RIP Irene Cara 💔

When I was 11 years old, I saw the movie “Fame”. 5 minutes in, I knew, I had to live in NYC, and these were my people. The madness, chaos, grit and a bit of danger were all strangely appealing, but Irene Cara and this song showed the vulnerability and freedom that lies in that vulnerability. When I was 15, I auditioned for Duke Ellington in DC. And the opening chords to this song rang out from the audition room for about 85% of the people who went in. Typical of me, I didn’t want to do what anyone expected of me, so I auditioned with the Hallelujah Chorus (thank you NCS Glee Club). But in my head, I sang along to “Out Here On My Own” with each audition. I got in, but fate sent a me different way. A way that worked out for me. Not better or worse, just different. I went to NYU and never left NY really. And creative people are still my people. Rest in Power Irene Cara, and thank you for inspiring many of us to find our place and our people.

Review from “Friday Night Tea Party” #3: 10.18.19

This review is published HERE:

The third installment of the Friday Night Tea Party at Swing the Teapot songwriter series featuring Carol Thomas.

FRIDAY NIGHT TEA PARTY #3: 10.18.19

The joy that singing can bring to the human condition is not unlike the light cracking the shade of the morning dream. You wake in it as if it is the greatest idea in that moment of time. Everything else melts into the darkness before it. Everything else is still slumber.

When Carol Thomas (Carol Thomas MUSIC) sings, you can sense the joy in her, and that joy (if you let it) can penetrate your soul (if you believe in it). It’s not that her work is not infused with melancholy and grief. On the contrary, songs like “Poor Ophelia” and “Keeping Quiet” are fiery retorts to the lament that accompanies silence and silencing on many levels and “Just You and Me” is really a deconstruction of the institution of love albeit one dressed up as a wedding song. (Carol jokes about how she has sung about no more “shackles or chains” at friends’ marriages.) It probably has something to do with the act of singing itself—that magical trick of breath and shine—and how we can’t take it for granted.

After many years of playing the scene in the New York City metropolitan area, which included not only performing and recording her own material but organizing events such as Ladyfest and sitting in with friends’ projects, Carol stepped away from music for serious and pressing medical issues. Coming out of this difficult time is, no doubt, partly the reason for the joy she exudes tonight. Paired with the sheer delight in reaching back into memory and remembering who we were and what we were doing when we made what we made, the joy is contagious. We smile in a quiet kind of reverie, because Carol is a songwriter that writes deeply private and even idiosyncratic music but for public consumption. We sense the heaviness but are lifted in the breeze like a kite, with additional stirring aerodynamics provided by scene veterans Jason Isaac on snare and Matthew Iselin on piano. Carol brings the same warmth to the covers she reinvents (The Beatles’ “Let It Be,” and Zero 7’s “Somersault” are notably transformed) and makes her own.

The kind of joy I’m talking about in this review is akin to the “thing with feathers” the iconic American poet Emily Dickinson wrote about. It’s the strange hope that comes to us vaguely, oddly, and hinting at familiarity. In her poem, hope visits in the darkest storm and asks “not a crumb of her” for the rekindling of that inner light. I’m reminded that singing and live music can be like that tonight. I think, perhaps—more than the poem even, which is a singularity that lives mostly on a page or screen and then into the mind—the song delivers this weird bird better because it marries sound to word. There’s a need of an other at play, a tension that’s caused by two forces coming together, a tension that births our delight. Add an audience and there is no ceiling to our rapture.

If you don’t believe me, you can see for yourselves next month.

To learn more about Carol Thomas, please visit www.carolthomas.net.

The Friday Night Tea Party is a new songwriter series curated by poet, musician, and educator Alan Semerdjian and happens on the third Friday of each month at Swing the Teapot in Floral Park, NY. For more information contact semerdjian@gmail.com.

The next installment of the Friday Night Tea Party is 11.15.19 and will feature the acoustic duo Wolfeboro.

