Are Friends Eclectic? Summer in December. A travelogue

Friends of good music, I have to tell you, the people over there behind the seven mountains with the seven midgets have their ears wide open and the hearts in the right place. First proof: Dorit Chrysler’s great shows in Switzerland, where she managed to entertain the packed crowd at Helsinki Club in Zurich for two and a half hours easily, playing a powerful set that prompted ex-pat Charles Wallace of HeadQuarters to use the term 'adult contemporary' in a highly positive context for the first time. Charles himself is getting ready to hit European stages with a solo set, too. He denies that the side project is called Filiale. The next day saw Dorit at St. Gallen's newest and best club ever, the former cinema Palace. The new cultural center of Switzerlands most underestimated city is lead by a group of energized and organized people with good taste and the right attitude - playing Gary Numan’s "Are Friends Electric?" there with Dorit was a first highlight of my trip, as was meeting so many fantastic old friends.

We then traded the usual magic of Winter Wonderland with summer in December, thanx to global warming and an invitation to Portugal for Frank the Author’s big birthday. The Former Franks and Brother A. were the only ones to test the waters at the most south-western end of Europe, the Algarve. Are any of you New Yorkers out there playing Tennis? I picked that up in Portugal again and challenge each and every one of you – call it the Roman Games! Looking forward to seeing all those pix – especially them group photos, Tobi! Not much more time for live music, except for self made Christmas Carols and an earful of Admiral James T., again at the more than sold out Helsinki, with whose boss Tom we checked out the Palace Hotel Bar in Lissabon, where the CIA and the KGB used to share cigars and cognac. (And for those of you who get confused now: No, not Helsinki, capital of Finland and there is a Palace in St. Gallen and one in Lisboa.) Sorry, Painhead that I couldn't make it to your show…I flew back the next morning. Adrian – can’t wait to see your next exhibition. Tombo – good hearing you’re still rocking. Here’s to hoping we will see the Trapscope Universal Sound Orchestra featuring M. E. Smart and the Sad Wolfman, with a little help from the Stahlberger section.

Thanks for the postcard from Zagreb, Michi – I like the little guy! If you happen to come through the far East of Switzerland, check out www.palace.sg, and drop by when Sister Jayn is spinning records. Seems like there are a lot of good things going on, over there. NY, we’ll have to make quite an effort – Happy New Year with great ideas and the power to make them happen. Kristofer and Heather of Morex optimo and Pierre of Melomane an the Snow are starting the culture connection as the new incarnation of the Who in Paris this month. Oh, and there’s Room to come. And have I told you about the Greatest Hits? But more about that later.