*HIPPIES.TV - new episodes online
*PLEASE HELP MY SON

 

I'm writing today to announce the free release of three new Hippies.TV episodes, and to ask your help for my son.

 

As for me, I'm doing fine. MArlo, too. Roger, also. No storm damage, a couple new songs and recordings, new video edited, but nothing too exciting to write about. All of the really cool stuff happens in the real world out there, but all of our cool stuff the past few weeks are happening at the house & studio.

 

My email is wigged out again, as I go through the changes which will allow me to upgrade the websites with new features, including the whole Hippies.TV series (36 programs, so far).

 

Roger & I are both bass players in this month of October. Roger will be playing bass around Texas for guitar wizardress Tracy Conover, and I'll be touring on bass with songmeister Vince Bell (including Texas dates on the 15th at Anderson Fair, and the 20-21st in the Austin area). Roger is also doing Tuesdays (except the last Tuesday each month) with Scotty Daniels at The Last Concert Cafe.

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PLEASE HELP MY SON
Letter Writing for His Limited Freedom
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Many of you in Texas know my son, Levon. Most of you around the world don't. Some of you know him, but don't know he is my son, because he uses a professional name which doesn't sound like mine.

 

Whether you know him as Levon Schwartz, or as Levon Louis, or as LunateX, this section is asking your help. For those who don't know Levon, let this introduce you to my son, his business, his music, and a portion of his life.

 

Levon is doing great! He made the shift into his thirties without any effort at all.

He and Adrienne have recently moved to Southern California to join one of Levon's old partners, to build a recording studio and record audio for a couple of new software releases (video games) by a major company in the field. Good company, good salary and good benefits!
Hooray Levon!!

 

Not only will he do well there, but contacts he makes there should bring business back to his company in Texas!

 

Levon began his career in music and recording (wonder where he got that?), but has grown into supplying sound effects, dialogue recording of actors AND music for nationally released software titles like 'Big Mother Trucker', 'Axis & Allies' and 'Kohan:King of War'. That audio for rhese titles were all recorded here in Houston over the past two years, supplying jobs and additional income for Texas actors, musicians and recording studios.

 

The company he started for that work, CHAKRASOUND, will remain in business while he is in California. Several of our friends will work with/for Levon, attracting new business, producing new audio on contract, and employing Texans (many of them on this list). Stephen Foulard and MArlo will keep the local fires burning, casting new parts and organizing the projects with Levon, while Roger and I will provide production and recording services as needed.

 

Before video game audio, Levon's live P.A.-electronica group - LunateX - had a run of successes in the digital underground music and rave scene. Several CDs and cool live gigs.
Before that, he studied music, recording and more at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, while playing keyboards in a great reggae band called ZION LION. His Mom and I got divorced during this period, and like everyone else who goes through that kind of thing, the divorce was rough on him (he may not agree...).

 

During his college days at Stephen F. Austin, Levon got busted with a pile of psychedelic pills, and received a probated sentence. He was placed on probation for 10 years.

 

Levon has successfully completed the obligations of his probation for the past eight years.

 

But -

 

The state of California has given Levon, and the state of Texas, notice that they do not accept the supervision of Levon's probation, and has indicated that he may have to leave California (pending appeal). He may lose this great job/career opportunity.

 

Besides the appeal in California, there is a chance that a judge in Texas could rule to end his probabtion, at which point California would welcome him.

 

That would be great!

 

There's one big problem with this scenario. The probation officer in Nacadoches hasn't had much chance to get to know Levon. Harris County (Houston) accepted the supervision of his probation years ago, from almost the beginning, and Levon has hardly dealt with his main probation officer in Nacadoches.

 

Levon has done well with his probation in Houston. He did well with his probation when he moved to Alabama for a year - to work on one software title with the same buddy who has brought him to California.

 

The probation officer in Nacogdoches refused to recognize all of the community service work Levon performed in Alabama. Thats when he began to realize that his probation officer had a personal problem with him.

 

Unfortunately, in the early days of his probation, frustrated with his new situation, frustrated with the system he had been thrown into, and probably more frustrated by our divorce, he made a poor impression with that original probation officer in Nacadoches. He called her and questioned any and all charges added to his account. She notated her file - Levon had a bad attitude. He had really pissed her off!

