First words from the road
InspiredCA is a new blog for the Good Times, one we were asked to write by Greg Archer. Over the next two months, filmmaker Mark Halfmoon and I are traveling to every corner of the state of California asking people what inspires them about this state. It is our belief that in a time when the language about our state has been particularly negative (this was reinforced to Mark and I watching recent Gubernatorial campaign commercials in hotels that we have stayed in since leaving), for some real and some perceived reasons, individuals who live in California or visit California by the millions each year, do so for a reason. We believe that reason is that there is a vast pool of human and natural resources that is unique to this place and people want to share and participate in those resources.

Tips on how to book a show at Henflings Roadhouse Tavern

The term “roadhouse” is said to date back to the mid-1800s. One history of the term originates from the gold rush. As travelers made their way West and North, they relied on the roadhouse to provide hot meals and warm beds. Guests were often greeted by innkeepers, welcoming them back “home” each time they visited. During the days of prohibition in the 1920s, roadhouses outside city limits became ideal venues for bootleggers to share their special sauce. In the late 1940s and ’50s Americans embraced a car culture that encouraged hitting the open road. The roadhouse once again served as the ultimate rest stop.

A friend of mine gave me a heads up to some serious geekery that took place on an episode of "Fringe" a few nights ago (a television series that I'd never seen or heard of). Apparently the plot centered around some sort of alternate universe where even the most iconic comic book events of the last thirty years are slightly altered from what we've all grown up on. DC even chipped in and took it to the next level by commissioning mock up artwork depicting pretty cool takes on classic events like the death of Superman back in Supes #75, only now sporting a bloody bat-symbol on the cover instead of the classic S-shield. Incredibly cool stuff.

All of the covers can be viewed by clicking here (along with a serious tease by our old pal Geoff Johns) and to see what comics you can find in OUR universe this week, check out that full release list right here (Return of Bruce Wayne #2, woohoo!).

This is a big week for the house of ideas with Marvel kicking out the first issue in their biggest event so far this year: "Age of Heroes." A series that sets out to wipe the darkened slate from the last several years of violent, harder edged crossovers and shed a little light back in their universe. Bringing together the creative writing team of Kurt Busiek (awesome), Rick Remender (dunno), Paul Cornell (ditto), and Dan Slott (LOVE him) as well as several top notch artists, I'd be lying if I said I had no interest in the book. I know that Marvel has been hit and miss for a while now, but I still have fond memories of those incredibly fun giant-sized issues (no Man-Thing jokes, please) rolled up in my back pocket as a kid and this whole new take appears to be a return to comics that aren't taking themselves so seriously. Always welcome in my opinion.

So is this Marvel's answer to DC's lightening up of its titles with "Brightest Day" after their remarkably bleak, Blackest Night series? Personally, I feel like the softening up might have something to do with the company's recent acquisition by Disney - In any case it's nice to see a return made by both companies to the type of stories that made comics so great to read back before the industry went all grim 'n gritty in the mid-eighties. In the words of Dan Slot: "Fun is not a dirty word anymore." Sounds great to me. Check out the other releases here.

Tips on how to avoid playing to an empty room
If I could summarize exactly how to sell out every show in Santa Cruz, I would be writing this blog from my yacht in Spain, instead of at this faux wood desk. People with brains much bigger than mine spend their entire careers trying to figure out exactly what motivates someone to go from observer to consumer, from seeing the concert poster to buying the ticket.

The blessing and the curse is that there is no secret formula. Filling the room is a predicament shared by musicians big and small, so consider yourself in very good company.

Joshua Pomer had a dream, to one day document his best friends rise to the top as innovators of surf while placing Santa Cruz firmly on the map. What Josh didn’t realize at the time was his desire to tell the story of their tragedies and triumphs while holding on for the ride of their lives. This would become The Westsiders a story about four friends coming from very different backgrounds with one common thread of brotherhood through surfing and dark influences.

Before I can review the film (we attended the Santa Cruz Film Festival premier), one must understand the creative mind of Joshua Pomer. Shooting Super 8 movies from the age of six, skits and random objects in motion caught the eye of this young cinematographer. I sat down with Josh and we chatted about life, friends and family along with desire to create and share. These words are from that conversation.

We all knew it was inevitable. Death is never permanent in comic books and when Bruce Wayne checked out back in Final Crisis, it was just a matter of time before we'd see him again. The odd thing is, with Dick Grayson and Damien Wayne as the replacement Batman and Robin providing the most incredible entertainment the bat books have seen in years, I'm actually not really excited to see the guy come back.

Well, here it is anyway because Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne, a 6-issue mini series written by Grant Morrison kicks off this week. Essentially portraying Bruce's journey throughout time itself (I still don't get it), the book promises to put together the storyline pieces that the scribe has been spreading throughout his run on the character ever since he took over the main title back in 2006.

So Iron Man 2 opens in theaters across the country this Friday and I guess I'm supposed to be going nuts with excitement, but I'm not. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the first one quite a bit. I watched it once and thought they did a good job and somehow managed to make an entertaining movie about a character that I have never cared about in my life. I just didn't go completely insane over it like most people I know.

That said, I have to admit that Mickey Rourke as Whiplash looks like a lot of fun and you can never go wrong when you put Sam Rockwell in anything (I could watch that guy stand in line at the bank). Also Scarlett Johansson doing superhero stuff in skin tight leather should at the very least keep me awake. I'm a little annoyed for consistency sake that Don Cheadle is replacing Terrence Howard as Rhodey soley because it drives me nuts when characters are re-cast in a film series (which made the Batman movies from the 90's almost completely intolerable, or was that just Joel Schumacher's direction?). Still, this is the Robert Downey Jr. show and he's what people are paying to see.

At first glance Shawn Dollar might not strike you as someone that hurls themselves down a 55’ foot wave. Let alone in the middle of the 2009-2010 Mavericks contest that held some of the biggest waves ever for a paddle in competition. Dollar represents Santa Cruz in solid form, born on the Westside he moved to the Eastside when he was 8 and started junior guards where he fell in love with surfing. The first days of surfing for Shawn were weekends with his dad being pushed into waves at Cowell Beach and surfing different reefs and beach breaks as he progressed. Fast forward to Shawn attending Cal Poly and searching out the highly coveted Central California big wave spots alone defining his big wave surfing.

Tips on how to book a show at the Seabright Brewery and the Wharf House
For all the musicians with pencils in hand agonizingly scratching out the perfect words to express their own “Private Idaho,” there are just as many already warming up their amps to continue mastering the guitar solo for “You Shook Me All Night Long.”

If done well, there is something undeniably great about hearing a band, any band, perform your favorite song. A familiar song can instantly bond a dive bar or a stadium crowd, as everyone belts out lyrics they’ve been memorizing for years. I still get goose bumps remembering the amount of endorphins released at my first Prince concert, singing “Purple Rain” in tandem with 6,000 other fans at the sold out Radio City Music Hall show.