I'm all signed up for this years Tiki Caliente in Palm Springs. This event takes place in May, and it is one of my best selling venues, and always one of my favorites. Vending goes from Thursday through Sunday which is good as it gives people time to check everything out, and I love the scenic cabana that the organizer Rory Snyder saves for me to set up in.

Well I sent in my application for next years Art in the Pearl event, which is a Portland show that happens in September. It is very competitive, only 130 spots for over 1000 applicants, but I'm confident that they will realise the grave error they made last year in rejecting me and invite me this year. Time will tell, won't know until March.

How is a plastic faced, paper crown wearing king, blow torching a slab of inferior beef, even the least bit appetizing?

Even the stripped down version of Secret Chiefs 3, the band I went to see at Wonder Ballroom last night, was amazing! With their constantly changing lineup I have usually seen them with more musicians, the 5 piece they came with was more than enough to satisfy me and the large crowd that attended. Using strange instruments like a 5 string bass and 9 string guitar, and somehow tuning them differently than the norm makes them a fascinating listen and spectacle that makes them my favorite live performers. The drummer, Pej Mon, was unreal, and I am so glad I ventured out late on a Sunday to be a witness. The headliner was Dead Cross, featuring another favorite of mine Mike Patton. I have seen his bands, from Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Tomahawk, Fantomas, Peeping Tom, and others, but none are as industrial strength as this one. I started thinking to myself "What bands have I seen that are harder to listen to than this one?" and I came up with two...The Locust and Wolf Eyes, and it turns out one of the players in this band is from The Locust. Brutal listening hardcore noise, which even a seasoned veteran such as myself could not take.

Thanks go out to those of you from Tiki Caliente, Tiki Kon, and Tiki Oasis that purchased goods from me, making this by far my best year. I have the necessary motivation to see what I can get done for the coming one and look forward to seeing you again next May!

I thoroughly enjoyed the Sadies concert here last week at the Aladdin Theatre, as my son in law said "They rip!" Can't say the same for the headliner, Justin Townes Earle, who about put me to sleep, but at least the Sadies backed him for most of his set.

Thanks to Jim Heath from the Reverend Horton Heat for the great solo effort at the Doug Fir last night. He is a Gretsch guitar playing singer and song writing extraordinaire, who also happens to be a nice, successful, and encouraging person rarely encountered in the very tough life that is the music industry. I also enjoyed his Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard country influenced cohort Dale Watson, very funny and personable indeed.

Once again my confidence has been rattled as I received my second rejection notice today and won't be a part of this years Art in the Pearl. I was trying to broaden my horizons and do shows that were not related to tiki, but that plan just went out the window. Time to re-evaluate, but I am looking forward to Tiki Caliente, just a month away.

The March 31st deadline passed for the notification I was expecting for acceptance into the June in Vancouver, WA Ester Short recycling show, so I guess I must deal with the fact that I was not on the list. Like everyone, I do not deal with rejection well, and as I was venting my frustration with a friend he calmly said "Did it ever occur to you that you might not be as good as you think you are?" which naturally I never even considered, so it's on to the non-tiki event that I REALLY want to do, the Portland Art in the Pearl. 130 vendors from over 1000 applicants is not good odds, but I am sure I will be there. I find out the middle of this month. You would hope that friends would be more empathetic, but I did get a chuckle out of it.

All right, I'm relieved, I was judged and accepted to the local July Gresham Artwalk event! I always expect to be part of any show I try out for, but this was the first vending gig where I showed my carvings, so it holds a special place. Fairly certain this is my seventh year!

Keeping to my resolution to vend at events that are not tiki related, I sent in my application for the Ester Short recycled art festival in Vancouver Washington this June. It is a juried exhibit, so there are no guarantees, but I figure they would be out of their minds not to have me, right? Also sent in for the Gresham Artwalk in July, which I have done the last six years so I should be in on that one, but is also juried. The biggest one I want to do is Art in the Pearl, in Portland, and which I also sent photos to be judged.

I received a call about a month ago from the Portland Renovation and Landscaping show offering a great deal on a booth for this year's show. They wanted to add some local artists to the mix so I said yes, and although I am now regretting it (three long days) I will be there if anyone in the area wants to attend. It runs Friday the 27th through Sunday the 29th at the Memorial Coliseum.

Sent my money in to Rory at Tiki Cliente/Palm Springs yesterday so I am in. This is my sixth year vending, and for atmosphere and a laid back vibe this one is the best. Middle of May is the date, happy to have a few pieces sold already so my entry fee is paid for. Also have my same spot, which is in a cool 12x6 foot cabana.

I again have to thank my great, good natured and humorous, season ticket holding friend Whitey for inviting me to the recent visit by the Lakers to the Moda Center this week to play the Blazers. Although the Lakers lost, there were moments in their play that made me feel like the future has great potential. I love the hire of Luke Walton as coach, and feel that he will be a long term employee, in the mold of Pat Riley. I am happy with 30 wins this year however, far from the playoffs.

I got a call last week from someone that was putting on a remodeling and landscaping show here in Portland and they wanted to add local art to this years mix. I agreed to do it, three long days at the Memorial Coliseum starting the last weekend of January. You never know what may happen and I have been setting myself up for 2017 to do more shows that are not tiki related.

I am approaching this years' vending season with a make or break attitude and am adding two more events that are not tiki related in the hopes of selling a few more pieces. Art in the Pearl is a long running three day Portland event held on labor day weekend that I applied for, and although they have thousands of submissions for only 135 spots I am not even entertaining the thought of rejection. Also I would like to do a June show in Vancouver WA at Esther Short Park featuring recycled art that I hear-tell from other venders is a good one. Like all vending gigs I need to be accepted through a juried process, but should know on both in the first three months of the New Year.

