A Little Shindig at Wapato

There's a picture perfect unused jail in North Portland that will make a fine backdrop for the music video shoot today. It's not the first place I dream of spending my time on a rainy Monday morning. In this case, we'll be in the company of the fine friends from the colorful Wanderlust Circus. The cats from Perception Northwest have really been rocking the production. Our location shoot last week at the Bossanova Ballroom with the entire band cast was super sweet. The finished piece ought to be a real zinger for the MarchFourth Marching Band. Stay tuned...

Jeffrey Bale Gardens and Diggable Monkey

Diggable Monkey is super pleased to be working with Jeffrey Bale of Jeffrey Bale Gardens. Jeffrey is a renowned garden designer and landscape architect with a special interest and skill in custom stone mosaics. Jeffrey is developing a series of videos to be released later in the Fall. From Jeffrey's website: These gardens are built using organic principals, ensuring a cleaner environment. I have become known for my work with pebble mosaic, an art form of unlimited expression and practical application. I am moving away from the use of wood, as it becomes increasingly scarce, and into the fantastic potential of steel. Ancient or Modern, I am not limited to any particular style other than the goal of creating something of great beauty that fits harmoniously into it’s surroundings. For more on Jeffrey, visit his website: http://www.jeffreygardens.com/index.html OO OO!

Diggable Monkey Films MarchFourth in China

MarchFourth Marching Band from Portland, Oregon, USA, is embarking on a US State Department Cultural Exchange Tour in China, sponsored jointly by Sias International University, Sias Foundation, the United States Embassy in Beijing and the Government of Henan China Cultural Affairs. MarchFourth’s 18 performers (and 3 crew, including cameraman/documentarian Kevin Balmer of Diggable Monkey) will tour the Henan Province of China, putting on shows at universities, arts centers and public squares from May 21-June 3, 2013. Since the Cold War era, trips like this to developing and/or communist countries have long been part of American cultural diplomacy efforts to showcase the American arts and, by extension, our way of life. Some of the first musicians to tour the world on the US State Department dime were jazz greats like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. Though these programs declined somewhat in the second half of the 20th century, they were revived or ­reinvigorated after 9/11 in an attempt to downplay anti-US sentiments around the world.

Threshold: Black Water Snake Photos

Here are a few of the shots Aaron Rogosin took from Threshold Black Water Snake.

MarchFourth Marching Band Spring Arts Guide for Portland Monthly (2013)

Two years of work explained in less than 4 1/2 minutes. Here's how the story goes at light speed...

Threshold: Black Water Snake Music Artist - The Black 22's

The Black 22’s are are not just DJs, but Good Vibe creators. No two Black 22’s sets are the same and endless hunting for new tracks keeps their sound fresh for them and their listeners. The two are connoisseurs of high energy, dance floor activating music. Both J*Labs and Lou E. Bagels have a deep passion for DJ-ing and each brings their own flavor into the mix. When combined they bring a bass heavy funky dirty genre-busting party vibe that keeps the dance floor bouncing. Hitting the decks with a colorful, playful vibe Black 22’s deliver every time. The two also actually share a birthday, 2/22! But Lou E. Bagels had already come up with the name “Black 22s” before they met, it’s actually based on a roulette bet! They’ve played several notable venues and festivals including: Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), PEX Summer Festival, Lucidity Festival, Lunacy Festival, Burning Man, Elysium Festival, Boogaloo Mountain Jam, Lightning in A Bottle,Vanguard, King King, Dim Mak Studios, Supperclub LA and many others.

Threshold: Black Water Snake Music Artist - Shawna Hoffman

Shawna's passion for music began in early childhood while attending the Winnipeg music folk festival in Manitoba, Canada, where she grew up. There, she was exposed to musical genius from all over the planet, which greatly refined her ear for the subtleties and origins of all types of music. It wasn't until the age of 18 that she took an interest in electronic music, and began pursuing Music of just about every genre, crafting the art of spinning it all together in a smooth hot mess of the dance journey, while simultaneously always searching for that same quality of depth, fun and life in the electronic realm. She's been dj-ing "out" since 1999. Played next to many a known name such as: Bassnectar, Mimosa, Glitch Mob, Beats Antique, Marty Party, Miguel Migs, Moderat, Heyokah, Mochipet, Freak Nasty, Tipper, Antennae, Lowriderz, etc. The list goes on and on and on. Member of El Circo, and has a musical project with Zoe Jakes-(of Beat Antique)- called Pussymonster. She plays for the dancers!!!

