.198

i keep thinking it's December

the nights are long and black and cold.

i can't keep up-

i can't stay down-

it's nothing

like i thought it would be.

in the spring,

like the fall,

my Hamlet's discontent-

writing lists of places

where my heart could be;

the California coastline-

straight til it ends?

or maybe 405 North,

valley bound.

.197

I write with a pen

until the ink runs out.

dark black to light black to gray

to nothing but invisible indentions on a page

the words remaining the same

in impossible braille

as the stick yawns and sleeps.

I stand at the shore-

feet in dirty sand

screaming until my lungs betray me -

until my head buzzes with tension like a dozen migraines-

growing fast like a mass.

there and contemplative,

my body draws it's conclusion;

my shoes over my shoulder-

another failed mission-

another attempt to stave off the dark.

The Floor 36 : iPhone Pix

iPhone self portraits from The Floor 36.

Me with (l—r, top to bottom): photographer Sandra Simon, K.G. Superstar, chanteuse Lyndsay Halderson, club kid Kyong, birthday girl Angel, dancer/philanthropist Gabriella Gala, MC Paris Paul, photographer Kevin Hahn, DJ Daylite, dancer Rodrigo Guzman (with Annie Love in the background), King-King's own Annukka, drummer Asa Watkins, club kid Pacalika, vibraphonist Alexander Burke, singer Ryan Michael (KG Superstar in the background), actor Esher, dancer/actor Walter Jones, dancer/fashion illustrator Josavelle Ramos Cruz, keyboardist Eric Parker, music director Walter Davis, Floor Producers: Sascha Escandon and Carolina Cerisola.

The next Floor session (#37) is April 18!

see the full photo album on Facebook:

[click here]

as always, special thanks to Carolina, Sascha and Walter.

On Tap with Sarah Reich

Sarah called and asked if I would be able to attend "A really big tap event" that she was going to be performing in called "On Tap @ Libertine".

The Libertine is a bar/restaurant across from the Chateau Marmont and they charge $20 to park. Inside it was packed. An open floor area accommodated several rows of folding chairs, every one of them full of tap dancers - many pre-teens - and a lot of parents.

The rest of the area was relegated for a "tapdance board" - a wooden board, that allows for the performer's tap shoes to be louder; it's construction features legs (or beams) affixed to the underside, resulting in the board being lifted off the ground. (See pics/video for reference.) When I met Sarah at The Floor, and it was her turn to perform, she would drag her mini-board (about 3'x 5') out to the dance floor — hand-crafted by her uber-supportive father years ago, it's black paint scuffed up from years of her diligence — set it down and do her thing!!

A couple of musicians (drums and keys) sat in the window of the joint and filled the place with funk and jazz as Sarah and others tapped in groups and solo, presenting routines, improving, and ending with everybody jamming!

Sarah saw me on the outskirts of the crowd, and waved.

She let me know that she was about to do a solo number and wanted me to record it. The crowd was 4 or 5 people deep — all tappers or enthusiasts or moms & dads — i pushed my way through, got myself situated, and pushed record (see video below)! [Sarah's website - click here]

Show note : This evening was hosted by actor Dulé Hill.

Big shout-outs to tap dancers Kelsey, Johnnie and Melinda; Tap Con Sabor, The Floor, Magnolia Memoir, the Club Bullies and Sarah Reich's father!!

The Floor- MONDAY!

Monday March 21

6555 Hollywood Blvd.
Doors 9:30pm

Strictly 21+
Watch the commercial on all the flights coming to LAX: [click here]

As always, Walter Davis will be leading the musician's jam session and DJ Uniek spinning and winning!

SEE YOU AT THE FLOOR!

.196

night is something to get through.

daytime is something to avoid.

how many nights did i take on and

how many more must their be.

they rain down on me
until i'm swallowed up and

when it's darkest,

i just hide out and wait,

i ready the counters.

