Jonathan Segel started playing guitar when he was about 7 years old. At about 10 he had a crush on a girl who played violin, so he thought he'd try that too.
Unfortunately he sucked at it.
That did not stop him, however, from later playing the violin in rock bands when everybody else only knew how to play guitar. Sometime around 1983 (!) while carrying a violin across the quad at Porter College at UC Santa Cruz, he was approached by some kids who had moved their band up from Redlands, CA. This turned out to be Camper Van Beethoven and the Border Patrol.
Well, what we didn't know is that this association was apparently for life, as Camper Van Beethoven has now made records/CDs for the past 23 or so years, and is still playing (recently touring with Built to Spill).
Through all the ups and downs of that band,Jonathan has continued to make his own records (../CDs/tapes/whatever... nearly 20 of them so far!) in a variety of genres ranging from guitar-based rock music to way-avant-garde electronic music and many places in between. Recently he finished a very guitar-based CD, "Honey" which is available in a limited edition of 400 hand-screened covers.
Several things precipitated the making of this collection of songs, but primarily: while Camper Van Beethoven was on tour in late 2004 promoting their first CD of brand new material in many years ("New Roman Times"), most of their instruments were stolen in Montreal.
Jonathan lost his famous sticker-and-paint covered violin and his old Fender Stratocaster. A kind Canadian violin maker (Andrew Kirk) donated a violin, but soon thereafter we all found out that the 1960s and 70s guitars we had all been using for 25 years or so were now collectors' items and way over our ability to pay to replace! So Jonathan became obsessed with his missing guitar (named "Honey", a kitchen labeling sticker on its front so stated) and began listening to and playing more guitar. Since Jonathan had actually started on guitar many years before picking up
the violin, it only took a short time to get into new territory and start writing more heavily guitar based songs reminiscent of the bands that inspired him to start playing guitar in the first place way back when.
A reprinted history and interview can be found on this blogspot by Art Into Dust
you are free to upload or download LIVE recordings of this artist at www.ARCHIVE.org's live music archive!!!
here's a new show from Sept. 13th 2008, at Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace as part of the Camper Van Beethoven/Cracker Camp-Out Festival!
common name misspellings include: Jonathan Segal, Jonathan Siegel, Johnathan Segel, Jonathon etc. i mean Willem Shaxepeere's name wasn't solidified til years later either....
New Split EP Presale Begins November 18th, 2009 Fourth Album Arrives January 2010 American Dollar MP3 Discography Special, Only $20 For All Four Albums! Go To: www.theamericandollar.info/merchstore.html Thanks For Listening!
KLS 41st and Adeline- Oct 9th with The Blueness (NZ), Dead Dog (Athens) and Stormtrooper-Were on at 9 pronto and then bustin it to see The Raincoats " alas will ya attend?" .......perhaps?- I assume not-prove us wong
Everyday I get up and pray to God And he increases my portfolio 100 to 1 Everybody's going out to lunch these days Last night there were lobbyists on my lawn
Take Dick Cheney hunting, take him hunting. Take Dick Cheney hunting, take him hunting.
Some people say Dick is criminally insane(he’s insane he’s insane) Some people say the NRA is too blame (Not to blame not to blame) I had a line but my lawyer advised me against using it (good advice best think twice) So I’m contractually obligated not to say a thing (not a thing not a thing)
Take Dick Cheney hunting, take him hunting. Take Dick Cheney hunting, take him hunting.
Had a dream last night about oil my friend Had a dream of half a million Arabs dead Had a dream my stock went through the roof Then was tried for treason but they had no proof
You like beer right? You might get a kick out of this Ozzy skit. Here's the new film Gabby Skab and I made last night for upcoming Pabst sales convention. The Skabs "PBR Me Right Now". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGPLSnltauk
‘Sup? I just posted 2 new instructional videos on how to play the Rolling Stones 1969 classic, GIMME SHELTER. The song is in open E tuning. Check it out and let me know what you think. Hope your summer is going well. Peace Out! -Mark
The Arcadists on MTV? Free raffle for Snow Patrol concert tickets. Grant and Green in San Francisco this Thursday, July 23! Wharf to Wharf on Sunday in Santa Cruz.
We have a busy week this week, two shows, an MTV contest, a raffle, here's what's going on:
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The Arcadists is currently #3 in MTV's Best Breakout Bay Area Band ... we need your votes to win this thing!!! If we win, we have a good chance to play on MTV. Please click on the link, register, click "Judge" and vote. You may need to refresh the web browser page to see us as a choice (out of 4 bands). Thanks! http://www.ourstage.com/contests/3176-mtv-vma-best-breakout-bay-area
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Snow Patrol Concert Raffle and SF Gig!
Thursday, July 23, we are playing a FREE show where we are raffling off two tickets to see Snow Patrol in Concert at the Fox Theater in Oakland, CA, Fri, Oct 16, 2009 08:00 PM
We'll also have some teaser CDs of our upcoming album, mixing is almost done, the art is done, jeez: day job anyone?
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Wharf to Wharf Race in Santa Cruz, 8am Sunday July 26
Sunday, July 26, we play the Santa Cruz Wharf to Wharf Race, so we'll be out on the street at 8am. We learned "Eye of the Tiger" just for this event, haha. Hope to see you there, as a visitor or as a blur running by. We'll be at 26th Avenue and East Cliff Drive.
"The six-mile race route is lined with a virtual gauntlet of entertainment...singers, dancers, clowns and jugglers... bands of every stripe...pep...dance...classical...raging sixties...su
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