one of the nicest things about touring is being able to see parts of the world that i would otherwise never encounter.
and i’m not referring to the big glamorous cities, but rather to the weird parking lots and empty streets and abandoned buildings that fill most of the western world.
i just came back from a long walk through this little town in new jersey during which i walked through a senior citizens trailer park, a national guard armory, some vacant lots, a dirty river park, etc.
while on tour i love performing, and i love meeting people, and i love the occasional decadent soiree, but my favourite thing has to be going for long walks through these desolate, quasi-deserted parts of america.
it’s interesting, for on one hand you can see entropy at work as buildings fall apart and weeds sprout through the concrete. but then you realize that a desolate parking lot is actually full of so much more life than a brand new shiny parking lot.
in one abandoned parking lot i found squirrels and doves and bugs and pigeons and bees and wildflowers, which is certainly more interesting than finding a new parking lot with some suv’s.
i’ve never understood why i find a crumbling, abandoned factory so much more compelling than a brand new, fully functioning factory.
or why an empty street can be so much more fascinating than a busy street filled with people. i don’t know.
something about the emptiness(which isn’t really emptiness, just lacking in the human components)is kind of soothing.
and it’s also interesting when people in these situations succumb to this quasi-entropy.
like the old woman lying on her lounge chair, barely aware of the world around her. i walked for 15 minutes after seeing her the first time, and on my way back i passed her trailer and she was still out front in the same position. kind of sad and peaceful at the same time. and now in a study of contrasts i’m going to go and perform in front of 15,000 people.
moby