A tribe of free spirits descended upon Portland Oregon to celebrate the new millennium in style. They were treated to a carnival of epic proportions that left many without words as sensory overload hit full throttle. This was an event hosted by Peak Experience Productions and was held at the mystic and intimate Portland Convention Center with a main stage, side stage, Odyssey room and a chill psychedelic pillow room for relaxing all in a throw s distance from each other. The event was more than a musical journey, but a gathering to connect people for four days through music, theatrics and thought.

String Cheese Incident threw down three nights of music as well as guest appearances that bludgeoned the crowd into submission. DJ Harry opened the festival in the Odyssey room with his mix of techno & String Cheese grooves that got the party started. Vinyl and the Yonder Mountain String Band brought their flavor the side stage to set the wheels in motion. Steel Pulse opened the mainstage at the Portland Convention Center with their reggae rock sound as the crowd began to filter towards the stage. The classic reggae artists threw down a solid performance; though, they are used to a larger crowd and a headline title. They performed various hits through their classic repertoire. Steel Pulse chanted, "Try, Try, Try, Try, Try" as they stirred the crowd for an inspirational groove and social conscientious.

During set break was an opportunity to check out the various rooms and check out the mini glow in the dark tent to tease your visual and touch senses. The first night had a theme of water as Peak Performances Production Company gave a pagan ode to water in the main atrium. Set break was also a time to give ode to water by making a trip to the sparse drinking fountains.

The first set by String Cheese had an epic Born on the Wrong Planet that had a funky Want to Be Starting Something (Michael Jackson) intro. The Cheese followed with a solid second with a guest appearance from David Hines of Steel Pulse. The String Pulse jammed during the second set playing an impressive Let Freedom Ring into Get Up Stand Up. For most the night was over; however, Vinyl continued through the evening at the Pine Street Theatre jamming until 5 am.

The second day brought Seattle s Hanuman and the Living Daylights to an afternoon set in the laid back confines of Windows at the Holiday Inn, overlooking Portland. These two bands played to a sparse crowd as most rested for more musical onslaught to occur. Windows was a quaint room with a majestic view of the urban area. It was nice seeing some quality musicians in the hotel across the street. I look forward to seeing more of these bands again at the High Sierra Music Festival.

The 30th night, Dr. Didg, led by Dr. Graham Wiggins on the didgeridoo, brought his rockin , interstellar, techno sounds to the side stage as the spirits were sent soaring into another festive evening. Dr. Didg knows how to prescribe a funky medication that makes the body move, squirm and feel wonderful. Following, the Dr., a world record for the largest group hug was attempted at the side stage. Love was in the air as world records were attempted. Ozomatli rocked the mainstage as expected. This group brings together Latin funk, rhymes, beats and good times to the arena. Ozomatli shook the crowd to its core and ended with its classic precession through the crowd. The fans loved it as we did the hokey pokey with the band to close their set. This group as with Steel Pulse tried to awaken the crowd about social change and how it is in our hands to make a difference.

String Cheese descended to the stage and played an amazing show. Ozomatli joined the Cheese for a little mix up of action. A huge highlight was the DJ for Ozo mixing while Kyle jammed on his keys, pounding into the crowd s soul funk, fusion, rock and rhythms. The show ended with a jamming second set that wet the crowd s appetite for the imminent New Year s throw down. The second set kept jamming with Round the Wheel into Indian Creek and a surprise Tom Thumb s Blues near the end of the set. Graham Wiggins of Dr. Didg joined the Cheese for a Joyful Sound to close the show.

At the Pine Street Theatre, Karl Denson brought his Tiny Universe to Portland for a late night show. Delayed due to bad weather in NYC, Karl and Company showed up late and didn t get the groove going until 430 am. He brought his soulful saxophone sound to Portland and rocked until 7 am!!! Karl Denson always puts on a fantastic show, as this living legend knows how to party.

