And my flying car that runs on fusion? and the mini Dominoes pizza that you put in the dehydrator? None of this is true. I guess we still have 6 more years until all of this transpires, but I'm not holding my breath for these predictions to happen.
However, I am excited about one prediction that will happen:
SINGULARITY.
The singularity is near.
Singularity, according to Singularityhub.com, is
"The point in mankind’s future when we will transcend current intellectual and biological limitations and initiate an intelligence and information explosion beyond imagining. "
Basically, singularity will possibly be the most important event ever to happen to humankind, and it's supposed to happen around or before 2050. By then, advances in technology, nanotechnology, and computers will make it possible to eradicate all diseases, and prolong human life considerably. Also, most human beings by that time will have some sort of biotechnological advancement implanted in their body, that the majority of us would actually be classified as being android than 100% human being.
I personally welcome it. As long as human beings still have free will, and not controlled by some diabolical superintelligent machine, then i'm down with it. I ain't down with Terminator 2.
And I do want to live forever. I read somewhere that advancements might go a thousandfold within the next 50 years, that computers might have the possibility of mapping out and downloading consciousness. So basically, we can never die. All we'd have to do is find an exterior machine/body where our consciousness will be able to control.
I'm totally cool with that. I want to be like 5,000 years old and still kicking it and songwriting it and kissing beautiful ladies and traveling through space. I'd be known as the Ancient One. That's so badass.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Feb. 19 - Demetri Martin LIVE at The Bowery Ball Room = AWESOME.
He even made a joke about using the word awesome, which I’m sure he’ll be using on his show soon.
Casey and I went, and basically for an hour and 15 minutes we received the revelation of Demetri’s Genius. Like genius with a capital G. He’s that good.
My favorite part of the show was when he read out these fliers he made. But all of the show was really witty and clever. Pretty much Martin’s bonafide m.o.
It seemed like he was trying out new material, because he brought a tape recorder, and whenever a joke didn’t do as well, he took his recorder and said something to the effect of “note to self: do not do suicide joke. Not as funny live as it seems in bedroom.” He also plays this vintage Casio keyboard (I think it’s an SK 1) , and sings his jokes while he does it.
Favorite joke of the night, which Casey and I agreed : “The number of balls juggled by a man is inverse proportional to the number of girls who want to juggle that man’s balls.” Once he said that, Casey and I looked at each other, and said “Kaler!!!” in reference to our friend Josh Kaler, guitar player/drummer for Slow Runner, and professional juggler.
Ah, Kaler. We miss you, you bastard.
I’ve been a fan of Demetri ever since I saw that comedy central special of him a couple of years ago. It was an honor to watch him perform live. I think my brain had an orgasm.
Casey and I went, and basically for an hour and 15 minutes we received the revelation of Demetri’s Genius. Like genius with a capital G. He’s that good.
My favorite part of the show was when he read out these fliers he made. But all of the show was really witty and clever. Pretty much Martin’s bonafide m.o.
It seemed like he was trying out new material, because he brought a tape recorder, and whenever a joke didn’t do as well, he took his recorder and said something to the effect of “note to self: do not do suicide joke. Not as funny live as it seems in bedroom.” He also plays this vintage Casio keyboard (I think it’s an SK 1) , and sings his jokes while he does it.
Favorite joke of the night, which Casey and I agreed : “The number of balls juggled by a man is inverse proportional to the number of girls who want to juggle that man’s balls.” Once he said that, Casey and I looked at each other, and said “Kaler!!!” in reference to our friend Josh Kaler, guitar player/drummer for Slow Runner, and professional juggler.
Ah, Kaler. We miss you, you bastard.
I’ve been a fan of Demetri ever since I saw that comedy central special of him a couple of years ago. It was an honor to watch him perform live. I think my brain had an orgasm.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Wed. Feb 18th - First Potluck of 2009!
Was a good time had by all. It happened three weeks ago, so I can’t promise that my memory will be 100% accurate…but I’ll try my best.
Cast of characters:
Laura B
Dave and Isabelle
Jannes
Karin and Riki
Laura’s male friend, the actor
Laura’s cat
I got the invite from Marie, who got it from Dave and Isabelle. I went over Laura B’s place at Sunnyside. Dave answered the door, and when I entered, everyone was around a table, playing a card game.
Not sure what the card game was called, so here’s the gist: You have 7 cards, all with nouns. The player in charge picks up two cards in the center of the table, which are adjectives, and you and your opponents try to pick the card in your stack that best matches the description of the adjectives. The player in charge then picks the noun card he thinks fits the best with the adjective cards, and whomever card that player picks, the person who put that specific card down is the winner.
I was thrown right into the game while Laura got me a glass of wine. It was around then that I was introduced to everyone. It was nice seeing Jannes from Berlin again; he gave me a card with his band’s myspace info on it. Dave and Isabelle were there too, solid and happy to be there. I met Laura’s friend, the Actor, though I do not remember his name. He seemed like a gentle guy, and I believe went to college with her at Charleston. Then I got to meet Karin and Riki, who both taught and traveled with Laura in Thailand. Besides having awesome names, they were really nice, and told me a little bit about their adventures there (something about elephants, if I remember correctly) …and about the food. Oh my God, I love Thai food. Karin and RIki were staying with Laura for a few months.
I brought 2 bags of Terra Chips, which were happily consumed by everyone, especially Karin. Most of the other guests had already eaten, so there was a plate of fancy crackers, brie and a bagel pizza waiting for me. Of course I ate everything…because you never turn down a food offer from the host. Ever.
For some reason, Karin kept winning (approximately 4 out of every 6 tries), which was starting to bug me, since I ended up not winning a game the whole night. But I got over it, especially after she told a funny story regarding her dad. Oh, and Laura’s cat was there, and everyone else was petting her, except for me. But somehow I wasn’t feeling allergic, which usually never happens. I wonder if her cat is hypoallergenic, if there is such a thing as hypoallergenic cats.
After Isabelle and Dave left, I spent another half an hour hanging. Laura had her laptop open, so we showed each other youtube videos (my God, has we all gone geeky?) I of course showed them the 1st part of Food Party.. Then Jannes showed us an animated video of this kid who recorded John Lennon with a tape recorder back in the late 60’s; it was a little long-winded (Lennon can yap for a ridiculous amount of time) but did have its pretty moments.
All in all, it was a good time. I do believe that we might have a tea party in a couple of weeks, and perhaps do a blind tea taste test, to see if if my company’s tea is better than the tea Karin buys. Stay tuned…
Cast of characters:
Laura B
Dave and Isabelle
Jannes
Karin and Riki
Laura’s male friend, the actor
Laura’s cat
I got the invite from Marie, who got it from Dave and Isabelle. I went over Laura B’s place at Sunnyside. Dave answered the door, and when I entered, everyone was around a table, playing a card game.
Not sure what the card game was called, so here’s the gist: You have 7 cards, all with nouns. The player in charge picks up two cards in the center of the table, which are adjectives, and you and your opponents try to pick the card in your stack that best matches the description of the adjectives. The player in charge then picks the noun card he thinks fits the best with the adjective cards, and whomever card that player picks, the person who put that specific card down is the winner.
I was thrown right into the game while Laura got me a glass of wine. It was around then that I was introduced to everyone. It was nice seeing Jannes from Berlin again; he gave me a card with his band’s myspace info on it. Dave and Isabelle were there too, solid and happy to be there. I met Laura’s friend, the Actor, though I do not remember his name. He seemed like a gentle guy, and I believe went to college with her at Charleston. Then I got to meet Karin and Riki, who both taught and traveled with Laura in Thailand. Besides having awesome names, they were really nice, and told me a little bit about their adventures there (something about elephants, if I remember correctly) …and about the food. Oh my God, I love Thai food. Karin and RIki were staying with Laura for a few months.
I brought 2 bags of Terra Chips, which were happily consumed by everyone, especially Karin. Most of the other guests had already eaten, so there was a plate of fancy crackers, brie and a bagel pizza waiting for me. Of course I ate everything…because you never turn down a food offer from the host. Ever.
For some reason, Karin kept winning (approximately 4 out of every 6 tries), which was starting to bug me, since I ended up not winning a game the whole night. But I got over it, especially after she told a funny story regarding her dad. Oh, and Laura’s cat was there, and everyone else was petting her, except for me. But somehow I wasn’t feeling allergic, which usually never happens. I wonder if her cat is hypoallergenic, if there is such a thing as hypoallergenic cats.
