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January 4, 2009 @ noon-ish
hi. it's a new year.
hey gang-
welcome to another year-
i am back in the studio in tornillo at sonic ranch- this time i am on the other side of the board as they say-
gabe gonzalez and i are producing a record out here for a few days-
start the year working, that's what i always say...
no, it really isn't what i say.
-jim
back in tornillo at the sonic ranch-
December 23, 2008 @ evening
happy holidays, last of the animal pictures i promise...
hey gang-
i am going to start my holiday season by going to dinner with some friends tonight. i am home and healthy and happy and i hope you are all well-
have a safe holiday and a great new year if i don't see you-
one last sleepercar show for the year on friday by the way, at the percolator, downtown el paso-
thanks for a really great year-
seriously.
-jim
hey look who showed up in melbourne, its kevin allen, jr. from one small step for landmines, he played the shows in australia with me...
near the southern coast of australia, these guys were hanging out in the fields...
cleaning...
a black swan...
beach number 1...
i think that this is the furthest south i have ever been...
beached jelly fish...
the plains near the ocean, there was a wooden tower you could climb on the side of the road and take a look...
this just made me laugh...
i am driving on the wrong side of the car, this was my very first time driving on the right hand side of the car, i drove 7 hours the first day...
we called this the gonzo bird, i don't know what the real name is, it was just hanging out on the median...
driving on the right side of the road, which was wrong to me, it was hard to get used to turning out of parking lots, i went into the wrong lane a few times, but no cars were coming at me luckily...
eagle boys pizza, easy to find in any town, it is not so good to be honest, like little ceasars with less taste....
this map was way too big for the car, i am not actually moving, so no fear, but really, come on...
a shark at the sydney aquarium, it was fun but the platypus refused to come out, i was pissed...
a huge turtle...
and a sting ray, there were way too many people in the little tunnel and the sea life wouldn't pose correctly, so i split...
the pool on the roof of my hotel in sydney, it was nice, i didn't get in though, of course...
WAGAMAMA!!! know it isn't the best, but it is one of those things i fell in love with years ago and still go to, tofu ramen with veggie broth, so good...
this is actually beach number 3, i went to bondi beach but forgot my camera and the weather started getting pretty bad from this point on...
the promotion company gave me this pink ribbon painting to sign and write something on, "life is to live" is a lyric from a song that is not quite done yet, the canvas is then auctioned for medical research...
bad weather...
our plane from newcastle to brisbane, the weather got nice again in brisbane, so i celebrated...
bloody mary at the...
ALIBI ROOM!!! my friend james owns this place, he took great care of us along with his awesome staff...
james took us to this place, i know my blog has been animal-centric, so this will be the last run of this stuff, i promise...
this is james, not an animal...
they had loads of birds, which kind of bums me out, obviously they are caged, it is a tough debate...
bats aka flying foxes aka awesome...
these guys can repeat some words and like to be scratched on the head, they were pretty fun...
unbelievable...
this is a dingo, they are way more beautiful than what i imagined, they look like werewolves, which are obviously beautiful...huh?
he wanted our snack...
so did he...
he is in a cage, which is good, because i am gong to be honest with you, i don't like birds that much, they scare me, and this one has a giant horn to split me open with...
just relaxing...
myspace... or kangaroo space, whatever...
yes, this was awesome...
i don't like snakes either, they scare me too...
bookends...
we went to go see the bronx afterwards, it was great, those guys are awesome, we all went to the alibi room afterwards, it was a good time...
i went to the gallery of modern art for a video game exhibit, but no cameras, this some other awesome stuff though...
the head on this is about 3 feet tall, it is huge and super spooky...
this was like walking through a dr. suess book...
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...
we went to doyle's seafood back in sydney, it has been in the same location for 155 years, it was really good...
bbq prawns, yes...
sunset over sydney, this was my view from my table...
beach number 4, manly beach, their motto is "7 miles from sydney, 1000 miles from worry" or something like that, i didn't worry enough to remember...
the way to get their is by the $12 roundtrip ferry ride, you see all the sights...
see, the sights...
beach number 5, this is a reserve south of the city about an hour, it feels like you could be in the middle of the ocean on a deserted island, it is unreal...
i am grateful i got to go and see all this stuff, so many people made this happen and i thank you all, i hope to have many more adventures as enjoyable as this one.
December 19, 2008 @ mid-days
from an airport lounge...
Hey gang-
I'm in the Sydney airport, trying to do this on my phone- I am heading to Los Angeles to play a benefit for one of my favorite charities invisible children, maiking kids lives better in Uganda!
