well, i reckon...

...it's been a while since i last said hello. i've been sick, traveling and seeing lots of music this past few weeks!
brooke surprised me with a trip out to los angeles for my birthday (oh yeah, i turned thirty on the seventh of september. how easily i forget, or want to forget. old age, maybe... maybe not). it was quite the surprise, finding out the night before and having to leave for the airport at five inthe morning.
i thought we were going to go to seattle.
got to see mike in his new town since he moved there in february. did some of the touristy stuff, like wade through the impersonators of the stars in front of grauman's (mann's) chinese theater. There were at least two of jack sparrow and batman, and just one charlie chaplin. I got to compare hand prints with the likes of george burns, peter sellers, michael caine while wondering why matt damon, will smith and others were given pavement space.
when we'd thought had enough of hollywood blvd., we went across the street for some coffee, and witnessed Chucky from 'Child's Play' getting a latte with elmo! the most surreal part was when the masks came off.
I really enjoyed my time there and hearing all the stories about LA and the crazy things that go on there, the gangs in mike's neighborhood (tvr-toonerville). i feel like i step back in time when i find the places in L.A. that i enjoy. those favorite places feel like the forties and fifties, as if it bleeds history in the architecture.

didn't get to see any shows this time in LA, but i haven't been exactly starving for music these days.
right after getting back, we jumped in as best we could to Music Fest NorthWest. it was overwhelming. I was sick as a dog, coughing through much of the first two nights of shows: Mogwai and M.Ward. i was disappointed that i couldn't enjoy these two bands to the fullest.
Also got to see TV on the Radio. JAguarlove was THE most terrible band i have EVER seen (except for the drummer, you are the only redeeming element of that band)! I only saw them while waiting for TVOTR.
Also caught dyme def from seattle, LES savvy fav (awesome), BATTLES (again awesome), dirty mittens (too cute), dykeritz (seemed to be having some technical difficulties, or something), and keytar playing copy (eh).

the surprise show for me was dan deacon.

wow.
never before have i seen a crowd in the palm of someone's hand, myself included. he set up on the dancefloor and directed the crowd like a camp counselor from the best summer camp ever, having a dance-off, "cure for the poison"-happening, and run of the gauntlet to his ultra-visceral lofi analog anthem masterpieces. if you've the chance, go see mr. dan deacon.

i like photos of dan deacon's set-up, or really, any picture like this of any electronic setup. but this one is extra special//

i saw some pictures from the last MFNW's infamous Girl Talk show, with people crowding around greg gillis in a frenzy, everyone completely in the moment.

dan deacon's show reminded me of those pictures, where:
"sometimes everything can be going together so it just feels more like a celebration and less like a concert.-gillis mfnw interview"


there was too much at the music fest that i wanted to see but couldn't, especially since upwards of fifteen bands were playing at any one time and spread out all over the city, but it's the choices we make... i'd prefer to be less crowded, too.

in the past few weeks, i have been fighting with computer, working with ableton-trying not to feel paralyzed by all that it can do and simultaneously all that i want to work on. I've been researching max/msp (what does it do anyway?). I have been making reliable recording tests, practicing and working on my mix, which has now split into two separate mixes. someday you'll be hearing it. i also got to chat for a bit with dj/rupture at a holocene show.