Road Notes

Some excerpts from Simeon Flick's tour diary... St. George, Utah, the One and Only Bar: "The towns [in Utah] are only allowed so many bars per capita, and for the longest time St. George only had enough people to merit one bar, hence the name...it's the kind of place where someone will shout out 'Free Bird' or 'Play some Skynyrd' and mean it. This actually happened during the gig!"

New York City, Fat Baby: "We saw a man with his back to us, just standing there in the doorway. It became clear as he briskly straightened up and departed -- and from the fresh puddle on the solitary step -- that this guy had just urinated in the doorway we were about to enter...I knew I'd have to become a junkie, or pick up one habit or another, in order to live there."

Saratoga Springs, New York, Borders: "I took a break in the middle and was verbally hailed by a man who had come in a few minutes before. He seemed to be babbling something incoherent about the key of C, something music related, and was coming off as the erratic nut job I was going to have to deal with at this particular show...negotiating hecklers and tweakers is part of my job description as an entertainer."

Providence, Rhode Island, the Tazza Café: "When it came time to pass the 'love bucket,' I ended up splitting 100 bucks with the other featured artist, and with one CD sold that made it a $60 night. Not bad at all...I got to live the dream for a few precious minutes, got to be something special."

Simeon Flick opens for Tapwater at Humphrey's Backstage Lounge on Thursday, March 29.

WHAT'S IN YOUR MUSIC PLAYER?

1. The Cathryn Beeks Ordeal, Desert Music ("I love the songs, the production and instrumentation, and Cathryn has such an awesome voice.")

2. Stevie Wonder's Greatest Hits ("I'm going to spend the next 20 years trying to write something like 'Hey Love,' 'Boogie On Reggae Woman,' or 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered.' ")

3. Fugazi, Repeater ("I saw them three times in the early '90s...this record brings it all back for me, and I still wish I was Guy Picciotto.")

4. The Beatles, Revolver ("I know, I know, this one's a no-brainer, but I feel wrong if I don't listen to it at least once a month.")

DESERT ISLAND DVDs?

1. Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out ("Provides a fly-on-the-wall view of the Police's meteoric rise via super 8 home movies.")

2. The Fifth Element ("Chris Tucker in designer drag and a bleached unicorn Afro.")

3. Pride and Prejudice ("A&E's six-hour made-for-TV version...I guess this outs me as a SNAG, a.k.a. sensitive new-age guy.")

4. The Band: The Last Waltz ("I just crank it up, crack a beer, put Van Morrison's segment on repeat, and lament being born 20 years too late.")

5. Lord of the Rings trilogy ("The ultimate tale of good and evil.")

FAVORITE TV SHOWS?

1. Heroes ("The concept of beneficial, paranormal mutation in human evolution is so titillating.")

2. Smallville ("Again, I guess it's about the paranormal, but it's also the pipe dream of Clark Kent not being corrupted by all that power.")

3. Austin City Limits ("It really seems like a sweet gig...the people there pay attention and really listen to the music, even if the bands aren't all over pop radio.")

4.World Series of Poker ("It almost makes me forget how horrendous I am at gambling.")

5. ESPN's coverage of extreme sports ("I grew up skateboarding and snowboarding, and now I live in a surfing town, so I'm always exhilarated to see these sports on a mainstream cable channel.")

WORST SONGS?

1. "It's a Small World" ("The last time I went to Disneyland was over 20 years ago, and this terrible hook is still dug in my head like an Alabama tick.").

2. "I Write the Songs," Barry Manilow ("It's a deceptive little tune, because the vocal melody is obsequiously tender, like a love song, but check out the megalomaniacal lyrics.")

3. "Daydream Believer," the Monkees ("The lyrics are inane, and the chorus hook is like Chinese water torture.")

LENNON OR McCARTNEY?

"I consider McCartney the ultimate Beatle. While John was loafing at his mock-Tudor palace, Paul was mastering all the instruments, constantly immersed in the betterment of his art, thinking of all the grand ideas like Sgt. Pepper, showing up early and leaving late, and pushing the envelope across the board. John was the fire under Paul's ass."

BIGGEST POLITICAL CONCERN?

"Separation of church and state. Base our

government on facts, not faith."

BEST LOCAL EATERY?

"El Zarape Mexican restaurant in University Heights. Their house burrito is $4.50, and whoever invented it should be knighted or granted sainthood. Or both."