How does your garden grow?

How I love this rare and heavy rain we are having the past few days! In a desert-dry canyon area like So Cal, the sound of the rain helps remind me everything is growing and some spots of my beloved green will soon be here again. Or at least, they are getting a fair chance to, even in the barren dry parts of the West. However, it also makes me wonder. You can carefully choose and plant the right seeds, nurture them, etc. and after the rains fall, then you simply wait the proper amount of time. Right? All the while, having faith and expecting that something surely will grow or come up one season or another. But if your ground isn't prepared and cleared to begin with when you start, how sure are you that it is going to bud, bloom or come up as anything at all but very-well pampered mud? Despite how much you've toiled away or invested. Hmmm...

Yeah, I don't know either. Too many questions today. Not enough answers. And sometimes the present is as likely important as the past, as to where your future is going to land you on a path you want to be traveling on. It's about time, it's about space, steps and placement too. Much like art and also relationships. Spontaneous as I am, I still like to think that I exercise some sort of caution in both, and am realistic in my expectations of either. It doesn't mean I don't end up disappointed at times over what I have invested or else compromised. Sometimes what we end up anticipating and longing for is something far different than what reality conjures up. And because I like to think big, and go into things with all my heart...yep...sometimes that = kablooey! For better or worse.
Creatively speaking, I've been a bit barren lately. I've got to get a better grip on my productivity this week, and stop thinking too far ahead of myself in many aspects of my life. I don't like wasting time or energy. And the present is most important right now to utilize efficiently if I forsee any kind of positive future for my Art, or myself. I need to focus better and concentrate on getting things done that I can be more specific about and sure of, and that I know are solid foundations to be committed to working on. Funny how the solution to combating that counter-productive feeling for me is always 'invest in the work.' Or in other words: tend your own garden. Only you can tell the vines from the buds best and clear away whatever is strangling any potential new growth.

But enough pondering about that, here are some pics of playtime instead. Pics from the Asian Bistro the other night. In this shot (L to R) Helaine, Patti and I.



And on the same night, while he couldn't make it over to the Bistro my extraordinary pal the Great Randali was doing his thing in Anaheim at the NAMM Con. (* Just mere seconds after this pic, the shredding of the tiny star commenced it exploded into a supernova shower of glitter and splinters all over the Daisy guitars booth!)



So for everything I can say do not know with any certainty in this world, there are some things I do know. And I have to say, although only a few are pictured here in this entry there are other fantastic Artists, friends and a couple neighbors often found within my world that I blog about here. I am equally blessed and pleased to have some really wonderful and colourful characters in my West Coast garden. I've picked that bouquet wisely and treasure it daily without hesitation.And there is always great music swirling around too. Something else to be grateful for.

K~


(Photo credits: M. Marti/M.Rocchio/Me.)

PJ Harvey & John Parish @ the Wiltern in LA 6/20/09

Ahh... just got home from LA about an hour ago and at 6:45 am I am still too excited to sleep just yet! It was a simply amazing performance. PJ was ethereal and did a lot of barefoot dancing while using expression-ate gestures instead of her usual singing and guitar playing stance. She's always marvelous to see live, but just seems to be at a certain comfort level with John Parish present. More so than with any of the prior band member line-ups that I have seen in past performances. Although all have been quite extraordinary in their own right - this is just a little bit more intimate. It's very natural the way they play together..seeing their connection is like witnessing a sort of magic unfold between nearly lifelong friends. I knew full well to expect the set was to include select songs only from Dance Hall at Louse Point and also off of A Woman A Man Walked By. I was NOT to be disappointed as these are two of my best loved releases! The LA record calls it "quite Lynch-ian" and interviews Parish here. Both seemed in good spirits and PJ was truly having a playful go at the audience. All the feelings imaginable were evoked - all the things conjured up in the soul that mere words cannot express!

(!!!) By the way - if you have never been, let me say The Wiltern in LA is such a lovely theatre to go and see a show. I have seen PJ there twice now. Definitely my all-time favourite CA venue so far.

Lavishly Art Deco styled and kept up very well considering the age. (it opened as the WARNER back in 1931) Perfect setting, since last night was stupendous and very theatrical! The venue is right up my alley and reminds me a bit of home and the old 1927 Tower Theatre in Upper Darby, PA.No surprise both are Live-Nation sponsored concert venues. I can only imagine when the Tower was in it's former glory that the two theatres were indeed top jewels in the crown for US venues. Thank goodness someone had the foresight to restore the Wiltern and lovingly continue her upkeep. I often wonder about the condition of the Ol' Tower back home.

