Who was Peter Will? The Tribute Tonight - By N.L. Belardes

Tonight, find out who Peter Will is...







Please attend the tribute
Friday, September 30th, 2005
8pm:

The Peter Will Tribute Band
Mento Buru
Empath
The Filthies
Sick Trigger
Vanity Avenue
Rule ..1
Deep Treble
Jake T
Sioux City Sarsparilla
Sadated Records 24KG

Kosmos 1623 19th St., Downtown Bakersfield

This event will be preceded by acoustic performances by local musicians at Dagny’s Coffeehouse from 5-8PM.

N.L. meets journalist Robert Price at the coffeehouse - By N.L. Belardes

Entertainment writer for the Californian, and soon to be birthday girl, Danielle Belton sent me an email yesterday that stated Robert Price wanted to talk to me. I knew what it was all about. I’d offered him a copy of the novel that his 2003 Lords of Bakersfield articles inspired: Lords: Part One; he was taking me up on it. I had told him I wouldn’t give him one unless I could shake his hand. He came through and I wandered down to Dagny’s to meet him.



I entered and noticed him right away in a Hawaiian shirt. Here was Stubble the Lords Hunter a bit unshaven, a tad more grey than I imagined, but with a smiling face, easy to talk to about my intentions as a writer.

I admit some folks are shady. You don’t want to give those kinds of folks too much information. Robert Price doesn’t appear shady at all. In fact, his articles have a spin of integrity that often escapes the comfortable, yet difficult journalistic tact of wall-straddling.

Such a comfort zone, I thought, was a little scary. Perhaps that’s part of the gift of such a journalist, to easily ask questions that reveal information without the subject even knowing how much they’re telling. I think I would have told Robert Price where Jimmy Hoffa was buried—if he’d asked. I was aware of the questions and the slight digging. But that was all right. We talked shop, talked some conspiracies, talked about his latest article on the jailbird Getty staff. “There’s a topic you can write a book on,” he said.

“I have a strong interest in archaeology,” I said. “Those museums have done shoddy deals to acquire antiquities since the dawn of museums.”

He agreed.

“I like the look of this book,” he said. He asked who was in the photo and about the endorsements on the front cover. “Is that Che Guevara’s grandfather?” he laughed, pointing at the quote by Al Guevara.

I paid special attention to the quote from Tony Blanche. “He was my agent who passed away,” I said. That was old Cal graduate Don Ackland, driving through the desert toward Pahrump and crashing his old Mercedes after a night of a little too much vino. The Cal Bears are undefeated right now. A year ago we had football debates around this time. He called the Bruins the baby bears. It was just a few months before his passing and he reminisced in an October 15th email as he always would about the UCLA Bruins:

...also will ask Eric separately as he is contact to Joel Gotler, film/TV deal maker in Beverly Hills. I won't ask them the question while together just in case one is lukewarm, that might suppress the other. When Eric, Malcolm and I are finished I'm off to a business dinner regarding premium restaurant books.........so not back to Pahrump until late. However will email you Saturday morning with any news, and the final pre-game observations..........do you know that the 1954 Bruins, under Red Sanders ran the single wing, were National Champions, undefeated and scored 40 pts a game to their opponents 5 on average. Several great single wing tailbacks, but my favorite was "Touchdown Sam" Brown. The full back was a great one, Bob Davenport, and when he led the blocking for "Touchdown Sam Brown" the UCLA cheering section would cheer "Hit 'em in the Pouch, Couch".

Also on this team were two great linebackers, Terry Debay, about 190 #'s and 5'10" and was Pac 10 (actually Pac 8 then) Player of the Year; and the other was an all-american, Don Moomaw who was 6'4", 230 3's and would be an all-american today too. He looked like a Greek god, had a jaw like Charlatan Heston, but unlike Heston he had real muscles, could play lights out, and was real unlike that 5'8" phony piece of NRA & Neo-con roadkill, Heston.

And when Moomaw made a great tackle the UCLA cheering section sounded out; "Mooo-MAW, maw-MOO"

Those where the days, I was still a school boy, but I'll never forget the day they beat Stanford 72-0, and it wasn't that close. More on the game and all else on Saturday AM.

Robert Price shook my hand and then I wandered down the street, bookless. I felt pretty good about making a journalist happy with my fiction, even though I admittedly get a little too “Star Chamber” in my rendition of events as told in the novel. Although that is more in the background as Lords: Part One is more of a novel about alienated people in the alienating media storms and real storms of yesteryear in the Southern Central Valley.

After I got back to my office I wrote Robert Price an email to which he soon wrote:

thanks for the book.
I walked in the Spotlight after i left dagnys with the book still under my arm and a young woman walked up and said, Ohhh, where can i get a copy? So there's already a buzz. Your book is a chick magnet.

I replied that I would definitely carry two…

New Bakersfield blog community and podcasts at thebuzzblogs.com - By N.L. Belardes

Check out the new buzz in town over at the new Bakersfield blog community at thebuzzblogs.com. It's a one-stop site to go read the Bakersfield/Bakersfield-related blog headlines...

There's a whole lotta bloggers over there. Please link to thebuzzblogs.com:

Music:
Illpressed.com
Bakersfield Music Gossip and the Arts
Dobbler's Drunk Corner
Miss Light: The Dirty, Sexy Secrets of a Rock N' Roll Lifestyle

Humor:
Danielle Belton Online
One Bakersfield Woman's Blog to Mankind
Rob Shock
Enrique Fuentes: Queen of the Downtown Fur
Skinnygirlfatgirl: Chicago Blog of a Skinny Girl in a Fat Girl's Body

Arts and Literary:
Bakersfield and Central Valley Book Blog
Artspeak: Julia Heatherwick
Coming Soon: Ruined By Books

Technology:
Gamers Anonymous
Coming Soon: PC-based tech blogs

Podcasts:
Arthur Chilling Presents
Oildale Reverend
Buck City Podcast
Coming Soon: Central Valley Authorspeak

Mystery photo archive unearthed! Misbliss and Butterfly Stitches - By N.L. Belardes

Call me Indiana Jones, but I stumbled upon a major stash of photos that had been hidden away in a padlocked box labeled, “Secret Bakersfield underground Temple of the music Lords”.

No, I didn’t take these photos, but I have a good idea who buried so many mysteries of the local music scene. For now, the mystery archivist is as tucked away as safe as the secret identity of Harry Potty…


Misbliss, circa 1999.

Ruth had excellent stage presence. Misbliss used to play with Videodrone and the band broke up after Ruth went back to school. I hear she was quite the frontwoman…


Butterfly Stitches, circa 1999 at Jerry’s Pizza.

Butterfly Stitches was a rowdy Bakersfield band who may have performed in dresses, but had big Bakersfield to Hollywood attitudes. Don't you think it would take attitude to mock societal standards in mommy/daddy dress codes? Get this: Butterfly Stitches used to hang out with Hybrid Theory, which in the future would become Linkin Park... also was in the same studio at Hollywood and Vine and chilled with The Rentals.

Stay tuned for more images from the past. Maybe you will even be in them. If you have a related story to share, please send and I will post for other folks to read…

Who will be the next mystery band from the past unearthed?

