Calexico Live @ The Fillmore

CALEXICO - FIESTA AT THE FILLMORE!

Everything started with a project. In 1996 Joey Burns and John Convertino left their former band "Giant Sand" - to strike out on their own. Musicians have come and gone, but most of them stayed - Calexico became a band.

At Calexico concerts the people don't just stand around and listen to the music. They feel it. The audience is dancing to the trumpet fanfares and the exploding jam sessions - they are dancing to a musical cocktail with ingredients like Country-Rock, Mariachi, Latin Jazz and Mood Music. It's a cocktail called ‘Tucson-Desert-Rock’. Order it with a glass of Tequila Sunrise and you will feel like sitting in a Mexican bar. But I promise you won't need Tequila to enjoy the show; with musical diversity they play their songs on a wide variety of instruments: harmonica, pedal steel guitars, trumpets, marimbas, strings, and more.

Calexico is not a highly-organized, routine, live band with studied phrases - though that would be understandable after all these years. Instead, Calexico is an exception - they are always good for a surprise and never the same.

On 28 September they played at "The Fillmore" in San Francisco, the venue we had just visited a couple of days before for history’s sake (see my blog of 09/26/08). Now here was Calexico to present their new album "Carried To Dust."

Again, it was a little tricky to find the Fillmore. Again, we missed the tunnel. And, again, we missed the right lane. But finally we arrived there.
We didn’t have to line up at the doorway - we were almost the first people there. I got the "Over 21" stamp and the doorman cut our tickets in to halves.

The first thing we noticed was the amazing poster work at the Fillmore. The walls upstairs around the balcony and in the hallway just outside the main room downstairs are covered with years and years worth of posters of bands that have played there. It's like a museum of music experience, and it is so brilliant.
Photos of Bill Graham, performing artists in the Fillmore and 60s festivals - so much to see. We were lucky, that we were that early! Loveable at the entrance: A big pail with red apples and a sign which says "Take one... or two..." and the man with the cowboy hat welcoming every single visitor with a "Hello, how are you? Enjoy the show!"

The room with the stage was amazing - lilac and pink light from ten candelabra at the roof, Janis Joplin music and people sitting in front of the stage having some drinks created a wonderful atmosphere. Nothing we'd ever read about the Fillmore could convey that feeling.

"The Cave Singers" opened the evening at 8 pm. An American Band from Seattle with three guys who really look like "Cave Singers" They’ve beards and long hair like men of the caves from the stone age.
But they played nice music: Acoustic guitar and drums plus various instruments like melodica, harmonica and electric guitar and the voice of the singer Pete Quirk. The audience was excited by the instrumental variety.

After 45 minutes they left the stage to make room for the main act of the evening."Calexico" came on to the stage - but not to perform. First they placed their instruments, checked the sound and plug in the last cables. No roadies - "Calexico" is a DIY-band!But finally, they entered the stage to play music.

I had been at a concert of the band before. I remembered an amazing light show and a perfect sound. I remembered that they sounded melancholic, a little sad - sadly amazing.

But this evening showed another side of "Calexico": Two trumpets and much Mexican influences started a Mexican party in the Fillmore.The band was perfectly matched. A short side glance and the instrumentalist were on the same track. Everyone of the seven musicians were outstandingly talented. Sometimes the viewer (and listener) felt like standing in Calexico's rehearsal room, watching them jamming and having a great time trying new songs and different passages.

They played perfectly: The mostly inconspicuous, but wonderfully precise John Convertino on drums, with his concentrated facial expression, the excellent guitarist and vocalist Joey Burns, the German Volker Zander on bass, guitarist Paul Niehaus, the guy-next-door, who was also wonderful at the pedal steel guitar, the multi-instrumentalist Martin Wenk, again a Germany guy, who played Accordion, keyboards, trumpet, vibraphone and finally the trumpeter Jacob Valenzuela with his great voice plus a guest musician who played another guitar and supports the band with his vocals.

Almost 45 minute encores and sentences like "We love to be in San Francisco" caused calls from the audience like "Come back soon and do not let us wait another three years!" Excited applause guided them off the stage.

After the fiesta, the Fillmore was closed soon - the visitors were woo’d with free posters out of the doors. And "Calexico" only stay for a short, late dinner, because the tour bus was waiting outside to bring them to Los Angeles.

‘The Fillmore’ in San Francisco

Today, Isabel and I visited '

The Fillmore' in San Francisco – one of the most famous and historic music venues in California and beyond.

It was a little tricky to find it, because the Geary Street is divided in two lanes, which are seperated by a tunnel and to get to the Fillmore you have to drive next to the tunnel. If you miss the right lane there is no mercy - you have to drive miles until you are again allowed to make a u-turn or a left turn.

