Resume/Curriculum Vitae

Jon Kanis

P.O. Box 84653, San Diego, CA 92138
jkanis@rocketmail.com
www.jonkanis.com/blog
619.794.6469 [mobile]

Jon Kanis is an award-winning, Grammy-nominated producer and musician who has traveled the world over entertaining folks from San Diego to Amsterdam — from Cusco to Tibet. With 25 years of experience as a musician and mobile disc jockey Jon can masterfully spin any tune out of the Top 40 from 1955 through 2012 (and beyond) from his 150,000+ song library. He is also an expert musicologist whose writing has been featured in MOJO, UGLY THINGS, The San Diego Troubadour and The San Diego Reader (to name but a few publications). Jon is also extremely intuitive and has helped many truth seekers by providing counseling through the use of astrology and the tarot. Born and raised in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area Jon has spent the last 30 years calling San Diego, California his home. He loves to travel, meet new people and relishes a good creative challenge. If you need someone to transform your next event or project into something truly special and you require the highest level of professional service then you have come to the right place…

Credits and Employment History

Musician / Artist / Writer / Disc Jockey 1983-present
Tarot Readings / Counseling 1995-present
State Controlled Radio [Producer, Host] 2006-2011
Reelin’ In The Years Productions [Producer, Director, Vice President, Archivist] 1999-2005
Thompsonian Empire Advertising [Production Manager] 1996-1997

Industry Qualifications

Producer & Host of 240 weekly three-hour radio programs [State Controlled Radio].
Producer & Director of The American Folk Blues Festival Volumes 1-3 DVD/CDs.
Producer of Soul To Soul DVD/CD.
Producer & Director of five short films on the history of American Rhythm & Blues that are on permanent exhibition at The Stax Museum Of American Soul Music in Memphis, Tennessee.
As a Musician have performed between 450 and 500 gigs over the past twenty years.
Musician, Composer & Producer for dozens of commercially released recordings.
Participant in several group exhibitions with multi-media visual artwork.

Industry Awards

Winner of the Keeping The Blues Alive Achievement In Film Award from The Blues Foundation for The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966 Volumes One & Two [2004].
Grammy nomination from The Recording Academy (R.I.A.A.) for Best Long Form Music Video for The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966 Volume One [2004].
Honorable Mention from MOJO Magazine Music Awards for The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966 Volume One [2004].
Winner of Best Music Anthology DVD Award from DVD Entertainment Awards for The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1969 Volume Three [2005].
Winner of Best Compilation/Collection Of Clips Award from the Home Media Retailing Awards for The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1969 Volume Three [2005].

Education

University of California, Berkeley, CA

Technical Equipment

Proficient in GarageBand with a working knowledge of all non-linear audio and video digital platforms [Pro Tools, Final Cut Pro]. Microsoft Word, Excel, Quick Books Pro.

Other Skills and Additional Information

As a musician, artist and professional representative Jon Kanis has traveled extensively throughout the world with a dozen excursions abroad including ten trips to Europe, thirty treks across the continental United States as well as spending a month in Tibet and a fortnight in Peru & Bolivia. To appreciate the full range of his life experiences you are encouraged to peruse The Gig List, a comprehensive chronological listing of every significant public performance that Jon has either witnessed as an audience member or has performed as a musician, artist, actor or production crew member.

References

Grant Brickner, Owner, Complete Music
Henry Diltz, Photographer
Jeff Severson, Producer, JSP Productions

Affiliations

R.I.A.A.

Licenses & Permits

Basic Driving (PLG), Motorcycle

DOWNLOAD PDF SPIN WIZARD PLAY LISTS HERE:
link: https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1274832108/13917757c68ead08d24daffbad88d9e8]

And…if you are seeking evidence of who to hire as your mobile disc jockey for your next celebratory function then you are invited to download these PDF play lists containing 13,000 titles of the most classic PARTY music ever made from the past 80 years. Music for any mood to satisfy everyone at your party regardless of their generation. The secret to hosting a successful party is to have the right DJ/MC to unite everyone around classic sounds that creates an intimate vibe. With more than than thirteen years as a mobile DJ Jon Kanis is an absolute master in the art of celebration. Allow him to design the soundtrack that guarantees a splendid time for everyone.

