Back in the stone age/print era, we used to have a section of Giant Robot mag where we would invite friends and family to share My Perfect Day. Sometimes they were were artists, musicians, or filmmakers providing a glimpse into their awesome lives. More often they were regular dudes like you or me, simply enjoying and showing off their beloved hometowns.

I’ve been blogging a lot about the rad bands that are playing our next DIY punk matinee (The Chuck Dukowski Sextet, California) as well as how it’s going to benefit public schoolkids in Chinatown by paying for their music education. So you already know about it being a killer show for a great cause. But it’s also important to me is that people come to the neighborhood where my grandparents, in-laws, and now my daughter have spend time and have a rad day.

The gigs are always on Sunday afternoons to ensure plenty of  meters left open by the dispersed church and dim sum crowds. How good does it feel to roll up to your destination and find free parking? Or take the train if you’re one of the Adolescents. Maybe you’ll arrive so early that you decide to get a bowl of noodles at Pho 87 or Via Cafe before the show starts.

Matinees also mean little kids can attend. Not all children can handle loud, live music but my kindergartener loves it (with headphones on). And if it’s benefiting Eloise and her classmates, why shouldn’t they be able to attend and enjoy?

I can’t help but mention how cool the lineup will be on May 18 . This time around it’s the the hard jazz sounds of The Chuck Dukowski Sextet (featuring the legendary bass player from Black Flag/FLAG) and brand-new rock from the brand-new band California (featuring Adam from Jawbreaker and J Church, Jason from Monsula and Green Day, and Dustin from The Insides). Plus post-colonial sounds from Bitter Party, the debut of The Bear and Little Nun, and DJs from KCHUNG.

If you buy raffle tickets, you’ll probably walk away with goods from Keep Shoes, Ooga Booga, Poketo, and more. No one will puke or spill beer on you, but you might have cookie crumbs on your shirt or a coffee cup in your hand from the bake sale.

By the time you’re done hanging out and taking pictures with friends (the ones with great taste in music and who give a crap about the world) and the bands (who turn out to be the nicest people ever) it’ll only be six o’clock. So you walk down Broadway to have supper at a new-school joint like Starry Kitchen, Chego, or Cafe Via. Or if you’re in Channel Three, you’ll probably eat and drink at an O.G. spot like Golden Dragon with that cool bar in front covered in gold wallpaper. Wherever you go, dessert at Scoops is a great way to end the evening.

I think it’s important not only that we’re helping to pay for music education at the public school that my daughter attends, but it’s also cool just to have rad bands play in Chinatown again, attract people from outside the neighborhood, and remind everyone of the cool old shops and noodle joints as well as expose them to the new-school restaurants and galleries as well. That helps the neighborhood, too. And it’s fun.

Then you’re back home by 8 or 9, ready to put your kid or yourself in bed at a decent time and take on the week. Sounds like a perfect day to me. Save some money by buying your ticket in advance and I’ll see you at Save Music in Chinatown 3!

As soon as I found out that my pal Adam Pfahler was in a new band that was starting to play shows, I asked him if they would play our next Save Music in Chinatown benefit. And then they said yes. Wow. The group not only features Adam (who was in Jawbreaker, J Church, Whysall Lane, all among my favorite bands) but Jason White (from Monsula, Pinhead Gunpowder, Green Day, and a bunch of other favorite bands) and Dustin Clark (The Insides, who I’m guessing that I’ll love). So cool of them to book their first SoCal tour around our punk matinee/benefit show for music education at Castelar Elementary that will take place on Sunday, May 18.

How could I not ask him some questions about playing in Chinatown, the new band, some old bands, and an old friend…

Most people think of you as a Bay Area guy but you grew up in L.A. Did you ever get to see any punk shows in Chinatown?
I remember going to the Hong Kong Cafe after shows to drink coffee and listen to the jukebox but never saw a show there. Maybe it was a bit before my time. I’m sure I’ve been to shows at Madame Wong’s in the mid-eighties but I couldn’t tell you who I saw!

Jawbreaker had a band meeting there once around the time we were practicing in Highland Park before recording our first album. It wasn’t a venue at that point and was just a bar and restaurant. So we’re having a beer and bao there one afternoon and out of nowhere a fight breaks out between these two really tough Chinese girls. They’re full-on punching each other in the face. Like, shit’s falling off tables and everything. It’s so gnarly that everyone in the restaurant pretends that it isn’t happening. One of the girls screams, “Fuck you, you two-bit Jawbreaker!” Blake says, “Hey, that’s our band!” I say, “That’s it–the name stays.”

