Interview: Chicks on Speed.

Greetings from Mid-Wilshire. Not sure why I decided to post this, but here's a (previously unpublished) interview I did about a year and a half ago with all three members of Chicks on Speed. It was intended for a female-oriented music Web site, but I didn't go back and make the edits they wanted and the whole thing fell through the cracks. God damn, I'm lazy. It has been sitting on my computer unread. So here it is for all the world to enjoy. If you don't know who/what COS is, visit chicksonspeed-records.com or myspace.com/chicksonspeed.


Words & Interview: Mitchell Peters

Chicks on Speed have this little joke. Before the Euro-based trio -- Melissa Logan, Alex Murray-Leslie and Kiki Morse -- step on stage, their sound technician, Joe, asks, "Should I press the space bar?" Their reply: "Yes." (The space bar is what triggers the playback on the laptop that contains the threesome's trashy pre-recorded electroclash tunes and kicks off the live show.) COS fancied the ongoing joke so much, they named their fourth album "Press the Space Bar." And when COS isn't in the studio recording, they're either signing electro acts to Chicks on Speed Records, designing trendy clothes, erecting obscure gallery exhibitions, producing short films or promoting their book "Chicks on Speed: It's a Project!" The trio's philosophy is to exploit all facets of music and art.

COS chatted with [enter online music publication here] about the group's new album, what their parents think about their chosen lifestyle, and what it means to be a "fashion victim."


Chicks on Speed originated in Munich, where the three of you met at an art school in 1997. You've since moved to Berlin and started your label, Chicks on Speed Records. Why did you choose to settle in Berlin? (Alex has recently moved to Barcelona).
Melissa: When we lived in Munich we realized we had more friends in Berlin. We had also done everything in Munich that there was to do. It was just a move to a bigger town. It's more exciting [in Berlin] with the whole East opening up and these strange things going on. There's all this space.


What's the music scene like in Berlin?
Melissa: There's funny trash-rock -- a lot of weird stuff. Many people here do experimental things. It's OK to do really weird stuff, people don't get mad at you. They'll have a good laugh and be like, "That was pretty crappy, but the direction you took was really interesting." They're really lenient here, instead of these cities where you can't take any risks or do any weird stuff and people won't look at you anymore. That's why there's a lot of really strange experimentation going on here. Sometimes too much.


Alex, has your move to Barcelona made it difficult to communicate with the other girls?
Alex: No, we do a lot of our artwork over the Internet -- uploading things on the FTP site. It just changes the way in which we work. A lot of the projects we do are done in a gallery. It's like going into the studio. We work for months in the gallery space and that's where we make our new work. We don't have a studio in Berlin, we prefer to move around and be quite nomadic and creative. We meet up once a week anyway, it's only an hour away (by plane).


Your record label is home to artists like Kevin Blechdom, DAT Politics, Angie Reed and most recently ex-Raincoats member Ana da Silva. Why did you choose to start your own label?
Melissa: Because we didn't know where we wanted to release. We wanted to go to Mute Records in the beginning, but that didn't work out so we started our own record company.


Is there a particular reason the label's roster is fairly small?
Alex: We don't like to have one-hit-wonders. We're after nurturing a whole career. You can't have too many artists where you end up neglecting a few and they get annoyed, so it's not worth it.
Melissa: We're building it. Our company is not big but we want to keep our artists happy and satisfied.


Let's talk about your new album, "Press the Space Bar." How do you think it differs from COS' previous work?
Kiki: For the first time, we worked with an actual band. All of the songs were developed out of jam sessions. The whole approach was very different. First of all, this was only meant to be an EP, it was actually meant to be a side project. But after working with (musician/producer) Cristian Vogel we decided, "OK, we're going to make this an album."

Melissa: Of course it's very different. "99 Cents" (2004) was a really slick record and the production was a lot slicker. But we've also done rough things like "Re-Releases of the Un-Releases" (2000), but that was more of a collage. ["Re-Releases"] also had a lot of experimental stuff on it.

Alex: We took influence from the Shags, or the Violent Femmes or the Go-Go's. We wanted to just do jam sessions and get away from all that sort of Logic-based music and go back to the natural way of producing a record and creating a record that's influenced by the moment and not from loops and samples. There are loops and samples in there, but we try not to repeat things into loops. It was a lot freer.


How did you met the No Heads (Panoxa, Eric and Tony), the Spanish band that provided the backing music for "Press the Space Bar."
Melissa: They're not really a band. They are, but they're friends of Cristian Vogel, and studio musicians that were put together in Barcelona.

Kiki: I think he looked for a guitarist and then the guitarist happened to know another guy who played drums, and then so on. But [Vogel] didn't know them very well; they were just acquaintances.


Is there a running theme to "Press the Space Bar"?
Melissa: It became more political with what was, or is, happening in the world -- like with "Class War" or some of the political songs on the record. One can't hide from these things that are going on. But they definitely became a theme on the record. We let them happen consciously saying, "Let's make a more political record." If one is a person that things and looks around to see what's happening, one can't help doing that.


I hear the song "Wax My Anus" (from "Press the Space Bar") is about Courtney Love. Can I get an interpretation of the song from each of you?
Alex: I researched a lot on the Internet about Courtney Love and I've always been quite intrigued by all the gossip and stories. All the lyrics are things Courtney Love has said before -- they're quotes. It's not supposed to be against her, it's more of an intriguing analysis.

Kiki: It's about the media it's about the portrayals of rock singers in the media. But it's also got a lot of concrete things about Courtney Love. Alex collected a lot of material from the Internet and it's all quotes. Quotes of stuff she actually said. We didn't invent any of this stuff.

Melissa: It's a song about media trash. All the lyrics were found in the Internet and in bad music magazines. It was really collected gossip junk that was strewn together. That's how it was put together. But it's something about taking media trash and recycling.


If you were to describe COS' music to someone who's never heard, what would say?
Melissa: If a taxi driver asked me what kind of music we make, I'd just say electro-pop. For ["Press the Space Bar"] it's noisy-wave but it's also very song-oriented and not so much track-oriented like what we used to do.


How do you think your music has evolved the group first formed?
Kiki: I think we definitely have become more professional about making music. We've become more of musicians now. But we still don't lose our amateur edge. From doing so many live shows we've become a bit more professional and bit less nervous about being on stage.

We still don't take music that serious, it's still just one aspect of what we do. But of course, we have to promote our albums. And let's be honest, it's how we earn our living: through music. So it takes up a big part of our lives.


What does your family think about what you're doing? Is that where your artistic side come from?
Alex: My dad was a pilot and my mom was a housewife. I think it just came from somewhere else. My grandfather made films. My dad is pretty proud. He saw us in New Zealand the first time we played there. My mom likes it but I don't really think she understands it, which is OK. There's always some frustration with parents. They're on another wavelength. It's not often that you really meet parents that understand what their kids are doing.


Do any of you have past experience with playing music?
Melissa: Kiki and I both went to a kind of weird school where you do a lot of the arts. So when we were children we always had to play a lot of instruments. I learned violin and saxophone. I just recently started playing saxophone again on stage from some of the songs. And basically from going out and dancing, one really knows what one likes and one really develops an ear for what one loves. We used those hours we spent clubbing as a reference.

Kiki: I have a tiny flute, and for the last album I played keyboard and a lot of different stuff. We all play keyboard and we composed different melody lines and bass lines.


Is there anything that inspires the music you write?
Alex: I think it's just general society around us and the newspapers you read -- and just everyday occurrences. It's really just the three of us observing society and the world we live in and putting those feeling together and pushing them out in a song.


Is it true that COS doesn't want to limit itself to just one style?
Kiki: Yes that's true. We were categorized into the "electroclash" genre for a while but this is actually not true. Our music has had elements or rock and pop, and it's not only this one thing of being '80s retro-sounding. We are influenced from all different kinds of genres.


Do you talk to many fans that have been inspired by your music?
Melissa: A lot of times at shows, one can see it. You get some people in the front row with big eyes. People have come up to us and said, "Oh, wow, that was really inspiring. I'm going home now and starting a band." People even say, "Oh, we just started a band right now." Things like that.


Who have you enjoyed touring with the most in your career?
Melissa: It was really fun touring with Le Tigre. We also toured with Peaches but it was a completely different audience, which was really interesting to see. All three of our audiences are very different and it's silly that we're compared to each other because the scenes that we have are different crowds.


How would you describe your fanbase?
Alex: You could call them arty, fashion victims and freaks. A lot of gays as well.

Melissa: I guess you'd call them arty. They're really individualistic. You know, fashionable, but not just fashion victim. It's also mixed. We have more dorky people, just more thinkers. You can tell they're not brainwashed people.


And what is a "fashion victim" exactly?
Alex: It's a really specific breed of person. It's a person who changes their clothes maybe two or three times a day. It doesn't necessarily mean you spend a lot of money on clothes, but it means you spend a lot of time looking for clothes and a lot of time getting ready. And you're very up-to-date with the latest trends or a trendsetter yourself.


What role does music play within all the facets of art (fashion, films, multimedia, etc.) you're involved with?
Kiki: For me personally, music has been really important. I listen to a lot of music at home and my family was very musical. The others swing around because they were trained in fine arts. I think they can imagine -- maybe more than me -- of stopping music. I couldn't imagine stopping because it's so much fun to do a live show. It's very rewarding.


Where do you see the future of COS heading?
Melissa: We'll see with the next record what happens. We come from techno-electro so that will always be part of it.

Alex: Maybe we won't make music anymore. Maybe we'll just makes clothes and shoes, [music] is just one element of the project. I can imagine that we end up just making short films. We want to make a feature film. So maybe we'll just end up making music for that film. I could see that happening. But in the near future, I don't think we'll go back into the studio.


What is your favorite aspect about making music?
Alex: All the facets that belong to it. Like the live show. When we do a live show, we have choreography and films and costumes. It's like a whole piece of art, which means all elements rely on another. This is interesting, because music isolated on its own is completely boring in my eyes and there's no way I'd want to do that. I can't relate to music alone.

