Gaggle Vol. 2
Time traveling to the 70’s, an open bar at Universal Music Group, Chappell Roan spotted in Hollywood and MORE!
Reading Log
Down the Rabbit Hole by Holly Madison – I devoured this book with no shame. And not only that, the Goodreads and Storygraph reviews of it as well. I have to imagine the nostalgia of watching the Girls Next Door in my childhood bedroom (that’s a conversation for another day) was mostly why I enjoyed reading this. That it’s basically 300 pages of mansion/Hollywood gossip doesn’t hurt either.
Violence Girl by Alice Bag – A memoir by punk pioneer Alice Bag of the Bags, Violence Girl is a rich and vivid painting of the early punk scene in 1970’s Los Angeles. It includes many a reference to my little ole neighborhood (Hollywood) which is fun and why I love reading books about LA. Miss Bag’s contributions to the emergence of punk on the West Coast cannot be overstated, making Violence Girl an essential and deeply authentic account of punk history informed by the often-overlooked experiences of women and Latino artists who shaped the scene. Also 2-5 page chapters…yes please.
Valencia by Michelle Tea – Found myself very easily submerged in this account of lesbian life in San Francisco’s Mission District during the 90’s. Funny, eye-opening, graphic at some points most definitely, and includes some observations that are just a little tooo on the nose. As a burgeoning lesbian I think this is a must read. My friend Marco gave this to me and I was inspired by his annotations…I’d never annotated a novel before. Now that I’ve started, I don’t think I can ever read a book again without a pen or highlighter nearby.
Hotel California by Barney Hoskyns – An extensive telling of the Los Angeles popular music scene from the late 1960s to the late 1970s, with tales of all the classic acts including Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, The Eagles, The Feats and dozens more. I loved being transported to the height of 70’s hedonism, planting myself in the hills of Laurel Canyon where making love and making music was what life was all about.
Because I have Taylor Swift brain rot, I see her everywhere–and especially in this excerpt that describes Eagles’ front man Don Henley’s propensity for flying in lovers on a private jet:
“...He was okay with, say, buying a house like that, or sending a Learjet to pick you up." Henley's Learjet pickups became so legendary in the business that he himself later coined the phrase "Love 'em and Lear 'em."
I know my girl is racking up the miles lately keeping Travis as far from her as possible after they fulfill their contractual appearances 😩
Bonnie Rait: Just In The Nick of Time by Mark Bego – I figured I’d keep the hippie dippie shit going and devoured this biography in a day. Bonnie’s journey in music is interesting—she recorded nine albums before ever really achieving mainstream success in the 90’s when she won four Grammys for her album Nick of Time. Just as inspiring as her perseverance is her commitment to uplifting the rhythm and blues artists whose influence made her music what it is, and this account outlines Bonnie’s friendships and collaborations with rhythm-and-blues legends including Howlin' Wolf, Aretha Franklin, and John Lee Hooker.
Out and About
Joy Oladokun at the Troubadour – Soft serenades or serendipitous shredding…Joy can do it all. I wrote about this perfect evening with one of my favorite singer-songwriters, you can read it here.
Charlie Hickey at Scribble – This was a release show for Charlie’s third, highly anticipated (by me) album Could’ve Been Anyone and it was a really sweet room. Charlie is an LA native, so I was surrounded by former teachers, neighbors, friends of his parents, etc. Additionally, this was another performance where it becomes increasingly clear that saxophone is crucial to my ideal listening experience. Several of the songs off CBA remain in constant rotation, including the bouncy insecurity ballad “Kansas City”; the droning desperation of “No One’s Gonna Love You”; and the brilliant, wry reflection on finding meaning in modern times that is “Jesus Pieces”.
The Downpour – A delightful evening of storytelling, poetry, and (new) music, you can read all about it here!
