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Above Mark Growden performs “I’m Your Man” (a Leonard Cohen cover) from his new, as-yet-to-be-released album Saint Judas. This just released video playing live with his quartet was recorded in July at The Red Poppy Art House in San Francisco.

Mark has appeared numerous times on this blog. He is a long-time friend of the mirthful cephalopod, who has performed at Squid-related parties, benefits and even in Scott Beale’s kitchen.

He’s been a fixture in the San Francisco music scene for more than a decade, who has shown his musical versatility as a singer/composer who plays banjo, guitar, accordion, sax, and just about anything else he decides to pick up.

With his upcoming album, assisted by his long time band and a top notch producer, plus a renewed focus on touring, Mark looks set to increase his national reputation in the very near future.

I talked to Mark recently about his new CD, the show he’s playing this Friday to celebrate its release, his influences, his instruments, and how & when he writes songs.

A lot of great stuff, click the link below for the whole interview.

photo by Helena Price

Q: For those who aren’t familiar with your work, maybe you can give some reference points: who are some of your musical heroes? Who inspires you to do what you do?

At the core I’d say my 3 biggest influences are Igor Stravinsky (especially his 3 great pieces commissioned by the Ballet Russe), John Coltrane, and prison work songs from the American South.

But who or what inspires me to do what I do? Really, I do it because it’s what I do. I feel called to do it. It’s a service thing. It’s my duty. I tried stopping for a few years, but it became absolutely clear that I needed to use my gifts in music to serve the bigger picture.

photo by William N.

Q: Your music is dramatic, pulling in a wide range of musical styles from song to song, but not limited by any of those influences. Is there a shorthand description when you are describing your music to others?

You know, I’ve had a really difficult time with this over the years but I’ve been working on it recently. It’s difficult to fit into the traditional “iTunes” genres. The best I can do there is something like “Americana Cabaret.” But recently I’ve called it “Soulful, nuanced, and deep americana noir.” A fan recently called it “Bar stool spirituals and carnal hymns.” I like that.

Q: Your new album is called Saint Judas. It seems like a major breakthrough for you. First of all, are you pleased with how the album came out?

Yes. Very much so. I think it’s my best work to date by a long shot.

Q: Do you feel like you are reaching some new levels as an artist?

Definitely. I feel like I’ve come into my own. I’m comfortable in my skin now. I wasn’t before. There was a period where I think my relationship to my work was clouded by lots of outside factors and influences. Now I’m more clear about why I do it and how I like to do it. I play music because I’m called to play music rather than out of ambition.

Q: Many of the shows I’ve seen you perform were in small theaters or in warehouse art spaces. I know you’ve also played the likes of The Fillmore in the past, but for many fans it may be the first time they’ve seen you in a well-appointed theater like The Cowell.

This concert is going to be really special. There is a set designer, a lighting designer, and it’s a gorgeous theater. And hopefully we’re going to sell out.
[fyi: buy tickets here]

Q: In contrast to the small venue solo shows, you’ll have a full band. It’s the same band as on the record?

Yes, exactly the same band. The lineup is: Chris Grady on trumpet, Alex Kelly on cello, Myles Boisen on Guitar, Seth Ford-Young on upright bass, and Jenya Chernoff on percussion.

Also the co-producer and engineer is Oz Fritz. He’s well known for his work with Tom Waits, Henry Threadgill and Bill Laswell. It is an honor to work with him. Actually, he’ll be doing the sound for the CD release concert as well.

Q: You are a true multi-instrumentalist; I’ve seen you make music on a guitar, banjo, accordion, baritone sax, even the handlebars of a bicycle. What was your first instrument?

According to my parents, my first instrument was percussion. They said that they kept a cupboard full of pots, pans and tupperware that I would play with wooden spoons. Apparently it was a favorite pastime of mine. But my first “real” instruments were lap dulcimer and recorder as a small child. I’ve always been a multi-instrumentalist.

photo by Steve Rhodes

Q: And then you had classical training, right?

