Miss Wensday

Oops I didn't do it again...

2011-12-27T09:53:00.001-05:00

But I don't think anyone reads this besides mother. Hello mother!

Soooo it's the end of another (Christian calendar) year that went by extremely quickly, so quickly that when I try to think back to specific events and their dates, I get all confused and everything seemed like it happened a week ago. This won't happen anymore with the advent of the facebook timeline, now we'll know where we were at any given time, and we can even fill in the gaps from life BF (before facebook) to make it seem like it has always been around. But I digress.

Things I'm looking forward to in the new year...

1. Finishing up my album with DJ I-Cue for the culmination of our 13 year project When Is Day? This is terribly exciting. We are finishing up the recording and mixing, and putting together a live band. The music is reminiscent of 90s trip hop, with a vaguely 70s disco vibe and Latin flair with a fresh modern twist. It's timeless. And super groovy.

2. Continuing to perform with The Cotillions and Kristen Minsky in The Miss & Minsky Show, our neo-vaudeville extravaganza, celebrating the golden era of jazz and the birth of musical theatre, especially at our new favorite spot in Providence, The Dorrance.

3. Working with my students to help them develop their own performances, in music and theatre through Arts Alive! and All Children's Theatre.

There are many more things I'm looking forward to, but these are the most selfish and since this is my blog, well...I must say, I do have the most wonderful family and friends I could ever ask for and I'm so grateful for all the love and laughter I have in my life.

Best wishes to all for a happy and healthy new year!

Love,
Miss Wensday

*The photo above was taken by Stefan Siebert for Miss Wensday's Holiday Hurly Burly at Sidebar on December 15, 2011. From left to right are Kristen Minsky, Matthew Small peeking above her head, me, Glenn Zienowicz, Toby Andrews, Jess Powers, Brandon Ward, Eileen Forster-Keck, and Kate Collins.*

Oops! Forgot to blog again. Here are a few things I was doing...

2011-11-04T01:27:00.000-04:00

Attending the Jazz Age Lawn Party with Kristen Minsky on Governor's Island...

Singing Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me To The End of Love" at a wedding with Juxo...

Emceeing Providence PinUp's Third Anniversary Party...

Winning Best Jazz Act at The Motif Music Awards with my gals the

Sugar Honey Ice Tea who won Best New Artist and presenter Kristen Minsky...

Performing at many summer festivals like here at The Summit Music Festival...

(photo by Lisa Gourley)

and at this one on Coney Island!

Helping to raise $$ for breast cancer research...

And making this PSA for the City of Providence!

They like me! They really really like me!

2011-06-17T17:05:00.000-04:00

from reviews of The Family; A Musical About the Mob:

“[Director, Peter Sampieri] does make some wonderful casting choices, getting top-drawer performances from Earyes, Colozzi, and Sloan, along with a show-stopping cameo from Wensday Greenbaum as a grateful recipient of Don Marco’s largesse.”
-The Boston Globe

“But [the Don] turns effectively menacing while cleaning his gun and dagger as a neighborhood woman (Wensday Greenbaum), to whom he's just given money for medical bills, sings his praises in an exceptional solo, "A Real Saint."

-The Newport Mercury

"[The Don's] giving nature gets its own song, "A Real Saint" (well sung by Wensday Greenbaum)."

-The South County Independent

Miss Wensday & The Cotillions win the Motif Music Award for Best Jazz Act!

2011-06-02T23:10:00.000-04:00

I was so busy being modest I forgot to brag about this! Check out a feature on page 16 in the latest issue...
Motif Magazine, June 2

I do want to clear up some confusion, though. Miss Wensday and The New Medicinals, though we won for best jazz act last year, is not really a jazz band. I am a jazz singer, true, but I also sing many other genres and The New Medicinals plays mostly my original music, which is a blend of blues, pop, jazz, tango, trip hop, klezmer and rock & roll. I know it's confusing for me to have two bands, but each band has a different function and feel. Just come to see a show and you'll understand EVERYTHING.

Upcoming events! Or- er...event.

