Lob Instagon-Blues For Nobody; Love Earth Music Records, 2026

 

Musicians and music fans of a certain stripe within the general areas of southern California, northern California, and Arizona will know who Disaster Amnesiac is talking about when I'm talking about Lob Instagon. Lob's been an underground music scene denizen for decades, one who has been actively producing and promoting at a very approachable, d.i.y. scale. While I can's speak to Lob's personal feelings, the sense that I've always had from interactions with him is that he cares deeply about creative works and the people who make them, and does his best to accommodate their aspirations when they deal with his organizational proclivities. Lob has had his own project, Instagon, going for quite a while as well. Instagon is fascinating because it's a long running concern that has never had the same personnel twice, and this after close to nine hundred performances. It's a point of pride for the man behind Instagon and it certainly keeps things fresh for him as I'd imagine. A few weeks back, while doing business in Miami, AZ, Disaster Amnesiac was presented with Blues for Nobody, this year's Instagon release, and it must be stated that it may be his deepest record yet. Blues for Nobody is a record that fuses tight/loose jams by various Instagon lineups, deeply strange Electronic Music explorations, and plenty of recitations by Lob of several of his poems. As for the latter, it's clear that Lob has evolved into an expressive and compelling poet. His spoken words describe situations of personal dilemma, sepia'd memories, strange dreams/nightmares, and the sublime states attained from love. His delivery is always on task, even when a given piece is characterized by steam of consciousness attack. Lob's voice, somewhat gravelly now, has a gravitas that is well earned. On that front he has evolved into a true Beat Poet and Blues for Nobody is quite enjoyable for that. Regarding the former, the jams show groups of players who clearly are in simpatico with Instagon's titular leader. The jams at Miami's Thee 23 Skidoo bar, where Lob is the musical director/booker, must be getting legendary! Taken as a whole, Blues for Nobody is an undeniable statement from Lob Instagon: he's making great poetry and music and sound art, and I hope it's not for no one out there. Be a somebody and give it a listen. Lob's earned that consideration a hundred fold. 

Live shot(s) #227!

 

All shots taken at Splinter Collective Tucson, 6/17/26.

Below: Truthsayer. Loopy sexy shadow play.

Above: Romo Lampkin is a singer/songwriting plumbing the depths of current anxiety and ambiguity. 

Below: Igloo Martian. The duration of the performance transcends the actual time on stage. Surreal prop-centered questioning.

Above: CATyklysm brings modular questing and heavy Drone action. 

Rainbow Cholla at Splinter Collective is a really cool new series that hopefully will continue! 

Leland-Live at Mabuhay Gardens, S.F.; Contempt Records, 1980

 

Readers that are of a certain age and having had spent time interested in Rock music in the San Francisco Bay Area will surely recall BAM Magazine. It was a monthly or possibly even weekly trade journal for that general area and probably even a bit of a taste making apparatus for a while, especially during the Heavy Metal 1980's. When Disaster Amnesiac was first exposed to BAM sometime in autumn of 1989, an ad in the classified section jumped out at me: a long haired, caped guy with a Fu Manchu goatee that was holding a Stratocaster. It's not recalled if "Leland" was written above or below this image but it was certainly in one of those spots. Over the next several years, whenever an issue of the magazine was in my hands, I always made sure to check and see if Leland was still posting within the classified section. His image was always there and and it became somewhat iconic for me. Who was Leland? What did the music that he made with stat Strat sound like? Was he still living or had he passed away in some appropriately Punk Rock manner? It was likely in about 1996 when, while perusing the lower racks at the wonderful Open Mind Music on Divisadero St. that Live at Mabuhay Gardens, S.F., by Leland, was discovered by this obsessive crate digger. It added ninety five cents to the bill that day. It also provided some answers to those questions which had been formulated from seeing Leland's photo all of those times on the back pages of BAM. The sounds on the album were made by Leland on guitar and vocals, Razz Porter on bass guitar, and Larry Friedberg on drums. Collectively this trio raises some righteous, rockin' moods. An overall feel of raw and energetic and youthful exuberance characterizes the six tracks that make up Live at Mabuhay Gardens. The Punk Rock that had such an effect upon San Francisco musical culture can be heard as an element to the band's mix, along with what Disaster Amnesiac hears as strains of Heavy Metal. Leland's guitar soloing is deliciously noisy and aggressive to the point of making me wonder if he owned a copy of Raw Power or Funhouse. Razz and Larry pump and push and grind and blast behind Leland as he sings about poverty and impermanence and sickness and whatever other urban nightmares he's been exposed to. The band sounds at times as if they're going to go off of the rails but they always recover and give these jams that hit the exactly correct spot for any fan who craves blends of raw guitar Rock performances from the Punk/Heavy Rock/Psych Rock continuum. Dig especially on Feel The Pain for evidence of that. This album concludes with a track featuring the late great Dirk Dirksen as he questions the life choices of Leland while Leland, Razz, and Larry pump No Wave scrawls back in his direction. Oh how I wish that Leland could have had some of the success found by some of his 'frisco contemporaries. How much did he pay to get his photo into every damn issue of BAM, anyway? 

