Dutch Holly

Wicked Appetites at the Cosmic Sushi Bar

Tres — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:33:15 +0000

I have come to believe that before we are born into this world, and forget most of what we really are, we are cognizant beings who longingly press our noses against the glass of Earth’s atmosphere and say to ourselves “Doesn’t that look fun?”

It’s strange to think that not only did we want to be born into a war-torn country or a third-world nation, or even a stilted picket-fence neighborhood in a stuffy white-bread suburb, but that we affirmatively chose this world. Why would we do that?

I believe it’s all about contrast. War-heroes come from war-torn countries. Ghandi and Mandela rose from humble beginnings. Brilliant artists, authors, speakers and scientists too numerous to mention had their origins in the suburbs. The way I see it, if you’ve been floating around in the non-physical ether long enough – possessing the ability to go, do, see, have or be anything anywhere at any time – you’ll probably start to think “man, this is too easy.”

It’s like eating only mashed-potatoes. Sure, you could spice up your spuds a little with chives, bacon bits, what have you, but it’s all ultimately cosmic, outside-of-time, 5D mashed potatoes. So when we saddle up to go Earthbound, I imagine we’re good and ready for something different on the menu. A spirit swaggers in to the restaurant of its choice, and orders up a heaping serving of whatever looks fun. Some go to McLife and order from the dollar menu. Others go to Tavern on the Guff and order the most expensive thing they’ve got (“I’ll have the Oil-Baron-Fillet with your finest bottle of Inherited Wealth.”) Seems like a lot of us go into a mid-level chain like Outback Life House and order something popular, telling them to go easy on the contrast.

Jen’s spirit didn’t do that. Her soul is the adventurous type. I’m pretty sure it sidled up to some chic cosmic sushi-bar where they give you the itemized menu-slip with checkboxes and a little pencil, and you start checking off the items and quantities you want. She was in a wicked mood when she placed her order, and she picked some of the spiciest stuff they had.

“Hmm, let’s see, I think I’ll take a couple of parental-betrayal-rolls with some wasabi-creepy-incestuous-family on the side. Ooh, some media-driven-body-shame-sashimi should go nicely with that. Of course, I have to have a few black-bean-childhood-traumas (I always get those when I come here), and I’ll wash it down with a carafe of artistic-temperament-sake. ”

I imagine my soul was there with her, feeling intimidated, knowing that it couldn’t possibly hang. It probably said something like “I’ll just have the teriyaki-untimely-parental-death with a side of tempura-eldest-child-paternalistic-guilt” in a lame attempt to impress her. Certainly, my spirit partook in a shot or two of artistic-temperament-sake, but didn’t get wasted.

So as we brave the hardships of this life together, we find immense comfort in the idea that the greater parts of us actually chose this. Even under the worst circumstances we can have a laugh at the thought of our swaggering mashed-potato-worn spirits bellying up to the bar and slapping down the cash for an unforgettable meal. Unforgettable, that is, until next time. (I’m personally hoping for a reservation at Tavern on the Guff).

