Either Change or else

12/13/19 23:33 Bethlehem, PA

Tonight, I was busy at a meeting. I came home after it and watched Marc Maron on Netflix.  Ate a pint of ice cream and it was delicious.  I have not seen Maron’s standup and will watch another show.  It was alright.  But I feel like I am reflecting his shtick.  Just alright.  There were a few times I laughed, lots of smiles, but it was alright.  I am debating on buying a ticket to see him live in Huntington or hang on to the money because I should save the money for someone who I really want to see.  Eckhart Tolle is speaking in Boston, that would be worth it.  But that means a hotel and I would like to invite Mo Cheeks, as long as we are talking to one another. That’s two tickets and a hotel.  It would be nice to visit Boston in June.  Anyway, I am deflecting.  Received my annual review and it did not go very well.  Needs improvement.  Sounds like I am in back in school, this comment was the common response from my teachers.  Michael, needs improvement.  I agreed on the points, I can improve in areas and for the rest of the day I was fixated on the possibility I was going to get fired in the near future.  Let’s get through Christmas and kick him to the curb in January.  This was their way to set the course so the day it does happen, you’re fired, will not be a surprise.  I can either accept that defeatist attitude or admit my mistakes and make every effort to improve.  Either run and hide or work my ass off and get better. It’s pretty simple and I recall the President saying to me today, “I have confidence in you.”  So, off to a new and better direction.  As long as I set the course and take action.

Thank you for reading this.

Five rows from Idina Menzel and catching two incredible productions in one night in NYC with my beautiful wife

This was a date we have planned for years.  I’m not joking.  The goal was to see a play and spend the night in Manhattan.  We had tickets to see If/Then back in September.  Back then it would have been the first time we would see Idina Menzel, and as fans of Wicked and (in Ali’s case) RENT – we were excited with the possibility.  But, while waiting on line to enter the theatre an older gentleman in front of us turned around and said in only the brutal and blunt way a true New Yorker can express his aggravation, “Can you believe it?   She’s not performing.”  Who?  We asked.  “Idina Menzel.  They’d (a theater rep) come around and you can see tonight’s performance with some schlep and come back for another or get a full refund.  I’m getting my money.  She’s known to bail out on too many performances, finds any excuse in the book!”  Ali and I took the rain check and within a minute Ali received a call from Emma Tess who was on her way to the hospital from Hofstra; she bit through her bottom lip.  Off we went.  Back we came. Last Saturday.  We checked the minivan and our bags in at the hotel and walked up to the theater.  We sliced through the distracted tourists on Times Square as well the annoying characters that loomed outside Toy’s R Us in the frigid air.  Who can do this for a living?  Two short women wore large character heads on top of their small heads as if they had fish bowls.  They appeared frozen as winds whipped around their lopped sided heads.  Who were they supposed to be?  Maybe the character from Frozen?  I don’t know. There were two bat men, Spider men, and the rest of the insane posy.  We made it to the theater and witnessed an amazing performance from five rows back.  The musical was excellent.   It also stars LaChanze, who won the Tony a few years back as well as Anthony Rapp.  Instead of waiting for signatures, we headed back to the hotel and checked into our room.  The view from our window was the back of another building although we were 26 floors up.  It was a small room, but we were not in the city to watch TV.  After lounging for a few minutes we headed back out in the frozen tundra and walked to Junior’s where we hoped to have dinner.  Forty minutes?  We’re not waiting.  We ate dinner at the Brooklyn Diner, no wait and the food was pretty good. I had a veggie dish and a couple of beers.  Ali had her typical burger and fries and Coke.  We headed back out and saw the second play, Constellations which blew us away.  It was as if we were watching two dancers, sometimes intoxicated and others times, aggressive, sensual, witty, shy, vulnerable as their world shocked them out of their personas.   For just over an hour we sat spell bound by Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson.  After this performance we waited for them afterwards and Ali got her Playbill signed as I snapped some

pictures.  We walked back to Junior’s for cheese cake and tea and felt this was one night that was worth the wait.

