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Friday, July 30, 2004
07.30.04.2:00 p.m. est
still can’t seem to get my energy back. that trip to Cali wore me out. I just want to sleep all day and that aint like me. I tend to feel guilty just sittin’ or sleepin’ around all day. at the same time, I kind of feel a little deserving of the rest. it’s been a crazy three weeks. I realized this last night at the charity event after I had played my hour-long set and was standing on the flight deck of the USS Intrepid amongst hundreds of other people all milling around between countless booths of free food and booze samples while some band rocked out a rather typical wedding band repertoire. (first time I ever heard a cover band do “This Love” by Maroon 5. I realized that that’s a song we’re going to be hearing for a long time. such a hit.) this is usually my kind of scene. however, I was flying solo, didn’t know anyone there except the organization staff, didn’t feel like schmoozing with strangers and flat out, just didn’t have the energy to schmooze even if I had wanted to. so I bailed and headed home to catch Kerry’s nomination acceptance speech. just as I was getting close to my place, I noticed that my local spot was having some kind of viewing of it. the place was packed with young democrats (and a couple belligerent republicans) all crowded in front of the tvs watching Kerry “reporting for duty”. I have to say, it was very cool. it felt like something historical was happening. something really important. it got me wondering if it’s always like this and now I’m just at that age where it seems to matter to me or if this really is one of the most important elections in recent history. possibly ever. all I know is that I can’t imagine another four years of George Bush’s ulterior motives shrouded in secrecy and political spin causing this country to become something most Americans are no longer proud of. I would be curious to see the emigration rate should he get reelected. bunch of people gettin’ outta Dodge, not wanting to be associated with the stubborn, irreverent, dictatorial policies of a careless leader. I might not dodge a draft but I certainly would consider heading abroad to live someplace else to avoid having my citizenship be a reflection of W’s god-awful administration. and who knows how much better, if at all, Kerry will actually do. yeah, there’s two sides to the aisle but for the most part it’s all one big song and dance. still, one can’t imagine things getting much worse than they are today. what mystifies me is that there’s such a polarization of opinions in this election. the country seems so evenly split that it’s almost impossible to have an intelligent conversation or express an articulate point of view without someone on the other side getting all worked up and exasperated. unfortunately, it seems like, in all the conversations I’ve had with people, only those on the liberal side of things tend to approach the issues with an open mind and a thirst for understanding what’s really been going on. conservatives are more narrow-minded by nature and tend to look at things in a rather simplistic light. many have actually admitted to finding bliss in ignorance. they want lower taxes, an aggressive commander in chief and they don’t want to be made uncomfortable by the concept of change. obsessed with “the facts” regardless of the intentions, or circumstances and repercussions surrounding them. “well the facts show, there was no mishandling of intelligence on the part of the Bush Administration in the lead up to war. the same war that the democrats voted for.” yeah, but c’mon. like there was any question Bush was going into Iraq. oh, and the pathetic way he continues to justify his reasons, reasons that don’t exist and never did. it was never about wmd’s or links to al queada and yet there’s no remorse about misleading the country and the world into a war that did not need to be fought, at least not alone, so quickly, recklessly, with no grasp of the potential aftermath or concept of what it might take to usher in a welcomed form of democracy. at the very least, with Kerry, we have a chance to to take a new approach. make a new impression to the world. reach out with a different hand, and with an entirely different attitude, for the help we desperately need to turn things around in Iraq. voter turn out is going to be record-breaking. fundraising has been record-breaking. history in the making, no doubt. I think this will be quite possibly the most important election ever, I do.
had to get that out.
gotta grab a bite to eat. maybe I’ll check back in later this evening.
