105. RIVER PHOENIX

Hey friends and fans!

We've been having some trouble getting photos uploaded so that's why we're a bit late on sharing these particular pics. It's from our day down by San Joaquin river in Stouffer Park in Ripon (Ryan's hometown).

(everything's BIGGER in America!)

Hanging out with Ryan was interesting and inspiring, and we are all really proud of the song we wrote with him. Big hugs, Ryan!

We'll update you with photos and stories from our Santa Cruz day and gig in just a bit. Alex just needs to totally photograph the shit out of Amanda's and Pete's house in Felton coz it's so awesome!

//the hanger-arounders :)

104. UNIVOCAL COLLABORATION WITH RYAN!

So we sat by the river with Ryan yesterday (photos will be up soon in our next post!) and wrote a song! This is what Univocal is all about so have a listen to Ryan, Anna and Harju going at it!



UNTITLED UNIVOCAL SONG
written by Ryan Fikejs, Alexandra Sandbäck, Anna Saarela, Niklas Harju 2010-06-17

VERSE 1
I sit without you
by the moving water
Each ripple is a memory
Each turn fulfills a destiny
And I will float along
The current flows steadily

CHORUS
Everything’s changing at an unwavering pace
But I move slowly like the river today
And just like the river my perspective grows wide
and I stumble down my own sides

VERSE 2
So who’s to say
that now is not forever
There’s no end to this
Life’s like a prolonged kiss
And I will kiss along
This love flows steadily

BRIDGE
No holding back
No looking back
I’m moving on
My heart is strong
I have no fear
For I find comfort in change

All rights reserved.

103. RYAN & MAUREEN!

(peaceful hippies at El Rancho Inn & Suites)

Ryan Fikejs picked us up yesterday and we waved goodbye to our two-bedroom suite at El Rancho while trying to get everything into Ryan’s Honda Accord. We headed for the center of the state and the city of Modesto (interesting fact: the city looks like a small town, but with 200 000+ citizens, and has like the highest car theft rate in the entire country).

We got to experience some of the American traffic jams, but also the mighty San Mateo bridge which lies right on the water, as well as some beautiful hills that we went over to get to the valley on the other side. We even started seeing the famous Jesus-fishes which we are used to from back home.


We didn’t know what to expect going to Ryan’s friend’s house, and thought that this might be the start of our actual couchsurfing. Well, I guess the Universe thought we should be more comfortable than that for another two nights. We arrived at music teacher Maureen Whittaker’s house sometime after 7pm and were totally impressed, grateful and happy to be welcomed into her very beautiful home. She says she likes to decorate on a budget – but you may wonder what budget exactly because the home is just lovely.


Alexandra and Anna got to share a luxurious queensize bed in one room, and Harju got his own room as well. We played some and ate a delicious dinner (Maureen made some awesome corn on the cob and sausages on the grill) and enjoyed really great conversations (interesting fact: Ryan’s friend got run over, literally, by a jogging Pierce Brosnan in Hawaii. He helped her up of course, but the big deal is: he has real ugly chicken legs).

Oh yeah, Maureen’s dog Brandy is the cutest thing we’ve seen. Ever. And we might just dognap her. ;)

Today we woke up to a beautiful day and we’re waiting for Ryan to show up and take us out on an adventure. Maureen's friend Ramona is here right now and they're listening to Anna and Harju practise while Alexandra is the blog manager. And she's signing off now! :)

//the phoenix crew.

102. PIER 39, CABLE CARS AND AWESOME DUDES

Yesterday was a bit of a tourist day for us in the Phoenix crew. We took BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to Embarcadero and took the historical streetcar to Pier 39 where we AAWW!:ed at the sea lions and ate some hot dogs.



Then we walked down the street to the cable car turnaround and got on. We climbed the hills slowly and got off close to Chinatown. After a quick stroll down Grant Ave. to the Chinatown gateway we found the BART station where we admired Ansar - a musician with an amazing voice, and a good attitude. Whether or not he's gonna be on TV, like he said, we don't know - but he was great! Alexandra gave him Anna's single, and we got his burnt cd which he normally sells for $10.



