THE INVISIBLE BOY

Honey.

2006-06-15T08:13:00.000-07:00

This is the 2nd Honey I know.

From NZ.

Double-A recently got hitched in LV.
2006 is the year of the wedding. I have 8 within the span of a year to attend.

I've always liked weddings. If you need a forum to drink yourself into oblivion and wallow in your own vomit, then I highly suggest you try a wedding.

I don't know. People just seem to laugh more.

Rosario.

2006-06-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since "Kids".

The Way The West Was Won.

2006-06-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

Finally. After 20+ years... Fuckin' A.

Sometimes it takes little things like advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time ever to unearth a person from their social, emotional, and pyschological coma.

I feel like a brand new man.
Now if I can just kick the junk.

Here's to destroying the Heat tomorrow.

-the New & Improved, playing for a first ever NBA Title, Invisible Boy

Testing...

2006-05-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

Check 1... Check 2...
Hello, Hello...

Anyone there?

A Brand New Year.

2006-01-04T08:18:00.000-08:00

Every year I have the same laundry list of stale New Year's Resolutions...
Work out more, read more, stay in contact with friends more, eat better, lay off the blow, stop fucking cussing so goddamn much. Sure enough, as the clock struck midnight and we entered into 2006, I subconsciously made the same boring vows. Blah blah blah. So this year I am trying something new. I'm taking suggestions. Some of you know me well and probably have a pretty good idea of how I could improve as a person. Some of you don't know me well at all, but probably still have a pretty good idea of what I could do to make myself a better person. Either way, lay 'em on me. Give me a comment, and let's hear it.

Co Killa.

2005-12-28T00:18:00.000-08:00

East. Then West. East. Then back West. And finally... East.

I know, I know... It's been a minute. But I promise my reasons are good ones. And see? It hasn't all been in vain either.
Finally... Come January 2nd, my reasons will be apparent.

I make no promises on the Invisible Boy's availability to post in the days/weeks/months to come, but please know that those of you who are kind & interested enough to check in on me are very much appreciated. And I will do my best not to disappoint. I am home (for) now... And I expect to be here for a bit. So keep checking in.

In the meantime, my last trip to the coast was a doozie. It was the last hoorah, and my constitution was worked to the hilt. But I have arrived, unscathed... just maybe 10 lbs lighter. But in the midst of the madness, I carved out a little time to party... The Donnas did a little mini-tour to promote the show. And even if it was for a brief few hours, it was like being back in Austin again. Chicks, skates, & tequila. A handful...

Catch the show if you can. January 2nd, A&E, 9PM Central. The Rollergirls will slug you for it.

Oh yeah. Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year.

-Your Invisible Boy.

Bitter Sweet Goodbyes.

2005-10-10T00:18:00.000-07:00

The first time I traveled to the City Of Angels, I was maybe 10 or 11, and was immediately seduced. The sunshine, the ocean breeze, and the pretty girls… I felt a cosmic connection to the city that lived inside me for a long time. Little did I know that it never really left.

I’ve grown up now (thank god), and have concerns and ambitions that go far beyond lampin’ in an admirable climate and cute little blondes on skateboards.

Much to the chagrin of the rents, I gave up my Med School endeavors in college, and opted for RTF instead, with a focus on the Wonderful World of Film. Long story short, I’ve been living and working in Austin since 1999 (’93 if you count those college days), and it wasn’t until just recently when I was granted the opportunity to do a brief stint in what I very affectionately use to refer to as Hell A (little nod to BV3K).

I suspended my Little City Lifestyle, packed my bags, and flew to Venice to help rescue some Rollergirls. Originally I thought the gig would be a month or two at most of Hell-In-An-Edit Bay. What ensued was one of the most enlightening, wonderful, and dare I say life-changing experiences ever.

In the weeks to come I plan to write of my experiences, with a focus on the work, the weather, and most of all the incredible relationships I developed while I was there.

Conclusion: I will always have some kind of home in Austin, but Cali-is-a-callin’. And I plan to answer that call as many times as I can. Thank you to everyone that has helped make my decision such a tough one. Why do you folks have to be so fuckin’ incredible?

More to come.
Holla atcha Invisible Boy.

Shake. Rattle. Roll.

2005-06-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

If I could come back in a next life, it would probably be as Big Shot Bob.

My internet has been down in my room for the past week... Something about running a file-sharing program... Whatever. It's back up now, so hopefully I'll be around more often.

The long & short?
3 quakes in one week. Mark de Clive Lowe last Friday. Batman... Best comic book movie ever? Hmmm... I need to hit the beach more. And I miss mah gurl.

HollatchaInvisibleBoy.

La La Land.

2005-06-12T23:07:00.000-07:00

So for those of you who don’t know, I am currently in Sunny Santa Monica. Well… Venice to be precise. I’ll be here for awhile making TV out of Girls On Skates. Been here about a week, and already I’ve felt my first earthquake! Exciting stuff.

So anyway, if anyone’s out here, hit me up.

Some of you actually gave me some topics to write about for Summer School, and so now I am following up. Thanks to those that participated. Now read on…

Feel free to grade me in the comments.

Summer School: Summer Soundtracks

2005-06-12T23:01:00.000-07:00

Summer School subject by “sleeping in”:
“summer soundtracks. what are the songs that scream "SUMMERTIME!!" and why? and your favorite song "how bizarre" doesn't count, foo.”

This is a great one. Summer Soundtracks are like time capsules for me.

This Summer should be an interesting one… Before I left for La La Land, I was itching to get one last mix in... I wanted to lay some shit down that I figured would be good for driving around sunny Santa Monica.

Anyway, this is what I came up with. Download it, burn it, put it on your ipod, and see if it translates as effectively to YOUR Summer as it does mine…

Summer 2005 Mix

Read on for the track list. Some of it’s new shit, some is nostalgia… Some is a unique blend of both. The mix ain’t perfect… Recorded live, train wrecks, dopey cutting & all.

Let me know what you think.

Common “Be”
God damn Chi-Town… Kanye & Common make a nice team.

Plastyc Buddha “String Vibe (Nicodemus & Osiris NY Hip Harmonic Mix)
Such a groove… Head-nodder.

Latyrx “Lady Don’t Tek No”
Continue head-nodding please.

Marvin Gaye “Music”
Marvin’s good for any time of year… But this remix screams Summer for me.

