I neglected to write to you last spring about the publication of Alastair Gordon’s SPACED OUT, Radical Environments of the Psychedelic Sixties (2008,Rizzoli). It’s this gorgeous coffee table architecture book about the wiggy shelters my friends built back in the day. To us, it’s more like a family album. It’s an absolutely fun read/look.

“If you don’t have recourse to memory or the spaces themselves, Alastair Gordon’s crucial new book, Spaced Out, will bring you closer to a time when architecture was expanding its horizons…Architects today have a lot to learn from these hippies.”– Metropolis (6/18/08)

I was thrilled to have my work included in the book, and curious to see which drawings Alastair would choose include. This color page is from Being of the Sun (Harper & Row, 1972), which I co-wrote with Ramon Sender and illustrated and designed myself. The illustrations on the facing page are from my first book, Living on the Earth (Bookworks, 1970, Random House 1971 and 2000, Gibbs Smith, Publisher, 2003).

Alastair wrote about Living on the Earth with a waggish smile in his voice.

I was honored to be in the august company of environmental-activist designers like the folks at Drop City, an early Colorado artists’ commune, whose geodesic domes made of sheet metal recycled from roofs of cars at the wrecking yard became their signature visual.

I met Paolo Soleri, the architect who designed and is still building Arcosanti, back in the 1960s when he did a fundraising talk and slide show at my mom’s house in L.A. As a result, I wrote about Arcosanti in Living on the Earth.

Here’s an interior photo of Soleri’s semi-subterranean home and studio, Cosanti, in Scottsdale, Arizona.  I made a pilgrimage to both of Soleri's architectural wonders in November 2000, during my epic 8 month book tour for the 30th anniversary edition of Living on the Earth and the release of my first CD, Music From Living on the Earth.

Tags: hippies aliciabaylaurel arcosanti beingofthesun ramonsender paolosoleri dropcity livingontheearth architecture geodesicdome spacedout alastairgordon cosanti

August 5, 2008
The second Tokyo exhibition of the original Living on the Earth drawings and layouts (created in 1969 and 1970), opened today at the Mirai Garou (gallery) in Roppongi Hills, Tokyo. Above, my drawing and design for the invitation.

Ohta-san, the curator of the gallery, requested that I create a current piece of art as a centerpiece for the show, preferably a scene of Tokyo. I drew the view from neighboring Mori Tower (the building next door to the building where the gallery is) looking out to orange and white Eiffel-like Tokyo Tower. Since I often draw goddesses, I was not surprised when Amaterasu, the Shinto Sun Goddess, who is the mother of Japan, floated into the sky behind it.

Here's the photo on which I based my drawing.

 
I missed the opening, since I am preparing to leave shortly for two weeks in Vermont, for events that were booked long before the art show, but, happily, Keisuke Era, from Artist Power Bank and Kurkku, sent me three photos. Above, some of the crowd that came for the opening.

The layouts and drawings in beautiful driftwood frames created by Yuji Kamioka are here displayed in an elegant white room.

The cozy bar at Mirai Garou, with one of my two-page layouts on the wall.

Tags: aliciabaylaurel artist art japan livingontheearth tokyo kurkku artgallery roppongihills moritower tokyotower miraigarou

August 5, 2008
Today “Floozy Tune,” the opening cut on my 3rd CD, What Living’s All About, has placed in yet a SECOND international songwriting contest, as Honorable Mention (7th place) in the World division (which includes jazz), in the Indie International Songwriting Contest. Here’s their profile page on me.

The first award for “Floozy Tune” was in the Top 20 Finalists in the Jazz Division of the Unisong International Songwriting Contest, in 2007.

Tags: music jazz wlaa aliciabaylaurel blues singersongwriter floozytune indieinternationalsongwritingcon

April 15, 2008. The next morning after our return from Hazu, Kaorico and I breakfasted on kiwi, miso soup with tofu and wakame sea vegetable, green salad with sesame-miso dressing, rice, and two different cooked vegetable dishes. Japanese food is amazing. It looks beautiful, tastes great, and you feel good afterwards. How great is THAT?

