Can't Talk Now, I Have a Class to Teach!

So, I have been kinda busy.

Last Friday I played Journopalooza with the Surge. While a weird gig, probably not the weirdest that I have ever played. It did kinda feel like a wedding though, and not a cool Belgian or Californian wedding.

On Monday, I saw Betrayed with Sarah Jessica Parker. Some may say that I saw Betrayed in the same theater as Sarah Jessica Parker, and I may say that those people are jerks. It was a really good play, and family friend Jeremy Beck was great.

On Tuesday I feel at a work event and cut my left pointer finger pretty good. It bled for about a day, and that was fun. I got a tetanus shot, now with extra Whopping Cough protection, so it was really a fortunate accident. It is also fortunate that I am not in a band right now, because I cannot play an instrument right now, and probably won't be able to play for at least a week.

Speaking of my former band, we have been nominated for a Wammie for Modern Rock group. I don't quite know how I feel about this.

Finally, Aloha Hawaii.

And I Say Hello

Well, I am back. The band is done, so I figured I would just head back over here. Judging from the titles of this and the previous post, I guess I was destined to come back here after all.

There isn't much to add to what I wrote over at the band site. There just isn't much to say. We were a band that had some good songs, and played some good concerts, but overall just didn't work. The one thing that I didn't put in is that I think the breakup is mostly my fault. I have a feeling that if I really wanted the band to continue, then it probably would.

You Say Goodbye...

I think is should be fairly obvious, but I am not really posting over here any more. Not that I was the most prolific blogger out there. Actually, I am just going to start posting over at the band blog. For example, I just posted a recap of my performance at Darren and Emilie's wedding. So head over there. I also now cover the Nats, and Boxing, for DCist.

Misc: Stupid Band Edition

First, I want to reiterate what I said over at the band blog. Thank you all for coming out to the last few concerts. Sundays and Mondays suck, a lot, and it is great that so many of you came out to them. Fortunately, we are giving you all a break for a few months.

Also, let me add DCist to my growing blog empire. Today my first post covering the Nats went up. I hope to have at least one column a week about the Nats, and a boxing post whenever it is relevant. This is all part of my plan for global domination that involves taking on projects that don't pay me anything. At least at DCist, unlike the stupid band, I won't be losing any money.

My band managed to schedule a concert in Norfolk this Friday followed by a concert in New York on Saturday. I think this picture accurately sums up the situation.

In other exciting news, I don't have Celiac Disease, so that is good.

Hello...

Gosh, it has been a while since I have been here. Between attempting to keep my band together, and a child-like ability to be fascinated by free internet flash games, I just haven't had the time to write on this site. Well that all changes today!

First, because I know that you all are fascinated by my digestive system, I recently had a blood test to determine if I have Celiac Disease. Throughout this whole medical situation I have attempted to make a series of compromises. For example, I would have preferred depression to lactose intolerance. Well now, I am really pulling for lactose intolerance, because this Celiac thing looks like even less fun. And while a lot of things have dairy, I suspect that even more things have wheat. Also, I am not really comfortable with the thought of my body attacking itself.

The owner of my restaurant recently sold the place. It has been a hard year or so for her, and I am glad that she is finally free of the restaurant. She worked harder, and had to endure more crap, than anyone should and I wish her all of the best. It was funny, one the last night, most of the staff gathered at the restaurant. As we were saying goodbye, I realized that this had become more than a job to all of us. There were plenty of hugs, and exchanging of e-mails and addresses. It felt more like the last day of school than the last day of waiting tables. This feeling is a tribute to my former owner. Everyone worked there because they loved her. So congratulations Jefa!

In a funny way, I am going to miss the restaurant. Sure I was busy all the time, but I got use to it. Last night, I came got home around 5:30, and did nothing. By 9:00 I felt like it was bed time. I am just not use to having that much time to myself on a weekday. Granted, as compared to the wheat stomach eating disease, this is a pleasant problem to have.

In more exciting news, my band is a finalist to get the last spot on the FettoFest. The competition will take place this Sunday at Growlers Pub in Gaithersburg. Those unable to attend will be able to listen to the performance on 94.7, or on The Globe's website.

And in actually exciting news. My friend Darren is getting married to the lovely Emilie in Belgium in September, so I get to go to Europe. I will be spending three days in Paris before departing to Brussels. It should be a lot of fun. For example, I think I might be staying in a castle for a few nights.

