This is essentially a re-write of the post from earlier today.#
It started with a simple visual comparison between a photograph by the LA-based art photographer Sue Hudelson and something newsy online I found about the outfit that the movie star Olivia Wilde wore to a big event in New York. To wit (what should follow are two photos)
If you look carefully you will note that in the first case, from 2006, the subject “Julie” is posed next to a guitar. The image was included in a recent art show about “The Guitar in American Art” — in fact the image dons the cover of the catalog, which is edited or curated by Leo G. Mazow. Just for yucks here also is my photo of the catalog, here at my table, at Coupa in Palo Alto:
I don’t know if that is what the designer calls it, but two writers for The Dartmouth called it a “guitar dress” — their comment is the nidus of this post.
In the first version of this post I was juxtaposing the simple comparison of the two photos with a riff about the names of certain musicians, their stage name compared to their given name or legal name — the connection was that Corey Harris was included in a video series via the Richmond, VA museum that originated the guitar show. That is, Corey demonstrates his technique on guitar but also describes some of his research on the history of the blues music and the history of the guitar. Corey won a MacArthur Genius Grant and has described the link between West Africa, the Caribbean, New Orleans and the geographic influence on music forms like blues, jazz and rock.
Corey Harris, I believe he has changed his legal name to something more aligned with his world-view, perhaps referencing Islam or Rastafarianism.
Meanwhile, I see that Alvin Youngblood Hart is the opening act for a tour by Mike Campbell who was in Tom Petty’s band. They have a sold out show at The Guild in Menlo Park. I know that Hart is actually named Greg. The “Alvin” in his stage name comes from Alvin and The Chipmunks, the popular cartoon characters who, before AI, have an unnatural yet charming vocal tone. AYH played a couple shows in the earlier version of Earthwise Productions. I also wrote a paper about AYH and his song “Manos Arriba Sucker” for a class at Foothill College. The song predicts in some ways the murder of George Floyd. (The song is actually called “Manos Arriba” and includes the lyric “start with the soul” which is the title of his 2000 album). *
I noted that a musician from England named Mark Stewart had died. My former client Stew, also known as Stew Stewart is also known to some as Mark Stewart. His opus “Passing Strange” is being remounted by a local theatre group in Arlington, VA.
Last night at the Guild I saw Young Dubliners the rock band from Ireland. I waited until the Warriors game was over so missed the hit. I was musing that people call the Warriors NBA “The Dubs” — I am promoting a November 11 concert of the same group and wonder about a cheeky yet inefficient poster using Jeff Mullin and the headline YOUNG DUBS PALO ALTO NOVEMBER 11.
The music group Young Dubs perform Saturday, November 11 at Mitchell Park Community Center, presented by Earthwise
That the singer of Young Dubs explained his song about Rwanda^ made me want to book this band for the reunion of the A3M group of activists who cut their teeth protesting the Vietnam War.
Meanwhile back at the ranch with Hans, Bret and Jan, I learned that some Palo Altans are cousins of Ross Bagdasarian and that he had a cameo in Rear Window:
*I’m also reminded that I visited New Orleans in October and took the opportunity to catch up by phone with Mem Shannon, the cab driving bluesman. My trip to New Orleans is also part of the backstory for my upcoming show with James Singleton, the bass player, who appears three shows next month with Will Bernard and, from Chicago, Charles Rumback.
^Quick story: reminds me that on my way to NoName hip hop show at Fox Oakland I met a Rwandan woman who now lives in Belgium, and gave her my plus one. I feel a bit bad because a half hour earlier I promised a ticket to a teacher I had met on the BART.
thank you The Dartmouth for the fashion/journalism tip I was originally going to write about the death of Mark Stewart, Mark Stew Stewart of “passing strange”, Alvin Youngblood Hart, who prefers Greg; and Corey Harris, who I believe has changed his legal name to something either Rastafarian or Muslim. just last night someone was trying to explain the connection between the Armenian Diaspora and Alvin and the chipmunks….
What I really should be doing is walking around town putting up my poster for a cluster of shows including Raffi Garabedian, May 11, Laurie Lewis, May 14, Amendola vs Blades, JoVia Armstrong Destiny Muhammad, May 21; Sonny Smith, the suitcase junket, May 26, and Jim Campilongo, Ben Davis duo in June and July. Lydia Lunch onsale, JUST ADDED, Young Dubliners, November 11. Meghan Powers ’23 and Marius DeMartino ’25 Pointed out Olivia’s dress was guitar-shaped.
Carolyn Said in The Sunday Chron reports that even with public art the $2.2b Transit Center south of Mission is mostly deserted. Which reminds me of the desert-located land art project by Michael Heizer, called “City”.
b//w
Singer songwriter, Dan Bern is scheduled to return to PALO ALTO Sunday, October 8 at the Mitchell Park Community Center. Sometime this summer he will drive six hours from Silver Lake, New Mexico to near Santa Fe to write a song about a car. And in Denver there is an upcoming exhibit about art cars. Unless I am confusing that with the guitar show that was in Richmond, VA and is now in Nashville. Art car, guitar — I have some kind of audio process crosswiring. Or hot wiring. I am also trying to urge Binta Ayofemi to build a guitar, influenced by the interviews that both Corey Harris and Yasmin Williams gave to the guy from the Richmond Museum. Yasmin is at Stanford May 18.
