No Place on Earth, Compares with Home and Every Path will Bring me Back from Where I Roam

Bless Us All, Who Gather Here, The Loving Family I Hold Dear

Merry Christmas Eve!

Age is a number and mine is unlisted

It's my birthday today!

Saturday, December 9th

For my birthday, Sea and Shira came up from MD and DC to help me celebrate. On the way to my house Friday night, they picked up Happy in Brooklyn so that we could all have a London reunion and slumber party.


I woke up a fair few hours earlier than the girls, I went out to buy bagels, pie and juice for breakfast. I had a fresh pot of coffee made for them when they woke up as well. It was a lovely morning and after breakfast, Happy and Sea made me angel food cupcakes. My friend Shira once proclaimed that she "doesn't know how to live." I could sort of see what she meant as I witnessed her 24 year old self shove an entire cupcake in her mouth, getting frosting all over her face. It was awesome.


My dog Darwin getting a bit too friendly with Happy on the couch.


I wanted to do something silly and fun for my birthday this year; no fancy dinners or expensive places to drink. During the summer, I went bowling with friends Brook and Katie and had such a blast so when it came time for picking a birthday event I immediately knew what I wanted to do.

Sea, Happy, Shira, Andy and Jose

Bowl! In November when my friend Mark came to visit me from Toronto, his friend Ryan introduced us to a place called Rudy's in Hell's Kitchen. Only 4 blocks from the Port Authority bowling alley I chose, with pints for 3 bucks, it was the perfect place to meet up and get wasted before hitting the lanes.

Can you believe that Jose came all the way up from Virginia? What a friend. His presence also lured the illusive Andy out of his Upper East side pad to come join us. The bowling alley at Port Authority is a bit strange. They card you when going in and a dj spins loud rap music all night. They are under construction and with their fancy $60 tubes of beer, are trying to become the new hip place to hang out. I'm glad I booked my party there before the dirty hipsters get wind of it.

Hi Jason

After our bowling time was up, it was back to Rudy's for rounds- not before hitting 2 CVS's in search of Trivial Pursuit though. Don't ask.





There was another girl there celebrating her birthday early as well and somehow we figured out that we were both born on the 12th. This prompted her to give me her Hello Kitty Crown. Oh look, there she is in the background, still wearing her Hello Kitty birthday necklace. I kept drunkenly saying how much I liked it and in my haze, realised that it might sound like I was being incredibly greedy asking her for it.

Sunday, December 10th

The kids

The next day, we had a family party. For dinner, I requested just tapas type things so Kristin put out an entire table full of all types of cheeses, olives, bread and bruschetta- it was delicious.

The parents

There was so much food, Dad and Ryan promptly passed out afterward.

The Music Slut's Holiday Party: Drunk is the new Jen

Saturday, December 2nd was The Music Slut's holiday party at The Delancey. It was our third show of the year and by and far the most successful. All of the participants were amazing and it was nearly a sold out crowd. Unbelievable.


The first band of the night, for which I was relatively sober for, was The Vibration. Matt and I got up there and introduced them, as is our quaint little custum to. I think people like it and don't think it too cheesy.


And yes, I am wearing a big pink dress. And yes they are real and they are fabulous.


The Vibration are an all girl group from NYC who are not only great performers, they are also super sweet individuals. I didn't take any pictures of the band since I was busy in the back getting pictures taken of myself....


like this one...


and I was suppose to be in this one but the moog who took it cut all of me out. All except my right boob so I cropped this a little before posting (unless there is a public outcry to see my right boob and I need to post the original)

Instead, see the photos below by the all around amazing Bryan Bruchman (guitar slayer for Man in Gray, writer, blogger, tv star and superhero).

Nice huh? Like my banner in back? I made it during my lunch hour.

Ok, back to my crappy shots.


Second group up were the amazing locals, Man in Gray; a band whom I've grown to extremely love these past few months. Not only are all the members amazing people, together they put on a great live show. It is punk, girl rock. Tina is a brilliant frontwoman, I love her voice. There she is above getting down and dirty.