Yes, I was trained classically on saxophone, flute, clarinet and percussion (especially timpani). I also started playing bass guitar in punk bands in the 80’s when I was in my teens. After that, I studied jazz improvisation and composing in college. After college, I went on to study Irish music (tin whistle and flute), Northern Indian classical music (bansuri), and Ghanaian drumming. Then when I was 24, all my wind instruments got stolen so I started singing. Soon after that I picked up accordion and banjo and began writing songs. If you had told me then that I’d have a number of albums out and be touring nationally as a singer/accordionist/banjo picker, I’d think you were crazy.

Q: How many instruments do you play?

Honestly… I don’t know.

Q: What is the most recent new instrument that you’ve added to your repetoire?

Piano. I’ve toyed around with piano since I was a child. But I’ve dedicated 2009 to studying classical piano. I love it.

Q: And does what instrument you write a song on influence its arrangement?

Absolutely. When people ask who my biggest influences are I generally tell them, “My instruments and the moment.” Each instrument brings out different qualities.

photo by durasoul

Q: Do you go through phases where you are intensely focused on writing new songs?

I do. But recently my priority is getting “Saint Judas” out. So I haven’t been writing much. Actually, let me clarify, I have gone through the inspiration/creative phase of writing on numerous new songs, but I haven’t sat down to craft and edit them. It’s just not a priority right now. Plus, beyond this album, I have enough material for another 2 albums already written.

But believe me, I’m looking forward to my next writing phase.

Q: Tell us a little about your approach to songwriting. Are your song ideas driven by musical ideas or by lyric or thematic ideas?

All of the above. Sometimes it’s words first, sometimes music. No set system. But I will say this, I try to keep the creative/inspiration phase separate from the crafting/editing phase. I treat a song like a brainstorm for a while, trying lots of ideas. Then I begin the editing and crafting. I enjoy both processes very much.

Q: I know that you’ve been on the road recently. How have the shows been?

The work has been received well. I’m returning to touring after a four year break and I was concerned that I maybe I had lost my fan base and would need to start over. But these last tours have been great for reconnecting with venues, fans, friends, radio stations, and musicians in cities I used to play on a regular basis. I’m happy to say that the fan base is still there.

Q: Where are you going in the near future?

A Northwest tour in mid/late November then down to L.A. for three months. And from L.A. I’ll tour the Southwest a couple of times. After that, I plan on doing residencies in various cities throughout the next year. People can always find out where I’m playing via the In Concert page on my website.

photo by Judith

Q: What are some things that will be different at the Fort Mason show, especially for folks who have seen you mostly solo and in small venues?

This show will feature my work in its full expression in an environment where it can really shine. The body of work on this album was written for a theater setting. And this is the most important show of my career to date. The SF arts community that Laughing Squid and I are part of knows this and has shown up in an incredible way. Lots of people are pitching in. Also, I’ll be joined on stage by my children Bela and Blue who will be singing backup on a couple of songs. Come on, that’s super special for me.

Q: And the CD is on sale at the show? But I understand that it won’t yet be available nationally, right? Can you give us those details?

Yes. The CD will be for sale at the show. This is what the label is calling a “narrow release”. It’s mainly to share my album with my local fans. “Saint Judas” will come out nationally in March (on Porto Franco Records). That’s when we’ll do our big national media push and when it will be available in stores and on iTunes and other digital outlets.

I hope to see both old and new faces at the show this Friday. I can’t wait for the San Francisco community to participate in what is such a special night for me.

photo by Eli Crews John

For more on Mark Growden, check out his blog, his Facebook page, and @markgrowden on Twitter.

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guest post by mikl-em

San Francisco musician Mark Growden is having a blockbuster concert event this Friday, November 13th at Fort Mason’s Cowell Theater to celebrate then release of his new album “Saint Judas”.

Tickets are on sale now for Friday’s show, and it is likely to sell out. Here’s a quote from a message that Mark sent to his mailing list last week:

This is the most important show of my career to date and I hope you can make it. It’s going to be special as it will feature my full sextet plus a beautiful set design by Isabella De Meulenaere and light design by Stephen Clifford.

Soon I will be posting some brand new footage of Mark performing a song off the new album and an interview that I conducted with him about the show, the new CD, and much more.

In the meantime, here’s a sample of Mark’s talent and musical inventiveness. A year ago, Doctor Popular filmed Mark playing bicycle handlebars as a wind instrument and talked to him about it–enjoy!

