Tag: love

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Photos from our Studio Show on 12.20.25

Sometimes I do think chaos is my middle name. I wonder, am I the source, the channel, the generator or receiver, or the conductor of the chaos? I am not thinking of major, catastrophic, chaos, no, more like little, tiny, moments of micro-chaos built into the smallest of actions & thoughts. I can be orderly & disciplined, I enjoy & cultivate my silences & quiet times, I love working in the calm before the storm times, setting up a theater space or a performance space, arranging the deck chairs, running the cables, placing the microphone stands in just the right place, setting the lights, conjuring up a mood & a positive, beautiful vibe. But then fill that space with a rambunctious crowd of human beings in close quarters, with friendly noise, and chatter, and  the power of electricty animating everything, drinks flowing, a soft buzzing in the air, anticipation & expectation floating above us, things happen. Unsourced feedback, a drop of sweat in the corner of an eye, an imprecise instrument, a cable fail, a weird noise from some unknown location, a tiny almost imperceptible tuning issue, being slightly sharp or flat, a surprising demand or comment from an innocent, a dropped guitar pick, a teetering,  a nearly tripping & falling, a hint of mortality, a surge of energy running through the cells of my body; funny, unconnected thoughts, words falling from my lips in surprising ways, my head suddenly swimming, uncommon feelings of being unmoored, uncomfortable. Conducting moments of chaos, trying to corral & tame things, but watching, listening, experiencing the awesome powerlessness alive in every tiny moment.- Jammer

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Relevant Question. Was the Chilean novelist & poet, Roberto Bolano, Antifa?! Anti-fascist? No doubt. We throw our lot in with Roberto. Last night we played as a trio in Kathy’s Living, a wonderful home & music room. Intimate, gorgeous, perfectly-appointed, welcoming, inspiring. A gathering of the beautiful people, you know the “beloved community” of souls.

We were so lucky to share the night with Lisa Zane. She is a powerhouse, a creative dynamo. She commands a room with every breath & move. She was backed by a tremendously gifted, mysteriously-un-named guitar player. A beautiful wide-ranging set. Songs from their gorgeous record “Mysteries of Spain,” new songs recently recorded with her “flamenco-punk band” Flapunco, and a couple of cool covers; Joni Mitchell, and yes, The Beatles.

Then we did a reading from Roberto Bolano’s “Amulet” (1999).

From our introduction: “Roberto Bolano often wrote about human beings living under a heavy boot.  Sort of an echo, a foreshadowing of  our new American Dystopia.  He emerged as a writer at a time when people  no longer believed in utopias, when paradise had become a sort of living hell. People disappeared off the streets, mothers and fathers taken away in the dark of night, children left to fend themselves.  Of course, as an antidote and response to the cruelty and horror of the authoritarians, there are always the artists, the poets, the storytellers, the musicians, all of us seeking love, wild abandon, living life to the fullest.  Truth-seekers. Truth tellers. Always searching, & remembering”

Sort of a code for better living. We refuse to knuckle under the new American Fascism. Finally our trio did a set. I fumbled at first, playing in the dim light, I could barely see the fretboard, but by the 2nd song I adjusted and the set flowed. Thought we played with power & enthusiasm. Seems much of the audience was truly with us. Lots of new folks who never saw or heard us before. Hopefully we made some new fans.

Yes. It was good one. Reminded us of the importance of community, love, intelligence, spirit. It was all alive in the room with us. Over-powering. The antidote to stupid shit flowing from this new ugly dystopia in Washington D.C. – Jammer