The Good old days

There's an Eels song that goes "These could be the good old days"
Either its the title or its a line in the song, but it always pops in my head when I'm having a good time.

Amish Train

Back in Oswego again.
I survived a 10 and a half hour train ride.
I was reminded of the Nazis sending people to death camps on trains cramped in like sardines, starving, thisty, dirty, afraid for days.
I found my ride relaxing compared to those conditions.
I found myself lucky to be born into a better situation.
whose to say what the future holds though. .

There was a 2 hour layover in Albany.
Albany.
Met a fellow traveler. He was living in Oregon, plays in a band and was heading to Chicago. We walked around downtown, split a pizza and headed back to the depot.
The connecting train from NYC was late. Traffic. Big surprise.

Got into Syracuse around 11. Evidently I missed a bunch of Amish people. I was hoping Shannon would keep them occupied so I could see them, but they were gone by the time I got to the station.

I've never seen an Amish person.

Todays Globe

Todays Boston Globe
http://calendar.boston.com/jamaica-plain-ma/events/show/85768680-bryan-mcpherson

noisy pipes and shitty apartments

My pipes are clanging. The pipes in my walls in my weird apartments.
I always live in weird apartments.
They are always painted strange, bright colours. I don't paint them. they come that way.
a couple of years ago I lived in Cambridge and my walls were bright neon lime green, then i moved to allston and lived in a strange attic apartment with a loft. I lived there for 12 hours before I was ruthlessly attacked by an army of bed bugs.
I moved out the next day.
a few years ago I lived in Malden in a studio apartment. I called it the broken apartment. everything broke.
The ceiling collapsed. the steam heat blew though the wall and the wall broke.
It had strange prehistoric insects. You got to see different ones every day.
The heating pipes were the worst.
It was the longest winter.
every night it sounded like there were an army of trolls with golf clubs in my walls banging on the pipes like blue man group. I'm not even exaggerating.
Then i moved back to Dorchester.
Now the walls were bright red and I had a roommate.
the walls were fine
the roommate had a bad habit of masturbating in the living room on sundays when i wasn't home.
the problem was I would come home.
it made for awkward moments. especially when i came home with friends.
I moved out.
Now I live in a studio apartment.
Its small.
I call it the boat, because its so small and the ocean is down the street.
it has the smallest bathroom and the bathroom has a plastic folding door.
I usually piss from the kitchen.
Its fun and I can do dishes or cook dinner at the same time.
its all about multi tasking these days
how can i be the most productive
i'm just doing my part
like a good american
not to get sidetracked, but my pipes are clanging again
and I need to pee
and i'm hungry
I think financial success can be marked by how loud your heating pipes are
I think
goodnight

Edge

I feel I owe some sort of explanation for myself and for people who come to my shows as to why I am quiet and have an edge before playing.
Basically because I'm nervous.
I'm preparing to play, so to speak.
I'm not thinking about small talk or drinking or having a good time really.
I kind of psyching myself up and preparing and making sure I'm ready. Inside.
anyone who has ever been to a show knows I can get pretty into it.
So, do not take it personally.

As to why I am quiet and have an edge after a show, that's another story.

The corporate terror chain restaurant of mass destruction and the girls in the hood.

The corporate terror chain restaurant of mass destruction and the girls in the hood.

I lasted 9 days at the corporate terror chain restaurant. I was a waiter.

The only thing I can compare it to is the 9 days I spent in a Holding in New Bedford.
A holding is a place where you stay in the limbo of "after detox and before a half-way house" for long term drug treatment.

The only thing I can compare The Holding to is prison. I've never been to prison, but the guys in the holding said it was kind of like that.

My first day at the Holding was a nightmare. Maybe not a nightmare. A nightmare is worse. I will say that It was a long ride from my comfy spot at the High Point Drug Treatment Program(Irony). First thing I noticed was it was in between a methadone clinic and a department of social services office. This was all in an old abandoned warehouse next to some polluted river. Everything was gray.

