Good Times

     wow, it must be that i'm totally blessed. thanks M, you're the best & that makes me the luckiest hyper hypo ever! our team is mighty b/c of you. nothing like spending a beautiful day in the friendly confines of west sonoma county with great people whom i'm lucky enough to call my friends. thanks to everyone who's a positive force in my life.
     to the good times that come with gaining experience through the process of aging with someone who loves you. from the 507 to the 253 down to the 828 & of course the 707 it's been quite the ride. there's more to come...



~eightychoices

RING'R

     bron bron gets his ring, messes around to notch a triple double in the finals' clincher & shows us an incredible smile that only the NBA championship can deliver. way to silence the haters, albeit temporarily.
     en route to becoming the finals MVP, not only did he stymie the 3 time scoring champion (love durant too) while guarding positions 1-5 & playing focused team ball at a beast mode level, he shredded the finals to the tune of 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds & 7.4 assists. as far as performances go, this has few rivals. jordan in '97 comes closest with averages of 32, 7 & 6 (and MJ is the greatest). he became just the third player ever to lead his team in points, rebounds & assists during the finals. the other two who have accomplished this feat go by the names of magic & duncan (two of the five or ten greatest ever). quite the showing considering the microscope of unfair scrutiny that james is constantly under. mad props to the best all around player on hardwood.
     shaggy 3 pop, aka mike miller, went off in game 5 connecting on 7 treys. prior to shaggy, there was the other former grizzlies forward, shane battier, putting his fingerprints on games. then there's mario chalmers, who may have become the heat's 4th man (kinda like rondo in '08). of course there's wade, one of the fiercest competitors in hoops, acknowledging the fact that it took "sacrifices" to accomplish their goal. that same sentiment of sacrifice came up a lot in post game interviews (love wade's mint slacks). and who can forget bosh-a-saurus-rex? he definitely showed us his value. way to go heat. i'm especially happy for lebron, he's both the gift & the gifted & such a joy to watch. we have all been witnesses, now we may be in wonderment. he's only 27, so there's most likely more to come. the association is in good hands right now.
                                                                           
     as an avid nba fan i can only hope that the zombies, aka the thunder, will learn from this setback as other aspiring champions have. i trust that they will improve during the off season, as all of them appear to be dedicated gym rats. this explosive & relentless group of personalities seem utterly devoted to the concept of team. they're too good & youth is on their side, potent ingredients when trying to conjure something special in sports. westbrook (aka westbeast & one of my three favorite players to watch), harden (who needs a contract) & durant (a real baller, who gets buckets) have some seriously absurd game. add to the mix ibaka "i block ya", sefolosha & perkins and you begin to realize why this team is not going away any time soon. they'll be back & i'll be rooting for them.
     i get the feeling that this heat/thunder match up has the potential to be celtics/lakers version 2.0! although this battle between two extremely skilled & athletic teams finished in 5, it was a joy to watch. i was genuinely excited for each game day. thanks to oklahoma city & miami for making it a hard fought series showcasing amazing talent. these were the two best teams, apologies san antonio & this was the match up i wanted to see. in case you weren't paying attention, they didn't disappoint. hopefully we get to see these two teams duking it out for the championship again. i wouldn't be surprised.

adios en bee ah, i'll catch you on the flip side.

~eightychoices


ps. the draft is june 28th, 4pm pst - where a teams' future can be made or delayed...

