August 30, 2008, 11:12 pm : Montauk Monster – Where’s The Beast Hiding?
Filed Under: UncategorizedDiscussion: C[0]mments
Okay folks, this is a short and to the point post going up since this whole Montauk Monster phenomenon has hit a fever pitch on the hoax scale, with many theories sprouting up. Is it a beast or badly decayed animal? Raccoon? Pit Bull dismissed by its owner in NYC and somehow ending up washing up at Ditch Plains in Montauk? Or perhaps a chupacabra somehow migrating and decomposing its way to Montauk’s idyllic beaches from some Central or South American nation?
Yes, I am cutting my “Montauk Weirdness” series short. Well, sort of…I’ll still fill you in on the rest of the weirdness I’ve personally encountered (including stumbling upon this same sort of dead beast deep within Camp Hero in 1993) in the very near future, but…
I just may know where this carcass is at this very minute…
Quick backstory: As a writer, I have come across several types of interesting characters, ranging from famous to infamous, loony to legendary. Sparing unnecessary detail, I once had the opportunity to speak with a longtime Montauk local who surfs and is quite protective of his and his family’s affairs.
Again, sparing unnecessary detail, while letting you know that I have a strong suspicion that I know where this beast be hidden, I will let you, the humble reader figure this out via some helpful links (hint: the devil is in the details. The clue should be obvious, and get ready for a Montauk Monster pièce de résistance coming to a NY art gallery sometime soon). Ready? Here goes:
http://www.hamptons.com/detail.ihtml?id=2766&apid=5791&sid=7&cid=122&arc=1
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/08/dining/08fish.html?pagewanted=1&8dpc&_r=1
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/18/sunday/main3518239.shtml
http://eastendfishprints.com/index.html
Get it?
August 29, 2008, 2:45 pm : Montauk Weirdness – Part 2
Filed Under: Events, Imagery, NewsDiscussion: C[0]mments
Picking up where I left off after a long hiatus (or wandering around Europe with no internet access), this installment of Montauk mayhem recounts one of the major conspiracy theories surrounding Camp Hero. As mentioned in my previous post, Camp Hero is a large tract of land fronting the Atlantic Ocean just west of the Montauk Lighthouse that has served various strategic (and possibly nefarious) purposes for the US Military.
The first claim that circulated out of the military operations dates back to 1943, and an experiment referred to as The Philadelphia Experiment (“official” US Military report here). This experiment was believed to use electromagnetic radiation and gravity to render US Naval ship USS Eldridge, including crew, invisible, then teleported from Philadelphia to Norfolk, VA.
The Montauk Project claims to have continued the efforts of the Philadelphia Experiment in the early 1950′s. It wasn’t until 1968 that equipment supposedly used in the experiments, including a SAGE radar installation, was moved to Camp Hero and installed.
Camp Hero Sage Radar Installation
The US Government declared Camp Hero closed in 1969, dedicating the land as a wildlife refuge/park, seemingly to avert the idea that the NSA and the Office of Naval Intelligence had developed a deep underground miltary base. Despite this, Camp Hero remained completely closed to the public until 1987. To this day the buildings that housed the radar and underground space remain closed.
The two staunchest supporters of the Montauk Project, Al Bielek and Duncan Cameron, claim to have jumped from the deck of the USS Eldridge as it traveled through hyperspace in 1943 and ended up at Camp Hero in 1983.
Stay tuned for Montauk Weirdness – Part 3, coming tomorrow, where I will detail my (somewhat illegal) wanderings through Camp Hero back in the ’90′s, chronicle the tales of Bielek and Cameron and bring you more weirdness from mystical Montauk.
August 5, 2008, 9:53 pm : Montauk Monster – Latest in a Long History of East End Weirdness
Filed Under: NewsDiscussion: C[0]mments
Editors note- This is the first of a series chronicling the varied strange and obtuse occurrences that have taken place in Montauk. As someone who grew up surfing there and exploring every inch of the place, I’ll reveal through personal experience, some interesting things about this place that will help you draw your own conclusion. I will make no definitive claims that any particular story is anything more than sensationalism.
By now most people have heard or read about the Montauk Monster, the unidentified and inexplicable beast that was stumbled upon by three Montauk residents, allegedly photographed and reviewed by biological experts who could not provide a definitive answer as to what this thing was.
This tale is not unprecedented for Montauk; it’s just the latest in a long line of questionable and possibly dubious stories that at the very least give this picturesque place an air of the preturnatural. That’s right, before the world became enamored with this bizarre creature, several other noteworthy tales have drifted out of this place people refer to as “The End”.