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We Were Promised Jetpacks concert review and interview Webster Hall 3/8/14

3/9/14 16:32

I just woke up from a nap.  There has to be a good reason for me to take a nap.  Exhaustion or sickness, I’d give into the boredom nap once in a while.   This morning we came home close to 1 AM.  I made a tea and slurped it in our dark bedroom while Ali snored.  I kept an eye on the clock with a strange anticipation sort of like waiting for the New Year’s Eve ball to drop.  I assumed at 1:00 the clocks would magically jump to 2:00.  I am here to tell you - it did not happen.  Not sure when the magic happens, but I put my head down and slept on my side facing my wife, even as she had her back turned towards me.  I knew in a few hours I’d be up and drive Emma to church, dropping her off to watch the kids in the nursery.  I thought I was deacon for the 11:00 which I was not.  In a delirious state of mind I attended church and for the life of me I’m trying to recall what Reverend Diane said in the morning message.  You’re not reading this to hear about my naps or the message anyway.  I understand.  Talk about the concert.  First, we picked up Amanda in the city and spent a couple of hours in the city…Strand Books…OK to the concert.  Well to start, did I tell you about the time when I was kicked out at The Cramps concert when Webster Hall was known as The Ritz?  True story, but for another time…Opening up for We Were Promised Jetpacks were a strong Scottish two piece all-girl band, Honeyblood whose songs varied, sort of power pop with a snarl.  They are Stina Tweeddale (vocals, guitar), Shona McVicar (vocals, drums) who with full blonde hair and fists pumped pounded on the drums, ala Moe Tucker from Velvet Underground.  They don’t have an album out as yet, but come the fall Fat-Cat- Records will release their debut.  I’d like to see them back in the area headlining.  Both musicians were hanging out at the merch table and were very grateful for the recognition as well as the opportunity to open for We Were Promised Jetpacks.  Promoting their live album EREY (live in Philadelphia) At 21:00 We Were Promised Jetpacks were on the stage, opening with a new song for their forthcoming album.  In all their set consisted of five new songs from their forthcoming album.  Quiet Little Voices was next and the set was scattered with the new songs mixed with their staples like Roll Up Your Sleeves, It’s Thunder and Lightning, Ships With Holes Will Sink, Boy in The Back Seat.  From our perspective on the balcony, the crowd swelled from the sides to the back of the venue, including those of us in the safe distance on the balcony.  I don’t recall as many crowd surfers or even an all-out assault of slam dancing at any of the previous shows.  Last night was the seventh time I’ve seen the band.  I saw one kid whip his elbow across the head of someone he crashed into.  There were only a few in the mist of the hits and the pent up male macho aggression, but their antics I have to say - distracted from the performance.  I'm all for slam dancing at a punk show.  I get it.  It's part of the show - at a punk concert.  Even Adam Thompson, singer for WWPJP made a comment the wanna-be punks were stealing some of their thunder.  The surfers lasted till eventually slipping and crash landing onto their bony shoulders and soft heads once the crowd got tired from keeping them up. There were no bodies left on the floor when the show was over.  To their credit, the band played throughout their set - not taking breaks and kicking last night’s performance to a new extreme.  Adam said thank you a few times and how the band looked forward to coming back to Webster Hall after a couple of years.  The band is playing with an additional musician, Stuart McGachan, who is an old friend, he plays keyboards, guitar and backed up on the vocals.  After the show, what else, but we waited to see who from the band would come out. Stuart was at the merch table soon after the show ended, and told Amanda and Emma the rest are still back stage.  The band now has roadies who take down their instruments and equipment which was different from the previous shows; normally it was Mike and Sean and one roadie breaking it down.  Let’s face it, they are getting bigger, more popular and will be playing in larger venues.  So, after waiting for quite a bit, eventually Mike and Sean came out.  I spoke to Mike for a couple of minutes, but only after Ali left me to retrieve her coat from the check.  You see I was not allowed to talk to the guys from the band.  I was told to let Amanda be in her element.   Anyway, Mike said the show was close to a sell-out.  Webster Hall holds 1,400 and they sold 1,200.  Most of this tour has been sell outs…and yet Webster Hall was the biggest venue so they were very pleased with the turnout.  I sensed there was some concern about the ticket sales there since they were a little slow.  They were surprised how empty it was at 20:00 and yet knew most wait for the headliners to come on.  I told him there was a different energy, they came out and kicked ass.  It was true he said, they were not stopping for anything and wanted to give New York everything they had.  Look out for the shows in Austin which they’re going into with a storm.  I asked how long the band has been together, 11-years…has it ever got tired?  Any in- fighting?  No…Mike said they’re all good friends.  And if you were there last night, you witnessed the bond which only friends can have when they are having a great time; the way they looked at one another with smiles and bumped into each other a few times…they were in the element…maybe I will get them to play at my fifty-year old party - which I discussed with Mike and Sean.  I’m not sure Amanda or Ali would allow it to happen.