Yes, we have to suffer in the San Francisco traffic and the streets system!

A short look at the history of the Fillmore: The Fillmore West was founded in 1968 at the Geary / Fillmore Street corner. Its sister venue in New York - the Fillmore East - was founded three years later.
It was Bill Graham, who opened the doors of the Fillmore in San Francisco and New York. Over several years, the elite of the rock scene showed up in the two Fillmore clubs.
Among the many rock bands and musicians which played and sometimes recorded their concerts at the Fillmore East or West are: The Allman Brothers Band, Frank Zappa, Derek and the Dominos, Cream, Ten Years After, The Doors, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Procol Harum, Santana, Al Kooper und Mike Bloomfield, Country Joe and the Fish, Miles Davis, Grateful Dead, H. P. Lovecraft, The Byrds, Chuck Berry, The Who.

"The Fillmore" today - with Isabel's pretty face

But who is the man behind the banner "Presented by Bill Graham"?

I know his name from the 1985 Live Aid Concert - but I am excited to hear about his role in the mid-late-60s. Bill Graham was a legendary promoter and artist manager. He was the one who booked Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead and made them popular!
The potential of the music scene in San Francisco was there in the mid-60s, but it needed a someone who was able to organize it, to create a business and to support the bands to become well known. It was Bill Graham who did.

He opened not only the Fillmore in San Francisco and the Fillmore East in New York, he also was the manager of Santana and the promoter of artists like Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones.

He organized the Trips Festival and - in 1985 - the Live Aid Concert.
Bill Graham closed his clubs. First the Fillmore East and a few months later the Fillmore West. The artists started demanding unpayable sums of money. The pay they wanted was too high for the alternative clubs. Additionally to the high amout of costs, the Fillmore West was affected by an earthquake, because Graham couldn't effort the costs.

Bill Graham died at the age of 60 in a helicopter crash - he was on his way home from a "Huey Lewis & the News" concert. Jefferson Airplane and the Greatful Dead played at the concert which had been organized to his honors.
The Fillmore West was re-opened and totally restored in honor of Bill Graham in 1991. It is again one of the most popular concert clubs in San Francisco.

We are told that the original concert posters from four decades of Rock History are decorate the walls in many places of the club and they must be very impressive - We will go to the Fillmore on Sunday to see "Calexico" and, of course, the poster.

A lot of those posters are from Lee Conklin. Conklin's Fillmore pieces are typified by the density of their detail – his posters are often traded at high prices. The viewer feels reminded of the Summer of Love, Flower Power and the 60s. The colors and shapes are very psychedelic and bring you back right into the hippie era. What’s really special: Conklin did 31 posters in only one year. That's a whole lotta work!

His original posters can be seen in the San Francisco Museum of the Fine Arts. Isabel and I will go there tomorrow to see them ourselves. Maybe, too, we will be able to meet him in person (along with many of his fellow artists) at the upcoming Trips Festival (http://www.trpp.org/)

It will be much more impressive, to see them in a museum, than on the internet!
But if you are too far away from San Francisco, not only can find an exclusive interview with him at www.LAFPmusicproject.com, you can also find a link to a whole catalog of his legendary posters! Come take a look now.

Haight-Ashbury and Amoeba Music

The center of the hippie movement in the 1960s was Haight-Ashbury. Thousands of hippies came in this district – in the west of San Francisco. It is named after the great crossroads of Haight Street and Ashbury Street – Isabel and I went there today.

Starting from the corner of Haight-Ashbury Street - in the district are still many extraordinary (alternate) stores, coffee shops, record stores, many colorful hippie houses. The hippie culture is still alive in this part of San Francisco and you can’t find any chain stores or multi-national companies. We also visited Amoeba Music in the Haight Street 1855. It’s a giant store with new and used records.
According to their own statement, it’s the largest CD shop in the U.S., housed in a former bowling hall: You will find new and used CDs, DVDs, laser discs and vinyl records in unbelievable masses.

The Amoeba Music Store

Furthermore we visited some famous houses: The Ashbury Street 710 (former home of Grateful Dead) and Lyon Street 112 (former home of Janis Joplin).

The former home of Grateful Dead

The former home of Janis Joplin

Record Plant Studios in Sausalito

Today, Isabel and I went to see "The Record Plant" studios in Sausalito, a European-style village, located directly across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco.

"The Record Plant" studios are three famous studios, founded and opened by Gary Kellgren (creative genius, producer and studio designer of "The Record Plant") and Chris Stone. The first Record Plant studio had been opened in New York City in 1968. The next year, they opened a studio in Los Angeles. In 1972, they also opened this studio in Sausalito.