New Year s brought a thicker crowd and energy to the convention center. Space was the theme for tonight s festival as silver, glitter and glow rings were ubiquitous. DJ Harry once again brought the party spinning with his grooves in the Odyssey room while Keller Williams jammed his one-man band for the crowd. Keller played his guitar masterfully interspersed with loops of trumpet sounds and bass licks. Keller often covers classic pop hits and surprised the crowd by jamming U2 s current pop hit, Beautiful Day. Keller Williams always dazzles with his eclectic one-man groove show.

Walking into the mainstage, one couldn t help but notice the thousands of balloons in the rafters ready to descend on the crowd and a glow in the dark jelly fish with hundreds of glowing strings draped to the ground for a visual and touch entrance to the viewing area.

The Cheese came on stage and played a memorable Outside Inside as well as Birdland during the first set. During their second set, the Cheese played an amazing version of Steve Miller s "Fly Like an Eagle" as the crowd spun towards the new millennium. The New Year s set brought a fairytale parade of lights and sounds as the Cheese along with Peak Productions and a full horn section told the story of the evolution of man from water to pangea to apes to humans to humans with hula hoops. The spectacle was simply amazing as months of preparation paid off as the crowd was mostly left describing the event as indescribable. A jellyfish disco ball descended as the count down ensued with String Cheese belting into their classic roll over. The jellyfish disco ball was adorned with lights and glowing tentacles as the crowd flowed into the New Year. The actual New Year s Countdown was over a half hour late due to the amazing theatrics of the event; no one cared; most didn t even notice. The Cheese finished their insane set with two funky warped musical tales Miss Brown s Tea House and Jelly Fish. Keller Williams joined the Cheese for the encore as a Kidney in a Cooler and a Smile was presented to the electric crowd.

The year was 2001 and New Year s Eve had passed; however, the festivities weren t over. Back across the street was the final event as Keller Williams played two sets at Windows. The talented and eclectic Jamie Janover played harmonic, meditative tunes on his hammered dulcimer to the relaxed and serene scene. Most of the small crowd sat and enjoyed the tunes as they anticipated Keller Williams one-man show. Keller brought a full crowd mostly to their feet as darkness descended and music ensued. Keller was full of energy considering the mass agenda of the weekend and a full night of flavor the proceeding night. Michael Travis, drummer for the String Cheese Incident, joined Keller for his last song. The fans enjoyed two full sets from this guitar sensation as he looped, juggled, danced, sang and grooved for the hard cores still left standing in this 4 day heavyweight slugfest.

In the end, the music and fans won. The String Cheese Incident and Peak Experience Productions will be applauded for throwing an amazing event. Both of these groups understand that they wouldn t be able to do their job without the fans. The fans are so intricate to the success of the music and Peak Performances and String Cheese rewarded the fans with an epic party.

None of the shows sold out this year as only eight thousand people attended the New Year s Shows. If this event happens next year, anticipate a much larger crowd. The word will be out that this was no ordinary concert; this was a carnival that brought people, energy, music and enjoyment together in a mostly peaceful atmosphere (except for some nosy police officers). Much has been lost in today s mega concerts often driven by the bottom line and glamorizing the stars on stage. However, music is much more than the stage. Music is supposed to bring people together to share, feel, think and enjoy. The artists this week made an effort to transcend the music and make a positive difference from the revolutionary words of Steel Pulse and Ozomatli to the interstellar sounds of Dr. Didg and DJ Harry. The words of Steve Miller s Fly Like an Eagle gave new hope as we transcended into the New Year; as we slipped into the future, the String Cheese chanted "Oh, oh, there's a solution."

"Countdown to 2012 - Celebrating the Life and Logos of Terence McKenna"
Lost at Last w/ special guest Phil Lesh @ The 7th Note Showclub
San Francisco, CA - 12/15/2000

by Greg Schwartz (aka Agent Stardog)

It was with great excitement that I anticipated this performance. I had never seen Lost at Last before, but I've been a huge fan of Terence McKenna since reading his book, "The Archaic Revival" in 1996. I'd heard an MP3 of Terence doing a rap w/ Lost at Last during a 12/12/98 performance at the Maritime Hall, so knew we were in for a cosmic experience. And being a long-time Deadhead, I was salivating about hearing Phil in that mix.

