Hello 2014! (goodbye 2013)

Hello Dear Family and Friends,

***sit back, grab a drink... this is a detailed state of the union so-to-speak to get you all caught up on on the "what's up with jen?" question.****

So 2012 was big. Big because I won 2 free airline tickets and that meant I saw most of you (my family) at some point in 2012. Now one thing that meant was I couldn't really hide any more. You all remembered me differently than when I showed up on your doorsteps and well, that made me long to be my former self.  That set me on a path for the first time in a long time for 2013. I started thinking about the future and what I wanted.  My list was short:

• Health
• Fitness
• Adventure
• Love

HEALTH and FITNESS: 

So I started 2013 with a Rolfer.  It was my sister, Alisa, who told me about rolfing (http://www.rolf.org/about) on my visit to her in Alaska. And I knew i had caused lost of structural damage with my fall down that hill in 2010, my scoliosis getting worse with my weight gain.  So I invested in the 10 series with a great rolfer, Lindsey (http://lindseymorin.com/) we did 10 sessions over the first 10 weeks of 2013.  It was after session 5 that I woke up in the night and realized I was NOT in pain from rolling over - that was a first in many, many years! I knew I was on to something. That was also around the time I started Weight Watchers through my workplace. What I knew was I was about 100lbs overweight and that was affecting everything from my joints to my immunity. I also knew that I was seeing less and less of the world because walking would cause me pain.  Lindsey and I talked about everything from diet, health to love and sex during each rolfing session. It was therapeutic in many, many ways and when my 10 sessions were done, I felt like taller, straighter, stronger, smarter and ready to tackle the world! It was AMAZING. The few people who had heard of Rolfing asked if it hurt. Yes, sometimes it hurt but in a way you knew was making you better. If you've twisted, broken, tore or strained muscles over the years, I totally recommend Rolfing! Get a "reset"!  The second piece, Weight Watchers, well, they say "expect amazing" and they weren't kidding! Slow and steady, I've lost 60lbs this last year!  After about 20 I found I could walk more then bike more then started running again (a very little bit but more to come in 2014)

All that work, focused solely on me, was something totally new and empowering. My orientation has always been taking care of others first. I started taking stock of my life and what was building my energy and what was sucking it away. I also got the idea that I needed to start my new decade (40s) the way I wanted to live it. I was well on the way to Health and Fitness so I added "Adventure" to my list. I had never heard of Rolfing before so what else could I be missing? what else could I be learning? what else should I be seeing?  

ADVENTURE:

At the Vegas Scooter Rally in early March I won "Best Picture with the Flea Market Monkey" 

I made new friends that launch more adventures!!  I scooted to the Hoover Dam.

I went to the Neon Boneyard all by myself when no one else wanted to commit to being somewhere by 10am - reservations required - http://www.neonmuseum.org/about/the-collection/neon-boneyard

It was the beginning of the good things to come. I was stretching my wings. trying new things. Going by myself if no one else wanted to go. 

For my birthday two weeks later, I did a solo road trip to San Francisco. My first stop was straight east, though - to salvation mountain (http://www.salvationmountain.us/).  Had to see that before it wastes away - the creator passed away this year so it won't last long. It was so dang hot and huge black wasps had made a nest out of the whole hill. I could imagine one of the other visitors tapping the wall and all them suckers swarming us so I didn't stay long but it was SOMETHING to see for sure!

Then on to Nor Cal.  stayed with an old friend from Jr. High - Nina and we hung out with another kid from the Thruston Pond Hood - Mark. I saw parts of Northern Cal I never even thought to visit before- totally recommend walking through the Green Gluch property one day, it's lovely http://www.sfzc.org/ggf/

So much to see! On that first trip to SF in March we had lunch on the beach in Point Reyes, I saw Redwoods for the first time 

and the painted ladies 

For the drive back I did the coastal route and holy smokes is that beautiful!

Carmel from the side of the 101

From the road James Dean died on

Yep. Started 40 seeing and doing all new things and well, that trend continues.

In April I started "online dating" with websites like Okcupid and PlentyofFish.  I have the last 5 dates to write still but you can read about those adventures here http://okcuplentyoffish.blogspot.com/  it was a fun experiment but you'll have to read on to see how it ended :) But that's when I added "love" to my mix of priorities.

In June, a international scooter rally came to town - Amerivespa.  And I was asked to lead a ride I'm known for- a beautiful ride that is about 80miles that goes up the coast, inland to a lake and through the Elfin Forest. It's a very fun ride and I had about 80 people follow me on it. It was a lot of work, a bunch of stress but a really fun weekend with over 7000 scooterists in San Diego. 80+ was plenty for my Saturday ride! That's me in the yellow vest behind my scooter at the first stop on my ride:

August came and so did the 15th anniversary of my dad's passing. It the big anniversarys that really get me but the year before I was in Alaska in August and I got to visit daddy's resting place and could see he had a view of Flattop Mountain from there and well, that finally put my heart at peace with him being gone. In August, I also hitched a ride with a co-worker to Portland. 2 days each way and she likes to take the inland route up the 395. Man was that was beautiful:

Mount Shasta on the way up

A storm blowing in on the way home

I hitched the ride because I wanted to meet Mr. Ivor Allastair Rattray, age 2 months at that time. (photo by parents of this little man)

In September I went to Mexico on a scooter for the 3rd time in 2013 only this time we went 220 miles in! The furthest I had been before that was about 50miles in.  It was such a lovely ride to San Quintin and in the last 150ft, on a dirt road, I got chased by 2 big dogs. If you've known me since I was a kid, you know I am TERRIFIED of big dogs chasing me. So i had my first scooter accident that was 100% my fault. I fell fast, hard and good. Because of all my weight loss, none of my gear fist properly. My helmet rolled back on my head, exposing my chin and SMACK! I hit my chin so hard I thought I was going to have a permanent underbite again. I wasn't even sure I still had teeth - note the bandaid on my chin

but once that was cleaned up, I realized it was my knee that took the most of it. OUCH. I still don't have feeling in my knee but that's better than when it hurt like a son of a gun. Small victories!  San Quintin was BEAUTIFUL:

Think we found Gilligan

And Neptune

Sunrise across from a Volcano

Our gang of adventurers:

That was such a great trip and ride but I had to haul my scooter back due to damage to the headset.

That was a very long, but beautiful ride home. We stopped in Ensenada and took a boat around the port- these seals thought they were at Club Med

The winds were very strong, apparently even on the day they painted the new lines on the highway:

And Jesus is everywhere in Mexico

In recent weeks, the major toll road we used in Mexico collapsed: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/29/22094081-scenic-mexico-coastal-highway-collapses-after-rain-small-earthquakes-reports so I'm glad to have gotten there 3 times in the last 6months! - I don't know if that Jesus is still standing - he's on a hill above the road that collapsed!

LOVE:

In October, while meeting online date #15 at a bar, I ran into an old friend, Robert.  My angels pointed Robert out to me 3 years ago at a friend's wedding. We talked a little then but were in totally different places. Literally - he was living in San Jose and I was in Carlsbad. But my angels really, really wanted me to notice him then and well, his smile is unforgettable. We'd run into each other at various things over the next 3 years. He moved back to San Diego a year ago. But it was 3 years later while at a bar meeting online date #15, that I ran into Robert for most important time. He was carrying a heavy heart after being jilted by a woman. I was pretty sure I was supposed to wait for online date #13 to get over his divorce because he and I got a long we had been friends forever. So Robert and I started to hang out while we killed time for something else. Being super clear we were NOT dating, Robert and I started having the best time. We laughed so easy. We rode bikes everywhere. 

