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Volume 21 Issue 2
Columns
September 1, 2014
For 20 years The Synthesis’ goal has remained to provide a forum for entertainment, music, humor, community awareness, opinions, and change.
Publisher/Managing Editor Amy Olson amy@synthesis.net
Creative Director Tanner Ulsh graphics@synthesis.net
Entertainment Editor
Letter From the Editor by Amy Olson
amy@synthesis.net
This Week...
Duffy’s Turns 25 Chico’s favorite watering hole just keeps getting older. Learn about the legendary bar’s humble beginnings, and get ready for its destined-to-be-legendary birthday party later this month.
PAGE 4
Exotic Adventures in Smalltown, USA
by Emiliano Garcia-Sarnoff
PAGE 5
Productivity Wasted by Eli Schwartz
pwasted@synthesis.net
Alex Light Alex@synthesis.net SynthesisWeekly.com/submit-yourevent/
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The Frugal Terran by TripHazard
Designers
Liz Watters, Mike Valdez graphics@synthesis.net
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Deliveries
Immaculate Infection
Joey Murphy, Jennifer Foti
by Bob Howard
Contributing Writers
Zooey Mae, Bob Howard, Howl, Koz McKev, Tommy Diestel, Eli Schwartz, Mona Treme, Emiliano GarciaSarnoff, Jon Williams, Crown, Alex O’Brien
Madbob@madbob.com
Comical Ruminations
Photography
by Zooey Mae
Jessica Sid Vincent Latham
zooey@synthesis.net
Nerd
Dain Sandoval dain@synthesis.net
Accounting Ben Kirby
Director of Operations Karen Potter
Owner
PAGE 8
We saw NIN
PAGE 17
Scene Report
Mammoth Torta! September Art Report
PAGE 18
Howl
And it was amazing.
howlmovesmountains.tumblr.com
Bill Fishkin bill@synthesis.net
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The Synthesis is both owned and published by Apartment 8 Productions. All things published in these pages are the property of Apartment 8 Productions and may not be reproduced, copied or used in any other way, shape or form without the written consent of Apartment 8 Productions. One copy (maybe two) of the Synthesis is available free to residents in Butte, Tehama and Shasta counties. Anyone caught removing papers will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. All opinions expressed throughout the Synthesis are those of the author and are not necessarily the same opinions as Apartment 8 Productions and the Synthesis. The Synthesis welcomes, wants, and will even desperately beg for letters because we care what you think. We can be reached via snail mail at the Synthesis, 210 W. 6th St., Chico, California, 95928. Email letters@ synthesis.net. Please sign all of your letters with your real name, address and preferably a phone number. We may also edit your submission for content and space.
210 West 6th Street Chico Ca 95928 530.899.7708 editorial@synthesis.net
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Consider the Platypus by Mona Treme
PAGE 19
Supertime!
by Logan Kruidenier logankruidenier.tumblr.com
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From The Edge
by Anthony Peyton Porter
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COVER PHOTO Vince Latham FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 3
PET OF THE WEEK
Lofty Goals and The American Dream
Natal ie I may be small, but I’m big on purrrrsonality! When I’m not lounging about, I’m likely to be found chasing some string or batting my toys around. I love to play! I would love to find a forever home that lets me play with stringy toys and sleep on high perches. Although I like other cats and even dogs, I can get a bit jealous sometimes. I’d make a great indoor-only kitty, but outside time during the day is fun too!
2580 Fair Street Chico, CA 95928 (530) 343-7917 • buttehumane.org
Now Hear This SYNTHESIS WEEKLY PLAYLIST
Richard D. James (Aphex Twin)
Tanner
Aphex Twin - “Avril 14th”
Mike
Adrian Marcel - “ZAM”
Matt
Aerosmith - “Dream On”
Stephen
Metallica - “For Whom The Bell Tolls”
Dinah
Ella Fitzgerald - “Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered”
Andrea
Danny Brown - “Grown Up”
Becca
Static Mind - “Girl in a Coma”
Alex
The Produgy - “Wake Up Call”
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SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM SEPTEMBER 1 2014
If it seems like there are more students in town this year, that’s because there are. This is the highest enrollment Chico State has ever seen—1500 more than last year. That’s 1500 more people renting houses, shopping, eating, drinking, accidentally driving the wrong way down one way streets before realizing it in a panic and doing awkward 16 point turns… 1500 more people with dreams and ambitions who’ve chosen our University as their incubator. Pretty cool, really. Speaking of those dreams and ambitions (sort of), this week kicks off with Labor Day, which we all celebrate by thinking about the arduous fight that brought us out of a world with no minimum age, no minimum wage, no limit to the workday, no weekends, and no safety controls, to a world where we can take an afternoon off to just float down the river. There’s actually a point to working beyond just survival now, opportunities to earn your way into a better life, time for leisure and resources to pursue happiness. For most of my life I didn’t feel the depth of any of that; I’d skimmed over that section of the history books with the sense of false inevitability that hindsight lends, taken it all for granted. It was a real struggle though, one that real people chose to undertake, suffered (and died) to see through, and we are lucky enough to reap the benefits. It’s good to appreciate what we have, and to consider what we’d be willing to sacrifice to affect lasting change. I think about the American Dream sometimes—about what that term really means. I suppose it can only be defined as the sum of all our individual dreams, something that evolves as our culture moves forward, ideas that sometimes grind against each other. Sometimes it turns into a mess, like when protests turn into violent clashes with police, but sometimes, out of that mess emerges a clearer sense of what we never want to see happen again. It’s on my mind because right now there are a lot of issues bubbling up to the surface, things that people have been experiencing
on an individual scale for a long time—police brutality, racial or class-biased justice, sexual assault, the needs of the mentally ill (just to name a few)—that have finally become part of our group conversation. I think it’s fair to say that social media has forever changed us, connected the dots. We’re discovering that these experiences are more common than we imagined. It can paint an ugly picture of who we are as a people. But along with that, it’s also a time of beautiful innovation; people are creating new pathways in that pursuit of happiness: new careers, new value systems, new approaches to implementing social change. I’m not in the camp of people who believe that Millennials are apathetic or selfish. Maybe some people are (from every generation), but what I see happening more and more is a focus on empathy, and a sincere effort to do better. I see more people changing their own behavior, sacrificing their own comforts and conveniences for the benefit of the group, and becoming more willing to talk openly about their beliefs. It’s roughly applied sometimes, people can get obnoxiously preachy or stretch definitions too far, but I hope it leads to a day where we can actually achieve our loftiest goals non-violently.
Letter From the Editor by Amy Olson
amy@synthesis.net
CASH! CASH! CASH!
Boyhood
We pay cash for your recyclables!!
LOSE YOUR ALIENATED SELF IN LINKLATER’S LATEST From 2006 until 2008—back before the ground fell out from below the feet of aspiring writers—I was making an actual living as a film critic, working for a paper in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I was the recipient, back then, of a lot of editorial red ink. In particular, my editor would frequently return drafts to me with special crossy-outty attention paid to phrases such as “I think” or “For me.” Next to the now eliminated phrases, I’d find cap-locked admonitions: “REDUNDANT. OF COURSE THIS IS WHAT YOU THINK: YOU’RE WRITING IT.” And she was right. Sort of. I mean, this is what one would learn in any freshman composition class. Be concise, be confident, be objective; let the shit fall where it may. But I’ve always felt such phrases—used judiciously, of course—do real work. They’re acknowledgements that the writer isn’t presenting some objective finding, but is, rather, bringing back a report from—in my case, one fucked up, depressive, severely limited guy’s—experience. And to me that feels more honest. Anyways, this long preamble is really just a lead in to say this: I think Richard Linklater’s new film, Boyhood, which is playing at the Pageant Theater, is one of the most moving and incredibly profound films I’ve seen in years. For me, it’s an artistic masterpiece of the very highest order. The basic concept of the film is that it follows a boy, from the age of six until he’s 18. But no make-up or Benjamin Button-y effects are used to age the actors. Instead, Linklater took 12 years to shoot the film, gathering them together once a year, for a few days at a time. I hesitate to say much more because 1) I’ll
start to gush superlatives—and I really don’t want to oversell it, and 2) (which is related) I think it’s best to go into a film as tabula rasa as possible. But, if you’re drawn toward deep realism and this sort of ambitiously longitudinal project, then I urge you in the strongest possible terms to see this film. I’m particularly drawn to this type of art. My favorite book, in college, was Sentimental Education, which traces a young man’s life from 18 until his late 30s; my favorite contemporary short story writer is Alice Munro, whose stories often skate—almost magically—across vast swaths of her female protagonists’ life spans. And the deepest experience I’ve ever had watching a documentary was spending an entire weekend devouring Michael Apted’s 7-Up series, which returns every seven years to look in on the lives of a group of economicallydiverse Brits, starting at the age of seven (in the last film, the subjects were 56). Apted’s 7-Up series is probably the project which most closely resembles Boyhood, except, perhaps, for Linklater’s own Before series (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight, which also star Boyhood’s Ethan Hawke, and which are also exceptional).
