thursday night = los abandoned

Artist: Los Abandoned (myspace)
Song: Van Nuys Is Very Nice, live on Conan
Why: All I have to say is that Los Abandoned is playing tomorrow for Hell Ya! at the Echo and it's going to be great!


video link Los_Abandoned_Van_Nuys_on_Conan

Thursday 11.30.06 @ The Echo, 18+, 5 bucks
with The Silent Years (myspace), and Castle Door (myspace)

different words for different places

in reversed order

On the way up to the airport we stopped at the northbound side of the 24hr service stop on route 24 so I could grab something to eat at Burger King.
"I'll have the number 1 with no onions and heavy mayo"
"I'm sorry you wanted a number one, no onions and what was the last part?"
"Heavy mayo," I repeated the burger king jargon to the burger king employee.
"Huh?"
"EXTRA mayo"
"I'm sorry.."
"Heavy on the mayo?" I couldn't understand the confusion as I spoke clearly with my Californian accent - the universal accent of television.
"Oh! you wanted heavy MAYONNAISE!"

ah the story of my life.

the night before

My last night was spent inside among family, my sister's friends, beers and a steaming plate of spaghetti. More beer needed to be picked up at a one of the friend's house in Middletown and I tagged along for the ride. On the return drive she took the scenic route where I was told this is where the real rich people of Newport lived and here are the beaches they visit far away from the tourists.

"I'm going to stop here and have another boagie."
"A cigar?"
"No, that's a stogie"
"Ah, oooh ok." Said with my 'you're a freak' look.

"What do you call cigarettes in California?"

"Cigarettes."

We parked at First Beach/Surfers Cove and walked onto the sand where the tide came a 'skoche" too close. It was here along the cliffs and below the prep school I remembered what the stars looked like again and the warmth of a forehead against my neck.

In this moonlight, with Atlantic air I listened to her lips ask "Why did you wait so long to kiss me?"

A different location will not change you

Today was probably a good day to not think of you.

I walked down Old Beach Road to Newport Beach stepping off the asphalt onto crunchy leaves as the occasional Audi passed by. It must be a New England thing where Audi is the car of choice.


The lazier folks drive down Mansion Row but I wanted to a take a walk along The Cliff Trail before it got too dark, before I got too drunk, before I reloaded your page again.

There is this point along the trail where a stairwell of 40 steps takes you right to the ocean at the edge of some rocks. Along piled slate walls and inch deep moss, I watch the tourists scrambled along the slippery rock formations - how little they know how close to death a mis-step might be.

A cute couple asks for directions and with my handy dandy map I show our location. "Everything is 10-15 minutes tops, I say with imagined authority, "You can't get too lost here in this tiny town."

It takes me 40 minutes just to make through Mansion Row and back onto Dunkin Donut row near the cometary, past the 18th century houses and back to my sisters flat. Oops

Last night was probably the worst night.
Looking out fogged up windows in a 20th century vehicle back from Providence, listening to 21st century XM radio. I wondered if the alone me 3000 miles from LA me has changed even a little.

Sunday evening 11.26.06

4.40 am Rhode Island time

written 11.26.06
pics from the shop next door to the restaurant

I've been drinking a lot with the kids in wonderful Newport the last few days.
I like Newport and the small town feel it has.

My sister lives in a flat a few blocks from the beach in one direction and the main square in the other. The bars are Irish and the only decent salsa I had in Newport was most definitely birthed from a jar.

Speaking of salsa, we drove up to Providence tonight so my sister could get the best mango margarita in New England from some restaurant on Federal Hill that claimed to be "an authentic Mexican restaurant." Apparently this means salsa is in reality taco sauce. I've been so mistaken all these years!

Seriously wtf is up with food over here?

Random facts about Providence:

Downtown lofts in Providence start at $150,000 and top out at 455,000 or so.
You can lease to own these lofts.
The most happening night spot was Dave and Busters.

I wouldn't want to live in Providence either.

LAX wasn't as bad as I thought it would be

so if you're standing in a line at five in the morning and if a ucla student turns to you to talk, the thing to do is talk back.

"excuse me," ms blue eyes said, "when is your flight?"
"seven"
"argh mine is in a hour, do you think I'll make it? I always do this to myself."

Hers was in a hour, mine in two. I held her place as she went down the block following the security check in line down beyond my sight looking for a faster way.

