I've got the lowest Tumblarity allowed without a prescription.
Zero. Does that make me less of a person?
Not cool, Mr. Thierry Henry.
Quite possibly the coolest steel box with switches and lights and buttons I’ve ever laid my hands on. And it sounds a bajillion times better than it looks. And version 2 has been pre-ordered. Man alive… combining these with the Buddha Machines… coming soon to a gig near you.
Talk about mudflaps
There ain’t much more fun than playing a show at Rockwood Music Hall. With our stalwart low-end honcho, Brian “great-grandson of Scooter” Killeen sampling all there is to possibly sample in Tokyo (Bri is playing four nights at the Cotton Club in Tokyo along with Josh Dion as part of the Chuck Loeb Trio), we decided to do this show as a trio… Craig on djembe, Patrick Firth on the grand piano, and myself on acoustic guitar.
All plans tossed out the window when the guy we hugely missed, Chris Kuffner, asked along! We excitedly took said plans out of the pinkish-red briefcase, set fire to them, threw them out the window, raced down the stairs, and giddily stomped on their smoldering remains when they landed. That’s how stoked we were that Chris was a) back in town after a 40+ date tour with Ingrid Michaelson, and b) wanted to come, hang, and play a bit with us.
Mr. Kuffner usually plays guitar with us when he’s in town and we have a show… he’s like the King of Texture and mysterious tones, so it’s a perfect marriage. But with the great-grandson of Scooter pre-disposed on the other side of the International Date Line, Chris asked if we’d be down with him playing bass. Um, yeah?
So that’s what we did last night. And to honor Mr. Killeen, Pat and I both picked up bass guitars at the end of the show, and with 3 bassists on stage, there’s only one song to play: “Big Bottom” by Spinal Tap. Yes.
Twas great fun; thanks to everyone who came out for the show, sorry to those of you who received a parking ticket for leaving your car past midnight, and our next show is at The Bitter End on Wednesday December 16. What’s more, the Greg Mayo Band is playing with us. What’s more, it’s Greg Mayo’s birthday. What’s still more, he’s putting together combinations of musicians to perform Abbey Road in it’s entirety, after both of our bands do our sets. It’s gonna be a magical mystery evening for sure.
Optimistic
Yes, Radiohead has a magnificent song with this title, but I’ll always think of Sounds of Blackness and the grand, mighty, never-tired positivity of this song. The choices in terms of arrangement might be a wee bit dated, but it’s simply glorious. I love love love this recording.
It’s one of the handful of songs I know I can turn to when I feel the seeds of doubt germinating deep within me. I hope that its notes are among the very last to float past my body before they close the casket.
ps - this is the best quality version of it that I could find on YouTube, sorry for the pixelocity or pixeliness or pixelrama or whatever you’d like to call it.
I knew Nick D’Amato was a cool individual, having seen him play with Nick Howard a few times… what I didn’t know is that he has a cool jacket. So cool, in fact, that I simply needed to get one for myself.
It’s got that classic leather motorcycle jacket styling (which I have adored ever since buying The Ramones album “Road to Ruin” when I was 13), but it’s made of coated cotton (so its not too cumbersome, plus no cows injured, just cotton plants… and coats I guess), and it’s lined, so it’s good all winter long.
I fully expect it to look far less angular and impressive as it does on the model in the photo, but I will rock it to the best of my height-challenged ability.
Thanks for the fashion tips (and the rock-solid bass playing), Nick! You can catch Nick, myself, Craig Meyer, and Eddie Venegas playing together this coming Monday, November 9, at the Blender Theatre as the band for our awesome and hysterical friend Rachel Platten. Nick Howard is also on the bill.
Stuh-OKED!
My song “north” has been named a Top 12 finalist in the 2009 New York Songwriters Circle Songwriting Contest. It’s like a song-off… you know, as in dance-off? A sleep-off would be fun. I know a few friends who could defeat nearly anyone in that… my wife would be the Grand Champion for sure. She’s like Dormius, the Goddess of Sleep.
