Tuesday, June 15, 2004

if i were a magician what would be my specialty? the dispearing act or cutting other people in two. its a hard question to answer and both have valid examples. would i wear a tophat or go urban streetstyle. like david blain im bringin it back to the people. no mirrors or fog machines just my hands on your breast. close your eyes and relax. you are feeling at ease. just put your hands in my chest and watch the magic happen. it doesnt even feel like an illusion.
posted by jeff on Tuesday, June 15, 2004

do you ever find yourself noticing mundane things. im outside on the patio sucking down cigarettes and coffee, when i found myself saying "that is an amazing looking bird". truth is, its the same as all the other fucking birds flying around my house but my head is too far up my own ass to have seen it in the past 12 months. and i always say hi to our postman. we recieve so many packages that rarely is the mail just thrown in the mailslot. its usually followed by a ring, a pointless interaction, and an exchange of boxes. but, yesterday i had a 10 minute conversation with the post offices finest soldier.how the neighborhoods changed, how we get the most packages on his route, how his mesh safari hat doesnt block out the sun. i noticed his wrinkled eyes, the razor burn below his jaw, the colors black and grey weaving in and out of his hair like a well knit blanket. i also noticed no wedding ring. a mid 50's messenger delivering wedding invitations, death botices, love letters, unpaid bills....i guess we're not too far apart as i rub my fingerover the razor burn that lightly kisses my cheek.
posted by jeff on Tuesday, June 15, 2004

note to self: learn the meaning of offense and defense
posted by jeff on Tuesday, June 15, 2004

im finding things i thought i lost. objects, emotions, actions....you name it. maybe the texas sun is melting the hard candy shell and letting the bittersweetness ooze out. though myself, ive always been a fan of sour. i let too many people around me make me think instead of having the world by the ass, that it had me. i remember at some point in my childhood i went from praying to god, to praying to anyone who listens. and ill be damned if i revert back.
posted by jeff on Tuesday, June 15, 2004

ive noticed a bad habit ive formed. i apologize for things i either havent done or for things that have nothing to do with me. i usually hold words like a bible to my chest hoping theyll give meaning or comfort or rescue me from myself. ive never said the words "i love you" unless i honestly meant it, not as a greeting or goodbye. so why do these words easily slip by? sympathy and sorrow get too easily confused, i guess.

it also occurs to me that all of the drama in ones life is caused by ones self. file this under things i learned and forgot a million times. ive been taking the last week like a 12 step program. righting the things that are wrong. cleaning house in a house that got too cluttered with other peoples garbage. i followed suit. i got confused. my hands clutched the steering wheel and the sweat and tension left its ghostly mark. now even when im not driving, the memory of my hands are still behind the wheel.
posted by jeff on Tuesday, June 15, 2004

Tuesday, June 01, 2004

its either flooding, melting, or freezing. forever or fleeting. ive been letting light shine in through the blinds, one ray at a time. i used to pretend i was canadian by drinking canada dry. but im finally learning the art of opening my eyes.

thank you


posted by jeff on Tuesday, June 01, 2004

Sunday, May 30, 2004

heat makes people angry and crazy. my 2 injured birds have built seperate nests. maybe they're like cupid and psycho...better apart.

and on a seperate note: men who hit women are pussies. scared little fucking pussies. its amazing how even the strongest of people seem to wear blinders.

natash just asked me if violence is ever justified. i really dont think it is. though i can relate to the passion that fuels it sometimes.
posted by jeff on Sunday, May 30, 2004

Wednesday, May 26, 2004

songlist for the new record thusfar is:
stripped
tell the telephone
suzanne
the 19th hole
cobalt you
nobodys favorite girl
second hand hug
all i want
darker and clearer
miracle
put you to sleep
pitty fuck
red lantern

posted by jeff on Wednesday, May 26, 2004

i think theres a good possibility its 200 degrees outside. there are 2 ways to know that summer has arrived in TX. first, we have oversized people wearing undersized clothing. perhaps i sound a little rude on this one, but when a 300 pound woman is wearing a crop-top-baby doll shirt 10 sizes too small for her so you can see the horrible butterfly tattoo above her ass (which now incidently looks like a condor), it just doesnt help you feel any more comfortable in the heat. The second hint that its summertime in TX is...there is no chance in hell i'll be leaving my central-air cooled house. i'll order in food, send people for cigarettes, and hire an intern for all the outside grunt work. i even set up a fedex and ups account today so that they can come to me for sending packages. im not lazy its just that my body just does not adjust to the feeling of a magnifying glass held to the sun and pointed at my head. i feel like god is on the playground killing ants and im one of them.
posted by jeff on Wednesday, May 26, 2004

Saturday, May 08, 2004

this time of year is always hard for me.

when i was a kid my mom pretty much raised me and my brothers. we were a working class family and dad busted his ass, commuting 6 days a week - leaving at 7am and coming home at 10pm - to the Bronx to put food on our table. my elementary school was only 8 blocks from my house, but she drove me there and picked me up every day. sometimes i would have to go to work with her afterwards if my brothers werent home yet. she'd set me up next to her desk with some markers, paper, and a few Hilights Magazine's to keep me occupied if i had no homework (or if i pretended i didnt). she would haul me off to little league, or soccer practice, or to my singing lessons, art lessons, gymnastics, or friends houses. she would cook us dinner every night. it was never frozen dinners or half-assed can opener meals. she would be the one to convince my dad that i could get a guitar and take lessons. she would be the one to intercept my high school cut slips and promise not to tell my dad as long as i didnt do it again (each time). she would bring me comic books when i was home sick from school, play scrabble with me, buy me toys when i begged for them, take me shopping for clothes, and cheer on during ball games or recitals. she would bail me out every time id get in trouble and "keep it our secret". she did everything a loving mother could imagine to do.

i can remember the last time i spent time alone with my mother before she got sick like it was yesterday. it was the middle of April in New Paltz, NY and i was a sophomore in college. it was Sunday and i had been up till 7am drinking with Doug, Chris, Nick, and some others. the phone rang around noon and it was my mom. she was going to the shopping mall 30 minutes away from me and wanted to know if id like to go to lunch. i was hesitant due to how hungover i was, but i said sure since i hadnt spent any time with my parents since i left for school, and my mom had never come up beyond the beginning and end of a schoolyear.

around 2 o'clock my phone rang, and it was my mother telling me she was downstairs. i splashed some cold water on my face, put my long hair into a ponytail, and walked outside to find her waiting for me in her new green Saturn. we decided to go to Friendlys as it was an easy family retaraunt, and none of my friends would be there to see me and my adolescent too-cool-to-be-seen-with-my-parents attitude. i remember ordering a grilled cheese, since it was the only "vegetarian" option, and mom ordering a chicken salad. we didnt talk a whole lot that afternoon. she would ask me how my grades were, how school was, if i doing drugs, how my music was going...the normal concerned parental question you would expect. and, of course, i gave the normal answers you would expect from a rebelling elusive 19 year old hiding the fact that class attendance wasnt his forte. i spent so much time as a teenager feeling the need to rebel, that most of my interactions with my parents were awkward at the time and they didnt even know me. it wasnt their fault, it was mine. i was acting like a stupid kid. we finished our meal, shared a reeces pieces sundae, and she dropped me off outside my building. she gave me a kiss, handed me $50, told me to study, and drove away.