After Isabelle and Dave left, I spent another half an hour hanging. Laura had her laptop open, so we showed each other youtube videos (my God, has we all gone geeky?) I of course showed them the 1st part of Food Party.. Then Jannes showed us an animated video of this kid who recorded John Lennon with a tape recorder back in the late 60’s; it was a little long-winded (Lennon can yap for a ridiculous amount of time) but did have its pretty moments.
All in all, it was a good time. I do believe that we might have a tea party in a couple of weeks, and perhaps do a blind tea taste test, to see if if my company’s tea is better than the tea Karin buys. Stay tuned…
Wrestling With The Wrestler
I saw the Wrestler with Marie and her friends Terri and Emily, and Bill. At the Landmark Theatre on E. Houston, after spending a couple of hours at the progressive book store near Rockwoods.
The Wrestler is a great film, and deserves all the accolades it’s been getting. Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei were heartbreakingly honest in their performances.
The only weak link of the story is the daughter-dad relationship between Mickey and Evan Rachel Wood; although still good performances in both parts, it felt nauseatingly Hollywood cliché, and was trying to do too much in those minutes. But other than that glitch, it is a great film.
I couldn’t help thinking while watching the Wrestler, about the song The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel. Especially these lines, which I will try to cull from memory:
“I am leaving, I am leaving/ but the fighter still remains.”
I wonder if the Soderbergh and the screenwriter were inspired by this song, sing a lot of the song’s gist seems to course through The Wrestler. Don’t know.
The Wrestler is a great film, and deserves all the accolades it’s been getting. Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei were heartbreakingly honest in their performances.
The only weak link of the story is the daughter-dad relationship between Mickey and Evan Rachel Wood; although still good performances in both parts, it felt nauseatingly Hollywood cliché, and was trying to do too much in those minutes. But other than that glitch, it is a great film.
I couldn’t help thinking while watching the Wrestler, about the song The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel. Especially these lines, which I will try to cull from memory:
“I am leaving, I am leaving/ but the fighter still remains.”
I wonder if the Soderbergh and the screenwriter were inspired by this song, sing a lot of the song’s gist seems to course through The Wrestler. Don’t know.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Tues. Feb. 17. I am a Cookiemonster.
Chomp chomp chomp.
My co-worker Mary had a whole roll of these Girl Scout Cookies that she put on top of her cubicle for everyone to eat. I first took 3 cookies,
then 15 minutes later when she was at her desk, I asked her if I could take a few more cookies (about 5). She said she doesn’t eat them because they’re bad for you. Oh well.
Then 20 minutes later I went back to her desk and asked if I can take a few more. She laughed, and said to go ahead. So I took 3 more.
She said I was a cookie monster.
Yes I am.
Finally, an hour later there was still 6 cookies left in the roll. And she wasn’t at her desk, so I took the whole thing.
I love it when I get free food at my workplace. I get the same feeling like when I was a 5 year old kid, stealing Topps football cards from Pathmark supermarket, even though I had no interest in football. It’s like I stick it to the man.
My co-worker Mary had a whole roll of these Girl Scout Cookies that she put on top of her cubicle for everyone to eat. I first took 3 cookies,
then 15 minutes later when she was at her desk, I asked her if I could take a few more cookies (about 5). She said she doesn’t eat them because they’re bad for you. Oh well.
Then 20 minutes later I went back to her desk and asked if I can take a few more. She laughed, and said to go ahead. So I took 3 more.
She said I was a cookie monster.
Yes I am.
Finally, an hour later there was still 6 cookies left in the roll. And she wasn’t at her desk, so I took the whole thing.
I love it when I get free food at my workplace. I get the same feeling like when I was a 5 year old kid, stealing Topps football cards from Pathmark supermarket, even though I had no interest in football. It’s like I stick it to the man.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Mon., Feb 16 - MOMA = The Museum of Malcontent Artists
I mean, The Museum of Modern Art. Awesomeness. Haven’t been there in a few years, so it was nice to go.
Marie and I met up with Dave and Isabelle, who had one free ticket to give us, which was awesome. So we did the whole MOMA experience, and all of us were modern-arted out after the 2.5 hours.
Unfortunately, Van Gogh’s Starry Night wasn’t there. I know it’s quite a cliché, but I absolutely love that painting. It inspired a few lines in a song I wrote called The Night I Met Her:
“The sky is like a Vince Van Gogh/ full of slingshot stars”.
The current exhibit is of this South African artist named Marlene Dumas, who I really liked. A lot of her paintings were really dark and unsettling. She uses blues and grays a lot, but uses them in a way as to make the subjects look like their faces are decomposing. And a lot of the subject’s faces were deformed, and many were in compromising positions. There’s a lot of tension and horror present in her paintings. Some of it is pain too. My favorite painting off hers was the Turkish School Children. Their faces were ghastly, with deliberately sad/scary eyes.
Other highlights (in my opinion) of the place: Le Mademoiselles D’Avignon, by Picasso, which I studied during my art class; both Van Gogh’s paintings, which are intense to look at; some of the Dada art, and some of Dali’s stuff. Also really liked Rothko’s paintings, which I didn’t like the last time I went there, and still continually to be flabbergasted by Jackson Pollock, who I think might be my favorite contemporary artist.
Marie and I met up with Dave and Isabelle, who had one free ticket to give us, which was awesome. So we did the whole MOMA experience, and all of us were modern-arted out after the 2.5 hours.
Unfortunately, Van Gogh’s Starry Night wasn’t there. I know it’s quite a cliché, but I absolutely love that painting. It inspired a few lines in a song I wrote called The Night I Met Her:
“The sky is like a Vince Van Gogh/ full of slingshot stars”.
The current exhibit is of this South African artist named Marlene Dumas, who I really liked. A lot of her paintings were really dark and unsettling. She uses blues and grays a lot, but uses them in a way as to make the subjects look like their faces are decomposing. And a lot of the subject’s faces were deformed, and many were in compromising positions. There’s a lot of tension and horror present in her paintings. Some of it is pain too. My favorite painting off hers was the Turkish School Children. Their faces were ghastly, with deliberately sad/scary eyes.
Other highlights (in my opinion) of the place: Le Mademoiselles D’Avignon, by Picasso, which I studied during my art class; both Van Gogh’s paintings, which are intense to look at; some of the Dada art, and some of Dali’s stuff. Also really liked Rothko’s paintings, which I didn’t like the last time I went there, and still continually to be flabbergasted by Jackson Pollock, who I think might be my favorite contemporary artist.
Sun, Feb. 16 - To the Old man Snoring Loudly throughout the showing of Coraline.
You are my hero. Thank you for snoring so loudly that Marie, her friends, and I can hear you, even though you were about 20 rows away.
I’m sure the kids around you really appreciated it too. Especially during the quiet parts of the dialogue.
I’m also sure the relatives who brought you must have been really proud of you too. Way to go, cakemeister.
Thank you for your contribution to the happiness and enjoyment of everyone at the movie theater. I hope the theater gives you free tickets for life so you can snore so loudly at each showing you go to.
I’m sure the kids around you really appreciated it too. Especially during the quiet parts of the dialogue.
I’m also sure the relatives who brought you must have been really proud of you too. Way to go, cakemeister.
Thank you for your contribution to the happiness and enjoyment of everyone at the movie theater. I hope the theater gives you free tickets for life so you can snore so loudly at each showing you go to.
V Day Dinner and honey bears.
I had Valentines Day dinner with a loved one. California Pizza kitchen near the Fortunoffs and Roosevelt Field. The place was super-packed, for V Day, that when we arrived, we were told it would be a 40 minute wait, so we walked to the Borders nearby.
Upon arriving, I see a ridiculous honey bear. I’ve decided to call super-attractive girls honey bears, because I think the name fits, rather than call them hotties. This honey bear was in her early 20s, blond, grey skirt, leggy, full lips, and with a much older man, who I presume was her father. I remember her somewhat passing by me (I don’t stare, but sometimes look peripherally at things or people who catch my eye), and my body having a mini panic attack like “holy cerebrum, she’s coming this way!!! May day!!!!! Flex those pecs, and stand up straight, and look confident, you singer-songwriter bastard!” Once the tempest subsided, and she and her dad (or sugardaddy?) went upstairs, I saw this other guy about 5 feet away from me, dumbfounded too at the honeyness.
It's weird how honey bears seem to stop time all around you.
Another note: my loved one saw this postcard book called “Bad News Told by Baby Animals”, which turns out to be pretty genius. Basically, it’s postcard pictures of baby animals in really cute situations, yet the caption by the animals says stuff like “ I cheated on you” and “You’re the Father” and other sweet things to have whispered in your ear.
