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Hi-Voltage Records - Brian Kenney's path to becoming one of the top Vinyl Retailers

7/24/2019

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  For any kid who was into music, a trip to the record store was just as entertaining, if not more, than any other family venture my sister and I would have to endure with the family in our Datsun B210 wagon.  Coming from a family where our father was always encompassed by his music collection, it is no surprise that both of us acorns didn't fall far from his tree.  My father took pride in his record collection so much that my sister and I weren't allowed near it.  He would take on the role of the " living room DJ" playing his favorite songs for friends and family while  always cranking the volume on the Lone Ranger interlude on his "Hooked on Classics" LP.  From his custom built entertainment center he constructed, to his mix "Reel to Reel" tapes, our household was always surrounded by music from morning 'til night.
 To ease the blow for our yearly road trips to California in our beloved Datsun Wagon, my father would take my sister and I to Tower Records where he would let us buy records and cassettes to make mix tapes to listen to on the drive.  For my sister and I this was better than the vacation itself.  This was our Disneyland.  Once the front doors to the record store opened, the possibilities were endless of what you could unearth. (...and who ever knew that Ratt had a previous EP before "Out of the Cellar"?)   Mesmerizing, this was, for a young kid to experience musical sensory overload for the first time while channeling interior design as one could also buy posters of their favorite band to hang up in the bedroom. Tower records provided my sister and I all the goods we needed to endure the long drives to California.  (The one redeeming value of these trips was witnessing my first concert at the San Diego Zoo, Mr. Roy Orbison)  
  Looking back on it I would venture to guess that my fathers lifelong dream would've been to be a radio Disc Jockey.  Back then, a DJ was pretty much his own boss of what he wanted to play on the radio and had somewhat creative control.  It was a time when listeners could call into a station and request a favorite song to be played. One of his proudest moments (and one of my most influential moment as a young record collector) was when he called our local Olympia radio station, KGY, and corrected the DJ that the Oak Ridge Boys weren't the writers of the hit song "Elvira" that was on heavy rotation on the radio at that time.  To prove his point, my father packed up my sister and I along with his Dallas Frazier album and brought it down to the radio station for them to play.  I still remember it like yesterday, DJ Carl Cook put my dad on the air to talk about how he found the album and also let me sister and I on the air.  At this point, I had never seen a music collection larger than my fathers.  I thought it was the coolest thing to be in a room surrounded by not only the sounds that these albums/tapes brought, but the visual created by the physical copies of the vinyl themselves. It was artistic in every way both audible and visual.
 Over time, the gap between my childhood record collecting has since seen the industry pretty much come full circle.  The evolution of CD's, Digital Music, and File Sharing inevitably brought down a large vast of musical outlet stores.  The days of the music shopping experience that I rendered as a kid had become scarce to say the least.  Selections were picked over and consisted of pretty much "All Fillers and No Killers".  More often than not, one can assess this about a step and a half in the front door before the exit pivot does an about face.  To endure and thrive during this massive transformation of the music retail business, one would have to inevitably think to themselves "Somebody did something right to survive this massive collapse."  How can somebody continue to build and accell in an industry where the massive retail giants have failed? .......This is where Brian Kenney, owner of Hi - Voltage Records comes into the picture.

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  On any given day, I can relive my childhood Record Shopping experiences I had as a kid at Hi - Voltage Records.  Located off of 6th avenue in Tacoma, my trip will usually start off at Red Hots.  Known for their savory Hot Dog menu and friendly atmosphere, a "Hilltop" Dog  or a  "6th Ave. Strut" Hot Dog with  a side of mac and cheese washed down with a local Pilsner helps me mentally prepare for my shopping venture at Hi - Voltage.  The selections are so plentiful that you can often forget what you are looking for once you walk in the front door.  For me, it brings me back to my childhood experience in that I am engulfed by an enormous collection of music and merchandise.  Generally on a fair to moderate weather day, with its doors propped open, ones audible sensories will guide them through the entrance where the vinyl is continuously spinning from "open" to "close" with selections from all the staffs favorites.  The staff at Hi - Voltage work in a task oriented environment but always put the customer first.  They will partake in all types of vinyl inquiries and suggestive insights anytime you need and are very knowledgeable and friendly in doing so. ( This attribute contributes a large part of why I always come back).  I got together with,Brian Kenney, and his staff talk about  how they started, survived and thrived in the industry to prominence of one of the most successful record stores.  Enjoy this history and insight of Brian and his staff of  Hi - Voltage Records.
 