Do you remember the last time you played in Chinatown? Was it for my wedding banquet?
Okay, let’s set the record straight. Whysall Lane was the SECOND CHOICE to play your wedding. Apparently, the great No Pants Lance Hahn of the J Church couldn’t make the gig. But we were a pretty damn fine replacement, if I do say so myself. Your wedding was awesome! Jenny Choi was cracking me up all night. But to answer your question, I played Human Resources a couple years ago with the amazing Rachel Haden. Here’s proof:

Tell me about California and how you started playing with Jason and Dustin. What do each of you guys bring to the band’s sound?
It just happened. Those guys knew each other from Little Rock, Arkansas. I knew Jason from Bay Area bands from way back like Chino Horde, Pinhead Gunpowder, Monsula, and Green Day, obviously. I met Dustin through my friend Bianca Sparta. The three of us used to play together in the basement of my video store. This was an organic thing. I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner. We’re a three piece, so if this band was a KFC/Taco Bell, Dustin would be the wing, Jason, the breast, and I’m the drumstick. But we each bring enough to the table that we sound more like a 7-layer burrito. With a Diet Pepsi. And hot sauce. Does that make sense? Are you hungry?

What has it been like playing out? Any surprises in how certain songs are received?
I’m having such a great time playing in this band I honestly don’t care what people make of us! I have heard from a few different people that they like the song where I play the mallets. It’s the weirdest, darkest song in our set, which I find really encouraging.

Is there anything cool about being in a band now that your girls are old enough to go to shows?
We’re playing an all-ages show with the Avengers next month. I think they’ll get a kick out of that. But they don’t really listen to my bands and I’m okay with that. They’re into their own thing.

Have you considered singing from behind the drum kit this time around, like Blackie from The Hard-Ons or El Duce from The Mentors?
The only person who ever sounded great and looked cool playing the drums and singing is Levon Helm. Period.

What’s going on with the Blackball re-issue of Jawbreaker’s 24 Hour Revenge Therapy? Will Whysall Lane follow?
I just got the art proofs from 24 Hour Revenge Therapy. It’ll be out this year in time for the 20th anniversary and have six extra songs on the CD and digital (the two outtakes from ETC. and four alternates recorded with Albini from that same session). I reshot the artwork and threw in more photos shot by Don Lewis from that same Jabberjaw show. I still have a bunch of unsold copies of Whysall Lane if anyone wants to hit me up. I never did press that one on vinyl, but maybe I will. It’s a great record.

Back to California, how’s the bidding war between Adeline and Blackball heating up? Is the band being wined and dined by its suitors?
California will sell out immediately, let me just lead with that. But no one has thrown their name in the hat just yet–including me. We do have a pre-practice ritual, which might count as being wined and dined. It involves a sit-down at either The Old Clam House or Silver Crest Donuts on Bayshore Boulevard. The former has complimentary hot clam juice as a starter. The latter specializes in square donuts without holes and the distinct possibility that you’ll be murdered. In either case, I rarely pick up the check.

While California is up-and-coming and everyone loves Jawbreaker, you know there’s a special place in my heart for J Church. What’s your favorite J Church song that you played on and do you have one good Lance story for me?
My favorite was the first one : “The Sound Of Mariachi Bands” from the Mission District box set. I love that song. I stole the drum fill from it and used it on Jawbreaker’s “Do You Still Hate Me?” Lance gave me endless shit about that. I have a lot of Lance stories….You remember when the Rodney King verdict came down, L.A. went up in flames. You’ve seen the footage. Well, that happened up here in SF, to a lesser extent. Lance was out there rioting with other punks from the Mission. People were smashing jewelry store windows and snatching gold chains and diamond rings, running down the street with radios and televisions. What did Lance get? He grabbed the only thing he could get his hands on–a remote control car from a ransacked Radio Shack on Market Street. It’s like he just just wanted a souvenir of the day. And he didn’t even get the remote! That was his favorite part of the story, actually, that it never even worked. He’s sad, “I should have at least stolen 9-volt batteries for my effects pedals!” Maximum covered the riots and published a photo of people coming out of that Radio Shack with their eyes blacked out for anonymity. But it’s so obviously Lance in the picture: ponytail, band shirt with hoodie, long underwear under black jean cutoff shorts. And he’s laughing. You can almost hear him.

For more information about California, check out the trio’s brand-new Facebook page. For the benefit, which happens on Sunday, May 18 at Human Resources, there’s the Save Music in Chinatown 3 Facebook event page. For ticketing, an Eventbrite page. Spread the word and hope to see you there!

Holy crap! I still can’t believe Chuck Dukowski Sextet is going to play our next Save Music in Chinatown punk rock matinee/benefit show. I’ve never met the original bass player for Black Flag in person–although I’ve talked to him on the phone and seen him play a few times (pics below)–so it was a long shot when I asked. But not only were he and his wife/partner/collaborator/inspiration Lora Norton down but he added that they were fans of GR magazine and loved Chinatown, too. Yes, I have been stoked ever since.