Many of the legendary, top-selling albums of all time were recorded at those studios (e.g. The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Electric Ladyland in New York City, John Lennon: Imagine also in New York City, Queen: The Works in Los Angeles...).

Well-known albums recorded or mixed at this studio in Sausalito:

• Supernatural by Carlos Santana
• Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
• Graffiti Bridge by Prince
• Load by Metallica
• ReLoad by Metallica
• Music Box by Mariah Carey
• Sports by Huey Lewis and the News
  

We tried to call the studios to have a look behind the scenes – nothing but a recorded greeting, but we went to see, even if they weren’t going to answer their phone for us. But when we came there, we stand in front of closed doors. The letters were still in the mailbox, the doorbell was covered with tape, the phone, with which the doorman can be called, was dead. The legendary Plant Studios looked empty, deserted and closed. Some old couches and chairs stood behind the building, which is totally coated with wood. Old couches from the Studios? When we tried to ring the doorbell, no one answered. We asked the neighbours - but nobody had any idea, what happened to the Plant Studios.

A photo of the run-down building: Isabel infront of "The Record Plant Studio" in Sausalito

We contacted Mari Tamburo from the Plant Studios via E-Mail. She said to us, that the Plant Studios was forced out of their Sausalito location earlier this year. They are still trying to retrieve the remainder of their property. We will stay in contact with Mari - maybe we can figure out an interesting story about that topic. So stay tuned!

How can you help? - You can sign the online petition to support the efforts to preserve the building and restore the studios, as it is currently in danger of development.

Help Preserve The Plant's Music Legacy: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/PreserveThePlant

The alternate National Anthem?

Ralph Nader is given a musical salute by Tom Morello

Tom Morello, the well-known guitarist of “Rage Against the Machine” and the disbanded band “Audioslave”, supported Ralph Nader with a musical salute at The Open the Debates Rally on August the 27th in Denver - held on the same night as other big Democratic events in Denver.

Tom Morello assists Ralph Nader to help save the South Central Farm - an urban farm and community garden located in an industrial area of South Los Angeles. The city of Los Angeles sold the land out in 2002 to real estate developer Ralph Horowitz for $5 million, who plans to demolish the farm and build a series of warehouses in its place - the farmers and immigrants are forced to remove.

Tom sang, driven by his dolefulness of this issue, the original, unedited version of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land”. This version includes content about the rights of people which had been censored. Woody Guthrie wrote this song in 1940 in response to Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America”. Morello sang the “secret, censored” verses in his version:

”As I went walking I saw a sign there
And on the sign it said “No Trespassing.”
But on the other side it didn't say nothing,
That side was made for you and me.”

“In the squares of the city - In the shadow of the steeple
Near the relief office - I see my people
And some are grumbling and some are wondering
If this land’s still made for you and me.”

That’s a full-length version that you will not find anywhere.

For more information, go to:

http://www.votenader.org/

http://www.southcentralfarmers.com/

"This Land is Your Land"

"john.he.is"

"Yes We Can" is a song that was inspired by a speech from the democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obamas after the pre-election in the state New Hampshire in January 2008. It is intended to support Obamas presidential candidacy and includes performances by 37 well-known stars, mostly musicians, singers, actors, but also a former basketball player (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). Obama's quotes are sung or spoken by the artists, combined with excerpts of the speech itself. The song was released on February 2, 2008 by the Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am on Dipdive.com and also on YouTube under the username 'WeCan08'.

"Yes We Can"

Some kind of video response to the original video "Yes We Can" is called "john.he.is" which refers back to the name of will.i.am. The video can no be taken that seriously, but have a look on that. It shows that many people participate on the elections and support their favourite candidate. I found this video on YouTube - watch it and have fun!

"john.he.is"

McCain and Palin ignore “Heart’s” plea to stop playing their song

When McCain and Palin took a bath in the crowd, shaking hands and kissing babies, after delivering their speech at the Republican National Convention, it was Heart’s 1977 hit ‘Barracuda’ blaring in the background. While it may have delighted Sarah ‘Barracuda’ Palin – as she is affectionaley known for ‘going after the good ol’ boys’ that were taking advantage of her citizens back in chilly Alaska - it got the Wilson sisters and their backing band pretty hot under the collar.

Had they or the band been asked permission to use the song they would have denied the request. A member of the band also added that he had already planned “poetic justice” for its use.

http://www.heart-music.com/news/news.asp?item=112960 - if you visit this page, you will see how upsetting the use of their song it is to the ladies. They have voiced their opinion and the use of their song is continuing. If the song is used any longer I am only curious to see the “poetic justice” that is spoken of, and to see if the several other big names band furious that their songs have been used without direct permission, take the same action.

