Tracy Island: News

Song chums: finished a new one called "Can Better Days Be Far Behind?" Appropriate timing - a protest song for election day - although the seed was planted on August 12 this year. I know the date because we had a show at Freddy's with Alicia Levy , and the energy was so high after her set that a semi-acoustic jam broke out. The drum kit had already been dis-assembled, and I recall Andy, Joe and maybe some other people playing various percussion. Alicia led us off with a bluesy finger picking riff and Ian was also playing guitar. It wasn't the first thing I sang, but at some point for me a song formed. We jammed right through it, but the idea stayed with me. Recently I expanded the idea and wrote the song, recalling the feeling of the music from memory, and that's the scoop.

Coincidentally I'm finally getting around to going through some photos I took that evening. In my defense, I was pretty sick of opening, editing, saving, uploading, etc. etc. etc. digital files after sorting through the England experience, but since I do love taking photos I gots to work with the images to share them with anyone.

Sometimes I wish to be the type of person who is all up and on top of everything. You know, go home and sort through the photos the next day, something breaks and you get it fixed right away, everything up to date and organized. Life's too short, I know. Still, I think I'm doing alright in this mad world. You did go and vote today, right? Here in NY where we're assured of Democrats Spitzer and Hillary, you can feel free to select a Green party candidate or two if you are so inclined.

Whoops: the past week flew by and I just wasn't in the mood to do computer stuff. We were in the studio 3x, we played that show at Kenny's and other excitement occurred... but I can't detail now. Today it's up to Rhinebeck to play the Firebird Lounge this evening. So bear with me for another day or two and watch this space for more blog next week. Cha!

Excitement tonight: we're playing at Kenny's Castaways - 7pm. No cover.

The drummer of Malesh, whose name I couldn't remember in my last posting is Frank M. Sorry Frank!

Last Wednesday we had a real good Wheels rehearsal. If I'm completely honest, it's true that some rehearsal evenings we play about eight songs and spend the rest of the 3-4 hours hanging around, talking, drinking, or watching interesting video clips on Joe's TV. This week we were focused, enjoyable. We played 18 songs in two hours; refreshing most of the "Meet the Animal" record as well as playing all the current songs we're recording for our third record, and one or two older songs and oddities. We hope to start right at 7 tonight (although it may be slow that early) simply so we can play a longer set. Don't forget: we're wearing costumes. And, stick around afterwards to do a number with Crash Course Karaoke , this week only featuring the unbeatable rhythm section combo: Filosa+Mattina. Or is that Mattina+Filosa?

Another amazing ricochet in my rock n' roll reality:

Thanks to this nasty bit of business, I have something in common with Alan Merrill - a real good rocker (and writer of "I Love Rock N Roll" which Joan Jett heard him play and decided to record). He got in touch to commiserate, we had a lively correspondence, and guess who has now linked to us on his Web site?! So, right back atcha with a link to Alan under "Bands We Like!" (Not to be confused with our pal the Awesome Alan Bigalow who celebrated his birthday last weekend and will be mentioned again in a moment.) Check out Alan M.'s sound clips for a really great, natural rock n' roll voice.

On Friday we went to see one of Alan B.'s bands - Malesh - at Freddy's. Malesh means something like "no worries" in Arabic, and Alan, Greg on bass and James on guitar picked up the concept on one of the Circus Guy tours of the mid-East. With a guy who's name I forget on drums, they do a skillful improv jamming thing with Alan B. on guitar and sometimes theremin. Yes, theremin , and not just any theremin, but one he built himself, the body of which is a handsome maple-toned wood box! I's not a materialistic person. I's rarely covet other people's possessions. I's *really* wanted to play with that theremin.

Saturday The Larch show at Laila Lounge ROCKED!

First of all, this unassuming W-burg venue is doing what I've heard obnoxious NYC bookers sneer is impossible: pay original bands a little something without charging any cover. It's amazing how much smoother any night goes when everyone is friendly and respecting each other...

