Saturday, January 31, 2004
Happy Anniversary
A lot of people have heard of Blowoff, but most people outside WDC don't know what it is, what happens, or where it happens. I'll try to set the scene for those who might be curious.
Rich and I started working on some original compositions in the fall of 2002. At the studio, Rich had a DJ rig that he had acquired along the way; I suggested we use it. The first half of 2003 saw Blowoff as a "last Sunday of the month" party, similar to another queer / punk / indie night called Feint. Feint was held monthly at Staccato; the music was pre-recorded mix CD's, and the vibe - to me - was "social mixer" (including board games!). Rich found us a home at the Velvet Lounge, and we threw our little party, not knowing what to expect. Promotion consisted of the two of us, and various friends and cohorts, passing out these small business cards.
We stuck pretty close to the gayborhood with the handing out of cards - mostly to known music fans, but, equally as important, to the cute guys we wanted to have in our little circle. It was a way to meet new people, and it worked.
Over the course of 6 months, we built our attendance from 30 friends to over 200 people. Some nights, I would play live bass guitar over new LoudBomb compositions, which seemed to astonish some of the younger guys (you mean that's what makes that low end?). As summer approached, I decided that it was time for the shirts to come off, and that was a particularly funny moment in Blowoff's short history. A bunch of music fans and gay men (most being both) cavorting around this rock club on Sunday nights - who knew?
The local media started paying attention. The word had gotten out, and we were on the edge of something big. The July Blowoff was going to be the first real payoff for us - until the night before the show.
Something happened between the city and the club (I've never figured out what, exactly), the result being the local authorities temporarily closing the venue down on a trivial health violation. Beautiful. All this press, our first time spending ad money, and no club. Rich and I were on the phone all night and the next (show) day, trying to find somewhere to make this happen. After trying every place in town we could, late in the afternoon, the 9:30 Club called us back, and offered to let us use the Backbar - which is the smaller basement club. A makeshift PA was rented; our bud Marc stood in front of the closed down venue for hours, redirecting people two blocks up the street to the Backbar. People lined up at the back stairs, waiting to get in - the capacity of the new club is (maybe) 75, compared to the 200 capacity of the old club. At the end of the night, we all looked at each other with this "what the fuck, how did we make this work?" vibe. The club was thrilled, and in September, we began our every Saturday residency at Backbar.
The crowds have leveled off, for 2 reasons: the frequency of the event has made it less of a "must go every time" event for the casual consumer, and the physical space is more compact - which probably turns some patrons away. The event keeps changing, shifting with our musical tastes, and the feedback we get from our friends who bring their groove every week. We had hoped there were more guys (and gals) like us, homos who dig good house, rock, and downtempo music. We were right, we found them, and we're doing our best to keep them happy.
Take all the beautiful music in the world, finely chop and dice.
Toss it into the laptops, let it simmer and bubble all day.
Toast up some digital pancakes, and heat up a fresh side of syrup.
Wrap it in cotton, strap it in leather, boot it around the floor.
Try to make it seamless, match up those beats, key and timbre simpatico.
Keep it all moving forward, watching the smiles, buds leaning over the decks, yelling "you're killing us!" - that's what this is all about - songs that make us smile and cry and dance and fuck and love and believe.
Word: get your asses out here. We're here for you. We'll see you guys tonight.
Love is beautiful when you're involved.
Rich and I started working on some original compositions in the fall of 2002. At the studio, Rich had a DJ rig that he had acquired along the way; I suggested we use it. The first half of 2003 saw Blowoff as a "last Sunday of the month" party, similar to another queer / punk / indie night called Feint. Feint was held monthly at Staccato; the music was pre-recorded mix CD's, and the vibe - to me - was "social mixer" (including board games!). Rich found us a home at the Velvet Lounge, and we threw our little party, not knowing what to expect. Promotion consisted of the two of us, and various friends and cohorts, passing out these small business cards.
We stuck pretty close to the gayborhood with the handing out of cards - mostly to known music fans, but, equally as important, to the cute guys we wanted to have in our little circle. It was a way to meet new people, and it worked.
Over the course of 6 months, we built our attendance from 30 friends to over 200 people. Some nights, I would play live bass guitar over new LoudBomb compositions, which seemed to astonish some of the younger guys (you mean that's what makes that low end?). As summer approached, I decided that it was time for the shirts to come off, and that was a particularly funny moment in Blowoff's short history. A bunch of music fans and gay men (most being both) cavorting around this rock club on Sunday nights - who knew?
The local media started paying attention. The word had gotten out, and we were on the edge of something big. The July Blowoff was going to be the first real payoff for us - until the night before the show.
Something happened between the city and the club (I've never figured out what, exactly), the result being the local authorities temporarily closing the venue down on a trivial health violation. Beautiful. All this press, our first time spending ad money, and no club. Rich and I were on the phone all night and the next (show) day, trying to find somewhere to make this happen. After trying every place in town we could, late in the afternoon, the 9:30 Club called us back, and offered to let us use the Backbar - which is the smaller basement club. A makeshift PA was rented; our bud Marc stood in front of the closed down venue for hours, redirecting people two blocks up the street to the Backbar. People lined up at the back stairs, waiting to get in - the capacity of the new club is (maybe) 75, compared to the 200 capacity of the old club. At the end of the night, we all looked at each other with this "what the fuck, how did we make this work?" vibe. The club was thrilled, and in September, we began our every Saturday residency at Backbar.
The crowds have leveled off, for 2 reasons: the frequency of the event has made it less of a "must go every time" event for the casual consumer, and the physical space is more compact - which probably turns some patrons away. The event keeps changing, shifting with our musical tastes, and the feedback we get from our friends who bring their groove every week. We had hoped there were more guys (and gals) like us, homos who dig good house, rock, and downtempo music. We were right, we found them, and we're doing our best to keep them happy.
Take all the beautiful music in the world, finely chop and dice.
Toss it into the laptops, let it simmer and bubble all day.
Toast up some digital pancakes, and heat up a fresh side of syrup.
Wrap it in cotton, strap it in leather, boot it around the floor.
Try to make it seamless, match up those beats, key and timbre simpatico.
Keep it all moving forward, watching the smiles, buds leaning over the decks, yelling "you're killing us!" - that's what this is all about - songs that make us smile and cry and dance and fuck and love and believe.
Word: get your asses out here. We're here for you. We'll see you guys tonight.
Love is beautiful when you're involved.
Friday, January 30, 2004
I'm Not An Animal
Since it's not the best weather for a trip to the Zoo, I thought I'd create a WebZoo for the adventurous.
Exploding Whales
Cows And Shit (copy and paste this URL - click will not work)
Game Birds
Bald Eagles
Men Are Pigs
Exploding WhalesCows And Shit (copy and paste this URL - click will not work)
Game BirdsBald EaglesMen Are PigsOne Man's Trash
My apologies for not having a lot to say this week - been a little under the mental weather. Words are getting a little stuck, so I've been taking care of more mundane things in my life. It's almost time for spring cleaning - I've got a good head start on it already. The detritus that I surround myself with, it needs to be jettisoned. Ticket stubs, contracts, airline boarding passes, CD's never opened, box after box of nonsense - where are I am going to take this stuff to? Where is the final resting place for these receipts? Another storage space in another storage place I lived for a little bit of time, hoping to find some peace of mind? Running toward something better, or walking away from something less?
I used to think that the sum of all these pieces would be some sort of roadmap, like a scrapbook, telling others where I'd been - some fabulous journey, a rich and traveled life, full of adventure and excitement. Now I worry that the hard drive on my laptop might be ready to go, and that concerns me so much more than the thought of losing all those documents, those reminders. It's about the moment I'm in right now, and so much less about the moments behind me. I've never been big on looking back, though I seem to surround myself with physical reminders (packed in boxes).
I'm feeling the weight of the past, and I'm beginning to throw it out. I need to lighten up.
I used to think that the sum of all these pieces would be some sort of roadmap, like a scrapbook, telling others where I'd been - some fabulous journey, a rich and traveled life, full of adventure and excitement. Now I worry that the hard drive on my laptop might be ready to go, and that concerns me so much more than the thought of losing all those documents, those reminders. It's about the moment I'm in right now, and so much less about the moments behind me. I've never been big on looking back, though I seem to surround myself with physical reminders (packed in boxes).
I'm feeling the weight of the past, and I'm beginning to throw it out. I need to lighten up.
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Until It's Gone...
My blog buds are tearing me apart today. Thanks to DogPoet, Jockohomo, and GeekSlut for collectively turning me into a weepy pile of mush, and back into a magnificent sand castle on a beautiful beach. Waremouse did it to me with Monday's "Give And Take" Part 2. It's pretty inspiring, guys. I genuflect, and reflect.
You wouldn't let me near you
So I settled for the fear that you'd be
Happy with me six feet in the ground.
If I tried to make it right
And if I found my appetite
I'd eat away at all the pain
I seem to bring to you.
You wouldn't let me near you
So I settled for the fear that you'd be
Happy with me six feet in the ground.
If I tried to make it right
And if I found my appetite
I'd eat away at all the pain
I seem to bring to you.
Not One For Words
I've been getting good initial feedback on yesterday's post. I feel terrible for new musicians / artists starting out in this climate (the past 8 years); I don't see any way they can have a fair shot at being heard. Additional reading: a deeper analysis of the radio game can be found at Indie Music Club.
HUMOR I'm having a hard time staying away from the Royal Journal of Found Art.
POLITICS This commercial is a little harsh and (perhaps) exaggerated, but it's worth viewing once.
BLOG THEORY An excellent exposition on weblogs can be found here.
GRAPHICS If you're like me (today), and you want to look at pretty pictures, try here (takes a while to load, be patient).
HUMOR I'm having a hard time staying away from the Royal Journal of Found Art.
POLITICS This commercial is a little harsh and (perhaps) exaggerated, but it's worth viewing once.
BLOG THEORY An excellent exposition on weblogs can be found here.
GRAPHICS If you're like me (today), and you want to look at pretty pictures, try here (takes a while to load, be patient).
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Time To Change
Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno have spoken at MIDEM. It's funny; a couple of weeks ago, while driving to Charlottesville, Rich and I were discussing a number of possible scenarios for an initial (if not exclusive) online release of the BLOWOFF tracks.
