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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Best-Of SG101 »

Permalink The surfguitar101 2008 convention thread!

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bigtikidude
Outsides,
um can we use your real name yet, or is it still a secret?
Wink Rolling Eyes

thanks for the comments, and thanks so much for coming down and vending,
unfortunately I didn't have time to look at all yer records.
damn it.

hope you can make it down fer the next one.

You can call me whatever you want......well, knowing you, maybe not....

Yes, I will make the next one and maybe bring some 1st and 2nd wave 45's besides albums too.

bigtikidude
all the big cameras were the pro ones for Toms movie.

a friend recorded the whole day for me, and will give me dvds sometime
but I dont know when, and I dont know how to transfer the vid to computer, then to you tube/blip tv.
if I provide the dvds, can somebody convert and post on the net?

I can do that Jeff, just come on over (and bring your pool tools) Wink

td

edit add: Brian has some video that he will be putting up, from what I heard.

Sound of the Surf, the movie
Facebook SOTS

mom_surfing
and i almost forgot..............

the ladies of surfguitar101 rule!

agreed!!
image

Jeff(bigtikidude)

and i did forget to mention the short but sweet and high energy set by 'secret samari' (sorry ryan) . sad not to have seen them in san diego but i was somewhere on PCH near malibu and it took us hours to get to hermosa beach.
next year, next year. Embarassed

www.surfintheeye.com

Last edited: Aug 09, 2008 13:48:57

I cannot believe it has been a week!

I'm still trying to recover and dig out. I still want to write up some more thoughts also.

I'm still smiling!

Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me

"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea

Wow it has been a week, I better write something before I start to forget (not that this seems likely).

So picking the story up from this post, Danny and I drove up from San Diego. It was really great being able to finally spend some quality time with Danny, who has been a tremendous friend to this site (and me personally) since its inception.

The traffic was light and we made good time. We arrived right at 11:00 am. Walking up to Suzy's I immediately within 30 seconds saw Tim Fitzpatrick, John Blair, Paul Johnson, and Eddie Bertrand. WOW! Shocked This was going to be a good day.

I also met Outsides and Dario (DGG), who were setting up their merch for the day. And Karen from Meshugga Beach Party / Ferenc's wife. And there was Kristena (yay)!! I wore my Natural Art surf shop t-shirt in honor of Carol, and I think she spotted it right when she walked in. It was so great to meet everyone!

Lots of people were there to sell stuff. I remember when Jeff and others talked about having vendors, and I was highly skeptical about that. But I ended up buying a ton of stuff, including many rare CD's and compilations that I only had CD-R's of. Luckily there was an ATM machine in Suzy's! I got about 5 t-shirts, 6 CD's, and the Surf Drumming DVD. I was happy. Lee from Dionysus had some great stuff that I was missing.

I'll just sort of run through what I can remember. There really was a lot happening and Jeff did an excellent job of keeping it moving. In fact, I only had 2 complaints about the day, and they were minor compared to the magnitude of what happened. Suzy's had really poor air conditioning, and there wasn't enough time to talk to people between the music. So I only got to say hello to a few people and not talk to them in depth. And then I found out a bunch of people were there that I didn't even see or get to talk to. I guess that is what next year is for!

Anyway, Dusty and Jeff Utterback (sp?) did a drum-off with Matt Q. (Reventlos) and Marty Tippens (famous A/B test guy Smile ) providing intro and outro guitar backup. Amazingly cool! Seeing these two guys play together and off each other was great!

Slacktone played next. This was the first time I had seen them and they certainly lived up to the hype. Wow you guys are lucky for getting to see them all the time. Sam and Steve (1loudbass) traded bass duties during the set. I was really blown away, and the day was just starting! Sam's daughter was running around and she got a piggyback ride on an amp; so cute.

I think some jam sessions were next. Again, this was another idea I didn't think was going to work, but Jeff proved me wrong. This was a total blast. I was so proud of Carol for playing Apache with Paul Johnson and Duff. Stormtiger and Wooza were great. DP was a madman on the bass, I loved it!

I'm not sure but maybe Paul Johnson and Eddie Betrand played together next. What a total thrill to see the original Belairs guys play Mr. Moto and Squad Car!! I can't believe it still! They had so much fun up there. Unfortunately I was outside when they started and had to run back in, and there was a huge crowd so I had a poor view. (Again, kudos to Jeff, the place was packed most of the afternoon).

