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Gabe Meline on The End of Summer

Posted on September 18th, 2008 by The Captain.
Categories: Free Mind Media, Music, Events.

Wow.  I haven’t posted in this blog for a while, but it feels great to start again!  Here is an article you might find interesting.  Gabe Meline (The Last Record Store, Santiago, The Bohemian) wrote this great article on The Insect Carnival and the Free Mind Benefit just the other week.  Take a look.  This is what it is all about.

It’s the end of the summer
Come to the time when we have to say goodbye

After watching seven different bands at Daredevils & Queens tonight, and after spending three days watching countless bands at the Insect Carnival last weekend, I have to say: summertime’s elusive promise, that delicate combination of freedom and togetherness so impossible to contain, has come and delivered its sweet kiss just in the nick of time. Soon it will be October, and we’ll spend our nights at home, and read Neil Gaiman novels and watch Richard Widmark movies, and talk about them to computer screens. But these last few weekends, at least, have been a last gasp of what living in Santa Rosa is all about.

It’s hard to put into words, these shows at the Insect Carnival and Daredevils & Queens, aside from saying that they’re probably best not put into words. They breathe, but how do you describe a breath? You inhale air, you exhale air. Right? Is it that simple?

The oldest of friends, the newest of strangers, the coldest of beers and the truest of bands. All under a sky just enough unclouded by city lights to allow a few stars to poke through. Shooting stars, even—the kind that you catch in their split-second streak, and when you discover that the person you’re next to saw it too, for a moment you are bonded if not by the music or the laws of attraction than at least by the very fact that you’re both under the same big sky.

The end of the summer means that people play John Prine and Jesus Lizard songs in the middle of a field, next to a mud pit full of naked people. The end of the summer means Jolie Holland ballads and clanging chains and bullhorns and a floor bending under the weight of people jumping up and down in rhythm. The end of the summer means sharing amps and sideways smiles and a hundred hugs. The end of the summer means a downtown alley full of people drinking free beer and fuck it if it’s Coors.

And the end of the summer means that as the wig-wearing auctioneers of Wine Country Weekend raise money by clowning their own dead counterculture of the 1960s, there are walls both concrete and wooded, both inside city limits and out, where a new culture is constantly being reborn. Where fresh blood is funneled into art, and music, and community, and life, and where money does not rule all. I repeat: where money does not rule all.

So thanks to the bands, and the people like Travis and Bryce and Kyle, and the hordes of people in this town who know a good thing when they see it and who seize it while it lasts.

Gabe is a hell of a writer and he knows Sonoma County.  Be sure to check out his frequent posts at his blog, “City Sound Inertia.”  You can get to it by clicking here:  http://www.bohemian.com/citysound/

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Copwatching

Posted on June 13th, 2008 by The Captain.
Categories: Copwatch.

This article was sent to us by The Sonoma County Defense Comittee. They are a group that have been assembled to spread awareness for Ben Saari, who was arreseted for copwatching on May 1st. Please read their words below and check out their website at http://www.sonomadefense.org/ to sign a petition for Mr. Saari.

Watch the Cops

“Copwatching” is the act of publicly observing and documenting police
activity as a way to keep them accountable. In other words, it’s
watching the cops. People copwatch for lots of different reasons, for
example, if cops know they’re being watched or video taped, they are
less likely to harass or abuse the person they’re interacting with for
fear of getting caught in the act. Another reason to copwatch is
simply because it’s important to keep track of what cops do, because
they are public officers who we pay (via taxes) to keep us safe, so
they better be doing what we want them to be doing. Some people
copwatch as a way to build community resistance by spreading an idea
that doesn’t have much legitimacy in mainstream politics - the idea
that the system of police, as a whole, may not be on our side.
Whatever the reason, Copwatch groups continue to pop up all over the
country.

The origin of copwatching may be arbitrary, so it won’t be examined
very much here. You could say it started in the 1960s with the Black
Panther Party, who recognized that their communities in fact needed
protection from the violent, racist, corrupt police who would
regularly terrorize black communities in Oakland. You could say it
started in Berkeley in 1990 when the first group calling themselves
Copwatch appeared. You could say it started any time a community
wanted to monitor the actions of their law enforcement agencies on a
street level. The term “copwatching” itself is arbitrary, but will be
used here as an all-encompassing word which refers to the act of
observing and documenting police activity for the purpose of
accountability. Copwatchers do not wish to interfere with police
activity or to physically resist police misconduct. They observe and
document instances of police interaction with the community.

