JOHNNY CASH BIO-PICTURE: WALK THE LINE:
  Two thumbs up is an easy call for
Walk the Line, the biopic with Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash. Reviewers and viewers alike have dialed in on the
quality of the performances by the stars and their supporting cast.
Phoenix doesn't look or sound like Cash but he acts like him and deftly mimics his stage mannerisms -- guitar
neck pointing downward, right shoulder raised and singing from side of his mouth. Meanwhile, the June Carter Cash role might not be particularly meaty but
Witherspoon makes every bit count, often with just a glance of her eyes.
The portrayal of Vivian, Cash's first wife, as a nag is an unfortunate piece of fiction
even though it adds drama to the story. For the record, the real Vivian gave the real Johnny only a tiny fraction of the grief he gave her.
The best aspect of the movie is the contribution of little-known writer/director James Mangold (Girl, Interrupted and Kate & Leopold). Walk the Line is a rags-to-riches story
with sidelines into sex, drugs and rock & roll. It is a story that has been told many times, and it's the life lived by Cash and many other musicians of his time. So what's new?
Nothing much really, but Mangold doesn't let that stop him. He gets the script to flow like a big river by blending scenes beautifully to advance the story. He puts everything in place
to enable the actors to act and the audience to relax and enjoy them.
CLUBS IN THE NEWS
There are three clubs booking more twang, one still spinning in limbo, and one where a low-key has gotten lower.
First is the Uptown, which is actually in downtown
Oakland on Telegraph just a few blocks from Telegraph and Broadway (http://www.uptownnightclub.com
). They're booking rock and blues, but the club is trying some twang. Cari Lee and the Saddle-ites played there this month and Moot Davis
will be there in December.
The Argus Lounge on Mission in SF hosts musicians associated with the local Jackpine
label. These shows tend to be acoustic with twang mixed into other styles, but the club does go electric. This month, half of Chase Gowdy and the Rusty Nails played there
as a duo. The Rusty Nails have been dormant for a few years, but they are interested in booking shows again and may restart themselves at the Argus. http://www.arguslounge.com/myth.html
The moribund South Bay scene is getting a boost from the Mojo Lounge in Fremont.
http://www.themojolounge.net They have been booking blues and rock, but have the Hacienda Brothers
on December 11th. (See this issue's "Over-Policing" story for more on the South Bay's live music coma.)
Hopes were high for Demarco's 23 Club in Brisbane when it came under new
management earlier in the year; then came word that it was up for sale, then there was word that it had been sold, and now it appears that the club is heading into deeper limbo.
The club stopped advertising shortly after it reopened. They don't have a mailing list, monthly calendar, website or really much of anything resembling a commitment to building a business.
Cherrybomb Productions has been booking twang there, and the recent return of the Dave and Deke Combo was a success, but how long can they book shows without the club's support?
HWS has placed a call into Cesar Ascarrunz who we reported bought the business in the September 2, 2005 issue. But 60 days is a long time to close escrow. Hopefully we'll know more next issue.
The situation at Doc's Clock in SF's Mission neighborhood is easier to understand. Their twang bookings were always rare because the club doesn't have a cabaret license.
There's nothing unusual about live music tapering off under new management. SF can make big problems for a club working without proper licenses. |
TWANGSGIVING IN ALAMEDA
  This year's Twangsgiving at McGrath's in Alameda features headliners, Valerie Jay and the Americanos
with an all-star lineup. The middle bill has Misner & Smith, an Americana duo from Petaluma that is winning hearts and minds all over the Bay Area, and opening is 2005's Yodeling
Cowboy of the Year, Toshio Hirano..
Valerie's all-stars include Bobby Black (Steel Guitar Hall of Fame) and guitar great Ron Thompson (R.T. & the Resistors).
Her special guests will be Doug Blumer (Westerleys, Cheating Hearts) and Patsy Cline, who will join the band for a few numbers.
And how did we book Patsy Cline? Okay, sorry we're already deep into the name dropping thing, and please don't let this get back to Falwell or Robertson because they don't like it when you-know-who
deals with anybody other than them, but luckily Hicks with Sticks News has a highly placed and quite influential subscriber. This subscriber goes by many names, but we know him mainly by his email address (
bigkahuna@dontmakemecomedownthere.com). So we kind of called in a favor, but only for a few numbers, okay? Money back if not
completely satisfied. No autographs, please. Photos, OK. Click on Patsy's picture or go to http://www.hickswithsticks.com/Photos/2005_Twangsgiving/2005_twa ngsgiving.html for more.
DID OVER-POLICING RUIN LIVE MUSIC IN SAN JOSE?
The South Bay, particularly San Jose, has been d-e-a-d for almost five
years and there's no sign of it coming back. Over-policing has to be high on the list of reasons for the disappearance of SJ's nightlife.
Getting out of downtown SJ on a Friday or Saturday became very intimidating because police were everywhere. They'd put cones on the streets that made certain practical turns impossible, they'd shine
flashlights into cars from across intersections, and at bar closing time it was not uncommon to see a half-dozen cars pulled over on main streets like Santa Clara and Almaden. It doesn't take much more than a
peek through 2:00 AM eyes to figure out that downtown San Jose is not a fun place to be on weekend nights.
COMMUNITY RADIO UPDATE
 Our radio correspondent, Paul
Griffin, reports that the Bush administration's war on community radio continues in full swing with the busting of another 20 unlicensed stations, but new technology has the potential to make a real mess for the FCC.
Jason Green is a Florida broadcaster who has been rousted, lost $2000 in equipment and been fined $10,000, which he refuses to pay. He's even back on the air and now the Feds can't
touch him! Apparently there is a catch that in order to bust an unlicensed broadcaster the FCC has to catch him in the act. Green now operates from a remote computer via the Internet to his transmitter, so
he and said transmitter are never in the same place.
Go, Jason! Read the story at http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=4930&z=3&p=. There's a news video link on the page too. |
