Buck City Podcast Episode Two, No More Gospel, features Pablo Esquival - By N.L. Belardes

Buck City Podcast 2 has arrived! Check out the latest rage in downloadable media. You can click and download the MP3. Better yet, install ipodder, then add the RSS feed:

http://nlbelardes.com/buckcitypods/buckcitypodcast.rss

After you plug in the feed you will get automatic downloads as shows get updated. Oh yes! In Episode Two I play “Don’t Hold Your Breath” from World Wide Spies, “Pay to Play” by Bakersfield/LA band, The Binges, “Laundry Day” from Bakersfield band Stepsonday, “I know” by the fabulously sexy Jessie Deluxe and a classic 80s batcave style punk song by local 80s band Burning Image titled “Hives”.

You'll also meet N.L.’s boring girlfriend, Joyce, and a very poor reader in local singer Pablo Esquival… And if that isn't enough, listen to how N.L. broke up the band, Broken Record Gospel!

Be a part of the podcast revolution. It’s free, it’s high-tech, and we’re the first in Bakersfield to create podcasts. And if that isn’t enough, coming soon will be the super brief Buck City “Morning Cereal” meant specifically to be a morning show for your daily pick-me-up.

Christian band, Rockfish needs a venue - By N.L. Belardes

Find Brent at Bite Me Cookies in the Haberfelde...

I recently discovered a Christian hard rock band that isn’t getting enough coverage even in the Christian sector… It’s a band called Rockfish, and after spinning their CD “Have you heard the news” I am convinced these guys need to tour local churches to develop a following. Yes, I understand you have to evangelize the heathens if you’re a Christian rock band. But you have to develop a following. And, lots of heathens go to church anyways. You can always count on friends bringing friends and so forth. And then, Whammy, work ‘em with your musack, Rockfish!

With that said, bass player Brent Hicks is a follower of the local music scene. I saw him at the Vendetta Red show where Lostocean jammed to a big crowd. Yes, Brent and his Christian cohorts are all old timers, but so what? Their Jimi Hendrix style is amazing. And they're cool... Brent also makes a mean tri-tip sandwich over at Bite Me Cookies in the Haberfelde building. I should add I get a lot of vanilla Cokes there too (friends will notice I refused to use the ‘P’ word).

If you’re part of a local church or other venue and you want a hard rocking Christian band to come and play, then please contact me and I will get the word over to Brent. Or better yet, go to Angelina’s and you will find him. It’s in the same downtown building as Going Underground Records…

(Hey Brent, you guys need to be on 'MySpace'!)

An interview, a reporter, a reporter-blogger, a walk around the block and Azuls - By N.L. Belardes

I was downtown last night first bumping elbows with Jimmy Holliday beneath the big Padre shadow. “We practice in a loft inside the Padre,” he said later in the evening. So, anti-folk hero Jimmy Holliday tears it up with the ghosts of the old Hollywood hangout? There, stars once lurked in the big Tinseltown backyard to creep their decrepit glamorous longings for the strange Bakersfield streets, and high society of the grand lone giant hotel of 1930s yesteryear…

In the Wall Street alley the doors to Azul were closed. I had gone back home to write a quick blog and poem but eventually headed back downtown only to find Francis Mayer from the local underground newspaper, The Blackboard as he met Danielle Belton, entertainment writer and blogger for the Bakersfield Californian. What a strange meeting of media: novelist/blogger meets underground reporter meets Entertainment creative writer/reporter…

“What kind of writing do you do?” I heard one of them say as I approached. I had gone downtown to see Jimmy Holliday and to also be interviewed by Francis Mayer who was researching for an upcoming write-up that either he or some other contributing writer was going to pen.



“I like the new template,” Belton complimented about the Blackboard's latest look. “One of the jokes that used to go around the Californian was that folks over at the Blackboard were afraid of the return key… There were just big blocks of text.” Oh come on Danielle. Don't tell me the Californian pokes fun. I don't believe it. But then, Danielle is funny. She has a drippingly sarcastic sense of humor that many people don't get. And she's one of the most self-abusive writers I have ever known. She's like Dobby from Harry Potter who is always smacking himself in the head for just talking to the Wizard boy wonder.

Francis pointed out the Blackboard being a one-man show by an untrained reporter who has a strong love for putting out an underground paper. Although I don’t know much about the history of the Blackboard paper, you have to give them credit for putting out some good alternative reading from big brother Californian who has monopolized the local newspaper biz for years. I personally like the progressive share-the-traffic attitude the Californian has taken in recent months. It’s self-serving on both sides as nlbelardes.com gets traffic as does the Californian, and I don’t get my content managed. Everyone wins.

I think that conversation moved on just after Danielle completely tore apart baseball, especially the St. Louis Cardinals who recently graced her top 20 'you suck' list...


The Blackboard meets The Californian "Let's have tea and crumpets!"

We went inside for a brief bit. Danielle showed off a pen-and-ink drawing after talking to Francis, Alex and AJ. I schmoozed with Jimmy Holliday a bit… and heard that Belton refers to Alex and Aj of Gigantic as Hall and Oates… read this great write-up she did on The boys from Gigantic, Azuls, Dante Esperanza, Nunez, and more...

Francis and I took a long walk around several city blocks, eventually stopping on the steps of the downtown post office to have a talk about some of the goings-on in the music scene…



In the end we headed back to Azul’s where we stood outside and some kids thought they had to show IDs before they entered. Francis patiently took the time to put on his best I'm-a-bouncer-but-not-really-pose before looking at about four IDs, nodding approval to each while I stymied a laugh. He kept a good poker face through it all. Afterwards, I went and listened to Jimmy Holliday for a while. After his performance we talked about a hockey song called ‘Lil Bitty Johnny the Slasher’ while we could hear some guy name Nunez play a guitar on the patio…

In ending I should add I had a great conversation with Joseph and Jenny from Calico Sunset... another hidden Bakersfield wonder... I still feel bad I missed them the night before. We talked about their tour, their music, history and novels...

Jimmy Holliday spotted downtown - By N.L. Belardes

There he was...
waiting for the bus.
No he wasn't. He's Jimmy Holliday
Wanting to sing a song about the anti-man,
the anti-song, the anti-people who can,
the dreamers who can't.

There goes the Padre, City Father,
a reckless dead martini bar tower,
and Jimmy Holliday needing
legends to sing about...

That was a few minutes ago.

In another few I'll be back downtown at Azul's...

You goin'?

Jimmy Holliday, Dante Esperanza, Calico Sunset at the M.W.P. - By N.L. Belardes

I just got off the phone with JR. He was watching The Goonies. Can you believe this guy? He was watching one of my favorite movies of all time and didn’t invite me?? OK, next topic. Montgomery World Plaza. Gigantic. You know, that vintage clothing store that got run out of Dodge because they were actually helping create a music scene? They got intimidated by the alleged baseball bat of poor consciousness, then set up shop across town. Leave it to Alex and AJ of Gigantic, those two guys who never email me, to put on a great all-age shows with dozens of kids in attendance.

Granted this show had some youth bands. Give the youth credit. You have to start somewhere, and you have to have guys like Alex and AJ believe in you enough to give you a chance to put on a show. I saw some serious youth in action, and I took a bunch of photos to show off the youth who are working hard.






Unfortunately I missed New Wave duo Calico Sunset. I was outside doing an interview so missed out on their brief set. Why didn’t anyone come and get me? No pictures, no interview, no nothing… When I was outside I thought I heard Bjork playing over the sound system. Little did I know it was the sexy sounds of Jenny Alvis whose song “limbs and hymns” has been infecting the positive vibe of myspace. That’s two New Wave bands in two days, and Your Mother’s Lover is playing in Bakersfield at the Boiler Room on the 30th (this Thursday). New Wave is officially back in a retro sort of synth-pop fashion. I just listened to Jenny sing, “Makes me wanna, want to pow pow pow!” like she’s some cartoon anime hip mama animated and flying through the room. I love it. Go check out the Bad Spellers in Tokyo for a little more synth-pop action. Likely influenced by the melodious synth-backed sounds of the ever-so moody, Bjork, Calico Sunset is quite a duo. I’m hoping they slip me a CD… Since I’m a big Bjork fan, how can I not like Jenny and Joseph of Calico Sunset’s New Wave stylings?

Alternative Country in Bakersfield is on the rise with bands like Norfolk, Dante Esperanza and anti-folkster Jimmy Holliday’s Sioux City Sarsaparilla both reflecting the agricultural lands and country roots of the Great Central Valley. Jimmy Holliday was on his own Monday night as he performed an acoustic set of all new material. His raw screaming and lyric-building talents apparent in his songwriting is an anthem to the sarcasm built within the legendary nature of Bakersfield history. These are folk roots working in an anti-root sort of way that Holliday performs masterfully. He’s got a 20-song CD coming out soon that I can’t wait to get my hands on, and he promises a big CD by the end of summer. I should also mention that Holliday is recognized on antifolk.net.



Though Holliday’s got recognition from anti-folk organizations he doesn’t have the support from local venues that he deserves. I hear he can’t play at the Boiler Room, but I see him fitting in nicely in an all ages alt country show there. He and I talked briefly about how alt country is a wide open market in Bakersfield. There aren’t many country bands. There aren’t many rockabilly bands; and there are only three bands that I know of that I can slip into the alt country category, and each has a completely different style. Norfolk with its pop rocking country-based sounds, Dante Esperanza with its 60s flavor of psychedelic cowboy tunes, and Jimmy Holliday's Sioux City Sarsaparilla. His anti-folk anthems often get mislabeled as hilarious without recognizing the underlying truths and social sarcasm of his lyrics.





His new songs slowed the pace a little, have a little firmer ground, less ethereal with the sarcasm, and even got a little sad at times with his guitar playing dropping to a mere hum and his voice trailing to a whisper at times.

If you haven’t noticed, I mentioned another band that many of you may not have heard of. Today I listened to a 16-song CD of incredible alt country tunes; the CD is self-titled, Dante Esperanza (2005) and I listened to it twice and spread some of its love to some friends already. It’s a masterful CD that deserves full N.L. analysis. In the meantime I can say that the psychedelic cowboy tunes are a crooning techno-country tribute to experimental country-influenced sounds of growing up in Bakersfield, California. Yes, here, where country roots run deep, so do countryside themes of agriculture, oil poke towns, desert, and travels.





Their music is an enlightening trip and well educated in lyric-making for such young folk. True genius. Though their live performance didn’t add up to the great CD mix I listened to, they’re an up and coming band that I’m going to be paying close attention to. Hell, the kids in Lostocean have complete genius in their CD ‘Douse the Choir’ but still have struggling points while performing live. But then, isn’t that what performing is all about? Learning. Spreading the sounds. Acceptance… Dante Esperanza is an excellent up-and-coming band who deserve some community support from fellow bands so their atmospheric country-pop crooner tunes can truly reach people while performing…



Dante Esperanza and Jimmy Holliday are playing live tonight at Azul's at 9PM

The sadness about Broken Record Gospel - By N.L. Belardes

People throughout the music scene will never know... but a few people in Bakersfield who knew of an exciting band with a new sound will mourn its loss...

But then from everything bad comes something better, metamorphosed...

From the Borken Record Gospel myspace blog...


The Fate Of Broken Record Gospel

To clear the air, and let all of you know what's going on. It's hard to say, but Broken Record Gospel is over. Ben has left the band to pursue another project. Andy and myself will continue to play together, and are working on a new band. I am also writing with Joel from Gramercy Riff, and Cesareo from Karmahitlist. We will have updates about the progress of our new works here. Many thanks to all of you. It's a hard thing to let go of for us, but sometimes there's nothing you can do. Once again thanks to all of you and for the support and friendship you've given us over the last year.

Colin & BRG

10:41 AM - 0 Comment

Bakersfield Bukowski at Rileys hears World Wide Spies, Jessie Deluxe and The Binges - By N.L. Belardes

I was in one of those Bakersfield Bukowski moods: a bit dreary; wanting to fit into the shadows like a little grey-edged puzzle piece; gloomy in my moment, but fitting. I had spoken a bit with Ryan Bright of Seven to the Right out near the entrance to Downtown Records. He smoked like crazy and talked about loaning The Binges something to do with his bass. He talked about Seven to the Right having a crazy show the night before at Kosmos, where everything that could go wrong, went wrong. Still in a dark mood, I wandered into Rileys, the night of a big imported show in the big Bakersfield Indie scene—here in the new age of Bakersfield shows, when posters won’t get ripped down from lightpoles. Heck, just down the street I saw a huge poster printed by none other than promoter, Zill DeVille.

Inside I sat at a table and watched a few guys linger near a pool table with their equipment. I was in a dismal mood, growing darker by the second. I had a bottle of pear cider and still felt cranky. Maybe that’s because it’s the weak beer everyone tells me I'm drinking. Soon Leslie Flores walked up. She talked to me about the Indie music scene and rattled off name after name of bands she loves down in LA. She even told me a little bit of Bakersfield drama that I’m not allowed to post just yet. Colin from Broken Record Gospel was also in the house. He’s the Rileys sound guy. I spoke with him a moment, but still felt a little grey haze of a melancholy night ahead of me.

That was until a few folks from Norfolk wandered into Rileys. Peter Prevost has a bright charm, a true excitement for music that energizes people around him. We talked alternative country for a while. “You know, Pablo might still not be convinced that we’re an alt country band,” he said.

“But you’re buying a steel guitar,” I added. That crazy Pablo. I’ll convince him yet. He’s a madman playing the Tom Petty covers. We all called Peter Prevost ‘Tom Peety’ during Saturday night’s show where Norfolk finished off their rocking alt country set with some incredible covers...

We talked a bit more about it, but then James and his wife Marisa entered the scene and we had a grand conversation. Suddenly my spirits were lifted and I was into the night anticipating the music like I should have all along. Leave it to a novelist to start feeling moody and dark and then snap out of it. And leave it to good friends to lift those spirits of darkness. Leslie Flores came back and I asked who was setting up in the stage area. “Oh that’s World Wide Spies,” she smiled.

I had to meet those guys. I had just played their song “Individual” on my world premiere Buck City Podcast. I went over and introduced myself for a quick “hello.” I met all of their members but their lead singer, JFK. He came over and greeted me a little while later. “What are your ambitions,” I asked.

“I’m a rock star. People just don’t know it yet,” he said in a heavy British accent. “I’m just doing what I am destined to do. I believe in making it, in being successful.”



