Doug Gillard is known (rightly so) for his guitar wizardry in bands such as Guided By Voices, Cobra Verde, Death Of Samantha and, for the last few years, Nada Surf, but that notoriety sometimes overshadows the fact that he’s an accomplished solo singer/songwriter. With his third LP, Parade On (Nine Mile), Gillard continues to show off his virtuosity—solos like the one on “On Target” are just ridiculous—as well as his knack for catchy, folk-inflected power pop. Gillard will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new Q&A with him. To see more photos corresponding to these entries, go here
Gillard: In 2006, I recorded on an album with Richard Buckner and went on several U.S. tours with him. It was just the two of us playing guitars, traveling in his pickup truck.
Between our shows in Los Angeles and Visalia, Richard stopped in Bakersfield, Calif. He grew up in various towns in California’s Central Valley, including Bakersfield, and wanted to show me some old haunts.
First stop was Front Porch Music, the only store in the nation that stocks tons of Mosrite guitars and amps from the ’60s and ’70s, though you cannot purchase any of the guitars on the wall. They’re just there to marvel at, and marvel one will.
Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace is a showplace/museum/saloon and shrine to Buck, the Bakersfield sound, built by Buck himself. My father had Buck’s albums when I was growing up, so they were always getting played at home. The Live At Carnegie Hall LP was a favorite, and Buck’s outfit from the LP cover is on display at the Palace. Richard told me that when he was dating, Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace would be a “weed out” place for a first date. If the girl couldn’t hang with the vibe there, he couldn’t go out with her anymore.
Directly across the street from Buck’s is Zingo’s Cafe, a diner and roadhouse popular with the locals. Known for its sausage biscuits and gravy, the older three-pack-a-day waitresses are straight out of a movie or a sitcom. We are starved and have our sights set on a huge breakfast they’re famous for serving. We are greeted and sat in a booth.
As we pick up the menus, a newborn baby starts crying uncontrollably in the booth right behind us. We are empathetic with the little guy, but it’s pretty loud. Richard says “Wanna move? Let’s move.” We get up and head for the other side of the room, and a waitress says, “Oh, ya movin’ hon? Why ya movin’?” Richard: “Oh, there’s a baby cryin ’. It’s all right, we just want to move over here if that’s okay.” Waitress: “Well he just got circumcised ta-day! They just came straight from the church.” Richard “Oh, OK.”
We did sit down and went through with our orders, but somehow I think I would have enjoyed the sausage tips in gravy a little more without that new information.