And thanks to our peeps for turning out! Ian debuted two new songs, then we stayed and enjoyed the party with our party clothes on. That Jackie O style vintage red dress, the polyester A-line empire cut with the big buttons on one side up by the shoulder, always makes me feel vivacious. And the DJ'ing was excellent - Soft Boys before we played, a long and eclectic upbeat set of Parliament type funk, Beastie Boys rap and motown influenced pop as we all hung out to enjoy those drink specials after.

Despite the late night, Sunday saw us full of energy and Ian and I decided to go to the Crash Course Karaoke at Kenny's Castaways .

A duo band visiting from Japan opened the night. Called Numb, they spoke so little English we were left to wonder if they call themselves Numb in Japanese, or a word with a different meaning entirely that just sounds like "Numb" in English? The drummer was excellent - a swirling, emotional octopus of girl and straight black hair and delicate cymbal hitting, unusual kick drum approach. The front guy sang pretty well and did a little looping on his acoustic guitar, but as all the songs were in Japanese (!) my attention started to drift away from the mid-tempo material + non-unique melodies.

Crash Course however was a blast! It was Alan's birthday, and the Halloween decorations were already up, and I had no where to be on Monday morning, so it seemed as if the weekend would never end. They've been rocking the live band karaoke for several years now, and have attracted such a following that it seemed we had more "ringers" than "bad" karaoke singers (although there were a few). Even the Larch man himself got up and did two Beatles tunes. I took my turns with "White Rabbit" and then "Summertime" (up in the Gershwin register, two years of music performance study at the college level, thank you very much) although just a bit scratchy from shouting it up over the DJ after the show the night before. The lovely Kirsten W. was there, and favored us also with her rich alto.

The Larch show last night was FUN! Still, going out for entertainment tonight: live band Crash Course Karaoke at Kenny's - we'll be opening for their Halloween party show next Sunday 10/29. This week is Alan's birthday show, and I've heard rumor a charming duo band from Japan will be kicking things off around 7. Yes, I'm sure I'll end up karaoke-ing something. No, it won't be "Like a Virgin."

Entertainment tonight: The Larch show at Laila Lounge - 10pm. No cover + special Larchy drink specials for all you Larchnicks and Larchies!

You read it here first - two new shows have cropped up since I sent a blast e-mail last week:
1) Next Sunday we'll play a full set beginning at 7pm at Kenny's Castaways - a Halloween celebration evening that will include costumes + hours of live band karaoke entertainment with Crash Course Karaoke.
2) Saturday after Thanksgiving (11/25) we'll return to the Court House Bar & Grill in Massapeaqua Park, Long Island - a lovely dive that gives us the whole night to rock!

All details are now posted on our shows page.

Entertainment tonight: Malesh (with Alan who's been playing with Plastic Beef) at Freddy's.

We're going after Larch practice for tomorrow's show at the Laila Lounge. Ian's posted a Larch & the WonderWheels version of "Acoustic Kitty" from our show at the Cricketers in Eastleigh (Hampshire, England - Aug 4, 2006) on The Larch's MySpace page . And, apparently there's some kind of super drink special Laila is having for our fans where if you mention you came to see The Larch you will get drink tickets good for 50% off every other drink for the whole night!

So, if you're into accuracy, I got "Killing Moon" and "Psycho Killer" transposed when I remembered last weekend's Plastic Beef set at Freddy's. That's because it was a performance that was all about having fun in the moment. Even the experience could not be recalled with accuracy!

After Randi Russo's CD release show at the Cake Shop last Thursday, I've added a link to her on our list of Bands We Like.

The thing is, if you do well in the environment of New York City - if you move here and take to it - you meet people and eventually you end up in cool situations like rent stabilized apartments... and, for instance having a friendship with a severely cool rock & roll stylist.

