rock

Conan Neutron and the Secret Friends Midwest Tour 2024

Mindee JorgensenLeave a comment

Including a Hometown show in Sioux City and Caterwaul 2024

I had a great time reuniting with my bandmates Conan, Tony, and Dusty for a short Midwest run of shows. I also made many new friends including Loren, who played second guitar on the first 3 shows.

Late in the evening, after a long day of travel, I arrived in Omaha NE and met up with Conan, and met (literally lol) Loren. As usual Tony’s flight was delayed, so we got some food at the ever famous midwest late night diner… Perkins. Living classy. The diner drama we were entertained by while indulging in our fancy fried feast included the overnight waitress being a no call no show, and the one server on the floor was moments away from snapping. The tension from the kitchen radiated out into the dining room.

That night was a hotel night, and we awoke to a sweltering hot midwest morning. First things first, we had to rehearse. Our one and only practice was the morning of the 1st show. It was at the Omaha Guitar Center, which was super accommodating and friendly. After a few hours of rehearsal we hit the road to my hometown of Sioux City Iowa.

I gave the band a warning that Sioux City smelled, but they were still blown away by the stench of the air as we rolled into the city limits. We stopped at Floyds monument for some Sioux City photos, and then took a nice break from the heat at The Siouxland Conservatory of Music.

The show was amazing, it was at a very cool coffee shop/art gallery. It was all ages so I got to see not only my friends and family, but also all their little ones. So many good friends showed up, and I also got to spend some time with my Dad. We did a late night La Jua’s dinner, and then stayed with my BFF’s Sam and Jenny, who made sure we were cozy and comfortable.

The next day was a 7 hour drive across the monotonous state of Iowa to Madison WI. Iowa isn’t quite as boring to look at as Nebraska, but close!

The Madison show was fun, and the green room looked like it hadn’t been changed, or cleaned, since the 70’s. The whole room had a yellow tint from years of smoking. The next day, Milwaukee had a similar time capsule green room, complete with a rotary land line phone.

Milwaukee was an afternoon show, and we played promptly at 4. Tony had a flight to catch which departed at 530, so we were on a time crunch. He had an uber waiting and was off stage and out the door before the feedback of our last song subsided. It was a very rock n roll exit, and he did make his flight.

I had the next day off in Milwaukee and got some much needed alone time. I went to a cool bio-dome place to look at the plants and habitats, got a haircut, took a walk by the river, and had some coffee with Loren. Oh, and of course did my laundry.

We were up and out the door at 7am, to make it to a radio interview at 8. I was so tired, any questions they directed to me were all one word answers lol. Then a few hours drive into Louisville to grab Tony and Dusty on our way to Cincinnati.

Yeah…..Cincinnati was the bummer show of the tour. The rest were pretty good but this one was so off. We played to no one, didn’t get paid, and the local bands lacked proper band etiquette. On the bright side we played a killer set, super tight! We then drove like 2 hours back to Louisville where we had a killer Air B+B waiting for us. I got my own room and bathroom, yeah! We got to sleep in too.

The next day was the Louisville show, so we had a free afternoon with no driving. We got a fancy breakfast and then did some of the tourist stuff. We went to see Coronal Sander’s grave, and a super sweet hotel from the 20’s where Al Capone had a bunch of secret rooms and passageways.

The show was great! The venue was Planet of the Tapes, and had so many cool things to look at. It was our first night with Part Chimp, and they are a killer band and solid dudes. I also have friends in Louisville and it was nice to see familiar faces. To top it off there was even a storm!

Next day we were off to Chicago. After a semi long drive, (longer than it needed to be thanks to traffic,) we stopped by a cool music store where Tony fell in love with a white Flying V custom bass. We ate some amazing Thai food, and I really needed a vegetable so that was great. I swear we stopped at a gas station rest stops where the only vegetable in the whole store was a pickle, ugh.

