The day after I eat buffalo wings is usually an exciting day. I am currently listening to the latest from El Perro Del Mar which I think translates to the dog of the sea in English, or maybe the sea dog, I dont know, my Spanish is rusty.
I was on an 11 day concert hiatus til last night, which is one of my longest. I am looking forward to no longer having a job because then I won’t miss an opportunity to see the Cranberries. This blog might suck but it’s better than nothing.
I went to the Turf Club tonight to see the DODO;s. Asked Melom to get me a vodka soda, he definitely brought me back a whiskey-soda which is now cutting the inside of my stomach like an edge of an aluminum can
short and sweet
just barely. I will update this sometime soon, I almost promise
and I ain’t got no vodka or tomato juice or any of the other ingredients it takes to make a BM, at least that kind of BM. Immature? yep, pretty much. Not a whole lot going on lately and that’s the problem, I guess that’s what summer is supposed to be, staying up late getting into trouble and sleeping in. There has been an extreme lack of adventures though and that’s the problem. A lack of partners in crime as well.
I have been in a bad mood lately, mostly because of the reasons above, I feel like I am just killing time til the end of the month when my life will be different in someway, at least in where i am living which is still up in the air until I figure out if I go on this tour or not, which I have decided that I definitely want to do, just for the change of pace, scenery etc… I will have to overcome the notion of sleeping on stranger’s couches, pretending to be a band manager, talking like a professional and most importantly and the most difficult obstacle, using public restrooms in roadside restaurants. Gonna have to buy an economy size of hand sanitizer for that one. I went to talk to someone yesterday and he asked about obsessive compulsive tendencies that I might have and I mentioned the bathroom thing and how that has increased this year. He never gave me a good answer as to whether what I do is normal or a sign of OCD. I had been having more and more problems with social anxiety and went to the doctor who asides from medicine, wants me to talk to someone so i went yesterday. The first time was free and he showed me some great relaxation techniques, I don’t think I am going to go back though, i don’t think my problems are big enough and I feel like there wouldn’t be a point to start a relationship with someone when I am leaving in a few weeks anyways. So that’s where I am at, hopefully headed in a better direction.
As long as we are in this akward stage of this blog, I now have 2 unemployed parents. While this obviously sucks, I like knowing that at least my folks are spending more time with one another, going on bike rides, walks, meals together and at least are going through the same difficult interviews and scouring the web together for jobs with each other. my mom did manage to get unemployment, which is a meagerly $225 a week and with my dad taking his social security early they are scraping by and are applying to everything and anything but still no luck. It’s going to be hard to leave them if i go on tour, but it will at least be a good distraction to always thinking about them. i think eventually they’ll both find something and my hopes is that sometime in the next 5 years we can all go on a family vacation somewhere, that me and my siblings will chip in and take us to somewhere outdoors, in the NW or something.
Alright, that’s the depressing part of this blog, here’s the other half.
Meat Puppets last Sunday were awesome, I had never listened to a ton of their music but damn they were good, polished and entertaining. Went to a cool dance thing the night before on the roof of Epic which was a great place for an outdoor dance party. Not a lot of people, but the good ol boys were out and that’s all that mattered. I wish there was an rooftop party like that every weekend, not like dancing on top of stella’s, that would be a douchebag party which is the opposite of what this was. Saw Bruno the other night and if you don’t find that funny then you have failed as a person. You need to understand that he isn’t doing anything wrong, it’s our society’s response to homosexuals that is wrong, which is clearly exposed in this film. I haven’t laughed that hard since I saw Borat. One other thing that is awesome which I have discovered lately is biking everywhere, especially at night. i feel like a kid again cruising around wellington and stone road when I am on my bike at night, such a good time. Going to the National tonight, which is one of my favorite bands. This is going to be one of the shows where I just want to sit by myself and sing along to their deep, emotional lyrics. Probably not a good show for me today but whatever, I am excited. Jean Jam 2 is next week and I can’t wait. Might be my last hurrah for a while.
That was boring,
Ted Williams
Things I have eaten today:
8 oz Apple Juice
1 1/2 Cups of Coffee
1 Bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats
1 Egg Roll
1 Mixed greens salad with blue cheese and french
9/10 of a Jack’s Cheese Pizza with cholula sauce, onions and pineapple
is that a lot for 4pm on a Friday?
