Fiesta de la Merce - Catalan, Barcelona
Date: 9/22/08
***
It’s always nice to witness an artist onstage whose prolific musical output pushed him safely past that point in his career path that some like to call “making it”. Only this time around, Jose James is cruising down that path at two miles per hour, so everybody can take note as his stereo pumps out the smoothest shit produced in the industry. He arrived at the annual Fiesta de la Merce, for the weeklong party in the Catalan capital. Then on a wet Monday evening, Jose took to the Sala Bikini stage with his minimal three-piece band that really turned it out and created a near-perfect room sound.

With a voice compared to the likes of Gil Scott Heron (and rightly so) the Brooklyn based Panamanian-Irish jazz singer breezed through an array of modern classics from his own catalog like “Park Bench People” and “Velvet” as well as covering a few classics like Marvin Gaye’s “I want you”· and Rashaan Roland Kirk’s “Spirits up above.” James had traveled to Barcelona with keyboard player, Robert Mitchell whose style ranged from classic jazz to Charles Earland and Herbie Hancock all hammered, tickled and teased through a beautiful Fender Rhodes. Mitchell’s keys were complemented by the hip-hop beats of Richard Spaven’s drums and the bass of Neville Malcolm, famous for touring with U.K soulsters, Incognito and US3.

The show was in support of James’ recent release, the ultra-smooth lp titled, The Dreamer on Brownswood Recordings (owned by DJ legend, Gilles Peterson.) James drew strongly from ardent influences like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans and a myriad of Motown classics to create a distinguished and educated album that already broke the market to encompass a wide array of music lovers, including younger listeners. With a heavy international touring schedule, James will be hitting places from Japan to Lithuania in the coming months and sharing the stage with veterans, Jazzanova. It’s clear the buzz is big, and there is certainly nothing better than a refreshing soul buzz.

***
For more on the artist and details on his upcoming tour, visit: www.myspace.com/josejamesquartet

]]> http://evilmonito.com/2008/10/03/live-review-jose-james/feed/ http://evilmonito.com/2008/09/04/summercase-festival/ http://evilmonito.com/2008/09/04/summercase-festival/#comments Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:05:51 +0000 Rick Heffernan http://evilmonito.com/?p=1227

With half the members of Stones Roses present in their own right, as well as aging punk blueprint drafters and modern British soul groups topped off with a shoeless and carefree Debbie Harry; the Summercase festival turned up the heat on a Spanish summer night. Barcelona, Spain was home to yet another weekender of amps, bleeps, screams and thumps. And now in its third year, this festival, had already hosted events showcasing the likes of Jarvis Cocker, Air, DJ Shadow, Daft Punk and the Chemical brothers to name a few. This year was no exception to the line-up given the fact that Benicassim, one of the largest festivals in Europe, had its doors open on the same weekend just four hours south on the sizzling Spanish highway.

Below is a brief review of some of the bands, who although were not the new acts we’ve been accustomed to seeing; they were interesting in that they largely showcased their new 2008 releases. Of course, they also had classic material at their disposal–an impressive repertoire that stands against the vast amount of new music being pushed out of many a bedroom into the realm of the blogosphere.

***
THE BREEDERS
The Deal sisters, in my opinion, were one of the many “Thank god they went on tour again” groups, as I might have been too young to catch them the first time around. With “The Last Splash” becoming an instant classic, The Breeders stripped years off many an early 30-year-old with “Cannonball”, “No Aloha”, “Divine Hammer” as well as the Beatles-penned “Happiness is a Warm Gun.”

Celebrated Pixies member, Kim Deal, in her live performance exuded a vocal quality, that is hauntingly beautiful, yet can still let loose. Along with lead guitarist and twin sister Kelley Deal, the self proclaimed “popular kids” rocked their slot. With their latest album, Mountain Battles , the Pixies dipped into a darker lullaby and tripped-out sonic highway that still leaves on a passing light of their last release, Title TK and of course their other album, Last Splash .

Playing such new releases as, “We’re Going to Rise” as well as “German Studies,” it is clear that Kim Deal’s songwriting is firmly entrenched in the Breeders fan club. With a performance at this year’s Summercase the Kim twins make it all seem easy as they continue to dish out dream rock to an enthralled audience.

Visit the Breeder’s myspace page at: http://www.myspace.com/thebreeders

***
IAN BROWN
Coasting through some classic tracks like “Sally Cinnamon”, “I am the Resurrection” and “Waterfall”, Ian Brown legendary vocalist/lyricist of the Stone Roses was a seminal opening act at this year’s Summercase main stage.

