Piano Kat's Meow

Haiku #149 - Tortillas

2012-02-25T23:35:00.002-05:00

it's for your own good
there will be no tortillas
in the theater

I have no idea what this is about - a friend posted it to facebook. But it's just the sort of randomness called for when you're not entirely sure what day it is or what time zone you're in. I do know we're heading back to Indiana tomorrow for a show at Purdue!

Haiku #148 - Kalamazoo

2012-02-24T23:36:00.000-05:00

hello Michigan.
You look like I thought you would:
snowy and friendly.

Great audience and standing-O in Kalamazoo tonight!

Well, maybe not everything looks friendly...
Snow-covered tank next to our hotel.

Haiku #147 - Muncie, IN

2012-02-23T23:16:00.000-05:00

We couldn't see them
from the deep pit, but we could
hear them laugh and cheer

Ball State University tonight, and the pit was really low, so we couldn't see the audience (nor were they even close enough to peer in at us as if we were zoo animals, as has happened at some recent venues) - but they were a really rambunctious crowd and seemed to like the show a lot.

On to Kalamazoo in the morning!

Haiku #146 - Fat

2012-02-23T00:05:00.002-05:00

America's fat
'cause sidewalks and fresh veggies
don't turn a profit

I love my country, but a lot of it seems to be made up of highways lined with purveyors of processed food product, and not a sidewalk in sight. This makes me sad. Definitely a challenge to eat healthy while on the road!

Haiku #145 - Livin' the Dream

2012-02-20T23:48:00.001-05:00

crazy schedules and
amazing hotel showers
we're livin' the dream

Haiku #144 - Your Mom

2012-02-19T20:51:00.001-05:00

A little roommate banter for your entertainment:

"I'm cold." ... "Your mom's cold."

"Doubt it."... "Your mom's face doubts it."

"I doubt your mom's face."

Alex talking to her Dad (not your mom).

Haiku #143 - Toronto

2012-02-18T11:57:00.000-05:00

food, coffee, massage
a trip to Chinatown yields
many benefits

Alex, Kurt, Cherie and I had a terrific breakfast at Karine's yesterday. Tucked away inside a food court, it's a definite must-eat for budget travelers in Toronto: cheap, yummy, environmentally conscious. I had a roast-veg omelet, and stole some of Alex's fries with homemade ketchup. We caffeinated ourselves at Dark Horse Espresso Bar, and then unwound with hourlong reflexology foot massages at a place on Dundas in Chinatown. It was pretty amusing with the four of us and each of our masseuses in one room, chatting amiably in Mandarin and English, with Cherie acting as translator when necessary.

We're here for two more days, then on to West Virginia and beyond!

Haiku #141 - New Understudy

2012-02-16T23:31:00.000-05:00

Cherie as Sonny
made understudy run-thru
quite entertaining!

We've decided she can be an extra cover for Sonny... she'll either pretend to be a curvy Latin guy, or change the spelling and be the adopted cousin Suni from Flushing.

Haiku #141 - Valentine's Day

2012-02-15T23:02:00.000-05:00

This haiku is from Cherie:

my boyfriend did this

adorable thing where he

was non-existent

Haiku #140 - Toronto (Japanese Food)

2012-02-15T23:00:00.000-05:00

tired of the same ol'?
take your taste buds to Japan
Guu izakaya

Haiku #139 - Toronto (Snow)

2012-02-13T22:02:00.000-05:00

snow covers the ground

trudge from train to theater

shiver me Timbits!

Haiku #138 - Toronto

2012-02-13T11:08:00.000-05:00

Toronto streetcar sign. Eat your hearts out, New Yorkers!

the streetcars arrive

with breathtaking precision

at least that's the plan

Haiku #137 - Teeth Whitening

2012-02-12T19:24:00.001-05:00

Pam & me right after my teeth whitening
(the dent in my forehead is from the glasses I had to wear)

Pam whitened my teeth

I can't wait to go out and

show off my bright smile!

Alex and I went on Thursday for a complimentary teeth whitening sponsored by Altima dental to the members of our company. I was expecting it to hurt, but it didn't at all - the worst part was having to wait 24 hours to eat anything colorful! Now we're both back to our normal diets...so far teeth are still bright and shiny!

Alex staining her teeth again.

Haiku #136 - Kokopelli Goes to Toronto

2012-02-12T19:02:00.000-05:00

hotel room is lit

by civilization's glare

bright lights, big city

We're in Toronto til the 19th! My first time here, and now that I have my luggage back, I can be excited!

Haiku #135 - Luggage

2012-02-08T02:03:00.000-05:00

i wonder if my
lost suitcase is enjoying
its trip wherever

Haiku #134 - Cancelled Flight and Lost Luggage

2012-02-06T23:31:00.001-05:00

JFK: Clarkie, Kurt, and I enjoy our breakfast of (delayed) champions.
Tonight, Alex and I enjoyed Smash - advertised in the background.

flight cancellation
may lead to pre-noon drinking
at the airport bar

I realize the past couple posts may lead readers to believe I'm an alcoholic. Be that as it may; I'm comfortable enough in my lightweight-ness to be taken for the opposite.

