Sitting here in Bakersfield

Social Distortion has a new record coming out in 2011 and this song is on it.

It makes me giggle for many reasons, one of which being some old friends of mine were on tour with them when they wrote it. The boys I knew had a couple of days off from the tour and did a show with Guttermouth in San Luis Obispo and moved into my house for three days before we all headed out to Bakersfield so they could rejoin the tour and my roommate and I could see Social Distortion and of course support our friends.

I've seen Social D about 15 times. I think the Bakersfield show was the 15th, because I haven't seen them since. I was standing on the side of the stage at Stramler Park that night, it was summer and I was behind the little fence that keeps "the public" out sipping on a Coors light that someone had handed me and listening to this song for the first time, after learning it was only a few weeks old. I could see all the old people I used to know in town, some now married with their babies on their shoulders in the park and it was just a really great night.

I had a lot of nights like that back in 2005... It was probably the second most fun summer of my life after the summer of 1999, which was for the most part spent in Bakersfield.

I'll be back in Bakersfield next week for three days. Should be a good time. I won't have a car though, so I'm not sure how it's gonna work out. I don't have money to go out anyway so it's not that big of a deal.

look at this sweet ride

I mean would you look at this bitch? I honestly thought I was going to hate it, but I love the damn thing.

The day it came back from the shop was kind of a crap day for me at work. I was just having a really bad day and then Bryan came in and told me it was back. You have to understand I've been here about two months and this is the first time I've ever seen it. I felt positively giddy! Stupid, right? It's a radio station vehicle...

But damn, this thing is pretty special. Meatwad and I took it for a spin around the area and I just kept saying "This is so f#@king cool" over and over and hanging my head out the window, like a big dork.

It was one of those moments that's made this move worth it. The little cool things that pop up unexpectedly. Be it this beautiful bitch of a car or the many friends I've made in a short time or the fact that the a couple of the guys at Rawbar remember what I like to eat when I go in there or that the bartenders at Johnnie's know me by name, not because I go there a lot but because when I do, I sit and visit with them. Or you know finding out my air staff are a bunch of cool ass people and that my promotions director rocks the free world... It's just little stuff that makes me pause and go "Yeah, it's hard as hell, but I know I did the right thing."

viva craigslist

So yesterday I found a futon for free on Craigslist!

It looks a little bit like this:



I used the station vehicle to go pick it up, which was an adventure in itself. It's 1987 Chevy Suburban, raised tires, huge, no air conditioning. It was like driving a living room. A really hot living room.

I also dragged this futon up my stairs by myself. Rawr. I am completely able to take care of myself. You have to be. I'm all independent like Beyonce sings about.

this is your birthday pony

My birthday is Saturday. This is only interesting in the fact that my family is coming up to visit me in Chico. This should be fun!



I love Fugazi. I don't know if I've ever mentioned that before, but I do. I've seen them live several times and man, they're just amazing. Meeting Ian Mackaye was one of the top 20 coolest things I've ever done.

stuff i mentioned on the air

I think it was today, I was telling the story about one of the times I met Godsmack. I can't remember if it was today or yesterday or five minutes ago. I'm just in a constant state of exhaustion these days. What year is it again? Who are you people?

Oh right, Godsmack. Here's a picture of that.



This was in like 2000 I think.

A few years later they came to Santa Barbara and I met the rest of the band.



So there, my rock radio cred. Or something. It's Friday and I'm beyond exhausted.

apparently..

I was told the Deftones aren't popular in Northern California. I find this odd. Anyway, I love this band. I've seen them play about 10 times at least, and would love to check out the tour for the newest album. We'll see how things go.



Anyway, first day back on the air today. Hopefully it goes okay....

My favorite song at the moment

I heard this song driving home from work a few weeks ago and just fell in love with it. There's a lot of haters out there saying bringing Haley in is sort of a sell out move, but I don't think so.

B.O.B's new album "The Adventures of Bobby Ray," is out now and also features a song with Rivers Cuomo from Weezer, which I can't wait to hear.

After Berlin

My friend Carlton plays guitar for Berlin. This picture is hella blurry, but it was a very fun night.


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Seven Days to go

Another song from the now defunct Lost City Angels from Boston, MA. Their 2004 album "Broken World," is by far one of my favorite records composed about drinking lots of booze. They are also excellent bartenders.

Considering the sheer amount of shows I saw on the tour that this video was filmed during, I might actually be in it somewhere, but I doubt it. Wouldn't be the first time YouTube surprised me....

7- Lost City Angels - "Today's the Day"

13 days till St Patrick's Day

Aside from the singer of this band once being very rude to a friend of mine, I enjoy the Street Dogs and their music. This is an especially good one for St Patrick's Day.

