X-mas not X-mas mix

Since we're not crafty or baking people--but we are cheap--Wendy came up with the idea of me making a mix CD to give out with this year's Christmas cards. I thought it sounded like a fun idea, but decided that the songs shouldn't have anything to do with the holidays. (Everyone should have the X-mas songs by the Descendents, Ramones, FEAR, Butthole Surfers, Redd Kross, Shonen Knife, etc., etc. right?) Instead I came up with the idea of a Hospitality Mix, featuring bands that have stayed at or played at our house, and luckily she signed off on it. Some of you already got one. If not, make time to visit me in the next week or so. Or just make it yourself..

MARTIN, WENDY, AND ELOISE'S CHRISTMAS MIX 2009
***From Our Home to Yours***

Hospitality mix/bands that have stayed or played at our house...

1. Green Day - Going to Pasalacqua

They were the first band I ever hosted, touring for 39/Smooth, back at my old place on Commonwealth after a gig at the UCLA student union. Fortunately, my housemates happened to be away that night. I got a speeding ticket with them in my car on the way back to campus to get their check and see the Mr. T Experience play a lunchtime show.

2. Seam - Rafael
3. Seam - Bunch

Seam was the second band to stay at my house. I drove down to Bogart's in Long Beach to see them play with The Fluid and Poster Children. During their set, they mentioned that they needed a place to crash, and that a place with a jacuzzi was preferable. I guess that didn't happen since they followed me all the way back to my place on Ames in Los Feliz. Then-drummer Craig puking out of my car window. I became pretty good friends with the lead singer and guitar player, Sooyoung Park, and the band kept coming back to stay with me through all their incarnations until they stopped making music. They even stayed with my brother in San Diego!

4. J Church - Yellow, Blue, and Green
5. J Church - Open Road
6. J Church - Panama

I got to know the group after Lance Hahn introduced himself to me at a UCLA show. It turned out he was a fan of GR, and we had only two stapled-and-folded issues out at the time! J Church is one of my two favorite bands (the other is The Clash) and I was lucky enough to get to know the main man and see him fairly often--sometimes not even on tours--before he died in 2007. R.I.P.

7. P.E.E. - Treeeed
8. Silver Sun - I'll See You Around.

Andeee Conners was one of many drummers for J Church, which was one of his many bands before "settling down" with the Aquarius Records shop. I got to host his great band P.E.E. when they were on tour with the underrated British pop group, Silver Sun.

9. ICU - Aluet

On a business trip to Seattle, I was blown away seeing ICU open for Dub Narcotic Sound System and just happened to be introduced to lead guitarist/turntablist/theramin player Kento Oiwa the next day by our mutual friend Tae Won Yu while visiting Olympia. That turned out to be ICU's second show ever, and my place became the group's base whenever they'd hit L.A. for their first tours.

10. The Make-Up - Born on the Floor
11. Dub Narcotic Sound System - Ridin Shotgun (Remix)

These bands crashed with me upon recommendation by Tae Won Yu. They probably don't remember me because they're pretty big groups that have seen the world, but I got to hang out with them at their respective peaks. They played back-to-back shows to close down Jabberjaw, and then I later on I saw them at the Troubadour (and even got to introduce The Make-Up onstage).

12. The KG (Kicking Giant) -
13. Emily's Sassy Lime - Pineapple Boys Need Not Apply

Tae Won Yu's band. I got to know him after the Rachel era, but became friends with his next two drummers, Kento Oiwa and Danny Sasaki, when they came through town. Emily, Amy, and Wendy became friends of Giant Robot so long ago that I can't even remember how or when I met them. Among other things, they played with KG at Beyond Baroque in Venice at a GR show the night before we had J Church and Seam play the backyard of the old GR loft near Little Tokyo.

14. Enemy Mine - Inverted Circle

Danny Sasaki with members of Godhead Silo. I took them to the Bronson Park ditch to skate the day after they played The Smell.

15. Old Time Relijun - Garden of Pomegranates

Stand-up bass player Aaron Hartman's post ICU band. I still see him a lot, and expect to see him with his new group one of these days.

16. The Invisible Cities - The Only Reason The Club Was Made
17. Goh Nakamura - Somewhere

The Invisible Cities and Goh Nakamura didn't actually spend the night, but they had breakfast with us before they played a matinee in our living room. Close enough.

18. Death Cab for Cutie - Photobooth

The band didn't actually stay with me while on tour, but I put up bassist Nick Harmer and mutual friend Aaron Stewart-Ahn while they were on a pilgrimage to E3. In turn, Nick put me up in Seattle when I was selling merch for Damon & Naomi and Boris later on...

19. Whysall Lane - The Way Back

Adam Pfahler also drummed for J Church. He also played with Jawbreaker and this band with Richard Balayut from Versus. In 2006, Whysall Lane played our wedding, along with the Ray Barbee Band and Cover Me Badd.

20. Alive - Adam's Choice (HKFA rehearsal)

Well before the boy-band project, Daniel Wu stayed with me during a road-trip with his buddy Jimmy. Probably some other times, too, but that was a memorable one with trips to the Bronson Ditch and Roscoe's, as well as San Diego.