Joe Bataan - Young, Gifted & Brown.wmv

Where It's At! Special Guest DJ High Yellow!

Time:
Friday, October 28 at 10:00pm - October 29 at 2:00am
Location:
Mad Dog In The Fog
530 Haight Street
San Francisco, California

Join us this Friday night as we welcome special guest DJ High Yellow! (aka Richie Collins) of East Bay's Got Soul. We hope to see ya! Start off your Halloween weekend the right way...shakin yer bootay to some James Brown, maybe?!?! We've got lots of great tunes for your entertainment, so be sure to make it by to say hi! See ya Friday night!

Maggie's Farm

Again, thanks to "International Rare Groove" radio, I have found another amazing song. I already knew about this by Bob Dylan, seen here:

But the version I heard tonight is by Solomon Burke! I was in love within the first 10 seconds. Funky, soulful and fun. A very different rendition than what I am used to. Hope you like the funky side of "Maggie's Farm"!

Nomo "Nu Tones"

A few years back, I came across this band. I was lucky enough to catch their live performance at "Bottom of the Hill" in San Francisco. These cats were on fire! I loved what I heard from start to finish. Big brass, funky drumming and an electrified kalimba?! What else could I ask for?! I wanted to buy the album from them that night but unfortunately did not come with enough cash in hand, so had to pass it up. I still to this day do not own one of their albums, but after being reminded of them by "International Rare Groove" radio, tonight, I think I need to look again and make sure it finds it's way into my collection! Hope you enjoy!

It's a Lover's Question...

I did a little private record shopping from a friend this afternoon. Picked up a handful of great soul 45s! Just now finding some time to sit and give a proper listen to the haul. One of the tunes that I was particularly excited about is called "It's A Lover's Question". This is a tune that I grew up hearing and one that I always loved! The version that I know and love is the original, by Clyde McPhatter. The version I picked up today is by Otis Redding. If you've ever given a listen to an "Oldies" channel on the radio, I'm pretty sure you would have heard "Dock of the Bay", also by Otis Redding. I remember the first time I heard proper Otis, (other than "Dock of the Bay"), I didn't believe it was the same guy! Need I say, funky, energetic, soulful and danceable! And yes, his version of "It's a Lover's Question" brings all of these attributes to the tune.

The original by Clyde McPhatter:


Version by Brook Benton:


Version by Ernestine Andrews:


...and unfortunately, the full Otis Redding version that spawned this post in the first place, is nowhere to be found on the interwebs. The best I can offer is a clip from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001A814W4/ref=dm_dp_trk11?ie=UTF8&qid=1318826627&sr=1-1

Halloween is coming...

...what are you gonna be? I was the Bride of Frankenstein one year. I was pretty proud of my costume. I went to the library (this was before mass access to internet!) to do research on her costume and then went about fabricating a dress as similar to hers as I could with the amount of fabric I could afford! That year, I was in Jr. College and had been doing figure modeling for the costumed figure drawing class. I wore my costume for the class...man, how I wish I had one of those drawings! Anyway, below is my favorite classic movie monster. Do you have a favorite?

America Sister Golden Hair

Driving home tonight, this came on the radio. One of those oldies that creeped into my subconscious after years of listening to oldies stations. :)

FELA-bration 2011, Lagos Roots w/ members of Fela Kuti @ The New Parish!

This is where I hope to be Saturday night!


Time
Saturday, October 15 at 8:00pm - October 16 at 1:30am
Location
The New Parish
579 18th Street
Oakland, CA
Created By
Lagos Roots
More Info
KALX and Maisha Productions present

FELA-bration 2011

A Fela Kuti Birthday Tribute!

Join us as we bring it back to the root: straight to 70’s West Africa. Unfiltered, deeply-grooved and intense Nigerian Afrobeat -- tribal break beats keeping you dialed in on the dance floor and sweating to the music of the Kalakuta Republic, performed live by ORIGINAL Fela Kuti band-members!!!

