The NYC Side Of Town

Much has happened, yall. A lot since I quit my job and hopped on a plane into the unknown.

I'm in NYC. Finally. I have a place in Queens. I've met many of people, but made a friend in Chris Delgado: Film-maker, photographer, basketball-buff. Our worlds met seamlessly, and here is one transaction.

Courtesy of "Delgado Creativity":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoZiq_yXrTo


For more vids, here's the official video channel:
www.youtube.com/averydena


More in store,
Avery Dena

Bright Lights, Big City, Beautiful People

This post is a benchmark. I finally made it to New York.

All the speculation and declaration of New York as home and my estimated time of arrival were something that passed my lips often for the last 2 1/2 years. Everything from where I'm going to stay and why I want to move there.......it made me sick. But now that I am here, I've never felt more at home with a place, let alone so quickly.

Day 1:
Leaving Los Angeles at 11:30pm and arriving in JFK 7 hours later, then waiting to catch a cab for another 6 hours with no sleep in a chair with all of my stuff. $9 airport-sandwiches taste like the nothing I got from the barista. Made me nervous when the taxi-driver asked me to show him where I was going. Roommates at the hostel looking at me weird. Reminds me of a Russian version of the movie Hostel, though that's not too hard to imagine. Remarkably nice those Russians, though their women are a lot nicer xD Did I mention that I was scared shitless? Oh christmas, I was.

Day 2:
Avery got really good sleep, and probably snored from the way they looked at me (though it was probably just my pink hat. I spent another morning around the corner at the local Starbucks under the Brighton stop off the B, listening to both hustle and bustle as I craigslist-ed it up for apartments and followed a lead. A much needed lead for morale. Followed all the way out to Queens, which went well; much better than my trek around the corner to a room with a sink and a mini fridge for $675/month. Don't even make me mention the tile on the floor or the shared bathroom/kitchen situation. After walking along the Queens funeral grounds to the train, I took it over to The West Village to a lovely cafe named "The Path Cafe." Got lost but got there in time to enjoy the apple-capped waitress who insisted that I go back to my seat and let me pay towards the end of my stay. What-what?!

Too soon to say, but the journey ahead looks promising....like that mixed lady I saw on the Q going home. If you're reading this, little miss lady, listen to LL Cool J's "I Need Love"

Cooltown frolicking,
Avery Dena

Satisfied (For a fleeting moment)

Greetings from Smugville

I confess that compliments have not always been digestable for me. After much maturing, they boost morale. One of the highest praises received is the "you're one hell of a guitar player." When given by a fellow musician, this does wonders for the ego. It doesn't inflate my ego, but it certainly fortifies.

I've worked steadily on my guitar playing with the goal of playing something new and true to myself, and the results are showing. It has been a 7year stretch, but anything worth doing takes time, patience, and a constant demand upon your being, which is why it is oh so worth the work.

From Smugville, I salute;
Avery Dena

They Come and They Go

Shock is the word.
When I took over this open mic some seven months ago, I was a multitude of apprehensive shades, vying for dominance. But after a couple weeks hosting, the swing of things became second nature, and I progressively had more fun. Though the goals were to have fun and be a good host, the true reward came in many forms.
What I could never predict, since the attendance and audience is an ever undulating wave, was that I'd get to know some pretty awesome artists. Some only attend once, but the experience is never offended by the infrequency.

A segment on my youtube page entitled "Friends," is where I showcase someone that blazed the stage in a memorable manner; Hometown hopefuls and out-of-towners alike. Here is a sample

Holly Gleason:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTJsx3L-NVc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

For the love in you,
Avery Dena

Second Shot

Thank you, Capitalism.

In short, I was rewarded for my consistent payments and my guaranteed money spending with an $800 bump. What I calculated to be another four months to reach, turned out to be three days. The goal was purchasing a camcorder to take a second shot at youtube. Here is my firing range:

www.youtube.com/averydena

Hellz yeah,
Avery Dena

Humbled

These are the minutes that either tie you down or hold you still.
These are also the days that seperate the desperate and impetuous boys from the wise and patient men. This is the night that waits until you are in a crowd to look you in the eye for signs of fatigue and cowardice, polarizing you like flower and root.

These are the painful nights that only humbled beings are strong enough to endure.

Thanks to Earl and a ghost town audience,
Avery Dena

Damnit Dana!

To the Dana that is NOT my sister,

You were liable for half of the 20 + people attending tonights open mic at the Rapp Saloon. I thank you for that and for lending your guitar when my strings snapped. Although we stopped at 9:30 instead of 10, the festivities were too rewarding to be put into characters or symbols.

Signing off with a Venus smirk,
Avery Dena