My hands are shaking and I don't know why

Sleep Out, 5.27.05 at Schubas, Chicago, Il.

Weekend warriors, unite. We did. Let's start from the start...

Friday afternoon at work I decided that I'd partake in the monthly Critical Mass ride. As a recently converted bike junkie I figured I'd best take advantage of the supreme weather and see what 'One Less Car' really meant. And I'm so glad I did. This was an experience I'll never forget. People on sleek bikes, people on really tall bikes, people on really shitty bikes that make squeaky noises, naked people too. But most importantly it was like-minded people coming together to take back the streets of the city. Even if only for a few hours, I felt like I was working towards a greater goal. And that goal: to make people realize that you don't have to accept the car culture that surrounds you. There are alternative modes of transport. Biking is cheap and healthy. It seems like an obvious choice, unless you like hanging out at those cool gas stations and mechanic's garages. Car payments are fun fun fun too. Anyways, I've stated my voice on this. Take it or la-la-leave it.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention. My critical mass ride ended a few miles before the finish; front tire blow out and no spare tube with me. Luckily I was pretty close to the Blue Line and limped home easily. Warrior. So then it was off to Schubas to catch Sleep Out, Hanalei and Graham Smith. Graham told me I needed to put on some weight. I didn't comment on his white Microsoft Windows '95 ball cap. His song titles have large, rarely used words in them. Sleep Out and Hanalei were great. Good luck to Hanalei on their upcoming tour and I'd suggest checking Sleep Out whenever you get a chance. Very very cool stuff.

Saturday was Fix It day. New front tube, new gear ratio, new chain and a front hub adjustment. I admit, I had to show up at Upgrade bike shop after a few unnerving hours trying to do all of this work myself. I ride 'em, I can't always fix 'em. I did learn some great tips on chain breaking, reconnecting and hub maintenance. My hubs are fucked (pitted) and disintegrating as we speak! Still 95% cheaper than a car payment though. Ride It.

Saturday night I ended up at the Hideout to see fellow comrades Mannequin Men. It was easily one of their best sets yet. They have a song called "Spiders in the Hallway" and it's so fucking good. And as Kevin once suggested, "Go follow them around."

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. I practiced, err over-practiced, my set all damn afternoon. It paid off though. I felt really satisfied walking off stage at Schubas. For the first time in a long time I had a sense of accomplishment after a performance, and not simply going through the motions. Playing is fun again, thank God. And it's not because I'm not with a band anymore, it's more about just doing something that feels really honest and right. My head is currently in the clouds. I plan on things staying this way. And those of you who came out to see me last night, thank you so so much. You were the reason I succeeded. You brought positive vibes into the room with you, vibes that have been swirling around the city all weekend. I needed the extra push and I got it. A certain person whom I'd hoped would show up didn't. Actually, it's really ok. My decision to leave the band and take this new approach isn't going to sit well with everyone. That's just the reality of it all. And when the questions cease, the information stops. We're at a stand still right now.

Today is geared towards progress (and eating some food).

I'm in the kitchen whispering weird with the wine

Song 4 in my weekly Friday unraveling/unveiling. This one's about being in Berlin with a lovely yellow-haired girl. You know, in Berlin, it's common to wear pants that are half corduroy and half denim! I remember lots of other stuff about my couple weeks there; most of the important stuff made it into this song. And it's way easy to get lost there, even with a spy map.

event camera - mp3

And, I'm playing a show this weekend: Sunday, May 29th @ Schubas in Chicago, Il w/ The Like Young, Kissinger. 8PM, 21+

Har du nån katt?

Our guest today is Nike (the kisse) straight outta Motala, Sweden. Picture by Nilla. Thanks! Nike likes gardens and people-food.

Slow news day.

Everybody waits so long

Fluxblog posted an mp3 today of The Concretes covering "Miss You" by the Rolling Stones. And it pretty much sums things up for today. But instead of a sappy post about how I miss certain people and jazz like that I'll turn a seemingly downtrodden vibe into a positive one by being happy where I am right now and realizing how important those currently surrounding me are. And something that surrounds me is Chicago and our lovable losers The Chicago Cubs.

While watching the Cubs game last night I started to agree that our patrons really aren't as up to par as maybe some other teams' fans. And here's why: the excitement of the Wrigley Field atmosphere is, to lots, worth more than what's actually happening on the field. I know, I'm surely not the first to say this and no, I'm not a White Sox fan. But there's always that instance when the Cubs are pitching, two strikes on the batter, two outs. clutch moment in the game and the crowd is on their feet...and the pitch...it's way outside and batter doesn't swing but the crowd reacts like the umpire just personally insulted each and every person's mother, to their face. Watching at home it's easy to see that the Cubs weren't jipped in any way. That there's no reason to make a big stink and get cocky. But at Wrigley, different story. My roommate made a good point last night when I got all huffy about it. He mentioned, and he's right, that Wrigley isn't filled with television monitors and JumboTrons and the like. The ballpark wasn't designed for the modern fan like many other ballparks are today. So maybe it's not the fans fault. Maybe our fans are the smartest but they have really bad eyesight! Yeah, I'll just go with that.

