ok, finally had time to breathe, sort out the fillmore thang, and finish writing the update (wanted to yap about Rev Wright!)

here ya go:

Gadzooks!

Looking back on the run of dates we just did, and all the people's paths we crossed, i am so glad and soooo thankful! Like a really good moment, it passes imposssibly quick, and what was an insane sensation is instantly just a buzzing memory.

We are working on getting together a grip of photos and video highlights, but from the freaks who were at almost every single show

(mindboggling!) to the enthusiastic newbies jumpin like drunken bunnies to the OG friends and everywhere in between, THANK YOU for co-creating the pavement of this next step. Night after night to storm through towns and cities, sometimes in places we had never even heard of, much less been to, and to receive such warm welcome, high energy mob freakshow energy, and an outpouring of support....IT JUST MEANS SO MUCH!

THANK *YOU*

:)

Now i have 3 weeks to ideally finish the album (the mind reels) and prep this Fillmore show. Ideally, the other goal is getting bassnetwork up and running, although that is such a special project to me, i want to make sure it gets all the time it needs and deserves before going live. i just need a way to debate, communicate, and co-inform with the circulation of people as opposed to the time-vanishing format of 1-on-1 emails. i'll send out a load of information about bassnetwork at the soonest moment possible. keep the letters coming if you want to get involved and contribute (anything from committing a few hours a week to news filtering and reporting, to overseeing debates both online and realtime streaming, to help with forum moderating, content, thought contribution, promotion, or just general underground enthusiasm)

One of the main topics i want to ponder, debate, and resolve, is the issue of clear channel, live nation, et all (walmart, verizon, exxon, etc).... how to navigate a world that is controlled by conglomorate forces that are not accountable? how to use the access paths and opportunities they might provide to unconventionally propel underground news and views forward. Essentially how to use the mainstream to strengthen the underground. Including but not limited to topics like Ticketmaster.

I get so much frusterated mail about them...like the Chicago show. But the irony is they have a contract with most of the large concert venues (the same ones that host all big shows in town)...although their contract is ending with live nation, the fact is, if you want to expand your musical project, and through that expand your idealistic concepts and passions, you cannot just play small 200 person club nights (even though ironically, in SOME cases those promoters can be just as frusterating or scandalous as a bigger conglomorate - that said of course, i know 100s of rock solid underground independant promoters, most of whom continue to be involved in Bassnectar events copromoted at larger venues because WE ARE COMMITTED).

So YES, on the contrary, we NEED these larger venues (and the STELLAR, PROFESSIONAL, STUNNINGLY COMPETENT CREWS therein, god BLESSS THEM) to weave the web.

it is fundamentally ironic.

So as a touring band, you have the option to basically say fuck ticketmaster, which makes no sense, look what happened to Pearl Jam.

My intent is NOT to murder and bury bassnectar, but to strengthen and expand it as a spaceship to launch my thoughts from. ...in addition to other womping wobbly things.

:)

Even more people complaining about Clear Channel (UG!) and their ex-partners Live Nation.

i take this very seriously, and am very committed to coming correct.

i have some extremely good friends working at Live Nation, for example, whose characters i believe in so wholeheartedly (most of them WERE the conscious, bad-ass independant promoters, the most professional and competent in their markets, before Live Nation existed), AND whose business practices i think outshine many smaller, independant promoters i have encountered. I have a lot of hope and inspiration for these plans im brewing in my noggin, that build bridges, fuse worlds, and constantly move in a Constructively Critical direction of network strengthening, and content-magnification.

i have learned that things are NEVER as simple, cut&dry, or black and white as they seem

a VERY humbling lesson for a loud mouth like myself who wants to confront ANYTHING that moves in a contrary direction as a means of contributing to evolution. (including learning the skill of correcting myself, and assimilating the views of others when, after the thought battle, i can see that my previous opinions were flawed, weaker, or just plaiin wrong....and i THINK THAT IS A GOOD THING....being flexible to admitting when you are wrong. it is a good thing to watch your thoughts die and celebrate their death after they loose a logic battle. So often we humans are wrong, or misinformed, but unflexible to just simply CHANGING OUR MINDS on a topic even after loosing a debate or an argument...how sad.).

things are not always as they seem. take for instance the irony of bio-fuel production causing food prices in third world countries to become unnafordable. WHOODATHUNKIT?!?!?!

so anyhow, if you wanna rob the rich to feed the poor (AND LAWDAMUSSSSSY WE DO!!!!) you gotta take some unconventional routes ifyouknowwhatimsayingandithinkyoudoandifyoudontthencheckyourhead

:)

But i want YOUR input, so that is one of the many reasons i want to get bassnetwork live. (please dont send me all your thoughts now, just save it in an essay and you can post it soon, and we can all discuss...just give me a few weeks to get this all up and running)

Suffice it to say, it is accutely relevant today, to return to so many unhappy emails (from fans as well as friends and even FAMILY) regarding the 8-12$ ticket fees at the Fillmore show. While i know we (myself, all my creative partners & kru, my management and crew, antennae, hdc, apostle, zion i, beats antique, all the speakers, and the whole team involved in this) are doing everything we can to not only provide an event with AS CHEAP A TICKET AS POSSIBLE (20$ for the

Fillmore) but to inject this event with such a high level of authenticity and social/creative force, ...while you should know we are focused on this, we also didn't realize the complexity of the ticketmaster reality. I thought we could sell all the tickets on the bassnectar ticketing site.

