World Famous In San Francisco

Tonight I will see Port O'Brien at Bimbos. Port O'Brien frontman Van Pierszalowski and I go way back. We grew up together in this tiny pretentious village set in a pine forest by the sea known as Cambria. We've reconnected over this past year after realizing we were both on similar paths... we're both trying to make our life's work, music, a career - starting in the Bay Area.

Van and I have a very different approach to our life and art. Van loves the little town we grew up in - his girlfriend's name is even Cambria - and she's also a member of the band. Van loves his parents - actually naming the band after the port in Alaska where they met. Van loves nature. He writes on the boat he works aboard during the Alaskan summers.

I really don't like that little town we grew up in. When I go home it feels like I'm in a desert with no water... one that is host to all my bad memories and frustration. I don't have the same appreciation for nature that Van does. I feel lonely in nature. I will take a man-made landscape over a natural one any day. I love human invention more than mother nature's. I love my parents, but don't really like them. I would never name my band after them. I obviously haven't forgiven my parents yet. I know they tried the best they could... enough already! For now, I'll just stick to sleeping with guys twice my age. I can make amends to my parents on Oprah.

But Van and I DO share a lot of things in common. We both like Lily Allen. We both were very lucky to have liberal parents that traveled and appreciated art. We were very lucky to have Mr. O'Neil as a music teacher. We were lucky in the sense that our town didn't have any culture beyond blown glass and beeswax candles. We learned to make music to make up for the lack of a movie theater or radio station.

I am really excited to see what adventures lay ahead for Van and I. The Passionistas and Port O'Brien are two totally different takes on life. It's funny to look back ten years ago and remember our similar sounding punk bands. In general, it's funny we're from the same place and doing the same thing. Van's music is getting a lot more attention than mine. But I'm not sweating that at all, I love watching one of my homies make it.

Port O'Brien play Bimbo's tonight (10/12/2007) in support of Rogue Wave.