The Ultimate Nullifier

Rare MC5 photos from West Park Ann Arbor + More!

2011-10-08T08:50:00.000-07:00

Hey fellow rockers,
Have I got a treat for you today. Check out these rare photos of the MC5 rocking out in West Park. My good friend Sean Carroll hooked me up with these pics. The story behind these photos is sort of strange. Back in the late 70's a friend of Sean's had to split town in hurry and gave Sean some stuff to hold onto for safe keeping. Unfortunately (or fortunately for us) his friend never returned for his stuff. Among the items was a roll of film simply dated May 1969. It ended up in a storage box at Sean's place for 40 years until one day after some spring cleaning he rediscovered the film roll and decided to see what was on there and had it developed. To his surprise the film contained photos of an MC5 performance at West Park in Ann Arbor from May 1969. Sean was gracious enough to pass some prints on to me, so now we can all enjoy!

Up first is a shot of (future) Stooges sax player
Steve Mackay performing with opening group Carnal Kitchen.

The MC5 take the stage!

Rob Tyner and Fred "Sonic" Smith

Wayne Kramer

The photo above of Rob Tyner is really interesting because one can see a teenage Deniz Tek in the audience wearing dark aviator sunglasses. I showed this photo to Deniz and he confirmed that this is him in the crowd.

Fred "Sonic" Smith

Wayne Kramer

Dennis "Machine Gun" Thompson

These next MC5 photos I purchased off of ebay a while back. Not sure who the photographer is but I believe these are from a show in Cleveland in 1968.

Finally here are some photos from the Rob Tyner Memorial Concert that took place Feb. 22, 1992. This was the last time that the group played together with Fred Smith. Photos by Brian (?)

Stay alive with the MC5!

-Chris

Radio Birdman on tour July 2007.

2011-10-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

Thought I would post some photos from these two shows. Radio Birdman did a US tour in the summer of 2007. My buddy Sean Carroll and I went to Cleveland on July 7th to see them at the Beachland Ballroom with Easy Action opening the show. Powertrane opened for RB the next night at the Blind Pig. The trip to Cleveland was well worth it. All photos by Sean Carroll.

Here is Easy Action at the Beach Land Ballroom ripping shit up like they do.

Harold (EA, guitar) and I after their performance.

Then came Radio Birdman, doing what they do best.

Rob Younger and Chris Masuak

Chris Masuak

So at one point something happened in the audiance and Chris got really pissed off and was going to smash some guy in the face with his guitar. I love the look and Deniz Tek's face.

Luckily no actual violence went down.

Deniz Tek does damage with his guitar.

It was a fantastic show.

The next night promised to be even better!

I designed this poster for the event with some help from Big Tony.

Hanging out before the show.

Karen and Nikki Corvette excited about the new Radio Birdman 7".

Powertrane opened the show.

(L-R) Chris Taylor, Dave Knepp, Robert Gillespie, Scott Morgan.

Radio Birdman put forth an inspired performance for the Ann Arbor show.

Deniz Tek, Rob Younger, Chirs Masuak

Jim Dickson -Bass, Russell Hopkinson -drums, Deniz Tek -guitar.

Radio Birdman was on fire during this show. The twin guitar attack was intense! I'm so glad to have witnessed this show!

-Chris

Summer's gone...

2011-09-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

I know, I haven't been here in a long while. Being a new dad with an active social life will do that.
Here is what I've been up to all summer.

I also finally completed this project. You can now buy the Blue Snaggletooth album Dimension Thule on blue vinyl with an awesome black light silk screened cover. Big thanks to Jeremy and Jef.

It took a lot of work and effort and couldn't have happened with out Arbco Records and my friends.

I still need to post a link so folks can order the vinyl. If you just want to buy the tracks go over here
The next Blue Snaggletooth show is Friday Oct 14th as a part of Ypsi Fest 2011, taking place at Woodruff's. You should go. The event will feature tons of great local bands. It runs Oct 12-15th.

I'm going to try to blog here more often, so stay tuned.
-Box

April 2011 = Real Cool Time!

2011-05-02T07:16:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks,

Things have been non stop crazy at the Taylor household this past month.

My wife and I now have a little baby boy.

(photo by Amanda Zee)

He is perfect! His birth went off without a hitch. His mother is recovering well and her and the baby were home after two days. It's been a magical time.

The day before the little guy was born, I was hanging out at the Stooges rehearsal for their big show honoring Ron Asheton at the Michigan Theater. I provided a guitar rig for my pal Deniz Tek, who sat in with the Stooges for part of the show.

Meeting James Williamson was really cool!

April 19th- After working all day and visiting the family at the hospital, I went to see the Stooges. It was epic, every Ann Arbor rocker's dream come true gig. The only thing that could have made it better would have been to actually have Ron there and I believe he was in a spiritual form. You should go read Jeremy Wheeler's awesome review of the show.

April 22- Friday after the show, I accomplished a major personal musical goal. After ten years of missed opportunities, I was finally able to have Deniz Tek to come into the studio and cut some lead guitar tracks on a Mazinga song.

Deinz playing my 65' Epiphone Wilshire.

(L-R, Big Tony, Deinz, Al King, Pete Bankert, Me)

We do plan on releasing it asap. As usual it comes down to money and time. When we get those two things together then the Mazinga album will be completed and released.

So that was April 2011.
Up next is May, and that means MOTOR CITY COMIC CON!
I can't wait.

Mazinga Recording! 12/14/10

2010-12-17T08:32:00.000-08:00

Howdy folks,

Mazinga started recording last Tuesday with Jef Jenkins. He's got a crazy old school 4 track set up down in his Michigan basement. We tracked 5 tunes in under 3 hours. It went really well. Going back soon to add vocals and overdubs. We hope to have the jams out to the people by Feb/March on Jef's Arbco label.

^me rocking out.

^Big Tony

Al King on the drums.

Stay tuned.

Baby time, recording, and walking the dog.

2010-12-09T09:27:00.000-08:00

Hey folks,
I haven't been blogging much lately because I've just been to busy. So I thought it was time to drop a little update on what's been going on.

First off, my wife Theresa is pregnant with our first child, Asheton Kiefer Taylor.

The little guy is due in late April and we couldn't be more excited! We've been doing a lot of nest building in preparation of his arrival. We've already got tons of baby clothes and the crib is all set up. We're going to be painting Asheton's room sometime in Jan. It's going to be blue with an ocean theme. A baby on the way means big life changes coming up soon.

On the music front, Blue Snaggletooth entered the recording studio this week at Metro 37 Studios. Kevin Sharpe was behind the mixing counsel. We did two marathon sessions on Monday and Wednesday evenings, starting at 8pm and going till around 2-3am each night. In that time we were able to complete all the basic tracks on 8 songs the first night. The majority of the overdubs were completed on the second night. The plan now is to mix down the Monday after x-mas. I'm really happy with how things have turned out so far and I can't wait to finish up the album and get it out so people can hear it.

^Matchless in the house! What a great sounding amp! Metro 37 has got that and more! I totally recommend recording there.

^Jess was rocking in style with this half stack. I wish we could afford awesome gear like this. That is part of why we went to Metro 37. Kevin had the gear and the skills to make us sound killer!

^Kevin doing what he does best.

My other group Mazinga will also be recording this month with our pal Jef Jenkins at his home studio in Ann Arbor. We've got enough songs for a full length right now. We'll see how the recordings turn out and go from there. I would love to see both bands release albums before the baby is born. So far so good on that plan.

Other then all that, my time mostly consists of working my day job and walking our dog Coco.

Having a dog has turned out to be a blessing and tons of fun. She is always happy and ready to play. Yeah she gets a little puppy crazy sometimes, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Ypsifest 2010 This weekend!

2010-10-12T12:24:00.001-07:00

Howdy folks.

Ypsifest 2010 is going down this weekend at the Savoy in Ypsilanti.
My group Blue Snaggletooth will be headlining on Friday night.

Each night is $6. The doors will open at 6:00pm each night, and music will start at 8:00 (7:40 on Thursday). There will also be drink specials from 6:00 until 8:00. 18 and up are welcome.

Thursday October 14, 2010

The Muggs 1:00 ->

The Boys Themselves 12:20-12:50

Rust Country Electric 11:40-12:10

Electric Fire Babies 11:00-11:30

Ola Ray 10:20-10:50

Annie Palmer 9:40-10:10

Wrathgate 9:00-9:30

Woodman 8:20-8:50

Marc Cogman 7:40-8:10

Friday October 15, 2010

Blue Snaggletooth - 12:40->

The Satin Peaches - 12:00-12:30

Beggars - 11:20-11:50

JWPP - 10:40-11:10

Sharky and the Habit - 10:00-10:30

Buffay 9:20-9:50

Fur - 8:40-9:10

The Wolfs - 8:00-8:30

Saturday October 16, 2010

Lettercamp - 12:40->

Silverghost - 12:00-12:30

Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor - 11:20-11:50

Destroy This Place - 10:40-11:10

Red Iron Orchestra - 10:00-10:30

Marco Polio and the New Vaccines - 9:20-9:50

Err... - 8:40-9:10

Lawless Carver - 8:00-8:30

Hope to see you there!

Up next for the Tooth...

2010-09-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks. You should consider coming out to the Lager house on Friday Sept 24th to see Blue Snaggletooth when we open for the Shakey Jakes and Lava Moth. It's going to be a real cool time.

Blue Snaggletooth @ the Savoy, Friday Sept. 3.

2010-09-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

Blue Snaggletooth and 3 other cool bands will be rocking tomorrow at the Savoy in Ypsilanti.

First up will be Scissor Now featuring ex members of the Pussy Pirates and the Nothing.

Next is Suicide by Cop featuring your favorite 8 ball dynamic duo Jef and Nate blasting out hardcore jams.
...
Then Jehovah's Witness Protection Program come on strong to give you a heavy dose of their rock 'n' roll religion.

And finally Blue Snaggletooth will deliver on to you the sonic equivalent of the apocalypse.

You've been warned...

Psych Out Fest Recap with Videos

2010-08-06T08:03:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks,

Back on July 10th I organized a show called the Psych Out Festival. It was a real cool time. Here is some cool video from the show. All the video was shot by Jonas Sliuzas. You can see more of his videos over on his youtube page.

Up first is my group Blue Snaggletooth.

Then we've got Tokyo Sexwhale.

This is Lava Moth.

And finally here is Chapstik.

There was one other group, The Wolfs, but their video hasn't been finished yet.

Big thanks to Jonas for filming the show and thanks to all the bands for playing. I hope to do this again next summer.

Mazinga discography for Free!

2010-08-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,

How would you like to download a ton of FREE MUSIC?! Recently my band Mazinga posted up most of our 15 year discography over on bandcamp.com, and if you head over there now you can download 5 albums worth of high energy Mazinga jams FOR FREE! I would do it sooner rather then later as these albums won't remain free for long. There is all kinds of Rock 'N' Roll goodness for you to enjoy including our first 7" and our original full length album! Relive the old days or get hip to the jams you missed out on. CLICK here! Go Now!
You will thank me later.

As if all that free music wasn't enough to get you excited, Mazinga will be performing for the Ann Arbor Derby Dimes Benefit Bash on Friday Aug. 13th at the Blind Pig with a bunch of other great bands. Come out and help us launch the A2 Derby Dimes to success.

At the show we'll have copies of our EP "Open the Blast Doors" on hand, which was recently re-released on Arbco records. The EP is only $5 so make sure to bring your cheese$!

Thanks for your support!

The first annual Ann Arbor PSYCH-OUT music festival.

2010-06-29T09:20:00.001-07:00

Hey there folks,
Are you ready to get Psyched Out?

SATURDAY JULY 10th at the BLIND PIG
Jukebox Productions presents,
The first annual Ann Arbor PSYCH-OUT music festival.

Featuring 5 of Michigan's best face melting, brain bursting musical acts,

Chapstik - The audio version of Napalm. Sonic Destruction.

Blue Snaggletooth - If wizards cast spells with guitars it would sound like this.

