Very tired, but the good kind of tired because I've been getting a lot done. Wrote a paper last night, had class today, helped a friend apartment hunt, wrote a song, played jazz and transcribed some drum beats! All a good day's work. Tomorrow I look forward to watching part of the USMNT international friendly game. The Gold Cup isn't so far away! Altidore has been scoring a lot of our goals so hopefully he's recovered from his World Cup injury. It got up to 52 today, people were sitting out on the steps and playing soccer. Spring is right around the corner! Here's some good spring music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4b8LDCF4LI
Pebble Beach, by the Vince Guaraldi Trio, from A Boy Named Charlie Brown
Monday, March 30, 2015
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Art
Another fun day! Lots of gallivanting around Manhattan. Went to the New Museum in the lower east side for Thuto's birthday day, it was fun and we saw good views of New York from the roof. The art wasn't that great, I'm not such a fan of modern art though so maybe I'm just a curmudgeon. Most modern art seems to be more about statements and "effect" than about talent or display of skill, like the art is about having a clever idea or striking/shocking subject matter rather than being a great painting of a rabbit. There's a Duchamp quote I have a picture of on my phone that I'm too lazy/comfortable to go grab, but it's to the effect of "Dada was cool at first but people misinterpreted it and now it's lame." I feel that way about most modern art. Give me an impressionist painting of a rainy Paris street and I'm a happy boy.
There was a cool piece where "E 3" was made with aquarium material, including live aquatic plants and anemones. That's cool because its interesting and looks nice and is a fun idea. Teletubbies in riot gear in front of a CGI video of Obama is not interesting or fun or nice looking. It's bootsy.
After that we went to a nice but chaotic cafe and stayed there until it closed at 6:30, had lots of fun conversation. It's nice to be around people who don't feel the need to check their phones every few minutes, who can talk and be silent equally comfortably.
Following that we trekked around Lower Manhattan a bunch, (or South Manhattan as my brother calls it). Went to some nice bars, had more nice conversation, and it got colder and colder. Hopefully the cold abates soon, Spring would be nice. Snow should not be falling so close to April. But now I'm warm in bed, so I can't complain.
A good song for a journey, Dragon Roost Island theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXGGvsHq6iA
There was a cool piece where "E 3" was made with aquarium material, including live aquatic plants and anemones. That's cool because its interesting and looks nice and is a fun idea. Teletubbies in riot gear in front of a CGI video of Obama is not interesting or fun or nice looking. It's bootsy.
After that we went to a nice but chaotic cafe and stayed there until it closed at 6:30, had lots of fun conversation. It's nice to be around people who don't feel the need to check their phones every few minutes, who can talk and be silent equally comfortably.
Following that we trekked around Lower Manhattan a bunch, (or South Manhattan as my brother calls it). Went to some nice bars, had more nice conversation, and it got colder and colder. Hopefully the cold abates soon, Spring would be nice. Snow should not be falling so close to April. But now I'm warm in bed, so I can't complain.
A good song for a journey, Dragon Roost Island theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXGGvsHq6iA
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Prohibition
Played an awesome gig tonight with the funk band at a bar called Prohibition on 84th/Columbus. Went well, some technical difficulties and I played some parts badly but overall the crowd loved it and that's all that matters. We had to cut our set short yet again, but the crowd was chanting "encore" and "one more song", so at least we weren't booed off stage! It was very fun and I want to keep playing gigs and music forever. Also need to get serious serious about this piano. Going to actually buy one (hopefully) and practice the scales until I have them memorized. Muusic theory here I come!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3hDQZ21AQQ
Kiss You All Over, by Exile, another song I want to learn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3hDQZ21AQQ
Kiss You All Over, by Exile, another song I want to learn.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Blueberries
It feels like it's starting to get warmer here in New York, which is very welcome. I'm eating blueberries right now trying to will the climate into Spring. I'm also eating a twix bar, I guess trying to will the year into Halloween? There's not many good Spring festivities until Easter, St. Patrick's was fun, but I don't really count that as a seasonal holiday the way I would Halloween and Christmas. Once Halloween rolls around again I need to watch Over the Garden Wall. I'm really looking forward to that. It's become a new Charlie Brown Christmas for me. Psyched.
I like small blueberries better than large ones, the texture and less bitterness is nice.
I like larger twix bars better because it means you get more twix bar. Getting a full size Twix on Halloween was always a great achievement.
Also going to maybe eat some carrots and celery. I feel weird about them now because I'm trying to gain weight so they seem like a waste of stomach space since they provide so few calories. But they're also healthy for me. I think a solid mix of veggies and pizza and steak is the way to go. Also twix bars.
Got a good jazz midterm back today, so hooray. Still waiting on the rest but I feel pretty confident. I think I'm tired right now because I'm messing up my spellings, almost typed roles for rolls and weighting for waiting. I'll watch some comedy central shows and go to sleep.
I got two jugs of apple juice for 5$ last night. The come up.
After Jazz I went and practiced pool for a while, I want to say played but it was really practice. Last night the fire alarm went off in Harmony literally right after I posted my post, so I went to 1020 and read Lawrence in Arabia, noticed the pool table was active, and signed up on the list to play. I ended up waiting until about 3:20 AM to play my game, it was one of those things where I waited and read until 2:50 and thought "Well I've been waiting here so long already I might as well keep waiting until it's my turn than give up and go home." I lost the game to a great player, I had two balls left on the table when he sunk the 8, but I played pretty well overall except the time I accidentally hit the cue ball off the table. Also I still want to call the cue ball the white ball so I guess I'm not pro yet. I might start going there more often though, I've been looking for a good pool hall. The OG's at the table seemed friendly but raucous, the best combination. It reminds me of my days bowling back in Alameda, on the Skyline team and in the little practice squad I was in, and the OG's who bowled there. I should pick up bowling again too, although bowling is a much more expensive hobby. I can't believe some people golf as a hobby, since it costs hundreds and thousands of dollars. I'll stick with my 1$ pool games and 12$ bowling sessions. After practicing pool I got a crepe and came home to watch Better Call Saul and Best of the Worst.
