112. PRIDE, CONCERT, BBQ, SHOOT & DINNER - YEAH A WHOLE LOT!

The last two days have been busy - but here we are in Andrea Donnelly's RAD apartment in Downtown Oakland. So, yes, we've moved to another couch (loft bed and air mattress!) but first yesterday.

Anna and Harju went to the Pride parade. They saw the San Francisco one for the first time, and well, what can you say - WOW! The pride weekend is a huge thing here, and apart from all the fun and touching stuff in the parade (dragqueens, trucks with people partying on them, families fighting for equal rights and so on) it was fantastic to see millions of people celebrate this event on the streets and waiving their rainbow flags to show their support. You just don't see this kind of openness and happiness on the streets in Finland, even during the Pride weekend, and experiencing this was fantastic, especially to Anna who has two moms. Due to this, she actually shed a couple of secret tears during the event, overwhelmed by the fact that the happy and accepting attitude Finland lacks exists in a huge city like this. There is still hope for the rest of the world, so keep on fighting!

Our new friends from this night's dinner (the story follows later in the blog) had an interesting way of describing the parade.
Lisa: It's so positive! It's like a Grateful Dead show!
Matthew: With assless chaps!


After seeing the parade Anna and Harju set off to Golden Gate Park for a free concert organized by the popular radio station Alice. Lifehouse were the first ones Anna and Harju saw take on the stage, and Anna was super-excited about that and pushed her way closer to the stage, took a lot of pictures and enjoyed a great performance that totally rocked! Even though other artists and bands were about to play later Anna and Harju didn't stay any longer since Lifehouse seemed like the only interesting act that day. So we joined the crowd that swelled out of the park and walked towards the traffic lights where we would eventually get picked up.


While they went off into the city Alex took some time to herself (as she has seen the parade before back in 2003) and ate some fruit down by Lake Merritt just a few blocks from Scott's place. Then she headed to South San Francisco and relative Vicki picked her up and brought her home to treat her to some Swedish(!) coffee, coz frankly the Americans can't make proper coffee.

When Anna and Harju were done in Golden Gate Park Alex and Vicki picked them up and we all headed back to South San Francisco to have a barbeque at the Venstad's. Vicki's husband Rob, daughter Tanja and friend Allie, as well as "grandma" Greta were all there and we enjoyed some great chicken, baked potatoes (of which two EXPLODED in the oven!), and other goodness! Oh yeah, "pussy willow" is "videkissona" - just so you all know.
Big thanks to you all for good company and a great kinda family get-together!


After that we just headed back to Scott's in Oakland, had some wine and fell asleep.

This morning we got up pretty early to catch a cab over to Andrea's. Not far, but our luggage is out of this world. There are also two other (Finnish!) couchsurfers staying here for a few nights, of which one, Tommi, Alex hosted just a few weeks ago. Aksel is the other guy, and they're both great. Small world!


We had some lunch with them and while Anna and Harju did Oakland's Chinatown Alex headed back to Scott's for a (nude! and partly nude!) shoot! Censored photo below! :)
On our way back to Andrea's we found Oaksterdam University, got some info and Alex also spent some money on books in their gift shop.


At about 6.30 we arrived in West Oakland (kinda sketchy, so we haven't been there before) for a dinner in fellow couchsurfer Sheila Satin and her dude Matthew's awesome loft! Some of their friends, as well as Sheila's sister, showed up and we enjoyed Thai noodles, good stories as well as a short lesson in crystals (Sheila and her sister have a crystal shop and make holistic jewelery, more info after we visit the store tomorrow!). Alex even got to taste Sheila's coffee drink, for the evening named "After Dinner Satin Surprise". Big ups! :)

Harju likes the giant bamboo! We might open a greenhouse called Univocal B&B (not Bed & Breakfast but Bamboo & Buds! :)

We took the BART home with new friends Lisa and Paul, and on that trip Harju had a pigeon (bird family Columbidae) shit on his head. Dislike! We got over that (Harju is probably still working on that!), and are here doing late-night blogging for you at home or anywhere!

We are living in luxury when it comes to hosts, homes, friends and food. Until tomorrow - much love,

the phoenix crew.

111. TINY TELEPHONE, HAIGHT & A LIVE VIDEO!

Just a question: Is this a terrorist?

Today we took the BART and a bus out to Potrero Avenue and Tiny Telephone.

That is one awesome studio, and the owner, John Vanderslice is a great guy. Open, honest and really passionate about what he's doing. Tiny Telephone is built with love, which you notice right away. But it doesn't only consist of love, it's also home to a lot of great equipment. We love the Neve, the Neve and all the mics (the Jospehson's!), the tape decks, the Neve, the B3, the guitar amps, the Neve, the B3, the Wurlitzer and the atmosphere! Yeah, we're excited, and would love to come back for a recording session!


After the intense tour we headed for Haight. Again. This time we went a bit crazy at Amoeba, listened a bit to Bill Kirchen live, and ate some Mexican food while other people went a bit crazy over soccer.


When we got back to Oakland Scott had made it home from his business trip. Anna and Harju made a delicious dinner and we talked, ate and started opening wine bottles. Still working on that, while enjoying some hemp(!) chips from the Cannabis Company.

Anna gave the chips 3.75 trash cans, Harju gave them 4 suns, and Alex gave them 4 erection rings! Pretty good!