Copwatching is absolutely necessary for any community to be safe. If
the cops are not being checked by the public, they could theoretically
get away with whatever they want (and often times, do). If the police
are law enforcement, there needs to be someone making sure they are
enforcing their own laws on themselves. Without a way to check the
power of the police, a community is living in a police state, where
the cops decide whether what they are doing is right or wrong.

There are many forms of police accountability, such as civilian
oversight committees, the legal system, the press, and the police
department’s official complaint system. While these are useful and
important aspects of police accountability, none of these systems can
directly help someone who is suffering at the hands of the police at
any given moment (for example, the 50 people who have been murdered by
Sonoma County law enforcement or have died in custody since 1995).
Copwatching is the only way to directly observe what
police are doing on the streets that they are hired to protect. It is
also unique in that it does not require the services of any
institution or enterprise, and is accessible to anyone, even those who
are disenfranchised, have limited access to these services or
institutions, or are hesitant to use them for whatever reason.

Copwatch organizations (as opposed to lower-case copwatching, which
merely describes the act) often participate in rights training
workshops, where they share their knowledge of constitutional rights
with the community. People who are familiar with these basic rights
will often have a better chance of avoiding arrest or harassment, and
knowledge of one’s rights is certainly a fundamental necessity for any
democratic society.

So what’s the problem?

The phenomenon of organized Copwatching exposes some important truths
about the role of police in society. Police often ignore, slander,
harass, and even arrest copwatchers who use their constitutional right
to observe the police from a safe distance. In Santa Rosa alone there
have been many instances of people being harassed or arrested for
legally observing police activity. Participants of Santa Rosa
Copwatch, a copwatching organization, share stories of police
conspicuously photographing them, following them, or attempting to
interrogate them or discredit them (for example, during public events,
individual police officers will often position themselves in places
that make it seem like copwatchers are participating in police
activity, therefore discrediting them to the community members at the
event). Sonoma County law enforcement officers have been caught on
tape numerous times refusing to identify themselves to a copwatcher
(either by name or by badge number, which they are required to do, by
law, on request). Robert Edmonds, a resident of Santa Rosa who often
participates in copwatching, has filed several harassment complaints
against the Santa Rosa Police Department. Joe Willis, also of Santa
Rosa, was arrested for observing the police at the weekly Wednesday
Night Market event downtown. In some of these instances, interfering
with police activity is cited as a reason for the cops’ actions. In
others, the police admit that it is the very act of observing them
that resulted in their taking action against copwatchers. The
punishment for copwatching can be even more severe for those who are
at a social, political, or economic disadvantage. Being on parole,
probation, being an immigrant subject to deportation, being homeless,
being on the arbitrary and racist Gang Database, or having a mental
illness are all things that can keep people in fear of copwatching
(and singled out as a target for arrest) as long as it is
criminalized.

Most recently, on May 1st, 2008, Ben Saari was arrested for
copwatching as the immigrants rights and Free Trade awareness
protest/rally arrived at Julliard Park. Santa Rosa police officers
were moving a group of mostly Latino youth out of the park,
threatening them with extended batons and attack dogs. Saari moved
with the group, walking backwards as he kept a video camera pointed at
the agitated cops. The officer gave him a warning (though he was doing
nothing illegal). Saari asked if he was being arrested or detained,
and the officer said no. When Saari refused to stop video taping, the
officer physically attacked him and arrested him without reading him
his rights or giving him a reason for his arrest. He was later
formally charged with interfering with a public officer.

There is no excuse for repressing the act of copwatching. Police
officers are trained to handle extremely stressful situations, and
someone watching them should have no negative effect on their
performance or the situation as a whole. When we are convinced to stay
inside our homes as the police harass someone down the block, to look
the other way as we drive by the cops kicking homeless people out of
Downtown, when we are too afraid to question a police officer’s
actions, we are facing a fundamental social problem. Police are, in
fact, held accountable to their superiors (as we have seen from recent
internal problems within SRPD), to the courts, politicians, and the
wealthy. But if police cannot be held accountable to regular people,
to the people they interact with the most, to the vast majority of
society, then they do not serve the purpose that we are told they
serve. They are not here to protect US, or to serve US. They are here
to carry out the orders of those they are accountable to, to shut down
all-ages music venues in downtown Santa Rosa, to disperse crowds of
Latino youth, to harass homeless people, to help federal Immigration
agents deport innocent people, to make sure nobody is watching. If
those in power wish to gain our trust, to convince us that the police
are on our side, or even to convince us that the police are a
necessary and positive presence in our communities, then local law
enforcement MUST be accountable to regular people, and copwatching
must be a part of every-day life in our communities.

