Peter Carries On the War Against The Nazis

 

While I really wanted to write about music in today’s column, I felt that I had to address something else first. Indulge me, please.

In late July 1940, England was on it’s knees, exhausted and beaten. The Wehrmacht a) triumphantly stood on the coast of France, greedily eyeing England and waiting for the order to invade and conquer. The Luftwaffe b) was preparing to smash the Royal Air Force to open the way, not only for the invasion of, but, the subjugation of England.

Frank Gutch Jr: Notary Sojac, the Formative Years (Meaning The Warloks); Gary Minkler and Duggy Degs: On the Fringe; Gary Heffern: Rock’s Poet Laureate; and Stuff in the Form of Notes…..

I’m like the A-Team’s Hannibal Smith in that I too love it when a plan comes together and love it even more when it balloons into an epic tale of adventure, lust and romance.  The romance part, of course, would be my endless fascination for the music of the bands (past, present and future) which came out of the musicians who comprised Notary Sojac, the band few knew and even fewer knew about.

Frank Gutch Jr: No Small Children Smoke Portland Oregon’s Slabtown; Johnny Mabbott and The Doors Tribute— Slapdown at the High School; Highlight Bomb— Well Hidden, But Why? plus Notes…..

After last night’s No Small Children gig, drummer Nicola B made a statement I have been waiting to hear for the past couple of decades.  Remarking about the previous night’s show in Seattle at The Central Tavern, she said that they had “turned the room.”.  Basically, it means that while, at first, no one paid much attention, by the last song, everyone was on board.  Even dancing, she said (quite enthusiastically, I might add).

Frank Gutch Jr: The Millennial Kickstart!!!, Life In Proctorville— We The People’s Wayne Proctor Talks Sixties Music Scene in Florida, Plus Notes and Vids!!!!!

Welcome to the new Millennium, ladies and gentlemen, and in this case, the new Music Millennium.  I don’t have to go into details to explain the situation with record stores these days (okay— “music” stores, but they will always remain record stores to me).  They are struggling, even the biggest of them.  Even the best of them.  Even Portland, Oregon’s legendary Music Millennium.  Sure, they’re hanging on and doing better since the recent vinyl revival, but hanging on is not what owner Terry Currier wants.  Hanging on is the least that he wants.  And he has never been one to pocket money, either.  Most of what Terry has made over the past 45 years he has put either back into his store or used toward something to strengthen the music community.  And not just that of Portland.  He has stepped beyond that city more than once, mainly in a capacity to organize indie record stores.