Great White Caps

Well, as the weighty haze of chilly mornings and frigid nights starts to slowly lift itself from my life I find myself daydreaming of warm air and the smell of fresh grass (multiple types of both).  I can’t think of a better way to celebrate this coming of rebirth than jumping into our trusty white steed, Chuck Truckle, and pointing his nose south.  What lies ahead is surely hell fire and brimstone all wrapped up in a sunny little package we disguise as sweet and innocent surf rock.  But bubbling beneath the surface, just as it was in 1961, is the reality of sweaty flesh and bad intentions all in pure and unadulterated good fun.  Evidence of this was just caught this past weekend when we decided to try and do something wholesome and dignified by strapping on some acoustic guitars and inviting a select group of our friends to join us for a party and intimate performance in the vein of The Beach Boys “Party” album.  It wasn’t long before it devolved into a heady mix of dog humping, shouting and rowdy as hell renditions of both The Cramps “Let’s Get Fucked Up” and Mojo Nixon’s “Tie My Pecker To My Leg”.  I guess if anything, it proved that the four individuals comprising this band and the twisted people we attract are incapable of changing.  But really, why would we want to?  We are having the time of our lives playing rowdy music with great friends.  Once we can wash the beer off the recordings we will be sure to post as much of our acoustic mayhem as the law will allow, without incriminating anyone.  So, however you find yourself enjoying the change in the season, know that we are right there with you.

Perpetually hazed-Montag the Magnificent

Well, here I am sitting in the van outside of Somewhere, Missouri waiting to leave and head to St. Louis. This will be our last day of tour, and then we will be running in a mad dash to get home to our families and friends. The hurricane that blew through effected our lives on varying degrees and it was quite a challenging time for us to be absent from home. At least I, have an overwhelming need and desire to be a provider and support system for my wife and there is only so much you can do over the phone from thousands of miles away. Honestly the leading up to the storm was the most nerve racking for me, as the unknown is often times way worse than reality.
Last night was Halloween and who would’ve known that Kansas City was such a cool town, well I do know one person. We’ve made it almost all the way across the country in the past three days with just short stops to play, and there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Part of it is playing at a sweet brewery tonight in St Louis, can’t wait!!
Here’s how we got from Portland to Columbia, MO…
Phish-a picture of necture
Poison-look what the cat dragged in
George Thoroughgood-bad to the bone
Zappa and the Mothers-live at Fillmore east
U2-Joshua tree
Ben folds 5-whatever and ever amen
Kevin Gilbert-the shaming of the true
Anthony Jeselnick-Shakespeare
Circle Jerks-golden shower of hits
Battles-mirrored
Faith no more-king for a day fool for a lifetime
Mahavishnu Orchestra-birds of fire
Michael Jackson-thriller
Palace Brothers-days in the wake
Neil young-harvest
O brother where art thou-soundtrack
Jonathan Edwards-s/t
Outkast-the love below
Rick bartow-all of the above
Thundercat-golden age of apocalypse
Fugazi-13 songs
Maps n atlases-you, me and the mountain

I think from an early age, my wanderlust was deeply instilled into my psyche by my parents. Not only by their stories of experiences and travels, which to me sounded awe inspiring, but by the music, books and artwork they filled the house with. These things put into motion the forward trajectory my life would take on. When I was quite young I discovered Jack Kerouac in my parents bookshelf, I was curious and under recommendation from either my mother or father, I honestly can’t remember which, I read The Dharma Bums. Let me rephrase that, I inhaled The Dharma Bums and then opened to the first page and started all over again. This book had such a profound and lasting effect on me, that its value in my life is incalculable. The story of a wanderer, searching and finding everything, from nothing, to intense somethings. It sent me deep into the woods around my house, with a pack and an introspective mind. It was also quite sad at times, and that was something I needed to relate to. Hopelessness is something most of us experience on some level, certain individuals more so than others, and this book helped me to understand, or at least know these emotions on a deeper level. The same thing with music, hearing my father listening to jazz alone in our garage, hearing the way Charlie Parker’s notes bobbed and weaved through the rafters and out into the night, fighting to be free and fly towards the stars. The way John Mclaughlin’s guitar twisted and shrieked as if an animal bound by chains in a dark dungeon fighting to run the mountain sides. Or on a long drive to upstate New York, my mother playing “Brokedown Palace” and those words sticking with me to this very day… “Mama, mama many worlds I’ve known, since I first left home”. Or the elusive nature of my mothers paintings, as if abstract glimpses into a world only she ever visited. I remember sitting for what seemed like hours and looking at a painting she referred to as a triple self portrait and trying to understand how her mind worked. As an adult who shares an amazing amount of the same traits as my mother, I now understand, I only wish she were still around so I was able to share it with her as an adult, rather than as a child. All of these things added to my desire for experience and an unwillingness to sit still for too long. Many share this desire and it can be quite alienating if you allow it to be. I am fortunate enough to have an amazingly supportive and understanding wife who shares this and has moved all across the country with me, plus supports me while I leave home for a month of tour. She helps to ground me, in a way well needed while on the road. Just like Kerouac in The Dharma Bums, when he spends a month or so sleeping on his mothers back porch, we all need time to be grounded. This past weekend we spent in Portland, was a great taste of that. While living there, my wife Heather and I met and created a friendship with the Quale family, which I am quite sure will last forever. Eric, Apol and their children Conrad and Eloise were so gracious as to allow us a home for 3 nights. It was the recharge I needed to make this last leg of the tour. The only tough part about it was the intensity with which I was already missing my wife multiplied a billion times, but only a few more days left. Tour is an interesting universe, reading Will Oldham’s new book he hit it somewhat right when he said, “you’re not going to these places; the tour is its own destination. You go on tour and that’s like going some place, and the other stuff, that does not equate to what other people think when they say, ‘Oh you’ve been here, here and here?’ No, not really. I haven’t really been to those places. Every once in awhile, yes, if you get two or three days or its been a specifically unique and powerful experience, but for the most part I haven’t been to the places I’ve toured.” The shows in Oregon were great, let it be known that Zig Zag truly knows how to party and we will definitely be back! Plus, getting to play at Duff’s Garage after so many years was really a blast.

