Today the cool air hitting my face smells of smoke and salt, like Japan. Today I could have rode my bike around forever.

Boris at Amoeba Records in Berkeley, 6.22.2008














There was so much smoke! But I love this shot:














Pre-smokeout: the thoroughly amazing Michio Kurihara thoroughly brought the psychedelia. This guy is awesome to watch!














Boris at The Independent last year (kickass show!). This is 'Furi' -- watch Kurihara blow your mind at about 2:10...



Love his bow at the end. Love him!

Final Fantasy at The Independent 10.25.2007:



















































I know Owen Pallett is so indie it hurts -- his reputation for aloofness and ironic self-deprecation being at the crux. He even had an overhead projector slideshow that my jaded-to-preciousness self thought would be annoying, but it instead just added to the charm and earnestness of his songs. He is one talented indie boy, and his show was, as expected, low-key but spectacular.

Opening act Cadence Weapon was a pleasant surprise, and good enough to buy the CD. Just his DJ alone was worth the ticket price.

Tableside, pre-Fantasy and post-Scrimshaw, at Fly:

Boris last night was amazing! I think it was the loudest show I've ever been to. I took one of my earplugs out for a second and I thought I might convulse. That means it was good.

Plus I have never in my life seen a person play a double-necked guitar, let alone a bass and guitar double-necked combo.




















That is some seriously wild shit.

But even more amazing to me was their addition of guitarist Michio Kurihara.















Holy smokes, can that man play guitar! At times he looked like he was having a violent seizure, and at others, I swear only his fingers were moving. The sounds he produced were so layered and technical, but with a healthy dose of brain melting dirty psychedelics. We were so impressed with his guitar work we bought Boris' collaboration with him, Rainbow (Drag City US version).

And my sweetie snagged one of Kurihara's heavy-duty picks for me. It has a badger playing a guitar on it, and is trashed all to hell from his ferocious skills, but I can still strum a ditty on my bass should I be so inclined.

BTW, those super-cool Japanese never changed their expressions, even when totally bringing the rawk. Except for their drummer, who I dubbed Tommy Lee for his perfectly coiffed wild mane of hair and intense drumming style, as well as his habit of standing on his bass drum with his mouth wide open while making the devil horns, or pointing his drumsticks or gong beaters at the audience.

Oh yes, Boris had a gong.

Finally, check this for something else to blow your mind...















Those are the pedals (some homemade, according to Ash, who took this photo) for one guitarist. All 5 gajillion of them. Okay, maybe there were more like 15 or 20 pedals, but c'mon, whoa.

Fantastic live band. Highly recommend you check them out if they come through your town.

Also, sidenote: had dinner at the super hyped Nopa before the show. Believe the hype, it was fantastic! Wood-fired sardines, grass-fed Gruyere cheeseburger on a perfect crunchy housemade bun, and thick-cut crispy fries with a roasted red pepper and feta dip. Washed down with Foret Organic Saison Ale (my new favorite). Yum!

It looks like I missed the rumored special appearance by the supremely lovely Neko Case at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass last weekend. Look at this!













Why didn't I see Neko? I avoided the event crowds in Golden Gate Park's polo fields this last weekend. Why? Thing is, I saw most of the folks who played this year's festival last year, and while sitting under the sun with BBQ and beer through a weekend of free honky-tonk I saw last year and such sounded just fine, the insanity of getting home did not. Last year, after being passed up by two buses at the bus stop because they were too full, Trevor and I walked over three miles through das ghetto to BART to get home.

Alright, so that was fun too. I guess I'm just bitter for missing out and looking for an excuse. Aha! I would have never known on which stage she was playing and at what time! Okay, that's better.

But nevermind spilt milk. Good things are afoot this weekend!

Friday is Guitar Player Magazine's Guitar Hero Competition at the Great American Music Hall. Looks to be a fun show at a beautiful venue (one of my favorites), but it also looks like I can watch it as a webcast for free. Next...

Saturday my very own private ninja will be taking in a seminar in Sacramento led by Shihan Luke Molitor. Meanwhile, I will be shopping the legendary thrift stores of Cali's capital and drinking strip-mall coffee. After the ninjaing and scoring of righteous deals on fabulous finds is through, we will most likely take in a pint or two and something delicious in nearby Davis with our good friend James, who is driving down from our college town of yore, Chico. Yee-haw!

Sunday, Japanese dark and drone trio Boris will be playing a free show at two o'clock at Amoeba Records in San Francisco, but I'll be catching them at The Independent that evening at eight. Bay Bridge retrofit be damned -- this one is worth the crawl home when the powers that be close the majority of the Eastbound onramps 'til six in the morning.