So, I got my hair cut on Friday by hands that recently styled one of my favorite rockers of all time, someone else who was a youth near Detroit, Michigan... Mr. Iggy Pop! Saw a gorgeous, classic, Black + White print of him from the shoot, in a suit stalking down one of the curved walking paths in Central park - with the border of benches and Black + White trees - fantastic! In some way now I am a part of that, style, performance, the New York underground I dreamed of from my Bloomfield bedroom, although it's different now than it was, and different of course than I thought it would be.

CBGB's is closed now, and moving to Vegas. The photos of Patti Smith my favorite part of this; she's the only one left that seems to me to be clearly illuminated by integrity. I tried to get us a show at CBGB's once. I went to their Web site and read the page about their booking policy. I marked my calendar and tried the phone number at Thursday at 1 or whatever the directions said it was supposed to be. The line was busy. I set the phone to re-dial and hung out at my desk at the day-job I had at the time selling classified advertising, and I tried and tried like I was a teenager calling a radio station to win concert tickets. Two weeks in a row.

I knew every Monday was some kind of band audition showcase thing, and I would've been happy just to get us into one of those to start. It happened that just a week or two later I was walking by the club on a Monday night with my lead guitar player, so I went in all peppy and there were two guys sitting at the battered wooden desk covered in band stickers in the entryway, and I said that I wanted to book my band to play the showcase but that the phone was always busy during booking hours, and I don't remember exactly the conversation, but I remember leaving a few moments later feeling like I had to go and purge some major attitude, and that perhaps it wasn't so important to play CB's after all.

So I hadn't been there since the time I saw the guitar player of a now defunct punk band throw his electric guitar into the audience (injuring a woman's hand... which caused a fight) but I did look at the Village Voice's photo link, and wouldn't you know about the third person into the slideshow is another piece of magical New York personality, who I also got to meet once in Heart's fabulous basement of transformation. And I thought: that man has been given a copy of our MEET THE ANIMAL record.

Friday night we rehearsed for Vladapalooza.

Saturday we went back to Wombat and worked on "The Hats." We tracked my rhythm guitar, small pieces of Ian's guitar part (he played such a great track last weekend with a killer solo, that we just wanted to improve one or two things about that original take), added as an overdub a distorted guitar part, and put in my lead vocals, Ian's harmony vocals, and some double tracking.

I just listened back and it still sounds great. That was the basic track I was less sure about, although it felt great when we played it, but the additional tracking has brought everything together to create a fun really punchy rock song. We draw a lot of comparisons to Jefferson Airplane, and this song's more MC5.

Saturday night we performed as Plastic Beef at Vladapalooza at Freddy's. It was a full evening of entertainment, and we spent many cheerful hours both before and after we played listening to the other bands and getting our glow on.

For our set we achieved the main Plastic Beef objective of taking the audience on an enjoyable and wild ride:
- We started with me singing "Like a Virgin" - half the room smiled and sang along while the other half shook heads and looked chagrined.
- "The Only" a Plastic Beef original that one person later said sounded like a Minor Threat song
- "Killing Moon" - Echo & the Bunnymen
- "Take Us to the Stars" - one of mine (UNRELEASED)
- I'm forgetting something but of mine we also played P-E-T-R-O-L-E-U-M (UNRELEASED)
- "Acoustic Kitty" - one of Ian's - The Larch will be performing this tune on Saturday at Laila Lounge,
- and the big finish was "Psycho Killer" (Talking Heads) into "Eddie Come Down" (MEET THE ANIMAL) with an in joke nod to 2001 and "I Don't Wanna Die From the West Nile Virus."

Entertainment tonight: Randi Russo at the Cake Shop at 10pm. Her CD release party + show.

Now you are the first to know that I've updated our Shows page and... posted quite a large number of images as UK tour part I and part II !

Harper's Magazine , in an effort to boost their print circulation, randomly mailed me an 8 page booklet containing this article called "The Case For Impeachment" . In it I found the following sentence, which nicely sums a lot of things up: "The fiction of permanent war allows it [the Bush Administration] to seize, in the name of the national security, the instruments of tyranny."

