Portable Shrines

“Bomp! Saving the World One Record At A Time”

This one’s been out for a bit but few seem to have acknowledged the magnitude of this bomber. The same can be said about most of the mind-boggling achievements of music legend Greg Shaw(1949-2004), the visionary mind behind Bomp! Records and the magazine of the same name. Sci-fi/rocknroll writer and former Deviant Mick Farren teamed up with Suzy Shaw (Greg’s lifelong co-conspirator) and compiled an amazing tribute to his life’s work. The book reprints (mostly for the first time anywhere) an enormous amount of classic material from the now rare and coveted Bomp magazine, even going back to his days editing one of the first ever underground music papers Mojo-Navigator in the midst of the late sixties San Francisco scene. Included for the first time ever is the fabled lost/final issue from 1981 wherein Shaw seems to be proclaiming the end of the punk era and a return to the primeval energy of psychedelic rock (much as he had predicted the rise of the 70′s punk explosion, once again way ahead of most).

To sum up: more than just drool inducing design (tons of rare and unseen photos and graphics) this big book of Bomp was decades in the making and one that you’ll keep returning to, finding more each time.

Its an awe-inspiring look into a era when people sent letters in the mail, did paste-ups and made mimeograph fanzines and wrote with primitive machines called typewriters. Oh yeah, and played real rock and roll from deep inside their guts.

The Portable Shrines collective was blessed to witness Ya Ho Wha 13′s performance at the Nectar Lounge in Seattle 12.15.08, Emeralds opening, and at the Doug Fir Lounge 12.16.08, Eternal Tapestry bringing forth Spirit first. The trio also played at Slim’s down in SF 12.18.08, with the Holy Wooden Shjips opening, and in LA 12.19.08 at the fitting Spaceland with the Moon Upstairs and the drone duo Robedoor setting the mood. There have been no reports of the two cali shows, and we are anxiously awaiting accounts from our southern brothers and sisters. Portable Shrines deeply wanted to follow Ya Ho Wha 13 down the coast but alas, the maya swallowed us and we need to make a living. If only the Source Family could take us into the fold and put us to work at the restaurant, but sadly those days are over.

Opening with the Star Exercise and following through with a hypnotic set Ya Ho Wha 13 held rapt the audience that came to check them out. There seemed to be a strange effect on women, both shows attended had seductively dancing ladies at the front of the stage…the charismatic spirit of Father Yod was present and effecting all. At the Seattle show this member of Portable Shrines had a moment of entrancement focused upon the crash cymbal of Octavius Aquarian, truly mind blowing. Before the Seattle gig the trio became lost on the streets and missed sound check, and the sound did seem a bit uneven. Nevertheless the show was rapturous. The Portland show was just as amazing, the sound richer at the Doug Fir with the more organic setting and a better mix. The band seemed more relaxed and flowed with the jams a bit more, bringing the attending collective again into a meditative state.

We suggest you to listen to Yahowa 13: Penetration: An Aquarian Symphony at the Anthology Records site. And please check out the book and video about the Source Family and Father Yod.

Shew.

Beaming out misty shrouds of sonic ooze with the best of ‘em Portland’s Eternal Tapestry lay down the law of the psychedelic wasteland. Drone done right, they stand as an eerie green beacon in a sea of garbage. Get their Mystic Induction LP on Notnotfun if you still can. Go see em’ w/ Ya Ho Wha 13 (see below) at the Doug Fir in Portland Dec. 16th

Holy Crap is all I can really say about this at the moment but if for some reason you need to know more the folks at the Nectar have some info for ya- just click the image above.