And, if you're a Chicagoan, compare the Cubs and Sox TV broadcasts. I always find the Sox games to be really quiet, in general. It's an issue with microphones that are placed around the field I assume. I think the Cubs crew turn those mics up a bit to juice the atmosphere. Our announcers either talk louder or are turned up louder in the mix. Those Sox guys are quiet (and boring, sorry). But I'm not going to get into THIS now. But maybe this louder crowd level on TV is the reason that our fans seem so easily disturbed. Ok, settle down, it's only baseball.

Fly that W flag, we're on a roll?

Dogs, babies and dudes

Quinn posted some pics from the Blackspot barbeque over at the fabulous Lunchblog. Yes sir.

Vibe warriors

There's really no reason why every weekend shouldn't be so enjoyable.

I'm working a "regular job" which, at this point, means that I'm existing just to make it to Friday night where I get to actually do things that don't involve m'fingers tapping this keyboard. And once the weekend does roll around I've realized to not take a bit of it for granted. Days are precious, especially when the weather is so inviting and the people involved in your life are so important.

On weekends I try to get up at a decent hour and still have my coffee before it's the noon hour as to not miss too much of the day. Of course this is all relative to what happened the night prior. But yeah, I'm a fan of my waffle maker, my coffee grinder and a fresh pint of half and half.

Friday night was the last New Constitution show. I am parting ways with the band and they are going to change the name before their next show/release. I wish them the best and I'd hope you would too...the new songs they're working on are catchy as hell and should sound great on record once finished.

Saturday was a sort of magical afternoon. The Blackspot barbeque was a blast. The weather was perfect, the company was kind and the performances were inspired. Thanks to everyone involved; I had the coolest time. I've recently been way into a couple of Quinn's songs and seeing them played live/solo was really nice. I'd recommend sliding over to the Sleep Out site and hitting up 'Cat or a Horse' and 'The Ride Home'.

I finally made it back to the 'burbs and hung with my parents for the afternoon on Sunday. We took in the Cubs v. Sox game (on Dad's outdoor sportsbar-like TV setup) and had some lunch. Again, the weather was absolutely perfect and it felt good to be, again, with loved ones sharing the day.

Upon returning to the city Sunday night, I went straight to work on another song for the record. Progress reports and more mixes are on the way. I can say that a weekend spread so thick with positive vibes makes it that much easier to tackle this task of finishing the album. I feel like I've been reenergized. Thanks to all those involved.

And of course, Monday rolls around and those positive vibes get a little crushed. Cue: 'I Heard it through the Grapevine.' And next time you do, just don't.

I'm going to bring you to the sound machine

Song 3 in my weekly Friday unveiling. This one's about being paranoid, dancing and being paranoid while dancing.


seizure to a strobe - mp3


Also, if you're in Chicago tomorrow afternoon there's a gathering/performance in which I'll be participating in. Food, quiet musics and whatever else you make of it:

May 21st @ 2723 N Maplewood, Chicago, Il 3PM, $5 (Blackspot benefit). I will be playing along with Elizabeth Elmore (The Reputation) , Brian Moss (Hanalei), Quinn Goodwillie (Sleep Out)

Hazard data

Well, so...the band rehearsals have wrapped up and all that lies ahead of me is a single show, which is a strange thing to say after the 110(ish) shows I did with the The New Constitution over the past few years. I was going to steal an idea from Bob over at The City on Film and do some sort of countdown of the Top Five Best band moments but I decided against it. Maybe it's all too much.

Communication has been scant. I admit, I haven't been asking too many questions either. And I don't know what the future holds for my other 3 band mates or with the continuation of the record that was put on indefinite hold half way through the tracking. I do know that my little batch of songs will see their final live performance tomorrow night. I'm going to shake hands with those songs (firm grip), use my best smile, eye contact, and let them spin into the club's environment, having a last laugh and hopefully watch them follow some people out the door and into their beds for a solid night's rest. They can't stay with me any longer. They're cool with it. It's ok to let go; dare I say healthy? Call it cleansing or tell me I'm making a mistake. It's good to have an opinion.

I ran into a close friend while I was out the other night. We talked about the upcoming show and my departure from the band, along with plenty of other stuff. But what stuck with me was when he turned and said, "Well, you had a good run. I loved that shit. You guys were the soundtrack to that summer. We were all in the same place; we were all grilled."