It's about challenge and moving on to new ground. [We like to] forge new ways in which to perform and challenge our audience. That's where the new creativity lies.

August Sixth Through The Eighth.

When we speak, I will look at your eyes and not your mouth. The eyes are more interesting than the mouth. And when I look at your eyes as we speak, I will not be listening to what you are saying, nor will I be paying attention to what I am saying. Instead, I will be off in another place. One of amazement. Instead of listening and actually hearing the words of thought, which I am sure are intelligent and interesting, I will be lost in how those eyes came to be. Forgive my one-word responses, and please excuse my blank stare. It is not that you are boring. As I mentioned before, I am most positive your thoughts are interesting and intelligent beyond belief. But I am more interested in the movement of your eyes, and what they see beyond spoken words. Your vision is priceless, you see. It allows you to view the beauty and horror of what surrounds you. My sight is also priceless. Without it, I would not be able to question beauty.

***

... I love the way light shines on trees. I envy it in more ways than one. Natural light never meant much to me before I had to go a day or two without it. [Deleted words]. The darkness has found me. The light was closed by my five fingers. Well, one, actually. Maybe it burned out. I don't remember. Oh, will you look at how the time flies? It's already seven o'clock. Soon it will be ten. There's no telling where the night will have taken me by then. Maybe a place where thought isn't required, and my biggest fear is tomorrow. Sleeping is one of my favorite things to do, which begs the question of why I don't indulge in it more often. The night passes too quickly when you are asleep. At least if you stay awake until four a.m., the next workday approaches at a seemingly slower pace. The world these days is too fast. Cars rush past me in the hours of the morning before I've had my first cup of coffee. I notice myself gradually moving faster with them. But I don't know why. The faster we live, the faster we die? I don't meet many people who are eager to die. Maybe the people in those cars really love their jobs and can't wait to get crackin' on that big pile of work they save for a Friday afternoon. Yes, that must be it. I have answered my own question: People drive fast in the morning so they can get crackin' on the thing they enjoy most: paperwork that has been piling for weeks. If only every one of life's questions were this easy to answer. But where is the fun in that? We would all be miserable human beings if we knew the mysteries of earth and soul. [Deleted words]. They don't exist anymore, not in this world and not in the next. [Deleted words]. Notice the handwriting on the page, it's sloppier than it was before. You must be getting anxious to read what I write next. Has the writing taken over the man, or is it the other way around? Nobody can tell these days. You must hurry up and get that last thought on the page. Your eyes are half closed. Sleepiness enters, and even the strongest of energy drinks can't save you now. Simple words of beauty. [Deleted words]. I've been curious if the music one listens to while writing has any effect on the finished product. My guess would be "yes." And I'm positive many studies have been conducted. No doubt. [Deleted words]. I'll sit here alone and reflect on these words. I think it will make for an interesting Saturday night.

***

Why is it that every time I step foot into another country I either slice the shit out of my finger or get hassled by the passport people? Maybe it's the beard, or perhaps it's my suspicious eyes. I don't know. Yeah, I tend to make pretty good first impressions. Take tonight, for example. I met some guy and girl from Glendale (Calif.). The guy says something about "Greetings from [enter familiar name here]." Meanwhile, I have about a gallon of blood dripping down my hand. It almost makes you feel like a madman. But enough about that. Oh, shit. I think I was being videotaped. (Not by the government.) I'm not sure what the little arrow to the left is supposed to mean, but it doesn't matter. [Deleted words]. We drove down this street with a bunch of casinos. The guy sitting next to the bus driver called it the "Armenian Las Vegas." It was kind of funny, I guess. Not really, actually. [Deleted words]. I have a feeling these days will be strange. Do you know why? Because life is strange. Here's a thought: Maybe I should retire young and live in Armenia. That's pretty interesting. [Deleted words]. I'm in a hotel room. It's almost 3 a.m. [Deleted words]. I told you life is strange. So strange, in fact, that too many people take it seriously. This includes me. By the way, do you ever have the strange feeling you have cancer? Paranoia.

The Sun Sets On Vegas.


I don't remember where we were, but I remember talking. It was one of those conversations you don't forget. It made me think differently about things. But I don't like thinking. It hurts my head.
...
The sun sets on Vegas. My stomach feels like shit. Ironic, I guess. I took a nap for almost an hour. After I woke up, I layed (laid) on the bed for another 30 minutes. Just thinking. No lights, no sound. But the thinking finally made me nervous and depressed. I'm in a hotel room. A woman in the room next door is talking on the phone, wishing somebody a "Happy Valentine's Day." I can hear this as I lay on the bed with two pillows stacked behind my head. During the climax of the conversation, she says something heartless. "I love you." I'm not convinced. But then again, I'm not convinced of a lot of things. From the tone of her voice, it sounds like she's from Los Angeles. I'm not all that fond of L.A. I couldn't really tell you why. Just not my type of town, I guess. My mind begins to wander to the half-empty pack of Parliaments that are sitting in the nightstand next to the Bible. Just two nights ago, I asked a friend why hotels always have Bibles in the drawers of their rooms. He gave me a theory, but I've already forgotten. After my 30 minutes of silent contemplation on the bed, I stood up and walked over to the window and opened the curtains a bit. Our view is pretty cool. It overlooks the pool and back patio of the resort. Think palm trees. Many of them. In the distance is the Las Vegas Strip. The sun sets behind it, but it's not quite there. It's 5:42 p.m. The lights are almost out.
...
Armenia is a place for cigarette billboards, beautiful women and suspicious men smoking smokes. It's a place for me to walk around lonely, trying to blend in. Yerevan is not home, which is a good thing. It's a city that takes your mind off working, and deadlines. In this world, concert venues with $25 million additions and fake rap shows don't exist. In a way, Yerevan is pure. It's a place that doesn't allow time for pain. You do what you do, and you don't look back. These people are interesting. Their lives seem meaningful and sound. Yes, I'm sure they have their worries, but not like people in the U.S. They all look the same. And I say that in a good way. The dress is similar and so are their appearances. I like it. The cigarettes don't smell stale. The air isn't as fresh as I thought it would be. Death metal is a sweet sound. The words on the buildings remind me of church. Museums are great.
...
Damn, I burned the popcorn again. There goes another night of sleeping well.
...
Here's one more: "Fuck you all, I haven't had a good night's sleep in a long, long time. If you cared, you'd turn my way but you're fuckin' gone." A lyric from Jaded's "Gone." Could be heard during late Sunday afternoons on the sidewalks of Sanger, Calif., circa '97 and beyond.

Sleep Well, Love.

Weren't you the one who made me smile?

No, I didn't cry that night. Not for you, the one who walked away, the girl who danced on the beach and jumped into the icy Irish water. You were ridiculous, or so I thought. Later I realized. You're a handmaiden of God. A kindred spirit of sorts. I saw you carve another name into the sand. You sent away the photo. Not to me. I saw it from a distant window. His name wasn't mine. There were too many letters. Whispers in the other room. I'll pretend to sleep on the couch. I should've foreseen it. But you made me laugh. One of three, maybe four. Nightly meditation doesn't work anymore. Who painted your portrait so long ago? Ah yes, our good friend. Leo Da Vinci.

Ecstasy, the drug, not the feeling.

When I walked into the courtyard under the black sky, I should've known you'd be waiting by the empty fountain. Behind the bushes. With tears running down the side of your face. Wasn't it Valentine's Day? And didn't you call him the same night you talked of dreams with me? Vacations on tropical islands. Yes. I won't let you forget it, babe. Not in a million years. Don't be confused, my darling. It'll soon be over. Time always tells. You were the one who taught me something. A lesson I'm still learning. Too many questions.

In the end, it was you I was thinking about while walking through the streets of Rome. Passed by a female motorcyclist. I didn't accept her offer for a ride. Wishing I had a match to light the cigaretten that dangled from my mouth for hours. Lucky Strike. It wasn't hand rolled. An almost full pack inside my jacket pocket. My lighter was taken. I was in a small pie of eighty thousand foreigners. Screaming with excited anger. The air burned my eyes. The cops held me back. I tried to retrace my steps but had no luck. For hours I roamed through the silent night. Alone at Twelve a.m. One a.m. Two a.m. Three a.m. Four a.m. Five a.m. Six a.m. Seven a.m. When I found my way back the hotel at Eight (a.m.) and passed out on the bed, it was you who entered my dreams. That silent film inside my head. Cappuccino in the afternoon, I must be an American. Not Italia's finest.

Those amazing brown eyes are so familiar. They bring back this feeling. No, not childhood. Every time I see them - even now - they take me to that place. Found in the pit of my stomach. We are standing in the doorway of my flat. You're wearing a pink top and carrying a backpack. A feeling runs through me that I don't recall. We walk for five hours through the city. Getting lost and not caring. Not only in the streets, but in each other's words. Unspoken thoughts. I would've walked with you for days. Through Park West; Marble Arch. Stopping for an occasional drink. Hot tea with milk. Did you think I'd forget?

A seven-page letter. You changed me. For a month or two. "Have you ever been kissed in a graveyard?" I asked. With Chopin, Wilde and Jim as my witnesses, I speak with honesty. The petals of the rose bush were moist. The morning mist trickled down. I saw your smiling face. It caught me off guard. Oh la la. Surprise. Shock. And finally, heartbreak.

I begin to write. I pull a silver hair from my head. You're my inspiration. I do it for you. To see that priceless glance. To hear your praise. Hesitation plays a role. Not a big one. It will later, and it causes destruction. Found by the river and the beach. Along the Western Coastline. I spent my summer there. In the mountains, sitting on a log. It's so beautiful out here, which makes it harder. God damn the beauty.