The New York-based numbers of our company assembled at JFK just in time for our flight to Toronto... and at the last minute, we were told the flight had been canceled. No explanation. We were re-booked on a flight leaving four hours later from LaGuardia, but had to wait for confirmation that we'd all be able to get on the flight. Obviously, the thing to do was to have a breakfast cocktail in the airport bar.

Somewhere in the shuffle, one of my checked bags went missing. Hopefully it will join me in Toronto soon. Epic travel day!

Haiku #133 - Packing (Again)

2012-02-06T22:38:00.002-05:00

pack my bags again
tedious process improved
by sipping cocktails

Seth perfects his old-fashioned.

My roommate Seth makes really awesome drinks. That is all.

Haiku #132 - New York

2012-02-06T22:20:00.000-05:00

so much to do in
just five days in the city
headless chicken runs

Haiku #131 - Jazz in the Village

2012-02-03T23:41:00.000-05:00

catching up with friends
trying not to talk too loud
during bass solo

Haiku #130 - New York, NY

2012-02-02T15:11:00.000-05:00

a real New Yorker
will get out of a taxi
and sprint through traffic

Haiku #129 - Theater People

2012-02-02T00:18:00.001-05:00

theater people
still say good morning until
after matinee

Haiku #128 - Beer for Breakfast

2012-01-31T18:08:00.000-05:00

Birmingham airport
don't judge and don't be jealous:
beer for breakfast.

Haiku #127 - Montgomery, AL

2012-01-30T23:57:00.006-05:00

"are the ribs good here?"
Cherie asked. Waitress response:
ate rib, licked fingers.

Well, you can't ask for a much more honest response than that. And they were good. The service was very friendly, and surprisingly fast. Giancarlo ate with us, too, and he did very well interpreting the thick Southern drawl of the bartender. "What sides you want, baby?" Cherie and I took a short walk along the river before we had to be at the theater. Last show before a short layoff, then Toronto!

The Harriott Riverboat - Montgomery, AL

Haiku #126 - US Space and Rocket Center

2012-01-30T01:32:00.000-05:00

who'd have expected
a roller coaster on Mars?
kids of all ages!

Kurt and Cherie and I went to the US Space and Rocker Center this morning before the matinee. We rode a motion-simulator ride that we expected to be an informative and exciting exploration of Mars, which turned out to be a fact-free simulated Martian roller coaster. We looked at rockets and airplanes, and Kurt and Cherie rode the G-force simulator. We didn't have time to check it out very thoroughly, but it was fun. And it was nerdily amusing to say we were at the space museum waiting for a shuttle (even if it was just the hotel shuttle).

Haiku #125 - Huntsville, AL

2012-01-29T11:06:00.005-05:00

homes so well-preserved
can almost see folk of yore
sipping mint juleps

Haiku #124 - Conducting Heights

2012-01-27T23:58:00.003-05:00

conducting a tour
one can't be afraid of heights
altitude or show

Kurt on his perch at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, AL

Haiku #123 - Macon, GA

2012-01-26T23:25:00.001-05:00

Cherie and Kurt photograph our dessert.

what could be better
before a performance than
hot bacon dressing?

After a failed attempt at eating well yesterday, Kurt, Cherie and I had dinner between understudy rehearsal and tonight's show at Michael's on Mulberry, about a block from the theater. It was all photogenic, and as delicious as it looked. We shared Creole nachos, crab cakes, pecan-crusted chicken, a bunch of sides, and pecan and key lime pie for dessert. The South continues its quest to make me fat... Yummmmm...

On to Huntsville, AL tomorrow for a 5-show weekend.

Haiku #122 - Pembroke, NC (2)

2012-01-25T22:58:00.000-05:00

small but friendly crowd
Pembroke, North Carolina
band had many fans

One of the smaller venues we've played so far, but you'd never know it from the crowd - they were really into the show. A bunch of people stayed through the bows and exit music and came down to talk to the band afterward.

Haiku #121 - Pembroke, NC

2012-01-24T16:07:00.000-05:00

The view from our hotel, the biggest building as far as the eye can see.

the fields sprinkled with
houses and tractors and one
unlikely hotel

Haiku #120 - Korean BBQ

2012-01-23T21:00:00.000-05:00

successful dinner
Korean BBQ and
we still have eyebrows

Haiku #119 - Usnavi Cake

2012-01-23T00:47:00.004-05:00

Usanvi cake with one of our lovely hosts
Lexington Opera House

Look, it's Usnavi
standing on a city cake.
He found his island.