However, this night was about more than just music. The show was a benefit to help provide money for the expenses occurred during Terence's bout with brain cancer, which sadly took him from this Earthly plane last spring. It was also a memorial event to celebrate Terence's life. Some background on Terence for those unfamiliar

I first heard of Terence in 1995 when none other then Jerry Garcia mentioned him in an interview in Relix Magazine. Jerry had been asked if he was excited about the upcoming millennium and responded that while he was stoked for the millennium, what he really was anxious to see was what was going to happen in 2012, noting Terence's predictions about that year. I finally picked up "The Archaic Revival" in February '96 and it truly changed my life! Subtitled, "Speculations on Psychedelic Mushrooms, the Amazon, Virtual Reality, UFOs, Evolution, Shamanism, and the Rebirth of the Goddess", the book covers some wide ground. While Terence offers many intriguing theories (including speculations that humans evolved consciousness when monkey-man ate psychedelic mushrooms and that UFOs come from the inner space of our collective consciousness), what struck me most deeply was his theory about the date of December 21, 2012.

McKenna devised an equation based on I-Ching fractals and some Einstein-ian notions that measured "novelty" in human history. This resulted in a graph where the "novelty wave" hits "Timewave Zero" on 12/21/2012. Mckenna's basic philosophy was that novelty in human evolution is speeding up; and that technology's exponential increase over the past 100 years, far more than in the 10,000 years before, is not a random historical anomaly, but rather is leading up to something big - either destruction, or a momentous transformation of consciousness. Terence was a vocal proponent of psychedelics as a tool for accessing the higher consciousness we need to transcend the planet's problems and felt that more people getting into "self-shamanism" is a key to making the transformation happen.

McKenna was then stunned to learn that the Mayan calendar comes to a mysterious end on December 21, 2012! (Something he was totally unaware of when he came up with 12/21/2012 as Timewave Zero.) For me, this was also a stunning synchronicity that could not be ignored. In the Mayan calendar 12/21/2012 ends a 26,000 year cycle called "the Precession of the Equinoxes", which charts Earth's passage through the zodiacal constellations and brings the planet into the center of the Milky Way's galactic equator on 12/21/2012. (For a full explanation of how the Maya chose this date, see John Major Jenkins's book "Maya Cosmogenesis 2012" or read his summary at this link) http//www.levity.com/eschaton/Why2012.html

When one combines this data with the fact that many Native American prophecies indicate we are approaching the end of the current world age, this information becomes all the more compelling - the Earth changes appear to be upon us. (For compelling information about the Hopi prophecies, see) http//www.timesoft.com/hopi/

I used to wish I'd grown up during the heady cultural times of the 1960s, but Terence convinced me that right here, right now leading up to 2012 is the place to be, for this is the most important time in human history - for it is in these years leading up to 2012 and beyond that we have the chance to evolve past the paradigm of greed and avarice that controls society and move on to a new age of peace and harmony. This can only happen by evolving a higher, collective consciousness. It is my opinion that bands like the Grateful Dead and Phish are helping to foster that collective consciousness and are therefore musical prophets of this new age. So I was incredibly stoked to see Phil Lesh participating in such an event.

There was a huge hassle getting into the venue, as any patron needing will call or to buy a ticket was forced to stand outside for 90 minutes while the club's incompetent management figured out what they were doing. There was unanimous sentiment that the club's management was in need of a major butt-kicking. I was wishing the show had been scheduled at the Fillmore.

Once inside, the mood changed as soon as one walked past the little altar set up for Terence, which featured a poem for Terence written by Robert Hunter. However, there was little to be seen in the way of any information about 2012, the Mayan calendar, or Terence's other theories. (This was in stark contrast to Sound Tribe Sector 9's "Day Out of Time" show back on 7/25/2000, which featured informational tables and speakers regarding the Mayan calendar.)

