back to boston - April 12, 2005
*new boston show added* Alex will be performing at Club Passim's "Cutting Edge of the Campfire Festival" Saturday, May 28th. check the SHOWS section for details!
Alex Radus: Tour-Blog
Well, yeah...I guess it's obvious - I also like to write. - April 10, 2005
From time to time I try to write a real good'un and get it published. This ran in Dec 29th's Pulse Weekly about duende's 5 year New Year's Eve anniversary party.
here's the link to the actual article...http://www.duendeonline.com/html/images/pulse_02.jpg
And now I'm gonna do my dance...
this new years eve, 5 years ago, maria and i were in a mansion bigger than
either of us had ever seen, playing our first gig together ever - a house
concert in maryland. we watched the ball drop in new york city in what
amounted to an underground movie theater. 2000 was ushed in with nervous
excitement. was nostradamus right? was this even the real millenium? would
the computers break, or explode or come to life and rule with cold
efficiency?
a few weeks later we were still hashing it all out as she picked me up in
the middle of pa. we abandoned my kaput auto, hit the road and didn't
return for four months. we played in bars, coffee shops, apple orchards,
outdoor markets and on the streets in wisconsin, seattle, chicago,
phoenix, austin and new orleans. from time to time maria canned tomatos
and i helped roofers, but we mostly got around on music and dumb luck.
i turned 21 in phoenix, not doing life without parole, thankfully, but
also not doing much drinking either. 6 months earlier i'd burned most of
the photo off my i.d. when i poured 16 ounces of hot coffe on it. so i had
a disappointing, dry 21st. the i.d. was also the reason i got bounced from
a casino in new orleans a few months later. but it finally came in handy
on the mexican border. what was left of my photo bore a striking
resemblance to charles manson and the pretty border guard found enough
charm in that simple fact to let me off on bong posessions charges. it
wasn't my bong. it wasn't even my car.
that was back in the true rock star days when our continental connection
got us $100 tickets from newark to phoenix where we rented a blue whale to
bring us from city to city on the west coast. that boat rocketed us around
the southwest without so much as a blown tire for months. we haven't seen
the west coast or the sweet stewardess with the buddy passes in some time,
but i wish them both well. i also wish clarity and calm to the continental
pilot who left the cockpit mid-flight to tell me i had to wear a collared
shirt in first class. i hope he's not still angry.
it's been a weird, wonderful trip. thanks for sharing it with us no matter
when you jumped on board in the past 5 years. i can't believe it's been
that long and i can't believe it's been that short. hope you can make it
to the anniversary show this new year's eve. we'll be at porter's pub in
easton partying like there's no tomorrow - just a colorful, ludicrous
past.
here's the link to the actual article...http://www.duendeonline.com/html/images/pulse_02.jpg
And now I'm gonna do my dance...
this new years eve, 5 years ago, maria and i were in a mansion bigger than
either of us had ever seen, playing our first gig together ever - a house
concert in maryland. we watched the ball drop in new york city in what
amounted to an underground movie theater. 2000 was ushed in with nervous
excitement. was nostradamus right? was this even the real millenium? would
the computers break, or explode or come to life and rule with cold
efficiency?
a few weeks later we were still hashing it all out as she picked me up in
the middle of pa. we abandoned my kaput auto, hit the road and didn't
return for four months. we played in bars, coffee shops, apple orchards,
outdoor markets and on the streets in wisconsin, seattle, chicago,
phoenix, austin and new orleans. from time to time maria canned tomatos
and i helped roofers, but we mostly got around on music and dumb luck.
i turned 21 in phoenix, not doing life without parole, thankfully, but
also not doing much drinking either. 6 months earlier i'd burned most of
the photo off my i.d. when i poured 16 ounces of hot coffe on it. so i had
a disappointing, dry 21st. the i.d. was also the reason i got bounced from
a casino in new orleans a few months later. but it finally came in handy
on the mexican border. what was left of my photo bore a striking
resemblance to charles manson and the pretty border guard found enough
charm in that simple fact to let me off on bong posessions charges. it
wasn't my bong. it wasn't even my car.
that was back in the true rock star days when our continental connection
got us $100 tickets from newark to phoenix where we rented a blue whale to
bring us from city to city on the west coast. that boat rocketed us around
the southwest without so much as a blown tire for months. we haven't seen
the west coast or the sweet stewardess with the buddy passes in some time,
but i wish them both well. i also wish clarity and calm to the continental
pilot who left the cockpit mid-flight to tell me i had to wear a collared
shirt in first class. i hope he's not still angry.
it's been a weird, wonderful trip. thanks for sharing it with us no matter
when you jumped on board in the past 5 years. i can't believe it's been
that long and i can't believe it's been that short. hope you can make it
to the anniversary show this new year's eve. we'll be at porter's pub in
easton partying like there's no tomorrow - just a colorful, ludicrous
past.