KBOO 90.7 FM Threshold: Black Water Snake

We are blessed to have the support of a great community asset such as KBOO FM.

THRESHOLD: BLACK WATER SNAKE

POSTER DESIGN by Benjamin "Piepo" Smith

Threshold: Black Water Snake 新年快樂

MarchFourth Trail Mix Ep 54 "Samba Time"

December 12, 2012 - MarchFourth video diary from the road. Pablo takes lead to work with the band on an arrangement of Ary Barroso's "Aquarela do Brasil", the first Brazilian song to be played over a million times on American radio. Requested by a fan through the recent Kickstarter campaign, MarchFourth debuts its version at the Dirty Bourbon, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

More on MarchFourth's touring schedule:http://marchfourthmarchingband.com/calendar/

Video production by Diggable Monkey
http://www.diggablemonkey.com

THRESHOLD: YEAR OF THE SNAKE (2013)

Diggable Monkey is in motion for Threshold: Year of the Snake! The Chinese New Year is happening on Saturday, February 9th and promises to be yet another incredible, full-tilt sensory music event here in the City of Roses. Our intention is to bring back the same production team to create what has come to be regarded by many as one of Portland's finest community-produced gathering of the year. Our theme focuses on personal and inter-personal relationships, as well as the mutating interplay between the masculine and feminine energies. Stay tuned for more details! OO OO

MarchFourth Trail Mix Ep 51 "Las Vegas Action Cam"

Vegas, Baby! Vegas!

Just got back from the Jive Software conference, where MarchFourth was hired to play their annual customer meet and greet. They put us up and hosted their big gig at the relatively new Cosmopolitan Hotel, on the Strip in Las Vegas. Complete with a WWF-style main ballroom set up, the band blasted in for a 5 minute finale spot and a dinner club gigi later in the evening. I hadn't been down there in a few years, but boy do the structures and buildings ever just keep getting more and more over the top! The Chandalier Bar at our hotel was a particular favorite. I'm a sucker for all that bling! We did live it up for a couple of days though. I'm proud to say that none of my hard earned cash went to the cards or any "one-armed bandits". Now if we're talking about food - well, that's a different story... I think the burgers on the room service menu were $18. Ah, Vegas. You old whore, you! Thanks for the memories, Doll. We had a lot of fun while it lasted, but it sure feels good to be back here in quaint ol' rainy ass Portland.

MARCH FOURTH TOUR ROUTE OCT-NOV 2012

10/25/12 Salt Lake City UT State Room 10/26/12 Boulder CO Boulder Theater 10/27/12 Englewood CO Gothic Theatre 10/29/12 Lincoln NE Bourbon Theatre 10/31/12 Kansas City MO Beaumont Club 11/1/12 Bloomington IL Castle Theatre 11/2/12 Minneapolis MN Cabooze 11/3/12 Chicago IL Martyrs' 11/5/12 St. Louis MO Old Rock House 11/8-9/2012 Live Oak FL Bear Creek Music & Art Festival 11/10/12 Tampa FL Skippers Smokehouse 11/11/12 Atlanta GA Smiths Olde Bar 11/13/12 Charlotte NC Neighborhood Theatre 11/15/12 Harrisburg PA Abbey Bar 11/16/12 Baltimore MD 8 x 10 11/17/12 Brooklyn NY Brooklyn Bowl 11/18/12 Providence, RI Fete 11/19/12 Fly HOME

BURNING MAN, OOH-LA-LA!

I thought I was done with this crazy festival when we wrapped up a monstrous year with the Groove Bomb Squad at the American Dream year, in 2008. That was four years ago, seemingly a lifetime away. A lot has changed in my world since then. One of the biggest things being my involvement with MarchFourth as a musician and cameraman/editor. For the last two Burns (2010 and 2011), I've been travelling or playing with them in other parts of the "default world". This time around we've been invited by the BORG to facilitate the preponderance of live music at a festival ostensibly awash in electronica. No problem. M4 cut it's teeth at Burning Man. If there's one thing that is certain, we're going to take the bull by the horns and rock this mother. Come find me and the M4 peeps at our camp called The Dump (#20 on the map) at 6:15 and Rod's Road (Columbine). That's just south of Center Camp on the watch dial. Look for Gerlach's original fire engine number 1 parked out front and a large triangular red shade structure emanating the sounds of a an old upright piano. Yeah, it's band camp...