Buck City Podcast write-up in Bakersfield College Newspaper - By N.L. Belardes

There was a flattering write-up on Bakersfield’s own Buck City Podcast a few weeks ago in Bakersfield College’s award-winning newspaper, The Renegade Rip. Journalist Daniel McCraw wrote a tech-oriented piece that discusses technology and freedom in using podcasting as a form of unregulated media...



Daniel writes:

Nick Belardes, novelist, photographer and grassroots media workhorse, is now bringing Bakersfield another cultural step forward, with the first podcasting out of Bakersfield, "The Buck City Podcast."

When, late last year, his mentor and publishing world contact suddenly died as he was completing his novel, he didn't "get depressed, lethargic or blame God."

Instead, within a few weeks, his website -www.nlbelardes.com - was up and running. Now, seven months later, the site is a local hub of activity and information regarding the local arts, music and theater scene. At the same time, his photography and insights bring a humanizing dimension to what otherwise might seem remote and ethereal of the under-the-radar Bakersfield arts scene.

Within the last couple months, he has incorporated onto his site the current cutting edge of digital media, podcasting. Utilizing technology freely available or easily obtained on the internet, his show, "The Buck City Podcast" became the first podcast program originating from Bakersfield, and covering a range of interests.

...Belardes' philosophy and the doctrine of "becoming the media" is the desire to not only understand the world around you, but to embrace changing it, with the technology and minds we have at our ready. "Podcasting is a tool of information untapped and capable of transforming Bakersfield," he said.

Click here to read the entire article…

Dusk Devils at the Dome: Hurricane Relief Part 4 - By N.L. Belardes

One of the bands from the Hurricane Relief Show I most anticipated was Bakersfield’s rockabilly/country band The Dusk Devils. I’d been hearing about Jenny Angel since I began writing about the local music scene back in February. I have surfed their web site, listened to some of their tunes, even got a few invites to shows over the past few months, including one to the Link Wray gig at Fishlips. I didn’t make it because of a Latino show over at Chencho’s that I’d promised to attend with LIKHY2 and Delux.



Yet, I kept an eye on The Dusk Devils, kept up with their shenanigans in and out of Bakersfield in Jenny’s tell-all blog( read about her take on the Dusk Devil's Dome performance). Why was I curious? Because country music is sparse in Bakersfield? Oh certainly. It’s a dying breed of local Bakersfield musician. They’re still around, but sparse… there’s Slim the Drifter and some Buckaroos, some alt country in Norfolk, Dante Esperanza and Jimmy Holliday’s Sioux City Sarsaparilla. But country bands? Stampede, and some rockabilly and psychobilly... One country boy told me though, “That rockabilly. That ain’t no country…” Is that true?





I keep asking myself where country had gone and disappeared to. After careful research I realized the country movement isn’t in Bakersfield with the big Bakersfield Sound and Buck Owens, et. al. Oh there’s country music at Buck’s Crystal Palace and his big crystal horse getty’app’n to folks eaten their chicken and biscuits. But then that’s country music with a strong hint of nostalgia: there’s pictures on the wall, a museum, statues of dead country stars whose music still lives... There’s a lot of famous acts who tour through the venue, but up-and-coming folks from the streets of Bakersfield? Fat chance. I don’t hear but of just a few bands...

Mostly the burgeoning movements are farther south of the Los Padres, where traveling hip country cat Dale Watson makes appearances. I saw him years ago blast his sounds in a little Honky Tonk style bar at Arizona Charlie’s off the Las Vegas Strip. And oh there’s the many many Los Angeles country bands in the New Nashville West, a landscape filled with country shows, country radio, alt country bands by the bushel, and even Merle Jagger, an instrumental variation of old country TV radio station hour riffs, all created in a neo-cowpunk flavor meant to tease the what was left of the old country heart of Bakersfield, ala the Old Nashville West…



I’d met mutual friends of Jenny Angel, had a conversation with Fat Katt about her. “I told her to go with Jenny Angel,” he said in the N.L. Belardes studio. “She needed a big name…” Les Paw was there, hip as can be, his tattoos staring from his rockabilly hepcat style. Really, I had been wondering just how good The Dusk Devils were. I could tell Jenny was well networked with the country/rockabilly folk in California and in the European country sector—high up in the Scandinavian townships and cities. But in Bakersfield…? Remember, a lot of folks here don’t even care about their own roots. Maybe that’s why country music is scarce in Bakersfield.

Now here was The Dusk Devils jamming their country/rockabilly covers in the Dome during the Hurricane Relief Show. What I expected was just what I got: Jenny Angel dressed to the hilt in green, full-on with a big green feathery boa to accent her Betty Page sweet rockabilly hair and smile; her lips painted luscious—here was one of the premiere female rockers in a town dominated by male performers of working class angst. She’s right in there with the gals from Three Chord Whore, Rocky Nash, and Nico Rhodes of the Dalloways. Only here’s a frontwoman with a stylish hip keyboard attitude that growls as much as sings…

Here’s also a band who needs to perform more original songs. Why? Because they’re talented enough to do so; because they have a great image, though one that could use the guys getting a little more stylishly clothed rockabilly in tune with Jenny Angel’s darling refreshing rockabilly look.


My infamous Jenny Angel "Legs" photo...

The Dusk Devils took the stage and I went down to the front. I watched the young tough kids swing dance, two-step and generally get down to the sounds of rockabilly/country. Kids know good music; some of them do know the roots of Bakersfield; they could feel the heart and soul in each Jenny Angel growl. They, like me, appreciated the musicianship in country guitar riffs and picking that had metal boys wishing they’d taken a class in country blues… Yeah, the Dusk Devils deserve to be a house band around town somewhere, in some cool steakhouse, and that’s because they’re just as lively as Fatt Katt and the Vonzippers who frequent that big crystal horse hidden along the Buck City freeway; only Jenny Angel, she’s a little more good lookin’ than that ‘ol Fatt Katt… now sing me the country blues…

chingpea desecrates holy NINERs by becoming COWBOYs fan - By N.L. Belardes

Just when you think N.L. doesn't publicly demean the good folks of Bakersfield, think again. chingpea, here in this hard-to-get photo, is caught red-handed telling the world just where her loyalties in the NFL are...

Indie powerpop band, Pangolese hit Riley's Tavern Sunday night - By N.L. Belardes

After I listened to Bakersfield powerpop Indie rockers Pangolese at Riley’s Tavern on Sunday night I went straight home, itching to make a comparison. My ears still ringing from such a high-volume show, I dug through my book of music for my old CD copy of The Pixies Trompe Le Monde. Still determined, I found it tucked away, so pulled the scratched CD out, dusted it off and spun “Motorway to Roswell”… ahh, the sarcasm and vocal strength of Frank Black of the Pixies; the guitar mastery of riffs blended with an incredible array of notes from a screaming guitar of angry intense songs of Frank Black’s own dusty views of Americana.





I blasted “Motorway to Roswell” then sat back, mesmerized, in disbelief and shook my head. It couldn’t be true. Perhaps local favoritism had made me go a little insane, a little too intense for folks from my own dusty Central Valley landscapes. What can I say? I can’t lie to myself. I have to admit: I like the moodiness of Pangolese more than the Pixies. And don’t get me wrong. I’ve seen the Pixies live.





