Mea Culpa: Last issue, we mistakenly reported that Lestat's Coffee Shop has an upstairs neighbor who waters his/her plants, and the overflow drops down on patrons and the chalkboard schedule as if it's raining. We confused our mid-city acoustic java joints. Twiggs Coffee Shop has that slightly annoying, god-like neighbor. Thanks to the reader who vehemently pointed out this unconscionable misprint.
The carpet match The Drapes?
Earning a living as a musician is hard enough, especially when your day job is also reliant on the fickle music biz. Willie Carter plays bass and sings in North County punk/metal fusion act (think Body Count) The Drapes and also runs Worldwide Concerts, booking and promoting shows in San Diego, Riverside, Orange and L.A. Counties. But he's also found a way to make some quick cash-doing amateur porn.
"I've done a few movies, and damn, it's the quickest, easiest money I've ever made," Carter said. He did his first skin flick about a year and a half ago and appeared in two more over the next six months. He hasn't done porn in about a year, but said "I'm thinking about doing it again.
"It's all so easy-you just show up, they tell you what the scene will be and you do it. Four hours or so later, you walk away $500 richer."
Carter can't recall the names of the company he worked for, and was never told the names of the films (who said the porn business is shady?). He also hasn't had the pleasure of inadvertently stumbling over his blue past. "A friend of mine says she watched a movie and someone looked an awful lot like me," he said. "And I was just like, "I don't wanna hear about it.'"
Carter says the greatest embarrassment might be in the, er, attributes of his onscreen costars.
"Oh man," he said. "Some of those girls, I just wasn't having it."
Besides cavorting with a few fuglies, Carter is unashamed of the experience, and thinks it might be a funny side story if the band ever reaches Behind the Music status.
"A girl I was seeing a while ago didn't think too highly of it," said Carter, who also has neglected to mention it to his parents. "I think they might suspect, but it's kinda one of those, "don't ask, don't tell' deals.
"I know how passionate people get about pornography," he said, stating that The Drapes have a solid relationship with porn star Nicole Moore, who has graced both of their last two album covers. Moore will also grace the back cover of their upcoming release, which is tentatively titled Bringing the Ruckus and slated for release in mid-August.
"People get so mad about just seeing it on the cover, and those aren't even particularly dirty pictures. Still, we've gotten a few pissed off e-mails.
"I'm in a band and do some crazy ass shit on stage and on tour, so I don't really think it's that big of a deal," Carter summated.
The Drapes play at the Brengle Terrace on Aug. 19 with The Virus, Clit 45, Complete Control and the Wrecking Crew. www.drapes.tk.
We will (we will) rock you
"Somehow [Queen guitarist] Brian May learned of it."
Local guitarist Peter Bolland is speaking about a recording of "Fat Bottomed Girls," the Queen classic he covered as a member of country pickers Grant Langston and the Supermodels on their recent recording, Roadside Service.
"We're always looking for good covers that we can do the Supermodel treatment on-it goes over great in bars," said Bolland, who also gigs with the Coyote Problem and Gully. To his and his band's surprise, May raved about the Supermodels version of the song on his personal website earlier this month. Bolland is unsure how May even heard it, but said the legendary rocker has contacted the band personally.
"What a great compliment," May posted on his website. "I wrote ["Fat Bottomed Girls'] in what I perceived to be country style with a twist of rock, many years ago, of course. It's great to hear an interpretation by people who KNOW their country roots."
Bolland plays with both the Supermodels and Coyote Problem on Aug. 7 at the Coaster Saloon.
The man never sleeps
There's prolific and then there's slightly OCD.
As a man who seems to release an album more often than he changes the oil in his car, local troubadour Gregory Page borders on the latter. This month is typical for Page. A song he co-wrote with X frontman John Doe has just been released on Doe's new solo album, Forever Hasn't Happened Yet. Reportedly, besides Excene Cervenka, Page is the only person the legendary punk has collaborated with in terms of songwriting. Page produced the album's demo sessions in his Kensington apartment, during which the songs for his own new album, Happiness is Being Sad, came together.
