Double trouble!
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Songs of the High Seas
There's something wrong about hearing Van Halen's "Ain't Talkin' bout Love" in the shiny, beglittered elevator on a Carnival cruise ship.
I can't say exactly what. There's just something… wrong about it. There's a lot wrong about the ship that can't be exactly pinpointed. Not the ship itself mind you, which is a marvel, and not only one of money extraction; but there is a casino, folks, a casino, and that is, I suspect, one of the prime machines of money removal from the pockets of the cruise crowd. Not me. Not that I'm better than that (not that I'm not), but I just don't seem to have the gambling bone. One thing I love about the casino, though: this shimmering soundscape that sounds like Heaven, kind of. It's this layer-after-layer of bing! and ching! and bling! bling! bling! that must be some part of the origin of the term, but I hear something else: I hear a sort of constantly-ending 80's synth pop song. I don't know: Flock of Seagulls or something… It's a magical sound and I love walking though the casino just to listen to it. I keep thinking that if I listen closely, I can learn and memorize this ethereal song.
Let's talk about music some more: in this, my second cruise experience, I again see that there's a lowest-common-denominator about the music on a cruise ship. There's a wide variety of styles played over the ship PA and in the stage shows and by the myriad of cover bands/karaoke venues. They all have this in common: the songs must be ubiquitous. Of course, the fallout of this criterion is that generally the songs must therefore suck. If only by virtue of having been heard by most ears approximately 900 million times prior to the cruise.
Last night, we caught as much of the big shooooow as we could handle. Lots of things on a cruise are sort of going for that really big show kind of vibe and they tend, as a result,, to be unintentionally high-larious. Last night's show was kind of a Big Tribute To All of Your Favorite Music, Cruise People! So there were these set pieces with dancers and singers and such to such beloved concepts/genres/legends/flashes-in-the-pan as: Elvis ("Jailhouse Rock" featured—somewhat scandalously—dancers in thongs and leather jackets. Ass cheeks anybody?); The Beatles sort of leading into The Rolling Stones (or maybe it was THE SIXTIES, it was hard to tell, since "Twist and Shout" was performed in highly psychedelic little, um, uniforms.); Prog-Rock (extra bizarre in its featuring of sort of Pink Floydian instrumentals accompanied by "modern" dancing (quote marks, mine); Madonna (basically a copy of the vid where she's dressed like Victorian royalty); and on and on… we hit the door during Madonna, not so much because of that, but rather because the Right Said Fred tribute was so, um, unforgettable, but maybe not in a really good way.
Other musical notes (ha ha! Such puns are really really funny on a cruise!!): I've routinely tried to miss the all-purpose island band that plays the main stage to hundreds of drunken current and former greeks. I'm not talking about the nationality here—they merely tend to own cruise ships—but rather to the collegiate variety. That band is called Cool Runnings, mon… Nice work if you can get it. Other onboard acts include a guy who's ruining a perfectly decent piano bar. I think his name is "Scott," but I could be wrong because in the daily what-to-do publication that appears magically on our bed every evening, several of the DJ's names are in quotations. I don't know if this is some sort of code or just some bad editing. Anyway, note to self: If (no, when) I have my own piano bar, make sure not to follow "Scott's" lead and have MIDI-strings and drums and stuff. Just a piano is plenty to carry such classics as "Feelings" and "Midnight at the Oasis."
FInally, I've got a little bit to say about the scariest place on the ship: The Karaoke Bar. Pick any evening and it's packed. I'm talking about people-sitting-on-the-floor packed. And this to hear somebody giving their all in a rendition of some Alan Jackson song or something. What is it that terrifies me about this? Is it it the rapt look on the audience's faces? Or maybe the actually decent quality of much of the singing to these schlock Young Country ditties? I think it has to do with the seeming preference of a lot of people to hear "jest plain old normal folks; like you and me!" sing songs that everybody knows and can relate to—classics like "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off" (ha ha! tequila! get it? it makes her clothes fall off!) Please fellow humans: get thee back to professional musicians. Karaoke is the musical equivalent of standing in an art gallery and announcing "Hell, I could do that." (self-deprecating ps: you really haven't lived until you've heard my rendition of "The Rainbow Connection")
"But Mick," you may be asking, "didn't you dig something the most, and what was that mostest thing that you dug?" Well, let me tell you, gentle reader. There's this jazz trio in a cigar lounge. And they rock most undeniably. We've palled around with them a good bit at this point. It's a funny little trio: two youngsters and a bryl-creamed older fellow on drums, who—bless his heart—loves to give lengthy explanations of each song that mostly nobody is interested in hearing. But I am, gentle reader, I am!
I even became fast friends with him by opening up the thrilling conversation topic of Is Hoagy Carmichael from Indiana or what? He did some research on the Internets, friends and came back to me with the answer Yes! Hoagy Carmichael is from INDIANA!
The real key to this trio though is a 25 year old piano wiz named Ian. I hate Ian, because guitar is his primary instrument, but he just happens to be a goddamned near-prodigy at Monk-style bop piano jazz. Fucking bastard, is what he is. Due in large part to his chops, the trio is capable of blasting through entirely cock-eyed renditions of warhorses like I've Got You Under My Skin or My Favorite Things or Stardust ("Hoagy Carmichael, ladies and gentlemen, who hails from the great state of—that's right—Indiana!") and sort of massacre them with unmitigated brilliance. I can honestly say that Ian has restored my faith in Jazz. Watching him play, whilst guzzling promptly-provided Black Russians from pixie-like server Ni (an Indonesian who has memorized all of our cabin numbers and names and drink preferences), I've remembered this great thing about jazz: It's about the melody, a living thing that—if it's a good one—is capable of being twisted, warped, turned inside-out—and still holding its original charm. Jazz is about flipping a song on its head and keeping the listeners enthralled with the promise of that sweet melody becoming once again familiar, reemerging when the time is right. Ian is absolutely capable of doing exactly that. This trio has been our cocktail hour staple throughout the cruise.
