Greg Kihn

Creature From The Black Lagoon Tuesday 09-14-2010

2010-09-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

Creature From The Black Lagoon

Tuesday 09-14-2010 9:44am PT

I will be at At&T Park on Saturday for the Giants vs Brewers game, and then afterward I'll be sticking around for CREATURE FEATURES night with the legendary John Stanley as they show CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON on the Giant scoreboard. It should be a real hoot. That is one of my favorite movies and I used to have the movie poster for it hanging in my living room (something only a bachelor could do.) What a great poster!!!

I have a super busy week this week and the bummer is I won't get to see my grandson on Thursday like I usually do, so I'll have to reschedule for a few days later. Saturday is out because of the Giants game, so it has to be Sunday. I don't care what I have to blow off to see Nate, but whatever it takes, it doesn't matter- Nate takes priority. Besides, he loves his grandpa!

I just found out that Buffalo Springfield will reunite for a one time only gig at the Bridge School Benefit. They were always one of my favorite bands and what treat it would be to see them live on stage again. Two members have died- Bruce Palmer died in 2004 and drummer Dewey Martin died last year. That leaves Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay, and Jim Messina. Of course, KFOX will have tickets to that event that you can win simply by listening. By the way- the rest of the Bridge School Benefit line-up is pretty impressive- Pearl Jam, Merle Haggard, and Elvis Costello among others.

Summer is slipping away and we really never got a chance to enjoy it. I love summer and this time of year I always feel a little sad, nostalgic even, that our precious time is slipping away and there's nothing we can do about it. I could live in summer 12 months a year- like in Hawaii!

On this date in 1716 the first lighthouse in the US was lit for the first time in Boston Harbor. It began guiding ships to safety immediately. I've always been fascinated by lighthouses and the people who live in them. It's frightening to know that the sea is swirling around you and that if a big enough wave comes along, it could knock the whole place over. The isolation must make some people crazy, while others don;t have a problem. But look at these pictures and fantasize about what life must be like on one of them.

There once was an old song, which was used in the Kubrick movie Clockwork Orange, called I Want To Marry A Lighthouse Keeper. Must get lonely out there and you can't order a pizza.

Fascinating.

Oh Say Can You See... Monday 09-13-2010

2010-09-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

Oh Say Can You See...

Monday 09-13-2010 10:46am PT

I grew up in Baltimore. When I was in the Boy Scouts we went on field trips to many historical places in and around Baltimore. We regularly took train trips to Washington, D.C. to visit places like the White House, The Smithsonian, the National Gallery, the Washington Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the FBI.

It seemed like every spring we went to Ft. McHenry, on the shores of Baltimore Harbor, birthplace of the "The Star Spangled Banner". It was on this date in 1814 that Francis Scott Key wrote that song.

I grew up learning about how Francis Scott Key was a prisoner on board one of the British warships, and how he watched the battle of Baltimore that night, and kept looking to see if our flag was still there. It was the War of 1812. You have to remember, the British had just defeated Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo and were feeling pretty invincible. Also, they had just burned the White House, Capitol Building, and most of the rest of the town. They were looking to deal us a final death blow by destroying Ft. McHenry. Imagine if that happened today!

Francis Scott Key watched from the deck of one of the English Warships. "And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night, that our flag was still there."

Friday On My Mind Friday 09-10-2010

2010-09-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

Friday On My Mind

Friday 09-10-2010 10:14am PT

I will be at Netos in Santa Clara for TROOPFEST 2010 tomorrow, Saturday, the 9th anniversary of 9/11. It's so important that we support our troops, after all, they protect us and our freedoms. If it hadn't been for these guys, we'd all be speaking German, or Japanese, or, God help us- Farsi. My father will looking down from Heaven to see who's there, so show up for sure! I will be there from 3-5 pm. Here's a nice photo of my hero- Lt.Stanley Kihn, US Army Infantry- 1944.

Let's show the troops that not only do we appreciate their sacrifices, but we will support their mission. Just like my father in WWII- remember what he used to say- "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."

Netos is a really cool market and grll in Santa Clara where they make the best sausages in town. Did I mention that there will be bar-b-que? Look for the KFOX tent and the open air stage. I'll see ya there!

I just heard from Tony Lindsay, lead singer from Santana, and an old friend of mine. He called in at the end of the show today to tell me that he'll be performing in Los Gatos tonight at #1 Broadway with his band, and he'll be at the Mountain Winery on Saturday night working with Laura Johnston, daughter of Tom Johnston of the Doobie Brothers.

As a matter of fact, 18 year old Laura will be opening for her father's band The Doobie Brothers at the Mountain Winery this weekend. Lindsay tells me that she can really sing, and coming from him that's quite a compliment since Tony Lindsay is one of the best singers I have ever heard.

Speaking of kids- I spent yesterday afternoon with my favorite guy in the world- Nate! My grandson is talking up a storm these days. He clearly said, "Hi Grandpa" when I walked in. He pointed to the guitar and said, "Ga!" He's still working on that one. I love that kid!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND AND I'LL SEE YA MONDAY!

SUPPORT THE TROOPS!

Amazing Stories

2010-07-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

Amazing Stories

Wednesday 07-28-2010 10:24am PT

Incredible story coming down the pike today! A trove of old glass negatives bought at a garage sale in Fresno ten years ago for $45 have been authenticated as the great lost negatives of Ansel Adams and are worth at least 200 million dollars!

A team of experts has determined that the glass negatives were indeed created by Ansel Adams and thought to have been destroyed in a fire in 1937.

Wow! 200 million! And he bargained the guy down from $50 bucks to $45, is that amazing? The guy who bought the negatives, Rick Nosigian, was a construction worker who bought them because he liked pictures of Yosemite. Little did he know that he had stumbled onto a fortune of lost artwork. Those guys on Antique Roadshow would freak! That's like the Holy Grail of garage sale items. It doesn't get any better than this!

Has anything like that ever happened to you? When Ry was just a little boy, maybe six or seven years old, we went to a garage sale and I saw a complete set of 1963 Topps Baseball Cards for sale for $20. I asked my ex-wife and she gave me 10 reasons why that was a bad idea. She went on and on about it. I gave up and we drove away. A few moments later I thought, "Wait a minute. That's gotta be worth more than $20." So I went back. Against the wishes of my ex-wife I purchased the set of 1963 Topps Baseball Cards. For $20!

I just checked the price of a set 1963 Topps cards- guess what it was? $5,000! I'd say that qualifies as a bargain! I gave the set to Ry to have hold and I think he's still got 'em. He may have been tempted to sell individual cards like Pete Rose's Rookie card, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantel, and Stan Musial for hundreds of dollars each. That set had more hall-of-famers than I thought! Absolutely amazing! God bless garage sales!

Only one other time in my life did I stumble onto an incredible bargain, was when the band was on tour in the Midwest during the 80's and we came upon a tiny little town in the middle of nowhere. We stopped for lunch. The local theater was going out of business and the guy had everything out on the sidewalk for sale- beautiful old glass display cases, old movie projectors, and memorabilia. I asked if he had any old movie posters. "Yeah, I got a whole room full of them- $20 a piece!" I spent several thousand dollars buying originals of some of the classic movie posters of the 1950's and 60's. The "one-sheet" for Creature From The Black Lagoon alone was worth almost $500.

I lost them all over the years. What a fool I was...

Bustermania!

2010-07-28T18:33:00.001-07:00

Bustermania!

Tuesday 07-27-2010 10:03am PT

Correction. In yesterday's blog I included an old-time magazine advertisement from the 1960's to illustrate the story about my mother's humongous Chevy Bel Air station wagon, the car I learned to drive in. The problem was that the car pictured was an Impala wagon, not a Bel Air. I was mistaken because both vehicles are ridiculously large, with over-sized engines and rear seats that faced the other way. My mistake.

We had dinner in San Francisco a few days ago at a very fancy restaurant. The food was great, the prices were insane, but the service was horrible! I don;t know about you,, but when I'm paying inflated prices for the food, I expect the service to be spectacular. When the waiter is snotty or rude it ruins the whole experience. Of course, poor service should be reflected in the tip. It was. I hate to do it, but what else can a guy do?

It's the continuing legacy of "Sister Double Happiness" from our local Chinese restaurant. At least "Sister Double Happiness" is genuinely pissed off at the world. She hates everybody, whereas the fancy waiters had a superior attitude, and didn't actually hate the world, it seems, just us...

I finally broke down and bought a FasTrack window sticker, and now I can breeze through the toll plaza. I recommend it. I bought it at the drug store, activated it online, and now I can watch my activity on the FasTrack website. I didn't think I went into the the city that much, but I've already used it 3 times in the past month. The convenience is nice.

Bustermania!
Buster Posey has hit safely in 19 straight games, having just passed Orlando Cepeda for longest Giant rookie streak- next are a pair of Willies- McCovey and Mays. Who knows how far the streak can go? Remember- the all-time record is 56 straight games set by Joltin' Joe DiMaggio! This kid can really hit! Check this out: if the season ended today the Giants would win the wild card. That means the strong likelihood of postseason baseball in the Bay Area! The trading deadline is coming up, let's see if they can pick up a player for the stretch run.

Yesterday Matt Garza of the Tampa Bay Rays pitched a no-hitter! It was the 5th no-hitter this year! I guess that makes it the year of the pitcher! Who's next?

Cars I Have Owned

2010-07-28T18:32:00.001-07:00

Cars I Have Owned

Monday 07-26-2010 10:34am PT

I've had many cars in my life. After all, I started driving at the age of 16 when I got my learners permit. My mother let me drive the family station wagon- a huge Chevy Bel Air- two and a half acres of bright red Detroit muscle. That wagon sat about 40 people- it had the little seat in the way back that faced the opposite direction. We always fought to get those seats- it was a completely different vacation back there.

Anyway, I was reminiscing about all the cars that I have owned- some good, some bad, some ugly, some sexy, but I spent considerable time behind the wheel of all these vehicles. When viewed back to back they tell a story- the story of my life. To the best of my ability, here's a remembered history.

My earliest memories of driving with my parents in their Nash Statesman. I remember it broke down on our way to Ocean City for vacation one year, my father got so mad he traded it in and we never saw it again.

We were the hit of neighborhood when my father bought a brand new 1959 Chevy Biscayne with huge fins. It was black and long and looked like a space ship. There were no safety belts and my sister and I jumped up and down on the back seat as we drove. When mom hit the breaks hard we all went tumbling, but we never got hurt.

My father bought a second car to drive to work in when I was in elementary school. It was a 40's era Dodge. He took me to the dump once when I was a kid in that car and it got stuck in the mud. My father let me drive while he pushed from behind, but nothing worked, that car was stuck. My mother had to come and pull us out in her giant station wagon. The interior of that car always smelled like mildew.

By the time I was in high school my mother had taken over as the main driver and arbiter of the car rules. She bought a huge Chevy Bel Air station wagon. That was the car I learned to drive in. That was the same car I used to take on my first dates. It was the size of Cleveland. It was "fire-engine red" and sported cartoonish red and white vinyl couch-like seats. I used to park and make out with my early girlfriends in this car, which was so big it was almost like getting a hotel room.

My first personal car was a Buick F-85, I bought it used from a guy down the block. It was on its last legs when I bought it, and I took it the final stretch to infinity. That Buick had a 4 speed gear shift on the column. The clutch was as low as a birdbath, nearly non-existent. The radio had a reverb knob! The brakes gave out one day coming down a big hill on my way to college. I plowed into the car ahead of me. The cops were very sympathetic.

Then, when I became a hippie, I bought a VW micobus with my hippie girlfriend. That bus took us 1000's of miles and eventually we drove it into the ground. If it broke down (which it did many times) you could always camp out in the back.

Then I came to California. My first Golden State car was a turquoise VW bug. It served me well when Ry was a baby. I had to park it on a hill pointing downward so I could roll it down the hill and jump start it every morning. I once threw a roach out of the window during a Berkeley rainstorm and it stuck to the side of the car and a cop stopped me and I got busted. The case was later thrown out "in the interest of justice." I rolled that car at Stinson Beach on a Sunday afternoon.

Then I bought a Datsun 510 wagon off a neighbor.

I bought a little beat-up Peugot for my second car. It cost $300. I called it the refrigerator because it was "appliance white" and square as a washing machine. It was ugly but it always started. A drunk plowed into it standing at a red light in Oakland.

I started making a little money and bought my first new car- a Fiat Rally. What a piece of junk! Fiat stands forFix It Again, Tony.

When the band began to get successful I bought my first cool car in 1982- an Alfa Romeo GTV6 Balocco. What a great car! I loved it. There were only 350 made and each one was numbered. I had #40. I totalled it on New Year's Eve!

For punishment I drove a horrible Chrysler K Car for 2 years. That cured me of driving fast... for a little while at least.

Then I got Toyota Highlander- what a great vehicle. That car did it all. One of the most reliable cars I've ever owned. I wound up selling it to my manager who loves it and still drives it to this very day.

Ford Motor Company had a contest back in the year 2000 for the best radio commercial for the Millennial Mustang. I won with a stupid blues song! I wasn't even trying to win but I did! Amazing. Of course you all know the fate of that car- I totalled it.

And then I got the Corvette.

These are the cars of my life.

Telstar

2010-07-28T18:30:00.000-07:00

Telstar

Friday 07-23-2010 10:22am PT

On this date in 1962, America launched its first communication satellite- TELSTAR. Russia was winning the early days of the space race. They sent up SPUTNIK in October of 1957, they sent the first animal in space- a dog named Laika in Sputnik2, and the first human being- Yuri Gagarin. So, we were playing catch-up ball for the first few years of the space program.

It wasn't until TELSTAR went into orbit that America could hold its head high and know it was part of the space race. It was an important turning point for American technology and began a new era of communications.

The TELSTAR satellite inspired legendary English record producer Joe Meek to write and record an instrumental song that captured the sci-fi nature of the achievement. The group he put together was the TORNADOS, but there already was a band called the Tornados in America, so he had to change the name of the group to the LONDON TORNADOS. They recently made a feature length movie about TELSTAR and life of Joe Meek- a true original.

I bought that record when I was a kid- I loved it! I loved the space sounds at the beginning and end of the record. I played it on my little record player a thousand times.

Many years later, when the Greg Kihn Band was on tour in Germany in the 1970's, we actually did a version of TELSTAR live. It was a fun encore number, and Dave Carpender, our lead guitarist did a great job on it. Watching the video again after all these years, I noticed that at the end of the song Dave leans his guitar up against the amp and turns it up so it will sheik with feedback... AND HE JUST WALKS AWAY- with the guitar howling through the amp like a banshee. The German roadies didn;t know what to do. They ran around shouting things in German, and eventually one of the braver ones reached over and cut the volume on the guitar.

This was recorded for a Eurovision TV special, live at the Audimax in Hamburg, Germany 1978 on a show called ROCKPALAST. I remember that our equipment didn't make it through customs and we had to use all rented equipment- that's why I'm not playing my vintage 1964 Rickenbacker 12-string, but another Ricky not nearly as nice. We had a great time on that tour. We were part of an all-Beserkley package tour including The Rubinoos, Tyla Gang, and Earth Quake. Beserkley of German released the concert as a double live album with one side by each band. That piece of vinyl is notable for the only recorded version of the song "Future Girl" which did not appear on any other record ever. That makes it a rarity.

I found the video on YouTube. Check it out!

Have a great weekend!

A Good Deed

2010-07-28T18:28:00.000-07:00

A Good Deed

Thursday 07-22-2010 9:53am PT

We were driving across the Bay Bridge from Oakland to San Francisco to see Paul McCartney on my birthday July 10, just a few weeks ago. It's usually a mess getting up to the toll plaza. We didn't have a FASTRACK pass yet (I bought one a few days ago) and things were confusing in the lanes. New laws had taken effect and the toll had just been raised. In addition to the higher fares, the car pool lane now cost $2.50 as well. The kicker is you have to have a FASTRACK transponder on your windshield or you can't use the carpool lane at all! There are no carpool cash lanes anymore. Yikes! This caused my wife and I considerable consternation.

Anyway, I had to cut across six lanes of heavy traffic to get to a cash lane. It was brutal. Traffic had slowed to a crawl, plus there was a certain amount of confusion about the change in tolls. In fact, people were freaking out.

I was just trying to get there without being crushed. After all, at the end of my ride- a Paul McCartney concert waited. All I had to do was get there. By the way, the next day I bought a FASTRACK pass so I wouldn't have to stop or slow down to pay a toll in the commuter lane. I used it last weekend when we went over to a Giants game. I've never used one before, but the first time we went through the toll booth a red light flashed, I hope it indicated that the device was working properly. A neighbor told me that he thought the damn thing was mounted too low on my Corvette and that maybe it couldn't be read. I hope not. All I need is more love mail from the DMV.

But I digress... Back to the toll booth.

So, after great conflagration and wringing of hands we finally made it to the cash lane. I should point out that this lane is moving at the speed of a snail with attention deficit disorder, and that cars are backed up to crack houses of east Oakland. It was in this rarefied atmosphere that our story takes place.

Tension were high, temperatures were rising, and tempers were short. In the cars behind and in front of us, people leaned on their horns like members of the South African Vuvuzela Glee Club.