Outerwave might have been next. I loved those guys. They were very solid and played lots of obscure covers. I especially was knocked out to hear Jerry Cole's Midnight Surfer. Great job! I think they played a Satan's Pilgrim song too? I know they also did "Spandito Bandito" by the Nebulas! Too cool! Norm from the Ghastly Ones got up and sat in with them on a song that I am blanking out on now....uh-oh...! (Help me out here).

Dave Wronski replaced JR on the stage, and he played some Beach Boys type stuff with them "Be My Baby" / "Don't Worry Baby' ala the Jon & Nightriders tracks. Very cool!

I'm totally losing track of the timeline now, there was just so much going on and so many conversations with people. So the rest of this may not be in chronological order.

The Eliminators played a really blistering set, I was very impressed. Highlights for me were Bonecruncher (I think it is called that) and a raging version of Comanche with the honking and wailing sax. These guys put out a lot of energy.

Eddie Bertrand then joined the Eliminators and here things really went up a notch. This was just amazing! Eddie played a lot of his Eddie & The Showmen catalog, and I and everyone were just dying! Seeing Eddie perform Scratch with such fire and ballsy guitar tone was truly a highlight of the day. WOW! Shocked Exclamation

At some point The Aquasonics played a set. I was outside getting some air and talking to some people and I missed most of their set unfortunately (luckily I would catch them the next day at the pier). I think I caught the last part of their last song, The Wedge. They were doing great up there, and they had a great sound. I remember Mad Dog coming off the stage totally exhausted looking and drenched in sweat. YEAH!

The Surf Kings did a couple of songs next. I was totally thrilled to hear them bust out "Out of Control" by Tom Stanton's old band, the Crossfires. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Next, a cat named Jerry, who I think Jeff explained was in a Dick Dale tribute band (The Wedge?), joined The Surf Kings for a blistering and extended version of Misirlou (was this the only time Misirlou was played Saturday?). Very cool!

Secret Samurai then did a mini-set. I had just seen them the prior night and was THRILLED to see them again. A lot of people commented on how great they were. Again, nice job guys. Ryan sounded especially good, was he playing through Dario's amps?

At that point some more jams started back up. Eddie Bertrand joined Secret Samurai for Dark Eyes. Wow was that cool! Again, Eddie sounded fantastic. Eddie was having a blast, and I don't think he wanted the moment to end so he kind of went off into an extended jam at the end. It was cool, one of those you had to be there moments. I think the Secret Samurai were really happy to be backing one of the guys who started all of this in the first place! Too cool!

The next jam was Mar Gaya, and as many people have said, this was KILLER. Norm from the Ghastly Ones on drums, Jon-Paul on bass, Danny Snyder on rhythm guitar, and Ran from the Sand Devils on lead. This was HEA-VY. Again, I had run outside to catch my breath after seeing Eddie, so I had a bad view from the back when the music started again. This was great!

On Diamondhead, we had Ivan on lead, Danny on rhythm, DP on bass, and Jeff U on drums. I loved this. Next I think was Taco Wagon, in which our own Jeff Bigtikidude switched with DP on bass duties. This was one of my favorite of the "jam" performances. So much fun on stage. Next was Marty Tippens, Outerwave's Alan and Mac, and Duff doing Soul Surfer. Dario and Eddie K got up for Latin'ia. JR, Allan, Dane and Abdel doing The Savage. Cool! And finally Ferenc, Insect Dave, Jon Paul, and Jeff U on Our Favorite Martian. Wow! And that was it!!!

Oh and at some point Tena and Jeff embarrassed me by bringing me up to the mic to say thanks for SG101. Embarassed Unfortunately I think Tom was filming this. Thank you very much guys, it really meant a lot to me, and thanks for the gifts. Worship

Okay some random thoughts on the day. Again, it cannot be stated enough, Jeff Bigtikidude really wowed everyone. What a great turnout and a great day of music. I hope Suzy's was happy. And again, it was so freaking fantastic meeting everyone. It was great seeing old friends like Trode, Tena, Eddie K, and meeting people for the first time like Warren, Outsides, Stormtiger, HBKahuna, Duff, Carol, the Outherwave guys, Joelman, Mr. Wronski, Ghastly Norm, and on and on and on. I really wish we could have talked more. There just wasn't enough time!!! And several lurkers who never post came up to me and talked to me. It really was mind blowing to see the site come alive like this. Thanks everyone!

