McGoostock

“Of course! And, oh, I forgot! There was a big stage show! The headliner on this stage show was Malvolio the Magician. He performed wonderful tricks, many of them, such

 as pouring water back and forth between pitchers. First it turned to wine and then it turned to beer and then it turned to whiskey. It was Kentucky Straight Bourbon.”

-- Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) “The Glass Menagerie” 1945

The sky is high, whipping west. The pirate flag is breezy stiff. I’m checking it out after having two espressos and taking my medicine, which I just put out in the ashtray. Yes, I received word that my MMMP card came in the mail. Groovy!

Today’s topic is McGOOFEST. To that end, I’ll dispense with the interview format and go for a narrative approach.

Socially, the event became a gathering for a local demographic that rarely sees each other, the folks who were roughly twenty years old in 1970. Okay, 69, that sounds better. I noticed Snowflake was in attendance, or was that Gale Lajoye, I can never tell the difference.

The soiree nicely coincided with the Bishop Baraga/ MSHS high school reunion, which brought out a number of fellow mackerel snappers I hadn’t seen in a while, like Steve Richer and Francine Longtine. Last night Brigitte, Amanda, and I, attended a gourmet dinner at Julie’s and Kuhli’s Lakewood Lane love nest, where Freddy Huffman filled us in on forgotten pasts of people and events we once knew well, such as the mighty, mighty, Royal conquest of the Class C state championship in a long ago time. All hail the exploits of Hampton, Leanes, Huffman, McGee et.al.

Being an old hippie and MMMP card carrier, my vote for best outfit of both evenings goes to Bonni Q. And what did she look like? If Cher, Janis Joplin, and Melanie had attended, they would have been jealous of Bonni’s wonderfully cool outfits. The pants she wore on Saturday were stunningly chic. Again, if anyone reading this has photos, please e-mail them to rlt@umich.edu.

Contrast this look with the sizeable contingent of fellows wearing quilted long underwear shirts under flannels, over Carhartt jeans, and topped with caps bearing witty slogans like “Deer Tremble at My Name,” and “Fearless Trout Killers.” Suffice it to say there was a diversity of patrons, all of whom made a valuable contribution to our cause.

Before offering a musical review of the proceedings, I must extend profound thanks to Rodney Johnson of Gwinn, without his sound expertise and commitment to the bands’ needs we couldn’t have pulled this off.

Although I play in Chemojunkie and FUFAR, I’ll try to be objective.

FRIDAY NIGHT

The night started with Chemojunkie, Kim French, Don Kuhli, and myself. Dave Cavender (trumpet/harmonica) and Andy Adamson (keyboards/vox) also chimed in at various times. We started with a more acoustic, mellow sound, and moved into “Yellow Dog Stretch” mode over the course of an hour. I thought Kuhli’s drum work with the brushes was exemplary, and key to fattening up the sound when we played as a trio. Andy’s participation on Sonny Boy Williamson’s  “One Way Out,” ala the Allman Bros. Band version, made the song happen. I’ll mention Sonny Boy again.

Following that, Michael Stadler took the outdoor stage and offered a lesson in why playing the acoustic is the ultimate expression of a guitarist’s abilities. Over the weekend, Stadts did a way cool version of Dylan’s, “Oxford Town,” a Twainish gender-bending novelty song (someone else’s), and some fiddle and claw-hammer banjo playing that was as exquisite in sound as it was astonishing in execution.

Then came the Derrell Syria Project. They rocked the house. The next time you see Derrell, play close attention to what his fingers seem to be doing, and what comes out of his amp. His fingers belie the amazing sounds that fill the room. Given that Darrell is most famous for his band, “Congo Se Menne,” it shouldn’t have been surprising that a Finnish reggae influence was an integral part of their set. The crowd went nuts when they broke into the Monkees,’ “I’m a Believer,” which was actually written by Neil Diamond, but that’s a quibble.  Dave Ziegner is a great player. French and I both marvel whenever we see him. He’s like a combination of Jaco and Les Cleypool. What makes him unique is his ability to play with complexity while never getting in the way of Derrell’s singing and playing. Wow! Paul Neumann’s drumming was solid, tasteful, and the perfect complement to Gary Parkkonen’s most excellent keyboard playing. At the end of the set I noticed Vie Dagenais, thinking he was that Paul Newman, chasing Neumann around for his autograph.