You are invited to look Jon up on Facebook or to explore his art work and other ideas on his tumblr page. If you would care to sample some of his original music there are over a dozen tracks that are currently available for FREE download at SoundCloud. Jon is listed on the Gig Salad website.

Jon also offers tarot and astrological readings by appointment.

Steel Bridge Song Fest Number 9!

I am really starting to get excited about heading out to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin in TWO WEEKS to participate in the ninth annual Steel Bridge Song Festival. This year I was invited back by Pat MacDonald to participate in SBSF9 and I couldn’t be happier about it. I was privileged to attend the second festival in 2006 where I was able to co-create three songs in the Song Construction Zone with Alan MacPhee, Liv Mueller and Ilan Laks and I made tons of friends during my visit (most notably Chris Aaron, whom I played a dozen gigs with in August of 2006 as well). This year marks the return of Jackson Browne to headline the main stage on Saturday, June 15th and I’m looking forward to performing on June 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th and participating in the Song Construction Zone once again. “I’ll meet you at the Holiday Motel” indeed. I land in town on Saturday, June 8th. I urge everybody to support this amazing event and follow the SBSF on their Facebook page as well as their official website HERE.

I urge you to listen to two of the tracks that I recorded in 2006 that are available on my Soundcloud page: “Holiday Motel” and “Through These Eyes.”

See y’all soon! Ciao, baby…

Jon Kanis, Unplugged Festival on Adams Avenue, Back From Tomboctou, San Diego, CA [04.28.13]

Jon Kanis, Unplugged Festival on Adams Avenue, Back From Tomboctou, San Diego, CA [04.28.13]

My second day performing at the second annual Unplugged Festival on Adams Avenue. On Sunday I was booked on the Back From Tomboctou stage and played for 60 minutes. Thanks again to Kent for the booking and for everyone who came out to both days of performances. I had a great time and look forward to next year.

1) Surrender
2) Valentine’s Day On Planet Xena/Think It Over
3) White Rabbit
4) Campfire
5) Where Is Joe Strummer When You Need Him?
6) I Love You More Than Words Could Ever Say
7) Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy
8) I Must Be In Love
9) Below The Fold
10) Visions Of Johanna
11) Follow Up
12) Solider Of Love
13) The Waiting
14) Lawyers, Guns & Money/Werewolves Of London
15) Like A Rolling Stone

Scott Miller [04.04.60-04.15.13]

I am deeply saddened by the recent passing of Scott Warren Miller, the mastermind behind the musical groups Game Theory and The Loud Family. Scott was also an extremely gifted writer as evidenced by his book MUSIC: What Happened? I love Scott’s work very much and encourage you to check it out if you are not already familiar with it. I also urge you to keep his wife Kristine and their two daughters in your thoughts and prayers. Love is all there is. Peace. RIP Scott.

If you are not familiar with Scott’s work check out the following:

Here is a review that I wrote for Ugly Things #32 for MUSIC: What Happened?

And here is a very early State Controlled Radio episode featuring Scott’s brilliant songs.

Also, Sue Trowbridge who runs the site promoting The Loud Family has made the original Game Theory LPs available as a DROPBOX download. Sue writes: “I have made Distortion of Glory, Real Nighttime, The Big Shot Chronicles, Lolita Nation, 2 Steps From the Middle Ages and Tinker to Evers to Chance available for FREE download at Dropbox. My main goal is to prevent people from trying to capitalize by selling these long out of print albums for lots of money. I want everybody who would like to hear these albums to be able to do so without paying outrageous prices. Most of the Loud Family catalog can be streamed free of charge on Spotify and other streaming music services”

The photo below of Scott was taken by Photo Robert [i.e. Robert Toren] in 1986.

Testimonials

Hi Jon:

We just got back from our honeymoon late last week and have been non-stop ever since but I wanted to take the time to write something great for you because you truly made our wedding special.

