With Saccharine and Trust

13 03 2010

One more post regarding the Reactionaries show. It’s always been an amazing experience when seeing Saccharine Trust. I’ve been lucky enough to have seen them dozens of times. They opened the show at Harold’s for the Reactionaries Record Release Party a few weeks back.  Just a handful of records were released, melding jazz, punk, funk, spoken word…you name it, but all worth a listen. I must say these guys are on par but perhaps a different par with the Minutemen or any other L.A. band that truly had, and still has great vision. Their music and live performances are second to none. Joe Baiza and Jack Brewer should be forever sewn at the hip to prevent the disintegration of this band ever again.  They took about ten years off and are back stronger than ever for the last couple of years. Here are a couple shots granted for use here by photographer Matthew Widmark who documented the live performance of PAGANICONS at Harold’s.  San Pedro is finally coming of age! Again!

There’s plenty of stuff on the Internet if you’re not familiar with this band.  Too much for me to post here.  Here’s a link to Matthew’s pictures of the entire event.  Thanks Matt!  Great Shots of a night to remember.  Check out the Unknown Instructors CD if you get a chance. It features an array of  “Wannabees” including Joe Baiza, Dan McGuire, George Hurley, Raymond Pettibon, David Thomas and Mike Watt….who are these dudes anyway?

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Football Results!!!! Darlington Nil?

22 02 2010

The inimitable and charming Mark E. Smith!!!  You may ask, what does this have to do with anything?  The answer is EVERYTHING!!!!  Long Live The Fall!





Knee Jerks

17 02 2010

Hey Folks!  Well it’s finally here… physically, the biggest, most gigantic cover band in all the land.  ALL REACTIONARIES ARE PAPER TIGERS (there’s like 40 people in this band?) will be performing at the legendary HAROLD’S PLACE right here in St. Pete, Ca.  on February 20th, 2010.  Whippin’ it out in honor of Martin Tambourovich and D. Boon.  Trying to relive the 1979 vibe that was the precursor to The Minutemen.  THE REACTIONARIES. Who would believe it would take ten bands to recreate just one?  I would, and I’m part of it.  Also on the bill, the total mind-blow of Saccharine Trust playing the entire Pagan Icons LP LIVE!!!!  This is gonna be something!  Bring your Mom on down and let’s make a mess of things.  Click the poster image for details!!  http://waterunderthebridgerecords.blogspot.com/ Thanks to Craig Ibarra, Kevin Carle, Mike Watt and all the knuckleheads at the big blue house that is Cali Mucho Studios!  The Reactionaries LP is on sale at my shop for a very limited time…and it’s pressed on GREEN VINYL!  Artwork by the incredible Joe Baiza!  Have a bit of a romp and do something healthy for your head…reminisce about before you were born!  Oh yes, and if you’ve got the time, check out this Mike Watt Internet Radio Show that will tell you almost everything you might want to know about everything.
It’s 1979!  Look Ahead……………





Bowie Knife. Too Big To Flail?

11 02 2010

I’ve been doing a shitload of repairs lately and listening to all kinds of great early 70’s Glam Rock…can I still call it that?  This stuff regularly gets me through the day of fixing people’s greasy broken guitars!  New York Dolls, Iggy, Roxy Music, Slade, David Bowie, Todd Rundgren!!! 

Am I nuts or is this the best shit ever recorded? Conceptual, rocking and very loud.  I’ve decided to crunch this photo and top-notch video for y’all.

Juxtapose for the good of all Humanity!





こんにちは太平洋から!!!

2 02 2010

Many thanks to Kazu and Lightning Magazine. Fresh out of Japan!  This issue landed on my doorstep yesterday and includes a great expose’ about my humble shop.  これは方法涼しいたわごとである!  Check out my T-Shirt style “fist bump” to my pals in Black Sparrow Press.  The photo at the bottom right is another mainstay, Geoff,  The Sea Shanty Mafioso who plays right out in front of Guitar Safari every Friday during the Farmer’s Market.  Hey Man!  We’re all in Japan!  Let’s go eat!  There’s every manner of cool stuff in the pages.  The Magazine seems mostly geared toward the male gender but I think you ladies will enjoy thumbing backwards through the articles as well.  Click on the page and then enlarge it again so you can read all of the great text!  When you figure out what they wrote about my shop please be so kind as to let me know what they had to say!!!  Hey!  Tadashi “Paul” Ishibashi, are you checkin’ me out or what?  Tsubasa?  Where are you?  Vintage clothes, cars and guitars!!!  Find out what’s happening outside your zone!  Get some gift ideas!  Spoil yourself!  Get a copy of LIGHTNING MAGAZINE today! Only 680 Yen!





I’m Very Sad…….and……………

26 01 2010

Okay look, there are only so many people I can stand….Lhasa de Sela is someone that I just got to know…not personally, but I love her voice and I just found out that she sadly passed away on the first day of this year 2010…from  breast cancer …age 37…please check out this video and tell me if she isn’t one of the sweetest things to have ever graced this planet. Stuart Staples is one of my heroes as well…..I’m very sad.