Anyway, the Finals take place on Wednesday 18 November at The Bitter End in NYC, where the Top 12 will be played live before the judges, one of which is John Oates. No, not the Yacht Rock “get your dick out of your heart” John Oates, the real John Oates, who no longer wears a moustache.
If “north” makes the top 5 that night, then we play again on Thursday 19 November, with the winner declared that evening. Either way, the Peculier Pub awaits me afterward.
The Empire State Building was lit up tonite in tie-dye in honor of The Grateful Dead. It looks as though some ESB night watchman tripped and tumbled onto the control panel, smashing into random buttons and causing havoc on the lighting system. Neat-o keen-o!
Give a Little Bit...
It’s so easy as artists to get caught up in the selfish aspect of the business. Constant self-promoting, unavoidable praise and criticism, and the permanent wheel of creativity that spins in your head leaves little time for other outlets in your life. Sometimes, it’s best to stop for a moment, and instead of working on your own project, dive into helping someone ELSE unlock THEIR creative spirit.
Such was the case yesterday, when some of NYC’s finest artists came together to host an event for the Liberty House, a Women-In-Need Residence (WIN) in Brooklyn. Organized by Rebel Spirit’s Deena Goodman, the day consisted of an acting workshop provided by Miriam Ganz, and a songwriting workshop taught by Wes Hutchinson and Casey Shea. Alyssa Montoya, a client services volunteer and event coordinator for WIN, created a lovely environment for both the children and volunteers to feel comfortable, welcome, and excited about the day.
Miriam got the day started with a few warm-ups for the kids to loosen up and grow comfortable with the instructors, using props, sounds and movement that erupted laughter out of the relatively shy group. After everyone was actively participating, the children split into groups and performed some interesting improv scenes, although none were more unusual than Wes and Casey’s acting debut (yes, they did a scene as well, and yes, they were more excited than most of the children).
Next it was time for some songwriting, which began with a short performance of “The World Is Waking Up,” which had all the kids clapping and cheering for an encore at the end. I found that moment to be a real testament to how powerful music can be, and the way it brings people of all ages, races, and genders together, singing and smiling. It’s truly the universal language.
The kids were asked to offer a few different song ideas, and while most revolved around food- chicken wings and pork fried rice, or animals, one girl offered the idea “what if kids ruled the world”… and we all knew that was the one. Lyrics were written, including two verses, a chorus, and a bridge, and Deena brought colored markers out for everyone to note the words on posterboard and sign it. The result was a hit called “If Kids Ruled The World.” After recording the final performance on Wes’ computer, we sat all the children down to hear it, and will be sending the files to the program director so each participant can have a copy. Smiles were wide and bright and hugs were abundant at the end of the session, as even the most timid child seemed to walk out of the room with a little more bounce to their step. It was incredibly heart-warming and inspiring to see how just a few hours made a huge difference to that group on such a cold, dreary day. One girl ran up to her room and presented Deena with a set of song lyrics she had previously written, words that were beautifully constructed and deep with meaning for her young age.
Take a moment to check out some pictures and videos from the day. For those of you working so hard on your careers, stressing out over the next big move to make, or simply struggling with a block in creativity, I highly suggest you seek out an organization like WIN to donate your time. There are so many things in life we can’t control, and in frustrating moments it’s easy to forget how blessed we all are- now is the time to remind yourself. Give a little bit… the rewards are priceless.
My new dogs.
Supra high tops. Black leather and canvas uppers… I ditched the black laces for white for the sake of contrast. (would’ve went with yellow or goldenrod if they had them on the salesfloor)
High top advantages: superior ankle support and protection (when one has a fractured ankle, this is a particularly beneficial advantage)… if you’re on the run, your shoe isn’t going to accidentally fly off. These things are on your feet until you (or someone else) consciously decide to remove them.
High top disadvantages: it takes a while to put them on, and even longer to take them off… When someone yells, “everyone outside! ufo!!!” no way you’re gonna be the first out there, not when you’re working on getting the high tops on, or if you slip your foot in halfway and you’re tippy-toeing to the door.