Clearly influenced by the same genre of Pixies powerpop music blended with today’s peculiar mix of Bakersfield working class angry Bakersfield anthems to grunge life, grunge thoughts, and Nirvana-esque hard-edged angry riffs… Pangolese music is presented masterfully in a three-piece band where frontman Dave has an incredible command over his guitar work. It’s not overdone at all, and is filled with guitar screams, straight-up chords that reach fever pitches in vibrato echoes and then dive deep into grinding chords that seem to tell as much of the story as Dave’s intense lyrics…

OK, my only problem with the show: Dave’s vocals were drowned. I don’t mind the loudness of the music at all though I admit more vocals would have been perfect. What I could hear was an incredible journey through the minds of Pangolese. Dave’s calmness as a musician, only seen intense in his command over his hard-edged powerpop riffs and from his calm lyrical singing style that occasionally turned into a screaming chorus ala the genre style that Pangolese is linked to. And don’t count out drummer John and a bass player who is as intense as they come: in style with his taped-up guitar and head of blonde-dyed hair… He shook and spun and even knocked over the cymbals as he nearly went crashing backwards.







Unfortunately, Riley’s Tavern wasn’t terribly packed. The venue needs to get the word out about such great Indie bands playing in the wooden-floored shadows of downtown Bakersfield, hidden away in the Central Valley, where last night I could enjoy a cold pear cider and snap some pictures of such great music-driven moments.

“We just haven’t been packing them in,” said Leslie Reyes, show promoter and girlfriend of Colin Cooke of local band, Broken Record Gospel. Oh, there were folks in the bar. But there could have been more.



When the Rolling Blackouts, LA Weekly voted LA “Band of the Year” performed at Riley’s, the house was packed. That was just a few months ago. I think it’s just a matter of getting the word out to Bakersfield folks that such high quality music can be found right in the beating heart of downtown near Eye and 19th Street.







I will just finish up by saying there were some surreal moments when I recognized a few folks from myspace.com lurking about in the tavern shadows. One such was a young lady, head nearly shaven with a curious joyous look about her. My mind could be fooling me, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen her images in the myspace.com community abuzz online; but here she was, somehow connected to this night, and to Dave as they both smoked after the show outside of the tavern. She’s sat in the very front during the show, smiling, listening intently at Dave’s calm demeanor and smashing guitar sounds… Such hipsters in the scene—hip only because of an independent look and style, hip because such musicians and folks are theie own blend of self and style... ah yes, who can argue with that?

Bakersfield novelist enters local whorehouse - By N.L. Belardes

No, this isn’t a Paul Theroux adventure on the old Patagonian Express through Mexican brothels in a raging travel narrative. I’m talking about Bakersfield band Three Chord Whore: the dark angels of post-grunge angst. These ladies are putting together a hockey song called “Zamboni Zombie” that offers to be an angry grunge testament to Zamboni drivers everywhere. Oh yes, those ice-cutting drivers love to stare at the ice while they cut it during the big games.

New lead singer, Darcie Blake talked it up while I made a general nuisance of myself, wore a dumb Niners helmet, snapped a few photos and talked about a pirate birthday cake. Shantell Waldo gave me a tour of the band during yesteryear and showed me a wall of shame that included ex-lead singers for Three Chord Whore. I was most surprised to see Ty Elam’s face in one of the photos…

Hurricane Relief Show: Part Three

Just what kind of Rock and Roll Central Valley benefit was the local Hurricane Relief Show over at The Dome last Sunday? Here's Part Three...



DJs spun tunes throughout the day. DJ Jake (on right) spun "Rock the Casbah" by The Clash after bellydancers first took the stage.



Along with the rest of the crowd I was mesmerized with local belly dancers who took the stage between bands. I seriously considered putting my camera down, throwing on some sequins and candles and just swaying in the crowd, but JR slapped me in the face a few times and told me to calm down...



Give Impulse with Matt Howell at the helm symbolized what the show meant to victims of Hurricane Katrina. He wore a relief shirt and even talked a bit about helping out the good folks of the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Mississippi.









I was so excited about the strong show that Give Impulse put on that I made sure to walk out to the patio after their set and stare at their merchandise booth. Yes, I just stood and stared. OK, I did talk to Weeze about an upcoming art project, but I had a shifty-eyed look about me as I kept looking over to their new rad T-shirts that depict a headless metal fan whose head exploded from too much Give Impulse.

Now, think how excited I was when lead man Matt Howell brought me a shirt later? Right away I put it on and proudly wore it the rest of the day... My hypnosis does work, so look out all you bands!

Let me just say the end of their performance was a guitar-raising moment thanking the crowd for being such good fans...




Matt sings to the Bakersfield metal crowd...

Heath Dobbler's dad shoots a tree - By N.L. Belardes

Bluebeard the Kernville Pirate got his two cents in on a recent Heath Dobbler post that talks of nasty cops and tree-shooting in Tulare County. Talk about drama. How frightening to be up in the mountains, accosted by cops? At the same time, I agree with Paul of Exithead (Bluebeard) being pissed in reading that campers discharged weapons. He says,

...When people come up here(kernville) that act carelessly, then when the "man" tries to crack down, people get pissed and blame them...I have never met a cool cop, or any that go by the books(bastards). I only would want to kick your ass if you were shooting near my campsite, not just because of your post!!! if so we should charge money and get some bands involved. :) all right man, no worries, bang your head! PAUL

There's more. You can read Paul's original response and Heath's comments about pollution in the lower Kern...

Cesareo Garasa talks about local celebrities and the rock star life - By N.L. Belardes

Cesareo's Waste of Space, one of the newest blogs in the Bakersfield music scene has jumped in on the Rob Ruiz/DIM article controversy. Read on regarding his take on grassroots journalism, sensationalism, bloggisms of the local music scene, and old N.L.. Of course, there really isn't a controversy. As a scene writer, I'm simply not just going to be some boring writer who doesn't dive into the heart of the music scene, which in includes discussing rock and roll binge lifestyles and the fact that folks get cut from bands.

There's more. Skinnygirlfatgirl responds to Ronna's statement that I somehow publicly demeaned Mr. Ruiz, which just isn't true... I pointed that out a long time ago with Vesper... public demeaning is an entirely different ballgame, and would include explicit detail, and extremely harsh opinion...

Skinnygirlfatgirl gets down and dirty and writes:

Ha, how funny.
What is cool for a rocker to do? Drink, drugs, live "like a rock star". I am so confused. I still can't see what he, or Ronna, is upset by. Yeah he is a great guy, depending on your definition of great. And he partied "like a rock star." What's the harm in pointing that out? I wish I was young enough, skinny enough, and hip enough, to party like that.

They need to quit their bitching and start acknowledging the truth, and that's the last I'm going to say on the subject.

aj

Motorcycle lover Kenny Mount on Buck City Podcast 16

Bakersfield's Buck City Podcast has gone talk radio by way of N.L. Belardes and Kenny Mount of the Filthies talking music, politics, and potty talk... Oh yes, it's a crazy Motor Mount Talks Bakersfield episode... you'll dig it.



