World Premiere: Learning to ride a two wheeler with Zack and Alex in Florence, Massachusetts

Learning to ride a two wheeler with Zack and Alex

After a Brief Hiatus

I've been sans internet all week so I'll break the ice with a few photos and then get back into the groove this week. Below, my friend Craig Sandler and I would skip school back in the late '70s and go play the Nugent machine at the UMass Snack Bar. Dropping a quarter in triggered the Cat Scratch Fever riff. Photo by David. This may be 1980 or 1981 actually.
Below; self-portrait of Hilary Emerson Lay, former manager of The Guild in Northampton; now a book store manager in Marblehead.
Random shot of your host.
Anastasia, Eve, and Ceilidh at Oliver and Anastasia's house-warming BBQ Sunday evening. Anastasia made incredible southwestern style burgers and killer cole slaw and key lime pie.
Group shot.
Matt and Jena.Eve in the hammock.

The Longest Day of the Year

I snapped this while riding my bike up Center Street on Sunday (this is not the same as texting on the T!), during that stunning early evening light that everyone must have noticed; the sky darkened by rainclouds but the sun shining through illuminating the darkness from below. It was the longest day of the year. The days start getting shorter now, but it'll happen slow, and the summer has just begun. Enjoy every sandwich.
Below, candid of teen on cell phone. PVTA Bus # 43, 4:15 Sunday afternoon, on the way back to Northampton after seeing "The Hangover" with Dave at the Hampshire Mall (his review), where we used to go to the movies as long ago as 1977. I remember being in Pip Von Hummel's brown Impala downing Miller High Life in the mall parking lot on a crisp October night and hearing WCCC announce that Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane had gone down. Elvis had died that summer. I wasn't particularly moved by either passing. But Keith Moon, John Bonham, and John Lennon hit home for me. No one noticed that Nick Drake died in 1974. We didn't know of him. Who did? And now who doesn't?
People are getting creative about transportation. A motorized bicycle and a cargo tricycle. You can convert your bike with a kit.There may be someone who can sell you this kit locally, or do it for you. I'm pretty sure you need a driver's license but not insurance. Like a moped or scooter.
Good and Fresh. Bueneo y Sano is healthy but a bit bland for my taste. Locally you have yo go to La Veracruzana for something closer to real Mexican food vs. Bueno's fusion. La V is also really pumped about Sonia Sotomayor's nomination and have a a newpaper photo in the window. They're also very nice about letting me put posters in the window sometimes, like The New York Doll's poster thats up now plugging this Thursday's gig at Pearl Street. They cater for us at IHEG a lot too.
"Okay honey. I'll get you an iPhone but you have to give me lessons."
A man may smile and bid you hail, Yet wish you to the devil; But when a good dog wags his tail,
You know he's on the level.
Letter from a street musician to the Gazette:

Street musician argues that the rules are too difficult

Sunday, June 21, 2009

To the editor:

The city of Northampton is waging a war on the very people that give it its unique culture and mystique. These people, the street musicians like myself, have had to deal with increasingly strict regulations and an extraordinarily inconvenient method of obtaining a permit.

Most of these people are honest individuals who make their living providing Northampton with the bohemian atmosphere that it is known for, and are unjustly being discriminated against for no crimes of their own.

Today, myself and another musician attained a street musicians permit at the department of public works in Florence. After taking the long walk from downtown to get there, we were told that the $25 fee is not payable by cash, only by check or money order. Most street musicians are poor artists who do not possess checking accounts or vehicles. The fee is understandable, but couldn't they sell permits at city hall for cash?

Furthermore, Northampton business owners are pressuring the city to put unreasonable regulations on street musicians. We are no longer allowed to play after 9 p.m., no longer allowed to play in the same spot for more than two hours, and the regulations about where we can stand have become increasingly strict.

Business owners seem to assume that street musicians scare away potential customers, but I would argue that many people come to Northampton for the downtown bohemian culture that the businesses seek to destroy. Very few people dislike music, and if the customers of Northampton truly did not like our music, they would probably not be willing to pay for it. If anything, I think that the business owners of Northampton should be happy that we provide the streets with entertainment so that more people will come to their stores. --Nicholas Canby

Local Burger urges. Matt observes that the burgers taste saltier of late. I think he's right. What's up local burger? Ease up on the sodium. Pepper maybe. But remember, tigers hate cinnamon. It's worth getting the grass fed beef, and on the weekend they have a dry aged beef that tops them all. If you don't ask, they default to the Angus. How am I suddenly the beef buff? This place has gotten me recklessly carnivorous of late.
Advert from November 1955 Seventeen Magazine, retouched by me to simplify, beautify, and eliminate reference to product, a bra with "petal lift."
Really? In Northampton? Who would think it?
Unknown soul exchange.
How odd. The person walking by my window (at 2AM) is whistling in perfect time to the Fleet Foxes song "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" that I'm playing quietly 3 floors up from the street.

At Joe's Pizza tonight, it was Beth, Paul, Wylie and special guest appearances by Jen Snyder and Lance Posner. We were seated at the big table in the far back that shares only one other table with that room which means whoever's at the small table is inescapably subjected to the party of as many as eigth's conversation. Ir 's sorta like the "kid's table" at a family gathering. Anyway, we were talking about how great Shelburne Falls is and Wylie made a....dismissive.. comment about Turner's Falls. When the two ladies at the table left, Jen caught a sideways glance and picked up on one of them saying, "well, let's go back home to TURNER'S FALLS now, shall we?" Hey, I've got nothing against T Falls. You''ll have to talk to Wylie.

