Choogle On Story Making With Dave Uncleweed Olson

As Tracks on Tracks pulls in to Melville for a whistle stop, Shred Kelly basks in the attention of the locals from the town while performing. The young and old of Melville come out to listen to the music, with notable (and memorable) guests including the Mayor, who asks for an encore, and Doug the Old … Continue reading Shredding on Melville – Chooglin’ on Tracks #4 →

Continuing east with Tracks on Tracks train journey, Uncle Weed rolls along the Athabasca River and VIA Rail’s ban on smoking in ALL forms is lamented. Uncle Weed chats with CBC R3 superfan @_Rebby as they discuss life on the train (and staff’s bafflement with the unusual people they are encountering), Newfoundland music, her epic … Continue reading Athabasca with Oboes – Chooglin’ on Tracks #3 →

Getting settled in to train life, Uncle Weed and friends ponder the meal schedule, sleeping schedule, timezones, awesome showers, random rules, and what staff must think of them. With Grant Lawrence interviewing Adaline, she shares how she has used road rage for a musical muse. She also fills us in on what Tracks on Tracks has … Continue reading Bottomless Lakes of Adaline – Chooglin’ on Tracks #2 →

Uncle Weed heads east out of Vancouver on a train with 10 bands. Rolling along with Tracks on Tracks, he gets a feel for life on the train with its one-dimensional freedom of movement, CCR-like effect on music, well-matured demographics, and abundance of jam sessions. Live musical performances include acts by Maurice and Portage and … Continue reading Renegades Roll East – Chooglin’ on Tracks #1 →

From the summit of a tiny island in British Columbia’s Howe Sound, Uncle Weed discusses cultural traditions, social contracts and organizational auspices with two local diplomats, plus spiels about a trip to Pelilu, Palau and exploring themes of self-reliance on micro-islands. Topics include: geo-thermal power, deer culling, island trusts, boat access, and families inter-connecting.  Climb … Continue reading Tribes of Barnacle Island – Choogle On! #105 →

On a trail to interesting boulders along Lynn Creek, Uncle Weed enjoys beer, bread and cheese while exploring the impact of bohemian painter Fredrick Horsman Varley on West Coast art culture. Varley, a member of the venerated Group of 7, lived in Vancouver for 10 years during which he moved from Jericho to Lynn Valley … Continue reading Portrait of Varley – Choogle On! #104 →

Continuing on a conversation about Iraq and Afghanistan, Lt. Magnum of the US Navy shares experiences from an assignment helping the Philippines recover from a variety of natural disasters aboard the USS Pelilu (named for the Palauan island). Stories include logistics of engineering, construction projects, diplomatic relations, ingenuity on the ground, pig roasts, helicopter landings … Continue reading Disaster Repair in The Philippines with the SeaBees – Choogle On! #103 →

Just back from New Orleans, Uncle Weed shares anecdotes from a stop on hi-jinks-laden drive-away car delivery journey from Miami to Dallas and recounts recent culinary forays including turtle soup, Po’boy sandies and crawfish ettouffee, along with social observations about the French Quarter and Frenchmen’s street including the joy of brass bands and convenience of … Continue reading Ramble on to New Orleans – Choogle On! #102 →

Geeky discourse about the culture and rituals of the people at SXSW Interactive conference/festival specifically with cyborg anthropologist Amber Case who gamely banters about: human-techno-social-experience within information revolution; how future is created; how geek inherit/acquire power; micro-economics of start-ups; perils of venture capital; survivability of these commercial endeavors; industry-culture power structures; checking-into lines; affection for … Continue reading Anthropological Essay in Austin – Choogle On! #101 →

photo by UW on Christmas Eve at the hotel bar, art’ed up by Bread the Producer who also edited and mixed this episode During the Festive season – holed up at an historic hotel in Nelson BC sampling local hashish – a sloppy Uncle Weed stumbles through stories with the loquacious harmonica master Xomaha who … Continue reading Harmonica and Hash at the Hume – Choogle On! #100 →