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  Growing up in Arizona Brain Kenney's house was pretty much devoid from music at a young age.  Being introduced to it was merely the fact that his babysitters left a stack of 45's at the house which consisted of early CCR singles and "Windy" by the Association.  From there, it was the top 40 AM radio hits that he became glued to and would gravitate towards by purchasing his own 45's to the genres of sappy songs such as "Desperado" by the Eagles and "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks. In 1982 as part of the early AZ punk movement, Brian started the band The Zany Guys.  After joining the original lineup of The Best Kisser in the World, and moving to Seattle (a version of this lineup which quickly imploded), Lazy Susan was formed with bandmates Kim Virant and Tim Dijulio.  (who had the honor to open for Page/Plant at the majestic Gorge Amphitheater).  During this time the wheels of Hi - Voltage Records had already been set in motion.  Here is my conversations with Brian Kenney and Hi - Voltage Records

 I have noted your introduction to music and also musicianship of playing guitar in bands.  How did this open up the paramaters to what your musical platform derived?

I came of age as Punk was was breaking and that had a big influence on me. I started playing my sophomore year of high school. There was a classical guitar class in school and everyone had an assigned guitar and was encouraged to mess around before the class started. My friend had taken the class the year before and was now taking private lessons. He taught me a barre chord and Iron Man by Black Sabbath and I was off and running. Once I realized I was now using the same chord that Black Sabbath used I started bashing out my own crude tunes and disregarded what was being taught.  I  Totally failed the class but I could “Play Beat On The Brat” all the way through. The Ramones opened the door for me in terms of playing music. Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd seemed so out of reach musically, (not to mention really boring to my 17 year old brain), but the Ramones and Punk Rock said you don’t have to be a virtuoso to be in a band. That influence had me seeking out underground or non current mainstream music. I just wanted to hear something new and different all the time. Still do.

Seeking out that “non” mainstream music was a little different process back then considering the resources weren’t at the tip of our fingers. There seems to have been an embraced labor of love that embellished you from these efforts of finding those sounds that hooked you which transcends with you today.  Being from a household who didn’t necessarily assist you in your endeavors, how did you go about unearthing the music you were after?

I was fortunate to have a neighborhood record store. It was probably mostly top 40/popular titles like most were at the time. There was one guy there who ordered a lot of "imports" of new wave punk and early NWOBHM type stuff. I spent a lot of time there going through every record from A-Z. He would always be playing something cool and went out of his way to turn me on to records i might not be getting exposed to. I wish i knew his name. He had a big impact on me. Turned me on to the New York Dolls, Mott The Hoople/Ian Hunter,The Cramps. It's exciting to see young people discovering some of the same artists that he turned me on too all those years ago. That is a satisfying part of the job. As i type this  we were playing a Junior Wells record  and 2 different people bought Junior Wells records. That's a role we all take seriously. Always playing something different both new and old.

The origins of Hi - Voltage Records.  At what point did you say to yourself "I am going to start a record store".  Building up a sustainable inventory that intrigues customers would seem to be the continual progression to success.  What was your blueprint on starting up Hi Voltage.

The origin of HV really started in 1995 when i got sober. I spent the 80's and 1/2 the 90's playing in bands and getting drunk. Eventually, mostly getting drunk. When i got sober i rediscovered the  passion for music that i had when i was a kid. Started scouring for music with all my free time and extra money that wasn't being wasted on booze. Soon i was spending 1/2 my paychecks on records and CDs. I decided to work on opening a store so i could get help offset what i was already spending on music. A better avenue to support my habit. Haha!

