12-20-09 LA CA: 1257 hrs. LA of all places. I got here from Beijing, China yesterday about twenty-four hours ago. I was there for four days. The weather was much different than Shanghai. It was freezing in Beijing and it made it uninteresting to be outside for longer than a couple of hours. In spite of the weather, I went to Tiananmen Square every day around sunset to hang out, cold as it was. I had no idea the area of the place was so big. The soldier cops are all over the place and when they see more than a few people in one spot, they get noticeably concerned. China, what little I saw of it was fascinating and different than anywhere I have ever been before. I can’t say I liked or what, I just found it different. I want to get back there in better weather. I was talking to a student there on Friday and he said that in warmer months, everything is very crowded, so you trade harsh weather for the crowds. The taxi driver who took me to the airport was a trip, whenever he wanted to tell me something, he would start by saying, “Hello!” very loudly, as if to get my attention that he was going to tell me something. After I paid him, he said, “Hello! Goodbye!” The flight back was uneventful. The flight was packed but there is a thing about economy seating that is very appealing to me, there seems to be a we’re all in it together thing that I really like. At least there was on the flights I was on.
I got back here and went to KCRW almost immediately to do the show. I thought it went well, considering I was jet lagging pretty hard. I played eight songs by bands and artists that Joe Cole liked since December 19th is the anniversary of his death. I started the show with Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) by Jimi Hendrix and got this letter afterwards:
hi,
your show last nite coincidently fell on our Wedding Anniversary(12/19) and consequently heard your “tribute” as we prepared for an Evening and dinner out.
Sorry about the untimely/unjust outrageous taking of a life of your friend and sympathize with your attempt to memoralize him and play to his spirit but friend you need to consider growing up. it is not Jimi Hendrix time even if that is what he loved and surrounded himself with when he was affecting us on this earth but rather a more appropriate effort might have been a more spiritual moment
We played “Ripple” by the Grateful Dead at our Wedding and, again last nite.
Don’t you think it might have been better to calm it down a tad?(former fanatic)
A bigger example of douchbaggery would be hard to imagine. I told him to go fuck himself a tad. Anyway, it was a good show, I think. I am here for a few days and then out again for more travel and then of course, the tour.
Thanks for all the letters coming in from everywhere. I am looking forward to getting out there and hitting stage. I saw a lot of interesting things since I last toured so I think I have a lot of good material for the upcoming shows.
Tomorrow evening, I will be at Brave New Films as part of their speaker series. It will be video taped and I reckon posted on their site eventually. I think the topics will be free ranging, I will know more when it happens. Should be interesting. I really like what BNF does.
LA is a strange place to return to after being out on the road for so long. I have been coming back here for years but have never gotten used to it completely. It always feels like I am on a layover until real life starts again.
Soon enough, things will be very lively. I can’t wait to get the tour started. I will see you soon. I hope that if you are traveling over the next several days, that it goes smoothly and safely.
Thanks for reading this. Henry