2011-05-31T16:33:00.000-04:00

Soooooo for some reason my website publisher is not working and I haven't been able to update my page in over a month. However, there is not much news to report as my life has been taken over by Arlene Violet's world premiere musical, The Family, which opens this Thursday at Trinity Rep. This irreverent tattooed Jew was cast as the devout church lady, Esther, who extolls the virtue of the Godfather in the play, Don Marco, played by Tom Gleadow. We might actually be the only two non-Italians in the show. I have a few other ensembley roles and the show as a whole is a campy yet tragic look at the mafia in RI in the 70s.
click here for a Sneak Peak...
Don't worry, they cut my Italian accent and taught me how to properly make the sign of the cross.

Raleigh/Durham March 25-26

2011-03-29T17:28:00.000-04:00

Holy crap what a fabulous weekend! All thanks to Kristen Minsky of Chifferobe Cabaret, and my very dear frond. Soooooo Kristen Minsky, Rose Noir and Lulu Locks of Providence Pinup and I all flew down to Raleigh Durham for a weekend of cabaret and shenanigans. Friday night Kristen modeled for Dr. Sketchy's of Raleigh and then Virginia Scare produced their very first Speakeasy Cabaret Night at The Black Flower in Raleigh. The only thing scary about Virginia Scare is how amazing she is. She sang a few songs with panache and pizazz, the intensely sexy Meka La Creme performed a few awe inspiring burlesque numbers, another burlesque performer Porcelain, whose name bespeaks her beauty did some slinky, seductive peeling, Kristen Minsky premiered a new number that was taptastic and Podcasting's Rich Sigfrit held it all down in his utilikilt as the emcee. Oh yes, and I performed as Mademoiselle Mercredi which most everyone thought was funny. Most everyone did NOT think my monologue to the bartender who was celebrating his birthday was very funny, but just for the record I was TOLD to make all those Brokeback Mountain jokes.

The next night was Chifferobe's tribute to The Marx Brothers at Cuban Revolution in Durham. I emceed and sang with Clark Stern, an amazing blues piano player who put on his jazz shoes for the evening and killed it as my accompanist. Rose Noir stepped in as Lydia the Tattooed Lady to open the show, and I almost remembered all the lyrics in the proper order. Kristen Minsky (also the curator) premiered yet another new incredible tap number, The Cuban Revolution Tropigals got up on the bar and drank some rum and coca cola in a show stopping number, local burlesque beauty and milliner Joei Chapeau performed a couple of the most creative and titillating burlesque numbers I have ever seen, Virgina Scare blessed us by singing another sweet song and Meka La Creme came back to perform a breath taking dance along with her partner Apothe-cory who I could have SWORN was called Alpaca Cory, and well...he is now Alpaca Cory...

March 4th- The New Medicinals are back!

2011-02-16T05:51:00.000-05:00

Yes we took a little break. Yes we recorded a little during this break. No we aren't finished yet. Yes we missed you.

Happeninks February 2011

2011-02-02T20:10:00.000-05:00

*this photo of artwork by Todd Goldman reminds me of my boston terrier Sparky for very literal and disturbing reasons.

February 9- Meet Your Match
I'm hosting this cocktail party to celebrate Providence's most eligible singles!

February 10- AHA New Bedford Carnivale
I'm emceeing and singing a diddy or two with master accordionist Juxo at a mini CHIFFEROBE.

February 11- RISD takes CHIFFEROBE Lost, Lonely and Vicious
Performing as Mademoiselle Mercredi with Juxo on accordion and Geo Leonard on guitar.

Behind the scenes of the Providence Monthly shoot...

2011-01-26T03:07:00.002-05:00

So if you've been in any coffee shop in Providence you'll see I'm on the cover of this month's issue of Providence Monthly for being one of the most eligible singles in Providence. I know, I too find it astounding that I'm single.

First was a but of gussying up at G Salon in Providence. That's Gina doing my hair and Raphael doing my makeup. Gina put a black gloss on my hair and a little streak of Valentine's Red.

Raphael gave me lashes for days and my new favorite lipstick, Jungle Love from Nars. Which does have a tendency to get stuck on my teeth...

