LA 2011: Mini Tour and Mixing with The Red Herring
DAY 1: Friday: October 21st, 2011
Noon:
I’ve arrived! Oh yes I’ve arrived!
LA, nice to meet you!
Let me set the scene,..
It’s noon. I took the early bird flight from JFK at 7am, pulled an all-nighter in fact.
You see, I realized my state ID expired on my birthday, but I didn’t think much of it because I have a passport, so earlier this week I checked my passport,. And guess what? It expired 2 weeks ago.
Ugh!
So NYC DMV was Tuesday’s “To-Do”.
3 hours in line only to find out I couldn’t renew my ID because I didn’t have my SS card on me. (really?)
Go home. My SS card is nowhere to be found. It's 9pm. Too late for anything.. what's a girl to do?
I then remembered that I could get a last minute passport at the passport office.
I booked a hotel in Tijuana, got my photos done at the 24 hour kinkos in times square and pulled an all-nighter Tuesday into Wednesday to get that.
But I digress,.. I arrived here in LA at 10:30am and took a 1 hour hotel shuttle ride to downtown LA.
Truthfully, I’m feeling very much at home. It looks like the Wall Street area, but cleaner and sunnier.
And here I stay, people watching while waiting for my good friend Dave Perea at the local Starbucks,..
I’ve got a nice sandwich and a cool iced Americano, I'm good.
BTW, It’s T-minus 3 days from the Craig Fergusen show. Oh yeah, I got tickets. I think I’m more excited about THAT than anything..
More to come!
1AM:
Technically it’s 5AM back home, yet I’m not tired at all. It’s been quite a whirlwind day.
Most of it spent on public transportation. Did you know that LA has a subway? Crazy right? It doesn’t really go anywhere but it’s good for getting from one bus to another.
And for the record,. Not only homeless people or Mexicans ride the subway or bus.
All manner of folks were rocking PT. So there, LA’ers, I’ve dispelled a myth. Prove me wrong if you dare! LOL LOL
So Dave arrived, a little late but no worries, I was having fun people watching.
We went back to his place, where I thought I’d be staying, but on the way I found out there had been some snafus and we needed to find a hotel for me.
Downtown LA to East Hollywood. We dropped off my stuff, took a little tour of the hood, then found a hotel, and made a pit stop for some yummy food. Dave said the place he was taking me is THE BEST. I don’t doubt it. I don’t remember the name though which is funny, I was just there.. funny thing,.. I had my big ol bag and my guitar sitting at our table, in true NYC fashion I couldn’t keep my eyes off it, Dave thought I was crazy. He suggested I go back to sit with my stuff if I was so worried,. I obliged, he laughed. Some habits die hard..
So from there, with full bellies of yummy food, back to downtown LA, to my hotel.
It was a lot further from the subway than it looked on the map. But we made it at last, and here I am. It’s quite an interesting place. Old. Has that 1940’s “used to be fantastic” kind of vibe. My room smells like an old ashtray and the bed is hard. I think I’ll sleep well regardless.
Tomorrow, I go to my friend Elizabeth’s house in West Hollywood. They are recent transplants here in LA. We had some further accommodation snafus and she and her husband were kind enough to let me stay with them. Amazing! I’m still not sure how to get there but I think google maps will show me the way.
G-nite!
Day 2: Saturday, October 15th: The Red Herring!
What a Day! It started by trying to get to Elizabeth’s place in West Hollywood. Total pain in the ass! Her apartment is just lovely! And right in the heart of west Hollywood. I LOVE it here. I could totally live here. Seriously!
Elizabeth has rehearsals today and I met up with an old friend from Berklee, Jessica.
It was awesome! Like we picked up from where we left off so many years ago.
She took me to the walk of fame, the Chinese theatre,. then went to guitar center (jess bought a uke) and she took me to this great Thai place called Toi On Sunset. Awesome!
I got the pumpkin eggplant and tofu dish. Scrumptious!
She wanted me to see the Hollywood sign so off we went! I got pictures! They didn’t come out so well but I can prove it! Then we went to her place up the block in Burbank, gorgeous! (I could totally live here) She’s got an orange tree in the back yard? And grapefruits? Whoa! Sign me up!
I’m ready to move.
One thing I've noticed as a difference in tourist activity,.. In NYC everyone is always looking up. Billboards and signs and tall buildings,.. here, everyone is looking down to see whose star they are walking over.
Interesting, don't you think?
So, after hanging out there for a bit, I was hoping they’d want to join me to see Pillow Theory at the Viper Room tonight, sadly they couldn’t, but gave me a ride over.
Amazing day with Jess, I forgot how much I miss her!
Surprise surprise, Pillow’s set was stupendous. I hung out with them for a bit then walked most of the way back to Elizabeth’s. great fun!
Tomorrow begins the real reason why I came all the way out here. I’ll be in Santa Monica at 4th street recording with Dave and his band The Red Herring! I’m super excited! Can’t wait!
Day 3: Sunday, October 16th: The Red Herring Session
I’m beat. It’s 3am. Why am I typing? What an amazing day! 4th street reminds me a lot of Pyramid in NYC. Vintage vibe, small, but super cool.
It took FOREVER to get there. Quick note on public transportation here in LA, “you’ll get to where you are going,.. Eventually”
1 hour 45 minutes. Google said it would take 45 minutes but didn’t take into account the pride parade happening down Santa Monica blvd, I guess.