Here ya go… Diary entry coming shortly, but in the meantime what we’ve been listening to.
Brian Jonestown Massacre-take it from the man
Aziz Ansari-dangerously delicious
Warren G-regulate…g funk era
Cursive-the ugly organ
Gil Scott Heron-the revolution will not be televised
Absu-abzu
Joey Lawrence-s/t
Fatback-briefly a zombie
Getz/Gilberto-s/t
Pissed Jeans-shallow
Midlake-the trials of van occupanther
Doo Rag-chunked and muddled
JFA-we know you suck
Darkness-one way ticket to hell…and back
Bob Dylan-blood on the tracks
Beach Fossils-s/t
Bongzilla-gateway
Maps & atlases-beware and be grateful
Joni Mitchell-court and spark
tUnE-yArDs-W H O K I L L
Johnny Cash-live from Folsom prison
Natureboy RD-beats from the ground up
Flight of the concords-s/t
The Band-greatest hits
Cake-prolonging the magic
Dr Long Ghost-the peasants life
Iron Maiden-powerslave
Ancestors-mirrors
Slabdragger-regress
Rodgrigo y Gabriela-11:11
F.K.U.-metal moshing mad
Skinny Puppy-too dark park

Hey everyone.  I  thought i’d take a stab at this Tour Diary action if you don’t mind.  Don’t worry we’ll return you to your regularly scheduled Montag musings shortly.
Where to begin?  it’s been a wild couple of weeks full of great friends, great music, lots of staring out of van windows, funny smelling hotel rooms, laughter, great food, surfing, sunshine and truck stops.
i guess i’ll pick up where Montag left off at the Cinema Bar in Culver City, CA on Sunday 10/21.

After that extremely productive day rollerblading on Venice Beach we headed a little ways down the road to the Cinema Bar to load in for a show set up by our friend Adam Marsland.  Like a few shows on this run, this was set up on a Sun nite, by a friend, to help us fill up a day we couldn’t get filled for whatever reason.  Funny enough Adam had just gotten back from a show i set up for him in Easton, PA at Porters, doing basically the same thing. Go figure!

So we split the nite at the Cinema Bar (an awesome little spot on Sepulveda Blvd) with the Adam Marsland Chaos Band (his amazing band of many, many years). We played a real tight set to an enthusiastic crowd. Here’s some video Teresa, bass player in AMCB, took.

Wizard of the Shore

Adam’s set was great. They focused heavily on a lot of material from his “Hello Cleveland” album.  An album i actually play on.   I ended up on that album  b/c  i was playing on an east coast tour with Adam’s band when he decided to write a bunch of songs in about 2 days and then record them in 1 day.   8 1/2 hours to be exact.   Lots of hysterical songs about america, the music business, life, stinkbugs, Hasil Adkins, polka legends and life as a traveling musician.

Their set was really entertaining to me because i’ve never seen this music performed with the exception of the day we recorded it. i think the band was having more fun watching my reactions to the songs, than i was watching them.

