Twitter Book "Small Places" Now Has 2,000 Followers - By N.L. Belardes

My Twitter book, "Small Places" (twitter.com/smallplaces) is a literary fiction novel uploaded to the micro-blogging site, Twitter.com. You can get updates on your cell phone. That's cool because you can follow along wherever you are: taking a walk, in a line at an amusement park, sitting on your couch, cooking dinner, riding a New York subway, or driving to Vegas.

I've done a couple of interviews for the twitter book, including a lengthy interview on Social Media World. It's only 10% uploaded and already up to about 2,000 followers.

I've uploaded 5,500 words of the twitter book, so there's a lot more to come in the comedy novel. - n.l.

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N.L. BELARDES is a journalist, blogger and videographer. N.L. writes several media blogs, including Noveltown's Paperback Writer and ABC23's Nick 2.0. His work has appeared on the homepage of CNN.com and other news sites all over America. You can purchase Lords: Part One, which describes the infamous Lords of Bakersfield. They still creep the city long after they and a 1977 Central California dust storm ravaged the area. N.L. welcomes humorous notes and news tips to his MySpace.

Nick 2.0 jumps to the 5pm newscast - By N.L. Belardes

Kinda weird to be on at 11am and 5pm. Who knows how long it will last? I think I'm up to around 53 segments. Anyway, here I am talking about the latest Nick 2.0 blog, "National Novel Writing Month Goal Fulfilled, What's Yours?" which plugs an article I'm working on about novel writing (NaNoWriMo) and www.thenervousbreakdown.com:

Blogging: An Art Of Identity, Writing And Social Change - By N.L. Belardes

When Product Manager Matt Munoz of Bakotopia.com asked me to write a piece on blogging that he could publish online and in the magazine version, I instantly thought of the portion of my college lecture that was meant to motivate writers rather than instruct. Sure, there's instruction in the piece you're about to read. But most students, and people in general, are stuck as writers. They're stuck in their identity and stuck in being motivated.

So get inspired, read the following piece and thank Matt Munoz for getting me to share these thoughts with you:

Blogging Is Writing, So Understand Who You Are
Who are you? What is your identity? If you identify yourself as solely a student, housewife, teacher, police officer, etc., then stop reading immediately and go meditate. That’s right, run along and think. Because the words you’re about to read aren’t meant for you. They won’t make a difference in your life unless you identify yourself as a writer. Don’t even think of coming back unless you’ve accepted a very crazy notion whole-heartedly, even fanatically, as if you’ve converted to the wildest, most far-reaching religious faith of all time: writing.

Once you’ve accepted your fate as a writer, you may continue. If I’ve lost anyone at this point, and I often do, then it just wasn’t meant to be. Go back to being an office worker, or whatever it is that you do, because it’s not disheveled enough, not crazy enough, not risky enough as we writers who accept our fate understand. Those who are half-writers, pseudo writers, or wannabes just won’t be able to partake in the full range of staring that we, who identify as writers, get from the gawking world around us.



When it comes to being a writer, or in this case, a blogger, often there are no right or wrong answers when it comes to the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of writing. Yet when it comes to the why I have my own set of rules: you either are a writer, or you aren’t. You either want to learn and grow as a writer, or you’re too pompous to believe your writing can get any better. If you think you can’t get any better, or that your writing is perfect already, let me tell you, you’re stuck.

Maybe you think your words are perfect the first time a paragraph spills out of your head—often a good sign of someone who fears change. Or maybe you’re one of those writers whose belief is in purity, that your words are strangely tainted if you edit them—often a good sign of a pompous writer. Such writers just want reassurance that what they’ve written is some kind of divine godsend. Believe me, these are the kind of people who approach me and say, “Will you look at something I wrote?” I tend to ignore such pompous and fear-of-change types. I give no holy blessing to such snootiness.

I often let out a sigh at this point because I know that most often that person won’t like that I often interpret their meanings as “help.” My red pen marks are cuts to their psyche. Blue pen marks? Deep gouges to their already icy egos. Rather, many such writers are passively suggesting that I help them get published, which I don’t mind doing when the writing is good enough.