I totally agreed. I told him that I’m an artist too, that I have to believe in myself as a novelist or won’t ever be successful either. James and I talked about whether JFK really had a British or Australian accent. Of course I said British and JFK corrected us that he was was British, but from London…



World Wide Spies is one of my favorite undiscovered bands. They’re part Psychedelic Furs, part early U2, and part Big Country all wrapped up in a New Wave band with a brand new retro sound. I can’t help that I’m a child of the 80s. I totally bonded with their melodic New Wave sounding riffs, steady bass-playing and passionate vocals. JFK has a forceful presence on and off the stage. He had all the comandeering prowess of a Bono/Bowie fusion. He sings with a song-making confident yell that I just don’t hear in a lot of bands. It’s very intoxicating, very convincing. I tend to be a little shy around the stars-to-be, but JFK sure had a presence Sunday night with his piercing eyes, short blonde hair and strongly passionate voice. The guys from Norfolk gave their thumbs up and commented on the perfection of the drummer. They even had a song that started out as Sunday Bloody Sunday but then transformed into a unique song with the World Wide Spies stylings of fast melodic riffs and near-militaristic drum beats.



I have already spun their CD three times… I’m going to be doing a full review in a future blog as their CD’s raw New Wave power deserves a closer look…

At about that time I went outside for a little while. I hardly ever go into the Wall Street alley anymore, so it was kind of strange to go into the old alley where part of The Citrus Girl novel took place. I talked it up with some musicians while a police car cruised the alley and some BPD flirted with a group of girls. The girls played with the side light and mirrors while we just rolled our eyes and talked music.

Jesse Deluxe was up next. She came from LA on a birthday night with The Binges to play some mad jams to the Bakersfield crowd. I admit I was a bit skeptical as Jessie Deluxe is a three-piece band with two lovely ladies and a bald guy on drums. Then maybe that was a carryover from my Bakersfield Bukowski dark mood. Who am I to go stereotyping any band? Jessie, who the band is named for, sure has a presence. She’s tall and domineering, with dark hair and eyes, big dimples and a confident smile.



When Jessie Deluxe started playing, something transformed in Rileys. The whispering started, “Hey, she can shred!” and then the loud talking, “Hey, she can sing! She’s better than Gwen Stefani, but with a guitar.” And, “ This is the best band to ever play Rileys!” And so on, and so on… Yes, Jessie Deluxe was loved by the Bakersfield crowd. I went forth and snapped a few pictures to record such a moment…



What an amazing night. Two bands loved by the good people of Bakersfield… I have to admit, Jessie Deluxe has a refreshing soft edge to their hard star-struck songs. Yes, Jessie is a rock star and she knows it. But there is a humble side to musicians who truly want to connect to people through music and I saw it even in her hard-rocking songs. She could sing. She could play. She was almost melancholy herself at times as she performed and perhaps wondered about herself, her music, everything spinning just then in her own Bakersfield Bukowski artistic moment…



Of course I didn’t help when I called her ‘Jenny’, perhaps thinking of Jenny Angel of the Dusk Devils. I came across like a moron who didn’t care about her music and not like a fellow artist who was just touched by rhythms, bass lines and drum beats by a band who just took Bakersfield Indie music and turned it on a hard rock edge…

The final band of the night had a celebration in its midst, Jan Dylan Geurtsen. Bakersfield birthday boy moved to LA to seek stardom in a big rock and roll band; he and the rest of The Binges were in town to rock the night at Rileys. Maybe I sound too positive here, but this was one of the best nights of music I have ever witnessed in Bakersfield where all three bands in a row had an incredible power over all the fans in the house. Normally Bakersfield fans come in waves as each band has a following. But not World Wide Spies, Jessie Deluxe and The Binges. These were all new bands to me... As for The Binges, I found myself carried away on their new hard rock blood-pumping riffs that were like Punk meets AC/DC meets The Killers meets Bakersfield angst and Asian sexiness.





The Binges had the crowd rocking hard. Dylan has a great AC/DC kind of smoldering voice, while Mayuko Okai’s lead guitar and back-up vocals just fueled Dylan’s birthday fire to an incredible level. If you don’t believe me, just go check out a song on their site. Heck Mayuko’s sister is a great bass player in Jessie Deluxe. Like Jessie said when introducing Tzusumi Okai, “Big things come in small packages.” She was right, for Jessie Deluxe and The Binges. These are two rocking sisters!



The Binges are a Bakersfield/LA band that’s going somewhere if they play their cards right. I think they have just the sound that the LA record labels are looking for. I will be surprised if they don’t become one of the next sensations out of Bakersfield and LA…

What an incredible, incredible, incredible hard rocking night in the Bakersfield Indie scene… thank you Rileys, Leslie, Colin…

RidiKule sends note to N.L. about line-up change - By N.L. Belardes

Hey NL, What's going on in your corner? As I mentioned before, sort of candidly, we have had to make a difficult decision. In talking to label representatives for several different companies, I have been made aware of how hard it is to break into the big music scene. As everyone here in Bako knows, we are not exactly spring chickens and we have an extremely small window of opportunity to work with here. We have decided ( collectively ) to make a change in our family with RIDIKULE. Our drummer, Martin, is stepping down from the drum riser and we have recruited a new member to our family. His name is R.J. and he is 22. He has great appreciation for Martin and respect. What everyone needs to keep in mind is that we didn't just decide to replace Martin, we made a business decision that benefits the band as a whole. We will miss him on stage, but he will still have a part in the band as far as a mentor and to contribute his knowledge. This is extremely hard for us to do, but RIDIKULE as a whole has outgrown any one member and we need to keep the momentum going. We will be playing all of our shows that are scheduled and we will be doing future shows. As of today you can also pick up our merchandise at Outer Limits in the downtown area at 2006 Chester ave. We are proud to have them as our sponsor. You can catch R.J.'s first show at Mongomery World Plaza on July 14th with The Filthies, The Politicians and Hit bya A Semi. Thanks for your support and your coverage of all the happenings in Bako. Chris and Ridikule

The Photo-essayist, the big-nosed guy, and fries with Norfolk - By N.L. Belardes

I went to the Boiler Room Saturday night looking for some music to bubble out of the Bakersfield darkness. Little did I know I showed up for a historic night of music that had as its apex Bakersfield’s alt country band, Norfolk. They were being followed by Sara Gettys, a budding photo-essayist whose work for the Portland Tribune and Columbia Missourian has won her accolades for her moody journalistic images of daily Americana. Will she be the next James Nachtwey?


Sara sitting on the floor...

Take a look at her ‘photo of the week’ that captures the melancholy nature of one woman’s twilight years, or Maurice the cat who was likely her college buddy while going to school in Missouri. Two of my favorite photos are her WWF photo and honorable mention image that is probably as moody and atmospheric as the church moment she captured.

Sara carried a Holga toy camera, a fully plastic camera that has a personality like a cat. No two are alike as they leak light into each picture you snap. With a plastic lens, the Holga offers a leap backward in technology while offering some funky image textures, light seepage and lens shadowing. I have to order one.

I arrived at the Boiler Room at the end of Stepsonday, a local jazz/Indie/rock band. Jason Ford Turner fronts the band and is quite fun to watch as he loves to goof around while singing and playing the guitar. He’s a bit more reserved in his Norfolk bass playing. Unfortunately I only caught a portion of a few songs…



The next band hailed from the LA area. I don’t know who they were, but they performed and sounded like a youthful pop group. They were young, energetic, yuppyish, and if I were scouting bands to throw on Radio Disney, these would be the guys. And that’s not a bad thing either. Poppy songs for kids are a big industry. Just look at how many kids love the yuppie youth bands of today… The lead singer said he was from Bakersfield but moved away when he was five. And I dug his Star Wars shirt even though he thought the audience was dead because they weren’t dancing as if parading down Main Street, Disney.



Cedar Street is a local band I had never seen until Saturday night. Composed of guys from Bakersfield and San Diego who are all in Bakersfield for the summer, they have a unique piano-driven sound with a whole lot of raw songs they’re developing. This was the perfect opportunity for them to get out in the scene and practice in front of the local crowd. I always find it impressive to see a piano in a band. Front man Bryan Gonzales is no slouch either. He belted out the songs and melodies and played a lengthy set to the Boiler Room crowd.



Norfolk played a great set. James Ratliff did a little storytelling about his new Dodger cap and why baseball is a sport where you watch grass grow. He promised to tell a ‘biting’ dog tale, but sadly never got to it. Sara Gettys snapped photos like some crazed tentacled beast. Three cameras but only two hands? How does she do it? I have enough problems with my one camera and a shaky hand.








Norfolk’s full alt country sounds really grabbed the crowd. But then they only played half of one of their songs, claiming it was for some guy in the crowd. It was a great slow country wail of a song that really slows the tempo and gets the crowd on track. But only half? Come on Norfolk… Ah, but whom am I? I’m just the whiny novelist who wants to hear all the Norfolk material when at a show. I can understand how someone would get sick of their own songs. I get sick of my own writing all the time. I’ve written entire novels that I don’t like to read. I generally don’t read them at all even after finished. I create the art for others to read, not for myself. Music is different. You perform it, you immerse yourself in it over and over again, even after you think it’s perfected. And so you have to keep finding ways to love it. Or you would never be able to perform.








I was sarcastic and tried joking around and telling the guy with the big nose who told Norfolk to stop playing their slow song “thanks for ending a great song.” But he wouldn’t talk to me, even after I trailed Norfolk to a lonely bar attached to Zingo’s diner on Buck Owen’s Boulevard.






There James Ratliff and I talked a lot about music and art, ordered fries, burgers, and jalepeno poppers. I contributed two bucks to the Johnny Cash and other country songs blasted from the jukebox while Peter Prevost and some other Norfolk friends played pool. Of course I confronted the big-nosed guy again, but he ignored me. So I defiantly yelled, “Thanks for ruining a great song!”

Bakersfield Hockey CD sings about minor league hockey and Condors - By N.L. Belardes

There's a compilation CD coming to Bakersfield. N.L. wrote the lyrics to most of the songs. If your band wants to be involved, contact N.L.

Contributing bands: The Filthies, Myndsick, Exithead, KooKooNauts, Rocky Nash, RidiKule, The Black Jerks, Dirty Spanglish, and Mento Buru...

Charity: Noveltown Kid's Books.

Get excited. It's all about helping out the community: hockey, music, the arts...

Half of An Adult Evening With Shel Silverstein - By N.L. Belardes

Back to Friday night. Don’t think I was just lurking downtown pondering the future of Pizza in downtown Bakersfield after Soulajar’s big performance. I soon headed over to the Empty Space Theatre over in the Oleander Arts Collective. It was the least I could do after my controversial blog on Drama Rama I wrote earlier on Saturday. After a minor run-in with an unsatisfactory evening a few months back I finally decided to give the Empty Space the chance it deserved.

I arrived a little early and saw director of the upcoming July 8-23 run of Closer, Roger Mathey coolly hanging outside. “Are you staying for the show?” I asked. He nodded and we greeted each other; then I took off over to Pizzaville and ordered some grub. Inside I saw several patrons arrive that I could tell were waiting for An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein directed by Joe Mitchell and Guinevere Park-Hall. I used to have a few Shel Silverstein books, but I lost those in a divorce more than ten years ago and haven’t read them since.

Back at The Empty Space I ran into one of the actresses from the Bakersfield Ninjas short film. She was shocked that I recognized her and that I had a permanent link on my website to the film… more on that in a future blog…


On the way to my seat I saw some cool local artwork...





Shel Silverstein (1930-1999) was a creative genius, a storyteller, cartoonist, and author of one-act plays with a sometimes abrasive content brimming with hilarity. An Adult Evening with Shel Silverstein are little vignettes, walking cartoons, playlets dripping with the poetic comic phrases of his genius that also include a few drier pieces.

Although this show’s running ended yesterday, I still think the show and The Empty Space deserve a serious blogging as it was a hilarious tour de force through some of Shel Silverstein’s finest.



The cartoony playlet, One Tennis Shoe, featuring Kamel Haddad’s comic concern over Cory Rickard’s bag lady transformation at a café table was my favorite episode of the night. The deadpan was right on, the costuming and props were hysterical as it took me a few minutes through the dialogue to realize that Cory’s character was indeed a bag lady in full denial of her identity. The slapstick was masterfully arranged which made for a difficult time taking photos because I was laughing so hard.



Bus Stop, featuring Sarah Downie, AKA Maid Marion from the Misadventures of Robin Hood sure did say a lot of potty words along with the purposely bumbling Pablo Reyes who Enrique Fuentes is still stirring over for his machismo in the same Robin Hood play. A vignette about Feminism meeting machismo head on, I thought it was hilarious until I realized that I hadn’t heard every variation of the word, “penis.” Then I just felt plain uneducated.

Blind Willie and the Talking Dog was so funny I once again had trouble taking photos. Here was Rebecca Lotze in a fluffy dog costume portraying an attitude-filled puppy who felt a sorrowful angst for the very hand that feeds her: a very kooky harmonica-playing blind man portrayed by Kevin Lively. Their argument over life was really Shel Silverstein’s comical way of communicating to us that other perspectives on life may not seem normal only because we haven’t taken the time to laugh along with those we stereotype, including man’s best friend who just may be loyal for reasons unsuspecting.





Going Once was a disturbing ode to humanity’s manufacturing of beauty. We see it all around us, in the cars we buy, the TV shows we watch, the high society clothes we wear, and so forth. Haddad’s parading around of the semi-nude Sarah Vara reminded me of the shallow nature of humanity that sells itself out for what? Exposure of each other based on aesthetic wants… ...disturbing but true.





The first half of the show ended with The Best Daddy, a cartoony view of a daddy’s torturing of his daughter’s innocence. I loved it. Reminded me of the Calvin and Hobbes where the dad tells Calvin the sun is the size of a quarter… and Calvin believes him. There’s an innocence in how a child believes the parent is the gospel of truth. It doesn’t last long, but when it’s there, and children think a parent can explain who they are, where they are going, and where they came from, as well as the size, dimensions and chemical make-up of the sun… well tell them what you know while you can. Sarah Taylor’s innocent face and near tantrum moments were just as fun as Ronnie Hargrave’s portrayal of the victimizing daddy.



I wish I had stayed for the rest of the show, but unfortunately there was an intermission, which meant I could sneak out, go home, and finally sleep…

A letter from the Pizza-a-go-go - By N.L. Belardes

Friday night I left Soulajar during a break in their set. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy their funky jazzy bass lines, Brian Boozer’s drumbeats and their guitarist’s rocking solos. I had dark streets to explore both in downtown Bakersfield and in the Oleander Arts Collective.

