recommended gigs

  

Saturday 1-24-26 Jessika Von Rabbit with the Blank Tapes at Dustland

Saturday 1-24-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 1-26-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 1-30-26 - Thee Swank Bastards, the Dirty Licks, the Hideaway at Red Dwarf

Saturday 1-31-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-2-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 2-7-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-9-26 - Thee Swank Bastard at the Golden Tiki

Friday 2-13-26 - Bear Supply at the Double Down

Friday 2-13-26 - the Crotches at Dustland

Friday 2-13-26 - the New Waves at Red Dwarf

Saturday 2-14-25 - The Queers and Suburban Resistance at Backstage Bar and Billiards

Saturday 2-14-25 - The Minges, VaVoom, Crimson Riot at Red Dwarf

Saturday 2-14-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 2-15-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 2-16-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 2-20-25 - Mr Dark's Pandemonium at the Double Down

Saturday 2-21-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-23-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 2-27-26 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 2-28-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

James - Percival Everett

 

A couple people I know had read and recommended this one, so I checked it out from the library and gave it a go.

This is the story of the slave, Jim, from Huckleberry Finn, but told from Jim's point of view. Obviously, this is a bit of a different tale than the original, starting with Jim running off because his owner wanted to sell him and split up his family (apparently, he didn't have family in the original - not true, they just aren't mentioned until mid-book or so). Also, Jim is quite intelligent and can read'n'write and is highly philosophical. He and Finn stumble upon each other and Jim takes Huck under his wing and they go through numerous adventures and travels before they get word that Jim's wife and child were sold and so they go after them. Plenty of trials'n'tribulations occur and there's plenty of twists'n'turns and lots of variations from the original - some of which can be explained because it is Jim's viewpoint and some are just extra exploits.

At the end, the family if reunited and there is a bit of a surprise reveal and while there's a few loose ends that aren't spelt out, that's the way life is sometimes.

Everett is an excellent writer - one of the better storytellers I have come across in recent times, which makes me want to search out more of his works. Highly recommended.

recommended gigs

 

Friday 1-16-26 - Halibut head, Nothing Special, Skatepark Anthem and Triple Splits at the Double Down

Saturday 1-17-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 1-18-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 1-19-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 1-24-26 Jessika Von Rabbit with the Blank Tapes at Dustland

Saturday 1-24-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 1-26-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 1-30-26 - Thee Swank Bastards, the Dirty Licks, the Hideaway at Red Dwarf

Saturday 1-31-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-2-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 2-7-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-9-26 - Thee Swank Bastard at the Golden Tiki

Friday 2-13-26 - Bear Supply at the Double Down

Friday 2-13-26 - the Crotches at Dustland

Friday 2-13-26 - the New Waves at Red Dwarf

Saturday 2-14-25 - The Queers and Suburban Resistance at Backstage Bar and Billiards

Saturday 2-14-25 - The Minges, VaVoom, Crimson Riot at Red Dwarf

Saturday 2-14-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 2-15-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 2-16-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 2-20-25 - Mr Dark's Pandemonium at the Double Down

Saturday 2-21-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-23-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 2-28-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Two-Headed Doctor - Listening For Ghosts in Dr. John's Gris-Gris - David Toop

 

Since we were taking a trip to New Orleans, I picked up this book to take with me, although I didn't have much chance to read it while I was there. Regardless, I have been a fan of Dr. John ever since his hit "Right Place, Wrong Time" and I thoroughly enjoyed his autobiography so I took a chance to see what this tome was about.

Turns out that Toop is a British writer who became enthralled by the good doctor's debut album when it first came out (bought as an expensive import) and it never left him so he finally decided to write about it, its origins and its mythos. So while he does give some history of Mac Rebennack, he also delves into the history of music'n'culture in New Orleans, along with the hoodoo/voodoo influences of the album's lyrics and even a bit on the original - possibly mythological but most likely based on a real person - Dr. John from the 1800's, who Mac claimed to have some ancestral relationship to.

At times, Toop goes a little too far down a certain rabbit hole, as in a lengthy dissertation on the Tamborine, but most of the time he keeps it interesting and ties everything into the record. Some bits get a little dry, and, as I said, he gets a bit off-subject by detailing a bit more than needed on particular subjects, but there's a lot of cool information, as well.

More analytical than rock'n'roll, but interesting, nonetheless. Not for the casual fan, though!

recommended gigs

                             

Saturday 1-10-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 1-11-25 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 1-12-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 1-16-26 - Halibut head, Nothing Special, Skatepark Anthem and Triple Splits at the Double Down

Saturday 1-17-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 1-18-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 1-19-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 1-24-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 1-26-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 1-30-26 - Thee Swank Bastards, the Dirty Licks, the Hideaway at Red Dwarf

Saturday 1-31-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-2-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 2-7-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-9-26 - Thee Swank Bastard at the Golden Tiki

Friday 2-13-26 - Bear Supply at the Double Down

Saturday 2-14-25 - The Queers and Suburban Resistance at Backstage Bar and Billiards

Saturday 2-14-25 - The Minges, VaVoom, Crimson Riot at Red Dwarf

Saturday 2-14-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 2-15-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 2-16-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 2-20-25 - Mr Dark's Pandemonium at the Double Down

Saturday 2-21-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-23-26 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 2-28-26 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki