Voodoo Fest Part 1: Goofy Myspace Pics

This past weekend was Voodoo Fest down in New Orleans. I think we’d all been looking forward to this one the longest seeing as we’d gotten the tickets, what – 5 months ago? Well, I think we can all agree it was well worth the wait. So, here’s the start of photos from the weekend!


Still working on Carnival. Look – I’m getting closer to finishing…


Sitting in the airport, waiting to get on the plane. I can’t believe I’m going back to New Orleans. That city has held such power over me, long before the hurricanes. It’s too long a story to tell now – but lets just say I have a tremendous amount of reverence for the place…


Awwww. The Delta lady from the safety video. I’ve seen it far too many times now, I’m going to end up like Penny Lane in Almost Famous and be able to quote the whole thing if I keep this up. No doesn’t that just say everything!


I flew into the city. I’ve never been on a plane with such turbulence. Zero Sum played. “The split second of a car crash.” I can hear someone over my noise canceling headphones exclaim, “Sweet Jesus.” Yeah, the odds of that plane landing in one piece almost did not look good for a while there.

God does not want me back in New Orleans.

But, more songs passed, the turbulence ceased – TV on The Radio Staring at the sun played and my plane landed. What’s up New Orleans!?


I got off the plane and was greeted by text messages and voice mails. Look – they have gas lamps in the airport – how could anyone not love this place?

Sarah was kind enough to pick me up at the airport. We waited for Anthony and Jen. The others had already gotten in and were settled. Sarah and I talked about shows and how we were excited for the weekend. Finally Anthony and Jen showed up. We were all smiling. “Everyone’s here!” It did feel like the whole family was there…


So, Sarah – the hero of the night for getting everyone from the airport officially told us “Welcome to New Orleans.” I can’t tell you how much that meant to me. It was awesome – she drove us to where Lorena was staying.


We all hung out at a bar outside and had a drink. It was so nice. Lorena remarked how nice it was that we were all together for once with out having to be running. God it was. We talked about everyone who couldn’t make it and how we missed them. It was just really cool.


After that, Sarah – because she is so awesome dropped me at my hotel. Anthony who is also awesome helped me get my stuff out of the trunk – I travel like such a Diva.

Then it was time for me to meet up with my beloved Kayla and Tessa! So I headed down Canal Street to meet them.

They being two of the youngest members of all this – Voodoo was to be their second show ever. They were SO excited. It was so cool to be with them and remember what it was like to be THAT excited over things. We met up at their hotel – had a big old group hug – and after that there was only one thing to do.

It was their first time in New Orleans, and they wanted to see The House and The Studio – and of course take all kindsa goofy Myspace Pics. I have to admit - I myself wasn’t really that excited at first. But on the plane, I remembered a drawing I’d done with the sidewalk outside the house – and I was really excited to see that! How silly. So we get into a cab – and with a tremendous amount of guilt and shame, I had to tell the cab driver, “Yeah, we’re going to…..2425 Coliseum Street.” Thank God he didn’t know what it was. Still I was mortified and we were all laughing. You just have to laugh and love it. The cab driver – because all people in New Orleans are warm and friendly was chatting with us. He asked if we were friends or family . So we told him. “We’re family. One great big extended family.” We all laughed. “It really is true,” they said.

So, the cab driver wasn’t exactly sure where we were going. It’s been 8 years, I wasn’t either. But, much to my relief – the fan girl part of me who could once love with out guilt or fear is clearly not as dead as I thought. Passing a well-lit house I was struck with this pang – that’s it! We were by then all giddy schoolgirls. I loved it.


Here we are!


I was a dork – immediately I ran to the curb- that was actually the first photo I took.


My Sewer! The leaves – I can’t tell you how many countless hours I spent staring at a photo of that very pavement and those same exact leaves! I remember drawing that pattern on the sewer – I know this spot so well it’s insane!


It’s the weirdest phenomenon to be so close in working on a drawing for so long and forget it’s even a real place. The then see it – to be able to pick up a leave and manipulate a space you once saw forever as a two dimensional pixilated unreal place – for it to all of a sudden actually be real is just MIND blowing beyond belief.

I guess the best was I can describe it – is knowing TR from pics and videos – and then to have him on stage in front of you, or if you are so lucky – meeting him and seeing him in person. Sorta like that only even weirder, like –“Holy shit that thing is real?!”


