SAVE WOXY!!

peoples, we have to do something to help save WOXY from extinction!! they are one of the best stations around, and they deserve to live! email me if you want to brainstorm some solutions!! jinners at onthemoonmusic dot com

www.woxy.com

the end of summer is near

i can't believe that it's already september. time seems to go by faster and faster every year, and i am entering the period in my life where i lose track of time. everything is a blur. kind of scary. kind of exhilarating.

dirty on purpose is playing the south street seaport, and i'm starting to feel really happy. i feel like i've reached a special milestone. the seaport has such good vibes all around that i'm looking forward to the show like no other show before. it's really lifting the gloom that had slightly enveloped me.

i hope to see y'all at the south street seaport! pier 17. friday, september 1. show starts at 6pm. dop are on at 8pm. spinto band headlines!

the big sleep listening party @ hi-fi tonight!

the end of summer is a bummer

the end of summer is bumming me out -- seriously, man! life is not horrible or anything, but the days seem grayer than usual. i yearn for the sun to chase the pesky blues away. the nights feel listless. the days, empty.

things have a way of entering what i will call "the circle of life" for lack of a better phrase. i have a great for instance for you. so you know, how i was telling you about my mom and sister on the west coast? let's just say that i never write about shit like that, so when i did, it surprised myself and probably anyone who reads my site. i just felt like writing about that because it was on my mind a lot. it seems like the cosmic energies were just zinging through the air because something unexpected happened as a result...

thanks to the wonders of google, my sister has found me on the internerd. no longer do you need to hire private detectives to find your missing person, but you can now google them. amazing. oddly enough, my post about her and my mother was right at the top of the page for her to read.

literally, i was standing at the new york dolls/tralala show at the south street seaport a couple weeks ago, loving david johansen in his kooky pirate hat, and then all of a sudden BEEP!, there is an IM on my sidekick. it's my sister.

life has a way of sneaking up on you. will you be ready? fuckin' a, man.

click the jinners jukebox above to listen to my Fall 2006 mix featuring elvis perkins, velvet underground, jaymay, stevie wonder and some surprises.

two great upcoming events...

i haven't posted events in a while, but here are two fun things coming up besides the elvis perkins show!

i'm in love with elvis...perkins



elvis perkins is the son of anthony perkins (norman bates! who later died of aids) and berry berensen (an actress who died in one of the planes on september 11!) and brother to oz perkins (an actor you'd recognize from movies like legally blonde). his tragic upbringing speaks in his music. especially "without love." listen to that and it will break your heart.

Check out the songs on myspace.

Come see him perform at Jelly NYC's McCarren Park Pool Concert, sponsored by ASCAP, this Sunday with Dr. Dog, Human Television and the Walkmen!

when you have lots and lots of time to think

when you're on tour, you have nothing but time to think about things. however, i have spent most of my life trying NOT to think about certain things. take, for instance, my mother.

while i was in san francisco, i realized that my real birth mother actually lives in san francisco. and here i was wandering around town with louise, acting like it was my first time in the bay area. of course, i only remember my trip to san francisco vaguely. i was around 14 or so -- it was the summer after 9th grade. i hadn't seen her since i was in 3rd grade. let's just say she doesn't get along with my dad or step mother... or really anyone on my dad's side of the family.

however, the last time i saw her, we got into a terrible fight, and i cut my trip to san francisco short and flew back to pennsylvania in a stubborn huff. i don't think i've talked to her since then. i can't really remember. i usually block those kinds of things out of my memory.

the other part of this story is that i have a sister -- i call her my "whole" sister because she is the child of my birth father and my birth mother -- as opposed to my half brother and half sister who are children of my birth father and step-mother. my whole sister, carol, is one year younger than i am. we've only met twice, though i did chat with her once online in college. the last thing we talked about was how she moved out of my mother's house, moved to LA and was selling cosmetics for Avon instead of going to college. i haven't talked to her since. my birth mother also had a son with a new husband, both of whom i've never met. i don't even know their names.

