From the Surf to the Desert: Place Identity in California Indigenous Rock President's Column
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F A L L 2 0 1 3 PacificaPacifica ASSOCIATION OF PACIFIC COAST GEOGRAPHERS In This Issue From the Surf to the Desert: Place Identity in Feature Article: From the Surf to the Desert: California Indigenous Rock Place Identity in 1 California Indigenous Jonathan Taylor associated with Southern California in the early Rock California State University, Fullerton 1960s. The genre is largely instrumental and is typified by clean, non-distorted electric guitars President’s Column 1 How important is place in popular music and the played through “wet” reverb springs and heavily Meeting Recap 3 development of unique musical styles? How do amplified to create a percussive, twangy, sound musicians and composers express their subjective while the tremolo bar is used to bend chords or Business Meeting 7 experiences of place? In this paper I discuss two notes, changing their pitch. Though quintessen- bands as exemplars of two locales in the develop- tially Californian, the genre actually owes a debt to Student Awards 9 ment of specifically Californian genres of rock mu- earlier instrumental rock pioneers such as UK in- Treasurer’s Report 10 sic: surf music and desert rock. The Mermen, from strumental group The Shadows, the Tacoma-based San Francisco and later Santa Cruz, present a North- instrumental group The Ventures, and earlier rock- ern Californian neo-psychedelic reimagining of surf abilly artists such as Link Wray and Duane Eddy. A b o u t A P C G music which itself has influenced the expansion of In terms of a defined and named style, though, surf the genre even as it transcends it. From La Quinta, music became associated with Orange County in Founded in 1935 by a gather- near Palm Springs, Yawning Man are the progeni- particular because of the success of innovative ing of geographers including tors of desert rock, and while influenced by both guitarist Dick Dale – the so-called “King of the graduate students and fac- Southern and Northern Californian surf, punk, and Surf Guitar” and with LA’s South Bay which ulty from universities, nor- hosted local groups with regional or national hits mal schools and junior col- rock music have created a new hybrid style in which leges, and a few from gov- they seek to represent their experiences of the wide- such as the Bel-airs. Before long Southern Califor- ernment and industry, the open spaces and vistas of the Mojave Desert. In nia boasted dozens of surf bands such as the Chal- Association of Pacific Coast both cases, a nature-based mysticism influences the lengers, the Chantays, and the Lively Ones. Geographers has a long and musical styles and sonic textures of the music. This rich history promoting geo- is not surprising since the development of what has The surf music scene quickly spread, with instru- graphical education, re- mental surf bands forming around the country, and search, and knowledge. been called California consciousness is heavily as- Members gather at the an- sociated with nature-based spirituality (Davis and before long, the world, but was quickly eclipsed by nual meetings for social and Taylor, 2014). the rise of other genres of rock music and the even- intellectual interaction. They tual huge successes of bands from the British Inva- receive the annual Yearbook, sion. Surf music was essen- first published in 1935, that Surf music was a musical movement most closely ...continued on page 3 includes abstracts of papers from the meetings and a number of full length peer- reviewed articles. Members President’s Column also receive the biannual newsletter Pacifica, first published in Fall 1994. Since Sriram Khe 1952 the APCG has also been Western Oregon University the Pacific Coast Regional Division of the Association of The APCG's president is required to author a column in Pacifica, one each in the fall and spring issues. I American Geographers, proposed to the Executive Council a format that would be vastly different from writing once in six months serving AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, WA, BC, and YT. --a lot more frequent and regular blog posts, which would be emailed to the membership the same way that Pacifica, in its electronic PDF avatar, is distributed. The Council agreed. Banner Photos : Zia Salim Welcome to the president's "column," which can be accessed at: http://apcgprez.blogspot.com/ APCG Directory EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Report on the Seventy-Sixth Annual Meeting President: Sriram Khe Division of Social Science Lake Tahoe, California Western Oregon University Monmouth, OR 97361 [email protected] September 25th to 28th, 2013 Vice President: Chris Lukinbeal Michael Schmandt water issues along the Truckee River from Lake School of Geography and Sacramento State University Tahoe to Pyramid Lake. About eighty attendees Development signed up for field trips, while others explored the University of Arizona lake and its watershed on their own. That evening, Harvill 437B The Association of Pacific Coast Geographers