Greetings from Austin, Texas. I am home again and hot again, reflecting on New York, walking and thinking, and other important topics.
Walking around New York I thought about Arthur Russell. New York is a place for thinking about heroes while walking around. I thought about how much music derives meaning from context. My steps sang ‘Wild Combination’ and ‘Habit of You’, illuminating the melodies in new colors.
We played 2 gigs in New York, one in the city and one in Kingston which is about 2 hours away on the Amtrak train which comes and goes as it pleases, free of schedules or concepts of time! There’s something about that I truly admire. A mode of transportation that you have no choice but to devote your day, potentially to *just hoping* for its arrival.
Lately I have been trying to intentionally, compassionately, capture little improvisations that I create in my daily life. I do this all the time, singing weird passionate little songs to myself or my dog or my partner, filled with whatever images I’m thinking of, whatever rhythms, whatever repeated theme of the day or the year. I flow wild and free when I’m just messing around, it just doesn’t occur to me to harvest anything from there. It’s the weirdest place but the most honest. Here’s something I captured while waiting for the (many hours late) Amtrak train:
Now that I’m back home, I’ve been furiously working on some efforts for a show I have coming up (my first art show!) at Recspec Gallery . As always, I go in feeling estranged from the muse and like, I’ll never think of anything to share or be good enough or whatever it is but things are slowly coming together. One of my favorite pieces is this pair of overalls that I’ve been painting with images from the ‘comet family’ which is a series of ancient visionary engravings of comets.
I’ve always been amazed with how fantastical ancient people found the night sky to be, interpreting archers, wolves, crabs and goddesses, fountains of light, and real power coming from the moon and planets. In 2008 I slept outside under the stars for 48 days in a row in the desert in northeastern Utah working on trail crew. The air just felt too good to be in a tent and I made a little nest every night with some broken down fruit boxes and a soft wool blanket. This is how it happens, when you fall asleep staring into the stars the images appear. The planet wanderers so bold. The maps of the stars so familiar and comforting, like knowing where everything is in a room. I never saw a comet or anything out of place (except Venus! What a sass!) but I imagine if I did it would be astounding.
I suppose that’s about all for now. As usually I nod a THANK YOU for supporting my work and reading and thinking along with me. Here’s some places you can find me sometime soon:
10/05 You can visit the comet family overalls and some other works at the Recspec Gallery Annex. We will have a little opening that evening and Joey Reyes will play music for us. You can find more info here https://recspec-gallery.com/pages/annex
A couple October gigs for Little Mazarn!
10/13 Kerrville Folk Festival Kerrville, Texas
10/24 Flying Island Festival Marfa, Texas
And then!
11/07 The City of Austin presents Little Mazarn with Jolie Holland and hemlock at Central Presbyterian Church in Austin. Tickets here
12/07 Wizard Rodeo! I made a music festival with some friends and it will be fun. Stay tuned for more info about it. Www.wizardrodeo.coM
See you soon!
I am excited to come to Austin for the Wizard Rodeo -- it's clearly a music festival curated with a true love of really interesting music in mind. I was initially drawn to it by A Hawk And A Hacksaw playing it, but then seeing that none other than Jad Fair, the Space Lady, and you guys playing it too, I could tell it was not to be missed. I only found out about AHAAH around the time the pandemic started, and became an instant fan, and have been dying to see them perform ever since. Can't wait! (Also, never been to Austin, so I'm excited to check out the town as well!)