Call a bro!

I'll be on the radio tonight - call in at midnight (if you're east coast). 

Here's more info:

THE THEME: IDEAS 

Call in with your ideas...inventions...things that could change the world but you cannot execute 

them for whatever reason. We will host psychic readings and interviews. 

DO THIS: 1. Go to http://www.callwithquestions.com tonight at 9/midnight.  2. Click on the listen link and or call the number at the top of the page. We will post both at 8:59PM tonight. 3. The rest will be obvious.  ALTERNATELY: 1. Email any question or idea to question@callwithquestions.com. We will read it on-air. 2. Skype live with us; our Skype name is callwithquestions.

Hoofin' it in Denver

I spent a few days in Denver and I had a really lovely time hanging out with those 2 down there. Ryann, on the left, was our hostess, and a wonderful one at that. I thought Denver was a beautiful, happening city with great trees and, unfortunately, tons of tasty pollen. It seems a city of sports fans, outdoorsy types and just cool dudes. Every musical act ever goes through there, there's a gay bar called Hamburger Marys and most of the stores, bars and cafes aren't chains. Thumbs up.

I ate Mexican food three times in two days. They have this delicious green chili sauce that makes everything taste like heaven in a tortilla. For Mexican, I ate at Benny's and Las Delicias - both fantastic. Benny's was tastier, but less authentic than the other. 

On the first night in, we went for food and beer at the Cherry Cricket, which was featured on Man vs. Food. Drank some local beer - Odells - and ate half a sandwich (the other half was devoured the next night at like 3 a.m. in a hasty food binge). We spent both mornings at St. Mark's Coffeehouse, which had good coffee and scones. The best thing about it was that since the weather was out of this world, the front wall of the cafe rolls up, the picture down there at the bottom does it no justice. 

Chris and I decided to explore Denver a bit, so we headed downtown. It's clear that Denver is not a poor town. Everyone seemed well dressed, the streets were clean and the energy is laid back. I ate a bison burger at the Wyncoop Brewery, bought Blue Highways at the Tattered Cover, a huge and well-stocked indy bookstore and a kid's sale shirt at Rockmount Ranch Wear. After walking around, and before Chris went to a Rockies game, we grabbed a drink at the Cruise Room bar in the Oxford Hotel. The small, long bar is lit in red, features a juke box, chilled out oldies (music and people) and an art nouveau decor. Seriously, what a find! 

Drinks in Denver are CHEAP. I mean really, really inexpensive. We hit up the Horseshoe Lounge the first night, which had glitter walls, the vibe of a living room and a bar composed of probably over a thousand dice- forgot to take a picture of the bar due to the cheap drinks. I made a new friend, Matt who rock climbs and ended up sprawled out in that lounge chair up there - it was in the bathroom. I think it's the chair that God made because it has a saddle embroidered into it and it's green and has wagon wheels - only a clear-minded genius could create that. 

The next night we went to a Beauty Bar type place called Sputnik, a bar on South Broadway that was playing musica me likey, like some psychedelica. South Broadway is the street of "hip" bars and it actually appeared to be a freaking cool strip of places that I would love to visit one day. One day. 

Hoofin' it in Tulsa and Kansas

I'm a few days behind here, so I better catch up! After the lush drive through Bubba's home state, we entered Oklahoma. While the roads in Arkansas were smooth and a funny mud color, the Oklahoma roads were pretty bumpy with potholes. At one stretch before reaching Tulsa, I ended up driving through dense fog and rain. I was convinced we were going to get caught up in a tornado and torn to shreds, but luckily we made it into town safely. One of my wonderful friends Vinny lives in Tulsa currently. He was raised in the Keys, so you can imagine that's a shift. He showed us around town, and we were able to see the University of Tulsa campus which was lovely to look at and had many attractive, newly constructed buildings. We ate at Brook which was a cool bar/restaurant on the main going out strip. 

The highlight of Tulsa, beside hanging out with Vinny, (insightful and an amazing host - girls, his pic's down there. It's small because I look goofy), was going to Catoosa where we saw this whale. The Catoosa whale is on a strip of Historic Route 66 and was built in the early 70s around this former watering hole. As you can see, there are diving areas and two slides down either side. It is truly one of the coolest things I have ever seen in my LIFE. I am also a fan of the whale having New England blood in my veins. As we were gawking at this beast, the son of the man who built the whale sauntered over and chatted with us. He's an old guy now who told us that he winters in Texas and how the pecan trees are the last to leaf. It was a treat. 

After that, I threw a temper tantrum because I was exhausted and couldn't find an open coffee shop. We eventually ate and I slept through the rest of Oklahoma and most of Kansas. Though there was little in Kansas, there was something beautiful and soft about the moving grass on the plains. I can imagine it might be pleasant living out there, though very lonely and scary at night. 

