Guten Morgan, Meine Damen und Herren!

Aloha all, and welcome to my pointless blather!
Whew, another week down! It was good to see friends and co-workers who've been away--like Patrick, back from a cruise, or Kisha, Christine, Mz. T., the Kevin Jones boosters, et al--and peeps celebrating their natal day, like Shadoww and Yesina's cute friend who's name I've forgot, sorry--and those great folk we see every week--like the Billy Idol Dancers. Even when the gig is a little like work--whenever someone's under the weather, or can't make the gig, or both like the Kiwiboardist this past Saturday--we see how fired up you guys get and we're reminded that being Elephant is the best job anyone could have. It's truly an honor to smash your eardrums with volume, err, music.
So, Saturday was fun-it started super slow, but after the UH-Navy game as well as the allegedly humorous Dane Cook concert finished, we had a room full of victims. Someone requested Red House, so Tattoo Mike grabbed the mike and away we went! I can't play blues, but I wish some of the haters who think I can't play guitar* were there to hear my best Hendrix impression--crap! I forgot to play with my teeth!--it was pretty good, if I say so myself. Wait, I just did. We had Aaron doing some numbers**, Dave doing his most psycho Psycho Killer, the debut of the Really Big Drumstick***, the Double Telecaster, me running around, just all sorts of shenanigans. And we get to do it all again this week!

Speaking of birthdays, Happy birthday to Tom Piranha of Piranha Brother fame! You guys sounded good Friday @ Jimmy Buffets!

*i'm one of those haters, too.
**belated happy b-day Joy!
***it's a drumstick. it's really big. therefore, The Really Big Drumstick.

Hey, Happy Turkeyday!
Hope you've got big plans for this uniquely American holiday--I always feel conflicted on Thanksgiving, on the one hand, it's got lots of eating (an activity I like) and lot of eating turkey (my fave thing to glutton-out on) and the first one seemed like a nice event, the brown neighbors sharing with some starving Europeans, but the 1/16th of me that's Cherokee thinks the Original People got majorly screwed over every day afterward--and, no, I don't think a half-Indian greatgrandfather is gonna get me a Casino. If it does, you're all invited to leave your money.
So, after a weekend of special guest singers and even a power trio Sunday, we had full-force rock at the I.R.S. with the return of the wayward Kevin Jones, whew! Colonel Hathi's Brigade even had a show the night before--hugs and kisses to everyone made it down to Red Lion University--as a warm-up. As I'm fond of saying, it's good to work, it's good to work...


P.S. I know we've been saying this for YEARS, but we do actually have a CD in the works! Mix, mastered--there's just few tweeks left on the art and final running order and then, off to production! As it gets closer to completion, I'll put some final mixes up here for perusal. We took forever because we wanted it to be rocking...

Recovered from All Hallow's Eve? Don't know what the downtown festivities were like, but Waikiki was nuts, even in our little corner! Thanks to everyone who brought their costumes and good vibes--apparently there were drunken fights elsewhere. Saw some really good costumes, several Lady GaGas, including a male one, zombies (Joe's "speed dater zombie" was the best one by far) lots of bumblebees, vampires, all sorts. The girl in the "beer belly dancer" costume got robbed in the costume contest--a) it was a home-made costume, and b) it takes balls to walk around that undressed! Mrs. Fanelli was some character from Star Wars that if I was more nerdy I'd know the name of. If you were there, you saw the Elephant People, as Kevin was calling it. Hopefully someone got some pictures, 'cause I can't imagine we'll being doing it again anytime soon--for one thing, it took 3 weeks to grow a mustache! The security guards at Hickam (we played 5-6 at their carnival before the Rose) got a big kick outta my Lt. Dangle get-up.*
Thanks to the peeps from Lockheed and the other Defense contractors for requesting the Big Rock Stampede for their party on Friday at the I.R.S. ---we set the  record for bar sales EVER at the Rose, not surprising 'cause it was 100 degrees easily and drinking made it more bearable. The Japanese Self-Defense Force guys were rocking extra hard--and their favorite tunes? Beatles and Cheap Trick, how unsurprising is that?** Normally when 2/3 of the room clears out, it's alarming, in this case it was relief! Big Ups to Kimberly and Pat for grace under pressure. So, after 3 gigs in two days, we get to kick back a little this month--just Saturdays (and the one Sunday) thank you, whew!



*my neighbor asked if I was "Homeland Security"--in hot pants?? really??!! T. has never seen "Reno 911" so she thought I was just showing off my gams.
**my faves as well.

Ke Ora!
Another week's worth of gigs down, one week closer to All Hallows Eve! Should be fun--I was one of the judges for last year's I.R.S. costume contest, and man, there were some good efforts. Come down, Waikiki is the bomb on Halloween!
Big ups to new daddy Andrew for sitting in this past Saturday--the Perry and Price Show was fun, waiting around for 4 hours in order to play 6 minutes. (okay, that part, not so fun) Ho'okena was one of the performers that played before us which was cool as I've not seen their bassist Chris Kamaka (yes, those Kamakas) in years. And Lex Brodie was there!!! He's pretty spry for a 95 year old! We had Chris Deal of Resistor fame, the Jones ohana, and a room full of people unready for the rock treatment @ 10:30am. And, despite Fanelli and my naysaying, they LIKED us! Had a tourist in his sixties ask me for a pick, how cool is that!?* Kiwiboardist had his nephew listening in on the Internet down in the The Land of the Long White Cloud**--sorry they cut to commerial right when Rex was talking, that happened at the station, not at the show. And Andrew's new name is "David".
This Friday is Colonel Hathi's Brigade @ Red Lion University, and then then the Big Rock Stampede Saturday AND Sunday at the Irish Rose Saloon--Sunday being the second-ever Interfaith Edition of the Church of Elephant. Should be rocking, check us out!




