Bonus Concert Review... Jack White

Jack White and the Peacocks
Wiltern Theatre,
Los Angeles, California, May 31, 2012

I'm not a professional reviewer but I was super-stoked to get an invite from my favorite ex-wife to see Jack White last night. So professional journalism be damned, I'm going to share it with you anyway just in case you want to fly to the next show in Berlin on June 26th.  It was a last minute deal that involved the trade of one Ben Harper ticket for one Jack White Ticket that landed me on the very top row of the infamous Wiltern Theatre. I reckon that is equivalent to being just behind the soundboard at the Santa Barbara Bowl. Any efforts to get closer were thwarted by staff, and the fact that it was indeed sold out! We did mange to grab a seat on some stairs in the lower mezzanine for about ten minutes, then back to the top.  Delicate,  ferocious, intense, powerful, complex, insane, loud, too much, are words that come to mind when describing the show. Yeah too much. Sometimes there was so much music coming at you from every possible direction it was just too much making me think, yep, I'm too old for this shit.

Jack White and the Peacocks tore through a selection of songs from all three of his previous bands, The Dead Weathers, White Stripes, and the Raconteurs, and gave us a heavy dose of the new solo album, Blunderbus. My personal favorite being "Take me With You When You Go" A very Zeppelinesque styled tune. Coincidently since I had been living in a cave previously, I didn't even know about Jack White till I saw "It Might Get Loud"  Jack, Jimmy Page, along with the Edge discussing the electric guitar. I was immediately pleased with his style and comparisons to the aformentioned Jimmy Page are not unjustified. Check it out on Netflix if you haven't seen it. Not sure why "the edge" was there though.. Just kidding.

$14.00 IPA.. I'l take two please.

His first solo tour features not one, but two different backing bands.  Los Buzzardos... and the all girl band, the Peacocks. I didn't see the Buzzardos who played the night before, but I don't think anybody could rock harder than the Peacocks. Carla Azar from LA was hitting the drums impossibly hard, and could easliy fill in for the late John Bonham any day of the week. Lille Mae Rische on the Fiddle, Maggie Bjorklund on the steel guitar, a very pregnant Bryn Davies playing her last show on the Upright Bass, Brooke Waggoner on the Keyboards, and Ruby Amanfu joining Jack on vocals. All I can say is the Buzzardos better bring it if they follow these girls. They rock!

Set List

“Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” (The White Stripes)
“Missing Pieces”
“Freedom at 21″
“Love Interruption”
“Top Yourself” (The Raconteurs)
“Hotel Yorba” (The White Stripes)
“Weep Themselves to Sleep”
“Hypocritical Kiss”
“I’m Slowly Turning Into You” (The White Stripes)
“Two Against One” (ROME)
“On and On and On”
“Blue Blood Blues” (The Dead Weather)
“Ball and Biscuit” (The White Stripes)

Encore
“Sixteen Saltines”
“Black Math” (The White Stripes)
“Steady, As She Goes” (The Raconteurs)
“I Guess I Should Go To Sleep” (with Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three)
“Take Me With You When You Go”
“Seven Nation Army” (The White Stripes)
“Goodnight, Irene” (Huddie Ledbetter cover)

Hard to believe they want to ban cell phone camera with shots like this.

May Day... The Big Five-O.. Help..

CalTrans is coming to town

So June starts much the same as May left off. Small mostly unsurfable waves lapping the shores of La Conchita Town. June gloom has a arrived right on schedule after an unusually sunny May. Sun, clouds, fog, rain, whatever,  I don't care. My eyes are straining to see waves at the spot just two miles north of here. They play tricks on me most every morning this time of year till finally... I break down and drive over for a closer look. It was worth a closer look on Wednesday. Yesterday umm..  Well my eyes got the better of me.  Did you say drive? What about the the ebike bike Don? Well.. Two reasons really. Reason number one. CalTrans has made a mess of things directly in front of town making for an even more dangerous trip north to Rincon. Reason number two. With the left turn lane permanently shut down, at least a portion of your trip back to involves a harrowing ride against traffic. Granted, it is probably not going matter whether you get hit head on,  or taken out at 65mph from behind, it's probably your amplitude and landing skills that are going to save you. Reason number three. My hip has been killing me. Okay make it three reasons then, and everyone needs to quit texting while they drive. You are insane! I have a lot to say about CalTrans, texting while driving, and the Association of Surfing Professionals, however I'm still waiting on Claudia from CalTrans to get back to me. Suffice to say, I am not amused.