You have to listen to Episode Sixteen, and if you're an artist, in a band, or in theatre, you're going to want to do a podcast. Why? Because a podcast can be downloaded and listened to over and over again. It's not just a one-time radio thing... Go to my homepage and click on one of the chicklets, subscribe, or just wimp out and download the MP3 of Episode Thirteen, 'Motor Mount talks Bakersfield'... If you do click on a chicklet, try podnova or podcast alley. But don't discount iTunes. The Buck City Podcast is now on iTunes, Podfeed, Podnova, Podcast, PodcastHostDirectory, PodTower, Podcast Directory, Podcast Pickle, Podcasting News, podcaster world, Odeo.com and Podfeeder... and yes, I did say iTunes! That's the biggie. Go ahead and look, you'll see the Buck City Podcast right there in the music directory...

And no, you don't have to have a MAC to download iTunes. Just go to apple.com and download right now! It's great! A great search engine for podcasts, a great look and feel, and you can listen with ease, with auto updates!


Coming soon: Drowse, Dante Esperanza, and more!

What could be better than TV? - By N.L. Belardes

I can’t believe I was actually missed on a Wednesday night at Azuls. I got two phone calls. One from Darcie of Three Chord Whore and the other from hip funk master Mo Dee James Ratliff of Norfolk. Such love. Seems I don’t hide in the shadows enough like most downtown novelists do.

I decided early in the day that I would partake in a night of television; really, the first night in years that I would watch TV drama. I rarely watch TV, and if I do, it’s always a sporting event. But not last night. I was in for a night of Lost and Invasion…

Television is just too boring, too predictable, too time consuming. Lost and Invasion were both decent. Simple, time-consuming, but decent. Television has come a long way since I last watched the Taken series, an episode of Sex and the City, and one episode of Six Feet Under. That was a few years ago. Now, instead of Six Feet Under I just call up Kenny Mount like I did yesterday:

“Hey Kenny!”

“Nick Balagaga?”

“Dude, you have the sniffles.”

“I have a cold. I’m over in Vegas at a casket convention.”

“You’ll get better. Hey. I have an idea. I just wrote an article for the Blackboard and I mentioned something… Why not give people haunted limo rides this Halloween?”

“Oh that’s a good idea. Maybe I should do that in my hearse!”

“Oh yeah, now you’re talking. Just empty the bodies out first, OK?”

I don’t know about you. But that’s way better than TV…

Hurricane Relief Show part 2: Exithead and Vanity Avenue - By N.L. Belardes

Vanity Avenue and a Exithead were two of the early bands at the Hurricane Relief Show at the Dome. Vanity Avenue is a hidden gem of Latino, reggae and ska sounds. Different than Mento Buru, they area unique blend of exciting musicians with a big band sound.





They came onstage and I instantly left my seat high up in the Dome structure and came down near the stage… Of course I snapped a few photos, but then had to leave home for a few minutes to run an errand.



Upon returning, Exithead was going full steam ahead. I received a phone call just as I was pulling back up to the Dome. It was Matildakay saying, “Exithead is playing the hockey song!” I came back inside just to hear the tail end of “Time to Fight”.





Of course it’s the song “Hate” whose lyrics stick in my head, “I’m so mad I’m filled with hate! I’m so mad I’m filled with hate!” I can’t get enough of that song. If I were ever to get off my tail and start playing hockey again I would listen to that song and “Time to Fight” just before going into battle… Later I asked Paul to be part of a photo-art project. “I don’t know, man,” he said. But then when I told him ska king Matt Munoz would be part of it and how Paul is way better looking, how could he say no?

The Week in Theater - By N.L. Belardes

From Roger Mathey's updates:

THIS WEEK IN BAKERSFIELD THEATER:
Week ending Sept. 25, 2005

OPENING:
1. True Tales 2 (late night) at the Empty Space
2. Film Freex presents A Dirty Shame at the Empty Space

CLOSING:
3. Fame at the Spotlight Theater
4. The Road to Rosedale at the Gaslight Theater
5. To Kill A Mockingbird at Bakersfield Community Theater
6. Aida at The Harvey Auditorium

ONGOING:
7. Major League Improv at the Spotlight Theater
8. Anna In The Tropics (prime time) at The Empty Space
9. Little Shop of Horrors at Stars Dinner Theater
10. Actors' Jam at the Spotlight Theater

AUDITIONS:
11. Miracle on 34th Street at the Spotlight Theater
12. Beyond the Horizon at The Empty Space
13. LQVE & H8TE at The Empty Space
14. Over the River and Through the Woods at Bakersfield Community Theater

MISCELLANEOUS:
15. Michael Biagiotti Art Show at the Empty Space
16. ActionFolkSinger at The ACK Gallery
17. Pitch Day at The Empty Space
18. Guide to seeing all the shows you can in a weekend

UPCOMING:
Henry IV, Part 1 at the Kern Shakespeare Festival (Sept 28)
A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Kern Shakespeare Festival (Sept 29)
After the Fall at the Spotlight Theater (Sept. 30)
Screwtape presented by Back to One Ministries in October...


Much of this information can be found by joining the Yahoo group "Bakersfield Theater". Sign up today at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bakersfield-Theater/

Who was Peter Will? The tribute, September 30th - By N.L. Belardes

Peter Williams. Controversial. Despondent. Talented. He cared about others, except in the end maybe not enough about himself. One of his friends recently told me Peter Williams was the “constant tragic clown”. We were sitting in Borders at Seattle’s Best at a small table. I was to learn so little about Peter Williams. “He had a lack of inspiration in the music scene,” his friend continued. “You lose inspiration in a town like this.”



We’re the same age, Peter Williams and I. Born just a week apart in 1968. He chose a career in making music that started somewhere around 1989 in the Peter Will Band. I got married, worked in factories, went to college then to graduate school and on to a career in writing. Peter chose a different path: music. Around 2001 his band played the Ventura Theatre to a large crowd. That was just after his album came out in 2000. Then something happened. His band broke up. Peter Williams fell apart and he never put himself back together again… He died on July 29, 2005.



For those of you who don't remember Peter Thomas Williams, Matt Munoz writes, “he was a beloved friend to many, a fantastic musician singer/songwriter and a crazy mofo who would make everyone laugh!!”

Please attend the tribute
Friday, September 30th, 2005
8pm:

The Peter Will Tribute Band
Mento Buru
Empath
The Filthies
Sick Trigger
Vanity Avenue
Rule ..1
Deep Treble
Jake T
Sioux City Sarsparilla
Sadated Records 24KG

Kosmos 1623 19th St., Downtown Bakersfield

This event will be preceded by acoustic performances by local musicians at Dagny’s Coffeehouse from 5-8PM.

Arts Council of Kern to start hosting Action Folk Nights this Saturday - By N.L. Belardes

This looks cool: $10 will get you in the door...


ACTION FOLK NIGHT SLATED FOR SEPTEMBER 24
Actionfolksinger to host Twas Writ and Ingrid Wakes in
ACK Gallery


Enrique Acosta, also known as the Actionfolksinger,
will champion an exciting series of contemporary folk
and acoustic music events in the ACK gallery at 2000 K
Street, suite 110, starting on Saturday, September
24th with Twas Writ and Ingrid Wakes. The primary
purpose of this intimate 'unplugged' series is to shed
light on Bakersfield's intriguing yet little known
acoustic music underground.