After all that has been going on with Jerry’s Pizza and the question on the streets of what will happen, I wondered: will they get a show promoter who supports an entire scene, and not just Jerry’s Pizza where many great bands from local and afar have played in its cavernous depths of punkdom through the years?
And so I wandered down 19th Street and peered into Jerry’s windows like I was a ghost myself. There was the grey-haired pizza guy with the big beard milling about inside. Chairs were on top of tables, and a few cyberpunks lurked on the street…



Darkness covered the pizza joint. I wonder if what I perceived as darkness would soon be lifted, uncovering a new age for the Pizza-a-go-go…



I sent Jerry an email that included an inquiry about where “Jerry's Pizza is headed in the near future with any possible changes to its pay-to-play format.” I wonder if I should just go ahead and declare an ending to the boycott that I don’t hear people talking about anymore. It should be over. Now there should be unity in the scene…

Jerry responded very kindly,

Thank you very much for emailing me. In response to your question of why Nate Berg is not doing shows for Jerry's Pizza anymore, my message on the website is self-explanatory. When Nate was doing a good job he was with us. Now he is not. Several people have already come to us with ideas, and we are brain-storming to find the new direction that we will be taking promotion of live music. I would surely be my pleasure to meet with you in person and chat for awhile.

Sincerely,

-Jerry

P.S. I often check your website and it's cool!

I soon headed to Downtown Records and picked up a copy of Niche. I saw my article on Liars and Thieves inside. It was only a buck and Jake said, “All the money goes to the person who put it together.” That would be Marah Jackson. I asked him if anyone else was doing a magazine like Niche and Jake said, “No.” And of course I wonder, “Why not?”



I had heard about the local Reggae Station, ‘Roots Radio’ K-RHM, Rhythm FM that’s on 103.5. Jake then told me more about it. He said it’s a cool station, doesn't have a lot of range, but that it is licensed. I haven’t heard it yet, but I plan on giving it a listen… Did you know Jake has had his hand in five pirate radio stations over the years?

Soulajar sets the mood in a strong vocal performance - By N.L. Belardes

A delicate waft of incense. A smoky stage lit with hints of color while the new Coldplay CD played over the slightly buzzing sound system. The buzz itself provided a hint of texture in the theatre. The people filed in, not really the multi-ethnic crowd I was expecting for such a jazzy experimental rock band; but people came nonetheless. A girlfriend or two of the band sat in the lower seats while many filled in near the top, perhaps expecting the sound to be too hard on the ears. Not me, I came down and leaned on a wall, even sat in the second row for a while, waiting for the band to come on stage. Possibly from technical difficulties resulting in the speaker buzz, the band performed a bit late. That was different from the night before when Lorenzo of Fatt Katt and the Vonzippers said, “We are impeccable about when we go onstage.” OK, one band’s impeccable nature is another band's tardiness, which is more like me. I was just glad to show up ten minutes early.



I was quick to learn Soulajar’s show is about mood and texture. I had already known they are self-promoted; they told me strongly in an email. But then, every unsigned band is. And most around here don’t have a manager. As I tell bands all the time, “You have created wonderful music. Now you have to create yourselves. Go self-invent.” As far as I can tell, Soulajar is on a great road to being fully self-invented. They have taken their richly made jazz-inspired rock songs and self-invented a band that puts on an intimate show with the audience by truly blending song, visuals, lighting, and laughter.





A few times during the show I felt they were talking to their personal friends and not to me: the novelist from the ghetto who sometimes can’t afford ten bucks a ticket for one band. But then I understand that if you have a show at the Spotlight Theatre and you are one band, you have to cover costs. And this is a band who puts on a lengthy show, definitely worth the ten bucks.

My first reaction to Soulajar was to look through the mood, peer through the stage show textures, which were all part of the intimate stylings of Soulajar. I peered into the heart of their music and what I found was a richly woven mixture of rock that moves through hard rock motifs, rocking guitar riffs, jazzy guitar riffs, and intricate keyboard driven songs. Strip away the hard-rocking and few jazzy songs built on improvised textures, and what I mostly saw was a jazzy heartfelt pop band with a sound driven by Jon Ranger’s moody vocals.



What works best for Soulajar is Jon Ranger at the keyboards, mixing his vocals with piano-driven textures, that when in a strong groove, purposely overpowers the audience and renders the rest of the band into fine layers of sound meant to build Ranger’s passionate vocals. That’s what I loved about Soulajar: Ranger’s powerful confidence and pop keyboard style that has the ability to passionately move the audience to the near tearful moments of a great Coldplay song. I found that when Jon Ranger left the keyboards for some frontman-style rocking numbers I was wishing him back behind the keyboards, not because he’s a poor performer, but because Soulajar clearly is most inspiring when I can see the rock star/keyboard mix and confidence of those moments.



What else did I enjoy? The flickering lighting was exciting but made it difficult to take pictures without a flash. Their joyous nature, laughter and joking on stage was refreshing to see in each of the artists.

Bands must self-invent themselves, and hopefully Soulajar, as they progress and further develop their rock band image they will truly realize that such a strength as Ranger behind the keyboards will truly take them towards all bands destinations: to get signed, to perform, to move people with strong lyrics, and to have an exciting career as artists who connect to people...

The question of theatre blogging... - By N.L. Belardes

I was on Drama Rama a little bit ago and I read a post by Brian Lyons. If you don't know who Brian Lyons is, don't worry. Neither do I. What I do know about Drama Rama is that several people from the theatre community run the blog and use it more for promoting upcoming shows rather than writing articles and stories on actors, events, real life drama, rehearsals, etc. etc. With that said, here's Mr. Lyons post from June 20th. Yes, that is correct, from June 20th... that would be four days ago.

Just a note....I check this blog almost everyday for something new and interesting in Bakersfield Theatre, and.........nothing. I get nothing. Why aren't we all talking and getting to know each other? Why aren't we talking about what's going on in theatre? Nothing about the Tony Awards; Nothing about how great "Big, The Musical" at Spotlight was; Nothing about Helen Prine stepping in as Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl", two and a half weeks before the show opened at Stars Theatre; Nothing about the waiting and anticipation for the opening and a review of The Empty Space's "Closer." It depresses me.

Anybody care to cheer me up with some Theatre fun?

Hold onto your buns, because there was a rather uneducated NASCAR response:

This is Bakersfield, NASCAR, Big trucks rule. We don't need no stinking culture. Now on the coast, they have a bit more interest. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel, I hear that they are building a melodrama theatre out in Rosedale around Allen road. And recently at South High, there was lots of kid theatre, which apparently filled parking lots for a few days, great support! . This is hopeful, perhaps someday Bakersfield will be more than just big trucks.

There were some other responses too, including from Julie Jordan Scott who is the only consistent theatre blogger I have discovered on the scene. She cross promotes, cross examines, and generally has positive remarks (kind of like me, only much nicer).

With that said, here is my straightforward response to the Drama Rama theatre blog and why lately it's been a dismal information wasteland floating in the wide-open Bakersfield blogging sea:

Just a NASCAR town? That's bullshit. No it isn't. Yes why doesn't Drama Rama compete with www.nlbelardes.com? I would welcome it. I hit theatre now and then but mostly focus on music. It only takes one fired up person to blog consistently. But there is only one of me and many many many musicians and theatre folk. Theatre does have a lot going on, and surely many many stories to tell of shows, behind the scenes, actors, ideas, and so on... If I focused on theatre I could write five stories a day, easy... I hate to say it, but drama rama appears to be a political blog, run by the big politicians of local theatre, and perhaps those aren't the kind of people who get down on my level, in the trenches, where I talk about music, people, theatre, and so forth in stories about the common artist in each of us... in all reality there should be a hundred theatre blogs and a hundred music blogs all in a cacaphony of writings about the goings-on that we all know are happening even as I type....

Have you done the rockabilly dance with Fatt Katt and the Von Zippers? By N.L. Belardes

Last night I went and hung out under the big yellow Bakersfield blue-lettered arch. No this isn’t one very squished down version of the McDonald’s golden curves but the replica of the once famous sign arching over old route 99. And no, I didn’t have a picnic but I did have some garlic chicken pizza inside the Crystal Palace. Yes I was out to do a write-up. But why not eat food and have a good time instead of just hanging out and hiding in the shadows the way a novelist does? I decided to be a little more high profile and brought the whole family and spent the big bucks and listened to rockabilly greasers Fatt Katt and the Von Zippers jam to country, rockabilly, rock, Latino rock and some fine original tunes…



Now just who is Fatt Katt and his sidekick Von Zipster Zippers? Fatt Katt is a cool guy named Lorenzo with thick black specs, arm-filed tattoos, and a pleasant demeanor who talks country/rockabilly/greaser history like he’s lived it from the initial zoot suit riots of LA’s yesteryear streets, where greasers were born from Chicano boys not necessarily wearing pinstripe suits… Introduced by red hat Queen Maha, Fatt Katt went on stage right at 8:00, not a second after, and played for a little more than forty-five minutes in a first set of some whalloping tunes that had the crowd roaring and the people dancing. I saw red hat ladies, country folk, bar folk, and line dancers all madly stepping to song after song… I heard mostly covers, but all with a rockabilly tinge and flair, and that was a real treat from crooner Fatt Katt, Les Paw on bass, big-haired Styx on the stand-up drums, guitarist old-timer Billy Ray Rock’it who had a really kickin’ 3000-dollar Setzer guitar. There was Elvis, George Jones, Buck, Stray Cats, and a whole lot more…





When they took a break I went over and met the band. I found out their original song Londontown Girl was written by Fatt Katt in 1984. Just how long have these guys been around? That’s an unknown. Fatt Katt Lorenzo talked greasers, old timer country blues musicians and the really dynamic history of the Bakersfield Sound. “It wasn’t just Buck, Merle, and Old Red. There were a whole bunch of guys playing in lots of Honky Tonks, and many of them jamming with Buck and helping the whole scene have a far-reaching Bakersfield sound. There were a lot of people involved.” We talked about getting together with an old timer or two and really exploring the topic…



Fatt Katt then talked about the Rockabilly Hayride he promotes, where “greasers come out of the woodwork” to come and see 4-6 bands jam some rockabilly coolness in the Bakersfield sunset. He asked if I would help promote. Well of course. Let’s do a podcast and talk all about it!



About that time either Styx the stand-up drummer had grown bored with me hanging around or he just had to release some music from his veins because he said, “Let’s go play some music!”

And did they. The second set was clearly Styx’ time to shine. He stood on his drums while Les Paw smacked the symbols and Fatt Katt crooned like he’d just stepped from a heroic Stray Cats video from yesteryear. And don’t think they didn’t play the Stray Cat Strut from the old Stray Cats. They did and it was my favorite song of the night. Fatt Katt did a kitty cat howl while Les Paw made his bass sound every bit as good as that old stand-up bass from the MTV video I remember so well…





And then there was Sonny Rodriguez. Flown straight in from Las Vegas on a Buck-chartered jet, and with impeccable timing, Sonny hit the stage to tear up the bongos to a Latin-rockabilly beat that would have had Matt Munoz begging to kiss the stage. It was that good. Ok, so that was a fun little slapstick gimmick, but then sometimes you have to play with the audience in order to play to the audience, right?





I hear Fatt Katt and the Von Zippers have played the Crystal Palace 46 times. Now if we could just see alt country band, Norfolk open up for them it would be the perfect night of alternative country sounds… a little Fatt Katt, a little Norfolk with Peter Prevost on guitar, some Les Paw smacking down on the bass for Fatt Katt, some James Ratliff vocals with Norfolk, some rockabilly-haired Styx jamming to his red rockster drums, pounding out the Katt tunes like he was born from a rockabilly sound himself… what a night I am envisioning. Let the new Bakersfield experiment in sound go forging new paths for bands to work together, to cross promote…

What a great sound from a high octane rockabilly band. I really loved Fatt Katt and the Vonzippers and plan on seeing them tear up the tuneville set here in Buck City, especially when they focus on jamming out the tunes of their own original numbers, which I might add, are a great blend of rocking rhythms with a hint of Latino flavor, just to spice it up…

Nate Berg out! Straight from the desk of Pizza-a-go-go Jerry - By N.L. Belardes

In a strange twist of events, Pizza-a-go-go promoter Nate Berg has been terminated from his position as show promoter. From alleged baseball bat of poor consciousness enforcing the Pizza Empire's hold over Bakersfield show venues to street thug and now defunct promoter, here's the message just found today on jerryspizza.com:


6.24.2005

'Memo Straight From Jerry's Desk :

Time is Up! Nate is no longer the Jerry's Pizza 'concert/show promoter'.

I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to all his good work at the time when Nate was a good and dedicated promoter.

We are working on a new format for booking shows. For the time being Jerry's Pizza will be booking shows on an individual basis. We are open to any good ideas that any of you may have.

For shows that have already been booked via the concert calendar, we ask that you contact Jerry's Pizza as we would like to still honor the show.

For booking shows please contact us via email. We will not be able to discuss booking over the phone if you call. >>> jerryspizza@sbcglobal.net

Pizza-a-go-go on the Internet - By N.L. Belardes

Thanks to free public information, we have access to this information. Apparently some felonies if a no contest plea is entered the sentenced is reduced somehow...

Defendant Information: Name: BERG, NATHANIEL BRYON Birth Year: 1972
Case Information: Court Case #: BM675610A Filing Date: 06/21/05 Arrest Date: 06/19/05
Related Case #: None
Charges/Dispositions | Sentence Information | Scheduled Hearings | Aliases

Charges/Dispositions
Count Type Code Section Charge Description Charge Disposition Disposition Date
001 M PC 460(B) BURGLARY: 2ND DEGREE PLED NOLO CONTENDERE 06/21/05
002 M PC 664/460(B) ATTEMPTED BURGLARY:SECOND DEGREE PLED NOLO CONTENDERE 06/21/05
Back to Top

Sentence Information

JAIL/PRISON 15 DAYS,
TOTAL CREDIT 0003 TIME SERVED 3 DAYS
CONFINEMENT LOCATION JAIL
SUMMARY PROBATION GRANTED FOR 3 YRS,

Bakersfield Ninjas, misdemeanors, and Enrique Fuentes interview - By N.L. Belardes

Danielle Belton, who Enrique Fuentes calls that ‘hoochie honey of the news’ has written the true scoop on the Nate Berg arrest. My ‘felony’ adjectives were all wrong. They were misdemeanors. You can read more in her blog where she talks about his few days in the slammer. Danielle was also kind enough to mention me today regarding my posting of the Bakersfield Ninjas video... I hear there is a sequel in the works. Now if I could just make a cameo appearance in that! The info of course was originally leaked to me by some mysterious member of the band, Three Chord Whore who plays kickball with the alleged Filmmakers...

Speaking of Enrique Fuentes, I had a brief interview with him about his forthcoming book. Here’s what he had to say:

N: What is this book about you’re writing?

