Doing my best with what I had...

Eric Slick, Sex Machine

It's going to take me a while to recover from that one. Ha! But he does offer an explanation if you read his blog posts which I put up here a few days ago....



Robbie "Seahag" Mangano, Eric Slick, and Ike Willis -- outside the "tour van"

Ha ha - I love that photo. Meanwhile, like I said, in reading over Eric's blog from the tour there's mention of the band going hat shopping, etc. and I can just imagine the stares those guys get down south. They're a very charismatic bunch, with ages spanning 18 (Eric) to 50 (Ike Willis and Eric Svalgard) and I believe Robbie and Dave Johnsen are around thirty; Andre is forty...sooo...these guys must generate lots of attention when they travel together.

Fan reviews of Project Object shows have been tough to find since the band landed in the south...but I did find this one which cracked me up bigtime. It was posted by....who else...someone named "Cletis":

frank zappa the greatest man whom has ever lived, so sad that one of his magnitudy must pass into the next adventure before i had the chance to see the wonder... but last night, the coolest thing happened. i along with a handful of coleages ventured to the cat's cradle in carboro, nc not quite sure what to expect... four guys whom call demselves PROJECT OBJECT along with the one and only IKE WILLIS did what they call busting it out, throwin down a groovy groovy groove, doin da rockin, for a good four hour show maybe longer see i wasn't really keeping up with the time even though i still had to get up and gos to work taday..( which i woke up still drunk, went to work still drunk and hung out on dem forklift in the damn sun fer about 8 hours) they play a bunch of classics ( in an example) ... "titties and beer" to "flakes" and "montana" and don't fool yer self girl it's going right up yer pooooouuuuuuuuuuuooooooooop chute... "broken hearts are for assholes" i may never have the opportunity to meet zappa in this life but i ike and the gang is the next closes thing. i'd like to toast a shot fer the good o'l cat's cradle... they gots dem cold beer, nice vibe, good music, they seem not to mind yous taping da shows and when most of the crowd splits the fellas on dem stage lower demselves to the norm... just to say hi,....... fuck you, you ugly son of a bitch........................... and i dig dat... can you!!!... can ya dig it...

Yes, Cletis. We can dig it.

Anyway, I'm so psyched - two more days until the Baltimore show. I haven't seen my son since April 16! But if you are in the Charleston, West Virginia area, they will be at The Empty Glass tonight and once again, it looks to be a very cool venue.
*****
So in other news, I did something in total character yesterday -- meaning, something incredibly stupid. I've been subbing my short stories like crazy and found a magazine I really liked. And in their submission guidelines, they say they get back to you right away; they put stories up daily/weekly, etc., and they've published some of my favorite authors. Err...this would all be great except I neglected to read the editor's letter before I sent off my story. Apparently her "in-box" was full of stories written by stoners or people who think being stoned is interesting and she cannot stress enough how much she finds that NOT INTERESTING.

Naturally, the hero in my story smokes pot.

I was going to immediately write to the editor and withdraw the story so she wouldn't even waste her time reading it, but she beat me to it with a warm "looking forward to the read" e-mail. I should have left it alone, but no, no, I can never do that, and I sheepishly wrote back this morning, apologizing for subbing a drug story though it's not a drug story at all and of course I had to ramble on about that, too.

You realize, of course, what I've set myself up for.

"It's not the fact that your male character smokes pot, Robin. We are rejecting the story because it's a piece of crap."

Nah, I'm just kidding. I'm sure she'll be much kinder with her rejection than that. But will I ever learn? I have two things I do that drive me nuts. One: I sub a piece almost immediately after finishing it, instead of letting it "marinate" a while. Then of course I can't resist reading it over after it's been subbed...and that's when I start finding rookie mistakes like the same words/phrase used six times, etc. And then we have what happened yesterday -- I sub without reading the letter from the editor because I'm so busy reading the stories they publish and checking out the names of the authors that I neglect to read anything else before subbing.

Oh well.

In other news, have I mentioned how much I despise Tom Cruise? I hated him from the first time I saw him in Risky Business. This is sexy? I was mystified. And now that he's revealed to the world that he's also a complete lunatic and not in a good way...feh. Who the hell wants to see Mission Impossible III? Christ, the old black and white T.V. show reruns have way better plots and acting. I'm so tired of special effect blockbusters without any coherent storyline starring idiots.

You want sexy? I'll show you sexy! From the Robin Slick "Neil Gaiman Collection":



Funny story about that, too. My daughter was doing homework with her boyfriend here yesterday and they're both music industry majors. Julie's boyfriend had to do a paper on a concert he saw recently along with producing a ticket stub and/or photos from the show. Julie asked me to send her the link to my photobucket site so they could pluck some Project Object photos off it.

"Eww, Mom, why do you have all these pictures of Neil Gaiman on your photobucket site?"

Eww? How can she possibly say that? I wondered.

I admit it, I was as dumbfounded as I was mortified/embarrassed. But then I remembered her father. Oh. Right.

"Oh, those photos aren't mine. They belong to my friend Susan Henderson," I replied.

Luckily, being a totally self-absorbed twenty year old who never reads my blog, she bought it and was already onto the next topic as I slinked out of the room, muttering to myself like the madwoman I am.

Later,
xo
P.S.
In case you are wondering about the title of this post, it is, quite fittingly, from David Bowie's "Thursday's Child"...

A Quick One....

Another photo from the Project Object Tour -- Eric "Slowhand" Slick

So I'm way busy editing/writing today and am quite pleased that I've not only refrained from killing the construction workers next door, I was also assertive and told them they could not use my water nor my hose. So there! That'll teach them to bang all day.

Oy.

So yeah, just a quick reminder that the Project Object tour continues tonight in Charlotte, North Carolina at The Visulite Theater, doors at 8:00 p.m.; show at 9:00 p.m. Hey, click on that link even if you aren't in North Carolina. What a cool venue!

Anyway, I took a quick Google break to see if there are any new reviews of the show and I found this really sweet note on "Meghan's My Space"

MySpace.com

Meghan

Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Project Object
Current mood: tired
Category: Music

I went last night not really knowing what to expect, but reviews from friends & what I'd read online assured me that I was in for a treat. And what a treat it was.

