Awesome stop! Whitney Point, NY. We're on our way to Sarah Lawrence College and I'm in the back seat while Khaela drives and Katy rolls shotgun. The sun is low at 3:33 PM and the view is beautiful on the interstate 81 heading south. New York has been a pretty wide spectrum for us. Cortland, lower east-side, Barnard, Greenpoint, Syracuse.. there's a lot to you, dude, and a lot of people in you. The states that went to the Republicans in the recent travesty of an election should have watched closely and followed your move.. they were the only state that was actually attacked, you know?
Holy! Hey! WOAH! It's now 4:33 (an hour later.. woah.. on the minute) and we just caught a split-second of magic. The sun was setting and it was, as Katy put it, "otherworldly." It was so neon-magenta.. just crazy.. The only other time I've seen the sun look like that was in February of 2001 in Japan with Cabel while we were on our way from the airport to Tokyo.
Okay, so Barnard College is right off Broadway on the west side in the 1-teens. I was tripping out on what it would have been like for someone like me to go to a college in New York City. I grew up in a small town on the coast of Oregon. 10,000 people. What would have that transition be like for me? I'll NEVER know.
Mike Noble, Kristan, Abby, Dan, you are amazingly nice people. Thank you for setting everything up and taking such kind care of us. We played on the Barnard College radio station, WBAR and it was hot. Katy and I did a guitar/laptop jam that went deep. I have it here.. for you.. but it's big. It's a 26 MB AAC file. Check out my vocal trips at 9:34. There were some The Blow songs, but I cut them out.. we put the computer through a small guitar amp and it sounded bad. SORRY! I think that I'm going to use AAC for all the audio files I put up on this website from now on. Let me know if you have trouble playing them. AACs are basically MP4 audio files and iTunes can play them. Cool? Cool. Mac users, control-click and select "Save Linked File As.." or something similar. PC users, same story. Right-click. Whatever.
Big, huge, warm, THANK YOUs to everyone that helped and everyone that came to the show.
We ate dinner with Khaela's friend Kenneth at a fancy Thai restaurant and made our waitress a flyer for the show in Brooklyn the next night. I think she had a thing for Kenneth, but she didn't prove it by coming the show the next night. The process was documented and is in the new movie on this page.
The next day we vibed out in NYC. I finally got my replacement phone and I'm so happy about it. We met up with Ginger Takahashi, whom I'd never met before, but I really, really love the record that she made with Mirah. You should buy it. Ginger has a process piece in a gallery in soho where she's making a white quilt and inviting people to come hang out, help and look at her other stuff. I got my first text message on my new phone from Amelia, then I made my first phone call to Steve. IT FELT AWESOME. After hanging out at the gallery for a bit Ginger took us to get Malaysian food. Khaela was literally jumping out of her chair and squealing she was so excited. Katy and I ate our food in a mellow fashion. Oh man, that deep-fried taro root was incredible.. have you ever had it?
New York State
(14.9 MB - VIDEO MP4)
Thank you to Todd P in NYC for hooking us up with an awesome show in Brooklyn. So many people came out and danced so hard. During my show a very nice drunk girl was dancing so hard and pulling at me to come dance with her. Look for it in the video. Kristan Kennedy, our awesome friend in Portland and big part of PICA, has a brother in NYC named Brendan. Brendan is always real sweet to us and always trying to help us. For instance, when he worked at MTV (maybe he still does? Brendan?) he was always trying to fit in indie music, sort of subliminally, like my band with Ritchey, The Badger King. He got 30 seconds of one of our songs in a spring break segment.. truly ridiculous. All kinds of friends were there! Emily Ryan Lerner., Jared "Maxx Bass" White, Luke, Sarah, Dave Longstreth! It was magic.
Rare beverages consumed: Inca Cola
Kevin Erickson of Walla Walla Washington had a really beautiful quote for me regarding our recent misfortune with car theft.. Kevin, if you're out there, post it in the comments. Basically it's about a string of bad luck leading up to some sort of massive good luck. I'd really like to think that's something real and true. This morning after playing a crazy show in a Syracuse attic called "The Eaves," we returned to our home (the car) to find the stereo missing. It wasn't like the stereo had been ripped out with a great force, or even removed in a hurry.. it was a clean job and for that I thank the dirty thieves. I must worn them, though.. I have just placed a curse on them so dark it's unholy. To steal a person's stereo... a person on a tour.. a person that still has nearly a month and 6000+ miles to go.. dude, that is just plain EVIL. You will get yours, threefold.
