This fantastic trip down the West Coast might be coming to a close, but the boys from Light In The Attic are hitting up San Fran and California before it comes to an end.

Matt, a little bleary-eyed with the tour’s penultimate show looming, sent this little blurb over just moments ago.

Wake up early, pack the car, and set out for some early morning nourishment. Decided on dependable Denny’s in Yreka for a quick bite. Two Grand Slam’s later and we’re out the door. Fill up the tank, cruise onto I-5, and we’ve set sail for beautiful San Francisco. Both of us are excited to get back to SF since last November’s magical show at the Great American Music Hall. It’s one of those special cities. There’s really no place like it, especially this time of year. First though, we’ve got about six hours of pavement. About five minutes out of town I realize that I can’t find my camera. We head back to Yreka - comb through the luggage, motel garbage cans and bed sheets, lost and found boxes at the near by grocery store, under the restaurant tables at Grandma’s House and Denny’s. Sadly, it’s nowhere to be found which is a major bummer. Forget the camera. We want the photos! No more time to waste so we get back on I-5 and head south. It’s deep into the 90s and getting hotter.

Six hours later and more Jackson conspiracy theories (The goons have decided to freeze his body. It’s the only option for world peace in fifty years.), and we’ve just about landed in San Francisco. Stop at a rest stop for a quick bathroom break and a much needed stretching of our legs. I look under Rodriguez’s guitar and the water bottles in the back seat… and low and behold… there’s the camera. Dumb ass alert! I do my best to pull my head from my rear. Thank the heavens! Photos are now intact.

Pull into San Francisco under beautiful sunny skies… soon we’re at tonight’s venue, Slim’s, which we’re told is owned by Boz Scaggs. We enjoy reconnecting with SF horn players Carroll Ashby and Tom Griesser, along with flute player Amber Lamprecht, who all performed with Rodriguez last November at the Great American Music Hall and the Amoeba Records in-store. Good people and excellent players.

Slim’s is a nice room and they treat us like kings. The club’s chef Jose has made a feast for the band and crew. He gives us the lowdown on tonight’s meal while some righteous heavy metal is blaring on his stereo in the kitchen. We truly love this man. One of the cooler people we’ve had the pleasure to meet so far on the trip. And a damn fine chef. Sound check rolls on by and Rodriguez and I check into tonight’s spot, the Phoenix Hotel. Another dose of truly wonderful people. It’s one of those super California-style 1950’s hotels with the pool located outside in the center of the place. Rodriguez chills for a couple hours, while I head back to the venue to set up merch, print the set lists, and check out the opening bands. Definitely dug Sam Flax & The Higher Color and had no idea that Rodriguez/Fresh & Only’s drummer James Kim is in the band until deep into the set. The band are dressed in heavy glam garb a la early Roxy Music or Eno. James is rocking a black sequin top. He plays the part well.

I rush back to the hotel to pick up the man. He’s refreshed and excited about playing in San Francisco again. We cruise back to the venue, get a nice spot out front and sneak in through the backdoor. Some smoke ensues, a drink or two, Britt from ((Folk Yeah)) spins some Spacemen 3, and the man’s on stage. Like last November, the crowd loves Sixto. The band and man are definitely on this evening. Kids in the front row are around 18 or 19 and singing all the words, screaming, dancing. It was a beautiful site. “Crucify Your Mind” and “Rich Folks Hoax” sounded especially good this evening.
Similar to the other gigs, after the set Rodriguez wanders out to meet and greet the crowd, signing loads of autographs, snapping photos, and the usual post show mob scene. He likes to meet the people. Light In The Attic’s very own Not-An-Intern-Noah, who recently moved to San Francisco from Seattle, finally meets Rodriguez. A meeting of the minds! Up next… late night food for Rodriguez at Pronto Pizza and some rest until tomorrow’s last show of the West Coast Tour… Los Angeles.

Let the tour continue.  Let the soup be eaten.  Let the man, the plan, Sixto Rodriguez continue his domination of the West Coast, one-liners intact.

Let it all hang loose.

Matt Sullivan, we’ve heard you’re good at that.