MarchFourth Trail Mix Ep 48 "Fuzzy Memories"

6/12/12 - Taylor Aqlipay's heavy song "Fuzzy Lentil" goes well with shots from the June 2012 tour, featuring scenes from Bloomington, Indy, Washington and Columbia, MD. Video by Diggable Monkey http:://diggablemonkey.com

BLACK ROCK CITY MAP (2012)

In 2012, the annular streets are named: Esplanade Alyssum Begonia Columbine Dandelion Edelweiss Foxglove Geranium Hyacinth Iris Jasmine Kingcup Lilac The road circling Center Camp is named “Rod's Road” in honor of BRC designer Rod Garrett (1936-2011). The light blue shaded area does not specify, but rather approximates where you will find reserved-placement, interactive theme camps (we're holding some prime space for the general public there too). Reserved theme camp space is marked on the playa with blue survey flags. Some of these plots are so large that they may appear unclaimed and available, when they actually are not. Be sure to camp outside the blue flagged zones to avoid encroaching on reserved zones, and then having to relocate your camp. Gates open at 6 pm Sunday 8/26. After 11:59 Sunday night, all truly unclaimed camping space everywhere is available to all. The distance from the inner-most Esplanade street to the Man is 2400 feet. Esplanade to Alyssum Street, curb to curb, is 400 feet deep. Other mid-city double-deep blocks are 430 feet deep. The remaining blocks are 200 feet deep. BOULEVARD G A mid-city interactive boulevard, 40-foot wide Geranium street is adjacent to double-deep blocks and features art plazas at 4:30 and 7:30. Public plazas are at Kingcup and 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00. We are holding most of the camping space around these plazas unreserved and available for the general public to occupy and maintain as an experiment in spontaneous urban planning and collaboration.

MarchFourth at Oregon Independent Film Fest (Aug. 28-30)

Last Friday, Diggable Monkey got an email from the Oregon Independent Film Festival (OIFF), in Eugene, saying that they wanted to show the MarchFourth in Germany documentary! Stay tuned for specifics on the playing times which won't be published online until next Wednesday (July 25). http://www.oregonindependentfilmfest.com/

MarchFourth 2012 Summer Tour Schedule

Coming to blow minds in a town near you. Tue 7/17/2012 Load BUS at 9:00 AM, leave Portland at 10:00 AM Wed 7/18/2012 CONFIRMED Livingston MT grant gilmore Thu 7/19/2012 CONFIRMED Driggs ID Music on Main Fri 7/20/2012 CONFIRMED Pocatello ID Pegasus books Sat 7/21/2012 CONFIRMED Sun Valley ID center for arts Sun 7/22/2012 CONFIRMED Park City UT Park Silly Sunday Market Mon 7/23/2012 Tue 7/24/2012 Wed 7/25/2012 Thu 7/26/2012 CONFIRMED Floyd VA Floyd Fest Fri 7/27/2012 CONFIRMED Floyd VA Floyd Fest Sat 7/28/2012 CONFIRMED Floyd VA Floyd Fest Sun 7/29/2012 CONFIRMED Lancaster PA Long Park Amphitheater Mon 7/30/2012 interest New York City NY private for Lagunitas Tue 7/31/2012 OFFER Hoboken NJ Maxwell's Wed 8/1/2012 CONFIRMED Fairfield CT Stage One Thu 8/2/2012 CONFIRMED Portland ME Port City Music Hall Fri 8/3/2012 CONFIRMED Burlington VT Festival of Fools Sat 8/4/2012 CONFIRMED Burlington VT Festival of Fools Sun 8/5/2012 CONFIRMED Burlington VT Festival of Fools Mon 8/6/2012 Tue 8/7/2012 CONFIRMED Bethlehem PA Musikfest Wed 8/8/2012 CONFIRMED Bethlehem PA Musikfest Thu 8/9/2012 CONFIRMED Bethlehem PA Musikfest Fri 8/10/2012 CONFIRMED Brooklyn NY Brooklyn Bowl Sat 8/11/2012 Sun 8/12/2012 travel Mon 8/13/2012 travel Tue 8/14/2012 travel Wed 8/15/2012 travel Thu 8/16/2012 CONFIRMED Boulder CO Fox Fri 8/17/2012 CONFIRMED Steamboat SpringsCO Howelson HIll Sat 8/18/2012 CONFIRMED Fort Collins CO Mishawaka Sun 8/19/2012 CONFIRMED Bond CO State Bridge Lodge Mon 8/20/2012 CONFIRMED Aspen CO Belly Up Tue 8/21/2012 travel Wed 8/22/2012 Return HOME LATE