woke up to a foggy overcast day at the casa in Oakland. maybe last night was so fun we stole all of the sunshine? the show at Smythe’s Accordion Shop was amazing. It was also Oakland’s big Art Murmur night so parking was totally problematic and panic inducing. I’m a get there early kinda gal and when it’s 5 minutes to when we’re supposed to be onstage and I’m still hunting for parking (and have been for 40 mintues) it gets to me. a lot. but the whole band arrived in time for our set and then our set got moved back - like these things do - but it meant that I got to be gotten in the performing mood (and out of the panic mood) by seeing one of the Zydepunks, and a wild Afro Brazilian Cuban Fusion three piece band, and this great guy Dorian from LA who felt like musical theater and folk punk came together in one loud musical mosh pit of passion. People were dancing, the room smelled like sweat and joy, there were children, brownies and free beer. My bandmate got shown an actual homemade steam engine in the back and I laughed harder than in a long time. Our set was maybe the best we’ve ever had. Mostly acoustic with one mic we just laid it all out there. I had sweat dripping off of my nose while we banged out solos and jams and murder ballads and it just felt GOOD.
Post show we lost a couple of folks to the hunger demons and so I threw the accordion onto my back and me and my lady and Sizzle the fiddle player decided to walk around and see if anything was still going on. We listened to the jazz band outside of the Ethiopian place, we walked by sidewalks thick with tattoos and smiles and watched folks dance in springtime rituals around a tuba band. Every corner we turned had more music. More people. Most of the galleries had closed up so after about 30 minutes and realizing that any bar in the neighborhood would be packed with seekers like us we got to the car and drove over to Jack London Square. Our destination was Merchants but it was decided that since neither Sizzle nor Rooster had been to Heinolds First and Last Chance Saloon - the ~130 year old bar that Jack London used to frequent - we went there first. I love that place. We put our quarters in the old hand crank movie machine (also ~130 years old), we drank our whiskey, we giggled at all of the A’s fans hanging out post game and soaked up the feeling of a perfect night. Our last drink though had to be at Merchants - a tradition for Sizzle and I. We got there and they’ve started a remodel so much of the charm is lost and the wonderful custom classes were replaced with plastic cups. We still got room in one of the booths and talked film, art, bands, friendships, dynamics, life and everything in between.
When the clock tolled we made sure to get our Cinderfella to BART so he could return to his Castro sanctuary and then made our own way home. Even now - after a nights sleep and waking up to the cold fog - I’m high on last night. Epicly memorable.
And this doesn't even get to yesterday day time - where I got to have Bourbon/Cornflake Ice Cream with a scoop of Iced Coffee ice cream, walk around the mission a little bit, get some cute buttons from Needles & Pens and then try (in vain) to put my feet in the water at Jack London Square - all with
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onefastmove .
Or Thursday nights goodbye dinner at Ti Couz with
fightingwords and
muy_macha and the ridiculous of the peach compote & white chocolate crepe.
Or the Wednesday night dinner at
muy_macha 's brothers with the bbq'd salmon and so many stars and jasmine smells and friendly squirrels.
Or the Tuesday coffee and park and sunshine and smiling and life talk with
postmaudlin .
people. it's been a good damn week.
today is brunch and hopefully band practice. i like this trend.
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