Twix and blueberries make for a great taste combination, in case you were wondering.
Not sure if I've posted this already but if I have it's worth listening to again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyEc8KAB_Mo
Fly Me to the Moon, by the Vince Guaraldi Trio, from the A Boy Named Charlie Brown soundtrack.
I like small blueberries better than large ones, the texture and less bitterness is nice.
I like larger twix bars better because it means you get more twix bar. Getting a full size Twix on Halloween was always a great achievement.
Also going to maybe eat some carrots and celery. I feel weird about them now because I'm trying to gain weight so they seem like a waste of stomach space since they provide so few calories. But they're also healthy for me. I think a solid mix of veggies and pizza and steak is the way to go. Also twix bars.
Got a good jazz midterm back today, so hooray. Still waiting on the rest but I feel pretty confident. I think I'm tired right now because I'm messing up my spellings, almost typed roles for rolls and weighting for waiting. I'll watch some comedy central shows and go to sleep.
I got two jugs of apple juice for 5$ last night. The come up.
After Jazz I went and practiced pool for a while, I want to say played but it was really practice. Last night the fire alarm went off in Harmony literally right after I posted my post, so I went to 1020 and read Lawrence in Arabia, noticed the pool table was active, and signed up on the list to play. I ended up waiting until about 3:20 AM to play my game, it was one of those things where I waited and read until 2:50 and thought "Well I've been waiting here so long already I might as well keep waiting until it's my turn than give up and go home." I lost the game to a great player, I had two balls left on the table when he sunk the 8, but I played pretty well overall except the time I accidentally hit the cue ball off the table. Also I still want to call the cue ball the white ball so I guess I'm not pro yet. I might start going there more often though, I've been looking for a good pool hall. The OG's at the table seemed friendly but raucous, the best combination. It reminds me of my days bowling back in Alameda, on the Skyline team and in the little practice squad I was in, and the OG's who bowled there. I should pick up bowling again too, although bowling is a much more expensive hobby. I can't believe some people golf as a hobby, since it costs hundreds and thousands of dollars. I'll stick with my 1$ pool games and 12$ bowling sessions. After practicing pool I got a crepe and came home to watch Better Call Saul and Best of the Worst.
Twix and blueberries make for a great taste combination, in case you were wondering.
Not sure if I've posted this already but if I have it's worth listening to again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyEc8KAB_Mo
Fly Me to the Moon, by the Vince Guaraldi Trio, from the A Boy Named Charlie Brown soundtrack.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Muuuuusic
Just got done playing music for 6 hours straight. 3 hours on drums, 3 hours on keyboard. It was great, exciting, interesting, invigorating, and exhausting. I was happy everything was sounding solid since I hadn't been able to play on an actual drumset (or keyboard) for over a week during spring break. But everything sounded solid, got some James Brown breakbeats down, played some good jazz, then played some great funk. We have a gig Friday night, I'm excited for it and I think it will go well. Hopefully we won't get cut off partway through this time! Though if the cops shut down the bar that would be cool, and appropriate since the bar is called Prohibition.
Classes were also good today. Not too much work in the next few days, which is nice because I'll be very busy with music. Onwards and upwards!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhCIeXFyiis
Ligia, by Stan Getz, from The Best of Both Worlds. If I start trying to sing for real this is the first song I'm going to try to sing.
Classes were also good today. Not too much work in the next few days, which is nice because I'll be very busy with music. Onwards and upwards!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhCIeXFyiis
Ligia, by Stan Getz, from The Best of Both Worlds. If I start trying to sing for real this is the first song I'm going to try to sing.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Comics
Went down to midtown comics again today, it was very fun! I didn't even mind the 1 train being out for construction, although the walk from 96-110th was cold. I read the newest parts of All New Captain America and the Black Vortex saga, the Guardians of the Galaxy portion. Now that I know that many of these comic series will end in some form by the end of the summer I feel more of a rush to read them. I also read Princess Leia #1, the Star Wars comics have been pretty good so far!
I spent the earlier part of the day watching Game of Thrones clips on youtube. 3 or 4 clips turned into 12 or 15, but it was a nice way to spend the early afternoon. I'm getting very hyped for the new season. Also the new book, whenever that will be.
Tonight I transcribed a bunch of drum beats from James Brown songs and some ?uestlove beats, and it was really fun and challenging and invigorating. I got a lot done relatively, and I look forward to doing more. Also to practicing them since some of them seem pretty tough, but it's good because I need to improve at being a solid pocket for a band.
Now I'm watching Weird Al videos until I nod off. Until next time true believers! Excelsior!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAkL2-vh2Sk
The X-Men theme song from the 90's show, a classic. The classic.
I spent the earlier part of the day watching Game of Thrones clips on youtube. 3 or 4 clips turned into 12 or 15, but it was a nice way to spend the early afternoon. I'm getting very hyped for the new season. Also the new book, whenever that will be.
Tonight I transcribed a bunch of drum beats from James Brown songs and some ?uestlove beats, and it was really fun and challenging and invigorating. I got a lot done relatively, and I look forward to doing more. Also to practicing them since some of them seem pretty tough, but it's good because I need to improve at being a solid pocket for a band.
Now I'm watching Weird Al videos until I nod off. Until next time true believers! Excelsior!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAkL2-vh2Sk
The X-Men theme song from the 90's show, a classic. The classic.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Back to back
I'm back in New York! Spring break was great, a really fun refreshing time and I miss it already, But it's nice to be back and have work to do.