The best part of the day was having my mom there to share it with me. She was nothing like Barbara Hershey in Black Swan.

Okay maybe a little.

The shoot was at Hope Artiste's Village in Pawtucket. I was lucky to be photographed for a second time by Corey Grayhorse. Her photos are so whimsical and colorful, and she truly captures people at their best. The lady works some magic. Providence Monthly had a lovely spread, and Julie Tremaine and Johnny Tabs were there to make sure we all had a good time and got to mingle with the other singles. The art directors on the shoot made amazing props for us to pose with and the overall vibe from the shooting to the shmoozing was fun!

This month...

2010-12-17T01:19:00.000-05:00

Providence Pinup and Chifferobe are teaming up for a New Year's Eve Spectacular! I'm performing there with The Cotillions at Cuban Revolution in Olneyville. Providence Pinup did a special photo shoot with the hostesses Kristen Minsky, Lulu Locks and moi! Lulu did our hair, Jessica Berndt did the makeup and Corey Grayhorse captured the photos. Corey has a sneak peak on her blog: http://agrayhorsecaptured.tumblr.com/
Last weekend I triumphed over seasonal illness to perform as Little Miss Wensday at Perishable Theatre's annual fundraiser Jingle Belles and a Few Balls. The theme was "supernatural holiday" so naturally I went with zombies.

Okay I'm obviously the worst blogger in the world.

2010-10-21T12:39:00.000-04:00

I blame the instant gratification of facebook and twitter. Status updates are like one sentence blogs. Looking back at this abandoned blog it seems like the subject of most interest to me was the mouse living in my old apartment. Ahh the life of a spinster at the turn of the century...However, since last I wrote, my original band The New Medicinals have started our first recording together, and my retro jazz band The Cotillions have played some amazing events from Providence to New York. I moved to an apartment in a more savory part of town and though there were some mouse poopies, since we moved in July I haven't seen a live one! My sweet dog Sparky came back to me around the same time, he was still with my ex in Phoenix but mama got him back and now I have a pack of 3, which could account for the lack of mice in my life. I do sweep up several mousie's worth of hair every day but I will take dog dander over disease causing micro-organisms any day.

If it's not one kind of poop it's another.

2010-02-16T15:44:00.002-05:00

So remember when all I could talk or write about were my little mousie friends living in my kitchen that wore cloaks of invisibility to remain unseen by my two dogs (one of which is a RAT terrier)? Well I finally drove them out like the Pied Piper. Not with a flute persay but with those things that emit a sonic frequency that makes them go cuckoo. Those have been in successfully for a good 6 months with no mousies entering my abode but today on my stove I found a treasure trove of mouse poop and pee which is where they used to either live or gain entry to my apt. It was right by one of the gas burners so I'm thinking that maybe they came to FSU but when they got through the stove they were hit by the sonic frequency which made them poop/pee themselves and then they took off back down through the stove. There doesn't seem to be any evidence suggesting otherwise. I am a bit confused by the coffee grounds that fly out of my grinder because in chunks they kind of resemble mouse poo but I'm pretty sure the collection on the stove is the only hard evidence I have that they have returned. Probably to kill me.

