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

About me

I am a 47-year-old spiritualist, musician, producer, composer, disc jockey, artist and writer…in short, a Renaissance man.  Born and raised in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area I have spent the last 29 years calling San Diego, California my home. I am passionate about all areas of the arts, metaphysics/spirituality and progressive politics. I love to travel and to meet new people and I relish a good creative challenge. Do you need a collaborator or organizer? Someone to assist you in completing a project or to transform an event with music, art, tarot readings and healing energy? Well, look no further…

Credits and Employment History

Musician / Artist / Writer / Disc Jockey 1983-present
Tarot Readings / Counseling 1995-present
State Controlled Radio [Producer, Host] 2006-present
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 I have 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 my life experience I suggest perusing The Gig List, a comprehensive chronological listing of every significant public performance that I have either witnessed as an audience member or have 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 I invite you 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. More than a dozen years as a mobile DJ has taught me how people like to party and I am an absolute master in the art of celebration. Allow me to design the soundtrack that guarantees a splendid time for everyone.

You are invited to find me on Facebook or to explore my art work and other ideas on my tumblr page and if you would care to hear some of my original music there are thirteen tracks that are currently available for FREE download at SoundCloud.

Last, and certainly not least, I offer tarot readings and spiritual counseling through the Kwan Yin Holistic Center every Sunday from 9 AM till noon or by appointment.

Big thanks to Harpo for having the good taste to book so many great local artists for the Adams Avenue Unplugged Festival…grateful to finally play this annual event after 29 years. Kudos as well to the absolutely wonderful Brad Smith my “human drum machine.”

1) Jimmy Burke, The Newsboy
2) Follow Up
3) Below The Fold
4) Turnaround
5) The Waiting
6) Cosmic Mirror/Cosmic Mate
7) Where Is Joe Strummer When You Need Him?
8) 23 skidoo! [the hot wheels song]
9) Campfire
10) Solicitude
11) [The Human] Race [Is A] Riot
12) Think It Over
13) Quick!

Received a last minute invitation to perform acoustically at a Peace Conference at City College. Thanks to Jeremiah Byerley and Andrea and Sue for making the experience such a pleasure. It’s always great to gather with like-minded folk who are interested in creating positive change in the world. That’s what these songs are all about.

1) Street Fighting Man
2) Where Is Joe Strummer When You Need Him?
3) Follow Up
4) Below The Fold
5) Working Class Hero
6) 23 skidoo! [the hot wheels song]
7) [The Human] Race [Is A] Riot
8) Think It Over

Bar Pink

Thursday, March 8, 2012

“All right, welcome to The Nerves Plimsouls Beat Breakaways show…” so announced musician Peter Case as a piece of rock and roll history went down in San Diego last night as Case and Paul Collins, co-founders of the seminal power pop punkers The Nerves, took the stage together at Bar Pink for the first time in over 30 years.

Along with guitarist Jack Lee the trio were responsible for the self-titled 1976 The Nerves EP that brought the world “Hanging On The Telephone” (later covered by Blondie). After Case and Collins split from Lee they formed the short-lived Breakaways before Collins formed The Beat and Case formed The Plimsouls. By 1985 both groups would be history — albeit a history with one of the richest songwriting legacies in the whole of rock and roll and it was wonderfully on display as the two old sparring partners ripped through a set of 25 songs with one classic tune following another. The place was packed elbow to asshole with every San Diego hipster worth their salt in attendance [including O, Gar Wood, Davey Graham, Bart Mendoza, Dennis Borlek, Louis Mello, Hector & Victor Penalosa, Joe Camacho, Peter & Teresa Barosso, Rob Bird, A.J. Larue, Brandy Bell, Chris Nelson and Layne Sterling]. The vocals were occasionally ragged (but right) and the rhythm section of bassist Timm Buechler and drummer Amos Pitsch kept the set tough and taut. Summer Twins opened the show.

These songs prove that great compositions never die, they’re just waiting for someone to breath life into them once again. One of my favorite moments of the show: Case stating that the first time he went on the internet and did a Google search on The Nerves the bio said Paul Collins, born 1956 drums. Peter Case, born 1954 bass. Jack Lee, born 1922 clarinet.” Peter was riffing like a mad man between songs relating about how he wrote his first song at the age of eleven (title: “Stay Away From Me”). Also there was quite the riff on “I’m sick of getting fucked. I’m sick of getting fucked, that’s the name of this tour.” Collins: “Oh Peter when we broke up I cried like a baby.” Case: “Bullshit!” Wow, you wonder why they ever stopped. I’m sure that these 28 gigs that they have lined up will serve as some form of therapy or at least as a reminder of why these songs were so great in the first place and why maybe they had to each pursue their own path because a ship can only stand the authority of one captain at the helm and neither of these gentlemen are suited to be junior officers. Not by a long shot.

