It's been a long time...

...I shouldn't have left you/without a strong rhyme to step to/think of how many weak shows you slept through.

Deadline madness up here in Van City. One of my best friends Julie was back from teaching in Mexico for just one weekend and I put off all my work to kick it with her. Then spent this week scrambling. We had fun though. Stayed up all night talking about different cultures and our travels and making yummy chocolate chip cookies. Played her all the hot music from the last year she's been away. (Bet Saigon would be seriously tripped out to know that two Canadian chicks were busy baking to "Streetz of N.Y.") Jule brought me a Mexican hip-hop mixtape, too. Feeling Cartel De Santa, who apparently were nominated for three MTV VMA Latin awards in 2004.

Did a bunch of interviews this week that I'll post later. For all the folks who have written me, the Cuban hip-hop festival has been postponed until mid/late September. I'll post the date when I get it.

Reviewed the Black Eyed Peas show on Friday night (photo above, credit Erich Saide). What a fiasco. That's the first show I have ever been to where they couldn't give away backstage passes. From where I was in the crowd, I saw this dude trying desperately to pull some honeys. He moved from one group to the next, looking shocked. Got turned down by at least a dozen chicks, who were like, "Nah, we're not really interested. We'd rather dance right here with our friends." Chalk one up for self-respect.