So, there is a company online that is going to broadcast the show, it costs money to watch, but all the proceeds will go to the charity, so if you wanna see the show but don't live in la, or can't get in- go here- thanks a ton for checking this out-
http://www.bandcrashers.com
December 6, 2008 @ mid day
so its been awhile...
i have a day off in australia today, i am heading to the beach in a few hours, we are off in the country side. kevin allen flew in last night, now it is a proper gang-
i have neglected posting photos and i apologize, how boring of me, maybe no one even reads this anymore, i don't know, but here is a ton from the last months-
it starts pre election as i head to a rally for obama and it ends yesterday when i had a great meal with a new friend called ghostpatrol, he is an amazing artist and i bought a super awesome piece from him (please don't break it fedex)-
the shows have been really awesome, people are, as usual, treating me really well and the response and support is off the charts- thanks again- we have about 4 to go and i am feeling great-
unfortunately due to some immigration issues i will not be heading to new zealand next week- i will make up the show next year when i return to this part of the world, i apologize and regret not being able to be there.
i feel great and am happy to be alive, it has been a great time in my life- see ya soon
jim
here is some photos...
this is how long it has been since i have updated this- this is me on my way to an obama rally with hillary speaking, i hope he wins!
it was way hot at the rally- in a little plaza in sunland park, new mexico, which is about 10 minutes from my house...
hillary, she helped out the cause a lot, i think we can all agree in hindsight, is was powerful to see her speak, seriously, pretty inspiring...
speaks for itself...
then i made a bar-b-q- out of scratch from various junk laying in the street, or maybe it came in a box, i grilled some mushrooms...
then i went to a corn maze outside town, lots of screaming kids, that was a little bit of a bummer...
but there were cute rabbits and so things were ok...
on a day off from the coldplay tour we played a show in tallahassee, this is my buddy jlp and his street legal electric car, one penny a mile to operate and fun to ride around in...
brooks and kevin allen, jr. backstage during the coldplay tour...
this was on the street in memphis, how cool is it that people are moved to draw his picture, what a crazy time...
we went to graceland, and i wasn't a big elvis fan before, but i found it all incredible, what a life...
can you imagine who hung out in this living room, insane...
who ate at this table...
who watched this security monitor...
who was captured by this super high tech camera...
who relaxed in this den...
who watched these three tv's at once...
who drank at this bar...
who played pool on this table...
who partied in the jungle room...
elvis must have been a tiny baby, because the house he was born in is tiny...
brooks has a photo of me just like this...
dang it...that's a lot of gold right there, and this was just the first few years of his career...
i never thought his comeback suit was cool, until i saw it in person, and it is cool, seriously, i wish i could rock this...
cooler than i thought it would be, this is a tiger, what???
horses in the backyard, it is a big back yard...
this is where it got sad...
it really was much more powerful than i expected, pretty moving, i am glad we got to all go and see it...
the king's castle, pretty modest for what he could have done with the money he had...now the toys...
huh?
nice...
YES!!! this guy knew how to travel, on the tour of his plane they said he loved the movie Blazing Saddles, i think we could've had some fun together...
off to sun studios, the birth place of rock n' roll, it was $12 but they figured we were a band so we just paid one of our cd for all of us to get the tour...
this was the front office where elvis walked in and asked to record a song for a few bucks...the rest as they say...is history...
the piedmont hotel in memphis has these ducks in the lobby fountain, at 5 pm they ride the elevator up to their house on the roof...
i had a bloody mary to celebrate the ducks...the stir stick has a duck on the top of it...
they're off to bed for the night...
i flew to la for the few days off between slc and anaheim, this is my planes shadow in the clouds as we landed...
off to australia for a few shows...
15 hours later...land!!!
me after 30 hours of traveling...
casual parking, don't take it too serious, ok?
this one is for you gabe roadie...
i hung out with some horses...
and a cat...
and cows...
and dogs...
that's a kangaroo and her baby, hanging out, we couldn't get close, but you can still make it out i think...
my friends lou and jeff are taking care of us out here in the country near melbourne...
the place to be...
this actually is also for you gabe roadie...
on the train to ballarat for a show...
this little girl was cracking me up on the train, she loved my ipod...
a statue in ballarat honoring all those who have put on their jackets before us...
i am a fan of this artist, his name is ghostpatrol, check out his stuff at ghostpatrol.net- i bought this painting, then we ate pizza...
salmon with rockets pizza, rockets is the green stuff, i don't know what we call it, but we should probably leave it off pizza...
