The Black Diamond Trout Society 2017

If you ever have gotten ticks to catch a trout
If you ever went off trail
If you ever watched a friend have a melt-down because there's no cellular service
If you ever had to call in sick to work the day after due to exhaustion
Welcome to the black diamond trout society!

After much touring and a delightfully musical spring and summer, I participated in a long overdue run to the southern Sierra with some esteemed friends (Noah Snyder, Justin Andres and my rock-n-roll wife Rebecca) had us sweat some, use our trekking poles and smell a little bit funky ... and, alas, catch a few fish.

Go get 'em!

Par Avion's March and April Flight Schedule

Photo: Tommy Blatnik

Par Avion has a colorful volley of So Cal gigs over the next several days and we wish to invite everyone to attend. The first two are low volume with Rebecca and I performing as a duo while the second two are more rockin'. Here they are in order with a few quick notes:

The Porch Gallery in Ojai, California - Saturday, March 25th - 5pm
Our laid back performance as a duo will take place at roughly 5pm after our good friend Osceola holds a talk about his photography (also on exhibit). This is free and open to the public and is simply an all-around cool event. Details HERE

The Santa Monica Farmer's Market - Sunday, March 26th - 10AM-1pm
We're talking the one at Main St. and Ocean Park; just blocks from the beach! This will also be a low volume duo gig. How often can you hear music while shopping for organic fruits and veggies? Super family friendly and totally California! Details HERE

The Pike Restaurant and Bar - Thursday, March 30th - 9pm-11pm (ish)
This is one of my favorite bars on earth. They make an honest no BS fish taco, serve some drinks and have a cool vibe with walls festooned with So Cal punk posters as well as Long Beach historical images and such. This night will feature two sets at medium volume. Set #1 being loungier than the second more rocking one. Derek O'Brien will be with us on drums. He's been a great part of the Par Avion experience and we will be recording some new material with him soon. Anyone with a passion for So Cal punk and surf will know Derek from a variety of great bands such as Social Distortion, Agent Orange, Extra Fancy and the Adolescents to name but a few. He's a cool cat too! The bar is at: 1836 E. 4th St. in LB. Their site is HERE

The Huntington Beach Pier - SURFIN' SUNDAYS - Sunday, April 2nd - 2pm
This is the first of a lengthy summer of Sunday events curated by some very cool allies in the world of instrumental surf music. This is ground zero; where it all began. I'm talking the roots of surf music! The event starts at around 11am and all the bands are great. Stay tuned from more details at this blog and or Par Avion's Facebook page HERE.

Black Diamond - Texas Style

Years ago I heard of a savvy guide named Alvin who worked out of the Austin area. Reports that I'd scrounge up were inspiring and he had a creative angle on looking for fish. Recently, while visiting Moldy Chum (one of my favorite blogs), I saw this cool account of a remote Texas river. The video is great eye candy and very inspiring. Enjoy!
Here's a link to the video HERE

The Harvest - Boat Trip Out Of Ventura Dec. 2016

The discussion, amongst anglers about preserving a resource is terribly complex. A species of fish (or animal of any sort) is one piece of a puzzle that includes its ecosystem and all the elements involved. Climate, other organisms, water or air quality and good ol' humans. With all these thoughts cycling through my brain, it was almost with a sense of guilt that Rebecca and I joined a group of friends to do some fishing AND harvesting. Given that I do this type of angling (essentially freezer stuffing) on an average of less than once a year and given how I am growing more and more leery of fish that I buy in the stores, any sense of guilt vanished. We charged out of Oxnard early one Monday morning for a wonderful day of playing hooky. Our best moments since have been a fish soup as well as fish tacos. Here's a video to add to the fun: CLICK ME.