Lava Moth - ex 500 Ft of Pipe dudes show you the truth and the light.

Tokyo Sexwhale - Tripped out surf with a twist.

The Wolfs - two young dudes with a lot of spunk and tunes that burn.

Only $7 or $10 for folks under 21. Ages 18 and up are welcome!

Hope to see you there!

psych : also see

v. psyched, psych·ing, psyches

v.tr.

a. To put into the right psychological frame of mind: The coach psyched the team before the game.

b. To excite emotionally: The children were psyched to see the circus.

2. To undermine the confidence of by psychological means; intimidate: "Depending on whose personality is stronger, one can more easily psych the other" (Harold C. Schonberg).

a. To analyze, solve, or comprehend.

b. To anticipate or guess the intentions of: "Most others could never approach [his] ability ... to psyche out the opposition's thinking so consistently" (Steven Brill).

4. Informal To analyze and treat by psychoanalysis.

v.intr.

To become confused or mentally deranged.

n. psych

Building the Viper Mk II model, update.

2010-06-10T13:40:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks. It's been a spell since I had time to blog so I thought I drop a little update on the model building. Here are some photos of the almost complete Viper Mk. II that I've been working on in my spare time.

I decided to paint the red stripes instead of using the decals. After 3 coats of gloss white, masking, and then 2 coats of red, the ship was ready to be assembled.

Here it is all pieced together. Everything fit well and looked sharp! Time for decals!

Some of the decals were a serious pain to apply. The one bellow the cockpit was tough for some reason. It was the only one that ripped on me.

After some effort I had all the decals on. Then it was time for the fun part, weathering! I started with a charcoal pencil. I haven't got much further then that yet. I just started adding streaks and blast marks. I plan on doing some ink washes soon as well as scrapes and dings. I'm dying to finish this project.

I took all these photos with my cell phone.
Hope you enjoy.

Mazinga History Lesson, Pt. II

2010-05-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

See the cracks. Watch them spread.

The end of 1996 was a productive time for Mazinga. We ended up playing a bunch of shows and house parties. We also started playing a lot at the Green Room in Ypsilanti. We played a huge show there in November with Daddy Longhead and the Plumbobs. Bassest Jeff Pinkus from the Butthole Surfers also played in Daddy Longhead and it was way cool to hang out with him.

1997 Promo shot taken behind the Green Room.

In late December I moved out of the Kung Fu lounge. The place had really started to fall apart by that time and I had to bail. Bills weren't getting paid, no one was cleaning, and I could see where things were headed and I wanted no part of it. I ended up moving to Ypsilanti the last week of December 96' and staying with a friend of my Mother's, who was kind enough to let me live in her basement. I ended up living there for the next year. Since I was living in Ypsi and broke, I entered a period of relative solitude which gave me time to practice playing guitar for many hours. I also acquired a wah pedal around this time, which I still use to this day. It became an integral part of the Mazinga sound.

In February we almost broke up due to the guys at the Kung Fu lounge getting an eviction notice and everyone wanting to go off in different directions. Instead we set about recording our first record with Chris Goosman at his home studio on February 15th. The reason was, we had two big supporters in brothers Eric and Stefan Peterson. They had recently come into some money and decided they wanted to start a record label called Reanimater Records and have Mazinga be one of their first releases. That was enough to keep the band together. I had been taking an audio recording class at Washtenaw Community College and Chris Goosman was the instructor. He had also worked with our pals in Nadsat Nation. So I asked him if he would like to record our band. It also just so happened that I had missed (skipped) a bunch of class and this recording project would count toward my grade. It worked out really well. We recorded a ton of songs. Four of which were quickly pressed up and became our first 7".

Here are the 4 different color covers from what would be known as the Legacy 7". The record came with a full color pin up illustration and a comic book both featuring Big Tony's artwork. Only 500 were pressed.

Tony and Marc continued to live at the Kung Fu lounge until April. Then everyone was thrown out and we lost our rehearsal space and Mazinga Head Quarters. Our good friend Dave Moreno who played with the group #6 and the Prisoners let us rent practice space at his loft apartment for $75 a month. We practiced there for a while and did some recording there as well with #6's drummer Ray.

In June we had our record release party at the Green Room.

The show took place the same night that the Red Wings won their first Stanley Cup since 1955. I remember the place cleared out while we were playing and everyone ran across the street to TC's speakeasy and catch the last few minutes of the game. Then thankfully everyone came back and watched us finish our set. It was a great night.

For the rest of the summer we took it a little easy. Some friends of ours took over the old Kung Fu Lounge and started having shows again. We ended up playing there with one of the bands we had booked the previous year when we ran the shows. The group was Divisia, a hardcore group from L.A. with a female lead vocalist. They were on a big tour and had just appeared on the cover of Maximum Rock N Roll that month. The show was packed and totally wild. People really got into it. Later on after the show CJ, Divisa's bass player, said he really dug Mazinga and that he would try to set up a tour with us on the west coast. That sounded awesome to me, but I figured he was just trying to be cool and I didn't expect to much out of it. He did end up calling me though and we began plans to go out to California in the late fall.

Mazinga at the Green Room, 1997

Me at the Kunge Fu Lounge, summer 1997.

We played a bunch of local gigs around A2 and Ypsi that fall, but we couldn't seem to break into the insulated Detroit scene. Not that we tried to much. There seemed like a lot going on around our own town and we were all poor so we never traveled very far. That may have ended up hurting us down the line.

After waiting to hear back from CJ about touring he finally called and said he had it all set up. We booked our plane tickets. I had to borrow money from Don to buy a ticket. I remember counting pennies out just trying to scrap up whatever money I could so I could eat while I was out there. We were set to fly out on Nov. 28 and come back Dec 10th. CJ said he had lined up a good handful of paying gigs and that everything was good to go. We trusted the guy since we had hooked him up twice when they came to our town. Little did we know what kind of adventure lay ahead for us.

Stay tuned for Part III. The Cali tour fiasco...

All photos by Stefan Peterson. All Artwork by Big Tony.

Metro Times posts Scott Morgan album review.

2010-05-06T07:14:00.000-07:00

Metro times ran an excellent review of Scott Morgan's new album which is due out in record shops next week . You can order it directly from Alive records right now. You can read more about the recording of the album over here.
Stay tuned for info on the upcoming record release party which is taking place on July 9th at the Magic Bag.

Building the BSG Viper Mk II. A return to model building.

2010-04-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

I finally realized a small goal I've been attempting to accomplish for many years. I bought a plastic model kit and I'm now in the midst of actually completing it, instead of buying a model kit and then letting it sit on a shelf for years, which is what I've done in the past. I've had a stack of them in my basement for years just waiting for the "right time" for me to start them. For a while in the 90's, I would just buy cool model kits when ever I would see them on clearance with the idea that I would get around to building them someday when I wasn't so busy with music and life settled down some. Theresa would always tease me about the little pile of model kits collecting dust in the basement. Then a few years ago, I got crazy and bought the Fine Molds Millennium Falcon model from Japan. It cost a nice chunk of change and I figured I better build the darn thing sooner then later. But at 900 or so pieces, it's kind of overwhelming. So I figured I would start with something a little less challenging for my return to model building. But instead of building one of the older kits I already own, something else caught my eye.

For my 37th birthday I went out and bought the new Moebius Battlestar Galactica Viper Mk II model kit at the Vault of Midnight.

I love both new and old BSG and I really dig the designs of the space ships featured on the show. So when I saw the Viper model I knew it would nag at the back of my mind until I bought one. I first saw the kit over at Starshipmodeler.com where they did a nice pre-release review of the model. After checking that out, I figured I could build that without to much trouble. So I went out and picked one up. Theresa was super supportive. For a birthday gift she offered to buy me the supplies I would need to get started. After a fun trip to Riders hobby shop I had the paints and brushes. All I needed was the free time to begin. Some how I've managed to find some. It didn't take long before I was on my way. Here are some of the results so far.

I've spent a lot of time on the cockpit area. It needs to be complete before I start gluing the main body together and doing the gloss white coats on that. So far it's been a very satisfying experience. I'm looking forward to finishing this kit and moving on to my stack of old kits that await! Up next after I finish the viper, I'll finish my old Millennium Falcon Cut away model that I started way back in 1998!

Meet our new dog, Coco!

2010-04-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

My wife brought this little bundle of joy home a few months ago. We named her Coco. She is a 5 month old German Shepherd puppy.
You can learn more about her over here on my wife's blog.

MOTOR CITY COMIC CON!

2010-04-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

I can't wait!

Non-music, political post. War is bullshit.

2010-04-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

It's hard to care about music and band stuff when this kind of thing is going on everyday in the name of America. I wish I could stop my tax dollars from contributing to this insanity. Ever wonder why the "terrorists" hate us?
Watch this.

Go get the new Scott Morgan Record NOW!

2010-04-02T14:05:00.001-07:00

Hey folks. You can go over to this link here and purchase the new album by Scott Morgan coming out on Alive Records.
I think you'll dig it. I played guitar on it. It was fun.
Thanks!

Mazinga histroy Lesson, Part II, 1996-97

2010-03-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

1997 Promo shot taken behind the Green Room.

Mazinga at the Green Room, 1997

Me at the Kunge Fu Lounge, summer 1997.

Stay tuned for Part III. The Cali tour fiasco...

All photos by Stefan Peterson. All Artwork by Big Tony.

Mazinga history lesson, Part 1, 1995-96

2010-03-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

Photo by Doug Coombe.

Mazinga is a band based out of Ann Arbor, MI. in which I play guitar. The other members are Marc McFinn, lead vocals, Big Tony O'Farrell, Bass, and Al King on Drums. The group engages in a mash up of styles ranging from driving power pop punk anthems, to dark surfy songs with psycho, wah-wah tinged guitar tones, along with bludgeoning hard, fast pounding rock songs, with the hooks designed for complimenting high speed runs down the I-94 expressway, while looking for a way to make something better out of the bleak existence that is life in a mid west college town.

The group formed on Nov. 15th, 1995. At the time the three core members, Marc, Tony, and myself, all lived in the same house at 112 Chapin St. just off our Huron. We ran DIY shows out of the basement. Marc named the place "Scorpio McSatan's Kung Fu Lounge". The basement had a dirt floor studded with beer caps. More about the Kung Fu lounge in another post.

Originally I wasn't supposed to be in the band. Our friend & fellow housemate Rodney was supposed to play guitar. Marc asked me to teach Tony how to play bass, since that was my main instrument at the time. So Tony and I headed down into the basement and I showed him some basic stuff, and then we wrote a surf song. We showed it to Marc and he really dug it. It became our first song titled "So Incomplete". Afterward we went out for some fast food and talked about having me play guitar for the group. I guess Rodney had told them he didn't want to start a band with Tony since Tony was to inexperienced for what Rodney wanted to do. Rodney was nice enough to let me use his Guild guitar and his Fender super reverb amp. Since my other band had just broken up earlier that fall, I decided to join up and make a go at playing guitar. I was also excited about being in a band with Marc. We had grown up together. He is the person who gave me the nickname "Jukebox" way back in 1979. Anyway, I remember them telling me their idea for the name of the group on the ride back to the house. They wanted to call it Mazinga. The name comes from a Japanese cartoon about a giant ass kicking robot called Mazinger Z. This character along with a group of other Japanese giant robot toys were brought over to the US toy market in the late 70's under the banner name of the Shogun Warriors. As kids we all owned various Shogun Warriors, but one of the coolest ones was Great Mazinga.