More random thoughts: listening to Eddie Bertrand talking to Ivan about his early days, Dave Wronski showing a bunch of us his new baritone Jazzmaster and talking about working at Fender, Ghastly Norm talking with me, Insect Dave talking to me, talking with Dusty. and all the conversations with Trode, Wooza, Ran, Carol, Eddie K, etc. I'll just stop there. I know I am leaving a lot of people out.

Special thanks to Eddie Bertrand for talking to me later that night. It was really great meeting you finally.

Okay, I've written enough for now. I'll post again with my report on the show that night (yes there was more!!!!!!). Hope I am not boring anyone. Smile Have I mentioned how cool this was yet? Shocked Shocked Shocked

Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me

"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea

Last edited: Aug 09, 2008 16:35:46

Great review Brian! Brings back last week's memories all over again.

Brian
Secret Samurai then did a mini-set. I had just seen them the prior night and was THRILLED to see them again. A lot of people commented on how great they were. Again, nice job guys. Ryan sounded especially good, was he playing through Dario's amps?

Thanks for the kind words Brian! I really appreciate it. And I was actually playing out of JR's rig (Brownface Showman through 2 D130Fs. Wow. If I only had the $$ :wink:) I would have loved to try out Dario's Surfer though!

Brian
At that point some more jams started back up. Eddie Bertrand joined Secret Samurai for Dark Eyes. Wow was that cool! Again, Eddie sounded fantastic. Eddie was having a blast, and I don't think he wanted the moment to end so he kind of went off into an extended jam at the end. It was cool, one of those you had to be there moments. I think the Secret Samurai were really happy to be backing one of the guys who started all of this in the first place! Too cool!

That's an understatement. I was so stoked to be backing Eddie! It was such a blast.

Ryan
The Secret Samurai Website
The Secret Samurai on Facebook

I just remembered I missed almost all of the Boardwalker's set. I was outside talking to some folks I think. Sorry!!!

And I again want to thank Outerwave for being the "host" band in the afternoon. And please buy a SG101 T-Shirt so I can donate more money to the "buy JR a replacement speaker" fund.

Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me

"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea

Wow, 14 pages of comments!!!!! That one took a while to dig through!!

I got back from SoCal late on Thursday night, after spending Tuesday and Wednesday in San Diego with my wife. It's been an exhausting and exhilirating - and absolutely unforgettable - week. I don't think there's much that I can add to all the comments, and I could probably write a book about everything that happened. But I do want to say a few things.

First, huge thanks to Ryan (Ruhar) of the Secret Samurai. He went way above and beyond the call of duty to help us (and me) out all weekend, and I couldn't be more grateful. Starting with meeting us at 5 pm last Friday to provide their practice space, to working like crazy to secure another venue for the SD show when the original one fell through only weeks before the show, to driving me down to San Diego on Monday from the studio where we shot the Sound of the Surf doc near Huntington Beach. Ryan, it was amazing to meet you, and thanks for everything (inluding writing such nice things about us in this and another thread)! The man actually celebrated his birthday on Sunday, too! Talk about a full weekend! BTW, it was a trip to see the Secret Samurai live twice, what a talented band - and I think the world of Ryan as a guitarist and songwriter! He's REALLY good! Here's to much more stuff to come from the Secret Samurai!

Second, in a weekend where every day had at least a dozen moments that could pass for a highlight on even extraordinary days, one absolutely stands out for me: Eddie Bertrand playing with the Eliminators during the convention. The five songs they played (Toes on the Nose, Mr. Rebel, And the Angels Sing, Lanky Bones, Scratch) were simply astonishing, hitting the peak for me with Lanky Bones, during which I was actually moved to tears by joy. I was standing right in front of the stage, getting the full impact of the incredible array of vintage Fender and Gomez amps (BTW, I believe Eddie used the Surfer amp the entire evening, though he had his El Sonido there - but I am pretty sure he didn't use the two together). Eddie's tone was simply to die for, sooooo FAT, just over the break-up line where his touch determined how overdriven it would sound. That Jag is rather remarkable, too, probably the fattest sounding Jag I've ever heard. Anyway, that was a moment that I will never forget. Life defining and affirming.

