Huge Turnout at First Muffin 2010 Planning Meeting

The first official planning meeting for Muffin 2010 was PACKED with enthusiastic Muffineers. Turnout was so good that Lane Splitter even threw in a free pizza and pitcher or two of beer (Thanks Tage!). Greg even came all the way down from Sacto to give the event a touch of legitimacy. So the net result is Muffin XXXV seems to be on a roll. For starters ...

1. 1. A Flyer should be going out around March 17th (St. Patrick's Day) - thanks LEE!
   
2. 2. Tickets should be printed and available by April 1st (St. Stupid's Day) - thanks CHRIS!
3. Price will be $25 before May 1; $30 in Advance and $XXXV at the event.
4. We have been promised the usual world class sound system AGAIN. Thanks GARY!

We are hoping for three nights of music again this year. That will be an open mic on Friday (events permitting), R&R on Saturday and All Acoustic Sunday (to give the neighbors a break!).

Other things going on, we will be looking for help with the following:

• T-Shirt/Hoodie Artwork and Production
  
• Ticket Sales
  
• Mow Down & Stage Prep (Saturday Before)
• Friday Setup & Prep
• Sound Mix (for the qualified)
  
• T-shirt and On-site Ticket Sales (Sweep)
  
• Monday Tear Down & Pack-up

If you would like to assist with something or would like more info please email muffinxxxv@gmail.com

MUFFIN XXXV - May 28, 29, 30 & 31, 2010!

That's it for now. Stay tuned for updates!

Another Geezer Punk ('n Blues) Show At Chester's Fine Eatery in Berkeley!

Winter weather got you down? Retirement fund in the crapper? Job on the skids? Can't shake that post holidaze depression? Forget all that and come on out to Chester's Bayview Cafe in Berkeley for a fine show on Friday, January 15th at 7PM!

P. Pot sez: The Happy Clams return to Chester's for another evening of acoustic geezer punk. (Paul: acoustic guitar, Gail: bass, Rawbird: banjo) This time we are pleased to share the bill with our good friend Dan Lange on one of his infrequent visits to the Bay Area from Portland, OR.

Dan dishes out an entertaining set of street blues on slide guitar. Open mic fans will certainly remember him from the first ice age of the 21st century. Meadow Muffineers, this makes a double bill for you!

We will start with a Clams appetizer at 7, followed by Dan, and then the Clams return to finish off the night after he has had is way with you. Should be approxiatemately 3 forty minute sets.

Chester's Bayview Cafe
1508B Walnut St.
Berkeley, CA
510-819-9995

Sunday Gourmet Clam Dinner Anyone? Nov. 15th 7 to 9PM

After you have had your fill of chili or have just finished some great new trashy novel you just picked up, come and see some clams and enjoy a little snack at

Chester's Bayview Cafe on Sunday November 15th 7 to 9pm.

It's right next to Peets and in the same zipcode as Chez Panisse!

Our high-class lineup for this small space will include at least acoustic guitar, bass, and banjo, otherwise known as 3 clams on a plate with a spritz of sauce and a garnish.
Elegant and refined.

Chester's Bayview Cafe
1508 Walnut St. Ste B(between Cedar St & Vine St)
Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 849-9995

www.chestercafe.com

Hello out there! Fall Fest Anyone? HELL-OH!?!

Who knows, Muffin might just arise from the dead yet. Well in case there isn't much else on your September calender... here's a real good excuse to get out of the house. Thank God for The Happy Clams (and Yard Sale is certainly no sloucher either!). So enough said... see you there. And if you want to make a request for a Fall Fest this year, add a comment to this post.

Here's the poop from the Pot:

We are so excited to be joining Yard Sale at their eastbay CD release of "God Bless Our Camper" at the Starry Plough on Sep. 11th.

It's going to be a great night. You won't want to miss it and we'd certainly hate to miss you. The evening kicks off with Joel Murach and the Low Rollers whose songs push far beyond your standard indie alt-country.

Next up will be the ladies of Yard Sale. Jill Olsen, Denise Funari, and Melanie DeGiovanni will dish out their thriftstore mix of folk, country, and pop and serve it up with a side of good times, which pairs nicely with a cold one or two available from your local Starry Plough bartender. And then we will rock the night away with our own brand ofgeezer punk. Why if I wasn't already going to be there, I'd be going there myself!

We're looking forward to seeing you. It's going to be a lot of fun.

www.thehappyclams.com

Warning! NTBM Nth Annual Paul Pot Blowout Approaching Fast!

Any Muffineers alive out there?!? What, one year when things just don't quite pan out and you decide to throw in the towel on how may years of the Muffin? Come on! I'm thinking about renaming this site/blog as the "Paul Pot Fine Artz Gallery" or "The Happy Clams Unofficial Fansite". If anyone besides Paul is still out there, please post a message, a link, even a tweet would be nice! Something to moor this adrift pile of wreckage we call the Muffin. Oh well, enough complaining!

So anyway, here are few words from host, Mr. Pot:

It's time to party with the Happy Clams on Saturday, August 1 at 8pm. Music starts at 8:30pm. At the Paul Pot Mansion. Ask your friends where it is. Muffin!!!

Clams Beat It Up at Festival Of Drums at the Stork on Sunday, July 12th

From the mind of festival impresario Derek Lindsay:

For the festival of drummers, bands will be augmenting their usual line-up with extra drummers. The affect will be less "sproul plaza" drum jam and more like like a freight train, car accident, or volcano erupting. There will be leg bouncers, nervous tappers, and hyperactive woodshop
drop-outs. if all goes according to plan, the shirtless men's movement contingent will be leading the salute to "wipeout," a drum corp. will be reenacting the ucla marching band's version of "tusk," and san francisco's bucketman will be on hand to bust it out with spoon
players & tabla drummers. keith moon, jon bonham, buddy rich will be on the guest list, and we'll be crossing our fingers to see if they show up. if we are lucky, we will be joined by the drum circle from a christian commune in humboldt county....

