Saturday, April 26, 2014

The Vooduo: A Day in the Life of a Rock 'n' Roller


"Blood soaked tunes for the B-Movie set" couldn't be a better description for the apply named band The Vooduo. The dynamic pair of Eerie Powers and Neidi Night have been entertaining night crawlers for years with their brand of beat stomping monster mash. Their infectious rhythms pounded out like a cave girl zombie gone wild by Neidi are perfectly paired with Eerie's gravelly vocals snarling out lyrics to tunes like "I Wanna Drink Your Blood", "Evil Eye" and "Diggin' You Up".

The Vooduo reciently allowed me a peek into their day and along with their sweet pup Gort, we shared a fabulous day from dawn to dusk. Starting out at their pad in Long Beach, CA I followed them throughout the city and ended up at Fern's where they played a live set. Eerie and Neidi had originally met at Fern's and within a few months started Long Beach's notorious independent video rental store Weirdo Video, which was born from their mutual love of B-movies.

"Eerie already had quite a collection of his own before we opened the store." Neidi noted. "At that time Mondo Video A-Go-Go had already moved from San Pedro to Hollywood, so there really wasn't anything like it around the Long Beach area - it kind've filled a niche. Unfortunately there's not a lot of money to be made in the movie rental business, so it was short lived." Luckily for us their passion for music has never stopped and they will in fact be celebrating The Vooduo's 20th anniversary later this year. 


Although he has played guitar in Satan's Sadists with members of Satan's Cheerleaders and The Vooduo, Eerie "has been playing drums since he was 8 years old" Neidi told me. "Starting with his dad's jazz band and has been in at least a half a million bands since then playing everything from Southern Rock, Glam, Mod, Rockabilly, Punk, Delta Blues, Garage and Cowpunk." He's played drums in Potatoes from Hell, Terminal Romance, The Patterns, Through the Looking Glass, The Daggers (w/ Levi Dexter), Merry Widow, Spiderbaby, Paper Tulips, Bourbon Jones, The Boiler Makers, Shemp, The Lords of Altamont, and The Harbortown Saints.

With great pleasure, I would like to present to you "A Day In The Life Of The Vooduo"!

Julie Pavlowski Green
April 26, 2014

















Saturday, April 19, 2014

Hopping Down The Honeycomb Trail


Many of you who have been reading my blog for the past year know that I am obsessed with collecting Hallmark honeycomb centerpieces. From my first introduction to these decorations in my Mother's Thanksgiving centerpiece, to the start of my collection in a few rare Halloween honeycomb decorations, to my Christmas collection of these paper creations, which led to a plethora of backyard celebration pieces, I have obtained these items to craft a visual backdrop for every occasion so that my daughter will grow up with an appreciation for the whimsical 6T's graphics I cherish so much.

My honeycomb obsession has recently expanded now to include paper ornaments not made by Hallmark! Yes, I have succumbed to collecting honeycomb, plastic and tin ornaments that can hang from our Easter Tree. My daughter Edith was thrilled to be able to decorate the tree branch this year with the various pastel objects filled with bunny, chick and egg motifs.

Next year, I will feature my Easter Hallmark honeycomb centerpiece collection. For now, I hope you enjoy the visual world that I have created for the delight, enjoyment, and appreciation I hope Edie will come to remember as a childhood filled with magic and wonder.

Julie Pavlowski Green
April 19, 2014


We celebrated the vernal equinox by bringing the outdoors in. Reusing our homemade spray painted oak branch we had decorated at Christmas, we hung these symbols of Spring amidst Edie's collection of baskets and last years homemade easter eggs which are still waiting to be strung into a swag.


The adorable chicks below came in their original plastic trays but did not have any indication of the manufacturer, as the box was missing. I was thrilled by their honeycomb structure and immediately started collecting them. The graphics of the eyes definitely point towards a 6T's aesthetic. Their use of feathers for their tail, ribbon for their bows, and felt for their bow ties, feet and wings are right up my alley.




