Cuatro Caminos: News

what's up, my beauties?

Whew, we are just cranking out the hits over here!
We are working on a new recording, and also playing really fun, chaotic shows all over the map.
WE got the Park Chalet again, and a great show coming up in Fresno in early May.
A myspace page is imminent, and plus Ken's got new visuals cooking.
Please come on out to check us out, and don't forget to shout!

things are going great for us.
There's a buzz in the air that's hard to define.
It might have to do with our new recordings, because we're very excited about our latest material.
It could be the beginnings of Spring that we feel.
We got hella shows lined up, and might be makng our first foray into the Central Valley!
Apparently , Fresno is mad about Cuatro Caminos. Who knew?

Anyway, y'all take care, and we'll be back with more exciting news soon.

So, who's the hippest band of all?
well, we don't know either, but Cuatro caminos is playing this Saturday at the Park Chalet!
Check the dates calendar for deets.

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New Year's Eve was a gas. We slayed 'em at the Beach Chalet and got some attention in the process. The Mermen are great, really beyond legendary and we love playing with them.
New Nate did a bang-up job on bass and his new wife filmed the whole thing.

Happy New Year to Everyone!

Eddie

So, the new guy got married. Woo Hoo!
We wish all the best to him and the lovely bride.

And we're playing a killer gig at the Beach Chalet with the Mermen! Check the show page for details.

Back with more soon...

Newsie News, by gum.

We have found the guy to replace our dear Andy on bass.
Please say hello to Nathan Taylor, young bassist and enthusiastic Cuatro Caminos Cannabis Cup runner-up!

That boy came and injected our music with his own brand of wackiness, so we welcome him to the fold.

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HBO has licensed the "Big Caboose Rub-A-Dub" for their racy new series about the Bunny Ranch brothel. It's a tender look at the sex trade in Nevada, complete with "hidden camera footage before, during and after sex".
The research we had to do for this project was murder, but hey, we're professionals.

Ack, ack, ack, ack.

That's the sound of us coughing up a big ol' hairball after a long nap.
Kind of like an end of hibernation stretch.

AaAhh! That feels better.

What's up people? Long time no see! We hope that each and every one of you has had an excellent winter and solstice.

We have much to report and so here goes:

Let's start with the biggest news of all -- (drum roll, Ken, if you please)
Andy is moving to the East Coast with his beautiful family and leaving the band. Stem those tears, bass-fans! This is excellent news for him and his!
Cuatro Caminos loves families, and Andy'll get to be around his family and raise little Samantha Xiao-Peng in a bucolic place where the houses aren't a gajillion dollars.
A round of applause for Andy...

Which leads us to:
Cuatro Caminos needs a bass player! Somebody truly special, and we don't mean "short-bus special."
Andy has a gift from the music Gods and we need another like him! So, call your Bay Area musical friends and have them help us hunt for one VERY SPECIAL BASSIST.

If any of you Cuatro Camino-ites help lead us to an excellent player, there's a reward in it for you. Like maybe some great wine. Some very good karma shall surely await you in Paradise, as well.

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Now, for some zombie news: Cuatro Caminos' "Big Caboose Rub-A-Dub" has been chosen for the film "Return Of The Living Dead 5, Rave To the Grave".

Yup, they love us in Zombieland. Here's a link: http://www.returnofthelivingdead4and5.com/5/synop5.html

The plot has to do with a college chemist making a bad batch of "Z" and turning a bunch of ravers into deadly zombies.

Cuatro Caminos loves this alot.

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we've also been tapped to be included in a Showtime cable special about brothels, but we don't have all the details yet.

What to do with all this success? Parlay it into even more success, we say! But, we do need a bass player, don't we...

HELP!

Well, peeps, you're looking at some genu-wine movie music making fools.

That's right, we are prominently placed in a new much-heralded short film entitled "Rio Peligroso, A Day In The Life Of A Coyote."
It's a greasy little comedy about a jivey illegal-alien smuggler, or "coyote." Filmed entirely on location for about the price of two burritos, it's quite hilarious and irreverent. A perfect match for Cuatro Caminos, I think.