Interview with Steev Hise about his time working with the Luggage Store Creative Music Series is up at YouTube!

 https://youtu.be/qYhqKIG_gh4?si=GojSLT_h6GCJs2rU

Many thanks to Steev for taking some time to talk about it! 

Shiroishi/Lion/Meanstreetz-Live at Silverlake Lounge; Daft Alliance Records, 2026

Although its propensity probably never really went away Los Angeles has been notable of late for producing tons of interesting and compelling music. One of probably hundreds of micro-scenes, the Improvised Music/Jazz adjacent one in the City of Angeles looks and sounds to be heated up with lots of activity and documentation. As stated many times, Disaster Amnesiac is interested in many of the sounds produced in Los Angeles, not the least of which come from that Improvised impulse. It's not recalled exactly where Live at Silverlake Lounge came to my attention but when it did the urge to hear it was strong. For one thing just dig on that cover imagery! Pretty difficult to pass up, no? Are those colored forms actually letters that spell out the names of the performers? Or the title of the record? Looking at its back, one will find the players listed: Patrick Shiroishi on saxophones, Adam Lion on vibraphone, and Mike Meanstreetz on drums. Fascinating trio that, and full of sonic potentialities, ones which are capably explored by these three Angelenos. Live at Silverlake Lounge kicks off with some Cage/Partch style percussion conversation during which Meanstreetz eventually takes a lead role, but not by bashing around. Instead he lets the form dictate the moves and eventually his voicings rise as the main focus. Shiroishi, a woodwinds player capable of great blasting, shows a bit different aspect of his musical abilities as his saxophone sounds emerge. His tones are abstract but also very much in the pocket. His sweet modal tones guide the group into zones that are often filled with more spacial insight, and when he does launch his ability to control the vessel is readily apparent. The vibraphone playing of Lion adds touches that are often times imbued with an almost mystical tonality, or at least tones of magic. Adam also knows well how to balance quieter runs with those more bombastic ones. Meanstreetz's drum kit playing is supportive and creative throughout, and his "junk percussion" bits are very interesting and well placed within the improvisational matrix that this subtle trio invokes. Ghost sounds and vibe runs take the listener to Shambhala. Everyone slides into a collective exploration of extended techniques. The three players play remarkably well together for one twenty two-ish minute investigation and then that's it. Therein lies the only disappointment of Live at Silverlake Lounge. Disaster Amnesiac is, and surely others are too, left wanting more. It's an intriguing statement from a trio that, given more time and perhaps a bit bigger budget, could really plumb the depths of abstraction available to them in the city that gifted the world the likes of Eric Dolphy, Don Cherry, Horace Tapscott, Nels Cline.....................

Live shot #226!

 

Desert Breath are a Drone trio with vocals, electronics, and bass clarinet. Tranced out stuff. Thee 23 Skidoo, Miami AZ 6/6/26. 

Tucson Saguaros home opener, 6/3/26!

 

It must be admitted that Disaster Amnesiac did not attend any Tucson Saguaros games last season. That said, my pal Evan, who is working at Kino Stadium as a part of Tucson's only professional baseball team, reminded me about their home opener. Last night I donned my Saguaros cap, hopped onto I-10 east, and spent some time watching the game. Saguaros beat the Pecos Bills 3-1! As is usual, opening night at Kino was spirited and characterized by much enthusiasm from the Sagauros faithful. After the collapse of plans to locate a Mexican league team here in Tucson last year, the Sagauros remain the only team in this town. Hopefully more games will be attended by this reporter this season, rain outs or not!

Below: Trumpet player. He played the Anthem to start, along with inter-inning punctuations etc.

Above: Sticky the Saguaro hypes the crowd! I know this guy!