Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Friday, February 13, 2015
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Don't Call it A Comeback
Quoth the lyricist LL Cool J.
I still haven't quite figured out what the best format is for this blog, so I'll just keep on with the little bit of everything motif.
Just finished a reading for Arts Crush, "Shark" by Tracy Vicory-Rosenquest. Tough role that I enjoyed (nervously) performing.
Starting Naplwrimo in two days. Kiddo inadvertently played the dramaturg last night in quizzing me about the play I plan to write. "Where is it?" "Who's in it?" "What is the genre?" "Why did you decide to write about this?" It's good prep work to have to work these things out and explain them.
As part of the Wrimo month, two friends and I will be doing a writer's retreat Nov. 10-11th at this place. They'll be working on novels, while I work on plays/screenplays. Should be a lot of words.
In related news, just joined this playwriting group. I like seeing people's new ideas, plus I need some good beta readers for my new work. Win win.
Just joined this site, because I had been doing the Max 10 program at my gym, working out for an hour every weekday. Lost 6 pounds and felt totally ripped. But as soon as the program ended, well, back to the beginning. Now I try to go to two classes a week. Tonight is Muay Thai class. oof.
I'm also getting back into playing this:
I was taking lessons in the summer until I got the hang of it, but then quit playing for a while. I'm trying to play a little bit every other day or so. I really enjoy playing, I don't know why it's so hard to pull it out of the case.
I still haven't quite figured out what the best format is for this blog, so I'll just keep on with the little bit of everything motif.
Just finished a reading for Arts Crush, "Shark" by Tracy Vicory-Rosenquest. Tough role that I enjoyed (nervously) performing.
Starting Naplwrimo in two days. Kiddo inadvertently played the dramaturg last night in quizzing me about the play I plan to write. "Where is it?" "Who's in it?" "What is the genre?" "Why did you decide to write about this?" It's good prep work to have to work these things out and explain them.
As part of the Wrimo month, two friends and I will be doing a writer's retreat Nov. 10-11th at this place. They'll be working on novels, while I work on plays/screenplays. Should be a lot of words.
In related news, just joined this playwriting group. I like seeing people's new ideas, plus I need some good beta readers for my new work. Win win.
Just joined this site, because I had been doing the Max 10 program at my gym, working out for an hour every weekday. Lost 6 pounds and felt totally ripped. But as soon as the program ended, well, back to the beginning. Now I try to go to two classes a week. Tonight is Muay Thai class. oof.
I'm also getting back into playing this:
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Sweet Home
Here's a fascinating history of the Blues Brothers. I had no idea. I have the movie soundrack, I'm going to have to pick up "Briefcase Full of Blues."
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Misdirection
To me, this
has less to do with popular music than with the increase in disposable income over time, particularly among young people. Think about the teens in the 60's with 7 or 8 records.
has less to do with popular music than with the increase in disposable income over time, particularly among young people. Think about the teens in the 60's with 7 or 8 records.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Happy MeDay
Today is my birthday, and I took the day off work. Here's a rundown of what I've been up to, what I've seen recently, and what's coming next.
1) Monday Meetings. We're getting good feedback on our sketches and are working on a 1/2 hour pilot. If you haven't seen them, take a look and please please forward the link to those who may be interested in teh funny.
2) WatchingTreme. The season is over, and S3 goes up next Spring, but I still have some link roundups to catch up on, as well as some new content. Slowly but surely...
3) Something's Afoot at Taproot Theatre. This was extended through August. Got a ticket from one of the performers, and laughed the whole way through. The tone was just right-just serious enough, just meta-aware enough, and just goofy enough. The cast is incredible. Seattlites should make the effort to catch this one, IMHO.
4) Speaking of theater, I was asked to take part in a staged reading of The Normal Heart in November. I read the script and was blown away. It's a work about the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in the 80s in NYC, and it grabs you by the gut as well as the heart. One scene, I just don't know how I'm going to be able to listen to over and over again in rehearsal. Proceeds will go to the Lifelong AIDS Alliance. Watch this space for more details as the time gets closer.
5) Luther. This had blipped across my radar and because I really liked Wallander and Sherlock I thought I'd give it a try. Idris Elba of "The Wire" fame is a frazzled, intuitive homicide detective. It's reminiscent of Sherlock in the deductions he makes, and reminiscent of Wallander in that he's barely functional. Written by Neil Cross, it has the pedigree to be outstanding. However, as entertaining as it is, I find the directing to be too on-the-nose. After a tragedy, Luther stumbles down several flights of stairs. Okay, Orpheus, I get it. After a certain happy ending, he and a friend get ice cream. In London. In winter. I could see their breath, and they're eating ice cream. It's symbolic of a return to innocence with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Maybe I'm being unfair-maybe you do go get ice cream in London in winter-people sit outside on patios in Seattle in the rain to drink beer. Although it seems more likely that they were going to cram in that metaphor no matter what. I do like the series, though, so maybe I'll write more later about what they get right.
6) Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. A documentary about an Aussie man's 60 day juice fast and road trip around America. Interesting stuff, well backed up by nutritional science. I think my sister put it best though when she posted on Facebook, "I like what he's selling, I just don't like that he's selling it." Because of course now he's got books, and plans, and all the rest. On the other hand, I'm eating way more fruits and veggies now because of watching it.
7) Big Sam's Funky Nation. Incredible concert. Just incredible. Highly recommended wherever you are, whenever they're touring. New Orleans based, and they do the old school really well, but they also adapt other styles to their own brand of nuclear funk rock. Lady Gaga? Cee-Lo? Yeah, they got that. Crazy.
8) Crocheting. I'm thinking I may get some things ready and reopen Two Sisters Crochet for the gifting season.
Like I don't have enough to do.
1) Monday Meetings. We're getting good feedback on our sketches and are working on a 1/2 hour pilot. If you haven't seen them, take a look and please please forward the link to those who may be interested in teh funny.
2) WatchingTreme. The season is over, and S3 goes up next Spring, but I still have some link roundups to catch up on, as well as some new content. Slowly but surely...
3) Something's Afoot at Taproot Theatre. This was extended through August. Got a ticket from one of the performers, and laughed the whole way through. The tone was just right-just serious enough, just meta-aware enough, and just goofy enough. The cast is incredible. Seattlites should make the effort to catch this one, IMHO.
4) Speaking of theater, I was asked to take part in a staged reading of The Normal Heart in November. I read the script and was blown away. It's a work about the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in the 80s in NYC, and it grabs you by the gut as well as the heart. One scene, I just don't know how I'm going to be able to listen to over and over again in rehearsal. Proceeds will go to the Lifelong AIDS Alliance. Watch this space for more details as the time gets closer.
5) Luther. This had blipped across my radar and because I really liked Wallander and Sherlock I thought I'd give it a try. Idris Elba of "The Wire" fame is a frazzled, intuitive homicide detective. It's reminiscent of Sherlock in the deductions he makes, and reminiscent of Wallander in that he's barely functional. Written by Neil Cross, it has the pedigree to be outstanding. However, as entertaining as it is, I find the directing to be too on-the-nose. After a tragedy, Luther stumbles down several flights of stairs. Okay, Orpheus, I get it. After a certain happy ending, he and a friend get ice cream. In London. In winter. I could see their breath, and they're eating ice cream. It's symbolic of a return to innocence with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Maybe I'm being unfair-maybe you do go get ice cream in London in winter-people sit outside on patios in Seattle in the rain to drink beer. Although it seems more likely that they were going to cram in that metaphor no matter what. I do like the series, though, so maybe I'll write more later about what they get right.
6) Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. A documentary about an Aussie man's 60 day juice fast and road trip around America. Interesting stuff, well backed up by nutritional science. I think my sister put it best though when she posted on Facebook, "I like what he's selling, I just don't like that he's selling it." Because of course now he's got books, and plans, and all the rest. On the other hand, I'm eating way more fruits and veggies now because of watching it.
7) Big Sam's Funky Nation. Incredible concert. Just incredible. Highly recommended wherever you are, whenever they're touring. New Orleans based, and they do the old school really well, but they also adapt other styles to their own brand of nuclear funk rock. Lady Gaga? Cee-Lo? Yeah, they got that. Crazy.
8) Crocheting. I'm thinking I may get some things ready and reopen Two Sisters Crochet for the gifting season.
Like I don't have enough to do.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Difference Between Creativity and Performing
This guy is a creative artist, as opposed to performing artist.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Seattle Art-Prog-Rock "Awesome"
I really like "Awesome"'s (Awesome in quotes) new release Four For Foer. You can listen here. They play crazy instruments sometimes, which is cool.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy New Year
It's kind of silly to point out the Top 10 lists, Top 100, Worst 10, etc that have been ubiquitous the last few weeks, but there they are. I've also been wandering around some of the "what I've learned" posts, most of which I'm not quite sure are helpful to anyone else, but if they spark some internal reflection, then hooray.