Acosta and the Arts Council also wish to help link
Bakersfield's scene to the rest of the music world by
bringing in similar artists on tour from around the
country, and to remind Bakersfield that since the
birth here of the great American baritone Lawrence
Tibbet over a hundred years ago, Bakersfield has held
a prominent place in the history of American music.

The evening will be the first in a series of intimate
acoustic events which we, of course, are calling The
Actionfolknight Series. Starting at 6:00 PM, with a
suggested donation of $10.00, the local band Twas Writ
will perform first. Twas Writ is actually a one-person
band, an idea with a pedigree which dates back at
least to 1988 with the one-person band Nine Inch
Nails.

Singer/guitarist/pianist Amber Wilson is the current
Twas Writ lineup. Her self-penned songs are steeped in
an elegant and very melodic romanticism. She sings
with a breathy, sometimes broken alto which soars
effortlessly into a smooth soprano when needed. "I've
played on the same bill with her a couple of times,"
said the Actionfolksinger. "She's mesmerizing, a very
insightful lyricist. Let's catch her now before she’s
too big for us."

Ingrid Wakes, a two-person acoustic rock band on tour
from Long Beach, will perform next. Their acoustic
music ranges from ethereal pop to much more
extroverted forms. "Christina on vocals and Jeff on
guitar have been traveling the country with their rock
and funk based music," the Actionfolksinger explained.
"And, yes, like Cher, they have no last names." Both
are, as it turns out, Bakersfield natives. "They are
local kids who’ve spread their wings and ventured into
the great wide world."

Brian Joseph is the tentatively scheduled performer
for October's Actionfolknight. He will be in
Bakersfield on Wednesday, October 19th. The
Actionfolksinger threatens to stay musically silent
during these planned concerts. "This series is about
them -our up-and-coming local artists and these great
people that Bakersfield never gets to hear" Acosta
insists. We have asked him to consider performing with
Joseph.

In this age described by many as one of joyless
apprehension, it would seem that every major
metropolitan area should have at least one
actionfolksinger to transform that joylessness into
song and cure that apprehension with action.
Unfortunately, actionfolksingers are rarer than
whooping cranes these days. Fortunately, mild-mannered
Bakersfield has one, that being the
mostly-mild-mannered but aforementioned Acosta.

With a luxuriant and robust baritone, Enrique Acosta
composes and delivers songs like "Just Another Weekend
Open Mic at the Coffee House"; with perhaps too much
insight, he skewers his own artistic profession. "Joi
de Vivre Blues" exemplifies his sure grasp of irony.
With a sharp confrontational edge, "An Irish Mexican"
celebrates the almost forgotten San Patricios of the
Mexican-American War.

Mostly-mild-mannered by day, Acosta transforms into
the Actionfolksinger by night. Or is it the other way
round? Or maybe it's a befuddling Zen - neither this
nor that, nor none, nor both kind of thing. Whichever
it is, Acosta becomes the teeth-gritting,
hard-hitting, people-saving hero of his own series of
comic books and often lurid pulp novel style posters
which he designs, if not draws himself. It's more
Actionfolksinger irony of course; few people nowadays
think of a folk singer as anybody's hero.

But, all kidding aside, Acosta has long wanted to
rescue Bakersfield folk musicians from a dismal
situation. Unlike past days when Cousin Herb had a
weekly TV show for local artists, Bakersfield
musicians have neither a TV show nor a consistent
viable venue that is not a bar or a coffee house. Also
there is a world of fabulous touring performers
—so-called jazz, blues or folk musicians,
singer-songwriters— who flourish in such small venues.
They drive north or south on Highway 99 everyday. Only
occasionally will any of them pull off to enrich us
with their music.

Many people complain about the situation. The Arts
Council is very happy to help the Actionfolksinger do
something about it. The rest is up to you, Dear
Reader. For more on the Actionfolksinger, go to
actionfolksinger.com.

David Nigel Lloyd
Director of Arts Programs

More on the defense of Rob Ruiz - By N.L. Belardes

Here's an email I got today...

Rob is a great guy and I don't blame him for being upset. Who wouldn't be insulted by being referred to as a "beer guzzling schleprock?"

So, in response to Skinnygirlfatgirl's question "What is he so angry about?" I would have to say he is probably angry about being publicly demeaned by someone who once was a good friend.

--
Ronna

I would have to say that since Mr. Ruiz admittedly did not deny my description of him in the DIM reunion article, how could I have insulted him? My words were easily defensible had he simply stated, "It was a rock and roll life, so what? I lived it."

As far as being publicly demeaned by someone who was once a good friend. History isn't demeaning. It's a pursuit of truth, and is just one perspective of such a pursuit. The friendship clause is a dead issue. Any friendship was ten years ago. He clearly never returned phone calls. And that is beside the point. Why should I lie about the DIM controversy of firing Mr. Ruiz when it was integral to the story I wrote? Certainly he or anyone else can write another account and are welcome to do so. I certainly don't think being called a drunken schleprock in a rock band is publicly demeaning. All I am stating is that in this case he appears to have been terminated in part from what I have been told is by excessive drinking. So what? Peter Will recently drank himself to death. At least Mr. Ruiz didn't do that.

As I stated before, the little criticism Mr. Ruiz has received is nothing like the criticism I receive and many in the public eye receive. History is a taste of the past: good, bad, or ugly, and Mr. Ruiz clearly is embarrassed for his part in it. And that's sad.

Hurricane Relief Show Part 1 - By N.L. Belardes

There was a new band on the scene at the Hurricane Relief Show called Destination Unknown who are one of the most energetic and refreshing bands you could ever see. These are a bunch of kids in a pop punk style band. They're talented. They're fun, and they are responsible for some of the most exciting performance moments of the entire day. Only, this was before much of the crowd arrived.







You'd think kid punkers who perform so well would have egos the size of the Dome. Not true with these next generation punks...



I do have to say that one of the most memorable scenes of the day was when lead singer, Jamal went into the mosh pit during one of their songs. He thrashed, he went wild, and the kids in the pit swarmed him with crushing bodies and flailing elbows. This was one of those rare rock moments that you don't see anymore. Was it the craziness of youth and the supercharged energy of the moment? Here was a band reaching out and bonding and thrashing with the very kids energized by their pop punk style.

And then Jamal made it back onstage to rock with the chorus of the song. There wasn't a punk rock star who could have done it any better...





Later in the day the band was interviewed with a local TV station. Success and stardom? It may be a little ways away, but this was a great start on a great day for young band out of Bakersfield, California. As a mere Bakersfield author on the punk scene, my words can barely do such moments justice.

The art of Mike Biagiotti and LA punk band Drowse at the Empty Space - By Nick Belardes

I hung out at the Empty Space Theatre last Saturday afternoon and took the Buck City Podcast on the road to talk to Mike Biagiotti of punk band, Drowse. While the podcast is still under construction I can report on some cool pictures of the event I took of Mike’s Picasso-esque cubist perspective of Los Angeles and its urban-Latino themes.



You'll love his richly textured oils on wood. See Aztecs in the golden Californio-urban sun, Chicano fiery visions and urban-Martian cubist-rendered drunken invasions. Many of these painting were created on throw-a-way wood that Mike Biagiotti painstakingly found and painted upon, including an old pantry door and other bits and pieces that give his work a sculptured effect...