never in a million years would i ever imagine that that would be the last time in my life that i would be a passenger in a car my mother was driving. soon came the memory loss, the lack of motor skills, the inability to speak...

the day my mom was officially diagnosed with Alzheimers disease i had Caroline drive me to my parents house and drop me off outside. i had spent the time between the informing phone call and my arrival listening to sad music and balling my eyes out. when i opened the door, my father was upstairs on the phone and my mother downstairs in the living room with the dog. when she saw me come in she walked toward me and hugged me. this wasnt the sort of hug i was used to. this was a fearful, gripping hug. she was crying and holding on to me tightly. the only words i could manage to mutter between choking on tears is "im sorry, i love you". she told me she was afraid of dying, and i told her not to worry, that she wouldnt.

in a sick way i was right. its been eight years and she is still alive. well, her body is at least. she can no longer speak, read, walk, think, or do any function on her own. she has no idea who i am when i sit beside her and hold her hand, too afraid to let go. my father shortly after hired a nurse and quit his job in the city. he spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on doctors and unapproved medications flown in from other countries looking for a cure that didnt exist or at the very least something to slow down the process. he would rather be penniless and beside her than to put my mother in a nursing home to whither on her own.

it took a tragedy to teach me what true love is. to teach me that the most loving, giving, compassionate and honest man i could ever meet was my father. i spent so long trying to see him as the enemy, that what i really couldnt see is that he is my hero. i finally do. and my mother...my poor sweet mother.... i would give my entire life and all of its experiences to have one more chance to sit across from her at some crappy restaurant and have her ask me how my life is. to be able to answer her honestly. to let her get to know me, have a real conversation and see who ive become. what she made me. to tell her Happy Mothers Day and that without her id be absolutely nothing. and i owe her and my dad everything. and that i love her...

posted by jeff on Saturday, May 08, 2004

Thursday, May 06, 2004

ive decided to have a few guest journals on the site. either band members or other people who i feel should have their words publicly viewed. Im working on an official link, but the first official guest journal is that of Michael Grande. It will be viewable here. please check back often for new posts..
posted by jeff on Thursday, May 06, 2004

Saturday, May 01, 2004

the soundtrack to out meeting fills the awkward spaces between our strained breathing , the only thing between, between the two of us, is your blood and our sweat, I can taste the cigarettes on your tongue while exchanging spit
posted by jeff on Saturday, May 01, 2004

today is dedicated to the spirit of competition.

competition

\Com`pe*ti"tion\, n. [L. competition. See Compete.] The act of seeking, or endeavoring to gain, what another is endeavoring to gain at the same time; common strife for the same objects; strife for superiority; emulous contest; rivalry, as for approbation, for a prize, or as where two or more persons are engaged in the same business and each seeking patronage; -- followed by for before the object sought, and with before the person or thing competed with.
posted by jeff on Saturday, May 01, 2004

Monday, April 26, 2004

sifting through boxes i havent unpacked in over 9 months. i found some books that have had so much dust on them that their dust jackets needed their own dust jacket. i opened up War All The Time and a picture fell out from its home for the last 7 years on page 28.

scrawled on the back inside the outline of a heart was a name i hadnt muttered in years. if dogs daydream about bones all day like they do in cartoons then i wonder if your dreaming of mine.

current playlist:
Azure Ray - These Lights Will Bend To Make Blue
Replacements - Swinging Party
Pixies - Rock A My Soul
Mojave 3 - Return To Sender
Zombies - Care Of Cell 44
Yo La Tengo - MAdeline
Van Morrison - Sweet Thing
Daniel Johnston - Grievances
Archers Of Loaf - Web In Front
Tindersticks - Tiny Tears
Wilco - At Least Thats What You Said
Super XX Man - Waiting For Your Return
Richard Buckner - Settled Down
Pedro The Lion - Promise
Neil Diamond - Song Sung Blue
Modest Mouse - Float On
Leonard Cohen - Story Of Isaac
Mara Miller - Ive Been Told
Julie Doiron - The Longest Winter
Bright Eyes - Trees Get Wheeled Away
Carol King - I Feel The Earth Move
Rocket From The Crypt - Straight American Sounds
posted by jeff on Monday, April 26, 2004

Wednesday, April 21, 2004

it was really inspiring to spend a few days playing with the Twilight Singers. Dulli is still the real deal. Jacobs birthday was both a blast and a blur. We let the ocean kiss our feet and relaxed in LA for a bit. Now its time for the new record....
posted by jeff on Wednesday, April 21, 2004

Thursday, April 08, 2004

i love mike booher and catherine and jarrod from sykos. love them too. www.zykosmusic.com
posted by jeff on Thursday, April 08, 2004

Monday, March 29, 2004

here are some great photos from sxsw taken by victor yiu
http://www.rockpark.com/2004/03.20_JeffKlein/index.htm
posted by jeff on Monday, March 29, 2004

Sunday, March 28, 2004

"I have no home to return to."
This is what I've scribbled in fine-point metallic marker on top of one of my many cluttered notebooks of words, letters unsent, and childish cartooning. I just cant seem to sit still for too long. April 12th is a long time away on my clock. I sleep only about three hours a night and set aside the other 21 for my neurosis to have recess. And theres a new band recording in the damn studio every other day. so most nights ill walk around my neighborhood at around 4am, walking off the stuttering feeling. Last night while walking, an older man drove up in a saab and asked if he could "have a dollar or two for something to eat". I dont have a working car, but im supposed to give Captain IPO a few bucks for a late-night snack? I actually thought it was so funny and ballsy that i gave it to him. Im such a sucker for irony.
Hey Falcon and Tara, wanna trade spaces?

Oh and Eryn took some pictures. Heres one:



posted by jeff on Sunday, March 28, 2004

Tuesday, March 23, 2004

everything i own is broken. cell phone. home phone. computer. pedalboard. car. this is truly depressing
posted by jeff on Tuesday, March 23, 2004

Sunday, March 21, 2004

its been so long im not sure where to start. ive seen, felt, lived so much in the past few weeks that its hard to lay still. it started off with johnny in ny, and ended with me, jesse, and christine leaving pete yorns hotel room at 5am. another sxsw has come and gone and this is the first time ive actually had some fun. i flew in from ny on tuesday and began rehearsals with tara. the showcase was loose but positive. i really get off on playing the role lindsay buckingham to her stevie nicks. I also love my new band with heinrich included. ihonestly think that was my best show in years. show highlights for me were: Von Bondies, Cooper Temple Clause, Honorary Title, Modest Mouse, American Music Club, Big Star, Joan Jett, Sleepy Jackson, and Jerusalem. My body needs rest but my brain is on fire. where to next?
posted by jeff on Sunday, March 21, 2004

Sunday, March 07, 2004

in retrospect my feelings arent hurt. im just as broken, just a bit more coherent i guess.
and even though i probably wont win the chase, its good to know my heart still beats on its own.