 

Now, eight years later, she has indicated that she will give no ground, and will ask the judge to make Levon serve the full 10 years in Texas. A grudge is a grudge - but that's what Levon gets for pissing of his probation officer.

 

We are hoping that these letters will convince a judge that the interests of the State of Texas are not well served by forcing Levon to finish the next year and half in Texas. The system worked - he's a good citizen!

 

Levon is OK now. His life is productive and peaceful. MArlo, Roger and many of my friends have worked for him, and partied with him, and he's always in control, positive and peaceful (except with me - he sometimes still gets frustrated with his Dad <g>).

 

His attorney says that Levon's best chance with the judge is to pack the court with supporters, but it's going to be hard to get folks to drive to Nacogdoches on a Friday morning.

 

His attorneys says that the next best thing to do is to fill his file with positive letters to offset that one letter from the probation officer. It's already working. A few letters already received has helped open a more productive dialogue between the attorney and the D.A.

 

So -

 

I'M ASKING FOR YOUR HELP!

 

If you know Levon, please write a letter or an email to the court, recommending that his probabtion be ended. If you have no idea what to say, contact me or MArlo (or Levon).

Whether you know him as a musician, producer, businessman, friend, my son, or as the founder of Houston Tsunami Relief (dot org), he needs your help.

 

Send these letters to his attorney -

 

POSTAL
Dean Watts
Attorney at Law
120 East Pillar Street
Nacogdoches, TX 75961-5570

 

EMAIL

Thanks in advance for your time and letter.

 

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Hippies.TV Episodes Online
New shows for October
EVEN IF YOU DON"T HAVE CABLE
The Hippies.TV Series is finally ON THE WEB!
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AND NOW -Hippies.TV episodes on the web!
Good quality - viewable and listenable! Cool!

This month's features - URLS (links) will follow below

 

Episode 0404 - Bloodless Revolution In Amsterdam (2003) Starring Carolyn Wonderland
Episode 0407 - The Trip To Radio Purmerend (2004) The New Jack Hippies
Episode 0401 - This BONEMAN (2004) The life and times of Bil Gonce
Episode 0518 - Spin & Marty's Mobile Party (2005) Starring The Hightailers

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Episode 0404 - Bloodless Revolution In Amsterdam (2003)      (rock, blues)
Carolyn Wonderland takes the whole band to Amsterdam, celebrating her birthday and rocking the crowd at Male Melo, Amsterdam's home of the blues! we're showing this one now - in advance of this years WonderJam In Amsterdam in November.

http://www.guyschwartz.com/HippiesTV0404BLOODLESSREVOLUTION700.wmv
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Episode 0407 - The Trip To Radio Purmerend (2004)   (rock, blues, americana)
Guy Schwartz & the New Jack Hippies visit Bluesey Frank van Engelen & Ewoud at BLUESIANA RADIO on community radio in The Netherlands. Interviews and unplugged music on a night off during Wonder jam in Amsterdam 2004.

http://www.guyschwartz.com/HippiesTV0407RADIOPERMUREND700.wmv
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Episode 0401 - This BONEMAN (2004)     (documentary)
Tesimonials to the late Bil 'Boneman 'Gonce', reporter for MUSIC NEWS and patron/supporter of the local music scene for thrirty years. Includes photos, music and audio from Bil's late night radio show. Bil will be missed, and these testimonials from the Music Scene (including Carolyn Wonderland, John Nova Lomax, The Hunger's Stephen Bogle, Guy Schwartz, WilSpace, Kevin Wildman, Opie Hendrix, Sonny James, Harry O, E.P. Vallejo, and many more...) show why.

http://www.guyschwartz.com/HippiesTV0401THISBONEMAN700.wmv    
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BONUS - Brand new!!
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PLUS - this one will be up by the weekend - I'm finishing it now!

Episode 0518 - Spin & Marty's Mobile Party (2005) Starring The Hightailers (rock, deadheads)
The Hightailers take the rock-n-roll music to the streets on Labor Day eve, just one step ahead of the authorities. This progressive party moves from location to location, and the Rev. Bryan Taylor says it's because he doesn't want to clean up the yard after a party.

http://www.guyschwartz.com/HippiesTV0518SPINANDMARTY700.wmv
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That's it for now. See you where the live music is!