E: Oh Nickyboy I haven’t seen you in forever! I love the new glasses, you seem more like a little boy with those big black gawdy fashionable lenses. When are you releasing that hoochie book? You keep telling everybody a month and about five have gone by… now run to me because my book isn’t done yet, but it is a darling tale of everlasting love in Delano, Bakersfield, and Hollywood. I write about all my friends, the paparazzi Rico, Hoochie Honey Danielle, Kay Kay Jones and Neneng Tea. It’s a fluffy Victoria’s Secret tour de hoochie with some really fun surprises!

N: Sounds like a dazzler. As for my book. There’s always a delay, what can I say? I am having fun in the meantime promoting, writing, and snapping photos. But more about you. Where have you been?

E: I have been in Hollywood working on movie make-up for a very fun film. The stage crews were hilarious. In the evenings we partied, we sat around and watched Betty Davis films and ate like posh little Hollywood lovelies. The stars were divine, and let’s say I got to touch the cheeks of some sexy mambo stars! I won’t say Brad Pitt’s name but I did hold a make-up brush to those pouty lips of his. Oops. I think that was an accident. Did I just say Brad Pitt?

N: Yes you did. You seem to know everybody. Are there going to be a lot of movie stars with cameos in your book?

E: Oh lots! But I won’t kiss and tell. But you know that, Nicky.

N: Do you have a new title for your book?

E: I’m thinking about something royal, with pizzazz, like The Queen and I: Enrique Fuentes, Queen of the Downtown Fur…

N: Where did you come up with that?

E: Oh I don’t know. I was eating sushi and I just thought of it. Don’t hate me for wanting to hold you.

N: I’ll try not to hold it against you…

E: I have to go now. Tell all my lovelies that I miss them and to write soon! And oh yes, I will write soon too! I am going to start posting portions of my novel on my very hoochie blog!

N.L. Belardes guest calls Indie LA Radio 103.1 to ask Mento Buru about SKA-kersfield - By N.L. Belardes

I’m listening to the morning show on Indie 103.1. Dicky Barrett just talked SKAtravaganza. He laughed, “Ska people and ska bands will bastardize the word any chance they get.” I could hear Matt Munoz from Mento Buru, Wally from Modtown, and David from After Hours all giggling in the background during the morning news.

During the interview, show host Dicky from the Mighty Mighty Bosstones talked a bit about Latin Ska bands. He said they were big in South America and then the jokes floated around that just maybe there is a huge statue down there of Dicky in a handshake pose…

Of course you had to expect Matt to be introduced as the guy not just from Mento Buru but from SKA-kersfield. “You guys come to LA to get relief from the bustling metropolis of Bakersfield?” Laughs all around. “Of course what you’re here for,” Dicky said, “is because ska returns to the historic El Rey Theatre.” He read the highlights and even said to Lord Tanamo of the SKAtellites, “My name’s Dicky. I’m one of the guys who ruined ska.”

Mento Buru’s song “Double Jeopardy" got airplay and Dicky in his slapstick radio promo said, “there’s no one better than Mento Buru.” The real kudos came from the reps from other bands who loved the song just as I did with its big phat lyrics, “…searching for the things that aren’t easy to find…time we all have don’t stand in our way.”

Matt complimented one of the ska-boys in the studio as a “Very hot sax.” Of course Matt accused Dicky of a brain with too much ska… since Dicky wasn’t really sure who he was talking to at times.

Matt soon talked about the Aquabats:

“…even though the guy from Blink 182 was in the Aquabats,” Matt commented to something Dicky said about ska-folk. Matt’s fast with the comments. “We played one of their first shows as they were debuting their outfits. Testing their scuba gear.”

Dicky did say that the Bakersfield contingent and others were a “People that have a passion for pioneers.” Mento Buru, Modtown and After Hours haven’t played with each other since early 1990s, that’s why it’s a SKA class reunion. “I’m not going. Those people are from Bakersfield…” joked Dicky

And then I called in. They put me on hold and I didn’t expect to get through…

“Oh crap, they just put me through,” I thought. Dicky said, “Who’s this?”

“This is Nick from Bakersfield,” I said.

“I don’t know where that is.”

“I mean Ska-kersfield.”

“Oh I know where that is,” Dicky and everyone laughed.

I think I scared Matt by calling in, but he said, “Hey Nick!”

“I just want to know if Matt’s going to wear his big socks and do the four trademark SKA dances I recently saw on the streets of Bakersfield,” I said referring to the night Cesareo danced…

I then told them jokingly, “I’m a blogger and ready to hit send and just typed in about twenty misquotes… Matt will fill you in on who I am,” I said too nervous to stay on the phone…

“Well thanks for confusing me!” Dicky laughed. Ah well, I wasn’t expecting to be on the big LA radio…

"It was really nice having those guys in here... I just enjoyed having them. I like that they are passionate still about ska music. I make fun of everyone. Actually it was my life, my art, my passion..."

Haha… too much ska-talk for Dicky of the Bosstones can send him into a ska-mendous mind overload… and me… it was a fun moment… the show is still on—go have a listen…

Mento Buru and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones on the radio at 8:15am - By N.L. Belardes

I got a call last night from a very enthused Ska-man wandering venice beach with a beer and cell phone. "Belardes! Tune into the radio in the morning! The amigos will be talking about Ska with a legend!" Oh yeah... and Munoz is the guy to do it. He's the all-knowledgable man of the LA music scene and a great conversationalist...

So, in a nutshell: Mento Buru is going to be on the radio this morning on LA's 103.1FM. You can listen to it online at 8:15 am as Matt Munoz will be interviewed by legend Dickie Barrett of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones regarding this Saturday's SKA CLASS REUNION show in LA. Remember, Mento Buru is one of the biggest SKA Bands in the state having once been signed to the now defunct Moon Ska Records. Dickie Barrett has his own Indie radio show. So check it out...

Historic First Music Scene Podcasts out of Bakersfield, CA - By N.L. Belardes

IT'S HERE!!!!!!!!

If you’ve been looking at The Arts pages on nlbelardes
.com then you’ve seen the logo for The Buck City
Podcast. Well what is it? Is it here? What can I do
with it? Do I eat it like a salad? Do I listen? Do I
listen and dance? Tell me, N.L., tell me!

Podcasting is relatively new. It’s cool, it’s hip, and
it’s all about underground college radio style music
playing—that’s what it is. The really cool part is in
understanding what a podcast is and does…

By definition a podcast is a downloadable unregulated
slice of media, an MP3 that you can listen to on your
computer, MP3 player (car, home, wherever), or in your
coolio iPOD.

What is really neato about podcasting is you can
actually subscribe to it. Subscribe? Yes. But what does
that mean? Subscribing means the actual MP3 has a feed
attached that you can plug into a little piece of free
software. The free software then automatically
downloads the podcast feed without you having to click
on a link. Go to this page and find the podcast logo.
Click on ipodder and download.

Then put in this feed:
http://nlbelardes.com/buckcitypods/buckcitypodcast.rss

The marvel in all of this is you can do a nifty feed
not just into your computer, but right into your iPOD.
That means every instance of hooking up your iPOD to
your computer, you can upload any new podcasts linked
directly to that feed. So, if I do a new Buck City
Podcast, and you have the feed plugged into the
ipodder software, or to your iPOD, then SHAZAM! You
have brand new Buck City Podcasts to happily listen
to.

You can even set the software for how often to check
when podcasts have been updated…

Today’s historic first Buck City Podcast is
‘Rockabilly City’. It’s a 23-minute show of music and
me blabbing about a few rockabilly bands mixed in with
some other great music. Yes, this is kinda of like
pre-recorded college radio. It’s very raw with a very
amateurish hiss in the background noise—though the
music all plays clear. There’s no advertising for now,
so it’s all underground coolness in action.

I play ‘Londontown Girls’ from local rockabilly band
Fat Kat and the Von Zippers, ‘Ghostfire’ from
Psychobilly punksters Tiger Army, ‘Individual’ by
touring band World Wide Spies, ‘After Her’ by local
eclectic jazz rocksters Soulajar. I also play a
thrashing song from local punks, The Black Jerks, and
a rockabilly song from actress/cowgirl Lynda Kay…
There’s more to come on The Buck City Podcast…

Stay tuned!

MySpace Foreign band of the day: Variation - By N.L. Belardes

Dare I say the phrase ‘Nor-Cal’ here in Central Cal so close to So-Cal? I did with Aroarah who I had a fun phone interview with. So why not again? Believe it or not I was born in San Jose, California, so just maybe I have an affinity for the northern lands. I even saw Wilco not long ago at the San Jose Theatre for Performing Arts. So I enjoy the northern climes… Enter Variation, Nor-Cal band out of Stockton who I heard of by way of a historic Filthies/Dalloways show at Club Fred in Fresno, a show that spirited me to even want to write about bands outside of Bakersfield, CA. These guys even have a manager. You don’t’ see that so much these days. At least I don’t.

The Jazz-funk-hardcore transition-filled grooves of Variation are first evident through the drumming in their song Déjà vu. I’m liking the percussion here, which along with the bass carry the weight of the song. The song picks up even more power in the melodic bass and then in riffs of distortion that comes in waves. Take the bass transition for example. It has a strong weight in the mix, stronger than the guitars. It powers the song through its atmospheric jazz-rock mix. The vocals add to the mix and are a stong blend to Variation's fusion-mix. I do have to say I hate such karmaic moments as this song suggests: “Now I’m scared because I know…I’m stuck inside my Déjà vu.” Haven't we all been there?

“It’s the way we all consume everything they selling us…” comes the ethereal lyrics ofPoisoning the World, a song that quickly fills your ears with melodic bass, drifting melodic guitarwork, and anti-corporate lines that lend to the need to cleanse our identities of the mainstream world around us. I enjoyed the jazzy distorted sounds of Dave Serrano whose guitars ranges from melodic to hardcore jazz and rock riffs. Bassist Chad Tondee had my ears glued to the speakers in both their MySpace songs, as did drummer Matt Anderson who their site says “Answers the phone like a jerk.” Those egoist drummers. I love the bass… I’ve spun both songs six times each just write to this point—you gotta love the music. Yes, their bassist tears through Poisoning the World which is worth the listen. Singer Zach Cantu reminds me a bit of Joey from Seven to the Right: he’s a crooner who probably hugs his microphone as tight as he does the hot ladies. (Just kidding Joey). Yes, Variation is worth a listen. Do a little networking to spread your songs to these guys and vice versa.

Drama in the music scene... What will happen to the Pizza-a-go-go shows? - By N.L. Belardes

Just one phone call, sir...

Two felony counts of burglery.

$17,500 bail.

In all seriousness, the question of Jerry's Pizza shows is in the air. Will another promoter step in? Will bands still look at Jerry's Pizza as the Mecca of Bakersfield Alt Music? I never did. All the hullabaloo about the business being clean? Was it ever?What will happen? Can good come of this? I don't think local Bakersfield bands will be affected. There are many venues bands can play and I'm not even sure if the Boycott is still in effect...

Recently I watched a KooKooNauts DVD that began with footage taken at Jerry's Pizza. A fight broke out in front of the stage, punkers smashed each other in fisticuffs over what? Nothing. The fight was broken up and the assailants each hugged one another. It was a brutal display of music and negative crowd energy. I watched the video with representatives from several bands in the room. I have to give the KooKooNauts credit. They kept playing. There was even someone in a gorilla suit monkeying around... My point is... do parents know what happens underground at Jerry's Pizza? Some do, and they take care of their kids. But what about the parents who don't know? The promoter himself is behind bars. There has been recent murder tied to Jerry's kids. And the night people saw the ambulance and fire engines outside...

Do your kids lurk in the black shadows, hidden in the stale underground of the Pizza-a-go-go, that dastardly Rock and Roll Farm?

Why?

Other communities refer to such a dismal punk haven as a cesspool swallowing up the Southern Valley music image.

Are we responsible to clean up the image of downtown music now that it has been tainted even further?

It's the people, you and I who are ultimately responsible...

Maybe.

Mento and Karmahitlist (acoustic) at Fishlips July 8 - by N.L. Belardes

What else do you need to know about
this gig? There's always something
going down at the fish fry....

Bands squabble over who-knows-what... by N.L. Belardes

Throatshot and ex-drummer of Melodrose get into it:


So this guy Miah (ex drummer of Melodrose)... he decided to write us a nice hate mail about how we dress like girls... so our questions for all of you reading this is as follows:

Does anyone think we look like girls?

If so, is that good or bad?


I'm pretty sure he just doesn't understand that Iron Crosses, and Flames died out a while back...

The night Cesareo danced - By N.L. Belardes

Boy, was this one of those interesting nights. I had just played some hockey down at the wooden-floored Rollerama. I was sucking air. I hadn't played in a few weeks. You know how that goes. You get tired just putting on the skates. There was a possible broken ankle injury. The victim was carried off and taken to the hospital. We lost a player and a goalie to that one. There were sweet passes and trick goals. And it was hot as hell...

After the game I stopped downtown. I went into an old furniture store where Mento Buru was practicing. They have a few big shows coming up and I am helping to promote one of them. It's all for the good of Bakersfield bands. So why not?

Mento Buru joked and laughed and appeared a little nervous running through songs. Maybe it wasn't nerves. Maybe it was just a little frustration here and there that bands go through as they work on old and new songs... Maybe it was just the comfortable mattresses that looked nice enough to fall asleep on. After all, I was dead tired.

I snapped some pics. There was a cool cat guitarist up against a wall, calm as can be.





Matt Munoz played some sax... he had on a slick hat.

But I was soon done with my indoor venture into ska-ness. I walked outside and sat on the curb and talked on the phone. I could see Riley's from where I sat and wondered if I should head inside and ask if the Pizza-a-go-go promoter was indeed in jail. Nah... it wasn't that important to me. Though I admit I wanted to know.

Soon Cesareo appeared ethereally out of nowhere. In a dead urban downtown here he had walked out of the jungle city shadows. He came and talked for a moment. We spoke marketing. Then he said, "These guys are great aren't they?" Cesareo once played for Mento Buru. He then walked over to the door to the furniture store and started dancing.



He danced and danced, happy in the ska-sounds that pounded the furniture store and into the 19th Street dark Bakersfield murder street blues. That was where his feet took him. While he continued to smile and dance I boogied to a burger stand.

Next stop: a burger joint that doesn't have a promoter that makes bands pay to play in the sorry cycle of bands found in downtown Bakersfield; where hip acts and second-tier musicians play to the cockroach heaps and pizza dung residue like machine operators from the Jacob Riis urban tenement blues.

Give me a burger.



Give me fries.



Give me an end to the night that Cesareo danced...