From its inception up to its current day, Hi Voltage has seen the music platform come full circle in a sense of transitioning from CD’s to Digital music and now back to Vinyl. (which currently is outselling digital music).  How do you feel you have excelled during this period while others didn’t have so much success in surviving this era.

 I opened when many stores were closing. I was not unaware of this. Most of those stores were stores from the CD era. Right from the beginning i decided to only gonna sell used cds  and focus on new and  used records. Used cds offered a better margin for us and a much cheaper CD for the customer. It was pretty clear to me that vinyl was not only  gonna  outlive the latest trend, the format itself was gonna outlive ALL of us. If properly taken care of anyway. Who knows with CDs and digital formats. Are those gonna be around 50 years from now? I still love CDs and have many thousands of them but they always felt somewhat disposable. I mean, they are encased in plastic so it's no surprise. So, vinyl was always the focus.

I used to spend a lot of time in Tower Records and i always used that as a model for Hi - Voltage. Even when we were 800 sq feet of all used cds and records.I tried to treat the inventory  like a deep catalog store like Tower. If we had holes in the inventory we went out and found those titles. Still do!   

Let's do a little 20 questions now shall we?
 1. 
What has been the most intriguing vinyl that you acquired for the minimalist fee   Arica- "Audition" early  70's private press  hippy collective meditation/ambient/modal jazz, kind of thing. Way cool record and happy accident stumble upon.

2.  What album are you still waiting to come into the shop to add to your own personal collection?
. I’ll know it when I see it ;-) I don’t keep a list or anything.
 
3.  Who are a few prominent musicians that have shopped Hi - Voltage?     
Some members of ELO were just in the shop A few days ago before their Tacoma Dome show. Mike McCready has been in before.

4.  Which catalog of artists do you sell the most of out of your shop?
The classics will always be the classics. It’s no surprise that Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon is the biggest seller. There are classics in all genres and decades that prove to sell over and over again. Nice to see contemporary records routinely added to that list.

5. W
hat is your favorite fun fact about an album not many people would know about?
The plural of Vinyl is Vinyl.

6.  What is the most cringeworthy question/questions you have to answer for a customer?
One is when an “older” person comes up to the counter and says “you’re probably too young to know this, have you ever heard (insert band name) ? My staff get that’s more than I do these days.  Lol! Even more cringe worthy,  and opposite of the coin, is the “collector” type who walks in and asks right away if we have a copy of ( very specific pressing of a very specific, super obscure, record that only 5 people in the world even know exists) lol! In the boxing world they call this leading with the chin. 

7.  A kid walks into your store and tells you that they want to start a punk rock collection. What are the 5 albums you would put in his bag?
Ramones -Rocket to Russia 
​Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers- LAMF
 X - Los Angeles Adolescents- S/T first album
 Replacements - Let It Be

​8.  You mentioned you were a sucker for the sappy stuff earlier..What is your favorite “All Killer / No Filler” Sappy album?
I wouldn't call it sappy but Carole King's Tapestry is a mellow masterpiece.

9.  Which artists catalogs are your favorite artistic covers to look at?
The coolest covers IMO are Blue Note jazz records from the 50's and 60's.


​10.  What should be the vinyl listeners slogan?
Vinyl is forever

11.  I come up to the register with 3 albums and ask you to pick me out a 4th album.,Here are mine(1. Thin Lizzy - Renegade 2. Brandi Carlile - Firewatchers Daughter 3. The Cramps - Psychadelic Jungle )…which album to you pick out for me? 
Patti Smith "Horses"

12.  Same as question 11 but this time I bring up these 3 albums 1. The Sonics - Boom 2. The Flamin Groovies - Greatest Hits 3. Alice Cooper - Killers
The Modern Lovers S/T