Kiss your dog goodbye…..I’m wearing my Pink Ribbon today…and from now on.





PROBABLY HOW THESE GUYS GOT STARTED…

21 01 2010

Howdy! I’ve been asked many times to have a Bulletin Board in the shop so people can advertise for musicians wanted, gigs, art shows…etc…
Okay, here it is, only it’s not in the shop, it’s right here under your nose. Just click the Bulletin Board Tab and get your band on…I’ll help you!
Now for your enjoyment. An early shot of one of the best bands to ever walk the Earth. The Birthday Party. Rowland S. Howard and Tracy Pew R.I.P.





Man oh Man, what a Mandolin!

13 01 2010

Here’s an odd one.  I found this along with a violin in a local Goodwill Shop years ago. It was made by a local builder. His name and date of completion are burned into the wood on the inside. L. Cooper, Long Beach 1937. I wish I had kept the violin but sold it to some crazy old lady that claimed she knew the guy who made it. This thing has the perfect Wabi Sabi* vibe that I just love in old acoustic (and electric) instruments. The Varnish has gone through some changes and looks like it’s been in a fire but this thing sounds fantastic and plays great! Styled after a Gibson F Bodied Mandolin with the exception of a shorter neck to body joint, it nails the wide open tone of seasoned woods that sing a la early 20th Century Lloyd Loar craftsmanship. Is that too much guitar-speak for everyone? I wish the whole instrument was in the photo but I like the detail shown. Thanks to Ian for sending his photo version of this gem for this post.

*Footnote…Wabi Sabi is a Japanese term used to describe the natural beauty of decay or impermanence. Something in this age of built-in obsolescence is sadly missed for those of us who like the look, feel and taste of rust.





Ladies and Gentlemen…..

5 01 2010

The amazing …….

Tielman Brothers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just a little post x-mas/happy x-year present for all you rockin’  knuckleheads out there.
C’mon down to the shop this week and get a free Guitar Safari T-Shirt and join the G.S. Bocce Team for the grand opening of the new 22nd Street Park on, you guessed it…22nd Street! That’s this Saturday, January 9th, Twenty Ten. BYOJ. Two unscathed and pristine Bocce Courts and contrary to legend, A FREE LUNCH for your enjoyment. Who ever said that There’s No Such Thing As A Free Lunch? It’s on the sign just outside the park! Check it out. This is serious! I’m calling out all the other music shops in town to take on the Fire Breathing Guitar Safari “Botched Executions” Team. End of story!





Merry X-Mas & A Happy X-Year

25 12 2009

Good morning! Yup, it’s that day again. Wake up and fill your sack full of eggnog and sausage. Rip some paper from a box or two and throw it in the trash but make sure it makes it to the recycling bin! It’s such a nice sunny day here. I really hope we won’t have a terrorist attack today…that would be kinda lame. I’m on full-tilt X-Mas Red & Green Alert! My sweet Gal just wandered out of the bedroom and sang me a Psychobilly song that she whipped up in her half asleep state. “I Don’t Want To Drink Alone”. She actually sang some of it to me right off the cuff. It’s like wakin’ up with Reverend Horton Heat on this, the most important Ancient Pagan Holiday that was hijacked by you other folks…you know who you are. What’s all this nonsense in the Bible about it being a sin to place an icon like a tree in your home at this or any time of the year? What Hooey! I dare you, read it and weep. I don’t care either way. Ahem, Amen and Amon Duul II!  Google my ass up!…Now I’d like to take this opportunity to reach out to all of the sad Republicans and offer them my condolences for this wacky Heath Care Reform dealio. I think it’s pretty damn cool that Health Insurance companies can legally operate in collusion (it’s on the books Baby!) when any other type of business would be sued so fast it would make your head swim. Then you’d really need a Doctor! It’s like Disney getting a special extended copyright license protecting their crap from becoming Public Domain and guess what? No one else gets that Government Sanctioned lolly-pop! I know, I know, it’s lame that Democrats came up with stupid stuff like Medicare and Social Security. Who would ever want or need anything like that? Not me. No way! I’m planning on being very healthy and super rich until forever comes a-knockin’…and that ain’t never gonna happen! I want the Government out of my life once and for all! Don’t fix the roads, no schools, pollution, LAWS?!??!?!!! Are you kidding me? I’m so fed up I could tea-bag myself…but,  Hey! Look what I found under the tinsel tannenbaum this morning!

Two of those…whatchamacallits

That’s right, Satan Claus brought me a high quality photograph of some nice old Gretsch Guitars! Happy Holidays to everyone who came to my humble shop for their gift buying needs.
My X-Year’s Resolution? Keep making fun of, and providing better service than those GuitWhore Center and Sam’s Ass wannabes across town…although, through the kindness of my heart, I sent some of my customers over there who were looking for Cardboard Pink Guitars with Unicorns painted on them.
See ya’ll next year!!!!

Love,
El Jefe