Newsletter: Busy.Busy.Busy
You guys, I am so damned tired.
I am currently working three different jobs for the next 6 weeks. I have a freelance writing deadline I need to work on. And on top of all that, I am on a non-profit grant committee and I have a dozen grant proposals to read before Friday.
I was going to sit down and phone-in this week's newsletter. I was going to half ass this damn thing. Most weeks it doesn't feel like anyone's reading it. I have those moments of thinking to myself, "I'm wasting my time with this."
But then I sat down and started working, and before I knew it the almighty muse- the one that so often ignores me- decided to strike. I stood up to take a moment to ponder (aka hunt the kitchen for snacks) when a rouge thought pops in my head:
"Goddamn I love this shit."
I've listened to a number of podcasts about stand-up comedians (Marc Maron was a huge influence on my five years podcasting about punk bands). In the majority of those conversations, the comedians often tell a similar story about the first time they got on stage and they knew that's what they wanted to do for the rest of their lives. I've tried stand-up a few times and you know what? It wasn't for me. I'm more of a Kevin Smith or storytelling type.
But I fucking loved the writing. I've always loved the writing, well you know... Except when I hate it, which is all the time- which is how I know I'm something of a real writer.
I've been writing or covering music in some form or fashion since I was 16 years old interviewing bands and making zines in the late 90s. Eventually I would find music websites that would accept my terrible 16 year old interviews where I would ask the dreaded, "What are your influences questions."
This past weekend I was in SF for the Asian Man Records 30th anniversary party at the Bottom of the Hill. It was four days of some of my all-time favorite bands playing in that tiny, wonderful room.
On the last night of the festival, I kept noticing a giant standing by the kitchen door. I knew him from somewhere, but I just couldn't place him. Heck, everyone at the shows looked familiar!
On my way back from the itty bitty men's room this giant stops me, "Hey man, I don't know if we've ever actually met in real life!" And suddenly it clicks. Standing in front of me is my dear old internet friend Michael Buchmiller, who designed the logo for SmartMouth!
Once upon a time in the early days of the internet, Buchmiller ran a small newsprint publication called Hand Carved Magazine. The magazine would eventually transition into an early online music magazine and message board.
Buchmiller would accept my half-assed interviews on his site for publication, giving me some of my very first writing credits, while hanging out on the colorful message boards I would meet some of my best internet friends. Many of whom I still know to this day.
I've known Mike for at least 30 years and no, we'd never met in real life before that night. There he was standing before me. We stood there and chatted for a bit about life, the universe and everything.
Buchmiller hasn't run Hand Carved Magazine in many years, but he tells me the story of publishing Hand Carved lead to him learning Graphic Design.
He took the skills he made while building ads for record labels and turned it into a full fledged career doing work for many of your favorite punk rock bands, labels and more. He now runs Hand Carved Graphics. Scrolling through his website he's made art for a lot of my favorite records!
We had a really deep conversation in a very short amount of time. We talked about the love of doing this "thing" that we do, and how we don't do it for money. We do it for something deeper and more meaningful.
Before long, I excused myself to get out of the way of the many people crowding towards the stage for the next band.
I stood a few feet away from Buchmiller and I allowed myself to be lost in the specialness of the night. Here I was watching some of my favorite bands play, and this gentle giant of a man who gave 16 years old me a shot way back in the day is here is well.
Didn't Hand Carved and Mike absolutely love all the Chicago bands on Asian Man? Wasn't Hand Carved how I found out about The Ghost, featuring Brian Moss. Brian Moss who went on to start one of my favorite bands Great Apes? Isn't Brian Moss standing right there? Oh there's Asian Man owner Mike Park, the guy you once faked interview for your high school journalism class? (I got an A). Didn't you once copy and re-write large portions of the Bottom Of The Hill website to use on your own Colorado music venue's website because you loved their booking page so much?
I thought about all that as the band Honor System played their first set in about 20 years. As they finished their set, something even more special happened. Two members of The Lawrence Arms, Brendan and Chris, to join Dan Hanaway and Rob DePaola from Honor System for an "impromptu song" from their former band.. THE BROADWAYS.
The Broadways were the reason I placed my first mail order from Asian Man Records some 29-30 years ago. I can still see the hand drawn ad in my head. Hell, I probably still have that zine in a box. I would send off my meager cash in an envelope and a few weeks later three CDs would arrive in my mailbox. I listened to that Broadways CD nonstop for many years. It is one of those defining teenage records.
