Here is an interview Pat did with his friend Steven this spring, when we stayed with him and his wife Suzy in San Francisco. They were very gracious hosts and super enthusiastic, dancing concert attenders.
This is in honor of them coming to visit NYC this weekend!
Steven's "proffy bio"--
Steven C. Aldridge has finished course requirements on a PhD in Visual Studies from UC-Irvine. He earned a Masters in Film & Media from the U of Amsterdam late, last millennium with a thesis on aural-art/cinema.
Pretty great late-night conversation about music, powers, the condition, and life.
The concept of "and/also" or "<>" gets mentioned.
<> being an alternative to "either/or".
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
recipe for a video shoot
We went to Washington, CT this past weekend to shoot a video for our song "Easy Answers". Jacqueline made a miracle on a shoe string with the help of her very patient and helpful friends Toby and Brian.
Fog machine! Forest! Fire! Bling!
You will see, it is going to be AHHMAZINGG!
Toby's parents graciously put up 5 house guests tracking mud everywhere, using up the well water, and falling asleep to SNL.
We felt like the best way to thank everyone was to keep them well fed. So we made a lot of food, and somehow pulled off feeding 6-10 people for 7 meals with help from supplemental pantry items from Toby's house.
These Are Catering!
Thursday Night
Chick pea and veggie curry
Organic brown rice
Black bean and red cabbage salad
Grilled zucchini
Salad w/Toby's dad's homemade white vinegar dijon dressing
Beer
Strawberries
Friday
Made to order organic eggs
Leftovers
Whole grain bread
Big pot of Sumatra coffee
Leftovers
Dried apricots
Trail mix
Hummus with carrots and celery
Pumpkin seeds
Strawberries
Clementines
Beer
Toby's parents made pizza and homemade burgers
Grilled teriyaki ginger and cranberry chicken sausages
Leftovers
Saturday
Scrambled eggs
Coffee
Leftovers
Antipesto with salami, tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella
Assorted olives
Sliced baguette
Spinach salad with kidney beans
Strawberries
Beer
Wine
Turkey chili with kidney beans and corn
Brown rice
Leftovers
Sunday
Pancakes
Eggs
juice and coffee
<>
Pat's famous chick pea and veggie curry (vegan)
(serves 3-4)
A crowd pleaser the world over!
1 lg yellow onion (diced)
2 fingers fresh ginger (use the peeled and grated pulp and squeeze to release juice)
1 can diced tomatoes (or tomato puree)
1 lg sweet potato (peeled and cut into half moons)
3 lg carrots (coins)
1-2 lg cans garbanzo beans (rinsed)
sliced mushrooms (1/2 carton)
curry powder
paprika
olive oil
Saute onions, mushrooms and ginger in olive oil for about two minutes on medium heat, until onions are mostly translucent. Wok or large cast iron skillet is good. Add about two tablespoons curry powder and 1 teaspoon paprika. Add tomatoes. Cook 3-4 minutes. Steam carrots, sweet potatoes, and garbanzos then add to rest. Simmer 20-30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with cooked rice.
<>
Anna's rawwwr black bean and red cabbage salad (vegan)
(adjust to number of people, it keeps well and can last a few days)
1 sm head of red cabbage shredded
2 lg cans black beans
2 zucchini (cut as you like)
apple cider vinegar
lemon or lime
salt, pepper and chili powder
cilantro (optional)
olive oil
Toast chili powder in a cast iron skillet. Saute black beans with just enough olive oil to coat for a few minutes, then cool. Toss red cabbage with few capfuls of apple cider vinegar and few splashes of olive oil and lemon to taste. Add zucchini and cilantro, then beans. Salt and pepper. Chill in fridge or serve room temperature.
Fog machine! Forest! Fire! Bling!
You will see, it is going to be AHHMAZINGG!
Toby's parents graciously put up 5 house guests tracking mud everywhere, using up the well water, and falling asleep to SNL.
