Now I have half a minute. It's Saturday afternoon and my life is again going through some really big changes. I went to the doctor this morning and have to go back in two weeks. The stress of recent weeks along with the heat is taking it's toll on my hypertension. I'm glad I went in. Afterward Kelly and I ate breakfast at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in Logan Square and on the way back to my place I stopped to get a new cell phone and number. Lord have mercy I have a freaking camera phone now, beware. Later today we're heading out to Flashback Weekend as I previously mentioned. I'm looking forward to being the coolest geek of the lot.
So let me attempt the recap of the last week or so.
Last Friday it was nearing 100 degrees in Chicago. Mid to late 90's with the following "lords day" forecasted for over 100 degrees. So I met my chickie after ward and we went to Oak Street Beach. It was hot and I had packed a couple foot longs from Subway along with some vodka and limeaide. We hit the beach and wasted no time in getting out of the heat and into the water, which was more than refreshing. I was in a great mood because I had set up a job interview for Monday and was wondering what took the people so long to call me. However, as always, all good things come to those who wait. Yeah say that to a person w/ more patience than me! So we enjoyed ourselves and were feeling goofy and as the sun went down behind the Magnificent Mile and we moseyed onto Michigan Ave and went to my ladies place. We didn't have much of a problem falling asleep and the next day I was online preparing for the Wookie Hangover show at a beautiful lil dump called The Mutiny and we were informed a bit late in the day it was my great friend Jennifer's birthday party that night at Roc Bar. Being I like to keep commitments being I found out at the last minute, I planned to go to Mutiny, so Brian picked me up at 845 we shot over, and Kelly met us and we had a good time w/ Sara, Marty and the band. Then after the band neared the end of their set we all three went over to Roc Bar where the party was getting started. We chilled out in our private sofa area, drank Vodka mixes mixed with Jens friends and even Sherrie dropped in and we all kicked out the jams motherfucker! It was nice to see the kitchen open, where D. Cain is now doing the culinary honors. And a good job at that) The place was packed and the music was good and we were all having a great time.
I have no idea how late we were there but it was long enough to time on a good one and then we had a really good night of sleep. In retrospect, "a good time was had by all" (who does that sound like?)
Then came Sunday.
Sunday was hell from the beginning. it was already over 100 before noon. It was sweltering. It was miserable. We wanted to go to the beach but opted not to and to stay in with the cool AC. So we did and we ate some good food and were just lazy. Besides I had an important job interview the next morning so I only left long enough to bus home, get some office clothes, check my damn mails and get back to Kelly's. It was an early night, but I was nervous. I really wanted this job more than any other, that I can at the least recall. In a nutshell, it was pretty hard to sleep.
As Murphy's Law would have it the only thing I did not take with me was an umbrella. And as I got off the CTA Red Line I found myself getting spit and pissed on by the gods. However I persevered. As much as I loathe the rain, I've suffered through worse, much worse. And I made it to the interview which lasted over an hour and felt really good about the process. Especially considering the dozens of resumes I've been sending out all year and the knuckleheads who have interviewed me. I went to Kelly's place of employment with a BIG SMILE on my face. I felt really good, really good about the possibility of being hired by this company. So we went to Cheesecake factory to have a nice quit lunch. Well as good as the food is, a nice experience and quiet is was not. THIS WAS A FUCKING TOURIST TRAP and sheer hell for the man writing this rant. Anyone that knows me knows that crowds and loud noise especially at any eatery is nothing less than hell to me. Like church when a baby cries and another one screams and the next thing you know the place is a near deafening or even better a migraine waiting to happen. Well, other than dogs barking at sirens in the night, I cannot think of a more fitting analogy.
So with that behind me and a full belly I headed back home. Still smiling with the heat and humidity kicking up it's heels. There was nothing else on the plate for 24 hours when Static X would be hitting Chicago.
