So, I'd hoped to have a proper article about my interview with Grayson Capps posted for today, but the reality is that it's not going to happen. Hopefully, I'll get around to that sometime very soon! However, I did want to give a little plug to his gig at the "On the Rocks," (which is just above the Roxy) in West Hollywood tonight, September 24. Grayson's a good guy - a resident of New Orleans who lost pretty much all of his material possessions in Hurricane Katrina, but who still has the most peaceful presence you could ever imagine (which doesn't mean he doesn't have plenty to say about the situation!). Go support this great musician and incredibly inspirational person.

Ms. Jen (me), the editor and webmistress of Barflies.net, leaves early next week for graduate school in Ireland! Wahoo!

In the meantime, I am having two rockin' going away parties at Alex's Bar:

Thurs. Sept. 22, 2005 - Ms. Jen's Punk Rock Going Away Party with Channel Three (CH3), The Kissfits, The Irish Brothers, The Ignorant - $7

Fri. Sept. 23, 2005 - Ms. Jen's Swing Going Away Party with Royal Crown Revue, Viernes 13, Atomic Men - $10

Come on down and say hello/googbye!

Alex's Bar
2913 E. Anaheim (next to Auto Zone)
Long Beach, CA 90804
http://www.alexsbar.com

Tom Waits doesn't want his voice used to sell cars in ads for General Motors in the Netherlands. GM and a German ad agency approached Waits and asked nicely, but Waits, citing a "no commercials" policy, politely refused. So, what does the ad agency do? Find someone who sounds exactly like Waits and make the ads anyway! Sneaky!

According to the Associated Press, Waits said Thursday he has filed a lawsuit against a unit of automaker General Motors Corp. and a German advertising agency for allegedly using a soundalike in a series of European ads.

Waits is seeking damages and any profits derived from the ads for "violating his personality rights."

"Apparently the highest compliment our culture grants artists nowadays is to be in an ad — ideally naked and purring on the hood of a new car. I have adamantly and repeatedly refused this dubious honor," Waits said in a statement. "While the court can't make me active in radio, I am asking it to make me radioactive to advertisers."

I have to say that I hope Waits wins a bucket load of money on this one, or at least a strong cease-and-desist. I know it's supposed to be part of my Po-Co, Po-Mo ironic malaise to simply accept the co-opting of all the icons of my youth (toys, culture, places, clothes, music) in an attempt to re-package and sell me a romanticized version of that same youth (a fictional reality at best), and whatever other crap the ad agencies are peddling, but when someone adamantly refuses to be a big, fat sell out (can you say Led Zeppelin and those damn Cadillac ads?), then I support that. I'm also wondering if GM really thinks that anyone is stupid enough to actually think that just because a car commercial features Waits, the car is automatically "cool." Although the Grammy-winning The Black Rider (1993) - songs and music from the award winning avant-garde opera based on the German folk tale that was adapted by Beat novelist William Burroughs for director Robert Wilson - was one of Germany's longest running and most influential shows of the 80s, will this automatically translate into car sales?

I've got some news for GM: you can buy a lot of ice, baby, but you can't buy cool.

This blog inspired by an Associated Press article by Matt Moore.

This is an e-mail from a friend and former KUCI dj who has relocated to London. She sent this e-mail on July 10, 2005, just after the terrorist explosions in London. I meant to post this a long time ago... but somehow it got lost in my e-mail inbox. Now, after Katrina and on the anniversary of 9/11, the sentiment still seems right. Right that we would question the timing of the Universe - why we are here and others are not. I like the part about fumbling for change; it reminds me of something that I would do. Two seconds late, or early, and things change:

and so I still live in North London. I am blessed and I am ok.
where I am is far from the center.
but why?
A friend of mine missed one of the blasts by 2 minutes, 2 minutes.
imagine,
an early morning coffee, or fumble for change
2 minutes worth of confusion, or speaking, or anything
and boom

and as a human race where are we, and how can we do this to one
another?
how? and why?
well wishes
I hope all things in your life make you smile, even the things that irk
you.
Life is a precious precious gift
love
kim

Aside from the text messages which were the whip cream with the cherry on top, Showdown Sundae virginity has been broken for this girl!