Remember that time I went to DC to visit concussion king and future leader of the free world? no? Well let me freshen up that drank of yours.
Got 2 hours of sleep before getting up at the asscrack of 430 to catch the bus at 530 to get to the lightrail station at 540 to get to their airport by 6am. I was impressed at how easy it was to cruise down to the airport this way, definitely would do that again. Quick flight, passed out with headphones on, 70 dollar cab ride to Joey’s beautiful apartment, then off to the National Mall for all sorts of monumental monuments. Lincoln was beautiful, Washington is merely just a huge, erect tower. It was hotter than hell outside and we all sweated our asses off while getting sunburned. Saw the Ellipse, which we declared as being where the last battle of the civil war was fought as opposed to being the former home of the White House, which is now just a big field. Met up with Joey around dinner time, BBQ’d at his place and hung out for the night, we were all burnt out by that fat old sun and wanted to get up early for the museums.
Went to the American History Museum as planned. Took the Metro there, people still seemed jittery from the crash less than a week earlier. Clean and convenient it was. The museum was cool, saw Lincoln’s Hat along with a ton of other cool stuff about Lincoln, didn’t know that his assassination was part of a larger conspiracy by member’s of the confederacy. Museum took like 5 hours, did have an amazing sandwich at the West Wing Cafe called the Gouda Gobbler, so good that I had it again the next day. Went out for some amazing BBQ that night, ribs, chicken, cornbread, red beans and mashed potatoes ooeee. After took a walk by the river in Georgetown, then to a hookah bar to wind down the evening.
Friday was the Natural History Museum to see all kinds of stuffed mammals, dinosaur bones, the Hope Diamond and other goodies. That night got all dolled up for the Symphony at the Lincoln Center.First had an amazing dinner, one of the nicest meals I’ve had since Argentina, had my first and not my last Singapore Sling, what a great drink that is. Huge downpour before we left the restaurant for the Center. We were in the Presidential Suite which is actually where the presidents have all sat over the past 30 years if not more. I peed in the same toilet that Hilary Clinton probably took a shit in, so I got a ton of pictures of myself with my head in the toilet. I kid, I kid, but there was free champagne, beer and other goodies. The symphony was alright, not very well attended, the second part of the evening featured part of the score to 2001:A Space Odyssey which was pretty sweet. After we went back to Joe’s to regroup and figure out our plans for the evening. Went to some bar called Public and had a fucking blast, our group owned that dance floor. The song selection was pretty shitty, some but not enough MJ, but after a few tequila and whiskey shots, our feet took over. Stayed there til 3 and really had an awesome time tearing it up with Steinbrenner, who if you can ever get drunk enough to dance, I recommend you do. Drunken shennanigans afterwards, walking to Jumbo Slice, which has greazy pizza the size of your face, playing MJ inside. Walking home with lost one of Hawk’s sandals which I was wearing into a thorny rose bush, never to be seen again.
Hangover Saturday led to us sleeping away most of the day before going to the White House for a tour by Joey. David Axelrod was hanging out when we got there, saw the oval office which I remind you is where Bill Clinton got a beej. The Roosevelt Room was super neat-o, also getting to see where Joey works in the building adjacent to the White House, pretty surreal. After we slowly tried regathering our strength for Femi Kuti at the 930 club. Had a good Thai meal at DC Noodles, then walked to the club. Got there just as the band got on stage, played for nearly 3 hours of non-stop afro-funk. Awesome show, but I was the only one from our crew who was into it, some left early. One of the best shows i’ve seen all year, really wish I could see them again tonight but I gotta work.
Sunday we slowly rose and went to the Holocaust Musuem which was unbelievably depressing but super intricate. Amazing photos and videos, never thought i would have cried at a museum before but the mood in there is set so well, so somber. Truly an amazing experience. We ironically went to 5 Guys Burger after on the way to the airport, good burger, similar to In and Out. Long wait at the airport, flight full of annoying kids with sugar highs.
