Author Archives: markweiss86

Unknown's avatar

About markweiss86

Mark Weiss, founder of Plastic Alto blog, is a concert promoter and artist manager in Palo Alto, as Earthwise Productions, with background as journalist, advertising copywriter, book store returns desk, college radio producer, city council and commissions candidate, high school basketball player, and blogger; he also sang in local choir, fronts an Allen Ginsberg tribute Beat Hotel Rm 32 Reads 'Howl' and owns a couple musical instruments he cannot play

Gunn alum and dad leads softball surge

Posted on April 19, 2013 by markweiss86

I bumped into my Gunn classmate Matt Maltz and his son Andrew at Piazza’s market Sunday and was very impressed to learn that he is coaching the girls softball team at our Alma Mater. I checked out two games as … Continue reading →

Posted in ethniceities, sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Stanford teacher wins Pulitzer Prize for fiction novel about North Korea

Posted on April 16, 2013 by markweiss86

Adam Johnson is a teacher at Stanford who I was stalking last year, after first noticing him on Charlie Rose. I sent him an email, attended two public lectures and bought his book. I mention or link to him in … Continue reading →

Posted in words | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I’m trying to post Olivia Tremor Control live at Cubberley from April, 1999

Posted on April 4, 2013 by markweiss86

Somebody captured and then delivered to me a cdr of Olivia Tremor Control at Cubberley Community Center (auditorium), from April 24, 1999. All told, I have about 40 hours of music from the 150 or so shows I produced there, … Continue reading →

Posted in chapel hill, music | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Martin Sexton at City Winery Palo Alto

Posted on April 3, 2013 by markweiss86

I took note of a Martin Sexton concert in New York last week, from a blurb in The New Yorker. He played three nights at City Winery, at 155 Varick. The preview said that Sexton is promoting a new ep … Continue reading →

Posted in music, this blue marble | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Ethan Iverson “do the math” on tenors

Posted on March 31, 2013 by markweiss86

Recently Oliver Lake tweeted “happy birthday” to Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis. I responded, “If I played tenor, I’d spend all my time not with TraneSonnyWayne but Lockjaw, Byas, Gonsalves, A. Cobb, G. Ammons, B.Webster, Lucky T.” Several people took this to … Continue reading →

Posted in jazz, sf moma | Tagged | Leave a comment

Sid Mobell all around jeweler

Posted on March 27, 2013 by markweiss86

Tony Fenwick once introduced me to a fraternity brother calling me “an all-around jeweler” and at first I was taken aback; I thought it was some kind of coded ethnic slur. But I decided it was a variation on the … Continue reading →

Posted in ethniceities, filthy lucre, media, music | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Arnell Soprano

Posted on March 26, 2013 by markweiss86

Terry and I ondemanded a well-above average film about the music biz called “Don’t Stop Believing” about Journey finding singer Arnell Pineda in a Manilla-based coverband called Zoo on youtube and going on to gross $500,000 in multiple dates here … Continue reading →

Posted in art, ethniceities, media | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Offspring breakers

Posted on March 26, 2013 by markweiss86

“Spring Breakers” the new James Franco vehicle has him duded out in dreads and cornrows, with a gold grill; reminds of Offspring Dexter Holland and “Pretty Fly For A White Guy”. Among other things.  The title is a pun on … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Are you having a pussy riot?

Posted on March 26, 2013 by markweiss86

“Are you having a pussy riot?” I actually asked this, out loud, directed to my dog, a cocker spaniel, spayed, 14-years old, blind, deaf, who keeled over at the kennel when Terry and I were in Kona, but then made … Continue reading →

Posted in ethniceities, media, Plato's Republic, sex | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Yardley’s ‘Brave Dragons’ hits the mark

Posted on March 21, 2013 by markweiss86

CHINA CAGERS BOOK A ‘SWISH’ BUT NOT ‘SWISHY’ From Carolina Blue to ‘His ass is blue’ in reporter’s hoops odyssey Jim Yardley’s “Brave Dragons” can be read two ways, at least; one, as a basketball book that takes place in … Continue reading →

Posted in chapel hill, ethniceities, media, sports, this blue marble, words | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment