Oh Omaha..

<><><> Written 7/12 <><><>

News from the state that looks like a fish:

After driving all night from Minneapolis, we arrived in Omaha around 9 in the morning and grabbed a greasy, greasty breakfast at the 11-Worth Diner. With full bellies, we found a golf course which provided a scenic venue for some much-needed naptime.

Omaha generally seemed rather run-down, but it was sprinkled with a certain vibrancy in some areas. Through the ever-amazing couchsurfing.com, we found the dozen-or-so lovely guys and gals at Hotel Frank. The house boasts a non-stop rotation of Omaha's best and brightest (and friendliest) musicians, artists, students, short-order cooks, and other ne'er-do-well-ers. Hell, Bright Eyes even lived at Hotel Frank for a while.

Some of the best touring bands frequently stop in Omaha, but the locals complain that the ticket prices are rising rapidly. One Omahanian complained fervently about having to pay ten bucks! for a show recently. In fact, many of the bigger aritsts that used to sell out shows are having a hard time filling up even very small venues because the Omaha kids will boycott shows that cost more than a couple dollars.

Another alternative to the rising ticket prices is to DIY. As we saw in Detroit, warehouse spaces in Omaha are being appropriated by young, creative people for use as art/music/party zone spaces. This makes us very happy. To a degree, these venues seem to embody Hakim Bey's concept of the Temporary Autonomous Zone. The loft party in Detroit was overflowing with spontaneity, conviviality, and immediacy that is rarely seen since the so-called death of the festival. "The [freely organized loft party in a post-industrial city] is already 'the seed of the new society taking shape within the shell of the old' [...] these are already 'liberated zones' of a sort... the party is always 'open' because it is not 'ordered'; it may be planned, but unless it 'happens' it's a failure. The element of spontaneity is crucial."

Also, shout out to the house dogs, two of the most lovable animals we've seen on the trip so far.

Up Next: Austin, TX. (!)

Dispatch From a Brooklyn Field Representative on Separate Assignment

So we've been traveling pretty intensely over the past few days, and haven't got a chance to really update the blog or anything, but we've been keeping our paper journal, and should have some good stuff to report shortly.

In the meantime, I would like to pass on a letter that I received from one of our esteemed agents in the field. If any of you have reports of great things going on in your area that we all may be interested in, feel free to send them to:

info@local-emissary.org



Ambassador Kasunic,

I've been reading your blog sir - good work my friend, the people of the Capital Region and their friends thank you for you good deeds and sharing of the capital of our great state... I went to this thing last night that was fucking amazing and perhaps your good people could organize something similar in Albany...it was a spontaneous party/parade with hundreds of fire dancers/stilt walkers/marching band performers/drummers marching through the streets and subways of brooklyn - it started at brooklyn bridge and ended on coney island. Crazy fun...ran into some kid i didn't really recognize but who said he knew me from the EDMS parties back in the day.. the organizers of this parade... www.thedanger.com

Hope you're having fun and promoting the greater Capital Region. Storm the sports bars!-- turn the "solid mindless party scene" into a "fluid mindful party scene".

Peace and enlightement
- Albanian Expatriot O'Brien

Playing Catch Up: Play by play - Chicago

Affectionately known to us as Chi-tonw, the city, its residents and it's vistors, have treated us well. We were graciously hosted by Wilkinism's Aunt Ruth and Uncle Ted, and 17 yr old cousin Frannie in their fine abode nestled in the first ring suburbs of the city. Frannie is Hysterical! The first night we got there we were pretty tired, but we were up laughing for hours because of all her funny stories and her friends that she was telling us about.

Earlier this first night, we met up with a friend of mine, Laura, who has lived in Chicago for 8 years and is moving out in less than a week, and also my friend nancy, who just moved to Chicago last week, and whose boyfriend Anthony is moving in on the same day my friend Laura is moving out... Whoa! We ate lots of spicy thai food. Afterwards, Laura went home and we all went to go to another warehouse party (after the one in detroit), but it didn't feel right, plus the courtyard smelled like stinky fish. We were pretty tired, but when we got back to the home in suburban Brookfield, we didn't feel it because that's when we were all cracking up together with frannie.

The next day, we got a lot done in the "office" but that meant that we got a later start than we wanted to, so that by the time we got on the street to gather people's feedback about their city, it had started raining. We hung out under the tracks, out front of the Damon Street stop on the CTA blue line, though not many people were interested in talking. Perhaps we can chalk that up to the fast paced nature of Chicago. After that we met my friend Monica, Laura's friend, and also another friend Billy at the Skylark bar, where we drank boilermakers. From there we went to see an icelandic band called Benni Hemm Hemm at a bar in Ukranian Village called the Empty Bottle. We interviewed a couple of guys who were in Chicago, but from Tennessee, out front, then I spoke with a Chicagoan, and his friend visiting from China. We had some fun and interesting conversations with each of them, all documented on our video tape.

Games!

So we’ve begun a new game called “find the three prong plug”. Nothing goes on without the three prongs.