So this is the first step to being a blogger: blogging is writing, so understand who you are.

That means although you blog, what you really are is a writer, which means you need to learn and grow as writers do. And maybe that’s wrong of me to suggest. But I figure if I’m still learning and growing as a writer, so should every other writer out there.

Good Bloggers Are Writers Who Adapt And Mature
I accepted early on in my writing career that writing is a life-long learning process. Writing, as you grow older, will change, progress, adapt and mature. Look, we all need editors because not only are we often blind to much of our own writing, but often we writers have growing pains that we’re not even aware of. Sentence structure, voice, clarity and vision in writing evolves through stages of learning, which I believe, are little epiphanies as we come to understand new techniques and develop deeper vocabulary. Look, I could submit this essay to a magazine and entire paragraphs might be chopped, reorganized, clarified. I have to be mature enough to accept editing from others as I do my own editing and artistic growth. Yes, writing is art.



An essay or short story I write today at age 39 is completely different in tone and perspective from my writing twenty years ago. Maybe that’s what makes someone like Tolkien, Orwell or Naipaul so special: they could capture maturity and youth, and achieve an incredible sense of clarity by having allowed the writing processes in them to change and adapt through the construct of time. As they got older I bet they even enjoyed committed editors who worked to help them grow further.

So as you blog, understand that you have at the very least, to self-edit your work. Even though blogging is an immediate form of writing, some degree of editing is necessary. Write a passage, sit back, and edit. New thoughts might flood into your head; stronger arguments could unfold. Believe me, readers aren’t dumb and can sense maturity in writing as if they’re sniffing out the best plate at a five-star Vegas buffet.

(Read the full article on Bakotopia)

Yosemite Writers Conference: A Conversation about Blogging - By Melinda Carroll

In today’s world, blogging has become a way of life for many people and corporations. It’s an instantaneous way to connect with people. For writers, blogging should be a natural progression, a promotional tool and a way to personally reach readers and build a fan base.



This year’s Yosemite Writers Conference workshop, “Blogging Your Way to Fame” was taught by N.L. Belardes of ABC23 and Noveltown (noveltown.net/blog), Genevieve Choate of the Fresno Bee and Momologue, and Rik Bollman a Las Vegas writer/blogger and radio host, three individuals for whom blogging is not only a way of life, but a necessary part of being a writer. Three individuals who understood that blogging is not just posting a blog and hoping a handful of anonymous people on the Internet find it and read it. No, blogging is about so much more.

Blogging is about using your voice to capture attention for yourself as a writer and about using your voice as a community service. Blogging is about having a sense of integrity, being humble, and being smart about what you write. Blogging is not about what you ate for lunch, but rather it’s about getting out there in your community and finding original content to write about. Blogging is about having a conversation with people and that is what is truly unique about blogging.

Since blogging is a conversation with people, N.L., Genevieve, and Rik broke panel tradition and had a conversation with the workshop attendees about blogging. Everyone responded and interacted as if we were all sitting around an informal dinner table discussing blogging. For those who were new to the conversation, this method seemed to demystify blogging and make it less daunting. As a blogger myself, I felt this conversational format was most effective.

Gone was all the techy talk and html, instead the discussion centered on how writers can use blogging to build their author platform and a community of readers. By spending time on social networking sites such as myspace.com promoting your blog, book and/or yourself as a writer, by posting compelling content and updating your blog often and through grassroots promotion you can build a fan base and a platform that editors and agents will notice. Belardes stated, “You have to sacrifice time to promote yourself.” He also stressed the importance of having a presence on social networking sites.

Even though Belardes stated that blogging most likely won’t make you famous, he did discuss how blogging could help you get where you want to go as a writer, for you never know who’s reading your blog. In the blogosphere, if you build it they will come. Blogging will grow an audience for your writing.



It was prearranged for me to help people in the workshop immediately sign up for a blog. With laptops available, I was able to answer questions and help a few people sign up at the end of the blogging workshop and later that evening in the Tenaya Lodge Jackalope restaurant. I think it was helpful for those new to blogging to have a computer and a person available to walk them through the process of setting up their blog. Hopefully they will continue their journey into the blogosphere and towards building an audience.