I didn't really like the name at first. I thought it was sort of silly sounding and no one would get it. Then Marc explained to me that the comic book, pop culture geeks would get it and that they were our target audience. This was back in the day when it wasn't very cool to be a pop culture nerd. Now-a-days they have cable shows and web sites dedicated to all things geeky. We've had ten + years of comic book, sci-fi, fantasy movies and TV shows. The geek impact on the mainstream culture is very prevalent now, but back then, it wasn't nearly as hip. In fact it wasn't really hip at all. So upon our return to home, Marc rang up their prospective drummer for the group, Don Blum. He is a childhood friend of Marc and Tony. I knew him through those guys and had seen him play in a few local bands. He came over a few nights later. We ended up jamming for a long time and things clicked right away. Don is an amazing drummer and can play a wide range of styles. We would often play off each other, bringing out the best in each others musical ability. I was really musically energized because of focusing on playing guitar. I found that the instrument gave me the ability to control a lot of the dynamics of the sound and the vibe of the music. The ideas and riffs seemed to flow very easily. Tony took to the bass quickly as well and within a month we had a handful of songs. Marc's vocals sounded like a cross between early Glen Danzig's shout and early Dave Vainian's snarling croon. His lyrics were funny and direct as he would sing about things we were into like comic books and movies, or things we dealt with in our personal lives like love and loss, or the 9-5 grind. We started off writing simple songs to keep it easy and fun. Some early song titles included "Fuck You Reagan" which was our homage to 80's hardcore, and "Get ahead" which was all about being young and poor in a rich honky infested college town with no chance to break out of the social barriers that exist there. We were trying to write the type of music that we loved in our youth. Stuff like the Misfits, the Stooges and the MC5. We ended up sounding like a mix of those groups with a strong surf influence. I've always been way into surf music.
We practiced a lot. Here is a photo of a very early band practice in the basement of the Kung Fu lounge. (L-R, Big Tony, Don , Me)

I would get off of work around 5ish and drive to Don's house at Packard and Division St. and just grab him, no matter what he was doing, then drag him back home to jam. We drove our housemates nuts. At some point early on we recorded some of the songs with our pal Joe Morita. I've still got that tape somewhere around.

The band didn't play any shows for a while, even though we were throwing house shows all the time in our basement. Eventually we booked some gigs. We ended up playing two parties in one night. The first was a house show in John Griffin's basement located in heart of the student ghetto of Ann Arbor.

At John's house we opened for our favorite local punk band at the time, The Fags. They had played our first Kung-Fu lounge show and many others after that. They were sort of our house band for the Kung Fu lounge. The Fags did really well that summer, releasing a single and a live record and playing tons of shows. Unfortunately they broke up shortly after. Here is a photo of Becky Fag on bass, and Jef Fag on drums from the show. I couldn't get much closer cause it was packed.

My recollection of the night is hazy to say the least but I do remember the crowed going nuts and dancing when we played. My other bands had never had that sort of reaction before. Marc lunged into the mass of sweaty bodies packed into the tight cramped basement and things got out of control as they all pushed back and almost knocked over the whole band. I remember Nate from Wolf Eyes, Dave from Nadsat Nation, and Jessica from Jaks all up in the front having a blast. It was a fun first show. I do remember Rodney's super Reverb blew a tube on our last song. But that just added to the energy, like we rocked so hard that the amp blew!

Here is me (pre big sideburns) and Big Tony rocking out.

The second part of the night took place at a loft party in Downtown Ypsilanti, at my friend Dave's place. We quickly packed up our gear and went out to Ypsilanti where the folks were into it, although it wasn't quite as wild as the crowd at John's house.

It was a great start for our group. We felt like we really launched ourselves right out of the gate.

The rest of 1996 would see us building a steady momentum. We played several more house shows, as well as the local college radio station WCBN on their local music radio show. We did finally end up playing a show at our own house at the end of the summer for Nadsat Nation's last show. The Nadsat Nation guys were good friends of ours and a very popular local punk band at the time. The show was totally insane. Big Tony and I did the poster.

On October Friday the 13th we opened for the Cult Heroes and the Fury at the Heidelberg.

It was Mazinga's first show there. Our good friend Sean Carroll was the bartender. It was the first time that I officially met Hiawatha Bailey the charismatic lead singer for the Cult Heroes.

It almost turned out for the worst. At first he wasn't going to pay us. I had to go into the back room and confront him. He was cool as ice as he sat back with his feet on a table. He asked me why some young upstart new band should come and demand money from him. I said because we're not that young and we don't take any shit from anyone (although none of us were really "tough guys"). He laughed and said he liked my attitude and guitar style because I reminded him of the guys from the MC5, which I took as a high compliment. He paid me and then asked me to sit and have a drink with him. I' m glad I did. We ended up becoming good friends and musical collaborators and I'm glad I've got to know him.

This ends part one of the Mazinga history lesson. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for part two, 1997, when we record and release our first single, board a plane out to California for our ill fated west coast tour, and see the beginning of the ongoing war against the anti Rock 'N' Roll conspiracy brought about by legions of pretentious indie-rock fuckheads.

The Last Powertrane live performance.

2010-03-09T08:24:00.000-08:00

This may well end up being the last Powertrane performance ever. Scott has decided to move on from the group after nine years, and focus all his energy on his new record and new band.
This performance comes from the 2009 Concert of Colors.

MCR Blue Snaggletooth video interview.

2010-03-02T13:36:00.001-08:00

The Fine folks over at Motorcityrocks.com are currently attempting to video interview all of the bands that are playing the Merto Times Blowout.
Blue Snaggletooth headed over to Royal Oak on Sunday evening to conduct our interview. Here is how it turned out.

See you Friday night.

Blue Snaggletooth performing at the Metro Times Blowout!

2010-02-24T13:52:00.000-08:00

Hey Folks,

My new group Blue Snaggletooth will be performing our first Detroit show for the 2010 Metro Times Blowout on Friday March 5th at Small's.

The band came together in July of 2009. I've had the idea for the band for a long time, but I never could find the time to start it, or a good group of people to put it together with. My goal was to start a stoner rock band in the vein of acid rockers like Hawkwind mixed with the pummeling doom riffs of Black Sabbath and other early hard rock/metal groups like Blue Cheer and Pentagram.
In 2008 my friend Jess moved into the spare room in our house. We got along pretty well before that, but we quickly discovered we had a lot of the same tastes in hard rock and psychedelic music. We ended up playing a lot of guitar together and jamming on some sweet riffs. I told him my idea for the band and he was into it. My wife had the idea to start a stoner rock band called Blue Unicorn. I love that name but didn't want to steal it from her. One night while Jess and I were partying in the basement discussing the project, the right name hit us. Blue Snaggletooth. It comes from the name of the most rare Star Wars action figure.

We thought it was a great name. Unfortunately nothing much happened for another year or so. Jess moved out, but we kept talking about starting the band. Around the time Jess moved, I was playing a lot of shows with my other band Mazinga. We were doing a bunch of shows in Detroit and one of them was opening for the Meatmen and Chapstik at Small's. I ended up talking with Ian, the drummer from Meatmen, about us jamming together. He had always been a Mazinga fan and was into my guitar playing. I told him my ideas for the stoner band project and he wanted to give it a shot. Again things didn't get going right away. It wasn't until 3 or 4 months later in the spring that we finally got together at the Bang workshop/rehearsal space. At first it was just Ian and I. I went over a few of the riffs I had with him and he got it right away. Over the next few weeks Ian and I jammed a couple more times and things were sounding cool. I told Jess about Ian and I got the three of us together. We talked about who we were going to bring in on bass. I told the dudes I had someone in mind. Enter Damon. He has been a pal of mine since high school. Our bands had played some shows on the same bills, but we never played in a band together. He always joked that he was the only person in town that I hadn't been in a band with. I told him about the group I was putting together and he wanted a chance to try out. He came and jammed with Ian and I first and it went really well. Then the following weekend all four of us got together. It all seemed to flow and we worked really well together. Within a few more practices, I had convinced everyone to agree on the band name. Since then we've worked up a handful of originals and some cool covers. We brought in our pal Richard to run our psychedelic light show. Damon had VG kids print up some t-shirts and stickers. We had our first show on Sept. 25 at the Elbow Room with Black Irish and the Crooks.

Jeremy Wheeler did a spectacular poster for us. For our third show Jeremy really out did himself when he crafted an actual black light poster for us.

We decided since we were projecting a light show on the band why not wear all white and have ourselves blend in with the show. Eventually we ordered matching white jumpsuits for each member.

It creates a very cool effect by allowing the psychedelic projections to actually show up on us, plus we get to wear cool band uniforms.

So far playing with the group has been a blast. A little buzz has been building about our live set. We've recorded some demos in Damon's basement that you can hear on our facebook page.
What is the next step?

I look forward to rocking Detroit during the Blowout.
We'll see where it goes after that.

Blue Snaggletooth, Feb 12th @ The Elbow Room.

2010-02-02T06:59:00.000-08:00

This show should be fun. Only two bands. I'm not sure who goes on first. Mahoney is a two piece rock outfit hailing from the Ypsi/Arbor area among other places. Looks like they get around the country a lot. I mean tour. They play "modern rock" type music with guitars and drums and nice powerful riffs and people seem to like them.
Blue Snaggletooth plays tripped out heavy metal music with songs about time traveling drug lords, ancient warriors in battle against the forces of darkness, and Fireball Island.

Up All Night rehearsal video.

2010-02-02T06:55:00.000-08:00

Mark Sisto of the Visitors in rehearsal with legendary lead guitarist Gary Quackenbush of SRC with Chris "Jukebox" Taylor on Bass and Al King on drums. Filmed by Retro Kimmer Jan 31, 2009 Ann Arbor, MI

Gorevette Ann Arbor CD release party + jamming with Ivan Kral.

2010-02-01T11:55:00.000-08:00

I had a fun weekend.
It started off on Friday night when Theresa and I went out to dinner with her folks. We are watching their little dog Izzy for a month while they are out in Palau.

After dinner we relaxed at home with Izzy for the rest of the night and watched TV.

Saturday morning I watched the animated movie Planet Hulk. It was a good flick. You get to see the Hulk fight as a gladiator on some far away planet where he does pretty much nothing except beat the shit out of anyone who fucks with him and then he becomes the king of the place. Someday I'll get around to reading the comics that the movie is based on. After that Theresa and I watched a documentary about Zombies in popular culture.

Later that night Theresa and I went out to the Gorevette EP release party at Goodnite Gracie's. I've lived most of my adult life here in Ann Arbor and that bar is one of the places I've managed to avoid. It always seemed to posh for my taste. I tend to prefer the dive bar. Then again I never really gave it a chance did I? It was a nice little spot. Not as lame as I imagined. Except they don't serve any cheap beer, so don't ask for a PBR or Rolling Rock unless you want a scornful look from the bartender. To me it seemed like an unusual place for a local rock show. I don't remember them ever having local bands perform there before. Someone told me they sometimes have jazz bands play there or DJs. The Gorevette show was moved there last minute due to the Heidelberg being turned into seven night a week poker night venue (?) virtually overnight. The bummer part being that the Heidelberg owners didn't inform anyone including the booking agent till the last minute and all the shows that had been booked had to be moved to a new venue. Enter Goodnite Gracie's. Good for them. I hope they continue to have bands play there.

Anyway, our friends Ryan and Casey, who used to be in the Riots were opening the show as part of a new band with singer Freddy Fortune called The United Space League.

I loved them right off the bat. The group plays a mix of 60's psych sounding jams with two guitars, one playing a cleaner tone while the other is fuzzed out, while also throwing some nice vibrato sounds into the mix. Freddy is a great front man with a loud commanding voice. It reminded me of the rocking side of the 13th floor Elevators musically with a Sonics like vocal delivery. Ryan said they should have a 7" coming out soon. Watch for it. These guys and girl know how to rock.

Up next was Silverghost. I've seen them play a few times now. They are a two piece featuring Marcie Bolen on guitar and vocals, and Deleano Acevedo on keyboards, vocals and drum machine. Normally not my type of thing, but I actually enjoy their music. The vibe is playful, quirky and new wave sounding. I like the way their two voices go together. They did a Devo cover of Mongoloid that was great.

After Silverghost it was time for Gorevette.

The ladies and dude got up there and wasted little time blasting out their girl-pop-rock 'n' roll. The songs flowed out one after the other with sparse stage banter, mostly just drummer Al King snapping out the count on his sticks and launching the band into another rocking tune.