Given the Friday night conditions, outside, late, cold, and rainy, FUBAR was okay (see Saturday night).

After that, there were no jams, and we closed the bar with a modest vigor, knowing we had to save ourselves for Saturday night.

SATURDAY NIGHT

The Flat Broke Blues Band took the rear stage at 7.  Lorrie Hayes came out in a black, sleeveless body suit and led her boys through a long set highlighted by some scorching guitar leads by Mike Letts and Walt Lindala. Lorrie’s harmonica playing lends the perfect complement to a band of players deeply committed to the blues tradition. Mr. Lindala, in fact, is one of the principals in the Marquette Blues Society, and instrumental in organizing the annual Marquette Blues Festival. Mr. Letts, who has a long pedigree on the Marquette music scene, let loose with some Buddy Guy licks that taught me a lesson on what exactly the hell Buddy does when he’s playing that stuff. At the center of this wondrous ensemble work is the soul-drenched voice of Lorrie, the local blues diva par excellence on a star-studded weekend. Okay, the “star-studded” weekend description is a bit over the top, but so what. Mark Johnson’s work on the Fender Jazz, in concert with the rock-solid, and seemingly effortless, drumming of Jim Cohen made the FBBB a definite highlight of the event.

Next came FUBAR’s Saturday night set. This was the best I had heard FUBAR sound in a long time. Playing inside gave us the chance to play some more acoustic oriented stuff before launching into our electric shtick. We only played three originals. Here’s the cover list. After starting with the Rolling Stones’ “Prodigal Son,” we performed tunes by, The Byrds (Girl With No Name), Barbara Lewis (Hello Stranger), Procol Harum (Power Failure), The Foundations (Build Me Up Buttercup) The Kinks (Dead End Street), Carla Thomas (B-A-B-Y), Dylan (Pledging My Time), The Cardinals (The Door is Still Open), Eddie Floyd (On a Saturday Night), Parliament (I Just Wanna Testify), and Sly & the Family Stone (Sing a Simple Song). After we finished, and since then, people have been telling me how impressed they were with Sophia Hanifi’s singing. What I hear in Sophia’s voice is an authenticity that comes from a commitment to developing her own style, rather than trying to adapt to the stylings of other successful vocalists. Nowhere is this more evident than on her renditions of “Buttercup” and “The Door is Still Open.” Seeing myself as a part of a dynamite rhythm section in FUBAR, I would only say that Oni Werth’s bass playing and Jim Carey’s drumming are so impressive to me as to be indescribable. I love these guys. If you must know more about them/us, google Sonic Bids, or www.meetthecrab.blogspot.com. As I said, I was extremely proud of how we acquitted ourselves in front of what I consider to be a hometown audience.

Michael Stadler again showed his mastery of the folk/bluegrass genre. What I haven’t said enough about is the power of his voice. Consider his emotional, gut-wrenching rendition of Roosevelt Sykes, “Driving Wheel.” (FYI: I recall seeing Roosevelt Sykes, aka the “Honeydripper,” at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival in 1972) I know Michael first heard this by the Paul Butterfield Band, but his version blows Butterfield out of the water.

Nearing the 11 o’clock hour Fast Eddie’s Blues Band took the stage. These boys set the bar way high. Blistering, scorching, thundering – adjectives fail me here, friends. Eddie has a great voice, it cuts and he means it. I guess he took my workshop allusion to heart, because his version of Sonny Boy’s “Fattening Frogs For Snakes” knocked me over. The fast boogie, the shuffle, the jump-swing, Eddie covered all of the conventions. Along with Kuhli, French, and Andy Adamson backing him (Warny Macdonald also took a turn at the drums), he brought in Mr. Samsey, aka “Crab,” on the guitar. Once when I was homeless, thanks to Crab’s kindness, he allowed me to take up residence with him in the “Left Bank” of Hunt Hall. Everyone I’ve talked to since, both local and from down below, was buzzing about Eddie’s set. Again, WOW!