At a reasonably early hour in the sunny afternoon, the coolest man in Manchester still maintained relevance, present as both the performer of the old Roses and his newly incarnated, more politically-conscious solo material. With his latest release, The World is Yours , Brown’s unmistakable voice melodically stretches and chants through a world-traversed production desk, with global sounds making their way in and out of Manchester England.

The album’s title track as well as the hit song, “Illegal Attacks” reveals Brown as a more socially aware musician on now his fifth solo album. On board for the new release is some of rock’s star-studded royalty in the shape of Sinead O’Connor, fellow Manc legends, Andy Rourke and Paul Ryder, plus ex-Pistols Steve Cook and Paul Jones all make guest appearances.

The biggest thrill for the die-hard fans at the show was Mani (original bassist of the Stones Roses, now with Primal Scream) joining Brown on stage for a few of the classic tracks and a good old-fashioned singalong. A solid show that is armed to the teeth with Manchester memories and brain food.

Ian Brown’s myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/ianbrown

***
PRIMAL SCREAM
Ex-Jesus and Mary Chain, drummer Bobby Gillespie brought the 1982 formed Primal scream to prominence in the second half the 80s and the rest, as they say, is Scottish rock history.

The now iconic Screamadelica , (produced by rockabilly loving and one half of two lone swordsman, Andy Weatherall) was one of the defining moments in 90s music scene as it brought together what was then/now called dance music which didn’t necessarily have to be programmed 4/4 beats; but tipping more towards a garage rock, psychedelic bent that further developed into what would be the band’s defining sound. Pushing the boat out even further with the futuristic and heavy XTRMNTR in 2000, Primal scream had progressed to veteran status having just released their 9th studio album Beautiful Future .

The band powered hits through what could only be called a kaleidoscope of a show with “Can’t Go Back”, “Rock”, Swastika Eyes and the beautiful “Movin’ On Up”. Taking to the stage last, but certainly not least, they gave the daylong exhausted crowd one more big thrill in a thundering crescendo that turned their amps all the way to eleven! Long life the Scream!

Visit Primal Scream’s myspace page at: http://www.myspace.com/primalscream

***
BLONDIE
Debby Harry, Clem Burke, Chris Sten and crew smashed true the old material.
Harry pushing 63 years old now was still on top of her game, showing a lot of the younger acts that age really shouldn’t matter in the all too “youth orientated” music market that has seen more come-backs in recent years than ever before.

Blondie’s stage presence proved once again that if you have the right energy, that’s all that matters. Well that, and having some of the best cross-genre tracks every written in pop music history. Tipping through “Heart of Glass”, “Call Me, Maria” et al., it was easy to see their wide appeal with today’s blog-brained, short attention spanned audience as they played a set fueled by a classic repertoire that gives a nod to hip-hop, soul, disco, punk, rock and of course new wave.

With her vast musical smorgasbord and pitch-perfect sound, Debbie built a solid show. At the end, she kicked off her black stilettos into the audience perspiring in the searing Spanish night against the back-drop of the deep blue Mediterranean. At this year’s Summercase Festival it was such a pleasure to see a slice of history being re-made right in front of you!

Visit Blondie’s myspace page at: http://www.blondie.net/index.php

Sonar ‘08
www.sonar.es.

Arriving on the heels of a sweltering heat wave in mid-June, the Sonar ‘08 Festival provided a three-day weekend of non-stop electronic music for the 60,000 partiers who attended. The annual festival is now pushing past ten years when it first began in the Catalan District of Barcelona, Spain. Since then, the festival has grown into a mass media affair touching upon art, cinema and media conferences all grounded upon a solid foundation of music.

With a quickly growing repertoire of bands moving into the festivals line-up, this year continued that trajectory, transforming the city that surrounded the event into a week long pulsating sonic affair. Split into both a day and nighttime series of events, the PM slots of the festival took place at the über-sleek designed MACBA (Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona) while the AM slots took place in a massive air hanger complex about 15 minutes outside the city’s centre. All of which provided the festival-goers a good sixteen hours a day session if they so chose to be fully inundated with music. Presented below are a few snapshot reviews of notable acts that caught my ears:

***

QUIET VILLAGE

The London-based musical duo, Joel Martin and Matt Edwards, were hard at work, tipping the Friday and Thursday crowds into a sweet lull with their afternoon soundtrack, a reflective and dreamy DJ set. Quiet Village provided a nice respite against the beast that was this summer heat wave and became one of the most outstanding acts at Sonar this year.

