SANDY

I did not see this coming. Shame on me for not filling up the bathtub.

But it's far worse than that. I'm complaining because I can't flush a toilet, take a shower, or charge my phone, but physically I'm ok, and I still made it to work today. Breezy Point practically burned to the ground, hundreds of houses were completely leveled. The Rockaways are devastated as well, and the streets of Long Beach are buried in sand. Fire Island looks like a wave crashed over it's entirety. Parts of NYC are completely flooded, my friends building in Battery Park was nine feet under water, and 14th street and avenue C looked like a swimming pool with stop lights. Ground Zero was flooded with water, creating mini-waterfalls across the area. Residential Hoboken looks like New Orleans post Katrina, the streets are still completely underwater. My co-worker says it's a ghost town, and there are many people still trapped in their apartments because of the standing water. As many as 20,000 in Hoboken alone. The Atlantic City and Jersey Shore boardwalks are no longer, and though I'm glad it stunts Snooki's antics for a spell, I do feel for all the people who lost their livelihoods. 

Though the death toll is only 26 in NYC (56 region wide), that rising figure doesn't represent the devastation. Peoples lives have been upended, and so many are now homeless. There's no way to tally the emotional damage, but there is a way to tally the monetary end of it. There is 20 billion dollars of damage in NYC alone and that figure is rising. To put it into perspective, Hurricane Irene costs $4.3 Billion across multiple sates, and Katrina, the most costly Hurricane in U.S. history, cost $46.59 billion when all was said and done. That already makes Sandy sure to be the second most costly Hurricane in U.S. history, and as the figures really start coming in, we make a run at the title. The financial markets finally opened again today after being closed for two full days. Honestly, when was the last time that happened and it wasn't a holiday? Seriously.

Another problem is travel. It is limited both locally and otherwise. La Guardia is still closed, though Newark and JFK are opening today with limited capcity. The subways are down, the PATH trains are down, as is Metro North and the LIRR. The tunnels going east of the city are also still closed. The Brooklyn-Battery tunnel is 12 feet underwater, so that's certainly going to take some time. Gas is in short supply as well. You can't get any in the city, the closest place is in Brooklyn if you're downtown. If you didn't have food and water saved up and you're in any of the heavily effected areas, you've got a problem. People are turning to red cross and shelters in high numbers. Entire neighborhoods were wiped out, and that means many of these people will be in shelters for weeks if not more. Volunteers are obviously needed, but there's only so much they can do. Fortunately it seems that the response to this crisis has been solid. Nothing like the abandonment New Orleans felt after Katrina.

Then there's always the secondary concerns. I'm wondering about sewage overflow and chances of the bubonic plague rearing it's head again. But seriously, NYC suspended garbage collection and recycling, which put plainly, sucks. There's still over 4 million without power in New York, and no clear determination when we'll get it back. From 39th street down, it's apocalyptic looking at night, pitch black almost everywhere you go. They tell us 3-4 more days until we get power back, best case. In Long Island, that same figure is 7-10 days. And yes, houses burned or washed away, we know that. But in all the footage I've seen (which has been limited), the devastation to vehicles has been massive as well. I've never seen so many cars underwater, under sand, or overturned. Boats too. Granted, these vehicle losses are a distant third to lives and homes, but it's still something to take into consideration. If I lost my home, I'd hope I could jump in the car and drive to a relatives. Especially if I had kids. 

Though it's a pain in the ass to descend, and then unfortunately ascend 21 flights when I need to come and go from my apartment, it's nothing compared to the work our maintenance guys have been going through in my building. I feel the need to give them a shout out because they've got families, they've got lives, and yet they work 18 and even 24-hour shifts to make sure that we are taken care of as best as possible. It looks like we're even getting our generator up and running so at least we'll get some water (albiet cold water) in the apartments. 

There's still an extreme amount of water that needs to be removed from New York and New Jersey. And that must happen before power can be restored to many areas. And once the power is on, many of us can get back to our day to day lives, but so many others will only then be able to truly assess the damage that has been brought upon them. I am truly lucky that I'm ok, and my family and friends all seem to be alright as well. But all you have to do is turn on the news (if you have power), to see how bad others have it. I only hope that the government can help them quickly, and obviously does a better job than they have in the past (ahem, Katrina). But that's another story altogether. But this is New York, and protecting this state and city is a much higher priority for the government, as wrong as that is. And shame on us for letting that be ok. It's a different administration at the helm as well.

Friends of the Junkyard: Concert Report

Enthusiasm is what it's all about. At risk of sounding like Robert DeNiro (who played Al Capone) in The Untouchables, I'll repeat myself: Enthusiasms.

