Henry Miller Memorial Library

Big Sur, California
"The real leader has no need to lead - he is content to point the way."

Archive for September, 2010

Great Caeser's Ghost! (((folkYEAH!!))) in the New York Times!

Posted on: by hmmler

Remember in the Wizard of Oz when those flying monkeys harassed Dorothy?  That ruled.  Also, remember at the end when the Wizard was like, “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”?

Well there are a few men – and women – behind the curtain here at the Henry Miller Library; none more wizardly than Britt Govea, the brainchild/brain trust/brainiac and certifiable-mother brain of (((folkYEAH))), the production company that has brought you countless incredible shows, including Arcade Fire, Animal Collective, Dirty Projectors, and Band of Horses.*

(((folkYEAH!!))) got major props the other day in the New York Times; nice to finally see some good news in the paper, y’know?  It traces the rad rise of FY from a sleepy lil’ production company in Monterey, to the rapacious, ravenous, sweat-shop-loving, Microsoft-esque 1-man oligarch it now is.  Truly heart-warming.  Be sure to read it in entirety, but here’s a favorite quote:

“Technical obstacles can make it difficult for huge touring acts like Arcade Fire to perform in such a small venue as the Henry Miller Memorial Library [ed: That's us!], but Mr. Govea said he was confident that he would give the band a reason to return.

“You travel the country, play these rooms, and for the most part, they are four walls,” Mr. Govea said. “You pull up to towering ancient redwoods, in the sound check alone, it’s magical.”

He added, “We have the best sound checks ever.”

* Other men behind the curtain include Magnus, the Library Director, Joe the newspaper guy, and Rainbow Lenny, a 53 year old dude who literally lives in the woods behind a curtain.

Arcade Fire and The Boss. The similaries are eerie, numerous. Discuss.

Posted on: by hmmler

By now, most people know that Arcade Fire are playing here Oct. 5th and the buzz is palatable and delicious.  The blogosphere is aflame.

To be honest, I don’t know much about them.  More of a Bread man meself.  And to be perfectly blunt, I personally think they sound a bit too much like Bruce and the E Street Band.  I guess that was my reaction after hearing “Keep The Car Running.”

And while these similarities- which are, mind you, eerie and numerous – have likely been illustrated in other nooks on the Web, I’d like to throw in my two cents.  After all, each artist has:

  • The “slapback” vocal effect
  • Propulsive, infectious beats!
  • Uber-dreamy frontmen
  • Songs about escaping the mundane (Thematic similarities between “The Suburbs” and “Rosalita” are downright spooky.)
  • Roots in often-maligned and disparaged places (Canada and Jersey)
  • #1 records on Billboard
  • Histrionics
  • Iconic butts
  • Larger-than-life sax players with huge pecs

What else am I missing?

Some enchanted evening with Band of Horses in Big Sur

Posted on: by hmmler

Did I say “enchanting”?

I also meant alluring, beguiling, bewitching, fascinating.  And simply scrumptious.

Thursday night found 300 gentle, well-behaved people, bellies bursting with delectable Cuban food and dank brew, utterly enraptured as J. Tillman and headliners, Band of Horses, play the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur, CA.

The weather was balmy and warm – it is our summer, after all; it rules! – and despite the voluminous number of people, the vibe was even more intimate than normal. Fleet Foxes dude J. Tillman opened up solo, and played a captivating set of epic, stark, and expansive tunes about loss and intrigue. American Gothic at its finest.  Heeeeere’s Jay:

At around 9ish, Band of Horses took the stage after a brief opening solo set by singer Ben Bridwell, and off they were, metaphorically galloping into the Big Sur night. I’d be lying if I told you I was super-familiar with them prior to the show. I wasn’t. That’s what reviews by guest bloggers who were at the show are for. (Ahem.)

But man. The harmonies sounded like the Beach Boys molesting Hal from 2001 while Seals and Croft stood by dithering. And by that, I mean the harmonies were precise, close, rich, and perfect-ish, almost to the point that I got scared. It didn’t hurt that their world-class sound system was humming along with a nifty light show.  Ooh, they played “A Song For You,” by Gram Parsons, which was awesome too.  Here they are!