So that is it for now. I think I should be congratulated for creating a remarkably boring post out of actually interesting activities.

First, I would like to thank everyone for coming out to the Velvet Lounge last Friday. It is nice to see that you all don't hate me, and are not afraid of FRIDAY THE 13TH! So thank you again.

For those who missed the show, shame on you. Don't you know that my band is endorsed by the Atlantic? Also, I accidentally knocked my keyboard off of the stand and had to finish playing the song with it on the ground. This was bound to happen given that I violently play it with a tambourine. The problem is that I like the effect of the keyboard falling and thus this "accident" might have to happen at every concert.

It looks like I am going to start writing about sports for DCist. I will probably start covering the Nationals in August, although when I agreed to the gig it looked like the team would be historically bad rather than just mundanely bad, so I feel a little gypped. Anyway, my first post is up, and it is about Tony "The Tiger" Thompson. He is a left-handed boxer from DC, who just won a big fight to get a title shot. My hope is that I can parlay this DCist thing into free tickets to boxing matches in the area.

Speaking of historically bad, it finally happened. Congratulations to the Phillies, and the wonderful sports fans of Philadelphia. Let me wish you 10,000 more.

I really like my neighborhood a lot, and I am excited when new businesses move into it. For example, I box because there is a gym about a block from my apartment. I have started Yoga because a studio opened up within a block of my apartment as well. I am excited that Corduroy is moving nearby, and all of the other restaurants that have and will be opening up. That said, I am a little worried about this place. A bar/club/whatever that only caters to members sounds a little Smith Pointy to me. Also, looking at the application, I am pretty sure that I can't: a) gain membership, or b) afford it. This has me a little worried, and I might have to investigate more.

Dearly Beloved...

First, in the "Things I Don't Want To Do at 9:00 am After a Bachelor Party" category, let me add "smell items in the company refrigerator to determine what is giving the office the unique aroma of dead rotting animals." Fortunately, I prepared for work today by not reaching the level of debauchery appropriate for the event last night.

Second, the band is playing at the Velvet Lounge on Friday, July 13th with Lights Resolve and Black & White Jacksons. This is a concert that we would really like a good amount of people to come out to, and most of you live withing 5 blocks of the club, so it would be nice to see you all out. Besides, you are not going to let a stupid superstition scare you away, are you? The only thing that I will be able to conclude is that you are a coward if you don't come out next Friday. Or you hate me. Those are your only two options.

So, what else has happened since we last spoke?

It looks like I am lactose intolerant. I haven't had dairy in a month and I have felt a lot better. As much as I want to believe that I am just very depressed, it looks like milk is the culprit. I have learned is the dairy is in anything worth eating. I am willing to bet that your favorite food contains dairy. I go back to the doctor on Monday, and then we start "re-introducing" dairy. There are degrees of lactose intolerance, and I will have the fun job of figuring out what I can and can not eat. I guess that means drinking milk and waiting around for side effects, which should be a lot of fun.

What has been fun is the amount of foods containing dairy that both Tommy and my mother now like to offer me. I realize that I use to eat a lot of dairy, particularly cheese, and they are not use to these restrictions yet, but it is funny none the less. Typically they offer me something, like ice cream. I respond that I can't eat it, and then they have a brief confused look on their face before they remember my intolerance and then apologize. I seriously think Tommy went from never offering me ice cream, to offering it to me 3 days in a row after my diagnosis. It was pretty great.

Also, I want to strangle people at my restaurant who order American cheese on hamburgers when we have so many other worthy cheeses available.

It appears that I have entered into the "everyone you know is getting married" stage of my life. I went to a wedding party last weekend, and I have a wedding this weekend. Two weddings in September, and others that I can't attend. Given that Hugh Grant's character name in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" was Charles, I have decided to imagine that my life is a British romantic comedy. For the record, it is thoughts like these that give me hope that depression can beat out lactose intolerance as the cause of my stomach ailments.

At the party last weekend I learned that there is a beach less than 30 miles away from D.C. While I wouldn't bring my surfboard, it is a lovely spot. While I was out there I also stopped by Annapolis, which I frequently forget a) is close to D.C., and b) exists. It was nice, kinda like Old Town but slightly younger and more energetic. I say that, but you must realize that I saw about 15-20 guys in seersucker suits in the span of about 45 minutes, so only slightly younger and more energetic.