I think we're at a critical point in this business we call music. There are so many elements that have changed since the beginning of the sale of "pop music", it's no wonder the industry is in total chaos and damage control mode. The biggest change is technology: both artist and consumer sides.
For the consumer, the convenience of the CD was the last real boom period (mid-1980's). Sensing this new portable, non-warping, non-skipping format provided many benefits, music fans rushed to repurchase old favorites, as well as transitioning away from vinyl and cassettes when buying new titles. The price for this new medium was high, but appeared to be worth it to the consumer. The artists were generally asked to take lower royalties on this new format. This digitizing of music went one step further with "lossless compression" for MD, and for the mp3, which we have now accepted as the new music delivery format. The mp3 is easily transferable from computer to computer to network, and has severely impacted the way business is done, between seller and buyer.
For the artist, the technology has ushered in a wave of tools previously unavailable to most; digital effects, multitrack recorders, tools of the high end trade of making music, all now accessible to anyone who has a decent home computer. In addition, the notion of "the album" as art statement has been effectively eliminated by the sellers; the desperate need for an artist to have the "hit song" totally eclipses the general need of the artist to "create an identity" or "tell a story". The conglomerating of media outlets, namely radio, shifted the power base to the outside concerns. The radio stations dictate success or failure for most artists, and have the record companies over a barrel. Feed the beast, and watch it grow. The song is not even important anymore; just the chorus, please, so that it can fit nicely underneath fantastically filmed images of Hummers racing across Antarctica, or wherever the hell they go. The music is now an accompaniment, not a centerpiece, of our culture and life; it's one of the few ways artists can make a few dollars these days - keeping the beat of the background alive.
The companies wonder why people have chosen to "steal" the one good chorus. Well, you fed the wrong beast. Instead of feeding the fans' never-quenched thirst for more, you sold out the art form to radio and TV concerns, forgetting about the traditional bind that is created when an artist tells their stories in long form, and the fans listen with their full attention. You, the stupid music business, wiped away 50 years of history by pandering and pleading for 28 seconds of airplay, or, even better, thousands of dollars funneled to individual radio stations for nothing more than an ADD, a false mention of a song being played on a pseudo-influential radio station. The music fan is not stupid - they will buy music direct from artists, if the work speaks to them. I try shareware, and if it works for me, I always pay for it. Music fans will support the artists, if we can find that way to connect, both artistically and through word of mouth promotion.
Sadly, the days of "the album" may be behind us. If so, music fans need to prepare for different "formats": it may not look like an album, it may not feel like a song, but it will be the voice and vision of the artist, and we will ask you to compensate for our time and effort. If you choose to support it, the new system (whatever exact shapes it may take) will be one that bonds the artist and fan once again. Anything is possible now.
I think we're at a critical point in this business we call music. There are so many elements that have changed since the beginning of the sale of "pop music", it's no wonder the industry is in total chaos and damage control mode. The biggest change is technology: both artist and consumer sides.
For the consumer, the convenience of the CD was the last real boom period (mid-1980's). Sensing this new portable, non-warping, non-skipping format provided many benefits, music fans rushed to repurchase old favorites, as well as transitioning away from vinyl and cassettes when buying new titles. The price for this new medium was high, but appeared to be worth it to the consumer. The artists were generally asked to take lower royalties on this new format. This digitizing of music went one step further with "lossless compression" for MD, and for the mp3, which we have now accepted as the new music delivery format. The mp3 is easily transferable from computer to computer to network, and has severely impacted the way business is done, between seller and buyer.
For the artist, the technology has ushered in a wave of tools previously unavailable to most; digital effects, multitrack recorders, tools of the high end trade of making music, all now accessible to anyone who has a decent home computer. In addition, the notion of "the album" as art statement has been effectively eliminated by the sellers; the desperate need for an artist to have the "hit song" totally eclipses the general need of the artist to "create an identity" or "tell a story". The conglomerating of media outlets, namely radio, shifted the power base to the outside concerns. The radio stations dictate success or failure for most artists, and have the record companies over a barrel. Feed the beast, and watch it grow. The song is not even important anymore; just the chorus, please, so that it can fit nicely underneath fantastically filmed images of Hummers racing across Antarctica, or wherever the hell they go. The music is now an accompaniment, not a centerpiece, of our culture and life; it's one of the few ways artists can make a few dollars these days - keeping the beat of the background alive.
The companies wonder why people have chosen to "steal" the one good chorus. Well, you fed the wrong beast. Instead of feeding the fans' never-quenched thirst for more, you sold out the art form to radio and TV concerns, forgetting about the traditional bind that is created when an artist tells their stories in long form, and the fans listen with their full attention. You, the stupid music business, wiped away 50 years of history by pandering and pleading for 28 seconds of airplay, or, even better, thousands of dollars funneled to individual radio stations for nothing more than an ADD, a false mention of a song being played on a pseudo-influential radio station. The music fan is not stupid - they will buy music direct from artists, if the work speaks to them. I try shareware, and if it works for me, I always pay for it. Music fans will support the artists, if we can find that way to connect, both artistically and through word of mouth promotion.
Sadly, the days of "the album" may be behind us. If so, music fans need to prepare for different "formats": it may not look like an album, it may not feel like a song, but it will be the voice and vision of the artist, and we will ask you to compensate for our time and effort. If you choose to support it, the new system (whatever exact shapes it may take) will be one that bonds the artist and fan once again. Anything is possible now.
Monday, January 26, 2004
Let It Snow
I think I'm finally adjusted after a fun, but tiring, handful of days. Blowoff was a blast on Saturday night - tons of new tunes, some new guys, and the new sound system is sounding great. One of the best nights Rich and I have had in a long time.
This morning, it is WHITE outside. I'm bracing up for the sleet that is coming our way this afternoon. I'm trying to decide whether to shovel now, or after the ice. It might be easier to do it later; nothing is more exciting than snow removal logistics.
A couple of web things: some beautiful photos courtesy Jeff Spirer, and a happening facelift from (welcome home!) Jockohomo. And, if you've got some time to kill at work (or if you're snowbound like us Washingtonians), take a tour of the Framley Museum.
This morning, it is WHITE outside. I'm bracing up for the sleet that is coming our way this afternoon. I'm trying to decide whether to shovel now, or after the ice. It might be easier to do it later; nothing is more exciting than snow removal logistics.
A couple of web things: some beautiful photos courtesy Jeff Spirer, and a happening facelift from (welcome home!) Jockohomo. And, if you've got some time to kill at work (or if you're snowbound like us Washingtonians), take a tour of the Framley Museum.
Saturday, January 24, 2004
Home, As I Left It
I'm glad to be back in DC, just in time for another 4 - 8 inches of snow tomorrow! Maybe I need to bolt to Florida - it's not snowing there!
The Brooklyn performance last night was really good on my end, though the sound system seemed a little spotty at times. Overall, a much better day for me than Thursday. My apologies to the folks who didn't get to buy CDs last night; I (mistakenly) thought I had brought more than enough! Saw a lot of old friends at the show; during the day, saw some of my old neighborhood buds in both Chelsea and the West Village. Things are changing in both places, but maybe it's NYC overall. The roads seem beat up, and things have gotten sort of dirty again. Williamsburg has really changed - it's strange to see hip restaurants, clubs, and shops so close to the East River.
Bought a lot of new stuff for Blowoff tonight. It'll be nice to get caught up on what everyone's been up to the past few days. Back to work.
The Brooklyn performance last night was really good on my end, though the sound system seemed a little spotty at times. Overall, a much better day for me than Thursday. My apologies to the folks who didn't get to buy CDs last night; I (mistakenly) thought I had brought more than enough! Saw a lot of old friends at the show; during the day, saw some of my old neighborhood buds in both Chelsea and the West Village. Things are changing in both places, but maybe it's NYC overall. The roads seem beat up, and things have gotten sort of dirty again. Williamsburg has really changed - it's strange to see hip restaurants, clubs, and shops so close to the East River.
Bought a lot of new stuff for Blowoff tonight. It'll be nice to get caught up on what everyone's been up to the past few days. Back to work.
Weekend Roll Call
Thanks to the following, for steering their readers to this site:
Death Valley Driver, My Cousin The Model, Vixgirl, alex mcchesney, NoRobot Daily, 6 years in the making, Blogged, way down here, Sappho's Breathing, Skunkeye Consumer Guide, Zentropolis, Bob Log III.
If there is anyone I missed (I'm only using SiteMeter), send me a link, and I'll mention your site. How easy is that? (Note: this offer may be withdrawn at any time - probably when I can't keep up with it!)
Death Valley Driver, My Cousin The Model, Vixgirl, alex mcchesney, NoRobot Daily, 6 years in the making, Blogged, way down here, Sappho's Breathing, Skunkeye Consumer Guide, Zentropolis, Bob Log III.
If there is anyone I missed (I'm only using SiteMeter), send me a link, and I'll mention your site. How easy is that? (Note: this offer may be withdrawn at any time - probably when I can't keep up with it!)
Friday, January 23, 2004
Blast From The Past
Thanks to everyone who braved the brutally cold weather last night. The Hoboken performance went pretty well, though I felt a little subdued, or, more honestly, distracted. I left DC feeling overwhelmed from a phone call earlier in the day - some terrible news from an old friend that kept resonating in my head. I see my work as a place to let go of all the problems in my life; for a part of last night, they got the better of me. I'll try not to let it happen tonight.
Eating dinner at the club with a friend last night brought out a lot of emotions and memories. The first time I was in Maxwell's was the summer of 1984; the club has gone through several transformations over the past 20 years, but somehow, it has returned to the look and feel that I remember from the past. A lot of the familiar faces have disappeared, but I can still picture them when I look around the room.
When I left Minneapolis in 1989, Hoboken was the first stop of my wonderful NY period. Leaving behind a failed relationship, friends, and business acquaintances, I was able, with the help of several gracious and generous people, to make a fresh start. It was one of the most exhilarating times of my life - and I will never forget it. Last night brought those times back to me, in sound and smell and sight. The wind still barrels down the Hudson, whether I'm here or not. And that is a beautiful thing.
Eating dinner at the club with a friend last night brought out a lot of emotions and memories. The first time I was in Maxwell's was the summer of 1984; the club has gone through several transformations over the past 20 years, but somehow, it has returned to the look and feel that I remember from the past. A lot of the familiar faces have disappeared, but I can still picture them when I look around the room.
