What a day… Thanks so much for joining us for Bob Keller’s 30^th Anniversary Soiree.  The music was incredible… and the weather was gorgeous.  Yes, the food line extended to Haggin Oaks Golf Complex, but if we had Food Trucks every thirty feet, it still would have been packed.  As you know, this was promoter Big Mike Balma’s last Heritage Festival show.  He’s staged exciting, affordable blues concerts at various venues for the past 20 years.  There’s a reason the beer is 3 bucks…. And the giant pulled pork sandwiches will set you back five.  It’s because of Mike, who’s turned over all proceeds from these shows to help music programs in local schools.  Have we been spoiled with 10 and 20 dollar blues concerts?  Yes.  And it remains to be seen what Mike will do.  But the blues fans are not extinct, and I have a feeling Big Mike will find a way to entertain them again…. down the road.

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Ed Cassidy turns 88 yrs old today (5/4).  If ya don’t recognize the name…or the shaved Mr Clean chrome dome on the drumkit…he was the drummer for Spirit.  Ed was stylishly bald at a time when most musicians were growing hair down past their shoulders.  What was unique about Spirit was that Ed was the step-father of guitarist Randy California..not a typical relationship in rock bands.  But it DOES explain why one of Spirit’s albums was called The Family That Plays Together.–which  contained their biggest hit, I Got a Line On You.  Spirit also had a very jazzy feel to their music…much of which came from Cass’s jazz background.  In 1964, he had formed the band Rising Sons with Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder.  Rock on, Mister Clean….**photo by Bruce Pates**

..is an event coming up Saturday, May 14, at Young’s Vineyard, in the Amador County wine country.  Craig Chaquico (pictured) will headline the concert, with some incredible guitar work.  The Rhythm Vandals will open the show at 1 pm with their outstanding tribute to Santana.   Proceeds will benefit FEAT–Families for Early Autism Treatment.  You’ll also be able to sample the new spring wine releases from Young’s–tasty!  What a great combination–wine..and music..for a good cause.   Get ticket info at www.feat.org.  **photo from the FEAT website**  Oh, and if you haven’t yet discovered the Amador County wine country…it is beautiful, with excellent wines (especially red zins)…and is a scenic short drive from Sac down the Jackson Hiway to Plymouth.

Steven Tyler’s new memoir Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?  has been called the rock memoir to end all rock memoirs.  It hits stores May 3^rd via Harper Collins, and Mr. Tyler is promising tales of “debauchery, sex and drugs.”  He previously wrote about his life in the 1997 Aerosmith memoir Walk This Way, but a few things have happened to him since then.  Let’s see.. he split with his second wife, got admitted to rehab clinics, underwent throat surgery, disclosed his Hepatitis C, endured a public feud with his bandmates, and became a host of American Idol in the past 14 years.  Steven calls the book “the unbridled truth, the in-your-face, up-close and prodigious tale of Steven Tyler straight from the horse’s lips.”  I can’t wait.

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Iggy Pop performed at American Idol last nite.  He’s still a wild man, singing Real Wild Child, tossing out some expl*tives, and causing J-Lo to raise her eyebrows.  Iggy is 63 now–at an age where some guys have trouble climbing stairs, he’s stage diving!  I chatted with Iggy a quarter century ago–Feb 1987.  He was an engaging, charming guy in the studio, polite, with a sense of humor.  But on stage later that nite..at the *old* Arco Arena, he was a whirling dervish, twisting & distorting his body, and belting out the songs.  Iggy opened for the Pretenders that nite, and Chrissie Hynde kissed the stage in homage where Iggy had danced.  Coincidentally, Pia Toscano closed out the A.I. episode singing a Pretenders tune.

