I have to admit, it really feels good to be home.
I had a great time in Los Angeles. I got a lot done and also had the vacation I've wanted for 4 years. It was an extremely productive trip and I met some really fantastic people.
I will admit that something about LA just doesn't fit for me, but that's not really a bad thing at all. I think everyone finds a place that they thrive off of and can truly call home. For me that's New York City. If I had citizenship, it would probably be London, but that can just remain my favorite city to visit.
I did appreciate everything LA had to offer. So, packing up my things, dumping out my savings, and flying out there has hardly been regrettable.
It was nice to drive again. It was nice to have that almost meditative time in a car on my way to auditions. It's also probably when I'm craziest. While driving, I talk to myself like I should be locked away and scream one power ballad after another at the top of my lungs. Realizing the windows are down at a red light and noticing that everyone is staring at me is never a fun experience.
It was incredible to figure out the community there. I have had extremely strange experiences in LA prior to this trip and one thing that everyone will admit there is that you do tend to come across a lot of bullshit. People claim to be people they aren't and name drop left and right. You'll notice that the people who don't talk about what they're doing and never mention any of the names that they work with are typically saner, more honest, and happier. There are some really wonderful people working in the industry out there and it was fantastic to spend some time with them. There are gorgeous parts of that city as well. If I ever were to go back out there for another month, I now have a clearer understanding of where I'd love to live and the people I'd surround myself with.
Auditioning there is a trip. Plain and simple. I'm going to be blunt here. Guys in LA need to stop staring at each other endlessly and sizing one another up in the audition room. It was the freakiest thing. I mean, we all do it. I've certainly experienced it enough in New York and done it myself. It's the nature of auditioning. However, when you walk into a room there, it's like you've just walked in completely naked. It's as if twenty thought bubbles suddenly appear above everyone's perfectly pomaded mops..."Who is he?", "Doesn't he look too young?", "Am I too old?", "Should I have worn something like that?", "She HE have worn something like that?", "How many credits does he have?", "Is that
really his headshot?", "Is that better than my headshot?"...and then you sit...and wait.
I ended up enjoying the long trips to auditions much more than I thought I would though. Yes..If you're driving from Santa Monica to Burbank in traffic it can take an hour and a half instead of the 25 minutes it's supposed to take. Somehow this actually worked a little better for me. I'm used to knowing an audition is 10 minutes away...which isn't always a good thing. I tend to keep a poor track of time this way and end up running out the door at the last moment. When you have to give yourself that much time for an audition, you arrive calmer, and typically have a bit of time to kill in the car while you wait. It's also crazy to audition on the studio lots out there. In New York, we go to 43rd and 8th...In LA, you go to Mickey and Donald on the Disney Lot. I can see why a lot of people refer to the world out there as being "addicting." When you walk onto one of those studios and a golf cart rolls by you...and it's a perfect 80 degrees out...and three celebrities walk by on their way to a set, it makes you feel like you're already a part of the world...despite the fact there are 100 other guys in the waiting room.
The rest of my time there was spent on the beach and catching up with old friends. I wrote a lot while I was out there and have a slew of new original songs that I'm loving. The beach makes me a very happy person. Body surfing and sand were the two ingredients I had to create the perfect "me time." "Me time" is something you rarely get in New York City.
After four weeks and a termite infestation in my LA apartment that forced me to leave a few days earlier, I am back. I am reunited with my dogs (and you all know how obsessed I am with my dogs) and have plenty to look forward to this winter and spring. I still have a London trip in the works and will be launching another project in the next few days. I will be singing at Emma Hunton's Le Poisson Rouge Concert tomorrow night (
link) and may also be singing in an overwhelmingly exciting benefit at the end of this month. More details on that soon.
I'll be back in rehearsals in the spring for a new show which I will rant and rave about when the time is right. Until then I'll be keeping myself extremely busy with the music end of things this winter.
At the moment, I'm looking out my window at a perfect New York Fall day. I'm so happy to be back with my friends and family.