When I left Minneapolis in 1989, Hoboken was the first stop of my wonderful NY period. Leaving behind a failed relationship, friends, and business acquaintances, I was able, with the help of several gracious and generous people, to make a fresh start. It was one of the most exhilarating times of my life - and I will never forget it. Last night brought those times back to me, in sound and smell and sight. The wind still barrels down the Hudson, whether I'm here or not. And that is a beautiful thing.
Thursday, January 22, 2004
Chili, Chilly, Some Shilling
I'm heading out for a couple of performances in the NYC area. I'm looking forward to seeing lots of familiar faces and places on this trip; I used to live a block from one club, and 8 blocks from the other. Roll Call is on hiatus for at least 72 hours.
While browsing through the various sites that have referred people to this one, I noticed a discussion board, where posters suggested (in jest, I presume) that my weight loss was due to either liposuction or massive drug use. Have you ever seen a video of a liposuction procedure? No thank you. Massive drug use? Not in almost 20 years. In the next few weeks, I'll lay out the details of my 5 year physical transformation - and how it's affected my mental and spiritual states. It won't be as scandalous a read as tales of liposuction or massive drug use might be, so I'll try to spice it up a little.
Yesterday was another productive day at the Pink Noise ranch. I have so many half-finished grooves, songs, ideas, whatever they are, sometimes I can't keep track of all of them. The groove we ended up working on was an odd one - it had two distinct parts, the first of which reminded Rich of the Ed Wood soundtrack; the second part revolves around a reshaped and fractured guitar riff, wrapped in metallic pings and light percussion. We both knew that was the part to focus on, and I hope it will end up being a decent track.
After that, it was back to the 'hood for a delicious home cooked meal with some friends. I like to cook, and it's equally fun to be invited over by folks who enjoy entertaining. Last night, all I had to do was bring an appetite - fun! After that, I spent some quality time with Waremouse, who recently returned from a long weekend in Des Moines. It sounds like he had an amazing time, bitter Midwest cold excluded.
Wesley Clark has been a leader his entire life. He has served our country for decades. He is on the cover of the Advocate this week.
If you are planning on voting in November, please take a moment to look at this information. If you scroll down the page, you will see a small banner-type link which reads "Elections 2004: Comparing the Candidates". It couldn't be simpler, and is very informative.
While browsing through the various sites that have referred people to this one, I noticed a discussion board, where posters suggested (in jest, I presume) that my weight loss was due to either liposuction or massive drug use. Have you ever seen a video of a liposuction procedure? No thank you. Massive drug use? Not in almost 20 years. In the next few weeks, I'll lay out the details of my 5 year physical transformation - and how it's affected my mental and spiritual states. It won't be as scandalous a read as tales of liposuction or massive drug use might be, so I'll try to spice it up a little.
Yesterday was another productive day at the Pink Noise ranch. I have so many half-finished grooves, songs, ideas, whatever they are, sometimes I can't keep track of all of them. The groove we ended up working on was an odd one - it had two distinct parts, the first of which reminded Rich of the Ed Wood soundtrack; the second part revolves around a reshaped and fractured guitar riff, wrapped in metallic pings and light percussion. We both knew that was the part to focus on, and I hope it will end up being a decent track.
After that, it was back to the 'hood for a delicious home cooked meal with some friends. I like to cook, and it's equally fun to be invited over by folks who enjoy entertaining. Last night, all I had to do was bring an appetite - fun! After that, I spent some quality time with Waremouse, who recently returned from a long weekend in Des Moines. It sounds like he had an amazing time, bitter Midwest cold excluded.
Wesley Clark has been a leader his entire life. He has served our country for decades. He is on the cover of the Advocate this week.
If you are planning on voting in November, please take a moment to look at this information. If you scroll down the page, you will see a small banner-type link which reads "Elections 2004: Comparing the Candidates". It couldn't be simpler, and is very informative.
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Congratulations!
I just received a pleasant note from my friends at North / South Productions. I wrote and recorded some theme and incidental music for their new show "In A Fix", which airs on The Learning Channel. I have been informed that their debut episode was the highest rated show on cable TV in their time slot; congrats to them, and I'm thrilled to be a small part of the celebration!
Wednesday Evening Roll Call
Thanks to the following, for steering their readers to this site:
Stepdad, Pomegranate Dreams, Still Working On A Dream, Volume 22, the highrise, Browse:Music, rockcritics daily, tonypierce, jackieblogs, Silent Words Speak Loudest, nitromethane, KFX STUDIOS, struggleville, brain coral, Melpster, Ten Reasons Why
If there is anyone I missed (I'm only using SiteMeter), send me a link, and I'll mention your site. How easy is that? (Note: this offer may be withdrawn at any time - probably when I can't keep up with it!)
Stepdad, Pomegranate Dreams, Still Working On A Dream, Volume 22, the highrise, Browse:Music, rockcritics daily, tonypierce, jackieblogs, Silent Words Speak Loudest, nitromethane, KFX STUDIOS, struggleville, brain coral, Melpster, Ten Reasons Why
If there is anyone I missed (I'm only using SiteMeter), send me a link, and I'll mention your site. How easy is that? (Note: this offer may be withdrawn at any time - probably when I can't keep up with it!)
What Does He Know, Anyway?
This is a story that didn't show up on my (admittedly sketchy, spotty, ill-informed, biased) radar at the time. Watching Sen. Kennedy over the last few nights, well, this months-old story is a nice flashback.
It's also a personal flashback for me, a trip back in time, to when I was much more of a loose cannon. It was 1980, and Mr. Kennedy was coming to speak at my college. A few of us decided it might be fun to create a flyer to protest the appearance; we did cursory research into the various foibles of Mr. Kennedy, found images that related to these indiscretions, pasted them up ransom-note style, and off we went to the print shop. We headed out at 4 AM to snipe the campus, and did a fine job. After a celebratory cup of coffee, we returned to campus, only to find that his Secret Service entourage had been trailing us, and removed all of the posters! Time can certainly change one's opinions of other people.
I need to get my hands on a copy of GarageBand, the new Mac OS software. Here's a discussion about it. (Watch how quickly the dialogue gets personal, and then off-base, and then goes down in flames. Face to face discussion groups do this as well, but online, words are so prone to escalate - they exhaust me. People need to get out of the house, and take a deep breath of fresh cool air.)
These types of software packages are fine for a finite amount of creativity and originality. Comparable packages I've viewed usually give you a ton of stock loops, a few simple effects, maybe some automation, and a way to bounce your "mix" to AIFF. Great for iMovie buffs. I hear so many TV commercials that use stock loops, and don't even bother to change the parameters at all, I'm sort of appalled. Call me a snob, but how hard would it be to randomize a REX file, pitch it around a little, and maybe end up with something unique? Apple is tough on complimentary goods, so I'll have to play with it on someone else's computer.
Why, all of a sudden, am I feeling like the Andy Rooney of punk rock? Time's up.
It's also a personal flashback for me, a trip back in time, to when I was much more of a loose cannon. It was 1980, and Mr. Kennedy was coming to speak at my college. A few of us decided it might be fun to create a flyer to protest the appearance; we did cursory research into the various foibles of Mr. Kennedy, found images that related to these indiscretions, pasted them up ransom-note style, and off we went to the print shop. We headed out at 4 AM to snipe the campus, and did a fine job. After a celebratory cup of coffee, we returned to campus, only to find that his Secret Service entourage had been trailing us, and removed all of the posters! Time can certainly change one's opinions of other people.
I need to get my hands on a copy of GarageBand, the new Mac OS software. Here's a discussion about it. (Watch how quickly the dialogue gets personal, and then off-base, and then goes down in flames. Face to face discussion groups do this as well, but online, words are so prone to escalate - they exhaust me. People need to get out of the house, and take a deep breath of fresh cool air.)
These types of software packages are fine for a finite amount of creativity and originality. Comparable packages I've viewed usually give you a ton of stock loops, a few simple effects, maybe some automation, and a way to bounce your "mix" to AIFF. Great for iMovie buffs. I hear so many TV commercials that use stock loops, and don't even bother to change the parameters at all, I'm sort of appalled. Call me a snob, but how hard would it be to randomize a REX file, pitch it around a little, and maybe end up with something unique? Apple is tough on complimentary goods, so I'll have to play with it on someone else's computer.
Why, all of a sudden, am I feeling like the Andy Rooney of punk rock? Time's up.
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Tuesday Evening Roll Call
A special thanks to Jeff Spirer, for sending along this interesting tally.
Thanks to the following, for steering their readers to this site:
nerdball, Snapping Turtle, badgerblog, Bad Radio, SixDifferentWays, Depthmarker, monorailmike, iamericka, Seethruskin, the dust congress, Wisdom Goof, Dr. Frank's What's-It, Citizen Keith, Folderol, wither in the light, shotgunreviews, FOOD, chachacha.co.uk, La Blogotheque, Bad Radio, The Aardvark Speaks, Wherever You Are, It Tastes Like, Burning!, aliens ate my pixels dot com, LONDON CALLING.
If there is anyone I missed (I'm only using SiteMeter), send me a link, and I'll mention your site. How easy is that? (Note: this offer may be withdrawn at any time - probably when I can't keep up with it!)
Thanks to the following, for steering their readers to this site:
nerdball, Snapping Turtle, badgerblog, Bad Radio, SixDifferentWays, Depthmarker, monorailmike, iamericka, Seethruskin, the dust congress, Wisdom Goof, Dr. Frank's What's-It, Citizen Keith, Folderol, wither in the light, shotgunreviews, FOOD, chachacha.co.uk, La Blogotheque, Bad Radio, The Aardvark Speaks, Wherever You Are, It Tastes Like, Burning!, aliens ate my pixels dot com, LONDON CALLING.
If there is anyone I missed (I'm only using SiteMeter), send me a link, and I'll mention your site. How easy is that? (Note: this offer may be withdrawn at any time - probably when I can't keep up with it!)
Surprised? I Was.
