Ok then, with best intentions I stated that I would rectify, beginning yesterday morning, the level of updational website negligence I had slipped into through Nov/Dec of last year. This did not happen, and I was quicky impaled with the threat of a DOUBLE CHOKE by the highly intimidating, rabid catalogue delivering exactor of humilliating punishment for unfulfilled promises, SUPER ROBERTSON. A note to SR, one of my favourite individuals drawing breath in a reasonably close vacinity to my general activites, would read thusly:

Super, sincerest apologies for my mild retardation and the resulting letting down of yourself. It won't happen again, lest I be choked, doubly, by your creative, if not meaty, hands. Congrats again on the cd release.

What could possibly have taken my attentions for the last couple of months? Read on if intersted. I promise there will be some sort of intricately veiled message that contains the key to maintaining hope for all humanity somewhere near the end. Maybe. At least there may be a giggle or two involved, and the odd reference to substitutions for sausage patties and disappointment.

Let's see, where to begin?

Jazzfest Application Deadline - how does this thing continue to sneak up on everyone? They actually extended it and I was actually prepared, which turned out to maybe be worse because I got all freaky and ended up on 8 submissions and designed cd covers with pictures of freaky lookin' dogs and such. Funtimes.

Exciting Things To Happen During Jazzfest Application Deadline Time - the creation of 2 new projects about which I am entirely stoked:

DOGWALKER - which will soon replace the JY Trio thing on the projects page. It's the trio with a different name. You never know, when you sit down to play with 2 people you don't know very well and have never met each other, how well or poorly it may go. Turns out to be an interesting blend between myself, the really great Dave Chokroun on bass, and the ever mischeivous Michael Simpson on drums. We had an excellent gig at 1067, so you can expect to hear much more from the trio when Mikey gets back from Hawaii. Bugger...

THE MINGLER - good on Alvaro Rojas for his bolt of genius inspiration in suggesting that he (on bass), Mike Magnusson on drums, and myself on geetar, form a freakout, all improv noise/jazz/metal aggresso band. Magic. Loud, cool, freaky magic. The Mingler will be at the Cobalt on Feb 7th. You should come and see this group. It's like jazz for metal fans on day leave from the asylum... mwaaaahaaaahaaaaa...

UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE COME TO THE END OF PT 1 as I have to go and teach some people some stuff about the guitar and music. I shall eventually return and there will be more telling of things verging on being worthy of telling, but until then, Super, keep your damn hands away from my throat. Freakin' maniac.

Cheers,

JEff

A fine way to mark my arrival on this here earth, it was, and close enough to mark what would technically be the 1st birthday of THE FAMILY STUMP. A retelling of sorts, of the things you get up to when you decide to have fun in a "you're going to hell" kinda way:


TALES FROM THE PA STUMP BIRTHDAY EXTRAVAGANZA @ The Railway Club.

Firstly, my thanks to everyone who came out and especially those who participated in some way. I will reserve you a seat right next to mine in Hell, if that is, you find the notion of spending an eternity of flames and damnation next to someone like me appealing. Special thanks go out to AJ, MAGNO, MEREDITH, RUSTY and KDOGG, the band, for their bravery, contribution, and apparent enjoyment in bringing the Family to life. Other notable attendees, in no specific order:

Rob Hamilton - oh, the fun we had at Lee Aaron's expense. Many vocal quotes from her catalogue of melodic hits and sweaty thighs.
Fred Ardiel - the Stump's new biggest fan, and perhaps a soon to be General of the Stump Army.

ACTUALLY, HERE'S AN OPEN CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR GENERAL OF THE STUMP ARMY. RESPOND TO THIS BLOG WITH YOUR SUGGESTIONS AND I WILL POST THE RESULTS...

Steve Feindell - he who runs the laboratory where the Stump was born.
The guy at the table to the left of the stage who told me I was going to hell. Good to be reminded sometimes, so you appreciate the little things more.
My lovely and brave girlfriend Sonia, who laughs at most of it and has a hard time believing that I can actually be kinda shy...
All of my wonderful friends who encourage this kind of behaviour.
All of the people who I don't know personally but laughed a lot, therefore encouraging more of this kind of behaviour.

It was a fantastic night and there was full video documentation of the evening's performance. (Thanks Ryan Naso!!) Samples of this rediculousness will be posted on the site as soon as I buy an external hard drive so I have room to store all of the video. Efforts will be made to book a Christmas show so's we can celebrate the birth of Baby Jebus in our own, "hey, Hell might be fun!" kinda way.

