year of a thousand roommates

Last night in Varanasi. Saw loads of interesting things. This...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:54:20 -0500

Last night in Varanasi. Saw loads of interesting things. This was described to me as being an “old peoples ceremony.” for what, i don’t know.

I’ll write heaps when I can. Going to sleep in hopes for the sunrise.

I didn’t like it when I got here. Now I do and have to leave. Oh well. Better than leaving hating it.

Hope you’re great.

My phone is about to die and I may not get wireless for much...

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 09:53:19 -0500

My phone is about to die and I may not get wireless for much longer, but here he is folks, the man that made it happen. My younger brother, Brian bond, makes amazing music and is the reason i came to this amazing country that is India. He’s spirit, heart, love and talent are unending. Please show him the love he deserves at myspace.com/brianbond as well as with our other amazing friends at his bands sites, communipawmusic.com and myspace.com/communipawmusic.

For now I will rest my feet in Varanasi in a small room with no outlets, so hopefully my lack of electronic mosquito repellant will not be the end of me.

I send all of my love.

Yesterday Brian and I went to the residency which is a complex...

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 07:28:13 -0500

Yesterday Brian and I went to the residency which is a complex in which the British and Indian people struggled for control eventually leaving buildings riddled with canon ball holes. The complex is an odd mix of indian building techniques with British design. Couple this with the fact that around every turn were two young Indians stealing away some time and space to make out and we were in for an interesting afternoon. If this weren’t enough, the afternoon started with me getting my pants hemmed by a 70 year old man on the street for 20 cents. While waiting a drunk dude came up to stare at Brian and me so eventually he said to the guy that if he wasn’t going to ask a question or talk to us he should stop staring. It was a bit uncomfortable but luckily the tailor and his gaggle of buddies didn’t like this guy and made him leave with the threat of hitting him with a shoe. Eventually I got my pants and we were off to the residency. We wandered around a bit and then sat on a bench to enjoy the lovely evening and lovers sneaking past.

When we got back to brian’s we ditched our bikes and went to buy pizza and beer. Pizza Hut and royal challenge to be more specific. Hey, you take what you can get. We stuffed ourselves to the brim and I felt a nice buzz from sucking down RC but that soon wore off and I began to feel weird.

Brian and I were both lazy from food and booze and relaxed and talked while I slowly felt even more weird and eventually we went to bed.

Sometime in the middle of the night I felt weird cramps and got up knowing something wasn’t right. Sure enough, my body was not happy with me and was telling me out the back. This led to me having to get up multiple times to relieve myself and realize how poor the timing is seeing as I’m leaving tomorrow. So today I’ve just hung out, are pepto bismol between toast and rice and am just hoping tomorrow brings more solid excretion. Here’s to hoping.

Brother Brian and basket chaat. Quite a combo. Basket chaat,...

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:45:54 -0500

Brother Brian and basket chaat. Quite a combo. Basket chaat, dear friends, is a fried potato bowl filled with various fried snacks and topped with heaps of yogurt, shaved beet and carrot, coriander, chutney and pomegranite seeds. I can’t tell if it’s terrible or pretty amazing. I was sober when I ate it so it lacked the late night charm of a new Brunswick fat sandwich or a Rochester garbage plate. Still, it was defintely interesting. Brian and I got this before he, buddy grant and I headed to old lucknow to see qawwali singers. Unfortunately said singers were not performing this particular night so instead we replaced an evening of worship music with a trip to a nearby “bar,” which is really more a weird liquor store that has tables and lets you drink. The server basically gets your drink for you and hopes for a tip. This seems typically Indian to me. The whole thing feels somehow ridiculous and completely normal at the same time.

At this place we seemed mildly unwelcome and the workers and some of the patrons were talking about us in a way that was so mumbled and odd that both Brian and grant were unsure exactly what was being said. I, of course understood none of the words but was picking up on body language and signals. We were not so much unwelcome as we were obviously outsiders and didn’t fit their mold or maybe even comfort zone. Two more guys sat next to us and upon realizing Brian and grant speak Urdu kind of freaked out a bit. Over the course of the night I never felt threatened but was a bit on edge for it all. The beer we got was the same as the last bar we’d been to but somehow worse. The beer here sucks and is expensive and the bar scene severely lacking. It’s quite alright as this country has so much more to offer.

