Champagne Sunday’s: Kismet…

Do you know where you call home??? Is it the small town you grew up in, is it the big city where you went to University and know everyone in town and thought to yourself this is as good as it is going to get. Or is it the place that by circumstance you found yourself wandering around aimlessly wanting and waiting for a sign to point you in the right direction???

Last Friday nite I stood dancing in the pouring down rain in the lower east side of New York City. I was on my way to see a gig when I decided to take a moment and thank life for such a sweet day. People were on the hustle and bustle rushing by me trying not to get wet. As the rain soaked my perfectly styled hair, it began to curl on the ends and my make up began to run down the sides of my face into my laugh lines. I smiled as big as my smiles let me and thought to myself, Gosh, why are people so afraid to be rained on??? Don’t they know that it cleanses your heart and soul?!?

And then…it happened. Lightning struck me, like love strikes ones heart. I looked up and on the corner of 3rd Ave and E 11th was a sign that said, “This is where you need to be Ziggy. This is where you should call your home”. (No, seriously there was a sign that said that.) Even though I have tapped danced in this city streets many times before, all I could think of was is it took me this long to realize this was my home. It was hidden deep in the nooks and crannies of a city that reeks of LIFE. There were the city lights, city sounds, city air and city taste left in my mouth when I returned home to my life of circumstance.

I have made my decision and I ready to move on. I am scared to death, but when LIFE cures your pain and the signs all say go east…I say, don’t stop until fate punches you in the face!!!

Champagne Sunday’s: Festival Chasers…

My Do Dah called me Friday as I was driving to Chicago to embark on yet another “First Time Festival”. He called for some fashion advice and then I tried to catch him up on what was happening in my life.

I remember about 3 years ago, my father describing me to me. He said that I was the most confident insecure person he has ever met. He is almost 70…he has met a lot of people, when I heard him tell me this, I cried. I covered my face like I normally do when I shed some tears because, “Don’t let them see you cry…Ninja’s never cry!!!”

My Do Dah always said, “Torre if you can laugh in front of others, then you should be able to cry in front of others. It does not mean you are weak…it means that you are strong enough to show your emotions.” I try not to cover my face anymore, but it is still hard to do.

Anyway…back to me and me being the most confident insecure person my Do Dah has ever met!!! This statement made me realize that I needed to change whom I was. So I began my personal journey to find my moon…and by moon I mean me!!!

My journey began when I left America and traveled across the pond to a little music festival, named Reading. I had never been to a music festival and thought this would be the best place to discover who I was. And I thought why not attend a music festival in a different country by myself??? Therefore…I did.

I decided to make my first time at a festival even more interesting…I brought no money and 3 packs of cigarettes. I do not smoke as there are better ways to die but I thought cigarettes were a great way to barter some fun!!! There were over 80,000 strangers who had yet to meet me and within the first 3 hours of my arrival…I met a group of strangers that welcomed me into their world. And ohhh baby what a wild world it was!!!

I drank in so much fun that weekend and that group of strangers was the first to meet the new me. I met a group of people who introduced me to this wonderful thing called LIFE. At this festival, I realize how much I needed to start livin my life for me and no one else. It was a very exciting time for when I returned home I retuned confident in the fact…I knew that I could stand on my own two feet no matter what life threw at me. The following year I went back to Reading Festival. The strangers that I once met were now life long festival friends. I had a wonderful time the second time around, but you cannot top a First, First Year Festival.

Whether I was chasing the moon or the moon was chasing me, I found a little more of me at Rothbury!!! This time I did not want to venture this one on my own. I wanted to share it with someone who means the world to me, my brother. It was his First First and I am so thankful I got to share this adventure with him. This festival marked the 3rd year of my new life, because some how I got lucky enough to have a second chance to do this right. My brother knew what this festival meant to me and he did everything in his power to make it super special.

At Rothbury, I had hit a fork in the road on my journey and I had to decide what path I wanted to take…I took the one less traveled. Like a yellow butterfly emerging from its cocoon, I had found myself a little lost in this new magical world. Even though I was a little lost, Life was all starting to make sense. I found myself howling at the moon in the forest and at that moment, I knew that I had found what was missing from my life…my heart. I brought it back as a souvenir but I was not ready for it. So, I ripped my heart out to make more room for my AWESOMENESS. Heart in hand, I took it to the ROO…Bonnaroo!!!

