NEXT GIG: Thur Dec 18 Adaptor and Shameless Sashimi

Shameless presents
Adaptor and Shameless Sashimi
@ Annie's Social Club
917 Folsom @ 5th St
21+ :: free before 10pm, $5 after

Starting off with something a little wet and slippery...

Shameless Sashimi
Music * Sushi * Art
7-10pm

sultry beats provided by
Jen Woolfe (shameless sf, dreemworld)

and delicious sushi treats from
Ichi Sushi

Serving up delicious $3 rolls, $4 nigiri, and sashimi specials!
Plus Specialty Sake Cocktails and Full Bar!

**New this Month!**
Local artist Jamie James in the house painting the scene while you watch it unfold...

followed by
Adaptor
Shame Off. Game On.

10pm-2am
featuring beat selektas:

Mozaic (a glimmer of dope) vs. Robb Green (shameless)
Phoenix (formerly Donna Matrix) ~ Introducing Phoenix, a new incarnation of one of our favorite talents. Watch out for this one!
Lunchtray (Nexus, Yer Mom)

NEW PHOTOs: from HOTwired @ Noc Noc last

Thanks to all who attended my first Seattle gig as a Bay Area Resident.

DJ Coral (http://www. myspace. com/coralslater) and I KILLED it during our 2x4 set when we HotWired Noc Noc last Friday. This kicks off an all-new feel for HotWired that you don't want to miss.

HOTwired at Club Noc Noc
December 5, 2008

Photos by Osiris Indriya and Chiyona Dang
http://www. flickr.
com/photos/osirisindriya/sets/72157610819554835/show/

Don't miss the next couple months at HotWired!!!

----------------------------
Osiris' note:
After the success of creating the first ever CORAL vs. JEN WOOLFE 2x4 in December, we have decided to bring two DJs that have never collaborated before together in unusual pairings that are sure to please. Like chocolate and peanut butter, HOTwired will strive to make each new flavor combination irresistible.



Here are the next three lineups (in order of appearance).

Mark your calendars!

JANUARY 2, 2009
Ctrl_Alt_Dlt
Amanita vs Osiris Indriya
NAHA vs Michael Manahan


FEBRUARY 6, 2009 - HOTwired ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!
Crispy vs Shapeshifter
Recess vs Kadeejah Streets
Osiris Indriya vs Amanita

MARCH 6, 2009 ~GIRLS VS BOYS~
Lara vs Spec
Osiris Indriya vs Kristina Childs
Coral vs Amanita

Enjoy, Seattle!!!

NEXT GIG: HoT Wired @ Noc Noc in Seattle!

Friday Dec 5th,2008 -- Seattle

* HOTwired * @ noc)} noc)} _ JEN WOOLFE vs. CORAL _ (] O _ o [)

GIRLS vs BOYS vs RECESS

Future Nurses and PURE Cirkus have joined forces to bring performances and dirty music together EVERY FIRST FRIDAY at Club Noc Noc in Seattle.

DECEMBER 5TH

RECESS
CORAL vs. JEN WOOLFE
AMANITA vs. OSIRIS INDRIYA

performances by:

PURE Cirkus
and friends


PICTURES FROM LAST MONTH:

PURE CIRKUS


Noc Noc
1516 2nd Ave Seattle 206.223.1333
$5 before 10pm, $10 after

presented by:

Future Nurses
Pure Cirkus

NEXT GIG: SööperQoöl @ 111 Minna

Wednesday, Nov 19th

SööperQoöl = Qoöl 'till 11. Splif smoking is still mostly illegal, but Reggae music ain't so stay late with us for another SööperQoöl first - the all Reggae closing set! The usual astounding array of electronic dance music will of course be on the main menu courtesy of guest DJs Austin Gregory, Hans Gruver and Jen Woolfe, with residents Spesh, Gil, and Jondi. Raggae closing set by Wojtek. Hey mon! Qoöl is you!

This is a Happy Hour set. Email me for Guest List! jen @ jenwoolfe.com

http://www.qoolsf.com

Olbermann on Prop 8

http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/olbermann_on_prop_8

NEXT GIG: Sat Nov 8 @ CellSpace

Conscious Fashionistas - Thrift Couture Shopping Party

Saturday, November 8, 2008
8:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m.

CELLspace
2050 Bryant Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

Change Your Look, Not Your Wallet

At our next Conscious Fashionistas Shopping Event we will style you silly, dress you funky, green your wardrobe, but also pink, yellow, and purple it up. We’ll create outfits that turn heads and have people stop you in the street asking, “Where did you get that?!” All at a price that will keep you smiling.

On Saturday, November 8th, let us serve you inventive cocktails while beautiful paintings by Michele de la Menadiere grace the walls. Shop thrift till you lift, when belly dancers from Electric Vardo dance us into the Conscious Fashionistas fashion show, with models strutting our gear down the runway. Afterwards hit the dance floor to the sounds of our favorite DJs.

Come and shop for amazing clothes that will transform you, too, into a Conscious Fashionista. We’ll provide a sexy shopping atmosphere and expert advice on which items suit your personality and look.

While we don’t have clothes for them yet, boyfriends, male lovers and husbands absolutely LOVE our events, or so says one of our favorite husbands:
“It was a pleasure to go shopping with my wife at the last Conscious Fashionistas event because I didn’t have to wait forever for her or become bored as I do at a mall or at a shop on the street. I had so much fun, hanging out with my friends, dancing, drinking, and getting to know everybody! You guys already pick the best pieces so my wife doesn’t have to dig around and wait in a slow line just to buy expensive stuff only to get attitude from an underpaid cashier. I’ll be at every event!”
- Carlos Pena Garrido

Shopping Party Details:

* 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Shop for Female Fashions

* 10:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. DJ Amar (Breaks, Bhangra, Drum & Bass)
featuring Electric Vardo Live
with Belly Dancing by Auberon, Mitara, & Christine

* 11:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. DJs Make You Dance
DJ Trav
(Breaks & House)
&
Jen Woolfe
(House, Nu Skool Breaks & Elegant Electro)

Artwork in the gallery by Michele de la Menadiere

Our goal is to create an alternative to the mainstream corporate fashion model. We hope you will join us.

$10 at door
*Must be 21 or older*

We’re not equipped to handle cards yet- so please bring cash.

And remember-Always Be Your Own Brand!

NEXT GIG: Wed Oct 29 @ Tingle Tangle

Earl Dax and Wulfpak present

TINGEL TANGEL CLUB
~Halloween Ball~

at The Swedish American Hall!
2174 Market St. @ 15th St, SF (map)

Wednesday, October 29, 2008
$16 Advance ($22 Door) 9 :00 pm - 2:00 am

Presale Online: CAFE DU NORD TICKETWEB

Presale Location: Cafe Flore, 2298 Market St

Presale Location: Ginger Rubio, 600 Shotwell St

Presale Location: Distractions, 1552 Haight St

Saints and sinners alike will converge at the historic gothic ballroom within the Swedish American Hall above Cafe du Nord on October 29 for Tingel Tangel Club: Sex, Magic and the Occult featuring the one and only Penny Arcade. Drawing on the pagan aspects of Halloween and the Celtic samhain, we celebrate our ancestors and the change of seasons in this night of performance and revelry. The star-studded lineup includes Vinsantos, burlesque darling Kitten on the Keys, the rock and roll stylings of the dragulous Ethel Merman, harpist Deirdre Eagan, Sophisticated Boom Boom the Dead or Alive tribute duo, and special guest Holcombe Waller. The evening kicks off with DJ Nature Boy (Babies on Fire) and concludes with closing set by DJ Sunevil (Protection). Since debuting in March, Tingel Tangel Club has drawn a cross-section of San Francisco's alternative communities and provided an opportunity for the cross-pollination of New York and West Coast performers and DJs. With the move to Cafe du Nord / Swedish American Hall, there is a corresponding transition from lounge party to a performance-driven nightlife event. BRAVA Theater receives a portion of proceeds from this event as a charitable contribution.

Stranger Humor

Louise Quatorze handed me a great compliment regarding my blog. She said

'Reading your blog is kinda like reading Last Days, only you use links instead of boldface.
I <3 Last Days.'

Awwww! I have Stranger Humor! And of Course Last Days, as a weekly written by David Schmader, is always my first Stranger Pit Stop.

Thanks, L.Q.

Detox: Or How I Doused my Addictions

A few weeks ago I was filling out the patient sheet for my first appointment for Acupuncture therapy in the Bay area. I'd been having numerous stomach issues for a few years as well as (consider this an announcement for anyone who wants to kiss me) an obnoxious extended breakout of (here it comes, don't freak out) HSV type 1. This is the virus responsible for cold sores and fever blisters. Some factors that influence HSV breakouts are:

Stress
Extended exposure to Sun
Incorrect Diet
Fatigue
Being Run-Down
Drinking lots of alcohol

and I'm just gonna throw in:

Traveling from Sea to (flight) SF to (flight) LA to (car) Palm Springs to (bus) Vegas to (bus) Palm Springs to (bus) LA to (flight) Sea to (flight - and puking the entire way*) Idaho Falls to (flight) Seattle to (flight) Hawaii to (flight) Seattle to (car) Boise to (car) Seattle to (flight) SF to (flight) Seattle to (Uhaul) SF to (flight) Seattle to (flight) SF to (flight) Seattle to (car with cat) SF to (car) Reno to (flight) SF

That is:

13 flights
6 Extensive Car Rides (1 14-hour one with a U-Haul, and 1 14-hour one with a cat)
3 Extensive Bus Rides
3 full days of job interviews in 1 week followed by
36 hours on a Pontoon boat (tho to be fair, I slept in the back of a truck for 5)
5 months of sleeping only on futons, floors or couches
6 months of 90+ degree weather
4-month relationship cycle packed into 4 weeks
Subletting and Apartment Shopping
Starting a New Job
Moving
Stress (I think this is worth repeating)

Needless to say, though my West Coast Adventure was amazing and magical, I had subject my body to a lot. It was in a very uncomfortable place and it let me know that in many annoying & humiliating ways.