Post One Star Session... Victory at Sea

Despite the dangers of biking on the freeway I was without the Syncro for a week or so earlier in the month... Yep again, don't ask..  So I had no choice but to get on the bike and peddle my ass into town for beer, wine, and a couple of days of mediocre surf. As mentioned in a prior blog, even with electric assist I have to peddle some sections, and that is just no good for this freaking hip.  So if you broke your hip twelve years ago, just turned fifty, and it feels like your body is absolutely falling apart, but you can't give it a rest, I have one word for you. Compression.   I'm  keeping it all together now with a pair CW-X Compression Shorts, and they work! Two thumbs up! Back to the surf. There hasn't been any. In fact since I began logging surf sessions in September, I have never seen anything as bad as this May. Yes, I am well aware I'm living in the shadow of the Channel Islands but it has been particularly bad for at least three weeks north and south of here. The beginning of May started off promising with 5 days of at least average, to above average surf, including one standout afternoon of Four Star surf the weekend of La Conchita's annual garage sale, and then arrgg..

5'11" Shrimp by John Perry

May 8th.. One Star, Two Star,  One Star, Two Star, One Star, Two Star, One Star, One Star, Two Star, right up till yesterday... One Star.. That's only 15 days total for May, and most of them in the pretty dam terrible or worse category. Throw in a couple of dry runs and I can tell you, a psychiatric break is not far off in my future. For those of you not familiar with my star rating system. One Star is Terrible. Two Star is pretty damn terrible, and it has to be fucking horrible for me to not paddle out. Three stars is average, not to mention pretty damn good at my home break where 150+ yard rides are the norm. Don't get me wrong, I would rather be in the water than out, but it's starting to wear on me. I did secretly score some chest high surf a couple of days ago.  2.5 Stars... Chest high, bumpy,  but some zippy sections and an oppurtunity to cut loose on the 5'11" Lazor Zap inspired Shrimp by master shaper John Perry. But my eyes got the better of me yesterday as I groveled in slow inconsistent waist high peelers. Seriously I really should took the Sup out yesterday, and Kalie, bring me my Yater Spoon!!! Nope, one star, and two star days are not going to cut it much longer.

 Mark Twain stayed here... Grass Valley

Luckily there have been a few distractions this month, like a fun little road trip with my good friend Kim up to Chico to see her son graduate. Santa Cruz... no waves there either. Then on up and over to Grass Valley before hitting Chico, home of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Definitely one of my "Go To" beers so I was a little bummed they were booked solid for lunch with everyone in town for graduation. Luckily it's on tap everywhere. The good stuff too, with names I've never heard of before, like "Writers Block" or my choice for the after graduation celebration, the "Best Bitter" Which the brewer describes as an English-style pale ale that tends to be far more malty than its American counterparts. I can say this. Taste a bit like a good IPA but with less alcohol volume. I didn't know that when I ordered it, so I had three.


Unfortunately I couldn't get through May without turning 50. Yep the big five-o. Time to reflect perhaps.. Maybe not.  The good, the bad, the ugly, I have seen it all. Yep, two divorces, currently single, basically unemployed, kids out of the house, two dogs, lots of old injuries rearing their ugly heads, and now this mid-life board crisis. I have been making the transition back to short boards lately. Not your traditional potato chip fashioned thrusters, but not big floaty fish either, think Cheyne Horan. And don't think I won't go out and buy a StarFin even though this very same thinking may have cost Cheyne the World Championship many times over. Still the transition, it's been a lot of fun, it'a been a lot of work, and every time I kick out,  I'm thinking...  I'm too old for this shit. The amount of energy expended ripping the hell out of one of those aforementioned one hundred and fifty yard waves, vs the cruising, sweeping turns, and casual trim stylings of the Vaquero has been an eye opener for sure. Still I've been on the hulls for 8 years now, probably longer, so perhaps it's time for a change before I really am... Too old for this shit. Plenty of time to cruise and trim later and I do have that unobstructed view of the Santa Barbara Channel which is.. well pretty good.

The Motel 6 in Lodi.. Not as good as it looks.