To get all of you as amped up for the show as I am, here’s a quick Q&A with Chuck and Lora about their post-punk jazz combo, family, art, and Chinatown.

MW: So amped that your combo will be playing our benefit for kids in Chinatown. Can you tell me about the Sextet’s impressions on the neighborhood? Memories of music or otherwise?
CD: I’ll always remember playing The Hong Kong Cafe with Black Flag. It was an important rite of passage. At the time The Hong Kong was the place that you really strived to play. I remember seeing The Germs, X, The Plugz, and so many great bands in Chinatown. The whole plaza became a punk rock mecca. If people couldn’t afford to get inside, they would hang out outside where they could still hear the music. I always made of point of paying to see bands because I wanted to support everyone’s efforts. Back then almost every band you saw was really good.

LN: Chinatown is one of the best places in Los Angeles. Just recently, Chuck and I went to an opening at Shepard Fairey’s gallery on Sunset and we went to eat at Ocean Seafood on Hill. We often have Dim Sum there, too. I bought a beautiful and weird sculpture of rats and peaches at Wing Hop Fung on Broadway. That is the best store! I love the architectural aesthetic of Chinatown; it’s so over the top. I am glad to see all the art galleries but I wish they still had venues for bands!

MW: I saw that the CD6 played Historical Monument #157 recently, which is just north of Chinatown on Broadway. How was that spot? That gig?
LN: We had a great time at HM157! It is a beautiful old Victorian mansion with colored glass windows and a lovely big porch. I am an architecture nerd so it was a real joy to play the spot. When I was a teenager no one dared to have shows somewhere so pretty and fragile. The audience would just destroy things. It is life affirming that young audiences can dig heavy music yet not thrash their environment. And I have the best time playing with young bands. I feel very lucky to play in a band with my oldest son and that his generation embraces us.

MW: It seems like the CD6 just starting to play out a bunch of shows. Do you get into music mode sometimes or do shows just happen in clusters naturally and you roll with it?
LN: Chuck always wants to play every gig! I used to be more critical and choosy about shows but ultimately I realized that it’s hard to tell if a show will be great or not! Big size does not always make the funnest gig. It is amazing to play for a large crowd but sometimes a small gig with the right audience is even better!

CD: We will be playing San Francisco in June. We are going to see our son Isaac graduate from UCSC and then do a SF gig with the band Frightwig.

MW: I have to admit that after I totally gushed about the Eat Your Life CD in Giant Robot way back when, I have been out of the loop regarding CD6. Can you tell me a little bit about how the band has evolved since then?
LN: I think the biggest difference from our first album is the evolution of our son Milo’s musicianship. When we started he was only 16, but now his songwriting and playing have just exploded. He reads and writes music and he practices for hours everyday. He makes me proud–especially since I have not been the kind of parent that forces his or her children to practice their instruments! Milo is a world-class guitar player and when you add the fact that he is a professional contortionist/acrobat, we can put on quite a family show!

MW: Lora, your visual art has always been a big part of the band’s releases and flyers. Can you tell me what you’re up to in these days as far as illustration and design go?
LN: Chuck has always encouraged me to make the covers and fliers for the CD6. He is very generous with encouragement. I don’t make “punk” art like Raymond Pettibon or even Shepard Fairey. I don’t fit with hardcore purists. I just have to make what is beautiful to me. I am working on illustrations for our new release, which has a sort of dark fairy tale theme. I also wrote and illustrated a children’s book. I keep thinking about doing a more adult-illustrated story but I need to work a bit harder! That last year has been pretty crazy with the FLAG lawsuit and everything…

MW: I’m not going to get into the Black Flag lawsuit because the only real thing that we need to know is that it’s over. Chuck, what are some other things that you’re gonna catch up/dig in on now that large amounts of your time and energy are yours again?
CD: We are going to release the new CD6 album and I hope that we will be performing more. I want to play music with new people and see where that leads, too. I am excited about all the projects by the kids in our family. Mira has another new book coming out and Milo has a fucking great solo project as well as music with Insects Vs. Robots.

MW: I love how you play with FLAG (FYF was super fun and I was at the GV30 show at the Santa Monica Civic, too) but also hang with young bands like No Age and The Shrine. How do you stay in touch with new sounds? Do you approach the bands? Do they hit you up?
CD: I genuinely love new music and to be around people who are engaged in making something fresh. The guys from The Shrine and No Age are stellar people. I like to be open to people and not be elitist or jaded. The CD6 is a family band and an intergenerational band. I consciously try to share information and experiences with younger bands. The divide between generations of artists is negative. There are so many ways we can all help each other.