Well, I certainly didn't see this coming. I had written John Kerry off, and I was wrong! His victory speech last night was full of the sentiment that the Democratic Party needs to emphasize - the special interest power elite mentality has got to go. Or, at the least, rotate the players. I don't know if Kerry has the stamina or charisma to finish the job, but the words sounded right to me. John Edwards made an impressive showing - another surprise. Hats off to Richard Gephardt as well; I heard him speak at the HRC dinner in October 2002, and he is a powerful speaker. I'm hoping there's an influential spot for him when the Democrats unseat the Bush regime. And, we still have Wesley Clark to add to next week's festivities; on to New Hampshire we go. (Note to Howard Dean: the media will get a new life, and you might not be part of it. So much passion, so little filtering.)
For an educated analysis of all thinks political, check out the Daily Kos. It is a great source of informed opinion and information.
Here's an encouraging success story in an otherwise depressed business, brought to our attention by Indie Music Club.
Sunday night, I'm getting off the subway, and decide to stop for a cup of coffee and a piss. I'm waiting outside the bathroom door when this woman, with most of her face obscured by a scarf, wearing headphones, starts milling around the area. She takes off her headphones, looks me in the eye, and asks me "do you need to shit?". The only answer I could give her was "sometimes". She moved away. I wasn't the only one who thought that was weird, right? There was two restrooms.
You've probably noticed the referral links on the lower part of the left sidebar. This will replace the Roll Call I've been doing all week. When I see major traffic coming from a site, and I find the site of particular interest, I will call attention to it. Otherwise, I think this little scripting device will suffice.
For an educated analysis of all thinks political, check out the Daily Kos. It is a great source of informed opinion and information.
Here's an encouraging success story in an otherwise depressed business, brought to our attention by Indie Music Club.
Sunday night, I'm getting off the subway, and decide to stop for a cup of coffee and a piss. I'm waiting outside the bathroom door when this woman, with most of her face obscured by a scarf, wearing headphones, starts milling around the area. She takes off her headphones, looks me in the eye, and asks me "do you need to shit?". The only answer I could give her was "sometimes". She moved away. I wasn't the only one who thought that was weird, right? There was two restrooms.
You've probably noticed the referral links on the lower part of the left sidebar. This will replace the Roll Call I've been doing all week. When I see major traffic coming from a site, and I find the site of particular interest, I will call attention to it. Otherwise, I think this little scripting device will suffice.
Monday, January 19, 2004
Monday Evening Roll Call
Thanks to the following, for steering their readers to this site:
mondo winkie, Soundacious 3.0, DING, I'm So Lonesome I Could Blog, Everybody's Girl, Fireland, Malins blog, No Matter What You Heard, A Month Full Of Wednesdays, Machtdose, FeralBlog, pas.longtemps, close yhour eyes, Veganmenu, mediaTIC, fksche, hatch.org, Smoke Signals, Impending Distractions, ambivalent imbroglio, la journal booth, Think Small, KFX Studios, crystallyn.com
If there is anyone I missed (I'm only using SiteMeter), send me a link, and I'll mention your site. How easy is that? (Note: this offer may be withdrawn at any time - probably when I can't keep up with it!)
mondo winkie, Soundacious 3.0, DING, I'm So Lonesome I Could Blog, Everybody's Girl, Fireland, Malins blog, No Matter What You Heard, A Month Full Of Wednesdays, Machtdose, FeralBlog, pas.longtemps, close yhour eyes, Veganmenu, mediaTIC, fksche, hatch.org, Smoke Signals, Impending Distractions, ambivalent imbroglio, la journal booth, Think Small, KFX Studios, crystallyn.com
If there is anyone I missed (I'm only using SiteMeter), send me a link, and I'll mention your site. How easy is that? (Note: this offer may be withdrawn at any time - probably when I can't keep up with it!)
Holiday Politics
First, a shout out to Whitney Matheson at USA Today for the nice mention today. We may even be neighbors - who knew?
Second, I'm anxiously awaiting more details from the Iowa Caucus. Not from the mainstream media, but from the intrepid Waremouse, who traded in his plans for a Los Angeles getaway for a long weekend in the very chilly Midwest. If there's a scandal brewing, he'll tell us first.
I'm decompressing after a long weekend of spinning and socializing. This week is shaping up to be a fun one, with two shows in the NJ / NY area. It will be nice to see old friends, and more record shopping will also be on the agenda.
I've been getting some very positive feedback from readers, and received lots of suggestion on ways to manage the courtesy link crisis. (When my webmaster gets back, things will be more manageable; right now, it's a handful.) On the political front, one of the more eloquent letters came from Alex Nelson, who worries:
Is it necessary to offer the banal observation that Bush has not, like Hitler, massacred millions in concentration camps but has rather, despite all the instability in that country, on the whole improved the living conditions of millions of Iraqis? I would hope in this political season you not fall for scary bogeyman tactics of extremists. While one doesn't have to love W., seeing things in perspective is highly valuable.
Well put. The truth of the matter is, Alex, if anyone disagrees with the guy's policies, they are immediately discredited. I'm not proposing Bush=Hitler, but I would proffer the notion that the Bush Regime is more or less implementing the same type of "you disagree, we silence you" mentality made famous by the Hitler Regime. A leader, among other things, is an icon; a representational figure for a consortium, the power elite behind the slogan-covered backdrops, who influence the decisions made by the figurehead.
I lived in Austin in 1994, and witnessed the beginning of the Ascension. Politics is a dirty game, but the campaign (scroll to bottom) devised to run Ann Richards out of office was unacceptable. W., as he is euphemistically known, doesn't play fair. If he is re-elected, I have to stay here and deal with the fallout. I can't go anywhere else - this regime has made sure Americans are absolutely unwelcome anywhere else. The half-truths and distortions they sell the world already impact my ability to work overseas; now, I probably couldn't leave, even if I wanted to. How about that?
I'm glad I'm not living in a country where car bombs are killing 20 of my fellow citizens, and hi-tech helicopters (and other aircraft) can be shot out of the sky by portable missiles. Yet. It doesn't really qualify as "improved living conditions" to me.
Second, I'm anxiously awaiting more details from the Iowa Caucus. Not from the mainstream media, but from the intrepid Waremouse, who traded in his plans for a Los Angeles getaway for a long weekend in the very chilly Midwest. If there's a scandal brewing, he'll tell us first.
I'm decompressing after a long weekend of spinning and socializing. This week is shaping up to be a fun one, with two shows in the NJ / NY area. It will be nice to see old friends, and more record shopping will also be on the agenda.
I've been getting some very positive feedback from readers, and received lots of suggestion on ways to manage the courtesy link crisis. (When my webmaster gets back, things will be more manageable; right now, it's a handful.) On the political front, one of the more eloquent letters came from Alex Nelson, who worries:
Is it necessary to offer the banal observation that Bush has not, like Hitler, massacred millions in concentration camps but has rather, despite all the instability in that country, on the whole improved the living conditions of millions of Iraqis? I would hope in this political season you not fall for scary bogeyman tactics of extremists. While one doesn't have to love W., seeing things in perspective is highly valuable.
Well put. The truth of the matter is, Alex, if anyone disagrees with the guy's policies, they are immediately discredited. I'm not proposing Bush=Hitler, but I would proffer the notion that the Bush Regime is more or less implementing the same type of "you disagree, we silence you" mentality made famous by the Hitler Regime. A leader, among other things, is an icon; a representational figure for a consortium, the power elite behind the slogan-covered backdrops, who influence the decisions made by the figurehead.
I lived in Austin in 1994, and witnessed the beginning of the Ascension. Politics is a dirty game, but the campaign (scroll to bottom) devised to run Ann Richards out of office was unacceptable. W., as he is euphemistically known, doesn't play fair. If he is re-elected, I have to stay here and deal with the fallout. I can't go anywhere else - this regime has made sure Americans are absolutely unwelcome anywhere else. The half-truths and distortions they sell the world already impact my ability to work overseas; now, I probably couldn't leave, even if I wanted to. How about that?
I'm glad I'm not living in a country where car bombs are killing 20 of my fellow citizens, and hi-tech helicopters (and other aircraft) can be shot out of the sky by portable missiles. Yet. It doesn't really qualify as "improved living conditions" to me.
Sunday, January 18, 2004
Sunday Night Roll Call
Thanks to all the folks who sent along ideas / shareware links / etc., in an attempt to automate my referral links. I'm hoping to have something implemented in the next few days.
Thanks to the following, for steering their readers to this site:
Six Foot Pole, themasiduns, linkfilter.net, perfect duluth day, tonypierce.com, The Great Leap Forward, it comes in pints?, Soapboxgirls, meltingdolls, greengrl, Waiting Out The Plague.
If there is anyone I missed (I'm only using SiteMeter), send me a link, and I'll mention your site. How easy is that? (Note: this offer may be withdrawn at any time - probably when I can't keep up with it!)
Thanks to the following, for steering their readers to this site:
Six Foot Pole, themasiduns, linkfilter.net, perfect duluth day, tonypierce.com, The Great Leap Forward, it comes in pints?, Soapboxgirls, meltingdolls, greengrl, Waiting Out The Plague.
If there is anyone I missed (I'm only using SiteMeter), send me a link, and I'll mention your site. How easy is that? (Note: this offer may be withdrawn at any time - probably when I can't keep up with it!)
Weather, Leather, Whatever
Lots of fun at the club last night - a good mix of new folks, and lots of the regular gang. Thanks to everyone for braving the crap weather that rolled through town last night. It appears to be warming up this morning, so everyone can put away their ice skates - for the moment.
I stopped by the Washington Plaza Hotel yesterday - they're the host hotel for MAL. This weekend is always a little surreal for the neighborhood - the amount of black leather-clad men multiplies, and all of sudden, it's as I walked off the set of The American President, and onto the set of Cruising. Pretty neat effect, if you can visualize it. The ground floor conference rooms have been transformed into a shopping mall, and yesterday, it was PACKED! People love to shop. The leather retail experience is a little daunting: I can appreciate most of it, but am constantly baffled by "what goes where, and how it gets there", and all that. I guess the important thing to remember is that it is voluntary, and designed to make people (ultimately) feel good.
Ran into lots of neighborhood friends, and met some interesting people. There seems to be a rather high ratio of college professors this year - not unlike my core music fan audience, which contains a high ratio of school teachers. Hmmm.
About the courtesy links: I appreciate all the help I've been getting from folks in spreading the word about this blog. When I started this up last week, I had no idea this would accelerate to an almost full-time job. The links are the hardest part to keep up with: there's no way I can keep it all organized. If there's anyone out there who has any advice, or Mac OS X (I'm running 10.3.x) shareware, that can automate or streamline the process, let me know. It's a fun part of the blog for me, but it's starting to keep me tied too tightly to the stats page at SiteMeter.