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In the comments on mikl-em’s post about comics first appearances on The Tonight Show, Doctor Popular tips us off to a 1968 episode of The Dating Game featuring Steve Martin as one of the competing bachelors.

Of course there’s the infamous 1978 episode where Andy Kaufman was a contestant playing a character similar to his Latka Gravas role from the TV show Taxi.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was a bachelor asking the questions on 1973 episode.

In 1972 a 14 year-old Michael Jackson was the guest on a special teenage episode.

Over the years many other celebrities made appearances as well.

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Jerry Seinfeld made his 1981 debut on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show, so young he looks like he’s could have just come from his Bar Mitzvah. You can see where he’s headed, but he’s definitely not there yet.

YouTube has an even earlier clip of Seinfeled on something called “Celebrity Cabaret” in 1977. Definitely in that awkward phase.

Here is a compilation of other comedians making their first stand-up appearance on the Tonight Show. Including David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Eddie Murphy. I think that is Johnny Carson himself that you can hear kinda mumbling along appreciatively (also awkwardly) while he re-watches the video.

It’s fun to see the current comedy old guard in their early days. For one thing it’s a mad fashion slalom course to see what stand-up’s were wearing in the 70’s and 80’s. Leno shows tremendous commitment to a single color there.

And, yes, that’s right, someone hosted The Tonight Show prior to Leno. In fact there was someone before Carson, too.

Lastly, here’s Steven Wright’s first time on the Tonight Show or TV at all. It’s worth seeing the interview with him at the end–it turns out that a scout for Carson just called him out of the blue to invite him on the show.

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photo by Scott Beale

Saturday, October 31st more than a dozen bands, performers and DJs will sing swan songs to everybody’s favorite junkyard in San Francisco and the world to raise funds for the Junk Man who has run it for a quarter century as a selfless patron of all those who turn mere ‘dumpster diving’ into the art of divining precious obtanium.

Ace Auto Dismantlers will itself be disassembled by the last day of 2009. Meanwhile there’s a Halloween night ruckus planned at CELLspace to raise spirits and funds for the man behind the yard. All the artists, musicians and metal-reanimators will return 2.5 decades of favors, and throw a party to scare away the bill collectors scratching at Bill the Junkman’s chamber door.

photo by Scott Beale

YOU can come and put some much needed cash in the till, and get rocked, amused, bemused, and dance your junk off. The likes of Extra Action Marching Band, Mark Growden, Attaboy and Burke (they’re back!?!), Los Banos, SEEMEN and many more. All hosted by the singular duo of Dr. Hal Robins & John Hell.

The show is on Halloween Night, Doors are 8PM, show starts at 9–and what a show, full details below. Ticket price is $10 sliding all the way up to how much art and culture mean to you. Please be generous–Bill has tens of thousands in legal fees in trying to fight eviction and related costs.

Dress like as a junkyard zombie, a piece of haunted junk, the ghost of Power Tool Drag Races past, a homeless trash pile, or a nuclear irradiated pirate on a garbage skiff. The Bill the Junkman lookalike contest is sure to be a hoot (girls and guys both encouraged to enter!).

photo by Scott Beale

For me, ACE was one of THOSE PLACES. One of the place in my life that I count on the fingers of one hand. You know what I mean; we all have those places and regardless of our luck in life, good or bad, there are only a handful of them. These places are where the good things happened. Where we met or really got to know our real friends. Where we made the memories that we will take to our graves. The good times. The stupid time. The places where, perhaps, we did really dumb and embarrassing things, and, wonder of wonders, no one cared. Ace was that place for many of us.

During these 25 years, Bill Kennedy (AKA: Billy the Junkman, Junkman, Belinda, William Kennedy and “Ed” among other nom de plumes) evolved into one of the most atypical, generous and best loved art patrons and philanthropists in Frisco.

From the early days of SRL (Survival Research Labs) scrounging big engines and other industrial strength gadget from Ace for use in cobbling together various demonic robots, thru the later era of Burning Man Burnoids picking through the junk in search of just the right widget to make their Playa blinky thing work, Billy has given away more junk (the good junk he could have sold for $$) to starving artists than any fancy schmancy grant council could even imagine.