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If you love/d any of these works, try some of the others I’ve mentioned. They help cross out the thoughts of the lonely “I”—not for anything objective, but for something universal and deeply human; something shared: quite simply, our lives as they unfold over time. Personally, I couldn’t survive without this kind of art.
Exotic Adventures in Smalltown, USA
by Emiliano Garcia-Sarnoff FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 5
On The Town 6
PHOTOS BY JESSICA SID
SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM SEPTEMBER 1 2014
The B Word, Part 2 Greetings new students! You’re just in time for the second half of a two-part budget column. You can read the previous installment (and other columns) online at synthesisweekly.com.
Telltale’s The Walking Dead, Season Two Finale A LONG, SLOW EXHALE Season Two is over, and I have enjoyed playing this long, difficult journey. It may seem like I’ve talked about it to no end, but I pay attention to this series not just because I enjoy playing it, but because it is one of the most widely accessed and successful storybased games on the contemporary market. Although Telltale has always been gifted in giving the illusion of choice, their continued dedication to the choices, large and small, that have shaped Clementine, her journey, and her party, make the game more than just the standard visual-novel style format. While sometimes (I’m thinking of S2E1) they can get a little heavy handed with the direct action, they have always managed to use direct, physical danger, top-quality voice acting, and plenty of vivid scenes in order to maximize player immersion. The Walking Dead games enjoy such critical and popular success because they have managed to create a story that feels entirely real and up to the player, and it’s infamously difficult and gut-wrenching choices are physical proof that as a story, the game pulls on the player’s mind and body. Part of any game or story’s goal is to manipulate the audience exactly as it wants to, and The Walking Dead manipulates us with affection, loyalty, desperation, and sheer, unadulterated stress. If this was the Victorian era, highminded critics may call this “sensationalist fiction,” and in the best way, they would be right. The last episode of Season Two seemed to strike the balance that has always wobbled from episode to episode: stress vs. rest, dialogue vs. action, Clementine’s power vs. her vulnerability. The episode seems to
be aware it is a finale, that it will send off characters into the great unknown, and it gives us time to sit with them and appreciate them, just as it gives us time to fight and lose them. It’s pacing seems long, but not relaxed. Like episode 3, it builds, but it is slower, and it is subtler, yet still inevitably obvious. The ending is tricky to review, as Telltale gave us a wide and truly varied number of options for how to end the series’ last great conflict. Some had more closure than others, but none had the feeling of finality. That is, perhaps, the point, mused upon by Clementine’s war-weary and injured companions along the way. Themes like sacrifice, responsibility, and compromise have had blood spilled over them over the course of the season, and so the ending may demand to be open, and demand all the players to walk away from the consequences. Whether or not the next season will focus on Clementine is left very difficult to guess at, and deliberately so, I think. Some fans would prefer her story closed and compartmentalized, others couldn’t bear to part with her. Telltale will also have to choose a canon ending from among the options given, as constructing a new season with radically different beginnings seems almost impossible for normal budget constraints. Although perhaps light on closure, No Going Back is heavy with a binding, drawn out experience.
Productivity Wasted by Eli Schwartz pwasted@synthesis.net
Current readers, you’ve now tracked your spending for the past two weeks, and can probably roughly estimate your spending for the rest of the month by doubling it. (You can/ should also keep tracking them for the rest of the month, but this is a bi-weekly column, and I’m striving to maintain your attention.) As a reminder, your budget is (mentally) a comically oversized bag of money with one giant inflow arrow, and a second giant outflow arrow. By tracking your spending, you are working to (first) learn the size of your outflow arrow, and (second) shrink the size of your outflow arrow. Now that you’re tracking your spending, you’ve accomplished the first goal, which leads to the second goal. It’s time to determine areas where you can spend less. For example, maybe you spend $25 going out to eat every week, which is about $100 per month. If you eat out every other week instead, or eat somewhere cheaper, the restaurant portion of your outflow arrow shrinks to $50 per month. Splitting the outflow arrow into spending categories can be done in several ways. One simple budget splits the outflow arrow into three categories: Needs, Wants, and Savings, and allocates 50%, 30%, and 20% to each category, respectively. (This week’s assignment: compare your spending with the 50/30/20 structure.) While that structure works for some people, others prefer more specific categories.
comprising toilet paper, health insurance, medications, saving for bi-annual dental visits, and condoms. (Note: condoms are often free at student health centers and other locations.) Savings might sound unnecessary for a college student, but getting into the practice is vital. Setting aside even $10 per month into a savings account is a place to start. The savings category can also act as a rainy day fund if an emergency happens (e.g. a traffic ticket, your shoes fall apart, etc.) Establishing a habit of saving will also prepare you for paying back your student loans post-graduation. Entertainment should be your final consideration. In general, there’s tons of free entertainment available around Chico, so you might not need to spend anything here! Miscellaneous often includes items like clothing, laundry supplies, birthday gifts, or books for school. In the next column, I’ll talk further about divvying up your outflow categories, but I’ll leave you with some rough percentages suggested by various financial gurus: Housing—33%; Food—15%; Transportation—15%; Health—10%; Savings—10%; Entertainment—7%; and Miscellaneous—10%.
The Frugal Terran by TripHazard
Seven basic categories that I like to use are: Housing, Food, Transportation, Health, Savings, Entertainment, and Miscellaneous. It’s your job to decide what falls under these categories, but here are some general suggestions: Housing typically includes rent, utilities, and garbage, but might include renter’s insurance. Transportation might include car insurance, gas, parking permits, and savings for future car repairs. Health can be a broad category, FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 7
W
hat is it about Duffy’s? How is a place like that born? How is it cultivated? To answer that, first we need to step 25 years back in time. The year is 1989, and Chico is a different place. The first George Bush is president, the Soviet Union is crumbling, everybody has feathered hair, and you’re looking for something to do on a Friday night.
BY AMY OLSON
There are pretty much only two bars downtown (“downtown” being the area around Second and Broadway): There’s LaSalles, a fancy fern bar where all the lawyers drink, polished brass and ferns and upscale clientele, and there’s Hey Juan’s, where the cool kids eat terrible Mexican food and drink cheap beer. You decide to do what you usually do—jump on your bike and find a house party, then close the evening at Hey Juan’s. What you don’t know is that the clock is ticking on the status quo. Right around this time, way in the outlands of Fourth and Main, a group of guys are helping their friend clean up a dusty old bar attached to a Chinese restaurant called Fong’s. The friend in question is Roger Montalbano, a homeschool teacher who they know through softball or the theatre. A few weeks ago Roger was having lunch at Fong’s, glanced through the open door to this adjoining room where Fong stored his beer and wine, and noticed a sign that said “bar for lease.” He asked around and found out a basic beer/wine license was around 500 bucks, and decided to put a cash advance on his credit card and set the place up as a glorified hangout for his buddies. Simple enough.
Z
oom forward a few months. Stuff just got weird. LaSalles is going through a change of ownership and drastic redefinition, and Hey Juan’s has closed. People are uprooted, being pulled by invisible forces to the great
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SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM SEPTEMBER 1 2014
unknown of distant Main Street. New owners and new bars will start popping up all over the place soon, but for now there’s a disco spot called the Top Flight Ballroom upstairs at Third Street, a shady little dive called the Towne Lounge, and an eclectically decorated pub named after an old radio show, Duffy’s Tavern. A cluster of lawyers (a gaggle? a pride? a murder?) has started congregating there during daytime hours, and at night it’s a home for the Hey Juan’s orphans. You roll up on your bike and notice a sign outside: “No Coors Light.” Frat guy repellant. Roger has quit his teaching job and is charming the pants off of all the girls. He’s hired on a couple bartenders, started hosting shows, and the place is packed with a cultural who’s who—musicians, actors, writers, professors... It’s a more mixed crowd than you’re used to seeing; an air of comfort and camaraderie is swirling through the room. There is something different about this place. The only trouble is, there’s no hard liquor. Between the band’s sets everyone pours out and invades the cave-like dank of the Towne Lounge next door, lining up shots and learning to savor the exquisitely sleazy atmosphere. The Lounge clientele look bewildered. Roger knows he’s missing a big opportunity as he watches the crowd ebb at each intermission. If this place is going to succeed, it’s time to bring in a partner and get a full liquor license.
