At Home He’s a Tourist – Jason Pancake’s May 19th CA Election Guide
by Jason Pancake
(Jason Pancake is a Harvard graduate, music aficionado, and bassist who also happens to work for the goverment.)
Ok, I always get asked to write up some notes on elections. Here is the latest. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: As always, my opinions here are based on how I feel about issues and what I like or dislike. Definitely, no one is paying me for writing this. For just about everyone (except a few special interest groups), there are no winners in this election. It is just a matter of by how much you will lose. Therefore, for this election I can’t really make recommendations for some of these. Honestly, it’ll be a last second decision for me.
Quick back story:
Wondering why we are having yet another expensive special election in CA? Remember how it took forever to get a budget and things like the DMV were being closed? Unlike most states, CA has a strict requirement where 2/3 of the legislature must approve the budget. The Republicans make up just above 1/3 so they know that they can hold out and have their ransom demands made. In the end the Governor and Democrats sort of “bribed” a few Republicans to support the budget and carefully worked out the measures on this election with lobbyists, and other special interest groups to scrape together some money and please everyone – Democrats and Republicans.
Fast forward to now, depending who you hear it from, there are two scenarios with this election: 1) If these propositions don’t pass, it will doom the State to go broke and have to live out of its car, or Scenario 2) These are just a big scam by the politicians to keep business going as usual with the decoy of budgeting reform and saving us from drastic cuts. Who is right? Except for a few select special interest groups, there are only losers from this. Sadly, of course some people (i.e. the poor/unemployed/ill) have more to lose than others if something isn’t done.
Because CA has the strict 2/3 requirement to approve funding items, politicians and special interest groups know that they can rely on putting issues before the voters that they can’t agree on (or don’t want to make a decision on) in the legislative process. (For example, tax increases and controversial issues like gay marriage). Then once they add in the over-complicated conditions and legal wording, (and trust me, lawyers/politicians for both the Yes and No sides carefully negotiate all wording) they know that then it becomes a fight to see who can better argue for their point of view. By making the proposition too difficult for an average (or even well-informed) voter to understand, it becomes a pure marketing campaign and debate club contest. The proposition/voter initiative process is its own industry. Lobbyists, lawyers, and special interest groups rake in their money to argue the points of view. Advertisers, politicians, and political parties rake in money to spread these points of view through TV commercials, articles, and speeches. And meanwhile, these propositions let politicians off the hook if things go bad because they can claim “that the vote was the will of the people,” when in fact they had to sponsor the propositions to get them on the ballot and they also did not want to be stuck with having to take the action themselves. If the measures actually aren’t a disaster, people can pat themselves on the back because they “made the right decision”. Why should politicians and special interest groups give up on this formula when people keep approving these propositions?
Now to the propositions. To fully educate yourself, you can read the State’s official voter guide here: www.voterguide.ss.ca.gov. If you have time or insomnia, this has good stuff too: http://www.cbp.org/publications/ballot_prop_land.html
Here is a great article on how special interests pretty much shaped this year’s budget and these propositions. http://www.sacbee.com/politics/story/1829631.html
Wondering why there was a sales tax, State income tax and Vehicle License Fee increase recently and not any other tax increases? There was a proposed gas tax increase, but of course gas companies like Chevron made some donations to get rid of it. An increased alcohol tax was proposed, but the alcohol and liquor store lobby didn’t want that. Meanwhile, there was a proposal to add sales tax to event tickets (as if Ticketmaster didn’t rip us off already), but that was met by resistance. Not so coincidentally, a lot of these interest groups have donated to support these ballot measures which were part of the compromise. For example, the Anschutz Entertainment Group (parent company of LA Kings, Staples Center), the Lakers, Clippers, and Golden State Warriors, donated to support the measures.
Proposition 1A: This is the key measure on the ballot and is a Frankenstein of compromises. This report has full descriptions. Basically, Prop 1A would try to keep the budget more stable by creating an improved “rainy day fund” and there would be limits on how this can be used. It would also cap the amount that the State can spend in good years using a strict formula. It would extend the temporary sales tax increase by one year and the vehicle license fee and State income tax increases for another two years. The taxes would help raise an additional $16 billion for the State.
Deltron3030 Recommended: Green Day ’21st Century Breakdown’
If long ago you had asked me what band would rise from the ashes of the apathetic and listless 90’s and be reborn as the mouthpiece of the Anti Bush America my first guess would have been Nirvana. I could have seen Cobain ,growing older. and as a father, turning into an artist who could galvanize the youth of America, politically, and not have it feel forced. He’d simply be doing it to ensure a positive future for Francis Bean and the naked Nevermind baby. Thanks to drugs, guns, and Courtney Love that never happened.