still can’t seem to get my energy back. that trip to Cali wore me out. I just want to sleep all day and that aint like me. I tend to feel guilty just sittin’ or sleepin’ around all day. at the same time, I kind of feel a little deserving of the rest. it’s been a crazy three weeks. I realized this last night at the charity event after I had played my hour-long set and was standing on the flight deck of the USS Intrepid amongst hundreds of other people all milling around between countless booths of free food and booze samples while some band rocked out a rather typical wedding band repertoire. (first time I ever heard a cover band do “This Love” by Maroon 5. I realized that that’s a song we’re going to be hearing for a long time. such a hit.) this is usually my kind of scene. however, I was flying solo, didn’t know anyone there except the organization staff, didn’t feel like schmoozing with strangers and flat out, just didn’t have the energy to schmooze even if I had wanted to. so I bailed and headed home to catch Kerry’s nomination acceptance speech. just as I was getting close to my place, I noticed that my local spot was having some kind of viewing of it. the place was packed with young democrats (and a couple belligerent republicans) all crowded in front of the tvs watching Kerry “reporting for duty”. I have to say, it was very cool. it felt like something historical was happening. something really important. it got me wondering if it’s always like this and now I’m just at that age where it seems to matter to me or if this really is one of the most important elections in recent history. possibly ever. all I know is that I can’t imagine another four years of George Bush’s ulterior motives shrouded in secrecy and political spin causing this country to become something most Americans are no longer proud of. I would be curious to see the emigration rate should he get reelected. bunch of people gettin’ outta Dodge, not wanting to be associated with the stubborn, irreverent, dictatorial policies of a careless leader. I might not dodge a draft but I certainly would consider heading abroad to live someplace else to avoid having my citizenship be a reflection of W’s god-awful administration. and who knows how much better, if at all, Kerry will actually do. yeah, there’s two sides to the aisle but for the most part it’s all one big song and dance. still, one can’t imagine things getting much worse than they are today. what mystifies me is that there’s such a polarization of opinions in this election. the country seems so evenly split that it’s almost impossible to have an intelligent conversation or express an articulate point of view without someone on the other side getting all worked up and exasperated. unfortunately, it seems like, in all the conversations I’ve had with people, only those on the liberal side of things tend to approach the issues with an open mind and a thirst for understanding what’s really been going on. conservatives are more narrow-minded by nature and tend to look at things in a rather simplistic light. many have actually admitted to finding bliss in ignorance. they want lower taxes, an aggressive commander in chief and they don’t want to be made uncomfortable by the concept of change. obsessed with “the facts” regardless of the intentions, or circumstances and repercussions surrounding them. “well the facts show, there was no mishandling of intelligence on the part of the Bush Administration in the lead up to war. the same war that the democrats voted for.” yeah, but c’mon. like there was any question Bush was going into Iraq. oh, and the pathetic way he continues to justify his reasons, reasons that don’t exist and never did. it was never about wmd’s or links to al queada and yet there’s no remorse about misleading the country and the world into a war that did not need to be fought, at least not alone, so quickly, recklessly, with no grasp of the potential aftermath or concept of what it might take to usher in a welcomed form of democracy. at the very least, with Kerry, we have a chance to to take a new approach. make a new impression to the world. reach out with a different hand, and with an entirely different attitude, for the help we desperately need to turn things around in Iraq. voter turn out is going to be record-breaking. fundraising has been record-breaking. history in the making, no doubt. I think this will be quite possibly the most important election ever, I do.
had to get that out.
gotta grab a bite to eat. maybe I’ll check back in later this evening.
Thursday, July 29, 2004
07.29.04.12:40 a.m. est
got in this morning on the redeye from LA. damn, that sucks. you realize once you settle in with the people around you, there in the back of the plane, middle seat of three, that there’s only 2 types of people that take red-eyes: people desperate to get somewhere as soon as possible and poor people that can’t afford an average fare. yup. you’re in the cheap seats. everyone looks a little wired from the get go, everyone gets a kink or two in their neck trying to sleep without disturbing their neighbor, and everyone looks hung over when they arrive at the gate. I’ll just say that I didn’t have to be home until Thursday. my label paid for the flight. you make the call. no. actually, the overnight flight let me work in the studio right up until I had to leave for the airport. I was recording one of my new songs with this really great producer, Scott Humphrey. (Fleetwood Mac to White Zombie) over the course of two days we got everyone from nuveauhuha members Martin Flores and Cees van der Linden to Darwin “double down” Johnson (from Joe Firstman’s band) on bass and background vocals to Tommy Lee on shaker and percussion. that’s right, Tommy frickin Lee of Motley Crew (and of course from among various other roads to fame and infamy). apparently he and Scott are good friends. Tommy stops by often to hang at the studio and play fooseball with whoever’s on hand. the two of us sat on the patio and talked for a bit over cigarettes. he seemed to dig the track so when Scott asked him to lay down some percussion he was like, “sure. fuck yeah! all right. ” he’s got a totally genuine childlike spirit that’s both refreshing and rather ironic for someone of his life experience. he told me he’s been working on an autobiography which he says is “fucking therapeutic, bro.” I can only imagine. he’s like, “ya know, my kids are gonna read this someday. how do you deal with being totally honest and still steering clear of regret?” I wouldn’t know where to begin if I were Tommy Lee. I’m just glad he stopped by the studio when he did and was willing to lay down some percussion for us. thanks Tommy. good luck on the book.
needless to say I slept for the better part of the day today. going coast-to-coast is always a little tricky let alone when you do it on the redeye. I should be caught up after tonight though. had to turn the TV off after about 4 hours of the Democratic National Convention coverage. way to go John Kerry. like it was any mystery that he was gonna get the nomination. that whole convention thing seems like such an outdated process to me. especially the way every single utterance that anyone at the podium makes is scripted and tele prompted and at the control of the DNC and the Kerry camp itself. it’s crazy to think how a candidate can’t afford even the smallest of missteps when campaigning for the highest office in the land. especially with the hawks and spin doctors of the other side just waiting to pounce. it’ll be really sad if the concentration that Kerry and Edwards put into presenting themselves in a positive light, as a hopeful alternative, goes clear out the window by the continuation of Cheney and Bush’s efforts to immobilize the American people with their rhetoric of fear and isolation. I don’t think I’ve seen a commercial for Bush that wasn’t an attack on Kerry. I guess that’s what you’re left to do when you have no real policy to speak of. oh wait I’m sorry. there was 9/11. he was in office when that happened. silly me.