Snapshots in the photo album of my mind. We all have old memories. Walking through the shallow part of the ocean. Laying on my side, staring at you. Past feelings get washed away by the current. Maybe it was the salt in the sea that got to us. We are tangled in its weeds. Perhaps the breeze blew love away. It was sealed with a pastel letter. Goodbye from Seaside, you wrote. If nothing else, remember this: Your heart will always be on my wall.

Sleep well, love. Night passes quickly, and summer's almost gone.

Edit. Edit. Edit.

1. Dark faces. Lightened eyes. It's kind of weird how the sun beams shine to the ground. Feeling funny from those words I just read. The way they were placed on the page. The choice of phrasing. Fresh tunes. A song that doesn't last very long. Switches up in the middle. Throws you down to the ground and kicks you in the gut. Priceless feelings. Wasted talents. Eyes that could destroy the universe. My ears are begging for more. The talents just dont come fast enough these days. Songs written in minutes that last a lifetime. Often wasted. I couldn't tell you some of the things I've seen. Hopefully, you would do the same. Sour. Unanswered phone calls. I'm thinking about changing the tone of my voice. Those days are completely over.

2. That looped beat. What was the program you used again? Something you downloaded for free, no doubt. Some weird experimental shit, huh? What ever happened to those folk tunes you were once known for? Questions that never get answered are what makes life worth living. Sometimes. That's right, sometimes. Meet me at the bus stop. Classic. So very classic of you. Whatever you write seems perfect. I guess I can say that having known you for a few years. Or having once known you, I should say. Speaking of years, they're starting to pass quicker these days. 21,22,23,24,25, etc. Would you not agree, kid? Man, that one strike of the chord you do is infinite. Do you know that? I didn't think so. It has been a while since I've listened to this song. I can almost remember the first time. Almost. It wasn't that long ago, but it seems like a lifetime. Almost. I can honestly say I've never met anyone better. Maybe I have and didn't realize it at the time. In my heart, you'll always be the best. Don't know why, but it makes me sad. Patch. The lightning didn't strike twice. Too bad. These things pass us by and we dont even know it. Could've done so much more.

3. August 20, 2006. Just an ordinary day of doing nothing. Didn't go outside once. Heat. Heard it was hot. Don't want to upset my heart. Maybe it was a smart move staying in. Then again, maybe it wasn't. Last night's party: looking over a balcony at a dark sky. Lights scattered over the ground. Some orange, some blue. Stars were still in the sky. Tight skirts. What more could one ask for? I'm sure you could think of a few things. Nice eyes. I've discovered something about life. But I'm not going to tell you. You need to figure out on your own. If I were to reveal its secret, what would you have to strive for? Nothing. After all, isn't that why you're here? Lemme know when you find the answer. Here's me, trying to wink.

4. Instead of reading, write a letter. Address it to your mother or father who are living far off somewhere. Don't make it angry. The tone should be light. Handwritten letters are a thing of the past, unfortunately. They still exist in small quantities. Very small. I think the only people who write handwritten letters anymore are soldiers in distant countries and 80-year-old women - and maybe kids in summer camp. But thats about it, folks. There's nothing quite like sitting down with only a pen and pad, and writing down your deepest bullshit thoughts. So comforting. Coffee should probably be somewhere in that equation, too. Not decaf. My eyes are too tired to sleep. A curse of curses.

Ever thought about interviewing yourself? No? I have. It would be boring, and I doubt anyone would read it. They'd probably skim over the questions then move on to something else. I know I would. Why should I care about questions one wants to ask themselves? The thought is ludicrous.

5. "True Lies" is on the television. HBO, my favorite. I've seen it like a million times. Once more won't hurt. Oh, look, it's our Governor. Awesome, kids. I said it twice now, and I won't say it again. Sleep tight in this L.A. night. Damn those crickets.

Mitch on Famous.

Greetings. I was surprised to find that many of my stories/interviews were re-posted today on Fresno Famous as a "Mitch on Speed Retrospective," in honor of me moving to Los Angeles. Now wasn't that nice?

In other news, I just got back from San Antonio where I was visiting for a conference. Didn't see any music there but I got to visit the Alamo. I didn't get to see where Ozzy pissed, so I'm kinda pissed myself... Oh well. As far as music goes, within the past couple weeks I've seen Al Green at the Hollywood Bowl, Gris Gris at the Echo (I saw Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O at this show -- at least I think it was her...) and the Great Northern at Sea Level Records. Hmmm, something just occured to me: Does anyone really give a shit what music I've seen in LA thus far? Doubtful, but I'm tellin' you anyway.

I'll be in Fresno this weekend (I think) to see family and go to a big Armenian wedding bash. Should be fun, although the drive up and back will suck. Don't know about y'all but I'm looking forward to seeing ADULT. play in LA early October... Some of you should come, Nicola and Adam would be honored.

Later on.

Madonna In Fresno.

As some of you loyal readers may remember, we here at the Mitch on Speed blog sometimes recruit what we like to call "guest bloggers."

And since Madonna performing two back-to-back concerts (June 5-6) at Fresno's Save Mart Center was like the second coming of Christ to some, I figured a review would be appropriate. Unfortunately, I could not attend. Well, it's not that unfortunate. I didn't want to go.

One thing this review doesn't mention is that Madonna allegedly slept on her private jet following her June 5th performance. I figured she would've just flown to L.A. for the night, and come back to "Fres-yes" the next day. Strangely enough, that wasn't the case. From what I heard, she doesn't stay in hotels that aren't five-star. Please, Madonna...

That said, let the Maddy madness begin...

Guest Blogger: Just Jenn

Ok, so I'm sitting here trying to write my review of last night's (6/5) Madonna concert. This is harder than I thought, but I'm going to give it my best try.

Madonna concert. Loved it! My girlfriend and I sat opposite the stage in the upper level. Madonna looked like a tiny ant from our seats, but her presence was so great, it didn't even matter.

The set list was awesome. I have heard several people complain they wanted to hear more of her hits from the 1980s. Which really makes no sense to me. She has a new album out which she is promoting, so it's pretty safe to assume most of the music is going to come from that.

While it was difficult to see all of the details of her costumes, I did get the gist lots of '70s disco throwbacks and '80s aerobic leotards. The visuals were stunning and larger than life. I could not take my eyes off the black and white horse montage that opened the show. I found my arms covered in goose bumps several times. I began to have those, "Oh, I get it moments." You know, the ones where you think music is all we need. I should stop my SUV gas-guzzling ways. Fifty pairs of black pumps are not necessary when there are hungry children in the world. So yeah, a little deeper conscious can often come in the strangest forms.

For those who were upset about Madonna's use of profanity, I can understand that. I dont make a habit of using such words, but remember: this is Madonna. She is the woman who became famous by singing about virginity. I'm not really sure we should have expected anything less.

And KUDOS to Madonna's people. I'm talking about the people who, as she rushes out on stage as the show is starting, tell her "You're in Fresno now." There have been mentions of Madonna's use of the word "FRES-YES." Ok, well her people obviously have done their homework and research. No one honestly believes that Madonna just came up with that while sitting back stage, right? Crafty people certainly were able to find Fresnos resurgence of self-esteem and frequent use of the term Fres-yes. Michael Jackson should have such people. The ones who tell him, "Hmm, yeah probably not a good idea to say you share your bed with little boys."

Ok, so quick recap. Set list, awesome. Visuals (this also goes for all the props she used) were fantab. Her dancers had more energy and moved so fluidly. It was mind-blowing. Madonna rocked the show for two hours straight (despite coming on stage and not giving an encore). The show was well worth the $120 I paid for my tickets, and I would definitely see her again in Fresno.

More Madonna concert info can be found at Mike Oz's blog (Fresno Bee music writer - duh.)

Rademacher (L-R): Brad Basmajian, Taruko Asami, Greer McGettrick, and Malcolm Sosa

Rademacher: the Fresno Famous Interview

Rademacher's Malcolm Sosa talks about the new EP, the national tour, and Central Valley music.

by Mitch on Speed.
June 1, 2006

If you live, eat and breathe in Fresno, you've at least heard of Rademacher. They're those indie rock sweethearts who seem to have a permanent residency at Tokyo Garden. The foursome - guitarist/vocalist Malcolm Sosa, guitarist Brad Basmajian, bassist Greer McGettrick and drummer Taruko Asami - have been around, in some form or another, for about two years now. I say "in some form or another" because Rademacher has had a rotating door of members since its summer 2004 inception. I have photos to prove it. But we'll save those for another day.

OK, fine, I'll tell you now. Basically, I got bored one night and decided to drive down to Bakersfield to watch Rademacher play. In the process, I snapped a few photos of them (when Niilo and Brianna Smeds used to be in the band). But if you want the really interesting photos from that night, you'll have to ask Mike Burnett (frontman of Fresno indie rock outfit, The Batteries). He'll gladly show you snapshots of the cheesy face-painted metal bands that played on the bill that same night. It was ridiculous, yet cool. After the show, everybody went back to James Brittain-Gore's (of No Cello) then-apartment in the Tower District and got drunk. No Cello was also on the bill that night.

Anyway. To date, Rademacher has recorded three EPs: Rademacher, Ice Age and its most current, Heart Machine. All three can be purchased on the band's Web site, rademachermusic.com. As many of us know, Rademacher is no stranger to performing at Fresno venues like Starline and Tokyo Garden. They'll even pop in for a live performance at Meatball Magic every now and then. But they don't stop there. The band has also ventured on tour stints up and down the West Coast.

Following Rademacher's June 1st gig at Tokyo Garden (Art Hop night), the four-piece will begin a 15-date trek across the U.S. The jaunt begins June 2nd at Flagstaff, Ariz.'s Hotel Monte Vista and wraps June 17th at Las Vegas' Beauty Bar. Countless gigs have found Rademacher sharing the stage with bands like The Joggers, Earlimart, and Man Man. Hell, maybe someday we'll see 'em headlining Pitchfork's Intonation Music Festival in Chicago, or even Coachella. Actually, Rademacher would probably fit in nicely on the European festival circuit. Stranger things have happened, friends.