The next morning we ate like Breakfast-Kings at the Doug Fir lounge, followed by two phone interviews for his Toronto show happening Friday July 3rd - the National Post and Eye Weekly. Both go well. After the interview, we stop by KBOO Radio in Portland - about 200 feet from Rodriguez’s hotel room (!) for both a live session and interview with super cool DJ Jeff Rosenberg. KBOO has been a Portland institution for over 32 years. All went great, and Jeff and the staff at the station were mighty kind.

Turn on the GPS and set sail for Yreka, California. We’ve got reservations at the Econo Lodge. Today is a day off before tomorrow’s gig in San Francisco.

An hour and a half later, we hit Eugene. Time for a quick stop at House of Records to say hello to Fred and Martha  Fred looked like he saw a ghost when I introduced him to Rodriguez. Cool store and good people. Took a few photos and headed over to the grocery store for some chicken noodle soup and crackers. Thanks to Rodriguez I am now officially addicted to soup. Like tea, it’s keeping me going. We once again eat like kings and head across the street to fill up on gas. I’ve been to Oregon a zillion times and always forget… it’s against the law to pump your own gas. The gas attendant runs over and tells us, “hands off my love pump” (well, kinda). Oregon and Washington love their little laws.

We must have been somewhere in southern Oregon when the phone starts endlessly buzzing… no more MJ. Rodriguez and I spend the next three hours telling Jackson jokes and kicking around conspiracy theories. It’s too easy with the Jacksons. Toooooo easy. In short, legendary artist and very, very creepy dood.

Finally pulled into Yreka around 8 PM. Not sure why but the five hour drive felt more like eight. We were exhausted after the long day which ain’t fair to say compared to the Fresh & Only’s - who drove the full ten hours from Portland to SF. Dinner in Yreka: Grandma’s House Restaurant. Rodriguez - breaded veal cutlet. Me - Chicken salad sandwich and chicken noodle soup. Headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest and relaxation. Caught up on email and passed out to cable TV.

Tomorrow: San Francisco here we come …

Seemingly this tour just keeps getting better and better.  Portland, Oregon; Rodriguez covering Bobby D; Mexican food in a Winchell’s drive-through; The Fresh and Onlys and a whole lot more.

Only one man can tell this epic story: Matt Sullivan.

We bow in your undulating presence.

Still reeling from the night before. Rodriguez and band seriously slayed Seattle. It was a glorious evening to say the least. This next morning once we got rolling, everyone was mighty hungry, so I took Rodriguez and keyboardist/trumpet player Marc Capelle (the Fresh & Only’s drove separately in their van) to my favorite Seattle food joint, the delicious Rancho Bravo Tacos, a tiny taco truck located in the Winchell’s parking lot in Wallingford. Heavy munching ensued. The three of us couldn’t have been happier. Thank you Rancho Bravo! One last thing before we cruised south on I-5… a quick stop by Fuel Coffee to pick up some much needed caffeine and donuts from the world’s greatest barista, good friend to Not-An-Intern-Noah-Sanders, and former Light In The Attic intern… Pete Arensdorf. And bartender supreme Dave from Al’s Tavern was in the house! The heavens were aligned.

Three hours to Portland… trapped in a car with both Rodriguez and Marc resulted in three hours of perma-laughter. Maybe you had to be there but I can’t think of two funnier individuals.

We landed in Portland for the 4 PM sound-check at the Doug Fir - imagine an old school log cabin intertwined with the futurism of Blade Runner. The spot is a venue-hotel-bar-diner. It’s one of the cooler diner/bars on the planet. After sound-check, Rodriguez and I headed over to Jackpot Records for a 6 PM signing. I’ve been a big fan of this store for years now. There really aren’t too many better shops in the country. And who were the first two fans waiting in line to meet Rodriguez? Two lovely South Africans. Forget Elvis. They are meeting Rodriguez! A big thanks to Isaac and all at Jackpot, especially for the t-shirt and record bag which Rodriguez wore with pride. He immediately put on the shirt and we snapped some photos. Who knew Rodriguez would look so good in turquoise blue?! Next we chilled at the hotel. Having Rodriguez’s hotel room 100 feet from the stage is a godsend. You have no idea! Understandably, the man likes to chill before the big gig and this isn’t so easy when the hotel tends to be not so convenient. The Doug Fir/Jupiter Hotel know how to do it right. I tried to catch up on email but the time flew by and watching bad cable TV didn’t help.

