Eric Slick at the Digitech party in LA last week
Happy Hump Day.
So things are happening here -- looks like my son has an agent (and it's someone we all know and love and no, no, it's not me but I'm not saying another word until it's definite because I made that error with "that other band" with whom Eric was briefly involved and I've learned my lesson). There's a strong possibility that Eric will be out in LA again both before and after the spring Project Object tour in between going into the studio and recording some demos.
By the way, Andre of Project Object e-mailed me a mock-up of their updated website yesterday which includes Eric and I cannot wait to post the link once it's officially up. The group photo is absolutely hilarious and wonderful. But Andre does have the following in the "News" section already:
"Hey all. Hope u are well.....Stay tuned -we have a BUNCH of dates coming your way soon, the Spring Tour will be roughly mid-April to mid-May. AND -- a big change for us...Ta-da!! We have a new Drummer!! Yes indeed -- the wheel has turned folks....as with the REAL, actual Zappa band, occasionally we like to shake it up and get some new blood in there -- this time I have brought on board the incredible talents of ERIC SLICK - amazing Philly based drummer, some of you may have seen him sit-in at Philly shows, most recently at the World Cafe' Live , where he steered the band through the greatest version of 'King Kong' we have ever done. ERIC is also a graduate of Paul Green's School of Rock - and he appears in the movie ROCKSCHOOL about that great chain of schools. I've had my eye and ear on Eric's skills for a couple years now, but he had school and studio responsibilities that precluded the possibility of hiring him. Glenn Leonard will go on to other ventures, we wish him luck and thank him for his years of hard work in the band from 2002 to 2005. Stay tuned, you might even see him sit in on some tuned percussion somewhere....ALSO - this will be the first...100% PAUL GREEN SCHOOL OF ROCK STAFF TOUR!!! - Yes indeed, everyone in the band either currently, or in the past, has taught or attended the PGSOR..Besides Eric Slick's tenure at the Philadelphia school... I am proud to say I am now running rehearsals at the Bergen, NJ School, Eric Svalgard (KEYS/VOC) is a director/teacher, and Dave Johnsen (BASS/VOC) teaches, both at the Downingtown NJ location, Ike Willis (GTR/VOC) is at the Los Angeles school (with P/O alumni Carl Restivo)...special occasional guest Seahag/Robbie Mangano is at the NYC school..and finally Veteran Driver-Merch Goddess Laura Wilson worked at the NYC location anad still does some projects for them! WOW - Paul Green has..invaded Project/Object. Yikes!! SEE YA ON TOUR FOLKS!! more info soon...."
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All I can say is, Yay, Rock School! Yay, Eric! He made a ton of contacts at NAMM and it appears they're paying off.
I like how he casually mentions to me yesterday "Oh, did I tell you Ringo's tech kept coming up to me and telling me how great I was?"
Err...no, dear, you didn't, or I'd have posted a billboard immediately. Oh well, consider it posted now.
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In writing news, I was recently solicited by two separate publishers for anthologies -- one mainstream, one erotica, so I sent off two stories and I'm pretty psyched about that. More info as soon as I receive it.
I heard from Megan at Playgirl Magazine yesterday that my bio/interview will be in her next print column so you know I'll be screaming from the rooftops when that appears. Also, an excerpt from my novel will be on their website soon. Again, just listen for the screams of joy coming from the vicinity of the Art Museum area and you'll be able to figure out when that happens easily enough.
I also have a new blog with Phaze which will solely concern my projects with them. Here's the link to that but I don't have anything posted yet. Ha ha - Phaze doesn't know what they're getting into with me. I'm a serial blogger as you can tell. But the nice thing about having a blog at Phaze is that I don't have to mention Julie and Eric ad nauseam...I can simply promote my books there and not bother any of you with that unless...nah, scratch that, I'm still going to bother you.
Hey, speaking of writing, just a reminder that I'm reading at the Poets and Writers Festival at Philadelphia Community College on Tuesday, January 31 at 5:15 p.m. but of course I'll post more links and info on that either Monday or Tuesday morning. I have to decide what I'm reading...I have a few flashes which are funny and crowd pleasers, but I guess the businesswoman in me (ha ha ha what businesswoman? You mean this clueless baby boomer sitting here now in a faded black Who t-shirt picking sleep out of her eyes?) is saying I should try and find a PG-rated passage in Three Days in New York City -- there must be one in there somewhere, right? -- or one from the sequel. We'll see. I have fifteen minutes to read so I'll start fooling around with some things today, time myself, and make the decision based on that.
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Julie also has something interesting in the works but trust me I REALLY know better than to spill that until it happens. Speaking of Julie, the little darling turns twenty on Monday and I'm still in shock over that one. The celebration kicks off on Friday when we have our annual lunch at Le Bec Fin, Philadelphia's five star French restaurant. Wow. I just realized it seems like yesterday that I posted a photo of our lunch there this time last year. Anyway, for those who care, I've already pre-selected my meal. The appetizer will be the "Gambas aux épices et salade de crabe, mousse de pommes et de céleri, émulsion au curry", or to plebs like me, better known as "spiced shrimp and crab salad, apple and celeriac mousse, curry emulsion". My entree, unless they have a spectacular special, will be "Pavé de saumon rôti,topinambour et champignons en feuilles de brick", a/k/a roasted salmon, sunchoke and mushroom in brick dough, rosemary chicken jus. For dessert, they wheel a round a pastry cart and it's an all you can eat affair. Take a look at what's offered. I have threatened to simply ask for one of each. Julie doesn't believe I will have the guts to do it, but this is a prix fixe meal and at $54 a head without wine, tax, or tip, I'm betting on myself.
If only they didn't come around every three seconds with baskets of hot rosemary olive rolls and softened butter...that's going to sabotage everything!
Her celebration continues when boyfriend Matt takes her out to dinner on Saturday night at one of her other favorite spots, Chloe, and then on Monday, her actual birthday, we'll all go out to dinner as a family...hopefully to a restaurant specializing in nothing but healthy salads under 400 calories.
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And have I mentioned Neil Gaiman will be here tomorrow? I've had to swear one hundred times to Eric -- who is going with me to the reading reluctantly though I know he's going to have a great time because Eric is an awesome writer and artist as well as a musician -- that I will do nothing to embarrass either of us. Anyway, if you click on the link, you'll see that he's freaking driving here from Minneapolis! That's a 1,200 mile drive -- I know, because I looked it up. After going on Rock School tours with thirteen hour bus rides, all I can say is better him than me. But truth be told, it's such a hassle to take a plane anymore, I don't blame him. Besides, I read he's got the car of my dreams -- a mini Cooper convertible -- which he probably can't drive right now in icy Minnesota so he's probably looking forward to taking that baby out on the highway since at least here in Philly, we've been having Spring in January. How about last night, by the way? A thunder/lightning storm of truly magnificent proportions!
Anyway, I continue to keep to my promise to limit my online activities to about 1-2 hours a day while I work on my novel in progress...ha ha...my friends from Zoetrope will know why I put that in bold...sorry for the private joke, but I could not resist.
Also, speaking of my Zoetrope pals, I have just been tagged by my good friend Ellen Meister who was tagged by our pal Myfanwy Collins so now I know what I'll be posting tomorrow. This should be a blast. Make sure you check out Myfanwy's answers, too, and follow other links...like this link to the always fascinating Susan Henderson.
Later
xo
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