The following 4 birds are the newest honeycomb ornaments in my collection. Their color palette leans a bit more in the direction of Christmas, but once hung with the other Easter ornaments, they fit right in. Their delightful gold paper wings and beaks are charming and the sprinkle of glitter on their backs makes these sweet chicks stand out.





These bunnies are my personal favorite. The honeycomb shape itself reminds me of old outdoor Christmas lights! Their printed felt faces, paper ears and bow ties are cheerful, simple and graphic. The colors are vibrant which leads me to believe these ornaments were not use very much and did not see much day light. 




They arrived in this adorable box from Frank's Nursery and Crafts Inc. which has kept them clean and most of them uncrushed all these years. Apparently, Frank's was a chain store that sold lawn and garden products in 14 states. They were originally from Detroit and started their business in 1942 under the name Frank's Market. In 1980, they officially changed their name to Frank's Nursery and Crafts Inc. So these little darlings are from a later period than my 6T's standard but still retain a retro charm.


What is Easter time without the symbolic Egg? This ancient representation of rebirth, renewal and metamorphosis has long been an emblem for new beginnings. It is also recognized as the symbol of life and the replenishment of the harvest after a cold and dormant winter. They encapsulate the circle of life. These sweet honeycomb egg constructions are adorned with ribbon, flowers and bows that dress them up just a little bit more for displaying.




These egg decorations are also from Frank's Nursery and Crafts Inc. and come in their own cheerful box. At 39 cents each, they were a bargain back in 1980! That 6T's vibe is still reverberating in the cloud-like outline on top of the box and its groovy fonts. 


This is where I start to veer off into the tin Easter egg department. These eggs were originally candy containers that were made in England, Canada and Hong Kong. I made them into ornaments by clipping a piece of ribbon and snapping the two sides together. The lithos feature 6T's stylized bunnies, chicks, lambs and ducks.




I must admit, this collection of tin eggs stems from a dear childhood memory where I had won a prize and was able to choose one of these very eggs from an Easter Tree at Claremont Day Nursery in 
Kensington. I want to provide the opportunity for Edie to have her own delightful childhood memory, perhaps spurred from one these charming tin lithos, as I once had.





Lastly, I picked these plastic darlings up from The Little Flower Candy Co. down the street from us last year. Their charming color palette and hand painted vignettes started me on my way to collecting Easter ornaments. Although I never grew up around an "Easter Tree", I like starting new family traditions and this is definitely one of the them we will bring back year after year to enjoy and celebrate the arrival of Spring.







Saturday, April 12, 2014

Bee Boy from The Mask Series


Nothing says Spring more for me than the hum of the buzzing bees in the garden. Those indispensable pollinators who's hard work and determination make a garden strong and viable are the reason flowers proliferate. Thank you little bee for all the beauty and sweets you provide!

For my Mask Series, I photographed this little guy flitting around a backyard in the sunny Mission district in San Francisco. Surprisingly, he was wearing his Atom Ant t-shirt that day. These days, that busy bee has gone on to create alluring and original botanical arrangements on the warmer side of the Bay and started his own business called Oaktown Blooms.

Once again, I am offering a limited edition of 2 of these images which are for sale in my Etsy Store.

Happy Spring,

Julie Pavlowski Green
April 12, 2014





Saturday, April 5, 2014

Erik Bluhm: The Champion of California


It was by chance that I first met Erik Bluhm. It was my first year at San Francisco State University and we both happened to be taking a stone lithography class taught by Glenn Brill.  I saw this tall, lanky, stylish guy sitting intently listening to our instructor. As soon as he drew Kiss on his stone, I knew we would become friends fast.

Erik is a warm and engaging fellow, with a smooth and sweet temperament that is nonjudgemental, gentle and kind, a rarity these days. It has been a delight and an honor to have known him for many moons. I thought I would interview Erik to accompany photographs I had taken of him on his rooftop in the Lower Haight district of San Francisco back in 1989, which have never been seen before.

To the Champion of California,

Julie Pavlowski Green
April 5, 2014


What was the first record you ever bought?