More on the 2007 Yosemite Writers Conference:

Is Book Publishing Dead? Yosemite Writers Conference Provides Food For Hungry Writers
Yosemite Writers Conference: A Conversation about Blogging
Rambo Creator Reinvents Captain America
Yosemite Writers Conference: Demystifying Chick lit and Women’s fiction
Yosemite Writers Conference: Poetry talk
Mystery talk after David Morrell's big speech
2007 Yosemite Writers Conference: Brenda Knight Sidesteps the TVA man
Yosemite Writers and the Chukchansi bathroom break
Headed to Yosemite Writers Conference to talk writing for social change

*****************
Read Noveltown’s experiences at last year’s Yosemite Writer’s Conference:

By N.L. Belardes
A Writer in Yosemite: Part One
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Two
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Three
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Four
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Five
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Six
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Seven
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Eight

By Matildakay
A great literary weekend
What's your type?
How to Approach a Literary Agent...
The Mary Wong Lee Memorial Scholarship
Malcolm Margolin is Posh
Hanging out with the Pirates of Yosemite and setting the record straight
Kill Your Darlings

The Yosemite Writer’s Conference August 24-26, 2007 – By Melinda Carroll

“The Yosemite Writers Conference is the best I’ve seen. You’ll find a terrific selection of publishers, agents and writers from which to learn. The conference participants are bright, serious and ambitious. All this, taking place in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, makes the Yosemite Writers Conference a dazzling boost to writers of all levels.”
--T. Jefferson Parker

The Yosemite Writer’s Conference last year was by far the most rewarding experience I’ve had as a writer. I was inspired. I learned so much about the publishing industry and about writing. I met and connected with so many wonderful writers and publishers including: Bonnie Hearn Hill, Cindy Wathen, Carole Sargent and Malcolm Margolin and so many more.

Noveltown’s own N.L. Belardes will be speaking at this year’s Yosemite Writer’s Conference. I managed to get him to sit still long enough to answer a few questions about the upcoming conference.

Here’s the interview:

Noveltown: N.L. I hear that you are going to be speaking at the Yosemite Writer’s Conference in August. Are you planning on teaching everyone the ins and outs of maintaining a controversial media blog?

N.L.: For those of you who don’t know. I’m getting interviewed by Matildakay. My hands are sweaty. Gulp. Oh, the conference? Blogging? Actually I will talk more about blogging in general, though media blogging will be included. I want to let people know how to get started, and how they can utilize their writing talents as a kind of community service rather than just an online journal. It will be a discussion rather than a lecture. We’ll talk about some of the leading blogs, what they do, and about myspace too.

I’m hoping by the time the conference comes that Noveltown will have 10,000 friends on myspace, and that people I speak to will be able to build some of their own networks with Noveltown already having paved the way a bit.

In a way, myspace is where more of the writers, publishers, bookstores, poets and organizations seem to be congregating. They like blogs, but they love myspace. Though blogs are a cool tool that authors can use to gain web traffic and a potential loyal following.

We hope to literally be hands-on and help writers sign up from the conference.

Noveltown: What topics will you be sharing with the conference attendees?

N.L.: I just asked one of the organizers, Bonnie Hearn Hill about that very question. I offered some panel topics. The conference organizers haven’t released all the titles of the panels… I’ll keep you posted. With that said you can expect industry tips from professionals, writing discussions by authors, and a lunchtime pirate table for any rebel writer wanting to talk shop with me and you, Matildakay. We might even have a flag this year.

Noveltown: Will you have a workshop on drawing bug cartoons?

N.L.: No, but I will be peddling The Noveltown Review at the conference and there’s a bug cartoon in there. When I listen to speakers I do tend to doodle lots of scavenger bugs. It’s a weird habit. If anyone asks at the pirate table, I will teach some bug drawing skills free of charge. I don’t do tattoos.

Noveltown: Will you be talking about Noveltown and Indie publishing companies versus commercial publishing companies?

N.L.: Away from the panels, most likely those conversations will constantly take place. People do need to know Noveltown is searching for authors, about our magazine, and about Indie presses. We’re not setting out to bash commercial publishing. We believe in it. Our magazine captures the spirit of both worlds. But we also believe in the DIY universe. It’s all very much as if Luke Skywalker and a hip Yoda could chill with stormtroopers in a smoky cantina.

