Opening for Jackson Browne, Colin Hay, & a big Obama fundraiser

Today we played a gig opening for Jackson Browne and Colin Hay ("Men At Work") which was legendarily awesome.  We were then invited by an audience member (at the last minute), to play an Obama fundraiser this afternoon which raised over $60,000.  That's like 10 times as much as our last fundraiser.  Hopefully tomorrow's Obama minute will be a complete success and we'll break a million big ones at high noon this Monday, Oct. 6th.

I'm Totally Sci-Fi

I'm playing some solo-distortion-nerdtastic electric cello for the Women's Science Fiction Book Club tonight at the Museum Of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Ahmanson Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles tonight. Proceeds go to The Wonder of Reading, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing children's literacy in Los Angeles public schools.






Combining social consciousness and entertainment via the questioning nature of science fiction and contemporary art, "The Intergalactic Discourse" should prove to be a landmark event, investing in the future both of the speculative arts and the significance of keeping reading, literacy, and imagination alive in Los Angeles school curriculums.

Obama or Bust: Barack-toberfest Pre-Party

The "Obama or Bust" Fundraiser was a complete success. We raised tons of cash and His Orchestra had one of our best performances ever.

I helped produce a photo booth (at the last minute) which turned out to be my favorite part of the event-- and a great way to promote Obama after the fact: on participants' social network profile pictures!











Massive thanks to photographer, Josh Reiss, who came on at the last minute and shared his brilliant ideas and talent to create these images.

Obama Fundraiser: Thursday, Sept. 25

My band, His Orchestra is playing the OBAMA OR BUST FUNDRAISER, this Thursday, with Shepard Fairey

(Shepard has donated an original signed print of his iconic HOPE poster which will be auctioned off--if you already own an unsigned poster, bring it and get it signed. He will also be dj-ing)

Can't wait to Barack the vote with you! more info & opportunity to donate at:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/fundraising/gs5372



When:
Thursday, September 25th 6:30-9:30pm

Where:
@ Visionary Boutique
8568 1/2 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood, California 90069
310-659-1177
www.visionaryboutique.com

Who/What:
-His Orchestra Playing Live
-Shepard Fairey & Simon Bennet DJ
-Raffle for awesome prizes
-Live T shirt printing (Bring your own blank T to get printed, or get one at the event.)
-Catering by Green Truck
-10% of the evenings sales from all vendors will go straight to the campaign!

Admission:
Change for Change: Bring your loose change to add to the pot.


RSVP: Sign up to donate to the campaign & RSVP to this event at www.my.barackobama.com or rsvpvisionary@gmail.com

Bring a printout of your online donation of $100 or more, and receive an organic Visionary T-shirt!

Make a difference in the future of the planet, our country, & "the humanity".

5 Reasons Why 2008 was the Best Burning Man Ever

This was my best year ever at Burning Man.  We created a solid community, formed beautiful friendships, laughed hysterically, and made up rumors that circulated throughout the entire 50,000 person event (and made it all the way back to us). I am endlessly grateful for the blissful times had at Hammock Hangout, 2008, and know that I am truly blessed.

1) With the right team, you can do anything

Our team this year included CEO's, software engineers, technology/product managers, Hollywood writers, directors, & producers, artists, entrepreneurs, and a dominatrix. Our combined vision, skill sets, and ability to tie really good knots were critical to our success, but nothing was stronger than our combined sense of humor. Best. Camp. Ever.

2) Vision, Organization, Execution (using SCRUM at Burning Man)

I hate chore wheel camps-- the reason I go to Burning Man in the first place is to exorcize my anarchist demons. That means ain't nobody gonna tell me to do nothin'.

On the flipside, when we tried to execute a large-scale project in the past without a plan, we ended up with no project. This year I made a website, assembled an awesome team, and together we built the "Hammock Hangout": several giant Vietnam-era parachutes held up with a 1.6 ton Eucalyptus log and 42 "smaller" logs, filled with 30 hammocks. It worked, and the people came.


