May 2008 - Posts

• Seattle and Sasquatch

  The view you have watching bands on the main stage at Sasquatch is breath-taking.  The view from the stage we played on was great in it's own way...just not the Grand Canyon-esque backdrop on the other stage.  We had an amazing time though.  And, at Sonic Boom in Seattle, people packed in and we felt very welcome (and hot as hell).  I want to thank all the people, especially all the parents and kids, for coming.  It literally was a stroller fest just outside the store and it made me want to move to Seattle and befriend all the cool parents.  And now...I have found out that Vic Firth makes ear protection for kids.  You no longer have to go to firing ranges to get headphones for your toddler in order to take him or her to rock concerts (thanks 4 year old in the front row) We also played a take-away show after the festival.  This crew does incredible work-check out some past performances.  They film bands live in strange locations with minimal hassle and equipment.  We shot in a stairwell with a small keyboard, a drum and the strings.  Then we shot one song while walking and one in a random hippie record store.  The video will be up as soon as they edit the other 30 bands they have recently filmed.      The crowd at Sasquatch-happy bunch.    Favorite Pho place in Seattle, right before in-store performance.   Take away shoot.       Anton and Lewis in the unsuspecting crowd for an unannounced Judgement Day set.   Whew, so much going on..Magnolia has her end of the year preschool celebration this week too and I think we (Magnolia and I) are playing some songs at it. Hmm.  Should be interesting since she has decided that she's playing the xylophone (which somehow is the loudest instrument in the world when she plays it) Jason wont be able to accompany us-he's instead driving the equipment and the van all the way to Kansas.  We'll be there to join him for the Wakarusa Festival the day after that.     + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 31 2008, 11:53 PM by korkor with 5 comment(s)

• The Tour Cycle Begins

  We finally have wireless! (Otherwise I'd be posting more often)  We've been literally flying to every show, without much rest in between.  Magnolia is staying (having a vacation) with Gramma and June is sailing through her first tour. Although, she didn't really sleep last night, or today at the show. So far we've done some radio, some TV, some record store performances and our favorite-a couple of real shows.    (Music Millenium in Portland)  We're in the Northwest right now. And, here's my conclusion to visiting this oasis in America:  East Coast, wake up!  Everybody is so much more environmentally aware and active here.  You forget that when you live away from the west coast.  There were kids outside of our hotel in Portland yelling "Green carwash!" The flushers in the airport have the up flush for liquid waste and the down flush for solid waste.  And, there's the friendly reminders everywhere to clean up your trash (see above pic).  Oh, and also, let's talk about how it's more kid friendly here...at the Oakland airport, there are family lines for security and check in.  Yep, jump to the front if you have children. As soon as they see the stroller, they pull you out of the long line and move you right to the front.  It poured on us and our equipment right before we played in Bend, Oregon but then cleared up for the rest of the show.   We watched the Decemberists and Death Cab play amazing sets while we hung on the side with June.    I've been communicating with Magnolia through picture texting.  We try to one up each other with how much fun we're each having (she's clearly eating better than me...since I had a donut and candy for breakfast)  I miss her but we'll be home soon to pick her up (and tour with both kids for the first time) Now we're off to Sasquatch  + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 26 2008, 02:57 AM by korkor with 9 comment(s)

• Conan O'Brien and Gymnastics Recitals

  New record, out today.  Watch Conan tonight. We spent all day at NBC studios.  June came with us today and Mags got to hang with one of her favorite people, Meredith, who will be accompanying us all summer to spoil Magnolia rotten as she always does (in a good way) This week has been crazy busy with gymnastics performances, new "star" behavior charts, packing for 4 (a 3 day long process), our record release and three days in a row of driving into NY for shows including NPR (tomorrow morning), Conan (today) and other various album release stuff.  Although chaotic, it has been fun.  Only I wish June would start sleeping!!  She is the only person I know that can go all night with little sleep and still be all smiles all day.        I just got June to sleep (for an hour or so I'm guessing).  I have to go crawl in bed with Mags now because I promised her I'd say goodnight even though she's already sleeping.  I'm kind of happy to do so since I haven't seen her all day.  And, since we'll be gone for a little over a week starting tomorrow night. Conan was nice.  He does wear a lot of make-up for tv.  More on our day at the show soon.    + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 18 2008, 09:25 PM by korkor with 12 comment(s)