These musicians are amazing, I am now offically in love with David Johnsen who might be the best bassist currently living. A bold statement, I know, & I am a scorpio so of course I tend to exaggerate, however this guy is channeling energy from bass gods of old, he truely is AMAZING! I bought his solo album entilted "Quisqueya", for a whoping $7, and it is short, but it is good. The 2nd & 5th songs, "Dub the Hag" & "Quisqueya Bachata" respectively, feature Robbie "Seahag" Mangano, so needless to say they are killer tracks. After talking to the merchandise mama, I believe Laura was her name, she told me about the bassists other band Insidious Rays & now I have another band to get all excited about. Okay back to the task at hand the Project Object Show....

So Andre Cholomondeley, the guitarist & more, starts introducing members of the band, he gets to the drummer & he's like, this guys been seeing us play since he was 15........(long pause)......and now you see him playing with us at the age of 18!!! WHAT???? This kid, Eric Slick, is only 18? no freaking way! He is incredible, I read his bio, he started playing drums at the age of 2 & was discoverd by Project Object's keyboard player, Eric Svalgard, at the Paul Frank School of Music. Good find!!!

Onto Eric Svalgard, now you all know I love my keyboard players, & this guy is up there, there were quite a few times when he was playing that I was completly unable to do anything else but stare at his hands, his fingers seemed to carry me away, each and every note was squiggly & perfect, taking you to the right place at percisly the right time. I mean during his solos, I couldn't move a muscle I just stood there in awe, marveling this magnificent keyboard player.

Andre Cholomondeley had all the chops necessary to nail those hard licks. He was entertaining & funny as hell. He even called me out on hooping, then Ike Willis chimed in & I got a whole little blurb spiel about hooping, they even incorported it into one of their songs, Montana perhaps?? not too sure.

Then there's Ike Willis bringing it home, amazing, a legend,enough said! I cannot put into words how surreal it was to see the man responsible for the voice thats accompined me through many a listen of "Joe's Garage "& "Thing Fish". You could really feel him chaneling Fee Zee. I have to admit I was hoping Napolean Murphy Brock woulda been there but I'll definately take what I got.

What a show what a show!!!!I would love a setlist but don't have one as yet.

Now my friends that have seen them before said this wasn't their favorite band & by far not their favorite show, however for me seeing them for the first time, I was quite blown away!

If you like Zappa you gotta catch these guys, Project Object

Much Love, Many Blessings, & Positive Vibrations,

Meghan

*****

So that's pretty cool, huh.

Okay, break over.

Later,
xo
I was going to sign off Sassy Mum again but I'm not feeling very sassy today...though I did refuse to give the construction workers water...

Wait...that doesn't sound right. Oh hell, never mind.

Double Shot Tuesday...

Eric Slick at Toad's Place in Connecticut April 19, 2006 where he did double duty as drummer for Doctor Dark and Project Object.

Good morning!

Oh, today is a good one. I mean, yesterday I had nothing, today I have so much news in the music and writing world I hope you have a few hours to read now.

Okay, first up. Last night Eric called me at 10:00 p.m., a half hour before he was scheduled to go on stage, to let me know that they were webcamming the entire show.

Do I you think I was a little bit excited?

Good thing I'm a nervous wreck because I went to the site to make sure it was working and it had that blue "Q" for Quicktime which I obviously have on this computer but for some reason it wasn't working because I probably ignored the last seven "Update" notices. So I literally had twenty minutes to download a new program and get it going which was enough time but of course in my world I was in panic land that I'd never be able to do this without Eric's help and I was going to miss the concert and eat my heart out all day today reading the reviews (Because yep, it was advertised on the Zappa forum board and a whole bunch of people all over the world were watching).

Anyway, I got it to work but they didn't go on until well after 10:30 p.m. and they do a four hour show. By midnight I couldn't keep my eyes open and it was such a dark, tiny screen I could hardly see it anyway but the sound was so great I turned it up and stretched out on the sofa so I could merely listen. Eric sounded amazing! Well, of course so did the rest of the band, but you know, I am his mother...

Unfortunately, I got too comfortable because the next thing I know it was 3:00 a.m. and I woke up all "Where the hell am I?" and twisted out of shape from sleeping on the couch and the computer screen was black.

Sob...I think I missed the whole second set.

But now of course hearing how amazing they sounded last night I not only want to go to the Baltimore AND New York shows this weekend, I want to do Harrisburg Friday night as well and I'm hearing a rumor as to where the May 14 show might be which is very interesting....

Okay, so now that I've wasted your time with my pre-coffee ramble, here's the first part of my news: Eric blogs from the tour again! Here are his entries:

Tuesday, April 18 Harper's Ferry

CHOWDAH! This gig was gonna be fun because Katie Jacoby traveled all the way there and Madi and Pat were guesting on songs. Talk about a School of Rock vibe show. That night we ate at an Asian Vegan place. I rocked the hell out of some Vermicelli, and then we went back and caught some of the opening band. It's funny how we get double billed with jam bands a lot, I mean, in a sense we are a jam band, but I don't think we have the mentality of one. The show that night was different, I think I was a bit overtired and sugared out. Too many energy drinks that day. Overall we had an accepting crowd and Katie, Madi, and Pat tore it up nicely for 'em. The second set was shortened that night due to curfew but perhaps that was for the better. I was just ready to get some sleep!