I found recommendations for a good Acupuncture clinic from Yelp.com and began my process of physical healing.

When I filled out my new patient questionnaire, I mentioned the outbreaks and the stomach issues and my stress. As an afterthought, I added 'detox'.

I had never done a detox before, nor ever wanted to. But I figured since my body had been through so much plus I'd been drinking for 15 years and clubbing for 8, it might be a good idea. The timing, of course, was perfect, as I was embarking on a new phase of my life. I could start clean, so to speak.

What I didn't realize was that a detox is more than just a colon sabbatical and the exoneration of your intestines. Along with the debris, it also removes old scars and their emotions. (At least, the ones you haven't fully healed yet). But not without pain, which is probably the reason you'd been holding onto the scars in the first place.

The detox itself was a nutrition-based detox. Food was mitigated to only things that are not prone to causing allergic reactions. This included (milk substitutes, starches like rice and tapioca, chicken or fish, vegetables, fruits and spices). What it eliminated was caffeine, alcohol, wheat, dairy, soy products, oranges, peanuts, sugar (including maple syrup and honey), and corn. During the second week, my menu was reduced even more to only fruits, vegetables, fats and spices. Along with the diet, I had to drink a rice-based powder which I referred to as the 'human cleaning fluid'. The taste was much like the baby oatmeal that we were exposed to as suburban American children and produced poopoo that was also much like the poopoo we excreted as suburban American children.

Along with the physical and emotional (and doubtless spiritual) cleansing, my detox produced for me a very clear window to my addictions. The Universe transpires to help you out**.

The first week was about getting through physical withdrawals of addictions. For me those were coffee and sugar.

Coffee
--------------
Ah, coffee. My 2nd biggest and most enjoyable addiction. How can one live 20 years in the rain forest and not succumb to its enticing aroma, its warm comforting blanket snuggled around your cold hands, its omnipresence on every corner and 1/2 block in every American city? Oh, my coffee, it has been only 4 weeks since we last met and yet it has been forever.

So I like coffee.

But what I found is that I'm not really that into caffeine. Masil freaked me out when she mentioned that when she cut out coffee she had migraines. For me, nothing. I was a little fuzzy for a few days. Minor aches in the body. I thought I would get at least one splitting headache, maybe some hammer bulging type action on the temples. Nadda. Honestly, I felt like I'd let Seattle-lites down everywhere.

Though I didn't have headaches, I did notice the first day without coffee I was really cranky. But in retrospect, I might have been cranky because I had an excuse to be. One shopping trip to the thrift store with the Conscious Fashionista (plus two big bags of clothes for only $27 later) and I was feeling mighty fine.

Sugar
--------------
This was a surprise addiction for me. Another surprise was how much sugar actually exists in processed foods. The company I work for, being a startup, buys us hard-working employees food. Its from great places like Berkeley Bowl, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. Still, sugar is somehow necessary in pre-packaged foods.

My body started feeling the effects of the lack of sugar after about 2 days. That, combined with my detox from caffeine created 3 days of body aches, irritation and general uncomfortableness. On the third day, I would gain surges of energy and then supercrash. It felt like effort to use my body. However, after the 4th day (and many many baths) the effects from coming off these two drugs were all but gone.

The second week was about dealing with habitual addictions.

Netflix
--------------
I know I have a problem. I am aware of the problem, and sometimes I work on the problem. (Standing) My name is Jen Woolfe (Hi, Jen Woolfe) and I'm a TV Series Addict. On days where I am at my weakest, I can blow through an entire 4-episode DVD of any cable TV series. I can never, ever, ever order On Demand Cable. If I have that, I will not sleep. I subdue this addiction with my dear friend Netfix, who will only send me 3 DVD's at at time. Thus, I live on; I work, I sleep, I eat. I can function as a normal human being. The Sopranos was my gateway drug to this underworld of hallucinatory escape. Then Queer as Folk, Oz, Six-Feet Under, Sex in the City, Carnival, Deadwood, The L Word, Weeds... This list goes on and on! But I ask you... where does it end?!?!! (hopefully never)

I wasn't aware that I needed to quell this addiction until the Universe transpired to help me out by making a DVD get stuck inside my laptop, which is the only place I can watch DVDs. It was stuck there for 2 full days before I finally agreed to abstain from TV Series sentry for two full weeks. Once I agreed, the laptop relinquished its grip. Painful it was. But one thing is for sure. I got a lot of shit done.


Alcohol
--------------
The second habitual addiction I faced was alcohol addiction. I had been working on this addiction for quite some time. However, this was the first time I ever stopped drinking altogether. One thing that makes letting go of drinking difficult for me is how much it's integrated into my world as a DJ. Gigs are at bars, alcohol is free, blah blah blah. So during my second week of detox I left the comfort of my nest to venture out on my first Dry Bar experience.

Stay Tuned for Detox: Part II

* long story
** This is actually a quote from the book 'Now is the Hour' by my new favorite author Tom Spanbauer

NEXT GIG: Sat @ The Lookout

Saturday Oct 25th
Stop by Sat from 4p-9p at The Lookout to celebrate Melvin's bday party. It will also be the after party for a guerilla art event in Dolores Park!
I play 7-8p.


The Lookout
Castro
3600 16th St (between Castro St & Market St)
San Francisco, CA 94114


Another Important Event This Week ------------------------

Friday October 24th

Friends & Family presents: Equality ~ A Fundraiser for No on Prop 8

Please support a very special evening of music, dance, and performance dedicated to raising awareness and funds to defend marriage equality and defeat Prop 8.

The venue - is the Craneway Pavillion - a beautiful venue in the East Bay. The crew, FnF. Speakers, TV crews & other circus-like perks will also be present. So please, pass the info along to anyone you feel may be in support so we can put a stop to this madness!

Your Musical Equalizers:

Forest Green (FnF, www.ForestGreen.org, Cute Fang Recordings, Daly City Records)
Dragn'fly (Strategik, www.djdragnfly.com)
Mozaic (Nexus, Raindance)
Raydeus (Pronoia)
Alixr (Friends & Family, Pulse)
Dhamma (Goodbeats, Pulse)

Chill Space by Ambient Mafia
Sound by Loud Sound Design
Lighting by Radiant Atmospheres

All Ages, 21+ to drink, $20 minimum donation at the door, $5 parking.


All proceeds after expenses go directly to No on Prop 8. For more info on the campaign please visit the official No On 8 Campaign website.

I'm learning ...

I'm learning persistence.... especially related to my health. I think that is one of the hugest lessons for me in life right now. At the same time, I'm learning patience. Patience in some things (like my home getting to be how I want it). I'm learning elements of design. I'm learning grounding, self love and I'm letting go of self-doubt. I'm reminded not to attach to material items. All of these things are testing my ability to believe in myself, my future and the world around me.

New PICS!: Love Fest 2008

Jen first party weekend as a Bay Area resident is Love Fest.
She stopped in at Fat City and Mezzanine on Friday night,
swash buckled with Shameless, Evil Breaks & Strategik's Pirate's Booty
and sailed the blue skies on Lee Burridge's space rocket.

http://www.jenwoolfe.com

I have a Reality

I'm quite sure I'm actually falling in Love with Barack Obama. Please check out this great Question & Answer session video that Google put on in Nov 2007.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4yVlPqeZwo

More about Our Future
http://www.barackobama.com/

NEW MIX(s): Ruby's Rocks & Mine Cry Goodbye

Ruby's Rocks
Ruby is the name I have for my alter ego that does what she desires. She's been guiding me for a while, as I was flying free of rent, job and responsibilities. During my journeys, I collected many rocks to help me stay grounded and remind me of where I've been. But now that I've relocated, started a job, & found a loft space to build my nest, the rocks are sitting soundly on my alter, sharing stories of sex, music and morality...just like the mix. Ruby, of course, will never sit soundly, especially when her rocks are bangin' the Mackie 450. The beginning is my usual dykey dirtiness, but the second half of this mix goes gay at the end. I think Ruby might be a little bi...

http://www.jenwoolfe.com/audio/RubysRocks.mp3
(go down for playlist)


Mine Cry Goodbye
This is my first recorded downtempo set. I played it at my going away, er, Relocation Party at 2am, just after Knomus Kohonus threw down some sexy wax and before Shanghai Pearl and Miss Indigo Blue painted the Leschi Creme... Its also the first mix I've published using Ableton Live to mix. Its not super complicated mixing. Mostly I just started the intro to a new song before the last one ended. But the first-second mix is special because I created my own ending by looping the last two beats of the breakdown, overlaying an Ableton effect called Ping Pong (which creates the repeat sound) and then brought the new one in. For someone who is breaking into music composition, that's very exciting! Oh, and I did slow down Galang and By My Side to 110 to fit the tempo of the set. The music at the beginning of this mix was very influenced by my time in Hawaii when DJ Zoe introduced me to Ecstatic Dance. The last half is just me saying goodbye to my beloved friends.