Last night we watched Ru Paul's Drag Race (weirdly a tongue twister for me, I keep wanting to say Drew Paul's Rag Race). It was extremely entertaining and weird and grating and great. Had some nice Acacia pinot with it and then went back and cuddled with the cat for a while.
Still need to do a recap of the trip but I'm lazy.
It's weird I have less energy to write the earlier I go to bed. At 3am and 4am I'm up for writing paragraphs. At midnight or earlier I can't think straight enough to write well. Aka now. My wit wants to sleep. So I will it to!
Still in the Shakespeare mindset. Although I've been reading lots of Lawrence in Arabia recently, great book. But tomorrow night back to Shakespeare!
Funkadelic, Not Just Knee Deep, 1979
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-20v1b5jKY
Last night we watched Ru Paul's Drag Race (weirdly a tongue twister for me, I keep wanting to say Drew Paul's Rag Race). It was extremely entertaining and weird and grating and great. Had some nice Acacia pinot with it and then went back and cuddled with the cat for a while.
Still need to do a recap of the trip but I'm lazy.
It's weird I have less energy to write the earlier I go to bed. At 3am and 4am I'm up for writing paragraphs. At midnight or earlier I can't think straight enough to write well. Aka now. My wit wants to sleep. So I will it to!
Still in the Shakespeare mindset. Although I've been reading lots of Lawrence in Arabia recently, great book. But tomorrow night back to Shakespeare!
Funkadelic, Not Just Knee Deep, 1979
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-20v1b5jKY
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Ginger Snaps
Eating a box of ginger snaps currently. I didn't post last night, I guess I hadn't drank as much tequila as the night before. Tonight I haven't drank any tequila.
I've made friends with a cat here, Jacki's roommate's cat. It's fat and fluffy and funny, and I like petting it. We watched baseball together the other day. I've also made some human friends, many people in Boulder and Denver are nice. Some of the people here in Boulder are not nice. Drugs seem to be a big culture here, and while I know some people can be druggies and still function, most can't. Not even in the health sense, people into drug culture tend to 1. Not understand that other people aren't into drug culture, and 2. Let drugs influence most other aspects of their life.
Also one of my new friends got roofied yesterday apparently, so Boulder is on thin ice for me.
But there's also lots of great people, and the people I've met around bars and restaurants have been especially nice. It's refreshing to have people want to talk to you and want to make friends, a trend I've found in the pubs and coffeeshops that is severely lacking in New York. New York has some great people too, but it takes the idea of not making eye contact or acknowledging strangers and raises it to quite the exponent.
Thankfully my sleep schedule is also starting to get more reasonable. No more 5am-2pm sleeping for me when I get back to NY. I'm going back so soon, break has gone fast but also slowly. Lots of great memories every day, I'm liking it out here but also ready to get back to other things. I miss playing music the most, and some people back in New York. Obviously I'd prefer to combine the best of both worlds, but maybe having them separate is what makes them special.
I watched High School Musical for the first time all the way through today. It was surprisingly satisfying, not great but not terrible or cringeworthy. I think it's a good example of a right way to do that kind of movie. Simplistic, but not overly dumbed down or grating.
That's about all I have to say for now. I didn't get too much reading of Lawrence In Arabia done today despite spending a long while in Starbucks to read it, but I'm enjoying these reading excursions a lot and plan to continue them now that it's getting warmer back in New York.
Jacki has a very comfy couch.
Here's Wilhelm Kempff, an amazing pianist giving an amazing rendition of the Third Movement from Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqSulR9Fymg
I've made friends with a cat here, Jacki's roommate's cat. It's fat and fluffy and funny, and I like petting it. We watched baseball together the other day. I've also made some human friends, many people in Boulder and Denver are nice. Some of the people here in Boulder are not nice. Drugs seem to be a big culture here, and while I know some people can be druggies and still function, most can't. Not even in the health sense, people into drug culture tend to 1. Not understand that other people aren't into drug culture, and 2. Let drugs influence most other aspects of their life.
Also one of my new friends got roofied yesterday apparently, so Boulder is on thin ice for me.
But there's also lots of great people, and the people I've met around bars and restaurants have been especially nice. It's refreshing to have people want to talk to you and want to make friends, a trend I've found in the pubs and coffeeshops that is severely lacking in New York. New York has some great people too, but it takes the idea of not making eye contact or acknowledging strangers and raises it to quite the exponent.
Thankfully my sleep schedule is also starting to get more reasonable. No more 5am-2pm sleeping for me when I get back to NY. I'm going back so soon, break has gone fast but also slowly. Lots of great memories every day, I'm liking it out here but also ready to get back to other things. I miss playing music the most, and some people back in New York. Obviously I'd prefer to combine the best of both worlds, but maybe having them separate is what makes them special.
I watched High School Musical for the first time all the way through today. It was surprisingly satisfying, not great but not terrible or cringeworthy. I think it's a good example of a right way to do that kind of movie. Simplistic, but not overly dumbed down or grating.
That's about all I have to say for now. I didn't get too much reading of Lawrence In Arabia done today despite spending a long while in Starbucks to read it, but I'm enjoying these reading excursions a lot and plan to continue them now that it's getting warmer back in New York.
Jacki has a very comfy couch.
Here's Wilhelm Kempff, an amazing pianist giving an amazing rendition of the Third Movement from Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqSulR9Fymg
Monday, March 16, 2015
Swings
Reading Norm Macdonald's twitter always brings up feelings for me.
I'm still having good times in Colorado and I'll elaborate on my previous adventure's and today's relaxed book reading in the sunshine while listening to Kendrick's new album sometime soon.
Right now I'm of a mind to write about standup comedy, which I've been meaning to do or a while. It won't be the full post the subject deserves, but at least one part of it.