Robert likes to photobomb. This was a non-date dinner at a meatball joint.

We found a great tree for portraits:

we found creative ways to store bikes without kickstands

We kicked back watched tv. We looked for new swings to swing and trees to climb. He fit in and was a champ when my old friend Lexy came in from New York by riding her bike from LA to Del Mar. He jumped feet first into my plan to drive up and down the 101 looking for Lexy because I was sure she'd need rescuing.  The night unfolded with laughing until we cried, closing down the infamous Red Fox Room (where Ron Burgundy plays Jazz Flute in Anchorman 1) and Robert contorting himself in the rear space of smart car when we were all too tired to walk 1/2 mile at 3am back to the truck (I drank tea and water and was designated driver but still laughed until I cried and my face ached from using muscles that hadn't been used that much in a long while).  Then one day, about two weeks in of "NOT dating", I was out to lunch with him and his mother. Those same angels from the wedding years ago told me to look up again and this time when I saw his smile it went straight to my heart. At that point I could only hope he wanted to date me and.... HE DID!  done with the online dating. I found a fella the old fashion way!

November was a big month! my friends got married in the desert so Robert and I did our first outta-towner vacation, camping in the back of his truck in the desert for the weekend. 

He, too, likes to take the long way home so we saw Salvation Mountain again :

this time had us running into a local who told us all about the history of the valley and General Patton doing tank training there (http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/needles/patton.html). 

The onward to the Salton Sea:

where we learned it was a huge hurricane in the 60s or 70s that brought sea water into the Salton Sea and since the sea can't drain, the salt just gets more and more concentrated as the water evaporates. It wasn't too smelly that day but there were plenty of dead fish on the beach.  Then we drove up the mountain seeing a full moon rise so close with no artificial light was simply stunning. We rolled into Julian just before Mom's pie shop closed and got pie in the mountains. 

Then drove down to the sea for dinner. It was an epic day after an epic weekend and I knew I could spend a long time with guy. 

November also took me to Seattle for a week at Thanksgiving. The first 3 days I got to stay with my little brother and his wife, Tommy and Yuko. We hiked in the woods by their house and did pretty dang good at the local trivia night. I had my first tire swing ride of my 40s!  

On Sunday, another friend I met in Vegas earlier in the year loaned me a scooter and put on a ride for me. It was so clear SOOOO cold but the ride was a blast!

Then sadly, I got news Grandma Jo had a major stroke - she died later that week but I did get to see her on her last, best day before she was moved into Hospice. She didn't recognize me at first but then I showed her the pictures I recently scanned of the Christmas of 1981. Then she remembered and smiled, huffed at my silliness, rolled her eyes at my nonsense. I stayed with her until they moved her to hospice. Goodbye was SO hard. I told her to hug Scott Thorson hard and Great Grandma Anna gently when she got to where she was going and she said she would. 

Grandma Jo 1987 (me and Scotty 1987, too)

That was on Tuesday. She passed away that Friday. On Wednesday, I met up with Uncle Kenny, Aunt Karla, Daniel and their dear friends who hosted us all for Thanksgiving.  I walked to Pike's Market every day from their Queen Anne Hill.

That was a good but crisp walk :)

I also got out to Snoqualmie Falls, the setting for the TV show "Twin Peaks"

 and I squished a ton of pennies while in Seattle:

On Black Friday, we all went sailgating to the Apple Bowl.

That was another first for me in 2014!!! I got dressed up in spare huskies gear

and cheered on UW through the half and then back on the boat for warmth!  It was so good to spend Thanksgiving with Family again!

This christmas was low-key and lovely. I spent it with Robert and his family. Lots of great food, great company. For the holiday, I learned how to make spiced candied pecans (http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotappetizers/r/bl95c12.htm), yarn pompoms (http://creaturecomfortsblog.com/home/2011/11/30/5-minuted-diy-yarn-pom-poms-how-to-video.html) and tissue roses (http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Tissue-Paper-Flowers) so my gift wrapping skills improved tremendously in 2013! The Knephers made me feel like family and that's super awesome of them and on the holidays.

New Years I had an old Schwinn friend in town. We were one 'n'  jen and two 'n' jenn back in our Schwinn Days (today, too)

Robert got to meet even more old friends of mine from my pre-scooting days showing him, I think, there are lots of great people who aren't scooterists too :)

Robert and I made sure to catch 2014's first sunset from the Silver Strand Beach in Coronado, where I found my first full sand dollar! 

So I end the year in good health, having lost 60lbs so far.  I walk 3miles most days.  Robert and I have long list of adventures to do - not all this year- but that list grows a little by little. Our next for sure adventure is High Rollers Vegas Scooter Rally in March. I would like to show Robert the Midwest and Cedar Point before Fall.  All signs point to 2014 being one of the best ones yet and well, you just saw my 2013 so if 2014 is better.... hold on to your hats!! I do fully expect to have laugh lines on my face come this time next year! 

Thanks for reading! I think of you all more than you probably know.  Keep an eye on my Flickr account (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jijiferjones/) in general, especially if you don't have Facebook. It will keep you visually updated as the year rolls along. Make plans to come visit San Diego!

So much love from me to you!

I Just Want to Dance In Your Tangles To Give Me Some Reason To Move

I’ve had Neutral Milk Hotel on the brain lately. I suppose it’s never really left my brain. When my car stereo was stolen in April of 2006, I took to trying to remember lyrics and first ones that came to mind were “Songs Against Sex” and “Gardenhead/Leave Me Alone”. You try singing those acapella from memory – it’s TOUGH! I eventually moved on to easier melodies like “Sister Golden Hair Surprise” and “Desperado” but my first effort to stave of Alzheimer’s was NMH in those car stereoless days. Yep, NMH went right to my soul upon first listen and perhaps being without them for so many years has aged that soul. Here’s my NMH story.

On Halloween of 1995, Flaming Lips + Special Guests did a show in Detroit. I don’t know if it was last minute or me getting listed was last minute. I seem to think my friend Joe got me in and said I had to be there at doors open to make it work. Usually that’s enough to make me not go at all – I hadn’t seen a “special guest” in years that was worth showing up early for. I had a huge crush on Joe, though, and maybe thought him wanting me there was a sign or something. Of course, Joe was just being a nice guy and spent the night running around with the band so I was left on the floor to suffer through a “special guest” alone, I guess since I can’t recall is if I had my friend, Jess, in tow or not. Anyways, The Apples in Stereo took to the stage and I started looking for ANYONE to talk to. They opened with “Tidal Wave” and the infectious power pop didn’t stop for a full 45mins and I found myself hopping up and down with glee for the duration. Man, I thought all pop hope had been lost. Creation wasn’t finding anyone to regurgitate Big Star any longer. My Bloody Valentine had disappeared. All the best Scottish bands had pretty much disbanded and well gone was the Manchester thing and was 4AD putting out by then? Teenage Fanclub weren't really knocking it out of the park with “13” and beyond. When my favorite indiepop kid, Aaron, came in my store telling me he was now into “Noise” (he went on play in Wolf Eyes) I was sure Earth was in retrograde and things were about to start moving backwards. I felt totally adrift on my quest for new pop sounds and then here it was in the form of a “special guest” for the Flaming Lips. Who’d a thunk it!