13.  You can only possess one album from each of these artists catalogs. Which ones to you select from Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Descendents, Black Sabbath, Rolling Stones, Jackson Browne, Tom Petty

Never been a big Zeppelin fan so I'd take "In Through the Outdoor" since it was always being played at the pinball        arcade when I was 17.
Pink Floyd- Meddle
Descendents- Milo, of course.
Black Sabbath- 1st album
Rolling Stones-Some Girls
Jackson Browne- Late for The Sky
Tom Petty- Echo

14.  What is the best album that most of us probably don’t have in our own collection?
Sammy Walker- S/T from 1976

15.  Jackson Brownes Running on Empty?
 I prefer Late for The Sky

16.  Roy Buchanan albums?
S/T and Live Stock​

17.  Beach Boys - Pet Sounds?
Never been a fan

18.  Which 5 albums best represent The Northwest music?
Sonics-Boom
Wailers- Out of OurTree
Mudhoney- Superfuzz Big Muff
Mother Love Bone -Apple
Alice In Chains- Dirt

19.  When a customer walks into Hi Voltage Records they will……
always hear great music being played on the turntable, and possibly something you've never been exposed to that inspires you with new discoveries.

20.  
When a customer leaves Hi Voltage records they will….
come back. LOL! Hopefully feel it was a warm and inviting place.

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Meet the Staff of Hi - Voltage Records
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Brian Kenney - Owner
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Adam: My specialty is trying to turn someone on to a record they've never heard before. My favorite part of HV is discovering something i haven't heard before. Pets names. Too many to list.
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Bru: my Favorite part is working around music and learning more and more about all kinds of genres every day. Pets are Rocco and Ozzy
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Matt: I like our extensive country, jazz and soul sections. I feel anyone coming in should be able to tell that we pay attention to more than just the standard Pop and classic rock you see everywhere. Pets name are Buddy & Max
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Jess: My specialty is Country/folk/singer songwriter records from around 1972. My dog is Sandro
The Load Out.......

Special Thanks to Brian Kenney and the fabulous staff of Hi - Voltage Records (Adam, Bru, Matt and Jess) for taking the time to accommodate this little blog of mine.  Sure, I'm no pro, but it was a fun go of it.   I would suggest putting aside a couple hours for the Hi - Voltage experience as there are plenty of unique tastes to choose from within a short radius.  I am always amazed at the hard to find stock that arrives in Hi - Voltage.  (in one visit I walked out with Drive Like Jehu,  RFTC- Scream Dracula Scream, Murphy's Law - Back with a Bong, Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers UK Press with the real Zipper.  More often than not you will not have to search for the needle in the haystack to have a successful experience here.   I highly recommend Hi - Voltage to anybody in the music listening lifestyle.  There is something for everybody.  For more information, Hi - Voltage regularly updates their website with new releases and arrivals new and used.  

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www.hivoltagerecords.com
253-627-4278

Sunday - Thursday : 10am - 7pm
Friday - Saturday:  10am - 8pm

​2714 6th Ave, Tacoma WA 98405

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The Historic Olympia Brewery