The rise of fascism is nothing new. I vaguely remember hearing something about Germany in the 30's? And there was also that book all the adults were talking about my third grade year? Yet each day the sun rises, and we live to hurtle through space, and these political patterns limit our human potential, and really what's an individual to do?

This past Saturday we returned to Wombat and began recording the third Liza & the WonderWheels record. The day was a little jumpy - we're just establishing our rhythm for how we're going to work on this new project - going about things differently just as we did between our first two records.

Joe & Andy achieved a gorgeous take of "Learning Lessons" on the second pass later in the day - the kind of track that is so shinning it's now just happily gleaming in a corner of my mind, begging to be built upon.

We dailied up a good take of "The Hats" too that's vital and energetic and just bursting with the joy of life. It's not quite all the way settled, but that kind of jet engine feel may be perfect for the song and this is rock and roll.

We did go to Hank's on Friday, also known as the bizarre-o Freddy's. From the outside Hank's looks like a shack left over from, and not tended to since, the 70's. It's much cozier inside than I expected, and unlike Freddy's is just one room so the people at the bar hear the bands (and the people in the bands hear the conversation of the people at the bar).

I've described the beauty of seeing Erica Smith and her band before, and this show was no exception. She glows, even when she doesn't know it, and her band is 2/3 Love Camp 7 + one TRIFECTAman, which means her killer voice and composed lyrics are backed with a ton of brainpower and talent.

Before her played a bunch of old burn outs who looked great as they stumbled about in their Trash & Vaudeville getting the night off to an hour's late start. I'm sure they are fun people who have good hearts. They sounded like the New York Dolls, but they played tired, and I witnessed a chunk of the band + friends break off immediately after the set to leave the bar only to return in time to talk, tight-jawed through Erica's set with glittering eyes and important hand movements.

I third band called themselves "cemetery and western" on their Web site, but may have taken a new direction since their Americana-a-billy bio was written? I heard shades of REM, then they played a Psychedelic Furs cover. I thought they were one of those bands that sounds really good - smooth singer, shades of Elvis - but lack the hooks to stick a memorable song in my brain. Their songs were all equally good, but essentially very similar.

The reason we stuck around, and exceeded our self-imposed night-before-recording curfew was to see Randi Russo. It wasn't the best situation - we left half-way through at 1:30 after suffering with her through several minutes of buzzing, crackling, and checking when the sound guy couldn't figure out which line to put her guitar through - but it was enough to intrigue me: her interesting guitar work, cool songs you want to hear over again and figure out, then, once the music got going, a smile, even with all the circumstances, that seemed to say "I have my artistic convictions and in this moment we are getting close to playing them out."

I swapped a MEET THE ANIMAL for her 2001 record Solar Bipolar , and with one listen can see why it's been so acclaimed as an indie release. I put it on while washing dishes and ended up cleaning the stove because I wanted to hear it the whole way through. Seriously.

Excitingly, I'm just in time to catch the release of her new record this Thursday at 10pm at the Cake Shop. She'll have a decent sound system and will be in her element... I can't wait to see as this show will surely rock!

Entertainment tonight: it's one of those evenings where there is a such a plethora of quality shows that one wishes for powers of instant teleportation. I'm opting for angelic sounds in dive surrounds with Erica Smith at Hank's . She's followed by an unknown quotient "cemetery and western" band, and then Randi Russo who I haven't seen since she shared a bill with The Larch at the now-closed Luna Lounge in about 2003.

The tip of my right thumb is still a little bruised from when I was hitting some crash cymbals with the tambourine at the end of the show on Saturday, and it got in the way. Just one hit, that's all it takes to hurt sometimes.

