YOu always see that Famous Recommends.......

well, its in the scene, 90 words by mojo, other half of ad is for marjicke......

So I thought I'd blog some from me, jdc104

Thought I'd put up an actual blog for a change. Its been awhile, readers noticed Jim has been doing about as many State Theatre, and Art Walk things as I did Blues Fest, when I got into Efren like trouble, for allegedly too many blogs as "blues man". Fuck it, I am trained as a journalist actually, have the big award from UCR for Columbia School of Jouranalism, make Jay Smith proud my cartoons got our newspaper confiscated, had to reprint, no redo of the strip, so have to support comics right to bad taste at times. But Jay, I acutally did crew at UCR for Carlin, Cheech and Chong, Lilly Tomlin live.....great shows, along with the originals bands of the seventies, from the sixties, etc. Keep to those pro reviews.....

Aquanett, I was 30 in 1984, I listened to Bon Jovi for the music, not the hair styles. Sorry the $8 show, with more posters up than we usually do, was only less than half full Mojo and Stephanie, but I liked Jay's Mama satire, despite sexist obviousness, as even Beatles can be satire prone, and heard that song so much on radio, JAY'S take to me, what the band really meant, not the cover, the one on the road with groupies, i.e., the originals. Although, I felt Arrival stole the show you wrote on, good Journey covers, if that's what you want. I like Journey, so was worth the free tickets for posting posters. But lets talk those shows, with higher ticket price..... this one was up with Film Society, great secret value, Theme Thursday, Brendan Theatres.....oh, that one, down the street, has all those current not yet classics. We have better popcorn.

But that has actually been atypical of shows at State I got comped to for putting up posters. Tommy Castro, with locals Rhythmn Deluxe to open, dancing up in front, real concession sales, $25 sellout, high energy, new generation Blues. Dave Mason - Traffic original, sell out twice, when scheduled, then sore throat reschedule, with Daniel Castro Band to open, again.... show worth seeing.

TUBES - Fee Waybill still has it, ask Chris Murphy, he has them shirts for TUBES concerts way back. I saw a few shows from the classics of TUBES, they just as good. Where do you think they get those girls in cages things, and high heeled androgynous hair shows anyway. Who else can do TUBES covers.

Joe Bonnamassa, I know you guys hadn't heard of him, some show......wow, but you had to be there. Again, dancing up in front, high energy, real musicianship.....SOLD OUT......but he's from LA, area I grew up in, you all want SF.....go to my friend Myles O'Reilly's SF Beer and Oyster festival, see FLOGGING MOLLY, get real SF,,.....GUINNESS, dancing....FLOGGING MOLLY.....

Larry Carlton and Robyn Ford, blues legends of sorts, I didn't get to, didn't sell out, but good turnout, heard was a great show.

Steve Oliver, I did get to, with real professional video shoot set up, picked State, guy is from LA these days, started in Lodi, was for Art Walk visitors, the show in the theatre, the DVD vid, high quality set up for that Show. John Griswold back to the State for that one, and quite a show......

Pierre's show, Bijan Mortazavi, world music. I don't regret the $40 ticket on that one. I tried helping Pierre on that on, and Pierre's Salon is on 15th street, he is also percussionist, drummer in the band, and that Interntaional show, was great, even if you don't speak farsi, or assyrian, musicianship, energy, dancing that night too, only three week lead time from when we talked at Blue Monday if State had the date open, up against Mavis Staples and Charlie Musslewhite at Gallo Center, it still had 300 seats filled, and a real treasure brought if you love music, so not all the shows have to sell out, even Aquanett to make a venue great, or the show, although I think next time, make it an Arrival concert, Jeff recommended to me twice when Not an Airplane had to back off for xmas trip, for Dec 20 art walk. Fat Cat doesn't sell out every show either, its a risk to promote and produce a show. I know.... we had great reviews on art walk last month, but Exposure 2007 show at Mistlin and MAMA awards apparently cut the audience, too much good stuff I guess, how that's possible, when this great FREE stuff exists, so if you get tired of hype, sorry, but a lot of you don't even know where we are, or that 14 stops exist on art walk.

MAMA's, ... I liked them at the State, except this year, as to me, Chris and Chris making a statement for Gallo Ctr to note all the crowds available in town, that might not yet be booked. Sound sucked, which partly problems I suppose indie sound, vs house sound crew coordination. I know that theatre is acoustically great, I was sitting with blues fest stage tech site coordinator Pop, he does SF gigs, etc, we just thought it muddy, shouldn't have been, dial in as you go. Marvelled at set up. The new theatre itself...I remain a theatre techie at heart. All that said, for all the complaints, sour grapes, wonderful controversy, that makes the show for me,......I loved it......and we're showing mama videos at State Theatre Dec 20 art walk, per Chris and Chris.

Hey, we've booked music guest through April, and would love Aaron Durr on bill, but why not their vids, we're a movie house, show film in all sorts of formats.... can book whole bands gone DVD as music guests if they got concert conflicts, or we can't pay enough from starving artist funds. Comedy at the State Theatre Friday,..... could do comic art, book jay smith.... or jeff bonilla, or some other comics in town.