Hustling to a bus, Uncle Weed ends the festive period with vaporization session and recounts highlights, hi-jinks and life remixes from 2010 including gut surgery, True North Media House social reporting at the Olympics including Olympic Outsider podcasts, Subpop Records, Hockey Hall of Fame, SXSW, Komasket Music Festival, UW40 party, Halloween at the Waldorf hotel, … Continue reading Festive Flashbacks from Orion to Nelson – Choogle On! #99 →

While at Komasket music fest, Uncle Weed describes a visit to a traditional Moroccan shish lounge with tea run by a guy named Guy. Also describes performances by Wolf Child and Cowboy Bandit plus describes a morning visit to yoga. Plus preview of Delhi to Dublin, Alex Cuba and Shamik on agenda. Musical interludes feature … Continue reading Shisha Lounging and Slacker Yoga – Choogle On! #98 →

Wandering through the festival grounds, Uncle Weed talks to first aid crew, interviews a 2nd year attendee about a kayaking trip, tipi camping, Brazilian capoeira and dancing workshops, while Canadian entertainer Fred Penner shows his multi-linguistic skills. Plus bits of other artists, and chatter about vendor alley, African drums and recounting jam tent performances. Musical … Continue reading Kayaks and Jams at the Church of Komasket – Choogle On! #97 →

Koolant, sitting in the Bob Marley hot seat singing with the legendary Wailers featuring Aston “Family Man” Barrett, speaks about the joy of singing reggae music for people around the world. He recounts growing up in Jamaica learning the music and mentions the beauty of the Komasket location and audience. Plus peaceful warrior troubadour Fred … Continue reading Love and Freedom with The Wailers at Komasket – Choogle On! #96 →

Renegade musician Ken Giles recounts stories about backwoods huckleberry pancakes and picking with the Beaver Bottom Boys with Uncle Weed backstage at Komasket Music Festival near Vernon, BC. He also tells about hijinks ensuing when moose hunting en route to recording sessions, hijinks with Merry Pransters and Hunter Thompson, and the importance of living a … Continue reading Cowboy Bandit Renegade Storytime at Komasket – Choogle On! #95 →

With a US Naval Lieutenant at the table, Uncle Weed traces the history of the Tigris and Euphrates crescent and discusses the ground level experience of life in Iraq. Lt. Magnum explains his rebuilding mission to Kurdistan, plus quests to various coalition bases including visits with Korean, Slovakian and Polish forces. Anecdotes include Haliburton food, … Continue reading Reconstructing Mesopotamia with Lt. Magnum – Choogle On! #94 →

Australia’s organic electronic band Oka talks with Uncle Weed backstage at Komasket Music Fest to discuss trips across Canada, the perils of equipment damage, psychology of jamming, global nature of music, combining ancient and modern instruments and keeping it all together — plus the happiness of the lovely locations and the power of community and the tubes. … Continue reading Oka Improvising from Australia to Komakset – Choogle On! #93 →

Walking around the campground at the Komasket Music Fest near Vernon, BC, Uncle Weed and Quebecois Correspondent discuss the layout of the performance stages, various yoga workshops, Moroccan shisha lounge, and the movie tipi. Plus they recap pleasing performances by Bochephus King and Oka while previewing The Wailers and other leisure time activities. Musical interludes feature jams … Continue reading Jesus with a Guitar in a Tipi at Komasket – Choogle On! #92 →

Sitting around a candle, Uncle Weed kicks of a weekend at the Komasket Music Festival with pals including the Quebecois Correspondent. After a journey through Manning Park with canoe trips, wildlife sightings and botanical changes, they preview bands and workshops ahead. Musical interludes feature jams with Bocephus King and Oka, beatboxer Shamik and various announcements … Continue reading Candlelight Kick-off at Komasket Music Fest – Choogle On! #91 →

Hazy with a sore throat, Uncle Weed documents journies to the legendary Salt Lick bar-b-q for a slice of rural Texas, plus breakfast oysters, trip to riverside green belt, and rocking out to Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears at the Twitter party at The Parish. Plus riffs about drought, reasons for free beer, Big … Continue reading Fleeting Memories of Bar-B-Q and Soul – Choogle On! #90 →