You can imagine my consternation, knowing that Chemojunkie had to follow Fast Eddie’s over the top blues assault. There was no avoiding it. We took the stage. Given that Eddie had left the crowd in such a musical frenzy, what with his shaman-like primal cadences and shape-shifting antics, I quickly made the executive decision that an electric, and not acoustic, strategy was needed. But rather than try to follow Eddie’s relentless, evil hip-shakin’, I pulled a reverse and launched into a solitary and plaintive Magic Sam blues lament, “Every Night and Every Day.” It worked. We soon had the crowd eating out of our hand like a Presque Isle deer on psychedelic carrots. Since no surf music had yet to be been played, we followed up the slow blues with a frenetically mind blowing version of “Yellow Dog Stretch” that quoted the Beatles, Nirvana, Edvard Grieg, Miles, and Ravel’s “Bolero” in taking the crowd to a new level of ecstasy. We then did a sensitive version of Etten and Mckelvy’s “Delighted,” before shrewdly co-opting Fast Eddie’s, The Flat Broke Blues Band’s, and FUBAR’s success by inviting Eddie, Crab, Adamson, Cavender, and Lindala to the stage. From there we blew it out with a hard driving shuffle on which Lindala soared; a soulfully rock driven version of Bobby Womack’s “It’s All Over Now;” and a rousing finale of  Walrus’s, I should say Moby Grape’s, “Murder in My Heart for the Judge;” which had the whole place dancing wildly.

Last, but not least, our intrepid master of ceremonies, the inimitable Mr. Bill DeBroux, ensured that a seamless narration regarding, donors, contributors, personnel, and scheduling, tied the whole thing together. Bill also brought along a McGOOSTOCK tee-shirt that will forever mark the event.

When I left the bar at 3:45 AM, the door was open, jukebox blaring, and there was no sign whatsoever that last call might even be vaguely approaching.

Love - Randy

Tonto and Chemosabi Interview

ATTENTION: ANYONE HAVING PHOTOS FROM McGOOSTOCK PLEASE EMAIL TO rlt@umich.edu

“This thou perceiv’st, which makes thy love more strong,

To love that well which thou must leave ere long.”

-- William Shakespeare (1564) “Sonnet 73” (1609)

Tonto: Is drinking bad for you?

Chemosabi: No, being unhappy, however, is a lethal state of existence; so if drinking doesn’t induce happiness in yourself and those around you, don’t drink.

T: What about smoking? Is that bad for you?

C: Yes. The payoff for the pleasure gained is so minimal as to be included in the category of unhappiness. Like all chemical addictions, the user is unable to stop even in the face of knowing the consequences of what they are doing. Smoking is not a moral flaw or weakness of character, it is, rather, a physical and psychological illness to be treated in a clinical setting, again, like ALL forms of substance abuse.

T: I understand you are near Marquette, where there’s been a recent protest surrounding the local policy of now allowing gays to give blood, what thoughts on this?

C: Healthy blood is a precious commodity. Contaminated blood should be thoroughly screened for dangerous viruses, regardless of its origin. Who cares whether it came from Jeffrey Dahmer or Mother Teresa?

T: There was a recent story in the Marquette Mining Journal concerning the status of organ donations in the United States, your opinion?