Sarah Lawrence! You get your own entry. Stay tuned.
please don't use aacs.
other than iTunes that shit is waacs.
thaacs!
mp3s are fine for the whole world of computers and music playing machine technology. at some point you're going to have to want to communicate to all those other people too. think about it.
what kind of fancy digital camera do you have jona? i don't know much about all of these new ones except that i really want one!
and i second not using aacs files from now on. i have itunes, but it's not always my own computer i check this place with. i'll probably end up missing half the sound files up that way.
Several years ago a guy made a whole documentary about Inca Kola, The Golden Cola. He was of Peruvian descent and kept making these hilarious slams with potatos and Inca Kola. Cultural commodities, stereotypes, identity struggles, that kind of thing. Weird bevee, huh?
jona, i've send your cd's to the adress of your friend steve, so they will be there when you're back! best wishes golden colaboy
i love ginger! she is the badassest, for real. now i am going to search this confusing, beatiful website to try to find the super secret location of the jamz that were promised to us the philadelphians on this monday.
9 comments and no one has mentioned how super cute your new phone is! so cute! tiny little critter of a phone!
I can't find the exact wording of the Buddhist Proverb, but it was something like this: "When everything crappy starts happening all at once, it means that the universe is preparing for the birthing of something beautiful." big hugs to you both.
Jona-
Is Inca Cola anything like Malta Goya, ie. gross bread soda?
the mountainous AAC downloaded as an .M4A file, which plays OK in quicktime, Itunes/PC, and realplayer, but NOT in Windows media player. So, since Windows Media is the only player that forces the user to rip music into its own proprietary format, posting files that windows media player doesn't play is a GREAT way to keep music open! I know that's a tad snarky, as WMP is the only player that a lot of folks have. Eventually Windows will either add a codec to support this format, or lose more and more marketshare due to suckiness. On other fronts, I'm so glad someone is keeping their eyes out for when&where God runs repeat sunsets!!! on your belongings going away: such good vibes flow at and within you to carry you to getting anything you need- here's to that!
for 4,000 years i lived on a planet that revolved around 2 suns and had 4 moons
did you hear that the new forcefield record is called lord of the rings modulator
so awkward and tight
hit the health club
Hey fartso, that MTV TBK shit was more like FIVE seconds. It was so fucking legit. Two girls were MAKING OUT!!!! and our beautiful music was playing!! It was truly the greatest moment of our life. I have it on VHS somewhere if you ever want it. I love you, dinosaur boner.
wow a mention on the famous and sweet keyboard artist jona b. 's interweb fantasy site. i am flattered and most impressed with your diary skills. my brother is indeed special. but our gooodness is only propelled by the good music of people like you and yours. those who make tunes which radiate such bright and glorious rays. those same rays will - i am sure be the same ones who will burn the eyes/hearts/brains/fingertips out and off of the horrific theives whom have seemed to be testing your goodness all tour! i spit on them.
i leave you now to prepare a thanksgiving feast- hellos and howdy do's to all . especially khaela and ritchey
bye jona see you soonish.
hey jona,
you dont know me, but im jenn. me and my two friends were sitting next to you on the couch before your show, my friend bought a t-shirt from you and blah blah. the show at barnard! god i'm talking about a show and you dont even know which one.
anyhow, it was my first time seeing you guys. you, katy, and khaela, and you rocked out. i coulda stayed and got my dance on all night. hopefully you'll be around the city again soon.
ox.
where are you jona? i am living 13 hours in the future so everything seems very slow from here. how is millie and jona tour going???? catch up catch up!
love to all peace supreme!!!!!!!!!!
Update this shit! My internet routine has become such a bore. & I want to see pictures of the seitan roast. Bye!
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wow, you have had some luck (of the bad variety) w/thefts this tour..
well here's some good vibes from the west coast to the east, from me to you.
take care, safe travels.