March 16, 2005
For the record, I love this town. I love the show and the people involved in it. I love my job. But let's face it, I'm a fish out of water, there's no getting around it. There are just a handful of things I need to stay alive, among them playing music, experiencing music, and seeing my family. Fortunately I got to do all of them over the past few days. Just tonight, for example, I went to the Mercury on Houston St, at the invitation of Bob (friend and fan of Trish), to see Chicago's own Ike Reilly, who knocked me out like I needed to be knocked out. My ears are still ringing, but it's a good ring.
Saturday night my friend Hollyee threw a party for her co-workers in Central Park responsible for The Gates (arguably the biggest work of art in human history) and invited me to play an acoustic set. So I found myself at this little punk bar in the upper west side near 106th st, which had no stage, no lights and no P.A. system. Somehow we made it work. Not my gig of choice by any stretch, but I was happy to play, anyhow, and make some tip money (much needed after the wallet mishap days earlier).
And I get to see my family. I can't say enough about webcams. They make home so much closer. It's one thing to hear one's baby child over the phone, but it's another thing entirely to see him in all his developmental glory, fully clothed or stark naked, whatever, watching him grow and observing his daily expressions of character. There's nothing else like it. The only thing topping it is the indelible image of my wife smiling at me in freeze frame while signing off.
Meanwhile at the show, since Lon and the gang know I play guitar and stuff, I'm being used more often for accompaniment during rehearsals, which suits me fine; I like being of some use. It keeps the wolves at bay (the musicians union probably wouldn't dig it, but what they don't know won't hurt 'em, right?). Speaking of use, on Tuesday I stood in for Will, who was out sick. To my surprise, I learned that he'd spent his entire day off listening to Haunted Gardenias while I spent the whole day being him! That's the weirdest thing I think I've ever heard, not to mention the most flattering!
Right up there with Julia's cherry pie. I can't believe I'm not fat yet!