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getting ready to leave...again! |
| I'm only home for a few days before I go to Canada for a month . Now , it looks as though , when I get back from Canada , my manager and I will be off to the Philippines for an Uno Magazine party . Man ! I did the math while in New Zealand and I figured out that since I was on RSSN a year ago , I have been home about eight weeks total . I love my job , and I'm used to living out of a suitcase but WHAT A CRAZY YEAR! It's been mad , but every day I Thank God for all my ups and downs and twists and turns that keep me on my toes and alive . In these few days that we are home , I'm trying to get all my home things done ; bills , family , BBQs, graduations , phone calls ...catching up with my homelife ...before I finish all my laundry and pack it all up again for another tour . Today is my twenty year high school anniversary . I thought I would go , but ... then I remembered how much I HATED high school . The more I thought about it , the sillier it seemed to fly out across the country for 36 hours to try to relive some slice of my childhood that left me scarred and hateful . Um , no thank you . I'm really looking forward to my big show tomorrow , however ( Sun. 6/17) for NW Pride . Thousands of festive folks out only to celebrate . Gay Pride .... always such a great audience ...those people know how to PAR-TAY ! So , the PDXposed segment I did the other day with Women Build/Habitat for Humanity , was super cool . Sadly , I only got to hammer in about ten nails ...tell a bunch of stupid jokes and disrupt everyone's work day so they could show me how to not get killed while roofing . (Studly work...roofing..) I mostly just interviewed people and filmed stuff . Habitat for Humanity is a great organization and I'm so honored they allowed me to slow down their work for a few hours so I could learn a thing or two , and then share it with everyone . I will let you know when the segment airs . Speaking of PDX-posed , I also got to shoot a music segment for them the following evening . As it happens , my good friend and former housemate , Lukas Rossi was in Portland to play his post "Rockstar" solo material . Touring with his lovely wife , bad ass tour manager and a great keyboardist , Lou Dawson (sp?) , travelling in a truck with a trailer, my boy Looky is on the road all old school , and it suits him . He looks great and his new songs are amazing ! His EP , "Love And Lust" is just 4 acoustic numbers ,a quick listen but SO worth it. They're all very soulful and haunting with a sweet pop sensibility ....such good writing . If you get a chance to see him solo on this trip , do it!! I love that boy , and I was really happy to see him and his Lady Kendra happy and doing well on the road . I hope to hook up with them again in Canada this July . Meanwhile sales of "Ladylike , Side One " are rockin' on CDBaby , (Thanks everybody!) and my Balls and I are off to the High Dive in Seattle , Wed. 6/20 and The Grove in Bend , Sun 6/24 to celebrate the records' release , before we attack our allies to the North . That's all I've got right now ... more later when I have a moment to collect my thoughts again . See you out there ! xoStorm |
What day is it ?? |
| Back in PDX baby !!! So good to be home again . We're still struggling with the time difference ...right now , in NZ , it's five hours earlier....and tomorrow . Ugh . So sorry for the tardy blog , folks. We had a BEEEATCH of a time getting online in the Southern Hemisphere ....a small price to pay for the amazing time we all had . Davey kept a damn good journal of events as they occurred...(He's so damn good , that one...)So his blog will have all the juicy details of our trip down undah. Firstly : BIG THANKS to Doug at Chivalry who made everything happen ...and I mean EVERY. THING . He's a burly kiwi whose huge heart is barely contained in his massive body....hugging him is like hugging a piano ...I love hugging him ... besides being a lovely human , he makes me feel petite . Also , a big thanks to the most beautiful girl in New Zealand : Chantelle . Good God , people . She's an ass kicking half Maori half Italian head turning GODDESS. Me and the Balls went all giggly around her...We all developed crushes but I was the only one who got to wrestle with her . A pretty dumb idea , in retrospect , since she used to fight competitively and could probably put me in a wheelchair with one eyelid...but she smelled soooo goooood . And , of course , I have to thank all the fans in Auckland and Christchurch ...and the crazy bunch who flew in from Oz to catch some Balls ... we had a blast with you and can't wait to come and do it all over again . As most of you know , "Ladylike , Side One" came out while we were abroad , what you may NOT know is it was the top ten seller on CD baby it's debut week ! So cool ! Thanks to all who've bought it so far , I hope you love it . I can't wait to get side two in the can and get that out as well ...along with another Balls record we've been wanting to do . Presently , I am coffee-ing up to head to the Women Build site to help finish building a house for Habitat For Humanity . I volunteered to help do this for my pals over at PDX-posed and I am stoked . I'm a little scared , too ... I've been wielding a microphone for fifteen years and during that time , I've picked up a hammer only to win an argument or two....for that purpose , hammers are great . I'll let you know how it goes today , if I haven't smashed my typing hand ....or lost an argument . xoS |
