The Weblog of Daniel Tashian

Tommy Keenum came over and played me some songs he’s been writing for his new record and one in particular that he wrote with Jody Nardone was excellent. Something about being “born to be lonesome” and there were a couple songs that were kind of funny. But he’s really determined to stick to a schedule on this one and really, that’s a good way to get something done. I was kind of grumpy because, by default, the Maxim party kept me up til 3, so I wasn’t as patient as I could have been, but I’m sure he understood. Then I took Jeanne to Ginza. We ordered different things and she wanted mine as usual. The grass is greener really affects her. Then I went to dinner at Bob and Lynn’s and had some wine and after dinner had a long conversation. I didn’t sleep very well. I was tossing around a lot and thinking about all this stuff and I banged my head against the corner of the bedside table. Ouch!

Went to a rehearsal with Mindy and it went well, I think. I brought a small drum set with no cymbals, really. Then Lex, James and I went to get a beer at the Taproom. Leslie came over and we had Bridgeport Ales. Then I went to Hopkins for a short nap because I was going to DJ at L’ayla later that night. I was going to download some tracks from itunes, but I decided to just bring my computer, and when I got there, Joe Pisapia, Hags, Melissa Mathes, Keri Pisapia and Robin Eaton were already there. Had a good talk with Keri and Robin was dressed well. I had a Maker’s Mark and I was waiting around for a while and then Joe and Hags started their set. They played some great stuff. Something Reggae by Stevie Wonder that i’d never heard that was amazing. I was dancing a little bit and having fun but it was getting late and I was getting ready to play, then I saw they had these 2 guys I didn’t recognize in the booth so I asked London if they were on next. He told me he had been waiting for the Maxim magazine party to end because they thought everyone would come over there for the after-party but nobody did so things were running behind. I decided to split. Went home and read half a page of B. Woodward and went to sleep.

Walked early and Leslie had a job interview, so I went back and woke her up and she had to hurry to get there on time. Packed my bag for the weekend and went to Hopkins and heated up some soup and talked to John and he was under the weather so I went to Int. Market and got him some. Then I took Barry and Holly to the airport. Went back to Hopkins and picked up Jeanne and we went to the Taproom and Leslie met us there. I had hot wings, but there was no sauce on them really. I was telling the chef, Will, to develop a sauce. I don’t know why I get so bossy sometimes. I just want the food to be good, and I have an opinion, so I share it. I should probably just keep it to myself. Then we went to the cheese shop and I was hoping they had espresso, which i was in the mood for, but they didn’t, so i bought some $6 butter for some reason. It tasted really good. Then went home and took a short nap, and made some tea. Then Thad Cockerall called and he said could I bring a bass to the gospel show at the basement, and I probably shouldn’t have, but I took my mom’s down there and played with Thad and Julie Lee and it was pretty cool. Charlie Louvin played. He said: “Tell the bass player (me) the bass is too close to the mic and it’s breaking up.” heh heh. But that’s the first music I ever remember hearing. My parents singing the Louvin Brothers’ “If I Could Only Win Your Love”. Leslie came and there were lots of Christians and Laurie Webb gave me her new CD and I told Justin Earle to call me if he needed anything and I hope he does. Then we went home and went to bed.

Walked early and Leslie was off work, so she slept in. I went to Portland Brew and met Charlotte Avant and had breakfast and she gave me a frame. Went home and did some tidying up in the studio and cleaned the dishes. Went to lunch at Athens with Jason Lehning and let him borrow a bass. I had the lamb special ($10) and it was good, but gristley. Stopped into the pawn shop and there was some kind of pre-amp thingy, and it was interesting but I didn’t buy it. Went home and did some emailing and internetting, then Leslie walked to the library and post office with me. Then we went to International Market and got Indian Noodle soup for everyone, and we got some Jasmine Tea, and Pocky and came back to Hopkins and everyone had some.

Well it was Monday and I took the bills over to Hopkins and had tea and paid them and we were going to walk, but it was pouring, so I left Posh there and went to the bank and the post office. Melissa called and said she wanted to come over and write in the afternoon. I had a session for Steve Keller and it was a Jim Croce sound-alike and that was funny because I was just listening to Jim Croce and I went over there and it was sort of fun. Steve was reading the Iggy and the Stooges Rider off of The Smoking Gun. Hilarious! Then I went home and started to organize the studio and it took a while. Then Melissa came over and we worked on a cool song called “Sixes and Sevens” and I really like how it was coming out. Then I went to the Taproom for a beer and David Mead came, then Lex and James showed up and it was kind of “Cheers-ish” in there. I started feeling a lot of appreciation for Nashville. Maybe it was the India Pale Ale. Then Leslie came and I ordered her a dozen oysters. Then we wrapped it up ($44) and went home. I drank a glass of distilled water and went to bed.

