Underground Policeman

So last night, after being let off early from a very slow night at work, dave and I decided to play in the subways for a couple of hours. So we headed to the Bedford stop subway in Williamsburg, where the money is a flowing, and played some songs for the people. It went over very well, and we even accumulated a good sized crowd all standing about 10 feet back from us as they waited for their train. A wave of clapping ended each song, and people even sang along once in a while. One little kid was dancing around his mother in excited circles to "Greensburg." I was relieved to know we could make people smile. Even when using words like "fuck" or singing about how life doesn't always pan out the way you might like. It helps that we look like we are actually enjoying ourselves in the process.

Well, after about an hour or so of playing for different waves of transit riders, a police officer came up behind us, and in between articulated bubblegum pops, said to us in a subdued voice, "Ok, wrap it up," and then swiftly closed our guitar case-modeled-as-tip jar with his foot. Before he could get away, we asked him what we are doing wrong, and how exactly were we breaking the law? He obviously had not had a lot of experience with subway musicians and started trying to quote some transit codes about soliciting and misusing the transit system and such. Then Dave, who has had numerous experiences quoting subway musician laws to cops in the past, politely, but firmly explained that actually officer, it is perfectly legal to play and receive "donations" as long as you are 25 feet from a token booth and not obstructing traffic as stated in a transit code. The officer seemed shocked at first, but kept his cool, popped his gum and walked away. We left anyway. But on our way out he seemed slightly apologetic and told us we may be right, but he was still skeptical about us accepting donations told us we were still misusing transit property. We replied that wasn't true and we were within our first and 14th amendment rights of free speech.
No one was upset, and we left politely. Maybe he'll be nicer to the next musician he comes across.

Some new things

I've been away. I apologize. I know! No excuses, but I'm a sporadic person with a poor sense of commitment.

Some news: Dave and I just got back from our very first tour as Chicken Little! It was awesome. And the second big news is that on our trip, we brought with us our new ridiculously cute beagle mutt Roger! Roger is the best dog ever, and we tell him that every day. We rescued him from this amazing woman who started her own rescue foster care called Sugar Mutts Rescue. www.sugarmutts.com. If you know anyone, or if you want to adopt a really sweet, maybe larger dog, this is the place. Roger had already gotten all his shots and everything, so all we had to do was pay her the adoption fee and he was ours. By the way, we took him to a punk show that we played right before tour when we had only had him for 3 days, and here are some pictures of him having a great time. (he's good with the ladies)
And some others:


And here is his beloved monkey.


So Roger actually tagged along with us the entire tour down south, which was both challenging and rewarding. He learned to really trust us, but he also learned he's not so crazy about changing towns every other night. But the tour was great, and we played in various southern towns, including: Philly (played an open mike after our show flaked on us), Asheville, NC (Woot, hometown +amazing show at Firestorm cafe. Visit www.firestormcafe.com), Athens, GA at the Flicker Theater (my brother's town now), Nashville, TN (awesome awesome place. I think I might belong here), Bloomington, IN (horrible lazy, pothead, college burn-out town), Lakewood, Oh (woo hoo! Fuckin' awesome time. Sold lots of cds and made some nice friends, great experience). And Now we're back in the apple. I have to say...it's good to be back. Playing at open mikes, back in a work environment I know and like, and giving Roger a home he loves and wants to stay in. I have to say though, being on tour definitely spoils you. I wish I were performing every other night. But now is the time to really hone our skills. Tighten our songs and get better. But tour taught me so much about being a musician and what I want to be doing. I'll be writing about my trip to Prague with my choir Khorikos as well in October when the time comes.
But until then, hope this wasn't so boring.
I'm a loser and don't have any pictures from tour yet, but here are a few from the Ever Reviled Records show:



So, I will be more committed to this blog thing now. I promise. I'll get those pictures developed from tour, and I will complain about New York no matter how much I love it.
But here's just one last one:

Cute huh?

Spring is in the air

I know it's been more than a month now since I've posted...I'm guilty.  It's been a pretty intense and busy month, and I finally feel like things are dying down a little (in a good way).  

It was a combination of things like working almost everyday, having rehearsals and two shows in one weekend, and then also coming down with one of the worst flu-like bug I've ever had.  But I am back to the emma that I know, and it feels good.  

So dave and I officially have a band name now.  We are Chicken Little and we go by Chicken Shit Emma and Cuomo Little Shit.  Classy I know.  but the kids love it.  We played at an open mike last night with these names for the first time and played two songs. I think people enjoyed it.  Now my goal is to be incorporating my accordion into all the songs.  The problem is, I'm not exactly proficient yet, and she (the accordion) is just so heavy and loud.  Almost over-bearing to the rest of the sound we produce.  But I love her.  So I will make it work.  I'm also thinking though of buying a smaller accordion that will be better suited for the acoustic shows we do in houses and bars.  