Back in Millbrae we shopped at Safeway and headed for bed. Today we had an awesome breakfast with Greta and Vicki in Greta's suite (yes, she lives at the hotel where she's worked for most her life, retired now though!) and then headed to Best Buy to get a mobile broadband.

Soon the amazing Ryan Fikejs will pick us up and take us to his hometown Modesto where we'll be until Thursday morning, hopefully connecting, playing and experiencing.

Talk to you soon! We LOVE you!

//the phoenix crew.

PS.

(this dude also studies bluntology, we support! :P)

101. SAN FRANCISCO, BABY!

We started our journey on Saturday when we headed for Helsinki. We met up with Alexandra's lovely friends Petas, Emma, Hanna, Inga and Julia. Some drinks and burritos at Iguana along with discussions and laughs before we headed out to Vanda airport.

When you leave for the US you're supposed to check in 3 hours prior to take-off. Well, we were at Vanda in time of course, but the counters didn't open until 2 hours before take-off. System failure?

(before picture :P)

We flew to Frankfurt where we had NO time to get to the gate. And apparently that was the case for everyone else as well, so the cue to passport control for US travellers looked like a friggin' cattle house. System failure?

The Boeing 747(!) waited for some of the passengers and we took off for LAX. That was about 10 ½ hours of waiting, eating, sleeping, and the occasional(?) coughing by Alexandra. Definitely system failure on that, but the stewardesses were nice and provided her with water in copious amounts while she looked at her lungs resting in her lap. :)

About 4pm on Sunday we arrived at LAX and we went through immigration. Of course. And we felt raped. Fingerprints and photographs. Questions. Customs. Dogs. Definite system failure! We entered Babylon in peace but were doubted like everyone else. And Harju more or less almost missed his flight to San Francisco due to a locked guitar case and the customs officers who were very interested in his guitar that he had taken into the country perfectly legally.

We reached SFO a bit freaked out and tired but were met by Alexandra's relatives Vicki and Greta who kindly took us to the Best Western hotel El Rancho Inn & Suites in Millbrae where we got a complimentary night (that means FOR FREE so THANK YOU!)! Some Chinese take away from Chef Wang's together with Greta, Vicki and Tanja (thanks!) and we headed for soft beds to get a good night's rest.

(Greta, Vicki, Tanja and the food!)

Today we've woken up to the beautiful California skies and we had some breakfast across the street from our suite at the Millbrae Pancake House. Pancakes are a must-try but Harju and Anna agreed with Alexandra's previous experience - it's a must-try but it's bacon and eggs from now on!

(Anna thinks everything looks like on TV and she is convinced that the water weighs less here. Harju thinks the bananas (on his pancakes) tasted spicy, and of pepper. Alexandra found out that it's easier to cough unnoticed at the Pancake House due to the noise level. System success!)

Our plans regarding recording in Santa Cruz have fallen through so we decided to stay one more night at the hotel and see what the week and the Universe brings us. Today we're heading out to Fisherman's Wharf at least, riding some cable cars and maybe seeing Chinatown.

Until our next awesome blog;
Peace & Love!

//the phoenix crew.

HERE WE GO!

We booked one more show for the tour. We're playing:

Mama Buzz Cafe & Gallery
June 24
7pm

We go south tomorrow, checking in with some friends in Helsinki, then heading out to the airport. Sunday afternoon we touch ground in San Francisco, and will be able to update you again!

Love,

the phoenix crew

We leave in less than a week!

Anna Phoenix live in CA-tour starts on Sunday! With less than a week to go it's busy at Univocal Music, and finally the plans are starting to fall into place.

We're gonna visit Hyde Street Studios (yep, the Grateful Dead recorded there!), Tiny Telephone, North Beach Festival (hopefully providing some street music for the Californians!) and see the Pride Parade, apart from playing these dates:

June 17 - Asana, Santa Cruz
June 18 - East Village Coffee Lounge, Monterey
June 25 - Steeltown Coffee, Pittsburg

(We're still waiting for an Oakland-confirmation, and we're still available for house concerts so stay tuned or contact us!)

Anna got a new guitar (a black Fender T-Bucket 300 CE) and we thank the good people at Kokkolan Laitevälitys for a great deal!

And she graduated from what the Americans would call high school!

Until we return -
PEACE.

//anna, alexandra & harju.