east bay round up

For the past two days we've been lamenting the fact that every time we bring this band to the Bay Area we're so rushed for time we don't get to really take advantage of some of the best cuisine, local culture, and scenic beauty you'll ever find on the West Coast. This is really one of my favorite parts of the world, but that's probably also due to the overwhelming support we get from the creative music community every time we come up here.

At noon we were at the KFJC studios in Los Altos Hills for a live on-air set and interview. Dale Self (the head on the left) is our connection up there. Dale was there for our very first gig in San Francisco at the SIMM (Static Illusion Methodical Madness) Series back in 2003. Dale is now one of the DJs at KFJC; he and his wife always hook us up with good company and good food when we're in the area.

After the radio show we headed over to West Oakland for a gig at the aptly named 1510 8th St Performance Space. They have a soulful little scene happening down there. Phillip Greenlief has been booking most of his Evander Presents shows at 1510 and we shared the bill with his new trio project Citta di Vitti, which features PG's compositions based on the films of Michelangelo Antonioni. Their set was absolutely wonderful, probably my favorite thing I've ever heard Phillip do (check them out this week if you're in SoCal). Our set was one of the best and most satisfying that we've ever played. Good room, good crowd, and a good hang, somehow justifying all the insanity of trying to get up to the Bay Area and back for three shows in two days.