chelsea girl

after college, when i was still living in albuquerque and doing social work, i had a really great group of friends. there were artists, architects, bar and shop owners and of course, my little collective of fellow social workers.

there wasn't much going on in albuquerque at the time but occasionally, we would get great bands coming through town (i have since learned that many bands hate playing albuquerque as it is some sort of weird vortex). one such band that i fell in love with was pavement. remember them? oh how dreamy and broody stephen malkmus was! i went to their show every time they came through town.

when i began planning my escape from new mexico, one of the things that drew me to portland was the fact that stephen malkmus had taken up residence here. what more convincing did i need? after moving here, i did find myself in a little circle that was "friends" with stephen and i even waited on him once when still working in the bar business. i think i still have his grocery receipt that he left on the table. he was very sweet and gracious no matter what his reputation may be.

i harbored my love for pavement for many years until i saw a movie that used the velvet underground for its soundtrack and i immediately went out to buy their album. on the one hand, i was so excited to discover an amazing band (i'm a bit of a late bloomer), and on the other, i was a little bummed that pavement sounded sooo much like them. i don't know if it was intentional but it certainly sounded so to me. sadly, i rarely pull out my pavement cds anymore.

i am still loving the velvet underground's greatest hits, though. namely chelsea girl with nico. if ever there was a song that my past life relates to, this is it. and wasn't nico just so cool? i love her fashion sense, hair and dark voice. seems to fit our rainy days here in portland.