1824 showcase at Universal Music Group – I recently joined a Discord group for other girlies who love music and within the first week of joining was offered a chance to check out a showcase at the Universal Music Publishing Group office in Santa Monica. I didn’t know what to expect but being put on a “list” was a new and fun experience–there was also beautiful charcuterie and an open bar which I obviously took advantage of. No Kim Crawford, but life can’t always be perfect.
The showcase featured Lexa Gates, Jae Stephens and Ayoni, the latter of which I found especially compelling, even in a somewhat compact and sterile setting (Lexa Gates was quick to let the crowd know we were not doing enough lmaoo). There was also a short discussion after each performer's set, and some of the influences they named were Rhianna, Pink Pantheress, Janet Jackson, Tinashe and Nicki Minaj just to name a few. If those are your vibes definitely check the girlies out.
S/O to Street Grrrl for getting me on ~the list~ Follow them for monthly playlists, concert photography, articles, and reviews of cool, new artists. I even put together a little carousel of some of my favorite spring songs for their March content pool–good stuff!!
Hollywood Farmers Market – The loot speaks for itself (I’m currently inhaling some of the cilantro jalapeno hummus I got):
May I Recommend…
Expressing disdain for our leaders who suck – This shit ain’t normal, don’t let them convince you it is! Keep getting in touch with your senators, representatives, governors, school boards etc.! Last week the National Park Service was authorized to reinstate all 1,000 probationary park staff who were terminated on February 14–thanks to the insistence from the public that Trumps’ actions in firing them were unlawful. They don’t say power to the people for nothing!!!
Alone time – I’ve been thinking a lot about this quote from songwriter extraordinaire Katie Gavin:
I’ve always valued my independence, and I think my need for alone time has become part of my personality to an extent. While there are a lot of times I wish I could get out of my own head, and I do love spending time with my friends and family, at the end of the day the only thing that is for certain is that my mind and my body are MINE. I don’t take that lightly, and being unemployed I am learning to cherish all the alone time I have on my hands.
Heckling transphobes
Screentime
Severance finale – Milkshake got the MOVESSSS
Scream 3 – I am not a White Lotus person but the cultural conversation surrounding Parker Posey is an excellent reason to rewatch Scream 3 where she plays Jennifer Jolie (real name Judy Jurgenstern), who’s playing Courtney Cox’s iconic role Gale Weathers in the last of the Stab trilogy movies being filmed within the Scream universe.
Questlove on Hot Ones – I could listen to Questlove talk all day. He is obviously a genius but that doesn’t stop him from revering every kind of music and how all different kinds of art impact the lives of everyday people. It was also fun to hear him talk about Taylor’s participation in game nights, saying she made playing Uno more exciting than he even thought possible. I know that’s right!!
Sing Sing — Based on the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison in Ossining, New York, Sing Sing follows a group of incarcerated men involved in the creation of theatrical stage shows and how that aids in their rehabilitation. It stars Colman Domingo as the lead, with real-life alumni of the program as co-stars. This film is so beautiful, it made me remember what movies are for. You must watch! Streaming on MAX.
Listening
“The Giver” by Chappell Roan – No explanation needed.
Tim Curry on Fresh Air: My Na, who passed away last fall, would have been 88 this month on March 21. In her honor my mom donated to the Youngstown public radio station who read a dedication to her on her birthday. The segment that ran before the dedication was a 2005 Terry Gross interview with Tim Curry, who played Dr. Frankenfurter in the Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). If you’ve never seen RHPS, you’d probably recognize Mr. Curry from a slew of other iconic roles: Pennywise from the 1990 adaptation of Stephen King’s infamous It; Mr. Hector from Home Alone 2; the Mouse King in the 2001 classic Barbie in the Nutcracker!!! While the whole interview was worth a listen just for his accent alone, his tale of meeting Princess Diana touched me dearly. Upon meeting Mr. Curry (at her request!), she said she’d seen Rocky Horror and that it “quite completed her education.” Another iconic woman taken too soon </3
I update my Gaggle playlist weekly, follow it here for new music every Friday 🤘
Screenshot Graveyard