Saturday, Oakland 15, 2011

with
LAGOS ROOTS Afrobeat Ensemble
feat. Members of Fela Kuti & the Afrika 70, Sonny Okosun, & more!

plus
dj JEREMIAH a.k.a "Mr. Afrobeat"

The New Parish
579 18th Street, Oakland, CA
Showtime: 9:00PM
Tickets: $8.00/adv, $10.00/door
18+ over

Get tickets here:
http://www.thenewparish.com/event/59327

more information:
http://www.lagosroots.com/
http://www.thenewparish.com/
http://afrofunk.org/jeremiah.html
http://kalx.berkeley.edu/

follow us on twitter
http://twitter.com/lagosroots

The Blackbyrds "Lady"

Put quite a bit of time into enjoying this tune this afternoon! I think 4 times is good enough for one day! You can find this one on the 1976 album: Unfinished Business. I own 6 out of the 8 LPs they released between 1974-1980 and I have to say that each album is well worth owning! Consistent quality, smooth rhythms...all around excellent albums!

Tribute to Leonard Dillon...RIP

On September 28th, another vocal great was lost. Leonard Dillon, vocalist of The Ethiopians, passed away from cancer at the age of 69. Click here for an article about his life and death found in the "Jamaican Observer": http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Leonard-Dillon-of-the-Ethiopians-is-dead_9808680

At age 19, I bought a cassette tape of The Ethiopians. I can tell you that I listened and listened to that thing so many times! Looking back, that tape was definitely a major part of the soundtrack of my first year post high school. Thanks to these guys for providing the musical entertainment and the good memories that I have of those times!

Below is a selection of rare Ethiopian tunes as compiled by Boss Harmony. A great collection and worth a listen or two. I'm already on my second listen for the night!


http://bossharmony.podomatic.com/entry/2011-09-30T18_58_52-07_00

VAMP SOUND OUT! (Sidewalk Society / Mod vs Rocker DJ Battle)

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=197610316979343


Saturday, October 15 · 4:00pm - 10:00pm
Sidewalk Society
Rising from LA’s soul, garage and mod scene come Sidewalk Society. They’ve just recorded a sensational new EP breathing new life into Brit-psych cult classics such as “Lazy Old Sun” (The Kinks) and “Dandelion” (The Rolling Stones). They’re also on the verge of releasing a great new album of original material recalling The Yardbirds at their Jeff Beck/Jimmy Page peak.

Check out The Sidewalk Society sound below:

http://youtu.be/ACYfHvpuG7w

http://youtu.be/YZ06F8v-TXs

http://youtu.be/7PiIOLbwR0M

http://youtu.be/-dgIbJ-Z5Tw

Schedule:
3-6pm Mod vs Rocker DJ Battle - see who will be the last person standing(on the dance floor) - (Dream Team's to be announced)

6-9pm The Sidewalk Society (Live)

3 lucky people will receive The Sidewalk Society's new 7-inch

BYOB plus bring a dish if you like -

PLUS!!!
Five & Dime Scooter Ride Before the show - meet at Blue Bottle in Jack London 300 Webster Street, Oakland, CA at around 11:30am - Ride will end at Vamp(547 Athol Ave) for a potluck & entertainment

Tortoise Djed

A memory of my college years...

Junkculture: Drink Words

This is really cool!
Junkculture: Drink Words: A cocktail mixing typewriter? Yes please! Morskoiboy created this amazing hydraulic typewriter that literally converts letters into cocktail...

SOUL! Fantasitc NYC PBS weekly from November 1, 1972

A couple of years back, my brother and I were talking about music. He had just come across this website:
http://www.thirteen.org/soul/

What a great resource of musical acts from the early 1970s. Great, LIVE performances from some pretty amazing cats. I'm linking one of the videos here, but I cannot recommend enough for you to go to the site and watch all of the ones they have available! Unfortunately, this series has not been compiled onto DVDs (or VHS for that matter!) and apparently, other episodes are floating around out there somewhere, but are very hard to come by. I shared this link with Clifton 'DJ Soft Touch' Weaver, the mastermind of several amazing LA dance clubs, including Funky Sole at the Echo every Saturday! He's been on the look out for additional episodes since then as well. I'll update you if either one of us ever tracks them down! Until then, catch this one and do make sure to invest the time to watch the others and read about what the show was all about!

Please click this link to watch the episode from November 1, 1972:
November 1, 1972

KISS! Pinball Machine!!!