With a totally new bounce in my step, I dropped by Schoolkids Annex (the indie only part of the record store I worked at) to pick the brain of Tim, resident indiepop know-it-all. When I asked him “What do you know about the Apples in Stereo” he went from pout to more pouty saying he heard a rumor they’d be the special guest but didn’t believe it. He walked around the store pulling out cds and 7”s explaining to me about the Elephant Six Collective recording out of Denver. He said the true stars were Neutral Milk Hotel who’d be putting out an album later in the year, as it was the store was out of the few singles NMH had released. I bought what we had and started imagining life in this and with this Collective.

I was 22, living at home again, not in school, no plans to go back to school when in February, I decide to fly to Colorado to visit my oldest friend, Dan, and catch Pavement shows #9 & #10. On the eve of that adventure, my mom tries to unsuccessfully bend me to her will for the umpteenth time and says if I have monies to follow pavement then I have monies to live on my own so if I wanted to continue living at home, I’d have to make a plan to go back to school. Uh, what 22 year old WANTS to be living at home? I got on that plane to Colorado with a heavy heart. But then I had the Apples with me and remembered Dan telling me how he had to rent out bedrooms in his house since all his roomies were going to Oregon to host a snowboard/skateboard camp. Rent was cheap, I concluded a summer in the place putting forth the BEST indipop wouldn’t be the worst fate. By the time I landed I had a plan. I was moving to Boulder, Colorado and the rest would follow.

That March, “On Avery Island” is released. Tim was so right. THIS was the real deal. “Naomi” gave me goose bumps. I while I had dreamt boys could be so in love with a girl they could see beauty in everything and Jeff proves such a boy exists when he softly says “Your prettiness is seeping through out from the dress I took from youuuuuuuu.” In Gardenhead, is it Naomi who’s so thoroughly done him wrong such that he does not “wish to taste of your insides or to call out your name through my phone”. I played NMH for everyone I knew. Even the noise kids could appreciate perfection that was "On Avery Island.".

I landed in Boulder in June of 1996. Turns out Boulder isn’t Denver and Colorado is tough without a car. After two years having to bribe people to take me to “the city” to see shows and it was seldom I was successful at such bribery, NMH releases “Aeroplane Over the Sea”. I bought it at Waxtrax on 13th street, Denver. The kid behind the counter asked if I had heard it yet. I hadn’t. He said Jeff had gone all religious and shit and well, that kid wasn’t sure what he thought. I took it home and sure enough the second track begins with waling “I love you Jesus Christ”. In an interview in Puncture , Jeff would tell the world many of the songs are about Anne Frank and some are just about church camps in backwoods Louisiana . I will say the GOD theme through the album was a little tough for me at first. In early March 1998 I see in the Westward that NMH will be playing at the 15th St. Tavern. I couldn’t leave to chance that I could convince someone to drive me so I did the only sensible thing: moved. Yep, with about a month’s notice to my roomie, I moved to the Cheesman Arms on 13th and Pearl Street in Denver, CO . Conveniently located on Capitol Hill. 1 block to Waxtrax, 4 blocks to the Ogden Theater and about 6 blocks to the 15th Street Tavern. I moved in April 15th, 1 week before the show.

Now, I have no idea what Capitol Hill Denver is like today. It was no great shakes back then. I mean, in my lobby, there was a flier for a man seen in our building wanted for committing sodomy on his nephew. Yes, THAT kind of neighborhood. So I didn’t venture out much after dark. I’m a worrier by nature but it seemed like luck wasn’t on my side back then. I had one bike stolen already and got it replaced with the coolest bike ever since I was then working at Schwinn. It was actually TOO pretty



(full disclosure, that is black beauty II, Black Beauty I was stolen from the Ridgeland EL stop in Oak Park, IL in 2000)

And consider that I was roof-ied in Detroit in 1995 (that story will be in my memoirs titled “OH! That’s why don’t leave your pop unattended amidst chickenhawks”) So there was a lot of mental self talk going on in my head as I left for the show all by myself on April 21st 1998. First, I left before dark just to feel safer so that was probably like 6:30pm. I locked my bike securely infront of the door. I walked in with ticket at the ready but for the second time in my life, I showed up to a bar for a show when it was still operating for the daily locals as just a bar. The lights were up. The drinks were served in real pint glasses. No one asked for my ticket. I asked the bar keep if I was in the right place on the right night. Yes, I was, I was just ridiculously early. I saddled up to the bar and focused on my shoes. I didn’t make eye contact with a single soul for fear my guard would go down and I’d be ruff-ied again. Being a single 25 year old chick in a bar on a Tuesday night is a total creep magnet. The only movements I made pre-show was to pop up off my stool every 5mins or so to look out the door to make sure Black Beauty was where I left her. It wasn’t long before the bouncer would see me twitch and just look outside for me and nod at me from across the room. An ally!

By the time NMH took the stage I was sufficiently worried and feeling like 100% pure freak. No, I don’t remember the set list. I know him so passionately singing his love for Jesus Christ wasn’t nearly as unsettling live as it was upon for listen to the recording. It was almost evangelical. The whole room was buzzing and bouncing. Next thing I know, I’m jumping up and down, arm around the shoulder of the stranger next me. Smiling from ear to ear and me and the stranger start singing along. At one point Jeff says “Hey, I lived in Denver for years, where were you people then?” I couldn’t help but think it was ME that was missing those previous years. When the show ended, I didn’t want to leave. Break up the family. We, all who were in attendance had just witnessed something heavenly. Divinely inspired. I had forgot all those worries and fears inside that room for almost 2 hours. I wonder if anyone has ANY idea what it is like for a worrier to stop worrying. It was so freaking liberating, I just stood there talking to more and more strangers about how great it all was.

That was the only time I’d get to see Neutral Milk Hotel. 11 years have come and gone since their last release. Shit spiraled into dark, dark depths for me in Denver within the next few months and the hope and joy I felt on 4/21/98 has never been recreated. I’ve never been a religious soul but I’d say that was the closest I’ve ever come to a religious experience.

I do feel lucky to have found music that actually and truly moved me both figuratively and literally. How many people can say that? Thank you Neutral Milk Hotel. Come back to me, now, please.

WATCH it doesn't capture the feeling at the 15th Street Tavern.

Pavement in 26 updated.

Once a pavement groupie always a pavement groupie. i'm so stoked for the reunion I started thinking about the past. here is how I remember it:


1) Stache’s Columbus, OH. Circa May 92

• Went with Andy, Chris & Ian and picked up a college buddy of Andy’s on the way- the dude dug graves as his summer job. The grave digger's name is Nick.


• I don’t think I was invited but I strong armed myself in there anyway.


• I was the only girl in a car of dudes stumping each other with Star Wars Trivia


• Stache’s was a blue collar shitty bar and we rolled into town mid-afternoon such that the clientele of that hour were mostly toothless and fearlessly scowling at us.


