The Weblog of Daniel Tashian

Well, I woke up at 6:30 as usual but I was really tired due to the late hour of my arrival. Still feeling jazzed about Butterfly’s gig, though. Started to get dressed and Leslie said “Why don’t you call Vicki and tell her you’re sleeping in?” and sometimes, she has great ideas and this was one of them. Went back to bed until 9:30. Then woke up, showered and packed some clothes and went to Hopkins. Leslie came over and we took the dogs on a long walk. Then we went to lunch at Kalamata’s and it was very good. I saw Cissy Akers but she was in the middle of a conversation so I didn’t bother her. Then we went to the mall but Leslie forgot her purse at Kalamata’s so we went back, and then Jeanne and I went to Kroger and got a few things, then we went to the Gap and I got some t-shirts ($129) Leslie got some curtain rods at pottery barn and jeanne was having fun. Went back to Hopkins and Leslie went home to work on the house a little. I hung out with my grandma and read some more of Alec Guiness aloud to her. Took a short nap, then she was picked up by Joy and Bill Chipping, and they went to dinner, so Leslie picked me up, and we were going to get Japanese, but at the last second, Leslie said she wanted mashed potatos and so we went to Rotiers and boy was that a good call! It was really delicious and we made a mental note to bring Micheal Ramirez when he’s here next week. We had those little old-fashioned Cokes that I love, and the field peas were amazing. Leslie dropped me off at Hopkins, and we walked the dogs around the block and talked, and she went home and I called John Deaderick and we chatted for a while. He was in California with M. McDonald. Watched some of “The Last Waltz” and they play that all the time! It’s on every time I turn on the TV for some reason. But it was cool to see, and Joni Mitchell did that great song about: “You just picked up a hitcher” and man that thing has some great lines in it: “No offense, Coyote…i’ll just get off up the way”. The parts where everybody is talking to Martin Scorcese, they all seem high, and the parts where they’re playing, they seem sober. Coke, too…everybody’s grinding their teeth. Except Joni…she seems sober as a judge. I don’t know why I care whether people are on drugs or not, I guess it doesn’t really matter, but it’s interesting. Kath and Kim came on and I wanted to stay awake but I crashed.

Walked early, and went to a Guilty Pleasures meeting at Athens. Those meetings are typically pretty funny. Grimey always has a Diet Coke at 8 in the morning, which is hilarious. John ordered this parfait looking breakfast thing, and the waitress said “That’s a sissy’s breakfast.” (laughs) Then it was the day of Butterfly’s gig, so I went home and took a nap and woke up and practiced with the CD a little. Then I wanted to pursue this exchange thing that Digidesign is doing, so I called Corner Music and Russell said he could do it for me, so I brought my Mbox down there, and then he wasn’t there, and the other guy didn’t know what to do, so I took it home. Then I went to Baja Burrito and met Keith Brogdon there, and we sat next to Jim Demain, and his client. They were funny, and Jim is getting into digital photography now. Then, Keith went to the rehearsal and I cruised back by Corner to see if Russell was there, but he wasn’t, so I went to the rehearsal. The band sounded good and we basically ran through the set once, then went home. Leslie and Sandra and Andy Torrente were going out to eat, and I wanted to go, but I had to go to sound check, and I thought we were playing at 9, so I got dressed and went down there. But there was this ridiculous “Producer’s Symposium” going on, so we had to wait on the curb for an hour and get no sound check. This made me mad. Then I called Liz, and she gave me the feedback from the New York A&R people who came to the Bees show, and this REALLY put me in a bad mood. They said the band had no dynamics, and it seemed like we weren’t “Selling the Songs” enough. I was so mad I wanted to bite myself. I hate it when people add an insult to injury, as in, “No, I don’t want to help you AND here’s what I think sucks about you.” That’s pretty cold. So I was feeling hard done by, and pretty sorry for myself, then Leslie called and she didn’t get my message that we didn’t play til eleven, so she had Andy and Sandra drop her off at 3rd and Lindsley and so I had to drive back down there and pick her up, and I got lost, then when I finally got there, she wanted me to go home by some quick backroads way, and we got stuck by a train for 15 minutes and I was in the worst mood. “Get over it!” was Leslie’s take. “Either do what they say, or don’t!” and she wasn’t making me feel better with the “tough love” tactic. But she was right, and I was just stuck in a moment of feeling sorry for myself: “I tried to show you something beautiful!” But I took her home, and she fell asleep and I went back down there and played one of the top-5 shows i’ve ever been involved in with Butterfly Boucher! It was so fun, it was incredible. She sang and played fantastically, and David Rawlings was there, and Roger Moutenot and Kristy West and Marna Taylor and Keri Pisapia and the only Snafu was the record player wouldn’t come on and that would have been easily remedied had we had a sound check. She seemed pleased, and my mood was totally transformed by her majestic, cathartic and brave songs. I felt like a rock star, and what can I say, The fog had lifted. Went home, and Leslie was still asleep. She felt sick from the food they had, but I wished she had been there for that gig. Went to sleep about 1:30. Still buzzed from the rock show.

