Weekend Update

So the blog posts have been few and far between these days. I've been working longer, most stressful hours, leaving less time for self-indulgent practices like blogging. However, I have the weekend off, I'm in San Diego visiting with Dara's Dad who flew out here on Friday, and everyone's asleep. Let me write a few sentences before I fall asleep myself (or put you, dear reader, to sleep also).

As I've said, work has been extremely busy. As this happens, I start to ask myself questions. Has it always been this busy and I just didn't notice? Does everyone else have a job as chaotic as mine? I have some friends (I'm thinking of you Rich) whose work involves long, grueling hours spent out in the cold, lovingly installing the windows of corporate jerks, then driving home for two hours. And, I have some friends whose work is easy, rewarding, and high-paying. Sometimes I feel that, for all the blood, sweat and tears I pour into my work, I should be making seven figures. Other times I think of people like Rich and I'm shamed into putting down my head and pressing on, grateful that I don't have to lift 100-lbs of glass up three flights of stairs in the winter. I guess I don't mind working hard, or working often... it's the stress that comes from deadlines, and from the ever-present possibility (and even probability) of failure. I don't like that my job keeps me up at night. I like challenging work, but I like to keep it at work, and not at home. We'll see if I can work out a happy medium.

In other news, I went to another Jon Brion/Largo show last night. Last night's show was very important to me because Largo is moving down the street from its current location (into a larger, theatre-style building), and last night was probably my last chance to experience wunderkind Jon Brion, before I have to do so elsewhere. Largo is a legendary club in L.A. and I didn't want to pass up this last opportunity. Also, I brought along a musician friend of mine who hadn't see JB perform, and I just knew he was going to love the show!

Unfortunately, the trip to L.A. was a chaotic one. Traffic wasn't great (what, L.A. traffic on a Friday night was slow? Seriously?), and I took a few detours that beat up my car somewhat. After a slew of cursing and swearing that flowed like a stream-of-consciousness Alan Ginsberg poem, I calmed down. But I think I freaked Ryan (aforementioned musician) right out.

We arrived at Largo somewhat tense, but still in high spirits. My brother-in-law Larry, and his friend (and mine) Bobby showed up afterward and we were ushered in the door.

For the uninitiated, Largo is a soup-nazi-like place which produces an incredible product (music, not soup), but makes you jump through certain hoops to get it, and won't take any bullshit from anyone in the process. And the process goes like this: before you get in the door, turn your cell phone off. If they see you playing with it (texting, talking, etc...) they'll kick you out. Once you get inside, (try to have exact change), you sit at a table and eat the crappy food they give you without complaint (or they'll kick you out). As you sit there (this is a recent addition to the agony of the ritual you have to do to see a Largo show), they increase the volume on the music exponentially, so that you are (without any exaggeration) screaming at the top of your lungs to talk to someone less than one foot away from you. But after all the bad food is cleared away and the beer is settled happily in your stomach, Jon Brion comes on. 

I've already gushed on and on about the brilliance of Jon Brion in previous posts, so I won't do it here, but suffice it to say, it was a good show. No, a great show (as always). My friend Ryan was able to adequately sum up Jon's performance (in relation to his, and my song writing). "After watching Jon play, I feel like my music is like painting with primary colors." (He's American so I left the "u" out). And that's exactly it. Such brilliance; such wonderful, subtle depth to his playing. So many hidden shades that colour the music in beautiful ways. Another great Jon Brion show.

And so here I am in San Diego, in a pull out couch, listening to my stomach gurgle as it gets more and more upset that I asked for medium-rare steak, instead of medium-well. Sorry, stomach, it just tastes better that way. I'm sure you understand.