The internet makes the world very small

RRR Breakfaster's coverage of Sorry Day in Australia was incredibly moving. The Aborigine activist Kura (?) Cooper they spoke to in Canberra was so excited about the meaning of the day. She spoke of Aunties there hoping to reunite with their stolen siblings from a lifetime ago, and the thought made me cry.

I reckon the momentous nature of the occasion coupled with the positive change that seems to be afoot here in the U.S., with people having dialogue about the election without rancor, gives me heaps of humandkind hope for the first time in years. I could laugh at the radio when I heard Bush this morning. That' s not happened before.

I dropped DJ Fee B-Squared a note to thank her for the interview with Ms Cooper. In her note back, she mentioned that she'd JUST gotten the Phoenix Foundation's Happy Ending and thought of me. I missed it, but she did a shout out and played "Bright Grey."

The internet for me serves as a blender of good will connections and makes the world a less daunting place.

Sally Field moment

Matty and I apparently got listed in the shout outs in the liner notes to the Phoenix Foundation's New Zealand release of Happy Ending. All I could think was, "bloody hell" and be really touched. Our copy still hasn't arrived in the mail. The transpacific postal faeries must be held up in Customs and Immigration.

In other news, we had the largest poker pot last night. Zach won $34.60 (most of it his) on an epic round of Between the Sheets/Acey Deucey. Karen dealt. This beats the $11.40 Matty won in Two Card Dropsies (guts) hands down.

Working on a medical "to do" list. This morning, zipped into the old (circa 1950-1960s) Northern Inyo Hospital for an EKG and Chest X-Ray. This afternoon, got the boy and myself flu shots. Wyatt was lovely and gave the nurse a heartfelt "thank you," even though he wasn't too pleased about the jab.

I have a date with some stirrups Wednesday, full bloodwork Thursday, pre-operative physical therapy assessment Saturday, pre-op consult the following Monday, pre-op clearance Thursday, and a type and cross blooddraw Saturday.

I am grateful that I have time to prepare and that this surgery isn't the result of some nasty accident on the highway. It will be a clean cut, Sir. No mushy bag of shards and hamburger for me this time.

Phoenix Foundation in GR with a mention of Bishop, to boot!

Yes, the Bishop reference might have been a pisstake at us and the band, but the proof was in the pudding. Recently, folks have been asking when the next gig might be.

The band's third CD, Happy Ending, is out in NZ now! It is faneffingtastic and you can get yours here.

(Click on the pages to enlarge.)

From the Department of Shameless Self-Promotion

Michelle has taught me heaps about PR. Okay, the Inyo Register is not quite the New York Times. We nevertheless created the press release so that things could go smoothly the next time, if there's a next time. I really want to work on the venues in Mammoth and Tahoe. Despite the mighty unfortunate caption, the gist is there.

Horsepower is out now!

The new and improved Horsepower on Young American is out now!
It's got a new version of "Blue Summer," which features prominently in Taika Waititi's highly acclaimed "Eagle vs. Shark," "The Drinker," and the video for "Going Fishing."

You can buy it here.

Wow, I guess it was a fantasy come true

A year to the week after I started scheming about bringing the Phoenix Foundation to Bishop, it came true - and beautifully to boot!

The band came, they saw, they conquered.

We got the extendo disco remix 2 hour long set, the dancing fools in wigs and boas, the heartfelt "It's a Lie!" singalong, the "give me a C-A-R-N-I-T-A-S!" spellout, the high quality New Zealand style meatpies, the mixed age turnout, the Paiute (the American Indians who settled the area) turnout (THANK YOU FOR COMING. THIS WAS A HIGHLIGHT FOR ME), the cancer fighter turnout (my conga line partner, a crazy hero of mine), the baying for "MORE!", the rare "This Charming Van," "The Drinker," the fabulous new "Bright Grey" AND "Purple Rain" encore....In short, we got everything.

You have never met a kinder, lovelier band of men who could sing and rock. Everyone, men included, flirted with Conga playing Will, and everyone, even grizzled old desert rats, now hold court and tell anyone who'll listen what a great band the Phoenix Foundation are.

I've seen this time and time again. The band start playing to a room of strangers and end the night being feted like good mates done bloody effing fantastically good. I know that's how I joined "the army."

Nearly 150 Owens Valleyites showed their generous, beautifully tan, fit, and manic natures and the band responded by giving us a party like we haven't seen in a while.

We're predicting that couples who were at the show went home and got it on casually.

Bless.

Staying focused

I suppose I have always wanted to bring a band like the Phoenix Foundation through here because this town is not only marked by its striking beauty, but by its resource of really awesome folks.

Derik, whom I didn't know two weeks ago, has supplied 75 percent of the backline gear (3 amps, keyboard amp, keyboard stands, guitar stands and now drums and lighting). Milo and Chris are opening even though what I am able to offer them keeps dwindling. Dan, another gentleman I don't know, is bringing a mural up from over an hour away (and gas prices are over $3.50 a gallon), so that we can use it in the show. People have bent over backward to help so far, and I will never really be able to pay all of them back. I have ridden the core group of friends very hard.

They ask brilliant questions, they keep offering to do more, and they keep me focused.

Sam from the Phoenix Foundation said that this stop was their "wild card," and noted that the band were really up for it. Even in my moments of insecurity and nervousness, I know that it's going to be a wonderful match. Bishop deserves a hardworking, endlessly talented, and endearing band like the Phoenix Foundation and they deserve an attentive, appreciative, and unpretentious audience like us.

Beers all around. My shout. The keg of Allaghash White arrives tomorrow!

Bloody Hell, all that courting worked

Phoenix Foundation Makes American Debut
2007-05-17 12:53:57.533,
Story by: Taylor Mason

New Zealand group the Phoenix Foundation are preparing to make their mark in the States, as they release their debut album, Horsepower (Young American Recordings), June 5, in addition to embarking on their first North American tour. The band will also premiere their work on Miramax Films' Eagle VS Shark, a film for which the band contributed six songs, including three score pieces. The Phoenix Foundation launch their stateside dates, which will feature Eagle VS Shark screenings, May 30 in Bishop, California.

Tour Dates For The Phoenix Foundation:
05/30 - Bishop, CA - The Masonic Temple
06/01 - Seattle, WA - The Seattle Film Festival
06/02 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile*
06/03 - San Francisco, CA - Amoeba Records
06/04 - Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland
06/06 - Santa Barbara, CA - Velvet Jones
06/07 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge**
06/08 - Brooklyn, NY - Union Hall**
06/09 - Boston, MA - Great Scott**
06/12 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe
* with Voxtrot
** with the Veils

www.thephoenixfoundation.co.nz

from CMJ News 5/17/07


This thing has been logistically even more interesting than trying to entertain 200 people in a sheep pasture (that would have been our wedding back in 1999). People are coming out of the woodwork to help and by golly, do I owe some folks.

I have to be the luckiest woman alive to be married to Matty. He has been awesome and supportive and just just so - calm.

A HUGE shout out to the Phoenix Foundation, their manager Matt McLeod, and their engineer Brett Stanton. They are giving us our chance to pull this thing off and hopefully put little ol' Bishop on the tour circuit.