That may be enough for now, friends. We're headed back to Miami. This is a mixed blessing, I suppose. It's sad that we don't have any more ports to call upon. San Juan, Sint Maarten, and St. John/St. Thomas all had their own delights, yes, it's true; on the flipside, we're all pretty sick to death of ship culture: 3000 ugly Americans (some of them, not even Americans, if you can imagine the nerve) vying for an overabundance of prime rib, tacos, pizza and hurricane-like drinks in tall plastic cups. Ye gods.
But! This just in! We've successfully managed to change our Miami accommodations to The Clay Hotel and Hostel on South Beach and will be partying most gallantly at jernts like the Delano and the Shore Club all day and night upon docking! So there's that! Neon! Salsa! The Beach! Art Deco! Near nudity around most corners!
Pray for us!
I can't say exactly what. There's just something… wrong about it. There's a lot wrong about the ship that can't be exactly pinpointed. Not the ship itself mind you, which is a marvel, and not only one of money extraction; but there is a casino, folks, a casino, and that is, I suspect, one of the prime machines of money removal from the pockets of the cruise crowd. Not me. Not that I'm better than that (not that I'm not), but I just don't seem to have the gambling bone. One thing I love about the casino, though: this shimmering soundscape that sounds like Heaven, kind of. It's this layer-after-layer of bing! and ching! and bling! bling! bling! that must be some part of the origin of the term, but I hear something else: I hear a sort of constantly-ending 80's synth pop song. I don't know: Flock of Seagulls or something… It's a magical sound and I love walking though the casino just to listen to it. I keep thinking that if I listen closely, I can learn and memorize this ethereal song.
Let's talk about music some more: in this, my second cruise experience, I again see that there's a lowest-common-denominator about the music on a cruise ship. There's a wide variety of styles played over the ship PA and in the stage shows and by the myriad of cover bands/karaoke venues. They all have this in common: the songs must be ubiquitous. Of course, the fallout of this criterion is that generally the songs must therefore suck. If only by virtue of having been heard by most ears approximately 900 million times prior to the cruise.
Last night, we caught as much of the big shooooow as we could handle. Lots of things on a cruise are sort of going for that really big show kind of vibe and they tend, as a result,, to be unintentionally high-larious. Last night's show was kind of a Big Tribute To All of Your Favorite Music, Cruise People! So there were these set pieces with dancers and singers and such to such beloved concepts/genres/legends/flashes-in-the-pan as: Elvis ("Jailhouse Rock" featured—somewhat scandalously—dancers in thongs and leather jackets. Ass cheeks anybody?); The Beatles sort of leading into The Rolling Stones (or maybe it was THE SIXTIES, it was hard to tell, since "Twist and Shout" was performed in highly psychedelic little, um, uniforms.); Prog-Rock (extra bizarre in its featuring of sort of Pink Floydian instrumentals accompanied by "modern" dancing (quote marks, mine); Madonna (basically a copy of the vid where she's dressed like Victorian royalty); and on and on… we hit the door during Madonna, not so much because of that, but rather because the Right Said Fred tribute was so, um, unforgettable, but maybe not in a really good way.
Other musical notes (ha ha! Such puns are really really funny on a cruise!!): I've routinely tried to miss the all-purpose island band that plays the main stage to hundreds of drunken current and former greeks. I'm not talking about the nationality here—they merely tend to own cruise ships—but rather to the collegiate variety. That band is called Cool Runnings, mon… Nice work if you can get it. Other onboard acts include a guy who's ruining a perfectly decent piano bar. I think his name is "Scott," but I could be wrong because in the daily what-to-do publication that appears magically on our bed every evening, several of the DJ's names are in quotations. I don't know if this is some sort of code or just some bad editing. Anyway, note to self: If (no, when) I have my own piano bar, make sure not to follow "Scott's" lead and have MIDI-strings and drums and stuff. Just a piano is plenty to carry such classics as "Feelings" and "Midnight at the Oasis."
FInally, I've got a little bit to say about the scariest place on the ship: The Karaoke Bar. Pick any evening and it's packed. I'm talking about people-sitting-on-the-floor packed. And this to hear somebody giving their all in a rendition of some Alan Jackson song or something. What is it that terrifies me about this? Is it it the rapt look on the audience's faces? Or maybe the actually decent quality of much of the singing to these schlock Young Country ditties? I think it has to do with the seeming preference of a lot of people to hear "jest plain old normal folks; like you and me!" sing songs that everybody knows and can relate to—classics like "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off" (ha ha! tequila! get it? it makes her clothes fall off!) Please fellow humans: get thee back to professional musicians. Karaoke is the musical equivalent of standing in an art gallery and announcing "Hell, I could do that." (self-deprecating ps: you really haven't lived until you've heard my rendition of "The Rainbow Connection")
"But Mick," you may be asking, "didn't you dig something the most, and what was that mostest thing that you dug?" Well, let me tell you, gentle reader. There's this jazz trio in a cigar lounge. And they rock most undeniably. We've palled around with them a good bit at this point. It's a funny little trio: two youngsters and a bryl-creamed older fellow on drums, who—bless his heart—loves to give lengthy explanations of each song that mostly nobody is interested in hearing. But I am, gentle reader, I am!