Showdown 6, held at Hollywood's Knitting Factory was a steam sauna of Rockabillies weaving their way back and forth from room to room... minus the air conditioning. Ouch! It was hot, but not so bad, because you could escape to the secondary room where there was cool air, until all the bodies piled in there and then you had to leave again. Ah....and then there was a special place in the vendor room, where Papa Crash showed me the exact spot to stand for a blast of cold air! We love Papa Crash.

So, it was on with the show. I saw several bands whose names I unfortunately didn't hear near the beginning, but the evening highlights were Chuy and the Bobcats (oh, traditional RAB bands get ready for stiff competition), these guys are going to take it over. I'm not exactly sure why....maybe it was Chuy's demeanor, but he made me think of Ritchie Valens. He had that clean cut innocent thing going on. The freshness of a new band when they first start out and all their dreams are seeping off their cuffs.

I'd never seen Rip Masters in all these years. My friend, Tony, stood in on the bass this night, and they're a band I'd go see any time - my kind of music any day of the week.

Also, the Hellzapoppers put on a very impressive set. It was a change of pace from the normal RAB and leaned a bit more towards swing. Nice and refreshing!

Lance Lipinsky is the prodigy of Jerry Lee Lewis's young ghost. If you didn't know better you'd think "time travel" was a thing of the past. He had a few minor electronic piano issues near the beginning, but once that was fixed, he gave us a show of shows - bouncing, singing, kicking, piano playing genius. The grand finale had almost all band members on top of that grand while piano wailing to their hearts content. Amen.

And, then....there was Linda Gail Lewis, sister of famed Jerry Lee Lewis. Oh, the giggles I had under my breath when she sang one song in particular where the lyrics echoed - you can take my husband, but you can't have my man! YES! I had to wonder how many women would identify with those words, and I found myself feeling lucky not to be one of them. The lady has a lot of dynamic and it was really great to see her live after all I've heard. A friend of mine drove her to San Diego earlier last week where she was doing some recording.

Little Rachel, hailing from Kansas City, was all a-glitter in a lovely silver evening dress and she belted out tunes that told you she wasn't with Toto in Kansas anymore. This lady can sing! It was a pleasure to finally see her after all this time.

I don't need to tell you that the crowd went crazy to see Kim Lenz and her Spanish Jaguars. She is a Rockabilly favorite throughout the states and this was my first time seeing her live as well. The room was so crowded I didn't stay for more than three songs, but it was obvious the crowd loves Kim Lenz, over and over again.

Of course, I couldn't leave without seeing those Cumbia loves, The Moonlight Cruisers. Original in their sounds, I don't know anybody who doesn't like their music. For those of you who missed them at the Showdown, you can catch them on September 24th at El Cid where they'll be doing a show with Joe Houston and CC Jerome Combo.

And last but not least, because the music world would not be complete without the two - I'd like to pay homage to all the audience friends I saw there: (I know I will forget someone, and I apologize. And, if you weren't there you were still in my heart)

Derek
Tom
Ricky
Sean
Cameron
Gaby
Veronica
Nancy
Juliana
Crash
Rory
Tony
Suzanne
Lindalu
DJ
And also, my friends from MySpace (my former abode)

Summer is over and the dry spell has hit. You may as well just keep those NetFlix DVDs coming until next week, when we have some real options.

1) Green Street Hooligans
2) The Exorcism of Emily Rose

I want to give you a third pick, but I've got nothing.

Is Jack White starting to look a whole Hell of a lot like Michael Jackson? Check him on the cover of this month's Rolling Stone and tell me if he's not starting to look like he's getting whiter and his nose is thinner. The outfit is pure Oompa Loompa and the goatee is a little too Dave Navarro for his own good (another man that's starting to look like Prince Michael). Either that or he wants to look like Prince. Eeeewww. Trust me when I say the man is stone cold crazy waiting to happen. Meg, you dodged that bullet when you divorced your "brother." Say it with me, people: "Eeeewww."