Summary of my weekend... sort of because I got more. I just don't wanna make you read all of that stuff right now...

I've visited a few places in my short life. I remember visiting Atlanta in 1989 I think, okay, I don't have a clue because I was a whole lotta drunk, drudging through the annual festival of flesh with some old Army buddies I wouldn't dig up if you paid me to.

I had a job interview to dance for this past Saturday. I won't get into what new slave chain I might attach to in the Matrix, I just felt that at 35 I have few shots at jobs aimed at younger cats so I got down there and did my thing.

What I don't remember on my last visit is the beauty and splendor that is Georgia. As I rode into GA I was damn near moved to tears on the taste of the air alone. Now I lived in Colorado Springs back in my early Army days and I cannot remember such a sweet smell while living all up in the mountains. Breathing was more of a escalated experience, an event if you will rather than a body function based on necessity. Taking in the earth tones, the red clay, the greens of the trees and the fresh air blended into sky blue regardless of day or night reminded me on how much of a gift it is to be alive.

I got to Atlanta from Chicago in under 9 hours. I left the Chi late (doing stuff around the house) but was glad that I hit the road around midnight because the roads were empty, the cops were snoozing and I was able to speed 90% the way there. I had a physical exam to do early that afternoon and I wanted to get some rest before I exerted myself physically at the tryouts, but I had an obstacle. I went to the Days Inn to check into my room. I wanted to stretch out and just get in a zone of quiet to focus, I am competing for a job against literally thousands of other potential candidates, I had to get my thing together. So I get to the hotel, printed reservation confirmation in hand, bags over shoulders and then I got hit with a big resounding NO at the front desk. I got bumped. I totally forgot in my excitement that the NCAA tournament was there as well. I also found out that Van Hunt, Mint Condition and Elephant Man (as well as a few b performers) were performing all around the city that weekend.

Shit.

I have no room.

I drove around the entire city looking for a vacancy. I learned a few driving tips and was all up into these maps I bought to get from place to place in order to find a room.

No dice.

The city is filled with sports hungry fans, family members of college basketball players and from what I witnessed hotels full of press corps and the cats that run cables, point TV cameras and work in those big ass broadcast vehicles. Not glamorous at all... Oh well. I know that my room was probably sold for a whole lot more than I was willing to pay. I did not know about the extended stay joints near the airport. Cheap as hell and you can get in there for 7 days at about 25-30% more than I paid to stay in some old, crusty all motel.

Yep, that's right, I ended up on the ho stroll on Cheshire Bridge Road. I saw some shit... Never mind, that's a whole other post. I didn't stay long in that room, I think for my damn near $100 I spent 4 hours total in that shack. In order to watch TV, one had to flip the switch on the wall near the door to get it to come on. That shit was funny. The TV was one of them solid state joints from when I was a kid with a busted control panel. Someone plucked off all the buttons. The remote was a newer Wal-Mart special with mismatched batteries. There was a short in the remote, so no TV for me.

The room was a clean as a Bates Motel room could be, but it was still creepy as all get out. I took a chair and put it between the 2 beds that came with the room. That's where I slept from 4:45am to damn near 9. In the chair, feet propped, one eye open.

Good thing about the room, I didn't have to 'stay' there. I called and ran into a few old friends and a somewhat new one. I heard from an old friend's ex and was told the reason she lives in Buckhead and why he's doing his thing in Decatur alone. I didn't visit her, but we chatted on the phone for a good hour. I also called and hung out with a few cats I didn't know very well, but was shown the facilities at Atlanta Pro Audio, a popular spot off of 85 for budding heat spitters and wanna be producers. Unfortunately I heard nothing trackwise that I liked or was willing to buy as far as my album is concerned. I did meet a few cats that I might want to work with there, and I was convinced that there are much more resources for me in media in Atlanta than in Chicago. One thing, I'm very old school in my approach to what I rock and I might agree that the gully ass ATL sound rocking right now might gain me additional audience with a younger crowd but I think I'll pass and stick to my sound which has a more mellow and mature sound to me. Time tells a lot.

I also got a chance and somewhat pick the brain and spend time with someone I've been wanting to meet for quite some time now. Not enough time spent though. That, my reader was one of the highlights of my trip. Nuff said. Brain picking is essential to me being where I need to be in my life. I have to know. All the time. So I will ask.

Saturday night was spent at a records release party/concert/networking event. Loud, crowded and full of players. I blended in well, no one knowing I was an outsider until conversation and card exchange. I highly recommend getting your ass down to the ATL if you have a new CD with grocery store muzak. You might get a deal. I was able to do something I could not do in New York or in Chicago: I talked with real VP's and Label owners that actually were listening to lil old me. I didn't give the secrets of the temple, but I pitched a few people on some stuff the Chicago fam already knows about. I already got 2 phone calls (one yesterday, one today) from folks that want to hear more than they have and get me back down there. I also need to get on the ball with my press kit so I can put my bid on doing a showcase down there at a popular spot.

Can you feel that?

Good.

Cause I'm all tingly too.

I stayed out till 3 in the morning politicking and standing in a parking lot listening to beats and track concepts. Atlanta is filled with gifted musicians and non-musically trained trackmakers. That alone makes the trip worth it. Resources to do my thing. There is another reason I want to make that move and actually live there, and it has nothing to do with mixing boards and unfinished album tracks... That land with it's red clay and greener trees keeps calling me.