Day of the Shred at the OC Observatory

Day of the Shred went down on a rainy Dia de los Muertos, Nov. 1 or the day after Halloween.  By the time people started arriving, the puddles had dried up, the hearses and 70s vans were parked, and Bessie set in line with three other food trucks.  The only difference is I was giving out free treats.

I was able to see a lot of the bands because it was so easy to run in for a song and come back out.  I usually just ran in to see the band real quick.  I caught some of Danava’s set, the Shrine, Graves at Sea, Windhand, Elder, and a handful of others.  The standouts for me were Weedeater and Red Fang.  Weedeater came out and the lead singer chugged some whiskey and said “We’re Weedeater and we fuckin’ suck, so get your money back right now.”  Pretty awesome.  I had watched several Red Fang videos before the festival. My favorite is “Wires” http://youtu.be/WQPfQvLIseA. I said hello to the guys backstage as well which was weird after having watched that video like ten times in three days and having showed it to several people.  Check it out. It’s badass. I was able to catch most of their set because they were last and I had stopped dispensing ice cream.  All told throughout the day I probably gave out a couple hundred pieces.  It was super fun. I even made it back stage for the second half of Red Fang’s set and saw them play “Wires” from a great perspective.

Day of the Shred was organized by Thief Presents and Rabbits Black, and it was held at the OC Observatory in Santa Ana. 

Moon Block Party 2014

Moon Block Party at the Pomona Fairplex

I was in the VIP area all day giving out FREE ice cream.  This is the fourth event I have done in support of Moon Block Party and JJUUJJUU front man Phil Pirrone.  I brought 2,000 Ben & Jerry's to the first Desert Daze featuring Tinariwen and Warpaint .  I brought ice cream to a JJUUJJUU/ Deap Vally show at the Troubadour. I was backstage for the second Desert Daze featuring Liars and Blonde Redhead.  

This event had the biggest names and the most killer lineup of any event that these guys have thrown.  Tinariwen played during the day even. Black Angels, Black Lips, Band of Skulls, and especially Spoon are all bands I know and like and was looking forward to seeing. Still, it was a pretty quiet day for me.  I met some great people. From the Lagunitas Beer Rep to an artist that provided some great installations for the festival, giant octopus like stone and shell displays.  That dude had some great stories.  It ended early at 10:00 while the desert events end at 2:00 AM.  It seemed to go by quickly.  I passed through the crowd a few times giving out popsicles and ice cream bars.  There were big open green spaces. It was really nice and comfortable.  The vibe at all of the Moon Block Events is so beautiful.  Everyone is super friendly.  Definitely check out whatever they are cooking up for next time.  

Pictures were taken by Stephen Loh.

#ICYCAPS Art Show at Rapt Studio

FYF Fest 2013 LA Historic Park

Death Grips showed up and delivered (I caught most of their set).  Apparently Les Savy Fav was awesome, but everyone got their iphones stolen whilst holding up a ladder (I missed their set), and My Bloody Valentine killed it so hard that they caused technical malfunctions ( I was close to the front without ear plugs, so I exited about half way through their set missing the five minute scramble to turn power back on).   Overall, I had a great two days in downtown Los Angeles at LA State Historic Park.

            FREE ice cream

FYF Fest 2013 was certainly, overall the best yet.  This was my third FYF fest and their 10th anniversary.  My first year, 2011, I had a bigger crew and I was slingin’ for Ice Cream Man because I was watching Bessie for a few months, and we were set up in the VIP area. 2012 I was in the artist village and this year we were outside gifting FREE ice cream to the throngs of 30,000 people. I parked Bessie right by the box office and gave out a few treats from there. My crew consisted of just Tony and I, and we were able to give out over 2,000 creams and popsicles over the two days.  We did a great deal of our work out of the pushcart as the huge stampede of fest goers headed towards the entrance.  Many folks were in such a hurry that they walked right past the FREE ice cream. Others just didn’t believe us.  Bomb pops and frozen fruit bars were the most popular choices. We gave out hundreds of Ice Cream Ian stickers and talked to hundreds of very cool people.  Slinging to the general public was definitely a different experience, but people were much more appreciative because they were pleasantly surprised.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

The stage names had been named after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in ’11 and ‘12, but after being served with a cease and desist, Sean Carlson, FYF founder, changed the names to characters in Sex in the City characters.  For the first time, videos appeared between sets including 90s movie trailers like Last Action Hero and Double Impact.  Two of the stages had rubber mats on the ground in front of them so the crowd wouldn’t kick up dust.  There was a second VIP area this year allowing for more people and more food and drink choices. 