The crowd loved it. I thought the band played very well. I heard they sold a lot of copies their new EP although I forgot to pick one up (Doh!). Two of the tracks on the EP feature Deniz Tek on guitar.
After the show we had a few friends over for drinks and stayed up way to late.

Earlier on Saturday afternoon Retro Kimmer rang up and asked if Al King and I would like to participate in a little jam session on Sunday with the legendary songwriter/guitar player Ivan Kral, along with Mark Sisto, singer from the Visitors, and guitarist Gary Quackenbush from the 60's Ann Arbor rock group SRC. It sounded like something cool to do on a Sunday afternoon. The only catch being we would have to do it at the Bang studio, which wasn't a big deal. It actually made it easier for me. I knew who all those dudes are, so I agreed right away.

(left-right, Gary, Chris, Mark, Al)

Before Ivan showed up, the group got to know each other and then warmed up by learning an old SRC song. After jamming a bit, Ivan and his wife Cindy showed up with some pizza and soda for us and then we learned a few of his songs.

I'm not sure what this collaboration might lead too, but I really enjoyed playing music with all these guys.

After the session I went home and crashed out in preparation for the coming work week.

The Bang workshop + band rehearsal space.

2010-01-29T08:13:00.000-08:00

Hi Folks,

As some of you might already know, I work for Team Bang. That is the group that does the set up for the Bang!, the monthly mix tape dance party that has been going on for the last 8 years in Ann Arbor. It started out at the Halfway Inn then moved over to the Blind Pig where it's been packing the bar ever since. It's run by two creative masterminds, Jeremy Wheeler and Jason Gibner. I started working for them around Oct 2003 I think. Originally my brother Mike and I were brought on board to help amp up the over all Bang experience by building a light table and running overhead projectors and other light effects during the party. We also became the Bang carpenters and set designers. We started building sets to accompany the various Bang themes. For instance when we threw the Space Bang, we built a rocket ship cockpit that people could take photos in. We also began painting large backdrops and other assorted decorations to go along with whatever type of Bang was being put on. After a few years we had to rent out a storage unit to store all the Bang props and sets. Eventually after outgrowing two storage units and being in desperate need of a larger work space, we lucked into a nice warehouse space neatly tucked away in an industrial area of Ann Arbor.

My wife actually suggested the place to us. She works in real estate and had heard about a local business that was looking for tenets to rent a small warehouse space on their back lot. After taking a tour or the building, we had the space within a few weeks and we moved in by the end of that month. Part of the deal in order to make it affordable for the Bang, was that I bring in my bands to rehearse in the smaller of the two rooms that make up the space. That plan fit perfect for me since the bands were rehearsing in my basement and my wife and neighbors were getting sick of it.
When you first enter the space you encounter the office/lounge area.

On the desk to the right is the audio visual editing station where Jeremy creates parts of the videos that are played during the Bang. On the left is a nice table and chair set where we hold meetings and eat pizza.

This is a photo of the office ceiling, which is covered with Bang posters.

Here is the chalkboard that divides the room in half. As you can see we're going to be busy for the next few months.

On the other side of the chalkboard is the other half of the room which is set aside for band rehearsal space.

I hung up a couple of black lights and then brought in my vintage Third Eye Marvel black light posters and few other nice ones to decorate the band side of the room.

So far we've got City Center, Mazinga, Scott Morgan and Blue Snaggletooth all rehearsing in the space.

In the adjacent larger room is the workshop space.

This is the area where we build and store all the stuff we use to make the Bang happen. There is a bathroom and a mini fridge, fully stocked of course.

We also have a nice large garage door for easy loading & unloading. Here is what it looks like from the outside.

Yes, that is Clint Eastwood keeping an eye on things.

So last Wednesday night we started building mock ups of the decoration ideas for the upcoming Ann Arbor Film festival. The Bang crew has been hired for a second year to decorate the theater for the Festival.

First, we do some prep work before the actual work begins.

Warning! Don't climb the ladder to the loft after drinking!

There is a great loft space above the office. It's were we store big set pieces like the giant cassette tape.

My brother Mike enjoys some bread sticks. ?

Jeremy hard at work on a mock up of a hanging piece for the film fest.

Here is how it turned out.

It's going to end up being back lit somehow. We are still figuring it all out.
I'm glad we have such a nice place to work in.

So there you go. I hope you enjoyed this quick inside look at the Bang workshop.

Recording Scott Morgan's new record.

2010-01-27T07:12:00.000-08:00

Hey folks,
We finished basic tracks on the new Scott Morgan album last night. I think the recording has turned out fantastic so far. We recorded a mix of originals and some killer soul, R&B covers. The process of recording the songs was very spontaneous and free form. Most the original tunes we made up or learned on the spot. They were mostly based on the vocal melodies and ideas Scott would bring in. When it came to the covers, we would listen to them, pick a key, play through it once or twice to get the arrangement and then put it to tape. Normally with my other bands we practice our asses off for a month, get the songs as tight as we can, and then go record them as fast as we can in order to save money and get in, get out. I've always felt so under the gun in the studio because the budget is always so tight. This time around, we would walk in not knowing exactly what we were going to record each night. I have to say it worried me, until after the first night. I saw right away that the other guys had the skills to just pull the stuff right out of thin air. I was surprised when we got through 4 songs in the first night and it sounded really good. After that I wasn't worried. I just went with it, and it was a lot of fun.

Playing guitar along side Matt, Dave, Jim and Scott has been a joy. Those guys are such pros! They are so laid back about the process that any worries I had about being unfamiliar with the tunes was quickly laid to rest. During the sessions I was constantly impressed by Matthew Smith's guitar playing. Most of the time I would just lay back on the tracks and vibe off of what he was doing, but he also left plenty of room for me to throw some licks in. Our guitars meshed together beautifully. Here is a photo of Matt's awesome guitar.

It's a 1968 Fender Jaguar.

And here is mine. It's a 1965 Epiphone Wilshire.

Matt is also a solid piano player. He put down some great sounding piano parts on a few of the tracks.

Here is a photo of Jim's 24 track machine.

Jim's studio is in downtown Detroit. You would never know it's there unless someone told you. He has a nice living space with the huge studio room in the back. Here is a photo of the stairs leading up to the place and a photo of Jim's motorcycle. These are the first things you see when you walk in.

We did five sessions total. Most of the time we started around 8pm and would finish around midnight. We did a Sunday session that went from noon till 11:30pm.
Doug Coombe came down last night and took band photos. If you haven't checked out his work then you should. He's the go to guy around these parts and for good reason. He's really good at what he does and he's one of the nicest dudes you'll ever meet. I look forward to seeing how the photos turned out. Here is Doug listening to a playback.

Scott Morgan sang his butt off. He'll be going back down tonight to do a few more vocal overdubs and some final touches. There is still the entire job of mixing to complete. I probably won't be going down for that. I'm very confident that Matt and Jim are the ones who know how to handle it best. Tonight Eddie Baranek from the Sights is supposed to come down and add some guitar and vocals to one of the tracks. I can't wait to hear how that turns out.
Here is a photo of Jim and Scott discussing a take.

Here is Scott leaving the studio after a long night of recording.

That is all I've got for now.
Stay tuned for more updates on Scott's album and other band news.
I took all the photos for this post.
Didn't want you folks to think Doug took these. His will be way better.

January Rock 'N' Roll update.

2010-01-22T06:45:00.001-08:00

Howdy folks,
Things are moving fast right now. Lots of music writing and recording going on.
Last Friday night Scott Morgan and I went down to Detroit, to Jim Diamond's studio. The band did basic tracks on 4 songs. We were all having a great time. The atmosphere at Ghetto Recorders is very laid back. Jim has some nice little guitar amps to record with. I played through an old univox.

I went for an over driven dirty amp sound, but one that would still allow me to lay back when needed. I didn't use any distortion pedals or effects. I did get to play some fun wahwah on one of the tunes. Overall the session went great. I was in a good mood until I went outside and found the window smashed out on the passenger side of my car. Luckily someone from the bar down the street heard the sound of the glass breaking and chased the thief away, so nothing was stolen. I called my insurance company and made a claim right then. While I was on the phone, Jim cleaned up some of the glass and taped a piece of plastic on the window for me. That was super cool of him. The ride back to Ann Arbor was LOUD! As soon as we hit the freeway and got up to speed, the plastic started to tear off and vibrate extremely loud. So loud in fact that Scott and I had to yell to hear each other speak. I kept telling him to just rip it down because the sound was becoming unbearable, but he refused. It was hilarious. He held the plastic over the window the whole way home. I swear I lost some hearing from the sound of the plastic shrieking. So far its ended up costing me $200 because my insurance company is fucking with me. They are about to lose a costumer. Tonight Scott and I will be returning to Detroit to record another batch of tunes. This time we're taking his car. The plan is to record for the next three days.

The rest of last weekend went better. Blue Snaggletooth had practice on Sunday. We've got two new songs we've been working on for a little while now. One of them, Jess and I wrote over a year ago, but we're just getting it finished off now. I'm still working on the lyrics to both tunes. I've been able to come up with vocal melodies over the last few practices but actual lyrics are tough. We'll be playing both songs tomorrow at the Elbow Room when we play with Ganon and the Octopus. I've heard nothing but good things about these two bands, although I have yet to see either of them play.

On Tuesday, I had Mazinga Rehearsal. We've mostly taken a little break since the Rock 'N' Roll revival show back in December. The goal is to have a new record out this summer. We've got some new tunes we've been working on for a while. Al came in last time with a great set of riffs. I added a riff for the chorus and it was sounding pretty tight. We don't have any shows booked for a while. Our next confirmed show is March 13th. We'll be rocking for the A2 Skate Park during their skate competition. We're really looking forward to that.

That's about all for now. I'll be recording and rocking for the rest of the weekend. I'll try to take some photos and post some more updates next week.

New Year, new outlook, big plans!

2010-01-06T09:02:00.000-08:00

Hey folks,
After the Dec 18th show I took two weeks off from work and all band business. Here are a few great reviews from the Rock Revival show.
Deniz Tek's review
Retro Kimmer's review
AnnArbor.com's review

Big thanks to Kim Maki for all her help making the show a huge success.

I survived another new years eve working at the Bang. The pics are over here. It was a good time but exhausting.

2010 is here and I've got big goals.
First off, my wife and I want to have a baby this year. We weren't so lucky with that in 2009, but if at first you don't succeed...

I would really like to get in shape this year and lose 20 pounds. It would be awesome to get on a healthy diet and start eating better healthier foods. In the spring Theresa and I want to get a garden started. You never know, it could happen.

As far as music goes, I want to record three albums this year.
Up first will be the IrRationals album with Scott Morgan. I'm really looking forward to this one. We'll be recording it at Jim Diamond's Ghetto Recorders at the end of Jan/early Feb. I love playing with those guys cause they are all such great musicians and the best part is we've got a label to put it out and we get paid to record it!
Shortly after that in the early spring I hope to get Mazinga into the studio over at Pete Bankert's place. We've been writing new material for a while now. Both Marc and Alex have contributed two really good songs. We're shooting for 12 songs. If everything works out we should have Deniz Tek appearing on a track or two as special guest guitar player.
Also coming down the pipe sometime this year is a debut recording from my newest group Blue Snaggletooth. the band's music sounds like Hawkwind mixed with a dash of early speed metal and 70's glam rock. I'm singing and playing guitar with that group. So far it's been a blast and the songs we've written are really fun to play. I enjoy writing songs about ancient epic barbarian battles, getting wasted, and my favorite board game Fireball Island.
Besides all the recording plans, I hope to see the three groups doing bigger better shows outside of the Ann Arbor area.

So there you go. That is just a taste of what 2010 has in store for me.
Hope you all have a great new year!

Nice Write up for the A2 Rock Revival

2009-12-14T10:28:00.000-08:00

Check out the AnnArbor.com pre-show review for the upcoming Ann Arbor Rock 'N' Roll Revival taking place this Friday at the Blind Pig. If you haven't already, you should head over to the Blind Pig web site and buy your tickets now before the show sells out!

