Staying with Will Schaff is always an incredible experience.
But I’m getting ahead of myself .
Heather’s got Matthew and Michael backing her at Victoria Station in Putnam, CT. We’d spent an hour or so practicing in the basement before the show, and the versions of Drown, Matador, Spiral and … oh, there was SOMETHING else!!! – were just some of the coolest we’ve ever played. Not that I’d ever swap out my band! But it was a lot of fun to try something totally different. Spiral with bass, violin and djembe was just awesome.
After getting to Mike and Ari’s, our next gig was in Putnam at the Victoria Station Café. Victoria Station wasn’t originally a staple gig. In Connecticut , that was the Centre Coffee Bar in Windsor , but unfortunately that closed down. Victoria Station however has really filled in the gap – originally we just stopped in because it seemed like a cool place. We made friends with the owner, Dave, and have been returning ever since, with every visit being a little more fun and more lucrative. What’s especially cool is that he credits our attention to the place, both in the Journal and also just generally playing there, as one of the things that’s putting him on the map as a good spot to see music. He’s getting good artists and is slowly building a good audience for those artists.
Transcendent Third playing at the Victoria Station Cafe in Putnam, CT.
Having a good time with my camera and it’s macro lens and the beautiful sunshine in Will’s house.
This visit was no exception, which was really welcome since we were bringing guests. Transcendent Third joined us again, and this time we had some spare time to practice with them. Heather and Michael and Matthew and I all buggered off to the basement for an hour before the show to put some joint songs together. It’s just cool to work with them – and it was cool to be able to actually hang out with them.
I think I can almost even tell them apart.
Maybe.
Which ilyAIMY eye is which? This ain’t hard, people…
Anywho, putting violin and bass into our music added a whole other level to our show, and I was even proud of my banter. I mean. I’m always clever. I’m just a clever guy. But I was particularly on.
Go on. Ask me about the ilyAIMY SWAT team. or the fantasies I have. or the dangers of desiring a cloned rob army. If you’re VERY lucky I’ll send you an mp3. Maybe.
After the gig, we all retired back to Mike and Ari’s to hang out and to sleep. A very full night indeed. Let’s see. there was Mike and Ari, their roommate and her sister, Heather and I, Matthew and Michael, and Ren and whatsisname. You know. that guy? We played some music trivia game and I helped Mike with some Photoshop work and then settled down to sleep. It was only at that point that it occurred to me it might be a little awkward. The twins have some weird skewed fear of my touchy-feeliness and insisted on some 6″ bubble or something. sheesh. and whichever one ended up closer to me on the shoved together air mattresses I think was a little frightened of falling asleep.
Heather working on jewelry in Will’s studio / house. There’s something Lovely about his space that always breeds creativity in her. It’s funny – for some reason I tend to write best at my mom’s house, but Heather draws and creates at Will’s place. He exudes an energetic, beautiful passion that she breathes in.
Fall asleep we did, but not until we’d completed several hours of giggling and silence and snortling and silence and breathing heavy and making weird noises and then some more strained silence. Somewhere around the church bells chiming 4am , Heather started playing the “guess which twin is talking” game which T3 didn’t find very amusing. One of the last things I remember from the night was one of the twins saying “This isn’t really funny” and Heather saying “MATTHEW!!!”
Heather playing guitar out in Will’s garden in Warren, RI. What can I say? I told you so.
Anywho, the next night, after an unmemorable open mic experience at Rick’s Billiards, Heather and I drive to Warren, RI to stay with my friend from college Will Schaff. You remember him. Original founder of the i love you And I Miss You concept back in college? Artist extraordinaire? I Love staying with him. His gruff demeanour melts under the presence of company and he settles in and makes falafel and whiskey for Heather and I drive to Warren, RI to stay with my friend from college Will Schaff. You remember him. Original founder of the i love you And I Miss You concept back in college? Artist extraordinaire? I Love staying with him. His gruff demeanour melts under the presence of company and he settles in and makes falafel and whiskey for
WestSide Arts in Providence, RI has found a new and beautiful home in this World War II era building. I THINK it was WWII. I somehow couldn’t maintain the attention span to get through the plaque. I was distracted!
dinner. Best damned falafel I’ve ever had. and I really liked the whiskey. Though I wish they’d pointed out the fact that I’d poured a bit much.
It turned out it really was.
A lot.
Dear lord. For a little while there I was about a Twin Bubble taller and was having a good deal of trouble with words over 4 syllables. I’m still going to claim that I’ve never been drunk, but that line’s getting pretty damned fuzzy. Less whiskey next time.
Transcendent Third playing at WestSide Arts in Providence, RI. I’m pretty sure of this now… on the LEFT is MICHAEL and on the RIGHT is Matthew… right? Sigh – it was a great show and their voices were dead on. I even recorded the night… and then deleted it by mistake! Damn damn damn damn damn.
Graffiti next to our car in Providence. Focus on the bunny. It’s like it was calling me.