“Barracuda”

Political Anthem for John McCain

While Barack Obama has the support of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M., Bright Eyes and many other musicians (see the video clips at my blog and find artists and videos exclusively at - http://lafp60smusicproject.com/), John McCain has his own country singer.

John Rich, the American country music artist, is proud to be well-known as one of McCain’s supporting artists who played at the Republican National Convention.
Rich, 34, released his campaign song “Raisin’ McCain” on his website (http://www.johnrich.com/) to support the Republican presidential candidate – he performed it at the closing ceremony of the Republican Convention on September 3, 2008 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Rich plans to continue his musical support for John McCain during the elections in November:

“I respect McCain for his heroism over the years. He stands for the things I value and there aren’t many young conservatives like me who make it into the media, so I’m trying to do my part.”

“Raisin’ McCain” is focusing on the five and a half years McCain spent in a POW (Prisoner of War) camp in Hanoi, North Vietnam:

“Well he got shot down in a Vietnam town

Fighting for the red, white and blue

And they locked him up in the Hanoi Hilton

Thinking they could break him in two”

"Raisin' McCain"

All the way for Barack Obama

R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe sported a Barack Obama T-Shirt as the band made their first live appearance of this year at the Langerado Festival in Big Cypress, Florida on March the 8th.
All band members are well known as democrats. R.E.M. also took part at the "Vote For Change" tour in 2004.

Michael Stipe pointed out:

"I'm for Barack Obama all the way. The Clinton campaign has took a desperate turn and has, I think, shown its true colors. How dare they use fear against Americans after these past seven years? I'm really tired of politicians telling me what to be afraid of. On the other hand, Obama is hopeful, grounded and clearly intelligent. He is, relatively, an outsider to the beholden D.C. club, and I think that is what America is calling out for; not a career politician but a true outsider candidate. He represents I think the true spirit of the beginning of the 21st century."

"Looking back," Stipe continues, "I feel like we've all had enough of the fear and the arrogance, and losing our place in the world. Our very big idea of a country and democracy has been brought to a near end by very small people."

Michael Stipe's disaffection becomes obvious in R.E.M.'s latest release "Accelerate". You can listen to his sociopolitical enragement especially in songs like "Man-Sized Wreath" and "Living Well is the Best Revenge".

"Man-Sized Wreath"




“Living Well is the Best Revenge”

“Rock around Barack”

This rock band wants Obama for president: It’s Pearl Jam. Well, not exactly. Eddie Vedder, the lead singer of Pearl Jam, wasn’t involved.
“Rock around Barack” is a cover from Bill Haley’s “Rock Around The Clock” from 1955. Only the words “the Clock” has been replaced by “Barack”.
Stone Gossard, Pearl Jam’s guitarist and “Barack” vocalist, says this about the tribute:

“This is a track I’ve been thinking about for a while. “Rock Around The Clock” was the first mainstream rock and roll hit in 1955 and it had a transforming effect on American music. At that time, rock and rhythm and blues music was traditionally only played on black radio. I am, by no means, an expert on the history of rock & roll, but this was a big deal. The rhythm of rock music and its energy were so overwhelming that traditional barriers of race and culture broke down with an enormous crash. So here’s to new energy, rock and the breaking down of cultural barriers: Barack Around The Clock!”

No one knows exactly why Eddie Vedder refused to play that song. Probably Eddie isn’t quite sure yet because he always supported Ralph Nader. For Example: Eddie Vedder rallied for Nader in 2000 performing Steven Van Zandt’s “I Am A Patriot “ and Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changing” in NYC and Chicago.
But maybe he is afraid that Pearl Jam is morphing into the world’s worst cover band for Barack Obama.

Musical Support For Obama

Many years after the Vietnam War, after “Blowin' in the Wind” and after the flower power time, the music slowed.
During the time of the current and most unpopular president of all time – something was happening in America.
The Vote for Change tour was the first sign of a new musical revolution – millions of people gave those concerts a great deal of attention. It was the first real politically-motivated concert after a long time. The tour was held in swing states in which no candidate has overwhelming support.
Musicians like Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M. or Bright Eyes urged people to vote for John Kerry in 2004 – and against George W. Bush. The tour brought a lot of media attention but, unfortunately, failed it’s purpose.
Then came Barack Obama – the right man at the right time. He fascinated and motivated several kinds of musicians: Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, Arcade Fire, Bright Eyes. Even Bob Dylan told “The Times Online” that “[Barack’s] redefining what a politician is.”
One of Obama’s most enthusiastic supporters is Conor Oberst from Bright Eyes. In his song “When the President Talks to God” Conor Oberst captured what most democrats have been feeling for the past 8 years in a great song. In his performance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” he wore a black cowboy hat and a pair of boots – as if he came right from Crawford, Texas. He performed his protest and it was that special song which made him became an activist for all his listeners.