Standup (and comedian culture, whatever that is) has been my second passion behind music for a while now. Comedy in general, though I gravitate more towards standup driven acts. My love for comedy productions probably started with Conan, at least how I conceive of comedy productions. For example it really probably started with the Simpsons but I wouldn't categorize the Simpsons under "comedy" as I'm referring to it here. The connotation makes sense in my head but would be difficult and pointless to explain, lots of arbitrary boundaries for my own checklists.
Anyways, this particular train of thought follows the tracks of a day last semester, I think in September or October. I'll google it now to get the correct date.
It was October 22nd, 2014. http://thecomicscomic.com/2014/10/27/new-yorks-comedy-community-turns-out-to-dedicate-george-carlin-way-on-west-121st-street/
Here's a review of it for objective information. If you look directly above Carlin's daughter's hat in the opening remarks video, and between the two faces above it you'll occasionally see my pasty face pop into frame behind them.
I think I heard about the event days before on twitter, so twitter is constantly increasing it's importance to me. I went after class, I believe Metaphysics, and walked up to 121st, hoping to catch the crowd and know where the George Carlin dedication was occurring. As I stood next to a coffee shop that other people seemed to be standing next to, hoping I was in the right group, Colin Quinn and entourage walked out of the shop at a determined pace. This was my first time seeing Colin Quinn in person, a big moment for me because I'd been getting deep into Tough Crowd and the whole crew of Tough Crowd over the last year or so. Butterflies started immediately, and I followed the crowd out to the site of the dedication.
Thankfully the rain had stopped and the event went off without a hitch. Everyone gave great speeches, especially Quinn likening Carlin to a priest. It was great to see everyone so passionate about Carlin and about the event. Carlin's brother also gave a hilarious, impassioned speech, and the sign was ceremoniously unveiled to great applause.
During and after the event I noticed the celebrities and comics in attendance. Judah Friedlander was recognizable for his look, and while he'd count as a famous celebrity sighting for me on a normal day here he was an afterthought. Walking among the crowd were Gilbert Gottfried, Jim Norton, Dave Attell. More too, but especially these great comedians who I'd become so enthralled with recently. Norton I'd had the pleasure to meet when he came in for an interview at 95.7 The Game over the summer, though since I was just an intern it's not like we spent the day together. But at least we made eye contact.
Gilbert Gottfried was interesting to see because he looms so small and reserved in person despite being so gargantuan and bombastic on stage. He seemed an exquisitely kind man. I don't think I regarded him as Iago from Aladdin, but he is Iago from Aladdin, a very formative series of movies from my youth, and it was interesting to see him in person yet not really associate him as the embodiment of the character.
Dave Attell was the second most interesting experience for me, maybe even the most, behind Colin Quinn. I'd been watching Insomniac a lot on sleepless nights as a comfort show during the semester, burning through lots of episodes. Dave Attell had gotten me through tough times, shown me interesting and hilarious sides of cities, and provided me with hours of unique entertainment that I cherished and hadn't found anywhere else.
Shouldn't I thank him for that? He literally walked right by me, I stood next to him at times. A few other people were coming up to him and asking for pictures and autographs, or just to say "Hey Dave", I chickened out. Or I rationalized that I didn't want to be like that, didn't want to impose on him and be just another groupie, it was his day off and he was here to celebrate a friend, not to be a celebrity and sign autographs, so why should I bother him. I'd be just another demanding fan, even worse is he'd see me as just another demanding fan. That's not who I wanted him to see me as. I'd rather not be known by him at all than be known as another groupie.
I chickened out. What would have been so wrong about saying "Hey Dave"? Wouldn't he probably appreciate hearing how much his show, his work had meant to me? Who cares if he gets it all the time, it would still mean a lot to him right? And it would mean a lot to me. I want this, I want to let him know what his work meant for me. I'm being selfish, I'm turning his day of celebration for a departed friend into a day about serving me, giving me this experience because it's what's most important to me today, but not what's most important today. But is it so wrong to satisfy a few selfish desires? I'm sure he gets asked for autographs and banal photographs all the time, would he really be bothered by my compliments?
These thoughts extended to my probably stalker seeming standing near Colin Quinn without getting the nerve to go up to him and talk to him. The real fear that was under the groupie-stigma nervousness, that I only realized while walking home later and rationalizing, was what would I say if they were nice enough to talk to me? After "hey, I really appreciate your work and it's meant a lot to me, got me through tough times etc., you're amazing and keep doing what you're doing etc.", what do I really have to say? What do I have to provide?
I've known these comedians for months and years and spent hours with them, all without ever talking to them or knowing them, seeing their faces in daylight and not on a screen for the first time. Dave looks old, his jolly chubby Comedy Central self into a hat and cigarette sporting bearded thinner self. Colin Quinn has less hair but wiser eyes, a fire of anger simmered to a heat of contemplation. Norton is pulling a reverse Benjamin Button, looking a boy in a man's body aging into a man in a boy's body.
What can I provide? What do I want them to provide me with? If I pour my heart out, what I think is in my heart, and get a kind "thank you", "I appreciate it", is that what I wanted, would I have been satisfied?
I wanted more, to be appreciated, to be friends with them. To be a part of that inner circle, a part of the inside jokes and atmosphere that I'd only watched as a fly on the wall, removed even further because my vision had been through a computer screen. Here were my heroes and idols, more than that my friends who I'd shared so many laughs with, laughs they'd never heard. I wanted to share that laughter with them, not even to contribute jokes or opinions or self but to just be acknowledged, to be in the audience. Coming face to face with the real thing I was reminded even more the separation and distance between my time watching their videos and the real thing of being in their circle, being a part of their club, sitting at their cool kids table.
Why should I deserve that? They'd made the shows, produced, written, starred. Worked. I'd just consumed, I had nothing to provide in the conversation if it went past "I enjoyed your work." That's all I'd done, enjoyed their work. What more did I have to offer that they should appreciate me as I revered them? Why should I deserve that love? Isn't it selfish, to want to have my cake and eat it too, take all their hard work and give nothing back but "thanks, can we take a picture so I can remember meeting you."
