"I'm spinning round the room in awe" ryan adams

Wednesday, March 10, 2004

no contacts

Jamie makes me laugh because she is like me. Last night in the car she puts on her glasses and says she doesn't usually wear them, but needs them at night and usually forgets them. We tried to read signs on the street and we couldn't. I've been better about wearing my glasses when I need them, but ah, what's the fun in that?!

Tuesday, March 09, 2004

tiredness to the nth degree, but not too sleepy for the east end

Sunday morning was brutal. Go to bed around 6am and wake up to Main Street noise at 9 am followed by my pillow over my head until after noon.

Spent the afternoon shopping, which is more like me returning things and finding and awesome pair of burgandy pants that I just couldn't pass up. And groceries. I was out to lunch when Mark called from NYC saying he enjoyed my messages last night. I win. I got way too many odd looks from the people around me eating. Screw you and your boring lives. ;-) I wasn't loud, they shouldn't be eavesdropping on me, being on the cell phone is no different than talking to someone across from you.

Come back to the apartment and nap only to awaken to rain. Groggily I pick up Aurora and we head to the East End. Dan asked what time I was getting there. I said 9ish, and he asked if my 9ish meant 9:30 or 11, LoPresto style. We arrived at 9:30. Before I left I told Maryellen that I wasn't going to drink until this weekend. I was wrong, as soon as we got there, Dan got us beers.

Johnny Duke and the Aces opened up for West James and they were really good. Lee didn't build them up too much, he is really talented. And he is only 15! Very blues influenced. Dan knocked into our table and caused a ruckus. West James played and were decent. their show improved as the night went on. And Aurora said they kicked around a little Tribe. Nice! Sorry I am not as detailed, I was way tired.

I didn't know Chris was coming, so when he came into the EE, I looked at Dan and asked what time it was. 10:59, almost on cue, mimicking our earlier conversation. He was wearing a yellow shirt, so I asked Aurora if she wants to bet that he is wearing the super sexy cashmere socks. I win - he was. And the fact that he had to point them out was fabulous.

The East End fixed the paper towel machine that Aurora broke months ago. Sunday was fun - yay.

~this girl goes to eleven...~

Saturday. My God, SATURDAY. I have no idea where to begin, there is just so much to write about.

I will just bypass the importance of PMB to me, and save that for another blog when I have nothing else to right about and I am actually caught up. But for now...time to hit the road :-)

Aurora and I hit up Wawa for the usual. She also picked up some Wawa tea because apparently she thought it sounded like it would mix well with whatever clear liquid was in the water bottle. After she bought the tea, we smelled the bottle and it was definitely apple vodka. This will prove interesting. Time to hit up 896 to Amish country!

En route we listened to Johnathan Rice, Akiva, Lloyd Dobler Effect, and some other stuff that I can't remember. As well as my swearing at the Mack truck in front of us and the horse and buggies. So cruel. We laughed the entire time and sped up for the huge railroad crossing hump and flew. I almost took out a clan of Amish girls and we nearly peed ourselves. Literally, I thought our bladders were going to burst.

A few detours later and we get to the Chameleon Club. We stand outside in the freezing cold drinking our not so good apple vodka tea as I chatter away on Mark's voicemail. Sidenote: Ok, lets talk about what a small world this is. YEARS ago I saw this awesome band called the Excentrics open up for PMB. It was actually one of the first bands I searched for when I first started working at Rainbow. So when I met Mark, we were talking about music and that band came up and months later they played with the Excentrics, or The Getaway Car, as they are now named. So Sept 21 (I remember dates) I saw Juliana Hatfield then went to see the Jonasay/Getaway Car show. Mark introduced me to Todd Wright, the frontman for the Getaway Car. Todd informs me that if we got married, my name would be Miranda Wright. And that has stuck everytime he has seen me. Ok, so yeah, back to the present. Todd is now touring with PMB (talk about a perfect show!) on keys and backup vocals. Mark visited me on Thursday and was talking to Todd while at my store. Back to the Chameleon Club, I called Mark to see if Todd was going to be there in Lancaster and if he was if I could meet up with him to say hi. So yeah, instead I just blabbered on Mark's v-mail outside in the cold.

