For the record, I probably own every standard release by Peter Gabriel (including Ovo – which he performed two songs from this evening) and I’ve seen him once before in September 1993 at the Oakland Arena. A fan? Probably.

Mr. Gabriel performed with the 54-piece New Blood Orchestra. No guitars. No drums. A portion of the orchestra was composed of musicians traveling on the tour and the remainder were picked up in the cities of performance. The orchestra was led by Ben Foster, a young and entertaining conductor who was periodically viewed from a fishbowl camera on the screens throughout the evening.

Our seats weren’t in the fancy boxes or down in front, but we were front and center in the “super seats” (aka, non-benches) with a great view of the entire stage and behind the mixer. The performance began at 8:00pm and ended at 10:45pm (with a 20-minute intermission). The first set was all the songs from Scratch My Back (in order) and the second set was old Peter Gabriel songs.

The vocals were subtle, just below the surface, and then came through powerfully at certain moments. His voice was in great form and the arrangements were beautiful and appropriate. Every detail of the show was measured. Planned. The lighting element was impeccable and brought interest and mystery to the music being performed. Nothing in the lighting was recycled during the evening, as it was customized to the song performed. The most entertaining was the cute animation that accompanied “The Book of Love” – a Magnetic Fields song. To be honest, I’m not certain how lighting is typically used with orchestras but this was one of the highlights for me.

Peter was conversational during the second set, by introducing songs and talking about the music or the musicians, while in the first set we focused only on the music. The main downside of the evening was the high prices of food and drink at the Bowl and the inappropriate clapping or yelling. I recognize that people are excited, but it can be challenging to hear the orchestral music when you clap during the songs. Fortunately, we had a pretty docile section in the audience and only encountered a few drunks being obnoxious.

In the end, I think this show will make a great DVD. Perfectly performed. Entertaining. Visually stimulating. For the curious, here’s the set list:

Set One

1. Heroes (David Bowie)
2. The Boy in the Bubble (Paul Simon)
3. Mirrorball (Elbow)
4. Flume (Bon Iver)
5. Listening Wind (Talking Heads)
6. The Power of the Heart (Lou Reed)
7. My Body is a Cage (Arcade Fire)
8. The Book of Love (The Magnetic Fields)
9. I Think It’s Going to Rain Today (Randy Newman)
10. Apres Moi (Regina Spektor)
11. Philadelphia (Neil Young)
12. Street Spirit (Radiohead)

Set Two

1. San Jacinto (Security)
2. Digging in the Dirt (Us)
3. Downside-Up (Ovo)
4. Signal to Noise (Up)
5. Mercy Street (So)
6. The Rhythm of the Heat (Security)
7. Washing of the Water (Us)
8. Red Rain (So)
9. Darkness (Up)
10. Solsbury Hill (PG I)

Encore

1. In Your Eyes (with Shankar) (So)
2. Don’t Give Up (So)
3. The Nest That Sailed The Sky (Ovo)

My radio show will re-air tonight at 6:00pm (Pacific Standard Time). You can listen in iTunes Radio (SBCC Radio is in the College/University Stations), in SecondLife, online, or using the iPhone App.

Here’s the set:

1. Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd
2. One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21, The Flaming Lips
3. Matte Kudasai, King Crimson
4. Cocoon, Bjork
5. Wanderlust, David Sylvian
6. In Your Eyes, Peter Gabriel
7. Cathedral In A Suitcase, Pat Metheny
8. Exit Music (For A Film), Radiohead
9. Something in the Way, Nirvana
10. Something, The Beatles
11. Running To Stand Still, U2
12. Oh, Sister, Bob Dylan
13. Innocent When You Dream (78), Tom Waits

You won’t be disappointed, this is some of the best music from the last 40 years.

My second show airs in a few minutes. You can listen in iTunes Radio (College/University Stations), in SecondLife, online, or using the iPhone App.

There is no long term podcast, so if you want to hear the show be sure to tune in live.

Here’s the set I’ve got planned for you:

1. Airport Surroundings, Loney Dear
2. Flat of the Blade, Massive Attack
3. There is a Wind, The Album Leaf
4. FeelingPulledApartByHorses, Thom Yorke
5. Numb, Tricky
6. Powerless, The Flaming Lips
7. Seeplymouth, Volcano Choir
8. Some Riot, Elbow
9. Kettering, The Antlers
10. I Think UR A Contra, Vampire Weekend
11. Foreground, Grizzly Bear

Here I am DJing in Second Life…

SBCC Radio in SecondLife

Brian Eno at CSU Long Beach

What a rare experience, to see Brian Eno live in this day and age. From a musical perspective he is relatively reclusive and so when the opportunity arose to see him give a lecture at the Carpenter Performance Center at CSU Long Beach, I jumped at the opportunity. They no music was performed, he spoke eloquently for just under 2-hours to a sold out crowd of just over 1000 people.