However, there was a vibe of deep, transcendental groove from the moment Lost at Last hit the stage. Each band member wore black-light paint, conjuring a picture of Mayan astronomer-priests of some type in my mind. The band's trippy rave sound is in a league similar to that of  Sector 9 (which could be a great double-bill some day.) While Sector 9 features more of a lead guitar attack, Lost at Last relies more on female vocalist Lakshmi to add that extra cosmic vibration, which she does very well. While rave music often relies on repetitive beats and electronica, Lost at Last provides an organic, human musicianship, yet still with that trippy, rave-type keyboard wizardry. Hard to describe, yet well worth checking out.

The band played a couple numbers on their own before welcoming Phil to the stage. Lakshmi offered thanks to the Native American family "for these medicine songs", and the band then launched into "Peyote". Phil quickly found the groove and upped it a notch by adding in his own unique, bass guitar stylings. Clearly having a great time, Phil's presence moved the vibe of the room to another level. There was a unique musical magic occurring. The combination of Lakshmi's vocals with the trippy keyboard sounds and Phil's bass playing created a downright mystical vibe. It felt as if one might be experiencing a retro-futuristic cosmological ritual of the ancient Maya, or an interstellar summoning of our star ancestors. Past, present and future seemed to combine all at once.

The band then took off into Grateful Dead territory, on a most cosmic rendition of "The Other One". This was a fresh interpretation of the song the likes of which I'd never heard. Phil was clearly stoked on discovering some new ground on such an old warhorse and it showed in both his smile and his playing. Phil and Lakshmi dueted on the vocal, and somewhere up above I pictured Terence and Jerry smiling.

"The Other One" soon gave way to a spacey groove, that delighted the crowd. I couldn't quite place it, but it just had a very zen-like vibe - I pictured a group of dolphins swimming through the cosmos. It almost sounded a little Phishy, ala one of their ambient, space-funk jams. The groove soon morphed into a transcendent "Dark Star", much to the pleasure of everyone. Like "The Other One", it was a unique, new arrangement of an old classic. I don't think Phil can receive enough praise from Deadheads for his commitment to finding new forms in songs that are over 30 years old. Many musicians are content to ride their classics into the ground, but since his return to the stage in April 1999, Phil has been constantly looking to chart new territory. A bumper sticker for sale at Phil's NYE2001 show summed it up best - "In Phil We Trust"!

The trancy, bliss of this groovy, year 2000 style "Darkstar" then gave way to a turbo-charged "Franklin's Tower". Always a song that gets a room grooving, this version was no exception. With Lost at Last adding their unique sound to the mix, it was another keeper. The band was rocking out, Phil was dropping bombs, and the crowd was boogeying their booties off. This is what its all about!

At the conclusion of "Franklin's Tower", Phil then took the opportunity to read the elegant poem that Robert Hunter had written for Terence. No one puts words together like Hunter, and this poem was no exception. A very poignant moment. And with that, Phil left the stage. Lost at Last continued to dole out the trancy grooves, and I've no doubt I'll be checking them out again even without such a special guest.

For more information about Terence Mckenna, please visit Terence Mckenna Land on the web at http//www.deoxy.org/mckenna.htm

An interesting postscript occurred when I met Phil Lesh the next day at the Oakland Red Cross, where he was helping conduct a blood drive by giving autographed posters to blood donors. One couldn't help but be impressed with the laid-back, regular guy vibe that Phil puts out. His wife and sons were there, and it was all very casual.

When it was my turn, I told Phil that I had really enjoyed the previous night's show except for one thing. "What was that?" he said. I said that I was disappointed that no one had really talked about 2012, what with the show being billed as the "Countdown to 2012" and all. Phil basically said that he thought of it more as a memorial for Terence, and that was why he read the poem, and that he really didn't feel it was his place to talk about 2012. I had figured that was what he was going to say. But he signed my poster "To Stardog - rock on!" and I was pretty happy with that.

But to both Phil and Phish (who also seem to have demonstrated an interest in 2012, via ending each of their summer tour festivals - the Clifford Ball,Great Went, and Lemonwheel -  all on the anniversary dates of the Mayan Harmonic Convergence, as well as their summer '99 tour ending on the Mayan New Year) I have to say that I think it is your place to step up awareness of the 2012 scenario. Society's problems are growing to all-time high levels. With His Fraudulency G.W.Bush coming into power, these problems aren't going to go away anytime soon. Indigenous prophecies and wisdom indicate Earth changes appear to be upon us. People need to know what's going down. We have a momentous opportunity coming our way in 2012, but it will not just happen by itself. We have to make it happen. The more people that know about what is really going on, the greater activism that can be potentially shown.