The woman who makes the cakes for the shows that come through Lexington makes each one specially-themed to suit the show - hence Usnavi standing on top of a cityscape for our show.

Would like to write more about the lovely time we had in Lexington and the yummy meal they served us between shows, but I'm exhausted and we have an early bus call tomorrow. Hope to see you again soon, Lexington!

Haiku #118 - Lexington, KY

2012-01-21T23:37:00.001-05:00

surrounded by blue
an ocean of avid fans

dressed for college hoops

This was the scene in the hotel lobby this morning - fans of University of Kentucky, who were playing University of Alabama at the nearby Rupp Arena. The director of the Lexington Opera House announced the Wildcats' win in her curtain speech for the benefit of those who had made the dubious decision to come see a show instead of going to the game.

Haiku #117 - Sweet Tea

2012-01-20T16:23:00.000-05:00

we cross the border
many times between two worlds:
sweet tea, or not sweet?

Haiku #116 - Scramble and Other Addictive Apps

2012-01-19T16:55:00.000-05:00

Cherie and Uke-snavi, right, and Kurt, left, probably playing Scramble
Bryan carefully navigates the bus down a snowy highway

all day on the bus
worthy Scramble opponents
help to pass the time

We are Somehwere in Ohio, heading to our overnight stop on the way to the weekend's shows in Lexington, KY. Snowing all day. Our bus driver, Bryan, is getting us to our destination steadily, if a little slower than planned. This long ride is helping me solidify my new addiction to Scramble on my phone. I've been playing all day with my usual suspects, Kurt and Cherie (with occasional breaks for cribbage), and Perry and Greer have also challenged me to a game. Time to get some actual work done for the rest of the trip...

Haiku #115 - Corning, NY

2012-01-18T16:55:00.002-05:00

Cherie & Alex after our impromptu music store jam

what is that I hear?
the ominous rattle of
an awkward giraffe?

Two shows in Elmira, NY, and in between we have had today free in nearby Corning. This town is so cute - it reminds me of my hometown with its main drag of brick buildings that house small businesses. While apparently Corning is famous for blown glass and - duh - Corningware, my pals and I had a non-touristy but very restful day of Indian food, an impromptu jam in the local music store (pictured), and getting out nails done. We found a giraffe shaker in the music store and bought it for Kurt. The awkward giraffe is an inside joke - thanks for indulging my haiku. Also bought a regular egg shaker, so now we have two percussion instruments to accompany Cherie's ukelele "Uke-snavi" (named after Usnavi, the lead character in In the Heights).

One more show in Elmira tonight, then on to Lexington KY for the weekend!

Haiku #114 - Deja Vu

2012-01-17T14:56:00.000-05:00

rest stop deja vu

have we been here once before?

i know these toilets.

Sure enough, we did pass through the same place - once again in upstate New York, this time in Elmira for 2 nights.

Haiku #113 - Hasta la Vista, Chicago...

2012-01-16T11:27:00.000-05:00

State Street - my favorite place to cross the river

Downtown Chicago -

I'd never tire of this view...

Farewell til next time!

5:30 this morning saw me competing with my tourmates for elevator space to get luggage down to the bus, and now we are well on our way to Erie, PA. (And the wifi on the bus is working! It's the little things.) This week we'll also be bringing Washington Heights to Elmira, NY and Lexington, KY. I'll be seeing a lot of America the next few days!

I think it's safe to say we all had a great time in Chicago - I know I did. Hope to be back again before too long!

Haiku #111, 112 - Lowdown Brass Band

2012-01-15T11:58:00.000-05:00

Andrew (right in front of the sousa bell) and the LDB

the Lowdown Brass Band
happy former band nerd (me)
you should have been there

Our trombonist, Andrew, is from Chicago, and he actually had a couple gigs this week after our show. Last night, a bunch of us went to Martyrs hear him play with his New Orleans second line band. It. Was. Awesome. If you like second line music, or loud brassy music in general, you should get their CD. Or hear them live, if you're near Chicago.

will have been worth it
if you go deaf hearing a
good second line band

Haiku #110 - Conducting

2012-01-14T19:24:00.000-05:00

the ones at the helm
don't fall asleep at the wheel
the show must go on

Today's matinee was the first time I've conducted since our break. Last night I had a craaaazy dream about the show: we had technical difficulties at a performance, and the entire cast and crew got in a 15-passenger van (there are about 40 of us), and our director fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a concrete barrier and a guardrail. Anxious much? I was a little nervous at the show, but overall it went well for the first time conducting in a few weeks. Whew! Back to my regular chair at the second keyboard tonight. Three more shows in Chicago - I like it here and I'll be sorry to leave!

