As much as any journalist who gets his kicks from seeing drunks in the park curled up under his byline in a weekly rag, and has learned to live on a cents-per-word basis, Bobble Tiki loves to see his name next to a big story. Bobble Tiki loves to deliver the big headline and hear folks at the MSM Deli talking about his latest column while they wait for a ginormous cold cut delight. Bobble Tiki loves to make a splash.

For this reason and this reason only, Bobble Tiki is tempted to start this week’s column with the headline: “Canned Heat to play Jazzbones!”

Of course, this would be a big deal. Canned Heat played Woodstock, after all, and graced the same Monterey Pop Festival stage as Hendrix, Joplin, and the Who. Canned Heat has a place in rock and roll history, and if they were coming to Jazzbones, Bobble Tiki is pretty certain it would constitute a big deal.

Here’s the kicker: If Bobble Tiki was to start this column with “Canned Heat to play Jazzbones,” technically, he wouldn’t be lying. Canned Heat will play Jazzbones this Saturday, Aug. 11. There’s really nothing but a few dead guys and Bobble Tiki’s conscience keeping him from giving into temptation.

The problem is, the Canned Heat that played at the Monterey Pop Festival was Larry Taylor, Henry Vestine, Bob Hite, Alan Wilson, and drummer Fito de la Parra. The Canned Heat set to hit Jazzbones is Fito de la Parra with Greg Kage on bass and vocals, Robert Lucas on guitar and harmonica, and Barry Levenson on guitar.

Bob “the Bear” Hite is dead, as are Henry Vestine and Alan Wilson. Larry Taylor is just old — unless he’s died recently and no one has bothered to update Wikipedia.

See Bobble Tiki’s dilemma?

Technically, Canned Heat is playing Jazzbones, but technically they’re not.

What’s a Tiki to do?

While Bobble Tiki decides, here’s a Canned Heat fun fact:

According to www.cannedheatmusic.com:

“The group decided to take their name from “Canned Heat Blues,” an obscure 1928 track by bluesman Tommy Johnson that described the drug high achieved through drinking the household product Sterno. Sterno is a cooking fuel that has been used since the turn of the century, and while it was intended to be used for keeping food warm, it was consumed by the early bluesman as a cheap way to get “high” during prohibition. These were desperate times; a tin of Sterno was 7 cents as opposed to a quarter for an illegal bottle of wine. In Mississippi, it was subsequently nicknamed “Canned Heat”. Tommy Johnson died of severe alcohol poisoning directly related to his consumption of the product.”

Cannedheatmusic.com also says the band will be playing Takoma(sic).

See a connection?

Ok. Now that Bobble Tiki has had a moment to think about it, he’s decided perhaps the best thing he can possibly do in this situation is introduce readers to the current Canned Heat, as well as offer a little history about the original.
   

The old Canned Heat

Bob “the Bear” Hite was a massive vocal presence and one of the founding members of Canned Heat. He was a total blues geek, working at a record store before being in Canned Heat and amassing a record collection that’s still talked about today. He died of a heart attack in 1981.

Alan Wilson was the primary songwriter for the original Canned Heat, and was known for, among other things, his unique tenor vocals. He died of a barbiturate overdose (which Bobble Tiki imagines would be a very sloooooooow way to go) in Topanga Canyon. Many of his friends are convinced Wilson’s death was a suicide, and that the avid environmentalist offed himself over the smog in L.A. John Lee Hooker once called Wilson the greatest harmonica player ever.

Henry Vestine played with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention before defecting to Canned Heat. Apparently, Zappa was getting a bit weird for Vestine’s liking, and Canned Heat offered him an opportunity to return to the simple blues-based music he loved. He left Canned Heat in 1969. Contrary to popular misconception, Vestine did not perform with Canned Heat at Woodstock. He’d already been replaced. Vestine died in 1997 of heart and respiratory failure.
Larry Taylor was actually Canned Heat’s second bassist. He replaced Stuart Brotman early on. He seems to be best remembered for ditching Canned Heat for John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.
   

The new Canned Heat

According to an Internet search, Barry Levenson is an accomplished studio guitarist who has also released solo material on Storyville Records. Robert Lucas was the winner of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Economics. And Greg Kage is Nicholas’ younger, less talented brother who spells Cage with a “K” for cuteness.

Fito de la Parra is the drummer who brings old and new together.

Canned Heat will play Jazzbones this Saturday. It’ll be just like Woodstock … but not really.

As always, Bobble Tiki doesn’t care what you do this week because he doesn’t even know you. That’s just the way Bobble Tiki rolls. He’s old school, and always keeps it real. However, in a rare, onetime act of kindness and human-like emotion, Bobble Tiki would like to invite you to breakfast — three times a week: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Check out www.weeklyvolcanospew. com for more info. Who knows, maybe this time next week you and Bobble Tiki will be all bff.

[Jazzbones, with comedian Brad Upton, Saturday, Aug. 11, 8:30 p.m., $25-$27, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.396.9169]