Probably the most remarkable - and unexpected - thing that happened to me the last weekend was the close friendship that Eddie and I developed. I'm still blown away by the sound of that, just typing it!!! We spoke for almost a couple of hours on Saturday, during the convention, after the convention, before and after the Madeira set, it just went on and on. And then again, he kindly showed up for our documentary taping, and I tell you, he was looking over us like a loving brother or a father, really watching out for our best interests and giving me helpful hints throughout the taping (the use of baby powder to alleviate the sweaty, 'sticky' hands syndrome was something I will take with me for a long time). I hooked him up with all the Madeira and one Cossacks CD on Saturday, and he was full of praise on Monday, even during our formal interview for the doc - in fact, leaving a message on my cell phone on Thursday that he's got a new favorite band - us!!! Am I bragging? Ummm, wouldn't YOU??!?!?! Laughing Holy s#$*!! I'm really blown away. I remember reading a Guitar Player story back in '86 on the South Bay Surf Reunion where Dan Forte described Eddie as the true star of the day, and then hearing Squad Car around '90 or so and being completely blown away. Listening to the AVI E&tS CD over and over again as soon as it came out, and thinking this is just the best, such incredible surf music. Wow. Eddie, if you're reading this, you are truly a prince - thank you very much for all your kind works and actions!! I hope to see you again next month - I REALLY look forward to it!

Just as big of a thrill was also chatting and getting to know Paul Johnson. I met him briefly in '00 during the Rendezvous Ballroom reunion show which the Cossacks played. But I had a chance to talk to him at much more length on Sunday and Monday, and Paul is truly the nicest man in all of surf music. And probably among the most talented. We exchanged a bunch of CDs, and I've been listening to his Liquid Blues and the studio Duo-Tones CDs over and over again for the last few days. It reminded me what an amazing musician and songwriter Paul truly is, and inspired me to go back and revisit all his sixties recordings, of course the Belairs, but also the stuff he did with PJ & Artie, PJ & the Galaxies and the Good Guys. I'll start another thread on that very soon, when I get a chance, but think about this: this guy wrote two of the most defining surf songs, went on to write another two dozen AMAZING instrumentals in the sixties, developed a highly unique and widely imitated rhythm guitar style and then developed a completely recognizable and personal lead guitar style and tone that allows a trained ear to spot his playing a mile away. Who does ALL THAT??? The two newer albums I mentioned above completely live up to his sixties standards, too, being chock-full of amazing music. Well, like I said, more in another thread. (Incidentally, the first memory I have of surf music is a long, in-depth interview Dan Forte AKA Teisco Del Ray did with Paul in an '85 Guitar Player issue, which I still have. What a trip to get to just chat with the man!)

(See what I mean about writing a book?? Damn, I've gotta discipline myself!)

websurfer
I keep thinking of the Madeira---I mean, I know lots of bands were there and playing awesomely, BUT.... are they like the Iron Men of surf bands, or what?? They fly in, rehearse--hit the stage in San Diego, up the coast for two consecutive days of shows--then finish with a special taping, and by all accounts, never letting up on the energy. Inspiring dedication.

Thanks, websurfer!! I tell you, it was hard, especially since we were driving to and from Temecula all but one day. BUT, it was such a good time that none of us minded at all!! Seeing so many old friends and meeting a few new ones made the time just fly. AND seeing so many amazing bands, wow. Playing WITH Pollo Del Mar every day, both in terms of sharing a bill but also me getting up on stage for Magyara - how many times in one's life can one do that?? I really wanted to take full advantage of everything, which was very hard, given that there were so many people to talk to while bands were playing. It was at once a frustrating struggle and a blissful vision of a better world! Smile It helped that I think the Madeira played better this entire weekend then ever before. We were all very happy with our performances, and when that happens you can enjoy everything else so much more.

OK, few highlights:
Friday: The Secret Samurai kicking total ass and Ryan just flying up and down the fretboard; seeing Brian, Danny Snyder and Ferenc again - it's been two years since last I saw Danny and I can honestly say I missed him - it was simply inspirational to see him plant himself right in front of us with a huge smile and give off a vibe of "YES! YOU CAN DO EVEN BETTER! GO FOR IT!" Brian is becoming like an old friend now, and it's ALWAYS a joy to spend some time with him. I've also worked with Ferenc on several occasions now, and I always relish seeing him again - one of the greatest supporters of surf music ever and truly wonderful human being! Danny was absolutely amazing with Pollo all weekend, and I wasn't surprised one bit, he's an incredibly talented guitarist and we will be hearing a lot more from him (where's that Tomorrowmen full-length, Danny??? Come on!). And Pollo is my hands-down favorite progressive surf band, and they sounded fantastic all three days, it was just a joy to watch and listen. Thanks so much for inviting me to play a song with you, that was such a blast! Oh, and I shouldn't forget talking with Ran of the Sand Devils, Clint Beachwood, as well as meeting Tom Duncan, the Sound of the Surf director/producer. Such joy talking with you all!

