Saturday, January 31, 2004

Entry #96

  Yesterday was Friday the 30th of January and I had rehearsal with my band or, the part of it that is together right now. I was impressed! I’ve got Dave Dawson on drums and a new bassist named Greg Zweibel. We’re working in a guitarist/flutist/saxophone player named Jarred Booty who plays all over the city with his own band. The rehearsal was fun and we played for three hours. Then I went home on the subway wolfing down some delicious Indian food and got ready for my gig with Bobby Nathan’s band out in the southern most part of Brooklyn, Sheepshead Bay at a Russian restaurant and dance club called Dom Kulturi.    I took the Q train there, got off and looked for a cab… No apparent cabs anywhere (they were disguised as regular cars but I did not know this) so, I took a 20 minute walk to the club while talking on my cel phone to my former bassist, Brian Gryczan, who lives in sunny Arizona! It was FREEZING COLD outside and my thighs were freezing off under my supposedly warm leather pants! I got there, said hi to everyone in the band, put on my cool kitten-heeled boots and we rocked the house! It was a cool place and the Russian people, young and old were dressed to the nines and having a good time dancing! I got the subway back to Manhattan at 4am and probably should have taken one of those disguised cabs. It was a little gnarly riding back. I was actually a little uncomfortable. It’s not always the safest thing to be a little white girl at 4am in Brooklyn on the subway, sad as that is. So, I again froze my tail off as I waited for the 1-9 train at 42nd street. I was actually shaking! I was very tired too! They make their own vodka there at Dom Kulturi and I got to have a taste!   Next Saturday is the debut of my new band formation and we’ll play for about 45 minutes at The C Note in the East Village… It’s going to be fun. Alright, ‘nough said, thanks again for reading! You might want to read Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road”~ it’s very inspiring!   Jessica  

Wednesday, January 21, 2004

Entry #95

Tonight was a ROCKIN' night of knitting! Me and the Gals got together and stitched it up! It's the funniest thing! Knitting is BIG in NYC! I'm currently working on a sweater that has me slightly confounded but I seem to be making my way through it and learning a lot on my way! Touching in with the ancient roots of weavers in my lineage! I know not their names but their experience comes through my hands and needles, right into my weave!   Jessica Star

Monday, January 19, 2004

Entry #94

We just got back from Northern New Jersey and a little time out of the city which is always nice! Like you'd imagine, when I leave the city I can feel my whole being relax and I almost need to take a nap because I'm so relaxed and then we come back and WHAM! Back on the subway with people begging for money and all those people! Yep, you get to relax and only to feel yourself tense right back up. Well, it snowed out there in Jersey and it was beautiful! Just a few words, Jessica Star

Saturday, January 17, 2004

Entry #93

     I’m preparing for my show on February 7th at The C Note in the East Village. I really feel like this one is going to be great! Next week I’m shooting a video for my song,” Better Left Unsaid”! I met the producer/director/camera man, Pietro Rotondo, at the B.B. Kings show we played last year for Talent Magazine and now, we’re going to make my first video!!! What am I thinking about? What am I going to wear?!?! Fun stuff to think about! I think my white Polar Bear looking Betsy Johnson faux fur coat is going to make an appearance! “Better Left Unsaid” was written in regards to the day after drinking too much at a bar and remembering that you told all of your most hidden secrets to someone you just met and don’t even know their name! “Because talking is just yakking’ to the wind and it’s alright when you’re in the company of a friend but, when mingling you better hold back instead because some things are better left unsaid!” Yep, ye olde Silver Peso days (a biker bar that still exists in a little town that used to be real swinging with rock and rollers and is now the only real funky reminder amidst upscale houses and lots o’money!) back in Larkspur, California!!! That’s where Janis Joplin lives before she died along with Quick Silver Messenger Service, Bill Graham, Huey Lewis, Terry and The Pirates and Ed Early!!! More on that later!    Yes, along with the freezing cold of the New York winter, I feel the determination of my inner artist and survivor busting out and venturing forward while the 20 below wind sends its numbing fingers over and into any part of the body that isn’t covered for protection! And that, my vegan friends, is what fur is for!   Stay warm and remember, Burning Man is only about seven months away!!!   Love, Jessica 