Haiku #109 - Dim Sum

2012-01-13T16:21:00.000-05:00

Savvy tourist: me; Dim sum guide: Cherie

the savvy tourist
avoids eating chicken feet
with a dim sum guide

Haiku #108 - Green Mill

2012-01-13T13:00:00.004-05:00

Al sitting in at Green Mill, impressing the hell out of everyone

a badass bassist
cleverly disguised as a
sweet Jewish princess

Apologies for the delay, folks, but I was out with this one and several others from our show, and I was too sleepy by the time we got back to the hotel to string 17 syllables together. Our trombone player, Andrew, is a regular player with the Thursday night swing band at Green Mill when he's not out on tour, and he invited us to check it out. Alex and Giancarlo both sat in with the band, and Kurt and Giancarlo danced with Chloe and Cherie and me. Kurt taught me a move called the slingshot, which we later practiced verrrrry slowly while we waited for the train (prudence of practicing swing dancing on a snowy train platform late at night after even just one drink: questionable).

3 more days and 5 more shows in Chicago!

Haiku #107 - Aaaaand We're Back

2012-01-12T00:09:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure what this means. Oh well.

sev'ral weeks away
bring some wrong notes but also
a fresh perspective

Haiku #106 - Chicago (3)

2012-01-10T18:44:00.000-05:00

John Hancock Center, among other buildings
I spotted on my power walk this morning...

Chicago's full of
corn-fed Midwestern towers
tall and strong and proud

I've only been to Chicago once before (aside from the numerous times I've flown through/been stuck at the airport), and I love the architecture. Chicago, as it is wont to do, kept me an extra day due to weather. I spent part of my extra day in the Signature Room on the 95th floor of the Hancock Tower, sipping a cocktail and watching some technicolor storm clouds.

We open tonight at the Oriental Theater - gonna finish my supper and head back over there!

Haiku #105 - Kokopelli Goes to Chicago!

2012-01-09T18:41:00.000-05:00

Alex & me at Cloud Gate aka "the Bean" -
and repping In the Heights with my phone cover!

roomie hangout time

magnificent riverwalk

wander to the Bean

Kokopelli, the Wrigley Building

Haiku #104 - Chicago (1)

2012-01-08T22:04:00.001-05:00

we were so hungry
when we got to Chicago
deep-dish pizza, check.

Haiku #103 - Crazy Cat Lady (2)

2012-01-08T00:22:00.000-05:00

cat sulks in corner
he now knows what's coming when
i pack my suitcase

Leaving for Chicago in the morning! Will be there with In the Heights for a week, and perhaps coming soon to a town near you!

Haiku #102 - Secret Passageway

2012-01-07T00:17:00.000-05:00

over the rooftop
up and down two flights of stairs
one last time to Nat's

Nat's moving to the West side this month, so we had a neighbor-party one last time. I will miss our shortcut going across the roof to each other's apartments, but I look forward to grilling in her & her boyfriend's new garden!

Haiku #101 - Cabin Fever

2012-01-05T18:42:00.000-05:00

i must go outside
before i go mad and die
of cabin fever

Haiku #100 - Mosaic

2012-01-04T20:14:00.001-05:00

syllables add up
like pieces of a puzzle
someday a picture

This is my 100th haiku! 1700 syllables so far, not counting all the haiku I haven't posted, or that my friends have written (we now sometimes communicate in haiku)!

Haiku #99 - Starbucks

2012-01-03T15:04:00.002-05:00

guess I'll stand and wait
for a seat while the old men
finish their chess game

Haiku #98 - Snooze Button

2012-01-02T22:05:00.000-05:00

it's a mixed blessing
to have camaraderie
with the snooze button

Haiku #97 - Bathroom Dispatcher

2012-01-01T19:10:00.001-05:00

what did this guy do

to deserve the sentence of

bathroom dispatcher?

Mom, Dad and I went downtown again, hoping to wander Trinity's churchyard before they closed at 3 (according to their website), but it turns out they closed at 2 today (according to the placard on their padlocked gates at about 2:30 this afternoon). So we did what any good American family would do, and went to Century 21 to help the economy and use the bathroom. The line for the loo was about a mile long, but it moved quickly, thanks in part to the young gentleman standing at the entrance to the ladies' and gents' directing traffic and hating his life.

Haiku #95 & 96 - New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T15:26:00.000-05:00

the past is too big

for my carry-on and too

heavy to be checked

moment of panic

'til i decide to leave it

back where it belongs

Haiku #94 - The Nutcracker

2011-12-31T00:05:00.000-05:00

the hall is filled with
girls who dream one day to be
sugar plum fairies

Haiku #93 - Lower East Side Tenement Museum

2011-12-29T22:38:00.003-05:00

Beer: Making life tolerable for generations of immigrants
(across the street from the museum)

escaping hardship
maybe wishing to sow a
pocketful of dreams

Mom really wanted to go to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. I offered to show her around my building for free, but apparently she wanted to see a "real" tenement, so she booked us tickets on the tour of garment workers' apartments. Longtime readers will know of my tenuous relationship with museums, but I'm happy to report that this one was really fascinating, and our tour guide was great. Also interesting to note how some things (housing and labor laws, immigrants' countries of origin) have changed, and how other things (human nature, corruption, hope of a better life for one's children) haven't.