http://www.jenwoolfe.com/audio/MineCryGoodbye.mp3

Playlists

Ruby's Rocks --------

All over your Face - Cazwell
Pussy feat. Princess Superstar Greenskeeper's Remix [Polo Club]
Alphabet Man (D's Robo Dub) - Greenskeepers
Footsack - Raymond Mather
Let it Go - Yogi & Huskey
Dangerfield - Patrick Turner
Luxurious - Nuno D'Lux & DJ Italiano
Electric Amsterdam - Jason Rivas
Evil Track (Jason Rivas Club Mix) - Creeperfunk
El Cielo (Jose M Duro Party Minimal Mix) - Jason Rivas w/ Elsa Del Mar
Take Me Back - Basement Jaxx
I Want Your Love (Jody Watley) - Angel Manuel's Dirty Mix
Mi Amor (Sweet Carolina Vox) - Raul Rincon
Zap Me Lovely - Trick vs Freemasons
Atlantic - Freemasons

Mine Cry Goodbye ----------

Little Ladies - Etostone [Epsilon]
All Eyes - Outersect [Caldera]
Galang (Remix) - M.I.A. [Galang]
By My Side - Thomas Belley [Heart Shaped Hole]
Shimmer - Bluetech [Sines and Singularities]
Spacebaby - Seiberg & Witten Mix [Backroom Beats 2]
Tracey Thorn - Easy [Out of the Woods]
Never-ending (fock it mix) - Esion Jim [Backroom Beats 2]
After Sandstorm - Izaak Hypnotizer [1 Freedom]
Need to Know (Bushmen freefall mix) - Hierophant [Backroom Beats 2]
Intro - Etostone [Epsilon]
Who is it - Bjork [One Little Indian]


All my Mixes

At Journal's End

I've kept a journal since I was 18. Maybe even younger. It usually takes me almost two years to complete a journal.

My current one has only two empty pages left.
I started it January 13th of this year.

Only 8 months ago.

That's how much life I've lived: 2 years of life squished into only 8 months.

That's how much emotion I've felt and processed: 2 years of emotion squished into only 8 months.

According to my journal, exactly 8 months ago I realized my 4-year relationship was over and started on a path of insanity.

I left our shared apartment with my backpack and my cat to live in the healing womb of the Leschi before heading off on a 5-month flight throughout the West Coast. I didn't know then that when my flight landed, I would call a completely new city: home.

I purged as many material items as I could without going insane. I charmed the Leschi ladies & gentleman into adopting my cat for the equivalent of 10 long kitty years.

I stashed anything I couldn't carry with me into three different homes around Seattle.

As soon as my stuff was scattered, so became my life.

I think I'm actually a scattered person. My brain jumps all over the place, in the midst of sentences and thirds of the way through stories. Its hard for me to catch up to my brain sometimes.

I think that in the past, as I grew and changed, I realized this about myself and so built structure in order to live a productive and happy life. Having that structure has allowed me to focus and accomplish things with amazing quality, even with a million things happening at once.

Without that structure, I'm not myself.

Or maybe I am my true self, undisciplined.

As my true self, undisciplined, I don't communicate well.

I was very selfish in the last 8 months.
I've been learning to be selfish.
I've learned that I am selfish.

I've learned that its ok to be selfish, at times.
At times, you have to be.

I've learned that its ok, though rather uncomfortable, to be disorganized.
At times, things just are.

But the combination of the two, for me, are not a good match.

Disorganized and selfish, I make bad decisions;
or rather, I ignore good decisions.

My body has suffered,
My heart has suffered.
My cat and my friends have suffered.
My lovers have suffered.
My family has suffered.

All in the wake of my growth path.

There is no wrong or right. Only action and consequence.
And learning and growth can be very painful.
Are very painful.

If you've ever thought someone was an asshole, well,
maybe they are just growing.

Two days ago, I finally gathered the last of my few scattered material items into my new home.

I actually have a bed and a bed frame for good nights of sleep,
walls to hang my pictures,
windows to view the world through
and a kitchen to create food that will nourish me.

Hell, my bedroom even has surround sound.

I have structure.

(I breathe a sigh of relief, and feel the words flowing, not flooding, from mind to pen)

After filling the last two empty pages of the current one, I will begin a new journal,
Open the glowing door of a new life path.

What will I take with me?

What, of myself, will I leave behind?

NEXT GIG: Wed Sept 17 @ Qool SF

Wed Sept 17th

Qoöl

Qoöl just like a social networking website only with drinks, music and real people!
Guest DJs Jax, Jen Woolfe, with residents Silencefiction, Spesh, Gil, and Jondi.

5pm to 10pm at the 111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco CA
www.qoolsf.com

About Qoöl

Qoöl is the original clubbing happy hour in SF, if not the world. Every Wednesday evening, starting at 5pm, Jondi & Spesh host a five hour club night at 111 Minna in San Francisco. The music has a progressive theme, from prog house to breaks to techno and even drum 'n bass. Each dj plays a short 45 minute set, and the talent ranges from bedroom DJs to international supastars. Partygoers range from electronic music loving phreeks to unemployed dot-commers (not mutually exclusive), and the enthusiasm and dedication of Qoölios is world famous. In fact Qoöl is often pegged for its personal vibe and all out "Saturday at 3AM" feeling. The door is only $5 and a good chunk of the proceeds go to non-profit organizations, including The SETI Institute and the San Francisco Homeless Coalition.

Every Wednesday from 5pm to 10pm at the 111 Minna Gallery, 111 Minna Street, San Francisco, Ca. [see event schedule for monthly Saturdays, one-off parties, and other well vibed events]

Pondering Priority

I'm doing something that I've always wanted to do - ride first class. After my first three weeks of living in Berkeley, I'm on a flight back to Seattle to play Festival of the Babes and to retrieve my cat and my car from Leschi. The seats in first class are comfortable, but the looks I get from the passengers who had to wait in line to board with the hundred or so others riding coach are not. As we take off, I see the ocean, feeling at first that I am flying out of Seattle until I notice the blanket of fog rolling in from the West.

Today is the Friday of the burn. This is the first year since I began five years ago that I have not been able to make it out to the playa. This is due, of all things, to starting a job. Not just a job -- a dream job. A job worthy enough of missing my annual religious romp in the desert. Timely, too, as the theme for Burning Man this year is the American Dream. Here I am, fulfilling my own mini-version, flying first class, having entered back into the workforce after two wonderful years of skirting by as an artist, a feat that my journeys to Burning Man helped me find the courage to do.

I came upon my first class seat accidentally, or due to my own problem with paying attention to detail. Two weeks after I had patted myself on the back for finding a $100 one-way ticket, it came to my attention that I had booked the wrong date. With only 1 week left before the busy labor day weekend, the only seats available were a first-class upgrade. Still, regardless of whether it be gift from the Universe or my own folly, I was riding first class and I might as well make the most of it with a stiff (really stiff!) Bacardi and Coke from the flight attendant whose name was, consequently, DJ.

This week, I have missed the playa, even though I can feel it everywhere. I saw the Rockstar Orphans off from Reno last weekend as they headed out in caravan from the Keystone Plaza. I felt as if I were their parent, sending them off to school. I didn't feel envious of my friends. Instead, I felt my sadness of missing out. But I also felt their excitement. I feel their sheer joy and growth and know that next year will be so much more that I have not taken for granted. Imagine, an entire year here and past at the blink of an eye. And yet, what a blink, like falling into another world after slapping the snooze button and then snapping stunningly awake. How many sides of myself have I created from setting my alarm only 20 minutes earlier?

In first class, they refer to you by name. Mr, Mrs, or in my case, Miss (a title it takes a taxi driver only 3 questions to guess). I decide to address the attendant by her first name, to show her that we were equals because I found her to be a human being and not a servant, but in trying to remember what drink I wanted to order, I forget. Oops.

I was hoping for, or expecting, actually, a sandwich, but instead the attendant just hands me fancier snacks. As I dip my cracker in the brie I reach to the seat in front of me and pull out the Air Safety Card, the one that tells you what to do in case of a crash or water landing. To my surprise, it was lined in gold. Just Kidding. Still, I wonder if first class passengers get to die first, or more comfortably.

'What most signifies to me the American Dream?', I ponder to myself as sit back to enjoy seat 3A, stirring my Bacardi and Coke in hopes that shifting the nearly clear liquid around will stir some more of the dark mixer that might be hiding at the bottom. The answer is, as always, at my finger tips - Ice. An American marvel. When did Americans get so obsessed with Ice? Was it with the emergence of soda pop, a liquid so putrid that it has to be nearly frozen to consume? Or does it signify the privilege of space and power, two things that one must have to house not only a refrigerator but also an adjoining ice box?

Once again, I find it funny that the Friday of the burn I am flying first class, the best seat in the house besides the cockpit -- but who wants that kind of responsibility? And is it the responsibility itself that brings most to a seat so low in numbers but high in class? And what right do I even have of being snide?

I'm riding first class, not only because of my missed detail, but because of my great grand-blah's of many generations who sacrificed their homes, pets, names, their loves, securities, religions and even lives, following an American Dream, so that I may shrug off a $120 mistake. And I give back the best I can, but I remain grateful that the door was even open and hope that the door remains open to the children of the woman who cleaned up after me in the bathroom.

It took three generations of dreaming to get to me. And because of my family's Dream and their fight to get there, their journey and their sacrifice, I have the comfort and freedom to look beyond and think of a new dream, one that does not rely on a hierarchy of the human race.

What I feel now is seat 3A, softening the ride to my home-not-home. I know now the mystery of a class one seat higher than the front, with a view of the cockpit and a seat-back with just slightly more space, bought by a set of green pages that mean nothing after passing a negative of 3 and three 000's. I know by this time next year, because of my power to dream, that I will find the opposite is also true.

On Motivation...

One could write an entire research paper on what little tricks people use to motivate at work ...

music ... coffee ... gummy worms ... emergen-C ...