——-

The following local organizations are doing police accountability work
or are otherwise fighting against police brutality or harassment. They
are not necessarily co-signers to this article.
Santa Rosa Copwatch is a group of people who copwatch as an
organization. 707 579 1605

The Police Accountability Clinic and Hotline (PACH) is a Santa
Rosa-based legal help organization that documents testimonies from
those who have specific complaints about police officers. 707-542-PACH

The County of Refuge Campaign works towards passing a Sanctuary Law
for immigrants living in Sonoma County. This would prevent local law
enforcement from collaborating with ICE (Immigration Customs
Enforcement, the federal immigration enforcement agency under the
Department of Homeland Security). Local law enforcement has no legal
requirement to aid or collaborate with this federal agency. 707 523
1740

Sonomadefense.org is a website that, at the moment, serves to spread
awareness about Ben Saari’s case

1 comment.

Herbs and Music!

Posted on May 31st, 2008 by The Captain.
Categories: Soundings, Music, Local Businesses and Non-Profits, Events, Workshops.

Today went so well that we had to sit down immediately and start writing.  A  big group turned out to enjoy music and to learn more about how to use herbs medicinally.  Our friend Kaitlin put on THREE workshops for the public explaining how to make salves, tinctures, and fire cider!  Hannah Rose, Travis Hendrix, Tyler Wagner, I Cut People, and Low Five all played music and proved that they were some of the best artists in our county.  We also planted a new herb garden for Community Market!   It was a great mixture of sounds, smells, and do-it-yourself energy…

This project was a joint effort between Bite the Hand Productions, Vuildings Building Themselves, and Santa Rosa’s Community Market.  For more information on Buildings Building Themselves, cleck here:  BBT Web Page   For more information on Community Market, click here:  Community Market Web Page

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The Pharmakon One-Year Anniversary!

Posted on May 28th, 2008 by The Captain.
Categories: Food Not Bombs, Bryce Style's Poetry, Music, Events, The Pharmakon.

This Sunday, June 1st, we will be celebrating ONE WHOLE YEAR OF THE PHARMAKON PERIODICAL! Come on out to Santa Rosa’s Doyle Park from noon to sundown and enjoy a day in the park with Bite the Hand Productions!

It is going to be a great day! Here is the schedule of the musical acts:

• 12:00- Jugbone
• 12:30- Drugstore Chemist
• 1:00- The Semi-Evolved Simians
• 2:00- A soccer game with music by Blue Shift
• 3:00- Erstwhile Medicine Show
• 3:30- Three Mile Island (featuring Bill Wild)
• 4:15- A Mother Like Sun
• 5:15- Goodriddler
• 6:00- Hannah Rose

Bring something to barbeque! We will have food from Food Not Bombs, poetry by Bryce Style, and more! Also, the whole event will be hosted by Timmy Redface and The Skinny Man in their new musical project- The Crooks! We want to fill the park with Pharmakon fans, so bring your friends!

$5 suggested donation, no one turned away for lack of funds. Call 707-326-5274 for details and directions.

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Community Market Herb Day!!

Posted on May 27th, 2008 by The Captain.
Categories: Soundings, Music, Local Businesses and Non-Profits, Events.

Come to Santa Rosa’s Community Market this Saturday and enjoy great local music as we learn more about how to identify and use herbs! It is going to be a fantastic day! Here is the line-up:

• 11:00- Music by Hannah Rose
• 11:30- Salve Workshop
• 12:00- Music by Leila Anne
• 12:30- Tincture Workshop
• 1:00- Music by Travis Hendrix
• 1:30- Fire Cider Workshop
• 2:00- Herb Walk
• 2:30- Music

Call 326-5274 for details.

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Aqus Cafe

Posted on April 16th, 2008 by The Captain.
Categories: Operation:Venue, The Crux, Music, Local Businesses and Non-Profits, Events.

In the city of Petaluma, there is a little cafe called Aqus. This place, tucked on H Street, away from the hustle of downtown, is an amazing hub of community activity! Every Saturday morning, people gather here to listen to music. Aqus hosts films, art shows, knitting groups, discussions, and political forums! They even produce an online newsletter that is rich with community news and contributions! A local business with real heart- CHEERS TO AQUS!

