Better Than a Tranquilizer

Date:
January 19, 2009

Miracler:
Abby Bridge

Location:
San Francisco

Mix is here.

About this week’s Mix
What a mind-blowing week we’re kicking off here, on a zillion levels. So what a fabulous time to launch this rather mind-blowing mix that Abby Bridge has brought us. I won’t even hint at who or what is on this compilation, but here’s a clue: as I typed the track list into iTunes, the AutoFill feature was rendered useless. As for who our Miracler is and what makes her tick, we’ll let the music do the talking.

My Musical History: A Few Fun Facts
by Abby Bridge

First concert with family:
Waylon Jennings, somewhere in Los Angeles, 1978? I fell asleep after a few songs.

First concert with friends:
The Waitresses at Skate Palace in Laguna Niguel, Calif., 1981

First LP purchased:
Eagles Greatest Hits, 1980 (a "Super Saver" for sure). My stepdad counseled me against this choice and succeeded in convincing me not to buy Tusk by Fleetwood Mac at the same time. "That's a terrible album. Are you sure you want to spend all of your savings on that!?" Yes, really, I did.

First 7" purchased:
Working in the Coalmine by Devo from the Heavy Metal Soundtrack, 1981. The cover art kind of freaked me out and I still haven't seen the movie.

First cassette purchased:
Waxworks and Beeswax by XTC, 1982

I have no memory of the first CD I purchased or the 1st song I downloaded. Who cares?

Most horrible musical moment:
Having to do a dance routine to Kenny Loggins' Footloose with one other girl in front of my entire 8th grade PE class. Excruciating.

Best musical courtship:
19 mix tapes from my boyfriend for my 19th birthday. For anyone young enough to have never made a mix tape, the difference between compiling a 90 min. cassette and a 90 min. ipod mix is akin to the difference between building a rocketship and changing a bike tire (or something like that). It was a time of slow miracles and I was impressed.

Sole attempt at musical performance:
Lead singer for The Administration, an LBJ themed-band formed for a talent show held at the Austin State [Mental] Hospital. Songs: Lady Bird, Robert McNamara, Guns vs. Butter, etc. We won! In the 6 weeks of the band's existence we also played a baby shower, a laundromat, and a "Root Beer Festival" organized by some junior high kids.

Some banal brushes with fame:

1978 or 1979? Was on a flight to New York with Alice Cooper. I still have a vivid mental image of the band picking up their luggage off the carousel at JFK – a storm of long black hair, cut-offs, knee-high tube socks and crazy laughter. I was fascinated and a little scared.

1991 Went to a Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds signing at Rough Trade and asked Blixa Bargeld to sign a thrift-store t-shirt that said "Tame the Pain." Response: "TAME THE PAIN! FUCK IT!" – proceeded to scribble all over shirt with a silver marker.

1992? Spent an afternoon trying to fix the cash register at Le Panier bakery in Portland with my co-worker Elliott Smith, sandwich maker.

1995? Exchanged glances with Beck, in line at Marsee Baking in the Portland Airport at 6 am. Foggily realized that I recognized him because he's a rockstar, got embarrassed, and looked away. We ate our baked goods alone in a sea of empty tables.