*he was probably a guitarist who wanted to save .60 cents by getting a free pick.
**Aotearoa, New Zealand to the Europeans

Aloha Troops!
Man, this month is gig central--don't get me wrong, as I often say, "it's good to work, it's good to work"--just combine an increased gig load with weather that is hot enough to poach a brain inside it's skull... You get the idea. For those who weren't out this past Saturday, our illustrious drummer got his Bar Exam results back, so after he gets sworn in, he can go by "David A. Fanelli, Esquire".
This Saturday morning the Big Rock Stampede plays the Perry and Price Show, for an audience who pro'ly went to High School with King Kamehameha--like someplace between 65 and dead is their demographic--with special guest bassist Andrew, who'll be filling in for Kopps that night at the Irish Rose as well. Andrew, Steve (Elephant's founder) and I all played together back when Andrew wasn't old enough to get into a bar, 19 years (!!!??!) ago!

Aloha all!
Mahalo nui to everyone who came out to rock with the Big Rock Stampede this past weekend, especially those who made out both nights--we tried to play some stuff we've not played in awhile, even played a song we didn't know/never played before Sunday for a guy who royally stiffed us on the tip--big spender wanted an overplayed ditty pretty much any other band (including Hawaiian trios) in Waikiki plays and promised us a Grant note* if we'd hack our way through it so he could dance poorly with his GF--who was already dancing to what we were playing. Anyhoots, we play his request (not too shabbily) and he makes a big production of putting $2 in the bucket! Cheapstake! Thank God our Navy and Marine** friends were raised better, otherwise we'd not've been able to pay our bar tabs at the end of the night...
Light weekend coming up, just Saturday at the Rose, the rest of the month is gonna be nose to the grindstone as we have an appearance on the "Perry and Price" radio show coming up and an overdue album to mix--yes, there IS an Elephant CD in your future! In time for Xmas!



*$50, in case you didn't know. hey, i didn't, i'm far too poor to be dealing with those!
** rock on 33 Scout Snipers!! my grandunkle was an Admiral in the Corps, so much love for the Marines. 'course both moms and pops miller were Naval officers, so you know MY fave branch.
***"The Bravery of Being Out Of Range", Roger Waters

Aloha all!
Big ups to everyone who made it out to the gig(s) this weekend, especially those who came both nights.* The Friday debut of Colonel Hathi's Brigade @ Red Lion was WAY cool and went well enough that Edow wants to book it once a month! The lovely Dyann came down, as did Phil Slash and Rexie--you shoulda just brought your keyboard, you stayed 'til closing anyway!--and birthday boy's sweetie Celine. The Fanelli's and I ended up closing Kelley O'Neils after, which was fun, but boy I was paying the price in the morning, jeez...
Since he got yelled at**, Rick got up from his deathbed and brought his drums down and played Saturday night, despite being sick as a dog, allowing birthday boy Dave to take the night off. Much love to Kubbaca for grace under the weather and for rocking as hard as possible while trying not to vomit.*** We had the lovelies from the Hard Rock Cafe in the house, T and C, (why'd you disappear? we were actually gonna play Bryan Adams!) D and his GF--who've we've not seen in far too long--Chris Coates, Kamulea, lots of friends. Mahalos to everyone who came down, especially everyone who I've neglected to name--I know it sound bullshit, but we literally can't exist as a band without you guys. Elephant only rocks as hard as we do because you rock with us: U > us, so as long as you're around, there's the Big Rock Stampede. 

*which'd be Arron and Joy
**not by me
***which is honestly about as rock and roll as it gets. we forgot to play Epic! How could we forget that??

Hey, I forgot to mention two important bits of news: this Saturday is David Fanelli's natal day, so if you see him out and about Saturday (pro'ly with the lovely Mrs. Fanelli) be sure to wish him "Happy Birthday" and/or buy him a cocktail. If you're at the Colonel Hathi's Brigade gig @ Red Lion University tomorrow--and why wouldn't you be?--you can do it after midnight. The part of drummer in Elephant will be played by the Estimable Richard Kubach--aka "Kubacca"--at our gig Saturday night. As always, the part of "me" will be played by me...
Speaking of things played by me, the mighty (terrible) CHEESUS is re-forming for ONE NIGHT ONLY at Anna Bannana's Wednesday Sept. 23rd. If you've ever seen CHEESUS, you know, that's all I can say--Dave  had so much fun at the final gig, he was THROWN OUT.*  Oz and Testies are in town for a wedding, (no Gaynabler, sorry) so in the slapdash, half-ass tradition that is CHEESUS, we're putting on a show! It'll be nice to see some of the crew who NEVER bother to come see Elephant anymore, ahem coff coff...



*he almost got into a fight, although I'm not sure he was even aware of it.

Is what you should tell me anytime you see me out--seriously, did I NEED to close 2 bars and then OPEN a third? You tell me, I can't remember any of it. Fun was had, or so I'm told. Those who made it out Saturday got to hear the debut of not one but two new Elephant original songs, freshly written! Exciting, although there was a lotta starring at bit of paper with chords/lyrics on it. The Jimmy Cliff/J. Geils sounding one came off better, we gotta figure out a tempo for the one that's my fault--we played it so fast the words got buried, which is a shame as Fanelli definately wrote a good line of two for that one. This Saturday we'll try it at a less breakneck speed, hopefully with less me screwing up the chords--which I wrote, you'd figure I'd know 'em!