New Images For Sale at Smoky Valley Photography
I’ve added 5 new images to the sales gallery at Smoky Valley Photography. Included are 3 from the Smoky Valley area, one from the Grand Canyon, and a photo I took of Jerry … Read more
Music
It Was 40 Years Ago Today
When Brent joined the band to play, with his bluesy Hammond sound, he really made the crowd go wild! April 22, 1979. Spartan Stadium, San Jose. A Sunday. Early afternoon outdoor concert with … Read more
Buddy Guy, Smokin’ at 82!
We saw Buddy Guy this past Father’s Day at the Cotillion Ballroom in Wichita, Kansas. It was our first time at the ballroom and the 2nd time we had seen Buddy. I’d heard … Read more
Can’t Go Back Home
We didn’t mean to. Try to go home that is. What we were going to do was go see the Grateful Dead cover band Dark Star Orchestra. While it’s true we’d never heard … Read more
Willie Nelson Live!
We saw Willie Nelson at the Stiefel Theater on Jerry Garcia’s birthday! It was a great show, including one of my favorites, Still is Still Moving along with Me and Paul, a Hank … Read more
Blues Jr. with BillM Mods
The first vacuum tube guitar amp I owned was a Fender Blues Jr. I got it back around 2004 and while it always sounded good, it didn’t compare to vintage and vintage reissue … Read more
Halloween 1983
I just remembered where we were 30 years ago! We were watching the Grateful Dead at the Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium, a small (2000 seat) hall. It was a “stealth” show. Tickets were … Read more
Two Souls in Communion
Perhaps it’s due to our own anniversary coming up in a couple of months*, but I was struck by this article that related the story of an elderly couple who had been married … Read more
Chicken Pickin’ Amps Princeton Reverb Clone
I've been thinking about getting a Fender Princeton Reverb for some time, and lately had been considering the benefits of buying a clone, primarily for the increased quality of components. When I came … Read more
The Champ is Back!
I've had this 1979 Fender Champ guitar amp for a few years, (picked it up used at Starving Musician on Meridian in San Jose). It's a nice amp, with a real potent sound, … Read more