They brought me to the door.

On the other side of the door people were yelling. Chaos.

Afraid.
They let me in.
Welcome Mr McPherson. We've been expecting you.
Hello.
Come pee in this cup.
They take me to the bathroom.

There is a big giant mirror pointed directly at my penis.

It makes it look bigger than it is. It is "slightly bigger than average" so I've been told. For the record.

They stand behind me with a clip board.

They stare at the mirror.

"Pee!" They say.

"Pee!"

I can not pee. The pressure is too much. It takes about 45 minutes for the drips to add up to a sufficient sample.

The whole place consists of one common room, a kitchen/dining area and about 6 dorm style rooms that house about 5 or 6 people each. There are couches lining the common area and games like Connect 4, Uno, and Monopoly

It is always cold.

The AC is always blasting.

Everyone is Portuguese. Everyone in New Bedford is Portuguese and some sort of Fisherman. Everyone talks like they are Italian and in a mob movie. Everyone talks like they are tough. Some guys collect the deodorant, soap, and shampoo. The deodorant, soap and shampoo is given out in a point system. For example if you sweep the floor you get 1 blue chip. Deodorant costs 5 blue chips. Once you make 5 blue chips you can buy some deodorant.

Capitalism.

1 of my roommates has his bureau full of deodorants and shampoos that he sells and trades. He has been here for 9 months. He is the man to see for deodorant. Some say he is hiding out from the mob. He looks like it. I don't think he's doing a very good job.

Evidently a few years later the director of this program was fired. I guess you were just supposed to be given deodorant.

We go outside for a smoke break. Everyone must go out in a line and be counted. There is a large gray fence and a few picnic tables. Everything is gray. The sky is . The ground is gray. The fence is gray. The people are gray. god is gray. everything is gray and melting into one big gray. Its the grayest.

Tommy from Charlestown says "don't worry McPheeeaason I'll get your back down here too."

Back at the detox on my first night I almost got beat up and thrown out.
This place was in a wooded area and had a smoke area out back.
Wild animals would walk past. Little foxes, raccoons and skunks would roam past and look at us through the gray chain link. We watched them. They watched us. Both mildly entertained by each others presence. Most of us were doped up on either Librium, Klonadine, Methadone, or all of the above. We just sat there and smoked and thought about how our lives had turned into a stinking pile of shit.

Then the animals would walk by. It was nice when they walked by.

2 not so nice guys started luring a raccoon over by throwing bread at it. The raccoon crawled under the fence to get the bread and they were going to bash its head in with a big stick.

I said something like "oh you guys are all tough gonna beat up a little raccoon with stick." They said something along the lines of "we'll beat you up. What are you gonna do about it?"

Tommy from Charlestown said, "I'll do something about it"

They backed down. It was like a movie.

I didn't know Tommy very well. He seemed like a really tough dude. Just had that presence and evidently a reputation. I just met him, but he liked the fact that I was from Dorchester and he was from Charlestown. These other guys were from Brockton. So he got my back.

I look back to that moment as a life saving experience.

Last time I saw Tommy he was on the street.

what if's

If you start analyzing your life and all of the possible outcomes of different instances and situations and decisions it can mess with your head.

Back at the holding

smoke break is over and its time for dinner

everyone is hungry. All there is to do is eat.

There are a lot of potatoes and rice and bread

a little meat and some canned veggies

not the worst food

Some days they take us to an outside meeting during the day

we would walk in a line like a bunch of grade schoolers

everyone would stare at us

there was trash on the ground

sometimes we would stop at a playground

next to a freeway

it was hot

it was September but the sun was still there and the grass was long

and there was us

a bunch of straight up fuck ups more than lost

playing soccer and sliding down slides and swinging on swings

What a site

In the mornings they had this psycho disciplinarian. She was about 65 years old but tough as nails and really seemed to like her job. She would come into our rooms and bang on stuff to wake us up. Then we had to make our beds. She would check.

