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It's BAAAAAACK!
After a 2 year hiatus, the annual Surf Guitar 101 Convention returns!
Come celebrate surf music with fellow fanatics at one of Los Angeles's most historic and interesting venues--the Hollywood American Legion Post 43!
Enjoy food and drink and shop at an unprecedented surf music and gear marketplace while listening to some of the best international, national and local bands, right in the heart of Hollywood, CA!
Surfer Joe (Livorno, Italy)
The Nebulas (Providence, R.I.)
The Volcanics (So Cal)
The Mach IV (Nor Cal)
The Scimitars (So Cal)
Tribute to Richard Podolor
Be sure to check out the official website www.sg101convention.com for all the details!
From Grammy dot com:
Take off on a surf odyssey with this collection of 12 bands and 27 [songs] from the Surf [Guitar] 101 Convention with all proceeds benefitting MusiCares.
A new benefit album, Waves Of Care, celebrates surf music for a great cause. Conceived by three-time GRAMMY-winning producer and engineer Mark Linett and acclaimed surf music historian and performer John Blair, the album is out now online and on physical CD, with 100 percent of proceeds from its sale going to benefit MusiCares.
Recorded live by Linett, the album features all 12 bands that performed at the 2018 Surf Guitar 101 Convention as well as three bonus tracks from the 2017 convention. In all, its 27 tracks explore the glorious, reverb-soaked sounds of surf music by bands from the United States, France, Denmark, Canada, and Italy.
Bands featured on Waves Of Care include Fascinating Creatures of The Deep, Black Flamingos, Kaisers of Kalifornia, Tremolo Beer Gut, Sentinals Tribute Band, Frankie & the Pool Boys, Urban Surf Kings, PJ & the Galaxies Tribute Band, Surfer Joe, King Pelican, Les Agamemnonz, Par Avion, Surf Rockers and Blue Hawaiians, who have contributed to the soundtrack of the TV series "Friends" and "SpongeBob SquarePants."
The project celebrates the rich history of instrumental surf music, from its emergence in the early '60s to its resurgence since the late '70s, its heavy use in the 1994 blockbuster film Pulp Fiction and its continued rise in popularity in the era of social media.
"Today, there are hundreds of bands performing and recording surf instrumentals with a growing, global fan base," a statement about the project says. "Some bands maintain a traditional approach to the sound and style, while others take it into slightly progressive territory."
The Surf Guitar 101 Convention, where the album was recorded, is an all-day event that hosts a dozen bands from all over the world and has been held annually since 2008 in Southern California. Additionally, Surf Guitar 101's website serves as the premier social networking hub for surf music.
The proceeds from the digital and physical sales of "Waves of Care" will benefit MusiCares and their continued efforts to help music people in need. Waves Of Care on CD will be available via eBay and www.johnblair.us, while digital downloads will be available on Bandcamp.
Linda and I will be attending the Surf Guitar 101 Convention again this year. It is being held at Alpine Village located in Torrance. We will be there on Saturday the 4th. We will be selling copies of the 3rd edition of Surfiin' Guitars, Surf Raiders CD's and CD's from the 1980's and 1990's. If you have stuff from the Surf Raiders or my book and want autographs, bring it along. There will be some great surf bands at this convention. See you there.
Reverb Nation: Live at the 2017 Surf Guitar 101 Convention
(Entrée ERCD 2001)
Surf instrumental music, as an art form, was established in the early 1960s by bands such as Dick Dale & His Del-Tones, The Chantays, and The Surfaris. That reverbed, guitar-driven instrumental sound blasted out of Southern California over 50 years ago; today, it’s embraced and practiced by hundreds of bands in this country and around the world.
Every summer for the last 10 years, the Surf Guitar 101 Convention has attracted a great many fans to Southern California for a three-day feast of surf music. The event includes dozens of vendors selling CDs, t-shirts, and all sorts of swag related to surf music. The event not only celebrates the music, it also brings together many of those who habit the social networking website, www.surfguitar101.com (after which the Convention was named). It’s a time to renew old friendships and make new ones.
The big draw each year, however, are the many surf instrumental bands invited from all over the country AND the world to perform. The 2017 event featured some of the best surf bands from Southern California that included Outerwave, The Volcanics, The Tequila Worms, Par Avion, and The Insect Surfers (originally formed in 1979, this group is recognized as the longest running modern surf instrumental band). The rest of the country was represented by The Mystery Men (from Georgia), The Atomic Mosquitos (from Washington D.C.), The Exotics (from Wisconsin), and The Madeira (from Indiana).
