Coming
& Going
Smoke, Burn, and Smile
by James Buckley
Dana Newquist found yet another use for his vintage fire truck as he loaded up the back end with items from David Myrick’s archives
Smoke ‘n’ Burn 2.0 are (from left) Rick Maiani on guitar, Laine Maiani on bass, Sarah Maiani on drums (her mom, Tipper Gore, is also an accomplished drummer), and Patrik Maiani on keyboard; their song, “Smile,” has been chosen as the theme song for the up and coming film remake of “Black Beauty,” due in theaters in July
P
atrik Maiani and his brother, Rick Maiani, grew up in Montecito and have been playing music together for more than three decades. Their father, Dario, was an opera singer with an international rep-
utation and their mother, Rosemary Ashby, is a retired actress. Patrik is a local real estate agent, and both Rick and he run Montecito Music, offering guitar, piano, bass, drums, and voice lessons; their list of former and cur-
rent students includes many high-profile Montecito residents’ children. When it was just Rick and Patrik, they played and recorded under the name Smoke ‘n’ Burn, but with the addition of their respective wives as a rhythm section, the four of them (Laine Maiani on bass guitar, Sarah Maiani on drums) call themselves Smoke ‘n’ Burn 2.0. Patrik married Sarah Gore (former vice president Al Gore’s and his then wife Tipper Gore’s daughter) less than two years ago; Sarah gave birth to her and Patrik’s daughter, Aria, last November. The brothers’ song, Smile, was written some 30 years ago by Rick, who at the time was breaking up with a girlfriend but wanted to get back together with her and believed his tune, which asked his ex to “show me a little smile,” might have done the trick. It didn’t. Patrik added the all-important bridge 10 years later. The recorded version of Smile caught the eye and ear of independent film-
Moving on Up
The David Myrick archives finally have a home. And, as it turns out, the archives’ new home is just steps away from where David labored for many years as chairman of the Montecito Historical Committee: in an office at El Montecito Church. Dana Newquist, chairman of the Montecito Historical Archives, after hauling dozens of boxes, desks, bookshelves, and other things with fellow committee members Marion and Patrick Gregston and others, says, “We have everything except the file cabinets from Greenwell at El Montecito.”
Another 101 Presentation
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makers working on a remake of Black Beauty, starring Luke Perry, Bruce Davison, and Sarah Ann Schultz (directed by Daniel Zirilli) and chose it as the movie’s theme song. Black Beauty is due to be released in July, after which a video of Smoke ‘n’ Burn 2.0 playing the song will begin to be aired. Additionally, the group has been picked up and is now represented by Starpower Management. To learn more about Montecito Music, you are invited to call (805) 689-3468.
Former Montecito Association president Dick Nordlund sent me this late-breaking bit of information: “The Montecito Association has arranged for SBCAG consultant Tony Harris to make a presentation on the 101 widening to Montecito residents on Tuesday, May 12. The presentation will outline steps necessary to take a fresh look at the design from Padaro Lane to the Cabrillo/Hot Springs interchange. SBCAG is currently interviewing a number of independent engineering firms for the effort. Mr. Harris’s pre-
COMING & GOING Page 454 • The Voice of the Village •
30 April – 7 May 2015