new orleans
how is it nevets?
its smelly thats for sure
loadsa overmade up women
with huge hair n loud voices
drunk people
dark bars selling shots n hurricanes
the (nauseating) smell of meat n fish cooking
live sex acts....bottomless...topless....sideless
t shirt shops
make levees not war
shady characters whisperin' in doorways
voodoo shops
full of charms, masks, skulls, talismans, philtres, spells
old black blues guys playin' on corners
the deafening sound of a hundred bars
full of a hundred geetar players
all playin' the same olde tired 12 bar jive
tourists in their pastel clothes
fat policemen with silly uniforms
a car pulls up n a pretty girl rolls down the window
whatcha lookin for honey?
a million answers go thru my mind
but i say
"nothin'"
i wander round to the house o blues where we be playing tonite
its fulla the jesus n mary n day o the dead iconographia
the dressing rooms are amazing
they really look after ya here
i guess theres about 10 h o bs in the u.s.
great venues...someone shoulda do one in sydney
the venues in the u.s. really know how to do it right
great catering, helpful attitudes
the americans invented show biz
i guess they should know what theyre doing
its so humid out on the street
im instantly drenched in sweat
boarded up houses
empty shops
tantalizing glimpses of cool courtyards
w/ boston ferns n magnolia
its a lot quieter than the other times i been here
i go up to check out the roof pool
full of drunk white middleclass yobbos
i guess i wont be doing my laps in there today
i feel like such an outsider
the omnipresence of the alcohol is sickening
a town fulla pissed people
n its only 6 oclock
rah rah rah
not much for me to eat here neither
actually not really my kinda place
i miss the clean dry desert
this whole place hassa naggresive vibe
my hotel is real nice
but the air cond is freezing my ballzoff
its hot n humid outside
in here its ice station zebra
i dunno
i sounda bit negatori today dont i
nevermind we got our hands on some nice jazz records
and i do think i might give one of em a listen real soon
apparently not many tickets sold tonite
i guess the people who liked us mighta all moved out after
katrinas big blow job
i resist buying a t shirt that says
im surrounded by fucking idiots
i figure the other fellas mightnt like it....(whatta diplomat!)
anyway
thats it
i love ya
sk
Followers
46 comments:
Whadda yer lookin' for?
Hey - one of those million ideas - peace love and understanding - What's so funny about this?
The desecration of sacred sex is one of most horrid spectacles on the planet - On the other hand at least prostitution is better than havin' rockets blowin yer leg off.
Love from Candelo
Flowerpower
The higher the hair, the closer to God, as the saying goes in the South
I hoped and feared for New Orleans. Building a city below sea leavel in a hurrican zone - not too smart. One either admires human spirit or dispairs human stupidity.
People there should welcome The Church bringing them fine entertainment after their trials and tribbulations, but sounds like
they are too drunk to notice even their own folly
what a shame. my hometown is in shambles. (well, it's been headed that way for a while, katrina just accelerated the process....)
the idiots left behind don't know what they are going to miss tonight at hob. (was it you that told me in dallas last night that the people in the n.o. who liked the church left and the people who stayed behind hated you? or was it someone else? forgive me~~with my exhaustion-fogged brain i don't remember.)
oh well. play your hearts out anyway. the ones who do come tonight know what the rest of us do!!
lotza love....
well, some of us are here and we are in the know. new orleans is limping, and of course the first thing back in force is tourism. people apparently love being able to walk around with a beer in hand and piss at will and on whim. i imagine the attendance will be slight but we try to make you feel welcome. we are on our way; see you soon.
The aftermath of Katrina, most of us are still scratching our heads, asking why the plan never did add up: before in theory. During and after. Even now. After all this time.
I gave a sad person on the median five dollars the other day. Traveler? Homeless? Homeless + junkie? I never know if this is the right thing to do. I just knew I had four fivers in my wallet and my day only required two.
I'm so glad you still have some sweet thoughts about the desert, Mr. K. Last night the monsoon came on so strong. I didn't know that while I was burrowed deep in plum covers, enjoying its music in the back of the house, the ceiling in the livingroom was leaking. This morning I find the pile of new books I'd arranged on the coffee table only yesterday...it's all mush. How lucky I had taken my brand-new copy of House of Leaves to bed with me!
The desert giveth. And she taketh away. And when it's simultaneous, it's almost too much.