1) How Long Will It Take?
2) Don’t Wait Up For Me
3) Great Big World
4) Little Suzy
5) House On The Hill
6) Work-A-Day World
7) Women
8) I Don’t Fit In
9) Oldest Story In The World
10) Zero Hour
11) Give Me Some Time
12) Working Too Hard
13) When You Find Out
14) Let Me Into Your Life
15) Now
16) Rock N Roll Girl
17) A Million Miles Away
18) U.S.A.
19) Hanging On The Telephone
20) Many Roads To Follow
21) One Way Ticket
22) Paper Dolls
23) Do You Want To Love Me?
24) Everyday Things
25) Walking Out On Love

1) Meet The Elements
2) E Eats Everything
3) No! [Children's National Anthem]
4) Nonagon
5) Boss Of Me
6) I Am A Paleontologist
7) Pirate Girls Nine
8) Dr. Worm
9) Clap Your Hands [They Might Be Giants National Anthem]
10) Particle Man
11) Apartment Four
12) In The Middle, In The Middle, In The Middle [with Robin Goldwasser]
13) Four Of Two
14) Shoehorn With Teeth [with The Avatars Of They]
15) Why Does The Sun Shine?
16) High Five
17) Birdhouse In Your Soul
18) Seven Days Of The Week (I Never Go To Work) [Musician's National Anthem]

Encores

19) Fibber Island
20) Alphabet Of Nations

1) Tangled Up In Blue/Bob Dylan
2) Think It Over
3) Where Is Joe Strummer When You Need Him?
4) I’m Eighteen/Alice Cooper
5) Jimmy Burke The Newsboy
6) The Waiting/Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
7) White Rabbit/Jefferson Airplane
8) It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me/Billy Joel
9) The American Dream/Time To Get It Right
10) My Friend Jack/Brownsville Station
11) Welcome To The Working Week/Elvis Costello
12) We Can Work It Out/The Beatles
13) Lawyers, Guns And Money/Warren Zevon

1) 2010
2) Kiss Me Again
3) Quick!
4) I Didn’t Ask For This
5) [The Human] Race [Is A] Riot
6) Below The Fold
7) Where Is Joe Strummer When You Need Him?
8) Doorbell
9) Come Correct
10) Capitalist Plot
11) Think It Over
12) Wail

1) Arlington
2) Tangled Up In Blue/Bob Dylan
3) Jimmy Burke The Newsboy
4) My Friend Jack/Brownsville Station
5) You Don’t Mess Around With Jim/Jim Croce
6) Things We Said Today/The Beatles
7) Merry-Go-Round
8) Cruel To Be Kind/Nick Lowe
9) House Of The Rising Sun/The Animals
10) Follow Up
11) All I Gotta Do/The Beatles
12) It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me/Billy Joel
13) I’m Eighteen/Alice Cooper
14) Quick!
15) Sweet Home Alabama/Lynyrd Skynyrd
16) We Can Work It Out/The Beatles
17) Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy/Elton John
18) The Waiting/Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
19) The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades/Timbuk 3
20) Where Is Joe Strummer When You Need Him?
21) Daydream/The Lovin’ Spoonful
22) White Rabbit/Jefferson Airplane
23) Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer/Gene Autry
24) Like A Rolling Stone/Bob Dylan
25) Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love)/Swinging Medallions
26) Bye Bye Love/The Everly Brothers
27) Oh Boy!/Buddy Holly
28) Take Me Home, Country Roads/John Denver
29) Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy/Elton John
30) King Of The Road/Roger Miller
31) Cruel To Be Kind/Nick Lowe
32) You Don’t Know How It Feels/Tom Petty
33) Maggie May/Rod Stewart
34) Lawyers, Guns And Money/Warren Zevon
35) So Sad About Us/The Who
36) Cynthia Mask/Robyn Hitchcock
37) Melissa/The Allman Brothers Band

1) Folsom Prison Blues/Johnny Cash
2) Tangled Up In Blue/Bob Dylan
3) The Waiting/Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
4) The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades/Timbuk 3
5) Marie’s The Name (His Latest Flame)/Elvis Presley
6) House Of The Rising Sun/The Animals
7) Summertime/George Gershwin
8) Hey Good Lookin’/Hank Williams
9) I’ve Just Seen A Face/The Beatles
10) The Joker/Steve Miller Band
11) Hey Ya!/Outkast
12) You Don’t Know How It Feels/Tom Petty
13) What I Like About You/Cherry, Cherry/The Romantics/Neil Diamond
14) Follow Up/Jon Kanis
15) I Melt With You/Modern English
16) Some Kind Of Wonderful/Grand Funk Railroad
17) Comes A Time/Neil Young
18) Light My Fire/The Doors
19) The Letter/The Box Tops
20) You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away/The Beatles
21) Stuck In The Middle With You/Stealers Wheel
22) Brown Eyed Girl/Van Morrison
23) Where Is Joe Strummer When You Need Him?/Jon Kanis
24) We Can Work It Out/The Beatles
25) Five O’Clock World/The Vogues
26) Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love)/The Swingin’ Medallions

Today was an exercise in public performance to capture a video for promotional purposes. It appears to be high time for Jon Kanis to have an acoustic performance reel and today is the day to make it happen.

Spent two hours performing at Tucker’s Corner in the North Park neighborhood of San Diego. My good buddy Steve Laub (who is an superb videographer) came out to capture me in all my glory. Our friend Dave Foster is editing together 30 second snippets from 10 of the performances into a composite reel to put up on YouTube. I want to get out and see the world and earn my keep by singing for my supper. Coming soon to a living room, barroom, theater, pool side or cafe terrace near you…

Oh! and muchas gracias to Tucker and Paul at the North Park Nursery for their hospitality.