Vivid: A California Dream

When I was little, summers smelled like sweet jasmine and salt water. There was a lot of the old Santa Ana winds that would carry us all through until we hit the stride of indian summer. I haven't been in California during the summer for this long in an even longer time. It's thin fabrics, golden skin, electric knee touches, and taco salad will bring back everything if you want it to. If you don't wanna go back, because for some of us going back is scary, then go forward. Back and forth forever. Leap and bound until you can't feel yesterday. There is such a romance in longing for things. Don't get trapped! It feels so good to embrace either. I will digress. I used to make up names for foney bands. In 8th grade I remember 'Faze.' It was going to sound kinda like Ride, Blur, or The Stone Roses mixed with a little house music- because that was the strange shoegazey, mod, brit-pop, reggae, 1960's, punk, house, scene that used to go to the small raves in Santa Barbara or Prince's club in LA. I used to hang out in the middle of the dance battle circles and dance battle people until 6am. I used to turn my head every time I heard a skateboard roll over a sidewalk (still do). I also used to be really shy and then over compensate with humor around boys I liked (still do).

I want to embrace summer. Do it for real. I think it's because I've experienced my first real winter back. I spent last winter in Canada. I am finally thawed and am completely star struck by the summer here in northern California. It hit me like a hangover this morning. I'm almost paralyzed with options. In between designing these film credits and making paper lettering, do I go up to the top of the hill? Do I just walk through the neighborhood and admire the plants and all of their blooms? Do I trip out on all the colors and details that the sun brings out? Do I get a tan? Do I play tennis on any of these free courts? Do I swim? Do I stay up all night outside walking because I can without a jacket? I'm a born again Californian.

When my band 'Rubies' was asked to play this Saturday at a park in San Francisco, I instantly felt the hectic and inspired photons clatter around in my bones and remind me of the Santa Barbara summertime. This time it will be in San Francisco and this time it will be a real band! And I'm in it! Not a foney one. Guess you get what you wish for. 2 of the other bands are bands that I've been listening to for a long time. Bart Davenport and The Moore Brothers. I just visited The Moore Brothers in Grass Valley recently and jumped up and down a lot, laughed even more, and got still on a rock by the Yuba river. Yuba got capitalized because I think that's what you do when you wanna honor something. Capitalize it. I got to listen to Thom and Greg sing 'Heard About You' off their new album 'Aptos'. It sounds like the real California.

I'm also figuring out my next move. I know it would be a lot harder to just stay put. It's the easy thing to keep going. Everything has flipped. Trying to stay in California to see this Summer turn to Autumn. So like til mid August. Until then, help me find a retreat. Somewhere I can go and write music or think about what I wanna say or make. Or why it feels this good to be alive. Or how hard it is to get even closer to a friend you've stayed close to for 10 years. I would trade anything or pay.

So to dot the i here, i'll also cross the t. This Saturday, July 18. John McLaren park in San Francisco. Jerry Garcia Amphitheater (can't believe I just wrote his name when referring to a park in SF). Free show. Bart Davenport, Moore Brothers, Kelley Stoltz, Dead Meadow + more. We will be providing a lot of the dance portion. Music starts at noon. We play around 3pm. I'll be on a technicolor mexican blanket drinking a Pacifica and eating a trail mix burrito. I'll bring ping pong paddles in case and will probably hug you a lot. We need more hugs. Stay close.

ps. Thanks for coming to our album release dance party last Saturday. It was unreal and it was a blur. So many people I wanted to talk to and dance with! We've been working super hard overseas- So it felt great to have the homecoming feel like coming home.