October 2006 Archives

Special On the Road edition of You Are What You Eat again!

Names: Deb Talan and Steve Tannen

Occupation: Musicians/songwriters

Tour city: Cincinnati Airport and Washington Dulles, en route to JFK

Relationship status: Together

What did you eat today?

Deb: Croissant and coffee
Steve: Cheez-Its, a blueberry muffin and three small shots of Knob Creek. I’d say really it was 3 1/2 shots. The first one was a good pull, but the last two, my heart wasn’t in it.

What do you never eat?

Deb: I never eat, like, a big cooked ham. But besides that I eat almost anything.
Steve: I never eat the meat or fish special on Mondays or Tuesdays.

Complete this sentence: In our refrigerator, you can always find:

Deb: Organic half and half. It’s like the one constant in our house – that we have coffee and organic half and half.
Steve: Something, but it may not be what you’re looking for.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

Deb: Probably my blender. It’s one of those vintage Osterizer blenders. It’s a thing of beauty, red chrome, just a couple of settings. It really pleases me.
Steve: I’m gonna go with the coffee maker. It’s a French press.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Deb: Abuelita’s.
Steve: Abuelita’s, which is the only restaurant open in Topanga at the moment.

World ends tomorrow. What would you like for your last meal?

Deb: I might make my meal breakfast. I would have a really good breakfast. Some good bread made into toast, eggs and really good greens in a simple salad and maybe some excellent chicken sausage. Maybe some fresh fruit – fresh blueberries. A meal at a really good steak joint would be a close second.
Steve: A spaceship.

The Weepies are one of my new favorite bands. They're amazing live, and they are as sweet and generous and lovely as you would imagine they are from their music. I wish I could listen to them sing every night.

It's my motherfucking birthday yo!

Okay, I started celebrating at the stroke of midnight and thus have not had the opportunity to tell you that Columbus was great, the only place to eat after hours is Betty's, Nicole and Veronica who watched the show were kind enough to drive us there, and then I drank four bourbons and started dancing on tables and jumping off high chairs. Feeling v. v. repentant today. This post is not very well structured or edited, but it's the last day of tour and I'm tired and hungover so I apologize.

Last year I had a ten year progress report. As I enter the last year in my 20s, I thought it'd be good to do a highlights recap of my year, since it's been a jam-packed one.

NOVEMBER: Went to Sarajevo with Charming Hostess. Fell in crush with a NY Times reporter. Ate burek.

DECEMBER: Spent Christmas with my chirl Anel and her family at the St. Regis. Tres fancy.

JANUARY: 2nd Ave. Deli shuffles off this mortal coil. I go to Baltimore with Charming Hostess to sing for the excellent Charm City Kitty Club audience. We eat at The Helmand, which is owned by Hamid Karzai's brother.

FEBRUARY: Kind of a slow month, looks like. Huh. I think I was rehearsing for Here Lies Love

MARCH: Went to Adelaide to be in the world premiere of Here Lies Love, a musical about Imelda Marcos written by David Byrne, with musical contributions from Fat Boy Slim. My run down here.

APRIL: Looks like another slow month. But March was pretty big, so I guess it's alright.

MAY: Switched to Movable Type and completely redesigned the website.

JUNE: Ruth Reichl! Also, went to Hudson again.

JULY: Zinedine Zidane lets us down.

AUGUST: I went to New Orleans with Miho Hatori, the Hamptons for Winnie's bachelorette party, Belgium with Charming Hostess, did voiceover imitation of my mom for The Protector. Busy month.

SEPTEMBER: Started writing for NYMag.com, went to Bri and Meg's Missouri wedding, Winnie and Chris's Brooklyn wedding.

OCTOBER: Played on the Hotel Cafe Tour through the midwest, sleeping on a tour bus with 12 13 14 other people. Visited Minnesota, Indiana, Kentucky for the first time. Caved into myspace: www.myspace.com/gandas. Come on, befriend me.

Goals to achieve before I turn 30:

Maybe go out on two dates, maybe one of which can be with a person in his 20s, just to know what that's like.

Have at least 3 elaborate dinner parties.

