Friday, August 29, 2003

Entry #56

Greetings from an internet Starbucks in NYC! It's muggy but not too hot out today. It's nice and air-conditioned in this coffee shop though! It feels good here in the city today. I have a show coming up next Tuesday near the United Nations again at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza! I'll be playing with Chris Carter on lead guitar, Ivan Bodley on bass, and Kenny Soule on drums... This should be a good show! Did I mention what a fantastic time I just had in Northern California? Well, it was FANTASTIC!!! I'm so happy and grateful that I got to go. I saw a lot of my very close friends and took in the energy of the place... Now, I'm booking shows, writing songs and short stories, reclimatizing to this city, and focusing on MUSIC!!! Enjoy your Labor Day weekend, Jessica Star

Thursday, August 28, 2003

Entry #55

Good evening! Last night we went to the Howard Dean rally in Bryant Park and there was a very good turn-out. Our friend and fellow Burner (Burning Man), Heidi Cuppari, organized the rally and one of our other friends, Anan, DJ'd and the Democratic populace rocked! If you don't know who Howard Dean is, he wants to become the Democratic candidate for presidency. It's very strange; at this time last year, some of the friends I was with last night and I were all at Burning Man together! This year, I look around and instead of the playa, we're in NYC, at the Howard Dean rally! Anan was spinning at Burning Man too! There was one moment that I only heard about last year on the playa where Anan was spinning out in the desert at a rolling party on Leticia's Loveship or something like that and, as legend has it, Anan had everyone entranced with his Middle-Eastern beats and tunes and then, at the precise moment that no one could have foreseen, he busted into," Come On Feel The Noise" by Quiet Riot!!! He was very politely told that the party was really a mellower, mystical trancey feel and could he please resume the music he was playing before?! Ah, we missed that one! We were off dancing in Disorient, one of the NYC theme camps on the esplanade... "Memories! Like the corners of our minds!!!" Can you believe this? Here I am, going through memory lane about Burning Man last year! Because we're not there THIS year!!! Whatever! So, this is the Wednesday of the one week a year of Burning Man. Burn on Burners!!! They even have wireless internet in the Center Camp Cafe! There was a super funny article in a paper called The Onion that was all about how no one showed up for Burning Man this year! I read it over internet and coffee today at our local Starbucks and was laughing hysterically because I thought," Wow! We didn't go and no one else did either! Ha ha ha!!! Didn't miss a thing I guess! Whew!" and then, I was told that The Onion is a paper that runs farce stories. Well, I of course sent it around to some friends, two of which are at Burning Man right now and are organizers of it! Signing off for now, Jessica Star

Monday, August 25, 2003

Entry #54

Now, this is another strange font! I'm back home in Manhattan! I got back on Saturday night just after midnight. It took forever to get from JFK airport back to our apartment in the city! It's SO different here than in Northern California, which is one main reason I like it. We walked around for a good eight hours yesterday (Sunday) and went to the East Village for the "Howl Festival". Howl was a poem written by Allen Ginsberg and it shocked the world!!! Ah, the Bohemians! There's a good rentable video on the Bohemian movement which preceeded the hippy movement. I'm sure that I'm an offshoot of both. Well, it's back to my music career here! I love being bi-coastal! Someday, I'll be international! For right now, I'm getting the two places I love the most~ Northern California and New York City! Burning Man officially started today! We're not there so, it must be perfect right? This is a really sparse time here in the city. A lot of folks leave this place for the last two weeks of August. It's not as hot and muggy as I've been told it can get. I feel like I'm moving about as slow as a slug! That's Northern California compared to Manhattan! Alright, from the Upper West Side, I say Farewell! Jessica

Thursday, August 21, 2003

Entry #53

Hey folks! I'm still in Northern California in Sebastopol! This is a strange font,eh? We spent the morning watching,"Sex in the City" and then went to Hardcore coffee to be hardcore and drink their coffee! I had one cup and I was going for two but, never drank the second one... I did still have it about 7 hours later(thinking I would drink it cold!). Anyway, it's very mellow here~that's probably why I really like to drink coffee here! Hardcore is not your average cup of Joe either. Hwy.116 and Bloomfield Road- just remember that if you ever happen into a town called Sebastopol... Then, we went walking through Armstrong Woods in Guerneville... Armstrong woods was saved by Colonel Armsrong back in 1909 and it's a giant grove of Redwoods that are over 1300 years old. It's a beautiful walk. It was warm out and the sky above the tall trees was bright blue. Giant stumps from ancient trees fallen over with exposed roots~giant roots. Life is unique here. It's unique to this place. I miss New York and my life there. I miss Northern California when I'm in New York! I guess this will keep me bi-coastal! I'm more tan than I've been in a year! We do tend to gather together here and celebrate often. I like this place. Jessica

Monday, August 18, 2003

Entry #52

Hey y'all! I write from Sebastopol, California! I lived here for nine years before I moved to New York City. I spent the past week up in a mountain town in Northern California. I think I have about a week left here on the west coast before I fly back to New York. I feel refreshed and I'm starting to miss Manhattan. Just tonight I was thinking how I can't just go down to the corner deli that's open 24 hours... Things are great, I don't have much to write. Jessica

