Rasputina is alive (and the BBK-LIve in San Francisco)

Just a touch. I have to go back to class. Outstanding.



Well, i don´t know how to start this because sometimes a special situation happens and you dont know how. That happened the other day when i went alone to the Outlands Festival in San Francisco. Yeah¡¡¡¡¡ i went alone because some friends of mine that were suppose to come with me in the the end decided not to go. But i decided to go there because, you know, this is an unique opportunity to see a macrofestival like that in San Francisco. And do you want to know how i came to my house in Berkeley? You can not guess or imagine. Sure.

I came back in a convertible car (new word for me yes when you have a car with a roof that can be folded back o removed) shouting and stand up inside the car all along the super Bay Bridge. Yes, like that scene of Priscilla, Queen of the desert with the opera music goin´ on. That was me the other day.

CAN YOU DIG IT?

That´s life, bro´. That day (saturday, sunday in deed, because we went home really late) started Semana Grande for me jajajajaj.
The concert was great (of course), but the people i met on the bus -two girls from Catalunya, one guy from Madrid and later another boy from the Basque Country (Las Arenas, to tell you exactly the place where he was born), i mean that guys were incredible. Everything was outstanding. Of course we drank, we smoked (ohhhhh what a lovely smell again, man) and the best of all we danced and danced in an ending night. I´m going to post some pics. but not too many. I don´t want you to get bored (jajajajjajajaja) Envy is what i don´t want you to get because of that (jajajaja). Well, in any case, here they are.

Taking oxygen with different flavors. Not kidding.A different view of the one of the four stages.

New groups: Wild Beasts. And the other one i can not remember exactly the name but has the word Tokio (and it´s not Tokio Hotel jajajajajaj)

Here is the leader of Cat Power.

And later on we went to a night jazz club in Fillmore Street. The Boom Boom room or something like that.

Here is the place, near the famous venue The Fillmore:

And the night continued and we danced, and we smoked, and we danced, and we drank, and we smoked (have i told you by now the smell of that ganja) Ja ja ja ja ja I´m still s........ jajajajajajaj.

Well, anyway, perfect and unexpected night. I love how the things are workin´ here. So sometimes is the music, but others is that kinds of things that put this city on the summit of the World. I love it. And it´s not only rock and roll.

And on sunday, too many things to do: prepare Alaska´s journey, e.g. Rasputina´s gig, but that is another story. I´ll tell you tomorrow.

Sun is shining, sun is shining (as Bob Marley used to sing) since Sunday and that´s a good news.

It´s Martini time¡¡¡ Thanks to the Reverend

It´s funny because during the last weeks we´ve been learning a lot of vocabulary about religions, holy bibles, the Amish (i´ll tell you later about this weird people), tombstones, steeples, hearses, coffins, vows, incense, i can go on but tranquil i stop right now. For me, it´s is really funny as i told you before because all of you know that i don´t believe in God -As John Lennon used to sing "God is a concept by which we measure our pain, yeah¡ i say it again."- but, in any case, is always interesting to learn something knew. Not only vocabulary but new stories. i knew about the Amish because of a famous film of Harrison Ford (Witness). Dont´t you remember that scene on the movie with a galant Harrison Ford dancing with a happy and little bit scary amish girl near the pieces of hen and around a car? You don´t? OMF****G.
Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1jn5uCzWwQ

I upload it just to invite all of you to dance. You can try again, jaj ja jajajaj. Harrison could be a good (the best) teacher girls, jajajajaj. I know you love that man. I like his style, of course i do.

Well the Amish are really interesting, they are hooked on the 18th century, stuck on the mud of their ancestors. Crazy but interesting. And you can learn a lot about them, believe me, i´m talking seriously.
Here is a link if you are interested.

http://www.800padutch.com/amish.shtml

But the hip hop is hook with the Amish. Take a look at this, really funny. It´s a Biro´s recommendation.
Amish Paradise, by Werid Al Yankovic

It´s Martini time

But the craziest thing of this week took place last thursday when i went to the Fillmore to see.... The Reverend Horton Heat. Again God talkin´, in this case from a texas rock and roll, rockabilly and physcobilly priest (i prefer this guy from Texas and not Bush e.g. jajajajaj) 25th years on the road and for me was a surprise because they were making (filming) a DVD in The Fillmore. You see the limousine over there, The Reverend and his group were inside that pinky car and they came to The Fillmore like that.
Well, of course i´m kidding but it coul had happened that way, dont´t you think so?