To say that live music has been an influence on my life would be an understatement, but with the advancement of age the motivation to leave my home late in the evening to see a show on a Sunday night is rapidly diminishing. Gone are my experimental days, so I was happy I muscled up last night and saw Thee Oh Sees from Los Angeles at the new Revolution Hall. Part of the thrill for me are the undercards, and Alex Cameron from Australia featuring pre recorded music and a chatty David Bowie/Peter Murphy sounding singer while backed by a suave, velvet suited, soulful sax player, was a topper. Locals Lavender Flu opened with a dreamy, poppy, sludgy sort of set.

Someone looked at an older post from 2011 about my trying Facebook and deciding to abandon it as it was hard to talk about myself. Fast forward to 2016 and I am now not only on FB, but look at it every day and post once every week or so. After talking to others that use it I decided to give it another try and concentrate on the chance to advertise for free and get my work out to as many as possible. I cannot say that it has helped sales any, but I do enjoy seeing artists work that I admire from all over the world. This blogspot is still the one that gets all the latest work every Sunday, but I have to say I do enjoy the comments that I receive on Facebook, something that never happens here.

Besides the vending part of it (luckily I had two tikis pre sold as I did not sell a thing at the event) I had a terrific time at this years' Tiki Oasis. Thanks to Otto, Baby Doe and all those that work so hard to pull off this amazing show. The music was top notch again (except for Deadbolt, whose lead singer was so smashed he could not even remember the lyrics to his own damn songs) but my favorites were the Messer Chups from Russia. The people I meet and the great artists of all mediums make the time involved to drive all that way so worth it, and I look forward to doing it all again next year.

In a word I would call last night's Claypool Lennon show at the Roseland "Dull". As I dislike the Beatles I would not have gone without the great bassist Les Claypool at the controls, and with the addition of drummer Paulo Baldi and Beastie Boys' organist Mark Ramos "Money Mark" Wishita. I saw it as more money grab, no real chemistry, and the coddled Sean (son of John and Yoko) pissed me off more than once, although he had a beautiful, emerald colored, metal flake guitar that he knew how to play. I was not disappointed in the show, however, worth going to see and I very much liked the opening band Jjuujjuu, "alternative, ambient, electronic, post-punk psych from L.A."

I kid you not, numerous people at last nights' Sadies concert were wearing patchouli oil. Like tobacco, this needs to be a banned substance from all public venues. Anyway this Canadaian foursome consisting of two guitars, stand up bass and drums plays an alternative country rock and roll but adds gospel, punk, psychedelic, spaghetti western surf to the mix to really bring a different style that makes them so great. I do not like to recommend music, but you should check these guys out. Opening were another band from the Great White North, Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, excellent dark, surfy instrumentalists. The Star Theatre where they played is a very nice place for music, I had a super time.

I had a great time at this year's Tiki Caliente in Palm Springs the past week. I was able to break even and also bring home some cool art from Norm Daniels and Michael Sbicca, plus all the great music and friends to see was superb. I have to say that the highlight was seeing Shags newest paintings that were on display in the hotel lobby...simply fantastic. Thanks so much to Si and Damian who purchased their fifth carvings from me, Cindy and Mark with their second, and Michael with his first. You are the reason I can keep doing this and it is greatly appreciated!

It had been a long time since I went to a show at the Roseland, but with the Japanese band Melt Banana playing with the Melvins I could not miss it. It was many moons ago when I first saw them open for Mr. Bungle and I was interested to see how much they have changed in 20 years. Now with only a "vocalist" and guitar, this noise rock band can still bring it. The female singer is still a firecracker, mixing screams, shrieks, barks and the like to mesmerize like the old days. The songs are now a bit more melodic and much longer than their first album, which was comprised of many 10, 20, 30 second snippets of sound, but was glad that they have evolved and not still doing the same thing. Of course the Melvins were fantastic, it seems they are finally getting some recognition for being one of the most influential NW bands of my time. The headliner was England's Napalm Death, not my cup of tea but still entertaining.

Well I'll be go to hell if I did not have another great time at the Wonder Ballroom last night. It is my least favorite venue in Portland but it seems like the shows I go to see are located there. I have witnessed the event known as the Reverend Horton Heat numerous times as they always work hard to please, yet never disappoint. This time they brought an excellent guest to play a handful of songs with them to spice things up and change the pace a bit. The Unknown Hinson is a vampire looking southerner that can kick major ass on the guitar and vocals, he was a great addition. Opening was a one man band called Lincoln Durham. I cannot imagine how I would feel being onstage all by myself and trying to please a hundred plus drunkin' fools who are not there to see you, but he pulled it off beautifully. Playing the guitar, banjo, cigar box three string and I think one string, pounding his foot on a bass drum, tambourine peddle, drumming behind his back while he sang, it was something to behold. The Legendary Shack Shakers were next with a HIGH ENERGY set that was the perfect setup to the main event. I needed a shower big time by the time I arrived back home at 1:30 AM.

Seeing Parquet Courts last night at the Wonder Ballroom reminded me of why I love live music so much. This New York based foursome was my favorite band that I had never seen live and they filled me with energy and inspiration, thanks dudes! Locals Wooden, er Woolen Men opened.

I signed up again for Tiki Caliente, May 12-15, in beautiful Palm Springs. It is my favorite of the three I do each year as this event is smaller, more intimate, and was my first tiki show that I vended at. Rory Snyder does a great job of putting on this party and has given me sage advise through the years on tiki culture in general. Can't wait. July will be Tiki Kon here in Portland, August Tiki Oasis, the big daddy of all tiki events, in San Diego.

