Learning to Live More

With the past weeks of soaking in some rays, I'm beginning to power up and remember all the lovely things I haven't done in awhile due to months of art show consumption and rain hibernation. My inner protestant is finally chilling out. Loosen up dude, give yourself some leash, go get some livin.

An solid first step in learning to live more is attending heart shaking cultural events with your best friends. that's what i, David, did with max goldberg, on tuesday night when we went arm in arm to the Great American Music Hall to be pummeled by Huun-Huur-Tu, the throat singers from Tuva (presented by Frank's new esteemed place of work, Aquarius Records). It was huge! If you're not familiar with throat singing, behold...

...i thought so. I felt like a baby in a stroller getting pushed over a long bumpy road causing deep stroller reverberations while my mom, dad, and grandparents all whistled to me at the same time. All of their songs were about horses and missing their girlfriends (which I can relate to), and they explained that they each have the spirit of 10 of their ancestors with them at all times so as they sing it is actually the resonance of many at once. whoa.

anyway, it was a real treat and I love them for singing to me. And I love max for being such a great friend, and taking me along to special shows when he gets free tickets for being 007freelance Guardian writer (he is a really great writer...check his blog to get read his delightful musings on film and his interviews with the likes of Bill Callahan, the Finches, and White Magic...it's all there...maybe if we're lucky he'll write his version of getting throat sung).

this is a photo I took of him nearly 3 years ago, just weeks after I moved to California and we moved in together...

people often say we look alike, sometimes people say we look like brothers, once a pizza delivery man asked if we were twins, and ONCE, at stinson beach, max walked to the beach while I was getting my surf board off the car, and then I walked to the beach in my wetsuit, with my surfboard, and this stoned dude freaked out as I walked up to him and said "WHOAAAAAA! didn't you JUST walk by me!?!?!?!" that was the best ever.

here is max and I when we played one of 3 shows together as "Brothers".....

this was a house show that we hosted, also not long after I moved here, just days after Daniella moved here. This was our first Bay Area Snowblink show, it was a brown bag potluck (pack yourself a complete brown bag lunch and swap it with a friend), daniella's wonderful idea, one of many and many and many......geez, nostalgia's abrew for me right now, celebrating the good days is a healthy part of learning to live more i guess.

gettin' schooled.

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of watching pocahaunted play for a third grade class in oakland. You can see in the foreground, in a brown striped hoody, their splendid and inspired teacher jeff leboeuf, the man who put the whole thing together.

This is jeff's family. They really know how to party!

After their first song, they opened things up and handed out various instruments and pieces of percussion to the class. That's amanda spreading the sound around. She is an incredible person, and can dance a hole through a wall.

This little guy was ready to slam the tam tam.

And finally, there was a beautiful and interesting question and answer period. Amanda and Bethany were both very communicative and neat. Their connection is clear and special. My favorite part was when a little kid asked them what they call there music. Amanda and Bethany both looked at eachother quizzically and ventured, "It's sort of like rock & roll," and then, a little kid nearby me whispered, "but more haunted."

Dang! If you haven't checked out pocahaunted, or the many releases on their FRICKING amazing label notnotfun, you should. They make some of the best art around, I'm not not not joking.

So, as an aside? Who's sick?
Me, I'm out like a broken dog, and in my few waking moments, when I drift to the surface through the viscous yet billowing layers of nyquil I'm buried beneath, I like to compare the current state of my throat to things. Just things...

my fav three:
1. A fiberglass spiderweb. (has a nice ring does it not?)
2. A dooooooom review on the aquarius records website. If you don't know, check it, I'll be writing there soon, as its my *new job*.
3. Like I've been smoking cottage cheese. CAN YOU IMAGINE!

Later folks, laundry doesn't do itself.

How Arp Rolls

if you ever had a doubt that Arp is the grooviest, most attractive duo in town, here's some footage that our dear friend Sam took at the show last saturday to set you straight.

Sam filmed our TreeVD and has a short film called "CaveFlower" in SFIndieFest playing this weekend.

Night 2

another really nice one! thanks Snowblink! thanks Arp! thanks Pocahuanted! thanks everyone for joining us for these shows, it was a real treat to open up and do so much sharing after so much time working in our own little world.

we'll keep you posted with the next set of things we're up to...laying a bit low for now, enjoying a valentines day road trip to stanford for a snowblink show, maybe skate boarding with nat russell. the finer things.

NIGHT 1-DRONER

friends!

thank you for coming to the first of our two shows....many special feelings. go explore more about the Sangati Center, Lucky Dragons, and White Rainbow, it will be well worth your while.

how did you feel?

Next Saturday, Feb 9th is our second show, and the closing of Enter the Center, hope we all got a bit closer.

DISASTER (BARR)
POCAHAUNTED
ARP

8pm! $8! get tickets at www.eleanorharwood.com, and have a great week in the meanwhile.


AND! tonight, tuesday, is the triumphant return of BIRDS OF AMERICA, performing live for the first time in quite awhile, and it's going to be gooooood. They're playing at The Cimate Theatre on 9th and Folsom in SF, so go....and if you've never explored Nat Russell's blog, do yourselg a favor......crookedarm.blogspot.com. i do everyday.

(also, don't forget to vote)