Award-winning writer, musician, and educator Alan Semerdjian has curated several arts series over the last two decades including The Conklin Barn Singer-Songwriter Showcase, The Long Island Pulse Singer-Songwriter Series at The Cinema Arts Center and at LIC Bar, and The Body Electric at The Walt Whitman Birthplace. He curates, hosts, and performs at the Friday Night Tea Party at Swing the Teapot in Floral Park, NY monthly. You can learn more about Alan’s music at www.alansemerdjian.com.

https://soundcloud.com/carol-thomas-music/psl13109_justyouandme

https://soundcloud.com/carol-thomas-music/beekman-place-lic-bar-9313

summer writing homework for all

in spite of it being summer, apparently children going into 2nd grade in NYC have homework. some take it seriously, others not so much. depending on the day, i fall into both camps. so my very wise husband decided that the best way to get junior to do his writing would be if we did it too. so i'm using this opportunity to start writing again. either lyric stuff, adding to this tumblr...something. the assignment is to write about summer experiences. today, i will write about an interesting encounter i had yesterday with my son, and the outcome. not music-related, but may become fodder for a song, who knows.

yesterday, i took little man to the greenmarket in union square. a tradition for me that i've held for about 28 years. i am, if anything, loyal! we go see "kevin, the corn man" from sycamore farms. theirs really is the best. so we park, and as i'm about to roll up the window, i hear a white homeless woman outside the window yelling at a black woman walking by. my son is curious about why they are yelling and unfortunately, what they are saying to each other. 

i missed the beginning of it. it's likely the black woman told her to "go get a job", a decidedly un-christian and un-compassionate thing to say. the homeless woman yells back at her that she's tried, but lost her job because of "people like you" (presumably black people, possibly of west indian decent) taking her nannying job. this is where the reptile brain in both kicked in. the white woman started going down the road of maligning every minority she could think of, and using all of the fun epithets that go with that. my son and i got a few as we walked past. not what i want him to hear, but frankly, it would be irresponsible for me to shield it from him, as it is an unfortunate reality in our world.

the black woman kept yelling back from a 1/2 block away about how lazy the homeless woman was etc... none of this was helpful, and i was frankly embarrassed for human kind in front of my son who started interrogating me on every aspect of what they were saying. 

instead of getting too into it, i simply said, sometimes, grown ups have a hard time speaking kindly to each other because bad things are happening in their lives.

we shopped. met family and friends at the market, then came back. with junior safely in the car, i took an apple we just bought, and i gave it to the white woman (still sitting there). i looked her right in the eye, and i told her to have the apple and take care of herself, but try not to blame her lot in life on whole groups of people. there are good people of all colors and bad people of all colors, and i wished the very best for her that her life turns around. oddly, she smiled at me, took the apple, and said she knew, but it was hard because she's so angry about where she is. i said, i can't imagine, but i don't judge her for it. so maybe she won't think all black people are out to get her.

i didn't do this for her. or to stand up for my west indian brethren. i did it for my son. i got in the car, and he asked me why i gave the lady who yelled at us an apple. and i said that just because someone spews anger at you, you have the option to be kind to them. both of them may go on in life and continue on as they had. i wish i had the forethought to say something to the black woman as she walked by as well, she was moving quickly, and I just don't these days. but hopefully, my son will think twice when someone is mean to him and think, hey YOU are mean, not everyone who looks like you. 

there are obviously so many aspects to this. but this isn't a dissertation. just managing a moment. and isn't that what most of us actually have to do every day? leaving the complexity behind and just trying to be kind to each other may sound pollyanna-ish, but it can go a long way. i can't do much these days. but i can do that.

