Shows!

Just updated the calendar to reflect the doings of my various side projects. I hope to have some Explone shows to post here again someday, but in the meantime it's a good stretch of shows for Red Jacket Mine, plus one amazing gig with Andrew Norsworthy, opening for Kelly Joe Phelps. Yowza!

In other news, recording continues, I made it back from the Grand Canyon in one piece, and another birthday is in the books. Good times...

That is all for now. Come to a show!

--Patrick

Currently listening : Return of the Mack By Mark Morrison Release date: 1997-02-11

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Magnetizing.
Current mood: creative
Category: Music

So far it looks like summer will be all about magnetizing.

Red Jacket Mine is in the studio right now, getting the slay tracks laid down for our next magnum opus. We have been most ably ushered through this process by the esteemed Ken Stringfellow and Kip Beelman; you can read more about it on the Explone site. Or just hang in there a few more days, and I'm sure Lincoln will post a comprehensive studio blog as well. Let's just say that it's been a total blast and I love the way these tracks are shaping up.

Explone heads back to the studio soon, to begin chiseling some new polished rock gems out of the hard granite. This of course assumes that Greg makes it home from Sasquatch in one piece. Fingers crossed...

Peace out,
Patrick

Currently listening : Kensington Heights By Constantines Release date: 2008-04-29

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The Devil Whale

Shaan and I just made it back from a very enjoyable trip to Utah, where we celebrated with our friends The Devil Whale on the eve of their CD Release. Now that this thing is finally out, I strongly encourage everyone to check out their new record Like Paraders. I might be biased, but I still feel quite confident saying that it is incredible.

The CD Release show at Velour was a total blast, and once again I must thank all of my Utah friends for making me feel so welcomed and appreciated--especially Brinton, Jake, Marcus and Cameron.

Someone actually posted a clip of the show here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZPGk1-0XzLY&feature=related

Enjoy!

--Patrick

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Bass player found!
Category: Music

Hey folks,

I'm happy to announce that the vacant bass guitar chair has been ably filled in the person of Mr. Scott Andrew. Scott is a great singer-songwriter and an accomplished musician in all respects. He is also a pretty reliable blogger who usually has good things to say about music and the state of the world.

You can learn more about Scott here: http://www.scottandrew.com/

We'll be cooking up some new songs and looking to get back into the studio soon. I know it feels long overdue. Stay tuned, and thanks as ever for listening.

--Patrick

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Caucus + Rock = Awesome

Tomorrow is Saturday, February 9th, which means two things:

1. Washington State Caucus. This is your chance to stand up and be counted for the Democratic candidate of your choice. Participation is important so get out there and do your part. A few weeks ago I thought the Obama campaign was a pipe dream, but now my cynicism has been eroded and I'm feeling hope that I haven't felt for our country in a long, long time. Maybe ever. Anyway, go take part in the Caucus if you live in Washington.

2. Red Jacket Mine at the Sunset. We'll be rocking with The Maldives and Chris Robley. Show starts at 9:30 and RJM plays at 10:30.

Cheers,
Patrick

Currently listening : Anytown Graffiti By Pela Release date: 24 April, 2007

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Bass player wanted.

So after a lengthy period of depression following the departure of John Merkel, I 'm finally ready to get back out there and start rocking again. This means I need to find a good bass player to fill out the Explone lineup and give Greg some company in the rhythm section.

If you're reading this, it means you've probably already heard the music, so that should tell you something about what this band needs. The basic requirements are four strings, frets and the ability to use a pick once in a while. That's not meant as a diss on anyone who plays a six-string fretless bass; it just isn't going to work in Explone. (Duh.) If you sing as well, that's even better.

All interested parties, please drop me a line. Let's do this...

--Patrick

Currently reading : American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21stCentury By Kevin Phillips Release date: 27 March, 2007

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The Marcus Bently soundtrack experience.

Jake recently asked me about a particular night I described as "wild," and I guess he assumed I meant something risque. It was actually just weird, but in a good way I think. You ever have one of those moments when the music you're listening to becomes a (very) bizarre soundtrack to what you're seeing? Well, here you go:

So I was chilling on a slow day during the holiday season, and I decided to break up my lethargy and go to the gym. No big deal, I do it four or five times a week. So I hit the weights for a bit and then I decide I'll polish off my fitness experience with a little run on the treadmill. I mean, damn—it's like thirty degrees outside, and I don't really want to run in that.

So there we are: just the treadmill, my trusty iPod and me. And I'm thinking to myself: "What would really ROCK right about now? What would make me push through this run?" As I scrolled down the playlist in the iPod, I happened upon the one Marcus Bently. If you've heard the EP in question, then you know that it's flat-out awesome. (If not, you should really give it a listen. It's one of my favorite albums of the year.)

"Hell yes!" I thought. "Bently will surely fuel me with inspiration for a great run!" So I queued up the Wayne.

