leave the comfort of this Tucson Arizona cafe.
1. Thanks to Dirty Dozen Brass Band for the schooling me during their blazing set at the Austin City Limits Festival. The bari sax player Roger Lewis invited me to sit in on the last tune, which was an old Dixieland classic that I was completely ignorant of...I didn't embarass myself but almost...
2. You can hear the music of TV on the Radio streamed for free at:
These are good friends of mine (I have slept in their beds while they were away on tour) and I played flute and saxophone on a few of their songs. They are much deserving of love and appreciation, so listen and dig.
They are on tour even more than Antibalas, so if they come to your town, please bring them something good to eat.
3. This is an odd place to give thanks, but thanks to my ancestors for continually guiding me to the right places during my journey. Please don't let me stray too far from your watchful eyes.
4. What is with all the "Viva Bush" signs on the highways of New Mexico and Arizona! There are definitely some privileged Latinos here who stand to benefit from Bush/Cheney's continued corporate welfare, but something smells funny.
Greetings from sunny Tucson, Arizona. I've been up in the hills outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico and in no big rush to get to a cybercafe, but at the same time need to stay in the practice of writing and journaling, so here goes...
The shows in Colorado were a jam. The altitude didn't affect me as much as I had feared. The air is thinner, but also a lot fresher! The crowds were nice, friendly, and energetic, and also very white. I imagine Colorado is a pretty white state but I am also worried that in a lot of places our shows are only promoted in certain places, to a certain privileged community.
High moment: when the "Cheesecake Lady" came during the set break at our Denver performance and gave us all delicious mind-expanding chocolates and cheesecakes. Some of the band enjoyed them that night. I saved mine for the long ride the next day.
Low moment: Some joker (in our experience it has almost always been white guy that do this) jumps up onstage and starts hittiing the congas. Amayo quickly and tenderly removes him from the stage. If Ernesto was still playing with us, we may have had to call 911.
Why do people do this? Why can't they respect the drum? No one would jump up and start playing my flute or saxophone, nor would they hop behind the drum kit...
Shout outs to: Jessica (The Cheesecake Lady), Dot's Diner, Jordyn and Mei-Mei, Scott from the Motet (a white guy who can play the hell out of the congas), and all the smiling faces...
The Santa Fe show, on the other hand, was very diverse, all across the board. The promoters were Mexicanos and indigenas, and there was a beautiful turnout of many colors ages, and styles of Santa Fe.
Again, a few completely ignorant people made it backstage including a lady who bummed a few cigarettes, a bottle of beer, a slice of pizza, and stepped into my open saxophone case, nearly stepping on the horn itself.
Thanks to Ijah, Kori, Martie, Miles, Mikaela and the Cuyamunque Institute, Michael and Denton for their kindness.
My mom flew out to the show, and we (and the rest of the band) stayed in beautiful adobe buildings at the Cuyamungue Institute on the Pojoaque Pueblo.
It is such a refreshing change to stay in a building made of earth, with little to no artificial materials. Most of the band stayed in the enclosed house where my mother's friend lives, but Damon, Misha, and I slept in cots in the bunkhouse, which had no doors or windows. The air was crisp and delicious. I find that when sleeping outside, or somewhere more indoor/outdoor, I need less sleep to wake up refreshed and energized. It is also easier for me to get up early in the morning.
The next day we went to Ojo Caliente, to the mineral springs there, and cooked a big dinner. Half of the band went to see the Grand Canyon while the rest of us stayed in Santa Fe.
We stopped at some more hot springs in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, just for a little bit. There are springs all over town, mostly on one strip of little motels built around the WPA/ Roosevelt era. We found some cheap ones at the Riverbend Hostel and soaked for a little while while watching the reflection of the sunset on a mountain across the river. I highly prefer this view to that of the New York skyline.