So there you have it.  In a way, the show was somewhat like an appetizer to the upcoming buffet of amazing music passing through our gates: Dungen on the 26th, a spunky lil’ indie band from the beret-clad backstreets of Montreal, Arcade Fire (Oct. 5th), and certain Beach Boy (Al Jardine!) on Oct. 8th.  So save room for the main course and dessert, kiddies.  Don’t fill up on bread!

PS: Special thanks to Stan Russel for the killer pics and also, check some some more cool photos of the show via our pal Terry Way here.

Band of Horses in Big Sur, tonight!

Posted on: by hmmler

We are stoked.  Band of Horses are playing the library tonight, here at the very-intimate-but-not-uncomfortably-intimate Henry Miller Memorial Library in Big Sur.

If anyone out there takes any pics or wants to submit a show review, drop us a line.

Sweden’s Dungen at the Library, September 26th!

Posted on: by hmmler

Remember back in the day, when Lloyd Bensten dissed Dan Quayle in the vice presidential debates?*

He turned to Dan, and said something to the effect of, “I knew Jack Kennedy, and you, my friend, are no Jack Kennedy.”  Oh snap!

Well, I know Dungen personally.  And while I hope I never have to utter the words, “I know Dungen, and you, my friend, are no Dungen,” it doesn’t change the fact that I know Dungen, and they are incredible.

They’re a propulsive, explosive, and dynamic band from Sweden.  Their leader, Gustav, is a gentle genius, and they’re new record is out on Kemado Records.  They are playing the Henry Miller Memorial Library, here in Big Sur, on September 26th, with LA’s Entrance Band.  Live, Dungen sounds like Deep Purple meets Led Zep, circa ’71.  (Was too stoned throughout ’72; for all I know Zep may have been better then.)

Recently Hippie Sven stumbled upon Dungen’s bassist, Mattias, who was crusin’ through town.  Pathos and redemption ensue.  Check it:

* Remember when Dan Quayle was a heartbeat away from the Presidency?  Scary thought.

Hippie Sven and Deetjen’s: Like Eggs and Benedict

Posted on: by hmmler

It pleases us to announce that Hippie Sven is available for weddings, bar mitzvah, and birthday parties.

Just kidding.  That stuff is beneath him.  Hippie Sven has standards; art is his north star.

That said, he’s not adverse to helping out local businesses here in Big Sur.  One that particularly tickles his social awkward Swedish fancy is Deetjen’s.

Deetjen’s is just down the road from the Henry Miller Memorial Library, and has been a great supporter, particularly with our summer Big Sur movie series.

Deetjen’s also has the best Eggs Benedict in the world.  So do yourself a favor and heed Sven’s words.

The Tallest Man on Earth comes to, conquers Big Sur

Posted on: by hmmler

The Tallest Man on Earth rocked the sold-out Henry Miller Memorial Library here in Big Sur the other night.  It ruled.

During the encore, I was like, “Whoa! I need to take a picture of this!”  So I ran to my boss’s car to get the camera, and as I opened the car door, the show ended.  Timing is everything.  So if anyone has any pictures, send’em over via that contact form over there on the right.

That said, here is a first-hand show review from audience member Valerie Guardiola.  Thanks Valerie!

The Tallest Man On Earth is actually relatively normal sized. And his ego seems as large as my pinkie finger. As one of the most humble and talented men I have ever seen perform live I was dumb struck. Lucky enough to be granted front row privileges (translate, “waited second in line and eventually jogged to the front row”) my dearest friends and I were captivated from the moment the lights faded to a gorgeous blue-green for opening band S. Carey.

Having never heard Sean Carey’s (of Bon Iver fame) new side-project, it was a splendid surprise. Carey not only set the perfect stage for what an entire audience was anticipating to be an amazing show, but it seemed he could have carried out an entire solo performance flawlessly and with an intense appreciation from the crowd.

After the short wait between S. Carey and Tallest Man On Earth came the sincere and compelling re-telling of an old Big Sur folk song, the performing of which cut the air in half as every soul listening was doing so whole-heartedly.

