It's been a Rainbow Stew kind of morning. John Hofer turned me on to that Hag record- Rainbow Stew- and told me that it was one of his favorites. It's a wonderful album, recorded live at Anaheim Stadium in 1980; the Hag is not giving a shit and the drummer is on quaaludes. It's the perfect album for reminiscing.

So this morning, I'm reminiscing about the recent sojourn that the Hiss Golden Messenger family took northwards. I'm a horrible documentarian: There were virtually no usable pictures of friends or family. But you'll get the general idea.

Much love and many thanks to Julian and Juliette, Linda, Scott and Emily, Terry, Michael Talbott, Abby, Meg, Pat, Nadia, the Endless Boogie crew, Brendan and Samantha, Chris, Lex and Will, the Bovina Connexion, Max at the Brickbat, the Golden West Cafe, Television Hill, and The Agrarians in Baltimore, and everyone else we encountered along the way.

I love Suicidal Tendencies; this is my bid to get Mike Muir out here.

Welch beshirted juggler.

Brendan and Samantha size things up.

Jay and June Sparrow; June brought down a big jar of moonshine, and the low country boil (below), and instantly became the most popular guy at the party. He was walking around like he owned the place. Actually, he does own the place.


Hem of His Garment. All natural.

The end of the beginning of the end of the road.

Philadelphia Turnaround, 4 AM, following a heavy session of Gary Stewart, Hillbilly Martinis (Bacardi over ice with a slice of lemon), and tokes with soul brother Chris Smith. We almost cried.

HGM via Brooklyn; Lathan Hardy pulls a Chris Wood. Yair Evnine was in the band too. Killing it.

Eamon Ore-Giron on the rise.

Talbott

Garden gnome

Alexa and Will's Bushwick greenspace

Juliette in the kitchen, Bovina, NY. Lulu on the left.

Julian and Juliette

We got our music festival started in the barn, and it was grand. Tandy, the Family Band, The Disciples of Agriculture, Michael Talbott & The Wolfkings, Meg Baird, Hiss Golden Messenger, P.G. Six, and Endless Boogie played. It went all day and through the night.

The Heavenly Chorus.

P.G. Six on fire.

At a certain point, it didn't matter if we used the flash or not. Endless Boogie took us to the zone. Paul Major proposed to his girlfriend over the mic during the first song. She went apeshit, and we all lost control. Jesper Eklow took off his guitar and watched his own band for a while. Meta. Hirsch dubbed the vocals Tubby-style. Then we went for a swim and had a bonfire.

Then we drove home.

:::1st Annual Groover's Paradise/HGM Tour:::

:::One and all:::

Thursday, July 31st will mark the 1st Annual Groover's Paradise at Eaglewing Farm. This happening will feature The Curtains of Night, Hem of His Garment, Horseback (aka Jenks Miller), and Hiss Golden Messenger, plus folks playing records, grilling, and reveling in the mid-summer heat. Groover's Paradise will be going down on our land (which we rent from the venerable Sparrow Family), and we encourage everyone to bring their own beer/booze, grillables (and possibly stoves, if you have portable ones), instruments, and tents. Anyone is welcome to camp in our yard or the surrounding area; there will be no tipsy driving. We ask for respectful behavior.

Paradise will open its gates at about 5:00 PM or so; music will start at 6 PM. Although this is a free show, donations are encouraged. We'll pass around a collection plate.

The address is 1533 Clearwater Lake Road, Chapel Hill, NC, 27517.

To get here:

Take the 15/501 South towards Pittsboro.
Go left on Mt. Carmel Church Road immediately after crossing the James Taylor Bridge.
Go roughly two miles, and make a right on Clearwater Lake Road.
Make your first right down the gravel driveway; Eaglewing Farm is the first house on the left.

Please feel free to send this invite to folks that might be interested. All are welcome!

::::



Incidentally, Groover's Paradise will be the first whistle stop on a short tour that Hiss Golden Messenger is undertaking. The rest of the dates are as follows::

Friday, August 1st @ The Golden West Cafe, Baltimore, MD w/ Television Hill, Old Tender Heart

Sunday, August 3rd @ Brickbat Books, Philadelphia, PA

Tuesday, August 5th @ The Cake Shop, New York City, NY w/ Electric Tickle Machine, Dinowalrus, Teenage Souls & Ed Schrader

Thursday, August 7th @ Union Pool, Brooklyn, NY w/ Michael Talbott, Backwords, Pure Horsehair

Saturday, August 9th @ Julian and Juliette's Farm w/ Meg Baird, P.G. Six, Michael Talbott, Endless Boogie, Disciples of Agriculture, and Tandy

We will also be taping a performance with our old friend Irene Trudel for later broadcast on WFMU.

Check those links for times and costs.

If you would like us to play somewhere for you in between Baltimore and Philadelphia on the 2nd of August, please reach out to hissgoldenmessenger (at) yahoo dot com.

We will have shirts (based on Bob Welch-era Fleetwood Mac t-shirts, except of lower quality) and a second pressing of our live performance in Big Sur from 2007 at fire-sale prices.

Our first full-length record, "Country Hai East Cotton" will be released quite soon. More information on that, as well as how to acquire a live disc or shirt (should you not be present at a live performance) very soon.

-Jai Lil Diamond

MOTE

These are stills from the transcendental film Morning of the Earth. This is where I'm at right now. Once a couple years ago we were travelling through New York City. We stayed in our friend's Chinatown apartment (where was she at? I don't feel like she was there) and watched this movie until dawn. Hazy visions. Nice boogie soundtrack.

Stand Back

Stevie killing it in '83. Waddy Wachtel in full gear.

Purple Rain