So, since we cannot, here is whats up:

1. You can buy tickets (a limited amount so act fast) at tickets.bassnectar.net i want to offically THANK the folks at the Fillmore for going to bat and pulling strings to make that happen. IT MEANS A LOT!

2. You can go directly to the Fillmore and purchase advance tickets with no extra fees at the Fillmore window:

Box office hours - 4 to 10 on Sundays (no fee) On show nights - One hour prior to show time to 10PM (+2 dollar fee)

i have been told that one hour prior to show time you can buy tickets to other shows (meaning roll through tonight and you can buy a bassnectar ticket) but i cannot confirm that, i just heard that as i was yapping about this at a cafe.

their number is: 415.634.6000

THAT SAID, if you can do this, please take that option, as we have kru coming from Mexico, LA, Seattle, Van, Oregon, Nevada, NYC, Colorado, etc for this event and i'd like to let those folks have first opportunity to buy direct at tickets.bassnectar.net

Tickets are already 1/3 sold out for this, and we expect a packed house.

Personally, i know there are a lot of people who would enjoy this event, but my preference is for people who want to EXPERIENCE THE ENTIRE EVENT and better yet, to CONTRIBUTE CREATIVE ENERGY TO IT.

One way to do that is commit to arriving early. 8pm is when the 'solution salon' begins, hosted by Allie Star (Art in Action) and Ashel (my good friend and MC, Seasunz) and a host of thinkers, activists, and kind folk (including but not limited to;

WHAT'S UP WITH THE MEDIA?-TALK SHOW FOR THE HIP HOP GENERATION Davey D., Hard Knock Radio, KPFA -confirmed

PROMOTING URBAN HUMAN RIGHTS - SILENCE THE VIOLENCE MOVEMENT Nicole Lee, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights -confirmed

UPLIFTING YOUNG RADICAL ELECTORAL VOICES League of Young Voters-Ana Jiminez - confirmed

PUTTING PRIVILEGE TO WORK

Catalyst Project- Chris Crass- confirmed

As well as a live discussion with my good friend LAUREL, who after renegade field work in New Orleans after Katrina, and a host of other hands on dedicated action, PHYSICALLY AND PERSONALLY HUNG HIMSELF FROM THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE IN PROTEST OF THE CHINA TIBET ISSUE AND WENT TO JAIL AS A RESULT.

This is a great opportunity to plug in, so i am hoping people don't just want to show up for a bassnectar set, but rather the whole experience. additionally the other musical acts involved are all hardcore members of the scene and full of vigor and skill from a multitude of directions, so come and support.

Bassnectar may be expanding as a musical project and self-redefining organism, but i will always be the energetically idealistic geek who is committed to raging against the dying of the light (whatever that means to you) so i appreciate your trust, love, and contributions as we move forward.

Across the country we are plugging in to various musical and social scenes, but in San Franfrancisco Bay Area, where my cherry was firstburst, and where i planted my roots, it has been an extra slow transition, because more than anywhere else, there are honestly THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE who directly helped cocreate what Bassnectar is and will become. Literally, so many creative cohorts, and partners in crime, ....and i know that in my cells.

So moving out of the restricting mold of 'DJ' and playing clubnights in SF every month year round, to a more sustainable (and personally

exciting) format that we follow in pretty much every other North American city, will allow such a bigger, and more intense (and constantly evolving and growing) expression of what is inside of me, and this nutso collaborative experiment called Bassnectar.

So where was i? Off on a tangent somewhere, you say? Yes yes...whats new.

ok.

So yeah, May 17 @ tha Fillmore is a Buy Tickets Early, Arrive Early, Stay Late, ...AND CRUSH type of event. bring all you got.

After that are a few shows in PA, for Jam on The River, and a sicka late night afterparty event with DB at The Electric Factory. That same weekend across the country is one of my favorite festivals of the year, LIGHTENING IN A BOTTLE.... i will be crazy enough to fly in on sunday night and play music from the bottom of my heart a few moments after arriving.

If you are on the east coast, come crush with me in the afternoon on saturday, i got sunshine songs fer daaaaaaze, and late night 2 sets, different themes, all bass knobs set to MASSIVE, all throb knobs set to overdrive, all womp knobs cranked to the max.