3) It's All About the Love

We made a conscious decision to be "all about the love" this year.  This does not mean "hippie", "un-funny" or "non-snarky".  It DOES mean "listen well", "provide positive solutions at all times", and "help people as much as possible with an air of light-hearted hilarity".  

Sometimes the best way to help someone is to make a joke, do a shot, and/or sing karaoke in the dust storm... and sometimes you get to save people's lives (which we did, twice, thanks to our general awareness, concern, & crisis management skills). 

4) Partly Naked

This year we were "fortunate" enough to be placed across the street from a camp called "Party Naked", which requires no more explanation. 

Though they stood around in the street wearing nothing but "buttercups" on their privates, creeping out pretty much everyone, they were actually the best neighbors ever because they provided a never ending source of joke-fodder.  And they took our constant jibes with good humor-- especially when we renamed our camp "Partly Naked", aka "Pants Required". Thanks, Nakeds! 

Above: "The loneliest man in the world" (Photo credit: Josh Reiss)

5) Starting Celebrity Rumors

Did you know that Madonna was at Burning Man this year and went to Ashram Galactica?  Or that Gavin Newsome was a member of the LampLighters this year?  That Sting eats a whole watermelon every day when he's in the desert? And Robbie Williams went to the 70's roller disco and skated in a circle? (That last one is true)

OperationUglyBeauty.com

Operation Ugly Beauty: ACTIVATED

“Operation Ugly Beauty” follows Charlie’s Angels-esque trio, actress Sarah Carter, rock star Kestrin Pantera, and revolutionary make-up artist Victoria Rowe, as they purify the beauty regimens of celebrities and tastemakers. There are thousands of easily identifiable toxic ingredients in American cosmetic products that have been directly linked to cancer for the past 25 years (and consequently been banned from the European Union). Americans are beginning to know and care, but feel helpless…

“Operation Ugly Beauty” is entertainment, education, and EMPOWERMENT.

View Trailer:



Our three heroines go on-site to celebrities’ and tastemakers’ homes/studios/sets and perform a cosmetic coup, destroying all toxic products* with hilarity and faux violence. The demonized products are then replaced with healthy alternatives and the subject is treated a pure makeover. Afterwards, the girls go out in sexy, healthy style and celebrate with their freshly made-over subject, causing hot and hilarious trouble while leaving a trail of beautiful people reconsidering their toxic attachments.

RVIP Lounge LAFF: Video Rockage

The RVIP Lounge, LA Film Festival : our highest levels of rocking yet.


It began with an epic night of glory: we stole people from the VIP room at the LA Film Festival, cruised the Sunset Strip, stopped by the wrap party of Adrian Grenier's show, "Alter Eco", saw an amazing rock show by His Orchestra, interviewed Planet Unicorn, and went to the opening night Hollywood premiere party for "Expired"-- who's roster of guests included numerous Academy Award Winning producers ("The Godfather", "Ali", "Lost in Translation", etc). Pretty much the blingy-est night ever.

Needless to say, we were completely beat-down the next day. We got up early, went to the festival, watched dogs frolick on the lawn as "Hellboy 2" premiered in front of us... and were so buckled we almost didn't think we'd make it through sunset.




Fortunately, our close friends banded together and rallied up to hit the Sunset Strip for "one last ride". On Hollywood Blvd, a random group of Canadian guys (who had been desperately searching for karaoke, to no avail) saw our RV and literally chased us down in the street. We picked them up and rode around together for hours in hilarious bliss as they sang at the top of their lungs, shared stories, played with our lightsaber, and were all-around AWESOME. These guys are our heroes, who truly helped us "bring it on home".

Here's a glimpse of a night on the RVIP Lounge--our first official video!

Iteration/Organization

Lately I've learned a lot about iteration and organization, the general ideas of:

a) Do something over and over again until you get it right, and

b) Put everything in one place.


