Putnam, CT remains one of our favourite towns, and I’m looking forward to walking down the hill onto the main street which is probably bustling with first-warmth activity. I have high hopes for tonight but I’m trying to keep them quiet simply because of how difficult the rest of the trip’s been.
After a much deserved Wednesday night OFF, Kristen and Heather and I played a kind of difficult gig on Thursday at Sully’s Pub, and then went to the illustrious open mic at the Vanilla Bean in Pomfret last night. I fear that I and my compatriots may have under-estimated the effect of Easter weekend on audiences. A beautiful venue that is normally over-crowded and packed to the gills, was at half-capacity. Though there were a lot of great players – and we even reconnected with some people we hadn’t seen in several years! – it was simply strange to see the place with so many empty seats.
While Heather and I were out and wandering Glastonbury, CT… I got Kristen a pony. What better post-reggae treat than a pony? Yeah – it doesn’t really work logically, but I did enjoy watching Kristen bite his ass off and then stick his head on a pole. No-one miss with da cellist.
We still sold CDs, still pushed tonight’s show, still handed out postcards like there’s no tomorrow – but I’ve got to not try and prep Kristen as to what to expect out of venues – every time we’ve been wrong.
We met up with Heather’s parents last night too – they’re using the weekend as an excuse to get away from Baltimore and have a little couple’s retreat (though a couple’s retreat where every evening you go see your daughter’s band seems odd, but… who am I to say). Oh… my brain just went to the bad place….
Yeah, you can ask me about the bad place later, but I feel like I’d reap inordinate pain and suffering for typing it here. See? I CAN censor myself!
Kristen’s mom will be at the show tonight as well… it’ll be quite a family gathering.
Below : Kristen’s friend Samir Succar took some great shots of us back at Gizzi’s Coffeehouse in New York City. I just got a bunch of them and they’re beautiful – though many smack of the Surgeon’s Photo and make us appear quite mythic.
After the show at the Vanilla Bean we drove to our friend Dave’s house. We crept quiet as quiet things into his attic and hunkered down for an evening of “The Princess and The Frog” and snacks. And ladybugs apparently! They were our little red friends for the night, making occasional thunking sounds and making me wonder how many I’d eat in my sleep. Having a third person along for this wandering has changed our sleeping dynamic. While staying in Glastonbury I often slept on the floor, and much to my chagrin when we stay in Putnam I GENERALLY get the pink princess bed. However, this time HEATHER lost and got the frills and poofs.
Saturday before the show, we went a’wandereing through Putnam. I bought some action figures -at a 2 for 1 sale (last time is was 6 for 2!) and went to visit the mill that the town was built around. Connecticut’s been facing a LOT of flooding from all the rains, a lot of friends have missed shows in favour of vacuuming water out of their basements, and all the rivers were RAGING. Heather and I had managed to get inside the mill that Putnam sprung up around once before. It’s been transformed into a massive architectural antique…. well… more warehouse than store… it’s rarely open and is crammed with furniture and old bars and paintings na dart. Last time we were there there was a massive Alien sculpture made of screws and bolts. Kristen and I happened upon the owners who let us wander the place while they were loading their truck… apparently great things are on the horizon for the space. Whole panes of stained glass catch dusty beams of sunlight inside the Historic Cargill Falls Mill in Putnam, CT. They’ve got a lot of work ahead of them, but in a year and a half they have plans to reopen the space with multiple shopts and a brewworks all centred around a green energy power plant. Treasures and discoveries at the Cargill Falls Mill – things like this just aren’t MADE any more and are beautiful even in their dissolution. I asked about the Alien sculpture and the owner told me that it was bought by a guy off in the backwoods of Connecticut – where it has earned a pair of LED eyes (this seems WRONGFUL as Giger didn’t WANT eyes on his monster) – but it Lives behind the front door scaring the UPS guys when they come. n a return to the mill’s roots, the Cargill Falls Mill is going to be reopened and entirely powered by a hydroelectric system that will be visible to the public through walls of lucite and glass. It sounds amazing! We enjoyed wandering the current labyrinth trying to imagine what’s coming soon… The Victoria Station daily specials are as whimsical as the place itself, though I disagree with the idea that any foodstuff should EVER be named after the owner, as I just couldn’t bring myself to drink a Dave, no matter HOW good it is.
