05/09/08: The fashion show was a huge success! Thanks to everyone who came (around 150 people!), and to the Wax Cartel who played great music, and to the models for looking great, and to the other designers for letting me be a part of such a fabulous occasion. We'll definitely be doing another one in the not too distant future. Click the pic to see what crappy photos of my own stuff I was able to snap. Hopefully the professional photographer photos will be online in short order.

In Yoda's House news, there's a new song up. It's called Ectoplasmic Tendril. Check it out. It's the first high quality recording we've done. First track off of our upcoming cd.

And next weekend YH is playing 3 shows in 4 days. Thursday, Friday, and Monday. Surely you can make it to at least one of those? Even if we weren't playing, they're all shows I'd be going to. (Especially Thursday!)

05/01/08: This Sunday I'll be involved in two very cool shows. One in the afternoon, one in the evening.

Click for the full flyer:

and

04/20/08: The acoustic set went really well. Surprisingly well. It was fun not having so much equipment to lug around, and set up. We'll have to look into doing more acoustic sets. We were followed by a new ABQ act called Calico. It's the lead singer of the Oktober People doing a solo loops and guitar pop act. And he's super good. Think the Postal Service meets Married in Berdichev. Anyhoo, we have mutual admiration for each other's music, so expect to see Calico on more shows with us. I'll let you know as soon as he has recordings online that you can check out.

Simultaneously making friends & burning bridges Yoda's House is. I'm actually friendly with a couple of the members of I is for Ida, but now Harry's got beef. Whatever. Marvel at his amazing use of the english language. I want to take a red corrective pen to his messages.

04/19/08: Dear Diary,

Yesterday was awesome. I went into Winning to make myself a burrito, and my boss told me that Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! was sitting at the big table up front. Apparently she was doing a book signing at UNM. As I walked out to meet her, the gathered entourage was hurriedly walking out the door, so I trailed after them. I said, "um, excuse me," they stop and turn around, "you're giving a talk tonight?" "Yes, here in about five minutes," she replied."Oh, cool, do you know how long it'll run?" I had plans to go to a friend's art opening around 8. "Oh, I think we'll probably wrap it up by 1 or 2 in the morning," she joked. "Haha, um, is it a payed event?" I asked. "You'd have to ask this man over here, he's with KUNM." KUNM man looks at me like I'm a crazy fool, and assures me that it's a payed event at Woodward Hall. "Oh, where is that exactly?" and before he can respond Amy says "why don't you just come with us in the van?" I'm about to agree to that when KUNM man tries to steer me away once more with less than helpful directions. Amy interjects again, "come on, just get in the van." So I get in the van.

I'm in the very back seat with her brother David Goodman, Amy and KUNM man are in front of us, and a documentarian is filming us from the front seat. Amy turns around with her hand out to me, "Hi, I'm Amy, and that's David next to you." I shake their hands. "Nice to meet you both, I'm Joe." "So, what do you do Joe?" "I'm a musician, and cartoonist." "Oh really? David is a musician as well." I turn to David, and he asks "what do you play?" "Accordion mostly, and I sing, what do you play?" "Clarinet." "Oh Cool! There's a clarinetist in my band, it sounds really good with accordion." "So what type of music do you guys play?" "well....instrumental, emotionally evocative, pretty music, with a fair amount of rocking I suppose. Vocal harmonies, no words. Have you heard of icelandic bands like Sigur Ros, or Mum?" He shakes his head no. "Well, they'd be my closest comparisons."

All this time Amy and KUNM man have been telling jokes and talking about how important KUNM is. She really appreciates our little town. They're really fast paced people, but not rushed, and with super sharp wits.

We arrive at Woodward Hall, and everyone starts to pile out of the van. I hand out some luggage to the man who's been filming as Amy rifles through her bag. "Where did I put my talking points?" she wonders aloud. "What will you be speaking about tonight?" I ask. "Well, let me find my talking points, and I'll be able to tell you!" Endless jokes from these kind folks. She grabs a DVD from her bag and hands it to me. "Normally we give these to people who buy two copies of our book, but you're already here with us, so you should take one. It's our 12th Anniversary Gala with Danny Glover, Juan Gonzales, Jackson Brown, and Willy Nelson!" She got super stoked about Willy Nelson. I thanked her, and said it was a pleasure to meet her as I left the van, extricating myself before possibly overstaying my welcome. She said it was a pleasure to meet me as well.

Then David, and she gave wonderful readings from their book Standing Up to the Madness. My brush with celebrity was over, but I left the reading with a aura of appreciation, and awe at the randomness of this world.

I made it to my friend Christopher Bratton's art opening a little later than I had planned, and it was all good. He had a bunch of great work hanging, but I'll just share this amazing painting he did of me, because I'm completely self centered, but you know that by now diary.

Well, I better get ready for tonight. Yoda's House is playing an acoustic set at STOVE for their one year Anniversary.

04/04/08: The University of New Mexico's Daily Lobo ran a story about Yoda's House this week. You can read the article here, and there's also a really cool slide show which includes some great audio from our last show, and some clips of me talking about the band. The show was killer, by the way, thanks to everyone who came out. Let me know what you think of the article. ~ xoxo

03/26/08: Psycho Killer, Qu'est-ce que c'est?