Bands

The Breeders performed their 1997 album Last Splash on Saturday. They used the same guitars and pedals as well as switching instruments on certain songs just as they did on the album.  As we walked past Devendra Banhart playing his sexy melodic freak folk, the first band Tony wanted to catch was the Locust. They came out in full costume:  green jumpsuits with black netting over the mouth of an army green mask.  There songs consisted of throat clearing vocals along with a thunderous barrage of guitar. A reunion of sorts, they were well received, and the crowd kicked up a dust storm at the beginning of their first song.  Tony took off and I got some delicious waffle fries off of a food truck and listened to some TV on the Radio. I headed out to see Death Grips and wondered what was in store. They had a great set and the crowd responded positively.  The last set of the night was The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs and they were terrific. 

Sunday, I had to sling by myself for a while because Tony went to go see Antwon, a performer and a friend of his.  He said it was a great set.  After a long day of slinging cream, we made it in to catch some of Toro y Moi which was a stellar performance.  Washed Out provided some nice chill wave off of all three albums while we had a beverage. We caught some of MGMT’s set and got some food before My Bloody Valentine.   I got up pretty close for MBV knowing it was going to be fairly loud. The five  or six songs that I caught were amazing live shoegaze, but I had to go home and my ears were starting to hurt. What can I say? I'm an old man.

Once I got home, I had a UFO ice cream sandwich and headed off to bed.

Honda Promotion

Beginning July 26, Ice Cream Ian partnered with Honda to give away close to 5,000 pieces.  We went to a Long Beach Volleyball tournament. The next day we went to Hollywood.  The following Saturday we went to a outdoor free concert in downtown LA at Pershing Square.  Sunday August 4 we went to various parks in the OC.  This Saturday Aug. 10 we will be in Long Beach and Torrance. Finally, the last day of the campaign we will be in the IE.

Bonnie McKee at Pulse Recording

Gave out a bunch of treats including Ben & Jerry's shorty cups along with some pink choices per Bonnie's request.  Pink Panthers and Strawberry Drumsticks.  Everyone was very nice including Bonnie who had a Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough shorty cup at the end of the night.  She played a montage of songs that she has written similar to the video posted along with a run through her brand new hit single American Girl.   

If you're not familiar with this young lady, you owe it to yourself to listen to this little medley of songs that she has written.  Tons of stuff you recognize I assure you. 

The 1975 and Bad Suns at the Troubadour

Gave out 100s of "Chocolate" ice cream at the Troubadour to support the band The 1975.  I talked with the guys from the Bad Suns and they were really nice folks.  They were super pumped to get touring and recording soon.   

4th of July Celebration at the Veteran's Affairs Hospital in Long Beach

I received an email on the 3rd of July that ice cream was need at the VA Hospital adjacent to CSU Long Beach for the 4th. They were expecting 2,000 people, and we made it happen.  Everyone got served pops and ice cream including a few hundred Ben & Jerry's.  MDI pitched in to help us purchase over 1,500 other choices, and we made veterans, their family members, and the volunteers very happy.  I had several young volunteers helping me throughout the day including my own kids.  Holly, Kayla, and Devin were young ladies that I met that day that came to the VA to serve, and I'm glad they had the opportunity to sling some cream.

Retro Ramble on 4th Street in Long Beach

Cayucas Instore at Origami Vinyl

I had a chance to go out to Echo Park and promote an awesome band this last Tuesday for a Record Release Party at Origami Vinyl. They do many instores at this indie record shop.

