Service Vehicle Hot Rods

Service vehicles are always on my list of fantasy project. I got to do an article on some people who actually did one. Kind of wish I had chosen a better tow truck.

Wasteland Cars

It's almost as cool as being able to go there, I got to pick out some of my favorite Wasteland Weekend cars. I tried to limit myself to cars where I could at least learn a little bit about the builds, but some were just so cool I had to go for it.

British Cars I Love

I know the headline says cars we should buy over Americans, but that was the assignment. These are just some British cars I truly love.

Design Excercises

I've never heard of this guy, but I was given this as an assignment and now I'm a huge fan.

Celebrity Cars at Auction

More or less a list of cars that went for a bunch because of who owned them. And some that didn't go for that much.

Moments in NASCAR

NASCAR has had a colorful history. For this article I tried to not just work on sensational things but some actual significant moments. Plus another chance to use the Sara Christian photo that I love so much. To reiterate, she was in the first NASCAR race with her husband who broke down and took over her car which he also ran into the ground before the end of the race. The photo so much looks like the moment someone is telling her that her husband is taking over her broken car, I kind of love it. Check out the article for the picture.

Cars That Had a Front Row to History

Assigned article, turned out to be super interesting about some of the cars that became associated with history. Also, finally figured out why the assassination of Franz Ferdinand started a world war.

Unfairly Maligned Cars

Alright, this will take some explaining. <-link

I do submit headlines but they are subject to change, I don't make the final decision. I wrote this as alternating between cars that have an undeserved rap and ones that deserve it. The order I wrote it in hasn't changed. The headlines have. So, take what you will out of that. Still a fun article.

Women in Racing

I got to do an article that really means something to me. The history of women in racing is fascinating, I encourage anyone to look up as much as they can.

Here's an article on racing women.

Denise McCluggage, Hellè Nice, Shirley Muldowney, Lyn St. James, Maurie-Claude Beaumont, Michèle Mouton, Pat Moss, and Janet Guthrie...

New Gig

So I found someone to pay me to write things about cars. Crazy pants, right? Who am I even talking to, this thing hasn't updated in forever. But now that I'm doing this thing maybe I'll update this project page more often, maybe as my reject pile for stories that they don't want or don't fit. Or I'll forget again. The only way to know is to check...

Anyway, here's my author page at HotCars.com

My Current Project, "A Thousand Maybe Worlds"

At the moment I do have a project active, I'm co-hosting a podcast reviewing the 1950s Science Fiction anthology radio program X Minus One, which is cataloged over at The Sandwich Machine Check it out.

The Ultimate Guide to the Electric Guitar

So, this I have decided qualifies as a personal project.

This is another undertaking with my brother. Not as 'frivolous' as Lunchy & the Punk but pretty informative. I myself am not a guitarist and after finishing this video I feel like I know what goes into an electric guitar. I hope that you will to. Don't be intimidated by the length, its just thorough.

I know that this space is reserved for personal projects etc., and I had already decided Lunchy and the Punk went on the other blog, but the other blog got hacked and I and everyone else worked extra bonus hard on this one and I need to share it in every corner of the web.

So, here's the story:

Following the events of the previous season, Lunchy and the Punk find themselves trapped on an island.

The twist? They need you to help them off.

That's right, it's a 'choose your own adventure' style You Tube video staring everyone's favorite RC monster trucks, Lunchy and the Punk, complete with multiple paths and a full season of endings.

Featuring an original score by my brother and original songs if you're not super adventurous (that will make sense in the context of the adventure), it's about the most complex thing I've done for stage or screen.

Enjoy.

Mai Dinh Toi - Mr. Amazing

Photo: Kevin Hazelton

So, here's how the story starts. I was working as a casting assistant for one of those big talent show reality programs as they came through The City. It's a pretty crushing experience, thousands of aspiring people pinning their dreams on this one shot crowding into a hotel on an overcast San Francisco day. I try not to be cynical about it, these people have dreams just like I do and for one of them, this will be the break of a lifetime.

But even though I tell myself this over and over again, sometimes I need an escape. That's where 'the run' comes in. The production staff needs something and I'm their monkey. I get to go outside, I don't have to spend uncomfortable moments while contestants try and size me up to see if I'm important enough to butter up (I'm not). It's fifteen to thirty minutes of minor freedom while I run to nearby store and pick up supplies.

