I'm still buzzin' from my May 3 2014 SURF-ROCK SHINDIG at OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD!! 5 Bands playing with high intensity, an over-packed house, shredding, Polynesian insanity, mayhem. For starters.

The Event as I've announced earlier (and I thank Brian again for posting that special News Item about what's going on with my Shindigs in May and June 2014), this was the first of 2 successive months to commemorate my 10-Year Anniversary of presenting my Shindigs on a regular monthly basis, pretty much without a break! I'm very proud of this. It has certainly brought a lot of attention in the NY Tri-State Area to the powers of something we all of love here -- instrumental surf music. MORE REVERB!!

I literally set out to create a "Surf Scene", and lo and behold, I have! Of course I did not do it alone. So many bands and musicians, the coverage and support in the Yahoo Surf Groups, and this incredible website, the Fans who return to Otto's to have unadulterated fun, Otto's Shrunken Head and its wonderful staff, The North East Surf Music Alliance (NESMA), and I could go on and on. BLESSINGS to MIKE "STACCATO" ROSADO and his wonderful wife SANDY "OCEANA", and their band NINTH WAVE. Quick shout-out to TAVARU which let me host my first 2 shows there in 2004 (the SUPERTONES and then THE CLAMS -- who both performed Saturday nite!).

And then there's Facebook (and MySpace before it), the many "Friends" I have there, which had me create a second "Page" there (as a "Public Figure") to accommodate as many people as I could. There are the Festivals all over the world I get to attend sometimes (and even Guest Emcee -- a thrill beyond belief). It has opened a whole new world for me; the Surf Community is a loving, giving, breathing entity. Knowing so many of you from all over the world ... I never would have thought this was imaginable. It's led me also to have, at one time, 3 active Internet Radio Shows to spread "the surf gospel". I thank Phil Dirt for putting me on his amazing radio show LIVE when I visited there (was that 2005?). What an honor. I came back to help celebrate the big musical party thrown for him at the Brookdale Lodge (did I get that right?). Big Tiki Dude, Baja Marty, Lorenzo Surfer Joe and brother Luca (and you too Mommy!), the city of Livorno Italy and all the world-wide surf bands who've played there, Tiki Tena, the Purple Orchid, hey even The Surfing Rabbi!! I have introduced THE VENTURES three times now at BB KINGS NYC, and each time I did this, I was in tears. Was I dreaming? Establishing friendships with Linda and John Miller and all they do for the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum!! And of course others who "started all of this" and "kicked it back up" -- Dick (and Lana) Dale, Paul PJ Moto Johnson, The Atlantics, Eddie Bertrand, Bob Spickard, John Blair. Special Hello to DEKE DICKERSON too!!). I gotta stop there b/c there are way too many more names to state (sort of...), plus I don't want to leave anyone out.

Bottom line: I am blessed to have all of this in my life. I still have my 45 RPM singles from the "First Wave"!! I'm old enough to remember "what was" - I was fascinated with those drippy guitar sounds and reverb and the surf beat even as a little kid. When I got "clean and sober" in 1998 (and I remained 'in recovery' miraculously ever since!!), I literally started "hearing surf music" in my head. NON-STOP. FOR REAL. It was a calling. A highly spiritual one.

A special comment necessary here to also mention I was able to establish a little 'record company', called LIFEGUARD RECORDS (I wanted a "surf-sounding label name, and I thought that worked well). I met DAVIE ALLAN (a childhood hero) at a 2004 Festival in Calella Spain outside of Barcelona. That in turn led us to a friendship which I still am thrilled is intact with his lovely wife Janine. I was miraculously able to have 2 LPs by DAVIE ALLAN & THE ARROWS released on Lifeguard, and distributed/marketed by SPINOUT RECORDS (owned and operated by EDDIE and his WIFE MELANIE, ANGEL!). And bringing DAVIE together with his "new Arrows" -- SAM BOLLE and DUSTY WATSON was a mind-blowing moment for me (and for DAVIE, trust me!!). And thanks to Pete Curry for also being an Arrow (you too Burnin' Mike Vernon!).

Special shout out to EDDIE ANGEL and DANNY AMIS (Daddy O Grande), PETE CURRY (Mr Pete), JASON SMAY (Teen Beat), CHRIS "SUGARBALLS" SPRAGUE, GREG TOWNSON (Gregorio), JIMMY LESTER (gotta add THE WORLD FAMOUS PONTANI SISTERS). There is a very special place in my heart for LOS STRAITJACKETS. And like THE VENTURES (and certainly THE SHADOWS, who I just love!), they are essentially NOT a "surf band" - but arguably just brilliant bands who play "instrumental music" (though there are plenty of splashes of surf, pun intended) -- I just love 'em. It is quite an honor to be called by EDDIE ANGEL the band's "UBER-FAN". Just awesome.

OK OK ENOUGH ALREADY.

I shot 8 videos last night. Without further ado, here they are!!!!!!!!

THE CLAMS -- "TEQUILA"
http://youtu.be/6rNHHHiQRWE

THE CLAMS -- "CLAM NEBULA"
http://youtu.be/S7vfaWZwQ-k

THE HOWLIN' THURSTONS -- "DEUCES WILD"
http://youtu.be/czXIdCT_-Sg

THE SUPERTONES -- "MOONSHOT"
http://youtu.be/tUMEVx06BKs

THE SUPERTONES -- "PARANOID"
http://youtu.be/VA1zBBFFO0M

THE COFFIN DAGGERS -- "GHOST TRAIN"
http://youtu.be/EdqCsoxfdgs

THE COFFIN DAGGERS -- "THREE BLUE STARS"
http://youtu.be/Hkx4qSQAPAk

EL MUCHACHO -- "ASTRONUT"
http://youtu.be/QKWLCxurWSE

AND SPEAKING OF VIDEO -- THANKS TO ALL OF YOU, AND YOUR SUPPORT FOR ALL MY VIDEOS -- LIVE SHOOTINGS, SHOWS ALL OVER THE PLACE, ARCHIVAL STUFF, FOR SURE. MY CHANNEL JUST CROSSED OVER SIX MILLION VIDEO VIEWS!! That's like, HOLY SHIT Time! http://www.youtube.com/unsteadyfreddie.

UNSTEADY FREDDIE

P.S. check out the N.E.S.M.A.'s website, where I am the current "Featured" Person of the Month (May 2014); had a lot of fun doing this! http://www.nesmasurf.org/featured_band.htm

and one FINAL SHOUT-OUT to my Higher Power, whom I choose to refer to as "The Great Spirit" -- for helping me alone the way; getting me to the right doctors at the Livorno Italy Hospital which in turn helped me literally save my own life with the help of my self-medication. And I better mention The Tiki Gods (and the "Tiki Scene", Tiki Oasis, etc) which have certainly propped me up. BLESSINGS

http://www.facebook.com/unsteady.freddie

Last edited: May 05, 2014 00:13:55