posted by jeff on Sunday, March 07, 2004

Saturday, March 06, 2004

all talk and no action is boring me to pieces.
posted by jeff on Saturday, March 06, 2004

Wednesday, March 03, 2004

posted by jeff on Wednesday, March 03, 2004

2 days in bed recovering from the war. im not sure if i won but i know i didn't lose. Heinrich is off to Portland with Preston School of Industry and Jarrod is back in his Honorary Apartment. Me, im chewing on my nails, sucking down cigarettes and trying to stop shaking. Its never easy coming down. We all spiked our fingers and smeared them together and sold polaroids of them at the back of the bar. I've seen the best and worst of haircuts, the outside of the Des Moines police station for hours, the inside of Big Earls under neon lights shining on dollar filled garter belts, Polynesian 70's bars with gold lamme and paislyl red carpets, the NRA play air guitar, punk rock dives turn into wrestling rings, the fucked up highways of KC, 23 year olds with 2 kids and a cell phone career, marlboro stained tears washing mascara away, the greatest of hip bones and collar bones, choo choo train underwear, liam and evan on tire swing tree limbs, will johnson sing his precious heart out, feathered hair and leather jackets with tassles in ypsilanti claiming to be punk rock - my ass. theres more, but ill fill in the gaps later. oh, and urine smells funny after 58 Red Bulls in 14 days.

ok, i catch a plane in 12 hours to do it again. sleep will come later.
posted by jeff on Wednesday, March 03, 2004

Saturday, January 31, 2004

theres a taste in my mouth and i cant spit it out. wrapped in blankets like a parachute and i just cant find the cord. my tongue is numb and my throat is bleeding and if i concentrate i can even see double. one for you and one for me. im just looking out for the both of us.at least thats the reason i tell everybody. it sounds better than the truth, but then again so do you.
posted by jeff on Saturday, January 31, 2004

Thursday, January 29, 2004

Let me begin by stating I have never been this ill before in my entire life. Waking up yesterday morning i could barely breathe or swallow. i think i have strep throat. i was wondering why i hadnt gotten sick in London yet. At least it waited till after my show this time. I almost missed my plane with all of the damn traffic. for a city with such good public transportation, why the fuck do people drive?
I really enjoyed playing at the Borderline this time. Hearing Fionn play was a treat and i hope those of you who saw him enjoyed it. I hope i also didnt get too self-indulgent with the new songs and banter, haha. I tend to get into a "groove" so-to-speak. It was nice seeing old friends and making new ones. You all are some truly special people. And Dani, i couldnt have survived it without you. The finest seller of Merch ive seen yet. Strange how a year ago i was in the same place with some of the same people. I even hugged Jesse in the Hotel Lobby when i arrived. I feel bad about his tour, but it looks like he'll be back soon. Hope the same goes for Ryan.
Ta for now London. You are the beautiful girl with curious hair i always dream of.

Oh, and yes....Im hiding in the front closet....to bad you didnt stay to find me there.
posted by jeff on Thursday, January 29, 2004

Monday, January 26, 2004

London Calling.
Its day number 2 at my home away from home, the Hotel Columbia. This place is the fucking Shining. Ive had barely any sleep since my 10am arrival yesterday. Went to see Lloyd Cole tonight. I hate seated non-smoking venues. I have far too much A.D.D. I think tonight my rest must catch up with me.
posted by jeff on Monday, January 26, 2004

Tuesday, January 20, 2004

The Super 8 projecter is reeling in my head lately. old home movies of sleepovers and late night diner runs. drinking beer in the converted firehouse in the middle of the ghetto. band practice in the garage. and i've never been good at keeping in touch. and when i call you there isnt too much to say. i'm still here. and im sure you still live at home or in the college town. the mountains were so beautiful capped with snow. and all of my memories are attatched to women. and ive never been good at keeping in touch. and if i called you, there wouldnt be much to say. i'm still here. and im sure your wealthy doctor lawyer husband boyfriend lover gives you more than i ever could. and thats all im supposed to want for you. and im sure you forgot about the daylong hikes or haloween parties in drag. and im sure you forgot about the drive to syracuse feeding you popcorn and change. and im sure you forgot about sneaking out at 5am so nobody would see you and ask too many questions. and im sure you forgot about the Oneonta night where Capt. Morgan brought us closer than ever before. and im sure you forgot about us falling asleep on the shores of Fire Island encrusted by the sand. and im sure you forgot about turning back all the clocks in the house because we missed our new years kiss. and im sure you forgot about drinking wine till 6am and not remembering my last name. and im sure you forgot about the christmas carolers killing the moment. and im sure you forgot about chinese food and a movie on christmas. and im sure you forgot about after hours hotel bar games. and im sure you forgot about me. i thought i did too. i guess i haven't
posted by jeff on Tuesday, January 20, 2004

Tonight is a sixty watt silver lining kind of night.

Inside he's empty
a head filled with shopping lists and politics
and a hollow eggshell kind of frailty
pulling himself back together like desperate wishes
into wild sea that moans and boils
filled with old ghosts and a
whole other language
uncoiling forever indecent and foreign
welcome to the laws of decay
the song of Darwin and dismay
the wild sea rises higher
heavier it rushes down on him
it was invited it was not unwelcome
his fear was just a 60 watt silver lining
shining from the edges of his crying
teaching him its frozen prayers
distant as the next second
far as any distant land his future on the horizon
he's laughing in the ocean
all his life was a gesture
a check paid and dirty dishes
listen to the sea wind hear how it hisses
as it rolls over all your vain petty wishes
and your sweet passionate kisses
The wild, wild sea
forever dumb it has no memory
just a replay of your complicated amnesty
as it rolls over rocks and weed breaking your bird cage
and your poets pages
and all your drowned words that were just
death threats and unpaid debts and leaves you
breathless and peaceful for a while
and you think your heart is without hate for a while
and you think your soul is without hate for a while
and your body was an animal that loved to hide
see the source of your heart buried deep in the tide
see the source of your heart singing from the tide
lonely joy lonely joy tears of joy
the source of your heart deep in the undertow
hidden tongues and hidden hands pulling you from below
to the source of your pain
in the undertow
-mark eitzel
posted by jeff on Tuesday, January 20, 2004

First post of the new year. Things are finally starting to get back into order around here. I think its funny that out of all the artists in the world someone chooses my website to hack into and corrupt. Congratulations.

Just a few more days and then its off to London. I think this is my fifth UK trip in 10 months. Its cold enough in TX, i can only imagine what the Hotel Columbia will be like in the dead of winter. Hopefully the crabby fuck wont be tending bar.

