The Agonizing Pain Post

There will be no pictures with this post today. And if words are spelled wrong or I do not use capital letters, don't shoot me. It's already taken me fifteen minutes to type one sentence while flat on my back using my laptop.

On Sunday, I bent down to pick up a shoe and haven't been able to stand up since without screaming in agony. I either merely pulled a muscle or it's something worse. I prefer to think muscle as there are little glimpses this morning that I may be able to sit up with assistance and actually eat without slobbering all down my face.

Don't even ask about what it's been like to get to the, um, ladies room. At one point when I was here all alone on Monday it took me twenty minutes to walk twelve feet to the powder room and once there, I couldn't get back up.

"Please don't let me die like Elvis," I cried out loud to no one. "I so wanted the Nelson Rockefeller death." (Look it up, youngsters, providing links right now is impossible, too, though I'm gonna try in a second.)

Anyway, a half hour later after a lot of loud screams, I made it back to the sofa and my heating pad, where I consoled myself with a handful of Gary's Christmas cookies. Here's a good hint - don't try to eat cookies while laying down. It's very conducive to choking and then sobbing some more when you realize you didn't also grab a glass of milk to go with them.

Anyway, about that link. I need to post it because Eric has major news. Okay...deep breath...here goes. Wait. Let me just tell you something else first. Today, Eric is being filmed for a secret project I am not allowed to talk about yet but if things go as planned, Eric will be coming to a television set near you all over the U.S. once monthly. And that's all I'm saying.

But for now, I can tell you what he's up to tonight, tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday.

And I can also tell you that last night Eric bumped into Bela Fleck on the street and the band guest listed Julie and Eric ("Where's Julie?" they all wanted to know) and I am guessing they had VIP backstage passes because it was midnight and Gary was baking cookies again and Julie still wasn't home. If I could make a link, or if you dig in my archives from May or June, 2006, you will see that Julie, Eric, and Adrian jammed in Atlanta with Bela's band, including the incredible Victor Wooten, and they are big Adrian Belew, Julie and Eric Slick fans. So if there are any stories from last night, I will edit this, at least in theory, when Julie wakes up.

ETA: Yep, they had backstage passes; went on Bela's tour bus after the show, and hung out with their sax player until 2:30 a.m. at Monk's Cafe. That's all I've got so far -- Julie hasn't had her coffee yet.

This line of gossip, direct from Julie's mouth first thing in the morning, will be ending in two weeks as my daughter has just signed a Lease for her very first apartment and will be moving out January 1. Wah! But luckily it's nearby -- well, a ten minute car ride -- and in what's probably the hippest area in Philadelphia right now and though I haven't seen it yet, I hear it's amazing - bi-level, with skylights, and able to accommodate her entire recording studio on one floor so if there are any bands out there looking for a great engineer/producer and recording studio, Julie is your woman. To reach her, visit her at her blog which she just updated to include the lovely lunch she made her poor sick mother on Monday. Okay, that link I could do cos' I know it by heart. But let me try to Google some links I'll be needing for my son.

It has now taken me an hour to type this much. I just wanted you all to feel my pain. Normally this would take me five minutes and include photos.

But back to Eric. Tonight he has a major, major gig in New York City at a benefit for the Bowery Poetry Club. Oh man, look who is on the bill. If only I could link every one of their names:

Downtown Music Gallery Benefit show on the December 17th at The Bowery Poetry Club featuring:

10pm - ISZIJI MUNOZ HEART-BURN TRIO w/ special guest JOHN MEDESKI on organ.
11pm - ROBERT MUSSO ENSEMBLE w/ special guest RAOUL BJORKENHEIM
12pm - ELLIOTT SHARP POWER TRIO

Robert Musso - Guitar
Raoul Bjorkenheim - Guitar
Elliott Levin - Sax, Flute, Poetry
Keith MacSoud - Bass
Eric Slick - Drums

The Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery
New York, NY
212-614-0505

If you click on the link for the Bowery Poetry Club, you'll see Bob Moses is also on the bill, and he's not listed above, but you won't see John Medeski, because if that word gets out, they'll have to turn people away. Oh well, I let the cat out of the bag. If you are in NYC, buy your tickets NOW. This will sell out in a couple of hours as soon as people start realizing just how big this gig is.

Tomorrow night Eric plays his usual weekly gig with the ultra-cool (arghh...another link...a ten minute exercise on trying to get Google with a laptop perched on your chest) Black Lodge Ensemble and if you click on that link, and you'd better after all the hell I just went through to post it, anyway, that link will also tell you that Eric will be playing with another side project of his..and wait...I think I just figured out an easy way to post a pic which will tell you:



Eric plays with **PRFSR*DRSZ**, and the band includes the man who taught Julie most of which she knows on bass, Dylan Sherwood McConnell, who is also one of the founding members of the School of Rock.

So that's Friday night, and then Saturday, another biggie. Eric on drums, Chris Harford on guitar and vocals, the incredibly talented Mickey "Dean Ween" Melchiondo of Ween on lead guitar, and bassist Matt Kohut. Where will they be playing? Ha ha, good one - a venue called Hillbilly Hall in Hopewell, New Jersey. Those are four amazing musicians but unless a miracle occurs, I'll never be able to make that gig as I'm freaked out enough that I can't do Christmas shopping or bake cookies this week due to my "condition" and if I'm not better by next week, I may jump out a window.

Oh, I'm kidding, but this is so damn frustrating. It's my favorite time of the year and I can't even decorate the tree properly. J&E and Gary started it but it's still not done and since they are doing absolutely everything else for me, I'm not about to nag them about that. Besides, I really want to do it myself so here's hoping that if I continue to lie flat for the rest of the week, this old back of mine will repair itself. If not, oh God, I may have to see a doctor. I just had a vision of myself in a hospital bed in traction.

Arghhhhh....

Anyway, if in NYC, go see Eric tonight. It's major. If not, check him out Friday or Saturday night...also major...and a lot of fun.

More news on the Adrian Belew Power Trio soon - got some huge news there as well.

Back to sleep for me now. I started this post at 5:00 a.m. and it's now 7:23 a.m. Two and a half hours to type a couple of paragraphs. Ouch, ouch, ouch.

Later,
xo