Sunday, January 11, 2004

Entry #92

I just wanted to let you know that if you want to see more pictures of my gigs or hear a song that I recorded called,"Letter To Freedom" with a friend of mine named Raviv, just click on this link! http://www.BenjaminSanders.com , it should bring Ben's website up while you still have my site up! Enjoy! Jessica

Entry #91

I’m back! It took me a few days to finish the last entry but, here it is and more! It is about 5 degrees outside right now here in NYC and it feels it! Wow. We just came back from Northern California where it was balmy and beautiful and now it’s             WINTER!!! Well, it was so cold that the mascara I was wearing today got all this condensation on it and it came off like liquid! You really get to see a different part of your personality when it’s cold like this. The survival mentality comes out a bit. I felt really bad for the homeless people today.   Yes, it’s a late night (early morning) rambling session brought to you by yours truly! Do you know I live in the middle of an island of shopping? Everywhere there are stores and ways to spend and make money. Along with this shopping are all these crazy artists, and then there’s the people you see everywhere playing the,” I’m more serious than you are” game, yes, some of these people never smile and never relax! Yes, that’s how you know I really do live here! There are all of these different ways to think about your life and the world around you. I’m still happy to be here, even if it’s below freezing!   My Grandfather traveled to California with his brother back in about 1935 from Messina, New York which is way upstate and colder than the city. They decided to get out of there because it was 17 degrees below freezing for a month straight! Apparently, they hitch-hiked and eventually joined up with a traveling circus as dung shovelers! That’s how they made it to California. I think it’s ironic that I should decide to move from California to NYC, switching back from the West Coast to the East Coast! I think I’ll probably check out Europe too! Why not take the roots all the back to where they originated from? We humans are a strange and wonderful (at times) species.   I wish there was a good way to live where you really didn’t need money or all this commerce. People are so stressed out about money! I’ve been extremely lucky in my adult life in the way that I feel I’ve been able to not be stressed about money for a lot of my life, or at least, money and the acquisition of it have never been my prime motives for the choices I’ve made…   Alright, so what’s going on musically? I’m learning my fiddle! I’m passionate about it! I’m excited to put a new band together and make money playing music (ah, there I go thinking about money)! Last night we went to a club called Luxia and I ALMOST sang with Jerry Vivino and his band (Jerry leads the Conan O’Brian Band). I did sing in the ear of Lou Soloff (who is a fantastic trumpet player and I believe he’s pretty famous because I’ve heard of him) while he played along with my acoustic voice! The guys from their entourage and band recognized me from when I sang at the A&M Roadhouse with Jerry’s brother, Jimmy Vivino. Now, those were both cool nights. Those brothers are excellent musicians and band leaders and it was really fun to be onstage with Jimmy. I’m also very excited about my show coming up at The C Note! It’s Saturday, February 7th at 7pm and I really feel that it’s going to be great! Hee hee hee!!!  Okay, for those of you who asked me to update my travel log, there you go! Now I’m going to try to enter this log and see if it takes! Stay warm and may your belly quake with giddy laughter often!   Jessica Star  

Monday, January 05, 2004

Entry #88

Happy New Year everyone!!! Let me start by saying that at this very moment, I feel absolutely optimistic about this coming year! I know that it takes diligence and focus to make things happen in our lives so, I wish us all much of it mixed with hope, fun, prosperity, health and LOVE!!!  We just flew in early this morning from Northern California where we spent Christmas and New Years! Christmas brought us up to Mt. Shasta, California where I have some family and it was awesome! It snowed like clock work on Christmas Eve! My sister made a little snowman and we were merry! We took a lot of pictures and video with our digital camera. That thing is very useful! For New Years, we went up to Willits, California up in Mendocino County and partied in the hills with the locals and some more New Yorkers! We had DJ decks and the music was spinning! It was really fun and so good for our spirits! Then, we headed back to Sebastopol and the famed Hardcore Coffee shop on Bloomfield and Hwy.116 for a little lift! We went to my favorite spot on the coast~ North Salmon Creek Beach in Bodega Bay… I love it there. I think it’s my absolute favorite spot on the entire planet.   I'll write the rest in the next entry!   J Star