Tonight’s show had a surprise opening set from the Fresh & Only’s - Rodriguez’s back-up band on the tour. Their record is one of the best of the year and they’ve already got albums 2 and 3 on the way. Rodriguez hit the stage around 11 with “Inner City Blues” - such the perfect opener. Portland residents Garth Klippert, Nate Lumbard, and Toussaint Perrault held down the horns. Bless their hearts. They sounded badass. The after-party went deep into the wee hours with Rodriguez playing some wicked covers in his hotel room to a number of jaw dropping “young bloods” (as the man so nicely puts it) - Saving All My Love, Like A Rolling Stone, I’m So In Love With You… Never ceases to amaze me what he pulls out of the bag.

On a random note, anyone out there ever heard of “an ergonomically shaped water-reducing soap bar”? Me neither until my lavish stay at the Jupiter. There is literally no center in the bar of soap. The box says it “has been designed to eliminate the unused center of traditional soap bars”. It doesn’t make much sense but little things go far.

Until tomorrow…

The tour might be over, but Matt Sullivan, founder of this glorified juke joint presses on, recording the day to day events of this amazing trip.

Matt Sullivan, co-owner and ticking brain of Light In The Attic, is on the road playing tour manager with the best there is, Rodriguez himself.  He’s in a mess of excited blogging and we’re here, ready and willing to continue to broadcast his adventures.

Today: Rodriguez journeys to the seedy holy ground that is LITA Headquarters.

Sirs, please take it away.

Wake up early in Seattle, Rodriguez and Marc grab some tea, and we’re quickly off to the office to pick up the tour merch. Rodriguez at the LITA HQ on Aurora Avenue?! Another beautifully surreal moment. We all geek out, grab some photos, and we’re soon on the road, heading north for Vancouver to kick off the West Coast Tour. This marks Rodriguez’s first ever Canadian show in his entire life. The man never even played Toronto or Montreal in the 60s/70s.

We stop by Avalon Records in Bellingham to say hello and meet Chris and Nils. Good people and store. Rodriguez loves meeting the people. Another reason why he’s a truly special soul.

Fairly smooth sailing into the Canadian border (surprisingly much stricter and less friendly than the U.S. side). We scan through the radio but don’t find much. I remember that Stefan at PIAS France, our fine French distributor told Rodriguez all about Serge Gainsbourg’s “Historie de Melody Nelson” LP during Rodriguez’s recent trip to Paris. We put on the disc and wig out over the brilliant arrangements and production.

Roll into Vancouver and hit the club Richard On Richards. A family reunion ensues… Rodriguez and I reunite with San Francisco band The Fresh & Only’s. I love these guys! They’re Rodriguez’s band for the West Coast dates + the almighty Marc Capelle. The only other time they’ve been together was during Rodriguez’s 36 hour magical trip to San Francisco last November - performing at the Great American Music Hall and an in-store at Amoeba. Bless their hearts. Guitarist Wymond Miles and his wife just had their first son last month but the man is here! Soon in walks Kevin “Sipreano” Howes - liner notes writer for Cold Fact, Coming From Reality, the Monks, and the mastermind behind the Jamaica to Toronto series. Another man that I must say, bless his heart! After a few years in Toronto, Kevin just moved back to Vancouver last month. It’s good to see the man. And Kevin brings Stunt Man, mastering wizard behind the Summer Records Anthology and “Innocent Youths” by Earth, Roots & Water. I finally meet the Stunt Man. He is for real.

Sound check goes well and we roll over to Zulu Records for a signing. Good crowd and the staff at Zulu were super cool as always. We grab a quick bite at a diner up the street. Rodriguez scarfs down his favorite meal of choice - soup, soup, soup - while the rest of us grab some sandwiches and tacos. Head back to venue and meet Stephen McBean (Black Mountain/Pink Moutaintops), another man that can do no wrong. I geek out again while meeting Stephen and then once more hanging out with both Rodriguez and Stephen. It’s Bushmills, red wine, and smoke. Everyone is all smiles in anticipation for showtime. You can feel it in the air. Side note - pick up Black Mountain’s “In The Future” LP if you don’t already have it. The world’s tightest band and my favorite LP of 2008. This is truly the greatest Canadian welcome - McBean as Pink Mountaintops (Solo) opens the show and Sipreano spins endless 45 gems - psych (Painted Ship), soul (Eddie Spencer), and various other recent finds.