so tomorrow I get to play an exceptionally wonderful gig. it’s a benefit/fundraiser for the NYC Chapter of the National MS Society being held on the Intrepid sea-air-space museum out on the west side. apparently, I’ve been asked to play the (sold-out) v.i.p. section where tickets went for $95 a piece. that’s so cool. I have an aunt who has had MS for several years now and to think that my participation in this event could somehow benefit those like her suffering from such a horrible disease, I mean, wow. it really wakes you up to all the things you take for granted on a daily basis. as well though, I look forward to finding out more about the National MS Society and what other things can be done, year round, to benefit those afflicted. I’ll try to find more specific information for anyone out there who, as well, might be interested in supporting this cause.
as for now, I have to go find out if I got any parking tickets while I was away. while I’m on the road, my girlfriend does me the favor of shuffling my truck around the neighborhood throughout the week, keeping me from having to pay a $45 ticket every time it’s left somewhere it shouldn't be. I was in Cali till today and she left Sunday for camp where she’s a counselor for young children with or affected by HIV and AIDS. (she won’t be back until this Sunday, making it over 3 weeks since we’ve seen each other.) I don’t even know where the damn truck is parked at this point. regardless, it’s best that I do it tonight as opposed to playing musical chairs in the morning with half of Brooklyn.
got in this morning on the redeye from LA. damn, that sucks. you realize once you settle in with the people around you, there in the back of the plane, middle seat of three, that there’s only 2 types of people that take red-eyes: people desperate to get somewhere as soon as possible and poor people that can’t afford an average fare. yup. you’re in the cheap seats. everyone looks a little wired from the get go, everyone gets a kink or two in their neck trying to sleep without disturbing their neighbor, and everyone looks hung over when they arrive at the gate. I’ll just say that I didn’t have to be home until Thursday. my label paid for the flight. you make the call. no. actually, the overnight flight let me work in the studio right up until I had to leave for the airport. I was recording one of my new songs with this really great producer, Scott Humphrey. (Fleetwood Mac to White Zombie) over the course of two days we got everyone from nuveauhuha members Martin Flores and Cees van der Linden to Darwin “double down” Johnson (from Joe Firstman’s band) on bass and background vocals to Tommy Lee on shaker and percussion. that’s right, Tommy frickin Lee of Motley Crew (and of course from among various other roads to fame and infamy). apparently he and Scott are good friends. Tommy stops by often to hang at the studio and play fooseball with whoever’s on hand. the two of us sat on the patio and talked for a bit over cigarettes. he seemed to dig the track so when Scott asked him to lay down some percussion he was like, “sure. fuck yeah! all right. ” he’s got a totally genuine childlike spirit that’s both refreshing and rather ironic for someone of his life experience. he told me he’s been working on an autobiography which he says is “fucking therapeutic, bro.” I can only imagine. he’s like, “ya know, my kids are gonna read this someday. how do you deal with being totally honest and still steering clear of regret?” I wouldn’t know where to begin if I were Tommy Lee. I’m just glad he stopped by the studio when he did and was willing to lay down some percussion for us. thanks Tommy. good luck on the book.
needless to say I slept for the better part of the day today. going coast-to-coast is always a little tricky let alone when you do it on the redeye. I should be caught up after tonight though. had to turn the TV off after about 4 hours of the Democratic National Convention coverage. way to go John Kerry. like it was any mystery that he was gonna get the nomination. that whole convention thing seems like such an outdated process to me. especially the way every single utterance that anyone at the podium makes is scripted and tele prompted and at the control of the DNC and the Kerry camp itself. it’s crazy to think how a candidate can’t afford even the smallest of missteps when campaigning for the highest office in the land. especially with the hawks and spin doctors of the other side just waiting to pounce. it’ll be really sad if the concentration that Kerry and Edwards put into presenting themselves in a positive light, as a hopeful alternative, goes clear out the window by the continuation of Cheney and Bush’s efforts to immobilize the American people with their rhetoric of fear and isolation. I don’t think I’ve seen a commercial for Bush that wasn’t an attack on Kerry. I guess that’s what you’re left to do when you have no real policy to speak of. oh wait I’m sorry. there was 9/11. he was in office when that happened. silly me.
so tomorrow I get to play an exceptionally wonderful gig. it’s a benefit/fundraiser for the NYC Chapter of the National MS Society being held on the Intrepid sea-air-space museum out on the west side. apparently, I’ve been asked to play the (sold-out) v.i.p. section where tickets went for $95 a piece. that’s so cool. I have an aunt who has had MS for several years now and to think that my participation in this event could somehow benefit those like her suffering from such a horrible disease, I mean, wow. it really wakes you up to all the things you take for granted on a daily basis. as well though, I look forward to finding out more about the National MS Society and what other things can be done, year round, to benefit those afflicted. I’ll try to find more specific information for anyone out there who, as well, might be interested in supporting this cause.
as for now, I have to go find out if I got any parking tickets while I was away. while I’m on the road, my girlfriend does me the favor of shuffling my truck around the neighborhood throughout the week, keeping me from having to pay a $45 ticket every time it’s left somewhere it shouldn't be. I was in Cali till today and she left Sunday for camp where she’s a counselor for young children with or affected by HIV and AIDS. (she won’t be back until this Sunday, making it over 3 weeks since we’ve seen each other.) I don’t even know where the damn truck is parked at this point. regardless, it’s best that I do it tonight as opposed to playing musical chairs in the morning with half of Brooklyn.