The Empty Space Theatre has one of the hippest galleries in town. The artwork is always hung with optimal expression of the artist and the artwork in mind. It’s a symbiotic relationship between art, artist, architecture and the aesthetics of the uniquely free spirit of the Empty Space Theatre. Julia Heatherwick does an outstanding job as curator. Take a look at these photos of Mike’s artwork in relation to architecture and people in the gallery.





And then mix art with performance, but not performance art, but hard-edged punk rock. This is some of the most bluesy-punk I’ve ever heard with a passion that seems right off the rough streets of New York. I asked Biagiotti that question. He’s got the tough-sounding accent, but he said his punk-blues music comes more from having listened to blues music, not from growing up on rough streets…





Please go to the Empty Space and see the art of Mike Biagiotti… it will be running for the next few weeks… (Check out what Matildakay had to say about the show)

Skinnygirlfatgirl gets in on the DIM action - By N.L. Belardes

Here's a letter fresh from the land of Chicago bloggers sent in regards to a recent DIM-related post. Skinnygirlfatgirl throws in her nickel for what it's worth on just a teensy segment of the Bakersfield music scene from the distant past...

Nick,

Clearly our dear friend Rob mistook the words you
wrote in your blog. It is true that Rob was a mess
back then and everybody knew it. It is not like you
were the first to point it out. It is also true that
he did get fired from Dim. I remember how appalled we
all were and how heartbroken and angry Rob was. I
remember that we said Dim would never be the same without
Rob and they never were. You could tell that
from their "comeback" show and by their demise
after the axing of Rob.

I am also confused about Rob saying you dissed Jumping
Trains. We both loved Jumping Trains and I still have
a tape of theirs that I occasionally listen to.

It seems to me that you were trying to point out in
your blog how Dim did change after Rob. What is he so
angry about? I think this is a case of a misread
blog, or of somebody not having anything better to do
besides count his "fat bank account".

I do want to point out one thing you got wrong in your
blog though. You said that we were in the Swing Cafe
a few weeks after Rob had been fired from Dim when the
bartender played their cd. It was actually the very
day he got fired and we were there to console him.
We were all sad. Maybe he forgets that. By the way,
is Rob still living at home? Tell him I said hi!
Autumn

Rob Ruiz, formerly of DIM fires back - By N.L. Belardes

Every so often I write an entertaining article that ruffles a few feathers. My DIM reunion article was no exception. I knew it would be controversial as soon as I wrote it. Former drummer of DIM took great offense to what I had to write, though he didn’t deny what I wrote about him. I should note here that anyone in the public eye is just that: a public figure. History pays special attention to those who chose to live such lifestyles. I myself don’t mind that I take heat as a novelist. I get criticized all the time. My novels will get criticized too. It’s just the life of being in the eye of the masses. Here’s what Ruiz had to say in his first email:

Hey Nick, a friend sent me the blog you mention me in. I am at a loss for words at the moment.Thanks for making me look like some pathetic bitter drunk jobless loser to all of bakersfield. If that's the only way to you make yourself feel better by making other people on your website look bad, then more power to you (i guess). Just to let you know,I DO have a job now. I am a carpenter on a construction site with a fat bank account to prove it. I hope that I never ever see or hear about my name mentioned on your website or in any book from now on EVER! My friend will let my know for sure (as did he with the rest of Jumping Trains sending them the link also) This is just bullshit plain and simple! Robert Ruiz


Let me just say that I don’t make myself feel good or bad by having written such an article. History is a Descartian pursuit of the truth. So, as a writer I pursue it. Perhaps Ruiz could have countered by telling us his own rendition of events… He didn't. Here is my response:

Are you trying to deny you were fired from DIM? Do you
have other reasons for your termination from the band
that you would like to express? I was very critical of
DIM in my article. Feel free to let me know and I will
post. At least I didn't print all the gossip I heard
about drug abuse and such. I thought that was over the
top. I captured part of a history of a band. I believe
it was true you were bitter, didn't have a job, and
did drink a lot. I witnessed such. You were a great
musician. And, I didn't make fun of Jumping Trains at
all...


I’m not sure I should have responded at all as his mental capacity for debate quickly broke down even further. Read on. Mr Ruiz seems to think I have some strange magical powers and influence over all of Bakersfield:

i don't deny it but you don't have to be a d*** and tell the whole town about it do you? And to use my own name?!?!Ypu could have made up a name. Tell me,is that their business? That's a part of my life i'd like to forget and you basically threw it back on my face just so you could have something to talk about in your little blog.That's really uncool. Nobody is perfect. I have flaws just like everybody else. I would appreciate to keep them out of the public eye and to myself. As any other human being would like. Show some f****** respect!


My final response makes a clear point about recording the history of the music scene. You know, I’m sure President Bush would like history to forget why his administration saw fit to invade Iraq, but history isn’t going to ignore the past just because a few individuals are embarrassed about it. Here's my final message to Mr. Ruiz:

The Bakersfield music scene and the history of DIM is the business of all involved interested in the music scene here. If a musician choses to be in a band that performs regularly in a public setting, then that history deserves to be written about: good, bad, and ugly.

You should be glad I wrote about what a great musician you were.

Thanks for responding.

Best Regards,
Nick

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

Here's a bit of gossip by Miss Light who had a run in with Jerry's folks and then discusses why she was banned from the Pizza-a-go-go. There's a clear dislike for Jerry's, but I do have to say, that at least one of the folks she referred to as a 'goon' helped set up LA band Drowse at the Mint on Saturday night when locals, the Kookoonauts cancelled out. Rumor has it that one of the Kookoo boys broke an arm. That and Smashtastic, I mean, Seantastic of Karmacrunchlist breaking bones, these local boys need to take it easy... I also saw Sean Knight at the Empty Space Theatre supporting Mike Biagiotti's art show and another Drowse performance. I wouldn't call him a goon. I would call him a supporter of the arts. Much of the rest of the Bakersfield music scene including Miss Light were a no show...

Cesareo Garasa has started a blog. His words to me were, "I feel like I just gave birth. You blogger guys/gals look like you're having a blast!" Read what he has to say about two musician types: The cat, and the band guy.

Skinnygirlfatgirl talks it up about food and now I'm starving.

Matildakay grumbles and rumbles about a $3.00 bracelet and miner boy Holliday without his beard.

Heath Dobbler tells a teary-eyed story about giving up bass playing for some band he was in called the 28s. I don't believe it for a second. He probably plays punk music in his sleep. I'm telling you, between he, Rob Shock and Clay Pigeon, these guys are very talented but seem to have a bad marriage and not so good break-up. I'm going to offer them N.L. Belardes counseling, my own off-brand of anger management (it won't help, I'm too angry of an artist) three lollipops, and a hug at my next BBQ (ducking Heath swinging his bass at my head).

$200 Car went 346.5 miles on one tank of gas!