The name of the group may sound familiar as its also the title of the 1959 watershed album from Martin Denny that redefined the exotica genre. Their well received, recently released LP, Silent movie , could have easily been pigeonholed by critics as nothing more than Balearic resurrection, but seeing their live performance revealed the many dimensions to their sound. Rather than churn out the repertoire of genres Quiet Village represented as they sampled from a myriad of marginalized vinyls ranging from little-known Italian film composers to obscure singer/songwriters. Lets just say, their set has turned the hot afternoon into an erotic lounge. During their set, “Too High to Move” and “Pillow Talk” were grand displays of raw production talent from crate-digger Martin and rising dance-music star Edwards (known otherwise as Radio Slave.)

Their set was harmonic, intelligent and relevant with lush piano keys, slow downtempo beats, spaced-out guitars, deep echo effects and honey-dripping vocals wrapped around a beautiful string section. Outstanding!

http://www.myspace.com/quietvillage

***

THEO PARRISH

As one of the most anticipated DJ sets of the Sonar ‘08 festival, Detroit’s maverick producer, Theo Parrish, proved absolutely fearless with his music selection. He came on at 4:30 am, quite early for a Saturday morning to a surprisingly…ahem…ecstatic and energized, gum-chewing crowd. Parrish swooped in and virtually erased all memories of the high energy Reggaetón act on before him, by opening up his set with the slowest, sweetest selection of gritty soul. Then he meticulously went through his own infamous re-edits of Minnie Ripperton, Eddie Turner and Fela Kuti, as well as unleashing a few of his own techno and minimal sound creations all of which can be found on his Sound Signature label.

Parrish was of the few acts that could effectively blend musical genres and blur the chronological lines that separated the past from the present. He presented a wide and informative spectrum of music history, whilst being no stranger to dropping the bass and EQing the shit out of the track. Parrish moved to Detroit in 1994 and since then became one of the city’s shining stars in the underground music scene. And now at the festival, Parrish truly did his own thing and relished in it, satisfying both the dancers on the floor and the less mobile, draw-dropped audiophiles.

http://www.myspace.com/soundsignature

***

ROISON MURPHY

Hot, loud, moody and amazing are a few adjectives to quickly describe Roison Murphy’s performance at Sonar ‘08, and having caught her performance with Matthew Herbert at the same festival 3 years prior, I was more than pleased to see yet another side of this unique Irish diva.
She held an electric stage presence and displayed custom designed wardrobe with a nod towards 60´s airline chic uniforms and 80’s Grace Jones. Murphy’s expansive vocals filled the giant venue as she breezed through the new material from her latest album, Overpowered , in which she collaborated with such producers and music groups as Bugz in the Attics, Mark de Clive-Lowe, and Groove Armada.

Beside dishing out the hit singles “Let Me Know” and “You Know Me Better”, the max-capacity crowd was also treated to a cover of the 80’s boogie classic, “Keep on” by James D-Train Williams. Murphy has been in the business for a long time now since her recent breakthrough with Moloko and it was a pleasure to witness that her development as an artist has reached new heights.

www.roisinmurphy.com

***

DAEDELUS
L.A’s own one stop chop-shop of block rocking beats, leftfield pop snippets and riot inducing breakdown’s Daedelus, gave a great show to an encore insisting crowd in the Sonar festival’s Dome area under the Spanish sultry sun. The dome provided a nice shade from the midday sun, as well as the one-man midi orchestra, Alfred Darlington (born Alfred Weisberg-Roberts). He hit all the right buttons via a specially built midi controller that lit up fantastically like a Christmas tree.

Clips of Portishead and Nirvana jumped capriciously around on piano breaks and popping beats, making his lengthy two-hour set a scintillating mishmash of electronica, hip-hop and pop culture ephemera. A solid show and a set that may only have been enhanced had Daedelus played the massive Sonar festival by night.

www.myspace.com/daedelusdarling

Estrella Damm Primavera Sounds - Barcelona, Spain
Event: 5/23/08 - 6/1/08
***

Currently in its eighth consecutive year, Estrella Damm Primavera Sound’08 brought together a broad and eclectic line-up of more than a 150 artists stretched across thirteen stages of music.