If you have never seen The Reverend on stage take a look at this video and enjoy it.






PS. Well thank you Scott for your writings and supporting. Yes i´m trying to do my best here (fun and improving english too, no doubt about it. I repent for all my errors in the blog, but well, you know, this is not easy and most of the times i try to write without the dictionary.)

Santhy, i knew from the start that you are always with the latest news. So that is not a good txakoli¡¡¡¡ I take note of that. Well here, generally speaking, wine is really, really, really expensive, but sometimes i drink a glass of good wine from Napa or Sonoma and their grapes. Good  winneries there, in North California. And sometimes is amazing, you know the taste and all that stuff. I´ll tell you more soon.

I put another pic for all of you. Have fun and please write about Maria Jaia when she cames. I have here my T-shirt from Sin Kuartel prepared. But i´m thinking about buyin´ this suits for our next show.

What do you think??????

I think Jerry Garcia doesn´t aproove the idea (jajajajaj)

BUT MARILYN MONROE DOES.

And she is In, my friends, she is In. And Garcia is hight and stoned.

KSSSSS FOR EVERYBODY. HAVE A NICE

Txakolina in the New York Times¡¡¡

I´m not kidding.

Take a look.
It´s today newspaper and in The New York Times

http://californiaaitor.blogspot.com/2010/08/where-streets-have-no-name-i-love-rock.html

Here is the Basque Country all over the world

I´m goin´ to study, again.

See you later.

Where the streets have no name (I love rock and roll)

I LOVE R´N´R COS........... ROCK AND ROLL STOPS THE TRAFFIC





Rock and Roll and no the monkeys. Ja ja ja ja

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/how-many-monkeys-do-it-take-to-stop-the-show/

I´m reading now one book and two magazines. It´s all about music, folks. Always music. One of them is by Ben Fong-Torres. Not too difficult but, you know, there always new words, new vocabulary to look up in the dictionary. It´s called Becoming Almost Famous. Don´t you remember the movie, guys? Cameron Crowe, yeah¡ All about that lovely era with the groupies everywhere in the gigs, concerts, the music journalism -OMFG -that´s i new: Oh My Fuckin´ God, i have just learned reading a interview with Courtney Love -yes, the fucking postgrunge widow- in Uncut (which of course is my second reading nowadays).

And all that stuff remind me of the good rock and roll, the 60´s, and it has come to my mind an old tune: i love rock and roll (by Joan Jett). I heard it when i was flying to San Francisco in the movie The Runnaways. Old rock and roll.




This week i´m going to SF again to another concert (Reverend Horton Heat in the Fillmore) and we are going to see a collection of Pixar´s movies. It sounds really good. You know, films like Up and much more. And we are thinking of going to a kind of BBK Live but in the Bay Area. Good groups, good ambient, funny people (sure). But everybody here is runing out of money. Some of them because they are travelling a lot (you know LA, Las Vegas, Yosemite Park, Sacramento....) and others because they are having too much fun. I have to save money because Alaska is waiting for me so....
In any case, that´s the way God planned it, so that´s the way is gona be, bro´.

The other magazine i´m reading is about the famous U2 tour all over the States in the 80´s. Rattle and Hum. I´m sorry for you if you belong to the young (new?) generation and don´t know what a hell i´m talkin about. This is before, laptops, cell phones, Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus-Hanna Montana jajajajajja.

 In a certain way, they (U2) were discovering America in that period of their life, in the same way i´m doing it now. Well it is not the same, sure, i know, but that idea of the pioneers looking for something, looking for a better future during the Goldrush...... Perhaps it sounds a little bit exagerated, but you all know what i mean.

My adventure is not as big as that but........ it´s my dream goin on so i try to enjoy every step here, there and everywhere.

Another pic. from last weekend and a song from U2. Enjoy it.

And Bono and Cia. too.



PS. Be honest, be cute, be underground and againts the current (sometimes is better) and read the newspaper too.

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/09/allman-brothers-to-return-to-the-stage/?ref=music

Ksss for ALL OF YOU

Aloha, Aloha, Elvis is alive in Kawai

You are right, my friend Igor (you have to pronounce it Aigor, jajajajajaj) Elvis is alive and I have seen him in San Francisco. It was last sunday in the Aloha Fest (Hawaian free style)

You must think i´ve drive (me) myself crazy, but don´t worry. Nothing to do with goin´ insane at all. Everything is perfect. Just talkin´ about casualities in life. Welcome to Kawai:

But where is Elvis?, you can say rigth now

Yeah¡ The answer is that he was playing the ukele in San Francisco, last sunday. And lots of people with him enjoying the hawaian style. Give me a puff¡

Me too.