I probably should have said something though.
Even if I had I'd probably still agonize over it, how I should have said more or less, that I didn't say the right thing, that if I'd just done this or that right it would have gone exactly how I wanted (with how I wanted being that they come to all my family dinners, of course.)
I probably could have said something though.
This extends beyond comedy, to things like meeting Thundercat and further encounters with Colin Quinn. But this day was special in my realization (or rationalization) of this on the walk home. To be a part of that inner circle, to warrant appreciation and respect, you have to have something worthy of it. More than just the idea that I'd spent time with them without actually being with them, without their knowledge, even if I did spend time in their presence I needed something of value to be valued for. Rather than trying to reel the fish in against their will you have to sit in a really well made boat for the fish to come hang out in, and its funner that way anyway. If you build it they will come etc. I was trying to put on a baseball game with no field, trying to join the team with no glove and bat.
Basically, I need to get on my game and work. Produce, in the true sense of the word. The problem obviously is that by the time I have anything of worth it will be past their time. We'll never be contemporaries, by the nature of time. But the good thing about contemporaries is they come up at the same time as you. If I become a Colin Quinn I'll have my own Patrice O'Neal's and Norton's and Macdonald's and Attell's to work with, to create with, to produce with. And while they won't be the same as the greats I revere, I'll know them in a truer sense than the way I knew the greats through the screen. I was never going to have that friendship with Norm Macdonald, and the distanced reverence is satisfying enough for me as is, so better to build a friendship with my contemporary version of Colin Quinn, whoever that may be. Maybe one day someone will come up to me and tell me how much my work has meant to them. I've experienced this in small doses playing music for people, DJing for people. I hope to experience this appreciation for my work as a person as well as in my job. Hopefully I can be someone's Patrice O'Neal, their Norm Macdonald, their Thundercat. I'm not very good at public speaking (read: horrible), so comedy's probably out of the bag, but through radio or music or what have you.
If I get so lucky as to be someone's Brian O'Connell, hopefully they get up the nerve to say so, and hopefully I'm not too old and crotchety to remember that day, October 22nd, 2014, the day my heroes dedicated George Carlin Way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-Ogs4ThQiY
Dave Van Ronk, Green Green Rocky Road.
I'm still having good times in Colorado and I'll elaborate on my previous adventure's and today's relaxed book reading in the sunshine while listening to Kendrick's new album sometime soon.
Right now I'm of a mind to write about standup comedy, which I've been meaning to do or a while. It won't be the full post the subject deserves, but at least one part of it.
Standup (and comedian culture, whatever that is) has been my second passion behind music for a while now. Comedy in general, though I gravitate more towards standup driven acts. My love for comedy productions probably started with Conan, at least how I conceive of comedy productions. For example it really probably started with the Simpsons but I wouldn't categorize the Simpsons under "comedy" as I'm referring to it here. The connotation makes sense in my head but would be difficult and pointless to explain, lots of arbitrary boundaries for my own checklists.
Anyways, this particular train of thought follows the tracks of a day last semester, I think in September or October. I'll google it now to get the correct date.
It was October 22nd, 2014. http://thecomicscomic.com/2014/10/27/new-yorks-comedy-community-turns-out-to-dedicate-george-carlin-way-on-west-121st-street/
Here's a review of it for objective information. If you look directly above Carlin's daughter's hat in the opening remarks video, and between the two faces above it you'll occasionally see my pasty face pop into frame behind them.
I think I heard about the event days before on twitter, so twitter is constantly increasing it's importance to me. I went after class, I believe Metaphysics, and walked up to 121st, hoping to catch the crowd and know where the George Carlin dedication was occurring. As I stood next to a coffee shop that other people seemed to be standing next to, hoping I was in the right group, Colin Quinn and entourage walked out of the shop at a determined pace. This was my first time seeing Colin Quinn in person, a big moment for me because I'd been getting deep into Tough Crowd and the whole crew of Tough Crowd over the last year or so. Butterflies started immediately, and I followed the crowd out to the site of the dedication.
Thankfully the rain had stopped and the event went off without a hitch. Everyone gave great speeches, especially Quinn likening Carlin to a priest. It was great to see everyone so passionate about Carlin and about the event. Carlin's brother also gave a hilarious, impassioned speech, and the sign was ceremoniously unveiled to great applause.
During and after the event I noticed the celebrities and comics in attendance. Judah Friedlander was recognizable for his look, and while he'd count as a famous celebrity sighting for me on a normal day here he was an afterthought. Walking among the crowd were Gilbert Gottfried, Jim Norton, Dave Attell. More too, but especially these great comedians who I'd become so enthralled with recently. Norton I'd had the pleasure to meet when he came in for an interview at 95.7 The Game over the summer, though since I was just an intern it's not like we spent the day together. But at least we made eye contact.
Gilbert Gottfried was interesting to see because he looms so small and reserved in person despite being so gargantuan and bombastic on stage. He seemed an exquisitely kind man. I don't think I regarded him as Iago from Aladdin, but he is Iago from Aladdin, a very formative series of movies from my youth, and it was interesting to see him in person yet not really associate him as the embodiment of the character.
Dave Attell was the second most interesting experience for me, maybe even the most, behind Colin Quinn. I'd been watching Insomniac a lot on sleepless nights as a comfort show during the semester, burning through lots of episodes. Dave Attell had gotten me through tough times, shown me interesting and hilarious sides of cities, and provided me with hours of unique entertainment that I cherished and hadn't found anywhere else.