We followed the crap beer with slightly less crap scotch and pepsi, the latter of which was purchased at the bodega next door but with an 8 rupee upcharge. 16 or so cents is not much to get mad over but it’s the principle of the matter. “there’s principalities involved!” we left soon after finishing our blenders pride and pepsi and headed back to brian’s area in an auto rickshaw holding no less than 14 people. Still, who can beat a 10 cent ride across town? I guess qawwali will have to wait until next time; or rather, I will have to wait.

a slight respite

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:58:21 -0500

right now i am sitting in lucknow, india, and listening to my brother play me songs he’s been working on during the course of the last few months that he’s been so far away from me. it’s an amazing feeling to be able to once again hear his voice in person and be able to have spent the last week with him in this country he so loves. it is immediately obvious why he is so enamored with with india, as it has so many wonderful, beautiful and interesting things to offer. even the things that are arguably bad have lovely sides. before i left our buddy keith told me of his visit to brian and how he couldn’t wait until i got home and “understood” all of the things that make india so amazing and ridiculous. and i now do. cramming 12 people into a little vehicle half the size of a normal taxi, or seeing 4 people fly by on the same motorcycle. and it’s obviously not just vehicular, everything here is just by different rules. i wish i could fully articulate some of the things i’ve seen and felt here, but really it’s not that easy. and my brain is not totally in it right now, as i’m rather happy hanging with my brother. but, here are some thoughts:

when i first pulled into delhi and saw the broken roads, stray dogs, barefoot people, cycle rickshaws and all sorts of things that pointed towards poverty, i turned to my brother and asked him if people here are happy. it was a bit of a ridiculous question to ask but between jetlag and seeing so much at once i felt it must be a rough and perhaps miserable existence. since then i’ve greatly changed my way of thinking. i’ve observed so often how people can turn so quickly from seemingly mean to ultra friendly, seen how incredibly helpful and kind people can be, how willing they are to offer up themselves and what they have with no ill intentions. it’s really quite beautiful and i constantly marvel at it. sure, there is much less sense of personal space, of privacy, but those things don’t really matter. and yea, people are willing to try to rip you off when they can, but when you refuse their price and ask where something better is, they give you directions with a smile. it’s amazing and constantly beautiful.

we spent the first few days in delhi visiting all kinds of beautiful sights which greatly opposed the hustle and bustle of the city just beyond their walls and found ourselves jumping between peace and seeming chaos. somehow, though, the chaos is beautifully organized. i’m not sure how it’s done, but it is. autorickshaw drivers fly through the city squeezing into spots i swore a million times didn’t exist. in the states everyone would have crashed a thousand times a second, but in india, or at least delhi, it’s a smooth (albiet horn ridden) journey flowing through everything.

after delhi we took a night train (think comfortable cattle car) to haridwar and washed our feet in the ganga (ganges river) with thousands of other people there to celebrate, bathe and worship. it was a really interesting and beautiful site to see so many people so committed. from haridwar we took an auto (a tiny cycle/car filled with 12 people) 45 minutes to rishikesh where we eventually walked across a foot bridge to (fairly) peaceful area that allowed brian and i to relax. i took a walk with a new australian friend to a waterfall and along the ganga. i explored a bit of the somewhat overly tourist area myself but then brian and i headed over to the less touristy area that eventually led to the ashram that the beatles came to in 1968. after a bribe of about $1 we were let inside the gate by the guard who is set to protect the now abandoned grounds. after walking around i now more than ever want to see the beatles anthology again, as well as get my writing bum in gear.

we left rishikesh yesterday to come to lucknow, where brian studies. it’s really been an amazing trip, and even though we were tired, as we got in from our overnight train at 8 am, brian and i hung out with his roommates and eventually went to play colors for holi. holi is part of the reason that people gathered to wash in the ganga, from what i can understand, and partially marks the beginning of spring, among other things. today people all over the city were riding around and rubbing beautiful, bright colored powders on each others faces, heads and clothing, hugging, shaking hands and wishing “happy holi!” it was an amazing way to spend the morning and i came back covered in color and smiles. after a nice shower and change of clothes we walked around looking for food but almost nothing was open, so we got a quick snack at one place and then returned to rest and play some music. eventually restaurants opened up and we had a nice meal and now, after so many wonderful days, i was able to sit and write something short. there is not even the beginning of describing how things are, but hopefully in the coming days i will revisit and dig deeper. until then, i hope you’re amazing. get awesome!