In a simple black suit, he was calm and comfortable on the stage. He spoke with a simple projection system in which he shared images, screwdrivers, and interactive drawings. No PowerPoint here. He told some jokes and primarily shared his philosophy of being an artist in this day and age. He mentioned Jon Hassell three times and harangued the Los Angeles Times art critic David Pagel at the same time as recognizing how the criticism helped him to look more deeply at his art.

The talk began with Copurnicus and that we aren’t the center of the universe and then moved on to Darwin where we aren’t the center of creation. Closely followed by the art of haircuts – haircut space.

Here are few choice notes I took from the talk:

I’m either thinking about something to create or I’m making something.

Art is broadly defined. Anything you do stylisticly. Even a screwdriver. Seperate from function.

Art is everthing you don’t have to do.

Art is a conversation.

Complexity out of simplicity.

Steve Reich’s “Its gonna rain”
Terry Riley “In C”

An artist plants a seed and watches it grow. My work is more the work of a gardner.

Impermance. You’re constantly losing the work (in the case of his current exhibition – 77 Million Paintings). The combination of possibilities is 77 million cubes. You can’t revisit it because of the constant change.

Surrender. Control.
Has an interest in surrender. Control is a relatively recent experience, in the scope of human history.

Sex. Drugs. Art. Religion.
These all fall under the umbrella of surrender. We give up control.

The value of surrender. Also knowing how to balance control and surrender.

Overall, an interesting exploration of his work and art especially as it relates to impermance and surrender. Well worth the time and the money.

Rocco DeLuca and the Burden

The last two months have  been a boon for my musical collection. Typically I purchase quite a bit of music in a year, but for some reason I have added twelve new pieces to my collection in the last two months and I’d like to share my thoughts on 11 of those releases.

In addition to playing my iPod at my desk, I also have a 45-minute commute each direction, which provides plenty of opportunity to listen to music. My musical tastes vary considerably and I hear about music from a few key friends, listening to KEXP, and reading the linear notes of my existing collection. Take for example the new release by Rocco DeLuca and the Burden. Though I’ve heard of him, and almost went to see him last year, the motivational factor on this purchase was that Daniel Lanois produced Mercy. Dan is one of my top artists and producers, so I usually grab anything related to him. Once again, this is not a disappointment. A great blues release with subtle lyrics and an angelic voice. Clearly a unique sound on an old style. The “Lanois” sound does not come through too strong like it did on the Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, and U2 productions but if you listen closely then you can hear it. You won’t be disappointed.

Bon Iver

Where was I last year when Bon Iver released For Emma Forever Ago? This is a truly fantastic lo-fi release that I heard on KEXP’s “Music That Matters” podcast. Recorded in a hunting cabin during the Wisconsin winter, guitar and voice blend together a stirring story and an enjoyable piece of music. It came out in mid-2008 and if you haven’t  heard this, you might find it of interest.

I’m still a fan of purchasing an entire release and listening to it from start to finish (and also usually purchase the physical media). After I become a little familiar with the music as it is presented by the artist, I can load it up on my iPod and create a shuffle playlist of all my new material. That’s where I’ve been the last week as I shuffle the songs from the eleven CDs. Here’s what else you’ll find:

Andrew Bird – Noble Beast. A musician that has been around a while but someone I was not attuned to. When I called my friend Dana for new music suggestions he said this was a winner. It is a nice mixture of pop, low-fi, and folk. It’s not very often you will hear whistling on music these days and it works pretty well on Noble Beast.

Alex Cline – Continuation. Who would have thought that a friend of mine was a world-class musician with decades worth of recording material? Alex handed me this new release in January for me to explore. Mostly jazz with some world sound elements. The jazz is a mix of exploratory and traditional.  Check out “Nourishing Our Roots” and “Steadfast” on iTunes. By the way, he is playing LA and Oakland this coming week.

Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen we are Floating in Space. What a great, great CD. What more can I say other than I should have bought it 10-years ago when it was released. I have seen this group a couple of times and they are fantastic. Dissonant. Depressing. Expanse. Get it. Listen to “Cop Shoot Cop” for 17-minutes.