And they had a good gift shop!

Haiku #92 - New York Philharmonic

2011-12-28T23:45:00.001-05:00

in lieu of applause
please cough between movements - it's
sophisticated

Took Mom & Dad to the NY Phil tonight - Haydn, Schubert, Ravel. The first movement of the Haydn was rather long, and the classical music fans knew it was a faux pas to clap between movements. Yearning to show their appreciation, however, the audience erupted into a cacophony of midwinter hacking instead.

A blurry ovation.

My favorite was the Ravel Valse, which closed the concert. I commented to my parents that both halves ended with the opposite of a musical theater button: the first half ended with Schubert's Erlkönig (part of a set orchestrated by Britten and Reger, performed by Anne-Sofie von Otter), in which the last word is "dead." Dad said both halves ended with death - the Erlkönig literally and the Ravel metaphorically. Happy new year? Maybe Alan Gilbert goes by the Mayan calendar. Anyway, it was a lovely evening, metaphorical death notwithstanding.

Haiku #91 - Trinity Church(yard)

2011-12-27T16:43:00.001-05:00

ancient trees stand guard
over graves whose owners' names
time has long erased

Haiku #90 - Tourist Attractions

2011-12-26T15:03:00.000-05:00

tourist attractions:
parks, bridges, concerts, shopping,
emergency rooms

Everyone's fine now, but we did have an episode last night and had to pay an (as it turned out) overnight visit to that darkest horse of New York attractions, a major hospital's ER. It's kinda like Times Square at New Year's - you do it once to say you did it, then you hope never to have to return.

Haiku #88, 89 - Christmas Dinner

2011-12-25T22:23:00.005-05:00

there is something to

be said for sticking to your
core competencies:

mom and dad and i
had a sumptuous dinner
cooked by fresh direct

I hate cooking, a trait I inherited from my mom. Dad likes cooking holiday dinner, but he's a pain in the ass in a kitchen he's familiar with, so imagine a miniature kitchen he doesn't know. So... I consider it money well-spent to have gotten a heat-and-eat turkey dinner delivered straight to my door on Christmas Eve. It was yummy, and super-easy to prepare. We hung out and relaxed and enjoyed the day in each other's company. And Mom cleaned up (I did not inherit her affinity for cleaning.)

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Haiku #87 - Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T23:34:00.001-05:00

Diesel guards the Christmas piano
(in lieu of Christmas tree)

the stockings are stuffed
so am I, with tamales -
must be Christmas Eve

Haiku #86 - Diminished

2011-12-24T01:03:00.004-05:00

G#dim7! Take that, you grumpy neighborhood fart, you!

does this old geezer
know he's messing with the wrong
music theory nerd?

Spanish Harlem, December 23: an anecdote

My parents are staying in a studio sublet about a 15-minute walk from my apartment. I just got an acoustic guitar, and decided to take my new toy with me when I went over this afternoon. It's light, so I completely forgot I had it strapped to my back as I strolled down 2nd Avenue.

Thus, I was completely taken aback when I passed a guy, probably in his 50s, who took a good hard look at me and said, "You probably don't even know what a diminished chord is." What?? Pause to regain my wits. I hollered ineffectually at him as he continued walking the other direction, "Actually, yes I do!" How does he know?? I thought. About two blocks later, I remembered - ohhhh, the guitarrrrr.

Hah. Well, he picked the wrong snowflake to start a music theory brawl with! As soon as I got to the sublet and related my tale of indignation, I set about figuring out a diminished chord (see pic). I am not a hipster poser!

Haiku #85 - UES Grocery Shopping

2011-12-23T01:05:00.000-05:00

moms with law degrees
play chicken with strollers in
the produce section

Haiku #84 - Visitors

2011-12-21T23:51:00.001-05:00

Mom and Dad are here
Nestled in at their sublet
Close but not too close!

Haiku #83 - Love (1)

2011-12-20T23:25:00.000-05:00

This is one from the archives of my haiku-writing past...

love knocks on your door
it isn't what you ordered
still you let it in

Haiku #82 - New York (3)

2011-12-19T23:01:00.001-05:00

fifteen til showtime
Broadway and forty-fourth street
I'm swimming upstream

Haiku #81 - Sick

2011-12-19T22:48:00.000-05:00

three hours in the cold
was the proverbial straw
slept all night and day

Haiku #80 - Humdrum

2011-12-17T23:11:00.000-05:00

the humdrum becomes
singular when it's a lack
of toilet paper

Haiku #79 - My Nephew's Nostrils

2011-12-17T00:15:00.002-05:00

my nephew's nostrils
in Japan and also my
computer screen: Skype.