Rekindled

Just a short post. Moving my old blog to Tumblr and updating my site. Feeling inspired to play a bit again, so the old stuff is here. Looking forward to the new. Stay tuned :)

Something New

So, been quite a while since my last gig, and a hell of a long while since my last blog post. What's up? A lot more of the same. Been on a bit of a hamster wheel of grown up obligations too boring to mention. Plus if I do start getting into it, i'll whine, and who wants to read that :) I'm improving, I guess. Better than the worst of it. Not quite back to my old self. But missing playing gigs, that is for sure. But what all of this resting has given me is the chance to listen to a lot of music. And I've found myself really getting back to listening to singers. I got into watching "Glee" (don't hate!), and that's actually steered me back on that path. I've been wondering a lot about what it is about what these artists do that compels me to listen so attentively. Lea Michele, Edina Menzel, Charise, Annie Lennox, Sinead, Tom Chaplin (Keane), Matthew Bellamy (Muse), Hailey Williams (Paramore), Kelly Clarkson, Brandi Carlile, The Civil Wars...and my (and apparently everyone else's current obsession)...Adele. That 23 year old south London girl hit the nail on the head, and finally helped me see what I couldn't quite get for 20 years. You can write songs, you can write and play beautiful music. You can have killer pipes. But until you take the heart on the page, and put it in every note of your voice, you just have a pretty voice. I know I have pipes. But I get lazy. A lot of people do. I get misguided. I wanted to be Ann and Nancy Wilson all wrapped up in one (but black). I wanted to rock. But maybe that just isn't me. I write the heart felt lyrics, but I need the true bravery to put all of the feeling behind it and sing it properly. I hid. We all hide. All day, every day don't we? So much easier. The older you get, the less time you have to really be yourself all the time. You are a lot of bits of different selves, and when you mix a songwriter with that, you get one schizophrenic individual. You have to. I know I have to. Because if I acted how I feel in my music, I couldn't get through daily life. So I hide. Age isn't my excuse. Before all of this recent stuff, I still hid. Behind guitar players, and big bands, and big noise, guitar playing, and closed eyes. It's natural. We all progress our own way. But Listening to Adele for some reason was my eureka moment. And suddenly I realized I have some work to do. And that's actually exciting. So, I've got a crazy idea. I want to get back to singing, but my muscles are still pretty weak. Getting through a 10-song set while playing guitar is a lot to ask of me these days. But just singing with a pianist and keeping the guitar at home, and trying to see what happens when I don't hide...now that would be an adventure. I need to get stronger anyway, why not try to find that sweet spot. So I may actually start my way back that way. Never fear, I'm not hanging up the band and the Tele for good. Just for a gig or two until I get my full strength back. A few teeny gigs in small places. No guitar hauling, just bringing my instrument (voice), and my words, and trying to strengthen that first. One thing at a time...what do you think? Who's feeling that?

Love from old friends!

Scarily, it was actually about 20 years ago when the beautiful madness started. I had just graduated from college and I lived in a swanky new building in what was then not so swanky Chelsea. I had no money, no furniture, and a room mate from China who would take off for 3 months during the summer leaving me a check for the full amount. Among my little circle of musical friends, I was the first one with a grown up pad that wasn’t a dorm. It was empty, at the end of the hall, pretty soundproof, no one lived around me and the building had an outdoor deck. It was a slammin’ pad for someone just out of college. It was perfect. It was there that I had my first non-school or church musical playing/singing experience. A good friend from the men’s volleyball team had a band. They all went to different schools. Two of them were still in high school! So when they played their first gigs in the city, they would crash at my fledgling bachelorette pad. And in the early hours of the morning, we would sit around with their (and eventually my) guitars and jam on REM, Beatles, U2 and a wide variety of tunes and styles. I learned how to play guitar because of those “sessions”. I learned to love all kinds of music, and sing stuff other than classical and show tunes in front of other people. Those nights are still some of the happiest memories I have, and the people who brought love and life into that room are some of my closest friends. They became family, like blood and we grew up together in that love of music, art and creativity. I’m by no means old. Some days I REALLY feel like I am, but I still have some miles left. Life has changed, A LOT. But that love is in there. For music, and for that family. And to have those boys organize a benefit show for an organization that helps people with my condition just brings home how special that bond is and always has and will be. There will be no shortage of love and appreciation at this show. But at the core will be an inexplicable connection borne out of those nights that keeps a fire burning in all of us through the morass of grown up life. It keeps me young, and the thought of playing with these guys again truly brings me back. If it wasn’t July, I’d feel compelled to crank out some flannel for the occasion…where the hell are my old combat boots anyway?!!..But if you can make it there, you should. So magic will be happening! Facebook Invite

