so vague, I know

I like to think a random IP in Illinois is someone who knows who "B" is.


Ah reality escapes me once again.

: (

Sign up for Goldstar Events people.

They have *limited* $6.50 (+3.50 sc) tickets that are normally $38.50+sc for Peter Frampton this Saturday at the Wiltern. Seat location given out at box office at time of pick up, but still at that price who cares?

And I can't go ::sobs::

things I won't be around to see this weekend

Artist: The Muffs (myspace)
Song: Really Really Happy (2004)

Why: 9.29 Friday Kiss or Kill presents: The Muffs
also playing: The New Fidelity, Harvey Sid Fisher, Overnight Lows
@ Safari Sams, all ages, 10 bucks [there is $6 discount list - contact me]

youtube link


Other things this Saturday I won't see

Free Museums (link)
Free Dr Jane Goodall - Roots & Shoots Day of Peace @ Griffith Park (blogging.la link)
Free Classic Car Show in Monrovia (blogging.la link)
The Mormoms @ Plush Cafe, Fullerton $8
Viva Voce, Silversun Pickups @ The Echo

new game: confession or lie?

Many years ago a dear friend rolled off me and said 'I love you.'

[long pause]

My honest response was nothing and it surprised me as much as her.
The only time in my life this ever happened.

power out

Last Thursday I left my sheltered world of couch and television to catch Irving, Monsters are Waiting and the Oohlas.

Drove out to Hollywood straight after work, did some shopping at the 99cent store in Little Armenia where the cashier eyeballed me for a couple seconds and then offered me the 99cent long distance card.

"...you can call your family out of the country"

I'm wondering as to why she was offering it and who the hell would I call.

"I don't know anyone who lives out of the country, let alone outside California"

"You don't???"

She had the odds on her side I guess...

In Hollywood there was little parking because of the Jackass 2 premiere and that cheese festival going on that street next to Hollywood High. As I was driving up Orange I almost collided with Rip Taylor as he jaywalked from the Roosevelt Hotel heading East. Okay I didn't almost hit him but I did imagine him tumbling onto my hood, cracking the safety glass windshield in mixture blob of synthetic hair, blood, sequins jacket bits and glitter sprayed across my car.

Sadly this didn't happen.

Parked by Ihop and read.
Walked around got coffee
Walked backed to the car to get my notepad
Sat at the planter enjoying The Oohlas. I know they're the darling of some blogs and are even one of the first bands to be signed nyc blogger Melody Nelson's new label. If you were a fan of Belly/Throwing Muses/Tanya Donnelly and such you'll like them as I did as each song finished through the the first half of their set.

Then the power went out at Hollywood & Highland.

Various members of Irving and Monsters are Waiting were on the phones or looked a little confused having just showed up as the emergency lights came up. It wasn't that dark actually considering the before and after. That courtyard is in serious need of some dramatic lighting if most people couldn't tell the difference.


Corey eventually showed up and we decided In'n'Out was in order and conveniently in the directions of our cars. Ashley came by but after walking around Hollywood for a bit without a destination in mind we ended up just calling it a night and going home.

blah.

things discovered lately

Solare - The current band I'm digging

nogoodforme.com - A LA/NYC fashion and sometimes music blog

Mild migraines - much worse than my normal headaches

On another note...

A few months ago a friend asked if I was dating someone.

"I never see you with anyone. And I know for a fact you're not gay."

I answered her with a positive chuckle wrapped negative response. She brought up the internet dating option and spoke of how truth was a flexible concept when it came profiles and the actual person.

Everybody lies on the Internets I said.

She wanted to know why I wasn't dating and I told her what I've always known: What little time and energy I have right now needs to be spent on becoming the person I'll be happy with. (I won't bore you with the details, but basically I'm retarded.)

She leaned into me physically with more questions and I could feel her breasts resting on my chest as lips spoke near my cheek. The brick wall held me in position as we talked ear to ear, the scent of freshly chewed gum finishing her sentences.

