I played 2 shows Friday night. I accidentally had 2 booked. The first one was at the Balazo Gallery in San Francisco and the second one was down the street at the Odeon Bar.
The first one was booked by my friend, Clitty. That’s his name. He used to come to my Wednesday night weekly shows in Dallas that were usually bare of anyone. He’s a good guy.
It’s a nice place with a bad sound system. It worked good enough. I liked those people that came. I liked them alot. Clitty’s band played and rocked me hard. Their singer looked like a lady, like one of the Bangkok Ladyboys. His mike went out and he shouted in everyone’s ear, one at a time. They’re called Triple Cobra. You should see them.
I finally met Chicken John. He used to do circus stuff with the Bindlestiffs I think...
I played a show with my Common Rotation friends last Friday. They’re a swell bunch. The tops. It was at the Bitter End. I like the place but the actual room setup is hard for me. It’s got audiences on the sides as well as the front so you can’t look at everyone at once. They do have a grand piano and I took advantage of it. They played a great set and put the full band on. Some girl had a birthday and she and her friends gave me a plate of wonderfully small baked pastries. And when I got settled after my set, Mr. 102-TMBG-Shows(aka TDK, aka Mike) gave me a bag of Hershey Minatures. He’s a real good guy. They were soon gone but not because of me but because my girlfriend was helping me watch my Weight. It’s good because I’ve been running again.
I’m working on a new Qu...
Magic Brian’s show went better than it did the last time. I did Dr. Wankle better and played very well on the old piano. I like Parkside alot. Andy and Karen, the folks that run it, are sweet sweet people. And every time I come in that place at anytime Pete, who runs sound and does other stuff, usually buys me a drink.
My friend, Mackin, showed up. He’s a stand-up fellow. He did his Bobby Brady at my cd-release. We hung out for a long time. I hadn’t seen him in forever.
I played my horse song again. I like that song. I’ve been working on it for a long time and finally “finished” it.
I like playing piano at shows alot. One time I played at my friend Wilder’s house. He has a baby grand in this old Dark Shadows house in Staten Island. Parlor shows are the old living room shows...
One day I was getting off the subway to go to work and I saw thin red tape blocking one of the exits to the surface. At the stairs was this guy in a fedora, trenchcoat and a suit that looked as if he had gone to the detective clothing store to buy his workclothes.
I nodded to his direction and told my boss, “That cop bought his clothes at the detective store.” By the time I got upstairs, I realized it was part of a Law and Order shoot.
This morning I went to pick up a shirt at the cleaners and saw this lady on the corner dressed in fortune-telling clothes. There’s no other way to describe it. She had the dress of a fancied old world peasant and she had a red scarf made of lace as a bonnet. Anyway, she had a cup and was going up to strangers...
We played at an art school from 11:45 am to about 2:00 pm. It was a good crowd. It was in a tent and some people came and went. Una didn’t get to perform because it was a low tent. The plates go cut out because of time, also. I tried “Maybe Tonite” but my keys were sticking so I just played “Busey Boy” and “My Epilady” and gave out my e-mail address. I need to update my site and make it kick ass for the kids.
I’m in Toledo now. the home of Corporal Klinger. I just heard an Aerosmith song I’ve never heard. It’s epic and it kicks ass. I would love to do a large arena.
I wonder if I would benefit from running up a hill or garbage dump at dusk. Would I hang around? Maybe the romance of “getting home” for dinner makes it a good idea...
Read MoreI brought my lunch to work today. I didn’t make it cause I didn’t have time but I bought a sandwich real cheap from the bakery by my house. I spent almost $20 for a burger lunch yesterday. That’s bullshit. I shouldn’t be eating that anyway. I did have a salad but still. And they charged for an extra coke. This is at a pub. Irish pubs in NY serve old-timey poor people food at a rich people price. I guess if you have money then you don’t mind buying an $8 BLT or a $9 salad or $13 fish and chips or a $15 corned beef and cabbage. If you want that and you’re a bit low on cash go to McSorley’s. On a weekday. Because it’s too crowded on the weekend.
We had band practice last night and I had time to kill in the city and Sammy calls “Hey, come hang out here before we practice.”
“Where?”
“The...
