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Thom Hartmann

The nation's #1 progressive radio talk show host and the New York Times bestselling, 4-times Project Censored winning author of 21 books in print. In its eighth year, The Thom Hartmann Program  airs live daily, NOON – 3pm, ET simulcast as both radio and TV on over 120 radio stations. into more than 50 million homes via both nationwide satellite TV systems (DirecTV and Dish Network). http://www.thomhartmann.com

Natural Incense

01 January 2010

Performing at a club near you.

http://www.myspace.com/naturalincense

Everyone, I’d like to introduce you to Natural Incense, a local act with great talent and sound, as well as a large fan base throughout the west coast. When I had the chance to speak with Eric Singer, the frontman of this three-piece reggae rock band, I was instantly impressed with the atmosphere he provided through his philosophies and character. These musicians seem to lead interesting and positive lives touring and sharing moments with people all over California and beyond, and are quite delighted to do so. “This is how we exist, happily,” Singer said.

This band has honest lyrics and amazing music. A little bit of rock, reggae and psychedelic sound all come together to make what is Natural Incense. Evan Davies’ bass lines simply compel the body to move, Brent Wetli’s drums keep a great swaying beat, and Singer’s guitar has a multitude of qualities; ambient at times, driving at others. The vocals, also provided by Singer, seem to seep integrity and experience. It’s hard to believe there might be a soul out there who couldn’t be touched by their style.

Singer stated that the band has been around since 2006, yet it wasn’t until the last half of 2007 that it truly came together with Davies and Wetli. Based out of Isla Vista, Natural Incense has a plethora of live experience, playing 16 or more performances a month at times. In a way, the road has acted more as their home than their own houses for the last few years. While such a schedule can be grueling at times, it’s the music and the performances that make it worth their while. “You’re always coming back and you’re always preparing to leave. [Yet] it’s therapy; music soothes the savage beast in me.”

Part of the reason Natural Incense has had such success is the chemistry within the band itself. People gravitate toward things that feel good, and that goes beyond the music and delves into the very relationships in and surrounding the ensemble that creates the music. “Bands need a history together to be successful; they have to love each other like friends love each other. You’re not going to get anywhere if you don’t; it’s a lot of work,” said Singer.

Good work ethic isn’t the only good thing they have going for them. The message they like to spread is do no harm and appreciate life. “We’re just trying to live our lives and give back, because we’ve already been given so much.”

Natural Incense can be heard througout the central coast. See their scheudule and learn more at facebook.com/naturalincense.

Celebrating All Tribes

Written by Adaire Hahn | 30 November 2009

Bring out your zills, doumbeks, and best zagreet, it’s time for the 6th Annual Tribal Fusion Faire. Gathering under the theme of Celebrating All Tribes, the faire will take place on Saturday December 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and on Sunday, December 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Arroyo Grande South County Regional Center. The center is located at 800 Branch Street

Since its first event in 2003, the Tribal Fusion Faire has become an anticipated annual event for San Luis Obispo County residents who enjoy Middle Eastern dance. It always features a full line of stellar performances by top dancers and troupes from around the world and in our own backyard. Open dance intervals allow everyone to get up and shake what yer mama gave ya!

Aligning with the theme, Celebrating All Tribes, participants and attendees will be welcomed into the tribal encampment ambiance, complete with tents, canopies, Bedouin costuming and regalia. Vendors will be on hand to haggle prices for that beaded Choli top, hip scarf, tabla, or authentic tribal jewelry. Shop till ya drop, or at least until your significant other’s arms give out! Excellent ethnic cuisine and drinks will be available for purchase. Music performances include Ras Danny and DJ Katchafiya.

For dancers, world class workshops from some of the top and hottest names in the Bellydance and Tribal Bellydance communities will be offered. Teachers include Amy Sigil of Unmata, Karma, Anaar of Tombo Studios, Rose Harden of Ultra Gypsy, Elizabeth Mahina, Zoe Jakes, and many more. Get your bids in early for these workshops, as they do sell out quickly. It’s a wonderful opportunity for the novice, as well as the professional performer, to work with and hone their skills. Workshop details and sign ups are available on the website: www.meddevi.com/tribalfusionfaire.

Tickets are $10.00 at the door, $8 in advance at Bali Isle at their new location, 672 Higuera St. San Luis Obispo. For information, call 544-7662. Sponsored by: Bali Isle, Dance Obispo, Arroyo Grande Chamber of Commerce, Information Press, and New Times.