"yeah they really didn't care that I was going to miss my flight."
"Well they probably assumed that you knew to plan ahead and arrive early since it is Thanksgiving and all, maybe even showing up two hours early like I did.

She smiled at my teasing.

In the next 30 minutes we traded jabs about our hometowns, I taught her the power of positive thinking, she told me about forgetting to tip well during the holidays. In the final minutes of the screening line we shuffled through in our bare socks with a half hour to spare before her flight to a family wedding in Chicago.

After slipping her shoes back on, she turned to wait for me to catch up. I looked up with my boots in hand, laces to be tied. I was going to Boston; she wasn't.

"Looks like you'll be making that flight to Chicago after all."

After a long pause she thanked me for my help and that it was nice meeting me and to take care on my trip.

I wished her the same.

With a smile and two step slide she turned away and faded into the crowd terminal.

"It definitely was nice meeting you too" I repeated.

3pm your time

Here I am on the East Coast and I'm thinking about a West Coast girl.

typical.

At 5 in the morning I met a cute UCLA girl in the security line. The in flight movie was about a boy and golf. I'm going drinking after a day of drinking and will end it at a party drinking.

yay me.

snap your fingers

Just like that, my life is back to normal again.

You have to understand that I'm a mellow guy. I take things in stride. I keep things in perspective and my reactions in proportion to the events unfolding in front of me. Last week the important, "real", what I don't blog part of my life was being kept from me and I thought I would be in court for the next ten years dealing with this crap - and it would've been ugly.

So last Thursday I did what any person having a breakdown would do in that moment; I got drunk.

Went to The Couch at whatever that hipster bar on Santa Monica and Vine is called the Three Clubs to catch The New Fidelity (and later The Prix who I loved) around 10pm and also to get drunk. I think I mentioned that part already.

After getting unlost (not a real word), I parked across the street and wondered about two things:

Should I just turn around because I was tired and wouldn't know hardly anyone there?

And WHY THE FUCK IS MY CAR STEAMING?

Apparently I had a crack in the radiator and not a crack in the hose like last time and so it was easily fixed the next day with epoxy. Ran across the street and found the usual cute New Fidelity folks and thankfully a friend was there to talk and drink with. A few strong drinks later it's 3 am and people are getting pick up on by strange Argentines, having cute girl group photo shoots against a dry cleaner window, and a word or two said about me living close and someone living less close and I don't where I was going with that.

So my days went from hell to seeing the movie Happy Feet (cute) on Saturday, The Doo Dah Parade on Sunday and then a spur of the moment decision to visit a bunch of sailors in the Navy band in Rhode Island this Drunksgiving instead of a whole lot of nothing by myself.

So, so much better.

the deal so far

I have to take care of some things that need taking care of.
I will be back eventually.

Life is a messy beast sometimes.

strange timing

[start dear live journal entry]

I don't want to work - I just want to write today. My heart pings with pricks of pain today (an ongoing stress problem) with back and forth emails regarding my previous rental deposit. I'm losing a lot of it due to my ex-roommate's inability to not break things during my last trip up to the Bay Area. grr

I have to work on Saturday or I won't be paid for the day after Thanksgiving.
WTF, WTF, WTF, WTF!


Another email says there's an open QA position at a company in Torrance...

[end dear live journal entry]

this family has issues written all over it

How old is that girl? Too old to have a doll in a matching dress I tell you. And what kind of dress is that? I have better looking Christmas place mats in a drawer somewhere.

Factor in the deer in headlights stare of the son just back from standing on a desk declaring "O Captain! My Captain!" and Droppy Dog in the background wishing Mother Dearest had let her bring her doll on stage too and you have one damn funny pciture.

Sucks to be a losers and having a name people have been making fun of for years.

the good and the bad

Band: She's Your Sister
Song: Gravity
Why: because they rocked last night and you should vote for them in The YouTube Underground Contest.




The Good: drove up the 110, through The Slot into my apartment within 20 minutes. Sure beats the old 1.5 hr commute.

The Bad: Pancakes for dinner and coming down with a cold.

The Good: A kick ass set by She's Your Sister last night at the Key Club. They sound so much better live than that video above might leave you to believe.

The Bad: I knew better in my Bay Area days but why, oh why did I not curb my wheels last night? Stupid $15 ticket from the the fine city of West Hollywood. Yay.