Jacob and i have had a few days of insanity surrounding 2 shows. Sometimes i get spoiled in many ways. But sometimes you just come to expect a certain amount of professionalism. Regardless, i actually had fun in Lubbock. The radio station folks and the friends we made made up for the odd surrounding and technical difficulties. Sort of. I just hate putting on a bad show, far worse than you hate seeing one.
posted by jeff on Tuesday, January 20, 2004

Friday, December 19, 2003

Here are my Top 10 Releases for 2003:
1. Postal Service - Give Up
2. Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts of the Great Highway
3. Crooked Fingers - Red Devil Dawn
4. Azure Ray - Hold On Love
5. Bonnie Prince Billy - Master and Everyone
6. Twilight Singers - Blackberry Belle
7. Matthew Ryan - Regret Over The Wires
8. Damien Jurado - Where Shall You Take Me
9. Ed Harcourt - From Every Sphere
10. Mojave 3 - Spoon and Rafter
posted by jeff on Friday, December 19, 2003

Tuesday, December 16, 2003

posted by jeff on Tuesday, December 16, 2003

Tuesday, December 02, 2003

i was going through my usual ritual of drinking coffee at Dolce Vita this morning when i was entranced by the king of all my pet peeves: The Bumper Sticker Car. i especially love the enviromentalist ones that are on broken down carbon monoxide chimneys that had trees cut down to make the paper for their bumper sticker that reads "save the forest". or the scary Bush supporting campaign stickers. But my new favorite is "What Would Jesus Do?". you know, ive never come into a situation where ive asked myself that. i mean, maybe ive thought "what would Westerberg do?" or "what would John Holmes do?", but either way im sure the last thing that theyd all do is have some ridiculous fuckin bumper stickers all over their car wearing their beliefs like a scar instead of just practicing them. What Would You Do?
posted by jeff on Tuesday, December 02, 2003

Saturday, November 29, 2003

i'll call for you when im ready
and dont make apologies for the things that you cant change
we all deserve a little better than that

posted by jeff on Saturday, November 29, 2003

im making an animated video this week. me, ken, jason and jakie look a little silly in anime.




posted by jeff on Saturday, November 29, 2003

ive been listening to the soundtrack to Rosemary's Baby for the past few days. this has to be one of the most underated terrifying pieces of music. mia farrow lala'ing like a little girl on a playground is chilling. perfect music to cut my hair to. i also have to put together a top ten list of 2003 together for a publication. but everytime i think of something it turns out to be older than i thought. i have no sense of time whatsoever.

Ive taken a few days off from going out, but tonight i may break it. last week there were so many friends, house guests and obligations - matt ryan, badly drawn boy, mendoza line, chris brokaw, rebbecca gates, jesse malin, twilight singers...that i needed to take a few days off. i think i'll make the trip down to Emos though for Crooked fingers, arab strap, and azure ray. rare to see a bill with 3 amazing acts like this. unfortunately it means im gonna have to get out of these pajamas ive been in for days. or do i?
posted by jeff on Saturday, November 29, 2003

Friday, November 28, 2003

posted by jeff on Friday, November 28, 2003


posted by jeff on Friday, November 28, 2003

Sunday, November 09, 2003

why is the spacing all fucked up on this journal? argg
posted by jeff on Sunday, November 09, 2003

im holding my breath and counting back from 10 to 1... still nothing changed. a little weak in the head, but still the same.

i made it through 43 shows in 45 days. it was everything from magical to demoralizing depending on which night you saw it and through whose eyes. but for the most part it was beautiful. and now im back to the colder version of Austin, TX. Moving from one house into the other. i havent had housemates in quite sometime and i fancy myself a hypocritical loner. i love to be alone, but i hate when nobody is around. this will be interesting, but at least its with friends who are never home. probably the same reason they wanted me there.

Oh, and i made it to another birthday, which still amazes me. Sometimes i worry that my heart just beats out of habit. November seems to be a popular birth month for all of my friends. i guess you can chalk it up to drunken Valentines day conceptions.


posted by jeff on Sunday, November 09, 2003

Wednesday, October 01, 2003

I have a horrible cold and im sitting in an internet cafe in Sheffield. So far all the shows besides Coventry have been great. A little note to all of you who are travellers: DO NOTSTAY AT THE IBIS...ever. i dont care how cheap the rates are. Their hotel is a ghetto. I can barely fit into the room with Jacobs Manson beard.
posted by jeff on Wednesday, October 01, 2003

Saturday, September 27, 2003

So far so good. Had a bit of trouble at the airport leaving for London but that fixed itself shortly. Doncaster was surprisingly great last night. It's flattering to come to towns you've never even heard of and get a good reception. if you come to any of the shows, say hi to Nigel...it gets lonely at the back of the merch table and van drivers need love to. forgot to bring a jacket with me so i had to purchase one in the city center. didnt think it would be this cold! tonight is coventry and i decided to hit an internet cafe, although its more of a stale office space with deathly bright hallogen lighting....off to soundcheck
posted by jeff on Saturday, September 27, 2003

Monday, September 15, 2003

tonight was the perfect mix tape night. the art of the mix tape is a delicate one. it's been a long time since i've created a mix to accompany my day. after hours of obssessing, here is the result:
the postal service - the district sleeps alone tonight
rosanne cash - seven year ache
mojave 3 - hard to miss you
yo la tengo - our way to fall
paul westerberg - crackle and drag
mark kozelek - up to my neck in you
archers of loaf - web in front
american music club - ive been a mess
mahalia jackson - dig a little deeper
the vaselines - jesus wants me for a sunbeam
big star - the ballad of el goodo
neil young - only love can break your heart
pavement - here
belle and sebastian - fox in the snow
red house painters - all mixed up


posted by jeff on Monday, September 15, 2003

Monday, September 08, 2003

Current favourites:
Twilight Singers - Blackberry Belle
Without Feathers by Woody Allen
The Outsiders
Jacob talking about house party shootings
The Mercy Lounge, Nashpill
The Weakerthans - Reconstruction Site
236 Richardson St.
Superman fold and mail stationary
Paul Westerberg - Come Feel Me Tremble
Makers Mark





posted by jeff on Monday, September 08, 2003

Wednesday, September 03, 2003

3 weeks till the record finally comes out stateside. im starting to finally get a bit excited. it's been a fucking anxious wait. plus i dont have to answer the question "when is the new record coming out?" i'll be hitting the road for the next 6 months and then making another record. i've been spending too much time at the clubs people watching and trolling around. im welcoming unfamiliar faces. on a side note: they are banning same-sex marriages in the state of Texas. another attempt from our ignorant redneck government to make personal decisions for you. it's wrong. it's sad. stand up for yourself straight or gay. first they want to control your body and now they want to tell you who to love. tell your representatives that they are falsely representing your opinions. tell them to stop fucking with your personal space. let them know its attacking your freedom. it'll only be a little while till they outlaw interracial marriages, abortion, smoking, taxing the use of oxygen, limiting the number of children you can have. stop being a fucking puppet. it's sad when it takes a huge national crisis to force people to care for a 24 hour period about their neighbors and their rights. don't turn a blind eye to the little battles you're losing every day. freedom of speech. freedom of expression.
posted by jeff on Wednesday, September 03, 2003

Monday, August 25, 2003

i must have driven a million miles in the past few days. all of the shows were fun and it was great seeing matt ryan, billy mercer, teel, and the rest of the guys. also, the new amsterdams are some of my favorite new friends. check them out. i'll have more to say sometime soon once the driving cramp goes away.
posted by jeff on Monday, August 25, 2003

Friday, August 15, 2003

i know how well thought out you are. from the ceiling to the floor. so i cant cry for you like you want me to. and if you think its lonely at the top just imagine here at the middle.
posted by jeff on Friday, August 15, 2003