Misc.

First, I don't mean to only post when I have a concert, but that is the way it has been recently. I realize that it makes this blog look like just a tawdry marketing scheme calling into question my journalistic integrity, but let me assure that that is not the case. I use Facebook for marketing, and general internet annoying.

Tonight we are playing at Chief Ike's with First Rays and Prabir and the Substitutes. This is a good lineup, and you should come for all of it. The show starts at 9:00, and the order is First Rays, Prabir, and then us.

As an interesting side note, Adam played in a band in the 8th grade with 3/4 of First Rays. They were called Incubus long before that other band busted out the turntables. I remember them performing a tribute to Kurt Cobain at the final 8th grade school concert. I can actually remember some of the verse, and it was great. Also, I frequently play with Andrew from First Rays in church, and have been for years. I am personally hoping for a final jam at the end of the night mixing their 8th grade band with contemporary worship songs. I think that it will be a lot like this,

except horrible.

The beach was good. Although it was weird to be at the beach with my friends for a week and spend the whole time sober, particularly given the amount of alcohol everyone else imbibed. Let me submit this as exhibit A:

Thanks to Julian for recording this. I should note that this occurred before everyone decided that they had to finish the handle of Jim Beam to prove something to Sommer, I was too sober to determine what. I also found it funny that Matt called it Jim Bean. I think that Jim Bean would be a great title for a fairy tale. Something like Jack and the Beanstalk, but with more vomiting.

I saw the specialist, and had some tests done, and apparently there is nothing wrong with me. I have no diseases, viruses, or cancer. Normally this would be good news, and it is, except that there is something wrong with me. The specialist's two current hypotheses are either:

1. The illness that I had in February changed the way I digest things and I might be lactose intolerant now. I checked on the hypochondriacs handbook WebMD and apparently this does actually happen. If this is the case the condition could either be temporary or permanent. I am currently not eating dairy for a month and then I go back to the specialist.
2. My illness is the product of an anxiety disorder and/or depression.

This is why I was pulling for a bacteria or virus. I figured that they could just give me some pills and clear everything up. Also, I don't see why the two theories are mutually exclusive. For example, I am not going to be happy if I can't eat cheese for the rest of my life. That is also why I am currently hoping for depression, at least then I will get some cool pills. Lactose intolerance is just too severe a punishment to bear.

So that is what is going on with me. As a side note, has anyone ever heard of the band Nomo? Just curious.

Another Day Another Destiny...

First, my band is playing tonight at The Red and the Black with The Chaos of Birds and The Daybreak Line. We should be going on around 10. Even if you don't like my band, come and enjoy H Street in all of its "transitional" glory.

In other exciting news, we have been asked to open for Pawns at The Velvet Lounge. As I wrote over at the band blog, this is the first time I have been in a band that has been asked to play a concert. I am use to begging for the right to play some horrible bars, and I just don't know how react. In many ways, I have already accomplished more with this band in two months than I did in 5 years with my last band. That realization makes me happy, although I do wonder what the hell I was doing for those 5 years. I would like to thank the internet for making being in a band easier. Also, I begrudgingly thank Myspace, although I am not happy about it. Now all I need is to actually be paid in some form, however small, for playing music. That would be nice.

I have decided that despite my recent misfortunes, I am going to only focus on the positives in my life. For example, I am grateful that there was nothing in my car when it was broken into on Saturday night. That will teach those thieves to break into crappy purple Dodge Neons. My stereo didn't even merit theft, how great is that! I am king of the world, albeit a ruler without a rear driver side window.

In actual good news, I am going on vacation next week. This will be my first real vacation in a while. In fact, I can't remember that last time I took a vacation. Hopefully my mysterious illness will play nice for the week.

The Deep Dark Truthful Mirror

Adam is very bored at work and made up a fake Power Point presentation for our band. Basically, it is just pictures with a brief description of all of us. For me he wrote:

Charles: Guitar, Bass, Piano, Vocals
Likes: Boxing, Smoking, Drinking, Cleaning, Complicated Stuff.
Dislikes: Too many to list. Suffice it to say, he probably doesn’t like something right now.

It is shockingly accurate.

In other band news, we had to cancel our Sunday concert at DC9. Mothers across the region can thank us later.

My Week...

Well I have had a fantastic couple of days. Where to begin?

