Greta Thunberg Pleads with Jesse James Dupree to Switch to Battery Electric Chainsaw Ahead of Performance at Ohio Bike Week 2024.

I love Jackyl, but that stinky Chainsaw has got to go, says the noted environmentalist.

Creative Commons/You Tube

Outspoken activist Greta Thunberg has taken it upon herself to spearhead the international cabal of rock music enthusiasts encouraging Jackyl front-man and self-anointed “Lumber Jack of Love” Jesse James Dupree to cast aside that stinky two-stroke and get hip with a new emissions-free, battery-powered chainsaw. 

 

Thunberg wishes to make it clear that she wishes for the summer concert party season to continue unabated, albeit with fewer noxious two-stroke emissions. “Like most young Swedish people, my life revolves around three things: Calling out hypocritical world leaders and gross corporate polluters, scarfing those meatballs at IKEA, and blasting some f#cking Jackyl from the tape deck in my Volvo EV. I mean, Jesse James Dupree is basically the Bob Dylan of Scandinavia.” 

 

Preferred over four-stroke models for their lighter weight and quick-revving nature, the two-stroke has been the choice of lumberjacks and musicians for decades. But the new wave of battery-powered chainsaws offers some excellent alternatives. Stihl, the brand most commonly associated with Dupree, makes several dandy battery-powered chainsaws, including the Stihl MSA 220 C-B; it’s got plenty of power and a 16-inch bar, so it won’t be too emasculating when Jesse suggestively positions the saw amidst his loins and “jams” along with the band. It’s a crowd favorite. 

 

Equally as troubling is that while now assembled in the U.S., the German company’s founder was apparently a bit of a Nazi back in the day and was arrested as such during WWII. But let’s not throw stones. 

 

Thunberg is on the record as preferring Husqvarna battery-electric chainsaws from her native Sweden for her personal arborist needs. 

 

Ohio Bike Week runs from Friday, May 24 through Saturday, June 1 in Downtown Sandusky Ohio, a suburb of the Cedar Point Amusement Park. Catch Jackyl on Thursday, May 30th on the Progressive / Firelands Auto Main Stage, Jackson St. Pier, Downtown Sandusky. Show starts at 6 PM. 

Legal Note: This is obviously satire. Get with it nerds.The part about Jackyl playing Bike Week, however, is 100% legit.

Chrysler Is Not Going to Come Out with a Chopper: Ed “Big Daddy” Roth on the Great American Dream Machine.

Broadcast television wasn't always the snooze-fest it is today. Take, for instance, The Great American Dream Machine, a weekly program created and produced in New York City by the seminal WNET independent and later Public broadcaster. (Currently THIRTEEN PBS, see the logo here.) Running for the 1971 and 1972 broadcast seasons, TGADM took a satirical look at current events and gave some screen time to the emerging pop- and counter-culture movements and figures. That includes Rat Fink creator Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, who appears in the weekly "Great American Hero" profile of episode 4, season 1.

Roth, who fashioned his public persona out of the burgeoning Kustom Kar craze of the 1960s, managed to eclipse the street and show scene, sign a contract with Revell for model kits based on his creations, and eventually build a DIY mail-order empire of Roth T-shirts and other products avaible via a mail order catalog, all while still accepting contract work and building the odd car or chopper when the mood dictated. Rat Fink, the most visible and iconic of all Roth's creations, served as the masthead and and linchpin of his operation, and still commands a rabid fan base today.

So popular was the Kustom Kulture movent, provocative auteur Kenneth Anger and Author/Journalist Tom Wolfe each took a stab at defining the movement, the former with his three-minute Kustom Kar Kommandos film commentary, the latter with an article in Esquire magazine,The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby, which was subsequently published in a book format collection of essays that used the same as the collective title.

