Weekender #21

• Not much has changed in birb land. Still no sign of a new mate for Handsome, but he has been heard doing a lot more calling and singing during the day. I have no idea what any of it means though.

• Everyone remembers Ralph Machio in The Karate Kid, mostly due to the Netflix reboot of sorts, Cobra Kai. I’ve always wanted to see a reboot of another 80’s film that also stars Machio… Crossroads)! For those that don’t know the film, Machio plays a classically trained guitarist that goes on a quest to find a lost song by famed bluesman, Robert Johnson. During his search he comes into contact with Johnson’s longtime friend, Willie Brown, who he discovers has sold his soul to the devil in return for his ability to play the blues harmonica. Eventually, Machio’s character crosses paths with the devil (played by guitar legend Steve Vai), and the two duel for Willie’s soul. While I won’t hold out for a reboot, Guitar World did a feature on Tracking down Steve Vai’s elusive “Crossroads” Jackson - the most famous guitar that was never heard in which Eric Kirkland spent 20 years in search for the original guitar used by Steve Vai in the movie. Now that is what I call a quest!

• If you’ve ever wondered what furniture, utensils and random objects were used in any episode of Star Trek, of course there’s a website with that type of information. Star Trek + Design is probably the most complete resource showcasing each chair, table, lamp and cup used in any of the Star Trek series and movies. I first realized how cool the set designers were when I saw Captain Janeway using the same Nissan Thermos mug that I owned in an episode of Voyager. I wish these were still available for sale today. I still have mine from the 90’s and it’s still the best mug I’ve ever owned. It’s construction is similar to a Hydroflask, but came out long before Hydroflask was even a thing.

• It’s been a long time coming, but Wolfgang Van Halen’s band Mammoth WVH was finally released a week ago. If my memory serves me correctly, Wolfgang teased snippets of songs from this release way back in 2016, so it’s been a long time coming, but it’s been worth the wait. For fans of his father, the late Eddie Van Halen, this was a much anticipated album simply because no one really knew what type of music Wolf was going to release aside from the tribute to his dad, “Distance” that was release shortly after his death.

  • I didn’t have any preconceived notion that this album was going to be anything like a Van Halen album, and thankfully it’s not. Wolf is his own person and the sound is genuinely his own. He grew up with 90’s influences, and you can really hear it in the tunes he wrote, played and produced. While his father wrote catchy riffs on guitar that were pieced into a song structure for a singer to write lyrics to, Wolf is the whole package. He wrote all the music and lyrics, played every instrument (guitar, bass, drums, keyboards) and sang all of the vocals on Mammoth WVH’s first release. And man, can this guy sing! If you’re thinking that hard rock has been missing in today’s music, give it a listen: Apple Music