Then along comes a blond woman in a black BMW, cautiously weaving her way across the treacherous white waters of the final half mile before the toll plaza. I could see the fear and terror in her eyes as she desperately tried to negotiate the last few lanes to safety. She was clearly in great distress, and nobody was going to let her in. She was trapped with her ass sticking out in the FASTRACK lane and her nose trying to inch its way forward into my lane. It was quite dangerous. People in the next lane were not slowing down, they just swerved to avoid her, blew their horns and gave the finger.

In a rare moment of chivalry, I graciously waved her in front of me. She was saved! So grateful was she that she waved profusely to me. When we got to the toll booth, she was directly in front of me. Little did I know, as we pulled up to the toll taker, that that woman had paid my toll! 6 BUCKS! Wow! I waved back, surprised at my good fortune. Good karma begets good karma... I guess. I just felt extra special good that day. She didn't know we were on our way to see McCartney or that it was my birthday! She was just being nice to a guy who let her in.

That's a true story. I hope she's out there listening, or maybe she'll read this- lady in the BMW- THANK YOU!

The Bleached Skulls

2010-07-28T18:27:00.000-07:00

The Bleached Skulls

Wednesday 07-21-2010 10:40am PT

The road to rock and roll heaven is paved with the bleached skulls of guys like me.

It's so true. My own daughter was once hiking through the jungles of South America when she heard my song "Jeopardy" playing through a speaker nailed to a tree in the middle of nowhere. It was a little shack that sold bootleg cassettes. She didn't buy one but I wish she had. The label said- I kid you not- "Jeopardy" by The Gren King Bang.

I have had the pleasure of being bootlegged all over the world, and you can hear those inferior audio transfers from dance clubs of Europe to the ladyboy bars of Thailand- we're downright global!

I Googled myself this morning. I had 311,000 results in .22 seconds. That's scary. What's up with that? You can use any search engine and the results will be more or less the same. There are a million Greg Kihn websites out there- of course the KFOX site is front and center, and you can always find my updated fresh blogs right here, and for those who are keeping track at home- you all know exactly where I am every weekday morning from 5:00-10:00am. I'm right here at KFOX. And I will be for many years to come. This is my home.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. I've got several more websites running that feature fresh content and satisfy various hungers experienced by the well informed Greg Kihn fan. If you want to buy stuff- T-shirts, CD's, Books, DVD's, Photo's, etc. then you probably want to visit http://www.gregkihn.com. Also there are Greg Kihn sites at MySpace, Twitter, and FaceBook, all of them are fabulous, of course. I also do a syndicated 7-midnight show in 96 markets around the country, and that show has a website too- http://www.thegregkihnshow.com/. In addition to the official GK websites there are many Greg Kihn videos on YouTube, CD's and books at Amazon, and biographical information at Wikipedia.

You can find all kinds of interesting stuff in a Google search. (By the way, the world has been going downhill since the words PARTY and GOGGLE became verbs!) I found out that I have been nominated for the Bay Area Radio Hall Of Fame for my 14 years on the air here at KFOX. Hard to believe but it's true! I am nominated along with such luminaries as Giant's announcer John Miller, The A's Ken Korach, Ralph Barbieri, Gary Radnich, Hal Ramey, Bonnie Simmons, Scott Beach, Dave Morey, Stan Bunger, and Ben Fong-Torres. Wow! What an honor. I had no idea. Public voting has concluded so I am way behind if I wanted to influence the voting by putting in a plug- I blew it. That's the story of my life. I'm a day late and dollar short. I hope I win just so I can go to the banquette and sit next to John Miller.

My point is this- we live in a fishbowl. If you're in the public eye like me it's even crazier. I don't mind, though. I love my life.

Man On The Moon

2010-07-28T18:26:00.000-07:00

Man On The Moon

Tuesday 07-20-2010 10:09am PT

A lot of people think it was the most famous event in history. It's hard to argue with them. It was on this date in 1969 that Neil Armstrong stepped off the ladder of the Lunar Module and into history. The boot of his space suit sunk into the gray moondust about an inch.

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

"Magnificent desolation," was how Buzz Aldrin described it.

It was the age of American exceptionalism, as different from today's world as day and night. Back then we thought we could do anything! And we could! And we did! WE were the world's #1 superpower. WE were the good guys. WE were the men. We never felt guilty or self-conscious about it. The responsibility of being the big dog never slowed us down. I don't know how to express it to you- was just different.

I remember it well. I was on vacation with my parents in Ocean City, Maryland. We all watched it on TV and the next morning, outside the condo where we stayed, written in giant letters in the sand, someone had written- TODAY AN AMERICAN WALKED ON THE MOON, GOD BLESS AMERICA! I stared at the message for ten minutes, wondering who had written those words. They touched me. I felt proud to be an American. I felt like we were all part of a great moment in history, that things would never be the same. JFK issued the challenge, and it's a shame he wasn't around to see it.

The Saturn 5 rocket that blasted Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins into orbit was the most powerful engine ever created. What those three Apollo Astronauts did was incredibly dangerous. They could have died a hundred times during the trip. This could never happen today. People aren't into taking chances anymore. The spirit of exploration has waned in our collective psyche. But, back then, American astronauts were heroes, and they did impossible, amazing things.

The Apollo 11 technology was clunky and obsolete- the IBM computer that plotted their course wouldn't run a cell phone in today's world. The command module was cramped and primitive. The fact they made it 238,857 miles through space to the surface of the moon, then descended to the lunar surface, got out and walked around, then returned to their ship, blasted off, returned to the mother ship and traveled all the way back to earth is incredible!

America was a different place back then. We got things done. God, I miss it.

Why Character Matters

2010-07-28T18:18:00.000-07:00

Why Character Matters

Monday 07-19-2010 9:54am PT

I don't know what to tell young bands when they ask me for advice. Not only has the music business changed since I started, society itself has changed. The same rules no longer apply.

The Greg Kihn Band started in 1975. It was before anything. It was before the Internet, before cell phones, before MTV, before computers, before digital, before just about everything you rely on today. We had a rental space at Berkeley Rental Space on Gilman St.- a double garage where we stored our equipment and rehearsed. After they locked up at night, we had to scale a ten foot chain link fence to practice. You had to be in tip-top rock and roll shape. We rehearsed every freakin' day! Every day- I kid you not. We wrote three to four songs a week and played every gig that came down the pike. We worked our asses off, and that's no lie. There was nothing glamorous about it. Ten hours in broken-down van to make 20$ each. So why did we do it? There was no American Idol back then, or any other TV talent show (unless you count the Gong Show) we needed the money.

We toured on the strength our FM album airplay, doing interviews everywhere we went. I did a ton of radio, and we played clubs- great classic nightclubs like the Agora on Cleveland, Bogart's in Cincinnati, Cain's in Tulsa, the Main Point in Philly, the Cellar Door in Washington DC, Toad's Place in New Haven, The Park West in Chicago, The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, The Bottom Line in NYC, the Rainbow Music Hall in Denver, the Paradise in Boston, The Shaboo Inn in Willimantic, The Keystone in Berkeley, the Broadway and the Old Waldorff in San Francisco, The Troubadour and the Roxy in LA, The Keystone PA in Palo Alto, and The Catalyst in Santa Cruz to name but a few.

It was another age and hard work really counted.

We didn't have a top forty hit until our 7th album! Which is unheard-of today. We were on a goofy little independant label in Berkeley- way off the beaten path. We didn't earn an ounce of respect in LA until we had a hit. Not even the other bay area bands seemed to respect us. We didn't care, of course. We were just thrilled to be there.

In fact, if you'd have asked us at any point back in the old days, if we thought we had made it- we would have emphatically said YES! Hell, we were having a ball! We were so blown away by the fact the people would pay money to see us, we didn't care about much else. It seemed like a miracle to us.

I remember, backstage at the Bammies- back in 1981-1984, when we were winning Bammies every year, we would be hanging with the other groups in the "green room" waiting to go on. I couldn't believe the attitudes of some of the other bands! They actually thought the world owed them a gold record every time out! My guys were just happy to be there.

No matter have sophisticated it got, or how far from home we strayed, or how over-our-heads culturally we were- we always kept one thing in mind- always be true to yourself. We didn't put on aires because we knew in our heart of hearts that we couldn't pull it off. We just weren't hedonistic enough; we didn't pack enough hubris; we were never actually cool, we always felt uncomfortable in limos. By staying true to ourselves, we avoided having to be pretend to be something that we weren't.

I have no idea what it must be like to be Lady Gaga- but if this is the freak show you have to be in to make it, then I guess the next generation of rock bands will have silly costumes on and cover their faces. It won't matter, of course.

Whoever they are, and however weird they may be- if they want to make it the real way- they'll have to be true to themselves. People will be able to tell if it's bogus. They will have to live by the same convictions we did: don't lie, cheat, or steal. Always do a good job. Treat people with respect. Get there early and stay late. Wash your face and brush your teeth. Do your homework. Don't be a jerk. And rehearse.

Good luck! Character matters.

Character is what you are when nobody is looking.

Private Acoustic Concert

2010-06-09T14:25:00.001-07:00

Private Acoustic Concert

The auction for the private Greg Kihn acoustic concert is going on right now at KFOX.COM, but it ends on Friday. In years past this acoustic show has raised around $10,000 to $15,000. Wouldn't it be great to hand over a check for that amount? Let's see if we can beat it this year!

So, what this means is- if you make the winning bid, I'll show up at your house with some nice acoustic guitars and proceed to sit down and play my ass off. Well, one glance at my ass and you'd probably think, "OK, he's already done that, because this man has no buttocks." But let's not focus on my buttocks, let's focus on beating cancer. We're raising money for the Leukemia/Lymphomma Society.

These Team In Training people are wonderful. I have had the pleasure of working with them for some time now and they really care. What can be more compelling than a kid with cancer? My God, it breaks your heart while at the same time fills you with hope.

I can see a day when all kids will be vaccinated against all forms of cancer. That day is coming, but it's going to take a lot of money.

If that auction for the private concert is too rich for your blood and you still want to help out- you can always make a donation for ANY amount. Here's the link to donate:
http://svmb.manwoman.llsevent.org/pledge/index.cfm?mid=GREGKIHN

The week is flying past, and Friday is just around the corner. The auction will be over before you know it. Please make your bid now.

And thanks for voting!

The Day After The Day After D Day/ Auction

2010-06-09T14:24:00.002-07:00

The Day After The Day After D Day/ Auction

Tuesday 06-08-2010 10:12am PT

I can't believe Sunday was the anniversary of D Day and I hardly saw or heard anything about it on TV or in the media. I wouldn't expect our politicians to acknowledge the efforts of our fathers and grandfathers on that day, when they risked life and limb to liberate Europe. They died for the freedoms of people they didn't even know. How noble. Think these clowns in Washington could pull that off? Think again. People seem more than happy to give away freedoms for a free pass through life these days. Let's never forget the sacrifices those veterans made all those years ago. And whereas the media and Washington for the most part forgot, I remember.

Let's hear it for the greatest generation!

Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower addresses the troops before the invasion. Imagine the emotion as many of these men would not be coming back. Such bravery is rare today.

Today is ELECTION DAY! Please vote! I'll be voting on the way home today. Participate in democracy while you still can. It's important.

The auction for the private concert at your house is still on, until Friday at least. Make your bid now. Help me bash cancer.

I need people to make some donations. Can you help? I know a lot of you out there know me personally. Come on, I haven't asked for anything lately have I? No! I need you to step up to the plate and write a check. It's crunch time!

D Day/ Paul Guaguin/ Auction

2010-06-09T14:24:00.001-07:00

D Day/ Paul Guaguin/ Auction

Monday 06-07-2010 10:20am PT

Yesterday was the anniversary of D Day in WWII. 160,000 allied soldiers landed on a 50 mile stretch of beach in France. They came to liberate Europe. They weren't pros, they were school teachers, factory workers, farmers, everyday guys- they weren't Rambos- they were regular guys like my father. They came together to do one of history's dirty, ugly, unforgiving jobs- that absolutely had to be done.

Imagine what they were thinking when the front dropped on the Landing Craft and they looked out onto the beach and all the German defenses. The crack of rifle fire, the booming of artillery, the water, the wind, the sand, the fear, the Adrenalin, and there's only one way to go- forward!

Let's hear it for the greatest generation!

My father used to say, "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." I miss him.

Unfortunately, we're losing these veterans at an alarming rate. Pretty soon there will be no one left who was part of it- someone you could actually touch and say, "you really did this, didn't you?"

My father passed away several years ago (before 911) but I always think of him on that day. My dad wasn't part of the D Day invasion, he crossed the English Channel several months later on a troop transport ship, heading into the heart of the fight, in the Ardennes Forest in Belgium, where he had a date with destiny and a German bullet.

Today is Paul Gauguin's birthday!

He's my favorite French Impressionist artist. He walked away from a banking job in Paris to join Vincent Van Gogh in the south of France to paint. They hung out together until Paul left for Tahiti to paint naked island women. Smart move, Paul- Vinny ws nuts and he would never sell a single painting during his lifetime. Now days, Gauguin and Van Gogh are two of the most revered names in art. Read The Moon and Sixpence by Somerset Maughn, a novel inspired by his life.

Paul was an impressionist and loved bright colors. I love his art. Check out his style:

I get the Gauguin Syndrome every year around this time. I get island fever really bad.

I want to remind everyone that the auction is on at KFOX.Com for the private acoustic concert at your house. I'll show up with a selection of acoustic guitars and a handful of songs.

Make a bid today!

Next Week's Auction For A Private Concert

2010-06-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

Next Week's Auction For A Private Concert

Hey, next week the auction begins for the private acoustic concert by me in your house!

As you may know, I am up for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training MAN OF THE YEAR! Yeah, I know what you're thinking- I'm not worthy! It's true, I'm not, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm trying to raise money to defeat cancer. It's sooooooooooo important that we keep the research going. A breakthrough is just around the corner! Let's keep the pressure on.

So, you can go over to the KFOX.COM website and click on the auction page and make a bid. Just think- I'll come to your house and play an entire acoustic gig just for you and your friends! Cool, huh?

All you have to do is make the winning bid at KFOX.COM. Auction ends on next Friday about the same time I get off the air. This is one of my favorite promotions here at KFOX and it's a great chance to raise some money to crush cancer.

I'll probably be playing the acoustic 12 string Boulder Creek guitar...

...and no doubt my Voyage-Air fold-away guitar...

...plus I'll most likely play my recently rebuilt by C.B. Perkins Guild 12 string from 1967. It's my most prized possession and I love that old guitar.

Help me strike a blow for the good guys and kick cancer's ass! This concert comes with a full measure of attitude and just the right groove.

Make your bid starting Monday! I'll see you at... your house!

Mello Yello Commercial 1983

2010-06-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

Mello Yello Commercial 1983

Back in 1983, when we were flying high, the Coca-Cola Company hired the Greg Kihn Band to do a series of Mello Yello TV commercials. One of them was inspired by Jeopardy- it had the same music with new lyrics which I still remember to this day- imagine these words sung to the melody of Jeopardy-
Mello Yello to the rescue, Mello Yello to the rescue, Mello Yello to the rescue, Drink Mello Yello and go!

Mello Yello was similar to Mountain Dew- a high caffeine 7-up style soda that was marketed to young adults. I thought it was vile.

They flew us to Atlanta to shoot an entire concert during which we would stop and do several versions of the Mello Yello commercial. The crowd took it all in stride, plus they were probably pumped up to be in a TV commercial.

Backstage we had to shoot a series of pick-up shots of the band chugging Mello Yello after a hard concert. We did take after take- and we had to drink a few gulps of Mello Yello each time.

After about 10 minutes, my partner in crime- Steve Wright (bass player and co-songwriter) says to me, "Screw this, I'm pouring this swill out and refilling this can with beer!" And he did! He poured it out and carefully replaced it with ice cold Budweiser, which we chugged happily take after take. After an hour we were completely tanked. The shots of us drinking were particularly effective, according to the director. "You guys look like you're really lovin' it!" We didn't have the heart to tell him.

That TV commercial ran on the east coast in the mid 80's and we actually saw it a few times on tour. Those satisfied smiles after we chugged the drink were truly genuine! Little did they know we were chugging beer!

If you can find a live video of the GKB doing Tear That City Down, it was recorded later that same night. It featured Greg Douglass on lead guitar.

Oh, and one other thing- they paid us a freakin' fortune to do it! Years later, the money is all gone, and the commercial is lost to the sands of time, but the memory lingers on- in the form of this blog. Ain't life strange?

Oh, and one other thing-
Robert Berry (bass player in the Greg Kihn Band) is playing an acoustic show tonight in Felton, CA. at Don Quixote's. Apart from being a member of the GKB, Robert is an accomplished musician in his own right. This is first acoustic gig and I know he'd love it if you could show up.

Incredibly Strange Albums

2010-06-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

Incredibly Strange Albums

I remember buying some weird albums over the years. Why? Hell, I don't remember. Maybe they were heavily discounted, or maybe I was just plain nuts, I don't know.

Most of these albums came out when I was young and impressionable.

The first really strange album I bought (right out of the cut-out bin) was Sounds Of The Zodiacon Elektra Records. Cyrus Faryar narrated some goofy spoken word stuff over space-themed other-worldly music with lots of reverb. I lit incense and played it in the dark. It set astrology back 500 years. That was my first. There were others, I'm ashamed to say. I went looking for some other incredibly strange albums on the web and here's what I came up with.

My sister actually bought this one by the fake Beatles- The Buggs! Obviously a rip-off.

Christmas with the Colonel? You gotta be kidding! Original or extra crispy? Hand me that drumstick.

