Friends, Romans and countrymen lend me your ears... Or eyes or minds or something like that. Here's all the news that's fit to print of late with your intrepid reporter.
SXSW was a gas. Went down to Austin TX. For the annual music business hyper-schmoose fest. The Bellrays were down there playing and I caught them at Room 710. They were great as always. This band is just too powerful for words sometimes. You may not like them or you may love them but you will not be indifferent to them. My mission down there was two-fold. Part one was appearing on an industry panel at the convention where I talked about substance abuse related issues in the music business. Joining me on the panel was David Anderly from the E entertainment channel, Bob Forrest from Thelonius Monster and Bicycle Thief, Harold Owens from Music Cares and my main man and jazz great, Buddy Arnold from The Musicians Assistance Program. We took a hard look at the problems and discussed (with the participation of a very involved audience) possible solutions. I enjoyed it and it's a good way for me to participate in my own recovery by carrying the message whenever I can. Part two was the American debut of Mad for the Racket. Joining my partner Brian James and I on the band was the Manchurian maniac Mani on bass and Chris Vrenna on drums. Mani was on the Euro dates we did in the fall and was at liberty to join us. We got very lucky on drums with Chris. Since his departure from Nine Inch Nails, Chris Vrenna has turned into one of the most in-demand re-mixers and producers in town and since he hasn't been behind a drum kit in a while, MFTR was just what he was looking for. And, he played his ass off. We played a low profiled show at The Atomic Café and the placed was packed to the rafters. Apparently the fire Marshall was pitching a bitch about the crowd size. As the rappers say; it's all good.
Back in LA, Musicblitz in association with Muscletone Records promoted a record release party at the Key Club on the Sunset Strip. My most beloved Stan Ridgeway and his band headlined the night with the hardest rocking band in show business, Mother Superior, opening. I played a set in between and was joined on the band by new drummer Eric Gardner, Doug Lunn on bass, Mark Johnson singing harmony and very special guests, David Was and Dr. Charles Moore. David performed "Chow Main Street" and was wacky and wonderful. Dr. Moore gave us all a music lesson with his trumpet. If you don't know who he is, or what my association with Charles Moore is, we go way back to Detroit and the days of the MC5. Charles wrote the horn charts on Skunk (Sonically Speaking) from "High Time" our last Atlantic album. He's been out here in California since the 70's and is now a full professor in music at UCLA and a pleasure to have in my life. Good gig and a good launch for our first CD release; "Beyond Cyber-Punk".
Every Sunday in May it's "The Reeves Gabrels/Wayne Kramer Quartet" at Spaceland in Silverlake. I'm looking forward to this short residency. Reeves heads a short list of truly original guitarists working today that I really admire. We should be able to make a joyful noise together. The Plaster Caster documentary movie opens tonight here in Hollywood and I'm going to go down and check it out. They shot an interview with me about my scarlet past with them back in the day. Should be good for a laugh.
We've put up a new page, "maneuvers" on the site. The plan is that we can keep up dates on it regarding live shows. VH-1's History of Punk, is set to air on April 19 and includes an interview with your truly. Man could my ego get any more massaged? Finally, and sadly, the passing of Joey Ramone. This was a sweet man. A friend and a brother, and he will be truly missed. We lose people over the course of our lives and some are harder to accept than others. This one hurts. 49 is too young to be done. So long pal. You and your family are in my prayers.
God Bless.
Wayne
SXSW was a gas. Went down to Austin TX. For the annual music business hyper-schmoose fest. The Bellrays were down there playing and I caught them at Room 710. They were great as always. This band is just too powerful for words sometimes. You may not like them or you may love them but you will not be indifferent to them. My mission down there was two-fold. Part one was appearing on an industry panel at the convention where I talked about substance abuse related issues in the music business. Joining me on the panel was David Anderly from the E entertainment channel, Bob Forrest from Thelonius Monster and Bicycle Thief, Harold Owens from Music Cares and my main man and jazz great, Buddy Arnold from The Musicians Assistance Program. We took a hard look at the problems and discussed (with the participation of a very involved audience) possible solutions. I enjoyed it and it's a good way for me to participate in my own recovery by carrying the message whenever I can. Part two was the American debut of Mad for the Racket. Joining my partner Brian James and I on the band was the Manchurian maniac Mani on bass and Chris Vrenna on drums. Mani was on the Euro dates we did in the fall and was at liberty to join us. We got very lucky on drums with Chris. Since his departure from Nine Inch Nails, Chris Vrenna has turned into one of the most in-demand re-mixers and producers in town and since he hasn't been behind a drum kit in a while, MFTR was just what he was looking for. And, he played his ass off. We played a low profiled show at The Atomic Café and the placed was packed to the rafters. Apparently the fire Marshall was pitching a bitch about the crowd size. As the rappers say; it's all good.
Back in LA, Musicblitz in association with Muscletone Records promoted a record release party at the Key Club on the Sunset Strip. My most beloved Stan Ridgeway and his band headlined the night with the hardest rocking band in show business, Mother Superior, opening. I played a set in between and was joined on the band by new drummer Eric Gardner, Doug Lunn on bass, Mark Johnson singing harmony and very special guests, David Was and Dr. Charles Moore. David performed "Chow Main Street" and was wacky and wonderful. Dr. Moore gave us all a music lesson with his trumpet. If you don't know who he is, or what my association with Charles Moore is, we go way back to Detroit and the days of the MC5. Charles wrote the horn charts on Skunk (Sonically Speaking) from "High Time" our last Atlantic album. He's been out here in California since the 70's and is now a full professor in music at UCLA and a pleasure to have in my life. Good gig and a good launch for our first CD release; "Beyond Cyber-Punk".
Every Sunday in May it's "The Reeves Gabrels/Wayne Kramer Quartet" at Spaceland in Silverlake. I'm looking forward to this short residency. Reeves heads a short list of truly original guitarists working today that I really admire. We should be able to make a joyful noise together. The Plaster Caster documentary movie opens tonight here in Hollywood and I'm going to go down and check it out. They shot an interview with me about my scarlet past with them back in the day. Should be good for a laugh.
We've put up a new page, "maneuvers" on the site. The plan is that we can keep up dates on it regarding live shows. VH-1's History of Punk, is set to air on April 19 and includes an interview with your truly. Man could my ego get any more massaged? Finally, and sadly, the passing of Joey Ramone. This was a sweet man. A friend and a brother, and he will be truly missed. We lose people over the course of our lives and some are harder to accept than others. This one hurts. 49 is too young to be done. So long pal. You and your family are in my prayers.
God Bless.
Wayne
<< Home