It was another epic adventure and another First that I had the honor to share with my brother and his crew. Key Lime Pie, Naked Disco on top of the Worland Warrior Bus and Ziggy was introduced to the world. And then it happened…I tripped over my soul. It was just hangin out in the musical notes floating around in the air. AS trippy as that sounds…you have to have gone to a festival to understand what I am talking about. My soul sang into my mouth, but I still had my heart in my hand and did not know what to do with it.

For those that know me…I plan everything!!! Yes, I am unpredictable, but I have planned my unpredictability. AS I write this, I am already planning what first festivals I will be attending next year. After a long heart to heart with my heart, I realized I just need to let it go. I need to let go of the control and just be me. I did something spontaneous…I had no plan. I made a last minute decision to take my heart and my soul to yet another first…Lollapalooza. I did not think I would find what I was looking for…but I did.

“Unless your heart, your soul, and your whole being are behind every decision you make, the words from your mouth will be empty, and each action will be meaningless. Truth and confidence are the roots of happiness”…I am not sure who said that, but they must have been a festival chaser…

Champagne Sunday’s: What Song Does Your Soul Sing???

Growing up I suffered from Middle Child Syndrome…still do.  With 5 kids running around our household and my parental units working mad crazy hours to support all of us, I was a bit neglected.  However, every Saturday I would have a date with my Do Dah to make up for any lack of attention or love.  I was most definitely “Daddy’s Little Girl”…still am.

My parents owned a restaurant and bar. On Friday nites, my Mum would close the bar so my Do Dah could wake up early and spend some quality time with me.  He would take me to my early morning gymnastics workouts (I was training for the Junior Olympics). He would drink his coffee and pretend to pay attention to me whilst he read the newspaper.  I think he did not want to focus on me too much because my coach was always yelling at me and he could not do anything about it.  He would have to sit there and watch as I would stand in the corner of the gym and cry because I could not perform a new trick or could not “stick” my routine.  It was very stressful for me as I always pushed my heart and soul to the extreme to be the best at everything, and when I was not the best, I would have major anxiety and panic attacks.  Therefore, to calm me down my Do Dah would give me some good ‘ol fashion music therapy.

On the drive home from the gym, my Do Dah would put his favorite classic rock 8 tracks on in his 1976 Silver Chevy Monte Carlo and we would drive around for hours rockin out!!! He would smoke his giant cigar and I would just sit there with my feet dancing on the dashboard and my hands pretending to play the drums. After we drove around for a while, we would stop by the restaurant to open it up. Once inside the restaurant he would give me a stack of quarters for the jukebox and make me a Shirley Temple with extra cherries!!!  I would sit there and spin on my bar stool and my Do Dah would pour himself an ice-cold brew and help me spin around in my chair. (Maybe that is why I love day boozing so much?!?) I would follow him around the restaurant and re-set all the silverware because he always did it wrong.  Before we would leave the restaurant to head towards the home front, he would ALWAYS put on my Mum’s favorite song and sing to me Blue Bayou by Linda Ronstadt. Ahhh…I miss those days with my Do Dah.   

When I got older and no longer had gymnastics, (I did not make the Junior Olympic Team, so I quit) my Do Dah would close Friday nites at the bar and my Mum would open, so we could still spend our Saturday’s together.  We would exhaust our entire day playing records and dancing on our porch.  We would dance for hours, but because I was not tall enough to put my arms on my Do Dah’s shoulders to dance, I would step on his bare feet to reach. He would sing the lyrics to every song that we played, spin me around until I was dizzy and would fall to the ground, stars in my eyes.  My favorite song that my Do Dah would sing to me is the ever so AMAZING lyrics of Mr. David Byrne’s Naïve Melody. Whenever I hear that magical song, it fills my heart and soul with such happiness and love.   

As the years have passed, it has become more difficult to have a date with my Do Dah. For Fathers Day this year, I sent him a homemade CD with all of our favorite songs that we use to dance too. For me, Music Speaks What Cannot Be Expressed, Soothes The Mind and Gives It Rest, Heals The Heart and Makes It Whole, Flows from Heaven Into My Soul…

Happy Fathers Day, I love you Do Dah, can’t wait to dance with you Saturday!!!