• Magnolia thinks she's in the band

  We let Mags practice with us. It didn't hurt anyone, anything..she just played shaker and xylophone and sang while we ran through a few songs.  Only then she got really showy or curious rather, and wanted to play the keyboards on what kept being "one more song" until we we weren't really getting much done as a band. It wouldn't have been so necessary to pry her away if it weren't for the fact that we were practicing with the new players touring with us, Anton and Lewis, who have an amazing string metal band, and Linnea who will be on tour for the first couple shows. I'm not so sure they want to double the length of practice so Magnolia stays happy. (Although they are all pretty cool about the kid thing) If it were up to me, she could hang out with us playing music all day.  Anyway, Magnolia finished tantruming after I brought her upstairs. And my mom stuffed some spaghetti in her mouth (because really the root of her emotion was her hunger-not the fact that she couldn't keep playing songs with us)  Then our new little almost band member cheered up.  However, we realized that shows and sound check are gonna be rough trying to explain how she's not really in the band without actually telling her she's not in the band, if that makes any sense.  I mean, I want to leave the door open for her as a future band member but we're not quite there yet. And, sound checks are already long enough. We have a full house of people as the players are staying with us.  And, our friend Torkel, who is riding his bike across the country, injured himself and had to come back to rest for a few days.  Soon, the house will be empty and we will be traveling the country as well. I'm already feeling guilty knowing I'm leaving Magnolia for 9 whole days this time.  And, lately we've been so busy I feel like I haven't been able to spend enough time with her.  Oh, the guilt that comes with parenting...it's so hard to ignore it.   Tomorrow on the agenda: Special alone time with Mom and Mags.  + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 17 2008, 11:58 PM by korkor with 8 comment(s)

• Listen

  . RIght now both kids are fast asleep, and I should be sleeping too.   We're practicing and getting everything ready for the record release and tour. In fact, if you want to hear the new record it's being streamed on myspace for a couple of days.  Magnolia found out we'll be doing a segment on Yo Gabba Gabba (a srange and awesome children's TV show) next week and she asked Jason, "Could I sing it with you guys one time?" Almost broke me heart that she won't be with us on this leg of tour.  It'd be a perfect thing for her to be involved in...but, there will be more I'm sure.  And, she'll get to finish off her last week of preschool instead. My mom will be watching her for our first 9 days of tour.  She has been babysitting all week while we practice with the new players.    Today, they found a carpet of flowers.  Magnolia has been teaching me plant names after spending so much time with gramma lately.  My mom rules.   But, enough shameless promotion and late night typings about my girls and my mom.  I'm seriously tired.  I'm at that midnight parental moment where you start freaking out about vaccines (four month appointment on Friday) and feeling guilty about leaving your children with babysitters for too long.  (Grammas are way more than just babysitters though.)  Goodnight. Or, good morning.  + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 14 2008, 12:01 AM by korkor with 8 comment(s)

• Happy Mothers Day

  A fellow mom friend of mine and I once agreed that there are 3 things that are always funny: 1. Embarrassing moments 2. Farts (Sorry, totally immature, but the list was made 6 years ago so I've really grown up since then, I'm 99% sure of it) 3.  Monkeys (She came up with that one and I agree-have you ever observed orangutans at a zoo?) However, the list was created before we had kids so now, I'm officially adding "laughing babies" to the list.  Yesterday, I heard June laughing hysterically like I have never heard her laugh before.  I went into her room and found Magnolia boucing her so hard in her bouncy seat that her head was an inch from hitting the ground.  When I gasped in horror, Magnolia pointed out that "She likes it!" And, judging by the laughter, she was right.  And all three of us got a good giggle out of the ordeal.  Happy Mothers Day and here's to many more belly laughs. + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 11 2008, 09:00 AM by korkor with 2 comment(s)

• Simultaneous Singing and Pumping

  We made a music video in Brooklyn this weekend and we had the baby with us.     She was really amazing;  she didn't take any real naps but didn't complain either. The only obstacle that we faced was how to feed her once I was trapped in a plexiglass cubicle.     We loved the idea of having us both playing in these enclosed boxes while balls filled up around us. Only, once we were in them, we couldn't get out for hours. Breastpump to the rescue! I literally looked like an art installation on modern day maternity.  I had to stop the shoot and have my pump handed to me through the roof of the box.  Then, I sat in there pumping away until I had a whole bottle of milk to pass back over the box so my sister could give it to June.    I think I introduced a bunch of guys/indie-filmakers to the art of human breast milk expressing. And, I'm pretty sure that has never happened while filming a music video before. (Also, the shoot was filmed at space occupied by a great team of fashion creators who call themselves The Love Brigade.  We got to wear their stylings. They might have seen my breasts 10 times that day and they didn't even flinch. )   + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 06 2008, 08:43 AM by korkor with 11 comment(s)

• Old Tour Videos

  As we gear up for another cycle, this time with two kids instead of one, I'm finally uploading all the old videos. There are some from almost 2 years ago on tour with Magnolia. Watching all of these, for me, is a reminder that touring can be boring unless you have your child along to video.  And, it also reminds me that pretty soon our lives will be consumed with snipets simlar to these: Touring with band and child 06, memories...   On a long drive to Coachella our sound guy pulled out a Rapmaster, a fine 80's rap-along machine, and gave it to Magnolia when we had all reached our limit of ideas to occupy a toddler.       Mags, whom I do not deprive of dolls, discovers a new "baby" otherwise known as a sweet potato doggie named Ryan. She slept with it for a few days.  It does kind of look like a baby-of a manitee maybe.        Our daughter had a buddy when we toured with Starlight Mints and  "How to Tour with Kids"  was created (and so were a few hundred nonsense songs).         'm really looking forward to the most in this upcomming year of touring...soundchecks.  + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 02 2008, 09:30 AM by korkor with 4 comment(s)