Exactly how i thought its supposed to be.

cant put a date on this one but it was awhile back. let me guide you through my most intense, beautiful, amazing, words cant even describe mushroom trip to date.



i was always interested in magical mushrooms. idk why, i was just always drawn to them even before i started eating them. i cant remember how much times i have eaten them already but this trip will always remain in my memory forever.

me and my girlfriend split an eighth between us and about 45min. later i started to feel it in my body but i was super super tired. i didnt even wanna get outta my car at all or do anything that involved me thinking or moving. the thought of the mushrooms not working started going around in my head, but i knew from previous trips that you have to have a real positive mind setting going into these kind of things. so i just told myself to give it time and when youre ready for it, it will happen.

i took a step out of my car and then it all hit me right there at one time. the colors, the body high, the traces in everything etc. i was almost scared that it hit me that hard that fast. so keeping all the negative thoughts and vibes out of my mind the night had started.

we were all at gourmets parking lot just chillin figuring out what do like usual. my other friends megan and david had split an eighth between them as well by this point. it was one of those dead nights so no one was really doing anything. just kids kicking it in a parking lot somewhere. the colors were AMAZING for some reason with these mushrooms. it seemed like every time i would open my eyes the world would be a different shade of color. from orange to red, green, yellow and everything in between. but the craziest color scheme that i went through was when me and my girlfriend were in my car and everything was seriously black and white. it was crazy! the world had this newspaper color to it, like dull black and white. the only way i can put it, is like i had high def vision. the lights and store signs were so loud and vibrant. almost as if every color had a life of its own and it was trying to get me to notice it out of every other color that i saw. these visions of beautiful colors would continue throughout the whole night.

david had to bring my other two friends jayr and chris back to their home in palasades, so me and my girlfriend went along for the ride. i suggested that we sit in the bed of the truck so that we were outside and we could experience this car ride from a different point of view. we sat with our backs against the back window of the truck so that we were looking at everything after it has passed us. this car ride was crazy. i felt like we were just in this never ending tunnel and that we werent moving, but everything else around us was just whizzing pass. jayr's afro hair was so entertaining to watch in the wind, because it looked like i was watching a hologram or something. my girlfriend said it looked like we were watching a real life flip book. when i would look at chrispy it was like he took on different personalities every time i looked at him or talked to him. his hair would cover his face sometimes and it seriously looked like he had no face at all, or his hair was eating his face alive. but when the wind would blow it back out of his face it looked like had no fucking hair at all.

going back down the hill was a journey all by its self. i was so sure that we weren't even in the same place anymore. towards the bottom of the hill there's this gnarly right turn and its pretty sharp. going around that turn felt like you were stuck on this track that kept you turning and turning, it felt like it went on forever. this constant spiral of asphalt going on forever and ever. when we finally get back to my car at gourmets things started to get more intense. as we got out of the car the world seemed so new to me. it was seriously like that car gave birth to me right there as i stepped out of it. everything looked so beautiful and everything seemed like it was alive to me. everything had feelings and played a role in every ones life, not just mine.

with everyone else being at home not doing anything, the only people that were still chillin was the only people who ate the mushrooms. starting to get bored we decided that we should go to walmart and just walk around and trip out in there. i ended up parking in a stall that was meant for cars coming up the road instead of actually parking in a stall that i was supposed to park in. i guess me parking in the wrong stall fucked with my mind or something, because when i came out of my car the whole world was seriously backwards. even the walmart sign was backwards and as i listened to peoples conversations it sounded like they were talking in this weird ass rewind language if that makes any sense. i even felt like some people that i was watching were walking backwards or were moving in slow motion. we got into walmart and wasnt really feeling it so everybody called it a night and went home.

after a short trip to my girlfriends house we headed to my crib to crash for the night. i will always remember this car ride for the rest of my life. the mushrooms were hitting us harder than ever, and this band Dead Meadow was the soundtrack for the ride. if you dont know them get on it and look them up asap. a seriously amazing band, they play super stoner/psychedelic rock that just puts you in this place you never knew existed inside of you. thanks to this band and their music i had my first out of body experience ever.