:)

Then another week for mastering the record, christ willing that i can finish it in time, and then a pretty ridiculously fun schedule of mayhem throughout June, mostly one-offs, inclluding the East Coast's premier electronic music festival, Starscape; a straight GONGSHOW in Eugene Oregon called Gradfest which is an outdoor crusher on graduation weekend, with STS9 & Pnuma live; a few northwest dates (unconfirmed..and possibly a mormonic visit); then Sonic Bloom in lovely Winter Park, COLORADO (booYAH!); an unconfirmed so-Cal soiree; a free show alongside Gnarls Barkely in Denver; High Sierra; ROTHBURY!; All GOOoood; Tahoe/reno; and a few others before Shambhala and posibly my 11th year @ burningman.

There are some cool releases coming up, one-off style... the recently mastered remix of Zion i & The Grouch track "Lift me up" on OM, a nutter-wobbla on Tru Thoughts...remix of the calypso song "Last Night", some ish for 30 Hz on Meat Katie's label Lot 49, and recently on FINGALICKN', the bassnectar remix of Le Beatlez "Lucy in The Sky with you know....check that (speed it up a bit, sounds better at

105bpm) as well as the recently released written in a few days bass-grinder i made with FreQ Nasty "Viva La Tibet" avaiable for free at giveback.net!!!!

Note; the new version is out this week, check around Friday. initially we put up kind of a dub-demo with lots of instrumental parts for you ableton freaks, to coincide with the tibet marches, etc. So the song-version coming soon

:)

Now back to the labs.

But first, check out that letter i forwarded about helping with the international food crisis, and also, can somebody tell me what is so wrong about Reverend Wright saying that 911 was a situation of terrorism being committed against us in response to terrorism we have committed

IS THERE ANYONE HERE WHO IS SO STUPID AND SO BLIND AND SO UNEDUCATED THAT THEY ARE UNAWARE OF THE CRIMES, TORTURE, SANCTIONS, WARS, AND STRAIGHT TERRORISM WE HAVE COMMITTED THROUGH OUR GOVERNMENT, OUR CIA, OUR CORPORATIONS, ETC?

Please.

When did being patriotic mean that you have to pretend "America can do no wrong"

that is SOoooooo upsetting and ludicrous

Rev Wright may have said some dumb things, or maybe he said some wise things dumbly, i dont know cuz i havent seen the whole speech

what i do know is that the media is doing what they did to Howard Dean and John Kerry cuz they know that Clinton will serve the military-industrial complex more eagerly than Obama will.

Plain and simple.

so they are using this bullshit with Rev Wright to distract from Obama's message.

what is so odd to me though, is that Wright's message *appears* to basically be really raw, fearless truth.

if "chickens coming home to roost" hurts because you lost a loved on on 911, and you think he is saying that THOSE WHO DIED on 911 DESERVED IT, than you are sadly blind.

HE IS SAYING OUR GOVERNMENT (with us apathetically standing by) HAS SYSTEMATICALLY BEEN TERRORIZING MOST OF THE WORLD FOR A LONG TIME.

So when there is a terrorist threat or action against us, what is MOST LIKELY MEANS is that a group without state-of-the-art military force is striking back by any means necessary.

Not to say that there are not nutsos out there. (and not to say that i am siding with any terrorists, im not)

Not to say that there aren't people who are fundamental fanatics with totally warped values EVERYWHERE (in the Middle East, in Africa, in South America, in Russia, and Hell Yes in America too) .... but the attacks of Sept 11, JUST MIGHT have something to do with the fact that America is far from blameless

Acting like we are blameless and innocent is really dirty.

Cheney does shit like that.

Don't be like Cheney. Admit you are part of a GREAT COUNTRY who has done some REALLY fucked up things.

Mike Rupert quoted Carl Jung as saying "THE CAUSE OF ALL MENTAL ILLNESS IS THE AVOIDANCE OF LEGITIMATE SUFFERING." ....denying the real, hard, inconvenient truths in favor of escapism.

One truth is that America is a beautiful thought, a mesmerizing ideal, a beacon of hope and light....all true, at least hypothetically.

But another truth is that this country has been deeply involved in some insanely dark, agressive, selfish, cut-throat endeavors, many not reported, and until we as a country KNOW ABOUT IT, and ADMIT IT (the first 2 steps), and then move to RIGHT THE WRONGS (the third step), we should not act surprised if we are hated or attacked, no matter how wrong the attack might be (hurting innocent people, etc)

i wish 911 never happened.

But it did, in part as a response to horrendously viscious and criminal policies of our government.

...so vishuss in fact, that i apparently cannot being myself to spell the word right!

I am glad Reverend Wright knows this and said this. I wish the media had embraced this, and Obama had championed this, and the world had confronted this, but that is a hazy dream (for now)

much love...i'll see you around soon.

L