set list - session 546 - September 2, 2010 - John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA

INSTAGON 546
September 2, 2010
John Natsoulas Gallery

Davis, CA

The last time Instagon played at Natsoulas Gallery for the Thursday night live jazz series was Sept. 3, 2009..(Session #513) so exactly one year since the deamon last visited the Natsoulas!! Last year was the Deamon debut for Mark Halverson (who now plays regularly as drummer for Garage Jazz Architects.)  This year we brought out another new drummer to enjoy his virgin run with Instagon at the Natsoulas, 

John Bafus, drummer for MUCKY THE DUCKY.  John played with Instagon for this show, it was his first time playing.. and he was simply fantastic and really fun to play with....we are already looking forward to the next encounter.  
Instagon was the only band booked to play this Thursday night happening.. so we were excited and planned to play 2 sets of music.  Along for the ride this time with Lob besides John was Chad E. WIlliams on guitar, Jaroba on sax and clarinet (both of whom played the show last year too!) and Matt Conklin formerly of the band KARMADA on keyboards.  It was a HOT day, and so as we were setting up to play at 6:45pm it was still in the upper 90's.

We had a short band meeting along the side of the gallery with THE CAPTAIN, and we were ready to play.. we planned to play a short warm up set.. then take a short break to get some water and rest as the sun went down a little more. This plan seemed to work just fine.

The first set clocked in at just under 30 mins and we found ourselves really excited..the initial energy between us was really amazing and we were having a great time as a group. The Spider in the first set was really very cool and groovy.. and the Thruster that closed the set was so damn surfy that the Ventures could have claimed they wrote it! (but they didnt!!)

By the time we got around to the 2nd set the sun had gone down as hoped, but that sorta left us in the dark... the gallery brought out a flood light that we pointed at the wall behind us to give us some light.. it was fine for us..but we probably looked like big shadows in the rotunda. 

 The 2nd set was a little longer and clocked in at around 75 minutes..we started this set around 8:15 and just played on into the night.. we were much more relaxed for this set and the grooves show it.. the entire set was really smokin'  John Bafus is an amazing drummer.. Matt was really intuitive with his keys, Chad was up front and burning it up.. and Jaroba was wailin'! We could not have asked for a better line up to tear up an evening in the streets of Davis, CA.  This set featured a couple of fresh improvisations .. new jams..one of them, Trip 23, is available for a download now thru the end of September.(see the link in the set list)  Other great points in this set was the drum solo we made John play during Insta-gadda-da-vida, the song Dripfall is really progressing and this newest attempt was really sweet.. and Echophobic is continuing to be the strong set closer at this time.

Instagon #546
September 2, 2010
John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA

set one:(29:00)

Invokation>
Red Planet Landing>
My Little Red Planet
Deamon's Tube
Spider
Thruster

set two: (1:15)
Sunlight In My Eyes
Bounced*
Evil Jazz23>
Speedwobble
Cosmic
Dripfall
Insta-Gadda-Da-vida
Orgone Collector
Trip 23*
Shut Down
Echophobic

* fresh riffs, first time played

Instagon 546 was:

LOB - lead bass & vocals
CHAD E. WILLIAMS - guitar
JAROBA - sax & clarinet
MATT CONKLIN - keyboards

JOHN BAFUS - drums

does any one read this blog??   leave a comment why dont you!!!!?!!

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all photos by Yvette Lucas

set list - session 543 - August 12, 2010 - Luggage Store Gallery, San Francisco,CA

INSTAGON 543

August 12, 2010
OUTSOUND SERIES

Luggage Store Gallery
San Francisco, CA

Once again.. another MIXER SET!!
This was our 5th time back to play in San Francisco for the OUTSOUND SERIES that happens weekly at the Luggage Store Gallery on Market St.  This series is produced by Rent Romus from Edgetone Records and he does a great job of bringing in amazing eclectic jazz and experimental music every single week, and has for years and years now.. He deserves applaud where ever he goes!!
This time we were paired up with a guitarist from Paris,France named Richard Bonnet.  A few week prior to the show Mr.Bonnet contacted me and ask if he could possibly borrow a guitar!  I told him it was not a problem, and we arranged to have a guitar there for him to play.  He brought his own effects pedals and did a very soothing, yet kinda lengthy set of solo guitar work.. the best part of his set was some things he was doing with harmonics and noise towards the end.. he did this  while also running a small Slinky across the strings (which eventually became tangled).

Instagon followed with a rather large grouping for the evening.. this was to be a 7 person mixer set.. it featured Mark Wilson of Conure, Amar Chaudhary from Reconnaissance Fly, Alan Herrick from Nux Vomica, Martin Irigoyen from Vernian Process, Blanahillary from Holy Sisters of GaGaDada, and SF friend and ally Lena Strayhorn!.. it was quite a group.. and we had a very wonderful time.. 

