So... November!
The month gets fired up with #Fangsgiving weekend, one of the few #hiphop centered events #Flagstaff gets to see. I saw great performers including my old Martial Arts teacher Jack (what a surprise!). This was Friday the 4th-Sat the 5th. I took part with Jerry as #DuBandDownWithTheBlues! At the time I was leaving obligations like #PizzaPatio and #Firecreek and doing small bits of handyman/labor work with other local folks.
I killed a week and decompressed from the hectic Flagstaff schedule. I would leave town for an extended period through #Kingman, #Bullhead, and #Laughlin on the next Friday. DuB had us scheduled for two shows out there including some perks like hotel and refreshments.
It was a fun weekend with Trev and myself running the bare bones and Michelle and Jerry killing it on top. We hit #SandBar Friday and #RivieraTavern Saturday. I also had to make a headlight repair in the van, hence first picture. Sunday was a gentle farewell as I had #innoutburger for the first time and looked out to the open road....
I exited South through the 95, took the 62 West, and eventually hit #TwentyNinePalms. I didn't account for the fact that I would pass by #JoshuaTree and was basically unprepared to enjoy that :(. I took my time in the Palm Desert/Palm Springs area and let the freedom and zen-ness soak in. I hit a bar called "Out There" with some crazy murals and vibes all around.
When I decided to move on I made #Temecula the next mark. Side note, I don't plan to do any marathon driving during my time on van life. It's not pleasant, first of all, and it's hard on the vehicle. I'm also sure I will miss something worthwhile if I don't find a reason to stop every couple hours. Part of van life is getting back into mindfulness, simplicity, and enjoyment of the world around. So I stopped in Temecula, and easy hour-and-a-half jaunt, for an evening at the Coin-Op and a quick visit to the #karaoke bar.
Getting into San Diego felt as triumphant as any road trip gone right! I first stopped into #LaJolla as it was Northernmost on my trajectory and I knew it was clean, upscale and full of #sealions.
A pleasant inbound route indeed! And with no further ado, I trekked into my favorite portion of #SanDiego:
It was here in Ocean Beach at #HumbleHeartThrift I found a #SeagullGuitar, one I've been raving to my friends about for years.
But alas, I can be so careless at times....
November was burning up fast, and since I had just arrived, I planned to go to every open mic I could. The first one I spotted was with Musician's Club of San Diego run by some neat people affiliated with the college. I met a couple musicians through this group and had a wonderful introduction to the SD music scene in #MiraMesa.
Not long after, I was a regular in #PacificBeach at #710BeachClub and #TheLocalPB. Jeremy (first picture, keyboards) hosts open mic at The Local and helped me to master and mix my two upcoming EPs. I can honestly say The Local is the most inviting (and reoccurring) open mic I've been to in San Diego. I was lucky to be there this evening as there were a lot of notable Pacific Beach musicians around.
This first night at The Local earned me a spotlight placement at the Local. I was already scheduled at 710 Beach Club for January, but Jeremy got me in quick for December.
The last thing to say about November... between Kate Sessions park in PB and the venues around Ocean Beach... I feel I am living life on my own terms. I am motivated by my own sense of #purpose. As a person filled with #imagination and #creativity, I find rigid schedules difficult to accommodate. Creativity does not happen on a schedule. So my daily life has become something flexible and yet productive and generative. I wake up, have something for breakfast, begin practicing songs and rhythms, then get off on my merry way to set up the next legs of my plans and adventures. With the free time allotted I am able to pull together all the facets of being a #musician. Marketing, networking, practicing, booking, writing and experiencing the world all play into this. And I repeat: None of this happens effectively on a rigid schedule.
So I'll leave you with these pictures! Some good sights and my recording session with Allen at #PacificBeatStudios.