Carole Pope emailed me and informs that she is actually working out of L.A., but she hired local musicians for her show here.  See August 2 review of her show.
 

Anyway, back to my trip.  After meeting Dave's mom, sister, brother-in-law and family, Dave gave me a ride to the Bart station, as I was to meet my new friend John Geek in Berkeley.  John Geek puts on little mini-festivals known as geek-fests sometimes at world reknowned 924 Gilman in Berkeley.  They also recently did a 30 band, 3 day outdoor festival somewhere north of San Francisco.  After John picked me up, we boogied out to San Rafael.  I opened the show to the muscular crowd there to see headliners Paranoid, the mighty Black Sabbath tribute band.  The most memorable part of my being on stage was being called a canuck by the biggest mother-f-er in the bar.   He could call me anything.  One person in the bar actually took me up on my offer of free CD's and John liked Brain Interface a lot.  Next up were the soon to be universally infamous Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children Macnuggits.  It was so cool, so very extremely cool to be picked up by 20 year olds listening to "We're Only In It For The Money" by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, and knew more of the lyrics than me!  Bobby Joe were so hilarous with their acoustic, melodic, racy vaudevillian show tunes.  Stage presence! (presents to me thank you, cool, very cool!).  After their set, we all go outside and there's this handicapped person bumming money really obtusely.  I give the guy a toonie (Canadian two dollar coin) and everyone goes "Don't give him anything".  I'm thinking these guys aren't so nice.  Some muscle guys with model girlfriends make jokes about beating him up.  I'm agreeing verbally, but not mentally.  (Oh how you stand up for your principles Evan, Not....not very cool...).  Anyways, the guy trys to bust his way into the show with his moans and forcefulness.  Dan from Bobby Joe tries to pay his way in.  Finally he gets in, takes out the gauze he has in his mouth to make his lips look gimped, jumps up on stage, and the band rips into Children of the Grave.   So incredibly cool.  Surreal.
 

Spent the night at a place where Dan from Bobby Joe was staying.  Went out for a walk with him and a couple of girls he was staying with.  Had some cool discussions about legalized drugs, the book they had called "The CIA's Greatest Hits", vegan restaurants in Berkeley etc.  Very cool.

The Friday night show we had was cancelled, so the next morning I walked with my stuff (and wore my arms off) to the nearest motel I could find.  Ran into this huge black man who saw my guitar and wanted to talk.  He sings down at the dock at the bay in S.F. and told me about making $3,000 in one night.  Must be a great singer.  Finally got to "Hotel Flamingo" where Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead and Herb Alpert had stayed according to the inn keeper.  Whoopie! (I think?)Took a great walk around Berkeley.  First stop was Lookout Records where I bought a Crass CD and gave the really friendly guy at the counter a copy of Transition To A New Dream.   Then I found my way to Mod Lang Records, who I'd faxed a million times and they probably hate me.  Bought a Monks of Doom cd and left them my cd as well.  Quite a large store with an excellent used section.  Off to find the famous Telegraph (Street or Ave???).  Finally have to ask directions after walking down Shattuck for 10 blocks.  Get to some place called All American Vegetarian Restaurant or something or other.  (Pictures to come later when I get them developed....)  Lots of neon, bright red booths, and old juke boxes at every table.  Everything is vegetarian, but lots of fake meat.  Kinda gross in a way, but interesting.  I'm drinking and the beer is good.  Rasputin and Ameoba (spelling???) records on Telegraph are massive.  Second hand clothing stores are cheap with decent selection of coolness bizarro factor.  Got some photos of some guy doing hand stands and getting mad at everyone.  Hippy dippy deluxe.  Cool, very cool.

