real thing) mixed with honey and cracked black pepper (think it sounds weird? It's insanely delicious!), and a lovely salad of arugula, red lettuce, artichokes, imported olives, and toasted pea pods. For dessert there was vegan ice cream - we actually have truffle and mint chocolate chip and it's made with coconut milk, hence why it's vegan, and again, it's better than most premium ice creams out there.

Julie's in a great head - she played me some more new songs from her upcoming CD and they are BRILLIANT. Even better news, yesterday she got an email from a superb keyboard player who appeared on a Grammy nominated composition with (and written by) one of the world's premier guitarists, and now said keyboardist has signed on to contribute, too. She's currently also working on the cover artwork with her webmaster/graphic artist...this is going to be major and we're all really excited for her.

And, this one blew me away altogether -- she's talking about doing some solo touring. Yep, you read that right. Once the CD comes out, she's going to hit the road. How freaking cool is that?

Julie also played me a new song off the upcoming Cheers Elephant CD she is producing and it's one of those tunes you love immediately on the first listen. That band is just so damn good, and finally, they are hitting the road as well. They will be touring the end of this month, and how insane is this, when Julie, Eric, and Robbie, a/k/a Paper Cat play in New York on March 28, Cheers Elephant have a gig either right next door or right across the street, I forget what she told me. But they didn't plan it that way and how freaky! Here's the current tour schedule for Cheers Elephant, and I can't help but notice when I went to their MySpace page that my all-tiime favorite song of theirs, Here We Are, has almost 20,000 hits. Go click and listen!

Mar 24 2010 9:00P
Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mar 25 2010 8:00P
Hewitt Union @ SUNY Oswego *FREE!* Oswego, New York
Mar 26 2010 8:00P
The Nines Ithaca, New York
Mar 27 2010 10:00P
Wildflower Cafe Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Mar 28 2010 8:00P
Piano’s Lower East Side, New York
Apr 16 2010 8:00P
The Note West Chester, Pennsylvania
May 21 2010 9:00P
The Khyber Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jul 24 2010 3:00P
Harborfest Oswego, New York
Jul 25 2010 1:00P
Harborfest Oswego, New York

Anyway, I know I say this a lot and it doesn't happen, but if I hear from Eric and I get any good stories or find anything on the web after I post this, I'll be back to add and edit. But for now, my novel-in-progress awaits and I'm all fired up to write.

Later,
xo

"Rain" O'er Me

Hi there!

I know I'm odd, but there's nothing I love more than a really rainy Saturday morning. While everyone else in Philadelphia is probably sleeping in, I'm up and about loving the dark solitude.



Even the dog is sleeping in - he's out cold upstairs in my bed. You have no idea what a good thing this is. Up until he started his medication on Monday, he literally was awake every hour on the hour. He woke up once at 5:30 to be let out, and then went right back upstairs. Alas, once I'm awake, I'm awake, but like I said, I am not complaining.

Especially since my run of good fortune continues. I came down to another acceptance letter today for another new story. That's three in one week in case anyone is counting. Hurrah! I'm back!

"Robin,

Thanks for the submission to Stymie Magazine...the imagery and tone were right in our wheelhouse. That said, Stymie would like to include the story in our Autumn/Winter '10 issue. If that is amenable to you please respond with brief writer's bio as you'd like to see it in the publication (or if the one you sent with your submission is sufficient, please let us know).

Thanks,

Erik Smetana, founding editor
Stymie Magazine"

I just sent them the story yesterday! I'm sure other writers reading this will know what I'm talking about when I say there is nothing like the validation you feel from a quick, positive response. I'm flying right now.

Speaking of flying, I'm guessing that's what Eric Slick is doing at the moment - he's on his way to Richmond, Virginia, to kick off his tour with Hop Along/Lithuania...links in the "Ohm" post below. I haven't spoken to him yet, but I read a tweet he posted last night which broke my heart:

"so incredibly bummed, our harvest of hope show was rained out after 5 songs. sorry everybody."

Oh man...all the way to Florida and unable to finish the show. Bummer. But on the plus side, look what Questo of the Roots tweeted last night, and retweets were posted all over the universe:

"@questlove
Dr Dog. Dr Dog Dr Dog!"

I was tempted to tweet back "That's my son on drums!" but I figure I'm gonna save that tweet for April 6 when he's on the Jimmy Fallon Show cos' Questo always tweets about the music while they are taping...unless of course I'm in the audience while they're taping and miss it (hint hint).

And I also found a photo on line from a press conference the band did prior to the show last night...



In other awesome news, Lithuania has released their first single, and you can listen to it right here and yep, that's Eric assisting Dom on vocals. You can catch them tonight at the Dull House in Richmond, Virginia...I've tried to find the exact address but struck out...if anyone reads this and knows where it is, please stick it in comments and I'll edit this post.

Okay, I am going to make the most of this dark, rainy solitude and work on my novel some more.

If anything pops up, I'll be back.

Later,
xo

Ohm...

Hello, Friday. Boy, am I happy to see you.

Man, what a week.

I'm fried.