Since this music has become truly universal, the 2017 Surf Guitar 101 Convention also featured The Kilaueas and The El Caminos. These two bands, from Germany and Japan, respectively, prove that surf instrumental music is not only loved and accepted on the other side of the planet, but the reverence that exists for the music’s traditional sound and style transcends language and cultural barriers.
In 2017, the event attracted the attention of three-time Grammy Award winning producer and engineer Mark Linett, who recorded Friday and Saturday night’s shows, and mixed and produced the tracks. Those performances are represented on the new compilation CD from Entrée Records, “Reverb Nation: Live at the 2017 Surf Guitar 101 Convention.”
The worldwide release date for this CD is 7 August. However, copies will be available at a special price for this year's SG101 Convention on 4 August.
Saturday, August 13, 2016, Noon to Midnight
The 9th Annual Surf Guitar 101 Convention
Alpine Village
833 W. Torrance Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90502
For the 9th year in a row, the global Surf guitar community will focus its attention on its Southern California birthplace as the Surf Guitar 101 Convention takes over Alpine Village on Saturday, August 13, 2016. What began as a fairly intimate gathering of die-hard enthusiasts and members of the Internet's number one resource for all things Surf guitar, surfguitar101.com, has blossomed into the most important event of its kind in the USA.
The 12 hour affair, which runs from Noon to Midnight, will feature one of the greatest lineups of modern Surf instrumental bands from around the globe. This year’s performers include Crazy Aces from Nashville, TN; The Secret Samurai from San Diego, CA; Kelp from Santa Barbara, CA; Tikiyaki 5-0 from Los Angeles, CA; George Tomsco of the legendary group The Fireballs from New Mexico; a historic reunion of the Northern California supergroup The Mach IV and the reunion and 20th anniversary celebration of Washington D.C.'s highly influential Space Cossacks. Representing the international contingent will be the return of Italy's Bradipos IV, the highly anticipated appearance of Russia's masters of horror-Surf, The Messer Chups and the American debut of Dutch trailblazers The Phantom Four, featuring not only Phantom Frank from the legendary Treble Spankers, but very special guest guitarist John Blair, Surf music historian and revival pioneer of Jon & The Nightriders.
In addition to the 10 main performances, there will be an extended live set of music featuring some extremely special guests from the original 60's era bands, an all-star tribute to The Original Surfaris, an exclusive performance by local favorites The Hot Rod Trio demonstrating products by Nocturne, and a generous all-day raffle of sponsorship products that includes prizes ranging from CDs, DVDs, T-Shirts, guitar pedals by Nocturne, guitar and bass accessories from D'Addario, an amplifier by Quilter, a guitar and bass from Fender and a very special exclusive Eastwood Senn Model One guitar!
Alpine Village, the expansive new all-ages venue for the convention, features top-notch international cuisine and beverages, a deli and marketplace, ample parking and spacious areas where vendors from some of the leading Surf instrumental record companies and collectible dealers will gather to sell their wares.
For more information, please see this forum thread.
Direct Inquiries: bigtikidude@yahoo.com
The Surf Guitar 101 2015 Convention will have t-shirts! A Denver based company called ilaughoutloud is bringing a limited number of these, so be sure to purchase early. Shirts are available in a range of adult shirt sizes and will be $20 each. Proceeds of shirt sales help fund the convention! Contact GINNY at imagesinthewind@gmail.com to pre-order and pre-pay with PayPal to be sure your size is available. While supplies last, shirts will be made available three days: Friday night a the Purple Orchid, Saturday at the Convention, and Sunday at the HB Pier Surf show. Pre-order or contact Ginny to let her know you're interested so she can bring enough!
There is more to this story, continue reading ...
We are pleased to announce that the 8th Annual SurfGuitar101 Convention will be taking place on Saturday, August 8th, 9am to 8pm, at the Garden Grove Elks Lodge in Garden Grove, California! Please note the venue change this year!
Once again we have assembled an amazing lineup and have continued our tradition of hosting international bands. This year we have the incredible King of Fuzz Guitar, Davie Allan, celebrating the 50th year of his musical career! We have two bands from Spain: The Longboards and Els A-phonics (who knocked them dead at the Surfer Joe Festival in June). Also on the bill are California legends The Eliminators, the young and brash traditionalists The Volcanics, and the new hotrod surf band Boss Fink (featuring members of The Ghastly Ones and the Huntington Cads). Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia we have the progressive instrumental band Moonbase. From a time and place unknown we have the sci-fi stylings of The TomorrowMen. And it wouldn’t be a true surf guitar convention without the legendary Paul “Mr. Moto” Johnson of the groundbreaking 60’s band The Belairs. Finally we have an all-star tribute to Jim Messina and The Jesters featuring John Blair (Jon & The Nightriders) and Ivan Pongracic (The Space Cossacks, The Madeira).