I don’t know where you came from but I thank my lucky stars that you responded to me on Gig Salad. You were very professional, extremely flexible and above all a calming source within what can sometimes be a stressful time — planning a wedding. From the very beginning of our emails and phone conversations, you were always reassuring and willing to do whatever we wanted as a bride and groom. My unique request of playing guitar and singing to a Tesla song you had never heard before, came together perfectly. When you first played the song for me, I knew the moment of me walking down the isle would be special to Rob. To this day he said that is a moment he will never ever forget. I can’t thank you enough for putting the song together for us. You played perfect songs during the beginning part of the reception. Your voice and guitar playing skills were noticed by many of our friends and family members. Then you seamlessly switched gears to a DJ that got the party going! I had no idea how many people would end up dancing through the night and you played songs that everyone loved and couldn’t stop dancing to.  This was our second time around (planning a wedding) and not including the countless number of weddings we’ve attended and watched other DJs -  I would attest to anyone that you really are a gem and anyone would be fortunate to have you as part of their wedding or any other kind of event. Thank you for everything.

Thanks again Jon for your patience in returning this email to you and most of all thank you for helping make our wedding day exactly as we had imagined!

My Best,
Ann Zanzinger
[received October 9, 2012]

Your company did the music on our Hornblower wedding back in June. I just wanted to write you and say thank you for everything and that our DJ, Jon, did a great job!!! He was fantastic and couldn’t have done a better job! He did a great job at making sure there was a little bit of everything for everyone to enjoy. Our guests really got into the dancing, more than I thought they would! But I loved that they did and I think a lot of that had to do with him! I kept hearing our guests talk about what a great selection of music that was played. He was totally on top of what type of music to play at specific times and it made the whole process really smooth! So I can’t thank you both enough for all your hard work and for helping make our special day as perfect as it was!!! I would definitely refer you and your company to anyone I know that would be in need of a DJ. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Jennifer Foster :)
[received on September 6, 2012]

Hi Jon:
It’s Holly from the wedding on the 13th of Oct on the Renown! We wanted to say thank you so much for everything on our wedding night! You were amazing and even better than we expected!!!! Thanks for the CD too! :)

Holly and Dan :)
[received on October 18, 2012]

The 10 Things Successful People Live By Before They Make It

This piece is from http://www.mindopenerz.com with additional commentary from mjk…

Our bookshelves are lined with habits that successful people do on a daily basis. We read about them and implement them into our routines and practices. Quite often these practices improve our productivity and make our lives better as a result. But that’s not what this article is about. It’s not about what successful people do, but what they did.

Here’s a brief study of 10 things that these hungry and unstoppable people did to see the success they all eventually achieved.

The 10 Things Successful People Live By Before They Make It

1. They didn’t use excuses.

We all have two voices. There’s the voice that tells us to work hard, to focus on the task at hand and to finish it before we move on to the next. And to finish it well.

We also have the voice that tells us to take a break, to think about what’s on TV, or to visit a site that we like to visit that entertains us – whether it’s ESPN.com or facebook.

In life we’re the victim of injustice from time to time. It could be a promotion that we deserve but don’t get. No matter who we are, we’re going to be treated unfairly at some point. We can either feel sorry for ourselves, or push forward and put it behind us – even use it as motivation.

Nelson Mandela could have used his unjust imprisonment as an excuse to give into his anger. Instead, he used it as an opportunity to learn, grow, and eventually free others.

Listen to your excuses. Understand why you have them. Then figure out how you can use them for good.

2. It wasn’t just about them.

‘Things’ can be a motivator, they can even be a reward, but they can’t be the motivator. The truly successful in life always get there because they created change in the lives of others, not just their own.

If something drives you that is greater than just the ‘ends’, we’re going to work harder, longer, and we’re going to give more of ourselves to our project.

Yes we can make money when we have the primary goal of making money. Some might even use that money for good – which is awesome. But there’s no fulfillment in simply making money. And isn’t that the point?

3. Early mornings and late nights.

People who have achieved true success in their lives have worked for it.

This might come at the detriment of other areas of their lives, such as family or social life. But their mission is first and foremost. Until it’s complete, everything else comes second.

There’s literally no substitute for hard work. Abraham Lincoln said, “Things may come to those who wait… but only the things left by those who hustle.” If you want to be successful, you’re going to have to out hustle everyone else.

4. The greatest commodity.

Energy is a huge commodity that is often not talked about. Yes, energy in the sense of fuel and electricity is talked about everywhere, but I’m talking about our own energy levels.

The fact is that the more energy we have, the easier it is to focus, and the higher the quality of our work is.

One of Richard Branson‘s ‘key’s to success’ is staying in great physical shape. So would raised energy levels be the greatest benefit to working out? It may be.