I wish I could have been there for this one...

This one requires no explanation, or maybe I just don't have one...

One can only conjecture what this Yule Tide Classic sounds like... John Waters? Does Divine do a solo?

From an era of album cover art that will never be repeated!

Even the great Mohamed Ali got in the act.

And finally this... I have nothing to say. Your guess is as good as mine.

Sgt. Pepper/Giants/Troopfest

2010-06-01T18:38:00.001-07:00

Sgt. Pepper/Giants/Troopfest

On this date in 1967, the Beatles released Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band. I remember going to the record store that very day (I think it was a weekend) and staring at the cover and wondering what new madness the Beatles had dreamed up this time. We loved the Beatles and the release of every album was a major event.

It blew our minds. What a cover! There were cut-outs inside, plus printed lyrics!

Looking back, it's hard to believe that one band could hold us all in their sway like that- but the Beatles did! They were magic. Music really mattered back then. In fact, music was the most important thing in our lives.

In those days it wasn't unusual for people to go to the record store the very day a record came out just so they could be the first on their block to own it. I went with a buddy of mine. We both had enough money to buy one album. After hours of discussion we decided that he would buy Sgt. Pepper and I would buy Jimi Hendrix (Are You Experienced?) which had just come out that same week. We each kept our respective albums for a week, then switched. I loved the first Hendrix album... but Sgt. Pepper was beyond the beyond.

It was the greatest rock and roll album of all time.

It still is.

I traveled all the way to Abbey Road Studios in London a few years ago for the anniversary of Sgt. Pepper and I got to sit down at the famous piano in Studio One, and play the final monumental chord of A Day In The Life. It was spectacular... except for one thing. When I got back to the States and checked it, I found out that I had spent all that energy to play the WRONG CHORD! I played a "G" chord and it turns out the last chord of A Day In The Life was an "F!" God, did I feel like an idiot!

Thanks to all the listeners who showed up on Sunday at AT&T Park for the Giants Vs. Arizona. I sang God Bless America and Take Me Out To The Ball Game during the 7th inning stretch. Operation Care and Comfort was there to collect money and everyone had a great time. I'll have the video of that posted here shortly.

Speaking of Operation Care and Comfort- this year's TROOPFEST will be coming up in 2 weeks June 19 at the Britannia Arms and I will be performing an acoustic set. There are a limited amount of tickets so it might be a good idea to buy early. More on that later...

Memorial Day

2010-05-28T13:24:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day

Memorial Day Weekend is here! Have a great one!

Here's the man I honor on this day- my father.

Lt. Stanley J. Kihn, U.S. Army, 289th Infantry, 75th Division, wounded in battle December 26, 1944, Battle Of The Bulge, awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in the Ardennes Forest while recovering in a Field Hospital somewhere in Belgium.

Dad's letters from WWII are incredible. I plan to publish them someday, but in the meantime, here's a direct quote from one dated Jan 1, 1945:

"...the Germans kept coming, wave after wave, and the boys, green in battle, mowed 'em down, until it got so you couldn't reach out of your foxhole without touching a dead German..."

Golden Gate Bridge

2010-05-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge opened on this date in 1937. Construction began on January 5, 1933, at the height of the Great Depression.

Workers overcame many difficulties: strong tides, frequent storms and fogs, and the problem of blasting rock 65 feet below the water to plant earthquake-proof foundations. Eleven men died during construction. On May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge opened to great acclaim, a symbol of progress in the Bay Area during a time of economic crisis. At 4,200 feet, it was the longest bridge in the world until the completion of New York City's Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in 1964. Today, the Golden Gate Bridge remains one of the world's most recognizable architectural structures.

Tragically, it is estimated that over 1200 people have committed suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. It is the most popular suicide spot in the entire world. The fall takes over 4 seconds and the jumper hits the water at 75 mph, a speed that renders the surface of the water like concrete. 98% of those who jump die on impact. I once talked a guy out of jumping during my first year on the air. He called in while I was on 7-midnight and claimed to be a jumper. I asked why. He said because his girlfriend left him. I told him that was the dumbest reason to jump I ever heard. If I felt like that every time I broke up with someone, I'd be dead twenty times over by now! I suggested he call a buddy and go have few cold ones. He called back the next night and thanked me. Apparently she just wasn't worth it! I have since met this guy at gigs over the years and he always refers to me as "the guy who saved my life" but I'm not really. He is. I just pointed out the obvious.

The bridge is still the #1 tourist spot in the Bay Area. I always take out of towners there for sight-seeing, even my mother when she was still alive.

Once, when my son Ry was about 10 years old, we bought some balsa wood gliders and walked out to the middle of the bridge and threw them off. They sailed forever before hitting the water- must have been miles! What a thrill. You can't do that anymore. There are laws now that prohibit throwing anything off the bridge- much less balsa wood airplanes.

The Golden Gate Bridge has always represented the California dream to me. When I first came here from Baltimore, I went out and saw it and it filled me with wonder. I knew I was in God's country. Anything was possible here. Is that still the dream? Is it still possible? I don't know anymore.

Remember the words of the immortal John F. Kennedy when he said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but rather, what you can do for your country!" My God, what an idea! We need to get back to that philosophy.

On tomorrow's show- comedian Pablo Francisco!

John Wayne and the KGB

2010-05-27T00:15:00.001-07:00

John Wayne and the KGB

One of my all-time favorite movie stars, John Wayne, was born on this date in 1907. He was 6'4" and weighed 250 pounds.

He hated communism. A lot. He was an American patriot who believed strongly in personal freedom.

His iconic image had been painted and sculpted by many famous artists including Norman Rockwell and Andy Warhol.

But he was much more than just a movie star and the airport in Anaheim.

Did you know that John Wayne was nearly assassinated by Russian agents of the KGB? It's an incredible story, but true. I just read a new biography about John Wayne by Michael Mumm called John Wayne, The Man Behind The Myth, and I learned these facts (gleaned here from Guardian.co.uk).

From a review at Guardian.co.uk, Nick Walsh writes:

Joseph Stalin ordered the KGB to assassinate John Wayne because he considered his anti-communist rhetoric a threat to the Soviet Union, according to a new biography of the film star based on interviews with Wayne's close associates and the movie legend Orson Welles.

Stalin apparently learned of Wayne's popularity from the Russian filmmaker Sergei Gerasimov, who attended a peace conference in New York in 1949. Michael Munn, a film historian and author of John Wayne - The Man Behind The Myth, said Gerasimov told Stalin of Wayne's fervent anti-communist beliefs.

"Stalin decided that he would have him killed," said Mr Munn, who says he was told of the plot by Orson Welles at a dinner in 1983. Welles had said that the KGB was given the task of assassinating Wayne.

A prominent Russian filmmaker, Alexei Kapler (who was imprisoned for an affair with Stalin's 16-year-old daughter, Svetlana), had told another Russian filmmaker, Sergei Bondachuk, about the order. Bondachuk was sceptical at first, but after Gerasimov confirmed the story, Bondachuk told Welles.

Mr Munn said Wayne had also told him that his friend, the stuntman Yakima Canutt, had "saved his life once". Mr Munn later asked Mr Canutt what he had meant by this comment. The incident is thought to have taken place in the early 50s.

"Yakima told me that the FBI had discovered there were agents sent to Hollywood to kill John Wayne," said Mr Munn. "He said the FBI had come to tell John about the plot. John told the FBI to let the men show up and he would deal with them."

Wayne then apparently hatched a plot with his scriptwriter at the time, Jimmy Grant, to abduct the assassins, drive to a beach and stage a mock execution to frighten them. Mr Munn said he did not know what transpired, but heard the two men stayed in the US to work for the FBI.

A further attempt to kill Wayne was made in Mexico on the set of the film Hondo (which was released in 1953), led by a communist cell, according to Mr Munn.

Wayne also told Mr Munn about an attempt to kill him by an enemy sniper while he was visiting the troops in Vietnam in 1966. "One of the snipers was captured," said Mr Munn, "and said there was a price on John's head, put there by [China's communist leader] Mao Tse Tung."

Wow! What a story! What other actors can you name that have been targeted by the KGB? It's like something out of 24. Did you get the part where the hapless Russian filmmaker had an affair with Stalin's 16 year old daughter? What a death wish! Plus, the guy was a Jew! A Jew in Stalin's Russian having a fling with the dictator's underage daughter? Outrageous! He was later thrown in prison for life, of course. But what was he thinking?

Anyway, I thought you might enjoy that little bit of Hollywood history.

Support The Troops Day!

2010-05-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

Support The Troops Day!

Tuesday 05-25-2010 10:11am PT

I will be singing at the Giants game at AT&T Park this Sunday May 30th at 1:00pm vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks for SUPPORT THE TROOPS day. Now, I just checked, and the situation is this- I will be singing "God Bless America" and "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" during the 7th inning stretch. I WON'T be singing the National Anthem (my usual performance) for some reason that was not revealed to me.

But, that's cool. I am more than happy to do those two songs...

Of course, it's quite an honor to sing at the ballpark any day, and I always jump at the chance to see some great baseball.

It will be SUPPORT THE TROOPS day at AT&T Park. Operation Care and Comfort (one of my favorite charities) will be on hand to collect donations and items to send to the troops at all the entrances. Patrons can make cash donations OR bring items to be shipped, which are always popular. OCC has also arranged for a goodly number of military families to view the game. There will be lots of men and women in uniform. Come out and shake hands with the troops! Everyone who donates at the ball game will get a special gift from Operation Care and Comfort.

Operation Care and Comfort has been doing a great job sending care packages to our troops all over the world. So far they have sent over 585,000 pound of stuff! That's not just talk! That's a lot of work, and Julie DeMaria, Cookie Crissman and their band of volunteers work very hard. I try to contribute every month and I recommend you do the same. After all, these troops are the ones who keep us safe and guarantee all those freedoms we take for granted every day. God bless 'em. They are our children, our sons and daughters, our nephews and nieces, our neighbors and co-workers, and they are in harm's way. Anything we can do to help them is greatly appreciated.

So, come on out to AT&T Park on May 30th, this Sunday, and help support the troops and see some great baseball at the same time. Oh, and you can also hear me do my best Kate Smith impression!

Wish me luck!

The pitching match-up depends on whether or not Wellemeyer pitches in his spot in the rotation, if he DOES, then Tim Lincecum will be on the mound for the Giants on Sunday, and if he DOESN'T, then it will be Matt Cain on the mound. It's too early right now to tell and these projections are based on my own feeble information, but hey! It's looks good either way!

Boulder Creek Guitars, Harley Davidsons, and Slash!

2010-05-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

Boulder Creek Guitars, Harley Davidsons, and Slash!

Monday 05-24-2010 10:34am PT

The Boulder Creek Solitaire acoustic guitar is up for auction at eBay right now, all proceeds go to The Leukemia and Lymphoma society.

This guitar also comes with a guitar lesson! If you're a beginner, I'll give you your first guitar lesson in life, or, if you are advanced, my son Ry (a professional guitar teacher- college trained at Cal Arts) will handle the chores. Ry is involved with teaching guitar in the Bay Area and is one of the best guitar teachers around for advanced and beginners alike. The lesson will be included with the price of the guitar so whatever the final bid might be, the guitar lesson comes with it.

This is a beautiful guitar. I own several Boulder Creek Guitars and they are outstanding instruments. They have a revolutionary new way of bracing the underside of the top of the guitar so it resonates like you wouldn't believe, plus you probably noticed that there is no sound hole in front. The sound hole is located on top of the guitar! What does that mean to you? It means lively, bright, clear, sharp guitar tones!

This acoustic guitar features an exotic spruce top, rosewood sides and back, and the famous "Cabo Sunset" sunburst finish. It has a Dreadnought style body. It also has a built-in pickup so you can run it through an amp or a sound system.

The bidding is on now at eBay! Make your bid today! It wraps up at the end of the week. The link is on the Morning Show Page on this website.

Nothing like an auction, is there? The idea that you could actually get a bargain is a hell of a motivator. It's for a great cause, too- to destroy cancer!

And it's all on eBay!

No more will you have to endure the unpleasantness of the smoky backrooms of the auction house of old Shanghai, full of smarmy men of indefinite lineage and questionable breath, shouting gibberish in foreign tongues. No more will you have to put up with the smell of cheap cologne mixed with the scent of angst. Never again will you be forced into uncomfortable positions with cruel shoes and even crueler socks. Because now, you can make your bid on this fine guitar out in the open on eBay, with the light of reason splashed across your face.

So, shake off the yoke of oppression and breathe free!

Thanks to everyone who showed up at House Of Thunderin Morgan Hill for the Harley Days of May on Saturday and participated in our Harley Davidson Motorcycle give-away. Tons of people were there. I saw more black leather than at a Judas Priest gig! Rob Halford included!

Oh, and speaking of black leather-

On Tomorrow's show- SLASH!

Ralphie May/House of Thunder/SJ Sharks

2010-05-21T17:34:00.001-07:00

Ralphie May/House of Thunder/SJ Sharks

Friday 05-21-2010 10:09am PT

We had comedian Ralphie May on the show this morning and I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Ralphie was hilarious! I got a cramp from laughing! He's appearing the Improv this weekend and I recommend his show- it's fresh, topical, and very funny. Ralphie's rapid fire delivery is infectious. I predict Ralphie becomes a big star. He's just too funny to not make it.

I will be at the HOUSE OF THUNDER in Morgan Hill this Saturday at 12:00 noon for the big HARLEY DAYS OF MAY. 98 people will try their keys, one of which will unlock a new era in your life with a new "Street Bob" Harley Davidson motorcycle.

If you're in Morgan Hill this Saturday, you should stop by and say hello at HOUSE OF THUNDER. Also, a few keys will be held out for people who show up in Saturday- just so they can have a chance to win the bike too.

We'll have two bands playing live and bar-b-que up the wazoo! Drop in and have lunch and check out some hot r&r, plus possibly even win a motorcycle!

And last but not least, the Sharks travel to Chicago to play the Blackhawks tonight in game 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and they really need to win. It is very important that you root for the Sharks tonight. Of course, that game (and every Sharks game, playoffs of not) will be broadcast right here on KFOX. Dan Rusanowsky will do the play by play with his sidekick Jamie Baker. The pressure is on. The Sharks are down 2-0 and it is imperative that they win tonight!

This game should be an epic struggle. The Sharks need to win one of the next 2 games in Chicago to bring the series back here to San Jose. Make some noise even if you're alone at home!

McCartney/Dolley Madison/Praying Mantis

2010-05-21T17:33:00.000-07:00

McCartney/Dolley Madison/Praying Mantis

Friday 05-21-2010 10:07am PT

First things first:
Sir Paul at At&T Park! On tomorrow's show- McCartney Tickets!
This is the toughest ticket in town and we got 'em! I don't know if you've checked the prices but these tickets are not cheap! And you can win them tomorrow! For free!

OK, back to normal...
Yesterday, my first batch of praying mantises hatched! I got a couple hundred healthy little buggers! I kept about a dozen and let the rest go in the yard. I'll have more updates tomorrow and maybe even some video!

And so it begins again...

My favorite First Lady of all-time was born on this date in 1768. Dolley Madison was married to James Madison, fourth President of the U.S. (It was her second marriage.) James was 17 years older than Dolley and a confirmed bachelor.

She was a plucky woman with a strong personality, but the reason I really like her was what she did during the war of 1812. When the British troops invaded Washington D.C. in the War Of 1812, they intended to burn the entire city down. Dolley loaded up all the expensive silverware, jewels, and valuables from the White House and secertly shipped it to Maryland for safe keeping.

Then, in a burst of patriotism, she took down the portrait of George Washington and removed it from the White House before the English troops torched it!

Dolley- we need more like you today!

Brooks Robinson Tribute

2010-05-19T12:06:00.001-07:00

Brooks Robinson Tribute

Wednesday 05-19-2010 10:36am PT

Yesterday was Brooks Robinson's birthday and I missed it! Brooks Robinson was my childhood hero- he played 3rd base for the Baltimore Orioles, and was a Hall Of Famer. Maybe the greatest third baseman to ever play the game.

Here's Brooks after winning the World Series.

I grew up watching him play at Memorial Stadium.

How many baseball players have been immortalized by Norman Rockwell? The name of this painting is "Gee, thanks Mister!" I got Brooks's autograph many times growing up. As a matter of fact, I could have been one of the kids in that picture.

Here are a list of Brooks's accomplishments from Wikipedia:

15× All-Star selection (1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971,1972, 1973, 1974)
2× World Series champion (1966, 1970)
16× Gold Glove Award winner (1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975)
1964 AL MVP
1970 World Series MVP
1966 MLB All-Star Game MVP
1972 Roberto Clemente Award
1970 Babe Ruth Award
1966 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
Baltimore Orioles #5 retired
Major League Baseball All-Century Team

Brooks Robinson Tribute

Wednesday 05-19-2010 10:36am PT

15× All-Star selection (1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971,1972, 1973, 1974)
2× World Series champion (1966, 1970)
16× Gold Glove Award winner (1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975)
1964 AL MVP
1970 World Series MVP
1966 MLB All-Star Game MVP
1972 Roberto Clemente Award
1970 Babe Ruth Award
1966 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
Baltimore Orioles #5 retired
Major League Baseball All-Century Team

Sharks Street Rally Today!

2010-05-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

Sharks Street Rally Today!