I hadn’t hung out with my friend Janet in a while so we went to the Alligator Lounge. This place is awesome because it isn’t crowded and you get a free pizza with your beer. I’m not talking frozen bar pizza either. I’m a talkin’ about brick oven pizza. I had free pizza. The bar is a pizza party every day. I had my own pizza party. For free.
There’s another place down the street that had karaoke. And the place shouldn’t be called Sweet Ups. It should be called Good Times All Around. Except for this fellow sitting next to me.
“Excuse me, I’m European. Are all Americans this stupid?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean are they this stupid?”
Do I look French to you? Why are you asking me this?
“You mean singing karaoke and having a good time? Yeah!”
And then I turned my back on him.
I think he wan...
I played at Magic Brian’s show the other night. It was me, Chris Rozzi, Magic Brian and Silvia Machete. I like doing this show. It’s fun and I’m with friends. I was doing a character named Dr. Wankle, a time-travel scientist, who helps the Randy Brothers find a way to go back in time. I sucked. I was ready and then when the show started it felt like someone took a spiritual shit somewhere and I was lost.
And then I played my set. I’ve gotten better at ignoring foreign sounds during shows but that night I was terrible. There was some incessant conversation going on and it was throwing me off because I always want to know what someone is saying. I forgot a whole line from a song and stopped playing to patter with the audience. And then I was thrown off by myself being thrown off.
And ...
I recorded yesterday with Pete and Sammy. It turned out really well. We did a new version of Junior High and 3 other songs. I’m real proud of it.
I’ll probably go back in later and add some banjo and more vocals.
I rewrote the lyrics to one of the songs yesterday morning. It’s a good feeling when they turn out well. One of the songs I wanted to record I couldn’t because I can’t get the lyrics right. But this one just came out and worked out fine.
I had general tso chicken when I got home. I go to the place across the street. I think they started putting in MSG or they started putting more MSG in their food. I got a headache before I was done eating. I got bad fish from them last time I went. They’re nice but, well, I should be eating better anyway...
During my time in Europe with Planet Banana, I was hanging out with Clarke in his box truck/house while he was making me dinner. We had a terrible show that day at the Glastonbury Festival. Terrible show (including falling props, unattentive sound guy, and an uninvited volunteer on acid). And it would only get worse.
“But,” he interjected, “I love my life. I love playing shows. I love making dinner in my truck. I love that this is my home. I’m very happy with this.”
That’s the way it should be. And now, after playing a great show in Toronto, I’m on a train to Windsor, ON because I couldn’t find a ride to Detroit. And it’s a very nice adventure.
I love what I do. I love panicking to get a ride to Detroit. The shitty times of my life are dimming due to adventure...
Read MoreWhy I enjoyed the Empty Bottle:
-South Park pinball
-I tried out Golf Tee and liked it
-took pictures with perfect strangers in the photobooth
-got a “good job” pat on the back while in position to pee in the comode
-a guy blacked-out during my set (I gave him a cd)
-Tim cried during my set and said quietly at the end, “That’s my Jigger.”
(Jigger is his dad’s best friend’s name that’s become mine. The real Jigger named his son, Chevas. Drink-themed names are fantastic.)
-the staff were real nice.
-Staff member, Robert’s moustache
Read MoreI left my lady and my friends in Hersey to come to Toronto on my own. I was worried about my friends and the merchandise and the fees to get them in so I felt it would be easier for them and me if I came alone.
I got a 9:15 Greyhound and had my own seat. I tried reading but I kept falling asleep. I got company in Syracuse.
We got off the bus at the border around 6:30 and I got to see Niagara Falls for the first time. The sunrise came through the mist and turned it pink. It was beautiful. There was this old Klaus Kinski-type guy who pointed it out to me. I got through customs easier than I thought. I paid my worker’s permit and got back on the bus.
Some older idiot from Missouri came up to his buddy who was waiting to have his bags checked by the customs agents said,
“They not th...
Read MoreThe great Starlight Mints scrambled to salvage the show in Birmingham. The Nick let us play at their Venue. I really like that club. The patrons are friendly and the beers were free. I got to see some old friends like Darren Thornberry who used to play with my ex-girlfriend’s brother, Josh, in Blue Demonstration in Dallas. Josh plays in Lift To Experience now. It’s cool when there’s that one guy who keeps your beer cup full and Darren was that guy.
