on this weeks cancellation..

So.. earlier this week Instagon canceled its first show in nearly 5 years (at least as far as I can recall...I am open to be corrected) due to my being really really sick.. i had something evil. probably food poisoning.. could have been my medications for Diabetes..who knows.. but something made me terribly nauseous and sick to my stomach all day on Tuesday and into the evening, and so about 2 hours before the show I pulled the plug on the session as I was not physically able to pull it off. I apologize to anyone that did not get the message before hand and went out expecting to see the Deamon. I also apologize to the other guys that were supposed to play in the session.. Dex, John, & JD...i hated to pull the rug out from under them as they were getting prepared to come out. Lastly i wish to give personal and honest apologies to the venue the Press Club.. and Adam and J.P. who helped to set this show up..you guys really went out on the limb to add us ..and we dropped the ball.. it was not intentional in any way.. hope we get the chance to make it up to you some time.
That show was set to be the final show of the year.. so thats it for this year folks.. come out to see session #555 at Luna's Cafe on Jan. 10.. next year.. the year of Garage Jazz!!
- Lob
12/30/2010 Sacramento, CA

Setlist - session 553 - 12-9-2010 - Live In Studio A, KDVS, Davis, CA

Instagon #553
December 9, 2010
KDVS, Davis, CA

KDVS is a radio station on frequency 90.3 FM originating from the basement floor of Freeborn Hall at University of California at Davis. (UCDavis) that also streams at www.kdvs.org.   It is a VERY independent radio station with a "free-form" format, it also has the largest indie FM transmitter on the west coast, making it pretty special. Every Thursday night at 11pm (PST) they invite a band into their studios to play live over the air for an hour from Studio A.  This show is called L.I.S.A. .. Live In Studio A.  Instagon has previously appeared on the L.I.S.A. show doing a noise set as part of promotions for past Norcal Noisefest events..but this was the first time that Instagon had played the weekly show as a band for the entire hour.. which is also pretty interesting due to the fact that we have recorded in this studio 2 times previously and have 4 releases that were from those sessions! 

For this session a quartet was assembled to play for an hour, live over the air.. the band consisted of Lob with John Keeling on guitar .. someone that has been playing consistently with Instagon throughout this year.. also Drew Walker on drums.. and Matt Conklin on keyboards..  all three of these guys have been doing shows with us this year.. (John, Drew, & Lob had previously appeared earlier this year as a trio (session 545)) For this set we tried to focus on staying in the groove and feeling of the new CD "Sleepwalking" as to try to promote this release (the Sleepwalking CD was recorded at KDVS in Nov.2009) An amazing version of the song "Sleepwalking" was part of this session, but there were some pretty smokin' jams as well like the band classic "Deamon's Tube" (see below video!).  There was a couple of short improv jams.. one of them was titled "Umbridge Study Hall" and can be heard as part of the Fresh Cuts series on Bandcamp.com  .. funny story..

As we were setting up our equipment for this live radio session at KDVS, a short blondeish woman, with obviously too much time on her hands, appeared out of nowhere to tell us we were NOT supposed to be here and that there was a "24 study group" happening upstairs and she was promised there would be NO live music from the Radio station to disturb the students.. she was very determined and name dropping the name of "UC Aggie Regents" like it would have some magickal powers over us.. but in the end it did not.. we ignored her and played a great set..but in response to her very Umbridge like character, we dedicated a song..






INSTAGON 553
12-9-2010
KDVS FM 90.3, ,Univ.of Calif., Davis,CA
(live on-air broadcast)

Invokation>
Dripfall,
Cosmic
Deamon's Tube,
Sleepwalking,
Procell*,
My Little Red Planet>
Umbridge Study Hall*,
Space Walk,
Trip 23,
Echophobic,
The Sickness,
Orgone Collector,
Forward
(60:00)

* new improv riffs, first time jams

LOB - lead bass
DREW WALKER - drums
JOHN KEELING - guitar
MATT CONKLIN - keyboards

-----------------------------------------------
INSTAGON 553 VIDEOS:
PART ONE - Introductions>Invokation>Dripfall

PART TWO - Deamon's Tube
VIDEO LINK for "Deamon's Tube" from session 553 by Instagon.


big thanks go out to KDVS for letting us come and play.. Fenris Wulf for another amazing job of engineering and capturing the deamon.. John, Drew, & Matt for playing.. and everyone else that listened.. this was a really special session for sure.