Confirmed. Pizza-a-go-go promoter in jail - By N.L. Belardes

Apparently one rumor went around that Jerry's Pizza promoter Nate Berg went to jail for attempting to stab someone. Heath Dobbler, out to create some new punk music took a break to blog some comments. He had these words on the alleged episode after reading my site earlier tonight. Supposedly the true story went online by promoter Zill C. Deville who posted this message at 7:33 PM:

nate went to jail for breaking into a car not trying to stab

just so everyone knows that is what he told people to tell everyone else but he got busted for trying to break into a car.



What would DeNiro do?

Would he have read The Nate Berg Story?

Would DeNiro wear such a black hat, or wield such a baseball bat of poor consciousness? Such intimidation...

Nate Berg arrested? - by N.L. Belardes

Could just be music scene gossip:

Word on the street is the alleged baseball bat of poor consciousness has been arrested for breaking into cars on union avenue...

developing...

The Black Jerks and Saboteur at the fist-fight shack - By N.L. Belardes

Oh, I could have gone to the Thunderrun. I could have seen cool bikes, hot biker babes, scary biker babes, scary biker dudes, killer hogs, wanna-be bikers, screaming biker maniacs, and a lot of local bands along with a well-known imported headliner, Lit. I could have hung out at the Bakersfield fairgrounds with a lot of band chums who I have met over the past few months and surely would have had a great time. But then, not one person in the music scene called me over the weekend to attend. I still love all those guys. But if no one calls me, then that means I am on my own to go lurk wherever I want to in the local music subculture. Without obligations I am as free as little tweety bird straight out of grandma Ethel’s birdcage. I can go watch Smoky the Homeless Hobo twang his banjo on Ray Street, chum it up with mariachis at Amigos, or better yet, head to East Bakersfield to dive into the sub-subterranean culture of thrash punk rock mayhem in a little shack with a whole lot of history: the Munoz Gym. There, boxers still tangle and spar, bags get slugged, and punk rockers sometimes swelter in a historic gym of forgotten ghosts who stare swollen-eyed from the gym’s nostalgic walls.



One of the motivating factors for me actually showing up at the gym was the rumor of this being the final show for The Black Jerks. I don’t know if that will hold true; bands always look for unique marketing promotions to get kids to come to shows. Why, just the night before, The Black Jerks jammed in a late night session with the Hips out on a veteran’s property called ‘The Camp’ and a lot of people showed up. That was billed as the promotion of the 7” vinyl release for The Hips. Talk about a step into yesteryear and today. Here are The Hips releasing vinyl when most bands don’t have a clue what vinyl is anymore. I bought one just so I could have some really cool memorabilia of The Hips… Anyway, The Black Jerks were there and I heard it was quite a show. I spoke with Black Jerks guitarist, Matt Riot about their performance at The Camp. “Some kid kept thrashing me. He practically kicked me down and I accidentally smashed him in the teeth with my guitar,” he said. “It was a great show.” Now that’s punk rock.





Trying to find the Munoz Gym you can almost pass right by as you head toward Edison highway. It’s a distant area of town, near La Colonia restaurant, close to the strange etherworld of agriculture and city, where vineyards meet the urban sprawl. The gym itself is the size of a tiny one-bedroom house on a gravel lot near another old building from the 1940s where eggs used to be housed and sold. Inside the gym, the walls are covered with pictures, news clippings and posters from throughout Bakersfield boxing history. The ring in the center of the room is surrounded by a narrow walkway while a few benches have a weathered look. The more than thirty-year-old gym has been run by Paul Munoz, the grandfather of Ronald of Underground Records/also drummer for The Black Jerks.



In the 1940s Paul Munoz fought against an Olympic champion. That was around 1948, just three years after the end of World War Two. I don’t remember if he said he won or lost that particular fight, but that’s not what was most important. Most important was the fact here was a Central Valley kid duking it out in amateur rings and making a name for himself in a bygone era. “I almost fought for a title in Hawaii. They wanted me to go, but it just didn’t happen,” he said.



The elder Munoz sat on a crate with a stick. He pushed around a few rocks near a rusted barbed wire fence. I asked him how many amateur fights he’d fought through the years. “Oh I stopped boxing in the 70s. That was after around 210 fights. My brother figures I won around 200 of those. I never went pro. But a lot of people think I did.”

Paul’s eyes are kind, but still have the fight and prowess he had years ago in bouts at the old Strongbow Stadium (I don’t remember its really old name). Paul’s arms and hands still show the strength of a man who has calmly punched bags and other boxers for nearly two-thirds of a century. He grappled the stick like he was going to wrap tape on his hands and pointed to the gym. “I had the dream of creating champions right here in Bakersfield.” What happened was a rather heartless display of the boxing profession of the 70s and 80s: fights getting called draws; fighters were cheated and could only win if they knocked out their opponents; boxers stolen from under Paul’s nose; big title chances pulled like rugs; and Paul left to create boxers on a shoestring budget. “Those were the days the Los Angeles Olympic Stadium made up for the closures in New York,” he smiled. “That was just after the time when you could tour the whole country as a boxer.” Paul indicated the Olympic Stadium was a network of boxing promoters who seemed to all have stars in their eyes only for themselves and not for a Bakersfield promoter who had a simple dream to just create great boxers out of imports from south of the border. That was Paul’s dream, though it rarely saw such glory moments. “I had one really good boxer who had so many draws people were amazed. What could I say? He was a champion to me.”

I asked Paul if he had any regrets. “No. I’m not perfect, but I don’t have regrets. Now I like working with kids. I’d like to think they learn something from not being on the streets.” There is a discipline in fighting I learned from my discussion with Paul Munoz that lasts a lifetime. It’s not just the eye of the tiger, but the eye to tackle life and life’s hardships that you can learn from such a disciplined sport. I wondered if such a discipline could be found in the chaotic heart of punk music.





I first met Joe from The Hips down on 19th Street outside of Gigantic Vintage. He’d given me two CDs of his band’s music: an EP and a live CD that included a couple of unreleased tracks. We started a dialogue off then that ranged from talking about downtown punk magazines to a small controversy over possibly using some of their music in The War Days movie and soundtrack. Joe stepped out of a car and I quickly said hello… not long afterwards he and Shaggy from The Hips had on strange gas mask-like garb for a brief set intro to The Black Jerks. They reminded me of some kind of creepy post-apocalyptic mind control psycho-police with their mockery of the human race through punkdom. In an artistic display of the saboteurs in every one of us, they were indeed Saboteur, a side project of Joe and Shaggy who soon hope to create a demo. Joe, in his strange blue garb and cop-like terror scream stood on his amp in punk defiance of tomorrow’s societal order, while Shaggy began drumming as if borne of the spirit of punk in the stale air of the Munoz gym. She shot out drumbeats; he gave lyrical orders, rhythm from the chaos that rained from Joe’s screaming and wailing punk vocals and guitar sounds. This was Paul Munoz fist in the spirituous riot of punk chaos, calmly played, extricated from two lone instruments with the discipline that can only found in the soul of music.







Friday the 13th in May had been a horrible trip for The Black Jerks. They went down to LA for a house show that got shut down and Matt Riot’s guitar was stolen. Last night their lead man declared this to be his last show. “I’ve got other things to work on,” he said to me. What was this? The Black Jerks breaking up? Or still a gimmick? I don’t know. Did the singer have a disgusted look on his face? No—couldn’t be. I asked him if he was leaving Bakersfield. “No. I’m staying around here. I got some things going on. But this is the last night of The Black Jerks for me.”





What can I say? It was a chaotic night in some ways. Matthew Riot had to go find a guitar. Who knows where he borrowed it. It was out of tune during one song. He grimaced and tuned it. I wasn’t sure if the rest of his band was happy or sad that the crowd was subdued. The crowd wasn’t thrashing the band as I have seen crowds do and the band do to the crowds. The Black Jerks always mingle right in, thrash about and come out with a whirlwind 30-60 second song. That’s the energy of The Black Jerks.







Their set wasn’t a disaster at all but a celebration of sound, of punk music in an old gym known for its hits and taking hits through the years, all for the ongoing discipline of an art that a lot of people just don’t understand…

Music scene blogger and literary artist, Matildakay in the Bakersfield shadows - By N.L. Belardes

While I was attending a graduation reception in the mighty metropolis of Delano—you know, that land of one million blackbirds swarming the Central Valley Skies? Yes, Matildakay was out blog-gathering info on her favorite band in the Bakersfield music scene so she could write a dandy piece and review of her time at the Thunderrun Show at the Kern County Fairgrounds. Yes, that would be Karmahitlist that she went to see. While Cesareo, Jim and Tim have re-worked the Karmahitlist sound, Matildakay is on the scene to write about their showmanship. Seantastic is a rock star and she shows it off in her writing the way he shows off his punk star make-up and Iggy-Mick-Seantastic swagger onstage. That was after she blogged her Karmahitlist Karmahitlist information chain letter looking for show dates.

And yes she did like the show at the fairgrounds. In her piece "Karmahitlist invades Bikerville" she writes wrote about Seantastic, his mighty bullhorn, and about her take on sweaty biker babes.

Matildakay is a new writer honing her skills and is an old friend of mine from back in the South High School days of the 1980s. You go ask her yourself if she had big 80s hair. I’m not saying anything though I do have old yearbooks at home for anyone willing to pay the big bucks for a glimpse of yesteryear.

With that said, she’s been writing about the music scene a lot lately. The scene can use the boost and she offers a lady’s eye view of happenings in the local scene. Read what she recently wrote about Norfolk and Mento Buru at Fishlips, and then about a big show at the Gate where she had literary words for Lost Ocean and Liars and Thieves. Her writing has a refreshing Nicholas Sparks romantic style blended with hipsterisms and a genuine excitement for what she is writing about. She weaves in personal parallels while painting a visual of her interpretation of artistic experiences...

Helping support the music, theatre, and other arts includes supporting writers who are honing their skills while helping to promote art… Let her know she is helping the art scene. We all need encouragement: matildakay2@yahoo.com

Gossip in the music scene - By N.L. Belardes

So you want to know what's going on in the local music scene but you don't want to rely on Danielle Belton for all your information? I have a few things up my own sleeve that I hope to launch this weekend. One is local podcasting. I think I finally figured it out. The other has to do with a compilation CD. More on all that in the next few days. Well here's a bit of news I picked up on regarding the local music and arts scene:

-Jimmy Holliday is in a new alt country band called Sioux City Sarsaparilla. They play Narducci’s Saturday night at 8pm.

-Throatshot is in the studio making a new CD. They’re over at Phat Track and promise to have a packaged CD by early August.

-Liars and Thieves is in Hollywood tonight at the Poison apple with Teenage Talking Cars...

-E-Race is going to be on KRAB this Sunday night. 9pm-ish.

-The Dalloways played at Fresno’s Fulton Plaza Thursday and got their instruments rained on. They survived. So did the Rickenbocker.

-Paul from Exithead just had a birthday.

-Note from Rnold of Underground Records regarding the Black Jerks. He's also giving away some moolah to spend at his store:
GOINGUNDERGROUND WILL BE CLOSED ON FRIDAY! SORRRYYY
OPEN SAT 11-6 BE THERE
SHOW THIS SUNDAY ! MUNOZ GYM
JUNE 19TH @
MUNOZ GYM
FM BATS ( w/ Hot rod Todd from LE SHOK)
SWEET THINGS
BLACK JERKS
+ 1
7PM $5

-THEATRE AUDITIONS: By Appointment only! Saturday June 18th from 9am-12pm Sunday June 19th from 1pm to 4pm Come audition for the Spotlight Theater's first show of the Fall season: FAME - The Musical is a comedy-drama in song and dance set at New York City's High School of Performing Arts. It follows a group of young students (actors, dancers and musicians) as they interact with each other through a four year period. They are the last class to graduate from the landmark building on West 46th Street.

-The Bakersfield Thunderrun is this weekend… SOme TV shows are going to be out there.

-Brett from Lostocean thinks the new Batman is the best movie ever (Star Wars traitor)

-Tonight: Six and RidiKule at The Rooster (old Hush Puppy)

-Soulajar still selling tickets for June 24 show at Spotlight.

-The Dusk Devils are playing shows again… got one coming up in July. More on that later.

-Karmahitlist is playing at the Thunderrun, but also plans on an acoustic set with Mento Buru… should be different and coolio.

-The Hips are playing out at the camp on the 18th and will have CDs for sale

CD Review of Rocky Na$h and Video extras needed! - By N.L. Belardes

Rocky Na$h, the brash Bakersfield DJ who isn’t afraid of a little potty talk and fun also fronts a band with the same name. If you haven’t heard, the music is hard rocking with extremely strong guitars and angry vocals throughout. Dare I mention KISS? Dare I mention Def Leppard? Dare I mention a little Joan Jett? Dare I mention a little old school metal? This is classic American hard rock with bandanas, jeans, a little bit of leather, and definitely a lot of sexy rock vixen attitude. The songs were recorded with Rocky backed by two musicians: drummer/guitarist Preston Nash and guitarist Chad Heimbach. Both musicians compliment each other's many intricate guitar-driven layers, and make up the classic rocking sounds of Rocky Na$h. Who played bass? Good question... but let's get to the music...

The first song, Nailed Again is an angry tribute to the pain of jealousy and lost love and how we’re all capable of being a little self-destructive along the way. “Leaning on a bottle of gin… I see myself in the glass… drowning in a moment of fun… jealous of the other ones…” N.L. tips a glass of lemonade to this song... OK, a watered down beer. You all know I’m a light drinker…

The fastest song on the self-titled CD, Blame Me shows off Preston Nash as a multi-talented musician and engineer with precision drumming skills and guitar riffs that just shake you with energy… “Why the hell can you see through me? I’m the friend and not the foe…hungry hands come back again to taste my lip and knock me down.” Oh man, is this a song about needing to stand up to the pain of the world knocking you down again and again? Rocky will have to elaborate. But I can agree with the interpretation and perspective I funneled from this fast-moving, guitar ripping American Classic style song.

“Step right up to my lead balloon!” sings Rocky who beckons for you to come to her arms… “because no one cares about you…” Do we all feel this way at times, that who we need are those who feel our pain? But be careful because you might sink just a little further with a lead balloon. But don’t worry, it will rise… Chad’s guitar sounds are a driving hum mimicking the machinery of our everyday lives in a factorywork of riffs. I love the layers of sound that builds this song into a dark metal groan of Rocky’s angry attitude.

