Entertainment tonight: playing keys with The Larch at Laila Lounge. No cover. Drink specials. 9pm. Something sad & frustrating: Astroland at Coney Island was sold this week to thundering Thor Equities - who plan to turn this authentic, charming, old New York landmark and tourist destination into a $1.5 billion dollar "sparkling new year-round resort." Look for Summer 2007 to be the last time you can head to the end of the Q line on a hot summer's day with $10 in your pocket and still make a good time out of it. The days of walking up and down the boardwalk watching Brooklyn-ites dodge trash on the beach, rationing yourself to only one or two rides and still having $ left over for a cheap beer and some cheese fries at Nathan's - those days are ending. I wouldn't mind the greedy Developers so much if it were also some kind of golden age of reconstruction, but these corporation-minded men can't see beautiful quirky-tacky, they don't understand art or craft, they will build horrible, new, cheap, buildings that will be big with bad architecture. In 30 years we will learn staying in these Hilton's make us sick. Here's the supporting tabloid news article with a great photo of the WonderWheel (taken band shots from that angle more than once) but no mention of what will happen to our rockin' ride. At this rate the inserts of our albums will be dated artwork of times gone by long before we perish in obscurity (to be subsequently recognized as genius). Wouldn't it be great if we could get some sort of lucky break and I could buy a big house for all our friends to live in somewhere on Shore Rd., someplace on the corner with a good yard, and then I could buy the WonderWheel and run it at parties? Something glad & proud: one of my songs is being covered! As far as I know this has never happened before! Ian's going to sing "Learning Lessons" (UNRELEASED) at The Larch show tonight. Turns out this is a three-chord song... I had never analyzed it before. I do it in E, tonight it will be performed in D with me on keys and harmony. Because the Wombat is temporarily broken, the show tonight will be the "Larch & the WonderWheels" line up (Andy on bass + Tom on drums - as we went to England this summer), although we're doing all Larch songs except for my one and one psychedelic cover. It's gonna be a great show, but they're predicting 60mph winds and possible rain storms here in NYC! I think Friday shows are tough enough for people who've worked all week, and it's one thing to keep the slap-happy buzz going when it's nice out, but to battle a windstorm when you're worn and tired... I hope you all come out and party anyway... I have a hotline to 1/2 price drink tickets!