everything that im about to write throughout the rest of this entry is 100 percent true. you might not believe it, or you might think its stupid, bullshit, random, whatever. but believe me everything that im about to type i went through and experienced.

so me and my girlfriend are on our way to my house from her house. its about 2am by this point and we are still feeling pretty high. i dont think this trip wouldve been as sick as it was, if it wasnt for the music. It felt like the music was just the soundtrack to how you exactly felt and that point and time. the stoney acid rock would make would make all my surrondings just dance in this huge wavey flowy motion. my steering wheel felt like it was seriously warping in my hand. driving was a whole different adventure in itself. i would look at my speedometer and all the numbers and lines were just melting down into my car. every turn and straightaway looked and felt like it went of forever and ever. at times it felt like i was hovering over my body and i was just watching myself drive. when i would smoke a stoge i always thought it was melting in my hand and like around my fingers. yeah i know, pretty fucking intense. this 25 minute car ride felt like it took at least an hour and half. it was probably the longest drive of my life to date.

we finally get to my house and we get into my room and finally get to just chill. chilling in my room eventually led to us having the most beautiful, amazing, unreal, unforgettable, unexplainable sex i have ever had with anyone. when i would cuddle with her and close my eyes it felt like there were at least three other chicks in the bed. it felt like i was straight up going at with like four chicks. it was fucking crazy. during all of this im just trying to make a sense of what was going on. i totally felt my spirit or soul or whatever was hovering over us just looking down on us. i felt like my girlfriend was the most beautiful thing i have ever seen. she was almost taking features of a goddess or empress, i could feel her vibes and emotions coming off of her. the session went on for a couple hours it seemed and we finally finished i realized that, that was really honestly the first time i have ever made real love with a chick. ive never felt anyway for any other person in my life like how i feel for charlotte. after this night i would finally get to know and understand how it really truly feels to be in love with someone. some people may say i dont know what im talking about cause i was trippin on shrooms, and yeah i was, but no one else went through whatever i experienced that night. no one else saw the things i saw and felt the things i felt. no one else went through all those emotions and conversations. i did. i went through a REAL mushroom trip. i didnt take it just cause its a "drug" i did it for the experience that its supposed to bring you. i truly used it to open my mind to a whole new universe i never new existed in my lifetime. mushrooms will always be the most extraordinary of psychedelics in my opinion. everything that night was exactly how its supposed to be.

if you were ever curious about trying mushrooms, my suggestion is you go for it. make sure you are with people you trust and are comfortable around (like your girlfriend). dont be afraid of it and ride the hippie train to something you never knew you had inside yourself. and then ride it all the way back, while smoking a joint with good company of course.

Groundation - Here I Am

I wish this generation could stop caring about what song is the most popular on the radio, or who has the hottest video on MTV right now. No offense to the people that are into that type of stuff, but me personally would hope that people realize that there is still REAL music out there. People are actually still playing instruments and are actually still making songs and albums that have structure and a meaning behind it.

Groundation is the perfect example of that. Mention this band to anyone that’s into roots music and you’ll probably get the same reaction every time. Their music could never be put into words or be described to someone who has never heard of them before. They’ve always had this unique and genius way of blending jazz, reggae, blues and dub together. Each and every person in this band is such a talented and gifted musician. Seeing them live is a life changing experience. Right off the bat their live show is always flowing with high positive energy, and throughout the show they give you the privilege of seeing improvisation at it’s finest. Here I Am is the bands six full-length album to date.

As I type this im actually listening to the album over and over again. If you’ve heard Groundation before then you already know what to expect from these guys. Harrison Staffords voice on this album is just amazing. His vocal patterns on every song are always different but always match the song so perfect. Lyric wise he has always had a very conscious mind, his songs always seem to tell tales of struggle, life, the times we are living in, and of course the fight against Babylon system. Not to mention he’s an amazing guitarist and very fun to watch on stage. He really seems to connect with the music and his listeners, whether its through an album, or through his stage presence.