I know that Jerry was a vocal proponent that "the stage is a place for music". But these are changing times, and there is a lot of evidence to indicate that Planet Earth is on the brink. However, it's like Terence says, it can still go either way - transformation or destruction. I am not here to preach to the likes of Phil and Phish. These musicians have altered my life (and the lives of so many others) in so many profound ways, that they could all hang it up right now and still be spiritual heroes.

Yet I feel that a lesson I learned from Spider-Man comic books many years ago is still incredibly relevant and vital - "with great power comes great responsibility." Those who have achieved a position of influence have a responsibility to use that influence to help the greater good. For thirty years, just bringing Grateful Dead music to the stage was enough. But with the right-wing, military-industrial fascists seizing power in the United States via a coup d'etat, it is anything but business as usual. Music was a catalyzing force for socio-cultural revolution in the 1960s. I think we need to see it become that force again if we are to triumph over the powers that seek to oppress us. A few words of inspiration about these concepts at Phil and Phish shows could catalyze a large number of people to start doing their own research into these matters. The effects of that are impossible to calculate, but I feel that they could be immense.

Siriusly yours,
Agent Stardog
http//www.stardog2012.net

Particle - Los Angeles, CA

By Gina Figliuolo

Most would agree that it's difficult enough to get started as a new band. And most would agree that finding the right line-up of kindred musical spirits and coordinating gigs in a city like Los Angeles is sure to be an uphill battle for most. So for a band like Particle to come together in such a solid formation so quickly is remarkable in itself. Securing cherry spots on sell-out bills with the likes of DJ Logic and Sector 9, Particle quickly generated an excitement in the jam band community the likes of which most groups can only dream.

After being together less than 3 months, bassist Eric Gould, keyboardist Steve Molitz, drummer Darren Pujalet and guitarist Dave Simmons had created a sound so slick you'd think they'd been playing together for years. But after only 6 gigs (which included a post-Shoreline Phish boat cruise), tragedy struck with the news that Simmons, only 4 days after his 30th birthday, had passed away of respiratory failure due to complications of his diabetes. Gould has referred to Simmons as Particle's "secret weapon" and it wasn't hard to see why.

This mild-mannered gentleman was an absolute 6-string powerhouse, with skills guaranteed to drop jaws and crowd the dance floor. His contribution to Particle's sound -- a multi-layered soundscape of dirty funk and "space porn" techno groove -- was undeniable, and his presence will indeed be sorely missed. The most remarkable thing about their story is the way that Dave's passing has brought a new cohesiveness to an already tight group of musicians, and this fortified bond was in strong evidence on December 14th at the Joint in Los Angeles. The remaining members of the band made the difficult decision to go ahead with a gig scheduled prior to Simmons' death, turning the show into a benefit (with all profits going to Dave's 2 year old daughter Maya) and a celebration of his legacy of passion and music.

Mere hours before having to board a 1 a.m. flight to Florida for Simmon's funeral, Gould, Pujalet and Molitz held what could probably be called one of the grooviest wakes ever. Each band member made comments which spoke to their love for Dave and the music he made. They then went on to pay tribute to him the best way they knew how -- by inviting the packed room to join them in celebration, remembrance and dance, and dance they did.

The set started off with "Maya's Waltz" -- a song recently written by Simmons about his daughter's first steps. Molitz unleashed an unholy keyboard tornado, whipping the crowd into a blissed-out frenzy on funky songs like "Ready Made Gangsta", while Gould held down the bottom end with a rubbery bassline that dared the knees to stay locked, and Pulajet's beats kept the whole thing together and on time. The energy coming off of the stage was so pure, and you could just see that they were playing their hearts out in memory of one of their own.