in case you didnt know

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 06:46:13 -0500

right now i am in india. rishikesh, to be exact. if youre too lazy to check out google maps, its in the north east on the ganges, in the foothills of the himalayas. its absolutely beautiful here, and to even try to begin to describe my trip so far would be near impossible in the short time i have in this here internet cafe on this keyboard that does not seem to want to cooperate. however, tomorrow i will be at my brothers house in lucknow and should be able to give a nice big update about all things beautiful and ridiculous.

until then, to tide you over, here are a few interesting things so far-

lots of delicious food. however, surprisingly similar to the indian food in the states. i guess i assumed it was less authentic there.

cows everywhere, and therefore, cow shit everywhere.

tons of monkeys in rishikesh. and when they eat nuts its really cute.

chai here is totally different and delicious.

the beds here are basically benches with the slightest padding.

almost everything is crazy cheap. booze is not one of those things. luckily while here ive had very little desire to drink.

there are a ton of tourists, some of which are rad and some of which are not.

ok, brian and i are going to go cram 11 people into a glorified trike motorcycle to get to haridwar, eat some food and then grab a night train to lucknow. ill write more soon! hope youre great.

delhi

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:53:35 -0500

yesterday i landed in delhi at 8 am. i was off the plane, with my bag and hugging my brother by 8:15, both of us grinning and laughing at the absurd beauty that is the life that brought us arm in skinny arm in delhi, india. we made our way to the hotel that smelled much like the cow it overlooked, dropped our bags and went into the bazaar. the car ride from the airport was peaceful, for the most part, as brian and i caught up as we moved past other cars at was only a mildly nerveracking pace. brian laughed at what i would soon be entering. we made our way into delhi morning traffic and eventually into the bazaar, thanked our driver and went into the hotel mentioned above.

brian and i went to breakfast at a little restaurant filled with foreigners but i could barely eat as i’d been traveling for three days with odd sleep and random eating schedules. we then headed to old dehli on an auto rickshaw and cycle rickshaw and walked around the older, bustiling city. we visited india’s largest mosque, ate an indian type of funnel cake, visited shops and wound through the maze of alleyways. i can’t even begin to explain all i saw, from packs of wild dogs to midgets missing legs, amazingly navigated traffic jams to heads piled so high with goods they’d reach over 10 feet easily. when i get time to sit and write properly i’ll get you caught up, but for now we’re going back out in the world. i am rested, well fed and happy. i hope you all are the same. one love.

2 down, 2 to go

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:05:44 -0500

well i made it to london in one piece. sort of. they lost my luggage. suprise. luckily, the awesome woman at the luggage claim area is going to take care of it. she is now the 4th woman today in the airline industry that has gone out of her way to try and make my life easier. mindblowingly amazing. but it’s late and i need to be back up in 4 hours to try to get my bag, take care of mini errands and get on my plane to mumbai, where i’ll then wait 5 hours (and hopefully not get malaria while waiting for my bag with insect repellant) and then head to meet brian in delhi. wild. goodnight world, i love you.

At the first of four airports to bring me to my brother in...

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 06:58:47 -0500

At the first of four airports to bring me to my brother in Delhi, India. So excited and so tired. I’ll update as much as I can. Forgive the fact that Internet connections will be sparse. One love.

Float peanut shells on a Guinness. I’d like to sail those...

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:03:05 -0500

Float peanut shells on a Guinness. I’d like to sail those seas. Guinness, Guinness everywhere oh fuck it let’s have a drink.

Yesterday I had to go get shots for India. 412$. Ugh. And now my arms hurt something fierce. I also got to catch up with an old high school friend which was really nice. Late night hang with Keith communipaw totally ruled.

Today I tried to start recording new tunes and am only half happy with the results. Hopefully when I get back from overseas I get in the necessary head space to make some good jams. Until then I’ll keep singing loudly and hoping nobody notices the songs are lacking.

Ok, I accept

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:54:39 -0500

Sure, sometimes you need to deal with the fact that some people just won’t give a shit, regardless of what you do. And of course there will always be those who are better than you. And some of these people, well, you will never escape. But, dear friends, all is not lost. We can own our own existances. We cam own the night. Our hearts and love belong to us and we have every right to give them to whomever we’d like. So, I suggest we work towards the sky. We can build our own scrapers, can’t we? I think so.