I loved the city, loved the people, made me realize how white our city is, or if not white at least how truly segregated it is. Would go back in a heartbeat, didn’t make it to B’more so I gotta go back. I finished the Wire, great show but I’m glad to be done, too many hours laying on the couch. In the midst of a 7 night concert run right now, went to White Rabbits last night and hung out with the band all the way through dropping them off at their hotel after an intersting Luce run at bar close, seeing the joint fill up with honeys getting out of Epic, so many sluts, too bad i’m not gangsta.
That;s enough for now,
Off the Wall
Ready? herrrrrrrrre we go
It’s 9:00pm on a monday night, summer time, i am drinking a PBR, listening to Dead Prez about to start packing for D.C. There is a concert tonight and i can’t find anyone to go with me. This is a problem. I invite on average 5 people to each show, half respond, other half don’t bother. I have a phone full of numbers, most of which I never look at it, most of whom never contact me. I fucked up somewhere, it doesnt make sense. I have lived here all my life but only have a handful of friends who I’d consider calling. I don;t know when or how that happened, I had plenty of friends in high school, part of me thinks that my class was weak, none of them went to shows then and thats all I have ever done. I wonder what if I had went to a different school, or been a year older or younger, i think my chances would have been better off to be with kids who really enjoyed going to see bands, for free, even if it means staying up til 12 on a weekday. Sure, there are a lot of kids who will go to these shows, but usually they only want tickets to the ones they know. My job at 1st Ave, which many people simply forget that i have to work for and earn my plus 1, does allow me to bring one guest to any show I want but some people, who never go to the shows that I ask them to, only ask for shows that they want. I often times abide but never get shit in return, not that I really want anything, but buy me a drink or something, at least pretend that you are my friend and not using me for my hook up. This wouldnt be a big deal at all but I am just so sick of going to these little shows in the entry, which end up being better than the mainroom shows my friends want to go to 9/10 times. The people who tend to have gone to these shows in the past with me have been ex girlfriends, the ones who I or they said we would still be friends, but i have a hard time calling them, seems like I am crawling back when I should be meeting someone new, or else I feel guilty about how things ended still. Overall, I feel like if I was in a different circle of people, this wouldn’t be a problem, but I am done meeting new people. When’s the last time I made a friend who wasn’t a gf? I can’t think of one, not one who I truly call up, all my friends are from back in the day, i think I am stuck in my predicament. Sure there are probably a person or two who i could invite who would probably say yes, but truth is they annoy me and i don’t even want to invite them. most of the shows I see I feel that the average person would be entertained by it, but often they are small bands that haven’t made it onto pitchfork or the radio. I used to require the person to pick me up if they took my free ticket, now I am just hoping for them to meet me there. This is why I hardly feel bad when in the past I meet a new girl who I hang out with a lot, because oftentimes my bros aren’t even there anyways.
I am sick of this shit, this is what makes me want to change locals, I don’t have enough friends here to make me want to stay. I have been too way many concerts by myself lately and when I go to these things alone ,my anxiety kicks in big time. I have a good hunch that if I dont do this rangelife tour in the fall I am going to find somewhere else to go for a bit. I am going to give away my awesome internship, my slow dream of playing music live with this DJ shit all because of the downtime in between is too fucking depressing sometimes. it sucks that 4 old friends who I knew growing up and have all moved away, if I had them here as an option, they like music enough that would be coming along most of the time and my problem would be solved, but otherwise I am sick of this.
that’s my rant, don’t take it personally
-The Rural Alberta Advantage
Freaks, Geeks
I haven’t had much to say lately and there is probably way too much to recap but I need to say something so here goes nothing.
Hello, how are ya?
Me? I am doing well, enjoying these lazy summer days as best I can. Despite not having a full-time job I manage to stay busy enough. I started watching the Wire thanks to B-Bop and that has consumed quite a few hours of my time. Tejas has had some busy nights lately and I think I will be picking up an extra shift a week there, so I still have enough money to get by. First Ave is 1st Ave, same old there. Been doing the podcast there once a week which has been cool. Lots of concerts, some that stand out are Pinetop Perkins this past monday was great. Had some margaritas beforehand at Barrio along with some cheap Tapas. I really like that place and feel really bad about stealing their patio chair. Anyways, Pinetop is 95 years old but he can still tickle the ivories like a young man.
