Philly, New York, and Boston - Oh My!
In the van we’re debating the best way to describe the gleeful, beer-curdling, eardrum-bursting response of our Brooklyn audience when, in a lull between songs, we simply exclaimed the fun, rolling syllables “O-BA-MA!“ DuContra isn’t sure how to accurately describe the highness of the pitch. And Carl isn’t sure how to describe the sheer overwhelming power that i witnessed rock him backwards clasping his ears, with a look of fear in his eyes. It was probably most like standing in front of a double jet engine. At 30,000 feet. Yes, we were exceedingly grateful the NYC audience was very much on our side…. but nothing in our set could compete with the ovation for President Obama. Still, we couldn’t complain, as we concurred wholeheartedly, and besides, all the positive energy was harnessed to contribute to a great night playing a sold out show in our hometown.
Despite the home-team crowd, perhaps because of it, we found ourselves more nervous than any other of the tour. We all had butterflies in our stomachs. Not just because it was a big, beautiful venue, but mostly because friends and family came out and we wanted to justify our existence. I guess. Either that or it was Philadelphia’s cheesesteak from the night before. But in any event, The Prigs were stunningly joyous and rocking, and kicked the night off in the best possible manner (converting the audience) and made our job easy, thank you very much.
I need to recognize the wonderful city of Philadelphia and the North Star Bar. The day started out perfectly with the band live on WXPN and WMMR. Then for some classic Philly Cheesesteak at the Reading Terminal Market. And then just about the coolest rock bar East of the Delaware River. And run by the nicest people. We were thrilled to have our Brooklyn friends in the amazing (new!) band Xylos join us for the first of two nights. By the time we took stage we were all feeling the spirit, and as such gave a very spirited and sweaty performance. Panties where thrown. I think they were Carl’s. I’m not sure. We may never know. It was our first show in Philly, and filled with, well, phillies. There were actual Phillies baseball players there. And lots of young men and women. Really… can’t complain.
Last but not least - I’ve played Cambridge a dozen times, so it was especially neat to get The Bothers across the frozen Charles River (quite a sight!). TT the Bear’s, as they call it, made for a perfect inaugural Boston show for The Brothers - a real downhome joint. We invited Noam Chomsky to the show, would have loved to see him nodding his head and tapping his foot on the sticky, beer-bathed floor, but that wasn’t to be this time. But Boston is a major music city, and the Chomsky-less audience clearly demonstrated their enthusiasm. We were fortunate to have an absolutely killer local band open up - Mean Creek. We were also blessed to again have the camaraderie of The Dresden Dolls’ Amanda Palmer, who we had played with in DC. She had us over for dinner to her magical townhouse in the South End where we partook in amazing Thai food and a lively conversation about plastic surgery, Dolly Parton and David Bowie. Amanda Palmer has a slamming new record out - her first solo one. Check it.
With that, we officially ended our East Coast US Tour. I must say I favored spending winter in Oz-land, but regardless of hemisphere, and weather conditions, we found our first major foray into the public sphere in two years to be overwhelmingly warm and mirthful. Even though I had to warm my feet with a hair dryer on more than several occasions. You know how i said i was sick of palm trees and perfect weather? I take that back. I’m still trying to thaw out 5 long days after Inauguration, up though a frozen east coast, in a salt-crusted van, passing frozen ice-choked rivers and perma-frosted fields. But you know what they say, Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor gloom of night shall stay these musical couriers from the swift appointment of their completed rounds. Just like Buddy Holly. The sum total of my advice is this: Don’t wear Chuck Taylors in a Northeast January, and Do Get Out and Travel More.
