the promenade

It is Saturday morning and I'm just waking up from a very long opening night at this new restaurant I am working at called pizza Antica. Pizza Antica is in a huge new shopping center at the beginning(or end depending on which way your headed) of a fairly famous area called the promenade. Or 3rd street promenade. The whole street is closed to traffic and is filled with tourists, musicians, magicians, break dancers, hobos and hustlers, side walk preachers, Michael Jackson impersonators, fine dinning, street vendors and all sorts of shopping. The street pretty much ends at the ocean a huge Ferris wheel looms over the madness and a long pier juts into the Pacific. I'm pretty sure I've seen the Ferris wheel in some movies but I can't really think of any off the top of my head. So for the last week or so I've been studying the menu, figuring out what the difference is in an early girl and a sweet 100 tomato and trying to pronounce the names and regions of our pretty lengthy and eclectic wine list which oddly enough are mostly from Italy not California. I guess they thought you can get any California wines pretty much anywhere around these parts. So far it has been a fun atmosphere with good people. It seems that everyone who works there is either an actor or musician...so I fit right in. I haven't been all that too focused on the music side of things the last few weeks other than playing and writing when I get home from training-i feel it's probably a good idea to focus on the job and get that figured out first and move on from there seeing as that will be what allows me to make some money-it's a hit. I also didn't really know what the hours would be and schedules etc... I did however play at this place called club good hurt in Venice right before training started. I thought I played quite a bit better and was more relaxed despite playing a song I had written about a week before while dog sitting which did make me a bit nervous-but I am confident that it's one of the strangest/coolest/funnest to play blues guitar riffs I've ever come up with. So that was fun! Still not a ton of people showed but I think that will change soon. To sum it all up I got a good job at a cool place with some fun people. WHEW! That's a load off! I was getting kinda stressed about that! Feelin' good now though! Adios from California!

Anne Frank and the Canyon

Well hello there. I know it's been a while but there hasn't been a ton to update on. Still looking for some sort of employment after a rather shady incident at this place called K n' Dave's. I was “hired” and in training-but no one ever really told me what I was training for and different managers would tell me opposing ideas on what I was doing and where I should be. After about two weeks when the new schedules were to come out I called to ask when to come in and they told me they were deciding if they were actually going to hire any of the trainees. I was not one of em if they did. I have also talked to a girl there that got “hired” around the same time as me and she told now has a similar story of management being pretty strange and then not getting hired. So the good news is I really don't want to work for a place like that, the bad news is I don't currently have a job. Bummer. During my search I did get a random call to dog sit in Pacific Palisades. This came from a friend of Jan's-mom's sorority sister-who needed someone to watch their rescued dog Fig and kinda watch their house while they were away. Not exactly a job I can hang my hat on but something to keep me afloat for the time being. The house is right at the edge of a canyon or cliff overlooking the ocean-quite a good exchange for having to pick up Fig's business everyday. It was pretty gray most of the time I was there...the Californian's call it June gloom. Anyway, one of the days after walking Fig I was looking out at the ocean and realized I hadn't actually been to the beach yet since being out here. I figured surely there would be a way to make it down the cliff/canyon or whatever it is...I'm sure there is a good geological term for it out there somewhere. Near the edge I could see trails going down so I knew I could manage at least a little ways. After fighting some tall brush in the trail I came upon the back seat of a car on a good view point of the ocean with quite a number of miller high life cans in front of it. I figured this was the local high school hide away of the neighborhood. Another clue that it was some high school kids hang out was a lot torn out pages to a book. I figured school just got out so most likely on a wild night they sacrificed all their required reading material. I picked up a few pages of the Diary of Anne Frank to read if and when I made it to the beach. I could see another trail down below so I kept going down down down...not into a burning ring of fire though. After some tough going and following some drainage pipes I came across what was probably a hobo hideaway...trash and places to sleep I guess...I didn't stick around long enough to give you any real solid details of the joint. I then made my way back through the thick brush and drainage pipes and kicked up a pretty big coyote-which was kinda cool. I was about to just go back up but thought I'd round one more corner of one more trail-which turned out to be a straight shot to the bottom. The next obstacle was crossing the six lanes of the Pacific Coast High way to get to the shore...the stop lights about a half a mile down gave me plenty of space to do so...i just figured it looked odd for a dude to hop over the cement barricade coming out of the wooded canyons, onto the highway, weaving through cars and making his way to the beach. But finally made it and it was great! I love the ocean! I was pretty hot after my trek down the mountain-i was calling it a mountain by this point and especially going back up-and wanted to get in the water. After getting about ankle deep I realized I was just fine with my current body temperature...i wanted no part of the pneumonia I woulda gotten! I found a good sand dune and pulled out the Anne Frank pages which were really pretty amazing. I only had pages 171-182 but got some good advice from Anne! “My advice is: Go outside, to the field, enjoy nature and the sunshine, go out and try to recapture happiness in yourself and in God. Think of all the beauty that's still left in and around you and be happy....and whoever is happy will make others happy too. He who has courage and faith will never perish in misery!” Anne Frank
Will do! AND HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!

