St. John's, Newfoundland - The Rose and Dick-all

OK. tonight was insane. As soon as I walk into the bar, the owner's hands are all over me. As the night progresses, I learn that EVERY ONE OF THE PERFORMER'S has been just as gropped and grossed out as me. So Liz (who we are staying with - musician extraordinaire), makes an announcement from stage about the innapropriate groping. The owner comes out, starts fighting with her, PUSHING HER, and the whole thing escalates. And next thing you fucking know, the gig is cancelled. So we move it to another venue, where we do a couple songs each. But i'm bummed cause we missed out on a lot of money we could have made that night. But you know, KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELVES BOYS!

But anyways, here we are, after moving the night to "The Ship Pub". To the left of me is warrior Liz.

:) Athena

Most of touring is just driving. Driving and Driving and Driving with gorgeous indescribable scenery in the background.

ON THE FERRY TO NEWFOUNDLAND

We took the 14 hour ferry ride to Newfoundland. It was awesome. I just slept, watched movies, slept, ate seafood, slept and watched movies... over and over and over...

Took a break from my eat/movie/sleep routine to check out the live music in the lounge. These old round men with thick Newfie accents (think irish/scottish/canadian sing-song lilt) were playing traditional Island songs and telling long winded Newfie stories that ended with a dirty joke at the end. Something about old men masterbating or some such semi-shocking punchline. It was fabulous. They made an annoucement from stage that I am from NYC and will be playing some shows in St. John's. Well, of course, everyone wanted to hear me play, so I borrowed Addie's guitar and sang a few tunes. It was a beautiful experience. Trapped on a boring 14 hour ferry ride, the audiences had no choice but to be incredibly attentive, appreciative and generous. They flipped me a few coin, discussed the meanings in my songs, and requested ditty after ditty. Ah... Welcome to Newfoundland my friend.

CAPE BRETON

I know... I know... I'm supposed to be posting pictures of me onstage or smashing my head against a wall in drunken fury, right? It's just that when I'm performing, I'm too damn busy to remember to ask someone to photograph me, and then after a gig I'm too damn busy having fun and selling CDs to take a picture... and then during our days off, when my eyes are blessed with these gorgeous natural sights, I can't help myself, and go into photographer mode.

Enjoy.

BEAUTIFUL CAPE BRETON

It's like being on the ends of the earth. People are super friendly. Wide open faces. It's like walking through the Goddess's belly. I could retire here.

Cape Breton

Driving through New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, on our way to Sydney where we catch the ferry to Newfoundland.

Riverview, NB

Partying after the show at O'Briens. The girl on the left was hilarious. She was saying things like, "Well, I guess when you're touring like that, you really turn to each other. (giggle) You must come to REALLY depend on one another. (gigle giggle) Nothing wrong with that... Nothing wrong with that (evil cackle)."

nope. nothing wrong with that. I expect to see her at Gay Pride in about 5 years. See ya soon sistah!

Prince Edward Island Sand

O'Briens in Riverview, NB (suburb of Moncton)

Here I am with sweet Jerry (bartender) at O'Briens. As soon we walked in we were informed that all these guys were coming to see us 'cause, no offense, but we are like sooo hot. But it's funny cause our poster in the guy's bathroom got ripped and pissed on. And don't worry, cause they won't tell any of the guys where we are staying tonight, cause they sure have been asking...

uh... yeah... ok... did i just enter beavis & butthead heaven or what?

But it was a cool gig. Jerry is a sweet person, and the other bands were very attentive and... well... the night was not without drama.

Scenery in Prince Edward Island

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI

mmm... more beach

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI

Me on beach. wish I could stay here for a week....

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI

Here's Nikkie, our co-biller. What a sweet girl. Feel like we are old camp buddies or something.

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI

Ahhh... Now we're talking... the day after our show in Charlottetown (which was interesting: drunken men slobbering over CDs, old people baffled and politely shocked, and a few young radicals drinking it in..) Nikkie and I went to the beach.. mmmm....

GAS STATION SOMEWHERE...

In some gas station... somewhere.... I came across expensive animal furs on hooks.... need I say more..?

FREDERICTON, NB

Welcome to Canada! We made it past the border (phew) and entered the land of the everflowing draft. Man! I forgot how much my people drink! I mean beer is the Canadian what religion is to the Southener! Here we are with the local band "Vetch" at the Tap Room. They are sweet sweet peeps.

Here's Sarah Woolf teaching Addie how to check the pressure in the tires.

OK. Everytime I go to Boston, I get hopelessly lost. The roads must be old cow trails or something. They are totally windy and you'll go for miles before you're allowed to exit. It's insane. Here's Sarah Woolf giving a very confused Addie directions.

We had an awesome show in Boston at the Lizard Lounge. A smaller turn-out than expected, and the band 'black betty' cancelled 30 minutes b4 the show for no good reason (boo), but the crowd we had was truly beautiful, receptive and lovely. The next night we played the open mic at Club Passim. Here we are after the open mic. Jess Yoakum is largely responsible for making our Boston experience a delight as she rounded up the troupes for the show. Sarah Woolf also offered us incredibly hospitality by letting us stay in our bed (while she crashed in her roomates bed). And Sarah and I had beautiful bonding-connection talks.

Here we are in Boston, eating "Boston Clam Chowdah". Mmmm..... What a pretty town too. My friend Alex Sweeton came up from NYC to play the show with us and hang. Addie's on the right.