Keeping physically fit gives us greater blood-flow to our brain, enhanced alertness and improved focus. Make training a routine part of your life and increase your chances at success – in every meaning of the word.

5. Principles.

History will be kind to me. For I intend to write it.

Winston Churchill had principles. The difference between him and the rest of us, is that he stuck to his principles at all costs. He didn’t waver when they weren’t popular – an extreme rarity in politics.

What are your principles? All of us should have them, know what they are, and live our lives bythem.

One of Apple’s principles is to bring change to the world through technology, and they do it with every product they release.

Identify what principles you have that guide your life through tough times, and when things couldn’t be any better. They shouldn’t change, and at your core, neither should you.

6. Wavering, yet unbreakable faith.

We all have moments of doubt. Even the best of us question if our dream is going to come true. The one thing that separates the truly successful from those who never reach their true potential is an unbreakable faith in the fact that what they’re doing is right.

Even if they have moments of doubt, they’re soon quelled, where other’s listen to that doubt and let it eat them up and finally they quit.

Have your moments of doubt. You’re human. Just don’t let that doubt eat you up. Instead let it motivate you to prove your optimism right.

7. A reason.

Many of the greatest accomplishments in the world were accomplished by insecure men and women, people who had something to prove to others. A desire to elevate their status and create change that was so strong, that failure is simply never and option.

Abraham Lincoln‘s reason(s) had to do a lot with his view of himself in relation to how other’s viewed him. Where others saw a poor, illiterate boy, Lincoln saw someone capable of achieving more, even if he had to do it completely on his own. He also saw the need for change. A nation that preached freedom wasn’t free. He saw something fundamentally wrong with this and set out to change it. His why wasn’t about him. Which in turn made him one of history’s great men.

Understand why. You have that reason to work when others sleep, to sacrifice a safe life for a risky one with no ceiling. Find it by asking why, and not stopping until you hit your core, emotional reason for wanting to change your status, or the status of others.

8. They persevered when others didn’t.

How does the guy who quit on his dream know how long it would’ve taken him to become a success? He doesn’t. None of us do. It could be tomorrow, or ten years from now.

What separates a lot of the great people we read about in our history books from those we’ve never heard of is the fact that they never quit. Quitting was never an option. They only stopped when they reached their dream. And even then, they created a new mission.

Take James J. Braddock, or even Nelson Mandela, for example. They didn’t achieve their greatness or success early on in their careers or in life like some. They achieved it after surviving. They survived while others literally died, or quit. In their cases it wasn’t just that they were the best, but they were the best because of what they endured. They were the last one’s standing.

We don’t know when our breakthrough will come. So don’t guarantee your failure by quitting. You can adapt, change, and evolve, but never, never, never quit.

9. Great people relentlessly studied their craft.

Tony Gwynn and Mike Tyson studied their craft as much as anyone. Gwynn spent hours upon hours studying opposing pitchers. He studied their patterns. He wasn’t the most athletic guy around, but he put his work in to be the best at what he did: hit baseballs.

When people think of Tyson, they think of an animal, but what we fail to see is the student. No one studied boxing like Tyson did. Watched more film than anyone in the history of the sport. He was a student first, a fighter second.

These great athletes studied film, but how can we perfect our craft?

Using myself as an example; much of my job has to do with writing, and obviously fitness. So, I study those two things. I read books about how to become a better writer, ways to connect with the reader, and I simply read great books written by authors who are much better at writing than I am. If you’re in sales, read and study sales. If you’re a marketer, then do the same with marketing.

Being a drone that simply goes through the motions is no way to achieve greatness. Assuming success is something you want, you have to study your craft, whatever it may be. Learn it inside and out. Build a wealth of knowledge. It’ll help you create great, inspiring, and unique work.

10. Risk.

No risk, no reward. Yes it’s an over-used, cliché of a phrase. But it’s true. Those who have achieved real success have often risked the most to get there.

There have been billions of people throughout history who have had the ability to achieve greatness, whether it was the talent or smarts, they had it. What they didn’t have was the guts to risk the life that they were living. They also didn’t have the work ethic to see their talent realized.

The greatest tragedy in life is wasted talent ~ A Bronx Tale

Your big, audacious dream might be to marry the girl of your dreams and have a family with her. You risk might be to leave the career that you love in order to support her and your family. Your dream might be to help millions live longer, healthier lives. Whatever your dream is, give it enough of a chance to be realized.