12 Round “Sexual Healing”
Again… Marvin. This time remixed by some French cats. Sexy.

Cibo Matto “Clouds”
I just pictured myself driving in a convertible…

Nas “I Can”
When I’m feeling down and need my inspirational Nas…

Modest Mouse “Ocean Breathes Salty”
This album was a staple for me last Summer.

Go Home Productions “Sly Beyoncé Walks Like A Nerd”
Well… One of the quintessential modern-day Summer anthems is “Crazy In Love”. And whenever I hear any Banamarama song (even if it’s “Walk Like An Egyptian”), I always come back to “Cruel Summer”. Throw in some Sly and the Family Stone, a little NERD and we’re golden.

Will Smith “Summertime”
Sorry… But c’mon!

N.W.A. “Express Yourself”
Yes.

Beck “Hell Yes”
Or like Beck says… Hell Yes!

The Go! Team “Get It Together”
Love this shit.

M.I.A./Gwen Stefani “Hollaback Girl/Sunshowers”
“Hollaback Girl” is just one of those songs that has absolutely no grey area for people. Either you like it, or you hate it. That’s right. I like it. For some reason I’m just a sucka for those A-cups. But so as not to completely piss anyone off I tossed it up with some Maya Arulpragasam.

M.I.A. “Pop”
More Maya… This time off Diplo’s mixtape.

Fannypack “You Gotta Know”
If there’s anyone that I would like to get to Austin for a show, it would be Fannypack.

Hydroponic Sound System “Percy Keeps His Disco Dubby”
My girl loves this song. The bassline makes her wiggle. And that Spanish guitar breakdown is Sick. Plus I gotta represent for my people in Dallas.

Tangoterje “Can’t Help It”
MJ. But not just any MJ. Slap some latin flair on that sucka and make your summer nostalgia complete.

Nuyorican Soul “Runaway”
Okay… This song can easily turn you away upon first listen… But just give it a chance people! I promise you’ll come to love it as much as me. When India starts bustin’ the Spanish verses? So so sweet.

La Funk Mob/INXS “Motor Bass/Mediate”
INXS Kick was my soundtrack one Summer when I was a young adolescent buck. Brings back memories of hanging out in the Galleria, throwing super balls from floor to floor. This one I slapped on a La Funk Mob track.

Shantel “Bucovina”
It don’t get more Summer than gypsy music. Know what I mean?

Le Tigre “After Dark (Diplo Remix)”
I oh so love that yelpy voice.

Jem “They (Cut Chemist Remix)”
I fucking hate Dido. But for some reason I actually dig UK’s version of her.

ESG “Dance”
Damn I wish I lived in the Bronx in the early 80’s so that I could see these girls doing their thing. Fuckin’ A.

Summer School: Houston Rap

2005-06-12T23:00:00.000-07:00

Summer School subject by “Mr. Babylon”:
“Operating under the assumption that the Houston rap scene is a paradigm of regional success, the rare self-sustaining (often thriving even) local-scene with its own labels and stars and hits and stores, how will its current national success effect it's continued viability?”

The best regional music scenes are those that develop out of necessity. Whether it be due to the socio-political limitations of a particular area, the plight of an entire class of people, or geographical location, the true scenes exist because they have to. Blues & Jazz developed because they had to. Hip-Hop developed because it had to. And as a modern day example, Baile Funk developed because it had to. Messages had to be sent. Points had to be made. The poor and oppressed needed an outlet to dance and sweat their worries away in a safe and communal environment. The Houston rap scene has developed for some of the same reasons. And some entirely new ones too. What worries me is the means by which it has flourished. The mixtape culture in Texas (and yes it is a culture) is completely different than it is in other parts of the country. And quite frankly, it blows all those other parts of the country out of the fucking water. The mixtape is precisely why the Houston rap scene is as huge as it is. But while it was blowing it up, it was also defining the style and the sound. The promotion and the marketing somehow became a part of the music. Pretty fucked up if you think about it. I love it, but it’s pretty fucked up. All of this being said, the corporate music machine has it’s own marketing and promotion tactics. Their tactics are a world apart from those in Houston. And it will be interesting to see how the two clash. To answer the question, the Houston rap scene will always be viable because of its roots. But it will have to develop without the help of the corporate machine in order to continue to flourish and not become a flash in the pan.

Summer School: W or Tom

2005-06-12T22:59:00.000-07:00

Summer School subject by “Anonymous”:
"Tom Cruise or George W. Bush: Who will get pushed out of the closet first?"

Hmmm. I think the real question is who is more powerful? The U.S. government or the Church of Scientology. If W was in fact gay (he isn’t by the way… Is this some kind of new rumor? He’s screwing a lot of people… Men AND women… He’s not racist either. He just fucks everybody. All shapes, sizes, and races.), there’d be some stubborn motherfuckers up on Capital Hill fighting like mad to keep the news from surfacing. Tom Cruise has the New Age Mafia keeping him under raps. And we all know how tight the mafia can be… The Church of Scientology would NEVER, EVER let the truth be known that little Tom likes the men. Bush though has a lot of enemies. Enemies that are pretty damn powerful in the own right. And his enemies would stand much to benefit if they uncovered that he was in fact gay. But I firmly believe he ain’t. Tommy on the other hand… I ain’t buyin’ this Katie Holmes bullshit for a minute.

Summer School.

2005-05-19T22:49:00.000-07:00

From 5th to 12th grade, I would get ridiculous Summer reading assignments that I would be sure to put off until the middle weeks of August because no teenage boy in his right mind would want to read The Yearling when there was important BMXing to do during those hot, sunny days. I was forced to write papers about the book, answering a series of questions that were just broad enough to prove you at least read the Cliff Notes, yet specific enough to prove that you actually read page X of chapter Y. Fucking Summer reading...

Well I recently got inspired by my girl, and being the masochist that I am, I have decided that it is Essay Time for the Invisible Boy! Fuckin' A right! So here's the skinny...

Whoever is actually reading this mother... Come up with a topic for me to write 100 words on... Examples would be... David Chapelle's nervous breakdown Bitch! Or 50 Cent or Game in a cage match and why... Leave me some topics in the comments section, and depending on which one(s) I like best (arbitrary I know), I'll rattle off a buck's worth o' words to be shared in my next(ish) post.

Don't give me no shit though. Challenge me. Or at least make me laugh. Good bye and good luck.

Texas Pride.