Posted on 01/26/09 at 11:41PM |
DC Inauguration! “YeaaaaaaaaBooooooooooooYEAAAAAAAA!“
I don’t know where to start except to state the obvious rhetorical question: HOW FREAKING AMAZING IS THIS? We took a long walk from the hotel to the Washington Mall, each block more and more people, until every street was jammed. Yet amazingly enough, we ALL made it in timely fashion to stand near the Washington Monument about 100 yards from a “jumbotron” TV. I don’t think we’ll ever be surrounded by such a mass of humanity ever again. Especially such a beautifully cool mass of humanity, all watching TV together. It was like a Super Bowl party, without the lime-flavored nachos and the salty halftime show. As the dignitaries began to approach the crowed cheered each one. It got comical when Joe Biden came on the TV and the everyone cheered - then when they cut to Bush everyone booed - then they cut back to Biden and everyone cheered. It sounded like one big word: “YeaaaaaaaaBooooooooooooYEAAAAAAAA!“
When it came to the speaches everyone got so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The million people hung on every word. When Aretha sang the national anthem the delay from all the speakers echoed off the monuments and around the mall. When the preacher came up to off the invocation many hissed and muttered due to his politics, but several people said “it’s alright, let us pray.“ And it was incredibly moving to pray with all of those people for the best for our country, our president, and our world.
But i sure could have used a hot toddy. i think i’m still thawing from standing on the Washington Mall for several hours. memories grow even fonder as i get feeling back in my toes.
Later that night we played the historic 9:30 Club for the Rock the Vote Party. You couldn’t ask for a better night and a better crowd. And we all were in awe as the Dresden Dolls took the stage after us. Afterwards we headed for Red and Black, a totally great bar/venue with super cool staff.
I felt like it was New Years Eve all over again. a momentous New Year - a New Era, in fact. And in fact, it is.
It’s funny, I’ve been in NYC my whole life and I’ve NEVER been to Times Square to watch a light-ball get lowered down a pole… and I can safely say I never will. Same with everyone in the band. (Hmmm… I probably shouldn’t knock it til i tried it). The inauguration seemed the complete antithesis - an immensely important and meaningful event with an appropriately immense crowd.
Did I mention how freaking awesome this touring van is? I’ve toured a LOT in my day, and it makes a big difference to have some nice wheels. I’m loving it, as does Sonny Honey (Dan Green), who similarly has traveled far and wide. I mean, you can actually stand up in this van. And there’s wifi… and we’re touring the east coast… so each city is practically on top of one another.
On the way out of DC we brunched at The World-Famous Florida Avenue Grille. It was jam packed with inauguration revelers for good reason: some of the best hotcakes north of the Potomac. It was personally thrilling to meet a bunch of people who worked on the Obama Campaign, who were fueling up for their big “Staff Ball” that evening. Good people, all around. Honey DuContra INSISTED we sing a couple of old-skool Honey Brother folk songs for the diners… i tell you, that brother has chutzpah. Everyone seemed to appreciate “Drunkard’s Lament” - but honestly, I don’t think anything could have ruined the sunny mood inside The Grille.
Now we’re in the van driving from our one-night stand Baltimore. A humble and down-home rock rock experience after the DC thang. Philly, here we come.
Anyway, parting thoughts, as per DuContra, “FUCK GUANTANAMO, IT’S GONE!!!“
Posted on 01/22/09 at 02:03PM |
Miami: More of the same… palm trees and perfect weather.
First off, I need to sign my own mailing list so I know where I’m going next. It’s been a bit of a mystery lately. Especially confusing since the past three places we’ve traveled to have had beaches and palm trees and perfect weather. And quite frankly i’m sick of it. I miss trying to shovel my car after it’s been plowed in a Brooklyn street with ice so hard it breaks the shovel. I miss stepping into a quicksand-like puddle of slush on the corner and watching as the edge of my shoe disappears under the brown ice-sludge. All this sunshine is making me soft and if i don’t get to NYC soon i’m afraid i will turn into a soft, spineless puddle myself. Somebody, help me. If i have to have one more pina colada while sitting on the beach I think I’ll scream. I’m a FOLK-singer, for fuck sake. The photo is from LA, but it’s all the same to me. Where can I catch a cab around here?