My grandpa bought me 8-tracks at Two Guys department store as a preteen-Aerosmith, Kiss, then B52s, Devo... The first vinyl record I can remember buying myself with my allowance was Rodney on the Roq Vol. 1

What was the psych scene like in Southern California in the 80’s?

It seemed like 30-40 people that went to the Rave Up and then the Cavern club on Saturday nights to get drunk in the alley and see bands upstairs. They came from all over L.A. Most were in high school it seemed or just out. Before we found that we would go and see the Rain Parade or Wednesday Week or the Leaving Trains play at the Music Machine or somewhere. Those people seemed way older than us though.

Were The Primates the first band you were ever in?
         
Pretty much. We went through a couple incarnations, a kind of wannabe Paisley Underground band called the Melancholy Carrys in like '83. We weren't good enough to be like the Dream Syndicate so we did mostly covers, Stooges, Flamin' Groovies, Blues Magoos, Seeds... stuff we could learn easily. We got focused and learned songs off garage comps then became the Untamed, and then The Primates in 1984. Brett Miller and Ted Edlefsen got Vox guitars and Jeff McDonald gave Ted his old Twin Reverb. The three of us have been the consistent members more or less with different drummers, mostly Brian Corrigan but then later Eric from Threw the Looking Glass and Gene from The Miracle Workers.


You were born and raised in Manhattan Beach. Did you ever surf?

Not really. I went bodysurfing and boogieing tons when I was younger, junior lifeguards and all that,  but I by the time I was a teenager I was more into music than surfing. I started in earnest when I was 30!

You moved from Manhattan Beach to go to school at San Francisco State. What prompted you to move to Northern California?

The Primates went and played at The Mab and On Broadway in 86 and I met Christof Certik, winemaker Carl Sutton, and Jefferson Parker and his then girlfriend Fern. We really hit it off and SF seemed so free and loose. It was really really cheap back then too. I'd also met Russell Quan, Bart Davenport, etc.from the Horseless Headmen at the Cavern and Blag from The Dwarves so I knew a few people up there. The Primates had sort of run their course. I wanted to be in a Jefferson Airplane style band and wear my fringe suede coat! So I transferred from LMU to SFSU in 1987.



San Francisco in the late 80's early 90’s, you were in two bands, the seminal rock band Dope and mystical Broom. Tell us about the music and the players, and how they reflected both sides of your personality

It was mostly the 80's, I moved back to LA in 93, so I moved up to SF and lived in the dorms at State. The Airplane idea faded when my fringe jacket and all my clothes got stolen out of my parent's car when they moved me up there. Jefferson was jamming with Tod Preuss who was also in Helios Creed and this guy Andrew and sometimes Margaret on bass. I started singing with them and we did like Radio Birdman kind of stuff. Then we got Christof and Emil and got really into Amon Duul II, Guru Guru, Budgie, Hawkwind and heavy stuff like that. We started getting clothes from Buzz's shop New Government on Haight St. It was sort of a New York Dolls meets La Dusseldorf look. Sofia LaMar and Jorgee Douglass were our dancers sometimes, like Stacia from Hawkwind. Nobody was doing anything like that at the time really. We played with Loop, Celebrity Skin, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, The Imperial Butt Wizards. Sub Pop wanted to do a record but we said no because we didn't like the bands on that label. We thought they didn't have good style!



Dope broke up by about 1990 because Jefferson and I got interested in the occult and then our drummer Tod lost his finger. It freaked Christof out so he quit. We got Steve Brown (who was in The Imperial Butt Wizards in LA but had just moved to San Jose to go to school) to replace him briefly and then the legendary Space Dave on drums. It became El Dopo which was more Ashra Tempel-ish but that didn't last long. 

