Sep15

Blues Box Bayou Band at Mariposa this weekend

by Rob Campbell on September 15, 2011 at 7:13 am

Wish I could make this one! Mariposa is a great destination for a ride, situated near Yosemite in the foothills of the California Central Valley.

Here’s what came in my email today from the band:

Summer is coming to an end, but we got one last gasp of summertime food and fun coming this Saturday, Sept 17thwhen The BluesBox Bayou Band returns to the 5th Annual Blazin’ Hog BBQ Competition and Zydeco Music Festival. This fifth year also features Cajun fiddle great “Lisa Haley and the Zydekats”, Grammy award nominee from So Cal, who headlines this year’s dance concert at the Mariposa Fairgrounds. Mark St. Mary and his hot Zydeco band will start the afternoon and ramp up the audience for this outdoor party of the year. The BBBB will begin at 3PM, Cleo Home will be getting the crowd ready through out the afternnoon with her dance lessons on the largest outdoor dance floor in the area!

The BBQ is great with plenty of cold beer and wine to keep everybody happy for this foothill festival at the steps of Yosemite Valley. Make a trip out of it, it’s great fun at one of the most beautiful mountain locations anywhere. Tickets are only $15 general admission and gates open at 12 noon. This is a fundraiser for John C. Fremont Hospital so your helping out a critical community organization as well. For more details go to Blazinhog.com for ticket info, schedules and directions. See ya there!

They even quote yours truly from my review of the CD they sent me:

“Not Your Mama’s Accordion Band! There’s a term used in parenting literature to refer to children who may be a bit too rowdy for their own good. They’re sweet, decent, loving kids, but they are what we call “spirited”. Really, it’s a measure of a kid who has lots of youthful, fun , vibrant energy. And spirited is a word I keep thinking of as I listen to the Blues Box Bayou Band, a Cajun-Zydeco group from California’s Central Valley. They appear to get a fair amount of play in Northern California at a variety of events where good food, drink, and music can be found. If you enjoy a mature sound in your music, enjoy traditional Cajun music, and are known to cut a rug once in a while, this stuff is for you. There’s a feel to it that can be described as rhythmic and bouncy, with depth and quality in the arrangement of the music, a complexity to the instrumentation that keeps the ear busy and having fun. Their solid sound works adapting covers, traditional and originals.” — Rob Campbell, Keeping Up With Jones

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Sep06
awe

J&S Surplus KIA/MIA Ride-in Event

by Bobcat on September 6, 2011 at 10:29 am

Hi All:

I attended the J&S Surplus KIA/MIA Event on Saturday 9/3/11. Once again J&S surplus put on a very good event.

I rate this event a five for five Bobcat Stars. My personal opinion is that all Americans should be grateful to our men and women in uniform and grateful to those who served. Some gave all to our country and that is the ultimate sacrifice for others.

There were several speakers and a Bell Huey chopper flew in for the day. I enjoyed the speech the Monterey County Veteran of the year gave,

My friends from the Christian Motorcycle Club were set up next to me again and the VFW Native Americans were across the way set up again

Thank You J&S for doing what you do for the vets. Thank you Vets for your service.

Bobcat

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Aug31

Sept. 3rd. 2011 Annual KIA Motorcycle Ride-in

by Bobcat on August 31, 2011 at 9:02 am

Hiya Bobcat here,

Been a little busy with life and work out of town. I have been working in a little community in Nevada called Smith Valley. It is located on the Nevada side of Carson pass. Not to far from Carson Valley. I do not get very good phone or Internet reception there. But…. what a pretty place.

I have not been riding any distance on my bike and am having biker withdrawal symptoms. Yuck! I have an event I am working this next weekend at J&S surplus in Moss Landing Ca. (Sept 3rd 2011, 10am-5pm) This event draws bikers, Vets and others for the Flag raising and event dedicated to the MIA and KIA of Americas wars/conflicts.

They will have military equipment on display and for sale. Biker stuff. and all types of interesting goodies. I will be vending my leather goods and patches. I will let you all know how it turns out and post a few pics.  For those locals interested in this event the address is:

J&S Surplus and Outdoor Store
Hwy. 1 & N. Struve Rd.
Moss Landing Ca. 95039
Ph. 831-724-0588

I  have my annual 4 bridge run coming up in Sept. so stay tuned for my blog on that one. I also have a ride to beutifull Clearlake Ca. comeing up soon.

Untill then, Keep the shiney side up.

Bobcat

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Aug09

Live in Aught Three–James McMurtry

by Rob Campbell on August 9, 2011 at 10:55 pm

I’ve been meaning to do a review of James McMurtry’s Live in Aught Three and the fact is, I just don’t have time right now. A quick vacation with the family to my home town of Santa Rosa last week was a much needed break, and I hit the classroom in earnest next week.

But I can’t leave this music alone until I do.

Something about this guy’s music reminds me of Daddy, which I mentioned some time this summer. The timbre of the voices, the flavor of the music, and the quality of the song writing on both albums share a polished rawness and the ability to deal with some serious topics with tongue-in-cheek irony.

Probably my favorite cut on the whole release is the one that brought McMurtry to my attention in the first place. "Choctaw Bingo" is introduced as being about "The North Texas Souther Oklahoma Meth-Amphetamine industry." While this certainliy conjures up some pretty tragic images, the song itself shines hilarious light on personalities and places these characters in this ballad take us to, primarily centered around Uncle Slayton’s life with his Asian bride, his airstream trailer, his whisky making, and his crank lab, which seems to be have replaced the income lost from dropping moonshine sales.

Other numbers on the album range to greater seriousness.but are largely regional in nature, looking at a number of Tex-centric ideas and places. "Levelland", for example, looks at the history of Levelland and who made it what it is. In "Lights of Cheyenne", McMurtry take a more melancholic look at events in a life, including a daughter who seems to be hooked on broken dime-store cowboys. "Sixty Acres" explores the modern challenges of inheriting land one doesn’t want to work–"What am I supposed to do with that?"

Each of these features McMurtry’s baritone voice, guitar work, and the solid backing of his band. The music qualifiies easily as country, but has a broader appeal into the edges of folk and rock.

If his name sounds familiar, it may be notable that James is the son of noted novelist Larry McMurtry, who wrote the popular Lonesome Dove series as well as The Last Picture Show, and countless other novels. While James’ work stands defiantly on its own in quality and depth, he seems to share his father’s affinity for broken souls and comically tragic lives without loosing the ability to tell a story.

I recommend this album thoroughly. Give it a search at iTunes or Amazon. You won’t be sorry you did.

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Jul31

Advertising at Cartoon Thunder

by Rob Campbell on July 31, 2011 at 9:00 am

For businesses interested in advertising at Cartoon Thunder, I’ve worked up a presentation and a pricing plan that is pretty accessible.  My goal is to increase the digital footprint Jones has by advertising on a variety of sites.  I’m also hoping to put a few bucks in my pocket for all the hard work I put into the strip, but my intention is to put 60% of the revenue towards advertising.  Much as I’d love to make more money on this thing, advertising is the smarter move.  After all, my main goal is to spread smiles for your miles, gain readers, create giggles, laughs, chortles and chuckles.

If I draw it, they will come.

If you’re interested, check out my advertising information.

Regardless, thanks for reading my comic strip!

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