Steve,
Wow. This kind of reminds me of Hollywood. Garish and depressing. And Hollywood doesn't even have the Katrina problem! I hope the show tonight makes up for it. I only wish you could know how insanely happy you've made so many people on this tour, including myself. Perhaps when the images are so distressing, you can close your eyes and imagine the energy of all that sheer joy you bring to people all over the world. :)
love,
denise
xxoo
me and me lady will be smoking our royal purple haze just for you tonight...thanks for the light shows as you make your way across me U.S.A.
mjnjr
Hi Steve-
Sorry your turn out is not so good there in NWALINZ, but it must be mostly tourist there who didn't even know some of the best space rockers on the planet would actually be there to grace them with their presence. Personally, I am not all that bothered about ever going there (New Orleans) especially after the devastation of Kat. I feel the same about Las Vegas as well, too much "whooo-hooo" for me. Give me San Diego, Tucson, Amsterdam, Sydney ANY day, hell, give me Chicago too, since I am here :)...for now! Glad to hear the tour is going well otherwise. I met Rob once back in Feb, great fella, had a feelin' you guys would be family. What I would give to hang out with the likes of that crew! Sorry you were potless as well, hope that is resolving itself soon. XANAX, what a foul hoot that shit is...nasty time I think. I am like you in that I would rather have God's Green any day. By the way, your friend's poem was awesome! Very cool. Well, as usual, all the best to you guys...
BV
New Orleans sounds like such a hot, grimey, smelly, noisy, crowded place sk, but when I was there 16 years ago I have to admit it seemed like such an exciting place for a girl from oz...how things change!
2 weeks of touring are over sk, well done, although it seems like you've been over there for 2 years for some reason. I can't believe you've being doing a 2 and 1/4 hour set for the Americans, how come we don't get spoilt like that!
Take care and love always,
Amanda P
Just keep saving up all of your energy for Chicago!! We love you up here!!
Steve,
am enjoying your travel writings from the States... Very evocative!
Keep it coming!
Steve,
Seems like you've really become hooked on the desert, amigo. Sure I can't convince you to join me next year in the Sahara? Gonna buy me a couple camels and head off into the empty places for a coupla months, fall off the map and forget myself for a while... finding the centre...
Great reports from the tour! Counting down the days to PA!
ryan
hi sk
re: refraining
from the purchase of the
im surrounded by fucking idiots
tshirt
i appreciate your
diplomacy ;) sk
as well as
your humor
sk
you are a
true gentle man
rock on
love
diane
I hope you find Cincinnati, dreary world of brick that it is, more to your liking. The theatre looks quite nice (and I lived there around 25 years ago).
I forgot to make this comment.
SK,
Sorry about the pool SK.
Thinking of you. 8am here in England. I'm off to ease a poor old strained groin back into use over a few laps in the wet stuff.
I'm enjoying reading about your travels. I've never been outside of Europe so it's fascinating.
love you more,
DaveM
New Orleans is certainly interesting to visit. I was fortunate to go there for the first time the year before the hurricane. I was surprised by how different it is than here (MN). I'm fascinated by the "haunted history" there, and my favourite parts of the trip were the walking tours of vampire and ghost sites. Anyway, hope you're enjoying the tour as best as you can, SK.
lily
sounds like ya need a shot of that there manuka honey .. i understand it comes highly recomended chock full of australian kitchen ant memories ,....
Ah nevets,
she is but a playground for ghosts
and they, more than anyone need a drink
a limbo land
of dizzy clarinets and boomshack pianos
serving as alarm clocks for sleep
I am sad that it doesnt appear to offer
a bit like drinking snake poison
it seems to kill in large amounts
but when taken moderately
it keeps yu the fuck alive
real good record shop there, Music factory upstairs
I wish as I type to include myself 2nite
but I am trapped in the CHI
nothing left but 2 sigh...
ahh she is drunk, dirty, sweaty and stoned
If you could hear her singing
Shit!!! yu got one hour!! anyone awake!!
go to Mimi's in the Marigny
Dj Soul sista is spinning the grooves
she is the ultimate...
she is the keeper of the mofo-ing funk
ahhhhh.. I wish those days would come back once more......
go on sk make some love tonite, she needs yu
she needs y'alls space voodoo
hell,, go to city park, Cafe Brasil, Maple leaf, tipitinas, Soul Rebels,
take a cruise thru the streets, Magazine st, St. Charles..hell go to the 9th ward
leave the quarter to the bourbons...
have a day.. some veg places there.. not 2 many tho, mediteraanean grub..