If it wasn't just right she would tear the blankets off and we'd have to start over.

This was at 6am.

then we would go to the room and sit there for a few hours til check in, then some games, smoking, and then lunch.

This was the longest 9 days.

I would say that I've had it pretty good compared to some people.

some people are in this shit for life. right now. for years.

gone forgotten lost behind walls

for real

so my 9 days at the terror chain restaurant of mass destruction and the girls in the hood.

wasn't really so bad

It was like this Holding and that's the only way I can describe it.

I do need to find a job still.

anyone hiring?

How do you give the middle finger in Boston?

Q: How do you give the middle finger in Boston?

A: You smile and wave :)

Explanation

Given that the default setting around here is the middle finger and a scowl the only way to insult someone is to either A. Smile, B. Wave, or if you really want to get them you C. Smile and wave. This really drives people crazy and will bring them to an overwhelming state of anger and frustration. This is best used when trying to cross the street, waiting tables, or walking by your neighbours. Given that my neighbour has never once even acknowledged my presence I don't use it often but since they may someday scowl or give me the finger I keep it handy.

Today I was trying to cross Columbia Road with my big-ass bag of laundry. Finally, I saw my opportunity to cross so I went for it, as usual with crossing this street I am risking my life because it is frequented by large amounts of angry hurried Massholes. So, I am trying to cross the street when a massive SUV with 2 crazed Latin women comes flying in off of Dorchester Ave. I tried to move faster but it wasn't fast enough for them. They started screaming at me in Spanish and giving me the finger. I stopped in front of their vehicle and gave them a genuine smile and wave. This really got them angry. They then whipped past me and I continued to smile and wave. They then stopped in the middle of Columbia road and continued to yell at me while I continued to, you guessed it, smile and wave. ahhh. Now if they were really in such a hurry why would they have time to stop?

Its so gratifying being so happy and friendly and it seriously pisses people off. Angry upset people hate happiness and happy people. That's why in the restaurant business they say "Kill them with a smile" Gets them every time. They also say that if a table is being an asshole and he's happens to be bald stare at his baldness. This fucks with them too, but I guess this is for some other blog, some other time, somewhere else. Hopefully somewhere warmer.

Torture Time in Tinsel Town.

This shocking photograph released today shows the recent torture of a Santa prisoner of war in a Snowman labour camp. Evidently, The Santas are forced to stand for days in a window and listen to country music christmas songs on strange devices that light up and cause involuntary checking of email. When asked about the Frosties, the Santas said "they are cold so cold". 7 news has also uncovered that The Frosties and The Snowmen are actually part of the same terror cell and aim to rid the world of alliteration. This is an aim that we at 7 news strongly object.

Up Next. . .

Blogging Bryan. Should he be allowed to do this?

Frosties spotted off the coast of Maine

Frosties were spotted this weekend off of the coast of Maine.
Residents were concerned and on high alert after last weeks brutal
attack on The Santas. The Frosties however seemed to be in good
spirits.

Never Mind America

beans and sardines

vacant seas

employment time

long lines telephone bills sleeping pills serial kills

television

internet high speed tweaker crytal web meth browser

virus scans scams

diseases species

she walked down a long hallway only to find another long hall way and at the end of that hallway god spoke and said walk back

sometimes life is the best nightmare around

sometimes nothing is something and I can't even begin to understand sub concious ness

spell check motherfucker and what do you get

I don't know

try it

or are you too fucking lazy?

so many clicks away

its easier to click only once

the ocean washed away 500 000 people

next

before electricity people went to bed

never mind america

try something else.

Santa Slaughter on Somerville Streets. 7 News Exclusive.

More violence erupted today on the streets of Somerville Massachusetts, when a terrorist attack by "The Snowmen" killed 17 and wounded 50 more "Santa's", in what appears to be the bloodiest outbreak of violence in recent months of fighting. When asked for comment, The Snowmen replied "The Santas were harboring weapons of Mass Consumption and had to be stopped". We are warning you, the images that appear on this blog may not be suitable for children. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.

