Back from Tour

Hey guys. I'm finally back from tour and starting to readjust to everyday life. Playing in Europe was amazing. My favorite spots were definitely Berlin, Prague, Paris, and Birmingham. Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to sight see much, but I was able to explore Berlin and see the Eiffel Tower in gay Paris. Above is a pic of Malkmus playing Siren Fest this past Saturday at Coney Island. We flew from Frankfurt to NYC on Friday and arrived at 9pm at JFK airport. We had to be at Coney Island by 10am the next morning to load in our gear for Siren! It was jetlag-heatstroke-crazyshit-city! It was so much fun though. It was the largest crowd we've ever played for and the setting was so killer. The Cyclone was to the right of the stage, and the Wonder Wheel to the left. I actually rode the Cyclone with my band mate later in the day and it wrecked me. At least I rode it before it's gone.

Here's a selection of photos from my flickr:

Stage Right: Fermi starts typing

Five pm Friday at work. The place is pretty quiet. I decided this morning to stay until seven today because I need to get some work done. But now it is five and I am hitting my slump after being super efficient all day. It must be time to blog!

I have the list to get to, but there are some other things I wanted to write about first. Look at this. It is a blog post on Bitch PhD about pregnant women with substance abuse problems who are open to having talk therapy after their prenatal care. This is incredibly interesting to me, because (a) I am concerned about having a healthy child (in 5 years,) (b) I am interested in substance abuse in general (c) I am interested in "the placebo effect," and (d) I am interested in the benefits of talk therapy. The study was not done scientifically, but that doesn't bother me at this point because the placebo effect is all about positive thinking and interpersonal support both of which you *should* get at talk therapy sessions. A book I was reading awhile back about the possible natural evolution of religion got into the topic of the placebo effect. Basically it said that our bodies have some natural (biological) power to overcome some major obstacles when necessary. But that this power takes a substantial amount of energy and we may have evolved so that it isn't energetically favorable to summon this power unless we are in a situation where long-term survival is ensured. This situation may be when we have wholesome nurturing people caring about us. Some people have family, friends, and church members filling this role, and some people get this impression (that their therapist cares about them) from going to talk therapy. The interesting part is that the nurtured feeling you get from therapy is simulated. The therapist actually is getting paid to nurture you. But often, if you can "buy into" the therapy, the same placebo effect takes place.

What else? Skuh mentioned that she saw on my map that I had been to Iowa. I think this must be a miscommunication or I don't know my state shapes. Regardless, Skuh, I hope you have a good time on your visitation weekend. What are your grad school goals, specifically? How much will it cost? Are there any teaching fellowships you can get where you help out with some undergrad classes?

What else? Novella is touring the US and she will be stopping by where I live. How exciting is that!?

And now, I will make an attempt at THE LIST. Most of it is now *old news* in my mind because it happened last week, so this may be briefer than I originally intended.

1. Zazu Pimple
Do you remember Zazu? Or the conversation with Zazu about chocolate? Right, well it seems that Zazu just lends himself to incredible dialogue. Proceed:

Setting: Fermi and MATURE-female-undergraduate-Celery sitting at two computers in the main lab, working.
The lab door opens, Zazu enters,
Zazu (demanding): Do you have a mirror!?!?
Fermi: No.
Zazu (uncertain, finger pressing cheekbone next to temple where there is an obvious pink-under-the-skin-blemish): I think I have something on my face! Do you see anything?
Fermi (recognises what it is, but as she is uncomfortable even uttering the word "pimple" chooses to entertain a different option with her response.): Yeah, (pausing) It looks like something may have bit you.
Zazu (pressing on the blemish): It hurts when I press on it! Do you see anything, Celery?
Celery (looks, and replies matter-of-factly): Yes, it looks like you have a pimple.
Zazu (SHOCKED, UTTER DISBELIEF): But I thought you can only get pimples on your forehead!
Celery: No, you can get pimples anywhere, even on your shoulder. When you go home today, wash your face and put some acne cream on it.
Zazu: Okay.