Evil Monito presents an entertaining recap on Barcelona’s biggest outdoor festival, the Primavera Sounds. Our coverage includes mini show reviews and brief Q&A responses from a sundry cast of music lovers who came out in droves to celebrate at the Parc Del Fòrum

Portishead

Portishead was certainly a very welcome addition to the festival. The band’s first comeback circuit since a 5-year hiatus, in which their lead singer, Beth Gibbons, had engaged in her own solo project. The band’s previous albums were a seminal force during the trip hop period and had indelibly changed the 90’s music industry.

Now that Portishead is back, they’ve recently arrived to Primavera and graced their expectant fans with their recent album, Third.

Being one of the main draws of the festival, Beth Gibbons kept busy and played two shows, the second of which drew in a maxed-out crowd in a 450 capacity auditorium, providing her earnest fans, who were lucky enough to snag a ticket, a very intimate performance. With pitch perfect, crystalline sound, the band peppered their set with their earlier trip hop classics from Dummy and their eponymous album, as well as showcasing the more industrial sounds of their latest, Third. The audience went crazy over “Machine Gun,” a great track from that album.

One of the best shows of the entire weekend and very mellow and special affair, that saw an otherwise disconnected Beth Gibbons, inviting the whole audience on stage in an Iggy pop style invasion during the track “We Carry On.

http://www.portishead.co.uk/

***

Name: Renske van Dongen

Age: 31

Where do you come from: Amsterdam but based in London

What do you do: mac technician

Favorite record at the moment: Dirty Projectors - Rise above

Favorite Website: www.3voor12.nl

Favorite band at Primavera: A place to bury strangers (I have a dozen more that I can call favourite, but this was an eye opening wall of sound that blew my mind)

What the festival means to you: the highlight of my year! Always so many GREAT acts, beautiful location and lovely people.

***

Lightspeed Champion

Myspace also featured their own small showcase tent/shop on the festival grounds and true to the website, it proved to be one of the best places to hear new music and meet great people.

A shining example of this was the act, Lightspeed Champion, who played a brief solo show before his main stage appearance.

Lightspeed Champion a.k.a Devonte Hayne, who is signed to Domino Records (home of Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand), played almost all from his latest album Falling Off the Lavender Bridge which had elements of indie folk, country, pop and rock. Hayne is no stranger to playing a long, self-indulgent track and plowed through his bittersweet and humorous love ballads, marking a serious transition from his far former band, the London-based post hardcore outfit, the Test Icicles.

With his epic numbers, “Midnight Surprise” and “Galaxy of the Lost” doing the rounds on youtube, I’m already looking forward to seeing how his sound will develop, and judging by his busy touring schedule, it appears I’m not the only one taking notice.

www.myspace.com/lightspeedchampion

***

Name: Martin Allais

Age: 29

Where do you come from: The Jungle

What do you do: Swing

Favorite record at the moment: Plantasia of mort garson

Favorite Website: www.youtube.com

Favorite band at Primavera: Shellac

What the festival means to you: Party, Pizza, Jagger shots and random meeting between the bands.

Your website: www.togetheronemoretime.com

***

De La Soul

The legendary De La Soul had been involved with the Universal Zulu Nation movement founded by Africa Baambata and their sound is synonymous with classic hip-hop. Their set on the opening night of Primavera kept the partying rocking into the late hours.

Having seen them several times on this very stage, I can honestly say they never cease to impress. A great performance, although with such an extensive back catalogue to dip into, I was slightly disappointed that they didn’t dig a little deeper on their set.

However they ran through some great hits like “Buddy”, “A Roller Skating Jam Named “Saturdays”, “the magic number” as well played for the crowd some singles from their most recent, “It Ain’t All Good” and “Oooh”. Finishing up with “Tzsoweezee” from one of their most underrated classic albums ever, Stakes is High, was a nice treat. Even Public enemy’s Flavor Flav showed his appreciation for De la by jumping on stage for that number. There was something nice and reassuring about seeing all those hard working legends sharing one stage at a time.

http://www.myspace.com/delasoul

***

Name: James Pearse

Age: 33

Where do you come from:
A small village near Oxford, England

What do you do: Music consultant.

Favorite record at the moment:
Voice Of The Seven Woods (Twisted Nerve, 2007).

Favorite Website: I don’t really have one.

Favorite band at Primavera:
Voice Of The Seven Woods.

What the festival means to you:
Good friends, aching legs, crappy beer, long queues, good bands, bad bands, no taxis, undercooked pizza slices, wristbands, being surrounded by sheep in H&M clothing.