Drink a little less.

Maybe work not so hard.

Get out on the road a little more.

I'd like to do a show of my own music on my 30th birthday. Which means I have to write some music and start playing it. For real people.

Go see my family more often.

The super lovely Cathy of noteatingoutinny.com came over to my house for some green tea and to interview me for Chief Mag. I skimmed over it really quickly so I'm not sure if I sound stupid or not. You can go read it if you want to. But if I sound stupid, don't tell me.

Okay, maybe the heart of rock n roll isn't in Cleveland, but the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame is. But we didn't play there, we played at the House of Blues in Cleveland, which was pretty nice as far as venues go. They fed us lunch, dinner, and after show snack. I felt like they were fattening us up so they could make us all into soup at the end of the night.

The show was great. Josh Radin is actually from Cleveland, so the crowd was very attentive and receptive. Miho and I sang on a tune with Jim Bianco, which was really fun. Apparently, he's usually accompanied by burlesque dancers. We're no Pussycat Dolls, but we added estrogenic flavor.

I'm pretty exhausted. We're in the day room, getting ready to get back to the bus. The hail's coming down sporadically like rock salt. Can't believe it's almost over! Last show happens on my birthday. In Cincinnati.

Conversation between me and Miho:

GANDA: We're going to be in Cincinnati for my birthday. What are we going to do, eat Cincinnati chili over spaghetti?

MIHO: NO, Ganda. No beans on your birthday!

Great gig tonight in Indianapolis at the Music Mill. I think that's what it's called. Ate dinner from the venue restaurant which was not horrible but ultimately not satisfying. I need some rice and some papaya salad or something. Every night I cram food into my gullet because my palate is so sad. I'm tired of backstage cold cuts on white bread with yellow mustard.

Things I am missing while I am on the road:

1. My bed. Deb from the Weepies, who's in the bunk opposite mine, nearly got kicked in the head this morning by a sleepy Jim Bianco. Accidentally, of course. I put my earplugs in every night, and every morning the earplugs are smushed like little flesh colored turds underneath my pillow. I think I'm pulling them out at night. But now that I'm in the dark bunk cabin, I don't have to wear the blindfold anymore. Also, I miss my little bathroom.

2. Rice. Actually, all ethnic food, but I'm really missing rice. I'm really not a bread person. I always ask people what they would choose for their top three starches. I would choose rice, pasta/noodles, and potatoes. Though now, I might actually say oatmeal instead of potatoes. Oatmeal has been super happy making on this tour, I have to say. And if semolina pasta and rice noodles count as two different things, then they would be my #2 & #3. But rice for sure is number one. And we don't have rice on our backstage rider. Maybe we should.

3. My New York friends. I wish they were all on the tour with me.

4. Privacy. You're in the bus, you're in the green room, you're on the stage...the only time you're alone is in the venue shower, and then there's a line behind you so you better hurry up. Also, washed my hair with the bar soap my best friend Donna gave us in Chicago. Bar soap -- not the same as shampoo.

Things I will miss about the road:

1. Making music and listening to live music every night. Music every night, man. That is the life. Getting to listen to the Weepies every night. I would never get tired of listening to Deb and Steve. I love setting up the little computer interface every night and breaking it all down at the end of the night. I love singing every night -- doesn't matter if there are 10 people or 1000 people in the audience -- it's just great to be singing with friends every night.

2. Seeing new towns every day. Stopping at truck stops in the middle of nowhere. Getting out of the bus and hoofing it around, getting to know the 1 mile radius around the venue and bus very intimately. Looking around for yoga classes every day.

3. Making new friends in every city. One of the greatest things about this tour is that the artists join the tour and leave the tour regularly. Jim Bianco and Tim Jones just joined us, Matt Costa and Charlotte Martin are gone, Miho and I will be vacating our bunks in Cincinnati (on my birthday), so we've gotten to meet lots and lots of people. It's really like rolling summer camp.