I stopped by the Washington Plaza Hotel yesterday - they're the host hotel for MAL. This weekend is always a little surreal for the neighborhood - the amount of black leather-clad men multiplies, and all of sudden, it's as I walked off the set of The American President, and onto the set of Cruising. Pretty neat effect, if you can visualize it. The ground floor conference rooms have been transformed into a shopping mall, and yesterday, it was PACKED! People love to shop. The leather retail experience is a little daunting: I can appreciate most of it, but am constantly baffled by "what goes where, and how it gets there", and all that. I guess the important thing to remember is that it is voluntary, and designed to make people (ultimately) feel good.
Ran into lots of neighborhood friends, and met some interesting people. There seems to be a rather high ratio of college professors this year - not unlike my core music fan audience, which contains a high ratio of school teachers. Hmmm.
About the courtesy links: I appreciate all the help I've been getting from folks in spreading the word about this blog. When I started this up last week, I had no idea this would accelerate to an almost full-time job. The links are the hardest part to keep up with: there's no way I can keep it all organized. If there's anyone out there who has any advice, or Mac OS X (I'm running 10.3.x) shareware, that can automate or streamline the process, let me know. It's a fun part of the blog for me, but it's starting to keep me tied too tightly to the stats page at SiteMeter.
Saturday, January 17, 2004
Saturday Evening Roll Call
Thanks to the following, for steering their readers to this site:
Xkot,net, chachacha.co.uk, Chez Meow Meow, Emptybottle.org, Wezblog, itooktime.com, Population: one, Machtdose, Counterfactually Speaking, inevitable backlash, Mondolithic Studios, Eskimoluv, Horkulated, Struggleville, Kasino, Malins blog, Dr. Frank's What's-it, Incoming Signals, KFX STUDIOS, iwilldare.com, allrockkitty.com
If there is anyone I missed (I'm only using SiteMeter), send me a link, and I'll mention your site. How easy is that? (Note: this offer may be withdrawn at any time - probably when I can't keep up with it!)
Xkot,net, chachacha.co.uk, Chez Meow Meow, Emptybottle.org, Wezblog, itooktime.com, Population: one, Machtdose, Counterfactually Speaking, inevitable backlash, Mondolithic Studios, Eskimoluv, Horkulated, Struggleville, Kasino, Malins blog, Dr. Frank's What's-it, Incoming Signals, KFX STUDIOS, iwilldare.com, allrockkitty.com
If there is anyone I missed (I'm only using SiteMeter), send me a link, and I'll mention your site. How easy is that? (Note: this offer may be withdrawn at any time - probably when I can't keep up with it!)
Cult Of Personality Disorder
Yesterday's Michael Jackson debacle truly signals the beginning of the end of civilization as we know it. I mean, it's really sad. The poor guy has totally lost his grip on reality, and there's so many bad things at play in this case. I'm imagining a childhood built on trying to please a violent, domineering parent through singing; seeing one's self represented as a cartoon character, always ending the episode victorious through singing and dancing; self-contempt that runs so deep, skin bleaching and facial reconstruction is taken to ghastly extremes; finally, a fortified retreat for children - but only of the male variety, I'm led to believe - that would allow one to safely engage in improper behavior at will.
If I could write the ending for this horrifying existence: a Pay-Per-View before the end of the Summer, which, purely by luck, coincides with the deliberation process of the trial. A private evening with MJ and a few close friends, a tour of the grounds, with full disclosure of all activities and participants. Tearful repentance, a plea for forgiveness, and, then, stepping up to the noose, face fixed firm on the hard camera, inserting the blanched and withered skull into the knot, and then, a quick moon walk which carries the body off the platform, activating the noose. We close with the hard camera panning back slowly from the dangling body, to reveal a crowd of young boys, sitting silently, all wearing a single white glove. Is it real, or is it show biz?
As Rich said on the drive last night: "Citizen Kane has got nothing on this one".
Last night was a fun time in Charlottesville. The size of the crowd was down a little from last month, but the energy level built perfectly across the evening. One young lady went to Rich early in the night, unhappy with my dark downtempo stuff - he said something funny to her, like "smoke a joint and feel it". Rich had a bunch of new songs that popped the floor, and we're starting to see some familiar regulars. I dozed off (again) on the ride home. I'm getting old!
Tonight is the return to the Backbar at 9:30 Club. I can't wait to see the local gang again.
If I could write the ending for this horrifying existence: a Pay-Per-View before the end of the Summer, which, purely by luck, coincides with the deliberation process of the trial. A private evening with MJ and a few close friends, a tour of the grounds, with full disclosure of all activities and participants. Tearful repentance, a plea for forgiveness, and, then, stepping up to the noose, face fixed firm on the hard camera, inserting the blanched and withered skull into the knot, and then, a quick moon walk which carries the body off the platform, activating the noose. We close with the hard camera panning back slowly from the dangling body, to reveal a crowd of young boys, sitting silently, all wearing a single white glove. Is it real, or is it show biz?
As Rich said on the drive last night: "Citizen Kane has got nothing on this one".
Last night was a fun time in Charlottesville. The size of the crowd was down a little from last month, but the energy level built perfectly across the evening. One young lady went to Rich early in the night, unhappy with my dark downtempo stuff - he said something funny to her, like "smoke a joint and feel it". Rich had a bunch of new songs that popped the floor, and we're starting to see some familiar regulars. I dozed off (again) on the ride home. I'm getting old!
Tonight is the return to the Backbar at 9:30 Club. I can't wait to see the local gang again.
Friday, January 16, 2004
Friday Evening Roll Call, Metafilter Mention
I just did a cursory glance at my traffic, and there was this ENORMOUS spike about an hour ago. Thanks to Metafilter for steering hundreds of folks to me this hour. I have to go downstairs and listen for Rich.
Thanks to those who sent their readers to me:
TRenDyPuNkROck, Beatrice.com, ProgScape.com, Under The Grass, ye blogs!, Cracked Transmissions, Snapping Turtle, Incoming Signals, she's young and with it, george.h.williams, 0xDECAFBAD, master of chooch, Czeltic Girl, Citizen Keith, Homeland Obsurity, Metafilter, Negative/Charge, redshifter.org, rob's blog, madorangefools, sccottandrew.com, UsedWigs.
If there is anyone I missed (I'm only using SiteMeter), send me a link, and I'll mention your site. How easy is that? (Note: this offer may be withdrawn at any time - probably when I can't keep up with it!)
Thanks to those who sent their readers to me:
TRenDyPuNkROck, Beatrice.com, ProgScape.com, Under The Grass, ye blogs!, Cracked Transmissions, Snapping Turtle, Incoming Signals, she's young and with it, george.h.williams, 0xDECAFBAD, master of chooch, Czeltic Girl, Citizen Keith, Homeland Obsurity, Metafilter, Negative/Charge, redshifter.org, rob's blog, madorangefools, sccottandrew.com, UsedWigs.
If there is anyone I missed (I'm only using SiteMeter), send me a link, and I'll mention your site. How easy is that? (Note: this offer may be withdrawn at any time - probably when I can't keep up with it!)
Boys Keep Singing
A very good work day yesterday. Rich and I are almost finished with "Man Keeps Winning". The pizzicato strings on the chorus are classic - I think Rich is channeling Trevor Horn on this tip. My vocal contribution was sultry and sad. It's a cool tune - add a few more sparklers and firecrackers, and it will be a celebration.
A scary moment occurred when Rich's new PowerBook started going bonkers, and these "hackerspider dot exe" files started showing up on his desktop! I was on the same wireless network, and started worrying that I had been hit as well. A quick call to our Blowoff buddy (and general OS X guru) Paul, and everyone calmed down. It sounds like it's a drive or logic board issue - and a return to Factoryland for the laptop. Such is the wild and crazy rock star lives we lead in the 21st Century.
So - after writing all morning, hitting the gym (really hard lately, and it's starting to show), and working in the studio, I head home to find out that Smackdown! is pre-empted for some friggin' college basketball game! Bullshit! More blog maintenance (adding the courtesy links is quickly becoming another full-time job), cook dinner, and am now fully agitated. Waremouse and I decide to head over to ye olde locale watering hole.
After being ID'd by one of DC's finest, we open the door, and find both levels to be completely packed. Lots of neighborhood pals, and the tourist factor was in full effect. It's MAL weekend, and it seems everyone got into town early. Free beer for everyone, $3 water for me (what a prima donna, right?). Ran into my buddy Blaine (woof!), who's spinning tonight and tomorrow night. As expected, half of my gym was there; unintentionally, I think "us guys" tend to run in small herds, and into each other, all the time.
Anyhow - fast forward to this morning. Today is even longer than yesterday - the blogwork, the gym, pay bills, then Rich and I are off to Charlottesville to spin at R2. I'm up at 8 AM, and will not be home until 5 AM. Tomorrow's the big return to the 9:30 Club. I haven't had enough time to go through the stack of records I've accumulated over the holidays, so my sets will not be as fresh as I had hoped. Maybe 5 or 6 new things, but this week has been sort of a blur. Not like GeekSlut's blur (adult content, no kids or squeamish folks, PLEASE!), but my own special blur of hard work, good friends, and ridiculously massive validation (hits galore!) by you all. Thanks for reading and linking and all that.
The weekend postings will be a bit spotty. I have plenty of links to post, and will try to get them in before tomorrow (Saturday) night.
A scary moment occurred when Rich's new PowerBook started going bonkers, and these "hackerspider dot exe" files started showing up on his desktop! I was on the same wireless network, and started worrying that I had been hit as well. A quick call to our Blowoff buddy (and general OS X guru) Paul, and everyone calmed down. It sounds like it's a drive or logic board issue - and a return to Factoryland for the laptop. Such is the wild and crazy rock star lives we lead in the 21st Century.
So - after writing all morning, hitting the gym (really hard lately, and it's starting to show), and working in the studio, I head home to find out that Smackdown! is pre-empted for some friggin' college basketball game! Bullshit! More blog maintenance (adding the courtesy links is quickly becoming another full-time job), cook dinner, and am now fully agitated. Waremouse and I decide to head over to ye olde locale watering hole.