Tuesday 05-18-2010 11:09am PT

There will be a big KFOX Sharks Street Rally today at 5:00-6:45 in front of the HP Pavilion on Autumn Street. I'll be there! Tim Jeffries will be there! YOU be there! If you're going to the game, show up a little early and help us pump up. You'll love it.

We lost game one to the Blackhawks, so it is mucho importante that we all show up and scream our fool heads off tonight at the Shark Tank, and what better way to get in the groove than a big old street rally in front of the tank?

Look for the KFOX team, we will be giving away 18,000 white pom-poms with "For Those About To Cheer, We Salute You!" written on one side and "This Is Sharks Territory!" on the other. Hold them high and shake 'em when we need a boost!

After the Sharks win, they'll be heading to Chicago for next 2 games. Let's win tonight so we can go to Chicago tied at one game each instead of down by 2.

Use all of your mojo, and all of your magic and special powers and skills to power the Sharks to this important win tonight.

I'll see you at the rally later today! Come on up and say hello. And, by the way, in case you didn't know...
GO SHARKS!

Go Sharks!

2010-05-14T10:10:00.003-07:00

Go Sharks!

Friday 05-14-2010 9:56am PT

The Sharks open the next round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this SUNDAY at NOON right here on KFOX, the official radio home of the SAN JOSE SHARKS!

All I can say is- GO SHARKS!

This is it!

In all the excitement earlier this week I didn't mention that NATE THE GREAT turned one year old on May 12. My grandson is one year old and I am so proud of him! He is amazing and I love him!

Have a GREAT WEEKEND EVERYBODY!

I'll see you next week!

Thursday

2010-05-14T10:10:00.001-07:00

Thursday

Thursday 05-13-2010 10:24am PT

Thursday, day of joy, day of light, day of love... Thursday, day of potentialities... Day of dreams... Welcome to the magic that is THURSDAY!

Thursday comes on tiny footsteps through the cow field, Thursday has many suitors but one marries Thursday, because Thursday is a lonely day. A day or reflection. A day of meditation. Thursday’s not putting on any airs, it knows its place in the week. Not as glamorous as Friday and nowhere near as cool as Saturday, Thursday has it’s own style.

Thursday is often seen having lunch with mysterious Asian women at trendy restaurants that no one knows the name of. Thursday speaks several languages and is quick to point out other people’s faults. For, at its core, Thursday is a non-confrontational day, a day for Polish food, a day to pick up the dry cleaning, a day to flush the colon.

Famous people are often born on Thursday, creative people like Shel Silverstein and Ersil Hickey. It’s all in how you serve it- Thursday, it’s not just for meatloaf anymore.

Mr. T. says, "I pity the fool who disrespects Thursday..."

Thursday has its own website. It's on Facebook and MySpace too. Thursday is looking for more friends. Thursday doesn't have any roadies, but it knows who to call to get things done. Most people can afford Monday through Thursday, it's Friday, Saturday and Sunday that are too expensive.

Thursday is the Etch-A-Sketch of days.

The Thighmaster was invented on a Thursday. So was the Hula Hoop. Thursday has earned its beans and now expects them to be counted. Holding the spot between Wednesday and Friday, Thursday maintains order within the week. What would life be like without Thursday? Chaos! Wednesday would crash right into Friday, all the stuff that didn’t do Monday and Tuesday would get blown off. So, show some respect for Thursday.

To Serve Man....... What is Radio?

2010-05-12T11:37:00.000-07:00

To Serve Man

Wednesday 05-12-2010 10:40am PT

What is Radio?

A lot of people ask me, they say, hey Greg, you’re in radio, what’s it like? How do you do it? I mean what’s involved? Well, to those individuals I say, I’m glad you asked. Radio is very simple and at the same time very complex, it involves gentle rocking motions and occasionally the formation of ideas, but lets not get ahead of ourselves here, the whole thing about radio is this: it’s free.

I play music and talk on this end, and you tune it in and listen on that end. It’s that simple. But how do the sounds get there, you may ask? Good question. The sounds get there by way of billions of tiny bugs, called micro-schlubs, who fly at supersonic speeds and carry miniature cd players on their backs. Well, not exactly. It's weirder than that.

There are 2 types of radio waves: AM and FM- Amplitude Modulation and Frequency Modulation. They are broadcast from the radio tower and travel out in all directions.

But they don't stop there. Some of those radio waves keep going, pass through the earth's atmosphere and keep going into outer space. In fact, there may be aliens out there right now listening to shows I did 10 years ago (they must be out around Jupiter by now, traveling along quite nicely, heading out of the solar system.)

Is E.T. listening? Does he dig Led Zep? Don't laugh. They could be out there. I just read where Stephen Hawking said that we shouldn't be advertising our place in the galaxy- because if there really are aliens out there, they may not be as friendly and moral as we imagine. In fact they may be into conquering and occupying, and stripping natural resources. It might be a bad scene.

Remember the Twilight Zone episode called "To Serve Man" where the aliens come and take us back their home planet. They leave a book behind, which is finally translated. The title? To Serve Man. It's a cook book. They want to eat us.

Spoken Word Geek

2010-05-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

Spoken Word Geek

Tuesday 05-11-2010 10:46am PT

How did I come to be on the radio? It's in my blood. I grew up listening to the radio. I had hit records back in the 80's because of radio. I am a real radio junky. Oh, and by the way, I love my job. The hours are brutal but the rewards are great and I feel like we have a special relationship. Being on the radio is a privilege. It's sacred. I can't believe I've been here for over 13 years. I'm truly a lucky guy.

But what about my background? It's in music, right? Well, sort of...

When I was a kid I had a cheap little tape recorder that I got for Christmas one year and I used to make fake radio shows with my cousin. I understand those tapes still exist somewhere.

I grew up a spoken word geek. What's a spoken word geek? Well, I used to get spoken word records out of the library and take them home and pour over them. They had mostly poetry- TS Elliot, Dylan Thomas, E.E. Cummings, Carl Sandburg, and such. You had to be there...

When I got a little older I discovered a guy on the radio who used to broadcast from New York on station WOR every night. His name was Jean Shepherd and he was a monologist. He's the guy who wrote A Christmas Story. Well, Jean Shepherd was a legendary radio personality and basically invented talk radio. He told autobiographical stories. That's it. He just told stories. I loved the guy. Used to listen every night in my room.

Then a friend turned me onto Lord Buckley- the father of hip talk. There are no words to describe Lord Buckley- you just have to experience it. People tell me my own radio style is somewhat influenced by Lord Buckley. I don't know. Check out Lord Buckley.

I had a cousin who owned a Ken Nordine Word Jazzalbum and it blew my socks off. Ken Nordine had a voice for the ages and some of his classic bits- like Flibbity-Jib, and Reaching Into In- are still as fresh as the day they were recorded.

And then there was Lenny Bruce. Lenny influenced my whole generation of comics and DJ's. Lenny's voices were incredible. He was cutting edge for his day. I remember seeing him on TV once and really being impressed. Religions Incorporated and Thank You Masked Man are hall of fame quality bits. Lenny was cut from a different cloth.

So, if you want to know my major radio influences, they are: Jean Shepherd, Lord Buckley, Ken Nordine, and Lenny Bruce.

Mother's Day, Dallas Braden, The Sharks Vanquish a Vampire!

2010-05-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day, Dallas Braden, The Sharks Vanquish a Vampire!

Monday 05-10-2010 10:58am PT

I missed my mom on Mother's Day this year. I miss her every year since she passed, but this year a little more than usual. Maybe it's because that for the first time, my own daughter, my little girl, is a mother herself! I called her early Sunday morning to wish her a happy Mother's Day and she was asleep! Of course she was asleep. That's what mothers do! They lose sleep, they take care of business, they change diapers, they do it all. No wonder she was pooped! So, I say, if you didn't talk to your mom yesterday, call her today. I'm sure she will love it. God bless the mothers of the world!

History in Oakland yesterday- Dallas Braden, pitcher for the Oakland A's, threw a perfect game on Mother's Day. Dallas's mom passed away when he was in High School from cancer, and he was raise by his grandmother- who happened to be there for Mother's Day and saw her grandson pitch the first perfect game for the A's in 40 years. The last time it was done here was by Catfish Hunter, and that was a while back! There have been only 19 perfect games in the entire history of baseball, and now Dallas Braden has carved his name into the Hall Of Fame.

The Sharks made some history of their own at the Shark Tank on Saturday night- beating the Red Wings and advancing to the semi finals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They will play the winner of the Chicago-Vancouver series next. The winner of that goes to the finals. It's enough to make you think- are we the team of destiny?

Dan Rusanowsky, voice of the San Jose Sharks on KFOX, told me last week that beating Detroit was a little like killing a vampire- to do it right you have to drive a stake through its heart. The Sharks drove the stake home on Saturday, ending Detroit's season. Now that the vampire is dead- we have to kill the Wolfman and Frankenstein next!

I want to alert you guys that I have been nominated for Man Of The Year by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It's all about raising money to defeat cancer- and you know I hate cancer! Please check out my fund-raising page elsewhere on this website and make a donation! I would really appreciate it. I'm sick of losing Friends to cancer. Won't you join me in finding a cure? It's the right thing to do.

I don't know why, but it seems like just about everything can give you cancer these days. I quit smoking, started eating right and exercising since 2007. What else can a guy do? I want to see my grandson Nate grow up and graduate from college! Let's destroy cancer! Let's crush it! Let's render it useless!

The Last Days Of Jimi Hendrix Friday 03-26-2010

2010-04-09T01:20:00.001-07:00

We had John Dioso, deputy managing editor of Rolling Stone Magazine on the show today to discuss Jimi Hendrix, who, it turns out, is on the cover of next week's issue. His new album is Valley's Of Neptune and it's in the top ten of the Billboard Charts this week- and the man's been dead for 40 years! Wow! Now, that's staying power!

The last hours of Jimi Hendrix life is still disputed. I have interviewed or read accounts of several of Jimi's friends about that night. According to Eric Burden, lead singer of the Animals and friend of his manager Chas Chandler (former member of the Animals) things were chaotic that last night and official accounts don't exactly add up.

Here's Jimi with Monika Dannenmann.

Eric told me that the woman Jimi was staying with that night, Monika Dannenmann, called him when she couldn't wake Jimi. He told her to call an ambulance immediately, which she DID NOT DO, fearing that it might make Jimi mad. She was probably afraid that the cops might find other drugs in the apartment when showed up. Who knows? This woman's bizarre behavior on the night of his death is still baffling. It was reported that she left the apartment to go buy cigarettes while Jimi was unconscious! That's sounds pretty strange to me, considering that he had already vomited all over himself and was obviously in distress.

Ginger Baker, the drummer for Cream, alleges that he and Eric Clapton were looking all over town for Jimi to go jamming at a local club. They had a big bag of cocaine with them and they were looking to party with Jimi that night.

They found out that Jimi was staying with Monika Dannemann at the time, a woman that Ginger said was unstable and they feared the worst. His usual girlfriend during that period was Kathy Etchingham. For some reason, they weren't together anymore. Jimi had lots of women and it wasn't unusual for him to sleep around. Eric said that if he'd been with Kathy that night, he wouldn't have died. I guess we'll never know.

Here's Jimi with his other girlfriend, Kathy Etchingham.

Here's the account of that last night from WIKIPEDIA:

Early on September 18, 1970, Jimi Hendrix died in London under circumstances which have never been fully explained. He had spent the latter part of the previous evening at a party and was picked up by girlfriend Monika Dannemannand driven to her flat at the Samarkand Hotel, 22 Lansdowne Crescent, Notting Hill. According to the estimated time of death, from autopsy data and statements by friends about the evening of September 17, he would have died within a few hours after midnight, though no precise estimate was made at the original inquest.

Here is the Samarkand Hotel, where Jimi died.

WIKIPEDIA'S account continues:
Dannemann claimed in her original testimony that after they returned to her lodgings the evening before, Hendrix, unknown to her, had taken nine of her prescribed Vesperax sleeping pills. The normal medical dose was half a tablet, but Hendrix was unfamiliar with this very strong German brand. According to surgeon John Bannister, the doctor who initially attended to him, Hendrix had asphyxiated in his own vomit, mainly red wine which had filled his airways, as the autopsy was to show.

Was he still alive when the ambulance arrived? There are conflicting reports on that too. Monika said he was, and that the medics tried to sit him up and retrain him with straps. What's that all about? In another account it said that he was already dead and cold. Who do you believe?

By the way, in 1996 Kathy Etchingman sued Monika Dannenmann about remarks that she made following Jimi's death. She called Kathy an "inverate liar" and the court ordered Monika to shut up, which she didn't, and got in trouble again. She was fined by the court. Two days later she committed suicide by inhaling the exhaust fumes of her Mercedes in a closed garage in Sussex, England.

It is believed the Jimi's black Fender Stratocaster was purloined by Monika after he died, and that she held onto it over all these years. Where is that Strat now? It is owned by Monika's later boyfriend Uli Jon Roth (former member of the Scorpions) and is believed to be in storage somewhere in Germany.

Some people are convinced that Jimi was murdered. There have even been books written about it. This is a book review of one of those conspiracy books:

See what I mean? The events if that night are all screwed up. It makes me wonder what really happened. Could the death of Hendrix have been avoided? Damn right it could!

As far as I'm concerned, "all the other guitar players in the world would have to stand on a chair just to kiss Jimi's ass." And you can quote me on that!

Jim Marshall Thursday 03-25-2010

2010-04-09T01:18:00.000-07:00

Rock photographer Jim Marshall has died. You may not know the name but you know the pictures. He took many of the iconic photographs that appeared in Rolling Stone and many other publications.

I knew Jim Marshall, and I had interviewed him on the morning show several times over the years. He was a good guy and a great photographer. We will miss him.

He had published several books of photos which are still available. I recommend them wholeheartedly. Jim had a real eye for composition. Rock stars liked him and let him get close enough to take the kinds of pictures nobody else could. Also, Jim didn't look like a photographer, he looked like a musician, which made him blend in backstage. I'd often see Jim backstage at Winterland or the Fillmore, blending effortlessly with the bands. Jim was an all-access guy in a restricted world. He was a giant among photographers. He did several sessions with the Greg Kihn Band back in the day. I remember that he worked fast, something we appreciated.

Here are some famous Jim Marshall photos:

Spizzerinctum Wednesday 03-24-2010

2010-04-09T01:17:00.000-07:00

My father used the word “spizzerinctum” and it stuck with me. One usually heard the term on the ball field, as in, “Put a little spizzerinctum on the ball!” My father was the only one I heard use it, so it could have been a made up word in his vocabulary, I don’t know, but it sure is a great word. We knew exactly what it meant. It meant put a little extra oomph, a little extra mustard, a little extra zing on the ball.

I played second base for the Gardenville Lions Little League baseball team. Since the Lions played in “Pony League” all the players had to be between 12-14 years of age. Our star pitcher was a guy named Frank Hamburger (one of the great names of my youth, the other being Vernon Peppersack, a guy in my Boy Scout troop). Frank Hamburger was clearly older than the rest of us. Rumor had it he was sixteen, an egregious violation of league rules, but nobody said anything about it. He also hit cleanup and was the best athlete on the field. If you looked real close you could see he was cultivating the first shavings of a moustache. Sometimes I’d catch him sneaking a cigarette behind the backstop. There was a rumor he could already drive and had a hot girlfriend. Frank Hamburger was literally a man playing among children. We won the championship that year, behind the pitching and power hitting of Frank Hamburger.

Our coach was a gnarly old coot with a crew cut and squinty eyes named Mr. Bob. I think he worked with my father in the Housing Department for the City of Baltimore. He usually clenched a fat cigar between his yellow, crooked teeth. Mr. Bob wanted to win at all costs. He’d hit fungos to us until the light was gone.

I wasn’t the worst player on the team. I was the third worst. Mitchell Chambliss was the worst. He always carried a big ring of keys in his pocket that jingled loudly when he ran. Mr. Bob would yell at him, “Damn it, Chambliss! Your problem is you got too many keys! They’re weighin’ you down!”

Chris Stern, who lived across the alley from us, was second worst because he was too afraid of the ball to try and actually catch it. When the ball was hit he covered up and got the hell out of the way. In his case, that was probably a smart thing to do. Then came me.

The way it goes in Little League is like this; you’re lousy the first year, decent the second year, and almost reasonably good the third year. By the third year I had gotten pretty good at fielding grounders, and I could make some great diving stops like my hero Brooks Robinson, I just couldn’t throw very well. I had an arm like a rubber band. That’s why second base suited me; it was a short throw to first from there.

I never hit a home run or a triple. The best I could muster was a “seeing eye” double through the hole. My usual strategy was to just hit it on the ground and let the other team flub it. That worked most of the time. I dinked a lot of singles around the infield. I never got beyond second base unless Frank Hamburger was coming up. Then, I got to romp around the base paths after he launched one into the stratosphere. We looked so good coming in to score in our white uniforms with blue trim. I lost that precious team photo years ago, but I remember how great it felt. I had just turned thirteen. That was a wonderful time.

The field we played on was rutted and pock marked, and bad hops were part of the game. It made me a better fielder for life. Years later, at celebrity softball games, I occasionally flash a little glove just to show I still got it; can’t run, can’t throw, but I still got some leather left.

