Going to be in San Francisco for the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival from Oct 2-4 (Okkervil River! Old 97's! Elvis Perkins! Doc Watson! Old Crow Medicine Show!) and then in L.A. from Oct 5-7 for the Adobe Max conference. If anyone out yonder is around for California adventuring, let me know.

Please see The Avett Brothers live show if you get a chance. Please. You will come away with your spirits raised, your body sweaty from dancing and a better, more humble, view about life.

Third time for me. Always different. Always altering.

And Northampton was actually into the show. Did the Calvin sell out, I wonder?

Sigh.

Enjoy the holidays!

Fall Photos from the Atkins Reservoir:

http://flickr.com/photos/asterdesigns/sets/72157608012623999/

4:15 PM
me: Maybe
It's cool.
If it's supposed to happen it will, eh?

4:21 PM
Matthew: you gotta leave it up to Zapfchancery

4:22 PM
me: LOLOLOL

Dear Charlie from It's Always Sunny,

I love you.

Sincerely, Heather

Autumn. She's got her grip on my street and she's not letting go.




I live near Nonotuck Pond. There is usually a large flag suspended over it. Today there was fog about.




A few more:

http://flickr.com/photos/asterdesigns/

It's fall!

Lots of Hadley, MA pics:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/asterdesigns/sets/72157607478176962/

The Felice Brothers bring their backporch sittin', murder ballad moaning, whiskey-drinking sound to the Iron Horse... please visit my review if you have time, they were phenomenal americana folk trash rock and a great, great show:

http://blog.masslive.com/hiddentrack/2008/09/the_felice_brothers_play_the_i.html

View sometimes when I look under my desk at work:




View sometimes when I step out of the office door at work. Flowers and forest eveywhere:

I've discovered how much I love demolition derbies. Smash! Crash! Cheer! Boo! A few sparks, smoke, some fire and of course a score of badly painted cars. Awesome. It was a given that I loved corndogs. The derby love was a bonus. Hadn't been to the Three County Fair in years and years. It was entertaining. The people watching was intense. The fairground need a little boost, certainly, but it didn't deter from the smash! of the derby or the crispy goodness of the corndog. Ah. Fair season. So good. Plus, I went to IKEA this weekend. Perfect labor day(s), really.






Click here for the rest of photos on my flickr account. Filled with characters, colorful bits and smashed up cars. Until I redo my website I'm going to be lazy and post stuff there.

Going to the Sox game at Fenway today with a group of friends - a sort of College Highway circa 2005 reunion of sorts, I guess. Last night, I secretly was wishing that the best scenario ever would be if Lester was pitching. He's really the only one I was jonesin' to see. It would've been perfect. Well, howdya like that? He is! Stoked. Counting down the minutes at work until I leave at noon to go meet up at Jed and Aliza's pad and head into the city a bit earlier. They pulled out a win in a hugescoring game against Texas last night. Standing room only tix for today, but whatevs.

Sneakily scored an advance copy of the new Okkervil. Color me excited. I actually couldn't sleep two nights ago because I was that brimming over with glee. Really, though. I was initially a bit blase (I mean, I did love it, as Will Sheff could recite the alphabet and I am so biased I would think it's great, probably) but am growing to love it more since it's all I've listened to in the past two days, of course. They start off with heavy Americana twang, go to a quieter, rambling storytale, then throw in a jab at pop music herd mentality, then toss in keyboards and trumpet for some 70s fun. Some of it will be great, I think, but it lacks a little of the intensity I was looking for, I guess is the best way to put it.

Right, then.

The New Pornographers and Grizzly Bear were phenomenal at the Calvin on Thursday. I had lapsed from show-going and it's nights like these that remind me why I need the energy of live shows. Good and bad, it's an adventure.

Photos and review:

http://blog.masslive.com/hiddentrack/2008/08/the_new_pornographers_and_griz.html

Better late than never, I suppose. Got some energetic photos at a ska show at Pearl Street a few months ago. They're of a band I used to see a zillion years ago - back when I wasn't too old to attempt skanking and some gents still wore porkpie hats to shows. Story and rest of live photos (it was a fun time) here:

http://blog.masslive.com/hiddentrack/2008/08/scenes_from_a_big_d_and_the_ki.html

Bright Eyes gives his views on religion, I think it's a little bit of a copout, I expected more of a rant. Is he *gasp* mellowing a bit?


http://blog.masslive.com/hiddentrack/2008/07/singer_conor_oberst_opens_up_a.html

Shows I am going to in the next few months around here.
Very excited to photograph them. Anyone want to go with me for any of them?

October 8th most pleases me. Obvs.


Calvin

THU AUG 7th 8pm The New Pornographers, Grizzly Bear
THU SEP 18th 8pm Built To Spill, Meat Puppets
FRI OCT 24th 8pm They Might Be Giants - Ages 14 and up only.


Pearl Street

SUN AUG 10th 8:30pm The Melvins, Big Business
FRI SEP 12th 9pm Bang Camaro
WED SEP 17th 8:30pm Stars, Bell X1
FRI OCT 3rd 9pm Pinback
WED OCT 8th 8:30pm Okkervil River, Crooked Fingers, What Cheer? Brigade

Iron Horse

FRI SEP 5th 10pm The Felice Brothers



....

In other news.

- So I can repeat this again, ad nauseum... work is fantastic. Almost all of it. Had a great review today.

- ProjRun is back on. I think I have a few favorites for this season brewin' in my head. Why was Natalie Portman a judge, though? Question mark?

- September 21st is the official day of my first 5K. I have much training to do to get to my goal: not to walk at all. I am on week 4 of the C25K.com program. It's about to get a lot tougher but I love the stepped training.

- Martha's Vineyard is truly one of the loveliest places I've ever been to. I will be back soon, I know it. It's just cracklin' with this magical pull that hooked the 9 of us that stayed the week. Had many an adventure that week: sharing a moment that was incredibly special, a strange pub crawl filled with tequila and 90s rap music, a gingerbread house community and a wild 4th of July parade, people leaping off the bridge seen in the movie Jaws, the most gorgeous outdoor porch attached to the huge house we stayed in, seeing Luke Wilson, purchasing Black Dog merch that I got suckered into, great food eaten out and amazing food eaten in, cooking pizza on the grill, sea kayaking on the open water (and my resulting messed up wrist tendon that required medical care... tho I'd kayak again in a second)... it was all wonderous.

- Been bustin' it on freelance design work. Almost have more than I can handle.

- My beloved camera broke about 3 days into vacation. It's a long story. Good news is that my new camera is on its way. Stoked.

Photos soon. But I'm lazy right now. I'm in a strange place in life right now. I am pretty ok with most things, really.