2005-05-19T22:08:00.000-07:00

Texas can be a pretty challenging-ass state at times...
You could come up with a pretty extensive list of things to be ashamed of if you were lucky enough to call this place home... Our gun laws, the execution rate, the quality of our public education, those Simspon sisters... Okay maybe just that Ashlee girl. But then look at all the things we have to be genuinely proud of... We're a fucking GINORMOUS state! Our professional basketball teams kick ass... And now? Well shit... Whut it dew!

The Austin Chronicle today (finally) gave some featured props to the people that are helping make this Texas scene something to be reckoned with. There's been plenty of lit on what's been going on, but people sometimes forget (especially people here in the Cap City) how important folks from the "Other Side" of Texas have been.

Bavu and Baby G get some love in their own feature too... Their new mixtape will be a classic.

Baby G is probably my all time favorite Texas DJ... Ever since he won the 1990 DMC National by channel-to-channelling "hear the drummer get wicked" with his toes...

And then for some reason, Silah Williams' name gets lost in all the hubbub here in this town. It's nice to see him getting some recognition, even if it is a little late...

So Detroit advances. And now so does San Antonio. Come on Dallas. Give 'em Hell.

April Didn't Even Happen.

2005-05-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

So apparently, nothing in April transpired meriting my blog contributions. Either that, or so much happened that I just never got around to writing about any of it... Truth be told, I was actually in Mexico for awhile... It's okay. I think everything has blown over so I will be able to stay in the country for a bit. But we might as well just write April off okay? Those of you that know better have an idea of what's been going in my life anyway... So let's start fresh with May shall we?

It's hard goddamn work being a Mavericks die-hard. Especially this season, when people are using terms that I've never heard associated with the Mavs before... Terms like "tough" and "resilient". (Those are good terms by the way.) Michael Finley will always be one of my all-time favorite Mavs, and last night he reminded me why. Thanks Fin.

Now, tomorrow may be Friday the 13th and all, but I could really give a fuck because I am going to be at Wendy's ALL WEEKEND, getting my Frosty on.

Maybe I'll even dip my french fries in it. Or better yet, maybe I'll have it with the new FINGER-FREE chili! For awhile there I was pretty worried that I would never be able to order that steaming plastic cup of meat & beans ever again...
Luckily I have found my new favorite hot dog joint just in case...

They're no Grifdog, for damn sure, but they will definitely do... Veggie corndogs? Fucking Bananas!
Hmmm... What else?
Nicole Richie is engaged (poor fellow), and Lindsay Lohan gets ri-goddamn-diculously skinny...

Natalie impersonates Sinead...

And they keep inventing CRAZY SHIT!

Check out the demo video, but be warned, it definitely ain't safe for work.

And finally, I am desperately tryin' to get my girl to get her do done like this...

You know that shit spins around... Why else would that white power cord be going up in there?

It's gonna be a kick-ass summer.

SXSW 2005 Wrapup.

2005-03-29T14:22:00.000-08:00

That's my roomie... Smokin' & Communicatin' one SXSW afternoon at the crib.

So what... Two weeks later and I 'm just now getting this shit up?
Well... I've been busy. And sick. And busy bein' sick.

Why do we do it?
We run our bodies into the ground for a week straight... Put our ears and spines through irreversible damage...

For what?
Well read on and find out for yourself...

This year I actually semi-participated in all three portions of SXSW. I'm now a wreck, but what a blast.
Someone PLEASE hook me up with a Platinum Badge for next year though... I'll give you a big fat kiss and a mixtape if you do.

Peace.

SXSW 2005 Music.

2005-03-25T01:08:00.000-08:00

The first official night of the SXSW Music Festival was taken up by prior engagements, so my Music actually started on Thursday... For the second straight year I decided to bite the bullet and go in on a wristband. The only reason I decided to go for it this year was because I had a guarunteed music buddy in my friend Gertrude. Last year I hit everything with my girl Sia, but this year I guess she had BETTER things to do... I don't know what those could have been, but whatever. (wink, wink)

Now we all know what a pain in the ass it is to try and communicate via cellphone at a live music show. So Gertrude and I did most of our correspondence through the almighty text message. My '05 Music Wrap-up will be framed by the series of text messages back and forth, in between shows, blah blah... Here's who's who:

IB - that's me. The Invisible Boy.
Gertrude - that's my music buddy.
Sia - that's my girl.
Amita - that's my roomie.

Got it? Cool.

Thursday.

Went to see Nicknack at Zero Degrees. He did a badass set (to way too few people) in true Nicknack form. Had Enfoe all the way from Paris layin' down the cuts. Bavu was there as an impromptu MC for the duration. Even threw a little freestyle bone out there for the fans... Towards the end Nick had Ephraim come up to kill the horn for a little bit. As usual, it was a really tight performance... Just not near enough people there.

Ephraim, Nicknack, & Enfoe

Mr. Blakes

Ephraim Owens

Lil' Bit... Winkin'.

Ended up staying for a bit after Nicknack while DJ Panko from Spain played. Panko had a great selection of music... Shit you usually don't hear in these parts. But I was pretty underwhelmed by his actual abilities. What ever happened to actually MIXING records... He wasn't even really playing the records live. Had 2 turntables set up, but he never used them both simultaneously and it sure seemed like he had everything programmed from beginning to end on his laptop. Can't believe people fall for that shit. He was backed up by some pretty dope visuals though, being projected onto and behind him... Oh well. He was worth hearing I guess...

IB 8:42 PM
Whut it dew girl?

Gertrude 8:48 PM
YES!! I am in line @ la zona. Where r u?

IB 8:56 PM
Zero degrees. Gonna head to Elysium at 10 for ratatat. What's your plan?

Gertrude 9:00 PM
Well I don't really know. LZR is @ capacity, but I want 2 wait it out a bit. Will keep you posted...

IB 9:03 PM
Cool. Do you have hot hot heat aspirations?

Gertrude 9:05 PM
More so doves. If this goes nowhere it's off to Elysium.

Well, I ended up screwing myself and not leaving early enough to hop in line for the Ratatat show and more importantly the LCD Soundsystem show at midnight. It's a very delicate thing those lines... Especially the "big" ones. Unfortunately, almost all the shows are "big" ones. By the time I got to Elysium, the line for badge holders was around the block, leaving things pretty hopeless for us lowly wristband wearers... Gertrude wasn't having much luck either.