Wednesday, April 19 Toad's Place

She's a hot head, hot head...yep, that's Captain Beefheart, one of my all time favorites. New Haven, CT - college town central, the home of Toad's Place. New Haven was double duty night because I was playing with Doctor Dark, the only Captain Beefheart tribute I've ever seen or been a part of. I didn't get a chance to rehearse with them and we were doing almost all new material, like 'Ella Guru', 'When Big Joan Sets Up'...a lot of Trout Mask super complex material. I think we did a particularly good job in general, and we sounded much thicker this time around due to a sax player, new bass (not the old hollow-bodied Vox), and an extra guitar player pulling off all those insane Zoot Horn Rollo parts. I love all those guys, so thanks Doctor Dark for letting me play with you! Gregg Bendian showed up again and I finally got to sit down and talk with him about music. It's always different talking to drummers, at home my drumming buddy is Branden King so I was itching to talk about polyrhythms with somebody! Gregg is a sick player and a genuinely sweet person so it was easy to get carried away in conversation about things like Bruford-less Yes, Return to Forever, and the wizardry of Jack DeJohnette. It was a busy night for me so I was relieved by Gregg filling in on some songs. A good show again, the funniest part probably was the fact that Seahag made a point to go out and buy us fake moustaches. The second set was just hilarious almost to the point where I was laughing so hard I couldn't play. During 'Pick Me I'm Clean' I sang, 'I'm learning English, I can say 'moustache''. Ike couldn't sing the rest, so I'm glad I made him laugh. I had an old school Toto moustache (I don't really know whether it was Toad-O or not, I'll check it out), Andre and Seahag had a weasel mustache, Dave's fell off, and Svalgard had...um..uh...a Hitler looking moustache? Early curfew that night because there was a booming dance party with typical American idiots dancing along to revamped versions of songs from the 70's and 80's...yep...they played an 'I love Rock and Roll' remix and a newly recorded 'Tainted Love'...I think David Byrne predicted this in the liner notes to 'Sand in the Vaseline' (1991)..He said 'In the year 2000, the Talking Heads will become popular again due to slick electronic drum beats over our old material'. Talk about thinking ahead! Off to a day off, of driving and such.

Friday, April 21 Beachland Ballroom

Don't stop the rock! After an inspiring trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (we got in free because we're a touring ensemble) we came nice and early to the Beachland Ballroom. The Beachland Ballroom freaks me out because it looks like my old high school auditorium. The vibe was just amazing! We had an opening band of Oberlin youngsters who were not properly billed with us, but they were great kids anyway. They played some dance-rocky songs and got kinda drunk. Nice! Our show that night was a lot of fun. The previous day we went to a Party Store and bought hats. Seahag bought a riot control police helmet, Dave bought a Vietnamese lampshade hat, and I was corny and bought a cowboy hat that was way too small for my giganto-lollipop head. Also, there was a underground thrift store tunnel that connected to our basement backstage area...Weird. I bought a muscle shirt that says 'Sex Machine', because the Duran Duran Rio Tour Baseball Shirt was too small. The chef made us some great wraps, and then we went up and played our balls off! I think the energy was right that night, we were all connected, and the crowd was out of control. Nice and rowdy, just the way I like it! The after show included digging into my box of Honey Bunches of Oats and pigging out like I needed to. I must reiterate how these shows are seriously like going to the gym.

To a Motel 6 where we had a scenic view of a track field.

Saturday, April 22 Martyr's

Chicago, where didn't get to have any Deep Dish Pizza. It's all good, there's no need for pizza when I'm worrying about broken drum heads, faulty cymbal stands, and bass drums that won't stand still! I call Chicago the night of technical drum difficulties. Argh! I wanted to impress the Chicago audience so bad. We went to a Guitar Center beforehand where I got caught up in the wide world of synthesizers. The guy working at the drum counter was also willing to give me a Zildjian Constantinople cymbal for $350...oh man, I was so close to splurging, you can't get those cymbals for under $500 and they sound like GOLD. My playing was ok that night, I didn't warm up enough and I felt kinda crappy. Again, a couple guys insisted that I played alright and the guy filming it said it was the best concert he had shot. Thanks man! After the show, there was a guy who looked like Jeff Lynne hanging around and got himself into some trouble. Ah, I'll still take his proclamation into consideration (he claimed that he could fly).

Yeah, I bet!

Motel 6...no way!
They all start to look the same, except they designed a new bed sheet for 2006 entitled 'The Adventure'. Why do I know this? Because I am a nerd.

Sunday, April 23 Cicero's

Yeah baby! The hometown of Willis, St. Louis! Cicero's is a neat little place that reminds me of The Fire with a bigger stage and a better sound system. I felt like my playing that night was more cohesive and Svalgard was quite on the ball. I mean, everyone's playing that night excited me, so I was sweating it out by the end. We had an opening band that night called Fatback. They were very Ween-esque. They're definitely going to get alot of gigs, all jammy kind of bands do. Maybe that's where I need to focus my energy if I want to be a successful musician? I don't know, I couldn't possibly be a member of STS9, I don't think I have the personality. Or maybe I think that Zappa and Sun Ra were the ultimate jam bands and nothing can compare. Oh well. The Willis family support system was great, and Ike brought the goods. Positive post show energy was hindered a bit by the stage lights going on and off for whatever reason. Packing up is supposed to be quick and easy after a sweaty show like Ciccero's!

Moving on to 8 Mile, yo yo yo, Eminem, yo.
*****

So that'e Eric's almost up to date blog and yeah, as a writer, I'm dying here reading my son's "work"...I'd suggest it to him as a "fall-back" career but um, yeah, nice back-up plan, Rob. What you really mean is that he can stand on the corner with you, selling pencils.

And thank you Nancy, significant other to Bill Saunders, a/k/a Doctor Dark and whose amazing artwork I've posted here previously. Nancy just sent me the above photo of Eric and this wonderful photo of him on drums with said Doctor Dark at Toad's Place last week:



Nancy also told me that they popped in on Eric at the Asheville,, NC show. I hope she doesn't get annoyed with me for this, but I want to post an excerpt from her email because it really means a lot to me:

I caught the Denny Walley quote you included on your blog and thought you might be interested in this little bit of commentary, too: Bill gave Denny a copy of the CD recorded at the April 19th Toad's show (he also has copies of a couple of the earlier Doctor Dark CDs) and his reaction was something like "I can't wait to hear you with HIM playing" -- of course gesturing in Eric's direction. Face it, the kid's a powerhouse and a real force to be reckoned with in the music world! (as if you didn't know).

Oh, I know, I know, and when I tell you I had the chills last night watching him on the computer screen, that's putting it mildly.

Anyway, I don't see any reviews in yet of last night's show but as usual, I will pop in and edit if I find any during the course of the day.