I hope you will all come out to support William Kennedy in this very difficult transition to the next phase of his life. I KNOW, that without The Junkyard he will still be The Junkman. It won’t be easy to convince him of the truth of that statement, but I think we can do it. See you on Halloween.

-John Law

photo by Scott Beale

Billy is out tens of thousands of dollars from paying an attorney to fight his evil landlady. Let’s help out & raise some dough for a guy who never hesitated to help others when in need. This night, Halloween, 2009, we will conjure the Spirits of the Junkyard long gone. We will usher out the age of ACE and, hopefully help the Junkman ease into his future, whatever that may be.

Here’s the lineup I’ve been bragging about…

MC’s Dr. Hal Robins & John Hell

Attaboy and Burke (who’s first performance ever was at the Junkyard in 1998)

Extra Action Marching Band (in action)

Los Banos

The Turks

Mark Growden

Esmerelda Strange

Marisa Lenhardt

DJ Stradivarious Rex, aka our own zombie lover Big Daddy

Kal Spelletich (SEEMEN) (SEEMEN in action)

K r © B

David Apocalypse

Paul Cesewski

Hammer Horror Classics

Mr. Mark (of Lifesized Mousetrap) & Madame Rose (of Baxtalo Drom), former reigning champs of Halloween with The Haunted Barn, will predict your future

…and loads of archival footage, art, and assholes!

Bill The Junkman himself will take the stage at some point, handing out ceremonial Junk of the finest quality and pedigree to lucky members of the audience.

See it all on Saturday, October 31st at 8pm @ CELLspace

Some of the many folks helping with this Tip O’ the Hat and expression of Love and Respect for Billy The Junkman are: Katy Bell, Simone Davalos, Mark Perez & Rose Harden, Dave X, David Durand, and Linda Lagunas

photo by Scott Beale

Though hundreds came and went over the years, there was a very rare breed who were actually EMPLOYED by the Junkman. So respect and recognition for the special few who pulled a paycheck (or cash or buds or…) at the finest Junkyard in San Francisco’s long, gleeful and sordid history. They including, in no discernible order:

Dave Durrand (#3), Julian Xu, Mark (Einstein) Hampton, Justin C. Atwood (Jarico Reese), Rob (Pervert) Hampton, Simone Davalos, Tym (Circus Boy) Simpson, Sue Glover, Joe Dean, Cheri (Rat Girl) Brugmann, Michael Lyons, Kim Knight, Samantha Campos, Jillian Iva, John Castro, Michael (Flash) Hopkins, Phil Sanchez, Kevin Mathieu, and Nick.

Ace Auto is Dead! Long Live Ace! — Video by Dave (Number 3) Durand

Maybe it’s not surprising that scrappy artists and a scrap yard owner find mutual benefits and common cause, especially in the colorful and costly city of San Francisco. But please come enjoy the creativity and contrariness of some fantastic performers, and also celebrate and help support a guy who has been pouring fuel on that fire for 25 years.

photo by James Sime

See Simone’s earlier post for more on Ace, and don’t forget to READ THE COMMENT THREAD to get bludgeoned even harder by how important the man and the ‘yard were for the SF art community.

This John Law post was channeled through mikl-em.

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Please note, several real sneezes were filmed during the making of this video!

Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage (@donttrythis), the guys from Mythbusters, shot the above public service announcement as part of a larger campaign to inform about H1N1 flu virus (of which swine flu is a subset) which stars in the current flu pandemic that is sweeping the globe.

The Discovery Channel campaign includes a Mythbusters website that explains five myths about the virus.

Adam tweeted that it was directed by our good friend Carl, who made that Trader Joes film. There are 2 versions of his fake TJ commercial actually; go ahead and watch the long one cuz it’s great!

You can see those videos and more on Carl’s website or his YouTube channel. He also directed the MB guys in the Intel commercial below.

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The Anne Frank Museum has uploaded the only existing film footage of Anne Frank to the new Anne Frank YouTube channel. The film was shot on July 22nd, 1941 outside her home in Amsterdam during a neighbor’s wedding.