After being ID'd by one of DC's finest, we open the door, and find both levels to be completely packed. Lots of neighborhood pals, and the tourist factor was in full effect. It's MAL weekend, and it seems everyone got into town early. Free beer for everyone, $3 water for me (what a prima donna, right?). Ran into my buddy Blaine (woof!), who's spinning tonight and tomorrow night. As expected, half of my gym was there; unintentionally, I think "us guys" tend to run in small herds, and into each other, all the time.
Anyhow - fast forward to this morning. Today is even longer than yesterday - the blogwork, the gym, pay bills, then Rich and I are off to Charlottesville to spin at R2. I'm up at 8 AM, and will not be home until 5 AM. Tomorrow's the big return to the 9:30 Club. I haven't had enough time to go through the stack of records I've accumulated over the holidays, so my sets will not be as fresh as I had hoped. Maybe 5 or 6 new things, but this week has been sort of a blur. Not like GeekSlut's blur (adult content, no kids or squeamish folks, PLEASE!), but my own special blur of hard work, good friends, and ridiculously massive validation (hits galore!) by you all. Thanks for reading and linking and all that.
The weekend postings will be a bit spotty. I have plenty of links to post, and will try to get them in before tomorrow (Saturday) night.
Thursday, January 15, 2004
Thursday Evening Roll Call
Thanks to those who have linked their readers to my blog:
Done Waiting, largehearted boy, Kingblind, Homeland Security, Tankboy, lightningfield.com, First-Pass Thinking, Dan_DC, Booze Cabinet, nankilicious, just hermione, drbeeper, The Spore Attic, Tangy Bee Buzz, marusin.com, I.D. FLUX, BlahStuff, s h o t g u n r e v i e w s, catherine's pita, Anthemic Pop Wonder, Clownmask.com, AMEN, Gleek:Words, Wisdom Goof, redshifter.org.
If there is anyone I missed (I'm only using SiteMeter), send me a link, and I'll mention your site. How easy is that? (Note: this offer may be withdrawn at any time - probably when I can't keep up with it!)
Done Waiting, largehearted boy, Kingblind, Homeland Security, Tankboy, lightningfield.com, First-Pass Thinking, Dan_DC, Booze Cabinet, nankilicious, just hermione, drbeeper, The Spore Attic, Tangy Bee Buzz, marusin.com, I.D. FLUX, BlahStuff, s h o t g u n r e v i e w s, catherine's pita, Anthemic Pop Wonder, Clownmask.com, AMEN, Gleek:Words, Wisdom Goof, redshifter.org.
If there is anyone I missed (I'm only using SiteMeter), send me a link, and I'll mention your site. How easy is that? (Note: this offer may be withdrawn at any time - probably when I can't keep up with it!)
Ground Truth
I had a fun time performing yesterday afternoon at a house (which I think may be about to be razed) in Bethesda. My buddy Brendan asked me if I would help out, and seeing as how he was so instrumental in the first LoudBomb gig last year at the Black Cat, I gladly agreed to play a song. Brendan plays in at least 2 DC bands, and is one hell of a good guy. I arrived later in the afternoon, in time to catch The Evens performing their swell new song - with the chorus "Mount Pleasant isn't, anymore". Other performers included Q And Not U, Ted Leo, French Toast, and Weird War. There may have been others I missed, my apologies if I did.
The entire day was filmed with several cameras and multitrack recorders, and after I finished my 2 renditions of Hoover Dam, I was informed that the whole thing might be released on DVD. Oops - maybe someone told me and I forgot, or just wasn't listening. No worries, though. It all went very easily for me, except there was ZERO heat in the house, and it's witch tit cold again.
If you're in DC anytime soon, I would recommend a trip to the International Spy Museum. I went Tuesday afternoon, and really enjoyed the exhibits; there were historical artifacts, interactive kiosks, video presentations, etc. - a good time for me. I was fortunate enough to go with a friend who is very familiar with all of that stuff (through his work in the military); if there were details I might have normally missed, on this visit, I had someone to explain them to me.
An e-mail from yesterday read: The guy who sang 8 Miles High gushing over Anderson Cooper? I mean, at least Shepard Smith has an edge.
To which I say: Dude, are you STRAIGHT? Like the title says: my life is uninteresting. Excuse me while I Google Shepard Smith. I make this really cool exasperating sound, but you can't hear it. When my webmaster gets back from vacation, I'll be able to learn how to put an mp3 of it on my site. I love grinding things into the ground. You'll see.
Google tells me Shepard Smith is on Fox News Channel. That explains everything.
The entire day was filmed with several cameras and multitrack recorders, and after I finished my 2 renditions of Hoover Dam, I was informed that the whole thing might be released on DVD. Oops - maybe someone told me and I forgot, or just wasn't listening. No worries, though. It all went very easily for me, except there was ZERO heat in the house, and it's witch tit cold again.
If you're in DC anytime soon, I would recommend a trip to the International Spy Museum. I went Tuesday afternoon, and really enjoyed the exhibits; there were historical artifacts, interactive kiosks, video presentations, etc. - a good time for me. I was fortunate enough to go with a friend who is very familiar with all of that stuff (through his work in the military); if there were details I might have normally missed, on this visit, I had someone to explain them to me.
An e-mail from yesterday read: The guy who sang 8 Miles High gushing over Anderson Cooper? I mean, at least Shepard Smith has an edge.
To which I say: Dude, are you STRAIGHT? Like the title says: my life is uninteresting. Excuse me while I Google Shepard Smith. I make this really cool exasperating sound, but you can't hear it. When my webmaster gets back from vacation, I'll be able to learn how to put an mp3 of it on my site. I love grinding things into the ground. You'll see.
Google tells me Shepard Smith is on Fox News Channel. That explains everything.
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
The People Have Spoken...The Bastards!
What a crazy couple of days. After having traffic triple yesterday, it has QUADRUPLED the previous highwater mark today! I had no idea - thank you thank you thank you. Wow. That's more encouragement than I would have ever hoped for; I will be diligent, and use spellcheck often. People came to this site from:
Mookie, iGiveaShit.com, Twin Cities Babelogue, I Do What I Can, Marchdesign, M. Ellis Conroy, Mars Hotel, c o p a c e t i c, Kegz (o)n Eggz, east-lake.net, Travelers Diagram, The Catbirdseat, Complicated Fun, The 24th Frame, Royal Poker Blog, Euston Station, SixFoot6, Benjamin Walker, The Dust Congress, JCD, Michael Kelley, Amy's Robot, Gomi No Sensei, and Fit To Be Tied, who made me aware of my friend Caleb's new weblog. Caleb is one of the true scholars of our generation, and deserves a look. If there is anyone I missed (I'm only using SiteMeter info), send me a link, and I'll mention your site! How easy is that?
Bloogz ranked me #3 most popular tonight! And Blogdex had me in the top 25 all day as well. I don't know what it all means, but it's fun.
Mookie, iGiveaShit.com, Twin Cities Babelogue, I Do What I Can, Marchdesign, M. Ellis Conroy, Mars Hotel, c o p a c e t i c, Kegz (o)n Eggz, east-lake.net, Travelers Diagram, The Catbirdseat, Complicated Fun, The 24th Frame, Royal Poker Blog, Euston Station, SixFoot6, Benjamin Walker, The Dust Congress, JCD, Michael Kelley, Amy's Robot, Gomi No Sensei, and Fit To Be Tied, who made me aware of my friend Caleb's new weblog. Caleb is one of the true scholars of our generation, and deserves a look. If there is anyone I missed (I'm only using SiteMeter info), send me a link, and I'll mention your site! How easy is that?
Bloogz ranked me #3 most popular tonight! And Blogdex had me in the top 25 all day as well. I don't know what it all means, but it's fun.
The Pressure Of Success
I was totally out of the loop yesterday, but thrilled to come home and see that traffic to this little old site had TRIPLED! Thanks to the following sites for helping spread the word:
Fimoculous, Waxy.org, Percenterprises, Del.icio.us, Fibiger.org, Torrez.org, and random($foo). If I missed you (I'm only going by my SiteMeter stats), mail me a link, and I'll mention your site! How easy is that?
I can't believe this promotion of marriage thing is actually happening. I know I'm in the minority in this country, but are we (Americans) ready to tolerate this nonsense?
I'm a big proponent of same-sex unions. I don't particularly care for the term "gay marriage"; the combination of those two words does nothing but fuel the kind of fires the conservative instigators are hoping to start. It is legal recognition that is imperative, and that should not be confused with religious recognition.
If you ask anyone in this country if two people who decide to get married and buy a home, raise a family, and be buried side-by-side, almost all would say YES. Attach the word gay to it, and at least half will say NO. The premise of equality is inarguable; it's the gay thing people have trouble with. And, I have no trouble with that. I'm not asking people to accept my homo lifestyle, I'm asking for the right to be at my partner's bedside in the emergency room. Stuff like that. Simple stuff. Hey - when will this madness subside?
OK: is it just me, or is Anderson Cooper being positioned as THE franchise player at CNN? I used to see him occasionally on the street when I lived in NYC - usually at a bodega in Chelsea. I guess that's fairly close to CNN's old offices, right? Anderson is damn good at the job - I used to enjoy his work on ABC World News Now, and I think his 360 show is entertaining. He's easy on the eyes, too.
This is a brutal story. I have logged so many road miles in my lifetime; when I hear about things like this, I cringe.
10 minutes of your valuable time: give this personality test a try. Bring your results here for a detailed profile. I am a 5w4, both before and after taking the test.
If you haven't been here, you've been living in a foxhole in Iraq. This story has crossed into the mainstream in the past few days - but is still worth checking out. They have (apparently) pulled the ads equating Bush with Hitler. Those ads were scary, and fairly on the mark.
Fimoculous, Waxy.org, Percenterprises, Del.icio.us, Fibiger.org, Torrez.org, and random($foo). If I missed you (I'm only going by my SiteMeter stats), mail me a link, and I'll mention your site! How easy is that?
I can't believe this promotion of marriage thing is actually happening. I know I'm in the minority in this country, but are we (Americans) ready to tolerate this nonsense?
I'm a big proponent of same-sex unions. I don't particularly care for the term "gay marriage"; the combination of those two words does nothing but fuel the kind of fires the conservative instigators are hoping to start. It is legal recognition that is imperative, and that should not be confused with religious recognition.