Los Grammys 2010

2010-02-01T00:38:00.001-05:00

Well...I watched 'em. I voted the year that my album was on the ballot in a bunch of categories. That was the year Winebag won Best Song for Rehab. Wino won Best Song for Rehab. Ok I'm done. Anyway...I watched this year and here are my thoughts. The pop stars did all futuristic robotic shiny shiny productions which were fun to watch despite having to hear Beyonce sing through one of them. I don't like to trash other singers, I really don't but I think Beyonce has enough fans who think the opposite so it's okay for me to say I REALLY can't stand her voice. All the vocal acrobatics are so out of control, her voice is like static electricity, it goes all wonky and then she pulls it back, it's the same as her movements; spastic. She's so awkward but not in an endearing way. Beyonce is gorgeous and I love her body, I'll give her that. If she was a model I'd dig her. But when she sings, dances, or acts I have problems. So the pop stars were shiny, the country stars were BOOOOO-RING! And Taylor Swift who gave a lovely acceptance speech MURDERED the Fleetwood Mac song, just BUTCHERED it. Stevie Nicks was giving Taylor the stink eye during every chorus, it looked like lasers were going to start shooting out of her gunmetal eyeshadow. The poor girl can write hit songs but she can not harmonize. At least Stevie payed her back on Taylor's own song! What else, what else. Oh who was that retro chick singing jazz during the Les Paul tribute? Why did I not get booked for this? Now I was a HUGE fan of Maxwell when his first album came out. Buuuut his falsetto was sounding a little strained. I'm thinking he was recently sick 'cause the top register suffers the most when you have larynghitis. Or maybe he just sounded like shit. But then Roberta Flack came out looking like a zombie and singing in a completely different key and made him look waaay better than he made himself look. I just recently realized how much I like Pink. She has an awesome voice, I doubt she has auto tune and then she does an aerial show while belting out her song. Which I love. Best New Artist? No to all of them. The only New Artist I had heard of was the Ting Tings. I tried their album and couldn't get into it. I found it to be BOring. I guess that's it. Fairly uneventful Grammys, I didn't feel any different after watching it, there were no life altering performances like when Madonna did "Like a Virgin" or when Snoop did "Murder was the Case" on the MTV Music Awards buuuut shiny bright things went FLASH! POP! and I was momentarily distracted.

The Fat Man is Dead

2009-12-24T00:26:00.000-05:00

So...I donated a custom written and recorded song that was auctioned off for www.greenlock.org's 20th Anniversary Fundraiser. I ended up donating two cause I roll like that and one of them went to a woman who wanted me to write and record the song with her ten year old daughter. We had the songwriting session the other night and it was as magical as I though it was going to be, but in a completely different way. I had envisioned us writing some kind of inspirational Mariah Carey's "Hero"-esque song that would become the soundtrack for her generation. When I asked her what she wanted to write about she said "Christmas." Fair enough. I asked her what she thought the best part of Christmas was and she said "Presents. And sometimes you get money." Her other favorite part was hiding video cameras in the tree to spy on Santa. I didn't want to state the obvious ("But then didn't you see there's no Santa at all? Your parents have been lying to you for ten years.") Anyway, it developed into a song about how she got all Santa's presents cause he fell off the roof and died. She insisted on the lyric "the snow was turning red." My other favorite line is "I wanted to help him so much but then I saw an ipod touch, I grabbed it with my hand then back inside I ran." It was like writing a song with mini me. Oh and then she finds Santa's cellphone calls Mrs Claus who says, "The fat man is dead! I'm so excited I almost wet the bed!" I'll post it when we work out publishing, which she asked about ten times. That's my girl!

Wendy Greenbaum

2009-11-18T23:22:00.001-05:00

So...my real name is Wendy Greenbaum. I haven't used it since 1993 but that's really my name. If you're not my grandmother or one of my friend's parents from childhood you may not call me Wendy. You may not make the mistake of calling me Wendy expecting me to think it's endearing or makes us closer as so many men I have dated have attempted. It's inappropriate and creepy. But anyway, my mom didn't believe there were other Stephanie Greenbaums on facebook (my sister) so we looked up all the Stephanie Greenbaums and there were 11 of these adorable high school or college aged girls. Then we looked up Wendy Greenbaum and this is what we saw...

I'm guessing Wendy Greenbaum is the one on the left, the one on the right looks more like a Sally O'Malley.

An older more mature Wendy Greenbaum.

And this is the greatest Wendy Greenbaum of us all. I'm assuming she's the one on the left.

Thanks, Daddy, for suggesting I blog about this phenomenon.