Anyway, we get back to the Kitch. I ordered this chipotle Pizza, which was pretty decent, and she ordered the tandoori chicken pizza, which was really good. The mango in the pizza really added such a sweet flavor to the rest of tandoori chicken, and I was a little jealous that she ordered that one. Ah, whatevs.
C’est la vie. Or as Nick Swardson’s Gay Robot would say, “It ain’t no thing but a chicken wing”.
Upon arriving, I see a ridiculous honey bear. I’ve decided to call super-attractive girls honey bears, because I think the name fits, rather than call them hotties. This honey bear was in her early 20s, blond, grey skirt, leggy, full lips, and with a much older man, who I presume was her father. I remember her somewhat passing by me (I don’t stare, but sometimes look peripherally at things or people who catch my eye), and my body having a mini panic attack like “holy cerebrum, she’s coming this way!!! May day!!!!! Flex those pecs, and stand up straight, and look confident, you singer-songwriter bastard!” Once the tempest subsided, and she and her dad (or sugardaddy?) went upstairs, I saw this other guy about 5 feet away from me, dumbfounded too at the honeyness.
It's weird how honey bears seem to stop time all around you.
Another note: my loved one saw this postcard book called “Bad News Told by Baby Animals”, which turns out to be pretty genius. Basically, it’s postcard pictures of baby animals in really cute situations, yet the caption by the animals says stuff like “ I cheated on you” and “You’re the Father” and other sweet things to have whispered in your ear.
Anyway, we get back to the Kitch. I ordered this chipotle Pizza, which was pretty decent, and she ordered the tandoori chicken pizza, which was really good. The mango in the pizza really added such a sweet flavor to the rest of tandoori chicken, and I was a little jealous that she ordered that one. Ah, whatevs.
C’est la vie. Or as Nick Swardson’s Gay Robot would say, “It ain’t no thing but a chicken wing”.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Saturday, Feb 14th - Famous
If you wanna stay a while
you don't have to go
even if you're famous
no one has to know
If you wanna stay a while
you don't have to go
even if you're famous
no one has to know
I can see you
for who you are
not who you appear to be
in magazines
If you wanna close your eyes
and open the window
you'll feel the weight of fireflies
landing on your clothes
they'll lift you up across the sky
and gradually you'll float
to the city limits way up high
before you're carried home
I can see you
for who you are
not who you appear to be
in magazines
Br:
they don't care about what is true
you are beautiful even when you're blue
they don't give a damn who you are
you're my star
if I only have night
and disappear by daylight
I'd spend these hours beside you
if you asked me
if I only have night
and disappear by daylight
I'd spend the night beside you
If you wanna stay a while
you don't have to go
even if you're famous
no one has to know
- lyrics, words, and music by John-Flor Sisante
copyright 2009 by John-Flor Sisante
you don't have to go
even if you're famous
no one has to know
If you wanna stay a while
you don't have to go
even if you're famous
no one has to know
I can see you
for who you are
not who you appear to be
in magazines
If you wanna close your eyes
and open the window
you'll feel the weight of fireflies
landing on your clothes
they'll lift you up across the sky
and gradually you'll float
to the city limits way up high
before you're carried home
I can see you
for who you are
not who you appear to be
in magazines
Br:
they don't care about what is true
you are beautiful even when you're blue
they don't give a damn who you are
you're my star
if I only have night
and disappear by daylight
I'd spend these hours beside you
if you asked me
if I only have night
and disappear by daylight
I'd spend the night beside you
If you wanna stay a while
you don't have to go
even if you're famous
no one has to know
- lyrics, words, and music by John-Flor Sisante
copyright 2009 by John-Flor Sisante
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Friday the 13th!!!! CH CH CH CH HA HA HA HA
I hope that scared you a ton, that you now can't sleep tonight. Because I'm evil like that.
Cast of characters:
Harry George
Adam Sullivan
Tom Loschiavo
Jeni Nielsen
Eric Seader
Matt Jasper
Kieran Kelly
Casey Tuck
Owen Biddle and Adriene
Jeanie P
Rachael
Ben Williams
Dan Carmen
Joanna and Chelsea
Rob
The Friday show at The Waltz was so awesome. It was a crowded room, and I got to meet a lot of new faces who I guess ended up liking my shenanigans. It's the ukelele, I tell you. They don't like me- they like my ukelele.
My playset:
Symphony Smile (piano)
Bad At Telling you (piano* debut)
Modern Masterpiece
Second Wind
The Britney Spears Song
Bed of Nails
The Night in her apartment
buttercup
Kneecaps
Harry George is a fine, fine songwriter. I absolutely loved the 2nd or third song he played. And I really like his vibe too. Adam Sullivan played a solid set of whimsical, thoughtful pieces, and is quite an amazing piano player. He's also a great vibe to him too. He sang with a girl in a couple of songs, which was also really nice. And Tom Loschiavo also did a great job, with his music reminiscent of Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, but even more vulnerable. It was a great night for music.
It was nice meeting Rob, Harry and Adam's roommate. We share the Filipino thing, so I'm probably somewhat related to him.
Alas, a lot of friends came to this show too...Jeni Nielsen is so sweet, and I'm really glad I had a chance to hang out with her a little bit. She fed me some of her peanut butter cake and the half of the sandwich she ate, and we got to talking a bunch with her, and also with Eric Seader, who had some great, great news to tell! Eric, you are awesome, and I am happy for you :)
Also in the crowd was Casey, el drummer extraordinaire, who also brought Owen and his significant other, Adriene, and a bunch of other friends. That was really awesome to see all of them, and Owen and Adriene are now New Yorkers!! So awesome...he literally is the funniest guy I have ever met, and quite the talented bass player.
It was also sweet to see Jeanie there too. She brought her cousin who just came from Taiwan, and also her friend Rachael, who kinda from my angle on stage looked a little bit like St. Vincent, which I thought was interesting. I really enjoyed talking to them too, and Rachael told me about a ukelele player she digs.
And Ben Williams and Dan were there too, which was awesome. Ben is a great guy, and I am happy I got a chance to talk to him. I didn't get a chance to talk to Dan as much though, but hopefully next time I will.
Matt Jasper, fellow long-island bred singer-songwriter, was there too. It turns out he most likely will be working with Kieran Kelly, the producer from The Buddy Project who I will be working with in a couple of months...so that's awesome. He's a good guy; too bad his girlfriend wasn't there also, since she's really nice.
Kieran was there too, with his wife, and some other friends. We got to talking and he said once in a while if no on is recording at the TBP I can call him up, borrow the keys, and use the piano....which is so awesome, since it's a really good piano.
Oh, and it was really nice formally meeting Joanna and Chelsea. Jo told me about her life as a teaching fellow, and I told her I have had two friends who have gone through it; one is totally doing great with it while the other one dropped out after a couple of months. She said that the classes can vary considerably, but she said she's been doing well, which is awesome. She also invited me to her birthday coming this Friday, which is also awesome. I mentioned she should do some karaoke, but I think she's set on getting her groove on and dancing.
Chelsea also was really sweet; it turns out she's very involved with dance, and even live in Charleston this past Summer doing dance stuff, which is cool. I told her how I absolutely loved the modern dance recitals given by Boston Conservatory kids back in my days at Berklee, and I asked her next time she gets dance tickets and can't find anyone to go with, invite me! Because I'm into modern dance especially. And appreciate it much more, especially after watching Talk To Her, Almodovar's best film.
Well, that's pretty much it. I guess I'll hit the hay for now.
- jflo
Cast of characters:
Harry George
Adam Sullivan
Tom Loschiavo
Jeni Nielsen
Eric Seader
Matt Jasper
Kieran Kelly
Casey Tuck
Owen Biddle and Adriene
Jeanie P
Rachael
Ben Williams
Dan Carmen
Joanna and Chelsea
Rob
The Friday show at The Waltz was so awesome. It was a crowded room, and I got to meet a lot of new faces who I guess ended up liking my shenanigans. It's the ukelele, I tell you. They don't like me- they like my ukelele.
My playset:
Symphony Smile (piano)
Bad At Telling you (piano* debut)
Modern Masterpiece
Second Wind
The Britney Spears Song
Bed of Nails
The Night in her apartment
buttercup
Kneecaps
Harry George is a fine, fine songwriter. I absolutely loved the 2nd or third song he played. And I really like his vibe too. Adam Sullivan played a solid set of whimsical, thoughtful pieces, and is quite an amazing piano player. He's also a great vibe to him too. He sang with a girl in a couple of songs, which was also really nice. And Tom Loschiavo also did a great job, with his music reminiscent of Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, but even more vulnerable. It was a great night for music.
