Memory Lane
12/23/2005
I used to live in Independence, KS. I spent several of my formulative years there, going through puberty, hitting the 'girl-crazy' phase of my pre-teenage existence (what, that's not normal, you say?)
When I found out I was moving away from Independence, my best friend David planned a big going-away party. His family was living on food stamps. But he saved up enough to buy lots of cereal, milk, and frozen pizzas for about 20-30 kids and teenagers. We had a big sleepover at his house. It was the best night of my life up to that point.
Part of the evening was spent piling everybody we could into his mothers car. It was an old station wagon. We fit about 20 people in the car, and then his mother (who was normally one of the grouchiest people I have ever met) drove us quite gleefully to the cemetary. We were all laying on top of each other... all the way out to the cemetary at night. It was a foggy, full-moon night too.
We spent about an hour running around the cemetay scaring each other. I think a few 'couples' went away to neck or whatever. I just hung with my best friend the whole time. We were so close; I didn't want to say goodbye, but I knew we didn't have much time left to be friends in the flesh.
Eventually, we made it back to the house. At some point, all the power went out. Here we were, a bunch of loud kids hanging out in the single-room upstairs level of the big, creaking, scary house, and the lights went out everywhere. Yelps and screams ensued - some were more exaggerated than others. David found some candles and a couple of flashlights, and we all sat around telling ghost stories.
At some point, somebody mentioned that they heard footsteps on the roof! We all were very frightened, probaby more scared than we'd ever been in our lives. David said "Nobody leave the room. Everybody stick together." This only helped to solidify the 'danger' we were facing.
Then a couple of kids mentioned that they had to pee.... so I grabbed a big can and told them to pee in it. They passed it around, trying to be discreet about it in the dark, but there were a few giggles. It was actually kind of gross; the ammonia smell was filling the room from all these boys peeing in this big can. And yes - I had to pee in it, too.
David said... "Hey, we could climb out on the roof and check it out." I agreed, very reluctantly. I thought I was going on a mission to save everybody, lol. Or get myself killed one way or another. Really don't know what compelled me to agree; maybe it was the trust I saw in his eyes. Maybe I just knew there really wasn't anything out there, but it might be a fun adventure anyhow.
So we grabbed flashlights and crept through the window out onto the roof. We scoped out the roof on one side, then climbed very slowly to the top to check out the other side. It wasn't too steep, but it was still quite scary. Maybe it was the fear that drove us, the feeling of dread....
What we discovered was that nobody was on the roof but us! The kids were apparently still very hyped up from the trip to the cemetary, and everybody knows how wild the imaginations of 11/12 year old boys and girls can be.
Then David and I got the same great idea...... :)
We started stomping around the roof and moaning to scare all the kids... LOL We could hear them yelping outside - like helpless little creatures! It was a classic moment of pure genius, though I do admit there was a streak of genuine cruelty in what we did. Still, it was great fun to scare them. And it was an excellent way to top off the last night we'd have together.
That was the last night I spent with my friend David. (did I mention that he had a sister I had a 'thing' for?). My parents drove me back to see him about a year later, but that would be the very last time I would see him. I have photographs of that day, the only pictures of David in my possession. I lost touch, and I have no idea where he is now or what kind of person he has become.
It might be nice to find out.
As I get older, I notice how people become more complicated as they 'become an adult.' In some ways, they become more interesting, but in many ways they also become more guarded, less genuine, a lot harder to get to know. It's no surprise that adults find it hard to have real friendships like they had when they were children.
People seem to think that the more they learn about the world, the more clever and likeable they become. Look at me, a big box of trivia and a brain full of useless information about movies, actors, producers, directors, musicians, politics, all the unimportant things about the experience of living. The distractions.
What makes life real is not what we know, or what we think we know. What makes life real is what we put into it. Life, no matter how miserable or happy or sad or nauseating, is only as real as the sweat, blood, tears, feelings, thoughts and actions that we express. Nobody can do it for us. And nobody can stop us.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Friday, December 23, 2005,
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Jonas / Nova @ Shades of Brown
12/21/2005
Check out these great photos of Nova and Jonas playing a coffeeshop gig!
I've cropped a few of them below for reference. It was a great time. Jonas has a fantastic energy and a down-to-earth soulful attitude. These two gel quite nicely, and the feedback was very positive, too. Look out for more Jonas/Nova performances in January.
Novachild looking up through his 3rd eye...
Jonas looking serious and somber
Flailing Hands!
posted by Edward Svengali @ Wednesday, December 21, 2005,
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NOVACHILD LIVE DEC 30 UPDATE
Courtesy of DJ Badger, the December 30 performance will indeed have lighting.
Also, I've invited Jake from Terminal Shock Studios to bring his fx gear. I'd also like him to do a short set before Novachild takes the stage, but I'm not sure at this point if he can make it.