November 11, 2008 @ midday
you like free music?
hi there-
so, the tour is going good- i am going to take a lot of photos starting today and post day after tomorrow- but i wanted to let you all know about something important to us-
we have a label called civil defense league and one of our artists ONE SMALL STEP FOR LANDMINES has just finished a new ep that is available for FREE!!!
you like free music? of course you do-
press here to download it-
this is the official word from the landmines camp-
One Small Step For Landmines has put together and put up a free EP. The 6 songs comprising the effort are acoustic based tunes written and recorded by Kevin Allen during a break from touring in september. All of the songs, as well as an interactive booklet full of the beautiful art of JLP, are available for free download on the band's myspace page. Plans for releasing the music in 7" form are currently in the works. Kevin will be touring to promote this release in December and early January with dates in Australia and the southeastern US.
also- kevin from landmines will be playing most of the australian shows with me- yes- today is a good day-
this is me and kevin from landmines backstage on tour- he is hanging out with me until salt lake city- yes!
November 5, 2008 @ midday
thank whatever power you believe in,
obviously we are thrilled-
OBAMA!!!
sometimes things go right, eh?
we got some nice emails from friends around the world congratulating our country.
one from julia in manchester contained the following photo-
we have to remember our impact on the world as america and be responsible about it-
also, we have finished one day of the coldplay tour and are figuring out how things work, we will post some photos and stuff later on-
thanks gang- glad you all voted and we get to try something new!!!
-jim
our good friend julia in manchester, england made these to celebrate at work! way to go julia!
October 31, 2008 @ early morning
Down Under!!!/happy halloween/anaheim show added
hey gang-
happy halloween- please be careful- you are four and half times more likely to be hit by a car on halloween if you are trick or treating, that's serious!!! so be careful...
we are almost ready to get in the van and head north to start this coldplay tour- we are pretty excited obviously...also, in the tour section you will note that an anaheim california show has been added to the tour-
so, after the thanksgiving holiday i am packing a bag and guitar and heading down to australia for a couple solo shows-
i will be around melbourne, sydney, and brisbane during the first few weeks of december-
i will be also be working on the new sleepercar record. we will finish while the winter is cold and it will be out with the spring thaw if everything goes as planned.
there will be the official dates and tickets announcement for australia in a few days, i just wanted to give you a heads up. see you out there-
-jim
October 29, 2008 @ midday
show tonight!!!
hey gang-
some friends of ours from houston that go by the name BUXTON will be playing el paso tonight at the percolator downtown on stanton st.- el pasos lusitania will also be playing- please come down and enjoy some good times with your friends-
jim
these are the nice boys from BUXTON- they are playing tonight 10/30 at percolator downtown el paso!!!
October 21, 2008 @ late night
the other nights...
so the photos tell the story better...
there is a kickball league in town, a bunch of our friends are on a team, i went to cheer them on, then my favorite bar, then... well it gets weird.
then some other stuff...
then some work... just a little work though, i don't mess around...
photos...
this is the back of the shirt for the kickball league...
our friend michelle with a drawn on mustache guarding first base...
more of the crew...
right...i'm a sucker for little animals, you know that...
post kickball, one of my absolute favorite bars in el paso, it was someone's birthday...
this is the beginning of when it gets weird...
yeah, its elvis, it was a birthday present for our friend michelle...
it plugs in, talks to you, follows you with his eyes, sings, talks, ummm...
dang, he got druuuunk...
this is chris totally confusing elvis, he doesn't have any arms to stop chris from covering his eyes...
myspace photo!!!
ahhh, we lived through the elvis night to catch some high school football under west texas skies, this is one reason i love it here...
back to work. matthew getting ready to lay down the funk...
October 20, 2008 @ morning
VOTE!!!
hey gang-
i got up today and not that i needed the reminder, but at 8:45 am my phone buzzed with a note to myself that simply read, "VOTE!!!".
so i did. at 9 am when the early voting station opened a few blocks from my house i was there.
this is the fourth time i have been able to vote in a presidential race, and i the absolute most important one- please vote early if you have to, i will be on the road nov 4 so i had to vote early. i got chills, serious chills.
at the end of the day we are americans, not democrats or republicans, but americans, and it is our right to vote for who answers to us, and i really think barack obama cares about us and wants to hear us and do what is right for our country. i love this country, it has given me the opportunity to live out my dreams and it is not lost on me, i am grateful.
have a great day everyone!
-jim
today is the first day of early voting in el paso...
the new "i voted" sticker, i kind of like the old school one better, but this will do, either way...cast one for OBAMA!!!
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