A reflection on what the community bench controversy has brought to light

Tres — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:14:04 +0000

The controversial Granite Creek Park bench built by Prescott College student Kristin Anthony and adorned with tiles by hundreds of people was, before its destruction, a symbol of the diversity of our community. Now, in its ruin, it is a reminder of dividedness.
There are those whose objection to the bench was based on content. They complained of the religious symbols, or the peace symbol, or simply that the bench was disagreeable to their aesthetic taste.
There are those whose objection to the bench was more visceral and xenophobic: they simply disliked the idea that a Prescott College student from New England was making an indelible mark on community space. They saw it as the unwanted influence of “outsiders” in their town.
There are those whose support for the bench was based on the principle that something lovingly assembled by so many members of the community has intrinsic value and should be maintained and preserved at all costs.
There are those whose support was more visceral and adversarial: The bench became a symbol of freedom of expression, and a pawn in the struggle of everyday citizens against the exclusive “good ole boys” network that seems to run our city government behind closed doors without accountability.
The polarization of our community over the issue has thrown the lines of division into stark relief. In the brouhaha, many, if not most, have lost sight of the accountability of the parties at fault.
Very little has been mentioned of the mistakes of both Ms. Anthony, and the Department of Parks and Recreation that brought us to this point. First, Ms. Anthony failed to submit a plan to the City of Prescott for the bench as it was constructed. This was a crucial mistake on her part, but she is not alone at fault. It seems that the rough sketch that Ms. Anthony made on the flyer for the bench was at some point deemed sufficient by the Department of Parks and Recreation, though it contained no dimensions, and didn’t represent the actual construction method or materials to be used. Ms. Anthony has related on numerous occasions that the City had waived the submission of a formal plan. By not requiring that a plan be submitted before construction began, the City of Prescott failed in its duty, not only to maintain and protect public space, but to Ms. Anthony as well. Indeed, the observance of this step of the process would likely have avoided the entire controversy.
As construction began, representatives from Parks and Recreation were repeatedly seen at the construction site giving encouragement. Former director, Debbie Horton, whose approval was ultimately required, was not among them. Her failure to oversee the project directly, especially in the absence of any formal construction plan having been submitted, is an obvious dereliction of duty. It seems she only began to pay attention when she began to receive complaints about the bench.
Councilman Steve Blair, ignoring the failure on the part of the City to take the necessary steps, went on the attack. Rather than holding his fellow city officials to account for their failures, he attacked Ms. Anthony, labeling her as dishonest (because she did not adhere to the sketch that the City mistakenly deemed sufficient for a construction plan), in a forum where she could not possibly hope to respond: Using his platform on conservative talk radio, Councilman Blair fomented a visceral and xenophobic rage, commonly held among his listeners, which was then unduly directed at Ms. Anthony. The City of Prescott Parks and Recreation Department’s failures were not mentioned by Mr. Blair, who favored sensationalism and scapegoating over reason. His failure to seek resolution, arguably the duty of every councilman, blew the entire controversy out of proportion, propelling it out of the realm of the mundane and procedural and into the realm of the political and cultural.
Proponents of the arts responded by raising the specter of Mr. Blair’s thinly veiled anti-diversity stance, as evidenced by the Miller Valley School mural controversy of some months ago. Their disdain was exacerbated by Debbie Horton’s unfortunate on-camera statements denying that free speech has any place in the public domain. While Ms. Anthony met with Mrs. Horton at the City – attempting to make a compromise – it’s fair to say that populist rage on both sides of the controversy was picking up momentum. Arts proponents demonstrated, and Mr. Blair continued to foment anger over the airwaves. In the fervor of the protests, neither side was held to account for the mistakes that led to this point. The bench became a symbol to both sides, mirroring the much discussed “Culture War:” Hippies versus Good Ole Boys.
The destruction of the bench has always seemed a foregone conclusion. You can’t fight City Hall, as they say. The fact that the disposition of this now-controversial work occurred under cover of night is a final, abject failure on the part of the City. How much better would it have been, had City Parks and Recreation officials released a contrite statement, owning their mistakes, apologizing to the people who invested their time and effort, and emotions, in the construction of the bench, and laying out the very reasonable argument that a miscommunication and failure to follow procedure has led us to this unfortunate point. Instead, this apparent act of cowardice will fuel division for years to come.
As long as we’re divided as a people, we cannot come together to accomplish effective governance by the people. The many failures of the city illustrates this in no uncertain terms. In this polarized climate, we will continually elect the “lesser of two evils.” Those elected officials are, in turn, driven to act behind closed doors and under cover of darkness to accommodate extreme agendas.
The original intention of the bench was to build community. As this unfortunate chapter comes to a close, let us reflect on how much better off the people of this community would be if we were able to put down our social and political agendas and recognize that, at least in terms of self-governance, we’re all in this together. Let us then seek candidates for public office whose priority is unification, not division.