This wasn't flirting. This was just talking over loud music.

I confessed that my time was spent working, driving, sleeping and writing '...not very well mind you', but it made me happy. Better I felt.

What I was leaving out was how comforting it felt telling my lies.

this week I might go out

All free ('cause I'm cheap) except for Friday.

Monday: Thinking about seeing Lavender Diamond at the Mountian Bar in Chinatown. Has anyone been to this place yet? Hmm maybe a cheap night at Little Cave instead? Anyone?

Tuesday:

Rob Z with Izzy Cox, Vera & Jane (ex Ze Auto Parts), and the amazing (so says Corey) Jessie Deluxe (acoustic)

Wednesday: take over the world

Thursday:


3rd Thursdays @ Hollywood & Highland (@Virgin Megastore)
The Oohlas, (? pm), Monsters are Waiting> (@9pm), Irving (?pm)
This is a definite for me

Friday: Kiss or Kill (5 bucks**)
The Power Cords 9:30-10:00, The Randies 10:15-10:45 (tour kick off), Overnight Lows 11:00-11:30, Pu$$y Cow 11:45-12:15, Cakecutter 12:30---

**All proceeds from this show will go to help replace CakeCutter's Gaby Godheads guitars (which were stolen at the Sunset Junction show) - Minimum $5 donation

Special Guest DJ - Keith Morris (of circle jerks).
I'm sure I'll enjoy him during my walk from the patio to the bathroom. whatever.

McDonalds @ sunset

Took a break from the Sunset Junction crowds at the McDonald's to eat a reasonably priced meal, drink an unlimited supply of soda, speed up the arrival of my first heart attack with yummy french fries and mostly to sit in an air conditioned room away from the bands.

Situated myself in the corner facing away from the interior, tired of looking at people. My hyper observant skills have kept me speeding ticket free, but I often tire out from visual information overload fairly quickly and my positioning worked until this odd couple sat at the table next to me chatting about the fair so far.

It was either a first date or an odd pairing of classmates because I couldn't spot the common thread in their conversation to explain this pairing at all. She had a thick Asian accent and a most unfortunate silly hee hee laugh and him with his Midwestern twang. Recent transplants to Los Angeles? Escapees from the Inland Empire or worst, Orange County? Did they on craigslist's strickly platonic"?

"Where did you park?"
"I don't know!" She giggled out.
"10 miles!?!" That was his follow up, his punchline.
"No!" giggle giggle.
He laughed at her. She laughed with him.

I rolled my eyes as I'm jotting this down. Outside I watched a teenage girl with a giant fake mustache curtsying to a stranger walking by.

"I'm so thirsty," said Giggley.
"What?" He asks but doesn't understand her even the second time and shrugs it off when his phone rings. He answers it. Of course he does.

"Sea Bass! Sea Bass! [I swear this is what he said] What side are you...in Echo Park...on the Hollywood? Arvi? Where are you? What? Where are you? Sunset and what? What? Where. Are. You?

I wanted to jab my pencil in his throat, then grab that phone and slam it inside that giggling girl's mouth as she quietly giggled to herself.

"Yeah Hyper... Hyperion and Sunset."

I notice this orange ghost in the window reflection in front of me. Next to me is side show bob crackhead asking the annoying couple for change. Mumbling his words as his right arm dangled.

"Sorry I don’t have any money," phone guy says hanging up, "I'll give you some fries."

Crackhead doesn’t comprehend this at first and starts his spiel again. Guy repeats his offer until the crackhead pauses, wobbling back a step.

"Oh Man, Oh Lady," this is taking all his strength, "I don’t need anything to eat, I just need a dollar to get home."

The guy repeats his gesture as crackhead sways his head in the opposite direction, body following the momentum towards my table. I give him a corner eye turn.

"Hey ma..."
"I don’t have anything. Sorry."
I only gave him the right side of my face and with that he turned and walked away. We eat in peace.

Two minutes later the orange glow is back in the window. I look at the phone guy. The phone guy looks at me as the crackhead begs for change to make it home again.