Sunday, July 25, 2004
07.25.04.10:36 pst
Sunday morning, downtown LA. been a damn long week. it’s been a good week, just a damn long one. after four shows in a row, I came back to LA and jumped right in the studio for 3 straight days with writer/producer Jeff Trott. Jeff’s worked with everyone from Tears For Fears, to The Counting Crows to Sheryl Crowe. Jeff co-wrote a good number of Sheryl’s hits and is enjoying the success of her recent multi-platinum greatest hits collection. he and I put our heads together and came up with a pretty strong little tune to throw in the pot of potential new songs for my next project. we’ll see. Friday was my first day off since I got to California. Joe Firstman gave me an invite to come see him open for Jewel at the new Disney Music Hall up the street. what a venue. he had Josh Kelley come sit in with him on “After Los Angeles” which was really wonderful. I finally got to meet Josh and rap about the whole singer/songwriter thing with him and Joe before Joe went on. I didn’t stick around to see Jewel’s set but only because I had to get over to Room 5 to catch Bird open up for Tim Jones. it was Tim’s birthday and everybody I would ever want to bump into here in town was on hand to help celebrate. Bird was great. Tim was wasted and havin a blast with Brian Wright’s band backin’ ‘em up. we all jumped up and shouted some background vocals for him at one point or another. it was nothing shy of a Tim Jones hoot-n-nanny. Brian closed out the night with an amazing set of some of the most high-energy roots rock I’ve ever seen. he played a Bob Dylan song for his brother in Iraq. apparently, he hadn’t had time to memorize all the lyrics and had written them down to look at while he played. nor did he have a music stand to put them on and so he asked me if I might... well, if I might sit there in front of him and hold his lyrics for him. what a trip. best seat in the house actually. he and his band kicked the shit out of that song and everybody went nuts. it was great. after everybody filtered out of there, Quincy, Lisa Lum, Mike Vizcarra and I stumbled around for a bit thinking of where to go and what to do. Mike was starving, Q and Lisa just wanted to be home and I was just wishing we were in New York, able to jump on the subway and get everyone where they wanted to be safely. it was after two and in LA that means “time to go home” whereas in New York, that’s when things just start getting interesting. ultimately, we got home safely and stayed up all night listening to music and laughing our heads off. anyone heard MC Hammer’s “Hammer Time” lately? damn that shit is funny. “Look in my eyes, man!”
well, maybe you had to be there.
laid in the sun for awhile yesterday, in an attempt to sweat out Friday night’s festivities. you really can’t beat the weather of Southern California. it gets so predictably gorgeous this time of year. in the afternoon, I called up Firstman and he invited me down to the studio where he and Josh Kelley were working on a track for Josh’s new project. Joe was at the helm and asked me to lay down some piano and some harmonies that the three of us worked out together. definitely a cool hang. nice little tune, too. we threw around the idea of the three of us doing a fall tour together. that would be something. then they peeled off and went to dinner and I drove my draggin’ ass back to the apartment to hit the sack. I was in bed by 10:30 and slept clear till 9:30 this morning. sleep is so underrated.
now I’ve just got to gear up for this dvd shoot tonight. lookin forward to it and hoping things go smooth. should be something else. hope to see some of you there.
again, thanks to everyone that made it out to the shows last week. good times, good times.
Sunday morning, downtown LA. been a damn long week. it’s been a good week, just a damn long one. after four shows in a row, I came back to LA and jumped right in the studio for 3 straight days with writer/producer Jeff Trott. Jeff’s worked with everyone from Tears For Fears, to The Counting Crows to Sheryl Crowe. Jeff co-wrote a good number of Sheryl’s hits and is enjoying the success of her recent multi-platinum greatest hits collection. he and I put our heads together and came up with a pretty strong little tune to throw in the pot of potential new songs for my next project. we’ll see. Friday was my first day off since I got to California. Joe Firstman gave me an invite to come see him open for Jewel at the new Disney Music Hall up the street. what a venue. he had Josh Kelley come sit in with him on “After Los Angeles” which was really wonderful. I finally got to meet Josh and rap about the whole singer/songwriter thing with him and Joe before Joe went on. I didn’t stick around to see Jewel’s set but only because I had to get over to Room 5 to catch Bird open up for Tim Jones. it was Tim’s birthday and everybody I would ever want to bump into here in town was on hand to help celebrate. Bird was great. Tim was wasted and havin a blast with Brian Wright’s band backin’ ‘em up. we all jumped up and shouted some background vocals for him at one point or another. it was nothing shy of a Tim Jones hoot-n-nanny. Brian closed out the night with an amazing set of some of the most high-energy roots rock I’ve ever seen. he played a Bob Dylan song for his brother in Iraq. apparently, he hadn’t had time to memorize all the lyrics and had written them down to look at while he played. nor did he have a music stand to put them on and so he asked me if I might... well, if I might sit there in front of him and hold his lyrics for him. what a trip. best seat in the house actually. he and his band kicked the shit out of that song and everybody went nuts. it was great. after everybody filtered out of there, Quincy, Lisa Lum, Mike Vizcarra and I stumbled around for a bit thinking of where to go and what to do. Mike was starving, Q and Lisa just wanted to be home and I was just wishing we were in New York, able to jump on the subway and get everyone where they wanted to be safely. it was after two and in LA that means “time to go home” whereas in New York, that’s when things just start getting interesting. ultimately, we got home safely and stayed up all night listening to music and laughing our heads off. anyone heard MC Hammer’s “Hammer Time” lately? damn that shit is funny. “Look in my eyes, man!”