this may seem strange, but there is nothing within me that wants to reconnect with these people. i think it's because i'm scared of what may happen if they do come back into my life. basically, anytime i've had contact with them, my life ended upside down. there were scuffles. there were arguments. there were accusations and tall tales. there were tears. there was chaos. distress. pain. just too much for me to handle. i'm the kind of gal who craves stability even though her world is crazy and uneven.

deerhoof @ mccarren park pool - jelly nyc party

deerhoof was simply amazing at mccarren park pool yesterday at jelly nyc's free sunday party. they are just one of those bands that have that certain something -- that certain something that just clicks and is original. i mean, even questlove was giving them madlove after the show. i just adored them. it's been quite a while since i've seen them. the last time was at a north six show almost exactly 3 years ago -- (the photo gallery is actually mislabeled as knitting factory). special thanks to doug and sarah and the rest of jelly nyc for putting on the spectacular show.

sonic youth versus the yeah yeah yeahs

i watched sonic youth and the yeah yeah yeahs at mccarren park pool last night. it was a magical night, but there was a definite difference between these two arty new york bands. first off, sonic youth played before the yeah yeah yeahs. show-wise, this probably makes sense, but historically, it doesn't add up.

sonic youth played a killer set full of new and old songs that were pumped up with energetic, experimental boosts and twists. opening with "incinerate," the band declared (and proved) themselves the purveyors of punk, jumping up and down on stage, with a swimming pool full of loyal fans bobbing up and down right there with them. it was pretty amazing... almost as amazing as their cbgb's set earlier this summer...

the yeah yeah yeahs also changed up their songs for their live show, but veered more towards glam rock than punk rock. like one of my friends said, it is like karen o is the modern day bowie. she seems like an alien that was beamed down from space, except when she'd giggle her way through songs. that was the little bit of child-like humanity that peaked through in her performance. her version of "art star" replaced the gutteral screeching chorus with something that was wholly enchanting... mystical, even.

Eastward, Ho!

Goodbye, Wild Wild West. We are on the road again, heading eastward, crossing our fingers, hoping the van will last the long haul to Austin. We have 24 hours to get there, and that's if we're shooting to get there in time for soundcheck. We really need the show money after our very expensive disaster in San Diego. All of us are determined. We'll see how it goes...

As we make a gas stop in Yuma, a town that resides both in Arizona and California, split between the Colorado River, I look around us. There is nothing but desert surrounding with an estimated 110 degrees out. "But it's a dry heat," Doug says to me, as if to fool ourselves into comforting thoughts.

We get back on the highway and see a dust devil, or whatever it is you call those little dirty twisters. I see tiny batches of communities along the way, and I'm a little shocked that there are people living in this vast void of an area.

This is a weird dose of reality after our day "stranded" at the posh Double Tree in San Diego, which I can't stop referring to as a whale's vagina. The hotel was ridiculously nice. They let us store our equipment in one of their conference rooms. We had a sweet balcony that overlooked a Denny's (haha). We lounged in the hot tub and did some night swimming in the pool. I've never stayed at a hotel and had any inclination or time to do these kind of luxurious things unless you count my past foray into Spain. I'm sort of liking it, and it's actually something that I never thought I would get into. I learn something new about myself every day.

We posted some photos on my flickr site as well as the DOP flickr site. Check check check it out!

sign on san diego

we arrived in san diego on friday and were originally planning to go to the first day of street scene. however, the band needed to do laundry so they wouldn't smell so terrible. in the end, doug and joe ended up going to see a padres game and other nightly entertainments, and dj, george and i hung out in a hotel we managed to book very last minute in chula vista. we watched sharks having sex on the discovery channel and drank bushmills.

the next day we went to a guitar store in la mesa so george could buy a new amp to replace the one that exploded in phoenix. while we were at the guitar store, the starter in the van just smoked itself out. we were stuck, but luckily street scene came to the rescue. they picked us up in a van and drove us, our equipment and all of our earthly possessions to the festival.

let me tell you, the street scene staff are so fucking awesome.

they fed us lunch (thank you cheeseball!). they managed to get us a hotel where all the bands were staying (thank you shannon!!). they fed us dinner and dessert. they gave us our own dressing room. we got free sneakers from onitsuka tiger (thanks to celeste!). doug did a live interview with indie 103.1 where he talked about listening to henry rollins talk cd in the van. they hooked us up with an interview with fox in san diego (thank you dude from rob hagey productions!) and we watched a bunch of bands and just hung out to watch the wild scene that is street scene. burlesque dancers. circus tricks. amusement park rides. madness!