Thank you for reading this.

Steve Earle exposes his heart & soul in Westbury

2/9/14

                Westbury has a new venue for concerts.  The Space is another concert venue for Long Island, which has Huntington’s Paramount, Amityville’s Revolution Bar, Rocky Point’s Suffolk Theater, the Bolton Center in Bay Shore and while we are at it, NYCB Westbury theater, Landmark, Port Washington, and some others which means all of us on Long Island can see a decent show almost every weekend.  Last night was the first show I saw at The Space which I understand is a converted movie theater.  It’s an odd theater

, seems like you’re walking into a store front and soon corralled in a sparse lobby.  We went out onto the main floor and were shown our seats. The aisles were narrow and difficult to squeeze through while holding a couple of beers and a glass of wine.  The venue reminded me of The Paramount, with a bar off to one side and seats in a balcony in the back, the tall ceilings with exposed industrial air vents, and a cozy stage. It was warm in the theater and seemed to be sparsely attended.   I was not sure if Earle was popular to the Long Islanders since I’m a late bloomer to Earle who later performed a two hour solo set to what was then close to a sellout. 

Before Mr. Earle, was Brooklyn based Dawn Landes who had a pitch perfect voice which reverberated between the walls.  I’m not that familiar with her work, but am kicking myself for not buying a copy of her new album, Blue.  Her last song was Blue which was different from her other standard country folk jangles.   She also had the crowd singing Pete Seeger’s Turn, Turn, Turn which surprised her – the response from the audience.

After a brief intermission and without an introduction Earle slowly walked onto the stage, wearing a baggy shirt, chains dangled from a wallet in his back pocket, a red bandanna wrapped around his right wrist and his thinning greyish hair and long disheveled beard gave the illusion this man was a pondering soul who was lost.  He picked up a guitar and started playing, actually didn’t really stop till he described having an 8^th grade education and researching by reading different topics.  “If I didn’t know why something was happening, I’d read.  I’m always reading.”  Mr. Earle did not sound like a man with a limited education.   At times in the first half of the show I felt he was tapping in Tom Wait territory.  His ability to write songs which kept tapping at scars and exposing their pains which is what Mr. Earle has had a lot of pain in his life, battled addictions, broken marriages, time in jail, the tortured soul, his youngest son diagnosed with autism...rehab...the sound of his lone boot thumping in cadence echoed from hollow stage floor, an isolated performance from a dim stage.  One song which resonated was his take on God.  God is God, “We can learn to play the songs the angels play.”  I believe in God and God ain’t me…” The Devil’s Right Hand is an anti-gun song although he denied it when it was first recorded, since he was raised with guns.  When an ex-wife told him that he need to raise his rebellious son, Justin Townes Earle found a 9 mm which his father kept under the mattress, but Justin denied finding it.  Steve described getting him in the truck, like tackling a deer and dragging him in, and took his son to a labor camp for juveniles.  After one day at the camp; Justin called and told him where he could find the gun.  There were other stories like playing and recording with Pete Seeger and close the end of the show an obnoxious woman, maybe she was drunk and frustrated, but she demanded he play a certain song, I think it was Copperhead Road.  He told her he had a plan and, “Hold onto to your knickers.”  She went back at him, the audience started booing her and Earle went back to his songs and the show continued. 

      Steve is passionate about his progressive causes and he was clear, he will always be passionate and not give up the hope for peace and social justice in the world.  He saw the change take place in Northern Ireland, from when he first toured there and saw tanks in the roads to these days which is a peaceful place without barbed wires the roving tanks.  He hopes the same can take place in Jerusalem.  He described recording with an Israeli musician which took place is a studio owned by a Palestinian, a Muslim engineers the controls in the studio and he said as long as he can, he will always play his song Jerusalem.