Drop on by at 189 H Street, or check them out at the web at www.aquscafe.com

And this Saturday, the 19th… THE CRUX will be playing at Aqus Cafe in the morning! Come see the official musicians of Bite the Hand Productions at Aqus!

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What a Day!

Posted on April 7th, 2008 by The Captain.
Categories: Operation:Venue, Bite the Hand Society, The Underground Free Press, Soundings, Food Not Bombs, Local Businesses and Non-Profits, Music, Events.

Yesterday we had a great event at Bite the Hand Studios to bring attention to The Underground Free Press! It was great! We had three computers set up for people to explore what TUFP is up to, and we had lots of live music. The Semi-Evolved Simians, Bill Wild, Mark Growden, Batman Versus Predator, The Highlands, Hannah Simone, Hanna Manfredi, and Andrew Maurer and more performed! There was also drumming and jamming in the backyard and Food Not Bombs food for everyone!

This was Bite the Hand’s first official “sounding,” and event that pairs local artists wit local activists. Yesterday we were celebrating and exploring the amazing things that The Underground Free Press is doing to strengthen the music scene in Sonoma County. Together with groups like The Underground Free Press, Operation Venue, Lost Lamp, Buildings Building Themselves, and others, we are really beginning to transform out community into something very powerful. This is a really good thing, folks.

Be sure to check out The Underground Free Press here: www.theundergroundfreepress.com

When will our next Sounding event be? What musical acts will perform? What local activist group will be featured? Keep dropping by our website and keep picking up The Pharmakon tp stay informed…

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Community Music This Sunday!

Posted on April 3rd, 2008 by The Captain.
Categories: Operation:Venue, The Underground Free Press, Soundings, Tim Dixon's Art, Local Businesses and Non-Profits, Events.

This Sunday we will be enjoying a day of music and learning about “The Underground Free Press” and other ways to improve the musical scene in Sonoma County. The poster below shows the line-up. Take a look- it is going to be a GREAT show!

Come on by anytime! Bring a friend or two!

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The Underground Free Press

Posted on April 1st, 2008 by The Captain.
Categories: The Underground Free Press, Operation:Venue, Music, Local Businesses and Non-Profits.

Dave and Jay are two people working to make Sonoma County a better place to live. They have created an organization called “The Underground Free Press” that serves as a hub for local artists to meet and publicize their shows. Bite the Hand Productions is in full support of their mission of strengthening our cultural scene, and we want to share what they do with more people.

Their goal is to publish a monthly paper that focuses on local music.  They currently have a very efficient website where you can post and view shows by city. Check it out here: The Underground Free Press Online

The Underground Free Press is working with The Semi-Evolved Simians are putting on an all-day event this Sunday at Bite the Hand Studios (935 Spencer Street in Santa Rosa)! Come and learn more about The Underground Free Press while listening to great local music. Suggested donation of $4. Call 326-5274 for more details.

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Gitar

Posted on March 31st, 2008 by The Captain.
Categories: Leila Anne's Photos, Music, Local Businesses and Non-Profits, Events.

Let us take a moment and appreciate one of the most innovative and prolific groups in Sonoma County today. They are a pair of artists who build community, play with technology, make music, and cut up popular propaganda with a digital razor. They are “I Cut People” and “Ellipse Elkshow,” better known together as GITAR.

These guys are really doing something here.  They are trailblazers in an amazing art form and we recommend you go to one of their shows.   They performed at our Quilt Day and we were blown away by the way they sample and re-arrange popular news and music in a rhythmic commentary.  Check them out here: Gitar’s Myspace

Half of Gitar is an artist who goes by the name “I Cut People.” Check out his art, animation, and music here: I Cut People’s Web Page or I Cut People’s Myspace

The other half of the act is a man named “Ellipse Elkshow.” Check out all of his sounds, art, and words here: Ellipse Elkshow’s Web Site or Ellipse Elkshow’s Myspace

I cut People and Ellipse Elkshow have a production collective of their own called “Buildings Building Themselves (vs) Media Machine.” You can find them online at these two sites: Buildings Building Themselves web page or Buildings Building Themselves Myspace.

Wow! What an amazing duo! Bite the Hand Productions is really into the work that these two doing in Sonoma County and we look forward to collaborating with them in the future. Until then, check out their websites! See what they are up to! Go to a Gitar show!

Gitar will be playing on Tuesday, April 1st, at the Toad in The Hole Pub in Santa Rosa.

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