If you ask anyone in this country if two people who decide to get married and buy a home, raise a family, and be buried side-by-side, almost all would say YES. Attach the word gay to it, and at least half will say NO. The premise of equality is inarguable; it's the gay thing people have trouble with. And, I have no trouble with that. I'm not asking people to accept my homo lifestyle, I'm asking for the right to be at my partner's bedside in the emergency room. Stuff like that. Simple stuff. Hey - when will this madness subside?
OK: is it just me, or is Anderson Cooper being positioned as THE franchise player at CNN? I used to see him occasionally on the street when I lived in NYC - usually at a bodega in Chelsea. I guess that's fairly close to CNN's old offices, right? Anderson is damn good at the job - I used to enjoy his work on ABC World News Now, and I think his 360 show is entertaining. He's easy on the eyes, too.
This is a brutal story. I have logged so many road miles in my lifetime; when I hear about things like this, I cringe.
10 minutes of your valuable time: give this personality test a try. Bring your results here for a detailed profile. I am a 5w4, both before and after taking the test.
If you haven't been here, you've been living in a foxhole in Iraq. This story has crossed into the mainstream in the past few days - but is still worth checking out. They have (apparently) pulled the ads equating Bush with Hitler. Those ads were scary, and fairly on the mark.
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Inspire, Share, Absorb, Repeat
There was a fairly nice write-up of last weekend's DC performance in the local paper - with one fairly large mistake at the end. I'm sure it was an honest one, and I'm guessing the guy's heard about it plenty already, so I'll let it be.
Rich and I worked all day on a new Blowoff song, tentatively titled "Man Keeps Winning". Very different from anything we've recorded so far - hard to describe the vibe. Good song. The studio is so wired, it's always a blast to work there. Major multitasking going on, which always leads to interesting results. The new way of working / playing / living is good.
I had a very pleasant dinner last night with my two neighborhood blog daddies. Jimbo was sporting some serious burnage on his (once again, very firm) abs, and claimed the redness was even worse on his backside. Dude, us lily white guys roast up real quick in them tanning beds - be careful! Waremouse was the recipient of more musical love - I'll be curious to hear that booty-rific mix CD. After Jimbo departed (feel better, buddy!), the neck craning, hearsay, gossip and innuendo began - or did it just continue? Only our waitperson knows for sure.
Today is a "me" day - it's a replenish day. Time to get out of the neighborhood and do some different things. New art, new food, new people.
Rich and I worked all day on a new Blowoff song, tentatively titled "Man Keeps Winning". Very different from anything we've recorded so far - hard to describe the vibe. Good song. The studio is so wired, it's always a blast to work there. Major multitasking going on, which always leads to interesting results. The new way of working / playing / living is good.
I had a very pleasant dinner last night with my two neighborhood blog daddies. Jimbo was sporting some serious burnage on his (once again, very firm) abs, and claimed the redness was even worse on his backside. Dude, us lily white guys roast up real quick in them tanning beds - be careful! Waremouse was the recipient of more musical love - I'll be curious to hear that booty-rific mix CD. After Jimbo departed (feel better, buddy!), the neck craning, hearsay, gossip and innuendo began - or did it just continue? Only our waitperson knows for sure.
Today is a "me" day - it's a replenish day. Time to get out of the neighborhood and do some different things. New art, new food, new people.
Monday, January 12, 2004
Love Will Tear Us Apart
Last night's performance went well. The Ram's Head in Annapolis is a nice music room, and the area of Annapolis in which the club was situated is very pretty, lots of old low lying brick buildings. A good turnout from the Blowoff gang - thanks! The drive back to DC was particularly fun, rocking out with Waremouse and friends. I think I blew up the woofers in my 4-Runner; add those to the blown speakers at home.
Off to the gym, and then to Morel's studio for a long work day. Rich is back from a family-related trip to Boston (where all is well), and both of us are ready to get the Blowoff record finished. A little socializing with friends later tonight, and that's that.
Not a whole lot on my mind today - recovering from hosting family, and the 2 performances. I wish I had seen "60 Minutes" last night - the highlights looked interesting.
Off to the gym, and then to Morel's studio for a long work day. Rich is back from a family-related trip to Boston (where all is well), and both of us are ready to get the Blowoff record finished. A little socializing with friends later tonight, and that's that.
Not a whole lot on my mind today - recovering from hosting family, and the 2 performances. I wish I had seen "60 Minutes" last night - the highlights looked interesting.
Sunday, January 11, 2004
Someone's A Sunday Pundit
The main allegation made this weekend by Paul O'Neill, in part to promote tomorrow's book release, did not surprise me in the least. I'm curious to see what disparaging piece of his history will be unveiled by the Bush defenders. I don't think, in this day and age, the "disgruntled ex-employee" line will satisfy the media; maybe O'Neill put his recycling out on trash day? Oh, wait, we don't recycle anymore. No, it will be something equally innocuous, and the Bush defenders will amplify the event to nonsensical proportions.
For Christ's sake, did NO ONE see this war coming when Bush named Cheney his running mate for the 2000 election? I am glad to see the first stages of the unraveling - I think there's so many things going wrong with this regime in charge, and it's the obligation of those who have evidence of the alleged corruption to bring it to light. The media, hopefully, will have the courage to present it in a way that is easy for the American public to comprehend. Then, if we, as a nation, re-elect this regime, we will have no one to blame but ourselves when we find the remainder of the civilized World turning their backs on us - presumably at a moment in history when we will need them most.
I'm not the most political guy in the neighborhood, nor am I the most enlightened. I can make observations and connections, though, and predict likely outcome from actions and statements. No different than anyone else. Why, then, am I so astonished that this regime has any support from people under the $1million / year income bracket?
It is time for the pretenders to exit the Democratic stage. Clark, Dean, and Gephardt need to begin agreeing on all the ways ANY of the three of them could make things better for America. (Anecdotal observation: Gephardt's website takes a long time to load. Just saying.)
The flag is waving, the people are mesmerized, we need oil oil oil. Pay no attention to the men behind the curtain.
They found the weapons! Weapons of mass destruction! Mustard gas missiles! From the Iran - Iraq war! Who gave them to Iraq? Who were we backing in that war?
For Christ's sake, did NO ONE see this war coming when Bush named Cheney his running mate for the 2000 election? I am glad to see the first stages of the unraveling - I think there's so many things going wrong with this regime in charge, and it's the obligation of those who have evidence of the alleged corruption to bring it to light. The media, hopefully, will have the courage to present it in a way that is easy for the American public to comprehend. Then, if we, as a nation, re-elect this regime, we will have no one to blame but ourselves when we find the remainder of the civilized World turning their backs on us - presumably at a moment in history when we will need them most.
I'm not the most political guy in the neighborhood, nor am I the most enlightened. I can make observations and connections, though, and predict likely outcome from actions and statements. No different than anyone else. Why, then, am I so astonished that this regime has any support from people under the $1million / year income bracket?
It is time for the pretenders to exit the Democratic stage. Clark, Dean, and Gephardt need to begin agreeing on all the ways ANY of the three of them could make things better for America. (Anecdotal observation: Gephardt's website takes a long time to load. Just saying.)
The flag is waving, the people are mesmerized, we need oil oil oil. Pay no attention to the men behind the curtain.
They found the weapons! Weapons of mass destruction! Mustard gas missiles! From the Iran - Iraq war! Who gave them to Iraq? Who were we backing in that war?
Saturday, January 10, 2004
Double Down?
Oh no! The IRS has closed down the gaming areas of one of my favorite gambling establishments. I was just there a few months ago, and saw no signs of financial problems; to the contrary, I personally contributed a fair amount of cash to the relief fund.
Last night's performance went very well - a full house, a 100 minute set, lots of CDs were sold and signed. The Blowoff gang was out in full force, much to my delight. The one glitch in the day: it took me almost an hour to find the club, even with directions. I'm usually a good navigator, with a fair sense of direction - but, last night, I realized I need to get my eyes examined. The type on the map I was using was completely unreadable, and forced me to do the unthinkable: pull over at a gas station and ask for directions! And, with my mom in the car. How embarrassing.
The show more than made up for the slight delay in arriving at the venue. A top notch music room, they really treat the artist well, and everything runs on time. A fun after show party, and at 1 AM, it was time for all to retire. Here's hoping Sunday's performance will be nearly as much fun - I bet it will be.
I'm off to suburban Baltimore today, for lunch with my mother and her brother. It is SO cold here today - the North is getting socked, bigtime. The Potomac is starting to freeze over (no jokes - well, one).
Last night's performance went very well - a full house, a 100 minute set, lots of CDs were sold and signed. The Blowoff gang was out in full force, much to my delight. The one glitch in the day: it took me almost an hour to find the club, even with directions. I'm usually a good navigator, with a fair sense of direction - but, last night, I realized I need to get my eyes examined. The type on the map I was using was completely unreadable, and forced me to do the unthinkable: pull over at a gas station and ask for directions! And, with my mom in the car. How embarrassing.
The show more than made up for the slight delay in arriving at the venue. A top notch music room, they really treat the artist well, and everything runs on time. A fun after show party, and at 1 AM, it was time for all to retire. Here's hoping Sunday's performance will be nearly as much fun - I bet it will be.
I'm off to suburban Baltimore today, for lunch with my mother and her brother. It is SO cold here today - the North is getting socked, bigtime. The Potomac is starting to freeze over (no jokes - well, one).
Friday, January 09, 2004
Two Shoutouts, And A Funny Headline
Thanks to Manchester for the mention, and Chromewaves is another place I go to read words.
The funny headline was on ESPN's home page earlier today, referring to (I think) the new Nebraska football coach, the headline being HUSKER DO. Sorta funny.
The funny headline was on ESPN's home page earlier today, referring to (I think) the new Nebraska football coach, the headline being HUSKER DO. Sorta funny.
Like Nothing Ever Changed
I wake up this morning to the sound of wet roads - the thin coat of snow arrived last night. Nothing worth worrying about, a few inches over the course of the storm, perhaps; nonetheless, it seems to be wreaking havoc on DC area traffic. I learned to drive in snow, so I'm not so fazed by this - what concerns me is all the taxi drivers who did not have the same luxury.