If that picture down there opens up big, the one with the shed, you can see some Kansas prairie dogs.

Call a bro with questions

UPDATED TIME!

While I'm in LA with my lovely friends from Big Skills, Stephanie and Flo, I'll be on a radio show as their special guest! It's called Call With Questions, so call in and ask some questions. Here's the website. It'll be on Sunday the 17th at 9 P.M. pacific standard time. 

Hoofin' it at out of Memphis and through the Ozarks

If you have good taste, and I know you do since you're reading this... you must love Otis Redding, soul genius and you probably weep for Wilson Pickett. These two favorites first got their start at Stax Records, which you can read more about here, along with many other musical masters, including the Bar-Kays and Isaac Hayes. While Motown pumped out classic hits that safely satisfied the masses, Stax recording artists sang from their guts, with sweat and tears all over the microphone. The studios flourished pre MLK assassination, sort of went down in the dumps after that and was later revitalized by Hayes' career. There is now a museum where the greats once recorded with tons of memorabilia. It's deceptively large, but worth the wandering. 

The Peabody Hotel is a Memphis institution, well, the ducks in the lobby are. I ran in to see them, I thought they were just statues of ducks, but no, they're actual ducks. I think they march them around once a day or something. I have to say, when I saw they were alive, I was tickled. I felt like one of the kids, gawking and pointing.  

I swung by Goner Records, which was in our neighborhood, and I chatted with the guy that worked there, a big dude with tight pants. I bought the new Oh Sees album - it's awesome. They had a pretty great selection of records, old and new. Later at Hi-Tone Cafe, we saw Memphis artist Jack Oblivion perform with the Tennessee Tearjerkers. They went on 2 hours late, but they really packed the room and turned it out. It's not entirely my cup of tea, sort of late 90s rock scene, southern style, but the performance was worth waiting for. The funny thing is that I ran into the dude that worked at Goner there and I saw the guy who let us into Stax for free (because they were setting up for a show) and who gave me a compliment on my Flying Burrito Bros shirt. I made friends with an absolutely hilarious guy from Denver who made me laugh and laugh. He mocked me endlessly and we talked about his garden and the cross-country motorcycle road trip he took in '87. 

We stayed at Pilgrim House which is a hostel in the First Congregational Church. It's located in the Cooper Young area, surrounded by great cafes. It was dirt cheap at $15 per night and all you had to do was a chore a day. The place was set up dormitory style, but it was pretty empty, so we had room to spread out. The people there were lovely, though young. They're mostly college students who work for lodging. The church was hosting an event when we were there, Bands not Bombs, because, like in Miami, the Congregational Church is the center of their Peace and Justice Network. This was the center of all the bike riders and the borderline hippies. I was thrilled to have found it. 

Arkansas is out of this world beautiful. I kept wondering why there were trees growing out of water, but it was flooding from all the recent rains. I even saw a few shacks submerged. It was sort of overwhelmingly green and wet. I would love to get up there again for a few days of outdoor fun. The state was also very well kept with no littering signs all along the highway. Little Rock was tiny and clean and I took a much needed pee in the massive and attractive Clinton Presidential Center. Go Bill. 

The ducks are REAL!

Hi Tone used to be where Elvis took karate lessons. That's him there with Master Kang Rhee.

Hoofin' it in Graceland

There's not much I wanted to write about Graceland, instead I'm posting some pictures. I was expecting gigantic middle Americans with Elvis hair weeping over his grave, flashy neon lights and the King lives tees, but it was actually a pretty classy place. The house, though large, was modest to look at from outside. Once inside it was a 70s extravaganza. Many of the rooms had fabric walls and ceilings in great patterns and colors. The neatest thing about the place was that it was actually mostly a museum with all of Elvis' costumes, gold records and memorabilia. It was $22 to get in with my student and AAA IDs, which was reasonable. 

We ate onsite and they had Corky's bbq, an area chain. The pulled pork was delicious, I tell you. That Elvis brush was absolutely the coolest thing in the store, but at $16 it was overpriced for my tiny budget. I was duped into getting a Graceland sippy cup with lunch, and it slipped out of my hand in the store and left a coke and ice lake in the kids section. I the told the cashier, and she waved her hand, "I'll clean it later." And then she chatted with me about other things. Super cool. If that had happened in Miami, I'd have received a filthy look and a curse or two. Everyone in Memphis was very nice and friendly. They seemed a happy people. I love Memphis. 

Hoofin' it on Beale Street

Chris' birthday fell on the Saturday that we were in Memphis and he wanted to check out some blues music on Beale Street. Since it's right off of the Mississippi, Beale Street was originally established as a main commerce strip around the mid-nineteenth century. Even back then, black musicians played on Beale, and eventually it became the major center of blues music. Also, pretty impressive for the deep south, many of the businesses on the street were owned by African Americans over the last 130 years.