I've mentioned Rademacher countless times in my "Mitch on Speed" blog. I could talk about them forever. But I won't. This intro was for the uninitiated. If you've read through this and still don't know who or what Rademacher is, here's a hint: During one of the band's live songs (the tune's name escapes me), everybody in the crowd stops what they're doing and sings along. It's like a drunken pirate ship singalong. It happens at every show. Some of you know what I'm talking about. If not, I suggest you make a trip to Tokyo Garden tonight and see for yourself. Even if you hate indie music, fear not, readers: Rademacher's music will get better and better with each sip of a large Sapporo.

Interviewed by Mitchell Peters

Mitch on Speed: Rademacher... Is that German?
Malcolm Sosa: Yes, it is a German last name. It's also a name shared by a very famous boxer from Yakima, a mathematics genius and a Google programmer. Like all band names, it sounds pretty dumb if you think about it or explain it too much.

Fair enough. Tell us how Rademacher evolved from you playing solo acoustic shows to what it is now.
To be fair, our first two shows were electric as a trio. Then people started getting busy with other things. Shawn Covert was the first bass player in the band, and he was working on a record with his band Bel and the Dragon. Brad Basmajian agreed to play some of the songs with me at a show at Tokyo Garden one night. I was nervous about the idea of playing a whole set by myself. Solo sets are hard.

You and (Fresno Famous Editor) Jarah moved from New York City a few years back. Were you playing in any bands while you lived there?
Yeah. I was in a few different projects. None of them were really rock-type things. I had a band called Los Vinos, which was a weird avante-salsa sort of thing. I found one of the songs on Myspace the other day. I think here. The old bass player from that band has it streaming from his site. It is called Ya Era Tiempo. Which translates to "It was about time". I was also in a classical guitar trio called the "Morgan Stop Guitar Ensemble" with Jason Jones, another Fresno kid who lived in Brooklyn. So it was a little different than the stuff I do now. Basically, I moved back here and I couldn't find anyone to play avante-salsa or classical guitar with me, so I started a rock band. I was inspired by Pinkeye.

Since Rademacher has formed, there have been several members who've come and gone. Being the frontman, how do you manage everyone's schedule and keep the band alive?
It's kind of fun sometimes to have change. Like a breath of fresh air. Especially when you know people aren't leaving 'cause they think the band sucks, but that they are inspired to go out there and do their own thing. If that makes sense. Other times, it is a little inconvenient. The current line-up - me, Brad, Greer and Becky - played our first show together in Los Angeles (or maybe S.F.) with five days of practice under our belts. It was fun. I don't know if it sounded good, but it was exciting.

How do you personally define Rademacher's sound? Does everyone in the band contribute in the songwriting, or is it just you?
I don't think anyone else has written lyrics or brought in whole songs. But there is collaboration for sure. I think of it as a giant coloring project. I bring in some boundaries, an outline, and then everyone goes to work coloring with their own instruments. And then we tell each other what we like or don't like and then we erase everything and do it over and keep working at it until it gets to a point we're all comfortable with.

How has living in the Central Valley influenced your songwriting, if at all?
I was thinking about that today. I don't know if the music from here has really influenced me as much as music from say - New York or the U.K. - but the mythology of bands like Granddaddy and Earlimart sure has. The little things like the fonts on their album covers. Song titles. The pictures of them in magazines. More important than that though has been the musicians in town and the bands that haven't been on MTV - like Gypsy Cab, Pine Marten, Pinkeye, Panty Lions. Other things that I think have influenced me are the way people from Fresno talk. The way people in Fresno feel about themselves and see themselves in relation to the rest of the world. Those things come through more I think. In the lyrics and vocals.

Who came up with the idea to wear jumpsuits and headbands as seen in the Rademacher press photos? It seems like classic indie rock.
Uhm. It was a rad idea. That picture gets used a lot in the press we do. It has been in the SF Guardian, The SF Weekly - people love it. I don't know how that came about. We wanted to sort of dress alike, I think that was the plan, and Brad had a jumpsuit and I had a jumpsuit and Becky brought those waitress type dresses out of her closet. All of a sudden it was a party.

Ha. And what about this "Malcolm Sosa" alias. How did that come about?
Oh God. I guess I just made it up one day. It makes it easier to talk about yourself in interviews if the person you're talking about isn't really you.

I've always admired the drive you have to promote your band inside and outside Fresno. With Rademacher, you've created press kits, demos, press releases - what role has self-promotion played in Rademacher's success thus far?
I like that you use the world "self-promotion." It seemed like the natural thing to do. After I learned to play a few chords on guitar I wanted to write songs. After I wrote a few songs I wanted to make an album. After I recorded a few EPs, I wanted to tour. I wanted people to hear this music that I had been working on. It would seem silly not to take that step after I had done all the rest of it. At the same time, I wanted to be good at it. I try to do it with a level of excellence that is comparable to what I was doing with the writing and the performance. Does that make sense? I don't want to sell myself short. To not do that part of the whole thing would be like making yourself the best cheeseburger in the world and then not eating it.

Your band has also gotten a lot of "ink" in various music blogs around the country. In your opinion, how influential do you think blogs are in today's indie music scene?
I hope very influential. But it is hard to gauge. It can't hurt none. I read them. A lot of them are my friends, so that may play a role in why I read them. I like getting free MP3s. My personal favorites are Sixeyes and My Old Kentucky Blog. And of course Stereogum. Oh and Indie Can't Dance. There are a lot of good ones.

In a couple days, Rademacher will embark on a 15-date nationwide tour. So far, the band has only toured up and down the West Coast. What are you hoping to gain from this tour?
We're hoping to find out how influential music blogs are.

Nobody really cares about a band's BEST SHOW EVER. So tell us what Rademacher's worst show has been.
Worst show ever ... Bakersfield. I think. Or Stork Club in Oakland. At one show the only people in the audience were wearing insane clown posse style makeup. At the other there were only four people watching us. And a dog.

Some would argue that Rademacher plays too often in Fresno. What's your response to that?
If the rest of the bands in Fresno would play more, then we wouldn't have any place to book shows, and we wouldn't play Fresno as much. I would love to just play Tokyo the first Thursday of the month and not play any more than that. But usually, people in town really want us to play with them. Because we have a good draw I guess. Also, bands we meet from out of town want to come to Fresno and it's one of those band courtesy thing - if they host us, we host them. And we play out of town a lot too, so there's a lot of favors we owe people. And between the two, we have a lot of shows. We'll stop doing shows once people stop showing up to them.

Do you ever want to be on a record label, or would you rather do it DIY-style and ship albums out of your apartment?
DIY makes way more sense to me. A label would be great because then we wouldn't have to work that hard at the promotion, the organizing and the planning. Or at least there would be someone there to be like, "That's a good/bad idea." We pretty much shoot in the dark most of the time with the way we do things and hope for the best. We're learning a lot about recording and stuff as we go along, but there are a lot of mistakes that could have been avoided. Plus, it would be nice to have someone else footing the bill. DIY works for us because we just really enjoy writing music. A label isn't necessary for us to do that.

What's your favorite current band and why?
I don't know. I like Mates of State.

Tell us a little about the new Heart Machine EP.
It is the best four songs that we have ever put together on the same disc. We recorded it with Matt Orme and Shawn Covert at (Fresno's) Gardenside over the course of a really long time. It took forever. Not that we worked on it that long, it was just months between recording dates - forever. I'm glad it's done. We're proud. Like parents. We love it, but we're ready for it to move out.

Rademacher's already conquered Fresno pretty much. Where do you see the band in five years or so?
Playing sold out shows in Vegas with Let's Go Bowling.

Rademacher plays tonight at Tokyo Garden. For more information, including tour dates, visit myspace.com/rademacher or rademachermusic.com.

Review: Anarchist Prom Night.

I know most of you won't read this whole thing. I don't blame you. If I were you, I wouldn't read it, either. To be honest, I'm just in the mood to write. No more, no less. But once you get past the bullshit two-graph intro, I actually talk about music. I promise.

Man, I'm really tired. Maybe it's because I'm on my second glass of red wine. It's sitting on a TV tray to my right. What's funny is that sitting directly in front of the wine is a cup of black coffee. I'm drinking both simultaneously. A few minutes ago I had some cheese from Italy. It was tasty. I'm not lying.

There's some family over. We're all having dinner. Armenian style. The only way. This is the reason why I'm drinking wine and eating cheese from Firenze. The wine, by the way, was a Christmas gift from a co-worker. It's good stuff. While I'm waiting for the lamb chops to cook, I sit at my computer. I'm doing two things: working on an interview for work and checking Myspace. No messages. A sad day, indeed.

Last night (Saturday, May 20, 2006) I went to a weird show. Weird in a good way, I guess. Apparently, it was to raise money for this community center on F Street. 935, to be exact. I paid a five dollar "donation" for several bands. I'd say it was well worth it. I got to see my buddies from Rademacher, They Call Me Greyhound, and Needy Eevy. The theme of the show was "Anarchist Prom Night." I think. If you think I'm fooling you, I still have the "A" with a circle around it (anarchy symbol) on my right hand. I was branded with a Sharpie as I paid and walked in. But if you want to see it, youd better act quick: it's fading by the hour.

The whole atmosphere of the show reminded me of that scene in "American History X." You remember, when that little kid from "Terminator 2" (Ed Furlong, I think) was at that Nazi skinhead party and his brother - a former skinhead - comes and starts some trouble. Sorry if you don't recall. And if you haven't seen the movie, I suggest you stop reading this foolish blog, go to Blockbuster or whatever, and rent it. (For the record, Anarchist Prom night was NOT a skinhead shindig, nor was it affiliated with anything of the sort.)

Anyway.

Last night's show didn't remind of the movie because it was a skinhead shindig. To be honest, I can't explain why it reminded me of that scene. It just did, OK? Now that I think of it, there was this really drunk guy who was being obnoxious. He kinda looked like a skinhead. I don't think he was, though. That's a good thing. Moving on...