Wait: Here's one:

ETA at 10:50 a.m.
crankin_frank_in_sc
Re: The Day is Finally Here!!!
Dam whatta awesome show!!! My first P/O show will not be the last, cant wait to see yall again. Everyone was on last night, Dre' ripped up the 6stringer, Dave..maniac on tha bass, Eric Slick you are amazing..18...amazing, and Svalgard thanks for taking time to chat after the show; you rocked as well, and last but not least, Ike thanks for taking us on a trip down memory road and tha stop at Joe's.
Thanks for tha show and we'll see ya next time round!!

Why thank you, Crankin' Frank!

Here's another I just found:
ETA at 4:25 p.m.
editdawg
Re: The Day is Finally Here!!!
Reply #2 on: Today at 4:11pm
Fantastic night. The sound was a bit sketchy at first, but got better as the night went on. During the break Eric Svalgard showed me his new Theramin. A pretty cool little gadget. I closed my eyes during Big Swifty and thought I was listening to Preston. Don't let anybody give you shit Eric. Eric Slick is a hot, tight drummer. The kid has plenty of 'pop'. Dave Johnsen played some awesome bass. Arthur Barrow came to mind a few times last night. Andre' was as cool as ever. He was wailing on that Paul all night. And what can I say about Ike? Just THE BEST. Oh man, what a show!

Top 3 highlights:
3. Talking to the guys before and after the show.
2. This is a tie. Screaming out, "I'm the slime oozing out from your tv set" on cue from Ike and then Ike high-fiving me. And my wife and I yelling out "play 'For The Young Sophisticated' and singing along with Ike and Dre' for a few lines of the tune. They didn't play the song, we just traded lines from the first verse. Cool.

And the #1 highlight - again a tie. Before they played Black Napkins, Dre' dedicated it to my wife and I. He called us "hardcore" fans. That was an understatement. Way Cool. And Ike giving me a hug after the show. You're getting that jacket, my friend!

If PO is coming to your town or if you're close enough to go to a show, please go. These guys need your support. Buy the T-shirts. Buy the CDs.

It's a 3+ hour ride for me and I have to be on a plane noon Thursday, but who cares....see you in Charlotte!

And thanks to you as well, editdawg.

And a few other music mentions before I spill some writing news:

Andrew Greenaway, a/k/a The Idiot Bastard interviews Rock School Uberlord Paul Green right here and it's a really great read...plus ha ha, he mentions Eric Slick.

And, as if that's not enough, he also mentions Eric (and me, the "sassy mum") right here under "Project Object" and wow, thanks for the link to my blog, Andrew! I've been having a blast e-mailing with him -- it's always amazing to find a kindred music spirit.

Hey, you know what? I really, really like "Sassy Mum". I think that should be my new nickname, okay? Actually, hmmm...that's a great pen name for erotica. Sick as hell, so naturally I like it.

Which is a nice seque into my writing news. One of my favorite people/writers at Zoetrope has landed an agent for two books -- one a short story collection and one a novel -- and I've been drinking virtual champagne on her behalf for the past 24 hours. Such great things are happening for all of my friends and it's just the beginning...

But this one has me particularly chuffed (heh...I'm just such a Brit wannabe) because this writer is so fucking original and I relate to her stories in such a personal way...oh man...and she's part of a core group of around ten writers with whom I "hang" who one by one are getting noticed and snagging book deals so hooray for all of my talented pals!!!!!

And speaking of my talented pals, Susan Henderson is interviewed by fellow author David Niall Wilson right here. Good job! It really gives you some interesting insight into Sue's brilliant and sensitive mind.

Meanwhile, Susan posts a blog question each week and she publishes the answers on Friday. Sue's very generous and will link your website/blog if you do reply, and I have to say, this week's question interested me more than a little bit because Sue asks "Who is your favorite songwriter" (and the "why" is implied...I sure as hell told her why in my response, anyway). So because I like this question so very much, I am posting the direct link to Susan's Blog Mail for your response.

Hey, Sue, who do you think Neil Gaiman's favorite songwriter is? The Tori Amos answer may be too obvious, I dunno. By the way, here's a present for you:



Oh god...

One final note, if you are in the North Carolina area tonight, Eric and the boys will be at The Cat's Cradle, which is about 25 miles from Raleigh. It should be another incredible show.

Love,
The Sassy Mum

Eric Slick/Project Object: Live!!!!!!

The Pour House

Follow the above link, click on "Pour House" where the Project Object show is being webcammed tonight starting at 10:00 p.m.!

Oh my god, how cool is this...

I got nothing...

Eric Slick and Project Object last week in Boston

Today is kind of crazy; the construction continues next door to the point where I'm afraid to leave because I'm seriously thinking my house is going to end up damaged in some way...right now it feels like a major earthquake is going on.

I was so nuts I actually did some domestic goddess work this morning. I mean, I cleaned the place so it will be all tidy when it goes crashing to the street below.

Hmm, sounds like I'm getting a reprieve and, they must be on lunch break now so I'm doing the Project Object OCD thing, looking for reviews, etc. but so far, nothing, unless you count the bt torrent things fans are posting and which I am too technology challenged to download myself. Oh Eric, I miss you! (I not only need him here for stuff like that but for updating my website which hasn't been updated since like 2004 but blogging is a hell of a lot easier if you ask me)

Hey, if any of you are in the Charleston, South Carolina area, tonight Eric and Project Object will be at The Pour House.

I hope I'm allowed to say this, but the two nights with Denny Walley sitting in on slide guitar were so fantastic that he and Eric...never mind, let's just say that after Eric played his first song on the second night, Denny turned to him and said "Jesus Christ you're like a fucking roaring train," which is a high compliment when you consider the source and I'd better stop now before the tears start and I really start blabbing...

Also, I believe that after the show in Georgia, Seahag left the band for some other committments, and that's a major bummer but I understand he's re-joining them on the final week back east. Seahag is just an amazing, amazing guitarist but so is Andre and so is Ike and I'm sure the two of them will keep up the standard of excellence that is Project Object. I'm not sure if they've talked Robbie (Seahag) into coming back for the Baltimore show on Saturday night but I know for sure he'll be at the New York show the following evening (May 7 at Coda) so I'm kinda waiting to see what he does before I make my decision as to what show(s) I'm attending.