After breakfast we visited a local music store to see if someone there could repair the jack on my guitar, which had become unreliable in sound output. No one could. So, for the rest of my tour, I played the guitar into a microphone instead. Back in LA, I took it to a guitar repair shop, and discovered the problem was only dirt in the jack, which the repair guy removed with a cotton swab. Even I could have done that., if I had been able to figure out what to do.

Next I traveled by train into Tokyo. I saw this anti-litter advisory in the Harajyuku station.

My mission for the day was to meet with Keisuke Era and Junko Tamaki, who are organizing an art show of the original drawings and layout of Living on the Earth at the Kurkku complex in Harajyuku,. I delivered the work, for which master craftsman Yuji Kamioka would eventually create 178 one-of-a-kind drift wood frames. We would only show 30 pieces in the upcoming show, but we would have other shows in the future, until all the images were sold.

Yuji showed me a sample of the frames. I was delighted.

On my way back to Harajyuku Station, I walked through one of my favorite Tokyo places. Takeshita Street, a bustling neighborhood where throngs of high school and college aged people shop, eat and go to night clubs. It has the air of a carnival, and there are lots of people in costume.

This lovely girl in white agreed to let me take her picture.

Easter on Takeshita Street

A very theatrical storefront.

The bargain rack. One thousand yen is about $10.00

The layered look is much favored here.

Next, I took the train to Shibuya to buy art supplies at Tokyu Hands, a department store selling only art and craft supplies. The intersection outside of Shibuya station reminded me of Times Square, with its gigantic animated signs.

Tags: aliciabaylaurel artist art japan livingontheearth tokyo japanesefood kurkku artistpowerbank artgallery honshu shibuya harajuku trains guitarrepair

April 13, 2008, Hazu, Japan. Meet Shige and Mik-chan, the organizers of the Rock on the Rock Festival in Hazu, a beach resort just outside of Nagoya city. Shige owns a nightclub in Tokyo called The Loft Project, where I am invited to play next on my next tour. Mik-chan produces music events in Nagoya. This is their tenth year producing this festival.

They did this festival with a lot of style. For one thing, all of the musicians and staff were guests in a first class hotel…

...with a view of the ocean from every room and TWO onsen (hot springs spas) downstairs.

I was issued an All Access Pass, so I could go anywhere during the festival..,

...and a festival t-shirt…

...with my name on it as a headliner. Wow!

Here’s the festival schedule. I play in the afternoon on the second day.

Kaorico gave me a gorgeous set of new clothes to wear at the festival…

...and she sold my books and CDs at her booth…

...and what a booth it is…

...complete with driftwood sculpture.

Here’s Kaorico with one of her staff at the festival, both resplendant in Little Eagle clothes, handmade in India in a fair trade factory from organically grown cotton.

Next booth over from hers is the Slow Turtle (referencing the Slow Life movement) t-shirt booth, owned and produced by her ex-husband and dear friend Haru.

I love Haru’s sign “Welcome to Heaven.” That’s how it felt at the festival that day.

Looking down to the dome stage and the beach from Kaorico and Haru’s booths…

...and the driftwood gate through which festival goers passed to visit the booths.

Behind the booths was a picnic area for staff only, overlooking the ocean, with barbeque grills beside the tables. We were offered trays of vegetables, fish and meats, which we could grill on the barbeque. Kaorico and I made a vegan selection and she grilled it for us. Oishi! (Delicious!)

Down by the dome stage, where I played later, stood two more booths…

...one of which, Paraiso, sold records and books.

The next day at the hotel, owner of Paraiso told me he’s going to carry my records and books in his store!

Before my set, I enjoyed listening to an avant-garde piano and drum duo…

...And just before my set, the world music band Tayuta, with their wonderful singer, Hirono.

The audience was dancing wildly to their music.