A special night indeed.  Particle proves to be a class act, the real deal. They've vowed to return in January with another guitar player, but after witnessing the outpouring of love at the tribute show, it can be said that Simmons has become an essential and integral part of the band's history... and future.

The Joint -- Los Angeles, CA
December 14, 2000
A Tribute To Dave Simmons - Setlist

Maya's Waltz
Shoe Goo
Ready Made Gangsta
Depinga>
Ed and Molly>
Depinga
Knee Knocker
Pipedream

Red House - Boise,ID

By Kristen

I have to write about this band that I saw the other day. It was a Sunday night, Dec.10th in downtown Boise, Idaho and I was thinking that it was going to be a bummer of a night. When I asked some locals where I could find good live music, they pointed me to this bar called the Blues Bouquet on Main Street. When I got there, a bunch of people were playing and I figured out that it was a tribute to a blues singer everyone knew. This was going on for a little bit and the people who were playing were pretty good, so I kept listening. During breaks, they kept telling the audience to stick around for Red House. I assumed that Red House was the band that would close the night. Since their name was taken (I guess) from a Hendrix tune, I thought that they might be worth checking out. As soon as the last band played and tore down, five guys started setting up. "Wow, these guys are pretty young," was my first reaction. I soon learned that you could be young and make great music. Most of the songs were originals. They blasted through three sets with raw intensity that was incredible to watch. I recognized a few covers. They did a wonderful "All Along the Watchtower" which followed in the footsteps of an original tune. A Phish cover of "First Tube" was interesting (they even got Trey's loop right!). Other cover songs included moe.'s "Moth," Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love," and another Phish tune, "AC/DC Bag." The band played for three and a half hours and held an audience until they quit at 100am, Monday morning. Hopefully I'll get another chance to see them soon. Remember that name "Red House".

Not Alone In THE VOID -

by Martin Acaster

When last we conversed I was standing on the edge of a cliff, wondering if I should leap.

"If I fell in love with you
Would you promise to be true
And help me understand"

One INCREDIBLY tumultuous (and those of you who have read past west regional reviews I have written KNOW I know tumultuous) month later I return safely (and incredibly overjoyed) from my fall to report that IT does in fact exist. Nirvana is a real place, and I have been there. I know the Buddha. It matters not if you believe me or care. I have been nothing. I was for all intents and purposes dead. Through this experience I finally, truly have gotten IT. I know why we are all here. I know the meaning of life.

"cause I've been in love before
And I found that love was more
Than just holding hands"

The infinite boundless love that stitches together this incredible universe is real...it is real AND it is nothingness. At the point when you shuffle off this mortal coil you will think back to these words and know I was right. Real honest to goodness true love, infinite joy, pure bliss is to be found in THE VOID. It is the well of souls. It is where we came from when we chose to be born. It is where we will go back to when we choose to die. On either side of this expanse of endless love are the legions of two vast and powerful armies. On one side, bathed in the radiant light of a midsummer sun are the sweet and virtuous snow angels. Mirroring their existence on the dark side of the void are the lascivious and demonic fire girls.

"If I give my heart to you
I must be sure
From the very start
That you would love me more than her"

In the void they are one and they are nothing. The void is full. Full of stars. My god it's full of stars. While dancing around its rim they transpose and deceive. A snow angel can become a fire girl. A fire girl can be a snow angel. No woman is ALWAYS as she seems. Consequently, I have chosen to find solace and unexpected companionship (I presumed I'd be alone) in THE VOID.

"If I trust in you oh please
Don't run and hide"

Scratching your head, you must be thinking to yourself, what the FUCK is this guy talking about? What has he been smoking? What does this have to do with music at all, much less a jam band? As always, my answer to those questions is EVERYTHING.

"If I love you too oh please
Don't hurt my pride like her"

When I sat down to begin this article I was certain of the tale I would tell. This tale begins and ends with a lunar eclipse. It begins, and presumably (I don't want to spoil my review for next month) ends, with a Phil and Friends show. Merely a coincidence? Come on now, you KNOW better than that. I regret to inform you that what you are about to read is not that tale. To read it you will have to wait for the book.