C: Two things, one sensible, one radical. The sensible thing is to have everyone be an organ donor by default. Meaning that rather than designating the fact that your kidneys, heart, lungs, skin, or eyes are available, you must explicitly choose that you do not wish to have your organs harvested. On the radical side, organs should be a commodity. The purchase and sale of organs should be regulated and encouraged. Yes! That’s right, encouraged. A kidney to avoid foreclosure, yes. Unethical? Not according to my moral compass. Forget the seriousness of the donor’s actions and think about the possibility of saving a life.  Even more radical is the idea that prisoners, death row and otherwise, should be a part of the organ donor pool. If a 24 year old is to be executed, his organs should be taken, no questions asked. After all, he forfeited his rights as citizens by violating the principles of civil law. Is this not out of sync with my anti-death penalty stance, not at all. Insofar as the death penalty is enforced, the death row population should be a source of healthy organs. As to other prison inmates, consider this scenario. A woman murders her husband, and is given a life sentence with the possibility of parole after, say, 10 years. After serving half her term with good behavior, she is given the option of cutting two years off of her original sentence by donating a kidney, should this be acceptable? I think you know my answer, so what’s the next question?     

 T: The Mining Journal also published a letter by a friend of yours touting the just concluded McGOOSTOCK event held in downtown Big Bay. What might you say about that?

C: Funny you should ask, since I just happened to be in attendance. But first, let me offer some insight on the letter you mentioned. I hope none of the attendees take the kind of dim view I hold regarding false advertising. Having experienced the unparalleled taste sensation that comes with dining on Partridge Wellington, I was somewhat disappointed when I noticed its absence on Cheryl and Laurie’s table. My chagrin quickly dissipated, however, with my first sampling of the meatballs and potato salad. Never, in my many years of sailing the world’s culinary seas, have I tasted deviled eggs such as these. The desserts were superb! I myself solicited the writer’s admission that his missive was colored by the food experience he underwent last year in the Big Bay Jail. So I’ll forgive the gustatory mendacity the letter conveyed. Equally skeptical was I regarding any actual workshop by the Carp River Cobra. I was told by the Cobra’s agent that an Ann Arbor booking agent who attended the soiree though Eddie’s voice was passionate, authentic, and way cool, however, there was no harmonica workshop, which sorely disappointed the FUBAR trumpet and harp player, who’s always enjoys Little Walter jamborees. There was also the little matter of the guided smelting tours. Kawbawgam’s grandson rudely informed me that the smelt no longer run in the rivers, which is, again, a sign of the writer’s gross abuse of literary license. That is, had there been any actual tours.

T: I hate to interrupt you, Chemosabi, but what about the event itself?

C: Let that be tomorrow’s post.

On Sucking It Up: Reasons To Attend McGOOSTOCK '09

“It is only that which cannot be expressed otherwise that is worth expressing in music.”
-- Frederick Delius 1862-1934: in “Sackbut” September 1920 ‘At the Crossroads’

Dear Tim:

To those who would say “suck it up," I offer this from Shakespeare’s “King Lear: “He jests at scars, that never felt a wound.” A “remember there are people worse off” self- comforting philosophy can only sustain one for so long. It gets old, constant pain. Yes, it varies, I’m sure. But so far, it’s always there.

Given what you’ve been through, at this stage, your level 8 would be off the charts for most of us.

That a visit to the ER puts the doctors and nurses in uncharted waters is understandable; that cost considerations ensure a suffering citizen must be “damned sure” before going there is unconscionable.

No worries about your performance at the upcoming benefit, my friend. I had thought about somehow not talking for a period as a show of solidarity, and, since you mention “certain people,” there are those who would sorely welcome such a respite, perhaps envisioning me as that Twilight- Zone-smokers-club-glass-room gentleman who, on a bet, has his vocal cords severed.

But I digress. Remember, because you have a dual role as both recipient of the benefit, and member of the audience, you can choose your persona. Perhaps we might have a close-circuit TV feed available at Jim’s, so that you might attend the festival, or avail yourself of the lakeside Lazy-Boy at your leisure. Your presence, though much welcomed, is not required. You have no obligation, that’s the point of all Benefits; it is precisely because of unforeseen burdens and obligations accrued, that we gather to assist our needy friends and citizens.

The “questioning and wondering” about your decision section of your letter is the part that leaves us all, I’m sure, like yourself, but not without choice, a little speechless. We can talk, literally, but metaphorically, we’re at a loss. There are no available analogies in our own personal experience we can appeal to. It’s not that we can’t talk, we either can’t find the words, or there are none. Perhaps it helps a bit to talk about not knowing what to say, about being halted by the risk of sounding presumptuous, about words losing their meaning.

