Atlanta, Georgia

Ron + i played 3 songs @ a Borders store in Atlanta 2day… wonderful audience of a couple hundred people… i found a book a the store called ‘The Third Eye’ that sheds more light on the visual society…

‘There are three times as many nerve connections between the ear and the brain as between the eye and the brain.’

– in other words our ears r FAR MORE accurate than our eyes…

in another section of the book the author quotes a psychologist who worked w the deaf as well as w the blind as noting that the athmosphere among the deaf was much harsher w more fighting + looks that could kill whereas the blind were more concerned w each other, more helpful + assured…

elsewhere he describes research by a group of psychiatrists that showed that violence + other crime was much lower in a certain town in the Rock Mountains that had radio, but because of the surrounding mountains could not receive any TV, compared to towns of similar size and location that had TV…

now if we think about this in4mation we can figure out how the world has changed + how it has arrived @ this present day violence… y families, groups, societies r so fractured…

i propose that there might be a direct relationship between TV and the increase of violence, NOT because of content but because of the MEDIUM itself, which invites absolute passivity…

there certainly is a relationship between TV and ADD (Attention Deficiency Disorder) in children…

listening brings the world in2 us whereas seeing places us in the world… SEE + go outside/outward or LISTEN + go inside/inward…

the gr8 mystics heard voices, they didn’t read cue cards or teleprompters…

Music + Nicknames

i was just thinking: music is an important balance 2 all the visual in4mation we deal w on a daily basis in 2day’s modern society (almost all of the in4mation that used 2 be transmitted auraly is now transmitted visually)

…the fact that music and art programs in schools all over the country r being cut may create men + women of the future that will find it harder 2 unlock their imagination and emotions, their ability 2 simply listen…

we all remember the pre-MTV days when a kid would put a vinyl LP on the turntable and close their eyes and dream… our imagination would fly w the music… now one would simply watch a video + associate that w the music… maybe more than ever we need music in our lives and need 2 teach music 2 the children…

the following nicknames have been developed on this tour so far…don’t ask – there is never much rhyme or reason 2 the creation of nicknames:

stefan has become slick
bill sage – bondo
kevin – cove
dan – patch
vince – teabag
dwaine – kaptain kotton
carl – lumpy
randy – grandpa

New Orleans 2 Tampa

we just left the house of blues in new orleans + r on our way 2 tampa (over 700 miles)… hope 2 get 2 our hotel in tampa by 2morrow evening… the house of blues in new orleans + rockefellers in houston the night b4 r the only club shows on this tour…

it’s different when people can drink all night @ the show… a woman drunkenly yelled my name as i was leaving the stage after our final bow + experience told me not 2 go back 2 the stage later as i often do 2 meet people from the audience… i heard she grabbed the percussionist + even jumped on stage 2 get in2 it w the drummer b4 being removed by security…

upstairs in the dressing rooms myra was showing a waitress from the club some beginner belly dance techniques… in front of the club i met some turkish people who said our music is played in several turkish cities… cool!!

al2gether a nice experience @ the house of blues…and we r all wearing some house o’ blues swag: i picked the blues underwear w the heart on fire – surrounded by barbed wire…

Denver, Colorado

Denver… April 2nd, 1996… 20 minutes 2 showtime…everything looks perfect… the sound is incredible, the lights r fantastic, the stage looks gr8…

the OPIUM DEN CIRCUS is in town… this band + crew r amazing… these r the best people i have ever worked w… every1 of them an artist… here is the list:

guitars – Ottmar Liebert
bass + keyboard – Jon Gagan
drums – Carl Coletti
percussion – Ron Wagner
belly dancer – Myra Keene
tour manager/f.o.h. – Stefan Liebert
production manager – Bill ‘Bondo’ Sage
monitor engineer – Dan McKinley
sound technician – Vince ‘Teabag’ Butler
lighting designer – Kevin Smith
head electrician – Gus Thompson
merchandiser – Dwaine Nemergut
truck driver – Joe Frank
band bus driver – Don Register
crew bus driver – Vance Vigna

– after the show: wow…fantastic!!! it sounded so good that the whole band was smiling the whole time!!! this is IT!!! this is what all the work is 4!!!

this is the best show we have ever done, w/o a doubt…