Music makes me enthusiastic, I don't know what I'd do without it. Quite a few people I know share that enthusiasm, but a man or woman can be enthusiastic about almost anything. The point is, that they are in fact enthusiastic and live with enthusiasm. Likewise, it's always easy to spot someone who's heart is not in it. In the music world, that takes away from the experience. Music can't be forced, it has to be felt. You can tell when an artist is "mailing it in," as opposed to giving it everything they've got, and leaving it all up on stage. In fairness, we can't all be on at every moment, for every performance. Sometimes you're just not going to be 100%. The idea though, is that those instances are few and far between.

I'm always overjoyed when someone shares the same enthusiasm for something as me. Having a collaborator or even just another brain to pick and share similar interest with is what it's all about for me. Matty, Johnny, Nick, my family, Kimi, PK, Mike, Garvey (and on and on), these people are all collaborators in life for me. Part of the reason I started the Junkyard Farmer, was to create a forum for all of us to share and discuss our thoughts. Not just on music, though that was my personal focus. I encourage people to constantly send me anything they find interesting, and I've posted a lot of that stuff over the past few months. I even offered to post any essays or articles that one of my "collaborators" may write on a given topic. The more the merrier, I say.

So it is within this vein that I post the Junkyard's very first concert report from the 'other' coast, submitted by V & J.

Bob Dylan and his band & Mark Knopler

Santa Barbara Bowl, Monday October 22nd 2012 6:30pm

Sitting under the trees, bathed in the glow from the homes hovering above, we sat and listened to living legends of the music world.

Mark Knopler was instrumentally magical.  He teased us with licks from classic Dire Straits tunes, and exposed us to what I would call a type of  “Celtic Rock 'n' Roll.” The Knopf’s classic baritone voice was set to the backing of an Irish folk ensemble, including Irish pipes, violins, accordion, mandolin, double bass, and acoustic guitars. It was unlike anything we'd seen before. Genre of music aside, the musicianship was absolutely top tier.

Then came Bob Dylan, otherwise known as “B” (as one audience member kept yelling throughout the show). While his age (71 years young) is relevant to his performance abilities these days, B is still a musician who commands an incredible amount of respect when he's up there in the spotlight. He's simply a powerhouse at stimulating thought and emotion.  He made his way around the stage and onto the keys. He sang with that same throaty rasp that he's always been known for, performing eclectic renditions of "All Along the Watchtower," "Blowing in the Wind," "Like a Rolling Stone," and V's personal favorite, "Man in the Long Black Coat."  While each of these songs included new elements, their familiarity still shown through, maintaining their exceptional musical quality and uniqueness.  At times, B deviated from the bands tempo and sound, going on tangents and spontaneous explorations.  Such deviations appeared to be part of an overall plan or vision he was trying to achieve, which I believe he was successful in.  However, I found myself wondering at times, maybe we just like to think his planning is that meticulous...? It's a question I have to ask, even though in my heart I believe the answer is that he's as meticulous today as he always was.

Overall it was a tremendous show, not just because of who played, but because of the talent that is still very much existent in both frontmen and the amazing performers they've amassed around them. It's a show that both of us are glad we ponied up the money for, because missing it would have been a real disappointment,.

V & J 

SOD: Mark Knopfler "Remembrance Day"

I've always been an avid fan of Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits. He's played on so many albums that I'd say it's impossible you haven't heard him at some point. He even did a stint with Bob Dylan where he played guitar and produced the album Infidels (Jokerman is one of my all time favorite songs) Coincidentally, my sister just saw Knopfler and Dylan play together last night! She promised me a write-up, so I'm looking forward to that.

In addition to Knopfler's incredible accomplishments as a solo artist and with Dire Straits, he has also done a lot of movie soundtrack work. One of the more notable ones is Princess Bride, but he's also worked on Last Exit To Brooklyn, Wag The Dog, and Metroland among others.

The man is as talented a guitarist as they come. He is a renowned fingerstyle guitarist, and he's created one of the most recognizable sounds that I've ever heard. He is so incredibly smooth, he makes some of the most complicated runs and licks sound utterly effortless. I remember when I was just a kid, under ten years old, and Mark Knopfler was by far my favorite guitarist. I had never heard anything like it, his guitar had a voice. I would sing along with his guitar parts when I played my parents Dire Straits vinyl, forget the words! To this day, I still hold him in the highest of esteem.