I indexed things people have written about my work over the last 12-ish months--with great thanks to those who made it possible. It's evolving into my new "news" page on kestrin.com:

LA TIMES Cover: "Fest Train Rollin'" (Kestrin en route to Coachella) (Spencer Weisnick)

Metromix: "The RVIP Lounge: Organizer Kestrin Pantera may be one of our favorite humans ever" (Alie Ward)

Cinevegas Interview: "Stars and Suns"

New York Magazine: "Expired" review

PlanetGreen.com: Home of "Alter Eco"

LA TIMES Article: "The RVIP Lounge: The Funnest (and Wierdest) Way to Get Around SXSW" (Tony Pierce)

XLR8R Magazine: "SXSW Interactive: Nerds Gone Wild" (Matt Earp)

Paper Magazine -- "The 100 Most Interesting Faces in Los Angeles"

StreetPeeper: "Right now on the Streets of Los Angeles: Kestrin @ LA Film Festival" (Lisa Borodkin)

LAIST.COM: "Hop on RVIP Lounge at LAFF This Weekend" (Andy Sternberg)

Laughing Squid: "RVIP Lounge & Karaoke Cabaret at SXSW Interactive 2008" (Scott Beale)

Yahoo News/E! Online: "Beck Down with "The O.C.", Guero Record Release (Charlie Amter)

Virgin Magazine )-- "Vigorous Benefit Rocks LA..." "...another unforgettable moment" (Spencer Robinson)

Indie Music 101 Review: Cary Brothers Tour (Danny Brown)

"His Orchestra: the best new band, ever!!!" ;)

RVIP LOUNGE BLOG

kestrin.com

RVIP Lounge LA Film Festival: This Weekend, June 27-29th

This weekend, June 27-29th, the RVIP Lounge is heading to L.A. Film Festival with a group of up-and-coming filmmakers & actors, inspired technology startups, and our favorite bloggers & press, to rock the RVIP Media Lounge

We shuttle people to screenings, throw down our own red carpet, and connect the press with celebs & tomorrow's indie superstars on an R.V. with a karaoke bar and H.D. video den.

All Aboard!
For location updates, follow us on twitter: text "follow rviplounge" to 40404

Tentative Schedule:
Friday (6/27):
4:30-6:30pm : LAFF, Westwood
10:30pm : TBA

Saturday (6/28):
1:30pm 11pm: LAFF, Westwood

Sunday (6/29):
12pm-10pm: LAFF, Westwood

Sponsors:
www.Cinefamily.org
www.GoodnightBurbank.com
www.AbigailsTeenDiary.com
www.3jam.com

(more TBA)

www.rviplounge.com
Hop on!

(and a special pre-thanks to www.mickipedia.com, www.skampy.com, and www.hustlerofculture.com

Sweden Rules! 5 reasons why...

Sweden is probably the best country ever--it's "The Shire". The highlight of our trip was literally dancing around a maypole with a group of grown adults in the forest, holding hands and singing on Midsummer's Eve--their primary national tradition. Here are 5 more reasons why this country rocks:

1.) The sun never sets during summer.



2.) It always smells good-- be it roasting meats, baking breads, or jasmine flowers.



3.) Absolutely every place you go, there's good music playing: train station, bathroom, hotel lobby, friend's house, bar, club, shoe shop, wierd antique store, boat, party, dorm room, etc.



4.) They take their food very seriously. It is ALWAYS good: restaurang, friend's house, kebab stand on the corner, etc.


5.) The Swedes truly are as hot as we imagined-- and they all spoke to us in SWEDISH, which mean they thought we, too, were well-dressed and good looking.




I'd post pictures and the legendary video I filmed, if that creep in the Copenhagen train station hadn't stolen my purse. As a traveller, it's one's sole responsibility to guard the bag with their passport, drivers license, credit card, video camera, digital still camera, and all the tapes to their film project, with their fullest attention, but OUCH! Granted, it was a 2-man operation and the guys were serious pro's who basically took it from my lap, but it's still my fault it's gone. On the plus side, my Danish friends apologized to me on behalf of their country and then fed me, so it worked out alright!


Apparently, this film-- Starmonster 2 (in Europe)-- was too visionary for this world, and I was meant to just finish editing "Marathoners" already!