11/12/10 - david mills, tremé, and funky coincidences

so i’m in the post-pharmapalooza fog. weird going back to work and just being “work” me when people know about “music” me…i can’t run and i can’t hide anymore, not a bad thing…and felt really good to get out there and sing again. and the LLNS crowd, massive, loud and full of love. was a great night! so tonight’s blog post is one i’ve been meaning to do for ages, but never had the energy. but it’s time… on one of those days when i was at home alone, sore, tired, 30 pills to take on various alarms all day…i did what as a paranoid person of the new millennium does…i googled myself. i do it from time to time to be sure there isn’t some crack pot review of something i did 15 years ago hanging out there, but also to check in on my digital distribution to make sure my tunes are where i agreed to put them…i’m sure there’s some narcissistic curiosity involved as well. i won’t lie…anyway, i stumbled upon something i hadn’t seen before. the blog of a guy whose handle was “undercover black man”. couldn’t dig up anything else about him on the page, but it was wild. someone had hipped him to me, and he was spreading the love. always nice to see on the net. and he had some mighty kind words for the old CT. check it out here: so, wanting to find out more about the kindness of this stranger, i dug around his blog site, and found myself on the most recent post, dated in April 2010. it was titled “Blowing UBM’s Cover”. And as I read, I was stricken by the sadness of what I was reading but also wonder and amazement. The post I speak of is here: It turns out not only had I heard of the man behind UBM, I was a fan of his work. His name was David Mills, and he had tragically passed away a month or two before I saw this blog from an aneurysm. He was a well known screenwriter and journalist in Hollywood. He had written for ER, Homicide and NYPD Blue before being one of the creators on The Wire and Treme. He was the man behind several controversial interviews of people on my radar in the 90s…Professor Griff from Public Enemy, and Sister Soulja. But aside from knowing his work, I was compelled by his story. He was from my home town, DC. Grew up about 10 minutes away from where I did. Had many of the same cultural touchpoints (Rare Essence and the DC go-go scene, but also a love of a wide variety of styles of music). He and my eldest sister were born days apart. The post his nephew made was compelling and beautiful, and made me wish I had known about this blog before, because this was a guy I would have loved to have a conversation with. But was not meant to be. The internet is a truly wild place. It allows totally unconnected people to connect. And can facilitate the mending of broken connections (thru sites like Facebook and LinkedIn). But it can make an anonymous person known to you in a few clicks. And unbeknowst to you, you’ve influenced someone. Changed their thinking. Altered their view. It’s incredibly powerful. I love that he was listening to “Keeping Quiet” while driving to visit his family over the holidays. When I think of it, it makes me smile, and it makes that creative circle feel real. Suddenly that song is not alone or anonymous. And again is a reminder that our art, when it’s out there, can have an effect. In a somewhat unrelated item…I’ll close with this addition. Last week, when rehearsing for Pharmapalooza, I walked out of the rehearsal room to get a drink. Upon turning the corner back to our room, I physically bumped into a guy who seemed oddly familiar. Frankly, after playing in NYC for 15 years, everyone looks a little familiar. But, when I got to our door, I realized…that’s Sean Lennon. In typical New Yorker fashion, I kept walking with no acknowledgment of my recognition. The biggest thing that went through my head is…my…life is strange. Because here I am, at a random rehearsal space in Manhattan, playing with my workmates (not my own band)…practicing a Beatles tune…and of all people to bump into…but hey…why not!?