Geez
It’s beautiful in this neck of the woods. I want to move. I’m ready! I called Rich today and told him we should look into moving here. All I need is a job! And a car! Or have a good enough job that I can hire a driver. LOL wouldn’t THAT be nice?
Anyhoo, the session today was great!
Here’s how we did it. The band tracked the tunes, Sejo made copies on my drive, I edited the takes, gave them back, he recorded vocals. I edited the vocals. Then Tuesday we mix. 5 songs in 1 day, fabulous!
I got the roof deck today! It’s that comfortable warm dry lovely blue skies kind of day. Editing outside with a beautiful breeze and a string of iced americanos for the day. It’s probably why I’m still up,.. (that or those little taquetos I got from 7-11 that are making me burp.)
All in all, it was a super successful day.
Tomorrow? C-R-A-I-G F-E-R-G-U-S-O-N!!!!!!
Only hours away!
DAY 4: Monday Oct 17th, 2011: C-R-A-I-G F-E-R-G-U-S-O-N!!!!!!
11 AM
C-R-A-I-G F-E-R-G-U-S-O-N!!!!!! I’m going to see C-R-A-I-G F-E-R-G-U-S-O-N!!!!!!
I can’t sleep late here. I went to bed at 4AM and I got up at 9:30. It must be the sun. It’s a happy sun.
I can’t WAIT! What does one wear to a taping of Craig Ferguson?
I don’t care. I can’t WAIT!
I have to be there at 3p with my tickets. Dave is meeting me. I can’t wait!
3AM
It’s over. Already? Ugh
I can’t believe it. It’s kind of like your wedding day, you know?
Months of planning and scheduling and it’s over in a matter of hours. {sigh}
I saw Craig Ferguson. I was in the audience. Show was OK, didn’t know the guests really, they were kind of boring,.. but I was there. In and Out, super efficient. Meet and greet after? Nope.
Here’s how it happened:
Hello, here’s your warm up act and your candy, laugh when we say laugh, if the horse comes out, do the dance, shut up if we don’t want you to laugh, by the way, if you have a funny laugh, try to keep it to a minimum, oh here’s Craig, show’s starting, BEHAVE!
Show starts, show ends, Craig’s out. We’re funneled through the corridors, retrieve our cell phones and cameras, out you go, buh-bye!
Not that I would’ve expected anything more, mind you.
Super fun! 2 hour wait in line? Not necessary,. But hey,. I got to be an audience member at the Craig Ferguson show. Sweet! I had wanted to get tickets for Deal or no deal, sold out months ago,. Apparently the Price is Right is shot in this building too. I didn’t even know that show still existed. Didn’t Bob Barker pass a long time ago?
Meh
So, After the show, Dave wanted me to check out the farmer’s market and the grove mall.
I think my newfound love for LA faded just a little after this little soiree’.
I saw my first “LA lady”. We have them in NYC, they have a certain look, “eccentric” would be the polite term,..
But they are nothing like this lady.
She must have been 80. Leopard tank & hot pink mini skirt with super high heels, she was a little thing, probably eats a grape a day,.
BIIIIG bleach blonde hair and face that looks, well,. Odd. Lips from ear to ear, smooth as a baby’s bottom, but then from there down,. Turkey skin arms. Weird.
But that’s just the start! What had really caught my eye was the sequined baby carriage with a curtain made of some kind of silky material, and in it? A DOG. With a bling collar, probably real diamonds,. It wouldn’t surprise me,. A DOG! A little poodle or one of those annoying yippy things. A DOG. Lord
Back to the Grove. Weird! Kind of scary. Creepy. It felt like I was a 6 year old and some old weird guy made a pink room for me and gave me all the chocolate I wanted and said he’d be back later to play. No lie! Creepy Disney for adults type of fantasy shopping adventure. Not feeling this. There was a little trolley and a personal shoppers area.
I don’t know. Not my thing. I don’t get it. Maybe I don’t belong here,. (but I love it)
Um,. No I don’t love this place. “Dave, please get me out of here.”
So next stop, the farmer’s market.
It’s a market. Fresh fruit and veggies, I should mention overpriced fresh fruits and veggies. Kind of like an outdoor Whole Foods. Ice cream was very good though. Churned in house!
Elizabeth had a dinner party tonight and I wanted to contribute so I bought a few pastries and sweet stuff, said goodbye to Dave and headed back to my LA home.
Dinner was great, company was great, all was great,. Another fun day in LA.
I could totally live here. I never have to step foot in the Grove again, truthfully,..
THAT was creepy. I’ll just pretend I didn’t go there and everything will be fine.. LOL
Day 5: Tuesday, Oct 18th: The Red Herring (reprise)
3AM
Today was moving day for me. I’m changing homes, moving on up to Glendale to stay with my friend and publisher, Cindy Badell Slaughter. She’s amazing. I just love her and I am so grateful she has offered me a place to stay for my trip!
Luckily, Elizabeth had a rehearsal literally a mile up the road from Cindy’s office, so she gave me a lift. Thank GOD! I have no idea how long it would’ve taken me to get there on the bus.,.. buses..
I arrived at the office, had a nice chat with Cindy but she had to get back to work, so she suggested I check out a Spanish restaurant down the street for a nice lunch and meet her when she was ready to go.
I had a great meal, had a nice phone conversation with my old friend Mike who lives, I‘ve found out, right up the road,. After my fabulous meal, I rolled down the street and off we went to Cindy’s.
Glendale is beautiful! Right off the mountains, super scenic and quaint. Very residential in these parts. It’s lovely! Cindy’s house is beautiful and so comfortable. Birds of paradise EVERYWHERE!.
