Skeezed Out
What Storm?
Eye Exam Tomorrow
Well, I woke up flat broke this chilly morning, with the wind blowing so hard that I had my hat wedged under my guitar case to prevent it from blowing away.
I was glad to have gotten my heavy sweatshirt from the other side of the river and to have put it on during the night, along with a pair of jeans which were big enough to go over the shorts that I was wearing.
The temperature had done about a 40 degree drop since I had donned shorts and tee shirt combination that morning.
I was feeling depressed, which is a feeling that I am more likely to have when waking up with less than 5 bucks on me.
It is also something which seems to be spawned by my having spent time with Tanya, only to see her drive off to her house before I make my way to a piece of cardboard.
I had woken up under the dock at almost noon (as I hadn't gotten to sleep until almost 5 a.m.).
It was sunny and bright and hot.
The Natchez was out on the river some where, which allowed enough light under the dock that I was able to move some rocks around, making my bed less lumpy.
I couldn't stop thinking about how Tanya Huang had rocked back and forth and sort of danced in her chair the previous afternoon when playing Folsom Prison Blues.
It was a very cute image; Dorise sitting upright and rocking out the chords and Tanya swaying from side to side like a pendulum.
I was thinking that; the next time Tanya asked me "What do you want to me to play?" I was going to say: "Anything; as long as you stand up when you play it...and sway from side to side, if possible....
I realized that I need to put myself on a track to becoming a "professional" street musician; able to set up even in the chaos of Mardi Gras and be heard over the din.
Even if it means getting a new ID through Rebuild Center and going out through the labor pool to sweep out the Superdome for 40 dollars; plus whatever money, jewelry and other trinkets which 75 thousand people might drop. And, unfinished drinks? Forget about it!!
Before I had gotten to the sign spot last night, I passed the young black man, who plays an electric violin through a rig similar to Tanyas, and who merely plays scales and arpeggios that are not recognizable as songs, but who fills his tip box with hundreds of dollars whenever he plays.
"I think the black people view him as some sort of Tiger Woods figure; you know, breaking into white mans music the way he (Tiger) did the rich white man's passtime. They think he is playing Beethoven, and it makes them swell up with Black Pride, and they fill his box up..." I had said to Dorise, Sunday afternoon.
"I don't think it's that. It's just that the violin is a beautiful instrument; and his pitch is good; even though he isn't playing anything," she responded.
Get Out Of Jail Free
In preparation for Tropical Storm Karen (which never came) the Orleans Parish Prison, purportedly released 130 Skeezers Thursday night.
And, there they were, flooding the French Quarter and creating a more volatile atmosphere .
This had the further effect of causing the tourists to not tip musicians such as myself.
By the time they reached my spot, they had been skeezed deaf and blind (to me).
I managed to make about 25 bucks on Friday, playing until 3:30 in the morning.
I then went by Rouses Market and learned (at 4:15 a.m.) that they have changed their policy about disposing of food which is edible though out of date.
Now, the incoming morning crew put the food out, rather than the outgoing night shift.
There is only a lag of about 3 hours, as the morning crew comes in around 4 a.m. to start preparing for the stores opening at around 6 (I think).
What this means is that the chicken bag has lost its appeal along with its "selling point" of being hot food, fresh off the rack. Sorry, skeezers.
The sushi does not suffer through this limitation, as it comes out cold and (as the fall temperatures become refrigerator-like) will still be cold, and only 4 hours "out of date."
I grabbed about 5 containers of it ($40 worth) and made for the dock, so as to take shelter from the tropical storm over the weekend and survive on sushi and a gallon of water.
It didn't come.
Saturday, there were brief showers, in between periods of clear blue sky.
But, by Saturday, there had begun to be heard the complaint that the tourists in town were very cheap.
Walking around Bourbon Street that night, I saw all kinds of unfamiliar faces of people whose demeanor and/or attire designated them to me as being the skeezers who had been let of of jail for free.
A few of them stared at me coldly; eying my guitar (he's making money) and nudging each other; and I had the feeling that I was being followed several times; so I stayed in the safe spots and took the safe routes and disappeared under the dock, after out-witting them, to await Tropical Storm Karen, which was surely going to arrive during the night.
It didn't.