First, it appears that I have contracted some kind of recurring disease. I won't go into detail, but I get these attacks that are fairly unpleasant and come without warning. I have been to see my doctor, twice!, and he finally got me on some medication that seems to be working. Apparently I have to take this medication for 2 months. I am not very happy about this. An unfortunate side effect is that this has made me more anti-social than normal, which is quite a feat. I wasn't even sure that was possible

When I went to get my prescription filled I learned that my insurance doesn't cover the drug in question, but they suggested a different but similar drug. I found it fascinating that my insurance, people who I have never seen, had the gall to overrule the doctor who had examined me. It is really amazing. Anyway, after a few calls back and forth between me, my doctor, and my pharmacist, we eventually all agreed on a prescription that wouldn't cost me $160 to fill. Hopefully it will also address my symptoms.

I decided that if this prescription doesn't work, my band is going to start playing Huey Lewis's "I Want a New Drug." Also, I then have to see a specialist!

In other news, while walking to work last Tuesday I got a ticket for entering an intersection after the signal had changed. The walk signal had changed to the flashing hand right right before I entered the crosswalk. Does anyone know why I should pay this ticket? I pay parking tickets so as not to get booted, but what are the repercussions for not paying this? Lead shoes? (Note, I think my ability to keep up my sense of humor despite these trials is admirable.)

I also got to play a concert while sick on Tuesday. Which is really not a lot of fun. The upside was that I left right after we got off stage, and thus didn't have to move any equipment.

Also, a speaker has blown in my car, thus reducing all music to a muddy distorted mess. Just in time for the drive down to the beach! I would really like to get this fixed, but I really can't afford it. Music is pretty much the only thing that keeps me (relatively) sane.

This problem is exacerbated because I have to drive back to the D.C. area to play a concert on Tuesday, May 29th. Apparently we "won" the show at T.T. Reynolds that I was sick for, and now play in the local music finals on that Tuesday. So I will be driving back to D.C. on Tuesday, and then back to the beach on Wednesday. Then I have to be in Baltimore for a gig on June 2nd. This will be a lot of driving with broken speakers. Maybe there is a good chop shop near my apartment where I can purchase "used" car speakers.

In real good news. I thought the Arcade Fire were really good on Friday. I had the "benefit" of never seeing them before, and thus nothing to compare them to, but I enjoyed it a lot. Also, Michel Richard's Central is a really good restaurant. It isn't even that expensive, well compared to Citronelle at least.

So that has been my week. The main problem is that I should avoid alcohol due to my medical condition. I have decided that avoid = "no whiskey, and slightly fewer beers." Of course, this has removed a my major coping mechanism, thus enhancing each of these problems. Sobriety is a curse unto itself, and almost too much to bear given the my other circumstances.

Thank You...

I intended to write this yesterday, but stupid work got in the way. Also, I was hella tired. Anyway, I want to thank everyone for coming out to see our debut on Wednesday. It went a lot better than I could have expected, although I am not the most optimistic person in the world so take that with a grain of salt.

I also want to thank everyone who linked to us. It was really unexpected. Personally, I was going to wait until we had played a few concerts before I demanded links. In fact, the bandwidth for our album was all used up and Tommy had to come up with some new hosting. I like to think of it as having been Yglesiased.

For a little behind the scenes information. I usually sing on more songs, but Aaron plugged in a short guitar chord, and I couldn't both play the guitar and sing at the same time. That is something we are going to have to work on. Also, the last song was so long because that is what a starting band does when they don't have enough material to fill out a set list. I hope to shorten it in the future.

Thanks to Tommy for the picture.

Donors Choose...

So this hasn't been a great week. Not a bad "get me a fifth of scotch" week, but a week filled with a series of minor annoyances that added up. I had a bunch of things I planned on accomplishing this week, and managed to complete none of them. It was irritating, and I am glad that the week is over.

The one bright spot was a package that I received from Donors Choose. Donors Choose is a non-profit organization that collects proposals for materials or programs from public school teachers and then asks for donations on their website to fund the proposals. You can read more about the organization here. You can search for proposals by area of the country, subject, and/or price range. One can also fully or partially fund a proposal. The non-profit use to go by the name Means for Dreams.

I came across the site a few months ago during my internet travels. I liked the idea behind it, and found that a Kindergarten teacher at a school near me had put in a proposal for a laminating machine so that her teaching materials would last longer. I decided to fund this proposal, put in my credit card information, and then didn't think much else about it.