well, maybe you had to be there.
laid in the sun for awhile yesterday, in an attempt to sweat out Friday night’s festivities. you really can’t beat the weather of Southern California. it gets so predictably gorgeous this time of year. in the afternoon, I called up Firstman and he invited me down to the studio where he and Josh Kelley were working on a track for Josh’s new project. Joe was at the helm and asked me to lay down some piano and some harmonies that the three of us worked out together. definitely a cool hang. nice little tune, too. we threw around the idea of the three of us doing a fall tour together. that would be something. then they peeled off and went to dinner and I drove my draggin’ ass back to the apartment to hit the sack. I was in bed by 10:30 and slept clear till 9:30 this morning. sleep is so underrated.
now I’ve just got to gear up for this dvd shoot tonight. lookin forward to it and hoping things go smooth. should be something else. hope to see some of you there.
again, thanks to everyone that made it out to the shows last week. good times, good times.
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
07.14.04.11:20 a.m. est
Jet Blue to Long Beach, yet again. VH1 classic on the satellite tv planted in the back of the head rest of the passenger in front of me, my Heineken sitting on the tray of the empty seat next to me. apparently there was a “traffic jam” on the tarmac leading towards the takeoff runway. this kept us from getting off the ground for another hour and a half. there’s a girl across the aisle from me who seems a bit uneasy and has from the moment she stepped on the plane. there was this little girl who thought she might get to sit in an aisle seat because the plane was just about to pull away from the gate and no one had filled the seat yet. then, just as she got her headphones plugged in and her backpack pushed in “completely beneath the seat in front of her”, this new girl boards the aircraft and lets the little girl know that this is of course her seat, apologizes as the little girl gathers her things and then proceeds to tell her, and all of us within earshot, that she needs an aisle seat or else she’ll get sick, which is exactly what it seems she has been trying her best to keep from doing for the past 3 hours now. poor thing. very restless, nonetheless. if I were a doctor I might diagnose her with a bit of ADHD. maybe a touch of hypochondria. but simply being a fellow passenger, the best I could do was offer her some napkins when she balled herself up in her seat, rested her face on her knees and began to silently weep. it was then I realized I had given her so much more than just a napkin. I had given her the attention she was looking for all along and probably has been all her life. that’s when I spotted the gothic crucifix tattooed on the small of her back.
anyone been watching ESPN’s coverage of the World Series of Poker? tell you what. I’ve never played poker in my life. never knew how. but from watching the televised coverage of it, I think Im learning a thing or two. learned all about the ‘flop’, the ‘turn’ and the ‘river’. watched all the little tricks players can do with the chips. best part is, it’s like any other sport in that you don’t need to listen to the commentary. hell, you don’t even have to know a single player. you just pick the poker face you want to sympathize with the most, start shouting out how many chips you think he (she in some cases) should bet, watch them squirm, stand up, or hold perfectly still as the dealer lays them cards down, watch your player grin ear to ear when he wins and BAM, you’re hooked. OK, maybe I’m alone here on this one. I mean...I’m not really ‘hooked’ per se. more like intrigued. fascinated, really. I mean, that’s some people’s careers. they’re like ‘professional gamblers’. that’s crazy. you can almost see it in some of the faces of these people. ya know, they rarely pan over to the crowd to show a shot of the guy’s wife there in the stands, fingers crossed, sayin’ “c’mon Lord, bring ‘eem an ace!! sweet Jesus, just one more ace!!” no. no. she’s not sitting in the stands. see she left years ago, said, “dammit Jimmy, you have bet the house for LAST time. I cannot continue to keep moving like this, livin’ outta suitcases. how you think them kids feel having to tell they class ‘my daddy’s a gambler.’ well ya know what? they aint gonna have to no more. I’m leavin’ you Jimmy and I’m takin’ my children with me.” funny thing is, that’s when Jimmy’s luck turned around. once he had nothin’ left to lose, he never lost again. now he’s in the semifinals at the World Series of Poker and I’m his biggest fan. G’ON Jimmy!!! All-in now. Let it ride!! (this of course is a true story. it may or may not be Jimmy’s.)
so from the looks of the map quest provided ‘live map’, it would appear that we’re only half way to Long Beach. I’m hoping to get a minute to post this here entry at some point today because the next few days are gonna be crazy. shows Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, all the while being shadowed by a film crew shooting some b-roll footage for an up coming dvd project we’ve got in the works. I don’t know how much time I’ll have to post before next week.