D
oug Roberts is a regular. He fell in love with Duffy’s at first sight, and makes a point to stop in every day. He’s already known Roger long enough to forget how they even met, and they’d once talked about opening a bar together. One day, about a year after the opening, he mentions to Roger he’d like to work there. To which Roger responds “Actually…”
The partnership brings in a new balance of personalities, and everything falls into place. The decor starts to round out, with nicely framed posters interspersing the collection of oddities—a weirdly perfect harmony of order and chaos. They hire the right people, collect the right clientele—rumors are swirling that it’s a gay bar (in part because they’re the first place downtown to actively welcome gays and drag performers), and that keeps the wrong crowd out. The Chinese restaurant (where Melody Records is now) catches fire a couple times, and finally closes down in 1991. Doug and Roger take over the space, calling it The Clam Room after the social club in a movie they made together called Trailer Trash (which will be shown during the anniversary week celebration). It becomes a venue for all kinds of shows. Van Morrison’s daughter plays there, Pavement, the Mother Hips…it becomes a venue for theatrical productions, even a few raves. Eventually they decide they don’t really want to run a nightclub, it’s too much work and the insurance is sky-high, so they open it up to be rented out again. They hold onto the old restaurant kitchen, however. At first they aren’t quite sure what to do with it, and for a while they utilize the industrial hood-fan to ventilate indoor barbecues. The Towne Lounge
next door is still taking a chunk out of their business because they’ve refused to comply with the newly passed smoking ban, and people love those crazy cigarettes. Doug and Roger decide their best move is to convert the space into a back bar. You’ve become a regular now, a part of this place. You recognize the other faces who’ve been there from the beginning, people like Denny Latimer and Kelly Houston… You’ve spent many long hours staring at the Pabst girl or watching the Hamms sign with its slowly shifting landscape. You’ve often wondered if Eva Meraz won her election, or if Baseball Jesus took that swing. You’ve seen things stolen, go missing for years, only to be stumbled on at a house party or returned by a remorseful grad. More than that, you’ve seen how the culture of the place has grown. You’ve seen girls getting hassled by unwelcome strangers, only to have the keen eyed bouncers intervene immediately and make her space safe again. You’ve seen too-rowdy patrons banished forever, and minors trying to weasel their way through the ID check barred for life. You’ve seen shows where that One Guy starts slamming into everyone and the other patrons silently scoop him away from the crowd so people can enjoy the music. This is a tight ship.
When you ask them what it is about this place, Roger laughs about how he learned the value of setting clear boundaries from teaching third graders, and he beams with pride when he talks about the unique and organic thing that has grown from the seed of that casual glance through a big, green door; he waxes poetic about the community, credits them for making the place special, for making it what it is. Doug beams as he tells you how fortunate he feels to be part-owner of his favorite bar in the world, and how impressed he’s always been with the fact that Duffy’s patrons are so well behaved—how you can go there for a cheap drink and good conversation without witnessing a brawl. His love for the place radiates, it drives him to keep it alive.
T
wenty five years have passed. It hardly seems possible, but the collage of memories has started to blur together enough that you know it must be that long. No one can pinpoint their favorite story, there’s too many to count. Among the contenders, however, are tales of the Gong shows: The time Matt Brown took the stage in a bathrobe and had an entourage of guys wax his ass (a winning act by any definition). The time John McKinley did that thing with the weird space-hair and the vintage suit, and read dirty limericks in a
posh accent, chastising the laughing crowd with “Please, please—I’m reading.” There was Sam Perry’s “oldest stripper in the world” act, where she came out as a rickety old lady dragging around an IV... And who can forget the woman who came out in a wedding dress to Billy Idol’s “White Wedding”—took off the dress, took off her bra, took off her panties—stripped totally naked, turned off the music, then plopped down on the edge of the stage and said, “Ok, let’s talk about it. I was abused by everyone: by my father, my uncle, the church priest…” The Gong show gets weird. Along the way there has also been loss. The room is littered with memories, shrines to the friends who fell by the wayside. Danny West’s painting of a nude blonde, Matt Hogan’s guitar, John LaPado’s music on the jukebox (oddly enough, all those guys were in the same band: The Lonesome Cowboys). On top of the board for the fantasy baseball league there’s a small, white ceramic jar. “Those are the ashes of the guy that started it, who’s dead. I hope he’s dead, we’ve got his ashes!” Roger quips. They’ve held many wakes in the back room— fitting for an Irish tavern. Those people will continue to be a part of this place, as they should be.
and nostalgia that make Duffy’s special is more alive than ever, and especially in focus as they plan the month of 25th anniversary celebrations. There will be lots of DJ nights and live music: On Thursday, Sept. 18th they’ll have Aubrey Debauchery and the Broken Bones with the Shimmies and Cities. During their anniversary week there will be old movie showings. On Friday, Sept. 26th there will be a special happy hour performance by the Pub Scouts, followed by Brutillicus Maximus (Doug’s band), and closed out by sets from their house DJs. The official anniversary night is Saturday, Sept. 27th; they’ll have a taco truck parked out front from 3pm–9pm, and they’re holding a revival of the Gong show (they’re still accepting sign-ups at the bar if you want to become a part of Duffy’s lore). If you have old pictures or memories you’d like to share, visit Duffy’s facebook page facebook.com/ duffyschico, and click on the 25th anniversary in upcoming events. Or, you can take them straight to Duffy’s, get a Bloody Mary or one off the other staff-favorite specialty cocktails, and enjoy one of Chico’s best bars.
Roger has stepped back from the day to day running of the bar, and Doug has taken the reins. The love FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 9
Nine Inch Nails & Soundgarden
August 27th, 2014 at Sleeptrain Amphitheatre BY ALEX LIGHT Openers Cold Cave were good, but not that good, so they won’t be described here. All I could think while listening to them was how different this show would’ve been if it was in New York (because math-metal gods Dillinger Escape Plan opened all the East Coast dates) or if Death Grips hadn’t broken up (they were originally slated to be the opening act for the entire tour). Cold Cave’s Tears-For-Fearskeyboard-jams were dwarfed—not only by the bands they were on tour with, but also by the bands that should’ve been openers instead. Anyway, Soundgarden. My older sister caught the Superunknown fever, but I didn’t. I did grow up hearing all their radio hits though, and they all hold special places within my soul. I felt apprehension—would I cry in cathartic joy when “Black Hole Sun” came on, or would I shrug indifferently while waiting for these old fogies to get off the stage? I’m not sure how many songs passed, maybe two, before I was completely engrossed. They were a little old and lazy, yes, but these songs are good… and Chris Cornell can fucking WAIL. This guy’s pretty old, and he can still scream—high, rich, loud shouts that sent chills through my spine, again and again. It was great vindication as a young metal singer to see an old guy who can still bring banshee-shrieks out of his lungs with ease and regularity. “Fell On Black Days” brought the most feels, and the high, high, high notes Chris executed for 2 minutes straight in the closer “Beyond The Wheel” brought home the knowledge that I’d just seen one of the best rock singers of my life. This was Nine Inch Nails’ second touring cycle in support of their comeback album Hesitation
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SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM SEPTEMBER 1 2014
Marks, and I subjected myself to as many cuts of it as I could stand pre-show (I managed three), the better to enjoy myself while waiting to hear them play the good, old stuff. These newer tracks actually fit in beautifully with the set, which touched upon every major NIN release since 1990. As a whole, the set was dirty, dense, extremely catchy bass music on an epic rock scale that only NIN songwriter Trent Reznor could achieve. Trent and his band (just three others this time, including the legendary Robin Finck from the Downward Spiral days) kept the betweensong banter to an absolute minimum, but their visible, physical intensity helped the crowd to feel intimately connected to them nonetheless. The six-thousand strong crowd was nicely stirred early on by the mosh pit anthem “March Of The Pigs,” but surprisingly, what compelled everyone to really lose their shit was 2005’s “The Hand That Feeds.” Maybe the track had so much positive energy tonight because it served as a bridge between the straight electro-pop of the new material and the older, emotionally desperate industrialmetal that made NIN famous. My favorite personal moments included an instrumental passage of grimey, glitchy bass music during “The Great Destroyer,” and the closing song “Hurt,” where I had a good tearful moment with my goth-teenager past self. Chris Cornell’s still got it. Trent Reznor’s still got it. Long live the nineties!
SIDERS OUT
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Mon-Fri Happy Hour 12-4PM $3 Sierra & Domestic
Daily Happy Hour from 4-7PM PBR $2.25 Everyday!
Pints 6PM -close $1 Off Pitchers
Closed
$2.50 TUESDAY: Tacos,
Summertime Special
Pitchers
$2.50 Wells & Sierra
$1.00 off PBR & Olympia Pool Rates Cut in 1/2!
Nevada Drafts during Giants &A's Games!
Two Dollar Tuesdays!
MONSTER MONDAY SPECIALS 6PM-CLOSE BEER $3.50/4.50/5.50/6.50 FREE Pool after lOPM
$2.50 ALL Day!
Anniversary Special
Pitchers
$3 Sierra and Dom Pints
PB&J - Shot of Jameson w hiskey w ith bolttle of PBR only $6.50
$1.00 off PBR and Olympia Cans Pool Rates Cut in 1/2 !
WING WEDNESDAY! $2 for 3 Wings
Daily Happy Hour from 4-7PM
Chicken Waffle Wed.! 8 ball Tourney 6pm
salad $6.99
8PM-Close $2.50 Fire Eater Shots $5.50 DBL Bacardi
Full Bar in Back Room
or Tots, Chips & Salsa
Daily Happy Hour from 4-7PM PBR $2.25 Everyday!
$6.99 Pulled pork sand w/
fries or salad 25 cent wings from halftime 'til they're gone!
Chicken Strip Sand only $6.99 before 6 PM TWO BUCK TUESDAY 6-llpm $2 Rolling Rock, Olympia & Single Wells $2.50 PBR, Coors and Double we lls
Corn Dogs, French Fries and Motzerells sticks only
$ 3.50 Kam is ALL DAY! Closed
Open Mic Comedy Night Every Other Week! Happy Hour2-6pm M-F $1.00 off Sierra and Dom
$2 PBRs $2 Tacos! Happy Hour2-6pm M-F $1.00 off Sierra and Dom
Reuben Sand
w/ fries or
sign-up Weds, Fri & Sat Nights! PBR $2.25 Everyday!
