Labor Day Weekend Bike Accident Sends Local Rocker to Emergency Room

This past weekend, the bassist from the popular local band, The Vox Jaguars, was found by Santa Cruz police, lying unconscious next to his bike in the intersection of Laurel Street and Pacific Avenue during the one o'clock AM hour early Sunday morning. The eighteen year old musician, Mason Rosenberg, whose bass playing has been compared to Les Claypool and Tony Levin, was taken by ambulance to Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz. He was later released with a concussion, but no other major injuries. There were no witnesses to the early morning bicycle accident. Anyone with information about this accident is urged to contact the Santa Cruz Police Dept.

Strangely, or interestingly, or something, last year on labor Day Weekend, the young Mr. Rosenberg found himself in the same emergency room with a ruptured appendix. He had been ill throughout The Vox Jaguar's Southern California tour, and had recently returned to Santa Cruz when he was taken to Dominican Hospital for emergency procedures.

And then there's the tale of the broken hand bassist.

Rhetro Zenberg recommends that the young musician either get a car, or use public transportation from now on.

The Vox Jaguars @ The Crepe` Place

Last weekend I had the opportunity to see my favorite local band, The Vox Jaguars, who made a rare hometown appearance at the Crepe' Place here in Santa Cruz.

I met up with the band before the show, and snapped this photo in front of one of the local businesses on Soquel, near the Crepe` Place.

With Bob in the background, Trevor set up his drums as Master Mason peeled off long sleeves to reveal a very cool Adrian Belew Power Trio t shirt.

A plethora of photographers snapped away as the Vox Jaguars played their brand of contagious rock and roll. The ambiance was electric as bright flashes illuminated the band as if lightning was striking inside the small but cozy venue as the large crowd huddled together to get a better view of the impressive dimly illuminated act. The other bands must have been taken aback at the amount of attention The Vox Jaguars received. After all, TVJ's weren't even headlining the show. They were the opening act... and don't even have a hit record.


This short video clip features the conclusion of The Vox Jaguars Song for the Girl.

When TVJ guitarist, Jordan, announced, "This is going to be our last song." I hollered, "Dead Kennedys!" Jordan then said, "We're going to play a Dead Kennedy's cover. It's called Swagger."*

*Swagger isn't really a DK's song.

Techy iPhone 3G Doesn't Have Etch A Sketch Capabilities

Yesterday, Latter-day Apple-scruff techies lined up to become among the first to own the new iPhone 3G.

I was passing through Los Gatos, California, when I happened upon hundreds of them lined up in front of the Apple store there. The long line of spendy-eyed, economy stimulating shoppers continued all the way down the street, and around the corner. Los Gatos, Spanish for, the cats, is a very clean town with very clean and well manicured locals. The cats who lined up for the newest nip appeared well groomed too. Obviously, they had invested a considerable amount of time selecting their respective wardrobes, and getting their hair just right . Purr-fecto!

We rolled by, capturing the spectacle on video, whilst listening to music of the Vox Jaguars playing, Song For The Girl, featuring the timely lyrics,

"You want what you can't have, and I got what I need"

The new iPhone 3G is touted to be twice as fast, at half the price, with Internet and GPS capabilities, but until Apple adds an etch a sketch feature, I won't be getting one any time soon.

18 on the 18th

Eighteen times around the Sun

This is a first for me. I can't stop thinking about that Neil Young song, where he sings,



"Why you growin' up so fast, my son?.. well, you'd better take your time."


Well he's gone and done it... my own son is all grown up now. It happened so fast. Soon he'll be graduating from high school and going on a semi-world tour with his band, The Vox Jaguars. Then, who knows where his incredible musical talent will take him?

A Born Button Pusher

It doesn't surprise me that he's succeeding so profoundly in music. We quite regularly sang to him while he was still in the womb. We called him Skinny back then, and I'd put my face near Mighty Mo's mighty tummy, and softly sing,

"Skinny was born in a bath tub And grew so incredibly thin, that even the end of an eye-dropper would suck him in..."

As an infant, he listened to Bach, Mozart, and other long-hairs while he napped. In our home, he got to hear lots of great music, and experienced an eclectic selection of sounds, which gave him an appreciation for music from the other side of the fence,* so to speak. When he started elementary school, he got into country and western music for a while. We decided not to say anything to him about it, and hoped that it was a phase he would out-grow. He did, and we breathed a sigh of relief.