Your website:
www.finderskeepersrecords.com

***

Les Savy Fav

Its charismatic front men like Tim Harrington that gives this band plenty of drama both on and off the stage during the Primavera gig. Their set played like a pumping soundtrack of pop meets punk meets indie-rock sensibilities, to the backdrop of a party where the punch has been spiked. Les Savy Fav put on one hell of a show and Harrington let his wardrobe do all the talking that night.

The group showcased their most recent release, the first in 6 years, “Lets stay friends” as well as a few classics from they’re earlier days, reminiscent of the times when they had first formed in 1995. As the night proceeded, Harrington had the majority of the rapt audience sitting languidly on the ground while they took down the tempo of their set a notch. Only to cause a near-perfect riot when, in a split second decision, they decided to bring the energy back up again. The band was sheer entertainment from the moment the first chord struck to the thundering crash of the last symbol.

www.lessavyfav.com

Estrella Damm Primavera Sounds - Barcelona, Spain
Event: 5/23/08 - 6/1/08
***
Proving they are ballsier than most outdoor festivals of the same draw, this year’s Primavera Sounds ’08 boasted a broad spectrum of talent ranging from well-known bands to the barely discovered, and has yet again set the high standard for European music lovers . This annual event takes place in Barcelona, Spain and was set primarily in the open expanse of the Parc Del Fòrum.

Now in its 8th consecutive year, Estrella Damm Primavera Sound brought together a wide variety of artists and boasted an eclectic line-up of more than a 150 artists. Although most of the festival still took place at the Fòrum, the boundaries had stretched deep into the heart of the city.

The event features altogether thirteen stages of music. While six of them are located inside the Fòrum, the other seven are actually located at different points of the urban center offering concert-goers a broad slice of Barcelona metropolitan lifestyle.

Primavera´s end of May bash, hosted a variety of music and showcased the amazing sound system of the beautiful auditorium. Programmed by local and European promotion agencies and record labels to display more than anything, a big slice of cultural relevance with respect to the past and present.

www.myspace.com/primaverasound

www.primaverasound.com

***
Fuck Buttons

Fuck Buttons deftly uses their machines to push over a vast, invisible wall of nearly perfect soundscape and electronic melodies onto an overly enthusiastic crowd at this year’s Primavera Sounds. Hailing from Brighton, England, this electronic duo, Fuck Buttons, lets everything loose. Andrew Hung and Benjamin John Power take to the stage on a perfect Spanish Friday evening, as they pulsated through a set from their latest offering on ATP records, Street Horrrsing .

Heavily armed with midi keyboards, a variety of effects pedals and percussive instruments, this was easily one of the most unique and colorful acts I’ve seen in a long time, and they certainly lived up to the media hype that currently surrounds them. They articulated through tense build ups, distorted screaming vocals and brilliant melodic releases, teetering somewhere between a rollercoaster of symphony and a Balearic beach walk.

http://www.fuckbuttons.co.uk/

***

Name: Nelson Luis Martinez

Age: 27

Where do you come from: Venezuela

What do you do: Graphic Designer & Drinker

What is your current favorite artists/album:
Willie Colon & Héctor Lavoe - Guisando/Doing a job

What is your current favorite website: www.ffffound.com

Who was your favorite band at Primavera 08: Fuck Buttons

What is the meaning of a music festival to you: The death of the intimate and special one-night gigs but the best line up in a festival this year

Your website: www.no-domain.com

***

Public Enemy

I’ve been waiting a long time to see PE. Not only was it a treat to see one of early architects of hip hop, but seeing them tour in support of their groundbreaking sophomore release, Its Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back and quite handily stole the show at the Festival’s opening night.

A cheering full-capacity crowd was given the full treatment with classic jams “Don’t Believe the Hype” and “Bring the Noise.” The hip hop legends were supported by a full band and they even brought on stage the legendary SF1 (Security of the First World), boasted as one of the original security companies that served for the freshest groups in hip hop’s golden era.)

Of course, Chuck D and Flavor Flav were a fresh as ever. They finished up their set with a new track and instant anthem: “Harder Than You Think” from their album, How You Sell Soul To A Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul???

