Thanks Dave !

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Yes thanks Dave for the videos!

I'm so far behind! Urgh...

Brian's trip report part 4: Friday Night @ The Barkley in Pasadena

So after leaving BTD's BBQ bash, we fought some traffic and headed to Pasadena to The Barkley. This is a neighborhood restaurant & bar that is owned, I believe, by Frankie of The Volcanics and his brother. There was a cool Volcanics poster outside on the wall.

When Dane, Ivan, Danny & I got there, the rest of Frankie & The Poolboys were already there along with The Surf Coasters and Warren, aka Captain Springfield. It was so great to see Warren again as I saw him last back in June at the Madeira / Volcanos / Mystery Men show in Indy. Ivan, Warren, Dane, & I sat in a crowded booth and had dinner while talking mostly about heavy metal music, Europe & Scotland, and other random things. Good times!

There is no real stage at the Barkley, you just play in an open space up front by the door. It is also pretty dark in there.

Frankie & The Poolboys were up first. I have seen them several times. I think they played the 2010 convention and surrounding dates. But it was quite apparent they had "leveled up" to use nerdy gamer speak since then. Wow, I was completely blown away by the performance and sound of the band. Ferenc is one of thee best songwriters in our little genre and I was so thrilled to hear songs like The Raven, Teke Teke Teke, Magyara, Ewa on the Beach, & Finito Bandido. From the latest masterpiece album "The Adventures of Cap'n Coconuts" they played the Cap'n Coconuts TV Theme, Skinny Dippin' (one of my favorite songs), Organic Matters featuring Karen, plus Danny got to shine on his own Ripley in Love and on The Phantom Frank track Dead Man Surfin'. The band sounded very muscular with the powerhouse rhythm section of Dusty Watson (!!) and Deadbeat Abraham on bass. Man those guys worked so well together! As noted by others Ferenc was sounding fantastic during this little tour with his red Strat and Vibroverb. He had a very juicy and powerful tone that cut right through the band. They also really floored me by playing some really cool 1st wave surf tracks including a cover of Moment of Truth (one of my favorite 60's tunes). Here Karen did the plinky plink piano part as well as the sax sounding part on the organ. It was so freaking cool! I knew this set was going to be good but they really knocked it out of the park. Great job!

Up next were The Surf Coasters from Tokyo Japan! Woot! I had seen them back in 2004 during their first tour at the Brookdale Lodge and Sacramento. This time they had a new drummer and a 2nd guitar player! The band stuck to a strictly surf set which you can see highlights of in the attached Lost In Paradise video. Just keep in mind it was about 20x better in person. The band was just as tight as ever and the new drummer was so precise and on the money. Someone later said she was a pro drummer back in Japan and it was very easy to believe. Her name was Cozy and she, along with Jovana, made it 2 female drummers during the convention. Cool! She wasn't flashy like Jovana but man she was so fun to watch (and damn cute). When the 3 guitar players were doing their Mach IV inspired "typewriter" during Surf Party she would turn her head to the side synchronized with the guitar players. Ha! What can I say about a Surf Coasters performance that isn't obvious to everyone already? They are tons of fun, flashing smiles, and playing so freaking effortlessly with jaw dropping musicianship (see for example the mind blowing version of Bumble Bee Twist). Cozy did the talking between songs in halting English and the crowd just loved them. The place was packed during their set, I'm not sure where everyone came from and I certainly didn't notice them coming in. They did their insanely funny crowd pleasing "Beach Monster" bit with Kuri (the bass player) sighting the monster and he and the rest of the band doing the "Rrrrroooooaaaaars". It was a whirlwind set and it was all too soon over. This was the only set of the 3 that I saw where they played Misirlou, complete with Shigeo's over the top and under the fretboard fretting hand gymnastics. Insane! I wish Baja Marty could have seen that one more time. What a set! Wow!

I'm not sure how you could top that and Casino 66 didn't even try. They came on next and started playing a set of moody, soundtrack-y, and just damn too cool for school instro tunes. It was a great way to wind down after the energy of the Surf Coasters. The lead guitar player is the legendary Chris Barfield who played in the Finks and The Huntington Cads. He's an amazingly tasteful, smooth, and talented guitar player. I really wanted to pick up a CD but I was surprised to learn they don't have one!

We stayed for probably more than 1/2 their set but everyone was dead tired and we still had to drive back to Los Alamitos and get up early for the convention the next day. So unfortunately we left a bit early but it was definitely a very unforgettable evening for me.

Thanks for reading.

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 21, 2014 20:23:50

IvanP wrote:

So, Ferenc, will you give us your take on the convention, getting F&tPB going with Dusty as well as traveling with the Surf Coasters? Would love to hear it!

