Summer jammin’ and cross-country art

Bonus jam
The CN&R missed a crucial jam in its “Summer Jamz” story last week [Backbeat, June 19], a “Toe Jam” to be exact. DJ/producer/musician Fatboy Slim has teamed up with David Byrne and Dizzee Rascal for the “Toe Jam” single, a perfect summer song that blends breezy-pop with a fun beat and a ridiculously infectious melody that cannot be denied. The collaboration is one track from Slim’s new concept band, Brighton Port Authority (read the fictional backstory and hear collaborations with Iggy Pop and DJ/producer Ashley Beedle at www.myspace.com/THEBPA). The song will be released digitally on Slim’s Southern Fried label July 7, but the best way to see/hear it to look up the well-choreographed black-bar video on YouTube. Try the song (and the video) out at your next party.

Proppin’ up Chico
Arts DEVOté sends out big congrats to LearningChange and Friends of the Arts’ Debra Lucero for picking up the California Travel and Tourism Commission award for Best Cooperative Marketing Campaign for last year’s Chico Palio kickoff to Artoberfest. Also, big ups to the teen slam poets of Chico Speaks Out for taking part in the Brave New Voices festival in Washington, D.C., July 15-19. (This year’s finals are being taped for HBO’s Def Poetry series!)

Seamonster sighting
One of A.D.’s Chico faves, Christine “Seamonster” Fulton, is on a cross-country roadtrip with pal Sienna Orlando, and she has just set up a Web site (www.seamonsterart.com) where you can see pictures and get news from her artistic road adventures (there’s a lot of corn art in South Dakota and a miniature golf sculpture in Minnesota), plus browse galleries of her art and request a little “mail art” of your own. If you read this, Christine, A.D. has one request: As you return to Chico, if you’re traveling I-80, stop at Thunder Mountain Monument in Nevada (just past Winnemucca) and snap some photos of Frank Van Zant‘s folk-art environment (www.thundermountainmonument.com). That’s some art A.D. would pay to have mailed to him (or just brought to town, or e-mailed … we’ll talk).

Bi-weekly devotions:

• City arts meetings in City Council Building, 421 Main St.: Public Art Policy Committee, Thursdays, June 26 and July 3, 5 p.m.; Art Outreach and Education Committee, Tues., July 8, 3:30 p.m.; Arts Commission, Wed., July 9, 7 p.m.

• Chico Art Center Speaker Series: This month: Fashion show and talk with fabric artist Melissa Arnold. Fri., June 27, 5 p.m.

• Irish dance classes: Learn group and solo dances at the Subud Hall with Maria Oliver. Ages 4-8 (July 14-18) and ages 8-13 (July 21-25). Call for info and registration: 343-1669.

• Open Studios: If you’re an artist in Butte County, sign up by June 27 for the Open Studios Tour coming this fall. Contact Chico Art Center: 895-8726.

• Earthdance: The call is out for bands, performers, dance teachers, vendors and info booths for the Sept. 13 Earthdance event in Cedar Grove. Performers call Eartha (892-0807) and vendors/booths call Robert (342-4638).