Sons of Anarchy

2009-11-06T21:33:00.001-05:00

Okay I've become a little obsessed with this show. Okay I've become a lot obsessed with this show. The biggest reason would be the young male lead, his character name is Jackson "Jax" Teller who is the Hamlet of the outlaw biker gang Sons of Anarchy. Although I did imdb him, his real name is not important, because I would have no chance with him in real life. Unless he likes tattooed Jewish women in their thirties who are two inches taller than the legal size for a midget but have the ass of a woman of average height. I'm sorry, standard size for a midget. I would totally have a chance with his character, Jax, because Jax is a man whore and outlaw bikers usually tend to dig me. Anyway, he is DREAMY and I love every scene with him in it. In fact, I wish he was in every scene because some of the acting on this show is atrocious. The dude who plays the cop who is also in the Sons of Anarchy outlaw biker gang was actually in one of the greatest movies of all times, Showgirls. You know, the dude who says "I got towels!" He sucks. Ron Perlman plays the King Claudius character Clay Morrow. I've loved Ron Perlman in absolutely everything else he's ever done but he is kind of disappointing as Clay. He has moments, I'll give him moments, but something is just not right about his performance. Peg Bundy as the mother, Hamlet's Gertrude of course, is also kind of weak. I just can't take her seriously as a bad ass and she's doing nothing to convince me. I dig the doctor with the beautiful eyebrows and cheek bones, and pretty much everyone else. I mean, there's a Jewish biker who dresses up as Elvis for special events. Love it. Obsessed. UPDATE: Okay, as Season 2 is nearing towards its end, I have grown to like Peg Bundy and grown to DISLKE Tara. Her intense looks make her appear to be acting but really it's her eyebrows and cheekbones doing all the work.

Where did October go?

2009-10-26T23:16:00.000-04:00

It always does this to me. I swear October is the quickest month of the year. I've been hard at work directing and choreographing "Give My Regards to Broadway," an All Children's Theatre production that opens November 7th. My new band Miss Wensday and the Klezmerachis sounds AMAZING and will be announcing our premiere show so very soon. Tomorrow are auditions for "The Birdcage" that I'm directing at Dynamic Theatre that goes up in March. I'm working on a not so top secret but semi secretive music project that was started in 1998 and keeps getting more...ingenious. AND I can't wait for Halloweenus! As a child I always feigned illness so I didn't have to go trick or treating. It bothered me that it would always be cold and I had to wear my jacket over my costume. Like, what's the point? I would dress up for school and I think for me, that was enough. Maybe it's because I always have hated asking for things, even when it's appropriate. I hate to impose. My dad was happy to stay home with me and I made my mom take a treat bag out for me "trick or treat for my daughter who's home sick." They probably thought she was just saying that.. So now...as an adult I LOVE Halloween. Not only dressing up, but staying in character. It's obnoxious, but just to other people, I have a GRAND time.

Showcase Pro Wrestling

2009-10-13T13:16:00.001-04:00

Sooooo...this was a glorious evening. This event was a benefit for Greenlock Therapeutic Riding Center, my mom's barn for the handi-capable (short definition). Gary "Nature Boy" Gold volunteers at Greenlock, and that's how it came to pass. My mom, Sheila is non violent by her hippie nature. We weren't allowed to have any toy weapons growing up; no light sabers, plastic guns with orange tips, nothing. She understands that pro wrestling of this sort is more of a performance although even after seeing "The Wrestler" she thinks it's real blood, even when it's flourescent red. She also loves the special attention that Gary shows her when she comes to his events. "I'm with the band" that sort of thing. She likes to tease Gary about the violence and told him before the match "No biting, Gary, I don't want to see any blood!" So what does Gary do, mid-match? He says "this is for you, Sheila!" and starts gnawing on the dude's head. So awesome. I know my blackberry pictures suck but I had to capture these rare and wonderful moments. Below in the red bikini bottom is Gary himself.

The big dude in the suit is John Cena who is apparently a big deal. Now...I googled John Cena and this is not the same John Cena because THIS John Cena is about 60 and wrestles in a business suit. The John Cena all over google was born in 1977 and is not only a wrestler but a hip hop artist. Absolutely can not be the same dude. This John Cena looks more like Buddy Cianci.

UPDATE: This John Cena is the other John Cena's DAD! And all was right in the world...

