Monthly Archive for July, 2011

“Who’s makin these rules?”

Published on July 30, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Day 17. The home stretch. We’ve all gotten really good at contorting our bodies in to comfortable pretzels in order to get some sleep during these cross-country drives. Everyone knows everyone’s Subway and McDonald’s orders by heart. We’ve mastered the fine art of scouring a middle-of-nowhere gas station convenience store to find the best of what they have to offer. A sleeping bag on a foreign floor has become the welcome norm after all of these long days. Most of important of all, though — everyone is still friends.

 

Two days ago we were in the dead of the Arizona desert, dry as can be, and now we find ourselves in New Orleans, trudging through about 110% humidity. But it feels good to be back in the south on more familiar terrain.

 

Tuesday found us in Bisbee, Arizona. Both population and elevation 6,000. In its off season, the small mountain town looked like it had been frozen in time since the days of the Old West. There might as well have been tumbleweed blowing past the saloon where we played. The show was awesome. The whole ex-copper mining town must’ve been packed into the old bar. Star & Micey’s newly instituted indoor busking, unplugged style of playing shows had the band running all over the place. That night, we lived a life of cowboy luxury in the saloon’s Captain’s Suite two doors down.

 

The next morning we embarked upon two full days of driving to get back on this side of the country. The trips were split in two by a pit stop back at Nick’s uncle DD’s house in Andrews, TX. Thursday we rocked the oldest bar in Houston, almost at the expense of Nick’s ankle, but we all made it out alive. Yesterday we Pancho swam into the bayou, and when we docked, our road-weary eyes were treated to the best sight imaginable — Curry Weber, Old Man Baressi himself. He had come down to his hometown of Prairieville, LA where Star & Micey played a down-home, jambalaya-packed, party at a family friend’s house. We felt right at home at the Gulf Coast get-together. Afterwards we drove into the Big Easy with Miles Davis coming through Pancho’s soundsystem. Tonight we play the last show of the tour at Neutral Ground. It’s been a wild ride, but it ain’t over yet!

- Connor

“I’m half cowboy, half Los Angeles.”

Published on July 27, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

So we woke up in Vegas, left behind what happened there, and made our way to sweet Californ-i-a. As we crossed the border into the Golden State, everything just got a little better. LA’s smog couldn’t stifle the Baressi Crew as we rolled into the city of angels. We landed downtown outside of the Redwood Bar, which was (appropriately) pirate-themed. We played a swirly show on the lower decks, and then headed to our California homebase — the house of Ron and Carol Pekar, the parents of Jonathon Pekar, newly appointed head of the Ardent Film Department. Jonathon served as our enigmatic tour guide of the city, pointing out the normal tourist attractions — Santa Monica Pier, Sunset Boulevard, the Hollywood Sign, Amoeba Records (where we did some busking) — as well as plenty of off the beaten path points of interest.

Ron and Carol’s story was inspiring. In short, they worked in the Memphis real estate game until they saved up enough money in the mid-80’s to make the move to LA. Carol worked her way up the ladder at Disney, and in doing so got Ron a job in the creative arts departments. The stories they would tell were out of this world, from stopping planes to designing Prince’s tour set to building countless statues. We stayed up all night listening to their life story. They were wonderfully accommodating hosts, and we can’t express our gratitude enough.

 

The next morning, we awoke to the task of scaling one of the city’s surrounding mountains so we could get a bird’s eye view of the city and so Jonathon could get some footage of the band. To say the least, it was absolutely breathtaking.

 

Sunday night, we played a fun show in Sierra Madre with Fatso Jetson. Then on Monday, we made our way south down the coast to San Diego. We made a point of swimming in the Pacific, which was simultaneously humbling and fulfilling. From there we stopped by Geoff’s uncle’s house for some chicken, steak, and sunshine. That night, we put on a phenomenally fun show at the Tin Can Ale House.

 

A few burning questions of the tour thus far…

 

Will Geoff ever find the perfect pair of gas station sunglasses?

 

Will any of Josh’s jeans make it home without first becoming jorts?