Petition to save the Prescott community bench

Tres — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:18:41 +0000

Online Petition by iPetitions.com

Dutch Holly Interviewed on The Folk Sessions

Tres — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 05:54:58 +0000

We recently had the rare pleasure of joining Tom Agostino in his Chino Valley studio for the full hour of the September 10th edition of The Folk Sessions. It aired on September 10, 2011.

Here is the Music Player. You need to installl flash player to show this cool thing!

Dutch Holly to play the AZ Best Fest

Tres — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:40:15 +0000

Prescott’s “Outstanding Musical Artist” to play AZ Best Fest

Dutch Holly joins the ranks of national artists such as Wayne Newton and The Tubes scheduled to perform at the AZ Centennial Celebration, the AZ Best Fest in Prescott. The band, fronted by husband/wife singer-songwriters Jen and Tres Ikner, is no stranger to the larger stages of Prescott. In April, 2011 Dutch Holly was presented with Prescott’s First Annual Buckey Award for Outstanding Musical Artist. Since then, they have been a mainstay at public events like the Whiskey Off-Road on the Courthouse Square and more recently, Neptune’s Tea Party at the Elk’s Theatre, where the band featured several guest performers including all-ages choir comprised of children and adults. Their Centennial Celebration performance promises more delightful surprises, and is scheduled for Saturday, September 17th on the Pavillions Stage in Prescott on North Cortez Street at 5:00 PM. In October 2010, Dutch Holly’s 5-song EP entitled What Rhymes With You was released internationally on Expat Records. Songs from that album have been featured on international online-radio like Girls Rock Radio and Radio Orphans Podcast, as well as shows airing on National Public Radio such as The Folk Sessions and Prescott Arts Beat. Dutch Holly is currently recording a full-length record due out by the end of this year.

Dutch Holly Awarded Outstanding Musical Artist for 2011

Tres — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 21:11:02 +0000

Out of 87 nominees, and ten finalists, Dutch Holly was awarded the honor of Outstanding Musical Artist at the First Annual Buckey Awards ceremony, held Saturday April 2nd, 2011. The Buckey Awards recognize contributions to the arts in Prescott, AZ in several categories including visual artist, performing artist, and arts organizations. The honor comes on the heels of Dutch Holly’s release of a 5-song EP entitled What Rhymes With You on international record label, Expat Records. Husband and wife songwriting duo, Jen and Tres Ikner are the core members of the band and recently they have added several members to the lineup in anticipation of performances scheduled to begin in April 2011. Those members include Jennifer James on violin, Nick Stednitz on bass, Steven Parent on drums, and Holly Thompson on guitar.
Dutch Holly will be heard on Prescott Arts Beat radio show that airs at noon, Sunday April 17th, 2011 on KJZA 89.5 and 90.1 FM. They will perform live on April 21st at the Crossroads Center at Prescott College at a benefit for La Tierra Community School, and they are scheduled to kick off the Whiskey Off Road mountain bike endurance race at 10:00 AM on April 30th, 2011 at the Prescott Courthouse Square.

April Showers

Tres — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:50:39 +0000

Welcome to spring! April showers bring May flowers and here in Arizona, when it rains it pours. In April we’re attending one awards show, playing two gigs and have one radio in-studio booked. We now have our full band in place and we’re currently in rehearsals for our live performances. If you haven’t already, follow this link to check out the wonderful group of musicians who are lending their talents to us on stage.

Here’s a complete list of what’s coming down in April:

April 2: The First Annual Buckey Awards ceremony at the Hendrix Auditorium (Mile High Middle School) in Prescott, AZ. Dutch Holly is a top-ten finalist out of 87 nominees in the category of Outstanding Musical Artist. The Buckeys honor Prescott area artists, writers, cultural organizations and philanthropists in a wide variety of categories. We’ll be there to cheer on all of the wonderfully talented people of Prescott and you should come too if you’re in town. Tickets are available at www.prescottartsbeat.blogspot.com and if you haven’t voted yet, ballots are available HERE, put in a vote for us, and for your favorites in the other categories. We hope to see you at the awards ceremony.