Saturday: Yeah, right!! Just a few highlights from THAT entire day?? OK, the drum-off between Dusty and Jeff Utterback was mind-blowing. They did Sandy Nelson's "Let There Be Drums" and "Wipe Out" with Matt Quilter of the Reventlos and the Surftones and Marty Tippens on guitar. I didn't think it could possibly be that good. Then Slacktone got up and pinned me back to the wall as they do everytime I see them. Wow, wow, wow. The Eliminators without Eddie were incredible, too, but they've been among my favorites since '94 or '95, whenever it was the Planet Surf comp came out. Eddie and Paul playing Squad Car was pretty special, too. The Secret Samurai played their hearts out, as did the Detonators later that evening, both bands definitely connecting with me in a great way!

I ended up chatting with so many friends (Baja Marty, Doug Paulen AKA Stormtiger, Jamie Murray, Warren Binder AKA Captain Springfield, JR, of course Eddie at length, Brian Chidester, Linda Miller of HBISM, Eddie Katcher, Ben AKA Wooza, John Blair, Tim Ferrill AKA HBKahuna, Trode, many others) and must admit to missing most of the other bands, which was a real shame, as I could hear Outerwave and the Aquasonics in particular tearing it up on stage. I did get to see at least a couple of songs by each, and that just made me more me frustrated! Arrrrggghhhh!! I'm afraid I missed a big chunk of the Insect Surfers, too, as I was again talking with people and then doing an interview with Danny. Dammit. I did get to see bunch of different jam sessions, and that was a blast, especially to see people up there who don't perform often or ever, or people playing with legends! I totally agree about Mar Gaya being pretty amazing, with Ran, Danny, Ghastly Norm, and John Paul rocking it out in a very righteous way! And what a trip to play Diamond Head and Taco Wagon with Danny, Jeff Utterback and DP and Jeff on bass - they all did a phenomenal job, and I love all the photos with everybody smiling - that says it all!

Overall, I think Jeff did an amazing job with this whole thing, and we all owe him a huge debt of gratitude. As I told him, he's gone from being a perpetual critic to a creator - he did something that means a lot to many people, and he's made history. Let's hope there's a lot more of that from Jeff!! Thanks, buddy!! Great to see you again, too!!!

I was worried that there would be nobody left for the evening portion of the festivities, as people would have experienced serious burnout, but thank God, quite a few stuck around. Thank you all that did!! We REALLY appreciate it!!

Sunday: a simply perfect day. We got there around 11:30 am, and had some trouble figuring out the parking situation, so as a result missed most of the Surf Rockers set, which bummed me out after seeing a few songs - EIGHT players on stage, fully doing the DD & the Del-Tones circa '62 look and sound, and just nailing it. Missed most of the Aquasonics again (AAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!) due to incompetent and slow service at the closest restaurant we could find (I'm really, really sorry guys, it wasn't intentional). PDM kicked serious ass, the Relix were a lot of fun, and the Surftones nailed the sixties Beach Boys sound better than anyone I ever heard - I was VERY impressed! Perfect surrounding, a great crowd, and again so many people to chat with, including Paul Johnson, John Blair, Brian Neal, Jeff Hanson, Danny Snyder, Ben Wooza, Trode, Sarah, etc. We all went to Kona (sp?) Tiki restaurant afterwards and hung out there for a few hours, which was a blast. Really, a perfect day, what else can I say. We actually SOLD OUT of the Carpe Noctem CDs at this show - all gone. We couldn't believe it. (BTW, special thanks for Matt Quilter of the Reventlos and the Surftones for lending us his awesome gear, including TWO brownface Dual Showmans - what a sound!!!! I want one!!!)