Gertrude 10:02 PM
Ok. Been in this line over an hour. Not getting in. Is there a line there?

IB 10:20 PM
Dude. Doesn’t look good at all. Gave up and got some pizza. Plan B?

Gertrude 10:30 PM
Gave up too. At the fucking fox & hound having a beer. I think I hate sxsw 2nite. Wanna come meet us?

After inhaling my "dinner", I decided to make my way through the St. Patty's Day crowds to meet Gertrude & Chica at the Fox & Hound...

IB 10: 43 PM
Where u at?

Gertrude 10:47 PM
Fox & hound…i

IB 10:49 PM
Me 2.

Gertrude 10:51 PM
Very 1st tack

That's code for "very first table". Sometimes you have to know when to ditch the text message and go for the phone call. I sat down, ordered a beer and we related our SXSW line horror stories... Just terrible. But we decided to not let our spirits get too low.

That's the girls pretending that they're having a grand 'ole time at the fucking Fox & Hound. We got a new gameplan together for the rest of the night which consisted of going down to Stubb's for... I don't even remember who now. I was kind of hoping to make it back down to Zero Degrees to catch Diplo at around 1:00, but I really didn't care at that point. I was up for whatever. Gertrude did tell me about the possibility of being able to get into the MTV party at the Speakeasy. So really our plan was to just kill time while we waited for the word on that.

That picture didn't turn out very well... But "Gorillaz" was being projected huge-like on the side of that building back there. They were doing their CD Listening Party at the Red Fez... Yup. We missed it.

So we made it to Stubb's, grabbed a couple more beers, and caught the beginning of Fat Boy Slim. FBS must be one of the biggest dorks I think I've ever seen... But his pure enthusiasm I guess makes for a pretty energetic, fun show. Whatever, we didn't stay very long for that... That's 'cause we got word from Gertrude's friend about the MTV party... Things were all systems go, so we slammed our drinks and hit the pavement once again...

We finally get into the party... I guess it's 11:00 PM or so? The soirée was being put on by MTV and Napster, and they were literally giving shit away... Shit like Napster stickers, Napster t-shirts, Dell Jukeboxes... That's right. Frickin' Dell Jukeboxes. Gertrude and I scored ours pretty early on and decided that we were in the right place and should stay for awhile.

The "scene" was pretty funny. Downstairs was some way-too-serious college rock band playing. And there really weren't very many people there. But the real party was up on the rooftop.

A couple of guys from The Sounds were there DJ'ing, infusing their hipster vibe into the "eclectic" crowd.

That's Snapshot Louie, fuckin' tearin' shit up! He scored one of the greatest SXSW gigs ever... His job was to just cruise around to all the shows and parties and take plenty of pictures. But I ain't jealous or anything... Lucky cuss.

That's Gertrude and The Hookup posing for the papparazzi.

So Carson Daly was there. He was much taller and much skinnier in person than I was expecting. He was playin' it pretty lowkey... Sportin' a baseball cap and black hoodie, just hangin' out by the DJ table like that creepy guy at the party that's just hangin' out by the DJ table all night. That was Carson. Bam Margera and crew were apparently suppose to be there. But they never showed... That's probably a good thing though considering I wasn't feeling ready to get my head shaved or have human feces thrown at me. James Iha was there too, looking very, very androgenous. (Surprise, surprise.)

After I ordered myself an Amstel, I was informed that Heineken was gratis, so I immediately slammed by beer and started grabbing Heinies two at a time. That made for a pretty quick road to InebriationVille, especially workin' on my single slice of pizza from a couple of hours ago. Luckily I wasn't alone...

That girl? She's guilty... Guilty of bustin' out some crazy-ass cheerleader shit on the dancefloor! WTF?!?!?

Gertrude was obviously in awe of that chick's killer cheerleader dance moves.

The Sounds doods continued to rock it... Carson continued to hang around being creepy.

This girl continued to be guilty...

And it started getting really chilly.

2:00 AM starts to roll around, the temperature continues to drop, and I begin to worry that the alcohol will soon be coming to an end.

Gertrude is clearly distraught.

But luckily, I guess since it was a private party, they continued to serve alcohol well after 2:00. Fuck yeah! We were just at the mercy of some pretty arbitrary drink prices... One minute I'd be paying $4 for a beer, the next minute it would be $6. But whatever... I was so smashed it didn't really matter.

Dancing ensues...

And then BAM! It's 4:30 AM... The painful realization that I have to be at work in a few hours sets in... And Gertrude and I decide to pack up our Dell Jukeboxes & Napster t-shirts and make our way home...

We trudge our way back to my car which seemed like it was parked on the other side of Austin...

And along the way I feel like a good sobering technique would be to sit down on a bench and compare drivers licenses.

It must have worked because I was able to get Gertrude and myself home, safe and sound.

Right when I pulled into my driveway I called Gertrude to tell her I made it home safely. There was no answer, but I did get a text reply...

Gertrude 5:17 AM
Sweet. Good 2 know. Thanks 4 being my music buddy!

Friday.

Good lord.
Friday got off to a really shaky start. Had a bunch of work responsibilities to tend to while my body was poorly attempting to detox itself... Sia informed me that she could still smell the beer on me halfway through the day... Nasty.

Gertrude 10:32 AM
Hello. xxxxxx here. Whoops. Forgot to go to work this morning. Have you seen my camera?

I somehow missed this first message, but got back to her much later...

IB 1:58 PM
No. Crap. I’ll check the basement. I thought I lost my keys but I found them. I feel like ass.

Gertrude 2:03 PM
Holy shit. We got free dell jukeboxes!

IB 2:05 PM
Fuckin A!

My plan on Friday was to try and make it to Chicken George's website launch party, and then make it to some of the day events... Namely the Spin party at Stubb's. And then there were some bands at Club de Ville that I was hoping to check out as well... Bear in mind that it is now the 3rd day of the music festival, and I had yet to see an actual live band perform. I was kind of having issues with that...

Gertrude came through again with some passes to the Spin party.

Gertrude 3:10 PM
Can just get 2 passes from someone here 2 get yall in if u want. Let me know…

IB 3:12 PM
Only if it’s easy. xxxxx’s def got dibs.

Gertrude 3:15 PM
She can get in too. Just let me know when u r on your way.

IB 3:18 PM
Where it’s at again?

Gertrude 3:20 PM
El stubb’s.