Wednesday, August 13, 2003

Entry #51

It's so mellow and relaxing here! Alright, the first weekend I was in Northern California, I went to the Sebastopol flea market both Saturday and Sunday, early and scored hard! "The early bird gets the worm" is definitely true for the flea market! Birkenstocks for $3.00!!! There was a moment I had sitting in a friend's garden, barefoot in the grass when I  felt the bottom of my feet relax! Makes sense, right? I've been walking around in the city with cement under my feet for nine months! Ah, nature! I have a gig on Friday night up in Ashland, Oregon at a friend's restaurant called," Jazbo Lounge". Ashland is a very cool town. It's all about Shakespeare there. Visit if you ever get the chance! They put on fantastic live productions! Alright, from the Northern reaches of California... Oh, and it looks to me like I won't be going to Burning Man this year! Maybe I should celebrate that as much as I celebrate going to Burning Man! Just for kicks! I feel absolutely no pull to be there this year! It's a strange thing not to feel because this would be my 7th year! Ah well, it hasn't happened yet! Cheers, Jessica Star

Tuesday, August 12, 2003

Entry #50

Good early morning from Northern California and (1:30am pst~ 4:30am est)...Yep, I went to the beach that I missed and it was the weekend so, I walked on it and dug the ocean but, after tasting a little bit of space, I had to completely get away from all people... I went to a much less populated beach a little further north on the 1 that has a gnarly cliff that most wouldn't consider a nice path to the beach so, I went. It was glorious... Everyone needs there own space without anyone else to focus on. It feels so incredibly good just to let my mind melt while I'm listening to the ocean and looking at seals drying themselves on a giant rock surrounded by the Pacific. I can feel layers of city energy just sliding off of me. It is very cool. Musically speaking, I played at a friends' wedding last Saturday night... It was a midnight wedding on the almost full moon so, I sang one of my songs," Full Moon Rising" which we called," Midnight Wedding"! I played with Gregg Tilles on electric lead guitar. There were these absolutely deeeelicious truffles! They were very small and chocolate... MMMmmmmm!!!! Jessica

Tuesday, August 05, 2003

Entry #49

I cancelled the show today at Dag Hammarskjold due to predictions of thunder storms scattered throughout the day! And then it didn't even rain!!! That's how it goes though, right? If we would have been there playing, most likely the rain would have been torrential! Tomorrow I fly to Oakland, California for three weeks out there! I'm so excited! There's one particular beach I need to spend some quality time on, the same place I wrote," The Ocean". on the fringe of Black Rock (http://www.burningman.com) Jessica Star

Sunday, August 03, 2003

Entry #48

Today I recorded again with Raviv and we put some ad-lib harmonies on to the song," Letter  To Freedom" that we recorded about a month and a half ago. We recorded up in Harlem at his studio. Next Tuesday I play again at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza near the United Nations at lunch time with Chris Carter, Ivan Bodley, and Kenny Soule, weather permitting! Wednesday I fly to Oakland, California to rest, rejuvenate, caffeinate (at Hardcore in Sebastopol), congregate with my groovy friends, and lose myself in the wild. I think Burning Man could make it onto my calendar this year... Ah,  New York has been "fantastic" to me since I've been here. I come back in early September and will have shows coming up in the City and on Long Island! So yes, Burning Man... Usually I spend a good deal of my time during the year thinking about Burning Man. This year, I've been living my dream~ big time and haven't thought much about our little (30,000) city in the desert of Black Rock, Nevada... I feel fine with it, I've been creating a bit of an "all-year-long" playa experience being here in Gotham. There are concerts in the park every weekend, street performers, ah, I  know it's not Black Rock but, people here know how to have a good time and do it with style! Believe me east and west coast alike, I am soooooo excited  to be in Northern California! I'll get to realize just how much my time here in Gotham has changed me! Experiment in motion!!! Farewell reader! Jessica Star

Friday, August 01, 2003

Entry #47

It's Friday morning, and I do mean morning! It's about 5am and I just got home from Southampton where I played a show with Bobby and Joanne Nathan and their band! I took the Long Island Railroad out and back and read some Robert Jordan," Wheel of Time" on the way. I realized I'd already read the ninth book only on my way back to the city. Have you read any of that series? Pretty good stuff. The show was at Eli's? I'll have to check on that name but, it is a really cool restaurant that serves Cajun food among other things. Very yummy food! We played from 8:30pm to about 1am with me playing and singing," Me and Bobby McGee" solo acoustic for a request at the tail-end! We played with Gary and Mario of Sam Taylor's band. Sam Taylor is a legend. Gary and Mario rock as do Bobby and Joanne Nathan! Next week I fly to Northern California for about three weeks! It's so funny how much I missed it when I wasn't sure if I could go visit and now that I have my flight booked, I'm thinking and feeling how much I'll miss being here! I do think that this is my new home! Ah well, it's good for the soul to go be by itself and reflect on it's current state, right? To all the homeless people out there...   Jessica