More Tanya Huang
(because I like it when, whomever the 3 people in China are, check in)
Sunday, I was up and had about 6 dollars left on me.
After re arranging rocks (because the storm could still arrive, right?) and ruminating about Tanya swaying from side to side, as mentioned earlier, I emerged from under the dock and acted like I was looking for driftwood as I walked along the river a ways before coming up to the river walk.
The route from the dock into the Quarter takes me right to where I heard Tanyas ("unmistakable" -excuse the pun-) sounding violin before even seeing her.
They were doing an "all Elton John set," and were playing Rocket Man, when I went into the hotel across from them to change into my shorts and a different tee shirt.
They were playing "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word," when I emerged.
Just then, a gust of wind almost toppled their umbrella, and Tanya dove out of the way, without interrupting the music; and stood on the sidewalk, playing.
I walked over, to lend assistance in laying the umbrella aside.
"We're doing an all Elton John set," said Dorise.
"Ah, that's why I heard an Elton song on the way into the hotel and one coming out...which ones did I miss while I was washing up and changing?"
As if to answer me, Tanya began to play "Daniel," standing next to me.
Then, she moved close enough to me, so that I could hear her singing the words.
Then, she rocked back and forth while playing the solo.
"...as long as you stand up and sway back and forth, if possible..."
That was not the first uncanny example of what could be deduced as a psychic connection between myself and that duo...
I ran into them again, as they were packing up in the evening when I was on my way back from making 2 or 3 dollars at my spot; and then getting plastered on what people left outside of Pat O' Briens.
"Stay out of trouble, write a song, get some pants, don't blog too hard, and be careful," said Dorise before they left.
Aye, Aye Sister
I have my eye exam appointment tomorrow and the test run of my alarm clock on my Obama phone was a success this morning, with Mozart waking me up with his Piano Sonata number 1. Twice (I hit "snooze" instead of "dismiss" D' oh!)
What Storm?
Eye Exam Tomorrow
Well, I woke up flat broke this chilly morning, with the wind blowing so hard that I had my hat wedged under my guitar case to prevent it from blowing away.
 |
| Stood Next To Me And Played "Daniel" Sunday |
The temperature had done about a 40 degree drop since I had donned shorts and tee shirt combination that morning.
I was feeling depressed, which is a feeling that I am more likely to have when waking up with less than 5 bucks on me.
It is also something which seems to be spawned by my having spent time with Tanya, only to see her drive off to her house before I make my way to a piece of cardboard.
I had woken up under the dock at almost noon (as I hadn't gotten to sleep until almost 5 a.m.).
It was sunny and bright and hot.
The Natchez was out on the river some where, which allowed enough light under the dock that I was able to move some rocks around, making my bed less lumpy.
I couldn't stop thinking about how Tanya Huang had rocked back and forth and sort of danced in her chair the previous afternoon when playing Folsom Prison Blues.
It was a very cute image; Dorise sitting upright and rocking out the chords and Tanya swaying from side to side like a pendulum.
I was thinking that; the next time Tanya asked me "What do you want to me to play?" I was going to say: "Anything; as long as you stand up when you play it...and sway from side to side, if possible....
I realized that I need to put myself on a track to becoming a "professional" street musician; able to set up even in the chaos of Mardi Gras and be heard over the din.
Even if it means getting a new ID through Rebuild Center and going out through the labor pool to sweep out the Superdome for 40 dollars; plus whatever money, jewelry and other trinkets which 75 thousand people might drop. And, unfinished drinks? Forget about it!!
Before I had gotten to the sign spot last night, I passed the young black man, who plays an electric violin through a rig similar to Tanyas, and who merely plays scales and arpeggios that are not recognizable as songs, but who fills his tip box with hundreds of dollars whenever he plays.
"I think the black people view him as some sort of Tiger Woods figure; you know, breaking into white mans music the way he (Tiger) did the rich white man's passtime. They think he is playing Beethoven, and it makes them swell up with Black Pride, and they fill his box up..." I had said to Dorise, Sunday afternoon.
"I don't think it's that. It's just that the violin is a beautiful instrument; and his pitch is good; even though he isn't playing anything," she responded.
 |
| "Inspiration Violin, he calls it. 'pure improvisation'" |
Get Out Of Jail Free
In preparation for Tropical Storm Karen (which never came) the Orleans Parish Prison, purportedly released 130 Skeezers Thursday night.