Turn Me Out is straight up rock and roll with a lyrical theme about folks leading each other on… and turning each other down. For what reason? Just because it’s what people do when one terrible person consumes another “You drain me just to free me… turn me out…” The strength of Turn Me Out is that once it really gets pushing it’s used as a strong transition into a very passionate rock ballad intro…

April Cries verges on the point of rock opera with its full-layered sounds and rich guitar-driven melody, primarily driven by Preston Nash. The guitars drone from a moan to a wail while Rocky sings in her vibrant angry voice… I can imagine a really cool animated piece to such music… stretch this song to 25 minutes with transitions galore and it’s a really fascinating rock opera out of the heart of Bakersfield… “Hold tight as April Cries…”

I really like the harmonies on Stars, which speeds the CD back up until a bridge comes along that slows the whole song down into some nice singing between Rocky and Preston. Stars does a great job of building momentum as Rocky declares, “This is what I am! This is how it goes… stars shine on those who stand alone…” I can appreciate such lines.

Daisies from Glistening has my favorite guitar work of the CD. Acoustic melodies performed by both Chad Heimbach and Preston Nash are strung along to the soft rattle of drums and Rocky singing this love ballad, “Everyday I will give you ways to fall in love with me again…everywhere I go there’s a heart full of you…” I can just see her on stage in bright lights, with darkness around and her singing to a host of cell phone lights shimmering…

I was at Reggae Fest when Rocky Nash belted into a cover of Silent All These Years by Tori Amos. The only mistake was asking the crowd if there were any Tori Amos fans. The crowd didn’t know what to think until Rocky rocked the house with a fiery rendition of what is an already angry song. The CD recording is really fired up and I listened to it in a car several times while driving around to get its full near road rage effect. Don’t worry, I didn’t drive over any little old ladies while listening to Rocky scream “Siilent all these years.” She is definitely feeling her own bond with a song very much about her own life. On one level this CD is about her coming out and not being musically silent. It’s not just a marketing technique but a richly sung song that ends the self-titled CD with angry triumphant thoughts and sounds about being an artist on the road to success…

And extras are needed! Go to JR's site for a note from Preston and Rocky about an upcoming music video on June 25th being filmed at Vinny's Bar on South Union...

The Faces of Skyler - By N.L. Belardes

Skyler of Lost Ocean is an inspiring young keyboardist... These are all images from their performance last night at the Gate.

Stubble the Lords Hunter steals N.L. question about country music - By N.L. Belardes

Robert Price A.K.A. Stubble the Lords Hunter recently asked the same questions I’ve been asking for a few months now. Is there a new Bakersfield Sound? Is there local country music in Bakersfield besides the Crystal Palace? Or has Bakersfield country music all dwindled away and moved from here in the Old Nashville West to LA, the New Nashville West? Of course Buck is still around. So are some of his buddies like Red Simpson... And there’s this whole rockabilly, psychobilly, alt country thing going on with Fat Kat and the Vonzippers, the Dusk Devils, those creepy Night Crawlers who got plugged by Tiger Army (who also plugged captain Buck. I keep telling you rocksters to take advantage of the fact that those outside of Bakersfield respect the musical roots here). Oh, and there’s Norfolk, and others I'm finding out.

Jenny Angel of the Dusk Devils even came to my defense by pointing out to the Lords Hunter that I had asked the question before he did: "n.l. belardes has a whole story on the topic you suggest at this blog rut thur on yur bakersfield.com site." Funny. I even wrote an email to Jennifer Baldwin of the Bakersfield Californian and mentioned putting my piece on the Bakersfield.com homepage. That was the same week Buck got off his big crystal horse and uncovered those cool statues at the Palace. Stubble, did you rip me off?? Jennifer? Ah, it doesn’t matter. The question got asked, and it’s an important one. Not that I’m being nice to Robert Price. I half expect he’ll write a few scathing remarks about my Lords of Bakersfield novel. All in good fun. He'll probably say, "It reads like a Nancy Drew schloppy sleuth story..." It’s like professor Oliver Rink once told me: “Writers all hang their asses out in the wind for others to criticize.” So what can you do about that? Just keep writing I say…

Anyway, Matt Munoz of Mento Buru and I are still plotting our local country music hunt. We’re going to get out our Sherlock Holmes and Watson Halloween garb and pick the scene with a fine toothed comb. We’re going to talk to old timers, young timers, rockabilly hipsters, and whomever we can find to seek the answers that Stubble the Lords Hunter is also asking…

Stay tuned…

Big Show at the Gate with Vendetta Red - By N.L. Belardes

What a night I just had over at the Gate. This old YMCA, now a church building and music venue, along with the Boiler Room with its great mocha drinks and small stage is quite the happening venue. Tonight more than 200 people showed up to see Vendetta Red, American Eyes, Liars and Thieves, Lost Ocean, and This Plain Morning.



When I arrived, This Plain Morning was just finishing up their last song. I was able to snap one quick picture before they started breaking down their equipment. Right afterwards I ran into Simon from Myndsick. We had a stimulating conversation about poetry and writing, his lyrics, blog traffic and a killer hockey song. He introduced me to his cousin Zack, lead singer for Vendetta Red. They gave each other a big hug and I soon got ready for Liars and Thieves, who I hear used to play with some of the members from Vendetta Red.



I snapped a few pictures during the Liars and Thieves sound check. “Hey! Whoooahhh!” Sal yelled in his typical sound check warm-up. Of course Sal was quick to say, “This isn’t going to work,” and began calling for all the kids who were outside to come inside. He wanted a crowd. He always does and isn’t shy about rounding up wayward youth for a big show. Soon the kids started pouring into the room.



I should add I also met some nice folks related to the Lost Ocean band who I promised some of my salsa as they claimed they were salsa aficionados…

I have to admit when Liars and Thieves started playing I was really impressed with the sound at the Gate. They quickly tore into Don’t Stop, followed by Evil Ways and Dance Riot. They then played a new song titled Newby, and finished off with a rousing rendition of their fiery song, Rock n’Roll, which always gets the crowd pumped… Rahl was confident on the bass. Nick/Tyler had a rousing rock star drummer set and Sal… what can I say, he was playing his guitar fast, ripping into each song… even his trademark hat went flying…






LA band American Eyes was on next. They were hard-rockin’ and their lead singer grabbed some drumsticks and started wailing on the drummer’s instruments for some military-style percussion.



After their set I needed a break and got me a killer mocha down in the boiler room next door where Stacia put some extra chocolate in the blender… oh yeah…



If you haven’t heard Lost Ocean you missed a real treat. These guys are on the road to success, and watching Skyler play the keyboards… well you’re missing out if you haven’t seen him perform. He’s energetic, he’s richly talented, he compliments his bandmates’ intense musicianship with a passionate blend of classical style meets rock and roll meltdown on the keyboard samples. Did I forget to mention he’s an all-around approachable person? Go talk to Skyler… he can handle it.







I hadn’t heard Vendetta Red perform. Many of you know I don’t watch TV, so I was way out of the loop with this rocking band. How do I describe? Led Zeppelin meets Post-modern rock and roll from the New Millennium grunge? This Zach guy is a performer. He can sing and scream. He has the crowd in the palm of his hand with the confident swagger he sways in each song.






The crowd was pumped. I saw Nick/Tyler from Liars and Thieves hanging out with Pangolese. I saw Tyler from Vesper. I saw Joey from Seven to the Right. Vendetta Red has quite a following and Bakersfield is no exception. They came out in force in a night of great music, great sound, great times… and I even heard some secret information from Tyler in Liars and Thieves, that, well, didn’t surprise me, though Tyler is always about surprises…

And the people came out... - By N.L. Belardes

What a weekend for music in downtown Bakersfield and the surrounding communities. After hearing about a dismal turnout at Montgomery World Plaza last Thursday night I suddenly got a little skeptical about not only Gramercy Riff’s last show down at Jerry’s Pizza, but the big Norfolk/Mento Buru show over at Fishlips just down the street from the Pizza-a-go-go and the Filthies over at the Rooster.

First off I know the Pizza-a-go-go had a major party going on. Just check out JR’s pics of the raucous time had in the cavernous basement. Makes me wonder… is the boycott over? Dare I declare unity in the scene? This must be explored further in a future article…

I saw Joel from Gramercy Riff on Chester Avenue and 19th. While I rounded the corner he looked as if en era just ended…

I helped promote the Fishlips show and the night ended up being a packed house. This was an incredible scene compared to what I had been experiencing as of late at the MWP. Not only were the tables and booths all filled. People mingled and danced during Mento Buru’s big set.

Of course that was after Norfolk’s huge debut at Fishlips. Here was alt country at the fish fry tearing it up in a host of rocking country tunes. Their set was well received by the boys in Mento Buru who all had great admiration for Jason Ford Turner’s country blues bass playing and the entire blend of rocking pop country sounds. As a part of the celebration, Norfolk changed things up after their set. Front man James Ratliff moved from guitar to drums while their brilliant drummer, Pablo Alaniz moved to guitar and back-up vocals on three kicking Tom Petty covers that included Mary Jane’s Last Dance and Into the Great Wide Open.

I must say that Peter Prevost and Pablo Alaniz both have quite the presence on stage. What an enjoyable time for all to see these great rock songs played by such a talented mix of musicians. I hear this was Prevost’s first time singing to more than just his bandmates…

As for Mento Buru what can you say? Ska King Matt Munoz just upped his showmanship a notch by bringing an incredible set from their reservoir of eighty or so great Latin-based ska songs. His percussion, singing and tenor sax are some of the most incredible rock musicianship you can ever see produced here in Bakersfield. And the supporting band? All incredible musicians with a long history of greatness, and all connected in unique ways to the community.

More on Munoz... Wow—this crooner belted out my name like it actually meant something incredible in espanol. My great grandfather, fighter with Poncho Villa could hear his name on angel wings the way Matt sung it...

Mento played two or three sets and Matt cramped up and had to call it a night (not that he told the audience that included Delores Huerta and her entourage).

The weekend didn’t end there. I heard that Tyler from Liars and Thieves filled in as drummer for the Filthies over at the Rooster. Rumors claim that Guppy was quite perturbed about this cool rock star kid filling in. But what can you do? The show must go on, right? There are some entertaining drummers in this town. Cesareo from Karmahitlist for one, and Tyler being another. These guys are straight up rock star material and two of my favorite people in town...

Kernville also had a packed house with Prone and Exithead playing to hundreds of kids who all poured in from the mountain communities to hear some great music. Paul wrote a little piece that JR posted. Go check it out.

Of course the weekend ended with a great BBQ. I cooked up some salsa, carne asada and chicken for members from about five bands. There were artists, writers and musicians over in the Oleander Arts Collective all uniting for the cause of camaraderie and for the excitement of being in a music scene that is really headed somewhere… Thanks to my downtown muses who showed up and all the incredible people who came to enjoy some moments at the little house of an unheard of novelist…

Bakersfield Ninjas on the loose - By N.L. Belardes

Get ready to laugh your socks off. Once your laugh o'meter is firmly in place then get out your Ninja sword, light saber, or whatever you have, because the Bakersfield Ninjas are here with a vengeance. Oh, you haven't seen them running amok on Bakersfield's violent streets? You could be on their death list after all. Still not scared? Then have a look for yourself, because these ninjas will get you.

Norfolk ready for Mento case at the fish fry - By N.L. Belardes

Oh yeah... it's almost Friday night. There are shows going on all over town. Something about a Gramercy Riff finale at the Pizza-a-go-go that another scandalous writer is attending. Something about a roosterific Hush Puppy Filthy showdown with Another Year and Empty Handed. I remember when they left Kosmos empty handed...oops. Anyway, I'll be over at the fish fry--that's Fishlips in downtown Bakersfield. There, alt country band, Norfolk meets ska legends Mento Buru. It's going to be a heck of a Friday night. Maybe you should get off your rear and attend a show.

And don't forget tonight's big wallop-ta-do over at the Montgomery World Plaza.

Here's some pics of Norfolk I recently took in preparation for some good ol country and ska:

Mesa Marin sold? - By N.L. Belardes

What will country music do? What will Racing do? Will it be torn down? Will it be left to rot? Will it become a grand parking lot instead of a grandstand? Or will it be turned into something even better? A giant baseball stadium? A giant waterpark? A big sinkhole? A go-cart track where racing ghosts of yesteryear haunt ten-year-old drivers for not wearing helmets?

An edited note on artist egos - By N.L. Belardes

Today I wrote an email to a friend, "I'm beginning to see so many egos around here that I can't see my own!" That was meant as a joke but was actually a response to writing an email earlier to a musician who was wrongly bagging on another band, claiming they had egos and their music was horrid. Yesterday I wrote another email where a band was pointing out that another band's music was 'simplistic.' My response was, "So is the Rolling Stones music. And they're all bazillionaires!" Let me just say that I don't care what genre the music is, for the most part I write positive remarks about the actual music I hear. As for egos? They're everywhere... Why am I bringing this up? Well I think there is confusion about me as some expert savior of Indie music or Hard Rock, or Blue Grass... or whatever scene. I'm not. Read on...


_________,

I know you were teasing about picking on _________,
and I know you don't believe in my idea of a fun
________ cd to promote _______ and bands, and I still
believe in your music, but let me clarify: My purpose
with the website is to network with folks to support
as an artist who might in turn support me. Since my
friend and agent was killed I have been trying my
hardest to build a fanbase. As a side to that I am
helping to build an entire music scene. I am a writer
writing about music, and I am no expert. In the end, I
want to sell books so I can work as an artist. I'm not
some savior of the music scene of great music. I am
helping the entire music scene, art scene, theatre
scene, film scene, chalk scene, whatever scene of good
music, bad music, multi-genres of music, kid bands, old
bands, black bands, white bands, Christian bands,
Hellfire and brimstone bands...

If I want to begin a career as a novelist I need to
build a fan base and literally sell thousands of
books. I chose to network with artists... I write
positive reviews of them all, even ______...

Each band needs positive promotional material. And I
hate to say it but there is a genre for _______ classic
rock style of American _______ music... That guy _______ is
super connected, good at what he does at the guitar,
and _______ ....and is well connected himself to a
scene. These are people with similar dreams to your
own. Doesn't make them better than you, or worse, or
anything. Just another artist who is trying to make it
as an artist on some level.

I have always had obstacles in my life, people who say
I can't write or I can't do this or that. But I always
ignore and forge ahead.

If I want to pick on people and be selective, then all
the people who criticized __________ that first time I
listened at ________, well I would have been dumb to
listen to them... it's too easy to criticize what we
don't like and don't believe in. But we're all just
people with dreams. When I do seem critical it is
because I try to help bands fine tune themselves so
they become better. Not to kick them down.

I would say that personally, there are maybe three
bands I have heard that I really love locally. So
where does that leave me? Do I bash on everyone else
when I can't even play a lick of anything? So I find
something I like in every band. It is really
refreshing. Because I used to be so critical. It's
nice to just be supportive. If people are critical of
me for that and it causes them to not buy my books,
then that's fine, I won't write for the music scene at
all. It's just an experiment anyways.