Thank you drugs for another beautiful moment in Los Angeles-ish.

9.11.06

Five rings and I'm about to hang up.

Her: This is ......
me: Hey this is Robert.
Her: Hello?
me: ......?
Her: Yeah.
me: This is Robert
Her: Hello???

It was an WTF?!? fake surprised hello but she was definitely surprised.

still on break - this doesn't count

Thank the internet gods for boing-boing.net and the great links they find such as this one:

Mickey Mouse, 9/11 Co-conspirator

stilltakingabreak

Artist: Wolf Parade

Song: I'll Believe in Anything

Why?: yeah. sure. exactly. Not my favorite song from them but what is up with this video?

other: crisper (.mov) version can be seen here

hiatus

I'm taking a break. Officially
I'll be back in a couple of days.


Oh since I can't make it to NYC and this band won't drive out to Los Angeles, you folks in Colorado might want to check out Man In Gray.

By folks I mean Bird and Munpe Q

Man In Gray will be playing the South Park Music Festival on Saturday, September 9th along with the following bands:

The Queers (Lookout!), Margot & the Nuclear So & So's (V2/Artemis),
Slim Cessna's Auto Club (Feat Jello Biafra), The Thieves UK (Century Media), VAUX (Outlook Music), The Motet (Spin Records), Steve Poltz (98 Pounder), Hot IQs (spinART/Morning After), Scott H Biram (Bloodshot), Photo Atlas (Stolen Transmission), Munly & The Lee Lewis Harlots (Alternative Tentacles), Born in the Flood (Morning After),The Railbenders (Whiskey Road), Those Young Lions (Affirmation Records), Angie Stevens, Otis Gibbs, Cameron McGill, Ladell Mclin, Matt Hopper

Tonight in Los Angeles:
Madame Sunsets Burlesque & Rock 'n' Roll @ the Cat Club

Starring Madame Sunsets Hollywood Kittens and Special Guest Troupe Sultry Savage Burlesque
Music by: Runon Fragment, ROB Z & MIKE SCHNEE , The Elegant Bastards, AFTER, Chinese Sister and more.

Where have I been?

Sleeping off a cold this week leads to a boring me. I think the 12+ hours spent at Sunset Junction last weekend is what really did me in with the sun, dealing with the crowds, all whilst nursing a slight hangover from Friday night.

Bands watched:
Present Tense, Powercords, Monsters are Waiting, Lavender Diamond, The Eels, Bang Sugar Bang, Pu$y Cow, and ending with my first viewing of the band Cake Cutter.

Bands enjoyed from afar :
Great northern, the little ones, and a bunch of DJs

A quick review :
Corey and I think Monsters Are Waiting get a little weirder each time we see them. This show I noticed longer warped intros to all the songs, other than that they were great.

Lavender Diamond had a cutesy singer with a matching cutesy folk rock sound. They're opening for The Decemberists for some October shows which I would consider a good match. Will check them out agian.

The Eels were pretty cool - this losanjealous.com review sums them up perfectly.

On the Kiss or Kill stage at El Cid, Cakecutter were just crazy fun on many levels.

From their site:

What do you get when you take a slammin' dual-drumming rhythm section that works like a tightly-knit machine with thunderous bass tone, add a flamboyant, drooling crossdressing guitarist that shreds to the bone and throw in a spazmatic, charismatic and melodic female frontman who rocks all over the stage like a Ritalin kid on a severe sugar high?"

Cakecutter has a song called "Fly" that is used in the movie "Jackass: Number Two" and can be also found on the soundtrack. I mentioned this as an explanation as to why Steve-O jumped on stage before their set and instantly cleared out the room. The night then finished with Chris Pontius's band made up of some friends, wiht most of Cakecutter backing them up.

I don't have an ending to this but other stuff happened that I'll write about.

Things like strange conversations I eavesdropped on in McDonalds
Things like being pointed out and wanting to be anywhere other then steps I stood on.
Things like...