I’m not real sure how to start this month’s installment, as the majority of what I need to pen is, without any help from my wellspring of misanthropic sarcasm, leaning toward the dark.

All of you Bag:folk are all well aware of bassist/Stick player/composer Tom Shannon, either because you know him personally, or have heard his three-piece treasure dubbed ‘Death & Taxe$’, and his incredible work with Bag: Theory. A little over a year ago, Tom fell ill with a cranial tumor that required extensive surgery and a bit of recovery time. All seemed well thereafter, as the energetic lad worked his own band, plus two other projects of equal quality. Quite recently, Tom had a pretty nasty stroke, and had to spend a short stint at the hospital. His recovery had been nothing less than remarkable as far as the stroke was concerned, but while running a tissue biopsy the Docs found that once again, Tom had a cancerous cranial tumor. While a strategy was being laid, all of us held onto the notion that science has advanced in such a way as to give this fine, irreplaceable man a damn good chance. He’d always been one hell of a fighter (had been since I met him when he was 18) and his wife Audrey knew her stuff, and was warrior enough (move over, Xena) to fight most ably at his side.

Sadly though, I must report the untimely death of Tom Shannon; my brother, friend and band-mate. At age 36, Tom touched the lives of so many, and spread his vision and musical genius like subtle shock waves throughout L.A., and indeed through his recordings, throughout the world.

Please keep Tom in your thoughts; for in doing so, we become the army of support and loyalty that keeps his brilliance alive. I’d been lucky to have shared many hours with Tom during the last week or so, and believe me friends, he remained sharp as an aged English cheddar, his martini-dry sense of humor fully in tact, shaken not stirred, until he passed.

Any good news? Oh, yeah, I’ve got a bit of that…

Our CD ‘A Good Ass-Kicking Wears Many Faces’ is now at Amoeba Music in Hollywood, and will be in three other record stores in the L.A. area over the next few weeks. We are also putting together another Christmas CD that will make the rounds in about a month. It is compiled from recent gigs about town, and much like the ‘Orgasmatron’ in Woody Allen’s ‘Sleeper’, it’s100% guaranteed to produce pleasurable sensations!

The gig at Rumors 11/9/02 was great. It started way too damn late, and it had been raining all day; needless to say, I didn’t expect much of an attendance. To my surprise, we had an excellent audience. Even our worked-to-death Bag:pal Richie Häss and killer blues guitarist Doug Monteith made the scene.

Opening the show for us once again was talented buddy Chris Neely, otherwise known as ‘Captain Underpants & The Acoustic Tube Socks’. He got drunk on a personal pitcher of beer and sang n’ played his ass off. Following was a blazing Bag: Theory set, unusually intense and outside. We featured poet/Bag:man extrordinair David McIntire on his very own rotation. The set was kept short, so as not to stiff those completely Dada rockers, ‘The Aliens’, a brilliant yet gone concept ensemble that I hope we do many more performances with. While I wasn’t able to stay for the entire set, I tell you folks, they’re almost indescribable, and must be heard and seen to be grokked (that’s an old R. Heinlein term, pardon the sci-fi space reference).

Much thanks to Toni, the owner of ‘Rumors’, for just plain being a wonderful person. I’d like nothing more in the world than to see her fabulous little dump become the next ‘Masque’, ‘Al’s Bar’, ‘Cathay De Grande’ or ‘Be-Bop’. So go there when the music’s happening, regardless of whoever might be playing. ‘Rumors’ needs your support, and indeed, deserves it. Also, a quick thanks to the ever present Nubs and his friend Tony T. for lending a hand.

If you showed up, thanks. If not, we’ll catch you next time.

Until then, you know how to reach me,

M.

mdsegal@earthlink.net

Old News:
10/10/02