Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Entry #167

On Monday night, I went into Euphoria Studios with Jared Booty, Dave Dawson, and Justin Wallace and filmed 5 cover tunes. Pietro Rotondo recorded us. THANK YOU gentlemen! We did Complicated by Avril Lavigne, You were meant for me by Jewel, I hate myself for loving you by Joan Jett, Crush by Jennifer Paige, and Time of your life by Green Day. It was fun. We recorded at Euphoria Studios in Manhattan from 10pm-  to about 12:45 am. Justin was doing us a favor by sitting in on bass and he did a bang up job! They all rocked it.  I have been reading a book that I picked up at a stoop sale here in Brooklyn called, Native New Yorkers. It is about the Algonquin Indians who lived right here in N.Y.C. and all over New York State for up to 9,000 years before the Dutch arrived in 1524. Apparently there were up to 15,000 living in the five burrows of NYC and they had nearly no negative impact on the land. One thing they did not have back then though was the ability to make their own gravy! (Gravy is the stuff that drips on you from the air-conditioners in the windows above when you are walking down the street on a hot muggy day!) Anyway, I am thoroughly enjoying the book. It is really making me look at the land differently, knowing that there is so much history here and that a lot of the history has just been cemented over.   until next time,   Jessica  

Monday, June 20, 2005

Entry #166

The idea is to make it look effortless; the reality is that if it were that easy, everyone would be a rock star. I think it is pretty funny when someone who has never even been in a band wonders why it is so hard to keep a band together or heck, why there is any difficulty at all in doing this music dream. If I just tell myself that it is ALL hard and frustrating but at least when I am doing music, I am doing what I love, then when it becomes synchronistic it is like a fresh breeze (unlike the breeze that blows up through the subway grates in the street(egads!) Yes, there are many moments of grace but if you go thinking that all of life should be easy like that and fun why, that is when the hard and complicated stuff comes up and bites you in the backside.   ~Jessica  

Thursday, June 16, 2005

Entry #165

Whoa! We just rode through the big, huge, splashy rain drops and thunder! We were on our bikes and man, did it start POURING! That is part of a New York City springtime. Nice big wet drops of rain to completely soak us to the bone as we rode all of 14 city blocks!  Yesterday we took a bike ride down in the Red Hook district of Brooklyn and through Carroll Gardens and got some nice exercise. Then we went to the Park Side Lounge and heard some excellent Reggae and I got up on stage and sang! It was F.U.N. As I write my hair is dripping down my back. I should be drying off and instead, I am documenting!   Jessica

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Entry #163

We played an afternoon concert at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza yesterday afternoon. I played with Dave, Jared, and Byrne. Thank you to all of you who came out to hear us! Yes, it was hot right in the blazing sun but we had a blast. We tried out a few of the new cover tunes and people were digging it.  It is very hot here these days; hot AND muggy! You would think it was already August, but no it is just the very beginning of summer. My backyard is amazing! I planted flowers in all these different colors and kinds, seeds for flowers, and GRASS! Yep, I hand tilled the dirt that WAS our backyard and spread grass seed and watered it religiously. Now we have an amazing yard filled with color!   ~Jessica