I ditched work early and went down to Chicken George's party at Factory People. South Congress was a fuckin' zoo... People just hangin' out in the middle of the street. No parking anywhere. But I lucked out and scored a spot right in front of Factory People. CG had a pretty nice showing... With DJ sets by Take and Malcolm Kipe. It was pretty dope. Drinks were free, but I wasn't quite up to drinking just yet. Didn't stay for very long and had to jet, unfortunately right when all the Geishas showed up. Oh well... Other things were a callin'.

IB 3:46 PM
On my way. I’ll call when I get there!

Gertrude 3:49 PM
1 pass or 2?

IB 3:55 PM
1 por favor.

Walked my ass down to Stubb's... Passed a very, very crowded Club De Ville and mentally scratched that off my list of things to do that afternoon.

Gertrude 4:02 PM
U here?

IB 4:04 PM
Walkin up now.

Unfortunately a line had developed to get into Stubb's, but the wait wasn't that bad. Bloc Party had just gotten on stage so I was able to listen to them during the wait.

IB 4:08 PM
Should be in there soon.

Gertrude 4:14 PM
On the rock by the soundboard.

Finally made my way to my buddy, grabbed a beer and enjoyed the rest of Bloc Party. They were only alright... Quite honestly, I'm not sure what all the hype is about. Oh well. At the very least you have to support a hipster band that has a black frontman. That's the shit...

I was feeling guilty about ditching work, so I left before the New York Dolls came on and went back up to my office. Wrapped up my work week, and decided that a nice dinner with Sia and little bit of rest would do me some good before I started the weekend of shows...

So of course there were a shitload of great shows all playing at the same time on Friday night. But I decided early that I was just going to one venue and hang out there. A couple of dope hip hop showcases were going on... Some TX hip hop shit was going on outside at the Fox & Hound. My roomie was trying to decide between that showcase and the one at the Flamingo Cantina. My choice was Emo's to catch The Kills, The Raveonettes, and Har Mar Superstar. Decided to touch base with my music buddy to see what her status was... But didn't hear back from her till much later.

IB 7:59 PM
So you gonna try emo’s? If so what time?

Making my way down to Emo's I walked by Flamingo and saw a line down the frickin' block... Decided to let my roomie know wussup.

IB 8:25 PM
The line at flamingo is already a block long.

Amita 8:31 PM
Alrighty slim thug will get my full effort. Thanks

Got to Emo's before 9:00 and there was no line... Walked right in and parked my ass by the bar. At the time The Lashes were playing. They were alright. Some fun, 80's inspired rock. Decent enough to drink some beers to. Wish they had some kind of female presence with them though... Don't know why. I guess cause they're just a bunch of dudes singin' dude stuff.

After The Lashes came Blanche... They were pretty lowkey. Maybe a little too lowkey... But still put on a pretty good show. The change of pace was nice.

You would never guess from the picture, but one of the band members Tracee had a great Kate Pierson meets Loretta Lynn thing goin' on for the performance. It was cool.

The worst party about staying in one venue through 4 or 5 different bands is that the break down and set up is excrutiating...
So I started just texting people... Sent a sappy one to my girl...

IB 8:45 PM
Hey babe. Love ya.

But she has a nack of never answering her phone, much less replying to text messages...
My music buddy finally got back to me though...

Gertrude 8:59 PM
Just walking 2 emo’s now. Will look 4 u.

And ran into some familiar faces...

I like to go rollerskating with Mieke and Melissa during the Summertime on Adult Skate Night at Playland. We do some serious Hokie Pokie shit. Tried to text my girl again.... but nothin.

IB 9:24 PM
Hi. I love you babe.

The Kills fuckin' rocked. Definitely my favorite show of the night.

I love watching their uniquely flirtatious dynamic on stage... Especially when they're "making love" (euphimism) up there. Though there were times when I fully expected him to smack her across the face with his guitar, stand over her, arms akimbo, shouting, "TAKE THAT YOU PUSSY CAT!" Maybe that's just me though...

My roomie was nice enough to give me updates in her world...

Amita 10:34 PM
No line @ fox & hound. $fifteen

I thought it was funny that she spelled out "fifteen". What a rookie! Or maybe I'm just a dork.

Amita 11:16 PM
No drinks in here.

My girl finally got back to me... And only 2 hours later!

Sia 11:16 PM
I luv u!

IB 11:20 PM
What? That blows!

Just so there's no confusion... That last message was directed to my roomie... Not to Sia.

Amita 11:24 PM
Beer, the show is awesome

Next up for me were The Raveonettes. Another solid show. They did all the faves, and then played some new material off their upcoming album "Pretty In Blac". (May 3rd y'all.) They were excellent. See what a badass front woman can do for a band? (Hey Lashes... Take note.)

Decided to check in on my roomie to see how she was holding up...

IB 12:08 AM
So how’s the show?

Amita 12:17 AM
Pretty fucking good, texas.

Amita 12:25 AM
Chingo bling is coming on now.

At this point in the night is when the sickness really started to hit me... Throat started to get all scratchy. Body achy. Poopy. So I stuck around a little bit for the beginning of Har Mar Superstar

Always a delight that Har Mar...

Left the Har Mar party and began making my way back to the car. On the way I stopped in at Eternal (what kind of fuckin' name is that for a club?), and caught the very tail end of Goldie Lookin' Chain. Unfortunately I missed them performing "Guns Don't Kill People, Rappers Do", but they closed with "Your Mother's Got A Penis" so everything was right and correct. God Bless the GLC.

Gertrude ended up having to wait in line at Emo's for an hour, and didn't want to do a La Zona Rosa repeat, so she and her crew took off. I was off to nurse my sore fucking throat.

Saturday

Sure enough, woke up with a wicked sore throat and chest full of goo. Things were better after I took a hot shower, but eckhhh... Nastiness. Had a little brunch with my girl at 34th Street before hittin' the music again.

Dang... She's so shy!

After Brunch, I hit the free Scion Show at Stubb's. Had a pretty dope bill... Chicken George, Haul & Mason, Breakestra, Dakah, and Rahzel. Who wouldn't want to see Rahzel?!?! The weather was beautiful, and it was really the perfect setting for an ampitheatre show. When I got there Breakestra was on stage... Pretty damn impressive. And then after that, Dakah, the hip-hop orchestra took the stage and they fuckin' killed it.

