| - Paula
Frazer -
 I first met Mark Eitzel in the early 1980's. I saw him play at a now defunct club in San Francisco called the Mabuhey Gardens. We were both playing in bands around town -- though different genres of music. I was in a band called Frightwig and he was in American Music Club. I would just see him around town pacing the street with the wind whipping his long black trench coat. We didn't really hang out back then, but we had a lot of friends in common (people from Ohio).
I then saw American Music Club at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco sometime in the early 1990's. I bought one of their records shortly after. My band Tarnation played a couple shows with them before they split up.
When asked to do one of their songs, I wasn't sure if I could pull it off - Mark's songs are so personal. But I went ahead and gave "Hollywood 4-5-92" a try on my 4 track and I felt that the end result worked out in a sort of naked circus-like way. To me the song is about unconditional love over self preservation -- a crazy merry-go-round that leaves you vulnerable but somehow, trust and faith remain. This is something most of us have gone through at one time or another. It is a very bittersweet song.
Paula Frazer
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