Wednesday, August 06, 2003

no more trains underwater or kgb bars or riding down niagra's falls in my broken little barrel. its been 24 hours and now i got the shakes. and for one small second we almost didnt survive. an army of tank tops and bad shoulderblade tatoos shimmering across the new jersey barline. but we got out in time armed with faded bumper stickers and pins of punk rock love. i ate swedish pancakes and drank canada dry and sat in traffic behind legislative branches. tim and i went to go check out the hole but we got out quickly before being sucked in. finland djs with handcuffs mark their rock n roll territory and ryan and i both always keep the pedal down but he warned me with wine stained lips to only start out with the black keys. did i tell you about the time i was thrown out of a cab or when the doorman asked which list i was on and smiled as i replied virgin? i missed the mix tape party while in the middle east. there are so many thoughts and such a small process. angels sang with me songs of neglect written on bedspreads covered in half-knit blankets and eric showed me paintings underneath the cellar door. so as i put my arms around my lover for the last night, i think i love you new york, and there are pictures to prove it.
posted by jeff on Wednesday, August 06, 2003

Sunday, July 13, 2003

the diary days get further apart when you're taking the L to the middle of the night
surrounded by all the subway scholars i almost forgot how much i loved the sparks
i almost forgot how i hate the heights
i climbed on rooftops and watched fireworks explode and i couldnt come down
and i wouldnt come down

posted by jeff on Sunday, July 13, 2003

Friday, June 27, 2003

i cant wait to litter the streets with drunken proclomations and cigarette remains
just make sure im standing at least at 25 feet
im pouring out my 40 oz. on the concrete and screaming your name
i'll remember you well
the little town that called itself a city
posted by jeff on Friday, June 27, 2003

Monday, June 23, 2003

i decided to rid my closet of the clothes i havent worn in years. i never throw shit away.
Thus began my first Buffalo Exchange experience. Not only did my 30 lb bag of well kept clothing yield me a whopping $14, but i managed to have a 16 year-old Kelly Osbourne clone-girl wearing a rhinestone AC/DC shirt make me feel like a jackass. yes, these clothes are not the greatest, thats why i am selling them, you can now wipe the sneer from your face. in retrospect id like to inform her that wearing a shirt you bought at Hot Topic of a band you dont own an album of does not make you a good judge of the monetary worth of clothing.

After my being kicked off the catwalk, i sang on my friend Mundy's new album. He's in town from Dublin recording. Quite a long way to travel for recording, but it sounded great. Its raining down arrows on my heart again.

posted by jeff on Monday, June 23, 2003

Tuesday, June 10, 2003

one day maybe i can make sense of all of this
no reward no relief
and i dont say things like "what i deserve"
and i tell the truth as best as i know it
no lies just lust
but its easy to piss down from the very top rung
and i slip with each step more and more
there are no more heros worthy of mention
just actors with good agents and good dinner reservations
memorize your scripts and paint on a smile
because happiness sells volumes at this theme park
posted by jeff on Tuesday, June 10, 2003

Monday, June 09, 2003

From: "MUHAMMED ABACHA"
To: jeff klein
Date: Sun, 8 Jun 2003 21:43:08 -0700
Subject: URGENT ASSISTANCE!!!

My wish at its peak is that you're in good health
because health is wealth.

I know you dont know me so I have to introduce myself
to you. My name is muhameed Abacha, a son to the
late Nigerian Head of state Gen.Sani Abacha who rule
between 1993 and 1998. For more reference to me I would
love you to know more about my father. Please view this
site and read it contents carefully;

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_741000/741506.stm

During the 4th year of his rule, he gave me a sum of
US$50M to boost my business which I just opened in Ogba
area of Lagos. Unfortunately, the complex which I was
using as a ware-house got burnt by a very ragious
inferno. I decided to keep the money until the next
year when I would start importing new goods from a
contractor in Germany which I had signed earlier before
the incident.

My Father died the next year and everything blew up, the
new government started probing the whole family members
and freezed most of the family accounts.

To cut the long story short, they have not detected the
money which I secured in a Security company .
Please, I would need you to assist me in retrieving the
fund from the company because if I want to retrieve it
and they know my identity they would definitely freeze
the money in their account.

What you have to do is very simple, you will claim the
fund as a beneficiary from the security company on my behalf,a power of
attorney authorising you to claim the consignment from the security
company will be issued to you by me making it possible for you to claim
the consignment with ease. All paper works would
be put in place for you to claim the money for me.

The total amount involved is US$30.5M. 10% would be for
any expenses incured during the transaction, 30% would
be for your support, while the remaining 60% remains
mine. I'm an African who believes in divine direction
and you have been divinely chosen to handle this
transaction.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks.

Yours Muhammed Abacha.

From: jeff klein
To: "MUHAMMED ABACHA"
Date: Sun, 8 Jun 2003 23:43:08 -0700
Subject: RE: URGENT ASSISTANCE!!!

Dear Muhammed
I am a very sick little boy. My mother is typing this
for me, because I
can't. She is crying. The reason she is so sad is
because I'm so sick. I was
born without a body. It doesn't hurt, except when I
try to breathe. The
doctors gave me an artificial body. It is a burlap bag
filled with leaves.
The doctors said that was the best they could do on
account of us having no
money or insurance. I would like to have a body
transplant, but we need more
money. Mommy doesn't work because she said nobody
hires crying people. I
said,"Don't cry, Mommy," and she hugged my burlap bag.
Mommy always gives me
hugs, even though she's allergic to burlap and it
makes her sneeze and
chafes her real bad.

I hope you will help me. You can help me if you
forward this email to
everyone you know. Forward it to people you don't
know, too. Dr.Johansen
said that for every person you forward this email to,
Bill Gates will team
up with AOL and send a nickel to NASA. With that
funding, NASA will collect
prayers from school children all over America and have
the astronauts take
them up into space so that the angels can hear them
better. Then they will
come back to earth and go to the Pope, and he will
take up a collection in
church and send all the money to the doctors. The
doctors could help me get
better then. Maybe one day I will be able to play
baseball. Right now I can
only be third base. Every time you forward this
letter, the astronauts can
take more prayers to the angels and my dream will be
closer to coming true.
Please help me. Mommy is so sad, and I want a body. I
don't want my leaves
to rot before I turn 10.

If you don't forward this email, that's okay. Mommy
says you're a mean and
heartless bastard who doesn't care about a poor little
boy with only a head.
She says that if you don't stew in the raw pit of your
own guilt-ridden
stomach, she hopes you die a long slow, horrible death
and then burn forever
in hell. What kind of cruel person are you that you
can't take five freakin'
minutes to forward this to all your friends so that
they can feel guilt and
shame about ignoring a poor, bodiless nine-year-old
boy? Please help me. I
try to be happy, but it's hard. I wish I had a kitty.
Wish I could hold a
kitty. I wish I could hold a kitty that wouldn't chew
on me and try to bury
its turds in the leaves of my burlap body. I wish that
very much.