Also new this year will be a live broadcast and stream courtesy of KFJC and Cousin Mary! KFJC will be broadcasting on 89.7 FM in the Los Altos Hills area as well as streaming audio and video on the ‘net at kfjc.org!
Be sure to get there early for the SG101 members jam (see the links below to sign up).
Once again here is the lineup followed by the venue details:
Garden Grove Elks Lodge #1952
11551 Trask Avenue
Garden Grove, Ca. 92843
(714) 534-0226
Doors open at 9am, music begins at 10am and runs to 8pm. Cost is $30 at the door. The Elks Lodge is an all-ages, family friendly venue that will have food and beverage available all day!
In addition to the music we’ll have vendors selling surf music and surf related items. Check out these raffle items thanks to our generous sponsors:
For more information please see these links:
As usual there will be plenty of amazing shows before and after the convention, including a convention after party and a Huntington Beach pier show the following day.
Saturday, August 1, 1pm: The Longboards, Brodaddy at Little Louis BBQ, 2455 Winchester Blvd, Campbell, CA, littlelouisbbq.com
Saturday, August 1, 7pm: The Longboards live on KFJC, 89.7 FM in Los Altos Hills, CA, and live streamed at kfjc.org
Sunday, August 2, 3pm: The Longboards, The TomorrowMen, The Neptunes, Forbidden Island, 1304 Lincoln Ave, Alameda CA, forbiddenislandalameda.com
Tuesday, August 4, 8pm: The Longboards, Fascinating Creatures of the Deep, The Crow’s Nest, 2218 E Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz, CA, crowsnest-santacruz.com
Wednesday, August 5, 9pm: The Longboards, 3 Balls of Fire, The Tiki Creeps, The Redwood Bar & Grill, 316 W 2nd St, Downtown Los Angeles, theredwoodbar.com
Thursday, August 6, 8pm: The Longboards, The Tomorrowmen, The Pike, 1836 E 4th St, Long Beach, CA, pikelongbeach.com
Friday, August 7, 9pm: The Longboards, The TomorrowMen, Moonbase, Insect Surfers, The Purple Orchid, 221 Richmond St, El Segundo, CA
Friday, August 7, 9pm: The Phantom Surfers, Els A-phonics, The Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave, Albany, CA
Saturday, August 8, 9pm, The Official SG101 Convention After Party w/Tikiyaki 5-0 and Los Venturas, Surf Dogs, 5932 Warner Ave, Huntington Beach, CA, surfdogshb.com
Sunday, August 9, 11am, The Reventlos, Jim Messina & His Jesters Tribute, Moonbase, The TomorrowMen, Els A-Phonics, Los Venturas, The Longboards, Huntington Beach Pier
Sunday, August 9, 7pm, The Official SG101 Convention Wind Down Party and Jam Session, Outerwave at 7pm, Jam session at 8pm, Surf Dogs, 5932 Warner Ave, Huntington Beach, CA, surfdogshb.com
Thursday, August 13, 9pm: The Phantom Surfers, Els A-phonics, The Unclaimed, Viva Cantina, 900 W Riverside Dr, Burbank, CA
Many thanks to our sponsors: Reverb Junkies, Double Crown Records, D’Addario, Dionysus Records, The Surf King Surfwear, Radio Free Bakersfield, MuSick Recordings, Eastwood Guitars, North Sea Surf Radio, The Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum, Kustom Deluxe, Surfer Joe Music Festival, Nocturne Pedals, KFJC 89.7 FM, Fiberglass Jungle, Green Cookie Records, Surfy Bear, Caveman Vintage Music, and Lee Joseph Reverberations Media.
There is more to this story, continue reading ...
7TH ANNUAL SURF GUITAR 101 CONVENTION
Saturday, August 9, 2014
8AM-8PM
The Starting Gate
5052 Katella Ave.
Los Alamitos, CA 90720
These days, just about everyone is familiar with the twangy, reverb-drenched plunk, undulating whammy bar and machine-gun staccato commonly known as “Surf Guitar.” It’s become one of the staple sounds chosen to set the mood for commercials, television programs and feature films by music supervisors and sound designers the world over. Whether it’s conjuring the feelings of Summer, the beach, the old West, outer space, a desolate desert, or the adventures and intrigue of an international super spy, that quintessential “Surf Guitar” sound is somewhere in the background.
Lesser known, however, is the fact that there are legions of fanatics spanning the globe that share a deep passion and sometimes obsession for this 50-plus year old Southern California art form. These die-hard fans keep the genre and its associated culture very much alive and thriving through internet communication, annual meetings, specialty radio programs, and an ever-growing network of performers, collectors and instrument aficionados. Since 2006, the single most important internet resource for everything Surf guitar has been Surfguitar101.com, and for the past 6 years, its official annual convention has been the most important gathering in the United States for anyone interested in this very specific musical style.