"It's hard to hang around with someone like that and not be inspired," he quipped. "Using a small combo including AJ Croce on piano and Dave Curtis on guitar, this album has a more stripped feeling than anything I've done before."
Page will celebrate Happiness with an intimate show July 17. How intimate? Try a living room in Kensington.
"A house concert just seemed to be the best way to get my music across without battling the noise of a coffee machine," said Page. "What I lose in crowd size is more than made up for in intimacy. My songs work best in an unamplified setting, and a small show like this is ideal. It's just you, a few dozen people and the music."
The day after the show, Page leaves for a short tour of Australia, playing both small clubs and larger shows alongside power pop hero and MC5 sideman Marshall Crenshaw. Then he's off to France in August for a few solo dates.
Radio listeners may also recognize Page as the voice behind the new commercial spots for Hampton Inns-a spot created by local indie-rockers-do-ad-jingles company, Singing Serpent.
On the business front, look for Page's record label Bedpan Recordings to issue at least three albums this summer, including new ones from Angela Correa, Jose Sinatra and an anthology of former San Diegan Tom Brosseau. www.gregorypage.com.
Notables...
You can't keep a good man-or an opinionated little shit with the gift of written gab-down. As proof, former Farenheit editor Adam Gnade is traipsing deeper on his foray as a recording artist. SDMusicMatters.com is releasing a limited edition, five-song demo EP that serves as a glimpse of his upcoming release Yr Apartment Will Be Yr Grave. The EP comes with orders of his first spoken word album, Shiv Shiv Shake, on which Gnade's backed by the ambient sounds of Slackjaw's Dan O'Hara.
Yep, that's Switchfoot's song "Meant to Live" on the new soundtrack to Spider-Man 2. They've shot a video for the song, which splices clips from the movie with performance footage. Expect more gold and platinum for the lads.
Germany's Gottdisc Records has combined the first two albums (which include the hits "Young Girl" and "Woman") by legendary San Diegan Gary Puckett for a remastered collection.
Area composers will have an opportunity to strut their stuff this summer thanks to a contest put together by the La Jolla Music Society and MIT Media Labs. The two have joined forces to showcase a new online composition program dubbed Hyperscore. They're asking composer types to submit miniature string-quartet pieces using the program. Three will be chosen to receive their world premieres performed by the nationally renowned Ying Quartet at their October 8 concert at Sherwood Auditorium. www.toysymphony.net.
Speaking of composers, Trummerflora Collective has added one-Curtis Glatter-as the 13th member of their prolifically weird (they hate that term) and groundbreaking jazznoise ensemble.
Jewel is the first major label artist to sign up with Instant Live, Clear Channel's new concert recording service. Some of the concerts will be available in select stores, while all of the shows will be available online. And nearly everyone will complain about the draconian spread of Clear Channel's world domination.
Rocket from the Crypt heads to New York's Irving Plaza next week as one of 11 bands chosen to compete for a shot at playing Little Steven's International Underground Garage Festival. This isn't some rinky-dink battle of the bands-if chosen, RFTC will take the stage on Aug. 14 alongside Iggy & The Stooges, The New York Dolls, The Strokes and Bo Diddley.
Death metal rockers Cattle Decapitation have a CD release show at Soma July 16 for their controversial album Humanure. The controversy stems from a graphic cover featuring a defecating bloody cow, an image German record stores have felt offensive enough to refuse to stock the album.
Indie rockers Strangers Six are staging their CD-release party at Soma July 17.
A new comp to raise funds and awareness for groups including MoveOn.org, Music for America, Common Assets and the Sierra Club is out this month. Future Soundtrack for America includes a new mix of blink-182's "Feelin It," as well as a new Tom Waits track from his upcoming album, Day After Tomorrow.
91X's local music show Loudspeaker will present the latest crop of up-and-comers, including Jacob's Loc, As Yet Untitled, and former San Diegans Wet Brain at a free showcase at the Casbah on July 15. B