I think the thing that needs to be appreciated the most about the Surf Coasters visit is how difficult it was for them to pull off, at a large personal expense. It really was touch and go for a long time, and at one point they flat out said they couldn't come. All of the band except Shigeo have regular jobs, and in Japan, you only get 5 days vacation. So for them to give up 4 days is a big deal, especially for Kuri who has a family. Air flights are very expensive in the summer, which is why, in the past, they have always toured in the fall or spring.
The original plan was for them to fly into LA on Thursday and chill, but an offer from the Double Down in Las Vegas came through, so the band was supposed to connect from LAX and arrive in LV at 4:30... but the flight was delayed 4 hours, and then their manager's bag didn't arrive. We didn't make it to the LV hotel until 9:30, so the band only had an hour to relax after 20 hours of travel time. But, the band was extremely happy to be in the USA and their enthusiasm carried them easily.
Arriving at a packed, packed Double Down, it was great to see so many familiar faces, and that the air conditioning was blasting. I missed the opener, but the Boss Martians were all set up, and words can't express just how great they were (and at the convention as well). I think they have one more show planned in the surf format in Seattle, it would well be worth flying there to see them if you missed these shows. Every single aspect of their performance was perfect- tones, playing, looks, singing- just nailed!
Then the Surf Coasters played, and I don't know where they found the energy, but they absolutely ripped. I was very happy to see them dig out so many of their classics and crowd pleasers. While I enjoyed Shigeo's more progressive efforts (Outside Break and the Naka Shigeo Group CDs) they didn't really go over well with the US audiences on their last tour here. Every body dug this set, and the DD stayed packed until the last song.
[It might be of interest for you to know that Morley and Kozui were members of the NSG, and agreed to perform as the Surf Coasters. Kozui is not a studio drummer, but a middle school teacher (English, ahem). And, I hope you noticed that Morley is a ripping guitarist in his own right- did you watch him play harmony lead with Shigeo on Bumble Bee?]
On Friday, we tried to leave Vegas early but caught inexplicable traffic just outside town. Still, we had time to stop at my favorite, The Mad Greek, in Baker (temp on the world's tallest thermometer: 104). then it was a slog over the hills and many freeway changes to get to Los Alamitos and Don's Turf Motel. This is a great place, I highly recommend it, and they LOOOOVE the SG101 Con!
Another slog up to Pasadena (where people are abundantly watering their lawn- WTF???) and warmly met at The Barkley Restaurant. It is such a pleasure to be treated so well by a club- the food was great, everybody happy to have a loud rock band play. Though there was stiff competition from the Purple Orchid show, the Barkley was nicely packed.

Until 2 weeks prior to this gig, Rikki Watson was supposed to be the drummer for the Pool Boys, but she started to feel overwhelmed with her job starting up and commitments with her new band The Two Tens, so she asked if Dusty could fill in. Dusty spent significant time relearning the songs (though he recorded them, it takes a while for the muscle memory to fix to make a confident live show.) We only had one rehearsal before the Surf Spot show, and to be honest, I was really worried because both Lorenzo and Evan told me how much their groups had been rehearsing, so I was feeling the squeeze to get tight. I think Ivan and the Atlantics Tribute Band had more rehearsal time than we did. Anyway, I'm very happy with our performances. One of the key things for me was seeing that Shigeo kept my amp on 6-8, I usually keep it at 3-4 'cause I don't want to blast every body out, but what the hell, I kept the VibroVerb cranked for all 3 shows and was quite happy with the tones. My apologies for keeping the song list the same for all the shows, we just don't have the history with Dusty to pull out more tunes.
Super Surfday Saturday
I made it to the Starting Gate in time for the member jam, which is ALWAYS my favorite part of the day. I'd like to see fewer "pros" and a wider variety of our diverse SG101 membership play, but that's my humble opinion. After that, the day is a blur. Obviously The Atlantics tribute was wonderful and a real highlight of the entire weekend. It was a tremendous line-up and so many, many cool people to catch up with. I can't believe how quick the day went, but it wasn't over as we headed to the Pike for The El Caminos and the Dynotones. Of course, The El Caminos and the Surf Coasters know each other from Japan, and the SC's manager and Eddie Ugata from the ECs discovered that they went to the same high-school. Small world.
The weather at Huntington was absolutely spectacular! What a perfect day. Another brilliant performance by The Atlantics Tribute. The El Caminos sounded so much better today than last night. It may sound odd, but I am rarely happy with my live performances, but I would actually listen to the Pool Boys set from the Pier. I really have to hand it to Danny, Abe, Dusty and Karen, they were so tight. Thank you! Our set ended with "Surf Party" and we were joined by a hall of fame lineup of surf musicians to do the "typewriter".
Another great set by The Kilaueas (hint to Ralf: line up your belly dancers before you start playing-- you probably could have got the bikini'd hula-hoop woman up there). After their set, lots of pictures. It was especially cool for Sean Berry to have so many Double Crown Records artists there, that crew made for a great label pic.
But it wasn't over yet folks! We went to Don the Beachcomber for the jam. I got to play with none other than the Big Tiki Dude on bass for one song. It was a blast... special tip of the hat to Dave Becker for his versatility and knowledge, and Bruce Brewington for confidently nailing "Our Favortie Martian" one of my all time Top 10 surf songs. But all our efforts paled in comparison to watching Ivan, with Max, Kuri and Kozui, absolutely kill "Intruder" with Shigeo filming it mere feet away. The pressure, the grace, the precision, the balls-- Ivan I salute you.
And then... the last reverb crashed and summer ended, poof.
The good news is that the Surf Coasters had a great time and will absolutely make an effort to stage a small tour in the near future.