Hurricane Relief Show Set Times

Destination Unknown 12:30
Vanity Avenue 1:05
This Plain Morning 1:40
ExitHead 2:15
Give Impulse 2:50
My DysfunctionalMe 3:35
MotherFunk Conspiracy 4:10
The Dusk Devils 4:45
Rocky Nash 5:20
Sterotactic 5:50
The Filthies 6:25
Mento Buru 6:55
SevenDust 7:15
KarmaHitlist 7:50
American Standard 8:25
ThroatShot 9:00
B-Side Players 9:35 as long as they need..

N.L. in the Blackboard and in Mas Bakersfield Magazine - By N.L. Belardes

Did you all get to read my article in this month's edition of the Blackboard Free Press? (You have to download the September PDF).

I talk gossip; I talk Soulsteppers photo day; I talk about everything I did in the month's time leading up to my submission that included a haunting descent in the Pizza-a-go-go and LA's the Rolling Blackouts appearing at Riley's Tavern. Go have a read and see if you're mentioned.

Mas, the newest Bakersfield magazine on and offline from the Californian, and integrated with Bakotopia.com asked me to write a piece on blogging, writing, podcasting that should be in their September 23rd edition. It's a Latino culture mag and should offer some hipness for the local Latino scene... I took a cool photo for it...

Azuls? But I wanted to sleep on the couch... By N.L. Belardes

I was asleep on my couch Wednesday night when James Ratliff from Norfolk called. “Are you coming over here to Azuls??”

I’m such the lively novelist in the music scene I’d like to think I was just worn out and overdosed on Bakersfield punk. Not the case. I’d been getting over the flu. I practically rolled over and went back to sleep on the phone right there. “Yeah, sure, OK,” I mumbled.

“Good, I’ll have Marrissa pick you up.”

Just after I got dressed the phone rang. “Nevermind. I can’t get a hold of her,” James said.

So I got back undressed. I crawled back onto the couch, my mind spinning a great American novel about a country singer-actor in a post-terrorized society and what he would sing about… Then the phone rang again. It was James. “OK, we’re not playing until second. I’ll come and pick you up.”

“Yeah, sure, OK,” I mumbled again.

I talked to chingpea on the phone as James pounded on the door. He came in and I showed him a copy of my book. “This is great! Let’s do it!” he said.

“Not yet man,” these are for the media. “You’ll have to wait for your copy.”

And then we were off downtown to my new hangout. Luis and his cousin were outside with Mike from the Soulsteppers. We talked about music and Luis said he couldn’t access my site. “I think I need a new computer,” he said.


Darcie of Three Chord Whore laughs about some great joke...

Inside Jimmy Holliday sat on a stool and played the guitar. He was clean shaven for the first time since he was probably five years old and with a miner’s cap on. He flicked on the light and told people there was a novelist in their midst. I got embarrassed. He grinned while singing and I caught it in a flicker of the camera flash.


a strange anti-folk grin from the guy who calls me Nick Pants




Look at that miner, Brutha Jimmy Spacek, he's a coal miner's son...

James was in his new cover band called The Indians. Mike from now defunct, Johnny Come Lately and lead man Rafael were all in the house to play some classic rock tunes: Ballroom Blitz by Sweet, Love Me Two Times by the Doors, CCR’s Travelin’ band, Rock and Roll by Led Zepellin, and Do it in the Road by the Beatles…



Mike was really something to watch with his laid back bass-playing atitude. He was looking serious and sheik. A look I don't think I have as a novelist. I could try some photos with candy cigarettes hanging off my upper lip...


Do it in the road, Mikey!!

My favorite part was the James Ratliff drum solos… some worthy moments. But then I had to get home and miss Pangolese while Nunez was serenading the crowd.


Nunez woos the ladies...

I later found this Sister Pangolese info out from James:

“Pangolese gave one of the best Bakersfield music vibes ever in a really great show that everyone was in to. People bought them so many drinks afterwards how could they make it home safe? John, drummer in Pangolese tore it up and I think it was one of my favorite shows, ever…”

I apologize for missing out. I had to leave for personal reasons… it was a great night...

Hurricane Relief Show tomorrow at the Dome starting at Noon - N.L. Belardes

All of the above except Karmahitlist and Seantastic's shattered ankle.

Punk band and art, Mike B and his band Drowse at Empty Space Saturday - By N.L. Belardes

Don't miss Drowse at the Empty Space Theatre today from 5-7 pm. Mike Biagiotti, front man from the band will be displaying paintings in the gallery. LA Art meets LA punk behind Pizzaville USA in the Bakersfield Bayou...

I'll be there to check it out, will you?

Growing up Fighting CD inches closer to your CD player - by N.L. Belardes

Hockey season is inching closer. And that means the Noveltown CD, 'Growing Up Fighting' is just around the corner too... Oh yeah, you'll get a copy, if you buy one. But don't worry—it's all for a good cause. Proceeds go to kids books to help create fun and entertaining books for kids to read that are by local authors. Although this list will surely change within the next month or so, take a look at what’s on tap for the CD so far. And we're not even watching the Condors kick tail, yet!

Exithead - Time to Fight
Mento Buru - Minor League Nose Break
Myndsick - Born to Fight
Rocky Nash - Bobblehead
The Filthies - Condorstown
Heath Dobbler and the Redhead Explosion – Power Play
Rocky Nash - Hockey Hangover
Dirty Spanglish - Zebras
Fatt Katt and the Vonzippers - It’s a blue blue night of hockey for you
More to come…

Temporary leader of the Bakersfield blog universe - By N.L. Belardes

Here's an interesting statistic for you. If you were to type "Bakersfield" into the Google search engine, you would come up with an entire stream of Bakresfield corporate, educational, and sports nonsense. OK, maybe not nonsense, but you would be hard-pressed to find nlbelardes.com. If you were to type in "Bakersfield blog" into the Google search engine you might find nlbelardes.com three pages in, depending on the day.

Now, try Google's new blog search engine just launched a few days ago. Type in "Bakersfield". See that? Temporarily #1! (you never know you will be #1 tomorrow)

Remember, Google owns blogger.com. Even so, I'm proud of my little website. It's an accomplishment only brought about by the local Bakersfield art community who has helped bring traffic, crosslink, and so on to make nlbelardes.com a high ranking Google blog site. Thank you all... -n.l.

wandering to the Bakersfield Californian - By N.L. Belardes

Having overcome the flu that took away all my fun at Brews in the Village, I was able to walk over to the Bakersfield Californian today to give Danielle Belton a copy of Lords: Part One. I hobbled down the stairs from my work. No, wait, I think I took the elevator… See? Too much Theraflu starts messing with the ol’ memory. Now, what was I writing? Oh yeah. I made my way to the Californian, wandered inside the Spanish Mission style interior and waited for Danielle Belton to come dancing her way to see me. Did I mention it was like a musical when she arrived? I’m not saying which one, but the hills were alive when she made her grand entrance…

Really, I was just hoping Danielle wouldn’t fall asleep to my novel tonight. Here’s a lady who can type a screenplay in her sleep. Really, I can imagine her doing it. They’re that easy to folks like her.

