Two shows monday
FOUR shows Tuesday
Two shows Wednesday
1 show today
1 show tomorrow
Rock star life this week
On wednesday I crashed and got all kinds of sick. Did one show this morning. Got a sandwhich and then slept from noon till 6pm. Thing is I never EVER take naps. I’m not wired that way. But today my body said shut it down. Perhaps I can learn the lesson from my dogs. Love unconditionally. Play hard. Take naps. So anyway I’m awake now and its 10:30 pm. I got one show in the morning and then its back home to Massachusetts for the weekend and then back out on the road on Sunday night.
I must say that today’s show at Chatham High School was a LOT of fun. The crowd was so much fun. Very respectful but really playful. I improvised quite a bit of stuff. I was in a good zone. Today’s show is exactly why I prefer live settings and live theatre. People always ask. “When are you gonna do a movie?” “Have you done TV?” “You should do a documentary” “You should make a DVD of your show” But the fact is I am all about the energy and feeling of a live setting. Its a total risk and the magic that is created between one performer on a stage and an audience can never be replicated. Its powerful and it is WHY I do what I do. Its like that with live music for me too. My favorite artists have always been a million times better live than on record.
Anyway, this week has been a blast. I met so many amazing people. I cried with some. Shared our stories. Looked into eachothers eyes and shook hands and hugged and shared a lot of real and sacred moments that give me the calm assurance that I am exactly where I’m supposed to be. I feel emotionally tired and spent but so thankful for the experiences and people I met this week. Only wish I had more time to enjoy them longer.
Some students shared some stories with me that showed their heart and their pain and at times we had some similar experiences…I want you to know you will be in my thoughts. Some Student Assistance Counselors and guidance counselors welcomed me into their schools and impressed the hell out of me with their tireless efforts (That they do EVERYDAY by the way) and emotional commitments to the students. You will be in my thoughts.
Cool stuff I experienced this week not necessarily Dirt related:
1. Patti Smith live at CBGB’s . I wasnt there… but I heard a live simulcast of it on Sirius Satellite.
2. Episode 3 of the NBC show “Heroes”
3. Episode 4 of the NBC show “Heroes”
4. A live bootleg of Dylan doing his new song “Thunder on the Mountain”
5. A day in the rain at Barnes & Noble drinkin coffee and reading the new book by Sam Harris.
6. Talking to a SAC named Maureen about music and The Kinks!
7. Finally figuring out my sound system problem and buying a cable to fix it.
8. The poetry of Allen Ginsberg.
9. The Colbert Report on Wednesday night.
10. Talking on the phone with my niece in Vegas.
11. My birthday on Monday.
12. Drifting off to sleep writing this blog thinking about driving in Kansas last week. I saw this endless prairie with a single willow tree in the distance. A flock of birds flew out of it and then out of sight. A great moment. Simple moment. Can’t get it out of my head:-) Its getting late. Can’t wait to see the morning. Maybe it’ll be a lil cool and a little wet and the dew will be on the car and I will go to the coffee shop and have the best coffee ever made. There is always tomorrow.
Below is a recording of Patti Smith at CBGB’s on My Birthday. Listen to the whole thing. About halfway through she starts riffin and letting the spirit speak. It is NOW (10-21-06 3:24 PM) censored and did originally contain language which some consider profane. But the energy and content of what she said is straight from a source which some would call god. listen. enjoy.
Well its in the can and uploaded and ready for your downloading or listening pleasure. It runs about 55 minutes and was recorded in a Kansas City hotel room. You’ll hear me and some musical friends that I think you’ll like. Burn it. Put it on your ipod. Work out to it. Drive to work with it. Share it with an enemy.
A few months ago I heard an acoustic version of the Beastie Boys classic anthem “Fight For Your Right (To Party)” by a guy named Andrew Paul Woodworth. It really floored me. I remember the song being a symbol of all my crazy teen years and all the parties and of course good old teen angst. It seemed to say that the world is against you and if you wanna have a good time in life you got to avoid all the BS from anyone over thirty and anyone in authority. It also seemed to mean that having a good time was chemically induced and no one had the right to tell me what chemicals to put into my body. Thats the anylitcal subtext i guess. But this acoustic version I heard gave me a new take. It felt a little haunting and profound. It made me think about everything young adults go through and all the swirling emotions of simultaneously feeling isolated and yet one with everyone …desires which came all within 5 minutes of eachother. It made me think back on my young years and the desire for freedom. The desire for escape. The desire to be left alone. The desire to be included. The raging war of my mind. Battles which if we were to be quite honest we all still sometimes fight. So the song is just a song , but I did like it enough to use a clip of it in my show “Dirt.” Today the beautiful people of LMTI (Not TI#*s..I owe you a quarter jamie) asked about the song and I said I would upload it for them. So here it is guys. See you soon and keep fightin.