Jinners and the Dream of Horses

My parents were pretty strict when I was growing up so I didn't have a lot of opportunity to experience a lot when I was younger. One of these lost experiences is driving.

While I do have a driver's license, I don't really have a history of driving. I drove for about three months -- basically throughout the summer after high school graduation. Then I headed off to college in New York City and haven't really needed to drive since then.

Thus my main mode of transportation all my life has primarily been walking. Today, I got up really early and walked around wherever the hell we are... Somewhere near or in San Diego Nothing was really open except for the gas station marts and 7 Eleven. The only people I saw on the streets were homeless people or leering scalywags, arguing with each other.

Across the street, there was an old Mexican sitting on a bench. He started laughing hysterically suddenly, and it sounded terrible and sinister against the otherwise silent street. He yelled out, "You can't drive for shit!" I wondered if he magically was reading my mind, but realized he was talking to a car that was trying to pull out of the parking lot behind me.

As I walked down the road, I had flashbacks to when I used to walk around my hometown as a child. Back then, I would walk everywhere... To my cousin's house. To the tennis courts. To the video store. To the mall, though I didn't discover the mall until I was in 8th grade. To school and home after afterschool activities. To the thrift store. To my friend's house.

I remember once when I was maybe 6 or 7 years old, my family were all fighting with each other at a gathering at my aunt's house. They do that a lot. I wanted to escape and left the house, wandering around. I sort of got lost and sat on the ground and started to cry.

Eventually a car stopped and a guy asked me if I was ok and whether or not I needed a ride back home. I ignored him until he drove away, wiping away my tears. I picked myself up and eventually found my way home.

I had many journals and notebooks throughout grade school and college. I would write down everything. It was my major form of expression. A year ago, I lost my passion for writing, and I am dying to get it back. I feel like a part of me is decaying, and if I don't act fast, it will be permanently be buried six feet under.

I also have the urge to relearn driving so I can go farther than I could ever go while walking. I am listening to Belle and Sebastian's If You're Feeling Sinister. "If you're ever feeling blue, write another song about your dream of horses." I have the urge to quash my writer's block and pick up my pen again.

I had a lot of time to think and write back then. Not so much anymore. Writing used to be my quiet way of working out my thoughts. I am wondering how I work out my emotions today... If at all.

Bugs Bunny Says We Made a Wrong Turn At Albuquerque

It's so funny how easy it is to fall in love with other towns and cities while you're on the road. We've been catching glimpses of other towns, and it's really popped the New York bubble I've been living in.

Last night we were in Albuquerque, and everyone there was supernice. I enjoyed talking to a bunch of people. This girl Jula let us stay over her house. She happens to live near one of the most well known Mexican restaurants in all of Albuquerque. Apparently everyone who comes to town heads staright for the Frontier. We did that last night after the show.

Bars in Albuquerque close at 2am, and like us, many head to get some late-night grub. I guess when you're drunk and have the munchies, you get all fired up. People have gotten violent there afterhours. For that reason, they have armed security guards there who check your ticket to make sure you are getting the right order. On busy nights, Jula told us that they have policemen on horses patroling the scene with metal detectors. Oh, the wild wild west. Everyone seems to be a cowboy.

Speaking of fake cowboys, the restaurant had John Wayne portraits all over their walls, including one that used pointilism with nails hammered into the canvas.

Nolan, the manager at Launchpad and also in a band called Weapons of Mass Destruction, was telling me that the New Mexico state nickname is "The Land of Enchantment," but most locals will tell you it's more like "The Land of Entrapment." Basically, whoever goes to New Mexico often find themselves staying here or wandering back to town. I had to admit, I was under its spell... for a bit.

Special thanks to Damian, Nolan and Jula.