"cause I couldn't stand the pain
And I would be sad if our new love was in vain"

As I indicated last month I didn't do too much writing for Jambands.com during the past year. To put it simply, I was too busy. I was too overwhelmed by my life to come to good enough terms with my alternate personalities to allow he who tells the tales to come forward. This past month has seen all that change. Consequently I was prepared to spill all, certain that several relationships were safely pigeonholed in various categories, I had nothing more to learn from them. I could not have been more wrong. From the ashes of the resultant conflagration of my soul comes this piece and a promise that eventually the entire story will get out.

This past month included the following events two Steve Kimock Band shows, one mediocre but for the reclamation of the Kimock Hat (12/14/00 Crystal Ballroom), the second devastating in its musical grandeur and universal implications (12/16/00 Hollywood Taxi); both shows wrapped around a Sex Mash of Fire Girls and Snow Angels; the most incredibly transcendent experience I have had through the combination of a stereo system (featuring Lou Reed's Rock and Roll Animal and the Rainbow Concert which marked the return from hiatus of Eric Clapton) and Dr. Hoffman's Love Child; the emergence of a personal heroine; the devouring of the incredible literary works of Charles Bukowski ("Women") and Robert Persig ("Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"); being brought to tears by my five year old niece giving a note perfect rendition of Hark the Herald Angels Sing ("Britney Spears style") on Christmas Eve; the first night of the Stink Cheese Odyssey (where I was witnessed performing a feat of magic I knew not I had the capability of performing); the late night Vinyl show which followed it; an herbal face rub from another superheroine (She Rocks!!) at a party which followed it (yes I'm talking the next morning now people); being with good friends as the ball dropped on NYE; an after midnight ecstasy pajama party; a post Stink Cheese NYE all night Disco Party; the initiation of C&C (crockpot and cuddling) Sundays; several episodes of The Simpsons which were so amazingly entwined in the very core of my existence that I am certain Matt Groening follows me and my friends around on a full time basis; becoming acquainted with THE VOID; and finally, an occurrence which is beyond all things I imagined to be possible (despite the fact that after being nothing I knew full well ALL things are possible); I had a movie date with my personal sparklephairy.

Why is that so impossible you ask? The actual date.not impossible at all I guess. We have managed to maintain a friendship over the last three years despite my puppydog-like adulation for her. The incredulity of the situation lies in the paradox that it became. The paradox lies in the comparison between the movie we (I????) intended to see, the movie that we instead saw, and the people we saw it with.

As we made our way to the Mission Theater, I believed our target celluloid heroics for the evening were "This is Spinal Tap". Quite possibly the funniest film about a rock band ever made. What my sparklephairy instead had conspired to lure me to was unfathomable. The last movie I would ever expect to have seen this evening. First of all, it was shot in black and white. I just don't do well without the colors, I need the colors, the pretty colors. Secondly, and most shocking, was that it starred the fucking BEATLES. Yes Virginia, you read that right.The Beatles.

"A Hard Days Night"??? UNBELIEVABLY, it was anything but.

Alright.what's his problem with The Beatles?.you may ask. Well it's like this, I was born just outside of London in 1967. When I was brought home from the hospital, I was placed on the floor next to the speaker of my parents stereo system. They played The Beatles. Over and over and over and over and over. Until very recently, anything that had anything to do with the fab four would just make my skin crawl. Too much of a good thing can be bad..very bad. I got too much Beatles too soon. It is as simple as that.

But there it was..right there on the sign as we entered the Mission. No performance of TAP tonight. In its place was some film about Curtis Salgado. Thanks.but no thanks.

What follows is a brief synopsis of the conversation that resulted, from which I managed to hold onto only the scraps of the central theme as I disintegrated into a gale of internal hysterics.

"Hey.I think there's a movie at Cinema 21 we could go see"

"Oh Yeah.what's that?"

"A Hard Days Night"

"hysterical laughter explodes within me"

"C'mon, let's go see it"

"OK.that will be cool"

"losing touch with reality"

"have you ever seen it?"

"The Beatles?"

"Tap"

"The Balcony"

"Uhhh.."