But it's all good now. The dog started his new medication on Monday and I started stressing really big time when I read the possible side effects. Why oh why do I do this to myself? Oh, here's another thing. It says right on the box that pregnant women or women trying to become pregnant should not come into any contact whatsoever with these pills and that if anyone at all touches them, wash your hands immediately. It's like those drug commercials where they ask if you are depressed or have social phobias with all this sweet, hopeful music in the background as they offer you their pill to make everything perfect and rosy and then they quickly slip in that it may cause you to poop yourself, have bizarre sexual behavior, or jump out a window altogether and if you think that's happening, call your doctor immediately. Yeah, I know that would be my first thought out while wearing those nipple clamps and cracking that whip. Oy. Anyway, naturally once I read this stuff, I thought Monty was having said bad reaction because he seemed lethargic. I started to freak out but you have to understand, this is vintage Robin. I really wanted to call the doctor but Gary calmed me down and basically told me to stop acting so insane; the dog was fine and of course he was a little lethargic...he's been sick, he's been through multiple testing, and he's on both the medication for Cushing's and a strong antibiotic for a bruise on his foot. Anyway, Monty dog totally turned a corner yesterday and is acting like a puppy with his Cushing's symptoms almost gone, and even better, as if he could read my mind, our vet called to see how he was doing. I thought that was the coolest thing ever so I'm going to give him a shout out - Dr. Steven Radbill - he's been taking care of our dogs since 1973. He talked me down some more even though by then it really wasn't necessary because Monty was back to following me all over the house and asking for treats and wanting to play outside.

Hurrah! And this morning he's hilarious altogether. He slept through the entire night (first time in weeks!) but when he did wake up, he literally stuck his nose under my body and turned me over and gave me a big kiss. I almost wept with relief.

Okay, I did cry. I'm crying now. I love that little guy so much...

Anyway...

Other than that, the rest of the week has been pretty cool. Tuesday night daughter Julie Slick and I went out to what has become our favorite Happy Hour in Philadelphia...cocktails at Fish. Hands down the best. Except for the fact that I foolishly exceeded my two drink limit and had a total blackout afterward - oh my God, I don't even remember the cab ride home but on the plus side, I know Julie and I had an awesome time and I didn't throw up. So there's that. We started with Spanish 75s – Spanish Cava, Gin, and lemon juice and then moved on to something else...can't recall what it was but I do know it came in a martini glass so that explains a few things, I guess.

On Wednesday, I continued on my roll and had another story short accepted for publication, this time for an anthology called "Don't Tread on Me". What reeled me in to write a piece for them was their submission guidelines:

"The focus for this anthology is, at the title suggests, revenge. Stories can run the gamut in terms of genre, point of view, and mood. Think anything from Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” to Roald Dahl’s “A Connoisseur’s Revenge,” Ray Bradbury’s “A Careful Man Dies” to Stephen King’s “The House on Maple Street.” The stories could be told in the first person or third person, by the victim or the seeker. The story could be mainstream, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, supernatural, or horror. Make the method original, tell the story from an odd perspective, give things a twist, surprise and impress me."

I had seen that call for submissions over the weekend and immediately went to work on a story I had started a couple of months ago but never really fleshed out. By Wednesday I felt I had polished it to where I thought it might have a chance, and again, much to my shock, less that three hours after I subbed it, I received this email:

"Robin,

It's a haunting and very, very well-done story. Accepted with pleasure.

Contracts will be emailed out after the April 30th deadline. In the meantime, feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions.

Congratulations and welcome aboard!

Greg"

Man, I love me a good acceptance letter. So my confidence restored, I began attacking my new novel again with fresh energy. Now that the dog anxiety ls lifted, I feel like I could write non-stop for hours. And I may get that chance next month when I'm part of a very special writing retreat. Oh man, try not to be jealous when I give you the details. Hmmm....best to not jinx it. I'll talk more about it as soon as I have my plane ticket firmly in hand and I know for sure it's happening.

Oh, and the reason this post is called "Ohm"? Well, not just because I've had to take deep breaths all week over the dog, but because I've caved, I'm already a vegetarian and now apparently I'm a hipster, too, because yes, much to my own personal shock, on Sunday afternoon, I am taking a beginner yoga class and have signed on for eight weeks of it.

*ducking*

Hey, I think it's an awesome idea. It may even be the first class associated with exercise that I don't quit. And as much as I'm tempted, I'm not going out today or tomorrow to buy a fancy black yoga outfit or my own spiffy mat because if I buy the clothes, you know it'll just be another jinx and as far as the mats go, they have them at the yoga studio and my, ahem, instructor told me I should try out a bunch on Sunday to see which I like best before investing any money.

I'll take the one that feels the most like a bed, please.

In a perfect world, within a few months I will be able to meditate and clear my brain of poisonous thoughts as mentioned in the opening paragraphs of this blog; I will be able to breathe like a normal person, and maybe, just maybe, be a human pretzel, too. And if I can knock off some weight at the same time, well, you can call me hipster pig or whatever you want, but I'm gonna be so fucking happy I'm going to be painful to be around.

Okay, enough. Time to talk music.

Julie is taking pre-orders for her debut solo CD, and I know I've hinted at the special guests in prior posts, but you are going to be freaking amazed at the stellar list of musicians contributing. When Julie first conceived this idea, she asked me for feedback on which musicians to enlist. I simply replied: "Who are your favorite musicians?" She threw out a bunch of names and my advice was this: "Write to all of them. You have nothing to lose."

One person on her list is a legendary megastar. She was so reluctant to approach him but in the end, she gathered up her courage and wrote him an email from the heart, closed her eyes and hit "send". Within hours, this man responded so graciously we were both floored.

The CD will be available for pre-order this weekend; you can also download three tracks available now. If you pre-order the CD, the tracks are free. If you can't wait and want the tracks now, here's the link.