Other things fail to strike so deeply. For instance, the Woodstock show that I had posted for Nov. 5 has retreated back into non-existance due to drama with the act who booked the show. It's ironic because that was the show around which I booked a weekend of upstate performances. However, the Friday & Saturday night shows (which I booked directly) remain solid, and I'm glad we're doing a little traveling and playing in this period where we're also back in the studio working on our third record. So despite the end of the impetus, our upstate weekend remains. And, as these things have a way of working out, I should shortly be able to announce that quite a good band will be joining us for Saturday night at the Firebird in Rhinebeck. Keep an eye on the shows page for all that info.

For about half a sec I was disappointed that I wasn't more disappointed. I mean, I've written some good songs ("Meet the Animal," "On the Bridge") under the influence of the emotional rush of anger and disillusionment. What if I'm getting too balanced? Too (Oh No!) grown up?

But that's not what's happening. I've learned a few things, been burned by a few crazy people, and now when someone does something that makes me emotionally cringe, if I can just stay out of it, so much the better - my time is limited enough as it is. I'll be writing about our third record as we head into the studio for our first recording session this weekend, meanwhile the songs I'm writing are for the fourth record, so I'm working through ideas of conflict as there seems to be so much of that going on in the world right now.

Does anyone else remember a grade school English class where you were told that all literature boils down to a few conflicts - man vs. man, man vs. self - and other sexistly put constructs? Apparently that lecture exists because I found evidence of it on the World Wide Web. Well I'm pretty over the you vs. me. Too much going on trying to figure out me vs. me vs. society.

Also, I'm fortunate to be able to say that the virtually every person I've collaborated with to make live music performances happen has been way cool. So hey, it was time for a minor let down, a little flake out, no biggie. I do apologize to people in the Woodstock area who were expecting to rock with us that night. If you don't care to drive, there's always Beefstock VI which we'll be playing at Full Moon in Oliveria, NY - a two day music festival April 6-8, 2007.

I started to move things around on the images page, preliminary to posting an indulgent amount of photos from our UK tour this August. I also put up scans of the two newspaper articles that published about us. They demonstrate different flavors of journalism, and their existence pleases me mightily! We had so much fun across the pond - about enough to keep us until touring season 2007.

Entertainment tonight: the stripped down side of Skelter at the Sidewalk Cafe, 7:30.

I also received a phone call from the management to let me know that there will be a lot of free alcohol at the re-opening of where the Continental used to be a music venue. They're transforming into just what the east village wants these days - another bar that's cheap, but not too much of a dive, where people who don't spend all their time thinking about their rock band can drink and pose and play pool and meet each other and then maybe call each other on their cell phones. 8-10pm tonight if you want to celebrate that sort of thing.

Added to the shows page: Saturday, November 18th we'll be playing on a bill with 14 bands at MFA 6 - Musicians Fight ALS (Lou Gehrig disease) at The Hook in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

Changed slightly the major to minor-y thing in the bridge of my new song, and now "Midnight Lightening" is really done for sure.

Hey, another Saturday night spent making music at a good vibes dive, this time at the Court House Bar & Grill on Long Island. Four Wheels in Andy's car, the expressway starts in Brooklyn and takes you past JFK airport. Miles of highway later, we exit into anywhere suburban landscape: car dealerships, diners, gas stations. I realize we're paralleling a Long Island Rail Road train, every few minutes another town, another stop.

The cute street of Massapeaqua Park: single story business district, two bars, two restaurants, a very tiny law firm, real estate, drug store, barber shop, a few chains. Our bar is near the train, a desirable location clearly. The outside looks like Brooklyn. Inside it smells okay. The walls are decorated with plaques of casts from old TV shows: the Munsters, Welcome Back Kotter, "the Men of Mayberry." I see a deep fryer, and a menu is posted above the bar, but no one orders food the entire time we are there. The later it gets, the more people walk in through the back door from the parking lot, off the train from the city to do some more drinking close to home.

There's a stage in the corner, and we spread out. Scott on congas started talking to Joe, and I guess ran home to get his drums, and joined us for the first set. We played as Plastic Beef , took turns singing, mostly covers, a few of my songs - "Loops" and a bizarre split "Eddie Come Down" that threw the last verse all the way into the second set.

