Yes. We played the Peace Garden yesterday afternoon. The great singer-songwriter Cynthia Marchant played an opening set, and then WWSP in a “never before” quintet (TV on bass, Chuck on guitar, Nura on violin, Carla vocals & percussion, and me on my Hohner acoustic) ran thru some old and new songs. It all seemed to roll out quite nicely.

A fabulous afternoon. Good cheer. Good vibes. It was so great to play music for a group of attentive folks. We played for the greenery and the blue sky too. Sending the WWSP vibes out into the world.

As you can see, I was totally entranced by the multi-colored canopy looming above us. – Jammer

Who knew playing in the alley next to FEW Spirits (their company motto: Fortune Fancies the Bold) would be so validating? Folks told us our band sounded great; they also said they loved the street sounds: sirens, buses, rattling trains overhead, wind-gusts, the grit, the dirt, the urban beauty all around us. Our vibrations rattled down the alley and off the walls of church across the street.

Chuck’s “black slab” guitar & Gibson amp are pictured above, they were waiting patiently for the set to commence. A killer combo for sure. We were so happy we held it together, (four of us: Chuck on guitar, Rich on drums, Carla and I doing our thing), playing some old songs and some brand-new ones too. We were fairly pleased with how it all rolled out.

We will do it again at FEW on August 20, hopefully next time with the full 7 piece band. It was a kick to be able to play once again to a small crowd of human beings. Fortunate. Yes. Indeed.

– Jammer

Yes, Tomorrow is TODAY, Friday, July 30, 2021! Cocktails, Music, Spirits & Friends.

Few Spirits & whitewolfsonicprincess two Evanston Originals. We both conjure the spirits, stir the soul. We are moving up, from the sidewalk to the alley!

Our set outside in the alley later today will start around 6p.m. Bring a chair. If no food truck (still iffy) you are free to bring food in from any of the local Evanston restaurants including La Principal, The Lucky Platter, etc.  Hope to see you there! – Jammer

The “Playing Cool, but Unlikely, Places 2021 Tour” Continues. We’ve gone from the sidewalk to the alley! Next Friday whitewolfsonicprincess plays at Few Spirits (in the alley) 918 Chicago Ave in Evanston, IL. 

Yes. To play is the thing. Pretty much anywhere works.

This one will be WWSP pared to the bone with Carla on vocals & percussion, Chuck on guitar, and James on guitar & vocals. For maximum comfort bring a lawn-chair. We will play an hour set beginning around 6 p.m. Food,** fun, frolic and fine Spirits!

** Food Truck TBA!

Jammer

That opening narration is from Martin Scorsese’s “Mean Streets” (1973)

Yes. There is something elemental, raw, & real about the streets. Play there and you will be changed. Our series of gigs on Record Store Day on the sidewalk in front of Vintage Vinyl have been exquisite lessons in the real. Playing music on the streets is our Church!

There’s the dirt, the grit, the spit, the blazing light, the passers-by, the cars, the buses, the exhaust fumes, the chatter & clatter; all the sights and sounds of life in an overwhelming Universe swirling around and over us.

Naked. Vulnerable. Exposed. No place to hide on the street.

Making vibrations and sending them out into Universe has become our creative mission. To be able do so with such dedicated, talented and inspiring musicians is a pleasure, an honor, and a kick. – Jammer

Still, even in the face of all that, (see previous post), optimism is a choice. Maybe it’s an inherited trait too? I don’t know. To think, to hope, to dream. To live in the moment with as much attention, enthusiasm, heart and soul as you can possibly conjure up. It is an act of will. It takes a bit of gumption, discipline, determination. We all need some luck and pluck. See the light all around us. It is there. Lean into it.

The A.M Soundtrack – Alabama Shakes’ “Boys & Girls”  (2012). The Gospel According to Brittany. A total blast of fire, thunder, unbridled joy, & enthusiasm. A monster statement of creative purpose. What is the message? Hold on, Hang Loose, You Ain’t Alone.  It is a head spinner, a heart-warmer. Some fabulous grooves, a band giving their all, fronted by Brittany Howard’s overwhelmingly powerful voice and guitar. Yes. Highly recommended. Sets the tone for the day. What is the setting? Soulful & Optimistic!– Jammer

Sure. Let’s celebrate, it is July 4th 2021, blow-off some fireworks, at least in our heads. Happy to be here, still kicking. Born in the USA and feeling pretty lucky. You know, Democracy, Freedom, Equality, Pursuit of Happiness, and all that. Nice, high-minded concepts. But, you know, it is complicated, and this is a profoundly Imperfect Union.

Those high-minded concepts bump against some hard, deadly, soul-killing realities: Genocide – “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” Racism/White Supremacy – Slavery, Ku Klux Klan, Trump-ism, Wars & Atrocities, Institutional, Societal, Political, Psychological Inequality, Gun-Crazy, Murder Inc. And our Enthusiastic Embrace of Idiocy – see: the Anti-Vaxxers, the Anti-Science Brigades, Conspiracy Theorist Nut-Jobs.

And the Confidence Man’s Amusement Park – “A sucker born every minute.”

The Hustle, The Sales Pitch, The Scam, The Hoax, The Lie, The Big Lie, The Cheat. We love to sell and to be sold. We love to lie to ourselves and to others. And, remember all those fireworks are made in China. Cheap thrills: Gunpowder, Smoke, Razzle-Dazzle and BOOM! That’s America, Baby! – Jammer

The A.M. Soundtrack – Wilco’s “Yankee Foxtrot Hotel” (2001) – Great early Wilco record. Great American Band. 