Noveltown: Are you taking your pirate gear and will you be attending any swashbuckling pirate meetings again this year?

N.L.: Like I said, a pirate table is a necessity: somewhere you can speak your mind away from all the formalities of the event. Though I hope to sneak into some of the formal tables just to hear Bonnie Hearn Hill talk shop.

Noveltown: What products will you be taking with you and talking about at the conference?

N.L.: Wow, I could answer this so many ways using my lame attempt at comedy. In all seriousness, I will take a computer to show people the media blog and to help people sign up, the Noveltown Review magazine to show the print community side of what we’re building, and my book to promote how we do books and to talk about the fact that we’re looking for an author or two to publish… oh and to promote my own writing some… I’m going to enter their book contest! Sounds fun!

Noveltown: How exciting! Thanks N.L. for a peek at what we have to look forward to at the Yosemite Writer’s Conference in August.

If you want to meet literary agents, publishers, editors, and authors, the Yosemite Writer’s Conference is the place to be.

If you want to learn about the many facets of writing in today’s literary world, the Yosemite Writer’s Conference is the place to be.

Whether you’re a published author or just realized that you want to be a writer, the Yosemite Writer’s Conference is for you.

Noveltown is going. Are you? Register now online at www.yosemitewriters.com

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2007 Partial List of Presenters

Keynote Speakers: Steve Yarbrough and David Morrell
Literary Agents: Katharine Sands, June Clark, Irene Webb, and Jeffrey McGraw
Magazine Editors From: Sacramento Magazine and Visalia Lifestyle
Editors: Meg Bertini of Dream Time Publishing, Kate Gale of Red Hen Press, Susan Chang of Tar Books, Farrin Jacobs of HarperCollins, Brenda Knight of Weiser Books, Steve Mettee of Quill Driver Books and Word Dancer Press, Melissa Manloe of Chronicle Books
Authors: N.L. Belardes, Hallie Ephron, BJ Taylor and Ginny Rorby
Yosemite Faculty: Rik Bollman, Hazel Dixon-cooper, Bonnie Hearn Hill, John Koontz, Sheree Petree and Cindy Wathen

************
Conference details

$370 Early Bird until April 15th
$380 April 16 to May 31
$390 after June 1

Registration fee includes: all workshop sessions Friday and Saturday, continental breakfast, two keynote luncheons and evening reception Friday and Saturday.

The registration fee must be paid in full by check or credit card in order to secure a space for the conference.

Registration fee does not include lodging.

The beautiful Tenaya Lodge is the official conference hotel. When booking your room, be sure to ask for the Yosemite Writers Conference rate of $189 per night. Call (559) 683-6555, 800-635-5807 or log on to tenayalodge.com to reserve your room.

Consultation: Confer with any of the agents or editors at the conference for only $30 per session.

Visit Yosemite Writers online for more details.

************
Read Noveltown’s experiences at last year’s Yosemite Writer’s Conference:
By N.L. Belardes
A Writer in Yosemite: Part One
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Two
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Three
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Four
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Five
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Six
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Seven
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Eight

By Matildakay
A great literary weekend
What's your type?
How to Approach a Literary Agent...
The Mary Wong Lee Memorial Scholarship
Malcolm Margolin is Posh
Hanging out with the Pirates of Yosemite and setting the record straight
Kill Your Darlings

Big Anna Nicole Smith Bakersfield connection on Bakotopia: Smith's hairstylist reveals sadness to Matt Munoz - By N.L. Belardes

Looks like Matt Munoz over at Bakotopia got the big scoop. I remember being at the Montgomery World Plaza when Karmahitlist played their last show. I met Sandy Serrano briefly. Her then boyfriend, Seantastic talked to the crowd about my novel. I was flattered. But the relationship was falling apart with both the band and Seantastic and his girlfriend (More on Karmahitlist and more...)


