L.A.: City of Smiles

L.A. is just crazy, man. Nowhere in the world promises so much: sun, sky, waves, fame, fortune. Eternal summer, eternal youth.

But at the same time, no place else pulls such a fast one: gangs, crime, clogged freeways, endless sprawl. What kind of cruel joke is this?

And yet — although I am a prototypical neorotic Northeasterner, although I am diametrically opposed to everything about L.A. in every way — I like this place. I like its contradictions. I think it’s neat.

You know what dawned on us today? People here are nice. We played at Silverlake Lounge tonight with Pioneer Ships and The Hard to Get, and everybody was just super nice. Bands, sound guy, bartenders, bouncers. Say what? No bouncers in Boston are nice. And the club has its own parking lot??

Great show, good times. See you again soon, L.A.