--------
Instagon group photo taken by Fenris Wulf

Setlist - session 552 - Dec 3, 2010 - Vega's Night Club, Old Sacramento, CA

flyer design by Lob, art by Dolo

Instagon 552
December 3, 2010
Vega's Nightclub & Bar
Old Sacramento, CA

photo by Bob Scott

Okay..so the last time this blog was updated was nearly 2 months ago..and well I am apologetic and feel bad, but I have been a little busy with various projects.. which I will NOW attempt to catch up on.. there were no shows in November.. but there were 2 new releases...and there have been 3 sessions in December already!  So the Instagon Deamonic Viral assault continues as we try to bring our grooves and good times to you and you .. and you too !  SO.. we will start with THIS show.. and then try to catch up with more blog entries as the weekend progresses.. its a cold rainy weekend here in Sacramento right now.. so lets hope that gives me more opportunity to catch up with you that might actually care.

DECEMBER 3rd was also a rainy night.. but not too rainy.. and it was wonderful for Rick Vega to invite us back to his club.  This was our first show back there since the spring time when we played with Greg Ginn & The Texas Currogators.  (session #531)
This time around a locals show was planned..but at the last moment a traveler was added to the mix.   So the show started with our new friend from Oklahoma named CHRISTOPHE playing a short set of songs.. mostly originals ..in the mood of early Social Distortion with that lonesome Johnny Cash angst.. he also did a cover of a Misfits tune.. it was fun.  next up was ODD MONIKER the solo project of local musician Matt Conklin .. I have seen Odd Moniker play previous to this, and he is really a strong songwriter with a great voice and catchy hooks.. good stuff.. unfortunately the CAPTAIN called me outside and i was pre-occupied there and missed 90% of Matt's set.  It's all good..I apologized, and Matt understands these things.   Next up was a local band that I had not seen before called LITTLE BLACK BATS..and they were pretty good...they had some really great guitar work and cool songs. .they have only been playing together for a short time & are nice guys and we hope to play with them some more in the future.  In the honey spot was our new friends STEP JAYNE who are awesome and steal the show every time I seem them.. for this show they added a new member on keyboards and odd metal percussion.. and off they went!  a GREAT set from Step Jayne.. look for more posts with them involved... more shows together are planned,.   closing out the night was INSTAGON..  

photo by Bob Scott

for this excursion we were happy to invite for his first time with us, KEVIN IAN from THE COMMON MEN..  and Kevin was on FIRE.. it was smokin' right from the launch..  the session also included Stephen Elliot from Karmada on Keyboards.. Dex from Chikading on drums, and Chad E. Williams holding down the solid guitar leads..  the set was shredding. .. I really enjoyed "Buzzkill"..but everything played was pretty solid.. 

photo by Bob Scott

INSTAGON 552
12-3-2010
Vega's Night Club
Old Sacramento, CA

Invokation>
Jazz for Satan, [video! click here]
Buzzkill,
Spider,  [video! click here]
Electric Funeral*
Deamon's Tube,
Little Turtle,
Cambodian Holiday**
Pink Panther***, [video! click here]
Shut Down
(52:00)

* Black Sabbath riff, dedicated to Ozzy on his 62nd Bday.
  last time played 9-28-03 (191 shows)
** Dead Kennedys' riff
*** classic Mancini, last time played 6-27-09 (45 shows)

LOB - lead bass/vocals
CHAD E. WILLIAMS - guitar
KEVIN IAN - guitar
DEX LOPAZ - drums
STEPHEN ELLIOT - keyboards

photo by Cynthia Jones

A recording of "The Pink Panther" from this session will appear on the Placenta Family Tree Volume 5 compilation from Placenta Records coming in early 2011.