What could I do? I would do anything for her. Really I would. Throw in the fact that we were not, as I had first imagined (hoped?) we would be when our rendezvous was proposed earlier this week, alone. With the surprise appearance by the winsome legend of my fall (see last month) in all her bedazzling glory, all hope for avoiding the Beatles was lost.

The thing is, I loved every minute of it. It was cheesy to the point of hilarious. It was engaging.  The lyrics were ridiculously prescient. She put her head on my shoulder. I reentered THE VOID.

"So I hope you see that I
Would love to love you"

Through the events of this month, each portion of my being (which for so long flailed aimlessly around my psyche) has been drawn into the singularity of my existence. I am complete, I am whole. I KNOW what I want to be when I grow up. I want to be a writer. I want to be a good writer. For too long (well almost too long) I have allowed my illicit recreational pursuits to clog my ability to communicate. I have had an obstruction, a gooey wad of wax (is that a powder blew crayon?) in my frontal lobe. Thankfully, It has been removed. I have seen the (White) LIGHT (White Heat) and I embrace the change that it offers. In the now immortal words of Principal Seymour Skinner "Welcome to part three in our lecture series on not sticking things up your nose."

"And that she will cry
When she learns we are two"

I will not stoop to the hypocrisy of suggesting that ANY of you should do as I say, for clearly, we all must do as we do. Yet, for the third time in my life, I find it is time for me to start reading. Reading between the LINES that is. To be finally "done with mirrors". The mirrors that have snow angels on one side and fire girls on the other. Despite what George Lucas tells us.there is no dark side, no light side, only unity, nothingness. THE VOID. It is full of stars. Rock Stars.

As I said.I believe I have learned the meaning of life. I think I know the reason we are all here in material form. We are here to see (ME), feel (ME), touch (ME), heal (ME), as much as we each care to. The myriad experiences that can occur in each and every second of your day are yours to enjoy whether good or bad. Revel in your sadness while you are alive. For in death you will know only joy. Pure, infinite, joy. Your life is your opportunity to experience everything else.it is that simple.

I could never be alone in the void.

"If I fell in love with you" (Lennon and McCartney, 1964)

January 2000-2001 Synopsis  by Gordon Wilson

"Whatever you feed in to the machine on a subliminal level, the machine will process."  -William S. Burroughs

The above quote is taken from one of my favorite CD's of 2000, "The Elvis of Letters" by Gus Van Sant(Tim Kerr Records).  I know that this is an old CD, but it's still one of my favorites.  I have heard(although I have no idea if it's actually true) that when Mr. Van Sant was younger he was a big fan of Mr. Burroughs and hitch-hiked to Berkeley to hear Mr. Burroughs give a reading.  Mr Van Sant recorded this reading, and on a four track laid out some guitar tracks and looped it all together to make a really weird but interesting recording, "The Elvis of Letters".  Check it out if you like William S. Burroughs, Gus Van Sant, or weird and interesting things.

As for my other favorite CD's of 2000 I'd say Stanton Moore's "All Kooked Out"(Word to Fog City Records for that great Multimedia!) along with Galactic's "Late For The Future" are at the top of my list along with the Slip's "Does", Soulive's "Turn It Out", MMW's "The Dropper" and locally, Porterhouse's "Thumbs up little buddy!"

Some of the top shows for 2000 that I would testify for would be both Slip show's at the Satyricon and at Reed College, Galactic at the Crystal Ballroom,  Sound Tribe Sector Nine at the Mt. Tabor(What kind of lights were those?), Project Logic at the MT. Tabor, The Living Daylights at the Mt. Tabor, both SKB shows at Mt. Hood and the Crystal, and Keller Williams at the Aladdin.

Finally my favorite Jambands articles for 2000 would be "Furthermore with Jorma Kaukonen" by Rob Turner, and "Chasing the Music Where it Wants to Go Bob Weir's Evening Moods" by Jeff Waful.  Last but not least I really enjoyed Jesse Jarnow's notes from touring with the Disco Biscuits, especially that comic high point in Seattle!  Keep on keepin' on in 2001!