If you didn't click over to see who Zazu is, he is in the summer between his first and second year of COLLEGE. He has previously lived under a rock. Also note: Celery's age = Zazu's age.

I am also taking the liberty to get rid of 4. Parents Visiting, because I feel that I addressed that sufficiently in my post: Oil Truth.

I feel ready to work again. That or Work-Out! Yes, I believe the second one is the key, my legs simply cannot handle sitting any longer...
------------------------------
2. Boss Anger Group Meeting Communication
3. Maru, Katu, and Arum Rae (also Jed, THE FAN)
5. Experiments working
6. Black boys catcalls
7. Harlem Shakes Vampire Weekend vs Bonaroo Music Festival
8. Magazine Obsession
9. Cake Therapy
14. Penelope Trunk's writing
15. Things that make me happy
16. Feeling happy vs Feeling Powerful vs Feeling Superior
17. Jips comes home
18. Flowers and Presents

Euro Tour 2008

This Sunday, I'm flying to Berlin. The first date of our European tour is in Nurnberg on the 4th of July. Our itinerary has me totally excited. I haven't been to any of the places that we're playing, but unfortunately, I doubt I'll have much time to explore. We have a show each night in a different place. I guess I'll be spending the most time in Berlin before our first show. We'll be staying there at our Euro booking agent's place, so he'll probably take on the role of tour guide to some extent. I won't even know where to start exploring in Berlin. Anyone have suggestions?

We arrive back in NY the evening of July 18th, then it's up nice and early for Siren Fest at Coney Island (poster pictured above). It's going to be so rad, I just hope that I'm not too jet-lagged to enjoy the experience. Here are the tour dates:

July 4 Nurnberg, Germany @ K4

July 5 Wurzburg, Germany @ Cairo

July 6 Prague, Czech Republic @ 007 Staho

July 7 Munchen, Germany @ Sunny at Feierwerk

July 8 Berlin, Germany @ Festsaal

July 9 Hamburg, Germany @ Hafenklang

July 10 Dortmond, Germany @ FZW

July 11 Utrecht, Netherlands @ Ekko

July 12 Manchester, UK @ Islington Mill

July 13 Birmingham, UK @ Supersonic Festival

July 14 London, UK @ Corsica Studios

July 15 Leeds, UK @ Faversham

July 16 Paris, France @ Maroquineire

July 17 Mannheim, Germany @ Alte Feurwache

July 19 Coney Island, NY @ Siren Festival
w/ Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Broken Social Scene, The Helio Sequence, Beach House, Times New Viking, Jaguar Love, The Dodos, Annuals, Film School, Dragons Of Zynth, These Are Powers, Islands, Ra Ra Riot.

Where am I? Where have I been?

Hey guys. Remember me? Well, I'm back from tour. I've been back for a while actually, but the culmination of a number of stressful situations made me reluctant to post. Things are sorting themselves out now, so I'm attempting to make a comeback.

I flew to Houston this past weekend with the band to play a one-off show at Rice University. It was nice to be in Texas for a few days. God the trees are beautiful in the south. While we were there, I had a conversation with one of my band mates about the constant traveling. I said, "I'm noticing that I always feel really lonely the first day or two that I'm away. And when I get back, I feel really sad for about the same amount of time." It's hard being away from the people that you love, but it can be hard coming back to them as well. I wonder if I just like consistency, or if it's that I need constant emotional support. Or maybe it just comes down to what is it that makes me happy? Last night, I posed this question to my girlfriend. "What makes you happy? Like, in general. In life." She took a few seconds, and then said, "Well, I was pretty much depressed the first 23 years of my life. Then, at 23 it all changed. I just decided that I was going to be entertained by everything." "So now you're entertained by everything, and that's what makes you happy?" "Yeah, pretty much," she said. Not bad. Such a self-sufficient recipe for happiness seems pretty appealing to me. I know that I'm definitely the happiest when I'm creating something. Playing music, making stuff, blah blah etc. etc.... But I also need someone that I can share all of that with. But wait, I have both of those things. Maybe I need them both, at once, forever.

