Potentially Interesting Places #6

I don't know how, but I think the PIP day has moved to Wednesday. Or it's trying to. Bugger.

This week, at my friend Valerie Brogden's request, I sang "I Don't Want You" at Casa Que Pasa in Bellingham. For those who don't know, that's her in the black jacket at the table behind me:


Songs in Potentially Interesting Places #6 from Cristina Bautista on Vimeo.

This song was one of of a few written stream-of-consciousness style on a train between Barcelona and Paris about three years ago. There was a month or so that I spent traveling alone, I think to explore the world outside of me after the one in my head had been shaken up. Paris to Barcelona was the last train ride of that trip, and by that point, cliche as I know this seems, there was a sense of perspective, fire and looming liberation... if that makes any sense.

Regarding Casa Que Pasa, if you've never been and are ever in Bellingham, it's one of my favorites. Jackson (of BOAT and Two Sticks Audio) introduced me to Casa when I was 14 and we played in a band called Paxil Rose together. In fact, he introduced me to Bellingham... I remain attached in many ways. Those are some of my B'ham friends - Fiona, Joe (of So Adult) and Valerie (Connecticut Four, Mechanical Dolls, general badassery all over the place) - at the table behind me. I love them and we had just stuffed our faces together. Valerie and I split a rancho burrito that she requested have "so much sauce that it's borderline disgusting." Yum!

OH! Also! Since I did five videos on the ukulele, I'm now doing five on the guitar. Let me know if there's anything you'd like to see or hear!

Potentially Interesting Places #5

Oh man. Technical difficulties were all over the place yesterday. Finally got the video up today! Jeeeeeez.

I've decided that every 5th video will be a cover. I'm making up all kinds of fun additional challenges here. Every 5 videos, maybe a new theme or instrument or something! What do you think? This being my fifth, I chose to cover my favorite song in the whole world,  Modern English's "I Melt With You." No matter where I am or what I'm doing, I'll stop if the song comes on. I mean, I'll even pull my car over half the time. So... here's my version of "I Melt With You" performed in the Georgetown P-Patch in Seattle, WA. It doesn't have the rolling toms I love in the original version, but it is dedicated to Adam Smith (who encouraged me to sing in an IHoP at midnight). "You've seen the difference..."

Songs in Potentially Interesting Places #5 from Cristina Bautista on Vimeo.

Potentially Interesting Places #4

Sooo.... I'm a whole day late with it this week. I swear, I'll get my stuff together. Someday. However, this one was filmed at midnight or so in an IHoP, so imagine the hilarity. Just imagine. I did break one of my rules about not having a friend hold the camera for this video, but I'm not sure how my consequence system works for that kind of thing yet. Maybe every time I break a rule, you guys get to pick the next song?

Anyway, here's my song "Independent Together" at the IHoP on Madison in Seattle, WA. I have a few memories there. Late night coffee and side dishes, being called to pick up and escort a friend out of the place at roughly 5 AM.... Actually, maybe it's just those two. This song was the counterpart to "Once Electric." It's kind of about finding out that it might be time to give up the chase, and it's full of trivial references to things I was reading at the time. Prairie voles are maybe the most commonly studied creatures when comparing human mating behavior to what goes on in the animal kingdom as they're one of few species that bond monogamously. Blue light is most efficient at cutting through fog. "Endless Summer" and The Knack are less efficient, but really good to have on vinyl nevertheless.


Songs in Potentially Interesting Places #4 from Cristina Bautista on Vimeo.

Potentially Interesting Places #3

It's a late one today, sorry! I decided to take it back a bit and play "Once Electric." This is a song I wrote on the ukulele that Connecticut Four adopted. We played it much louder. Since the first tour I ever went on was to the midwest and south with CT4 last year, I felt my heartstrings tugged at a little extra along this past Visqueen tour. (Sidenote, Rachel did some guest backing vocals on the Connecticut Four recording of this song!)

Today's Potentially Interesting Place was the Larsen Lake Blueberry Farm in Bellevue, WA. Challenges faced included: my cold I've been fighting off since Missoula, the super squishy and wet ground (I got some pretty epic wet-butt while trying to set up the camera), finding a place in a blueberry bush to hold a camera, and maybe this isn't so much a challenge, but a lot of folks walking past can get distracting. I imagine when people see someone playing ukulele and singing in a blueberry field it looks ridiculous, but the thing is... it is ridiculous. I'm ridiculous.

Aaaaaanyway...


Songs in Potentially Interesting Places #3 from Cristina Bautista on Vimeo.

"You're out of my life! ...except for forever!"

Potentially Interesting Places #2!

Vimeo is processing this week's video as I type this. We had some technical issues earlier. So it goes.

I made this one this morning before we left the Chicago Days Inn where we stayed last night. Apparently it's the "rock and roll" hotel of Chicago? That part's debatable, but we had an okay time and they treated us quite well. Since I received a comment last week about the noise, I thought I'd try to find a quiet place this week. I chose the hotel stairwell. I personally think this is one of the videos where the "I only get one take" thing is totally apparent, so that's... super comfortable for me [/sarcasm]. Also, I think you can hear it in the video - a person or two came into the stairwell on a lower level. I think they just hung out until I was done. 

Anyway, this song is called "Space Between" or "The Space Between" if you prefer. I know everyone writes dumb love songs, but this year I've been remapping my brain and heart a little bit, redefining my idea of love... so it is taking up a little extra space in the writing tank. It's evidenced in last week's song, "The Opposite of Love," as well as this one. "Space Between" was written in February about the sense of resignation that came with feeling committed to people who were perhaps terminally noncommittal. Please try not to mistake people who write songs for the characters who sing them; I'm not entirely convinced I work this way... anymore... I hope.

Songs in Potentially Interesting Places #2 from Cristina Bautista on Vimeo.