As I mentioned above, the theme of the show was "Anarchist Prom Night." Everybody dressed up in weird looking prom gear. I didn't. Why? Because I'm not fun. Plus, the tux shop screwed up on my measurements. Two things I won't forget about last night: most of the guys were wearing dresses (for which I have no explanation), and another guy (Logan, I think) was wearing see-through underwear and suspenders. Nothing else. It was quite the spectacle. I wish I could erase it from my memory, but I can't. Oh well.

It was an all-ages show, which is good. The only thing that sucks for a person of almost 25 years is that all-ages shows usually don't server beer. Instead, Stephanie kindly offered me a Tecate. Too bad there weren't any limes. It was good, nevertheless. Thanks.

You (the reader) don't realize this, but I took a short break from the time I wrote "It was good, nevertheless. Thanks," to what I'm writing at this moment. Approximately 30 to 45 minutes. You see, I went and had dinner with various members of my family. And, Jillian: If you're reading this, my parents and aunt & uncle mentioned their past trip to Argentina during our casual dinner conversation. I had to tell you. You'll make it there someday, I'm quite sure. xo.

It's nice having dinner with family. You (the reader) should try it sometime.

Back to the show. I got there about 10:30, hoping to leave around 12. I left at approximately 2:30 - that's my alibi, at least. I wasn't even going to go, either. I had planned on spending a nice evening at home doing nothing. I came home at about 9 after having playing a few games of chess with former/future guest blogger, Seb (K), who always manages to defeat me. It's quite frustrating. I beat him once or twice back in Armenia, though. The quote of the game came from me: "I wonder if Dostoevsky was a good chess player?" The reason my buddy Fyodor's name came up is because I brought with me to the chess game "The Great Short Works of..." There are some great stories in it: "White Nights," "Notes From (the) Underground," "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man," etc. I suggest you either buy or check it out from the library. Short works my ass.

So yeah. I got back home around 9, checked Myspace bulletins, and saw that They Call Me Greyhound was playing. I hadn't seen them perform in a while, so I called up "Greyhound" Mike - who plays keyboard in the two-man show - and asked what time they were going on. He said about 10:30. I showed up around a quarter till and spotted "Greyhound" Mike, who told me they weren't going on until later. Luckily, I got there right in time for Rademacher, who seems to get better and better each time I see them. Boy, I'll tell you. They had the crowd going good. It was like watching a real band. I think Fresno finally has a group that looks and sounds like a band.

Speaking of Rademacher, I had a good but short conversation with the band's guitarist, Brad. He's the guy who kinda looks like me (not that many of you reading this actually know what I look like). And the reason we look somewhat similar is because we're related in some way or another -cousins, to be exact. If you still dont know who Brad B is, he's the one in Rademacher who's either wearing a headband or flip flops. Long hair, beard, etc. The memorable quote of the conversation came from me, asking: "So, is anyone in your family a farmer?"

Anyway. He talked about Rademacher's upcoming nationwide tour. I was rattling off questions about it like some kind of reporter. Ha. He told me all about how they're renting a mini-van and playing 15 shows in 17 days. I have very much respect for Mike M and the rest of the Rademacher crew. They've put a lot of effort into making this tour happen. And they did it all on their own - no booking agent. I love people who start from scratch. It's the only way to learn.

Unfortunately, the conversation between Brad and myself was cut short because of his allergies. What was it he said? His allergies haven't been this bad since he was in fifth grade? Something like that. Hope you feel better, man. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Brad's excellent car-reversal skills. As he was leaving the show, he managed to back his car out of a very tight spot. It was extremely impressive.

Another interesting conversation I had was with Brad's girlfriend, Greer, who also serves as Rademacher's bass player. Greer and I go way back. We met at Fresno State several years ago. She and I shared an MCJ class. Before we get to the aforementioned "interesting conversation," I just remembered something else. As we stood watching Fresno's Hop Skotch Heros perform a cover of Bikini Kill's "Rebel Girl," Greer reminded me of the time I burned her a copy of Bikini Kill's Reject All American. Man, that's a great album. Go buy it. Don't download it - BUY IT! Or I will be forced to tell Kathleen. Hanna, that is.

Since you've all waited so very patiently, I'll reveal this "interesting conversation" Greer and I had. It's not certain or anything, but she's hoping to open some kind of independent record store in Fresno. At first, I didn't know if it was such a good idea. You know, because CDs are slowly going the way of the Dodo and downloading is in full force. But after some thought, I think this could be a really cool thing for our humble city. If it ever does happen, I expect each and every one of you to buy CDs from her. That means no Tower Records, no Best Buy, no Amazon.com and certainly no Soulseek! (that goes for you, too, Cuckoo.) Deal?

What else happened at the Anarchist Prom? Well, this band called Tree Wizard was really pissed because they didn't get to play. Needy Eevy was the last band to go on and, apparently, Tree Wizard was supposed to go on before them. I heard the guys ranting and raving in the parking lot about how unorganized the whole thing was. Eh, shit happens. Sometimes you get screwed. It sucks, yes, but that's the price you pay for being a rock 'n' roller.

This is totally off subject but before I forget I'd like to mention what happened during a visit I made to Starbucks (aka: Satan) today. I went there to work on this interview I'm doing for work. I had my laptop and everything. I went to the counter and ordered a medium-sized black coffee. The reason I say "medium" is because I can't bring myself to say the ridiculous name they use for "medium." I believe it's some Italian word. Another interesting thing. After I ordered, the girl working the counter said: "Wow, nobody really orders straight coffee anymore." To which I replied: "Do they usually all that mochacino crap?" And she answered: "Yeah."

Aside from that, while working on my interview, I had a fantastic listening reunion with my old pals L7. Oh, how I love L7. Remember when they made a cameo in "Serial Mom"? Fabulous, simply fabulous. After seeing L7 in that flick, I went out and bought the cassette soundtrack the very next day. Please tell me: how can one beat songs like "Pretend We're Dead," "Andres," "Drama" and "Shitlist"? One can't. Simple as that.

I'm getting tired of writing, so I think I'll wrap this baby up. On the way home last night, I listened to Tapes 'n Tapes. I like the second song called "The Iliad" on their latest album, The Loon. In no way is this an endorsement for the band. I pretty much only like that one song. And since my car doesn't have a CD player - or FM radio, for that matter - I'm forced to illegally listen through my iPod and/or portable CD player. That means headphones. I've never understood why it's illegal to wear headphones while driving, but it's perfectly legal to talk on a cell phone. One will never know. I won't lose too much sleep over it. Believe me.

Interview: Mercury Bullet.

Hmmm. Not sure how to start this blog out. I don't want to offend anyone with what I say. I guess I can start off by explaining why I wanted to interview Fresno "rock/metal/pregressive" band Mercury Bullet.

I was browsing through the bulletin posts on Myspace not too long ago, and I saw something from Mercury Bullet saying they wanted their fans to name their upcoming CD.

"Name our upcoming CD!!!!!!!!!" I believe that was what the bulletin's subject line was.

I thought this was really weird. Why would a band want their fans to name their CD??? Isn't the whole point of being in a band to create content that will be interesting for your fans? What's next, letting your fans write your song titles - or even your songs?!?!?! If I were in a band, I sure as hell wouldn't want my fans naming my CD. First off, I wouldn't trust them to come up with a cool title and, second, it just seems wrong.

The bulletin post gave a link to a blog posting on Mercury Bullet's Myspace page. I suggest you read the blog so you can get an understanding of what I'm talking about here.

After reading the blog, my first reaction was to write my own blog, explaining how ridiculous I thought the concept of letting your fans name your CD was. Instead, I thought I'd try to be fair and let Mercury Bullet explain why they were doing this. Hence the whole interview thing.

So I came up with a few questions and asked the band if they'd be interested in doing an e-mail interview. The band's drummer, Jeremiah Dasalla, wrote back saying he'd be the one answering the questions. Upon checking my e-mail box this morning, the answers came from Andrew Beasley, Mercury Bullet's guitarist. So I don't know who the hell answered the questions below.

Maybe I wasn't clear enough in the questions I asked, but the answers I got were very disappointing. I was hoping the band would go a little deeper into why they wanted fans to name their CD. They gave a pretty simple response. You'll see...

Hell, they must be doing something right. The guys have like 50 million "friends" on their Myspace. I just keep wondering what ever happened to the good ol' days when bands came up with their own creative album titles. But maybe Mercury Bullet is on to some kind of fan/band interactive relationship that will raise their awareness. I still think it's pretty lame.

And like I said above: I'm not trying to offend anyone with this blog. I'm just stating my opinion. If Mercury Bullet or any of their fans reads this and gets upset, it's all good. I just think it's something worth pointing out and investigating. To the five-piece's credit, I totally respect the fact that they're playing tons of shows and working hard. More power to 'em.

P.S. Before we move on to the questions, I just wanted to let everyone know that last night I had to pay five freakin' dollars for a large black tea at Tower District's Teazer tea house. I was shocked. I expected to pay $2 or $3 at the most. But when it rang up "$5.13" I thought the guy workin' the register was trying to screw me. Anyway, that is freakin' ridiculous - $5 for a cup of tea!!! What is this world coming to?

Anyway... Ladies and Gentlement, Mercury Bullet...

Mitch on Speed: Whered the name Mercury Bullet come from?
Mercury Bullet: Well, it is something that can't happen. You can't make a Mercury Bullet 'cause when mercury gets too hot it melts.(We're nerds! lol!)

Now let's get to the whole point of why I'm doing this interview. In your band's Myspace blog, you're asking fans to choose a name for your upcoming full-length CD. I find this odd. Explain why you're doing this.
Well, we are playing music for the fans. So we figured this new CD should be all about the fans, so why not have them name it for us.