Music Connection "Hot 100" Unsigned Bands

Hey Look. I'm in Music Connections "Hot 100".



Music Connection is available at major booksellers or you can read the whole thing online here http://musicconnection.com

Change?

AP - President-elect Barack Obama picked a national security team headed by former campaign rival Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bush administration holdover Robert Gates on Monday, and said he wants to consult with military commanders before settling on a firm timetable to withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq.

Simple

"Though the entire song is based on only four simple chords, (A minor, C, F, and G), it is considered to have a unique structure and sound, making it a top hit" - Wikipedia

Video from Oswego.

This is from the pre-show, midnight, house-jam, with Bread and Roses, Vessel, Jeff Rowe, and Goodnight Neverland. Oswego NY. Beardfest. November 2008. P.S. Its a hookah.


Don't Terrorize Me


100 Cigarettes

Viva Oswegas

Oswego is a town in upstate NY, near Canada and on a great lake. They get an obscene amount of snow up there and they have a real appreciation of music. I was told by people that have played upstate that playing music there is awesome and after this weekend, I agree.
I went up with Vessel and Bread and Roses in the Bread and Roses Van. The ride up was hilarious. I didn't know these guys very well but quickly realized we were on the same page. We stayed with Goodnight Neverland, another awesome Oswego band who are also very nice. Which also means we got up there at 10pm on Friday and weren't playing til Saturday night, so we had an impromptu house show and traded songs and sing alongs til roughly 4 am.
After crashing on the floor in my sleeping bag, we got breakfast and hung out at the house for a while. This nice dude came over and bought all of us pizza which was also really nice. There are a lot of nice people up there. Either that or I met a lot of nice people.
So, The Show.
The lineup was. . .

Goodnight Neverland
Mayflower
Vessel
Colorwheels
Bryan McPherson
Bread and Roses

Everyone was awesome. Truly a kick ass bill. The energy was amazing. Goodnight Neverland tugs at an emotion in me that's very nostolgic and 'feel good' at the same time. Mayflower was a straight up, in your face, melodic, punk band. Vessel now has singer songwriter Jeff Rowe with them and they were foot stomping, fist pumpingingly awesome. Colorwheels was a lighter indie rockish outfit that I couldn't pay too much attention to because I was getting my stuff ready to play but also sounded very good.

My set,
Possibly the best show crowd-wise I ever played. Its an amazing feeling when you start playing and the place goes fucking nuts. I played solo and on the floor. People were crashing into me and it seemed like the whole place knew the words to my songs. A bunch of guys were right up front and screaming along with me. At one point I saw raised glasses crash in mid air and glass flew everywhere. The floor was soaked and I kept slipping around. My guitar got all fucked up and I had to stop the set a couple of times to address technical issues, which was a bummer, but shit happens. Eventually Jeff Rowe gave me his guitar and I finished the set with his. Thanks Jeff!

Bread and Roses finished off the night. They too were awesome. People were square dancing and singing along and having a great time. They were having such a good time that toward the end of their set Adam, the fiddle/saw player, was hoisted up and crowd surfed while continuing to play the fiddle. He also got "Viva Oswegas" tatooed on his knee before their set.

I'm not bullshitting. Probably one of the best, if not the best shows I've been involved in. Boston, its time to step up. The bar has been set.

Collect This! $^%#$%#$

The following is a myspace email correspondence with a complete stranger. His name is also Brian and he's from New York.

Brian: Hey there Bryan,
was just browsing the Bay State Rock website and saw that you'll be in studio tomorrow night with carm and Brian James. Just wanted you to know I'll be tuning in via the internet from NY and was wondering if you'll be recording the acoustic set.If so, would you be gracious enough to get me a copy as well?I'm a huge fan of all the bands that air on BSR and the acoustics are great, and would love to add yours to my collection.
~Brian~

Brian: Hey Bryan,
that acoustic was great last night. If you have a cd and want to send via mail, my address is below. Just let me know if you want comp for time spent/shipping costs....I'd be more than happy to oblige.