Well a few days ago, I got a package in the mail with a lovely handwritten thank you note from the teacher, thank you cards from the students, and pictures of the students. I also got this poster.

It just makes me smile.

So let me encourage you to wander over and check out the site. We hear a lot of negative things about the state of public schools, particularly in here in the District, and this website is certainly not going to solve the big problems that our schools are facing. But if their are still teachers who still care enough to write proposals and go through the vetting process that the non-profit uses, and enough people who stumble across the site and help out with whatever they can, then maybe there is some hope.

Ash Wednesday...

I grew up in, and still attend, a lovely liberal Methodist church. The kind of church where people show up, participate in services and serve on committees and for the most part leave each other alone. This is a sensibility I also got from my family. We don't believe in "sharing" or "testifying" or talking about our faith. It is just not something my family, going back generations, does. We feel that our religion is no one else's business, and conversely that other people should keep their religion to themselves.

I think that is why I find Ash Wednesday so distasteful. People with ash crosses on their head strikes me as gauche and self-important. It just screams, "Look how religious I am," which again, I find distasteful.

I also happen to dislike Lent in general. I think that this question for Tom Sietsma's chat today illustrates why.

"Anonymous: Hi Tom! Can you please remind all the chefs out there reading that it's now Lent, and that they will therefore have big runs on the fish and meatless entrees on their menus on Fridays? It's never fun to go out at 7:30 on a Friday and have them already out of those!"

The thinking is that when you are not ordering the steak on Friday you are remembering the sacrifice that Jesus went through to save you from sin. When some one gives up Coke for Lent the hope is that they will similarly remember Jesus's sacrifice each time they go to the fridge, you know "Spiritually prepare for Easter."

Also, part of the reason why Lent is forty days, note that Sundays don't count in Lent thus we are 47 days from Easter, is because Jesus spent forty days in the Wilderness being tempted by Satan before beginning his ministry. So I guess the equation is roughly: not eating chocolate = Jesus in the desert.

Again, if find a little to much self-importance occurring during this religious season. It starts with crosses on foreheads and ends with fancy hats and sun dresses, and it is all showy. Again, it just rubs me the wrong way.

But what really gets me, and why I quoted the question above, is that the fasting and the cross only make sense if Lent is treated like a serious time of spiritual preparation for the holiest day in the Christian religion, if it were treated like Ramadan for example. It doesn't work if you want to make sure that Citronelle has something exquisite for you to eat when you go out on Friday night. I guess the hope is that one finds Jesus in their attempts to get around what are suppose to be his rules. I also don't mean to single that anonymous person out, I think that this line of thinking is widespread.

In the end, I am a person who has uttered the phrase "God damned church" more times than I can count, many occurring in the building itself. So I might not be the best person to opine on religious theory and sentiments, but if you left me alone I probably wouldn't have.

Lefou, I'm afraid I've been thinking...

A couple of quick things.

First, I posted a link to a song that I have been working on and have apparently used up my download limit for the week. While I doubt that this is because thousands upon thousands of people are eagerly awaiting my next project, it does look like I might need a better way to host these things in the future. Does anyone know of a better way to post mp3s on blogs? The only caveat is that it has to be free.

Also, I would like to thank whoever is responsible for the mystery valentines that are going around for including me. I have to agree with the Pygs, I have not been a good enough blogger to deserve it. So I thank you, unless you are planning to kill us all. I have been picturing a scenario where you kill each of us using a method from the Disney movies. For example, the valentine I received features Belle from Beauty and the Beast. I kinda believe that you are going to kill me by throwing me off of a castle. Frankly, there are worse ways to go.

And I'm Back...

So where have I been? Well, I am recording an album for this thing, and working on finishing another one that I have been planning for a year or so.

Also, I have been exceedingly sick for the past week. The problem is that I was so sick that I became gun shy; anytime I started to not feel normal I took it as a sign to get back home and lay on the sofa. For example, while I was out with Catherine on Saturday, I started to feel tired and slightly out of it, so I went home. I have a feeling that had I not been recently sick I would have just downed a Redbull and moved on, but the fear of reawakening the sick gods was overpowering.

Also, a lot of my free internet time has gone to playing this.

Finally, I just really have not felt like writing anything.

