Erase Errata played another show with Mission of Burma on Saturday at The Independent in San Francisco. Christina and I met up around 10am to head to the Portland airport. Dustin had an amp and guitar to loan for the show so I left home with guitar pedals, a toothbrush and $20.
Christina's gear is specialized and there was concern about how to safely transport her vintage analog synth, modified Casio and other fragile items down for the show. She got a duffel bag from Andy & Bax and wrapped everything in her camping sleep mat for cushion. We risked the odds and checked the bag because the airline counter staff insisted it was too large to carry on. All of the gear arrived intact at the Oakland baggage claim, thankfully.
The show was great. Despite fears that arose about the audio staff's competence when sound checks took really, really long (our band usually takes ten minutes to set levels), the sound was incredible for both bands. Mission of Burma did 2 encores and the quiet, contemplative crowd made up for awkward silence between songs with undivided attention and enthusiastic applause at the end of each song.
The dressing room was stocked with hummus, chips, salsa, fruit, coffee, tea, beer and vodka. Was great to spend time backstage with Ellie, Heath, Bianca and Dustin and, even though the tickets to the show were expensive, I was pleasantly surprised to see Therm and Kim P in the audience (though I fruitlessly searched for them after). Jael, Courtney, Andy and other friends were also there and made us feel at home while we played.
After the show, we headed to lovely Tara Jepsen's birthday party at Li-Po in Chinatown. Michael Hyde is an excellent DJ and had a dude with a V-Drum set up playing along with the music he was spinning. It made all of his party jams even more percussive and danceable. Great idea! I want to bring him up to Portland to DJ a Casual Encounters or Men's Room. Heath, Ellie and Derrik were really fun to hang out with in the basement of Li-Po, and dancing with Tara, Yirko and Kirk made me happy. The only downer was that, by the time we'd settled the show, loaded out and made it over, there was only half an hour of party left. I would have preferred several hours among that amazing group of people.
Sunday morning came early after such a late night...
Dawn and Judea picked me up at 9am to head to Walker Creek Ranch, the future new home of Fabulosa Fest. The trip took just over an hour, the last half of the drive was on a beautiful, windy, tree-lined road. I was excited to tour the property after hearing those guys excitedly describe it's many perks but had no idea of just how amazing and full of possibilities the place would be: solar power, organic garden to supply the cafeteria kitchen, bunk houses, camping, amphitheater with fire pit, manicured lake with swimming and canoeing, nature hikes aplenty, Miwok grinding rocks, wildlife (we saw a fox, and many deer, wild turkeys, and tree and land rodents) and on and on. I am so so so excited about Fabulosa 2010!
Back in San Francisco, after a late lunch/early dinner recap meeting with Dawn and Judea at Catch (on Market in the Castro) Christina and I met up and caught the BART over to Oakland. Ellie met us at Lake Merritt station and we went to her house for a last bit of chatting before heading to the airport at 5:30. The Raiders game was just letting out (they lost but we still love 'em!) and the highway was aglow with red and white lights as far up the road as I could see and we sat in post-game traffic. We made it to the airport just in time for me to buy a $5 Raiders pennant from the Oakland Fan Store (at gate C22) before stepping on the plane.
Back at my house, Mr. Slivers greeted me with passionate meows at the door and I found Chelsea in her room clipping pictures out of fashion magazines, getting ideas for clothes she planned to make this week. Cute. Still missing Jarrett and Sleep Daddy, but nonetheless, I'm home sweet home, for now.
