It's been, what? FOREVER! Since we've updated weaklazyliar.com. Sorry about that…

Anyway, there's not a whole lot going on with us… we're taking a break from shows through the end of 2002.

Technically, during our 'break,' we're supposed to be writing a new album. But, we're such slackers, I have to admit we haven't gotten a whole heck of a lot accomplished yet. But, for those of you who care, here's my little 'state of our slackdom' address:

1. Elevator: Chris revived it, and we're messing around with a new arrangement, featuring all different guitar & a new rhythm. I would say there's about a 20% chance this one will end up on a new record. We've never recorded a proper band version of this one, so we intend to do that. But, as for actually including it on a record…eh, doubtful.
2. Boats: This is a little solo acoustic thing I've been kicking around since about the era of "Secondhand." There are arrangement reasons why we've never done anything with it, but it keeps rearing its feeble little head, so who knows? I'd also give it a 20% chance of making it to a new album.
3. Flora Plum: I'm personally hoping this one does NOT make the new album. It's a fairly lame jazz song, and frankly, I have my doubts whether we have the chops to give it an interesting jazz treatment. But, the boys like the idea of tacking a 20 minute version on as a hidden track, just to make even our most die-hard fans switch us off. Uh…
4. St. Stephen's Green: this one will probably make the album. It's got a lot of major 7 chords, and a sort of 'snow' like chorus. I'm interested to see what sort of arrangement (extra instruments, etc) Chris & Ryan cook up for this one… Its kind of a heavy sounding sound (just the changes); I think it would be fun to loosen it up a little, but I'm not sure how you do that.
5. The Ben Folds Song: this one will probably make the album too. It doesn't have a title yet, but we call it the BF song b/c the chords kind of sound like Ben Folds. It's got this bombastic intro, with fuzz bass, and hammering on the wurlitzer. Then it disintegrates into this gentle little progression, again with the maj. 7 chrords.
6. Birmingham/Amsterdam: this is another one we've had forever, but never recorded. For a while, it was going to be track 4 on the November diaries, but Chris was never happy with an arrangement. The lyrics have the phrase "sawhorse barricades blinking," which is why track 5 on TND ("Wait For Me") refs 'barricades that blink & block the alley...' Just a little WLL lyrical trivia… Anyway, this song had the barricades in it 1st. I don't know if this one will make the album, but I'm hoping we'll finally record a version, at least.
7. Lying In The Grass: This is a happy, summery kind of chord progression. We're stuck on the writing, though. We haven't made it past the 1st verse. But, provided we can actually finish a satisfactory version, this one has a good chance of making it on the record. It's got the feel we wanted this go around: summery/happy/content/mid-tempo.
8. The Song in 5: This is my favorite one so far. When Joe left, he told us he wanted us to write a song called "Joe Lived On Mary Street" and put it on our next record. [fyi-joe did live on Mary Street. We used to practice at his place there.] So, as a sort of tribute to Joe, we're writing this song in 5. it's in the gravity/again tuning-so it's got a sort of dirge quality too it, but without the heaviness of a dirge.

So, that's where we are! Whoo-Hoo! It sounds like a lot, but honestly, we're not even a quarter of a way through writing. It's coming along though, and we're having a lot of fun doing it. Incidentally, Mitch (who's filling in indefinitely on drums) ROCKS! We're loving working with him. Chris is bass-shopping, so if you have any leads on really sweeeeeeet bass guitars, let us know.

Smooches,

g.

This show was the last one on our schedule.* I don't know about the rest of the band, but I admit here and now that on the day of the show I kept thinking: "this could be the last show we ever play." We have no plans to break up, or to stop doing shows. But the fact remains, we put out a record not quite 4 months ago, and already-here we are, consciously deciding to take a break from shows. With Joe gone, it just seems like the best course of action. Our plan is to focus on writing material for a new album, rather than trying to teach a new drummer *all* of our old material.

Anyway, I'm just a drama queen, I guess. I subscribe to the theory that one should prepare oneself for the worst. With that in mind, I've been one shut-down little g for the past couple of weeks. I can't conceive of not being in this band; the thought is too much to bear. I've been dealing with my fears by ignoring them, and thinking stoic "que sera, sera" type thoughts. The morning of the show, I didn't even remember right away that we *had* a show. As for pre-show nerves, there were none. It's impossible to be nervous about something you can't bear to admit might be happening.

Thus, I approached the show in one of the most nerves-free conditions I've ever found myself in. We've played the High Museum College Night before, with disastrous results (see GBM:2000). I knew to expect a vast, chattering crowd & a gorgeous venue with hideous acoustics. I had no hopes, or fears about this show. I was a portrait named apathy. Which is why, when we arrived (after driving around the block several times in search of the hidden loading ramp,) I was surprised that a sort of happiness overcame me.

The High Museum is probably the most beautiful buildings in Atlanta. The atrium, where we played, is rounded, with ramps ascending to the upper floors, and a fanned, glass, cathedral ceiling. At one point during the show, I told the crowd to look up-because it was so overwhelmingly beautiful to me. I saw a few craned necks, but mostly, the crowd kept chattering, oblivious. I don't mean to give the impression that the crowd was being rude. The acoustics in the building amplify all whispers into screams. Our whole show was floating atop a static-y confection of NOIZE. It was OK. The other bands faced the same challenge.

Speaking of which, the other 2 bands were *great.* We've played with Kitty Snyder before; she's got an amazing voice, and writes really good songs. The Drexlers were sort of jazzy, in a Sunday's-esque kind of way. Their bass player took most of the leads, playing his sitar-looking 7-string bass. I was so impressed, I signed their mailing list!

Our show went OK. I was actually enjoying singing. The poor acoustics in the room (huge, and hard-surfaced) made for massive reverb on the vocals. Anyone who's ever sung at the top of their lungs in a really large shower knows the thrill of listening to huge reverb transform a squeak of a voice into a MONSTER! I don't know if I sounded good or not, but it sure *felt* good. Ryan, FINGAZ, Taylor was tearing it up on his piano! Chris sounded good to me, although from something he said afterwards, I get the impression that he didn't think he had a very good show. Mitch did quite an admirable job keeping up with me (I couldn't hear the drums, so Mitch kept having to catch up with or slow down for me.) I picked out about 5 people in the crowd who seemed to 'get' us [hope they signed the mailing list!]. The other 995 people present couldn't have cared less.

But, that's OK. I really did have a lot of fun. And we all got 1-year memberships to the High as payment for playing-SWEEEET! Afterwards, Chris whispered to me: "We've *got* to play another show now! We can't go out on that one!" Which cracked me up, because I guess, without discussing it, he was paranoid that it would be our last show too. Silly boy. Haven't we already proven that you can't kill weaklazyliar?

*PS-- [I've booked a writers-in-the-round w/ Paul M. & Sue Witty on 12/17/02, which may end up evolving into the Paul M/weaklazyliar/Sue Witty Holiday Extravaganza, but we haven't really discussed it.]

For those of you who don't know, Paul's new (and amazing) record "Camera Obscura" is being released through Daemon Records. Daemon is a really great independent label, home to some of Atlanta's best bands and songwriters. Daemon is also owned by Amy Ray, of The Indigo Girls.

So, point A of my show review is that I spent all of last week getting increasingly panicky that Amy Ray might drop by the venue, and-horrors-we might have to play in front of her! I would be lying if I said that I didn't half want her to see us play. I admit to having delusions in which she LOVED us and, next thing I know, we're rolling down Peachtree in a limo, with our cadre of beeeatchs. [Or, she LOATHED us, and next thing I know, we can't even get a show booked at Mama Cincinnati's House Of Flan.] Anyway, the point is, I was freaking out. And, like all great freakouts, it was totally pointless; Amy Ray didn't even show up. BUT, Paul did draw an ENORMOUS crowd-packing the 10 High from wall to wall-which made the show HUGE FUN for all the bands involved.