Shouldn't I thank him for that? He literally walked right by me, I stood next to him at times. A few other people were coming up to him and asking for pictures and autographs, or just to say "Hey Dave", I chickened out. Or I rationalized that I didn't want to be like that, didn't want to impose on him and be just another groupie, it was his day off and he was here to celebrate a friend, not to be a celebrity and sign autographs, so why should I bother him. I'd be just another demanding fan, even worse is he'd see me as just another demanding fan. That's not who I wanted him to see me as. I'd rather not be known by him at all than be known as another groupie.
I chickened out. What would have been so wrong about saying "Hey Dave"? Wouldn't he probably appreciate hearing how much his show, his work had meant to me? Who cares if he gets it all the time, it would still mean a lot to him right? And it would mean a lot to me. I want this, I want to let him know what his work meant for me. I'm being selfish, I'm turning his day of celebration for a departed friend into a day about serving me, giving me this experience because it's what's most important to me today, but not what's most important today. But is it so wrong to satisfy a few selfish desires? I'm sure he gets asked for autographs and banal photographs all the time, would he really be bothered by my compliments?
These thoughts extended to my probably stalker seeming standing near Colin Quinn without getting the nerve to go up to him and talk to him. The real fear that was under the groupie-stigma nervousness, that I only realized while walking home later and rationalizing, was what would I say if they were nice enough to talk to me? After "hey, I really appreciate your work and it's meant a lot to me, got me through tough times etc., you're amazing and keep doing what you're doing etc.", what do I really have to say? What do I have to provide?
I've known these comedians for months and years and spent hours with them, all without ever talking to them or knowing them, seeing their faces in daylight and not on a screen for the first time. Dave looks old, his jolly chubby Comedy Central self into a hat and cigarette sporting bearded thinner self. Colin Quinn has less hair but wiser eyes, a fire of anger simmered to a heat of contemplation. Norton is pulling a reverse Benjamin Button, looking a boy in a man's body aging into a man in a boy's body.
What can I provide? What do I want them to provide me with? If I pour my heart out, what I think is in my heart, and get a kind "thank you", "I appreciate it", is that what I wanted, would I have been satisfied?
I wanted more, to be appreciated, to be friends with them. To be a part of that inner circle, a part of the inside jokes and atmosphere that I'd only watched as a fly on the wall, removed even further because my vision had been through a computer screen. Here were my heroes and idols, more than that my friends who I'd shared so many laughs with, laughs they'd never heard. I wanted to share that laughter with them, not even to contribute jokes or opinions or self but to just be acknowledged, to be in the audience. Coming face to face with the real thing I was reminded even more the separation and distance between my time watching their videos and the real thing of being in their circle, being a part of their club, sitting at their cool kids table.
Why should I deserve that? They'd made the shows, produced, written, starred. Worked. I'd just consumed, I had nothing to provide in the conversation if it went past "I enjoyed your work." That's all I'd done, enjoyed their work. What more did I have to offer that they should appreciate me as I revered them? Why should I deserve that love? Isn't it selfish, to want to have my cake and eat it too, take all their hard work and give nothing back but "thanks, can we take a picture so I can remember meeting you."
I probably should have said something though.
Even if I had I'd probably still agonize over it, how I should have said more or less, that I didn't say the right thing, that if I'd just done this or that right it would have gone exactly how I wanted (with how I wanted being that they come to all my family dinners, of course.)
I probably could have said something though.
This extends beyond comedy, to things like meeting Thundercat and further encounters with Colin Quinn. But this day was special in my realization (or rationalization) of this on the walk home. To be a part of that inner circle, to warrant appreciation and respect, you have to have something worthy of it. More than just the idea that I'd spent time with them without actually being with them, without their knowledge, even if I did spend time in their presence I needed something of value to be valued for. Rather than trying to reel the fish in against their will you have to sit in a really well made boat for the fish to come hang out in, and its funner that way anyway. If you build it they will come etc. I was trying to put on a baseball game with no field, trying to join the team with no glove and bat.
Basically, I need to get on my game and work. Produce, in the true sense of the word. The problem obviously is that by the time I have anything of worth it will be past their time. We'll never be contemporaries, by the nature of time. But the good thing about contemporaries is they come up at the same time as you. If I become a Colin Quinn I'll have my own Patrice O'Neal's and Norton's and Macdonald's and Attell's to work with, to create with, to produce with. And while they won't be the same as the greats I revere, I'll know them in a truer sense than the way I knew the greats through the screen. I was never going to have that friendship with Norm Macdonald, and the distanced reverence is satisfying enough for me as is, so better to build a friendship with my contemporary version of Colin Quinn, whoever that may be. Maybe one day someone will come up to me and tell me how much my work has meant to them. I've experienced this in small doses playing music for people, DJing for people. I hope to experience this appreciation for my work as a person as well as in my job. Hopefully I can be someone's Patrice O'Neal, their Norm Macdonald, their Thundercat. I'm not very good at public speaking (read: horrible), so comedy's probably out of the bag, but through radio or music or what have you.
If I get so lucky as to be someone's Brian O'Connell, hopefully they get up the nerve to say so, and hopefully I'm not too old and crotchety to remember that day, October 22nd, 2014, the day my heroes dedicated George Carlin Way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-Ogs4ThQiY
Dave Van Ronk, Green Green Rocky Road.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Colorado
Short post because I'm so busy, but Colorado's been great so far. Some quick reminders for later long writing:
bus ride, walking around Boulder when I arrived.
Disco party, Sara's parents, Kaya, great times djing, drunk people.
Fun breakfast, nice times cleaning up. went to a nice mediterranean dinner. Went to Regis and Denver, had fun times, drunk times. Cats and dogs and rooster calls. Drove back to Boulder, spent fun times in the sun. Went up to Frozen Dead Guy Festival in Nederland, very beautiful area with snowy lakes and mountains in 75 degree weather. Perfect day. Throwing rocks in the river and running with Kaya and walking with Sara. Saw a wolf. Ate a hot dog in a sleeve. Came back and napped. All around great day. Now going to eat home cooked dinner with her family.