It is. There is a real man named Trent Reznor, and he once lived in this house. So, being goofy girls we are, we took a few photos in front of it. I hope we didn’t laugh too loud and piss off John Goodman. We tried to keep it down and keep flashes off-


-Yeah, but even still you feel like a dork. But we’re here, and you might as well just laugh and enjoy it.


Look how cute the girls are! They’re just so happy, and it made me so happy to be with them and remember what it was like to be so excited over a house. I was once able to accept and feel that joy too, I think we all were and lost it. I’m so glad they were with me to carry on that sense of excitement, it made the whole weekend that much more special for me.


So we’re laughing and taking pics. The girls spot a car – “Is that a Silver Porsche?” No way. We all know it’s not his – but still, what are the odds of that!?! It’s not possible. “It’s a Camera – Its not a Porsche” I keep yelling to them laughing as they run off. “It’s a damn Camera.”


No, it was a Silver Porsche. A Sliver Porsche parked outside of Trent Reznor’s old house in New Orleans. Like, Actually.


Well don’t just stand there – take out the cameras and the iPhones and take a Myspace pic!!


So then we began the walk to the studio. I rebreed the way – it all came back to me very quickly. We talked and laughed. I told them stories of past silly things I did. We loved looking at the beautiful homes. We found a Starbucks, I got my Iced Coffee – they got Iced Chai, everyone was happy.

We would pass stores – laugh about Trent then see cute shoes in the windows and cry out – “Shoes!!” We would just hug each other. We were so happy to be with each other an on the same wavelength you know?

We passed the cutest houses on the way. As I have always said of the walk down Magazine Street to the Studio. You pass these charming houses. Some are homes some are galleries – all are warm and inviting. Everyone has beautiful, colorful painted porches – these lovingly planted gardens and lawns and the most enchanted trees – and then you get to the studio…


WALL! The Fortress! Fucking massive concrete structure- comes right up to the sidewalk – tined windows all lined with heavy iron bars. And check out the security cams! Bureau of Morality doesn’t have SHIT on this place!




I love it. Can’t really blame him though – I mean, fan girls walking up to it in the middle of the night – gotta keep ‘em out somehow! Or maybe you need to keep the dead people in – I mean, it was a funeral home!


Whatever the case it was pretty much as I remembered it. But it was actually really sad this time. All these years I have mocked and feared the place for its imposing exterior. But all the windows were broken, it suddenly seemed so frail. Why was I afraid? The girls were in awe – “The Fragile was recorded here” they said lovingly touching the Iron Gate which has always put me in my place. Now I touched it too, it’s just a building, but it was once a very good building, with very good people in it.

So I embraced it, finally after all these years – I let it go – all of it. Finally. We walked around the place some more and we laughed.


Oh no, what am I doing…



Oh Riot – please tell me you’re not actually going to do THAT -


Oh but I am. And the girls were totally down with the idea – far more so then me even. I didn’t have safety pins to do it – so I had to commandeer some. No the girls were totally more then happy to – Kayla and Tessa each gladly sacrificed a safety pin from the phenomenally put together outfits-


So I hung the thing-


Oh the shame.


So yeah, I totally hung an Art is Resistance sign on the door to Nothing Studios.


Yeah – I’m gonna regret that in the morning big time. What if he goes by to check out the old place sees it and gets mad….


What the fuck is that!?!

So we walk back and we laugh and never run out of things to talk about. You know how it is….

No really, what was that big furry thing? Its like, the King Kong of furry caterpillars from outer space come to land on that radio tower…


We went back to the hotel. There was a lot of laughing, playing Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D and goofing off. I love it.


All the clothes Tessa was putting out on the bed -


And the gloves too


We made plans for the next day and I went back to my hotel


“The curtains flew then he appeared...saying don't be afraid
Come on baby...and she had no fear
And she ran to him...then they started to fly
They looked backward and said goodbye...she had become like they are
She had taken his hand...she had become like they are
Come on baby...don't fear the reaper”

….you know what that needed was more Cow Bell. No time to screw around with Will Ferrel - I had to get ready for the next day! We were gonna see TV on the Radio! I can’t believe it!!

Day two tomorrow!!