Blues legend Johnny Winter will rock the Boardwalk in Orangevale this Tuesday nite.  Reminds me of my FIRST real rock concert…with–yep–Johnny Winter, on the Still Alive & Well tour, 1973 in Memphis, TN.  My memories are still vivid of that show–how LOUD it was, with Johnny struttin on the stage with his trademark Explorer guitar.  His sharp blues riffs pierced the sweet smoke hanging over the crowd.  –These days, because of health issues, Johnny plays sitting down…but he can still rip on that ax.  Check it out Tuesday nite at the Boardwalk, with Mick Martin & the Blues Rockers, AND Frank Hannon sharing the stage that night. **photo by John Pastorello**

Last nite’s American Idol was one of the best episodes I can remember.  It was Elton John tribute nite–and I’ll admit I was never a huge Elton fan.  But some of these A.I. contestants breathed fresh interpretations into some Elton John classics…and reminded you WHY they were such big hits in the first place (with a tip of the cap to Bernie T for the lyrics).   Alaina did a beautiful version of Candle in the Wind, James “lit up” Saturday Nite’s Alright, Casey did justice to Your Song, even local Norcal girl Thia showed unexpected maturity with Daniel….but it was Haley who STOLE the nite, with a breezy but powerful take on B-b-bennie & the Jets.   Haley is a mix of Rickie Lee Jones, Joan Osbourne, Jewel & Janis…and she was BREATH taking last nite.   Could SHE be the next American Idol?  BTW…my choices to go home this week…Paul (awww) and Alaina.    –Not ashamed to admit I watch A.I. this season…a bit too much of a love fest with the judges, but still entertaining….

Finally April. I like that idea cause it’s one month closer to some perfect weather. Time to spend outdoors, dancing and celebrating the life force with our brothers and sisters. Some birhdays to remember this weekend include Ronnie Lane. He was born on April Fool’s Day..in fact he recorded and toured with his own group and collaborated on an album with Pete Townshend that featured a song commemorating his birthday called of all things, “April Fool”. We know Ronnie from his work with the Small Faces, later the Faces with Rod Stewart. He was the bass player and one of the principal songwriters. The Faces were contemporaries of the Who and came over here to tour in the 60s as the second band to the Who. Many times they would headline, cause they were big and they were ALWAYS tourning.  Ronnie Lane died June 4th 1997 at age 51 due to MS.  Another April Fool was the late John Lennon. John and Yoko always enjoyed a good April Fools joke. On April 1st 1973, John and Yoko announced the fanciful formation of Nutopia, a new country with no laws or boundaries and a national anthem of silence. It was at this same news conference in New York that John announced he would appeal the Immigration Department’s decision to deport him. You can count on some April Foolery this weekend on Say You Want A Revolution. Our flashback to the 60s and early 70s. See you Saturday.

Bob Dylan has done it again, come up with something that has never been done in the music business. He is releasing a $130 box set, that has no music in it!  The Bob Dylan Archive is a linen-covered box that can hold all 43 Dylan CDs and be expeanded to hold more. But, it does come with a 220 page book of LP sized artwork reproductions, an updated discography with excerts from more than 90 historical reviews, and 27 advertisements spanning his entire career. the first edition run is limited to 10,000 copies. This project should win some kind of award for most creative packaging of a box set with no music.  Check out the Revolution this Saturday morning, I will play some Dylan, and it will include music!

That the Barry Bonds trial is actually taking place in downtown San Francisco is somewhat comical to me.  I mean, if it’s in Beverly Hills, this is a different story.  Philadelphia?  That’s automatic prison.  But here in the City by the Bay?  Apparently prosecutors think these jurors couldn’t care less that the guy in the hot seat has worn the uniform of the World Champions of Baseball…  Hilarious.  Do you mean to tell me you’ve found 12 people who say they haven’t heard of BALCO…or Bonds?  Of course, according to that Newsweek story… a third of Americans don’t know who the Vice President is.  Yeah, that’s who I want on my jury.  Then there’s Greg Anderson, who’s done a lot of jail time for refusing to testify.  What’s the upside for him?  Good lord… there are guys in the Mafia who couldn’t keep quiet this long…

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