Julie's got some gigs coming up and I'll be promoting these more as the dates approach, but I believe tickets are available now in some cases:

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 The Balcony at The Troc
Drugbunny Booking Presents
THE RETURN OF MAD COW
with DION PACI, BRIAN MARSELLA, TOM SPIKER & G.CALVIN WESTON WITH SPECIAL GUEST JOHN SWANA + The Hoagy Wing Jazz Ensemble, The Jass with Dena Miranda and Hoagy Wing, Jason Fraticelli and the Wet Dreams with Tony Catastrophe, Birds for Arms. Julie is going to sit in on bass with Tom and Calvin et al on a couple of songs.
doors 8pm / show 8:30pm / age 21+$10

Friday, March 26, 2010 at 9PM at The Fun House in Bethlehem, PA, Julie will be playing bass with Andre Cholmondeley's band, Hidden Agenda, and I think I'll repost all of Andre's tour info here because these shows look awesome:

MARCH 2010 Tourlette with hidden agenda
trio playing a few covers, improv and music by andré cholmondeley
DRUMS: bob ramos, jon braun(thu/25th)
BASS: antar goodwin, julie slick(fri/26th)
GUITAR: andré

24 WED NJ New Brunswick COURT TAVERN (with Stretch*)
25 THU PA Plains JAZZ CAFE' (with Stretch*)
26 FRI PA Bethlehem FUNHOUSE (with Great White Caps)
27 SAT TBA
28 SUN NJ Asbury Park A BENEFIT FOR CHERI JIOSNE
ASBURY LANES (Cheri Jiosne Benefit #2)
With Silent Auction
Music By:
The Ribeye Brothers
hidden agenda, DubProof, Mike Haleta Laptop, Alan Gowa, Out Like Lambs & others
Healthy Snacks by Laura Dardi

*STRETCH.....the legendary jazz/rock/funk/fusion trio.
original lineup of Dave LaRue, Glenn Alexander and Bill Elder.

Haha, I know I should be excited about "Stretch" but I have to be honest, I am a hopeless food freak and what caught my eye immediately is "Healthy Snacks by Laura Dardi". I googled her - she's a vegan baker who studied pastry at the New York School of Culinary Arts. If you are a Facebook person, here's her link. And to read more about Cheri and the benefit, please go here and you'll get the background info.

Getting back to Julie, as I've already mentioned, on March 28, which is basically when Eric will finally be back from tour (he left this morning - more on that in a minute), she is playing The Cake Shop with Paper Cat.

All of these details are on Julie's website and she updates that frequently...I also see her blog, which is linked to her website, has also been updated so it's worth a daily look for sure.

Okay, let's get to my superstar son, Eric Slick, who left for 97 tours this morning. Meaning, over the next two weeks, he'll not only be playing two festivals with Dr. Dog, he'll also be touring across the country with the fabulous Hop Along, where he inexplicably plays bass, and his amazing duo with guitarist Dom Angelella, Lithuania. By the way, Lithuania just recorded their first EP and Eric sent it to me yesterday...it blew me away. He sings! The harmonies with Dom are fantastic! So that's something to really look forward to.

Okay, here's the tour schedule for Hop Along/Lithuania:

Ooh, wait: Special shout out to my pal Mike Inman - Asheville show!

Mar 12 2010 8:00P
The Hexagon w/ Dangerous Ponies, Lithuania, and Secret Mountains Baltimore, Maryland
Mar 13 2010 8:00P
The Dull House w/ Dangerous Ponies, Lithuania, P.S. Eliot, and one more T.B.A Richmond, Virginia
Mar 14 2010 8:00P
Cookie LaRue w/ Dangerous Ponies and Lithuania Asheville, North Carolina
Mar 15 2010 8:00P
WonderRoot w/ Dangerous Ponies, Lithuania, and the Long Shadows Atlanta, Georgia
Mar 16 2010 8:00P
The Farside w/ Dangerous Ponies, Lithuania, Curious Animals, and Bastards Out of Carolina Tallahassee, Florida
Mar 18 2010 2:45P
**SXSW** HOME SLICE PIZZA (free day show!!) Austin, Texas
Mar 18 2010 6:00P
**SXSW**HOUSE OF COMMONS w/ Wild Moccasins, Stunts, The Harlequins, Quiet Hooves, Glasgow, and more! Austin, Texas
Mar 19 2010 6:00P
**SXSW**CASA DE GALLO Austin, Texas
Mar 20 2010 8:00P
TBA **SXSW** Austin, Texas
Mar 21 2010 8:00P
TBA tour w/ Lithuania! Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Mar 22 2010 8:00P
Spring St Firehouse w/ Lithuania, Aficionado, and King Everything! Birmingham, Alabama
Mar 23 2010 8:00P
TBA tour w/ Lithuania! Nashville, Tennessee
Mar 24 2010 8:00P
Club Cool w/ Lithuania and Paul Baribeau! Bloomington, Indiana
Mar 25 2010 7:00P
Blue Arrow Records w/ Lithuania Cleveland, Ohio
Mar 26 2010 8:00P
TBA tour w/ Lithuania! Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Mar 27 2010 8:00P
The Terrordome w/ Lithuania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Back to Eric and Dr. Dog...though I see in looking over the above schedule apparently Eric is going to be cloning himself all over the place at South by Southwest next weekend because he's got a bunch of gigs with all three bands.

This morning he hopped a plane for Florida to play tonight at the Harvest of Hope Festival. Dr. Dog is the headliner tonight and they don't go on until 11:00 p.m., which is a good thing since Eric just called me from the airport and their plane is delayed, which is awful because they got to the airport at dawn. Luckily they are young and strong.