As he grew and gained mobility, he gravitated toward button pushing. If he saw a button, he had to push it... and there was no stopping him. Today he continues to push lots of buttons on his sound equipment, keyboards, etc. and I suppose that, in a way, fretting his bass is an extension of button pushing as well.

He was already playing bass when he saw Tony Levin at the Rio Theater in Santa Cruz. I think that's when Mason got really serious about the bass. Soon he could play all the Primus songs, and pretty much anything else that got thrown his way. He even taught himself an all-bass version of Bach's Toccata und Fugue in D minor. One of my favorites.

Now he's involved in so many projects it's difficult to keep track. Next week the Vox Jaguars are trekking all the way to Los Angeles for another studio recording session, and a show at the Silverlake Lounge on Sunset Blvd.

Fortunately, I'm not hearing that Cats in the Cradle song in my head today. I'm happy to say that I have been here for my kids. It was wonderful to be a part of Mason's childhood, and to watch him grow up to be such a respectful, and respectable person.

Happy Birthday Mason
The world is in your hands,
And you'll continue to make the world a better place.


* Opaque melodies that would bug most people.

Electric Leaves

Pictured L to R - Art Emanuel, Mason Rosenberg, Jordan Topf and Luke David

Last night I ventured out into the rain, and drove to the Crepe Place to see one of Santa Cruz' finest new musical ensembles. This was only the second time Electric Leaves Collective* has performed live, even though they sounded as though they've been playing together for a long time. That is in part due to the fact that Bassist Mason Rosenberg and Guitarist Jordan Topf are cohorts in the locally famous, smart-rock band, The Vox Jaguars**. Electric Leaves are nothing like the Vox Jags, (or any of Mason's other bands*** for that matter). The music is written and directed by front man Luke David, who plays keyboards, guitar and vocals. The clever presentation of tones is held cohesively together by the brilliant percussion of Art Emanuel.

As the band played before a large portrait of Robert Zimmerman, the audience consisting mostly of twenty-somethings was captivated by the engaging music. Even the servers took time out of their patron-to-patron marathon to watch the expertise of the musicians. The warm colors inside the Crepe Place nicely offset the cold visible rain falling outside.

I'd see them again.

*Electric Leaves Collective

Jordan at Crepe Place

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=12271866

**The Vox Jaguars

Live at Brookdale Lodge January 2008

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=99384041

*** Including his Harbor High School Band where he plays stand up bass, Mason is in five very different bands.

A duo with Mr.Laser-Smith, Couteau is an Elektronique extravaganza of sounds somewhat reminiscent of Daft Punk.

Live at Metamusic January 2008

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=209030117

Then there's the band formerly known as Pterodactobot http://www.myspace.com/wetrenchgalaxies

My iTunes Top 25

The holidays brought a new hard drive to our home, and with the new virtual space, iTunes has become a part of my daily life. I've been using iT on my computer for more than a month now, and out of nearly two-thousand songs, the following tunes have risen to the top, and represent the cream of my play list.

Interestingly, the top four positions go to radio stations which are scattered across the country. The streaming feed is counted once per play, even if I have it on for hours at at time.

1 In the number one position, coming in first place with forty-four plays is KSCO, 1080 AM in Santa Cruz, California. i Tune into KSCO pretty much every day, but not only on the computer. I am fortunate to live where I can listen to this local radio station at home or in the car. AM talk radio programming such as Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly help to keep me abreast of the workings of the right-wing propaganda machine. However, unlike most other AM talk stations I have heard, KSCO's political programming is much more balanced. Congratulations KSCO!

2 In second place with forty-two listens, is KRCL, 90.9 FM in Salt Lake City, Utah. I especially enjoy getting up early on Sunday mornings to listen to the Native American music on KRCL. I tune in to their political programming to keep in touch with left-wing political propaganda. KRCL has been one of my most profound musical influences, and holds a special place in my heart. I began listening twenty-five years ago, and thanks to live feed, I can hear it anytime I'm at my computer.

3 Close behind, in third place with forty-one plays is KZSC, 88.1 FM in Santa Cruz California which I listen to every Tuesday and Thursday morning... Platypus Rising, and Here There and Everywhere respectively. My favorite FM station in Santa Cruz.

4 WORT 89.9 FM Madison Wisconsin - play count 34. A fine station I was first introduced to when I lived in Madison, (before the war), and have fond memories of this eclectic, listener sponsored, left-wing voice from the heart of America's Dairyland. And thanks to live stream, I can once again Tune in for political propaganda, and a host of entertaining and informative programming.