As the band kicked into "15 Minutes," I screamed at the top of my lungs. If the place had not been so damned crowded, I think I would have stormed the stage. The set only lasted the single song, but I was elated. I'm still elated now several days later. "Holy shit, I got to see The Broadways!"
So many people who had been so very important to me while I was sad and lonely living in Shreveport, Louisiana... Those people were in that very same room with me at that moment. I never thought I'd be near SF. I never thought I'd experience any of these things I've done with my life.
I don't think I would be the man I am today without the introductions to these many people and the world they painted for me.
Here I was surrounded by and celebrating so many of the things that created my Punk Rock DIY DNA.
Buchmiller escaped the venue before I could wish him a sloppy goodbye, but I know it won't be our last encounter. Thank you Mike for creating an early place on the internet for so many of folks to meet and grow.
I don't know how to tie this up with a clean bow, and I was going to phone this in tonight. If you've made it this far I'll bet you wish I had!
I love doing this shit. I've been doing it all my life, not because I want to do it. I have to do it. I think a lot of us feel the same way. I hope you find that creative obsession you just can't stop. I hope it takes you where you're suppose to go. It took me a really fucking long time to figure all that out. But for right now, I know I'm right exactly where I'm suppose to be.
-Damian
NEWS & RELEASES:
ulyssescfm has released their brand new single, "it's what you know" from their upcoming album, crawling into you, Coming out on September 25th. Listen to the single now on YouTube or Bandcamp.
ulyssescfm (they stylize their name and songs in lower case), play grungy, post-punk emo rock n roll with a shoegaze twist. What does that mean? They sound a lot like Dinosaur Jr, Hum and Turnstile. Really cool stuff that feels retro and timeless, while managing to sound authentic. (Please note: I work with Will- the guitarist - from ulyssescfm. He's a great guy with great taste in music but that has not effect to this little micro-review. If it sucked, I wouldn't write about it! )
MIKE WATT from Minutemen is going to play the Arlene Francis in Santa Rosa on October 7th with his new musical project, Casa Sueno!
Watt is a legendary punk musician and bass player. His musical career has influenced so many of your favorite musician's own careers. Casa Sueno is one of his many, many bands he has performed or recorded with, a list that includes Iggy Pop and The Stooges, fIREHOSE, Porno for Pyros and many others.
For Casa Sueno, Watt joins guitarist Mike Baggetta (mssv, Psychic Temple) and drummer John Herndon (Tortoise, Isotope 217) in the group. They only have one song of material available online, which you can find here at this YouTube Link.
From their bio: With inspiration from their name coming from minimalist composer La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela’s long-running drone and art installation in NYC, the new music of Casa Sueño exists in a blissful mix of fearless improvisation, feverishly limitless grooves and otherworldly psychedelic song forms...
It seems like the show will be a really cool instrumental set? No clue. It's a mystery, but that seems like part of the fun. This show is not on yet on the Arlene Francis website, so stay tuned for more information.
If you're not familiar with the almighty Watt or his legendary punk band The Minutemen, they have a fantastic 90 minute documentary, We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen. It is a must watch for any aspiring touring musician. We Jam Econo is currently streaming for free on YouTube.
THIS WEEKEND'S RECOMMENDED EVENTS:
Looking for more Indie/Punk/Alternative leaning events? Make sure to check out our curated events calendar at smartmouthcalendar.com! It's an incomplete and always a work in progress. Please submit any upcoming events for consideration at: https://smartmouthcalendar.com/submissions/
ABSOLUTELY NO A.I.
There is a really big event happening this weekend in Sonoma County, and you may notice it's missing. Sadly, this potentially great event uses generative a.i. art to build their graphics. SmartMouth is an a.i. free zone. Sadly, I will not be covering this event because of the Generative A.I.
Friday Sept 11: Redwood Chrome Vs Dark Matter Lives - Shady Oak Brewing, Santa Rosa. Free
Even though I'm stupid busy, I'm taking Friday night off for Redwood Chrome VS Dark Matter Lives! at Shady Oak on Friday! The venue's IG page described the event as such:
IT IS TIME - When Unstoppable Sounds meet Immovable Grooves all you can do is surrender your minds to our righteous rule. @darkmatterlivesmusic VS @redwoodchromeband - where Hip Hop and Rock collide.
Versus in the communal sense good friends; a little Godzilla meets Rodan allied on the outskirts of truth. Come to @shadyoakbeer on September 11th for a split set performance followed by the finale - two juggernauts of sound sharing the stage in search of new creations. Brought to you by the one and only @radiothrift
Dark Matter Lives had this to say about the event, "So Dope!!! We can’t wait to rock with you!!" with Redwood Chrome replying, "We are going to be tearing the stars from the night sky on this one."