I finally got to skype (ah, the joy of turning nouns into verbs) with my sister and her family tonight! It was Saturday midday for her, and the boys entertained me while she was hanging laundry. My younger nephew was bouncing off the walls, so most of what I got was him either a blur in the background or VERY CLOSE to the camera. They thought it was hilarious when I zoomed my (newly pierced!) nose up to my webcam in response.

And here is my nose, which I got pierced by Colby at Adorned in the East Village:

My dad will say, "Just what you needed -
another hole in your head."

Haiku #78 - New York (2)

2011-12-16T01:45:00.000-05:00

Today's route, abridged:

Bushwick grit, East Village show

beer in Hell's Kitchen

I feel most concepts can be explained elegantly in seventeen syllables; lists of a day's activity in New York City, not so much.

I've been running around a lot since I got back last week - seeing friends, seeing shows, even working a tiny bit. Today was no different - I played with the Story Pirates at a school in Brooklyn, had an appointment, and came home for a pit stop before going to Kurt's show downtown, and finally, to a meet-up event in midtown. Fun was had by all, and now it's time to crash for a New York minute... zzzzz...

Haiku #77 - Cat-in-a-Box

2011-12-15T00:58:00.000-05:00

Diesel's new toy, which contained my new toy

much fun to be found
like a cat or a guitar
in a cardboard box

Haiku #76 - New York City

2011-12-13T22:51:00.000-05:00

Broadway glistens bright
just above the homeless man
sleeping on the train

Haiku #75 - Crazy Cat Lady

2011-12-13T00:01:00.001-05:00

This is basically a transcription of an exchange my roommate and I had last night:

"So then what's your plan
to meet someone? Move back home?"
"I'll just get more cats."

Diesel now knows what suitcases mean, and he gets real needy when he sees them come out. He did this a lot when I was packing for tour.

And thank you, Modern Family, for making me feel validated:
Q: So dumb guys go for dumb girls, and smart guys go for dumb girls - what do smart girls get? A: Cats, usually.

Haiku #74 - Busy

2011-12-11T22:32:00.000-05:00

Version 1:
there's so much to do
in the city - I resent
the hours I must sleep

Version 2:
there's so much to do
in this lifetime - I resent
the hours I must sleep

Haiku #73 - Music's Secrets

2011-12-11T01:59:00.001-05:00

wish I could download
all music's secrets - instead,
they seep in slowly

Haiku #72 - Friday night, East Village

2011-12-10T01:27:00.001-05:00

Old roomie Kate & me

bass booms in the bar

friends catch up hearing only

ev'ry other word

Haiku #71 - Reunion!

2011-12-09T01:51:00.001-05:00

skype-ing with Cherie
Kurt and Parker sing Barbra
while the cupcakes cool

from left: Cherie in CA, me, Kurt & Parker in my kitchen in NYC

Tonight, Kurt and Parker came over for a little baking party. We made Earl Grey-poached pear cupcakes, and played and sang standards. Cherie joined us via skype from California. The evening ended in the wee hours with Kurt, Parker, my roommate Seth and me geeking out on youtube videos, drinking Earl-Grey-pear juice with Jameson.

It seems so strange that I've only known these people for three months.

Haiku #70 - Big, Soggy Apple

2011-12-08T02:15:00.000-05:00

New York "wintry mix"
Wish I had brought extra socks
Big Soggy Apple

Haiku #69 - How 'bout them Apple(product)s!?

2011-12-06T23:34:00.000-05:00

i have crossed over

no time for anything but

playing with my phone

Yup, I got an iphone. I had a bunch of things on my to-do list for today, but most of them went by the wayside when I got my phone and discovered the app store. Guess I'll get back to business tomorrow... maybe...

Haiku #68 - One-nighters

2011-12-06T00:43:00.001-05:00

hotel one-nighters
illustrate well the concept
of "this too shall pass"

Whether it's a mysterious smell reminiscent of a floral crime scene cover-up, or crisp 1000-count sheets, it's over quickly.

But never mind that - I'm back in the city, and looking forward to sleeping in the same place for 35 nights in a row! 35 nights that will still pass quickly...

Haiku #67 - Many the Miles

2011-12-04T21:47:00.002-05:00

have you ever gone
fifteen hundred miles by bus
in one week? I have.

Haiku #66 - Blue Bell Ice Cream

2011-12-04T00:17:00.000-05:00

Blue Bell ice cream scoop
Long day's journey refreshment
This must be Texas.

Haiku #65 -

2011-12-03T00:01:00.000-05:00

From my roommate Alex as she was getting dressed in our hotel room:

Quotable Al: "You're
harshing my mellow, black pants."
They must be shrinking.

(I should mention, she's still skinny.)