As for egos, there are huge egos in your band too.
Except for you and _______, you guys said hello right
away. ________ and the _______ hardly ever say hi and it
took them a long time to even stoop to my level to say
hello. They reek of huge music egos, but do I ever say
anything? No. _______ ego is fake, so is ________. (clarify:
such egos are for show)
I broke through their shells quickly and they are just
people to me... no better than the Night Crawlers,
Norfolk, or Korn (insert any band name). Just people.
And they are nicer to
me than _______ and the ___________.

I know who I am and the value of me. The value is
high, the kindness factor is high, and just because I
support everyone doesn't dilute the thematic and
multi-layered structure of my own artwork (novels) that I
know many people can't do. With your point of view maybe
I shouldn't talk to anyone because they can't do what I
do as an artist (novelist) on my level. Can you?

But I'm not going to be like that. That would be
egotistical and ignores the fact that rock and roll is
a show of 3, 4, or 5 people showing off what they can
or can't do very well. So I am happy to say I like
music from the cheesy soundtrack of Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer to Mozart, Norfolk, Wilco, U2, the
Night Crawlers, and the bum on 19th who plays beatles
songs, and more...

Matildakay kicks N.L.'s tail, blog style - By N.L. Belardes

Although pleased with my write-up of Karmahitlist's performance of the year, I wasn't happy with my write-up on the Reggae-less Reggae Day. I didn't do Rocky Nash and women singers justice; I forgot about Liars and Thieves in plaid; I didn't say enough about Psychobilly; I.. I... I... just got my ass kicked by Matildakay who wrote this great review of the Reggae-less Reggae Day.

And not to mention JR tore it up with great photos and a write-up where he talks up having a great weekend... He took all the great photos... I just doctored them a little.

Kudos to the real bloggers. After all. I'm only a novelist...

Dalloways on big radio show in Boise - By N.L. Belardes

The Dalloways just got back from their road trip and let me tell you, there’s more to read about the highs and lows of their going on tour. On May 24th those alternative lounge bohemians were practically done in by a dismal turn of events. The very next day a stay in Boise turned out to be one of the most rewarding days a Bakersfield band on the road could ever have. They had folks come out from all over America and even got to chum it up with Grammy winner Art Hodge, music extraordinaire of the movie Fight Club. They appeared on Boise State University Radio in a really great interview that you can download in its entirety onto your computer or ipod. Gerhard is extremely articulate, a well educated creative writer/musician, so I’m always fascinated by what he has to say. I should add they played their entire set live on the radio, a first for Boise State Radio.

Bakersfield?? Yes, I hear crickets too... Korn came from Bakersfield... so did Buck... he plays live... But maybe I should say this town spawns world class bands, not cutting edge radio stations. Sorry Pirate Radio. You don't play what I want.

May 26th was a day in Pullman playing in a venue that really lacked ambience, while the next day a drug dealer with a strawberry blonde mullet lurked in the shadows. On June 3rd, in Humboldt Bay, Arcata to be exact, the Dalloways had some of their best run-ins with music fans, podcasters, and more. Now why can’t the Bakersfield scene be so into their own music the way these locals embraced outsiders? They got on the radio; they got podcasted; they got into a groove within a groove, oh yeah... Oh that Bakersfield! That fear of downtown! fear of stepping out into the arts! fear of musical vision in a conservative city still afraid of the shadows of the Lords...

Myndsick CD Review - By N.L. Belardes

I have just entered the world of Myndsick, a Bakersfield band who recently gave me their CD out at Stramler Park. Their self-titled 2004 album reinforced my theory that there is a strong working class angry sound in Bakersfield. Correct me please, but such a sound may have began locally back with Angry Asphalt Machine of the mid-1990s and carries through today through incredibly talented bands who pursue their own stylings of the post-hardcore genre with flair and personality.

Here’s my review. Hold onto your socks, this isn’t music for the faint of heart… Song one, “Something Inside” starts with Myndsick’s mainstay: driving guitars, and strong lyrics that often change-up between screaming, whispering, rapping and singing. “Something inside is killing me…that shouldn’t be…” Singer /songwriter Simon Faughn belts. Is this an anthem against selfishness or selflessness? The guitars are grinding, the music is hard, the solo is pounding, screaming…whoah. I’m really interested in working on a novel, something self-contemplative as I listen to this furious music. I love the guitar layers that resound like a warning siren.

Song Two, “Dead to me,” reminds me of the terrifying video game I’ve been playing: Half-Life 2… Post-hardcore music that questions sanity and peace of mind is perfect for the harsh semi-reality of ultra-violent video game landscapes. There’s big money in PC game music these days… Simon, call EA, call the gamemakers…! I can just see myself sitting in front of a computer to “You’re all dead to me I see your body droppin’…” Give me this music in a video game with 1000 zombies attacking! I am so there and being terrified and having a great time! If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go buy Half-Life 2, or better yet, Doom 3 and try sitting in the dark wandering dark monstrous halls with music like Simon’s blasting back in your ears like a terrifying scream.

“Reflections” has a really freaky opening texture that flows like a bubbling toxin into a song about a love gone sour. You have to wonder about our self-reflective selves and how others perceive us. I was really surprised that a song would start out so mellow on this self-titled CD. Oh it gets harsh and turns into a screaming, rapping tour reminiscing about what we often do to sacrifice ourselves for others who don’t appreciate what we do. I meet people like that all the time…

Song four “Keep me Down” is a great example of how well Simon does singing in this genre of music. Why? Because his lyrics are straightforward, his words are clear, the music has a clean sheen to it that isn’t fuzzy or over/under-mixed. I can tell what he’s saying without straining. That’s a plus since I like to analyze lyrics, not just the music. This song is uplifting because people do try to keep us down. This is powerful music to slap on the ipod, go bike riding, rollerblading, or hanging out with friends on a weekend road trip… see—not just for ultra-violent zombie-killing…

Oh yeah a bass intro and more intro texture that creeps me out… no wonder this band is called Mindsyck. All of their music explores, now tell me if I am wrong, Simon, the imperfect nature of the human mind… “gotta make this world my own…” before I get burned. After all, this music is about self-awareness of being alone in a deceiving world filled with social walls, right? I like the lyrics. Artists can all agree that you have to be self-made; you have to ignore/overcome the obstacles consistently placed in your path. I love the groaning guitar in the background as the song turns, speeds up, slows down.

Silence is one of those “shut the hell up” songs. Not too fond of that one, but I see the point of the song as it seems to be about some manic person who is about to go crazy if the world inside himself and around him doesn’t quiet down. People might take the song wrong as being abusive toward the opposite sex. Only Simon can clear that up. “About you” gets back on track as this CD seems to get even harder sounding than the first four songs. I’m definitely more attracted to the first part of this CD as it gets really angry, and screams “I don’t want to think about you”. The guitar solo has an attractive melodic sound though… “Our love reminds me of a dead tree. It can’t be saved… you can only visit it in your mind.” Ouch.

OK, I’m going to be a little ticky-tack. I wish the songs didn’t fade and blend. A few of them do and I wonder why. But that’s just my preference… anyway, the final song has some cool guitar work going on that is great for headphones. Sounds like the final screaming that might occur in a psychotic mind just before reaching the edge… it’s really a song about broken love and is one of those mosh songs that I see kids smashing elbows and body slamming to…

Saturday at the Missing Reggae Music Fest - By N.L. Belardes

Sunday I took the day off from writing. Normally I spend a good portion of the weekend fiddling with articles and dabbling in novels. But Sunday I decided to be brainless. I turned on Half-Life 2 and began the scarefest. I hadn’t played any video games in about six months. It was time for a day of brainless monster blasting… but now it’s back to the article on Reggae Fest… I was working on this article and eating some orange chicken but took a break when Kenny Mount just stopped by on his new crotch rocket Kawasaki. He told me about some girl who got dumped into a pool at a party… oh man, lucky I wasn’t there to blog such poolside drama! Now back to the story:

(images coming soon)

Driving through the parking lot outside of Stramler Park on Saturday I heard Lost Ocean performing Douse the Choir. They’re a bunch of great musicians who I enjoy giving a hard time to. We all sat and talked music strategies, Christian rock labels, youth of today, and BBQs, all while bands jammed on the main stage at The Rockin’ Reggae Fest. I think Lost Ocean enjoyed their free sack lunches so much they didn’t mind when I said the school bus was leaving soon…

I ran into Matt Munoz of Mento Buru and had one of the day’s best conversations. He had just solved some drama backstage but was kind enough to come out and talk to me about some of the history of Ska music in Bakersfield. What little did I know that Cesareo had played for Mento, that Mento’s old lead singer died of cancer years ago, and that Mento was one of three signed California Ska bands at one time. Did you know we’re planning a big Honky Tonk tour to find all the missing country music in Bakersfield? I heard there was a Rockabilly show at the Crystal Palace last week. I was out taking pictures of Norfolk, so missed it. I think the Dusk Devils were in the house though…

Mento Buru played one of the best sets of the day, although Liars and Thieves kidnapped much of the audience for their set over at the small second stage. I was content seeing how Mento had transformed from the last time I saw them which was nearly ten years ago. Their music, now with more of a Latin influence and sound was remarkable. Such incredible talent… a one-of-a-kind band for Bakersfield. Matt on drums, on the sax, singing… The only band close, other than the Majestics, would be Manifest Satori, a Latin rhythm fusion band I saw practice one night over in the Oleander Arts Collective... Even JR was swinging his elbows in Ska-influenced delight. Go! Go! Go!

I tried to tackle Nick/Tyler a few times. He’s the drummer in Liars and Thieves who socially floats around, works at the Spotlight, and is a rock star… Sal yelled, “Belardes!!” when he saw I wasn’t budging to go watch his show. And I do love Liars and Thieves; but this was a Mento Buru moment… so I wasn’t going anywhere.

I met Simon from Myndsick earlier. They had one of the coolest booths with CDs and T-shirts in a killer green-and-black theme. Simon gave me a CD which I will be writing a kick ass review to help promote the work they’ve put into their music. During their set I really liked their hardcore mix. Some of the bands during the day had horrible sound, and not just because mics went out. But not Myndsick. They were loud; they were riotous. They got the audience fired up by throwing T-shirts into the crowd… I plan on talking to Simon more about a project I’m working on. I do admit, they draw a crowd… You’ll be hearing more about them…

One of the best bands of the day was Rocky Nash. Yes there were technical difficulties with the hired sound system. But so what? Part of being in a band is overcoming technical difficulties of every kind. And Rocky did. I loved Preston Nash on the guitar with Cesareo on the drums. These guys really know how to transition from song to song flawlessly. Preston is one of these incredible musicians like Pablo from Diary and Norfolk who can play any instrument with ease all while harmonizing and looking incredibly cool while doing it. While Rocky was sexy as hell in her plaid pants, combat boots and sparkling blue eyeshadow, Preston was quite commanding of the stage in his cut-off skeleton head shirt and Bud bandana. While Rocky belted out the songs, I saw a mad rush to the stage to see this blonde vixen of riotous Bakersfield rock. So I rushed too. Why the heck not? She sang some killer songs and looks great while singing. I have a CD, so I’m going to be acquainting myself with her tunes… She even did a hard-rocking cover of a Tori Amos song… Silent all these years.

Of course I already wrote about Karmahitlist. You can read more from Matildakay’s blog, or my previous entry. But did I mention I almost won an old bass from Ridikule right before Karmahitlist’s big set? I was so disappointed. Ridikule’s awesome song, Punk Rock Square Dance just finished up when they raffled off an old bass. I lost by one lousy number. Oh well, I got to hear one of my favorite Bakersfield bands. Jason even came out of his working life to sing with the band... now that rocked!

Tiger Army was a pretty cool Psychobilly band who headlined and gave the NightCrawlers a shout out. How cool is that? I met the dudes from the NightCrawlers earlier in the day and watched a few songs from their set. I couldn’t hear the bass, but I still think they’re a cool group of young musicians. They’re on the move to keep creating an awesome blend of creepy psychobilly songs in Bakersfield. They should have been at the Crystal Palace with the rockabilly crowd for sure… I hope they and Myndsick join a little charity project I have going on. They gave me a demo too. I plan on bringing all of the CDs to work tomorrow to start checking out. All in all, what a great day for music, although the reggae was missing from the equation.... There’s so much more I’m forgetting. But I can’t write about it all. I think I’m going to go play Half-Life 2 again before I head for bed…

Oh and one brief mention of Rosamber, Terra and Darcie. We had a great conversatoin about defining bohemians, art movements and more... Where would bands be without great fans who truly enjoy the scene and give an incredible amount of energy back to the musicians...

Performance of the year by Karmahitlist in Bakersfield - By N.L. Belardes

Great performances. How do you define such historic moments? Like when I saw Bono break up a fight between a stage diver and roadies at the LA Sports Arena in 1985. I think I remember that incident more than the music itself. Sometimes it’s about the band behind the music. You don’t forget a great musical performance where a band performs flawlessly… But then perfection can be boring when it’s exactly what you expected.

For me, live performance means entertainment. And I think people forget that. The entertaining and spontaneous aspect of live rock is only glimpsed now and then anymore. After all, it’s mostly about music to the people. But I want music and a show…

Let’s reach further. Sometimes the greatness in a performance lies in spontaneity as bands get fueled by bursts of seemingly hidden energy, like when Korn hung a BPD officer in effigy in 1996 at Bakersfield’s Casa Royale. How can I forget how that act alone fueled the crowd? Sometimes greatness lies in a simple phrase or two that drives an entire performance and resurfaces for a lifetime; like when Courtney Love in her little silver angel wings made a grungy remark to a Las Vegas crowd as she angrily played on, “You’re all here because you got comped free tickets not because you wanted to see me. F*** you all!” Oh that Courtney. She was so witchy. I loved it.

Sometimes it’s just about the rock star of the band being a performer. Everything has to have a selling point doesn’t it? Karmahitlist drummer Cesareo told me the other day, “A rock star is the last line of defense, the connection as you will between the music and the people.” That makes for an even better gimmick when the rock star is the frontman, don’t you think?

As for Saturday’s show at Stramler Park, Karmahitlist entered the stage charged up on a synthesis of great re-worked music from a powerful drummer, an incredible guitarist, a grooving new bass player and their rock star frontman, Seantastic. All formed a symbiosis of music meets stardom meets an afternoon outdoor crowd caught off guard in one of the most meaningful performances I have seen in years. The show was short. But its spontaneous drive will be forever billed as one of the greatest live performances I ever witnessed in Bakersfield.