It's My Birthday! - April 1, 2005
The Foolz raised the roof on Bethlehem tonight. I was happy to be there gettin' on my MJ and my MM. Thanks to the multitude of attendees - I take special interest in your enjoyment of it since it was my official and unofficial birthday party.
In college I had three close friends with the same birthday as I - lovely April foolz day. And another good friend born on April 2nd. We would begin drinking around March 29th every year and wake up face down in May flowers with immense credit card bills.
I wish I could say Kirsten, Alejandra and Paola made it up to the show since I miss them, but I was blessed to share simultanious birthdays with my dear friend Mack.
He's moving to Chicago soon and I will miss him.
Speaking of being missed, lovely Tina of the Funhouse gave us a free birthday-shot of pinkish-orange moonfirebrandyshine which is why I'm actually writing this April 11th.
C'est la vie or carpe diem or whatever. See you soon. Happy birthday Alejandra, Kirsten, Paola, Mack and the rest of you red planet babies...
In college I had three close friends with the same birthday as I - lovely April foolz day. And another good friend born on April 2nd. We would begin drinking around March 29th every year and wake up face down in May flowers with immense credit card bills.
I wish I could say Kirsten, Alejandra and Paola made it up to the show since I miss them, but I was blessed to share simultanious birthdays with my dear friend Mack.
He's moving to Chicago soon and I will miss him.
Speaking of being missed, lovely Tina of the Funhouse gave us a free birthday-shot of pinkish-orange moonfirebrandyshine which is why I'm actually writing this April 11th.
C'est la vie or carpe diem or whatever. See you soon. Happy birthday Alejandra, Kirsten, Paola, Mack and the rest of you red planet babies...
I'm up at Texas - March 26, 2005
The house speakers in the T.O.E. at Drew University are easily large enough for Madison Square Garden. They still sounded pretty saucy even though they were set on 2.
Thanks to everyone who came to the show. I hope it wasn't too loud.
After the show I got home at 2 am.
Then I got up at 6:30 am.
I drove to Philly to finally take part in the short film I've been talking about, "The Constants of Korrin." What a blast.
We had a beautiful day in Philly for the outdoor shots, got in trouble with a motion detector for filming next to someone's s.u.v. beemer and were told by a female passerby - and this is verbatim - that she was sick of us "over-sexed artsy types." She then made devil horns with her pinky and pointer finger and told us she was going to stab us with them.
I hear the premier is set for sometime in June - I'll keep you posted.
Then I went to a party mostly attended by UPenn law students. Someone asked me if I was a lawyer and I told them no, but in my line of work I'm frequently a client. Then I won $60 in Texas hold-em. It's 2:19 and I've been up for almost 18 hours but as yet I have no need to post bail which makes it a good night. Guten Nacht.
Thanks to everyone who came to the show. I hope it wasn't too loud.
After the show I got home at 2 am.
Then I got up at 6:30 am.
I drove to Philly to finally take part in the short film I've been talking about, "The Constants of Korrin." What a blast.
We had a beautiful day in Philly for the outdoor shots, got in trouble with a motion detector for filming next to someone's s.u.v. beemer and were told by a female passerby - and this is verbatim - that she was sick of us "over-sexed artsy types." She then made devil horns with her pinky and pointer finger and told us she was going to stab us with them.
I hear the premier is set for sometime in June - I'll keep you posted.
Then I went to a party mostly attended by UPenn law students. Someone asked me if I was a lawyer and I told them no, but in my line of work I'm frequently a client. Then I won $60 in Texas hold-em. It's 2:19 and I've been up for almost 18 hours but as yet I have no need to post bail which makes it a good night. Guten Nacht.
Reunion Tour...sort of - March 25, 2005
When I was in high school I was lucky enough to have some very talented friends - who also happen to be wonderful people too...this Sunday - seeing as how it's Easter, we're all going to be home and we thought we'd put a little reunion show together. Hope you can join us and take my word that Dave Dribbon, Chris Konopka and Christina McGeehan are some gifted musicians and songwriters you don't want to miss.
We'll be at John and Peters on Sunday - Easter - at 9 pm. Check the *shows* section for more details - hope to see you there!
Alex
We'll be at John and Peters on Sunday - Easter - at 9 pm. Check the *shows* section for more details - hope to see you there!
Alex
it smelled like boys in our hotel room - March 23, 2005
Andy Waldeck blew into our Austin hotel room like a mid-March hurricane..."What? Haven't you fuckers ever been on fucking tour? Turn on the fucking air-conditioner for Christsake!" He was in a way I'd never seen and chalked it up to the peach flavored hookah from the bar where we'd spent our evening.