• Pavement drove themselves around in a white van they colored on with permanent marker


• Everyone thought Gary was one of the locals


• No one knew what Pavement looked like back then, it was anyone’s guess


• Malkmus, Spiral, Bob and Mark took the stage asking for Gary


• The crowd nearly mauled Gary thinking the drunk local was acting the fool


• Malkmus spit on me all night long (I thought it was sweat)


• After the show, the boys I was with gathered to think of a question to ask Malkmus. That's when Malkmus tapped me on the shoulder to apologize for spitting on me all night– forever smitten

(2) Metro, Chicago circa May 94 – Highlight

• Jess Leix became my partner in Pavement Fandom. She was the daughter of Grand Funk Railroad groupie so she had groupiedom in her genes


• We drove my car to Chicago with a firm plan to introduce ourselves there, no big splash as the big reveal was to be in Detroit a few days later.


• Jess made Pavement stationary at Kinkos, based on the idea from Aaron Dilloway’s Vaseline’s stationary pad made a few years earlier.


• We picked our brains for our favorite Pavement lyrics and wrote them on the stationary.
• At a gas stop in Indiana, we picked up a fake license plate that had a confederate flag and said “Ass Kickin’ Southern Rock” as a gift to bestow.


• When we got to Metro, Malkmus was holding court in the foyer. We gave him the license plate and said we’d see him in Detroit.


• We followed the drink girl right up to the front and center and didn’t move all night


• Westie came out and promptly hung the license plate on his kick drum, we shrieked.


• All night, we’d throw one lyric note after another, they’d pick them up, pass them around and put them in the Viking helmet they had.

Great night

(3) St. Andy’s, Detroit, 2 days later

• Jess and I had painstakingly been making tshirts for weeks (see my photos). First Elmo had to special order the ¾ baseball jerseys, saying they weren’t fashionable (ha!) I fashioned mine after one my friend Diane made in the 80s – it simply stated “Journey is #1”. Jess was always way more creative than I. Her’s said “I ♥ Pavement” with a heart patch and sequins. We both made iron-ons at kinkos for the back. My quote was “Like a Damsel’s Spit” – you know he spit on me. And her’s was a Crooked Rainx2 reference “Luck on Every Finger”.


• The plan was show up around noon and just wait outside St. Andy’s for them to show up for soundcheck. Jess would do all the talking from there. Again, this was in her blood!


• They loved the shirts and asked if we wanted to catch soundcheck. Scott (Spiral) took pics of us – the front you see here, the back is on the DVD.


• The rest is history. It was a terrific show we became Jen & Jess Detroit.

Another Great night




(4 & 5) St. Andy’s, Oct 94 Early and Late Show

• Will they remember us? Was the question on my minds as we once again waited outside for them to show up for soundcheck.


• We got your letter” (I don’t recall the content of said letter) they shouted out the window as they drove up.


• I think this was the day there was an eclipse. We stacked up all our sunglasses and stared at the sun


• After soundcheck, Scott wanted to walk around. We got a picture of him in front of that building with a football player on the side – can’t recall the dude’s name.


• That was the night that back stage, post show, we got a picture of us with Malkmus, shooting out little rayguns in a Charlie’s Angel pose. I’ll have to scan that.

Was this the 3Ds & Chris Knox as openers show?

(6) Kellogg Club, Cinncy – next night

• They told us we’d be on the list. We were listed at as Jen & Jess Detroit. Had Bobby N. not walked by calling us that, there would have been some trouble.


• That was the first time we met roadie, Mario. Fun guy.


• God! Who was that lady, Malkmus wanted us to take his picture with?! I’ll have to scan it.


• Polvo was a terrific opener.


• The ceiling looked like there was asbestos sprayed up there.


• This was our first over-night trip where we had to get a hotel. Hella fun


• We ran into pavement at the gas station – it was our first non-venue encounter and we were like “look, they have to fill up their tanks too!”

(7) Agora – Cleveland, Ohio circa May 95

• So 1995 was the year they did Lollapalooza so they didn’t tour as much. This Cleveland show was the closest they came to Detroit sans Lolla.


• Was this the first time we met Nigel? He was the tour manager and he had a whole stack of Wowee Zowee cover art rejects – 4”x4” cards painted by Steven Keene. Nigel gave us the stack and said we could pick one. Mine’s a sailboat, I’ll take a picture.


• Scott had requested a homemade shirt and I think Jess pretty much took the lead on that. I recall her painstakingly sewing on sequins to the letters. Again, only a picture will do this justice.


• Scott wore his shirt on stage and we swooned.


• Dirty 3 opened.

(8) Lollapalooza 1995

• Robbie Stapleton was a week overdue. I had tickets for 2 days but the second she gave birth so I didn’t make it.


• Outside in a huge venue was my least favorite way to see them.


• Plus I think I was worried all day that Robbie and the kids needed me (pre-cellphones, see?) and I’m a worrier

(9) Denver, Ogden Ballroom - January 1996

• First time I flew to see them. It was under the guise that I had always promise Dan Gilsdorf I’d come to see Boulder.


• They were sick, amps froze and cracked and seriously, the Ogden is the worst sound set-up ever.


• I think the Apples opened but I get 1 other Ogden show confused.


• Not a great 9th show but I was headed with Jess to Albuquerque the next day for my 10th show.

(10) Albuquerque, El Rey - January 1996

• It’s an 8hr drive from Boulder to Albuquerque and seriously not a thing to see btwn there and there.


• Jess had a credit card so she rented it car it had no cruise control.


• Jess didn’t feel well so I ended up driving all 8hrs to my dislike but called dibs on her driving to and from venue.


• In Trinidad, CO there’s a sign at the only overpass there was for miles “Trinidad, CO – A point of interest”. I looked to my left – cow pastures as far as the eye could see, to the right- pretty much the same. I snorted “Interest, yeah right”. That’s when I saw red & blue lights flashing in my rearview. Ah- a cop behind the sign is the point of interest. I was clocked going 95 in a 55. As he approached the car, Jess kept saying “cry!cry!” but that’s not my style. The officer asked if I knew how fast I was going “No”. He told me and I said “Yeah, I believe it. I’ve never had a car that didn’t shake and lose bits over 60mph so if it’s not shaking, I think I’m going 60.” I then said, add to that, the lack of scenery makes it difficult to assess the speed. He tried lots of different ways to let me off and I kept talking my way back into a ticket. That is, never taking his lead and saying there’s no way I could have been going 95. He wrote for 65 since 95 is a felony. Nice guy


• We got to the El Rey about the same time as the band so soundcheck etc. etc.


• Mark’s little bro was there working the tshirt booth.


• Remko – sound guy extraordinaire starts serving me screwdrivers at like 2pm.


• Around 4pm, Big Bro Scott pulls me aside to say “You know, Remko isn’t buying you drinks because he’s nice, right?” Sobering.


• Jess and I each have a Polaroid camera and we’re sitting in a large padded booth with the band and Mark’s bro and taking pictures and coloring and etching as they develop. Every time Stephen sees his face start to appear, he viciously scratches it outs and writes “I hate this guy”. Mark’s brother skanked all those – heck, he took most of the Polaroid and Jess would have the only ones he didn’t take.


