" I slunk to the darkest corner of the opium den, my safe words left at the door. No rules. Just my scars and her movements, both tangled in Blue Velvet."

 No choreography, no set lists, no rules is their slogan. Olivia Bellafontaine and the Dave Cavalier Trio work their magic over a crowd at Sassafras Saloon, a West Hollywood bar bred by the french quarter in New Orleans. 

Sex. Snakes. Rock n'roll. What else do you need for a music video? 

Special thanks to Taboo Exotics for allowing us to use their beautiful snakes, as well as to Cut.Fade.Black Productions and One Man Productions for pulling the whole thing off! Look out for the video coming soon!

Driving. Lots of Driving. At night, the lines of the highway curl off into a never ending blackness and at the wheel you're sucked in between the yellow lines. Music keeps you company; David Bowie's Black Star, the Deftones, Radiohead.... always an album and a rhythm to keep you company.  We roll into Ritchfield, Utah as the sky begins to lift its heavy veil from the night, and sleep for 3 hours before waking up and hitting the road again. Mountains, cotton ball clouds, and an earnest blue sky accompany us the rest of the drive.

Three exhausted and sleep deprived musicians arrive in Price, Utah.... there's a joke to be made somewhere in there but my brain is too tired to make the connection. We drive up in a white minivan. If anything is the antithesis of rock and roll, it's a minivan. Ours is packed to the gills with drums, cymbals, two guitars, an amp, and a couple of beat up suitcases. Students help us unload the gear and they set up. USUE's campus is a sea of green plotted with brick structures and a pit. The pit is where the show is. We're fed enormous turkey legs, corn on the cob, and salad. Everyone is pleasant but reserved-- saving their energy for when the show begins. 

There's something about the trio  live that loosens up even the most reserved person. Their energy is infectious. Sooner rather than later, there's a crowd surfer, and a small gathering of headbangers who take on the stage as the final songs crash out. Everyone is happy and sweaty. A live show is the best kind of workout in my humble opinion. T-shirts signed, lots of hugs, and huge grins are left behind as the trio packs up their gear, and begins the long drive home.

When I was a kid my Dad had a boat. It was a small sailboat, about 24 foot.  Only about 4 people could sit at the stern all together, but it was a cozy and friendly atmosphere so that suited our family just fine. The bow had a tiny hull underneath, just big enough for my sister and I to crawl into and sleep.  One of my best memories is of sitting out on the bow right after dark, bats flickering through the air (this was Missouri, afterall) and bright stars punching holes through the sky. I was rocked to sleep by the gentle waves of the lake, and woke the next morning to a brilliant sunrise. 

I was reminded of this memory when I stepped on board the Yes Yes in Marina Del Rey. The trio was shooting an acoustic video set with J McMerty,  a SoCal producer. As we set out with captain Ken and J's two dogs Burbank and Murphy, the trio perched up on the bow and played as fog swirled around them. Sea lions splashed next to us, and as Dave sang, fellow sea dwellers out for the evening cheered and waved the trio on. Good music, great vibes all around. A huge thank you to J, Captain Ken, the crew, and everyone involved in such a fantastic shoot!