Cocktails
Come see our beautiful
Open 9PM
Mon-Fri
Patio! Happy Hour 4-6:
No Cover!
Happy Hour 12-4PM
Wander Food Truck on
$3 Sierra & Domestic Pints
$2.50 Wells & Sierra
Nevada Drafts during Giants &A's Games!
$1.00 off PBR and Olympia Pool Rates Cut in 1/2 !
Open 8PM
Mon-Fri
lOoz. Tri-TipSteakw/
Happy Hour 12-4PM
Daily Happy Hour from 4-7PM
Rock Out atThe DL!
Bartender Specials
Fries or Salad & Garlic
$314oz. Slushies $4 20oz. Slushies
$3 Sierra & Domestic Pints
Enjoy Live Music, Great Grub,
Anniversary Special
Smirnoff Sour Promo lOpm-close Drink Specials - Giveaways Samples!
Weekend Blast Off!! 8-close $5 Blasters
PB&J - Shot of Jameson whiskey with bolttle of PBR only $6.50
and 10 9' foot tables Open@llam All ages untill lOpm
Bartender Specials $314oz. Slushies
Performers need to sign up at Duffy's before Tuesday, September 2 at Duffy's Tavern.
337 MAIN ST.• 530-343-1745 12
SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM
SEPTEMBER 12014
CLOSED
Open at llAM $4.50 Bloody Mary $5.50 Absolut Pep par Bloody Marys Noon - 6PM $8 / $9 SN Dom Pitchers $5.50 DBL Bacardi Cocktails 10AM-2PM $5 Bottles of Champagne $4.50 Bloody Mary $5.50 Absolut Pep par Bloody Marys
,pea11 ~6.50 SHOT OF JAM~ON IRISH
WHISKEY WITH A
BOTTLE 0-FPBR
6pm-Close $4.50 Grad teas $3.50 All beer pints FREE Pool after lOPM
$6 Dbl Roaring Vodka
with entree
What's a GONG SHOW? Hungry amateurs will compete in a talent contest that will be judged by a panel of local celebrities. If the act is so bad that the judges can't bear to watch it, they have the power to hit the gong and send the performer or performers off the stage. If they are not gonged, they move forward in the competition where they can win incredible prizes sponsored by none other than Duffy's Tavern. We are searching for that perfect act -there is no boundary! Dance, song, performance, strange tricks, anything goes as long as you don't get GONGED!
Baby Back Ribs $11.99 Philly Cheesesteak $7.99
$3.50 Soccer moms
Bacardi Promo llpm-close Drink SpecialsGiveaways-Samples! WE OPEN AT 12:00PM MIMOSAS WITH FRESH
Chico Jazz Collective 8-midnight Happy Hour2-6pm M-F $1.00 off Sierra & Dom
Specials $6.50/$9.50/$13 FREE Pool after lOPM
Pitchers
$4 20oz. Slushies
WE ARE LOOKING FOR CONTESTANTS TO BATTLE IT OUT IN DUFFY'S 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY GONG SHOW ONSATURDAY. SEPTEMBER 27TH AT 8:00PM.
Spm-Close Pitcher
Summertime Special
Open 8PM
Tacotruck.biz and Beers on
Daily Happy Hour from 4-7PM PBR $2.25 Everyday!
Happy Hour2-6pm M-F $1.00 off Sierra and Dom Pitchers $1.00 off PBR and Olympia Pool Rates Cut in 1/2!
Daily Happy Hour from 4-7PM
Full Bar in Back Room Weds, Fri & Sat Nights! PBR $2.25 Everyday!
Rock Out atThe DL!
Enjoy Live Music, Great Grub, and 10 9' foot tables Open@llam All ages untill lOpm
Bread $8.99 8pm-Close $4 Jager $5.50 DBL Vodka Red Bull $2.50 Kamikaze shots FREE Pool after lOPM
Baby Back Ribs w/Sa lad, Fries & garlic bread $11.99 8pm-Close $4 Single/$6 Double
Jack or Captain $3 Sierra Nevada Pints FREE Pool after lOPM
Daily Happy Hour from 4-7PM PBR $2.25 Everyday!
Free Pool with Purchase! LOO off Sierra and Dom Pitchers
$5.49 Grad/Garden/ Turkey Burgerw/fries
Summertime Special
$1.00 off PBR and Olympia Cans
Bloodies $3 Well, $4 Call, $5 Top, $6 Goose Mimosas $2/flute, $5/pint $6 CHEAP Beer Pitchers FREE Pool after lOPM
$2.50 Wells & Sierra
or salad
FRIDAY SEPT 5TH
DUFFY'S SIRENS MOUNTAIN KING &' LOVE PUPPY I 4:30PM
~ cf ~) ~:l'~r'~ ~~!I
Lounge
V1pu1tra
C: HI CO C A
Closed
Go Downlo
BEAR-E-OKE BURGER MADNESS! Bear Burger with fries or salad for$5.49. llam-lOpm.
Happy Hour ll-6PM select bottles & drafts $3
CLOSED
2 FOR 1 BURGERS ALL DAY!! MINORS WELCOME!
LATE NIGHT EATS! kitchen open until 1 AM Closed
Go Downlo
BEAR WEAR! 1/2 off while wearing Bear Wear. MUG CLUB 4-lOPM
$2.50 Select Sierra Nevada or Dom Drafts $2 Kamis-any flavor All Day
$3.50 Tea of the Day Bartender Specials Happy Hour4-8pm Tropical Tuesday 10-Close $2 Bartender Shot Specials $3 SkwVodka Cocktails $5 Dbl Bacardi or SoCo Cocktails
All 16 oz Teas or AMF $3 All Day
Happy Hour ll-6PM $3 select bottles & drafts
LATE NIGHT EATS! kitchen open until 1 AM
WACKY WEDNESDAYS (8-cl) DJ Party 4 different DJ 's $1 wells $2 calls $2 domestic bottles $6 pitchers of well drinks
Go Downlo
Happy Hour 4- Spm Ladies Night! 88 pm-CLOSE $5 Pabst pitchers $2 shot board $4 Moscow Mules $3 Jamo and Ginger Buck Hour 10:30 -11:30
Early Bird Special 9-lOPM l /2offwells
Happy Hour 4- Spm
Early Bird Special 9-lOPM l /2 offwells
FIREBALL FRIDAYS!!! SPM - Close $3 Fireball Shots $4 Big Teas $3 Coronas
Happy Hour 4- 7pm
Progressive Night:
$1.50 sliders and other cheap eats!
B - lOpm $1 Dom , Wells &
$3.SO Skwy Vodka Cocktails $3.50 Tea of the Day Bartender Specials Happy Hour4-8pm
1/2 OFF EVERYTHING!!!
4-6PM $1 Dom Drafts $2 SN Drafts & Wells $5 DBL Captain Buck Night 8-Close $1 wells, SN Pale Ale, Rolling Rock, Dom Draft $3 Black Butte $4 Vodka Red bull
Closed
9pm-Close $212oz Teas $3 20oz Teas $2 Well, Dom Bottles & bartender Specials $5 Vodka Red Bull
Happy Hour 4- 7pm
4-6PM $1 Dom Drafts $2 SN Drafts & Wells $5 DBL Captain Spm -Close $4151 Party punch 22oz. 8-9pm $1 Pale Ale & Dom.Draft Up $0.25/ hr until close
Closed
Happy Hour- 4-7pm $5 Fridays 4-Spm Most food items and pitchers of beer are $5
Power Hour B -9pm 1/2 Off Liquor& Drafts (excludes pitchers) 9PM -Close $3 Pale Ale Drafts $9.75 Pitchers Smirnoff Sour Promo lOpm-close
Open at 9PM
Hot "Dawgs" ALL DAY!
Mon. - Sat. 3PM - 6PM $1 Dom. draft, $2 SN Draft and Wells Powe r Hour B -9PM $3 Pale Ale Drafts $9.75 Pitchers Bacardi Promo llpm-close
BOTTLE SERVICE Now Available! Call for reservation 898-9898
CLOSED
CLOSED
LATE NIGHT EATS! kitchen open until 1 AM
1/2 OFF COVER before lOPM
BURGER MADNESS! Bear Burger with fries or salad for$5.49. llam-lOpm.
$2.50 16oz Wells All Day
MUG CLUB from 4-lOPM
LATE NIGHT EATS! kitchen open until 1 AM
Select Pints $3
Early Bird Special 9-lOPM l /2off we lls
KARAOKE "INDUSTRY NIGHT"
Call To Rent For Private Party
LATE NIGHT EATS! kitchen open until 1 AM
LIVE MUSIC 1/2 OFF COVER before lOPM
B PM-CLOSE
Go Down Lo
$3.50 Tea of the Day Bartender Specials Happy Hour4-8pm Smirnoff Sour Promo lOpm-close DrinkSpecialsGiveaways - Samples!