Nowadays, Beale is a tourist strip which features large neon signs naming various blues bars and even a Wet Willies. I thought it might be a bit South Beach, but fortunately it had a character all its own that was enjoyable. A few blocks are roped off so that you can wander the streets as drunk as you like. They sell "big ass beers" on the street in gigantic cups. A la NYC subway style, little boys tumbled down the street for money and the entertainment of gawking tourists. We went to a place called Mr. Handy's Blues Hall to see an old dude and his eclectic band perform, Dr. Feel Good and Potts Band. It was fun and bluesy, and I was really into the Asian guitarist with long hair and Bret Michaels bandana. 

I drank too much, started in on the $2 jello shots and wandered about. That's when I made a friend, Disco Felix, a comedian (below). He told me some amusing jokes, none of which I remember. Beale had a really mixed crowd racially, but it was mostly black. There were these sheets hanging, spray painted with Memphis images in front of which a photographer would take your picture and print it out on the spot. I, of course, wanted one, and I waited a good half hour, made friends with a dude who was definitely on the DL and got one of the funniest pics of my life. I'll share later once I find a scanner.

After many drinks we ate some ribs at a place called Miss Polly's Soul City Cafe. It was scrumptious. 

That last picture down there is for my brother. In Miami, our mannequins have gigantic boobs, but in Memphis, they have humungous booties. Either way, extremely amusing. 

Hoofin' it at the Cupboard

I ate at this place called The Cupboard in Memphis. Southern food. The sides were out of this world, like out. of. this. world. That coleslaw made my heart melt. I'm in love, I tell ya! There's some corn pudding up there that was just sweet enough and not too pudding-y. Chris' chicken fried chicken was apparently good, but my fried chicken left something to be desired. It was a bit dry, sadly. 

Two highlights were: a car in the parking lot displayed a classic bumper sticker that once was pasted all over my car and house - Attack Iraq No! That's right, homies, original anti-war propaganda. There were other cars with liberal bumper stickers and all golden oldies eating inside. Old southern liberals warm my soul. 

The other highlight was the triptych of presumably three important dudes, hanging by the bathroom. The one on the right is my absolute favorite. His eyes and pose are just so provocative!

Hoofin' it in Nashville and Memphis

Here I am in Memphis. I'm not going to lie to you. I'm in Elvis town. I need to backtrack a bit. On the way from Chattanooga to Nashville, we took a detour to South Cumberland State Park which was by Tracy City (big ups!). Off the road about 10 miles we found Foster Falls, which was majestic from the overlook. It was a real freaking treat. It's spring and everything is wet and green and the falls were robust from recent rains. 

My mom's bff's sister (also my friend Camille), Suzanne, lives in Nashville with her husband Andy. He's a professional musician, and they were kind enough to open their home to us and also take us on a kickass car tour of the city. The downtown area is all neon lights. It's quite small for a big city, but feels larger because the buildings are close together and tall, gives the feeling of the Wall Street area. We drove over near Vanderbilt where it looks more Gainesville than NYC. Across the street from the school is a full scale replica of the Parthenon (check it below). We drove past Belmont University which is beautiful. It looks like the Ritz. It's right by all the studios where country greats record. We even saw Reba's studio (Reba RULES)!

OK, so that night I awoke to the loudest thunderstorm I've ever heard. I literally almost shit myself. Literally. The lightning was insane. This was definitely not the kind of tropical storm I'm used to. I eventually fell asleep and dreamt of tornadoes, or course. Now here are some pics and then I'll continue...

After sitting in traffic for an hour and a half we made our way to Memphis. Nashville is more of a traditional American city in the sense that it's attractive, livable, there's stuff to do and it has it's own character and also the character of a typical U.S. city. Memphis, though, is a southern city. From the first houses I saw off the highway, I recognized The South. This is to me a fabulous thing. It seems to have a thicker personality than southern cities back east. I'll try and describe the vibe through my next few posts.

I'm staying in Cooper Young, a sort of artsy neighborhood with independent businesses and bike riders. On Cooper Street are an abortion clinic, gay and lesbian alliance, literacy coalition and a place you can adopt older cats. Awesome? Yes. Right now I'm in a shop called Java something - Java Cabana, and it's adorable with its mismatched, antique kitchen furniture, two old ladies chatting next to me, local art on the walls, Pavement playing and the mean, gay barista. Still, it has the feeling of being in this city and no other. 

Below is a picture of the location where Martin Luther King Jr was shot and killed. The Lorraine Hotel was transformed into the National Civil Rights Museum. I don't understand why they didn't have tissues at the door at this place. Like LOTS of tissues. 