This will be a unique thing for a 21st Century Tulsa that has been in an electronic music slump for over a decade. I'm hoping for a crash-free, glitch-free evening with lots of people and good vibes.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Wednesday, December 21, 2005,
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I Set Anakin On Fire
12/16/2005
When I was a teenager, I used a zippo lighter to fire up my Camel Filters. This was about the same time that I stopped giving a shit about my Star Wars action figures (what few that remained from my conservative parents' religious confiscation of those infernal, demon-inspired toys).
I owned the Anakin figure that was bought with special 'proofs of purchase.' It was one of two or three figures that remained in my possession.
I'm sure you can see where this is going.
I was bored to death one day, so I decided to place little Plastic Anakin in a puddle of lighter fluid on my driveway. Then I made a line of fluid all the way to the street. I lit the end of the trail and watched gleefully as the fire chased its way down towards the helpless little Anakin.
Imagine how gratifying that would have been if it were one of these instead!
This little guy might make an excellent Chrismas present. I think I'll add it to my letter to Santa, lol. K-B Toys sells them; how crazy is that. We all know what an amazing, heroic military man our President was back in the day. Just look at his studliness. He looks like he ought to be on the team of Stargate SG-1! lol
posted by Edward Svengali @ Friday, December 16, 2005,
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What I Want for Xmas
1/ A Trumpet, new or used. B flat. With a good sound.
2/ A Really Nice Compressor.
3/ This Cajon.
4/ A good pair of bongos - key tunable.
5/ Doctor Who (2005) Season 1 Box set
6/ Moog Etherwave Theremin.
7/ Kaoss Pad.
8/ LCD Monitor - bigger the better
9/ Some stage lights. Nothing fancy. Just 3-4 cans.
10/ Any little percussiony things - bells, shakers, claves, bones
11/ A pair of 25' Core X2 Speakon speaker cables.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Friday, December 16, 2005,
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Nasty Old Thrashing Alcoholics
lol
I posted the below info here, and I wanted to also post it on my journal and maybe expand on it a little:
Ah, yes. NOTA in the '90s. I saw (nearly) every show. I drank with Jeff (singer/guitar) and Martin (bass/production/backup vocals) somewhat regularly at the same (crappy) watering hole. I recorded 3 crappy demos in the same space they cut their '90s material, and there was always at least a dozen crushed beer cans in sight in Martin's basement studio.
My last band (before I gave up on the punk scene) got to use all their gear. Their drums, Jeff's huge marshall rig, and Martin recorded us right there in their studio. We sucked, but they were so kind and supportive - and Jeff even did some background vocals for our demo. If we'd stuck together, it might have been a good story to tell the grandkids. But it was not to be.
Alas, I will never forget the heyday of the early '90s when NOTA, Concept of Nonsense and several other really good hardcore bands kept Tulsa from being the boring fucking place it is now. I would love to see all of that happen again. I'd be front and center.
( you can hear some of their material here)
posted by Edward Svengali @ Friday, December 16, 2005,
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Yesterday...
12/15/2005
Yesterday: My wife called at work to tell me about the housefly that flew in her ear while she was sleeping. Yuck! It was buzzing in her head when she awoke, so she ran to the medicine cabinet and poured some peroxide down her ear. It killed the bug, but the fly still wouldn't dislodge. After repeated attempts, she called me at work and I begged her to call a doctor. The copay is a lot less hassle than getting an infection or having hearing problems, I said. Especially as we were supposed to record some vocal parts for the demo last night.
So she made an appointment for TODAY, and I get to find out very soon if the fly has been successfully extricated from its warm, waxy little tomb.
After a full day of work, I went home a bit spacey and tired. Watched a little CSPAN, took a nice, long shower and made some cinnamon toast and hot tea. At 7, my wife and I drove to Saffron for dinner; we both ate curried egg salad sandwiches and drank more hot tea, and then drove to band practice (Boards of Canada blaring on the car stereo).
Timbre'Wolf was not on time, but Jacob Ide showed up with his brother's guitar to play a few original tunes for Mo'Chroi. He's a talented guy with lots of energy and an eagerness to express himself. We sat around listening, commenting, and had a good time hearing his toilet-esque stand-up routine he'd been working on.
Alice brought out a bowl of mint-flavored Hershey's Kisses and I just couldn't stop eating them. Later, with a little producing from TimbreWolf, we managed to record the background vocals for "If You'd Been Trying to Hurt Me" AND "Mother's Lament," and I banged out a simple percussion track for Mother's Lament. All in all, a strange, busy, productive day. Nothing terribly memorable except for the housefly incident, but productive nevertheless.
I'm getting a bit anxious about the December 30 performance. I haven't had time to flyer very well, but I hope a few people show up anyhow. I'm putting a lot of effort into it, so hopefully an audience will manifest itself.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Thursday, December 15, 2005,
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NOVACHILD LIVE DEC 30
12/13/2005
IF YOU COME, BRING SOME CANDLES
(votive candles that burn for at least 3-4 hours)
posted by Edward Svengali @ Tuesday, December 13, 2005,
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Wuthering Heights
12/12/2005
Well, if it's any consolation, I like the song by Kate Bush.... But I've not actually seen this classic film, so I can't really say if it's my cuppa tea. I don't really consider myself to be dramatic or romantic, however. And these tests are always a little bit skewed by the fact that the people making them up usually have no clue as to what they are doing.