When I was a teenager, my dad came home with a truck full of pinball machines that he bought at Pomona Car Swap. There were maybe 15 of them if I remember right. Not all of them worked correctly and needed fixing, but one of the the ones that did work perfectly was KISS! Yes, KISS the band from the 1970s, with the famous lead singer, Gene Simmons and his crazy tongue! Haha! My brother and I spent many many hours sitting on the bar stool, leaning against the game, jumping, stomping our feet, learning every nuance of that game! The moment we were done with dinner and homework, out to the garage we'd go to play KISS! We got so good at it, we could play for hours without having to restart the game. I knew just the right pressure to hit the flipper with in order to knock down the targets, how to get it through the gates at the top, how to get the extra balls. If I was ever good at anything, I was good at the KISS pinball! I had dreams of following Brooke Shields character in Tilt and traveling around to play pinball for a living! Um yeah...just a dream! But, I do take kindly to any opportunity for a good game of pinball and my current favorite is the Elvira one, but that's another story. :)



(I found these photos here: http://www.pinballrebel.com/game/pins/kiss/kiss_pinball.html)

And a clip from TILT:

Bite ME!

I love this bottle opener! Gama-Go is always coming up with the most clever designs for otherwise ordinary household & kitchen items!!! Being that we are just about a month away from Halloween, I thought this would be a good way to start the countdown!



For more info and a chance to own this little bugger for yourself, click here:
http://store.gama-go.com/Bite-Me-Vampire-Tooth-Bottle-Opener-p/la1106.htm

The Time Is NOW!

I've lived in Oakland since February 2008. Before that I lived in Los Angeles and before that in Long Beach. The roots of my current arrival began when I still lived in Camarillo, the small town in Ventura County where I grew up. Almost 20 years later, I have become more involved in the vintage reggae scene than I ever expected to be! Quite often I think about how something really great is happening in the San Francisco/Bay Area with this music and how fortunate I am to be a part of it. I am grateful to people like Adam RevivalSound System for his regular gigs around town and his radio show on Radio Valencia, Wake the Town Radio, for offering the collector selectors in the area and visitors too, an outlet to share these great tunes with appreciative audiences far and wide!

I'm grateful to my boyfriend, Shawn Atkinson, for teaching me so much about these tunes (and sharing his vast knowledge of soul & disco too!), for sharing his records monthly at Wake the Town, (SF's longest running vintage Reggae night!) and for always choosing choice tunes with just the right rhythms, organ bubbles, guitar riffs and vocals that I love!



I'm grateful to Ryan "Mr. Ryha" White for introducing me to everyone in the Bay area scene. Because of that fateful night in April, (just 2 months after I moved here), when I went to check out the first vintage reggae night I would attend in SF, I met Shawn and Adam and many of the other great people here.

To all the rest of the guys in the San Francisco Vintage Reggae Society and to all of the supporters of the scene, BIG UPS!

To Jim Martinez of First Round Promotions, I am eternally grateful to being given the honorable opportunity to create the flyers and posters for his events over the past year. Starting with Roy Ellis "Mr. Symarip" in October 2010, to Mary Love, Dean Parrish, Queen P. & The Delirians, and most recently to Pat Kelly and looking forward to Derrick Harriott NYE...this has been a fantastic ride!



So, with that said, YES! The time is NOW! Let's keep the ball rolling and continue to support our SF Vintage Reggae Society DJs and our promoters at First Round Promotions so we can have more amazing musical experiences in the future!

Cheers to everyone involved, the selectors and the fans alike!

Changes...

Sometimes life has an interesting way of steering me in a direction that I never expected to go, or consider going. Many outside influences seem to be shifting the tides and I'm left with the contemplation of whether to allow myself to be swept up into the flow or not. About a month ago, I found out that the long-term freelance gig I've been working on will be ending. That is happening this Friday. I have something else lined up to start in a week and am excited for the end of the old and the start of something new. However, this change has kinda made me really think about what it is in life that I want to do. The fashion design world can indeed be exciting, but it can also be a very cruel environment that forces you to learn how to keep your head up, even when you want to throw in the towel. Working as a freelancer in SF has certainly been challenging and definitely not as nourishing as I had hoped. So, taking the advice of my mother, I have been doing my best to project what it is in life that I want...and more and more, I picture myself as a shop owner! I die a little inside every day that I have to work for the man. Even though the weekly paycheck is rewarding, working for someone else is not providing me the rewards I need. I come from an independent minded family where I was taught that I can survive financially without having to depend on a 9-5 job. I think I am ready to pursue this path. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. Until then...