For more than twenty years from their first release, PE stayed true to their original message with the same fierce energy and style.

http://www.publicenemy.com/

***

Name: Tatjana Buisson

Age: 27

Where do you come from: South Africa

What do you do: Art Director/ Graphic Designer/ Photographer

Favorite record at the moment: Radiohead In Rainbows

Favorite Website: www.hypem.com

Favorite band at Primavera: Portishead

What the festival means to you: It’s a great opportunity to see a couple of great acts that have been around for decades and to discover a collection of fresh new music ranging from electronic sounds breaking new grounds to fresh voices off the myspace stage.

It’s always fun to be surrounded by people who are equally inspired by new music.

Your website: www.post-photos.com

***

Animal Collective

Getting a primetime Saturday slot on one of the main stages, Animal Collective was another group I’d heard a lot about but haven’t had the pleasure of seeing out here in Barcelona where I reside. Their set was pure bliss as they turned up a synth-happy colage of pop vocals, stabbing loops, beautiful echoes and clicking beats! The New York 4-piece certainly put a smile on my then 3-day-old festival face.

Testing the audiences ability to withstand sonic booms of lush proportions and pushing their own boundaries past even themselves, the group turned out work from the latest Ep, Water curses , as well as from their latest full-length, Strawberry Jam .

With elements of folk and a whimsical electronic vibe to boot, Animal Collective proved to be yet another band from the mighty UK-based label, Domino Records, that really made the festival special. Their set sent hundreds of people home happy on the last night of what had really been an epic weekend for all things music-related.

www.myspace.com/animalcollectivetheband

***

Name: Simon Williams (Jahbitat)

Age: 29

Where do you come from: The last place I lived in before Barcelona was Venezuela

What do you do: Try and turn sounds into songs

Favorite record at the moment: A limited release by the amazing White Magic on Southern Record’s Latitude Series called New Egypt …a true beauty.

Favorite Website: www.gamebombing.com

Favorite band at Primavera: A few of the ones I was lucky enough to hear play: Dirty Projectors (next level shit), Shellac, Boris, Animal Collective, Six Organs of Admittance, Clipse, El Guincho

What the festival means to you: A way for a beer company to get even richer and a failed attempt by a greedy capitalist production company to wipe out the local scene…

Your website: www. myspace. com/jahbitat

As a cosmopolitan city, Barcelona grew in international stature, largely from the 1992 arrival of the Olympic Games, and has been thriving ever since. Steeped in grand festivals, rich foods, and music all wrapped up in Gaudiesque art nouveau, this colorful city manages to attract all sorts of people inclined towards these cultural interests. Thus the city has become an extremely unique and creative hub.

Time was what I had plenty of when integrating into my new neighborhood, the Gracia district of Barcelona. Gracia, meaning “grace” in Spanish, is one of the most popular sections in the city. Built as an independent district in 1626, the Gracia has a real feeling of community pride and was built with the idea of encouraging a social network, as evidenced by its many public plazas, open bars, green patches, and outdoor venues. It also happens to be home to a large community of artist, musicians, movie houses, and young families. Most notably, the Gracia district is known for its street parties, especially the Gracia Fiesta, a yearly event which occurs in the third week of August (a six-day party binge).

It’s this fiesta that really made me love the neighbourhood and decide upon it as my home. With streets of hidden galleries, bars giving eight-bit music concerts, poets assembling on roof gardens, young chefs opening new types of eateries, and local designers pushing out their season collections, the Gracia has a lot of its own sub-cultures lending their creative juices to making the barrio a very unique place to live.

It was not hard to assimilate into this culture; with friends from South Africa, Sweden, Turkey, Russia, Guatemala, and Venezuela, to name a few, the Gracia attracts a lot of ex-pats to its streets. A constantly rotating circle of friends is something I’ve experienced in the past and at the risk of sounding cold, have grown quite accustomed to. My life is a series of tenuous social connections that are constantly at risk of falling apart and slowly being rebuilt; especially now that I’m dwelling in a city like Barcelona, where all the fly-by-nighters regularly pass through airport arrival- and departure gates. I sometimes wonder whether my time will come and I’ll be the one throwing a farewell party with my friends in the city.

Living here now, it’s easy to forget about wanting to travel to other places, as it more or less has everything I need at this moment. This also gives rise to the fear, “Could this possibly be my last stop till the eventual rat race catches up with me?” I wonder if I should I just cut to the chase and end up in an easier place I’ve fixed for myself. Yet I’m back out again, regaining the hunger for doing my own thing and traveling to new countries while I still have a chance to see them. Then I wonder, “Am I just meant to stay put?” Time will surely have an answer for this too. For in the words of John Lennon: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

***
Photo Credit: Tatjana Buisson