Oh, who am I kidding. You know I'm going to both regardless. I'll find a way. Rochester is going to be a problem, though. I looked into Amtrak - a two train switch and a ten hour ride?! I mean, it's only 250 miles away. So then I looked into a flight. This you can't believe altogether. A non-stop flight to Rochester, overnight, is $946.00. Thank you, Mr. President. The oil companies made how much in profits this year?

I fucking hate him and his whole administration. Have I mentioned that lately?

And that's not just because I'm frustrated over construction noise and no new reviews on the Project Object front, either.

So how cool is Neil Young? He's streaming his entire new very anti-war CD on line right here.

Ack! I spoke too soon. It sounds like they are ripping the wall out of my kitchen. Okay, must go investigate to see if I still have a said kitchen.

Later,
xo

Hey, I met the Idiot Bastard!

Project Object performing at Shank Hall in Milwaukee, WI



And their drummer, Eric Slick

No new info yet on last night's Project Object show in North Carolina with Denny Walley but as usual, I will come in here with my ETAs if some pop up later. (By the way, ETA means "edited to add" in case there's someone out there who gets confused when I do that). Just know that the tour continues down south with a show tonight (again with Denny Walley) in Atlanta, Georgia at The Five Spot - doors at 8:00 p.m.; show at 9:00 p.m. Upcoming shows, after a much needed day off on Sunday, include Monday night in Charleston, South Carolina; Tuesday night in Carreboro, North Carolina, and Wednesday night in Charlotte, North Carolina...and then they head for West Virginia. I wonder if Eric is going to come back with a drawl...

In fact, ETA right now. This just off the Frank Zappa Forum Board:

Sheik Oyura Beeg 1
Joined: 05 Sep 2002
Posts: 62
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2006 6:19 am

"Maybe it was because it was a beautiful Carolina evening, maybe it was the venue- Stella Blue - filled with FZ and P/O fans, maybe it was the huge tribal drum circle going for hours in downtown Asheville, but what resulted was a fantastic concert last night by Project/Object. The band was tight, opening with "Little House I Used to Live In" and ending the night with "San Berdino" at 3 am.

The new drummer Eric Slick was very impressive. Eric S. kicked ass on the Moog, Dave played some exceptional bass, Seahag was phenomenal,and Denny Walley(and grandson) were a special treat...and of course Ike and Andre were great. When they cranked out "The Mammy Anthem" to start the second set, chills went up my spine..."Lawd hab murky."

I was introduced to the lovely Duchess of Prunes a.k.a. XYQA from our forum, a true SUPERFAN, who will help feed our favorite band in Atlanta this evening. It was a pleasure meeting you my dear.

Run to see and hear this band on tour.I'm going to catch another show in Charlotte this Wednesday...I can't wait."

Sigh...I so, so love this.

Of course I'll be posting links to the venues each day and reminders...ha ha just call me their unofficial P.R. person.

So as you can obviously tell, I've been completely OCD while Eric's been on tour searching out reviews, blogs, etc. on the subject, and it was while doing this I encountered Andrew Greenway, best known to music fans around the world as The Idiot Bastard.

After visiting his website and reading a bunch of cool stuff...and I'm not sure how the sequence went...I think he was googling as well and found me...we started corresponding. Ha ha - what can I say, he lives in the UK and is a music freak/historian/writer. Do I need to add anything else?

Hmmm...how about this review he has posted of the Zappanale 16 CD?

"...And as for Eric Slick's drums on the rock band version of Approximate - killer!"

Then Andrew made the mistake of writing me an e-mail asking me for any info I had on Neil Gaiman. Andrew is a huge fan of Tori Amos but knew very little about Neil and Tori is contributing Sister Named Desire to an imminent tribute album, Where's Neil When You Need Him (itself a line from her song, Space Dog), and he asked that I fill him in.

Who, me?

Nah, I behaved, and rather than write back with a mini-series, I simply directed him to Neil's website and told him about his blog with five years of archives.

"Just go to the search feature and type in Tori Amos or whatever else you're looking for as concerns Neil and you'll find more info than you can possibly use," I replied.

Apparently that's what he did, and then Andrew visited my blog yesterday and actually took the quiz "Which Neil Gaiman Book Are You" and I got this email back, which merely said...

"I'm Coraline".

I laughingly replied that somehow I doubted he was a children's book.

But I'm kind of embarrassed about the other stuff he read in my post of yesterday along with the ensuing comments -- Susan Henderson and I were just messing around.

Okay, so it was just Sue who was messing around. I was dead serious. Ha!

And while I'm on the subject of Sue, she's taking part in an amazing event scheduled on May 15 (Eric's 19th birthday!) at 7:30 p.m. at The Back Room, 102 Norfolk Street, New York, NY where she'll be be reading with Pasha Malla, Roy Kesey, Pia Z. Ehrhardt, Todd Zuniga, Jeff Landon, Claudia Smith, Kim Chinquee, John Leary, Darlin' Neal, Gail Siegel, Grant Bailie, Lindsay Hunter, Jim Nichols and Kevin Dolgin. That's one hell of a line-up, and since I'm predicting right now that Eric is going to want to spend his birthday with his girlfriend that evening since it's also the day after the tour ends and he hasn't seen her for a month, I'm going to do everything possible to be there -- unless, of course, Eric wants me around to sing Happy Birthday and watch him blow out candles.

Sigh...probably not. So yeah, I'm guessing there's a 99% chance I will in fact be able to attend, because normally I would not miss this reading for the world.

And while I'm on the subject of boasting about my wonderful friends, look who is scheduled for a review at Kirkus Reviews on May 15! There she is, right there with illustrious authors such as T.C. Boyle...Ellen Meister!

May 15 is obviously a very, very special day.

Okay, believe it or not, and maybe you will after reading it, this blogpost was done on only one cup of coffee. I'm off to make an entire pot now.

I'm not responsible for what happens next...

Later,
xo

Speaking of Neil Gaiman...