So far, approximately 60 fans have left comments in your blog, giving title suggestions. Have you picked one yet?
We haven't picked a name yet, but there's been some really good names. And we want to thank everyone who gave us a name. Keep them coming!!!

How will you decide whose suggestion to choose? Will you make them sign a waiver?
Well, we are going to pick the one that we think will refelect the music on this CD the best.

I have a title suggestion: Mercury Bullet (self-titled). What do you think about that one?
LOL. Good one! But that's what the last (CD) one was.

You mention in the blog that the 2004-released Mercury Bullet record didnt have a title. Why didnt you give it a name?
We figured that we would just not name it and let the music speak for itself.

When is the album coming out?
Either late October or early November.

Are you self-releasing it, or will you be on some kind of label?
Yes, we are self-releasing it. We aren't on a label but if anyone is interested in signing us fill free to! LOL!

Is there a tour in the works?
Yup. We are planning one for July. Up through Northern Cali and Washington. In Washington, we are planning on playing a festival called Tomfest.

What is Mercury Bullet's short & long-term goals? Just curious.
We plan to do lots of touring all over the U.S. and continuing to play music. As long as people will listen, we will play.

Closing comments?
Thank you to all our fans. You are the reason why we do this. Thank you Mitch for the interview, and everyone expect a surprise when the new CD comes out!!!

Interviewed by Mitchell Peters

91 Years.

1915.

Young. Ottoman. Turks. Systematic massacre. One point five million, silently remembered. Denied. Shhh, don't worry, we won't tell anyone.

Yes, it's a good day for a "so-called" Genocide.

Waylon and Me, Two Geminis.

Howdy.

In honor of the this next blog, I've decided to scroll my iPod all the way down to Waylon Jennings. If my reader isn't familiar with the music of Jennings, the original country outlaw, then I advise the reader to find his/her way to the nearest music retailer and/or file sharing software and buy or steal Waylon's album, Honky Tonk Heroes. Don't think about it, just do it. It's golden. I suggest track numbers 1,8 & 9. God damn.

Most of the songs were written by Billy Joe Shaver, but the songs wouldn't be worth a damn if Waylon weren't singing them. Trust me. I've heard Billy crooning some of the same songs and they don't even come close. One probably wouldn't think I'm a big country music fan, and they'd be right: I'm not. But Waylon Jennings holds a special place in my heart. Not only because he was (hes now dead) fucking awesome, but because he's one of my dad's favorite artists.

My dad doesn't listen to much music. In fact, I almost never see him listening to his music. Most of his record collection consists of old Neil Diamond and Waylon Jennings albums. There's a couple Beach Boys and CCR in the mix, but that's about it. My dad wasn't really into music when he was growing up. Neither was my mother or either of my older sisters. Don't ask me why music is my main passion. I wouldn't be able to tell you. But somewhere along the line it caught my interest.

Anyway. A few years back, I overheard my dad listening to some of his Waylon records. He had always tried to get me to listen to them with him, but I would refuse. The idea of country music didn't appeal to me, so I automatically closed my mind to the idea. But this wasn't country music, it was "Outlaw" music. I guess there's a difference. This ain't the shit you'll find on CMT. It's authentic. Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban got nothin' on Waylon. I doubt Chesney and Urban share a crash pad to get wasted on booze and pills. Waylon and Johnny Cash did. Maybe those two country glammers do have a crash pad they share, but I seriously doubt it. But I'm sure theyre too busy refining their cheesy lyrics and fake accents. (But they do sell a shitload of albums, so I guess they're doing something right. That, or their listeners are ... ).

After I finally got around to listening to Waylon, I understood why my father would say, "He's got the best voice you'll ever hear, son." I don't agree with that completely, but it's pretty damn good. Ask around and many will agree. I know I would. Its good. By the way, I forget to mention that my dad is the nicest person you'll ever meet in your life.

I got excited about a year ago when I had the opportunity to interview Waylons son Shooter Jennings. Shooter is the hot new thing in country music. He's not nearly as good as Waylon, but I think daddy's name has helped him along a bit. There reason I was excited to interview him is because I knew my dad would think it was kinda cool. As I expected, he did think it was cool. I later gave him a copy of the article I wrote about Shooter.

Um, since this whole blog is getting kinda long, I'll get to the point. About a week ago, I was Googling the date of my birth: June 15. At the top of the search results was a Wikipedia link. (Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia.)

The link gave a bunch of info about past shit that's happened on June 15 (birthdays, historical events, deaths, etc.). As I was looking through people who were born on June 15, guess whose name I saw on the list? Yep, Waylon Jennings. Twin Geminis. I got a chill. It was strange that my father's son was born on the same day as his favorite singer of all time. What's more weird is that the father doesn't really like music, and the one artist he does happen to adore was born on the same day as his only son. Hmmm. Coincidence? I think not.

Now, I don't know what this means but I'm convinced it's something. Maybe a sign. Perhaps God just works in mysterious ways. There's also the possibility that I'm looking more into this than I need to be. I doubt it. I'm sure it'll hit me someday. And when it does, I'll be ready.

At least now when people ask when my birthday is, I won't have to say: "It's the day that falls between Flag Day (6/14) and 2Pac's birthday (6/16)." I will simply say: "It's on the same day as Waylon Jennings'."

Review: Pinkeye @ Meatball Magic.

It's 2:56 a.m. It still feels like Friday, but technically it's Saturday morning. Shit, I have to take my truck into the shop in a few hours. It's been running kinda weird these days. Figure I better get it checked on. I'm not a fan of breaking down in the middle of the road. It's never actually happened to me, but I imagine its not fun. I've a tire blow on the freeway, and that damn near sucked. I had to wait like 3 hours for AAA to come because my spare was stuck underneath the truck and I didn't have the right tool to remove it.

I was driving to Los Angeles and it blew right outside of Bakersfield. The tow truck guy gave me a ride back home. I had to listen to his ass talk about how he wanted to start a rent-to-own furniture business, and how some of his female customers want to have sex with him. It was interesting. But enough about that. Let's talk about what happened tonight at the Red Lantern. Hmmm, I'm setting it up as if some crazy shiz went down... No worries, it was just Pinkeye.

As some of you know, Fresno's Pinkeye "reunited" for a show at Meatball Magic. (p.s. there wont be any links because my computer is too slow and I don't feel like dealing with it.) I put quotes around reunited because I have a feeling Pinkeye will be "reuniting" many times in the years to come (which probably means every time Pinkeye frontman "Bad" Andy Bunnell comes to visit Fresno). Bad Andy - who recently moved to L.A. - was back in town to play a couple Pinkeye gigs. The first was at Fresno State late Friday (4/7) afternoon. Apparently, it was for a school project (or some shit like that). Do I care? No. The second show was at the aforementioned Meatball Magic (indie/electro dance party at the Red Lantern on Belmont).

In his blog, Fresno Bee music writer Mike Oz said something about the show being a CD release party for Pinkeye's new album, Ravishing. Technically, I dont think it was a CD release party, although it was the first time the band sold the new record. The album has been done for a while now, but for one reason or another, it's never been "officially" released. Whatever. I guess if whoever is reading this really wants a copy of Ravishing, they can find Pinkeyes Myspace page and contact them. I don't know the exact price, but a source in the band says they rang from $6 to $8. Oh yeah, the artwork on the album was done by Fresno native (Ronald) Dzerigian. I think he lives in L.A. now. (Random Ronald fact: his birthday is on 9/11).

Let's back up a second. I knew I'd end up going to Meatball Magic tonight, not only because I like Pinkeye a lot, but because I knew MM's Alan (aka Miss CoCo) would give me shit if I didn't show. He's one of the DJs there. (By the way, in case you didn't catch it earlier Friday evening, Meatball Magic "DJs" - Heinz, Cuddles and Cuckoo - were interviewed on Fresnos 88.1 on your FM dial. Alan said he was gonna try and stream the interview on MM's Myspace page.)

Every time Meatball Magic rolls around (first and third Friday of every month), I'm really tired and don't feel like going out. Tonight was no different, but I forced myself. Prior to leaving my house, I was sleeping. And before that I was watching "The Sopranos." Anyone watching the new season? It's kinda dark. Me like. It's taken a while to get rollin', but I think things are finally starting to pick up. Sunday's new episode should be legit. We'll see.

So... what should I say about the Pinkeye show? I guess I can start off by saying the opening bands were The Batteries, It'll Grow Back and a solo performance from James Brittain-Gore (formerly of No Cello). In between bands, DJ Kumar "Niilo" Santiago provided some tunes. I made up that DJ name because I cant remember the real one. But I'm guessing it's based on some character in a John Waters film.

I felt important tonight because shortly after I arrived at Meatball, James Brittain-Gore came up and handed me a copy of his upcoming self-titled debut release. The cover of the album has a cool drawing of Brittain-Gores face, sketched by Breanna Smeds. (Plug, plug.) Ha. Just kidding. James is on Myspace in case you want to chat with him about his new record. Its got 10 tracks, and it was recorded by Matt Orme at Gardenside Studios in Fresno. There's a bunch of guest performers on there. Should be interesting.

OK, back to Pinkeye. Well, here's the first thing that kinda sucked: Pinkeye didn't even step on stage until after one. Keep in mind the Red Lantern starts kickin' people out about 1:45 (as do most bars in this state). The place was pretty packed with a bunch of Fresno rock stars. I was disappointed to see Rademacher frontman Malcolm Sosa was NOT there. Shame, shame. Fresnofamous.com Editor Jarah Euston said Sosa was home asleep. She would know because she's his girlfriend. In case ya'll didn't know, Fresno Famous is a sponsor of Meatball Magic. FF has a sign and everything to prove it. Just thought I'd toss that fact into the mix.