So as I ease back in, let me point you to this highlight from a recent Marc Fisher post. Apparently, Virginia legislators shelved this bill that would have made open containers of alcohol illegal in a car. Little did I know that passengers can legally drink in car, it just seems so illegal that I never questioned it. Personally, I love that the legislators shelved this law mainly because the proposed penalty was a $25 fine. I guess the wise people in the Virginia house feel that the punishment is too great. I don't know, if I were stuck in traffic near Reston I would willingly pay $25 just to drink my way through it. Just think of it as a cover charge.

I had a similar experience when I was taking the written exam for my drivers license. I got the following question wrong:

Who is required by law to wear a seat belt in the state of Virginia?

a) No one
b) The front seat passengers only
c) All passengers

I foolishly answered c when b was correct. You got to hand it to Virginia for disabusing me of any notions of required increased safety right when I was learning how to drive.

I am just a friend, that's all I've ever been...

Thanks to Ryan, I caught this horrible meme thing that has been going around. It is only fair, I got him a few months ago.

The idea is to write 5 things most people don't know about you. This is hard, because I am fairly private and I feel like I have kept a good lock and key on most of the things I don't want people to know about me; my desire and plans to kill Tommy come to mind. The problem with this list is that it tends towards the shameful or the crazy. This is mainly a function of the fact that no one would hide their best attributes. Like, I secretly give lots of money to charity and I love puppies and sunshine.

1) I don't have a very good ear. You would think that becase I am a musician I would have a good ear, with the ability to pick out lots of intervals and chords easily and the like, but in truth I don't. This is something that I have worked hard on, and gotten a lot better at, but it still doesn't come very easy. Playing the piano has helped a lot. Almost everything that I write comes from a lot of experimentation and study.

2) I instinctively divide numbers that I see into their prime multiples. For example, right now it is 1:11, which I turn into 111 and divide into 3 x 37. Now it is 1:12 which I have turned into 7 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2. This is also how I remember things like license plates and telephone numbers. As a side note, I really like multiples of 7.

3) I use to be mean. I was a horrible child. Along the lines of the DCeiver, I will explain with a story that makes me ashamed to this day. There was a kid in the 7th grade who wore a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shirt to school one day, and because 7th graders are obnoxious and want to think that they are becoming adults, he was mad fun of. A few days later, I found a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles doll and decided to write his name on it and hide it in our science class. A few days later, the teacher found it and asked it if it was his in front of the whole class. This of course only brought out more laughter at the expense of this poor kid. He is just one of many people from my childhood that probably has my name, deservedly, at the top of a hit list. My big problem is that one of them actually went and joined the Army...I am so screwed.

4) My sister is the only person who can really make me mad. While I do get upset with people from time to time, my sister is the only person who can anger me to the point of tears. I am not quite sure how she does it, but wow.

5) I have a weird vague feeling that I am going to die in a car crash. I just don't know where this feeling came from. Interestingly enough, I hate flying and prefer driving most places.

So that is it. I refuse to subject anyone to this horrible thing, also every one I know has already gotten it.

The Death of a Dream...

This post at DCist reminded me of the time that I had my guitars stolen in New York City.

It all started, like so many bad things, in New Jersey. While my band was touring we played a concert on the Jersey Shore. Unfortunately we couldn't find the right mix of a hotel that:

1. we could afford
2. wasn't all booked up
3. and up to health code.

So we decided to drive up to New York City, where we were playing the next night, and stay with my Bassist's brother in Chelsea.

We got up to New York, parked my 15 passenger Ford Econoline van and settled in for the night. The next night we pulled up in front of the club and went to unload our equipment only to find that all of the guitars and basses were gone. My first instinct was that we had left them in Jersey. Then my Bassist pointed out that the lock on the back door had been broken, and that our instruments had been stolen.

One of the things that was shocking about this theft was that our equipment was guarded by Animal. I figured that he would repel any would be assailants, but no; although none of the drums were taken. I took this as confirmation that drums are big and heavy and a pain in the ass to move.

So, we called the police and filled out the appropriate paperwork, mostly for insurance reasons. The cop told us to call up the local pawn shops, but that there was little chance of us getting our instruments back. He also suggested that we drive out to some park where drug users hang out, but was nice enough to add that we should call the police if we see our gear and not try to get it back on our own.