I talked to my pal Matt, the drummer from Redwood Chrome, about what to expect for the show and he kept mum. He told me he was excited to discover along with the audience. I've been itching to see DML! I think this is is going to be a hell of a show!
And how about that ORIGINAL, NON-AI art from Levi Miller? Hot damn that's spicy!
Friday Sept 11: Scott Elliot Ferreter & Karisha Longaker (of MaMuse) – The Altamont, Occidental, CA
Watch: Scott Elliot Ferreter Tiny Desk Submission "Coyote" at YouTube.
Holy hell! This was a great discovery. Ferreter was not on my radar AT ALL, but digging into the Altamont in Occidental, I stumbled upon his show listing and hit play. I was hooked. Mighty damned fine singer-songwriter songs that will remind listeners of John Moreland, Jason Isbell, Shakey Graves & Gregory Alan Isakov.
From his bio: Scott Elliott Ferreter, known for his duo, The Feelings Parade, and as a member of beloved Northern-California band, MaMuse, has a history of laying it all on the line. His devotion to music, itself, has him comfortable wearing many hats (songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist), though he is most at home behind the mic. His songs take on topics of ambitious depth—impermanence, healing, death, and ancestry— yet his humor and realness bring it all together with gentleness and easeful reverence.
Friday Sept 11: Comedy: Nick Thune – Sebastiani Theatre: Sonoma
Watch: Nick Thune on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
Actor/Comedian/Writer Nick Thune’s deadpan delivery and absurdist storytelling has made him a standout in the comedy world. Originally from Seattle, Thune built his name on late-night stages, racking up ten appearances on The Tonight Show, along with spots on Conan and Late Night. He went on to tour internationally and headline major comedy festivals including Montreal’s Just for Laughs, SXSW, Bonnaroo, and Melbourne International. Thune has released three stand-up specials: Folk Hero (Netflix) and Good Guy (Amazon), and Born Young, which premiered on Nate Bargatze’s Nateland YouTube channel. His material blends sharp one-liners with personal storytelling with guitar, making him a favorite among longtime comedy fans and new audiences alike.
On screen, he’s appeared in Judd Apatow’s Knocked Up, Marvel’s Venom, and cult indie Dave Made a Maze, with TV credits including HBO Max’s Love Life, Hulu’s How I Met Your Father, ABC’s Not Dead Yet, Grand Crew and voice work on American Dad!.
Saturday Sept 12: Comedy: Pedro Gonzalez – Lost Church: Santa Rosa
Watch: Pedro Gonzalez on Stephen Colbert.
Pedro's one of NYC's best comedians and the First Latino immigrant to ever perform on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Originally from Colombia, he came to the U.S. at 20 with no papers, no English, and no money—but despite his humble beginnings he's managed to become an internationally touring comedian with a following of over 300K across Instagram and Facebook. He now lives in New York City with his wife, daughter, and mom, who's helping raise both the baby and Pedro.
Sunday Sept 13: Winona & The Northern Still (Matinée Show) – Lost Church: Santa Rosa
Watch: Winona - "River Song" - Tiny Desk 2026
Winona is a musician, songwriter, and performer based in Northern California. Her songs are mythic, her vocals haunting, full of melancholic longing and timeless beauty. Rooted in the folk music of the 1960s and inspired by modern indie songstresses, Winona’s sound is at once nostalgic and dew-fresh unique. Her influences include Feist, Kate Wolf, Courtney Marie Andrews, and (of course) Joni. — The Northern Still, a dynamic acoustic/folk-pop trio. Since 2021 they’ve combined their individual voices and musical influences into a lush, intimate sound, with haunting vocal harmonies. Whether performing original compositions or their fresh takes on covers, they’ve captivated audiences throughout the North Bay.
Recommended If You Like: Joni Mitchell, Gillian Welch, Watchhouse
LOOKING FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS?
WHO EVER SAYS NOTHING HAPPENS IN THE NORTH BAY IS FULL OF SHIT. There's all of this and MORE happening this very weekend and every single weekend!
Make sure you visit SmartMouthCalendar.com! It's an ongoing project to help promote up and coming events. I've been slacking on adding new stuff, so please let me know what I'm missing! What shows and events are you looking forward to in the North Bay? Send them my way and let me know!
SmartMouth707@gmail.com!