LIVE MUSIC 1/2 OFF COVER before lOPM
Opening at Spm for BO's NIGHT!! B pm-CLOSE $4 Sauza Margaritas $3 Kamis $3 Shocktop & VIP pint
HALF OFF ALMOST EVERYTHING!(Except Red Bull and Premium Liquors) Specials All Day!
TRIKE RACES! Post time@ lOpm. Win T-shirts and Bear Bucks. MUG CLUB 4-lOPM
BURGER MADNESS! Bear Burger with fries or salad for$5.49. llam-lOpm. LATE NIGHT EATS! kitchen open until 1 AM
$4 Sex On The Beach $4 Sierra Nevada Knightro ON TAP $1 Jello Shots 7-lOPM $3 Fireball
$4 World Famous Bloody Joe $5 Premium bloodys your choice of vodka
CLOSED Spm -Close: $2.50 Sierra Nevada, & Margaritas $3.50 Cuervo Margarita $3.00 Corona bottles & Corona Lt. Drafts
$3.50 Tea of the Day Bartender Specials Happy Hour4-8pm
$1.50 sliders and other cheap eats!!
Bacardi Promo llpm-close Drink SpecialsGiveaways - Samples! Champagne Brunch llam-2pm $3 Champagne with entree
Closed
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale lOpm - Close: Up $0.25 per hourtil closing
BOTTLE SERVICE Now Available! Call for reservation 898-9898 Large selection of wines, sangrias and Martinis.
Open at 9PM Large selection of wines, sangrias and Martinis.
Champagne Brunch and SPORTS!
Open 'til 2AM
FACEBOOK.COM /SYNTHESISCHICO
13
This Week Only...
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BEST BETS IN ENTERTAINMENT
Wednesday, September 3rd
CAPTAIN SQUEEGEE 1078 GALLERY
RITUAL ADDICT MONSTROS PIZZA
Saturday, September 6th
Saturday, September 6th
Captain Squeegee is a tour-de-force of psychedelic prog-rock, returning to 1078 Gallery after a Chico show that blew everyone’s socks off about 5 years ago. They’re a rock band with stellar singing, piano worthy of Elton himself, a trumpet section, and a propensity toward very strange music videos. When a band of mine played with them in their hometown, we drank until the sun came up and discussed the finer points of retrieving DMT from the warts of toads. Also featuring Eclectic Tuba. $5-$10, 7:30pm.
EXQUISITE CORPS 1078 GALLERY
Exquisite Corps is a rock band sporting a string trio (cello & two violins). Need I say more? This Sacramento group is epic. If Donnie Darko took place in the year 2020, the soundtrack would be these guys, instead of Tears For Fears. It sounds sort of like if Godspeed tried to make commercially successful music. Featuring live light performance by Mad Alchemy. Ft. Lantz Laswell, and Father Howl. $5-$10, 7:30pm. 14
SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM SEPTEMBER 1 2014
Friday, September 5th
Good punk music. No, I’m serious! Ritual Addict are 3 individuals who’ve devoted most of their lives to the craft and have thusly become veterans. The result is a savage punk/metal beast with intensity bordering on Converge levels. Really fast, really heavy, with spitfire vocals that sing about the decay of the American Dream, capitalism, death, corruption, and all those other inflammatory subjects that make you want to run in circles. Also ft. Fight Music and more bands TBA. $5, 8pm.
CON BRIO LOST ON MAIN
Con Brio’s bringing the dance. Progressive, funky, really groovey jams frame their frontman Ziek McCarter, a living reincarnation of James Brown and Michael Jackson. He has the pipes, he has the moves, he has the fashion, and he gives absolutely no fucks. Also featuring Electric Canyon Convergence. 9pm.
New & Exciting: Ongoing Events: 2 Tuesday
1078 Gallery: Pageant Dads, Heatwarmer (WA), Belda Beast. $5-$10, 7:30pm
3 Wednesday
1078 Gallery: Captain Squeegee, Eclectic Tuba. $5-$10, 7:30pm CARD Community Center: Chico City Council Candidate Forum. 7:30am-9am Sierra Nevada Big Room: Achilles Wheel. $17, 7:30pm
4 Thursday
LaSalles: Happy Hour with O.B.E. 6-9pm University Art Gallery CSUC: Pablo Cristi opening reception. 4-6pm
5 Friday
1078 Gallery: Hannah Jane Kile, Kyle Williams, Tim Snider. $7-$12, 7:30pm Cafe Coda: Allegory Presents Belly Dance Roulette. $5, 7:30pm City Plaza: Mossy Creek. 7-8:30pm LaSalles: Happy Hour with Ira Walker. 6-9pm J.Pigg Project. $5, 9pm Laxson: Paula Poundstone. $10 students, $28 adults, 7:30pm Lost On Main: Allie Battaglia & The Musical Brewing Co., Dylan’s Dharma, SAFFELL. $5, 9pm Maltese: Bunnymilk, Michael Bone, Lish Bills, Erin Lizardo. $5, 9pm Monstros: Ritual Addict, Fight Music, TBA. $5, 8pm
6 Saturday
1078 Gallery: Exquisite Corps, Lantz Laswell And The Vibe Tribe, Father Howl. Ft. Liquid Light projections. $5-$10, 7:30pm Chico Theatre Company: Barefoot In The Park. $12 children, $20 adults, 7:30pm DownLo: Wanderers & Wolves, BandMaster Ruckus, Bull Moose Party. Donations accepted, 8pm LaSalles: Happy Hour with Hot Flash. 5:30-8pm Lost On Main: Con Brio, Electric Canyon Convergence. 9pm One Mile: Chico Palio. 12pm-5pm
1 Monday
The Bear: Bear-E-oke! 9pm Cafe Coda: 1st Monday Jazz. $10, 7-8:30pm Chico Art Center: National All Media Juried Exhibition. 10am-4pm Chico Womens Club: Prenatal Yoga. 5:30-6:30pm DownLo: Comedy Night. Free. Pool League. 3 player teams, signup with bartender. 7pm. All ages until 10pm Janet Turner Museum: Inhabitable: The Sense Of City. 11am-4pm Maltese: Open Mic Comedy or Music, alternates every week. Signups at 8pm, starts at 9pm. Mug Night 7-11:30pm The Tackle Box: Latin Dance Classes. Free, 7-9pm University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm Yoga Center Of Chico: Sound Healing w. Emiliano. Breathwork, Meditation, Healing.
2 Tuesday
100th Monkey: Fusion Belly Dance mixed-level class, with BellySutra. $8/class or $32/month. 6pm Open Mic plus showcase by local musicians. 7pm Chico Art Center: National All Media Juried Exhibition. 10am-4pm Chico Women’s Club: Yoga. 9-10am. Afro Carribean Dance. $10/class or $35/mo. 5:50-7pm. Followed by Capoeira, $3-$10. 7:30-8:30pm Crazy Horse Saloon: All Request Karaoke. 21+ DownLo: Game night. All ages until 10pm Janet Turner Museum: Inhabitable: The Sense Of City. 11am-4pm LaSalles: ’90s night. 21+ Maltese: Karaoke. 9pm-Close Panamas: Tropical Tuesdays ft. Mack Morris & DJ2K. 10pm
The Tackle Box: Karaoke, 9pm University Art Gallery: “Flip The Script” by Pablo Cristi. 9am-5pm University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm Woodstocks: Trivia Challenge. Call at 4pm to reserve a table. Starts 6:30pm
3 Wednesday
The Bear: Trike Races. Post time 10pm Chico Art Center: National All Media Juried Exhibition. 10am-4pm Chico Women’s Club: Afro Brazilian Dance. 5:30-7pm DownLo: Wednesday night jazz. 8 Ball Tournament, signups 6pm, starts 7pm Duffys: Dance Night! DJ Spenny and Jeff Howse. $1, 9pm The Graduate: Free Pool after 10pm Janet Turner Museum: Inhabitable: The Sense Of City. 11am-4pm Jesus Center: Derelict Voice Writing Group, everyone welcome. 9-10:30am The Maltese: Friends With Vinyl! Bring your vinyl and share up to 3 songs/12 minutes on the turntable. 9pm-1am Panamas: Game Night. Prizes & Specials. Free to play! The Tackle Box: Line Dance classes. Free, 5:30-7:30pm. Swing Dance classes. Free, 7:30-9:30pm University Art Gallery: “Flip The Script” by Pablo Cristi. 9am-5pm University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm Woodstocks: Trivia Night plus Happy Hour. call at 4pm to reserve a table. Starts at 8pm
4 Thursday
The Beach: Live DJ, no cover, 9pm The Bear: DJ Dancing. Free, 9pm Chico Art Center: National All Media Juried Exhibition. 10am-4pm
7 Sunday
Senator: Problem, Bad Lucc, Chain Gang, Tae Calip. $20, 7:30pm Maltese: Beth Knight, Ryan Davidson, Garrett Gray, Olivia Awbrey. $5, 9pm
EAT. DRINK. PLAY. Find Out How you Can Play Pool for Only $1/Day!