Seantastic (Sean Starkey) used to date Anna Nicole Smith's hairdresser

I remember hearing at the time about an Anna Nicole Smith connection too. Word on the street was Seantastic was hanging out at Anna Nicole Smith's house. I had no idea his girlfriend was her hairdresser. At the time it was all about Seantastic being a rock and roll star. I considered trying to do a story on the connection. But you know how time flies. Now Matt Munoz has Bakotopia's biggest scoop yet. I thought my Fresno Famous/Modesto Famous scoop was big. Not even close. Read on...

It was in the wee hours of Jan. 10. Sandy Serrano needed to catch an early morning flight back to the U.S. from the Bahamas, but she would not board her plane without first saying goodbye to her friend and client, Anna Nicole Smith.

She went to Smith's bedroom where little Dannielynn Hope, then 4 months old, was already awake. And like so many other times over their two-year relationship, Serrano, a native Bakersfield resident who since moved to Southern California, becoming the personal hairstylist to the model/actress, bid Smith farewell with a kiss and a hug, also saying goodbye to Dannielynn, until the next time.

But there would be no next time, for that day would be the last Serrano would ever see Smith alive.

(Read the full article)

**There's also an audio clip with Serrano on the post.

What's this?? Bakotopia throws down, joins the Dirty Spanglish Talent Show Review for a Belardes/Munoz Bandapalooza! - By N.L. Belardes and Matt Munoz

Dirty Spanglish at the Talent Show audition

(SCROLL DOWN FOR BAK-O-MATIC REVIEW AND LINK TO EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS ON BAKOTOPIA)

Turn down the rock and roll, it’s Dirty Spanglish at the Bakersfield High Talent Show - By N.L. Belardes

The auditions were held a few weeks ago at Bakersfield High’s Little Theatre. That’s on the south side of the Harvey Auditoriun, one of Bakersfield’s finest theatres. I love it as much as the Fox Theatre in downtown Bakersfield for its ambience and “big stage” feel. And you can squeeze more than a thousand folks inside.


Little Theatre at the Harvey Auditorium, Bakersfield, CA

The Late Greats were at the audition, the only other rock band trying out. And they both got in. It was a rockin’ evening…


The Late Greats: a band named after a Wilco song

During the actual Talent Show, the night was to open with rock and close with rock. The only problem would be turning the rock down. I’ll get to that.


BHS auditorium begins to fill up a half hour before the show starts


Will there be a Talent Show at your school?

I showed up with Jordo from the alt country band Black Dog. He’s Lando’s brother and a talented violinist. They write original country tunes and also perform acoustic Wilco covers. The Late Greats were to perform “I’m Always in Love” from the Wilco album Summerteeth. That means closet Wilco junkies would be showing some unity at the Talent Show.

Oh yeah, my kid Jordo. He seems to know everyone at BHS because he’s one of those cool seniors. He showed me to the “green room”, a room not really green, but where everyone hangs out waiting for their turn to perform. Right away, Alix Lamb walked up, fanned two decks of cards and started performing tricks. I was stumped.


Alix Lamb fans the trickery





Soon Matt Munoz and Lydia Gonzales from bakotopia.com and MAS Magazine arrived. They had the real journalistic goods. Matt interviewed Dirty Spanglish with his cool pocket-sized video camera, while Lydia staged a photo shoot, snapping fun photos of the boys in a bathroom—true Dirty Spanglish potty humor—and got them to jump out of lockers, literally. Except for bassist, Nick. He pouted in a bathroom stall.


You'll have to see the MAS magazine images of this photo shoot when it comes out.


Bassist Nick pouts because he is locker challenged

Bakotopia, Matildakay.com, Noveltown.net, and Paperback Writer all sponsored the show. Bakotopia wrote for the show’s program:

Yo Dirty Spanglish, Bakotopia honors you and sends you positive vibes to kick the doors down. You guys got the skills, now it’s time to show the crowds what real noise is all about! Congratulations on being true punk patriots! Keep it dirty…Spanglish that is!





Bakersfield High’s 6th Annual Talent Show featured 16 competitors: dancers, a magician, an acoustic act, two rock acts, and solo singers galore. The show was hosted by Sherece Stancil—she wasn’t afraid to kick off her shoes at one point—and Tyrone Brazzell. He could dance, hold an audience and look debonair.