Champagne Sunday’s: Make New Friends But Keep the Old, one is silver and the others GOLD!!!

We all need a little therapy in life. A few years ago (3 to be exact) I use to visit Dr. Jerry Garcia for mine, but our relationship was short lived. Yes, a professional did help me heal because I was a little broken inside my head and inside my heart, but once he fixed me, I realized I had to end our relationship because why am I sharing all of my problems, my fears, my hopes, my dreams with a stranger??? I should be sharing these things with my friends!!! Unfortunately, I did not have any. I do not know how I survived so long without them.

When I was little my friends were my two sisters and two brothers. If I wanted to play with my dollies and be girly, I would hang out with my sisters. If I wanted to build a fort and throw mud grenades then I would hang out with my brothers. I had the best of both worlds. As time flew by and we began to grow up, I somehow did not make friends along the way. Some people have these childhood friends that they have been friends with like FOREVER and I somehow never met mine. As I grew older my siblings moved away to begin their lives with their significant others, I had one of those (a significant other), but realized I wanted more out of my life. I wanted friends and a life. Therefore, I decided to find them.

Being single and thirty something and me, it was very challenging to say the least. One day I was hanging out with V-Neck T’s, True Religion Jeans and White Loafers (I was at Spice Bar) anyway, I would see this girl out all the time and I finally went up to her and said “Hello, my name is, Awesome and Amazing lets be friends.” I have used that line many of times and it has never worked, until this time…

I met her, one of my Besties, Hazel. She was the first of my vast collection of GOLD.

Guilty by association led me to meet my second Bestie, Honeyflea. Man, she hated me at first. Mostly because she did not trust me. I mean come on…girls just do not make friends that easily like guys do. Guys, you have pissing contests, drink a few beers and talk about girls. You are typically in the crew in less than 48 hours of meeting. Women are a little more complicated. It takes a lot of time and energy to break down the walls of trust and finally become friends. Once Honeyflea let down her walls and let me in, our relationship really began to flourish and I added her to my jewelry box. My obsession with the number 3 led me to find my next Bestie, because I did not want to limit myself to just two, we met at a concert and she is such a Jem…3 friends in 3 years…whoa I am on a roll.

My mum always said you only need 5 great friends in life. So if I do my math correctly I have 2 positions currently open to be my B.F. AKA the male version of myself. It is a long and tedious application process but the benefits are worth it.

See Application Below:

Before you start, you should know some of the requirements for this position:

A Number 1: A thorough knowledge of mid-to-late 80’s punk music (right before it became “alternative”) and an appreciation of vinyl.

B Number 2: A tolerance for long, rambling messages being left on your voicemail from me this includes but not limited to retarded text messages that make no sense.

C Number 3: Must be a connoisseur of bicycles, skateboards, snowboards, wakeboards and hell I will throw in must love to camp and attend music festivals…

If you do not meet these minimum requirements, thank you for your time…if you do then read on!!!

Champagne Sunday’s: B.F. Application

1. Your Name:

2. Your Nickname:

3. If I choose to make up a nickname for you, as I most certainly will, do you have any names that are strictly off limits???

4. Please list your last 3 best friends and contact information as I will be contacting them as a reference:

Okay now for the fun part, essay questions!!!

Essay Number 1: It is a sunny Saturday afternoon and you just roll out of bed to find a 7 minute voicemail about how I have devised a plan to end World Hunger on your phone and that I want to get brunch when you wake up…

Do you A: Show up at my doorstep with food and your laundry and you cook a feast for us whilst I do your laundry cuz I do not cook???

Do you B: Shoot me a text and say meet me in 20 at our favorite place???

Do you C: Do not respond???

If you choose C then do not move on. If you choose A or B, what was my plan on how to end World Hunger???

Essay Number 2: One of my favorite bands is in town but unfortunately, I am broke as a joke…

Do you A: Buy me the coveted ticket and we rock out all nite???

Do you B: Go to the show by yourself and send me texts all nite about how Awesome and Amazing the gig is while I sit at home???

Do you C: Stay home with me and we youtube previous gigs of my favorite band whilst sipping champagne and playing Atari???