Cotton Jones was the best show i have seen in a while, probably because I am obsessed with their album. Unforutnately no one wanted to go to this show with me, so myself and only about 20 other people got to experience it. He was like Joe Cocker up there and his band was great as well. Jenny Lewis was really good, as was Santigold/Amanda Blank. nothing else really stands out, and there aren’t too many shows in the future that I am super excited for with the exception of Femi Kuti when I go to D.C. in 2 weeks. Looking forward to that trip like the last day of school, wish it wasn’t so short though.
My lease is up in less than 2 months and I have no idea what I will be doing come Aug. 1st which is causing a bit of anxiety in head, hopefully I’ll figure it out, I really hate moving and wish I could stay in this place 1 more month to figure it out, but my roommate won’t have that because he is a cockgoblin.
no, really
Jolene
I’m tired but I cant sleep, Lord (Drew) knows why, one might thing i have a lot on my mind, I kind of do but mostly don’t. i have pushed all that aside for now, will probably stay there til May 23rd after our party, that’s all I got on my mind now, that and our DJ gig tomorrow. Music,Music,Music that is what this week has been about, not finals but shows. Sunday night i saw Mogwai/Women, then after my friends left I saw Bob Log III. Monday night was Springsteen, Wednesday night Gene Ween and tonight Mike Watt and Solid Gold. Tomorrow like I saw I am DJ’ing my buddy Aaron’s CD release in the entry and i am really hoping we can keep the dancefloor going after the show is over, to prevent kids from going to TML. If the floor is packed for Aaron’s set at the end I think we can do it, just going to drop the hits, that how we do it.
I turned 25 and finished college assuming I pass my classes which I think I will. I don’t feel different, I can’t beleive I am 25, sometimes i stilll feel like a teenager, sometimes I don’t though. I think this will be an immature fun summer, maybe my last. I gotta outgrow some of this stuff, but then again maybe i still have another 5 years in me, 30 seems a lot older than 25.
My dad got a job, he hasn’t started it yet but it seems legit. A cousin of ours hired him to run a ATV/scooter store in Maplewood. My dad knows nothing about these things and is the last person to be on either but he is willing to try it. it’s been a long time coming and i hope to god it works it, he would get health insurance which is the most important thing for my family right now. Unfortunately, the same week my dad was hired, my mom found out that her store would be closing at the end of June, which means this job really has to work out for my dad. My mom is bummed, but we are all just so happy that my dad got a job. She is such a nice and smart person that i think she’ll be able to find a new, whether or not she likes it is something else, but I think she’ll take what she can get in this economy,
Summer begins on Monday for me, not sure what im going to do. i gotta get my bike out, probably start riding that a lot. Hang at 1st ave during the days, happy hours at 5, might start playing cards once a week and hopefully basketball as much as possible. i have higher hopes going into this summer than i ever had before. Just can’t be lazy, just can’t go broke.
still not tired, but am tired of writing.
RIP
Waymon Tisdale
Before I discuss my feelings on the documentary Hacking Democracy I will say this: Our class disgusts me, well part of the class. During the first viewing, there was a group of kids a few rows in front of me who instead of watching the movie were instead playing some stupid game on their computers. These are the people who give Americans, especially young Americans a bad name. I’m sure these kids could name the last Kanye West single, but probably not the president of Mexico. It disgusts me so much to have peers like this, enough to make me want to move out of this country.Enough of that rant ,back to the movie.
The film I thought was startlingly excellent, I had almost forgotten about the Ohio recount. It all seems so cut and dry after this movie that we need to change the way in which we hold elections. It seems so strange that Kerry didn’t put up a bigger fight, like he knew what was going on, that is was all planned out. How come no one was up in arms over Diebold contributing to the Republican committee in Ohio, it all seems so obviously corrupt. Imagine how different our world would be if Kerry had won? Maybe nothing at all would have changed, maybe not.
I am extremely concerned that nothing has changed since this film was released. I have no idea about what kind of program we use in the state of MN to run elections, but I guess since the person I voted for won, I have no reason to be upset, which is probably how it goes sadly. The fact that the film ended with Ohio paying 20 million dollars for easily corruptable machines is so disheartening, it seems like despite black box voting easily proved that wrong-doing of Diebold that nobody cares enough anyways. There should be zero doubt when it comes to voting machines