I still have the cheap trophy we got at the championship ceremony. I’ve kept it all these years. I was so proud to win it. Somewhere along the line, the bat snapped off the little plastic guy on the trophy, so now he just swings a stump, but it doesn’t matter. That trophy will always rank up there among the best awards I ever got or ever will get. It sits on my desk. I like to read the inscription from time to time. “GARDENVILLE REC. CHAMPIONS 1962”

So, put a little spizzerinctum on the ball!

The King Of Weird Tuesday 03-23-2010

2010-03-23T15:47:00.001-07:00

Did Phil Spector get beat up in prison? Seems like somebody somewhere took a dislike to Phil's sense of humor. He said thewrong thing to the wrong person- and BOOM! Mr. Spector was treated for a bruised nose, a black eye, and a couple a teeth knocked loose. You gotta be careful what you say in jail, and who you say it to. By the way, Phil was freaked out that Charlie Manson wanted to meet him and maybe have him produce Charlie's jail cell album sessions. Some people never give up, do they?

It's amazing how weird this man has become. I mean, he was the father of the "wall of sound" and invented rock and roll production in the 1950's with his brilliant work with the Ronettes. He married Ronnie Spector, divorced her a few years later. What happened? Apparantly he was insane. At least that's what she said. In light of what's happened since, I guess she was right.

That's Ronnie in the middle. (I always had the hots for her when I was young!) Check out the big hair! I understand it's coming back in fashion again, I sure hope so.

I got some emails from some of you yesterday asking me if the story of the Braunsweiger Chronicles was true. I can assure you- every word is true. I really did work for my Uncle Johnny when I was 13 years old in Baltimore, and yes, he did have a fluorescent lighting company, and yes, I did have to eat all those Braunsweiger sandwiches. Ugg! I can still taste the stuff...

The Braunsweiger Chronicles Monday 03-22-2010

2010-03-23T15:46:00.001-07:00

I’ve had many jobs in my lifetime, and I’m a firm believer in a good strong work ethic. Maybe it’s my Polish heritage, but I never shirked a day’s work in my life. I couldn’t. I always needed the money. Both my grandfathers were hard workers who believed in the American dream. My mother’s father rose from absolute poverty to wealth in one generation. He started as an apprentice carpenter, and before he retired he had his own construction company. For years, all he ate was a 3-cent lunch of a raw onion and a piece of bread. It must have done wonders for his breath, but my grandmother never complained. He employed many of the Poles who followed him to Baltimore . Why Baltimore after the halls of Ellis Island ? Because they heard there was work there. That’s the same reason I came to California two generations later.

My first job was working for my Uncle Johnny Scrupski. Uncle Johnny was a real piece of work. His favorite saying was, “Are you talkin’ or are you buyin’?” He said it all the time. He loved to argue and often visited our house to discourse with my father on lofty matters. He was loud and he drank. He decided that I should work for him. I was 13 at the time and the last thing I wanted to do was work during summer vacation, but Uncle Johnny’s political power with the family was great, and he managed to sway my parents. He said working would make a man out of me.

Uncle Johnny owned a florescent lighting factory downtown. He had a small warehouse and he assembled large florescent lighting fixtures there. It was tedious work that offered absolutely no mental stimulation. I hated it. He put me on the assembly line and I assembled one after another with mind-numbing monotony. There wasn’t much to assemble. I took a metal casing, screwed in the components by hand, then installed the florescent lighting tubes, and then covered it with a translucent sheet of plastic. That was it. It took about five minutes. They came in six, ten, and twelve-foot lengths. The only color was white.

The atmosphere was oppressive, it was hot and there was no fan, air conditioning, or ventilation of any kind. Upstairs in the storing area it was like a sauna and there were no windows.

But, the worst thing about the job was my Uncle Johnny. Everyday during the lunch break, he made me come into his office so he could lecture me on his philosophy of life. I didn’t get to go out and get a hamburger or a sub with the rest of guys. No, I had to hang with him and he always got the same thing for lunch- Braunschweiger sandwiches, which he bought at the Polish Delicatessen across the street. I had to eat what he ate. I hated Braunschweiger sandwiches! For those of you who don’t know, Braunschweiger is a kind of liver sausage. It was vile. Uncle Johnny liked it on Rye Bread with mustard. He said it would put hair on my balls.

Everyday I complained to my mother that working for Uncle Johnny was something out of Charles Dickens. She said it built character. Between the hair on my balls and all the character I was building, you’d think I’d be happy, but that summer working for Uncle Johnny ranks among the worst of my life.

His “Are you talkin’ or are you buyin’?” personality drove me crazy. He was a greedy old goat who enjoyed confrontations. He drove a Cadillac El Dorado and got a new one every year. He was boastful and vain. His style of dress leaned more to racetrack flash than to the stodgy business suits my father wore. He called everybody “Muvva” or “Muv.” He wore a bad hairpiece and smoked cigars. The man was a classic blowhard. He made working in that factory an ordeal. I ate a lifetime’s worth of Braunschweiger that year, and I’ve never eaten it since. When Uncle Johnny died, they should have put him in a Braunschweiger coffin. I can still taste the hideous stuff. Yuck!

In the end, I think the Braunschweiger killed him, along with all the other rich foods and personal vices he either consumed or let consume him. Uncle Johnny never looked back.

As far as his philosophy of life is concerned, the only bit I remember is “are you talkin’ or are you buyin’?” I guess I was just talkin’, because I sure wasn’t buyin’ any of that crap.

Friday On My Brain Friday 03-19-2010

2010-03-23T15:45:00.001-07:00

I saw my grandson Nate yesterday (I see him every Thursday) and he was walking all over the place. He was so proud of himself for being able to walk that he had this incredible grin on his face.

I brought my Voyage-Air Fold-Away Guitar and I played it for him. I'm pretty sure Nate understands that Grampa plays the guitar, because everytime I visit I bring it and make a point a point of playing it for him.

He understands the concept of the strumming the strings. He takes the guitar pick out of my hand and tries to strum the strings himself and he loves the sound of it.

So far, Nate's favorite songs are Ghost Riders In The Sky and Not Fade Away. Whenever I start either one of those songs, Nate starts rocking back and forth big time. If he's standing, he starts a little dance. I know it sounds crazy, but something about the groove makes him start to move. He's clearly enjoys himself. Yesterday he jammed with me for a few seconds playing the Bongos. He loves to bash things. He's got a set of Bongos to bash when he gets the feeling.

At ten months old, Nate is ahead of the game. He's already walking! He's also stringing together sounds and I think he's going to say his first words any time now. I lent Lexi my video camera so she could capture as much on tape as possible. I am loving being a grandfather! It's the best!

I bought him a tiny little San Francisco Giants T Shirt the other day. I can't wait to see it on him. I wonder how old he'll be before I take him to his first ballgame?

My daughter has a birthday this weekend and we are going to take her out to dinner on Saturday. I am so proud of her. She has a great job, a wonderful marriage, and the sweetest son in town! I am truly blessed, wouldn't you say?

Have a great weekend and I'll see you all back here on Monday!

Give Me Liberty! Thursday 03-18-2010

2010-03-17T23:18:00.000-07:00

Patrick Henry, voice of the American Revolution, said it first and said it best, "I know not what course others may take, but as for me- I say,give me liberty or give me death!" What had old Patrick so riled up? What had all Americans worked up back in 1765? The Stamp Act.

The Stamp Act was passed by England to tax the colonists, unfairly, they believed, and it was at the heart of the whole "Taxation without representation" thing. You can thank Benjamin Franklin for focusing us in on the problem. We had the moral high ground. So what happened? We Americans rose up and kicked some British ass.

On this date in 1766 the Stamp Act was repealed. England backed down after the Americans got testy. The Sons of Libertystaged the Boston Tea Party, where they threw barrels of highly taxed English tea into Boston Harbor. Disguised as Indians, the Americans worked themselves into a frenzy and attacked the British ships anchored in the harbor.

I love the founding fathers, and I love this period of American history. I wish that spirit were still alive today.

Remember, all this was only over a few pennies of taxes. What would the founding fathers have thought of today's politicians? Not too much, I would conjecture. They were men of little subterfuge and lots of common sense. They never envisioned life-time politicians who were supported by the public for decades on end. I think the thought would have repulsed them.

This great experiment of American democracy is ongoing, and we still don't know how it's going to come out. One thing is still the same after all these years, though- we Americans still hate high taxes.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Wednesday 03-17-2010

2010-03-17T23:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! They say he drove the snakes out of Ireland. That's a metaphor. I think the snakes were the Romans, or maybe the Barbarians, either way- he drove unwanted entities out of Ireland to make it safe for heavy drinking. Which reminds me- if you're planning on a day of adult libations, make sure you have a designated driver. Ever since I quit drinking I never have a problem anymore. If a cop stops me, I have nothing to worry about (unless I'm speeding.)

Big News From Nate The Great!

My grandson took his first steps yesterday! This is huge! My daughter called yesterday with the breathless news. I've been smiling ever since. I'll keep you updated on Nate's development and I'll let you know when he's drafted #1 by either the San Francsico 49ers or the Giants!

The Wearin' Of The Green! Tuesday 03-16-2010

2010-03-16T23:14:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Saint Patrick's Day! I love Irish culture! And God knows I love Corned Beef and Cabbage! I only get to eat it once a year and that happens either tonight or tomorrow (depends on how busy I am) and I am ready!

We'll probably go out this year, like we did last year. For years I always made it at home, but after a few experiences with toughness, I gave up- preferring to have professionals do it.

Part of the proper serving of Corned Beef and Cabbage, is to carve it the right way. Remember, when cutting the corned beef, always cut against the grain. Make sure you cut cross-ways into the beef. It's very important! Never cut with the grain or your slices will be too tough and stringy. Corned beef can taste like a wad of rubber bands if you don't cut it properly.

Tomorrow we will have my favorite Irish group on the show- Cele De (pronounced Kay-Lee Day). They will make their annual traditional appearance in the studio for some live music. If you haven't heard these kids, you gotta check 'em out tomorrow on the show! They'll be doing some classic rock tunes in an Irish folky way. They also do original material. I guarantee that you'll love it.

My second novel Shade Of Pale is about the Irish myth of the Banshee. It's a straight-up horror novel. I sent it to the publisher (Tor/Forge Books) on Saint Patrick's Day, and it got published! Was the karmic connectionat work here? Who knows? All I can say is that the book was published and well reviewed. I hope to make it into a movie one of these days.

The only time I ever saw the Banshee in a movie was in an old Disney movie named Darby O'Gill and the Little People when I was a kid. It scared the crap out of me at the time. Later, when I was looking for a great book idea, and I was going over all the classic monsters out there- I thought- hey, why not the Banshee? I had to make up my own mythos- much like Bram Stoker did with the Vampire Dracula- he made up all that stuff about garlic and mirrors and crosses. So, I made the Banshee the avenging angelof womanhood. Read it and tell me what you think.

And don't forget to wear green.

The Madness Of King Michael Tuesday 03-16-2010

2010-03-16T23:13:00.000-07:00

It's always fun to point fingers at crazy people, but somehow Michael Jackson is not in the same league with other "regular" crazy people. He's equal parts Howard Hughes, Anna Nicole Smith, Marie Antoinette, Caligula, Cleopatra, Richard Nixon,Scrooge McDuck, Imelda Marcos, and Elizabeth Taylor. This man is off the scale.

They say rich people are "eccentrics" and common-folk are "nuts" but what does that make the King of Pop? Bull-goose loony? I don't know. It seems to me that the number one occupational hazard of being a rock star in losing your mind. I stand by that statement. It obviously effects different people in different ways. I may have been a little nuts back in the 80's but I was far from the mind shattering madness of supertstardom. I could always walk into a 711 and buy a pack of gum.

We used to have this thing called "The Pack Of Gum Test" for rock stars. Could they walk into a 711 and buy a pack of gum? Some can't. Elton John? Prince? Lady Gaga? Could they do it? I don't think so. Do they even carry money on them? Here are a few rock stars who pass the "gum" test- Tina Turner (I was with her when she did it!), Bruce Springtseen, Huey Lewis, andSteve Miller. These are more or less normal people who just happen to be famous musicians. But Michael Jackson? He's on his own planet.

There's a word that says it all here: Hubris. Here's the definition: excessive pride, self confidence: arrogance. That doesn't even begin to explain it. If you're looking for a word, how about crazy?

Recently, workers going through his belongings have discovered some very disturbing pieces of artwork that were commissioned by Michael to display around his various homes. I'm just going to show them here with minimal comment. You can keep your own comments to yourself, but when you see how out of control the man's ego was, and how out of touch with reality, it makes you cringe...

What can one say about this? What's more disturbing, MJ's white body with rock hard abs and pecs or the naked cherubs flying around? I don't know. This is wrong on so many levels...

As Ponce De Leon searching for the fountain of youth? You figure it out.

Here's a particular favorite of mine, it's the hood of Michael Jackson's custom golf cart, the one he used to get aroundNeverland. He's depicted here as Peter Pan! Complete with Captain Hook's pirate ship!

What can you even say about this one? Is Michael being Knighted? By himself?

There's an air of insanity that runs through all of this. If I ever go this crazy, take me out back and shoot me with a tranquilizer dart and throw a net over me.

There's more, but I don't have the heart to run any more.

On The Road and Jack Kerouac Friday 03-12-2010

2010-03-12T23:12:00.000-08:00

On this date in 1922, Beat Generation Writer Jack Kerouac was born in Lowell, Mass. He was to become one of the most famous novelists of the 20th Century. Jack wrote the Beat Generation classic On The Road. This novel was read by just about every writer of my generation. It was an instant hit when released in the early 1950's and inspired the entireBeatnik movement, predating the Hippie movement by at least a decade.

This iconic novel has been in print forever. I remember reading it in high school. It was required reading for misfits and troublemakers- much like Catcher In The Rye. Like most people I wanted to hit the road immediately and have all the adventures the guy in the book (fictional character Sal Paradise, who was based on Jack's real-life friend Neil Cassady) had.

I bought it at least 3 times in my life- in High School, College, and later when I was on the road as a musician.

The cool thing about On The Road was that it was originally written on a scroll- one continuous piece of paper 120 feet long. The original manuscript (now owned by a private collector) is one of the most valuable manuscripts in literature. It was written in 20 days. Jack was a man possessed.

There is a street named after Jack Kerouac in Chinatown San Francisco connecting Grant and Columbus near the City Lights Bookstore.

Jack influenced a whole generation of writers, poets, and musicians, among them Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, John Lennon, Lou Reed, and Tom Waits. Jack was a media star in the 1950's long before the phrase was coined. He appeared on the Tonight Show (when Steve Allen was the host) reading his beat poetry. This was a major turning point for American literaure. Like theFrench Impressionists of painting a generation before, The Beats changed everything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzCF6hgEfto

His writing style influenced me greatly when I started to write novels. There's no question Jack Kerouac was one of the most influential writers of out time. He coined the phrase Beat Generation, and Herb Caen came up with the term "Beatnik" to describe the Beat Generation in North Beach, San Francisco. This was after the Russians sent the satellite Sputnik into earth orbit in 1957, officially kicking off the space race. For a while everything popular had a "nik" on the end of it, like such terms as "no-goodnik." So Herb put "nik" n the end of "beat" and got "beatnik."

Just thought you might want to know...

See ya Monday! Have a great weekend!

Early Floyd Thursday 03-11-2010

2010-03-11T23:12:00.000-08:00

On this date in 1967 Pink Floyd released Arnold Layne written by Floyd founder Syd Barrett, the twisted genius who started the group then fried his brain on acid and wound up in a mental institution. Syd was the principal songwriter in the early Pink Floyd. When he left the group, Roger Waters took over that creative spot. Later, when Roger parted ways with the band- David Gilmore took over that role.

The video for Anrold Layne is one of the trippiest videos ever made. Check it out on YOUTUBE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQTFRq1hjtM

Pink Floyd are one of the most enigmatic bands ever, and their creativity in the recording studio is the stuff of legends. They did a lot of their early work at Abbey Road Studios where they worked with engineer Alan Parsons. They pioneered the use of non-musical elements in their music. The beginning of Money or Time feature custom recorded quadraphonic sound effects such as Alan Parsons recording noon in an antique clock shop.

I am currently reading Inside Out, A personal History of Pink Floyd by drummer Nick Mason. It's a real eye-opener. There is so much information about the groups history that I find myself reading some parts twice just to make sure I got it. I recommend Inside Out for any rock fan, not just a Pink Floyd freak.

The Bleached Skulls Wednesday 03-10-2010

2010-03-10T23:11:00.000-08:00

“The road to rock and roll heaven is paved by the bleached skulls of guys like him.”

I don’t know who said that. It wasn’t me, I’m pretty sure. It’s a bit too clever for me. Actually it sounds like something Lester Bangs may have said in a review somewhere. I Googled the phrase, but came up with nothing. I’ve used it several times in published stories. No one has come forward to claim it, so I guess it’s mine to use as I see fit. Why am I so interested in this one goofy phrase? Because I am that guy!

The road to rock and roll heaven is definitely paved with the bleached skulls of guys like me! Guys who toiled in the slagheap, down in the trenches, and rose to the top. Guys who overcame the odds and broke through, only to realize it was only the first step of yet another journey. Guys who had a few hit records, got a taste of the big time, and then…

It’s even worse if you made it to the top of the mountain a couple of times. Don’t get me wrong, I’m damn proud of what I achieved, and I feel blessed to have even had the opportunity. But, let’s face it, I’m probably not going to make the R&R Hall Of Fame, unless the nominating committee gets really lax and they start running out of warm bodies. That’s OK. At this point in time I’d probably stand a better chance going in as a writer or a broadcaster. How’s that for irony?