The reunion of Rachel Got Arrested was truly rock and roll. Go Roger Reverb, Go!

MVP again goes to Alan Bigalow of Crash Course Karaoke , helpful, pleasant, talented he's been playing with the Beef and also joined Tad Schaefer for a jammy blues set.

As so frequently happened, the late night, after-a-round-of-shots set was my favorite. The music just seemed to flow. There was no curfew, we Walked on Sunshine, we had the Cumberland Blues, "Where Is My Robot Maid" snuck in there somewhere, the "Killing Moon" song I mentioned, "Substitute," "No Woman No Cry," ended with "Goin' Down the Road" at 3am. Ian & I were the first dropped off back home at 6. If it was June it woulda been light out already.

Basically over the virus, just the slightest bit of congestion left which actually felt good giving me a hint of smoke on the vocals, and a powerful awareness of my chest voice for the belting numbers.

The TV show I host, Freddy's Brooklyn Roundhouse has moved time spots to be back-to-back with Steve's other brilliant show, Brooklyn vs. Bush , so if you care to watch TONIGHT (Monday):

a) Go to Freddy's and watch in the back room.

b) Watch your TV
11:00pm Freddys Brooklyn Roundhouse
Time Warner 35/CableVision 68, BCAT CH 2

11:30pm Brooklyn vs. Bush
Time Warner 56/ CableVision 69, BCAT CH 3

c) for live streaming go to http://www.bcat.tv/bcat

A motley assortment of Beef will be getting together down the Pit this evening to play in preparation for tomorrow's Court House show in Massapeaqua Park. Then we'll probably head over to the open stage at the Tap Room .

Song chums: we do a version of "Midnight Moonlight" with Ian singing, which inspired the wordplay that lead to the title phrase of my newest "Midnight Lightening."

So I was standing at the bus stop yesterday, idly being paranoid that if anyone wanted to secretly abduct me, on the way to our Wednesday is for Wheels band practice would be a good time, when I was approached by three black yutes, the leader of which started rapping in my direction the coincidentally relevant prognostication of CCR "big wheels keep on turning, yo."

Yo back at you Brooklyn! Autumn in BK, there is nothing like it.

At Psychedelic Night, I really enjoyed the Plastic Beef set which included Echo & the Bunnymen's "Killing Moon." We'll play a version at the Court House Bar & Grill in Massapequa Park this Saturday, with Andy singing lead, me harmony. It's bringing me right back to 1984...

... In third grade we were allowed to stay after school for I forget what kind of extra-ciriculars and take the late bus. The late bus driver had a longer route and played the radio loud. I was scared of Hall and Oates ("Maneater"). I liked Twisted Sister ("We're Not Gonna Take It") and Van Halen ("Jump") for back of the school bus anarchy.

At home it was Cyndi Lauper ("Girls Just Wanna Have Fun") with her amazing rainbow colored fun world over the black and white trashy Madonna on the cover of Like A Virgin. And the quality of the vocal track on Nena's "99 Luftballons" cheers me to this day.

It's not often I sign a thread, but those guys at Arthur have piqued my interest again with this article.

It was a watered-down weekend of rock and recovery. No drink or debauchery for me, and still I overdid it a bit. Skelter rocked Desmond's dump up on Park Avenue Friday night, and I was there to see. Saturday we played at Patti's Parti, two drum format of Joe + Tom, Andy on bass, me, Ian, plus Alan from Crash Course Karaoke and Circus Guy. Three full sets, and never more then three guitars at a time. We're doing some very interesting stuff on "Eddie Come Down" (MEET THE ANIMAL) these days. Did "Sugar Magnolia" as a Birthday request. In a Norwegian social club that hasn't changed since the fifties - private so you're still allowed to smoke inside - wood paneled dance floor and a full wall of sporting trophies, an Italian Birthday party, generous and lovely was held in a China Town section of Brooklyn.