The day after the festival, I met the members of Tayuta in the hotel lobby and we planned to meet again in Tokyo.

My wonderful translator, Mackie, is the leader of a rural commune based band called the Mountain Rockers.

We kept telling jokes. We had the best time. People said we were like an old married couple.

I couldn’t have wanted a more ideal environment to present my music as that psychedelically decorated dome. I’m playing my Traveler Guitar, a great little electric guitar that fits in the overhead compartment.

Of course, I also brought my good old workhorse Guild F45CE, in a sturdy Gator flight case. I need two guitars when I perform, so that I don’t have to bore the audience by re-tuning the guitar every time I change from standard to open tuning.

The next day, Kaorico and I drove back to Hayama, and were blown away by a sunset view of Mount Fuji as we passed the town of Fujikawa (Fuji River).

Tags: music aliciabaylaurel japan musicfestival travelerguitar mountfuji honshu nagoya hazu kaoricoago littleeagledesigns rockontherockfestival tayuta gatorguitarcase

I’m playing two concerts in Vermont in August 2008, plus I’ll be leading my visualization shrine built from recycled stuff workshop! Above is the poster for the concert at Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury on August 14, 7 PM at the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium, 1302 Main St.  You can phone Tara Holt at the museum for more information at 802-748-2372.

The shrine building workshop will be held at Lareau Farm Pavilion on August 17 and the concert will be at Valley Players on August 18, both as part of the month-long Vermont Festival for the Arts in Waitsfield.

After that I’m heading down to Packer Corners Farm for a communal 40th reunion.

Tags: aliciabaylaurel vermont livingontheearth tour concert fairbanksmuseum vermontfestivalforthearts shrineworkshop packercornersfarm totallossfarm

While I’m touring in Japan, I’ll be missing the entire run of Nick Alva’s, Morningstar, an original musical play based on the story of Lou Gottlieb’s pioneering open land commune, which gave rise to nearby Wheeler Ranch commune, where I wrote and illustrated Living on the Earth. I’m so sorry I will miss it, for this will be the first time my songs have been incorporated into a stage production.  They’ll be sung by a dancing ensemble in full hippie regalia! I saw a work-in-progress version of the show (photo above) in September 2006 at the Communal Studies Association Conference. I hope someone videos it this time.

If you are within striking distance of Cotati, in Sonoma County, California (60 miles north of San Francisco, just off Highway 101) in May 2008, do catch one of their shows!  Below is a photo of some of the current cast:

Tags: music hippie hippies csa aliciabaylaurel ramonsender livingontheearth mflote musicalcomedy wheelerranch communalstudiesassociation california diggers morningstarcommune nickalva lougottlieb openland cotati sonomacounty

I’m so happy. I got my fifth consecutive positive review of What Living’s All About, this time in Blues Revue (“The World’s Blues Magazine”) January 2008 issue, written by Tom Hyslop in the “Blues Bites” section. I just posted it on the What Living’s All About review page.

You can get your own copy of What Living’s All About from CD Baby, on iTunes, or from this site (I’ll sign it for you).  You can download free the one cut no reviewer has been able to ignore, America the Blues, here.

Tags: music jazz wlaa aliciabaylaurel blues cdbaby itunes americatheblues bluesrevue

Alicia headlines at the Rainbow Festival, Aso Mountain, Kyushu Island, May 2007. That's Futaro on lead guitar, and Daisuke on bass. 

I’m heading back to Japan April 9 for my third tour in less than 18 months. This time I’m having an art show of the original drawings from Living on the Earth, including the cover layout, displayed in handmade frames of sliced driftwood, crafted by Yuji Kamioka, who created the wooden signs at Kurkku Environmental Arts Center in Shibuya, Tokyo, where the exhibit will be held, May 10 to June 1. At the gallery opening May 9th, the beautiful women working at Kurkku will model the spring fashion line illustrated with drawings from Being of the Sun created by Aya Noguchi for Balcony and Bed.  Other Tokyo locations where the drawings will be shown and sold will be the Balcony and Bed main store in the Daikanyama fashion district of Shibuya, and at Utrecht, a bookstore in Ginza.  Hiroshi Eguchi, the owner of Utrecht, will be creating and publishing a catalog of the show.