I would like to take this opportunity to dispell the groupie myth. I have to say that women really just throw themselves at male musicians; they have absolutely no shame. They sneak backstage, drunk, wearing heels, with full war paint on, giggling and draping themselves sensuously over furniture. In fact, I hear there was a recent conjugal visit by a female fan in the tour bus while we were in the hotel. But male fans -- not so much. Not that I could really hit that, but, you know, I sometimes wonder what it'd be like to have the option.

Best thing heard tonight, as told to Cary Brothers:
FAN: [With an Indiana drawl] Oh my gosh, it's such a great night! I just love the music! And the girl who's singing right now, she's great! I never thought I'd like Japanese music.

A really tough gig tonight in Louisville. We're staying on the bus in the parking lot of the venue tonight. We'll pull out for Indianapolis in the morning. To wash those gig blues away, I went to another room in the venue and showed them how karaoke is done. Totally exciting to have all the Kentucky locals hootin and hollerin over my Axl Rose impersonation.

By the way, catered dinner at the Phoenix Hill Tavern is bad, bad news. Canned potatoes and green beans, cold, tasteless chicken breast that might as well have been cooked in the microwave. Maybe that's why the gig sucked. I know you would never underestimate the power of a good meal. I'm going to get in bed and get excited about breakfast.

We have two days off in Louisville because of the cancelled Lansing gig. It seems to be a fantastic town to be stranded in. Lots of cute business establishments set up in big houses, a health food store with fresh carrot juice, and lots of yoga studios. We decide to have very healthy vegetarian food at Zen Garden for dinner. It's a ways away from the hotel, so we call a cab. When we come downstairs for it, a cab is already pulling away with other passengers. The driver, a rastafari wearing a big white cap, rolls the dark windows down. There is a tri-color Ethiopia air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror.

CAB DRIVER: Where are you going, mon?

GANDA: 2240 Frankfort Ave.

CAB DRIVER: If you want to get in, I take you there after I drop these folks off.

Miho and I climb into the back of the minivan cab behind a couple who look like they're about to go line dancing.

MIHO: Nice music.

CAB DRIVER: You like my music?! [He turns the music up til the bass buzzes and makes the minivan vibrate.] You been to Jamaica, mon?

MIHO: Irie!

CAB DRIVER: Sista! IRIEEEEEEEEE!! [He laughs with delight.]

The white-haired gentleman, Gary, is a corrective color specialist at a hair salon called Let Yourself Glow, according to his business card; he and his date Kelly are from Cincinnati, and are just in town to party for the weekend. We ask them for some restaurant recs in Cincinnati, where we'll be on my birthday.

GARY: [To the cab driver] What's your name, Rasta?

CAB DRIVER: I lost me slave name a long time ago. Me name is Ras now.

GARY: Where are you from?

RAS: From Jamaica and Mississippi, but mostly Jamaica. I got a house down dere, mon.

Gary and Kelly get dropped off at their sushi restaurant. Ras beckons us to come sit up near the front.

RAS: Where are you from?

[simultaneously]

MIHO: Brooklyn!
GANDA: Brooklyn!

RAS: Oh, Brooklyn in da house! FIRE! [But it sounds more like FAI-yaaaaa!]

We arrive at Zen Garden. Ras gives us his phone number so we can call when we're done. After dinner, we call, and he rolls up with his beige minivan again, the bass still buzzing through the dark tinted windows.

MIHO: Irie!

We talk congas, music, touring, Louisville history, vegetarianism. He says he's going to come see the show tomorrow; he also says he'll come to Brooklyn with his congas and his reggae band. We love Ras.

Special On The Road edition of You Are What You Eat!

Name: Matthew Costa

Occupation: Troubadour

Tour stop: Motor City

Relationship status: Yes

What did you eat today?

Cracker Barrel, home cookin’!

What do you never eat?

Escargots

Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you can always find:

Something old

What is your favorite kitchen item?

Peeler

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Curry

World ends tomorrow. What would you like for your last meal?

Mocha milk shake, FIESTA GRILL taco plate, gummi snacks, tuna sashimi, mattar paneer, large pizza, turkey sandwich, broccoli and cheddar cheese soup (to keep me warm in my cabin), Jameson’s whiskey (lots), A fishin pole to catch some CATFISH!, catfish, fried okra, lo mein, I feel guilty so I would like a salad, granola and yogurt, cheesecake, more gummi snacks, baklava, fried ice cream!