Risk if you truly want to see the reward.

Find your dream. Then risk everything to get it.

Listening To Rocks, True Stories, Sundrop Electric, Old Tiger, The Casbah, San Diego, CA [02.17.13]

Listening To Rocks, True Stories, Sundrop Electric, Old Tiger @ The Casbah, San Diego, CA [02.17.13]

Well, another year comes and goes and it pleases me to NO end to say that it has been six years since Roger & Sara Morrison tied the knot and became husband and wife on the stage of The Casbah on 02.18.07. Ever since 2008 it has been a yearly tradition for Roger to perform with his band Listening To Rocks at The Casbah with a hand-picked lineup of San Diego bands that he and Sara always do a great job of curating/booking. It is one of my supreme joys in this life to call Roger & Sara friends (as well as fellow band mate Brad Smith) and I am never happier than when I get to make a righteous sound with these two gentlemen. We played two sets in the Atari Lounge between True Stories, Sundrop Electric and Old Tiger. More fun than human beings should be allowed to have. Thanks to everyone at the Casbah including Tim Mays, Ben Johnson and Ryan behind the bar. Roger & Sara have the most amazing friends who come out every year to support them and show their love. It’s pretty beautiful. My thanks also go out to Frankie. I think that this was our best show yet. Congratulations to you two. You are both an inspiration.

1) Think It Over
2) Capitalist Plot
3) Come Correct
4) Can’t Wait [with Sara Morrison on vocals]
5) I Love You More Than Words Could Ever Say
6) [The Human] Race [Is A] Riot
7) I Didn’t Ask For This

8) Where Is Joe Strummer When You Need Him?
9) Song For Sharing
10) Below The Fold
11) Kiss Me Again
12) Wail
13) Quick!

Listening To Rocks is Roger Morrison [electric guitar, vocals], Brad Smith [drums] and Jon Kanis [electric bass, vocals]. Poster art by Sara Morrison. Photos by Marie Haddad, Eileen Regalado and John Vaughn.

Nine-Eleven [encore presentation of episode #80 of State Controlled Radio]

It is amazing how swiftly eleven years have passed since the events of September 11th, 2001 occurred. Have we gotten any closer to understanding the “true” narrative of what really went down that day? For episode #80 of State Controlled Radio I took two hours to meditate upon the events of that day and offer up some perspective on what was then the sixth anniversary of this tragedy. May truth and beauty never go out of style and it is my wish that each and every one of us will learn to love ourselves and each other more completely and unconditionally. “If I Can Dream…” Check out SCR #80 with fresh download links at the bottom of the page…

State Controlled Radio Episode #80
September 11, 2007
Nine-Eleven

1) Hi Scores/Boards Of Canada (from Hi Scores) (12.96)
2) New York State Of Mind/Billy Joel (from Turnstiles) (05.76)
3) Give Peace A Chance/Plastic Ono Band (single) (06.01.69)
4) It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)/R.E.M. (from Document) (09.01.87)
5) We Gotta Get Out Of This Place/The Animals (single) (07.65)
6) Timewave Zero/Terence McKenna (12.21.12)
7) We Can Work It Out/The Beatles (double A-side single with Day Tripper) (12.03.65)
8) Tower Of Babel/Elton John (from Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy) (05.19.75)
9) What Are Their Names/David Crosby (from If I Could Only Remember My Name…) (02.22.71)
10) Freedom/Paul McCartney (single) (11.09.01)
11) Clampdown/The Clash (from London Calling) (12.14.79)
12) Won’t Get Fooled Again/Pete Townshend (from Live > La Jolla Playhouse 2001) (06.22.01)
13) New York City/John Lennon (from Sometime In New York City) (06.12.72)
14) Ruby Tuesday/The Rolling Stones (from Between The Buttons) (01.20.67)
15) Free Your Mind/Terence McKenna (12.21.12)
16) Mind Games/John Lennon (from Mind Games) (11.02.73)
17) Power To The People/John Lennon Plastic Ono Band (single) (03.12.71)
18) When The Walls Came Down/The Call (from Modern Romans) (03.83)
19) My City Was Gone/The Pretenders (b-side of Back On The Chain Gang single) (12.82)
20) We Can Work It Out/Stevie Wonder (from Signed, Sealed, and Delivered) (08.07.70)
21) John Walker’s Blues/Steve Earle (from Jerusalem) (09.24.02)
22) Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/John Ono Lennon With The Plastic Ono Band (single) (02.06.70)
23) We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37)/Peter Gabriel (from So) (05.19.86)
24) Running The World/Jarvis Cocker (from Jarvis) (11.14.06)
25) Chimes Of Freedom/Bob Dylan (from Another Side Of Bob Dylan) (08.08.64)
26) What A Wonderful World/Louis Armstrong (single) (1967)
27) Living With War/Neil Young (from Living With War) (05.02.06)