Hey all
Where you at? Whats going on. Havent heard from some of my visitors in a bit.
I just felt like posting an mp3 of a GREAT honest song I heard the other day on Sirius. On channel 24 ,Sirius Disorder, every Wednesday and Thursday from 12 - 2 is the best music and “DJ” EVER. A show called “Vin Scelsas idiots delight.” Vin is a Jersey guy who has been on NYC radio for years and is just a beautiful soul. He does a sort of free-form show where he may talk for 15 minutes…or he may talk for 10 seconds. He may play Led Zeppelin or he play John Coltrane or ha may play Queen Latifah or he play Lou Reed or he play Beethovens 9th or he play salsa music from the 50’s by Carlos Gordel or whatever. Its always real and its always surprising. The songs could be linked thematically or by genre or by artist…or nothing but the associations of Vin’s mind. I have found however that many times when you go out on a limb artistically and share uber personal thoughts or associations from your own scary brainwaves that it will totally connect for someone else. Let us proclaim the mystery of life! So anyway Vin played a song the other day called oxygen by a guy named Willy Mason. Perhaps it may mean something to you. Have a listen and of course check out the link to vin scelsas sirius page.
Ya know the phrase twice on Sunday right..? Well since its sunday I gotta share another video wih you. My friend mykee was over today and gave me this CD of a group called Blue October. They have a song that he said I NEEDED to hear. Usually we know eachother pretty good and can tell…whether its a movie, book, CD….Anyway the dude was right on the money. I havent heard the whole CD yet but the single from it is called “Hate Me”. It brought up a lot of feelings in me. It reminded me of my brother. It gave me memories of him getting out of rehab and saying “I don’t blame you or anyone if they hate me.” But you see when youre an addict you can’t focus on that kinda stuff. Thats why they have steps of recovery and “Making Amends” is not until like Step Nine. And its true in all our lives, When we act out or screw up and hurt others and hurt ourselves…we are not ready to really apologize or begin to reconstruct a relationship until we get ourselves straight first. Well this song is called “hate me” and it gave me the chills. It goes out to all who love someone who is hurting themselves with drugs. It goes out to all who are currently hurting themselves with drugs. We have been through somethings which we dare not speak…But we can scatch the surface with songs like this.
UPDATE THIS VIDEO NO LONGER EXISTS AT YOU TUBE. TO SEE IT GO HERE
I remember listening to this in 1984 and its message means more today than ever. Lyrics & Video Below.
License To Kill
Bob Dylan
Man thinks ’cause he rules the earth he can do with it as he please
And if things don’t change soon, he will.
Oh, man has invented his doom,
First step was touching the moon.
Now, there’s a woman on my block,
She just sit there as the night grows still.
She say who gonna take away his license to kill?
Now, they take him and they teach him and they groom him for life
And they set him on a path where he’s bound to get ill,
Then they bury him with stars,
Sell his body like they do used cars.
Now, there’s a woman on my block,
She just sit there facin’ the hill.
She say who gonna take away his license to kill?
Now, he’s hell-bent for destruction, he’s afraid and confused,
And his brain has been mismanaged with great skill.
All he believes are his eyes
And his eyes, they just tell him lies.
But there’s a woman on my block,
Sitting there in a cold chill.
She say who gonna take away his license to kill?
Ya may be a noisemaker, spirit maker,
Heartbreaker, backbreaker,
Leave no stone unturned.
May be an actor in a plot,
That might be all that you got
‘Til your error you clearly learn.
Now he worships at an altar of a stagnant pool
And when he sees his reflection, he’s fulfilled.
Oh, man is opposed to fair play,
He wants it all and he wants it his way.
Old video. Kind of funny. Sly & Robbies studio in Jamaica.
Hey gang. Last month I had the pleasure of hanging out with my old roomate Mike. We lived together in Worcester and worked at a Theater together and spent many nights watching bad MST3K movies listening to Tom Waits, Nick Cave, and William Burrough’s poetry recordings. At the time I showed him this CD by William Burroughs in collaboration with this dude Michael Franti who was in a hip hop group I liked called Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy. Anyway to end the long story and six degrees of seperation. Fast Forward 7-8 years ….My Friend Chuck tells me one day that his brother is Michael Franti…. and he was hanging out with him at New Years and the holidays out in California. He mentions that the soundman at one of the gigs in San Francisco was this guy from Worcester named Mike….Turns out to be my old friend and roomie Mike! Mike is now the sound engineer for Michael Franti & Spearhead and he invites me to go hang out at a gig in Boston. The show was powerful and our little reunion was all too brief but I had the chance to discover some GREAT new music. Michael Franti & Spearhead have a new album out any day now and I would like to share it with all you guys. Listen to the title track to his new album “Yell Fire”