If you choose B then do not move on. It you chose A or C, what are your top 3 bands that are a must have to anyone’s musical library and why???

Essay Number 3: Watch Video as it will better help you understand me, MAN MAN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHuUpA6YUwA&feature=player_embedded

Will you accept me for me, love me unconditionally, beat up any guy who breaks my heart, go on Awesome and Amazing Adventures, HOWL AT THE MOON and in return…well you get me!!!

If you answered yes to all, then please submit your application to:

champagnesundays@gmail.com You will receive a response with in 48 hours, please include a photo.

Champagne Sunday’s: Welcome Back Dave…

 

 

Since I was 21 years old, not a year has gone by that I have not seen Dave Matthews Band in concert.  Do not ever tell me that you are not a fan because I will never talk to you again.  Just kidding…I am an EOMLEC (Equal Opportunity Music Lover EXCEPT Country).

 

DMB is one of my favorite bands especially LIVE!  I just came back from Rothbury Music Festival and hands down, it was the best time I have had in my entire life.  It will be very hard for any other music festival to top RMF. Once my brain cells regenerate I will give a full review…it might take some time. 

 

Anyway…last year I almost missed DMB due to the fact that Germain Amphitheatre was/is being torn down and that DMB was not to return to Columbus because there was no venue that could accommodate the mass amount of fans that follow DMB.  I was sooo bummed.  As always, my little brother came to the rescue. 

 

AS much as I love to communicate with my peeps, I like to take some time off… Sunday – Tuesday I usually fall off the face of the earth and no one can find me unless it is an emergency. Well, my brother knew how bummed I was that DMB was not coming to C-Bus. On Tuesday September 4, 2007 I got a 911 text from my bro so I called him.  I thought he just wanted an update on my recent trip to England that I just returned from.  The phone call was not of that topic.  He hurried me to my computer to book an immediate flight to HOTLANTA for the upcoming weekend because he just got tickets for the Allman Brothers and Dave Matthews in Piedmont Park.  I almost started to cry.  It was the sweetest thing my brother has ever done for me. (Okay he has done many sweet things for me like the year prior he surprised me with the Pretenders and the Who tickets over Thanksgiving 2006.  It was the SH*T!) 

 

I was at work and I had to make sure I could take a half day on Friday and then I pulled out my Platinum Credit Card to book my flight.  (I have AMAZING credit, but I never understood how someone who really does not make that much money could have a PLATINUM Credit Card.  Whatever…anyway that was the last time I have used my card.  I am so close but yet so far from paying the little rascal off).  I was approved for my mini vacation and made my travel plans.  I was totally stoked…LIKE TOTALLY!!!

 

I landed in the ATL and went to my brother’s place.  He has a condo in the old cotton mills in Cabbagetown close to 5 points.  If you ever get a chance to visit this area DO IT!  There are so many cool places to hang out and a ton of venues to see live music.  My favorite hang out was the VORTEX at the Lil 5 www.thevortexbarandgrill.com My brother and I are FAMOUS there…

 

Matthew and I kept it street by taking the Marta (train) to the concert on Saturday.  It was a Green Concert where there was almost no place to park your car.  So you had two options train or by foot.  You could ride your bike there too.  So I guess there were 3 options.  We first met up with his best friends John and Charu.  John is actually the new keyboard player for Perpetual Groove who just played at Rothbury.  Check them out at www.pgroove.com  We met up with them and ventured off to Piedmont Park. 

 

It was a picture perfect day and great company to rock out with.  I almost overdosed on the Allman Brothers.  They were AMAZING…but when DMB played “Two Step”…my favorite song in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD….WHOLE WIDE WORLD…I had to say that twice…I lost it.  My eyes began to tear up and my brother and I just swayed back and forth and shouted the lyrics as if it was the last thing we were ever going to sing.  It was as if Dave was singing straight into our souls.  Just thinking of it makes the hairs on my spine stand up. 

 

Dave is coming back to C-Bus to Crew Stadium and my spiritual advisor who was unable to make it to Rothbury will be graciously escorting me to the show on July 29^th, 2008.  I will be in lucky row number 7.   I hope that Dave will play Two Step or any of the other songs that I have put on my music page. So if you have yet to buy your tickets then get on it and join me as I welcome Dave Matthews Band back to the C-Bus…