 

Will Nick manage a backflip at every show without breaking an ankle?

 

Will Jeremy ever track down the cowgirl of his dreams?

 

Will Adam ever run out of fun facts and/or great music to share in the van?

 

Stay tuned for the answers and more!

 

As always, swirl on…

 

- Connor

“Man, the desert hurts”

Published on July 20, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

On Sunday night at San Antonio’s Pedicab in the up-and-coming Southtown neighborhood of the city, we stumbled upon a generous and hospitable young scene that was a pleasure to be a part of for the night. Star & Micey put on a rousing outdoor show to a receptive crowd.

 

After a stay at the local Howard Johnson, we left it and its bad cable behind and made our way to the thriving metropolis of Andrews, TX. What awaited us there was nothing we could have ever anticipated. Nick’s uncle DD welcomed us into his house in true Baressi fashion. Oh, and when I say “house,” I mean Ernest Hemingway meets John Wayne West Texas safari villa. We were treated to a night of enthralling anecdotes, hilarious one-liners, and the best Italian food in West Texas. Everyone shared songs on a grand piano that rested amidst distinguished décor drenched in the light of a desert sunset. Everyone went to sleep inexplicably happy.

 

When the sun came up, we forged onward West into New Mexico for Monday’s night show in Albuquerque. It was a sparsely attended one, but I bore witness to the lone two attendees experience sheer bliss of the experience of seeing Star & Micey for the first time. They were literally smiling the whole time, despite the fact that they were the crowd. It just reminded me of the power this band has to make people happy, no matter who you are or where you come from. There’s something in Star & Micey for everyone, and there’s more than enough to go around.

 

Tuesday, we continued through the desert on a horse named Pancho all the way to Tucson, Arizona, where we played a fun unplugged show to a great crowd in a vibrant city after a stop by the city’s community radio station, KXCI. . This morning we departed with a few breakfast burritos and made the long trek to the one and only Las Vegas. Along the way we ran into a few unforeseen, yet very exciting pit stops. The first of which occurred at the a dry river where we decided to take a bathroom break that turned into an excuse to explore the desert countryside. While admiring the breathtaking scenery, we heard some sand kicked around, followed by Adam yelling, “That’s a bull! Giant bull!” And sure enough, it was… The beast subtly made us aware that we were on its territory, and we obliged by snapping a few photos, and then getting the heck outta there.

The second noteworthy pit stop happened several hours later at the Arizona/Nevada border where we encountered the Hoover Dam. The view was out of this world. The photos should speak for themselves. Shortly thereafter, we rolled into Sin City, and are getting ready to do Vegas Baressi style.

Tomorrow, we head to the Pacific. Stay tuned, folks…we’re just getting started.

 

-Connor

“I kinda like the way they do it in Texas.”

Published on July 16, 2011 in Uncategorized. 5 Comments

We shoved off early on Thursday morning for our eight-hour trek to Ft. Worth, Texas. Once there, our first stop was the office of KTCU on the campus on Texas Christian University. The lovely Janice McCall hosted a broadcast featuring an interview and performance with the band. Summertime found the campus quiet, but Star & Micey livened things up with a jaunty show, reaching all kinds of airwaves across the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. From there we headed to the nearby Moon Bar to play the first show of the tour.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vElMXECDBdc

Friday morning, we headed south to Austin. The active city welcomed us with open arms. Jody Stephens was kind enough to set us up with an in house performance at the esteemed ad agency GDS&M, with whom he had worked for the South by Southwest Alex Chilton Tribute Show in 2010. The company’s offices were beautiful, boasting exceptional architecture and a plethora of visually stunning artwork. They were great hosts, and we are extremely grateful for their hospitality. We played an intimate show in the agency’s in-house theater, and were humbled by their enthusiasm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqlfr3pmebg

 To save a little cash on the road, we brought along the official Baressi Crew camping survival kit. GDS&M tipped us off on a great spot just outside the city called Krause Springs. After trying some Texas barbeque, we went and check it out. The park was an absolute oasis. The spacious campsite had abundant shade, and the people were very friendly. But best of all, it had a natural cool springs lagoon complete with waterfall that was perfect for swirly swimming.