April 17: Dutch Holly will be heard on the Prescott Arts Beat radio show, broadcast on the KJZZ Radio Network, 89.5FM, 91.3FM, 90.1FM, 90.7FM. If you’re anywhere in central/northern Arizona, tune in. If for some unfathomable reason, you happen to miss it, though, don’t worry. You can also hear the syndicated podcast of the same show at http://prescottartsbeat.podomatic.com/

April 21^st: Live concert to benefit La Tierra Community School at Prescott College Crossroads Center. With Prescott favorite, Humdi featuring the indomitable Jonathan Best.

April 30^th: The Whiskey Off-Road in downtown Prescott Arizona is a huge annual mountain bike endurance race accompanied by an all-out explosion of food, fun and revelry in downtown Prescott. Dutch Holly, along with El Ten Eleven, Black Owls, and Sweet Nasty are taking the stage on the Court House Square during the celebration.

Telling a new story

Tres — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 19:29:20 +0000

In late October 2010, What Rhymes With You was released. Immediately after, we were focused primarily on promoting it. Now that the label, Expat Records, has their push well underway, our focus has changed.

The last two months have been a time of creative incubation. Jen, Max and I have opened our lives and our home to new music and new musical possibilities. The energy of our focused attention (and intention) has breathed new life into our creative process. New people and experiences are now manifesting daily. A new group of musicians has come into our orbit. They bring with them a host of perspectives, energies, experiences and aspirations that merge with our own to co-create a musical chemistry that will fuel the recording of our new album, a process that has already begun. Tuesday night freeform jams (we have recorded a few, and will post highlights soon) are pointing to a sophisticated orchestration of instruments including cello, accordion, harmonium, violin, piano and mandolin. Songs that capitalize on this gorgeous blend of instruments and players are beginning to suggest themselves.

Our live band is also beginning to take shape. The days of the stripped-down drums, bass and

Dutch Holly the stripped down version

guitar driven Dutch Holly are at an end. While we still employ those elements, they are the foundation upon which a more florid sound is beginning to emerge, replete with lush vocal harmonies and unusual, textural instrumentals.

It’s an exciting time to be in this band!

Sleep-driving, obtuse performance art, and the worst car thief ever

Tres — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 04:53:41 +0000

In many ways, Jen and I are a great match. However, there is one particular set of attributes that she and I possess that are about as complimentary as glass shards and birthday cake. This becomes painfully apparent to us when our car is stolen, and just as suddenly recovered a few miles from our house.

A Moustachioed Security Agent

Jen is a person whose greatest fear is being framed for a heinous crime. While walking through a retail store, she will carefully note the security cameras, and be sure that both her hands are visible from their vantage point as she passes by, lest store security confront her for shoplifting. She is certain that Moustachioed Security Agents lurk in hidden rooms watching her from behind mirrored glass. Surely they remark to one another in a knowing tone: “better keep an eye on that one.” Once, when we coincidentally ran into some friends in Tucson for the second time in two days, Jen greeted them with nervous laughter and an insistent, “we’re not stalking you or anything!” More than once, upon making a new acquaintance, she has seen fit to clarify that “we’re not killers or anything.” Now, there’s a fine how-do-you-do.

The trained Eye of Enforcement identifies a perp

I, on the other hand, am a person whom all figures of authority assume is up to something nefarious. It is as if I have a mark only visible to the trained eye of Law Enforcement which identifies me as a first-order criminal of the worst sort. This is compounded by the fact that I cannot stop myself from making snide remarks to anyone who would seek to detain me, especially Moustachioed Security Agents. It’s a perverse defense mechanism. I immediately adopt a belligerent attitude and hurl sardonic, double-edged answers designed to point out both my own irreverence for their authority and the officer’s hypocrisy and stupidity for trifling with me.

This works so well, that I once got cited for DUI while I was neither drunk nor driving. I was standing outside of my car at a gas station with a friend (who really was drunk) when a motorcycle cop appeared and insisted that I had made an improper left turn. I probably had, but since my friend and I were both standing outside of the car, not having driven for several minutes, and since I am the son of an argumentative defense attorney, I challenged him: “How do you know it was me?”

“Step over here, son.”