Thank You,
jeff

where the fuck do you buy PG Tips in Texas? this is my new goal. three cheers for new addictions.
posted by jeff on Monday, June 09, 2003

Sunday, June 08, 2003

well, as usual my promise to post entries while on tour has fallen into the catagory of "good intensions that never see the light of day". after 15 hours of traveling in planes andvans yesterday, i am finally home. the tour was far too short. from the smaller shows to the packed shows, every one of them was so much fun. getting to hear Ryan and Teel every night was an added bonus. Wolverhampton is as well, one of my new favorite towns. if you are ever there check out the store Highway 61. a great record shop. ill post a daily breakdown soon. cheers.
posted by jeff on Sunday, June 08, 2003

Thursday, May 29, 2003

I always lose at the game tetris. Maybe thats why i cant pack for shit. And somehow me, ken, jason, jakie, and newman have to fit 5 guitars, 2 pedalboards, 2 laptops, and 5 pieces of luggage into a minivan to get to the airport at the crack of ridiculous. But 2 days from now we'll be in the UK which ive been waiting for ever since i last left. Ill try to post more often from the road this time around... we'll see.
posted by jeff on Thursday, May 29, 2003

Thursday, May 15, 2003

it seems like too many times in the past year im posting about the loss of an amazing influential artist. People like Wayne Newton live to be 100, but angels like June Carter Cash leave us far too soon. RIP.
posted by jeff on Thursday, May 15, 2003

Sunday, May 11, 2003

i know you cant find me cuz ive been hiding. the air conditioning is making me ill but its too hot to go without. and i havent owned a pair of shorts since the 5th grade. i need a new fix. something to kick me in the ass and make me feel something real. jenny, did they drown withches in salem, oregon too or did they just build trailer parks and factory slums? im tired of going to shows in this town. too many local heros chasing the spotlight. and i think its funny that the local goverment complains about how the dying music and bar scenes are killing the economy, yet they are passing a smoking ban. im sure once you cant smoke within 25 feet of a music venue or bar, the public are going to be racing to throw their hard earned money into your vaseline lined pockets. three cheers for common sense. but lately ive been thinking of throwing this computer in a lake. too much time is wasted reading emails on how to make my penis 2 inches larger or telling me im approve for a second mortgage on the home i dont own. sometimes i wish the fax machine took off like the computer. instead of sending 20 emails to your friends, youd just fax them. it'd be a bit more personal and creative. heres my fax #: 309-405-3093 ... show me what you got.
posted by jeff on Sunday, May 11, 2003

Tuesday, April 29, 2003

Mattew Ryan's Concussion was Released in the UK today...buy it. You'll thank me.
posted by jeff on Tuesday, April 29, 2003

Monday, April 21, 2003

coming off of a great week of seeing friends and others play music. Crooked Fingers, Arab Strap, Chris Brokaw, Bright Eyes, Dirty Three...may your candles burn a hole through the disgusting fabric that is todays popular music.
posted by jeff on Monday, April 21, 2003

Friday, April 18, 2003

we sat under streetlights on curbsides
and talked about how nothing feels important these days.
throwing rocks at streetsigns and pulling off whiskeybottles
filling up gutters like ashtrays and cursing like sailors
we drank canada dry and closed our eyes
and you said this must feel like montreal
and i held your hand as you held onto my hair
when i threw it all up on the concrete
those days are still with me
and when i close my eyes i disappear into nothing
posted by jeff on Friday, April 18, 2003

Monday, April 14, 2003

somedaysijustgettoofuckinglazyandnevergooutofmyhouse
itstooeasytojustsitaroundandplayguitaralldayanddaydream
posted by jeff on Monday, April 14, 2003

Sunday, April 13, 2003

two words: dirty three
posted by jeff on Sunday, April 13, 2003

Monday, April 07, 2003

the Houston Aquarium sucks
for my 8 dollars i got 500 screaming toddlers
350 ignorant redneck soccer moms with fake tits
and 220 khaki short polo shirt wearing Oakley sunglasses endorsing fathers
oh, and i almost forgot, they had a whole 5 tanks of ordinary fish and 1 sand shark
Ive seen better exhibits in roadside puddles
and luckily the exit is through the gift shop which is larger than the rest of the entire complex
and must you talk scream when call all of your friends on your mobile phone to tell them your at the Aquarium with your kids but youll be done by the time the game starts
Ive been behind you in line for 20 minutes, so i already know your at the fucking Aquarium
posted by jeff on Monday, April 07, 2003

Wednesday, April 02, 2003

Rock show sabotage! 35 surefire ways to ruin a bands show.

1. De-tune heads while band is eating dinner.

2. Hit power breaker during band’s set. [Classic]

3. Find out guitar player’s girlfriend’s name and yell that she gives good head between songs.

4. Find out guitar player’s mother’s name and yell that she gives good head between songs.

5. Cover back of guitar neck with Vaseline.

6. Throw (lit or unlit) fireworks on stage.

7. Fake a fight with a friend during a ballad.

8. Open jar of deer hunting urine musk on stage seconds before the band performs (note: also yell “Looks like the rut is starting early this year” during set).

9. Bee’s nest inside kick drum microphone hole.

10. Pay ten girls to chant “Rapist!” at the lead singer.

11. Be in the opening band and play the headlining band’s set before them.

12. Get a job as the house sound guy and put flange on everything. After the band’s set, tell them you used to be Tears for Fears touring sound guy.

13. Bring a megaphone and repeat all the band’s in between song chatter.

14. Convince local Nazi organizations that the band features former members of Skrewdriver.

15. Two words: Pepper Spray.

16. Hide an amp near the stage and play along in the bathroom via a wireless unit.

17. Spike band’s water with LSD or Ecstasy.

18. Glue all the picks to the stage floor.

19. Throw $10,000 of fake money into the crowd seconds before the band’s encore.

20. Set fire to a bag of leaves (or hair) and throw it on the soundboard.

21. Get a photo pass for the show, and bring an 1890’s era (read: pull the hood over your head to take the picture) camera which must be set on stage in order for it to work.

22. Call all local radio stations and tell them the show is cancelled. (extra points for rescheduling show for the next week at the local humane shelter and/or rival club)

23. Hire a professional wrestler to challenge the singer to a match.

24. Help band load in early, telling the band you’re part of the club staff. Then fifteen minutes into their set, give them the “pointing-at-your-watch-pissed-off” face, mouthing that they have one more song left.

25. Get all of your friend’s to help throw 5,000 teabags at the drummer throughout the entire show. (Bonus: try to hit his water cup and make actual tea!)

26. Make fictitious pornographic video tape boxes featuring the band’s logo and their faces on the actors/actresses. When the merch guy is gone for even a second, stuff the video tapes in the t-shirt box. Immediately call the cops and inform them that the band is distributing pornographic material to minors. Stand back and watch the drama unfold.

27. Lock band in dressing room as the crowd chants for an encore. [Classic]

28. Hook a CD player in the soundboard and play studio versions of the band’s songs over the PA while they perform the exact same songs live.

29. Bring your dog to the show where the guitarist jumps into the crowd (e.g. The Mooney Suzuki) and claim he kicked your dog. Cause as much of a ruckus as you can.