Here's something for all of you that wish you were here with us! Big thanks to John Mount for filming Anna and promoting her a bit on YouTube! Here's one of his videos from East Village Coffee Lounge in Monterey, our new song "The dress that Jesus wore". You can find several more videos from that gig, and other great gigs at the lounge, if you go to his channel on YouTube.




Just a reminder before we go to bed and get well-rested before tomorrow's Pride parade:


Nighty-night, folks!

110. STEELTOWN!

Today we took BART out to Pittsburg (California, not Pennsylvania - no, we're not touring the entire country, yet!), and missed the connecting bus out to Old Town Pittsburg where we were gonna play.

So we took a cab with a really nice and funny driver. He was going on about celebrities he has driven, and all the crazy stuff that goes on in the San Francisco area. In his own words:
- If you're not from around here it could be like Alice in Wonderland for 8 hours, not knowing what hole you fell down!


We found Steeltown Coffee & Tea, which is in a bank. That was a first! We give our big thanks to Adrian, the owner, who booked us and did great promotion for the gig. We felt appreciated and at home. We enjoyed some yummy smoothies and headed to the marina to enjoy the sun (yes, finally some California weather!) and the breeze.

Again some green! Plastic mugs made out of plants! Fuck Big Oil!

After some guitar trouble the gig went great although there weren't too many people. But they tipped generously and we are very grateful. Also thanks to Tragic Ends for lending us their PA! After another missed bus were happy Adrian could drive us to the BART.


Tomorrow we'll have more time to blog, so maybe you'll get more to read then! Goodnight, folks!

//just us.

109. MAMA BUZZ & THE ROOFTOP

We went to the art collective Rock Paper Scissors today. That was pretty cool, and we're happy to see volunteer-run collectives that make things go 'round even in this economical climate.


Anna and Alex bought a few small items from their store and then we headed to Mama Buzz to get some vegan food. The food was good and the venue real cosy.


Unfortunately they hadn't promoted the gig in any way and we even had to put up posters last-minute ourselves. So no one was there for the music, and no one even hardly knew there was gonna be any music. But Anna and Harju played beautifully anyhow, and we hope to see a change in attitude.


The art was awesome (although a bit anonymous as well) and we hope to see Mama Buzz focus a bit more on the arts so that all artists get the promotion they deserve.

We really liked the political issues coming forth in the works. "Bay to Taipei" by graffiti artist Optimist.

Oh yeah, we found the rooftop (of the old CANDY store that we're staying in!)!

Some red wine and a movie. Tomorrow Pittsburg!

//t.p.c.

108. BRAIN WASH & HAIGHT-ASHBURY!

Hi folks, friends and fans!

Yesterday we headed for our new home in Oakland! The very generous photographer Scott Kosits is lending us his apartment even though he's out of town most of the week. And what an apartment! It's a studio apartment with living room, bedroom, kitchen, office and photo studio all in one with a high ceiling and gorgeous pictures on the walls.


When we got settled in we headed into the city, and the very cool laundromat, cafe and club Brainwash! We did some laundry in a machine named Yo'Mam (we did the drying in Nacho!), had some coffee and waited for the Open Mic to get started. Which took some time.
The guy who was supposed to host it didn't show up and no one seemed to know if it was gonna happen or not. Finally someone else took out the sound system and tried to get the show going. Unfortunately that was someone who didn't know what he was doing and he was very unprofessional running around moving mics and what not during people's sets. But Anna did her two songs and we also kinda liked a Jeremy who played after her (and borrowed her guitar!).


Today we overslept and rushed into the city again, this time to visit the legendary Hyde Street Studios where Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival and other cool people recorded back in the days! And some cool people are still recording there of course, maybe it will be us someday! We like the Neve 8048 and the atmosphere there, and give our big thanks to studio manager Jeff Cleland for showing us around Studio A and D!

Jeff showing us Studio D.

After the quick visit we took the Muni bus to Haight-Ashbury and our hippie roots. It may be a bit touristy nowadays but the vintage and smoke shops are still giving the neighborhood its hippie feel. And the architecture in Haight is to die for.


We enjoyed some Ben & Jerry's (yep, Alex tried the fantastic "Imagine Whirled Peace") and Harju even bought a personally written poem on the topic "world peace" from Lynn Gentry on the street.

Now we're relaxing in the apartment after a good dinner consisting of organic ground beef, onions, mushrooms, peppers and zucchini all from Whole Foods. Alex wants to share some interesting findings before we put on a good movie on VHS:

If you ever wonder where he's at - maybe this is it!?

San Francisco is a very green city and we see the CHANGE everywhere even though Babylon is constantly present.

Conspiracy theory? Well, some of the people we've been talking to seem to realize that Obama is not in charge of anything, the true leaders are unseen and unknown. Talking politics with Americans can also go wrong, but we've been lucky and we've heard some interesting views on the topic.

Just trying to help out! Love is in the air!

Oh yeah. This is a new contest called GUESS THE DISEASE. Alex is troubled by a sun burn or allergy that has evolved into a kinda disgusting form. She might be turning into a reptile one of these days - so anyone who advices her on the right cure will win a Hey, Hugo single! :)

Interesting facts:

Popcorn seems to rain from the skies.

People here have no cigarettes because they always seem to ask us for them.

The holes are deep.

Tomorrow we're playing Mama Buzz Cafe & Gallery in Oakland, 7pm. See you there or elsewhere!

Love!