Brian

Brian Noname
19 &&^$$ ave
Blablabla, ny
00000
*just let me know if/when it was sent so I'll know to keep an eye out

Brian: Hey there Bryan,
just writing for an update on that acoustic I inquired about a few weeks ago.
Did you get the copy/my mailing address?

Brian


Bryan: Hey man,
I'm not going to be releasing the whole set. I will be posting 2 songs on the web for free download in the coming week. I will let you know when I have them up. Thanks for your interest!

Bryan

Brian: Are you going to be releasing the rest afterwards, or not at all?
I'm pretty much a collector of the entire acoustic, not segments, which just getting one or two songs doesn't do me much help.
Which is also what I remembered you saying you would send to me, but whatever.........

Bryan: Well that's flattering .

Bryan: Actually, go fuck yourself!

Brian: wow, forwarding this to my pal Carmelita....very classy dude

Bryan: Go for it. Let me know if you want your house painted in the meantime or perhaps some yardwork.


The End.

So this is the actual conversation. Myspace deletes sent messages after 14 days so I don't have my initial response to this guy. I know that I was hesitant and slightly annoyed at the request. I was advised that maybe I should just send the guy a copy out of goodwill, karma etc... After the show, which went really well and was a general good time, I decided I would just release 2 of the 4 tracks onto the web for free download. 1 is an unreleased song and the other I wasn't happy with the performance. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to satisy this "collector".

Rot in hell MBTA.

Rot in hell for eternity. You miserable, rude, making me late motherfuckers and all of your miserable, rude, making me late motherfucking employees can rot in hell too.
Dan Grabauskas MBTA general manager, I hope you die slowly of thirst in a desert surrounded by the terrorists you constantly remind me of, who only laugh at you and shoot you periodically with squirt guns. "See something say something?" See this Dan. FUCK YOU.

P.S. Closing the T at 12:22 in a "major" city is laughable, an embarassment, and a major inconvenience. This is a city where the bars are open until 2am, with strict drunk driving laws and a public transportation that closes at 12:20. How many people have to die before you piece of shit hacks get your heads out of your asses.

Long live Bikes.

Featured Artist on The Motion Sick's blog

Got some props from The Motion Sick.

http://themotionsickreviews.blogspot.com/2008/10/featured-artist-bryan-mcpherson.html

Yesterdays Boston Globe

I'm in the Boston Globe and I'm smiling! I had no idea.

From The Regent Theatre. Photo's by Jon Cohan.

Some pics from the "Celebrating Belushi" fundraiser.

This is from Jim Sullivan.

We remember when John Belushi died. We remember how, with whom, and the long dark shadow it cast. We remember Robert Woodward's horrible book, how it miscast everything known about Belushi - comedy, taking risks, rock 'n' roll, and drug use and abuse. A catastrophic misreading of something rock people understood, entertained and battled with. We remember a joyous, raucous Belushi crashing into the backstage area at the Paradise when Black Flag played there - Belusi, a Blues Brother on stage, but a punk at heart. And when he overdosed, we remember that hollow feeling we had - we was grasping for ultimate, if wrongheadeded, pleasure, to dull the pain (the boredom, the routine?). How do some escape and others succumb? These thoughts resurface in contemplating Right Turn's Third annual "Celebrating John Belushi" show at Regent Theatre in Arlington Saturday Nov. 1 at 7:30. Right Turn is the organization founded by ex-Del Fuegos drummer Woody Geissmann, that helps addicts turn their lives around, especially addicts who have some artistic gifts. (The Rolling Stones support Woody's cause, and, in fact, have hired him to "protect" them on the road in recent years.) There's irony, of course, in an event that celebrates Belushi being a straight, no-drink and no-drugs event, but irony abounds everywhere, and you have to think had Belushi got sober this is where he'd be now.
At the Regent Theatre, the comedy will be provided by Mike Prior, Tony V and Jack Lynch, with music by the Right Turn Orchestra (a lot of in-recovery celeb-rockers could show up here) and special appearances by Belushi's widow, Judy Belushi Pisano, and Bunny Lake along with penetrating singer-songwriter Bryan McPherson.
http://www.jimsullivanink.com/content/view/1284/43/"


via http://bryanmcpherson.blogspot.com

Live Clips from The Alchemist Lounge 10/30

Got some live clips from The show at The Alchemist with The Pick Up Gangsters.