I also had the chance to sit and talk with Adam after the set .   We got around to figuring out that we had both been working quite a bit from home the last year or 2.   IE no extensive traveling or touring.  He had just gotten back from a 2 week run and i was in the middle of a 4 week run.  Both of us coming to the conclusion that as hard as it can be sometimes, being on the road is instrumental to finding balance in this crazy life.   The missing link.   It’s quite easy to create a very insular world to live in.  You decide what you do, where you go,  when to go, etc etc.   We get into routines and habits.   I guess we all do this to varying degrees.  But when you go out on tour, all of that goes out the window.   You control nothing.  You have no choice but to relinquish all control and let the universe take you down the highway, in the hopes you’ll make it back a better person, in one piece, with lots of good music spread to as many folks as possible.    Sounds like a good journey to me.

Rolling up to Monterey, the clouds accumulating, in and out of consciousness I could feel the change. Northern California, although not really, kind of. The Golden State Theatre is one seriously cool joint, and the people who recently took it over are on a quick track to having the legacy of the theatre solidified for future generations. They started having smaller shows right in the lobby of the theatre, which is a beautiful space in its own right, complete with balcony and huge chandelier.

We opened for a great progressive instro band called Strawberry Girls. Next up, back to LA where we tore it up at Dipiazza’s which is a fabulous rock club in Long Beach. We crashed at Nature Boy’s crib, who is a great musician, sound engineer, producer and melodica enthusiast. His house doubles as a recording studio called Fork n Spoon. When we left Nature Boy, it was morning and he was on the front porch in his bathrobe, beer in hand and a huge smile on his face which could surely have been put there by one thing and one thing only, and Barnacle curiously had that same smile goin’ on. We then headed over and snagged an interview with Nature Boy’s bandmate and old friend of Johnny Utah’s, Josh Fischel, to talk about various things, including his project Josh Fischel and the Fiction, and one of the greatest Bigfoot stories I have ever heard.

If you would have told me at the beginning of this tour that I would be rollerblading down Venice Beach and absolutely loving it, I probably would have laughed and replied with some sort of dismissive statement. Well, that is precisely what happened, and we captured some of the most magical footage I have ever seen. Who would have known that Seaweed was so unabashedly flamboyant and smooth, once he strapped on some fruit boots. Here’s a little teaser…

Back north! This time we go to blaze into San Francisco and straight to our first guitar player and great friend, Michael “Clamhead Retard” Davidson. Another great interview, some sick Middle Eastern food and the over to what has been my personal favorite show of the tour so far. Not only was the Rock Loft full of awesome paintings by Jesse Mosher, 3 of which he did while we were playing, we got to do a set with Clamhead and I saw a dude slow dancing with what appeared to be a two foot tobacco smoking device. After we played Jesse gifted to me paintings of Santo and Johnny! What a great and raucous night!
One thing I have heard more on this tour more than ever before in my 20 years of being a musician is the overwhelming sentiment of “don’t stop doing what you are doing” from so many people. Just about every night some one tells me this. Is the universe telling me something? Are we really onto something here? Kind of feels like it.

As promised I continue to bring to you the list of our varied taste in tunes…

Dick Dale-KEXP session
Slacktone-Live
The Blue Moonies-s/t
Cheers Elephant-Like wind blows fire
Peter Tosh-live: one love peace concert
YOB-atma
Beach Boys-pet sounds
Chromeo-fancy footwork
Yacht-I believe you, your magic is real
Doors-LA woman
Soma session-Live at hot springs?
Joao Erbotta
Mitch Hedberg-do you believe in gosh?
David Cross-bigger & blackerer

Well, folks it is 1:30 in the morning Tennessee time and I am sitting in our hotel room in Hurricane Mills, which is across the street from Loretta Lynn’s Kitchen where I look forward to eating breakfast in the morning.  Now that you know where I am, let me tell you how I got here.  Tuesday we left our comfortable homes and our loving families, to start this journey across the country.  After a long and somewhat hectic drive we arrived in Charleston, West Virginia to the Empty Glass, a historic bar with live music 7 nights a week and what I was told has been a functioning bar since 1790.  Pretty amazing in this day and age.  This was also a frequent spot where the godfather of psychobilly Hasil Adkins himself, would regularly stomp, scream, savagely tear apart his guitar, and I’m quite sure more than once passed out in the alley.  This fact was not lost on me is I snarled out “I was a teenage werewolf”, since Lux Interior and The Cramps may never have been who they were if not for Hasil.  This place was full of characters, not surprisingly.  Including a very complimentary man who told Warchild he was beautiful and kissed his hand.  Oddly enough we drove out of town and ended up staying in Hurricane, West Virginia.  This morning we dived into Biscuit World, and while that sounds delightful…  I’ll just leave it at that.  We headed towards Nashville, with a short stop at the Mammoth Caves, and a jaunt through the woods to loosen our bones.  We wandered down Broadway in Nashville and stopped off at the amazing Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop, before playing our set at The National Underground.  Utah was able to reconnect and hang with an old friend and fellow drum teacher, Tim Zimmerman, who is a stand up guy and I can only assume a fantastic musician.  I think we will find out shortly, look out for his Kickstarter soon, he will be raising money for a new record with a fantastic producer behind it.  Now we are here and I am winding down with a cold beer and a sniff of scotch.