It was pretty ballsy of Scion to fly in all 70 of the Dakah crew from L.A. for a FREE show. It was a lot of fun. Rahzel ended up not performing, so that was a bit of a bust... But oh well.

As soon as I left Stubb's, the weather turned on a dime and all of a sudden it was a shitstorm of wind, rain and hail. Only in Texas... My music buddy filled me in on the haps in her world.

Gertrude 5:43 PM
Ummm…hello rain! Goldie lookin chain was not @ poke jo’s. Doves instore was awesome. Hanging out w/chunk now. What’s 2nite’s plan?

IB 6:02 PM
I know right! And hail too! WTF! Rahzel was a no show. But it was still dope. You doin’ the Aimee Mann Esquire thing? I’m thinkin’ Antone’s Music Hall.

Went to dinner with Sia and her rents... Was feelin' really good. My hopes were to make it to Antone's to check out Kings of Convenience and then try and bounce back and forth between the Strange Fruit Project and the Queen B the Music Hall and Phoenix at Antone's.

IB 7:35 PM
Say. Just sat down for dinner. Should be there @ 8. Grab yo mittens girl. S’cold.

Gertrude 7:45 PM
That is a super fast dinner. On my way now. See you there. Feels awesome out.

Of course dinner was taking longer than anticipated...

IB 8:02 PM
Aight. I’m late. Hope I’ll be able to get in.

Gertrude 8:05 PM
Ummm i am in line now. At effing halcyon.

Eventually we wrapped up a fine meal...

IB 8:52 PM
What’s your 20 lady pimp?

Gertrude 8:57 PM
We’re almost in antone’s. Once we’re in I think we are staying. What are you thinking?

Sia was nice enough to drop me off at Antone's... Just in time to catch the end of Kings of Convenience.

Gertrude 9:16 PM
Hey…saw you called. U here?

IB 9:20 PM
I’m in. Where are u?

Gertrude 9:20 PM
In the middle right under that upstairs booth thing. Before the 2of bar.

The Kings were sweet... And from what I heard, their whole set was very nice. Antone's was super crowded and very smoky, and I immediately began feeling like ass again.

West Indian Girl hit the stage next, and they were pretty alright... Their members were oddly uncohesive in appearance. Especially the token hot asian chick on the stage... How did she get involved with those guys? Oh well... She had a pretty nice voice, and they were tolerable. Unfortunately I just found myself counting down the bands to Phoenix...

Amita 11:55 PM
Batman

"Batman" has a whole other backstory worthy of another post for another time....

Ed Harcourt came on next, and he was an absolute snoozer... Maybe it was the music. Maybe it was the people and all the smoke... But I suddenly started feeling very, very shitty. I immediately began to question my stamina... By the time Ed Snooze-court got off stage, I was ready to pass out. Shivering, but sweating... hate that damn feeling. Eventually The Golden Republic got on stage, the penultimate band before Phoenix... and though they sounded pretty damn good, I just couldn't do it. Had to jet... Else I collapse on the dirty Antone's floor.

Gertrude 12:08 AM
We’re sitting on the floor right by the t-shirts, fyi…

Gertrude 12:18 AM
Ok, now we’re standing, but in same spot. Right by exit door to right of stage. Think i like this band.

Lost the message, but on the way back to my car I texted Gertrude about how I had to go home because I was dying...

Gertrude 12:41 AM
DO NOT DIE ON ME MAN. In home & rest. Feel better.

The rest of the night was a tough one... Again, the sweaty, shiverry feeling all through the night. Yuck. Serves me right I guess for abusing my body so...

Sunday.

There's still some music going on during the Sunday of the music festival, but I can never do it. Especially this year, I desperately needed that day to recuperate a little bit before starting the work week...

IB 6:00 PM
Say lady
Thanks for bein' my music buddy. Your da shit.

Gertrude 6:06 PM
So, what’s our plan tonight? Ha ha. Hope you are feeling better. Had so much fun (tho wristband wasn’t used 2 fullest potential…) Talk 2 u soon.

Whew.
And so see?

That's how we do it...

SXSW 2005 Film.

2005-03-25T01:07:00.000-08:00

This year's SXSW Film Festival was probably my least active in the past seven years that I have been attending... Even the years I didn't have a badge I managed to see and do more than I did this year. Oh well... I got to see a couple of things... And when I say a couple, I mean like 2.

Started off the Film Festival by going to the A&E party. A&E was touting "their" documentaries this year in Murderball and Rock School. Murderball is a great doc about wheelchair rugby players... That's right... Wheelchair Rugby... And you thought you were fuckin' hard. Pansy.

Murderball won big at Sundance, so you gotta figure A&E is pretty proud. The party was also a bit of a toast to the upcoming Rollergirls Series set to hit A&E next year... The girls made a nice little "appearance" at the party... Skates & all. Had the perfect formula for a hot-rockin' party, but the shit was entirely too crowded. Even if the drinks were gratis...

Saturday morning I watched the music video showcase. (What kind of a timeslot is that for the fucking music videos? Jesus!) I cut a couple of videos that were in the competition this year. The Flaming Lips' "Sponge Bob & Patrick Confront The Psychic Wall Of Energy" and Bavu Blakes' "Play The Role" video made the cut, but didn't win anything big. Bavu was excited about rollin' up like Jay-Z and Rocafella...

Pretty standard music video fare this year, with an over abundance of animation treatments. Badly Drawn Boy's video for "Year of the Rat" was very sweet and touching enough to win the hearts of the jury as it walked away with the award for Best Music Video. My vote all along was with Kanye's "Jesus Walks" video. Sorry Kanye, but your song and it's video are fulfilling its own prophecy...

Spent Saturday night DJ'ing a birthday party out on a farm in East Austin. It was one of the Rainlily girl's 30th, so it was a big one! Had the goats and other attendees shakin' it, rural-style. The highlight of the night was the Crazy Pizza Guy who apparently just hung around after making his delivery, drank himself into oblivion, invented new crazy-ass dance moves while hitting on my girl ALL NIGHT. (wink wink) The party was a blast. Happy B-Day Kim.

Was able to make it to see Todd Solondz' new film Palindromes on Sunday. If you're in for a little mind-fuck, then be sure to check this film out when it hits the theatres... Mr. Solondz was in attendance and gave a nice (and awkward) little preface to the film and hung around for his version of a Q&A afterwards. It was cool getting to hear him speak. It left me with hope... "See! You CAN still be completely socially mal-adjusted and "make it" in this world!" That's what I kept telling myself...