Don't Terroize Me


Angel In The Snow


Black Man

9 dollar doughnuts.

Today I went to Starbucks.
At the register they were selling a box of mini donuts for 9 dollars. 9 dollars for mini donuts. Is this the world we live in now? These donuts are not even fresh! They are packaged and shipped and probably frozen at some point. For some reason this really pissed me off. Maybe its because I'm broke. Maybe its because the people working there would have to work for an hour and a half to afford these donuts. Maybe its because everything that is happening in and to this country right now we deserve. Why? Because we find it totally acceptable to buy a 5 dollar coffee and 10 dollar donuts. Maybe its time we found out how difficult life can really be.

2am-ish

I find myself awake at this time often. Usually, I would rather be sleeping.
I started my day off with my 26th Bikram Yoga class in a row. For the last 26 days I have practiced everyday. For those of you who don't know, it is not what most people think of when they think of yoga. The temperature in the room varies from 100 to 115 degrees on average and humidity up to 90 %. The class is an hour and a half long and very dificult. The first time I thought I would die. It was the most intense physical experience I ever had. The endorphin rush and "Yoga magic" that occurs is amazing. I have been hooked on it ever since.
After that it was off the rehearse with The Pickup Gangsters for the Alchemist gig on Thursday. It went well and I'm very lucky to have such talented musicians playing with me. W e played for about 2 hours. I then headed home to change my rusty strings. I'm surprised they made it that long. These strings survived 3 long rehearsals and 2 gigs. I usually change them before every show but sometimes I push the limit. String cost adds up after a while. You dig?
Finally after stopping at my Moms in Dot it was off to WAAF to play an acoustic set on Carmelita's Bay State Rock Show. Truly an honor. I remember when I was a kid listening to WAAF and trying to time it just right, so I could hit record on my tapedeck and get "18 and Life" by Skid Row on tape. Yes, I am not afraid to admit that. I still stand by my claim that that is a good song. "I Will Remember You" is as well. You dig?
The set went well enough. On "OFD" my voice cracked and it was a slight train wreck. I blame the yoga and the rehearsal. DAMN YOU!!! That will never see the light of day if I can do anything about it ;) The other 3 songs went well though. I played "Poor Boy", "3 Stories From a Triple Decker" and "My Disease". "My Disease" is a new song. I'll prolly post the 3 on the Intranet for your listening pleasure. Carmelita and her staff were all very nice and it was a good experience. Now I am home and slighly wired and its after 2am now. . . I think. . .

End of Blog.

Lineup for 10/30 at The Alchemist

The lineup for 10/30 at The Alchemist

Drums, John Cohan
Bass, Richard O'connell
Mandolin, Keith Cornelia
Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals, Me

Dreaming Florida Steet. F.S.P.