Something else I will be doing here is posting all the albums we listen to, in order,  in the van.  Some wild and some embarrassing, but all amazing.  So here we go…

ALBUM LOG:

Dirty Projectors-Swing Lo Magellan
Anthrax-Among the Living
Prince-Rainbow Children
NOFX-White Trash, Two Heebs, and a Bean
Flipper-Sex Bomb Baby
Dinosaur Jr-Green Mind
Damien Marley-Halfway Tree
Old and In the Way-That High Lonesome Sound
Witchcraft-Legend
Bonnie Prince Billy-The Letting Go
Slayer-Reign In Blood
Left Lane Cruiser-Bring Yo Ass to the Table
Ween-White Pepper
Bob Dylan-Planet Waves
Neil Young-Tonight’s the Night
John Alexander’s Sterling Jubilee Singers-Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb
Hank III-Lovesick, Broke and Driftin’
Everly Brothers-Golden Hits
Faith No More-The Real Thing
Fall of Troy-Manipulator

And here is a guy from West Virginia talking about Hasil Adkins and Jessco White…

I’m not sure how to appropriately show the amount of gratitude we feel to all of you who have supported us, whether it be personally backing our Kickstarter project or passing along the information to others, or simply listening to our music!  What started out as, and what seemed like, a pretty crazy idea to tour the whole country, put out a vinyl record, and bring a camera along to make a documentary, is now a reality.  I know it still sounds a little crazy.  But we are doing it, and it is so exciting!  Thanks to so many generous people, last night we jumped up over our goal for the Kickstarter campaign, so I can finally exhale!  We were pushed up over that goal by one seriously cool dude, who did tattoos all day and then donated the proceeds in the name of surf rock.  Mr. Eric S. Quale, my great friend, old band mate, tattoo artist and all around awesome person; and of course I can’t forget that his wife Apol and kids Conrad Danger and Eloise Sweetpea had something to do with it as well.  It is wild to think that so many people want to see us succeed as artists.  Speaking of that community, this past weekend we had the honor of taking part in a benefit, put together by Johnny Utah himself, for our close friend and fellow musician Bill Melcher and his medical bills.  To see so many people supporting each other this past few weeks has truly made me happy and has helped to put a little more faith in the ideas of community and friendship.  From the bottom of mine, and all of our hearts, a deep and humble THANK YOU!  Continue to take care of each other and I’m pretty sure we will survive.

See you along the road somewhere-Montag the Magnificent

it all started with “Weekend in New England” by Barry Manilow being blasted through the van’s speakers, and a good hearty laugh from all.  Trudging through what must have been the first snow this winter, we made it to Boston and played for a great group of people at Johnny D’s.  The next morning we rolled into South Bridge and found a fantastic little spot for breakfast, the Elm Centre Cafe.  While we were eating Seaweed happened to notice a gathering of pictures on the wall, what were they you ask?  Well if it wasn’t pictures of contestants in a pancake challenge!  Simple, all you have to do is eat seven gigantic pancakes and you get a t-shirt and the glory of feeling sick for the rest of the day.  But then we noticed on the opposing wall, one lone picture.  You guessed it, that’s the picture of the only person to ever win the challenge, the others are the documented miserable failures attempted by over 60 people.  Seaweed, being Seaweed, decided that the next day we would return and he would reign supreme upon a pile of butter and syrup!  Yeah, right Seaweed.  So for the rest of the day we all heard about how this tower of batter stood no chance against the iron stomach of a 103 lb city boy, but more on that later.  We happened to be invited to a home cooked meal Friday evening, which is a luxury that needs to be jumped at whenever on tour because it rarely happens.  Our booking agent Phil, of Simon Says Booking (shameless plug),  happens to live near Northampton and was so gracious to fill our stomachs and minds with the help of his fantastic and welcoming family.  I felt the desire to give them Great White Caps names, since they will most likely show up in my future ramblings, so I present to you the Simons, Big Krill Phil and his wife Angel Fish!  Here is a pic of Big Krill with an adorable puppy…

