In Memoriam: Adam Yauch
Photo property of beastieboys.com
My musical world has been crumbling around me lately. Yours too, I’m sure. The deaths of Davy Jones and Levon Helm had far more of an impact than I would ever imagine. Openly crying on my laptop as I read the news and heard the many tributes. The deaths of music & TV legends Dick Clark and Don Cornelius was tragic news to me and the news of The Flying Burrito Brothers’ sweet bass player Chris Ethridge was almost too much to bear. We know that Glen Campbell is not doing well and David Bowie is fighting lung cancer. It really is too much. And then I woke up to my Facebook feed today and read the various tributes from my friends about MCA and again, I cried.
I am the MTV generation. I was there every day after school in 7th grade when The Buggles’ “Video Killed The Radio Star”, Golden Earring’s “Twilight Zone” and Red Rider’s “Lunatic Fringe” were played, repeatedly. It was the after school soundtrack for those kids who were now too old to watch the After School Specials. Three years later in 1986 I have the summer of my life. My mom goes to Russia for a month, I invite all my prep school friends over for a month long party and there is a cavalcade of beer, boys, girls, debauchery (God knows what happened in the various bedrooms), endless rounds of “Quarters” and “Suck and Blow” and AC/DC, Pink Floyd & Zeppelin get us through the trauma of having cops called on us daily and the indignant resignation of my mother’s housekeeper! We didn’t have to Fight for our Right to Party. We just did.
Back to school that fall for our final year of high school and MTV introduces us to that ridiculous video for the song of the same name and it changed the face of music forever. It was a stupid song, sophomoric lyrics and a dumb chorus… but to this day I know every single word. It was angry and silly and pop-py all at the same time. “No Sleep Til Brooklyn” or “Brass Monkey” was probably the second video release from “License To Ill” and that was enough for me to buy that cassette- that still remains in my old bedroom at my Mom’s house. I think I even have Quinn’s too. From that album forward The Beastie Boys would be intertwined with amazing moments in my life. This album would follow me to junior college, to summer school courses down in Long Beach and my sophomore year spent in the south of France.
The groundbreaking “Paul’s Boutique” is released in 1989 during my last two years at UCLA. I meet my best friend Carol through sorority. We used “Hey Ladies!” and “Shake Your Rump” during our Rush slideshow and that album followed us through frat parties, shots, date parties, Spring Break, Mazatlan trips, loss of virginity of various friends, boyfriends, breakups. After graduation Carol and I move into a small apartment in Marina Del Rey and “Check Your Head” is released in 1992- released the same month of the LA riots. All of Los Angeles shut down. No school. No work. Everyone was immobilized. Water, bread and milk were the first items that flew off the grocery store shelves and, after three days of continuous horrific coverage of a city gone mad, we had to escape by jumping into our apartment complex pool. We lived in this small pocket of town closed off to the tragedy occurring not but 10 miles from us. People smoked pot, had sex, drank, jacuzzi’d. We did anything to release. “Check Your Head” was the official soundtrack. We drowned ourselves in that album.
Hunter, T-Bone & Freeway were three skate rats we were hanging with in Venice at the time. All good upperclass rich white guys who surfed, skated and ran raucous all over town. We would beach it by day. Party at night. Hunter introduced himself to me by pushing a dude I was dancing with out of the way. Ha. I loved that at the time. He knew what he wanted. He went after it. And got it. He called me Funky Jen after the song “Funky Boss“. The name stuck. The boys just ended up calling me Funky or FJ. Country crooner and old friend Mike Stinson (who was a rock drummer at the time) knew these dudes and he only knew me as “Funky”. To this day he still calls me “Funky” in his slow, sweet drawl. Carol and I would drive to Manhattan beach to barhop and we would cry with laughter on Mike D’s delivery on “Pass The Mic“. “Gratitude” still means something to me. I always said of all albums in the world- including The Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, etc- that this album, “Check Your Head”, would be the one I would take to a deserted island if I only had one to choose from. It means that much to me.