Roth is at his best here, lucid and playing to the camera in a fashion that wouldn't become normalized for decades. He spends much of the time calling out Detroit designers, accusing them of essentially being a bunch of martini-swilling yes men. Roth however, exists in world free of the EPA, safety concerns, and economic and practical reality. And really, if Detroit designed and built the Surfite or the California Cruiser trike, Big Daddy would be without a job.  

Roth became heavily involved in the chopper scene at one point, and was the publisher of Choppers Magazine.

The episode continues with vaguely automotive themes, employing a surplus of the stock footage mixed (a collection of low-speed crash testing films directly follows the Roth segment) with original animation and scoring. In short, the kind of programming made possible by boardroom TV executives anxious to exploit the counter-culture and newly-emerging teenage consumers for profit, but completely unaware of how to do so. Once Rowen and Martin struck gold with Laugh-In in 1968, everyone with a programming schedule to fill was tossing money at hip young producers and directors hoping to replicate the success. Not until Saturday Night Live debuted in October, 1975, would a single production successfully combine these elements and capture a major audience.

The Roth segment starts at the 2:29 mark, but we encourage you to watch the episode in its entirety to get a refresher in the state of youth-oriented television circa 1971. It feels a bit like a low-grade meth-influenced cross between Zoom and Monty Python.

Fun Fact: John Lennon praised the show in a 1972 radio interview, saying "But this Great American Dream Machine that they have on [New York-area public TV station] Channel 13 is as good as, if not better than, anything that's on British TV, including Monty Python's Flying Circus, which is not as heavy as the Dream Machine."

Fun Fact: Chevy Chase, Nina Simone, Albert Brooks, Jane Fonda, Martin Mull, Studs Terkel, Linda Lavin, Artie Shaw - yes, the one with the clarinet - Don McLean, Lee Meredith, and others all contributed to the show.   

Fun Fact: The Birthday Party, Nick Cave's legendary and influential Aussie post-punk band employed Roth for the cover art of their 1982 release, Junkyard. 

The entire run of The Great American Dream Machine is avaible for free viewing on tubi.

American Indie: The Last Independent Automaker Docuseries Tells the Story of Nerd-Chic Pioneer American Motors

The Last Independent Automaker is a six-part documentary series about the incredible history of American Motors Corporation, told by the people who loved it. 

Everyone loves an underdog, particularly if it involves a Levi's Gremlin—Real Reldnew, 1984.

 

The Trailer for Stunt Rock Says Everything About the 1970s Worth Saying

Hatched in the fertile mind of English-Aussie film veteran Brian-"subtlety is probably not my middle name"-Trenchard-Smith, Stunt Rock delivers every single drop of testosterone-driven excitement the poster and trailer promise. In short, things blow up, cars crash, and mystical satanic-tinged rock is performed with all the artistic nuance of a stack of concrete blocks falling from a scaffold.

Lest you film aesthetes dismiss Stunt Rock as just another piece of celluloid schlock created to lure libidinous and thrill-hungry teens to the drive in, consider the plot as outlined in Wikipedia:

"Australian stuntman Grant Page accepts a job on an American television series and travels to Los Angeles, where he reunites with his cousin, Sorcery band member Curtis Hyde. Hyde performs with a heavy metal band called Sorcery, playing the part of The Prince of Darkness who is locked in cosmic combat with the King of the Wizards."

"Eventually Page's reckless behavior attracts the attention of newspaper reporter Lois, who is writing an article about his career-obsessed co-star Monique van de Ven, both gravitating towards the stunt-man's professional fearlessness. Later the trio attend Sorcery concerts, enjoy Hollywood parties with the band, and explore the nature of extreme living."

But for all of Stunt Rock's hubris and reckless abandon, the single most impressive aspect of the film is that it managed to get made. I'll let the film's auteur, Brian Trenchard-Smith, give you the lowdown on how a momentary, throw-away idea navigated the typical Hollywood pitfalls that have felled countless projects and managed to make it to the silver screen.

Fun Fact: Phil Hartman appears in Stunt Rock as the personal assistant to Monique van de Ven.