Then we went and played a seriously fun show at the Iron Horse in Northampton, a huge thanks to all in attendance, you all made this a memorable night.  In the morning we returned to the Elm Centre Cafe with digital recording devices in hand to document the destruction of a pancake nation.  Check back for the documented evidence of this endeavor shortly.  So after much hoopla, how many pancakes did the mighty Seaweed take down… 1 1/2!  I think Mr. Bill Melchor summed it up best when I walked outside and he said, “What the fuck’s up with your boy?!”  If I only new, Bill.  This is what happens when you are shamed by a food product…

Saturday we played the Met in Providence, and while walking around in town stumbled across something new… a snuggery!  Still not quite sure what that is.  Sunday wrapped up across the street from Yale at Toad’s Place, and dinner at Frank Pepe Pizzeria which was a serious treat.  Thanks to all of you who crossed our paths along the way, you make it happen!

Cruisin-Montag the Magnificent

Hey tourists!  The Endless Summer Tour just keeps on going with more on the horizon everyday, but what I like to do here is to reminisce about the places we’ve been.  This past weekend we rode into Lancaster, PA and then straight on up to Rochester, NY. Both of these shows were great fun, I have video of my buddy Dan going absolutely berserk on the dance floor in Lancaster which I will be sure to splice into a video soon, so look out for that coming soon.  On the road up to Rochester we found these sketchy ass latex gloves on the counter of the gas station pisser we used…

Rochester saw us in the Water St Music Hall which quickly became one of my favorite spots we have visited, due largely to the tuba hanging behind the bar and the awesome Nashville Pussy signed poster up in the balcony area.  Here is Utah making himself at home…

The owner Jon was a seriously stand up guy and wasted no time making us feel at home.  For our first time in Rochester I couldn’t have asked for a better night, the crowd was killer and we blazed through a set with fire shooting off our instruments.  How should we wrap up the night?  I know lets take the case of beer to the hotel and chug it as fast as we can!  Brad, Bliggy, Warchild are you ready?!  Hell yes, and here is what happens when Warchild falls asleep…

Thanks for all the continued support and please check the tour page for updated schedule.

Cruisin and Snoozin-Montag the Magnificent

Howdy Tourists, and welcome to the year of 2012!  So far so great in the world of Surf Rock!  We have started out this year with an appearance on the Johnny P show out of Staten Island, NY which will be airing soon, make sure to check back as we will post our performance and interview as soon as we are able.  Then we headed up north to Albany, NY and our favorite green room in the world at Jillian’s.  The crew and crowd at this joint are unbelievable, and we had a superb time rocking for all of you.  I must say that it was quite possibly my finest performance of “Betty Lou” yet!  Truly unhinged and thoroughly inspired by all the folks dancing like maniacs up in the front of the stage.  We hope to see you all soon!

What’s this week all about, you ask?  Well, this week sees our first week of our residency at the fabulous Appalachian Brewing Company out in Harrisburg, PA.  Great beer and a Surf Rock band on Wednesday nights all through February sounds like a terrific plan to me.  Then on Friday night we ride into Amish country and attack the Chameleon Club in Lancaster, PA with our best friends Start Making Sense.  I have heard great things about this venue and really look forward to playing here.  On Saturday back up north with SMS to hit Water St Music Hall in Rochester, NY.

We hope to see you somewhere along the road, and when we do don’t be a stranger and come and say “WHASSUP!!”

The Endless Summer Tour really never ends, and I hope it never does-Montag the Magnificent

Hey everyone,

This past weekend we got to take a little road trip with our good friends Start Making Sense and we had a great time bringing surf rock to a whole slew of new faces.  First stop was Jillian’s in downtown Albany, NY.  Jillian’s is home to the greatest and most plush green room any of us are aware of, up at the top of the building it is basically an apartment with comfortable couches an inviting dining room table and chairs and a mini fridge packed to the gills with micro-brews.  Here is a pic…

We had a great time and it appeared as though everyone else did as well, I had someone come to me afterwards and say, “I had no idea that I needed surf rock in my life, but apparently I do!”  Well that’s exactly why we do what we do, so thank you.  That night we piled up in the Motel 6, where apparently the non-smoking had started 5 minutes before we got there.  It’s been quite awhile since I felt dirtier AFTER taking a shower, ah the glamour never ends.

Next up we rolled into Burlington, VT and no closer than 20 yards to Nectar’s Sylvester earned a new name… Spewweed!  I won’t elaborate but I am sure you can use your imagination, just think of a late night full of Malibu Rum and an early morning Western omelette.  If you have never been to Nectar’s be sure to get there if you are ever in Burlington, it is truly a fantastic venue.  The green room here, although not quite as plush, made up for it wholly by having a never ending supply of dick graffiti.  Here is my fave…

This show was really a dream come true, we got to play to a sold out crowd of welcoming, dancing, hooting and hollering bunch of newly converted surf rock fans.  A gigantic thanks to all the people we met along the way and stay tubed for some videos from this trip!