I grew up next to Florida Street and next to Templeton St. It is said that they changed the name of Templeton to change the reputation. They changed it to Monsignor Lydon way. Is that Catholic? So much for the reputation.
On Florida Street there were these apartment buildings and there was always a lot of crazy shit going on there. People would put their stereo in the window and blast N.W.A. out onto the street at like Midnight, on a Tuesday! Low riders with "local motion" stickers and purple lights shining on the ground would cruise around blaring Latin music at like 2 am. Dogs roamed free without leashes and crapped on the sidewalks. Up the street was the endless Dorchester Ave, with the Irish bar on every corner, liquor stores in between, scattered Chinese take-out restaurants, pizza shops, and Catholic churches. Kids were everyhere.
Back to Florida street
When I was like 10 years old I got "jumped" right out in front. 3 kids came out of nowhere and grabbed me. 2 held me and one punched me in the stomach. I have no memory as to why this happened. Perhaps it was because I lived 20 yards away and I wasn't from the same building. I don't know. I struggled free and ran away. Next thing I know my aunt is in the building with my mother banging on the door of this kids apartment. The woman let them in and my aunt scared the shit out of her. Family.
Last night I had a dream that I was walking through the Florida street apartment buildings and they were very nice and clean. They were now Luxury condo's with "green" energy. The people had little dogs on leashes and they picked up their crap. There were no children anywhere. They were graduates of nice colleges with high paying jobs. They used phrases like "thats ghetto" when refering to saltine crackers. They drove mini coopers and hybrid cars and saw "films". They raised eyebrows at Boston accents and exchanged nervous looks between eachother when amongst a "local". They put up "Resident Permit" parking signs so you could only park there with a special sticker and they called the police when the music was too loud.
I kept thinking about how much I missed the way it used to be. I guess sometimes things change for the better or for the worse.
Then again, it was only a dream. . .

2:30am in Dorchester.

Its more violence. In the last 2 days I have seen 2 fistfights already. There must be something in the air. Maybe Fall in New England. Maybe just New England.
There is a party spilling onto the street.
There are people in the street and they are yelling.
Girls are yelling. Boys are yelling. Black people are yelling. White people are yelling. Spanish people are yelling. Polish people are yelling.
"I should just shoot this Motherfucker"
"Should I pull on him?"
"Should I pull on him?"
Thats my cue to duck into my apartment.
The last ting I need tonight is to get fucking shot. Seriously.
I never called the cops.
I never heard gunshots.
The voices got quiet and the people moved on.
I tried to sleep.

Dawn of the Dead.

I'm watching Dawn of The Dead.
I've seen the original like 850 times.
I'm watching the new one.
I've seen this one like 50 times.
For some reason movies about zombies taking over the world relax and comfort me. What can I say? I'm weird.
Played a gig tonight.
It was another gig.
I was nervous about it.
Sometimes I get more nervous than other times. My parents were there, so I was nervous about that. Its a quiet room where everyone pays attention and there's no loud noise, or bottles clanging, or red sox games, where people start cheering in the middle of a song.
The turnout was less than I usually get there.
I try to focus on the people who were there and not the people who weren't.
I try not to care.
You play enough gigs and you have to not care, because if you do, its too painful.
It was a fun night though. Mark Lind played as well. He played with Britney Grey singing and they pulled it off nice. I enjoyed there set and sat around digesting my Chinese food.
Word of advice.
Unless starving, try to hold off on heavy/greasy food before singing your heart out. Its not a good time for indigestion.
So I played a handful of new songs.
I'm excited about them and look forward to an opportunity to record them. I figure something will come up. When I write songs, ways of recording them turn up. Its the way dude.
So what am I doing writing in this stupid blog? I don't know. . .Gathering my thoughts?
I've seen this movie like 50 times and I have nothing better to do.
Sleep has been a stranger these days. the change of the season or something. Haven't fealt too comfortable. I'm not looking forward to another Boston winter and I'm sick of my threats to move. If I move, I'm going to Austin texas. Austin Texas baby.

Mom!

I call this photograph

Mom! Stop Embarrassing Me in Front of My Friends!

So I was walking to the beach a while back and saw this lady screaming at the police and giving them the finger for no apparent reason. I thought it was pretty awesome so I asked her if I could take her picture.

This is the greatest.

Seriously.

I've been blogged about

I have.

http://findingari.blogspot.com/2008/07/bryan-mcpherson.html

Killing time.

Today is one of those days you can smell the ocean from my apartment.
That is what I like about living around here.

What I don't like about living here is people often don't let you cross the street.

I went and got coffee.

I'm drinking it.