I can’t wait to do some exploring tomorrow.
I had to meet Dave and Brooke from the Red Herring at 5 and Cindy, being the amazingly nice person that she is, offered to give me a lift over. Then off we went to Santa Monica.
I’m starting to realize that it doesn’t matter whether you take the bus or drive somewhere, it still takes forever to get anywhere. Strike 2 for LA, but I’m still loving it! As a matter of fact, I think I’d like to live in West Hollywood. Seems like a wonderfully central location.
Mixing was super fun, quick and painless. My assistant fell asleep a few times but otherwise, there’s really nothing to report. Sejo did a great job tracking, the band did a great job playing, and I think I did a pretty dern good job mixing!
YAY!
My work is done!
So for now, it’s time for bed.
Day 7: Thursday, Oct 20th
This morning I had a lovely but way too short coffee meetup with my old friend Mike.
Lord, we’ve known each other since HIGH SCHOOL!
Crazy.
He’s another one of those people that I can go without talking to for a year and we can pick up right where we left off. Too short. I’m hoping he can come by the gig tonight.
Yesterday, I explored Glendale a bit, walked down to the town square, got a coffee and a sandwich. Not a lot happening over there.
Later on in the evening, I met up with another recent transplant from NYC, Emily Zuzik. She was asked to perform last night for a friend’s birthday jam party at the Kibitz room.
She sang a Pretenders tune. She did a great job, as always. She's the Quintessential pro rock star!
It was a cool hang and Great to see her! She was surprised to hear how much I loved it here. She seems to be pretty happy in her new environs, so who knows? Maybe it could work?
So it turns out that the place next door, Cantor’s, is a famous jewish deli. I was hungry and I got a bagel. Strike 2.5
Tonight I’m playing at a place called The Other Door in North Hollywood. It so happens that a friend of mine from NYC, Aaron is playing with his band, Captain Danger tonight as well.
It’s a little reunion of sorts! The only thing I’m nervous about is whether anyone will show. I guess we’ll see!
Day 8/9: Sat, Oct 22st.
I’m at the airport waiting for my flight to Vegas. I’ve been on the fence about whether I wanted to actually do this trip, or not, due to some unforeseen booking snafus.
I was originally booked to be at the hard rock tonight, that fell through, so I’m playing at a place called Meatheads. I’m not really sure what to expect…
Anyhoo, I’ve got a little time to kill so why don’t I fill you in on the last 2 days in LA?
Thursday’s gig at The Other Door was suuuuper fun! Great crowd, Cindy and Dave and Jess and her beau all came out. I spent the evening with Aaron, catching up on all of his happenings. It was super fun.
Yesterday, was super amazing as well! It started out with a great breakfast with my friend Mike at his favorite diner in is hood. It was great. We caught up on each other’s happenings and all in all had a great time. My friend, Marika, who I haven’t SEEN since we were at Berklee, came to meet me at the diner. And from there we went to Venice beach.
OMG.
I could TOTALLY live here!
I love love LOVE it!
When I think of LA, this is what I want to remember, not the grove,. No no..
Venice Beach!
Or,. Maybe it was just the company? Marika and I had a blast! We spent the whole day together and she even came to my show last night at a place called Trip. I was the early bird. There were maybe 8 people in the club, one guy was into it, he bought 2 CDs. That was nice. Depressing, sort of, .. but nice.
Marika had comps to see Melissa Ferrick at Mc Cabe’s down the road.
I asked to bum along and all went well.
Melissa is one of those people I knew at Berklee, but we weren’t necessarily "friends", more acquaintances.
She was a year ahead of me, We kind of ran in the same circles, but all in all, we were friendly in passing.
I think it was actually through Marika that I met her? It's all a blur. Regardless,..
Can I say? She was ON FIRE! All of her new material is just riveting. Packed house,.
I felt slightly mediocre given that my show just an hour ago was so lame.. LOL Life of a songwriter, right?
Commandment #1: thou shalt not covet another songwriter's audience..
LOL
So after the show, we hung out with Melissa for a little bit, and ANOTHER old friend from Berklee was also there, Dave Cowen. Haven’t seen him in AGES. It was great being able to re-connect with everyone.
So yeah,. Amazing night! Amazing day! Hanging out with Marika reminded me of how much I miss her. She was always just so down to earth and fun to hang with. We had a great time and I want to officially thank her for such an awesome day!
I hope to see you soon, Marika! Kiss kiss!
On that note,. I’ll have to board the plane soon. I should pack up and get ready.
Wish me luck!
What could have been my Last Days: Las Vegas
I’m back in NYC and for the life of me I don’t really believe I’m back.
Vegas is a cruel lover, let me tell you!
What a trip!
More later..
Wednesday, Oct 26th.
I’m still getting over Vegas and my trip home. It was a bitter sweet affair, and quite frankly if it hadn’t been for my aunt and my cousins, I may not have made it out in one piece.
How did that happen? Why did I do that gig? Worst worst worst ever.
Ok so I’ll begin with arrival.
No shuttle would go to “that area” sign # 1 this probably was a bad idea.
Finally I got someone to accept me.
Got on the shuttle. Arrived at destination. Seriously? It’s a motel, not a nice one either.,
Couple dudes were being ARRESTED on the street a block away. Bodega next door.
Good lord.
I want to get to my room.
Strike 2.
The guy behind the desk tells me I need to pay a deposit for a room I’m being given because I’m playing at the owner’s club. It’ll get paid back when I leave.