Yes, they should have their own TV show.

Talk about hosts beaming with confidence. Their professionalism and quick-witted humor carried the entire evening—so did Tyrone’s moves. Their back-up band was truly right off a late night talk show. They jazzed up the evening with transitional songs and weren’t afraid to cheer for their own favorite performers throughout the evening. They even performed their own jazzy rendition of “Donut Shop” after Dirty Spanglish performed.


The Late Greats perform


This might be Alicia Bean... someone correct me...

Personally, I hadn’t been nervous all evening. I know the kids in Dirty Spanglish have performed to larger crowds. It was the sound I was worried about. “They’ve got us turned down,” Lando said. And there were no monitors. The singers couldn’t hear themselves. That’s never good for a performer. I asked Lando if they were nervous at all during the show. He said, “A little bit, because of the whole deal with not hearing the singing. Otherwise we were pretty pumped up and ready to do it.”

Still, I wasn’t nervous. But there were some solemn moments for the band, and moments of anticipation. As other contestants performed, Lando sat and tuned his guitar in a back area. He seemed to be going over in his head about his band’s performance.





Maybe I was growing nervous after all. I watched as they stood for a moment to view one of the acts. They were silent, stirring, kids on a mission to entertain. The glanced at the crowd. Anticipation set in. They had a sparing amount of time to set up. Or that’s what it seemed like.



Suddenly Lando said, “Hold my guitar.” Holy crap was he talking to me?! “Don’t touch the strings, and don’t bump it on anything!” I had no idea where he was going, but Dirty Spanglish was about to go on. I stood still. I was now a deer caught staring into the stage lights like it were an oncoming semi of rock and roll distortion. I didn’t dare move or twitch a muscle in fear that Lando’s guitar might suddenly explode in my hands. My heart rate jumped. Lando seemed lost in a sea of backstage darkness. Any travesty would suddenly be my fault. How do these kids take such pressure?

Finally he came back, grabbed his guitar, and the band took their place behind the curtain.

Lando jumped onto an amp for a moment of total rock godness, the band toyed with their instruments—bass thumped, guitar strings raked and drums pounded—which pumped up the crowd. I suddenly thought, they have nerves of steel.



And then the giant curtains opened. Lando jumped off the amp and hit a chord. It was time to perform their cover of The Filthies “Donut Shop.” Two of the three members of The Filthies attended Bakersfield High. It was a moving tribute to Bakersfield’s rural rock punk kings.







Only problem I could tell? The sound. The band was too quiet. Oh, they rocked. In fact, they got to play two songs during the night. But this was a Bakersfield High School Choir Event. And we all know what a lot of choir folks think of rock and roll. Yet rock is meant to be performed loud. Hell, so is country music and so is jazz. I wanted to run onstage and pump up the volume. Sherece and Tyrone came on stage as total air guitar monsters of rock. It was a hilarious and fun moment as their back-up band jazzed some “Donut Shop” riffs.

You have to appreciate that the kids in Dirty Spanglish heeded the call of adults who tempered their sound. They’re respectful and I appreciate the band for it. Had they had their sound blasting in the auditorium they still might not have won. The talent during the course of the evening was that good.


Right after their performance, a quick celebration


Some moments backstage: Late Greats and Lando from Dirty Spanglish

There was a moment of confusion. The band was about to perform another song. They took to their instruments. The curtains started to part… a sudden change of plans to announce the winners. The curtains closed, kids poured onto the stage and eventually Dirty Spanglish slipped through the curtain just in time to win second place in the People’s Choice category.


Latin Mix won first place People's Choice


Drummer Kris from Dirty Spanglish celebrates after announcement

Criston Moore won the Grand Prize with a moving rendition of “Over The Rainbow”. That was the first time I’d heard a male sing the classic number, and I’d never heard it performed in such a contemporary soloist style. I swear John Legend was performing the piano for him as he swooned the crowd. Screaming had reached a fever pitch.


Criston Moore woos the ladies



After the awards Dirty Spanglish rocked the house with “She’s A Jones Soda”. It was party time in Bakersfield High’s Harvey Auditorium, even though the sound was still too low for rock and roll…


Performing at the end of the show...