NEXT GIG: Pre-Playa Party Reno Fri Aug 22

Friday, August 22, 8 pm to 6 am

I will be in Reno Friday AND Saturday. So even if you don't make it to the actual party Friday, lets still meet up for our own pre-playa pool party. Rooms at the Grand Sierra Hotel, where the event is held are $50 for all bhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifurners. PLEASE CALL THEM TO MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS. And make sure they quote you $50.The reservations cannot go through me. If you rsvp'd to me, I have you on my guest list for the party Friday night. Grand Sierra Resort 1-800-501-2651

The event will be held at Nikki Beach (an outdoor venue) and Pearl Ultra Lounge in the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, NV. They are programming 9 DJ acts which will run from 8pm to 6am. Its a mix of local Reno Djs and San Francisco based DJs. There will be fire performances by Controlled Burn ( a reno fire troop ) and Shiva Vista ( a reno fire based theme camp ). There will be $49 rooms available at GSR for my friends and all burners. There will be designated mutant vehicle parking in the lot.

Reno Passport is producing the first annual Pre Playa Music Festival, featuring performances by the critically acclaimed Reno-based Controlled Burn and Dragonfly Aerials. The party will showcase amazing metal sculptures by Steven Addi of Reno, a Playa Fashion show, and a Mutant Vehicle Exposition area paired with nine of the most talented DJ's in the West.

Are you meeting people in Reno on your way to Burning Man this year? If so, this event provides the perfect meeting place for Burners staging in Reno before the drive out to the playa. The Pre Playa Music Festival will have two elements: the outdoor event at Nikki Beach from 8 pm to 2 am and an after hours Burner Costume Ball at Pearl Champagne Lounge from 2 am to 6 am.

Anasia - An International crunk ambassador, and groove-trotting dancefloor high priestess, the SF DJ weaves an eclectic web of eccentric rhythms, inspired by the sweating her sets evoke. "Lots of low-end love…glitch-infused, bassy & beautiful, global slut psy-hop," she says. Anasia headlines the After Hours Costume Ball in the spectacularly renovated Pearl Champagne Lounge.

Mozaic - Mozaic is a force to be reckoned with on and off the dancefloor. Armed with a resume that includes vocalist, DJ, and producer, the 10-year club veteran turntablist from the SF Bay Area boldly bends genres, merging hip-hop, electro, tech-house, breakbeat, downtempo and dancehall from around the world.

Aaron Jae - Aaron is an SF based DJ who has been tearing it up all across the U.S., dropping his brand of hard-hitting, dirty, nasty breaks. Aaron Jae produces events at the major clubs throughout the Bay Area.

GT - The passion through which Steve Emmerich expresses his urban sensibilities and musical gifts is only exceeded by the euphoria his sets induce. Prepare for GT's high energy breaks, ragga, and dub sound.

Crisis - Reno-based hard house break beat specialist who's adored for his vibe, mix instincts and originally produced music. Crisis has built a awesome rep for showcasing seamless mixes and precise scratching skills.

Nona - Reno-based break beats, drum and bass urbanology, and high nrg bpm's make Nona a fast-rising local with an incredible reputation for hardhouse and scratching.

Jen Woolfe - A Favorite in the Seattle scene, Jen Woolfe began to play for local clubs in early 2003. Jen shows her alt rock roots by fusing dance, rock and nu skool breaks and tinting her style with elegant Electro.

Robb Green – SF mixmaster DJ Robb Green fuses electro with House for a red hot sonic cocktail that moves masses and asses.

Coop da Loop - Imagine unexpectedly hearing your favorite dancefloor tracks–mixed flawlessly–with a genuine exuberance, and reverence that could only come through a committed love of club culture. Picture that and you'll get the feel of Coop's live set. Coop's sets range from reggae, hip hop, breaks, house and world beats. Energy and impeccable taste and timing make Coop arguably the most popular DJ in the Reno underground.

My newest mix creates a buzz

I wanted to share with you some words from a long-time friend and listener about my newest mix, Pilot Dementia which came out back in March.

--- from listener:

Dude,

I'm listing to Pilot Dementia still and just so you know, I am having trouble working because it is totally turning me on. Sexy [mix] Jen. I'm going to go home early and have the best sex ever with [my wife]!! Sorry, too much info huh! :D

Love the track though!

----
Thank you, listener! This totally follows one of my mantra's: 'If you don't go home wanting to f*ck, I haven't done my job.' I thought that was restricted to the dance floor, but its apparently also true in the workplace.

Hear it here.
And if you think that was sexy, try this!

A Mighty Weekend in SF

Saturday August 9th ~ YES! Shameless' first Warehouse party

shameless will be throwing our first warehouse party
on
Saturday AUGUST 9th
YES
In a warehouse spot with a full bar from 10- 6
info line day of event
805 908 2562

AC SLATER from nyc
a frequent contributor to blogs such as Palms Out
Sounds, Big Stereo and countless others. Releases on
labels such as Trouble & Bass, Tigerbass, Ministry of
Sound, New Judas Records, Freek Records, and Epidemic
Recordings

more shameless behavior provided by:
Aaron Jae ( evil breaks,space cowboys )
Sleazemore ( lights down low, sf )
Recess ( shameless, seattle )
Robb Green ( shameless )
Influence ( strategik )
Dex Stakker ( opulent temple, pronoia )
vs
Jen Woolfe ( dreemworld, qool seattle )

SHAME OFF GAME ON



Sunday August 10 ~ FUNDRAISER @ MIGHTY

Grab your wallets and your playa-fied desires, this sale is going to knock the dust off your wardrobes and
put the sha-BaNG into your step.

August 10th, Sunday
2:00 - 8:00 pm
Mighty - 119 Utah, SF
Free Admission

TamoDesign has gathered a crew of San Francisco's finest independent designers to bring you the freshest
design for both on and off the Playa.

Featuring:
Bad Unkl Sista - badunklsista.com
Bunnywarez - bunnywarez.com
Domini - clothingarchitect.com
E-Star Hats - estar.etsy.com
Fati Beloved - myspace.com/fati_ma
Fluidance Jewelry - fluidance.com
Invisible Hero Industries - myspace.com/invisibleheroindustries
Medium Reality - mediumreality.com
Miranda Caroligne - mirandacaroligne.com
Miss Velvet Creme - missvelvetcream.com
Moda Sandrita - modasandrita.etsy.com
Pallas Ravae - pallasravae.com
Silver Lucy Design - silverlucydesign.com
Swirlspace Hemp Wear - swirlspace.com
Tamo Design - tamodesign.com
Vagadu - experiencevagadu.com
Jen Woolfe - jenwoolfe.com
Many more tba....

Also featuring sultry grooves indoors to pique your creative instincts and bumpity-bumpin' beats outside to satisfy your urge to get down..
Delivered fresh by Shameless djs Robb Green, Recess, and Menami; F'kir, Ernie Trevino, Influence, P-Dub, Syd Gris, and more tba ...


Hosted by: TamoDesign, Shameless, & Mighty

NEXT GIG: One Sky July 25-27

My official going away party is NEXT weekend, July 25-27 at One Sky!

One Sky is an environmentally-friendly camping event featuring some of the best electronic and live music the Northwest has to offer, a diverse collection of visual and performance art, yoga classes, and education about the environment, sustainability, and survival, all taking place in a beautiful outdoor setting on the Washington coast, July 25-27 2008.


Get tickets here

Music - 2 Sound Systems!
We will have a main stage with live music (funk, jazz, electro-rock and experimental) and an all-star lineup of DJs (electro, progressive house, breaks) as well as a downtempo chill-out space.

DJs/live electronica:
J-Sun (Innerflight, Black Neon)
novaTRON LIVE (Innerflight, Space Island)
Kadeejah Streets (Innerflight, Black Neon)
Manos (Innerflight)
Recess (Shameless Seattle)
Michael Manahan (Oracle Gatherings)
Ad Lib (People of Earth)
Jen Woolfe (Leschi Lounge, Qool Seattle)
Ramiro (Uniting Souls)
M. o. LIVE (From 0-1, Innerflight)
Anglo Satellite (Turbo Recordings, Innerflight)
MC Anton Bomb (Shameless)
Seanny "Night Train" Neider (harmonica spaceship, Innerflight)

Live Bands:
The Way Downs
(funk)
Aunt Jamama's Big Band Vigilantes
(experimental electro-jazz)
Mulally
(electro-rock)
Silver Velocity (beatbox-electro-jazz-rock)

Chill Lounge:
Electrosect (Sensory Effect)
Gel-Sol (Spindrift, em:t Records)
William Mempa (Spindrift)
Menami (Shameless)
Esnce (PDX)
Richard La Chappelle (Oracle, Audible Bicycle Day)
Skoi Sirius (Audible Bicycle Day)

......
Art
Visual Art displays by:
David Lindes (http://photo. lindes. net)
Alisha Mahone (http://www. alishamahone. com)

Live Art by Michael Brinker (Prolifik Ink)

Fire Performance and wearable goods by Obsidian Moon

Workshops/Education
Yoga by Lael Sokvitne, Osodipe Olomo & Baca
Reiki by Baca
"Damanhur: Blueprint for Sustainable Culture" by Synchronic Alliance
Wilderness Survival by Mel Sky

CARPOOLS AVAILABLE!!
More Details at http://www.burningcirclemusic.com

Also check out the NW Tekno post!


WHAT?!? You're going away? Read This

NEXT GIG: Vibrator @ The Eagle

Tuesday July 15th

Vibrator @ Seattle Eagle

Knomus Kohonus
Jen Woolfe
Yu Ling
Goat Face Killers

Featuring The LOVELY cage dancers

Wear your leather!!