Haiku #64 - Shreveport, LA

2011-12-02T00:41:00.000-05:00

shiny gold windows
skyscraper called the horseshoe
casino skyline

Haiku #63 - NYC Haiku!?

2011-12-01T00:13:00.001-05:00

New York city stole
my concept, but that's ok:
Great minds think alike.

Haiku #62 - Opelika, AL

2011-11-30T00:53:00.003-05:00

Warning: this can happen when you spend a lot of time with the same people:

our minds are melding
into one seamless haiku
get out of my head!

I'm playing a very competitive game of cribbage with those people now.

Oh no. An ice fight is breaking out. Gotta go!

Haiku #61 - Tallahassee

2011-11-29T00:29:00.000-05:00

arena show, then
Southern hospitality
I'll lose weight next week

Andrew maintaining trombone-playing strength with dessert

Played our first show in a big arena - my first ever - at the Leon County Civic Center. It was quite a trip to be in such a large space, with the band set up in close proximity to both the stage and the audience. I finally have some control over my mix, since I finally got some sound-isolating headphones. Trust me, when you have a trombone pointed at the back of your head, you want fancy headphones. It also means that hopefully what I hear won't change so much from night to night in the different performance spaces.

fried things.

Anyway - so on to the important stuff, food! They had a party for us after the show, with some of the best food I have eaten in my whole life. Southern hospitality is no joke - they had alcohol and "heavy hors d'oeuvres", by which they meant wine, champagne, and "food that will make you forget why you want to be thin". Fried green tomatoes, calamari, and a regional specialty stuffed oyster. Also more typical carved meats and salads, and an array of desserts that made me want to cry. The pics don't do it justice but I must go now - I need to slip into a food coma for a few hours before we head to Alabama tomorrow!

Haiku #60 - Sarasota

2011-11-28T02:10:00.000-05:00

we're back on the road
sunset on the bay by the
purple theater

Haiku #59 - Beer & Cupcake Pairing

2011-11-27T00:17:00.000-05:00

hanging with cousins
walking off the sugar high
post-beer and cupcakes

Haiku #58 - Black Friday

2011-11-25T23:24:00.000-05:00

spend money, not time
better for America:
Capitalism.

I just have to wonder about a country whose political leaders tout family values and whose business leaders create ads encouraging us to buy products at stores staffed by people who are not with their families the night after a holiday because their store opened at midnight. What do we really value?

Anyway, I had a really nice black Friday - my cousins and I hit the mall (in the afternoon) for an hour, then had a beer-and-cupcake pairing party at Susie's apartment. We took a walk while the combined effects of sugar and alcohol wore off, and saw the beautiful Armed Forces Memorial at the harbor (speaking of people who have to be away from their families).

Oh yeah, I work away from my family, too... But I feel very fortunate to do what I really love, and to bring my show to people who haven't had a chance to see it yet. Back to tour tomorrow - Sarasota-bound!

Haiku #57 - Real American (Pie)!

2011-11-24T17:03:00.000-05:00

BEFORE (clockwise from left): mixed berry, pumpkin, pecan

jogging with cousins
in preparation for an
assortment of pies

Last night I made a mess in my Aunt Lynn's kitchen as I made a mixed berry and a (required in my family at the holidays) pecan pie. Aunt Lynn made a couple pumpkin pies this morning. Luckily, I'm ready for them (as well as the turkey, which I sort of consider a formality), because my cousins Susie and Joel and I went jogging about an hour ago. After dinner, I'll edit the songs Aunt Lynn and I recorded yesterday - some favorites for Grandma.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Haiku #56 - Free Beer!

2011-11-23T18:54:00.000-05:00

packed supermarket
run in real quick just for milk
waylaid by free beer

My poor aunt was probably about to alert the authorities when my cousin and I finally emerged from the Thanksgiving Eve madness of the supermarket. We actually got through checkout really fast - the delay was caused by the friendly sample lady who was offering egg nog, wine, and, best of all, samples of beer from the New Belgium brewery. We tried about 4 different kinds of beer, and bought a couple 22-oz bottles for our upcoming beer-and-cupcake pairing party. Yay free samples!

Haiku #55 - Laziness

2011-11-22T19:30:00.000-05:00

Vacation, Day Two:
Epic supermarket trip
Three loads of laundry

Haiku #54 - Real American Home-Cookin'!

2011-11-21T21:12:00.000-05:00

saved my appetite
'cause I know after the show
Greer's mom will feed us

Our last stop before the Thanksgiving layoff was Maryville, TN, where Greer, one of our female swings, grew up. Greer's mom (who actually has a real name, Karen - though she said she goes by "Greer's mom" a lot) sent boxes of delicious homemade cookies to Clemson during tech week, and I was an instant fan. She brought an entire meal to us at the hotel after the performance in Maryville, and Greer's family and the Heights cast hung out in the hotel conference room eating barbecue and salads and Kentucky Derby pie. I could die happy. I mean, that pie - like chocolate chip cookie dough in a pastry crust! It's such a treat to have home-cooking when you're on the road.