Starting the CD off with a full-blown two-minute jam session sets the whole vibe for Here I Am. From the first time ive ever heard Groundation I was always impressed with Marcus Urani’s organ/keyboard work. This album is no different. The first track titled “Run The Plan” easily became my favorite track after only a few listens. He gives the organ in this song a kind of sci-fi sound to it, leaving you in this state of being lost and really makes you anticipate what’s going to happen in the song. Throughout the whole song you can see what he really brings to the table as a musician. He adds so much to Groundation as a band, and Here I Am most definitely proves that. Here I Am also lets you see a different side of the Groundation family. After seeing a Groundation tribute to Bob Marley show, I was blown away by Kim Pommell and Stephanie Wallaces performance. I’ve been waiting and wanting to hear more from them and on this record the girls are singing lead on three tracks including the title track. The way they all sing together makes you feel the songs more, and gives a lot of depth to each track individually. Their voices blend together so beautifully, and with the help of Stafford, I think this group has some of the best vocals of today.

Drum and bass is like the heart and soul of any reggae song. They’re the ones holding the pace and the groove of the whole song. When you hear Ryan Newman and Te Kanawa Haereiti playing together on this album you will totally understand what I mean. Haereiti has amazing drumming skills, his grooves will keep you dancing throughout the whole album. Originally from Las Vegas, he played Polynesian and Hawaiian percussion for dancers. You can definitely tell that Vegas has exposed him to so many different types of music and musicians, and on this album it all comes together. Newmans basslines are so catchy and stand out so much on this record. He just puts you into this groove that makes you really dig into the music and really feel the songs and not just listen to them. Prime example of this is the track titled “You Can Profit.” This is probably my favorite bassline out of the whole album. As soon as it hits you just want to close your eyes and get lost in this super walky bassline. The drum and bass on Here I Am shows you that these instruments should never be overlooked, and should always be taken into consideration. Especially when they are being played by such talented performers playing together in unity and happiness all for a positive cause are playing them.

The horn section in Groundation is so entertaining to watch live, and hear on an album. No offense to anyone else in the band, but I think personally that Kelsey Howard and David Chachere are the two main contributors to the bands jazz side. Every solo I’ve ever heard whether it be live or on a Groundation cd has blown me away. Just listen to the trumpet solo on the title track and im pretty sure that you would agree with me. Its heavily jazz influenced and so well played that someone who has never heard reggae in their life would appreciate it. These two guys do it best, seeing them perform is such a treat, not only cause they play their instruments but because they also play other little instruments that add so much to a song. Just writing this is making me wish I could watch Groundation play this instant.

All in all, if you don’t have this album go get and support these guys. They deserve it. Who else would take a whole month off to dedicate a bunch of shows to Bob Marley and perform them live for your pleasure. Might I add that they are the closest that anyones ever gonna get to hearing Bob and the Wailing Wailers ever again. Groundation will always remain one of my all time favorite bands and I will always continue to support them in any way that I can. Come back to Oahu already guys, we miss you!

While researching for this review I came across two quotes that gave me chicken skin throughout my whole body. I thought I would share them with everyone.

“Some may wonder why a band like Groundation takes a month out of each year to pay homage to the music and legacy of Bob Marley. In our consumeristic world, you can see Bob's image and imprint everywhere...almost to the point of diluting the intensity of Marley's truly revolutionary life. We choose to play this music because the lessons have yet to be learned, the conscious shift to the positive that our world so desperately needs, and that Marley foretold, has yet to happen. And, until this happens, Marley's music must be played, be heard, be felt.”

This one almost brought me to tears, it almost felt like they were telling it right to my face at the time haha.“A special thank you to all of our friends and family in Hawaii,our home away from home. Maui, Oahu and Kauai are home to the most conscious people on the planet, no doubt heavily influenced by their unrivaled natural surroundings.”

Just two more reasons why Groundation will always remain one of my favorite bands of all time.