The Lost Footage: KISS Live at Cobo Hall, Detroit, Michigan, May 16, 1975.

Hey kids, remember the rock group KISS? 

No, not the current pair of flaccid yentas and day-hire imposters trading under the name—I'm talking about the group born from the fertile New York streets of the 1970s. The one that unwittingly managed to blend the rust-belt bombast of Grand Funk Railroad with the street smarts of the New York Dolls and wrap the whole thing up in kabuki-themed Evel Knievel production with just the slightest touch of Alice, Iggy and Ziggy mixed in to satisfy the elitists.  

Well, that KISS only lasted for about three years, starting in 1974 with the eponymous debut album and blowing the doors off the finish line with 1977's Love Gun, their sixth long-player in under 48 months. Sure, they put out music for decades after that, but like most underdogs who actually get what they want, success forever changed them.

That of course necessitated the firing of Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, two modern-day Bowery Boys straight out of central casting whose careers would've hit a brick wall at the Lincoln Tunnel without the drive and organization of Paul and Gene. Unfortunately, the pair took 75% of the personality and all of the humor and street credibility out the door with them. 

But back in '75, they were still cocky, aggressive, and white hot. And like other bands of the era, they knew if they could take Detroit, the undisputed ground-zero for high-energy rock and roll, they could succeed anywhere. So the band and manager doubled down and decided to record a live album at Cobo Hall. 

Now, nearly fifty years later, a video artifact of that landmark gig in May of 1975 surfaces without explanation. 

There's some missed cues, the tempos sway, the guitars are slightly out of tune and are plugged directly into the amps, and I think you can hear Peter's kick pedal occasionally. In other words a perfect scenario for teen nirvana.

It's pretty great.

1:04 Let Me Go, Rock & Roll 

3:24 C'mon & Love Me  

6:57 Firehouse  

12:40 Deuce  

18:59 Rock & Roll All Nite  

24:42 Quick glimpse of the banner from the back cover of Alive!  

25:49 Black Diamond

George Carlin's American Dream | Official Trailer | HBO

Not sure if I'm a bit naive or just feeling nostalgic, but I really, really, really, need to see this as soon as possible. At his best, Carlin could meld the gross absurdity of life with the frailty of the human condition and mine it for laughs like few others.

Abandoned Detroit - The City of Neglect

Still hungry for more Detroit ruin porn? Follow along as Bob, aka Detroit Unseen, takes you on a journey documenting the spectacular ruins of Detroit and his personal recovery from drug addiction.
There's no shortage of web sites and short films documenting the rise and fall and current revival of Detroit, but the city's legacy is vast and star-crossed enough to support yet another take on the subject. It could benefit from some tighter edits, but there's a pandemic on and it's not exactly like most of us are pressed for time.

From the filmmaker: 

With Detroit you take the good with the bad, recognize the good as it comes and preserve the good that has come before. Many that enter the City of Detroit can sense the urgency of change and the spirit of reinvention. We certainly understand this, and the photos represent what we have seen along the way. The Flag of Detroit contains the two Latin slogans “Speramus Meliora” and “Resurget Cineribus” meaning “We hope for better things” and “It will rise from the ashes.” The prophetic phrases originally created in reference to the great fire of 1805, ring true more now than ever. We take these slogans to heart everyday as we go out and explore our great city.

Supercut of Two Lane Blacktop Set to Pink Floyd's "One of These Days" is Sublime.

 

Get the Criterion Collection release of Two Lane Blacktop here. 

There’s No Such Thing as a Wrong Note–Art Tatum

Brother Ryan A. Bunch weighs in on the reluctant legacy of the Glass City's musical influence:

"Art Tatum’s dilapidated childhood home sits on City Park Avenue along the Dorr Street Corridor just on the outer edge of downtown, a total wreck, abandoned for decades. Out front, a gleaming bronze historical marker notes the sad relevance of the gaping hole in the foundation, the overgrown lot, the paint long-past chipping. The only splash of color offered on the drab scene is a few muraled boards guarding the long-open windows painted by teens from a nearby junior high school a few years ago. This is the perfect metaphor for Toledo music. We can’t talk about what is without talking about what was."