Forgive me if I get emotional when I see you, the tears help.

We’re marshalling our musical forces here. I pick up Kuhli at 3:30 today, Brigitte and Amanda leave Sunday, and Kuhli, Shadow, and I leave Monday.

Love – Randy

PS: We’re bringing good weather (I hope, he said audaciously).

Return to the Blackfoot

“Extraordinary how potent cheap music is.”
-- Noel Coward 199-1973 “Private Lives” (1930)

Dear Diary:
Haven’t blogged for a while. I’m unsure of what to say, so I think I’ll address you instead. It’s Thursday (should that be capitalized?), the Ann Arbor Art Fair is under way, and the weather is pleasantly cool. Some of these artists will head north, braving even leaner venues in the aftermath of the Econcaust. What if they had an Art Fair and nobody came? There’s a money making tee shirt, by God. He walked into the jungle and came out a rich man. Quite a remarkable thing. Speaking of Art, here’s a poem:

Billy DeBroux and
Bonni Q.
They’re gonna be there,
How about you?

The blog gets so tedious. Knowing there’s an expectation that I produce something interesting, and given my utter disappointment on later readings, makes it difficult to find the muse at times.

Billy, think of yourself as the narrative glue used in book binding. You will provide the narration for that most glorious epic which is sure to follow McGOOSTOCK ’09 down through the ages. 100 years from now when they retell this tale around campfires on the Yellowdog Plains, they’ll speak of noble DeBroux and a dog named Boo.

If you read the letter two posts ago on the blog, you won’t be surprised when a slightly edited version of this self same letter appears in the Marquette Mining Journal, praise God!

Wait a minute, I thought I was addressing my diary!

This afternoon French and I will be practicing with our trusted drum machine (Kuhli gets in tomorrow at 3:30) and Dave Cavender. We’ll rehearse the Chemojunkie set and continue that unending process of fine tuning our craft. Tonight George Bedard & the Kingpins will be appearing at the AA Art Fair between 8-9. I’ve got my outfit all picked out, but you’ll have to wait until tomorrows post for a photo.

What else? My mother sent me an air bed, quite thoughtful of her. She won’t have to sleep on the floor on her next visit.

Oni took Brigitte’s bass drum home and put a festive McGOOSTOCK logo on the head.
I’m anxious to get on with it.

Everything seems to be in place. We head north on Monday.

Nick, I’ll see you at the door.

-- RT

McGOOSTOCK '09 SCHEDULE and Danny Cook on the Cinder Pond

"'Tis not enough to help the feeble up,
But to support him after."
-- William Shakespeare 1564-1616: "Timon of Athens" (c.1607)

Dear All:

On the blog today is the schedule for McGOOSTOCK '09, a handbill/flyer by Oni Werth, musician extraordinaire, who has played with Bo Diddley; and, to facilitate that northern allure, some paintings (they'll be on display on Art-on-the-Rocks) by our dear friend and renowned Marquette artist, Dan Cook, who lost his sis, Marilyn, lately, and who, in a spontaneous burst of fellowship and compassion, as he had done for young Dustin Burkman last year, donated his assistance to Mcgoo, are included as well. The paintings are both aesthetically beautiful and appealingly local.

FRIDAY July 24: (7ish) Kuhli, French, & Tessier (Chemojunkie). (8:30ish) Michael Stadler. (10ish) Darrell Syria Project. (11:30ish) FUBAR. (12:15ish - Last Call) jamming, special guests, cameos, and songs.

SATURDAY July 25: (7ish) The Flat Broke Blues Band. (8:30ish) accoustic/electric FUBAR. (9:30ish) Michael Stadler. (10:30ish) Fast Eddie & Friends. (11:30ish) Chemojunkie. (12:15 - Last Call) jamming and cameo pieces (1/2 songs) by different combos.