(seriously?)
I hand over my credit card. (they only take cash)
Ok, fine.
I go to the local bodega, get cash out, pay the deposit. Get into the room. Someone next door is getting it on. Loudly. The room smells like stale smoke, there’s plastic on the mattress. Super high end establishment here.
I want out.
I called my Aunt. She works for the LVPD. My first question,..
Me: "Hey Aunt Di,..I’m here,. Ugh,..this isn’t a good part of town is it? I shouldn’t be here should I?”
Aunt: “No honey,. I’m coming to get you, don’t leave your room”
nuff said.
I decided to take a shower, get changed and get my deposit back.
The guy almost didn’t give it back to me. Said I had to come back in the morning to get it.
ME: "What? I just paid you cash, I’m not staying here, why can’t I get my deposit back?
Him: "Company policy, you get it when you check out"
ME: I"m checking out now"
Him: "Well there's a 24 hour cancellation notice..."
ME: A: I'm not cancelling, I'm leaving, B-The room was a part of my compensation (such as it is) for performing tonight"
And around and around we went until he relented.
So I’m sitting there, outside of the office, my $50 tucked in my bra, (when in Rome do as the romans) ,
and what do I see pull in?
It was like a ray of sunshine, a rainbow after a storm.
Imagine, the shady place, creepy motel, getting dark, and in comes,.. A white Lexus.
It was my aunt and cousin, Danielle. I’ve never been happier to see anyone in my entire life!,. I really did have a tear in my eye! I was saved! MY angels arrived!
From there, we went to TGI Friday’s for dinner and met up with my cousin Joe and his wife Jen. Good meal and then off to the show.
I have no idea how I would’ve made it over there from the motel. The club is in a strip mall far off the beaten path somewhere north of skankville. The show went well, a good crowd, my cousins were having a blast, my cousin Danielle invited a few of her friends and we really had a great time together. We went back to meet my aunt at my cousin Joe’s house, I finally got to meet my baby 2nd cousin and off to my aunt’s house with Danielle, for a good night’s sleep.
One funny addendum. I have a thing,. When I get home, I like to put on my jammies and slum around the house,. I don’t like being dressed at home, it makes me feel like I have to do something. Apparently, this is a family trait,.. LOL We all got changed and had a cup of herbal tea. All 3 of us in our moo moos and socks. Funny how that works,..
I booked a bus back to LA from Vegas. It was the only thing I could find, as flights out of Vegas were over $250. Little did I know,..
My aunt and Danielle took me to Caesar’s Palace. Danielle gave me the low down on how to play the slots. I didn’t win anything,. I broke even. Not too shabby. Then we had to go and they dropped me off at the bus terminal in Vegas Chinatown (which is really just a Chinese strip mall).
I was sad to see them go. They really saved me from a disastrous trip. I owe them my life I feel! So a big thank you goes out to my Aunt Di and cousins Danielle and Joe (and Jen) for making me feel welcome and taking care of me!
The ride back to LA was uneventful. The first hour, I was mesmerized by the scenery. Just mountains in the background, and desert brush. By hour 3 that got old, I felt cramped and all I could think of was, “if we break down out here it will be hell”.
I was under the impression that the bus stopped at LAX. I was wrong. It stopped in Monterrey Park. I thought maybe it was close to LAX?
Wrong again. It was totally on the other side of the city.
Scheisse.
It was 8:30, the last shuttle from the hotel they dropped us off at left at 8pm. My flight for NYC leaves at 11:30. My only choice is a taxi. $40 flat fee to the LAX shuttle that leaves at 9:15 from some midway terminal. Ouch.
What choice did I have?
And there you have it folks. My west coast trip ended with a bang.
I made it to the airport by 10pm. Had a sandwich and a coffee. Slept the whole way back and met Rich at JFK bright and early at 7am.
Glad to be home!
Do I still want to move to LA?
Maybe
But after about 4 days the veneer started to chip like a piece of Ikea furniture.
Yes I loved my time there, and I feel like IF I were to move there, I’d need to make a crap load of money to make it worthwhile. Public transportation isn’t convenient and either is driving all around. I feel like it’s kind of a lonely place in retrospect. It’s hard to get around and harder to motivate people to leave home and have a night out. Not that it’s easy here either,..
Let’s just say it’s different. I would love to go back for a longer stay next time, really take the time to get know the city a little better. Get a lay of the land.
I feel like the standard of living over all is better. More bang for your buck in terms of housing options, beautiful scenery, lovely beaches, and lots of outdoor activity to be had. Buuuut, then I wonder,.. How much of that would I really enjoy if I were working 12 hours a day? Wouldn’t it just be the same as it is in NYC? Just without the convenience of public transportation? Would I be lonely out there? Would Rich like it out there? We’d both have to start over in a way. Food for thought…
For now, let me thank the following people for their hospitality, love and contributions to an amazing week out west:
Brooke Trout, Vinent Perea, Sejo Navajas, 4th Street Recording, Jessica Goodwin, Mike Brunner, Marika Tjelios, Aaron Steinberg, Emily Zuzik, The Other Door, Trip
VERY VERY BIG BIG BIG THANKS
Elizabth Dotson Westphalen Frascoia and Alan Frascoia,
Cindy Badell Slaughter (And Bill)
Aunt Diane, Danielle Joe and Jen
A VERY special shout out goes to Big Dave Perea (my very own Samwise Gamgee).
You all made this trip super special and fun.