The day after the show I got called in to I guess my first day of work at a place called Kay n' Dave's Mexican Cantina. When I got off I got a text from a dude seeing if I wanted to come to a movie at a cemetery...i wasn't sure if the place was called the cemetery or what the deal was. Anyway, I guess there is this Hollywood cemetery where they show movies every Saturday night. This night they were showing Casablanca. After waiting in line we passed through a cemetery to get to a big open field where people hung out on blankets, lawn chairs and pillows, coolers, wine, dogs. It was such a strange scene-like a concert type atmosphere. As the sun set a dj played over the loud speakers music of the time period of Casablanca...like big band jazz and Frank Sinatra. When the sun actually did set, a projection came across the side of a huge building and the crown shushed each other as the movie started. Many people whistled and howled as Humphrey Bogart came on screen in his white jacket smoking his cigarette. And much applause every time he said, “here's lookin at you kid”. And the line about all the gin bars in world. It was such a unique way to watch a movie. I can't believe I'd never seen that movie! I loved it! I really liked Sam the piano player!

Hello there! The Whiskey gig went pretty good...for the most part. So, to start things off I was trying to get CDs shipped to me in time for the gig-so once I realized I was going to be playing at the whiskey I got a PO box and went to the site where I made the CDs and got to send em to me...as the days went by and by I started getting agitated in the fact that they weren't there. I sent the company an email about it and they said because the CDs are on demand it takes longer to prepare them to ship-they said they may be there on Friday...nothing like coming down to the wire. Well, as it turns out they were not there-i waited until right when I was leaving to check-but no dice. I was trying to get there by 5 for sound check so I left plenty early...like 4:15ish. Pleeeenty of time. I'm going right along following the sweet voice of my British woman Tom Tom. I think I have a bad influence on her...I'm pretty sure she gets confused sometimes...and this was one of those times. Or I may have taken a premature exit...i dunno. But I found the clock getting ever closer to 5 o'clock and I'm circling around neighborhoods somewhere between Culver City and Hollywood. “WE'RE GOING IN CIRCLES WOMAN!!” Needless to say I was a bit frustrated at the fact that I was sortof lost, my Cds didn't arrive and I might not get a sound check. Well, my British lady came through and I came up on the Sunset strip with about 4 minutes to spare and there on the Marquee at the Whiskey was my name in lights saying grady be good tonight. That got me in a bit of a better mood. And actually like I thought-after talking to the sound man I really didn't need to do sound check at 5 seeing as they were just going to plug me into the PA. So I had time to wonder around the club, go backstage, check out the other guys sound checking, whatever. I noodled around on the guitar for a minute but then took to the streets to explore. I found a little place around the corner with a happy hour and the Foo Fighters story tellers on the tube so I thought it a good Idea to stop in for a blue moon. I meet up with a few friends who were coming also, so that was good but then decided it was time to go in and do some warming up. I found the doors locked and a small line outside. I knocked on the door to tell the guy I was the first guy going on and I wanted in...he said, “well...you'll be the first guy in when we open the doors.” uh...ok. So I stood in line to get into the show that I was playing. When they let me in the sound guy said, “it's 7:56-we need you going at 8.” So despite all that, I thought I played decent. I kinda wish I coulda warmed up...but whatever. It was a fun night. One of the best parts was just hanging out backstage with the other bands and watching the shows that followed me. I did make my way to the bar to get a shot of Jack Daniels...i mean I was at the whiskey...why not? The bartender held up both her hands, “TEN!”..... uh..ten what? Ten quarters? That was the greatest tasting ten dollar shot ever! I decided if I wanted another drink I'd find one back stage for about ten dollars less than that one!
SET LIST
Lady Satan
Roll a cigarette
No Rose
Indigo Blue
Magdalene
Anthem