Here's the invitation to the Kurkku event:

I’ll be making music at the art opening, as well as at ten other occasions during my tour, and I'll be leading two art workshops, one on the island of Oshima and the other on the island of Okinawa (two of my favorite places on earth).  I'll also be recording two songs by Donto for my next CD with his widow, Sachiho Kudomi, and her band Amana in Okinawa, where I will be their guest. (For those of you not familiar with Shuntaro Tanikawa's works, here is a sample.)

Here is my schedule:

April 13 Rock on the Rock Festival in Hazu, just outside Nagoya, on the beach!
April 20 Earth Day Festival in Saku, Nagano Prefecture. Festival site is near Sakudaira Station and adjacent to the Jusco Shopping Center.
April 21 Cafe Gonza concert in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, at 6:30 PM. 2000 yen.
April 25 House concert in Ide, Nagano Prefecture, at 2 PM. 1000 yen. For more information, please call Kyoko and Ta-Bou at 0267-77-2485.
April 26 3 PM Concert at Kuraya Greens in Kobuchizawa, Yamanashi prefecture. 1500 yen. For more info, phone 0551-36-4789 or call Asako Fujito at 080-6684-4477.
May 3 and 4 Oshima Island Spirit dream shirt workshop co-lead with En Ando at Alohana Gardens
May 3 Solo concert on Oshima, 5 PM at Alohana Gardens.
May 9 Art opening party and concert 7 PM to 9 PM at Kurkku, Shibuya, Tokyo. Art show runs May 10 to June 1, 2008 in the Jingumae Lab at Kurkku.
May 12 to 15 Okinawa, recording session for two Donto songs for new CD
May 16 to 18 in Hakkakudo, Okinawa, spiritual, art and music retreat, co-lead by Sachiho Kudomi.  Concert by Alicia and Amana on May 17.
May 23 7 PM Solo concert, including my telling the story (with translation) of the creation of Living on the Earth, illustrated with projected photographs. Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre, Small Hall, 3-10-1 Fukashi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-0815 Japan. Tickets 2500 yen pre-sale, 3000 yen at door.  For tickets and information, please call Mayu at 0261-61-1833 or see the website she made for the event.
May 24, 10 PM, Interview and music from the May 9th art opening concert on AP Bank Radio, Tokyo, broadcast all over Japan.
May 30 9:30 PM, Yukotopia Dead Heads Land Night Club Adachi, Tokyo. Four acts:

May 31 9:30 PM Yukotopia Dead Heads Land Night Club, Adachi, Tokyo. Four acts:

18:30~19:30 Blue Moonstruck (haven`t heard them yet)
19:30~20:30 Electric Building (husband/wife folk/rock band. Fun!)
20:30~21:30 The Great Rolling Flower (not sure what genre)

21:30~22:30 Alicia Bay Laurel (solo psych folk, Hawaiian, blues and jazz) 

I will fill in the exact times and locations of the events as I receive this information. My three CDs and two books will be available at all events, and I'll sign (almost) anything you put in front of me, whether you bought it from me or not.

Here are the front and back of the flier for the concert on May 23! 

Flier for Nagano events, created by Satomi Yanagisawa, who is organizing the first four Nagano events for me. 

Flier for Dream Spirit Shirt making workshop and solo concert on Oshima Island, created by En Ando, my co-leader in the workshop.  The drawing is from Being of the Sun. 

Tags: lote music earthday aliciabaylaurel artist beingofthesun art recording amana sachihokudomi japan livingontheearth yukotopia tour concert okinawa ohshima kurkku ayanoguchi 2008 nagano nagoya shuntarotanikawa