Green Rooms and Verbed Tunes-Montag the Magnificent

This past weekend we hit the road to bring the power of surf rock to our home state of Pennsylvania!  It truly was a sensory explosion, smelling of Coppertone tasting of micro-brews and looking like the greatest movie of all time.  I’ll elaborate…  Friday night at Jon and Peter’s we swapped sets with our friend The Almighty Terribles, if you haven’t been to J & P’s then check it out it is a historic musical mainstay in New Hope and really all of Eastern PA.  We all slapped on a good coating of Coppertone so we didn’t get burned as we blazed through two forty minute sets.  Here is a performance from the night just for you,  Seaweed Shuffle.  Saturday we headed out west to Harrisburg for one seriously serious beer fest at the Appalachian Brewing Company, featuring a ton of regional brewery’s and some fun tunes by us fools!  We love this place and have had a great time playing there, be sure to keep your eyes out Harrisburg because we will be back!  Anyone who knows me is aware of my love for interesting brews so it was great to be able to try a bunch of different ones.  Some highlights were Troegs “Dead Reckoning Porter”, Spring House “Beyond the Gates Double IPA”, Blue Canyon Brewing’s “Walk of Shame Coffee Stout” and I think my favorite Raven Brewings “Poe Lager”.  Here is a picture of me dressed up as Lord Chesterfield, head over to our facebook page to see the rest of the gang and vote for your favorite Lord Chesterfield, here.

And to round out this weekend we hightailed it to Downingtown to the Paul Green School of Rock to put on a performance of our live reinvention of Point Break, and as always it was a blast.  Last week I received many calls and texts informing me of the green lighting of the remake of my beloved Point Break, and every time we perform this or I watch it on my own I am simply baffled by how anyone could think that this movie should be remade.  I mean really, who could possibly play Angelo Pappas but Gary Busey, who in this world could ever again take on the character of Bodhi now that Patrick Swayze has departed this plane of existence, who has the chrome plated testicles to attempt the insurmountable feat of playing Johnny Utah but Keanu Reeves?  Who I ask?  That’s right, no one.

A humongous thank you to all the staff and patrons of these wonderful places we visited this weekend and stay tubed as always for more stories from the road.

Coppertone and Crystal Malt-Montag the Magnificent

We were shown an amazing time this weekend in New York, and I can only hope that we showed a few of you an amazing time as well!  First up, in NYC on Friday night, we showed the walls of Sullivan Hall a good helping of salt water and frenzied sand in a whirlwind set designed to wholly obliterate people’s psyche’s.  Alright maybe that is a little excessive, but we sure as hell tried to take that place by storm.  Fortunately we were met with a sea of dancing folks the likes of which I haven’t seen in NYC for quite some time.  After which we all enjoyed some falafel sandwiches from the great Mamoun’s, here is a picture of Seaweed happier than a Lebanese boy with Tahini dripping down his face, oh wait that’s exactly what he is…

We then travelled to Long Beach where we were swiftly told to leave the beach by a policeman, that’s ok it can wait until the morning.  Our friend Andrea and her husband Chris were extremely hospitable and allowed us to crash there beach pad, even though it had been ravished by Hurricane Irene only days before.  As well as setting up the spot for us to hold our guerilla attack on the unsuspecting pedestrians and professionals surrounding the Quiksilver Pro headquarters.  Over the course of the afternoon we played to an ever growing crowd of spectators, all culminating in one of the most unexpected shows we have played thus far.  To be able to show up in a place completely unannounced and have that sort of reaction is simply a joy, a great write up by Sea by the City summed it up really well, read it here.  Here is a video they shot…

And here are some pics from the day shot by Andrea…

Thanks to everyone and keep this dream alive.

-Montag the Magnificent

To add to what Seaweed spouted below.  I want to firstly thank all of the attendees to Plaza Tropical for our set on Wednesday.  It truly was the most fun I have had performing in quite a while.  It was raining relentlessly up until our set, which seems to be a GWC tradition for Musikfest, and to see so many faces filling the tent and spilling out around it was fantastic!  The energy in that tent was unbelievable, and I truly feel like we reached everyone in that place.