Monday: a day of taping for the Sound of the Surf documentary, in a rehearsal studio outside of Huntington Beach (Fountain Valley?). A fully professional production, and we were very impressed by the whole thing. Tom Duncan, John Blair, Tim Ferril are doing a phenomenal job judging by everything I've seen. We're incredibly honored and excited to be a part of this, though I tell you - it was hard. We taped 7-8 songs, and were taping almost straight for over 4 hours. Being under a microscope and under hot lights for that long was not the most fun. Having to visually perform (or at least TRY) as well as make sure you're playing all the parts correctly while being captured by hi-def cameras and a fully professional audio recording, well, it's pretty exhausting. It was really nice to have Eddie B., Paul Johnson, Brian Neal and Ryan Ruiz there for moral support - besides of course Tom, John and Tim, who were simply great, very professional, and going out of their way to be helpful (John brought EIGHT of his Showman heads as well as four reverb units and three Dual Showman cabs for us to use!!!!). We finished up with an interview with Eddie, Paul, John and all four of us which was a blast, and the only fault of which was that it was cut off just as we really got into it!! A truly special day, and one I will never forget. I was able to catch a few songs by the Surfaris, but since my wife had been waiting for me in San Diego for a day and a half at that point, I had to leave - again, quite a bummer, since the Surfaris were sounding soooo good, with Paul just flying all over the guitar in his highly melodic and inimitable style. And both Eddie and Paul were full of stories of the old days, as well as what's to come next (Eddie even playing us a bunch of his new songs on my unplugged Strat in the green room - they're seriously GOOOD!!). That was hard to leave, but the time had come.

there you go, my way-too-long report on an incredible weekend that I feel priveleged to have been part of. Very sorry if I overlooked anyone - I'll probably remember in half an hour!! So great to see everybody. It's truly a big family at this point, and I greatly look forward to seeing you all again.

Ivan

Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
The Madeira Official Website
The Madeira on Facebook
The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook
The Space Cossacks on Facebook
The Madeira Channel on YouTube

Last edited: Aug 09, 2008 18:19:26

Wow, Ivan. Thanks for that report. And thanks to everyone else who has chimed in with their reports. It really is fascinating reading about the same event from different people's perspectives, and it helps remind me of things I forgot.

Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me

"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea

IvanP
First, huge thanks to Ryan (Ruhar) of the Secret Samurai. He went way above and beyond the call of duty to help us (and me) out all weekend, and I couldn't be more grateful. Starting with meeting us at 5 pm last Friday to provide their practice space, to working like crazy to secure another venue for the SD show when the original one fell through only weeks before the show, to driving me down to San Diego on Monday from the studio where we shot the Sound of the Surf doc near Huntington Beach.

Ivan, it was my pleasure! There was no way I was going to let that San Diego show fall through. I would have had it in my backyard if I had to Laughing

IvanP
Ryan, it was amazing to meet you, and thanks for everything (inluding writing such nice things about us in this and another thread)!

Likewise Ivan! I was thrilled to get the chance to hang out with you for a few days. You're very welcome.

IvanP
BTW, it was a trip to see the Secret Samurai live twice, what a talented band - and I think the world of Ryan as a guitarist and songwriter! He's REALLY good! Here's to much more stuff to come from the Secret Samurai!

Wow, thank you Ivan. That means a lot to me. Hearing that from one of my major influences is quite humbling.

Ryan
The Secret Samurai Website
The Secret Samurai on Facebook

I was glad I could be Johnny on the spot when Ivan needed some light to pick the proper sandwich off the kraft table Monday so he could fuel up for his
performance Laughing

It's understandable there there may have been some uncertainty on the part of the band that was instantly relieved when they showed up to find a professional crew at work in a very nice facility.

It was fun watch Brian soak the entire weekend in.