Terry and I had sandwiches from this place today, around 1:13 pm
this explains it:
edit to add: this just in — is it good or bad to use a blurb from 40 years ago—? :
Queen of Siam [ZE, 1980] Having walked out on three different bands led by this dame, I have the credentials to certify this funny, sexy, accidental little record. Half the time she exaggerates her flat Cleveland accent into a hickish, dumb-and-dirty come-on or parody of same, and half the rest of the time she plays her foolish nihilist poetry for laughs, which leaves a quarter of the time when she’s the nihilist fool I’ll walk out on till the day shedies. Pat Irwin’s big-band atonalisms suit her city-of-night shtick perfectly. And “Spooky” is the cover of the year. B+ (Robert Xgau my fellow Dartmouthian, reminds me of the time I was at a event, celebrating 200 years of student journalism at Dartmouth and I was in the lobby of the Hanover Inn with Jack Steinberg and Ed Burns and I just grabbed from a bookshelf, a random Dartmouth yearbook and opened to a random page and saw a picture of Robert Christgau and said to Jack Steinberg “did Robert Christgau go to Dartmouth?” and Jack Steinberg said, who is Robert Christgau ?
and1: this is an authorized image:
Andand: Frank Kozik is the creator of the Lydia Lunch poster at the top of the page; he did one poster for Earthwise or with Earthwise, an Oxbow show in 1994. Rest in peace, hombre. Partly as a tribute to Frank, and partly out of respect for Lydia, Maya Food and Eric Kneeland are making some silk screens. Maya from The Donuts. Eugene Robinson opens.
George Packer, Gunn alum, or person who attended Gunn High in Palo Alto, The Atlantic, April 23, 2023, pp 9-12: the moral case against euphemism: banning words won’t make the world more just
graph seven: warn off; compare ward off — must consult my trusty Websters’ 11.
I’m a photo of Fields Prize winner Paul J. Cohen and I do not disprove this message
At Tuesday’s school board meeting, Don Austin addressed the forum to respond to the numerous comments from students and parents about the cancellation of multivariable calculus for next year. According to Don, the class was not canceled simply because it is a math class but because the district could not find a credentialed teacher to teach it. He went as far as stating that the teacher who used to teach the class had passed away, without giving any details on when the last time (s)he had taught it (maybe not in recent years).
This is not some random class. It is a fundamental STEM class that 43 percent of Paly and Gunn students….
edit to add: Steve, and or Eric Cohen wrote in to say that The Fields Medal is not a prize but also sent a link that said “The Fields Medal is a prize” and or that Ramsey according to the Erdos book is the guy best known for “the Party Problem” and or that yesterday April 2, 2023 was Paul’s 89th birthdate anniversary and or I added or subtracted by noting that April 3 fifty four years ago Stanford students formed the A3M but also that DB Dan Bern first wrote and then sang :
This is the year-by-year home run totals of the great Barry Bonds
This is the year-by-year home run totals of the great Barry Bonds
In 1986, he hit 16 home runs
Then 25, 24, 19, 33
25, 34, 46, 37, 33, 42, 40
37, 34 and 49
73, 46, 45, 45,
5, 26, 28
This is the year-by-year home run totals of the great Barry Bonds
This is the year-by-year home run totals of the great Barry Bonds
He won the MVP in 1990, 1992 and ’93
And ’01 and ’02 and ’03 and ’04
This is the year-by-year home run totals of the great Barry Bonds
This is the year-by-year home run totals of the great Barry Bonds
In 1986, he hit 16 home runs
Then 25, 24, 19, 33
25, 34, 46, 37, 33, 42, 40
37, 34 and 49
73, 46, 45, 45,
5, 26, 28….
Jenny Scheinman, violin, Todd Sickafoose, bass, Scott Amendola, drums and effects, performing as Damn Skippy, Mitchell Park Community, March 4, 2023: soundcheck
Jazz and folk at seven public facilities in Palo Alto
The Tiptons Saxophone Quartet & Drums Palo Alto Art Center, Wed. March 1, 2023 8 pm, free;
Damn Skippy Mitchell Park Community Center, Saturday March 4, 2023 8 pm, $20 at door;
Stephan Crump Lytton Plaza, Saturday, March 11, 2023 5 pm, free (rain cancels 🌧️);
Crump
Edu Ribeiro Trio featuring Edu Ribeiro drums, Vinicius Gomes guitar, Noah Garabedian, bass Lytton Plaza, Thursday, April 20, 2023 5 pm free;
Nellie McKay, Karla Kane, Mitchell Park Community Center, Sunday, April 23, 2023 7 pm, $20;
Allison Miller Carmen Staaf Duo Mitchell Park Community Center, Monday, April 24, 2023 8 pm, $20;
Raffi Garabedian Octet featuring Danielle Wertz, Ben Goldberg, Scott Amendola, Marcus Stephens, Danny Lubin-Laden, Owen Clapp, Mark Clifford. Palo Alto Art Center, Thursday, May 11, 2023, 8 pm, free;
Laurie Lewis and Men of Note, Alyssa Burgart Mitchell Park Community Center, Sunday, May 14, 2023, 7 pm, $20;
Amendola Vs Blades, JoVia Armstrong Destiny Muhammad Duo, Mitchell Park Community Center, Sunday, May 21, 7:30 pm, $20;
Sonny and the Rhinestone Sunsets, The Suitcase Junket, Mitchell Park Community Center, Friday, May 26, 2023, 8 p.m. $20
Freddy Jones Band, Lytton Plaza, Friday, June 9, 7 p.m. Free.
