//// "Ah, you are up. It is a foggy day, we mostly get foggy days. Although, if you scratch the surface… there. Reach your hand out the window. If you scratch the surface you might hear the heart, beating away in Bloody Mary's and Margaritas. You can hear it rolling up and down the hills, upon the rails, through the many rainbows to finally reach the sea lions, guarding that old prison island. You might even see it. Wipe those glaring eyes. I am telling you, you have come to the right place. Get your boots, you better brush your teeth. It was his thirtieth birthday 1967, the summer of love. The diamond is still here, just like he was here when Zimmerman went looking for Guthrie and Kerouac published that road book. These are the famous corners, see? Ashbury/Haight, the flowers are hidden, tangled in grey braids. Strike, resist, occupy everything. It's the people. The people." /////
Me and Robert decided exactly one year ago that we were going to San Francisco. We weren't sure why or what we were going to do there, and we didn't really know each other yet, but we were sure we were going to San Francisco in the winter 2010/2011. Instead of flying straight to San Francisco, we decided to start in NYC, and reach San Francisco at the end of the tour. We saw it. And we saw it proper. For anyone who is is walking around with doubts, SF is still the SF you want it to be. Maybe even better, but I couldn't' say. I am back in the car, we are riding south to play a winery in Paso Robles this sunny, sunday afternoon. Two weeks left, before we fly out of LAX.
So, we made it to the West Coast. We started in Santa Cruz where I got to play with my good talented friend Elisabeth Carlisle again at Don Quixote Music Hall. We played a show together when she was in Sweden last year, touring. There, we also had the chance to disappear into the Redwood for hours and hours. San Francisco started with a Ty Segall show and Memphis friends, Nathan and George. Soon we met Sara Powell and played at her place, Kaleidoscope, together with Beehavers and Mark Matos. And from there, everything took off. San Francisco opened up and embraced these two Swedes. We met violinist and singer/songwriter Erma who ended up playing with us a few days later. Diamond Dave found me in the bar and told me that he was the one who showed Woody Guthrie for Robert "Bob Dylan" Zimmerman in Minneapolis. He also told Dylan inside which hospital he would be able to find Guthrie. However, I am not going to tell you Diamond Dave's story. I will let you look it up for yourselves. You will find amazing stories. Diamond was the one who invited us to play several events, kept us busy and showed us his incredible San Francisco: 'Coffee to the people', 'Common Thread on Pirate Cat Radio' etc.
When I first saw San Francisco, i saw it through the eyes of Jack Kerouac, on my floor in a small apartment in Dublin. Jack was one of a few people who made me realize that I wanted to travel on music. It took me ten years to get here…"Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free" (B.Dylan)
Visiting our friends Max & Tom in Oakland.
Walking up the Hill.
Common Thread Collective @ Black Cat Radio
West Coast Rockers on their way to play Black Cat Radio - Common Thread Collective - hosted by Diamond Dave.
Golden Gate Bridge..
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