Thanks to my pal Whitey for inviting me to last nights Blazer/Laker game. He has the greatest season ticket seats and even though this years teams are not very good, it is a pleasure to sit so close to the action. The Lakers are a long way from competing for a championship and it was a bit sad to see Kobe a shadow of his former self, here is hoping he makes it through the year unhurt and retires. I was really looking forward to last Monday's Gogol Bordello gypsy punk show, but something that has never happened to me made me walk out without even seeing them. It was at the Chrystal Ballroom, and sold out so when I arrived a bit late the place was packed. As I climbed the stairs to the top of the building the air got worse and worse, and as I entered the main floor I could hardly breathe from the thick, sickly human invested air. It was as if there was no ventilation at all, combined with the fact that the beer lines were packed, it made for quite a claustrophobic atmosphere. I decided to listen to the opening band for a while, Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas, and you know what? They were the worst band I have ever heard, surpassing the decades old record of the Fatima Mansions, which has always been my benchmark for sucks. I gave them four songs before I could not take it anymore and went outside for a much welcomed breath of fresh air, and decided I could not stand going back to inhale anymore of that soupy mixture inside. You can call me a rock wimp if you like, I just couldn't take it.

I left the Wonder Ballroom a sweaty mess last night after a packed Melvins show. Opening was the great Big Business from Seattle, a twosome that pounds out sound like seems impossible from just a guitar and drum. Next they joined King Buzzo and Dale Crover to form the Melvins, using two drums, guitar and bass, and played non stop, never stopping for such trivial adulations like applause, and killed it. This is a band that has been around a long time in many different forms, have influenced many bands, but not a lot of people have heard of them. They are industrial strength, almost metal, loud and brutal but man I love them.

John Dwyer and Thee Oh Sees are always changing lineups, which has bugged me in the past but it sure keeps things fresher. Two drummers in the middle of the stage with John's guitar's on the left and bass on right as bookends worked out beautifully at Friday's show at the Doug Fir. Always going forward and writing new material, this is one of my favorite live bands ever. Opening was a local band, Psychomagic, which early on I re-named Psychotragic, playing an organ driven, patchouli and hippy scented slow, stoned type of melody, but they finished strong and I decided to give them another chance.

Thank you so much to Ken and Gloria for purchasing "Mark" and to Si and Damion for taking home "Medley", which was their second piece. You guys saved my weekend at Tiki Oasis and I sure appreciate the support.

Thanks to Greg and Justin and all the volunteers that made this year's Tiki Kon my best. Special thanks to Andrew, Andy, and Mike for purchasing "Totem", "Power", and "Koko". Next up this week is the Gresham Artwalk, and in August Tiki Oasis in San Diego.

Thanks so much to Ila, Toby, Al & Alma, Kevin, Spike, and Jason Lee & Michelle for purchasing tikis and making my ride back home to Oregon so much more enjoyable!

Three days in and I'm still thinking the Dead Milkmen show was the best I have seen from them. A great mix of nostalgia and relevant new material, mixed with fantastic audience participation made it the show of the year for me so far. Lie (Lee-A) from Vancouver BC was the excellent opening band.

Most of the music I go to hear is loud, fast, punky, garagey- type stuff so I surprised myself by going to a honkey-tonk kind of place on Saturday. I happened upon a country swing style local band recently and enjoyed the heck out of the Barn Door Slammers at the Landmark Saloon. They play mostly cover songs from the 40s and 50s that I never would have heard otherwise featuring a great singer and alternating two fiddles, a drummer on what looks to me like an ancient drum kit, stand up bass, big Gibson guitar and steel guitar. They have a great CD out that I give two thumbs up to. Kudos to the dancers in the audience that managed to swing in such a small area. There was people of course dressed in their tex outfits, but I was pleased to see green haired, spikey faced girls and guys as well as bearded, knit hat, back pack wearing hippies. A good eclectic mix.

This Saturday I was invited to do a small local art show here in Gresham. I am only bringing small stuff, nothing that I have to hand truck in, but come on by and say hi if you are looking for something to do. 150 W Powell 10-4.

I had a music filled week, starting at the Sandy Hut, a landmark Portland venue that I had never visited. Loved the vibe and tavern, but am pleased I did not have to visit the restroom. Opening was an enjoyable band "Youth Destroyer", a punky threesome that was entertaining both musically and with interacting with the crowd. I liked the second band a lot, "King Ghidora", a mask wearing surfy, "Man or Astro Man?" type local punk band featuring the world's tallest guitarist. Their rendition of Amazing Grace got me a bit misty. On Saturday I had a ticket to see the fabulous Indiana based band "Murder by Death" and they sounded as polished and engrossing as ever. Props to them for growing and wanting to improve, they have come a long way from the first time I saw them.

Thanks to local band Wavesauce for the very enjoyable record release party at Analog in Portland Friday. It seemed like a lot of friends and family attended this all ages show and that was a large part of the fun. Excellent old footage of space and rock and roll movies filled the background and enhanced the surfy sound of this foursome. If you do not know what a theremin is (like I didn't) then check them out.

Thee Oh Sees did it again, making me think they are the best live band going. They ripped through an hour long set with nothing but non stop fast and loud music that had the sold out crowd moshin' and surfing' the whole time. The lead singer/guitar player is fantastic and switches from a six string to 12 with great dexterity, alternately pounding them with his fingers or grabbing the pick from his mouth to create different sounds within the same song. Backing him up was a stripped down version of his band with only a bass and drum. No mention was made of what happened to their female keyboardist/singer and other guitar. Hopefully that is just temporary as those two really round out the sound. Leading off was Jack Name, a foursome that played an intimate, enjoyable set of synch, fuzzy, industrial style music.