Soon after that Roxanne Rodriguez, John Henry, Jeff Davies, and I put together a one off band called the Planet of the Hairdo Apes. Jeff taught me how to play bass and we played at The Peacock Lounge (with Cameltoe). Then Steve Brown and I started writing songs for our new group called Broom. It was like a mix of Section 25, Faust, Crispy Ambulance, Neu! and bubblegum! We got Roxanne and this girl Christina from France and we had many drummers over the 2-3 years of our existence-Shannon Handy, Lara Allen, Tom Marzella, Jefferson Parker, Paul Hoaglin. That was my favorite band I was ever in. Steve Brown is a genius and we had a lot of fun writing songs and working on the concept. We did a couple 45s and played all over SF and Chico. I moved back to LA in 93 and Steve kept broom going with Pat Lambelet (who's tried out for Dope early on and then joined Enrique) and Jodene Setera for a while.



Your bother Tim sings and plays guitar in The Mother Hips. Do you think you influenced his direction in music?

Yeah, I used to make him listen to Black Flag and X and The Adolescents and stuff when he was really young. He even played drums for the Melancholy Carrys when he was like 13. He took to guitar a little later and really got serious about music. I continually fed him stuff to listen to and he and Hips guitarist Greg Loiacono ate it up, especially Gene Clark and Buffalo Springfield and later Everly Brothers and things like that.

Are you involved with the Hipnic folk rock festival series up in Big Sur?
              
No, I DJed there last year a little bit. My brother and Britt Govea from Folk Yeah! do that.

Tells us about your passion for California folk rock music. How did that evolve? Who were the first groups you were turned on by?
          
In high school, after punk ended, Ted Edlefsen and I started listening to garage music a lot for a couple years. Later I began to prefer the jangly stuff like the Byrds, The WC Fields Memorial String Band, the Bees,  and their contemporaries. When I started collecting 45s I just kept finding more and more gems.


What was your impetus to you start your magazine “Great God Pan: The Champion of California” and where did it lead you to?

I grew up with Mark Sundeen and he ended up at Stanford studying writing. I was into music and I'd enjoyed 60s zines like Audrey Moorhead's Hey Little Bird. I also got into these 60s California guide books by Russ Leadabrand. Mark had good stories he was writing and I thought we could put these three things together. Our friend Tommy! started his own zine so we copied him. The first couple issues were Xeroxed and just a few pages. Ten years later we were a perfect-bound magazine with a big circulation. It ended with issue 14 which was the result of a residency with the Center for Land Use Interpretation. Mark is now a successful novelist.

Have you ever been a part of a cult?

No, I'm not really a joiner. Maybe if the right one came around. I've had good experiences with The Source Family people I know and Rajnessh people too. I've collected a large amount of Rajneesh related ephemera. Someday I'll show it off!


Nature is a big backdrop in your life. What are some of your favorite spots in California?

I had lots of good times in the desert as a young man. Big Sur too and up and down the coast. Nowadays it's mostly the High Sierra.
Are you playing in a band these days? If not, do you think you will ever participate in live musical performances again?


I'm part of a performance group called the West Coast New Energy Encounter Group. We've played at museums and art-related things. When I moved back to LA I started an instrumental garage/surf group called Bookmobile and we did some records, then I sang for a hardcore punk band called the Fishsticks briefly. Then I played with Tom Watson from Slovenly for a couple years. We recored a record with Mayo Thompson of the Red Krayola and Brian MacMahon from Slint but it never came out. Then Tom joined Mike Watt's band and we started the NEEG. It's pretty sporadic these days.


Your amazing online radio program “West Coast Fog” on Luxuria Music Radio seems like a natural progression helping you to present the music and the time period that you love. Do you do a lot of research on each band you present and/or are you culling the information from your own personal library?

Once I realized I had a lot of CAlifornia 45s (like 1000s!) I approached Chuck Kelly who was the director then. He like what I played him and gave me a show. Sometimes I wonder how long I can only play California music but I haven't run out of ideas yet. I do extra research if I'm presenting a theme, otherwise I just know a lot of people around the world who know a lot about that kind of stuff and we discuss it in groups and conversations, then track down original players if possible. I've published some of that stuff in Ugly Things and am working on a website westcoastfog.com that's sort of like what Cream Puff War was doing back in the early 90s, interviewing obscurish bands and telling their story.


What fascinates you most about California's history?

All history is fascinating but California's seems to resonate globally. What happens here seems to influence the whole world. All the brightest minds seem to end up here.