Love - Randy

A Letter to The Mining Journal: McGOOSTOCK '09

warning: THIS IS A DRAFT OF A LETTER IN PROGRESS!

"To every thing, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to

die...

a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a

time to mourn, and a time to dance."

-- Bible: Ecclesiastes

RE: McGOOFEST '09

To The Mining Journal:

On July 24th & 25th, a sure to be sun-drenched weekend, there will be a benefit held at the Lumberjack Tavern in the enchanting village of Big Bay. The purpose of this event is to aid and assist our fellow citizen of Marquette, Tim Mcgee. Tim has been dealing with throat cancer and the inevitable financial costs that, for most of us, attend all such serious afflictions.

My purpose here is to draw attention to the fact that -- on an Art-on the-Rocks and 1969 MHS Reunion weekend -- this should be the must attend concert of the summer on your Marquette County itinerary. The venerable Mr. Beamer and his Clear Creek Retinue will be providing a tented outdoor setting, impervious to the elements and all biting flies, as a venue for this glorious soiree. There will be extra help on hand to serve up the gustatory delights the Jack's head chef, Charity Blaze, has planned for us. Highlights on the menu will include a cucumber ginger lemonade, tempeh pasty appetizer, Partridge Wellington, and wild watercress-chaunterelle bone-in filet. Bananas Foster and Baked Alaska will comprise the dessert.

But enough on the food. About the music. Some of the finest musicians to ever come out of south Marquette will be performing, including but not limited to Derrell Syria, Michael Stadler, and Butchie Butler. Illusionist, Bill Malette, and masseur, Kim French, from the sorely missed, "Ore Dock Ogres," will be holding forth with great passion on fife and dulcimer. Lorrie Hayes, Walt Lindala, Mike Letts, and her mates in the Flat Blues Band, are expected to grace the stage with their toe blistering potato boogie groove assault. Fast Eddie, AKA the "Carp River Cobra," will be facilitating a "Fattening Frogs for Snakes" workshop, should any aspiring harmonica players be in need of a lesson. Chemojunkie, AKA "The Neutropenics," led by Der Kommisar, Herr Don Kuhli, will be arriving from the west coast to ensure that a faux-surf-and-polka atmosphere hovers over the confluence of Lake Superior and the Grand Mud Puddle (Lake Independence). Having the music commence from 7PM until 2AM allows for a hearty musical bounty and maximum jamming. Guided smelting tours starting from the Iron River's headwaters, the Iron River Dam, and ending at the mouth, Gitchee Gumee, will be running throughout the evening. The Troll contingent, infiltrators from the People's Republic of Ann Arbor, will be storming the bridge and headed north by northwest. This "Troll Insurgency" (not to be confused with the "Peanut Butter Conspiracy"), AKA FUBAR, will be bringing their wig-singeing rock-and-soul brew to a head on the spot where Mike Chenowith was gunned down (ouch!). "The Superbs," formerly "Zanibar (featuring Calvin and Cathy)," formerly "Bonds Unchained," formerly "Orchard Rest Home," will be reuniting via a channeling device that will return Rob Labby, Les Ross, and Stan Syria for a onetime only terrestrial appearance.

And so my fellow Yoopers, from Marquette and abroad, I urge you to join us in support of Tim McGee.

With Warm Regards - Randall L. Tessier
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Cell 734-276-4474

Henning Wagenbreth

Happy Fourth of July!

By CARLOTTA GALL

Published: July 2, 2009

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan — The mood of the Afghan people has tipped into a popular revolt in some parts of southern Afghanistan, presenting incoming American forces with an even harder job than expected in reversing military losses to the Taliban. The Taliban’s influence is so strong in rural areas that much of the local population has accepted their rule and is watching the United States troop buildup with trepidation. Villagers interviewed in late June said that they preferred to be left alone under Taliban rule and complained about artillery fire and airstrikes by foreign forces. “We Muslims don’t like them — they are the source of danger,” said a local villager, Hajji Taj Muhammad, of the foreign forces.
Multimedia

Love - Randy