Dave Matthews has been all over the Today Show this morning, apparently in "promote mode" for a new album, or tour, or both, or something. He's not a guy who typically shows up on my radar - I mean, nothing for or against him. I do business with a company in which I think he has a financial interest. They're fair, so I presume he's fair as well. While paneling with Matt Lauer, he is asked to clarify a comment he made in Rolling Stone about suicide - or, I think, his recurring thoughts of suicide. I'm always interested in hearing artists' thoughts of suicide. Anyhow, he made many good points - one of which was something to the effect of "well, death is going to find you someday". It was very plain and true, but his delivery (reminded me a little bit of Mike Watt), combined with the context (Matt Lauer trying not to sell the profundity) made me scratch my head a little bit. I dunno, I would have enjoyed the two of them discussing the topic further, but it is NBC at 8:30 AM.
I have a public performance this evening, and I feel somewhat unprepared. There's a few hours to gather up my words and tools, I'm certain everything will be fine. Friends have told me there's a good buzz around the event - I haven't seen or heard anything about it. I really haven't left my block much this week, with the exception of a crappy retail experience at a neighborhood bookstore.
My mother is coming to town for the weekend, along with my sister and her friend. I don't see family much; we're spread across the East Coast, with very different lives, so I appreciate my sister making the effort to visit. It has been years since my mother has seen me perform, so it will be a fun evening. The last time my sister saw me perform, there was a funny moment after the show. A local art gallery was preparing for an opening, and some celebrities were in town - one of whom was at my show. Later in the evening, my sister was introduced to a man, who told her his name was Donovan. My sister replied, "Oh, Donovan. That was the name of my favorite singer when I was growing up." To which he replied, "Yes, I AM Donovan." It was priceless.
The music, the snow, the family.
Dave Matthews has been all over the Today Show this morning, apparently in "promote mode" for a new album, or tour, or both, or something. He's not a guy who typically shows up on my radar - I mean, nothing for or against him. I do business with a company in which I think he has a financial interest. They're fair, so I presume he's fair as well. While paneling with Matt Lauer, he is asked to clarify a comment he made in Rolling Stone about suicide - or, I think, his recurring thoughts of suicide. I'm always interested in hearing artists' thoughts of suicide. Anyhow, he made many good points - one of which was something to the effect of "well, death is going to find you someday". It was very plain and true, but his delivery (reminded me a little bit of Mike Watt), combined with the context (Matt Lauer trying not to sell the profundity) made me scratch my head a little bit. I dunno, I would have enjoyed the two of them discussing the topic further, but it is NBC at 8:30 AM.
I have a public performance this evening, and I feel somewhat unprepared. There's a few hours to gather up my words and tools, I'm certain everything will be fine. Friends have told me there's a good buzz around the event - I haven't seen or heard anything about it. I really haven't left my block much this week, with the exception of a crappy retail experience at a neighborhood bookstore.
My mother is coming to town for the weekend, along with my sister and her friend. I don't see family much; we're spread across the East Coast, with very different lives, so I appreciate my sister making the effort to visit. It has been years since my mother has seen me perform, so it will be a fun evening. The last time my sister saw me perform, there was a funny moment after the show. A local art gallery was preparing for an opening, and some celebrities were in town - one of whom was at my show. Later in the evening, my sister was introduced to a man, who told her his name was Donovan. My sister replied, "Oh, Donovan. That was the name of my favorite singer when I was growing up." To which he replied, "Yes, I AM Donovan." It was priceless.
The music, the snow, the family.
Thursday, January 08, 2004
My Favorite Things Of 2003
2003 was a very up-and-down year for me. I've had a lot of new people come into my life, and have misplaced a few close friends as well. Such is the wheel that keeps on turning - a fork in the road, a stain on the map, a crack in the pavement. The best I can do is to stay alert, follow my inner compass, and signal before turning.
These are the things that kept me going through 2003.
1. Geyster's "Bye Bye Superman" was one of a handful of songs that could always make me feel good. I can't wait for the album - snoop around in the NEWS section of their site, and listen to it. Handled properly, they will be bigger than ABBA.
2. The one song that ALWAYS fills the dancefloor. Our little anthem. I'll find an audio link shortly.
3. I'm In Heaven was my summer song. It's beautiful, it's light, it kicks, it lifts me up no matter what. Wonderful use of a classic riff (MJ's "Human Nature"), it should have been enormous.
4. Radio FG was playing in my house for most of the year. I turned my old PowerBook into the downstairs entertainment center, and this was the #1 stream.
5. Working and hanging with Rich has been a blast. I'm learning a lot from him, and it's the best collaborative situation I can imagine. He's got tons of energy and ideas, and I think we're onto something good with the album. We head back into the studio next week, and the Saturday night party resumes on the 17th.
6. The Hirshhorn became one of my favorite hangouts during 2003. The permanent collection is wonderful, particularly the work of William Kentridge.
7. My scooter. I now have a wineberry colored scooter, replacing my black one.
8. A peak season trip to Provincetown. I had been there during the winter, but never during the summer. I had a great time with friends, and made some new acquaintances. I bought a pretty friendship ring there.
9. My home away from home.
10. I don't think my friend Mark had all this in mind way back in 1994. If he made 5p for every use of the word, he'd be the wealthiest man I know. Try his new book instead.
These are the things that kept me going through 2003.
1. Geyster's "Bye Bye Superman" was one of a handful of songs that could always make me feel good. I can't wait for the album - snoop around in the NEWS section of their site, and listen to it. Handled properly, they will be bigger than ABBA.
2. The one song that ALWAYS fills the dancefloor. Our little anthem. I'll find an audio link shortly.
3. I'm In Heaven was my summer song. It's beautiful, it's light, it kicks, it lifts me up no matter what. Wonderful use of a classic riff (MJ's "Human Nature"), it should have been enormous.
4. Radio FG was playing in my house for most of the year. I turned my old PowerBook into the downstairs entertainment center, and this was the #1 stream.
5. Working and hanging with Rich has been a blast. I'm learning a lot from him, and it's the best collaborative situation I can imagine. He's got tons of energy and ideas, and I think we're onto something good with the album. We head back into the studio next week, and the Saturday night party resumes on the 17th.
6. The Hirshhorn became one of my favorite hangouts during 2003. The permanent collection is wonderful, particularly the work of William Kentridge.
7. My scooter. I now have a wineberry colored scooter, replacing my black one.
8. A peak season trip to Provincetown. I had been there during the winter, but never during the summer. I had a great time with friends, and made some new acquaintances. I bought a pretty friendship ring there.
9. My home away from home.
10. I don't think my friend Mark had all this in mind way back in 1994. If he made 5p for every use of the word, he'd be the wealthiest man I know. Try his new book instead.
Welcome, and please don't rush the exits.
Hello, better late than never, or maybe not - you decide. A lot of my friends have been blogging for a while, and I figured it might be about time for me to join the party. Right off the bat, big props go out to Waremouse, Jockohomo, Jimbo, and DogPoet for inspiration. There's plenty more, but these are the Big 4 for me. Please visit them, they have good things to say.
Anyhow, this will be a temporary home; I'll be moving from BlogSpot to my normal home in a few weeks.
I had an interesting holiday season. I was born and raised in the tundra of very upstate New York, and followed that up with 11 years in Minneapolis; I am no stranger to cold weather. This season, I decided to not stay home; instead, I opted for a last minute, hastily booked (yet inexpensive) 10-day sabbatical to the Southwest: Las Vegas, West Hollywood, and Palm Springs. Leaving DC on the 22nd, I spent a few nights in Vegas, and immediately fell 300 bucks behind at the blackjack tables. Next stop was LA, where it was raining from Christmas Eve through Christmas dinner time. Saturday, off to Palm Springs, where the weather was much better. Did some impromptu rock climbing, and a lot of spa and working out time. Did I mention lots of steak dinners? Living like a KING! Meanwhile, it's 60+ degrees in DC.
In the midst of all this large living, those damn terrorists are making plans, and up we go to Code Orange! So now I'm feeling really great about being in Las Vegas for New Year's Eve - especially staying in a pyramid, with beams of light reaching a mile into the sky, near the airport. OK: on how many levels is that sentence fucked?
Translated from an intercepted transmission:
"OK, there is the Infidels' Palace Of Sin And Mockery(SM), let's crash land this bird right there! No one will notice with all these fireworks going off!"
Alas, it was only a bad dream, and not a nightmare. Instead, I watched the fireworks; simultaneously on the local TV station, and from my hotel room window. Sort of a fitting way to end the year 2003. The next day, I was singled out as an "S" passenger at the airport; I presume the S stood for "suspect", since I was searched head-to-toe, bag and baggage, almost misplacing my Christmas present. At least I ended up with an exit row seat.
I am home. Home is still here. Here I am.
Anyhow, this will be a temporary home; I'll be moving from BlogSpot to my normal home in a few weeks.
I had an interesting holiday season. I was born and raised in the tundra of very upstate New York, and followed that up with 11 years in Minneapolis; I am no stranger to cold weather. This season, I decided to not stay home; instead, I opted for a last minute, hastily booked (yet inexpensive) 10-day sabbatical to the Southwest: Las Vegas, West Hollywood, and Palm Springs. Leaving DC on the 22nd, I spent a few nights in Vegas, and immediately fell 300 bucks behind at the blackjack tables. Next stop was LA, where it was raining from Christmas Eve through Christmas dinner time. Saturday, off to Palm Springs, where the weather was much better. Did some impromptu rock climbing, and a lot of spa and working out time. Did I mention lots of steak dinners? Living like a KING! Meanwhile, it's 60+ degrees in DC.
In the midst of all this large living, those damn terrorists are making plans, and up we go to Code Orange! So now I'm feeling really great about being in Las Vegas for New Year's Eve - especially staying in a pyramid, with beams of light reaching a mile into the sky, near the airport. OK: on how many levels is that sentence fucked?
Translated from an intercepted transmission:
"OK, there is the Infidels' Palace Of Sin And Mockery(SM), let's crash land this bird right there! No one will notice with all these fireworks going off!"
Alas, it was only a bad dream, and not a nightmare. Instead, I watched the fireworks; simultaneously on the local TV station, and from my hotel room window. Sort of a fitting way to end the year 2003. The next day, I was singled out as an "S" passenger at the airport; I presume the S stood for "suspect", since I was searched head-to-toe, bag and baggage, almost misplacing my Christmas present. At least I ended up with an exit row seat.
I am home. Home is still here. Here I am.