culver city, whiskey and an odd church

Howdy! It is Sunday evening in Culver City California. The job hunt is still on but I'm feeling good about something happening soon. I get a strange feeling that I'm not the only starving artist out here looking for a job...crazy. I haven't been up to speed on these blogs so I've got some catching up to do. So...i did move to an apartment in Culver City. My roommate's American name is Mike Harrison-but I later found out that his real name is Moshe Hajimshe? Somewhere in there on that last name...anyway he is a really great guy from Israel, so I'm working on keeping things kosher in the kitchen. When I moved in he offered me a sun dried banana and a shot of champagne as a welcome! Kosher champagne is delicious! I will also be playing at the Whiskey a go go on Friday as my first gig in Los Angeles. I'm doing my best not to flip out that Jimi has played there as well as Zeppelin, the Doors and quite a number more of my hero's. So I'm sure I'll have a story or two from that night.
Last night I went to a bar-b-Q at one of my mom's sorority sister's houses in Pacific Palisades. I had to take highway one up around Santa Monica and Venice...which made it amazingly hard to concentrate on the road. The Pacific Ocean was shining like a National Guitar! Everything was great! The food, the company, the pink margaritas. I feel like I had some California parents stuffing me with good food and sending me home with leftovers. Thank you Jan and Bill if you happen to be reading this!!!!
This morning I walked down to a church I had found online that was within walking distance(about a mile or so) only to find a law office in its place...a good thing was it was next to a local park and community center so I walked around watching softballers, skateboarders, walkers and joggers through the sounds of Son House on my iPod. After walking around a bit I did find a church that started in the next 10 minutes! Great! It was...a bit odd I guess. I'm not sure if any of the other 20 to 30 people caught this but the piano player started playing “Memories” from the musical Cats to start the service...interesting. We sang a few hymns and then they then lit a candle for each of the world religions including Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism, Islam, Christianity and one for all Indigenous religions. I was a little confused at this point. We then read from scripture John 14:6 “ I am the way the truth and the life...” the pastor then went on to talk about the power of the phrase “I am” and the power of our conscience selves being one with the universe and backed up her thought process with teachings from Buddhism and meditation on ourselves. while all this is going on the windows are open and the sound of mariachi accordians can be heard in the background. She closed by having us close our eyes as she read a poem she wrote about the service. Now...I realize I'm from the Bible belt...and I don't really want to be closed minded about things out here but that seemed a bit strange and fairly contradictory to me. Why would you go to church to meditate on your own self? I kinda think we probably do enough of that throughout the week anyway. I dunno, I guess I'm just more of a Jesus kind of guy....aaaannywhoo-after that I went to an interview at a gym in Venice where the job hunting continued. As for now I'm gonna break into these leftovers, play some guitar and call it a night!

ups and downs

I'm approaching being here a week now...and so far it's been full of ups and downs. I tend to get a little stressed out and overwhelmed by everything...do I get a job first, then an apartment? Or the other way around? Why is there so much traffic? Where's my buddy Moses? What if I don't find a job a place to live? What if what if what if....on the other hand- we have different fingers...AND it's REALLY exciting! On Friday I was scrolling through jobs on Craigslist when I saw something about being an extra in a horror film...hmmm....so I called the agency and and made an appointment for later that day-which was actually about 2 blocks down the street. I went to Kinko's printed some head shots and went on my way. I got there at 4pm to meet the agent. I signed in and got a script to read to the agent when they called us in. pretty funny scene-sitting there watching everyone reading over their script silently in their heads. Anyway- I get called in and talk to the lady a while and do my little reading...i was supposed to be a guy whose back was going out! Ha! She asked for more head shots and a resume for their system which I guess I take a good sign. After finding out I played guitar she asked if I was fluent in french-she was looking for a guitar playing french guy in another movie. Dang! I shoulda said we! Later that evening, after walking down sunset strip to buy groceries, I went to a place called the Hotel cafe where singer songwriters play their tunes. It gets so quite in there! I had to whisper to the bartender for my drink. “psst....can I get a Guinness? Shhh!” I chose Guinness due to the fact that it would take me a while to drink that meal in a can. It was all really cool stuff.
On Saturday my friend Emily got me a ticket to a small concert on a vineyard in Malibu...it was every bit as cool as it sounds! Can't really even describe how pretty it was! I got to meet a lot of great people who were all excited that I had moved here just the other day. I got lots of “Welcome to California!”s and got to hear a lot of other people's stories that started out in a similar fashion. We then joined the band to a house party where the bass player was DJ-ing. The house turned out to be this huge mansion in the hills over looking the city...i kinda had to keep pinching myself. It was a nice welcome to the city! Of course I then had to come back to the reality of needing to get a job and real place to live. Like I said ups and downs. Anyway-tomorrow is another day and I can't wait to see what it holds!!

out in LA

I made it! I'm at a pay by the week motel on Whitley ave. around the corner from Hollywood blvd. I got in pretty late last night after a long drive from Flagstaff. I was planning on being quite a bit further down the road than that but a sand storm held me up in Winslow Arizona-it was such a fine sight to see. So...I 40 was out of commission and I began debating whether or not to get off course to try and go around the storm. If someone is reading this that doesn't know me very well...i am absolutely notorious for getting lost in even the places I've been dozens of times before, let alone new places in new states. Against maybe my better judgment I try to sneak around the storm...and of course I go about 40 miles in the wrong direction...typical. Actually I went the right direction just past where I was supposed to turn which was Lake Mary Rd. off of 87 south. Anyway- I'm in this motel for the next week. I've emailed some people about apartments and spent most of the day trying to get familiar with the subways and buses. For the most part I feel a bit overwhelmed. What did I just do?!?! I don't know what made it sink in that I am in a crazy place...coulda been the shaman/medicine man named Moses I had a conversation with in the lobby, or it coulda been the lady yelling that we're all gonna f-ing die, or it coulda been the girl next door giving a guy very descriptive directions on how to get to the gay and lesbian bar. Oh well...we'll see what tomorrow brings!