so, it's been an extremely crazy and trying and still somehow good week. like to hear it? here it go.
so on monday, i went to PACE for open mic, and got there just as the electrical inspector was leaving. when he left, david broke into a smile and said that all we'd have to do in order to open was to get a fire alarm system, and that shouldn't cost more than a couple hundred bucks. all was well.
until, that is, we found out that the fire alarm system would cost 6,000 dollars. that's about 6,000 dollars more than PACE has right now. so we were back to square one. the nields' show was cancelled. everything sucked yet again.
meanwhile, the stepkids had been rehearsing like mad, not really knowing for sure if we had a gig or not. our first press ever was the daily hampshire gazette, in its wisdom, announcing that our show was "still up in the air." we were frustrated, and tired, but still we had faith that something good would happen, that PACE would have its George Bailey moment. (i had to explain what that meant to david and sonia, cause who knew that jewish people don't really watch christmas movies?:)
the plan, as of thursday, was that we would know that afternoon whether we could use the space at apollo grill for our show, or if it would have to be in the teeny PACE cafe, or somewhere else, or not happening at all. when i checked my messages after work, i had a message from josh, saying that not only did i have a gig, but that it was to be held in the theater at PACE.
i was confused. i still am, a bit. apparently, there is a difference between having "theater" shows and "music" shows. we got our occupancy permit thingie back on thursday, officially. so PACE is on for its fall schedule, within its own space, but without comfortable seating, which we had to rip out. in the next year, the plan is to find an alternate location, and launch a major fundraiser. but for now, the thing i love best is saved, and that is what counts.
so i spent the rest of the week going straight from work to rehearsal, and yesterday, straight from work to the gig. it was at PACE, and we had SUCH fun playing with the 50 Ways, shocking the hardcore folkies with Nasty Iowa, and getting the GFP choir together for Goodnight, Irene. lots of wonderful people came out to see us, and the stepkids each got a WAY rock and roll paycheck, for $17.84. we totally loved it. we most certainly will do it again soon.
in other news, (well, not really news, but things that i filed away in the back of my head to blog about) i had a surreal moment yesterday at the salon, when i had to cut the hair of a little girl who totally reminded me of me at her age. she was going in to fourth grade, and was chubby, and had a little toehead brother that everyone at the salon was fawning over, and taking pictures of, while he was getting his hair cut. when i was that age, people did that with my sister, and it annoyed the crap out of me. i made sure to talk to her about school and activities, and pay lots of attention to her, and tell her her hair was pretty. i remember feeling really good when people would say things like that to me. i just wanted to take her home and comfort her. she wasn't unhappy seeming at all, she was just quiet, and i was in the mood to project my inner child on to this girl. and i thought about every crazy thing i've been through since i was her age, and how it has only made my life better in the long run. and then i felt better, especially last night, making music and foolishness with my friends onstage.
so the existence of PACE continues, which means that the new PACE magazine will come out. this is a good thing for PACE, and a scary thing for me, because i have a COMPLETE tell-all article inside it, that details every little horrible piece of my stem-cell transplant and personal journey through music. it is very confessional, and very very much too much information. i am a little nervous about random people knowing my personal business like that, but hey, it's good press. but something has me thinking i should have just given myself the same interview that i gave nerissa nields- 5 easy, no-pressure questions. ah, well. i wouldn't blog if i wasn't an exhibitionist of some kind, correct?
so the $1 bin at Turn it Up! in noho is INSANE. (the deal is- one for a dollar, five for three dollars, or ten for five dollars, for those unfamiliar) josh and i went there randomly this morning on our walk through downtown, post-cofffee. we ended up taking ten cds home. we got grey eye glances, settie, rosie thomas, ugly kid joe, spin doctors, the life is a highway dude, please hammer don't hurt 'em, and three kick-ass compilations. i ripped what i wanted off of the ones josh wanted to take with him, then sent him on his way. our middle/high school soundtracks were all there, in the dollar bin. that's ok, we're not offended. we have cheap cds now.