My only other guess would have been Rage Against the Machine. The formation of Audioslave stripped all credibility from Tom Morello and company. Damn You Chris Cornell.
Who did that leave us with? That’s right, Green Day. With albums named after poo and songs about masturbation they were definitely not the most likely of candidates. Against all odds they somehow outgrew their nasal jerk pop punk persona and became the champions of tomorrow’s hope and ideals. American Idiot was a huge change for them and for many became the soundtrack to the Bush Era. The formula worked and the timing was right….so right that they are back at it again. The godfathers of pop punk return with their second concept album. This Post Bush anti war/anti religion punk opera opus is divided into three acts: “Heroes and Cons,” (tracks 2-7) “Charlatans and Saints,” (8-13) and “Horseshoes and Handgrenades,”(14-18) and follows a young couple, Christian and Gloria, through the mess and promise of the century so far. The general plot, according to Rolling Stone:
“21st Century Breakdown is a Seventies-style epic, telling the story of two young punk lovers on the run in the wreckage of post-Bush America. The heroes are Christian and Gloria, two kids sold out by the church (“East Jesus Nowhere“), the state (“21 Guns“) and every adult they’ve ever believed in (“We are the desperate in the decline/Raised by the bastards of 1969″). Christian’s the impulsive, self-destructive one (“Christian’s Inferno“), while Gloria’s more idealistic and political (“Last of the American Girls“), but they’re forced to take care of each other — because nobody else will.“
Some pretty heady relevant stuff. A far cry from those mid 90’s Dookie lovers. Check it out now!
21st Century Breakdown will be released tomorrow May 15th
Learning by Example: Music, Doing It Right – Automatique
Every now and then we are going to point out some bands/music artists that are doing some stuff right. In March you heard from the Randies, from who a lot could be learned from regarding the world of DIY Touring (read their Q&A here). To clarify because a band is doing some stuff right, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are signed to a label, are playing to stadiums full of people, have scored hefty distribution, or even publishing deals. The music industry is still a long ways from transitioning into the new day and age and it seems bands are finally starting to realize how much power they hold in their own hands.
www. myspace.com/automatiqueband photo by Jessy Plume
The band being used as an example today is LA based Automatique. Please note that when a certain band is focused on, it doesn’t mean other bands/artists aren’t doing the same thing or that every band should do everything these bands/artists do. Once a band/artist has fully developed their identity and achieved a mastery of their sound or at least created an identifiable sound/image then they can decide what works best for them. Any bands/artists used as an example is purely that, an example of how they are doing things that seem to work for them and fit their style. For myself the best way to learn is through observation, example, and trial and error. I will trust that for much of the general population this works as well, being as life doesn’t come with an instruction manual.
I first came across Automatique through friend Jon Hershfield (of www.isgoodmusic.com – check it out). He was friends with this band and had suggested them to me as a potential band to book. I went and checked out the band with Jon and his then fiancee (now wife) Shannon at The Scene in Glendale. I can honestly say I wasn’t blown away (but it turned out they had just recently started playing together as a band at that time) although I didn’t hate their sound either– but I did notice a positive energy, friendly attitude, and good rapor with the crowd they were playing to that evening. We ended up booking them on a bill and then a few more down the line as they showed up consistently to many of our shows as a band even when they were not playing to show their support and also made an effort to get to know our built in crowd of regulars that showed up to the weekly shows.
They seemed to grasp the concept of strength in numbers and the give and take support system that was the underlying theme of that scene. Although that mentality in this town can be a rarity and is commendable that is not what I will focus on. Throughout the years that I’ve known them I have seen them do a few things that show that this is one band that understands what tools they have at their disposal and readily utilize them.
The following is a list of some of the things I’ve seen them do that work for them which I feel other bands/artists should take note of:
The Band Photo – Many bands shoot a band photo once and then leave that up on their sites/myspace/etc. for a long period of time and never change it up. People like to see new pictures of the bands they are following, maybe not every day but at least every few months. Automatique does a really good job of changing their photos out fairly often. They mix it up with live shots, candids, and more professional photographs. These photographs do a great job of showing their audience a glimpse into each of their personalities.
Band Video Footage – Automatique TV – With how easy it is to create videos many bands do this nowadays, the posting of pseudo video diaries/random videos. Automatique however, was one of the first bands that I saw really embrace this via their Meet The Band Video that allowed you a further glimpse into what each of the band members were like and what their style of music was like, etc. They now have a few dozen videos available for viewing of live performances, hanging out and being silly, as well as more serious insight into the stories behind their songs (which you can view here), etc.
