Turn it around

LA made last night so incredible. I mean, people were there! I wasn't sure that happened out here. Also, someday I will have to take a photo of the eight foot difference between Ronnie, one of my VQ bass predecessors, and myself. Hilarious. A nice young fella took pictures, viewable here. He thinks we play pop punk ska songs. I might disagree.

Also, Bear Hands and Adam Bones + Ari Shine opened. Totally fun pop from opposite ends of the spectrum (my spectrum in this case ranging from traditionally accessible to, well, Brooklyn). However, and I'm not naming any names here, but for the record, it's incredibly poor etiquette to rest your sweating beverage on the other band's equipment, like an Orange amplifier, for example. It leaves a puddle. We know you did it. Liquids and amps are a risk you really ought to leave up to the people who own them. Thanks.

Anyway, we've been totally spoiled crashing with our friend Edward in Santa Monica. 

He has pretty much everything the Replacements ever did on vinyl...

Bet you've never even heard "Nowhere Is My Home." Oh, and he has that Bruce Willis record you see beneath the Replacements here. Pure poetry.

Off to San Francisco in a few short moments. Trip will likely pause for some Andersen's pea soup, but then we're playing at the Hemlock tonight and I'm hanging out with Brendan! Yay!

Nu bruises.

I tripped on my guitar stand in the middle of a song in Santa Cruz the other night and I'm still finding new bruises. This is the real reason I wear tights.

Updates that I haven't made:

A lot of incredibly scenic driving. The most gorgeous pee I've taken happened behind the fallen tree you see here:

Then we stayed at this lovely hotel. It was karaoke night. I couldn't stay upright for laughing so much.

Smiley breakfast.

But then the weather got crappy jut in time for us to go play in Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz, home of the bruises. It was seriously just cold and raining. Good thing we left Seattle when it was sunny.

Yesterday we played an in-store at Amoeba in Hollywood as the toned-down trio version of Visqueen. Just Barb, Rachel and me. We'd never performed that way before, and it's a little bit nerve-wracking when you're used to being loud and bouncy.

I got all nostalgic about living in Hollywood, especially when a kid I went out with twice when I was 19 showed up, gave the smile of recognition while I was on stage and then didn't say hi. That's cool, I only introduced you to Singles AND Baraka. People, be nice and say hello, please! Justice had the courtesy of trying to play personal shopper for me when they set me loose on the store with $50 of credit. I kind of ignored him and made off with Otis Redding, Ethiopiques and Thurston Moore (and change, which will soon be used on Ladyhawke).

I know this is not new, but I squeed nonetheless:

After my shopping spree/squeefest, it was off to Alex's Bar (or, if you're ridiculous like I am, Fangtasia) to play with Steve Soto and the Twisted Hearts (who absolutely blow my mind).

I found myself on the bathroom wall:

I don't know who this artist is, but I was absolutely smitten with their work.

WHEW. A lot of catch-up. Sorry about that. I'll try to be better. We are finally spending a day not driving, which is exceptionally great as we're at a friend's place in Santa Monica and the sun's come back out. Tonight we're playing at Spaceland with Bear Hands, and I'm so excited. I hope to see some good folks there! Tomorrow we're playing a "secret" show at the Hemlock in San Francisco. Please, please, please come say hi or tell your friends to!

Don't be afraid of the luxury.

Sooo.... Visqueen is on tour. Welcome to California! Tonight we are staying here:

and digesting deep-fried shark pieces:

Last night we played at Mississippi Studios in Portland, OR with two great Seattle bands, Hey Marseilles

(stoked to play with them again in Seattle on March 5th! Cute cellist!) and Black Whales!

We couldn't believe how many people came to the show and were absolute sweethearts. We were still losing our minds about it in the van today. This morning we had breakfast with friends at the Doug Fir before we went on the adventure that was trying to find I-5 south. There were whole (DELICOUS) cloves of garlic in my Blackbird Scramble!

Tomorrow we head toward Santa Cruz. We'll be playing there with a band called Fainting Goats at the Catalyst on Tuesday night. All parties involved are super excited. Tell your Santa Cruz friends to come party!

Figuratively socked in the face, literally gushing blood.

This week is nutty. We're working out some beautiful new merch super last minute before we skip down the coast on Saturday, music video discussions and progress, played with Sloan and the Tripwires at the Croc last night under a pseudonym. Shhhh....

The mirror in the bathroom backstage, just making an observation.

Today I decided to hang out with my mom since I was gone for my birthday, have hardly seen her since I got back and am about to leave again. We visited our friend Iris at her restaurant Thanh Vi (the one on the U-District, Seattle folks). She always feeds us so well! We had Vietnamese coffee (which I'd bathe in if I could), spring rolls (my favorite I've had anywhere. If I get a craving for them out of town, I'm S.o.L. until I'm in Seattle)...

...mango salad with shrimp...

...and chicken!

Stay wide eyed.

I'm 23 now, my favorite number. As a kid, I used to come up with fake birth dates to pretend I was 23. I also genuinely believed I would be 23 when I got married. While I suppose that's not entirely out of the question, it's highly unlikely and of little concern when 23 began with a mad dash across a Safeway parking lot in Ellensburg, WA, triumphant for getting there and out literally a minute before they closed, French berry lemonade, PBR and laughter with an amazing band family in a warm motel room, crossing two state lines and playing to a crowd who sang along and jumped up and down. See? The life I want is actually very simple; it's just not the kind that I knew how to imagine before.

(What do I want then? I want to be a musician and artist with a great community of friends and family who does something brave and beautiful that helps other people feel brave and beautiful. That's not to say I don't want to be in love. On the contrary, my heart's open like a Jersey diner. I just am finding that I don't aspire to a lot of the traditional things I grew up imagining and being able to relate to cheesy romantic comedies for. I think love might be too infinite for that... but it could be a phase I'm going through.)

Anyway... So far my happiest birthdays have been the ones when I get to play shows. We had a couple of them this weekend in Ellensburg and Missoula (both fun!). In Missoula (Saturday night, my actual birthday), I was presented with champagne, a huge, delicious chocolate cake and a card. I have the most wonderful band family - I almost cried! Thank you so much for the best birthday!

So sweet!

Unlike in Seattle, I guess in Missoula you can drink on stage. I brought my leftovers to the merch table. Waste not, want not!

This was on the door of the stall I happened to choose in the ladies bathroom. I love TacocaT! They were playing with Vivian Girls in Seattle the same night.

The folks putting on the show put us up in a nice hotel with super comfy beds! We wanted to hitch the place to the back of our van and take it with us. Plus, our room number added up to 13! Cool!

We leave for tour this week... I'm excited to get back out and see everyone!