Album Launch

So I know these next couple posts have been a while coming but I was too busy enjoying paris...hehe...

On Thursday the project that my company has been working on for the majority of the time I have been here finally cam to fruition. Melpomeni launched her debut album :) I have spent time getting to know her and her music, the process she went through in writing this album, and the process she has gone through as an artist and I have to say that I have an amazing amount of respect for her. She is an incredible, gracious, and surprisingly hopeful person. Also, Wednesday while we were at the office some of the media outlets we had sent Pom's CD to early released album reviews and they were pretty amazing. So Thursday was a night for celebration.

So yah. Julia and I got to work around noon on Thursday because we were going to be working all day so we decided to start a little later. We got business done for a few hours and then at 4 we stopped. Its funny but when Julia is really excited about something she becomes like a child. It's adorable she has so much excitement and it's amazing how much she loves her job. I feel that is mostly the reason she is happy the majority of the time. God I hope I find that.

We stopped at 4, "put our faces on" and then headed out to Huxton square to Zigfrid Von Underbelly. And thus ensued a night of music and drinking. We got there in time to hear the band playing as Pom's opening act soundcheck and then went to check on her. She was in the dressing room getting her hair done. Oh that hair. It was like a massive nest on her head it was outrageous how much it had been teased. But not just teased. Hairsprayed and molded into what looked like a huge flame. It was amazing. After we saw Pom and saw that all was going well and according to schedule, we went up to the pub and had dinner and beers. I feel that if I were 15 years older Julia would have been my biggest enabler in the world. "Do you want a drink?" "oh just have one more!" Yah. Goodbye liver. Thanksverymuch for holding out for so long. We had some pub food and went back downstairs to hear Pom soundcheck. After her soundcheck we went back up to meet Julia's husband who was going to film the show and Julia sat with him while he ate and I took some food down to Pom. Performing on an empty stomach = bad. Then again performing on a full stomach = bad. Happy medium. Find the middle path. For about an hour I just sat in the dressing room with her while she was eating and putting on her makeup and we just talked. It was amazing how much she remembered about me from the brief interactions we had had and how spot on she was in her assumptions about me (usually I hate it when people make assumptions but if you're right...can't really say much can I?) We talked about all that she went through in creating this album: working on it completely alone, moving to a new country (she is australian), writing all of the songs. This album has been 10 years in the making for her. She said it was all her mixed up emotions finally coming out. Even though it is only the launch of it, she was excited for the night because she felt it was a funeral. She could finally put all of it to rest and start the next one. We talked about my interests in fine arts, my work with Peculiar Management, my studies, and she was surprisingly interested in me. We talked about the types of people we know, the types of relationships we have with them. She at one point told me she wasn't worried about me because I'm "a fiery one...there is a fire there." And while that scares a lot of people she clearly meant it as a compliment. Alas, I said goodbye to her because we had opened the doors and it was time to start drinking more and manning the merchandise while listening to some awesome music.

As the opening band went on, Maggie, Pratik, Shahar, and Bella showed up. They came to entertain me because while I was super excited about the launch, I didn't really know anyone there. But it was great because they ended up enjoying it too. The opener wasn't really our type of music (kinda death metalish) but Pom was amazing. Voice of an angel. A dark, melodic, angry angel. The set went amazingly and we sold CDs and drank to our hearts content. Julia - who my friends are now convinced is the best boss ever - would occasionally come up and as "can I buy you another? GOD this night is going well" and who have I ever been to turn down free Jack Daniels. Hahaha. And the icing on the cake was that she gave me the next day off (although I'm pretty sure it was because she knew there was no way she was going to make it into work Friday morning after this).

Look for some stuff from Melpomeni. It's kinda dark, but she has been in some dark places. But the music is great. And look out for her. I see big things for her :)

Radhi

Paris should be coming shortly if I can focus long enough to write it