Good fucking lord. Can I get that tattooed on my left hand?

Ha ha - I guess this is Neil Gaiman Day on my blog because it's my second post on the subject today but cut me some slack, I've barely mentioned him for the past two weeks while my son is on tour and providing me with other entertainment.

So yeah, because I'm sitting around here bored now and I can't write because the banging/construction next door continues (though I did write for three hours outside this morning), I took one of those Quizilla things: Which Neil Gaiman book are you?

I really took my time and answered those questions completely truthful. And unbelievable, I got this answer, which is, of course, one of my all time favorite books written by any author let alone Neil Gaiman:

You are Smoke and Mirrors! You are idealistic, unpredictable, and hypnotic. People might think you're a show-off and have a need to be surprising, but really you're just talkative and get carried away with some subjects. You might easily get jealous or feel lonely if something is going wrong in your life. You probably like fantasy, fiction and things that can temporarily take you away from the world. You have a great sense of humor and are enthralling to be around.

You know what's wild? If someone were to write my bio, that's exactly what I hope they'd say about me because it's so totally true it's scaring me. Though whether I enthrall people...hahahaha, maybe I'll take a poll of my own.

So which Neil Gaiman book are you? Do you care? Well, in the event you do or are simply bored like me, here's the link to the quiz.

Hey, this may end up being a three post day. I just got some awesome photos of Eric and Project Object at their gig in Wisconsin...I'm just waiting to see if any reviews come in from last night's show or said Wisconsin show before posting them. If not, I'll definitely do it tomorrow because I know that a lot of people are going out tonight to see P/O with Denny Walley.

Later,
xo

Odds and sods for Friday, April 28

Sigh...it's been a while since I posted a new Neil Gaiman photo so I figured, what the hell, I could use a thrill today.

(This is because I have no new Eric/Project Object photos but I intend to remedy that shortly -- either tonight or tomorrow)

ETA: The band will be playing in North Carolina tonight at Stella Blue with special guest Denny Walley! For those of you not familiar with Denny, he is an unbelievable slide guitarist who played with Frank Zappa for many years and oh man, do I wish I could be there this evening.

So Eric Slick continues on tour with Project Object to rave reviews; the movie Rock School is in heavy rotation on A&E network and I'm hearing from lots of people how cool the movie is and how gorgeous and talented my kids are (d'oh)...and now I think I should get to some writing news.

First, someone we all know and love has just signed a lucrative, two book deal and I will be blabbing more on that very shortly...I'm just so thrilled for "her" I can't even tell you.

Second, my great friend Jordan Rosenfeld has an amazing story up today -- The Change -- at Juked. Seriously, click on that link and have a read. Jordan tackles sci fi for the first time (at least I think so and I'm pretty sure I've read all of her stuff but I could be wrong) and like everything else she writes, she's aced it. Jordan also recently signed a contract with Writers Digest for a hardcover non-fiction book due out next year so great things are happening for her at last. I've been a big fan since I read a draft of one of her early novels four years ago...a novel I know which will be published some day because it's just so damn good and four years later I can still remember it verbatim, which is saying a lot considering the fact I can't remember what I had for dinner last night.

Third, the banging and construction next door continues so I am out of here for now with the dog, my pen, and my lucky journal (ha ha -- autographed by the aforesaid Neil Gaiman and I swear to God, it's almost full now so I hope he inadvertently passed me some of his mojo).

Be back later to see if there are any new Project Object reviews or if I hear from Eric...if so...I will post again; if not, hey, happy Friday!

Later,
xo

Eric Slick on tour with Project Object: He Blogs!

Eric Slick on drums at the Iron Horse (thanks to my brother David and sister-in-law Staci for sending me this great photo today and double thanks to them for surprising Eric at the Show in Massachusetts as they live in CT an hour and a half away and have two very young children)

ETA: TONIGHT'S SHOW, IF YOU ARE IN THE WISCONSIN AREA, IS AT SHANK HALL.

ETA: Oh god, follow this link to a review of the show too lengthy to post here but here come the tears again...

So...you wanna talk proud mother moment? My son, the writer! Yep, he has kept his promise and is blogging the tour after all. Here are the excerpts from the first week:

Wednesday, April 12 World Cafe Live

The first day of the Project/Object 2006 Spring Tour. I can honestly say that this was the first time in 3 years that I was nervous before a show. I woke up on Wednesday morning with that certain adrenaline rush - an unhealthy feeling. Knowing that we were going to be in Philadelphia, my hometown, I felt an indescribable dose of pressure. People were going to be critical, myself included, and playing Frank Zappa's music is a daunting task. Sure, this is the music I have been analyzing and picking apart since I was 11 years old. I can remember the day I bought my first Frank Zappa record, 'Sheik Yerbouti'. I went to the orthodontist and he accidentally broke off one of those 'vital' braces sending my mouth into shock as he responded by nonchalantly shooting a needle of anesthetics into the back of my throat (without my consent, nonetheless). My mother felt bad for me and took me to the record store immediately afterwards. My face completely numb with a nice pool of drool forming until my tongue she asked me what record I wanted and I replied by drawing out the letter 'Z' with my finger. 'Zappa?' she replied, and I shook my head repeatedly. I went home and ran up to bedroom and threw on the sprawling 79 minute record - and I was floored. So floored, that I put it on loop and listened to it until my face had feeling again. I believe that something inside me changed that day, maybe something broke, who knows. One thing I knew at least as a drummer, this was going to be the music that I obsessed over from that point forward. Anyway, back to the pre-show. The ability to focus was perhaps my biggest flaw on Wednesday. Certainly there was a lot on my mind! Not seeing my friends for a month, what to eat and not eat before the show, when I could warm up my hands, making sure the 50 year old hardware on my drum kit wasn't going to break (which it did), etc. I get nervous just reminiscing about the pre-show! The School of Rock All-Stars opened up for us, and they did a fine job. I had to chance to play on a laid back version of 'Take a Chance on Me' by ABBA with Terry, Carolyn, and Bosco. Foster and Hannah dancing during Yes' version of 'America' always makes me smile, it's one of those genuine stage moments that is hard to recapture. At this point though, I was freaking out in my own idiotic fashion, trying to memorize sh*t before the show that was practically muscle memory to me. Still, I walked on stage with my heart in my mouth and we tore through the '71 version of 'Little House I Used to Live In'. Not the best version we've done for sure, but I think we absolutely surprised the crowd. Being the wreck that I was, I can't recall the rest of the show. I don't remember what I did, when I may have dropped the best, if my electronics were working, or especially if the cinderblock was the doing it's hefty last minute job in front of my bass drum. What I can remember was the unbelievable support that everyone gave us, and I would like to thank my parents for being the best, Andre for providing me for this opportunity, the rest of the band members for being incredible musicians, Carolyn for calming me down, Paul Green for showing and staying for as along as he did, and all the fine freaks of Philadelphia for telling us that we didn't suck too bad for our first night. After the show we packed up and headed to the world's greatest Motel 6 in Sayreville, New Jersey.