I was happy I braved the cold weather last night to see the Tijuana Panthers play at the Hawthorne Theatre. A poppy threesome from Long Beach, they did a great job of warming up the audience with a lively 45 minute set that I really enjoyed. All three took turns doing vocals and did songs from both their albums. It is funny to see the band as well as audience dressed in jackets, knit hats, gloves, but it was cold in there! Opening was a nice surf band Pounded by the Surf, although Mellowed by the Surf might be a better name. Headlining was Mariachi El Bronx from LA (?) an eight piece, white, rather punky band that finally had the crowd at least unzipping their jackets and taking off gloves.

About 20 years ago I went to see the Lemonheads with Hole and thought it would be a great show but was not impressed with either band. Fast forward and my chance to "get" the Lemonheads, which happened Thursday as they opened for the Psychedelic Furs here at the Aladdin Theatre. Besides the best tune up of guitars I have seen (The lead singer came out and soloed) their show was all that I remembered... Bland, plain and devoid of anything noteworthy. A bunch of manufactured, brooding, imagined complaints by the lead singer that bothered me to no end. Saving the day was the main act, which blistered through an 18 song set that was both nostalgic and relevant. Thanks to Richard Butler and his mostly original 5 piece for such a great show!

I always see the Melvins when they come to town, one of the heaviest bands around. They never disappoint and last night was no exception. Opening was a La Butcherettes from Mexico featuring a wild female singer, fantastic female drummer, and a dude handling bass. Very odd and enjoyable. The Melvins featured of course King Buzzo on vocals and guitar, Pinkus from the Butthole Surfers on bass, and the best drummer in rock, Dale Crover. Many years of music was covered, a perfect blend of old and new.

I was invited this week to participate in a small show at Trader Vics in Portland Oct. 2 as part of the first Thursday event so come on down and have a mai-tai.

I thank Ken for being my number one collector and purchasing "Bob" for your incredible yard!

Thanks so much to Suze for purchasing another one of my tikis. "Felix" is now on the way to Palm Springs. Also thanks to Brett for taking "Airic" home. He loaded him into a taxi for the trip. Special thanks to Jason Lee and Michelle for using their gig money to buy "Juan and Atu" I know he will love his new abode. The music at Tiki Oasis was good again, my highlights were Ixtahuele from Sweden and Three Some from Serbia.

Thanks to all that worked so hard on the 2014 Tiki Kon event, I had another great time and will do it again next year. Thanks to Gretchen from the bay area for purchasing "Driftwood", I was worried that I would not sell a darn thing. The music is a big part of doing these excursions for me and highlights from Friday night were a long and rousing set from locals Satan's Pilgrims with Lushy from Seattle. Mixed in was the tantalizingly sultry gyrations of Tana the Tattooed Lady and Megan Mayhem. Saturday my favorite was again a local band "Wavesauce" featuring a charismatic, theremin playing lead, along with an excellent bass player, drums, and guitar. Headliner Spyrograph was mellow and did many old loungey type classics. Next week is the Gresham Artwalk, then August is Tiki Oasis in San Diego.

I had another great time at this year's Tiki Caliente in Palm Springs. I sold more tikis than ever before and the world-famous artist Shag bought "Dyson" which was a real thrill. Thanks to Jeff and Gwen, Gary and Gail, Si and Damian, Joe, Rob and Katie, and Big Ed for purchasing Lonnie, Orson, Ben, Growth Pole, Barry, Lauderdale, and Brett Lambo. The band line up was also excellent starting with the Poi Boys, Hula Girls, Smokin' Memehunes, Jason Lee and the R.I.P.Tides (my fave), Alika Lyman, Outerwave, and Aloha Guitar.

I've got my schedule complete for the summer starting May 15-18 in Palm Springs for Tiki Caliente. Next is July 11-13 here in Portland for Tiki Kon, followed the next week by a local Gresham show Art Walk, etc. Last but not least is Tiki Oasis in San Diego which happens August 14-17. Hope to see some of you along the way.

I am certain the future of rock and roll is secure after seeing new bands the Tiny Knives, Hurry Up and headliners Marriage + Cancer at The Know on Friday this week. It will be hard to see a better show for me this year, but I will try.

I think I was expecting too much at the recent Reverend Horton Heat show, but it seemed to lack the same luster that their shows usually produce. Besides the worst music venue in Portland, the Wonder Ballroom, the blame goes to the back up bands, especially the middle show, Stockholm based The Necromantix. Opening was a pretty good blue grass/punk band Old Man Markley, happy and fun, but they lacked bite, which every punk band needs to possess. I especially enjoyed seeing Hoss from the RHH crew, a good singer and guitarist that actually wore a Frog Island Tiki t shirt on stage, a highlight in my life.

To see a giant venue like the Crystal Ballroom with less than 100 people in attendance was quite a shock but that is what happened at the excellent Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys show last week. It was the Winter Rockabilly event and also featured a great DJ Murphy spinning music between sets, the equally entertaining Rainieros from Washington, and Johnny 7 and the Black Crabs, also from Washington. Those in attendance were full of energy and dancin' the two step all over the huge, moving floor. I had a great time, hopefully the bands were guaranteed a certain amount of money.

Thanks so much to Jinn for purchasing "Orville"!