Automatique – Meet the Band
Music Videos – Besides their random videos for Automatique TV, they also have managed to make a great music video (directed by TRAffIK’s own Byron Turk) on a limited budget that actually fits their song “High Wire.” (You can watch it here as well as read a making of Q&A with Byron)
Maintaining Professionalism – Having booked many various types of bands at different levels in their careers you come across many types of personalities. Although, I haven’t really had many bad experiences I always am glad to encounter bands that maintain a certain level of professionalism. Maintaining professionalism is a great way to put your band in the running for future bookings. Automatique excels at this and not only (speaking from my experience) do they do their best to promote their shows, but also show up on time, follow load-in schedules, don’t run into other bands set times by playing longer than their time slots, and they are always pretty good about thanking the bands who put the shows together as well as sticking around for other bands on their bills.
Crowd Consistency – In this town it is very difficult to keep a consistent crowd coming out to your shows as you are not only competing with the ten trillion other bands that play on the same night you do, but also every other event (from art shows, fashion shows, to photo exhibits, movie screenings, etc.) and not to mention people’s lives in general (work,etc.). The first thing this band does is not OVERPLAY which is great for their fans as they don’t feel they have to make it out every week to see them and allows them to keep a strong fanbase. The second thing is they INTERACT with their crowd via their live shows, hanging out with people drinking/chatting, and also via the the fore-mentioned videos, myspace page, etc. They treat them all like friends. Last of all they SUPPORT bands they play with or bands they’d like to play with when those bands are playing shows that they are not. Aside from supporting the bands they also support their fans at their events, etc.
There are many other things that could be said about this band that are positive and could be learned from, but those are the main areas that I have observed them achieving consistency throughout my dealings with them as a band. Even if I didn’t like their music (which is not the case, as I am a fan), I would still have to give them credit for what they do right.
As an aside Automatique should be credited with my meeting of the amazing team of photographer Jessy Plume and video producer/editor Byron Turk.
To learn more about Automatique or see upcoming shows visit www.myspace.com/automatiqueband
Tour Food! Part 1
Touring these days, for a band that’s not U2, is more or less a constant battle against the scent of people who haven’t showered in weeks, rapidly encroaching facial hair, diffident or non-existent audiences, and wracking doubt as to where the next tank of gas is going to come from. One thing that’s always made it nearly worthwhile for me, though, is getting to eat food at lots of different places across the country. Between three national tours (often accompanied by our good friends, rock and roll powerhouse New MaximumDonkey) and a number of smaller west-coast tours, we in Get Set Go have pretty much nailed down our favorite places to eat in most of the cities into which we roll, smelly, sleep-deprived, and unshaven. I will make the caveat that I am by no means any kind of food critic—in fact, thousands upon thousands of cigarettes have basically turned my palate into an ashtray. But it’s still an ashtray that likes Philly Cheesesteaks, and often I’m able to gauge whether something is tasty by how unhealthy it is. If I was the kind of guy who made maps, I’d make a map of America with these restaurants marked on it, but what the hell…nobody needs maps anymore, what with the internet and all. Oh, one last thing: for a nanosecond I considered putting links to these restaurants’ entries on yelp.com, but I don’t like most of the people who post comments on yelp.com. As with any other place on the internet where groups of people are asked to provide an opinion, around 85% of people posting on Yelp are an annoying mess of execrable grammar and noisy self-righteousness. Those are attributes that should be the exclusive domain of people who have their very own weekly columns.
FROM OUR MAKE-UP BAGS TO YOURS: Whats in BB’s Makeup Bag this Summer?
Whats in BB’s Makeup Bag this Summer
This should acutally be titled “whats not in bb’s makeup bag” since my little carry on is big in weight! But if I must slim down and only carry with me the things I MUST have, it would be 3 things. bonzer, gloss and “Splash” by Marc Jacobs.
The bronzer I haven’t been able to live without is the Brick by Bobbi Brown. The bronzy shimmery rainbow warms up skin tones and gives you a sunkissed glow that is gorgeous! I’ve tried other bronzers and been pretty happy with them but this one really is one that has become a staple of my beauty regime. The striped frost, sand, beige and bronze colors work together perfectly. I use mine when I’m rushing out the door and don’t have time for much – no face makeup just brush the brick over cheeks, bridge of nose and forehead add gloss and go. Easy, fresh and bronze! 
Bobbi Brown Bronzer in Brick (retail $38.00)
Two glosses I’m stuck on. Kiss Me by Benefit is the perfect baby pink. Its natural and still girly and flirty. It stays on pretty good unlike some of those super sticky glosses that feel like your lips are being glued together. Also any Juicy Tube by Lancome is amazing. Color in my bag now is Miracle – its pink and perfect when you don’t want an overdone color.
