Rock & Roll Farm

Friday! Jan 31 2003 // 11:12 am // permalink

…and deeper in debt

this is what a grown-up looks like?

as my friend mark would say, tomorrow i will be almost at the net in the tennis court that is one’s twenties.

twenty-four things i am proud of accomplishing during my twenty-fourth year on the planet (which doesn’t mean i’m turning twenty-five, yo):

1. taught myself to play keyboards.
2. reconnected with old friends
3. joined a new band (new total: 3) (plus, atlas)
4. wrote/helped write some great songs
5. made a few killer recordings
6. made more than one friend who is an incredible positive force in my life, and who will be for a long time to come, god willing
7. learned to sew better
8. found a living situation (roommate) that is not only healthy and nurturing, but is also a boatload of fun
9. had the best day of my life, to date (thank you susie and craig, and everyone there)
10. rebuilt some bridges, those at the top of the list being with my parents, and other family members
11. learned more about synesthesia
12. finally trained myself to answer “I’m well” when asked how i am
13. created a few great recipes
14. told some great jokes
15. made some beautiful artwork
16. finally got some photos of a few elusive friends
17. travelled to: northern wisconsin, millwaukee, phoenix, maumee, and louisville
18. became a better writer
19. became a better singer
20. became a better musician
21. worked through many fears
22. found a really flattering hair color (finally)
23. threw a spectacular new year’s party
24. learned more about compassion, grace, mercy, humility, community, family, integrity, creativity, communication, the divine, and myself

regrets:
too many to name, but that doesn’t mean they’ve had a greater impact on me than my accomplishements.

bottom line:
i am blessed. and i owe all of that to my family and friends.

Wednesday! Jan 29 2003 // 10:03 am // permalink

prawn of my loins

if there’s one thing i learnt in life it’s that learnin’ never taught me nothin’, and books is the worst.
madeline kahn, as mrs. beard

i watched Yellowbeard for the millionth time last night. i think it was my millionth viewing, if it wasn’t then it sure was a big waste of balloons and confetti….

i also watched Group Madness (the making of Yellowbeard). you can pick yourselves up off the floor now. all the laughing is making me self-conscious.

anyway there’s this really great bit where they’re asking all the cast members what the difference between American and British comedy is, and marty feldman says something like, ‘American comedy is all about overacting and British comedy is about understatement’. except, when he’s saying understatement, he’s flapping his arms and bugging his eyes out (even more) and sort of running toward the camera.

i made another lasagna, and burned the ever-loving crap out of my foot with the pasta water. i just poured the whole boiling pot right on it. luckily i have an aloe plant that i haven’t quite killed yet. it’s more like slow torture. the aloe plant, not the foot. the foot is more like fast torture…?

******************
heads up:
casey meehan at the fireside bowl, february 20

Saturday! Jan 25 2003 // 3:41 pm // permalink

a cold day in …louisville?

today i learned that louisville is pretty much as cold as chicago.
i also learned that i have a really freaking loud voice. in some places, we had to compress it by 25 db. holee crap that’s loud. that’s like as loud as a pick-up truck.

i’m taking a break from mixing right now, actually. listening to your voice played over and over and over and over and over can make your stomach turn and your eyes twitch. the repetitiveness is bad enough, but being subjected to all the imperfections and mistakes - man. i’m just worn out. and we’re only through one song. we’ve still got four to go.

and people wonder why musicians are crazy.

****

Thursday! Jan 23 2003 // 9:41 am // permalink

friends is a repeat

TONIGHT
8:30pm
at Odum
2116 W. Chicago
$6

music! performed by:
* the (richard Nickel) transaction Ensemble
with the film Form Ever Follows Function

* ethan clauset

* wiretap wednesday
with the film Un Chien Andalou

come for the music, stay for the petting zoo.
i’ll be working the door most of the evening.
oh yeah, and it’s byob.

Tuesday! Jan 21 2003 // 12:49 pm // permalink

My name in Latin is light to carry and victorious

i’ve been going here a lot.
for some reason today when i went, i decided to read the colophon, even though i’ve read it before. and even though i knew that larry levis had to do with the naming of the site, among other things - seeing his name and reading the line he has up there made me really sad for some reason. i never thought about how much i like levis, and what a profound effect he’s had on me. and then all that makes me think of my friend m., who i always think of one beat after i think of levis.

i also think of m. when i see this one ring that the Franklin Mint makes, called the Irish Blessing Ring, or something. it was designed by someone named Rhiannon, and one time m. told me he liked stevie nicks’ voice.

bet you never thought you’d see larry levis and stevie nicks in the same log post, did you…

but that’s what sans sheriff is all about. i’m keepin ya on your toes.

speaking of unexpected things…the sun totally took me by surprise this morning. no, i didn’t forget about the sun. rather, the sunlight had a different quality about it than it’s had in past weeks. and even now, it still is shining very brightly - and uncharacteristically “warm” for this time of year. it feels good.

on thursday night, you should come see me play with the transaction ensemble at Odum. (2116 W. Chicago Ave.) we’ll be showing the film we made last year. wiretap wednesday, and ethan clauset are also playing and showing films. wiretap wednesday is playing to Un Chien Andalou.