After we were done playing, I started to wrap up my stuff and immediately a man walked up to the stage in front of me with his son in his arms, who couldn’t have been older than 2 or 3.  The boy gave me a huge high five and said, “My name is Bobby, I really liked you guys!” Me, “Thanks Bobby, my name’s Montag the Magnificent!”  Bobby, “I said BOBBY!”  It was still loud in there.  Then I had a young lady come over who was probably about 13 or 14 and gave me a very nice compliment and asked if I could have everyone sign her copy of Sting of Death she just got, so I ran around and found everyone to sign it.  Then a nice gentleman with grey hair, I won’t guess his age, did the same.  So, I am not here trying to stroke my own ego, I am just so excited about the fact that I feel like we accomplished a task so hard to do.  We had folks of every age grooving to the same vibe!  I was so stoked  that I spent the rest of the night floating on a cloud.  The amazing Kenyan food I got by Volksplatz helped that as well.  Look out for an interview with Sylvester Seaweed and I by Dag, a dj from Montreal whom we have had the joy of talking to before.  Check out his show – “After Dinner with Dag” !

Again a huge thanks to everyone involved!  I leave you with this picture of myself looking at my guitar like it just insulted my hair!

Shreddin-Montag the Magnificent

“Musikfest”

Definition: A 10-day music festival, dozens of live performances all day long, sprawling throughout Bethlehem, PA. (Bethlehem, home to your favorite surf band!)

Key points: Walking around with a 24 oz mug of beer all day and night, catching free music at every corner…. also… there’s Polka too.

Use it in a sentence: “I gotta catch the Caps at Musikfest! If I miss this show I’ll be stuck listening to top 40 cover bands all night.”

This year, we played what I would consider our greatest 1-hour set. Other shows might go on longer, in sweaty bars where you can swear at people and its a compliment. But at Musikfest, you have to keep in mind that there are little kids and senior citizens there too! So… we put together a set-list of some shakers, some traditional stuff, and a couple garage rock vocal tunes to liven it up. It may have only been 6pm in the evening. It may have been raining cats and dogs. It may have been GREAT. Our audience consisted of every walk of life young and old, and we were greeted with awesome crowd enthusiasm. We look forward to more festivals like this!

Here’s a couple photo teasers.

Me! photo by Trevor Lanning

Montag The Magnificent, photo provided by Musikfest

alright, back to the ocean for now
-Seaweed

Well, traveling upstate New York is always a treat.  Beautiful countryside and welcoming people are what make being out on the road a real pleasure.  First we hit Snug’s in New Paltz, a great little dive right on the main street.  Super friendly people dancing and hooting for us made for a great night.  Plus it was our friend Jon’s birthday so we got to get him wasted!  New Paltz seems like it is in a bubble of make-believe, proven after we played and went over to “Gourmet Pizza” for a late night slice, we all cracked up as we watched the pizza cook behind the counter going nuts dancing and singing to a Madonna song.  Not sure where else you are going to witness that sort of carefree attitude on the east coast.  The pizza was amazing by the way.

I made it my personal mission to tear the sticker off of Seaweed’s hat on this trip.  His only rule “It has to be on my head when you do it!”  A challenge I gladly accepted, here is Seaweed protecting his beloved gold sticker…

Next up, we headed way North to Watertown for the Black River Kayaking Fest.  Wow, can these fools party.  When we first rolled up to the site, the first thing I did was head to the water, which is pretty much the first thing I do anytime I am near water.  Luckily we showed up just in time to see the “Floateo”, which happened to be people “surfing” in a wave in the river on various blow up dolphins, boogie boards, rafts, etc.  Here’s a pic…

That night we played for a group of dancing, sweaty fringe lifers dressed like their favorite 80′s movie characters.  After which they partied until the sun came up, I know because I still heard them as I crashed in the van.  At about 3 in the morning, beer still in hand and after many failed attempts, I head-locked Seaweed and tore the sticker off his hat, all while not spilling a drop of my frosty beverage.  The following day they took us down the river.  As I sat laughed my ass off watching Utah damn near drown in a river wave called , “Cruncher”, I thought of how nice it would be if tour was always like this.

Totally stoked on these river waves-Montag the Magnificent

It’s July… in fact, it’s almost August. We’re in between summer gigs and need to jump in the studio and get something off our chests… what exactly we are recording is not yet to be discussed! Maybe its a neo-dance punk 7″ split with George W. Bush’s daughters’ band on the B side… or maybe its a cooking demo on tape. Lets just say… its starting to snow in PA!

-Seaweed

Check out GWC on South Beach!  Montag’s marketing scheme is looking better every day!

Thanks to Jesse “Sonic Maximizer” Norman for making this sweet beach tote for me and

the lady!

Alright, so as we get ready to head to upstate New York for a few shows, and on my frequent trips to the shore, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite summer jamz.  Although I would love to tell you to listen to only the new Great White Caps album, here are some truly great tunes which make the sun shine  a little brighter.

Wavves-King of the Beach  I am thoroughly obsessed with this record right now, just right for cruising down the Atlantic City Expressway.  Highlight, “Convertible Balloon” get this song going when you get that first smell of the ocean.