As the lights once again adjusted there appeared the most enduring, kind, humble, not to mention attractive and talented man. All in all, Kristian Matsson is a god. Only after flirting awkwardly with the crowd and offering the chilly audience members his jacket and sweater did nearly every female concert goer wish she was on her own private date with him.

His concentration during every song was astounding and his performance captivating. The intimacy of the venue was in perfect synchronicity with the low-maintenance and gorgeous talent of that perfectly raspy voice. Despite the frozen fingers and clattering teeth the combination of the tallest trees on earth and the Tallest Man On Earth was captivating and tops any show I have seen in quite a long time.

Cold Cave, Vetiver, Abe Vigoda – Reminiscing and recollecting (and remembering)

Posted on: by hmmler

Life imitated art on Labor Day when Cold Cave, Abe Vigoda, Vetiver, and the LA Vampires rocked – in a mid-80s pulsating English sort of way – the Henry Miller Memorial Library.

The Library grounds literally felt like a Cold Cave.  It was quite cold – ominous, spectral fog poured in off the ocean, such that Abe Vigoda’s front man cracked, “More fog machine, please” (sic) – and cave-like, as the Library sits in a canyon.

Actually, in retrospect, it wasn’t so bad.  More like a Damp Grotto.

Anyway, don’t just take our word for it.  Here’s a pics from our pal Dan Newell.


(Eerie.  Kinda reminds me of the “endless winter” I spent in Berlin back in ’82.  I shaved my eyebrows.)

Hey, here’s Abe Vigoda:

The show itself was fun, and to this van-dwelling, patchouli-lovin’ guy, I must say I was thoroughly enraptured by Vetiver.  They easily shape-shifted from catchy, almost Mersey-beat pop to technically-slinky guitar runs that ran like technicolor rivers through the tunes.  So much so, in fact, I turned to John the Sound Guy and say, “Man, they sound like the Dead, circa ’71.”  John agreed.  (John always agrees with me, though; I tend to give him a cookie when he’s doing a good job.  John’s agreement is Pavlovian.)

After their show, and six brews deep, I said to the Veitver drummer, “You guys sound like the Dead, circa ’71.”  He said, “Yeah, we get that sometimes.”

Speaking of which, how kind is Jerry in this?  (below)

Al Jardine of the Beach Boys at the library, October 8th!

Posted on: by hmmler

It’s true.

Join us in a unique concert experience at the Henry Miller Memorial Library with  Rock’n'Roll Hall of Famer, Beach Boy, and Big Sur neighbor, Al Jardine, celebrating his new CD release: ‘A Postcard from California.’

Al Jardine will play and sing backed by a five piece stellar band of musicians, although we don’t yet know who all of them will be.  This is an historic occasion: the first ever public concert ‘at home’ by Al Jardine.

Tickets go on sale here on September 15 at 11AM.

Guests on ‘A Postcard’ include Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Flea, Steve Miller, David Crosby, Brian Wilson and several more.

Mr. Jardine is also responsible for one of the top five Beach Boys songs ever, “California Saga,” which is featured on his new disc, and will likely be played on Oct. 8th.

Henry Miller Library: Overrun by talented, sneaky Swedes

Posted on: by hmmler

Tallest Man on Earth is playing the Henry Miller Library in lovely Big Sur.  Tickets are still available!

Tallest Man on Earth is the moniker of the folk musician Kristian Matsson of Dalarna, Sweden.  Check it:

Kristian completes what has become known as the “Swedish Trinity” here at the Library.  Our director, Magnus Toren (Father), is Swedish.  So is Kristian (Son.)  So are Dungen (Holy Spirit(s)), the incredible, propulsive, and shockingly talented band of forest hippie-types, who’ll play here Sept. 26th.

Needless to say, Hippie Sven (Virgin Mary?) is stoked:

There are some who say that Sweden’s quest for world domination began and ended with the Vikings.  They kinda missed out on the whole 19th century colonization craze, contented with their icy little island (is it an island?),

Well, don’t be so sure.  There’s such a thing as a subtle conquest, through, say, stoney, folksy, Deep Purple-meets-Led Zeppelin III jams.

The Swedes are sneaky, tenacious!

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