Posted on 01/13/09 at 05:25PM |
Los Angeles: Mexican Food
Landing in LA to more palm trees and good mexican food. Australia - which was not unlike california, but with more kangaroos, koalas, health insurance, vegemite, and skin damage; and less mexican food, guns, and plastic surgery. Australia is probably what would happen to California if you lopped it off and let it drift across the Pacific Ocean for 100 years. Very happy to be hosted by Clark from The Good Listeners. One of our favorite bands. He took me to his new favorite old Mexican restaurant. Let’s see, how many times can I mention Mexican food? After which I sat by the pool under a lemon tree and watched hummingbirds buzz around as I re-strung my banjo. I tell ya, one thing Australia and California have on NYC is this: LIFESTYLE. They got a nice freaking lifestyle. Good weather. Great produce. And did i mention, mexican food?
Posted on 01/10/09 at 02:28PM |
Sydney: Yacht Rock… Not.
Ordinarily we like to have more truffle oil on our procutto before the lobster is served. But trying times call for desperate measures, and somehow we all made do. Somehow the band was blessed with a harbour tour of Sydney on a yacht complete with lovely people and good food. It wasn’t so indie-rock… more 1970s Van Halen… but i was impressed with how adaptable everyone was in the band to this new environment. We had a couple of days to kill, and we got some good help. Our show at The Supper Club was so much fun. A cool neighborhood. A ton of great people came out.
I’ve had the great opportunity to play gigs BOTH with The Honey Brothers, AND solo “Andrew Vladeck” shows on the same tour. Pretty neat how that worked out, i must say. The only hitch has been having to haul a 1,000 pounds of combined musical gear. Walking through all the airports with two suitcases of gear makes me feel like a prima donna. But it’s all gear… not wardrobe changes, I swear. Hopefully the next tour, we’ll have a full wardrobe planned out. and pyrotechnics. and fake blood.
My first solo show was at The Basement, in Sydney, with fabulous Ann Vriend. Yet there was something brilliantly pathetic about the way the night began.
The soundman insisted on plugging my board in without a transformer. When I questioned “going for it,“ he said “it should be fine, but if it starts smoking, we’ll know.“ Well… the power supply melted licketly split. melted plastic oozing down the stage. I took that as a sign to 1) trust my instincts; and 2) carry on.
It all worked out just fine… in the end, it’s all about the SONGS and not about neato effects, as attached as one does get to them. That being said, the gig was great, and the soundman was great, and the audience was great. And Ann Vriend blew us all away - virtuosically amazing. It was also nice to play Sydney as we got to spend the better part of a week there and I met a ton of awesome people I hope to be in touch with for a long, long time. They taught me about vegemite and “took the piss out” of just about anything. And they taught me this curious sport of “jowling.“
Posted on 01/06/09 at 02:30PM | | Leave a Comment
Time Passes Slowly Down Under in Oz
Everything happens in slow motion for the Koala. I got to see one up close outside of Sydney… too close. Somehow, it all happened so fast. It thought my ear was a eucalyptus leaf and took a nibble. Now here I am I’m moving as slow as a koala. It’s all i can do to eat, play, and go back to sleep. The antidote is to kiss a dolphin… lucky for me since on our tour up the Gold Coast we stopped by Sea World and oddly we each got to do just that (to the same dolphin, poor girl). You’d think the humane society of Australia should be notified. All in a days work, I suppose.
But seriously, time passesss sllooooowly when you are on the road. I don’t understand it exactly. I don’t think it has anything to do with Einstein’s theory of relativity (which I don’t understand), though all this time flying 600 miles/hour around the world has probably slowed my internal clock by at least 4 seconds. But all the indulgences of the tour have probably aged me by 5 years. Keith Richards said recently that he’s spent “5 years playing music and 40 years waiting around.“ Word. That is probably a generous estimate.
Posted on 01/02/09 at 02:34PM |
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