It was my pleasure to play with SuperSimian to open the evening. The set was rollicking and loose, and therefore could rightfully be characterized as loosely rollicking. Sim and Super Robertson know how to write a quirky rock song and Willingdon Black knows how to stand with his feet just so - far enough apart that if you were to measure his height before and during the set, you would have difficulty claiming that rock'n'roll didn't make you shorter over the short (and long, one could assume) haul. One could also be inspired to prove that the core of the earth is not made up of a molten goo of sorts, but of some mysterious, magnetic substance that is especially attracted to the bass guitar. And Shokker, well, he just smiles and plays drums real good. Shokker just generally makes me smile, and his record INTERIOR DESIGN proved to be the most regular spin while I was stargazing in the semi-wilderness of Manitoba.

A GHOST TO KILL AGAIN was very, very, very cool. This band will take over the world. Ghosts beware, but not in a Bill Murray with a couple other dudes you can picture but can't name kinda way, and 21 TANDEM REPEATS brought us into the wee hours with the certain charm born of their own special blend of early a.m. hours on a weeknight alchemy.

Many thanks again to everyone who came out and laughed along, and a reminder from The Family Stump: spread the love, even if you ain't related.

Cheers,

JEff

Aside from the unbelievable wonderfulness of making the music itself, I maintain the second or third best thing about being a musician (aside from feilding questions like "Do you make money doing that?" from the mothers (who work in a bank) of friends of your girlfriend) is hanging out with really interesting people who also feel a compulsion to make noises of a somewhat musicial nature. So then, there was some Space9esque bonding between myself and Mike Galo, turntable troubadour in Space 9, during our trip to and from Bonfirefest in Ruby Lake. I feel the need to share some of Dr. G's brilliance.

A general note: Mike punctuates any story he has just told with one of 2 phrases - "That's Awesome", or "It was Awesome". It doesn't matter how dark, disturbing or embarrasing the personal tale he is recounting actually was, at the end of the day, "It was Awesome". The doctor said he could cut it off, or it would just fall of on it's own, but that might be a bit more painful. It was awesome...

A few quick ones from the road, courtesy of Mike:

Speaking of his relationship with his wife - "The only thing we agree on is AC/DC."

The most innapropriate compliment/reassurance ever given to a newly vulnerable and pregnant woman - "Yeah, you look like a cute, little red truck."

A response to an offering of my particular brand of humour - "That's retarded. I love it!"

Mike's take on the interestingly presented fire ceremony at the festival - "Even the hippies were, like, "What the fuck was that?""

And finally, upon leaving the ferry terminal as we headed toward home - "I forgot to buy my son a little BC Ferry toy. Oh well, I'll have to go to the dollar store and buy him some crap."

Thanks for the laughs, Dr. G. The perks, the perks.

DIgg,

JEff

Greetings folks.

Ok then, here's the deal: this whole website thing has become a bit of a new toy for me. Thanks need to go out to John Antonopoulos from Double Dog Graphics for his really easy, intuitive, weirdomusicianscanhavefunwithit back end programming magic. If you want a website and you got stuff you wanna do with it and put on it, send him an email. If you have an old site you want turned into something you can play with, send him an email. He's been very patient with my slow learning curve as well... We new each other in Winnipeg (maybe we were neighbourhood guitarslinging duelers even) and we worked at the same music joint out here for a couple weeks before we even realized that we knew each other. We both had bigger hair back then. Ah, roots...

I'm stoked to be hosting 2 weeks of the Super Robertson Supper Show. These will be fun adventures. I'm trying to add more fun to my spicerack. Spicerack almost looks like Spicecrack, which would be an alltogether different thing. Maybe I should avoid staring at tiny, little letters when I should really be sleeping? Regardless, my other advice for tonight is to go and see A Ghost To Kill Again at the Media Club tomorrow (Friday, Aug 4th) night. If there are assess in the room, Ghost will kick them, and, they're great guys to boot. Lucky to know so many interesting, talented artists who happen to be really nice human beings.

Well then, good for everyone I guess.

Cheers,

JEff

Greetings Fine Music Folk,

Leave it to the unsurpassssable Super Robertson to be the first AND the second to lob a gooey ball of creativeness on the hub. Feel free....

Well then, the first in a series (we could do daily lists if we really wanted) of THINGS OVERHEARD AT THE FAMILY STUMP SHOW. (no single party will be credited with any specific utterance so as to befuddle the authorities in their quest for a particularly moral society)

THINGS OVERHEARD AT THE FAMILY STUMP SHOW, vol. 1

1) It's all in the name of love.
2) Ladies and Gentlemen, David Bowie!!!
3) We have to take a second to pray for James Hetfield.
4) None of my kids can read, but they're all very flexible.
5) I don't believe in killin' da chickums.
6) Does Jesus have a blowhole?
7) What don't have a blowhole?
8) I ain't never met nothin without a blowhole.
9) How true is it? Tell me in inches.
10)Rojas, Rojas, Rojas, Rojas, Rojas, Rojas, Rojas, Rojas.

Cheers,

JEff