Here I am in Vancouver hiding in my bunk on the bus, just off Granville street – the busiest, ickiest corridor in this city. Mystery feces + drunk jocks = human danger. Daylight doesn’t really matter here. We are at the halfway point of a month-long tour and we are all very tired. Every dream is an anxiety dream – a dream where I don’t know any of the lyrics, a dream where I am driving the New Pornographers around in a van with hardly any brakes. I keep having to say "I’m sorry” as I overshoot a turn. I also have to play drums that night. I’m practicing WHILE driving? It’s actually sounding OK…? Hmmm.
OMG i made the mistake of reading this just as I'm about to go to sleep! This is horrifying! Sorry for your anxiety and your tiredness. I hope there is some joy and goodness and less stressiness in the shows themselves?!? xoxox
Could be being back in the neighborhood of childhood is triggering some things. I’ll be sending you some reiki from the audience tonight. Thanks for being here. It’s my daughter’s first concert - she heard you from the womb 12 years ago. She’ll be the tall redhead…
Well thats it...butt ants got me to fork over hard earned folding moneies for a subscription. thank you for the share and for the beautiful Ace Theater show!
Neko, your stress dreams are SO MUCH like my own! No wonder your music speaks to me so. I am afraid we've been damaged in the same way, and I'm sorry. You're doing great though, I saw you in San Diego and loved it. You can make it, my deer. Use your antlers to clear away the anxiety cobwebs and jump free over the fence of fear.
Good lord, Neko. I’m sending you sincere hopes for a badass, deep, restorative slumber sooner than later. As a reader and fan, however, I must admit this is high quality lunacy, truly transporting. That said, if I dream of ants and/or litter boxes and/or any type of rogue feces tonight, you’ll be hearing from me.
Oooh I've had dreams like these. I used to dream I would pop a blackhead on my face, and it would start oozing and my face would cave in. I had another recurring dream where my mom would feed our dog a bowl of fire, and she would leave it on the floor in the living room. The room would catch fire and I would be trapped in a corner crying for help that would never come. It's going to be okay. You know the lyrics, I've watched so many of your performances and I've only ever seen you mess up one time. And it was adorable. The moon is waning now so focus on release, but don't try and force it. Last night I went out to a park and watched the fireflies around me, and pointed out the constellations (I only know two, but I plan on changing that). At some point it became so dizzying that I couldn't tell where the fireflies ended and the stars began, and I swear I started to see the stars dart around. I think it was a trick of the clouds. But I'll probably keep that vision with me for times I need it. I love you. Hang tight. Sending hugs.
Good Morning Neko . this weeks mad moons and swizzle stick universe has affected my sleep as well, anxious is my middle name but I decided to omit it by deed poll. I walked and drove Granville street back in the 90's only recalling brief images of seeing a big big rat! My dream is for your dreams to chill out like a trout in a mountain stream.
Girlfriend, methinks you need to take more naps. This should have been part of the convo with Jeff Tweedy at SS as he’s the king of napping. I’m at that point in life where a long nap with my dog is better than sex or a bowl of salted caramel ice cream (although a close second). Makes all the difference.
Oh Shadowful, indeed. Yeah, I find the tough thing about anxiety when it expresses itself is the wondering whether it's because it's accumulating too fast lately, or whether it's really that you've found some quiet, safe moment to release some that has already accumulated. Since of course those two sides of that damned, sooty coin feel the same. Sounds like it's a good time to lean on your rituals and your friends a bit more. This too shall pass.
I hope you get lots of good rest! We all want you to be happy, healthy, and rested. Your Vancouver show was fantastic! Come back soon!
I'm going to send the opposite of that dream to you and hopefully, they'll cancel each other out. This will be a bit weird. It's quite possible that this was a lot funnier in my head than in text. Please don't ban me! I mean well!
You're napping not in a bandmate's room, but in Garibaldi Lake. It's a hot summer day, and the lake's water is coolly refreshing on your skin. The sounds of water currents and birds slowly lull you into deep relaxation. It's so nice that you don't want to move.
Your bandmate's coming back soon with a bucket of ice cream that's practically begging to be consumed. "Eat me," the ice cream calls to you. "I'm sweet and delicious and cold and creamy and... perfect." You're still not wearing pants, but only because wearing pants while bathing in a lake is ludicrous. You're in a nice bathing suit.
At the camp site nearby, they had set up some sort of... miniature stable?! And there was a seat nearby, with a ramp underneath, leading to the stable. What was this little seat for?! Well, it turns out this was a birthing seat of sorts because your bandmate had let a family of miniature multi-coloured UNICORNS live inside one's COLON for a little while, and they were finally ready to come out the BUTT. Literal rainbows and unicorns coming out the rear.
I've heard of ants in the pants, but this is ridiculous... Love it though. Others dreams recounted are supposed to be a bore to hear but not this one. I thrive on any surreal environ.
I think there's an absurd dada esque song in there somewhere, Neko ..
