Southwest Like a Cow...

But we're happy we'll be together. The youth is not wasted on the young.

A little stalling, a little writing. I'm folding warm and cold clothes again to trip up to San Francisco for five days. This time I'll bring Chris with me. Last time I was there, he was promising an eMail and photos of his machine and now I can show him the bed I was sleeping in when his eMail arrived. I am that cheesy and I am that excited. These same hosts are letting us crash at their place while they travel to the Terrastock Festival I was writing about then too.

If I had any idea then what I know now today I wouldn't want to know it because the discovery has been so rad.

I'll also be turning 37 on the first day of Summer this Saturday.



We'll be seeing Seun Kuti (that is "Kuti" as one of Fela's 30,000. I joke, but you know...) and I'll be able to meet a label friend I've made from my new responsibilities at KCRW.

We're going to sleep a lot and work a little. Unfortunately, we just have to do that. But I'm also going to show him my treasured Philz Coffee. Oh God. Philz.

And I'm only bringing the one Harry Potter.

Swervedriver Sans Tonic

Right now I am demanding this moment to sit. Who's my oppressor? Who won't let me go?

Hi! Me. Man am I tired. I might just be really hungry... I don't really know. But dinner's gonna be good and cheesy tonight.

And you?

I went to Swervedriver this weekend. I argued with Chris, "NoNoNooNooNoNo. The recordings you're hearing just aren't demonstrating how saturating their guitars can be. How overwhelming and thick they lay their six strings down. Blankets of distortion warm you with chimey fragrance. Oh yes. You just don't know. Let's go to this semi-pricey event and I'll show you when you see them play for yourself. RaaavVEEeee Down. Hit the ground. Rock on!"

How do you handle the realization when a band you really loved doesn't sound like that band anymore?

"They don't have The 'Ness." Huh? OhMyGod. I panicked. I "dated" a guy who was in The Ness. What are you talking about? Chris continues, "Laura, so much of what you play me is so awesome and I really like the stuff. Swervedriver just sounds like an L.A. rock band. Oh yeah, you're really hot and I think you're very smart." OK. So maybe I embellished his comments and added that last bit, but what was said about Swervedriver was said and I argued with Chris regarding his assumptive stated Swervedriver facts. "Whatever Chris. WhaTTTEVVVer. You like '80s Rush." I probably did say that but I think his taste in '80s Rush is cute. Oh yeah. I like Moving Pictures too myself.

Swervedriver has become an L.A. Rock Band.

OHMYGOD! FUCK! NO. No. Impossible. Impossible that my taste in the early '90s was so unsophisticated. Isn't it? Come on. This is bad. They are... they are... they are boring me.

But it wasn't a good scene. I knew something was wrong as soon as we arrived.

We entered the hall. Henry Fonda Theatre. Looked like they blocked off the balcony - didn't want the crowd to appear too thin when people chose to wander upstairs so they could SIT through the rock show. And the crowd? Oh wow. I knew we wouldn't be enjoying cocktails at MENSA but this was like a Filter Magazine showcase at Spaceland. Sorry. That's somewhat of an L.A. joke.

I'll try this. "Oh shit! It's an early '90s underground L.A. rock band reunion show! What have I done?!"

Chris and I wandered upstairs outside. The mix was better and we could discuss what was happening. I needed help then. I felt so cold.

"But they were on Creation."
"I know Laura."
We stared out to Sunset Boulevard, holding each other, dreaming of a city with proper public transportation and sustainable vegetation support. Later we drove into the hills.

Hey Bo Diddley

It's when those bigger-than-life spirits stop and go away that life becomes confusing and at the same time so amazing.
With the little ball and bag of bones that he was given, he made himself to be Bo Diddley.