The movie centers around a single 13 year old girl, Aviva, who in a fit of self-discovery decides to get pregnant... Here's the fucked up part... Aviva's same 13 year old character is portrayed by 8 different actresses... (And I swear one of them was a little boy.) Jennifer Jason Leigh makes an appearance as Aviva... Even a very large 30-something black woman (did I say she was large) takes a stab. (That would explain the movie poster if anyone has seen it...) BTW... This must be some new kind of trend among the cine-geeks. Todd Haynes is using a similar approach to tackle the complex persona of Bob Dylan in his upcoming film... Beyoncé as Dylan? Oprah as Dylan?!?!? WTF? But I digress... back to Palindromes...

Throw in some abortion issues, the trademark Solondz pedophelia theme, and a virtual freak show by way of Mrs. Sunshine (you'll know it when you see it), and you have yourself one crazy fucked-up movie! But still. It was good. And if you like his work, I think you'll find it... What's the word? Challenging. Maybe too challenging for its own good. Still, you should watch it.

Let's fast forward to Wednesday night shall we?
You will notice that I didn't watch a god damn thing between Sunday and Wednesday. Damn the man...
Anyway, the second screening of The Fearless Freaks was this night, and DJ Fuckin' A played the after party at the very poorly named Progress Coffee Shop. Here's a little word of advise... If you know there is some sensitivity toward the gentrification of East Austin, then what you DON'T do is be white, open up a coffee shop on the East Side, and then call it "Progress". Got it? Okay.

The movie is fucking great. Read here to see what I've already said about it. Can't say enough how proud I am of Bradley. He definitely deserves some props for putting it all together.

I was a little worried before the night of the party because I wasn't quite sure what the hell I was going to play... But in the end I think things came together nicely. Started off the night by playing some cuts off the soon to be released Late Night Tales featuring selections by the Lips themselves. (That Lips cover of "7 Nation Army" always gets some really funny reactions.) Threw in some new Beck as well... And then as the night progressed I played everything from The Beatles and Led Zeppelin to some Baile Funk and LCD Soundsystem. Topped it off with a couple of the exclusive bootleg tracks that they were giving out to promote the film. I decided as eclectic as fuck was the route to go. If you want a CD of some of the set, drop me a comment, and I'll send one your way.

I was 3 deep into the free beer when I realized what I had been chugging was actually Chimay, so I was pretty sauced for the remainder of the night. That always makes for a fun DJ experience... You want to see this DJ shake his shit on the dancefloor? Just give him lotsa free alcohol... You won't regret it, I promise. One of the highlights of the night was seeing that someone had defaced the coffee shop posters in the bathroom so that they said "Regress Coffee". Now who would do such a thing? Funny duddies...

I didn't realize then that this party was going to be the end of my 2005 Film Festival. I carried my badge around with me like a dope for the next few days, but I didn't use the fuckin' thing. There were a ton of movies I missed... And what I should really do is compile a list of things that I heard I should have seen, after the fact. But one thing at a time I guess...

Here's one I should have seen...

Any Sarah Silverman fans out there? No? Well then peep the trailer for Jesus Is Magic and you'll know why you should be.

Ha!

SXSW 2005 Interactive.

2005-03-25T00:37:00.000-08:00

I don't think I've ever participated in any of the interactive events/conferences or anything during SXSW... I'm not even sure when the actual interactive conference starts. I guess it begins with the Film... Anyway, a couple of buddies of mine, for the past five years have been putting on this event in conjunction with SXSW Interactive called 20x2.

Here's the skinny... They pick 20 different people and pose a single question... And then each person is given exactly 2 minutes in which to answer that question in their own unique way... This time around, the question was "What's the word?".

(Jefe & Mike by way of BlueishOrange)

I was a speaker in the last 20x2 when the question was "What's the story?"

(Again by way of BlueishOrange)
If you missed it... SORRY SUCKA!!! It will never be reproduced ever again.
But, it was a pretty nerve-racking experience. One that I wasn't' ready to relive quite yet. But I did offer my DJ services for the event. It was a great batch of people... Some really solid answers and great performances. Takes a lot of guts and talent for people to get up there and do what they do.

Matt Bearden answered his question in a series of letters to President Bush, an A-Hole from his high school, and Rebecca Romijn-No-Stamos. Allison answered her question by spending her 2 minutes (she didn't need the whole 60 seconds) figuring out her buddy's password to his email acount. And well... There were 18 others. Those are just the ones that pop into my immediate memory. I played on after the event for about an hour or so, and the booty-shakers graced me with their assets. Thank you dancers...

My kudos to Jefe and Kevin.
(They started the whole damn thing...)

The Ghost of Weeks Past.

2005-03-20T21:19:00.000-08:00

The big problem with not keeping up with a beast like a blog is that whenever you try to recap things that happened even just a couple of days ago, your posts come across lazy and unorganized. Well I am about to talk about things that happened weeks ago, so you're welcome to tune in, but I make no promises about the lucidity of anything I say. There's the disclaimer... And now the waxing.

Let's go back to Tuesday, February 22nd. I love that Scion puts on these free monthly events in our fine city, but up until this day, I'd yet to attend one. I'd already missed the likes of Biz Markie & Grandmaster Flash... And so there was no way I was going to let Jazzy Jeff pass me by. And good thing too... Jeff KILLED it. Wasn't able to stay for the duration, it being a school night and all, but damn. He blew me away. So smooth. So effortless. You can tell he's been doing it for decades. It's just like breathing to him. He came armed only with a laptop, needles and his mixer... Runnin' the Serrato Scratch rig like nothing I'd ever seen. Now purists might say fuck that! He should be spinnin' REAL vinyl. But if you'd seen him do his thing, then you'd have to give him some love and respect. Besides... Cat's gettin' old. You expect him to carry those fuckin' cases of records from city to city forever? It was pretty great. Def one of the best DJ performances I have ever seen. Dood never fucked up.

(Nicknack & Jazzy Jeff by way of Kunal M.)
From what other people have said that have been to each of these free monthly events, the Jazzy Jeff show was the best so far. So I feel lucky to have been there.

Now how about Sunday, March 6th.

Went to see Alicia Keys at Bass Concert Hall. It's almost disgusting to see THAT much talent in such a young body. Bass provided the perfect setting for her show... A Cotton Club themed period piece complete with a tuxedoed back-up band and at times burlesque themes...