Anyway, Eric plays the gig tonight and then, while the rest of Dr. Dog returns to Philadelphia tomorrow morning, Eric flies to Richmond, Virginia for the Hop Along/Lithuania tour. As you can see, they will all be criss-crossing the country and end up at South by Southwest on Thursday. Dr. Dog has a bunch of stuff going on all weekend, but to me, this party looks to be the absolute best and I'd do anything to be there but, you know, I'm retired from the touring Mom biz..anyway, here's the article as it appears in Billboard Magazine (notice how nonchalantly I say that now? Billboard Magazine, Billboard Magazine, Billboard Magazine. See? I haven't hyperventilated once.)

Rachael Ray Enlists Zooey Deschanel, Jakob Dylan For SXSW Party

"TV cooking queen Rachael Ray is making her annual presence at South By Southwest bigger and better this year. And public.

Ray's third annual Feedback Festival, slated for March 20, is moving to its largest venue yet -- Stubb's BBQ -- with 18 bands playing four stages; Daytrotter.com will be recording performances on one of them. The show, co-sponsored by Mr. & Mrs. T drink mix maker, will be free and open to the public for the first time, and the bash will be filmed for subsequent airing on Ray's syndicated TV show.

"We wanted to be able to accommodate more people and offer as good a time as possible," Ray tells Billboard.com. "We had so many people last year and so many different types a music going on, but you could hear the bleed from a lot of other bands in other clubs. This year we wanted to go somewhere that had more room and...now we get to make it an even bigger party."

This year's Feedback band roster includes She & Him (Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward), Jakob Dylan & Three Legs featuring Neko Case and Kelly Hogan, Street Sweeper Social Club, Andrew W.K., Dr. Dog, School of Seven Bells, Justin Townes Earle, Bob Schneider, Local Natives, J. Roddy Walston & the Business, Pearly Gate Music, Steve Conte & the Crazy Truth, Freelance Whales, Lawrence Arabia, the Orion Experience, Mishka and Shayna Zaid & the Catch. The Cringe, which features Ray's husband John Cusimano, will also perform.

"I had a great time doing it last year," Schneider says. "She's got a lot of people who are there to have a good time and party, so it's fun. She has really good bands to play, and it's always fun to play on the same bill with bands you like and admire. And they have great food."

Ray, who takes an active role in selecting the bands, has created several original items for the Feedback menu -- Tex-Mex Sliders, Pulled Pork Tortitas, Quesadilla Suiza Stacks, Queso Fundido Taquitos and Albondigas Subs. "I write the original recipes," Ray explains, "and then we bring in an army and they work on mass producing them, making...troughs of them. Thankfully all I have to do is show up and snack."

And this year Ray says she's most curious to see what her crowd looks like at 10:30 a.m., when Feedback gets under way. "I wonder how many people will get up for the early part of it," she notes. "There are some people who are just coming in from the night before, y'know? But I'm excited for it, man. I think it's going to be fantastic."

I think it's going to be fantastic, too. Wah! I wanna be there! Oh well. Such is life.

Going forward, as you can see, after South by Southwest, Eric will once again jump in the van with Hop Along and Lithuania and heads to Baton Rouge, LA for some more cross country touring...he'll be back on the east coast just in time to perform with Paper Cat in New York City on March 28.

In April, all hell breaks loose. Dr. Dog's new CD will be released April 6 and that night they appear on Jimmy Fallon. They are doing tons and tons of promo including radio visits, and oh man, I don't know if I'm allowed to let other stuff out of the bag so I better shut up now and divulge the rest of this info later when I check with Eric that it's okay to blab. But trust me, it's awesome and intense! And then of course they start a huge tour on April 14 which goes straight through until the end of May; then festivals in June and July...sigh...thank God there's cell phones and the internet or I would be needing that yoga deep breathing and meditation big time right now 24/7. I'm gonna miss my son - he's also one of my best friends.

And um, I know he joined the band after the new CD was recorded, but did you know Eric was also on the cover of Rolling Stone this week?



Rolling Stone Magazine. Rolling Stone Magazine. Okay, I admit it. I am hyperventilating over that one. And once again, I am just so incredibly interested/fascinated at the way this band does things. The band, their manager, and publicist really have a pulse on the mess that is the music business in 2010 and they are making things work regardless. Good job!

They are also a feature story in the March issue of Filter Magazine which is available on newsstands, book and music stores now -- very nice pics of the band, too. Beck is on the cover if that helps.

So I already told you about said festivals, but after Eric wraps up the High Sierra Music Festival on July 4, where he'll share a bill with Widespread Panic and The Black Crowes among others, he will at last meet up with the Adrian Belew Power Trio for the Vancouver Island Music Fest July 9-11.

There's so much more stuff scheduled after that I can't even discuss it because this blog post is going to turn into a novella but I know Dr. Dog has a lot more touring planned, the Power Trio is working on some European dates, and all I can say is one thing.

Ohm............

Later,
xo

The International Film Debut of Paper Cat

Okay, so I'm using the term "international film debut" loosely, but here they are...Julie Slick, Eric Slick, and Robbie "Seahag" Mangano, known collectively as Paper Cat, starring in their very first You Tube, produced by none other than bassist extraordinaire Julie Slick herself. Hope to see you at the New York show on March 28!



Later,
xo

Odds and Sods for Monday, March 8, 2009

Good afternoon!

Today is International Women's Day. How shall we celebrate? A click on that link should give rise to all kinds of ideas. What I do know is, All Hail Women!

As for me, I'm rejoicing over many, many things here.

First and foremost, Monty dog does have Cushing's disease, which used to be a death sentence. But thanks to recent medical breakthroughs, he is going to be okay, albeit with some heavy duty medication he'll be on for the rest of his life. What's so sad is that other families with pets are not as fortunate as we are. The approximate cost of his medication is equivalent to a monthly car payment. Can you imagine a family not being able to afford that and having no other choice than to euthanize? I haven't been able to stop thinking about that, and you have my word, if I am ever in a financial position to help, I am going to set up a foundation so that no one ever has to lose their beloved pet because they can't afford to treat them. Gah! Monty is my child, and if it meant giving up the writing and returning to working in a law office during the day and folding sweaters at the Gap at night to keep him alive, I'd do it. But that's because I can. Trust me, I know how lucky I am in more ways than one.