Spring break is nice.
bus ride, walking around Boulder when I arrived.
Disco party, Sara's parents, Kaya, great times djing, drunk people.
Fun breakfast, nice times cleaning up. went to a nice mediterranean dinner. Went to Regis and Denver, had fun times, drunk times. Cats and dogs and rooster calls. Drove back to Boulder, spent fun times in the sun. Went up to Frozen Dead Guy Festival in Nederland, very beautiful area with snowy lakes and mountains in 75 degree weather. Perfect day. Throwing rocks in the river and running with Kaya and walking with Sara. Saw a wolf. Ate a hot dog in a sleeve. Came back and napped. All around great day. Now going to eat home cooked dinner with her family.
Spring break is nice.
Friday, March 13, 2015
La Guardia
I'm currently sitting in La Guardia airport, it's 6 am. I woke up at 4:40 after going to sleep at 1:30, being like "oh there might be traffic so I'll need two hours to get to the airport!". It took about 30 minutes. But, it's better to be here way early and chill and watch Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt than be running late and stressing the whole cab ride over. I'm debating getting a cheeseburger for breakfast. Is that ethical?
There's about 8000000 ipads in the terminal in LGA, for no apparent reason. Like, every table and chair there's just an ipad or two installed in the table. No one's even really using them. I have no idea what's up with them. I guess they're to entice people to buy drinks and food in the terminal or sign up for things but it seems like a waste of ipads. I assume these are faulty ones that couldn't sell retail so the airline got them wholesale or something like that.
I got to hear Emilie do daybreak express in the cab ride over, which was very nice. This week was midterms and busy and sickness but I made it through the wilderness, you know I made it throuuuuughh. Didn't know how lost I was until I found you. After midterms yesterday I had a fun Club Soda, then went and saw Marlen and friends at EC, played some smash bros, then went and briefly saw Lizzie and Jocelyn at Mel's to sign up for a paper airplane competition. Good night overall.
Eating a croissant now, watching CNN on the gate's tv. The Iraqi army is close to retaking Tikrit, which is very good. Looking forward to being in Denver, hopefully I will have good things to write! Love y'all.
It's 6am uggggghhhhhhhhhh
on to warmer weather (but not quite LA), here's Miami Horror with Real Slow, off their forthcoming album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8aOgkBut70
There's about 8000000 ipads in the terminal in LGA, for no apparent reason. Like, every table and chair there's just an ipad or two installed in the table. No one's even really using them. I have no idea what's up with them. I guess they're to entice people to buy drinks and food in the terminal or sign up for things but it seems like a waste of ipads. I assume these are faulty ones that couldn't sell retail so the airline got them wholesale or something like that.
I got to hear Emilie do daybreak express in the cab ride over, which was very nice. This week was midterms and busy and sickness but I made it through the wilderness, you know I made it throuuuuughh. Didn't know how lost I was until I found you. After midterms yesterday I had a fun Club Soda, then went and saw Marlen and friends at EC, played some smash bros, then went and briefly saw Lizzie and Jocelyn at Mel's to sign up for a paper airplane competition. Good night overall.
Eating a croissant now, watching CNN on the gate's tv. The Iraqi army is close to retaking Tikrit, which is very good. Looking forward to being in Denver, hopefully I will have good things to write! Love y'all.
It's 6am uggggghhhhhhhhhh
on to warmer weather (but not quite LA), here's Miami Horror with Real Slow, off their forthcoming album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8aOgkBut70
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Midtermz
I wrote about Richard III tonight! I also wrote about Much Ado About Nothing. It was pretty fun but I'm now pretty tired and also pretty under the weather. Nothing too bad, just going through a cold and right now I'm at the aches stage. My body feels creaky. But that's what beds are for, and Dayquil, so it will all be good. Also got to teach a friend how to play the drums tonight and jammed with her, so successful day all around! I tried a pizza truck on Broadway, it was pretty good though the slice was kind of small for 3$ but it tasted better than Famiglia so I may go there more often.
On to more midterms tomorrow!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRFyKRlPfEg
99 Red Balloons, by Nena, a fun song with a fun bassline that I jammed on today.
On to more midterms tomorrow!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRFyKRlPfEg
99 Red Balloons, by Nena, a fun song with a fun bassline that I jammed on today.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Richard III
I watched Richard III tonight! The version with Ian McKellen. Ian McKellen was outstanding. It was much more emotive than his usual reserved or commanding performances like Gandalf and Magneto, you really got a sense of how wily Richard was. Also Frank Underwood is totally based off of Ian's performance.
I also had good classes on Stalingrad, Shakespeare and a discussion section about Oz, which we watched last Thursday. I liked Oz, but it was very young if that makes sense. It was made in the early days of HBO and it shows, the show is much more spectacle than anything. I thought the acting in it was good though, it managed to be riveting and interesting despite the corny writing and cutout characters. I also played some great jazz tonight in ensemble! The whole band was grooving and me and the teacher were communicating really well during his solo. Also I'm starting to comprehend scales and such, y'all bouta be in trouble.
Bad news for the 49ers today but such is the ebb and flow of life.
Lots of midterms coming up, but they look interesting and challenging so I'm ready for them!
In honor of great music and intellectual stuff, here's some music to train your mind and body to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0uDwgUOUbI
Chasin the Trane, by John Coltrane live at the Village Vanguard.
I also had good classes on Stalingrad, Shakespeare and a discussion section about Oz, which we watched last Thursday. I liked Oz, but it was very young if that makes sense. It was made in the early days of HBO and it shows, the show is much more spectacle than anything. I thought the acting in it was good though, it managed to be riveting and interesting despite the corny writing and cutout characters. I also played some great jazz tonight in ensemble! The whole band was grooving and me and the teacher were communicating really well during his solo. Also I'm starting to comprehend scales and such, y'all bouta be in trouble.