Tuesday night came and Kelly and I arrived at the House Of Blues around 6 and checked in. Greg Tovar met us in the restaurant downstairs and we ate and had a few cocktails. (see Greg's great concert review in out reviews section) Rodney and SuZn met us and we all went up to teh Foundation Room where after a couple drinks I ran into my old friend Steve Roach who used to manage a few good bands. Steve and I had a lot to catch up on and it was great seeing the guy. We hadn't seen each other in a few years and Kelly seemed to think he was a pretty cool cat and I assured her he was. I was happy to hear that he and Lori, the little ViXXXen who could, were still and item and it was a bummer she chose not to hang out as it would have been great to see her after all of these years. Before long it was an enormous clusterfuck of friends. Freak, Sludge of 94.7 The Zone hung out for a few pix and some of the SoiL boys were in da haus. And we just kept taking pictured and catching up on old times. This was Kelly's very first visit to the Foundation Room so I gave her the grand tour and introduced her to everyone. She was very impressed and I was impressed at how well she got along with everyone.
Back at the bar Steve, Kelly and I continued to converse and suddenly Kelly says, "Hey look, it's your friends." And I turn around not knowing who to expect and see Fashion Bomb. I about died cause I hadn't spoken with these guys in over a year let alone hung out with any of them since Feb of 2004. Rodney looked at me and asked, "Remember when you used to hang out with those guys?" And I just replied, "Jesus man, don't start on me and leave me out of it." So that was just about the end of that, for the time being at least.
Around 9 we went to our box and Static X came out. They were very heavy and the crowd was ecSTATIC and the booth was more crowded than ever it seemed. Kelly and I decided to leave the luxury of the booth for a center spot in the balcony and the band looked really god. Especially without that sicko child molester Tripp in tow. This was the band I met 7 years ago and the line up I liked. It was at this point that fashion Bomb drummer Dreg walked over and wanted a minute to try to make amends. I was pretty confused by this because for over a year I have hear, gossip, that he has really been talking some shit on me. He seemed very sincere and mentioned we should hang out at the Holiday Club sometime. I must admit the whole session left me a little confused but I gave him the benefit of the doubt and let the man say his thing. In my line of work it really is hard to know who to trust. People talk behind peoples backs and are nice to there faces, and I have been a victim of slander, and lies, and misrepresentations and outright vicious attempts to destroy everything I conceived and created from the ground up and $250 of my own money. And in the entertainment business it's mostly all about ego. I'm just a guy who has worked for 20 years to build a reputation and a body of work and my own publication 10 years ago and along teh way I've made many friends. I've also made many enemies mostly because when I cut people off who hang around with their hands out all the time without returning a favor, suddenly, I'm the asshole. However, my body of work speaks for itself.
With Dreg, only time will tell. He was man enough above all to bite the bullet.
I do live by the following line, one of my favorite quotes since I was 17. "At times like these when enemies number more than friends, a friend indeed is what I need, not someone who pretends."
After teh show I went backstage to meet up with American Head Charge and Chad in particular. We had met on a cold winter night several years ago and it was time for a reunion. We had a rink and he and his lady came out to hang with all of us in the Foundation Room. And then , and why did it surprise me, Jennifer pops out of nowhere. And being that her and Kelly get along very well and have mutual respect for each other a good time started to turn into a GREAT time.
Afterwards when we were all finally run out of the Foundation Room, we all hugged, kissed and said our goodbyes and my lady and I jumped into a cab and were on Michigan Ave when she got a wild idea. We got out of teh cab and did the "act" in a very public venue where we could have very EASILY been busted. It was crazy but a wild idea that I wasn't even going to pass up. We completed the mission and grabbed another cab for her place. It is not hard to realize why I am so fond of this woman.
And that my friends is the end of the Heatwave and Static X rant.
I got the job and am happy about it very much. Opportunities like this don't come by very often and it's nice to know my talents are recognized.
Last night we went to Flashback Weekend night 1. And I will continue from there later.
Also, please keep in mind and bear with us. I will be in training all next week and won't have PC access till next Saturday. We'll be back updating daily as usual, but I will not be home to jump online. So till then have fun and surf myspace.com
Posted by Alex Zander at July 29, 2005 02:51 PM