Now, I can type up a screenplay. No, I can’t type up one in a week. Maybe two weeks. OK, my record is thirteen days, and I have only typed up two feature length screenplays, horror movies at that. I just love scary films. I’ve typed a lot of scripts and such for 30-minute shows and cheesy cartoons…

There wasn’t really a musical, a hat dance or anything. But Belton and I had some good conversation about the music scene, screenplays and a smidgeon about literature…

The reality of such an adventure of crossing a downtown street with artwork in hand: text, cover, photo art, layout… it’s all me, and can all be critiqued, dissected… and that reality will come in what she says about the book. Will it be a so-so review, an “I wasn’t entertained in the least,” diatribe, or an aghast, “I can’t believe this wasn’t nearly as bloody as Sin City!” One never knows.

I walked back to work just happy I could give the book to someone in the media with a smile on my face and giggle to myself that with all the reviews I write of bands and art, I’m really just like every other artist: waiting, pondering, hoping my gift translates through storytelling as readers make their way…

A review is a review. Getting one is the magic. Two of my favorite writers have bad reviews for books I love. I can only hope to join their ranks with my sensationalized literary machinations in Lords: Part One...

N.L. Belardes taunts you with his Bakersfield book - By N.L. Belardes

I've got mine. Did you get yours?

Danielle Belton talks shop over Kenny Mount rant - By N.L. Belardes

Looks like Kenny's in trouble again. Just got this email from the Bakersfield Californian entertainment writer, Danielle Belton. She's replying to his 'motor' mouth Eye Street blog from a few days ago...

You know, if this gets any worse I'm having them put on the gloves. Only my money's on Danielle. All she's gotta do is duck her head and step in. Once that hair gets in Kenny's face, it's all over... all she has to do is swing away... he won't know what hit him.

Read on:


Read Kenny's rant. Can't blame him, but truly, this is a one-woman-afro
operation. I need local bands to contact me because I'm swamped. All
the stories he complained about I wrote, plus WOTS, plus a bar review and
a Sunday cover that week. That means I wrote about, I don't know, seven
stories, which should prove that I'm just a little overworked.

And I've done written about local bands, done band profiles and album
reviews: The Had and Been, Shamiq From 212, Erosadis, Sick Trigger, Blue
Planet, Umbriel, Loveday (then Printed In Slovenia), 5 o'clock Angel,
Seed, Calico Sunset, Dr. BLT, The Cobbs, Near Miss Mallet, Monty Byrom,
The Soulsteppers, The Dusk Devils, Vendetta Red, The Dalloways, Kris
Tiner, the MTKJ Quartet, Soulajar, Tony O'Brien and Black Tie Jazztet,
Bunky Spurling and more. So maybe he just read last Thursday's paper
only. WOTS is mostly local bands and theater when I get info from the bands
and theaters. I'm here and I've been writing about local folks.

But get the word out that we want bands to e-mail us directly about
their shows or to just give me a call if they want a profile. I still
write band profiles about local bands, but I don't have the time to search
these folks out. Anyway, you can post my e-mail and work number -
dbelton@bakersfield.com and 395-7270. To get in the calendar, e-mail
Sheryl Truitt at struitt@bakersfield.com. There's no conspiracy. Just a
very small entertainment staff of one.

Danielle

The Indians, Pangolese and Nunez at Azuls Wednesday night - By N.L. Belardes

Tonight at Azuls in Downtown Bakersfield:


PANGOLESE (frank black gone wild. Bring earplugs.)
THE INDIANS(James from norfolk and friends play classic covers. Don't miss!!)
NUNEZ (latino loverboy to serenade the ladies)


James raindance before drumming a classic rock smoke signal... Pangolese is just an awesome alt band... very LOUD...


Get ready to be serenaded by NUNEZ!

plus
dj MOUSTACHE ROCK laying down all the punk, garage, psych, power pop, and new wave!

21+ FREE!
STARTS @ 9PM

1514 wall street (alley next to jerry's pizza)
bakersfield
between eye & chester across from the alley cat

Upcoming Saturday art show at Empty Space

Go check out this punk/art show...

send me your flyers!!!

Your band going to be in a show? Your play going to be held soon?? Send me your flyers up to two weeks before your show. Don't send flyers too early or I won't post...

anyway, I will post flyers now if you send them to me via email, not myspace.

-n.l.

Myspace band of the moment, Idle Revolution - By N.L. Belardes

There's a Bakersfield band by the name of Idle Revolution. Just who are these guys in a local rock/jam band? They take themselves seriously enough to make a myspace page, record tunes, and sent me a note to check them out. They've played the Boiler room and MWP... and they have a gig coming up in Fresno... buy a ticket, get a CD.

Let me just say that all Bakersfield bands should sell their CDs. Giving away CDs depreciates the entire local music scene. Make people think the music scene is worth something. Sell your music, don't give it away. Unless sending to promoters, reviewers, venues...

CD Review. Norway's Kawaii: If it shines, we have it - By N.L. Belardes

You enter the most perfect of kitchens where utensils are like a shining fairyland of bright silver. The gleam off such knives and spatulas, wire-made stirrers, nut crackers, cleavers and ladles are as whimsical and clean as digitized music with a fine sheen. Enter Kawaii from Bergen, a city between seven mountains on the southern west coast of Norway, with their kitchen-themed debut CD, "If it shines, we have it". A tour of the human experience, "If it shines, we have it" is a CD of short songs with melodic and sexy 1970s-style pop melodies…


Mats Jorgensen and Hedda Fredly

Techno, bossonova drum machine beats turned Indie rock choruses that will melt your heart, Kawaii has the alternative lounge sounds of San Francisco’s Bart Davenport gone duo, techno and happier. Such soft sounds in Indie harmonies, in this case 'girl and boy' melodies, you just fall in love... (Kawaii is currently touring the American East Coast…)

If you’re a fan of Quiet is the New Loud( learn more about the Quiet Movement), then Kawaii’s CD is a must. Let me just take you on a tour of part of the CD…

The very sexy Hedda Fredly has a seductive voice that grabs you right away on track one, “Happy People, Scary Planet”. Her counterpart, Mats Jorgenson is a soft-sounding singer/musician on this track about two people lost in the dark. “We don’t need a light. We’re happy people on a scary planet…” Really the song is a metaphor for wherever happy people can be… with just the right attitude the world’s darkness may be bearable.

“If it shines we surely have it” is a musical melody of love that shines… only Hedda’s melodies are as catchy as the synths and drums… I found myself singing the chorus over and over… it’s that catchy.

One of my favorite songs off the CD drops the ‘F’ bomb. But so what? “They would probably talk, sleep or f***” tells a wonderful little story about a young couple stuck in their own world of love, self adoring behavior, and the inherent conflict of two souls intertwined in the routine of daily life. Oh it could be Norway or Bakersfield, or Paris; this is just the human experience of relationship captured in song.

“Paper Sun” has a synth intro as catchy as any I have heard. Mix that with alternative lounge melodies by Jorgensen and Fredly and some splendid guitar work and you have a nice blend of music to play anywhere. It’s a great long instrumental intro into an artistic blend of lyrics and music with a driving beat.

Acoustic, mellow, and shining. That’s “Best Friends” before it trails into a happy journey carried by Hedda Fredly’s singing, “…we could remain best friends.” She sings it with such a lively aire that I want to find some darling girl to sing such a song to… I love its quaint xylophone ending…

One of the faster songs on Kawaii’s CD is “The concept of being a slightly wounded bear” which is a synth-layered song of many sounds and harmonies. It’s feel is much different than “I wore a smile” whi