Thank you and I can’t wait to see you all again soon!
DAY 1: Friday: October 21st, 2011
Noon:
I’ve arrived! Oh yes I’ve arrived!
LA, nice to meet you!
Let me set the scene,..
It’s noon. I took the early bird flight from JFK at 7am, pulled an all-nighter in fact.
You see, I realized my state ID expired on my birthday, but I didn’t think much of it because I have a passport, so earlier this week I checked my passport,. And guess what? It expired 2 weeks ago.
Ugh!
So NYC DMV was Tuesday’s “To-Do”.
3 hours in line only to find out I couldn’t renew my ID because I didn’t have my SS card on me. (really?)
Go home. My SS card is nowhere to be found. It's 9pm. Too late for anything.. what's a girl to do?
I then remembered that I could get a last minute passport at the passport office.
I booked a hotel in Tijuana, got my photos done at the 24 hour kinkos in times square and pulled an all-nighter Tuesday into Wednesday to get that.
But I digress,.. I arrived here in LA at 10:30am and took a 1 hour hotel shuttle ride to downtown LA.
Truthfully, I’m feeling very much at home. It looks like the Wall Street area, but cleaner and sunnier.
And here I stay, people watching while waiting for my good friend Dave Perea at the local Starbucks,..
I’ve got a nice sandwich and a cool iced Americano, I'm good.
BTW, It’s T-minus 3 days from the Craig Fergusen show. Oh yeah, I got tickets. I think I’m more excited about THAT than anything..
More to come!
1AM:
Technically it’s 5AM back home, yet I’m not tired at all. It’s been quite a whirlwind day.
Most of it spent on public transportation. Did you know that LA has a subway? Crazy right? It doesn’t really go anywhere but it’s good for getting from one bus to another.
And for the record,. Not only homeless people or Mexicans ride the subway or bus.
All manner of folks were rocking PT. So there, LA’ers, I’ve dispelled a myth. Prove me wrong if you dare! LOL LOL
So Dave arrived, a little late but no worries, I was having fun people watching.
We went back to his place, where I thought I’d be staying, but on the way I found out there had been some snafus and we needed to find a hotel for me.
Downtown LA to East Hollywood. We dropped off my stuff, took a little tour of the hood, then found a hotel, and made a pit stop for some yummy food. Dave said the place he was taking me is THE BEST. I don’t doubt it. I don’t remember the name though which is funny, I was just there.. funny thing,.. I had my big ol bag and my guitar sitting at our table, in true NYC fashion I couldn’t keep my eyes off it, Dave thought I was crazy. He suggested I go back to sit with my stuff if I was so worried,. I obliged, he laughed. Some habits die hard..
So from there, with full bellies of yummy food, back to downtown LA, to my hotel.
It was a lot further from the subway than it looked on the map. But we made it at last, and here I am. It’s quite an interesting place. Old. Has that 1940’s “used to be fantastic” kind of vibe. My room smells like an old ashtray and the bed is hard. I think I’ll sleep well regardless.
Tomorrow, I go to my friend Elizabeth’s house in West Hollywood. They are recent transplants here in LA. We had some further accommodation snafus and she and her husband were kind enough to let me stay with them. Amazing! I’m still not sure how to get there but I think google maps will show me the way.
G-nite!
Day 2: Saturday, October 15th: The Red Herring!
What a Day! It started by trying to get to Elizabeth’s place in West Hollywood. Total pain in the ass! Her apartment is just lovely! And right in the heart of west Hollywood. I LOVE it here. I could totally live here. Seriously!
Elizabeth has rehearsals today and I met up with an old friend from Berklee, Jessica.
It was awesome! Like we picked up from where we left off so many years ago.
She took me to the walk of fame, the Chinese theatre,. then went to guitar center (jess bought a uke) and she took me to this great Thai place called Toi On Sunset. Awesome!
I got the pumpkin eggplant and tofu dish. Scrumptious!
She wanted me to see the Hollywood sign so off we went! I got pictures! They didn’t come out so well but I can prove it! Then we went to her place up the block in Burbank, gorgeous! (I could totally live here) She’s got an orange tree in the back yard? And grapefruits? Whoa! Sign me up!
I’m ready to move.
One thing I've noticed as a difference in tourist activity,.. In NYC everyone is always looking up. Billboards and signs and tall buildings,.. here, everyone is looking down to see whose star they are walking over.
Interesting, don't you think?
So, after hanging out there for a bit, I was hoping they’d want to join me to see Pillow Theory at the Viper Room tonight, sadly they couldn’t, but gave me a ride over.
Amazing day with Jess, I forgot how much I miss her!
Surprise surprise, Pillow’s set was stupendous. I hung out with them for a bit then walked most of the way back to Elizabeth’s. great fun!
Tomorrow begins the real reason why I came all the way out here. I’ll be in Santa Monica at 4th street recording with Dave and his band The Red Herring! I’m super excited! Can’t wait!
Day 3: Sunday, October 16th: The Red Herring Session
I’m beat. It’s 3am. Why am I typing? What an amazing day! 4th street reminds me a lot of Pyramid in NYC. Vintage vibe, small, but super cool.
It took FOREVER to get there. Quick note on public transportation here in LA, “you’ll get to where you are going,.. Eventually”
1 hour 45 minutes. Google said it would take 45 minutes but didn’t take into account the pride parade happening down Santa Monica blvd, I guess.
Geez
It’s beautiful in this neck of the woods. I want to move. I’m ready! I called Rich today and told him we should look into moving here. All I need is a job! And a car! Or have a good enough job that I can hire a driver. LOL wouldn’t THAT be nice?
