Friday, March 28, 2003

Entry #19

Yesterday was my 33rd birthday! I had a fantastic day! Started with sleeping in late, then breakfast with my honey at an outside seating cafe' up here on the upper west side on a gorgeous day. Cute dogs and their owners passed by on the sidewalk as we enjoyed coffee! Last  night, we had a birthday party/gig at Le Bar Bat with my band and a bunch of friends! It really was fun. There was a chocolate birthday cake and a birthday shot of Johnny Walker black label whiskey! "Get it while you can" was one of our added songs to the set list and also my motto as I looked around at my friends, band, the beautiful venue and the feeling of fun and excitement! What can I say? This is an amazing time for me. It hasn't always been this good and I am appreciating the glory of the moment. I give thanks and praises to God and Goddess who are the creators and sustainers (not to mention, destroyers) of all of this amazing maya (illusion of reality-life)... It's amazing when you feel "in on the joke"or,"plan". Love, Jessica Star

Wednesday, March 26, 2003

Entry #18

What a long way we've come since those blessed caveman days...Tonight was a great show at N.Y.C.'s Village Underground!!! We played the last slot on a bill of women rockers! My band really played fabulously.~Really. Tom Hopke on lead guitar, he's great, Dean Zucchero on bass, and Dave Dawson on drums. They were tight and everyone who responded after the show was really impressed with the band. Thursday night is my birthday party and we'll be at Le Bar Bat from 10:30pm on...You know, this is really fun stuff. It's easy right now 'cause there's a great amount of synchronicity but, I remember about two years back, things were not as groovy..."Get it while you can" and dig it while it's happening. That's the big key. When the good times are upon you, dig them and really be present. Be in the moment. That is how you can be present. Enjoy it while it's happening, then it changes into something entirely different, then, you dig that. I wish you all the best time that life has to offer... Love, Jes

Saturday, March 22, 2003

Entry #17

Good evening campers!!! Isn't this a cool backdrop for the "captain's log, star date 2003"... Ha ha ha haa!!! We just had the coolest show at Le Bar Bat tonight! The band rocked!!! Two rehearsals and those guys went in and ripped it up! Yippy!!! I'm so happy! Yep, a real good show. We might play there again this thursday night for my birthday party! We went out to eat dinner afterwards at one of my favorite digs, Carmine's.~Family style portions of Italian food.~Bliss on a plate!!! It's funny, being here and living my dream, literally! I literally used to dream at night that I was here doing this, for a year straight and now I'm really here living it. I just remember what it felt like to not be here and feel sooooo pulled to be here and to do exactly what I'm doing now. I guess I'm trying to say that if you're reading this and can relate to the feeling that you know there's something you have to do for your soul to feel complete then, by all means, go through whatever fire you see before you and live it 'cause it is worth every struggle!!! No regrets!!! I just found it harder to live with possible regrets about my choices in life than the fear of doing it~really living it. That's my  post-show sermon! What a great time! And, we had some special guests on stage!!! Jeff Watkins on sax and Ginetta on pocket trumpet! We had a six-piece band and they rocked!!! Over and out, Jessica Star

Thursday, March 20, 2003

Entry #16

There's a mighty heavy feeling in the city this morning. We are officially at war with Iraq. There are no planes coming in or out of N.Y.C., I guess that's more protection for us but, it makes me feel a little claustrophobic! On a lighter note, the band is coming along splendidly and we play our first show tomorrow night at Le Bar Bat! So strange how such wreaking devastation and such brilliant dream living can all be happening at one time on one planet...The yin and the yang? I guess I'm here in N.Y.C. for the long haul, I hope it turns out peacefully. Amazing how after only two years in the White House, we're at war with Iraq... Yes, I'm very opinionated, very opinionated. I just keep focusing on music as that's my own way of bringing healing and sanity and love into this world. No one knows the outcome...I pray for Truth, Justice, and Liberty to be realized once again and lived!!! Planetary Peace!!! Jessica Star

Tuesday, March 18, 2003

Entry #15

Happy St.Patricks's Day!!! Just fresh in from the monday night jam at Le Bar Bat. My band and I got to jam together with Bobby who runs the jam and plays a rippin' lead guitar! We had Richie Cannata on sax tonight. He's on all the Billy Joel ablumns... As I said, I love this city! This friday night, the band and I play a full set at Le Bar Bat from 8:30-9:30pm and then a great band from Sydney, Australia called," Citizen Dog" are right after us. Well, tonight was the official speech from Bush about how Saddam Hussein has 48 hours or else...We'll see how it all unfolds... Well, they made it onto my website. What a trippy time on planet earth!!! I felt so much better tonight after I went down to the jam. Music truly is healing. It's your soul expressing itself, yourself... The band rocked tonight. I sewed curtains for the apartment today...How totally hard rock!!! Love, Jessica Star *** Any suggestions for great names for the band??? Write in the "guestbook"!!!