###-Title-@@@-Artist-@@@-Album-&&&&-Play Count

5 Number One - The Rutles - The Rutles - 27
6 Dust - Adrian Belew - Dust - 26
7 Click Clack - Captain Beefheart - Spotlight Kid - 26
8 Totally Wired - The Fall - 50,000 fans... - 26
9 Send in the Clown - The Simpsons - Songs in the Key of Springfield - 26
10 And She Was - Talking Heads - 12x12 Original Remixes - 26
11 Frail - The Vox Jaguars - Good As Gone - 26
12 Greensleeves - California Guitar Trio - Christmas Album - 25
13 I'm So Bored With the USA - The Clash - The Clash - 25
14 MTV Get Off the Air - Dead Kennedys - Frankenchrist - 25
15 I Will Survive - Tony Clifton - Man on the Moon - 25
16 Onward - Yes - Tormato - 25
17 On the Beach Goes the Crimson King - Adrian Belew - Dust 24
18 Angela (theme from taxi) - Bob James - Man on the Moon 24
19 Coconut - Harry Nilsson - Personal Best - 24
20 Frame by Frame - King Crimson - B'BOOM - 24
21 The Robots - Kraftwerk - The Man Machine - 24
22 Trigger Hippie - Morcheeba - Who Can You Trust? - 24
23 Chase - Ravi Shankar - Tana Mana - 24
24 Kaw-Liga - The Residents - Stars and Hank Forever - 24
25 Metropolis - The Vox Jaguars - Good As Gone - 24

Sightings of Vox Jaguars In CA & The NW

It has been a colourful and prosperous year for the popular Santa Cruz band, the Vox Jaguars. In the Spring of 2007, Mason, the VJ bassist, broke his hand right before their show at the Brookdale Lodge. Before the X-Rays were taken, he insisted that the show must go on, and played the show. He then took some time off to heal. Meanwhile, Trevor graduated from high school, and Sam joined the band to fill in on bass until Mason recovered. The moment Mason's cast came off, the band was off on their Southern California Tour where they made some new friends, and new fans...

In July the VJ's were off to Portland, Oregon for their NW Tour. In August, they were off to Southern Cal again. Mason was feeling rather ill the entire time they were in Los Angeles. When he returned to Santa Cruz, he wasn't getting any better. He went to acupuncture and it helped a little, but after going to breakfast on Saturday morning, he was getting progressively worse. For the next day and a half, he was on the couch, and finally went to the emergency room and learned a little late that he had been suffering from an inflamed and ruptured appendicitis. He was rushed in for an emergency appendectomy, then, after a frightening NDE in the recovery room, he had to spend a week in the hospital.

Not long after Mason recovered from his surgery, he was riding his bike down Broadway to meet his girlfriend at Pergles, and was struck by an automobile as it pulled into a driveway. Mason was thrown from his bike across the hood of the car, but seemed to be all right. The majority of the impact was absorbed by his strategically placed cellphone in his front pocket. A handful of X-Rays determined that the leg was not broken, but was badly bruised - a contusion. Mason hobbled around on crutches for days, then one crutch... then a cane for a couple of weeks, and is now walking with a slight limp, and somewhat hesitantly riding a bike again.

Earlier this month, Mason was honored with the title of "Best Musician" for the Harbor High Senior Superlatives and today he had his photo taken for the yearbook - ever to be etched in time. HE shared the honor with his former band mate Kat.

Today the band signed a contract with a television program called Canterbury's Law, which is set to premier on Fox in January 2008 on Thursdays at 9:00 PM. The Vox Jaguar song, "Swagger," will be featured on one of the episodes.

More good news for The Vox Jaguars in Santa Cruz. The following article by Dylan Travis appears in this week's, Good Times Santa Cruz:

Having mastered a swagger beyond their years, the local teenaged quartet Vox Jaguars has indie labels swooning

Who says rock is dead in Santa Cruz? Certainly not the girl who chases after the scrawny, grinning frontman for the Vox Jaguars, Jordy Topf, as he arrives for an interview. “Get away! Creeper,” he shouts, pleased with the attention. Swooning high school girls aren’t the only fans the Jaguars are contending with these days. The local quartet (made up of Topf, Trevor Hope, Mason Rosenberg, and Sam Copperman) was recently name checked by experimental L.A. rockers No Age in a Pitchfork feature as one of their “Favorite New Bands.”