Karen (2nd from right) with four well-fed members of the Heights band

Haiku #53 - Layover

2011-11-20T18:26:00.004-05:00

Parker and our sensible sangrias

terminal hiking
is refreshing but so is
overpriced massage

Very slow day today since my flight wasn't til 4. Parker, one of the cast, didnt have his flight til 5, so we headed to the airport at 1, dropped off our bags, and ran across a perilous higway for a bite to eat and a sensible pre-flight sangria. Now I'm halfway through a 3-hour layover in Charlotte. I made my second frivolously sensible decision of the day and got a foot massage in the airport terminal.. Looking forward to getting to my aunt & uncle's in Norfolk, andbeing in the same place for 6 whole nights!

Haiku #52 - Powerless

2011-11-19T23:41:00.000-05:00

second-show jitters
we are powerless (again)
remember: just breathe

We had some power issues again today, but this time, they happened during the day as the crew was loading in, and were fixed by the performance. I was more nervous tonight than last night - everything sounded different in the new space, and I had just enough space in my brain to think, as opposed to last night's fight-or-flight mode. We had a great show, and now we have a week layoff - off to Virginia to hang out with my aunt and uncle and cousins!

Haiku #51 - Conducting Debut!

2011-11-18T23:35:00.002-05:00

(warning - spoiler alert)

Hold up a second -

I thought the blackout came at

the end of Act One???

I'm pretty sure the universe messes with me to keep me from taking myself too seriously. I was up on the podium conducting the opening number of In the Heights during an actual performance for the first time, hands a little cold but feeling pretty calm. A few bars before I had to play, I noticed I'd forgotten to turn my stand light on. Ok, click. No light. Uh-oh. Shit. What kind of an idiot am I that I didn't check my light before the show? I glance at the horn section - lovely, working lights. Oh well - guess I'm playing at least this number in the dark. Good thing I know the show so well.

I start playing the first montuno, and a few bars in, I see my cue light blinking, which is usually the signal to pick up the phone and talk to the stage manager. WTF!?!? I can't talk now!! I'm playing! With both hands! IN THE DARK! ...aaand a few seconds later, I feel a rush of relief as I hear the stage manager's voice come through the house, announcing that they have to fix a technical problem and restart the show. Phew! It turns out they've lost power on one of their boards, which happened to be the one that also powered my stand light. I'm not an idiot (at least not for that reason).

That is what relief looks like, after surviving
my first time conducting a show of this size.
Note that the theater looks like a spaceship.

Sooooo...

That was exciting. There were other moments of excitement, but none that anyone in the audience noticed. Now it's time to have a drink & sleep before an early bus call. Conducting tomorrow night too!

Haiku #50 - The Conductor

2011-11-18T00:22:00.000-05:00

A rabid windmill*
The conductor waves her arms
in case they're watching.

We're in Athens, GA tonight - another place I wish we could stay longer, based on the food, hospitality, and the nice venue. Alas, it's a one-nighter.

I ran most of soundcheck this afternoon, because I'm conducting the show tomorrow night. I'm excited/nervous - it's a big show, with lots of people and machines depending on me not screwing up. However, I humbly remind myself that, as with so many conductors before me, they aren't really paying attention most of the time!

*highly recommend this Charles Hazelwood video

Haiku #49 - Secret Santa

2011-11-16T23:52:00.002-05:00

undercover elves
deliver candy and booze
for secret santa

Kat in a Cat Hat from Secret Santa, Dominic

Today was our holiday party, complete with Southern Thanksgiving food, a trivia game, and the great Secret Santa reveal. My Secret Santa giftee was the other Kat on tour. I enclosed a haiku with the last gift to reveal my identity. My Secret Santa gifter was Dom. He gave me (among other cool things) a cat-hat (I forgot to take pics at the party, so yes, that is a pic I just took of myself in my hotel room). Fun was had by all...

Haiku #48 - Southbound

2011-11-15T22:54:00.001-05:00

people drive for miles
to purchase Pedro's fireworks
south of the border

Haiku #47 - Food Mooch

2011-11-14T18:26:00.002-05:00

Champion food mooch
Other people's waffle fries
Look so delicious

This is a big country, y'all. I can say y'all, because we're in the South now, having spent the day in the bus driving in that direction from Scranton. We're parked for the night in NC; tomorrow morning we continue to our next performance town of North Charleston, SC.

I had a stomachache when we stopped for a break at a mall somewhere in VA, and the only things in the food court that appealed to me were a strawberry shake and other people's waffle fries. I am, incidentally, totally winning the informal food mooching contest I'm having with Perry, the actor who plays our lead. No one in my family will be surprised that I'm ahead at swiping food off of other people's plates. My tour-mates should be flattered; it's a sign of affection.