It was nice meeting Rob, Harry and Adam's roommate. We share the Filipino thing, so I'm probably somewhat related to him.
Alas, a lot of friends came to this show too...Jeni Nielsen is so sweet, and I'm really glad I had a chance to hang out with her a little bit. She fed me some of her peanut butter cake and the half of the sandwich she ate, and we got to talking a bunch with her, and also with Eric Seader, who had some great, great news to tell! Eric, you are awesome, and I am happy for you :)
Also in the crowd was Casey, el drummer extraordinaire, who also brought Owen and his significant other, Adriene, and a bunch of other friends. That was really awesome to see all of them, and Owen and Adriene are now New Yorkers!! So awesome...he literally is the funniest guy I have ever met, and quite the talented bass player.
It was also sweet to see Jeanie there too. She brought her cousin who just came from Taiwan, and also her friend Rachael, who kinda from my angle on stage looked a little bit like St. Vincent, which I thought was interesting. I really enjoyed talking to them too, and Rachael told me about a ukelele player she digs.
And Ben Williams and Dan were there too, which was awesome. Ben is a great guy, and I am happy I got a chance to talk to him. I didn't get a chance to talk to Dan as much though, but hopefully next time I will.
Matt Jasper, fellow long-island bred singer-songwriter, was there too. It turns out he most likely will be working with Kieran Kelly, the producer from The Buddy Project who I will be working with in a couple of months...so that's awesome. He's a good guy; too bad his girlfriend wasn't there also, since she's really nice.
Kieran was there too, with his wife, and some other friends. We got to talking and he said once in a while if no on is recording at the TBP I can call him up, borrow the keys, and use the piano....which is so awesome, since it's a really good piano.
Oh, and it was really nice formally meeting Joanna and Chelsea. Jo told me about her life as a teaching fellow, and I told her I have had two friends who have gone through it; one is totally doing great with it while the other one dropped out after a couple of months. She said that the classes can vary considerably, but she said she's been doing well, which is awesome. She also invited me to her birthday coming this Friday, which is also awesome. I mentioned she should do some karaoke, but I think she's set on getting her groove on and dancing.
Chelsea also was really sweet; it turns out she's very involved with dance, and even live in Charleston this past Summer doing dance stuff, which is cool. I told her how I absolutely loved the modern dance recitals given by Boston Conservatory kids back in my days at Berklee, and I asked her next time she gets dance tickets and can't find anyone to go with, invite me! Because I'm into modern dance especially. And appreciate it much more, especially after watching Talk To Her, Almodovar's best film.
Well, that's pretty much it. I guess I'll hit the hay for now.
- jflo
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Feb 5-Feb 10: A conversation between two bros.
My brother Jason and I send weird e-mails to each other during work hours. He loves this monkey stuffed animal that Marie and I bought him; he named the animal munkiRawr (mR). mR is pretty naughty, and recently just got a new stuffed animal guinea pig as a pet, named Bandero. (????)
Here’s a typical conversation:
JF: On Saturday there is the opening of Jollibees at Woodside!!! Come on down!!
JAS:What!?!?1 That's crazy!!!! Is there a menu online?
JF: Possibly. We should TOTALLY EAT THERE!
JAS: We should do a facebook invite and get all of our pino friends to go there at the same time.
mR (munkiRawr) woke me up today to show off him feeding Bandero. He overfeeds even though I tell him not too.
JF: Tell mR to stop overfeeding Bandero!! Tell him JF says so, or else no new nana!
JAS: mR is too busy playing with Bandero to go online. His emails are piling up. But he'd rather overfeed Bandero than check his correspondence.
JF: Tell mR I scoff at his boastful attititude.
JAS: And mR will use his diabolical cuteness to get nana from you. You are no match for his cuteness. He gets what he wants!
he's laughing @ you........and petting bandero
He asked me to teach him how to bathe Bandero.....any tips?
JF: Tell mR. NO BATHING BANDERO IN GATAS (milk) !!!!!! Not even soy gatas! It’s not a good idea.
Also, have mR be gentle. Rubber duckie would be ok, if Bandero likes that sort of thing. Bubble bath would probably irritate bandero’s eyes.
JAS: He says he wants to bathe you in gatas!
===================================
Conversation 2:
This is when I told my brother that I was looking for apartments, in the end of January. He asked where we were looking:
JF: Primarily in Astoria, Williamsburg, LIC, and around that area.
JAS: Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww
So you're basically looking @ Hipster Central City?
Who are you dating now?
JF: Not dating at all. Biznitch. I’m going to try to run the NYC marathon for charity this November…I just started seriously last week, and I already feel pretty good. Not doing too many miles yet. They said you shouldn’t over train.
JAS: Nice. As long as you're not using Target running shoes
Conversation 3
My brother tells me about the new iLife.
JAS: You catch the apple keynote yesterday? New iLife looks sick!!!!! Oh yeah, the last 3 episodes of (Always Sunny in )Philadelphia have been RIDICULOUS.
JF: No I haven’t seen it. What’s so good about the new iLife? Also, what is this thing about Philadelphia? they have seasons 1 and two in Target.
JAS: New Garageband gives guitar and piano lessons! And you can learn songs from the artists themselves.....you should do a youtube version of teaching your songs
JF: Yeah perhaps maybe I might. Which one? Soldiers Marching? (a really old song of mine - jf).
JAS: Yes...or home of my father..or the bleggi song....you know...the classics ((other really old songs of mine - jf).
JF: What are you up to? Did you and Maybeth want to eat an early dinner at Krystals (Filipino restaurant) this Saturday?
JAS: i'm actually snowboarding this weekend, so I won't be back until Sunday afternoon. I saw slumdog millionaire last night....totally awesome
JF: Nice, dawg. How come you no invite me fah snowbawding?
JAS: B/c you're always busy on the weekends!
JF: Nice, dawg. Is it going to snow tomorrow? Are you still going to snowboard?
JAS: yes and yes!
JF: You’re more crazier than me.
JAS: Damn right! How many girls you dating this weekend?
Here’s a typical conversation:
JF: On Saturday there is the opening of Jollibees at Woodside!!! Come on down!!
JAS:What!?!?1 That's crazy!!!! Is there a menu online?
JF: Possibly. We should TOTALLY EAT THERE!
JAS: We should do a facebook invite and get all of our pino friends to go there at the same time.
mR (munkiRawr) woke me up today to show off him feeding Bandero. He overfeeds even though I tell him not too.
JF: Tell mR to stop overfeeding Bandero!! Tell him JF says so, or else no new nana!
JAS: mR is too busy playing with Bandero to go online. His emails are piling up. But he'd rather overfeed Bandero than check his correspondence.
JF: Tell mR I scoff at his boastful attititude.
JAS: And mR will use his diabolical cuteness to get nana from you. You are no match for his cuteness. He gets what he wants!
he's laughing @ you........and petting bandero
He asked me to teach him how to bathe Bandero.....any tips?
JF: Tell mR. NO BATHING BANDERO IN GATAS (milk) !!!!!! Not even soy gatas! It’s not a good idea.
Also, have mR be gentle. Rubber duckie would be ok, if Bandero likes that sort of thing. Bubble bath would probably irritate bandero’s eyes.
JAS: He says he wants to bathe you in gatas!
===================================
Conversation 2:
This is when I told my brother that I was looking for apartments, in the end of January. He asked where we were looking:
JF: Primarily in Astoria, Williamsburg, LIC, and around that area.
JAS: Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww
So you're basically looking @ Hipster Central City?
Who are you dating now?
JF: Not dating at all. Biznitch. I’m going to try to run the NYC marathon for charity this November…I just started seriously last week, and I already feel pretty good. Not doing too many miles yet. They said you shouldn’t over train.
JAS: Nice. As long as you're not using Target running shoes
Conversation 3
My brother tells me about the new iLife.
JAS: You catch the apple keynote yesterday? New iLife looks sick!!!!! Oh yeah, the last 3 episodes of (Always Sunny in )Philadelphia have been RIDICULOUS.
JF: No I haven’t seen it. What’s so good about the new iLife? Also, what is this thing about Philadelphia? they have seasons 1 and two in Target.
