Out of Texas, Y’all.
I did a major driving run with Laura Beitz from Oklahoma City down to Houston, stopping in Dallas and San Antonio.
All the shows were good. I hadn’t been to OKC in a long time. I got no sense of what it would be like to live there but the landscape seems a bit barren and the state’s politics are awful. The city is not huge and you get the feeling that you don’t drive too far to get the creeps. The people that came out to the show were great. It does seem that the liberalish hipster contingent in murderously red states are pretty out there with the self-expression. I like it.
Dallas was fun. It’s a big old city. We stayed at a nice place, had some BBQ, met the guy who owns Warstic with Jack White by coincidence at Terry Black's and did an awesome show at the Majestic Theatre. Great venue.
San Antonio was surprisingly weird and interesting. We stayed at a funky haunted hotel called the Hotel Havana. The space we performed in was intimate. It seated about 220. We did two shows. The crowds were lit. The city definitely has a vibe. It feels like some shit went down there and the frequency remains. A mild desolation and old Texan architecture help the feeling. It might just be where we stayed. We ate some pretty good Mexican food.
Houston was the highlight for me because they have so much amazing art all over the city it seems. At some point some rich people did some nice stuff for that place. Amazing parks and museums.
I was able to go to the Rothko Chapel for the first time in probably 35 years. They’ve renovated the place a bit. It was a profound experience to sit in that space with those canvases. It calls itself a non-denominational all faith kind of spiritual space. It’s definitely peaceful, but I don’t hear anyone talk about how fucking ethereally bleak those paintings are. I’m a huge Rothko fan but between the canvases at the Chapel and the ones that were contracted by the Seagrams for the Four Seasons in NYC that you can see at The Tate, there aren’t any darker floating zones in all his work. I think the light he saw in these canvases was as metaphysically honest as a depressed genius could be. A true vision of the beyond in the present. I love them. I love the fact that they are anything but uplifting and they define and overwhelm a ‘spiritual’ space.
There was a huge Philip Guston exhibit at The Museum of Fine Arts. I was familiar with his more cartoonish work and always liked it but didn’t quite get it. My ex the painter was a huge fan and she was very critical so I knew I had to reckon with them at some point. That point came in Houston. Seeing his work evolve over the years and having it put into context of the art world and the culture and Guston’s own struggles gave me a deeper understanding of the art he was creating. It was a totally educational experience that I could have alongside taking in the mind-blowing work chronologically. I get it now.
I am slowly accepting my place in the world in relation to the present time and the work I am doing. Almost grateful. Very close.
Today I talk to Elizabeth Banks again! I feel very loose with her and friendly. It was fun to catch up and talk about her new movies and stuff. On Thursday I talk to Quinta Brunson about her learning curve and the focus that got her to where she is. Impressive person. Great talks.
Enjoy!
Boomer, Monkey and LaFonda live!
Love,
Maron
Almost Grateful.