I even became fast friends with him by opening up the thrilling conversation topic of Is Hoagy Carmichael from Indiana or what? He did some research on the Internets, friends and came back to me with the answer Yes! Hoagy Carmichael is from INDIANA!
The real key to this trio though is a 25 year old piano wiz named Ian. I hate Ian, because guitar is his primary instrument, but he just happens to be a goddamned near-prodigy at Monk-style bop piano jazz. Fucking bastard, is what he is. Due in large part to his chops, the trio is capable of blasting through entirely cock-eyed renditions of warhorses like I've Got You Under My Skin or My Favorite Things or Stardust ("Hoagy Carmichael, ladies and gentlemen, who hails from the great state of—that's right—Indiana!") and sort of massacre them with unmitigated brilliance. I can honestly say that Ian has restored my faith in Jazz. Watching him play, whilst guzzling promptly-provided Black Russians from pixie-like server Ni (an Indonesian who has memorized all of our cabin numbers and names and drink preferences), I've remembered this great thing about jazz: It's about the melody, a living thing that—if it's a good one—is capable of being twisted, warped, turned inside-out—and still holding its original charm. Jazz is about flipping a song on its head and keeping the listeners enthralled with the promise of that sweet melody becoming once again familiar, reemerging when the time is right. Ian is absolutely capable of doing exactly that. This trio has been our cocktail hour staple throughout the cruise.
That may be enough for now, friends. We're headed back to Miami. This is a mixed blessing, I suppose. It's sad that we don't have any more ports to call upon. San Juan, Sint Maarten, and St. John/St. Thomas all had their own delights, yes, it's true; on the flipside, we're all pretty sick to death of ship culture: 3000 ugly Americans (some of them, not even Americans, if you can imagine the nerve) vying for an overabundance of prime rib, tacos, pizza and hurricane-like drinks in tall plastic cups. Ye gods.
But! This just in! We've successfully managed to change our Miami accommodations to The Clay Hotel and Hostel on South Beach and will be partying most gallantly at jernts like the Delano and the Shore Club all day and night upon docking! So there's that! Neon! Salsa! The Beach! Art Deco! Near nudity around most corners!
Pray for us!
Friday, November 03, 2006
more pix up!
okay, friends and neighbors.. we've finished the island-viisiting portion of our cruise, I'm sorry to say...
Here's a few more pix...
we're headed back to miami now, with the promise of some time in South Beach to get us through two days on this ship with some of america's ugliest. Or I suppose that could be us.*
*Insincere obligatory self-deprecating remark
Here's a few more pix...
we're headed back to miami now, with the promise of some time in South Beach to get us through two days on this ship with some of america's ugliest. Or I suppose that could be us.*
*Insincere obligatory self-deprecating remark
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
the cruise!
here's a few pix... having a bit of u/l trouble.. (click on the picture for a few more..)
another post
I'm actually writing online right now, which is stupid, because internet access is a luxurious $0.75 cents a minute here at sea. They getcha!
Anyway, I'm writing b/c I'm waiting for some pix to upload so you can see the wonder that is this cruise adventure. Today, we're at sea, but this evening we're docking in San Juan, which I look forward to. There's been some talk of what to do; some people want to go on some bio-trip. Bio-schmio, I say. Let's go disco dancing. We'll see.
Looks like picture uploading ain't going so well... (sigh)
Maybe I'll try to upload a select few and put the rest on ice until we return. Oh—speaking of "on ice"—there are apparently several fascinating facilities that we don't get to see on the ship: a morgue, for instance. and a brig, too. I hope I don't end up in either one...
Anyway, I'm writing b/c I'm waiting for some pix to upload so you can see the wonder that is this cruise adventure. Today, we're at sea, but this evening we're docking in San Juan, which I look forward to. There's been some talk of what to do; some people want to go on some bio-trip. Bio-schmio, I say. Let's go disco dancing. We'll see.
Looks like picture uploading ain't going so well... (sigh)
Maybe I'll try to upload a select few and put the rest on ice until we return. Oh—speaking of "on ice"—there are apparently several fascinating facilities that we don't get to see on the ship: a morgue, for instance. and a brig, too. I hope I don't end up in either one...
first word from the high seas
Attention from the high seas!
So this is the first test of my new portable keyboard. Out on the airy deserted deck 4 (teak wood decks but plastic lawn chairs), Lucy and I have found a secluded place to lounge. Here we may have a dream setup for writing or sleeping or staring at the ocean. And I may have found an ideal work setup: a ThinkOutside keyboard and a Treo 650 and a $700 million cruise ship.. I'm willing to give it a try.