And my tiny, little, new friend too.

It could be strange for you but i didn´t buy any T-Shirt yesterday, and i can assure you that there were nice T-Shirts there but, you know, how to say that, Alaska is real expensive (that´s what they tell me here and must be real), so .... i have to save my money for the las two weeks in Seattle and Alaska.
Yesterday was a great day in SF. Not only because of the super hawain style fest, but for the new concert we saw in Cafe du Nord (in Market street, near Castro area). The incredible Jim Messina (he was playing in the 60´s with Buffalo Springfield and in the 70´s with Poco). And he is still alive, like Elvis Presley (better, i have to say).

Sorry, that was my little girl on stage.

Here is Jim Messina.

You can call me old, crap, jerk o whatever you want but, OMG, this guy is is is ....gettin higher and higher. Not only he, but the rest of the group (a quintet) were up up up yesterday. They were having fun and the rest of the people in the Cafe du Nord too. You don´t believe me. That´s what i have to tell you:

It is not what you r´ thinking but it works perfectly. JAJAJAJAJAJAJAJJAAJ F**** idiots.
"There are wrinkles in my face and i can see in the mirror my hair is getting grey but who cares? Meanwhile i´m growing up, i´m everyday on the Moon, on the summit of the Everest. Do you want me to do it, don´t ask me twice, you don´t need to repeat it".
This quotation is perfect and i want to underline it again. Does anybody who the author is?
The answer is in your soul. Thanks Barret. "The lunatics are in my head" (thanks R. Waters).

Let me see (the girl is just a pic). I have left the best for the end. Tooooo muchhh Traffic, too much Soderbergh. And then, 2000, September 11th didn´t happen yet. The world was dreamin´with freedom then. Now my friends, the world is just an oyster, nobody knows anybody (and Osama is just a shape inside a touch of your nigthmare of this reality). No more joints, please (just crystal meth).




GOOD NIGHT, GOOD LUCK¡ ENJOY THE RIDE¡¡¡¡

No tears in our eyes, please¡

IT IS A NEW DAWN¡

I have just stolen this from one facebook: "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined"~Thoreau. The first antimilitarist in the modern world.

Let me introduce all of you this day with an awesome song from Marvin Gaye. And later on I´ll continue, guys:



For the ones that knew this song before hand, you probably have realized that is a new version (extended version) and different from the one we all new from his album Let´s get it on. OMG (Sorry, that´s the way they use here to say -for short- Oh My God, ja j aj aj aj.) Yeah. As i told you before man and woman, this version is incredible. I put this tune just because we are in the mood of happiness,
No tears in our eyes. How was the sign on your T-Shirt Molly?: "Lifeisgood". No doubt about it, my friends.
As i´m writing this entrance in my blog i´m listening too the new version (what a piano, horns...) and i love that moment when the song is fading away (it´s better to burn out than to fade away, don´t you remember) and almost desappear and there it is again. OMG, awesome, the voice of All Green in the second part is really sexy, really really sexual ambient all over the second part, don´t you think so?.

Well, i have put this version just because the german brothers (it is not a Circus, they are real and they were in LSI improving his good english), well they have just left us. They are in this moment in Tokio (Japan). And we miss them. You all now who they are cause i uploaded some photos from our Muir Woods´ excursion.
Last thursday we have dinner all together and it was great.
Thanks to the hospitality of Ms Molly -she is doing her best-, we have a great dinner in her house, on the top of the hills in Berkeley. We saw the Bay Area from there. Great landscapes, scennery. And before dinner, we went to the swiminpool too. Here are some photos. Fist, the dessert:

In the swiminpool:

Of course the fog came in the end. This is how it is in Berkeley-SF during summer, but this must be one of the worst summers in the last 10 years.

So lets enjoy life everyday.