Bay Area Babe

As some of you know, I've been contemplating moving out of Seattle since I've returned from my West Cost Adventure. I thought the path was leading me to Las Vegas, because I had a place to live and some good DJ contacts down there, but I've found that the job market is leading me instead to San Francisco. Many people, including myself, were confused about Vegas, since it doesn't seem to fit my personality. I think Vegas was still a path to my goals as a musician, but a more isolating one. I was attracted to the isolation, bc I've been very frustrated lately with the difficulties within our vibrant community of taking time for creating my own music. But I realize now that Vegas would have been too isolating. For the first time in my life, I realized more than one path to reach my goals. The one I'm taking instead is lined with love, art, community and friends who are welcoming me with open arms.

I've been down in the Bay area all week. After three rigorous days of job interviews with big names like SnapFish and VMWare, I decided an Operations Engineer position with a small startup most suits my style. Located in Berkeley, this 13 (now 14!) person company is far enough away from the city that I can spend the time in the studio that I want (and have a place for Willow to romp outside) and close enough that I can hop onto those arteries that will rush me right to the center of the electronic pulse of San Francisco. And lets me honest -- the bay area IS a lesbian mecca!

My start date is Monday July 28th. Which means I will be down in SF for many of the gigs I have scheduled in August and September. I will be back for Dollhouse in August and Festival Of the Babes over labor day weekend. I should also be able to come back for Audel's graduation party in late September.

I've already spoken with Adlib and Messiah about ending my residency at Qool Seattle. While down here, I will be talking with Jondie and Spesh about playing Qool SF again. I will also be maintaining my Seattle residency at Noc Noc with Amanita and Osiris since it is only every few months, and I will be coming back often to play other venues as well. I know that my returns to play Seattle will pack the dance floor with all my lovely friends! Probably even more so than when I was spreading myself so thin.

I'm not going to Burning Man this year. Its the first time since I started 5 years ago that I will not be attending. Its a huge emotional step! But I can feel the playa here in the Bay already.

However, I will be playing in Reno the weekend that everyone is there gathering supplies. So if you can make it to Reno by Saturday (instead of Sunday), Robb Green and I are playing a Pre-Playa Music Festival, on August 22, 2008. The event will be held at Nikki Beach (an outdoor venue) and Pearl Ultra Lounge in the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, NV. There is a special $50 room rate for DJ's friends and all burners. I also have 10 guest spots (for party entrance), so I'll leave those as first come first serve.

So that's the news, my friends. I know I've sent you endless texts, mailing list posts, put your pictures online without you knowing, created your caricatures in my blog for the sake of my own promotion, and I thank you. I thank you for every time you stepped on the dance floor and nodded when my mix was bomb or (bombing!), barricaded the drunk people away from smashing into the decks, scrubbed puke from the Leschi Lounge carpet after an all-night party, took the neighbor's evil stares as they chewed you out for loud people waking their kids up at 5am, carrying my heavy records to gigs or new homes, moved my turntables out of the way so you could climb to your instruments, or stuck around as the light peaked over the horizon.

Mind you, all those things are still going to happen. Just from a bit farther away.

I love you all and I'll be seeing you soon.

NEXT GIG: Chix invade Qool on Wed

Qoöl @ See Sound Lounge

6pm-10pm

Featuring Rockstar DJs:
Nefarious
Chicks Ahoy

With Qoöl Residents:
B.Fly
Hy-Phen
Jen Woolfe

Qoöl - Always free cover!!



HAPPY HOUR 6-11 PM w/

$3 Microbrews, $3 Wine, $3 Champagne

$4 Stoli Drinks

$5 Awesome Food Menu!!




115 Blanchard St in Belltown


SeeSoundLounge.com

QoolSeattle.com

Riding Coach to Coachella

Before I tell you about my time at the Coachella music festival, I want to back up a bit and tell you about my odyssey from Palm Springs to Las Vegas and back to Palm Springs again. This trek was different from the others of my trip for one reason. For this passage through the desert, I chose to ride the bus.

Up until the final day of the Dinah Shore Weekend in Palm Springs, my West Coast Adventure had been virtually a door-to-door experience. Every time I flew into a city I was graciously retrieved by a friend and escorted to my destination of stay, usually their house. I even had a friend-of-a-friend drive me from LA to Palm Springs, right up to the door of the hotel, the Desert Lodge. However, I broke that momentum after leaving Palm Springs to journey to Vegas. At the Dinah, I had met a girl named Amy in a Cowboy Hat who was driving home to Vegas after the weekend event. I gave her my card and ran into her a few times after that. However, my tragic flaw was that I didn't get HER number, and hence left my ride to Vegas up to Amy in a Cowboy Hat. I'm not sure if the decision I made not to get her number was accidental or on purpose, but it was the beginning of a domino effect of interesting happenstance.

The first issue was the bus stop in Palm Springs. Or, rather, the absence of the bus stop in Palm Springs. I looked up the bus route on the internet (as a plan B to catching a lift from Amy in a Cowboy Hat) and found a Greyhound station in the middle of the city of Palm Springs, only a 10-minute drive from my hotel room. Sweet! I had a few hours to spare, so that morning, after the Party Girlz left for home, I decided to use my time alone to treat myself to a nice breakfast and coffee. I stored my luggage in the hotel lobby and set out in the 95 degree weather to find a restaurant. I turned right out of the parking lot and walked along the road, searching for the perfect diner. I walked for about 20 minutes and realized that neither the perfect diner, nor any diner, would be coming my way . Still, I followed my instincts and walked until the end of the street, which turned a sharp left into another street. The only things on the block were a Travelodge, a Best Western, some residences and a bar, but no diners. Weird! My instincts had led me down a strange path (this becomes important later).

Confused at my wrong turn and frustrated by my hunger, I turned back and walked another 20 minutes to the Desert Lodge. Up the street about 3 minutes past that was the Rock Garden Cafe. Eureka! This was exactly what I had searched (the wrong way) for. I guessed my instincts were just a little off after my weekend of partying in a la-la land filled only with ladies .

I found a seat in the outside garden paradise and ordered a Spinach Omelet. Luckily for me, the server misunderstood my order and gave me a Spanish Omelet instead of a Spinach Omelet. Even more luckily, I didn't even realize that she had given me the wrong meal until two weeks later when I was sitting there again and perusing through the menu.

Sometimes it is difficult for me to pay attention to details. They flow through my brain like the pages of a romance novel when I'm scavenging through for the dirty parts. I don't know why I'm like this, but I know because of it, I've found myself in a few frustrating situations. Once it landed me in the middle of Spain where nobody spoke English, with no hostels and barely any money for a place to stay. Still, some of life's best moments happen out of serendipity, and my breakfast at the Rock Garden Cafe was one of those times. That Spanish Omelet was the best omelet I'd ever had in my life. The fusion of eggs, cheese and enchilada sauce was one of the best blends my taste buds have ever experienced. Eating, reading and writing at the Rock Garden Cafe that morning, I was totally content.

I believe that contentness is what both stopped me from, and helped me through, the next 10 hours. After the most excellent meal, I headed back to the Desert Lodge to pick up my bags and get to the bus station. I was incredibly early, as I didn't want to miss the bus and have to stay in Palm Springs for another night. I spoke with the manager of the hotel about calling me a cab to the bus stop. He said the cab ride would be about $25-$35 because the stop was all the way out of town. This confused me a little, because I thought the bus stop was right in the middle of town. I mentioned that fact and he said that the mid-town bus stop was closed.

The ride to the bus stop out of town took about 40 minutes. The bus stop had been re-located to the Amtrak train station which was completely out of town. As a bus stop, it was entirely unmarked. It was a small, open but covered circular building on a desolate street in the middle of nowhere out in the desert. The driver stopped the car and retrieved my bags from the trunk.

'Is this it?' I asked.
'Yep,' he said. I gave him his money, thanked him, and he left.

The building enclosed a newsstand whose garage-type door was rolled down. There were a few cars in the parking lot and a white construction truck sitting next to the railroad tracks behind a fence with a man sitting inside. He was wearing a bright orange construction vest and idly reading a newspaper. Further behind him in the distance, about 2 miles away, was the freeway. Behind that, a gas station and a Jack-in-the-Box. The sun was penetratingly hot now, as it was about 1:00 in the afternoon.

I went up to the circular building into the shade and tried to open a door that was a bathroom. Locked.

'Hi!' said an ecstatic voice behind me. I turned, startled, towards a freckled, slightly overweight brown-haired girl who looked about 17 years-old. She was slightly dirty, wearing a sweatshirt and long pajama pants. Her eyes were excited, her skin pale and a bit chalky and she had a ring of red kool-aid stain around her lips. 'Are you here for the bus?'

'Yeah,' I said. 'Are you?' Behind her, leaning against a bench were three huge bags of luggage. Her pillow and a blanket were sprawled out in a spot hidden from the wind, which was whipping through the open structure.

'I'm waiting for my boyfriend,' she said, in a high-pitched, excited voice. 'He's in the circus.'

Oh My Gawd, I thought, this girl is insane.
I'm stuck in an abandoned train station in the middle of the desert with a girl that is insane.

'Can I use your phone to call him?' she asked. 'He's supposed to pick me up with the circus.'

Uh, I thought, Riiiiiight.

Touching my cell phone that was hidden neatly in the back pocket of my jeans I said, 'I don't have a phone.'

I walked my bags toward the long bench where her pillow and blanket were made up into a bed. I quickly studied her bags and asked her some questions so I could figure out if I was in danger or not. I took note of the man in the construction truck behind the fence, sitting idly, reading the paper. He couldn't easily climb the fence. Regardless, they didn't seem to be together. So if a dangerous situation arose, either his presence could save me from her or hers from him!