Moon Block Party Presents Desert Daze in Mecca, CA at Sunset Ranch Oasis on April 20th 2013

Moon Block Party has been throwing events for the last four years or so, but this was the first year of Desert Daze, a one-day festival in Mecca, CA. Desert Daze featured twenty-three bands mostly psychedelic, and neo-psychedelic with the exception of the headliner Tinariwen who would probably be considered world music because they are from Mali, Africa, but they are far from typical African music. Tinariwen’s performance was the highlight of the weekend for me, but the entire experience was awesome. The location, Sunset Ranch Oasis, is an ideal spot. We used less then forty acres for camping and the three stages (Moon, Block, and Lounge Stage) while the ranch consists of 163 acres, providing plenty of room for this fest to grow. There are two lakes, or “oases,” in the middle of the festival surrounded by palm trees creating a very picturesque landscape. The night I arrived a group of us hung out on a wooden deck that waded out into the oasis. Friday night I drove out to Mecca and didn’t arrive until after ten. I met the folks from Moon Block Party including Phil Pirrone, a member of the band JJUUJJUU and the mastermind behind Desert Daze. His walkie talkie tag was Big Mama. I stayed up late walking the festival site, taking it all in, and getting excited for the next day. I even helped Phil carry some JJUUJJUU guitars back to the house when he had to open the gate for some late-comers at around 2:30 AM. A car load of girls showed up that had driven eighteen hours from Colorado Springs to catch the fest and their favorite band Fool’s Gold. Phil got them settled in and I retired to my tent. Saturday, the day of the fest, was a scorcher. I walked the grounds handing out ice cream while my truck was parked in the artist and crew area. I didn’t serve much from the truck because it was off to the side of most of the action, so I used a cooler bag to carry treats and handed out stickers out of my back pocket. I would get a box each of Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, and Cookie Dough, walk around the fest making des(s)ert dreams come true, and then return for a refill. Cookie Dough was probably the most popular of the day, but the others ran a close second. I made too many trips to count. In all, giving away almost a thousand shorty cups. Fortunately, the folks at Moon Block hooked me up with free waters, so I stayed plenty hydrated. I talked with people from the area, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs (DHS to the locals), many people from LA especially Silverlake area, and all over Southern California, Chino Hills, Corona, and San Diego just to name a few places. In all, there were around 2,000 people that attended the festival. I didn’t pay much attention to the bands until it got dark because I was just too damn busy. In fact, I missed some bands that I really wanted to see. I met some of the artists and they were all super nice folks, so I was bummed I didn’t catch their sets. I talked with the Lumerians and their drummer Chris even shared one of his NorCal craft beers with me. Since they are from Oakland, we talked about the beer up there and about their upcoming tour where they’ll play in Austin, New York, and then off to Belgium and Western Europe. Around eight, my photographer Stephen Loh arrived so I felt a little less pressure to hand out an entire truckload of ice cream singlehandedly. I was able to catch a bit of Chelsea Wolfe’s set, some of Fool’s Gold, most of Warpaint, and all of Tinariwen, who went on at 1:55. Chelsea Wolfe’s music is haunting and beautiful. Fool’s Gold is great to dance to and the crowd was certainly lively and bouncing about. Warpaint, dark, atmospheric, and exquisitely hypnotic, was well received as the LA female foursome even signed items for their fans after the show. Last, Tinariwen were great. They came out in full African desert gear with head wraps and their faces covered. Obvioulsy, I couldn’t understand any of their lyrics, but their vibe sticks with you and I thoroughly enjoyed them. Much thanks to Moon Block Party for having us and Ben & Jerry’s for hooking us up with plenty of free ice cream on this blazing 4/20. Here’s hoping that we’ll do it again next year and it’s even better.

Desert Daze April 20, 2013--- Still Tickets left. FREE Ben and Jerry's

Desert Daze April 20th I'm heading out Friday evening and camping both nights at Sunset Rach Oasis in Mecca, CA. The festival is all day Saturday with the headliner, Tinariwen from Mali in Africa, going on at 12:55 AM. I will have about 1,500 shorty cups of cookie dough, chocolate fudge brownie, and cherry garcia. That's right. Ben & Jerry's hooked us up again so free ice cream for everybody. Get your tickets now. I'll see you Saturday. DesertDaze.org

Yo La Tengo Fingerprints In-store 1/16/13

  Yo La Tengo is one of those indie rock bands like Built to Spill and Sonic Youth that has been around for a long time and has had a heavy influence on the popularity of the indie rock genre today. They formed in 1984, but hadn’t put an album out since 2009 and have toured sparsely.  In this cold weather, I haven’t been getting out much with Bessie, so I decided I would take in a free in-store at Fingerprints, give out some ice cream, and see this exclusive performance.  YLT hit up four record stores at the beginning of their tour including Fingerprints in Long Beach. I coordinated with the owner, Rand Foster, to serve free treats to the people in line. This meant I had to arrive early to get prime parking.

