Boy, You're Gonna Juggle That Weight.

Eat rehearsals are getting better. Now I gotta cram for thursday's child. I'm gonna need (to quote Bob Dylan) a dump truck to unload my head! Last night, I went to a b'day party for Matt Winfree of the SpoonBenders and I was surprised to see my Funkabilly mates there. All 5 in the same room! I'm really tired today and I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. QUIT YER CRYIN' SOLDIER!

Saw It Written And I Saw It Say.

The Funkabillies have been out of commission for what seems like an eternity. I've been obsessing over Nick Drake over the past few days. That's not a bad thing. I was watching part of a documentary on him on YouTube and it said in his last year he didn't leave the house much at all. I could be that way easily. I come home for lunch most days and it's torture having to leave to go back to work. Tonight's Eat rehearsal went pretty well. I went into it tired so it was hard working up the energy to play fast punk drums but i made it ok. I guess we're going to try to play a gig in December. Next Thursday, I have my first rehearsal with thursday's child. I hope we have quite a few of them before the New York gig. Trying to learn two band's worth of material is wearing me out. This Friday, The Dillengers are playing a pick-up gig at some place called Igot's in Lake Worth. I need a massage badly! I'm all out of whack. Tired!

Eat Me.

OK. it's official. I called my Uncle Jack in NYC and he said I could stay with him a few days so I will be playing a gig in New York with Thursday's Child on November 18th. I haven't been to New York since my Grandmother passed in the late 80's. I've meant to go back but I could never find the money or the time. I'm gonna take a shitload of pictures and I really hope to see Electric Lady Studios and/or the Village Vanguard. I'll probably try to take in Ground Zero. If I can handle it. Tonight's Eat practice went well. I still don't feel like i'm part of it. I'm trying to keep up with them and I guess i'm doing OK. I think we have a long way to go but they'd probably tell you different. I think i'm more of a perfectionist than they are. It is fun playing fast and i'm not having trouble like I thought I would. I did have to wear earplugs tonight 'cause Ed's amp was on a chair pointed right at me. No ringing so that's a good thing.

Yesterday, I bought the new Tom Petty documentary (Running Down A Dream) and I got through half of it. It's about 4 hours long. So today I listened to him and was reminded of how many great songs he has. Tomorrow i'm going to Bob Wlos' studio to sift through tapes (!) to find one suitable for a new project. I have some old songs i'd like to record so we'll see what happens.

When You're Hot....You're Probably Only Room Temperature.

Oh, what a weekend. Last night, the Fs played the Hurricane in Dehray (home of the silent L) and that went as planned. We hadn't played in a few weeks (which is becoming a trend) and it showed. I'd seen the place previously and thought the Gibson amp would do fine (like it does at O'Hara's). It cried UNCLE in the first song and it had a long way to go. The tone was fine but we were so LOUD that I had no headroom so the mellow songs sounded like Black Sabbath on molasses. Good grief. It was a tough crowd to win over. Seemed like everyone I could see had their arms folded just staring us down. I'm sure my perspective is off. Of course, the manager loved us and wants us back once a month. The shittier we are, the more people like it. I don't get it. I left there with my ears SERIOUSLY ringing. Which is how I woke up this morning. Which is how I am now. What?

Today, the Dillengers had a soundcheck at the Cuillo Theater at 4. Just for the record, I generally hate these things. Nothing more fun then hitting the bass drum for a half an hour. And everyone practicing their numbers (1-2-3-4 Check-Check-Repeat). Anyway, the band that was on before us decided to turn the soundcheck into their rehearsal so we sat around a lot longer than we should have. We finally got our turn and it took forever to get the sound right. Luckily, the guy before me did all the boomboom kick drum nonsense. They only had a mic on the kick drum and one overhead. Simple. I was up in the cheap seats listening to their rehearsal knowing we were going to be really loud. It was a very live room. We finally got out of there and didn't return 'til 8:30. I found the dressing room and a had a piece of cold pizza that was there for the entertainers. Behind that room was a prop closet and Bill and I tried on some feather boas. We would have worn them but we would have upstaged poor Rickypoo. The aforementioned band before us must've been having fun 'cause they kept on playing past the allotted quit time. That's not cool. We ended up playing quite badly and loudly to roughly half the people that were there when I arrived. Oh, well.