Chicago was for me the best show, both playing wise and all around great time. Huge crowd, every band was good, the bartenders were a blast, made new friends, and probably got too drunk…almost. The drive to the hotel I had to hold the new Flying V, since it didn’t have a case yet. In return I was allowed to name it and went with Paddington V.

Friday was a drive day, Chicago to Minneapolis for the 1st day of the 4 day Caterwaul fest. Dusty’s band was playing, and Conan runs the fest, so they were both a bit on edge. I just got to sit back and enjoy the day…as much as you can in a van for 8 hours. The bar on Friday night was cool, but I was worn out and my ears needed some silence. Tony and I were going to uber back to our swanky Air B+B (another room all to myself for 3 days…yesssss….) However, it was like 50 dollars so we decided to walk the 3 miles. It was a nice night and good exercise after a day in the van.

Saturday was our day to play at the fest. It was an outdoor stage at Palmer’s bar. A full day of bands, and we were on in the middle. I kinda felt like a rock star with workers who unloaded the van and set everything up. I will say it wasn’t my best set of the tour, the only one I really made an mistakes. I believe because I mistook a THC beverage for just CBD…and it hit right as I was on stage lol. It was still a kick ass solid set.

After that my duties of tour were done. I had Sunday as a day off in MN, where I did laundry and took a long walk by the river, and then hung out at the fest. My flight home was Monday morning at 6am midwest time, so by the time I got to LA I was so jet lagged. Took a nap, but my band BFF’s Lung were in town and staying at my studio. So it was one more night of music before my ears got a day of silence. It was great seeing Lung, I love that band. Some of the coolest and realist people I know.

So, that was my tour. People ask how was your tour, and there is so much to it I can’t really answer in one word, even one sentence. Very up and down, good shows and bad. Cozy beds and crappy beds. Long drives and easy days. The cool thing about touring is it keeps me grounded and in the moment. You never know what the day will bring and have to be able to go with the flow no matter what obstacles come your way. I love touring, and it also makes me appreciate my home life, apartment, and cats. It is like I get to live 2 different lifestyles. Road life and home life.

A few songs from our Chicago gig at The Liar’s Club.

Conan Neutron and the Secret Friends March tour with mclusky!

Mindee JorgensenLeave a comment

I hit the road for a quick 4 show tour with my friends Conan, Dusty, and Tony (aka Conan Neutron and the Secret Friends) at the beginning of March. We did a couple shows on our own in Newport Beach and Bakersfield, and then opened for our friends mclusky at The Echoplex in Los Angeles, and The Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco.

Lots of good times, although I wish it wasn’t such a short tour! We were just getting warmed up! Good news though, we are doing a longer tour in May! That tour will be starting in my hometown of Sioux City IA on May 17th!! Going to be seeing you soon midwest friends!

Scroll to the bottom for a video of our Echoplex Soundcheck of a new unreleased song, “Who Dares!”

mclusky and the Secret Friends (📸 by Monmarphotography)
Live in SF
Soundcheck at The Echoplex
📸 by Monmar
📸 by Monmar
Packing up at 1am
The plexiglass has come between us
After the set…
Before the set…
📸 by Monmar

My 2019 Favorite Live Bands!

Mindee JorgensenLeave a comment

Howdy Friends!

 

I wanted to share with you some of my stand out favorite bands I played with in 2019. There are so many great bands I shared the stage with this year, but these ones really impressed me.  They are bands that kill it live and they also happen to all feature slaying drummers (suprise! Lol.) Go check them out, you won’t be disappointed.

 

The Pats Pats

The Pats Pats made an epic overseas trek from their hometown of Tokyo Japan to play Los Angeles in October.  It was their first time here and they did not disappoint.  Cute, fierce and catchy, they wowed a Halloween house show over-packed with excited new fans.  The main members are Akiko on guitar and Midori on bass, with both on vocals. They have a rotating cast of top notch drum mates, bringing hard hitting Kotarods with them on this trip.  They write solid rocking pop songs about love, girl time, and donuts.