As I started to get rolling, I noticed that the television directly in front of me was tuned to some station with programming tailored to single guys who had been disenfranchised from their frat houses; ie: kung-fu movies, ultimate fighting and police chases. I happened to be getting my fitness on just as the aforementioned network was starting to roll "Most Dangerous Police Chases" or some such nugget of profundity. Awesome.

What happened next was even more awesome: over the next thirty minutes, Marcus Bently's entire EP was transformed into a visceral soundtrack for the hot cop car chase action I was watching. Holy crap! I mean, it went something like this:

"World In Motion" – A dude in a black Ford pickup evades the first round of peace officers dispatched to apprehend him, then weaves in and out of traffic for five or ten miles, finally crashing and burning when he crosses the lanes into oncoming traffic and rolls his car a few times. He isn't dead, but he is taken away in an ambulance.

"Dime Store Return" – Some meathead in a pretty fast domestic car (Camaro, Corvette, Trans Am, whatever…I'm not sure) tries to evade the State Troopers, and he does for a while. Then they lay down the spike strips—and dude blows all his tires and flies into the ditch, where he flips multiple times and his car bursts into flames. But he's not done: he runs from the burning car (so would I) and heads out onto the median before being apprehended by six redneck troopers.

By this time it was getting pretty bizarre, as the music was somehow synchronizing with the action on the screen in creepy-yet-cool ways. For example, just as the guy mentioned above jumped out of the burning car and ran for it, Bently finished the last chorus of "Dime Store Return" and tore into the guitar theme again. And just as the band was retarding (sic) to end the song, the State Rods were slapping the cuffs on said felon.

Now I was into it. I had worked up a good sweat, I had my legs cranking on the treadmill, and somehow Bently was making the ultimate bizarro soundtrack for my police chase viewing experience. And it kept getting cooler.

"Words In The Kitchen" – This was quite possibly the best song of the album, as it coincided with a police chase of a full-size RV. Make no mistake—I'm talking about a double-axle, bus-sized monstrosity, like the kind of rig a septuagenarian should be rolling in to some state park. Whatever made anyone think this was the kind of vehicle to elude the police in, I have no freaking idea. But somehow, in this magical world of macho television, an escaped felon had gotten behind the wheel of one of these bad boys and was going full-on down the highway, when the noble state troops found him and took bold action. This action included shooting at the tires until they blew out, and the RV was driving down the road vomiting flame and sparks from its soiled underbelly in a hellish fashion.

So the RV finally crashes and flops over on its side, just as Bently is crooning:

"…it's been a long day
in a long line…
in the wrong way…
in the wrong life…"

I actually felt bad for the guy driving the RV. Break for commercial.

"Allison" – This kid is a street racer in some kind of hopped-up Japanese sports car. As Marcus' song eases into my ears, replete with patient harmonies and a very restrained guitar solo, I watch Fast & Furious weave his way through freeway traffic in the most hazardous fashion, and I have to start rooting for the guy. Not cause I hate cops, either—this kid is just one hell of a driver! I mean, he is really getting into the mix! But sure as death and taxes, just as Marcus' band slows down and Bently intones—

"We were just hoooollllding baaaaack…waaaaaaiiiiting to…ataaaaack…"

--the kid crashes into a phone pole and gently rolls off the median, where a police cruiser t-bones him. Stone. Cold. Busted.

"Stoned" – Notable, as the felon in question chose not the freeway for his mad attempted escape, but rather the crowded streets of downtown Atlanta. I push the treadmill a little faster, using my very favorite Marcus Bently song ever for inspiration as the guy in the gold Dodge Durango sideswipes about fifteen parked cars trying to evade a city police cruiser on his tail. I mean, doors are getting crushed, sideview mirrors are getting shaved with a savage abandon, glass is flying, etc. This guy is hitting everything not nailed down; he even takes out a mailbox. But he meets his match when he runs smack into a phone pole, just as Marcus is hitting the bridge:

"If you're angry now, then it doesn't matter anyway…

It doesn't matter indeed. Tell that to the guy who just got wrapped around a phone pole for my viewing enjoyment.

"Summer" – As Marcus enters the gentle denouement of his EP, the show I'm witnessing starts to recap the, um, "highlights" of the evening. So as Bently winds down his EP with class and style, I get a montage of anecdotal images and replays of the gruesome car chases I've just witnessed. To make it even more perfect, most of them are in slow motion—playing right into the laid-back tempo of "Summer." It's almost as if Marcus planned it this way…like these guys sent him the rough cut of the show and said "make us an EP that works perfectly as a soundtrack to this show."

Wait a minute…

Currently listening : Ep 1 By Marcus Bently and the Beat Surrender

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Blah blah tour update, blah blah new show, blah blah Crocodile, blah blah blah.

A few things:

First, I finally updated the tour blog over at the "official" Explone site. I know many of you folks prefer to surf the MySpace universe, but you can hit it up if you like at www.explone.com. I still have a bunch of pictures to put up, so patience please. I already spend too much time in front of a laptop, so I'm a little slower about these things than I used to be.

