Reasons I Love Newark, NJ (In Pictures)

Paddy's Service Station, featuring the great Matt Popola, pictured here explaining how to put a new muffler on my car, The Frankenraisin.

Taste of Portugal

Dessert

2:35 p.m., with John Holl and Mark Bonamo.

Je's Restaurant, breakfast of salmon cakes, pancakes and eggs.

Leela, the Paddy's Service Station German Shepherd 

ProvisionsThe Frankenraisin outside Mad Scientist Headquarters, Paddy's.

And one from NYC for good measure. 

Now, back to my Yellowstone National Park visit countdown (22 days...)

Gratuitous

Westslope Cutthroat Trout pic.Why? Because the plane tickets are purchased. The dye is cast. The fat is in the fire. I will be back in the land of these beauties in less than a month for my annual TROUT ORGY, er, I mean...visit to the homeland. Montana.  

These are a couple old pix my stepdad just emailed to me from our adventure in June. 

September's itinerary: Yellowstone. 

Excited? Moi?

Heat Wave!

Thanks to the good DJ at Americana Rock Mix for cranking out "Crybaby" and "Thankless War" on his radio show this week. 

The show was called Americana Heat Wave, but it sounds pretty cool to me!

Freaky Harp

Was psyched to get this text message yesterday from my good friend Charlene McPherson, who'd been in Brooklyn's Cowboy Technical Studios all weekend working on what will be  Spanking Charlene's next record:

3:58 p.m. Can u come right away w an E harmonica and your best playing skills???

Could I!? I walked the four blocks and six flights to the studio and laid down some blues harp on a tune called, "Where Are The Freaks?" It's a sneering, grindy little ditty with fun lyrics, (as is Charlene's specialty). I'd played it onstage with Spanx C. bunches of times as a guest.

The really cool thing about blowing harp the studio was the awesome sound Roscoe got, (as is his specialty). He rigged a 1950s Supro amp with a bullet mic and what came out of the speaker was dirty, raw and exciting. I ripped the solo as best I could and since both the producer and the artist seemed happy, I guess I did my job. (You know me, freak for hire. [Actually, I put the "free" in "freak."] Dial a freak - that's it.)

I love playing harmonica. Especially as a guest - it's so easy to carry!  Any talent I may display on the instrument is attributable to one simple fact, which I've mentioned here before. Harmonica is the only instrument where the more you suck, the better you sound.

I'm very excited for Spanking Charlene. This is a big week for the band . In addition to waxing a heap of new tracks with Roscoe, they're going into the studio at the end of the week with Little Steven Van Zandt, of Springsteen's E Street Band, The Sopranos and Wicked Cool Records. 

New Heathens fans know Charlene's voice from the songs "I Thought You Were My Friend," and "Don't Think I Can't Stop (Just Because I Don't)" on Hello Disaster. 

A couple years ago Spanking Charlene slugged their way to the top of a battle of the bands contest sponsored by Wicked Cool Records. They've been waiting a long time to see the fruits of their labors. 

As I know how hard they work for the fun they make, and I'm a fan and a friend, I wish 'em all the best. 

Especially if they ever need a harmonica player again.Bandleaders Charlene & Mo

Setlist, Jalopy Theatre, Red Hook, Brooklyn 8.6.10

With the full band:

Getaway Baby/Lucky Day/Halo of Blue/I Thought You Were My Friend/Bye-Bye Johnny (Chuck Berry) - Proud Highway/Crybaby/Back To Jesus/July 1, Near Helena, MT/Little T&A (Stones)

Thanks to Chip for letting me open for him. Thanks to Dorina and Ernie at Jalopy, and to Kori for helping set up the gig.