Tomorrow we play a birthday party at our regular gig, Elwood's. Monday is a rehearsal for an Allman Brothers tribute thing I said yes to which I haven't done my homework for. OOPS! I'll have to cram at work Monday. Wednesday is a practice with The Eat. Thursday could be recording with Bob Wlos. I think I had something to do Tuesday but I can't remember. Saturday is a gig at Elwood's. I'm in over my head.

I Want You Around.

Whew! End of the weekend. This week, I had a rehearsal with The Eat and they didn't tell me to go away so I guess i'm in. I've got another rehearsal with them sometime early this week. I also have a Funkabilly rehearsal seeing as we have a gig on Friday. Saturday and Sunday, i'm with the Dillengers (Sunday at Elwood's for a birthday party of some sort). Listening to the Eat material has slid me into a punk phase. I've been listening to the Ramones and the Muffs a lot lately. Even though they're on the light side of it, they're still my faves. I may break out some Black Flag this week to see if it gets me fired.

Saturday afternoon, I had lunch with my friend Jen over by the Sawgrass Mills mall and that was fun. Got the new Mojo and a new live Ramones DVD at the Borders there. That night, Kris and I went out to Carrabba's for dinner and I ate some overly-cheesy ravioli which made my lactose-intolerant ass do the St. Vitus dance (look it up). Then we ended up at a place near here called Shea's (an irish pub). We sat and listened to a few tunes and some lady got up and sat in. She sounded like the bad chorus teacher in elementary school so we beat it out of there pretty early. My full stomach must've cut the oxygen to my brain somehow and I felt really tired and I was nodding off with Louis Black on the TV. I'm a shitty date.

I'm Easily The Stupidest Person You Know.

Once again, Best Buy fucked me. I wasted my lunch hour looking around for this thing and I realize I probably have to go downtown (!!!!) to Borders to get it 'cause everything around here sucks. Everytime something new comes out, Best Buy doesn't have it or misfiles it and nobody can find it....but I still keep coming back. Pavlov's dog? Tomorrow, I have jury duty in WPB. Weeeeeee! I can hardly contain myself. I gotta be there by 8 so i'll probably take a nap on I-95 like everyone else.

I Can Stereotype 60 Words A Minute (if they're and, but and or).

It's fookin' raining! I was driving this morning and I was getting this cool stereo thunder effect. These are the scenes from this morning. Since I don't eat vegetables, i've been trying to take vitamins and drink juices and stuff. I know what you're saying but at least it's better than nothing at all. Even if it pours, i'm still gonna make the trek to the dreaded Best Buy. Mama needs a new Otis Redding DVD!

Brainpan Aliceripple.

On the way home from work today, there was a brief moment where everything was alright with/in the world. I can't explain it. I was just singing along with the radio and I felt great. It's amazing how music can just perk you up. On The Muffs song Agony the first thing you hear is this intake of breath before Kim starts singing and every time I hear it it's like a release. You ever have that joyful anger? Like when some asshole in line at the grocery store who's being a complaining whiner slips and falls on his ass. You're angry but at the same time happy that he got his. Speaking of grocery stores, last night I had to go to Publix (pronounced like pubic) for some odds and sods and I happened to catch this guy's eye who was in a wheelchair and I gave him a real big smile and he went from a frown to a grin in nothing flat. I should start a smile campaign. When people smile at me it just makes everything better. It's hard to be grumpy with someone giving you the SAY CHEESE in your face. I can't be. Tomorrow, the Stax/Volt tour DVD comes out so you'll find me at the local Best Buy during lunch. C'mon by. I'll buy. Congress and Old Boynton Beach Blvd. Somewhere close to 12:40. See ya there. I'll be the one with the smile.