24 noms for next president of Stanford (not in any particular order, nor with any methodology beyond having lived hereabouts 47 years minus four years at Dartmouth, four years in the city, a month in Brooklyn and a month in Austin)

Or I nominate, Michael McFaul, former Obama security chief, an ambassador to Russia, who dated a friend of mine, his freshman and sophomore years. He took us to the Grateful Dead once although I would deny the rumor about how high we got. He directs Freeman Spogli Institute, which is part of Hoover, although he is a lefty as surely as Steve Carlton.  

I nominate Matt Porteus, who runs a lab on campus overlapping in some ways with MTL crispr Cas nine. He was at Gunn with me back in the day.  Played tennis for Harvard. Not sure if that’s points for points against points for points against points for or points against.  I was describing for the undergraduate Rabiah Kabir— heck, pick Rabiah Kabir, the flute player from Berkeley, who is performing at one of my Lytton Plaza shows tomorrow I was telling her that Matt’s sister, Kim Porteus, directs the Nelson Mandela foundation. My fellow Dartmouthian. Their father was a business school professor at Stanford.  Heck Kim Porteus, a step down, but you can never fathom the human heart.

Lenny Siegel— wouldn’t that be ironic? (Lenny was an anti-war activist and later mayor of Mountain View; he lets me mine his A3M list-serve for story ideas for Plastic Alto. [editor: fuck Lenny Siegal the self-hating Jew who kicked me off his list serve for calling him a self hating Jew — he said that kibbutz are a type of military human shields no Kibbutz are a failed model of socialism but thank you Stanford for finally removing these pro-Hamas sophomoric antisemites as of 2/18/24 L’ Chaim.]

I like Weissman, Irv Weissman, but not just because our names are similar and he’s a fellow Dartmouthian, but he lives on campus near Steve & Eric Cohen, sons of Paul J. Cohen, or their former neighbor, David Leavitt, the author.  

I could easily list 100 of my favorite Stanford affiliates who would be better than MTL, who I always thought he was too good to be true.

James Barrett Yardley — who went to Gunn not Stanford and Chapel Hill. His mother was a Knight fellow in 1981. He won a Pulitzer for exposing corruption in China.  CC, Jim Yardley.

I was psyched and then in fact pulled over and called her office on her first day of work Dartmouth’s -new female president although a little disappointed to realize she was coming from Barnard not Columbia overall.

I nominate Aleta Hayes. Senior lecturer in dance. Stanford needs $1 billion gift for steam, not stem.  

Zachary Moses Ostroff, Charlie Altura

Carol Hegna Milton ‘81 — of Casper, Wyoming, and Houston, Texas disclosure a former girlfriend of mine. Jean Watt sometimes known as Jean Jean Sex Machine for reasons literally and figuratively unknown to me, but in NYC also known as Jean Godfrey June has been in leadership or editorial leadership, which is fitting here, in New York. Her father taught. Ian Watt. English. 

Malcolm P. Harris — letting him dip his beak into that billion dollar budget would bind  his hands about giving it all away. 

Some pudgy guy number 32 Vogelbach of the Mets, who just homered as I wrote this

The female harp player and writer associated with A3M — anti-war activists and alumnae.

Josh Thurston Milgrom Lecturer in Music wore a prince T-shirt. His father won the Nobel prize. His stepmother was or is married to two Nobel prize winners. Winning. Go see “Barbie”.  

John McEnroe, or Mindy Kaling, or the little girl who was actually Sri Lankan. Bill Rose for his film about Elizabeth Witsee. 

Richard Sherman. Best corner in the game. Literally the inventor of code-switching.  

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7 shows in an Earthwise month

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Pardon my mess

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Go Mama went

Bug in my bonnet about Go mama, the sculpture created by in 1999 for our public collection here later, dear session.
Sitting in the warm morning sun outside Izzy’s where Olivia created some floral art I knew her mother slightly from her days at the daily Dartmouth. What’s wrong babe?

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Panel finds that MTL shit does, indeed, stink

PROMISE TO EAT MORE RUFFAGE DOES NOT PASS MUSTER FOR POOPY PREXY, BLUE CHIP LAWYERS SAY

💩

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Iconic alumni of the Stanford Jazz Workshop

For example, Dayna Stephens tuck Andress, Jenny Scheinman, Allison Miller, Mulgrew Miller no relation I’m not Cohen, Charles McPherson , Regina Carter

remarkably every performer at the concert series also teaches at the camp or workshop.