And, there they were, flooding the French Quarter and creating a more volatile atmosphere .
This had the further effect of causing the tourists to not tip musicians such as myself.
By the time they reached my spot, they had been skeezed deaf and blind (to me).
I managed to make about 25 bucks on Friday, playing until 3:30 in the morning.
I then went by Rouses Market and learned (at 4:15 a.m.) that they have changed their policy about disposing of food which is edible though out of date.
Now, the incoming morning crew put the food out, rather than the outgoing night shift.
There is only a lag of about 3 hours, as the morning crew comes in around 4 a.m. to start preparing for the stores opening at around 6 (I think).
What this means is that the chicken bag has lost its appeal along with its "selling point" of being hot food, fresh off the rack. Sorry, skeezers.
The sushi does not suffer through this limitation, as it comes out cold and (as the fall temperatures become refrigerator-like) will still be cold, and only 4 hours "out of date."
I grabbed about 5 containers of it ($40 worth) and made for the dock, so as to take shelter from the tropical storm over the weekend and survive on sushi and a gallon of water.
It didn't come.
Saturday, there were brief showers, in between periods of clear blue sky.
But, by Saturday, there had begun to be heard the complaint that the tourists in town were very cheap.
Walking around Bourbon Street that night, I saw all kinds of unfamiliar faces of people whose demeanor and/or attire designated them to me as being the skeezers who had been let of of jail for free.
A few of them stared at me coldly; eying my guitar (he's making money) and nudging each other; and I had the feeling that I was being followed several times; so I stayed in the safe spots and took the safe routes and disappeared under the dock, after out-witting them, to await Tropical Storm Karen, which was surely going to arrive during the night.
It didn't.
More Tanya Huang
(because I like it when, whomever the 3 people in China are, check in)
Sunday, I was up and had about 6 dollars left on me.
After re arranging rocks (because the storm could still arrive, right?) and ruminating about Tanya swaying from side to side, as mentioned earlier, I emerged from under the dock and acted like I was looking for driftwood as I walked along the river a ways before coming up to the river walk.
The route from the dock into the Quarter takes me right to where I heard Tanyas ("unmistakable" -excuse the pun-) sounding violin before even seeing her.
They were doing an "all Elton John set," and were playing Rocket Man, when I went into the hotel across from them to change into my shorts and a different tee shirt.
They were playing "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word," when I emerged.
Just then, a gust of wind almost toppled their umbrella, and Tanya dove out of the way, without interrupting the music; and stood on the sidewalk, playing.
I walked over, to lend assistance in laying the umbrella aside.
"We're doing an all Elton John set," said Dorise.
"Ah, that's why I heard an Elton song on the way into the hotel and one coming out...which ones did I miss while I was washing up and changing?"
As if to answer me, Tanya began to play "Daniel," standing next to me.
Then, she moved close enough to me, so that I could hear her singing the words.
Then, she rocked back and forth while playing the solo.
"...as long as you stand up and sway back and forth, if possible..."
That was not the first uncanny example of what could be deduced as a psychic connection between myself and that duo...
I ran into them again, as they were packing up in the evening when I was on my way back from making 2 or 3 dollars at my spot; and then getting plastered on what people left outside of Pat O' Briens.
"Stay out of trouble, write a song, get some pants, don't blog too hard, and be careful," said Dorise before they left.
Aye, Aye Sister
I have my eye exam appointment tomorrow and the test run of my alarm clock on my Obama phone was a success this morning, with Mozart waking me up with his Piano Sonata number 1. Twice (I hit "snooze" instead of "dismiss" D' oh!)
The "scales" the black violinist plays may be exercises, there are certain books like "Sevcik" and "Kreutzer" that have lots of scale-y things in them, that classical violinists have to know and play be heart. That may be what the guy is doing. It's pretty admirable, that the guy is going with the classical exercises and scales, rather than just learning a few popular songs and saying to hell with theory.
ReplyDeleteAlso, anyone passing by who's studied violin or been around violinists, will recognize the exercises and know the guy's "one of us" and that gets tips. Just like old folks dig the cornet - the cornet was a big deal before WWII.