July 22 1941. The girl next door is getting married. Anne Frank is leaning out of the window of her house in Amsterdam to get a good look at the bride and groom. It is the only time Anne Frank has ever been captured on film. At the time of her wedding, the bride lived on the second floor at Merwedeplein 39. The Frank family lived at number 37, also on the second floor.

via The Lede, New York Times

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photo by Michael Rauner

How to Survive the Apocalypse, a Burning Man-inspired rock opera opens Monday, October 5th and runs through October 20th at Teatro ZinZanni in San Francisco.

There will be performances for three weekends only (the last weekend was just added due to high demand). Ticket details are on the Teatro ZinZanni website.

Delivering the outrageous and transformative culture of Burning Man to wider audiences, “How to Survive the Apocalypse” is a freak fable that combines rock opera, vaudeville, and a Dionysian revival show as it follows three people, each with their own baggage of fears and expectations, through their first experience of the erotic, psychological, and apocalyptic minefield of this temporary city in the desert. A kind of “Hair” for the new millennium, the show explores the conflicts and paradoxes of the Burning Man event, while inviting the audience to tap into the festival’s spirit of collaborative culture-making at a time of immense world changes.

The official Burning Man blog has a writeup about the show with lots of great photos. The fantastic cast photos shown here are by photographer Michael Rauner and there are many more on his site.

photo by Michael Rauner

Back in January, I wrote about the debut run of this show at Stage Werx Theater in San Francisco. It was a very short, very sold out run in a 49-seat theater, with the workshop feel of a collaborative piece that was evolving in real time.

People involved in those initial shows, in both the cast and audience, had diverse levels of Burning Man experience: from some of the earliest participants to current BM staff; from those who have just discovered the event to many who stopped attending long ago. The take on Burning Man and its history is as varied as that mix of viewpoints would suggest.

Candy ravers mingle with art freaks, manic minigolf, bull-horned rabbits, and the abstract caricatures Moustachio and The Stetson. Happily the event and its history is not romanticized, but neither are the profound aspects of experiencing Burning Man (especially for the first time) under stated or estimated.

Clearly a fun, freaky art experiment, at its best the show has a “vibe” to it that resonates with all in attendance; an infrequent but not quite rare occurrence like the best moments at parties, events, or temporary desert municipalities. It is something from which you can almost literally catch a buzz, and maybe a flashback or two.

photo by Michael Rauner

The text was written by Erik Davis (star of the penultimate instance of Laughing Squid’s Tentacle Sessions series). Erik is a journalist and culture critic, and a long-time Burning Man attendee who covered Burning Man for Wired more than a decade ago. His most recent book is The Visionary State about “California’s spiritual landscape” is a good example of his style: thinking deeply about the weird and freaky.

The music is composed by Mark Nichols, originally from the Seattle area, who first attended Burning Man more recently, which is where the idea for this rock opera began to evolve from a chance meeting at the porta-pottys one night.

photo by Michael Rauner

After its short successful run in January, the show went off the grid, preparing for a bigger, more polished return. The ultimate plan includes a tour at some point after this second San Francisco run.

The ensuing months have included lots of work on the show, the inevitable fund-raising of an independent production, and expansion of the cast and crew and the overall scale of the opera.

The new set was designed by Shannon O’Hare, one of the mad anachronistic geniuses behind “Neverwas Haul”, the steam-powered mobile Victorian house which has travelled to Burning Man the last few years.

photo by Michael Rauner

The cast now includes Phat Mandee (another Tentacle Session star) who has come all the way from Pittsburgh, PA for extended rehearsals prior to the opening. See her blog post about the show and her history with Burning Man (plus rehearsal pix).

The list of incredible collaborators goes on. You can see them all here. They include Burning Man founder Michael Mikel and long-time BM staffers Harley DuBois and Andie Grace.

photo by Michael Rauner

You can follow the show on twitter (@burningopera) and also find them on Facebook.

And remember that if you want to go you should get tickets soon. While this theater fits closer to 300 per show, tickets are going fast.

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BitTorrent creator Bram Cohen challenges you to replicate hs unique coordination trick.

via Bram Cohen

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photo by Scott Beale

Pee-wee Herman made a surprise appearance at the Ad.ly Launch party following the first day of 140 | The Twitter Conference in Los Angeles. While there he made his first ever Tweet on his brand new Twitter account @peeweeherman.

