From the journal archives:

International Talk Like a Pirate Day

YYEEE'AAARRRRRRGGGGG Mateys!

Cedar Rapids, Iowa: City of Five Seasons

Written August 20th, 2007

Good morning from Cedar Rapids, Iowa!

One of the greatest pleasures we experience in traveling around the US is discovering all of the fabulous towns we have not yet heard of. Now and then it is nice to actually explore closely and root out revitalized arts districts and regional cuisine. This is just what we have been up to this weekend in Cedar Rapids, IA, where we have come to perform at a swank private event.

Fairly soon after landing at the airport, we discovered the local tourist information desk. We really just headed over there to find out where we might find vintage clothing stores, but the gentleman behind the counter was so full of enthusiasm about his town, we found ourselves weighted down with pamphlets detailing the weekends activities, maps of the downtown arts district and directions to the Chrome Horse Saloon. Mr. Tourism described it as "a faux biker bar with good food." That was about all we needed to hear.

A ten minute drive into downtown saw us parked down the block from the Chrome Horse's 19th century, red brick facade. Our inner shopping radar immediately tuned in to the 2nd hand shop catty corner to our parking space, but it had to wait, as everything else comes in second with us when we are looking for food. The Chrome Horse turned out to be our Cedar Rapids HQ.

We generally try to eat pretty healthy on the road – seeds, nuts, berries, baked Lays – so Sas and I got salads, D a yummy wrap. I had the taco salad, a ridiculously good (and big) concoction of lettuce, taco flavored chicken, cheese and a nice fat layer of crumbled tortilla chips. That salad ended up being a hit for the whole trip. Even thought we were recommended a couple of other places that sounded delicious (like Cibo and Granite City) we kept going back for that bowl of piquant goodness. In the process we happily discovered that the Chrome Horse hosts a bloody mary bar for Sunday brunch. Yum.

Cedar Rapids, you have fantastic second hand shopping, and for that I thank you. The second-hand shop near the Chrome Horse is a miracle. Where else can you find a basket of mini stuffed Dinos available for a scant 50 cents each? (That’s Dino from the Flintstones.) We are glad that our career is such that The Lascivious Biddies tend to travel by plane now instead of minivan, but it does somewhat get in the way of our purchase power. Saskia picked up a modernist farm painting by someone named Lisa Jarosh for 5 bucks & Deidre an antique autograph book. The book was easy to stash, but I think the painting became the bane of Sas’ existence by the time we got home. It was too big for the suitcase and awkward to carry, so we each too turns helping her with it. As I write, she still hasn’t decided if she likes the thing still, of if the experience of transport has forever turned her against its pastoral sunniness.

For the show, we rented some musical equipment for the weekend at The Music Loft in your Czech Village section of town. Carrying amps along with us takes up all the room we would rather reserve for shoes. After picking up the amps, Sas and I wandered into an antique mall across the way. We wanted to take home just about everything we saw! Instead of actually purchasing, however, I made liberal use of my camera to do some virtual shopping.

The party at the elegant Cedar Rapids Country Club went off without a hitch. Jason at Pratt A/V did a great job setting up and running the sound. My “Lee Ann Westover’s Super Awesome 80’s Dance Mix” was a hit that took the party well into overtime. We biddies were what we like to think of as the life of the party, spazzing on the dance floor with the rest of the guests.

Come morning, we were tired, but sated. After returning our gear, we inhaled another round of Chrome Horse taco salad and made our way to our own personal mecca, the strip mall. We had a couple of hours to kill before takeoff, and in those situations we like to fill the time with eating and shopping. Nothing new here. D went to hang at Borders, while Sas and I dug around TJ Maxx. So often folks in Cedar Rapids would ask us incredulously, “Why would you shop HERE?! You live in New York!!!” Well folks, I hate to ruin our image, but we aren’t exceedingly wealthy (in fact we are flying coach class right NOW if you can believe it!) and the deals to be had in American’s mid-size cities have us salivating at the mere thought. Each one of us loves to track down a good coffee shop, an artsy clothing boutique running a clearance sale, all the Salvation Army stores we can stand and farmer’s markets when available. (Cedar Rapids has a nice one up on Collins Road on Saturdays, by the way) The big box stores are just the cream cheese frosting on our hummingbird cake.

Sas and I were strong, purchasing not a thing at TJs, but at Borders, we bought a new journal. We have kept one since the beginning. In it we record silly quotes, restaurant reviews, a great many cartoons of varying quality, and countless wish lists. It's a good time to have a fresh one, and Cedar Rapids, you have supplied!

Thank you for a great weekend!

xo
The Biddies
As recorded by Lee Ann

BiddyCast_106: Drums!

<-- it's a beautiful day in NYC

This podcast features Kim Garey on Drums - she'll be with us at this show in NYC:

New York, NY
MO PITKINS
Tuesday, September 25th
9:00 pm, $12
34 Ave A near Houston St.
FEATURING SPECIAL GUESTS:
*Lily Maase on guitar
*Kim Garey on drums
*Comedian Carolyn Castiglia of "Chicks and Giggles"
to get you all warm and giggly!
Chicks and Giggles is a Tuesday night comedy party happening right before our show in the same venue! Make it a long night out and do both!
Click for more info


LISTEN TO THE SHOW

BiddyCast_105: September 11th 2007

A song from rainy New York...

