End o' week musings

I know you've probably been waiting anxiously to read about my latest adventures. LOL! So I'll get right to the play-by-play.

Friday the 13th was the perfect night to catch Nekromantix, Chop Tops and Seven Shot Screamer at the Glass House in Pomona. The venue was overflowing with punkers, rockers, rockabilly fans and the curious. Seven Shot Screamer was pretty good and got the crowd warmed nicely. I quite enjoyed the Chop Tops, who hail from Santa Cruz and mixed a range of genres, including surf safari, into their sound. I think I want to pick up their CD to give to my mom for her birthday- ssshhhhh! don't tell her!

The Nekromantix were my icing- their stage presence, attitude and musical prowess were better than best. They offered up old favorites that the crowd lapped up, as well as new material from their album to be released in the next few days. And I even got to meet Kim Nekroman!! If you like your psychobilly with a twist of humor, be sure to visit www.nekromantix.com

On Monday, I set out to my friend Alberta's ranch. She has five horses, three cows, one calf, nine dogs, four cats and one parrot and everything is super friendly. I have been joking that I think everyone on the ranch licked me except for Alberta and her mother, which is pretty close to true.

I was standing in the barn after helping put the horses to bed for the night when the entire side of my face was slurped by Buddy the horse. He's supposed to be the biter, perhaps he was tasting me?? But he never dared to even touch me with his teeth.

The cows were just as nice. Alberta wanted me to get them running around in her corral so she could practice cutting with her horse Tug. Cutting is when you use your horse to separate one cow out from the herd and keep them apart, but the trick is you can't use the reins- you have to trust your horse to do the work. I talked to the cows, I chased the cows, I pleaded with the cows and still they looked at me with big eyes begging for a treat and a nice scratch... maybe I should have been the one Tug was trying to keep from the others in the corral ha ha ha!

Friday the 20th I went to the Key Club in Hollyweird and caught goth rockers Night Kills the Day. They had a nice rapport with the audience and their music was engaging. I wished that they could have played a bit longer, but there were two more bands waiting for a turn on stage. Night Kills the Day will be gigging all over, find a show at www.nightkillstheday.com

The next day my belly dance partner and I performed at the Festival of Dancing Colors at Cal State San Bernardino. The show went well and we received quite a few compliments for our swordwork and choreography. We also took a workshop with Politti on moving slowly and smoothly. Learn more at www.mecda.org and www.almasearabesque.com

If that wasn't enough, I went out to the Triple C Ranch in Menifee to perform solo that night at a party. There were several bands, including Andrew's Bad Stuff, and his drummer, Guy, played drums for me so I could skip the canned music and do something a tad more exciting. The partygoers had fun and I even had some of them join me in shaking their "groove thangs"!

Just because you have to go back to work doesn't mean you can't have fun... I went with fellow journalist and friend Gerard to the Heaven and Hell concert at the Forum on Wednesday. Wow! The lineup of Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinnie Appice is still amazing. I think these guys just keep getting better! And don't forgot the mere history of the event- the reuniting of Black Sabbath the Dio years.

They played songs from the past, as well as some from their new - yes, new - album, "Heaven and Hell." If you consider yourself a true headbanger, this is a must for your collection.

My last adventure for now was my appearance in Circus Vargas. Last night (Thursday), I assisted Ted MacRae the snake whisperer with Bonita, his 30-pound albino Burmese python. Bonita relaxed on my shoulders as we walked through the audience and had some fun.

I think Bonita remembered me too because at one point she looked at me and flickered her tongue toward my face and then rubbed her head and "neck" along the side of my face affectionately (kind of like a cat). I like her too!

My mother came to the show and admitted that she couldn't touch Bonita, as she was afraid of her, but remarked that Bonita was "Beautiful, the color of taffy."

Thank you Ted and Circus Vargas... You can still catch the circus (without me though), check their schedule at www.circusvargas.org

In rotation this week: Nekromantix, Night Kills the Day, Richard Marxx, Tribe of Gypsies, Dio, Black Sabbath, Pat Benatar, The Almost and Test Your Reflex.

As you prepare for a new week, remember my motto

Don't dream it... do it!

and, as always,

keep on rockin'

Mickie