When they introduced the dude below in the red ripped shirt the announcer said, "And now, straight from the Homeless Shelter of Attleboro, Hobo!" I though they were kidding. They were not. And Hobo was the good guy.

After Hobo was destroyed by two guys pretending to be one guy in blue camo and a hockey mask, this dude who looked like Axl Rose in a cowboy hat came out trash talking Hobo while he was unconscious and actually lay down on him at one point, as depicted below. I have no idea what he was talking about.

This tag team match was awesome. The schlubby dudes in yellow were brothers and they were hysterical. This time on purpose. I think. They wrassled the pretty boys in green. The one lifting his leg up had shoulder length curly hair that he kept dramatically flipping and slicking back. He did a few backflips but mostly jumped up and down on the side, pretending he couldn't tap his partner's hand, waving his luxurious hair all about. And no, they don't wear cups. My mom thinks I'm obsessed with this and I am.

A word about the crowd. Now...this is my second time at the Showcase Pro Wrestling which btw is held at the Moose Lodge in Attleboro, Ma (where I was born-wait not at the Moose Lodge but at Sturdy Memorial Hospital) and I can say confidently and with an expert (my mom and her partner at Greenlock) that about 75% of the audience has special needs. I say this with no judgement, I'm just stating fact. Now...call me ignorant, but I didn't know that people with Downs Syndrome were allowed to drink beer. I mean, they can't drive cars, can they? Another word about the crowd. Like any organized sport where you're allowed to yell stuff (my favorite is hockey cause I can yell "put it in!" and it's appropriate) one person starts yelling something and it catches on. Time and time again, it kept coming back to "You're gay!" Or "You're a homo!" And even chants of "Homo!" I saw two little boys start to chant "homo" and the mom furiously hushed them but when they yelled "you're gay!" she didn't mind. This was all rubbing me the wrong way, so I yelled out "GAY IS NOT AN INSULT!" and my dad said "Wrong crowd, Wendy."

Anyway, this was my favorite person in the audience, the dude in the top hat. You can't see it cause blackberry cameras are crap but it said "Psych Ward".

This is Nero and Nikki Valentine. I asked if we could take a funny picture and suggested a headlock because that's what I did when I took my pic with Hulk Hogan and I thought I could start a theme. I didn't say all that, though, didn't want to be the name dropper. Nikki clearly did not understand what I was going for and Nero thought I was hitting on him. When they asked who I wanted to put me in the headlock he said "You know you want me to." How could I refuse?

Los Angeles with Bobby Taylor

2009-09-30T22:01:00.003-04:00

Last weekend I traveled to LA with my record/management company Desert Dreams to record a track written, recorded and produced by Bobby Taylor. Bobby Taylor is a true Motown legend and was actually in LA from Shanghai for the HAL Awards; Heroes and Legends of Motown. When he was playing with Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers a group called the Jacksons opened up for him. Bobby piled Papa Joe and the boys into his car and brought them to Detroit where they stayed in his one bedroom apartment until Berry Gordon finally heard them and signed who would become the Jackson 5. The rest, as they say, is history. Bobby is old friends with Suzy Michelson and Alex Cyrell from Desert Dreams and about a year ago sent them a song he wrote and produced in his studio in Shanghai called Soul to Soul. I recorded vocals over it last year in Phoenix but Bobby really wanted to produce me himself so since he lives in Shanghai and I live in Providence, we met in LA. Bobby Taylor is larger than life. At 75 years old, he is full of energy, he's always on and he's on at over 100%. He's full of anecdotes and stories; unbelievably true incredibly outrageous stories. That I totally can't repeat here! He was the voice of Mush Mouth of Fat Albert. Mush mouth! He was traveling with his assistant from Shanghai, Yum Fun, who really is actually all positive as her name implies and had met up with Chanel, a young woman of 20 who he taught singing to and became a sort of godfather to when she was 9. They hung out everyday until she was 13 and still have a close relationship. I also met up with my good friend David who I know through his Uncle Dick; Dick Wagner to the rest of us! Anyway, as soon as it is ready we will release the song for download and stream it of course so you can hear it! I'm really excited about it and I can't wait to share it with everyone...