“Ashes of American Flags”

The cash machine is blue and green
For a hundred in twenties and a small service fee
I could spend three dollars and sixty-three cents
On Diet Coca-Cola and unlit cigarettes
I wonder why we listen to poets when nobody gives a fuck
How hot and sorrowful, this machine begs for luck All my lies are always wishes
I know I would die if I could come back new We want a good life with a nose for things
The fresh wind and bright sky to enjoy my suffering
A hole without a key if I break my tongue
Speaking of tomorrow, how will it ever come? All my lies are always wishes
I know I would die if I could come back new I’m down on my hands and knees
Every time a doorbell rings
I shake like a toothache
When I hear myself sing All my lies are only wishes
I know I would die if I could come back new I would like to salute
The ashes of American flags
And all the fallen leaves
Filling up shopping bags

– Jeff Tweedy & Jay Bennett

Food for the spirit and the soul. Pretty sure these Faux Fu tracks wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for my long-time meditation practice. Think: determined, meandering, creative visualization, or concentrated, purposeful, day-dreaming.

“Sit back, relax, float up-stream…” – Jammer

Record Store Day 2021 on the sidewalk in front of Vintage Vinyl. One of our favorite gigs. It has become a recurring event for us. Raw. On the Street. Exposed. Alive. Aware. Awake. Top billing in the window this time! Blazing hot… it was like playing Coachella… at least temp-wise!

The Lovely Carla Hayden and I dream about playing the big stage at Coachella one day. As someone remarked, when we verbalized that dream yesterday: “It’s good to aim high.” Yes, indeed.

Anyway, yesterday wasn’t that day. Instead, it was a performance on the sidewalk in front of Vintage Vinyl. About mid-point thru, it did feel like the California Desert; sweat dripping, heat-waves rising off the pavement. It was a good show. No. More than good. Magnificent! The intense heat actually helped us get to “transcendence.” With Nura A violin and Randy Farr on percussion; Carla and I rode those vibes for all they were worth. WWSP lives!

Afterwards, we were drenched in sweat, super-tired, and totally clear. It’s funny how energy works. You rise to the occasion, you give your all, you lay it all on the line, you live totally in each and every moment of a performance, and you totally lose yourself, and everything, absolutely everything falls away. And you feel more alive than you’ve ever felt.

That is what it’s about. Yes, there’s the music, the group dynamic, the vibe of the band, but those are just elements that go into the rocket fuel that propels us to a perfect, diamond-hard, clarity. Sort of like the greatest meditation you’ve ever had.

It’s a sounds a bit trippy, or hippie-dippy, but it’s not really. It’s the good work. Anyone can do it. There are uncountable ways to get there: drumming, dancing, running, meditation, art, poetry, music, pretty much any flow activity you can throw yourself into. It’s best when you drop the ego, and lose your self-consciousness. Basically, you find something you really love to do, and do it to the absolute max. And you do it often, as often as you possibly can. It is satisfying, & life-affirming, and super-important, for sure. For WWSP it helps to create and play with superb musicians, who also happen to be beautiful human beings. It’s better living thru creative chemistry and the alchemy of positive energy. You can’t bottle it. – Jammer

Now the story can be told. No names. Let’s protect the innocent.

It started with boredom. Late March 2020 in the Heartland. A raging Global Pandemic, and a lockdown. My partner was working on a work-from-home freelance project. I had lots of time on my hands.

I was reading William Gibson’s 1999 novel “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” and this line seemed like a direct message that guided my actions: “… you are less inclined to move counter to the momentum of things.”

Right. That became my artistic credo.

I decided to learn how to play a mini-Moog. I’m a longtime guitar player. I had no clue. Just started fiddling with dials, switches, keys, and tones and textures. I created a bunch of ambient, instrumental tracks. All solo mini-Moog, no beats, no drums, no clix. I decided I had an EP (5 tracks), which I then shared with our mailing list.

A small, well-connected Hip-Hop Record Label emailed me to say they loved it and wanted to release it. Ha! That was unexpected. I found a $500 an hour lawyer who gave me a “starving artist” break, and I signed signed a multi-year, multi-album contract, an “exclusive recording contract.” I delivered the tracks, and they paid me the first half of an advance.

I must say all this felt like pulling a rabbit out of hat. The $ came at the perfect time. We were swimming in uncharted waters and we had no idea how we were gonna make it from day to day.

I had some conference calls with the label, they had big plans for my little EP, a vinyl record release, and a worldwide introduction of a new artist named Faux Fu. Together we found a graphic artist to create cover art. He started working up some pretty amazing illustrations.

What’s up with name? I found it on a torn piece of cardboard with a picture of a Buddha on one side and a bar code and text on the other. I was using it as a bookmark. The original text read: FAUX FUR. But the “R” was missing. Faux Fu. Perfect. You know, the momentum of things?

Well about a year later, by February 2021, it all came to a halt. The label changed direction, I was no longer in their plans. No EP release, no multi-year deal, no more $ would be coming my way. We voided the contract. They did let me keep the advance, and then they gave me my tracks back. I was suddenly a free agent once again, so I uploaded my EP to Bandcamp and I was back in business as an “independent” artist.

What was the fuss all about? Be sure to check it out for yourself. I must admit, the enthusiasm and interest from the label unleashed a torrent of creativity from me. As of today, I have recorded 41 tracks of instrumental music.

And I recently signed an agreement with a music publisher who thinks my tracks will be attractive to their clients. They have added 17 of my tracks to their catalog. So who knows?! Faux Fu’s vibrations may find life out there in the wider world.

So yes, an adventure, a strange story with a happy ending. I mean, you know, going with the flow & the momentum of things. – Jammer