So by the time Pinkeye stepped on stage, the place was almost ready to close. But that didn't stop them from rockin'. Bad Andy started the off by saying like, "Its been too fuckin' long Fresno." Um, didn't he only move away like two months ago??? Ha. I'm joking. Don't trip Bunnell. It's always interesting watching a Pinkeye gig. It's especially interesting for me to watch since I'm like the only one not dancing. I've said this before and I'll say it again: People can't help but shake their booty's while watching Pinkeye perform. I guess the music is really catchy or something. I haven't come across many people who dont like the band. I think it boils down to Bad Andy being a badass songwriter. That's my opinion, at least. It probably didn't hurt that Meatball Magic is a dance party and people attended the event with bootay-shakin' on their mind's.

Regardless, Pinkeye could play at a funeral and people would still dance. Speaking of which, the guys played their ever-popular KFSR 90.7 hit "Texas Funeral." Well, the song isn't a hit on the Fresno State station anymore, but it was about two years ago when I was a DJ there. Tonight's show also included such favorites at "Library Girl" and "Ravishing." That last song is one of my favorites. Apparently, it used to be an old American Sloth song. Yeah. There were more songs, but I already forgot which ones. The usual.

I got the biggest smile on my face when Niilo stepped on stage to play bass on a few songs. Niilo was Pinkeye;s original bassist until he left to pursue other musical endeavors. Now Niilo fronts the Magic Whores, who are pretty neato. It was nice seeing the old gang back together. Brought back memories of the good ol' days when I had faith that Pinkeye could actually have a presence in the music world beyond Fresno. Oh well.

That's about it. I'll end the blog with these words: The show was fun. And I think everyone else had fun, too. I guess I could write a little more, but I'm too tired. If anyone was at the show and wants to post something I forget to mention, the floor is all yours... Night.

p.s. does anybody know who those two really tall dudes were? One was wearing a K Records T-shirt if that is any help. They looked like there were in an hip band or something.

Kat Jones on Touring.

I'll make this intro quick. Kat Jones (Myspace) is a singer/songwriter from Fresno, Calif. If you're from around here and you haven't heard of her, you must be living under a rock. She's the closest thing Fresno has to a rock star. Well, her music isn't really rock... but for Fresno standards, she's pretty famous. Kat is also one of the few musicians I personally know who has toured extensively.

And that's one of the reasons I interviewed her: to show musicians in Fresno that it's not impossible to embark on a nationwide tour. Hopefully y'all will get something out of it. It's an interesting interview even if you don't give a damn about touring. Ha! Anyway, Kat is moving to Nashville on March 15th, and her last show is on the 14th at The Revue in Fresno's Tower District. It starts at 7:30. BE THERE EARLY!

Before we start, I'd like to tell everyone how Kat and I first met. It's not the most interesting of stories, but I'm going to tell it anyway.

Hmmm, it was Winter 2002. I was in London for a few months - going to school. It was a transfer program through Fresno State. I shared a flat with three other guys, one of them was Ben McEntee (The Nancys & The Soma Holidays). Ben is friends with Kat. At the time, Kat was doing missionary work in Scotland, and decided to visit Ben in London for a few days. So I came home from class one day, and there was Kat sitting alone waiting for Ben. I think that's what happened. I'm not 100 percent sure, but it sounds good to me. So I chatted with her for a few minutes and that's it. Great story, right? OK, here's the interview.

Interviewed by Mitchell Peters

Before we start, please introduce yourself by telling everyone a little about the type of music you make.

Let's see. I am a singer/songwriter in the vein of Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Emmy Lou Harris, & Neil Young I guess. I began writing in 1997.

Discography:
2000- Burning Ears Unsigned Artist Comp. (Velvet Blue Music)
2001- The Glory Green e.p. (Out Of Print)
2002- Building e.p. (Velvet Blue Music)
2003- Demos For Lenz #'s 1, 2, & 3 (Out of Print)
2004- La Rosa, La Calavera (Full Length)
2004- I'll Be Home For Christmas (Out Of Print)
2004- All I Want For Christmas (Lujo Records Out Of Print)
2006- Demos For Friends #1 (Limited Pressing)

Cool. Tell us how many nationwide tours you've been on.

I think this is the 6th or 7th. I'm not sure.

What first gave you the idea to touring? What'd your family think?

Ever since before I started working with Velvet Blue Music I knew that I wanted to be on that label and use it as a catalyst for touring. The whole idea was that playing live is an art medium in and of itself, and the only way you can become good at it is to tour relentlessly. So it made sense to begin doing it as soon as possible.

My parents are still terrified by it. And I totally understand why. The more I've toured the more friends I've had who've either had members of their bands killed on the road or were in near fatal accidents (all as a result of a drunk driver - not in the band but the other vehicle). I know an alarming amount of people who have come ridiculously close to dying on the road. It's a hazardous job.

How did you go about organizing and setting up your first tour? How many dates was it?

My first tour was with a label mate called MAP. We went on the road for 10 wonderful days. The tour was organized by an amazing friend of mine who believed it was something he needed to do to support me. He did the whole tour for free - which is totally unheard of - and we had a lot of really amazing shows.

What's one of the harshest lessons you've learned on the road?

The single harshest lesson I've learned is to make sure that I don't retreat into myself, but make sure that I am paying attention to the needs of everyone around me. It's very easy to almost naturally get into a selfish mode when you're on the road. You're constantly relying on other people to help out with things because it puts you in often vulnerable and helpless positions. The actual road can be very hypnotizing as well, and I am often lulled into long silences by it which depending on the person touring with me can also be a bad thing.

We were chatting a few weeks ago at The Revue in the Tower District, and
you mentioned that one's body undergoes dramatic changes after a couple weeks on the road. Tell everyone what you're talking about.

Oh my goodness. I have to explain first that both of my parents are therapists and so this kind of thing is really interesting. After about 10 days of being on the road (and producing a lot of adrenaline in order to get by during those 10 days) your body begins to believe that you're in danger because you're using sooo much adrenaline. What happens as a result of this is that one can become irritable, needy, extremely lonely, one's hormones get charged up because you're body thinks you need to procreate in order for you to survive... all sorts of crazy things happen, and I've watched it occur with the people around me on almost every tour I've been on. Then when you get home it can be extremely hard because you begin to go through adrenaline withdrawal. I get paranoid, I can't be around large groups of people, and I can't drink caffeine because it makes me dramatically anxious and nervous. It can be really hard to deal with. I can't be social at all the first few days of being home. But then it goes away and I want to be on the road again.

Describe a day-in-the-life of being on tour.

Wake up, drive to the venue, meet the promoter, plug in, play, sit behind your merch table and meet people, go to sleep, do it the next day. That's the way at first. It's actually a lot easier for me now that I know so many people all over the U.S. and I can book dates that are closer to each other now, which is wonderful so there aren't that many 9-14 hour drives. So now touring often consists of meeting people I really respect or re-connecting with friends I haven't seen in a long time. That part of it makes all the work totally worth it.

What's been your mode of transportation through all these jaunts?

SHANIQUA! She's my wonderful white & pink conversion van. I love her.

What role has networking with other musicians played in your touring career?

I think it's totally invaluable. When I work with the musicians instead of the promoters themselves I have way more confidence in the shows that I'm going to. I know that those musicians are really promoting the crap out of the show and going to bring their audience and when it's the right band it really works wonderfully. When one just contacts the promoters they often don't put that much work into the show and then you show up and there's a cover band or a band that is completely wrong as far as generating a good show is considered. Then you don't have fun, the band doesn't have fun, and it's not as much fun for the audience.

Do you currently have a booking agent? If not, have you ever worked with one?

I do not. I've had three booking agents so far. Booking agents are really interesting. You have to get the right fit. It's really important to find someone that you trust and who trusts you.

How do you go about doing press promotion in the markets you perform?

Ideally, one wants to be playing radio shows and in-stores before every show. This is not always possible. One also wants to be playing on the local college radio station for a few months before you arrive in town and doing interviews the day of a show or a couple days before on the phone. Realistically, it's often not possible w/o a press agent. I don't have one right now, so the bulk of our press consists of people on the street team making posters and passing out flyers before we get to cities. Which is pretty effective also.

Have any of your tours been profitable?

You know, I'm not sure. By the grace of God I've never had one that didn't break even. I have had a lot of friends who've had to come home early from tours before because otherwise they'd be stranded in some city in the middle of the U.S. and I've heard of bands having to move to the cities they were stranded in and get jobs in order to make enough money to leave and get home. I guess I'm an anomaly. Whenever we've been ultra strapped for cash the exact amount that we've always needed has been delivered. I've got weird stories about it. Like strangers walking up to me and giving me $200 because they felt like they were supposed to.

What's been the best thing about touring?

Meeting people and making friends. If that doesn't happen on a tour or if I'm not able to affect people's lives touring feels utterly worthless to me. I've felt like there was no point to it before but then a few months after the tour I get to see everything that came of it.

Why do you think it is that more Fresno musicians don't tour?

Well, I don't usually recommend that bands tour unless they're on a label really. So I think that plays a big role in it. Touring is hard enough without there being a built in audience ready to see you for the first time at a venue. It's always nice to meet fans of the label that I'm on who come out to shows and I'm grateful for their support.

The other thing is that booking a tour is really really hard work. I can't begin to describe the difficulty and I'm sure that gets discouraging. It's totally discouraging for me when I'm doing it because you might not see the fruits of your labor for months.

Got any advice for emerging bands/artists that wish to start touring but don't know how?

Take is SLOW. Work hard on developing yourself in Fresno first. I would say work your way out in concentric circles. Play shows closer to Fresno first and slowly work your way out. If you're supposed to continue out farther, the need will be made apparent. But move carefully. There is no need to rush things. When the train comes and you get on it you might want off. It's a pretty intense and fast ride. DO NOT GET INTO HEAVY DRUGS ON THE ROAD. Bands that do that break up. It causes too much drama. (Case-in-point: Watch the documentary DIG. It's totally true.)

You're moving to Nashville March 15th. What's that all about?

My boyfriend lives there. For personal reasons he can't move here (even though he loves Fresno) and we've been together for two years, so I'm moving there. I think it's the right time too. Represent Fresno on the eastern part of the U.S. for a while.