• Since that was our 10th show we got to be a dedication and I asked for “Angel Carver Blues/Mellow Jazz Docent” largely because I wanted to hear Malkmus whisper “Ask me if you want to be fucked” and while they played it he didn’t BOO!


• After the show was the first time we were ever invited to hang out with them beyond the club. I sobered up quick. I never wanted to be that kind of groupie. I told them we had to meet folks at the Waffle House, which was true. I don’t think Jess ever forgave.
• Henry’s Dress opened and WOW! They were good!


• Matt of Coolbeans and shit--- who was that lady from Cali that was there? I can’t recall her name! but those were the first mail listers we ever met.

Dry spell. I move to Denver and they toured the shit out of Brighton the Corners but only came with in 8hours of my car-less Boulder self twice :(

(11) Denver, Ogden 1997

• Everyone was fighting – even Remko suggested I steer clear. It was gonna be a long night.


• Beth came with me – drove me like a doll, I think that was her first pavement show.


• Scott saw me during the Apples in Stereo set and took us back to talk. We watched the Apples from the side stage.


• After the show, Scott came and got us but when I asked if I could go upstairs and say “hey” to everyone else, he said he’d be on the bus. Yeah, things weren’t going so good.


• There had been a missing fighter jet that week and I walked into Malkmus and Ibold theorizing on it. I told him all Coloradan’s had a leatherman such that I bet he landed in the mountains, met up with John Galt, Henry Reardon and Dagny and disassembled the plane for scrap metal. It seemed plausible (they found the wreckage later that week).


• I went out to the alley to say good bye to Scott by a couple of the Apples in Stereo folks were trying to work up the nerve to knock on the bus door. I did, said I’d see them in Nebraska and off I went.

(12) Omaha - Some Bowling Alley– 1997

• Beth apparently had enough fun in Denver to drive my ass to Omaha for the only OTHER show I’d catch in 1997 when the rest of the world was seeing them a million freaking times!


• At the first gas stop, the car died. We jumped it and prayed we’d be ok with all the driving we were doing


• We got to the Hotel, checked in and got back out to the car QUICK- didn’t want to get stranded at the hotel. The car started but barely.


• We got to the venue called a “Fun Center” there was bowling, volleyball, a bar and the room for the shows. Fun! We arrived at like 2pm and the bowling alley was FULL. We giggled thinking we’d never seen a full alley mid-day. It wasn’t until after lunch when we went back that we started to suspect we were in the twilight zone. Just an hour before the alley was packed with my only African Americans. Now, it was just as packed but only White people. We didn’t see a mass exodus pass us so how it swap out so quick?! What was going on? We went back to the car to find it was dead. “that’s ok” I said “we’ll get a jump”. We went into the bar, discussed what we thought may be the problem got directions to a Kmart so we could get a new battery before heading home. We started talking to the locals and they were talking about how nice the room was and that the best spot to stand was the balcony. I thought “this looks like a single story” so I said “A balcony?” oh yes, a balcony. When we emerged out into the daylight, a line had formed to get in. I get up to a midget on stool talking tickets and a toothless man stamping hands. My ticket is taken and I reach out my hand to get a stamp and the toothless man stared blankly. I asked if this was for the 21 and over crowd and the little person on the stool cackles “CAN’T YOU READ?!” sure enough, at about hip level to me there’s a small hand written sign that says to show your ID if you want to get a stamp to drink. Eye level to the cackler, hip level to me. Whatevers. I get in and the “balcony” is just a step –like this was a sunken living room from the 70s. Oh this was going to be fun. I head to the restrooms, go through the door that says “women” to find a bunch of urinals. I had seen this trick before in Boulder: sign says “women” but it’s a finger pointing to the next door. So I walk back out and this waitress that has to be on the wrongside of 60, also missing teeth goes “What?!” and I ask “Is this the Women’s bathroom?” to which I get for the second time in 10mins “Can’t you READ?!” ok – so in Omaha some chicks have dicks, I guess.


• The show was spotty. Lots of band in-fighting – it was a shitty room. I was bummed


• After though, the bowling alley held lanes for us so getting to bowl with Pavement righted all the wrongs.


• Only we played until only Pavement and us were left so guess who I had to ask for a jump from? Yep. Pavement


• That was too funny. All of us knew there was a wrong way to jump a car but none of us were sure which way wrong was. Classic. We figured it out and Pavement got us on our way.


• Turns out there was a short in the trunk light so even the new battery didn’t last. It was the most fun and most weird time I ever had at a show.

Then I move to Chicago- Yippee!

(13 & 14) Metro, spring 99

• Yeah, I’m back and I can take public transportation to the shows.


• This was the first time I saw them in a “big” city since that second show 5 years earlier. In big cities, there are actually famous people back stage such that hanging around and now with no partner in crime, I felt self conscious and weird. I knew I was seeing them in Detroit later in the week so I’d be on more familiar ground.

(15) Detroit, St. Andy’s HOME AGAIN!

• The plan was to take the train from Chicago to Royal Oak where fellow Pavement Mailing Lister, Rob Berthold of Pittsburgh would pick me up and take me to the show


• I had been reading all through the BTC tour how fellow listers were sharing couches and meeting up in pursuit of shows. I had longed from my isolated Denver position to be able to do the same. At last! I meet one.


• Rob was nervous – I think he thought I was going to try to jump him. It was his first time in Detroit and I had arranged to for us to stay with my friend, Joe.


• First stop was Joe’s new (to him) home in what could only be called a burnt out ghetto of Detroit. Sure he had a corner lot but everything else was either burned down or being squatted in. No vegetation grew, it was even off putting to me, who had spent time in Detroit. Joe was born and raised in Detroit and was determined to single handily create it’s rebirth starting with that neighborhood (I’m pretty sure he’s in the suburbs today). The first thing you noticed was that the whole of the floor surfaces within the house were linoleum. Kitchen, living room, dining room, stairs, etc. etc. The second thing you noticed was the large pile of dishes that had started to creep out of the kitchen on to every flat surface available. Apparently they ran out of detergent and were having a stand off to see who’d bend and buy it first. None of this was putting Rob at ease. But it only got better. Joe showed us to the guest room. It was small, with a futon on the floor in the middle. No sheets, just a stained mattress on the floor. So I don’t know what scared Rob more, the stains or the fact there was only 1 mattress and we’d have to share it. I told him we’d sleep head to feet and for the LAST TIME I wasn’t going to get on him!


• Off we went to the show. There was a new tour manager, Deb. She was a total doll. I don’t recall much of the set or who opened. I just remember having so much fun watching Rob meet his favorite rockstars and was SOOOO happy to be back “home”.


• Rob had so much fun he asked if I wanted to go to Toronto with him for the show the next nights. Hells yeah! Seeing Pavement in other countries. There was a train ticket from Pittsburgh to Chicago I need to wrangle – again, before mobile internet or cell phones. After the show, we went around the corner to this pub. I got up to use the restroom and when I returned, Rob was crawling out from under the table and Joe was still curled in a ball. Apparently, Legends let out while I was away and patrons shot up their guns into the air as they passed the bar. Rob likes to say he was involved in a walk-by-shooting.

(16) Toronto, some recently converted Rave warehouse

• Rob had arranged to meet up and stay with Randall Spencer Mindell. He was sure Spencer wouldn’t mind me tagging along.