~ Wherever I Lay My Hat ~

This tune has been spinning around in my head this afternoon, so thought I'd share it with you! Enjoy!

Delano Stewart's version from 1970, produced by Sonia Pottinger (RIP).


And Motown's own, Marvin Gaye, performing the original from 1963.

Junkculture: Moments in Time

I think JunkCulture is my new favorite blog/webiste! So many things that inspire me! Take a look at this amazingly clever idea using tiny models and pocket watches!


Junkculture: Moments in Time: Artist Dominic Wilcox created a series of one-off, customised sculptures,using a collection of vintage watches and model figures. By attachi...

Shuka!

HUGE Oakland Record Swap

Seems to me that the Bay Area has no shortage of things to do this weekend and specifically Saturday! Start the day off right at the Oakland Record Swap being held at Pizzaiolo on Telegraph in the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland. Some great vendors will be there offering some choice vinyl! I hope to make it over to see what treasures I can take home with me! Records is kinda like a drug...once you start buying and seriously collecting, you can never have enough! Haha! Anyway, here's the Facebook invite link: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=136463039783458

And here's the flyer:


***************AND...don't forget to tune in to Wake The Town Radio, 87.9FM from 6-8pm to hear a very special show with a very special guest, Pat Kelly! Host Adam Revivalsound Selector also welcomes special guest DJ's from SF Vintage Reggae Society, DJ Shawn Atkinson and Mr. Ryha! This is going to be a show to remember!

And this is just the warm-up for Saturday night's party at the Rockit Room where Pat Kelly will be performing with supporting bands The Revivers and The Titan Ups and guest selectors Sure Shot, Adam Revivalsound Selector & Mr. Ryha. Be there!!!

Put Your Weight On It-Fillimore Street Soul Rebellion

Fillmore Street Soul Rebellion getting down with Rudy Ray Moore! Ohhhhh YEAH!

PAT KELLY - Reggae Legend in SF this Saturday Night!

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=218440458175624

First Round Promotions in association with Wake The Town Radio present...

For the first time ever in San Francisco, Jamaican Rocksteady & Reggae legend and vocalist of The Techniques:

Pat Kelly

Pat Kelly will be supported by SoCal's very own organ heavy Reggae & Rocksteady band:
The Revivers
Plus, we're also proud to announce the addition of local SF heroes:
The Titan Ups

Also, SF Vintage Reggae Society DJs:
Mr. Ryha (Rhythm Injection Sound)
Sureshot (Scandal!)
Adam (Revival Sound System/Wake The Town Radio)

Doors open @ 9pm
21 & up w/ID

406 Clement St.
San Francisco, CA. 94118
(415) 387-6343

Tickets available $15 at the door

***********Also, get warmed up with Wake The Town Radio, 87.9 or radiovalencia.com from 6-8pm Saturday night with...drum roll please!...

Very special in-studio guest... Jamaican Rocksteady & Reggae legend, vocalist of The Techniques:

Pat Kelly

Live interview w/Pat Kelly. Saturday's radio show will be hosted by Adam (revival sound), Mr. Ryha (Rhythm Injection Sound) and DJ Shawn Atkinson (Wake the Town @ Mad Dog in the Fog). HAVE QUESTIONS FOR PAT KELLY? call the studio @ (415) 875-9051

"Wake The Town"

2 Hours of JA Oldies w/your host Adam from Revival Sound System on 87.9 FM in SF or online at:

www.radiovalencia.fm

Every Saturday evening 6PM-8PM

Junkculture: Beyond Perspective

What a beautiful photo! To me, this looks like hundreds of little french knots on cloth! Lovely!

Junkculture: Beyond Perspective: Hungarian-born artist Adam Magyar creates these amazing composite images of city squares bustling with crowds, by taking individual shots of...

Lego Volkswagen T1 Kombi Camper Van ~ AMAZINGNESS!!!

As a lifelong VW fan (by reason of association)I found this to be a pretty amazing creation! How crazy that Lego would even care about this classic vehicle and go through all of the innovations in their little cubes, necessary to create this fun model! The video included here is of the designer giving insight into the problems and solutions needed to get the curves and details. How fun is that?!!!