It's fun to be part of such a cool project, but the news gets better: the short comedy was selected by director Kevin Smith - of "Clerks" fame, to be one of five finalists in his short film contest.

That's right, he liked it so much that he's featuring it on his website!
It's there for viewing and voting. The film that gets the most votes will be released on a DVD by Kevin Smith's company.

Woo-hoo!!!

Excellent, I say.

Anyway, please check this out: http://www.moviesaskew.com/News/12 for the movie link.
Here's the "Rio..." site: http://www.riopeligroso.com/default.htm for more info on the film.

So go see the film and vote for our little effort!

Thanks,
Eddie from Cuatro Caminos

Well hello Camino-ites!

Ok, so today is November 3rd and George Bush is once again President of The United States.
We at Caminos World Headquarters are not pleased about this turn of events but we take some solace in the large voter turn-out and, uh, yeah. That's all we can come up with now.
We wish for the huge divide in this great nation to be healed with the salve of consensus and unity. In other words, 55 million peeps voted against George Bush and so to have a true mandate to lead his administration must try to reach out to those of us who disagree with him. Or not.
Jeez, we're reaching here, people.
Given this Administration's history, they could give a rat's ass about what the rest of us think.
Meh.
Feh.
"Makes me wanna holler,
the way they do my life."
-Marvin Gaye

We at Caminos Headquarters have been listening to alot of Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye. Those brothers came from a different time, when music could be a commentary on society's larger issues. Music had the power to heal spiritual wounds caused by the Vietnam war, poverty and the Civil Rights struggles of the time. We believe, in our current emotional state, that perhaps the dark times ahead will give rise to a new artistic voice that can recapture some of that beautiful, powerful ju-ju.

Perhaps Cuatro Caminos is ready for a new writing phase, based less on glorious booty and more about uh, other things. More important things. (I can't believe I'm saying this.)

Anyway, listen to a little Curtis or Marvin, have a glass of wine, and weep a little with Cuatro Caminos.

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On to other things:

Decompression!
Woohoo!

Yup, we played it and was glorious. Wonderful music and art was everywhere and the people were fabulous.
We'll get some pics up soon.

Best to you all, (even the Republicans)

Eddie from Cuatro Caminos.

Hello Friends.

Well, it happened.

The blessed event that we all had been waiting for has transpired.

Hosanna, a miracle it is.

The blessed circle of life has been made complete.

No, I'm not referring to Ken getting a date with a hottie fire-chick.

What I'm talking about is Andy and Anita's new baby girl!
Little Samantha Xiaopeng was born on September 30th and mother and child are fine and healthy. Please direct your good wishes and grateful thoughts to the heavens for allowing this wondrous thing to happen.
Or, go to our guestbook and sign in with your comments!

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Ok, well the Cherry Bar was alot of fun and Boom is a fine fellow. We'll be playing more there, methinks. We had a fine time and the sound system is killer.
The hot women had eyes for each other and we like it that way sometimes. 'Nuff said.

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Decompression 2004 is coming soon! Please check our date calendar for the deets. It is so much fun, we really hope y'all can check it out.

I'll write a full update when we're done with it.

All the best,
Eddie from Cuatro Caminos

Hello Fine Viewers of Cuatro Caminos HiJinks,

Well, we played at the "How Berkeley Can You Be?" parade on Sunday and it was absolutely surreal-icious.
First, we helped to construct the float on Saturday and that was an exercise in aesthetic morbidity. Uh, what the hell do I mean? Well, because of limited time and resources, we went from a proposed "big caboose" design to the Death Star Float. A big crooked awning, white skulls, some red fabric and red DANGER tape wrapped everywhere helped to toxify our Death Star Float.

