A WHOLE LOTTA SLATE DUST IS CHOKING OUR RIVERS AND STREAMS
That's alright. My only resolution this year is to be less sardonic, insulting, etc. That's it.
You should check out:
'Precious Lines' by A.M. O'Grady. Ms. O'Grady supported the Posies Irish tour dates last summer; I play keyboards, guitar, and sing many harmonies on this album. So? So, the songs are beautiful...the production is incredibly inviting, and it's a wonderful record. Go to www.amogrady.com and get one.
'The Marconi Sessions 2005'. A compilation of 5 tracks performed live on Studio Brussel, a great national radio in Belgium. The Posies perform 'That Don't Fly', part of the live concert we performed at the station last November that was subsequently broadcast. A variety of European artists also contribute tracks. Only available in Belgium, tho, so you'll have to hunt it down!
VADUZ, 12/31/05
I will fully admit that you had to be there, and you weren't. I know who was, and you weren't them. Except for you, you, you, you, and you. I had, honestly, the most enjoyable New Year's Eve out that I can remember having in a long, long time. I spent the last one in, and that was wonderful, with my family. I spent 2002-3 mostly in, in by 11.30. That was a weird one. 2003-2004 I was out in Paris and it was fun until I painted Dom's friends, an elevator and a significant part of the 20th Arrondissement a delightful shade of barf. Anyway...this was a great night with friends, strangers, music, champagne and wine (but not too much), food, and an ominous castle up above my head.
Liechtenstein, you can read about the history on the country's website which I believe is liechtenstein.li, google it, anyway you'll find it. There was a noble (meaning they owned land, and I believe, at one point, quite a bit of it) family, and eventually thru favors and falling out of favors, wars, and the extinction of branches of the tree, they end up as a very wealthy family that owns, among other things, a country, and a castle to boot. The country of Liechtenstein is basically a pretty big mountain, very steep, in the shape of a skinny shark's tooth, an arrowhead pointing north. People live along the sides, and somewhere way up over the edge of the mountain I saw, from the west, there is a plateau with a river and there's some tiny mountain villages and ski resorts and what not. Then, Austria. Switzerland, of course, on the other side. Vaduz is on the Swiss (Western) side. In fact, what forms the border that I crossed is no less than the Rhine itself...The country has maybe 30,000 or so people. I don't think Vaduz could have more than 5 or 10 thousand. I'd have to almanac that to be sure tho. I played at a smart little bar and restaurant called B'eat. Tiny stage...many friends and fans coming from Germany, Spain, France, Mexico...and there were some locals too. Of course, Our Manager Who Art in Grabs, Marc Bernegger, and his family are from nearby (his dad, in fact, now resides in Liechtenstein) and Marc put this show together.
Was it my most intense, professional show? Hell, no! It was New Year's Eve! I played lots of covers, and people talked at full volume and shot confetti in my hair. It was great! I didn't drink too much, I woke up the next feeling pretty good, and that helps when you have and hour and half worth of trains and an hour flight (and a 20 minute cabride) home the next day.
Ok...I am already looking for another tiny nation to host me for Dec. 31, 2006...Malta? Mauritius? Monaco? I'll be there!
Love
KS
Paris