Following his debut Tweet, Pee-wee was a guest on The Jay Leno Show.

The Pee-wee Herman Show is returning as a live stage show for a limited engagement starting November 8th at The Music Box @ Fonda in Hollywood.

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photo by Eric Thompson

Jim Carroll has died at age 60 from a heart attack at his home in Manhattan.

In 1978 he released “The Basketball Diaries”, an autobiographical account of of being a teenager in New York City, which in 1995 was made into a film staring Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg. In 1978 he also formed his punk rock/new wave group The Jim Carroll Band, which released the single “People Who Died” in 1980 and now sadly Jim is one of those people.

UPDATE: Rex Sorgatz shares his story of when he met Jim Carroll.

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People of Walmart is a blog featuring photos of “interesting” people found at Walmart stores around the country. They are actively seeking submissions of Wal-Creatures.

CNN takes a look at the people behind the blog and how it came about.

via Boing Boing

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Hirsute History is a new line of t-shirts by t-shirt nerd Jeremy Kalgreen of Amorphia Apparel that celebrate the hair of famous people and historical figures.

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photo by Michael Caulfield

Bob Dylan was recently stopped by cops in Long Branch, NJ for looking suspicious.

According to Long Branch Police Department Sgt. Michael Ahart, Dylan had been peering into a window of a house that was for sale, which prompted a neighbor to call the police on July 23.

According to The Huffington Post, Obama has invited Dylan and the cops to a Bong Summit.

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“Lords of the Revolution”, a 5 part series on VH1 beginning on August 10th.

via R. U. Sirius

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photo by Paul Natkin

John Hughes, the director behind the “Brat Pack” teens films of the 1980’s, died today at age 59 after suffering a heart attack while taking a morning walk in NYC.

John also used to write for National Lampoon Magazine, including the short story “Vacation ‘58″, based on a childhood trip he took to Disneyland, which he adapted as the screenplay for the 1983 film National Lampoon’s Vacation.

Here’s a montage of John Hughes 1980’s films set to The Who’s “Baba O’Riley”.

UPDATE 1: Alison Byrne Fields has a wonderful write-up about about being John Hughes’ pen pal and why he left Hollywood. Here’s her Alison’s follow-up post in response to all the reactions generated by her original post.

UPDATE 2: Molly Ringwald writes about John Hughes in an op-ed piece for the NY Times.

via /Film

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In 2004 Doctor Popular interviewed Harvey Pekar by phone turning their conversation into a wonderful comic which was published in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul alt weekly paper Pulse of the Twin Cities. Doc also did a comic interview with Henry Rollins.

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Charles Bukowski in 1985 giving a tour around Hollywood Blvd and Western Ave in Los Angeles from the back of a convertible, pointing out his favorite bars, hookers and drug dealers. The scene is interview #9 from the documentary The Charles Bukowski Tapes by Barbet Schroeder, who later went on to make the film Barfly in 1987, based on the semi-autobiographical screenplay by Bukowski.

via Dinosaurs and Robots

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photo by unknown

A few weeks back I wrote about my friend Dr. Creep (aka Barry Hobart), the horror host of Shock Theatre in Dayton, OH, who was a childhood influence as I was growing up. Dr. Creep has been going through a rough time lately, experiencing some health and financial difficulties. I recently went out to visit him in Dayton and we talked about ways to improve his web presence and also raise funds for his recovery.

I’m working on getting access to drcreep.com in order to make a few updates, but in the meantime I’ve setup a blog for Dr. Creep so that we can post the occasional update and I’ve created a Dr. Creep Twitter account which I will update as well.

video still of Dr. Creep and my Mom as a nurse in the 1970’s on the set of Shock Theatre

I’ve also setup a Dr. Creep Recovery Fund, where donations can be made via PayPal.

If you are in the Dayton area this weekend, there is a Dr. Creep Benefit Show taking place this Saturday, July 18th in Springfield.

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Google’s logo has been transformed into a Tesla Coil today to celebrate the birthday of inventor and electrical pioneer Nikola Tesla.

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