Notes From A Tom Petty Fan

All right, it is Monday morning on May 5th, Cinco de Mayo and my thoughts go spiraling backwards in light of the fact that I had the supreme pleasure and privilege to witness two performances of the band MUDCRUTCH this past Thursday & Friday evening (May 1st and 2nd) at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA. In 2008 at this historical juncture in the annals of pop culture (generally) and rock and roll (specifically) there isn’t much NEW MUSIC (read: contemporary) that comes down the pike that gets this 43-year-old kid very excited. Sometimes I wonder if I’ve seen and heard too much music over the years. How do you stay fresh and excited about a musical genre that may have played itself out ages ago? I REMAIN, however, a music fanatic (no two ways about it) and I am grateful that in spite of how weird the music business is that it is still possible to be surprised and to have my faith in rock and roll be re-kindled…and that is exactly what happened to me this weekend.

Now the name Mudcrutch is hardly a household word but certainly the name Tom Petty is (both with and without his group The Heartbreakers) as Petty has earned the stature of being one of popular music’s most beloved, successful and critically recognized songwriters & performers. If there is anything to dislike about Petty it is the fact that his music is so ubiquitous on classic rock radio that it is easy to dismiss the guy due to an over-familiarity with his greatest hits (it’s not his fault that commercial radio programming is so goddamn static…no pun intended). Until very recently his early group Mudcrutch has been nothing more than a footnote in his assent to worldwide stardom since that group disbanded over thirty years ago. With a passionate regional fan base in his native Gainesville, Florida the original Mudcrutch allegedly commanded audiences of up to a 1,000 people but during the band’s five-year existence there is scant musical evidence of what that band was truly capable of. A couple of demo tapes and two 45s released in 1971 and 1975 did little to bolster their commercial status and frustrated by their lack of success the band broke up with Petty subsequently offered a solo deal through Shelter Records. By 1976 Tom Petty joined forces with a quartet that Mudcrutch keyboardist Benmont Tench had put together for his own recording project with Mudcrutch guitarist Mike Campbell, bassist Ron Blair and drummer Stan Lynch and viola! The Heartbreakers were born, from 3/5 of the original Mudcrutch.

(Strangely guitarist Danny Roberts who replaced original guitarist Tom Leadon does not seem to merit much mention in the official history of Mudcrutch…and ironically as the band is celebrating a miraculous Phoenix-like re-birth Roberts is currently in critical condition after being a car crash this past Friday morning in Jacksonville, Florida. Very sad all round…)

So…thirty-two years later after re-counting the entire Mudcrutch saga for Peter Bogdanovich’s four-hour documentary on TP & The HB’s (2007’s critically acclaimed Running Down A Dream) it appears that spending all that time looking backwards inspired Petty to contact original Mudcrutch guitarist Tom Leadon and original Mudcrutch drummer Randall Marsh and asked if they’d be interested in reuniting. Petty told musician/scribe Warren Zanes that “I felt like we had left some music back there and I wanted to go back and get it.”

Well, apparently when Tom Petty puts his mind to something the man stands by his intentions and while I had initially hoped that the band would go back and revisit it’s earlier musical compositions in retrospect I am grateful that the band has wisely chosen to harvest a new crop of material based upon the musical roots that inspired them to play in the first place. At the two shows I saw this past weekend in addition to playing 13 of the 14 songs on the newly released (April 29^th) eponymously titled MUDCRUTCH LP (only the song “Oh Maria” did not get aired at the shows I saw) the band choose to celebrate it’s musical heritage by covering songs that were no doubt part of their repertoire back in their original “heyday” when they were the house band at Dub’s Diner in Gainesville (at the Troubadour they performed songs by The Rolling Stones, Little Richard, Bill Monroe, Eddie Cochran, Bob Dylan, The Byrds and Jerry Lee Lewis). The mixture of rock and roll, bluegrass, rockabilly and folk was awe inspiring and totally in keeping of why Bob Dylan once described Tom Petty as “gutbucket.” This is American rock and roll at its absolute finest. As Petty said from the stage on Thursday night “this is probably the finest bar band you’re gonna hear in West Hollywood tonight.” Indeed, Mudcrutch may be the finest bar band you’re ever going to hear. Period.