Okay, let’s have a look at this cruise thing: First, the bad. Carnival ain't Holland-America (my only other cruise experience), despite being owned, I believe by the same parent company. There's fat, there’s plastic, there’s “for the masses,” it seems like to me. HA had teakwood furniture, more peaceful settings (at least I remember them that way) and less of a rock and roll mentality. there are a lot of people on this boat. A LOT. I Don’t know how many, but I'm guessing over 2000. i try to find sort of forgotten corners (right now I’m watching a lady walk and walk and walk down the breezeway, maybe looking for the same thing as me; and and and.... there—she got to the end and turned around. I was kind of hoping that she would have disappeared around some hidden corner. I'm looking for hidden corners. Still, our vantage point today is one of tucked-away-edness. The ocean rolls by, there's no Jamaica-mon music or extremely aggressive drink servers trying quite as hard to hand you an umbrella drink as a Hari Krishna tries to hand you a daisy (the Hare Krishna doesn’t want 8.50 charged to you room though). Now some of the good stuff: It’s pretty damned relaxing by any human measure. The room, like a kind of cocoon, has no windows and that's just fine. Aside from not knowing even remotely what time of day it is or what the weather is like, it's a dream dream dream land of quietude and calm. Of course, it's not advised to stay in the cabin the duration of a cruise, I guess. What else—they have this egg thing that I've got to get into. I mean literally, get into. It's in the spa area. (I will not—I repeat, not—be getting on a treadmill or doing any sort of exercise based on this one rule: If there are exercise shoes involved, I will not do it. Simple enough, right? In other words, if sandals are involved, it's okay. I guess I'm really talking about yoga here. I'll do yoga, but only if I can decide to get up at 8am. And why exactly would I do that? I'm trying to underachieve here. Thus, writing may seem like a contradiction, but the way it's laid out, i just have a keyboard in my lap and I just type. A sort of stream of consciousness. maybe you could call it a typing meditation. Live update: Just now, Lucy and I have taken notice of a guy that I first called "Tai Chi Man," who is down the breezeway about 50 yards and is doing some exercises in his street clothes. He's Asian, so I decide that it's Tai Chi, but I don't really know that. I've never actually done Tai Chi before, but I sometimes pretend to do it. This fellow has gone into this one routine that might be called "the Tai Chi ritualistic smoothing of the hair.” I don't think there's any vanity involved; it might be more of meditative scalp massage, I think. repeatedly running both hands through the hair from front to back, over and over. Now that's my kid of exercise. I think it's about time for an umbrella drink. Today’s special looked milky and delicious and deeply steeped in alcohol. Kind of a Strawberry Quik with booze. Also, more than likely, there’s a nap in my near future. Really that’s a basic truth of the cruise experience. There see this writing has reminded me of what I already knew to be important: napping, drinking and, um, what was the third thing?
Pictures are coming. Captions are unlikely, due to some technical limitations...
So this is the first test of my new portable keyboard. Out on the airy deserted deck 4 (teak wood decks but plastic lawn chairs), Lucy and I have found a secluded place to lounge. Here we may have a dream setup for writing or sleeping or staring at the ocean. And I may have found an ideal work setup: a ThinkOutside keyboard and a Treo 650 and a $700 million cruise ship.. I'm willing to give it a try.
Okay, let’s have a look at this cruise thing: First, the bad. Carnival ain't Holland-America (my only other cruise experience), despite being owned, I believe by the same parent company. There's fat, there’s plastic, there’s “for the masses,” it seems like to me. HA had teakwood furniture, more peaceful settings (at least I remember them that way) and less of a rock and roll mentality. there are a lot of people on this boat. A LOT. I Don’t know how many, but I'm guessing over 2000. i try to find sort of forgotten corners (right now I’m watching a lady walk and walk and walk down the breezeway, maybe looking for the same thing as me; and and and.... there—she got to the end and turned around. I was kind of hoping that she would have disappeared around some hidden corner. I'm looking for hidden corners. Still, our vantage point today is one of tucked-away-edness. The ocean rolls by, there's no Jamaica-mon music or extremely aggressive drink servers trying quite as hard to hand you an umbrella drink as a Hari Krishna tries to hand you a daisy (the Hare Krishna doesn’t want 8.50 charged to you room though). Now some of the good stuff: It’s pretty damned relaxing by any human measure. The room, like a kind of cocoon, has no windows and that's just fine. Aside from not knowing even remotely what time of day it is or what the weather is like, it's a dream dream dream land of quietude and calm. Of course, it's not advised to stay in the cabin the duration of a cruise, I guess. What else—they have this egg thing that I've got to get into. I mean literally, get into. It's in the spa area. (I will not—I repeat, not—be getting on a treadmill or doing any sort of exercise based on this one rule: If there are exercise shoes involved, I will not do it. Simple enough, right? In other words, if sandals are involved, it's okay. I guess I'm really talking about yoga here. I'll do yoga, but only if I can decide to get up at 8am. And why exactly would I do that? I'm trying to underachieve here. Thus, writing may seem like a contradiction, but the way it's laid out, i just have a keyboard in my lap and I just type. A sort of stream of consciousness. maybe you could call it a typing meditation. Live update: Just now, Lucy and I have taken notice of a guy that I first called "Tai Chi Man," who is down the breezeway about 50 yards and is doing some exercises in his street clothes. He's Asian, so I decide that it's Tai Chi, but I don't really know that. I've never actually done Tai Chi before, but I sometimes pretend to do it. This fellow has gone into this one routine that might be called "the Tai Chi ritualistic smoothing of the hair.” I don't think there's any vanity involved; it might be more of meditative scalp massage, I think. repeatedly running both hands through the hair from front to back, over and over. Now that's my kid of exercise. I think it's about time for an umbrella drink. Today’s special looked milky and delicious and deeply steeped in alcohol. Kind of a Strawberry Quik with booze. Also, more than likely, there’s a nap in my near future. Really that’s a basic truth of the cruise experience. There see this writing has reminded me of what I already knew to be important: napping, drinking and, um, what was the third thing?
