Livestream Melangie

 

A few times a year I am lucky, very lucky, to participate in an improvisational musical creation at Evil Clown headquarters that is streamed live via Youtube. The show is then remastered and re-released live on demand.

Our host, Pek has created a band/orchestra with the name Neurodivergent that we (me and DNA Girl the best half of Astro Al) are happy and humbled to have joined.

Eventually “shorties” are made from the set. Where the set is one long unplanned creation, the shorties are short videos pulled from the main set, so that way people can view just short bursts of the whole experience.

You can see it all via this page

Also before the main piece is created, our host the mighty Pek has us create a 5 (ish) minute piece that isn’t filmed but is recorded on audio. This gives us a nice warm up with a short break before we dive into the main chaos. You can check that out here

The show is a wild vortex of sounds. So much is happening at once, I sometimes wonder what sounds am I making?!

Pek also took an ad out in the Wire magazine for one of our releases.

So that’s my wrap up of the first Neurodivergent Orchestra set of 2025. 

1/11/25 live on line!

Neurodivergent

This Saturday 1/11/25 you can watch musical madness live from the comfort of your pad for free!

And if you’re busy Saturday, you can watch it whenever you want, on demand!

What is Neurodivergent? It’s a maniacal musical ensemble assembled by the mighty Pek! All the people gathered improvise a long crazed out jam session running from ambient to jazz to beatnik spoken word to metal to noise to vocal improvs to who knows what else.

Dig it!

https://www.youtube.com/live/rWeh__wqNns

Used Books

 I really dig picking up used books.

If they have writing in them from the previous owner it makes the book unique. 

Not sure I would mark up a book the same way I’ve seen that others have done, I might highlight a part that really stands out, or something minor, but beyond that, I don’t feel the need to put my commentary into someone’s writing.

One book of short fiction I picked up at Strange Maine in Portland Maine (where else?) has notations about which stories the previous owner enjoyed and didn’t enjoy.

I happen to very much disagree with the inept opinions that are thrown around in the book as if they will somehow influence my arrogant view point.

Sometimes I am tempted to write replies then bring it back to the store in the hopes that eventually another person will see my comments and validate me.

Is that what the prior owner thought? 

Damn, did I just become what I read?

Recently, I picked up a copy of The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson at the Book Oasis in Stoneham thanks to a gift card that I received in a mad pile from the fantastique Foley Sisters.

In the book Thompson always writes “lit” instead of “lighted” when referring to igniting cigarettes. The novel was set in the late 50’s, so stylistically, grammatically correct, or not, “lit” is the best writing choice. Why? Read some stuff from the late 50’s and you’ll pick that style up. Also, it’s clearly Thompson’s voice, all you need to do is read some of his other writing to get that vibe.

Well the prior of owner of the book was clearly upset about this perceived grammar malfunction and went into overdrive. Every instance of “lit” is marked, circled, or crossed out completely and replaced with “lighted”. 

I have difficult time imagining being so upset that you could spend your time doing that to a book.

Wait, did I just do that with this blog?

Strangely yours,

Count Robot

Song of 2024

 For me, not only is this my favorite song of 2024, but it's also my favorite song that Yes, never wrote.

Enjoy or don't depending on your tastes.

Have a good new year.

TG

 He went by the nickname TG. He was my friend and now he's gone to wherever it is we all journey to when the spark of life has faded from our organic prisons.

We lost touch years ago. No idea really why, other than the tide of time rolling us apart. Well, most likely it was the distance. He moved back to Virginia and I stayed in Mass. I visited him a couple of times back when he first left New England, then it was the occasional phone call, letter, email, social media post, etc. Then, the blankness of space and the occasional thought, “Oh yeah, I've got to get in touch with him again.” 

        Then silence. No response.

I'm not mad at TG that he didn't respond. I'm mad and disappointed with myself that I didn't try harder and more often. Our mutual friend Charles did and he succeeded. I should have as well. Thank you Charles for contacting me. I appreciate it.

TG I remember the mad nights of partying with you, how could I forget that time I was at a Nik Turner concert at the Middle East and the show ended and I turned around and there you were fresh from having danced like a maniac at ManRay, or my first film acting (if you can call what I did that) and you were the lead, keeping everything great with your natural skill. Yes, I still have the script we wrote together for that animated movie. Will it ever get made? Who knows, but if it does it will all be dedicated to you.

TG in all sincerity, you were the greatest Game Master (similar to Dungeon Master for those who don't play roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons) that I ever met. Your storytelling skills, characterizations, and world building skills, were truly unique, quirky, and engaging. I don't mean disrespect to any other Game Masters I campaigned with, but TG you truly were the best, and there will always be an empty space in my mind from not knowing what the secrets were of the universe you so skillfully designed. I never got to experience the end of the story.

Our artistic journeys also crossed for a time.You pushed me as a creator. TG you made my chapbook The Season of Passage look so gothic with your artistic photography. You truly enhanced our book, Drowning Kittens and Road Gods with the images you created. 

Thank you.

It was always a joy knowing you as the funny person that you were. I don't want to be sad, I would rather live in the joy that I knew you for a time. Thanks for everything.

Goodbye my friend. You are never forgotten.

Yours in friendship,

Paul Angelosanto

Vampiric Thoughts

Vampiric Thoughts

Why should I write about vampires?

Aren’t they over done?

They can never be over done. They are as mutateable as we need them to be whenever we want.

The Deathless Night is a variation of vampire form, a pulp style vampire series. 

I have enjoyed Anne Rice’s vampire series. While I haven’t read all of it, I have found a lot of it to be intriguing and enriching.

But too many people think that’s all vampires can be. 

No.

They have to be more or there will be no more vampire tales of worth.

There are things I could tell you about the series but I don’t want to over explain it and spoil it.

If you want vampires that enjoy their powers and revel in walking the night, then this is your cup of blood.

Here's links to each entry in the series

A Meeting in the Night

A Battle of Crimson

The Vampire Queen

The Society of Others

Outer Darkness

Forever Enthralling

Yours in Truthful Advertising,

Count Robot.

Gigs

Gigs

Hey folks if you want to see Astro Al get strange in your town feel free to help us out.

We dig playing live but sometimes it can be a challenge to find and book a show into a good place that will let our strangeness flow.

If you know of some place that we should play let us know.

Stay strange my friends.

-Count Robot.

astroal.bandcamp.com