Any upcoming events you wish to plug?

My last show in town is Tuesday, March 14th @ The Revue in the Tower District. Aspen Hollow (another Fresno songwriter who I'm bringing on tour with me) and Hotel Underground (from Riverside) are also playing. And then I will play my last set in town. I'm going to be using the time to talk a lot about art and the process of making art as well as answering people's questions (you can ask anything) and I will be explaining the meanings behind the songs before I start playing them. I will, of course, be taking requests. It starts at 7:30, but it's going to be PACKED because The Revue is really tiny, so you might want to get there early and mark out your seat.

Is Fresno Stale?

I'm going to direct you (the reader) to my "Mitch on Speed" MySpace blog. The only reason I'm doing this is because people left comments there that are worth reading. If you don't wanna go there, here's the blog:

I'm not pinpointing any specific bands when I say this, but does the Fresno music scene seem a little stale lately? One could argue that it's been stale for a while. I don't know. Maybe it's just me and my lack of enthusiasm. I just haven't been excited to see any shows lately - at all.

There are a few coming up that I'm looking forward to - one in particular - but nothin' that's knockin' my socks off. It just seems as if we're in a down time right now. The same bands are playing over and over - nothing fresh. No cool outta town bands (in my opinion). I guess it's always been like that. Maybe it's just a cycle and the next phase will be really exciting. But I have my doubts. Too bad I'm not a huge Six Ounce Gloves (they have a really cool quote on their MySpace) fan; maybe that would rile me up. I guess SOG just got signed to a label, or whatever... Woohoo.

I think I've asked this question before, but where the hell are all the young bands hiding??? Are you out there, practicing in your mother's basement, waiting patiently to reveal yourselves to the world? Please let me know, 'cause I need a fix. I'd wager that a lot of other Fresnans do too. I need a band that's going to kick my ass a little. It doesn't matter what the genre is. As long as they're good and show a little enthusiasm. I'll also gladly accept a band that doesn't show enthusiams - as long as they don't suck.

It doesn't even have to be a band. Give me a great singer/songwriter that I can sink my teeth into. (I'm not saying that aren't good ones out there, but I just haven't found any that I'm going gaga over.)

I don't know. Maybe I'm just bitching and whining here. I don't care, though; what I'm saying is the truth. I feel things are very stale right now. I like that word - stale. It's a good one. I'm not sayin' local bands who've been around for a while shouldn't keep on playing, I'm just looking for new talent. And, at this point, it doesn't seem like there is any. I guess there's nothing that can be done about it.

Maybe we just need to try and bring some decent outta town bands, even though we all know that won't happen. Unless you want to see friggin' Bon Jovi perform at the Save Mart Center. I don't even know why I just wrote that - I hate Bon Jovi, expect for that song "Blaze of Glory," or whatever it's called. God, he is annoying. Especially that dumbass smiley face logo the band is using. Anyway, I'm getting off topic.

Actually, I think I'm done. Kind of a pointless blog, but oh well.

Lost Ring In Armenia.

Words: Mitchell Peters

I don't remember how this story starts. It's not a story, though. It's a tale. Not typical. Actually, I dont even know what a tale is. OK. It takes place in this little country called Armenia. It's tiny; I'm not exaggerating. Have you heard of the place, dear reader? Of course you have. Hey, do me a favor. Go to your nearest map/globe and find the country. It borders Turkey and Russia. And a couple others, too. I know what the other countries are, but I'd rather not tell you. You'll find out if you go and look for yourself. It'll be worth it, trust me. Do you trust me? Yes. Anyway. I was in Armenia with a handful of students from Fresno State. July 2005. Have you heard of Fresno? It's a town in Central California. It's hot. Dry. Desert. Or so they say. Roll down your car windows in the summer. No air conditioning. What do you call that? Armenian air conditioning. That's what someone once told me. Maybe my brother-in-law. Or my cousin. Some people like Fresno; others don't. I like certain aspects of it. My house if one of those aspects. It's peaceful: grapevines and pink sunsets. Quarter-mile driveway. Wild dogs. Rooney. Coyotes screaming at night. Packs of them. Stray cats. Lizards. Soaring hawks. Oh, how I love watching the hawks. Sixty-foot pine trees. My dad's '77 golden El Camino all original. Dirt roads. Shattered windows. Sheds with lime green chemicals inside. Tractors. Many tractors: green and red. A long canal with tadpoles; sometimes small fish. Quiet. A chemical plant down the road. An orange orchard across the street. Acres of plums in my front yard. Almonds. Flames. Raisins. Fowler. Planted with Armenian hands. Yes. Armenian hands. Not mine. Family that came before me. Many years before me. Sounds good, right? It is. But there's something that saddens me. And angers me at the same time. Track homes. But we won't get into that. They won't destroy my property. I'll stop now since you have no idea what I'm talking about. Or do you? It doesn't matter. Let's get back to the story - I mean - tale. Tail. I was about to tell it, remember? Tangents.

The tale is about a ring. The ring is silver. I wear it on my right hand almost every day. On the fourth finger from my thumb. I don't know what that finger is called. I don't care. Now, I don't wear this particular ring on special occasions. I save my Madrid ring for that. I got it in Spain. Madrid. Miriam. Madness. Denmark. Copenhagen. Pilgrimage. Breathtaking. Random art museums. Sol. OK, I'm done now. Tangents, dont you love 'em? The ring (not the Madrid one) has a black line going around the center. The inside has an imprint: "925." That means its silver. That's what they told me. I don't remember who "they" are. But I know "they" told me. My sister gave it to me. A gift. Older sister. Do you know her name? I do. I've had the ring forever. Yes, forever. I'm not sure how long that is. But It's a long time. I think. When I went to Armenia, I simply had to take the ring with me. I'm not sure why. I guess I would feel sort of naked without it. Or maybe it's because I wanted to have a piece of my family there with me. Although, they were already there. My ancestors. Like I said, I'm not sure why. But I took it. I love that ring. Connected. I'm not wearing it as I write this. It's nighttime. I usually take it off at night, then put it back on in the morning. Anyway. Where was I? Oh, yes; the ring. We were about two weeks into the trip. The group was based in Yerevan. Yerevan is the capitol (I spelled that wrong on purpose) of Armenia. You didn't know that. Well, maybe some of you did. The special ones. One night, I was with some friends. We were standing in front of a post office in Yerevan. It was near the city square. Republic Square. Sounds Soviet. It probably was. You know, back in the USSR. Long gone. Or is it? As I was standing on the steps under the dark sky, I used my thumb to reach over and play with the ring, which should have been on the fourth finger over of my right hand. I'm left-handed. It wasn't there. Missing. Panic. Let me repeat that: PANIC. I never take my ring off. Only when I got to bed. Or the bathroom. I'm in the streets of Armenia. Lonely. The name of the street is too difficult to spell. (Mesrop Mashtots.) Armenian alphabet. A. B. C. (Ա. Բ. Գ.) Heart beats faster. It never does. "Where the fuck is my ring?" Over and over, I repeated this. In my head. I'm a little obsessive about it. Can you tell? I try to stay calm. Search my pockets. Not there. Look on the sidewalk below me. Not there. I stay silent. Cigarette smoke everywhere. Could it be at the restaurant where we just ate? Mmmm. That was a great meal. So good; so cheap. No. Confusion, followed by more panic. Ugh! I leave the people I was with. I did. You already know why. I don't remember if I told them my ring was missing. The ring with the black line. "925." My sister. It was 10 p.m. Or something like that. I wouldn't sleep that night until my ring was found. My eyes grew wide as I walked the street retracing my steps. I walked for what seemed like miles. Maybe more; probably less. My eyes focused on the ground, hoping to spot a silver sparkle. It slowly slipped. Hope, that is. So cliche. But that's OK. It was true. I kept telling myself: "There's nothing you can do. It's gone. Just accept it." I began to accept it. I tried to spin the tragedy to my favor. "Hey, at least you lost it in Armenia - the Old Country." It would be like leaving a piece of myself in the birthplace of my ancestors. My people. Bitlis. My family's old stomping grounds. Armenia. Sunflower seeds. Authentic, beautiful women. Mona. Saroyan. Fresno. $8,400. Farming. Ashes scattered over the mountains. That whole bit.

I walked for a couple hours. No ring. Gone. Goodbye. Forever. I went back to my hotel room. 413. I thought it would be there. (The ring; black line) I had little doubt in my mind it wouldn't be. I arrive at our room on the fourth floor. Five beds. One bathroom. Four flights of stairs. I search the room. Nothing. Hope fades, fades, fades. Gone. I've accepted that its gone. My heart breaks silently. Tears. Beats skipped. Whatever. It did something, I know that much. Empty pain. Filled my stomach. Hurt. Bad. I walked back to the outdoor caf where my friends were. I order an espresso. I love coffee at night. They asked if I found the ring. No. No more words. A sad silence. I walk back to my hotel. 413. Who knows what time it is? University Hotel. Alone. Depressed. Miserable. I crawl in bed and sleep. The window is open. The breeze blows the blue curtain. The comfortable night reminds me of Fresno. So does the day. And the people. Of home. On the ranch. My favorite tree, the Canford. It's roots break the brick surrounding it. The next morning in Yerevan. In the hotel. My room. I wake up early. Go downstairs. Get breakfast; the same thing every morning for weeks: bread, butter, ham, Apricots, cucumber, boiled egg, olives, yogurt, tea, water. OK, I'm full. Our group is meeting at 9:30 (a.m.) in the lobby. The blonde one is late. Again. As usual. It's funny. Seb gets upset. While I'm waiting, I walk down the hall. There's a bathroom at the end of it. I need to take a leak. So I do. I finish. Wash my hands. Look at the white sink. Sitting there. So perfectly undisturbed. My ring. Found. Life has new meaning. I had taken it off at some point yesterday. Bar soap. I feel a slight sensation: disappointment. I dont know; why?