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Fox Medicine 

Towards the end of 2019 I played 2 shows with Portland based noise rock band Fox Medicine. This dynamic duo describes themselves as “Bubblegum doom,” and that is pretty accurate. Full toned guitar lines that dance around between sludge and rock meld with dominant drums that can both keep the groove and impress with fast fills that fit the songs perfectly. All this under the charmingly aggressive vocals of guitarist Nee make for a one of a kind sound experience.

 

 

Fatty Cakes and The Puff Pastries

Fatty Cakes and The Puff Pastries take the term “girl band” to a whole new level, showcasing ferocious full on female force. They have a fun and playful vibe but are not afraid to call people out on their shit. Each member is a powerful presence, and combined they are an unstoppable force. Fronted by Fatty Cakes, who plays an electric ukulele, the group commands your attention through-out their whole set. The vocals can be catchy and harmonious, but there is always the presence of punk rock attitude.

 

 

Conan Nuetron and The Secret Friends

Charismatic front man Conan Nuetron put together a talented cast of musicians that brought some very heavy rock to Los Angeles.  He writes songs that are catchy yet complex, and  pure rock n roll.  His live show is filled with enthusiasm and intensity.

 

Duderella

You all need to experience the immense wall of sound that is Duderella. You would never guess that this band is a 2 piece.  They embellish on the stoner rock sound by spicing it up with their own unique flare and lots of sass. Wild drumming and thunderous bass explode from the stage when Duderella starts to play.

 

All Souls

All Souls combine memorizing guitar riffs, haunting vocals, and roaring drums to create a dark sound and omnipotent presence that lingers with you long after they exit the stage.  The 4 veterans of rock that make up All Souls have been progressing quickly, opening up for bands such as Tool, The Jesus Lizard, and Melvins.

I can’t wait to see what bands 2020 brings my way!

Why am I REALLY in Los Angeles….Gay Bear vs. Detective.

Mindee JorgensenLeave a comment

What kind of a world do we live in when a single prank phone call is considered an act of terrorism, resulting in a 4 month investigation by detectives?

I am talking, of course, about my own life.  Seriously.  I am the person that was harassed by detectives, threatened with terrorist charges, and subpoenaed by the assistant district attorney because someone, not me, made a prank call from my cell phone.

It all has to do with Sioux City’s selfish and closed minded city council.  A couple of years ago, the state of Iowa legalized gay marriage.  This upset the conservative, rigidly Christian, city council.  They made slanderous remarks about homosexuals and wasted tax payer money to exclude sexual orientation from the cities list of groups protected against discrimination.  They made the public statement that even though you legally could be gay and get married in Sioux City, the city does not approve or welcome you.

So, one of those councilmen received an anonymous voicemail.  The message was a man saying something about being a bear and gay anal sex.

It may not have been an appropriate voicemail, but certainly not an act of terrorism, on the part of the prank caller or the innocent person whose phone was used.

Yet there I was, in an interrogation room with a detective trying to play the “good cop” mind game, pretending that he thought the whole thing was stupid, and asking me questions that shouldn’t matter to the law, such as “What are your views on gay marriage,” and “Do you know what a bear is?”

He played the voicemail back to me off a poor quality handheld tape recorder, and I tried my best not to laugh; how was I supposed to take this serious? [Seriously?] He demanded that I tell him who the voice belonged to, and I honestly didn’t recognize the dude’s voice. I told him I wasn’t sure who did it but I might have an idea.  He said I better find out and get him the man’s name.

So I left the station and went about life as normal.  That is until about two weeks later when he called me back, asking why I haven’t called him with the person’s name.  I told him I didn’t know who did it, and that is when he threatened me.

“This is a very serious, Mindee.  If you do not help us find the person who made this call, you will be charged with aiding and abetting, and terrorism,” he threatened.

[Wait….Seriously?]

I went to a lawyer.  I told him the whole situation and he just laughed, telling me that I have nothing to worry about. I did nothing wrong and they are just trying to get information out of me.  This was a big relief, and once again I went back to life as normal.