Cien Mil Mangos (Stanford, CA),Larry Ochs Gerald Cleaver, Lytton Plaza, Saturday, June 10, 12 12 noon sharp to 2:30 pm, free
Jim Campilongo Ben Davis Duo Lytton Plaza, Sunday, June 11, 2023, 2 pm, free; world premiere; (repeats July 16);
Freddy Clarke Wobbly World, Thursday, June 15, 2023, 6 pm California Avenue “Third Thursday”. (Part of 3rd Thursday produced by Carol Garston et al — Earthwise is producing one of the six stages, at June and July versions)
Will Bernard Charles Rumback James Singleton, Mads Tolling Mitchell Park Community Center Wednesday, June 21, 2023 8 pm; world premiere; $20; repeats 6/22/23, 6/23/23 $45 for three-show pass.
Will Bernard Charles Rumback James Singleton, Ben Goldberg Sheldon Brown Mitchell Park Community Center Thursday, June 22, 2023 8 pm; $20;
Will Bernard Charles Rumback James Singleton, Shelley Doty X-tet Mitchell Park Community Center Friday, June 23, 2023 8 pm; residency $20 per show, $45 for three shows;
“The Western Edition”, Lucie Stern Community Center, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 7 pm, $20.
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, Thursday, July 20, 2023, California Avenue “Third Thursdays”.
Matt the Electrician, Sony Holland, Friday, July 21, Johnson Park Tickets on sale May 11.
Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express, Emma Catherine Sunday, 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, TheSticklerPhonics, Sunday, August 2o, 2023 2 pm, Mitchell Park Bowl, 2 pm. free
Amendola Vs Blades featuring Skerik and Cyro Baptista, Eric Person Quartet featuring Marcus Shelby, Adam Klipple, Sunday, September 17, 2 pm, Mitchell Park Bowl, Free. Note: this show features eight musicians and two sets; the AvB show on May 21 features four musicians and two sets.
David James Band Mission Rebel No. 1 Searching For the Reverend Jessie James, Sunday, September 24 2 pm early show, right before Yom Kippur, which starts at Sundown.
Earthwise at Palo Alto JCC, September 28, 2023. Hold the date: Earthwise at the JCC, which means “Jewish Community Center” but you do not have to be Jewish to attend. I have seen events there featuring Amy Tan, West Coast Live Sedge Thompson, Black Violin. (I produced a show there in December 2019 with Charlie Musselwhite, Valerie Trout and MC Lars). Rumor has it that it will be: Seraph Brass band. Details TBA.
Dan Bern, Sunday October 8, 2023, Mitchell Park Community Center 7 pm,. Note: at this show, in addition from culling from his collection of 1,000 songs, Dan will debut a song commissioned by Earthwise Productions and Lions With Wings — the online–only record label affiliated with Earthwise — about Wallace Stegner and his short story about tennis and class “As Cool As Them” on piano.
Young Dubliners, Saturday, November 11, 2023, Mitchell Park Community Center, 8 pm. $25.
edit to add:
Stefan Crump, Lytton Plaza, Saturday March 11
Carmen Staaf, Allison Miller, at The Mitch
edit to add: the headline of this post is slightly misleading in that although I started Earthwise in Palo Alto in 1994, there were years when I focused on artist management and not concerts so there were few or no shows in Palo Alto (but I worked on shows in New Orleans or New York, for example). There was only one show in 2018 (Allison Miller Trio at The Mitch) – -the year my mother died — and no shows the year before. I did 43 shows last year — my most ever. Yet I also said that, like the rain Saturday, Earthwise is doing shows intermittently: let’s say its once or twice a month, on average. The upcoming three-night residency for Will Bernard, James Singleton and Charles Rumback— from New Orleans and Chicago — a notable exception. I’m predicting 36 shows for Earthwise in 2023.
*it says “spring summer” but now includes, via editing and adding, October and November. I am not sure if I will take the winter off, as I did in early 2023, and make it seasonal, and establish an off season or a quite zone, or just keep adding dates indoors. I would think October 15 or so is the last outdoor show.
Stanford athlete Norman Dole broke the world record for athletics pole vault in 1905. He was related to the Hawaii fruit dynasty, and one of numerous people from that family to attend Stanford. (Source: Malcolm Harris , 2023, p. 94. See:
Plastic Alto with Mark Weiss 