The White Rabbit

I was the White Rabbit this Saturday and went wild.
White everything - tux, face, hair, rabbit feet, hands... red nose.
I think Halloween is my favorite.
Nothing better than seeing people
as archetypes.
Lose themselves,
Become something more,
sometimes better,
faulty
but beautiful.

Vegas, San Fran, Crickets, Height Restrictions, and beeeeeeer!

Beautiful lake somewhere. I believe it is in Nevada - but I can't even remember. One of the best things about touring is all the awesome landscapes you come across.
We stayed a night in Circus Circus in Vegas. I thought it would be fun, but it was pretty horrible. The check-in line was 1 hour long! How does that happen? We were so over it. Barely had time to put our bags in the hotel before we had to jet to the venue. Phew! I wouldn't suggest staying there. Hate to be like that - but it was over the top awful. Hotel rooms didn't supply pens or paper, barely soap... and there was an extra fee for staying past 10am - $15!
the line goes on and on...

We had a fun show that night. Lots of beer and chicken wings I believe. Right after we hit the stage, the next band was so loud we had to hide away in the corridors in the back of the venue just to hear ourselves talk. It was awesome. They were called "broken teeth" and brutally assaulted the stage. Complete metal. It was highlarious that we opened for them. They couldn't have been nicer guys. Metal heads are usually that way though.
I thought this was Bob Dylan at first, but Anna said it is Vincent Price. I think she's right. Whoever it is, it looks like Roscoe from Dukes of Hazzard. He was toting pistols. I wish it was Bob Dylan dressed like a sheriff though. It would make me love him that much more I think.
BROKEN TEETH!
We had a lot of fun chatting after the show... :) Hayden and Alexa!
Doug, Teresa, Jennifer, and Laura!
And the next day we hit up Circus Circus just for the hell of it.
But Jennifer wasn't allowed on some of the rides...
And I just killed everyone at basketball - much to Jennifer's dismay. She tells everyone that she's "good at basketball," but the truth is that I am so beyond her talents... it's like I tell her - it's all in the wrists...
And Alexa didn't win at the ghetto drumming game. The thing was so dated it was really funny... you couldn't understand the rules to begin with :)
She drew a crowd around her regardless...
I made Anna sign up for the trampoline ride thingy.
And we all sort of held our breath...
Up she went and tried to complete a flip.
but didn't quite make it this time around ;)

Meanwhile Jennifer was practicing so she could finally beat me at something. I admire her efforts at least. It's sort of sweet in a "baby clown" sort of way.
She really loves NBA Hoops! (she hit an all time high score).
This was pretty much the only gambling we did. I wanted to play Craps so bad - it's my favorite thing now. But we didn't have time to screw around and lose all my money. I think we put in $5 at the slots and that was it. I didn't even get a bloody mary (for some reason Vegas=Bloody Marys for me, don't ask why).
We really tried with those $5!


It didn't work the way we would have liked... :(
Alexa and Anna were good about keeping my windshield clean. The car was so freaking dirty on the outside. I never wash it... and I don't think I can get away with that anymore :)

We found some really scary candies at a gas station on the way down from I-5. This one is a cinnamon lollipop - except...
It has a cricket in it. They also had some with scorpions, worms, and god knows what. Chocolate covered crickets seemed the most popular...
Anna and Jennifer giving me that ever present disapproving look. But they secretly cherish me... I can just feel it... :)
I was minding my own business and they looked too chummy here...
So I attacked.
And we went a little wild.
No better feeling than beer in the pants if you ask me...
The best part about Brainwash was their Nachos!
Jennifer has a real penchant for fatty foods... she just let's herself go on tour - it's amazing to watch ;)
Anna got a bit carried away with 'em too.
We picked up some hot dogs after the show too on the street - my first time eating something like that... and it was way too GOOD :)
We played a place called the Bistro in Hayward, CA. And it was an awesome show! Really loved the space and the energy of that place. We all had a little too much fun up there, even to the point where the girls got me up there to start improvising a bit and make up some songs :) The girls all killed it!

Someone did a drawing of us all during the show - which we were all amazed with.
We found me, Anna, and Jennifer pretty easily - so we decided that the naked goddess butterfly woman was Alexa :)
on the long drive home...

Anna was really into her paper :)
And we finally got Jennifer to drive! :) It's a little nerve wracking with the trailer and all now - I almost got us stuck in a parking lot at Dennys (Sacramento). Backing up with that thing is a nightmare. Alexa used to drive with a horse trailer, so she got us out of my mess...