New York Magazine loves "Expired"

Opens this Friday, June 27th, in Los Angeles. It's very dark and funny, and act with Samantha Morton in it. Check it out!

Portrait of a Bat

There's something you should know about me-- I'm a drooling idiot dog owner. I recently succumbed to my crazy dog-loving genes and got schmancy professional portraits taken of my noble hound, Batgirl.




It started when Jonathan's sister, Flora Grubb, said, "Let's get a dog that looks like a bat and namer her Batgirl!" Jonathan obsessively cruised the web for dogs until he found the weirdest looking animal ever, and said "I must meet this dog." At the petsunlimted.com rescue center, he was introduced to a little pooch named Batgirl.



1 year later I stole her and took her to photographer extraordinaire, www.furtographs.com, to get dog portraits taken of her (behind Jonathan's back) as a surprise birthday gift.

It is the gift that keeps on giving-- since every person I know will also receive framed prints of Batgirl for the next several years.




We're now formally accepting applications from those who want to make her a star.

Kestrin on "Alter Eco", Adrian Grenier's new show

I recently made an appearance on Adrian Grenier's new show, "Alter Eco" , the details of which I shall not speak, you'll just have to see for yourself. I'm deeply humbled and honored to have worked with the wonderful cast and crew of the show, which has a timely, profound, and sincere message which I whole-heartedly support.

"Alter Eco" educates viewers on how to build a life and community in an ecologically mindful way, through conservation and a "green lifestyle". It features musical guests, incredible excursions, as well as abundant hot and hilarious guests. Adrian's co-host is supermodel Angela Lindvall , who is as cool as she is gorgeous, and every single person working in front of (and behind) the camera is an angel.

Keep your eyes peeled. The show premieres June 9th!

Rob Dickinson is on the Radio! (and I'm on his record!)

Indie 103.1 is rotating the crap out of Rob Dickinson's (former lead singer of The Catherine Wheel) new single "The End of the World". And guess who's playing cello all over his new record of Catherine Wheel classics? It's a dream come true--ever since we played Largo w/ Grammy Award Winning producer Greg Collins & then sold out The Viper Room.

You can hear our new recordings of Rob's songs at www.myspace.com/robdickinson

Goodbye Ian is now His Orchestra

Goodbye Ian has been in the music laboratory for the last few months since Austin's Enchanted Forest Gig (aka "the best gig ever"), and have mutated into His Orchestra. Which is pretty much the same people with more songs-- and produced by the legendary Jimmy Tamborello (The Postal Service).

myspace.com/hisorchestramusic


We have some completely awesome upcoming shows:

JUNE 8TH, 3PM (SUNDAY) @ The Los Feliz Street Fair
Vermont Ave, btw. Sunset & Franklin, LA, CA

JULY 11TH, 10:30PM (FRIDAY) @ El Cid
4212 W Sunset Blvd, LA, CA

JULY 19TH, 9:30PM (SATURDAY) @ The Hotel Cafe
1110 Seward Street, LA, CA

JULY 28TH, 10PM (SATURDAY) @ The Silverlake Lounge
2906 Sunset Blvd, LA, CA

...and just shot our first television show appearance! (not that doug and raviv aren't used to it, since they're already the stars of HBO's "Big Love" & Disney's "Phil of the Future".)

Breast Cancer Fundraiser: ROCKING the Climb Against the Odds

On May 15th I Executive Produced a fundraiser with my good friend, Sarah Carter. We raised over $30,000 for The Breast Cancer Fund, which builds awareness around the preventable causes of cancer and their link to the health of the planet, and SOLD OUT the venue. We exceeded our goals, with delight, and it was the best party--some even called it a festival! -- primarily due to Lucent Dossier, Sarah's heart of gold, and The Chocolate Fountain.