30. Put cooking grease on the stage prior to performance.

31. Pull fire alarm during band’s set. [Classic]

32. Tell the soundman you’re there from a dot com fanzine to record the show, and run an auxiliary out of the vocals to a harmonizer allowing you to detune anything in any fashion you see fit.

33. Have a banner rigged at the back of the stage that you can control to have pulled down and at height of performance, trigger the release of the “We Suck Dick For Crack” banner.

34. Pay the local pregnant crack whore to claim the bass player got her pregnant for “His Mama’s Baby.”

35. Just let the band suck on their own.

posted by jeff on Wednesday, April 02, 2003

Tuesday, March 25, 2003

theres something pathetic and beautiful about sharing a bottle of champaigne with yourself at 1am on a tuesday night
posted by jeff on Tuesday, March 25, 2003

Saturday, March 22, 2003

austin was warm when i left and i packed in a hurry
when i de-planed in chicago i realised i forgot a coat
now its a bit chilly and im being worn out by a 3 year old girl
she is way too fucking cool
and way too smart for her own good

posted by jeff on Saturday, March 22, 2003

Wednesday, March 19, 2003

i can see you with your medicated stare from a mile away
lurking in the background
screaming for attention
stalking our every move
first it was me, and now its my friends
i know it sucks when nobody listens
but it also sucks to have to listen to you
and when they get to know you they will run
we all have baggage and the world can match your pain
and as for me, i owe you nothing
im always appreciative
but you've gone too far

posted by jeff on Wednesday, March 19, 2003

Tuesday, March 18, 2003

why do i still live like a college student
pasta 7 days a week
laundry all over my bedroom floor
dirty dishes pile up high and instead of cleaning them i just throw them out

Todays favorite classified:
YOU AND YOUR TRASHY TIGHTS
Along with those short skirts, cute glasses and that sassy attitude you wear so well. I know I'll have something to look forward to every week, you are my favorite waitress. Bob 3324

current listening:
Bonnie Prince Billy - Master and Everyone
Yo La Tengo - Summer Sun

watching:
Legend of Hell House
posted by jeff on Tuesday, March 18, 2003

im still spent from SXSW
too much walking
too much drinking
this is the first year i actually had fun though
more music less greasy weasels
the cactus was great, except some of my friends from out of town couldnt get in
i got to hang out with Ron Sexsmith for a while
Watching him play slays me every time
His Voice
His words
Finally the city is sleeping
Hopefully soon i will too
posted by jeff on Tuesday, March 18, 2003

Sunday, February 23, 2003

i walked down memory lane tonight
actually i hid in the bushes and just kida stared as my past crept by me
theres a cabinet i bought when i first moved to TX
actually its a "lingerie chest" or so it said in the advertisement
but i dont wear lingerie (i swear!) so we'll call it a cabinet
i never throw away things, but i never look at them again
i just put them in the cabinet and leave them for dead
tonight i felt drawn to open the casket and look at the bodies ive left behind
strange how much ive changed
strange how much my words haven't
maybe my eyes arent as wide and maybe ive lost a little weight
theres a photo of me in front of my house on Millrock
i used to love that house
attic apartment up 3 flights of stairs
just a mattress on the floor and a guitar and some Ramen noodles
i would paint my 19 year old poetry on the walls - grey on green
the ceiling was at such an angle that some places you couldnt stand up
i found stacks of letters i never sent and bigger stacks of ones i wish i never got
and Jenny...
i still have every note you ever passed me
i would spend afternoons just staring at your penmanship
and all the photos Dave took are lying in a stack
i wish he never fell as far as he did
and Ryans essay
and my hair was so long it touched my ass
and all my notebooks of words sung and unsung
on the cover of the green marble Mead looseleaf reads "I feel numb"
written in silver paint pen
i still remember the day i wrote it
after taking a 2 hour walk around Huegenot St.
funny thing is, i still do that shit
and i still have the same reactions
and my god-daughter must be so big now
i cant even remember how old she is
thank god you cant sue for god-child support
because im a deadbeat godfather

posted by jeff on Sunday, February 23, 2003

Friday, February 07, 2003

dear federal express
thank you for making me wait in line for 2 hours
thank you for making me return the next day because you forgot i had to fill out a customs form
thank you for making me pay $2 extra to photocopy a piece of paper
thank you for delaying my pkg making me miss my deadline and pay a higher fee for rush delivery
thank you for making me fax you the paperwork you forgot to give me 3 times
thank you for treating me like a 6 year old moron
id tell you to go fuck yourself, but since its a friday it would cost an extra $10 to deliver the message by the next morning
and by Monday it just wouldnt be worth it
posted by jeff on Friday, February 07, 2003

tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock
i was daydreaming of being asleep
actually thats a lie
i was wishing i was tired
i never remember my dreams
i have visual re-enactments of the past, present, and future
but only when im awake
i once knew a girl who went to a dream therapist
she was having re-occuring nightmares
the therapist told her it was due to her financial problems
her build-up of debt
Once a years worth of Dream Therapy bills piled up
Her nightmares tripled
always remember the words that make up the word therapist....the rapist


posted by jeff on Friday, February 07, 2003

Monday, January 27, 2003

Ive waited a long time for this. Finally, today, the new record is out. at least in the UK and greater Europe. I feel so much better. I also feel much better being still for a few days. its amazing what sleeping in motion does to your body.

posted by jeff on Monday, January 27, 2003

Friday, January 17, 2003

Everything has been amazing so far. I am seeing some of the most beautiful landscapes and architecture. All of the shows are sold out on the tour, and everyone has been really cool. It's nice to feel such warm reception. Not to mention having a tour bus is a secret little excitement as well for me. Anyway, ill write more later. Im off to the the Dublin show. Cheers!
posted by jeff on Friday, January 17, 2003

Tuesday, January 07, 2003

5 pairs of pants. 12 shirts. 3 pairs of shoes. 2 guitars. 1 coat. 6 pairs of socks. Am i missing anything? How bout a suitcase? I refuse to grow up and use adult terminology like luggage. It sounds so monogrammed.I have always been used to the dufflebag. Squeeze, scrunch, crumble, carry, fold, jam the fucker in the back of the van duffle bag. But this time i need something sturdy. I'm going to become one of those people i glare at in airports, wheeling their "luggage" around effortlessly. No blisters from the handle straps or taking deep breaths every 4 steps to lighten the load. I am diving into transportational fashion at the speed of less-than-normal.
posted by jeff on Tuesday, January 07, 2003

Sunday, December 29, 2002

Everybody wants a piece of the action. Their cut. Their percent. There are so many hands grabbing at my pie that all i can taste is sweat from fingers. Why don't you find someone else with a bigger pie? All i got is my Table Top personal sized pie. And i just want a piece big enough to sustain myself. After all, i baked it, you just lent me some sugar.
posted by jeff on Sunday, December 29, 2002

Monday, December 23, 2002

One of the saddest pieces of news i have heard in a long time. Rest in Piece Joe Strummer. God Bless You. And Thank You.
posted by jeff on Monday, December 23, 2002