First up was The Ether Family Presents. They rocked the hizzouse. Much like Paul, they play a kind of super smart Pop, perfect for wetting your pants while paging through Norton's Obscure References to Historical Fact. TEFP takes a more rocking approach to the genre. They put a little Clash in their Costello. They were great-check 'em out!

We played next-it was Mitch's first show on drums, which was very exciting. Mitch used to play in a band with Ryan ("Scoring Dope For The Ultimate Woman"), he also owns The Precinct (Atlanta's finest rehearsal studios), and-most importantly--he ROCKS! All through the show, as Mitch and Ryan and Chris were setting the house on FIRE, I kept thinking that I need to tighten up my act! I felt like I was playing with the big boys! The show was really, really, really fun. I couldn't hear myself singing, and I know I was desperately trying to keep it together on guitar, but still-it was a great show. Mitch was really, really solid, Chris was tearing it up Ben Folds Five Style with the fuzz bass, and Ryan has for sure been eating his Wheaties. The crowd was packed right up to the edge of the stage; they were dancing, singing along, it was REALLY AMAZING. I actually felt a tiny bit like a rockstar. If all shows could feel like that, I'd never want to get off the stage, EVER.

Last, there was this guy Paul Melançon… Maybe you've heard of him? All I have to say is, he's destined for something bigger than this town. Thanks Paul, for letting us crash your party!

Chris has a theory that the amount of equipment you bring to a show is directly proportionate to how lame you are. Whenever we do shows where the other band's drummer has a big Gibraltar Frame full of toms and cymbals, or the guitar player has one of those stands that hold 7 guitars---Chris takes bets on how much the band sucks.

I must suck, cause I'm definitely a gearhead. My Taylor acoustic guitar passes muster because, even though it cost over a grand, I've beaten it up and worn it in; it sounds good and usually, it's the only guitar I bring to shows. But, at home, beyond the prying eyes of my band, I have accumulated a ton of other stuff. Like, 4 different cheap electric guitars (A Squire, A Danelectro, Some cheap thing that my friend Rama painted for me, and "Paula"-a refurbished Japanese Telecaster that Chris covered in broken mirrors and gave to me one Christmas.) Various pedals-A delay I stole from Chris that can loop a 4 second sample, Distortion, Chorus, SansAmp (another Xmas present from Chris), A Flange I stole from Chris, a Boss Tuner & Fishman Preamp (**MORE** Xmas presents from Chris-damn I've known him a long time.) I also have a couple amps-a loaner from Chris that doesn't work, and my Johnson Modeling Amp-which works fabulously, but which sounds kind of "digital" and lacks proper "ass". Last but not least, (let the chorus of angels be heard) I have a '60's-era Guild Starfire w/ Bigsby Tremelo-loaned to me by the fabulous Ian Korf, worlds kindest human being.

weaklazyliar is in pre-planning-for-next-album mode, and we've reached a consensus that I will be allowed to play electric guitar on the next record. To that end, I've been playing Ian's guitar more and more. I decided to bring it, and my Johnson Amp, to my solo show…to kind of test out the electric experience without the band giggling at me, and telling me it needs more "ass." So there I was, about an 8 out of 10 on Chris' Gear-lameosity scale, with my Taylor acoustic on my right, Ian's Guitar on my left, my Johnson J-8 pedal board @ my feet, and the amp itself (with speaker turned off) nearby. My stuff filled the entire stage. Paul (who showed up & did backing vocals on a couple songs) had to sing from the side of the stage, squashed in behind one of the PA speakers.

I did a set of mostly quiet numbers, divided between the acoustic & electric guitars. I used the solo opportunity to play a lot of stuff I don't normally play. I played "Picture of a Girl, "Elevator" & "Boats" (unreleased) on the electric guitar, with some reverb and a hint of delay (thank you, Johnson Modeling.) I played "Secondhand" and "Story of my Life" on the electric, with the amp selected to something crunchy & both pickups active for a bit more treble. I also played some unreleased stuff-"Lorah's Song" (a song I wrote for my boss to give her daughter @ graduation) & "The Neon Open Falls" (a song that didn't make it on to The November Diaries.) And I played some new stuff-"St. Stephen's Green" and "Apologies To Mr. Folds" (which might be on our next record.)

Studio Biba is a hair salon by day, but the owners (including Joy, my hairdresser) transformed it for the evening into a "Ladies Lounge." Studio Biba is in a converted warehouse & it has a cool vibe. It was a little strange to share the stage with a couple hair-washing sinks, but at least Joy covered them in ochre velvet for the event. Joy also moved a couple couches in front of the stage, for that coffeehouse-in-"Friends" effect. She lit a ton of candles, and Gina did great sound, as usual. The solo experience is pretty excruciating for me. When you factor in that I was playing a lot of unfamiliar songs on a guitar that I've never used on stage before, you can imagine how nervous I was. There was no witty between-song banter…I just got through it. The ladies in the lounge were impressively quiet and attentive, which I take as a good sign, although I didn't get as many names on the mailing list as I had hoped. Still, I think it was a pretty good show. I was pumped up afterwards, and I still feel a tiny bit giddy. So.

Next: I'm turning Ian's Guitar up to "11", putting lots of ass on it, and rocking the neighborhood. WATCH OUT!

The show last night felt familiar, normal. Loading up the gear. Driving Across Town. Hauling our stuff into the club. Shaking hands with the soundguy, the other bands. Getting dinner & drinks for ½ off in the restaurant upstairs. The boredom of waiting around 4 hours between load in & the first chord. How many times have I sat waiting for a show, grinning & watching Chris clutch himself and double over laughing at something Ryan's saying, while Joe helps himself to Gina's fries?

The last 4 years are a blur of driving to Birmingham/Raleigh/Greenville. packing & unpacking the practice space. loading in & out of clubs. searching through pinpoint writing for our names in the credits on TV. the electric kouuukk of Chris plugging in his bass. Joe sorting through his stick bag, tossing aside tattered remains of magic sticks. Ryan bent over, adjusting one of his 14 million pedal effects…

I think maybe we all give the band the best part of ourselves. There have been times, I swear, where we hit something just right & at least for that moment, we're exactly the people we want to be.

When I was writing lyrics for The November Diaries, I kept thinking of things-that-might-have-been wandering the world, searching for something to hold onto. And I kept thinking of the world, pocked with empty spaces, voids left behind when things-that-might-have-been let go. I kept trying to decide which is better-to hold on, or to let go-but I couldn't make up my mind. I knew that things were going to change. I was trying to prepare myself for how I would feel, and what I would do, when they did.

Ryan said it was weird last night. The whole first half of the show felt the same as any other show. My nervous babbling between songs. Chris mute, shaking his head. Ryan muttering, "play a dang song." Joe with his head down behind his kit, hiding a smile. But, somewhere in the middle, we all remembered it was Joe's last show. I don't know how Chris & Ryan felt, but I looked at the ground a lot, listening between chords for the tang of Joe's ride cymbal, appreciating the familiarity of him back there, trying not to think this is the last time we'll play 'empty space'…

This morning, it's raining. Joe's in the spare bedroom asleep. I don't know how the hell I'm going to say goodbye to him when he wakes up. I like to think of him out there wandering the world, maybe in Amsterdam or Italy or Venice Beach. And maybe he likes to think of us, here, keeping the dream alive.

Joe: We're gonna miss you. We love you. Thanks for everything.

If you’re reading this update, you must be a regular visitor to our message board… ‘cause our Admin’s computer is packed in a box at the moment, and he can’t update the webpage till some undetermined time in the future, after he purchases a couch and moves into his new place. So, I’m posting this on the message board. (which, I suppose is obvious to you already, if you’re reading this.) Man am I tired. Not Awake. Need more coffee.