Pictures are coming. Captions are unlikely, due to some technical limitations...
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Friday, October 27, 2006
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Trivial Thursdays download!
The Oct. 26 edition of my weekly radio show, Trivial Thursdays, was maybe my favorite show ever. My guests were beloved writer and Merry Prankster Ed McClanahan and celebrated photographer/filmmaker Guy Mendes. We spent a couple of hours reminiscing about Lexington music legend Little Enis and big-hearted underground radio phenom, Cowboy Steve. They shared their personal experiences with these two characters, we talked about art, music and the ever-changing times and it was such a joy to have them on the show. We played music by both Enis (there's a free download of his album here) and Steve, as well as a host of vintage C&W contemporaries, and then Ed sang a song, just for good measure.
Since the show aired, I received request after request for a recording of their visit. And I'm happy to have made that a reality. So—If you want to hear Ed and Guy's visit to Trivial Thursdays, you can download and listen to the entire show by clicking here. (77mb mp3 file)
Also, if you find yourself awake from 7-9am on most any Thursday morning, I would love to count you as a listener. You can either listen live on WRFL 88.1 in Lexington from 7-9am, or you can listen online from anywhere with a fast internet connection. Every week, a different guest. Every week, some new laughs!
photo credit: Ed McClanahan portrait by Guy Mendes, courtesy of Gnomon Press.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Today is Picasso's birthday (and mine)
Yep, it's my natal anniversary! A pretty day by the look of it; More and more, I suppose I would adhere to these notable words from Granny, on The Beverly Hillbillies: "Every day's a gamble; I figure if I wake up in the morning, I'm a winner." Words of wisdom, Granny, words of wisdom! And let's not forget, in times of doubt, that I share my birthday with Picasso, Minnie Pearl, and Matthias Jabs, guitarist of The Scorpions. Matthias Jabs?! That's what I'm talkin' 'bout…
Today, I'm listening to David Bowie's Low and thinking about the line: "Don't you wonder sometimes? About Sound and Vision?" I do. I'm afraid I'll lose it (vision, that is) or maybe even never know it. But I hope I get to keep wondering, I guess. Sometimes I think I want the answers and that I want them right away, but I guess I wouldn't have anything to do if I had all the answers. So in the meantime, I'll enjoy the clear blue sky and friends and Indian food and breathing and an upcoming adventure or two.
Some other things that happened today are here.
Today, I'm listening to David Bowie's Low and thinking about the line: "Don't you wonder sometimes? About Sound and Vision?" I do. I'm afraid I'll lose it (vision, that is) or maybe even never know it. But I hope I get to keep wondering, I guess. Sometimes I think I want the answers and that I want them right away, but I guess I wouldn't have anything to do if I had all the answers. So in the meantime, I'll enjoy the clear blue sky and friends and Indian food and breathing and an upcoming adventure or two.
Some other things that happened today are here.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Thriller 2006!
Mecca once again pulled the dead out of the ground for the 5th year production of their fabulous community event Thriller! Live in the Streets of Downtown Lexington! Hundreds of people showed up to see the undead get their groove on to the Michael Jackson classic.
Here's more pix!
Here's more pix!
Tall Tales on Trivial Thursdays Oct. 26!!
This week on the Oct. 26 edition of my weekly radio show, Trivial Thursdays, which features a different guest every week, and all sorts of non-sequitur chit-chat loosely based on the trivia of the particular day (whew-- major run-on): My guests will be beloved writer and Merry Prankster Ed McClanahan and celebrated photographer/filmmaker Guy Mendes, who will reminisce about Lexington music legend Little Enis and strange underground radio phenom, Cowboy Steve. They both had personal experience with these two characters and are major story-tellers themselves. Expect tallness of tales. You can either listen live on WRFL 88.1 in Lexington from 7-9am, or you can listen online.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Louisville in October trip!
The big birthday trip (lucy: Oct 20; Mick: Oct 25), featuring a gig by Love Jones, accomodations at 21C and La Bohéme at the Kentucky Opera, and dinner at Proof on Main with Mom and Bill. Grand!
Here's some pix of friends and things and places and stuff, taken with my brand new Canon Digital Rebel XTi. Woot!
Here's some pix of friends and things and places and stuff, taken with my brand new Canon Digital Rebel XTi. Woot!
Sunday, October 15, 2006
The Return of Love Jones
Love Jones touches you…even if perhaps you don't quite want to be touched in that way... Saturday night at Phoenix Hill Tavern, Love Jones concluded their 2006 world tour (one date in LA, one date in L'ville) with a smooth diminished ninth of a night.
La Bohéme at Kentucky Opera
A fantastic performance of my favorite opera, La Bohéme, at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. The 2nd set—Café Momus—featured a cast of about a hundred and snow.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Kate at 21c
Me and Kate do the Mexican Standoff, phone-cam style.. (mine got blogged instantly, so I win)
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Come Out! The Spirituals premiere
Hope many people will come out and support transient Lexxers Ari Palos and Eren McGinnis' latest film effort, The Spirituals.
The Dos Vatos say:
You are cordially invited to the Premiere of our latest documentary film THE SPIRITUALS.
THE SINGLETARY CENTER FOR THE ARTS CONCERT HALL
The University of Kentucky
Corner of Rose and Euclid
Sunday, October 8, at 7:30pm
As always the screening will be free and open to the public.
A question and answer session with the filmmakers, and the American Spiritual Ensemble’s Dr. Everett McCorvey and Ann Grundy, will follow the screening. A special edition DVD with bonus material will be available for $20.00.