• We arrived in Toronto and Spencer took us to China town to try a new fangled thing that really flipped his skirt: bubble tea. Yeah, not then nor now to have any interest in sucking gooey balls through a straw but boy did it give these dudes the giggles. There was lots of laughing and I was stoked to be meeting other fans!


• At the show, Deb was on rollerskates- fun. I got a “sweet 16” dedicated to me by Bob but of course, Malkie did “Stop Breathing”.


• After the show, Malkmus had the worst break-down ever. Total temper tantrum about how they played. Sounded good to me but I’m no genius. Westie accidentally tapped over the copy of TT that Malkmus sent to them all to “learn”. Spencer and his date left fast. Rob and I said we’d catch up.


• Once we left, Rob and I realized we had NO IDEA where Spencer lived. We had called him to guide us in and well, we didn’t have that # any longer. Rob was pretty sure he knew so we drove. I was sure the house was blue, Rob was sure it was white and neither of us saw one we thought for sure was his. We then figured we’d see Spencer come home so we’d wait. Next thing we know it’s morning and we have to do a mad rush to Pittsburgh for my train.


• In the light of morning we realize we were outside the house all night.


• The drive back was hectic but I was stoked on making so many new friends with whom to see Pavement.

(17) Towson, MD

• Rob and I hatch a plan with other Pavement Listers. We’ll meet the infamous Cwalina and the website guy, Scott. Rob flew (maybe he drove) from Pittsburgh and I from Chicago. Cwalina picked me up at the airport and took me back to his new home to wait for Scott to arrive. His new house came with a privacy fence of growing Bamboo and it was the first time I recall seeing bamboo. He hated it but I thought it was lovely. Back in Albuquerque, Jess had the good sense to purchase a bunch of locally screen posters. She also had the good sense to share them with folks. Cwalina had his framed among his prized possessions.


• The plan was Scott was gonna drive me back to UVA to crash with him and his fiancé as a pit-stop to Raliegh, NC – where we’d meet up with even more listers for another show. Yippee!


• Rob had only committed to Baltimore but I was stoked to see a show with him again.


• Another Pavement Board member, Phil Smoker was there, as I recall.


• The venue in Baltimore looked like a former movie theater, it even had concessions- which I had never seen at a club prior.


• The White Stripes opened, believe or not, the White Stripes were openers once. Silkworm or part there of got up and played some. It was a really great show and by the end, Rob was making arrangements to join Scott and I on our backroad road trip to Raliegh YAY!

(18) Raleigh, NC

• UVA was definitely the LONG way from Baltimore to Raleigh but it’s where we had a free couch to sleep on and well, I was just stoked to be on the road.


• UVA is also were Pavement really hatched so it felt scared being there for this particular mission.


• Road trippin’ for Pavement came full circle as Scott and Rob tried to stump one another with Starwars trivia.


• At one point, as I counted the itty bitty holes in the ceiling upholstery, I saw what looked like a worm. Rob noticed me hanging on the back of his seat as I tried to get a closer look but it only LOOKED like a worm. He thought he’d be all manly and just squish the creature. Alls I know is that it exploded! I have NO IDEA what it was but puss and guts squirted all over and I started gagging fiercely. Bleck! I still don’t know what that little thing was.


• In Raliegh we were to meet up with lister Cory Rayborn (?). Cory had just started law school so being out on a school night wasn’t his idea of a good idea.


• They played in a recently converted carpet warehouse. Not the greatest sound.


• We arrive to notice a dark hard vixen stretching in the middle of the floor. This was Lindsey Aeons – a lister from UVA that we were all exited to meet in person.


• After the show we were all invited to go to another bar to play pool but Cory needed to get home and Rob didn’t want a repeat of Toronto so we had to follow him there.


• I must have flown out of Raleigh but I really don’t remember much about how I got home. It was a great adventure.

Me, Rob and Scott on the way to Raleigh by way of UVA.







(19) Chicago – 10/15/99 – The Vic

• Katie “WonderLama” Linden was now 18 and attending the UofM in my home town. She emailed to see if she took the train up, could she crash on my couch. Listers had been good to me, so of course I’d be good to them. Katie had the quickest wit on the web and she had the first every Bobby N fan site. And since the web is anonymous, none of us were the wiser that she was only 14 when she started it – HA!


• I meet Katie at Union Station and she’s the shyest thing I’ve ever met. She hid behind her hair and really didn’t talk. But you know me, that’s awesome because I LOVE to talk.


• Katie had never met Bobby N but I knew he’d be stoked to meet her.


• The Vic is an old theater so it’s a HUGE room. The show was alright but you could tell there was tension up on stage.


• I ran into Chrissy, Scott K.’s wife at the time, and she hooked us up with Deb and made sure we got backstage passes. She was a real life doll!


• After the show, all sorts of Chicago indie rock legends were there. Chrissy made us feel like stars and she took us over to introduce Katie to Bob. Of course, all Katie could do was giggle.


• That was where I met Boche Billions in person for the first time after years and years of emails about getting me tickets and passes.


• Scott was off by himself again and he pulled me aside and said that the show the next night in Cinncy would be the last ever. My heart sank. This was my 19th show! I h-a-d to get to Cinncy!


• This news cut the night short. Still with no cell phone and dial up only internet, I had to figure something out QUICK. I had no credit cards and not enough money in the bank to cover the deposit required to use a debit to rent a car.


• Katie had a credit card but was too young to rent a car and NO she couldn’t rent one for me. GAH.


• Nope – trains and buses wouldn’t get us there in time for the show. It was hopeless.


• Then it struck me. I had driven from Ann Arbor to Cinncy in 1994 – it’s about 5hrs. If my parents loaned me a car, this might work! If we took the 6am train to A2, we’d get there around 11am. YES! This might work!!!


• By then it was 2am and I needed to know whether my dreams would come true so the dialing and redialing of my parents commenced. Every time, yelling into their old answering machine “WAKE UP, IT’S AN EMERGENCY” my parents slept in the room next to the office where I was calling. It took 4 tries when my mother answered with sheer terror in her voice. “What, what’s wrong?! Are you ok? Where are you?” In an equally frantic tone, I explained how one show shy of 20 and the last ever in the US was in Cinncy and could I please borrow the car. Of course, my mom was confused. But she said “ok” and I swear neither Katie or slept!

(20) Cincinnati, 10/16/99 – Bogarts

• Katie successfully rented us a hotel and we quickly checked in then headed over to the venue.


• Archer Prewitt was opening and he was just hanging around with the rest of us.


• I was stoked to see Lindsey stretching out again – getting ready to dance like a wild woman.


• Kerri Pepperman and her man Andy came down from Ann Arbor. It was so much fun to meet yet one more lister/board member even on this, the last show.


• No one that night or there after believed me that this was the last (US) show. In fact, me saying so on the board caused quite a little fight. But I knew it was and I knew this was the end of an era.


• The guys were so angry with one another by then that the shows suffered some but a bad pavement set is still better than just about any other set.


• After the show, I remember Lindsey handing out apples from a tree in her yard.


• Chrissy was telling us all the best kept Pavement secrets. It was fun but bittersweet.