One of the bands was nice enough to lend up their instruments and we played the concert, although I was so angry that I don't remember any of it. After we finished up, we tried to decide what to do next. Two of my band members, who were being jerks, wanted to stay in New York and meet up with friends. These two also believed that we couldn't leave our equipment in the van with a broken lock. My Singer's parents were in town and he suggested that we store our remaining equipment at their hotel. What he didn't mention was that their hotel was right off Times Square. So the singer and myself drive to Times Square in my huge 15 passenger van at about midnight on a Friday night. It took us about 30 minutes to go two blocks, and there was no place to park, or just stop to that would allow us to unload our equipment.

At about 1:30 and I declare that I want nothing more than to get the hell out of New York City. So we meet up with the rest of the band and decide to drive to my Bassist's parent's house in Connecticut. Most of my friends have never seen me really angry, but when it happens I stop talking completely, lock my jaw, and just get an intense stare on my face. I also lose the ability to put up with anything. While we were leaving the city, I went through a police checkpoint. The officer had me roll down my window, and the first thing he said was "Are you Okay?" I grunted that I was fine. He took another look at me, and just waved me through. Clearly, an extremely angry person driving a huge van with out of state plates is nothing to be concerned with.

As we are leaving the van is completely silent, no one is talking and the radio is off. I haven't said a word in about an hour. At some point, a driver cut me off and I became the Mount Vesuvius of obscenity. My Drummer later told me that he was terrified to be in the van with me.

We got to Connecticut at around 3:00 or so, had a few drinks, and went to bed. The next day we borrowed more equipment for a horrible concert at a prep-school in Massachusetts. It turned out that the organizers having not planned where to put us, or how to amplify the concert so that people could hear us, or any of the other mundane things that go into a concert actually happening. So we had to scramble around to find a venue and figure out how to work the sound system. Also, a student at the school like our band and wanted to open for us, which we thought was nice and agreed to. It turned out that most of the crowd showed up for the sole purpose of heckling this kid. We had to pull him off the stage after about 15 minutes because it was just to tough to take, and that last thing this kid needed was to wind up crying on stage. We then played another concert that I was too angry to remember. That night ended with me and my Bassist yelling at each other for two hours.

Image taken by Darren Higgins

I am recounting this whole long story because this weekend pretty much killed my band. Before this weekend, everything was going well. We were developing fans and having a great time playing. After this weekend, my Singer ended up having vocal chord surgery, we spent a lot of money making an album that almost no one bought, and played shitty concert after shitty concert. Before this weekend, be use to look at concerts as competitions. We wanted everyone in the venue to know that we were the best band that night. After that weekend we started to see only the bad things that were happening to us, and that just took its toll. Arrogance is a necessary component to musical success, and after this weekend we started to lose our arrogance.

About six months later we were mostly broke in Chicago and decided to take a break and regroup. Mostly we were just tired, and after 3+ years we could no longer picture our Rolling Stone cover. We played our last concert in Alexandria, which curiously enough was the only concert we ever played that got written up in the Washington Post.

I should say that his weekend is not the reason why I hate New York City, but it is a reason why "(I Don't Want to Go To) Chelsea" is one of my favorite songs.

Breakdown...

I am not sure what happened, but it feels like working too damn much has finally caught up with me. When I was at the restaurant on Monday, I just hit a wall and I have been out of it since. Also, still no Wii and I am not very happy about that. But Thanksgiving is coming and I won't be working at the restaurant for at least a week so everything is fine. Also, The Hold Steady this weekend and I am looking forward to that.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, mainly because it involves sitting around drinking and seeing my family without the pressure of having to buy them anything.

The real reason for this post is that I wanted to pass along this video of Earl Scruggs and Friends performing "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" on the David Letterman Show. It is a pretty amazing collection of talent on that stage.

I hope you all have a good Thanksgiving.

A Suspicous Mind...

I just became eligible for my company's 401k plan. Part of the paperwork involves designating a beneficiary for my meager savings. As I am unmarried, this creates something of a dilemma. An obvious choice right now is to name one of my parents as my beneficiary, but that only creates more problems. Which of my parents is less likely to kill me for the contents of my IRA plan? My father just got a new 50 inch HDTV, so I think he is probably the safer bet. I could name my sister, but then I would need to hire a food taster with every new fashion season. Tommy is clearly out, he probably already has a list of computer crap that he needs right now and also has the most opportunity. Hell, I am ready to designate the first person who can put a Nintendo Wii in my hands either tonight or tomorrow.