Back Issue
MyWeek in Music February 21st to February 28th
by Scott Zensen
Photographs by:
Gina Bautista
Podunk Nowhere Image courtesy of:
Podunk Nowhere
Well first let me say I am extremely sorry I didn’t get an issue out last week. I have been fighting a battle against some kind of weird cold or sinus problem that I can’t get rid of, and I am still suffering from. I am feeling better so I can get this out this week. I have felt better twice in the last couple of weeks and so went out to couple of shows but each time I do, I come down sick or sicker the next day! I can’t get to see a doctor because my doctor only has certain days they see people and I hesitate to go to emergency care but my family seems to think I’ve got walking Pneumonia but that is not the case. I don’t even have Bronchitis. I generally feel ok just a little weak and I cough a LOT, but it is not inside my lungs it is just a sinus problem that is seriously aggravating my esophagus and bronchial tubes. Sorry to talk about this here but it is the reason I haven’t been consistent with the blog and it is a blog. So I guess I can talk about anything, even if it is not interesting to anybody.
Well I am not sure I can give an itinerary of MyWeek in Music like usual so I will just give a few impressions of shows I have seen in the last couple of weeks or so. Next Week I hope to be better and out going to the 7 to 10 shows I usually get to!
In the last couple of weeks I have seen some good shows and some bad shows. I won’t dwell on the bad shows, but I will say something about some of the best. I went to see The Grass Gypsys a while ago at the 710 club in Pacific Beach. I really liked listening to the Grass Gypsies but they were actually a band called the Traveling Tree which is an amalgamation of several bands or singers compiled of The Grass Gypsys and a traveling companion of theirs named Nicolas Despo and our very own Amy Castner from Compass Ross. Now I don’t know if this was a typical compliment of the Traveling Tree but it was a great show and example of harmonization between the vocals and musicianship. It really showed what this group of musicians are capable of and it was great fun too. Now there were going to be four bands tonight. Next was Citizen Band, American Hitmen, Mother Grundy. But since I wasn’t feeling grand that night still dealing with my personal problems I got a ride home early with some friends, but not before hearing the great sounds of Citizen Band. Now every time I hear Citizen band they sound great and they don’t always do the same songs over and over again. Jeff Berkley obviously likes to mix it up. But after an amazing set of their own songs they did a cover of our very own Deadline Friday in one of my favorite and their signature songs from their first album called “Broken Man”. Now I can’t truly say that Citizen Band did the song as good as Deadline Friday (they didn’t) but damn they did a damn fine job! It was a stellar night of music and it’s a shame I couldn’t stay for the other bands but since it was a Listen Local Show you know it was gonna be good. Whether I was there or not!
So the next show I got to was at OB Farmers market. I was supposed to go see The Grass Gypsys but I was an hour late and I missed them totally and only got to see a little of my friend Jefferson Jay and I took off with Chuck Schiele for a drink and came back towards the end. But this was only a prelude to the show I really wanted to see. The Podunk Nowhere CD Release party at Winston’s. It wasn’t for a few hours after the market show shut down so after helping Chuck pack up his gear I went on a walk to see what I could find. After talking with some friends in various bars I ended up back at Winston’s but way too early! A reggae band (I didn’t catch their name) was playing they were ok but not my type of thing especially since most of their tunes had different lyrics but the underlying music was sampled from many “70’s” songs from Curtis Mayfield and Donny Hathaway and others. They played it well though. Finally some of my friends started showing up including Johnny Janiga a good friend and one half of Podunk Nowhere.
There was a weird incident before the show got started where a woman I didn’t know decided to jump in my lap but wouldn’t talk to me. It was a little strange and when a friend (who was female) showed up to sit next to me after the woman had jumped off my lap. The woman came back and asked her if she was my wife, which I laughed at and my friend was like “What” “Huh”…Well anyway the woman took off and left the bar and she left her CD at my table. Ironically it was The Grass Gypsy’s whom I went to see earlier in the evening and didn’t get to hear!
The Show started with Chad Ferran and Chris McGrill accompanying him on a few of his Brazilian songs with Guitar and Banjo. After Chad was Tim Walikis of The Lone. I don’t remember much of either of these musicians playing because I was waiting to listen to Podunk and of course socializing with my friends. What I did hear I liked! Podunk took the stage and just half-hour before I was talking to Johnny and we were wondering where all our friends were, but before they took stage many of them showed up and packed Winston’s for their portion of the show. As usual they were awesome and again I know I repeat myself. But they are such a cute couple and they show such good chemistry together that it is just starts sucking the rest of us in and spreads like a virus until we are all feeling their happiness. Johnny seemed especially pleased at the outcome of the evening and Heather was very happy as well. It already was a smashing success and we had yet to hear more music the rest of the evening. The Grams were supposed to play but His Craigness and Sweet Elise were nowhere to be seen? Chuck seemed to be looking around for them? But it may have been possible he had foreknowledge that they weren’t going to make it! Who knows! So in typical “the show must go on spirit”! Chuck Schiele took the stage and completed the show doing many of the Grams songs and a few covers including a Johnny Cash song that I am sure we will hear again at the Cash Only show on the 22nd. Johnny Janiga seemed really pleased he did a Cash tune. I know that Johnny had a lot of respect for the Original Man in Black. Mister Johnny Cash. The show was fun from beginning to end and I think that Johnny and Heather were really happy with the results. All this and on top of that you can now BUY their CD and listen to their great songs everyday if that is what you want to do. I know I do! Next time you see they have a show go buy one you won’t be sorry it’s a great CD!
The final show I have seen lately was at Lestat’s where I joined my friend Gina to watch the Gregory Page Show. As usual Gregory sounded great playing many of his favorite and many new songs from his latest CD’s. He challenged the audience to make up a list of their favorite Gregory Page songs and email it to him so he can make a possible Compilation CD of his best songs picked by his fans. If you don’t have an email address I am sure you can send the message on his MySpace site Gregory Page Myspace site
For rest of the show, Martin Greaves accompanied many songs he did on the piano and at the end of the first set, Gregory did a song or two with Roy Ruiz Clayton. Then he let Roy finish the set with a few tunes of his own. As much as I like Gregory I think that was my favorite part of the evening. Roy’s style is his own but very similar to Bob Dylan a favorite singer of mine! The second set brought both Gregory and Martin out to do a few more songs and a few more stories. And during one song after looping the guitar and Martin playing piano he read aloud from his journal of a time he was in Paris. It was lots of fun!
Well I meant to go to many more shows this week but I just wasn’t up to it. Sooner or later I have to be able to get rid of this health problem and get back out there. One friend expressed a concern of me keeling over but I assure people I think I am heartier than that. I will get better it just may take longer than I ‘d like!
'Til then I'm Out!
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