I haven’t written in this thing in awhile… I’ve been avoiding my whole website entirely for the past few weeks. I think the whole diary thing has been giving me the willies… for awhile it was alright because my friends & cohorts didn’t know about it. But now I keep getting comments from people I know… it’s kinda creepy. I seem to really be bothering some people with the things I’m talking about. And my friends, some of them are really shocked that I’m doing this. They’re asking me if I’m okay (of course I’m okay!) and asking for details about what I’ve written. I don’t mind, really — they’re only asking because they care about me — but it is a little weird and I’m not really prepared to talk about this stuff face-to-face with some of these people. I think the embarrassment started the day that I sat there and watched Ryan Hembrey read the stuff I’d written about him… I hadn’t really read that stuff after I’d posted it, and it really freaked me out, all the goofy stuff I’d said. Ryan was totally cool, he was laughing; it didn’t bother him but *I* was mortified. So anyway I’ve been wondering lately whether it’s a good thing to have this diary online. I’m trying to decide.


More live music… the Immigrant Suns played here last week at the Note. It was a great show but the audience SUCKED!!!! I got really angry and them for talking really loud. But it’s a yuppie cocktail bar, what do you expect. I went to that show with my friend from New York, Roger Manning, who played at Lounge Ax the night before (another great show!). Roger stayed at my place for a couple of nights, on my little futon chair/bed. It was SO fun hanging out with him and shooting the shit. We even went skating in the street that night after the Immigrant Suns, and he made me breakfast the next morning! He had oatmeal and raisins and molasses and god knows what-all — he carries this stuff around with him.

Speaking of awesome singer/ songwriters, my pal Braden took me to see Elliott Smith the other night. He was opening for the Tindersticks but I wasn’t really up for all that, I just wanted to see Elliott. Poor thing had fucking PNEUMONIA, he was coughing between every song, but you couldn’t tell by the music. I weaseled my way backstage afterwards to say hi but didn’t hang out very long… I always feel like an intruder backstage, even when I’m supposed to be there!

Oh yeah, and I haven’t even told y’all the biggest news ever in my whole life. I’M GOIN’ TO FRANCE!!!! whoo-hoo!!! It’s sort of a long story but I’m going courtesy of Truckstop Records as part of a European tour they’re doing for the film Dutch Harbor. Ryan might get to go too! Just maybe. But Mike Krassner’s going for sure; we’ll be playing together. It’ll be right around Thanksgiving (Nov. 22nd thru the 29th or something), and I get to play five shows, in Paris and four other towns I’ve never heard of. I’m so excited!! Krassner’s helping me get my passport renewed as we speak. OH BOY, I’ve never been to Paris, I can’t wait!