dont worry sk, when y'all awaken the spirits
she'll appreciate...
jaime r......
ya should git da shirt anyways-- ya don't haveta wear it
SK,
I really loved the show last night! You rocked the house! You gave everyone such a treat. Even though the crowd was kinda noisy (I apologize for that) we loved ya! The French Quarter may not be your kind of scene (many locals would be in agreement with you), but N.O. has many beautiful areas (that didn't flood either) so please consider coming back one day just to visit. Thanks so much for coming, for bringing your magic, your beauty, your brilliance, your enchantment. You gave your all, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to see you once again. I hope the rest of the tour goes well, but I am of course sad that I must say good-bye.
maybe a bit of yeats today
And the proud dreaming king who flung the crown
And sorrow away, and calling bard and clown
Dwelt among wine-stained wanderers in deep woods
or how about some sk?
Empty birdcage in her room
Shadows shrunk against the moon
No more pet canaries for me. I hate it when they fly out the window. tweeet tweet, goodbye.
What a vivid description, I can almost picture it
At one time I really wanted to go to New Orleans, they have a Jazz festival in May I believe,
and the history,
local lore (like that of Marie Laveau: the Voodoo Queen)
and ghost stories had always intrigued me
I won't rule it out completely but it's not at the top of my list at the moment
Looks as though you have a couple of days to yourself, hopefully to recharge a bit
being near the ocean should do the trick, it always does for me
I don't know what it is about the ocean (the sound and energy of the waves maybe), but I couldn't imagine living too far away from it
although lately I don't seem to get there often enough!
Look forward to reading your posts from FL!
xxoo
Sorry, didn't mean to tease you with the whole ocean thing!
just realized you're probably driving the next day or so,
what a bummer :(
THANKS STEVE, MARTY, PETER, TIM & ROB FOR EXCELLENT SHOW IN NO. me and barbara were in second row. it was my 29th birthday on the 29th: GOLDEN, chose to spend it with yall. i really dug the versions of Grind and Constant in Opal. got annoyed at the goof troop in front of me tho. peace to all from Pensacola.
Poor New Orleans....Despite all the odd~cons, I hope you'll enjoy the rest of your time there. "jazz records"? Hope you'll also find some nice jazz cigarettes, too! ;)
So happy....was going through a pile of my old vinyl yesterday; found your Unearthed and Peter K's Manchild & Myth and From the Well......YAY!!!!!
Good show
Medium vibe
New Orleans Recovers
It's in the South..supposed to be hot
we came to the show
wasn't publicized, AT ALL
mostly locals
revisting at the bar while the music twirped their ears
the blog doesn't sound like it comes from a mature man pushing 50
would be cool if you were 20
but, you're not
New Orleans is unique
Many don't get it
And we don't care
We understand
Cincinnati is NO New Orleans
Work on the vibe
Peace unto all
Actually he's a mature man pushing 52
for the record. :)
(Sorry SK! Numbers, man)
I don't care what he thinks of my city
I care what happens beween the band, the audience,
oh yeah, it's the music baybeeeeeeeeee.
never been to THE BIG EASY.
I'm sure it's nothin like BIG SKY
tp
n.o. sean, i agree it wasn't publicized at all, new orleans is unique (with a lot more to it than just the french quarter), and the south is hot; after that i'm afraid our opinions diverge. many of us made the trip from mississippi and tennessee and alabama, rearranging schedules and plunking down hard cash for gas and hotel rooms and food in support of your fair city because we wanted to see and experience and support the church and live music. if you were one of those who talked through the whole show, you can bite me. sadly, there appears to be a growing breed of individuals so self-absorbed that they can't appreciate anything of beauty if it requires the least restraint of their id. how about putting your conversation on hold and your mouth in park for a couple of hours next time? that surrender might allow you to even be a part of the vibe you felt was missing. who knows? you might even become a channel instead of a block. but if i am unjust, sean, i apologize.
sk, sorry for the hijack. thanks to all of you for the show; best of luck in florida and on the rest of the tour. safe travel.
farm
It sounds kinda fun actually hehe..other than the meat smells, ewww street meat..
I also agree the show was not highly publicized. I put up with evil Ticketmaster emails just so when a gem of a show does comes along, I'm in the know. Friends drove down from Baton Rouge (LA's capital) for the show. Front row, far left (our left), oh yeah. New Orleanians don't usually sit for music so it was odd and the chairs were uncomfortable but the show was worth a numb bum. And who were those kids in the orange t-shirts? Was "Under the Milky Way" really on the OC? That might explain them and the rude talkers. Whippersnappers. Just waiting for the BIG SINGLE and not taking in the whole incredible show. Thanks guys!