This particular song is off his 2009 solo album entitled Get Lucky. Overall, I find it to be a strong effort, with a wide breadth of songs. It's a quieter album than anything he did with Dire Straits, and it's subtleties (especially in guitar) are what really make it continually interesting. There's still some rocking tunes like the swampy "Cleaning My Gun." A lot of similarities can be drawn between his solo work and his work with Dire Straits. After all, he was the frontman and lead guitarist, so that's to be expected. But I find his solo work to take on a calmer and less intense sound. It's closer to songs like "Romeo and Juliet" and "Brother In Arms" than it is to "Sultans Of Swing," "Heavy Fuel," or "Money For Nothing." Those harder, more in-your-face rock songs are left to the groups catalog, while Knopfler the solo artists takes a less aggressive approach.

Knopfler released his seventh solo effort Privateering, in September of this year. I have not heard it yet (I know, quite the fan...) but intend on hearing it before the year is through. If anyone has listened to it please, let me know what you think.

Mark Knopfler - Remembrance day

A Junkyard Playlist 10/23/12

A little something I whipped up, as I was in the mood for a change. I'm a firm believer in albums, but like anyone else there are days that a little variety can do us good. Enjoy.


1. We Used to Wait - Arcade Fire

2. Life Is Life - Noah & The Whale

3. Into the Great Wide Open - Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

4. Little Green Bag - George Baker Selection

5. Wolfman's Brother - Phish

6. Don't Owe You a Thang - Gary Clark Jr.

7. She's A Woman - Jeff Beck

8. Alabama - Neil Young

9. Bad News - Johnny Jenkins

10. Little Kim - Widespread Panic

11. Gimme Danger - Iggy & The Stooges

12. Jolene (live) - The White Stripes

13. Grounds for Divorce - Elbow

14. The Caves of Altamira - Steely Dan

15. Holiday Inn - Elton John

16. Oh! You Pretty Things - David Bowie

17. Don't You Want Me Baby - Sunshiners

18. Kaya - Bob Marley & The Wailers

19. Love Is All - The Tallest Man On Earth

20. Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix

21. That's How Strong My Love Is - Otis Redding


TRT: 79:40

SOD: The Tallest Man On Earth "Love Is All"

I hear some Dylan (a la "Buckets of Rain"). I hear Nick Drake too (especially because he's uses open tunings that Drake was fond of). And I hear Jackson C. Frank as well, in that guitar progression. Clearly Kristian Matsson (aka The Tallest Man On Earth) was influenced by the greats, and that's really what music and art boil down to. It's all about your influences, and not just in the genre you practice. Folk can influence a Rock 'n Roller, and The Blues can influence them all. It can go much further than that even. A musician can be influenced by a writer, and writer by a painter, and so on. If there's one thing I've learned it's that influence and inspiration are everywhere and can be found in everything.

Influences are also what I find most intriguing about the artists I listen to. There are times when you hear a song, and you can blatantly tell who the artists was channeling at that time. Other times, it's quite the opposite, you just can't put your finger on it. But the beauty is, we don't need to rely on the artist for this information, using our ear and own experiences with music, we can discern these things ourselves. Matsson said in an interview, "I don't consider my work to be a part of any tradition. This is how I play. This is how I write songs." I can understand how he feels that way, but I can't validate it. He can consider himself a part or not a part of whatever he wants, but the fact of the matter is he's drawing techniques and patterns from music he is influenced by, and in that vein he is a part of that tradition. And I don't mean that solely in the sense of genre's of music, because I believe genres are becoming more and more useless the more amalgamations of them we create. I mean it more in the fact that if Matsson listens and is influenced by say, Nick Drake, then he is part of the tradition that Nick Drake has created, and the legacy he has left. 

Contemporary Folk music (or Folk Revival Music) is traditionally against many musical traditions. Yes, it emerged as a voice of the oppressed and the poor. It was born from hardship, as so much music is. The difference with folk (and one reason I have such an affinity for it), is it doesn't romanticize the light at the end of the tunnel as other forms of music will. It's not a statement that "times are hard, but hold on, life will get better." Instead, it's message is that life itself is hard, and the misery you feel is real. But we're all in this together, and we're all feeling the same pain and disillusionment. The folk musician is a voice of the disenfranchised collective. The blues is similarly positioned in that venture, but there's a difference when it comes to folk. Instead of standing on stage playing to the masses, the folk musician was standing in the middle of the crowd, singing for them, and as one of them. Putting to words the feelings that all of us share, and making a statement on our behalf. At least that's how I always felt about it.

Kristian Matsson is keeping that folk alive, though he doesn't speak for the masses as say Guthrie or earlier Dylan did. Love is certainly a cause, and I think Matsson does a fine job in conveying it, but unfortunately the times have changed, and folk music isn't what it used to be. That doesn't mean I enjoy it any less, but it's a fact of life. Times change man, and so does music. What I like about this music is that regardless of what "The Tallest Man on Earth" thinks, it does keep a tradition of amazing music alive, and with that always comes the possibility of something new.

The Tallest Man on Earth - Love is All