I usded to go to Friday Nights or whenever for the FAT CAT comedy circuit of shows. Glad QB doing them open mic, and popsong romance. I don't know enough of you djs to give a nod to.....have a hard time paying cover if band not live. I'd likely call Efren j, or alan sanchez only 'cause I know them. MIght call Ron Posey, as my ex of long ago did radio at KFIV when she lived here, that was a while ago. News director type, not on air personality, blonde, but not airhead, phi betta kappa, how she got stuck at KMIX... on to Austrailia

Good Luck Thrift Store, best performance live, particularly as people felt like dancing, gave security shivvers. Best sound, that was dialed in.

Gallo Ctr needs some local art in it. Kind of plain.....unlike that classy venue art deco I set up in. Still, glad its operating, you may not like first year booking, but its got shows, good ones. Should get better. I did do art for modesto symphony, just wish their box office contract allowed for comp ticket to symphony show for us art volunteers, as that's quite a house for symphonic sound I was told, by fans, audience, also some of the players who made the gala.

Should Blues Fest have beaten X fest, well, Pride Fest was in small venue category in same Graceada Park layout we were, and I want State Theatre art walk nominated next year, don't want to have compete against either of them in small venue. Off the Air and Blue Monday tough enough with Queen Bean. I will go up head to head with Art and Wine Fest, that's just good for art period, and appreciate the musicians, producers, even Gallo Center for opening, just to have that xfest of art festivals available to sell art in here in town. Expensive to do shows out of area.

Best under rated event in all Modesto Internationally, Slam on Rye, and the Slam on Rye Invitation ILL List slams, at State again, while the real thing around here at Prospect once a month except July. We have had real poets around here a long while, and I write some once in awhile, but when I post that event, the Invitation Slam, my poet friends I write with, or etc online, are envious they aren't here, or have one. Thats from all over.

Best music cutting edge events, California Solo Bass stuff, wherever. This is a phenomenonn, here is a hotbed for it, thanks to Andres Cervantes, John Ady and others,......its different, its too cool when the bunch of them get together, and I love drawing caricatures of them, those odd more than five, sometimes ten stringers like Andy's hard to draw.....and they dig art, too cool, very hip, quote a cervantes. Mojo, that's like real bay area, berkeley, sf cutting edge music, art clubs do........SOLO Bass, and competitive, steal the riff bass player jams.......have you heard Randy Marshall's solo bass version, Bolero....

This Week - Jon Valenti cd party is great, I have tix. You Jon Valenti fans, I was at the right spot, X Fest opening for the KAT Stage to see Jon play, opener, got the gig the night before, where were you others???/. Jon's a talent, saw him, Tara, Not an Airplane, and mojo too, met artist Camille, best posters this side of Angry F, my favorite, on tickets from modestofamous by mojo at fat cat, and why I asked them to do the State Art Walk show when I got the gig. They are talent. Of course I have to ask Hanley, ...... sorry both playing, same night as Big Earl, Blake Peebler, Dave used to play at my house in happier times for me. Rachel Renae, Bob White, I like their music, they love art, promote art shows when they play them

Pay the Band, I do try and come with that for my music guests. The State Theatre gave me a great opportunity to show my own art work, that of other local artists, a spot for some friends I feel are great talent, maybe best indie talent around, why I steal from Greg Edwards OFF THE AIR shows, he really does try to bring in the best Indie he can. Efren and Deb and I talk, coffee house open mic, opportunity to play, very important in this town, but this week Roast a Pig up.

Next to best modestofamous articles, odd discussion forums.

ok, MPD and I have not always been best buddies, but this entertainment district the overtime, the security needs, on top of bar management, permit fees, staff and wait staff, all gets paid before venue even has the bucks to pay your favortie band. Part of what is unsafe downtown, is empty businesses, not so much entertainment, mortgage companies, title companies, the latest move outs, so next category. That includes 1010 Tenth Street, if you didn't notice the vacancies around City Hall now filled by MPD office, only 4 blocks from main MPD headquarters.

And that budget, well, City Council has the cash shorts, and Parks, and MPD overtime, and Fire on the chopping block, yet I read in Bee complaints on MPD follow up on things like purse snatching, the plague of auto theft, etc, which we get grants for, everything, including big brother cameras to replace overtime cops, seems always half a milion. We do the National Night Out,with Blues fest and I"m part of my neighborhood watch, family lost a car to this, so whatever my policy beefs with MPD, actually do want them on the job, helping folks, as shit obviously been happening, even if I've not seen a sideshow, have seen too many hit that tree on my street, at last call time.

Best articles on modestofamous....... not mine, I've been mostly shilling events I enjoy, involved with, work with, and not much blog to it like this one.

Best live theatre, where else besides likely Shelly Bort's house, Patterson Rep, but Prospect Theatre. Someone around here, and Seasons has the venue for it, should do Dinner Theatre.Back to category, best articles on modestofamous.

When MJC theatre finished, back to that, and CSUS drama depts.

oh..... Gallo Ctr and MJC symphony stuff, article I read on http://www.modestobuzz.com [1] ...... yes there is another website, besides the hive and modestofriends.com or welcometomodesto.com or modestoview.com I wish Chris would update the online to go with the great print version of modesto view.