I remember when Alicia Keys first came into the limelight. Even when she won her first grammy, I wasn't entirely convinced of her singing voice. I loved her music, and I loved her writing, but I thought her voice was only alright... But damn has she matured. She killed it. Turned out to be the perfect way to start out the week. John Legend ending up not playing unfortunately, but Xscape filled in for him. Yeah, that's right. Xscape.

I'd never seen Bass with so much soul. Loved it... I don't think the ushers working that night had ever seen that much color. At least that's what their faces told me... HA!

Fearless Freaks.

2005-03-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

As it typically is at this time of year, I am overinundated with work, SXSW happenings and other things, and so normal day-to-day things fall to the wayside... Things like eating, sleeping, maintaining my checking account... You get the idea. So you can expect a recap of the past week (and the week before, and the week before that) whenever I get some free fucking time. Cool?

So South-By-South-Caca is in full effect. Film and Interactive have been going on since Friday and Music officially starts today. Seen a couple of movies, played a couple of events... It's been fun so far.

If you consider yourself at all to be a Lips fan, then you must check out The Fearless Freaks. It's playing at 7:00 tonight at The Paramount, and it's pretty fucking great.

Bradley has literally been working on this thing for the past decade and a half, and in the process has become very dear friends, and has captured some pretty intimate stuff. (Heroine anyone?)

Anyway. It's more than worth a peek. Completely captures the essence of the band.

After the screening, head to Progress Coffee Shop for the after-party. Progress is where the old Gear use to be, just east of the Death Trap on San Marcos. 500 San Marcos to be exact.

The band and filmmakers will be in attendance, and DJ Fuckin' A will be playing... I don't know what the fuck I am going to be playing... But I'll be spinnin' some shit for your Lips-Lovin' Ass.

Ha!

The Fantasy Ranch.

2005-03-09T19:30:00.000-08:00

The last time I ate at Burger King was probably in my college days. My buddy Aaron and I use to hit the BK in Dobie Mall and eat whoppers and french fries while skipping class. But ever since then, I swore I'd never go back.

Time to re-asses-s that life choice from way back when...

While I've yet to see a video by LaChapelle that I've really liked, I will go ahead and say that he's got one of the coolest jobs ever.

Viva la Booty da Vida.

Varekai.

2005-03-04T23:55:00.000-08:00

So last week I scored some free tickets to Cirque de Soleil. This one was called "Varekai", and from what little I could gather from the "story", Icarus falls out of the sky and lands in some pretty fucked up forest, complete with craz-ass acrobats, little juggling asian kids, a sexy caterpillar, and a shit-load of spandex. It was cool. I liked "Alegria" better, but you know...

Anyway, everyone was amazing. The dude that does the routine on the walking sticks? DOPE. Sign that guy up for a role in a new kick-ass kung fu flick. He could be the unassuming, crippled master that all of a sudden busts out the crazy walking stick moves and then you're all like "oh shit!" You laugh now but just wait... It'll happen.

But I digress. So the caterpillar eventually metamorphesisizes into a contortionist! Now, I know... No big deal. But this particular caterpillar-turned-contortionist was pretty stacked.

I don't know about you, but I usually associate contortionists with being like 4 feet tall, weighing 85 pounds and looking like a rail. Not this one! Pretty buff. And like I said before. Pretty stacked. It added a whole new dimension to body-bending-gazing. Fascinating...

Fascinating enough thatI had look some shit up on the inter-web. I learned that the dude that does the routine with the walking sticks... He's not really crippled. Not that there was every really a doubt... And after stumbling across some pretty weird contortionist websites, I found out that our little caterpillar is a Russian Olympic gymnast. Irina is her name.

Irina the stacked contortionist.

Oscar.

2005-03-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

I tried to watch the Oscars this year, but I always get turned away when I realize how out of the loop I am with the latest batch of contenders. I saw Ray. And that's really about fuckin' it. So I was pretty hyped when Jamie Foxx won. Congrats Jamie. I'll still love you the most for your roles in Booty Call and Any Given Sunday though. You know that scene when you're wrapping yourself in the saran wrap? Genius.

Chris Rock was a welcome flip of the script. His open killed me. And the Magic Johnson Theatre? Dope. Chronicles of Riddick... Number One Movie of the Year. No Number Two.

So since I wasn't able to bitch and moan because the people I really wanted to win didn't win, I relegated myself to just looking at all the pretty people. So where to begin?!?

Some of the girls were making comments about Scarlett's hair. What the fuck ever... Scarlett cracks me up. She once made a comment about how much she loved to dress sexy... About how comfortable she was with her body, and how dressing sexy made her feel good. Kind of hard not to be comfortable with a figure like that if you ask me.

Luckily I dig Beyoncé, so I didn't mind seeing her sing every damn Oscar nominated song. (Except that one Sideshow Bob sang.)

Well, and maybe the song she sang with that wanker Groban I could have done without.

"Why you gotta pair me up with the hot black chick that sings so much better than me?!?"
And Hova looked like a pimp.

For some reason I never got around to seeing Closer, but I rooted for Natalie all night anyway...

Anyone else ever see this similarity?

Sorry Natalie. Maybe you'll have better luck with Free Zone.

I can't remember the last time I saw Halle with long hair. But she looked pretty fly.

They didn't cut to Zhang Ziyi damn near enough. Probably because she was too busy flying around the theatre playing with swords and shit...

While Cate was busy arranging her son's marriage to the Scorsese family...

George was busy trying to arrange one of his adopted daughter's marriage to ANYONE...

Sorry... That was mean. I'm sure she's a very nice girl.

And that's pretty much all I got.
Oh. Except for Eliza and Jordana...

Here's to another year of Hollywood.

Amber Valetta.

2005-02-21T08:04:00.000-08:00

So I guess I will be spending the next couple of days or so adding emails and phone numbers to my address book so I can have people like Bijou Philips and Christina Haguilera handy whenever I want to get in touch with them.

Thanks again Paris.

After failed attempts to talk to both Christina and Bijou, I called Amber Valetta and was able to get through to her voicemail.
Unfortunately she is going to be out of town till March 3rd, but I was sure to wish her a Happy President's Day and to tell her that I really enjoyed her in Hitch.

I left her my number so I'm sure she'll get back to me when she's in town. She's sweet like that.