DownLo: Chico Jazz Collective. 8-11pm. All ages until 10pm The Graduate: Free Pool after 10pm Has Beans Downtown: Open Mic Night. 7-10pm. Signups start at 6pm Holiday Inn Bar: Karaoke. 8pm-midnight Janet Turner Museum: Inhabitable: The Sense Of City. 11am-4pm LaSalles: Free live music on the patio. 6-9pm Maltese: Karaoke. 9pm-close Panamas: Buck night and DJ Eclectic & guests on the patio. 9pm University Art Gallery: “Flip The Script” by Pablo Cristi. 9am-5pm University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm Woodstocks: Open Mic Night Yoga Center Of Chico: Ecstatic Dance with Clay Olson. 7:30-9:30pm
5 Friday
The Beach: Live DJ, 9pm The Bear: DJ Dancing. Free, 9pm Cafe Coda: Friday Morning Jazz with Bogg. 11am Chico Art Center: National All Media Juried Exhibition. 10am-4pm Crazy Horse Saloon: Fusion Fridays, the best country, rock, oldies, 80s & top 40. Country dance lessons 9-10:30pm DownLo: ½ off pool. All ages until 10pm. Live Music, 8pm Duffys: Pub Scouts - Happy Hour. 4-7pm The Graduate: Free Pool after 10pm Janet Turner Museum: Inhabitable: The Sense Of City. 11am-4pm LaSalles: Open Mic night on the patio. 6-9pm Maltese: Happy hour with live jazz by Bogg. 5-7pm. LGBTQ+ Dance Party. 9pm Panamas: Jigga Julee, DJ Mah on the patio. 9pm Peeking: BassMint. Weekly
electronic dance party. $1-$5. 9:30pm Quackers: Live DJ. 9pm Sultan’s Bistro: Bellydance Performance. 6:30-7:30pm University Art Gallery: “Flip The Script” by Pablo Cristi. 9am-5pm University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm
6 Saturday
The Beach: Live DJ, 9pm The Bear: DJ Dancing. No Cover. 9pm Chico Art Center: National All Media Juried Exhibition. 10am-4pm Crazy Horse Saloon: Ladies Night Dancing. 10pm-1:30am DownLo: 9 Ball tournament. Signups at noon, starts at 1pm. All ages until 10pm The Graduate: Free Pool after 10pm Janet Turner Museum: Inhabitable: The Sense Of City. 11am-4pm LaSalles: 80’s Night. 8pm-close Maltese: Burlesque with The MalTEAZers! 9pm Panamas: DJ Eclectic on the patio. 9pm University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm Yoga Center Of Chico: Mind Power Workshop w. Gayle Kimball, Ph.D. 1-4pm
7 Sunday
Chico Art Center: National All Media Juried Exhibition. 10am-4pm Dorothy Johnson Center: Soul Shake Dance Church. Free-style dance wave, $8-$15 sliding scale. 10am-12:30pm DownLo: Free Pool, 1 hour with every $8 purchase. All ages until 10pm LaSalles: Karaoke. 9pm Maltese: Live Jazz 4-7pm. Trivia 8pm Tackle Box: Karaoke, 8pm
LESSONS, LEAGUES AND TOURNAMENTS! GREAT FOOD! LIVE MUSIC! 319 Main Street (530) 892-2473 FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 15
The Death or Glory Might Kill Me STATE OF THE PUBLIC HOUSE, SOME WINEMAKING THOUGHTS, AND BLASTING THE SYMBOL OF PEACE RIGHT OUT OF THE SKY. I’m closing in on it, but the Death or Glory has sapped my strength and our money. My back is stiff, my hands won’t clench, and I can barely move my head from one side to the other. For those unfamiliar, the Death or Glory is a vision of Trish’s—an old-school public house built into the side of one of the earthen berms that run through the property. When it is complete, the idea is that the structure will be nearly entirely encased in soil. Even the roof will be buried in eight inches or so of earth. It has been a challenge, to say the least, and it isn’t over yet. Right now I am mired in the tedious process of tying the roof trusses to the heavy beams that run crosswise along the length of the building. The goal is to have it all done before it starts raining, and then have a big old party to celebrate Bill the Dog’s birthday and the completion of the Death or Glory. I feel good about it, but the real test will come in two parts. The first will be when we pile the earth back around and on top of the structure. The second will be when we get a good heavy rain. Wine Making and the Fall
On The Town 16
PHOTOS BY VINCE LATHAM FACEBOOK.COM/VANGUARD.PHOTOGRAPHY
SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM SEPTEMBER 1 2014
The light quality is changing, and there has been a distinct crispness to the morning
air. Fall is on the way. Soon enough we’ll be acquiring firewood. I’ll have to find a new storage space for the carboys of aging wine I have stored currently around the wood stove. The Death or Glory, assuming it holds off water and maintains a steady temperature, is the prime candidate. I started a batch of rose petal wine yesterday. Our peaches and grapes didn’t work out this year. The peaches got some kind of a rot, and the grapes just disappeared. This happened both with the domesticated varietals we planted, and with the wild grape vines that are sprawling near the farm’s various waterways. I don’t know if something ate the grapes, or if they dropped off their vines. That’s alright. Some friends of ours had an abundance of peaches as well as deep red plums, and I have about three gallons of each aging. Yesterday I had a taste of some of the leftover plum wine I’ve got stored in the fridge and it is sweet and delicious. The elderberry wine is already decidedly more drinkable than it used to be, but I expect it will take a couple of years to really get good. Wine making is a discipline that forces you to think mid-to-long term. Welcome to Little Bosnia Dove hunting season opens soon up here. A neighbor described Los Molinos during that single week each year as “Little Bosnia.” The amount of gunfire is impressive. We’ll hunker down on our sanctuary out here in the country and listen to the local hunters blasting the symbol of peace out of the sky.
Immaculate Infection
by Bob Howard
Madbob@madbob.com
Mayor McCheese: We Hardly Knew Ye Although as a kid I liked comics, I wasn’t a collector. Instead, I turned my sights to comic book cards, which I was convinced would be worth something some day. Every time I was forced to purge my room of toys I was no longer interested in, somehow the comic book cards made the cut, as I was sure I’d need them someday. I considered myself a realist though: I wasn’t under the impression that I’d be retiring after cashing them in, instead I had aspirations of turning thirty and finally purchasing that four-story tree fort I’d always wanted. Now however, I’m left with sleeve after sleeve of worthless cards, and my broken brain still won’t let me throw them away. My only hope is that my house will be hit by a meteor and the cards will be destroyed, going out in a blaze of glory, returned back to the Earth from whence they came. I was reminded of my failure to select a hobby that would pay off later in life when I read the news that an issue of Action Comics #1 sold on eBay for the record breaking amount of $3.2 million. That. Is. Bananas. According to Paul Litch from CGC Primary Grader, “The book looks and feels like it just came off the newsstand. It is supple, the colors are deep and rich and the quality of the white pages is amazing for a comic that is 76 years old.” First of all, let’s just all agree that “supple” is not a word that should be used in polite conversation. It belongs in the Do Not Use category along with “gingerly” and “moist.” Also, that’s insane that this comic from 1938 survived for so long in perfect condition. If anything, its existence is a good indicator that
someone has finally cracked the time travel code. Lastly, in “who cares” news, Sanrio, the creators of cartoon abomination Hello Kitty have announced that their little cash cow HK is not, in fact, a cat. More specifically, Christine R. Yano, the author of Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty’s Trek Across The Pacific was the one who made the revelation. She explained that during her HK research, she was corrected by representatives of Sanrio who revealed that HK is not a cat, but rather a little British Girl. “Hello Kitty is not a cat. She’s a cartoon character. She is a little girl. She is a friend. But she is not a cat. She’s never depicted on all fours. She walks and sits like a two-legged creature,” Yano explained to the Times. Yano also revealed that HK’s real name is “Kitty White,” she is a Scorpio (and a “she” apparently), and is the daughter of George and Mary White. That’s a pretty defined background for something that has in the past been little more than a bellwether for insanity when found on someone over the age of thirteen. Maybe next McDonald’s will announce that Grimace is a middle-aged tax evader who has been quietly stealing the laundry off his neighbor’s clothesline to sell at the local swap meet, and that Mayor McCheese is actually just a family of wild turkeys stuffed inside an old hamburger suit.