The girl's bags were large and brand new. She had way too much stuff, so she obviously hadn't been traveling (or homeless?) for too long. She opened them nervously many times, taking things out, putting them back in and talking. She had a laptop and cell phone, both out of batteries. The cell phone was pink. Her shoes were brand new. She was fresh off the boat from the suburbs. Her name was Jamie.

Jamie explained to me that she'd taken the bus from Sacramento to Palm Springs to join the circus with her boyfriend. She met him online. He cheated on her, but she stayed with him. They'd been 'together' for 3 months. This girl was not a threat to me, she was a threat to herself. I wanted to help her, but I knew I could not. So I did what I could. I listened.

I turned back to the man in the truck as she was rambling, spilling her guts, explaining her story. He and I made eye contact from afar. I think I waved. He stepped out of the truck and reached into a cooler that was sitting in the back. He pulled out two water bottles, turned and began walking towards me, still behind the fence. I walked over to it. He was a tall African-American gentleman, with a slight belly and gentle eyes like a young grandpa or an uncle. He handed me the sealed water bottles through the fence.

'Thank you,' I said. He smiled, turned back to the truck, got in and continued to read the paper. I knew then that I was safe.

I walked back to Jamie and held up one of the water bottles. 'Do you want some water?'

'No Thanks,' she said, 'I'm covered.' She opened her enormous red suitcase and pulled out a bottle of bright red soda. She opened it and drank it almost all the way down, adding to the red ring around her mouth. The only thing she didn't seem to have in those huge suitcases of hers was street smarts.

Because of her chalky skin and nervous nature, I suspected Meth use. I offered her a Cliff Bar, but she didn't want any, even though she hadn't eaten all day. After I gained her trust, I asked her. My suspicions were confirmed. She'd been clean for over a year, she told me, as she showed me her Narcotics Anonymous tattoo on her forearm. But recently, she'd slipped. A few times.

Another car pulled up and a middle-aged bald man got out. 'Is this the bus stop?' He asked. We said it was. He looked nervously at us. I think we sketched him out, this man, bald headed and upper-middle class.

'Hey Mister,' Jamie asked him, 'Can I use your phone?' No, he said, nervously. He walked around the station, looking for something. Safety, I suppose. He tried to open the bathroom door. Locked. The girl then asked him if he could take her to Jack-in-the-Box to use the phone. He said 'No,' again, but offered to call her a cab. She said she'd used all her money on the ticket to get here. He said 'I'm sorry I can't help you,' and left.

I really felt for this girl, stuck at a bus stop in Palm Springs, waiting for a boyfriend who may or may not pick her up, or even exist. She seemed so hopeful, ready to start this new fantasy life.

'You know,' I said, 'I actually do have a phone. I just didn't understand your situation. You can use mine if you want.' I handed it to her.

Overjoyed, she called her boyfriend and to my surprise, he answered. He was indeed going to pick her up, after he was done with his shift. The circus was close by in another town. She reminded him of where she was and hung up the phone. After that, thank God, she called her mom.

A while later, other people started showing up for the bus, confused at the nondisclosure of the stop. How curious that I'd been so early to this stop and had so much time to cross the path of this naive girl. Perhaps I was able to share some insight to her on her life, or for her to shed some insight on mine. I choose to believe that this is true, as I believe that there are no coincidences.

Finally, the bus came. It wasn't a Greyhound bus, but one from a Mexican company. The bus driver spoke only a little english. The bus was headed toward Los Angeles, which confused me. I asked him if there was a bus going to Las Vegas. He said, 'You can wait for a bus to Las Vegas, but one will never come.'

What?! I was pissed! Two hours sitting at this bus stop, and it wasn't even the right one. Besides that, the only other bus stop was in a town 30 miles away in Indio, CA. Too bad this wasn't 2 weeks later. That was exactly where I was supposed to go for Coachella!

There was another bus driver on the bus that was much more helpful. He led me over to a cab that had been standing by in the parking lot. He asked the cab driver how much for a ride to Indio. The cab driver quoted me $50. Having no other choice, I decided to take it.

The fare actually ended up around $75, but the cab driver, whose name was Steve. I know this because he gave me a business card that was printed on a home computer that said 'Steve' and a phone number. Steve kept his quote of $50. It was his own personal business, after all, and he'd just decided to go to the bus stop as he does sometimes and see if anyone needed a ride. He didn't do it every day, but sometimes. If he hadn't decided to that day, I might have been stuck there, with Jamie, waiting for my own fantasy bus ride.

Indio, CA is a town whose population is made up almost entirely of Latino-Americans. There isn't much there except some residential houses, many Latino stores, a few Latino restaurants and the Greyhound bus station. I drug my travel bags into the bus station and bought a ticket to Las Vegas. It was 3:30 in the afternoon. The bus was to arrive at 5pm.

I sat and read my book for an hour 1/2. A few buses came and went. They called for LA, Riverside, Oakland, San Francisco, Mexico. But none said Las Vegas. At 5:30 I went back up to the front counter and asked the good-looking young man sitting behind the counter, 'Did I miss the bus to Vegas?'

His face dropped, 'Uh . . . Uh Oh. Yeah.'

What!?! 'I didn't hear them say Vegas,' I said.

'Oh,' He said, 'Yeah, There's a stop over at Riverside. I'm sorry, I didn't tell you that.'

And I didn't look. I'd left my fate up to the good-looking young man sitting behind the counter. No fault, no foul.

'The next one,' he said, 'Is at 8pm'.

No way.

'Hey, I'm sorry,' he said. 'I can give you a discount.'

'That's just about the only thing that would make this wait worthwhile,' I said, as I told him about my escapades at the other bus stop, which started at 1 pm.

'I can give you $15 bucks off the next ticket.' That's it.

No shit.

As I sat in the bus station, steaming, annoyed with myself, I contemplated the turn of events that brought me there. I could have had a ride to Vegas. I could have been there by now. Why had it not occurred to me to get the phone number of Amy in the Cowboy Hat? I saw her 3 times over the weekend. Had I unconsciously wanted some time to myself? The trip had been running so smoothly, almost too smoothly. Things were moving so quickly that I had barely had time to stop, reflect, process. I'd had very little, if any, alone time, something that is not only precious to an introvert like myself, but in fact, a necessity. Had I unconsciously stopped the forward movement of the trip so as to take some time on the bus for myself? Or was my fate twisted so I may be of some service for the young girl named Jamie who had traveled all the way from Sacramento to meet her the circus man of her dreams?

As I thought about that Spanish omelet oh so many hours ago that morning, I accepted the idea that I may have instituted this whole chain of events for my own sanity or for hers. So I asked the guy behind the counter for 1) a locker token to store my luggage and 2) the closest bar. He gave me a token for free and pointed me to a Latino restaurant down the street. I ate a lovely Spanish enchilada and taco and (a term I had learned in Spain) dos cerveza. By missing two buses, I had time to stop, reflect, process. I wrote.

At 8pm I loaded my bags onto a bus that was headed for San Bernardino, where I would transfer to a bus to Las Vegas. The destination portrayed on the front of the bus read: 'Seattle.'

Coincidence? I like to believe that it was a sign I was back on my path again.

NEXT GIG: Flashbulb @ Qool!`

Next Wednesday June 18 is a VERY BIG night at SeeSound Lounge!!! This is a HEADLINER at 8:15pm

The Flashbulb
Recess
Naha

Qool Residents:

Hyph-En
Jen Woolfe

Set Times:

6:00-6:45 = Jen Woolfe
6:45-7:30 = Hyph-En
7:30-8:15 = Recess
8:15-9:45 = The Flashbulb
9:45-10:30 = NAHA



THIS EVENT IS FREE!


HAPPY HOUR 5-10 PM w/

$3 Microbrews, $3 Wine, $3 Champagne

$4 Stoli Drinks

$5 Awesome Food Menu!!

115 Blanchard St in Belltown

SeeSoundLounge.com

QoolSeattle.com

Los(t) Vegas

Vegas is a blur.

O Dinah, My Dinah part(y) II

One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the phenomenon of how connected we all are as individuals. How many times have you met someone and realized later that you had been in the same place or at the same party only a few days or weeks earlier? Whenever I experience this sensation, I'm always curious how many times I had passed by that person before we actually met. The first time I met my friend Vudu is a good example. He's tall and graceful with a Euro-80's flair, someone you'd expect to see in a modern Depeche Mode video. He's hard to miss. This was especially true when I met him a few years ago because of a vibrant red swish of color that painted the front of his bangs. I was introduced to him at The Chapel by Succulent Sam and realized soon after that I had just seen him in a Yoga class a week before. Or how many times do you run into one person in the course of a few weeks? I managed to bump into Robb Green 5 times in one month before he moved to San Francisco. Whenever I discover these kinds of syncronicities, I always believe that we were destined to meet.

That said, there is no doubt that in Palm Springs, I was destined to meet Pooh.

The night started at sundown, when I awoke abruptly from my pool side nap. Myself and the party girlz had been bathing in the sun all day at the TGIF Pool Party hosted by GirlBar at the Wyndam Hotel. After lunch on the outdoor patio at Ruby's Diner we headed back to our Desert Lodge for some downtime before the evening's festivities. I gathered my book and towel and headed upstairs to the room where Mxxx and Trinitron were chillin'. I opened the door abruptly and said, 'Let's play I Never.'

'I Never' is a drinking game. The premise of the game is that one person says 'I Never - blah'. If you HAVE done blah, you drink. If not, you don't. Thus, the more blah you've done the drunker you get. I used to play 'I Never' in college. Since college, I Never forget that I can't drink like I did in college (drink). So, I Never played 'I Never' after college (drink). Now, I Never drink before I head out to the bars (drink). Because, I Never like to get drunk (drink). I especially Never like to be hung over. I Never got buzzed before I headed out to the Pure White Party that night (drink). And I Never realized how buzzed I was.