We get inside and realize that its 18+ on the second floor and 21+ on the main floor. What the hell. So for the most part Aurora and I tried to scheme on how to get her down on the main level so we can sing and dance. You have no idea. So I text Morgan (Morgan is way cool and from Boston, he is mentioned in the Oct 8 blog. We have known each other for like 5 years, but just met in person in October) to see if he has any ideas, because just like us, he is the master of being devious in venues. He tells me he is drunk and the drunk bus will be arriving shortly from the hotel. geez! So I meet him and Ben and Katie downstairs and we drink. 22oz Yuengling bottles means that you are in heaven. I think Morgan shed a tear at the bartender and told him that Lancaster was great.

Michael Tolcher opened and though I didn't feel him in the beginning the show grew on me and by the end of his performance, I really dug him. Throughout the show I kept running up between the two levels and the guy in the kilt at the door kept laughing at me. We deduced that the only way we could get her down was to grab someone with the band. She saw J-Mo earlier, but he was doing guitar tech stuff on stage, so he was out. I spotted Chardy so Morgan and I talked to him to see what he could do, but he couldn't do anything at this point. Oh well, we have to respect that. The Chameleon had an awesome sound system and a great setup. And they had their shit together and at least Aurora and I can admire that after so many shitty venues we have dealt with while videotaping. Ah, it was worth a try. And I love Aurora because she understands my desire to be on the floor sometimes.

I was so elated and the show was just what I needed to compliment a great weekend. The guys were on par and went beyond what I expected. Not the greatest PMB show ever, but it satisfied my fix. I think I was beaming the entire time, and it was amazing to see Todd play with them. He is so freaking talented and its crazy how everything ties in together. Morgan and I make our way closer to the stage. We go nuts, singing louder than anyone else and exuding such passion and energy. We pump our arms higher and harder and shout the loudest, because we have been there for years and we know what lies ahead and we couldn't be happier. We yelled out "straight curve" (one of my favorite old school songs) and got "You & I" instead (my favorite new song) and I don't think my smile could have been larger. Ecstaticness.

After the show I tell Aurora I will meet up with her outside and we chill on the floor waiting to hear what's next. We took some pictures and hung out and I drank water. Literally smacked into Pat, talked to John, and tried to find Todd through Chardy, but he had already left for Virginia. Argh! I didn't want to leave Aurora out there for too long, so it was decided that we would all reconvene at the hotel. Here is what I had to go on:
Morgan: you go down 30
Me: right or left
Morgan: I don't know, 30. And go 5 or 7 miles. Green sign.
Sounds like Miranda directions!

Aurora and I head out and find a convenience mart. I think I pulled an illegal turn, I have no idea, I have no idea how I was even driving at this point. We go in and of course I am saddened that it is not a Wawa. We order food, and I think Aurora had to even order it for me because I couldn't handle the touch screen ordering since I couldn't see straight. I also dragged her back in to show her this monkey thing riding a horse thing and it looked so scandalous. So we eat in the car and I lose half of my egg salad sandwich in my car. Aurora ate the nastiest thing ever. Chili cheese potato wedges. So the night before I think I mentioned how Tim informed me of all these sexual terms. One was called the "cleveland steamer". I had no idea what that was, so I told Aurora it on the way down. What she ordered looked like the Cleveland Steamer. This is what you do not order. We leave and I am followed by the police and I am scared.

If you recall Morgan's directions, you will realize that I have no idea where the hell I am going. But alas, I navigated our way to a Wawa. And we find the hotel. So we sit in the parking lot in the back of the hotel at 2:45 in the morning. Then we see the silver wonderfulness that is the PMB bus. Ahhhhh.

We get on the bus and walk in on Pat serenading Morgan, Ben, Bones, J-Mo, John, Brian, Katie, Chardy, and now Aurora and me, and playing his acoustic guitar before busting a string. I sober down on the bus while Aurora is still reveling in the vodka that she downed. Pat shares with us most of the DVD that will be released on the new CD, it looks AMAZING. I think a rubix cube was busted out. We talk of Todd and Ghegan. Lots of things on the DL that will not be blogged. Sorry kids. Funny, Bones (new PMB sound man, well newish, I know of the Paul days) tells me I look familiar, and he was from VA, so we talk about what we have in common in that area, and he mentions he thinks he knows of me from Jonasay. Aw. Blah blah blah, fun on the bus, then off the bus to head home.

We go to Wawa yet again because I definitely needed coffee since I haven't slept in a while and those back roads can be treacherous. Aurora and I put on some bad radio and sing away, though I had already lost my voice. And we smile because we're us. "all about the passion..."


friday nights of laughter

After working at the record store I was all set to come home and crash with a movie. Of course it never happens that way...

