Hello there. Brian Dean here. In person, I prefer to first be known as Brian, then the 'Deano' naturally follows – but many just know me by that name, particularly when discussing the one thing I am most known for – my bloody mary mix - The Plasma - which I concoct out of my traveling lab – The Mobile Plasma Unit. Yes, I love bloody marys and love making them for large crowds - and I am working on mass-marketing them in pourable plastic blood bags as 'DEANO'S PLASMA'. Hence I am also known as Deano The Plasma Doctor - "Have you had your transfusion today?" The late 90's saw me mass-producing these backstage at many-a Galactic performance in New Orleans. (Thank You Stanton Moore). As of February of this year, I departed Austin, Texas after seven long and wonderdul years to return to my hometown of Jackson, Mississippi for the first time since 1995. I did this to concentrate my efforts on mass-preparing/mass-producing/bottling/and mass-marketing The Plasma. In a week or two - I will be serving on Friday and Saturday nights at Cadillacs and Club Fire in downtown Jackson. Please see www.myspace.com/theoriginalplasma for more details as they become available.
Another thing I am known for is my fanaticism over three musical artists/entities – King Crimson, Captain Beefheart, and Frank Zappa – Zappa being the center of the musical universe and is a whole other universe unto itself. I guess I could add a fourth entity to that - which would be every other artist and type of music that I listen to, which is seemingly endless and definitely without boundaries, although I have shortened my once lengthy listing of artists I like in my music listing to a more concise, higher-echelon of importance listing. In college, I would be forced into hugely-attended impromptu lip-syncing performances of Zappa’s more comical numbers - where onlookers were convinced I was channeling Frank Zappa, if not actually seeing Zappa himself. Most of the rest of college is a blur and level of partying detrimental. My love of music has made me a freelance musicologist and musical trivialist - and for every band that you give me that I haven't heard anything from TODAY, I could give you two from YESTERDAY that you have never heard anything from.
The first thirty years of my life were spent in Mississippi, which was then my cue to leave that state to a place that is its polar opposite – Austin, Texas - a town which I love and a weirdness and magic I appreciate, but falls short of New Orleans (which was almost my second home from '95 to '00 - when I lived in Hattiesburg, Miss). My love for Zappa and Beefheart, and the prevalence of mallet percussion throughout that music, along with my affinity for avant garde jazz (Eric Dolphy), posessed me to go to the bank and pull out a $4500 loan to buy my first instrument - a vibraphone – which I had never seen before - and learn how to play it. Luckily, I had access to a private studio off Sixth Street in which to play it, bands to play in, and a semi-famous instructor to teach me. (Thank you Mike Dillon - of Hairy Apes BMX/Critters Buggin/Les Claypool & The Flying Frog Brigade/Black Frames/Garage-A-Trois. You are the hardest working man in mallet percussion)
GRACKLE was a killer original, compositional, instrumental jazz-rock outfit that taught me how to play onstage and in a band. It also provided the framework for EXTRACT – my once-a-year/not-for-profit Frank Zappa tribute band that plays at the annual Frank Zappa Hoot Nights held at The Cactus Café or Ruta Maya World Headquarters here in Austin. Before I left Austin, I had just joined an original lounge-style act Matthew Shepherd & The Ruckus for which I played vibes for one live show and recorded a 5-song demo at Austin's Arlen Studios. It was going very nicely - Matt writes great somgs - and I was sad to have to leave that. Future projects in Jackson include an 80’s new-wave and obscure cover band, and a Captain Beefheart and/or Frank Zappa Tribute Band.
The psychology degree I got in college was just a piece of paper. The past 14 years of my life have been spent in retail carpet and floorcovering sales and store management. I am currently looking to re-focus my efforts outside of the retail sector, or into a different line of work entirely – it is definitely time for a change.
All-in-all, I’m somewhat of a paradox. I was always the one who could keep my head while all about me were losing theirs - even when I was under the influence of dangerous chemicals. I’ve always had the uncanny ability to defy the laws of nature - or lay down the laws and break them. I usually take the road less traveled, or pave a new one altogether. I am into logic, geometry and esoteric science and matters. I attended 60 Phish concerts from 1993 to 2000 while being the manager of a retail store - and not being a hippie. I am certain that I do not have the genetic or physiological propensity to become addicted to or dependent upon any substance, no matter how much I do or how often. That being said, I don’t do that much partying these days – but I tend to concentrate my efforts on fewer, more special occasions. I am the consummate nice guy and best friend and True Gentleman (see last blog entry); very giving and loyal; and hardly ever get really mad or pissed off – but in the rare instances that I do get rattled - it's a sight to behold. I believe that I’m the classic Scorpio, (I'm definitely intense - but very easy-going and relaxed) although I’m not that into astrology - even though my horoscopes are usually right; and for some reason - every other full moon - I'm totally physically and mentally incapacitated. I’m not related to famous Dean’s you may know (James, Jimmy, Dizzy, Howard, Roger, or John), but I am second cousins with Sandra Bullock (one of very many).I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4