The Nineties Were Good To Me

2009-09-24T02:28:00.000-04:00

I think when I'm older I'll talk about the nineties like my semi ex hippy parents talk about the sixties. I think the nineties were extra spectacular because I was in my twenties. If I had been in my thirties in the nineties then they may not have been so exciting. Not to say my thirties haven't been exciting, but exciting in a safer more responsible and sustainable way. Now that I know things have consequences and that I actually will run out of time someday. Also time goes faster as I get older so the decade between 20 and 30 seemed like a whole lifetime. I pretty much blinked when I turned thirty, opened my eyes and I'm almost 35. Someone told me I should start lying about my age now. I don't see why, I'm proud to be 34. I am even loving the grey hairs coming in. They are like free highlights. In honor of a stack of photos I found in my parent's basement, I would like to pay tribute to the nineties.

New Orleans

2009-08-31T23:55:00.003-04:00

What a magical and wondrous city. The landscape in the surrounding bayous and swamps is a microcosm for the city itself: beautiful, ornate, vintage, twisted, mysterious, seductive. I came here to visit Pants, of the Pants tattoo. Her real name is Shellby, we used to work together at Tattoos By Lou in Miami. Everyone thought we wouldn't get along and we defied them all by becoming the best of friends. The manager of the shop was Ami James who at the time was Omi, after the famous tattooed Omi supposedly but really he was sick of people calling him Amy. Now that he's all famous he can spell his name however he wants. He was particularly unfond of our union. Anyway, Shellby and I used to call each other Smarty Pants, Fancy Pants, Pantsy Pants and eventually just Pants. Pants made the drive with me from Providence to Phoenix in 2006 and to celebrate the drive and her birthday we got matching Pants tattoos by Mando Rascon. Pants moved to New Orleans a couple years ago when I was in Phoenix to manage Electric Ladyland Tattoo. As of my visit Pants is no longer working there in anticipation of moving, hence loads of free time to do all the things I wanted to do here: Pharmacy Museum, Zulu Exhibit, Swamp Tour, Botanical Gardens, Cemetary, Parade, eat loads of beignets, Voodoo Store, street music, and guess what, we did it all. In terms of culture and facade it's kind of like visiting France, but the people are nicer and you don't have to pretend you're Canadian.

Tempe Music Festival

2009-08-25T14:16:00.002-04:00

A trip back to the begining of April, when I played the Tempe Music Festival back in Arizona. This was a big fancy music festival headlined by the All American Rejects. I think that's their name. They're one of those new fangled rock and roll boy bands that has a catchy song on the radio. Actually, every one who played was in a new fangled rock and roll boy band, except the Shiny Toy Guns who have a hot chick singer who was wearing the tightest pair of spandex leggings I have ever seen. Danny Zelisko from livenation kept saying they were like peel and eat shrimp. He meant it as a compliment. I played EARLY, like really early. Like before most people got there, cause if you're coming to see the All American Whoseywhatsits at 10, you may not get there at noon to see everyone. Especially if there's no reentry, and no hard liquor. I went on right before Tongue Dried Sun from Tucson. Or Sun Dried Tongue. Oh god I always mess that up. They actually turned out to be the awesomest people I met that day, especially Wayne, the guitar player. They didn't even mind me singing "Tongue Dried Sun" to the tune of "Black Hole Sun" to them. I think they were even slightly amused. I saw my friend Brad Perry there who still loves me even after I introduced him to a crazy drunk girl fan. He introduced me to his new drummer, Frankie Muniz of Malcolm in the Middle fame, who is about my height when I'm NOT wearing platforms, i.e. adorable. Oh the funniest thing that happened was when one of the dudes from Shiny Toy Guns said to me, "Hey aren't you the butt piercer from jackass?" and I said, "Yes, but did you see me play today?" And he said, "No, but I saw you dressed up earlier and I figured you were in a band." To make a long story slightly shorter, he recognized me by my tattoos. Turned out he was only 13 when he saw me on jackass and remembered me (due to some nocturnal emissions I'm sure). It's disconcerting to me that people know me more for sticking jewelry through Steve O's bum and beating up Preston Lacey than they do for my singing and songwriting. At least it's 15 minutes of fame that have been extended for almost ten years! And as I learned from those jackass boys, any publicity is good publicity, it's all about the footage.