Another time, an officer of the peace who pulled me over in Delaware for having a tail light out asked if I had any guns or drugs in the car. When I answered “no,” he said “well, there’s one in every car.” My mouth once again overrode my brain and delivered this gem: “Well who are you riding with, officer?”

“Step out of the car son.”

Once, I didn’t even get the chance to deliver a single bon mot. Obliviously, I got out of my

Didn't see it coming!

car and turned to see a policeman with his pistol trained directly at my head! I hadn’t even seen him or said a word. He had “forgotten” to turn his lights on, but he was damn sure I was up to something.

And so, when Jen is in the presence of me and a police officer, she wants nothing more than to run. I can see it in her eyes, hear it in her nervous laugh. She knows that they are seconds from hauling her off to jail simply for knowing me. I, in turn, know that they are looking for even the slightest reason to haul me off to jail, and I am poised to zing them with an incisive witticism as they perp-tuck me into the squad car. “Hey, is it illegal for me not to have a seat-belt on back here?” I might quip as they slam the door and speed me away to the hoosegow.

A properly executed perp-tuck

When we discover that Jen’s car is missing from our garage, we of course call the police. It has been many years since any of the above-mentioned episodes, and I no longer have blue hair or the belligerent swagger of my younger, stupider days. I assume that fatherhood and married domesticity have transformed me from a ne’er-do-well scofflaw into someone who exudes upstanding citizenry.

The initial report goes well enough, or so I think. It is obvious that the car-napper has entered our garage through an open window, and absconded with Jen’s little blue ride some time in the night. We give the facts of our whereabouts on the previous evening which, innocently enough, include a 7-year old’s birthday party. Later that day, the officer who visited our house calls to say that the car has been located alongside the road a few miles from our house. She and the second attending officer ask if I can come out to the scene. Since both our car seats are in the stolen car, Jen stays behind with Max while I go to reclaim our vehicle.

As I examine the scene, it becomes apparent that we’re dealing with an amateur. First, not only has Jen’s car come unstolen, but the Einstein behind the wheel has gotten it stuck in the dirt. Second, even though the tires are dug well into the dirt, our criminal mastermind has pulled the emergency brake, undoubtedly leaving some easy-to-lift fingerprints. Third, they have left behind a set of keys to another car: oops! Lastly, they stole nothing. Not the stereo, not the CDs, nothing. Then, as if to protect the unstolen goods, our Evil Genius locks the car and flees on foot. As car thefts go, this ranks among the worst of all time. It might, more charitably, be interpreted as a performance art piece. If only it had occurred in a dorm room full of collegiate hipsters, there could have been raucous applause.

The weirdness of it all, and my solo presence unmitigated by Jen’s aura of innocence seems to trigger the usual response in the officers. Their gazes become hardened as they begin to question me. They definitely think that I have something to do with this.

“Are you sure there’s nothing you’re not telling us?”

Keep. Your. Mouth. Shut...

I feel like a volcano about to erupt hot magma of derisive opprobrium. There are so many possibilities!

Don’t say it.

“I mean it does look pretty weird. Maybe you ran the car off the road…”

Keep. Your. Mouth. Shut….

“You know, grand theft auto is a felony. I mean, if it comes out that you’re not telling the truth, you could go to jail. Someone’s definitely going to jail.”

Sleep Driving!

Miraculously, for the first time in my entire life, I keep my cool. At one point, they even suggest that perhaps I was sleepwalking. Sleep driving! Though a razor sharp stream of snarky invective fills the reservoir just behind my tongue, somehow I just stick to the facts.

I remain cooperative, helpful, and humble. Not a single skein of sarcasm bursts forth. Truly, I am the man of steel.

Still, these keen seers of hidden malfeasance are unconvinced. They impound the car and refer the case to the force detectives who surely will find that somehow, I am at fault. I can imagine the headline in the Prescott Daily Courier: Man Steals Own Car – Motive Unclear. They even return to our house to take pictures and threaten us with the dreaded polygraph test! At this juncture, her worst fears rapidly materializing right before her eyes, Jen nearly faints.

