Moonalice - The Dream Continues

Image: Bob Minkin

Flashback to an interview that Roger McNamee, founder of American folk/roots-with-jam band Moonalice gave in 2015:  

“What I would say to anyone who is reading this is just remember…if you’ve got a dream, never let go. Not ever. You’re gonna have setbacks. I’ve had dozens of them. Some of them have been really horrible. You just, you don’t ever really want to let go because there’s always a chance to have an up after a down. And, in my case, each down has lead to a more interesting up. I don’t know what the next one will be, be, but I look forward to it whatever it ends up being,” he said.

Following your dreams is a recurring theme for both Moonalice and Roger, who has commented about fan favorite, ‘Nick Of Time’ saying, “The song is deeply optimistic, which reflects my philosophy.”

High tech. meets high touch

Moonalice is unique for both its tech. and its tribe - The Tribe is how Moonalice fans describe themselves - with nearly half-a-million fans on social media. 

“We were consciously created to apply technology to the music industry. Being our age, and playing original music and not being a tribute band, we had to use technology to reach people. So the combination of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and then, especially, the video broadcast of every concert. That has been transformational. What’s been really funny is it turns out it wasn’t that expensive to broadcast all the shows,” Roger explained.

The dream continues

After a winter hiatus, Moonalice fans were thrilled to see the announcement of 2017 tour dates which include a SoCal tour, a number of festivals as well as the highly popular and regularly sold-out "Gathering Of The Tribe" at Slim's in San Francisco.

“The 2017 Moonalice tour begins on March 30 with four shows in SoCal with our friends, Cubensis- Grateful Dead Music Experience,” Roger recently posted on Facebook. “Click through to see the dates through early May ... including 4/20 at Slim's!!! Please bring your dancing shoes!!!”

Moonalice is a psychedelic, roots-rock band of seasoned musicians mixing a variety of genres with extended musical improvisations that evoke a sense of adventure and exploration. Everyone is a part of the experience and the music inspires dancing and other acts of self expression.

Every show has an original art poster created by a well-known artist memorializing that event and given to all attendees…each poster has its own Moonalice legend. All concerts are broadcast live in HD and available in archive shortly after their set.

Moonalice plays mostly original material mixed with several covers, and during their extended freeform jams the band moves as one, drawing from many musical genres honed from years of experience playing with various major acts. Their single "It's 4:20 Somewhere" has been downloaded over 6 million times.

Moonalice is:

• John Molo: Drums, Vocals. (Bruce Hornsby & The Range, John Fogerty, Phil Lesh & Friends, The Other Ones, David Nelson Band).
• Barry Sless: Lead Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar, Bass. (Phil Lesh & Friends, David Nelson Band, Kingfish, Cowboy Jazz).
• Roger McNamee: Rhythm Guitar, Vocals, Bass. (Guff, The Engineers, Random Axes, Flying Other Brothers)
• Pete Sears: Bass, Keyboards, Guitar, Vocals (Sam Gopal Dream, Rod Stewart, Jefferson Starship, Jerry Garcia, Hot Tuna, John Lee Hooker, David Nelson Band, Phil Lesh & Friends).
• Big Steve Parish: Road Scholar/Medicine Man/Storyteller. (Grateful Dead crew for 26 years, co-founder of Jerry Garcia Band)

Fun fact - Moonalice's first show was in May, 2007, which means that the band has a milestone birthday in 2017!

Making The Pokémon GO - World Water Day Connection

Image: The Pokémon Company

In January Niantic and The Pokémon Company teamed up with the Global Goals and Project Everyone campaigns to raise awareness of issues through special Pokémon GO locations at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. It was described in the media as more of an encouragement for conscientious, tech-savvy WEF attendees than a concerted attempt to sway influencers - it's helpful, but not game-changing. 

Today, World Water Day, Niantic announced a new promotion, Make a Splash in Pokémon GO, but did not make the connection to the relevance of the day.

Waves of Water-type Pokémon are coming your way in Pokémon GO  

Starting at 1 p.m. PDT on March 22, 2017, more Water types are headed to Pokémon GO! Look for the Water-type Pokémon Magikarp, Squirtle, Totodile, and their Evolutions to appear more frequently all around the world. Additionally, when you're out exploring areas where Water types commonly appear, you'll have a greater chance to encounter several of the Water-type Pokémon originally discovered in the Johto region. If you're fortunate enough, you might even encounter Lapras!

The deluge of Water-type Pokémon will last until 1 p.m. PDT on March 29. Good luck discovering more of these Pokémon around the world in Pokémon GO.

Co-incidence? I’d like to think not. But since Niantic are not making the connection, I will.