Slept in til 7:30, then took the dogs and it was just me and my mom. My dad has been sleeping in since his surgery. We talked about bass, and she has been playing a lot lately. Went home and did some chores. Cleaned the kitchen, dining room, etc. I used to get disgruntled about it, but it is kind of a trade-off. I mean, I don’t have to go to a real “job” like Leslie, so I can do some chores since i’m home. That sounds fair. Then I went to El Mariachi and Kat and Bill came, and Grimey, and Hags and Curt and David Mead and David was complimetary about my bass playing. I should have said “Thanks David.” but I went into this explanation about how I’m so amazing, which was silly. What’s that old expression? “You don’t have to work very hard to get a bass player to explain himself” or something like that. The Titans finally chalked up a win. Went home and got Posh and we went to the block party on Hopkins and I talked to some of my parent’s neighbors. Nice people on the street. I talked to Roy (?) who works for Al Gore and we were talking about Bob Woodward’s book, and I felt glad that I had read it and had something intelligent to say. Went home and took a bath and felt kind of feverish and Leslie called and said they were having a crisis at work and there’s always some kind of drama going on over there, it’s crazy. I watched Extreme Home Makeover and it made me cry. Then I watched something on amazing rescues and they pulled a little boy out of a frozen lake and he had been under water for 20 minutes and they brought him back to life! It made me so sad for some reason! Then they showed a man rescuing a chimp who had fallen into a lake at the zoo and he couldn’t swim. It was an incrdible show. But the narration had this sort of “comic” sounding voice, in these really serious situations, like “watch what happens when this couple jumps from a fiery building!” and it was weird. I don’t think they got the right tone in the voice-over. Also, the sound-track was like Yngwie Malmsteen speed metal as you watch firefighters pull a frozen kid out of a well or something. It just didn’t fit at all. But it made me amazed and I felt lucky, and how amazing people can be. Made some sauteed spinach and cous cous and had a couple double chocolate Milanos and went to sleep and 15 minutes later I woke up and then I remembered chocolate has caffeine in it. Leslie crawled in at about 11 or so.

Walked early and Kirshner came over and I made him lunch. Arugula salad. I love arugula! He said he might wind up back in Nashville someday, you never know. Then he helped me get the bass amp from the basement and he went to a wedding and I went to the Belle Meade Plantation and set up with Guilty Pleasures in a big white tent behind the carriage house. The concert is for “The Taste of Nashville” which does something for charity but I’m not sure what. Went home and took a shower and went back and Grimey was mad because everybody had on jackets except him. The gig went well, I thought. There were some funny things I wanted to say, but didn’t, like: “Plantation crowds are the best!” or something like that. I mean, it’s crazy when you walk around that place. Everything is preserved to be like it was back in the day. There’s signs pointing to “Slave Quarters” and stuff. Somebody clapped me on the back and said “I love y’all.” Then everybody was going to Red Door East and I decided to go home. I just get so sleepy by midnight if I get up really early. I have to remember not to get up super-early on days when I have to play late. I saw Derek Bell and Amy. He’s such a nice guy. I didn’t see anyone else really, besides Marty Krutchfield. Got home about 12. Leslie made some greek fish dish and it was pretty good. Had some of that and went to bed.

Had a kind of day off so I got my Digi002 which came in, then there were a few other things I needed, and I had to set the Protools up, etc. Went to Mac Authority for a PCI card, and I like that place. They were packed. Cleaned the kitchen and made the beds, you know, maid stuff. Cleaned the dining room and vaccumed. Took out the trash. Posh found (or killed?) a baby mole and was tossing it around like a ball of yarn. I finally called her in and distracted her with some treats. She was pretty good though. I said “Drop it!” and she did. Then I picked it up with a couple sticks, and tossed it into the trash. Yuck. David Mead called and I met him at the Tap Room. I think I saw my neighbor Eric there, but we didn’t acknowledge eachother. Amy Loftus was there, and she said I still have her Xanadu CD and I have to get that back to her. I get so mad at people for not giving my stuff back, then I do the same thing all the time! That’s why I hate borrowing stuff. Came home and watched some Letterman, and Diddy was on. He really is a positive guy. I think that’s one of the reasons he’s so successful. He believes! It was a funny contrast with David Letterman. Diddy going : “Woooo!!!” and Dave imitating him. Everybody was laughing about Diddy’s ambition to make a cologne. I couldn’t understand that. He’d say: “I wanted to make a cologne!” and everybody laughs! Huh? Is making cologne a funny thing? I don’t get it. Fell asleep and Leslie was at a dinner party. She crawled in, but I have no idea what time it was.

Walked early and it was cold! I had to scrape the ice off the windshield and everything. Posh was kind of suprised by the weather. I started to get in a bad mood thinking about all the plants and wondering where they are going to go. I don’t want to be tripping over them all winter. I think we have too many, and we need to give some away as gifts! How about as wedding presents! Practiced all the guilty songs, and went to the rehearsal at SIR. The band sounds good, and I really like playing that Rick James song “Give it to me baby”. That’s a great song. Wow, could he write a bass line! The chords are so slinky, I love it! I also like “In My House” and I don’t know who sings it. Mike looked tired at the end. I’ve never seen him that tired! Went home and had some cereal and went to bed.

Well I wrote down that today was guilty pleasures rehearsal, but it was actually tomorrow, so i walked the dogs early and took a nap, then started to learn some more songs. Went to Corner music for an expression pedal like the one I saw James Digiralamo using on Mindy’s gig. He used it to kind of sneak the organ in and out, which I think is a good technique. Colder. I wonder what we’re going to do with all the plants on the porch. They have become a rogue army, although Dixie did something to them because they’ve never looked so happy! She must really have a green thumb, although she did run a flower shop for a while. Got some new headphones and talked to Joe in the shop at Corner. He said I needed to start saving for retirement. I know it’s true, but I still hold out hope for some unexpected windfall. Got a card from my Aunt VA and Uncle Dee in Florida. They sent us Vanity Fair for my birthday. I needed to get the basses tuned up so I got them out and practiced a bit, then David Mead called, so I met him at the 12th Ave. Taproom and I like that place. Unpaid Bill was there, and he let me sample some of the rootbeer on tap and it was amazing. I’ve never had tap rootbeer before. It’s way better than beer.