It's going to be tiny conversations and comments like that which I will carry with me when thinking about this section of my life. The negative aspects of what's gone down in our band world are going to simply fade away as the millions of positive seconds I experienced in and around everyone involved hopefully scatter themselves throughout my life.

Details on the show can be found here.

A comeback? I've been here for years

Seems like, as I get a little older the recovery process from a weekend of partying is taking longer. Sunday used to be deemed my recovery day...and now it's spilling into Monday as well? Oh god, when I'm, *gasp*, 28 will I be rendered useless until Wednesday? I still made it into work yesterday and all that stuff but I just wasn't tip-top. It wasn't necessarily that I drank too much or stayed out too late. Although that was a part of it, it's just like my head was tired. I've been thinking a bunch. I hate it when I do this. (wait, do I?)

My old friends and ex-band mates Joe and Amanda of The Like Young really really impressed me Saturday night. Not to say that they haven't before, but there were a few perfect moments at this show that I won't soon be forgetting. To start, there's always excitement surrounding a record release show. That fresh-from-the-factory-record feeling is pretty fantastic. And it's only once or twice a year (if that) you get to see a band experience it. Coupled with the fact that they're wheeling on a new label and totally excited about the future was comforting to me. The release at hand is the Timid 7" EP. I enjoy the B-side.

Seeing Joe pedal-hopping put a smile on my face. He and I used to spend a ton of time in his parent's basement in front of his 4 track. Joe was always the sort of guy that would come up with a distorted tone that was just slightly heavier than the one he previously had, but more constructed and refined. I don't think he ever stopped experimenting. I saw what appeared to be 2(!) Big Muff pedals at his feet. Now I could be totally wrong here, but I saw 2 large metal boxes down there. One, of course, outdoing the other. Then there are his 3(!) amplifiers. Just go seem them live.

And who needs stage banter while the snare drum is being replaced when you can just fold onto your knees and let your guitar just fucking moan for a few minutes? Might sound like a mistake right now, but there, it made complete sense and worked as a messy and really unintentional segue into the second half of their set. Now don't get me wrong. This is not to say that TLY are reliant upon their stacks of squealing amplifiers, stompbox tendencies or ability to wreck a drum set. What's important here, thank god, are the songs. And it's the lyrics to those songs. You're witness, whether you care to be or not, to someone working on some heavy-duty situations. There's major frustration plopped right in front of you, and then there's not, because in the span of 2 minutes it's been resolved. Or has it? This is not really for me to decide. I don't think the lyrical content in some of their songs is setting out to pose the problem and then wrap it all up by song's end. Maybe they're saying that what life is throwing at us is simply not going to stop. And the emotions we feel about this life are certainly not simple. Maybe in the next song we'll figure out another tiny element and get a little happier and secure. But we really can't guarantee anything. I think this is true and fine and right. I guess hearing lyrics about a girl you never met or how your paycheck from your shitty job is going to buy you a six-pack and a rattlesnake just isn't doing it for me any longer. I'm concerned about the girl that you did meet. Let's here about her. What did she do that was right/wrong? What lesson did you learn from your mistakes? What's real?

See, I'm just giving credit where credit is due. Seeing people important to you making strides in what they do best just puts this huge smile on my face and inspires me to do the same. It's sad to see loved ones wallow in unprogressiveness even while being prodded by those around them to snap back into what they once were. I'm guilty of the above. I've been standing still, hands in pockets, just looking around but not actually seeing anything for way too long now. I've had the inspiration and successes of those close to me fall on my dumb, deaf ears. I've swept them under the carpet and I am apologizing (to myself) right now. The important ones are ones that make "stuff" happen. Note to self: make some stuff happen. Those who are, and have always been, thank you so much.

I've learned to really take a hint

The Like Young, 5.14.05 at Hideout, Chicago, Il.

You tip your toes across our faces

Song number 2 in my weekly Friday unveiling. It started as a guitar-based song and then slowly morphed into, well, not a guitar song. This one is for Kevin.


oh randomness mp3

Everyone makes a noise

So I've decided that every Friday I'm going to just post another completed song. Enough of hiding these tunes away from my friends. If you want 'em, come get 'em. Then, when the record's out, go buy 'em (yeah, sure.) I don't have the server space to keep all of the songs up so each song will live for one week. Scroll down to my May 06 post and you'll find the first song.

Since I don't have a site for my music stuff at this point I'll just be posting news, etc...here. Sorry if this gets in the way of my usual chat about phones, Svenska and one-geared bicycles.

I'll be playing a solo show Sunday, May 29th at Schubas, Chicago, Il w/ The Like Young. Be there, or be somewhere else.

And, not to disappoint: Phone, Svenska and one-geared bicycle.

