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

Friday, August 05, 2005

the depressing part of the week, with a pick me up

Well Thursday was one of those day's I won't forget ever. A lot of tension and stress and frustration was released by all parties and as a result, our artist roster is not the same as it was Thursday morning. And that is all I am going to say about that because people involved read this and it really isn't public knowledge.

So yeah, it was kinda like the calm after the storm, though no on really said much. Some Lloyd Dobler Effect things were rolling in the evening and I am really excited about what I am laying down in prep for the fall.

Needless to say after just a mentally daunting day, I came home and grabbed a beer. So much was racing through my mind and I had so much to do. In the middle of talking to Cheryl about the 105 crazy things that had happened to me that day, my phone rings...

Mr. Jim Johnson - oh what a great phone call! Out of everyone that could have been on the other end of the line, the was not a more perfect person. Not only is Jim a fantastic person and a role model, but I consider him a mentor and always enjoy conversing with him. Jim and I owned Philly rock ;-). Jim now has his hands fun managing Omnisoul though we still keep in touch with e-mails, though our bands, and phone calls. Jim was calling to let me know that a few of the Omnisoul guys were chilling with Jealousy Curve and was going to give me the address, but I had too much to do. I gave him a brief synopsis of my sad day and we talked industry chit chat and about our bands. It was great to talk with him, we're on the same level and of course it's always nostalgic. Funny, we were talking about radio and promotion and the guys visiting certain US and Canadian stations, which snowballed to general radio play. Jim asked me how I felt having most of the bands that I have liked and supported for years finally break on through, not talking about radio, but just popularity in general. Midas touch...it's definitely reawarding, but still frustrating. He's full of passion and the next chapter is approaching. So exciting!

But yeah, Jim and Omnisoul and super keen and hooking me up with comps for their show at the House of Blues tomorrow night. I can't wait, I feel like it's Christmas Eve. Though I have seen the guys at the Merc and stopped by the studio and there is always AIM - I am in dire need of a full fledge Omnisoul rock show. I need my face rocked off - Grape Street style. Hahaha - remember when our body parts would be rocked off?!?! That's a great one, Matt.

I'm so happy.

Thursday, August 04, 2005

saturday apartment hunting and cavorting around the city

On Saturday I went apartment hunting with my mom...we found an awesome apartment and Tanya, Dan, and I move in the last week of August. I dropped off the security deposit today, I can't even tell you how excited I am, so I will save it for another blog...

I came home and shortly after Ken cam rocking his spirograph shirt and Chris wasn't too far behind. Chris and I exchanged music and boozed. He had Beamish and I started the...um...I don't even know what it was, it was a liter (i think...?) or black cherry belgian beer.

I told Ken some interesting news which caused us all to chuckle and Ken to call up people. I put the remainder of the cherry beer in my water bottle, not without the guys making fun of me, and we walked to Ken's car and off to the city. Some ass face side swiped Ken's car!!! At least he left a number.

We make it into the city while talking about rock stars and relationships.

Honestly was playing the main room at the Knit. We only missed one song and we were amidst quite a young audience. They played an AWESOME set. More on Honestly later...their recent news is deserving of their own post.

We hung out in the bar room for a bit then met up with Chris's friend Meghan from college. No idea where we were going in the city, we drove and wandered around Greenwich Village before settling on the White Horse Tavern where we enjoyed good conversation and laughs. Mostly we made fun of other people and relationships...such as certain Jersey cops. We also passed a black man in a skirt and princess tiara on. He waved at Chris.

Meghan told us of this tranvestite bar across the street from her boyfriend's apartment...which is also right right to the fatty bar. It was too good to be true and we didnt beleive it until we saw it with our very own eyes. There was a man with a half leather skirt, blonde wig, and a whip. We couldn't help but stare...until the two women who must half weighed half a ton together strolled on pass and entered Goddesses BBW. Ken told us that BBW means Big Beautiful Women. We seriously sat on the corner and watched for a good 15 minutes till the passerby caught on to our game.

Then we got the hell out of dodge and back to the 'boken.

Oh yeah, and I lost. Ken and Chris won. I kissed a girl on New Years two years ago so now that has to be my myspace page. Hardy har har.

friday night rock

Last Friday I was so frazzled and totally needed a drink after work..

It's perfect that The Sixfifteens were playing at Pianos and everyone was going :-). Maryellen met me in the office and we got ready there and I caught her up on the 57th reason on why I was going to kill myself that week.

We got to the bar before Gilligan (of Fake Chapter Records), Steve, and Katie, so we got our Yuenglings and scoped out the lack of specimens at the bar. We love people watching. The crowd came out and we grabbed a table as Steve caught us up on GTT happening and Gilligan tried his best British accent.

As we were conversing I noticed a familiar face enter the bar...Ari Hest! It's been years since we Center Staged him and I have lost contact with him from years ago, but still - it was crazy. Of course no one knew who he was except for Maryellen. I don't think he felt like he fit in, he is a bit vanilla, so he walked to the back, stayed for a bit, then walked back out. I still consider this a random celebrity sighting though.

The Sixfifteens took the stage and we headed to the music room. You can't take Maryellen and I anywhere...three beers in and we were giggling like little girls. We were text messaging back and forth and with Steve, too funny. Morita, we found your doppelganger.

Steve moved to behind and to the side of me as I leaned back against the wall. I turned to tell Steve something and whacked my face against the wall. Slick, Miranda. It really hurt!

After the show we were trying to decide where to go next, when Maryellen got a call from her friends in midtown. So we cabbed it over to 36th to the nicest apartment building I have been to in NYC. We hung out on the 11th floor blacony that overlooked the Empire State Building. It was amazing. We chatted it up with some lady from Connecticut who has kids.

As we were sitting there talking, I was looking at the balcony door, contemplating on whether the sliding door was open or closed. I couldn't tell, it was so clean! So I really had to pee and couldn't wait any longer for someone else to go to the door and to either open it or go through. I get up, move the sliding door, and walk right into it in front of everyone. Yes, I shut the open door, then walked into it. I wasn't even drunk, I just couldn't tell.

And that was pretty much the end of that night.

last week's wanderings in the city

Last Tuesday JJ took me out to one of the coolest restaraunts that I have been to in NYC. We met at Franchia on Park Ave around 9 pm and stayed a while catching up, planning our attack, and dining on vegetarian fare. I did have issues with the heavy metal chop sticks, but thats ok because I can laugh at myself. I told him of all of my work woes and he told me about London.

While at dinner I was thinking of how crazy this all is...I'm so extremely happy to be so immersed in what I love doing. Its great how large the music industry is, but we all all connected somehow. JJ is good people. It also boggles my mind that a lot of us are still new at this and we have such a long road ahead of us...can you imagine where we will be in five, ten years?

After we ate we walked to Town Hall and promoted the Arlene's show to the people (98% girls) coming out of the Howie Day and Michael Tolcher show. There were other people there handing stuff out and they thought I was an intern. Will I ever look my age?! It was easy for JJ, he's a guy and he can talk to the girls coming out. I just look creepy, trying to talk to the girls. Plus they were all taller and bigger than me, so I didn't seem very important or noticable haha. Oh well, I did give out all of the LDE samplers I had as well as all of the samplers I stole from JJ and the flyers.

JJ walked me back to the PATH where we decided that we ruled and he showed me where people used to do a lot of heroin. A productive night in the city I must say...

So yeah...

Arlene's Grocery on August 10th!

The rock starts at 10pm!

Please come and bring friends!

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

yay for rock!