Cuesta’s New Performing Arts Center: Cooler than Yours

03 November 2009

Grand opening - CPAC November 20th
Cuesta Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Choirs
and Voce to perform - 7:30 p.m. 

Great news this month! Another music venue is opening up on the Central Coast. It is the Cuesta College Cultural and Performing Arts Center, or CPAC, located at the San Luis Obispo campus on Highway 1. I recently had the chance to speak with Ron McCarley, director of jazz studies at Cuesta College, and he let me in on some of the juicier details.

This facility is going to blow your mind. It’s almost absurd how neat it is. First of all, there are two theatres within the building. The main stage is larger, seating 450 people, and the other seats 150 people, and is referred to as the experimental theatre. The main stage will have a hydraulic lift, and according to the necessities of each performance, can either be lowered to allow for an unseen orchestra pit, leveled for extra seating in the audience, or raised for extra room on the stage. “It’s almost an embarrassment of riches, because it’s so awesome,” McCarley said. The room has been built for optimal sound quality, and contains noise baffling built into the concrete walls, allowing for such sound dispersal that it kills all echo and reverberation. Aside from the two main speakers, over 85 speakers are distributed throughout the entire room. Because of that, it can simulate the sound of any hall. The room is so “dead” that there are different settings as to what sort of overall sound one can choose to cater to different performances. There are also close to 100 microphones to catch the performance’s sound and send it through the speakers accordingly. No worries about the two theatres clashing over volume, there is a vacuum seal that blocks sound. An on-site machine shop in the back was installed to construct stage props. Hallelujah!

When asked about the CPAC being used for events other than school-related functions, McCarley expressed a mixture of optimism and concern. “That has been our intention. It’s a community college, so all the funds came from either state money or local money, and that would be our thank you to the community, to have it available for traveling acts. But the situation now is that the state of California has severe problems with the budget, and that’s hitting us; our budget here has been drastically reduced. Until it can be proved that this could be a positive cash flow, the administration wants to be cautious about that.” 
For more information, see the Cuesta Performing Arts website at http://academic.cuesta.edu/performingarts/.
Darien Lohof plays in Depths of Chaos, and enjoys it when amazing new venues open up in the area. Send your idea for a music article to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Celebrate the holiday season with San Luis Obispo Blues Society

Written by Sara Kocher | 03 November 2009

The Kirk Fletcher Band featuring Kirk Fletcher, guitarist for the Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Mannish Boys, and the Hollywood Blue Flames, will light up stage at the holiday SLO Blues Show on Saturday, December 5. The dance concert will take place at the SLO Vets Hall, 801 Grand Avenue at 8:00 p.m. Free dance lessons are offered from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the sound of Kirk Fletcher’s guitar is the epitome of the contemporary L.A. blues scene. At 34, Fletcher has toured and recorded with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Mannish Boys, and the Hollywood Blue Flames. In addition, he has recorded with Janiva Magness, Lynwood Slim, 2000 Lbs of Blues, and others; has released two solo albums, and has appeared with a score of other well known Blues performers. Since 2005, he has been nominated six times in the Blues Music Award categories of best instrumentalist and, with the Mannish Boys, band of the year and album of the year.
Born in 1975 in southern California, Fletcher’s first gig was playing guitar at the Macedonian Church of Christ, where his father was the minister. By the time he left high school, he was listening to B.B. King and playing guitar in bands that ran the gamut from gospel to rock. Early friendships with Robben Ford, Al Blake, and Junior Watson fueled his interest in the blues. By the time he was 25, he was playing for the Kim Wilson Blues Review, with whom he recorded the Grammy nominated album Smoking Joint, followed by a stint with the Charlie Musselwhite Band. In 2002, Fletcher joined the Hollywood Blue Flames; by 2005 he was also playing with the Fabulous Thunderbirds and the Mannish Boys. Most recently, Kirk has been performing all over Europe as a headliner and occasionally touring in the U.S. with Doyle Bramhall and Michelle Branch. Fletcher is currently working on his third solo album, My Turn.
All SLO Blues Society tickets are sold at the door; 21 and over, please. Tickets for Blues Society members are $17; general public $20. A group discount of 25% is available with the purchase of 10 or more tickets in advance. For more information, contact Dan at 805/541-1837.
For more information or to volunteer, call 805/541-7930 or visit our website (www.sloblues.org).