Thursday, March 13, 2003

Entry #14

Yesterday was my first rehearsal with my first band in New York City!!! We rehearsed down in the east village in an underground studio that you enter by going down through the sidewalk! It went really well for the first time. I'm definately excited to play with the guys. It's Tom Hopke on lead guitar, Dean Zucchero on bass, and Dave Dawson on drums. I met them all at Le Bar Bat through the monday night jam. Tonight, I play at a coffee shop called Bean, on the upper west side from 8-10pm, then I go to a private party and sing,"Happy Birthday"...A friend of  mine, Sheri Wagner, will be sitting in for me over at Mr.Bigg's tonight. She's great! She plays guitar and sings and does jazz, swing, and blues. She covers old songs from Bessie Smith! Yep, she's great and a nice lady. I'll be playing at BB King's club on April 23rd for a party for "Talent" magazine!!! I am having so much fun here! Love, Jessica Star

Tuesday, March 11, 2003

Entry #13

Tonight is my show at the East Village's Sidewalk Cafe'. Last night I was there at the Sidewalk for the open mike and a classical violinist sat in with me on "Dragon's Lair"!!! I was in bliss! He was great! Then, I went to the blues jam at Le Bar Bat and sang with the band, some Joplin tunes,"Get it while you can", "Move Over" and then I'd hop on stage whenever the music pulled me up there! Ed Terry was singing,"Man's World" and oh! I couldn't help myself!!! I sang the  second verse and then another female vocalist took  the stage!!! We had a very diverse audience too,  people from  Switzerland and Russia and Texas. Then, in the cab on the way home, my  driver was a pianist who used to play with Chubby Checker! What a WILD island this is!!! I walked about 50 blocks yesterday through the city. I passed the U.N. and there was a rally for freeing Tibetan people from Chinese prisons. It's amazing that there can be SOOOO many different stages of  reality and evolution on one planet at the same time. Tibetan monks in prison!!! Lord help us! My friend says that at least it will be St.Patrick's day, next sunday when Bush wants to go to war, people will be drunk and probably won't notice. A little ironic humor!!! One mudball flying through space..... Love, Jessica Star

Friday, March 07, 2003

Entry #12

Greetings from the isle of the Heart of America...Oh people, we have to pray for world peace!!! It seems that is the only thing that is in OUR POWER to do since our voices and votes seem to not count for much in these strange times.The times the prophecies talk about...Times like these force people to become political when they wouldn't otherwise.If we don't get involved I think, well, it looks pretty grim if we let those with the reigns stay on the course of destruction.Like a stampede that doesn't see the cliff they're about to go over, or they don't care that there's a cliff because they see a gigantic pile of money and think somehow they can land safely on top of the pile even though they know the rest of the herd will die in the fall. Sorry for the dark mood but, Disneyland is a theme park, not the current state of the world. That's why so many people go there! Escape from reality. Wouldn't it be great if we didn't need ANY escape because we participated and made our communal reality one that served the masses possitively and not just the few that have the most money? I hope the rest of the world somehow knows that not all Americans are supporting the current government. These are indeed, strange times. What would the prophet Bob Marley have to say? "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" ... Peace, Jessica Star

Thursday, March 06, 2003

Entry #11

It's snowing!!! Yesterday felt like spring and now it's snowing!!! Ah, the greenhouse effect!Tonight I play at Mr.Biggs, we'll see what sort of magic happens there...My band is coming together for the shows on the 21st at Le Bar Bat and the 25th at the Village Underground-yippy! I just checked out a rehearsal space in the east village~one of those places that's down a very narrow staircase in the sidewalk- you'd never suspect it was there! I'm getting extremely busy here in New York, for a former Sonoma county beach comber!!! May peace prevail on Earth!!! Jessica Star

Tuesday, March 04, 2003

Entry #10

Late night greetings! Just in at 3a.m. from the jam at Le Bar Bat. Tonight was pretty crowded with alot of good talent. I'm putting together my band at this point and tonight's jam night is a great place to find great musicians! This weekend, I attended a music conference there at Le Bar Bat also. They see me there alot these days! So, today was monday and I spent the entire day at the computer doing music stuff. I met soooo many connections at the conference. I put them all in the computer file.I cannot wait until the no smoking law goes into effect!!! I think I second hand smoked at least three cigarettes tonight! Security is wayyyy up here in Manhattan. Lots of police and the National Guard in the subways...Strange days these. They were even telling me I had to check my coat to come into the club tonight. I found out it's because of some law. The police were there earlier and told the management they'd shut them down (?) if they came in and saw people wearing coats, because you can conceal a gun in a coat. Strange times indeed. Anyhoo! Peace, Jessica Star