Photo: Kevin Hazelton

It's on one of these runs where I turn onto Market from 5th street on my way to one of the three Walgreens within a few blocks of each other when I saw him. A Vietnamese man is fiddling with a MiniDisc player rigged to a small amp with what looks like a chrome leaf blower over his shoulder that he's holding like a guitar. Because, as it turns out, it was.

I had just started doing the interviews, I had gotten the Lowery Brothers the week before and had just talked Kevin into coming along with me to do the photos. But I was on my actual job at the moment, I couldn't drop everything and do this interview even if I had my recording gear and photographer. I approached him to see if he'd be back the next day when I knew both me and Kevin would be free. Unfortunately, he did not speak English but a nice woman from Vietnam stepped forward to translate for me and the arrangements were made for both of them to be back so I could do the interview.

I had assumed that the woman, who introduced herself as Trang, was related to the performer. No, she clarified, that's Mai Dinh Toi who is a nationally famous composer in Vietnam and she just happened to recognize him. I have to admit, I was thinking "Okay...famous...", but what you'll hear in the beginning of the recording where I let Trang introduce herself before translating for Mai Dinh Toi is an excited conversation between Toi and a group of Vietnamese people. I had asked her if he knew them and she looked at me squarely and repeated, "He is famous in Vietnam." By famous, she meant famous.

Photo: Kevin Hazelton

And I could see why. In addition to his motorcycle engine guitar he had a garden hose flute, PVC nose flutes, a Heineken bottle pan flute, and a rice bowl bells. This is apparently a small sampling of his collection of instruments made from found objects. Reminiscent of Harry Partch riding rails and leaving new instruments with people along the way, Mai Dinh Toi has decided to take his experimental instruments on a street tour of the US and decided to start in San Francisco.

You're going to hear Trang talk about 'Guinnesses' that he has, what she's referring to is an entry in the Vietnam Guinness Book for his instruments and the World Guinness book.

Photo: Kevin Hazelton

While he was performing he was approached by a police officer who was concerned about his use of amplification. But a crowd had gathered already eager to hear what his bizarre collection of instruments sounded like and Kevin was able to step in and talk to the officer on Toi's behalf allowing him to continue playing. Trang mentioned later that it had been difficult to get the performance permit for amplification and he was doing what he could.

It was a struggle, his MiniDisc player ran through a series of worn adapters into the small practice amp along with the mics for the various instruments. No mixer, just both things patched into the tiny amp. He often had to start and stop trying to get the connections to work or the right backing track cued up.

When he did work it out, it was amazing to watch. Few of the performers we interviewed were able to command as large an audience as he was able to as people stopped on their way in or out of the Westfield Mall or to and from lunch.

Photo: Kevin Hazelton

Mai Dinh Toi had performed in concert halls for big ticket recitals but felt that his music was for the people, all the people, so he took it to them. And they were happy to hear it and see it.

So, this is it. These are my street performer interviews. I enjoyed doing them and I wish I could have made them into the grandiose thing I wanted them to be, but I'm glad to have at least shared what I had and I hoped you enjoyed it. I hope that it brings a little light on to the incredible performances around you and if you're in San Francisco or any other city with street performers you stop and check some of this stuff out. And be sure to throw a bill or two into their hats, they deserve it. Thanks for reading.

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Jerome - Drums

Jerome Photo: Kevin Hazelton

First of all, two admissions. First is that I lost my notes and I don't know how to spell Jerome's last name. The second, we clearly caught Jerome on a bit of a bad day. We tried our best to not press the street performers who did not want to take part in the project, though we rarely encountered resistance. But we were taking up their time and if they weren't playing they weren't earning so we tried to take no as no. Somewhere the communication broke down with Jerome, I think he wanted to take part but just didn't like the way we were going about it. Ultimately he did agree to participate and we tried to keep things short.

He only had four hours in Larry "Bucketman" Hunt's spot and he was trying to make the most of it. We guessed that like the Lowery Brothers he had been moved from his other spots. Drums are a little trickier than most instruments, whether they are regular drums or buckets, in that they have to be packed up and set up, they take up more sidewalk and separates the performer from the passerbys. Plus, they are not particularly melodic, but rhythm is one of the things that effect us on a more primal level, so they have that going for them.

