Above And Below
Sunday afternoon I received confirmation from Leonardo Pavkovic of Moonjune that I would be at the Iridium in NYC for the Allan Holdsworth show. I traveled to NYC with very little money but really wanted to go. I always tease Roger that he would travel to Australia if he had to to see Blues guitarist Billy Hector. That’s how I feel about Allan. Next to my father, he is clearly my favorite guitarist. His music has been the soundtrack to my life in more ways than one. It was a great day with the trip up the Turnpike. But not as warm as I hoped. The temp felt like 40 once you hit 60….and heavily wooded areas. But nonetheless, I arrived in NYC and you could feel the energy coming from the streets. It was nice to be back in the city that changed my world on 11/23/95. It was the day I decided to move forward with the radio show. I was at the cross roads. Stay with this girl that would hold me back from everything, or throw my energy into something that could benefit me later. I took the latter. As much as I bash NY’s people and dopey sports fans, I still find it to be THE city. It inspired me. Where else can you get shish kabob at 3:30 am from a street vendor? It also saddens me that after 9/11/01 and all the loss of that day, how many people forgot what happened to this great city. Americans forget too quickly. They’d rather complain that their personal freedoms are being taken away. (Like they really even know what they are) Meanwhile these are the same idiots that complain about smokers. Stop worrying about your phone being tapped and look at the fact that something that is not illegal is being banned from public places. (Brought on by Democrats no less) What’s next? Alcohol? That alone kills countless people a year with liver disease, drunken driving accidents, etc. “I don’t like second hand smoke….my clothes stink around smokers…” Meanwhile it’s ok for the casinos to have smoking in New Jersey. I am outraged. Like George Orwell said, All Animals Are Equal, Some Are More Equal Than Others. Don’t get me started. I walked into the Iridium, and as always, was treated with the royal red carpet. I get better treatment for shows in NY than I do in Philly. That’s fact.
Letters Of Marque
I sat down….had my Heineken…watched two lovers kiss…saw Lenny White in attendance…had a waitress think I was a student…drank my water…noticed members of the Mahavishnu Project there…admired Jimmy Johnson…watched Chad Wackerman’s distinct style…studied Allan. Starting to drift……counted charts…remembered the first time….the last time…the beach…route 559…the breeze…the head resting on my shoulder…the smell of salt…the turnpike…the partying on the way up…the love on the way back…the hug…the drive…the loss…the plans…the dreams...the card locked in the meter…the carriage…the street lights…holding on to her for dear life…and finally arriving back in my seat at this show with nothing but memories and damp eyes. Thank god the waitress distracted me with a question. I left the theater after chatting with the great Leonardo. I walked back to the car and waited for it…while they waited for 26.50$ Southbound to exit 4 with texts from no one and catchin up with Puddin. The check is in the mail.
Wishing for a ladder to climb out this car.