New York seems to have missed the point of spring this year.  Sure the parks are in bloom, but the streets are just full of pointless pollen, and it rains almost everyday.  Not to mention Wind has become a regular host for the weather's forecast.  One day, I'll be back in a place that has the smell of spring and the colors to prove it.  Until then though, Spring is a muddle of soggy rooftops and fogged skylines.  

freedom of expression is hard

I just started writing lessons under the miraculous tutelage of dearest dave, and I feel like I'm an infant learning how to speak again, because all that comes out of me right now seems like babble. I've just started to do 20 minute "free writes" which is very hard on my wrist and brain, but by the end of it, I seem surprisingly happy to have done it. The first one actually brought up some really powerful thoughts for me that have been brewing in my mind for a while now, but until I gave up my need to over-think, I finally came upon something worth while for me.
I might start to post some of these ideas now and again, but not right this moment. It is not time. But there's something incredible about having to keep the hand and mind moving, even if it's tired, or out of "ideas." Because that's the beauty of it, is that there is no pre-emptive thinking or planning. It's just associative thinking and almost a physical excercise. For me, it was very much like meditating, where you're thoughts are going in and out of your breath, to a new thought that pops up, then back again to the breath, to the awareness that you are actively involved in that moment.

In other news, the apartment's slowly coming together. We're no longer eating from pots and pans since dave bought two REAL bowls and some silverware. Woo hoo! And having an east-west facing apartment is amazing. Sunrise, sunset...

Life can move in a strange way

For those of you who don't know yet, I am moving to a new apartment in April to live with my also relatively new boyfriend. Crazy? Yes. Fast? Yes. But if you knew him and you knew me, it would all make sense. And we'll have an amazing view of the manhattan skyline, so what could really go wrong I ask you??

I know we're taking a risk, but isn't that what life is for? And it seemed like the Universe was shouting at us to make this next move. Having that said, we still won't be seeing that much of each other because of our opposite work schedules.

We plan on having "rent-raisers" and fun gatherings on wood floors so we can maybe one day have a couch. And maybe a desk and some chairs? But goddam, we have a place, and I can't wait to live cat-free. Not to mention the freedom to do whatever the hell I want in my own space. I'll post some pictures of the place as soon as I get a chance. We're meeting with the landlord tomorrow to go over all the application materials and such. I feel strangely like an adult or something... What happened?

I'll be in touch. I know this was a leap from my last post. A lot has occurred. Ciao!

All I want is a room somewhere...

I've been apartment hunting, and while I've only seen two places so far, it is a very stressful undertaking. One wrong decision can make a huge difference in the long run. And sometimes I have to just go with my gut even if something seems really good on the outside. Like maybe I just want a shitty hole, but a shitty hole that I can call my own.

Aside from the stress, it's been fun exploring the city in ways I normally don't have time for. I get to ride trains I never ride, see the people I never would have passed, and smell the smells from the local roti shops I've never eaten from. And as I crossed over the Williamsburg Bridge on the J train, I was thankful for the first time for a slow-moving train. Going across right at dusk, everything shimmered on the water and off of old factory buildings, and cars below looked like toys, crawling like ants on the highways. A landscape of high rises and dingy train tracks suddenly morphed into a peaceful landscape. Not to sound too much like a Futurist or someone who has faith in society and technology, but I thought how wonderful it is to return to that beauty that lies in almost everything, no matter how much we fuck it up.

sleep, breath

These two things that are the driving forces of our existence have been my new tyrants. The past few weeks have been pregnant with new challenges...and new beginnings. One challenge. Standing up for myself. Result: getting a little more of what I want out of life.
Challenge 2: SLEEP and BREATH. I have not been sleeping. And when I do, it certainly does not leave the impression that what I have just thought about for 2 hours was only dream. Thus, dream and life are blending more and more, and I have some suspicions that the movie "Waking Life" is actually a true story. This I will overcome I am confidant. It is a temporary challenge along the way.

The breath comes in like this. I am short of breath with allergies. I biked from Brooklyn to work on the upper west side the other day and the breath was taken swiftly from my body.

New beginnings: Something is making its way in, like a breath of fresh air, and I can't say much except that its keywords are adventure, wind, trust, and heart. And skipping.

I leave with this thought...that it will leave me when I lay down tonight, and I won't be able to recall the dark until I wake up again.