Does this blog make me look fat ? |
| There have been some interesting arguments going on about my album cover picture . Mostly there is a positive response to the irony and humor , but some would rather a more commercially viable image that the mainstream could feel comfy about buying . There are excellent points on both sides....but it's time for me to chime in . Yes , I get called hot , I get called beautiful , sexy ... all that ...and you know what ? I love it . Why ? Because that's ALL I EVER wanted to be . It is all I prayed for when I was a fat , punk rock , lonely lonely young girl in a small town . Here's a sample of some internal dialogue ...(the echoes of which are still pinging about in my scull , some twenty plus years later...) " If I could just shut up...or be quiet ...." , " If I could just NOT EAT..." , " If I looked like _______..." , " If only ______ would just LIKE me "...To name just a few ... but those internal sound bites would be followed with ..."THEN , maybe, I could be happy ."(I know for most of the girls and women reading this , these are not particularly unique or rare thoughts .) Surprised ? Suffice to say ... I did not stop eating or look like so-and-so or EVER shut up . Thus , it is firmly entrenched in my nature to not take the easy way....it was never an option , thus has never been my style. Yes , I've been blessed in SO MANY WAYS in my life . Compared to some , my whole existence has been a dang cake walk . However , when it comes to my album cover ... I took a LOT of lumps to make it happen . I'm sure I'll take more lumps when it comes out ..and all things being equal here : Why not show my lumps ? Not the fergilicious " Humps"... but hard earned, ugly ass lumps . I won't moan and whine about it or drag around a chain of sorrow and difficulty for all to marvel at my ability to overcome ...stare at my feet on stage and act miserable . That's not me either . I have come a long way to get to the point where I am pretty joyful about who and what I am . So now I'm kinda hot (a cruel trick of nature to get me all gorgeous just in time to start deteriorating with age .... oh well .....)Regardless of my present appearance no one has ever handed me anything . (except one time, on a dare ,I flirted a quart of oil away from a young gas station attendant....) I have busted my ass in an industry that told me to start lying about my age when I was twenty fucking seven years old , told me to drop 15 pounds and not to sing about nasty things or sing so well (it's intimidating...) and truthfully , I'm not totally unscathed by my forays in this business ... but I'm still working , rocking , touring ........AND smiling ... I win . I would not be honoring myself if I did the soft focus , controlled environment , sexy in YOUR way imagery . That stuff has it's place and can be amazing ( Laura Domela...I'm talking to YOU ...) But this is my album , a small disc of my guts with my face on it ...consider the album title ...consider who I have always , unapologetically been . Folks get uncomfortable , good . Our society puts way too much emphasis on comfort and convenience . It makes us all soft like mewling veal calves . It's not my job to make you comfortable ...leave that to Enya and Kenny G...you and I are s'posed to jump in the pit , arm and arm , get knocked around by other humans , love like children , fuck like animals , to eat , stink , feel and live. It is beautiful , but it's not always pretty . I wonder if Andrew W.K. got any shit for his album cover ? xoStorm |
PHEW! |
| Day off after ripping a giant wet muck hole in the Viper Room. AWESOME SHOW ! So much fun ...GREAT audience ...so much juice! I'm a bit wrung out , so I'm looking forward to a hot breakfast...(brunch) and a nap . Mmmmmm. Nap . I met a slew of American Idol finalists ... Gina (A.I.) bought me shot of jaeger and gave me a big hug . I've only seen Idol a couple of times , but I remember her being a badass . More rock than the schlock I associate with that show . Not you , Kelly Clarkson...you knows I LOVES you . Shut up , I DO . And now , I must love Gina as she has purchased my affection with hugs and brown alcohol . No , I'm not THAT easy ...but she gives GREAT hugs . Oh ... Jerry Fallwell is apparently deceased . Which means we're now short one big loud braying homophobe . Pat Robertson better take some rhetorical viagra to fill up the whistling hole left by the reverend Tinky Winky being gone. ...I wonder if he'll blame Ellen Degeneres for Jerry's demise ... He blames her for EVERYTHING . Anyways...We're off to San Diego tomorrow to play the Casbah ...the legendary punk club that is cool for many reasons , not the least of which is the fact that the SD airport is super close by so GIANT rumbling planes cruise over head on their way to land or shortly after takeoff . It is SO COOL . They're so close you can see the pilots faces . To everyone who came out to the Viper ... I give you all a heart felt thanks . You were a kick ass audience ! To the rest...See you all out there! xoxoStorm |