The Good: Catching the first night of Great Northern's set at the Echo. I've had a few tracks in my music mix and briefly caught them from afar at Sunset Junction, but nothing beats seeing a band in its truest form, live and in person. I recommend checking them out one of these Mondays (for free) with Division Day on the 20th and Irving on the 27th.

The Bad: Finding my tire flat again. I need a car that floats. Stupid Jetsons will never happen, will they?

part 2

ha. I just published that one line. oops

Family was coming over on Saturday and in desperate need of clean clothes I headed over to Lucy's to get my wash did. yeah did. Maybe it was the combination of being extremely tired and slightly spoiled with my own washer and dryer for the last ten years, that found me dazing at the detergent/bleach/softner slots on the top of the machine in tilted puppy head slight confusion. I must've said something out loud because the guys next to me was "Um, use number one." Here I am 34 years old and apparently commercial washers, like cute girls, intimidate me with all those slots and things.

So T came by @ 9am in a vehicle too big to find a parking space so she was dropped off as her significant other drove around for awhile. The thing with T... well I get to read crap in emails about anything I do in my life.

'You have been too engrossed in how shitty you think your life is for me to trust your judgment.'

Her splinter jab was blocked by my counter argument shield.

'I'm unclear as to what point you are trying to make here exactly.'

The best defense is confusion and denial.

Really now. At what point will she understand that, though less than ideal, I'm relatively happy with my little life now?

Instead of hitting the Silverlake Lounge for a Friday night of great indie rock
I did laundry.

Kiss or Kill options - Sat @Vegas - Mon@Sunset Strip

Kiss or Kill is in Vegas this Saturday, so stop by the Double Down Saloon for the show starting at 11 pm with:

The New Fidelity 11-11:30,
Underwater City People 11:45-12:15,
Silver Needle 12:30-1 ,
Bang Sugar Bang 1:15-1:45,
Pu$y-Cow 2-2:30


Then on Monday: Metal Skool @ the Key Club
Kiss or Kill Presents beforehand:
Special Guests - Shadows Fall 11:00 (hey I could care less about this band, but some you ozzfest lover might appreciate them)
She's Your Sister 10:00 <--- love them
Wrapt In Plastic 9:00
do a little looky looing around the Kiss or Kill site or KorK myspace and you can find out how to get in for free instead of paying $15

My crotch area is making noise

I haven't worn corduroy pants since elementary school but decided to buy a pair a couple days ago. I ran my hand across the fabric's mild grooves and bought it on a whim, though I have vowed publicly never to wear corduroy again.

It seem like all my choices have been like that lately, full of contradiction or randomness.

Now I'm haunted by school-age flashbacks of walking with the same whoosh whoosh sound my pants are making today.

damn you corduroy pants.

LoveLikeFire = SHIGM

Slight change in my plans for the weekend has open up the possibility to catch another band I've been keeping an eye on lately.

This time it's San Francisco based Love Like Fire (site, myspace) made up of former Bay Area indie band members Jake Hosek (ex-Stratford 4), Andrea Caturegli (ex-Stratford 4), David Farrell (ex-Catholic Comb) and Ann Yu (ex-the disappointment).

Another Bay Area SHIGM (SuperHero Indie Group Mashup)?

Now The Catholic Comb I knew about because a former co-worker's little sister (Kelly-Jean Rice) used to play bass for them (who amusingly won the the East Bay Express award for most charismatic member, reportedly for never making eye contact and often turning her back to the audience for most of the set), but it LoveLikeFire's Ann Yu that am I most familiar with as the singer for The Disappointment (myspace) and its earlier SHIGM, The Evening Lights (myspace) back in 2003.

While the direction of LLF's Bed of Gold ep is definitely more strip down indie rock over the Evening Lights appropriately titled album Landscape of twee indiepop, what jumps out on both efforts again is Ann Yu's simply sugar crack addicting vocals. I love writing/reading/doing almost anything to these songs.

You can pick up Landscape off the Shelflife Label site for a mere $5, download the similar sounding Disappointment tracks off their abandoned myspace page and four excellent tracks off LoveLikeFire's new ep off their site.

I'm going to give you the wonderful & out of print Evening Lights 2003 live tour cdr (sendspace / .rar of 6 mp3s)

LoveLikeFire
El Cid 4212 West Sunset Blvd. $8 21+
Citizens Here and Abroad @ 11:30pm (another great band),
LoveLikeFire @10:30pm
OK Stranger @ 9:30pm