First some interesting facts, in short order: Lots of stars and characters have graced these shores. The Rolling Stones frequented the place for two consecutive summers, hanging at Andy Warhol’s palatial domicile on the bluffs, writing at least one album while there, and befriending some of the locals. This is when they wrote the song “Memory Motel”.
Super heroes @ Memory Motel (the pic is a story unto itself)
Dick Cavett lost his historic house on the bluffs east of Ditch Plains to a fire, then rebuilt it and is now selling. Bon Vivant Peter Beard still calls Montauk home today.
Montauk-based fishing captain Frank Mundus owns the world record for the largest White Shark caught on rod and reel, and is generally considered to be the model for the character “Quint” in the movie Jaws.
The U.S. Armed forces bought a majority of the property east of Montauk Village, using it for various purposes, including quarantining soldiers returning from the Spanish American war; placing 16 inch guns at Camp Hero to protect New York Shipping Lanes. Later, a large radar dish was installed, its exact purpose never truly identified.
Coming in the next post on this topic I will delve into the weird and wild of Montauk, but I’ll state this now: The Montauk Monster is REAL. You’ll know why I believe this to be so if you hang in there til the end. You will also get some clues as to where the Montauk Monster is hidden. Witch hunt anyone?
August 3, 2008, 5:49 pm : Let the Great Debate Begin! Part One – Top Five Bass Players of All Time
Filed Under: Genres and Styles, MusicDiscussion: C[0]mments
Here’s DP with his first in a four (maybe five?) part series – JS
As a new (and key – ha ha ha) musical contributor to the site, it almost seems to be a mandatory requirement I provide some form of validation that allows me to hold a writing position others can only covet. After all, how could I offer up solid euphonic recommendations without providing readers proof of my “street cred” as it relates to being a self-described musicphile?
This post will be the first in a series of articles I will eventually write that will list the top five masters of the main elements that comprise modern music as we know it – bass, drums, guitar, keyboard. I may reserve the right to post a final piece that lists vocalists, but that category is the toughest of all because of the judging difficulties that surround music style, composition, and other subjective elements that comprise a great singer.
So, submitted for your approval, I offer my first list – the top five bass players of all time. I am leading with the bass because it is in an instrument that almost always takes a back seat to somebody playing a killer ax or wailing on an amazing vocal wavelength. However, without a solid bass line, music can be set adrift without a harmonious foundation. Here my favorites, in descending order:
1. John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin). As mentioned above, the bass is commonly thought of as an accompanying, background instrument and makes it to the forefront of very few songs. John Paul Jones took that common belief and turned it on its head by making the bass a key element to many of the songs the band produced. Just listening to his insane, wandering interpretation of what should be a standard blues riff on “The Lemon Song” is enough to make you want to run out and get music lessons just to attempt to be as cool as he is.
2. John Entwistle (The Who). Close your eyes and picture this – a guy who can keep up on a bass with the likes of Keith Moon, Pete Townshend, and Roger Daltry while sporting a completely stoic frown the whole time. Sound crazy? Well John Entwistle was that guy and several of The Who’s songs are defined by his unrelenting abuse (in a good way!) of the instrument…check this clip out to better understand my point.
3. Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers). What’s not to love about a 46 (!) year old trumpet-playing bassist who plays the instrument so intensely, it makes me tired just watching him play one song on stage. While John Paul Jones and John Entwistle were known for their respective specific, distinct styles of playing, Flea’s has matured over the years from an insane, driving-punk style (where he would put super glue on his thumb to avoid wearing a hole in it when he played), through a period where he slapped his bass like Bootsy Collins, and currently settling on a mellower style that perfectly supplements the Chilis’s current incarnation. Because of this well-delivered metamorphosis, Flea, in my world, is elevated to the highest-ranked bassist who’s alive today. Click here to watch him show up at 2:00 into a surprising video while working his magic (nice pants, by the way).
4. Les Claypool (Primus). There is no word to better describe Les Claypool‘s bass playing than that which his band’s name hints at – primal. His mastery of the instrument has enabled him do something bassists rarely do; make it compete head on with (and may times surpass) the main guitar accompaniment of the songs his group produces. To underscore his talent, he was reportedly turned down by Metallica when he auditioned for them because James Hetfield felt, “…he was too good.” Watch how easy he plays it around his instrument in this clip – you’ll become addicted to his style.