Last edited: Aug 09, 2008 19:29:31

Hi All,

A memorable day signed "Jeff". Congratulation to Jeff and his helpers.
I think all of the bands did a superb job and everyone looked so happy (which made me happy). Everyone played with such an enthusiasm.
I fancied at one point that it could have been a local "Shadowmania" type of event. No doubt Jeff can put one if he decided to.
It was great talking to everone, and to name just a few, Dario Gomez, Ivan (The Madeira), Danny Snyder (I was very impressed by his "Bruce Welch - like" swift right hand and by his contagious enthusiasm), Dave Wronsky, Eddie katcher, Outsides, mom_surfing, Stormtiger etc ....
Dario is a real asset to the surf community, his amps sounded unreal. I wish I had the money to get the Surfer amp.
Dario,
Are you going to make a combo soon?.
Everybody loved the sound of his very reliable amps.
"<u>Danny Dean</u>" of "<u>Danny Dean and the Homewreckers</u>", a very talented Rockabilly singer (since the mid 70's) and band leader whom I brought with me that day was fascinated by Dario's amp sound.
Danny used to be a Surf music guitarist in the late 70's.
It was really nice to meet and see everybody.
I know several Shadows music fans from the UK who also love Surf music, the Ventures, Dick Dale etc .. who would have come had they known it was going to be this big (3 days Surf marathon).
Next year, I' ll publicize the event on several Shadows Music websites,
but a bigger venue will be needed Jeff.
Sadly I missed Brian (Surf101 managervg). I didn't know he was there until I saw the comment on one picture saying "Brian with the green shirt".
I already decided what to play next year (rehearsed this time (ha ha)) :
"Guitar Tango" (my own version). Can someone volunteer to play the harmony line with me?.
I will post the video shortly in the "Surf Video" section.
Jeff you started it.

Blessings to everyone.
Abdel

Hello Abdel! Great to see you on Saturday and sorry we didn't get a chance to talk!

Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me

"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea

Ivan wrote:
Overall, I think Jeff did an amazing job with this whole thing, and we all owe him a huge debt of gratitude. As I told him, he's gone from being a perpetual critic to a creator - he did something that means a lot to many people, and he's made history. Let's hope there's a lot more of that from Jeff!! Thanks, buddy!! Great to see you again, too!!!

thank you so Much Ivan,
I am glad that you and everybody were blown away by the whole convention,
I wanted it to be so much more than just another show, of bands playing 45 min sets. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but if this was to be a sg101 convention, I knew I needed to step it up a few notches.
I hope that most everything was great for everybody.
the few things I would have liked to change,.
Bigger place- so everybody is inside, so if your talking to someone, you can still be in ear shot of the bands playing,
A/C as it was hotter than hell in Suzy's and I appoligize for picking a place with no A/C
and More time. If I do another one, I will have the vending start way earlier, and longer, and people can talk during that time too.
and the Vendors will be able to vend the whole day too.

Ivan,
It was great to see you again,
4 trips playing, 2 with Cossacks and 2 with the Madeira
always amazing, and inspiring, you brought tears to my eyes, as Eddie did to you. you my friend are a monster on guitar, don't ever stop.
I wish that we had more time to talk also,
but I was super busy on Sat. and I would see you and Eddie talking and wish I could stand in ears shot distance to eavesdrop in on the discussion. But I had to keep up on the stage goings on.
there were tons of discussions I wish I could have been part of.
I surely hope that I didn't come across rude or uninterested with anyone.
as I would have loved to just hang out all day. But somebody had to be the whip cracker to keep things moving.

Thanks to everybody again for making this event a huge success, and hope you all and many more come out next year.

I'm still exhausted by the way.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Jeff, you are the man!

My thoughts on Saturday night:

After BTD's BFD was over, I was really fading fast and a little overcome by surf music. Not to mention starving. I decided to make a quick break for it, and went and checked into my hotel. After laying down for 10 minutes and calling my wife and telling her how awesome everything was, I headed back and got some food at Suzy's (thanks Doug!!!).

The Detonators started their set, which was a nice rocking and upbeat affair. Marty Tippens (what can't that guy do?) was playing drums for them. I really enjoyed their spaghetti western tune, Ivan's Big Wave, and I think they played Liquid Chaos. It was true the crowd had thinned a lot since the afternoon, but there was still a decent number of people there, many ordering food. The guys are fun to watch with Billy and Ted obviously having a ton of fun up there.

Pollo Del Mar played next, with I think basically the same set as in San Diego. Once again, another fine performance, with Danny filling in. Ivan once again played Magyara, and I really enjoyed the Frankie & The Pool boys stuff as well as Red Asphalt and Flash of Green.

The Madeira were next and many people decided to gather near the stage for the assault. Baja Marty, the one man party, of course, tried to put his ear as close to Ivan's amp as possible. Once again, the Madeira really killed, and I was having a blast standing so close with Danny, Wooza, Ruhar, Sarah, and TikiTena nearby. Amazing!

The Insect Surfers, with Jon Paul on bass and Marty Tippens on drums, were up for the last set. I had never seen these guys before, so I was really interested in checking them out. I have a few CD's from them, including the fairly recent "Satellite Beach" best-of CD, which is a great introduction to them and I highly recommend. No, these guys aren't trad surf, but a damn fine instro band. And the fun they were having on stage was very infectious. Insect Dave is quite the showman, with lots of funny stage banter and moves. I recognized many of their songs from the best-of CD, and I really dug it. Great job!