6/29/2015

3 Comments

 
  Being transplanted to the Olympia area in 1978 from Cleveland, Ohio, I couldn't count the numerous times our family would entertain visitors with a tour of the Olympia Brewery.  The tours would make my sister and I roll our eyes as we knew we would have to wait patiently until the end of the tour for our family to reward both of us with a box of beer cookies for cooperating with them and for not wandering off the instructed tour areas.  Unknowingly at the time there was another vacant facility just down below which was a forgotten conclusion as the place didn't have the gift shop and the adults couldn't get their exclusive tap only Olympia Dark beer at the end of the tour.  The Original Brewhouse would only be the place you could see across the river as we would be basking in the mist of the Tumwater Falls where the Deschutes river meets up with Capitol Lake.
  As brew town became more of a ghost town with the departure of Miller Brewing, which took over operations of the Olympia Brewery, I became intrigued by the history of the Historic Brewhouse.  A place that was a foregone conclusion as a kid now only made me want to dig deep into the roots of its origins (from a visual aspect).  Existing photos which are prominently displayed at local businesses gave me only small glimpses of the inside.  It would only seem like urban legend talk at a local bar when people would talk about what the inside of the Brewhouse looked like, but had only their own visual memories to convey.  
  Being a photographer, there was nothing more than I wanted than to photograph the inside of the Historic Brewhouse.  Having a trailhead and railroad tunnel under my house that navigated to the Historic Brewery (en route to a local watering hole), I would constantly take the walk with my camera only to find that it was sealed up pretty good with no possible access inside.  The persistent walk would soon pay off as I took a friend from Milwaukee down there for a tour of the perimeter......(en route to that same watering hole).  Much to our surprise, there was an open door which we both decided this was our one time to beg for forgiveness as oppose to ask for permission.  We were in...We explored and we took photos.
  Between the time of my first shoot of the inside of the Brewhouse I was invited to take some recent photos again.  I also became educated on the history of the Brewhouse and learned of its bloodline through families of the community.  The ties to it are still strong through family members who's ancestors help build and were employed there.   Over time, these photos have sat in my archives all while  the interest in restoration of the Brewhouse have surfaced.  The Olympia brewery and the Historic Brewhouse still remain the identity of Tumwater, WA.  We all anxiously await for the possibilities to arise on restoring such great history.  I hope you enjoy and also continue to show great support in the future for such an iconic part of our community history.  That being said......Enjoy the photos.


  
  
  
3 Comments

The Sonics Invade Easy Street Records

4/21/2015

3 Comments

 
  Record Store Day, for most music enthusiasts, is viewed as a Black Friday for music lovers.  With that territory comes anticipation, long lines, crowded aisles and the aloof demeanor that "Everyday is Record Store Day".  2015 Record Store Day for West Seattle's Easy Street Records would be one that will be forever embedded as an iconic moment in Seattle's rich history of music.  Sure, this may seem like a bold and knee jerk assessment to some critics in the industry, but when you factor in that Northwest Music legends, The Sonics, just released their first proper full length album in nearly 50 years, "This Is The Sonics",  and are currently embarking on their first ever (believe it or not) U.S. tour, the window of opportunity for Easy Street Records President, Matt Vaughan wasn't very big.  Once Matt pitched the idea to the Sonics, there was not a second guess of them accepting the offer to perform Record Store Day at Easy Street Records during their short 3 days off from tour.  KEXP radio who will be relocating to a new facility were the beneficiaries of this event as the charity of ticket sales went to their relocation funds.  I did not take long for the 250 tickets to sell out as the buzz of who may be sitting in with the Sonics was being speculated.  When the doors closed for the Sonics to set up and soundcheck, the musical guests were roaming the now empty aisles of Easy Street records as if they were kids who missed out on a ticket but were able to catch a glimpse of the Sonics soundcheck to say "I was there".  In a sense it was a reunion for many of these guests who's paths haven't crossed since their own heyday in the '90's.  As Chris Ballew recently stated "When we used to get interviewed  about our influence on Seattle music, I would tell them that they need to go backward and listen to The Sonics, The Wailers and the Kingsmen."

  Once the doors opened to let in the anticipant sell out crowd, Owner Matt Vaughan's introduction was reminiscent of the Dead Boys introduction at CBGB's.  Raw, Loud, and with the point driven.  The case was made.  With KEXP in full recording mode, the Sonics hit the stage and started full force with "Cinderella" and didn't stop.  With the large roll up doors to Easy Street rattling, it was just a matter of time before the eager crowd who missed out on tickets would have it lifted up so the party would spill onto California avenue for all to be included.  As the Sonics were kicking it off, the guest musicians eagerly would look over  manager Bryan Swirskys shoulder to see when they got to sit in with the band.  The excitement for them couldn't be hidden as they would compare their songs with one another once they found out.  The Sonics brought it to the stage like no other, and didn't let up to accommodate the guests musicians.  All of who got their work out in maintaining the Sonics raw energy.  