The issue is this: some days you put your best foot forward and get nothing. Other times you sit down and find you’ve sunk into gold. But you always need to try. Have a plan. If the plan doesn’t work out, who cares, at least you’re not in the same place you started. You’ve moved. You’ve risked. You’ve won. And there are different levels of success, all through the world we experiece things from various sides. This means we need to learn to view things from all over while also striving to be where we’d prefer to be. Without goals we get nowhere.

Tonight I played in NYC to lots of good friends as well as strangers, quite a few of which seemed to enjoy what I do. Some amazingly close people that I love had wonderful things to say about me and people that I love. This felt great but also made me think about what I lack, need, desire, etc. Will we ever be as good as what we strive for. And even if we are, will we be able to tell? Are all things equal? I don’t know the answer to these things but hope that one day I will feel I deserve to sit among the masters, or at very least, impress them. Here’s to hoping and here’s to working.

busy living life

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:10:17 -0500

bagels and tattoo shops, then indian visa lines and bar show. you know how it goes.

in the interim, please refer to the following:

ughdie.tumblr.com

panchosvia.com

enemieslist.net/nyr

there’s lots to dig through. it’s a mix of positive and negative but always thought provoking ideas. i hope you enjoy them as much as i have.

love,

sorry for the delay

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:47:56 -0500

the last few days have been incredible. for those of you who’ve not been following me, one week ago i began the final leg of my last US tour before the end of the year of a thousand roommates. i picked up my friend colleen in dayton, oh (though she lives in LA, where she is a hardworking actress) and she, billy wallace and i worked our way through ohio, a cancelled show in pittsburgh, new jersey and philly. now i have a few days “off,” during which i need to complete a seemingly unending list of chores, tasks, songs, recordings, etc., as well as see my wonderful friends and mentally prepare to leave the states to go visit my brother in india. no small feat.

still, the last few days have been amazing. here are some highlights:

2/09 - springfield, oh - picked colleen up from the dayton airport and headed to springfield, oh, where we met up with a bunch of billy’s old college buddies. great people, good meals, free booze, fun times. ended up getting a ride back to the house with a kid who shouldn’t have been driving yet somehow still had the ability to throw darts. interesting.

2/10 - cincinatti, oh - we made the short drive to billy’s town to eat skyline chili (spaghetti topped with chili and cheese. i got mine vegetarian, with onions and habanero cheese. oh and added hot sauce. yum.) and play a fun show with his band. it’s always nice to see touring friends in their comfort zone as well as have clean, warm places to sleep and shower. this was definitely refreshing and enjoyable.

2/11 - cleveland, oh - we played the soggy dog house and hung with matt sidekicks. such an awesome dude and lots of fun to be part of something so positive and rad. thanks dudes!

2/12 - pittsburgh, pa - woke up in cleveland, went to the rock and roll hall of fame (for free, since i’m a rockstar. no, seriously though, if you’re in a band they let you in if you have a cd/laminate, some way to prove you’re on tour.) and saw some pretty sweet exhibits, specifically the two floors on the boss. afterwards colleen and i went and grabbed fancy grilled cheese sandwiches from “melt.” it was an hour wait. wild. they were good. not amazing, but definitely good. we then drove to pittsburgh only to see that nobody was showing up and once 9 pm hit the promoter said we’d close up and off to jason and nicole’s i drove. it was a long drive but nice to be back towards my area.

2/13 - new brunswick, nj - there is no way to explain how incredible this was, so i’ll just say i’m the luckiest motherfucker in the world. thank you all so much for making me feel loved and cared for. your support, hugs, friendship and good times are worth more than you’ll ever know. included is adam toris, a buddy from years ago who helped aid me on my journey to where i am now, and follower of this here blog. so, thanks dude!

2/14 - philly, pa - pretty much the same as above. so many old and new friends making me feel great. late night hangouts at the south philly tap room (who make awesome grilled cheese. maybe better than mine. well at least different. but better than “melt.”) with jacob, scotty and arrah. good to see mercy and lindsay from texas. all good times. late night drive back to BCs and a late sleep.

today i drove colleen to her mom’s house and said my goodbye. it was awesome having such a rad, laid back person along for the ride, and it was fun showing a near stranger what my ridiculous life is like and showing how incredibly amazing my friends are. i can’t stress how full my heart feels. thank you all.

the next few days should be good, and hopefully very productive. but tonight, well, i think brian and i are going to go out for beers. it’s been a long time and there’s some catching up to do. i hope you’re all great. one love.

first pj bond tat. straight to the hand. that’s right!