Thanks to the Fox Is Black blog, I have discovered this! http://thefoxisblack.com/2011/08/25/lego-volkswagen-t1-camper-van/

For additional info and the ability to buy (official release Oct. 1), go to the official Lego site: http://shop.lego.com/en-US/Volkswagen-T1-Camper-Van-10220

Air Guitar Nation trailer

Watched this today. Much more entertaining than I was expecting...HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

1960s Powder Compact offered by H is for Home!

Okay, how cute is this?! Click the link below to see additional views and to get more info on the product and ordering abilities! I love H is for Home shop and should one day I find myself with lots of money and space for really cool objects from the mid 20th century, I will be adding many of their offerings into my cart!
http://www.hisforhome.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=3176&DepartmentID=2

The Beginning of the End - Funky Nassau - Long Full

It's been a while since I posted here. Life has sort of been consuming me! Thought I would get back into the blogging grove with one of my all-time favorite tunes! Funky Nassau by The Beginning of the End! Hope you enjoy!

Photobooth! Coming to Valencia Street in SF

Thanks to this morning's Daily Candy email, I now know about "Photobooth" http://www.photoboothsf.com/Photobooth_SF.html
This really looks neat! I love that not everyone is so taken with modern technology and that with the advent of greater and greater availability of that technology, that there are those who continue to look back at the origins and history of our modern conveniences. Vince Donovan and Michael Shindler, local San Francisco photographers are opening up a photo studio where you can go and have your portrait taken and then printed either on Polaroid or Tin Type...yes, I did say Tin Type! That old Civil War era photographic process where images were exposed onto chemically treated sheets of tin. I am not sure what the cost is of this, but I think it would be worth whatever they charge (as long as it doesn't include an arm and a leg!) to have such a unique souvenir.


Photobooth, 1193 Valencia Street, at 23rd Street (415-824-1248 or photoboothsf.com). Grand opening party, Saturday, 6-9:30 p.m.; R.S.V.P. to rsvp@photoboothsf.com

Wake the Town! Saturday Aug. 6th!

Check it out! Always the best in Rocksteady & Reggae! Plus, guest DJ Dukey! Be there!

Yarn Bombing...Crocheted Graffiti

Okay, so if you're like me (grew up crocheting, knitting, sewing, etc), something like this might pique your interest as well. How cool is it to create public (unapproved) art in the dead of the night or any other time that people might not be looking or paying attention?! I've had my eye on this movement for a little while now and I find it an interesting alternative to spray paint. It's still colorful, illegal (yes, it is defacing public property), can be used to mark territory (if that's what you're into) and is a creative/artistic endeavor...much the same as spray painted graffiti. However, the huge difference is that it is not permanent and does not damage the object it is applied to. I recently saw a post on Apartment Therapy: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/outdoor/yarn-bombing-the-guerrilla-knit-graffiti-movement-151393

I borrowed a couple of images from that article to include here.

Food & Bevvie adventures of late

Last weekend was so pretty and warm! On days like that, when I find myself with a somewhat lazy afternoon on my hands, I crave a refreshing bevvie. When I was a kid, my mom used to make me 7-Up floats, which basically consisted of 7-Up poured over vanilla ice cream. This lovely treat (below) is a variation on the original. I substituted coconut ice cream for the vanilla and viola'!

Sharing this pic so I can share a bit of my misfortune. Unfortunately, another cool vintage glass has gone by the wayside courtesy of my slippery hands while washing it. :(


A week or so ago, I hopped into the back seat of my Casual Carpool driver to find a huge basket of fresh plums from her tree. I commented on how pretty they were and how they reminded me of being a kid and how many plums I ate one summer. Before I excited the car, she offered me one. I had no idea how juicy and sweet they would be! Had to take a pic of the juicy insides! Yummmmmmmm!


And, another public transport food related pic, on the bus home last week, I happened to choose the seat where rib bones were left behind! I could smell the greasy aroma, even though those things were gnawed dry!

Pat Kelly - Reggae Legend - In SF Sept 17th!

First Round Promotions in association with Wake The Town Radio present, for the first time ever in San Francisco, Reggae legend Pat Kelly. Pat will be supported by SoCal's very own Revivers. Plus, we're also proud to announce the addition of local heroes The Titan Ups. Plus some of the finest collectors and selectors of rare Jamaican Ska, Reggae and BlueBeat!!!!