By the way, there are good news for gays and lesbians in San Francisco. A court has overtuned the prop. 8. You know, the one that banned same sex marriage here. So Castro was again sparkling the other day. I think the two Castro (Fidel is still alive ja ja ja ja and his birthday is one of this days) I wasn´t there because i didn´t know anything till i arrived home and watched the news on the TV. So sorry, but i could see the ambient there and they were celebrating their victory doing therir best: dancing, cheering, screaming and so on. So this photos are more or less the same:

Of course, they are from the day before the 28th Parade in San Francisco and they were taken in Castro. But you can even see the smell of victory. Don you remember that scene in Coppolas´s movie Apocalypse Now?

Here to remember one of the my favourite actor (it is funny because in american english you have to use favorite, i mean no u). Robert Duvall.

Just to make it easier for the spanish people who don´t know english very well.

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had a hill bombed, for 12 hours. When it was all over, I walked up. We didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' dink body. The smell, you know that gasoline smell, the whole hill. Smelled like... victory. Someday this war's gonna end..."

It´s obvious that i prefer gays and lesbians victories. I don´t want nobody diying again because of Napalm nowhere. Nowhere¡¡¡¡

IT´S A MAN MAN´S WORLD- A CRAZY CRAZY WORLD.

This is from the same movie. Outstanding.

WAR IS OVER (because nobody is goin´to)

Someday everything is gonna end (wars too) so enjoy my friends, enjoy¡

The secret in their eyes (and the Net)

In morning classes we have been talking about the new addictions: internet addicts, games and all that stuff addicts too. Perhaps you know it just because most of our children are under the influences of that machines. Technology Nation, that is what they are talking about. But if we have to dream, i prefer to dream in real things and not in Second Life models. It is not a role model to follow. At least, not for me, but anyway that was the topic to discuss about and that's what we have done.

I deeply recommend everybody to go to the cinema and see The secret in their eyes, the last movie from Juan Jose Campanella (a famous argentine's director). Hi has won an Oscar with this film this year. Probably by now, all of you have seen the movie, but i saw it the other day in Berkeley. And for me was a breathtaking movie (even an experience, i think you can talk in that way. Sure). An outstanding film.
If you have a goal or a motto and you are trying to achieve it or to make it real; that is the main story of the film. And one of my best actors is there too, i'm talkin' about Ricardo Darin.



People (we are always talkin' about reviews in magazines, newspapers.... But try this: this is what people have said in You tube about the film:

"Saw it over the weekend and still can't stop thinking about it."

"Made my list of top 10 movies of all time. Scary good. Masterpiece."

"SUCH A GOOD MOVIE!!
this trailer does NOT do this movie justice."

So, you know, if you haven't  seen it, GO BEARS/CALI and if youy did, lets talk about it.

IN between, try with a little peace of music. It's hot here so why not this?

Thanks Donna and Full Monthy (remember the movie) I can't stop laugthing



And now the whole song (the 70's man, the 70's man)



PS. (i have changed this because i have just realized that in English this is the way to put PD)
In any case, you are right Karmele, the suitcase is getting bigger and bigger. I am sure by now that i have to buy another one. But that's life.

Dont worry Santhi, i'm on my way to get all the information (a photos too) i´ll need to write about food and specials cusines. I don't give up.

Kss for everybody, as usual. It's for free as hugs free (a new version of the hippy era jajajajajaj)

Unbelievable: Obama was in Muir Woods too

Well its just a joke, of course, but we had such a good time there, that it could be true. Do all you know what a Drop-box system is? That is the reason why i have now the photos of the rest of the people who went with me (well in this case only Molly because Leo and Heinrich forgot their cameras) to Muir Woods. I´m getting with this new system so i´ll tell u how it works when i know it perfectly.

Obama??? Sorry, i have forgoten the president of the USA. So sorry for that. Well, HERE IT IS:

What did you expect my friends? Just kidding so lets go

JA JA JA JA JA JA JA JA JA JA JA

Going back to work today. LSI is always there, in Downtown Berkeley, near the Bart Station and Berkeley University.

We have changed morning´s teacher today. Completely different. It´s only one week so.... we can´t get on with this situation. Steve is really a creative teacher, always remembering stories about his past days, his famous friend Micke (you have to know that man and his life, man) Incredible. And i do learn a lot of new vocabulary, phrasal verbs and the documentaries are really interesting so who can ask for more if you are trying to improve your english. We have been really lucky with Steve (morning classes) and Molly (afternoon-business classes). No time for dilly dally (waste your time, another expression we´ve learnt this summer)

So the new teacher is doin´ her best of course -and i am happy- but definitely is not the same.