The BAKOTOPIA Review
(Click for exclusive photos/vids)

-6th Annual BHS Talent Show, February 8th, 2007, Harvey Auditorium

High school productions don't often move passed the usual song & dance routines most parents are used to year after year, but that was not the case during my visit to the BHS campus last week for the 6th Annual BHS Talent Show.

As photographer Lydia Gonzales and I met local blogger NL Belardes backstage to document the efforts of some of BHS's brightest talent, I was immediately impressed with the professionality and seriousness displayed by participating students.

Directly below the BHS Harvey Auditorium stage, students warmed up, practiced lines, dance steps, card tricks, while others joked around, and behaved as high school kids do, punching each other, laughing, and of course, talking on their cellphones.

Lydia and I immediately approached young punks, Dirty Spanglish, and directed them to a side room for an exclusive interview with one of the more popular bands on the under-21 set.

As we entered the next room, we were greeted by BHS senior, Danielle Alcala, who was also practicing her "Exhibition" act, to perform a selection from "Grease." As an "Exhibition" act, Alcala would not be judged on her peformance, but would perform during the tallying of the votes at the end of the show.

After a nervously funny interview with the Dirty Spanglish boys, and clowning around with some photo taking, it was off to see the talent. But before we headed upstairs, we were stopped by one of the show's performers, Freshman Alix Lamb, who showed us a preview of his act, a cool card trick. We agreed to check it out, and were very impressed. Funny how young kids like Lamb, have the ability to out-do adults attempting to do the same trick. It reminded me of a so-called "professional" local magician, who bored his audience so badly during a show, they gave him the boot after the third try. Not Lamb, he was confident, and had a kind of "punk magic" air about him. Hilarious...

We headed upstairs, entering a side door into the packed Harvey Auditorium.

I haven't been in the Harvey Auditorium, since Kern County Honor Band rehearsals back in the day. It was quite the time warp.

Then...it hit us...."the teen spirit"....

Remember your old locker room? Phewww!!! Turn the air on!!! It was hotter than a
Lamont packing shed in there.

I knew we probably weren't going to last the whole show with funky hot air filling our lungs, but decided it woudn't be very nice to ditch the kids, so we stayed.

After a shaky start, the show began to flow really well, with some very nice vocal acts..

Sophomore Solange Igoa, also the daughter of Bakersfield singer and popular MySpace MILF, Mystic Red, gave a fine rendition of the Simon and Garfunkel classic, "Scarborough Fair."

Magician Alix Lamb was up next, to repeat the trick we saw, but added some new twists involving a Vanilla Pepsi can and some loose pocket change contributed by an audience volunteer. It was a little hard to see the card trick from the audience, unless you had binoculars or bionic vision, but cheers poured over the young Houdini anyway.

Junior Cassie Pederson took the mic next with another vocal offering, the song "Strong Enough." At first I thought she was going to sing the Sheryl Crow song of the same name, but thank god she didn't. I didn't recognize the tune, but she pulled it off, in tune, and too much applause.

Yesterday's Prayer, a guitar duo and drummer trio, did their best to show some emotion, but relied heavily on the eternal strum guiding their song. Unfortunately, the sound system didn't do the band justice. I'm sure in a different setting, the band would have done a much better job. Kudos to the the guys for sticking it out.

The suits came up next with Junior vocalist Criston Moore. Backed by piano accompaniment, the two performed the eternal, "Over The Rainbow." With a combination of lights, clearer sound, and matching suits, class was Moore's game.

After hearing "Rainbow," a million times over the course of my lifetime, I had to force myslef to listen again. Reminding myself this is high school and to be nice again, it was refreshing to hear a soulful rendition of the song with a little RnB influence, even a little falsetto during one of the songs two endings. Bravo! The kid won me over!

Next, it was the dancers turn..

Latin Mix are two BHS couples who combine Broadway inspired choreography, with some added nightclub flavor. Performing a song called, "Cha-cha," this was not your parents version of the dance. As soon as the song started, the dancers tore it up! This was original, and something the audience and myself had been waiting for, real energy! Sliding, swinging, smiling, they had my vote.

