Thursday January 17 2013

City of Lies by Lian Tanner.[i]

☼ ○ ▬

Congregating inside a small convenient shop with Anthony, Kevin, Richie, and a few others. At one point people decide to start trashing the place, typical behavior of the LIVE crew. I choose to be a bystander and continue sitting on a stool during all the commotion. I don’t take part because I know the security cameras are watching. I follow the troupe outside and we jet it out of there. Later, I’m walking around in a big building where some kind of youth convention is taking place. It’s understood a gang of buff dudes who owned the convenient shop are after anyone involved in the destruction of the property. Or maybe they’re in the mafia. But either way they have no mercy and kill off all my friends. Even though I’m not guilty of anything, I’m still an accomplice. I run down corridors and hallways. I locate a fairly busy public restroom where Aaron Long is standing guard. He offers me a hideaway behind one of the stalls. I crouch down behind the toilet with my blue baby pillow. Grossed out by the urine droplets on the side of the toilet seat. A few of the mafia men search the bathroom. One of them partially recognizes my face. They barge into the stall and question me. I pretend to be drugged out and play everything off.

I talk slowly and casually, “Uhhh. I’m not who you’re looking for. My name’s Nick.”

I offer a handshake but the gesture is not well received. However they seem to believe my act and run off. I’m safe.

▬ ○ ☼


Waking up around 1 p.m.


Strawberry Toaster Pastries. Orange Juice.


Organizing.


Practicing some songs.


Grilled Cheese with Hummus and Tomato. Goldfish Crackers. Honey Green Tea.

Watching The Queen of Versailles (2012).


Rehearsing a little bit at the storage unit. Then to the gym for a two-mile run. Then to the house to scoop up Kevin with his violin.


Orange. Apple.


At Wing King, a sports bar and grill off the boulevard near Rosemont. Mike Gombas invited me to play a gig with him. I open. The whole gang is here: James, Kevin, Anthony, Kelley, Will, Sasha, Richie, and others. I attempt a few new melodies and covers. Anthony accompanies me with harmonica on the “All I Want is You” song and Kevin accompanies me with violin on the “Spinball Dopamotive” song. All around it’s a hearty full range set that I can be proud of but also see a little room for improvement.

...

Chowing down on Buffalo Shrimp with Celery, Fries, and a PBR tallboy.

...

Receiving a few compliments from barflies who liked my performance.

Man at the bar: “That was very good. I don’t listen to music or know a lot about it but I know when I like what I hear.”

...

I bring the little bit of leftovers from my dinner plate to the guys. Immediately everyone snatches what they can from the plate as if there was a famine and they hadn’t eaten for days.

Me: “Goodness! You guys are just a bunch of moochers.”

James: “You’re a moocher with no future!”

...

Mike and Chris Kendrick perform. I sit down at the table with Kevin, Will, Sasha, and a girlfriend of hers.

Will: “It’s a convoluted web of life.”


Back home.

Milk and Chocolate.


Sleep 4 a.m.


[i] City of Lies by Lian Tanner.

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