The best part of the night was when I was totally winded by producing and sat down to get my first drink of the evening-- which was a challenge, since the VIP bar was totally swamped with people (awesome). I ordered 3 "fresh muddled strawberry" cocktails, compliments of Lotus Vodka, and sat down to talk w/ our guest speaker Jaime Pressly. We had spent a month in China together while I was visiting Sarah, who was shooting a movie with Jaime. We chatted awhile-- it had been a long time-- and I told her "You know, after talking with you, for the first time tonight I feel completely relaxed." Then I looked down and realized I'd consumed not one, not two, but 3 entire "Muddled Strawberry" cocktails in one sitting. Probably had something to do with the relaxation.


The event featured performances by:
Lucent Dossier Vaudeville Cirque, Do Lab & Coachella favorite
Jillian Speer, LA Music Awards Top Album of the Year
Sierra Swan, Produced by Linda Perry
Eagle and Talon, Sia National Tour,
D.J. Marques Wyatt, KCRW
Carlos Vera, Live painting
Spy Emerson, Famed Burning Man, Coachella, & International Art Curator


and a glamorous Host Committee:

Jaime Pressly (My Name is Earl)
James Gandolfini (The Sopranos)
Jeremy Piven (Entourage)
James Woods (Shark,  Casino, The Way We Were)
Chris Noth (Sex in the City)
Alex O'Loughlin (Moonlight, The Shield )
Arielle Kebbel (The Grudge 2)
Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother )
Orlando Jones (Magnolia, Mad TV, The Replacements)
Malin Akerman (The Heartbreak Kid, Entourage )
Holly Valance ( DOA , Entourage , Shark )
Steve Howey ( Bride Wars, Reba )

(all photos by Josh Reiss)

Coachella: Cover of the LA Times

Coachella sent a private chartered train down to the Palm Desert this year, and it was packed with film crews (one of which I was part of, along with Rosanna Arquette and the good boys at Subtractive ). The encompassing concepts surrounded conservation, community, and non-stop rocking. It was truly the first raddest American party train. We felt like we were writing history-- and apparently, we did.

I was awakened at 7am, slumbering in the Coachella Valley after a long afternoon & night of partying, to my friend Liz shouting, "You're on the cover of the LA Times!". Turns out, I was.

For the next several days I was referred to as "the face of coachella" by friends and strangers, which was totally weird and a wicked honor. The weekend consisted of my first official Coachella performance onstage w/ Adam Freeland, dancing around all night in "the doggie coat", and wearing all-gold for 3 days straight. Best. Coachella. Yet.

"Stars and Suns" is a Winner! (And coming to festival near YOU!)

"Stars & Suns", the movie in which I played bitch sister to "Me, You, & Everyone We Know's" Najarra Townsend, won an award at the Malibu Film Festival where it premiered alongside some fablulous films starring Kyle Gass ("Tenacious D"), Buster ("Arrested Development") and Creed ("The Office"), with whom I kicked it on the red carpet. awesome.




Our film has been rocking the international festival circuit, and is playing this month at the prestigious Cinevegas Film Festival, where it will air alongside many brilliant films, including the new Murkami feature, and a celebration honoring Don Cheadle, Rosario Dawson, Viggo Mortsensen and Sam Rockwell.





(above, "award-winning" cast of "Stars and Suns"

RVIP Lounge LA: Total Success

So, we totally rocked the RVIP Lounge LA at high-to-maximum levels. A complete success, we had a series of adventures whose highlights include : crashing a T.V. Guide red carpet event and stealing the hottest of the starlets, rocking all night long with O'Dean(former lead singer of Motley Crue), singing the raddest karaoke in town, by the soft glow of light-saber air guitar.




We love you, Los Angeles. We also love the AWESOME WRITE UP and front-page listing METROMIX gave us. Thanks, hot ones.





We'll be recovering for the next few months, in anticipation of a magical resurgence, at a curbside near you. Check out the original RVIP LOUNGE BLOG for more specific hilarious anecdotes.

(all photos by Josh Reiss)

Goodbye Ian's 2nd Big Show

The Knitting Factory, Hollywood, CA
(Mainstage)
10pm.

New Songs.

More Glockenspiel.

Good F-ing Music.