So as you can imagine, after getting that news on Saturday, I was weak with relief. This could have been really, really bad. If it wasn't Cushing's, chances are likely it could have been an inoperable brain tumor. That's how I lost my mother as a young woman and it's a synchronicity I just could not handle.

Anyway, let's move on to better things.

Yesterday, finally feeling better after weeks of no sleep and worry, I sat down to write. I learned of a very cool magazine called Short, Fast and Deadly with occasional themed issues, and this time they asked for a story which revolved around Sweden. Even better, the story had to be 420 characters or less, with punctuation and spaces counting. So for me, that amounted to 75 words. See? All that time on Twitter has been good for something after all. It's really sharpened my flash skills. So I did a little research on Sweden, read a few very interesting things about their culture, and just ran with it. I played with the story throughout the day until I hit 420 characters exactly, crossed my fingers, and subbed it. Imagine my joy (and shock) when a mere couple of hours later, I received this email:

"Dear Robin,

We absolutely love this piece. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to include it in issue 14 of S,F,&D. Below you will find a proof, acceptance notes, and a publication agreement. Please review and return. Welcome to the ranks of the Short, the Fast, and the Deadly.

Best,
Joseph A. W. Quintela
Senior Editor/Instigator"

Let me tell you, as a writer, is there anything better than receiving a note which says, "We absolutely love this piece"? It was like between getting to the bottom of Monty's problems and that, the dark cloud I've been living under all these weeks magically lifted.

In other wonderful news, yesterday and today, Julie, Robbie, and Eric are wrapping up recording of the new Paper Cat CD and they have a very, very cool show in New York City on March 28. Details here. Actually, if you are not a Facebook member, I'm not sure if you can see that or not, so let me do a quick cut and paste, along with an awesome photo of the trio:



Paper Cat: Live Set in the Lower East Side
New York Premiere
Sunday, March 28, 2010
8:00pm - 9:30pm
Location:
The Cake Shop
152 Ludlow Street
New York, NY

Paper Cat is a musical collaboration between Eric Slick (drums), Julie Slick (bass/effects), and Robbie Seahag (baritone guitar).

This performance will be the first in NYC for Paper Cat.

Creaked Records (from Switzerland) is hosting the night and also on the bill is Switzerland's OY and SZ/Aphryn's Dismphony.

Hmmm...interesting, huh.

As we already know, Eric is one busy guy. In a separate post tomorrow or later this week, I will tell you about his upcoming mini-tour with Hop-A-Long and Lithuania...actually, you'll see the dates and venues on Hop A Long's site, but in the meantime, look what's brewing with Dr. Dog:

MONDAY, MARCH 8, 2010
Dr. Dog is everywhere in the next few weeks

Shame, Shame is the new album from Dr. Dog (Anti-, April 6). And now, Dr. Dog has built up quite a media onslaught to coincide with their upcoming tour all to promote the new album.

Tomorrow, March 9, "Stranger," the second released song from the new album will premier on Rolling Stone.com.

Apart from being the release date, April 6, will also mark the return of Dr. Dog to Jimmy Fallon's show. They'll follow that up by appearing on Jimmy Kimmel on April 28.

And as if that wasn't enough, there's only about 3 cities in the entire country they won't visit on this tour

TOUR DATES (more to be announced):

March 18 SXSW Showcase @ Lustre Pearl (12midnight) Austin, TX
March 19 Filter Party @ Cedar St Courtyard (4pm) Austin, TX
March 20 Rachel Ray Party @ Stubbs BBQ - outside (1:30pm) Austin, TX
April 14 Lee's Place Toronto, ON
April 15 Blind Pig Ann Arbor, MI
April 16 Metro Chicago, IL
April 17 Fine Line Minneapolis, MN
April 19 Belly Up Aspen, CO
April 20 Gothic Theatre Denver, CO
April 22 Neuroluz Boise, ID
April 23 Wonder Ballroom Portland, OR
April 24 Great American Music Hall San Francisco, CA
April 25 Great American Music Hall San Francisco, CA **
April 27 Henry Fonda Los Angeles, CA **
April 29 Santa Fe Brewing Company Santa Fe, NM **
April 30 The Loft Dallas, TX **
May 1 Emo's Outside Austin, TX **
May 2 Warehouse Live Studio Houston, TX **
May 3 Majestic Fayetteville, AR **
May 5 Workplay Birmingham, AL **
May 6 Cannery Ballroom Nashville, TN **
May 7 Headliners Louisville, KY **
May 10 Port City Music Hall Portland, ME
May 11 Paradise Boston, MA **
May 12 Paradise Boston, MA **
May 13 Electric Factory Philadelphia, PA **
May 14 9:30 Club Washington, DC **
May 15 Terminal 5 New York, NY **
International Tour Dates:
May 23 Magnet Berlin, Germany
May 24 Blue Shell Koln, Germany
May 25 Paradiso Amsterdam, Netherlands
May 26 Tabernacle London, UK
May 27 Nouveau Casino Paris, France
May 29 Primavera Sound Barcelona, Spain
** With Deertick:
May 31 Sasquatch Festival George, WA
June 4 Mountain Jam Woodstock, NY
June 11 Bonnaroo Manchester, TN
July 1 High Sierra Music Festival Quincy, CA

Erm, yeah, so Eric's going to be on the Jimmy Fallon Show and Jimmy Kimmel next month. And playing parties in a couple of weeks at SXSW for Rachael Ray, etc. I'm too lazy to link all the festivals he's playing this spring and summer but I promise I'll take care of that in the near future.