Anyhoo, the session today was great!
Here’s how we did it. The band tracked the tunes, Sejo made copies on my drive, I edited the takes, gave them back, he recorded vocals. I edited the vocals. Then Tuesday we mix. 5 songs in 1 day, fabulous!
I got the roof deck today! It’s that comfortable warm dry lovely blue skies kind of day. Editing outside with a beautiful breeze and a string of iced americanos for the day. It’s probably why I’m still up,.. (that or those little taquetos I got from 7-11 that are making me burp.)
All in all, it was a super successful day.
Tomorrow? C-R-A-I-G F-E-R-G-U-S-O-N!!!!!!
Only hours away!
DAY 4: Monday Oct 17th, 2011: C-R-A-I-G F-E-R-G-U-S-O-N!!!!!!
11 AM
C-R-A-I-G F-E-R-G-U-S-O-N!!!!!! I’m going to see C-R-A-I-G F-E-R-G-U-S-O-N!!!!!!
I can’t sleep late here. I went to bed at 4AM and I got up at 9:30. It must be the sun. It’s a happy sun.
I can’t WAIT! What does one wear to a taping of Craig Ferguson?
I don’t care. I can’t WAIT!
I have to be there at 3p with my tickets. Dave is meeting me. I can’t wait!
3AM
It’s over. Already? Ugh
I can’t believe it. It’s kind of like your wedding day, you know?
Months of planning and scheduling and it’s over in a matter of hours. {sigh}
I saw Craig Ferguson. I was in the audience. Show was OK, didn’t know the guests really, they were kind of boring,.. but I was there. In and Out, super efficient. Meet and greet after? Nope.
Here’s how it happened:
Hello, here’s your warm up act and your candy, laugh when we say laugh, if the horse comes out, do the dance, shut up if we don’t want you to laugh, by the way, if you have a funny laugh, try to keep it to a minimum, oh here’s Craig, show’s starting, BEHAVE!
Show starts, show ends, Craig’s out. We’re funneled through the corridors, retrieve our cell phones and cameras, out you go, buh-bye!
Not that I would’ve expected anything more, mind you.
Super fun! 2 hour wait in line? Not necessary,. But hey,. I got to be an audience member at the Craig Ferguson show. Sweet! I had wanted to get tickets for Deal or no deal, sold out months ago,. Apparently the Price is Right is shot in this building too. I didn’t even know that show still existed. Didn’t Bob Barker pass a long time ago?
Meh
So, After the show, Dave wanted me to check out the farmer’s market and the grove mall.
I think my newfound love for LA faded just a little after this little soiree’.
I saw my first “LA lady”. We have them in NYC, they have a certain look, “eccentric” would be the polite term,..
But they are nothing like this lady.
She must have been 80. Leopard tank & hot pink mini skirt with super high heels, she was a little thing, probably eats a grape a day,.
BIIIIG bleach blonde hair and face that looks, well,. Odd. Lips from ear to ear, smooth as a baby’s bottom, but then from there down,. Turkey skin arms. Weird.
But that’s just the start! What had really caught my eye was the sequined baby carriage with a curtain made of some kind of silky material, and in it? A DOG. With a bling collar, probably real diamonds,. It wouldn’t surprise me,. A DOG! A little poodle or one of those annoying yippy things. A DOG. Lord
Back to the Grove. Weird! Kind of scary. Creepy. It felt like I was a 6 year old and some old weird guy made a pink room for me and gave me all the chocolate I wanted and said he’d be back later to play. No lie! Creepy Disney for adults type of fantasy shopping adventure. Not feeling this. There was a little trolley and a personal shoppers area.
I don’t know. Not my thing. I don’t get it. Maybe I don’t belong here,. (but I love it)
Um,. No I don’t love this place. “Dave, please get me out of here.”
So next stop, the farmer’s market.
It’s a market. Fresh fruit and veggies, I should mention overpriced fresh fruits and veggies. Kind of like an outdoor Whole Foods. Ice cream was very good though. Churned in house!
Elizabeth had a dinner party tonight and I wanted to contribute so I bought a few pastries and sweet stuff, said goodbye to Dave and headed back to my LA home.
Dinner was great, company was great, all was great,. Another fun day in LA.
I could totally live here. I never have to step foot in the Grove again, truthfully,..
THAT was creepy. I’ll just pretend I didn’t go there and everything will be fine.. LOL
Day 5: Tuesday, Oct 18th: The Red Herring (reprise)
3AM
Today was moving day for me. I’m changing homes, moving on up to Glendale to stay with my friend and publisher, Cindy Badell Slaughter. She’s amazing. I just love her and I am so grateful she has offered me a place to stay for my trip!
Luckily, Elizabeth had a rehearsal literally a mile up the road from Cindy’s office, so she gave me a lift. Thank GOD! I have no idea how long it would’ve taken me to get there on the bus.,.. buses..
I arrived at the office, had a nice chat with Cindy but she had to get back to work, so she suggested I check out a Spanish restaurant down the street for a nice lunch and meet her when she was ready to go.
I had a great meal, had a nice phone conversation with my old friend Mike who lives, I‘ve found out, right up the road,. After my fabulous meal, I rolled down the street and off we went to Cindy’s.
Glendale is beautiful! Right off the mountains, super scenic and quaint. Very residential in these parts. It’s lovely! Cindy’s house is beautiful and so comfortable. Birds of paradise EVERYWHERE!.