“We went and saw No Age play the Troubadour and it was a really amazing show,” Topf says. “We basically became friends with them, and they brought these guys from Deerhunter to our show in Glendale, which was pretty awesome because I had their record too. They watched us play and they were into it, I guess!”

For this band of 17 to 19-year-old, mostly high school students (only drummer Trevor has graduated so far), the national acclaim is unexpected, but certainly warranted. The Vox Jaguars burst with exuberant, youthful energy at their live shows, handling roaring waves of garage-rock with the skill of bands that are ten years older. Their self-titled, self-released EP oozes with that magic combination of attitude and disinterest that catapulted groups like The Strokes to fame in the early part of the decade, and earlier recordings sound like an earnest, Third/Sisterlovers-era Alex Chilton fronting the Modern Lovers.

“I think the songs Jordy wrote before Mason and I were in the band are a lot more raw and straight-up rock and roll,” Hope says, “and once we started writing with Jordy it got a bit different.” Topf adds, “We just broadened our influences, we all listen to so much music. But we still stick to the rock and roll, because that’s how it started.” Sticking to their rock influences (Topf is a fan of Velvet Underground’s cacophonous White Light/White Heat) is what they do best—this is no Strokes-lite indie outfit.

Much of the Vox Jaguars’ success has come about as a result of touring, which might have been a logistical nightmare without the help of Topf’s stepfather, who shared driving duties. “Neither of these fools have driver’s permits” says Trevor, gesturing at his bandmates and seeming a bit miffed at the prospect of driving them around on another tour. Bassist Mason Rosenberg also remembers the negative aspects of life on the road. “Probably the worst show was at the Scene in LA,” he says. “There were probably about three people there, including John who drove us.”

However, a musician’s life seems to be destiny for these four; indie labels have already come knocking with offers of European releases and tours. The band is keeping clear heads and realistic goals about it all. “I just want to have people come to our shows every night and love the music, and know all the words, and I guess respect what we’re doing” Topf says. They’re well on their way with songs like “Metropolis” that are full of smart hooks that belie their age. “Your heart is a crowded metropolis,” Topf sneers, devoid of the naïveté you might expect from a 17-year-old songwriter. A proper release is on the way as well. “I’m just stoked on writing new songs right now and we’re planning on recording an album sometime next year,” Trevor says. “I just want to work hard on it and make sure we do the best that we can do. When we release that, we’ll just see what happens and hopefully play a lot more shows.”

When asked if they’d drop out of high school if they get signed, Topf responds with a smile and a resounding “yeah!” Rosenberg, a senior, is a bit reticent. “I’m almost done,” he admits. “But yeah, touring Europe might be cool.”

The Vox Jaguars will play at Caffe Pergolesi at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 418 Cedar St. in Santa Cruz. For more information call 426-1775. The show is free.

At the Edge of Bold Begotten Fame
Good Times Santa Cruz - Wednesday, 14 November 2007

© Good Times Santa Cruz

CONGRADUATIONS!

I know a handful of really good kids who recently graduated.

Kirsten, my daughter, finished eighth grade at B-40 and is going on to high school next year, (that means I'll have two kids in high school at the same time... no wonder my hair is so gray).

Michelle, my very special and only niece, graduated from WX High School.

Dylan, mine eldest Mueller, has completed his requirements at Park City High School.

Stephen (Laser-Smith from my son Mason's band, Pterodactobot), finished Harbor High School.

Trevor, (from Mason's band Vox Jaguars), graduated from Santa Cruz High School.

GONGRATS and good luck to all of the graduates of 2007.

Broken Hand Bassist or Tots for Bots

The show must go on

Mason plays bass for a couple of popular local bands here in Santa Cruz. His bands, Pterodactobot and Vox Jaguars, were both scheduled to play Friday night at the Brookdale Lodge, a venue with a colourful history... lots of famous musicians have played there, and everyone in both bands was stoked to be playing at such a high-profile venue.

Then, on Thursday morning, on his way to school, Mason wrecked on his bike and took the brunt of the fall on his hands... most of it on his left, fretting hand. He didn't know whether or not it was broken, and he went on to school. In the afternoon, he rode his bike home. The left hand was extremely swollen and colourful, but Mason was not convinced that he had broken any bones. It was swollen, and he was in a lot of pain, but had pretty good mobility in all his fingers.

