I received a tip from Rowley at DarkCompass that San Diego-based band bill was scheduled to play here in San Luis Obispo on Thursday night. Rowley informed me that Bill had been logging a lot of podplay on the Podsafe Music Network, and that it looked to ge a good show. Me and Jen headed downtown early Thursday night, wandered ’round Farmer’s Market a bit and then ducked into Frog and Peach Pub. We found a couple seats at the back of the main floor, enjoyed a solo-acoustic set by a guy whose name we didn’t get, and then settled in for bill’s performance.

bill’s set began with Curtis Hartling on guitar and lead vocals, Jonathon Coyle on drums and David Marciano on bass. The band worked its songs seemlessly through different tempos and styles. They incorporated pop, jazz, psychodelic, reggae and even some hard rock elements into their well-crafted tunes. bill may be a trio, but don’t let the band’s size fool you. They produce a big sound, and their use of dynamics is impressive; Never too much, never too little.

About halfway through the band’s first set, they did something surprising. Hartling put down the guitar and moved behind the drumkit while Coyle took up the keyboard. The band really showed its flexibility here, delving into swing-styled, piano-based numbers. Not to be outdone by his instrument-swtiching bandmates, Marciano produced a saxophone and blew some sweet notes over songs like the Ben Folds-ish set closer “Sound Scientist.”

At this point, bill announced they’d be taking a break before the next set. They promised that their second act would include some “sing-along covers.” But the stale bar air inside of Frog and Peach was starting to affect Jen’s allergies. So, we decided to head out. But before we left, we purchased a copy of the band’s full-length disc, Birthday Suit. The band’s merch minder was kind enough to give us a couple freebie demo discs, and we even got to talk to drummer Jonathon Coyle.

We had a good time at the show. Hopefully, bill will come back to SLO in the future. If they do, we’ll be there.

(Photos also available through Flickr.)

Awhile back, I removed an ice cube tray from my freezer and saw this:

An ice cube “stalagmite.” I didn’t do anything special to make it happen. It was totally random.

And that randomness made my Pepsi taste even better.

(Photo also available through Flickr.)

Yesterday morning, I was surfing around on MySpace when I saw this:

Look closely at the second line of text. You’ll see the non-word “electic.” Must be a typo. Just to be sure, I checked with Google. Nothing there. I also checked with Urban Dictionary, just to make sure that “electic” isn’t some new form of web 2.0 speak. Still nothing.

While Tom and his cronies may have a lot of Rupert Murdoch’s money, it looks like they still need to invest in the basics.

Like a spell checker. I also wonder if in place of “electic,” they meant to put “eclectic” or “electric.” We may never know.

(Photo also available through Flickr.)

…but they’re actually already here.

Awhile back, I noticed a black construction partition go up around one of the corners downtown. I didn’t pay it much attention at first. That is until last week, when I noticed a huge Apple Computer logo flanking a nearby intersection.

Last fall, I had heard that Apple was looking at opening a store in SLO. But their plan wasn’t accepted by the city, and the store was put on hold. A few months went by, and the city changed its mind. And, yes. Apple is coming to San Luis Obispo. I have mixed feelings.

I’m an Apple enthusiast. Jen and I both use Macs. I have an iPod. OS X rules. Yep. I’ve got the religion! And having another place in San Luis Obispo to buy Apple products isn’t a bad thing. That’s right. Another place. You see, there’s been an Apple dealer here in town for a long time.

The place is called Mac Superstore, and it’s been around since the late 90’s. Mac Superstore is an independent, Authorized Apple Reseller. That means that they do almost everything that a corporate Apple Store does. They’re just not owned by Apple. And now Apple is opening a shiny new corporate store right in the Superstore’s backyard. That’s not fair.

I heard a radio interview with Mac Superstore owner Shane Williams that originally aired last Thanksgiving. Back then, it looked like Apple’s plans for installing a store in SLO weren’t going to pass. While Williams was hardly upbeat about the proposed store, he didn’t seem overly concerned, either. Williams did point out that Apple’s desire to expand into San Luis Obispo seemed counter productive; Mac Superstore is a succesful outlet for Apple products. Why bring in an element that would provide direct competition to an established Apple vendor? The answer is simple: Greed. Apple saw Mac Superstore’s success and realized that the central coast is a good market for its products. Instead of rewarding the local shop for its hard work and partnership in spreading the Apple brand, Apple has chosen to move in and take control. There are only two instances where this kind of business model is in practice: Corporate America and the mob. Who knew Steve Jobs had anything in common with Tony Soprano?

Anyway, I’ll be there when they open that fancy new Apple Store. I’ll marvel at the spectacle of the shop’s modern design. I’ll become filled with the lust for new high-tech computer stuff. And then I’ll head across town to Mac Superstore and get my fix.

(Photo also available through Flickr.)