Time
Saturday, September 17 at 9:00pm - September 18 at 2:00am
Location
Rockit Room
406 Clement St.
San Francisco, CA

Pre Sale Tickets On Sale Now! http://holdmyticket.com/ev​ent/26067

Facebook invite page: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=218440458175624

p.s. I designed and created this poster...If you're looking for help with a show poster or flyer, hit me up...I work freelance and welcome your project my way!

Where It's At! with special guest DJ Dana...this Friday!

This Friday night, July 22nd, we welcome special guest DJ Dana to the decks of Where It's At! We hope you'll be there! As always, soul, funk, motown, disco and rare groove all night long! 10pm til close @ Mad Dog in the Fog. 530 Haight Street @ Fillmore in San Francisco!!!

Amazing edible creations from Andie's Specialty Sweets!

OMG! These are so amazing! Matter of fact, everything in this shop is amazing! Love, love, love the realistic look of each creation! I was drawn to the shop because of the Vintage Button candies, but fell in love with these mushrooms! Take a look at the etsy shop for more striking creations! www.etsy.com/shop/andiespecialtysweets

VAMP Sound Out! with Los Lechoneros!

Looking forward to July 23rd! My brother and his friends will be bringing their inspiring Afro-Cuban folkloric beats, rhythms & song to VAMP music*art*consignment! This event is FREE and all ages. It's a pot luck too, so be sure to bring along a little snack or drink to share with everyone. In addition to the live drumming, there will be DJs all day long spinning Afro Cuban, Latin Soul & Funk and African Soul & Funk inspired tunes. Special guest DJs include Slim Jenkins of Musica del Alma blog and DJ T-Roy from Los Lechoneros! Hope you can make it...it's happening from noon until 8pm!

Automobiles that have caught my eye!

Every once in a while, I see an automobile around town that catches my eye. This trio offers a very differing eye catching reason! The first is this adorable vintage VW Bug! It reminds me of all the old Bugs my family had as a kid. Nice to see it in such great condition!


This one has a great sentence across the back window. It says "Cooler than James Dean"...what?! Not sure the reason behind it, but it was definitely photo worthy! Click on the photo to enlarge for a better view.


And finally, this one is of a car that I noticed up the street from my place, on my way to work one morning. I had to look twice, but yeah, all 4 wheels and tires are gone! Looks like someone stole them right off the car! My neighborhood is quiet too, so it was a surprise to see this!

Just created a new "Vintage For Sale" album on FB!

TAKE A LOOK HERE!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150252767163704.344256.690088703

Queen P and the Delirians! Coming up later this month!

Another First Round Productions Presents! With poster artwork by me! :) This show's gonna be a blast...Hope to see ya there!

Spotlight on tonights fun on Haighteration!

This is so cool! Shawn & I have been mentioned on this blog as part of the entertainment for tonight's AIDS walk fundraiser at Mad Dog in the Fog! Check it out!

haighteration

Where It's At! 2 Year Anniversary! Friday night!

This Friday night is the 2 year anniversary party for Where It's At! Yes, we've been delivering a bi-monthly dose of soul at Mad Dog in the Fog for 2 full years! Thanks for all of the fun times and we look forward to keeping it going for another 2 years, at least! Shawn and I will be welcoming our very special guest DJ High Yellow to the party! We look forward to entertaining you Friday and hope to see ya there!
Also, here's the Facebook invite for more details and info: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=249738338375866&ref=ts

Dean Parrish! Coming to SF in August!

Another First Round Promotions Presents event! This is part of SF Classic scooter rally weekend, so it's going to be a blast! My BF & I will be guest DJ's at this event! Check out the Facebook invite page for more info: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=185585244828001

Plus, I designed the poster! Yay!!!

Young, Gifted & Black by Aretha Franklin!

I forget how great this record is! Just finished listening to it through. Thought I'd share it with you today.

I just pulled up the Wikipedia about it and now I can see why it's such a good record! Take a look at the players on this thing! Dr. John, Donny Hathaway, Billy Preston, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, The Sweet Inspirations and Hugh McCracken, just to name a few! Aretha is a powerhouse of a voice. I highly recommend this album for your collection!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young,_Gifted_and_Black

Marin County Fair!

I entirely forgot how much I love carnival rides and games! Didn't take a pic of the 2 people being escorted out of the fairgrounds, but that was a good way to top off the night! haha! Had fun on the rides and playing a few games. Even won a stuffed monkey for my BF's little boy! It was a blast and I'm glad to have shared it with great friends!