I'm not a superstitious person. I don't
think that the position of the stars when you're born have anything
to do with who you are as a person. My quasi-observant Jew-hood has
more to do with respect for tradition and the comfort and sense of
place I find in ancient customs than any faith in a divine whatever.
But I do believe in the serendipity of the radio. As I pulled out of
the house in Brewster, the radio was playing Tupac – Changes. I
took it as a sign from the tree peeper I befriended the other day and
named Treefrog Shakur (my childhood pet frog was named Biggie. I'm a
fan of themed names...) that this was going to be a good tour. This
is Treefrog Shakur being fucking adorable.
The last few months in Brewster with Marisa and Jack have
been probably the longest period in my adult life that I've gone without
either having to pack my suitcase and leave the state for a project or suffering some
terrifying medical crisis. It's been a period of some stress and upheaval, sure, but also one of
relative stability. Daily routines and habits. My
life has changed in such huge ways since my last tour. Suddenly I'm
part of a family. I'm
charged with being an example for an impressionable tiny person. I
don't really know what I'm doing, but I'm trying my damndest to do it
well. This is the first time leaving for tour hasn't been a relief.
This is the first time I've ever been homesick on the drive to my
first show. And I have a beard. I should have led with that. I have a
beard now. I'm undecided about it. This is Pen Pen with a beard.
I got to the venue and discovered that
my tiny trusty netbook had finally kicked the bucket. So much for
good omens. Treefrog Shakur works in mysterious ways. But seeing as
my good laptop was dead for 24 hours earlier in the week before inexplicably rising again like the hologram of a beloved performer, I'm not
worried. Plus, there's not really anything I can do about it from the
road. The show was a lot of fun, and I guess was only the second show
they've done in their space. I haven't performed a full set in a
while. And I've never performed with a beard. The crowd indulged me
as I fumbled my way through a few new songs. I'm hoping to test out a
lot of the material for my new album on the road before I finish
recording it. So far, so beardy. This is Pen Pen: Time Detective.
My Brooklyn show was canceled last week
after the space got noise complaints, and I decided that instead of
scrambling to find a half-assed show that I wouldn't have time to
promote, I'd just spend time with my friends. Besides, I had a few meetings and rehearsals that I needed to make. I'd hoped to make it to
New York in time for court support for Cecily McMillan, but traffic
rules us all (radio update: Looking Glass – Brandy, and Notorious
BIG – Mo Money Mo Problems). I didn't know Cecily McMillan well. As
far as I can recall we'd only ever really spoken once. But I
witnessed her assault on March 17th 2012, just moments
after I'd been beaten myself by the NYPD. I pulled into the city just
in time for the guilty verdict to be announced. How any twelve
members of the human race could find her guilty is beyond me. The
Puppet Guild met in Zuccotti instead of our usual Monday in the
Secret Puppet Lair. I showed up and was immediately put to work
making signs and cards. It was wonderful to see so many people in the
park. It's been far too long since I've sat in Zuccotti Park with a
Sharpie mass producing signs for a demonstration. The crowd was
lively, mostly respectful, and tried their best to be constructive.
An assembly was held in which we brainstormed ways to continue to
support Cecily and hopefully influence her sentencing. We all laughed
as we dusted off the old OWS process. Do we need to mic check?
There's only like a hundred and twenty people here. I don't miss New
York. I've been gone for 3 months, and I don't really miss it. I miss my family far more after just a day apart. But I
do miss this stupid awful park and the amazing conversations it
inspires. This is Pen Pen demanding #Justice4Cecily.
This isn't a song I wrote. This is the
greatest song in the history of music.