Hi,

Here I am in beautiful Sydney, Nova Scotia.

I'm just about to go hit the beach. The Maritimes are so beautiful. You'd think that little fairies dance in rings 'round these parts.

Woke up this morning after a full 8 hours (hey - i'm on a roll of good nights of sleep), and lounged on the deck with melted old cheddar on toast. I felt so canadian. this huge deck surrounded by grass and trees. the smell of sweet pine. reading a book about a family farm in Northern Ontario and eating canadian cheddar. a cool breeze and warm welcoming sun - the kind that deliciously heats the skin..

can't get over the smell in the air. part ocean, part pine.

maybe one day i'll move out here. alot of people don't have home phones. they only get back to you a week later or so. rarely do their internets work... it's like leaving the industrial age and going back to a time when all the mattered was community.... when people shared things so easily. when it was who you know, not how fast you answered your emails. when it was about trust and having faith in people. i know i'm idealizing a bit. there's tragedy and bad relations everywhere... but one thing is for certain... the pace of life is slower here. and people's expressions are wider and more open. and there's a whole lot of good intent. and the smell in the air is divine...

:) athena

Hi,

I am having such a blast in... wait.. where the f%ck am i? don't know much anymore. everything is day to day. moment to moment.... oh yeah! boston. am in boston.

the lizard lounge gig was awesome. awesome because we had one of this intimate crowds who were super attentive and appreciate, and bought cds - and the door guy and sound guy were truly warm people. and the line-up was really great. alex sweeton from NYC joined us. so did sarah woolf. monique opened for us. the whole night felt truly sirens wild ride. felt truly lilith fair. felt truly like estrogen rubbing estrogen by the light of the lezzie campfire. no but seriously - one of those nights that warmed your heart. truly. i felt like pitching a tent and roasting a marshmallow. it was sweet magic. sweet.

then last night we hit the open mic at club passim. it was fun to meet loads of other musicians. had a yummy huge salad for $4. that always makes me happy. and great sound system and everything.

and - i got my stickers in the mail. free stickers for all! i love them!!!!

driving to Canada today! "back to canada...." so excited to be back with my peeps.

but man, my eyes are sooo puffy. but as long as i do yoga - i am happy to go with the flow. 4 hours of sleep. hey that's cool. all in stride. day to day. moment to moment. love the people i am meeting. love connecting to people through music every night!!!

:) athena

Hi Everybody!

Well it's day 4 of the tour and it feels like we've been out for weeks. There is no way to describe what touring is like, unless you live it. It's stressful, thrilling, exhausting, and it completely deprives you of basic human rights like comfort, rest, and privacy. It's kinda like being on one of those reality tv shows. An intense psychological & physical endurance test.

But you know, I am having a great time. Sometimes the road feels like more of a home for me than anywhere else. I love the intensity with which you connect with people on the road (can be more satisfying than the "I will love with from a ten foot pole - we'll do lunch next month" approach of New York). You stay at their house, do shows with them, open your soul for them on stage, and have loving moments of connection at random times. Maybe because they know you are from out of town, they risk more - I risk more. But it's more than that. It's also the power of music to connect and create intimacy. And also, staying at people's houses forces a kind of intimacy - for better or for worse. It's all very interesting.

My neck and shoulders are tense as hell though. but that's ok.. i'll work out - get a massage. do yoga. something.

it's great having Addie with me! She is a pure sweetheart, and so eager to do her share of the work. She is on the ball! And easy to get along with. It makes everything so much more fun!

Last night I went out dancing at Diva's (gay bar in northampton, MA). so much fun. played a mean air hockey for at least an hour. felt like a 10 year old kid again. nothing but adrenaline, sweat and passion. all for a little puck.

the shows have been really truly awesome! great turn-outs (except for northampton - but then the audience was AMAZINGLY RECEPTIVE). but otherwise - wonderful crowds etc. etc.

Being on TV was surreal and a little scary and utterly wonderful. Being on the commercial radio station was fun fun fun!

Doing an impromptu show today in Northampton as part of the prometheus radio project. Then heading to Boston. Then BACK TO CANADA!!!!!

love you all. let's connect on the road my continental community of friends!

Athena

Here we are backstage at the studios of the major news channel in New Haven, CT on Aug. 4th. Getting ready like major divas. Fun!

oooo I'm so tough. Here's a pix of me in drag from an off-broadway show i did in NYC. Just thought it'd be fun to stick it in my blog.

me in drag.

Here's a picture of me in drag. just for fun. I played "Billy Bob" in an off-broadway show called 69 in NYC.

Hi,

I am leaving in a couple of days. I just love it! Can't wait. And freaking out at the same time. But I'm figuring stuff out. Like I why i got so self-doubting/self-abusing/inadequate-feeling after the cutting room show... it's all childhood stuff...... it'll all work out... even the stuff that you really think is the worst and unbearable... is actually all transcendable, mutable, fluid & changeable..

it's all changeable.

just breathe.

and surround yourself with love.

and stay in the fuzzy music.

and loosen that jaw... yoga is good for that...

i can't ever sleep these days... too much going on..

isn't funny that when you need peace... it is always right there underneath.. you don't need to look like a maniac in people, or situations or dreams... peace is always always always right there in your center.. buried underneath silly worldly concerns... if you just breathe into it.. concerns unwind themselves...

love and peace.. that's all we really need and crave....