Stanford has a virtually unparalleled mix of performances and education; for the emerging and young professional, it’s a great networking and team building and building opportunity; the coffeehouse, Coho features jam sessions, many evenings during the five week run. There are 650 students ages 10 to 81 according to Stephen Lugerner camp Director. (who himself runs, a small record, label, slow and steady during the off-season.).

I counted 19 of the 80 faculty members who have appeared in Earthwise productions, which produces roughly 40 events all year for 29 years. Jim Nadel et al have done this 51 years.
kudos, hosannas and keep on swingin’.

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Seraph Brass on-sale in Palo Alto, September 28 at the JCC, by Earthwise

This is a $50 ticket which is pricey by my standard but there’s 5,000 years of baggage to cover; I would submit it’s a bargain compared to paying $1,500 for the worst possible seats for Taylor Swift at the football stadium.

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I can’t believe how good looking I was back in 1988, with Dr. Brian Moore at The Getty


Or, as Willa Cather wrote: roses that fester smell far worse than weeds. 

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Yo or oy?

 

 

 

I have a riff about meeting today at Bird and Beckett’s Tammy Fortin, a musician who has a day job at the Stanford Museum. I remember meeting her briefly about eight years ago, mistaking her for someone named Anna Lessenger. I am sometimes too open to meeting strangers, which, in this case, drew the attention of a security guard who asked me to leave. Tammy had no recollection of this which refuted my theory that talking to her was what triggered the security intervention.
Ironically, I am composing this whilst parked outside of Campbell recital hall, where a man named Patrick Wolff just led a band; I was fantasizing about hiring him to improvise while someone with a nicer voice than mine red 20 minutes of “Howl” by Allen Ginsberg.
I am leaving the misspelling of the word “red” in reference to having bought a book about Ellen Harper, the mother of the musician Ben Harper, whose  grandfather was a communist forced to move from New Hampshire to Claremont or something.
yo or oy, jinx.

 

edit to add:

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—with Lydia Oey— fronts an Allen Ginsberg tribute, Beat Hotel Rm 32 Reads ‘Howl’ and owns a couple musical instruments he cannot play:

I bought a 90 year old alto sax from an ad in the Los Altos newspaper on Portola Street in Los Altos in 2019 the 250th anniversary of Portola discovering PALO ALTO I spent $250 on it; then I spent a bit more At Lee’s sax works, and then lent it to a musician, who shall remain anonymous here.  
more recently, I found a viola abandoned in front of the apartment building across the street, and took it to Larry of PALO ALTO to have it restored.  
I bought a banjolele made of steel at Gryphon recently;

At the Gryphons 50th anniversary party while Molly Tuttle was performing I, with the help of Steve Sano picked out a Hawaiian ukulele with Good wood.  
I may never remember his name, but the  percussionist who performed with throat singer David Hykes bought me in Santa Fe a hoop drum.  He performed at first congregation Berkeley a benefit for the Borneo rainforest group, and then I bought it from him game worn as they say.  
Someone named honey lum sold me another hoop drum at some tradeshow or fair. 
My wife, Terry, bought me some bongos by remo or something. I have a vibraslap, which is the only thing I think I play properly.  
I do have a nice cock guitar— what is Apple thinking to substitute or insert that reference?

I bought from Kid Andersen, who was clearing out his closet, and raising cash for a European road tour, an electric guitar, which I intended to gift to a particular blues underdog.  

Maybe I should turn over a new leaf and just learn to play music. Ha-ha. 

Sometimes I think I should just spend five years reading all the books I buy and never read.

From ages 16 to 22. I wanted to be a journalist and then chickened out.  At age 30 I started this concert business.  In 2011, and started this blog.  Sometimes I think I should just write as the main reason for the air I breathe.  I guess this is midlife crisis.  
Come by tomorrow at seven to see a Adam Levy. 

And1 which today I will call Adam12:

I am pulled over now in front of Windover or Roblé or Arrillaga just to say that I bought an Ahmad Jamal record at boo records in San Luis Obispo I believe it’s called “awakening” and believe that I could do nothing musical but listen to this for six months, and I wonder if I would actually learn about this music other than a kind of like it. I said something similar about ETHAN IVERSON and Keith Jarrett.  Like if I did nothing but listen to Keith Jarrett records for three years, would I approximate Ethan’s knowledge. I don’t know why my computer capitalizes his name and sometime capitalizes the name of my city. I don’t know why I leave it.  Stet .

 

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Friends, Romans, Palo Altans— lend me your ears

July and August, shows by Earthwise Productions, in Palo Alto parks, plazas and public facilities:

and my lips cannot quite form the sounds of Otis Redding outro to “dock of the bay” as I try to land back here on the table, at Coupa. 