13- Street Dogs - "Tobe's got a Drinking Problem"


A drinking problem? What is he out of booze?

14 days to go!

Here we are with 14 days left until St Patrick's Day. I really, really, really love the Dropkick Murphys, not just because they let me drink beer in their dressing room once, either. Because that's just awesome on top of awesome.

This is off their first record they released on their new label (i.e. not their first record ever, duh) called "The Meanest of Times"

14- The Dropkick Murphys- "The State Of Massachusetts"

24 and 23

So I failed at life yesterday and didn't post a video, which is good news for you actually because you get TWO today. Amazing, right? Isn't life grand?

Frankly I need to get my Irish music on right now as I am in the planning stages of my annual party, which let me say, never sucks.

Okay on with the music. Number 24 comes to us mostly from Boston, MA. The Lost City Angels music was introduced to me through a former roommate who I miss so much, but she's back on that side of the country. Anyway we had this epic adventure that kicked off with seeing Social Distortion on St Patrick's Day one year, that lead us to see these guys in Anaheim after seeing Flogging Molly the night before. Trust me it was a long weekend and I still am legally advised not to get into details. The point is that I saw these guys about 13 or 14 times over the next year and gave them a place to crash when they came through SLO with Guttermouth. While not all the boys in this band are of Irish heritage like myself, they make Boston styled punk rock about drinking and fighting and I think girls. Also they made a mean cocktail and fantastic asparagus.

24: Lost City Angels - "Broken World" (really poor audio quality, which sucks because this song is hot.)



In the same spirit (and another band I met because of LCA, ha ha) number 23 comes to us from the Dropkick Murphys. I love this band. And I can honestly tell you they're very cool guys in person. I have a feeling we'll be hearing from them again on this little countdown of mine.

23: Dropkick Murphys - "Heroes of our Past"



Enjoy!

It's that time of the year again

Here we are, twenty seven days out from my favorite holiday of the year, St. Patrick's Day. Part of the reason I love it so much is my family's heritage is mostly Irish. The other of course is the music. So without further ado I will now begin my annual countdown to St Patrick's Day in Youtube video form.

27: The Tossers - "Siobhan"



Enjoy

Happy Halloween

Sorry, I've been a bad blogger lately. I currently do not have internet at home, and living where I do that even makes blogging from my phone hard. However I had to make a run into work today for something and figured I'd take a moment to share some Halloween goodness with you.

Some of my favorite music is from the Halloween season. Now before I continue, I have to warn you... I was a big gothic nerd child / punk kid/ rock chick for a hot minute, so some of this stuff might be loud and crass (lol not the band) and not what you would normally hear in an office or public, so be warned.

That being said, let's party.

"Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Bauhaus is by far one of the greatest and campiest songs ever. If this song doesn't make you want to eat some candy corn or carve a pumpkin, I quit.

"Marian" by Sisters of Mercy. Again another great song but this guy's voice just yells Halloween, spooky and delicious.

Christian Death covering the Velvet Underground. Delicious. There are better Christian Death songs, but I'll let you find those on your own. Mostly because I can't be responsible for the content. Ha ha.

Finally here's what I went as to a party last night. Yes I took this in my bathroom.


Have a great holiday. Call a cab if you need it.

get some sleep.

This blog is brought to you by insomnia and my favorite thing in the world: Wikipedia.

Back when I was in grade school I was mad in love with this rap group 3rd Bass. I honestly loved their single "Pop Goes the Weasel," and really still do, it's totally in my iTunes right now.

Eventually I ended up working at the radio station that used to play this song for me constantly when I was 11 and 12 and by the magic of Facebook, this radio station is having a reunion next year, and I am BEYOND excited. And so when I couldn't sleep tonight, I started YouTube-ing old videos from that era and looking up stuff on Wikipedia. Because this is this digital version of warm milk and a boring book usually...

Anyway, I decided to Wikipedia 3rd Bass. Did you know that Prime Minister Pete Nice
is not only a baseball fan but co-owner in a sports bar in Boston? McGreevy's 3rd Base Bar is owened by Peter Nash and... wait... it gets better.... Ken Casey from the Dropkick Murphys, one of my all time favorite bands.

One can only assume this union means that Prime Minister Pete Nice is a Red Sox fan. And I have it on amazing authority (my own, while I was backstage sleeping on the couch) that Ken Casey, nicest man in the world.

What does any of this mean? Either the world is too small or I've always had really good taste. Or I need to sleep more. Either way here's some music to enjoy.....

p.s. do you know who plays Vanilla Ice in the 3rd Bass video? Yeah, Henry Rollins.