The English Beat Land in Huntington

1/25/13 07:06 Heading to Stony Brook

It’s hot on the train and my head feels heavy from the extra beers I had last night.  The English Beat played at the Paramount in Huntington.  It gave a chance for elder hipsters, punks and skasters to get out on a week night.  I was excited when I learned the Scofflaws were opening.  Back in the eighties I saw them a couple of times.  Back then they were known as the New Bohemians.  Eddie Brickell’s management paid $600 to buy the name and in ’88 they transformed into the legends they are.  Eric picked me up at the Huntington train station.  Before he came I saw a young man carrying an instrument case, wearing a black suit and tie.  I asked if he was playing that night, and he said he was.  Jared is the trombone player for The Scofflaws and has played with them for the last couple of years.  I was curious if they toured.  These days he said they still get out, but don’t go too far from the New York base.  It’s not worth it.  I ate a light dinner at a Greek restaurant.  The air was freezing. It was so cold it took my breath away even though it was a short walk.   Inside The Paramount it was empty, maybe twenty of us were scattered on seats and around the open floor.   I was worried this would be a dead turnout, but gradually more people came in and when The Scofflaws hit the stage there were about a hundred or so.  There was another opening band from Long Island, RPS who was… alright.  They are known for playing reggae as per their web site.  You need to have style to play ska.  The RPS boys were dressed down and looked out of place. Honestly, The Scofflaws could have handled being the one and only band opening for The English Beat.  “Sammy” Brooks the singer and sax man had excellent stage presence.  He grew up in Huntington and shared a story when he was a kid, a group of his friends tried to sneak in the theatre (when they played movies back in 68) to see The Beatle’s Yellow Submarine and were caught by the manager who eventually let them in  to watch the film.  I’m dying on the train, I have the sweats and I feel my stomach bubbling.  I didn’t drink too many beers, but enough to send me over in hangover lethargy and regret.  The English Beat hit the stage.   I thought the black man was Ranking Roger, but it was not.  His name as we learned and he repeated was Anthony, who kept the crowd dancing and calling back and forth (I looked it up, his name is Antonee First Class) When he called out, who likes the eighties? I got pissed.  The show at that moment became an oldies show.  Yes, let’s waltz back in time…to the good old days when the threat of Margaret Thatcher or a nuclear war was eminent.  It was an oldies show since the last time The English Beat released a new album was back in…1982?  Special Beat Service which I received as a Christmas present when I was 16? Face the fact, it was an oldies show and I am paying the price for a late night at this moment.  I will have waves of energy and others like now when I am slinking in my seat.  The seats are filling up on the train.  I feel like I will heave if I had the opportunity.   Trying to tell my body I have an hour or more to get into the office. 

Saturday 15:08 Home

I need to wrap up this entry with the performance of the English Beat.  There was only one original member and  Dave Wakeling’s voice was perfect, he smiled and shared some antidotes with the crowd, but with his accent it was hard to decipher what he was saying, except I thought he said they shouldn’t have to pick on Thatcher anymore.  His smile barely left his face, bowed a few times after some songs and thanked us for coming out.  He even said, “God Bless you.”  That was nice in a different way since I rarely hear it at a concert, more often it’s after a speech from a sensible politician.  Songs?  Mirror in the bathroom, Jeanette, Sole Salvation, Tears of a Clown, I Confess, Safe it For Later - which the extended though it didn’t need to be extended.  They played some songs from General Public, Tenderness.  After the concert my intoxicated mind made the decision to get Wakeling’s autograph on my ticket.  I asked if he can sign it and he apologized since he didn’t have a pen, but like a good man, he found the pen and came back to the edge of the stage.  The security guard blocked me and Dave smiled and made a joke, come on…Dave signed my ticket and I stumbled off in the frigid winter winds in my light leather coat.  Thank you to my brother-in-law and my sister for allowing the man a night out.  We had a good time and plan on starting a band.  Look for the Dead Beat Dad’s on tour this summer or was it a drunkards dream.