Ann Arbor Rock 'N' Roll Revival, 2009

2009-12-02T09:02:00.000-08:00

I've got an awesome show coming up at the Blind Pig on December 18th, The Ann Arbor Rock 'N' Roll Revival for 2009. It's hosted by Stanley the Madhatter and will feature, Deniz Tek (from Radio Birdman), Scott Morgan and the IrRationals, Gorevette and Mazinga. Hiawatha Bailey (from the Cult Heroes) will also be joining Deniz and Scott during their set to perform a few Stooges songs in honor of the late Ron Asheton. DJ Jeremy Wheeler of the Bang Dance party will be spinning records inbetween bands. He also designed the amazing hand drawn limited editon poster which will be avalible for purchase at the show.
It's only $10, doors are at 9:30, Mazinga goes on at 10pm. Advanced tickets can be purchased on the Blind Pig Web site. Don't miss this show. It's going to rule.

Halloween Weekend!

2009-10-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

Here is what all you people in Southeast Michigan should be doing this weekend.

Friday Oct 30th at the Blind Pig.
Mazinga will be performing a 20 song Misfits tribute set along with Suicide By Cop, who will be performing as Minor Threat. Should be an old school punk rock party night at the Blind Pig! Plus the ladies of the TICKLED FANCY BURLESQUE CO.!

On Saturday Oct. 31 Halloween night there is only place to be!
THE HALLOWEEN BANG! at the Blind Pig.

See you all there!

R.I.P Dickie Peterson.

2009-10-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

Man, what a bummer year. First Ron Asheton, then Lux from the Cramps and now Dickie Peterson from Blue Cheer.

I love Blue Cheer. Dickie's vocals were incredible. I'm so glad I got to meet him and see BC a few times. He was a super nice dude.

Dickie Peterson and I at the Magic Stick.

Here is their classic version of Summertime Blues. I remember seeing this as a young kid of 13, it made me want to Rock!

Rationals @ The Blind Pig, Oct. 24th!

2009-10-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

This show is going to rule! Jeremy Wheeler out did his self on this poster.

Rational weekend for a Bang!

2009-07-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks,

Here is what I've got going down.

I'll be playing guitar for the Rationals CD release party on Friday night over at the Magic Bag in
Ferndale. The show is in celebration of the release of the Ace records CD comp "Think Rational". I'll be playing along side Matthew Smith on guitar, Jim Diamond on Bass, and David Shettler on Drums and of course Scott Morgan on lead vocals. Should be a stellar night. The Howling Diablos & The Space Heaters will be opening the show. Tickets are $12.00 adv. The doors open at 8pm.

On Saturday night I'll be here...

This Saturday, Robo Bang + Punk Rock Prom 2009

2009-06-16T07:26:00.001-07:00

This Saturday you'll have at least two options for maximum party time in our little town of Ann Arbor, and if you're really up on your game then you'll take advantage of both.

First off, if you like Robots, dancing your ass off to interplanetary boogie and donating money to a good cause at the same time, then you'll want to head over to the Blind Pig for the Robo-Bang! There is sure to be some sexy cyborgs and gorgeous droids shaking their metallic bodies to outrageous jams provided by the Bang DJ's all for your audio visual enjoyment. Proceeds from the event will be donated in support of 826Michigan.

If that doesn't exactly fit your idea of a good time, and you would rather get your ears shattered by thunderous high energy Rock 'N' Roll, then just skip a few blocks over to Main St. and the Club Above the Heidelberg, where you'll find the 2009 Punk Rock Prom in full swing after 9pm. The theme for this year is "This Tragic Moment". Make sure to dress to impress! Music and entertainment will be provided by the bands: MAZINGA, Versificators, Bantha Fodder and Cock Snot (From Grand Rapids), as well as DJ's Jef Porkins and Nate Pancakes spinning punk vinyl all night. Who will be king and queen of the prom? You and your mom?

Come and find out.

I challenge you all to attend both events, since they take place within blocks of each other. I'll be at both. See you there. What the hell else are you going to do on a Saturday night around here?

Motor City Comic con recap.

2009-05-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

I had a blast at the comic con this year.
The convention was packed on Saturday afternoon. Great deals abounded. I found an excellent fifty cent comic booth and spent over an hour scouring through it. I ended up with a nice stack of Savage Sword of Conan, various DC WWII comics, and some assorted Marvel titles which totaled $14. I got in for free thanks to the Bang, or I wouldn't been able to spend any money. I think the $20 admission price plus $5 dollar parking is way to steep for most people, Regardless the place was still crowded and people were still spending money like crazy.
The party on Saturday night was totally nuts, including a free admission price and such highlights as 800 Jelly-o shots, a half naked ape man, and hundreds of costumed fans partying with the stars from the con.
Here are some fun pics courtesy of J'dub's I-phone taken during the convention and the after party.
Can't wait for next year!

MOTOR CITY COMIC CON! THIS WEEKEND!

2009-05-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

This weekend is a special time for me and my fellow geeks. The time for the Motor City Comic Con is upon us.

Starting today, rabid packs of Trekkie's, nerds, and pop culture geeks from all over the midwest will descend in troves on the Rock Financial Show Place in Novi, in search of rare comic book/pop culture memorabilia, and also to have the chance to meet stars from such films as Star Wars, and TV shows like Dukes of Hazard and Battlestar Galactica.
This year is extra special because Team Bang along with the 501st Storm trooper legion will be hosting the official after party! Here is the low down.

Mix Tape Dance Party With Superhero/Comic Flair!
In honor of Motor City Comic Cons 20th Anniversary the 501st Legion are teaming up with the areas most unique mix tape masters of "The Bang!" to bring the biggest pop culture fans an after party they won't soon forget!

When: Saturday, May 16, 2009, 9:00pm - 1:00am

Where: Novi Doubletree Hotel Ballroom, 42100 Crescent Bvld (only a 4 min drive from the Rock Financial Showplace)

Theme: Superhero/Comic Mix Tape Dance Party! Costumes are preferred but not required.So slip on your superhero dancing shoes, leave your inhibitions at the door and come cut loose with fellow pop-culturists for a great night of music, dancing and socializing!
It's going to be off the chain!

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

MAY DAYS This weekend!

2009-04-30T07:49:00.000-07:00

Hey there. I've been way to busy lately to post much here, but I had to take a sec and post about a huge event taking place this weekend.

MAY DAYS at the Bohouse.
JOHN SINCLAIR AND THE PINKEYE ORCHESTRA HOST WEEKEND CELEBRATING DETROIT CULTURE; IT'S ART, JAZZ, POETRY AND ROCK 'N' ROLL

2 NIGHTS: FRIDAY MAY 1st 2009- -SATURDAY MAY 2nd 2009

THE BOHOUSE (historically the Bohemian National Home)
3009 TILLMAN
DETROIT, MI 48216

DOORS: 6PM
SHOW: 7pm
COVER: $5 (each night at the door)
ALL AGES

BACK STORY:
"This chance meeting with Jeff Howitt had turned into a thing of great beauty-a tremendous artistic experience deeply rooted in my own personal geography and brought to bloom through the robust energy and intelligence of these young musicians out of the old bohemian tradition." wrote John Sinclair for the liner notes of TEARING DOWN THE SHRINE OF TRUTH AND BEAUTY; his collaboration with PINKEYE last summer.
The sessions were released through LOCO GNOSIS on Sinclair's 67th Birthday Party held at THE BOHOUSE where he was named Poet-In-Residence and given a key so he has an actual room of his own to live in when he is in the United States.
"Fast forward 40 years and here I am again, in the same neighborhood with exactly the same sort of people I'd grown up with at the(Detroit Artist's)Workshop and doing the exact same thing!"
With that sentiment Sinclair asked Howitt to help him design an event for "May 1st and/or 2nd". Howitt(whose inaugural event for LOCO GNOSIS at the Masonic Temple in 2006 featured 12 bands on 2 stages volleying sets for 8 hours of unbroken music)immediately knew it had to run 2 days. Howitt recruited band mates Jason Worden and Frank Stephens and MAY DAYS started to take shape. They invited the Detroit Artists Workshop and Detroit Life to help keep one eye on lineage, another on friendship and the third on the spirit of this city and how it reflects in it's people and culture.

JAZZ & POETRY UPSTAIRS IN THE BALLROOM-curated by James Semark & the DETROIT ARTIST'S WORKSHOPhttp://www.detroitartistsworkshop.com/-sponsored by DETROIT LIFEwww.myspace.com/holicepwoods

-FRIDAY'S PROGRAM FEATURES:

GALLERY:
7:00 AHH CHARLIE
8:15 RED CHINA
9:30 SLOW GIANT

LIBRARY:
7:20 OUTDATED FATE
7:55 HELLBLOWER
8:30 BLACK LODGE
9:05 THE SUMMER PLEDGE
9:40 HOT DAMN!
10:15 BARS OF GOLD
10:50 JEHOVAH'S WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM
11:25 WOODMAN
12:00 MARCO POLIO & THE NEW VACCINES/PINKEYE
1:ish CARJACK/THE OSCILLATING FAN CLUB

BALLROOM:
7:00 RON ENGLISH ENSEMBLE
8:00 McCUNE - SEMARK - WILLEM COLLABORATION
9:00 WARDELL MONTGOMERY
9:15 DONNA VINSTRA
9:30 ANDY VINSTRA
9:45 JOHN CAGE'S SCULPTURES
10:00 RON ENGLISH & JOHN SINCLAIR
10:30 MIKE WHITTEY & drummer
11:00 JOHN CAGE'S CRUMBLED PAPER
11:15 BILL HARRIS, DOCTOR DETROIT and others

-SATURDAY'S PROGRAM FEATURES:

GALLERY:
7:00 DANDYLYON WHINE
8:15 INDIAN GUIDES/JURA
9:30 ROOT BEAR

LIBRARY:
7:30 MOTHER WHALE
8:05 OATMEAL
8:40 AL SCHEURMAN
9:15 THE MANTONS
9:50 GARDENS
10:25 OBLISK
11:00 BLUE SONG
11:35 DUENDE!
12:10 PIGEON
12:45 FRIENDLY FOES

BALLROOM
9:00 DUTCH PINK
10:00 RED CHINA
11:00 MADAME XD
12:00 MAZINGA
1:ish JOHN SINCLAIR & PINKEYE ORCHESTRA

Live videos from the Ann Arbor Ron Asheton Tribute show.

2009-03-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Dan Boyd and his crew for filming.
More to come in a later post.

Mazinga on your mind. Blowout and Belmont.

2009-03-06T07:23:00.000-08:00

Hey there friends,

Mazinga will be performing at the Metro Times Blowout tonight at Bakers Street Car Lounge @ 12am.

We make hardcore jams, so fuck respect.

In a few more weeks we'll return to Hamtown to blast the Belmont. We plan on cashing in your wolf tickets for the good vibes we drop tonight.

Asheton Tribute Recap

2009-03-04T07:23:00.001-08:00

If you missed it then you suck.
If you were there then thank you very much for coming out.
Here is a nice recap.

Here are some cool photos.

It was a great night. Thanks to all the bands for playing and being professionals.
Most of all thanks to Ron Asheton with out whom our lives would be much less cool.

Christpuncher recap.

2009-02-19T07:42:00.000-08:00

Ricki told me it rocked, but don't take his word for it. Check out what was said over here at the Elizabitchin' blog. This lady has the low down on all local Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti events.
Stay Tuned.

Ann Arbor Ron Asheton Tribute Show.

2009-02-13T11:06:00.001-08:00

This show is going to rule. Don't miss it.

Christpuncher Returns this Saturday @ The Elbow Room!

2009-02-10T14:40:00.000-08:00

So my step cousin Ricki Dickerson finally got out of prison for writing bad checks. His old band Christpuncher is getting back together and doing a show at the Elbow Room on Feb 14th for Valentine's day. Christpuncher is a wild over-the-top Heavy Metal band that plays all your favorite metal hits from the mid-70's up to the early 80's. They are not to be missed. Looks like Ricki set up a myspace for them. Go check it out. He said if I didn't help him promote his show that he and his band mates would kick my ass. Really... no joke.Hope to see you all there or my ass is grass... :[

Motorcityrocks.com likes Mazinga!