JAS: New Garageband gives guitar and piano lessons! And you can learn songs from the artists themselves.....you should do a youtube version of teaching your songs
JF: Yeah perhaps maybe I might. Which one? Soldiers Marching? (a really old song of mine - jf).
JAS: Yes...or home of my father..or the bleggi song....you know...the classics ((other really old songs of mine - jf).
JF: What are you up to? Did you and Maybeth want to eat an early dinner at Krystals (Filipino restaurant) this Saturday?
JAS: i'm actually snowboarding this weekend, so I won't be back until Sunday afternoon. I saw slumdog millionaire last night....totally awesome
JF: Nice, dawg. How come you no invite me fah snowbawding?
JAS: B/c you're always busy on the weekends!
JF: Nice, dawg. Is it going to snow tomorrow? Are you still going to snowboard?
JAS: yes and yes!
JF: You’re more crazier than me.
JAS: Damn right! How many girls you dating this weekend?
Old notes from myspace blog.
I was cleaning house on the myspace, and thought to put a couple of those blogs on this blog.
1.
Notes on the song Midnight
lyrics:
I met somebody
I met somebody else
I met somebody else now
it’s not your fault
I’m with somebody
I’m with somebody else
I’m with somebody else now
it’s not your fault (though I’ve said it is)
If you get my phone call past midnight,
don’t you cry for me
I love somebody
I love somebody else
I love somebody else now
it’s not your fault (though I’ve said it is)
- lyrics and copyright by johnflor
First off, this is the main skeleton of this song. I’m still thinking of adding an extra instrument here and there (perhaps my friend Aaron from the Corduroys might be into adding slide guitar).
Also, I almost changed the chorus after my friend Michael Flynn from the great band Slow Runner opted for changing it, but when I did try that for a while, it just never felt right...so I’m sticking with my original idea for the song, since to me it was more purer. Don’t wanna mess around with creation too much, you know.
Finally, the ridiculously amazing songwriter and spiritual giant Greg Fine provided the high harmony vocals for the chorus in the end and the whole "though I’ve said it is"I’m proud and honored to have recorded a ton of vocals with him at his house in December.
Anyway, that’s pretty much it. Hope you get something out of it.
- johnflor sisante
=====
My Top 20 Friends - You Should Check Them Out :)
Some of them are good friends. Some of them are just artists I admire.
All of them have significant gifts and talents that they share with the world.
Just to mention a few:
Ohmarie- an amazing photographer.
Check her stuff out at www. ohannamarie. com.
She also sings harmony on my track Second Wind, and plays the melodica really gracefully and sings with me at shows here and there.
Renaissance woman, perhaps?
Beat Radio- Two of their songs have been constantly on my Itunes playlist repeat over and over again. Check out Everything is Temporary and Mexico on their myspace site. And they have a CD Release Party on October 4th.
Miles to Dayton - my favorite band from Long Island? Check out Don't Be Afraid. It's honest and memorable.
Greg Fine - amazing, amazing artist. We helped each other record vocals last November-January. Check out Always Time and We're Still on his myspace, although my most favorite songs of his are called Good Life and Water.
Slow Runner - Michael Flynn was my roommate in college, and possibly the biggest influence in me switching from a jazz-head to a singer-songwriter head (is that even a real word?). His band's music imprints you in the heart.
Nate Campany - a friend from school. Music that you can't help but repeat on your ipods. Check out Since You Left, I Could Sing.
Maryann Leone - a Long island friend and super talented singer-songwriter. Check out Sunny Afternoon.
Uhh Yeah Dude - this is the FUNNIEST thing I've heard in a long time.Definitely only for mature audiences, so no one under 18!!! They have these hour-long podcasts, and usually for about 15 solid minutes during that hour, I am ROTFLMAO. My God, I'm so lame for writing that.
Miranda July - possibly makes one of the best movies of the 21st century (Me, You, and Everyone We Know), and does all these other art projects which are so original, and amazing. If anything, Nextflix that movie, and tell me if you liked it or not. The 10 people who i recommended it to all loved it.
Mr. Jenkins - Nick Jenkins is a modern-day Renaissance man. Great music, great illustrations, great CD packaging design and whatnot. I wonder what else he has up his sleeve.
Winter Took His Life - I saw Susanna open up for Nate Campany, and she blew me away. Check out Oh, When you Said You Headed Home, and Lucky Star.
The Sweet Hurt - saw them link from my friend's page. Where Would You Go is a PERFECT song. And Dream for a While is awesome too.
Danny Katz - Japanese dance pop originals sung by a half-Japanese,half-Jewish prince. And he plays keyboards for me once in a while. He's great...
Pattern is Movement - my favorite band right now. Indie rock Wagner space opera, or something. Check out Right Away and the sound of your voice.
St. Vincent - I know her a little bit from college. She would attend the songwriter forums that my friend Annie and I headed. Even back then, I remember thinking this girl has talent. Since then, she's done great things. Check out all the songs on her page.
That's it for now. As I keep meeting people in NYC that I really dig their music, I'll add them on Top Friends. Until my profile explodes.
sincerely,
john-flor.
-----------
1st album on www.
cdbaby. com/johnflor and itunes
2 EPS coming out 2009!
Sign up for the mailing list! for free mp3s and whatnot! E-mail me at Sisante@gmail.com and say you want it.
You want it.
Do you?
======
Coolest week and a half.....ever?
Heres a recap of my craziest week and a half ever...well, not crazy, but a memorable one.
Last Thursday - performed a full set at Heckscher Park's Huntingon Summer Arts Festival as an opener for my friend Martha Trachtenburg's band Return To The Dream. Used my looper, and was successful for 2 of the three songs. Played a song I haven't played in a while- my Natalie Portman inspired song, called Natalie. And debuted Bed of nails to a huge audience.
Parents were there. Jon and Krista from miles to Dayton, and soon to be newlyweds, were there. Afterwards we had pizza at my MOST FAVORITEST PIZZA RESTAURANT EVER, Guiseppe's Pizza on Rt. 110 in huntington Station.
Friday- July 4th! Happy BIrthday america. We owe you one.
Went to Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest and the pre-show. Was delighted again by the announcer of the show, although he did frequently go towards creepy old man territory once in a while. Saw these two guys do things on a trampoline you couldn't believe. Saw a guy propose to his girlfriend in front of 30,000 people. Then saw Kobayashi eat crow again :0( after him and Joey Chesnut were tied and had to do sudden death. Weak.
Next year, I will be carrying a sign that says "Revenge of the K" like Revenge of the Sith from Star Wars. I also might wear a Darth Vader outfit.
Friday night- saw the July 4th NYC fireworks with my roommates Marie and BQ, and with Marie's friends Jen and Collette. In Long Island City, which wasn't as good as Southstreet Seaport or Brooklyn, but it did the job. Especially dug the smiley face fireworks, and the fireworks that look like weeping willows.Afterwards Collette wanted to see me play GTA 4. So I entertained by shooting innocent bystanders in cold blood.
Saturday -
Murakami exhibit at Brooklyn Arts Museum. Went with my mom, brother, his gf, and his close friend.Absolutely awesome. Especially Inotchki and the anime of KaiKai and KiKi.
Saw the band Matt and Kim in Hugs at Williamsburg. They're friends with my roommate BQ. I met up with BQ and Marie after BAM. Then Marie's friend Brian from Wisconsin/Boston met up with us when he got off the Chinatown shuttle. Matt and Kim played a great live show, and even gave tribute to Kim's dad, who was there. Afterwards, we all went to the Barcade, which is a an old school video game arcade/bar. Had my first buzz in a while, and fought BQ in Tetris. Then watched Marie and Brian battle it out on the same game. BQ and I then played Contra and Arkanoid. Afterwards we went to place near Hugs and had amazing chicken wings to help me sober up.
Sunday- went to open mics at Pete's Candy Store and Vox Pop in Brooklyn. Won a bunch of new fans, which is always sweet. The announcer at Vox Pop goes by the name of Punxsatawny jesus. hmm...
Monday - carpooled with my co-worker Nelson to trabajo. Was at work for 11 hours.
Tuesday - saw a Wet Hot American Summer screening at McCarren Pool in Williamsburg. Michael Showalter, Paul Rudd, and Joe Lotruglio were there to intro the film and they ended doing this comedy schtick for 10 minutes. Then we just chilled and all watched WHAS.
Afterwards, roommate, his gf, and I went to Astoria Beer Garden. I love that place. Want to go back when they have Czech polka.