Photo: Kevin Hazelton

Jerome had just returned to The City after staying in Japan for over a decade. He was on his way back through the states to catch up with friends. Shortly after we wrapped our interview someone approached having recognized him from years past. And that's sort of where it clicked. We were a little soured, we had upset a performer when we were really trying not to and it had effected our attitude a little bit, but here was a performer who was not the most unique (that's the next one) or most dynamic, but he was recognized and his absence was noted.

Because street performers matter. They matter to the city and the people who have to spend their time in it. They add to the texture and feel of the urban experience in San Francisco and any other city that has a street performing community. The addition of music and performance adds something to the life of the city where they perform. And like magic, we felt good about what we were doing again.

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Larry Hunt - The Bucketman

Photo: Kevin Hazelton

When I decided to do this project there were a few things that happened that sort of reinforced my notion that this was important enough. One of those I linked in the opening post on the project about Joshua Bell playing in a subway. The movie The Soloist came out. But perhaps the most affirming was the beginning of The Bucketman Campaign. From a blog post (one that gets more hits than I do...), people managed to unite to take care of what I had rightly started to consider a city treasure, our street performers. In this case, the famous Larry Hunt, or as we all know him, Bucketman.

It's easy, once you meet him, to understand why he particularly became beloved. He's just a genuely happy guy to be around. Even when he's scolding his compatriat, a man doing James Brown sing-a-longs complete with mic stand acrobatics who almost hits a passerby with it he's upbeat and likable. He's trying to tell him to conserve his voice because they have a street performer all-star band performance in Union Square later that day.

Oh yeah, he heads an all star street performer band that performs in Union Square. Ideally, I had wanted to cap off this whole thing by filming one of those concerts. Instead, I can only hope they are still going on and encourage anyone who reads this to seek them out.

Photo: Kevin Hazelton

Hunt is also a tireless promoter. Talk to him for a minute you'll get his list of credits, starting with Will Smith's Pursuit of Happyness among other film and television appearances. Honestly, if you're watching a show that takes place in San Francisco you can tell if it's filmed in the city or not by whether or not they include a shot of Mr. Hunt.

His notoriety was such that I was sure he wouldn't need me, but I was wrapping up my first interview with the Supa Lowery Brothers when I turned to see Bucketman politely waiting for me. He quickly shook my hand and introduced himself and asked what I was doing and more importantly that I should do it with him. He gave me the times and places I could find him and any other information he could hurry out and seemed genuinely excited to participate even after I told him I was just some guy and hadn't even started the website yet. None of that mattered, he was anxious to tell me his story as he is anyone else who might ask.

Photo: Kevin Hazelton

A little less of a novelty then Bushman, Bucketman is still an attraction all unto himself. He is kind of an elder statesman of street performers, treating each of them that he encountered (at least three stopped by to see him) with respect and handing out advice when asked. He maintained a schedule that sort of worked like an unofficial version of the Port Authority's that allowed other performers to use his highly valuable space (a drummer had just wrapped up his time in Bucketman's slot, the James Brown singer filled in spots when Mr. Hunt would talk to tourists).

It was my job in San Francisco often to take visiting television crews on site seeing tours to get what they call 'b-roll' of San Francisco and the list was always the same...Coit Tower, Lombard St., Golden Gate Bridge/Fort Point, occasionally the Painted Ladies...etc etc. When you come to San Francisco you'll likely have a similar list. Let me add for you 4th and Market in the mid to late afternoon. Coit Tower is just a tower, Lombard isn't even the most crooked street in the city, the bridge is awesome enough, but it's still a bridge. Bucketman, on the other hand, is a man who enthusiastically plays paint buckets and will actually welcome you to the city. Check him out.

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Emily Palen - Violin

Emily Palen Photo: Kevin Hazelton

It took two tries to find her, but finally we did. My friend and photographer Kevin had seen her a few times on his way to work or to see friends and had been telling me about her, but when we stepped out the first time she wasn't there.

But now we're out on a Thursday and she's in her spot at Union Square in front of Neiman Marcus. You can't just play any instrument in front of a store like Neiman Marcus, it's fitting that Emily Palen's instrument is the violin.

There are three stereotypes of the violinist, the up-tight classicist, the 'fiddler', and the experimental player. While I would argue that every violin player has a little of all three in them, certainly Palen gravitates towards the last one, the experimentalist.