Now I have to ask: why hasn’t Benmont Tench ever sang a lead vocal before this LP? His composition “This Is A Good Street” is one of the coolest songs I’ve heard in a long time and sequenced back-to-back with the instant Petty classic “The Wrong Thing To Do” is more than ample evidence of why this album is worth your attention. Ditto for the album’s centerpiece “Crystal River” and a casual re-write of Hank Williams’ “Lost Highway” for the album’s closer “House Of Stone” brings the whole thing back from whence it sprang; from the hand-carved cradle of down home roots American music.

The band just finished playing 13 shows (with six sold out shows at the 500 capacity Troubadour) and I hope that after Petty and the Heartbreakers are done playing greatest hits shows to the sheds of the world that he somehow manages to make his way back to the bar. Oh, I forgot to mention the fact that in this band, Petty plays bass (a Hofner) and together with Randall Marsh makes a wonderfully understated rhythm section. After thirty-one years of following Tom Petty I thought the man had quite possibly become old hat. How wonderfully wrong I was and I highly recommend the new album. MUDCRUTCH manages to be a tour-de-force by a brand new band that took thirty-eight years to finally record their debut LP. I will never forget the look of joy on Tom Leadon’s face both nights at the Troubadour. Smiling ear-to-ear the guy clearly had a dream come true and I was privileged to witness it. What an absolutely wonderful experience. Thank you guys for a great pair of shows and for helping to restore my faith in rock and roll.

Can I Get A Witness: a personal chronology of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers:

April 1978…the first time I saw footage of Tom Petty in the film FM after seeing the movie at Springfield Mall with Joe Martin. “Breakdown” is on the LP soundtrack. However, the film is pretty dismal…

April 23, 1983…the first time I saw Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers perform as they headlined the “X-Fest” in San Diego, CA at Jack Murphy Stadium [hosted by local radio station 91X]. Also on the bill are The Stray Cats, The Ramones, Bow Wow Wow, Modern English and The Flirts. At the time I was extremely disappointed that original bassist Ron Blair is no longer with the group and has been replaced by the remarkable Howie Epstein

July 26, 1985…Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers perform at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA in support of their current LP Southern Accents. Lone Justice opens the show.

June 9, 1986…Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers with Bob Dylan at the San Diego Sports Arena. The acoustics at the Sports Arena are legendary for its’ “muddiness” but that can’t cloud the fact that I’m seeing Bob Dylan for the very first time with one of my very favorite bands. A perfect pairing. Tonight is the first date of their North American tour and the only time they performed “Got My Mind Made Up.” Also, the first time I meet writer Paul Williams (of Crawdaddy fame) and we trade tickets. I gave him a ticket for this show and he gave me a ticket for…

June 14, 1986…Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers with Bob Dylan at the Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA. I managed to somehow record this show from the third row and felt like Dylan was looking at me the entire time. It’s too nerve wracking dealing with threat of being hassled by security to enjoy a moment like this…but the show was great and tapes ARE a great way to re-live your memories.

June 16, 1986…Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers with Bob Dylan at the Pacific Amplitheatre, Costa Mesa, CA. The first of two nights in Costa Mesa and I’m beginning to love the LP that is being played before every show on this tour, AKA Graffiti Man by John Trudell & Jesse Ed Davis. During a rendition of “I’ve Forgotten More Than You’ll Ever Know” I lean over to my friend Steve and say “Doesn’t Petty and Dylan sound great singing together?” and he replies “Of course they do, Petty’s been doing Dylan his entire career…”

June 17, 1986…Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers with Bob Dylan at the Pacific Amplitheatre, Costa Mesa, CA. The second of two nights in Costa Mesa and the last time I would see Dylan backed up by Petty & The Heartbreakers. I loved these shows and think that this is the finest group that has ever backed up Dylan. So long, good luck and goodbye.