Wednesday - played at Acoustic Long Island one of the looper songs, and then played a couple of songs at Ken's open mic in Cool beanz in Saint James. won new fans. But most important, got one of the ridiculous brownies from Cool Beanz and even got to do laundry later.
Thursday - saw Saint Vincent at Castle Clinton in Battery park. Only saw the second half of her 1 hour set, but she and her band are phenomenal. her new song was great too. Then had dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant with Marie and her good friend, Hanalei.
Friday - ?
Saturday - performed at The Great South bay Festival. I did well, although I had some issues with the looper andthe power went off for about 5 minutes during my set. So I "entertained" by telling people about the hot dog contest and also jabbing at why Jon Preddice, who is getting married the next day, is performing with me. Also talked about my super short haircut, and how I wanted a kielbasa after my set. I did get the kielbasa.
Other highlights of the day:
Odetta. Holy holy. As jack from Jack's waterfall said " it's like someone tapped into God". For me, it was like she said her body and was all soul. Unbelievable.
I played a a couple of songs with the very talented and solid songwriter Jack from Jack's Waterfall. His Bella song is a really fun song.
The 7$ all you can drink homemade root beer (9$ for non-performers/stage crew). It was tasty, and I had about 5 full cups of it.
Miles to Dayton!!! They rocked like the sweethearts they are,and were funny, and poignant, and groovy. Awesome set!
Sunday - Jon and Krista's wedding!!!
- A good 10 days overall. Hopefully.
1.
Notes on the song Midnight
lyrics:
I met somebody
I met somebody else
I met somebody else now
it’s not your fault
I’m with somebody
I’m with somebody else
I’m with somebody else now
it’s not your fault (though I’ve said it is)
If you get my phone call past midnight,
don’t you cry for me
I love somebody
I love somebody else
I love somebody else now
it’s not your fault (though I’ve said it is)
- lyrics and copyright by johnflor
First off, this is the main skeleton of this song. I’m still thinking of adding an extra instrument here and there (perhaps my friend Aaron from the Corduroys might be into adding slide guitar).
Also, I almost changed the chorus after my friend Michael Flynn from the great band Slow Runner opted for changing it, but when I did try that for a while, it just never felt right...so I’m sticking with my original idea for the song, since to me it was more purer. Don’t wanna mess around with creation too much, you know.
Finally, the ridiculously amazing songwriter and spiritual giant Greg Fine provided the high harmony vocals for the chorus in the end and the whole "though I’ve said it is"I’m proud and honored to have recorded a ton of vocals with him at his house in December.
Anyway, that’s pretty much it. Hope you get something out of it.
- johnflor sisante
=====
My Top 20 Friends - You Should Check Them Out :)
Some of them are good friends. Some of them are just artists I admire.
All of them have significant gifts and talents that they share with the world.
Just to mention a few:
Ohmarie- an amazing photographer.
Check her stuff out at www. ohannamarie. com.
She also sings harmony on my track Second Wind, and plays the melodica really gracefully and sings with me at shows here and there.
Renaissance woman, perhaps?
Beat Radio- Two of their songs have been constantly on my Itunes playlist repeat over and over again. Check out Everything is Temporary and Mexico on their myspace site. And they have a CD Release Party on October 4th.
Miles to Dayton - my favorite band from Long Island? Check out Don't Be Afraid. It's honest and memorable.
Greg Fine - amazing, amazing artist. We helped each other record vocals last November-January. Check out Always Time and We're Still on his myspace, although my most favorite songs of his are called Good Life and Water.
Slow Runner - Michael Flynn was my roommate in college, and possibly the biggest influence in me switching from a jazz-head to a singer-songwriter head (is that even a real word?). His band's music imprints you in the heart.
Nate Campany - a friend from school. Music that you can't help but repeat on your ipods. Check out Since You Left, I Could Sing.
Maryann Leone - a Long island friend and super talented singer-songwriter. Check out Sunny Afternoon.
Uhh Yeah Dude - this is the FUNNIEST thing I've heard in a long time.Definitely only for mature audiences, so no one under 18!!! They have these hour-long podcasts, and usually for about 15 solid minutes during that hour, I am ROTFLMAO. My God, I'm so lame for writing that.
Miranda July - possibly makes one of the best movies of the 21st century (Me, You, and Everyone We Know), and does all these other art projects which are so original, and amazing. If anything, Nextflix that movie, and tell me if you liked it or not. The 10 people who i recommended it to all loved it.
Mr. Jenkins - Nick Jenkins is a modern-day Renaissance man. Great music, great illustrations, great CD packaging design and whatnot. I wonder what else he has up his sleeve.
Winter Took His Life - I saw Susanna open up for Nate Campany, and she blew me away. Check out Oh, When you Said You Headed Home, and Lucky Star.
The Sweet Hurt - saw them link from my friend's page. Where Would You Go is a PERFECT song. And Dream for a While is awesome too.
Danny Katz - Japanese dance pop originals sung by a half-Japanese,half-Jewish prince. And he plays keyboards for me once in a while. He's great...
Pattern is Movement - my favorite band right now. Indie rock Wagner space opera, or something. Check out Right Away and the sound of your voice.
St. Vincent - I know her a little bit from college. She would attend the songwriter forums that my friend Annie and I headed. Even back then, I remember thinking this girl has talent. Since then, she's done great things. Check out all the songs on her page.
That's it for now. As I keep meeting people in NYC that I really dig their music, I'll add them on Top Friends. Until my profile explodes.
sincerely,
john-flor.
-----------
1st album on www.
cdbaby. com/johnflor and itunes
2 EPS coming out 2009!
Sign up for the mailing list! for free mp3s and whatnot! E-mail me at Sisante@gmail.com and say you want it.
You want it.
Do you?
======
Coolest week and a half.....ever?
Heres a recap of my craziest week and a half ever...well, not crazy, but a memorable one.
Last Thursday - performed a full set at Heckscher Park's Huntingon Summer Arts Festival as an opener for my friend Martha Trachtenburg's band Return To The Dream. Used my looper, and was successful for 2 of the three songs. Played a song I haven't played in a while- my Natalie Portman inspired song, called Natalie. And debuted Bed of nails to a huge audience.
Parents were there. Jon and Krista from miles to Dayton, and soon to be newlyweds, were there. Afterwards we had pizza at my MOST FAVORITEST PIZZA RESTAURANT EVER, Guiseppe's Pizza on Rt. 110 in huntington Station.
Friday- July 4th! Happy BIrthday america. We owe you one.
Went to Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest and the pre-show. Was delighted again by the announcer of the show, although he did frequently go towards creepy old man territory once in a while. Saw these two guys do things on a trampoline you couldn't believe. Saw a guy propose to his girlfriend in front of 30,000 people. Then saw Kobayashi eat crow again :0( after him and Joey Chesnut were tied and had to do sudden death. Weak.
Next year, I will be carrying a sign that says "Revenge of the K" like Revenge of the Sith from Star Wars. I also might wear a Darth Vader outfit.
Friday night- saw the July 4th NYC fireworks with my roommates Marie and BQ, and with Marie's friends Jen and Collette. In Long Island City, which wasn't as good as Southstreet Seaport or Brooklyn, but it did the job. Especially dug the smiley face fireworks, and the fireworks that look like weeping willows.Afterwards Collette wanted to see me play GTA 4. So I entertained by shooting innocent bystanders in cold blood.
Saturday -
Murakami exhibit at Brooklyn Arts Museum. Went with my mom, brother, his gf, and his close friend.Absolutely awesome. Especially Inotchki and the anime of KaiKai and KiKi.
Saw the band Matt and Kim in Hugs at Williamsburg. They're friends with my roommate BQ. I met up with BQ and Marie after BAM. Then Marie's friend Brian from Wisconsin/Boston met up with us when he got off the Chinatown shuttle. Matt and Kim played a great live show, and even gave tribute to Kim's dad, who was there. Afterwards, we all went to the Barcade, which is a an old school video game arcade/bar. Had my first buzz in a while, and fought BQ in Tetris. Then watched Marie and Brian battle it out on the same game. BQ and I then played Contra and Arkanoid. Afterwards we went to place near Hugs and had amazing chicken wings to help me sober up.
Sunday- went to open mics at Pete's Candy Store and Vox Pop in Brooklyn. Won a bunch of new fans, which is always sweet. The announcer at Vox Pop goes by the name of Punxsatawny jesus. hmm...
Monday - carpooled with my co-worker Nelson to trabajo. Was at work for 11 hours.