Hey Crank Up that Talent Knob!

01 October 2009

Downtown Brew's Master of Sound

Kip Stork is a local sound engineer, working in both live and recording environments for over 20 years. His two main occupations are Downtown Brew and his own custom Avalon Recording Studio, both located in San Luis Obispo. Avalon is unique in that it is completely designed by Stork himself, and was constructed with the help of his friends from the Travis Larson Band.

Stork started training for his recording career in 1985, learning the ropes at the Los Angeles Recording Workshop, but was always interested in music and recording ever since he was young. After his father brought home a reel-to-reel recorder in the 1960s, young Stork would get a hold of it and record all sorts of things. He started playing the cello in junior high; that soon led to bass and acoustic guitar. For years, up until his mid-twenties, he was playing in bands.

After recording school, Stork worked in Los Angeles for a couple of years at Trax recording studios. After this he decided to escape Los Angeles and come up to San Luis Obispo County, where he had lived briefly in the early 1980s. Promised a job in a local studio, Stork learned, after moving to the area in 1990, that things had fallen through and he was going to be without the job he based the move on.

Luckily, DK's West Indies Bar (now Big Sky restaurant) needed a live sound engineer; he ended up working there six nights a week some months. "The music scene has gone through this ebb and flow over the years. Back in these days, it was huge around here," said Stork. After two years in that club, Stork found work at Loco Ranchero, which was another nightclub located at what is now KSBY studios. "Nice big room up there, it held about six or seven hundred people. It was a great place." The beginning of 1995 saw another change for Stork, and he began working sound at SLO Brew upstairs. Around 2001 he moved the stage downstairs, and in 2005 it became Downtown Brew, where he remains employed today.

Music has unquestionably defined Stork's life. It's not just how he makes a living, however. He loves what he does, and within his realm he has discovered time and time again those moments that one remembers for eternity. "When a band does a pass on a song that was really good, or that mistake that was perfect...it's bringing tears to my eyes just thinking about it. I like those moments, and if it makes it to the CD, that's the cool part. You just want that special moment to go 'boom' on the tape, and there has been some really cool stuff over the years." More on Kip at www.avalonrecordingstudio.com.
Darien Lohof loves local music-related stuff, and is happy to expose it. E-mail any ideas or correspondence to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Crowned Prince of Blues

Written by Sara Kocher | 01 October 2009

San Luis Obispo Blues Society does it again... bringing the best of the Blues to SLO

The San Luis Obispo Blues Society welcomes Ronnie Baker Brooks on Saturday, October 31 to the SLO Vets Hall, 801 Grand Avenue. The dance concert will open at 8:00pm with Pryor Baird & the Deacons. Pre-show, dance lessons are at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets are $17 for Blues Society members; $20 general public. All tickets are sold at the door; 21 and over, please.

About Ronnie Baker Brooks
By the time he was 18, Ronnie Baker Brooks was touring with his father, Lonnie Brooks, playing second guitar and vocals.  For many of these years, shows started off with Ronnie on lead guitar and vocals, while his younger brother, Wayne, supported him on rhythm guitar. When Lonnie was ready to come on stage, Wayne stepped down and Ronnie switched to back up. Brooks served as his father’s bandleader for over ten years before starting his solo career in 1999.

In the past ten years, Ronnie has released three CDs. His most recent release, The Torch (Watchdog Records, 2006) was nominated for three prestigious blues awards – a testament to the depth of his talent, given that he wrote all 17 of the songs and recorded it with his touring band. The song Ronnie is most proud of is “The Torch of the Blues” which features Brooks with his father and heroes Eddy Clearwater, Jimmy Johnson and the late Willie Kent.
The CD showcases the breadth of Ronnie’s talent as well, ranging stylistically from traditional Chicago blues to hip hop, funk, and rock. As Ronnie

says, “I wanted to do something that would bring young people to the blues, and then give them the real hardcore thing at the same time. When I grew up, all my friends listened to rap and funk, and I listened to the blues. So I heard their music and they heard mine. I think we both saw some connection between them. It's a hip-hop world right now, but I want to bring a little blues to the party.”

“In Ronnie Baker Books’ powerhouse hands blues-rock never sounded so outrageous. Soul never sounded so delicious. And blues never sounded so profound … one of today's top live performers.” Art Tipaldi, Blues Revue.

For more information or to volunteer, call 805/541-7930 or visit our website (www.slowblues.org).

 

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