I also Never realized, when I started up a conversation with the two girls in the bathroom about our non-all white outfits, that I'd become great friends with the smiling American-Indian girl behind me. Her name was Pooh and she followed me out of the bathroom because she said I 'funny and cute and a little drunk'. We Never connected the fact that only a few hours earlier she had been chatting with Trinitron in the pool while tossing around a football. And she Never foresaw what she was getting into (drink).

So while the Friday Night White Party was a little blurry for me, I do remember quite a few highlights:

- The fluffy poodle outside of our hotel room before we left
- The male owner of the fluffy poodle outside of our hotel room before we left who said he was a lesbian (I've Never heard a guy say that before (drink))
- The many hundreds of women all wearing white, dancing and smiling
- The House music DJ Kimberly S. played all night until the last hour or so when DJ Mike Bryant threw down lesbian-loving hip hop
- The hot dancers.
- The super talented lighting girl who was wearing all black
- Taking an in-club self-portrait with Peta.
- Showin' off my hip hop flava by giggin', squished between Mxxx, Trinitron, Pooh and her Crew.
- Pooh asking me to do Karaoke with her the next night at the Mardi Gras Masquerade party
- Saying 'No Way' to Pooh asking me to do Karaoke with her the next night at the Mardi Gras Masquerade party
- Listening to Belinda Carlile sing live to many hundreds of women wearing all white, dancing and smiling
- Getting to know Pooh in the 24-hour hot tub at our Desert Lodge
- Listening to Trinitron interrogate a very very very drunk US Marine of Russian decent who claimed he was a doctor and about to go to war while getting to know Pooh in the 24-hour tub at our Desert Lodge

I know what you are wondering.

At this point you are wondering 'what the hell do Pure White and TGIF Pool parties have to do with Dinah Shore?' Dinah Shore was a well-known singer and actress in the 40's and 50's. She continued acting and became very popular from both her television career in the 70's and 80's as well as her many romances to such leading men as James Stewart, George Montgomery, Frank Sinatra, Dick Martin, Andy Williams, Dean Martin and Burt Reynolds. 'Shore, who played golf herself, was a long-time supporter of women's professional golf. In 1972, she helped found the Colgate Dinah Shore golf tournament, which today, now known as the Kraft Nabisco Championship, remains as one of the four major golf tournaments on the LPGA Tour. The tournament is held each spring near Shore's former home in Rancho Mirage, California.1' About 20 years ago, the two owners of the lesbian GirlBar in Los Angeles, Sandy Sachs and Robin Gans, came to the tournament and decided the next few years to throw a party. Which, 20 years later, is the biggest lesbian party in the country. (Check out this article from The Observer for more info about the history of the Dinah Shore Weekend ('We're not just a weekend anymore!')

I did, in fact, watch the golf tournament -- for about 5 minutes. It was on television before we left the hotel room for Saturday's WET and Wild Pool Party. This pool party was even more insane! Now thousands of women of all shapes, sizes and priorities filled the main pool and surrounding spas to dance, drink and party like the rock stars they are. It was like 'Girls Gone Wild' for lesbians (Though I Never saw any boob shots ((drink)).

Instead of DJ's this day, live music filled the stage. I miraculously managed to find a lounge chair to lay down in by Pooh's Palm Springs roommate, Jamie, immediately in front of stage. This was fine except it was incredibly loud. I wished I had brought the ear plugs that had become a staple for me during my adventures. I shuffled around the pool chatting with chics and taking pictures of the swarms of women. I Never drank any of the $9 vodka redbulls (drink), not even a sip (drink, drink). I caught up with Pooh dancing at the front of the stage at the end of the day, but only long enough to say goodbye. I was headed back to our Desert Lodge to get some rest before yet ANOTHER night of dancing and women.

Saturday night's party was GirlBar's main dance party event, the Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball. Mxxx, after kickin' it at the pool all day with the ladies , decided to stay in that night, but Trinitron and I headed out around 11 to get the party started, riiight (hip hop reference). We found a parking spot and sauntered toward the large event center. You'll Never guess who we ran into at the exact moment that we crossed the street to the corner of the Event Center (drink).

You can't run from fate. But I tried. I wasn't too into the dance part of the night. The energy of the large, long event center felt too reminiscent of Girl4Girl in Seattle, a night I haven't enjoyed for quite a while. There is too little electronic music swirling the stagnant energy created from high levels of drama and expectation. DJ's that do well at events like those, like DJ Beyonda, DJ Spinderella and DJ Automation, must play a plethora of pop and hip hop styles in order to gratify the age gaps that span the party's patrons. So instead, I spent some time in the Mock Vegas area, learning craps in preparation for my trip to Sin City in the next few days. I wandered through the Latin room, dance room and front room saying hello to some of the people I'd already met that weekend. I stared at the hot Go Go dancers who MUST have been way tired because they'd been dancing it up all weekend. And, I watched the 80's band the Go Go's re-live their stardom at the first concert they'd played together in 30 years.

But otherwise, I was bored. Very bored. So bored I decided to turn towards the future and face my fate. I decided to do what I'd imagined I'd been brought to Palm Springs to do. I did that thing that stops me from going to the only women's bar in Seattle, the Wild Rose, on certain weekdays. I did what I'd been trying to avoid all night. I did something that I had never before done while sober.

I did Karaoke.

There is only one song I will Karaoke to. If you can guess the song, I'll Karaoke it with you. The night before, Pooh would have never guessed it (drink). So I told her. I told her because underneath it all, I realized that I was ready.

The only song I will Karaoke to is a song by the soul funk legend, Clarence Carter. Its called Strokin'. I walked into the Karaoke room and sat at the table. 'I'm here to pay my dues,' I said. She put our names on the teeny tiny list and I waited to fulfill my fate. After not very long, Pooh and I stood up on the small stage and Karaoke'd to Clarence Carter's Strokin'.

I've Never had so much fun singing.

Missed Part I?

1. Quoting Wikipedia

NEW MIX: Pilot Demetia

I finally recorded a new mix after too long of a stretch since the last one. There's been many new changes in my life (residencies & residences, styles and even computer and music tools), making throwing down and putting up a set very challenging. But now I'm back in the groove with a new style to show for it.

Pilot Dementia

Flying forward, despite confusion. But trusting the Universe and enjoying the ride. Genre: Nu Skool Breaks/House


Playlist

Just Banks - The Meltdown [ Etage Noir ]
Organ Dementia - Groove Allegiance [ Organ Dementia ]
Sweet Like Suga
Access Denied - Wireless Connection [ Systematica ]
Wiggy Wah - Projectiles [ Moonwalk Skeleton ]
Bend Over Toaster - Genderfix [ Spreading the Contagion ]
Dirty Roxx - Moya
2 Drunk 2 Fuck - Elektrik Haze [ MR Collection 3 ]
Promises - Starkillerz [ Dirty Sound Vol 1: The Injection ]
Obrigado Jmekka Meets Lai - [ Petit Comite ]
My People - The Presents
The 2 and Only (nick Thayer Remx) Moston - [The Shirk Off ]
Strider - Inner c ity Sumo [ Splank ]
Flore - All Right [ iBreaks Funk ]
A Room Full of Cute rmx by Funknslocuts - Minuit


All my Mixes

NEXT GIGs: Funk Reflections Hot Wired

Wednesday @ SeeSound and Friday @ Noc Noc

Wed April 30 Qool @ SeeSound

Qool Reflections of Funk

dj's
Danny Massure
Mumbles
Ill Cosby
Jen Woolfe
Kreeper
Tuzaar
B.Fly

This is a happy hour event! 6-10 then 10-2
No Cover
$4 Stolis during happy hour

Fri May 2nd - HotWired @ Noc Noc

dj's
Jen Woolfe
Lara
Osiris Indriya

Performances by
First Birds of Paradise
Pure Cirkus

$5 before 10pm, $10 after
Noc Noc
1516 2nd Ave

O Dinah, My Dinah part(y) I

The night before I left for the biggest lesbian party in the country, I headed off to West Hollywood for a tiny taste of gay LA. Vivek, my hetro hero, went willingly to WeHo with myself and PR Girl. He is from India, a country where homosexuality is considered a taboo subject (as is the discussion of sexuality in general), and where "Sexual acts 'against the order of nature' remain illegal". However, Vivek, of open mind and open heart, embraces a more progressive view of life and love, and seems to be an example of a reformation of views in his home country, one that is more willing to the exploration of all aspects of human culture, even those outside of traditional values.

He and his roommate Leanne met us at The Abbey in West Hollywood, a gorgeous posh and brick building on Robertson between Santa Monica and Melrose. PR Girl and I were already sipping on our second berry-based cocktails, the kind that come in long-stemmed martini glasses and just make fruits silly. After The Abbey we proceeded to an intimate loungy bar called East|West with couches and an outdoor patio (they all have outdoor patios). I love bars that feel like you are walking into a rich uncle's apartment loft. This one had an upstairs VIP room that looked out over the entire bar through an all-glass wall and a huge unisex bathroom downstairs. I remember there was a poor girl puking in one of the stalls and two friends helping her out. It was only Wednesday. My, did she have a long weekend ahead!

But then again, didn't we all?

I was up early again the next day and fully packed when DannyBSmooth picked me up to take me to my next destination of Palm Springs -- to be known that weekend as Pleasure Island. I was to attend the Dinah Shore Event, self-proclaimed as 'The Greatest Women's Weekend on Earth.' (They're not just a weekend anymore).