A couple more quality singers, and it was time for the moment we had come for, Dirty Spanglish!

Now, I've been in high school talent shows before, and they're not always fair. The bands usually don't get the best attention from the "stage crew," and because musicians don't usually associate with the cheerleaders, they are often considered the outcasts of the "popular" high school social scene. For them, it's all about the stage....

Not this time.

Just the mention of the name, Dirty Spanglish, drew roars of applause. A band finally more popular than the prep scene? Things sure have changed since my day (No, I'm not revealing my high school years,) because the Dirties were throwing down. Performing a tribute to BHS alumni, The Filthies, the quartet could easily be your favorite band,based on the "coolness" factor alone. Good job, ye olde punks of yore!!

Finally the votes were tallied, the hosts took a bow, and the awards were handed out. I can't remember all the winners, but I will tell you this, Dirty Spanglish won "Judges Choice," and crooner Cristin Moore won the top prize.

Great job by the hosts of the evening Sherece Stancil and Tyrone Brazzell, who kept the lengthy show going with their wit and great stage presence. Also, the funky back-up band who performed between acts. Those guys were the BHS's answer to The Roots!

Good job, kiddoes!

-Matt Munoz
www.bakotopia.com

The story of Korn's Jonathan Davis and a Buck Owens guitar - By N.L. Belardes

Jonathan Davis and Buddy Owens at Bakersfield's Crystal Palace
image by Joe S.

If I were a musician I'd want one. It's patriotic, colorful and a fine piece of craftmanship. I'd like to call it a Buck Special...

Buck Owens had one of his signature red, white and blue guitars made for Jonathan Davis of Korn at the beginning of 2006. He wanted to give it to Davis at that time. “That night Jonathan came in for dinner, but Buck was sick,” said an anonymous source. “So they waited for the right time…” It was a basic Buddy Owens night singing Buck Owens classics at Bakersfield’s Crystal Palace. “There was good energy, the whole Davis family was in there, brothers and step-brothers.”

“Toward the end of the show Buddy got him up there. Jonathan Davis said nice things about Buck Owens and Bakersfield. He mentioned that he always dreamed of getting one of those guitars as a musician.”

And he did.

Then Buddy tried to get him to sing but Davis wouldn’t do it—he politely refused. His thanks were really brief and he got off the stage.

The anonymous source indicates it may be a rumor that Davis brought guitar to the airport. He was flying to New York to be on MTV’s Unplugged. Was he going to use the trademark Buck Owens guitar on MTV’s classic show?

It wasn’t in a protective case and so he couldn’t take the guitar on the airplane…

Is this story true of Korn and Buck Owens true?

Maybe one of the readers of this blog knows the answer…


MTV Unplugged "Freak on a Leash" (Featuring Amy Lee)
Better quality MTV format

*Korn's Unplugged CD hits shelves on March 6th. You can pre-order here. More info on the unplugged gig featuring covers of the Cure and Radiohead. Track listing.

Bakersfield Underground News Syndicate Four comin' at ya! But no Ed Jagels parody this week - By N.L. Belardes

I like this show better if it's just Rickey and Jason. The acting is getting... I mean newscasting is...

Well, just watch it... you can judge for yourself. I also think they should pick on Ed Jagels each week, especially since their fellow filmmaker Dane B. has been picked on by Ed Jagels in the DA's online diatribe (This week written by a Taft officer).

Literary agent reveals the importance of the first two pages – By Melinda Carroll

It’s a writer’s dream to be a published author. So how does an author keep their novel that they’ve poured their blood sweat and tears into from ending up in the slush pile? Literary agent Kristin from Denver Colorado reveals in her Pub Rants blog just how important the first two pages of your manuscript are.

“I’d say, on average, that I can tell a NO within the first two to five pages of a submission.

I know this is probably appalling for writers. How can ANYONE make a determination in such a short span of pages?

Trust me. Spend one week at an agency reading the submissions and after you’ve read thousands and thousands of partials, you know.

Like a good melon…”

(Read the full blog)

So hone your pages before submitting your manuscripts. Noveltown is always looking for good writers to publish. Submissions accepted here.