Ahem. Anyway. Ooops, pause. I have to go outside & turn off the sprinkler. OK, that was fun. My sunflower plant finally bloomed yesterday—and guess what??? It’s burnt umber! It figures that the plant I pick out would have a secret, gothic twist…I hope I’m not boring you.

About the show…well. We love playing @ Smith’s. Of all the places to play in Atlanta, Smith’s really makes us feel like a “rock band.” They don’t invite us around too often, cause if they did, they’d go broke & have to close their doors. But, once in a while, we manage to slip onto someone else’s bill. Such was the case with last night’s show—thank you Alastor!

Unfortunately, the old weaklazymagic never really got cranked up last night. Not that we played badly. We just weren’t quite clicking together the way I know we can. I myself made at least 2 hideous timing errors, where I’d forget what I was doing and just move along to the next chord on beat 3 instead of beat 4. The soundguy had drenched my vocals in something thick and saucy, and it was freaking me out. I don’t think I sang very well, overall. What’s funny is that, these days, even when we’re sucking, it’s not like the old days, when we would be just laying ass all over the stage.

Alastor, who put the whole show together, actually couldn’t make it due to Elizabeth’s unfortunate bout with the stomach flu. The Accusations deftly stepped into the middle slot with short notice. Jeff Hall, who used to play bass in Paul Melancon’s band Radiant City, now plays bass with The Accusations. You’ll be happy to know that he’s cute as ever. He seemed to be having a really good time onstage, even trying to get the guitar player and singer to do Rock-N-Roll poses with him (a trick I know he perfected in his Radiant City days.) The singer has an amazing voice. The guitar player was ripping. And the drummer!! Don’t get me started about the drummer. You’ll hear more about Mark Carbanara one day, mark my words. He’s really good. My friend said their songs were a teeny bit like The Smithereens, which I could see. They cranked from one song, effortlessly into the next, with no awkward pauses in between—I could stand to take a leaf out of their book!

We got yelled at for loading our equipment out before the 3rd band played. Whatever. There’s wasn’t any point in sticking around for our show money! (ha!) In fact, we probably owed them money…no better to just slip out the back, jack. We missed the 3rd band. Actually, we never even met the 3rd band cause they’d dumped off their stuff earlier in the evening and took off to go to church. Yes, church.

Sorry, this GBM is getting much longer than the show deserved. But, it’ll be my last for a while. We don’t have another show till 8/15/02. (We’re SLACKERS I’m telling ya!). Despite the fact that our last couple shows have been mediocre and a bit strange, I’ve had an amazing time with my band this past week. If only you guys could’ve come to our practices… That’s where the weaklazymagic has been happening. We’ve got a couple new songs we’re working on, and I’m loving what the boys are doing on the them…

It’s so great to have emerged from the debacle of making The November Diaries into this great, wide open space. I can’t quite describe it; I feel really free. Like I’ve let go of the whole dream of ‘making it in this business’ and now I’m just doing what I love. And I don’t give one pinch of a f***k what happens, or doesn’t happen for us. All I know is, I believe in what we’re doing. As long as we’re all happy doing it, we’ll be doing it. And you’re invited to the party.

This was a very, very odd show.

There were good things about it. Like, we played pretty well. It was an "easy" show-middle of the afternoon. We were in & out, with no boring wait between load in & showtime. "Harry Potter & The Sorcerers Stone" was playing on the video monitors. The staff was nice to us, and complementary afterwards. We scored a couple new fans, and got to see Ron Jenkins (future driver of our tour bus) & his family.

But then, there were some crap things about it too. Like, the staff didn't know we were coming-despite our poster in the window. Nobody came to see us…(sob). I kept making jokes about how people shouldn't push or shove… There was a giant John Mayer poster, autographed, in the back room-a painful reminder that his instore performance at the same store, a mere year earlier, had a huge crowd. WHAT'S WRONG WITH US?????????? Ug. It's so frustrating.

And there was this one really odd thing-someone fainted, or fell down, or something in the middle of our show. We didn't see it happen & only found out when Gina cut power to the stage in the middle of "Empty Space" so that the paramedics could hear… She had been shopping for the O Brother Where Art Thou CD right in front of us only moments before, & apparently jumped out of her shoes when we kicked it in "Again." Hopefully, we weren't the cause her medical malady; it's very odd to think that weaklazyliar might be hazardous to someone's health! She ended up being OK. She didn't have to get hauled away in an ambulance or anything…

Anyway, all in all it was a cool experience. I think this was the first Instore we've ever done. It was really laid back, and not as nerve-wracking as some shows. Not sure what else there is to say about this one…

Well, we had to cancel our 1st show in 5 years, b/c I got a bad cold & lost my voice. I *hate* that! The last time we cancelled a show (b/c our 1st drummer quit), we never got booked at that club again! Cancelling shows is a *huge* no-no. You just don’t do it… But I absolutely could not sing—and I’m not being a diva either. Literally, nothing would come out my throat but off-key squeaking. So, I bit the bullet & cancelled the Border’s show we had scheduled for 5/31/02. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the woman who books the Border’s in Atlanta won’t blacklist us…

I went to bed last night feeling really crappy—like I’d let everyone down. I guess sickness is just something singers have to live with—but I’ve never had to cancel a show because of being sick before. It sucks. I felt like a big loser, and a diva. I was also really nervous & scared that I wouldn’t be able to do the festival show we had scheduled the following morning…

I woke up this morning, feeling like my head was a balloon… After a cup of coffee, I picked up my guitar, and took a shot at singing. I was hoarse, but more or less on key. So, I called everyone up & said I’d give it a shot. I spent the next hour taking vitamins, swilling honey/lemon tea, and refusing to speak. Everyone met up @ Gina’s at 8:30AM. [Speaking of Gina, I think I’ve finally realized why her company is called Multitask Music… She’s a genius! She’s building a SHED in her backyard… Like, from SCRATCH! Sheathing, Siding, with a window & a door… What *can’t* she do????] The boys were all groggy—monosyllabic and grunting. I, of course, wasn’t speaking (which led to several diva jokes.)

We drove to the festival, and showed our parking pass to the cop, who shrugged and said there wasn’t anyplace to park—suck! We had to lug all our equipment up the street, to the stage. Lucky, most of the equipment—the amps & drums—was backlined, so we only had to carry our instruments (including Ryan’s many pianos & pedal effects.) The soundguys were all super nice. It was blazing hot, already, at 10AM. We played in the sweltering glare of the sun…Chris said his bass got so hot it was giving him blisters.

In case you were wondering, only about 10 people peppered the otherwise barren, sunny, grassy hill where the music was being presented. However, friends of mine said the sound was so good, it carried several blocks over. I was just happy that my voice held out. I was feeling very strained, and husky…but I mostly hit the right notes. And we all played pretty well. Who knows? Maybe the people, blocks away, who heard us drifting across on the wind, will hear us sometime in the future and think we sound strangely familiar…

I overheard someone in the crowd describe If Coffeehouse thusly: "I feel like I'm in a David Lynch movie..."

Chris said the place looked like a coffeehouse club in a movie set would be designed to look. It's a basement, very small, very low-ceilinged (chris had to sit, or else he would've had to spend the entire show w/ his head between 2 floor joists.) The walls are painted really randomly with giant flowers, moons, stars, etc. The bathroom is gold. All in all, it's a pretty cool place. Because of the basement setting and smallish PA, I was expecting the sound to be crappy, but it was actually very good. We kept it low-key, brushes & whatnot.

All I have to say about the show itself is that the other bands were all really good, especially Kate Simpkins (www.katesimpkins.com). Kate used to play in a band called 45 Mercy. we did shows with them back in the [DEMO] era & they were always really great. Now she's performing her own stuff, with her drummer Eric, and she's amazing. Last night's show was her going away party. She's moving to NYC. LUCKY!! Who knows? Maybe we'll be able to do a show with her up there sometime.

Our show bit the one. I thought the guys played great, but my head was obviously somewhere else. 'nuff said. must redeem self @ next show.