As a fan, a music lover and hopeful songwriter I still ask myself “How did they DOOO that?!” What goes on in the creative writing process for these three dudes to get these lush, layered masterpieces. Every song has classic rock samples, personal voicemail recordings, very sharp-tongued quick rap, they play their own instruments and I’m having problems just putting together verse/chorus/bridge/verse/chorus. These three New York punk rock rappers were visionaries, founding fathers, groundbreakers. I’m not sure how each song came together but whatever they did, they did it beautifully.
Just like the Monkees and The Beatles before them you go through phases of your favorite. You start out with the “cute” one: Paul/Davy/Ad-Rock. Then the adorable ones: George/Mickey/Mike D. Then you move to the “smart” one, the one with soul. The John Lennon’s of the band, the Mike Nesmith’s of the band. Adam Yauch was that man. He was the soul of The Beastie Boys. He very quickly (while we we still in our late 20′s) turned from sexist drunk party boy into peaceful activist. And the music followed suit. Now they were experimenting with jazz, old blues, soul, Tibetan monks. He created awareness where it was needed. Was still fighting for what he believed in and overall just wanted to make the world a better place. A quiet tiger.
Forty-seven is way too young to die. Cancer is a horrible way to die. Of course the one person I wanted to call today was Carol. This music was “our” life together. No other musician or band- besides Stevie Wonder- represented our relationship as well. The Beastie Boys were always a part of us. She was “crafty”. I was “on it”- both Beastie Boys songs. And as of today, that would end. The Beastie Boys will never be The Beastie Boys as we know them. This band is over. Each alone is a great talent but one without the other is just unthinkable. But I couldn’t call Carol. Carol died four years ago of breast cancer. So I know what it is like to lose someone too young and I know what it is like to lose someone to cancer. When I actually did meet Stevie Wonder last year the only thing that ran through my mind was riding around in Carol’s VW Rabbit convertible in the blossom of our golden youth screaming Mike D’s line: “Ya think we’ll ever meet Stevie?!” Ad-Rock and MCA both assuringly rap back “One of these days, D”. I knew Carol was looking down at me at that moment.
Tributes all over Facebook and Twitter today have been astounding- the articles, essays, video tributes, celeb tweets, The Roots on Jimmy Fallon playing a B-Boys song at every commercial break. Again, it’s almost too much. I feel like leaving flowers at the old G-Son Studios in Atwater where so much of their genius was hatched. I played Check Your Head repeatedly. I couldn’t call Carol so I wrote this. There is no bandaid to put over this dam of emotion so I again turn to music, the music that defined me:
I’ve been through many times
In which I thought I might lose it
The only thing that saved me
Has always been music
We’ve got our own studio that’s under the G
It’s no question life’s been good to me
‘Cause life ain’t nothing but a good groove
A good mix tape to put you in the right mood…
Funkyjenn & The Bad Intentions: Grand Ole Echo Gig
Here are some shots of my gig from Erik Newton, Earl Reinhalter, Eva Crawford and Jason Wisch.
The Axis of Eva Poster Art
I love, love, love my latest poster for my gig at the Echo held this past Sunday, April 22. I found this old graphic online- artist unknown- with a gorgeous blonde gal kicking it in her peacock chair on the beach. She has these hot bods behind her who look as if they’re about to compete for her affection in various Olympic-style sports. And why not? As it should be. She has her sunglesses, hat, toes in the sand. She has nothing to worry about!
I called my girl Eva Crawford at The Axis Of Eva to take this design and run with it. The fonts. The colors. The band name! I love it.
Funkyjenn @ The Grand Ole Echo
Here is my poster for the next show at the Grand Ole Echo. This coming Sunday, April 22 at 6:00. Free! all ages! 1822 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles. Artwork by The Axis Of Eva.
NEW FUNKYJENN DEMOS!
Here are two new demos for you to enjoy. John Schreffler, Jr. helped me out on the all the instruments. I needed to get these tunes up & ready for my band. Wanted to flesh it as much as possible. I’ve been suffering through bronchitis so vocals aren’t what I want them to be but you’ll get the gist. We’re playing LIVE at the Echo this coming Sunday, April 22. Enjoy!
6:00 PM
FREE!
ALL AGES!