Everyone that came to play brought very interesting approaches to the Mixer Set.. for some it was their first Instagon experience.. for others it was their 2nd mixer set this year!.. and for Alan, it was his first Instagon appearance in 13 years!! 
As mentioned above this was a MIXER SET.. it was the longest Mixer set so far recorded..clocking in at around 35 minutes.  I had a lot of fun playing bass within this set.. 

i told the players we were going for a droney and creepy feeling with this performance and they came ready to bring it. One of the most interesting parts of the performance was the involvment from Blancahillary.. who brought a roll of aluminum foil to the gig, wrapped her self up in it as the show started.. and then clawed he way out and shared parts of the foil with the rest of the ensemble..it was something special for sure.

INSTAGON 543

August 12, 2010

Luggage Store Gallery, San Francisco,CA

(MIXER SET)

The Perplexity of a Shrinking Steering Wheel

LOB - bass guitar, effects & metal

MARK WILSON - electronics

AMAR CHAUDHARY - keyboard & cell  phone apps

ALAN HERRICK - laptop

LENA STRAYHORN - assorted acoustic items

MARTIN IRIGOYEN - guitar

BLANCAHILLARY - guitar,  & performance art

all photos by Yvette Lucas

original hand bill design by Lob

set list - session 537 - Body Tribe Fitness Parking Lot, Midtown Sacramento, CA - 2nd Saturday Art Walk- May 8, 2010 - Lob's Birthday!

INSTAGON 537
May 8, 2010
Body Tribe Fitness Parking Lot
Midtown Sacramento, CA
(lob's birthday)

Every year Chip Conrad (Instagon Alumni!) owner of Body Tribe Fitness hosts an art showing turning the gym into a gallery for the monthly 2nd Saturday activities.. some art stays up all month...but most are for the single evenings event.  the show is simply titled  "THE BODY" and featured many amazing local 

Sacramento artists. I (Lob) had a digital photo art piece in the show.. sort of a self portrait called "The Grateful Knee"  that is the image you are looking at above.   It is a 2 layer print of this image hand done, and signed. It measures 11x14 and is framed. It did not sell the night if this show and is available...just simply ask if you are interested in this or seeing any more my art.  So, this year Chip's 2nd Saturday show event for "The Body" happened to fall on May 8th.. which is my birthday.  Instagon was asked to play the event, that it happened to be my birthday was merely a fantastic synchronicity.   As with years previously when the Deamon has played on my birthday, i usually invite a huge number of players.. some might consider it too many.. but i am personally all about the chaos and flow of a large number of musicians.. (i think that is my Sun Ra influence sneaking through again) so for this outing Instagon consisted of  2 DRUMMERS .(we sure did have fun with that in HB the previous week and well we had the room, so why not go there again), the drummers were 

MARK HALVERSON (Garage Jazz Architects) and DEX LOPAZ (Chikading!) 

both who have played a number of shows with the Deamon and who both had a GREAT time playing drums against each other..  there were also 3 GUITARS!  CHAD E. WILLIAMS (Garage Jazz Architects) of course came out.. and he was screamin' the leads and laying it down in the streets of Sac that night for sure.. DAVE STONE (ThouSands) also came to play.. he was tearing it up and having fun.. this was his 3rd time playing so far..  a new friend STEVE CROWELL is a 

 blues guitarist we met via Craigs List.. it was cool of him to come out and jam with no notice and no idea what he was getting into.. another new friend of the day was PATRICK CLAYPOOL playing an Electric Violin! 

Patrick found us via Facebook.. and he is the first one to come to play from that Frequency! It was gret to have him play and we look forward to more adventures with our new friends in the future.. rounding all of this out of course was the bass of the deamon rider. ..there was also a 4th guitarist that traded places with Dave Stone who came up in the middle of one of the sets.. his name was later told to be TYLER COOK.  We played 3 sets.. each longer than the previous one.. we started in the evening.. and played into the night.. it was my birthday.. it was special

INSTAGON 537
5-8-2010
BODY TRIBE FITNESS, SACRAMENTO, CA


1:
Invokation >
Red Planet Landing >
My Little Red Planet,
Deamon's Tube,
orgone Collector,
Spider,
Undoing
(34;00)

2:
Jazz for Satan
Set the Controls  (pink floyd riff)
Cows,
Echophobic,
Brainwashed Love,
Thruster,
Sunshine of your Love (cream riff)
(45:00)


3:
the Flux,
BuzzKill,
Speed of Light,
Space walk,
Rock Lobster, (B-52'S riff)
Black Knight*  (Deep Purple riff, first time played)
Cambodian Holiday (Dead Kennedy's riff)
Cozmic,
The Day You Were Born,
Shut Down (Germs riff)O
  (with Pink Panther tease)
(65:00)


LOB - bass/vocals
CHAD E. WILLIAMS - guitar
DAVID STONE - guitar
STEVE CROWELL - guitar
MARK HALVERSON - drums
DEX LOPAZ - drums
PATRICK CLAYPOOL - electric violin
TYLER COOK- guitar

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all photos by Yvette Lucas

Setlist - Show 517 - Davis Jazz Festival, Village Bakery & Grill Stage, Davis,CA -Oct 10, 2009.