I have dragged myself into work this morning, to use the computer. Forgive me if my update about last night's CD Release Party is fragmented & odd. I am exhausted, in a good way. I feel momentarily balanced and calm.

Alastor kicked some major booty last night. I know Elizabeth doesn't like doing acoustic shows, but she rocks the hizzouse. Her songs are so smart. Her drummer Micky calls her a "star," and I believe it. She gives off this whole "Don't Mess With Me" vibe when she is onstage, that is so engaging. I bet she has hordes of teenage male fans who are secretly in love with her.

As for Paul Melancon, you guys know how much we love him, and how amazing we think he is. His shows have always been good, and tight, and professional-sounding. His songs have always been engaging, thoughtful & entertaining. His stage presence has always been enjoyable. But last night, he took all the things he's always been, and made them MORE. I can't explain it in any kind of coherant way. But I watched him with my jaw dropping, and I told Chris later that he was going to make it. I just have no doubt about that. One day, and soon, he will be quitting his dayjob and finding a way to be a musician full time. Because he's THAT GOOD.

We dedicated our show to BostonCharles & BostonEileen. We had the soundguy tape our show, and we're going to mail it to him down in Florida. Charles is the first person, outside our own circle of friends, who ever emailed us and told us we rocked. He's such a nice guy, so genuine and talented. I don't think he'll ever know exactly how much he, and Eileen, mean to us. Cause we're nobody, really. But Charles makes us feel like somebody out there cares what we're up to, and understands what we're about. We're completely lucky to have him as a fan, so Charles-from all of us-THANKS.

As fate would have it, Joe (aka Zenpickle), the SECOND person who ever *got us*, outside our own circle of friends, actually made it to the show last night!!! We'd never met Zen outside of the message board, and he was *so* smooth, introducing himself. He won a weaklazyliar T-Shirt in a raffle, and as he came up to claim his prize, he said "Oh, by the way, I'm Zen." And we all crapped ourselves, right there onstage.

We played OK, except for a terrible train wreck in "Rocketpop." I feel bad about this, because Elizabeth from Alastor was singing the lead vocal, and the four of us lost our minds right in the middle & ended up playing 4 different parts of the song simultaneously. Poor Elizabeth!! I'm so sorry about that! It wasn't your fault!! Paul Melancon and Gina Henschen also joined on stage for various vocals. And Tiffany Benduhn ("Tea" on the message board) rocked the hizzouse on cello in "Story Of My Life." Rob del Bueno of Zero Return fame showed up with his wife Margaret. We told the whole sordid tale of how hard it was to make The November Diaries. Then Gina raffled off a lamp she made out of a giant Makers Mark bottle & one of Joe's broken cymbals. She said, "This is the real reason TND was so hard to make-booze & broken cymbals." LOL. I know there are other important things I am forgetting, but as I said, I'm exhausted. Oh! And Chris broke out his Muff Pi pedal & rocked the hizzouse with some bass distortion.

Thanks to everyone who made it out. It felt really great to play a long set, and officially fling The November Diaries out into the world.

We have nothing going on for a couple weeks, while we wait to see if 'the november diaries' will take root at college radio. But, I've been thinking about something Charles-From-Boston said a while back…

We were having a discussion on the message board about why people like Britney Spears are so wildly popular while artists like Wilco & Suzanne Vega have more moderate careers, and little local bands like us have virtually no chance at all of making music our full-time job. We were saying all the usual things--how major labels only sink big promotional money into artists they can mold and control, how radio is beholden to advertisers, how it's all about sales and money rather than art, blah blah blah.

Then Charles said he actually felt that some of the problem lay with consumers. He said most consumers are too lazy to go in search of music. They buy what they hear on the commercial radio, or MTV, and that's that. Since commercial radio and MTV are next to impossible for little local bands like us to break into, our chances of getting heard through those channels are diminished drastically. We're actually luckier than other local bands because in our case, we *have* had some minimal exposure on college radio, and we've had some songs on TV. Unfortunately, if you go into a record store to seek us out because you heard us on the air, you it would be almost a miracle if you found our CD in stock.

So, lets say you're more tenacious than the average consumer. You approach the sales counter and ask about us. The clerk will type our name into a computer, but in order to be in the database, our record would have to be something that the store has stocked in the past, or something that is available through it's distributors. Our record is available through Red Eye Distribution, but Red Eye is a small struggling company who sells *mainly* to random Mom & Pop stores. They're in the same boat we're in. Chances are, the clerk will tell you "We don't carry that; I can't order it."

So, lets say you're *super* tenacious. You actually remember our band name & you make a point of searching for us on the internet. Here, you hit the jackpot. You find our glorious, gorgeous website & you read all about us & you find out you can easily buy our record online. I just searched Google for 15 minutes, trying to find statistics on what percentage of the population actually shops online-but it seems that the sites with that information require you to register and/or pay a fee before they'll divulge it. The only statistic I could find is that, of all the people who visit a website, only 5% will actually make a purchase. Our already-small pool of super-tenacious consumers just got 95% smaller.

But YOU are an ULTRA tenacious consumer. You order our CD online, or you write us to ask where you can buy it, or you download the whole thing from audiogalaxy or morpheous, or wherever. Know What? You ROCK. You're *not* the average, lazy consumer. You're out there actively seeking what you want, not waiting for it to be handed to you. You're thinking for yourself. You're not a member of the herd. You should run for public office, because this country needs more people like you. If you're reading this, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to the few, the proud, the bold: the weaklazyfan. You get it and we appreciate you more than you will ever know.

We *finally* get a chance to do our first radio show & I blow it with an unfortunate case of nerves!! It seems to not help one wit to tell myself "this is just a teeny college station" or to instruct myself to relax into the welcome arms of my bandmates or to picture the audience in their underwear.

I did a Google search on stage fright and found:

1. "Ego (self) is at the root of stage fright…to be liberated…one must work through the belief that that self has real substance in and of itself." TOO DEEP FOR ME!

2. "Fear is your friend. It makes your reflexes sharper. It heightens your energy, adds a sparkle to your eye, and color to your cheeks. When you are nervous…you are more conscious of your posture and breathing. With all those good side effects you will actually look healthier and more physically attractive." BULLSHIT!

3. "Stage fright is likely to occur whenever you present something of great importance to you to other people, whose judgement you fear…the best way to deal with stage fright is to concentrate on the music, its feelings and images and communicate with the audience. True, but alas, easier said than done." DUH!! THANKS A HEAPING PANTSFUL!

4. "I imagine the adrenal gland has a valve which I can control. If I feel it is open too much I visualize turning it down, manually. I'VE TRIED THINGS LIKE THIS!! THEY DON'T WORK FOR ME!

5. "…remember that an audience is human. People will pull for you if you let them know how you feel. Missed lyrics and bad pitches are instantly forgiven if your heart is in the right place…So, give your audience credit and open up. Don't let fear keep you off the stage." OK, THIS I CAN DO. I mean, I've been doing it for 5 years already. I just really wish I could be more consistent-it's so frustrating!

Anyway, now that I've beat myself up, let me actually discuss last night's very cool show. Although I sang like crap, I played more or less OK. So did Chris, Joe, and Ryan. Joe actually rocked the shznit out of the place! We couldn't hear the keyboards very well, but all of Ryan's solos were RIGHT ON! And Chris, who knows how I am, was trying his very best to get me to loosen up. He was crossing his eyes at me, and cracking up laughing right in the middle of songs. Thanks to him, I almost lost it on several occasions! BEEEEATCH! I do think I got a bit more comfortable about 6 six songs in.

