Surf Guitar 101, The Pike, and The Pannikin

We would like to share a few fun highlights from the Surf Guitar 101 Fest which took place earlier this August (2017). Being our first show since a pair of fun sets in Valencia and Castellón (Spain) earlier this summer - we were both excited and a tad rusty (typical musician talk right!?). What was the highlight was re-connecting with friends from the surf music world as well as meeting many for the first time. Our photos and a short video do nothing to effectively summarize the breadth of this event and how amazing it was but here's what we got. At the end of this entry we comment further on some of the fine folks we met and hung out with as well.

Let's start with the music. Our humble contribution was a set of originals and eclectic covers. Here's Tahiti 66 as shot by David Holleman. If anyone else has video footage from our set, let us know! This is an original and has been a tradition for years through previous surf type bands Brazil 2001 and all lineups of The MiGs. A studio recording is available HERE  http://bit.ly/paravionbandamp   if you care to have a copy. 

And, as indicated, it was heavily about PEOPLE! Familiar faces included (l-r) Rebcca Par Avion, Laura Bethita of the Neptunas, Ferenc Frankie and the Poolboys, David Arnson Insect Surfer and Bernard Par Avion. This, of course, is a cheater shot 'cause we all have hung out many many times over the years including the 2013 European Insects tour during which Bernard played guitar next to Mr. Arnson.

Now, nothing is more fun than meeting new friends or people that one has had a correspondence with online. Stephen Blinkenstaff is such a cat. Bernard has been attracted to Stephen's art and claims that this was even prior to knowing of Stephen's now legendary contribution to The Cramps' famous cover of Bad Music for Bad People. Stephen also jams theremin with the Atomic Mosquitos. He's a man of many talents. Now it might be worth noting that Bernard plays guitar with Fur Dixon's band; a former member of the Cramps.

Like many bands at SG101, The Exotics traveled from Milwaukee! Turns out that an old skater buddy of Bernard's [Pat Emerick] is buds with Don of The Exotics, so they just had to snap this one to have a good chuckle and, of course, send to Pat. Don, like everyone at the event, is a great guy and full of positive vibes. We hope to meet you again!

Can ANY So Cal surf or tiki event be without John Okanishi? Answer: NO! This man is the light of any event and brings a smile. This time, he brought his lederhosen, which made sense given Alpine Village's theme. We're starting to think that we all should have followed John's lead.

We'll close this blog entry with two things. First, a day by day summary of the event can be found courtesy of Storm Surge of Reverb here: http://www.stormsurgeofreverb.com where a bit was noted about Par Avion:

"Probably the most progressive act of both nights, they had a much more syncopated and unique rhythm to them. They delved into chicha for a minute too, which always scores points with me. It's hard to choose highlights in a lineup that really never went wrong, but this was a standout."

The next day, which was August 5th to be precise, we played two sets at our fave Long Beach bar: The Pike Restaurant and Bar on 4th St. It was a blur BUT suffice it to say, we had a blast and we cannot wait to play there again. Thanks to our friend John Godin for getting one of the few shots that night. 

Above is a shot of Bernard, Betsy and Tom from the Pannikin coffee shop in San Diego. Bernard is sporting a shirt he bought from The Surf King Surfwear at SG101 BUT it's also cool to add that Tom Erbe is the mind behind the Erbe Verb; a highly lauded module for synth enthusiasts. Despite this, if you want to really geek out, it's hard not to get excited about this unit's potential with surf music. Check out this video: Erbe Verbe

Stay tuned for some a sneak preview of fresh recordings featuring Derek O'Brien on drums and percussion. It cool stuff and the guitar's reverb comes courtesy of an echo-heavy restroom positioned amplifier oh and please feel free to comment!