randomness & CMJ & call for change

i am home for about 36 hours. the bus dropped me off at home this morning at around 9. i always love that feeling when the bus pulls up to my actual apartment building, suddenly being in a space warp, like the scene in the fifth element where the take-out chinese place actually comes to your apartment window instead of yo' lazy ass having to walk down the street. the roving coffin-bed and makeshift home i've slept in is mere yards from my actual resting place and kettle. it's, like, queer. we had a bona fide raging party for all of two hours last night after the show in sayreville, managing to cram all of member of the red the red paintings, sxip and dancers of ladybird, our entire crew, barnaby and his boyfriend and 8 other random people in the front lounge of the bus while brian DJ'd from his computer (lots of Boyz II Men and Jackson Five) and we tried to drain of all the leftover rider beer. it was truly wonderful to watch. trash and i slow danced, 8th-grade style. the buzz and the smiling and the wild hands as people talked about things with sore throats and mad gestures all around me, it's what i want, i only had to close my eyes and actually pay attention to it for a second, it's the only song i want to hear most of the time, all of those people talking at once.

i am sad to see this tour over, i am sad to say goodbye to the red paintings. trash (the lead singer) is from my planet, running around trying to make the impossible happen, organizing live painters and human canvasses (that are painted black and then designed with day-glo paint that teh band supplies during the bands'set). last night i painted a canvas on stage and actually created something not painful to look at. it was a wonderful goodbye present for me and them both. trash left a canvas out in the lobby of the starland ballroom and every person at the show painted a portion of the surface, creating a masterpiece of love. it will hang on the wall of wherever i live until i die. barnaby brought a pastel portrait he'd been working on and blew everybody's brains out with his genius, a bunch of brigaders brought birthday cake (the band is officially SIX tomorrow, we're getting OLD) and though i can barely talk today, i don't mind. i fucking love my band, i fucking love our fans.

i went to desi's new loft a few hours ago to get my hair cut, and stared into the void of his brand-new stainless steel kitchen sink with my eyes closed and the water swooshing over my head and mark came up behind us to offer the information that the news had just announced that elephants were self-aware. then he walked away again.


......................................

now

I rarely post about politics but fuck it:

from a moveon.org email i got today:

"

We've got less than 192 hours to go before Election Day. So if you've never made a political call before in your life—now's the time. This week can be a turning point, but we need everyone pushing together to tip it over the top. You can get started right now by clicking here.

http://pol.moveon.org/phone/volunteer?id=9332-2677099-CZCdaRdhvBE.JNf2J4WaBg&t=2

"

YES: the scary 2006 elections are in a few days, comrades, and many people my age or younger don't really see how they can change an increasingly fucked-up system. it's huge and daunting.

However, it's also the future. the internet and the magic of PHONES has made it possible to take a couple hours out of your life, or LESS, and help change the course of events in what's going to be an HISTORIC election. lots of the races in many states are PAINFULLY close.

You can use your phone, call voters, even attend (or throw, for fucks sake) a party in your neighborhood where everyone makes calls together.

Using this resource to call active voters to convince them to get out and vote is crucial.
Even if you're too young to be registered to vote: YOU CAN DO THIS, your voice doesn't have to wait until you turn fucking 18.


from the callforchange.org website:
"This year, victory will come down to voter turnout. We've found the Democratic-leaning people who often don't vote in mid-term elections like this one. If we can just get these “unlikely voters” to vote, they'll provide a winning margin in a whole bunch of races.

Over 30 races are in a dead heat – margins of a few thousand or few hundred votes. We’ve tested these calls, and we know they work – the people we talk to are much more likely to turn out. Your calls could tip the balance – but we're in a daily struggle to make sure we're reaching more voters than the Republicans’ infamous turnout program. Can you help?"



if i know anything about our fanbase, you're not shy folks.
please give this a shot and also pass the info on to others via your blog, myspace page, whatever you can.

here is the link again for emphasis:

http://pol.moveon.org/phone/volunteer?id=9332-2677099-CZCdaRdhvBE.JNf2J4WaBg&t=2

ok.



******************************************************************


on a less serious and more rock note:
if you're in NYC or in town for the CMJ music marathon this weekend, here's what to see:
(venue info up at http://prod1.cmj.com/marathon/)

if you personally run into any of these folks (lots of these venues are small) say hello from me, they're all allies.

.......................................


TUESDAY


mo pitkin's
THE RED PAINTINGS & SXIP SHIREY
Tue 10/31 9 pm
http://www.mopitkins.com/
*NOTE, this is not an official CMJ event*

last chance to catch the red paintings before they jet for aussie.
also, ask anyone who saw him open for us this last tour: sxip is a one-man wonder of amazingness.

.......................................

Rocks Off Boat Cruise
World Inferno Friendship Society
Tue 10/31 11:15 pm

the legendary punk rock big band. prepare to get sweat on and possibly punched. dancing/drinking is obligatory.

.......................................


WEDNESDAY


Midway
Jake Brennan
Wed 11/01 11:00 pm

a boston hero, jake sings true blues rock and roll. wicked old school solo guitar, for fans of the rock.
.......................................


THURSDAY


The Tank
Ho-Ag
Thu 11/02 10:15 pm

another boston band, very experiemental jagged rock. awesome guys.

Union Pool
The Fatales
Thu 11/02 12:00 am

beautiful hooky indie rock, i've been trying to see these guys live for years.

Living Room
Casey Dienel
Thu 11/02 12:00 am

casey sings gorgeous flapper-y and sweet piano tunes.
she's native, so if you miss her (or can't make it to see her open for me at the paradise in boston on nov 27th),
check out her site and find her some other way.
.......................................


FRIDAY



Hiro Ballroom @ Maritime Hotel
Erase Errata
Fri 11/03 07:45 pm

grrl indie rock, very post-punk-wave-angular and jarring but somehow awesome.

.......................................

SATURDAY

Canal Room
Saul Williams
Sat 11/04 10:00 pm

saul is a force of nature, electro/rapper/spoken-word/poet bad-ass. amazing stage enrgy, fucking inspiring.






okgo





love



a



p.s. i'll see a lot of you fuckers at the roundhouse in a few days. it's going to be epic.