2009-02-10T11:16:00.001-08:00

Hey there friends and neighbors!
Head on over to MotorCityRocks.com and read their review of our latest EP "Open the Blast Doors".
They liked it!
And... just so you don't forget, there is this coming up!

And this!

The night after that, on Feb 28th, we'll be a part of a special Ron Asheton Tribute show at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor. More on that in a future post.
Shortly after that, we'll be rocking at the Metro times Blowout on March 6th. Universal Temple Of Divine Power is playing with us that night and they don't suck. In fact they rule and if you haven't seen them then you suck.
So there you have it. Start spreading the news. Call all your friends, relatives & close relations. Convince them to go see Mazinga as if their very lives depend on it. Because you never know, it just might.
-end of line-

More Mazinga updates.

2009-01-28T11:29:00.000-08:00

Howdy Friends.
Team Mazinga has been busy with the business of Rock. You can read about the results of our efforts over at the I-94 Bar. Seems the folks down under dig the Mazinga vibes. The Barman himself recently gave our new EP "Open the Blast Doors" a stellar review! Well, go check it out already!

HEY LANSING! We're going to be performing up in your neck of the woods on February 20th at Mac's Bar. You should really come say hi to us and witness the life affirming sounds of Real Rock N Roll the likes of which are seldom heard in the capitol of our fair state of Michigan.
Hope to see you there.

In case you missed it...

2009-01-26T12:57:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to a live recording of Mazinga performing last Friday at the Elbow Room. People told me they liked it. Hope you enjoy it as well. It was the first time a sound guy told me to turn up the guitar. They usually ask me to turn it down.

Zee on Mazinga!

2009-01-20T12:43:00.000-08:00

Amanda Zee is a local photographer who shoots a lot of happenings around Southeastern Michigan. She recently took some amazing photos of Mazinga when the group performed with the Meatmen and Chapstik. Go check them out on her flicker page here.

Happy Obama day! + a live Destroy All Monsters video!

2009-01-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

Bush is out of there! Thank the maker! America actually has a president who can speak in full sentences. The last 8 years under Bush have been a nightmare. Obama's speech was great.

I found this little gem over at the Barman's blog. Here is a video of Destroy All Monsters live at the Heidelberg in Ann Arbor circa 1983 with Scott Morgan on rhythm guitar and Gary Rasmussen on bass. I'm not sure who the drummer is, but I think it's Rob King. Dig it.

Rock N Roll Hall of Shame skips the Stooges again.

2009-01-14T14:34:00.000-08:00

I went to the Rock hall in Cleveland once. It was pretty neat to see all the cool stuff they had. One big thing that bugged me though was the lack of Stooges and MC5 stuff and the fact that both bands have yet to be inducted. Well the Stooges just got denied again, just a week after Ron Asheton passed away. While I have no problem with the artists who will be inducted, I'm astounded that an organization calling itself the Rock N Roll hall of fame would not induct the Stooges or the MC5. I mean, how fucking stupid are those people? I heard that there are 600 people who vote on who to induct. Are they all retarded? Do they not understand that there would be no punk rock with out the Stooges, which means there wouldn't be modern Rock music as we know it today with out the Stooges? I really thought that they would make it in this year. Seriously fucking lame. I really think there should be some sort of protest during the ultra exclusive induction ceremony. Who the fuck do these people think they are anyway? Rock 'N' Roll isn't an exclusive thing and should never be. I'm boycotting the Rock Hall until they induct the Stooges and the MC5. Fuck whoever runs that piece of shit.

KHAAAAAAAAN!! R.I.P. #6 R.I.P.

2009-01-14T13:47:00.000-08:00

Ricardo Montalban passed away today. As if that wasn't enough Patrick McGoohan passed away as well. Double lame. I'll be watching some Prisoner and Wrath of Khan tonight to honor the two actors.

Metro Times cover story on Ron Asheton.

2009-01-14T07:42:00.000-08:00

Go check it out here.

Upcoming Mazinga shows.

2009-01-13T15:18:00.000-08:00

Come out to these shows and party with us.

Mazinga Review @ Deep Cutz!

2009-01-13T08:19:00.000-08:00

Jeff Milo posted a great review of the new Mazinga EP "Open the Blast Doors" over on his Deep Cutz blog. Thanks Jeff! Well what are you waiting for, go check it out already!

Guitar Wolf are back, in Japan at least...

2009-01-12T10:46:00.000-08:00

Guitar Wolf has finally returned from their extended hiatus, after 558 days of not performing. Apparently Seiji underwent hip surgery way back in Aug. of 2007 and they haven't played since then. They'll be performing Saturday April 4th, @ Hibiya Yagai Ongakudo (aka. Yaon). To bad that's in Japan. OH well. Hopefully this means they'll be coming back to tour the USA soon! Guitar Wolf is one of my favorite bands of all time. You can read my 2005 interview with them and the review of their last Detroit show over here at MCR.

How I spent my Christmas vacation...or the longest post ever.

2009-01-10T10:33:00.000-08:00

This post is long overdue. I've just been to busy with things to get to it. Now it's Saturday and I have a time to complete it.
My Christmas vacation started early with a snow storm, which caused me to miss work on the last Friday before the break. Cool with me. I had the extra time off to cover it, so fuck it. That night was the Back in Spades, Gorevette show out at Small's and Alex really wanted me to go with him and hang out. I was all most a party pooper, but ended up going at the last minute. I decided to take my old crappy camera to see if I could capture some Rock 'N' Roll moments in time. I'm glad I did. The show was great. Running With Panthers opened the show with some high energy rock that got the crowd fired up. They reminded me of Electric Frankenstein kind of fired up punk rock.

RWP's fires up the Small's crowd.
During RWP's set I was asked to help a friend dig his car out of a snowbank down the street.

After trying for about 30 minutes we still couldn't get his car unstuck. It doesn't look that bad, but his car was on top of the snowbank and the front wheels had nothing to grip. I felt super bad for him. He was very grateful for the help anyway and to reward me for trying, he hooked me up with an incredible Star Wars collectible. An original Star Wars film reel projector. I had one when I was 4 years old and when he presented it to me I almost shed happy tears because it's so awesome! Here is a photo of me at 4 years of age, totally absorbed watching Star Wars on the little projector. This is pre video/DVD and back then the only to watch Star Wars at home.

Up next was Gorevette. Having Nikki Corvette and Amy Gore team up in a band is a great idea and it shows in the results of their jams. Their song "Fake it Now" is a instant garage rock classic. They put on a really good show and people seemed to really dig them.

Amy Gore rocking out.

Alex King on the drums.

Nikki Gorvette, and Lianna Castillo on bass.

Up Next was the main attraction for the night, Back In Spades. These guys were the shining light of the Future of Detroit Rock music back in 2003-04, but the broke up back then and all hopes were dashed. Thank goodness they decided to bring it back one more time. They put on a great show. They played all the songs people wanted to hear. I was totally amazed by the technical ability of the two guitar players. Watching Jackson Smith casually finger pick his way through amazing guitar solos was very inspiring. It made me want to go home and practice my ass off. Here are some photos. Too bad my camera kind of sucks.

It was a killer show.

On the 23rd I played bass for Devil Elvis at the Magic Stick. It was cool. The Gepetto Files and the Amino Acids performed as well. It was a rocking good time, except for another damn snow storm which scared me into leaving early and missing the Gepetto Files.

Christmas was super laid back. Theresa and I went out to my folks house to spend Christmas morning. After we opened some presents, we decided to watch Crank because my folks hadn't seen it yet, and we need to charge things up a little. Good times. My folks rule. Dad loved Crank.
It might be a new Christmas tradition.

Up next, on Dec 26, I found myself back at Small's when Mazinga opened up for the Meatmen and Chapstik. We had a great time, except I forgot the Mazinga CDs and some other stuff. Then I wigged out on the rest of the band for a minute. Not cool. I was to stressed out. Luckily we had Mr. Greenjeans there to calm us all down. Then everything went smoothly after that. Here are some Mazinga photos Theresa took with her new camera.

After Mazinga slayed, Chapstik came on and laid waste with a sonic wall of devastation. Check out the photos.

Up next, the Meatmen. The legendary Tesco Vee didn't spoil any expectations arriving on stage wearing Santa suit with a gigantic penis and ball sack full of goodies. The band blasted through all their classics from the "You Suck" album. Here is some photos of the mayhem.

After the show the weather turned totally strange and the outdoor temperature shot up to nearly 60 degrees. This caused all the snow to melt extremely fast which resulted in the thickest fog I've ever seen in my life, which of course I had to drive all the way back to Ann Arbor in. Seriously, I didn't feel comfortable going over 25 miles an hour, although that didn't stop other drivers from driving like complete assholes. I couldn't help but wish death on each SUV that barreled past at high rates of speed.

After recovering for a few days it was time for New Year's Eve and the Bang. It was totally rockin' this year. We kept our set up simple and invited two killer bands to perform, Kiddo and the Friendly Foes. They ended up combining forces to make one kick ass band instead of two. I had heard that the Friendly Foes were really good but I had no idea just how much they actually rocked. I was blown away. They did a bunch of covers, including opening with Green Day's "Welcome to Paradise". I've never really liked Green Day, but the Foes made their song quite likable. I can't believe I was suckered into enjoying a Green Day song. The jam of the night was when they played the Kiddo song "This Could Take Forever". The song is simply one of the best, most catchy songs I've ever heard. For real. That song should be HUGE! It's got a great sing-a-long choirs and infectious hook that you can't deny bobbing your head along too.
After the band were all loaded out, the Bang kicked into high gear and the rest of the night is an intoxicated blur. You can check out all the action photos over at the Bang flicker page.

The rest of my Christmas break from reality was spent chilling and house cleaning. My Truck crapped out on me on Saturday night, but I was able to fix it on the cheap thanks to a friendly mechanic who helped me out big time and cut me a huge deal!
Going back to work sucked. Ron Asheton passed away. What a shitty way to start out 2009. Let's hope it only get's better from here on out. I payed tribute to Ron last night by performing with The Hard Lessons over at the Blind Pig. We did the song "No Fun" and it was great! Big thanks to them for inviting me out for that. I love those folks.
I think that about covers it. Hope you enjoyed reading.
Thanks.

Now for some good news...

2009-01-08T13:21:00.003-08:00

I heard about this from my pal John.
The Dark Crystal is being shown at the Michigan Theatre on April 19!!! That's 8 days after my birthday. What a great gift!

The Mazinga dudes jammed out on WCBN 88.3 for the local show last night. It went well and we had a good time. We did TV Eye for Ron.

More news and reflections about Ron Asheton.

2009-01-07T11:57:00.001-08:00

This news item was released this morning. Hope everything gets sorted out the way Ron would have wanted it.
My friend John wrote this blog about Ron. It's good.
I'll post more info as I get it.

R.I.P. Ron Asheton

2009-01-06T07:39:00.001-08:00

Ron Asheton (pictured far right) is my guitar hero. His playing style, his story and local Ann Arbor upbringing influence me more then any other guitar player. His band and their songs are part of my personal mix tape that plays in my head as I travel through life. Growing up a Rock 'N' Roll infected teenager in the Ann Arbor area you couldn't avoid the legend of the Stooges. Their legacy effects every rock band from this area even if they don't know it. They set the standard.
I was fortunate enough to have befriended Ron back in 1999. It was wonderful to be able to get to know the person behind the Stooges legend. He was always very gracious and friendly, and he loved to talk about the past Rock 'N' Roll glory days and the Stooges.

I am very honored to have performed with him on several occasions, when he sat in as a special guest with Powertrane. The highlight from that time was a show we did in Brooklyn at the Warsaw where we played to a sold out house in April, 2002.