"When the president talks to God
Are the conversations brief or long?
Does he ask to rape our women's' rights
And send poor farm kids off to die?
Does God suggest an oil hike
When the president talks to God?"


Bright Eyes - When The (...) (Live)
Uploaded by FieryLiva

Bright Eyes became much more political in their new and current album “Cassadaga” (Saddle Creek). “Future markets, holy wars,” “bodies decomposing in containers,” “new pyramids down in old Manhattan,” “Little soldier, little insect,” “the vengeance of the sea” – the picture painted in “Cassadaga” is desolate and bellicose. The lyrics of their songs deal with topics like death, loss and war – and Oberst’s trembling, vulnerable voice carries through to a rewarding conclusion.

About my blog

The Summer of Love 1967: Highlight of the hippie movement. It began with the "Human Be-In" - a happening, which attracted the masses on January the 14th in the Golden Gate Park.
Among the participants: Timothy Leary, Allen Ginsberg, The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane.
In the summer of 1967, thousands of young people throughout the U.S. surged to Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco, to join and participate in the new hippie movement.
The highlight was the festival of Monterey. The Summer of Love event was symbolically buried with "The Death of Hippie" march on October the 6th in 1967. Eight months of Flowerpower, free love and a musical revolution - with its large effect.

A jolt went through the conservative-dominated U.S. society, underlaid with a new sound: rock, loud and provocative! Janis Joplin screamed her passion into the microphone, Jim Morrison let the pants down and Jimi Hendrix played on his guitar as if it was a part of himself.

September the 2nd 2007 - musicians from everywhere in the country came into the Golden Gate Park to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Summer of Love - together with thousands of like-minded people. They celebrated at ground zero, where it all began – presented by 2B1 Records and the Council of Light.

Ray Manzarek (the Doors), Moby Grape (all original members), Lester Chambers (from The Chambers Brothers), Country Joe McDonald (Country Joe and the Fish), Canned Heat, Michael McClure (Beat poet), New Riders of the Purple Sage, Nick Gravenites, David Laflamme (It's a Beautiful Day) and many, many more artists joined the event in support of the principals of peace, free love – in support of the hippie movement.

Also the “Los Angeles Free Press” was involved in this event. The LAFP officially started its 'year' with the date of this 40th Anniversary. They promoted their new online version of the LAFP at this day: A plane flew over the event saying on a banner that 'we are back'.

This is the cover of the LAFP’s edition from the 40th Anniversary of the Summer of Love

Is the idealism replaced by the demands of our today's performance society? "Make love, not war" - is the battle cry from that time fallen on deaf ears? And who was freed by the sexual revolution? And does the impact of the Summer of Love still lasts on today’s politics?

Today’s situation calls musicians from now and then to express their feelings: The presidential elections, the Culture War, economical crisis and the war in Iraq.

In this blog I will concentrate on musicians of the 60’s and today. I will try to determine their own political positions and will find out how far these musicians are politically active nowadays – for example as an "musicial support" for presidential candidates or by personal opinions in interviews.

About Me

Hello, my name is Georg.

I am interested in music. Since I was 7 years old, I play the guitar. I have a band with some my friends called "I met Violet". We're playing some kind of FOlk-Rock-Pop-Songs. We had some concerts in our hometown and we'd recorded three CDs during the latst three years.
I write songs on my own and I listen to many many different bands to be inspired.

Besides the music, I love to surf and sail. Whenever I have time I drive to a lake, 3 hours from my hometown and enjoy being on the water.
To stay in shape I do much of work out and swimming, whenever I find some time for it.

Movies are another passion. I am very firm in that. I can say, that I saw thousands of movies.
My favourite movies are "Back to the Future" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas".

Hunter S. Tompson is my favourite writer - I love his books and, of course the "Gonzo Journalism".

Travelling to America means coming home - I feel very welcome in this country. I've been here 2 times. Yosemite, Las Vegas, the State of Utah and of course the West Coast are my favourites.

I study journalism because I'd love to be creative and to write.

During the weekends I am hanging out with my friend in our pub - playing table soccer and drinking good German beer.

I love to discover new bands, especially the music scene in California. Hopefully, I will see many concerts here.