I managed to talk myself out of seeing a live performance again just long enough for regret to overwhelm the dithering and for everything in the PNW to sell out. I'm well past the halfway point of missed tour opportunities, for me. Happy crawling to all of you soldiers, workers, slaves, farmers, nurses, queens and drones.
OMG i made the mistake of reading this just as I'm about to go to sleep! This is horrifying! Sorry for your anxiety and your tiredness. I hope there is some joy and goodness and less stressiness in the shows themselves?!? xoxox
Could be being back in the neighborhood of childhood is triggering some things. I’ll be sending you some reiki from the audience tonight. Thanks for being here. It’s my daughter’s first concert - she heard you from the womb 12 years ago. She’ll be the tall redhead…
Well thats it...butt ants got me to fork over hard earned folding moneies for a subscription. thank you for the share and for the beautiful Ace Theater show!
Neko, your stress dreams are SO MUCH like my own! No wonder your music speaks to me so. I am afraid we've been damaged in the same way, and I'm sorry. You're doing great though, I saw you in San Diego and loved it. You can make it, my deer. Use your antlers to clear away the anxiety cobwebs and jump free over the fence of fear.
Good lord, Neko. I’m sending you sincere hopes for a badass, deep, restorative slumber sooner than later. As a reader and fan, however, I must admit this is high quality lunacy, truly transporting. That said, if I dream of ants and/or litter boxes and/or any type of rogue feces tonight, you’ll be hearing from me.
this was insane. i hope you get better rest soon. really excited to see you at the woodland park zoo tonight. xoxo
Oooh I've had dreams like these. I used to dream I would pop a blackhead on my face, and it would start oozing and my face would cave in. I had another recurring dream where my mom would feed our dog a bowl of fire, and she would leave it on the floor in the living room. The room would catch fire and I would be trapped in a corner crying for help that would never come. It's going to be okay. You know the lyrics, I've watched so many of your performances and I've only ever seen you mess up one time. And it was adorable. The moon is waning now so focus on release, but don't try and force it. Last night I went out to a park and watched the fireflies around me, and pointed out the constellations (I only know two, but I plan on changing that). At some point it became so dizzying that I couldn't tell where the fireflies ended and the stars began, and I swear I started to see the stars dart around. I think it was a trick of the clouds. But I'll probably keep that vision with me for times I need it. I love you. Hang tight. Sending hugs.
Holy moly!
Good Morning Neko . this weeks mad moons and swizzle stick universe has affected my sleep as well, anxious is my middle name but I decided to omit it by deed poll. I walked and drove Granville street back in the 90's only recalling brief images of seeing a big big rat! My dream is for your dreams to chill out like a trout in a mountain stream.
it is hard to get a good picture of ants doing stuff, this is a good one
Now that’s a dream.
Enjoy the rest of the tour!
Girlfriend, methinks you need to take more naps. This should have been part of the convo with Jeff Tweedy at SS as he’s the king of napping. I’m at that point in life where a long nap with my dog is better than sex or a bowl of salted caramel ice cream (although a close second). Makes all the difference.
Oh Shadowful, indeed. Yeah, I find the tough thing about anxiety when it expresses itself is the wondering whether it's because it's accumulating too fast lately, or whether it's really that you've found some quiet, safe moment to release some that has already accumulated. Since of course those two sides of that damned, sooty coin feel the same. Sounds like it's a good time to lean on your rituals and your friends a bit more. This too shall pass.
I hope you get lots of good rest! We all want you to be happy, healthy, and rested. Your Vancouver show was fantastic! Come back soon!
I'm going to send the opposite of that dream to you and hopefully, they'll cancel each other out. This will be a bit weird. It's quite possible that this was a lot funnier in my head than in text. Please don't ban me! I mean well!
You're napping not in a bandmate's room, but in Garibaldi Lake. It's a hot summer day, and the lake's water is coolly refreshing on your skin. The sounds of water currents and birds slowly lull you into deep relaxation. It's so nice that you don't want to move.
Your bandmate's coming back soon with a bucket of ice cream that's practically begging to be consumed. "Eat me," the ice cream calls to you. "I'm sweet and delicious and cold and creamy and... perfect." You're still not wearing pants, but only because wearing pants while bathing in a lake is ludicrous. You're in a nice bathing suit.
At the camp site nearby, they had set up some sort of... miniature stable?! And there was a seat nearby, with a ramp underneath, leading to the stable. What was this little seat for?! Well, it turns out this was a birthing seat of sorts because your bandmate had let a family of miniature multi-coloured UNICORNS live inside one's COLON for a little while, and they were finally ready to come out the BUTT. Literal rainbows and unicorns coming out the rear.
I've heard of ants in the pants, but this is ridiculous... Love it though. Others dreams recounted are supposed to be a bore to hear but not this one. I thrive on any surreal environ.
I think there's an absurd dada esque song in there somewhere, Neko ..
I managed to talk myself out of seeing a live performance again just long enough for regret to overwhelm the dithering and for everything in the PNW to sell out. I'm well past the halfway point of missed tour opportunities, for me. Happy crawling to all of you soldiers, workers, slaves, farmers, nurses, queens and drones.