The WREK studio was cool to the point of being distracting. I kept almost forgetting lyrics because I was reading set lists other bands had stapled to the wall while I was singing and thinking "Man, I wish I had that Sonic Youth poster!" I wish the DJ had asked us interview-type questions or something. It's really, really difficult to think up things to say in between songs when there is no audience and the DJ is staring into space, chewing on the ends of her hair. My between-song banter was spectacularly bad. However, I did manage to mention the new CD, the webpage, & several of the people on our message board. I gave props to Paul Melancon, Gina, Page & Sheila who played and sang on our CD. I also gave a shout out to Dee, Carol & Garrison and our new fan, Jesse. Although I forgot to mention the date of our CD release party, I did describe the origins of our band name. [Ryan, reading Popular Science as a kid, discovered that a 'weaklazyliar' is a type of circuit, a weak transducer, essential to the manufacture of the device that aliens implant in the heads of crazy people. Thus, I'm sure I offended dozens of crazy people who were tuned in to the broadcast.] Oh, and I remembered to sing "bleep" instead of the cuss word in "I Dream I Have Another Life."

Now that it's over, I'm excited to do something similar again sometime. One thing made it all worth it-after the broadcast, we had an email from a girl who heard the show & wrote us to say the songs reminded her of "a rainy fall day in London." So, see? Somebody gets it. That's all that matters.

Through Ryan's-Massive-Connections-Network, we were paid an obscene amount of money to drive to Albany, GA and play a 45 min. set at a swank country club.

We earned every penny.

1pm: We load up my Honda Civic (called "the clown car" b/c you can pack so much stuff into it) and Ryan's Saturn & head south to Albany. Sites along the way: Tanger Mall Outlets (I beg to stop at the Old Navy Outlet…Gina refuses), Bill Hardin's Musical Outlet (I beg to stop for obvious reasons….Gina refuses), the Erotica Café (a truckstop w/ nude waitresses opposite Robbins Air Force Base; Chris, Joe and Ryan beg to stop….Gina refuses, but we stop long enough to pick up an application for me), a water tower painted to look like a peach (we already have a picture of the band in front of a similar tower in South Carolina, so Gina refuses yet again), groves of peach and pecan trees, empty plowed fields-probably planted with peanuts, Giant mobile irrigation equipment standing like robotic sentries…

3pm: We stop for lunch in Macon. After driving around for 45 minutes looking for anything besides the Olive Garden, Gina gets pissy and starts screaming "fuck" this and "fuck" that and mumbling something about the armpit of the world. Finally we resign ourselves to Steak & Shake; we buy Gina a $0.25 rubber bouncing ball & she is happy again. My chicken sandwich turns out to be nasty and covered in what Joe calls a "something sauce." I leave it festering in its Styrofoam container in the floorboard of the car.

4:50pm: Yahoo Maps suck. We're taking the most convoluted route possible (Gina continues to mumble obscenities). Past actual dirt roads that look, for all the world, like scenery from The Color Purple. It's pissing down rain.

5:20pm: We arrive, slightly late, at a gorgeous and amazing Country Club. Perfectly landscaped, with plenty of water features laid out around the massive golf course. We unpack all the equipment and learn that there is no sound guy. Luckily, Gina is an old pro at running a P.A. Out of nowhere, the rain clears and a gorgeous rainbow arcs over the golf course.

6pm: We're shown to the locker rooms, downstairs, where we are free to clean up, chill out, or whatever. Guests begin to arrive. They are each given pint glasses emblazoned with "Brewhaha," and instructed to take these glasses from table to table, tasting beers from all the different beer distributors who are sponsoring this event. Each guest has paid $50 for this privilege, all proceeds benefiting Theater Albany. The sip of beer we're each given is a bit of a let-down (although, the hoochie mama [Gina's description] at the Bud table is more or less pouring full glasses…Gina continues to visit her table). I ask around and find out you can pay $3 for a drink ticket and buy a *whole* beer at the bar. So this is what I do. Me & my beer head down to the locker rooms to run through the songs before showtime. We've only had one practice for this show, and I'm feeling woefully unprepared. Chris and Joe figure out how to get to the pool, where they both hang out-smoking-for the next 2 hours. (Yes, weaklazyfans, Joe has picked up Chris' disgusting habit. I blame Florida.) Ryan (who is a good boy and knows where his bread is buttered) hangs out upstairs with Gina, who is struggling with a P.A. that is way too small for the massive room.

6:30pm (as reported by Ryan and Gina): The opener is a local Patsy Klein tribute singer. She apparently was completely freaked out over hearing herself sing through the monitors and asks that they be turned off (she's from Theatre Albany and is accustomed to singing without a mic). Gina and Ryan laugh their asses off as her Theatre Albany director approaches her after each song to give her "direction" for her next number - despite the constant nagging from her director, she really was good and gave an "authentic" Patsy Klein performance.

7:00pm (also as reported by Ryan and Gina): A local singer/songwriter, Bob Geiger, sings a set of cover songs (after Bob's set, Ryan tells him he was great and asks if he ever does original material. Bob replies, "Man, I did that for 20 years and finally gave up and got a day job. Now I just do covers.").

7:50pm: Having missed the Patsy and Bob, I wrap up my "practice" and head upstairs for our show.

8pm: We rock the hizzouse (the organizers keep telling Gina to turn it down; she shrugs and pretends to do so, always turning it back up). We play pretty well. Definitely not perfect, but it felt really good. The sound sucked, but no worse than our own practice space. Chris placed my "Smile You Loser" postcard on my monitor & it was like the return of an old friend. (I've been carrying this postcard with me to shows for at least the past year, but I misplaced it a few shows ago-it turned up in C's bag.) The Brewhaha crowd wasn't into us. There were about 200 of them there, all talking really loudly and crowding into the back half of the massive room, away from us, closer to the beer. I saw a few heads bopping, but Joe said it was like watching a movie-where you can see all the action, but the action can't see you. Feeling invisible made me free to be way more animated than usual. I think I actually danced a bit. At one point, I almost tripped over my guitar cable, but I covered myself. I was wearing a swank new shirt, and Chris made me button the top button and leave the others hanging open-so that I looked like a Mexican gang member (Gina tried to locate a hairnet for me, but was unsuccessful).

9pm: We finish up. Somehow, in spite of the fact that you could only hear drums and nothing else, a couple people are inspired to buy our CD's. Nice! Next up, Kelly Hogan & her band from Chicago. Kelly Hogan is yet another Atlanta Legend. She moved to the Windy City a couple years ago and put together a new band. I'm not sure what sort of music she played before, but now she's got a sort of a jazzy, bluesy torch-type thing going on. She calls it make-out music. They were really good, and also really nice. But nice in that uninviting way, like they were just being polite. Completely understandable, given the situation.

9:30pm: Rewind: we're heading back north, passing all the same sites we passed on the way down (however, Gina, the native Albanian, decides to take a less circuitous route to get us back to the interstate - pointing out every stinking landmark of her childhood, including the motel where her mom caught her dad getting some punani from his secretary). We're all feeling pretty good (especially Gina, who gets unusually excited as we pass the Putt Putt place where she putt-putted as a kid). This one was definitely a show for the scrapbook--another weird, cool thing we've been through together as a band. Lately, we're pretty much resigned to never becoming rock stars. I think, to greater or lesser degrees, we've all been asking ourselves why we bother with this madness. It occurs to me that the life experience alone makes all the effort worth it.

On a side note: It's great having Joe with us (he's snoozing in the spare bedroom as I write this - I think he played Nintendo all night.) We'll be practicing a lot over the next couple days, taking advantage of his proximity, getting ready for the WREK show, working on new stuff.

When Lindsey from Liquid Pie first asked us if we'd do this benefit, I assumed we'd do a regular weaklazyliar show. But when I learned that we'd only be doing 3 songs, it seemed silly to have Joe drive all the way up from Florida. (Yes, weaklazyfans, our drummer now-temporarily-resides in the Sunshine State. Fear Not! He is still very much with us, and deserves a great big smooch for driving up several times a month for shows & practice-Joe, You ROCK!!)

