artist of the week 10.29.12: chuck prophet

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worrierking
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Re: artist of the week 10.29.12: chuck prophet

Post by worrierking »

dime in the gutter wrote:
worrierking wrote:Southwest Louisiana
just spotted this.......you from that area? great fishing.
Yup, near Lake Charles. Fantastic fishing of multiple varieties. I don't get out much due to other hobbies.

LBRod
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Re: artist of the week 10.29.12: chuck prophet

Post by LBRod »

worrierking wrote:
dime in the gutter wrote:
worrierking wrote:Southwest Louisiana
just spotted this.......you from that area? great fishing.
Yup, near Lake Charles. Fantastic fishing of multiple varieties. I don't get out much due to other hobbies.
This is how you start a new page in a Chuck Prophet thread. I love this place.
Don't hurt people, and don't take their stuff.

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Clams
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Re: artist of the week 10.29.12: chuck prophet

Post by Clams »

If you're on the Chuck Prophet mailing list, he sends out two or three emails a month. here's the one I got today:
Hello folks,

More shows on the calendar. Including Spain with Lucinda.

I’m playing Pittsburgh tonight. Great town. Friends, you can’t count a state by which candidate won.

I’ve got a new song out. Here's the YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRLPZvyO4ic. I’m not a political guy, but I will say this: I hope people know that I am not a fan of kids in cages. “Get Off the Stage” is available on digital everywhere! Listen here: https://lnk.to/getoffthestage.

So far, some pretty good reactions. It would be great if it takes off organically. But, if it was all organic, there'd be no publicists! And some of my best publicists are publicists. So, let’s get outside the CP charmed circle. See what we can do, okay? Thanks in advance.

Oh and by the way, if you think my life is one nonstop party, think again:

So there I was holding Jakob Dylan’s phone, backstage left at the Clash tribute at the Roxy organized by Jessie Malin the other night. Butch Walker was there, Duff from Guns & Roses. Is that enough names for you yet?

I was holding Jakob’s phone, trying not think about the fact that I had no I.D. and a long drive back to the Valley after midnight in my 15-passenger Econoline van ahead of me on a weekend in L.A.

We were staying with Stephanie‘s mom out in San Fernando and as I was getting closer to the gig, I couldn’t find my wallet anywhere. Finally, I grabbed the keys and hit the road. I mean I was obviously me, right? Who wouldn’t recognize Chuck Prophet? Well, lots of people, come to think.

Thank god that when I felt around in my pocket there was a wad of merch cash from the previous gig. Cruising down Sunset I was just shy of the Roxy on Sunset, when I spotted a parking garage. And as I pulled in, I noticed a sign that said “NO VANS. NO LARGE VEHICLES. NO EXCEPTIONS.” But who wouldn’t make an exception for Chuck Prophet, right? Well, lots of people, come to think.

So I acted like I didn’t see the sign. Playing dumb, unfortunately, comes way too easy for me. Eventually there was an attendant there. A Hispanic kid. And I rolled down the window and kind of held a folded $20 in his general direction. He walked over, pointed in the direction of the next level, said “park it up there next to that Chevy truck.” And, I was like, “OK.” And yeah, I was in a little bit of a hurry, and so I did.

I started driving the van up to the 2nd level and the ceiling concrete seemed very low and I craned my neck and looked up through the windshield and there were lots of pipes and sprinklers and concrete and I was thinking, “I don’t know…” And then I looked back at the kid and he looked at me and he just kept gesturing to me, “Go ahead, Bro. You’re good, Bro.”

The ceiling seemed kind of low. (So that’s what the “NO VANS” thing was about.) First there was a popping sound. And then the roof of the van ended up getting wedged in there and it started to feel like I was inside an empty beer can getting crushed. Throw it in reverse and pull back and get out backwards or keep on plunging forward? I plunged. Next thing I hear is an even louder scraping. Excruciating. My metal beer can of a vehicle was scraping along inch by inch. It seemed to go on forever, but finally the scraping stopped.

Everybody in the lot was staring at me. Clash fans, I figured.

So I pulled the van next to the Chevy truck and thought to myself, “F*ck…How late am I? I’m playing the first damn song. Jesse said there was gonna be a curtain and everything. And that the curtain was open and I would play the opening chords of London Calling and then we would be off and running.

I jumped out of the van and I walked down the ramp and up to the attendant and we both just kind of shrugged at each other in a sort of universal no words necessary language that said “Well, that happened.” And I said to the kid, “I think we’re gonna need to let the air out of the tires later in order for me to get out of here.”

Hold that curtain!

On the way out, dude clues me in that, “Yeah bro, and don’t forget we close at midnight”.

So I ran to the club and I didn’t have my I.D. How could I prove I’m Chuck Prophet? I was carrying a guitar, but who cares? Thankfully, cool heads prevailed and they even gave me a wristband. A purple one. One of those “All Access” puppies.

I went backstage and ran straight into Jakob Dylan. He was on deck. Playing directly after me doing the second song. We’d met before so we fell into some easy small talk about how Jesse likes his strap to hang really low. And just strap pride in general.

I played my song and bam, it was over. After I played my song, I walked off stage and Jakob said something to the effect of “well done.”

And then he said, “Can you hold my phone?” And I said sure. And he said, “I don’t like having a bunch of things in my pocket on stage, right?”
So Jacob went up and killed. On “Brand New Cadillac.” It was loose and tight in all the right places.

And as he came off, I handed him back his phone. It was only later than I thought, “Oh man, I could have scrolled through his phone. Maybe memorize a couple phone numbers. But then again, it was probably encrypted or something. I mean, it was still WARM when he handed it to me. I could have searched for... I don’t know “Dad.” But why? It’s not like I’m going to text his dad and say, “Big fan. If you ever need a lift from the airport…” Yeah, right.