Photo: Kevin Hazelton

Street performers tend to perform a hodge podge of original music and 'covers' or canonical music that the passers by will recognize. Palen takes a third path by improvising the entire time. I've actually tried this on the saxophone when 'playing' for the Salvation Army one money tight Christmas and for me, it broke down pretty quickly. Granted it might be easier to maintain that long an unaccompanied improvisation with a polyphonic instrument, but it's still a feat.

Photo: Kevin Hazelton

She also relies heavily on something we began to noticing in other street performers. While sometimes it takes the form of frustration, the performers feed off the energy of the passers by. Palen specifically seems to rely on it to take her performance to wherever it goes.

One of the quirks of San Francisco, we're only a few blocks from where we picked up The Supa Lowery Brothers and BucketMan, but the crowd is entirely different. Union Square is a more upscale shopping area, the clothes are fancier, the average passer by seems a bit more affluent. This is the block up that the people a few stories up go to for their lunch. So instead of buckets, they get violin. It was an interesting divide in how street performers select their locations.

Like the other street performers, she had a lot to of interesting things to say, hopefully there's enough room to enjoy her music as well.

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Rodney - Saxophone

Photo: Kevin Hazelton

Nothing is more iconic for street performers than a lone tenor saxophonist. I've put up bands, a weird animal act, but when people think 'street performers' they either think mimes, or lone saxophonists.  That might be some kind of personality test, but I digress.

Rodney was, in a way, my grail. The kernel that started this project was the fact that I would pass Rodney almost every time I went into the city. Then there was a day I passed him and he wasn't playing, but talking to someone in some sort of animated conversation.

That's when it occurred to me that I really didn't know anything about these guys and it might be interesting to find out.

So I stopped and talked to him and asked where he'd be the next day. Of course, when I did come out to see him, he wasn't there. Street performers, as seems obvious, work on their own schedule. But I was able to find the Supa Lowery Brothers that day and found Rodney eventually.

He was in turns the most enthusiastic interview subject and the most reluctant, sometimes within the course of a single sentence. When I met him the first time he was intrigued by the idea and seemed into the interview. When I met him the second time he didn't seem to remember who I was and was hesitant, but then really got into it.

In a lot of ways I thought of Rodney as my main motivation for finishing the interviews, because every time he saw me afterwards he would grill me about the progress.

Tip Your Street Performers! Photo: Kevin Hazelton

Every street performer has a little bit of the philosopher in them, Rodney has that in massive doses. When you interview someone where you intend to take yourself out of the interview you try and instruct the subject to include the question in their answer. We usually give the example of "So, if I ask you your name, you say 'My name is Rodney' instead of just saying 'Rodney.'" Which makes it sound a lot easier than it is. That's why, when you watch reality show interviews a lot of people seem to be asking themselves questions they then answer.

Street performers more or less just ignored me and every minute I spent interviewing them they weren't making money, so I never belabored the point to avoid making them angry.

But with Rodney, it was nearly impossible. But what did happen were these awesome stream of consciousness rants that my questions could never unlocked in a normal interview.

Photo: Kevin Hazelton

So, you'll notice some differences. (if you've been actually following the blog from the beginning you'll notice a lot of differences, like the second player I added for each post and the slightly new look. I'm not sure which one I prefer, they both have their pluses so for the time being I'm keeping both up). But specific to Rodney...first is what I call the 'usable interview,' the part where Rodney stayed on topic and more or less answered the questions in a way where it wasn't necessary that you heard the question. Mostly, I did have to include my question in at least one so you get to hear my nasally voice in the distance.

But in addition to that, I've strung together some of his rants over some more of his playing. I'm not religious, but this is about him not me, so there is some proselytizing in there. I apologize that I really didn't have as much room to let you just hear Rodney play, but I do encourage you to take a lunch time stroll on Market between 1st and 2nd (I'm a little disappointed that the Google Streetview car didn't catch him) and listen to him play. Be sure to tip him and tell him that interview guy sent you. No guarantees he'll remember, but he just might.

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Gregory Pike and Dog Cat Rat

Greg Pike and his triple decker pets. Photo:Kevin Hazelton

This was on my first day with Kevin and there were two people he had seen that he was hoping to find again. He had actually been excitedly trying to describe this particular act to me as we decided to break for lunch.