It would've been easy for me to just do a solo thing, but with our new record due out in a month, it seemed better take advantage of the opportunity to play in front of some new people as a band. So, I came up with the bright idea of putting on a Tayo-with-weaklazyliar show. I envisioned bringing a Nanoverb to trick out my voice with a bunch of reverb & delay. I figured we'd attempt to play a few songs the way they're arranged on the "Come Undone" EP. Chris would play guitar or bass. Ryan would handle weird ambient noises & beat samples. With that in mind, I scheduled a rehearsal.

It was an unqualified disaster. Ryan had envisioned something much less elaborate, involving me just playing the songs the same old way I always do, while he played acoustic guitar through various effects. At the practice, we basically all just sat around waiting for someone to figure out what it was we intended to do. Chris sat in a disgruntled lump by his amp. Ryan kept trying different things, but the negativity in the air kind of made us all wish we were in Siberia, or anywhere, except in that room with each other.

After a couple weeks, we all met again, this time with lesser expectations. We sounded OK, but it wasn't anything special. Just us doing the same old thing, only more random and uneven because nobody knew what they were doing. After half an hour of that, Ryan returned to his keyboards, and Chris let off some steam by plugging in his Muff Pi pedal. Suddenly, the air cleared, and everything felt OK again.

Either by omission, or misunderstanding, Chris dropped out of the lineup. Ryan & I tried arranging things as a guitar & piano duo, but Ryan thought it sounded cheesy and weird. Finally, Ryan settled on miking his semi-hollow bodied Danelectro, and accompanying me on guitar. The tone was excellent, vaguely dobro-esque. We still hadn't nailed down any specific arrangements, but then Ryan is a self-admitted "fly by the seat of his pants" guitar player. I admire this, because I can't do it.

On showday, I cowered to realized that Caroline Aiken was playing as well. She gave me one guitar lesson when I first moved to Atlanta, but that's another story. I mention it only so you will understand why I suffered an unanticipated and horrific wave of nerves. I couldn't play guitar in front of Caroline Aiken!!!!! Oh My But The Show Was Awful. I was suddenly back to square one with my fumbly playing and my quavering voice. I shut my eyes and pictured myself in a better place. The gynecologist. A lake of burning tar. Anywhere Else. How I made it through 3 songs, I will never know. I think Ryan sounded just fine. But it was difficult to hear anything over the pounding in my chest.

Afterwards, I ordered a beer and gulped it down. Then, I ordered another. And then, Caroline Aiken touched me on the shoulder and told me she thought we were "wonderful." Later, Andrew Hyra of Billy Pilgrim also complemented us on the songs.

I have been giddy ever since.

On the occasion of our November Diaries Website launch, I thought it prudent to write a sort of weaklazyFAQ. I asked Chris if he had anything to add, and he said "No. Not really. Nobody gives a shit about us." So, with that ringing endorsement:

Q. What does everyone play? What is everyone like?
· Joe has played drums & various percussion with wll since fall 1998. He's the deep one--a closet poet and arbiter of arguments. He has infected all of us with his raver-slang. Thanks to Joe, I'm all "mang" that and "hizzouse" this. I actually say things like "that's so fly!" with a straight face.
· Ryan is a multi-instrumentalist. He has an alter-ego, Tayo, who is the ambient remix king! He has played various vintage keyboards and piano in wll since mid-2000. Ryan is awesome to be around, always excited, and mostly in a good mood. He's an Ebay addict and a self-admited gearhead.
· Chris is one of the founding members of wll & plays bass & various guitars. I think of him as our "arranger" because if he's not happy with something, we find another way to do it. He can be a moody perfectionist, but when something clicks with him, his smile lights up the whole world. He's a Vonnegut nut & a John Prine fan. He swears he's quitting smoking by the time he's 30.
· Then there's me. I sing & struggle along with the acoustic guitar. I pretty much suck ass as a "front-person," but over the years, I've come to an uneasy peace with the fact that I Am What I Am. It helps that Chris and Joe and Ryan believe in me. I'm a Harry Potter freak and I hope to write some sort of novel one day-probably of the young adult variety.

Q. Who writes the songs?
A. We all do. Usually, one of us will bring in the seed of something-either a cool drumbeat (like in "Bright Yellow Bucket") or a haunting guitar riff (like "Empty Space")-and we'll all work out how to put the musical pieces together. I write most of the lyrics, with occasional help from Chris. Ultimately, songs boil down to melody and arrangement. No one is shy about telling anyone their ideas suck, which has led to some enormous arguments.

Q. How long have you been around? How many records do you have? Have there ever been other members of the band?
· we've been playing around Atlanta since 1997
· The November Diaries is our 3rd record; its more intimate and acoustic than any of it's predecessors. Our 1st record was the [DEMO] EP-an eclectic collection of silly pop songs that we hoped would, you know, get us a record deal right away. In 1999, we put out a full-length album, "Yesterday Night." It was more electric and collaborative, but it didn't get us a record deal either. Last year, Tayo (ie: Ryan) remixed some songs off Yesterday Night & guess what? He got a record deal and released "Come Undone" on M. Records. Bastard.
· Before Joe, we had another drummer-Jeff Frazier. He quit to "pursue other interests" a few months before we recorded "Yesterday Night." He's a really great guy, in spite of the flip-flops.

Q. You guys have been together since, what, 1997? Why aren't you signed? Why aren't you famous?
A. Ahem, well, we've made a conscious decision to eschew major labels in order to hold on to our freedom of artistic expression. That and, no one has offered us a record deal. Listen to the radio; we just don't fit in. Which is probably for the best because I can't imagine sharing a tour bus with 3 stinky guys anyway. There is only so much Nintendo and fart-joking a girl can stand. We go on trying because…what else are we going to do?

Q. I'm sick of your whining!! You have nothing to complain about--You've had songs in the movies & on TV shows. How do you do that??
A. We have the best manager in the world-Gina Henschen. She brought our stuff to Julie D'Angelo of Music For the Masses and Michael Nieves of Sugaroo! Both agencies have scored licenses for our music. Julie says our songs off "Yesterday Night" filled a niche…It remains to be seen whether the songs off The November Diaries will meet the elusive criteria of Music Supervisors. And yeah, I shouldn't whine so much…I guess we're pretty lucky!

Q. Your message board is massively intimidating. Should I be afraid to post?
A. Fecking wimp!! J We love hearing from everyone; you guys are endlessly entertaining. All the band members post to the board, and will continue doing so until a) it gets boring b) we get too busy. The message board is really the only feedback we ever get, so forgive us our nerdy absorption with it. Everyone is welcome, and no question is stupid. If you're worried about your first post, you can always just say something nice about me, like "gerlinda is so hot" or "gerlinda is so witty" or "gerlinda ROCKS on guitar"

Q. Who is Bluey?
A. Bluey is a charming young man I met on the Suzanne Vega mailing list a few years ago. He's witty, talented, articulate, interesting, and kind enough to write a column for our webpage. I think he'll grow up to take over the Lemony Snicket Empire, but at the moment, he's going to college and pursuing his musical interests with his band The Gloomy Pharmacists (http://www.angelfire.com/indie/gloomypharmacy/).

Q. weaklazyliar is the worst/best band name I've ever heard. Where did you get it?
A. Chris wanted to call the band "Blind Boy Grunt," but I put the kibosh on that. weaklazyliar was the alternative. We just thought it sounded good.

Q. What is your policy on taping?
A. OK, so no one has ever actually asked me this question. But all the bands I like-Counting Crows, etc-have these massive taping rings where everyone B&P's all the shows. So, if anyone wants to start trading our shows, more power to you. Just send us a copy so that Chris & I can relive the glory days when we're really old.

Q. But what do you really think?
A. When I take myself out of my swirling head and look down the length of the past 5 years, I know it's been an amazing journey. I'm very, very grateful. And, even though it's true--what Chris says-that nobody cares about us, it really depends what sort of Scale-Of-Caring you use, doesn't it? So, what I think is: You should hang on and never give up while you're letting go and just having fun. (And if someone could email me how to do that I'll probably ask to join your cult.)

