Let them eat cheesesteak...

I went down to Drexel U. in Philadelphia yesterday for a coffeehouse there, sponsored by FISDU. My good friend Emily Tan came with and, as it always seems to go, we were in for some fun adventures.

A couple important questions ran through our minds as we departed for the 2.5 hour trip: Would we make it early enough to get to Pat's/Gino's for some cheesesteak? Would we have time after the show to grab cheesesteak? Would there be any cheesesteak remotely close to the aforementioned show?

We hit a bit of traffic, but after a slight GPS mishap we got to the venue in time for soundcheck. No sign of cheesesteak, but there were fried oreos and donuts. I know I know, not a good enough substitute - we had to make do. After lugging my keyboard, guitar and other equipment out of the car, I had the fantastic surprise of some Philly-based family members turning up to catch the gig, including my ADORABLE 7-year-old cousin, Trish... who was SO excited to be in college. She's kind of like a Doogie Howser. Forreal.

I ended up playing two different shows, as an open mic was underway just outside the venue... luckily I had 2 sets at the FISDU coffeehouse, so the night went something like this: play first set, run outside, play open mic, run back in and play second set, do a little victory dance! I think I'd hit my stride by that final set - some folks were waltzing to "Isabelle" in the back of the room. :)

My final song was an impromptu version of a song called "Nothing Ever Lasts" that probably no one knows, but what the hey! It was a fun night all around, and there was some good music to be had, not to mention I sold some CD's to two different crowds. I also got asked out by a random person at the open mic - and that's never really a bad thing, right?

Emily and I wanted SO much to have cheesesteak at around midnight, when we finally got out of there, but alas - we knew it would be a long trek home (and I had work in the morning, drats!)
So we wandered around Philly for a while, not sure how to get back. After a few false starts, Emily got her GPS going and we made way for the Turnpike. We ended up missing the entrance to TP - but that was SO ok because guess what we ran into just down the street???

No, not cheesesteak. But Denny's! And only a few moments prior to that, I think Emily had voiced cravings for this glorious fast-food chain (what kismet!) ... so we turned over to the parking lot, sat ourselves down, demanded our coffees and enjoyed our greasy, pre-frozen food (Emily had an egg/steak sandwhich and I had a "hoobarrito" - courtesy of Hoobastank). It was probably 1 by the time we got out of there, but it didn't matter. Our bellies were full, and we thought, cheesesteak? What cheesesteak? Denny's... no better substitute.

Hula dancers and an itinerary of adventures

It's ridiculously cold outside, so I'm not surprised if you might think I was a little crazy for going out for a show. I played a benefit dinner for the American Cancer Society's Asian Initiatives Unit tonight. It was a fun time! Any situation where my set is preceded by a bunch of hula dancers is fine by me. :) My sister and friend Joyce came out to join in, and take advantage of the open bar - which I couldn't really take advantage of until after the set. Nor could I take advantage of the delicious food. :( Oh well... the set was pretty fun, and the crowd demanded a 6th song so I managed to get through "Meaningless Conversation", which I haven't played in a while.

Anyway, I've acquired four business cards and a name on my mailing list. I guess people load up on business card-ammo for these things... they were busting them out like crazy. I gave out a couple of my own too. Oh networking... what a funny game you are.

I've added a few more shows on my lineup. You can check them out here: www.myspace.com/alfa.

I'm playing Drexel U. in Philly come Thursday, and next Friday I'll be at the Five Points in Chinatown, NYC. Come down at 8 p.m. - I'll be featured in their special Valentine's Show! :) They might auction me off for a date, so who knows! hahaha...


That's all for now... cizzaoooo...


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