11/11/10

So we did it! Pharmapalooza…and to me, it was a smashing success! In so many ways. LLNS put ourselves out there as a spirited, creative, serious group to be reckoned with. Now…in the competition, we didn’t end up placing…which I’m shocked at…but hey, it is what it is. But we rocked, and had a great time. The best part though was seeing about 60 people from my agency all out together, from all levels with a common goal and that was to enjoy each other and support their work-mates. That was pretty cool! I got to sing again, which felt great. This was far more nerve-wracking than I thought it would be. But once I got up there. I felt OK. Playing loud guitar was a blast. And the harmonies were great. I got to believe in my strength again and feel that buzz I really missed. Am I 100%, not quite yet. I got strangely crampy afterwards (don’t think I hydrated enough that day), and opted to not hang the whole evening (which sucked). And I am now a lot of woman to drag around stage (and I need to do something about that). But I LOVE singing. Music and singing have saved my life on more occasions than I can count, and it did it again for me last night. So my hope is to inch towards 100%…and definitely do this more often. Stay tuned…tomorrow will have a great blog post about interesting coincidences… Much love people CT—

10/25/10

This soul-blues singer/songwriter rarely plays guitar at the speed I need to for pharmapalooza…all i can say is ..ouch! but it’s going to rock. out comes the tube screamer :)

10/04/10

I’m back!! Been a rough 8-9 months. Much to tell, but at least have the blog back up and running. Stay tuned….

12/23/09

So…at the end of 2009 and where am I. Well, not too far from where I was last year which is disappointing, but it is what it is. Was planning to record, but that was scuttled by a day job gone insane, a crap economy, and a car accident. But I do intend to get back on that next year. Didn’t loose a pound. Actually that’s a lie. I lost several, gained them back, and am losing them again. BUT, I have a happy, healthy 2 year old who is a ball. A great home life. And that matters more to me than traveling from town to town crammed in a van and staying at cheap motels. I miss the gigs and meeting the people, but I don’t miss the lifestyle. Sorry…but that is the truth!…I’m playing with guys I adore and respect and still love music. Love playing, love singing. So why stop, huh? But I promised I would blog about something pretty magical that happened to me about a month ago, but never got around to it. So I’m making it my year-end entry. In early November, I got a random email from an old acquaintance, Frank. He is a teacher at a school in the Village, and had an interesting project he wanted to discuss with me. His 6th graders were reading “Hamlet”, and he wanted to use “Poor Ophelia” as something to bounce off of them to make the story more relevant. I said why the hell not, emailed him the lyrics, and frankly, thought the idea was cool, but was so caught up with “life” that I didn’t think much of it. When the morning came, I hustled down to the Little Red Schoolhouse, and sat in the corner of a 6th grade classroom. To say these kids were extraordinary would be an understatement. They were smart, sharp, engaged and curious. All one would hope for from a room full of kids. So my friend had printed the lyrics and asked them to annotate to them against the book. They were also watching bits of the Mel Gibson version of Hamlet. Don’t hate…that movie has one of the best depictions of Ophelia I’ve seen actually! Anyway, they didn’t know I wrote the lyrics, or even that it was a song. They read it as poetry, and also had no idea if the author was a man or woman. These kids examined my lyrics like House diagnoses a case. It was amazing to watch. It made me wonder if I got my facts straight. If I interpreted correctly. I actually started getting pretty paranoid! But their observations were spot on and amazing. I actually found myself welling up a few times. And for the corniest of reasons. No shitting you, I felt hope for the future looking and hearing these kids. I guess teachers feel this all the time. But a little semi-artist like myself locks myself in a candle lit room baring my angst while hiding it in song lyrics. Suddenly what I do, what we all do felt VERY real to me. When the big reveal happened, the kids seems shocked, and excited, but were really great. They asked loads of questions. And I played “Poor Ophelia” for them on a guitar Frank had borrowed for me. It was 9:30am, I was hoarse, and a little choked up at the whole experience, but I felt the meaning in that performance more than I had ever felt it before. It was incredible. And in that moment, I got it! I’m 40 years old. Not skinny. Not rich. Not perfect. Not always motivated. Not as tortured as I used to be. Life has now sucked a lot of motivation out of my day when it comes to music. Too many hours of my day are spent NOT playing music. But I keep on with it. I know I won’t be as big as U2 or as influential as Radiohead, but I do it because I love it. But also because I think it does matter. Maybe not to thousands or millions of people, but to those who get within my earshot, and connect with what I do. Artists allow people to connect to things they may either ignore or avoid. We connect people to the best and worst within themselves. We provide illumination, distraction, empowerment and sometimes just plain fun. ALL of us…not just the famous ones. And having that ability is an amazing gift that gives and gives back. So I play on. Maybe not all the time. Maybe not perfectly. Maybe not always when I say I will. But I play on. As should all artists, regardless of your station in life. Because there are a lot of 6th graders out there. And they are all inspiring, and need to be inspired. And they will all grow up one day to do great things, large and small. And in that…lies HOPE! Much love to all of you, and many many thanks for keeping me in the game and keeping me going. I promise more music in 2010. And I look forward to bringing you all along on the ride. Happy Holidays & Happy New Year! CT—