The Rotture is an upstairs, cavernous dive on the east side that I like to attend for music. It has a huge bar inside as well as an outdoor patio featuring a glimpse of the industrial section in which the building is located and a view of the Willamette river and downtown Portland. Nobunny, the headliner was fantastic, consisting of four rather evil, non vegetarian, rabbit-looking musicians. Great audience participation added to the nightmarish, carnival-like high energy atmosphere. Starting the show was a combo with a drummer and a go-go dressed, blond wig wearing female bass player. Neither could play nor sing particularly well, but they possessed something special that made this show very amusing and entertaining. Their name is Needles(her) and Pizza(him). The song about those old pink ring contraceptive thingies titled "Frank Might Feel It" was funny indeed. The middle band The Bugs were also good with the drummer and guitarist switching instruments and vocals every few songs.

My son in law suggested going to the Obits show on Saturday at Mississippi Studios and I really enjoyed it. Opening was a most excellent local band Paradise, followed by another solid sounding Survival Knife.

Many thanks to Shannon for stopping by the gallery and purchasing "Bernie". good luck hiding him from your husband till his birthday.

Thanks to the Sadies for a super show at the Doug Fir last night, always a pleasure to see and hear this Canadian based foursome. Also liked Mark Pickerel and the Praying Hands. I was told to put in a good word to the 2014 Pick-a-Thon management-The Sadies want to play there again!

I left the Hawthorne Theatre a sweaty mess last night thanks to Thee Oh Sees band from San Francisco. They must be one of the better live bands going right now and never disappoint. They are back to a foursome from the five they had last time but provided an hour and a half of non stop adrenaline. Opening was another good band from Austin Texas, OBN 111 featuring a psychotic, Iggy Pop like singer,two guitars, a bass and drums. The second band was a crazy fast threesome featuring two guitars and a frenetic, primitive drummer that pounded out the sound. Hailing from Minneapolis, The Blind Shake was a perfect match for this show and I will look for them to come back to Portland again.

I am still processing the four days I spent in San Diego attending Tiki Oasis 13. So much action happening all the time. It was great! Thursday I took the drunk bus from the host hotel to the beautiful Bali Hai bar situated on the water with a fantastic view of downtown San Diego. Very good Mai Tais and I loved the headliner band Creepxotica. Friday I enjoyed Surfer Joe from Italy and Jason Lee and the R.I.P. Tides. I was amazed at all the positive comments I received while working Saturday and I would have been rich if only I could charge five dollars for every picture taken. Musically I enjoyed Acapulco Radio from Germany, B Stars from San Francisco, and Southern Culture on the Skids from the midwest. Sunday the local people were allowed in and it was fun to talk to folks who were not so much into tiki as the Saturday crowd. Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys closed the event with an excellent set featuring Ashley Kingman, one of the best guitarists I have ever heard. I got to hang with some of my artist heroes including Marcus Thorn from Australia, Norm Daniels, Crazy Al, Ken Ruzic, Thor, and Big Toe. Thanks so much to the local couple that pooled all their cash together to purchase "Jared" and to Suze for buying "Eaton" I look forward to doing it again next year.

I had a great time at the Gresham Artwalk this year and want to thank all involved. This is the show that got me comfortable enough to try other events. The tremendous cross section of people attending this particular show makes it a lot of fun for me. Thanks to all that purchased t shirts and especially to Terry and Cheryl for giving "Surfin' Bird" a new Oregon beach home!

I attended the best show of my year last night at the Doug Fir featuring a Long Beach CA band named the Tijuana Panthers. This three piece garage, surf, punk band gave me a much needed shot of adrenaline with non stop guitar, bass and drum music and impressed the heck out of me. All three guys did some vocals which keeps each song fresh and they developed a real rapport with the crowd. They are on an unreal schedule starting yesterday in Portland, today in Vancouver BC, tomorrow in Seattle and I believe in Reno the next. Opening the show was another good band from Orange County GRMLN. I am looking forward to doing the Gresham Artwalk this Saturday and it's only 29 days to Tiki Oasis in San Diego.

Thanks to Greg and Debra and all responsible for making the Tiki Kon event here in Portland such a great time. Some of the heavy hitters in tiki art like Bosko, Big Toe, and Keith Tucker were here and I am glad to report that they were all cool and very approachable. I love asking questions about the process of creating and all were forthcoming and helpful. The Ding Dong Devils were also excellent and I enjoyed the fire dancers entertaining between bands. I thank the many that purchased Frog Island Tiki T shirts and special thanks to Sherry and Karla!

I had a great time at this years' Tiki Caliente event in Palm Springs and want to thank Rory "Wildsville Man" Snyder for the time and effort involved to make a happening like this come together. The bands Kitty Chow and Fisherman, Ding Dong Devils, Thee Swank Bastards, Martini Kings and Sonny Moon, and the Smokin' Menehunes were all exceptional. Special thanks to Paul for deciding to clear some space on his overcrowded walls to make room for "Stu" and to Skootiki for purchasing "Louis". Also to the many that now own a Frog Island Tiki T! Next up is the Tiki Kon here in Portland at the Vancouver Red Lion the second weekend in July, followed the next week by the Gresham Artwalk, and the Tiki Oasis in San Diego the third weekend in August.

Thanks Whitey for taking me to the Blazer Laker game this week! A great show, fantastic seats, and a Laker victory made for a very enjoyable evening. I have signed up this week to do the first annual Hale Pele event in May. Great drinks, live music, and talk of a roasted pig should make for a fun day. The following week I load up the van and head to Palm Springs for the Tiki Caliente extravaganza, which was a blast last year. I will be doing a live carve at the Tiki Kon here in Portland in July, then a very local show here at the Gresham Artwalk the following Saturday. Still waiting to here if they have room for me at Tiki Oasis in San Diego come August. This will be my busiest year yet, but I really like taking my work out and talking to people who are into tiki.