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:30:20 -0500

first pj bond tat. straight to the hand. that’s right!

i fucking hate bureaucracy

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:09:51 -0500

part of the thing that upsets me about being an “adult” is having to deal with all the bullshit that goes with being mildly late on payments, appointments, and things of this nature. sure, i fully understand that if we didn’t have rules and regulations, that our world would turn into “chaos,” or at least that’s what stupid assholes in suits think. you know what i think? we can make things work. things happen, people slip up, we all make mistakes. and sure, i’m annoyed right now because i’m having to deal with all sorts of logistical issues before a huge 2 month trip that will take me to the UK, europe and india. lots of it looks like it will work out, and in the end it will all be fine. sure, i’ll be 500 to 1,000 dollars deeper into the trip than i’d have originally liked or planned, and sure, i’ll have to get 17 jobs to pay off some of the crap i’ve accrued, but everything will be alright. i will be safe, well fed, and legitimately happy, despite the fact that i may not be exactly where i want to be in life. that’s ok, i really don’t mind that much. sure, at this very second, i’m mildly anxious and upset, but this will pass. as a matter of fact, writing about it to you fine folks is making me smile a bit. shake it off and all that wonderfulness. but you know what sucks? there are so many people in this country and world that do not have the ability to “shake it off,” nor do they have scores of lovely lads and lasses such you reading the mental diarrhea pouring out of fingertips onto laptops. no, these people have real problems, actual issues that bureaucratic situations end up causing legitimately negative impacts in their lives. there are people who have families that they will have trouble feeding, houses they fear losing, sickness that could turn deadly, all because of greed. i truly believe that money is the root of the evil we experience. this does not inherently make money evil, nor do i feel people are evil, but i’m just having so much trouble dealing with the fact that almost every problem that i see comes down to whether or not someone has money (though i’m fully aware of the problems religion can cause). every big problem i’ve had in the last year has had to do with dollars, or the lack thereof. real people who work real jobs have real problems. not enough dollars. my friends have almost broken up with loved ones over money, not because they wanted big screen tvs and fancy cars, but because they wanted to pay both the electric bill and the grocery bill in the same month. this is upsetting to me, and i’m not totally sure how to help. i suppose by trying to live as cheaply as possible while have a full, beautiful life, well that’s a start. and i’ll try to bring everyone with me. but i also know that stepping back and looking at the problems makes them seem less terrible. i have you to thank for this, dear readers. i started this post with anger and resentment, and now i feel lighter; hopefully none of the weight has been transferred to your shoulders, though arguably with so many more sets we’d all bare it together. regardless, i do believe everything will be ok. i will have a few less dollars and will have to work a few more hours and then i will laugh it off and hopefully learn from the situation. by the way, on a side note, most of the negative things that happen in my life that are not originally money based, come from the fact that i procrastinate. yes, i think it’s stupid, but maybe i should fucking learn. here’s to us all making moves towards better lives. cheers.

Here it is folks, my long wanted candle burning at both ends. It...

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:35:40 -0500

Here it is folks, my long wanted candle burning at both ends. It says “let’s get in trouble,” a reference to how buddy Brian, many friends and I try to lead our lives. Full, fun and exciting. There’s of course a bit if tongue in these cheeks, admittedly.

This also marks my second big piece of the year so we put YTR on top. The three letters worked better with the piece.

This was done by my great buddy, Josh Grable at love tattoo in jettison, mi, outside of grand rapids. Awesome dude, and if this city weren’t already great, Josh gives me a reason to keep coming back.

Also last nights show went great and gr gave Billy a lovely welcome which felt wonderful. As always, grand times in grand rapids. I know, I’m terrible.

Double bullseye to win the game. This goes to chris in Peoria....

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:18:11 -0500

Double bullseye to win the game. This goes to chris in Peoria. Unfortunately for me and Billy Wallace (my recent tour companion until Philly) chris was not on our team and made the comeback of the century. Well done chris.

The last few days have been crazy hectic. I left Phoenix area to go to las cruces where I played to almost nobody. Then I headed for alburqurque where I met a member (or soon to be inked) of the wolfpack. Kyle rules and took great care of me. The show was also great and provided a much needed spirit lift. New Mexican green chiles also helped out of which I partook in no less than three meals. Unfortunately Kyle showed me almost too good a time and the next morning I was very bad at peeling myself out of bag. When I finally did and on the road I knew i’d get to Enid a little late but still with plenty of time to play.