Tizzy's B-day

well, we started off pretty and well-behaved, but, true to form, ended up drooling screaming idiots, rocking the pants off of the karaoke scene.



this is not from new year's, but a warm-up event that involved kestrin running barefoot through the hills in a party dress, singing "hard to handle" as though the world might come crashing down at any moment, and receiving accolades from the man firmly in charge, aka, this guy:

This weekend

let's get booty.

New Year's Eve = Two Thousand GREAT!

If new year's eve is any predictor of the rest of the year, then 2008 is gonna be one hilarious blissful boner. Every single person on our "Party Brigade" aka, the massive RV with karaoke, mood lighting, street-video projections, a photo-booth, DJ, & golden costume lair- still laughs to hysterical tears when thinking back.

what do you do when you split your pants from having too much fun? You put on a fucking peacock mu-mu. duh.



here's the first karaoke artist to kick off 2008:

Ha Ha Ha! HAP-py Christmastime!

What's hilarious about the holidays?

1. Really sad people in joyful situations

2. The perpetual lie that that arguing with your family is, in fact, relaxing "quality time".

3. Going on a bender with George Michael and rocking the pants off of Wham! on a deserted snowcapped mountain.

Yeah, that's right. Below is a video from my super-awesome trip to the snow with Wham!. We opened presents, saw the big trees, and got crazy:

Goodbye Ian's First Show

Our first show as "Goodbye Ian" at the Echo was a blast. The house was packed to the gills, the audience warm and enthusiastic (like, they actually listened to us-- not even counting whitney's fanclub), and people totally danced to the music.

I can't wait until our 5th show, when standing cello solos are the norm and we have breakdancing dance-offs in a circle in front of the stage. that's my true goal-- that, and, like, a million dollars. but for now i'll settle for the rock.

goth-rocking legend

So, i've been in intense recording and rehearsing sessions with "Goodbye Ian", who has yet to create our new, better name. personally, i liked the concept of calling ourselves "the dirty little dingos" and having Batgirl as our mascot, but is currently tbd.

Goodbye Ian IS having our first show this thursday. www.kestrin.com will have all the info.

i've also been recording an album with DJ Adam Freeland and Twiggy (the bassist from Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson). 15-year-old black haired depressed kestrin is jumping on her bed with glee.

KP2 productions also has a new website-- well, we'll call it an "official online store" for now.

Strike

this morning i went to the wga strike rally at fox and had a life-lesson in solidarity. in a flagrant rip-off of jonathangrubb, i shall list 5 things i learned whilst striking:

1. solidarity is sweet.

before i continue and make lighthearted, jabby observations on today's rally, i formally fully support and endorse the writers' guild cause. it brings to mind a wga-written-blockbuster line my dad always quotes:

"the future is here, and as of now we are keeping score".

thanks, top gun.


2. everything is a marketing opportunity.

when (mostly) rich white men go on strike, people give out free stuff. from "necessities" like starbucks and noah's bagels, to a brightly colored and strategically parked yerba-matte van, the sponsers were laying it on thick. undoubtedly vying for primetime product placement as soon as everyone gets back to work--or just to be caught in the background of a billy baldwin interview.

3. "getting the right shot"

we wondered why 4,000 people were pacing a picket line down a closed-off street, with no car-honking opportunites. then we looked up at the flock of helicopters hovering over our heads, getting the best aerial-strike-shots of all time. they really do know what they're doing down here when it comes to production value.
take that, nightly news.


4. apparently, solidarity is also about schmoozing.

actually, everything is about schmoozing. what is 'schmoozing' anyways? when my boyfriend gets drinks or breakfast (or both) with his co-workers, it's called "work". when hollywood people do it, it's schmoozing. whatever. i'm just glad i got to ramble the streets, feel the pulse of the industry, and take pictures with...

5. hot cops.




thanks to the completely awesome reno 911 guys for showing some leg-- and ALL of the other actors who got it up for this momentous occasion. if more sag folks make it out, it will not only strengthen the cause and sag's future, but also be richtor. hey-- when your show gets shut down, don your finest and hit the streets!