  Record Store Day 2015 was one of those rare special treats.  Of course "Everyday is Record Store Day", (rightfully so), but this one provided a Boom like no other.  Special thanks go out to Matt Vaughan of Easy Street records and KEXP for capturing this monumental event.


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Eddie Vedder and the Sonics rehearsing "Leaving Here"
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Sonics guitarist Larry Parypa and Eddie Vedder meeting for the first time.
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Sonics manager Bryan Swirsky and Eddie Vedder go over set list.
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Guest musician and grandson of Sonics Saxist Rob Lind, Jason Kertson.
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All in the Family..The Parypas
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Eddie Vedder and Chris Ballew take it all in.
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Eagerly awaiting the show is photographer great Jim Bennett.
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Easy Street Records own Matt Vaughan kicks off the introduction to the crowd.
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This is the Sonics...Kicking it off with "Cinderella"
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Screaming Trees Van Conner sits in for "He's Waiting"
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Van and the Sonics
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Chris Ballew performing "You Got Your Head on Backwards"
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Eddie Vedder performs "Leaving Here"
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While ex Mudhoney/Melvins bassist Matt Lukin provided the entertainment, Jason Kerston (grandson of Sonics Saxist, Rob Lind) wow'ed the crowd with his soloing on Louie Louie.
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Mike McCready brings the doors up with Emily Nokes
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HEY KID...NO CROWD SURFING........oh wait, that's Chris Ballew
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Sonic original Andy Parypa and Soundgarden's Ben Sheppard.
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Oh what a band this would make...(L-R) Chris Ballew, Jeff Gilbert, Matt Lukin, and Eddie Vedder
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Eddie Vedder and Sonics drummer, Dusty Watson
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Dusty Watson and Mike McCready
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The set list and the guests. Thanks again to Matt Vaughan and the Entire Staff of Easy Street Records, KEXP Radio, Bryan Swirsky, The Greedy gang for the back line and rehearsal space, all the guests musicians, and of course, first and foremost the fans who are the ones who make it happen.
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One Man's Trash......a photographic journey of the Salton Sea

1/30/2015

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  Over recent years of photography I had grown an attraction of photographing urban ruins.   While searching around the web for future destinations I would pin on my "places to photograph" map, I came across a youtube video titled "The Accidental Sea".  Clocking in at just over six and a half minutes, this video provided me with all the answers I was looking for both visually and narratively.  (i suggest either before continuing or right after reading this blog to watch it).  A seemingly opportunistic area at one time, the Salton Sea now gives a glimpse of an apocolyptic world.....or in my case, a photographers treasure.  
  Upon arriving in California for the Salton Sea trip, I recruited a couple of my friends/travel companions .  One being a California native and photographer who's yearly visits to the Salton Sea helped me successfully route accordingly to my interests.  The other travel companion is a successful hair designer in Seattle who contributed by adding some life into the photos in places which have almost no livelihood.  
  Routing southbound, we started on the west side of the Salton Sea down highway 86 and would end our trip going up the east side on highway 111.  Here is what we found.


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Entrance to Desert Shores
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Desert Shores
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Inside the Clubhouse at Desert Shores
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Inriguing Artwork Inside the Desert Shores Clubhouse
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More 3-Dimensional Artwork
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Beautification in the Abandon Pool and Spa at Desert Shores
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....of Capri Road in Desert Shores
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Peyton Shores
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Salton Sea Beach. Roads were once being made to fulfill the american dream of waterfront living.
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Salton Sea Beach
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The fireplace of a recent burned down dwelling.
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The backside of the same fireplace
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Salton Sea Beach
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Salton Sea Beach
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One of many amazing pieces of artwork around the Salton Sea Beach Area
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In the Salton Sea
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Salton Sea Beach
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Salton Sea Beach
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Salvation Mountain. A creation of one man made out of hay and over 100,000 gallons of paint. A must see on the South East side of the Salton Sea near Slab City.
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On top of Salvation Mountain
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More amazing artwork at abandon buildings
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Bombay Beach
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....and finally...The Salton Sea itself
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INAUGURATION OF A PRESIDENT