Tuesday - saw a Wet Hot American Summer screening at McCarren Pool in Williamsburg. Michael Showalter, Paul Rudd, and Joe Lotruglio were there to intro the film and they ended doing this comedy schtick for 10 minutes. Then we just chilled and all watched WHAS.
Afterwards, roommate, his gf, and I went to Astoria Beer Garden. I love that place. Want to go back when they have Czech polka.
Wednesday - played at Acoustic Long Island one of the looper songs, and then played a couple of songs at Ken's open mic in Cool beanz in Saint James. won new fans. But most important, got one of the ridiculous brownies from Cool Beanz and even got to do laundry later.
Thursday - saw Saint Vincent at Castle Clinton in Battery park. Only saw the second half of her 1 hour set, but she and her band are phenomenal. her new song was great too. Then had dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant with Marie and her good friend, Hanalei.
Friday - ?
Saturday - performed at The Great South bay Festival. I did well, although I had some issues with the looper andthe power went off for about 5 minutes during my set. So I "entertained" by telling people about the hot dog contest and also jabbing at why Jon Preddice, who is getting married the next day, is performing with me. Also talked about my super short haircut, and how I wanted a kielbasa after my set. I did get the kielbasa.
Other highlights of the day:
Odetta. Holy holy. As jack from Jack's waterfall said " it's like someone tapped into God". For me, it was like she said her body and was all soul. Unbelievable.
I played a a couple of songs with the very talented and solid songwriter Jack from Jack's Waterfall. His Bella song is a really fun song.
The 7$ all you can drink homemade root beer (9$ for non-performers/stage crew). It was tasty, and I had about 5 full cups of it.
Miles to Dayton!!! They rocked like the sweethearts they are,and were funny, and poignant, and groovy. Awesome set!
Sunday - Jon and Krista's wedding!!!
- A good 10 days overall. Hopefully.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Wednesday. Feb 4th 2009 -this landlord is a character
Marie found from Craiglist a 3 BR that wasn't too expensive, right in Bushwick. So right after work I went to meet her in Bushwich and head off to the place.
The landlord is this Italian-American man who lives in Long Island. When I told him I'm from Long Island, he got super excited, and we started to discuss Long island matters. He was a very nice guy, although you can tell he's probably the type of person who would brag about every little accomplishment or favorable circumstance he's in. Supposedly he said he's also neighbors with a huge superstar, and I couldn't helping thinking that 1) he might be full of c#$p, and 2) can he introduce me to her so i can have a powerful contact in the music industry?
The apartment itself was ok. It was a duplex with high ceilings, but the top floor of the duplex had a little too short of a ceiling and probably would have gotten really annoying for the person who was going to live in it. The stairwell also took up a lot of space in the common/living room area, so you wouldn't really have much of a living room. The bathrooom had a small jacuzzi tub, which is pretty awesome, though. I would love to have a small jacuzzi tub where I can go home to after work. Buy a rubber ducky. Bubble baths. Pretend I'm a submarine. you know, the usual.
We were interested, and went to one of his businesses to get an application. It turns out he used to bodybuild back in the day, and is super-Catholic. Has a ton of pictures of the Saints and his family plastered all over his wall. He's definitely old-school.
The next day, our other roommate went with Marie to see the place, and he didn't like it as much. And I think the landlord didn't like our other roommate as much, because he has a "faux-hawk". oh well. And to think about it later, it was a weird room layout. So I guess it was ok that we didnt' pounce on this badboy.
The landlord is this Italian-American man who lives in Long Island. When I told him I'm from Long Island, he got super excited, and we started to discuss Long island matters. He was a very nice guy, although you can tell he's probably the type of person who would brag about every little accomplishment or favorable circumstance he's in. Supposedly he said he's also neighbors with a huge superstar, and I couldn't helping thinking that 1) he might be full of c#$p, and 2) can he introduce me to her so i can have a powerful contact in the music industry?
The apartment itself was ok. It was a duplex with high ceilings, but the top floor of the duplex had a little too short of a ceiling and probably would have gotten really annoying for the person who was going to live in it. The stairwell also took up a lot of space in the common/living room area, so you wouldn't really have much of a living room. The bathrooom had a small jacuzzi tub, which is pretty awesome, though. I would love to have a small jacuzzi tub where I can go home to after work. Buy a rubber ducky. Bubble baths. Pretend I'm a submarine. you know, the usual.
We were interested, and went to one of his businesses to get an application. It turns out he used to bodybuild back in the day, and is super-Catholic. Has a ton of pictures of the Saints and his family plastered all over his wall. He's definitely old-school.
The next day, our other roommate went with Marie to see the place, and he didn't like it as much. And I think the landlord didn't like our other roommate as much, because he has a "faux-hawk". oh well. And to think about it later, it was a weird room layout. So I guess it was ok that we didnt' pounce on this badboy.
Tuesday - Feb 3; 54 laps in the pool
1 ten lap, 1 twenty lap, then 1 14 lap. Then I went back to the apartment, and worked on a new version ofMidnight a little bit. I was asked by a female friend if I can send her Midnight, and I thought this would be the perfect challenge to "rethink" that song and put it on paper.
We'll see what happens.
We'll see what happens.
Monday, February 2nd - THE 1st EP final mixdowns are finished.
I went over Jon Mizrachi's place so he can give me the last part of his
mixdown. He had it all setup for me to hear, and I thought in retrospect
As if I was the jury, and he was the lawyer trying to get me to give a
verdict..with the songs as evidence.
Well, I was happy with the way it turned out. The songs sounded strong
and cohesive. Means to an End sounded strong, The Best I Can sounded
strong, and Midnight sounded especially pretty. Even 24 Lives sounded
geeky enough for me to be happy with it.
While he made a final burn, Jon and I jammed on guitar and banjo. It was
my first time really trying to figure out a banjo, and I had some pretty
decent ideas that Jon leapt forward on with his guitar.
We then talked about mastering. He recommended it especially if I was
going to duplicate it on CD, but he said if I was to release it only
digitally, then there was no need. He then told me the prices of various
masterers, and said the minimum to get it mastered would probably be
around 500$. Jon said he'd give various mastering people to get it
mastered by. Which is good.
Oh yeah,I took a rain check on celebrating with Jon the finishing of our
project. He said he'd get me a beer or two. Perhaps after February he
can treat me out to some buffalo wings or something. That would be
choice.
- jflo
mixdown. He had it all setup for me to hear, and I thought in retrospect
As if I was the jury, and he was the lawyer trying to get me to give a
verdict..with the songs as evidence.
Well, I was happy with the way it turned out. The songs sounded strong
and cohesive. Means to an End sounded strong, The Best I Can sounded
strong, and Midnight sounded especially pretty. Even 24 Lives sounded
geeky enough for me to be happy with it.
While he made a final burn, Jon and I jammed on guitar and banjo. It was
my first time really trying to figure out a banjo, and I had some pretty
decent ideas that Jon leapt forward on with his guitar.
We then talked about mastering. He recommended it especially if I was
going to duplicate it on CD, but he said if I was to release it only
digitally, then there was no need. He then told me the prices of various
masterers, and said the minimum to get it mastered would probably be
around 500$. Jon said he'd give various mastering people to get it
mastered by. Which is good.
Oh yeah,I took a rain check on celebrating with Jon the finishing of our
project. He said he'd get me a beer or two. Perhaps after February he
can treat me out to some buffalo wings or something. That would be
choice.
- jflo
Monday, February 2, 2009
Feb 1st -Superbowl. Or soup-per-bowl? A set of Haikus.
Dave and Isabel
Asked us to join their party
We said we’d be late
Marie fried the wings
It would take 60 minutes
I made the hot sauce
Marie, Steve, and I
Drove in Bushwick for a while
It was past 7.
Then we found their place-
Parking spot that’s right in front -
It was meant to be.
Dave and Isabel
Had us meet all their nice friends
Our wings were a hit
Jann was from Berlin
Lauren we met from Nick’s show
Isa’s cookies rocked
Rogan and Abby
Played flag football and sang in
A capella group
Steve brought stock paper
And I drew bizarre cartoons
Drew a self-portrait
It was me with sax
About to be eaten by
A huge piranha
Then I drew a girl -
held oboe with flaming reed
And who wore shark shoes
Marie drew box mouse
Isa hung it on her door
I went to rooftop
Met Jann and a guy-
Played acoustic bass, yet I
Didn’t get his name
We looked at skyline
The city seemed so quiet
This was not Pittsburgh.
