music has won again

With all the cool kids down at SxSW this week, you're left with us working stiffs, and our tired naivete. Or our wide-eyed jadedness. ( i drove by the winterpills leaving on tour while I was driving the library van. An existential meoment I can assure you). So, forget all that.

I look behind me, all I see is music. I'm looking ahead and it's alls I'm seeing too.

It's Sunday, and even though it should feel earlier, I'm ready for bed. It's been a crazy week. I still managed to not miss an hour of work while, mid week, I trekked on down to NYC with Ken to play at Bar 9, in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan.
We were playing in Steve Sanderson's Stuntmen side-project "Champions of Breakfast"
For Steve it was a winter's worth of writing. For the band (Paul, Zip, Dave, Ken and me, plus Dan on sound) it was a couple rehearsals and two gigs. The first was at the Basement, the next was at the aforementioned bar. i was the percussionist, a role I'm not very used to, but I made a special ebay purchase just for the occasion. Never scored a conga, though.
Nice place, Bar Nine. Walked in and felt very....not young, urban or professional. The stage was comfy, the food was good (ken got tater tots, I got a veggie burger). And the gig was fun.By this second gig, the confidence was up. The bartender was a woman from Nebraska. I played 5 songs on the jukebox: ELO, Jesus and Mary Chain, Neil Young and I can remember the rest.
I rode home in the Stuntvan trying to ignore the smell of pickes and pastrami (half the crew got deli takeout before leaving--I just got a black and white cookie) while grooving to the classic rock radio. next thing I knew, I was waking up and we were taking the exit to Noho.

SFTD has had a coupla good ones lately too.
The Smith Voc cafeteria with balloons, kids and young attractive moms. And no monitors but lots of free pizza. It was an afternoon show and I for one wondered just what in the Charlie Brown was going to happen. But I ended up loving every second of it. Really and truely. You just never know how these things will hit you.

And then the end-of-winter party of the winter. We all send recovery wishes to our old pal and musical mate Adam Greenberg, whose injured back kept him from coming out to play with Bags. Ari Vais did make the trip and played a solo set this past Friday night at the Elevens. I'd been up since 6am, worked a full day, practiced, did the show, and caught up with Ari 'till after 3am....Bags didn't play, but they sure appeared under my eyes. HA HA HA!!!!! Oh! Whoosh.
Anyway.
We prepared a last minute version of Big Star's "O Dana". The boys of Humbert--a band that was often tighter than _________'s _________ (mad lib) reuniting to play a song from one of the most sloppy, druggy albums ever (Big Star's Third/Sister Lovers). It was perfect and so much fun.
The SFTD set was like a party too.
Highlights:
--new song "Boring Dream" sounded great
--we covered Robyn Hitchcock's "Freeze", which is a kick-bum song.
--Ari came on stage, Henning walked off, and we did "Screen Door"
--Ari left the stage, Henning came back on, as did Lord Russ, and we did "Bagel Song".

We also send get well wishes to Ken, who had to miss this show. Perhaps all the rock would have cured him.

On the horizon?

next saturday: Fawns at the Brass Cat
next Sunday: Sitting Next to Brian at the Eagles Nest Club Nest.

then I'm off to record with Hebert in Woodstock. Please, music, don't stop. I'd die, I tells ya.