New "Blue Eyes" acoustic track w/ Cary Brothers

yes, sony finally gave us an acoustic version we recorded this year of Cary's hit song "Blue Eyes", off the grammy-award winning "Garden State" soundtrack.

i recently recorded some dark, acoustic versions of catherine wheel anthems "Crank" and "Black Metallic" with their maker, rob dickinson. there is exactly one cackload of new music on my site: www.kestrin.com

where's the lightsaber?

Look closely, can you find the lightsaber in this photo?



thanks "the fray" dudes for having us play with them out in ny, at jones beach. it was my favorite 15,000 seat venue gig ever.

Taipei, Taiwan; September 12th, 2001

On the morning of September 12th, my New Zealander friend was walking to work. An old chinese man flagged him down and made the hand/arm gestures of a plane flying, followed by a massive explosion. He then pointed at my friend and laughed.

Being abroad is an extremely bizarre way to experience war--especially when you are from the United States. You are uncloistered from the American propaganda machine. There are no flags in your front yard. There is no FOX news. There is no patriotism. There is no enemy...

There is only international CNN, which ex-pats would watch as though it were a baseball game. My Australian friends would say, "Let's watch the war."

And we did.

Taipei, Taiwan; September 11, 2001

It was night time, it was my birthday, and I was about to get wasted with my friends. As I strolled the streets of downtown Taipei to my favorite bar, I passed a massive electronics store that showed the image of a plane flying into a high-rise building on every single wide-screen television in the 3 story window display. I stopped to watch and found myself standing next to a group of ex-pats.
"What's that?" I asked.
"The World Trade Center," they responded.
"Where?"
"In New York City."
I looked at them. They looked kind of schlubby. I didn't believe them.
I stared one of them directly in the eyes.
"You're a fucking liar," I said. And walked away.

30 minutes later had I met up with my friends and firmly executed operation "shit-housed". When the televisions in the bar turned on, repeating the image I saw in the electronics store window, I thought, "Holy shit. The schlubs were right!"

Being what I had already had about 5 shots of tequila, I quickly became a streetwise philosopher. I mused that those who had lost their lives in the destruction were already reincarnating as we spoke and, individually speaking, their souls were just fine... until my friend (who's birthday it wasn't, and was slightly less intoxicated) said, "Kestrin. The Families." Then I remembered Daniel. His dad worked at WTC tower 2, which I'd just watched collapse.

A war had started, and I was not there to participate in it.


after the blast 9/11/2001: somber/wasted/crosseyed-- that happens, apparently, when i drink too much:

Thoughts on Leaving Taiwan

When you live abroad, you live in limbo. For some reason, even the highest degree of acheivement as an ex-pat doesn't really count. It's not the "real world". To make it really count, you have to go home and do it for real.

I decided to leave Taipei because I knew so well how much I loved it... how easy life was there. If I did not challenge myself I would wake up a 35 year old doing EXACTLY the same thing and wonder where my life went.


After almost 2 years of hilarious bliss, I could not bear the thought of leaving Taiwan. I loved it so much, I cried when I imagined not living there. Taiwan was the first place where I woke every morning loving exactly where I was and what I was doing. I learned to speak Mandarin fluently. I was making music every day in the best studios. I was talking in psychotic childrens' voices and getting paid a LOT of money to do it. My picture was on billboards and magazines throughout southeast asia. I was on Taiwanese television. I had a wonderful, supportive, brilliant, creative family of loving friends. I had done pretty much everything I'd wanted to do. I was a tremendous success. It had gotten too easy.


Going straight back to America just sounded depressing. How do you leave a life of exotic mayhem and daily celebrated chaos for red-white-and-blue flags and streets where people actually stop when the light turns red? How do you go back to a country where a war has started, that you've never experienced?


How do you go back to the most hated nation in the world?

Armed with the knowledge that I could always return to this secret little gem of the orient to visit (or live, if necessary) I went out to see if there was any place else in the world that I loved just as much. Or better.

I decided to take the long way home. I decided to circumnavigate the globe.