First off, Alastor was great. We've played with them a couple of times, but they've always been stripped down shows. It was really nice to finally see the whole package. They rocked! They're a really creative meshing of a bunch of things: 2 parts Brit Pop, mixed with equal parts Punk Rock, with a pinch of Arty Old School folk/rock (think Laura Nero, Lou Reed), a dash of Fleetwood-Mac/Eagles-style country flava, and even a sprinkling of R&B rhythm. Their new drummer Micki (formerly of Paul M.'s band Radiant City) is great. They've added a 2nd guitarist/backing vocalist, Glenn, who is cute cute cute. And Brillo, their bass player has acquired a really sweet Upright Bass--he rocks. Elizabeth, the singer, is sounding amazing. Go visit them at www.alastorweb.com.

Cooper Seay played next, but unfortunately I missed most of her set. I realized, just as she was getting started, that I had forgotten to change the strings on my guitar. I dreamed once that weaklazyliar was playing at some festival, and 5 minutes till time to go on, I remembered I had to change the strings on my guitar. It was one of those stress dreams where it took me, like, 5 hours to get the strings changed. The crowd was totally bored and the band was furious at me, because they had to play improvised jazz, just to make noise. Last night, probably because I psyched myself out, it took me an unusually long time to change strings, and then I had to go through an elaborate process of stretching them to coax them into staying in tune. By the time I was done, Cooper was singing the last a cappella notes of her set. The audience was reverent and hushed, singing softly along.

It's always disheartening to see the majority of the crowd flock out the door just prior to your set. I know I'm not supposed to take it personally-I mean, those people hadn't even come to see us-but I can't help it. I feel like, some 5 years into our existence as a band, we should have managed to cultivate a better fanbase than we have. But, I'm not going to analyze it. We do the best we can, and I don't feel like there's any benefit to deconstructing why our shows aren't THE PLACE to be. The scattering of people who stuck around were super --really attentive and appreciative of my lame jokes. THANKS!!! We played OK. We maybe even played really well; it's hard to tell sometimes. I think we started off a little shaky, but we warmed up a few songs in. We played mostly stuff off the new record. We recorded the show so that I could send the new song-the one about St. Stephens Green-to Dee-in-Dublin. Other notable things that happened include: 1) Ryan stepped on some pedal in the middle of Waiting For The 8:05 thereby creating a LOUD BLAT that scared the shit out of everyone. It made me crack up, and the whole debacle is on tape. Perhaps we'll rip an MP3 of it and post the link to the message board. 2) After a couple beers one night at the Cabbagetown Grill, "Stand Back" by Stevie Nicks came on the jukebox and Gina demanded that we cover it at this show, as a birthday present to her. Ryan figured out that "Stand Back" has the EXACT SAME chord progression, chorus/verses & all, as "Little Red Corvette." So, our version mixed the 2 songs. I think Gina dug it. Maybe we'll rip an MP3 of that as well. I will speak to our Admin, who has nothing better to do at the moment.

Gina sent us all an email this morning. If you've ever wondered why she is our manager, rather than some of the more well-known mucketymucks in this town, here is why:

"when you're me… you get to be the one who starts the applause because everyone else is afraid to interrupt the chi of a weaklazyliar song.

and, more importantly, you get to be the one who watches people, who started to leave the club, pause and listen to a weaklazyliar song, take off their coats, listen to a second weaklazyliar song, then decide to stay after all and listen to the set.

I thought it was a great show.
and thanks for my birthday song."

walking into 10 High (formerly the Dark Horse Tavern) on Saturday night was something like going back to visit my old 1st grade classroom. everything seemed undersized and outgrown. I hadn't remembered how tiny and dirty the place was. Kitty Snyder (http://www.kittysnyder.com/kitty/) played first & rocked the hizzouse. Kitty S. is a) really pretty (she looks a teeny bit like Paula Cole) and b) really talented, with a huge beautiful voice and really good songs. I was humbled, and joe really liked her drummer. While she played, a bunch of people came in and filled the place up. they were all there to see Doria Roberts (http://www.doriaroberts.com/), who played 2nd. We've played with Doria before…but as I recall, I was deep into a conversation with Jeep during her set, and I didn't really listen too closely. My Bad, 'cause Doria rocks. she has an amazing sense of timing and rhythm. she did her first song solo, and the rhythm was like heartbeat-deep and steady-throughout the whole song. she's got a great, percussive playing style and an amazing voice. her songs are soulful and political and witty and pissed off; she blew me away. she played with a drummer and a violinist, and she kicked ass. I can see why she draws such a big crowd.

we went on around 12:30AM. I was grateful that some of Doria's crowd stuck around for our set…if they hadn't, our 5 fans would've looked pretty lonely and sad standing on the beer-sluiced, cigarette-littered floor of the 10 High. we played all the songs off The November Diaries, in order. I had high hopes for our set, 'cause things have been pretty grooving at practice. unfortunately, the 10 High isn't a very good listening venue. people talked all through the show (another thing I didn't remember about that club!) then again, people talked through all the shows, even Doria's, so I didn't really take it personally. And, the folks I could see standing in front of the stage seemed to be listening. even though I didn't feel nervous, my body apparently did…my voice was shaky and dry-throated through the first couple songs. I made a couple guitar mistakes, and my timing was off. but, other than that, we played OK. ryan debuted his new Wurlitzer, and chris and joe were having a great time-vibing off each other. Paul M. and Gina took turns singing backup on some of our songs, which was pretty cool. playing the 10 High left me feeling a little flat. it's not a very comfortable place to see a show (there are only, like, 5 chairs in the whole joint.) the sound guy was good, so it wasn't a bad playing experience, but… I don't know. we're a different band than we used to be.

Sunday night, playing in the round at Eddie's with Paul & Sue, was a totally different experience. Eddie's fits like an old glove. I just adore playing there. I deliberately chose material that I don't play very often. it's important to dust off the old acoustic tunes once in a while, relearn how to play them. I played "Picture Of A Girl" first…I forgot the first line and had to ask the audience to supply it to me. Then I messed up the guitar solo-thing… The whole night sort of went like that. I think I messed up something in just about every song I played. I would've come away thinking it was a horrible show, except that Eddie's is such a warm and friendly place to play. the people who came out to see Sue were polite and forgiving and receptive. And Paul Melancon rocks my world. He is *such* a good performer. He had the crowd in stitches all night with his hysterical dry wit.

Bear with me as I expound on the other songs I played. I have things to say about some of them, so if you aren't into that sort of thing, you can skip ahead to the end, where I talk about how great Sue & Paul are.

1. Pretty-I want to "retire" this tune, much like we've retired "Elvis." It's my most confessional song, and I love it very much. But the lyrics embarrass me now-not because of the gay reference, but because they just seem like bad writing. So, I may never play this one again…but it'll always have this big place in my heart.
2. Boats-I love this song. lyrically, it's a bit like "Picture Of A Girl". Structurally too, since its my only other song that has anything resembling a guitar solo in it. I've always felt like it's missing something as a solo song…but its not very conducive to being a band song either. Maybe Tayo can do something with it if he puts out another weaklazyliar remix cd.
3. Flora Plum-this is the 30 second jazz tune we wrote and never finished for the "Flora Plum" soundtrack. it's totally fun to play. Ryan says the chords all have 6ths in them, which gives it its jazz vibe. I think we should make it our "soundcheck" song, where we just jam on it until the soundguy gets all the levels and EQ's right.
4. [Untitled1]-this is a song that almost made it onto the November Diaries, but we could never settle on an arrangement. I think we've decided to go for a U2 vibe, with the constant thunking kick drum & bass groove. If we can work it out, look for it at future shows. It's the one that starts off "in half an hour the world will wake up…" Some of the lyrics might have to be changed (they were written to fit on TND,) but the overall structure is in place.
5. [Untitled2]-this is my favorite brand new song. inspired by a challenge Chris issued, to write a song that didn't rhyme. (although, it does rhyme, just in a strange way.) Dee from the Emerald Isle helped me with the imagery. She described St. Stephens Green (in Dublin) in great detail, and the lyrics are full of the things she told me-how the artists line their paintings up for sale, and how the light filters down on the gardens, through the trees. It's a love song, with a big chorus. And I think it's going to turn out great, once we get the band arrangement solid.