Rodriguez backed by the Fresh & Only’s hit the stage around 10:45 with “Inner City Blues” - such a wicked opener. The crowd loved every minute of it, especially the South Africans in the house. And bless their hearts! “Crucify Your Mind” was a personal highlight. I never tire of hearing the tune. Continue to get goosebumps and teary eyed throughout the set and having a hard time comprehending this is reeeeaaaaaliteeee. A big thank you to Rob at Neptoon Records for holding down the fort on the merch table. After the show, Rodriguez came out to say hello and thank everyone that saw the show. Serious class. It quickly turned into a beautiful mob scene, endless autographs and photos. The highlight - a lovely South African family got to meet their hero (”You don’t understand, you changed our country. I have listened to Cold Fact every day in my car for over 19 years.”). These moments can bring you to tears. And the man is so humble about all the adoration.

The next day is a special KEXP radio session in Seattle, so we drive back after the madness dies down. Head out by 2 AM, listening to AM loony toons talk radio (Coast to Coast AM. We need Art Bell back though!). U.S. border guard looks at our passports and asks Rodriguez, “What’s your music sound like? Why do you go to South Africa so often?”) Good times continue. On the other side, hit the first gas station which happens to be in Blaine, WA. Not a soul in sight and 1920’s jazz playing on the gas station speakers. Surreal. An hour later, eyes are getting heavy so we stop at McDonald’s for a big ass cup of joe. Who ever told me that McDonald’s had good coffee may need a lobotomy (Yes, I can’t believe I believed them either). Quite possibly the worst coffee on the planet. But… it got us home. Pull into Seattle at 4:30 AM and we slept like a rock. The next day IS-THE-DAY!

Follow the whole thing live on Twitter

Our lord and co-founder here at Light In The Attic, Matt Sullivan, recently back from his exploits across the pond, is playing tour manager on the currently churning along Rodriguez West Coast tour.  The man’s been touched by the technology bug and has decided, YET AGAIN, to blog the entire damn thing.

We couldn’t be happier.

Take it away maestro Sullivan.  Take it away.

Let me just say that I NEVER EVER EVER (AND EVER!)… thought this would happen - Rodriguez not only playing our hometown of Seattle but also Portland and Vancouver. Not in a million years.

After months of planning, here I am… driving to the Sea-Tac airport to pick up the one and only, Rodriquez.  I find him looking sharp as always in a badass black Sgt Pepper-ish jacket with wicked gold trip (”I picked this up for 5 bucks”) and feeling as bewildered as me that this is actually happening.  How on earth did we land here? Shit, I have no clue and I don’t care.  We have arrived and it is oh so sweet.  This visit marks his first time in the Pacific Northwest.

We pick up the bags and guitar, get in the car and head north for Ballard where an immaculate feast will soon be upon us. Sixto Rodriguez in Ballard?! Just seems too good to be true. Chill for a bit with Rodriguez band member Marc Capelle (flying in the night before from his hometown, SF), meet the Seattle horn players at Cornish for the 4:30 pm horn rehearsal, and then have the dinner-of-a-lifetime prepared by the lovely Jennifer Maas of Evil Bunny Films, Quiet Loud Design, and J-Maa Catering Inc. The menu… Roasted chicken, ricotta olive oil toasts, hot weather basil pesto toasts, smoked salmon salad, zucchini gratin, and for desert - maple syrup tres leches with poached rhubarb and wild strawberries. The night will soon be remembered as “The First Supper”.

A meal like this on a day like this makes it one to tell the grand kids. Rodriguez meets the Light In The Attic staff, our U.S. national publicist Ever Kipp, KEXP DJ and chicken carving guru Greg Vandy, Grant Olsen from tomorrow’s opening band Arthur And Yu, Light In The Attic illustrator Drew Christie, my understanding and incredibly patient roommates, close friends and family. After dinner, the guitar breaks out and the man plays a few. Highlight - Sixto, Grant, and Drew doing the “Tennessee Waltz”. Crash at around 2 am for the start of a big day and week ahead.