Posted two more shows a long weekend mini-tour of slightly upstate NY, November 3-5.

Entertainment tonight: Skelter rocking Park Ave. at Desmond's.

Three cheers, right, 'cause obviously if I'm planning to go out tonight I'm feeling better. Rah! Rah! Rah!

As I wrote to one friend, it's humbling how wee micro-organisms can take us down, but I guess that's just Life On Earth. I love that this diary inspired well wishing e-mail, that's awesome, and to everyone who said verbally or in e-mail that I looked great last Saturday... you rock - or you have a fetish for the consumption look - but either way tip of the hat to you.

Late breaking medical evidence is now in, indicating that the virus progressed to a mild case of encephalitis , so I wasn't wrong at all about it bringing out my inner mental patient. I actually had a Weirdo Brain Virus that lists amongst its symptoms mental disturbances and altered consciousness. Well, you know it's always something.

As I was saying about the transformative nature of sickness, I wonder if my brain thinks slightly differently now. Really, I just want to be the best artist I can be; I'm always doing things to encourage my brain to think in a way that supports my art, and I'm just relieved that I'm better to the point where I can enjoy legitimately playing Camille (my Mom uses that expression). I see some naps and mid-day strolls in my immediate future, and with any luck I'll be back to prime in no time.

Meanwhile, speaking of world-class artists, there's someone I can't believe I haven't before added to my Links under "Bands We Like," someone whose song "Machine Gun Smith" is the only cover on our current record, a great songwriter and hot guitarist: Kimberley Rew .

Oh yeah, I was reminded to do this when he e-mailed this week saying he thought our version of the song was well done! (exclamation point his). And that's me, over here, feeling better and looking chuffed.

Well dearies, there's been something going on with me for the past few weeks that's not at all rocking, and in fact is starting to really interfere with the rocking: I'm sick. A moderate health breakdown with symptoms for the past three weeks ranging from a sharp pain in my left lung, to running a fever pretty much the whole time, to the remarkable discomfort the human immune system can inflict while fighting disease. I have an impressively horrible clear cough with no other congestion or normal flu symptoms and I'm home tired and frustrated with my near total lack of energy.

I've been to doctors three times in the past week, which is roughly how many times I'd been to the doctors in the preceding three years. I've had my chest X-ray'd in a linoleum room with machines that look like the machines on hospital dramas, and the films look pretty cool actually, all lungs and spine with a hint of boobies. I've also had blood drawn, and a TB test, and I'm starting week two of antibiotics.

Yesterday, Doctor Three (I've been really fortunate to have found a great treat & release place in my neighborhood where all the docs are astoundingly kind) ventured the following diagnosis: "Just a virus with a really weird presentation." Which is reassuring despite use of the adjective weird, because I was really starting to wonder at how quickly we corporeal beings can go from sauntering down Seventh Avenue smiling at the end of the summer, to breaking a sweat getting off the couch to make some oatmeal.

Saturday night was the first turning point. I pulled myself together and went to perform at Psychedelic Night, and despite having to sit outside on a bench feeling woozy for most of the early evening, I drank pint after pint of water and managed to sweat my way through quite a good WonderWheels mini-set.

We played:
Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds (as our psychedelic cover)
After Last Night (UNRELEASED)
Take Us to the Stars (UNRELEASED)
Where Is My Robot Maid? (UNRELEASED)
Eddie Come Down (MEET THE ANIMAL)

I haven't been too worried about infecting innocent bystanders with my scourge as I've been on antibiotics as I mentioned, and none of the other Wheels, despite sleeping with one and sharing bottles of Jack with all three (before I started the antibiotics), have become contaminated.

I was getting so down and stir-crazy and flabby-feeling just resting at home, I figured going out to soak up some positive Freddy's energy couldn't hurt, and I've been slowly feeling better ever since. Last night I was able to get a good night's sleep - I've been having to sleep propped up - and that's given me hope for the future. I still feel weak, and can't wait until the lymph nodes in my throat calm down enough so that I can do some yoga and really get this out of my system.

