SCHLOCK, THE MONKEY - cultural claptrap: Rusty Smith

What You'll Find Here: Music, Movies and Me

Since May 1976, I have written in journals. When I have nothing particularly resonant to say about my own inner turmoil, philosophic ramblings, sexual peccadillos or whining on about the state of the world around me...I have always fallen back on reporting the cultural time consumption that takes up in inordinate portion of my daily goings on.

In the 40+ years since my first concerts seeing Children's Symphony presentations on Sundays at the Pasadena Civic or The Hot Jazz Society's monthly Dixieland romps in an old meeting hall on the edge of the L.A. "River" across from Griffith Park, I have been sold heavily on the magic of live music. As Neil Young so aptly put it, "Live music is better bumper stickers should be issued."

Growing up a few orange groves and canyons length away from Hollywood also contributed greatly to my family's addiction to movie going. From the time I was a small there were weekly trips to the drive-in theaters that dotted the landscape, or the local Temple theater for the Saturday matinees. Once in a while we'd drive the 12 miles into Hollywood and see something in one of the magnificent old movie palaces like Grauman's Chinese, the Egyptian, The Pantages or later the Cinerama Dome. My dad loved Westerns and War movies, as if he didn't get enough shoot-'em-up as an L.A. County Sheriff in his day gig, my mom adored musicals and comedies. My brother and I loved them all.

At SDSU, I played in my first gigging band and began booking concerts on campus as part of the well-funded Cultural Arts Board, kindling for my future life in and around music.

So it's not surprising that my first jobs out of college were working in local video rental places (which were all the rage) or managing a couple of Sam Goody record stores in Mall's on the East Coast where we marveled at the new CD format and sold the first home computers and video games (yes Commodore and Pong and Atari).

So these are really just extensions of all of those journal entries talking about the great new movies I was seeing and LPs/CDs I was listening to.

Though iPODS/iPADs, apps, smart phones and downloads now make music and movies accessible in your own pocket, there is still nothing like sitting in front of a stack of speakers with a room full of people swaying to music created before your eyes. Nor is there anything that works quite so well for me to escape the real world and all of it's pressures just outside than two hours in a dark theater, absorbing the stories flickering across that wide screen as they pull you into their world.

But a really good taco runs a close third...

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Saturday, May 26, 2012

SKELETON KEY & FRIENDS - CALIFORNIA DYLAN FESTIVAL

There's a fun band in the resort town of Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino mountains of Southern California called SKELETON KEY BAND ("skeleton keys in the rain") and they are having their 1st Annual ZIMMY-A-THON on June 2nd at the Skeleton Key Folk Music Center in Big Bear Lake. It's a great resort town with lots of motels and B&Bs, a beautiful lake, hiking etc. in the middle of the national forest only 2 hours from downtown L.A.

It's only a $5 suggested donation which helps to keep the SKFMC alive and supporting the local roos music scene.

JUNE 2nd - 8pm-midnight

The club is all ages, no liquor and holds about 50 people so it will be intimate and fun.

SKELETON KEY BAND will be playing the BLONDE ON BLONDE album in it's entirety for set one and collaborating with a handful of other local are musicians in a long 2nd set covering tunes from Bob's career. Other featured artists include multi-instrumentalist RUSTY SMITH from L.A./Dallas, mandolinist/singer ROY COULTER, singer/guitarist MIKE O'DONNELL, singer/guitarist DAVID GRAHAM from Damned Good Question, acoustic duo SILVER MOON, rock bands A FULL DECK and THE WRINGERS, raconteur ART HARRIMAN (played on HEE HAW back in the day), and guitarist SCOTT WILLIAMS from Blind Corner. BRAD RIESAU from the East Coast based Dylan cover band LOVE MINUS ZERO helped co-ordinate the event and will be joining SKELETON KEY BAND and others onstage.

SKELETON KEY BAND is Bear Valley premier American Folk-Rock ensemble. Their repertoire includes lots of early country, bluegrass, Appalacian, Delta, Chicago Blues, psychedelic, country/rock and lots more. On June 2 all the music performed will be written by Bob Dylan in honor of his recent 71st birthday.

The Skeleton Key Folk Music Center is dedicated to keeping all kinds of roots music alive and is a wonderful place for musicians and music fans alike to network, book their own gigs and hear quality local, regional and national artists. They recently had Texas singer/songwriter Butch Hancock in concert.

For more information contact the SKELETON KEY FOLK MUSIC CENTER at 909-866-6064

560-B Pine Knot Ave. Big Bear Lake, CA 92314

Below are photos taken at the 5/25 and *5/26 rehearsals at the SKFMC.


Skeleton Key founder and proprietor of the Skeleton Key Folk Music Center,	Rich Spaulding. Photo by Mike O'Donnell

(l-r) Roy Coulter, Hank Kalvin, Brad Riesau. Photo by Mike O'Donnell

Skeleton Key co-founder Tom Burton on guitar and Jim Runkle. Photo by Mike O'Donnell

Skeleton Key drummer Jim "Rocko" Runkle, Photo by Mike O'Donnell

*(l-r) Rich Spaulding, Jim Runkle, Hank Kalvin, Scott Williams and Brad Riesau plahying Dylan's "Meet Me In The Morning". Photo by Tom Burton.

Skeleton Key's Rich Spaulding, guest Mike O'Donnell, Silver Moon/Skeleton Key member Brad Riesau (l-r) playing Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower". Photo by Tom Burton.