Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Keeping Things Simple With Kurt Vonnegut


Keeping things simple.

I work at home, and if I wanted to, I could have a computer right by my bed, and I’d never have to leave it. But I use a typewriter, and afterwards I mark up the pages with a pencil. Then I call up this woman named Carol out in Woodstock and say, “Are you still doing typing?” Sure she is, and her husband is trying to track bluebirds out there and not having much luck, and so we chitchat back and forth, and I say, “OK, I’ll send you the pages.” Then I’m going down the steps, and my wife calls up, “Where are you going?” I say, “Well, I’m going to go buy an envelope.” And she says, “You’re not a poor man. Why don’t you buy a thousand envelopes? They’ll deliver them, and you can put them in a closet.” And I say, “Hush.” So I go down the steps here, and I go out to this newsstand across the street where they sell magazines and lottery tickets and stationery. I have to get in line because there are people buying candy and all that sort of thing, and I talk to them. The woman behind the counter has a jewel between her eyes, and when it’s my turn, I ask her if there have been any big winners lately. I get my envelope and seal it up and go to the postal convenience center down the block at the corner of 47th Street and 2nd Avenue, where I’m secretly in love with the woman behind the counter. I keep absolutely pokerfaced; I never let her know how I feel about her. One time I had my pocket picked in there and got to meet a cop and tell him about it. Anyway, I address the envelope to Carol in Woodstock. I stamp the envelope and mail it in a mailbox in front of the post office, and I go home. And I’ve had a hell of a good time. And I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don’t let anybody tell you any different.

Electronic communities build nothing. You wind up with nothing. We’re dancing animals. How beautiful it is to get up and go do something.




thanks to one of my favorite writers, Jamie Brisick, for sharing & re-reminding me of some important & often overlooked basics.

http://jamiebrisick.com/

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Salvation Sunday



tryin something new to keep the lubricated zine pulse alive ... our dear friends @ the best shop in santa cruz, Idle Hands are in cahoots with us! we'll be throwing SALVATION SUNDAY monthly bringing you live music, trunk shows & renegade art shows from talented folks far & wide to our neighborhood. our first one is this sunday, june 26... with live music from Gavi Grapevine (fame Fire Whiskey) & leather products from Hoof and Horn Leather Goods (Oakland), as well as their brilliantly talented kids zines, Devil Zines (as seen in the Huffington Post) ... all amazing artists that you should come & check out & support! friends & family are welcome as this about art & community! cheers & can't wait to be saved this sunday with y'all!

June 26th
4-7pm
Idle Hands
803 Pacific Ave
Santa Cruz, CA

Dedication

holy crap.
it's been awhile.

but i promise,
i'm rededicating myself to being dedicated.

see you on the other side.

love,
the lubricated family.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Two Cow Garage - "Sweet Saint Me"

Two Cow Garage "Lydia" Official Video from Suburban Home on Vimeo.




two cow garage is badass. ask around or take a listen. these guys throw their hearts and guts on stage every single time they play. no matter what the venue is, who the crowd is, or what the mood is. two cow garage plays hard and lives hard.

i was trying to think what i was going to write about the boys and their new (brilliant!) record for this piece and i decided what i should write is exactly what i wrote to shane after i had first heard the rough version of "sweet saint me" earlier this summer. below is a part of that email to shane and i hope the honesty i was trying to convey to shane comes through to you too.

"... true art is captured and chaptered chronologically - giving something of importance a place - saying, "hey, this was important and this was here and this happened - look/listen." you boys have somehow have found a way to consistently capture art and build this big beautifully bound book of brilliance. it's so true. you boys have come a long way and i can fucking hear it in this record. BUT what is of value is that each record - each chapter has equal importance - for different reasons - in your book. and THAT is what makes y'all so damn good! it's that each chapter of your journey is as just as strong as the next and the previous- but shine in different ways. and on top of creating amazing rock 'n roll, being some of the nicest and most sincere souls i've met on the road..."

i couldn't say which two cow garage record is my favorite, and frankly i don't think that matters because they are all so strong and solid. but there is something about "sweet saint me" that is exceptional.

"sweet saint me" is available via suburban home and bandcamp. i highly encourage picking up a copy or four.

also be sure to catch the boys on tour ... i know i can't wait to catch them in our neck of the woods - hell, i'm taking the day off for it!

11/3/10 Normal, IL @ Firehouse Pizza & Pub w/ Franz Nicolay
11/4/10 Madison, WI @ The Frequency w/ Franz Nicolay
11/5/10 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock w/ Franz Nicolay. The Evening Rig
11/7/10 Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge
11/8/10 Ft Collins, CO @ Surfside 7
11/9/10 Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
11/10/10 Salt Lake City, UT @ Burt’s Tiki Lounge
11/12/10 Seattle, WA @ The Sunset Tavern
11/13/10 Bremerton, WA @ Winterland w/ I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch In the House
11/14/10 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge w/ I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch In the House, Olin & The Moon
11/15/10 Stockton, CA @ Plea for Peace Center w/ Olin & The Moon, Daniel Francis Doyle
11/17/10 San Diego, CA @ Ruby Room w/ Olin & The Moon
11/18/10 Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland w/ Olin & The Moon
11/19/10 Tempe, AZ @ Yucca Tap Room w/ Olin & The Moon
11/21/10 Manhattan, KS @ Auntie Mae’s Parlor
11/22/10 St Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
11/23/10 Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern

Suburban Home Records 15 Anniversary!

Dear Virgil, Suburban Home Records, and Denver;

Thank you for the wonderful weekend of family, friendship, music, art, and rock. We love you all. You are some of the very best at hospitality, accommodating, community and partying.

It's always such a special treat to not only be under the same roof as your road 'n rock family, but to be able to spend an entire weekend with like-minded believers in a beautiful city is just badass.

So thank you to Virgil and the rest of the Suburban Home crew and to all the musicians -- keep doing what you're doing. It's gold and it doesn't go unnoticed or unappreciated. Virgil - cheers to a lifetime of celebrations just like this 15th anniversary weekend. To Brian and Vanessa Polk for driving us around and letting us sleep on their aero bed, Charly and Vinny Fasano for putting on an amazing art show, Dan Utter for being the mastering master, Three Kings Tavern and the Phoenix Gallery for so graciously hosting such an amazing event, the 9Bullets crew for the southern hospitality, Longfellow with chauffeuring us to the airport, and Virgil for being the king of parties - thank you for such a memorable trip.

See y'all sooner than later at the rock show.

Love,
The Lubricated Family


Virgil spinning records at Sputnik's.


'Tuding with Two Cow's Shane and 9Bullet's Bryan Childs.


Jon Snodgrass on percussion.


I Can Lick Any Son Of A Bitch In The House + Two Cow Garage = bringing down the house.


Rob Coe.


Tim Barry.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Willy Tea

do yourself a favor:

go pour yourself a glass of whiskey and sit on the porch and listen to this.


http://willyteataylor.bandcamp.com/track/the-very-best