(2003)

Motorcycle Story: December, 2001

Here is a story I found in my files, from the good old Taiwan days:

Motorcycle Story

I've had a motorcycle for the past few months. I fear this motorcycle, and, until last week, was petrified to drive it in Taipei traffic. Driving here is sort of like staring Death in the face and then flooring the accelerator so that you smash at top speed into Death's head. Cruising the wrong side of the road, running red lights, and racing on the sidewalk are essential daily driving activities. "We Taiwanese" consider traffic laws to be a cute little un-enforced formality.

In addition to my fear of the traffic, I also fear the bike itself. It looks like a piece of World War II machinery. It probably is. I appreciate the nice 1940's-esque contrast it provides to the seizure-inducing billboards that pepper Taipei's nighttime skyline, but I am still unable to stand the bike properly on it's kick-stand because it weighs a jillion pounds and is too awkward for me to lift. It also has poorly synchronized manual gear shifts involving a series of several pedals and handles that remind me of Young Frankenstein's castle or that pipe-organ torture/masturbation machine from Barbarella (except non-sexual). Regardless, I managed to conquer this beast of a machine (and Taipei's kamikaze traffic) in one foul swoop:

The first time I tried to drive My Scary Motorcycle, I lost my balance and collapsed in the middle of a trafficky street, pinned beneath the behemoth contraption. A liter of gasoline poured all over my legs and into my clogs (yes, I was wearing clogs and trying to operate a motorcycle, shut up.) My "gentle giant" friend, Drew, pulled the bike off of me and picked me up by the scruff of my neck. He slapped me around a bit and dusted me off, then gave me a rousing pep talk, aka, shouted at me.

"This is a MACHINE!!!!!! YOU are the one in charge of it!!!!!!!! It does not have a brain!!!!!!! People much stupider than you successfully operate them every day. Now GET ON AND DRIVE!" He propped up the massive bike and I climbed back on top of it the way small child gets onto a full-grown horse (ie: with a struggle). Then I, drenched in petrol, drove alone through 10 miles of Taipei rush hour traffic (13 lanes wide, mind you) without a hitch.


Note: about 75% of foreigners here drive motorbikes, about 0% of them have licenses- I am now one of that 0%. Driving all over the city is truly the badest-ass of all sensations.

Regarding the high percentage of license-free foreigners--a general (f-ed up) rule here is that the cops often don't bother you if you're white. They smile and wave, try to practice English with you, whilst dragging off Taiwanese offenders off to stick bamboo shoots under their fingernails.

Every once in a while, just for fun, the cops raid a nightclub, load all the patrons onto a bus, and take them to the police station. There, they give the late-night-party-people a pee-drug-test-- hundreds of people at a time. Foreigners legally do not have to pee for them (although the cops may lie and say you do at the time-- I know a guy who was forced to give them his tainted piss. He fled the country, haven't seen him since.)

Because I am a good girl and spend my weekends studying chinese, I have not experienced the aforementioned Taiwanese phenomenon. I generally focus on the more hilarious aspects of being a "foreign ambassador"

As a foreigner in Asia, people stare at me everywhere I go. Children and adults oggle alike, I usually feel like the star of a freak show. Generally the tallest person with the lightest-colored hair as far as the eye can see, my chinese friends ask to touch my hair daily, and ooh and aaah about how different the texture is. I still get a kick out of it. I will feel so ordinary when I go back home. My chinese language skills are kicking into the next gear. I've settled into a real life here, it's no longer vacation.

Chaos, corrupt cops, deadly traffic, and faux celebrity are now the status quo. Seriously, it's great. Come visit. I'll take you for a ride on my hog.

(November, 2001)

If you Were Here- AT&T Chicago

AT&T filmed us in chicago and cut this nice video together for us...

Kestrin's newest reel...

apple guy films "glass parade" in portland

an incredible gentleman from Apple recorded audio of our portland show, and was nice enough to shoot some stuff of us playing live, in the sweaty 95.5 degree heat & a packed theatre. here it is, sweaty, raw and dirty... thank you, bob hunt!