Pictures of my father Bob Neill and me, and song lyrics by Leo Kottke

Jack Gets Up (from My Father's Face)

Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
And you crawl out of bed and you crawl out of bed
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
And you look at the moon where the window is
And the stars shine, and the stars shine, and the stars shine
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed

And way down below in the sun belt
And the telephones, and the telephone, and the telephones
And you look out the moon where the window is
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
And some of us breathe in the brown ground
Where the worms clown, where the worms clown, where the worms clown
Way down below in the sun belt
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed

And every night when you lay down
You fall flat, you fall flat, you fall flat
Some of us breathe in the brown ground
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed

So we're asleep in the same dream
In the snort fort, the snort fort, the snort fort
And every night when you lay down
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
Santa Claus modified snow peas
On the sun roofs, on the sun roofs, on the sun roofs
So we're asleep in the same dream
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed

If you look in the mirror it's your father's face
And the thin grin, the thin grin, the thin grin
It's Santa Claus pulling up snow peas
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed

And there's tears in the bank and the credit card
In the back yard, in the back yard, in the back yard
If you look in the mirror it's your father's face
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
And once in a while when the wind blows
And the heart winds, and the heart winds, and the heart winds
There's tears in the bank and a credit card
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed

But there's lint in the pocket and a breath mint
Or a car key, or a car key, or a car key
Once in a while when the wind blows
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed

And your kid has a face like a walnut
From the ice cream, from the ice cream, from the ice cream
But there's lint in the pocket and a breath mint
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed

Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed

"Salute Dad - Builder of our children's future." A classic piece of papa-ganda (circa 1948) from the hallowed walls of Jake's in Northampton

"Good citizenship begins at home."
More wall wonderment at Jake's by renowned local artist....help me here.

TONIGHT: Best Damn Poetry Show in Western Mass Part II - Plus assorted unrelated downtown photos

Bonnie makes her rounds last night on the mean streets of Northampton.
I just ran into my friend Jeremy from MEF who asked if I was going to the poetry event tonight. I haven't been paying as much attention to poetry lately with a new girlfriend and an ever busier job that I love. It's easier to write poems when I'm wracked with self-pity as opposed to generally digging my scene. I have been most remiss about my Drive-By Poets project, leaving those newspaper boxes un-poemed and free to be plundered by local flyer...ers. I started Drive-By Poets when I was less satisfactorily engaged with the world, and I have to make sure I don't let it languish. I will try to do one a week from now on. Rachael, Diane, Amanda, and Hannah all walked by, separately, as Jeremy and I were catching up. This town is shrinking, socially, ever-smaller like a.... skin around a fine pork sausage. NOTE: I've returned from the event, at least the open mic part (how egocentric for me to read and run!) and I'm including two photos, below. It was fun to finally meet Lori Desrosiers and discover that she's my buddy Gabby Hernandez's mom!
But THEN Kevin (above), who I met at the Forbes Poetry Reading I hosted in October, tapped me on the shoulder as I was unlocking my bike, and tipped me to an event TONIGHT that I thought you should know about:

Best Damn Poetry Show in Western Mass part II
Saturday, JUNE 20th 6:30-9pm
Third Floor of Thorne's Marketplace 150 Main St. Northampton
6:30-7:30 Spoken Word Open Mic (bring your poems!!!)
7:30 - 8PM Musical Interlude provided by Hartt Conservatory graduate group "Little Ugly"
8-9PM Brain meltingly good poetry provided by Ryk McIntyre & James Lindsey

Ryk McIntyre is a co-host at The Cantab Slam in Cambridge, MA and GotPoetry Live! in Providence, RI. He tours often and has opened for Leon Redbone, Andrei Codrescu and Jim Carroll. Ryk has performed at venues such as Boston's ICA, New York's New School and Lollapalooza 1994. He writes regularly for gotpoetry.com.

James Lindsay is 25 years old and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He writes poetry and reads it aloud when the situation calls for it. More often than not, those situations occur at Boston's own Cantab Lounge. He is an ordained reverend and a one-time champion of Roxbury Crossing's world-famous Champions of Pizza competition. He has heard many good things about you and is looking forward to meeting you.

Then head over to The Basement for monthly comedy night at 8PM with Louie Falcetti!

A wedding in downtown Northampton on a gray Saturday.
A vintage limo awaits to whisk a new bride and groom off to road test their vows....
....as others are whisked away to their own destinies.
"Thank you God for Roz's Place."
And another communique to God...."God Bless The Freaks" reads the bumpersticker on this hand-painted PT Cruiser
...with window tassles and tye-dyed seats. A mobile hippy brothel?
Live music last night at La Veracruzana
The new back patio of Mosaic Cafe on Masonic. Review to follow!
The Silverscape clock seems to display obscure constellations or perhaps Braille lately.
Jeremy told me my blog crashes his state of the art Blackberry so I'm trying to load lower resolution photos for snappier Nohodoming. I don't want to be accused of being a "slow loader."

Susanne's Summer Solstice Soiree in Shelburne

Falls that is. Swimming pools. Movie stars. Well...not exactly. Thursday night I broke free of the Nohodome for a few hours to attend a delightful gathering with some old friends and new in Susanne's lovely home right above town in Shelburne Falls. I can't believe I'd never been through this lovely, small New England town before. Were it not for the weather, I would have experienced my third fire dance by Solana as well. If anyone can help tag the photos below, that would be swell.






Downtown Shelburne FallsThe Bridge of Flowers (an older photo from a postcard) and a recent view.
The glacial "potholes" are a great place to soak in the summertime.
Jesus...my edgy blog is turning into Yankee Magazine.