Then, about two months later, I get a call from the detective.  He needed to meet up with me to serve me subpoena papers.

[Wait…. what the FUCK]

Back to the lawyer I go, who is in comical disbelief at seeing me again, and that the subpoena is being heard by the assistant district attorney, someone who usually only hears the most heinous of criminal cases.

The day of the subpoena, I entered a small room with my lawyer, the detective, and the assistant district attorney [And that note taking lady].  For almost two hours they probe into my personal life, getting the names of all my friends, where I work, what bands I am in, and questioning my personal beliefs.  They accused me of lying, and saying it’s not possible that I don’t know who did this. [Hey, I got a lot of friends, most of them slowly going insane, thanks to you Sioux City .]

They ask me how I could tell the detective that I might know who did it, but now I have no idea, and I respond with “Well, I thought I knew which of my friends would find this funny, but it turns out everyone thinks this is hilarious.”

This upset the detective, who responded by screaming “Anal sex is NOT FUNNY Miss Jorgensen!”  [OH MAN! Torture! , do you KNOW how hard it is not to laugh in that situation. This was REALITY man…] My lawyer later assured me that I am allowed to think anal sex is funny if I want- it’s a basic freedom the law can’t take away. [HA!]

Of course, it didn’t end after the subpoena.  The detective went to a show and began questioning my friends and band mates.  I felt harassed and violated.  I decided I could no longer live in this ass backwards city, put in my two weeks at work, and promptly moved to Los Angeles. I assumed that the LAPD has real crime to worry about other than a single prank call that jokingly accuses a homophobic of being gay..Image

NUBS

Mindee JorgensenLeave a comment

Here is a little profile piece I wrote about a local staple of the Los Angeles underground music scene.  Written for a school project last spring.

Nubs- The Unsung Hero

By Mindee Jorgensen

You will never see Nubs up on the stage.  He has stage fright and hates being in front of people.  Yet almost every night he is out and about, hiding backstage at a show somewhere in Los Angeles.  He might be carrying a guitar amp, or putting together a drum set.  Sometimes he is setting up PA or testing sound levels.  It’s just what he does, and he has been doing it a long time.

“I’m a geek and [music] is what I got into.  I have a really bad phobia of being watched, and I don’t want to go on stage, but I have to do something.  I may as well put my brain to use,” Nubs said. “I got into helping bands so that they could actually start on time and play as long as their supposed to. It’s practical.”

Nubs, whose real name is Neil Gutmacher, has been helping bands set up since 1986.  He started by helping his friend’s band Fire Hose move gear, and ended up being their stage hand for 7 years.  Since then he has helped numerous bands and ran sound at many shows.

Yet there is more to Nubs than meets the eye.  This stocky man who is always seen in a band tee shirt, shorts, and a baseball cap has two college degrees, a BS in Physics and a BS in Math.  By day he does quality assurance, testing midi keyboards for bugs.  He has only gone on the road with a band once because he is always busy working, unable to leave town.  And it wasn’t music that brought him to California, it was his degrees.

“My first job was for Hughes Aircraft.  I built transformers for radar systems and classified projects” he said.

Some of the projects he worked on were the F14, F18, and Star Wars.  One classified project he worked on would go up to an enemy spy satellite and shoot it with an electrical bolt, frying the circuitry and knocking out the satellite.

The MX missile was another major project he was a part of.  The MX missile had 8 nuclear war heads on it, and could destroy 8 separate towns.  He worked on the transformer for the guidance system.

Working on classified projects and nuclear war heads didn’t seem unusual to Nubs.  “I didn’t think anything special of what I was working on.  It was just a job, my first after college,” he says.

He did find a way to bring his work the punk scene though.  He used to save spare parts that were going to get thrown away and hide them at shows and after parties to see if anyone would find them.

Nubs remains modest despite all he does in life and for the music scene, saying “I’m nobody special.  I’m not a band.  They deserve recognition, not me.  They are trying to get somewhere, I’m not.”