03/04/09

What to accomplish in 2009? so, kirstie ally had “fat actress”…i’m starting my own “fat rock star”! but i’m not a rock star. in my head i might be. i write a good tune or two, and if i liked living out of vans again, maybe i would be. i’m a musician with a day job like the thousands of other graphic designers in the NY tri-state area. so…as a result of sitting on my ass for 10-12 hours a day, i’ve “let myself go” as it were. well…that’s gotta stop now because not only will i need to chase my kid in the park this summer; i intend to have enough lung power to rip it up recording a cd later this year. so, fear of public humiliation is my remedy. (that and weight watchers with cindy) why make this public…it’s no secret, and i’ll take motivation wherever i can. so watch the notes. i’ll post to my site’s journal as well and actually try to keep it going. when i graduated from high school, i weighed 118 lbs and was 5’9”. i could sing contra-alto and hit notes that broke mirrors. too many cigarettes and years have killed getting back to that. but i’d like to feel like my old self a bit more, and maybe crack a highball glass before my days are over. so stay tuned. should be interesting.

03/27/04

well…winding down now…last night was another great night. though quite a bit tougher. went to MAU MAU in Notting Hill. the MC of the night, johnadam was really wonderful. i got to do 4 songs which was cool.. the place was a real mixed crowd. some stylish west end types, mixed in w/ quite a few people who would look perfectly comfy in williamsburg. but they were very chatty and the place was quite loud, so i wasn’t sure if i’d be heard or paid attention to at all. so i decided to start w/ the acapella version of the nina simone tune “feelin good”. in my true amazement, the room actually shut up, and they were cheering quite a bit between verses. i guess they know nina simone well here. usually when i sing that in the states, people think it’s nice and all, but aren’t that familiar w/ the tune. but a whole crowd to my right were singing along with the song the whole way. so that was an amazing start. there wasn’t quite as much attentiveness to the originals—though i guess they were actually listening. i did “how can you sleep”, “keeping quiet”, and “beekman place”. they all went over well, but the response when i was done was amazing. i could barely get back across the room. i wasn’t sure if they were listening while i played—and i was losing my voice a bit half way though b/c the smoke was really getting to me. but as i moved through the crowd. i got a lot of really amazing feedback. and the owner of the place actually offered me a gig on a saturday night. unfortunately, i leave monday, but i told him i’m looking to come back and tour later in the year, and i would love to play the club—so that’s a great contact. i’ve just been floored by the whole trip. it’s been really eye opening, and i feel really rejuvenated. beginning to formulate a game plan now. i’m thinking, i’ll record a live CD. much more affordable and will also capture more of my sound in it’s truest form. then head out later in the year and tour the UK, france and spain. maybe italy (eugene here i come!) then come back and try to push it more in the US. east coast first. do the jimi hendrix thing. i think there’s something to be gained by seeking an outside perspective. and i do think it’s easier to seek success elsewhere then come back to NYC, than it is to try to seek it in NYC itself…so i’m beginning to figure it out. anyway, one more tomorrow. the jazz jam at LUSH in islington. may either do “feeling good” or billie holiday’s “loverman”. we’ll see. all in all, a brilliant trip. walked my ass off yesterday from islington to st. pauls (about 10 miles). took some great neighborhood shots. way more fun than, see X church here, X museum there, look kids, big ben, parliament. seen all that crap before anyway. had a bit of an annoying afternoon trip as they closed the highbury/islington tube stop because of a stray bag left at the station. they are very paranoid about the terrorism thing and taking no chances. I ended up having to take a bus in london rush hour which crawled. way worse than new york. well, off to hit some galleries. a branccusi exhibit at the tate modern and checking out the crafts council in islington. not sure what we’ll be up to tonight, but i’m taking the night off of singing. the pipes need a break. more tomorow before i head out. peace…ct…