As I crossed the mountains out of alburqurque I was hit with snow and ice. This sucked but I figured once I got over I’d be in the clear. Not so lucky. 13 hours of snow, ice, rain, multiple stranded cars and loads of trail mix later I pulled into Enid at 1230. Ugh. Obviously I missed the show which is a huge bummer because last time it ruled and it really seemed like kids wanted me back. The upside is that I made it alive. Well, I guess making it dead would be tough, but you get it. However all was not perfect as sweetpea sustained a mild injury. One of the many super fast trucks kicked up a rock and cracked her windshield. I’m sorry girl.

The next morning in Enid I tried to get the windshield fixed but they couldn’t do it in the rain so I made an appointment for St louis and headed out, again later than I should. Sensing a theme?

I finally made it to st louis and met Billy Wallace. He and I are doing a short rub together from feb 4-14 and it’s awesome to have someone to travel with. Due to logistics we are in different vehicles which is a bummer but it’s just awesome to have someone you know at every show. Billy and I hit it off and hung with Reilly, a really cool local with some great tunes and a cool voice. Think mike doughty without the cheeziness.

Reilly brought is back to his awesome house and we hung with his sweetheart pit bulls and made pasta and tvp. While I was cooking we played dice and then watched Elvis costello show. Great night. I didn’t mention the show for a reason.

The next morning I headed to get sweetpea checked out and ended up getting hooked up. I’ve had some great carma (get it?! I’m sorry) lately. I then got my oil changed to treat sweetpea the way she deserves (to Cali and almost back. Such an awesome chick.) and was talked up by the eastern European attendent who gave me good AT&T advice an also told me he plays the “synt-sizer.” really nice guy.

Onwards to Peoria, il, which is wild because this is getting closer and closer to my old stomping grounds. In Peoria Billy and I met chase, the really sweet promoter and then hung with Peter (he had this awesome stomp pad thing that was plugged in and he used a license plate for further percussion. He also played harmonica and had a headset mic. Really interesting set that i enjoyed watching.) and chris (aforementioned dart pro who played rad mid 90s style indie/emo stuff. A man after my own heart.). When I played I did so on the ground and though the show was by no means big the heart in the room was full. Everyone was really sweet and supportive and I was able to talk to all of them. After we finished I hugged these two girls goodbye but when I went for their friend she shook it off and said, “that’s ok.”. Ouch.

But then it was darts and pool, the whole night fueled by bud light lime. Why you ask? Because it was $1 can and my boys love it. I’m still not sure how I feel about it.

Today I put on a brand new pair of jeans, which I’m still not used to, and headed for Chicago. The drive was pleasant and the show looks good tonight so hopefully people will enjoy it. Oh and the bartender wouldn’t let me eat my food in the bar so for the second time in chicage I’m eating dinner in my car like some sort of second class citizen. Oh well there’s way worse things in the world. Hope you’re great.

the queen killing kings

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:32:01 -0500

by the way, if you’re not listening to the queen killing kings, you’re wrong.