We are playing a show in Brooklyn tonight and I am really excited. It will be our first show in the area since I joined the band. My friends and girlfriend are finally going to get to see us, and I'm totally psyched about that.

From the Road

Hey everyone. I wanted to make a quick post from the road so you all wouldn't think I had abandoned you. I'm in Sarasota, Florida currently, where we just played a show at the New College. Next stop is Shreveport on Monday. The past week has been a mess of people, music, cats, and a lot of driving.

I think I caught up on everyone's posts since I left. I've definitely been experiencing some interesting gender dynamics on this tour. I've been spending all of my time with the guys in the band and the guys that we're touring with. Not really knowing them very well at all prior to this trip, I can definitely say that they have all exceeded the admittedly low expectations that I hold for the male species. They have all been super respectful and amazing, and I've felt really comfortable spending time with them and building friendships. We are able to build a relationship with one another through playing music, traveling, eating, sleeping, and generally spending a ton of time with each other. The connection seems almost familial. I feel like this sort of platonic relationship is possible and works really well because it has a goal, and that goal doesn't involve sex. We're getting to know each other and developing friendships because it helps us function better as a band/tour buddies. Of course, my sexual preference comes into play in keeping the feelings platonic. It definitely changes the dynamic from my perspective in that I don't consider them as potential mates and therefore don't inject any sexual tension into my end of the equation. Of course, the guys in my band know that I have a girlfriend, but I haven't really talked about my sexual preference with the guys we're touring with. I've felt like I've been treated pretty similarly by both groups of guys. I even had to share a hotel room with the guys we're touring with and one of my bandmates, and the vibe was totally comfortable. It's a good situation and I hope that it stays this way.

In response to Fermi's comment, I totally agree with you about our friendship fostering a sisterly connection between us. In general I draw a pretty strong distinction between friendship feelings and sexual feelings. And I think that it's important to try and respect friendships.

Wow, I am way too tired to continue blogging.

Chemicals and The Road

Right now I'm feeling rather like Meryl Streep in Silkwood after she's been contaminated with radiation and thrown in the shower for a violent scrub-down. Not literally, of course, but such is my current mental state. The exterminator came to my apartment this morning and doused everything in my bedroom with some manner of chemical solution. They soaked my floors, walls, my dresser, my sofa, bookcase, stereo speakers, etc. ANYTHING that could potentially harbor the little beasts was drowned in the solution. I felt violated and above all, dirty, like each pump of the bug killer's canister was wheezing out, "Fil-thy, fil-thy, fil-thyyyyyy." But it's done with now. I'm at work, and maybe by the time I get home tonight the chemical stench of certain death will have dissipated. So, enough of this topic for now. There's so much else going on...

In less than I week I will be hitting the road for a 20 day long tour playing guitar with an awesome Brooklyn-based band. The tour is centered around the SXSW music festival in Austin where we'll be playing two label showcases and a handful of day parties. I haven't been back to Austin since I graduated from UT and moved to Brooklyn. It's been a little over a year, and the nostalgia has finally set in. Granted, SXSW week is an utter whirlwind of bands, booze, bbq, and way too many people, but it should be fun. We're playing Philly, Baltimore, Chapel Hill, Birmingham, Pensacola, Sarasota, Shreveport, and Houston on the way to the fest, and Dallas, Oklahoma City, St. Louis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh on the way back. 20 days in a van with three dudes is going to be intense, but it's definitely going to be an experience. Oh, and I'll be celebrating my 24th birthday along the way as well! I should probably warn the guys about my driving skills prior to departure. The last tour vehicle that I operated overheated in the middle of West Texas sprawl and my bandmate and I had to hitchhike a ride to the nearest town where the Dairy Queen was the center of activity. Oh hell no. Wish me luck!