Oh yeah, next time, get out of the touristy French Quarter (no locals there) and come visit uptown, home of Nirvana Indian Cuisine, 4308 Magazine Street, plenty of great vegetarian selections. And come in October or May when the weather is nice.
N.O. man what a great place for a seance or consulting some kinda meduim in a big old spooky house, getting the cards read by some swamp lady in scarves and silver, having a drink of chartuse with a bunch of vampyres in some lush bar, playing some honky tonky music with a couple of jazz dudes in a smokey club blissed out on some strange plant drug, ahh don't say it isn't so steve, all my romantic illusions shattered....
love ya man i am so enjoying 'Dabble' each listen brings me something new.'
Hey, animal friends
As SK mentioned Tigers: check out world wildlife fund
Time is Running Out for Tigers...
Staggering findings from a study released today indicate that more than 40 percent of the places where tigers could have been found in a 1995 survey now do not support any tigers at all. The results of this study show that the situation has become very serious for wild tiger populations. Simply put: tigers cannot sustain another decade like this last one.
However, this study also helped to identify key tiger conservation landscapes--places that have the best chance of supporting viable tiger populations into the future. WWF, along with its partners, is now focusing its efforts to protect tigers in these key areas. And we are asking you to help us in our efforts to save wild tigers. With your symbolic adoption of a tiger from WWF's online adoption center, you can help protect tigers for future generations, since all of the funds raised from these symbolic adoptions will help to protect tiger communities in the wild.
Adopt a Tiger
Sounds like hell in a hand basket. New Orleans, I mean.
Back to beauty though. The desert. I can imagine. I was in San diego some time ago and wanted to visit Anza-Borrego, but they had restricted visits to a couple of hours, due to the heat. I opted for Cuyamaca (50 mi east of SanDiego). I spent one night there and left the trail on the second day - using only topo map and compass for navigation. What beauty.
I loved your surrealist vision Steve, of your desert experience. Exactly how I'd want to see it.
love you,
Brian
btw, can't wait for Falls Church and Sellersville. Unfortunately NY I cannot swing ($$$$$)
And, I will be bringing along my finest Miles Davis record collection with me. Remember NY, Days Inn, Community service, Knitting Factory, Jay Dee.....
love, Brian
btw, btw what is/are nevets?????
Hiya Brian
Nevets =Steven in reverse :)
Don't worry too much Steven about NO. Not all places suit all people. It takes uncomfortable places for us to truly appreciate the opposite.
if it floods in new orleans, don't fall down a sewage man-hole
~
food places no go??? I think you answered my next question... the house of the rising sun obviously still very in existence? At least it wasnt the ruin of you poor boy!
Destruction of New Orleans is heartbreaking. Their general attitude now: anyone who goes out of their way to visit them is a saint. Believe it or not SK, they appreciate the outsider taking his/her time to walk around and see the place.
John
I'll make sure to give N/O a miss then....
sounds like Darwin except there isn't any HOB here or anything like it...
just a flat in Nightcliff playing more better music
you oughta release this as a travelogue nevets...with pics..
and set lists?
love x
steve, thanks for a great great great awesome show.
you guys rocked from star to finish! couldn't believe you played constant in opal or buffalo!
my wife and i made the trip from mexico (just like last tour in san diego, it's becoming a habit :) and we couldn't be more grateful with you guys giving us that excelent music.
did i told you in san diego that i met my wife because of your music? (ha! i'm sure you don't remember me :) how about that? www.sk-matchmaker.com :)
if you ever in nawlins again, get out of the french quarter and avoid bourbon st, it's really a nice, interesting and full of history place.
sorry for the talking heads.
sorry you didn't like NO, but they did just go through a major disaster less than a year ago... sometimes it is hard to see the beauty, but it is there... Loved the music. I drove down to see the show. Sorry for the loud talkers -- raise the price next time and maybe they will stay home to get drunk! Have a great tour.
First time go-er and it was such a treat. I won't say too much that it could ID me...but who's to say I made that good of an impression if any. I had this conversation before the show. I love my city! One day we'll be up and running; even better than before that horrid bitch came storming through.
thanks for the enlightenment on Nevets :-)
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