I showed up and was able to get the parking spot I needed.  As much as I wanted to, I knew I would run out of stock if I started handing out treats immediately, so I had to hide out in the shop a bit so that people wouldn’t try to buy something. I witnessed a few people checking out the truck, looking in the windows, but I kept my distance. About an hour before the show started, they kicked everyone out of the shop and made them form a line.  Just before this, I opened my truck and positioned myself in front of it so that I could distribute the goods. I asked several people if they wanted ice cream and most were bewildered. Someone would step up and get something and others would sort of see how it works.

Once the line began forming, I put Ben and Jerry’s treats in a box and walked down the line offering Half Baked Bars and Cherry Garcia to everyone. It was in the 50s outside, so many people didn’t want ice cream, but once they saw how good it looked as someone else was enjoying it, they caved.  Once everyone had been checked in, the line of people headed into the store and Yo La Tengo started their set.

YLT played about ten songs mostly stuff off of their new album “Fade” that came out January 15^th, the day before.  They only played one older song and they did a Beach Boys cover.  The version of “Is it enough” they played was very different from the recorded version, a much more mellow, acoustic-style affair then the track on the album.  On several songs, James McNew, the bassist, played a twelve-string guitar instead of his bass.  Georgia Hubley and Ira Kaplan stuck to their instruments for the full set, drums and guitar respectively.

They were really well received by the crowd and were nice enough to sign items, chat, and take pictures when the show was over.  As I stood in line to get my record signed, I talked to two young girls, barely twenty, who had traveled from Santa Barbara just to see the show.  One of them revealed a tattoo of the band and James snapped a quick picture of it.  The majority of the crowd though seemed to be long time fans of the band and definitely reveled in this intimate evening spent with Ira, Georgia and James: the folks that comprise Yo La Tengo.

Fingerprints In-store Yo La Tengo

Free Ice Cream 1/16/13 at Fingerprints Music in Long Beach 420 4th Street.  I'll be there to see one of the great indie rock bands of my generation: Yo La Tengo.

Halloween 2012

Long Beach Zombie Fest

I'll be at Zombie Fest next to one of the stages by the Terror Maze truck.  I'm giving out ice cream until I run out starting at 3:00.  Come find me. 

FYF Fest 2012 LA Historic Park

Fyf Fest went off without a hitch once I arrived on Saturday which is quite a surprise since I confirmed that I would be able to attend just two days prior.  I was able to give away nearly 2,000 Ben and Jerry's ice creams including Half Baked and Fudgy Brownie Bars along with minicups of Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Cookied Dough, and Cherry Garcia.  I pulled Bessie into the Fest and parked next to the artist and staff food tent, so most folks grabbed a treat on their way out.  We made several pilgrimages both days out to the VIP area with the cooler bag filled with treats and a fist full of stickers to give away.  Tony, my lone assistant for the weekend, especially seemed to enjoy traveling out to general admission and yelling "Free ice cream!" at the end of the festival. I had a much smaller crew then last year so it was difficult to get away to see the bands, but I was able to catch full sets of James Blake, M83, Cursive, Yeasayer, and Beirut.  The cream lasted until the later hours this time, so we worked most of the fest.

Hello world!

If you have reached this page, you are interested in ice cream.  Here at IceCreamian we LOVE ice cream and we love the variety and nostalgia surrounding old school ice cream trucks.  Our flagship truck is "Bessie".  She is a 1969 Chevy Ice Cream Truck.  In Summer of 2011, I volunteered to hand out ice cream at some events and take care of Bessie in the greater Los Angeles area.  The following Summer, I was able to purchase this famous truck from Icecreamman.com and IceCreamIan was born.  We're so crazy for the cream that we're Icecreamian.