07.15.04.4:15 p.m. pst
so as it turns out, from what I gather, the poor girl sitting next to me had her dog stolen prior to leaving New York. she was very sad and rightfully so. though I still feel my analysis of her was not entirely off, I do feel somewhat apologetic for not having assumed she might be genuinely sad and/or the victim of some kind of misfortune. my bad.
we’re about to head over to the Knitting Factory for load-in and sound check so I gotta get runnin’. looks like I won’t be posting this till tomorrow. not that it would matter much anyway. hmmm.
07.21.04
good god. I started this entry a week ago. needless to say, I hit the ground running here in LA. four straight shows. finally got to play the Knitting Factory, made it back to San Diego and San Fran (like I promised), and I even braved it out at a country bar in Riverside. thanks to everyone who made it out. I’ll tell ya, it feels really good to be back out on the West coast. every time I come back out, I miss it more and more. v’been in the studio the past couple of days workin’ on some new stuff as well making preparations for this dvd shoot comin up on Sunday. should be a good time. hopin’ I don’t drop dead before then.
sorry for the wait on this damn entry.
Jet Blue to Long Beach, yet again. VH1 classic on the satellite tv planted in the back of the head rest of the passenger in front of me, my Heineken sitting on the tray of the empty seat next to me. apparently there was a “traffic jam” on the tarmac leading towards the takeoff runway. this kept us from getting off the ground for another hour and a half. there’s a girl across the aisle from me who seems a bit uneasy and has from the moment she stepped on the plane. there was this little girl who thought she might get to sit in an aisle seat because the plane was just about to pull away from the gate and no one had filled the seat yet. then, just as she got her headphones plugged in and her backpack pushed in “completely beneath the seat in front of her”, this new girl boards the aircraft and lets the little girl know that this is of course her seat, apologizes as the little girl gathers her things and then proceeds to tell her, and all of us within earshot, that she needs an aisle seat or else she’ll get sick, which is exactly what it seems she has been trying her best to keep from doing for the past 3 hours now. poor thing. very restless, nonetheless. if I were a doctor I might diagnose her with a bit of ADHD. maybe a touch of hypochondria. but simply being a fellow passenger, the best I could do was offer her some napkins when she balled herself up in her seat, rested her face on her knees and began to silently weep. it was then I realized I had given her so much more than just a napkin. I had given her the attention she was looking for all along and probably has been all her life. that’s when I spotted the gothic crucifix tattooed on the small of her back.
anyone been watching ESPN’s coverage of the World Series of Poker? tell you what. I’ve never played poker in my life. never knew how. but from watching the televised coverage of it, I think Im learning a thing or two. learned all about the ‘flop’, the ‘turn’ and the ‘river’. watched all the little tricks players can do with the chips. best part is, it’s like any other sport in that you don’t need to listen to the commentary. hell, you don’t even have to know a single player. you just pick the poker face you want to sympathize with the most, start shouting out how many chips you think he (she in some cases) should bet, watch them squirm, stand up, or hold perfectly still as the dealer lays them cards down, watch your player grin ear to ear when he wins and BAM, you’re hooked. OK, maybe I’m alone here on this one. I mean...I’m not really ‘hooked’ per se. more like intrigued. fascinated, really. I mean, that’s some people’s careers. they’re like ‘professional gamblers’. that’s crazy. you can almost see it in some of the faces of these people. ya know, they rarely pan over to the crowd to show a shot of the guy’s wife there in the stands, fingers crossed, sayin’ “c’mon Lord, bring ‘eem an ace!! sweet Jesus, just one more ace!!” no. no. she’s not sitting in the stands. see she left years ago, said, “dammit Jimmy, you have bet the house for LAST time. I cannot continue to keep moving like this, livin’ outta suitcases. how you think them kids feel having to tell they class ‘my daddy’s a gambler.’ well ya know what? they aint gonna have to no more. I’m leavin’ you Jimmy and I’m takin’ my children with me.” funny thing is, that’s when Jimmy’s luck turned around. once he had nothin’ left to lose, he never lost again. now he’s in the semifinals at the World Series of Poker and I’m his biggest fan. G’ON Jimmy!!! All-in now. Let it ride!! (this of course is a true story. it may or may not be Jimmy’s.)
so from the looks of the map quest provided ‘live map’, it would appear that we’re only half way to Long Beach. I’m hoping to get a minute to post this here entry at some point today because the next few days are gonna be crazy. shows Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, all the while being shadowed by a film crew shooting some b-roll footage for an up coming dvd project we’ve got in the works. I don’t know how much time I’ll have to post before next week.
07.15.04.4:15 p.m. pst
so as it turns out, from what I gather, the poor girl sitting next to me had her dog stolen prior to leaving New York. she was very sad and rightfully so. though I still feel my analysis of her was not entirely off, I do feel somewhat apologetic for not having assumed she might be genuinely sad and/or the victim of some kind of misfortune. my bad.
we’re about to head over to the Knitting Factory for load-in and sound check so I gotta get runnin’. looks like I won’t be posting this till tomorrow. not that it would matter much anyway. hmmm.