After an afternoon in paradise, we headed back into town for the night’s gig at The Hole In The Wall. After the success of the show earlier in the day, we wanted to create the same kind of intimate atmosphere we had achieved at GDS&M in the venue. To do so, the strategy taken was to set up all of the gear in front of the stage, and play unplugged with just two microphones up front. It worked like a charm, and the discerning Austin crowd received it extremely well. We headed back to the campsite happy, woke up in time for another quick swim, and headed south to San Antonio.

 

We’ve been here all day, eaten great Mexican food, seen the Alamo, and been resting in a motel before tonight’s show downtown. So far, so great, and I think it will only get better as we head further west.

More soon.

- Connor

So we leave tomorrow for Ft. Worth…and Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Albuquerque, Tucson, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and more…

Published on July 13, 2011 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment

Hey Star & Micey fans!

 You guys might remember me from last summer’s tour blog updates. Well I’m back for this summer’s tour, and this time, we’re headed West to big skies, sweltering heat, and uncharted territory for the Baressi crew. Tomorrow morning, we shove off in our beloved (and thankfully thoroughly air-conditioned) van Pancho for thirteen shows across Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, and back through Louisiana. Over the course of the next two and a half weeks, I’ll be serving as your liaison to everything happening out on the road. Here’s what’s in store:

 - This blog! Check back often for updates from the road, including photos, videos, and anecdotes. This year, we’re going to have a dedicated Facebook photo album for the tour.

- Live Streaming at selected shows! When the universe permits, you’ll be able to watch the band LIVE on your computer at this link: http://www.ustream.tv/user/starandmicey. We’ll keep Facebook/Twitter etc. updated with info as we get it.

 You might as well be camping out under the stars with us, right? Check back soon for the first post from the road!

Thank you all so much for your continued love and support. We couldn’t be doing this without you.

- Connor

A message from the artist

Published on July 13, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

HELLOOO Star & Micey fans! It’s lil karen here. Some of you may know me as Nick’s better half, but I’m also the official artist for this wonderful band!  I have to admit it’s a really great gig, especially considering it’s pretty much the reason Nick and I met. Anyway, I thought I’d just blog a little bit about how it all came to be.

Welp, I met Josh working at a little-known coffee shop, and that’s when I first heard of Star & Micey. Back then, their gigs consisted of just Josh and Geoff playing shows to hardly anyone at places like Otherlands Coffee in Midtown. And I was instantly hooked. (How can you not be, right?) Well, one day as I was coming into work, I spotted Josh putting up a flyer for an upcoming show.  The flyer was a stick figure drawing on a piece of notebook paper and I thought, ‘Okay, I know I’m no great artist, but I know I can do something with a little more pizzazz than a stick figure!’ So I asked him if he’d mind if I drew up some flyers for them. He was gracious enough to let me, and I just never stopped. 

Since then, it’s never out of the ordinary to get a random phone call from one Josh Cosby, “Heyyyy lil karen. I was just wonderin if you could draw up something for an album cover for us?  I don’t have anything specific in mind, just maybe something uplifting and light? The only problem is we kinda need it today by 5 o’clock.” My response? “Agh, no problem! I’m going out of town today and need to be at the airport by 5, but that leaves me like… 2 hours to whip something up!” What I’m really thinking? “Crraaaaaaaaaaaapppp!” But Josh knows I work best under pressure. So it wasn’t long before I thought uplifting = balloons pulling clouds into the sky!! And so I got to work. 

After that, I started doing smaller paintings for them, some of which you can see in their beautiful merch case.  Some got turned into t-shirts (like the milk carton thinking about being poured into a glass. It’s his destiny!) and others into single covers (like the tiny pirate ship in a bottle!) I’ve dreamed up stickers, buttons, postcards, cd covers and t-shirts.  They keep me knee deep in creativity, and every day I just thank my lucky stars that they like it enough to keep me around. 

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