Follow the tour live on Twitter at twitter.com/lightintheattic

Then you should use it to buy Elliot Smith’s Passat.  Yup, the sister of the sadly deceased troubador has put his, hah, Passat up on the market to try and help raise money for SIMS, an Austin-based non-profit that helps those who deal with addiction and mental health problems.

4,000 seems like a reasonable price for a four year old Passat, here’s hoping the mileage is good.

Seriously here’s the Craigslist posting:

About the Passat: It was my brother’s, who was a musician himself. He’s no longer with us, and I think he’d be happy to know that the sale of his car will help other musicians in need … This car means the world to me, and has a very interesting story to tell. Music buffs might get a kick out of knowing who used to own their ‘new’ car … Help me help SIMS, feel good about yourself, and get a fun car in the process.

Read the full story HERE.

Not-An-Intern Noah has been on a bit of a record buying binge in the sunny climes of San Francisco, jumping from thrift store to thrift store and even taking a scorching bike ride to the hallowed land that is Amoeba.

He’s just so excited about these purchases we thought we’d give him another chance to talk one up.

So, tell us what you got Noah:

The Fresh & Onlys - Debut LP

Okay, sure, The Fresh and Onlys are backing our main man Rodriguez on his downhill domination of the West Coast, but aside from our general bias towards these gentlemen and ladies, I was absolutely stoked to stumbled upon this local groups debut.  I’ve seen bits and pieces of their live show, seen their bassist Shayde in a plethora of different bands, but never had a chance to absorb their studio recordings.  Thus, a ten dollar copy of this album had my musicality percolating like an 80s dance machine.

And my percolation is certainly called for.

This is psych-rock tweaked with a melodic girl/guy vocal harmony that somehow roots it in the late-ish edge of the 1950s.  There’s a sense of fun that candy coats this music, but the fullness of the band, allows for it to shift and change. The second side of the album is soft and almost delicate, a drastic jump from the churning psych-rock that buoys the first.

I’m particularly obsessed with “Peacock and Wing” but the entire album is pretty stellar.

Lucky for you West Coasters these gents and ladies are backing our man Rodriguez, as stated earlier, up and down the West Coast.  You should probably buy tickets to the three remaining shows …

We’d imagine that if you dug in deep enough, every corner on every street in every nook of America would have some pretty amazing stories to tell.  City, farms, suburbs, caverns - each and all have seen their share of joy, loss, love, and despair.

Thus, The Corner, a project based in Seattle from local NPR affiliates and the trouble makers over at KUOW, sheds light on the corner of 23rd and Union, a section of the city that’s seen it’s fair share of, well, shit.  Why do you ask are we showcasing this amazing online interactive documentary?

First off, it’s impressively put together, a true recollection of the events of a certain spot and how they’ve effected the lives of those that have been there before, all the while allowing members of the community to call in and actually recount their own experience with the city.  Secondly, our man Aaron Dixon, he of The Black and White Affair (which you can hear on our soon to be re-reissued Wheedle’s Groove as well as in the upcoming documentary of the same name) speaks his mind, giving his own account of his time spent on this corner.

It’s an amazing little bit of work and we’re truly excited that a project like this has come to fruition.

Check out the amazing The Corner right HERE.

There’s not much to say, Rodriguez, the man and the plan, is heading out to the wild wacky West Coast, and he’s beginning it all tonight in our great northern neighbor, Vancouver.  He’ll be playing with Pink Mountaintops (doing a solo gig) at Richard’s on Richards and we demand of you, be there.

The rest of the tour looks something like this:

• Mon, Jun 22 6pm In-Store Signing @ Zulu Records
  1972 West 4th Ave Vancouver BC
• Mon, Jun 22 Richard’s On Richards Cabaret
  Vancouver BC
• Tue, Jun 23 The Triple Door Seattle WA
• Wed, Jun 24 6pm In-Store Signing @ Jackpot Records
  203 SW 9th Ave. Portland OR
• Wed, Jun 24 Doug Fir Lounge Portland OR
• Fri, Jun 26 Slim’s San Francisco CA
• Sat, Jun 27 El Rey Theatre Los Angeles CA
• Sun, Jul 12 Les Ardentes Festival Liege Belgium
• Fri, Aug 7 Big Chill Fest UK
• Sun, Aug 23 Green Man Fest UK

Check out our man Rodriguez right HERE.