Read More »Stage Style
The idea of music and fashion has always gone hand in hand to me. I grew up on glittery Busby Berkeley Golddigger movies, 1940 MGM musicals and 60′s & 70′s rock stars who brought out all the feathers, glitter & glam. Sure there were the casual t-shirts, denim jackets and blue jeans for the post-hippie festival set but performers are always ON. As I get together with the fabulous Aguilar sisters of Cactus Tree Vintage to style me for my upcoming gig, I look to these fashion heroines for inspiration.
Photo Credit: unknown
Read More »SXSW 2012 Fashion!
SXSW! Festival fashion! Hot summer skin-baring outfits! NOT THIS SX! Usually choosing what to wear is easy-breezy! It’s 85 degrees, hot & sticky. What a bummer to read about all this 40 degree weather and pouring rain. It seems hoodies, Hunter’s and umbrellas are de rigueur. The good news for me is that the weather swings up to 80 this week…but its still raining. So I need something short, something lightweight, something heavy, something protective and yes, I still need the Hunter’s and the umbrella! I built all these wardrobe choices from the boot up!
Here are a few of my choices:
Everybody needs a cute little floral number! Pair this with a cowboy hats & boots. Done. One Clothing.
I love wearing long skirts over boots, be it wellies or otherwise. I love this straight skirt by Studio M. (Macy’s). It has an adorable tiers so it’s not just a boring black skirt. Pair it with the angel sleeve shirt by American Rag and you’re good to go. Day to night!
A little Seattle. A little Glastonbury. A denim-colored t-shirt dress by Big Star bought this to wear with wellies. Did I mention it has a wolf in a dreamcatcher? How awesome is that?!
This is a sweet, nude colored above the knee number from Calvin Klein. It would be too much at SXSW with wedges or mules but again, the boot makes all the difference.
I bought another Calvin Klein dress that I love, love, love. A long black dress with a lattice pattern across the bustline. Lays perfectly. Great for travel.
In case I have to pull out my old silver trench (with hoodie) I will pair with this long nude Calvin Klein number. My Hi-lo outfit.
This number is really cute on. Half hipster/half fairy. Adorable with stockings & boots. Style & Co.
Ok, I think I’m ready to rock in my frocks!
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Get Inside My Guitar!
Whenever we’re seated around a hippie campfire jam and one of the talented guitarists finishes a song, I always ask, “What else comes out of that magic box?” And NOW, thanks to macro photography of Bjoern Ewers, we can all take a peek inside! It looks like little musical elves would live in here. Amazing shots.
You can see more here.
Read More »RIP Davy Jones
Photo Credit: Unknown
I woke up this morning ready to conquer the world! Take on a new challenge! Ask a guy to marry me! Do something different! Leap over this leap day! Instead all I did was cry. I suppose it was a Twitter message that I first glanced at- and you think to yourself, “this can’t be true, must be a hoax”. Dead at 66. Not possible. But then I logged into Facebook and saw the videos, the pictures, the tributes- and I just cried. And couldn’t stop crying.
I had to drop my Mom off at Curves. Tears fell as she exited the car. I cashed a check at the bank with my eyes red and swollen. I got coffee and a muffin at the Coffee Bean. I sat outside at a table for a minute but the tears wouldn’t stop. No one had noticed or asked. No one was glued to a TV set or talking about it on the boulevard. There were no gatherings a la Michael Jackson or radio DJ acknowledgements a la Whitney Houston so I was in this by myself. So I had to go back into my car, just sat with myself and I just let the tears flow.
Read More »Happy Birthday, Steve Marriott!
My all-time favorite vocalist and frontman. What a voice. Lead singer for the Small Faces and Humble Pie there was no note this remarkably small wee of a man couldn’t hit. He was all gusto, bravado, firestorm, soulstirring- no one will ever touch him. He turned down Jimmy Page for Led Zeppelin. He turned down Tony Iommi for Sabbath. He did his own thing up until the very day he died.
Photographer credit: Unknown
’Steve Marriott is one of those rare singers who, when you first hear him, instantly make you feel like a drought in your life has ended. He was his own meter, out there trying to go over the top with every number. Simply an amazing talent, tethered by nothing.’ — Bob Dylan
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