And yeah, another single from the new Dr. Dog LP is premiering tomorrow on Rolling Stone.

Holy crap.

Life is pretty good for my son. Julie's got some awesome stuff brewing as well but rather than bury that news at the bottom of this post, I'll do a separate journal entry on that as well. Let's just say her debut CD is going to blow a few minds...especially when you see the special guests.

Anyway...

Whew. Not to keep repeating myself, but I am pretty damn excited. Eric's gonna be on Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel. I just got that news confirmed a few minutes ago while working on this blog post so I'm a little freaked out.

Time to start posting the billboards...

Later,
xo

Monday, Monday

Let's start the day right with an oxymoron:

Happy Monday!

Sigh...

Well, the Olympics are finished and now my life can return to normal....i.e...listening to music at night. But like I said, it's been a welcome distraction to worrying about the dog, who seemed very happy and perky yesterday to get a visit from his brother and sister.



Yep, click away. That's a giant picture of Julie and Eric Slick as baby rock stars, and since they enjoy ruthlessly teasing me as a duo for all of my various faux pas when they come over, well, I have my ways of getting even.

I love my family. But no fair, that two against one stuff! Ha ha, life has a way of balancing out. Wait until they get older and realize they are starting to sound just like me while walking into walls and tripping over their own feet, too. There's no escaping the gene pool, guys.

Anyway, Eric and Julie also came over yesterday because they heard Gary made his famous and incredibly tasty cornbread topped vegetarian chili for dinner and I have pics to prove it:





Mmm...so good.

And we'll hopefully get to the bottom of Monty's problems by the end of this week but he's doing pretty damn fine for a twelve year old pup.

Both Julie and Eric had some cool news to share in between making fun of me while they were here - Eric had just come from a photoshoot for his upcoming Goldbug CD which you can read all about here. Not a bad line-up, huh.

Here's what Theo Travis had to say about how this recording evolved:

"More recently a series of small steps has led me to being on a fine album by an international group of musicians that will soon be released. In 2005 I guested on a wonderful album called Snow Bourne Sorrow by the band Nine Horses. Looking through the sleeve notes I noticed a guitarist called Tim Motzer, who I had seen on myspace. We e-mailed each other and became "myspace friends" (yes, I know, I know...) We chatted online about projects we were involved in. He then said that he was doing some recording with Markus Reuter, a touch guitarist from Germany who I had once met in Norwich at a Burning Shed event (the same event I first met Steve Lawson at - but that is another story). He asked if I could contribute to some tracks. I have a home studio so I said yes, sure. That was about two years ago and those tracks have not come out yet, but in June 2009 I played with Gong at Nearfest in the US near where Tim lives, so he came down and we hung out. We got on really well and I liked his vibe as well as his great playing and music. He then asked if I'd contribute to a new project called Goldbug - with the excellent Eric Slick on drums (of the Adrian Belew Power trio) and bassist Barry Meehan. I said send me the stuff and I really dug it. So yes - I overdubbed some tenor solos and flutes and sent it back to Philadelphia over the internet (amazing how you can do that these days).

Last week I received an e mail with the mixed tracks attached including my solos. Well - I was blown away. A mixture of exotic, electronic and natural sounds mixed with great but subtle and building grooves topped with great guitar playing and now my tenor sax too. The music is sonically every rich and powerful but not overbearing - sometimes occupying that interesting rhythmic territory between abstract rhythm and great grooves. Whilst I don't remember my solos being anything special, and my recording equipment is quite basic really, Tim has done such a great mix, that everything sounds fantastic, and the sound of my sax is one of the best mixes I have heard. The full title of the project/ album is called Goldbug-Journey to Eskeopia and Tim describes it as " a journey in groove exploration, textures, and orchestration cut up, mis-aligned, and re-imagined for the wandering ear." Yes indeed!"

So...yet some more great "Slick" music to look forward to in 2010. To my knowledge, there's that, the upcoming Paper Cat EP, an appearance on a live Eddie Jobson CD when they played in Europe/Russia last fall in what I'm loosely going to call the King Crimson Festival but was really not, Julie's debut solo CD which is sounding better by the minute with more and more surprise "guest" appearances by some really awesome musicians, and of course the upcoming California Guitar Trio release where both Julie and Eric appear on two amazing songs. Speaking of CGT, I came across this fantastic You Tube via Twitter of the trio performing with Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto:



This was filmed at the Quebec Summer Music Festival, and I just sighed out loud. Oh, how I love that city. I actually felt a pang of something similar to being homesick just now...I really need to go back and spend some extended time there. Anyway, that You Tube gave me the chills and I felt the need to share it.

Finally, in Julie Slick news, you may have already seen this on my Facebook page or on Julie's website but she was interviewed by the brilliant Kimberly M. Wetherell over at The Nervous Breakdown:

"21 Questions with Julie Slick



"Please explain what just happened."

"I just finished making a Thai Butternut Squash Bisque and confirmed that a friend is coming over for dinner to help me eat some of it."

"What is your earliest memory?"

"Eating a forest green crayon behind the couch so no one could see me. The tangerine one wasn’t as good....""

You know you can't resist. Read the rest right here...it's truly wonderful.

Ooh, and this just in: Paper Cat will be performing at the Cake Shop in NYC on March 28; doors at 8:00 p.m. What's this? A real cake shop? Oh please let it be true...

