The Weblog of Daniel Tashian

Walked and Leslie took Dixie and Mike to shop and to lunch at Cheesecake factory. I charted some guilty songs, and went to international market and got that soup again. Read more of Bob Woodward and took a nap on the couch. Went to Harris Teeter for staples ($41) and made Risotto with shrimp and asparagus. The risotto was good, but the Asp. was too chewy. Had a big salad and Grimey came over and we listened to a few records on the turntable: Joni Mitchell’s “Court and Spark” and “Midnight Special” by Jimmy Smith. Then I kicked Grimey out and went to bed in the office on the Aero-Bed with Leslie.

Walked early and we were speculating about why we even celebrate Columbus day. He was a real dick. Went home and cleaned up a little bit and read the paper and called John Deaderick to see if he wanted to go to Baja Burrito. He called back and so I met him there, and we were talking about the new Bob Woodward book and I think I will have to go buy it. Went to Davis Kidd after lunch and got it ($26) and spent the rest of the afternoon reading it. Then it was time for Jason White’s session so I packed up a few things and went over there. It was me and John Deaderick and David Henry and ROger Moutenot and Jason White, and it was cool. The sounds Roger gets are amazing. He got this new plate reverb thing and it’s just incredible sounding. Sounds so expensive. Got home about 12:30 and read until 1:30 and wow. This book is something else. So fascinating. I bet everybody in the Bush administration hates it because it reveals what a bunch of ego-maniacs everybody is. I mean Rumsfeld. He’s so obviously wants to be president. He can’t stand it if anybody does anything autonomously. What a know it all sort of jerk he seems like. I can’t remember when I read anything this fascinating, with this many despicable and likeable characters. I forget it’s real sometimes. It’s so much like a movie!

Went to El Mariachi and watched the Titans and dang! They sure know how to throw it all away in the last few seconds. It’s almost comic! But it was fun and David Mead and Grimey were there. Then John and Mark Deaderick came and we were laughing and talking about the new Jackass movie which Grimey loved and I refuse to go see. They basically told me all the funny parts and so now I don’t have to. Went to soundcheck at 3rd and Lyndsley and this time (unlike Butterfly’s gig) we actually got a soundcheck. Mindy is very careful to make sure she can hear perfectly, and that’s very smart because if you just leave it to chance who knows what it will sound like? Went home and took Mike and Dixie to Bosco’s and I had a grilled chicken ceasar salad which was good and I had a good talk with them. Then I had to go back down there and it was a good gig, I thought. I saw Jody Spence but I didn’t get to talk to him. Kerry from Big Yellow Dog came up and said hello after the gig which was nice. I talked to Sarah Siskind for a long time about her divorce and she seemed to be okay about everything. Then Julie Lee played me a song in her car they had just written and it was really good. Cool harmonies. I saw Marty Stuart and Connie Smith, and I said hi to Marty and he said “Good to see you!” but he looked like he had no idea who I was. Maybe I should always wear the same thing like David Byrne says and everybody will always recognize you. Mindy seemed pleased with the gig and i’m glad. I want her to be happy. Grimey left a drunken message saying “Y’all were awesome! That rocked!” and it was nice. Went home about 1 and went to bed.

Was going to rehearse with Mindy Smith at noon, but when I tried to listen to the Mp3 Lex sent me, it wasn’t there. I got really freaked out because here was this big rehearsal with all these session players and I’m showing up without the song learned because I waited till the last second, but it turned out fine, she didn’t want to do the song anyway. I think she should have had me play drums, but this will be cool. Went home and I was tired, but Dixie helped me make a chilli and we made some squash and it tasted great. Went to the library and took back my jazz guitar book and got a Patrick O’Brian book. I don’t know why, but anything with a Maritime theme just totally does it for me lately. Leslie worked, and I went home and read for a while and took a nap and I’m sleeping in the studio now, while Mike and Dixie are here. Took Mike to Burger King, and made Leslie some salad and cooked what i thought was Bok Choy. Turns out they were mustard greens and bitter as hell. Nobody wanted them. woops. Ate 2 dinners and went to bed.

It was tough but I got up and walked Posh. Then came home and hung out with Dixie, and took her to her facial, then went to pick her up, then Mike and I went shopping at the mall and went to Baja Burrito and I was going to buy Leslie an ipod but I checked my bank balance at the ATM, and I didn’t have enough so I bagged that idea. Then we met Leslie at Siam Cafe and had Thai and had an interesting conversation about shoplifting. Went to bed about 11.

Well, I woke early, and walked the dogs and I was the only one up. I stayed awake and hung out with Ian and my dad for a while. We looked at lots of Ian’s paintings. I tried to hook him up with Jerry Dale. Went home and went back to bed for a while, then went to Bongo East, and met Jeremy Lister, and we went to the studio and worked on “Hostage” and it came out pretty good, but I may have tried to get too complicated on the drum part. Then I went home, and Mike and I went to International Market, and he liked it pretty well. Then I went to the basement, and Emily West and Sara Beck and Jessica Maros were playing, and Jessica said she wants me to play bass on a song tomorrow. Dan Dugmore was playing with Sara Beck and sounded killer. Emily’s set was good, then I hung out for a while, and finally I had to go to bed.

Rehearsed with Emily West, and it was in the swanky new BMG building. She’s got a great band together, with Dave Harrison and the drums and Tim Marks on bass and Devo and Scotty on guitars. I brought a harmonica, and I knew I only had a 1 in 12 chance it would be the right key, so I wasn’t disappointed when it wasn’t. Rehearsal went well, then I went home and everybody went to see Miss Sunshine and I want to see that movie.