Second, I have a show on January 10th at the Showbox Green Room. (It's a Thursday, in case you were just about to click on your calendar widget.) I'll be playing a solo show, along with my friend Lian Light of Megasapien. It's been a while since I've done an acoustic show, so I hope some of you can make it out and dig a few new songs.

Third, I was planning to play at the Crocodile in a couple of weeks with Red Jacket Mine...but the darn place went and abruptly closed its doors. WTF, I say? Anywho, this has caused quite a stir in the local music community--particularly among the more "senior" crowd like myself, and I chimed in on a couple of blogs about the topic. Then tonight I got an email from a nice girl from KEXP, who asked if I had any memories to share about the Crocodile. Here's what I wrote to her; I have no idea what she'll use if anything, but I figured I would share it with anyone who is inclined to read:



I worked at the Croc off and on through the early- and mid-90's. I ran sound when Jim Anderson wanted a day off. It was a great learning experience for me, as Jim was even then regarded as the best live sound engineer in town, and I learned a ton from him. At the same time, it was a awesome to see all the bands that came through. I saw some pretty amazing shows: American Music Club, Tuatara, Cheap Trick (three nights in a row!), Ida and Lori Carson, Nashville Pussy, Tenderloin, Cat Power (I loaned her my guitar strap), The Fastbacks (like fifty times), Cibo Matto, United Future Organization (in their fancy suits), Voyager One, and so many more.

I'll always remember how Jim, Kevin, Hamish and Val were so cool to me. I had a regular day job at the time, and I used to show up for work at the Croc after my other job let off. Leaving the Croc at 3:00 AM and then getting up for work the next day was pretty rough, but I didn't feel like I was missing anything. When Jim went out for a week to get his leg fixed, I pulled double duty for the whole time and I was about ready to drop when he finally came back. But I felt good that he trusted me enough to loan me the keys to his kingdom for a short time. I didn't want to let him down.

Obviously there are shitty things about working in a night club: drunks getting in your face, band members' girlfriends/boyfriends shouting at you to turn up whatever instrument their significant other is playing, and (very occasionally) a bunch of asshole musicians who want to abuse the privilege of being on a stage. But I worked at a lot of different venues during those years, and I have to say that those things happened less at the Crocodile than at any other over-21 club I worked at. Say what you want about "hipster attitude," but the Crocodile did engender a vibe that said clearly: this place is about the music. If you weren't there to respect the music, you probably weren't in the right place.

Later on, when I got to play at the Crocodile myself, it was a really good feeling. I think a huge part of the success of the club was that they always made the musicians feel special; if you were just a local band playing your first gig, you still felt like you were getting the royal treatment at the Croc. Now that I've played there so many times, I have to say that I will miss it as much or more than any other venue. One of my bands was set to play there just a few Fridays from now. We might pick up another gig that weekend, but it won't really be the same.

My most sincere hope is that the good people I know from the club will land on their feet. I wish Jim, Kevin, Pete, Eli and the rest of the crew the very best, and I hope they find new opportunities to offer their vital contributions to the music scene. Knowing the character of these people, I have no doubt that good things will happen for them.

I will also say this: running a live music venue is a tough business. If you just want to make money, there are far easier ways, and I can't believe that anybody pulls it off for nearly fifteen years without some genuine love for music and the arts. Although the Crocodile met a pretty inauspicious end for such a storied venue, I hope people will focus on the long and vibrant history of the club instead of just harping on Miss Dorgan for the way she chose to shut it down. The last few weeks might have been disappointing, but overall it was a damned impressive body of work.

Sincerely,
Patrick R. Porter

Currently listening : Bite Back: Live at the Crocodile Cafe By Various Artists Release date: 30 January, 1996

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Home sweet home?
Current mood: grateful
Category: Friends

I'm back from my cross-country excursion with Andrew, and while I'm going to miss all the playing and traveling, it will be nice to sleep in my own bed for the first time in a while. I'll post a full update on the Explone site once I gather my wits. In the meantime, sincere thanks to all the friends (old and new) who made this tour such a fantastic time. It was great to see everyone and to meet so many awesome new people. Special thanks to Joran, Sheri, Andy & Meg, Brinton & Jake & Marcus, Matt & Katie, Jess, Adam, Rose, Erik, Thomas and all the other roommates, spouses and significant others who put us up and showed us around. I hope I can return the favor sometime soon.

Love,
Patrick

Currently listening : Ep 1 By Marcus Bently and the Beat Surrender

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Last couple of shows...

...of the 2007 Horizon City Tour are this weekend. Andrew and I are heading back west and looking forward to hitting Denver tonight, and then wrapping it up in SLC tomorrow. Here's the info:

Friday, 11/16
The Meadowlark Bar
2701 Larimer
Denver, CO
10:00 PM

Saturday, 11/17
The Hog Wallow
3200 E Blg
Cottonwood Canyon
Salt Lake City, UT
9:00 PM

Come out come out wherever you are!

--Patrick

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