Take the  deep dive here:

You’re Never That Far From Toledo: a survey of music, history, grandiose complacency, and talent export in the Glass City—by Ryan A. Bunch

 

Oscar-Winning Chase Scene from Bulitt Re-imagined for a Shelter in Place World

"You believe what you want. Look, you work your side of the street, and I'll work mine."

Courtesy of Daytona-Rockledge Speedway. Click on through and check out all their videos.

Grand Funk Railroad on Playboy After Dark

Hugh Hefner's recipe for a good time: Tony Randall, Barbie Benton, and Grand Funk Railroad. I dare you to come up with a more volatile trifecta of ingredients for achieving maximum hedonism. The perfect salve for our troubled souls in these trying times.


Fun Fact: Mark Farner infamously used a Messenger brand guitar, which featured an aluminum and magnesium neck and a built-in boost/distortion circuit. While little is known about this short-lived, west-coast based luthier, we do know the guitars used De Armond pickups, designed and manufactured right here in Toledo, Ohio. Pictorial evidence indicates Farner replaced the De Armond pickups with humbuckers somewhere along the line.

Amazon wants me to tell you that I might get paid a tiny stipend if you click on a link and buy something from them

Mark, Mel, and Don: The Rise and Fall of Grand Funk Railroad

Times Square, New York City, June 14, 1970.

Quarantine got you down? Why not check out Peter Makowski's condensed account of when three working-class yobs from Flint, Michigan, tapped into the national zeitgeist and briefly ruled the world?

Excerpted from Grand Funk Railroad: The Forgotten Story of a True American Band

"But the fact that the media played absolutely no part in Grand  Funk’s success turned out to be a major selling point to their audience. Critic/documentary maker, native of Detroit and bona fide Funk fan Michael Moore once said: 'People loved this band because some record company didn’t concoct it; image consultants didn’t choreograph it. This was a people’s band that just wanted to rock. A hard-driving, industrial rock’n’roll band that related to the average hard-working American.'

Indeed. There was a huge, ignored and uncatered-for audience in the U.S. Midwest who worked nine to five, paid their taxes and every weekend partied their brains out on a mixture of ripple wine, grass and barbiturates. While the middle classes had the privilege to protest about Vietnam, these poor bastards were actually being shipped out there to fight. This was a pissed-off generation who simply wanted to rock’n’roll. Grand Funk came to the rescue." –Peter Makowski, Classic Rock  / Louder

Now surf on over and read the complete story on LOUDER

 

John Brannon Crowd Surfing at Circle Jerks Gig in Detroit 06-06-82

With the Circle Jerks officially back in the saddle and the news that Detroit's favorite Fun Boy Three tribute band, the mighty Negative Approach, will be firing up the van and strapping on the jackboots in order to accompany Morris, Hetson, Schloss, and Associates on the majority of the dates, I figured this photo would make a timely addition to the long-dormant PDGB blogroll.

Long story long, the day started in Ann Arbor, where we stole a Rick Springfield promotional standup from the dearly missed Schoolkids Records, with every intention of giving to the Circle Jerks. We did, they played, and Keith utilized the cardboard Rick as stage prop while the crowd partook in the usual sweaty shenanigans that culminated in JB getting in some epic crowd surfing runs. NA, of course, opened the show, and now the Circle Jerks are reuniting for a tour to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of Group Sex, their influential first release. Concerned the punkness needed a little extra shove to send it over the edge, they invited Negative Approach and Adolescents along for the ride. Now shaping up to be the Old Punker event of the summer, the tour dates are below. Sadly, at this point it doesn't look like the fellas will be venturing East of the Mississippi, but we're confident there are more dates to come.