The Dreaded Polygraph Test

All night, into the next day, Jen frets. At the worst end of the spectrum loom large questions: What will become of our family? How can this happen to us? Who will raise Max while we’re in prison? On the slightly more rational end of the spectrum: What if I fail the polygraph test? What if the Evil Criminal Mastermind comes back to kill us in our sleep? What if we have to endure more of his obtuse performance art?

Finally, mercifully, the responding officer calls to let us know that we can pick up our car from the impound lot. Apparently, they have collected all the evidence they need. So for now, we are free and we have our car back. That is, at least until they file charges. I wonder what the sentencing minimum is for criminal sleep-driving.

What Rhymes With You – EP Online

Dutch Holly — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:30:27 +0000

It would be silly to think that such great music could have been accomplished by Jen and Tres alone. Here are the folks who played on the album and/or made this whole thing possible:

Track 01: What Rhymes With You?
Violin: Jennifer James (JJ)
Bass: Mark Dorsten
Drums: Chris Ozuna
Piano and guitars: Tres
Vocals: Jen and Tres
Lyrics by Jen, Jennifer James and Tres, drums recorded by Chris Ozuna, all else recorded, mixed and mastered by Tres and Jen

Track 02: Dionysius Daughter
Lead Vocals: Jen
Backup vocals: Tres
Bass, Keys and Guitars: Tres
Instrumental Key Break: Fen Ikner
Drums: Chris Ozuna
Lyrics by Jen, music by Jen and Tres, recorded, mixed and mastered by Tres and Jen

Track 03: Shine
Bass, Keys, Guitars: Tres
Vocals: Jen and Tres
Drums: Chris Ozuna
Lyrics by Jen, music by Jen and Tres, drums recorded by Chris Ozuna, all else recorded, mixed and mastered by Tres and Jen

Track 04: Reservation
Bass, Keys, Guitars: Tres
Vocals: Jen and Tres
Drums: Chris Ozuna
Trumpet: Dr. Roy Breiling
Lyrics by Tres, music by Tres, drums recorded by Chris Ozuna, all else recorded, mixed and mastered by Tres and Jen

Track 05: Why Do I Wait?
Bass, Keys, Guitars: Tres
Vocals: Jen and Tres
Drums: Chris Ozuna
Violin: Ines Vitols
Lyrics by Tres, music by Tres and Jennifer James, drums recorded by Chris Ozuna, all else recorded, mixed and mastered by Tres and Jen

Our sincerest thanks to the other marvelous people in our lives who made this possible in their own special ways:

Aunt Julie Von Post, Max Ikner, Fen Ikner and Seashell Radio, Serene Dominic, Nick Stednitz, Thatcher Bohrman and the Dragonfly Family, Jacob Devaney, Dr. Joni “Cakes” Garofalo, Chris “The Randalite” Randahl, Scottie “The Dane” Petersen, Leta “the Dancin’ Dolphin” Liebrick, Troy Haines, Dr. Randall Amster and family, Laura Prosseda and Womens Empowerment Breakthrough, RJ Cloud at Cloud Microphones, Madeline Rangel Groves of Velvet Calavera , Laura O’Brien at Salon St. Martin, Esther and Jerry Hicks, The entire crew at AZTV AM Arizona, Lorin McClain, Johnny Low, Tena Overacker and Pop Rocket Press, Kerry Wilson, Kieth Chilton Hines, Dave Grieme, Stefan Cochran, Moses, Molly and Athens Siregar, Allison, Brandon and Lily Montoya, Kate, Sean, Riley and Kevin Phelan, Salli and Sophie Maxwell at Step Up for Kids, Les our favorite former sound guy, Sweet Nasty, Erica Ryberg at Read it News, and Charles Lucking and Jeff Libby at Expat Records.

Note: Whenever we write something like this, we always get the feeling that we have callously forgotten to include someone who has made an integral contribution to this project and to our lives in general. We are sure that for everyone listed above, there at least two of you. To those people, we also say THANK YOU, and please forgive our insensitive absent-mindedness.