Tim texts me as soon as I walk in and as soon as I see its from him, I know I am going out. Tim is an awesome person and I don't get to hang out with him enough because he has a real job that causes him to not stay out late and wake up early. I head out the door and meet him and a few friends of his at Timothy's.

Ok, if you are an older guy, don't make comments as I walk past you at the bar because I can hear those comments and that does not make you look cool. I swear, some people are creepy. That was fun.

Yuengling is the beverage of choice and Tim and I just shoot the shit at the bar. Nate calls and was at the Deer Park so I convince him to join us at Timothy's. Nate is one of my best guy friends so it was fun hanging out with the two of them. We were at the bar talking and the subject comes to sex, because Nate makes me laugh everytime when he explains his recent antics. Apparently there is a lot of slang that my naive mind was not aware of. So they inform me of such colorful vocabulary and phrases. It was just funny because most girls would get offended at what they said, but I laugh because girls are dumb. We watched the clown fish get it on with the coral and provided play by play commentary.

Chris calls around midnight, and soon him, Dan, and Tanya meet up with us at Timothy's. In the meantime, Nate grabbed my phone and went through my phonebook calling people. Of course he chose Aurora, Marissa, and Maryellen and we all chatted and passed the phone around. Tanya was deeply enthralled with the fish tank. We made her chug her beer, then we left. Dan and Chris wouldn't let me drive my car, and reminded me of the Deer Park episode where I was going to drive Oliver's car but couldn't find the driver's door. So Dan drives my car with his knees to my dashboard.

There is nothing better to do after last call than go to the Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins that is across the street for some sugary goodness. And there is definitely nothing better than Reese Peanut Butter Cup ice cream. Tanya, Dan, Chris, and I go back to my place and watch MTV while Chris passes out on the futon in usual fashion. :-) This time without the red jacket. - NO WAIT!!! Timothy's is slowly coming back to me!!! I remember while Tanya was in the bathroom, we noticed the bright interior to her jacket. I don't recall what design it was, but it was bright. And of course we pointed it out and Chris donned the jacket inside out in style. It was awesome. Unfortunately we didn't have a camera, but it was great haha.

And that was my Friday. An evening full of great friends, good beer, and clown fish.

west james on the radio

Friday was the usual awesomeness that it generally is.

Evan, Ed, & Matt sat in with me during my radio show, and it went pretty well. We played a lot of songs that will be on the upcoming album, as well as a few live tracks. The "interview" was interesting as well. And I can honestly say I have never been embarassed on air before until that broadcast. And for me to say that after being the news anchor on STN and saying some pretty dumbass stuff is saying a lot!! Towards the end of show, the guys asked if they can turn the interview around and ask me some questions. Thinking I had nothing to lose, I say yes. So then Evan asks if I am single. This wouldn't be a big deal, but I have attracted some male stalkers via my radio show in recent months, so I stammered and tried to change the subject, not that I didn't want to give him an answer, I just didn't want to give an answer on air. The mics are still on and I think it was Evan who asked what I look for in a drummer then says that Ed thought I was cute or was asking about me or something to that effect. All on air. I was so flustered that I forgot what was even said, I just put on some Fighting Gravity. It wasn't them, it was just me not wanting to disclose that stuff on air and salvage some integrity with my show. My face was so red. Thankfully Maryellen called me at the studio and I cowered in the corner of the WVUD office embarrassed. I didn't mean to offend anyone, I just was put in an odd position and didn't know what to do! At least Maryellen made me feel better haha.

brewed awakenings

One of the highlights to my every day is my jaunt to the coffee shop next door. Not only are the coffee shop boys nice, they have the best soup ever. And they make me shake with all of the extra espresso they put in my latte. Even though I'm taunted when I bring in all of my various flyers and posters to place all over, they are still supercool.

Monday, March 08, 2004

parallel universe

Before I begin posting about my winderfully awesome weekend, I will write about something else.

So I stumbled upon someone else's journal online and it oddly mimics mine. Or not mine, but me. So I feel compelled to read it every day. Today she rote about Maroon 5 and Matt Nathanson, and I feel her pain - haha.

Here it goes, you can read about my alter me. Except that she isn't as wussy as I am about posting things.

It's freaking cold in my room.