One week Amsterdam. The next, Harlem...

Does a body good to get out and about. Like last night, I headed uptown for some Manhattan magic.


The occasion was The Harlem Bombshell's surprise party.


But all were welcome...


Especially the chilldren...


...eventho there were a few adult moments.


My boy Ric searched the mirror for his reflection...


...but had no trouble spotting the jams to get Shelly movin'.


A superhero or two lurked about...


And Robin da Hood made sure local royalty were on point.


Good people filled the house, some looking sinister...


...and others serene.


But by the end of the night, everyone was just chillin.


Big luv to Carlton & my new Harlem fam. Next stop, Brooklyn.

Back home...

...hit the tarmac running. Been happily employed since the return last week. Hooked up with the DigforFire crew to shoot stills on some CMJ footage on Saturday. Here's head honcho and all-round sweetheart Natalie in our "staging area"...



The entire LES was abuzz with hipsters, music heads, industry folk and the occasional PR monster...



The scene was a bit overwhelming and you could see it on the faces of the Macabees when they arrived. We wisked them off to the relative quiet of Mama's for a bite and a quick interview.





They were on in a few, tho, and the jitters started to set in.



The Macabees clealy have fun together. They played a good show to a rowdy, rockin', appreciative crowd, not at all who you'd expect to attend the CMJ clusterf#*k.

Long journey home...

Here's how I feel about France today...


...well Air France at least. Cancelled flight. Impending transit strike. Blah, blah, blah...The flight staff lived up to all the negative stereotypes about the french -- cowardly, indirect, indecisive, insecure, rendered ineffective by bureaucracy.

Anyway, tried to get re-routed thru Amsterdam but they sent me to Montreal instead. Canadian Mounties ride mountain bikes these days and the Quebecois, seemingly all in hockey jerseys, are a ruggedly handsome lot. (If they'd only cut those ponytails...)

But back to you, France...Here's some things you don't want to hear: we DO eat better in the States. Dress better too. There' s something to be said about our can do spirit and the energy and simplicity it brings. So get over yourself. Tho, you can take your dogs everywhere, so maybe in the end it breaks even.

Friends and family, great trains and subways, and even some new acquaintances, ripe with possibilities, have made this trip a plus. Plus, after a 20-year love/hate relationship with Paris, I'm still happily surprised when someone just pops in to say "salut"...



Paris, je t'aime malgre tous.

A bientot!

Amsterdam...

Up and out early today after a lovely night in a brown cafe with Erica. It was so cozy. Friends and neighbors played cards for pennies by candle light as their dogs slept at their feet. And we ate fried potatoes in a paper cone and drank bock beer. Here's what Erica sees each night at twilight.


But today, I took the ferry today north of the city to track down Blend. It was a great meeting. We talked about media, technology and old magazines from the '80s. Then I spent the afternoon at Deco, a turn of the century a sauna. If felt so good to be out of my travel suit. And everyone was naked. Yipee! I even jumped in the freezing pool -- twice.


Can't tell you how much i love this place. Seems like I have an Amsterdam air about me. Friendly people stop and greet me in Dutch, like this guy who came into the city for the day to skate with his friends.


It's not without it's troubles and culture clashes. Anne Frank wears terrorist garb these days...


And not everyone seems perfectly happy -- Here, even candy cotton girls get the blues.


But people like to have a little fun. Either at the Vondelpark...


Or at the carnival...




And there's colorful moments all around...


And unlike those flower gardens in Paris designed to remind me of my place, these ones made me feel like the life of the party.




What ever happened to that space cake? .....Oh. Here it comes...


More to come from my final day in Paris....

On the go...

My cousin Vincent said that my pix here are "plus geometriques" than usual. Can't argue with that. But is also has something to do with my location. The French are obsessed with being "regle"...being ordered, consistent.


Even the trees grow seem to grow straight. Too many rules...It all gets kinds monotonous...


It's definitely time for a change.


I know what you're going to think when I say this but honestly I haven't had as much as a beer, let alone a spacecake. This is the most lovely city I've ever seen. There's water and enchantment everywhere. This guy's hosting a party-for-one on his boat. His radio is playing "Black Magic Woman"...


Around the corner, a few polish guys are chilling in the square with their gorgeous american bulldog. It made me miss Otis....

Family & Friends

Here's the gate to my cousin's house in the burbs...her father (and his father, etc...) were masons.


Here's Nathalie, ma cousine.


After a day spent with the family i needed a little night out with some friends.


First happy hour with Julie...


Then enter Dan...


We bought beer at a corner store in the 20ieme...


...and chlled with some friends on the corner before going to La Fleche D'or. A band from Montreal was playing but they spoke english.


And La Fleche was cool...but smokey. And I had forgot all about unisex bathrooms.....

Day 2

Dead batteries -- both computer and phone -- kept me from posting yesterday, but I'll make up for it now. Spent most of the day roaming around. The "Techtronik" dancers have been a bit elusive but I did find a carousel that made me kinda dizzy.

And bubbles always make me think of champagne which makes me dizzy too.

In Paris, one gigantic phallus is just never enough.

Most people come to Paris for the ageless beauty, but I headed for La Defence, the futuristic city of tomorrow. (Yes, those are people...)

It made me feel small...

There was a flower garden...

But it made me feel lonely...

Later on I headed back to the center of the city. It's been completely grey since I arrived, except for this...

Some people think Paris is sexy. Not sure I ever have. Where my cousin Nico lives, tho, it sure is sleazy.

Especially at night....this is when I love Paris!