MW: Anything else that you just gotta share?
LN: A photo of me and my oldest daughter Mira was in one of the earliest issues of Giant Robot. We went to go see Ultraman fight Baltan at a convention and someone from your magazine took our picture! I have learned about some of my favorite artists, like Junko Mizuno, through Giant Robot magazine. I’m a big fan!

For more information about the benefit, which happens on Sunday, May 18 at Human Resources, check out the Save Music in Chinatown 3 Facebook event page. For ticketing, there’s the Eventbrite page, too.

Tomorrow night, Visual Communications will kick off its 30th annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. That’s a real milestone and I’m happy to volunteer as one of the programming committee for my second year. So I’ll get to attend the gala opening screening of To Be Takei (I hope I see some Starfleet members) and then get ready to watch some import, indie, and arty movies…

On Friday night, I have the pleasure of introducing Lisa Takeba’s The Pinkie. Combining crime, gore, and other genres that I love, it’s as colorful as it is energetic. It’s going to be a kick to watch on a big screen with a hopefully boisterous audience.

Yes, Lisa will be in attendance for a Q&A afterward and so will representatives from “Unusual Targets,” a short that will accompany it. That will be cool and that doesn’t happen when you stay home and watch movies on your computer.

On Sunday at noon, I’ll get to introduce another indie import. Miko Livelo’s Blue Bustamante addresses the series topic of Overseas Filipino Workers and mashes it up with vintage Japanese sentai shows. You know, masked Power Rangers.

There’s no Q&A afterward, but when will you ever get to see a movie like this on the big screen? Of course, this movie and The Pinkie are perfect movies to be presented by Giant Robot.

On Sunday night, I present one more movie. Lordville is the latest documentary by the hugely respected arthouse director Rea Tajiri. It’s a spooky and beautiful and real study of her adopted hometown, which happens to be a ghost town.

Yes, Rea will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A to answer the many questions that will arise. Won’t you attend, too? Support indie, imported, and Asian cinema! See you there!

Is OFF! the gnarliest band in the universe? The members’ chops came out of heavy bands like Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Redd Kross, and Rocket from the Crypt and they are complemented and pushed by each other’s unique badassness. That’s why they can tour with young, up-and-coming, and hungry punks like NASA Space Universe and Cerebral Ballzy without seeming like fossils. Instead, they’re the badass godfathers.

The vocals of Keith Morris are the blueprint for angry, pissed-off hardcore but they come off as brand new with the ripping guitar of Dimitri Coats, percolating bass of Steve McDonald, and massive drums of Mario Rubalcaba. The raging set was drawn pretty evenly from the essential first four EPs, bitchin’ self-titled debut, and the darker-than-crap follow-up. I loved it when Keith chided a girl for trying to take the playlist mid-set without asking by saying, “Don’t be a Republican.” And then followed, “Don’t be a Democrat, either.”

I’ve never been to Coachella but I’ve become a fan because I like the club shows that the bands play in L.A. in-between. A couple of weeks ago I got to see Bryan Ferry at Club NOKIA. That’s a pretty small place to see a rock god play a killer survey of mostly Roxy Music songs with choice solo material. From “Re-Make/Re-Model” and “Ladytron” to “More Than This/Avalon” and “Jealous Guy,” he put on a clinic of how to be cool.

Getting to see Jon Spencer Blues Explosion at a small club like The Echo was rad, too. Opening was Shockwave Riderz, which countered a buttery electro vibe with real drums was hot and cool at once without ever becoming tepid.

JSBX are masters at what they do, jamming out a stripped-down, cranked-up, and unironic garage-rock take on the blues. More like musical mutants than Coelocanths, “Bell Bottoms” weren’t exactly trendy when they sang about them in the first place. And because the genre that they wreak havoc on has nothing to do with youth and everything to do with emotion, they can truly be better than ever each time you see them. Soulful, bulletproof jams with heart, brains, and sentimentality. You’ve heard their mashup of “She’s On It” dedicated to Adam Yauch, right?

And yet another Channel Three gig. Couldn’t miss their Record Store Day invasion of Left Of The Dial Records in Santa Ana. I’d be a lousy parent if I didn’t take Eloise to the dudes' free matinee, and if I could build up uncle points by taking her cousins--and then meet my brother and another niece--even better. Yes, they played a full set, from Posh Boy punker days to Enigma rockers to the great new 7″ single on Hostage Records, which is great: punk business in the front and party in the back with an AC/DC cover. Yes!

No shows coming up for a while. Hopefully, Survival Knife. Perhaps that big Scion metal fest with High on Fire, Coffins, etc. And then it’s time for Save Music in Chinatown 3 with Chuck Dukowski, California, and Bitter Party. You know I’ll be writing about that one and hoping you’ll be there…