We made it into Tucson last night and are staying at the Congress Hotel, a remnant of the Wild West/railroad era. Someone fixed it up and turned it into a "hip" (notice quotes) spot, but it still has its original look and furniture. The downstairs is a nightclub and last night was 80s night. I went down for a watery 80 cent cocktail and quickly returned to my room to rest, compose some music, and unwind.
Part of the reason why our rooms were so cheap is because they are located right over the nightclub. As such we could hear the booming bass and the street traffic till the wee hours.
But walking around this morning and seeini the down-and-out of Tucson makes me grateful for any roof right now.
Speaking of which, I got an email saying that the Caribbean island of Tortuga (and its 26,000 residents) was completely washed away by Hurricane Jeanne, but I haven't been able to find any confirmation on the "mainstream" news websites. Please let me know of any information.
Every day I wonder if my time is best spent playing this music or if I should be doing superadobe construction for all the people who need places to live. I see a future soon where I will be able to do both with equal time and energy.
until later...
We arrived in the afternoon after an early departure from Lincoln Nebraska. Hmmm...what's new. I did NOT buy an accordion at the pawn shop across the street from the club. I may have a few years ago, but there are only so many instruments that someone can manage at one time. Plus there are only about 2 cubic feet of space left in the van and trailer and 6 weeks to go in the tour.
The day before yesterday we followed the Healthy Highways book to the Center For The Improvement Of Human Functioning, and their $6.50 organic lunch buffet. Little did we know what was in store for us there.
We ate amazingly well and got a full tour of the site, which is a cancer treatment and research laboratory which concentrates on nutrition to strengthen the immune system and kill cancer cells.
I met a woman who has been receiving treatments for breast cancer and has been well for four years. She told me to put my mother in touch with her...I'll keep my fingers crossed. As destiny would have it, I called my mom the next day and she told me she didn't want to do any more chemotherapy. I could sense the fatigue and grogginess over the phone.
Tonight is Boulder, Colorado. It's our first night here, but there are already 130 tickets sold, so that's a decent sign that it will be a good night.
Greetings, from Lawrence, KS. We just did a little horns-and-percussion parade down Massachusetts Ave, the main drag here. Around a hundred people were waiting on the street, apparently for free burritos, and we gave them a little taste of the music.
Austin was great, of course. The Austin City Limits Fest. show went well, but I was hoping for a little bit more diversity in the music. Dirty Dozen Brass Band rocked, the Roots sounded pretty good but I didn't get to catch their whole set. I had to watch it from up in a tree behind the set because my artist pass didn't get me to the "VIP" section by the side of the stage. Go figure.
Afterwards, we went to a pretty wack afterparty thrown by organizers. Wack because half of the band couldn't get it, and wack because a beautiful dancefloor with many willing people was wasted as the celebrity guest DJ insisted on playing a mostly undanceable set.
The night, however, was redeemed as Mimi and I went once again for a late night swim at Barton Springs. Thanks again...
to be continued after the show...
It's 6:40 am and I'm still up from Dallas. After successfully avoiding caffeine for the past three days, I reluctantly drank some Red Bull to keep me awake for the drive back to Austin.
We have to be on the festival grounds at 10 AM to drop some of the equipment off. I got a ride back with some friends and ended up having to drive the last leg...
I am up, physically worn but with the springs of caffeine keeping my eyelids jammed open, I write.
Dallas and Houston are two cities of which I know little about. My perceptions of them have been both as sprawling, noveau-riche Texas cities with large underclass of Mexicanos, African Americans, and immigrants, but imagined nothing beyond that.
Our Friday night show was in Houston, at a small upstairs club called Rudyard's in the Montrose section, a now-gentrified area of the city. It sort of reminded me of LA with lots of lush green foliage...a lot of the houses had big gates or fences around them, making them look more like fortresses than homes.
The cicadas were in affect by dusk, and the whole neighborhood was pulsing to the drone of their songs.