not arrested yet

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:30:16 -0500

the last few days have been, well, interesting. for one, i’ve encountered two things that led me believe i might have two separate warrants out for my arrest. they are both stupid, simple things that really just came down to the fact that i am less organized than i should be and didn’t pay fines on time. luckily, after getting pulled over by a cop the other day, the night did not end with me in handcuffs in the back of a squad car. instead he made up the convenient excuse that my license light was out (though it may very well be, as this has happened before), but it’s fairly clear to me that when old sweetpea with her peeling paint and less than attractive shape (i absolutely love her, so pigs can fuck off) drives through wealthier areas, she’s screwtinized. it’s really sad to see this, because i know that for the most part i’m usually fine. sure, if i’ve been to the bar that evening, or in these cases, afraid that i might have a warrant, i worry that i might get hassled a bit, but i’m always safe and so it doesn’t ever turn into anything bad. but for me, it’s just inconvenient. however, for certain people, this could be a big thing in their life. someone who is struggling to pay bills, working hard, and barely has enough for a car, might drive a similar make or year and will be equally followed and hassled. this sucks to think about. i’m some young white kid, so usually things are ok, and i’ve realized how to talk to cops after having to deal with them so many times, but what about the young hispanic kid, or older black man? they could be coming home late from work, just wanting to go to bed and now some asshole is giving them the third degree? it sucks and it makes me sick and i don’t know what i can do about it. but i suppose i digress (though this digression is one that sheds light on something i’ve thought loads about. this year of a thousand roommates is a bit bullshit, no? some priviledged white kid “gives up” his home in search of friends and fun. sometimes i feel ridiculous, selfish and almost insulting. isn’t there better things i can be doing with my time? working in an innercity school or volunteering or fighting the injustice that makes me sick? i think about this a lot and the only thing that’s saved me from hating myself is that i realize while i truly care about all of those things, i don’t have the passion for them that i do playing music and traveling. and i realize this is incredibly selfish, but i suppose i’m hoping that we’re all “meant” to do certain things, and to not do that “thing,” we’re not playing our role in the greater cosmos or life or what have you. right now i believe i’m doing my “thing,” and so perhaps i can contribute in other ways. perhaps this is also a bullshit excuse, i’m not sure. so goes my digression.)

anyway, it turns out i don’t have anything attached to my license, at least not in a way that made this cop care, and i was let go. then i realized i’d not gone to a court date for a parking ticket (which was total bullshit, by the way), but was just able to pay it online. ugh. but yes, it was taken care of and hopefully i’ll be fine. i keep having these visions of one day just walking through NJ or getting pulled over and somehow realizing that so much happened this year unbeknown to me that i will spend years trying to sort it out. hopefully this is not the case.

by the way, last night was ridiculous. there was an inspiring young girl who sang old jazz and country standards with a voice i did not expect. it was a pleasant surprise. the show itself was rather sparesely attended but i tried my best to rally and played a few songs. then the main attraction, a young kid who seemed to have a view of himself and his music that did not in any way shape or form agree with the vision i had. his acoustic set was followed by his “techno” set, during which i questioned all sorts of existence. suffice it to say, what was left of the love and positivity i felt coming out of san diego was stripped from me with a quickness, leaving only questions of my worth and what the hell i’m doing with my life, sitting in my hands.

today, though, maybe things will look up. and last night i did a bunch of reading on india. i’m so excited i’m going to see my brother and experience this thing that is just on a completely different level. it really makes my current travels seem a joke, and also already makes me want to experience this whole crazy, amazing world. i feel like when i return from the tail end of the year of a thousand roommates, i will be on a different level, having seen areas of the world some only dream about. obviously there are millions who live there or have visited, but as an american, especially from new jersey and especially the town in which i grew up, i will be in the minority. and this makes me happy.

Last night I played a biker bar with one of the oddest lineups...

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:05:06 -0500

Last night I played a biker bar with one of the oddest lineups ever. First, I opened the show to a fairly empty room, but had a decent time playing while also trying get some kind of rise out of the people there. It went alright but nothing crazy. The bikers in the back seemed to like it ok.

Next was a band fronted by a guy playing an acoustic guitar that somehow looked metal (style not material) and the two singers wore cowboy hats that somehow projected a much different vibe than mine.

Third was a progressive metal duo that somehow invoked the image of pony tailed high schoolers playing d&d in their moms basement. Also at times some of the guitar lines leaned toward 90s emo which I found ironic and amusing.

Fourth was a mainly female group playing pleasant songs. This would not have made me raise eyebrows except for the bass player whom I’m almost certain was playing in another band simultaneosly. Perhaps the metal band that played just before. They were lacking a bass player. Oh and there was a clarinet involved.

Next our clarinetist and violinest changed clothes and fronted a Jewish folk/gypsy band. At first I didn’t notice they’d changed and was amazed that there was not one, but two bands with clarinets. That would have been great.

Lastly, the only way to end the night, of course is with an anarchist, athiest bluegrass trio (complete with a guy who looked a bit like weird al, though ironically, the accordian in this band was not played by him). I was actually predicting a polka band to finish the evening but I almost feel like that was fullfilled roundaboutly.

All in all it was a fun and ridiculous night and then I headed back to nics house and stayed up way too late but felt good. Slept well and now I’m at the saves the day show in Tempe, az, waiting to watch my good buddy spencer show everyone how it’s done. Tomorrow is new Mexico and further east. Oh, and I bought my India ticket tonight. Check me out.