My friend, Dru, came, also. I asked her to the Trigg County Basketball Homecoming dance back in 10th grade and she turned me down. Years later, I went to my first Cunningham family reunion and saw her dad there. Shit, I wish she had said yes if for nothing else but to have a true Kentucky relationship...
Read MoreWill made me a really good breakfast: Guinea Fowl eggs from his mom’s, bacon, and mushrooms. Really good. You know what else is good in England? Fried Bread. And their tomatoes are tastaayyy.
We get on the train to go back to Heathrow and make our way to the Sheraton by bus.
Dollar doesn’t have my reservation or a car available. We could wait for one. So, we waited.
I hate when someone is an asshole and coats it with kindness to such a degree you can’t see the dickish manner coming through.
Will had to go to work so we left the Dollar and got a cab to National. They had plenty of cars.
I got a Skolda and everything was awesome. Will was going to drive but the insurance was too much.
So, English driving with a stick shift was to be my new adventure.
Driving in England is fun.
Read MoreMe and Will got to Manchester and thought we were late. It was hard to find the Academy -well maybe its not but it was for me- but we found it. It was cool to finally come to this town because its got its own sound. It’s called Manchester. And its good. Its also the birthplace of “urban blight”, as Linnell told me. This is where the Oliver Twists can lift a timepiece from your knickers right next to me bum and not know what happened until I wonder if its teatime.
Brian was frustrated because the place wasn’t opened until 3. They usually start setting up at 10am. Will, the monitor fellow, found that his monitor board was to be set next to Brian’s soundboard...
Leeds was good but weird. The people were cool, the venue was okay, but there was something weird.
The Giants’ truck driver got his gas siphoned during his slumber the night before. A fan got his car broken during the show. The thief pried the car door open. Me and the Giants shared dressing rooms that joined each other and had one kitchen. Each room had two passageways. One passageway went to a dimly lit bathroom with group showers. The other passageway went to a door to outside. In one passageway was a wadded-up diaper.
The truck driver was from Ireland and got in an argument with the bus driver who was a Royalist about the Royal family. I asked if they could hold the conversation until I got my video camera out and that quelled the argument.
My friend, William, wanted to get me...
Read MoreI padded the tour with a day on each end in case the shit hit the fan. And it did. Both days.
I get a little paranoid getting on a plane because of all the years of getting hassled over my accordion. I always get a seat near the back of the plane so I can get on first and put my accordion away. I also try to get an aisle seat. I love looking out the window but I also like getting up to pee with ease.
Within two hours of the flight a lady got sick and our route changed to land in Newfoundland. I hope that lady is okay. She’s a grandma and grandma’s are very important.
From that point I was told by my seatmate that Heathrow had a curfew meaning there were to be no planes making landing noise after 10:30 pm. That meant we would be 2 hours late or 12 hours late.
I watched The Stepford ...
Read MoreI padded my time in the UK with an extra day before and after the tour in case poo got in the fan. And it did. Both days. I was proud of myself for planning ahead but still frustrated with the first extra day’s bullshit. And when I say bullshit I mean shit from a bull that has daisies and lovely gift teabags because I was about to tour England for the first time.
The plane made a diversion from the course due to a sick lady. I hope she is okay but I guess I will never know. She was a grandma and that makes her life extremely important to her immediate family. Grandmas are great to have. They do a lot of good and always have something for you that you didn’t ask for.
We landed somewhere in Newfoundland at a very small airport...
Read MoreLast night was a sad bye bye.
It won’t hit me for a day but I’m gonna miss those Common Rotation guys. They are stand up friends. I called Jory yesterday to see if he was watching Rocky III. That’s gonna happen.
I’ve got new friends that came to the last 3 shows and sing along in the front row. It makes me smile. Those guys are stand up friends. They made my night.
We had a nice dressing room with a big L-shaped couch. I watched Pirates of the Caribbean and then took a nap.
I rode home with Flans and Ana, the merch girl, and her boyfriend, Yasha. Flans coaxed me into singing “Caro Mio Ben” for him and then told me some stories. He’s very, very smart.
As he pulled up to my house, I got out and did the thing where you try to open the back while someone is trying to unlock it...
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