Went to a grind core show at 924 Gilman.  Must admit that it kinda bored me.  I like all styles of music, but it is difficult to listen to 5 bands who kinda all sound the same.
The next night we played a party in Berkeley.  They had kegs of homemade beer that tasted awesome and organic green smokable stuff.  The first act was a polka act that played Anarchy In The U.K. and Too Fat Polka in the same set.  Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children Macnuggits played an longer set than the previous night.  I was really glad because I didn't get nearly enough of them the night before.  They really are showmen.  I can't wait to see them will a fully choreographed band.  John Geek got up and sang backup and was very animated on a couple of songs.  The sound was great and everyone loved them.  Had a lot of fun on my set and people had me sign my free cd's and posters and a couple of people even paid.  Thanks a lot John Geek, Corbett and Dan from Bobby Joe Ebola, and the cool guy who had the party.  What a nice house. We then went to 924 Gilman to see another gig.  There was some crazy stop start Japanese band.  I am going to have to find out what there name is from John Geek.  They were pretty cool.  Have I used the word cool too much??? Of course.  We went to this little pond where Dan informed us that he'd had lost his virginity and passed around some wine and marleywanna.  I really like these people.  Corbett arrives too late, so I offer to buy some southern comfort.  He agrees.   I forget that I grew up in a red neck town and have a huge tolerance.  I thought cause I'd quit drinking for so long that I was a cheap drunk, but not this night.  Fortunately Corbett recovered quickly.  He ended up staying in my motel and we had some cool discussions.  He helped me with my gear back to the Bart subway station which was most appreciated.
Polkaholics

Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children Macnuggits

Bobby Joe With John Geek

Dave picked me up at the Bart on his end.  Totally cool.  Deanna had suggested about a month ago that I hook up with Mia to get a ride and from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe and to share a room with her.  She mentioned that she had a gig to play in Santa Rosa the Sunday night before we were to leave with a Black Sabbath cover band.  I casually mentioned that it would probably be ridiculous for me to play on the bill, and she said "total respect for you, but I think they might kill you up in Santa Rosa".  Cool I said.  Three days later, John Geek returns my call and says that I can play the Thursday night in San Rafael with the same band.  Interesting.  Anyways, it turns out that Bobby Joe Ebola are on the bill with Mia's band "Binky" and Paranoid, the Black Sabbath cover band in Santa Rosa.  Corbett offers to cut their set in half, and let me play.  Looks like I'm playing the gig after all. Dave gives me a ride and we catch up with Mia for a ride to the show.  We have to make a pit stop at the Bottom of The Hill (nightclub in S.F.) so she can quickly see a friend she hasn't seen in some time.  There's a cool band with violin, cello, drums and vocals.  Would have liked to have seen more.  Mia's friend Peterdecides to come to the gig with us.  He lives in Connetticut and has a daughter who's a fashion designer using photoshop for her fashions.  (Note from Peter via email: And oh yeah, My daughter is Sara Kozlowski and her line is Cake. She's opening her first boutique this fall at 7 Centre Market Pl. in NewYork. That's kind of on the cusp betweem SoHo and Little Italy. It's a joint effort between Cake and Built By Wendy (Wendy Mullen))  Get to Santa Rosa, and Bobby Joe Ebola can't make it on time, so I get to play my whole set.  Cool, people are really flexible, gotta learn something from that.  I play mostly to "Binky" and a few other people, but the applause sure is strong for no people.  Wow!  The owner likes me and wants me on his web site.  Very totally amazingly cool.Binky rocks majorly.  Speed metal ska complete with trumpet through effects, amazingly hot drummer, Mia going nuts, everyone dressed in almost military getups.  I'd like to see them again.  Hope I do.  Paranoid were so much fun I can't believe it even yet.  Black Sabbath is awesome, and they really do them justice.  The singer is such an entertainer and gets everyone in the audience to sing along into his mike.
Binky


Paranoid

Mia hasn't drank in 14 month.  This inspired me to stop drinking again, hopefully for awhile.  I like booze, but I feel so reckless guzzling southern comfort.  She was happy cause I am a vegetarian and she'd just broken up with a guy who continually hassled her for being one.  It was great to hang out with someone with such a similar story to mine, yet so different.  Very cool, thanks a lot Mia for an excellent time.
 

Deanna and Dave's wedding was incredibly romantic.  The lady who married them had lots of really practical marriage stuff in her speech.  The wedding was held on the top deck of a paddle wheeler on Lake Tahoe.  It was amazing to watch Deanna and Dave hold each other throughout the ceremony.  Everyone cried, you couldn't help it.  It was so geniune. Cooool.  Very Cool. (Mia says this at least a couple times an hour...)
Zack (Deanna's Son), Dave and Deanna