I'm just new-agey enough to think of sickness as an opportunity for transformation, or maybe an indication that your body is trying to alert you to an emotional or metaphysical revelation. Plus I've discovered an element of guilt - maybe cultural? - like I must've done something wrong to be weak and susceptible which is pretty crazy, right?

The most humbling part is that I know quite a few excellent people who've had major health traumas, and I marvel at the strength and resilience they've displayed dealing with far scarier issues than my Weirdo Virus. Feeling pretty sick for just a few weeks was really messing with my head. Not having the energy to be my usual active self brought out my inner mental patient as I had nothing I could do besides lay around, read, watch TV and obsess. Being so tired sapped all motivation and I even felt scatter-brained and forgetful... definitely not my usual self.

So, remember when you're out in the world and someone's acting crabby, maybe they're not feeling well. So many people in our country are overweight and overworked and unwell. I count myself extremely fortunate that I've had a life where being knocked out for three weeks counts as the first notable health problem of the millennium.

And on the other hand there's been a bit of a watched pot phenomenon in that while I've been too wiped to do as much promotion etc. as usual for our music, some packages and things I sent out early in the summer have made their way back to me with some happy results. More on that later in the week.

It's Psychedelic Night!

On Friday the "Larch & the WonderWheels" gang had ourselves a listening party over at Tom's place. We got through a fair amount of the UK experience (all of which has been recorded) skipping over the marathon sets of the Saturday private party, but hearing most of the two best shows - Friday night at the Cricketers in Eastleigh (we love you!) and the well-oiled last show at the County Arms in Winchester on Sunday.

Sound files will be selected at some point for airing, and I thought the next thing I'd add to this site would be the much-awaited England photo series, but it turns out we got ourselves a WonderWheels, Plastic Beef + friends show at the Court House Bar & Grill in Massapeaqua Park, Long Island at the end of the month, so I went ahead and posted those details for Saturday, Sept. 30th on the shows page.

On Saturday we all went to a genius' birthday party and we Wheels were quite literally the last to leave. It was a nice night for the lovely Brooklyn view on the roof (enjoy it now because the skeletons of tomorrow's luxury high rises - and the next decade's poorly designed disposable architecture - threaten and rise over W-burg as well as southern Brooklyn) and the fact that the party space doubles by day as an serious yoga studio meant fun with ropes ! With that rock-centric crowd you could make a joke about The Kinky, but I won't.

Yesterday I sent out my usual election day show announcement e-mail combining state and local politics with psychedelic night etc. Was much cheered by several replies saying my take and info was helpful. The other night, late at night coming home on the BQE with other wee hour drivers, going through that construction they're doing that narrows three lanes down to one, I called the bad man who would not let us merge in turn a Bad Citizen. Without investment in the circulation of information and courtesies, and without involvement in the democratic process, all hope for a civil society is lost. American democracy in a coma oh no, I think it's serious.

People will be surprised by the new Plastic Beef CD (whenever it comes out). Right now it's a work in progress, and Ian & I added backing harmony vocal tracks on two songs last night. It was my first involvement with the project. I believe Ian's recorded rhythm guitar tracks at some point along the way. It's a real assemblage with a depth of material collected from the past several years. The process is part of the art as constructions are recorded that have never, will never be replicated live.

Still reading Macbeth who was just called a confident tyrant. The description pleases me. Could it be because I'm halfway through the fifth act and I have a feeling it's not going to end with him happily rough housing with a pack of doggies on a ranch in Texas?

Last week was the back-to-it rehearsal, then the detail-oriented work-it-out follow up, and now after last night's rehearsal the WonderWheels are back in the swing; we only now have to keep pumping our legs and then play with the jump chain.

Another new link up on the Images page: some good live shots of us playing at the Continental, NYC in July. Thanks to our photographer Dina Kaliko.