I can’t wait to do some exploring tomorrow.
I had to meet Dave and Brooke from the Red Herring at 5 and Cindy, being the amazingly nice person that she is, offered to give me a lift over. Then off we went to Santa Monica.
I’m starting to realize that it doesn’t matter whether you take the bus or drive somewhere, it still takes forever to get anywhere. Strike 2 for LA, but I’m still loving it! As a matter of fact, I think I’d like to live in West Hollywood. Seems like a wonderfully central location.
Mixing was super fun, quick and painless. My assistant fell asleep a few times but otherwise, there’s really nothing to report. Sejo did a great job tracking, the band did a great job playing, and I think I did a pretty dern good job mixing!
YAY!
My work is done!
So for now, it’s time for bed.
Day 7: Thursday, Oct 20th
This morning I had a lovely but way too short coffee meetup with my old friend Mike.
Lord, we’ve known each other since HIGH SCHOOL!
Crazy.
He’s another one of those people that I can go without talking to for a year and we can pick up right where we left off. Too short. I’m hoping he can come by the gig tonight.
Yesterday, I explored Glendale a bit, walked down to the town square, got a coffee and a sandwich. Not a lot happening over there.
Later on in the evening, I met up with another recent transplant from NYC, Emily Zuzik. She was asked to perform last night for a friend’s birthday jam party at the Kibitz room.
She sang a Pretenders tune. She did a great job, as always. She's the Quintessential pro rock star!
It was a cool hang and Great to see her! She was surprised to hear how much I loved it here. She seems to be pretty happy in her new environs, so who knows? Maybe it could work?
So it turns out that the place next door, Cantor’s, is a famous jewish deli. I was hungry and I got a bagel. Strike 2.5
Tonight I’m playing at a place called The Other Door in North Hollywood. It so happens that a friend of mine from NYC, Aaron is playing with his band, Captain Danger tonight as well.
It’s a little reunion of sorts! The only thing I’m nervous about is whether anyone will show. I guess we’ll see!
Day 8/9: Sat, Oct 22st.
I’m at the airport waiting for my flight to Vegas. I’ve been on the fence about whether I wanted to actually do this trip, or not, due to some unforeseen booking snafus.
I was originally booked to be at the hard rock tonight, that fell through, so I’m playing at a place called Meatheads. I’m not really sure what to expect…
Anyhoo, I’ve got a little time to kill so why don’t I fill you in on the last 2 days in LA?
Thursday’s gig at The Other Door was suuuuper fun! Great crowd, Cindy and Dave and Jess and her beau all came out. I spent the evening with Aaron, catching up on all of his happenings. It was super fun.
Yesterday, was super amazing as well! It started out with a great breakfast with my friend Mike at his favorite diner in is hood. It was great. We caught up on each other’s happenings and all in all had a great time. My friend, Marika, who I haven’t SEEN since we were at Berklee, came to meet me at the diner. And from there we went to Venice beach.
OMG.
I could TOTALLY live here!
I love love LOVE it!
When I think of LA, this is what I want to remember, not the grove,. No no..
Venice Beach!
Or,. Maybe it was just the company? Marika and I had a blast! We spent the whole day together and she even came to my show last night at a place called Trip. I was the early bird. There were maybe 8 people in the club, one guy was into it, he bought 2 CDs. That was nice. Depressing, sort of, .. but nice.
Marika had comps to see Melissa Ferrick at Mc Cabe’s down the road.
I asked to bum along and all went well.
Melissa is one of those people I knew at Berklee, but we weren’t necessarily "friends", more acquaintances.
She was a year ahead of me, We kind of ran in the same circles, but all in all, we were friendly in passing.
I think it was actually through Marika that I met her? It's all a blur. Regardless,..
Can I say? She was ON FIRE! All of her new material is just riveting. Packed house,.
I felt slightly mediocre given that my show just an hour ago was so lame.. LOL Life of a songwriter, right?
Commandment #1: thou shalt not covet another songwriter's audience..
LOL
So after the show, we hung out with Melissa for a little bit, and ANOTHER old friend from Berklee was also there, Dave Cowen. Haven’t seen him in AGES. It was great being able to re-connect with everyone.
So yeah,. Amazing night! Amazing day! Hanging out with Marika reminded me of how much I miss her. She was always just so down to earth and fun to hang with. We had a great time and I want to officially thank her for such an awesome day!
I hope to see you soon, Marika! Kiss kiss!
On that note,. I’ll have to board the plane soon. I should pack up and get ready.
Wish me luck!
What could have been my Last Days: Las Vegas
I’m back in NYC and for the life of me I don’t really believe I’m back.
Vegas is a cruel lover, let me tell you!
What a trip!
More later..
Wednesday, Oct 26th.
I’m still getting over Vegas and my trip home. It was a bitter sweet affair, and quite frankly if it hadn’t been for my aunt and my cousins, I may not have made it out in one piece.
How did that happen? Why did I do that gig? Worst worst worst ever.
Ok so I’ll begin with arrival.
No shuttle would go to “that area” sign # 1 this probably was a bad idea.
Finally I got someone to accept me.
Got on the shuttle. Arrived at destination. Seriously? It’s a motel, not a nice one either.,
Couple dudes were being ARRESTED on the street a block away. Bodega next door.
Good lord.
I want to get to my room.
Strike 2.
The guy behind the desk tells me I need to pay a deposit for a room I’m being given because I’m playing at the owner’s club. It’ll get paid back when I leave.