This was before the Stooges reunited. Ron didn't play out much back then. Originally I hatched a plan in early 2001 to reunite Ron with Deniz Tek (my other guitar hero) and combine them with Scott Morgan and Powertrane, a group I had just taken over bass duties for. Ron And Deniz hadn't performed together since the New Race tour in 1981. My plan worked out perfectly.

We did a short tour and three sold out shows at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, the last one included Mitch Ryder on the bill. A live CD titled Ann Arbor Revival Meeting was released featuring highlights from the first two Blind Pig shows. After the tour Ron took the money he made and bought a ton of fireworks and held an awesome forth of July party. It wasn't a blowout crazy party. It was small. People brought their kids. It was great. He delighted in setting off the fireworks and entertaining the little kids that were there.
Ron started performing out a lot more after doing those shows with Powertrane. He went on tour with the J. Mascis and the Fog and I didn't see him for a while. One day out the blue Ron called me and asked if he could use the Powertrane rehearsal space. He and his brother Scott were going to play some big festival in L.A. with J Mascis, Mike Watt and bunch of other folks and they needed to get ready for it. I told him of course he could. Then he said I could come sit in on bass with them for rehearsal. I was thrilled to say the least. He and Scott were super cool. They even let my friend John Griffin sit in and sing. We did about 40 minutes of Stooges stuff. John and I had our little minds blown. Ron and Scott must have not minded either because they asked us to come back and do it a second time. It was crazy. It was a Stooges fan dream come true. For about an hour or so John and I were in the Stooges. Sort of. Shortly after that the real Stooges got back together in 2003. I saw Ron around then and he was super happy and excited. He was never a stuck up rock star, not once. I was super happy for him and that the Stooges finally got the respect they deserved.
A few years later my wife and I bought a house just down the street around the corner from Ron. We hung out a few times. I saw him outside a lot when I drove past his place. He always waved. In 2007 the Stooges released the Weirdness album and were getting ready to embark on a big tour. While Scott Morgan was hanging out with Ron over Christmas, Ron offered to have Powertrane open for the Stooges at the Fox Theater. Later that year on April 13th we opened their show in Detroit, all thanks to Ron's help.

It was an amazing experience. One I'll always be incredibly thankful for. The last time I talked to Ron was after they played for Madonna. He told me that he had a good time but that it was sort of silly and strange. I saw him one more time after that while coming back from a walk with my wife. He drove by and slowed down and saluted to me. I was supposed to go see him on Christmas Eve, but we were to tired after family stuff. I know Scott saw him. Of course now I wish we would have went. But I guess you never see this sort of thing coming. Ron always seemed like a super mellow person. He liked to relax at home and chill. I hardly ever went over to see him. He never answered his phone and was always in chill mode just off a tour or something. I didn't want to bother him and I hate showing up unannounced. When ever I did stop by, he was always super nice and never turned me away. Ron Asheton is my guitar hero and I'll always be thankful for his friendship and the time I got to spend with him.

2008, where's the beef?

2008-12-18T09:09:00.000-08:00

Most music I've gotten into this year was made by groups that no longer exist. I got into Pentagram as well as a group called Flower Travellin' Band. It's very hard for me to find new current bands that I actually enjoy. Here is one that blew me away just recently. The Sword. They are total Conan/sword and sorcery metal in the best way. Just dig on this video.

Even if you don't enjoy metal music you can't deny the video is awesome.

Another current band that finally grabbed my attention is the Eagles of Death Metal. Their album "Death By Sexy" is pretty damn good. Their new one "Heart On" isn't as good, but maybe it needs to grow on me a little more. There just aren't any songs on it that smoke like "Cherry Cola" from Death by Sexy.

So there. Two current bands that I could actually go see play somewhere, if I had money to spend on shit like that.

As for local groups, I would go see the Muggs any day of the week. Universal Temple of Divine Power is awesome.

Oh Shit! New BSG webisode!

2008-12-15T07:31:00.000-08:00

New BSG Webisode!

Can't wait for more!

J'dub gets a write up + GI JOE movie news.

2008-12-11T07:18:00.000-08:00

You should check out this interview with Jeremy Wheeler, mastermind behind the Bang mix tape dance party among many other things. I've been a part of Team Bang since 2003. It's a great thing. If you haven't been to the Bang, then you need to go. The Bling Bang New Years Eve Party will blow your funky mind. We've got the Friendly Foes and Kiddo closing out 2008, with the insane dance party madness taking over after midnight for 2009. Get there early as I'm sure it'll be sold out by 10:30.

In other news, I read some details this morning regarding a test screening of the new GI-JOE trailer. The reviewer hated it. To bad really. I'm hoping that the movie will be good. Sounds like we'll all get to see it during the Stuperbowl. I might actually have to watch it this year.

School daze...

2008-12-10T12:00:00.001-08:00

I've been going to school the last year or so at WCC learning the mystical arts of HVAC. It's hard. Really hard, especially for someone who would rather go home and play his guitar. Unfortunately our society places little monetary value on 99.9% of musician class. People like me are forced into careers doing things that don't really interest them, yet earn a respectable paycheck. Bummer. Slavery sucks.

I have a crazy ass 40 question essay exam in about an hour and 1/2 from now that cover 5 chapters on hydronic boilers, radiant panels, radiant baseboard heat, fan coils and different piping systems. How the hell is someone supposed to memorize 5 chapters worth of hydronic bullshit? Maybe if I was unemployed and let the government pay for all my shit, like most of the people in my classes, I would then have tons of time to study all that boring crap. After that class I have to turn in Lab 3 for my energy audit class. I'll be lucky to make it home by 10pm. Ah, such is life.
UPDATE: I don't think I failed the exam, but it was super hard.

Tiki Art Show Holiday Party 2008

2008-12-09T09:06:00.000-08:00

Big thanks to the MCB for informing me about this! I'm going to try like hell to make it out.

It's time for the annual Chin Tiki Art Show and Holiday Party at Chin's Of Livonia.
Saturday, December 13th 2008
1pm - 2pm
Chin's28208 Plymouth RdLivonia, MI 48150
This year is our best ever with over 15 vendors!!
** Speedcult
** No Fun Records
** Tiki Carver
** Pinstripe Art
** Black Velvet Paintings
** Dave Burke
** Joe Z.
** Slaw
** Heather Watts
** Cat's Meow and many, many more vendors and artists!
+ Tiki Raffle with tons of prizes!+ tropical drinks, food available, exotic and wild music!And it's FREE to attend!But plan on buying lots of Christmas gifts, having a tiki cocktail and visiting with friends!
http://www.%20speedcult.%20com/
http://www.%20myspace.%20com/speedcult
http://www.%20myspace.%20com/cats_meow_detroit
http://www.%20myspace.%20com/delvillarreal

Weekend recap

2008-12-09T07:52:00.000-08:00

Damn, it's only Tuesday? I guess I'm still in sleep-in Sunday mode.
T and I, along with C&C went and saw Gorevette last Friday and they were great, good time Rock 'N' Roll music. They did some covers like "Neat, Neat, Neat" from the Damned, "What do I Get?" from the Buzzcocks, as well as the Nikki Corvette song "Girls like Me". They did originals too. The song "Lustfully Yours" is a jam. You can check it out on the bands myspace page. I know that Gorevette recently recorded a bunch of songs with Jim Diamond so I expect something should be coming out early 2009. They're playing again soon at Small's for the Back In Spades Reunion show on Dec 20th. That show should rule. Back In Spades should pack em' in and justifiably so. They were/are a great Detroit Rock group with two of the best local guitar players in their ranks. They broke up way to early so it's nice to see them do a show. Hopefully it'll lead to more.
Also at last Friday's show, we caught the last half of Silverghost's set. I enjoyed what I heard. I normally don't dig on synthesizer-indie pop kind of stuff, but they do it really well. At one point I thought it would be cool if they had a drummer, but I guess that might take away from their electro sound. Silverghost lands in A2 on Friday at the Halfass with Charlie Slick and Tyvke. After Gorevette threw down, The Grande Nationals came out with a full Marshall stack bombardment and laid waste to the Magic Bag with their rock n roll barrage. Good times. The drive back to A2 was fine, but when we dropped of C&C, we somehow ended up inside their place where several rounds of a strange European liquor were consumed. Not by me of course, but needless to say some folks woke up Saturday not feeling so well. No pain, no gain right? At least you had fun right?
The rest of my weekend was pretty chilled out. Lots of house cleaning, stoner jamming, homework, and relaxing. Oh yeah, I did make the mistake of going grocery shopping on Sunday afternoon.
People suck.

Please take a second and go Vote for Mazinga!

2008-12-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Hey loyal readers,
Please take a moment out of your day and go vote for my band Mazinga over on the Motorcityrocks.com web site. They were gracious enough to include Mazinga in their best of 2008 poll for best punk group. If I can get all of you who read this to go and vote for Mazinga I think we could take it.
Here is your link.
http://www.motorcityrocks.com/2008/12/vote-for-2008s-best.htm

It only takes a minute, plus you can vote for tons of other cool local groups like the Muggs and Hard Lessons.
THANKS!

And if you have time, go check this out. Big Tony update! He's been recovering well from his recent health problems. He's been at home resting and he quit smoking! During his down time he's been working on this awesome Mazinga discography. Enjoy.

2+2 is on my mind

2008-12-05T08:03:00.000-08:00

Hey blog reading folks,
Check out the brand new recording of the Bob Seger System's classic 2 + 2 = ? over on the Powertrane myspace page. We'll soon release it on vinyl as a 7" single. Our good friend Kevin Sharp recorded it at his Metro Recording Studio for his upcoming Detroit rock documentary and accompanying music compilation. While we're waiting for all that to be released, we've been sending the track around for review. Here is what our friend David Fricke at Rolling Stone Magazine had to say:

"2 + 2 = Rock!
Sung with a Michigan-rock vengeance from the point of view of a soldier up to his helmet in a firefight, the Bob Seger System's 1968 grenade "2 + 2 = ?" – basically a searing fuzztone riff and hellish-chant chorus – now sounds like great out-of-Iraq & roll. It's also way too elusive on vinyl and CD, so Scott Morgan, one of Seger's killer peers in the Sixties and Seventies, has cut the song with his band Powertrane for imminent release. While you wait to buy, play it loud at myspace.com/scottmorgandetroit"

Thanks Dave. We gave it our best shot. You can find this review in the print version of the magazine with Britney Spears on the cover.

On a side note, Powertrane / Mazinga drummer Alex King is making his debut with the brand new Detroit rock sensation Gorevette tonight at the Magic Bag in Detroit. Besides Alex, the group also features Nikki Corvette and Amy Gore from the Gore Gore Girls, hence the band name. They are performing along with Silverghost, the Dial Tones, and the Grande Nationals who are celebrating a record release. You should go check it out.
Stay tuned for more info on the upcoming Powertrane 2+2 vinyl release as well as a bunch of upcoming shows later this month.

OH SHIT! New Lost Promo!

2008-12-04T14:09:00.000-08:00

I can't wait till next month!

This place looks scary.

2008-12-04T11:34:00.000-08:00

My friend Jeremy said someone should make a movie here. I can't believe the place is just sitting out there though I'm sure once the photos get around the place will be picked clean. I'm listening to these dudes and these folks today. They are both pretty rockin'. I saw this the other day and it freaked me out. I'm going to see this tomorrow night. Should be fun. Tonight I'm going to do my best impression of these guys.

Tiki Tuesday.

2008-12-03T10:10:00.000-08:00

It happened last night and boy did I blow it. I didn't flyer for it. I didn't spam the internets for it. The Tiki band fell apart. I don't own a mixer anymore so I couldn't use my turntable and instead I had to fall back on just my i-pod. Aurora didn't show up to do the belly dancing. I didn't bring the giant tiki heads. To top it all off, I didn't make any money. Regardless of all that I still managed to have a good time and a nice handful of friends showed up and we got to hang out. Plus I finally met Will the guy who books the Elbow Room and plays in all those bands everyone likes. He was really nice. My musical brother from another mother, Elliot from UTODP also came out. So did Don ,who I was actually able to convince to come jam with Elliot, Jess and I on Thursday night in the Man Cave. Full on stoner trip blues rock time. It's going to be a blast.