Well, in any case, i´m goin´ to attend all my classes, that´s for sure.
We were talkin´ about Obama, but before him others in this country gave hope to their people, to their community. Here is one example. Harvey Milk, i told you about this man before. This photo was taken in Castro last June. Nice.

PD. Thanks Guzmi for your comments.  And you were right, we talked in spanish with the lenda but just because his english is "really poor", i think that were his words exactly. So........

It wasn´t (all) my fault, i guess. By the way, how was your last concert?

To the ones that are again in Bilbao (Jon-Marian) Welcome, welcome¡¡¡¡¡¡

Allo everybody. After Trip-Hop, Muir Wods Experience. ENJOY IT¡

I´ve been to Hollywood
I´ve been to Redwood
I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold
I've been in my mind,
it's such a fine line
That keeps me searching
for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old.
Keeps me searching
for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old

(Heart of gold, Neil Young)

Yes, i love that idea of getting old -i´m on that road, on the way, you know- but as Molly says as a mantra "Guys it´s just a number, just a number", the age, i mean.
Anyway. For all of you, for the followers of this blog, for your writings, for the efforts of doing it in English -i deeply appreciate that, folks- for the rest of my close friends and relatives, for ALL of you, here are the reedwoods. Happy new sunday wherever you are.  That was yesterday in Muir Woods, close to Sausalito. Five hours hiking in that beautiful place, my friends. Now, i share it with all of you:
I think it´s a magical place. Lost yourself there. The park is huge; a good place for dreaming.

Later we went to the beach. Put my feet inside the sea watter and was...... yeah¡¡¡ freezing jajajajajaj. But it was pefect too. Good excursion with Leo, Henrick (the two german brothers) and Molly (a nice girl-teacher from Atlanta - you have to say Alanna more or less-. Cool, really cool.

Memorabilia-Thanks, Mr. Graham-Fillmore not dead

Here i´m again, in a sunny sunny sunday morning in Berkeley. This week the sun has been all over the city. Not too much fog (only in the mornings), so we could talk about summer this week in the Bay Area. This is the way they call San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, Sausalito, Vallejo and the rest all the cities in the area.
And after this introduction, i have to tell you one thing: i ´ve been in the Fillmore.

You don´t know what i´m talkin´about. Ohhh c´om baby. I give you a hint (a clue)

the second hint

OF COURSE, IS ONE OF THE TEMPLES OF ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC

It was found by Bill Graham in the 60´s. This is a new one, the old venue was closed long time ago and used to be near the Japan area in San Francisco. I mean, were the japan zone is nowadays.

This place remainds me of the 60´s and how the great and smart guy Bill Graham used to plan the concerts and all the rock-business before the dead of R´N´R. Yes. i´m talkin´ (writing) seriously. Well, of course is good to see the Stones still playing today worlwide, but is all for the money, folks. Don´t you remember when the 60´s came to an end and they (the hippy stablisment) decided this: "We can´t change the world, we can not change your mind either, so...... lets make money jajajajaja" And there they are, making a killing (you use that expresion when you are gambling in Vegas e.g. and you earn a lot of money (a dirty amount of money, i mean). During a free concert in California, Bono -lead singer of U2- made a grafitti in San Francisco with this statement: "Business is killing rock and roll." And i totally agree with him. But that was long time ago. Look at them now, they are rollin´ in money, arent they? sold out in every stadium they play in so....

The second best thing last wednesday was the group i went to see and listen to. MORCHEEBA. But with Skye Edwards. AWESOME. That girl..... not only she is pretty, but also -i will say above everythin- her voice is incredible. And she is cute too. Was funny because she was kidding everytime and all of us laughting during most of the concert.
They have released a new album (three months ago) and it sounds good. Here is one of the new songs. Even though. Live and acoustic for in a radio station in Paris.



And here is a tiny memorabilia of the event. The ticket.

They finished with a great song (but they play their old stuff too, everything you can imagine: The sea, Trigger hippy, Blinfold, Beat of the drum, Part of the process...). But the end was just fantastic with one of their best tunes. Here for you 

PD. Just for the crazy people that are mad about music.
It´s a real interesting web to look, come across and click-pick up. Just try if you want discover something new. You chose a group and you can find it last concert, the set list and sometimes the upload live gigs too. Amazing. You can try with Morcheeba in San Francisco e.g. and enjoy the experience.
 http://www.setlist.fm/setlist