(But we all know it's probably a hipster bar in Brooklyn. And that's okay!)

I think that's all I have for today but you never know. Ha ha, in re-reading this entry before publishing it, I just realized I should have titled it DGMLive Supplemental and Extraneous News.

Later,
xo

Good Times, Bad Times, You Know I've Had My Share...

Good morning.

Or is it?

ETA: Oh my God, it is a GREAT MORNING! I'M IN THE FREAKING HUFFINGTON POST TODAY! Look! (And oh yeah, once you click on that, please oh please click the link to buy the book! It's truly wonderful, I promise.)

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Unfortunately, we're currently getting pounded by yet another snow storm, and while it was fun in the beginning of the winter, I'm now at the point where if I never see another shovel or ice patch again, I seriously won't mind. I need the beach.



Anyway, I'm also out of sorts because Monty the wonder dog, with whom I'm cavorting on said beach a summer or two ago, is not feeling well. Yes, I realize he is 12 years old which is 84 years old in people years, but up until now, he's been a total puppy. They think it's Cushing's disease. If you are a dog lover, do yourself a favor and do not Google that (which is why I am sparing you the actual link). But I've been obviously researching it non-stop on the internet and while there are horror stories, there are also many success stories so I am taking it one day at a time and not going to stress until we get a definite diagnosis and see how he responds to treatment. But in the meantime, he wakes me up every hour on the hour for either water or to be let outside. So I'm a little sleep deprived at the moment, too. But other than that, he's fine...playful, good appetite...okay, enough. On to the better stuff.

In case you haven't seen the billboards I've already posted all over the internet, Julie Slick has a new website which is interactive and is currently showcasing some of her new music, both solo and with Paper Cat, as well as work she has done with Adrian Belew and Cheers Elephant. Also be sure to check on her artwork - she is an amazing, amazing portrait artist and she's taking on a few commissions...I personally already own a few Julie Slick paintings which are proudly displayed in my living room but I do not have nearly as many as I would like.

Speaking of Paper Cat, Julie, Eric, and Robbie have a gig on May 21 at The Khyber in Philadelphia - tickets will be available soon and when they are, you know I'll be giving you the link.

Here's an awesome article in The Deli, a local indie newspaper which mentions Eric Slick and his pal, guitarist Dom Angelella and their band, Lithuania. By the way, Eric played at that epic New Year's Eve party...if memory serves me correct, he jammed with more than one band...maybe all. Ha. That sounds about right for Eric.

"Since its inception, the City of Brotherly Love has been known for its independence. Keeping the spirit alive, Philly’s latest DIY art space The Ox is circulating buzz amongst show goers and bands alike. Co-founder Daniel Hughes was nice enough to take a little time and spill some deets about the venue, the Philly scene, and of course, roast beef.

The Deli: How did The Ox start? Who runs it?

Daniel Hughes: Living in a warehouse was always something I'd wanted to do, but wasn't realistic because of school obligations. After I graduated, I was approached by my friend Brendan about the idea of making it a reality. A couple of us got together and assembled a rag tag group of individuals who were willing to give it a shot. I see this as my chance to give back to a scene that did so much for me. We are attempting to run the space democratically which can be a huge headache. Bernie and myself book most of the shows, but everyone is involved and has the ability to do what they want.

TD: Aside from manning The Ox, what else are you into? Day jobs, involvement in the art/music scene, etc.?

DH: 4 bands (Shitty Knees, The Armchairs, Norwegian Arms and Kim Jong Bill), artists, printmakers, filmmakers, a sound guy, an art teacher, a writer, a hairdresser, a political scientist, a dude in Russia, a dog and a cat.

TD: What are your highlights/fave moments at The Ox?

DH: Currently, building an igloo on the roof. We just hosted an event our friends have every year called “Mightyfest”. Lots of delicious food and games (feats of strength). We had a pretty wild Halloween party featuring all cover bands. Our friend Dom's band Dragonzord played In The Aeroplane Over The Sea from start to finish. People were REALLY into it. But I'd have to say my absolute favorite moment had to be our New Years Eve party/show. Our good friend from high school, Tuan Le, was in town from LA and documented it for us. Aside from having around 11 bands playing, all the music during the party was from the last ten years and Dragonzord played a cover set of hits from the decade at midnight (from the Dirty Projectors to Miley Cyrus).

TD: What are some of the pros and cons of running a DIY venue?

DH: Pros: Hosting fun things, meeting cool people, introducing cool people to other cool people, learning life skills (like compromising), space/freedom. Cons: Cleaning up, having to work when your friends are having fun, putting up with bands/events you don’t personally enjoy, long/painful but often necessary deliberation in email and in person, and occasionally having to deal with people who disrespect the space.

TD: Where did you grow up? Did you go to local shows? If so, what shows or venues were most memorable?

DH: All over PA, NJ, Chicago, Wisconsin. Brendan and I lived in the same town, but only recently met within the last year. He was pretty active in the Lansdale scene and booking shows and we knew a lot of the same people, so I wouldn't be surprised if our paths crossed and we never even realized it. My friend's were in bands in high school so I would go out and support them when they had a gig. My absolute favorite "local" show was seeing Good Clean Fun play at the Trappe YMCA after “Hellfest” got cancelled. Greg and I used to take the R5 in to the city when we were in high school to see R5 shows (go figure). I used to and still do love seeing shows at the First Unitarian Church. My first one was seeing Ted Leo (with Greg). That was definitely memorable for me.

TD: What are some upcoming events at The Ox that you’re excited about/looking forward to?