I had a great run, and, more importantly, I’ve made the most of my post rock star days. I feel like I have the best of both worlds. The band still plays and I still get a kick out of it, but the pressure is off. I don’t have to prove myself anymore; I can just focus on having fun.

Actually, I’m quite happy with my lot in life. I’m doing great. There are plenty of bitter ex-rockers who feel that they should have had more success, but I’m sure not one of them. Not by a long shot. It’s all about life after rock and roll. The bleached skulls. Let’s deconstruct that phrase and get to the chewy center. There comes a point in most professional musician’s careers, where they are poised on the brink of mega-stardom, but something happens. They either move on up the ladder of success or they get stymied and start to lose ground. The Rock and Roll Gods decide the fates. As far as we mere mortals are concerned, it’s out of our hands. Yes, we work our fingers to the bone, but there’s something more.

When I started the band, all we wanted was to be able to make a living and have some fun playing gigs. We were young and idealistic. We considered ourselves artists. Once we got to the big leagues and started making records, we realized it was all business. We had to deliver time and time again. Sometimes we hit the bulls-eye, sometimes we didn’t. In those days, you could get album cuts played on FM radio and we could tour and play clubs based on the homegrown airplay. It was a simpler world then. We didn’t have a bona fide hit single until our 7^th album, which would be unheard of nowadays. No matter. Hard work and determination paid off eventually.

Nothing came easy for my band. We had to prove ourselves every night, every record, every song. We didn’t have huge budgets and giant record companies and high-powered booking agents. We had to work harder. We had to get lucky.

You can’t do it unless you love it. Fame is a harsh mistress. I was a babe in the woods when we started. Good thing, too, because if I had known how much work it would be, I probably would have dropped out. But, who thinks about that kind of stuff when you’re starting a band? Certainly not I. The template for most bands goes something like this: you’re the Beatles and all the world is the Ed Sullivan show. You never think about ten or twenty years later.

The number one occupational hazard of being a rock star is losing your mind. It happens all the time. Amazingly, I still have my wits about me. After a lifetime of rock and roll you’d think I’d be sitting off in a corner drooling. But, no, I live to fight another day.

Once the roller coaster went over the top of that first big incline, and started down the chute, the ride for my band was intense. We hung on for dear life. Some were thrown from the train. I watched them go over the side, arms and legs akimbo, grasping for footholds that weren’t there. Somehow, I managed to hang on. Looking back on my music career, I can definitely see the fickle finger of fate at work. If I hadn’t reinvented myself several times over the years, I’d have gone bonkers.

No one explained to me that the odds for success were a million to one. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. To this day I always begin a new project like that. I don’t think about the odds; I just jump in and start swimming.

I didn’t know it was hard to write novels, I just wrote a couple to see how it went and before you knew it, I got published. Same thing when I got into radio. I didn’t think about it, I just did it. The microphone goes on- you talk. The microphone goes off- you stop talking. Simple, right? Neal Schon once told me, “If you’re thinkin’, you’re stinkin’.” Man, was he right.

The bleached skulls? Indeed. They are we. And we are they.

Trod upon them lightly.

Ruby Tuesday Tuesday 03-09-2010

2010-03-09T23:07:00.000-08:00

I got another inspirational email from Julie DeMaria at Operation Care and Comfort following our "Support The Troops" night at the Shark Tank last Saturday night. They collected $10,500! That's really gonna help.

In a related story, here's the email I received from Julie today. I think it says it all:

Dear San Jose Sharks and Greg Kihn,
I just received this and have the biggest lump in my throat, and tears in my eyes. I think that even I did not understand how much our efforts mean to those we serve- our troops. This email is from Sgt Abell- the soldier who rode the zamboni. He told me beforehand, that he did not feel that he was worthy of this honor because so many more had sacrificed more, but he agreed to ride the zamboni so he did not disappoint his Commander. I wanted to share it with you. Thanks for this wonderful opportunity to "welcome home" one of our wounded warriors. Thanks, too, for encouraging folks to donate tickets to us, allowing us to collect money, etc. I look forward to being able to present the gift from our troops to the San Jose Sharks soon.

Julie
OCC

PS: OCC folks- look what you all did! :-)

Thank you Julie for everything you do for our Troops!! >From the truest place of every families heart that you touch daily. Here is a biggest reward in all this: “A Soldiers thank you”

Read below and take it all in.

Ms. Sharron J. Finley

7th PSYOP Group

Ms. Finley,
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for everything you did for me with the Zamboni ride. I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined I would have received the "Welcome Home" I had always wanted, but missed. Because of my injuries and being MEDEVAC'd, I came home after everyone else did and therefore missed all of the fanfare, there wasn't even anyone from the unit at the airport with Jessica when I flew in.

Anyways, the Zamboni ride gave me the "welcome home" that perhaps deep down inside I needed to get some closure on this deployment. Although you may not understand the psychology behind all of this or why it was such a big deal for me, I wanted everyone involved to know just how meaningful it turned out to be. I had no concept going in to this that the experience would be so powerful and moving.

Thank you all so very much! Please feel free to pass my thanks (or this email) along to all of those involved, including Julie and my Commander. I have a video of this posted on my Facebook if you have access to it.

Thanks again,

Tom

Tomorrow is another day. I'll see ya then! Don't do anything I wouldn't do. And support the troops, OK? They appreciate it when you do. I'm bringing in another load of troop stuff tomorrow for Julie to pick up. If you want to drop off any items for the troops, feel free to leave it here at the station (during business hours) and our receptionist will make sure I get it, and of course, I will turn it all over to Julie to be mailed to our soldiers all over the world just as soon as possible.

THE PRAYING MANTIS, also known as MANTIS RELIGIOSA

2009-04-24T15:24:00.001-07:00

It's getting pretty warm these days. When the average temperature is 80 degrees or above, it's time for my favorite insect- THE PRAYING MANTIS, also known as MANTIS RELIGIOSA.

Every year I do a fun science experiment involving my garden, organic pest control, and the fascinating Praying Mantis. If you have kids, they will love it, believe me, AND they will learn something. I will walk you through it one step at a time.

First of all, I will attempt to keep you informed with frequent videos outlining all the things you need to do to successfully raise Praying Mantids. As far as I know this is the ONLY place in cyberspace where step by step instruction is available on video for raising Praying Mantids.
There are two ways to do it: in the wild and in captivity. I like to do both. Here's how it works. I let the Praying Mantis eggs hatch in my garage and let most of them go in the garden (where they provide excellent pest control) but I also keep a few in a bug jar to raise in captivity. To get them to hatch in the garage, simply leave the egg sack in its cardboard container. Check it carefully everyday. Don't miss a day! They might all be born and die before they get out. So, it's important to check everyday. Also, keep in mind that when they hatch, there will be 100's of them coming out of each egg sack and they are quite fast! They will jump out the moment you open the container so be careful! Also, do this outside. Invariably, a handful will get away. Best to let them go outside where they have a chance.

If you're not intending to raise some praying mantids in captivity, then you should let the eggs hatch outdoors. Affix them to the lower branch of a bush or shrub in the backyard. You can do this with the aid of a piece of thread or dental floss, or maybe a small piece of plastic netting. The baby mantids will be born when the average outdoor temperature is over 80 degrees. The nymphs (that's what the babies are called) will hatch and hang from the egg case on tiny threads that resemble spider webs. They hang for a while until they dry off. Then they march off to eat other bugs. The best kind of bush to use is a rose bush because roses often have aphids and the baby mantids love aphids. By hanging the oothea from a rose bush, the babies will have a ready source of food as soon as they're ready to eat.

Step one- go to your local nursery or hardware store or garden center and ask about organic pest control. They will probably have a small refrigerator full of Lady Bugs and Praying Mantis Eggs (called oothea.) They keep them in a refrigerator so they won't warm up and hatch ahead of time. Buy a few oothea. There are usually three kinds of mantids available commercially: the Giant Chinese Praying Mantis, the Carolina Mantis and the European Mantis. There's no way of knowing which kind you're going to get in a container, but the larger oothea are usually the Giant Chinese variety. Bring the egg sacks home and decide which way you want to go with them (wild or captivity). There's no reason you can't go both ways, I do. Hang one of the oothea from a low branch of a bush. Check it everyday. If you decide to hatch some in captivity, leave one container in the garage and check it everyday. One day, when you peak inside, you'll see hundreds of baby Praying mantids crawling all over each other. Shake a few into a plastic bug jar, no more than half a dozen in each bug jar. Leave them alone for a day or two. Soon they will get hungry and start eating (usually a sibling) and it will be time to furnish food. I'll give you the lowdown on feeding them in the next installment.

I bought my oothea a few days ago at Navlets, but they are available all over at this time. In the wild, the eggs usually hatch in June, but in California it could be any time after the danger of frost is past.

Good luck!

Barry Zito didn't get the win, but he did pitch 7 scoreless......I recorded an hour of video last night for the website Praying Mantis

2009-04-24T15:23:00.001-07:00

Barry Zito didn't get the win, but he did pitch 7 scoreless innings and the Giants beat the Padres last night behind Benji Molina's pinch hit double in the 10th. I love Barry Zito for supporting the troops (one of my favorite causes) and Barry gets major points in my book for doing so. The Giants paid him a ton of money and so far he has looked like a bust, but you gotta hand it to him, he's coming back! Let's hope he regains his old Cy Young Award winning form real soon. Elsewhere, the Oakland A's lost to the big, bad Yankees in the new Yankee Stadium in New York. That place is turning out to be a real home run hitter's paradise, not exactly the "house that Ruth built" anymore.

Still no baby from my daughter Alexis! I called her 4 times yesterday! She said, "Dad, cool out! I'll call you when it happens!" I think I'm a little too excited.

There's a huge ice hockey game tonight in Anaheim. Down 2-1 in the series, the Sharks are running out of time. They don't have to win tonight, but if they don't, it will take 3 in a row to get them to the next level. I don't have to tell you, that's not easy! The Stanley Cup playoffs are one of the most exciting times in Sports, right up there with the World Series and the Super Bowl. The Sharks are up against the wall and let's hope they kick some ass tonight. The quest is to bring Lord Stanley's Cup to San Jose.

I recorded an hour of video last night for the website Praying Mantis section, but I didn't have the right cord to run the camera into my computer. It turns out that my camera is several years old and technology changes so fast these days that the connector to my camera is already obsolete! I'll have to find an adapter, it may take a few days! Yikes! I hope they don't hatch during this heat wave! I'm going to bring you every development in the Praying Mantis experiment this year. If you have kids, you might want to play along at home. It's a cool entomology experiment everybody can participate in. Plus, it's a great way to organically control pests in the garden. In fact, the Praying Mantis Eggs (oothea) are sold as natural pest control in nurseries and hardware stores all over the country.

Today I worked on the new Sharks song. It's coming along. Yes, I know it sounds a little like "Fortune Teller" written by Allen Toussaint, an old New Orleans R&B tune once recorded by the Stones, The Who, and the Hollies, but don't worry about it. We'll fix it in the mix!

Sharks win!........I am compiling a boxed set of Greg Kihn material

2009-04-24T15:22:00.001-07:00

Sharks win! Sharks win! Sharks win! Sharks win! Sharks win! Sharks win! Sharks win! Sharks win! Sharks win! Sharks win! Yes! There WILL be a game five in San Jose!

Come on Sharks! Call me for the National Anthem in Game Five! I am good luck! The team needs me! Let me spread the love around the Shark Tank! This is way too important to leave to just any anthem singer. You need my LUCKY MOJO! Remember my record is 4-1. I'm waiting for the phone to ring. I won't budge until after game five. Ask Coach Todd McLellen, he'll tell you, it's time to quit messin' around.

No word on Lexi yet! I spoke to her a couple of times yesterday. She swears I will get a phone call the minute she goes into labor! I sure hope so! I'll drop everything and run to her side. I can't tell you as a father how much it means to me. More as it happens...

I am compiling a boxed set of Greg Kihn material from the last 20 years containing some greatest hits, odds and ends, unreleased nuggets, live cuts, out takes, Joe Satriani cuts, and acoustic tunes, plus some rare spoken word items, AND a DVD containing all the videos (and there are many) to be released later this year. I worked on the liner notes yesterday and they will be extensive. There's a ton a stuff in the can and I want to put out as much as possible. I'll let you know when its ready. This will be the ultimate GKB experience.

her baby had dropped!

2009-04-24T15:20:00.001-07:00

I talked to my daughter yesterday and she told me that her baby had dropped! That means that it is in position for birth, which could happen at any time now. I'll be visiting her today. It goes without saying that the birth of my first grandchild is the most important event in the Kihn family these days. God bless the miracle of birth!

She doesn't want to know if its a boy or a girl, so in her ultrasound exam she asked not to be informed. I think that's so old fashioned and sweet! She says she doesn't care what sex the baby is, she'll love it either way. God bless her.

Names? Yes, she has a few picked out. I won't give you any clues here. But she's got one name for each sex already picked out. I suggested a bunch of Kihn family names, none of which she liked. I was pushing for my father's name- Stanley, or Stanislaus in Polish, or Stashu for short, or my mother's name- Jane. She didn't go for any of them. That's cool, it's her child, she can name it whatever she wants. I'll love it either way. If it's a boy, they want to name after her husband's father, which is a good strong name which I promised not reveal to you yet.

I'm expecting a phone call any time now! Wow, this is really exciting!

I will let you know the minute I find out! Keep your fingers crossed.

John Madden retired? Holy Cow!

2009-04-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

John Madden retired? Holy Cow! I guess we should have seen it coming, the guy makes so much money on his games that he really doesn't need to work. Last year I was negotiating with Wente Vineyards about buying some acreage planted with Cabernet grape vines in Livermore and I learned that John Madden had already made an offer on the property. In fact, I found out that he owned significant chunks of the Livermore Valley. The man has more money than God! Good for him. John is a once-in-a-lifetime talent who makes football oh-so-entertaining on TV. But, let's face it, the man hates to travel, can't stand airplanes, takes his bus everywhere, and already has enough money for the next couple of generations to live and retire comfortably. So, why am I grumbling? Because I will definitely miss him. Boom!

I think John Madden is the best football commentator ever, or at least since Howard Cosell. One of the reasons I am in radio today is because of some advice I got from John Madden about 16 years ago. We were at a charity event back in the 90's and I happen to sit next to him at the banquet. I mentioned that I had an offer from KFOX radio to do a 7-midnight show, but I wasn't 100% convinced I should do it. John got right in my face. "Do it! Someday, all DJ's will be ex-musicians," he said, "Just like sports. Who would know more about the music than a former professional musician?"

John's words rang true and I took his advice. That was over 16 years ago and here I am, still enjoying a career in radio that seems to have no end. Thanks, John. You probably don't remember it but it sure meant a lot to me.

Good-bye John Madden! TV football will never be the same. We'll miss you!

Save the 4th of July in downtown San Jose!!!

2009-04-17T15:37:00.001-07:00

Save the 4th!

The annual 4th of July Show in downtown San Jose is in danger of being cancelled! Somebody save it! Please!

It's all about budgets these days and the word I heard was that the grants that the City of San Jose used to give to help defray the costs of putting on the downtown 4th of July celebration have dried up! Without giving you the numbers, let me just say that the budget for this event has been slashed to next to nothing. What does that mean? It means no family fun on the 4th, no fireworks display, and no Greg Kihn Band concert.

It costs money to put on an event like this: overtime for the police department, fire department, emergency services, the cost of the fireworks display, etc. The City of San Jose is trying to save some money this year, and that's understandable, but cutting out the 4th of July? That's positively un-American!

Mayor Chuck Reed! Help us! Find the money somewhere! Don't let the kids of San Jose down! In these tough times, we need a smile! What's the 4th of July without fireworks?

It seems strange to me that in Silicon Valley, the most high-tech place on the planet, crawling with successful businesses, that we can't find private funding for this event. How about some corporate sponsors? Surely some company out there will come to the rescue.

We're not talking about a million bucks here, in fact it's not even one tenth of that amount, but without a knight in shining armor, this event will sink like the setting sun in the west. Come on, all you Silicon Valley millionaires! Come to the rescue of San Jose and save the fireworks show and rock concert!

I am going to dedicate myself to this cause. I don't care what it takes! We can't let this tradition die! I am going to call the mayor today and I will let you know how it went on Monday's blog.

Save the 4th of July in downtown San Jose!!!

Thank God its Friday!

2009-04-17T15:34:00.000-07:00

Thank God its Friday!

My son Ry is coming over today and we're going to have lunch near the station (KFOX) in San Jose. We might have some pizza and salad at Vito's on Skyport Blvd. I love that place and the owner George is a great guy. You should check out his world class collection of autographed album covers displayed in the restaurant. He's got everything from the Beatles to the Godfather! I have great memories of Vito's. I used to take Brianna there all the time when she was alive. She loved Italian food and especially pizza! I sure do miss her.

Or maybe we'll go to House of Genji for some Japanese food. Or maybe El Burro for Mexican food. Or maybe the Hickory Pit for some BBQ. Or maybe a sandwich at Genova's delicatessen. Or maybe.. I don't know, I love it all.

I'm still trying to shake off that Sharks loss last night in Game One of the Stanley Cup playoffs. That was painful.