- jflo
Asked us to join their party
We said we’d be late
Marie fried the wings
It would take 60 minutes
I made the hot sauce
Marie, Steve, and I
Drove in Bushwick for a while
It was past 7.
Then we found their place-
Parking spot that’s right in front -
It was meant to be.
Dave and Isabel
Had us meet all their nice friends
Our wings were a hit
Jann was from Berlin
Lauren we met from Nick’s show
Isa’s cookies rocked
Rogan and Abby
Played flag football and sang in
A capella group
Steve brought stock paper
And I drew bizarre cartoons
Drew a self-portrait
It was me with sax
About to be eaten by
A huge piranha
Then I drew a girl -
held oboe with flaming reed
And who wore shark shoes
Marie drew box mouse
Isa hung it on her door
I went to rooftop
Met Jann and a guy-
Played acoustic bass, yet I
Didn’t get his name
We looked at skyline
The city seemed so quiet
This was not Pittsburgh.
- jflo
Sunday, February 1, 2009
it was a Jackson Pollock night
Cast of characters: Rorie Kelly
Chris Capobianco
Jay Scott
Chaka Knice
Angela, Chaka's gf
Richard and Denise Hughes
Brigitte, Pisces Cafe food manipulator
Jeff and Justine
Maryann Leone
Tonight would be the 3rd show of 2009. Rorie Kelly and I met to carpool in Glen Cove, which was sweet. She just had come back from Montreal, where she visited a friend.
Rorie taught me that Montreal means "real mountain" in French. Which totally makes sense, that i feel unintelligent that I didn't figure that out for myself. She also showed me 4 songs from her upcoming LP , which I enjoyed, especially her song Sincere. I asked her about her sister, Neeva, who I can never pronounce her name right, (I think she yelled at me last time when i called her Nivea...and if she reads this, will probably be mad at me for referencing this).
We arrived at the unitarian universalist place at Bellport. Jay Scott was there outside to greet us, which was swell, because he is the nicest guy in all of Long Island. I found out later that we both played jazz saxophone, though I doubt his dad had to force him to play Kenny G covers anytime guests arrived.
Also, the sky was breathtaking. very similar to the jackson pollock night I saw back in Riverhead years ago, inspiring me to write the song Second Wind. All the constellations were out, having a celestial party. Big Dipper was there, high as a kite. And that Orion is a flirt...she bats her eyes, and the darkness in between the white holes in the sky flock to her like all those handsome man towards Madonna in her "Material Girl" video.
We go inside the German beer hall/performance space, and see Chris Capobianco, who directs alot of the Patchogue Theater shows. He just might have to arm wrestle Jay Scott for the nicest guy in Long Island award. He's a good guy.
Rorie played an awesome set. She's so good live. Her 2nd song in the set, i think called "Not A Face in the Crowd" could possibly be my newest favorite song of hers...
I played - The Astronaut - Second Wind (Chris C request), Natalie (Jay Scott request), Bed of nails, modern Masterpiece, buttercup, and kneecaps.
Afterwards, Rorie drove us to the Pisces Cafe in Babylon. upon entering, I see the fabulous Richard Hughes and his wife Denise, and a bunch of their friends. It was great reconnecting with them, and we had a good conversation until I sat down next to Rorie and opposite Chaka Knice, who is awesome and looks like a lion. His girlfriend Angela was there too, and she was really cool. Goes to CUNY hunter, and I told her I know a bunch of people who go there right now, and maybe they might know each other...but more likely not.
I actually don't remember too much of the conversation, because I was already half asleep when we arrived there, and I got progressively worse and worse. I do remember Bridget saying she would not feed me because I never play at the Pisces anymore, and that sort of became a running joke throughout the night. But their Angus burger was absolutely the best thing I've ever had in my whole life. I've kinda been thinking about going vegetarian, but if I do, I know I would miss eating a burger of that stature. It was that good.
Finally, 20 minutes before we left, Jeff and Justine, the owners of Pisces, came in, and were shocked that I was there..which makes sense, since I haven't been there in years...but I was happy that I was there, even if I was falling unconscious throughout the whole night. And I remember Jeff being super dressed up, but he later revealed he got all his clothing at a thrift store. Which is choice.
I do remember telling Justine and Jeff that i saw Maryann Leone at the Union Square barnes and Nobles. and they were just as excited as me telling them about it. I felt like I was a WW2 fighter pilot, telling them stories about how I avoided being shot down by the those nasty Messerschmitts around St. Lo.
uh oh...i'm falling unconscious as I type this. I should go before I start writing gibberish, and keep referencing more obscure World War 2 events, places, and things.
Battle of Britain. Operation Market Garden. Hedgerows. T-34 tanks with their impenetrable armor. Jerries everywhere. Saipan. Yamamoto and his fleet. Loose lips sink ships. Panzerfausts. Partisans. Sniper.
- jflo
Chris Capobianco
Jay Scott
Chaka Knice
Angela, Chaka's gf
Richard and Denise Hughes
Brigitte, Pisces Cafe food manipulator
Jeff and Justine
Maryann Leone
Tonight would be the 3rd show of 2009. Rorie Kelly and I met to carpool in Glen Cove, which was sweet. She just had come back from Montreal, where she visited a friend.
Rorie taught me that Montreal means "real mountain" in French. Which totally makes sense, that i feel unintelligent that I didn't figure that out for myself. She also showed me 4 songs from her upcoming LP , which I enjoyed, especially her song Sincere. I asked her about her sister, Neeva, who I can never pronounce her name right, (I think she yelled at me last time when i called her Nivea...and if she reads this, will probably be mad at me for referencing this).
We arrived at the unitarian universalist place at Bellport. Jay Scott was there outside to greet us, which was swell, because he is the nicest guy in all of Long Island. I found out later that we both played jazz saxophone, though I doubt his dad had to force him to play Kenny G covers anytime guests arrived.
Also, the sky was breathtaking. very similar to the jackson pollock night I saw back in Riverhead years ago, inspiring me to write the song Second Wind. All the constellations were out, having a celestial party. Big Dipper was there, high as a kite. And that Orion is a flirt...she bats her eyes, and the darkness in between the white holes in the sky flock to her like all those handsome man towards Madonna in her "Material Girl" video.
We go inside the German beer hall/performance space, and see Chris Capobianco, who directs alot of the Patchogue Theater shows. He just might have to arm wrestle Jay Scott for the nicest guy in Long Island award. He's a good guy.
Rorie played an awesome set. She's so good live. Her 2nd song in the set, i think called "Not A Face in the Crowd" could possibly be my newest favorite song of hers...
I played - The Astronaut - Second Wind (Chris C request), Natalie (Jay Scott request), Bed of nails, modern Masterpiece, buttercup, and kneecaps.
Afterwards, Rorie drove us to the Pisces Cafe in Babylon. upon entering, I see the fabulous Richard Hughes and his wife Denise, and a bunch of their friends. It was great reconnecting with them, and we had a good conversation until I sat down next to Rorie and opposite Chaka Knice, who is awesome and looks like a lion. His girlfriend Angela was there too, and she was really cool. Goes to CUNY hunter, and I told her I know a bunch of people who go there right now, and maybe they might know each other...but more likely not.
I actually don't remember too much of the conversation, because I was already half asleep when we arrived there, and I got progressively worse and worse. I do remember Bridget saying she would not feed me because I never play at the Pisces anymore, and that sort of became a running joke throughout the night. But their Angus burger was absolutely the best thing I've ever had in my whole life. I've kinda been thinking about going vegetarian, but if I do, I know I would miss eating a burger of that stature. It was that good.
Finally, 20 minutes before we left, Jeff and Justine, the owners of Pisces, came in, and were shocked that I was there..which makes sense, since I haven't been there in years...but I was happy that I was there, even if I was falling unconscious throughout the whole night. And I remember Jeff being super dressed up, but he later revealed he got all his clothing at a thrift store. Which is choice.
I do remember telling Justine and Jeff that i saw Maryann Leone at the Union Square barnes and Nobles. and they were just as excited as me telling them about it. I felt like I was a WW2 fighter pilot, telling them stories about how I avoided being shot down by the those nasty Messerschmitts around St. Lo.
uh oh...i'm falling unconscious as I type this. I should go before I start writing gibberish, and keep referencing more obscure World War 2 events, places, and things.
Battle of Britain. Operation Market Garden. Hedgerows. T-34 tanks with their impenetrable armor. Jerries everywhere. Saipan. Yamamoto and his fleet. Loose lips sink ships. Panzerfausts. Partisans. Sniper.
- jflo
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