Comical Ruminations by Zooey Mae
zooey@synthesis.net
PHOTOS BY VINCE LATHAM FACEBOOK.COM/VANGUARD.PHOTOGRAPHY
On The Town
FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 17
Mammoth Torta! Still Delicious
BY TOMMY DIESTEL Tuesday night, Duffy’s Tavern was packed to celebrate the return of Mammoth Torta!, an old Chico based surf rock duo which disbanded when members Jesse Schreibman and Ben Terhune moved to different cities. Now residing in Seattle, Jesse brought his current project Murmurs along for the ride down from the north to kick off the show. Currently performing as a three piece, Murmurs is an upbeat punk rock band that crosses over into the hard rock category. With melodic songs and interludes, they stray away from the typical in-your-face anger of more hardcore punk groups, but none of the energy or passion is lost. With Jesse’s blasting drumbeats and driving breakdowns laying the pavement for guitarist/ vocalist Jordan and bassist Derek to handle the rest. Their style of punk is fluid, changing from catchy poppier songs, to slower chugging riffs. Add in vocal harmonies from all three, and you were hard pressed to find a head in Duffy’s that wasn’t bobbing along to the music. It’s really cool to see someone who made an impact on the local music scene come back to show off what they’re doing lately. It reminds you that people don’t just drop off into the abyss when they move. They’re still alive and kickin’ ass somewhere. After a short break Mammoth Torta! took the stage to rock like they had never stopped. Their punk influenced take on surf rock gives a refreshing overdrive to the genre. With only two members, it’s quite 18
impressive the amount of sound the duo covers. Ben has a very unique style of guitar, playing both rhythm and lead lines seemingly simultaneously. Match this with Jesse’s unmatched drumming ability (seriously it seems like there’s three of him) and you’re in for a roller-coaster comparable to riding through the tube of that monster wave surfers dream of. Not that I surf but I imagine that’s what it would feel like when I hear Mammoth Torta! do their thing. Their classic tracks like “Torta Recall,” “Endless Bummer,” and “Pacific Thrash Vortex” still ring as true in my mind as they did back in 2007. It really speaks to the members’ musical ability that they can be apart for so long and still be so on point. I’m sure they ran through things a few times, but even so, it’s impressive they still throw down just as fat as they used to. The fact that the house was packed at Duffy’s really speaks to the staying power of a band that good. While the crowd may have gotten nearly a decade older, Mammoth Torta still brings everyone back out for a good time. There’s a certain nostalgia with seeing one of your favorite bands come back around. For many people, it’s a bigger band they used to listen to on the radio. But for me, it’s all about the old local rockers. I hadn’t even graduated High School yet when I first heard Mammoth Torta! shred. Now I’m done with Butte College, and they still rock just as hard.
SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM SEPTEMBER 1 2014
September Art Report BY MICHELE FRENCH CAPTJACKAFTON@HOTMAIL.COM The National All Media Juried Show at the Chico Art Center was juried this year by Scott A. Shields, Associate Director and Chief Curator of the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. Above all, this show is an eclectic selection with something for everyone’s taste. Steve Johnson supplied the music for the opening reception the evening of August 15 and the juror’s selections for prizes were announced halfway through the event. As one local artist put it, “Two locals and one from San Francisco.” Elizabeth Bowler from San Francisco took first place with an elegant abstract oil that stretches from ceiling to floor. The title of this work is “Insufflate,” a word that means to blow something into a cavity. (I had to look it up myself.) The canvas bulges at top and bottom in three places. Between these areas soft shades of beige, eggshell and white blend in free flowing streaks from top to bottom. Gary Wagner of Paradise won second place with a moody black and white photo, “Christ On Cross,” which was taken in an historic church in Central America. The statue is backlit giving it an other worldly glow. Third place went to Shawn Rippner of Chico for a ceramic piece called “Turquoise and Black Kachina Bowl.” The title describes this bold composition to perfection. It opens dramatically like a flower with segments of turquoise decorated by freely rendered abstract shapes in vivid shades of red and rust which are dotted with orange and all outlined in black. A “People’s Choice Award” was given to Marieke Von Rotz, also from San Francisco, for a small porcelain piece called “Green Ginkgo Leaf Jar.” Tiny and lidded, its form is perfectly crafted and it’s covered with a wash of soft moss green imprinted with snow-white ginko leaves. This show will be in place until September 12. Pablo Cristi’s show, “Flip the Script: an unincorporated remix,” is currently at the University Art Gallery. Part of the artist’s statement reads: “We live in a world where multicultural discourse is becoming increasingly important… I choose to use the Latino experience in the United States as a vehicle to discuss cultural hybridity, post-colonization and male archetypes.” Of course, that made me wonder: “What about female archetypes?” Never mind, these works, a series of paintings and two wall sculptures, are imbued with a certain amount of anger which is leavened, in turn, by wit. The media for his paintings include acrylic, latex, and spray paint, which gives them the feel of graffiti. Figures seem almost lost in landscapes that are part urban jungle and part tropical rain forest. In several of the paintings white tourists and “explorers” stalk the denizens of the ghetto with a mixture of awe, curiosity and, perhaps, a smidgen of contempt. “Not
CHOLAndscape” is one of the wittiest of the paintings. Three figures, conquistadores from the Old World, stand on top of two mounds of condiments, sour cream and guacamole, their banners unfurled as they claim a plate of nachos. One’s a clergyman, but the one in the middle seems to resemble Christopher Columbus. To the very far right of the frame a young, modern Latina looks on with a dubious expression. This show will be in place until September 19. It probably sounded intriguing when someone thought it up, the idea being that the 1078 would sell bags of old clothes to artists for a ten dollar fee and those artists would turn the rags into works of art. Mostly the old clothes have become version of fantasy clothing along with strangely perverted themes that touch on mental health issues. I couldn’t figure that out until I thought about it a bit and then it came to slow-thinking me—”airing your dirty laundry in public.” Cynthia Schildhauer was about the only artist who sort of produced a work of art for this show: a fabric sculpture from pink polka dot pajamas called “Tea Set in Pajamas.” Most of the art is hung on clotheslines. Monica McDaniel contributed “Sexy Baby,” a body suit striped black and blue with a lime green overlay. For the apprentice tassel twirler in us all a black bra is fitted over this, supplied with tassels in the right places. Melissa crafted a kind of elegant white straight jacket decorated with squares of mirrors behind a piece of red mesh. Patti Lloyd’s “Want Some Candy Little Girl” is a oblong square of fabric embellished with all kinds of candy and ice cream and a kind of messed up Barbie doll with the word “obsession” written down one leg. If you want to see this show you have only until September 6 to get there. The Chico Art Center is located at 450 Orange Street and is open every day from 10 to 4. The present location of the University Art Gallery is in 100 Trinity Hall which is between Meriam Library and Kendall Hall on the Chico State campus. The 1078 Gallery is at 820 Broadway and is open (sometimes) Thursday through Saturday, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Research And Its Obstacles, Pt. 2 ART BY @NIKBURMAN (INSTAGRAM) See Pt. 1 at synthesisweekly.com/researchobstacles-pt-1/ “I was placed here to guard this door 334 years ago by Master Howl, the curator of this library.” The boy stepped back, considering, his face twisted up. Why on earth had he locked himself out of this room? He’d left a cipher in the room behind this massive stone giant of a door warden, and his translations couldn’t continue until he had it again. “Listen, mister,” the boy called up to the giant, “Master Howl is me. I made you, and put you here. Surely if I wished to enter this room, you’d be compelled to allow it.” The giant’s eyes, glowing a dull green, blinked once, slowly. “All persons attempting to force entry will be extinguished,” it recited. Its chest gave a slow heave. “Besides, it’s been ages since I had someone to converse with down here. Wouldn’t you rather stay here and talk?” Howl gave a wry grin. “Well, could you help me remember what I said when I made you? What was I doing?” “Oh, you were worked up terribly about something or another,” came the rumbling reply. “Frightened. Told me not to let anyone in, at all. You said… You said…” A stone finger scratched at a gigantic stone chin. “You said, ‘I should have known better. Can’t experiment with entire races anymore. They took to the idea too strongly, and no one can save them now.’” “Ah…” The boy was beginning to remember. The histories of the Lumanian civilization, recorded within this guarded room, recalled a world not so ancient as he’d thought. “I helped them get their start,” Howl murmured, and he winced inwardly. The boy had helped the Lumanians with a strange new idea: to develop a COMPLETELY peaceful civilization. He’d shown them how to alter the genetic stock so their bodies would physically reject any impulse toward violence. It had been an amusing idea, but huge difficulties began to arise: The Lumanians wouldn’t allow themselves to
And Then One Day, I Was The Weirdo OR, REASON #83 WHY THE PLATYPUS IS MY TOTEM react aggressively to anything, unable even to defend themselves against predators. Howl’s intervention had allowed them to exceed all barriers in the arts and in technology, but they had doomed themselves also to eventual selfextinction, and the boy was responsible for that as well, and he remembered that he was ashamed of it. He gave a sigh. The fact remained that he had glyphs to translate elsewhere in this subterranean library, and they were written in Lumanian, and he needed a cipher. He would re-enter their histories. It would be humbling to see his role in their decline, but there was nothing for it. “How about this,” Howl called. “If you let me through, I’ll come right back out in no more than five minutes, and I promise I’ll spend an entire two hours talking with you!” The door warden leaned a little closer to the ground to examine him. “I’ll even let you follow me around after, if you’d like the company.” The dim green eyes gave one more slow blink, and the massive mouth curled into a semblance of a smile. “A real conversation… I’m not sure I’ve ever had one!” The hallway shook with the impact of two immense steps as the door warden stepped aside, and caused the door behind him to open. On the door’s other side was the room containing the histories of the Lumanians, 1st through 3rd centuries.