Monday, December 16, 2002

insomnia

\In*som"ni*a\, n. [L., fr. insomnis sleepless; pref. in- not + somnus sleep.] Want of sleep; inability to sleep; wakefulness; sleeplessness.

posted by jeff on Monday, December 16, 2002

Tuesday, December 10, 2002

I remember watching a movie about the military, once. How they blindfold their soldiers and tech them to assemble their weapons in the dark. I don't think anybody uses more than 10% of their "training". I can barely tie my shoes in the dark.
posted by jeff on Tuesday, December 10, 2002

Karaoke. I never realised what that word meant until Friday night. Myself and several friends decided to cure boredom by visiting a karaoke bar. I was expecting a small dive with random old ladies singing Mandy. I WAS WRONG. When we stepped into the place it looked like a strip club: a stage, lights, mirrors, packed with people. I almost felt the same guilt watching the performers. The women were either dressed as working girls or "working girls". The men in either suits or t-shirts. The smell of Star Search in the air. Competition gloomed overhead. The patrons meant business. You could tell they'd spent weeks honing in on their voices and practicing their dance steps. I'll admit i just sat back and laughed at the performers expense. I think every white guy with pleated pants and a button down shirt sang a Pearl Jam song. Then came the worst of 70's and 80's classics. But after a 2 hour waiting list i got to see my friend JT sing Merle Haggard in his best Karaoke Form. A night not to be forgotten.
posted by jeff on Tuesday, December 10, 2002

Saturday, November 30, 2002

I must say that i love a sleepy city (aka large town). The Holidays have taken all the students and the people away for a few days, leaving a great silence on the streets of Austin. I feel like Clint Eastwood in a ghost town, guns drawn waiting to scare away any intruders. I was so delighted that i even stepped out of character and walked (instead of that long 20 sec. drive) to the coffee shop thats about 3/4 of a mile away. And to my delight(and their disappointment), i was the only patron at the coffee shop. No spare change searching, laptop flaunting, poetry scribbling, portrait drawing, part-time dance enthusiast, non-profit organizing, but i drive a landrover sociopaths to disturb my day of relaxation. I love the Holidays. .
posted by jeff on Saturday, November 30, 2002

Wednesday, November 27, 2002

Today was by all definitions, a shitty day. I shall break it down for you.(Unfortunately i have forgotten the MLA or APA guidelines for writing such an outline, so please forgive me):

I. I woke up this morning to find out i had done some bad scheduling. I had forgotten i had scheduled an acoustic show on the 29th, as well as some phone interviews. Most days this wouldn't matter, except since it falls on the day after Thanksgiving, i can no longer travel out of state for the holiday. Thus...i shall be stuck in Austin alone as opposed to giving my Hallmark Style Thanks with friends and family.

II. I now realise again that i am playing the day after Thanksgiving. Rule #1: NEVER book a show the day after a major holiday. FUCK. I am usually good with this sort of stuff.

III. As i wander across my unusually cold house house to check my email, i notice my computer line is down. I do a bit of the ole' troubleshooting to find out.....nothing. I am now sitting on the phone for 3 hours with tech. support. Unfortunately it seems that i am more knowledgable than they are on the subject, so i walk my "supporter" through the steps it takes to tell me "we'll have to send out a technician."
Hooray! There is nothing greater in this world than sitting at home between the hours of 8 and 6 to wait on a surprise visit from the "technician". And why can they not make a specific time schedule? Surely they can narrow down an appointment to a 1 or 2 hr designated block of time?! And I know the one second i decide to run for milk or smokes to the corner store, i'll return to a note on my door saying "we came, but you were not here. Please re-schedule".

IV. Have i mentioned how cold it is in here? It turns out that my heater is on the fritz. Being the true rennaissance man i am, i decided to fix the problem myself. When i remove the grate of the floor heater i realize i have uncovered an archiological treasure.......A gas floor heater from the year 400 B.C. There is nothing but metal and rust sitting in this open floor cavity with the occasional gas line wire running lattitude and longitude. Fuck it, im calling the landlord. Actually, im calling the realty company who is calling my property manager who is calling my landlord who will call back the realty company to tell them to inform me ,"we'll have to send out a technician. be home between 8 and 6."

V. As the 6 o' clock hour rolls near, i am finally free of all technician waiting obligations. First we had Rick, the DSL man. Super Guy. Seemed a bit too nice. I felt from the very instant he knocked on my door that i was about to recieve excellent service. If you live in Austin and have DSL troubles, ask for Rick. As for the heating "specialist"....polar opposite. It was bit much, but after hours of us working as a team (i pulled a thorn out of his paw) we finally got the pilot light working. Hell, it took 2 hrs to find the pilot light. So now i must help a friend run an errand. As i lock the front door from inside and close it behind me, i notice that i have locked myself out. It is now time to breathe slowly. There does not exist a spare key. Breathe slowly.
I try breaking in through every possible means, until it becomes apparent that my only entry point is knocking out the Air Conditioner. So after a struggle and ripping a favorite pair of pants climbing thru the window (not to mention fucking up my AC unit) i am finally in my warm house and browsing the web while nursing a severe headache. Ughhh.
posted by jeff on Wednesday, November 27, 2002

Friday, November 22, 2002

ok, new journal. i erased most of the posts, only kept 1 or 2. maybe ill repost others if you guys like.
posted by jeff on Friday, November 22, 2002

Thursday, September 12, 2002

The time it takes Dear Mr. Park my BMW S.U.V. in your driveway because you live close to a bar and then blare Usher at 4 am thru my kicker box system upon departure motherfucker. you will be towed. i dont care if im not using all my spots. if you're not using your bathroom, i dont come in and take a piss because it's vacant. take your keg stand loving, date raping, backwards visor wearing, slow jams blasting, poli-sci majoring, longhorn cheering, hi-fiving, fraternity rushing ass and park it somewhere else.
posted by jeff on Thursday, September 12, 2002

Friday, April 12, 2002

dear readers - i have a small question for you: what makes you happy? i drove around all night last night asking myself that question over and over and over. i mean, for me, i know what makes me happy on a large scale (playing guitar, writing songs, performing, etc.).....but i mean the brutal daily task of staying satisfied. i guess i am speaking about "the little things" from the phrase "the little things mean everything". i can't keep track of them. they change every day.
I look around and i see a lot of miserable people. i guess thats become the norm....the control group. everybody seems to be on medication these days. Celexa, Prozac, Paxil, Effexor. It seems as though 5 years ago the shit started to hit the fan and the US started to medicate. Drug evrybody up. Things have gotten so fucked up that there are no more attempts at happiness through old-fashioned means. A simple solution to a complex problem. it's quite....wel....depressing if you think about it. The conspiracy theorist in me wants to be believe it's a government plan to keep everyone sedated and compliant.
what makes you happy?
posted by jeff on Friday, April 12, 2002

Tuesday, April 09, 2002

So now i'm caffeinated. I've become a slave to yet another mass marketed product.
addiction

n 1: being abnormally dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming (especially alcohol or narcotic drugs) [syn: dependence, dependency] 2: an abnormally strong craving.

they forgot television, food, nicotine, oxygen, love, hate, self-pitty.....
posted by jeff on Tuesday, April 09, 2002