The Vox Jaguars had two shows scheduled on Friday. The first was at school for the Battle of the Bands competition which they decided to postpone in hopes that Mason would be in better shape for their other show later that night at Brookdale Lodge. He kept his hand on ice as much as possible on Thursday and pretty much all day Friday too. The drive to Brookdale takes about twenty minutes from Santa Cruz as Highway 9 winds through the Redwoods, and small mountain communities.

As we approached the door, we were met by a straight-faced, militant-looking man in an electric wheelchair with a little built-in cover top. The man informed us that there were two bands playing, one older than the other. I was curious what he meant by that, but didn't inquire, and walked through the big wooden door. The lobby was rustic, and featured old photos, and news paper headlines from days gone by...

The show hadn't begun, and there were people going in and out of another room, so we figured that is where the stage and theater must be. As we entered, we could hear King Crimson music being played as the guys prepared their various instruments and performed sound checks. Mason still had his hand on ice when we saw him in the crowd. His palm was now even more bruised, bluish green, and still swollen and sore, but he planned to play. It seemed nothing was going to sway him. Everyone seemed genuinely concerned, and offered their own flavours of advice. By this time, we suspected it may indeed be broken.

Finally Pterodactobot was ready to begin, and the house music volume was increased to inform everyone socializing outside that the show was about to start. A plethora of mostly teens and a few twenty-something's poured into the theater as Crimson's Dinosaur boomed over the house speakers.

I've been to so many rock shows, I couldn't begin to number them, and I know when something remarkable is happening on stage. Pterodactobot nailed it to perfection, their best show yet, and Mason played as if nothing was wrong with his hand. At one point vocalist, and Pterodactobot brainchild Stephan Laser-Smith announced that Mason was playing with a broken hand, and everyone cheered for him as his band members looked on with pleasant dispositions of rock-on amazement. Pterodactobot music is complex, and could be described as funky-metal-meets-Pokemon, and certainly wasn't appreciated by everyone there. One local stump dragger playing pool, was overheard to say, "This is the worst music I've ever heard." and someone else said, "Im glad that's over," when they finished their set. Not for the weak-hearted, but most everyone was really impressed with the music and the delivery.

Everyone was praising Mason... I must have heard "Mason is awesome!" twenty times. Next came more Crimson music as the Vox Jaguars set up their equipment in preparation for their set. I spoke to the sound guy and found out that he's a big King Crimson fan from way back, and had seen them 20 times. Wow! (I didn't tell him that I could count the times I'd seen them on one finger). "That explains the house music," I thought to myself. We discussed Adrian Belew's Sides, and confirmed each other's suspicions that they are brilliant works... perhaps his best... yet. Satisfied that the sound guy was competent, I took my seat next to the big center fireplace, and waited for the VJ's.

Jordy created the Vox Jaguars a couple of years ago, and the band has matured and evolved. VJ's current incarnation is a power trio with Trevor on drums, and Mason on bass. Jordy plays guitar and does vocals. Their music is straightforward, honest and powerful. Trevor is an excellent jazz drummer, who's clever and reliable beats, blended with Mason's powerful bass lines, perfectly support Jordy's brand of singing, and guitarwerk. This was the seventh time I'd seen the Vox Jags perform publicly, so I pretty much knew what to expect. As the guys took the stage, and began playing, the people poured back into the theater.

This was one of the largest crowds I had seen gathered to see the Vox Jaguars, and I was surprised to see how many of them knew the lyrics, and were singing along. The Vox Jaguars don't even have a record out, and these kids know all the songs. Even though they had a small technical problem, and a bassist with a broken hand, the Vox Jaguars sounded great, and pulled off a great show. At one point between songs, Mason looked at his hand, and he seemed a bit worried, but began right on cue for the next song. Again, praises to Mason were heard everywhere.

The next day, Mason finally went to see a doctor about his hand. After a general examination, the doctor didn't really believe it was broken, but said they should x-ray it anyway, because if it was broken by chance, it would change the way he would immobilize it. When the x-ray films came back, it revealed that he had indeed broken a metacarpal - showing a very distinct spiral fracture, and had his hand set in a splint, which he must wear consistently for 4 weeks, and then can temporarily remove it for showering, and then replace it. He was told he must wear the splint for approximately 6 weeks.

Today, Mason and Mr. Laser-Smith were sitting on the floor playing video games, when I held up a bag of frozen tater tots and inquired, "Tots for Bots?" Mason responded, "Yes" and Laser-Smith said, "That would be awesome." They were.