As it turns out, I was maybe one of the few people who hadn't heard of Gregory Pike and his unique pets. Mr. Pike, you see, had trained his dog to give a ride to his cat who in turn gave a ride to his pet rat.

Yep.

Three to four years ago, this was a bit of a unique phenomenon, and as we made our way down Powell between Geary and O'Farrell to get some burritos, there was Greg Pike and his mobile menagerie.

Photo: Kevin Hazelton

So, originally I had intended to record musicians. Partially because all I had to do this project on was audio equipment and I couldn't really represent acts like the robot men or jugglers or whatever other spectacle happens on a regular basis on the San Francisco streets. I had to decide if this constituted street performance. He wasn't performing per se, he wasn't at a particular location, he himself was on the move to somewhere with his pet tower in tow.

But the reality is, it was a spectacle and just as many people stopped and watched if not more than some of the musical acts we had already encountered. And Mr. Pike, like his other performers, was living off tips from onlookers.

Not that this was his only plan. Dog Cat Rat was, above all else, a message of peace and cooperation. And Pike delivered that message to anyone who would stop and ask.

Photo: Kevin Hazelton

It's hard, in my cynical normal existence, to associate getting a cat to accept a free ride with people putting away their differences and getting along. But I have to admit, when you're sitting next to the pet stack, it's a little easier to believe. Or maybe it just makes you think of the Town Musicians of Bremen.

When I met him he had just finished a bit for Animal Planet and was thinking about moving on to other cities to spread his message. Judging from the amount of hits if you just Google Dog Cat Rat, spread his message has. I don't know that I can say much more about him than others have save to just let him speak for himself.

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The GroWiser Band

The GroWiser Band Photo: Kevin Hazelton

One of the things that I learned when grabbing the interview with the Supa Lowery Brothers is that I don't want to handle all the audio equipment and take all the photographs. I was only able to grab them on that outing and when I found a flute player in their first spot I was too tired to grab a second interview.

So when I set out again I took actor friend Kevin Hazelton, who also happens to be a photographer, to take the pictures.

Another Tuesday and we're on the move. We've been going up and down the Financial District because it's closest to where we both call home, but today we're on a mission. We want Bushman, a notorious Fisherman's Wharf fixture who 'hides' behind two plastic branches and spooks tourists. You have not been to San Francisco until you've been "BOO!"ed by Bushman.

I'll spoiler you right now, we found him but only when I had to get Kevin back to work and were never able to interview him. It is, in fact, the greatest failure of this project.

What we did find, however, was a duo from The Growiser Band featuring founder Hubert Emerson on keyboard and Sahar Miller on saxophone. As a saxophonist myself, I have a weakness for street performing saxophonists.

Hubert Emerson Photo: Kevin Hazelton

Growiser is performing in a designated area at Fisherman's Wharf. The Wharf handles street performers a little differently. Obviously, this is the high traffic area for those valuable tourist dollars and a great place for a street performer to be seen. There are fixtures, like the aforementioned Bushman, the usual spraypaint and caraciture artists, dance crews, 'robot men' (which it turns out, is a group...also never got that interview), bands, and musicians all competing for space. The Port Authority has a Street Performer Program that assigns spots and time slots.

For performers this does cut down on territorial disputes which can be a source of frustration, but also places a limit on the time they can promote themselves.

Growiser has set up under the iconic Wharf sign with a keyboard handling both drums and Emerson's playing while Sahar stands next to him playing alto saxophone. Like the Lowery Brothers, between songs they sell CDs and tell anyone who asks about upcoming shows.

Sahar Miller Photo: Kevin Hazelton

They are seasoned vets of the Wharf street performers. One of the reasons that it took me so long to getting to cut this particular interview was not only that it was two people, but because Emerson had so much informative stuff to say on the nature of street performing and the politics of it as it pertains specifically to the Port Authority.

For them, it's a trade off. Unlike the Lowery Brothers, they have not been moved after setting up. And their foot traffic is there to gawk. Regulation means once your slot is in, it's in. But it also means restrictions, something I found that street performers do not deal well with.

One of the main themes in every interview was a sense of self-determination. For them, the port authority is a trade off, trade some of that self-determination for a prime location and no hassle for their three hour slot.

Three years later, Growiser still has their Wharf schedule on their website. If you're going to San Francisco, check in on it and them. Afterwards, if you head west towards the beach, you might encounter Bushman as well and can consider your visit to San Francisco complete.

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