Saturday, July 12, 2008

Broke a linking ring last night

Just need to start, don’t think, just write. Lots of things to write about. . .. so. . fucking start already.

Last night an exercise in uselessness. Just couldn’t seem to make the money appear. Plenty of people, plenty of shows. . . not a lot of cash. On the front lines of the economy, I’m feeling the pinch. Couldn’t sell a deck to save my life. Then that feeling set in where I start to turn on myself and my audience. The shit that comes out of my mouth, I can’t take back. I dismissed several audiences last night. I told them it was for good behavior, but that was far from the truth. Actually that’s not what I said to them. In one show in particular, there were several attempts to get the audience to lighten up a little. I’m looking for smiles, looks of wonderment, or maybe even a little applause if they like something. . . not too much to ask or demand. . . I think. I looked at my audience and thought how emotionally bankrupt they all looked. Like they were sitting at home, emotionless staring at the TV. I did the Mental Deck Pitch and quickly dismissed them, apologizing for the lack of love I was feeling from them. For whatever reason, this is when things get real interesting. Not one person moved, it was nuts. I had to clarify and said, “You guys don’t seem to understand, I was auditioning for an enthusiastic audience and you guys didn’t get the part. . . . but thanks for playing.”

Then the evening goes from bad to worse. While I’m performing the linking rings, I break one. I didn’t even notice, but a guy behind me pointed it out and laughed as he yelled, “You broke it!” I didn’t know what he was talking about until I noticed my key ring was hanging in the left land, but wait a minute. . . I have it in my right hand. In an instant I had a strangely existential moment that made me chuckle. Luckily, this was near the end of the routine. I quickly surmised in my mind that there was no way to do the chain of 5 effectively, so I had to end the act without the final display. Linking rings shouldn’t break, I’m just saying.

The most frustrating thing about the evening was the huge crowd there and it being a Friday night. I stuck it out till the end, but it just never came together.

On nights like this, sometimes I feel like a stiff drink. Last night I felt like going to the gym. Is that crazy or what. I texted Polly and she said if I came home, she would walk with me. Sold! Beautiful night, beautiful girl and some epic kissing, for the books.

Life is good whether I come home with a bunch of money or not. Ebb and flow. I’m so lucky and blessed.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Jazz Under The Stars • Wynton & Willie at the Hollywood Bowl

When we went purchased our tickets for this show (as part of our summer concert series at the Bowl) we thought it was just going to be Wynton Marsalis & the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. As a huge Jazz and Wynton fan, I've been looking forward to seeing this line up for a while. Then, two days before the show we find out that Willie Nelson had been added as a special guest and that they had a new CD that was just released. All I can saw is COOL! The evening, the air, the music. . . cool. . . cool. . . cool.

Life is good when, you're with your sweetie with great seats at the Bowl. The Hollywood Bowl allows you to bring in food and booze. We enjoyed a healthy Wolfgang Puck's Chinoix Chicken Salad as well as some cherry's and strawberries that we had brought from home. Little wine for Polly, little Cown Royal for me. A cigar before the show and we were well on our way to a GREAT evening out.

The show was great. Some of the best jazz I've ever heard. When Willie came out halfway through the show the crowd was enthusiastic to hear these great musicians play together. They did not disappoint! Check out the video below. It says it all.



Sidenote on new CD

The event was simply billed as “Willie Nelson Sings the Blues,” but the historic two-night stand on January 12 and 13, 2007 at Jazz at Lincoln Center was far more than that. Call it a summit meeting between two American icons, Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis, two of the most significant figures in modern-day country and jazz, who discovered common ground in their love for jazz standards and the blues. Their performance stirred the sounds of New Orleans, Nashville, Austin and New York City into a brilliantly programmed mix that was equal parts down-home and cosmopolitan, with plenty of swing and just a touch of melancholy. To say that these shows were a hot ticket would be an understatement. Luckily, the tapes were rolling and the results of this unique collaboration now constitute the Blue Note album Two Men With The Blues for everyone who couldn’t cram into The Allen Room.

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Busker du Jour • Billy Kidd


Just For Us, originally uploaded by sunface13.

LA Fitness

Daunting, the blank page mocks me. It beckons me to spew my bullshit all over it. It tries to convince me that I have an interesting point of view, but I know better. You see, I spend all day, every day, with myself and find me to be, pleasantly dull and curiously boring.

The page, which really isn’t a page at all (oh, that hurts), fuck it, I’m just telling the truth, your a fucking computer screen. A word processing document. Your not a page, and you never will be (ouch). “Enough!”, my computer screams. It doesn’t matter whether or not I’m a fucking piece of paper, or a God damned million pixels. Write something asshole, lets see you do it. I will when I’m good and ready. Hey I could wait for the laughs, but this place closes at midnight.

For the last 2 days my trusted pal Aaron, Polly and I spent some time at the gym. OK, I’m a fatty, I admit it. In fact I like nothing better than admitting I’m a fatty while stuffing my face with Lays Classic Potato Chips and swilling an ice cold Pepsi. Oh yeah, this always works better at 12:30AM after a bong hit or 6.

Aaron and I have been hiking for months, every morning up by the Hollywood Sign in Bronson Canyon. Now that we’ve created a habit and have shown interest in taking things to the next lever of physical fitness, were committing to weight training. The last two days have been interesting. Aaron has quietly guided me through my social faux pas and continues to instruct me on what not to do at the gym. He did assure me, that if I kept up, I had a good chance of finding a boyfriend.

We pulled and pushed and squatted and grunted. I tell you, there was nothing pretty about this picture. Actually there was, Occasionally I would look across the room and see my doll baby, Polly riding the bike. Not being one who has ever spent any time in a gym, the last two days have felt great and there is a strange sense of reward that goes with the mild pain and soreness. Aaron and I are looking into a weight training boot camp that happens at 6AM in Hollywood. We’ll do that 3 days a week and hump the hill on the other days.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.