October 16, 1992…Columbia Records Celebrates The Music Of Bob Dylan, Madison Square Garden, NYC, NY. One of the most hyped events in the history of Dylan’s career, it did give many people a chance to see a staggering array of talent all take the stage during one performance. George Harrison was the high point of the evening for me (singing “If Not For You” and “Absolutely Sweet Marie”) but Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers also did great versions of “License To Kill,” “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” and “Mr. Tambourine Man” (with Roger McGuinn). Too bad about Sinead O’Connor…

March 18, 2002…The 17^th Annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony, Waldorf-Astoria Ballroom, NYC, NY…for five years (2000-2004) I had the pleasure of researching and procuring archival musical footage for the RARHOF and one of the perks of that gig was attending the ceremony each year. Well, not only attending the ceremony but also getting to sit in on the rehearsals in the afternoon and occasionally meeting the inductees. Intimate indeed. The ceremony included a performance by the original Heartbreakers (“American Girl”), with Ron Blair re-instated in the bass chair and to the best of my knowledge this is the last public performance with bassist Howie Epstein (“Mary Jane’s Last Dance”). Meet Mike Campbell on this day…

August 25, 2002…Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers at the Coors Amplitheatre, Chula Vista, CA…this is part of a small round of shows before kicking off The Last DJ tour in the fall. Jackson Browne opens the show with an under-rehearsed band.

October 29, 2002…Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers at the Open Air Theatre, San Diego, CA…The Last DJ tour is in full swing with Jackson Browne again opening the show. I’d like to say that Jackson’s band sounded more together during his set but I managed to spend all that time backstage watching music videos with Petty, Campbell, Tench, Blair, Scott Thurston and a few friends. If I didn’t have a picture documenting the moment I wouldn’t have believed that I was actually there, but it’s great to know that people in Tom Petty and Mike Campbell’s position remain passionate music fans themselves and are happy to hang with “regular folk.” Shocked and stunned.

November 29, 2002…Concert For George, Royal Albert Hall, London England…thanks to the generosity of several people, but primarily of Mike Campbell (who pulled a few strings on my behalf) I was able to witness what might be the coolest concert ever to be staged. That is highly speculative but I doubt that I personally will ever see a more magnificent or emotional performance than the Concert For George. Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Ravi & Anoushka Shanker, Michael Kamen and fellow Traveling Wilbury Tom Petty – all to celebrate the music and spirit of George Harrison. The Heartbreakers sound great on “Taxman,” “I Need You” and “Handle With Care.” You can see me in the film being seated during Ravi’s introduction and as I took off my beret and looked around I shook my head and wondered what I did to deserve being in that spot at that moment. I cried through much of the show and found the entire experience breathtaking. My gratitude knows no bounds. Thank you.

March 14, 2004…Rehearsals for The 19^th Annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony, Waldorf-Astoria Ballroom, NYC, NY

March 15, 2004…The 19^th Annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony, Waldorf-Astoria Ballroom, NYC, NY…tonight George Harrison is inducted into the Hall Of Fame for the second time (the first time was as a Beatle, now as a solo artist) and Tom Petty was on hand with Jeff Lynne to induct George into the HOF. “Handle With Care.”

May 1, 2008…Mudcrutch at The Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA…a 19 song set performed by the best bar band in the world. I can’t believe they did “Off The Hook.”

May 2, 2008…Mudcrutch at The Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA…another 19 song set, this time with Little Richard’s “Rip It Up” replacing “Off The Hook.” This could be the last time I see Tom Petty, Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Tom Leadon & Randall Marsh together on stage. What a fantastic experience and what a great memory… It was nice to meet Linda, Janie & Athena. Thanks to Layne for sharing the ride.

Who knows where the story ends…

Long live rock and roll. Endless gratitude to Mike Campbell, Tom Petty and the rest of The Heartbreakers & Mudcrutch. You guys are the absolute best.

Jon Kanis, Monday, 05.05.08 2:15 pm San Diego, CA

Mitchell International

Mitchell International credos:

1) Participate fully.
2) Take chances.
3) It’s OK to make mistakes.
4) You don’t have to be perfect.
5) Don’t wait until it’s safe to speak.
6) Experiment with different styles.
7) Show mutual respect for each other.
8) Take responsibility for your own actions.