Gillian Welch – Revival. I now own about 5 releases from this country singer. Beautiful lyrics and haunting voice. Grabbed this on Amazon.com when it was $1.99. Can’t beat that! Guest singer Emmylou Harris on “Orphan Girl” – also covered on Emmylou’s own solo release recently.

Beirut - March of the Zapotec & Realpeople. Two themes on this new release from Santa Fe based musician. The first half uses a traditional band from Jalisco, Mexico and the second half is electronica. It works. Reminds me a bit of William Orbit on the electronic pieces; not sure who influence whom. The last two releases were real good and original, so I’m giving this one a try too.

Arvo Pärt – In Principio. New release from modern classical composer Arvo Part with the Estonian Philharmonic. If you enjoy choral music, then this is a winner. Though the choral pieces have a bit more from the horn department than I prefer, I will still listen to this one from time to time for its beauty and quietness. Been buying his choral releases over the years.

Tricky - Puppy Toy. An EP from trip hopper (probably doesn’t like this term anymore). Female vocals as usual. Piano. Mumbling lyrics. Smoke filled. A touch of blues. I’ve been buying his music since Maxinquaye and managed to see him a couple of times in SF clubs. An anomaly with great talent that isn’t always utilized.

Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion. Electronica with not too heavy a beat. Heard of the band, but had never purchased anything. The band was mentioned on Twitter a couple times so I thought I’d venture out and have a listen. I like it. Love it? Not sure yet, may need to grow on me some. Check out “My Girls.”

U2 - No Line on the Horizon. Let me be clear, I’m a U2 fan and I own everything they have released. First heard them with October and saw the Joshua Tree tour. Clearly this is not Joshua Tree or Unforgettable Fire but it is a fine release. My boys Eno and Lanois finally getting writing and music credits with the band – I’ve always said that Lanois was the 5th member of U2 and now everyone knows. I could be listening to U2, Daniel Lanois solo, or the latest Brian Eno’s Another Day on Earth with NLOTH. Favorites so far have to be “Magnificent” (classic U2), “Moment of Surrender,” “Fez – Being Born” (Hello Eno!), and “Cedars of Lebanon.”

So, there you have it. My current musical playlist. Upcoming releases I’m excited for are the new Bob Dylan and the new PJ Harvey.

What are you listening to these days? Do you have any of these and have additional comments?

One of the toughest decisions of my life happened in the past two weeks when I decided to end my love affair with motorcycle riding. I’m almost crying as I write this and look at the included picture. I’ve been riding since age 14 when our family had a little Honda 50 for dirt riding (or in the back alley’s of Fresno). From there I moved to a Honda Passport, Kawasaki KZ750, and finally to a series of BMW motorcycles. In all it is about 25 years of riding and a quarter million miles on a bike.

Why is this ending? I have been a very lucky rider. In the five accidents, I have never broken a bone or been seriously injured. This includes almost 10 years of riding in San Francisco. In the last decade I have considered selling the bike a couple of times but have never gone through with it. This time my gut tells me it is time. Earlier this fall another rider with my age and experience spent a month in the hospital after being hit at an intersection I cross daily. We get a lot of bikes in Ojai due to our fantastic curves, so accidents and deaths are not uncommon. On January 10, 2009 a fellow rider, sangha connection, and friend was killed near his home in Malibu. Peter Kollock is only a little older than I and rides the same BMW model. That same weekend, there was a death in Ventura and another on Highway 33 above Ojai.

All this has shaken me. I have two young children, and perhaps my decision would be different without them, but I want them to have a healthy and living dad as they grow up. I am saying goodbye to a dear friend and love but am embracing my responsibilities as a parent. It could be I’ll ride again when older, but for now it is goodbye.

What I have are my memories. Taking my young love, Leslie, on a motorcycle ride through La Jolla Shores on my KZ750 only to slip on gravel and spill the bike. We’re still together 18-years later! The ride from San Francisco to Saskatoon with Leslie on the back of my 1983 BMW R100RT. When we got there and looked at the map, Leslie couldn’t imagine driving all the way back to California, but we did. The ride to Fairbanks, Alaska along the Alcan Highway on my 1991 BMW R100RT by myself. What a trip! Riding to Durango, Mexico with my dad. The last big trip was with my dad and my dear friend Dana on my latest ride, the 2001 R1150GS. We rode through Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. It included a significant blizzard on the pass through the Rocky Mountain National Park; visability was less than 10-feet and the wind was howling. No choice but to move forward. The picture  above – a self-photo at Mt. Shasta – is a madman ride from Fresno to British Columbia, and back, in three days for a family reunion. Surprise. There were so many more trips and adventures to remember, but these are a few of the highlights.