03/26/04

no open lics last night. the 2 i had scoped out were not happening anymore. decided to take it easy as i’m still under the weather. but finally had a decent italian meal in this damn country! a place called la fourchette on upper street in islington. reminded me of home. like a shining jewel…ahhh…real food. i decided what it is over here. (aside from a real lack of spice and their tendency to overcook everything)—they don’t put nearly enough garlic in anything. in my book, it ain’t food if there’s no garlic…my word for the day! anyway, tonight planning on resuming my open mic travels. going to a place called Mau Mau in Notting Hill. Should be fun. Also, finished a book by an old friend, Andrew Sean Greer (those of you who know me well will get the fact that he’s Mike’s twin brother)—anyway. His book is called “The Confessions of Max Tivoli”, and I highly recommend going out and getting it. it’s such a wonderful piece of work. sad, insightful, and beautifully written. i’m so proud of him! truly inspiring. and i’m not usually a fan of fiction. i’m a facts kind of gal…Making my way through “Fast Food Nation” now. another interesting read. haven’t gotten to the infamous chapter about slaughterhouses yet…doubt it will make me give up meat though. but it will probably make me think more about where my meat comes from! anyway, we’ll see, you may be hearing from a reformed vegetarian in a few days. Will report more later…Cheers.

03/25/04

just got back from THE LION (formerly The Stoke Tup), in Stoke Newington. another great night. i’m digging this country. the tele sounds amazing w/ the pod, and i’m beginning to feel a groove w/ the solo thing. but the crowds have been so supportive. played 2 tunes. they squeezed me in. randa played up the whole “she came all the way from new york!” thing. played “keeping quiet” and a new tune, “meant to be”. the new one went well. after some practice today, changed the ending a bit. i think it’s tighter now. went back to the “head” as they call it in jazz and finished as i started. sounds really cool. looking froward to cranking that one out stateside…no ed o’brien sightings yet in good ole london…damn…but i just feel so blessed to be on this trip and feeling out these people and the scene. quite a thriving open mic scene. feels like that’s where the real heart of the music is now. people doing their own thing. it feels the way it should w/o the industry bullshit. i’ve just never felt so positive about playing alone and so inspired at the same time. one guy cranked out a beautiful neil finn “fall at your feet”, while another was playing my old guitar—-o sheraton…i hardly knew ye! but i love my tele…there’s no going back. may hit another tomorrow night. still fighting off the heavy lungs. am doping up on echinacea, vitamin c, my beloved pressed apple juice, and cough medicine. how is it possible that after 15 years on the cigs and 2 years off, the smoke nearly kills you? so unfair.