What an epic long day! I remember standing out in the dark parking lot talking to various people, including Outsides and Eddie Bertrand (who graciously stayed to watch the Madeira). More fun times.

I think this photo of some very tired but happy surf geeks (plus one surf legend) says it all:

image

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"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea

I already decided what to play next year (rehearsed this time (ha ha)) :
"Guitar Tango" (my own version). Can someone volunteer to play the harmony line with me?.
I will post the video shortly in the "Surf Video" section.
Jeff you started it.

Blessings to everyone.
Abdel

Abdel it's a lot to ask so early but could I play drums for Guitar Tango if I wear my Shaddicks outfit? (long shot to get the Shaddicks but, I'll try if wanted BTW.)

please?

Jeff

Sorry I messed up the quote. I'm learning...

Jeff Utterback

Hi All,

Well … I can’t tell you how much I loved meeting so many people and finally able to put a face to the names.

At the top of the list I want to thank BTD for all the work he did to bring us all together. He worked very, very hard and bless his heart he pulled off an awesome event. Thanks Jeff…..It meant the world to me.

Meeting Brian was one of the great highlights of my day, what a genuine beautiful person you are Brian. Such a gentleman…..without you none of this would have happened. Your one of the best people I know Brian in a lot of ways. I am so very happy you had a good time.

Ivan……..what can I say. It was so cool spending the hours talking together. You have a superb band and your band mates are exceptionally good guys as are you. It was great sitting in the green room at the Sound of Surf filming and talking with all of The Madera….Patrick (who wrote a song that got to my heart, “Undercurrent” truly brought a tear to my eye and that rarely happens) Todd and Dane, the pulse of Madera. You guys ROCK and I am looking forward to great things from you in the future.

The Eliminators..What a great bunch of guys. They have been so very generous with their time and the work they have put forth supporting and backing me. I feel so honored to share the stage with them. I could not have done it without them. An awesome band, to say the least.

Dario my friend…..I am so proud to know you and play through your Amps. Words could never tell how it feels when I hear the sound. It is for me…no joke…A very spiritual feeling. You will never know how relaxed I feel when my sound is right. Thank you my friend for making that a reality. It is exactly like playing though my 62’ Showman Amps Leo gave me….and the tank is to die for.

It’s always special playing music with Paul…my life long pal.

The Secrete Samurai….they sounded great. A real treat to listen to. And then to have the privilege to sit in and do Dark Eyes with them was very cool. Thank you very much guys for having me up, and doing such a good job on Dark Eyes. Ryan, you did awesome.

I want to thank everyone that said such nice things in review of the SG101 Convention.

So many I want to thank for their comments. I will need to go back and re-read this thread and will post more again soon. Jeff “BTD” Hanson you rule!

I feel truly blessed………eddie

Eddie,
thank you for being there, and playing, man.
you rule too.

I'm glad you had a great time, and enjoyed yourself.

I knew that if I did this event, I had to have you, and Slacktone play.
thank you for helping me make that happen.

cheers, Cheers

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Thank you VERY much to both Jeff and Eddie for such kind words. You two are prince among men! Truly. I'm grateful to you for making that weekend one I will never forget.

I realized I didn't really thank many other people who wrote such wonderful things about us in this thread: thanks also to at least Wooza, Danny and Brian, as well as many others who complimented us, I've lost track by now (it's really almost too much!). We greatly appreciate it, and getting so much love from the surf music community makes all this more than worthwhile.

Finally, I think I completely left out any women out of my comments, which is wrong, wrong, wrong! I really enjoyed chatting for a while to both Carol (MomSurfing) and Sarahfromtennessee Laughing . You two are just the best, and your enthusiasm was infectious! It was also great to meet outsides, and see again Karen of MBP, TikiTena, Jamie Machturtle and Linda Miller despite not being able to talk to them very much, which was a bummer.

Wow, I'm still riding high from the memories of a week ago. And far from making me burned out on surf music, I feel as into it as ever! Listening and reading about it every chance i get. Just got finished watching the Pounding Surf (Surf Drumming) DVD, which is amazing!! Really great... Surf music RULES!!!!! I'm sooooo addicted, damn.... Shocked Very Happy

Ivan

Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
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