We hope to see you at the screening and if you have questions please email or call (520) 481-9161.
Thanks,
Eren McGinnis and Ari Palos
Dos Vatos Productions
Some background of their new film's subject matter:
Before the Blues, Jazz, Gospel, and Rock and Roll, America honed an original form of music. Slaves created this musical expression, with African roots and a biblical text, for deliverance and secret communication. The Spirituals traces the painful history of this American art form and its contemporary significance with The American Spiritual Ensemble.
www.dosvatos.com
www.americanspiritualensemble.com
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
where ya get one-a these?
I want the kit! I guess you'd have to be careful and keep your eyes open and what-not, but still…
Friday, September 29, 2006
OK Go - Here It Goes Again
| Here's a great example of unsung heroes. This is the most delightful little choreography and it's easy for me to think that the band is that clever. And maybe they are. More likely, they're clever enough to employ a gifted choreographer to think up this ditty. Because it clearly took some work. And some concentration. (Notice the guy nearly fall at just over a minute in) This kind of thing, to me, it's easy to think, 'Oh! funny little idea!' when really it must have taken days, if not weeks, of careful choreographing. When something this cool looks so easy, that's an indicator of genius, methinks. Cheers to OK Go for not being afraid to dance a funny little dance. http://okgo.net http://myspace.com/okgo | |
Monday, September 25, 2006
21C, y'all!
This weekend, loo and i were in looville for mike and laura's wedding and adjourned afterwards to 21C, the new celebrated hipster art museum-bar-hotel-restaurant, and it exceeded all expectations.
A favorite was this pictured: This is me taking a picture at a wall where there are letters "falling down." These are then layered in with real-time video of us standing there looking at the wall. Only, then the letters "fall down" onto the observer, making sentences. and the letters actually come to rest on top of your head and shoulders, until you move, and then they continue to fall down. Oh, and did I mention that the letters are actually spelling words and making sentences? so cool...
A favorite was this pictured: This is me taking a picture at a wall where there are letters "falling down." These are then layered in with real-time video of us standing there looking at the wall. Only, then the letters "fall down" onto the observer, making sentences. and the letters actually come to rest on top of your head and shoulders, until you move, and then they continue to fall down. Oh, and did I mention that the letters are actually spelling words and making sentences? so cool...
Saturday, September 23, 2006
The Black Diamond!
It goes without saying that this picture does no justice to the killer strange that was The Black Diamond at Christ the King's Oktoberfest. A Neil Diamond tribute show at a catholic church?! Geddouddahere! What more can you really say?
Well, how about there are a ton of Neil Diamond tribute acts, but only one Black Diamond.
Well, how about there are a ton of Neil Diamond tribute acts, but only one Black Diamond.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
My other office
Yeah, I know Kinko's actual slogan is similar to that, but it's been double-true for me for years. In the background, cindy owns on my behalf.
UK Theatre programs "in the pipe." finally.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Kitties!
So sad! The kitty Olive, she trapped outside, whilst the kitty Betty snoozeth arrogantly mere millimeters away, inside the screen! The nerve!!
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Hafla pura
Anaya Gypsy, totally rockin' the fan dance thing. Just one part of Mecca's Hafla Pura this weekend.
Friday, September 15, 2006
It's All About…
It's all about me and It's All About blog-pal Jamie, taking up space at ArtsPlace during Gallery Hop last friday. Well, she seemed to actually be working (at least, that was the impression of the digital field recorder), while I was doing the Laptop Lounge thing. Why don't I have a web page for Laptop Lounge? Good question.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
I can officially work anywhere
Well, practically anywhere.. Getting some things done whilst lucy and sister dana hit the Gap Outlet (not that I don't love me some Gap Outlet, mind you).
Floyd Fandango: A decent alternative?
Floyd Fandango looks like it's got potential. Usually, I'm kind of allergic to Ye Olde Outdoor Festival. If it smells (and I do mean smells) like a Renaissance Fair, clear the way. I'm pretty much outta there.Which really opens the door for some sort of actually cool outdoor festival. Maybe this one—situated near the amazing Blue Ridge Parkway at the height of Fall beauty—is it. Could it be?
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Monday, September 11, 2006
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Roots & Heritage Parade
Once a year, downtown Lexington explodes with afro-groove energy during the Roots & Heritage Festival. The Saturday parade goes right by our street and I'm determined never to miss it as long as I'm in town! Here are some shots from this morning. Great fun. A beautiful day.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Andrea and Scott's wedding and The Wonder That Is Minneapolis!
Finally, folks, I've got pictures up from my marvelous trip to visit much and many in Minneapolis. There's the State Fair, there's the Sculpture Garden, there the wonderful wedding of Scott and Andrea, there's shopping, there's lots!
MY PICTURES: I've put the set up twice, peeps. First, I've got the whole thing up on Flickr, with commentary and room for your comments.
But if you just want to go straight to buyin' some prints, I guess the Kodak Gallery version would be easier (and less fun) for ya.
ALSO: I'm going to go ahead and aggregate some other pix links I've received from people. For instance, Joe's pictures (and here and here), and Mary's pictures.
MY PICTURES: I've put the set up twice, peeps. First, I've got the whole thing up on Flickr, with commentary and room for your comments.
But if you just want to go straight to buyin' some prints, I guess the Kodak Gallery version would be easier (and less fun) for ya.
