sitting in the backseat of your car, i never wanted out

A few New Orleans tidbits:

My buddy Jarred turned into a restauranteur in post-Katrina New Orleans and opened a fun new place where Quarter Scene used to be. Check out this article on eat New Orleans and stop in for lunch or dinner when you swing through the Crescent City. Yummmie!!!

Also, my former editor and lady-lovin’ pal, Melinda Shelton, is one of a few peeps puttin’ on DecaFest in the Big Easy in a few short weeks. Designed to bring a little culture to the fun filth of Southern Decadence, DecaFest will feature a lot of activities geared toward those who might want to take a walking tour, attend a homo book reading, or watch a play or a film before they get snot-slinging drunk!

There’s a lot going on down there, so if you plan to be in town for Southern Decadence, check out one of their events and then you can say you were there first!

One of the book signings/readings will be for "Love, Bourbon Street," a collection of GLBT essays by New Orleans’ writers and friends. Check it out…Even a few adventures by yours truly make an appearance in one of the pieces. Egggads!

evening sun, why don’t you stay just a little longer here

The show at Java Monkey last Friday went off without a hitch, despite the rain that seems to dog many of my Friday evening performances. There was a good turnout and Gina showed up to help me make sure everything was set up just right.

Here’s what I played:

Evening Sun (Gemma Hayes)
Push/Pull
My Mother’s Only Daughter
Fade (Lori Carson, download the free mp3)
Sunday
Fill in the Blanks
Blink (new song)
Flat Earth Theory
Swallowed Whole
London (new song)
A Good Day (new song)
Never Regret The Nights (new song, download the free mp3)
Part Missing
Moses (Patty Griffin)
Francis
City Lights

I meant to play a bunch more covers but ran out of time. Thanks to everyone who came and listened. You could have heard a pin drop through most of the show and that is always the best feeling. Mwah! See you in NYC this Saturday??

i wish they all could be california girls

One of my top 10 lists will be my TOP 10 EXPERIENCES of 2005. I’ll roll these out every so often, counting down to my favorite experience of last year. These are the moments that stick out when I glance back over my calendar…

#5 :: on a night in june

As a late birthday present, my pal Randi took me to see The Gypsy Kings in concert at Chastain. She brought delicious leftovers from a party she’d had the day before, and I brought a bottle of wine. We had great conversation on the way to the show, enjoying walking and talking as we settled in for an amazing summer night. The concert itself was stellar, but being out under a canopy of stars while laughing and dancing the evening away was so much fun.

It was just two people getting to know each other and having a great time doing it, but when i think about the last 365 days, it keeps coming up, so here it is.

a triangle tried to squeeze through a circle

Well my show is tonight and if everyone comes who says they are coming, it should be a packed house. I’m trying to stave off the nerves….I’m holding fast to the title of my first blog "when pianos try to be guitars" — a line that comes from one of my fave tori tracks, "Northern Lad."

He don’t show much these days / It gets so f*cking cold
I loved his secret places / But I can’t go anymore
You change like sugar cane / Says my northern lad
I guess you go too far / When pianos try to be guitars

Reminds me of JC, who came through in the end, with a beautiful card and champagne. i hope he knows that i appreciate it muchly…..stacey sent cds, too….and some other packages were waiting for me last night when i finally made it home. So much so, the concierge thought it was my birthday. That was cute.  I also ran into a friend of a friend at dinner with MS…and he told me my friend NayNay was coming in from New Orleans and will be at the show.  I’ll be so happy to see him!

there was a review in yesterday’s creative loafing….

i feel all random today but am blown away by the thoughtfulness and kindness of the people in my life.  Everything’s clicking and I can’t wait to read magazines and lollygag in the next coupla weeks.

See you tonight….