Then, on Sunday morning, we hauled a bunch of gear to the rendezvous point and met up with the Big Flaming Bat Truck that would pull the generator for us. We loaded up the float, hooked everything up and started getting sounds.
One problem: our driver had not shown up or called and the parade was about to start. Tick tock, still no driver and the rest of the "How Berkeley..." freaks are amassing behind us, with their cause signs and art cars and costumes.
WE LOVE RANGER ATOMIC. I'm yelling this because it was Ranger Atomic who ultimately saved us by driving the Death Star, instead of playing theremin as planned.
Thank Jah for friends like him.
He did a great job, and I only fell over a couple times and most of the gear stayed upright. That flatbed had airbrakes, you see, and that means that when it stops, it really stops. After a a few minor tippings, we learned to "surf" the flatbed while jamming.

One big highlight was the "Voire Du Vere Society" acrobats and contortionists that followed our float and performed to Cuatro Caminos' crazy mariachi-dub stylings.
Picture buff young women and men wearing vaudeville make-up and crazy Victorian Porno costumes doing wild stunts in the streets and you'll get the idea. I'll try to find a linkee soon.

Shout Outs, Hot and Smoking:

Tanya and everyone at EpicArts, thanks for the float! (and the Tecates)

Steven Ra$pa, master-of-ceremonies extraordinaire.

Elizabeth G., the lovely Mrs.

Rosin Coven, pagan lounge lovelies.

Anita, beautiful mom-to-be and maker of our banner.



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More fresh hot news:

Last minute gig at the Cherry Lounge, Sixth and Folsom.
This Friday, 9/24 10:00 pm, five bucks and drink specials all night. It's our old friend Boom, formerly of Kimo's.

Okay, so we're back from Burning Man shaking the dust out of our heads. Whew, what a ____ time we had! (I like leaving that space in so that we can vary our adjectives)

Cuatro Caminos played on the Center Camp stage on a nice and clear Friday night at Black Rock City. We had a very special guest known as Ranger Atomic (aka Mike P., formerly of Meat Beat Manifesto and currently of TinoCorp) on theremin. As the evening progressed, various other weirdos and musicians joined us on stage.
Ken's fave was the dude with the megaphone/alien-noise helmet contraption on his head. Truly a great show, by our chaos-loving standards!

Then, as the big moon rose in the sky, we meandered over to the big Radio K-SVERT stage to catch the Mermen in all of their Midnight glory.
Massive waves of sound washed over the playa (did I really write that? heh heh) as we pedaled our bikes towards the stage. Ken reached into his bag and gifted us with some colorful goodies. I'm not sure what that means.
Anyway, as we conversed with the Mermen during their break, they graciously offered us a chance to play a mini-set with their instruments and we said, who us? And then we gave the open playa a 1:00 am mini-set of Cuatro Caminos instrumental madness. Much love ensued.

After all this, we stood around the fire and enjoyed the glow. Of the fire.

I went back to camp to crash and Nate, our substitute bassist, went on with the Mermen/Insect Surfer crowd. I didn't see him 'til the next afternoon and I won't say much except to say that he looks quite fetching in a short black skirt.

I (Eddie) had to leave Sunday, so we packed up on Saturday evening and then enjoyed the big Burn that night.
We left Black Rock City on Sunday morning and immediately drove to the Rez (Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation) for a nice car-wash and Indian taco. We bought a day-pass for the lake and found a great spot for a swim.

All in all, a fantastic adventure.

Cuatro Caminos wants to give a huge shout-out to Chris and Dave from Match Camp, the Mermen, Jamie amd Kyle, Dave and the boys from Park City, UT., Rangers Atomic and Binky, Nate Miller and the nice hippy-chick with the truffles next to our camp.

I'm sure we'll have some pics and audio files of all this mayhem up soon.

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Okay, on to some current events: Cuatro Caminos will be holding forth on a float this Sunday. We will have a float and fire-juggling acrobats in the "How Berkeley Can You Be?" parade on Sunday, 9/19 at 11:00 am.

Come one, come all.

Say hi and we'll give you a Tecate or something.

Much love to all,
Eddie from Cuatro Caminos

P.S: hit our guestbook and throw some creative writing, rants or insults our way.

Fans of Eddie's C&W band "Motel Fresno" will recognize Nate Miller on bass at this year's Burning Man Festival. No word on why Andy will not be playing but rumors range from concern for his health, to the possibility of an expected little one, to him just not feeling like it.