the elusive and mysterious mousie

2009-08-24T01:54:00.001-04:00

I don't know whether that guy is coming or going. He's like my last relationship, on again off again. Just when I think I get rid of him he weasels his way back into my life. Back onto my counter. Mind you, the only food on the counter is the little stack of cheese on one of those sticky mouse traps. He is clearly not after food. He uses my counter as his litter box. Someone told me mice don't have bladders. THEN EXPLAIN THE PEE. There is mouse pee. I know it's mouse pee cause my dogs can't get on the counter by themselves and because the mouse pee is suurounded by mouse poop. No bladders? Who said that and why? I don't have the time or energy to google that. So anyway, the guy who patched up the hole under the sink that is the alleged mouse hole claimed that he saw the mouse escape through the hole right before he filled it in. I found that to be way too convenient. Sure enough, later that evening, god damn mouse is back. Crawling all over my clean dishes. WHY???? WHY???? He really is like a horrible boyfriend that I just can't get rid of. Or I just can't admit to myself that there may be more than one of them! I will admit I am obsessed with this battle, and I will also admit my fear that my recent ulcer development could have been cause by bacteria left by this damn dirty mouse. Or mice. Or rats. Whatever they are, they are my inconsiderate roommates, my imposing house guests that have overstayed their visit, every bad relationship I've ever had, and the cilantro garnish on my Mexican and Indian food.

The little mousie and me...

2009-08-20T16:40:00.000-04:00

...are finally over I think. And I didn't have to kill him. He's been living here ever since he was born and unless he has dwarfism, he doesn't look like he was born a long time ago. I think I may have killed his parents because the poops have drastically shrunk in size over the past month or so. They used to look like shit tic-tacs, shit-tacs, but now they are more like tiny little black sausages. Hahahah ew ewww. There also used to be chew marks in places that it would be impossible for a little mousie to get to. AND I actually had seen a rat outside my house by the trash one night when walking my useless dogs. Useless because around them the mouse wears a cloak of invisibility, otherwise I couldn't explain their inablity to see, smell, or sense the mouse. I put my RAT TERRIER, Sanchez on the counter WITH the little mousie and I watched as the mouse darted behind Sanchez who stood on the counter looking at me with his intense little glassy eyes. He was paralyzed with wanting to please me and forgot what he was bred for, to kill rats. I've seen Sanchez attack and viciously kill dirty socks that have been left on the floor yet the live creature running 3 inches away from him doesn't even make him blink. Sanchez and my other dog, Trinity, a black/white mutt mix have both chased the same fly for at least twenty minutes without stopping but they have never once noticed the rats and mice living in our kitchen. Amazes me. Anyway, more on this saga later...

In the beginning...

2009-08-18T14:10:00.000-04:00

...there was Wendy. In the middle there was Wensday. And Dede, Wenus, Wens, Wee Wee, Ween, Wed-nes-day, but mostly Wensday. And if you'd like to be real proper, there is Miss Wensday. I'm a singer, songwriter, actress, theatre educator, director, playwright, domestic violence activist, daughter, grand daughter, sister, auntie, niece, cousin, 1st cousin, 2nd cousin, 1st cousin twice removed (kidding), best friend, and so many other things. Like obviously, I'm also a comedienne, but only if you have a really bad sense of humor. And I talk like a valley girl from the 80s even though I grew up in Rehoboth, Mass. And a bumper sticker writer, but only for imaginary bumper stickers. I have a lot of really good ideas and a lot of really bad ones, too. I prefer a slow start and a big finish to a big start and a slow finish, and I'm trying to have better taste in men and something I hear is called "standards." Anyway, this blog is to cohesively track my comings, goings, and happenings. I will write about somethings that have happened in the past because they're too funny not to mention and I should have started this ages ago. Did I mention slow start and big finish?