Farmer's Market and Rudy Guiliani on Skid Row

www.sachasacket.com

Went to the old Farmer's Market next to The Grove (in Los Angeles) this past Sunday. It was a great day. Full of sun and idleness. I've gone a few times the past month - really something wonderful. It's been maintained since the 50's and still captures the warm communal atmosphere you feel that decade should have offered. This is me in front of my favorite Crepes place. Deeelish...

My pictures don't do the place justice - if you live in LA and haven't been, seriously check it out. Much better than walking down Hollywood or Sunset in my opinion. If you want historic Hollywood, I really think you find it there (and downtown). Sunset and Hollywood are tourist traps - make the city feel farcical, plastic, and tawdry. The farmer's market gives a truer glimpse into what old Hollywood felt like in it's glory days. I can't help but feel that James Dean hung out there regularly.


Had a strange incident today. Ended up chatting with a homeless guy this morning - not the stereotypical image that often gets conjured up when you say "homeless." There are a lot of people that do a fantastic job of assimilating into society fluidly, so they don't get harassed by cops, etc. I sometimes don't know how much truth I am getting when I get their life story - but I felt there was quite a lot in his.

Regardless, I have been really interested in what is going on behind the scenes on skid row lately. I live a few blocks away from it. When I first moved in, 5th street was seriously packed with people. You could barely drive down the road at times - there were so many people on the streets... A lot of crack addicts of course. The place was dramatic and heart wrenching as hell. You would literally watch prostitutes dragging 2 year olds by the arm and heroin addicts (with heaven in their eyes) drooling in rat infested gutters. Driving down skid row around 2 am is something that changes you. You start to understand how bad the situation really can get. How much harder life actually IS.
How people can simply be swept away.

ANYWAY. The THING is... skid row is a ghost town now. The police have really cracked down on the area because of all the new lofts and construction projects. A lot of money is moving in - and with it - a new exodus must take place. What is striking is that when I drive down 5th now - it is barren. And you begin to wonder where everyone is being put... things don't add up. Shady business, if you know what I mean.

Well - this guy I talked to today told stories of police brutality. How they are forcing everyone south into Compton and further. How they have arrested thousands upon thousands of people. How twenty plus police cars block off whole streets at night and raid. Violate the 4th amendment. Break into tents, pillage belongings, beat up, intimidate... further destroy people's already destroyed lives. The whole bit.
And I completely believe all of it.

He said the mayor hired the same guy involved in the clean up of NY under Rudy Guiliani in the 80s. Which makes a lot of sense. Need to fact check that...

These stories will most likely never see the light of day. Most people in Los Angeles have no idea skid row is in their city to begin with. And all this amazes me.


www.sachasacket.com

edmund

Ran across a great band... argh! this song is killing me at the moment for some reason.
pop magnificence and beautifully optimistic. Just what I need at the moment. love the random arrangements of things. it has a fun feel to it
Please go check them out and bookmark/buy their stuff. They can use it and deserve attention!

edmund

check out "the search is over" - 1st song on their myspace page.
and buy their stuff here


also check out this band-
Black Lab
their song - Mine Again

Santa Barbara, toilets, and trespassing city sidewalks

We took this picture backstage last night in Santa Barbara. Soho has a great sound guy, so it was a pleasure to play. People were dancing to some of our songs which was cool and fun to see - although I don't know how they did it to "Brandon." We were all a bit surprised at that... Met some really talented folks last night too - if you get a chance, check out - Simon Lynge and Chris Ayer. We hope to play more shows with them in the future. Always nice to see fantastically gifted folks being so generous in person as well. We shared a show with Chris just a few weeks ago in San Diego - played a yoga studio. Twiggs (the venue) had to shut down because the residents filed complaints against them - so we ended up playing to people lying out on yoga mats. It was seriously random, but the sound was good there too - and that's all that matters :)

This picture was taken before the Awakenings show in Lomita- they have a romper room right next door to the stage - so Anna and I decided to have a little fun of our own. Here she is inside a blowfish.

Life can offer the most random things at times. We were walking down Santa Barbara main drag on State street and passed this statue. It's a kid on a toilet with a biday squirter in his hands. It looks more like a game controller really - and why a kid would have a biday nozzle on a toilet is beyond me. It was so weird that I sorta wish I bought it.

I was walking through downtown LA a bit ago and ran across this on the sidewalk. "Right to Pass by Permission, and subject to control of owners." It was placed every 15 feet or so on the sidewalk. Really struck me as insane. Felt Orwellian for some reason...