DannyBSmooth was conveniently heading for a (hetro) wedding, which gave us a full two hours to chat and share stories. He dropped me off at Desert Lodge, my new home for four full days of dykes, discos and debauchery. I had a few hours to unpack and start my blog about Venice Beach until the party girlz Mxxx and DJ Trinitron showed up at the Desert door from their long drive after flying into San Diego from Seattle.

After hello hugs and dibs on beds, we decided to tour around the area in the rental car in search of the non-northwest choke 'n puke, In-N-Out Burger. We found one way outside of Palm Springs and into Indio, where a few short weeks later I would be attending the Coachella Music Festival. After a tasty burger and greasy fries we found an organic grocery store to stock up our lil' fridge inside the hotel room. We didn't have a microwave or a coffee maker, but we made due with sandwich fixin's, spinach salads and the liquor store next to us that served a decent coffee roast.

We stayed in at the hotel the first night, chatting in the 24-hour hot tub for a while (which was actually more like the luke warm tub). I knew the two girls as acquaintances from out on the town in Seattle, specifically at Dollhouse where DJ Trinitron has been known to tear up the front room with her saucy selection of dance beats. And Mxxx, an aspiring DJ and long-time clubber, is always lighting up parties with her outrageous smile. I'm blessed to have really gotten to know the these amazing girls over this fantastical weekend of females and fun.

Friday morning we were up bright and early, ready to hit 1 of the 3 impending pool parties. Our first pool stop was the 'TGIF Pool Party' sponsored by GirlBar, the first of two outfits to throw parties during Dinah Shore Week. We walked into the Wyndham Hotel and stopped at a booth to pick up some passes for all the parties to be attended that weekend. Unfortunately, the mammoth 'All Event Pass,' which is the most cost effective (a ticket for the main event GirlBar party on Saturday is $90 alone!) had been sold out weeks before. Which meant in order to stay within financial reason, we had to force ourselves to stick with one group of parties and wouldn't be able to pick and choose from all of the above. We decided on the GirlBar EZ Pass, which we hoped would have a more inveigling effect on our evenings, but actually just gave us entrance into the 'Pure White' dance party on Friday, the 'Wet N' Wild Pool Party' on Saturday and the main event 'Masquerade Ball' on Saturday night.

Still, it was all worth it. After having our bags checked for liquids (including water), weapons and food, we strutted into the huge pool area packed with women of all shapes, sizes and priorities. There were bars located in every direction, entangled with small hot tubs and long lawn chairs, most of which, at 11am, were already taken. We snagged the last of the low chairs from waaaay in the back and set them up at the side of the large pool in the middle of the scene. We said hello to our neighbors, a couple from Chicago handing out drinks to their friends basking in the sun or swimming at the side of the pool. They were also accompanied by a girl from Las Vegas in a large cowboy hat and a lovely woman in her 60's wearing a sun visor and a grin that stretched through years of oppression.

Set up at the head of the pool was a stage with delicious dancers and a large yellow tiger print banner naming the hosts of the party, Girlbar. Though that day there was a DJ spinning House beats from a small side tent, the stage would be filled throughout the weekend with dancers, MC's, and bands, one of which happened to be sitting directly to our left. That weekend we kept running into LA-based Corday everywhere we went. They rocked out on Sunday, but were basking in the sun in their tatoo's and mesh caps on Friday.

I stared, mouth open, at the thousands of women partying at the pool for at least an hour. I've never been in any place so stacked with estrogen. It was heaven! Or, if not heaven, then at least the L Word.

After pulling my jaw up off the ground, I joined a few ladies in the pool who were doing what they do best -- sports. Someone had brilliantly brought a small football to toss around and splash a few who were sitting on the sidelines. It was such a great way to break the ice, I thought about bringing one to dance parties! What a way to cut through expectation than to toss a nerf through a crowd of satin'd stiffs!

We enjoyed the pool for a few hours, chatting with our Chicago neighbors and drinking $9 red-bull vodkas. I wished I had snuck in the turkey sandwiches that I made in the morning. Our hunger finally pulled us away from the billions of bikini's and we wished our new friends fun for the weekend. I was sure to give my card to the girl in the cowboy hat, hoping for a lift to my next destination, Las Vegas, but not until after the weekend of mayhem was awash.

Stay Tuned for O Dinah, My Dinah, Part(y) II

Venice Beach and the LA Underground - Part II

The only appointment I had to keep on Saturday was a birthday dinner with Pete Spinning and Oh That Girl. Pete and Oh That Girl throw parties in LA and the surrounding desert under the moniker of Monkey-Do. I met them through Adlib, who booked Pete and Derek Andrew (a Monkey-Duo!) to play for us at our residency at Trinity Nightclub in Seattle. Since then the four of us have shared quite a few more events, including the uber successful (and coming again soon on June 20th - get your tickets, folks) outdoor camping, regional burn event and all-out extravagant Esthetic Evolution in Boise, Idaho. The quaint birthday dinner was timely to have landed on the week that I was in LA, both because it was a great space to become more acquainted with Pete and Oh That Girl as well as the fact that 1) Pete and Vivek's birthday are a day apart and 2) It was at an Indian Restaurant (Vivek's home country cookin) in Orange County. I take such coincidences as evidences that I am indeed in the right space and time. I find that when these such coincidences abound, things seem to slide into place like budda.

After chatty conversation and delicious Indian deserts, we decided to accompany Pete and Oh That Girl to an underground party in LA. Less like a rave and more like an underground House party, this was Doc Martin's renegade gala through his Label/Entertainment Crew Sublevel. The venue was at a surprising location -- a dance hall out in the Valley. The locale looked like an old event center that I would imagine my grandparents getting married in, very fifties-esque with all-white walls. We parked in a spot on the street and could hear the light thump thump thump of the music. We walked around front to a sign that said 'enter through back'. Of course! Renegade parties must maintain anonymity by diverting foot traffic and noise from the streets. We walked around back to a small courtyard with a lit image reflecting over the door. We were frisked at the entrance, our bags checked, licenses scrutinized and then were directed to the cashier with smiles. There we payed the $20 entrance fee and the nice woman asked if I would like to choose a trinket from the table. There were fun necklaces and rings. I decided on a yellow hard plastic ring with a tree painted on the inside, later recognizing the significance of the tree symbol for grounding during my travels (I've worn it most nights ever since).

The inside space was none-too-exciting, but what the party promoters did with the lights gave it quite the ring. It was almost completely dark and the light on the disco ball splashed halos around the room and ceiling in waves of white and colored lights. The dance floor was contained intimately around the DJ booth by keeping the Mackie speakers close to the front and back so it did not fill the room with music, but kept the best sound within 50 feet of the DJ. There were some lame chairs propped against the wall, so one could sit down if they needed to, but to be honest, the dance floor was a far more pleasing place to spend time.

I've always enjoyed watching Doc Martin throw down on his 4 turntables, and this night was no exception, especially since it was his own hometown at his own party. Something about his funk-ed up records really gets your tail moving, even after a previous all-night party. I started the night out sleepy and listless, thinking I would spend most of my time on the sidelines. But by 5am I was groovin' on the dance floor with everyone else. Doc is just that good.

By 5:30 we were wiped, so we gave our hugs to Pete and Oh That Girl, snapped a pic and headed home.

The next day we made sure to get up and moving to enjoy the best day of the week in Venice Beach. On Sundays the boardwalk is packed with tourists watching the local performance art or shopping at the flea market-like stands filled with everything from necklaces to cigarette holders, watches and music. Type 'Venice Beach performers' in google images and you will see photos of many of the artists that set up their stations on the walkway weekly. Each week a drum circle starts on the beach and grows until you can hear it up and down the seafront. We spotted a green tree fairy on stilts in the midst of other less decorated but still prominent freedom dancers.

We walked for a bit, enjoying the sun and cool breeze. Soon after, though, we headed back to Vivek's house to make some tacos and enjoy the home taste of Red Hook that he had installed in his self-made kegerator. I had invited many of the new friends that I was in contact with to dinner to share stories and get to know each other. There was Kristahn, a PR extraordinaire who had recently moved to LA from New York and her friend Earl Dax who was in town to produce performances of his piece 'Weimar New York' (featuring the urban-icon Penny Arcade and Justin Bond of Shortbus fame) at the Green Door in Hollywood. We also hosted Jeremiah, a writer/director from Seattle that is soon leaving for Thailand to shoot his film. We were all strangers, but also artists and professionals and the conversation surrounding us reflected as such, creating a comfortable harmony between us all.

Feeling full after my artesian dinner party, I was looking forward to a few languid days in Venice before heading off to an almost certain incontinence in Palm Springs. Monday and Tuesday consisted of laundry and lazy mornings. On Tuesday I also took the time to visit Gold's Gym which was walking distance from Vivek's bachelor pad. Not only was Golds great because it is also my gym and I could enjoy a workout for free, but because this is the very famous Golds Gym that the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger (the actor, not the governor) was a member of during his days of bumming by the beach. While his original Golds is now closed, (the building still exists) the current gym is huge! It contained three rooms and an outdoor area set to Pump (clap!, point) you up. Most of its members were very very buff, especially the women. I was easily one of the thinnest ladies there which didn't really bother me for obvious reasons! I can see why so many great body builders frequented that gym. I thought the energy itself gave me more motivation to run and lift and pull and stretch. I felt great after my 2 hour workout, and when I looked in the mirror of the ladies locker room with my biceps held high, my muscles were indeed bulkier than 2 hours before. Magic!

I ended my Venice trip at Vivek's favorite burger joint down the street. After a full week of beach bummin', I was ready to head to the biggest female party in the U.S., set to start Wednesday night in Palm Springs.

More photos from Venice Beach and the LA Underground.