Lots of energy throughout the show. I enjoyed all the songs, but these 3 songs were most favoured by me: California, Rope Bridge Crossing and Pig Will Not, A Man a Woman walked By/The Crow Knows.... I overheard a man nearby the camera platform call these the best versions live "ever" of the latter 2 songs. High praise indeed, as this came from a man who said he was in attendance for "all the west & east coast U.S. shows this tour."Plus 4 UK & 2 Paris ones. What can I say? He was loud but informative and wearing many lanyard badges. A more intensely polished and sometimes even mellow set than were some of the other raw powerpacked Peej shows I have seen in past years. But oh-so very moving in every way. She even danced around in circles during A Woman a Man Walked By and spun right off the stage during the fade into The Crow Knows.. promptly returning onstage in the same happy and child-like twirling manner. I don't know how she wasn't a dizzy mess from it all.

But the even better news is the entire show was recorded by 4 professional videographers, 1 on stage 2 in the pit and the other on a platform by the soundboard. No Maira Mochnacz (her usual filmographer) was in sight for the gig, which means we may see it much sooner than later since her projects -good as they are- seem to take time to surface. Here was my viewpont bascially from the platform of the tiny little Goddess in all her glory: (cell pic)



The only thing better than viewing 1 PJ is viewing 2 simultaneously. I caught a glimpse of some excellent close up face shots in the view frame of the professional's camera, as I watched her onstage as well . I was positioned just inches beside the camera man near the soundboard, and just about mid way on the GA floor. I was much closer than the pic seems to show and certainly closer than where these two video clips were shot from the balcony, but here is some live concert footage:

and another here..

Aftershow, we headed over to Fairfax Avenue and parked to stroll around and do a little late nite window shopping. (Fairfax is kinda a bit touristy, like South Street in Philly with a neighborhood feel.) And lo and behold! Parked right out front of the Canters Kibbutz Room and our eatery destination Canters Deli, was my dream chariot! A classic 1967 GTO, in metal flake turquoise - now how apropos of 42 is that?! We snapped a few quick shots (forgive the crappy and pixelated cell phone pix)

We had the best east coast style Jewish comfort food over at Canters Delicatessen.



Which has now officially been forgiven by yours truly, for making my take out sandwich last month such a miss. They redeemed themselves tonight for sure with this hit. I got the "Brooklyn" which is corned beef (cold) on fresh rye with homestyle cole slaw and russian mustard. A big side of Kosher pickles too. Topped it off with a Dr. Browns Black Cherry soda. Sheeeeer bliss. In the background is a potato knish and the hummus plate.

And since we were so kindly included on the guest list, we stopped by to see Matt's friend John spin ( he's a DJ) at the LA goth club BAR SINISTER and we had a little (very wee watered-down) nip of Whiskey and a few laughs. Ok, there were LOTS of laughs, but for all sorts of observatory and people watching reasons. Note about the bar: Great DJ, but the barmaid made me a lousy-weak ass drink, and some even frown on your free drink tickets. (Way to treat someone on the guest list.) Apparently last call @ 2 am there is really 1:37 am, even if you stand in line at the bat at 1:32 am and make eye-contact with the server pre-order status. The security staff were very Gestapo-esque about going out to smoke in the fountain/lobby area and were even harsh about what exit to leave from. Pricks. Beware of the smells from the roach-coach street vendors as you leave the doors. Don't want that smell lingering in your black silks and satins. Again, pros: Great DJ and also pretty nice decor though. Cons: Dance floor NOT very spacious for being in such a big place.Dangerous Toxic bathrooms. Overall? It's kind of a sad, pathetic old hooker of a club and former shadow of itself really IMHO. We did have fun all the same. Despite the shitty service, I am tempted to head back a final time, if only to support our DJ friend and to view the upcoming LIP SERVICE fashion party. So it's either for him or Lippy's sake that we may pop-in this weekend, but it's iffy. Depends on our schedule and if we are back on the guest list again. (No way am I paying cover to get in.) Hey, on the plus side? I do still have those two drink tickets they didn't accept at last call to convince myself back into going just once more.

Nothing soothes like music...especially something deep you can relate to and the intense Peej is one of my ultimate faves. Well more about my week long Birthday and weekend Summer Solstice related celebrations with friends with some pics later.But for now, I must rest up. More big plans to come soon with friends and then before I know it, there's SDCC in July!

Celebrating the summer of 42..



I leave you with a pic of a lovely rose Matt's Mom gave to me on Wednesday.(It still looks good and this was taken days later!) Also a quick celebratory shot of me twirling out the door on Saturday evening.


K~

P.S.- A very HAPPY FATHERS DAY to all the Dads out there.