Five Hundred and Thirty Two
Ever hear of Littletype Distro? It's a small punk rock mailorder organization out of El Cerrito, CA. The main woman behind it, Erika Hynes, passed away yesterday, the end result of a long battle with a serious illness.
Also, it's really thrown me back on my haunches in existential reflection. Erika was always one of the most enthusiastic friends the Modern Machines had in the Bay Area. Together with her husband (I think) Patrick, she'd be at all our East Bay shows, or at least every one she could attend. And she never spared a compliment or a kind word. I'm pretty sure she bought me more drinks than I bought her. She always told us that we should arrange to play a bar-b-que at her house some time; there was a pool, a patio... it woulda been awesome.
And then the Modern Machines broke up, and I moved to New York, and I stopped visiting the West Coast every year. In fact, I haven't been out west since August of 2006. While the Used Kids sure are something rocking, we're no Modern Machines in terms of travel.
Do any of you remember my one and only New Year's Resolution made this year? My first New Year's Resolution in memory, in at least a decade? It was to TOUR ON THE WEST COAST IN 2009. By any means necessary.
Aw, shit. Erika, you couldn't have held on a little longer???
This is what I get for living in Brooklyn for so long, and for making the somewhat significant changes in my lifestyle which I've had to make - with varying degrees of willingness and success. The network of friends I made in the epic days of the Modern Machines Travelling Future A.A. Meeting is still strong, but it won't last forever. And here is one big slap in the face. One of my favorite people out there on the west coast has died, and not only did I not get to say goodbye, I didn't even know she was near death until after the fact!
I guess I've got some work to do. Maybe some letters and emails to write. And some memories to carve into bedrock.
R.I.P., Erika.
Also, it's really thrown me back on my haunches in existential reflection. Erika was always one of the most enthusiastic friends the Modern Machines had in the Bay Area. Together with her husband (I think) Patrick, she'd be at all our East Bay shows, or at least every one she could attend. And she never spared a compliment or a kind word. I'm pretty sure she bought me more drinks than I bought her. She always told us that we should arrange to play a bar-b-que at her house some time; there was a pool, a patio... it woulda been awesome.
And then the Modern Machines broke up, and I moved to New York, and I stopped visiting the West Coast every year. In fact, I haven't been out west since August of 2006. While the Used Kids sure are something rocking, we're no Modern Machines in terms of travel.
Do any of you remember my one and only New Year's Resolution made this year? My first New Year's Resolution in memory, in at least a decade? It was to TOUR ON THE WEST COAST IN 2009. By any means necessary.
Aw, shit. Erika, you couldn't have held on a little longer???
This is what I get for living in Brooklyn for so long, and for making the somewhat significant changes in my lifestyle which I've had to make - with varying degrees of willingness and success. The network of friends I made in the epic days of the Modern Machines Travelling Future A.A. Meeting is still strong, but it won't last forever. And here is one big slap in the face. One of my favorite people out there on the west coast has died, and not only did I not get to say goodbye, I didn't even know she was near death until after the fact!
I guess I've got some work to do. Maybe some letters and emails to write. And some memories to carve into bedrock.
R.I.P., Erika.