• The car ride back to Ann Arbor was sad and long and I had the good fortune to have to get on a train after that- GAH. Way too much time to think about the end of my favorite rockband.

So I don’t know what to hope for with this reunion. 5 shows? 10 shows? I’ll take even one. I hope the fellas are back to getting along, having fun and playing some of the best indi rock of the 1990s. 2010 is going to be a great year if only because it’ll bring Pavement back to us. YAY!




UPDATE: Shows 21-26.

I'll start by saying I didn't make it to New York for the weeklong Pavement love fest but that's the middle and not the end of the reunion so let me start at the beginning.

1) Fox Theater, Pomona, CA. 4/15/10

• This was their first US show since that fateful October night in 1999. Expectations were high and I felt 19 years old all over again.


• there was only one opener, The Middle East and they were great but THANK GOD they only have like 10 songs. I was gonna have kittens if I had to wait too much longer!!


• I swear these fellas aren't aging, they look the same!


• They played more than 2 hours and it went by in a flash. Thank goodness SOMEONE thought to catalog the setlists. you can see the list here


• I had bought 2 tickets and couldn't believe NO ONE wanted a free ticket just to drive me to Pomona. Day of Seth says he will and since I need a ride, I find myself going with a non-fan.


• I was about 2 people back on Scott's side but he never once saw me there. I love being able to see him smile so I always stand on his side.


• after the 1st encore, Seth wants to leave. I get a text saying I have an aftershow pass waiting at the soundbooth but i have to get it before end of show. I immediately turn tail and walk to the back thinking that's where the sound booth with be. Seth thinks we're leaving so he's stoked to get ahead of traffic. I explain that I'm looking for my aftershow passes and he throws a temper tantrum saying he doesn't want to meet the band and he's leaving. I hear the band take the stage then I hear the opening to Box Elder so I leaving a pouting Seth to go back in and watch. I get another text from someone else saying "Oh My Fucking God, Jen Echo!" and I think it's just this kid stoked to hear box elder. I decide that enthusiasm deserves my 2nd pass.


• I find the sound booth pick up my passes and am asked "how cool was that?" and me thinking the show is being asked about so I say "A-MAZING".


• after the show, I find the OMFG kid who goes I can't believe you got a dedication! I'm all like "what?!". Yep, Scott dedicated "box elder" to me while Seth was throwing a temper tantrum in the lobby. BOO, Seth!" Dang it! Scott SELDOM gives the shout outs, it's always Bob! You can see Bob looking for me and calling it out a second time - someone else covered for me and screamed, thank you!
  
  Video Box Elder, Pomona


• Backstage Scott is sweet as always. I'm introduced to his childhood friend and his new bride as the 'biggest fan'. He tells me his sister showed up in Australia wearing my homemade shirt. That floored me since the shirt was stolen in 1996 but I was stoked it was in the Pavement Family. I couldn't stay long since my ride was threatening to leave me in text messages from the car. I told him it felt weird being such a fangirl at 37. Scott says "You're 37? I'm 37" His childhood friend laughed. He asked if I heard my dedication. I admitted I didn't. Sarah (his bride) said she never hears them either.

This was easily the BEST show of the 6 and a terrific start to the US portion of the tour.




1) Coachella. 4/18/10

• This will be brief since the show was I wish I never had seen them in such a setting


• Pavement were second to last on the final night. The headliners were the Gorillaz and all the Gorillaz fans started crowding the stage as early as Spoon to jockey for position


• Seeing pavement with 75k people is not ideal. Especially when only about 2k are fans. If it was a Gorillaz fan next to me it was someone who thought they were seeing Phoenix. True story.


• it was a 45min set and a crowd that could care less. At one point the sound went completely out and not only did the band not notice, the crowd didn't even gasp or indicate THEY noticed either.


• I left hoping the stink of the whole event would wash off me if the shower were hot enough. It would be 2months before I'd get to replace this memory with something better.


• that set list is Here

1) Stockton, CA - Bob Hope Theater. June 24th, 2010

• This was the show of Gary Young's return in the town that birthed Pavement by all accounts it was gonna be rad


• I assembled a little posse for the show. I had a +1 on the list and emailed a friend from Jr. High I knew as a fan and living in the area. Benj was onboard and had 2 friends, Trevor and Mike with tickets. I had a posse!! Turns out I worked with Mike at Schoolkids records at one point and even made him a mixed tape but I only vaguely recognized his face when I picked him up. I'm terrible!!


• If you're not on the first flight to San Fran, chances are you're going to be delayed. I had planned on being there hours early, lunching with the posse before heading out and of course my flight was 3 hours delayed making it so we'd just barely make the show in time. Now, I'm a totally worrier and this was totally worrying me! I think my posse wondered what they signed up.


• we got to the venue just minutes before the start. The theater hadn't been used for concerts, I don't think, so after the mayor of Stockton gave a speech the show got under way with some strange technical difficulties. Everytime Bob sang it sounded like a bunch of girls shrieking over my left shoulder. After the first song, Malkmus joked this venue was better for talking so he told stories about growing up there. Eventually it got worked out but there was ALOT of banter.


• as you can see on the set list, only 1 song pre-Crooked Rain was played before the encore, presumably when Gary would debut. Somewhere around "father to a sister..." Gary started wandering on the stage as if to say "hey, don't forget me"


• The show had to end at 11pm so they didn't have time to really let Gary play - just 3 quick songs in the encore. You can see the setlist here


• I took my posse backstage but despite loads of space the band was quartered in this closet sized room with family and close friends. I ventured in for a hug but my posse didn’t want to go. That’s cool. We didn’t stay long and I didn’t know it yet but I had about 2hrs of getting lost trying to find parking in Downtown SF ahead of me. It was for the best we didn’t stay too long :)


• Trevor wanted a souvenir so he now has a large bottle of tobasco sauce and his backstage pass as the label.


• I did my best to video Gary's return Video Summer Babe, Stockton
  
  
  
  

1) Berkeley, CA – Greek Theater. June 25th, 2010

• Before the Stockton show ended, it was buzzing Gary would get a second chance the next night in Berkeley. That dude truly didn’t age, I think he’s actually mummified from the inside out, animated by some sort of virus that would turn mortal men in to flesh eating zombies but Gary Young’s particular brand of alcohol infused blood makes the virus week and instead he becomes an acrobatic wild man. That’s just a theory, though, don’t quote me on it.


• My posse from the night before was gathering at Trevors house for a brisk walk up to the Greek Theater. It was the biggest collection of Ann Arbor kids I had seen since actually leaving Ann Arbor. C-R-A-Z-Y!


• We knew the set times so didn’t bother showing up for the opener. The Greek theather is a true amphitheater, at the foot of a hill. The posse was bigger and I only had 2 backstage passes. I gave it to a girl I just met, Karyn, as she seemed truly enthusiastic about the prospect.


• Everyone in the posse wanted to stand somewhere different so we split up and planned to meet back up post show before Karyn and I embarked on our aftershow adventure.


• The sound was good, the set was good, the energy was good. This was the show that washed all the Coachella stank of me, FINALLY!


• this was another set with a time limit but they made it a good one and Gary came out for the last few songs. The setlist is here


• this is Gary forgetting how Trigger Cut starts


• Box Elder in Berkeley


• Frontwards


• On thing that proved true was that Iphones are the choice of aging hipsters and every time pavement went on the ATT network crashed. I couldn’t really get ahold of Karyn or the posse during or after the show. Frustrating!