Will I have regrets? Maybe. Is it the right decision? Yes. I thank my family and friends who have supported me in this decision and in my riding all these years. I will miss riding deeply. Adieu mon amour.

The Plum Village sangha has a practice called Beginning Anew that we used for the foundation of our talk, since the theme of the retreat was renewal. Rather than focusing on another person, as we typically do with this practice, the focus of attention was ourselves. Karen provided us with four meditations that we explored in the one-hour talk. Please enjoy the talk.

Four Meditations for Self-Renewal

1. Flower Watering/Sharing Appreciation. Looking deeply, I see many positive and wholesome qualities in myself such as…
2. Benign Regrets. Looking deeply, I regret that I have caused myself pain through my thoughts, speech and actions in the following ways…
3. Hurts and Difficulties. Looking deeply, I can understand my own hurts and difficulties with deep compassion and friendliness toward myself, without blame or criticism as follows…
4. Challenges and Intentions for the Future. For the future, I anticipate the following challenges and intend to practice mindfully and skillfully in the following ways…

The key here is to be kind and honest with yourself. If you can’t listen here, you can download the talk.

In the past decade, I have put together a mix of my favorite tunes from the CDs I bought that year and have given it away to friends and family. Last year, I tried something different by posting the files for download and keeping to the CD-length selection. This year everyone gets this blog entry instead. It is rather strange to not be limited to an 80-minute CD, but I still have tried to keep things reasonable since I buy a lot of music annually. For those of you who know my tastes, you should see some familiar faces here – Beck, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Portishead, David Byrne/Brian Eno, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell.

The mix starts with some world music from Issa Bagayogo – a great Malian musician. The second track is from one of my favorite new artists (for me) in 2008 – Shearwater. This Austin band is remanisant of Mark Hollis and Talk Talk. Very sweet music. The other new band for me this year that I’m really digging is Elbow. If you’re listening now, and you want to skip around, it starts off a bit mellow, jumps to some rock, and then a series of ambient and jazz material. I hope you’re enjoying it.

Steve Jansen is a favorite and is the brother of David Sylvian from Japan fame. To be honest, I never thought I’d like Coldplay because they sound too much like U2 but I’ve really enjoyed the new release. k.d. lang has got the voice from God and this is being called her “Buddhist” release since she has become a practitioner. Sun Kil Moon is the band of Mark Kozelek, of Red House Painters fame (Bay Area). Kruder & Dorfmeister and Willits & Sakamoto fill in toward the end. And, if you can believe it, Nine Inch Nails put out almost five albums worth of material in 2008 – most of it as a free download.

The mix ends with the downer Spiritualized who writes beautiful music to make your heart ache. Leslie and I were fortunate to see him open for Nick Cave earlier this year at the Hollywood Bowl. Great show. We also saw the David Bryne at the Arlington in Santa Barbara and Beck at the new LA Live venue Club Nokia. Fantastic shows.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the music. What are you listening to this year?

One thing I’ve observed since I bought an iPod several years back, is that it changes my listening experience. It took me quite some time to get used to “shuffle” because I am definitely a linear listener and have always appreciated the order in which musicians present their music. I feel a deeper connection to the artist and her work when I listen from start to finish. This is particularly the case with something like Pat Metheny, Porcupine Tree or Joe Henry – at least it is for me. I also found that when I first started going all digital mp3, I ripped at 128k which I now know is completely unsatisfactory. I am in the process of re-ripping my 600 CDs at 320k and the sound difference is very noticeable. It is thrilling to see bands like Nine Inch Nails ($5!) and Steve Jansen releasing music online in wave or high bit rate mp3 files. Thank you. This cheap, low-quality iTunes model is just that – cheap. If you are buying music online, search out the DRM-free, higher bit rate downloads or just go out and buy the physical media.

So what else am I listening to recently? k.d. lang (sweet voice, some nice song writing, but still growing on me); Robert Plant & Alison Krauss (wow, he can really sing a song); Daniel Lanois (one of the greatest producers in the world with a fine solo career, and high quality downloads); and, of course, Radiohead.