We felt like the best way to thank everyone was to keep them well fed. So we made a lot of food, and somehow pulled off feeding 6-10 people for 7 meals with help from supplemental pantry items from Toby's house.
These Are Catering!
Thursday Night
Chick pea and veggie curry
Organic brown rice
Black bean and red cabbage salad
Grilled zucchini
Salad w/Toby's dad's homemade white vinegar dijon dressing
Beer
Strawberries
Friday
Made to order organic eggs
Leftovers
Whole grain bread
Big pot of Sumatra coffee
Leftovers
Dried apricots
Trail mix
Hummus with carrots and celery
Pumpkin seeds
Strawberries
Clementines
Beer
Toby's parents made pizza and homemade burgers
Grilled teriyaki ginger and cranberry chicken sausages
Leftovers
Saturday
Scrambled eggs
Coffee
Leftovers
Antipesto with salami, tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella
Assorted olives
Sliced baguette
Spinach salad with kidney beans
Strawberries
Beer
Wine
Turkey chili with kidney beans and corn
Brown rice
Leftovers
Sunday
Pancakes
Eggs
juice and coffee
<>
Pat's famous chick pea and veggie curry (vegan)
(serves 3-4)
A crowd pleaser the world over!
1 lg yellow onion (diced)
2 fingers fresh ginger (use the peeled and grated pulp and squeeze to release juice)
1 can diced tomatoes (or tomato puree)
1 lg sweet potato (peeled and cut into half moons)
3 lg carrots (coins)
1-2 lg cans garbanzo beans (rinsed)
sliced mushrooms (1/2 carton)
curry powder
paprika
olive oil
Saute onions, mushrooms and ginger in olive oil for about two minutes on medium heat, until onions are mostly translucent. Wok or large cast iron skillet is good. Add about two tablespoons curry powder and 1 teaspoon paprika. Add tomatoes. Cook 3-4 minutes. Steam carrots, sweet potatoes, and garbanzos then add to rest. Simmer 20-30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with cooked rice.
<>
Anna's rawwwr black bean and red cabbage salad (vegan)
(adjust to number of people, it keeps well and can last a few days)
1 sm head of red cabbage shredded
2 lg cans black beans
2 zucchini (cut as you like)
apple cider vinegar
lemon or lime
salt, pepper and chili powder
cilantro (optional)
olive oil
Toast chili powder in a cast iron skillet. Saute black beans with just enough olive oil to coat for a few minutes, then cool. Toss red cabbage with few capfuls of apple cider vinegar and few splashes of olive oil and lemon to taste. Add zucchini and cilantro, then beans. Salt and pepper. Chill in fridge or serve room temperature.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Last night in Cincinnati we played an awesome art/alt space. It stands in a classic post industrial abandonded neighborhood where liquor stores and lotto tickets are seemingly the only items available for sale. The Cinci locals (kids from the University of Cincinnati and other adults) come to support the movement and get beyond the gloom and doom of recession, swine flu and whatever other fear of the moment is happening. And the cops stay away as there's practically no one in the neighborhood to patrol.
The space is called the Bunk. The art on the walls gets lit up between bands so you don't miss it. Video is projected behind the performers. People boogie between bands. There's a ton of room and a ton of energy. You can drink and smoke whatever you want inside and it's such a good time, much like the Market Hotel or Secret Project Robot in Brooklyn. There's no authority, just a troop of organizers who everyone respects and supports with their presence and cash. It's a community joint--a reaction to bar culture, suburbia, corporate oppression, racism and authority--and it's a productive party...man.
Here's their mission statement:
"In an attempt to curb all of those who loathe loving the city of Cin; we’ve started a spot to help prolong creativity, passion, and all things passable under the moniker of “ART”. So come and get crunk where its Bunk."
Radical.
One member of the hip hop duo who played before us, Evolve, took off all his clothes at the end of their set to give the audience a pep talk about quitting their job or dropping out of school if they're not happy doing either. He was all about now-being in the moment-and he meant it so much that he took off his clothes to prove it. I'm not really into dudes getting naked on stage but his inspirational words seemed to feed off his nudity so it made sense. So then we went on.
