Ok, ok, I'm still obsessed with Trey

Dinner with co-workers from the West Coast and clients from the East coast turned into a visit to Irving Plaza to see Los Lobos where Trey just happened to be sitting in. Trey's been a big topic of conversation in the JamBase world as we were granted an interview, it got taken away, granted again. Anyway... I hear he'll be onstage and my emotions were mixed but I began to get very giddy as I am and always will be an uber Trey fan. I'm sorry, I just can't help it. So he came out and played with Los Lobos and I gotta say it was effin' awesome to see him wail a little bit. Like, yeah, this is the real thing that I'm lookin for. The Trey-splosion kind of petered out as the set went but it was there. They played a sweet Bertha...

Then to CB's Gallery to see Chris Harford and the Band of Changes featuring Boom Boom Scott Metzger and Dave Dreiwitz. They just played and played - full of heart and soul. Felt really good in there...

Oh Boylan!

My eyes are still quite fresh in NYC and there are things that just strike me. Here was a cool moment in SOHO last night around dusk.

The Season of Change Opens Into a New Year

Tonight is Erev Rosh Hashanah. In the past, this holiday has coincided with the first few weeks of school (new clothes, books, teachers), the first hints of brisk weather and changing leaves (before global warming), and in later years, trekking home to Long Island from whatever state of the country and being I was living in at the time (Indiana, Colorado, California, Phish tour - haha). This year I drove in an hour and a half of good ol' BQE > LIE traffic to spend another Rosh Hashanah with my family. This could have been the hardest commute of all years in the past. No question about it, I have truly returned home to New York.

It's no coincidence that I chose to move from San Francisco to Brooklyn at the end of the summer. I knew that by this exact weekend, I'd be living in my own apartment, somewhat settled, have met new friends, had new experiences and would be missing my cozy SF life and friends with all my heart. This is when the newness begins to wear off and the reality sets in. The words repeat in my mind, "I have really done this. I really left. I really live here. This really is my apartment and my neighborhood. This really is my new scene. This man hole cover really makes a 'bopbop' noise outside my bedroom window every time someone drives by."

My world has been insanely busy for the last few weeks with an seemingly unending amount of work, friends coming and going, multiple first-class musical choices every single damn night, emotions flying up and down, my heart in both pain and ecstasy... Amidst all this change and the flurry of activity, I look forward to taking this 48 hours to reflect, remember, and aspire. I take comfort in knowing that millions of people around the world are doing the same thing - I am connected to all of them. I am grateful that I am with my loving parents tonight and that I ate delicious matzah ball soup tonight.

Jew or no jew... my hope is that everyone can take a moment this weekend to sit with their thoughts and dreams, accepting the past and letting it be...

The Quotable Mr. Herman

On practicing Bartok, Debussy, Chopin, et al on his baby grand, my father says, "I get to talk with geniuses every day."

Wednesday Night in the LES

Just a quick post to remember the music I saw last night. You pretty much have your pick of an unimaginable amount of things to do and music to go see live in NYC on any night. Pretty incredible, actually. First stop was to eat cuban style corn at Cafe Habana - thanks to the obsessive craving by Miss Rachel Seiden which started with an IM ping at 10am about it.

Next stop: Living Room

This gent is David Ford - a one-man show from the other side of the pond. He's a cheeky fellow (loved when he said "This one is about where I come from. A little town called England. We used to own your country.") with some powerful and emotive singin' pipes. He starts out by singing into his mic, starting to layer his own voice, sits down and adds a guitar line which begins to loop, adds piano, etc etc... until there's a magnificent sound coming from the stage. While all of his machines are working independently of himself, he is free to stand up and belt into the mic with all his might. Check out the album I Sincerely Apologise For All The Trouble I've Caused but such as it is with solo artists (or any artist really), it's all about watching him create this stuff in front of your eyes.

Next stop: CBGB's

The days of CBGB's are numbered. I believe there is only a few weeks left that the doors will be opened for business. Luckily our friend Jake of Rocks Off is filling the stage with righteousness. I'm thankful that I got to experience CB's a couple of times since I've been here - the walls are literally covered with memories and going to the bathroom feels like you are going down into a dungeon that you'll escape only if you're lucky.

Last night a NYC staple, RANA, minus a keyboardist, rocked the house. Metzger really is a treasure and they looked like they were having a blast up there. There was plenty of honkytonk to go around as Metzger (aka Boots) accompanied drummer Ryan Thornton (also from NYC band Sam Champion) for "Sad Songs.

A great random night in NYC!

Five Years

This is the view of downtown from my bedroom window on the fifth anniversary of the fall of the twin towers.

Cardboard Mouse Pad

Ah the ghetto life of the recently moved... here I am using a piece of cardboard as a mouse pad.

MMJ Video from Lollapalooza

I am just strengthening my relationship with the internet and wanted to try out the YouTube thing. Here is some uber-amateur video I took at Lollapalooza of Jim James tearing apart the guitar during "Dondante."