Bad news for the 49ers today but such is the ebb and flow of life.
Lots of midterms coming up, but they look interesting and challenging so I'm ready for them!
In honor of great music and intellectual stuff, here's some music to train your mind and body to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0uDwgUOUbI
Chasin the Trane, by John Coltrane live at the Village Vanguard.
Time
Haven't posted in almost a week, though I'm not sure it's been missed. Lots of fun things happened over the weekend! The funk band I play keyboards in played a St. Patrick's day show in an apartment building on Friday that got crazy, we were unfortunately shut down partway through our set. Thankfully I got to DJ a lot of the party which was fun, even got to use vinyls! I need a real DJ booth though, the dancing and jumping made the vinyls bounce too much and the records skipped. The party went till 5am, which might be a new record for me for DJing. The guitarist for Kid Cudi was there and we ended up jamming out to Chic tunes and more, there was a snare drum and cowbell I played on. It was very fun.
Saturday involved playing in a new Jazz band that a few friends formed, it was really fun and looks promising, we might do some shows! After that went to the KCRty which was sparsely attended but still very fun. It was a good night overall, but Sunday left me very tired though I got to do an interview with Spec about WKCR and WBAR which was cool. I'm usually the one interviewing others so it was cool to be on the other side of things.
Playing music with others is both the best way to learn and experience music, there's really nothing in the world like it. It's good for fun, happiness, body and soul. You should try it sometime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mmx68VmTEo
Here's a song I've always wanted to play with people, Showdown by ELO. ELO is very underrated.
Saturday involved playing in a new Jazz band that a few friends formed, it was really fun and looks promising, we might do some shows! After that went to the KCRty which was sparsely attended but still very fun. It was a good night overall, but Sunday left me very tired though I got to do an interview with Spec about WKCR and WBAR which was cool. I'm usually the one interviewing others so it was cool to be on the other side of things.
Playing music with others is both the best way to learn and experience music, there's really nothing in the world like it. It's good for fun, happiness, body and soul. You should try it sometime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mmx68VmTEo
Here's a song I've always wanted to play with people, Showdown by ELO. ELO is very underrated.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Midterms
Can't talk, studying. Have some Django.
Wars and generals and ships and dates! It's actually pretty interesting, but tough to know what's important to know. Hopefully it goes well!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq0tPjdfHME
Django Reinhardt, full album.
Wars and generals and ships and dates! It's actually pretty interesting, but tough to know what's important to know. Hopefully it goes well!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq0tPjdfHME
Django Reinhardt, full album.
More
Writing two posts tonight to make up for the one I missed on Sunday. I was busy finishing Twin Peaks and studying with friends in the Barnard Library, both of which were great. I ate a delicious bacon cheeseburger. Today I gave my discussion presentation on Twin Peaks, which went pretty well, I'd give myself a solid B-. After that I had a brief WBAR meeting then Jazz ensemble class, both of which were fun. We were learning a Charlie Parker tune by ear, which is at least making me better at singing. After that I went over to Carman to play in the funk band I'm in, we were short a few people but had a really nice jam session, I'm excited for the party we're playing in on Friday. Lots of job stuff to do tomorrow, hopefully it goes well. I've been putting off job stuff for too long because I don't really want to accept all the change that comes with it, but oh well. It's almost spring, time for cleaning and change etc.
There's some really great TV shows out there right now. Man Seeking Woman has been great, just watched the premiere of Last Man on Earth which looks promising, and Better Call Saul has been better than I expected it to be. I thought it was going to be more of a case-of-the-week "how will Saul get them off this time?" type of deal but it's been great narrative so far. I watch lots of television, so this American Television Drama class I'm taking is very relevant and fun.
Should I start beginning these posts with "Diane- "?
Here's a song from a show, or at least a show's version of a song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caWY7uOlakU
Moanin', from Sakamichi no Apollon, an anime from a few years ago about some high school students learning jazz in 1960's Japan. It gets a little (a lot) too wrapped up in love triangles and tropes partway through the series, but it's good overall and especially nice if you're a jazz fan.
There's some really great TV shows out there right now. Man Seeking Woman has been great, just watched the premiere of Last Man on Earth which looks promising, and Better Call Saul has been better than I expected it to be. I thought it was going to be more of a case-of-the-week "how will Saul get them off this time?" type of deal but it's been great narrative so far. I watch lots of television, so this American Television Drama class I'm taking is very relevant and fun.
Should I start beginning these posts with "Diane- "?
Here's a song from a show, or at least a show's version of a song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caWY7uOlakU
Moanin', from Sakamichi no Apollon, an anime from a few years ago about some high school students learning jazz in 1960's Japan. It gets a little (a lot) too wrapped up in love triangles and tropes partway through the series, but it's good overall and especially nice if you're a jazz fan.
Monday, March 2, 2015
Woohoo
It's been a minute, so let me get with it, carrots and celery and blueberries I'm chillin.
I'm not very good at rapping. But I am eating carrots and celery and blueberries! On that healthy grind, I plan on running again tomorrow as well. I'm not going to stop eating bacon cheeseburgers though. I need the iron from the red meat anyway. And the protein. And the bacon.
I'm so excited for baseball to start up you have no idea. The two day wait is killing me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7rOMU7-jyQ
Baseball Theme, by the Vince Guaraldi Trio, from A Boy Named Charlie Brown
I'm not very good at rapping. But I am eating carrots and celery and blueberries! On that healthy grind, I plan on running again tomorrow as well. I'm not going to stop eating bacon cheeseburgers though. I need the iron from the red meat anyway. And the protein. And the bacon.
I'm so excited for baseball to start up you have no idea. The two day wait is killing me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7rOMU7-jyQ
Baseball Theme, by the Vince Guaraldi Trio, from A Boy Named Charlie Brown
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