Thursday, April 13 Starland Ballroom

We spent most of the morning at the Motel 6. By this point I was starting to love the Motel 6 atmosphere, but not the whole 'you have to steal some angry dude's wireless connection by sitting outside in the grass'. Andre and I went to Guitar Center because I had to pick up a new bass drum beater. Somehow the indestructible metal beater I had decided to snap right in half during 'Packard Goose'. Andre picked up a nasty little machine called the Korg Pandora's Box. I've played with those things forever so I know the virtues of owning one. The weather was particularly good on Thursday, and this put me in a more relaxed mindset. Still, I always understood that the first couple nights were going to rough. We drove a quick 15 minutes to the Starland Ballroom and I was baffled. This room is the perfect venue! I think we all enjoyed the arguing sound guys. They should have their own sitcom on HBO or something. Props to the chef for making a portabello mushroom so good that I might have a hard time eating one anywhere else. Other props to the Dr. Dot massage therapist for getting that nasty lump out of my rotator cuff! This night was going to be special from the get-go because the Mahavishnu Project was opening and Glenn Alexander and GREGG BENDIAN are sick individuals. They did a fantastic job, and Dave really held it down. The violinist and keyboardist were also quite fantastic. Talk about a band that made the Mahavishnu '72 live tapes sound sloppy! They left the stage and I went in the crowd for a bit to see how many people were there. What an enthusiastic group of people...they looked psyched. We went on and did our typical first couple of songs (Little House, Dirty Love, Titties n Beer, Flakes, Broken Hearts) and the crowd went wild. Surprisingly there weren't too many drum problems because the bass drum anchor seemed to have tightened itself? Bendian played Filthy Habits and King Kong and I felt a tad overwhelmed - he's one of the best live drummers I have ever seen. As Svalgard wonderfully puts it, 'His press rolls are so perfect that they sound like white noise'. Highlights of the night for me: Ike Willis singing 'Outside Now' with such pure emotion (his voice and guitar playing are even more insanely exceptional this tour), Svalgard's 'Inca Roads' keyboard solo that put George Duke in his place, Andre's amazing improvisations and inventive soloing and his duo soloing with the monstrous Seahag in 'Zomby Woof', Seahag in general, and Dave's jaw-dropping 'Apostrophe' bass solo. It's a joy to play with Dave - he is one of the few bass players who understands what a rhythm section is supposed to do. Back to the same Motel 6.....

Friday, April 14 Valentines

This tour is particularly new and exciting because there are so many places on the East Coast I haven't been to yet. Albany is a strange place, particularly because it's architecture is so similar to San Francisco. Big hills, parks, and row houses everywhere. Ed Mann was supposed to show up but unfortunately his back went out. I was looking forward to it, as a marimba player and because he would certainly help fill out the sound. Valentine's is a bizarre room to play music in - the ceilings are made of some type of metal, the stage is not present until you walk up a big flight of stairs...very different. We didn't have an awesome chef this night so we kind of had what felt like a family dinner at a Mexican place called Loco. How creative! Just kidding, the food was great and we had a good time discussing the finer points in life, like quesadillas and Eddie Money concerts in Chile. Also, the merits of 'I'm the Juggernaut, Bitch' were discussed by Seahag and I. Do yourself a favor and watch that video. Went back to venue and there was a rabid group of Zappa people ready for some music. I think our sets were strong in Albany, and the crowd seemed to enjoy it. Highlight of the night for me: Our premiere performance of Village/Echidna/Wash..WAIT FOR IT....

Everyone was hilarious after the show, doing our best 'I Need a Miracle Bra'.

Dragging equipment down a flight of stairs = kinda lame, but the fine stage hands at Valentine's helped us out completely.

Motel 6 in Albany, with no Pop Tarts in the vending machine...

Saturday, April 15 Higher Ground

Ah yes, a venue named after a Stevie Wonder song. I immediately fell in love with the place almost just because Mr. Bungle played there. My parents decided to spend the weekend on tour and they came to Vermont with a gigantic Target bag full of pre-toasted Pop Tarts and 3 boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats. Thank you Mom and Dad for saving my life in the food department. Surprise of the day: The Disco Biscuits were playing in the larger room next to us. A little wookied out? Absolutely. I guess the secret word for that night was not Mud Shark, but indeed the Chewbacca Groan. The one thing that sucked about this show was my inevitable bass drum problems. We had to put another last minute cinderblock in front of it. It's funny that I didn't know how old my hardware was until I started beating the sh*t out of it on this tour. U-Melt opened up for us this night and I would like to thank them for being so into it. It's obvious that they love Frank Zappa music. The show was pretty good, the sound on stage was nice and clear. Highlights: Crusin' for Burgers...

A Best Western with WIRELESS. That's what I am talking about.