2014’s 7th annual Surf Guitar 101 Convention is slated to be the greatest and most well-attended to date. Headlining this year is none other than local Southern California legends Slacktone (slacktone.com), the Surf trio considered by many to have set the bar for all modern Surf bands with their jaw-dropping display of technical proficiency, attention to tone and sheer power. Making their way down from Seattle for a very special reunion performance comes The Boss Martians (facebook.com/bossmartians), who exploded onto the scene in the early 90s with their traditional sound featuring organ. From Japan, for the first time in many years with another historic reunion performance is The Surf Coasters (surfcoasters.com), one of the most prolific of all Surf bands, releasing upwards of 25 recordings since their formation in 1994. Debuting their brand-new full-length album Wiki Waki Woooo comes The Kilaueas (facebook.com/thekilaueas), all the way from Germany, who have been thrilling audiences with their energetic live shows and impeccable vintage tones. Making their California debut is The Supertones from New York, one of the longest running modern Surf bands, a staple of the East Coast scene since 1988. Back to the convention from Northern California to wow audiences once again comes instrumental supergroup Frankie & The Poolboys (facebook.com/frankieandthepoolboys), whose latest album The Adventures of Cap’n Coconuts has been consistently high on international critics’ lists. Up from the San Diego area comes first-wave legend Tom Stanton leading his trio The Surf Kings, who’ll present their special brand of heavy, moody Surf. And last, but certainly not least comes the intensity of power Surf trio Threesome (threesomeband.com), fresh off of a European tour in support of their latest EP, On Tour. Live performances will also include an all-star tribute to first-wave pioneers The Atlantics of Australia, featuring members of The Madeira, The TomorrowMen and Insect Surfers, and a special showcase by one of the originators of Surf music, the creator of “Mr. Moto” himself, Paul Johnson.
In addition to the live performaces, the all-day event will feature a Surf music marketplace, with one of the greatest vending areas of Surf-related CDs, records, books, magazines, posters, clothing, instruments, accessories and other collectibles anywhere! Of special note will be in-person signings by Sven Kirsten, who’ll be signing his new Taschen book Tiki Pop, and Dominic Priore, who’ll be signing his new book Pacific Ocean Park: The Rise And Fall of Los Angeles’ Space Age Nautical Pleasure Pier. Confirmed vendors also include Double Crown Records, Surf King Surf Wear, Dionysus Records, MuSick Recordings, Reverb Junkies DVD, Pounding Surf DVD, Paul Johnson and many more!
And, true to the old saying that there’s something for everyone, thanks to the generosity of major sponsors such as Fender, D’Addario, Eastwood and others, attendees will not only have the opportunity to receive free products, but also enter raffles to win exceptional prizes such as actual Surf guitars! Up for grabs will be a Fender Classic Player Jaguar set up by Slacktone’s Dave Wronski, an Eastwood Sidejack DLX in greenburst, a custom Atomic Brain pedal by Nocturne, and a deluxe accessory package from D’Addario, among many other wonderful prizes!
Bring the kids, listen to the amazing live music, shop ‘till you drop and meet and greet some of Surf music’s most important personalities, all within steps of a full kitchen and bar, in the air-conditioned comfort of Los Alamitos’ Starting Gate. It’s reverb-drenched fun for the whole family! Tickets available at the door.
There is more to this story, continue reading ...
I guess it is about time we put something on the home page about the amazing SurfGuitar101.com convention #5, which is Saturday, August 11, 2012 in Los Alamitos, California! Luckily, Jonpaul has created a great convention website with all the details: the bands, the venue, the sponsors, directions, info on raffles, a schedule, videos, and much, much more!
Please visit The Official SurfGuitar101.com Convention website!
For questions, comments, and further discussion, please visit the SG101 Convention #5 forum thread.
This year's convention is dedicated to the memory of our dear friend and surf music mega-fan, Baja Marty, who passed away recently. If you would like to give a donation to Marty's family, you can do so via Paypal. Thank you.
A big thank you to Jonpaul for creating the website.
Want to know what to expect at this year's SurfGuitar101 convention in August? Well how about a nice little preview put together by Jeff "Bigtikidude" and Whorehay? Check out this awesome SG101 Convention #5 Promo show on this week's Radio Free Bakersfield! Here is a direct link to the MP3 file. Check out songs from all the bands scheduled to appear at the convention as well as get the low down on the shows on and around the big convention day. Thanks Jeff and Whorehay!