07.21.04
good god. I started this entry a week ago. needless to say, I hit the ground running here in LA. four straight shows. finally got to play the Knitting Factory, made it back to San Diego and San Fran (like I promised), and I even braved it out at a country bar in Riverside. thanks to everyone who made it out. I’ll tell ya, it feels really good to be back out on the West coast. every time I come back out, I miss it more and more. v’been in the studio the past couple of days workin’ on some new stuff as well making preparations for this dvd shoot comin up on Sunday. should be a good time. hopin’ I don’t drop dead before then.
sorry for the wait on this damn entry.
Monday, July 12, 2004
07.11.04.10:55 a.m. e.s.t.
sittin’ at the gate here in Baltimore, waiting on a mechanic to come have a look at our plane. v’been waitin’ over an hour already after having stood in line at security for 45 minutes. you know when you just want to get home and it’s like one thing after another somehow making it seem impossible? that’d be me. today. here. at the gate. in Baltimore.
had a lovely week down in Nashville. played an in-store at Tower Records, albeit on a Tuesday. at 11 am. day after a four day weekend. not a ton of people. sold a couple discs and met some cool folks from Nashville’s “progressive music station”, Lightning 100. apparently, they had plugged the performance on the air and had given some love to the single and the record. gotta love that. played the old Bluebird Cafe on Wednesday to a rather a full house. gotta love that too. it was nice playing on a stage that’s been graced by the best of the best. I felt inspired and having an audience that’s solely there to listen, it was hard to give anything less than everything. I even busted out a new song that I’d written in my hotel room when I got to town on Monday. somethin’ ‘bout Nashville, I guess. I can’t even begin to imagine how many songs have been written there. Thursday, I got to kick it with my boy Brian White (from Shilo). I went over to his place and we dabbled in the fine art of home-studio recording and laid down a demo of my new tune. growin’ up, Brian was best friends with my cousin Gary, back in Michigan. he always blew everyone away at the Karaoke bars and had the pretty boy thing to go with it. he’s no bitch, just pretty. when I heard about Shilo getting put together, I recommended Brian to the fellas producing the project. they flew ‘em out to LA, took one listen and a second look and that was it. bizarre that a home town acquaintance would end up a bonafide musical companion, let alone in a band with Jason (“Blaine”) Carson and Jason Minor, both ex-keteers. tiny universe. there’s always plenty to catch up on even though we’re both slaves to the game and constantly find ourselves ranting about the fine line between frustrated and bitter.
so my flight was canceled. damn. this was going to ba a perfect Sunday in Brooklyn with my lady. turns out, it’s a half-assed any day in the smokey lounge at the Baltimore airport. some cheap (at a not-so-cheap price) chardonnay and ESPN’s coverage of the World Series Of Poker helping me through. not to mention my 6.27.04 mix from Miss Dale Campbell on the iTunes making things easy on the ears. startin’ to map out my plans for my west coast trip. damn, I can’t wait to get there. things on the East coast/lower Northeast are gettin’ a ‘lil hot and HUMID. humidity's good for the voice, not so good for the patience. anyway...
v’got about another 10-15 minutes before I go brave the line at the security check. so...
I just wanted to say a random “thank you”, first, to anyone going so far as to tune in far enough to be reading this stuff, but secondly, to those of you that have purchased a copy of “Shotgun” and have been, hopefully, enjoying it and passing it along to your friends and neighbors. I can’t tell you what it feels like, surrendering control of where and when your music gets listened to. (not that I’ve had that kind of control for awhile now but...) to know that my record is as widely distributed as it is now, catching wind of people, from across the country, diggin’ in, people sharing in the serendipity of, well, enjoying something out of the control of the one who put it out there. it’s a lot of fun and everyday begins to feel like some kind of unforeseen blessing. some want to say that maybe I’m finally getting what I “deserve”. it’s hard to feel that way sometimes. maybe it’s just hard to be modest. ‘cause I’ll be honest: there’s days when I wonder, “what the hell’s wrong with this business and what business do I have trying to deal with it?” other days it’s like, “man. am I blessed!” but it’s never like, “WELL GOD DAMN!!! IT’S ABOUT MO’ F’KN’ TIME!!” ya know?
Todd Snider. case in point. what a talent. I opened for Todd last night at the Ram’s Head. I had never heard of Todd before, let alone had a chance to hear him play. Man. what a storyteller. like a gut-bust-wide-open standup comedian and singer/songwriter, all in one. he must have played for close to two hours before getting (and delivering) a three song encore. now he’s almost 40 and we were talikin’ before the show, sharing our histories, commiserating in our shortcomings, laughing at the little victories, but ultimately looking at each other, and clearly finding in one another, a fellow hopeless romantic, hopelessly in love with the bitter sweetness of being “called to draw the curtain”- so to speak. as I said goodbye and thanked him for havin’ me, we both extended our compliments to each other and I’d say that we both shared in that simple pleasure of knowing that we’d see each other again and laugh at the in-betweens when we do. thanks again Todd. great show. really.