Sing, "All hail"

After the cops showed up at the Halfway House this past Friday night a majority of the attendees fled the premises. Those of us who stuck around (what else was I going to do?) were treated to a dance party/battle eruption. You MUST give credit to dudes like this that will get down and dirty (literally) on a beer-soaked partied-on floor.

In other news, it turns out that I'll be playing one final show with my band mates in The New Constitution. I'm leaving the band (another story for another time kids) but am happy that I can have a proper send off in front of our friends and supporters of the band. So, the show is Friday, May 20th, 10pm, at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago.

Speaking about the band, it's pretty emotional for me to be leaving. It was in no way an easy decision by any means. I had some amazing times and shared some life-altering events with them. One of, if not the most memorable, was our trip to Scandinavia and our run of shows in Sweden. You can see all sorts of pics from that tour at the band website. The soundtrack of this tour was a mixtape that our driver played pretty much nonstop during the 2 weeks. We all started to hate each and every song on the tape just because of being over-saturated with the same batch of tunes. But, one song that I first heard on that tape and will always remind me of those early morning drives through winding forest roads was 'Laws Have Changed' by The New Pornographers. And, oddly enough, The City on Film Daily posted an mp3 of it over the weekend. Go get it! Or, don't!

MDRN

The Modern Temper, 5.6.05 at the Halfway House, Chicago, Il.

Looked in the mirror, looks alright

As promised, one of the songs I've been working on. This one was done a few months ago at the beginning of the album's recording. I hope you don't hate it. And have a swell weekend.

house / hotel mp3
[mp3 no longer available, sorry]

Yes, have one

Had a wonderful ride to work this morning. Everything was popping, the sun was out and the flow of traffic always favored my narrow and specific line. The buses were uninterested in squeezing together as they usually are at Jefferson and Adams. I've been practicing my trackstands at intersections. Why? Shouldn't I be practicing in the alley away from traffic? Yes, good idea.

Now, I'm not sure how many of my readers give a rip about fixed gear bicycles (gotta ride one to do said trackstand). But, if you're new to the concept and at all interested in learning about a whole new take on riding then check out Sheldon Brown's 'Fixed Gear for the Road' for the supremo article on the subject and The Fixed Gear Gallery to peep other's fixies. And don't say I never did anything for you.

Not to change the subject or anything but let's talk about food. A few items I'd like to bring to the table...(sorry)

First, the Ultimate Blogger contest is underway. Their initial challenge was to blog about that pitfall entry that we've all read: food. You know you've seen it before, "I really don't have much to blog about today so I'll tell you what I had for dinner." Not fun to read! That is, until now. The contestants got really creative and most are a good read.

Some other well done (sorry) food-on-blog things that come to mind: The City on Film's do you love artichokes? and Flying Arrows (scroll down) tells/shows you how to make guacamole. Impress your friends; good to know.

Work splurged and bought everyone Potbelly's sandwiches today. We filled out our order on their handy fax form and are currently poised for that delivery guy to ring our bell. I went with the 'V'. That's the vegetarian. Who cares!

And lastly but not leastly, my pal Quinn's blog is called Lunchblog. Lunch, food, props, yeah.

And this too...

I'm guessing that if you're reading this blog you are most likely interested in the medium? Yes? No? Oh, you were forced onto this site by kidnappers who've locked you in a room with only a computer and a tiny list of viewable links and this just happened to be one of them? No, you like blogs! And because you do I'd recommend checking an interesting contest that just began called Ultimate Blogger. It's been organized by the dudes over at Urban Honking whom I don't personally know but have recently been super impressed by. There seems to be a set of Portland people doing some way above average work in the design/blog/interesting stuff categories. And my suggested soundtrack while checking out all of this is Portland label States Rights.

Slow Sounds

Done and done. My Swedish class is officially over. The exam went well. It's not really the sort of class where you'd ever get a grade. But, I'll go ahead and give myself an A-, B+ maybe. It's all about actually using what I've learned now before I start to forget everything. That's my summer mission as my sweet will be here for a couple months making sure I never tell her what time it is or ask her if she liked the food in English ever again.

My weekend was spent holed up in my room, eyes glued to an eMac while I pushed Garageband's capabilities to extremes. "I think I need another track of that looped tambourine." Done. "Oh shoot, this is sounding a little thin, better add another snare hit to every fourth beat and right before the forth beat before the chorus comes in." Added. I possibly went overboard but ended up not using every track in the final mix. Even though Garageband is sort of on the minimal side (and the cartoony icons of the instruments are a little childish) I think it's a quality program. And, the fact that it's basically free (comes installed on Macs now) was a big plus in my decision of which program to use.

So the next step is to actually leak a song or two out to the public. I've really been holding the songs under lock and key simply because I wanted to make sure I was happy with what the final products were. I didn't want to jump into anything and regret it later. But it seems that all is well at this point. So, later this week expect at least one MP3 posted here.