Don’t get me wrong. I am consistently entertained by rock performances here at the Southern end of the San Joaquin Valley where this hydraulic society of crisscrossing waterways feeds the surrounding agri-lands. Bakersfield is probably the only city of its size that ever produced two world-leading musical crops in both country and rock music. Just add water and watch the music grow from the countryside and from Bakersfield’s very working class streets… Maybe Karmahitlist just simply fueled my need to witness adventuresome rock stars who aren’t afraid to spontaneously create unforgettable moments under the sun.


image provided by illpressed

Seantastic entered the stage a half-naked black-winged cherub symbolically reborn from Karmahitlist’s remixed musical sounds. Yes, the black angel wings were contrived. But so what? Rock and Roll needs gimmicks and Seantastic’s ability to tease himself with his blistery voice and rock star hard body whirling and twirling in pure ecstasy of the driving moment is as attractively entertaining as any rock star. Could anyone else look so stoic in such punk star make-up? This tall handsome ex-soldier with piercing eyes reached out to the crowd, singing, talking in a rap-like manner, never on the verge of screaming, but still belting out lyrics in angry songs lambasting Americana in a fiery vision of society and life…

Not far into the set Seantastic jumped up on one of the amps. He stood there for a moment, then did an enormous leap down to the stage. He then brought a kid onstage to let out some of everyone’s energy by having the kid smash a pink-stickered acoustic guitar. The boy leapt from the bass drum and snapped the neck in one swoop.


image provided by illpressed

The music in all of this? Jim ripped into his guitar riffs with untold energy, while Cesareo, fresh off a set with Rocky Nash, tore into the drums so hard he broke his snare. Beautiful! Such an imperfect moment, unscripted, even as Seantastic doused the crowd with water, there was a sense of honesty to it: that he indeed wanted to connect with people; and so did the rest of Karmahitlist through their richly woven music, through Seantastic’s wildly spinning body movements and onstage antics, through an honest connection between people and music.


image provided by illpressed

Riot on the Streets, Why Adam and Uncle Sam all echoed across the park, near the old stomping grounds of the Blackboard. What would those ghosts have said as Seantastic not only commanded the stage during the day’s best performance, but then took adventure to another level by climbing to the top of the trailer lining the back of the stage. He stood on a black railing then hoisted himself up. Then while the music tore into the energetic crowd he danced on top of the trailer. It was a symbol of rock antics mostly lost these days to the idea of jamming and then selling T-shirts, jamming, and then the next band please. Please give me more adventure onstage, more great showmanship. Who will be the first band to hang the Lords of Bakersfield in effigy? Our angry local American-Central Valley culture needs to hang its myths, purify and solidify legends through rock angst. Why not? Korn might do it. What about Karmahitlist? Myndsick? Give Impulse? Throatshot? The Filthies? Who??

People are so critical of rock music as an artform these days they tend to forget that the multi-genres of rock have often been angry, often spontaneous forms of staged debauchery that connects with all of us. We connect to U2 stopping traffic. We connect to old videos of Nirvana smashing instruments. We connect to The Who’s outrageous stage violence. We connect to Mick Jagger’s triumphant angry gay swagger. The more daring? Well that only leads to more energy… and so when Seantastic defiantly spun and danced on top of the trailer and then made it back down in time to sing the chorus, I cheered for the lost days of rock music’s angry and defiant sense of entertainment. I cheered for the success of such an angry attention-getting move. I cheered in sheer enjoyment of this shared rock moment, even when the drum set caved in and Cesareo rescued and kissed the surviving borrowed snare drum; even when drumsticks went flying from the stage and back across it…



And the drama didn’t stop there. Remember the video for Where the Streets Have No Name, where LAPD pulled the plug on the U2-staged event in LA? Oh, it seemed close… On Saturday, just after the show, promoter Tim Gardea appeared to be lecturing Seantastic for pouncing on equipment. I wondered if Tim Gardea was ever about to pull the plug on Karmahitlist. Such drama. Such entertainment. Hell, maybe Tim was just asking the Karmahitlist frontman to lunch after the performance of the year. I doubt it. Mark it down in the annals of Bakersfield rock history, folks. This was an adventurous rock moment to remember.

Alt Country meets Ska at the Fish Fry - By N.L. Belardes

Every once in a while I help put together a show.
I take pics.
I make a flyer.
And I use some creativity when doing it.
Please attend.

The enlightenment of Karmahitlist - By N.L. Belardes

I was wondering why Cesareo, drummer for Karmahitlist was taking the time to describe to me his recent epiphany in music industry ideology when an epiphanal phenomenon occurred to me as well: he was just plain excited to talk about the music industry in relation to the Bakersfield scene.

It was only recently that Cesareo even realized a good part of how the music industry operates. Through the hard work of an eye-opening six-week tour drumming for Society One, Cesareo’s road journeys brought him to self-reflect on his own position along with his band Karmahitlist’s position as they pursue the ever-elusive and highly coveted golden music contract.

Cesareo’s revelations brought him to realize how the sometimes naiveté of the Bakersfield music scene idealizes greatness. In dreams that have locked some bands into a bubble of idealistic thinking, Cesareo feels some bands have misplaced such dreaming which he indicates prevents some bands from experiencing the road to success. One has to admit, there are a lot of bands in Bakersfield, and though I don’t believe they are fighting each other, they are fighting to realize their own dreams, and according to Cesareo, that takes business acumen and self-inventiveness to truly realize how to be successful in the music industry.

“There are three rules to live by,” Cesareo said.



We had been talking for a while. Before he even showed up I arrived with pal Matildakay and sat while the jukebox played old Cure tunes. I had talked to him on the phone. We decided the Mint would be a good place to meet and I showed up before he did. Inside, I gazed at the bar. There were a lot of people on the barstools while I sat at a table sipping on a drink. Behind the bar multi-colored lights reflected from dozens of bottles. I stared at the pink glow surrounding a clock stuck to a mirror when in walked Cesareo with Preston and Rocky Nash. The rest is history after we moved outside to a smoky patio.

“Rule number one is, don’t give up.” Cesareo smiled from behind dark glasses. He wore a Morrissey shirt covered in part by a dark button up. Rocky and Preston sat contemplatively while Cesareo articulated, “It also means you have to adapt. Sometimes people quit bands. Do you give up? No. You adapt or you die. Don’t give up, adapt. Your band will naturally grow and progress.”

That was his rule numero uno, which brings me to much of our discussion where he talked about the recent re-inventing of Karmahitlist through re-working many of their old songs. “Riot on the Streets, Uncle Sam, and Drowning in Poetry, are all songs that have been completely re-worked. Being on the road was the most eye-opening time in the music scene for me. It allowed for re-evaluating the whole band and our music. We wanted to get more of an emotional kick from our songs. You see, there’s something in a song, even one you may not like anymore, but for some reason you as a musician or as a band keep going back to. You want to believe in what you’re doing. But you might have one song that’s not connecting with people. Drowning in Poetry just wasn’t an honest song for us anymore. We had to do something about it.”

Cesareo took a long drink from his beer. As he articulated, I kept with his drumbeat thoughts and the rhythm of the mystery revealed to him in music and music creation. Keep in mind, Cesareo is one of those rare drummers, having grown up playing in country bands, rhythm and blues and more. He’s skilled in many styles and speaks with academic confidence…

“There was something about the core of Drowning in Poetry as a song that was still there. We re-worked it to not really have a new sound as much as a remix with subtle chord changes and minor differences in vocals. You know Seantastic. Sean is Sean. He’s that big ol’ tall rock star guy doing his thing while the rest of us found our niche.”

And what more could Matildakay want than to see Seantastic this weekend at Reggae Fest, then write another make-up blog on the rock star himself. She let out an obvious sigh while Cesareo continued, “Our break gave us a chance to look at that song in more of a realistic way. But like I said, these were subtle chord changes. You change one note and you have a butterfly effect. The song starts morphing. It comes from underneath the very fabric of the music. It isn’t forceful at all, it just comes up…”

The second rule to live by that Cesareo presented was as filled with common sense as not stealing a slice of your grandma’s fresh baked apple pie. “Don’t read your own headlines,” he sat back, thought for a moment, but just a moment, because Cesareo is a fast-talking articulate drummer with a far-reaching opinion on music and the newly enlightened Karmahitlist in a musical transfigured industry.

I surmised that what he was saying was that some people self-invent themselves based upon the positive and negative views of themselves permeating through the media, the radio, myspace and so on... I agree that people just can’t get caught up on others perceptions of themselves. It defaces the very nature of one’s artwork. Such thought destroys the syngery with artform and creative expression. It creates a contrived template not from within an inner core and artistic layer, but from the vantage of eyes that will never see into the core of those who create.

My own drink was long gone by this point. Preston Nash and Rocky Nash both joined in a very symbiotic conversation on the arts, radio, music and book publishing. “I’m interested in politics, “ Rocky said, describing her radio focus. Don’t get me wrong, we had a hearty talk about her band and how she started her music career by making a wedding song...

I quickly learned about Preston and his own articulate nature. He spoke close to a whisper. Around his head was tied a white bandana; a cigarette hung poised in his hand as he spoke with a smooth rhythm and confidence. An educated man, he’s got some hefty degrees in music theory and composition. He’s also a radio hot talk sensation with ‘The Puck Show’ on KGEO 1230 AM weekdays from 4-6 pm.



The business acumen of the music industry is not as different from corporate America as you think. Cesareo was quick to point out the many layers and tiers of bands in the music scene, and how big bands vie for big shows, all while using the small bands and small fan bases for revenue outlets and fan bases of their own. “Don’t corporations use the middle tier workers to make the money for the CEO and others? Doesn’t the majority of society work for the betterment of those at the top of the profit pile?”

I asked him how do bands change what they’re doing. “Aren’t all bands fixated on that carrot dangling in front of their nose called ‘possible music industry success’?”

“There’s this crystalline idealism,” he said. “All have the dream. But the local scene doesn’t necessarily know any better. There are many ways to get to the carrot. Sometimes you have to know how to sidestep to get to the people holding it. At one time I thought being successful was just about being more committed to Karmahitlist. But that wasn’t it. Let me just say that most see the carrot; but they don’t know who holds it. Bands just won’t make it without resources and the ability to get connected to the right people…”

One of the people Cesareo has connected with is Preston Nash of Society One. Society One is a signed band with some popularity now off and touring Europe. It was Preston’s absence and need to stay at home and work in California that allowed for Cesareo to step in as a drummer for six weeks on the road. “It takes so much luck,” Preston said. “You have to have the perfect balance of talent. Then some luck to get where you’re only one phone call away from the difference between working in a small band with minor success to making big money with multiple music deals… And the money isn’t in selling 100,000 CDs here or there. The real money is in making one hit. Success from that will last you a lifetime. You know, we’re not out there curing cancer. We’re playing music. Music is pure when there are some mistakes, a few warts in it. I like Karmahitlist. Not that they have warts. I’m glad to have borrowed Cesareo… we have the ‘go-to guy’ drummer bond.”

Rule number three? “Always play for the song, not for the self,” Cesareo said. If a musician’s ego gets in the way at any time a song will suffer. There’s a synergy in creating, making and performing a song that could all get lost if musical talents are shown off when creating a song. I’m not a musician, but how can I not agree with such wisdom?

In the end, Cesareo is just a humble musician wanting to use his talents out in the complex rock and roll scene. “I don’t know more music than anyone else,” he said near the end of the interview. “It could be any of them in my position.”

Could it? Preston Nash clearly disagreed, saying earlier that Cesareo was one of the only drummers he could trust in his place in Society One. But I’m sure there’s a lot of drumming talent in Bakersfield. These guys just have the bond…

Norfolk talks Christianity, N.L. wanders to hollowed practice grounds - By N.L. Belardes

I wandered down lonely Chester Avenue last night. I walked past a Hong Kong style restaurant; no one seemed inside but the staff. I headed past the boarded up windows of old unknown businesses and saw an old limping Filipino woman. I didn’t say hello, and she didn’t smile back as all her energy seemed focused on how to take her next step as she limped her way along, followed by two young children.

James’ white van sat behind a building on the east side of Chester. Norfolk practiced in a building right across the street from a Veterinarian where a big statue of a horse has been sitting on top of a building since I was a young boy. I don’t think people actually bring their sick horses into the foyer; I don’t think they ever did. But it is an icon of old Chester Avenue from yesteryear with its strange Deco décor.

Norfolk practiced. They argued. They laughed. They threatened each other; they smiled. They rearranged songs; they put them back together again in thought-provoking fashion. Peter Prevost helped save a new song by layering into the beginning an interesting melodic riff he seemed to pull out of an old country hat. James even brought me a glass of water. There was no air conditioning in the yellowed wallpaper room. This was the apex of creation for an exciting local Bakersfield alt country band, and it was more than exciting to be a fly on the wall...



I had recently stirred up a bit by tossing out the idea that Norfolk could be called be a Christian band. Boy was I wrong. I used the term loosely, and did so in a way that was meant to draw more than a smirk. I hoped for some ire, for a little heatedness so that good folks would take the time to define a bit about Christian labels. And it worked. Skyler recently gave his two cents. And then James did too. He wrote me a poignant letter about his own feelings on Christian band labels and set the record straight: that Norfolk steers from such a label and do not define themselves as such. And neither do their lyrics.

Here’s what James had to say…

Norfolk is a Christian rock band?

I have no problem with the fact that I am very into God. At what angle I'm into him is getting harder to tell day by day. Nothing about "Man's Search for God" is obscure and its what drives our existence (Victor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" {not a Christian book, its about logotherapy).

But what is ridiculous is contemporary Christianity. I'm not talking about just marketed Christianity, I’m talking about the state of American Christianity. I don't want to touch it with the longest pole you can find me. At the moment I see God more when I’m driving for work and looking at nature, then I do when I’m sitting in church.

I see God more when Im around everyday people, then when I’m surronded by "Christians". I think Love is the key to everything God is doing and its not a new revelation. The Beatles got it too "All You Need Is Love". Writing songs about anything less than my convictions would be shallow of me, but why should I be labeled "Christrian Rock"?

I either write music by painting a picture and inserting my feelings with out saying "me" or "I" or I may just try to paint a picture like writing a movie script. Rarely do I write from first person. It tends to be self-infatuating. I don’t do it to slip undercover Christian lyrics in a song, but to keep the attention off of me and focus more on the concept of the song.

A good example is the two songs you know. "Attic" is a story with my personal
feelings inserted about a parents devotion to a child. "Broken Heart" on the other hand, is just a story for pure creative purpose; I wanted to write a song that wreaked in heartbreak. Other than you knowing some of my personal history and Peter being in an actual Christian band, the Christian band statement would have never been made…

You can see Norfolk and Johnny Come Lately perform tonight (Thursday) at The Boiler Room at 23rd and O Street.