ALSO: I'm going to go ahead and aggregate some other pix links I've received from people. For instance, Joe's pictures (and here and here), and Mary's pictures.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
By the Seat of Her Floral Pants
Had the crazy good time in Minneapolis this last weekend, including an amazing trip to the Minnesota State Fair. Here, we see The Jill in her swinging habitat, practicing moves from her trapeze class. How much more fun can it get?
Tales of Evil Suz
Alyssum—who so very rocks—has created a definitive and gruesome portrait of the inner world of dancers gone wrong, gone wild…gone evil. Included in this sobering scenario: members of Rakadu Gypsy Dance, as well as the evil-cap-wearing Rachel Brice.
For a glimpse into this horrific world, click on the cartoon…and brace yourself, gentle viewer.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
What'd you say?
I can't hear you on account of HOW AWESOME I LOOK.
New clothes on the major cheap from Kuhlman's in Minneapolis.
New clothes on the major cheap from Kuhlman's in Minneapolis.
Monday, August 21, 2006
This page has moved!
This page has moved! Please visit the Trivial Thursdays guest schedule at this new address, www.TrivialThursdays.com
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Pal Jamie
Hi friends:
If you're a friend of the one and only Jamie Tittle, aka Tigital, longtime Lexington and Louisville Luminary, please help him in a time of need. Jamie's being treated for Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Today was his last chemo treatment, apparently, and now we're all looking forward to (quoting Jamie, in his own inimitable and probably accurate vernacular) the "rebooting of his immune system."
Please visit Jamie's Caring Bridge site and sign the guest book. I think he gets a kick out of it.
Note: if you have any prob getting to his site from the above link, go here, and type in "jamestittle" and I think it'll (heh -- "tittle," "it'll" heheh) get you there.
Please send Jamie your good thoughts, your prayers, your recursive neural algorithms, your cupcakes, your (fill in the blank).
PS: here's the uncropped picture of Merrill and Jamie at our wedding that I dig. (sorry, Merrill!)
If you're a friend of the one and only Jamie Tittle, aka Tigital, longtime Lexington and Louisville Luminary, please help him in a time of need. Jamie's being treated for Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Today was his last chemo treatment, apparently, and now we're all looking forward to (quoting Jamie, in his own inimitable and probably accurate vernacular) the "rebooting of his immune system."Please visit Jamie's Caring Bridge site and sign the guest book. I think he gets a kick out of it.
Note: if you have any prob getting to his site from the above link, go here, and type in "jamestittle" and I think it'll (heh -- "tittle," "it'll" heheh) get you there.
Please send Jamie your good thoughts, your prayers, your recursive neural algorithms, your cupcakes, your (fill in the blank).
PS: here's the uncropped picture of Merrill and Jamie at our wedding that I dig. (sorry, Merrill!)
Saturday, August 05, 2006
The Experts!
Pal and great comics guy Kenn Minter is finally doin' it with The Experts, which has recently been picked up for wider distribution. I'll let Kenn tell it:
This is an exciting time for myself and penciller-co-creator, Clarence Pruitt. "the Experts #1" has made it into Diamond Distribution's September issue of "Previews." So, if you have any interest in the book or would just like to lend a hand in supporting your fellow, struggling, independent comic book creators... then bug the tar out of your favorite comic book retailer and tell them that they need to check out the September issue of Previews and order as many copies of "the Experts #1" as they can. I know Clarence and I sure would appreciate it.
The Experts web site
Kenn's web site
Thursday, August 03, 2006
The Go! Team
Wow, The Go! Team!
Todd and I made the trek to see modern music's best hope in Indy, and they were faaaaantastic!!
We both agreed that there seems to be a new work ethic in rock music, and it's about damned time. After all, if you want to be a big rock star, you oughtta be willing to do a little bit more than come out in a wrinkled tshirt and stare at yr. god-damned feet all night.
The kids in both Autovaughn (from Nashville) and The Go! Team seemed to understand that they were expected to get up there and give the audience 1000% of rock star guitar-flinging, bombastic outros, and spastic flailings. All hail, the rebirth of rock attitude.
A few more pix from my camera-phone are here!
Todd and I made the trek to see modern music's best hope in Indy, and they were faaaaantastic!!
We both agreed that there seems to be a new work ethic in rock music, and it's about damned time. After all, if you want to be a big rock star, you oughtta be willing to do a little bit more than come out in a wrinkled tshirt and stare at yr. god-damned feet all night.
The kids in both Autovaughn (from Nashville) and The Go! Team seemed to understand that they were expected to get up there and give the audience 1000% of rock star guitar-flinging, bombastic outros, and spastic flailings. All hail, the rebirth of rock attitude.
A few more pix from my camera-phone are here!
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Strange statues around the world | haha.nu - interesting findings over the net
I think a great excursion would be to travel around the world, in search of Strange statues. Based on this guy's collection of pix, there seems to be no shortage!
Friday, July 21, 2006
Mull of Kintyre test
So every now and then, about once a year, I find myself humming "Jet" or "Another Day" or even "Mull of Kintyre" and need to dig out Wings Greatest, one of the first LP's that I ever loved on my own, without trying to copy anybody else's opinion.
You know what I mean? Sure, I thought I liked Lynn Anderson or Tony Orlando and Dawn, but really those were just echoes of my parents' record collections. When I got Wings Greatest from Columbia House record club, I came to love nearly every song on it, with the puzzling exception of "Mull of Kintyre," which for a kid of about ten, was bafflingly un-rock. This was compounded by the fact that it is sometimes referred to as an "international hit." Huh?