The show was good, pretty well-attended and diverse. Some friends we met at the show brought us to Word of Mouf, a beautiful underground spot in the 3rd Ward. It was as if the Jump N Funk party was held in the backyard of a babalawo somewhere warm. A wonderful familiy vibe, and the music was pumping well beyond 5am when we had to leave to get a few hours sleep. "Zombie" had ended and "JJD" was just kicking in as we were leaving. Love to Baba Alaafia, Felicia, Carmela, Karla, Hahleemah, Kool Emdee and the rest of our new friends. Mucho aché pa Houston!
Several hours of traffic later, we arrive in Dallas, to the Deep Ellum section which is a nightclub district blocks from the downtown area. Grupo Fantasma and Echo Bass Sound System made the trip up for the show. I didn't get a chance to hang as we loaded up the trailer and headed back to Austin (3.5 hrs) right after the show.
Today is the Austin City Limits Festival, going on all day. I am hoping to check the Roots set this afternoon before we go on. The last time I saw them was when we played at Bonnaroo 2003 and they were great. It is great to see a band you grow up with evolve over the years.
Marcos, Mimi, Beto, and I went to a swimming hole in Austin the other night, hopped the fence, and went for a magical late night swim, in a spring that passes through limestone before emptying into the lower Colorado River.
It was magical, and thanks my guardian angels for keeping the police away.
Besides, we were just having a good time!
do fans and friends bring you moonshine (made in the next county over), and vegetarian food.
thanks to rob for the mason jar of moonshine. i had but a few sips, just enough to scorch my insides!
I'm not sure who brought the rice and lentils and salad, and the cassava tamales in banana leaf, but thank you! I wish I had found the hot sauce before I finished my plate of rice.
today is rehearsal and hanging out with Megan and Brandon, friends of colin's who have printing presses and print books. It is called Bluebarnhouse.. I also met John Murphy, who is responsible for Stupid Creatures. They fed us very well and let us rehearse some new material in their living room while friends dropped by all day long to listen and drink beer out on the porch. Ah, a sunday in Asheville.
the town's water mains broke after heavy hurricane rains the past few days, so all the water is brown.
will this problem be more commonplace in the future?
your money works for you.
Profits go to pay those who don't work while those who do wonder if they'll have a job next quarter.
does that make sense?
since when did that become ethical?
I have so far held my tongue on this blog as far as politics go, but let me say that I am not sad to see the Republican convention come to an end.
This convention has been an eye-opening one in many ways:
1. To see unprecedented levels of mass brutality on the part of the NYPD (Shame on you!)
2. To hear quasi-religious pompous lies repeated over and over again.
3. To hear the Republicans appropriate Jimi Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner." What's next for 2008, PEs "Fight the Power?" Is nothing sacred.
I could go on and on...
Big ups and love to all the protestors, all the people still in jail or "Guantanamo on the Hudson," the Critical Mass bike riders, WBAI 99.5 radio for their tireless coverage and commentary on the convention and the state of affairs in the US in general. I hope the rest of the world has been paying attention and has been getting decent reports of all the creative and thoughtful resistance.
We did a little Antibalas performance on Manhattan Neighborhood Network on the Unconventional TV program tonight to wrap up their coverage of the convention. Excellent, thoughtful programming. Somehow, the more money a network has, the dumber the commentary. Go figure.
One other thing. There are more cops than rats these days in New York, and its getting harder to tell the difference. Whose side are they on? It's becoming more and more obvious...
Too many cops, not enough justice.
The car is officially sold, to an activist, veggie oil enthusiast whose plan is to drive it cross country. Good luck, Rupert! Make sure to change the oil a few times and get AAA or some other emergency road service, just in case.
I am taking a little time off from having a car, recently sold all furniture, moved stuff into storage, and will be nomadic for the next two months, on tour with Antibalas.
The plan then is to find a Dodge diesel pickup and see if I can't find a better, cheaper way of doing the conversion. The Greasecar system was okay, but knowing what I know now I think I can assemble and install a conversion system myself or with a little remote help.