held th Tucson, AZ 85721 their 76 annual meeting at the Village at Squaw we had a barbecue dinner at the Squaw Valley Con- [email protected] Valley in Olympic Valley, Lake Tahoe, California, ference Center, which was the main dining hall used from September 25th to 28th, 2013. The conference by the athletes of the 1960 Winter Olympics. Im- Treasurer: mediately after the barbecue, Michael Schmandt Robert Richardson drew 280 attendees from across the United States, Department of Geography Canada, China, and Finland. In addition to Sacra- (Sacramento State University) delivered his Presi- Sacramento State Univ. mento State University, many other institutions dential Address entitled “The Geographer’s Eyes Sacramento, CA 95819 were particularly well represented, including Cali- and Feet,” which explored the two greatest tools 916-278-6410 fornia State University, Stanislaus (with 26 stu- geographers have. [email protected] dents!), Arizona State University, California State Secretary: University, Fullerton, California State University, Paper sessions began at 8 am Friday and explored a Vicki Drake, Chair Northridge, Humboldt State University, Portland wide range of session topics including education, Coordinator, Geography State University, San Francisco State University, space, physical geography, ethnicity, historical ge- Santa Monica College Sonoma State University, the University of Arizona, ography, urban geography, and a panel discussion Santa Monica, CA 90405 of Masters of Science degrees in GIS. David and 310-434-8652 the University of Nevada, Reno, and the University [email protected] of Oregon. Janet Carle, two former California State Park rang- ers, were the speakers for the President’s Plenary Past-President: Amidst a dusting of snow, the conference opened on session on Friday evening. Their presentation enti- Michael Schmandt tled, “Tales and Images from Traveling the 38th Department of Geography Wednesday evening with the Opening Night Ple- Sacramento State Univ. nary presentation by Joanne Marchetta, the Execu- Parallel,” followed their travels and looked at ques- Sacramento, CA 95819 tive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning tions regarding water and development. Their pres- [email protected] Agency (TRPA), entitled “Land Use Planning at entation was followed by a reception that featured the thirteen posters submitted this year. A special AAG Councillor (ex-officio): Lake Tahoe: the Intersection of Policy and Politics.” Scott Mensing The presentation included a background of TRPA Women’s Network session featured current AAG Department of Geography and its role in managing land use and regulating Vice President Mona Domosh. Her paper entitled, University of Nevada, Reno development in the Tahoe Basin. She discussed “Singer's Sisterhood of Sewing, and Other Episodes MacKay Science Hall Tahoe's land use history, political realities, and how in the Gendered Historical Geography of American Mail Stop 0154 her agency reaches consensus. She had something Empire” was followed by the Women’s Network Reno, NV 89557 luncheon. In total, the program, over two days, of- [email protected] for everyone; she talked about fire management, skiing, tourism, gaming, migrant workers living fered 22 paper and panel sessions. APCG COMMITTEES outside of the basin, and the possibility of national Awards Committee: park status. A reception followed the plenary ses- After the Geography Bowl and the APCG Business Gregory Bohr, Chair Meeting, attendees ascended 2,000 feet from the Social Sciences Department sion with food, drink, and the opportunity to renew CalPoly, San Luis Obispo acquaintances and make new friends. valley floor to High Camp by private tram to attend San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 the Annual Awards Banquet, while enjoying a 360- [email protected] On Thursday, conference attendees had the choice degree view that included Lake Tahoe, Sierra of seven field trips: exploring the clarity of Lake mountains and valleys, a beautiful sunset, and a Nominations Committee: surprise appearance by Mark Twain. The banquet Dan Arreola, Chair, Arizona Tahoe aboard the John Le Conte followed by a tour State University of the Tahoe Environmental Research Center, a bus (and the barbeque on Thursday night) was expertly [email protected] tour around the lake exploring the human and physi- emceed by APCG Vice President Sriram Khe Kate Berry, University of Nevada, cal geography of the basin, an exploration of (Western Oregon University). Thanks to a generous Reno Basque arborglyphs, an Emerald Bay lunch cruise donation from William and Marilyn Bowen, thirty- [email protected] one students who presented papers and posters were Michael Schmandt, Sacramento aboard the Tahoe Gal, a look at fire and forest ecol- State University ogy, a hike on the Granite Chief trail, and a look at able to participate. [email protected] ...continued on next page Distinguished Service: Awards Committee: James Allen, Chair CSU, Northridge Northridge, CA 92407 [email protected] Fall 2013 Pacifica Page 2 APCG Directory Report on the Seventy-Sixth Annual Meeting COMMITTEES CONT.