Buy Speed of Dark @ Bandcamp
Buy Spin the Bottle @ Bandcamp
My Blog- Euro Tour Blog
Pool Boys on Spotify
INSTAGRAM
Frankie & The Pool Boys on FB
Pollo Del Mar on FB
DJ Frankie Pool Boy on North Sea Surf Radio

Last edited: Aug 22, 2014 12:30:02

Fantastic, Ferenc, thank you! Really glad to get the clarifications on some of these things regarding the Surf Coasters. I cannot express fully how wonderful it was to see them play again! They simply blew me away - as did you guys (F&tPB)! What an amazing weekend, hard to believe two weeks have already passed since then....

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

THANK YOU BTD & BRIAN NEAL

Thanks to eeeeeeeeeeeverybody!!!

We had SUCH a fantastic nice time in California!!! Best tour ever!
So many nice people we met!!!

I feel still jetlagged and need a bit more time for hanging out my overlasted brain…
I also will write my experiences to the forum here. in a few days.

Hug California!

Twang cheers!

Ralf Kilauea

www.kilaueas.de

https://kilaueas.bandcamp.com/album/touch-my-alien

Still trying to catch my breath and decompress from the month-long craziness, but just had to say thanks and give tremendous props to THEE one and only BigTikiDude for once again organizing an event that helps us all remember how wonderful it is to be alive! It's been said a million times, but for good reason--this gathering is about so much more than just the amazing music from all over the world. It is about human nature, friendship, love, bonding, sharing, laughing, crying--you name it, it runs the gamut of human experience. It's a family reunion, anniversary, birthday, wedding and aural orgy all rolled into one!

Most sincere respect and admiration to everyone that attended, donated, helped behind the scenes, performed and made this event the best yet! On a personal note...I cannot express enough what an honor it was to make music with Ivan, Danny and Dane in The Atlantics tribute and Uros and Jovana in Threesome. It was easily some of the most rewarding musical experience I've ever had and I am so humbled and grateful to have been a part of it!

Giant group hug! Counting the days until next time...
Jonpaul

PS....I'll say it again and again...there truly is no greater community and musical family than Surf Guitar 101!

Insect Surfers
The Tikiyaki Orchestra
The Scimitars
Lords Of Atlantis
Fiberglass Jungle - Surf Radio

JONPAUL wrote:

On a personal note...I cannot express enough what an honor it was to make music with Ivan, Danny and Dane in The Atlantics tribute and Uros and Jovana in Threesome. It was easily some of the most rewarding musical experience I've ever had and I am so humbled and grateful to have been a part of it!

Jonpaul, you totally earned it, you blew EVERYBODY away - I'm in complete awe of how great your playing was with both bands, especially considering how complex and difficult - and different from each other - the parts were . Who does that???? Really, I'm astounded. All I can tell you is that not only was the honor ours, so was the pleasure! I loved playing with you, and I sure hope we get to do it again - soon!

Now GO GET SOME REST, BROTHER!! You've truly earned it! (And BTW, thanks so much for your very kind remarks on Fiberglass Jungle today, I was very touched.)

Giant group hug! Counting the days until next time...

Indeed!!! What, only 50 weeks to go? Piece of cake, it'll be here again before we know it (that is, if all of us east of the Mississippi survive one more winter like the last one, according to the Farmer's Almanac....)!

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

PolloGuitar wrote:

Snippets of the Surf Coasters tour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyqt5kThzW4&feature=youtu.be

Such a cool, cool video! Just watched it again. Ferenc, what is the song played in the video? Somebody in the comments says it's a new song - new Surf Coasters song? I like it! I had no idea they were recording anything, though.

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

Two Convention videos from the
THE SURF KINGS