I am going to sign up for the Hale Pele event here in Portland come May. They are a local tiki bar that makes the best tropical drinks you can imagine and I will be there, selling my wares the week before Caliente in May. Live music, mai tais, and vendors should make for a fun time so drop by if you live in the area. Also heard from Tiki Oasis in San Diego and it seems like I will be invited for this celebration of tiki extravaganza in August. It's a huge event and I am hoping to be a part.

I left my warm, cozy home last night to drive into Portland for the Chelsea Light Moving show at the Doug Fir and it was well worth the trip. Fronted by ex Sonic Youth guy Thurston Moore, they brought a great sludgy yet fast paced concoction that had me wanting for more. With the biggest, meatiest hands in rock and roll he seems to squash chords out of his guitar like he's squeezing a lemon and it makes for a sound that is hard to duplicate. His backup band is top notch with a female bass player that doubles on violin. I thought the highlight was the song "Groovy and Linda". Opening was a pleasant, personable little threesome from San Francisco called Grass Widow.

Thanks to the Reverend Horton Heat for making me feel like a cool dude and putting me on the guest list at the Wonder Ballroom Saturday! Guttermouth opened with a strong and energetic fun-fest, followed by one of my favorite Rev shows. The addition of Jello Biafra for a few songs really added to the scene and my man Hoss on stage for a song wearing a Frog Island Tiki t shirt made my chest bulge out with pride. I stumbled out with the happy, sweaty crowd sometime after midnight thinking that after all these years they are hard to beat in the live show arena.

I sure do like the Mississippi Studios venue and a local band that I have wanted to see for some time was playing there last night. Nucular Aminals plays a grungy, psychedelic, dreamy sort of sound, and I really liked the way they destroyed music's conventional structure and timing. Very entertaining. The surprise for me was the opening band For The Lash, a nice foursome with a great primitive drummer, heavy bass, psych guitar and an excellent singer. Sandwiched in between was Stay Calm, a cotton candy, beats-oriented threesome that complained too much about monitors and lighting.

Two of my favorite musicians, Mike P. and Trevor D. were in town yesterday so it was with great anticipation that I went to see Tomahawk at the Wonder Ballroom. It pains me to give them a bad review but I gots to call 'em as I sees 'em. Uninspiring, expensive, routine, with the only spontaneity coming when the singer's mike went dead for a few seconds, it seemed this show was the exact show they will do tomorrow and exact show they did the night before. They played as individuals rather than as a team and add to that the obnoxious 20 minute continuous loop of the tomahawk chop chant they played before coming on that made for a rather disappointing evening. Trevor is still the best bass player I have ever seen though, and I did like the opening band Retox.

We tried to get into Hale Pele, a new local tiki bar, on opening day but after 20 minutes and no movement in the line we decided to try again. Another 3 pm New Years Eve attempt revealed a 5pm opening time so it was with great pleasure that me and my wife gained entry on her birthday this past week. The drinks and appetizers were fantastic with an atmosphere to match. We were even treated to a rare, sudden indoor thunder shower, and would advise anyone in the area to visit this eclectic bit o' Portland. Thanks Kerri for purchasing "Toma", as you know he is one of my favorites and will be missed!

I heard from Rory " WildsvilleMan" Snyder this week, the pith helmeted cool-cat organizer of Tiki Caliente and I'm invited back this year so Palm Springs here I come. The show is in May. Also heard back from Tiki Oasis in San Diego and I am on the waiting list so I'm positive about the chances of doing that one too. Just got word that I'm in at the Gresham Artwalk, a local show that I have done the past four years. It is the third Saturday in July.

Thanks to Hover Craft records for the Thursday music at the Doug Fir. Eight bands for five dollars is hard to beat and I had a smile on my face the whole time. I ranked them Guantanamo Baywatch first, Clorox Girls two and Boom! three. I also turned in requests to show at Tiki Caliente in May, Gresham Artwalk in July, and Tiki Oasis in August this week. In addition I will add a couple of books I've read by cool tiki people. "Blue Vegas Stories" is a pulpy and gritty collection of short stories by P. Moss, the owner of Frankie's Tiki Room and the Double Down Saloon. I liked every one of them but "The Chinaman" was my favorite. Also read part one of a trilogy "The Parrot Talks in Chocolate" by Everett Peacock that is upbeat and placed me warmly back on the beautiful island of Maui.

I haven't posted for a while so just thought I'd blab a bit. My live music report is pretty weak as I find it harder to leave my home and drive into Portland at 9 in the evening to attend but did manage to go to the Aladdin Theatre to see the Psychedelic Firs recently. I don't usually go to see older bands 'cause let's face it- Rock & Roll is a young persons sport. But together with two new members and three of the originals it made for a pretty darn good show. I missed the Thee Oh Sees show partly out of protest for playing at this years Pick-A-Thon here in Portland (I didn't want to have to rub elbows with some bearded, smelly hippie) but I understand that as a band you have to make money. I missed both the Melvins show and Nice Nice because of out of town fun things. Visiting my daughter in Orlando was great and also attended a wedding in Las Vegas. Working hard to carve mostly new things for the Tiki Caliente event in May 2013 and also the Artwalk here in July, the Tiki Kon and Elroy Artspace events in August as well as Tiki Oasis which is a hopeful at towards the end of that month. Thanks to local guy Ken and his wife for purchasing O'Hiki and Paddleman. They have the nicest manicured yard (including many palm) I have seen and the tikis look fantastic.

I heard that "Ron", the Elroy piece I submitted for the Happy Tiki event in Portland sold this week. It is a great feeling when someone parts with their hard earned dinero to purchase one of my carvings and although I did not get to meet you I greatly appreciate it!