Japanese Motors-S/T  Ridiculously amazing pro-surfer Alex Knost’s ridiculously fun indie rock band.  Perfectly southern California in sound and attitude, this record has been my morning cup of coffee for the last week straight.  Highlights, “Single Fins and Safety Pins”, “Better Trends”.

No Age-Losing Feeling  At only four songs, this e.p. leaves me sitting in silence for a few moments when done, contemplating what I just heard.  After a day on the beach and in the waves, mind suitably dreamy, this record is almost like listening to what you are feeling.  The whole thing is a highlight.

Black Lips-Arabia Mountain  Simply put, this record is just fun.  It sees the production stepped up from previous Black Lips records, but don’t question its rawness, because anyone familiar with these Atlanta dudes knows they can’t be tamed.  Highlight, “New Direction”, something worth searching for when coastal cruising.

As always, kick up the jamz and roll all your windows down.  And throw on “Sting of Death” between all other records!

Wind in my hair-Montag the Magnificent

Just a stone’s throw from route 22 in Dunellen, NJ sits a hidden gem.  Roxy and Duke’s Roadhouse is the type of joint you run across that feels separated from time.  Like a multi-colored dream sequence out of a John Waters film, Tiki lights and sideshow art cover the walls, and a giant sculpture of a woman’s face hangs behind the stage, bathed in green light.  When I walked in carrying my guitar, I was greeted by Link Wray pumping from the speakers, and then with a friendly handshake by the owner.  We played a scorching set to some very enthusiastic people.  After the set as I was walking back to join my girl on a cream colored vintage couch, she looked like a frosted glass of lemonade on a hot summer’s day  by the way, I was stopped by a couple… The man, “Oh wow, you guys were really great!”  Me, ” Thank you so much!”  The woman, ” I was a little slighted by that shitty waves song though, no just kidding” with a big smile of course.  Me, ” Oh, we are all from Jersey and I love the shore, but the surfing there is pretty tough.”  The man, ” It’s true, the waves in Jersey totally suck!”  and we all had a good laugh.  This interaction reminded me why I loved growing up in Jersey, in a place which gets shit on daily by everyone that surrounds it, the people who call it home develop a strange sense of humor coupled with balls of steel.  Great White Caps look forward to returning to this spot in the future, and watch out Jersey because I pull no punches, mainly cuz I know you can take it!

I just finished reading an article, in issue 20.3 of The Surfer’s Journal, about surfing in NJ.  Jon Coen goes through a history of surfing in NJ and what it means to call the Garden State home.  Both eye opening and reaffirming to me, he sums up these feelings wonderfully…” Adversity becomes like a tough-love family, one you hate growing up in, but eventually can’t live far away from.  People develop an outer toughness around warm hearts.  And absorbing the constant Jersey ridicule only makes your love of home grow.  …As we say here- ‘Fuggem.’”

Living in shorts-Montag the Magnificent

On June 3rd, a long time dream was realized.  From the first time I saw Point Break, I was hooked.  There was simply nothing more exciting and awe inspiring than the images I witnessed… but what about the sounds?  Not to discredit Mark Isham, for he is super talented, but damn did this movie need surf rock blasting out of the speakers!  I mean how could you not follow “I caught my first tube this morning… sir.” with a deedley deedley deedley deedley and a pounding drum beat?!  It didn’t stop me from burning my retina’s with the film hundreds of times over the years, but I yearned to re-score this movie like a man stranded in the desert longs for fresh water… and then I saw my oasis.  Erected on the site of what looked like something from Mad Max, the Steel Stacks.  Finally presented with the opportunity to fulfill an adolescent dream, no not the one where I go to the Malibu Sands Beach Club with Zach, Kelly, Slater, Jesse, Screech and Lisa, the Point Break one, I dove in head first.  With the help of my fellow Great White Caps, we created what I hope will become something we can do over and over again.  After months of practicing this thing by ourselves, it was truly a joy to perform it with an audience.  I was thrilled to hear the reactions, laughing, yelling, dialogue quoting and general rowdiness which was on display.  So to all the surfers, skydivers and spectators which attended, a huge thank you is in order.  One final note, the Museum of Modern Art has finally confirmed my sanity and is showing Point Break as one of its selections for June, ya see!  It is ART!!!

Keep it strong- Montag the Magnificent

From this place you will find tales, some tall some small, from our adventures bringing surf rock to the masses. Keep an eye out for appearances by all your favorite Great White Caps characters, and stay tuned to the tour videos for some general tom foolery from the road… If you want the ultimate, you’ve got to be willing to pay the ultimate price!