Sunday, April 16 Iron Horse Music Hall

The first thing I found out about Northampton was that it was the um....female partners capital of the world? Andre and I discussed the craziness of Easter Sunday. My parents again really going overboard in the food department...they arrived with many chocolate easter bunnies. Dave and Seahag were convinced that there should be manufactured Chocolate Jesus Bunnies. Tonight's secret word/every sentence we uttered was our collective Michael McDonald impersonation. The crowd for a Sunday was ridiculous, absolutely screaming and helpful with our equipment. I snagged a wireless connection for 5 minutes from a Police Station across the street. Svalgard really killed it tonight, he's been consistent and as one fan described it, 'fluid', which may be the hardest thing to achieve playing this music. Rooming with him is a ball and it makes staying at a cheesy motel that much more interesting. Seahag again was self-deprecating and I can never tell if he's being serious, because he's probably the best living guitarist besides Adrian Belew. Dave as always killed it, I don't know if he understands how good he is...Andre, of course being innovative and amazing as usual, his playing speaks for itself...Ike delivering a knockout 'woo woo woo' Micheal McDonald cry throughout the night helped me laugh. Good times!

Motel 6 with Strawberry Frosted Pop Tarts...

Monday, April 17 The Century Lounge

BONEYAHD! The cries of PRAAAvidence, Rhode Island. I was impressed as I walked in, as there was drum kit already set up for me. How excellent. There was a sweet ass golf video game too. I didn't eat dinner that night, which can be extremely difficult because these shows are like marathon runs. By the end of the 4 hour run, I'm usually drenched in body fluids (I forgot to mention that I played so hard in Albany that I started bleeding all over my drums, and there's still blood that won't comne off my hi-hat). My performance tonight wasn't so good, a blister popped open during the last 4 songs and I rushed everything in pain. I was so pissed at myself for doing that, but I literally couldn't play right, so I stole duct tape from my floor tom and in a hurry a wrapped it around my throbbing finger. My voice was also killing me this night because I had sore throat and a bit of a head cold. Props to Brian who took me to the Brooks pharmacy to get Cold and Sinus medicine.

I would certainly like to forget this gig although the fans really seemed to enjoy it (headbanging dude ruled and the guy who yelled 'NOICE!') and one guy compared me to Will Kennedy...you sir, are way too kind...Will Kennedy is about 1,000 levels above me, but thank you nonetheless. It was cold and rainy after the show and that probably didn't help my attitude. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

Motel 6 on the way to Hahpahs Ferryyy...
*****

Okay, I admit it, I'm dying here. I told you all my son could write! I can hardly talk right now I'm so choked up.

Which is good, because it's 8:00 a.m. and the workmen next door have been pounding away for the past hour but I don't care, I'm out of here for sure today to go to scenic Baltimore (where believe it or not I have never been) on some writing business and won't be back until tomorrow afternoon. Yep, a whole day away from the madness.

But one final reminder: A&E Network is premiering Rock School tonight and not only will you see Julie and Eric Slick as young teenagers throughout, toward the end of the movie I'm quite prominently featured (ha) on the plane to Germany sleeping with my mouth wide open (lovely) and when the kids perform the final concert in said Germany, you can see me run over to Julie as she leaves the stage...and wasted on err, beer, at the front of the stage while they perform.

I'm just kidding, if you blink you will miss me on all three occasions but who cares anyway, this movie is about Paul and the kids and if you haven't seen it yet, you should!

Okay...no reviews are in yet for last night's Project Object show but I'll watch the usual sources until I leave for my trip today and if I find anything interesting, you know, the usual...I'll be back to edit.

P.S. Julie's lasagna was sick. If she continues to cook vegetarian like that for me, I just might...

Nah.

Later,
xo

Coincidence? I think not!

This, as you know, is the pic of Eric taken when he was four or five years old and I made a remark about how weird it was that the magazine cover came true, and I also made a joke about the cowboy hat that his sister insisted they both wear...



And this of course is the photo I posted of Eric yesterday.

Heh. How freaking insane, huh.

So right now I'm in the middle of a total nuthouse. The place next door was sold and is being gutted and rebuilt...the workmen got there around 7:00 a.m. today and my entire house is vibrating and the pounding and banging noises are making me lose what's left of my mind. I went outside and screamed at the workers who looked at me like I'm warped because apparently this type of work is done at dawn everywhere and as their expressions told me, I'm going to have to live with it. I feel like crying because this is happening at the worst possible time. I have a real chance to finish my novel with Eric away on tour and the house mostly to myself and now I can't even think straight due to the noise. I live in a brownstone/rowhouse whatever...so you can imagine what I'm going through - it sounds like they are in my kitchen right now. In fact, with this house being over a hundred years old, I'm seriously starting to worry about any adverse effects I might have structure wise.

Oy.

And then, we have Julie in said kitchen, making not one but two lasagnas...vegetarian for her and me (did you know I'm now a vegetarian? I didn't. But Julie says so and I'm too upset right now to argue.) She made a meat one for her boyfriend. Every pot in the house is dirty and I'm afraid to go in and look at the stove, sink, and countertops. All I know is, she has a class at noon. God forbid I go in there and have to clean up. One of the reasons I personally never cook lasagna is that it's such a freaking mess maker.

So that's two days in a row with a nervous breakdown for me. I've decided I have to get out of the house and escape the noise, so I'm going to go for a walk to the park with my journal and at least try to do something productive.

I haven't found any new reviews on the Project Object forum board but if you check the journals of the various bandmembers on the website -- and hopefully my son will work on his -- you will see what keyboardist Eric Svalgard had to say about him, which of course made me teary eyed for a change:

Now I should say something about Slick. I have known and worked with him now for 4 years and have always loved his playing and his attitude. He knows this material as well as anyone and is a total asset to the band. He listens, has great feel and is a the SHIT. Total joy to play with. Some young players who get notoriety have trouble when they get older and are no longer freak shows. Eric will not have that problem, he is the real deal.

Thank you, Mr. Svalgard. That was incredibly cool of you to post.

So tonight's show is at The Poison Room in Cincinatti, Ohio. I haven't spoken with Eric yet today as to how the Detroit show went last night but he's having such an incredible time, I'm sure it was awesome. And of course as I will remind you all tomorrow, at 9:00 p.m. the A&E Network will be premiering Rock School and you can see where it all began for both Eric and Julie.

Oh well. Now Julie is stomping and cursing over the fact that we don't live in the suburbs and have a huge kitchen because she just dropped/spilled something due to limited workspace. Great. I'm getting the fuck out of here before I end up killing myself and her.

Later,
xo