Anyway, I was having my annual revisitation with Wings Greatest, and in my—ahem—wiser years have come to love "Mull of Kintyre." Still, after all these years, amazingly, I was singing along wondering once again, "what the heck is this about?!" and finally decided to find out. And discovered that it's a kind of love letter to a region of Scotland where McCartney owned a home and a recording studio.
What was more surprising, though, was finding out about the Mull of Kintyre test, a longstanding (though now obsolete) obscenity test in Britain that used the phallic shape of the Mull in determining the relative indecency of movie content. Those wacky Brits!
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
The madcap's last laugh
A nice little tribute piece here, noting the death of Syd Barrett, at age 60, the founder and legendary drug casualty behind the original Pink Floyd. As such, he was an architect of the British psychedelic scene, but quickly opted out of stardom, and died a recluse, a casual painter and gardener.Also, there is a wonderfully in-depth look at Syd's life and impact here.
Syd Barrett, R.I.P.
Monday, July 03, 2006
I've got grill fever!
Did I really just say that?
"I've got 'grill fever'"?
No way. Or so I've long thought. In fact, one could say that my fear of Two Things Domestic has always been:
Oh, sure—it sounds harmless. But it's always been the symbol for me of suburban domestication. And don't tell me about all of you—my friends—that have grills and have thus far avoided this kind of marginalization, because if you do, I'll just say you're exceptional. Me, I didn't want to be part of the grill people. I'd happily go to your backyard barbecue, of course. But now, I have a disturbing invitation to extend:
Come over. We'll cook out. I've got a juicy chicken breast on the rack right now.
Because, if you didn't feel it, there was a 'great disturbance in the Force' yesterday; it was me buying a grill. And just to cross the "t" and dot the "i," it's gi-normous. And while I'm sure there are bigger grills, I was always sure that I'd be content with the classic Webber (the—let's face it—it's the Designers' Grill, if there were such a thing. It's the VW Beetle of the Grill World—a classic.
But let's also face this: I didn't buy a Webber. I bought a gi-normous four-burner shiny shiny suburban gas grill. Outside the back door, it sits regally, cookin' my dinner. Let me justify my self for just a moment: This is an exceptional scratch-and-denter. Come over and I'll show you the signature orange paint where some forklift boy plowed into it after too many diet cokes. Which got me a hundred dollars off retail. Aw, yeah…
And that's where, friends, I'm being swayed, even on this, "the private audition," in advance of our July 4th cookout. (Whoa—did you feel that? Another shuddering disturbance in The Force?" Well, wait—a cookout is a party, ain't it? And I love parties, d'ain't I? It's just the grill party that I've been afraid of.) I mean, that thing is cookin' chicken for me. I'm sitting here writing and it's cooking chicken.
How can a reasonable person really argue with that?
You can't, that's how. And so I'm 'coming over.' I mean you're coming over. To my house. To grill out. Even if I get tired and you have to leave, I'm still going to grill out and watch TV. Nobody talks about the joy of grilling out and watching TV. At lunchtime on a weekday. So that, I reckon, is my territory to explore.
"I've got 'grill fever'"?
No way. Or so I've long thought. In fact, one could say that my fear of Two Things Domestic has always been:
- The two-car garage
- Grilling
Oh, sure—it sounds harmless. But it's always been the symbol for me of suburban domestication. And don't tell me about all of you—my friends—that have grills and have thus far avoided this kind of marginalization, because if you do, I'll just say you're exceptional. Me, I didn't want to be part of the grill people. I'd happily go to your backyard barbecue, of course. But now, I have a disturbing invitation to extend:
Come over. We'll cook out. I've got a juicy chicken breast on the rack right now.
Because, if you didn't feel it, there was a 'great disturbance in the Force' yesterday; it was me buying a grill. And just to cross the "t" and dot the "i," it's gi-normous. And while I'm sure there are bigger grills, I was always sure that I'd be content with the classic Webber (the—let's face it—it's the Designers' Grill, if there were such a thing. It's the VW Beetle of the Grill World—a classic.
But let's also face this: I didn't buy a Webber. I bought a gi-normous four-burner shiny shiny suburban gas grill. Outside the back door, it sits regally, cookin' my dinner. Let me justify my self for just a moment: This is an exceptional scratch-and-denter. Come over and I'll show you the signature orange paint where some forklift boy plowed into it after too many diet cokes. Which got me a hundred dollars off retail. Aw, yeah…
How can a reasonable person really argue with that?
You can't, that's how. And so I'm 'coming over.' I mean you're coming over. To my house. To grill out. Even if I get tired and you have to leave, I'm still going to grill out and watch TV. Nobody talks about the joy of grilling out and watching TV. At lunchtime on a weekday. So that, I reckon, is my territory to explore.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Sifting the Pix!
Hi friends and friends and friends: Lucy and I are back from the Honeymoon, we're sifting jillions of pictures and they're accumulating over at Lucy and Mick's World Wide Wed
If you've got something to share, please drop us a line or post your pictures to the Flickr Group I set up for this exact purpose!
Thanks and LOVE to everybody!
If you've got something to share, please drop us a line or post your pictures to the Flickr Group I set up for this exact purpose!
Thanks and LOVE to everybody!
Friday, June 16, 2006
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
taste of thai bachelor party!
My pals Mike and Kim are among the diners and others who made it out for a celebration this past weekend. It was my bachelor party! You know I'm getting married, right?
On Sunday!
On Sunday!
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