Richard the bass player is picking me up.

Woody is playing drums tonight.

We had one rehearsal. Last night.

It was fun.

This blog is very simple and factual and is being used solely as a means of killing time.

25 minutes to go. Better think of something interesting to say.

Last night I ate a shark. I pulled him out of the ocean by his tail and bit right into him. He resisted for a while, then gave in to his horrific death. I said "Take that Shark. How does it feel?" I ate him right there on Carson beach. I had to fight the seagulls off of me.

Tonight I ate tofu.

20 minutes to go.

Nothing else to say.

Peek A Boo, by Daniel Johnston

When I'm down, really down,
Nothin' matters. Nothin' does.
I close my eyes, go to sleep.
But I can't sleep. I can't sleep.

Please hear my cry for help, and save me from myself.

Junior High I lost my mind.
I don't know why. It's a terrible thing.
Since that day it's been a struggle
Trying to make sense out of scrambled eggs.

Please hear my cry for help, and save me from myself.

I painted a bar and I never got paid,
In a town where everyone was unemployed.
I was locked in on Easter day.
All I had to eat was a piece of bread.

When I got home my mother said
"You're a lazy bum and that's how come
You suffer like that and you'll starve
All your life. All your life."

Spoken just like it was a curse,
But it didn't really sound so bad.
I like to make things up,
It's the healthiest thing that I do.

But I'm tired
From being kidnapped
By a dark wolf that would
Do me in.

Please hear my cry for help, and save me from myself.

I'm just saying how I feel.
Maybe you could try to understand.
I'm a man who needs you.

When I'm down, really down
Nothin' matters. Nothin' does.
I close my eyes to go to sleep,
But I can't sleep. I can't sleep.

You can listen to these songs,
Have a good time and walk away.
But for me it's not that easy.
I have to live these songs forever.

Please hear my cry for help, and save me from myself.

- Daniel Johnston

Bad Day

I thought I was having a bad day, until I stumbled upon a truly bad day.

Politics and Pro Wrestling

When I was a kid all these other kids watched "Pro Wrestling" These wrestlers would talk a lot of shit into a camera and the crowd would cheer them on, then the other guy would talk a bunch of shit and the crowd would cheer them on. Then they would get into a ring and "fight". All the while the whole fucking thing is rigged and the outcome predetermined. Why would anyone watch this shit? I have no clue. Even at 6 years old I didn't get it. I always thought it was stupid and obviously fake and rigged. I tried to watch it. I tried to believe it. I tried to find the quality and truth in it. I did not find it. So, I was alienated and ostracized from the Pay Per View Wreslemania club from that point on. No I did not miss it.
Now its 2008. I'm no longer 6 years old and I'm watching these National Conventions. Where 1 politician talks a bunch of shit and the crowd cheers him on. Then another Politician talks a bunch of shit and the crowd cheers them on. Then they have an election to determine the winner. All the while the whole thing is rigged and the outcome is predetermined. To think that you have any say in this bullshit television show is merely an illusion. Dream on.

If I wasn't broke I'd be broke

I don't want to do anything today
Everything i pick up, i put down.
I live on heat street with the laundry mats
They are building luxury lofts down the street.
This generation of irony is nauseating.
I live on heat street
and the concrete scalds calloused fingers scraping looking digging for something to do with the time
unsatisfied
walking
sun
burning
red
tiles melting on the wood paneling in 1974
baby
This money
If I had money I'd spend it and have none
having fun
glorious fun
down highways and bi-ways on landscapes so beautiful my eyes cum and I'm blinded
once again in the sun
Burning
on a beach filled with cigarettes and bottle caps and people playing radios playing pop songs and they leave it up loud even during the commercials and the jelly fish swim away to eat the shit somewhere else and nobody is even swimming here anyways.

Yuppies Part 2

Beaches and bonfires

Beaches and bonfires

Back in Maine for a few days. Eating large quantities of good food,
swimming in the ocean, going on adventures, and playing music. Good
times.