I had another great time at the Elroy show. This year's line-up of tiki art was the best yet. My first Tiki Kon vending/carving event was even more fun and although we had record heat I really enjoyed speaking with mostly local or Seattle area tiki people. Thanks to all that bought stuff and especially to Pete for purchasing "Lombardo"!

Looking forward to 2 events this week starting with the Elroy Artspace "What makes your Tiki Hapi" show on Thursday. There is great art coming from all over the U.S. On Saturday is Tiki Kon where I will be vending and carving at the Jansen Beach Red Lion. Hope to see some of you there.

Thanks very much Brian and his wife for purchasing "Flip" this weekend and helping make this my best Artwalk! Next up is the First Thursday event August 2 in Portland. The public is invited and you can get details through the Elroy Artspace website under upcoming shows. After that is a live carve/vendor event at the Jansen Beach Red Lion on August 4. You can get more details by checking out Tiki-Kon.

Hope to see you the third Saturday of July for the Gresham Artwalk. This will be my fourth year doing it and always have a good time. Also will be at Elroy Artspace for a one month exhibit the first Thursday of August and will be doing a live carve at the Jansen Beach Red Lion on August 4. Nobody ever watches me so this will be odd, but I will try not to cuss when I screw something up.

I had a very good time at my first real tiki vending event and will certainly do it again. It was hot and close to or over 100 every day and loading and unloading damn near killed me ('Ohiki will never be going on another roady with me) but mostly enjoyed the beautiful dry heat. Many thanks to Rory for hosting the event and to Mark and Cindy from San Diego, John and his wife Janelle, Wendy and Dan, and the others that purchased tikis and depleted my t shirt supply. I will bring bigger sizes next time I promise.

Attended the sold out, sweaty, beer- soaked Dead Milkmen show at the Hawthorne Theatre yesterday so naturally I had a great time. They played their asses off for an hour and a half in a sing- along set that included old classics and from the newest album The King in Yellow. Opening band the ex girlfriends were ok while local band The And We Shared Milk provided a great odd, tempo that would change from one minute to the next.

Thanks to Thinc Actionwear for the open house on Friday. About 300 people showed up at this t shirt supply house for food and drink. They started business about the same time as I did (1979) and have grown from a 1500 square foot hole in the wall to their new place that is an acre of land under one roof. I don't ever talk shop with anyone so it was fun to speak with others in the biz.

Enjoyed local singer/songwriter Leigh Marble at the Doug Fir on Thursday along with opener Kelly Anne Masigat but stay far away from the Ascetic Junkies unless you like the Wiggles or the Partridge Family.

I am not recommending music to anyone just acknowledging how much I liked Thee Oh Sees newest album Carrion Crawler. It really was good the first time through and also captures the way the sound live. Also picked up the new Primus album Green Naugahyde. There are many gems to be mined here also but the song that stands out has to do with Lee Van Cleef, and his whereabouts.

A friend pumped me up and told me that I am on the Reverend Horton Heat's Facebook page. Check out my ugly mug while it's still there in the August 2011 section.

I got accepted to the Gresham Artwalk again this year so if you live in the area come on by and say hi. It is the third weekend of July and if you mention this blogspot I will give you a Frog Island Tiki T shirt.

I went and saw an all-time favorite of mine last night at Dantes. The Secret Chiefs 3 are a great instrumental band and did a fantastic one hour set combining all kinds of instruments, sounds, and influences. A lot is very middle eastern sounding, with some surf, spaghetti western, metal, and punk. One guy played the keyboards, guitar, violin, and trumpet all with a crazy sort of vail over his face. I was also surprised that the opening band was U Sco, locals that I had seen a few weeks ago. They are another instrumental band that matched up with SC3 very well, but I can not say the same for the headlining band Dengue Fever. They play a 60s sort of Hanoi rock with a Cambodian gal as lead singer. Very syrupy soft sound that brought the mood down too much. A highlight of the evening was the guy (girl?) dressed in brown galoshes, tight leggings, brown vinyl raincoat open at the chest, an "F" on his t shirt (fly person?) and a cloth green bug mask. The mask was open at the mouth so it could drink a Pabst 16 ouncer or three.

I went to one of the most unusual but cool venues last night to see Trevor Dunn, (from Mr. Bungle) bassist extraordinaire, at Laughing Horse Books. Maybe 30 people were there, no alcohol, and a pay what you can entrance. The place was like a living room with the book shelves pushed to the back and sides of the room, a couple of table lamps on the floor for mood. He was solo, no amps, and played an unreal 20 minute set. At times it seemed like he was trying to saw his double stand-up bass in half with his bow and at other times it seemed like his instrument was alive and bellowing on it's own. Sometimes he plucked it, sometimes he played it below the bridge or on the tail piece, other times attaching close pins to the strings, and that was just with his right hand. I really liked the opener also, local band U Sco. I will look for them again. Also traveling with Trevor was Travis LaPlante, a very entertaining solo sax player.

Thanks again to Whitey for taking me to the Blazer/Laker game last week. My pal has the greatest season seats and to watch a game from there is unreal. My distain for Blazer fan grew, however, as they are the WORST winners in the universe. The jumbo-tron shots of fat Laker fans stuffing their faces during time outs was particularly bush league. Stay classy Portland and pop off when you actually win something.