We are currently driving through "Indian Country." Arizona is home to the biggest Indian Reservation in the States. Looking at the map, we can see that a big chunk of it is Navajo and Hopi nation. Instead of the usual Shell or Conoco station truck and gas stop, you have quirky roadside attractions like "Stewart's Petrified Wood." We turned in there to use the restroom and met Stewart. Later an artist named Anna turned into the stop too and we chatted for a while. In the store, I bought a mood ring. As I put it on my finger, the ring instantly turned from purple to blue. According to the mood ring chart, that means I'm "relaxed and at ease."

Fyi, I've been trying to update this blog on my Sidekick, but my connection has been in and out. If you need to reach me, best thing to do is call me.

Let It Be Good, Do What You Should

I've gone and done it. I've up and disappeared. Yes, I'm on tour with Dirty on Purpose for a couple weeks. It is a test of time and wills, but I'm up for the challenge and welcome the change of pace.

I feel somewhat glorious and euphoric, especially when random shit happens like an unexpected trip to the tacky town of Las Vegas. Or that wild night at a strip club in Los Angeles that had full-on nudity. Yikes.

Then there are quieter times like driving across the flat yet highly elevated state of Wyoming. At one point during the drive, we were at the highest point in all of America. This was exactly the point in time when our moods started to crash after the Vegas high.

So while the rest of the country is suffering and literally keeling over from the deadly heat wave, we are freezing cold. The Wyoming rainfall has chilled the weather, and the air is brisk. I asked the band to shut all of the windows as I shiver in my shorts and hoodie.

For miles and miles, there is nothing but yellowing fields of grazing cows passing me by. My cell phone has no service. I am cramped in a van. No one is talking. I am lonely and bored and left with my own thoughts.

It is at times like this when I wonder where my life is going. I start letting all my sorrows bubble up to the surface of my brain. I forget about the thrill of the bright lights, and wince with the sudden flood of dark memories.

We stopped by a diner in the middle of nowhere. There is a gang of truckers standing outside gawking and talking about an apparent police chase going on across the street. Inside, the waitress talks to a trucker about his trek to Idaho. When she was taking our order, I ask her if the diner has cream cheese. She doesn't seem to know what that is.

Later when we are paying our bill, she asks us where we are from. "Far away from here," we reply. "Very far," another one of us adds. We tell her we're from New York and that we're a band on tour. She has a dreamy and envious look on her face, and part of me wants to tell her that she should get out of this nowhere town she's in and pursue bigger dreams. For some reason though, I don't say a word.

Traveling, I am finding, is the hopeful search for my soul. As I meet new people and catch a brief glimpse of how the other half lives, I am drilling down to the core of who I am through comparisons and contrasts. There are somethings I miss from home -- Mikers, cobb salads and my cat, Ziggy. But then I see things like how people's bathrooms are the size of my entire apartment, and I wonder what the hell I'm doing living in New York. Oh yes, I think Tom Petty said it best: I'm runnin' down a dream that never would come to me, working on a mystery and going wherever it leads...

The highlights from tour so far included... My first show with the band in San Francisco at Bottom of the Hill where we partied with a whole crew of people and somewhere along the line I lost my sneakers -- shout out to Ted, Matt, Louise, the Quiggles, Garo and everyone else... It was so much fun. The band did an exclusive acoustic set for Indie 103.1 in Los Angeles that turned out really well. They even played a new unrecorded track called "Audience in the Room." Their songs really lend themselves well to being stripped and slowed down into really poetic moments. I can't wait for that to air. We also really loved Salt Lake City's Kilby Court. All the kids who came to the show were so into it, and they really seem to have a good community for music there. The venue owner lived across the street, and we were hanging out in his backyard for a bit. Last night in Denver's Hi-Dive, we met up with Danny Brothers who directed the "Light Pollution" video and met a few other great people, including the owner of the bar who was super nice and genuinely a fan of the band. He gave us a free round of whiskey shots with cokebacks. I think this is now my new favorite drink.

My discoveries are sometimes treasured during the good times, and at other times, I am at an all-time low, despairing about the things in my life I can't control. Of course, give it a couple days, a few drinks and some smokes, and I'm sure I will soon forget my woes. At least for the time being.

However, on tour, the one thing you will always learn and remember is what time the bars close and where you can get yet another greasy cheeseburger. That's just how it goes I suppose.