What is this place?
Parking In Bitterman Circle is the personal weblog of Aron Michalski. It’s a place for venting, contemplating and sharing thoughts, news and writing. It has a bit of a tilt towards the music business as it is the way the author pays for cat food and server space.
Free form in nature and not as well edited as it should be, it hopes to stand as a representation of where the author stands at any given moment. Though currently based in a southern state, this weblog will come to you from all over the place as travel is the one constant the author has experienced in his career.
I often forget that someone would actually want to know! It comes from an inside joke from a tour I was on; when someone really turns the corner mood-wise and says something really off key (which seems to be quite often) the comment is “Bitterman, party of one, your table is waiting…”
I ended a tour in early October of 2003 and literally put all of my belongings into the back of a rented mini van in the parking lot of Shea Stadium. We drove to a suburban bar mitzvah hall where rehearsals for another tour were taking place. I have worked on this crew on the road since 1990 and had a hand in forming our backline crew. To me it was a close band of friends from over the years; it’s rare when you know and love everyone involved. Close friends pull no punches and seemingly give no quarter when it comes time to complain.
Bitterman Circle was a place, a venting point, a axis of ire that was on stage left where we would gather to snipe, snip and generally bitch to one another. Roadies for the most part consider it an art form; we just gave it a home. Now it’s a web address. I aspire daily to be full of gratitude, appreciation and positive energy. Most days I end up proving that I’m human and my goals, though within reach, are often not met.
There is no hourly rate and that’s a good thing, as none of us could afford it… my time in the parking garage biz confirms that.
Aron was born in Malaga, Spain in the eye of a hurricane. That’s why his hair always looks so bad. Raised in New England, he studied for a few moments at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Though trained as a musician, he answered the call of other musicians who were weak and didn’t want to carry their own equipment up the stairs. This skill drew him to Los Angeles where he carried some more stuff for musicians until they asked him if he would do it on the road. He did. He still is.
He also has written poetry and prose for a long time, communicating his feelings and experiences on the road to his family and friends. As therapy and a creative outlet, it serves him well. Now that blogging and podcasting are a part of his life, it will be interesting to see how he relates his goofball perspective to a new audience.
And no, he doesn’t owe you any money.