INSTAGON #517
October 10, 2009
DAVIS JAZZ FESTIVAL
Village Bakery & Grill Stage, Davis, CA

Invokation>
Evil Jazz 23,
introductions,
Simpsons*,
(theme from)Brainwashed Love,
So What**,
Echophobic,
I Dream of Jeanie*,
Space Walk,
The Little Turtle,
2nd intro,
Jazz for Davis***,
Deamon's Tube,
The Virus >
The Sickness,
Sex Bomb#
(84:00)

* TV theme songs
** Miles Davis riff
*** Jazz for Satan with different lyric
# riff by Flipper


LOB - lead bass
CHAD E. WILLIAMS - guitar
DEX LOPAZ - keyboards
MARK HALVERSON - drums
JAROBA - sax / baritone clarinet

At first upon arrival we were worried.. it did not look as though the venue was prepared for an electric band. The band before us, The David O'Keefe Trio, were mostly an acoustic ensemble. But we managed to squeeze our little quintet into the space they provided for us, and really had a pretty damn good time at the Davis Jazz Festival. The event was sponsored by the John Natsoulas Gallery and featured a number of different stage locations around the downtown Davis area.

We, somehow, became the last band playing on the schedule on any of the stages.. so we were happy to have a nice spot. It was a beautiful night in Davis.. the weather was perfect for an outdoor set. We played in this little courtyard in front of the Village Bakery & Grill. Our friend, Jaroba, had played earlier in the evening with his trio at the Bistro 33 stage, and we asked him to come over and sit in with us later, and he did..and it was a great time..

Jaroba is a fun player to have involved in the groove.. Also playing this evening was Mark Halverson on the drums.. this is his 3rd time playing with Instagon.. and he seems to get the grip on things really fast.. he will probably be playing a lot more upcoming shows.. so watch for him.

Chad E. Williams played his 40th appearance with Instagon on guitar.. and as usual people in the audience were asking for him to turn it up.. he just needs an a mp that goes to eleven.. that is all. Dex Lopaz played some really funky groove keyboards.. it was Dex's first show since the spring time.. it was swell to play with him again.

As a group we were really tight.. there were chaotic moments of course, but all and all it was a really great show.. filled with lots of structure and improvisation all at the same time.. fine ass garage jazz for the Davis Jazz Fest! "Brainwashed Love", "Echophobic", & "Deamon's Tube" were all really smokin' jams for this show.. and the twisted upstepped jazz version of "Thee Sickness" with the "Virus" in tro was just right to fit the night.. The long slow, mellow, shoe gazer/psychedelic rendition of "Sex Bomb" made for an awsome closer to a nearly 90 minute set.

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all photos by Yvette Lucas
photo collage by Lob

Setlist - Show 516 - Luggage Store Gallery, San Francisco,CA - Sept.24, 2009

Instagon #516
Sept. 24, 2009
Luggage Store Gallery, San Francisco,CA
[NOISE TRIO]

Introducion
Dueling Tables,
Evil Jazz 23,
Extra Luggage Fee,
Banana Man

LOB (bass),
DR. OBLIVIOUS (toys/microphone, the minimalist),
FREE FARGO (metal source, effects pedals/antelope specialist)

Since moving to Northern California Instagon has played annually at the Luggage Store Gallery for the OUTSOUND EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC SERIES hosted by Rent Romus of Edgetone Records. This was our 4th appearance as Instagon at this space. The space is a beautiful gallery near the corner of 6th St on Market Street in the heart of San Francisco (half a block from the Warfield). There is a wicked steep staircase hidden behind a door that is covered by stickers, but once up the stairs you find a very nice space with hard wood floors and high ceiling with great natural reverb. We got up the stairs and started setting up for the show.. .upon arrival only Dr. Oblivious was confirmed to play.. .about half way thru the set up time, Free Fargo arrived at the show and we informed the door and Free at the same time that he would be playing in the set. He was surprised and excited.. and we continued to set up.

Noise Trio : 1 part metal and pedals, 1 part mic and toys, 1 part bass

This was Dr. O's 2nd time playing the Minimalist for the Noise Trio.. . he was also very entertaining to watch we were told afterwords.. he brought some of his own toys this time too.. Free was on the metal "ANTELOPE SPECIALIST" sign, and was playing very minimal noise.. nothing too power filled or
outbursting.. which set the tone for a very flowing and fun set from Instagon Noise Trio.. with Lob on bass.