And Bryan.


Bryan getting his sweat all over a friend in the audience.

The next band up was Exit Clov, in from DC to play the show. I was way past drunk by this point so I didn't see much of their set, they sounded pretty amazing from what I heard though. Photos below by Ted Wong via CMJ.com




The lead singers are twins and it is pretty damn hard to tell them apart.


Last group of the night were the utterly brilliant, Nous Non Plus. J'adore. They do this French, poppy, music that is so happy and smart.

'Fille Atomique' is a great song by them that I first discovered through Fluxblog (I discover a lot of music through Fluxblog actually, I highly suggest stopping by there). When I heard the first chords to the song, I jumped up from the back, grabbed Matt and danced in the middle of the floor, it was great.

Matt swears he saw Zach Braff up front. Drunk me, climbed up on the couch in the back to have a look, but I didn't see him. That isn't going to stop me from telling everyone he was there though.


NNP ended the night with a French cover of '99 Balloons' that had the crowd ecstatic. They really are a great group that I don't think enough people know about. We were lucky to have them there.


Lead singer Celine Dijon is so sweet and is actually the only French one in the group. She gave me big smile when I climbed up on stage alone to thank the crowd, while Matt was upstairs figuring out the money, and said "merci beaucoup" after their set. I was especially proud of myself for figuring out how to say their name correctly also, thanks so Sea of course.


All in all, it was a great night. The dj for the night, my friend Brad Walsh, was fantasitc and even played two new Robbie tracks without me requesting them.


Everyone got sufficiently wasted (see Matt's friend Buddah asleep on the back couch above), not just myself.


After the show, Billy drove Buddah, Matt and I to get cheesestakes around the corner and then back to Brooklyn to his and Matt's apartment. Once there, we quickly ate our food and passed out in bed. I haven't slept that well in months. I staggered out of my futon in the morning and we all walked up the block for a free brunch courtesy of Billy's friend Jennifer after which I sped home to spend the day lying around the couch watching reruns. It feels great to have such a success after our second show was a bit of a bomb.

I Am So Tired My Hair is Even Asleep

It's been a long, crazy weekend.

And My Pain Walks Down a One Way Street

I am entirely too dramatic late at night, sorry. Honestly though, I am an eternally optimistic person. And what really filled me with wonder and I took to be a good sign was a birthday card waiting for me on the table when I got home last night. It was from Mrs. Falta, my Sunday school teacher from when I was little. She used to send me a card every year, even long after I left the church. These past few years though, I haven't received one. She was old, I figured she must have forgot or, bless, past away. But this year, on a day where I was feeling rotten, it was there and somehow made me feel that everything would be alright.

And now I am off to Brooklyn to meet Matt at his apartment and stuff goody bags for tonight. So if you are reading this, come out to the Delancey at 8pm for our Holiday show/party. You won't be sorry. Free beer from 8:30-9:30 along with free massages, all courtesy of Tiger Beer. We have some awesome free stuff to give away too, like signed Eagles of Death Metal posters, Libertines cds and one lucky person gets a necklace specially designed for tonight from Kristin Kellas Jewelry. It seems like it might be packed. The show even had a blurb in Time Out NYC this week.

Also, you might be interested in checking out Rachael and Nora's radio show on breakthruradio.com. They dedicate a Birdmonster song to The Music Slut and have some really lovely things to say about us- thanks guys.

When I'm Feeling Weak

Today has been a day to rival all other days.

Sad, shocking, news on the family front that has left me rather numb, counting down the hours until tomorrow night's big show and still trying to be excited, feeling rejected and taking the long ride home to my cold bed tonight.

But I am excited for tomorrow still. I just know the turn out will be good. The show is publised everywhere, including a mention in Time Out NYC (wicked, I know). I'm especially excited though to see a new NYC friend and an old St. Andrews friend tomorrow night. If nothing else, I know they'll make me feel happy.

And now it's nearing 5, yikes. Goodnight.