I’m celebrating World Water Day by watching Watershed #mywaterstory streaming live from the Vatican. This afternoon I'll head out in search of Totodile.

Making the connection. That’s #mywaterstory today.

Old books exquisitely repurposed into whimsical tea time items

Image: Cecilia Levy

Swedish artist Cecilia Levy makes beautiful art objects - including everyday items like cups, saucers and tea pots – using small pieces of paper taken from old books and comics, preferably from the last century. 

Trained originally as a graphic designer and bookbinder, Cecilia’s passion for books led to some creative experimentation beginning in 2009. 

“I began experimenting with 3-dimensional shapes; taking apart an old book, tearing it into small pieces and pasting them back together again (resulting in a wobbly, but expressive, bowl). I had suddenly found "my" material. Ever since then I'm on the lookout for suitable old books,” she explained.

Cecilia’s work celebrates the passage of time - original stains and marks on the paper remain and add both depth and character. The art objects are created using papier-mâché techniques, and are not varnished, so that the emphasis remains on the paper itself. This means that works like the teacups are for appreciation in terms form rather than in actual function. With these cups one sips with one’s eyes as opposed to one’s lips, and the refreshment comes from an appreciation of an art form that is an ingenious as it is exquisite.

“The book is recreated in a way, but takes on a new form. The two-dimensional becomes three-dimensional. The process is slow and meditative,” Cecilia Levy.

Image: Cecilia Levy

The words on the pages Cecilia selects are more than decoration on the beautifully made art pieces - they are the entrance to a world of enchantment. 

It is easy to let one’s imagination follow those thoughts down a rabbit hole to a magical place where the March hare or the white rabbit are sipping from these at a tea time table. 

The content of books that may otherwise have gone to waste lives on in memory’s mystic band in Cecilia’s whimsical and magical art.

Follow Cecilia's art journey on her website and on Facebook and Instagram.

New High Pressure Processing Council Launches at ProFood Tech

Council aims to advance High Pressure Processing (HPP) as a critical technology for the food and beverage industry.

Jeff Williams, President, Avure Technologies PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, has announced the formation of an industry council focused on the advancement of High Pressure Processing (HPP) as a critical technology in the food and beverage industry. Convened by PMMI, the HPP Council will address questions about the technology while developing and formalizing industry best practices. The new council will also promote networking among professionals using this processing technology. High Pressure Processing transitioned from the lab to the production floor almost 20 years ago. Now, it is gaining greater recognition among consumer packaged goods companies for a variety of products. “In this age where consumer choice is critical, HPP is a cost-effective method for processors to maintain taste, texture and nutrition while providing the clean label consumers are looking for,” says Jeff Williams, president of Avure Technologies, and a founding member of this Council. In today’s regulatory environment, the technology is gaining importance. “HPP allows food processors to achieve significant benefits in terms of food safety and extended shelf-life. The formation of this Council will help us take this technology to the next level,” adds Jaime Nicolas-Correa, Director Hiperbaric USA, one of the founding members of the Council. The Council officially launches at ProFood Tech (April 4-6; McCormick Place, Chicago). Founding members will share the latest process insights and successes in a session on the ProFood Tech Innovation Stage on Wednesday, April 5 at 2:30 p.m. The group will also host a booth (Booth #937) on the show floor and will participate in the OpX Leadership Network’s Executive Council meeting. “HPP is a critical technology in the food and beverage industry and it only makes sense to launch this Council at the most comprehensive food and beverage show in North America, ProFood Tech,” says Justin Segel, Chief Executive Officer of American Pasteurization Company, LLC, and a founding member of the Council. Bringing together more than 6,000 processing professionals, ProFood Tech is an ideal venue for the industry to come together and share information about this technology. “We encourage show attendees to take the time to learn more about the benefits of HPP and get involved in this new Council. We look forward to an open exchange of ideas and best practices among industry professionals interested in this technology,” says Mark Duffy, CEO, Universal Pasteurization Company LLC and Universal Cold Storage LLC, another founding member of the Council. A breakfast session on Wednesday morning, April 5, 8:30 a.m. at ProFood Tech will enable all interested parties to meet the founding members and hear more about the objectives of this organization as well as opportunities to join. Check profoodtech.com for the final agenda and location of the breakfast. ProFood Tech is the only event in North America focused exclusively on all food and beverage sectors, including Baking & Snack, Beverage, Frozen/Prepared Foods, Dairy and Meat/Poultry/Seafood. This event will offer a full range of food and beverage processing solutions from both large companies that serve several market segments and smaller niche companies that focus on more specific needs. ProFood Tech will include 400+ of the world’s top suppliers, 150,000 net square feet of exhibit floor, and 45 hours of blockbuster educational programming. For more information and to register, go to profoodtech.com.