Just like the next Tiki Tuesday on Jan. 6th.

I'm really going to try to step it up for 2009. I need to either get the old percussion guy Brandon back or find a new master percussion dude, which isn't easy. Scarboni had some good ideas too for decorating. So did Andy. I think if I just get off my butt and promote it a little better then it'll go off just fine.

A turkey of a long weekend.

2008-12-01T11:11:00.000-08:00

I didn't do jack shit over the long turkey weekend. Well that isn't completely true. It seemed as if it was 4:20 for four days straight. I organized and cleaned up around the house. I discovered that I have way to many awesome posters and no where to display them. I also unpacked some old toys n' things that haven't seen the light of day since we moved. I hung some more star ships from the basement rafters in the Man Cave. I played guitar for a while. I bought a cool green Boss phaser pedal and I also hooked up my old DOD Stereo Chorus, pedal. It was fun. I enjoy making tripped out noises with the guitar.
Despite what my doctor told me to do, I ate a lot of really unhealthy food like crazy insane chocolate pie, taco bell, tons of pizza, and grilled steak. I didn't eat any turkey. I didn't hang out with any of my family. Theresa and I stayed home and grilled up steaks for turkey day.

On Friday Theresa went out to see Counter Cosby play at the Screamin' Eagle club. I stayed home and watched some Macross Robotech and Samurai Jack with Jess. Saturday I was going to go downtown and try to sell Mazinga CDs to the local retailers, but I was having way to much fun pretending to be a shut in and decided to say fuck it.

We watched the film "Wanted" last night and boy did it suck. Speaking of watching movies, Scott Morgan has never seen any of the Star Wars films. He was over on Saturday night while New Hope was playing in the back ground on Spike TV, and he took notice of the Death Star trench run scene. Afterward I was finally able to convince him to borrow my old special edition videos. He does have a DVD player but has never bothered to hook it up. Wish I could say it was because he was to busy writing new songs, but that just isn't the case. I hope he enjoys the movies.

Team Bang got together on early Friday night to discuss the plan for the New Years Bling Bang. The Friendly Foes and Kiddo will be the musical guests that will kick off the evening and kick out 2008. Should be a rocking good time. I'm glad we aren't building any crazy set pieces this time. We've actually run out of room in our current 10x10 storage space and we're looking to upgrade to 10x20. I can't believe we've built so much Bang stuff that we're running out of space.
Whoever reads this blog should go to the Bang for New Years eve. You won't find a better party anywhere in Michigan.

2008-11-26T06:45:00.000-08:00

Howdy folks,

Looks like there's a new sheriff in town. My good friend Jef started up a record label called Arbco Records. It's pretty cool. So far he's released the FAS/Monsters or Mayhem split 7 inch and Counter Cosby/Texas Prison Rodeo split. The plan is to have Arbco release the next Mazinga full length on sweet 12" vinyl next spring 09. We kind of need to write and reocord it first, but we're working on it. Jef is also silk screening up a storm. He's been cranking out record covers, awesome posters, and he even did Mazinga shirts for us. Jeremy helped out by letting us borrow his flash dryer. Big thanks to Jef for doing cool stuff instead of bitching about how nothing cool is going on in Ann Arbor.

Pray for Big Tony.

2008-11-21T08:56:00.000-08:00

Regardless of what religion you subscribe to, we all need to send out positive energy for Big Tony, graphic artist, Mazinga bass player and good friend of mine. He was diagnosed with Emphysema yesterday. Tony has always been a heavy cigarette smoker. It's finally caught up with him. He needs to quit smoking now or he's going to die. For real. I'm going to visit him tomorrow at the hospital.

Big three killed my baby.

2008-11-20T07:37:00.001-08:00

There is this crazy scary story today on the yahoo intertubes. I sort of wish now that Theresa and I hadn't bought a house. We couldn't move if we wanted to. If the Big Three totally crash then it'll look like the apocalypse around here. I'm scared. For real. No joking. Here is a preview of what you can expect on Michigan roads soon.

On a brighter note...
Some sort of comment high jinks went down over at the ETC blog over the Metro Times 50 coolest music people in town list. No, I had nothing to do with it. I don't even know a 1/4 of the folks on that list but I wish I did so I could get some hook ups for my bands. The people I do know from that list have always been cool towards me.
Happy Thursday.

Save your fork, there's Pie!

2008-11-18T07:22:00.000-08:00

Howdy folks,
The Mazinga cd release show was fun. It was packed. People got crazy. We sold cds and it was good. I missed the after party cause I was tired, but I heard it was rocking' till about 4-5am. The opening groups Invader and JWPP were both high energy rock groups and they were really good. Nice to see actual rocking bands in an area so over run by the Bitchfork generation. Really though, nothing against indie-rock bands, I never liked most indie-rock/college rock music going all the way back to the 80's. It's just not my thing. I enjoy loud fast guitars and bands that go out and explode on stage. I always try to give new music a chance. I work for AMG so I hear tons of new music on a daily basis. I can't stand 95% of modern indie-rock or most of what is covered by spin or pitchfork or the blogs. If you think that makes me uncultured or close minded then so be it.

"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing." R.E.H.

I love it when the current music scene rips on the old music scene about being an exclusive insiders club, when actually the current scene is just as exclusive, if not more then the last one and the next one will be as well. It is what it is.
Mazinga has always been on the outside looking in, when we've bothered to look at all. We've never been excepted by any scene to our knowledge and I think that may be a good thing. We were never retro enough for the garage rockers. We aren't punk enough for the punkers, and we're to rock n roll for the hipster indie set. All of us (except the drummer) are over weight. None of us are very fashionable at all. We're all over 30. We don't have beards. Guess we're fucked.
Oh well, move along...move along...

Mazinga is playing at the RAW house this Friday night. It's an ALL AGES DIY show space/house in Ann Arbor, MI. We're playing with FAS, Dead Ringers, and Serpent Men; doors @ 6pm; $3. See you there.

2008-11-13T14:54:00.000-08:00

PEOPLE OF THE INTERNETS!

Your lives are boring and lame. Do you find yourself going to see the same handful of bands every weekend that the blogs tell you to see, at the same venues with the same people, same drinks, same clothes, same conversations, SAME EVERYTHING! Break the cycle of monotony. Be an individual! Take a chance and do something different for a change.

GO TO THE MAZINGA CD RELEASE PARTY THIS FRIDAY NIGHT!

Your attendance at the MAZINGA CD release party this Friday night will prove without a doubt that you are a true trend setter. Your decision to attended the celebration will show others that you are someone who is willing to risk the scorn of your fellow hipsters in order to discover new musical sensations and new groups of friendly, inspiring, interesting people. This amazing once in a lifetime event takes place in fabulous downtown Ypsilanti, at the world renown Elbow Room on Friday Nov. 14th. Should you chose to make this Rock N’ Roll extravaganza your Friday night destination, here a few things Team Mazinga can promise you. You will be entertained. You will have fun. We’ll get you wasted. Loud Guitars Rule. We will Rock you. You will also discover that there are more cool bands out there besides the ones those blogers chose tell inform about. In the end you must decide for yourself, but Chose wisely…Will you follow a pack of sycophants to whatever the new trend is or will you set out on your own path toward Rock N Roll Salvation?Only Team Mazinga can give you the true Rock N Roll satisfaction that you crave and deserve!Except no substitutes!

Michigan + life = sucks right now.

2008-08-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

Michigan sucks these days. My wife is looking for work in a state with the highest unemployment rate in the nation. A bunch of my friends have either moved away or are talking about moving away. We can't move away because we own a home and would lose all of our money if tried to sell it. The company I work for laid off 8 people yesterday with potentially more layoffs to come down the pipe in a few months. Not much to look forward to at this point. Fall is coming. Lame-ass U of M Students are returning to A2 to make our lives hell. It's already getting colder outside. I keep looking for new and exciting things to occupy my mind but I'm having a hard time finding them. I'm getting old and fat and my hair is turning gray. Also I can't seem to stay up past 2am anymore even on the weekends. Worst part, I'm always broke. I'll try to post something positive tomorrow. There has been some cool band developments going on. But we all know that doesn't really mean jack shit in the long run. I just want to know, Where the gold at?

Motor City Comic Con

2008-05-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

Don't miss the Motor City Comic Con this weekend! May 16-18. My plan is to interview Chirs Clarmont. If you have any questions you would like me to ask him please let me know.

Zombies

2008-04-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

Do you enjoy Zombie stories? Ever heard of a comic book called the Walking Dead? It may be the best zombie story I've ever read, although World War Z is right up there. The current issue, number 48 messed me up pretty bad.
Anyone who digs zombies should be reading this comic.

GORGAR the Demon pinball machine!

2008-01-31T14:26:00.000-08:00

When I was a young lad my parents used to go bowling once a week and they would bring me along. I remember not enjoying it very much until I discovered this game in the bowling alley bar. GORGAR the pinball machine. After that, it was my duty to try to defeat Gorgar and save the hot chick on the alter from his demonic possession. Now I found this game on the interweb and man do I want one! The artwork used ot haunt me but I still had to face Gorgar everytime we went to the bowling alley. Iwas totally into D&D at the time so this game was perfect for me. The worst part was that Gorgar actually spoke and taunted you into playing against him. Demon bastard.

Old School Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Figures!

2008-01-31T08:06:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that I'm excited and looking forward to these action figures. I hope they don't cost to much. Here is a link for more pics of these guys from the UK Toy Fair thanks to the folks over at Action-Figure.com .

New Indiana Jones Pic = awesome!

2008-01-31T07:59:00.000-08:00

GI Joe script review.

2008-01-31T07:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Wheeler here is a link to a GI Joe script review. I think it sounds awesome!

GI Joe Movie News

2008-01-30T13:30:00.000-08:00

So they are finally making a GI Joe Movie, and Larry Hamma is involved. Thank god!
Here is an interview with the GI Joe movie producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura. He keeps referencing the Transformers movie in respects to how they are approaching the GI Joe film and I don't like it. I didn't really like the Transformers movie, and I'm am worried that the Joe film will receive the same treatment. One of the things I do like is the casting of Ray Park as Snake Eyes! Now if they don't screw up his character it'll be sweet. I would love nothing more then to see the first issue of GI Joe done as a live action movie. I'm am pissed that I haven't heard them talk about the characters of Stalker, Clutch, or Rock "N Roll who were a few of the core members of the original team. Instead we have Ripcord, a later Joe from when the Joe story started to suck. AND... No Road Block. Instead another later period Joe named Heavy Duty. Lame. Today this guy was named as the actor who be playing Destro. God I hope they get this right. I guess only time will tell if this film turns out good or not. At the end of the day I have to have some faith since Hamma is on board. Please Larry, don't let the Hollywood fuckheads ass rape my childhood memories anymore.
On a more sour note, Devil's Due lost the G.I. Joe Comic Book License. I call bullshit on that. The group over at Devil Due brought GI Joe back from the dead and made it cool again. They even hired Larry Hamma to come and write from them. The hacks at Hasbro decided not to renew their contract and now it's either going to Marvel or IDW. Word over at IESB.net is that IDW will score the title since they already have the Transformers. At least IDW kept it real when they crafted their stories. I can't stand the designs of the robots in the movie.

MOTOR CITY COMIC CON! May 16th -18th!

2008-01-30T09:07:00.000-08:00

I know it's only the end of January, but I can't wait for the MOTOR CITY COMIC CON!
http://www.motorcityconventions.com/motor_city_comic_con/index.html
It is one of the high lights of my year. I hope this year I can party like a rockstar with the geek monthly crew at the hotel. I'm excited to see Bernie Wrightson. I want to pick up a copy of Cycle Of The Werewolf for him to sign. I freakin' loved that book when I was a kid but somebody stole it from me back in the day. Plus we get the new Jones movie that same month!