Tonight I get to sleep for 10 hours straight! Damn, I love that. After getting up at 4:00am all week I look forward to catching up on sleep on the weekends.

Wolfgang's Vault

2009-04-17T15:32:00.001-07:00

Wolfgang's Vault

There are many Greg Kihn Band live shows out there in the Internet. People send me links all the time. Wolfgang's Vault has a bunch of them, and the quality is excellent. They currently have posted a live show from 1986 recorded in Philadelphia featuring Joe Satriani on lead guitar. Here's a link to that site. There are many GKB live shows archived there.
http://concerts.wolfgangsvault.com/dt/greg-kihn-band-concert/20050395-7418.html

The Tea Parties

2009-04-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

The Tea Parties

I drove to my local post office to mail my tax returns yesterday. It's getting so I know the addresses by heart: The Internal Revenue Service and the Franchise Tax Board. God, I pay a ton of taxes! __Are we one of the most taxed civilizations in history? I don't know but it sure seems like it. Then, as I drove home, I happened on something very interesting, a tax protest! I guess it was one of those "tea parties" we've been hearing about. Some people were dressed in Colonial Era clothes with tri-cornered hats from the American Revolution. As I looked at the faces of the protesters, I recognized some neighbors and friends. They too felt over taxed. Let me tell you, I was pleasantly surprised. I thought only the lefties could protest around here. Anyway, I honked my horn and waved and proceeded to drive home. But, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Was this a spontaneous demonstration of people's frustrations? I've been feeling over-taxed for years now, but I thought I was alone. __Obama is spending money that we haven't even earned yet to bail out whoever he likes (some companies get lots, others get nothing, and you and I can only dream about it.) I can't tell you how unfair I think that is, but what can you do? That's great for the people who will get checks, but what about the rest of us? We have to pay for it through taxes. I hope this mutates into a grass-roots political movement. I'd love to vote for tax reform! Maybe this is the beginning of something great. Right now, the politicians tax everything except the air that we breath (and don't hold your breath, because that's probably next!) __Hopefully the ruling class will take pity on us someday and lower SOME taxes, but don't count on it. As long as the socialists we elected in Washington need money to fuel their programs, the rest of us will have to get up early and work late. __As if you didn't know. __How about those tea parties?

The Pirates Of Somalia

2009-04-17T15:15:00.000-07:00

The Pirates Of Somalia

These pirates aren't cute. They don't look like Johnny Depp. These guys are murdering punks with AK47's and bad teeth. They've been hijacking unarmed ships in the Gulf Of Aden off the Somali Coast. Here's my solution to the problem. It's quite simple. Picture this. We put about 1500 Marines, Navy Seals, and Army Rangers in civilian clothes on a big cruise ship and have them float right into harm's way. Through the pirate's binoculars it will appear to be a party boat full of drunken revelers. However, when the pirates try to board the innocent-looking vessel, the machine guns come out, and boom boom! Out go the lights! No more pirates. Do that a couple of times and these scurvy dogs might think twice about boarding a vessel on the high seas.

I love using the term "scurvy dogs" when referring to the pirates.

Who would have guessed, at the end of WWII, after our fathers fought and died to defeat Nazi Fascism, that such vile human endeavors such as terrorism and piracy would flourish in 2009? It's inconceivable that mankind would sink this low in just 60 years. Looks like our father's work isn't done yet.

Thank God the Navy Seals took out the pirates before they could kill the American Captain. Remember, the Captain of a vessel is prepared to go down with the ship. It's part of being the Captain. They all know it when they take the job.

I sure hope Obama gets tough with these pirates. I don't want my grandchildren growing up in a world with pirates and terrorists running wild.

Easter

2009-04-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

Easter

Easter is a time of rebirth and this Sunday that's just what I intend to do! Traditionally, we always go over to my mother-in-law's house for some Filipino food on Easter. I guess I'll have to throw my diet out the windows. She always makes a ton of food. I can't resist.

I took my wife to see the Giants vs. Milwaukee yesterday at AT&T Park. It was our first game this season and it was great. The Giants won 7-1 and it rained. We missed the line drive off the forehead of Joe Martinez. That was a scary moment. We had already left the park after 8.5 innings and had just gotten into the car when we heard it on the radio. Thank God he's going to be OK.

Have a great Easter! Remember to call or visit your parents if they're still alive. Once they're gone, you'll wish you had.

I have fond memories of making Easter eggs in my mother's kitchen when I was a kid. Back then we did it the old-fashioned way with food coloring and vinegar. Just think, next year when I'm a grandparent, I will make Easter eggs with my grandchildren! I can't wait! Easter baskets, chocolate bunnies and Easter egg hunts were wonderful diversions way back when. Share them with your kids this weekend. Happy Easter everybody!

Bruce The "Other Man?"

2009-04-17T15:05:00.000-07:00

Bruce The "Other Man?"

Bruce Springsteen a cheater? It doesn't seem possible. But in the media today the reports are coming in that he has been named as the "other man" in a New Jersey divorce case. Arthur Kelly has named Bruce as the man his wife of 17 years, Ann Kelly, has been having an affair with after meeting him at a local gym. Shocking, isn't it? First of all, let me say for the record that I find this very hard to believe. I am going to wait until all the facts are in before I make up my mind. I know what it's like to live in a fishbowl. While there is no excuse for cheating, there are some extenuating circumstances that can be a factor. I know because I did it myself back in the 80's. I'm not proud of it, but I am being honest here. A guy like Bruce is under tremendous pressure all the time. Women throw themselves at you when you're a rock star. Most guys crack under the pressure. I did. I was only human, after all. For years nobody paid attention to me, then I had a hit record and guess what? Suddenly I was the most popular guy in town! I didn't know how to react so I just went nuts. I didn't care whose heart I broke, I was selfish and horny. I think my case is typical. (By the way, I learned my lesson 20 years ago and I would NEVER do that again.)

Also, the media is totally out of control and they go into a feeding frenzy as soon as they smell blood. You think they smell blood here? Damn right they do. They won't wait for a response from Bruce, they will run with this story regardless of who gets hurt, even though the jury is still out. It's a shame but in today's world it is a fact of life.

Tonight Bruce plays in Denver. I gotta wonder what Patti and their 3 kids think about all this. The media doesn't care whose life it destroys, as long as it gets ratings. That sucks. I say wait until the facts are all in. Give Bruce the benefit of the doubt.

Here's a link to the news story:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513297,00.html

Magnetic Levitation!

2009-04-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

Magnetic Levitation!

Greg Kihn demonstrating the new "Maglev Belt" (Magnetic Levitation) in the KFOX Parking lot as seen by Tim Jeffreys and Chris Jackson. Greg will be attempting to become the first recording artist to use this new technology at _Kihncert 2009 May 24th at the Shoreline.

Magnetic Levitation!

The Maglev belt! Well, it's not actually a belt, it's more like a harness or a girdle, but the concept is real, I will actually levitate above the crowd at this year's KIHNCERT. Let me tell you the whole story. A few days ago I was contacted by the EMS (Electro Magnetic Systems) Company of Sunnyvale, California about the possibility of wearing one of their Magnetic Levitation devices at the KIHNCERT. __As you can see, it actually works! Of course I am concerned about the safety aspects of the Maglev Belt. If something breaks the magnetic field while I'm aloft, I could fall and not only injure myself, but also some concert goers in the first 20 rows at the Shoreline. __If this works it will change the way gigs are played forever! I understand that the company has already been contacted by KISS about using their belts to levitate all 4 band members above the audience. Also, I hear that MADONNA is interested. But forget about those guys! I'll be the first to use a Magnetic Levitation device ever!__We are waiting to hear back from the Shoreline Amphitheater about the legal ramifications of the Maglev Belt. Of course, safety is our #1 concern. We don't want to see anybody get hurt. So, hang tight and I will keep you informed on this great experiment in live entertainment. Wish me luck!

When I was a kid I always went to opening day at the ballpark.

2009-04-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid I always went to opening day at the ballpark. My parent's house was only a few blocks from Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. It was acceptable to play hooky on that day and go to the game. As I grew up, I drifted away from that tradition. This year I will miss it entirely, but I am going to Thursday's game. It's a 4:00pm start and a lot easier to get to than an afternoon game. Since I don't usually get out of KFOX until after noon it is hard to make a 1:00pm game. But, 4:00pm is a piece of cake! So, I'm going home, grabbing my wife, and heading to the ballpark to watch the Giants against the Milwaukee Brewers. Opening day represents the start of another season, another spring, another summer, and another chance to dream of a world series. It connects with me in a way that few sporting events do. I remember when times were tough between my father and I, we could always talk about baseball. Baseball is the great communicator. Every team is a contender on opening day. Opening day is a time for rebirth and renewal. I welcome it as I do every year. Life is good!

The KIHNCERT is coming up on May 24

2009-04-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

Kihncert Songs

The KIHNCERT is coming up on May 24
http://www.kfox.com/pages/kihncert09.html
and I have scheduled a rehearsal for the Greg Kihn Band. What I'd like to know is this: what songs do you want to hear? I thought I'd ask now, before the rehearsal, so we can run through the songs before hand. So, why don't you email me your suggestions at-
GKIHN@KFOX
or on here.
It would be fun to know what you'd like to hear not only at the KIHNCERT but for all the other gigs this summer. Of course we will be doing all the usual hits like "The Breakup Song" and "Jeopardy" and "Lucky" and stuff like that, but I'm looking for the odd songs we haven't done lately. In some cases, we NEVER played the song at all. So, that's the challenge this year. Email me your suggestions and we will rehearse them and if they sound decent, I will preform the songs at this year's KIHNCERT. No guarantees, of course, but it should be fun!

Here's a partial list that I started of songs I plan to rehearse:

Madison Avenue Man
For You
Rendezvous
Sweet Little Sheila
Valerie
Can't Stop Hurtin' Myself
Happy Man
Testify
Real Big Man
Love and Rock & Roll
Little Red Book
Sorry
Love's Made A Fool Of You
For Your Love

Opening Day/ National Anthems

2009-04-17T14:21:00.001-07:00

Opening Day/ National Anthems

I saw Taylor Hicks from American Idol (he's in town to play in "Grease") sing the National Anthem on opening day at the SF Giants yesterday and it reminded me how hard it is to sing it in AT&T Park. Most baseball stadiums have a huge delay in the sound system because of the size of the place. Usually it's about 1.5 seconds. Have you ever tried to sing with a 1.5 second delay in your ear? It's damn near impossible. I noticed Taylor used a monitor wedge (speakers) right in front of him pointing directly into his face. That's OK except you still hear the delay, it's just not as loud as the primary signal. That delay can really throw you off! It's death to singers! I usually plug my ears with cotton or tissue so I can't hear anything except the sound of my own voice resonating inside my head. It's a brutal way to do it but it works every time. You don't want to take a chance with the National Anthem.

By the way, I haven't heard from the San Jose Sharks about singing the National Anthem at a NHL Stanley Cup playoff game yet. I hope they call soon. I don't want to miss that opportunity, besides the Sharks could go all the way this year!

It's just been confirmed that I will be singing the National Anthem for the San Francisco Giants on July 4th. Afterward there will be a fireworks display. I love the 4th of July! It's the most patriotic holiday!

The next time I sing the Anthem I will take a video camera with me out on the field (or the ice) and tape what it looks like from my perspective. I might have to hand it off to someone else at the last moment before I sing, but I think you'll get the picture. It's pretty amazing. It's a whole lot easier to sing the Anthem indoors at the Shark Tank than it is outdoors at the ball park. It's all because of that damn delay!

Hey Taylor! Welcome to the club!

The Tornado That Ate Our Gig!

2009-04-17T14:19:00.000-07:00

The Tornado That Ate Our Gig!

Creedence Clearwater Revisited had already refused to play. Their tour bus was long gone. Most of the audience had already fled in terror. The roadies were running for cover. The wind had picked up considerably and was now carrying away picnic tables and small dogs. The sky had morphed from ugly gray to ominous black, as black as sky can be.
I stood there watching things go from bad to worse, wondering how in hell we were gonna get paid amid all this chaos.
Ah yes, life on the road. It’s never boring.
The “outdoor rock festival in the middle of nowhere” is one of my booking agent’s specialties, and I’ve become a bit of an expert on the proper way to approach such gigs. First of all, the most important thing you can do upon arrival is find the guy who’s going to pay you and become his best friend. Hang with this person and establish a relationship based on mutual respect. In the old days that could have meant flashing your piece or your lawyer’s business card. Nowadays it might mean a friendly pat on the back and dropping names like Guido and Bugsy. Whatever. Discuss the amount of money scheduled to change hands and the different forms such payments may take, then create a timetable that is of benefit to all. Cash preferred. This being done, you can move on to more immediate concerns like unpacking your equipment.
That’s if you’re going by the book.
On the date in question, the book blew right out of our hands and was carried away by gale-force winds. We were completely on our own.
As fate would have it, our road manager was on the injured reserved list and couldn’t make the trip. “What could possibly go wrong?” he said as he bid us good-bye at the airport. “Get in, get paid, get out. Do a good show, everybody’s happy. Easy as pie. Here’s a list of telephone numbers and a copy of the contract. See ya Monday.”
It all sounded so simple Friday morning in San Francisco, by late Saturday afternoon those words had come back to haunt us. Nobody had figured on an “act of God.”
We were in the Midwest, during tornado season, and twisters were commonplace in this neck of the woods. In fact, we learned that a tornado had touched down the day before a scant one-mile from the site of the concert. No worries, Mate, as they say in Australia, what are the odds of it happening again?
Apparently the odds were pretty good, because by gig time, the damn place was ground zero.
Bass player and GKB co-founder Steve Wright acted as road manager. He pointed to the only thing in the contract that could save us, the dreaded “Force majeure,” sometimes known as the “act of God” clause. That said that if the band were at the gig, ready to go on, and fully intending to play, and an act of God prevented such gig from occurring, the band in question would still get paid. After all, they had traveled there in good faith, hadn’t they? Force majeureseldom comes into play, but when it does, it’s a doozey. It always means disaster.
The promoter had pretty much closed up shop and gone into a rope-a-dope mode. In the production office, everybody was shouting. Steve got tough and demanded our money.
The promoter had already been worked over by pros, including heavyweights like Creedence’s road management team, plus all the other bands, and every local opener within a two hundred mile radius, and it seemed hopeless.
Steve somehow convinced the guy that we would play regardless of weather, that the tornado meant nothing to us, and that we’d played in tornados all the time, and we were tough as nails, and what are you, some kinda wussy? This is rock and roll, Mister! We came to play! Now get that stuff set up and let’s get crackin’!
Miraculously, the guy handed over the money. In cash, no less. As crazy as it sounds, Steve had actually convinced the guy that the gig could be salvaged. In doing so, Steve had preformed the miracle of miracles and become a holy man. Later, back at the hotel, he would walk on water. But, I’ll tell you that story another time; it involves lots of liquor and an indoor pool. But getting back to the gig…
Steve came back to the dressing room smiling and told us to suit up. Ry tuned the guitars and Dave went up on stage to set up his drums. The roadies hurried to get the amps in position and fired up. The word went out- damn the tornados, the Greg Kihn Band is gonna play!
Then the poop hit the fan. About ten minutes later, all hell broke loose. Everybody ran. There were bunkers built into the underside of the stage, and people shouted to take cover. At this point in time there were still about three thousand hard-core fans standing in front of the stage, expecting to rock. They disappeared in seconds. I don’t know where they went, but they were gone at the blink of an eye. It got really dark really fast and the wind began to howl.
The cymbals on Dave’s drum kit flew away like giant metal Frisbees, threatening to decapitate anybody that got in their way. The huge lighting truss above the stage began to swing back and forth, making a groaning noise. In the middle of it all I saw Ry on stage! He was grabbing his guitars and foot switches.
“Ry! Get outa there!” I screamed above the shrieking wind. Amplifiers flipped over. The lighting truss swayed ominously above us. “Now!”
We ran, father and son, off the stage to safety. I’ll never forget it.
We never did play that day.
But we did get paid.
Miracles do happen.

The roar of the rubber, the smell of the crowd, the smoke

2009-04-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

The roar of the rubber, the smell of the crowd, the smoke, the noise, the thrills! Last night had it all! I took my Corvette out onto the quarter-mile track at Infineon Raceway and opened it up. Tim Jeffreys challenged me to a grudge match, and I couldn’t refuse. Let me say right now, this is the most fun I’ve had in years.
If you’ve never seen Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, it’s a beautiful facility. They host the NASCAR Winston Cup, NHRA, Superbike, and the American LaMans Series. When it comes to racing, these guys really know what they’re doing.
I’d like to thank all the good people at Infineon Raceway for taking care of us and letting us participate in their Wednesday night drags. The quarter-mile track awaited, all lit up and stretched out like an asphalt ribbon of broken dreams. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous.
I’d never raced before. In fact, I’d never even opened the ‘Vette up all the way before. When I saw “opened up” I mean in a way you never could on city streets. As you may know, I’ve gotten way too many speeding tickets of late (3 in 4 months) and my lead foot has gotten me into considerable trouble. So, the good folks at Infineon Raceway came to the rescue saying, “Go as fast as you want! It’s legal here! Go nuts!”
So, when the smoke cleared, I found myself in front of the staging lights, gunning my engine, waiting for the green light. Tim was on my right; I could see his white knuckles on the steering wheel. His Mercedes would be no match for my ‘Vette, I knew, but they had handicapped the race and given him a head start. I took a deep breath and when the green light went on, I floored it. In fact, that was my only strategy, floor it and keep it floored and don’t let up until the finish line flew past. Tires squealed, the smell of burning rubber filled my nostrils, and I was off!
Neck-snapping acceleration pinned me back in my seat as the Corvette exploded off the line. Hurtling through the night air toward the finish line, I passed Tim in a heartbeat and did my best to keep the car from getting bent out of shape. I fishtailed a little, but the ‘Vette is born to race, and all I did was hang on and let the car do it’s thing. I could see the finish line rapidly approaching ahead and kept my foot on the accelerator until it flashed behind me. I was so caught up in the moment and the adrenalin surge that I forgot to glance down at the speedometer the first time I ran. As I rounded the course and headed back, I saw my top speed for the first time. I hit just under 110 mph at the end of the quarter-mile and traversed that distance in a brisk 13.114 seconds! What a rush! Official speed: 109.70! Ye-haa!
I’ve always wanted to do that, but I never had the chance until now. Later, driving home, doing the speed limit felt like I was going about 20 mph.
Next time I’m tempted to go 100 mph on the freeway, I’ll remember the feeling I got on the straightaway last night and I will SLOW DOWN and save it for the race track. I’d advise you to do the same. Those speeding tickets are expensive!