You can probably guess that I'm not a huge fan of the resolutions, or even to-do lists for the upcoming year. I can barely get through my daily to-do list. (However, I did see a great idea for inbox zero for the new year. Just tag everything in your gmail inbox as "2010" or "oldinbox" and archive it. That way you start with an empty inbox and you still have everything if you need to refer back to it, which you probably won't. I'm going to do this with all my emails (sometime today, it's on the list.)
So here's my 2010 postmortem. Just do it. Yes, it's the Nike tagline, but it's the best way that I can describe some of the highlights of the year for me. I heard that David Simon was starting up a new gig, and I decided to blog it. The birth of WatchingTreme has meant a lot to me: I made a trip to New Orleans, have met a lot of cool people, and I'm collecting a lot of info that people can refer back to. Just because I decided to do it. Same thing with getting to be a contributor at Edward Copeland on Film. I still don't feel that I'm necessarily pulling my weight, but I hope I'm getting better. He made a call for writers, I said I'd give it a shot, and now I'm a regular contributor. Some other big deals are agreeing for a short play of mine to be selected to a studio series by an actor friend (it got selected) and to go on a writing audition for a developing project (I got selected).
So for me the upshot is to just say yes to opportunities, follow the projects that seem really cool and interesting, and just do it. People ask me all the time how I do all the things I do, and I don't really. Just not at the same time. I just prioritize what's important for right now. Sometimes I write for the blogs, sometimes I research for my dissertation, etc, just not all on the same day.
If you wait until you "find the time" to do something, you won't. Exercise gurus have been telling us this for years, and it's just as true for anything else.
Lest I become too pedantic, here's a rockin' vid to thank you for reading. All best wishes for 2011!
You can probably guess that I'm not a huge fan of the resolutions, or even to-do lists for the upcoming year. I can barely get through my daily to-do list. (However, I did see a great idea for inbox zero for the new year. Just tag everything in your gmail inbox as "2010" or "oldinbox" and archive it. That way you start with an empty inbox and you still have everything if you need to refer back to it, which you probably won't. I'm going to do this with all my emails (sometime today, it's on the list.)
So here's my 2010 postmortem. Just do it. Yes, it's the Nike tagline, but it's the best way that I can describe some of the highlights of the year for me. I heard that David Simon was starting up a new gig, and I decided to blog it. The birth of WatchingTreme has meant a lot to me: I made a trip to New Orleans, have met a lot of cool people, and I'm collecting a lot of info that people can refer back to. Just because I decided to do it. Same thing with getting to be a contributor at Edward Copeland on Film. I still don't feel that I'm necessarily pulling my weight, but I hope I'm getting better. He made a call for writers, I said I'd give it a shot, and now I'm a regular contributor. Some other big deals are agreeing for a short play of mine to be selected to a studio series by an actor friend (it got selected) and to go on a writing audition for a developing project (I got selected).
So for me the upshot is to just say yes to opportunities, follow the projects that seem really cool and interesting, and just do it. People ask me all the time how I do all the things I do, and I don't really. Just not at the same time. I just prioritize what's important for right now. Sometimes I write for the blogs, sometimes I research for my dissertation, etc, just not all on the same day.
If you wait until you "find the time" to do something, you won't. Exercise gurus have been telling us this for years, and it's just as true for anything else.
Lest I become too pedantic, here's a rockin' vid to thank you for reading. All best wishes for 2011!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Loop-de-loop
Australian street artist creates songs on the spot by looping his voice. First he explains the process, then he gets into a full arrangement. Coolness. H/T @VinceCaso
http://www.wimp.com/dubfx/
http://www.wimp.com/dubfx/
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Discovery: Fitz and the Tantrums
Okay, so KEXP discovers everything before anybody, but that's where I heard this retro groovin band. Personally, if I were producing, I'd funk it up a little by adding trumpet and bone to the sax and pulling that forward as well as emphasizing the vocal harmonies, but I've not listened to all their tracks.
Fitz and the Tantrums
Fitz and the Tantrums
Monday, November 2, 2009
Phillip Roebuck
#Music Monday
Phillip Roebuck (Banjo Ninja) has a cool feature on his spiffy new website redesign. You can enter in your city to request that he come to play. I put in "Seattle." Wouldn't a Phillip Roebuck/Paperboys double bill be mind-exploding? Everybody request him!
www.philliproebuck.com
Photo from the site.
Phillip Roebuck (Banjo Ninja) has a cool feature on his spiffy new website redesign. You can enter in your city to request that he come to play. I put in "Seattle." Wouldn't a Phillip Roebuck/Paperboys double bill be mind-exploding? Everybody request him!
www.philliproebuck.com
Photo from the site.
Monday, December 8, 2008
It's Official
Our band is now professional. We got $35 gift certificates for performing at Dusty Strings. Each!
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