This is ridiculous. I would never do anything like that.

The night went by in a blur. One song and performer after another. Everybody brought something to the picnic.

And then like some animal instinct, I felt myself panicking and thought “Oh damn, what time is it? It’s like 11:58!" So I ran out of the club. And did I mention it was Sold Out? I was trying to work my way through crowd to the street exit and I bumped into Clem Burke and said, “Oh, hi Clem,” and kept pushing through the crowd.

And when I got back to the parking garage the attendant was nowhere to be found.

So I stood there not knowing what to do. Wondering if I was too late and everyone had gone home. And then I heard this hissing sound. And it went on and on and on. I looked up to where the van was and I didn’t see anybody up there. But the hissing persisted. So I walked up the ramp and there in between the cars was the attendant crouched down: he was letting the air out of my tires.

It took a couple tries and more hissing, but we eventually got that van out of there. And we shared a laugh. But, we didn’t say anything to each other. Not one word. Didn’t need to.

And then I just cruised back down Sunset going about 5 miles an hour looking for a gas station with an air pump. Thinking to myself “Oh for Christ, no license, no photo I.D., or license. And I’m in a serial killer van. Perfect!”

Well, the first place I went to said the air pump was down. Then I found a place and pumped the tires back up and got back to the Valley. And there was my wallet. In my other pants.

“How was the show,” Stephanie asked the next morning over coffee.

“Oh, you know, just another walk in the park. How’s that oatmeal coming?”

Onwards,

-CP

PS: In case it got past you, I filmed a travel show for Southwest Air and Luck Reunion. A kind of Anthony Bourdain styled show where you can ride shotgun with me and Aaron Lee Tasjan through the backstreets of San Francisco. The Luck Reunion team are brilliant. This ain't some insidious internet trash. There are real production values. I think you'll enjoy it.

https://southwest.fm/sites-and-sounds/episode-3/

Yours,

-CP
Everyone needs a friend, everyone needs a fuck

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pearlbeer
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Re: artist of the week 10.29.12: chuck prophet

Post by pearlbeer »

Bad ass.

I've got tickets to see him at the Luck Reunion as well as The Devil's Backbone Tavern, a little Dance Hall in the HIll Country here in Texas. It was made (semi) famous by Todd Snider's Ballad.

Love each other, Motherfuckers!

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Rocky
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Re: artist of the week 10.29.12: chuck prophet

Post by Rocky »

Thanks for posting Clams. That made my day. (No shit.)

I wish Chuck Prophet lived across the street. Seems like a righteous dude.

His love letter to San Francisco from Clam's e-mail above.
https://southwest.fm/sites-and-sounds/episode-3/
By the time you drop them I'll be gone
And you'll be right where they fall the rest of your life

LBRod
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Re: artist of the week 10.29.12: chuck prophet

Post by LBRod »


First release from upcoming album. I can't wait.
Don't hurt people, and don't take their stuff.

boyyourself
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Re: artist of the week 10.29.12: chuck prophet

Post by boyyourself »

This is of good news Rod.
Cooley is a fan too. I saw him in the audience at a Prophet show once.

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bovine knievel
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Re: artist of the week 10.29.12: chuck prophet

Post by bovine knievel »

“Excited people get on daddy’s nerves.” - M. Cooley

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dime in the gutter
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Re: artist of the week 10.29.12: chuck prophet

Post by dime in the gutter »


chuck is one of the great conversationalists ever.

a true rock and roll lifer.




"i have no regrets....



thanks for the warning, asshole"

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whatwouldcooleydo?
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Re: artist of the week 10.29.12: chuck prophet

Post by whatwouldcooleydo? »

Seeing him here at a house show next Friday

🤞 I can actually go
Son, this ain't a dream no more, it's the real thing

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whatwouldcooleydo?
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Re: artist of the week 10.29.12: chuck prophet

Post by whatwouldcooleydo? »

whatwouldcooleydo? wrote:
Fri Sep 15, 2023 1:51 pm
Seeing him here at a house show next Friday

🤞 I can actually go
I can’t catch a fuckin’ break :roll:

Image
Son, this ain't a dream no more, it's the real thing

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dime in the gutter
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Re: artist of the week 10.29.12: chuck prophet

Post by dime in the gutter »

i guess chuck took the money and ran.

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whatwouldcooleydo?
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Re: artist of the week 10.29.12: chuck prophet

Post by whatwouldcooleydo? »

dime in the gutter wrote:
Fri Sep 15, 2023 8:10 pm
i guess chuck took the money and ran.
It’ll come back to him in his sweet time
Son, this ain't a dream no more, it's the real thing

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dime in the gutter
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Re: artist of the week 10.29.12: chuck prophet

Post by dime in the gutter »

hope he doesn't get caught up in any of that funky shit going down in the city.

admittedly, low hanging fruit.

fuck it, steve miller is the poster child for low hanging fruit.

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whatwouldcooleydo?
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Re: artist of the week 10.29.12: chuck prophet

Post by whatwouldcooleydo? »

dime in the gutter wrote:
Fri Sep 15, 2023 9:52 pm
hope he doesn't get caught up in any of that funky shit going down in the city.

admittedly, low hanging fruit.

fuck it, steve miller is the poster child for low hanging fruit.
I have always deeply appreciated Miles Davis’ take on Steve Miller
Son, this ain't a dream no more, it's the real thing

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dime in the gutter
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Re: artist of the week 10.29.12: chuck prophet

Post by dime in the gutter »


what a picker.

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