I’m finally on this twin engine plane, staring out at a prop keeping all 40 of us hovering over these gorgeous white fluffy clouds and inching closer to New York. it’s been a long day and I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to get home as bad as I do today. so...
I hope tomorrow is full of greatness.
I hope Kerry and Edwards jump up in the polls in the coming days, too.
peace.
sittin’ at the gate here in Baltimore, waiting on a mechanic to come have a look at our plane. v’been waitin’ over an hour already after having stood in line at security for 45 minutes. you know when you just want to get home and it’s like one thing after another somehow making it seem impossible? that’d be me. today. here. at the gate. in Baltimore.
had a lovely week down in Nashville. played an in-store at Tower Records, albeit on a Tuesday. at 11 am. day after a four day weekend. not a ton of people. sold a couple discs and met some cool folks from Nashville’s “progressive music station”, Lightning 100. apparently, they had plugged the performance on the air and had given some love to the single and the record. gotta love that. played the old Bluebird Cafe on Wednesday to a rather a full house. gotta love that too. it was nice playing on a stage that’s been graced by the best of the best. I felt inspired and having an audience that’s solely there to listen, it was hard to give anything less than everything. I even busted out a new song that I’d written in my hotel room when I got to town on Monday. somethin’ ‘bout Nashville, I guess. I can’t even begin to imagine how many songs have been written there. Thursday, I got to kick it with my boy Brian White (from Shilo). I went over to his place and we dabbled in the fine art of home-studio recording and laid down a demo of my new tune. growin’ up, Brian was best friends with my cousin Gary, back in Michigan. he always blew everyone away at the Karaoke bars and had the pretty boy thing to go with it. he’s no bitch, just pretty. when I heard about Shilo getting put together, I recommended Brian to the fellas producing the project. they flew ‘em out to LA, took one listen and a second look and that was it. bizarre that a home town acquaintance would end up a bonafide musical companion, let alone in a band with Jason (“Blaine”) Carson and Jason Minor, both ex-keteers. tiny universe. there’s always plenty to catch up on even though we’re both slaves to the game and constantly find ourselves ranting about the fine line between frustrated and bitter.
so my flight was canceled. damn. this was going to ba a perfect Sunday in Brooklyn with my lady. turns out, it’s a half-assed any day in the smokey lounge at the Baltimore airport. some cheap (at a not-so-cheap price) chardonnay and ESPN’s coverage of the World Series Of Poker helping me through. not to mention my 6.27.04 mix from Miss Dale Campbell on the iTunes making things easy on the ears. startin’ to map out my plans for my west coast trip. damn, I can’t wait to get there. things on the East coast/lower Northeast are gettin’ a ‘lil hot and HUMID. humidity's good for the voice, not so good for the patience. anyway...
v’got about another 10-15 minutes before I go brave the line at the security check. so...
I just wanted to say a random “thank you”, first, to anyone going so far as to tune in far enough to be reading this stuff, but secondly, to those of you that have purchased a copy of “Shotgun” and have been, hopefully, enjoying it and passing it along to your friends and neighbors. I can’t tell you what it feels like, surrendering control of where and when your music gets listened to. (not that I’ve had that kind of control for awhile now but...) to know that my record is as widely distributed as it is now, catching wind of people, from across the country, diggin’ in, people sharing in the serendipity of, well, enjoying something out of the control of the one who put it out there. it’s a lot of fun and everyday begins to feel like some kind of unforeseen blessing. some want to say that maybe I’m finally getting what I “deserve”. it’s hard to feel that way sometimes. maybe it’s just hard to be modest. ‘cause I’ll be honest: there’s days when I wonder, “what the hell’s wrong with this business and what business do I have trying to deal with it?” other days it’s like, “man. am I blessed!” but it’s never like, “WELL GOD DAMN!!! IT’S ABOUT MO’ F’KN’ TIME!!” ya know?
Todd Snider. case in point. what a talent. I opened for Todd last night at the Ram’s Head. I had never heard of Todd before, let alone had a chance to hear him play. Man. what a storyteller. like a gut-bust-wide-open standup comedian and singer/songwriter, all in one. he must have played for close to two hours before getting (and delivering) a three song encore. now he’s almost 40 and we were talikin’ before the show, sharing our histories, commiserating in our shortcomings, laughing at the little victories, but ultimately looking at each other, and clearly finding in one another, a fellow hopeless romantic, hopelessly in love with the bitter sweetness of being “called to draw the curtain”- so to speak. as I said goodbye and thanked him for havin’ me, we both extended our compliments to each other and I’d say that we both shared in that simple pleasure of knowing that we’d see each other again and laugh at the in-betweens when we do. thanks again Todd. great show. really.
I’m finally on this twin engine plane, staring out at a prop keeping all 40 of us hovering over these gorgeous white fluffy clouds and inching closer to New York. it’s been a long day and I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to get home as bad as I do today. so...
I hope tomorrow is full of greatness.
I hope Kerry and Edwards jump up in the polls in the coming days, too.
peace.