The Happy Clams are scheduled to go on at 8:30 or so, with at least two drummers and an odd friend or two, serving up an altogether different dish of Happy Clams.

Come hear our new song, "Li'l Ho"

Sunday, July 12th
at the Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Ave in Oakland
5pm until it ends

http://www.thehappyclams.com/

First Ever Solstice Bulb Fest Stirs Up Some Great Soul!

The weather could not have been finer for this first ever BYO Sol Jam on the Albany Bulb. By 3PM as the sun started to dip in the sky and the cool bay breeze picked up the Cavepainters played an even cooler set of band faves. By 4:30 or so some fine fiddle was added to the mix with a rare appearance of Strange Angel. To top that the Ravines popped in to deliver some terrific accordion fare. The Happy Clams wrapped up the show with their usual one-of-a-kind performance. As shadows grew long a soul stirring rendition of the Doggie Jomo theme song could be heard warbling on the breeze. Much fine food was in evidence with a delectable sandwich plate served up by Paul Pot, some fantastic Kim Chee prepared by Missy Dee and a host of garden veggies and fruits. Many thanks to Big Rick for conceiving and organizing a truly wonderful event. A really great time was had by all!

Still Missing the Muffin Experience? Come Out to the Albany Bulb this Sunday for a Summer Solstice Performance of the Happy Clams and Cavepainters!

Paul Pot sez: We're playing a summer solstice picnic and beer thing at the Albany Bulb Ampitheater. I hear it's near the big woman statue and it's made out of old concrete, wrecked bicycles and stolen shopping carts. We're playing with the Cavepainters (I sometimes play kazoo with them at the Starry Plough on Thursdays) and Strange Angel.

It's all sorta loosely organized to take place in the 3pm to 7pm area. I don't know how the music will go or when anyone plays. I hope we just mix it up. We'll be acoustic with guitar, bass, banjo, and maybe (if Barry is there) congas. 3ish to 7ish and out in the sun, cause the sun is what it is all about.

Behind the racetrack at the Buchanan Street entrance. Take the road as far as it will go and park in the parking area. Take the main path, bear right at first fork, right again at the second fork, and then left at the big cypress tree.

BYOBAF (Bring Your Own Beer and Food)

Captain Mike Announces 2cd Annual SalmonAid Fest at Jack London Square on June 20 and 21st

Mike sez: I've been working very hard over the last year to help produce the 2nd annual SalmonAid Festival which is happening this weekend, June 20/21 at Jack London Square in Oakland. There will be lots of great music, excellent food, ice cold beer and good people. We also have a bunch of children's activities, so no worries about the little tykes - bring em along!
Go to http://www.salmonaid.org/ for all the details.

To kick off the Festival, on Friday evening our friends from the Karuk & Yurok Tribes will host a Ceremonial Salmon Roast at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. All the details are in the press release below. If you like salmon you really don't want to miss this event, last year's salmon roast was some of the best salmon I ever had - and if you know me, you know that I know my salmon and don't give this kind of praise away randomly.

The best band of the SalmonAid Festival will perform on Sunday, they are called "Captain Mike & the Sea Kings", (with Special Guest Bobby Young from Zachya Hooker's band) - but please feel free to also come to Oakland on Saturday when bands like Albino, The Zydeco Flames, and Mitch Woods will grace us with their presence.... yeah I know, they don't compare to the Sea Kings, but they try really hard, so come on by & show 'em some love.

Did I mention that this is a free event? No cover charge!!!!

Here's the info on the Salmon Bake:

WHAT: Members of the Karuk, Yurok, and Hoopa Tribes travel to San Francisco to host a traditional salmon bake on the eve of the 2009 Salmon Aid Festival. Tribal members will share fire roasted Klamath Spring Salmon with the public.

WHERE: Ocean Beach, San Francisco. Look for the fire pit one block south of the intersection of Fulton Street and the Great Highway.

WHEN: Friday, June 19th. Fire starts at 4:30 p.m.; fish will be ready to serve around 6:30 p.m.

WHO: Participants include fishermen, cooks, singers, and drummers from the Karuk, Yurok, and Hoopa Tribes. Tribal members are traveling from the remote Klamath River, and invite Native community members from throughout the Bay Area, as well as the general public, to come down and share fish.

Although Klamath salmon runs are dwindling, tribal fishermen still harvest salmon for ceremonial and commercial use. By joining forces with commercial fishermen, conservation groups, and others concerned about native salmon stocks, Tribal members are building support for the removal of the lower four Klamath River dams. Members of Klamath Basin Tribes will be an integral part of the 2009 Salmon Aid Festival, hosting a traditional salmon bake on the eve of the festival as well as demonstrating cultural activities throughout the Salmon Aid weekend.

Dan Lange in Berkeley? Mooo! Headline Appearance Planned at Starry Plough's Open Mic Tuesday, May 26th

Guess Dan and Jane just need that yearly CA fix, Muffin or Not! Seems they are making the trek down from Portland this weekend to say hello. We hope you will come on by the Starry Plough on Tuesday evening to catch up with Dan and get a sample or two from Muffin's own blues master.

Here is the link to Dan's blog with lots of links to his music and other sites.

http://buskersblues.blogspot.com/

And of course the Plough...

http://www.starryploughpub.com/

Word has it that Dan will be performing between 9:30 and 10:45. Hope to see you there!