Matt and his band totally charmed us. It's too bad Detroit was their last stop with the Hotel Cafe tour. We were totally ready to adopt him and his red flannel shirt and his harmonica holder. I guess we'll have to settle for myspace friendship. We got a copy of his new record, but it doesn't have that darned "Na na na na" song on it. How are we going to get it out of our heads now?!

Detroit, you fucking rule. Despite the fact that a punk band downstairs was trying to drown out our quiet show, we blasted our songs and Detroit got down with us.

For lunch, Miho and I hit Greektown, which is basically a block of Greek themed restaurant next to a yuge Greektown Casino.

Lots of old folks smoking. The guy who served us at the Hellas restaurant had the papery gray mien and accordion voice of a heavy, heavy smoker.

We tried some OPA! brandy flambeed cheese which came sizzling and crisp on an iron plate and was a lot better than it seems like it would be. The avgolemono soup was like lemony, starchy cream of chicken with rice soup; my Greek sausage and omelette was nutmeggy or something and just a little too weird for me. I would have loved to try the Greek food but it was just a little too early for me. Even though it was 2 p.m. My internal clock's all fucked up.

The Sweetwater Tavern, just down the street from the venue, reminded us of Brooklyn. Down home cooking, laid back vibe, incredible spicy smothered chicken wings -- highly recommended.

Sadly, it was the last day on the tour with Charlotte Martin and Matt Costa, two incredibly adorable and talented folks. I can't believe the tour's halfway over, kind of! Our gig in Lansing got cancelled. Get this -- the venue CLOSED DOWN. Nobody told us til this morning. So we're on our way to Louisville for two days off. Anyone know anything good to do in Louisville?

In the meantime, I'm going to take a Benadryl and get in my bunk. Last night I forgot I was in a 2 ft. high bus bunk and I totally knocked my knee on the ceiling of the bunk. I'm going to try and upload some pictures tomorrow so you can see.

Look at my teeny tiny bunk, janetsumr! It's on the right side, bottom in a stack of three. Miho's is above mine so when I smash my knee against the ceiling, her bunk bears the brunt of it. (Sorry, Miho).

It's 2:45 a.m. EST according to my computer's clock. I don't know what time zone we're in or what time zone we'll be in. I have no idea if we'll be in a hotel tomorrow or if we'll be sleeping on the bus; I know nothing about Louisville. I'm just starting to get to know the people I'm living with on this bus, and in a matter of days I'll be leaving them. Being on a tour like this is like being in summer camp while crossing the country. It's a totally unique experience, simultaneously low-rent and high-glam. So far, it's been a great adventure, and I feel lucky to get to be a part of it.

If only our tour were in ten Chicagos. Miho and I were overjoyed to get not only carrot juice, but fantastic Lebanese food at Old Jerusalem in Old Town Chicago. The tabouleh had some cinnamon in it or something that made it extra fragrant and excellent; the baba ghanouj was also smoky, smooth and fab.

Last night, after a great gig in Chicago, we went to my best friend Donna's house to bathe and become human. It's such a luxury to get in a bathtub you can trust with delicious smelling products and a hair dryer and plenty of towels. Especially because my socks were kind of smelling like Fritos. I'll probably try to hold on to my current state of cleanliness til we get to a hotel room in Lansing.

On top of a bar of yummy Fresh soap for Miho and me to take on the road, Donna put out a gorgeous spread of fruits and veggies. I cannot emphasize the importance of fiber in the ongoing battle against traveler's constipation. Dried fruit, fresh fruit, oatmeal, raw carrots -- everything you eat counts. TMI?

Now we're in Detroit, where I fear our options are limited to loose hamburger and Coney Island dogs. When you're in a ginormous tour bus, it's really hard to go anywhere not within walking distance of the venue, especially since the bus can't park anywhere. I'm going to go hoof it in a bit and see what I can dig up.

I haven't been taking enough pictures. I'm going to try and remedy that today.