Adam Levy & Mint Imperials Lytton Plaza, Monday July 10, 2o23 7 pm Free

Jim Campilongo Ben Davis Duo Lytton Plaza, Sunday, July 16, 7 pm, free

Lydia Lunch, Eugene Robinson, Saturday, July 15, 2023, Mitchell Park Community Center, 8 pm. $25. 

Leon Timbo, Josh Thurston Milgrom Quartet featuring Dawn Clement, Thursday, July 20, 2023, California Avenue “Third Thursdays”. 

Matt the Electrician, Sony Holland Duo with Jerry Holland, Megan Slankard, Friday, July 21, Johnson Park Tickets on sale May 11. 

Jorge Glem Sam Reider Duo, Lytton Plaza, Wednesday July 26;

Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express, Emma CatherineSunday, July 30, 2023 Mitchell Park Bowl, 2 pm. 

San Francisco Mime Troupe “Breakdown” Sunday, August 6, 2023, 2 p.m. Mitchell Park Bowl, free

Lisa Mezzacappa’s DuoB, Vinicius Gomes Fabiana Cozza, Mitchell Park Community Center, Friday August 18, 2023, 8 p.m.. 

Shamarr Allen, The SticklerPhonics, Sunday, August 2o, 2023 2 pm, Mitchell Park Bowl, 2 pm. free

Sam Burton Lytton Plaza in August — I noticed in Mojo magazine recently that the new Molly Tuttle record got a *** review but Sam Burton’s got a ****  

DaShawn Hickman, Destiny Muhammad, The Mitch, August 25. 
That’s 12 shows  

 

 

 

 

 

On a personal note, I’ll also be checking out Andrew Bird in July, Rebelution reggae in August, at Frost, plus Stanford Jazz Workshop, especially the CoHo jams. Tammy Hall plays SFJazz second stage the evening of my matinee with SFMT. And Stanford Theatre is back 4/7s of the time with Cary Grant movies. 

edit to add:

Stephen J. Cohen just interrupted my morning flow at The Coup to tell me that he had texted me a couple days ago but my fucking smart phones had been hacked by Putin’s trolls — Wired mag says that anyone who has ever run for public office here in USA! USA! is being hacked by fucking Putin and yes I qualify — to say that Eugene S. Robinson will be on KFJC later this week talking about me and his obsession over me. Eugene and Steve were housemates … old Alpha Delt house which not coinkydinky is very …and yes it was “Angel” the song by Oxbow and not the Cary Grant movie playing tonite at David Packard’s movie place palace “Only Angels Have Wings” which Apple or the fukcing huskies want to call “poorly” or …. and now have plausible deniability. So Eugene is the front man for Oxbow — and write as I say that a gorgeous song young thing in short shorts walks by me and my head turns and I type song not young — I was Oxbow’s manager for about three months the year they went to SXSW and Eugene insisted on being paid in wristbands not cash and this precipitated a dispute that was not curable and he fired me as his or their manager. So he is the first former client to appear as talent in my series. And as I was saying, Lydia Lunch sang or spoke on an early Oxbow record — I wounded not would not remember — and on cue the amazon blondie thing probably USA Water Polo –…- so I type song not young agin — Lydia Lunch sang on Angel — and I think Angel is one of the few Oxbow songs I would recognize but they played it a lot live during the era I was Oxbow’s manager. ….. and a guy who like Steve Cohen, Eric Cohen, Dan Adams, Marsh McCall and I — and I think the last time I saw Eugene in person was just after Marsh passed and Eugene’s daughter was graduating Gunn ….- and so was my quasi-godson SR was walking……Did I finish the thought that Matt Nelson is an excellent sax player about half my age — his father is Mark Nelson I met her at Coupa which indirectly created this chain of connection — Matt and Battle Trance played on Halloween at Lytton Plaza and he told me subsequently that he was part of a Lydia Lunch project and and the second one should be emphasized…..-….and this is probably a weird place to say that Dick Fregulia is in MoJo mag recently with a singer from San Francisco circa 1978 — dick was Palo Alto’s original Bohemian and held the piano chair at Saint Michael’s Alley when it was on University in 1958 or so and came to my (Not)Tom Harrell show October 2018. So Matt Nelson is part of a trio with Tim something – -and Jim Campilongo tweeted something about the bandmates of Adam Levy — and I should add that to the text per se. My computers are acting very oddly. So I am dropping a few lines and missing a stitch. Eugene  says he is appearing in Palo Alto this week but does not mention “Earthwise”. which is exactly like mentioning Eugene Robinson but not Oxbow. {Note: a year later I redact this passage; writing is never as easy as it felt that day…)


 

 

 

 

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