It sounded really pumpin with bass frequencies bouncing softly off the wood floor. The crowd got more and more into it with each song. By the end Anna, Bill and myself were all covered in loads of sweat and so was everyone up front. There was mega energy flowing and it reminded me how awesome traveling and playing music is. All that mattered in that room was the moment we had together. We entered a new community and it was super boss to make a room full of people feel good. And outside the vibe was pretty ghetto but inside there was a lot of joy and life. That's the transcendant power of These Are Powers.
Our host Chris, a college freshman who organized the show, brought us back to his house and we talked about Cincinnati and how it became what it is. Outside of it being the product of white flight and industrial decline, it's a pretty racist town, maybe because it was the final stop on the Underground Railroad. Recently, the KKK was planning a march downtown but the city was afraid of another race-riot like the one it experienced in 2001. So Cincinnati has some problems but it's mostly rooted in poverty and lack of education.
When I first went through downtown Cinci in the mid 90's it was super poor. It's still as poor as any neighborhood I've ever seen. But it's going to change and the Bunk is the catalyst.
It's good to see the college kids creating activity in order to make the situation in their town better. The kids who run The Bunk are the same ones who grew up in the suburbs and have seen how bleak a perfectly manicured life can be. They understand that the death of dumb America is up to them. And they also understand that art injects life into abandoned communities, especially one like downtown Cinci. Here's to them.
The space is called the Bunk. The art on the walls gets lit up between bands so you don't miss it. Video is projected behind the performers. People boogie between bands. There's a ton of room and a ton of energy. You can drink and smoke whatever you want inside and it's such a good time, much like the Market Hotel or Secret Project Robot in Brooklyn. There's no authority, just a troop of organizers who everyone respects and supports with their presence and cash. It's a community joint--a reaction to bar culture, suburbia, corporate oppression, racism and authority--and it's a productive party...man.
Here's their mission statement:
"In an attempt to curb all of those who loathe loving the city of Cin; we’ve started a spot to help prolong creativity, passion, and all things passable under the moniker of “ART”. So come and get crunk where its Bunk."
Radical.
One member of the hip hop duo who played before us, Evolve, took off all his clothes at the end of their set to give the audience a pep talk about quitting their job or dropping out of school if they're not happy doing either. He was all about now-being in the moment-and he meant it so much that he took off his clothes to prove it. I'm not really into dudes getting naked on stage but his inspirational words seemed to feed off his nudity so it made sense. So then we went on.
It sounded really pumpin with bass frequencies bouncing softly off the wood floor. The crowd got more and more into it with each song. By the end Anna, Bill and myself were all covered in loads of sweat and so was everyone up front. There was mega energy flowing and it reminded me how awesome traveling and playing music is. All that mattered in that room was the moment we had together. We entered a new community and it was super boss to make a room full of people feel good. And outside the vibe was pretty ghetto but inside there was a lot of joy and life. That's the transcendant power of These Are Powers.
Our host Chris, a college freshman who organized the show, brought us back to his house and we talked about Cincinnati and how it became what it is. Outside of it being the product of white flight and industrial decline, it's a pretty racist town, maybe because it was the final stop on the Underground Railroad. Recently, the KKK was planning a march downtown but the city was afraid of another race-riot like the one it experienced in 2001. So Cincinnati has some problems but it's mostly rooted in poverty and lack of education.
When I first went through downtown Cinci in the mid 90's it was super poor. It's still as poor as any neighborhood I've ever seen. But it's going to change and the Bunk is the catalyst.
It's good to see the college kids creating activity in order to make the situation in their town better. The kids who run The Bunk are the same ones who grew up in the suburbs and have seen how bleak a perfectly manicured life can be. They understand that the death of dumb America is up to them. And they also understand that art injects life into abandoned communities, especially one like downtown Cinci. Here's to them.
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