"I think I fucked up their blues jam," said Matt as he stepped onto 5th St. outside the 1 to 1 Bar. A member of Soda and His Million Piece band, he was just as miffed as the rest of us at the scene inside. A bunch of thumby fellas had thumbed their way onto the stage and were thumbing through some off pitch r&b and were obviously not going to quit, regardless of whose set it was.
The ringleader, the thumbiest of the bunch, a hairy drunk ox drenched in his own sweat, shuffled his way outside and into my personal space. He proceed to pick a fight with Matt. He also proceeded to smell terrible. Within seconds he forgot why he was there and leaning his shoulder into my sternum, pulled Matt into a hot stinky embrace. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out the tooth he had broken on the microphone inside.
I moved.
Eventually the ox went back inside and Soda and his boys steamed up the night in a different way - ironically by being so damn cool. Fedoras bobbed, swing dancers cut the concrete, their street-lit shadows bobbing over the sidewalk, then the stairs, then the brick building. Andy and I leaned up against a Pontiac, Mo-Mo joined the dancers, The Infallible grinned like a child and weaved like a boxer.
Kevin absolutely beat the piss out of his rented upright bass.
And just when it couldn't get any hotter Soda began moaning and crooning into his megaphone just as the barry and tenor saxes kicked in. And it just got better and better.
The breezy Austin night turned so hot that it wasn't until 5 in the morning that I woke up shivering and stepping gingerly over my drunken mates turned off the blasting a.c.
"I think I fucked up their blues jam," said Matt as he stepped onto 5th St. outside the 1 to 1 Bar. A member of Soda and His Million Piece band, he was just as miffed as the rest of us at the scene inside. A bunch of thumby fellas had thumbed their way onto the stage and were thumbing through some off pitch r&b and were obviously not going to quit, regardless of whose set it was.
The ringleader, the thumbiest of the bunch, a hairy drunk ox drenched in his own sweat, shuffled his way outside and into my personal space. He proceed to pick a fight with Matt. He also proceeded to smell terrible. Within seconds he forgot why he was there and leaning his shoulder into my sternum, pulled Matt into a hot stinky embrace. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out the tooth he had broken on the microphone inside.
I moved.
Eventually the ox went back inside and Soda and his boys steamed up the night in a different way - ironically by being so damn cool. Fedoras bobbed, swing dancers cut the concrete, their street-lit shadows bobbing over the sidewalk, then the stairs, then the brick building. Andy and I leaned up against a Pontiac, Mo-Mo joined the dancers, The Infallible grinned like a child and weaved like a boxer.
Kevin absolutely beat the piss out of his rented upright bass.
And just when it couldn't get any hotter Soda began moaning and crooning into his megaphone just as the barry and tenor saxes kicked in. And it just got better and better.
The breezy Austin night turned so hot that it wasn't until 5 in the morning that I woke up shivering and stepping gingerly over my drunken mates turned off the blasting a.c.
A Very Busy Couple of Days - March 20, 2005
This Monday Merel Brigante, Charlie Cheney, Sean Michael Dargan, Pete Lutz, Alex, Andy Waldeck, Maria Woodford and a few more special guests head to Merel's studio in lovely Austin Texas to beat Charlie's new album into submission.
On Wed we fly back, rock the Indian Rock Inn (www.indianrockinn.com) and at 9am Thursday morning Alex begins shooting for the indie film "The Constants of Korrin" under the direction of Mike Viney and Joe Saunders of Old City Productions. "Constants" is a 30 min love/murder story involving a turkey sandwich, a beautiful girl and a mind-twisting ending.
On Wed we fly back, rock the Indian Rock Inn (www.indianrockinn.com) and at 9am Thursday morning Alex begins shooting for the indie film "The Constants of Korrin" under the direction of Mike Viney and Joe Saunders of Old City Productions. "Constants" is a 30 min love/murder story involving a turkey sandwich, a beautiful girl and a mind-twisting ending.
hello from SXSW - March 19, 2005
great music, free beer, warm sunshine...don't think we're ever going back to PA. Caught an amazing band from L.A. - Soda and His Million Piece Orchestra. Highly worth checking out - Tom Waits meets Preservation Hall. We're working out a Jet Blue $99 dollar scenerio from NYC to L.A. so we can play some shows with these guys. Hope we can get them out to the NYC/Philly area for you soon. Speaking of which - my favorite band in the world (Thamusemeant) is playing at the Knitting Factory in NYC on April 3rd - they almost never get out to the east coast - anybody want to carpool?