The sun is waging war and is finally winning some sweet advances against the grey, but the snow is still coming down thick, blowing in dense drifts that are beginning to blaze in the light. Ancient Ani Difranco tunes that I haven’t listened to since my senior year of college are pounding through the stereo and we’re headed back to California. We’re passing through East McKeesport which claims to be “A Friendly Place” but the drivers here are not the polite Pittsburghian norm by any means.
A difficult turn was not helped at all by a big white panel van who’s driver looked me straight in the eye, raised his brows and accelerated at us. Meep.
At least it all makes for good scenery.
Last night we played with our friend Keren Lee on bass, practicing our newer material till around 1am. It’s really good to play with him again, a man absolutely driven to be a professional musician. He’s had his kid and worked many a job and is really ready to follow his bliss.
I Love Sharif – he’s become an awesome bass player and I’ve never met a piano player that I’ve liked better – but it’s sometimes really cool to have a guy who’s been playing bass for more than 30 years or so who simply has so much knowledge to draw on. If nothing else, it’s just freakin’ educational to sit back and listen to him talk about it all.
In any case, what with the snow and the sun we’re encountering plenty of snowblind situations and we’re going a route we’ve never tried before so I best hush and pay attention to the road so’s we don’t get horribly turned around, lost and finally eaten somewhere in Western Pennsylvania. Cause that’d bite.
Hee!