Wedding Balls. |
| Catalina Island looks magical as the ferry makes its approach. It floats in the Pacific with dolphins playing in its waves and pelicans diving for the fat gold colored fish that dot the shallow water . Then you land . It was like Girls Gone Wild on a bender . There were frat boys and their giggling , semi retarded arm ornaments staggering around the streets of the little beach community. Alot of pants pulled down , crooked cocked baseball hats and "WHUDDUP DAWG!" littering the already tired little enclave . Avalon , the one by one mile town on Catalina , it seems , is a place people can't wait to get their drink on .... and there is no off switch to their intake . Along with the moronic kids , there were some pickled adults sucking down cigarettes and Jack and Cokes at our 9am breakfast before we left . Ugh .... Despite the roachy waste rambling about downtown , there were a few bright spots . A fine Italian restaurant with Carol , our lovely waitress who filled us in on the more interesting , historical aspects of the island . And Catherine , the wedding planner , who couldn't have been more of a bright light of positive energy ... which brings me to : The Wedding . Yes there was ample grossness in the streets of Avalon , however you would never know it at our friends Sandee and John's wedding . It was in a country club , but it looked like an old spanish courtyard . The sun baked , terracotta walls strung with red roses and lit with little white candles ... it was a magical spot . The service was non denominational , but spiritual in it's message of commitment and " forever" . A very moving wedding, lots of tears , hugs and laughs . A ton of old friends and buckets of wine . Pure perfection as far as weddings go . In reflecting on the whole experience , I must say it was a superb metaphor for marriage . You and your love can walk through Hell (sometimes dressed up as a cute little island town), full of monsters and such , but by amplifying your love for each other with the best aspects of yourselves , your friends and family ... you're pulled out of Hell and even the Long Beach airport can turn into paradise . So here's to you Sandee and John Fenton . Thank you for inviting the Balls to be part of the beautiful day where you two became husband and wife . xoS |
HOME. |
| After the painful freezing of Ontario , Portland , in it's last chilly grip of winter , feels downright balmy . SO GOOD TO BE BACK! I am in the final phases of putting out "Ladylike,side one" , I do the artwork next week , then I think we can call the official release date . THANK HEAVENS . We are finalizing a western tour in May , yes , California , and we here you , Arizona...we are waiting on confirmation and we'll be headed into your awesome dry heat . NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND! It's a desperately long flight , but I'm so stoked to make the trip . June 8th at The Studio in Aukland ... I hope you Aussies aren't too put out to maybe venture over to your little sister country ... this trip is just to grease the wheels for a full on Australian/New Zealand tour during your Summer coming up , December or January . We aren't blowing you off , Australia, (I've gotten some email from disappointed Aussies) It's just very hard to come that far without support , and some great folks in Aukland are lending us a hand to come over . So , next time , we can come over for longer and travel around the area further . Besides...I HAVE to get to Australia . I have to go see Toby's Mom and Dad , (lovely people) I gotta buy em' some drinks and thank them for making him ...that little swine . So fear not , we'll be coming again and again , as Balls are wont to do . Meanwhile , check the calendar for Balls in your area as well as news regarding , "Ladylike , side One" xoStormy |
Day off. |
| Waking up in Ottawa this morning to our first day off since Tuesday . I , for one need it ...lots of driving and singing and playing ...all fun , but a day of rest is for SURE needed today , so I'm in my hotel bed in my underpants , ticking away on my mac . Then it will be a long hot shower a slow hot breakfast , then we're off to Toronto . We have had so much fun with Gilby and Channel One ! Last night I sang "Knocking on Heaven's Door" with Gilby's band. My first time on stage with Gilby , it was awesome ... made me really miss big guitars and monster drummers . So cool , I hope we do it again ...I was too tired after the gig to go party with the Channel One boys , but James went out as I passed out . This morning Jammers said " I almost called you last night because I thought you might want to see Chris (bass player , CH1) going