I took the plunge today and signed up for the Tiki Caliente event in Palm Springs this coming May. Rory "Wildsville Man" Snyder is the host and said he was looking for some new vendors so I figured what the heck. I will get to meet such great carvers as Crazy Al, Buzzy, Kirby, and TikiTonz so it will be well worth the trip. Rory said that with that competition it will be hard to sell the big stuff so bring things in the 30-60 dollar range. I have been thinking about trying to sculpt some small glass tiki necklaces so I guess this is my opportunity to try. Also getting together some Frog Island Tiki t shirts to give to the Reverend Horton Heat when they return to Portland on New Year's Eve. The best news is my first or second all-time favorite live band Secret Chiefs 3 will be here in March! Already got my tickets, can't wait.

My favorite newer band without question is Thee Oh Sees from SF and they played last night at the Doug Fir. Easily the best show I have seen this year. They added a band mate and are now 5 strong with 2 drummers. They travel extensively and if they come to your town see them while they are at their peak. Local guys Mean Jeans opened with a fun, punky, sweaty set and were followed by a great Aussie band Total Control. They were also a 5 piece and if there is such a thing as melancholy punk they were it.

What a great World Series! Two hours into game 6 and I thought I was watching the worst game in history, and two hours later I thought it might be the greatest game ever. Tony La Russa is one of the best baseball minds ever and it would not suck to be David Freese.

Attended a benefit concert at East End on Friday, a beery, claustrophobic, sweaty dive of a place = perfect for live music. The band I went to see, Mean Jeans was a no show but enjoyed the three other bands. Of note is the worst bathroom in all of rock and roll. I have been in some bad ones over the years (Satyricon, EJs come to mind) but this one is unreal! I will have one less bev next time so I can avoid using it.

Well I tried Facebook for a couple of weeks but aborted the trip yesterday. It's a very cool tool and am aghast at the traffic it generates but it is almost like leading another life. Also I was totally crushed when I got my friend requests denied and felt poorly when I rejected people I had no desire to know any better. Plus it's too hard to make yourself sound interesting. Facebook has many great things going for it and I had some fun - It just wasn't for me. FBFF-TTFN

I went to the Thatch tiki bar last weekend and downed the best mai tai I have ever had. Recommended. Also talked to Wildsville Man Rory Snyder about vending in his Tiki Caliente event which happens in May. It is smaller than Tiki Oasis in San Diego and the timing of it is better for me. I will contact him the first of the year and get in.

Went to Trader Vic's in NW Portland this weekend. The tikis outside are massive but otherwise rather plain but inside are some great works. Enjoyed walking around and seeing all the tiki art and also the 1944 mai tai and tuna poke that was on the menu. It is worth going to see, but expect to pay about 10 bucks a drink.

I knew this would happen. Got an invite to the Tiki Oasis event which gets going the last weekend of August in San Diego. It killed me to say no but the logistics of getting everything together in a month just wasn't going to work for me this year. I will try again next time.
Since Sonic Youth is one of my all time bands I figured it would be disrespectful not to go see Thurston Moore on Saturday. It was at the Aladdin Theatre which I don't attend too often. I won't say it was a bad show but I was wishing I had brought a bottle of No-Doz with me. Nothing upbeat or loud, all art/poetry crap that did nothing to get the crowd moving like Sonic Youth could. Kurt Vile's hippie band set the slow pace, and the first band/guy was a sort of singing minstrel. zzzzzzzzzzz.

Attended the show at Ella St Social Club as part of the Tiki Kon show that was here. I like a local surfy type band called Guantanamo Baywatch and when I heard they were the headliner I had to go. I had a great time and was treated to some lighted hula-hoop dancing wahines as well as a band called Wavesauce that features a girl playing a Theremin. It's the first time I have ever seen this instrument and you play it by waving your hands over some type of electronic box. I will have to research it to see how it works. When I first arrived I could hardly see the bar for all the hawaiian shirts but by the time G B got on most had left. Too bad as they were very good.

Besides a glitch to start things off (my tikis were still in the hotel storage room when the party started) Skootiki 2011 was huge fun. Saw great tiki art from the likes of Zerostreet, Tiki Tony, Bosko, Bamboo Ben, Flounder, Big Toe, Sam Gambino, Doug Horne, Eric October and more. I sold two framed prints as well as a few unframed. Don't know if any tikis sold but I did not find out till a few weeks later last year. Next is the Gresham Artwalk this Saturday and then I should get some time to do other things.

My daughter Jamie's boyfriend Ryan teaches at the School of Rock here in Portland and I attended the show at the Backspace on Friday. The best indoor show that I have ever seen while it is still daylight! The kids were ages 8-14 I am guessing and just shredded songs from the Beetles, Nirvana, Twisted Sister, Who, Zeppelin and more. There is hope for the future my friends.

I was disappointed with the Two Gallants show here Friday at the Mississippi Studios. They used to be so raw and angst ridden but now are polished and don't seem to feel what they are playing anymore. I was in the minority as the crowd loved them. The Mumlers opened the show with a nice soulful set that I really liked, even though they harmonized too much.

Just 3 and a half weeks till the Elroy show. Emailed Joe pictures of the tikis that I want to show and also the screen prints. I will have to see what he can and cannot use. The reception for the show is the first Thursday in July. The exhibit features excellent tiki inspired art from all over the nation. Get up off the couch if you live in the area and do yourself a favor. The address is 300 sw 6th in Portland.

If there is a better live band in Portland than the Builders and Butchers I have not seen them. Huge energy and really good rapport with the audience. They even hand out instruments to the crowd for them to play (mostly poorly). The first band was Federale, a 7 piece that plays spaghetti-western movie type music. Also got a nice email from Jimbo Wallace from the Reverend Horton Heat's band. I sent him a picture of my carving "Jimbo" which he liked and wanted to use for profile pictures. He even invited me to their show to meet him when they arrive here in August. Is that cool or what?