What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com
posted by Edward Svengali @ Monday, December 12, 2005,
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Whiny "Christians" Disgrace Xmas
12/08/2005
My wife listens to Coast to Coast AM at night (1170 KFAQ, Tulsa); she enjoys the scientific quacks, the conspiracy nuts, the UFO talk and the crazy stories. Sometimes she leaves the radio on all night, falling asleep to the soothing sounds of midnight callers and bumper music.
I usually sleep through it. However, when I awaken, because she left the radio on my brain is assaulted with the bitching, moaning, and hate-filled ultraconservative whining of KFAQ's regular programming.
KFAQ is a station that believes FOX Radio is too 'liberal.' Their tagline is "The average caller sounds like Dale from King of the Hill. If you don't believe me, give it a listen. If you aren't looking for a reason to externalize some good-ol' pent-up religious-inspired hate, you'll probably want to vomit after about 5 minutes of listening to KFAQ.
This morning their 'personalities' were complaining about how 'liberals' are now conspiring to destroy Christmas by taking the word "Christ" out of the holiday. Suddenly, everybody's saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." OH NO! 'Liberals' are changing the lyrics to our musical Christmas treasures! HEAVENS NO!
I'm pretty sure people have been saying "Happy Holidays" for many, many years now. They've also been saying "Yule Tide Greetings" and "Happy Hannukah," too. I supose a church on every fucking street corner and a Congressman in every bedroom isn't enough. I don't hear them bitching when Wal-Mart, Overstock.com and other big corporations hijack their 'sacred songs' for their clever little holiday commercials. I don't hear them crying out to save Christmas from the hypocritical mass-consumer culture we have become. No. That's too complicated. Gotta keep the enemies simple, the lines very narrow. Blame it all on the liberals at all costs. Don't think. Just do. Follow Bill O'Reilly. Bow to Savage and DiGiorno. Turn off useless brain. Ugh.
I don't know a single liberal who wants to "destroy Christmas." I'm not a Christian, but I think everybody has the right to worship and celebrate as they see fit. I also think that people who don't want to recognize "Christ" as the "reason for the season" should not be persecuted by these fools who seem to be salivating for another reason to hate.
Where is the Prince of Peace when you need him, lol?
"We're so oppressed! We're being persecuted again! Waaahh!" "They're burning Christmas at the stake!"
IMHO, KFAQ is maybe two steps above the soapboxing at a KKK rally, and is the greatest embarrassment on the airwaves Tulsa has to offer. I wish I had kinder words to offer, but I don't. I'd really like to dedicate this classic to KFAQ. Because they don't fucking deserve Christmas.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Thursday, December 08, 2005,
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Readers?
12/05/2005
OK. I need some attention. Just like my cat, who can't keep tripping me in the hallway just to get a little pat on the head.
If you read my journal, do me a favor and comment on this post. I'm really just curious to see how many people respond vs. the pageview stats I'm getting.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Monday, December 05, 2005,
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Daily Ration
My wife and I managed to catch Good Night, And Good Luck at the AMC Theater this Friday. It was a toss-up between this film and Paradise Now (Circle Cinema). My wife successfully rallied against subtitles on the big screen once again, so we avoided the foreign film and went instead for the Edward Murrow biopic. But it was so much more than that.
Without going into a review, let's just say that Good Night, And Good Luck is the best movie I've seen this year. It surpasses anything I saw last year, too, and the year before. I'm almost tempted to give it equal footing to the jaw-dropping artistry of The Constant Gardner, but in some ways Good Night takes bigger risks. It challenges the status quo and provides a voice from the past to give wisdom to the folly of the present. Everyone with a brain needs to see Good Night, and Good Luck.
I was HOPING for a lazy day on Saturday, and it ended up being a work day. Mo'Chroi (sick boy that he was last week - pneumonia, no less) and I spent all afternoon and part of the evening sequencing out a drum track for the PG5YP demo, and during one of our breaks I got my first taste of pizza from the Pie Hole - it was fantastic (maybe as good as Mario's on 51st/Harvard - for different reasons, of course).
Saturday was a nice, gentle day, all in all. I felt like celebrating, because no longer am I plagued with the racking cough and infection that kept me down for practically a month. However, plans fell through in the evening and I ended up spending it at home... watching reruns of Blake's 7 in bed.
I wish to brand the last several weeks as the "Great Sickness" for the band, and pray that we don't have to go through this again - ever. My wife is still sick, Mo'Chroi is getting over his pneumonia, and Timbre'Wolf has been doing the coughing/hacking thing, but I've managed to see it through to the other side, and Alice was lucky enough to ride the wave all the way through with nothing more than a sniffle.
Tonight we're going to print the drum track and do a bit of arranging. Then rehearsal. Hopefully we're back to our 4-day-a-week practice schedule. It will be nice to keep running forward.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Monday, December 05, 2005,
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