down the elevator to the lobby , naked , tied to a chair....." I've been laughing all morning with that image in my head . Along with so many crazy things that have gone down on the road ... one of which is James signing an autograph on a certain part of a mans anatomy... I promised not to tell ...but I'm sure it'll pop up in a picture . Stay tuned for THAT . We play Toronto tomorrow , then North Bay , then we head home to Portland . YAY!!! We've had a blast in Ontario , even though it's been FREEZING . But it's still been awesome . Thank you , Canada! This Just in ....NEW ZEALAND IS A GO , BABY!!! We will be at Studio , in Aukland on Friday , June 8th , tickets on sale through ticketek.co.nz ... we may not make it to OZ on this trip , so YOU come see us while we're close . We are stoked for the trip , and look forward to rocking all the gorgeous kiwis accross the International Dateline . All good things come with Balls . See you WAY out there . xoStorm |
Day two... |
| So ....Jammers and I had our first gig last night in Kingston , Ontario . So far ... as I expected , we've had a killer time . Amazing what clean water , free health care and gun control can do for people's disposition . EVERYONE HAS BEEN SO AWESOME . We were a wee bit nervous pre show since we are smack between Channel One , ( a great , heavy , U2 ish...super melodic and HUGE sounding.... not to mention super cool guys ) and Gilby who is bringing GI NORMOUS (duh) guitar rock....and his New Jersey drummer is a BADASS . There we are , just piano and mouth all quiet like . But God bless those CAnadians , they listened and responded to all our music and all my shit talking as well . A great time was had by us and by all ... I will likely do a song or two with Gilby during this run . I never got the chance on the show , so that'll be super cool ! All in all a great kickoff to this quick Canadian trip . Me and my one Ball are off to Hamilton now , more to come , stay tuned ! See you out there. xoStormer |
CANADA!!! |
| Oh boy . James and I are off to Canada to support Gilby Clarke and the Ottowa band Channel One . ( I checked out channel one and they sound HUGE.) So it'll be a HUGE all man rock band , little old me and James all quie like , then some massive guitar riffing rock from Mr. Clarke . I must admit , I'm a tad nervous . Dilana had to play mostly acoustic between two huge rockers on the RSSN tour , and she held her own damn well . She did mention her dislike of the situation though ... being the quiet one in the show. My nerves are based on the complete ABSENCE of guitars from our show ... though Canadians get their drink on ... I hope we don't come across too cocktail-y . I'll update you from the road . Either way , it'll be a blast ! I love Canada and I love to perform , be it through a rolled up newspaper and an ass kazoo or with a full band of beastly Balls . We'll crush it however we can . See you out there ! xoStorm |
Home... |
| ...just in time to start packing again . James and I are off to Ontario on Tuesday and I have barely rinsed the airplane eew off my weary body from my last trip to LA . I landed around 3pm today , back in Portland (YAY!). Here's what's up ....and I'll be quick , I gotta take a hot scrubbing shower and makeout with Davey before I blackout . We are very close to mastering and releasing "Ladylike , side one " . I spent 48 hours hunched over a mixing board , in frustrated awe at Marc Greene (engineer and admitted microphone geek) and Paul Mirkavich (House Band leader , snappy dresser and accidental Storm producer ) cut , trim , swell , slick , omit and manufacture the collection of sounds that will be in this upcoming release . What a heady science ... my neck is stll sooooo stiff from staring at the automation then jerking my head around at the computer screen . I love those guys ... freakin' nerds . As I write this , Davey has his eyes squinched shut with head phones on , blasting the tracks into his scull . I won't know what he thinks until after I close this blog... but he looks into it . ( crosses fingers ) Well Portland , we will see you and your children at the Wonder Ballroom this Saturday ! There are still some tix left last I checked , so spread the word ... it'll be our last Portland performance until June . And Canada , (Ontario)....you'll get a sweet , stripped down version of my Balls next week ... and the full on Balls action in the Summer . Stay tuned and we'll see you out there . xoStorm |
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stormlarge.com © 2003-2006 :: Storm & The Balls © 2003-2006
All contents of this site are owned outright by Storm Large, The Balls and the participating photographers whose work is shown here.
STORM LARGE herself molded, manufactured and released 1969 - all rights reserved.
Site design and photography by Laura Domela.
All contents of this site are owned outright by Storm Large, The Balls and the participating photographers whose work is shown here.
STORM LARGE herself molded, manufactured and released 1969 - all rights reserved.
Site design and photography by Laura Domela.