Howl howlmovesmountains.tumblr.com
Starting college was a portal into a new world. There were core subjects I’d never heard of, campus clubs that took familiar themes to a whole different level, and more diversity in my classmates than I’d ever known. Occasionally, that meant there was an old person in our midst—like, over 25. They were practically unicorns on the daytime campus; evening classes were more their realm. They were quiet, and friendly enough, in a reserved sort of way. These factors, plus the fact that they were outside the average age range, made them seem (say it with me) creeeeeeepy. Quasi-people, y’know? Of course they had every right to be there… but the fact that they actually went ahead and did so seemed to violate some minor social more, like the person who unashamedly takes the last donut that everyone else has “politely” refused. I felt for them, being a dyed-in-thewool outsider myself, but any attempted friendships never quite panned out. While pursuing a double major, I got engaged and moved to another state. My studies continued, but fell to the wayside after we split up. In the ensuing years, I took an occasional class when possible, but without any family help and very little state aid (due to refusing to make babies for profit), it became increasingly difficult to make enough money to pay rent while finishing basic degrees. The advent of online classes helped with that, but further education still seemed unattainable. Long story short, I eventually went back as a re-entry student. When I announced my intentions, there was a lot of “Good for
you!” and “It’s never too late!” It didn’t strike me until later that these encouragements were uttered in the same tone heard by new parents and military recruits—part admiration, but mostly “You are so screwed.” So, yeah—now I was one of the “creeeeeeepy” ones. A few instructors were younger than me. Every single rushing Greek ignored me, often contemptuously—but poured on extra charm during fundraising campaigns. (I deeply enjoyed returning the “fuck you” sentiment at that time; the resulting stupefied expressions are treasured memories.) The rabid bible-thumpers that now infest campus at key points of every term assumed that since I didn’t fit the college stereotype, I was somehow on their side. (Running off with a full box of briefly-unattended holy books, thus ending one team’s haranguing for the day, is another recollection that makes me smile.) Now, on the other side of the crossgenerational fence, I understand why those long-ago older students were so standoffish. There are many ways, subtle and otherwise, you’re told you Don’t Belong; it’d take more than one of these 500-word blartings to describe them all. Connecting isn’t impossible, but it is damnably awkward. So if you’ve got an older classmate, just recognize that they have a lot in common with you—and a lot not. It’s up to both of you to decide how to work with that.
Consider the Platypus by Mona Treme
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SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM SEPTEMBER 1 2014
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SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 BY KOZ MCKEV
Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Now is a good time to give thanks and praise that you are still alive and that a sense of hope permeates your being. Monday through Wednesday are positive but will require some dedication to study, generosity or just doing the right thing. Much of the intensity of the things you’ve been going through are beginning to settle down this week. Plan on making yourself useful for those around you. Find a way to love the work that you’ve been called to do. Practice saying kind things to the people you work with.
You’re in the zone for love and creativity. Venus moves into your fifth house on Friday. Get ready to enjoy more sweetness and play. Mercury is moving through your sixth house of service, health, and working with others. New careers, issues with pets, uncles and aunts, clients, and co-workers all come together for this party. Wednesday afternoon through Friday afternoon is good for taking trips, taking risks, and learning from a father or a spiritual leader. Find many things to be happy about. Be aware of children and their needs.
Move forward with creating more intimacy in your life. Gather your tribe; honor your parents and your elders. How do you feel about the karma that you were given? You’re able to embrace more love with Mercury moving into your fifth house. Discovering how to be less obsessed with your comfort zones could become the challenge. Unsatisfying work conditions could come to a head. Learn to take criticism constructively. Be aware of root causes and understand ways of creating wholistic solutions. Make an extra effort to have a healthier lifestyle.
The resources you need to do what you want to do are there. Family issues may be holding you back. Learn to allow your creative energy level to match your goals. Practice gratitude for what you already do own. This is a good time for making friends and improving your communication skills. Keep a journal, write poetry and songs. Get in touch with siblings and old friends. Use your memory. Avoid distractions. Wednesday afternoon through Friday is best for diplomacy, romance, and engaging with others.
Big things happen in the regal court of Leo, with Jupiter transiting your first house. You begin the week in a creative mindset as the moon will be in your fifth house Monday morning through the early afternoon Wednesday. Midweek looks good for charitable causes, teamwork, and working on improving one’s health. Mercury enters your third house allowing communication to improve. Venus moves into your second house over the weekend giving you the urge to eat sweet foods and drink. The weekend looks good for romance.
This is a good week as far as your personal progress is concerned. Build a good foundation as to what needs to be done on Monday and Tuesday. Mercury moving into your second house can make you talkative or chatty. Finances begin to improve. Wednesday afternoon through Friday afternoon is best for love, play, and creative projects. These are good days for working with children, as well. The weekend looks good for organization, service work, and charitable causes. Venus moves into your first house Friday morning, allowing you to relax more.
Libra
Scorpio
Saggitarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
Pisces
Learn to love your fears, real or imagined. Get over being paranoid and confess the things that scare you most. Be an overcomer by loving yourself and others during life’s hardest transitions. Look around you; be aware that the people around you are all people you have karma with. Your understanding grows in leaps and bounds as Mercury enters your first house on Monday night. The weekend looks like a good time for creative expression and making art out of your nightmares. Love frees us with humble confidence.
Responsibility and action have been your bywords with Mars and Saturn in your first house. Mercury is in the twelfth house making your intuition and your imagination sharper. You feel like you are pioneering both the old and the new. You hope to make your environment a better place to be. Be thankful for the friends that are around you. Be forward thinking. Have a plan “B.” The weekend looks good for focusing on family and personal issues.
Good work can be what you are known for. All your talents and skills come into play. Ideas that can be embraced by the public come to you. Venus moving through your tenth house will help you to add some beautifying touches. Be known for good things and all will be made well. The moon will be in Sagittarius Monday morning till Wednesday afternoon; these are good days for you to get ahead on the things you’ve left on the back burner. You’re likely to get invitations to parties from people that eventually could prove to be important to you.
Find the good and praise it. Be the type of Guru to yourself that you would consider following. Help others whenever possible. Challenge yourself by taking on more advanced lessons in a field in which you would like to develop expertise. The moon will be in Capricorn late Wednesday afternoon through Friday afternoon. These are good times for travel as well as initiating a new project. The weekend is good for making money, cooking good meals, and being with family. Use your insights to do good.
Sometimes you just need to go along with the program. Relinquish the thought that you can control anything right now. Seek a higher good. Accept whatever debt that belongs to you. In acceptance there is freedom. Work on shedding some old skin and before going out. Trust your intuition. The weekend features a moon in Aquarius. People want to party and shake loose from their conventional self. Good help is around you. You can achieve more with finesse than you can with force.
You are the other part of the equation that people seek these days. What is real and what is an illusion is anyone’s guess. Love and partnership are more on your mind. Mercury moves into your eighth house, promoting thoughts on birth, sex, death, and other people’s property. Your may find yourself more curious about the occult and telepathy. Venus in your seventh house attracts lovers, friends, and well wishers. The weekend is good for laying low by late Sunday afternoon the moon moves into Pisces where pre full moon intensity is building.
Koz McKev is on YouTube, on cable 11 BCTV and is heard on 90.1FM KZFR Chico. Also available by appointment for personal horoscopes call (530)891-5147 or e-mail kozmickev@sunset.net FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO 21
Breasts When I was a photographer in the ’70s I spent a lot of time trying to shoot young would-be models nude. Of course. As an incentive I’d shoot head shots or whatever she wanted and give her prints for her book. It worked fairly well. I didn’t ask just anybody, since just any body wouldn’t do for my purposes. Her body didn’t have to be wonderful, it had to be what I wanted. At first I had only the vaguest idea what she would look like naked, and I shot several who turned out to be a waste of my time—she got good prints, I got nothing I could use. This was the era of pantyhose and push up bras—evil technology. I’d have her undress as soon as she got there, because it takes a while for skin to recover from the constriction. I don’t remember any girdles, though. I learned the differences between a clothed body and that same body without clothes, and my percentages improved. I’ve been imagining what women look like naked since forever, and I’ve had a few chances to compare what I expected to what they turned out to be. For me, breasts are the toughest to predict. They’re usually cradled one way or another, and if they’re free they’re usually covered loosely, making a careful examination impossible. And nipples are hopeless. I’ve been trying to get to Topless Day in Chico for years, and last Sunday I remembered and actually went. My hope was that some of the women I know would show up and I’d get to further my research with some eyeball verification. I had no sexual interest, really. I’ve seen enough breasts that the thought of random bare breasts holds no interest for me, except as a visual experience, like cloud formations or a sunset.
From The Edge
by Anthony Peyton Porter
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SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM SEPTEMBER 1 2014
I love breasts along with the rest of the human female form and still recognize that breasts are for babies. The rest we made up. I grew up in breasts’ heyday—Joi Lansing, Jayne Mansfield, Rita Hayworth, Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, Diana Dors, and many more. I thought the prevalence of breast worship in the media was because of the immaturity of the average white man. I was just guessing, though.
this
I liked the assortment of breasts at the Topless Day observance near One Mile in Chico, from perky to floppy to barely there. Everything was very easygoing and loving with good food and even better vibes. You should go next year. I knew only a couple of women there and long ago had given the default amount of attention to estimating what her breasts actually look like. I had hoped for a lot more women I know. Maybe next year. Of the ones I recognized, I was right on the money. Among all the equality and camaraderie and skin clearly unaccustomed to being outside, one pair of breasts was the clear winner, and yes I know I made that up. So what. They were exquisite.
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