10/9/2014

4 Comments

 

…an interview with Chris Ballew

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Welcome to my first of hopefully many interviews to come at OlyKaz.com.  When brainstorming whom I wanted as my first interview, I was cycling through my photos and came across many photos I had done for Chris Ballew and the Presidents of the United States of America.  As I was going through these photos, I recalled numerous conversations from Chris about music on all levels from his personal history, to the roots of rock and roll, all the way back to the West African influences. Chris Ballew, being one to never shy away from giving his insight of musical knowledge to the lending ear, prompted me to be the one wanting to pick his brain about his own career.  From his time as a youth to the inauguration of Presidents of the United States of America and Caspar Babypants, this interview dissects the simplicities and influences of Chris Ballew, the musician, and how he found success with a minimalistic approach.

KAZ:  What was your first intro to music and what was it that influenced you into wanting to be a musician
CHRIS: My first introduction to music was the satisfying sound that the upright piano in our house made when I banged on it with a hammer! I would have been perfectly happy as a 2 year old banging on that piano forever but in 1967 I got Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and discovered that you could organize those vibrations into these things called "songs" and the rest is history. Now that I have been through the whole fame machine and the DIY method and had times of volcanic creativity and dry spells that last years I am starting to wind my way back to just banging on a piano with a hammer and calling it good!

KAZ:  In previous conversations with you, everything from the Beatles music to their movies has become a course of study for you.  Dating back from your introduction of Sgt. Pepper to present time, what is it that continues to intrigue you the most from them
CHRIS: For me the common thread with any form of expression and creativity that resonates with me is transcendence. Creativity is an opportunity to transcend the regular world full of tasks and assumptions we make about how our lives should be. A movie or a piece of music that takes me out of my usual perceptions and prejudices and allows me to fly free is the most appealing to me. That is why you will never hear a Caspar Babypants song about how to perform a task or learn a skill. I love to make the inanimate world of objects and the mysterious world of animals come to life so that little kids and their parents can have a shared rich surreal experience.

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KAZ:  Not only do you transcend your world through your songwriting, but you also did this with your musical instruments.  It was your time in Boston where you took the typical 6 string guitar/ 4 string bass and converted them into what most people know as the “Guitbass” and “Basitar”.  The outcome of this seems to parallel your personal philosophies on music.  How did this all come about
CHRIS: It is strange but I cannot remember meeting Mark Sandman(Morphine). He seems to have just always been there. He played a two string bass with a slide but in his studio he had a version of his instrument that was set up on a guitar “Y” that could be played without a slide. When I picked up that instrument something incredible happened. I felt as if I had been searching for this instrument my entire life and that every idea I had ever had before just needed to flow through that instrument. The unique cord of relationships that a two string limits a player to use somehow made all my ideas seem elemental and fresh at the same time. So the revolution in instrumentation was really a personal thing. It was later that I came to understand that rock and roll came from West Africa through New Orleans and evangelical preachers and mineral jazz and that the original instruments from West Africa were two and three string catgut Banjos. So now I feel not only a personal connection but it also feels like there is a historical connection to the roots of rock and roll that these instruments represent. Also being a minimalist at heart the limitation appeals to that side of me too. In the early days of the rock band it was just another unique thing about us that people could write about as well. Now after all these years it seems so natural I don't even think about it and I wonder why everybody isn't playing two string and three string guitars they are so much easier to learn on and tune! Eventually I would like to create a one-string guitar for little babies but that is another project for it when I am NOT so busy!