5. Adam Clayton (U2). OK, I know what you’re thinking – Adam Clayton? Seriously? I will admit my last vote is skewed somewhat by my ridiculously high regards for the band and its incredible history of music (hence Geddy Lee being #6 on my top five list), but I also have to tip my hat to the way Adam was brought into the group. Legend has it that he was good friends with Dave Evans (The Edge), and answered an open call to join a band comprised of Larry Mullen, Jr. and Paul Hewson (Bono). When he showed up, he immediately got the job because, according to Bono, “…he just looked like a bass player with a long f***ing trench coat and big hair.” Click here or here to experience highlights of what got him onto my list. You may think it’s relatively simple stuff, but I guarantee you U2 would not be as prolific without him…
And there you have it! My first list of many that will be forthcoming and sure to spark some debate…
For my musical purist readers who are rolling up their sleeves right now to flame me on putting John Entwistle second on my list - hear me out! I based my decision on ranking the first two on one important differentiation. John Entwistle’s style, while every bit as good to put him at the top of the list, loses a fraction of a mark because I like the way Jones’s playing interweaves tighter with Led Zeppelin’s songs. This point will be clarified when I post the next article on top five guitarists.
What are your thoughts? Let ‘em fly!
DP
August 1, 2008, 3:13 pm : Interview with The Cheaters Drummer Kevin Shook
Filed Under: Interviews, MusicDiscussion: C[0]mments
JS: Tell me about The Cheaters; how long have you been together, how did you form, and what has it been like trying to evolve as a band and establish who you are?
Kevin Shook: The Cheaters have been together for about 3 years now. Brett and I have been playing together in various bands together for about 10 years now. We met Dave through playing around Baltimore with some of the bands that he was in. Brett and I met Jason through a mutual friend, and used to crash with him when our band would play at his college. When we started The Cheaters, our friend suggested giving Jason a try. He came to the first rehearsal, and just killed it. We knew right then and there that we had found our guy.
The evolution process for us as a band has come pretty naturally through hard work. We really enjoy playing out live, and I think playing out as much as we do has really helped us to define our sound, and who we are as a band. Our live show is pretty much a result of our natural chemistry. We like to have a good time onstage and offstage, and try to make everyone in the crowd have as good of a time as we’re having.
JS: How far along are you guys toward where you ultimately want to be as a band?
KS: We’ve still got a ways to go before we are ultimately where we’d like to be. We definitely want to be at the point where we are touring worldwide, and making our living off of playing in the band. We’ve gotten some really good breaks this year, and have made a lot of progress by performing with larger national acts, and getting to meet with some good industry contacts.
JS: What are the biggest influences in the Cheaters sound?
KS: We definitely take our cues from a lot of the bigger classic rock bands. Bands like Led Zeppelin and Lynyrd Skynyrd have had a big influence on our sound. We’re all songwriters, and have different influences though, so that’s what helps make our sound a little more unique
JS: You guys are from the Annapolis area. How does this area compare to other places for fledgling music acts trying to make it?
KS: Annapolis has a great local scene. There are a lot of amazing artists around the area, and there’s live music every night of the week. We love playing at venues like Armadillo’s and The Whiskey, but we try not to saturate the market too much. We love getting out on the road. After being out of town for a while though, we always love coming back to Annapolis, and rocking for the home crowd.
JS: You guys recently played a festival in Lithuania. Tell me about that. How did that gig come about? What was it like playing in Lithuania?
KS: The Saltsound Festival was a big surprise for us. We have good overseas distribution, and have sold a lot of cd’s throughout Europe. The promoters of the Saltsound Festival heard us at a music expo in France, and really liked what they heard. They arranged to have us flown over to perform at the festival. We were the only American band chosen to perform, so it was really quite an honor, and it was an amazing experience for us as a band.
JS: Give me a crazy/funny/gory/scary type of story from touring. Names may be left out to protect the innocent.
KS: I’ve got a good one from the Saltsound Festival, actually. We ended up hanging out with a lot of other musicians from the festival, and the bars stayed open till 6 in the morning, so we knew something crazy would end up happening with all of us together. One of the other band members that we were partying with brought along some moonshine that his friend had made. We all went out to a bar downtown and started getting pretty crazy. We were all done playing the festival, so we were definitely ready to cut loose. There was a lot of camaraderie between all of the bands, and there was just a really good vibe going on. At first, there was a lot of standing on tables, celebrating, yelling, and just having a good time. Then, one of the people that we were parting with took a big sip of the moonshine, then poured some onto the table that we were at, and lit the moonshine on fire! The fire was very small and controlled, but it was still pretty wild to see. After that, someone poured moonshine onto two other spots on the table, and lit those on fire. Once those were lit, a couple more people arm wrestled in between the two flames. Our waitress came out during this, and the look on her face was absolutely priceless. She didn’t lose her cool at all, but she definitely thought we were all out of our minds. There are plenty of other stories, but that was definitely the wildest night that we had overseas.