Now onto the important stuff-namely, Sue and Paul. Sue Witty (http://www.suewitty.com/) is a lot of fun. She has a great voice, and a unique guitar style-lots of rhythmic elements with cool little slides and hammers-on. She's also, you can tell, a highly honest individual-in her songwriting, and I suspect, as a person. and as a result, she rocks! Paul Melancon (http://www.paulmelancon.com/) played a new song called O, Columbia-which is going to be the shit. It's got a rhythmic, almost Latin flavor to the guitar part. He broke a string in the middle of the song, so he finished it off a cappella-he has the most amazing boy-voice in Atlanta (IMHO.) And SUCH a smooth performer. I know he'll deny it, but it's true! Other highlights of the evening included: the invention of the Eddie's Attic Green Room, complete with Doria Roberts in the hot tub. Paul's comments about foreplay-something to do with humming into a kazoo, which made him blush. The phrase "It's a euphemism," which Paul somehow managed to make hysterically funny. But the biggest highlight was the amazing, amazing audience who made a rather rocky night for me worth it all. As always, Thanks For Listening.

I have to confess, I am a Live Journal junkie. For those unfamiliar with Live Journal (or "LJ" as insiders call it,) it's one of many online diary communities that have sprung up on the heels of the everything/nothing movement. E/N was pioneered by people like Jon Bence (whose webpage has infuriatingly been shut down for months while the author gets a life,) and has grown into something of a fad. Other than doing something productive (like curing cancer or saving the world,) there is nothing more satisfying than reading the random thoughts and drivel of ordinary people. Because I have this column, I have not joined the LJ Community. However, I surf there freely and often, and today I found this, to which I respond here:

20 Tips for Budding & Established Rock Stars by AlyssaPop

1. You are NOT the greatest band that ever lived, there have been better ones before you, and their will probably be better ones after. So, no matter how many hits you have had, or how much of a god we treat you like, you are NOT a god, so don't EVER be nasty to a fan. Humility is a virtue. Try it sometime. :)
even the one that gave chris the note about how to be a better bass player? oh, ok.

2. I know you think that we should be able to tell what you're saying, but we're all human here, and, uh, we can't. SO PUT THE LYRICS ON THE ALBUM!
that's what I'm talking about!!!!!! I love reading lyrics on cd inserts. chris & ryan say it ruins the mystery because you "read ahead" of the songs, but that's just THEM, pouring over their Van Halen collections.

3. When making an album jacket: try to have a picture of the band where you can clearly see everyone's faces.
as a fan, I agree. but as a person in a band, FO!!! no way am I putting my picture CLEARLY anywhere. it will only make you hate me.

4. When making an album jacket: list everyone's names, and what they play.
isn't this like a cardinal rule? is there anybody who doesn't do that?

5. When making an album jacket: Okay, now here comes the tricky part - try to make the pictures of the band members, and their names correspond, so that maybe, JUST MAYBE, we can figure out who's who and what they play! It could save your fans alot of embarassment, and maybe you won't get called 'Dave' so much.
refer to item 3. + in my case, it would be obvious, cause I'm the only girl in the band. and for those of you about to open your mouths with the obvious comeback, SHUT IT.

6. Don't have more than five members, and expect us to remember all of their names. And even 5 is pushing it.
damn. I'll have to fire the aboriginal tribe we hired for percussion & backing vox.

7. A hotline is always a good idea, and while you're at it an e-mail address and/or P.O. Box where fans can reach you is pretty good too. It really cuts down on the stalkers.
okay. I'll make sure to give out joe's cell number on our next album…oh wait, his cell is dead. bummer.

8. Regarding merchandise: If you're going to make tee-shirts for girls (which we'd appreciate if you did), could you please make them in different sizes? Because that one size fits all shirt doesn't seem to fit anyone.
interesting. I guess I can see that, but do you mean like baby doll t-shirts and halter tops in addition to the standard beefy t? cause, budding = broke, and we don't have the cash for all that.

9. Regarding merchandise: Have the CD available for the fans to purchase at the show. It is just a little bit egotistical to assume we all have it already.
DEFINITELY AGREE. only, I think if you're signed to a label, it's up to the label to authorize cd's for sale at shows, but the label would have to be dead stupid to oppose selling merch at a place where it would be likely to actually sell.

10. Regarding merchandise: Put a picture of the band and the band name (or logo), both on the front of the tee shirt. That way, we can wear a jacket and people will still know what band we love instead of wondering what that weird thing on our tee-shirt is.
WOW…I think this is really good advice, actually. I always like t-shirts with things on the back, like my Stussy shirts…but I totally get your point. have you considered going into marketing for a record label? cause I think you'd be pretty good at it.

11. Don't play somewhere that is General Admission with over 500 people. Are you insane? Or do you just want your fans to get hurt?
man I would give *anything* to do a show for 500 people.

12. Don't encourage mosh pits, they're really stupid.
in our case, I don't think there are any worries in this department.

13. I don't care how busy you are, or where you're going - SIGN THE FUCKING AUTOGRAPH! It really is just 2 seconds of your life, but it will mean the world to the person you gave it to.
signing autographs is really weird when you have to get up the next day and be yelled at by your boss. but, in the event that anyone ever wanted my autograph, I would be happy to oblige.

14. While we're on the subject, it would be very cool if you once and a while asked the name of the person you're signing it to. It's a nice gesture, and it makes us feel special. Oh, and take time whenever you can, at every show, to meet your fans, and sign autographs. Even if it's just a little while, it's important.
Nothing would make me happier. (well, except maybe Harry Potter Book V which I'm starting to think JK Rowling will never write!). We love our fans. One girl drew us little pictures, and we hung them up in our practice space. Then again, we also hung up the letter telling Chris how to be a better bass player, so maybe we're just desperate for attention.

14. Get nice roadies and crew. It really doesn't give the fans a good impression of you if your staff is mean to us.
man, I would give *anything* to have even one roadie!

15. Whenever possible respond to fan mail.
I'm responding to your mail and you didn't even write it to me. then again, I just like to hear myself talk.

16. Have a website. A good, frequently updated website. That is cool looking but works on everyone's computer. Where we can downlaod your songs, and get pictures of you. Current pictures and information.
this brings up a good point: chris is working on an overhaul to ours (for the new record). what sort of content would you like to see? less gbm? more ryan's gear reviews? as to picts, see item 3.

17. When you have a website: Have frequently asked questions. It's a very cool way for us to find out a little bit more about you, and it cuts down on the e-mails you have to respond to. Oh, and make them witty too.
I personally agree about this, but my experience is…there are people who read those things, and people who never will read anything and only want to look at pictures. to the 2nd type, I'm sorry, but see item 3.

18. Never, ever, have your opening act be a comedian. It's a bad situation all ways round.
are you talking about the michael penn/aimee mann tour? I thought that was brilliant! and Harlow, from Bands on the Run (all of whom keep LJ's btw) had a drag queen dressed as a bee open up for them…

19. Be nice. That's all we really want you to be. We, the fans, love your music and we like to think that maybe you're half as wonderful as your music is. You wouldn't be where you are if it wasn't for us, so have a little respect.
everyone should take this advice, not just established or budding rock stars.

THANKS, ALYSSAPOP, whoever you are…I liked your pointers, and I will keep them in mind as I'm dodging tomatoes on our upcoming tour of crackhouses and tent revivals.