The set was short and fun.. only a few pieces were attempted due mostly to the natural reverb in the room making it really hard for Lob to hear the bass he was playing.. and also we played late due to the opening act playing long.. so it was time to go home.. there was a really interesting version of "Evil Jazz 23" that was included in this set.. and also this was the first Noise Trio set to not include "To The Point" (for those that care)

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photos by Yvette Lucas

Setlist - Show 515 - Flux 53 Theater, Oakland,CA

Instagon #515
9 - 12 - 2009
Flux 53 Theater, Oakland, CA

introduction/invokation>
Red Planet Landing>
The Flux*,
Orgone Collector,
Space Walk,
Evil Jazz 23,
Simpsons,
Deamon's Tube
Forward

* new riff, first time played

LOB - bass
CHAD E.WILLIAMS - guitar
RENT ROMUS - sax and electronics
FREE FARGO - drums
[free stream/download
http://www.archive.org/details/instagon2009-09-12.flac16  ]

This show was an art opening for our good friend CJ Borosque, and also a release party for the MUDWAGON CD compilation that was released on Edgetone Records a few months back. The venue was a really sweet little playhouse theater with a generous stage and nice seating for everyone. The rest of the acts that played that night were mostly jazz and avant garde sounds.. very mellow and loose.. Instagon did not come with that mindset ..we came to rock, and rock we did. The band was anchored by Free Fargo who was playing his 2nd Instagon show ever (the first one being May 2007) and who had not touched his drums in over 2 years. For someone who has not played in 2 years, he was awesome .
Also someone that had not played with Instagon in over a year was Rent Romus from Lords of Outland, he is always great to play with and also was responsible for putting this entire event together. It was a great time. The band was rounded out with Chad E. Williams playing guitar and Lob laying down the riffs. Out of the Invokation we teased "Red Planet Landing".. and then something different happened and I could not lay off the delay pedal.. and so something new was born that we called "The Flux" in honor of the room we played that night. Its a great tune and will probably start to appear in future garage jazz set lists. Over all we rocked really hard.. but also the regular tunes like Deamon's Tube, and Forward both were taken to very different places and not played in very regular way. So this set list appears to be filled with mostly alot of Instagon standards, but in fact they were not played very standard like at all..
Chad left early before we could take the group photo shot, so here is a shot of 3 of us from the end of the night .. from L: Bug spot where Chad should be, Free Fargo, Rent Romus, & Lob.
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all photos by Yvette Lucas

THIS SESSION NOW AVAILABLE FOR STREAMING & DOWNLOAD
http://www.archive.org/details/instagon2009-09-12.flac16

SETLIST: Show 509 - John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis,CA - July 30, 2009

We had a GREAT time a the Natsoulas Gallery this past week. It was a gorgeous night for live music outdoors! The weather was being kind, the venue was supportive of the music, and the people that came were there to listen...who could as for more?..well, a little light would be nice.The night started out just wonderful.. bright and beautiful with a slight breeze in the air. We invited our new friends VOLCANO SCHOOL to open up the show, and they TORE IT UP!. They rocked and made lots of new friends themselves..(John from Volcano School played recently with Instagon show 507). , although by the time we were playing it was quite dark and hard for anyone to see what we were doing or what we looked like. I had sorta expected this, so a brought a projector and tried to project some imagery over the Instagon show, but it didnt really work as well as i would have liked it to.

but that didnt stop us at all.. It was a well line up with Michael Otwell out in front on flute and saxophone, Chad E Williams on the guitar, and we were joined by our new friend from Fair Oaks,CA, Mark Halverson on the drums. Mark is someone that we had met on line recently and this was his first experience with Instagon live. He was really fun to play with and we expect to have more interaction with him in the near future. The set started into a pure jazz approach out of the invokation, and then attempted to pick up the bounce a little with Little Turtle and Deamons Tube.. but then returned back to the jazz scene with an attempt at Miles Davis's So What.. and then plunging into wicked garagejazz twist on Danny Elfman's Theme from The Simpons..which was the crowd pleaser of the night for sure.. we closed the set with a smooth adventure into Spider ...which was due to there being a spider in a sweet web on the railing of the rotunda we were playing in. Michael pointed it out, and so that's how the show was closed.

Instagon 509
July 30, 2009
John Natsoulas Gallery
Davis, CA

Invokation>
Evil Jazz 23,
The Little Turtle,
Deamon's Tube,
So What (Miles Davis riff)
Simpsons, (Danny Elfman riff, TV theme)
Spider

LOB - lead bass/vocals
CHAD E.WILLIAMS - guitar
MICHAEL OTWELL - flute/saxophone
MARK HALVERSON - drums

also VOLCANO SCHOOL performed.

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original flyer art by Lob
photos by Yvette Lucas