Lancome Juicy Tubes (retail: $16.50 – $18.50)
And finally, I would replace any one of my other cosmetics with this light Splash by Marc Jacobs. The big bottle comes with an empty small purse size bottle that you can travel with – that one stays in my purse at all times! I love to drench myself in this scent especially in the summer.
Adventures with Lady Di – What Rock ‘n’ Roll Looks Like
I Photograph Rock Stars…
Yes, Greg Watermann, you do.
Last Thursday, Lady Di and I ventured out to A&I Hollywood for the opening reception of the Greg Watermann Photo Exhibit “I Photograph Rock Stars.” Greg Watermann has a fairly strong following in the rock ‘n’ roll world from both the bands he photographs (Linkin Park, Slipknot, System of a Down, etc.) as well as the fans that get to enjoy these photos of their favorite bands, not to mention all of his peers in the field of photography many of which also showed up to show their support.
I tend to make it out to events like this with less frequency these days due to my sometimes crazy schedule, but always make an effort when my friends are involved. I still probably go out more than the average person, because it usually is my friends that are involved. If there is anything any LA resident knows it’s that LA is incestuous and it’s usually the same people who over and over make things happen (I’ll elaborate on this someday but not today).
Upon arrival it quickly became apparent that Dallas, TX would be the theme of the evening as Lady Di (a Texas native) instantly recognized an old friend named Steve that she hadn’t seen in years who also happened to be a member of one of her favorite Dallas bands. Steve is officially the first person I’ve ever met that lived in Antartica.
Although almost everywhere we go we are bound to know some people, this evening was no exception and it was nice to run into old friends instantly. There is nothing worse than being stuck at something that feels stuffy where everyone is trying to be overly cool and no one is having a good time. The lyrics “A room full of plastic smiles and an empty glass,” from “The Situation” by now broken up Ventura band The Return come to mind. Doesn’t that sound more like a nightmare than a night out?
We proceeded to grab some drinks and didn’t realize until midway through the evening that we had to purchase drink tickets to drink since the bartenders never asked us for any. Lady Di and I have a knack for many things like being ushered into secret rooms and for unintentionally befriending bartenders everywhere we go (time has proven that’s not such a bad thing as this equals free drinks, although we never ask for them), and this event was no exception as they tried to arrange a post-event hang out which we awkwardly laughed our way out of.
After doing a walk-through and taking a look at all of the photographs and watching a video featuring Watermann’s work with System of a Down, we quickly were back in the thick of a reunion and waxing nostalgia as a couple more of the members of the Dallas band Steve was in were spotted (they were all getting together to lay down some tracks this past weekend for a new project Steve has embarked upon), which included the drummer and one of Lady Di’s favorite people Joe Fulginiti. Joe also happens to be part of the A&I Hollywood team along with one of my favorite people in LA, Jason Costanzo, who because of busy schedules I rarely see despite the fact that he lives a couple of blocks from me.
A&I Hollywood regularly puts on photo exhibits at their Highland Ave. gallery such as the L.A. Nude 20 year Anniversary, which featured live nudes mingling through the crowds while showcasing photography from over forty photographers including Dennis Hopper, Douglas Kirkland, and Herman Leonard. I unfortunately had to miss this event when it happened as Brandy (BB) and I were putting on the “Unconventional” Fashion Show in Culver City in conjunction with Indie Collective and Seed Clothing that same night. The best part of the A&I Hollywood events is that A&I owner Baret Lepejian designates a charity which will be a recipient of any proceeds from each event. Baret is usually present at each of the events gregariously mingling with the crowd. If you happen to run into him, ask him what he likes to collect, and if you’re lucky you might get to see the actual unique items. I can honestly say I’ve never met anyone who collects what he does and doubt Lady Di had either.
It was a fun night filled with random multiple run-ins like The Woods owner and another of my favorite people Michelle Marini, AM (who is playing Spaceland with his new band Mondo Domingo this Saturday May 16), among many others.
Best dress of the evening award goes to the girl wearing this BeBe Studded Trapunto dress (retails at $249) that we would’ve never guessed was a BeBe dress. This was a perfect dress for the nighttime occasion just rock ‘n’ roll enough with the studs, gunmetal, and diagonal zip design completely avoiding the “stripper” look which I did see a couple of girls sporting.
I had actually almost forgotten all about this dress but happened to catch the Kellie Pickler “Best Days of Your Life” video and am pretty sure this is the same dress Taylor Swift is wearing in it.
It was a fun evening full of good people.
Please visit Greg Watermann’s official website www.gregwatermann.com to view his photographs. This exhibit will continue at A&I Hollywood from May 7 – June 10 and then at A&I Santa Monica from June 18 – July 24, visit www.aandi.com for more information.
You can also read more about the opening reception itself here.