On the way in to town, the guy at the visitor center told us to do the audio tour because there's a lot of reading. Chris was insulted, and after said - I can read... But there was a ton of reading to do. It's all reading and some video - very informative and educational. And then you go into the room where MLK stayed before he was shot. Very sad. The people that worked there were really friendly young kids, all African American. The whole museum was very much geared toward the struggle of blacks in America, and my one critique was that it did focus more on struggle than triumph, but it was something EVERY child should see. Adults, too. For all those shitheads out there that are against affirmative action, a visit here would be an ethical check for them. I mean, so much of this is in recent history. Horrible things Americans have done to Americans. We're barely a few generations past the civil rights movement. Think about it, racists.
Because I didn't want to end up hanging myself from the rafters in sadness, we ended the day at Sun Studio which is where Elvis first cut a record. For $12 they show you around the studio, and it's worth it because it's such a historic place. It's on the National Register of Historic Places. One anecdote told to us by the cute, blond tour guide with a chest tattoo that said "Honky Tonk Girl," was that Bob Dylan came in recently just to kiss the X on the ground that marks where Elvis stood when he first recorded a hit song. 

I'm going to Graceland today and I'll have more to write later! 

YOUTH FAIR show in Miami. Wtf, bro?

Y'all miami bros need to go to "The Youth Fair, Bro." Justin Long and Meatball are putting together some sick shit by recreating the monster that is the county youth fair. Be there. The fair.

The opening is this Saturday and the closing is on the 30th. I'm missing both, and I'm soooo freaking bummed (like, for real though). OK, so here are the highlights: bicycle powered Gravitron (HOMEMADE - sick, I'm telling you), Himalaya Dance Party, Kenny Rogers in concert (but for real? No.), and the LARDASS food concession (no clue, but I'm a heifer when it comes to food of any kind, so I would situate myself near this).  This will be an event to remember. Tell me all about it, please! 

Opening Reception 

Saturday May 9th 8-11:30 

4141 NE 2nd Ave. Suite 103 

Miami, FL 

justinhlong.com 

Hoofin' it, Days 2 & 3

If you guys were wondering what about my mode of transport, please check out that black beauty below. That's my mom's Saturn station wagon. It is hungry for gas. Compared to my Toyota Camry, it might as well be an SUV. As you can see, I by chance ended up in the 69 space right here in Chattanooga- radical! On our way from Orlando to Swanee, GA, where we rested our heads, we checked out the world's largest peanut monument (below). 

This is a bus bench in Chattanooga. It's a pretty cute little town with a crazy looking aquarium (pictured below) and the Chattanooga choo choo. I actually have been here as a child and was reminded throughout my youth of our visit to see the choo choo. 

I'm writing right now from Greyfriar's, a coffee place that's playing Phoenix right now (I think I heard some Sea and Cake a second ago), and I just purchased a journal (thanks Emily!) at a local bookstore, Rock Point Books. 

This was a random road gem- a "gwaaat" bird, as I'm calling it. It's like saying, "gwat do you want?" This was on Rte 27 in Rossville. Pretty sweet. 

Off to Nashville! 

Hoofin' it, Day 1: Miami to Orlando

As you can see, my road trip has a name, Hoofin' it, and it has a logo, above. If this were a new website that was trip specific, I'd probably have called it hoofinitbro.com. This fantastic logo was created by the talented musician and visionary (clearly) Daniel Laburu. It's got a little bit of what this trip's about: Route 66, robotic half-face Elvis, barbeque, time travel, wigwams and, what else but Americaaaaah the beautiful. That massive, beautiful beast up there is the life of my party, and what I'm coming home to, but for now, he's a determined mind traveler, with me in spirit.

My first destination has been met! I'm in Winter Park, which is right by Orlando. I met up with my travel companion who has one of the best names of the post 90s era: Chris Cornell. Chris was having a little Cinco de Mayo party with tacos, friends and beer. It was great to see my brother's friends and enjoy some down time with welcoming, unpretentious, nice people. I also saw the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and it was really brilliant. 

I haven't seen much but road. I got lost coming in and the area here looks pretty cute. Nice houses, a Chipotle (yum) and neat bars. I'm doing a morning tour before heading through Georgia today.

I drove up on the Turnpike - what a terribly boring strip of road. I did see three does on the side of the road gracefully munching exhaust flavored grass. I have to say, though it is uncool, I really like service stations with their predictable Starbucks and Sbarros. Today at one of them, I heard the faint voice of David Byrne! Progressive, right? 

As I headed out of town, I started to feel a deluge of emotions, not intense ones, but emotional emotions, if you know what I mean. I had some trepidation and separation anxiety, both feelings which I sometimes hold on to for too long. So, I suppose I'll just have to take it "day by day" and see how I feel along the way. My travels have just begun, so I'll have to see how I adjust. My friend at work had the best advice. In the words of Tim Gunn, she said, "you'll just 'make it work.'" That I will try to do.