(seriously?)
I hand over my credit card. (they only take cash)
Ok, fine.
I go to the local bodega, get cash out, pay the deposit. Get into the room. Someone next door is getting it on. Loudly. The room smells like stale smoke, there’s plastic on the mattress. Super high end establishment here.
I want out.
I called my Aunt. She works for the LVPD. My first question,..
Me: "Hey Aunt Di,..I’m here,. Ugh,..this isn’t a good part of town is it? I shouldn’t be here should I?”
Aunt: “No honey,. I’m coming to get you, don’t leave your room”
nuff said.
I decided to take a shower, get changed and get my deposit back.
The guy almost didn’t give it back to me. Said I had to come back in the morning to get it.
ME: "What? I just paid you cash, I’m not staying here, why can’t I get my deposit back?
Him: "Company policy, you get it when you check out"
ME: I"m checking out now"
Him: "Well there's a 24 hour cancellation notice..."
ME: A: I'm not cancelling, I'm leaving, B-The room was a part of my compensation (such as it is) for performing tonight"
And around and around we went until he relented.
So I’m sitting there, outside of the office, my $50 tucked in my bra, (when in Rome do as the romans) ,
and what do I see pull in?
It was like a ray of sunshine, a rainbow after a storm.
Imagine, the shady place, creepy motel, getting dark, and in comes,.. A white Lexus.
It was my aunt and cousin, Danielle. I’ve never been happier to see anyone in my entire life!,. I really did have a tear in my eye! I was saved! MY angels arrived!
From there, we went to TGI Friday’s for dinner and met up with my cousin Joe and his wife Jen. Good meal and then off to the show.
I have no idea how I would’ve made it over there from the motel. The club is in a strip mall far off the beaten path somewhere north of skankville. The show went well, a good crowd, my cousins were having a blast, my cousin Danielle invited a few of her friends and we really had a great time together. We went back to meet my aunt at my cousin Joe’s house, I finally got to meet my baby 2nd cousin and off to my aunt’s house with Danielle, for a good night’s sleep.
One funny addendum. I have a thing,. When I get home, I like to put on my jammies and slum around the house,. I don’t like being dressed at home, it makes me feel like I have to do something. Apparently, this is a family trait,.. LOL We all got changed and had a cup of herbal tea. All 3 of us in our moo moos and socks. Funny how that works,..
I booked a bus back to LA from Vegas. It was the only thing I could find, as flights out of Vegas were over $250. Little did I know,..
My aunt and Danielle took me to Caesar’s Palace. Danielle gave me the low down on how to play the slots. I didn’t win anything,. I broke even. Not too shabby. Then we had to go and they dropped me off at the bus terminal in Vegas Chinatown (which is really just a Chinese strip mall).
I was sad to see them go. They really saved me from a disastrous trip. I owe them my life I feel! So a big thank you goes out to my Aunt Di and cousins Danielle and Joe (and Jen) for making me feel welcome and taking care of me!
The ride back to LA was uneventful. The first hour, I was mesmerized by the scenery. Just mountains in the background, and desert brush. By hour 3 that got old, I felt cramped and all I could think of was, “if we break down out here it will be hell”.
I was under the impression that the bus stopped at LAX. I was wrong. It stopped in Monterrey Park. I thought maybe it was close to LAX?
Wrong again. It was totally on the other side of the city.
Scheisse.
It was 8:30, the last shuttle from the hotel they dropped us off at left at 8pm. My flight for NYC leaves at 11:30. My only choice is a taxi. $40 flat fee to the LAX shuttle that leaves at 9:15 from some midway terminal. Ouch.
What choice did I have?
And there you have it folks. My west coast trip ended with a bang.
I made it to the airport by 10pm. Had a sandwich and a coffee. Slept the whole way back and met Rich at JFK bright and early at 7am.
Glad to be home!
Do I still want to move to LA?
Maybe
But after about 4 days the veneer started to chip like a piece of Ikea furniture.
Yes I loved my time there, and I feel like IF I were to move there, I’d need to make a crap load of money to make it worthwhile. Public transportation isn’t convenient and either is driving all around. I feel like it’s kind of a lonely place in retrospect. It’s hard to get around and harder to motivate people to leave home and have a night out. Not that it’s easy here either,..
Let’s just say it’s different. I would love to go back for a longer stay next time, really take the time to get know the city a little better. Get a lay of the land.
I feel like the standard of living over all is better. More bang for your buck in terms of housing options, beautiful scenery, lovely beaches, and lots of outdoor activity to be had. Buuuut, then I wonder,.. How much of that would I really enjoy if I were working 12 hours a day? Wouldn’t it just be the same as it is in NYC? Just without the convenience of public transportation? Would I be lonely out there? Would Rich like it out there? We’d both have to start over in a way. Food for thought…
For now, let me thank the following people for their hospitality, love and contributions to an amazing week out west:
Brooke Trout, Vinent Perea, Sejo Navajas, 4th Street Recording, Jessica Goodwin, Mike Brunner, Marika Tjelios, Aaron Steinberg, Emily Zuzik, The Other Door, Trip
VERY VERY BIG BIG BIG THANKS
Elizabth Dotson Westphalen Frascoia and Alan Frascoia,
Cindy Badell Slaughter (And Bill)
Aunt Diane, Danielle Joe and Jen
A VERY special shout out goes to Big Dave Perea (my very own Samwise Gamgee).
You all made this trip super special and fun.
Thank you and I can’t wait to see you all again soon!
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