Got up early and I was chomping at the bit to go walk, and Leslie was going with us and at 7:55 she was like “Can I Sleep?” and I can be so annoying in the morning because I wake up just full of enthusiasm. Especially after I’ve had some tea. But she got up and we did the big walk, then went to breakfast at Athens and it was okay. I had a mushroom and swiss omelette and rye toast ($5.75) and I didn’t have coffee. I don’t like coffee anymore. Customer to waiter: “If this is coffee, I’ll have tea. If this is tea, then I’ll have coffee.” Then I really wanted to get the XM radio working so I emailed Kate Bradley, but I got an automated response that said she was out, so I finally read all the paperwork, and I figured out (duh!) that you can authorize it online! Sheesh! Why didn’t I read the stuff! Anyway, it came on in like 15 seconds after I did that, and I love XM radio. It’s so great. Decided to put flat-wounds on the Telecaster and went to Corner Music and they are re-modelling. 3 sets strings ($28) and boy was that a good call. That guitar is so much better with those. Practiced Butterfly’s stuff for a while and took a nap for an hour. Leslie made some veggie corn dogs, and had a peach Snapple. John called from Baja Burritto, but I was trying to get organized, so I said maybe tomorrow. Went to rehearsal and it sounded good. John had learned all the keyboard parts from the record, and Butterfly was pleased. Then he was doing this funny Australian accent, and he can really do it well. We were all cracking up. Took Butterfly home and picked up Leslie and went to the Family Wash, and we got lost trying to find the damn thing because we went straight when we were supposed to turn right. For once I was right about directions somewhere. See, Leslie gets over-confident sometimes, and that can come back to bite you in the ass. We finally found it, but it’s like the wild west in there. Nobody waited on us for about 15 minutes. But Curt was sounding good. When we came in, they were playing “Lowdown” by Boz Scaggs. What a song. We ordered some shepards pie and I talked to Doug Lancio and Warren Pash, and Marc Pisapia, and Carrie, and Chad Brown is so damn talkative. He’s funny, though. Curt’s second set was nice, and I liked Reeves Gabrel’s guitar playing. Leslie met some Belmont student and was talking to him for about a half hour. I was just floating around the room. But I was ready to go, and I was so damn full of shepard’s pie I felt like I was going to explode. Yuck. We left, and Chad Brown said: “She’s too cute to be leaving with you!”

Walked early and went to the bank. Tried to go get my hair cut, but I drove by and Carson wasn’t there.
He cuts the mayor’s hair, too. I’m so glad Jason Lehning turned me on to him. Talked to Melissa Mathes on the phone and she said she wants to play guitar, and I said I thought she should.
Went to Harris Teeter and that’s my store now. Got some bread and cleaned the kitchen when I got home.
Went to Hopkins at 3 and Jeanne said: “Sing me a song.” but I was having one of those moments where I couldn’t think of any, plus I was annoyed about this guitar. I mean, it takes a few days to get to know an instrument, maybe weeks.
Well, I decided to take the Byrdland back to Gibson. There was some kind of mechanical vibration, and I just didn’t want to mess with it. But it’s a great guitar. Then I realized that after I took the guitar back, all my problems disappeared. But I would like a jazz guitar someday. Read some of my book about Charlie Christian and they were saying he always said “Solid!” no matter what anyone said to him. “Hey Charlie, the Nazis just invaded Poland!” Charlie: “Solid, man!”
Poor kid, so skinny. No immunization against TB at that time. But he actually died from pneumonia. They say his only two interest in life were (laughs) music and chicks. Went to dinner with my grandma and Leslie and we went to Sonobana and it’s really the best Japanese food in town, I think. My grandma ate some wasabi and I thought I was going to have to give her the Heimlich, but she drank some water and said hoarsly: “I’m a tough old bird.” Went to the Basement for Melissa Mathes’ label showcase, and they were really good. Then Leslie and John and I went to dinner afterwards with Melissa and her manager and this guy Peter (?) from the label. It was awkward, and I hate those type of things, but you just have to endure it, and show that you are behind the artist, and support them, which we did. But I met Bob Babbit in the bar, and Kate and her friend (?) showed up. I had a hot dog and it was good. I like Sunset Grill. Went home about 1 am.

Well, I was really excited because I was going to Gibson to look at some guitars, and I was thinking about what they might have. Went to Harris Teeter after walking with Posh and got some Marmalade. I finally like Marmalade now, and I don’t know what happened. I just like it all of a sudden. Got some Cross and Blackwell and that’s the stuff ($4.99). Called Leslie at Gibson, and she said come on down, so I took her some Bees cd’s, and also Mindy’s latest, and she said I could borrow anything in the showroom, so I got a Byrdland guitar, and it’s really fabulous. I took it to Hopkins, and the next thing you know, I made a song up on it. I took my Grandma to the Library and I got Ken Burns’ “Civil War” on Heather Swain’s suggestion, and then I also got some cd’s. Then we went to Zoe’s Chicken, and got some chick sal. and some cole slaw. Went home and had some of that stuff and watched video #1 and I fell asleep. “It’s too nice of a day outside to have a war going on.” said my Grandma, and got up and went outside. I made us some grilled cheese and salad, and after dinner I did the dishes and worked on some lyrics. Leslie came over and i made her dinner and we went for a walk around the block. Went home and read my Jazz book for a little bit and went to bed.

Well, I did watch some of the Titans, and there were some good moments, but god, we made some big mistakes. I don’t know. I fell asleep on my grandma’s floor. “I’m more of a baseball person.” she said. I’ve never seen her watch a baseball game in my life! Took the dogs around and made a chilli. My grandma made me mad because the lid is supposed to stay off, and she came in and put it on tight! “Oh Please!” said Leslie. “She’s got dementia!” Which is true, but does that give her carte blanche to mess with my chilli? Peit Grunveld arrived from Holland about 5 and my parents came back about 6 from this Bluegrass conference thingy. We had some chilli and took a walk and I took some home to Leslie, who just finished day 3 on the job. We watched some Current TV and watched a film Bono made that was funny called “A Day In The Life Of Edge”. It reminded us what a good band U2 are.