Audiafauna live at the Watertrough Project!

     audiafauna is hitting the road once again & it's time to welcome them back to the watertrough project. in being one of the freshest sounding bands in northern california, it's a total treat to be hosting them. audiafauna will be playing a lively backyard show on june 15th. not only will there be good times, great people & cold draught beer, but the band will be gracing those in attendance with new material. this intimate show will double as a cd release party! the album is titled: Grow Down.
     this 5 piece bands hails from santa cruz & is sure to please a plethora of musical tastes. they have an ethereal sound, with words that tend to tug on emotional strings that we can all relate to. their songs elicit thoughts of modernity, creating a unique musical palette & identity. however, with that being said, the song writing & instrumentation is steeped in traditionalism & folk like roots.
     so if you're not up to something totally stellar on friday, june 15th, come be a part of something that will surely be original. shared experiences, especially creative, tend to resonate connectivity & freedom. why would anyone deprive themselves? come out & help in supporting this passionate band of creative musicians as they travel. the show starts at 9pm & we'll be asking for a modest entrance fee, sliding scale ($7-$10).
     as a friendly reminder, parking is limited so please carpool or bike. for those of you who wish to stay the night there is always room on the floor, deck or yard. come celebrate the art of music, in the beauty of west sebastopol. it's time to enjoy the outdoors & have a good old time in style, west county style!

enjoy, we hope to see you there...

~eightychoices




 

STS9 Great Cycle Spectacles

sound tribe sector 9 returns to the beautiful fox theatre in oakland this weekend for two blazing shows that are sure to please the eyes & ears. the great cycle spectacles have already graced denver & chicago, now it's time for the bay area to have its turn. i've heard only good things about the new visual display & light show that sts9 has brought on tour for this special run of mayan calendar inspired gatherings. if you haven't made plans for 4.20/4.21, then i suggest you score a ticket to one of the nights. sector 9 fans will also have the opportunity to see two different opening acts. the first night will showcase nosaj thing, while night two will host mimosa.
if you happen to arrive at the revamped theatre district a bit early i recommend stopping in at cafe van kleef for one of the best fresh squeezed fruit cocktails in oaksterdam. i'm super stoked for this weekend, not only will i have the chance to dance all night long, all night, but i'll also be hanging with some of my favorite people. anytime you have a good sized crew, primed for a weekend of shredding, you know it's going to be fun. so whether you want to get your groove on, get totally lost in the music or just have a good time in an amazing place, i encourage those of you without weekend plans to check out the possibilities that exist. here's a little sample to feast on...



have a great 4.20 weekend, maybe we'll see you there... enjoy!

~eightychoices

Record Store Day

it's damn near record store day again & i couldn't be more excited! the complete list came out recently which began to stoke my audiophile fire. initial favorites that made my wish list are... the carolina chocolate drops & run dmc each performing the hip-hop classic you be illin', which will be pressed on coke bottle green vinyl; the white stripes busting out the must have classics, hand springs & red death at 6:14, cleverly pressed on swirled black & red vinyl. both of these limited releases are 7" records, as well as record store day exclusives. hopefully i'll be able to get my hands on these two special gems. other releases worth mentioning: arcade fire, marco benevento, the black angels, mastodon & feist, ed sharpe & the magnetic zero.

if you live north of golden gate check out the last record store, it's a vinyl junkies best friend. here's to record store day & it's emphasis on local business, not to mention the gluttony of music!

Enjoy

~eightychoices

Terrapin Crossroads

phil lesh & friends have been busting out plenty of familiar tunes at his new digs in marin, playfully called Terrapin Crossroads. it's located in san rafael & has had both a soft opening (which i find to be both hilarious & interesting), as well as a run of 12 shows which has brought in an array of phenomenal musicians. some of those who have shown up thus far include phil's son grahame, bob weir, jackie greene, jeff chimenti, joe russo, john kadlecik, jimmy herring & chris robinson. next up to appear are the likes of larry cambell & warren haynes. quite a list of names if i do say so myself?

these particular events are steeply priced & will hopefully give way to more affordable shows in the future. if you live in the bay area check out this intimate new venue's upcoming events, it's sure to please those with an interest in the grateful dead or others who just have a fondness for american music & the artists who create it. i wish phil & his family the best in this new endeavor. after all, one could argue that the dead were a san rafael outfit, as much as they were a san francisco band. cheers to live music & its rich history. thanks northern california for nurturing an atmosphere that perpetuates creativity & a freedom to have such fun.

be well

~eightychoices