The Fender Telecaster

2009-04-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

The Fender Telecaster

Bruce is coming! Bruce who? Get out. You know. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, that’s who. Have you seen the adds? Bruce is playing an old beat-up Fender Telecaster guitar exactly like mine. That’s cool. I love my Tele. It’s outlasted several wives, dozens of booking agents, a bunch of record companies, and more than a few managers. A great guitar is forever.
Let me show you the scars.

On the backside you can see a huge divot where the finish had been chipped away right down to the wood, then someone had applied new lacquer to the raw wood. What’s that from? I’m glad you asked. See that indentation there near the backside of the bridge? That’s from a guy’s tooth!
And there hangs a tale.
The Greg Kihn Band played at the Chicago Fest back in 1983. We had a number one hit record and were headlining concerts all across the nation. Chicago was always a good city for us and we played there at least 2 or 3 times a year. Chicago Fest was a big gig for us. It usually drew around 10,000 to 20,000 people outdoors in the middle of the summer.
For some reason, the Festival was being picketed that year. I don’t remember exactly why, except I think it had something to do with the organizers not booking enough black acts, although the night before Stevie Wonder had played and the night after us Earth, Wind, and Fire was booked. Still, some people felt the urge to protest our appearance there. I hated to cross a picket line, but I had a contract and a band who expected to be paid regardless of circumstance, so I had no choice. We’d played Chicago Fest before, and never had a problem.
Once we were inside the venue everything was fine. A huge crowd awaited us and I could feel the energy building. It was a breezy night; a little cool, but quite comfortable. The main outdoor stage was lit beautifully. This was during a period of time where we not only had a sound mixer with us on the road; we also had a lighting director. He was in charge of a dozen spotlight operators. Their job was to make us look good on stage. That’s just one of a million changes a band goes through making the transition from a nightclub band to a concert attraction. I’ll talk more about that next time, right now I’ve got a hell of a story to tell.
The gig started well enough, we were having a great night. The band sounded good, I was singing well, the stage looked professional, and all was going great guns. We finished the set and went off stage, only to return a few minutes later for the encore.
During encores, Gary Phillips often played my guitar because his was in a weird tuning and I usually took mine off and just sang on the last song anyway. I never thought about it. In fact, it didn’t dawn on me until later that Gary was still playing my guitar at that point in the show. If I had known what was going to happen, I never would have taken the Tele off in the first place. Hindsight is always 20-20, right?
Everything was going along just fine when, from the corner of my eye, I could see somebody running across the stage. In my peripheral vision, I saw a middle-aged man sprinting across the front of the stage. He was moving fast and heading directly at me. He looked like a linebacker ready to make a tackle and, at the rate of speed he was traveling, the only thing he could do was tackle me. He certainly wasn’t going to give me a hug, he was moving way too fast for that, and besides, he had a look of utter depravity in his eyes. I caught a glimpse of his face and deduced that he DID NOT HAVE my best interests at heart. In fact, he scared he crap out of me. Was he an over-the-top protestor out to get me? Who knew? Was he a crazed fan? An angry husband or boyfriend? Or was he just a garden-variety drug-fueled maniac, out for blood? I had no idea. Visions of Mark David Chapman flashed through my brain.
All this happened in just a few seconds. I had no time to react. The atmosphere on stage was absolutely supercharged. The lights were blinding, the crowd was cheering, the band was rockin’ at high volume, and here comes this guy. In the hysteria of the moment, time slowed down. I could see the stage bouncers reacting (too late) as the interloper flew past them. I don’t remember if I worried that he might have a weapon, I just remember trying to get the hell out of the way. But it was too late.
I braced for impact.
What happened next has been talked about for decades and has gone down in the rock and roll record books as one of the greatest on-stage moments in modern times. It has become known as the “Lights Out, Chicago!” incident.
Gary Phillps was standing next to me; a few steps back, playing my Telecaster, when he saw the guy coming toward me. I noticed he was a pretty big dude, much taller and heavier than me. There was a moment of indecision when it became clear that Gary was the only thing between the crazy man and yours truly.
Gary never hesitated.
We were in the middle of “Road Runner” I believe, in the part of the song just before Steve did his bass solo. I was singing the chorus, sans guitar, in the middle of the stage, completely vulnerable. The guy sprinted the last few feet between us.
In one fluid motion, Gary slipped the leather guitar-strap off his shoulder and grabbed the neck of the Telecaster with both hands. Swinging it around like a baseball bat, Gary clubbed the guy full in the face as he ran past. The body of the guitar hit him in the face like a Barry Bonds home run. The guy ran right into it. The force of the blow knocked him back, but his legs kept going. They flew out from under him and for a moment he seemed to be completely suspended in space, as if levitating. Then he fell, flat on his back. A tooth went flying. Some blood splattered. The man was knocked out cold.
Without missing a beat, Gary followed through with his homerun swing and brought the guitar back over his shoulder. It landed in the proper position and he resumed playing the song as if nothing had happened.
The poor guy was out cold on the stage and Gary just kept on playing! Amazing! But here’s the kicker: THE GUITAR WAS STILL IN TUNE!
Those Telecasters can take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’! I guess that’s why Bruce plays one on stage. You never know when you might have to use the thing as a weapon.
They carried the guy away and I never saw him again. We finished the gig without further incident, went back to the hotel, and got drunk. Everybody went home happy, except that guy. I wonder what became of him.
God bless the Fender Telecaster, best electric guitar ever made! Next time I’ll tell you how it got those ugly scratches on the side. Now that’s a hell of a story.

I had lunch with Guy Kawasaki

2009-03-23T13:09:00.001-07:00

I had lunch with Guy Kawasaki

I had lunch with Guy Kawasaki on Friday and it was great catching up with one of Silicon Valley’s leading entrepreneurs. Go ahead and “Google” Guy Kawasaki before you go an inch further and you’ll see what I mean. The man is everywhere. He’s ubiquitous! (Use that word during a job interview and you’ll get the job!) It’s always interesting for me to “Google” somebody just to see how many references you’ll get. A recent Guy Kawasaki search yielded 2,275,000 results! You know the dude is heavy just based on that! I mean, John Madden only got 1,080,000. If you “Google” Greg Kihn, I clock in at a puny 138,000 results, hardly worth leaving the house for.
By the way, since when did the word “Google” become a verb? It’s a well known fact that the world had been going downhill since the word “Party” became a verb back in the 70’s. I’ll leave it to the good folks at Strunk and White’s Elements of Style determine if “Google” will now join “Party” on the list of the damned; words that used to be nouns, but have now been forced (sometimes at gunpoint) to become verbs.
Anyway, getting back to Guy, here’s how his own website characterizes him in the official bio; “Guy Kawasaki is a managing director of Garage Technology Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm and a columnist for Entrepreneur Magazine. Previously, he was an Apple Fellow at Apple Computer, Inc. Guy is the author of nine books including Reality Check, The Art of the Start, Rules for Revolutionaries, How to Drive Your Competition Crazy, Selling the Dream, and The Macintosh Way. He has a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA as well as an honorary doctorate from Babson College.”
He wears a lot of hats, for a guy with a normal size head. But, the more we spoke, the more down to earth I realized he was. In fact, it was a pleasure hanging with him at lunch. I hadn’t spoken much to Guy since we last had him as a guest on the morning show way back in 1998. A lot has happened since then. It was time to get back.
I must confess, I had ulterior motives. Knowing that Guy is the Guru for Silicon Valley entrepreneurship, and considering myself a bit of an entrepreneur as well, I planned to pump him dry on the latest marketing techniques, the newest technologies, and the freshest philosophies the big boys were using. After all, just like everybody else, I want to build my little empire on the side of the road too. In my case, it’s my syndicated radio show, now heard 7-midnight in 90 different markets around the United States, and supported by a host of websites.
We sat down to lunch at one of those ultra-cool private rooms at McCormick and Schmick’s in downtown San Jose. The appetizers hit the table a few minutes later and we dug in. Everybody was hungry and the food was fabulous. I had the sautéed wild English sole (which I joked was like the Dave Clark 5 of fish), Guy had the Salmon, My manager Joel had the Scallops, and his son Skyler had the Chilean Sea Bass. Wow! We ate seafood like kings. Best lunch I’ve had in ages!
The conversation was interesting. Guy gave his thoughts on various Internet topics, and filled us in on what he’s been doing lately with Alltop.com, a news gathering website that could make everything else obsolete. Alltop.com acts as an “on-line magazine rack” on the Internet. You can custom-make your own page according to your interests and Alltop.com will update it every hour. He had already created an Alltop.com page of rock and roll news that I will use everyday on the radio show. It’s a lot more convenient than going fishing with a bunch of search engines and wasting time. Guy has done it again! He has found a niche and filled it, and isn’t that the very essence of successful entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley?
Guy is scheduled to appear on my KFOX morning show this week. Listen to him. You won’t regret it. I really like the way he cuts through the crap and goes right to the truth. By the end of lunch he had described how to best streamline my websites, be more effective online, and boost my Internet presence. It was stuff I probably wouldn’t have thought of for years. Guy showed me the right way to think.
No doubt about it, Guy is a champ. Read his books, attend his lectures, the man knows what he’s talking about. And be sure not to miss Guy Kawasaki on The Greg Kihn Show this week.

The San Jose A's?

2009-03-19T16:33:00.000-07:00

The San Jose A's?
The Oakland A's moving to San Jose?

It's not such a outrageous idea after all.

Tomorrow I will be talking to Chuck Reed, Mayor of San Jose. We'll be discussing the possibility of moving the A's to San Jose. I want this to happen so bad I can taste it! This idea makes sense on every level.

Think of it! The A's in San Jose! What an awesome concept! Consider what this will mean to our city. We'll be a major league city in every sense of the word. It will mean big revenue for San Jose, money for local merchants, and a huge boon to downtown. Green and gold, baby!

I remember as a kid when the Orioles came to Baltimore (they were formerly the old Cleveland Browns.) I was only 5 years old but I remember how everyone was excited to have our very own team in Baltimore. We weren't some second-rate backwater town anymore. After years of living with an inferiority complex from New York, Baltimore was now major league! Civic pride went through the roof. People were so happy. My father took me to Memorial Stadium (only a few blocks from our house on Southway) to see the boys of summer play. When they won the world series a few years later the whole town went nuts. The parade went right down Greenmount Avenue, half a block from my mother's house. I can't tell you how stoked I was. It literally defined my childhood.

Now we have that very same opportunity here in San Jose. The A's have exhausted every avenue in Oakland, and it really seems like Mayor Ron Dellums and the Oakland City Council have turned their backs on the A's. Lack of support would not be a problem in San Jose. We are foaming at the mouth for the A's and we've already proved this is a city that supports its teams. (Unlike Oakland.)

Imagine that first World Series Championship in San Jose! Wow! Is there any question that we could build the most beautiful ballpark in baseball and fill it with people for every game? Hell no! Look at what the Sharks have achieved. Would the victory parade route go down Santa Clara Street? How about Market Street? Could you visualize a fleet of cars carrying our very own world champion A's past the reviewing stands? I can. Maybe I'm getting a little carried away, but I think this is not only possible, but pretty damn probable. Here's how we can achieve our goal:

Oakland is in decline, San Jose is on its way up. In Oakland, businesses are closing, stores are boarded up, and people are afraid to go out at night. In San Jose, business is booming. People are swarming all over downtown. Don't believe me? Just try getting a dinner reservation on a Saturday night. Silicon Valley is the future of business in America, we deserve a major league team here.

I can't wait to have a hot dog at the new ballpark and watch the San Jose Athletics play. We'll be thanking Chuck Reed for generations to come! What an excellent legacy to leave us with! Like when former Mayor McHenry brought the Sharks to San Jose and got the HP Pavilion built. I say let's support current San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and bring the A's here! This is completely doable! San Jose has the juice to actually get it done. Mayor Reed says the odds are 50-50. Let's see if we can tip those odds upward to 75-25. Let's get the A's into a brand new downtown ballpark and start selling out! We can do this! Keep saying this over and over in your head until it sounds like reality- here come the San Jose A's!

Years from now, I want to bring my grandchildren to see games in San Jose. Don't we owe it to them to try?

Lord Stanley's Cup

2009-03-18T12:14:00.001-07:00

Lord Stanley's Cup
I didn't watch American Idol last night because I watched the San Jose Sharks game instead. God, what a finish! Horrible! With 27 seconds left in regulation and the score tied at 3, Jonathon Cheechoo was sent to the penalty box for 2 minutes for interference. It was a completely bogus call, since Cheechoo was just trying to get out of the way. Anyway, here we go again! Another game decided by the officials! That really frosts me! The Sharks were swarming in that last minute, peppering the Phoenix goaltender with shot after shot, and it was only a matter of time before one dropped (either during regulation or in OT), but the freakin' officials decided to hand the game to Phoenix by sending Cheechoo to the box for no reason! Damn! So, we lost with 27 seconds to play. All this after we battled back from a 3-1 deficit to tie. The Sharks played well once they got back in the game and the fact that they came back from 3-1 meant a lot in terms of winning desire. I really felt like we had momentum on our side at that point and we were going to win. Now my panties are all in a bunch! The good news is that, even though they lost, they clinched a playoff spot, and all they need is one more point to clinch the Pacific Division. __Also I heard from the Sharks that they are all booked up for the remainder of the season as far as singing the National Anthem is concerned. Not the result I was looking for, but that's the way the cookie crumbles... __Don't they realize that I'm a good luck charm? The Sharks record this year is 4-1 in games where I sing the national Anthem. Coach Todd knows it. I hope he calls me when they are in a "must win" situation in the playoffs. I have nothing against other Anthem singers, in fact I know most of them do a much better job then I do, but you can't argue with 4-1! They may sing better but what's more important? A win or a great singer? OK, don't answer that. __I guess I'm just too worked up about the Sharks this year. I still believe that they can and will go all the way! My passion is way over the top. Sorry. All I can say is Stanley Cup here we come! Go Sharks!

Happy Saint Patrick's day everyone!

2009-03-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Saint Patrick's day everyone! Try not to get too crazy. Since I quit drinking (and smoking) it has been a whole new experience on St. Patty's Day, and I don't miss the drinking at all. In years passed I would get toasted with the guys by early afternoon at a place called Brennan's in Berkeley, Ca. We'd drink green beer and shots of Irish whiskey until our lips got numb and we couldn't play the ocarina anymore, then we'd all eat corned beef and cabbage until we puked. Sounds great, doesn't it? Ah, well, we were young and crazy.

I have a ton of memories of St. Patty's Day, dating back to the 70's when we toured in the Emerald Isle. The late, great Phil Lynott, singer/bassist for the classic Irish rock band THIN LIZZY, had a hollow leg and could drink more liquor than anybody I have ever seen in my entire life! He could literally drink all of my band, plus roadies and management, under the table without breaking a sweat. He was amazing! Plus he was the only black Irish guy I ever met. He once took us to buy bright green African bud from a Chinese woman in Ireland! It was like the united colors of Beneton! As a bunch of homesick Berkeley boys far from home, we really needed a toke at that time. We just couldn't keep up with the Irish guys and their drinking, and I think Phil took pity on us. So, he took us on a journey to find good bud in Ireland, something he insisted was real. We scoffed. After all, we were Californians! We knew all about good bud. Ireland was the land of drinkers, wasn't it? Well, in the end, the bud was crap and we didn't even get a buzz. But we were forever in the debt of Mr. Phil Lynott, and I will never forget him. He was a hell of a singer too!

We ran into him years later in our own area code and returned the favor. I don't think Phil realized how strong Northern California weed could be. Who knows? Maybe we could have gotten him off the sauce and saved his life... Tragically, Phil favored alcohol instead of pot, or maybe we could have saved him. I heard that he got into coke and heroin later. What a shame. Phil died from heart failure and pneumonia in January 1986 following years of alcohol and drug abuse. It broke my heart. He was a major supporter of Manchester United Football Club and he loved to talk about them. I think of him every St. Patty's Day.

Here's a link to his Wikipedia page in case you want to read up on him:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Lynott

And just for the hell of it, here's THIN LIZZY, one of the greatest bands of all time!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FmPhJkdTwU&feature=related