LISTEN TO SHOW

Dae Bennett Emmy Winner!

<--Dae Bennett

Our co-producer, engineer, mixer, mastere DAE BENNETT of BENNETT STUDIOS had to wander up on stage and blush while rambling through his thank yous at the 2007 EMMY AWARDS! Think Emmy and Grammy will get along? Not much room left on the shelf!

DAE YOU RULE!

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety Or Music Series Or Special
Tony Bennett: An American Classic • NBC • RPM Productions and Lucamar Productions
Dae Bennett, Recorded & Mixed By
Sue Pelino, Re-Recording Mixer
Christopher Koch, Additional Audio Post Mixer

BiddyCast_104: Music Music Music!

The awesome Petra Haden -->

Hear these songs and some news:

• Coney Island Day by Deidre Rodman
• Space Sounds by Saskia Lane
• Celestial Delight by The Deelees
• Don't Stop Believin' by Petra Haden & the Sellouts

(Anyone have a keytar?)

LISTEN TO SHOW

Deidre's New Song: Coney Island Day

BiddyCast_103: Itty Biddies Saturday Morning

From time to time The Lascivious Biddies perform for children as The Itty Biddies -- Hokey Pokey and all!

Here is a new kids tune from Deidre, and perhaps the first video we have ever taken of Saskia playing the uke!

WATCH THE VIDEO (Quicktime, iPod)

Van Stories.

I wrote this some years ago, but much of it still holds true. Hope you enjoy!
xo
Lee Ann

Chrysler Town and Country: interesting under-floor storage and a neat back seat that folds down into the floor. The Dodge Grand Caravan: uncomfortable seats and bad stereos, but more serviceable than the tiny standard Caravan, which won’t do at all. Chevy Astro: one van to rule them all.

The Chevy Astro is no longer rented by many of the van rental companies in New York City, as too many tourists have complained that it is too large. The Biddies find it to be absolutely perfect. The Chevy Astro (available in the color of pink champagne) rides high above other cars on a light and airy suspension. The chairs softly cradle the body and warm the tushie. When the driver slows down, the Astro automatically turns down the radio to make up for the lack of road noise. The floor is wide and spacious for sleeping. There are plenty of A/C outlets and pockets for 4 cell phones and chargers. The Biddies will forever mourn the loss of this fine touring vehicle. It is only available now by special request from one company, and then sparingly and not guaranteed.

The van has a vocabulary all it’s own, and a code of conduct to go along with it. “I think I might be ready for some quiet time” means “Everyone shut the heck up as I am tired of listening to you yap.” She who speaks above the quietest whisper during quiet time is met with a glare of deep disapproval. Each Biddy even has her own favorite places in the van, and every other Biddy knows them.

Deidre tends to sit in the back behind the driver, as she prefers a good space-out to driving. That seat almost universally has the worst view, and the least A/C. When the girls have to get up at 7 or 8 a.m. for a long drive, they usually can convince Deidre to go along with it by promising to “shovel her onto a sleeping bag on the floor,” where she is able to sleep for a solid 7 hours without stirring. The other girls are intensely jealous of her sleeping ability, but not of the fact that she has a hard time falling asleep before 5 in the morning. Her nocturnal nature comes in handy, though, during night drives.

Lee Ann usually wins the wrangle for the driver’s seat with a whine of “I’m bored!” or “I’m carsick!” When not driving, she must have a project to occupy herself, such as updating the band’s website on her laptop (the reason why she gets carsick) or scrapbooking. If she can’t find a project, she’ll curl up on the floor behind the driver to descend into Van Sleep.” During Van Sleep, one wakes every 30 minutes feeling cotton-mouthed and hung over, whether or not she had been drinking the night previous.

Saskia also prefers to drive. She is a solid chauffeur with eclectic taste in music, so Lee Ann can usually bring herself to surrender the keys when pressed. When Saskia is not driving, she reads novels and The New Yorker voraciously, and spends hour upon hour trying in vain to sleep. While any Biddy is sleeping (except for Deidre and especially Saskia) all van noise must be kept to a minimum. Saskia is always a little upset that she isn’t getting enough sleep, and the stress of worry often keeps her from said sleep. She is also quite literally the lightest of sleepers. Lee Ann has woken her in the morning by walking in her stocking feet and once by moving an empty cloth bag off of a bedspread on the other side of the room. To wake Deidre, it takes a frenzied Biddy stuffing a sleeping bag into its storage sack right next to her head – but that is another story.

Another phenomenon of van life is that, for the four girls, the space becomes a confessional. By day three there are no secrets. Many a drive has spawned long conversations about all manner of private things. Sex life, digestion, sex life, childhood trauma, digestion and sex life tend to take precedence. It’s very different from being on the road with a band full of men whose conversation topic is limited to (according to Lee Ann) episodes of The Simpsons and (provided the are not actually homosexual) pretending to be gay.

In the van The Biddies also have jobs. Saskia usually plays DJ with her (or anyone else’s) iPod or reads aloud from magazines. Deidre brings said magazines (the trashy variety all the girl profess to hate, then devour). She is also in charge of The Biddy journals, regularly saying to the air in the van “I am just going to put it here in case anyone feels like writing in it…” Woe to she who does not participate, for she will endure the infinite sadness in Deidre’s eyes as she says, “I would really like it if you would draw/write something today. It’s been such a long time.”