2/24/2014

Feb 18, 2014

THIRTY-NINETH Boston Sci-Fi film festival (THIRTEEN films, $75!) was a 100% nurd-fest! for once, the line to the MEN's room longer'n ladies! (male sci-fi nurds, but some HOT SEXY female nurds!) ok, in nutshell, First Men in the Moon (1964, HG Wells novel); Westworld (1973); Coherence (2013); The Power (1968, Susanne Pleshette is HOT! long, dark hair, schlocky '60s band ala Psych-Out, music Miklos Rozsa); Europa Report (2013); Silent Running (1972) (Bruce Dern as an ecological astronaut! original songs: Joan Baez!); Aluminum Foil Hat Contest (think TREKKIES);Truman Show (the Big Six do a rockabilly version of T. Rex's "20th century boy"!); electric dreams (1984_( PP Arnold (oh, that's MY music), Jeff Lynne (ok, i like Move) AND, for '80s retro: Culture Club/Heaven 17/Phil Oakey with his John Boucher haircut). and Winston T. Dog played "himself"). The Visitor (1979): ("crazy italian film about a telekinetic girl and the fate of the cosmos; Shelly Winters!); The world, the flesh and the devil (1959) (Harry Belafonte and Inger Stevens, interacial post-apoloyclypse love! AND Harry "rappin'" out calypso, whilst stuck in mine, unbeknown 'bout Armeddon!); Grabbers ("Irish sci-fi-horror-comedy pitting drunken humans against blood-sucking aliens"; filmed in Belfast AND Donegal AND Ronnie Self's "Bop-a-lena" played on jukebox in pub!); Children of Men (2006) has Sir Michael Caine, filmed in south east England, soundtrack of '60s classics by Donovan and Deep Purple; some classical and Britpop by Jarvis Cocker and Libertines); one side of room hollers "rice chex", other side hollers "wheat chex"; a tradition since I been goin'! Gee Julie joins me at 10 AM for Flash Gordon, filmed isle of skye, music by Queen, geeks were aiming their $15 rayguns....and lemme decribe this crowd: old hippies with white beards, barefoot, wearing jumpsuits with NASA patches; you also got a packet pf "swag", so I got 3 comic books, a Star Wars 8-ball puzzle and a copy of Mad magazine, which Gee Julie wants....a gurl that reads Mad: to quote the Grubergers: "there's your real wife!"....

Feb 20, 2014

"wednesday night medium class, First Spiritualist Church, Quincy: I had some visitors! keeping it short...."I see a tall man in uniform, full head of hair, very proud of his career...was he in Korea?....I see wounds that he may have died of"; that's my father/cuzzin,Gy. Sgt. Byron Grant Highland USMC, appearing two days before his death-date (21 feb 67)!; "I see a woman...'70s/'80s...always cooking, loved children, had hair up high in younger photo"....Dad's mother barely made 60, this must be my Grandma Blodgett, 7 kids, farmwife! "she says you're too hard on yourself and to follow your own way of thinking"; as Ma said "Mother" said: "Love many and trust few and always paddle your own canoe"!, next up was someone my "size, but without as full a beard, four children, he's making something"....my great-great-grandaddy was Pvt. Elisha M. Darling,14 WV (Civil War); MUSICIAN (drummer); SOLDIER and in 1872 postmaster in Pennsylvania! in 1880 had 4 children, one was Dad's granny..."he says he's glad you're here doin' this"....yep, a GENEALOGY AID! (Miss Lyn had married me unbeknownst to my passion for SCIENCE FICTION and GEANEALOGY! lastly,"I saw this woman enter with you; black hair/bangs/died quickly and suddenly, in '40s/'50s; she's sorry she left so soon"....that would be Christina Angell, so her and Dad FINALLY together; cant wait for NEXT WEEK! I did some readings, let's read Miss Lyn: 'I see a large woman, native American features, she's getting set to throw a coffee mug...she sends her love and sez keep going on warpath!".....(That would be my grandmother on my Dad's side!!! - Ed)

Feb 21, 2014

Been busier'n shit and luvin' it! Afrika Korps practice was GREAT, der Kaiser and I made drunken plans to tour Italy with Sonic Daze AND record a 7-inch with them as backup band PLUS play Midwest with Ted Niemiec as the Gizmos! (Rumour: John Cougar saw the Gizmos listed in 'Naptown, called and said "if it's not the Ken Highland version of the Gizmos, I aint goin'!" and THAT'S cool, I respect him more! Saturday 22 Feb Cantab Afrika Korps headline; we're doin' 5 from "Music to Kill By"; 5 from "Hello World"; first side, first Gizmos e.p. and the Hopelessly Obscure e.p.! and rhythmn section of MJ Quirk/Matt Burns is superb!

at Back Bay station, heard a blind man singin' Sam Cooke's "we're havin' a party" and OF COURSE I know Sam Cooke (my dad was a fan and he died THIS day, 21 Feb 67, KIA, Vietnam); blind guy happy I know r& b, has me buy him coffee and donut, come downstairs and he's singing "it's all over now" and i go "The Valentinos!". him: "what's your name?";"Kenne....Kenne Highland"..."I'm George"... "you're Rockin' George Leh!" beatin' tyme with his cane....
and tonight, Dad's death day, singin' Honky-tonk music with Drew Townsen, Granite Rail, Quincy! more happenin' soon!....

Feb 22, 2014

Drew Townsen's honky-tonk night at Granite Rail was a success! Bayou Boy orchestra opened up: Greedy Geezer on guitar, his son Bayou Boy on banjo, daughter Lonesome Lil on bass and Patsy Cline-ish vocals, Joey Fingers on accordion plus drums and bodram; all they need is Miss Lyn on spoons! Kinda similar to Kins They's Ashamed Of, Middle East Bakery 1992 (wow was it THAT long ago??-Ed). Drew's honky-tonk band did ALL the ole classics with different vocalists, had steel guitar/mandolin, very twangy; if you were Miss Lyn, this WOULD have been the Jim Ten! Closing Drew's Tex-Mex Sir Doug-sounding band did a twangy "Wichita Lineman" instrumental and I sang Hank's "mind your own business"....a true success, as will be Afrika Korps reunion Cantab midnight tonight!"....

Feb 23, 2014

"Oh God it's THEM again!" Afrika Korps reunion at Cantab! opening act Curtis Suburban was from NYC, dressed like 1978 power pop, had a Japanese kid on guitar and when they covered the Damned " Neat Neat Neat" Brian James perfect! Also Modern Lovers "She Cracked"! Greg Allen kicked ass too, lotsa Kinks khords I heard. Gravedancers cd is out,it's GREAT!, echoes of Free on the slow toons, cover of Mott's "Sucker"; and i sang "18" with 'em. Havent REALLY done a a gig with Ken Kaiser since 1984, but wuz like ole tymes, ole faces, dance floor packed and we WERE Live at Cantones! Rich Coffee of Gizmos was onstage in Vegas 9 pm, I was on at midnight; two Gizmos, two cities! We did hits from both Korps lps plus the Hopelessly Obscure e.p., then covers by MC5/Stooges/Brownsville station-my Dad's Michigan roots; AND "Strutter" with Matt Gilbert of Harlequin, who can pass for a member of Kiss Unmasked on a good day. Greg Allen wants to do more shows, so it shall be!"