DH: We've got some shows coming up that still need to be confirmed, but I'm potentially really excited about those. We're trying to do more art/non music shows with the New Year. Our next is April second and it should be good. Marvin Gaye birthday party to follow. I'm usually excited/looking forward to all of the shows we have, otherwise why do them? Shameless plug time: March 6--Ape School, The Armchairs (roommates!), Grandchildren, Lonnie Walker, Dinosaur Feathers. March 9--Folklore, Sea of Dogs, Quiet Hooves, Bubbly Mommy Gun. April 1--The Pharmacy, Dangerous Ponies, The Spooks, Kingdome, Bellys and April 14--1994!, Grown Ups, Netherfriends.

TD: Finish the following sentence. The Ox is __________.

DH: The Ox is a unique and dynamic space that has many surprises in store for 2010 and beyond.
TD: What is your favorite thing about Philly’s music scene?

DH: It's diverse and interesting. Lots of good people doing what they love and are willing to help each other out. The fact that places like ours can exist.

TD: Which local artists are you currently into?

DH: Most of my favorite bands right now are ones that have played here. Shameless plug time again. I've been really into Dragonzord and Hop Along recently. Dom and Eric Slick have a new project called Lithuania, The Homophones, Chang Chang (best dude ever), Plastic Little, Teeth of Mammals (local enough). The Divine Lorraine, Power Animal, and so on, and so on, and so on.

TD: What do you like to get at the deli?

DH: I'm a Roast Beef man, but nothing beats a good Italian hoagie!"
********
I see he also mentions Ape School, and Eric is a frequent drummer for that band as well...don't know if he's playing the March 6 gig or not but I think he's around so it could be...will let you know. In the meantime, he's got one hell of a month of March with Dr. Dog coming up before the big April/May tour, including the Harvest of Hope Festival March 12-14; gigs and parties at South by Southwest March 18-21, and of course the show at the Rotunda in Philadelphia on March 2, but that is for University of Pennsylvania students only.

Love this new press photo of the band...



For those of you who have been asking, the Adrian Belew Power Trio is simply on hiatus at the moment while Julie and Adrian work on solo projects and Eric tours with Dr. Dog. As far as I know, they will be playing a couple of shows in Vancouver in July and possibly a European run in October but I'm kind of happily out of the loop so I do not know for sure. When I say "happily out of the loop", it's because yes, Julie and Eric are adults and have their own apartments and lives so I learn about most stuff these days from Pollstar and Google just like the rest of you and it's all good.

Great news for the trio's tour manager and all around tech person, Andre Cholmondeley, he's "tourletting" with his band, Hidden Agenda, and I'm hoping they hit Philadelphia for sure but here's the dates and info I do have on that:

MARCH 2010 Tourlette with HIDDEN AGENDA
trio playing a few covers, improv and music by andré cholmondeley
bob ramos-drums, antar goodwin-bass, andré-guitar, jon braun-drums 3/25

24 WED NJ New Brunswick COURT TAVERN (with Stretch*)
25 THU PA Plains JAZZ CAFE' (with Stretch*)
26 FRI PA Bethlehem FUNHOUSE (with Great White Caps)
27 SAT TBA
28 SUN NJ Asbury Park ASBURY LANES (Cheri Jiosne Benefit #2)
With Silent Auction and various musical acts

*STRETCH.....the legendary jazz/rock/funk/fusion trio.
original lineup of Dave LaRue, Glenn Alexander and Bill Elder.

Oh, getting back to Julie, as I mentioned above and as you'll see/hear on her website, she is indeed working on her debut solo CD and she's invited some very interesting "special guests" to appear on some/most of the cuts. Julie has surprised me once again...her song writing is quite amazing. Who knew? She's been emailing me MP3s in various stages and I have to admit, I crank them up and get the chills. Surely they switched babies on me at the hospital but then how do I explain Eric? Ha ha, let's just say we fed them right.

And back again to Eric, You Tube has finally provided me with a decent clip from their tour a couple weeks ago...here's Dr. Dog with Eric on the drums performing "The Ark". This is very cool, but I have to tell you, Dr. Dog is a band you want to see live. You Tube does not do them justice.



So I think that's it for now. I haven't felt much like writing but I have a bunch of great books to read and then of course there's the U.S. v Canada Olympic gold medal hockey game this afternoon. This is the first year ever I have watched the Olympics daily/nightly but I've been so stressed because of the dog and awake at all hours of the night it's given me a welcome distraction. I do have to say that NBC's coverage has been HORRIFIC. There is just no excuse for it (delayed broadcasts, spotty coverage, idiot announcers...you name it) and I'm sure there are many bloggers who have already addressed that so I'll leave it alone. Just to let you know how out of it I've been, I've even been watching and somewhat enjoying curling! Jesus Christ, what a stoner sport that is. What scares me is that I now understand it!

And let me say right now I have a cougar crush on Shaun White (yeah, yeah, who knew Carrot Top could snowboard?) and that I loathe both the creepily manipulative Lindsey Vonn and her crybaby teammate, Julia Mancuso. So much so that I will not even give them the courtesy of a link.

Do I believe I am even talking about this? My cool factor just plummeted to below zero, huh.

And of course I am a lame-o who also loves figure skating. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I have this geeky fantasy that I have the job of picking the music for them to skate to. Because really, other than the male skater who performed to Jimi Hendrix' Axis Bold as Love the other night, the music has been crap. When I think of what they could be skating to, I want to weep. Here are two songs I'd pick immediately, and I hope you click on them because they are both very, very special to me.





Something tells me I'm forgetting other news but to be honest, I'm so whipped I don't even know what day it is and I'm just trying to keep it together.

I remain optimistic.

Later,
xo