As the death toll rises,

it's nothing but bad news.

i never forget exactly how it feels and

all i see forward is more.

there's not enough medicine
crashing chocolate metal;
dark and messy.

the hours on the couch become

boring and predictable
through these glasses of doom—

these half-empty glasses of doom.

stand-up or stand down

success measured out in paper and
things in amounts much bigger than needed;

carats, rocks, grams, deals and popularity.

my existence is floating
never touching the top or bottom or the sides.

floating - dangling;
a mylar balloon
on a string tethered to nothing

caged and caught

caught and caged

days ticking off

inflatable

affordable

gargantuan and wide

too big to be

too small not to

meaning,
'of life, fear and retribution is another party'

another room full of people

juiced and configured for a purpose - a something to fill the voids-

fill the pits and make it smooth, matte and unnatural.

one long drawn out ordinary specialty that no one cares to acknowledge

i'm gonna disappear and
feel shame & guilt,
pain & remorse-

a two-toned jester suit wraps my soul-
until everyone knows and everyone sees
exactly what is going on
and how it will end.

inevitable.

like dirt on white trainers,
rubber and leather separating flesh
from the earth-
the man-made earth that no one wants-

but none of us can avoid

your stupid eyebrows

your boring beauty

spooned
divinely remembered;

how when we met,
you tried me like a bar fool

scooting, sniffing
tonguing at your divine center

all i ever wanted

all i ever had

all i ever needed

all i've ever known.

coast-to-coast muthafucker—

worldwide

sonic signing-

a little insurance-

an untoward comment

the life i led

the life i had

the life i gave

mascara and makeup-
textbooks and intimate piercings

all that wasted time in-between the words and the music-

in-between the blues, greens and yellows of worth in the world.

no love songs or fun poems.

no levity.

no vindication.

no resolution.

The Floor 35 Pix

The iPhone 4 allows you to turn the camera on yourself with a simple button press. Still getting used to it these are some self portraits from The Floor (35) at King-King in Hollywood. Pix : (top to bottom - l—r) Me with : Carolina, Dezmond, Liinda, Justine, K.G. Superstar, A.C., Sandra Simon, Gabriella, Peter Grant, and Vakisha & Paris.

For the full photo album from The Floor 35 on Facebook click here: [The Floor 35 Photo Album]

The next The Floor is March 21.

Watch the Trailer here: [The Floor]

The suit that got worn every day for a year& the guy who wore it

I met Horacio Cadzco at Harvelle's one warm night, during what Southern California calls winter. He's an artist and sculptor and he had the idea to wear the same suit every day for a year.

He also decided he would not clean his suit or take care of his personal hygiene.

For one year.

He did this in 2005-2006 in his native Mexico. The suit is the centerpiece of this exhibition, and it looked pretty lived in. It definitely had a tough year.

Horacio's art deals with a lot of gross stuff. He sculpts with body waste - nails, hair, teeth - pretty much any thing that's shedded by our bodies. It's disgusting. I haven't seen any of his sculptures, but it is this fascination with the body's various excretions and by-products that gave him the idea to let his body produce away for a year without any limits.

The Destruction Of A Suit's suit - an exo-skeleton of sorts - cost $7000 - and stands as living testimony to the wearing down of all things. For a year, Horacio stayed in a motel, not cleaning or bathing - being outside most days - interacting with people. At some point people understood he was an eccentric artist living his artistic statement and not a drunk, creep or homeless man. Or did they?

Horacio and the remains of the suit.

Details from collage of photos, drawings and

mixed media as part of the exhibition.

The beginning of the end for the suit

things got grimey...

de-evolution is not pretty!

[Horacio Cadzco's website]

The Jaus gallery is easy to miss.

[Jaus Website]

I was arguing with my GPS as I drove by again and again unable to make a positive address ID. But it was right there- although it's not where I thought it would be!

A nice space on the same property as gallery owner Ichiro Irie's actual house evidently.

.195

tour-de-France

bad call

changes

acceptance

realistic

photos-to-go only.

feminine wiles

got me again.

the nature of my

ugly hidden tolerance

silly fool -

wet from sweat

a poor crusade

a friendless jackass

a tell-me-gently

kinda sadness

pull up and out

protect yer neck

they always say

they always say

i'm the same

i'm always the same

Real People : Suz & the Twins

Now officially adults, it was 18 years ago, I held these squishy little fraternal twins moments after Suzette birthed 'em. We all hung out last year at a Goo Goo Dolls show at The Greek, where I got to play hero by taking 'em backstage to meet my friends in the band (Johnny, Robby and Mike) after the concert. Great seats too! Took these pix then.

Happy Birthday to Suz, Ryan & Haley; Cheers to the Goo Goo Dolls : John, Rob, Mike, Correll, Brad and Mike V.