• I head up to the hill after the show and find all but Karyn. I tell the fellas to wait while I climb the hill to use the restroom. I’m smart enough to use the stairs on the way up but seem to want to fall the shortest distance theory of a straight line back down so I start to carefully walk on the super slippery grass. I think ‘geez this is slick’ and the next thing I’m on my ass sliding 20 yds down the hill. When I come to a stop just short of losing my teeth on the railing, I know my right ankle is tweaked. As a former soccer player I do the self assessment and decide it’s not broke so I use the railing to pull myself up. I then do the ‘weight’ test – nope, it can’t take my weight. I use the railing to hobble down to where my friends are now standing. By the time I get to them, my ankle is swollen to the size of a baseball on the outside of it. There are some eeks and me having to say “well yeah, that hurts but it’ll be ok. I’m determined to go back stage. Well, to get back stage, I have to pass by the first aid tent and they see my ankle and put the kibosh on any further plans until I at least let them wrap it and sign away any liability. Once my ankle was wrapped it was a lost cause. If someone looked at the pain would burn right up my legged and let’s not talk about that breeze! Mother Nature don’t mind she don’t care. I couldn’t stand up anymore as even my toe on the ground was unbearable and swinging it though the air unimaginable. Instead of backstage I ended up in the ER where a tech named Ellen put me in a plaster stint and showed me how to use the crutches I would need for the next 2-4 weeks. She was bummed to miss Pavement for work and thinks “Spit on a Stranger” is the best love song ever written. Karyn, the stranger, sat with me for the couple of hours it took to get in and out of the ER and I promised her my +1 in LA in September if she wanted to come down. And my last comment about this is even with insurance this cost me nearly $600. Such a fucking bummer as that was my NYC money.

Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl, 9/30/10

• It felt like an eternity for this show to get here. Especially when I wasn’t in NYC the week before like I spent the better part of the year believing would happen. And until 9/28, I believed this would be my last ever pavement show and thus me not getting to see the last US show this round like I did the last round and well that was bringing me down, too. So I had super high hopes for this show even though I knew for more than a month it would be about 60mins long.


• I met up with another friend Jr. High, Dan Tice, who graciously let me crash at his place for this segment of the adventure. He knew Karyn so it was another Ann Arbor reunion (though I didn’t know Karyn from AA). We got there with little time to spare before No Age went on but I didn’t really care about No Age. The Hollywood Bowl all by itself is adventure. You can bring in food and drinks in coolers, glass bottles ok, it’s about picnicking under the stars while listening to music. We had 3 row tickets on the aisle so it was like be 3rd row center. Unbelievable seats in such a huge venue, it was terrific!


• I also met long time pavelister, Craig from Australia so that was pretty rad. And oddly, considering how many people were there, I ran into my friend Eric, too. It always fun to see Pavement with fans!
• because of the time limit, Pavement came out hard and didn’t stop for a second. It was short but SO much fun, you can see the setlist here:Hollywood Bowl


• Malkmus came out saying he needed to spit out a Ricola he’d been sucking on just for us. Bob grabbed a wireless mic during UnFair and walked the wall between the Pool and Garden Areas, that was a hoot to see.


• it was all over too soon and instead of backstage there was an “aftershow party”. Celebrities in attendance were John C Reilly, Chloe Selvingy and the guy who plays ‘Dwight’ from the office. It’s funny to see celebrities waiting to meet rockstars. Of course the Hollywood Bowl closes the gates at 12am so it was a short lived party. Malkmus and Westy spent most of the time talking to John C and I just sat back and watched it all go down like a fly on the wall. The early end was good since I had a 4+ hour drive to Vegas the next morning!!!!

(pics forth coming)
Vegas, Baby – Matador @21

• Yes, I have a guardian angel when it comes to Pavement. I had really wanted to see the last US show and until Matador@21 was announced I thought I had it in the bag with LA. Matador@21 was an expensive ticket AND it sold out super fast. There wasn’t any chance I would go. That is no chance until Tuesday 9/28 when an old friend of friend emailed me out of the blue and asked if I needed a ticket. I explained I had no $$ and he said it was a free ticket. What?! Let me see if I can get a hotel room for under $40. Yep! Let me see if my dog watcher will stay a few more days- YEP! Let me see if I can keep my rental car at $17/day until Monday – OMG! I’m going to Matador@21!!! I’ll see the last show after all.


• I drove with Craig to LA. We saw (but didn’t get a picture) of old Winnebago on fire on the side of the road. Not on fire from the engine but the living quarters. We were sure we say a mobile methlab up in flames.


• Craig was meeting and staying with another pavelister, Kristen, at the Palms – where the event was happening. My $40 room was not the road about 2 miles. Them having a room there saved my old ass twice when I needed a nap. Kristen knew loads of other pavelisters so it was the end of the road yet loads of new friendships!


• it would be another short set and Pavement would headline that first night. The room was small and even the very last row of the upper balcony had a great view and good sound. I thought I’d head to the floor for Pavement but just really like that I had all the space I wanted up in the balcony and for the first time ever, I danced at Pavement show like I had never done before! That meant I watched alone but I was ok with that.


• The set list is here: Vegas SetList


• You’ll read on the interwebs that Scott through a hissy fit or in some way there was band tension. Man, I watched this band fall apart btwn 97-99 and I swear there was no interband tension on that stage. Miscommunication, bad monitors and lots of audience interpretation. I find it funny that during 97-99 no one saw the tension and didn’t believe me when I wrote about it. Now, they look for it in every word and act. Fo shizzle Scott was frustrated with what he was hearing in his monitor and I think that means he thought that’s what we heard. Nope, sounded fine. The set was fast and deviated from the written setlist. Hindsight is 20/20 but they were the only headliner to end on time in all 3 nights. If only Matador would have been willing pay the fine to run late on Friday!!


• people ran into various members all weekend. Bob MC’d Saturday’s show and was slurring his speech and giving out his room # by the end of the night. He nearly gave me a heartattack when he came out pre- B&S to say he had something to tell us with a heavy heart. We were all noticing it was 12:45am and the B&S was supposed to conclude at 1am so thought it would be about them not being able to play. Instead it was some tribute to someone. WHEW.


• I didn’t get to talk to anyone until I saw Scott after the Clean set. Small talk mostly but no hint of bitterness or frustration and he wouldn’t even say that was the last US show. Just the last of this reunion. He said (it may be a joke) that they’ll do a 25 years of pavement reunion in 2014! And well, a girl has got to dream!!!


• as I left the ballroom, I was asked if I’d be interviewed on mic. I think it was for Pitchfork Tv. Once I said I was there to see pavement, of course they asked about Malkmus on his back. Really, every one of the shows Malkmus hammed it up during Scott songs. Why would this be different and why would NOW be the one time Scott would get pissed?! I digress. I hope that footage doesn’t air. :)


• Matador@21 as an event is a whole nother blog. But it was a great set. I loved dancing my ass off to pavement for once and I was stoked I got to see it at all.

(pics forthcoming)
So this concludes this list until hopefully 2014. I’ll be 40 years old and just as fucking smitten!!