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KAZ:  In discovering this way of conveying your musical expression through a more simplistic approach and the influence of Mark Sandman, the surface was now scratched for the idea of the Presidents of the United States of America.  Along the way you have mentioned other influences such as the MC5, Iggy Pop and the Stooges, Spider John Koerner, and Lenny Kravitz, which would ultimately create the elements of the Presidents of the United States of America. What was it about these particular musicians that influenced your vision?
CHRIS: Good question! Well I suppose I will go through these one at a time and tell you why they influenced the chemistry of The Presidents.
the MC5

I became aware of the MC5 pretty late in the game. I think it was 1991 when my friend Dave Thiele played me the live album. I knew immediately that I wanted to incorporate that kind of energy into a new band but I didn't exactly know how. Then it just hit me...why not cover their biggest song and change the lyrics and make it our own and have that be part of who we are? So that is exactly what we did. What I really appreciate it about the MC5 is how they blended hard rock and jazz together. My friend Dave Thiele and I had been experimenting with the same combination with not nearly as much success obviously but when I heard the MC5 I thought, "That’s it! That’s the loose powerful feeling that I want this band to have." A side benefit of having covered the song is getting the honor of knowing Wayne Kramer, Dennis Thompson and Michael Davis a little bit and getting to play our version of kick out the jams with the actual MC5 in Seattle one time.
Iggy Pop and the Stooges
I became aware of the Stooges late in the game as well. I heard TV Eye on the radio in 1991 and it completely blew my mind. The repetition, the energy and the simplicity made me feel like I wanted to jump on that pony and take a ride. I have seen Iggy Pop perform a couple of times over the years and I saw him within the Stooges last summer in Europe when we played on the same festival with them. The thing that struck me that I didn't understand when I first heard him but became clear when I saw him live recently is that he is both a dork and a god. It seemed to me to be the most honest expression of being human being, which is infinite and fallible. I also recently found out that he practices Qigong, which I do as well. It's the one thing that keeps me energized enough to put on our high-energy show at almost 50 years old. He is of course much older than me and puts on an even more energetic show than I do in some ways and when asked how he does it in interviews he answers that Qigong keeps him young. I got within a few feet of being able to talk to him about what kind of Qigong practice he does but he was getting ready to go on stage and our conversation never happened. So if you're out there Iggy, I would still love to talk to you about where you studied and what style you use.
Spider John Koerner
I used to go to this bar in Boston called The Plough and Stars. One night the place was pretty empty and there was a guy in the back of the bar near the bathroom playing this incredible 12 string finger picking style guitar and singing about a little animals and chickens and frogs and I thought "this is the best combination of music and lyrics that I've ever heard in my life!". It also validated something that I had been doing already which was writing songs about little animals. I have always thought that those songs were less important than songs about human relations etc. But listing to Spider John made me aware of early American folk music and the long tradition of anthropomorphizing animals and playing funny songs about them. His interpretations gave me permission to write about what I really wanted to write about. Years later we had him open up for The Presidents in Seattle and I got to pick him up at the airport and drive him around and hang out with him a little bit. He was a bit crusty around the edges and not as excited to play as I would have hoped but he did have some interesting things to say about the old folk music and blues scene in New York and his reasons for switching from blues to folk songs.
Lenny Kravitz
My appreciation for Lenny Kravitz has to do with the way his music is performed and recorded. That super lush dry warm sound of his early records is extremely appealing to me. However I was never a big fan of his lyrics. So I thought why don't I take the Spider John influence of the animal songs and put it with the groove of some of that Lenny Kravitz music? The resulting songs were Feather Pluckin', Dune Buggy and Body. So he influenced me musically very much. 
I have never met Lenny Kravitz.

I want to thank first and foremost Chris Ballew for offering his time for this interview, which was done between New York City/Airport Concourses/Backstage Green Rooms and Hotels in Spain…. All in a few days work.   

For more on Chris Ballew and the Presidents of the United States of America…
www.presidentsrock.com
www.babypantsmusic.com

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    OLY KAZ

    Brian was mentored 
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