Now it's THREE years ago!

I posted this a year ago. Now another year has passed. Is it time for another Rewind, kids?

Two years ago this weekend we were immersed in the blow-out that was Athens Rewind. Now it seems so long ago. Given the direction our lives have taken I can't see this event ever happening again. Here are some images from Athens then and, well, then again.

Oh yeah, we're still the coolest fucking people on the planet.

I stole this

But I HAD to! It's so freakin' perfect.

Credit goes to Jessica at Go Fug Yourself.

I Fug to Believe

SPECIAL AGENT DANA SCULLY: Mulder. You made it.

SPECIAL AGENT FOX MULDER: Hey, Scully. God. Wow. Yeah, I jogged all the way here.

SCULLY: I can tell. Did you even shave today?

MULDER: You're not my mom. Speaking of, is that my baby?

SCULLY: Well, considering that I recall an incident in which you stole my ova from a shady and poorly-lit government facility and decided the best place to keep them was in YOUR FREEZER at your APARTMENT, I haven't the foggiest idea HOW I got pregnant.

MULDER: Didn't we have a baby toward the end of that last thing we did together?

SCULLY: Please, no one watched that. Personally, I'm hoping it comes out looking like Deputy Director Skinner.

MULDER: But...I'm so dreamy! We've shared so many moments where we ALMOST kissed, before being attacked by bees or any number of things!

SCULLY: Yes, but look at you now. You look homeless, Mulder. What is going on?

MULDER: I don't know. Maybe I'm depressed. I miss Krycek. And the Lone Gunmen. And all the other moderately interesting people from the series that have been killed off, thus dooming us to appear in a movie with a bunch of tertiary characters that no one cares about.

SCULLY: I see your point. I'm sorry. Maybe I'm just cranky, because I haven't eaten since six o'clock this morning and all that was was half a cream cheese bagel. And it wasn't even real cream cheese. It was light cream cheese.

MULDER: Let's go get you some popcorn.

SCULLY: Let's go get you some shampoo.

Marjoe Gortner Rocks

The other night I watched part of a news broadcast describing a phenomenon currently going on across the country, a movement of young, "hip" evangelists touring the U.S. holding services for the masses. This particular show discussed one of the more popular of these preachers, Todd Bentley. Watching the show, I couldn't help but think of the similarities between what this guy is doing and the work of Marjoe Gortner in the 50's and later again in the 70's.

I have an amazing amount of affection for Marjoe, having seen the 1972 documentary he did with Sarah Kernochan and Howard Smith about fifteen years ago. He seems like such a good soul, caught up in a nasty business but sensitive to the intricacies of his religious power. Watching Marjoe for the first time I remember being surprised at his humor, his hip(pie)-ness, and the clarity and gentleness with which he was able to view his really screwed up childhood. To be honest, I always has a little crush on him after watching the movie.

Todd Bentley is a bit different, however. Like Marjoe, he is a young man of his era. His website gives a snappy view of his ministry, complete with photos, video clips, teachings and other resources, schools, and prayer requests. He even has a podcast. His website tells his story, of how having started out as a 'bad kid,' he was able to turn his life around, and now has his own ministry and works to save others.

In his late teens, Todd had a dramatic encounter with the saving and delivering power of God. This experience brought Todd out of a lifestyle of drug and alcohol addiction without cravings or withdrawal symptoms. He was also delivered from a lifestyle involving criminal activity, youth prisons, drugs, sex, satanic music and bondage. Todd's miraculous conversion to Jesus was much like the Apostle Paul's on the Damascus road. Todd was instantly transformed into a radical disciple and soul winning evangelist for Jesus.

This modern-day Marjoe is completely aware of his power but unlike his predecessor, he embraces it, intends it, holding tent revivals (or what passes as a tent revival in 2008) where the spirit of the Lord touches, heals and saves the participants. I've got nothing against this guy, honestly. He's doing his thing. But there's something too easy about his story...the redeemed bad guy preaching to the masses...it just doesn't move me the way Marjoe does. Something about him is just too glossy, too 21st century. Marjoe was so insane, such a victim (yet at the same time, not) of his parents' crazy religion and their early abuses towards him. He survived, he didn't make a big deal out of it, he thrived, he told his story, exposing the falseness of the revival preachers via the documentary, then moved on. I don't know, in the long run I just prefer the more 'real' story of Marjoe than the predictable one of Todd.

Thinking about these two men, I realize that they are in fact, complete opposites of one another. While Todd began his life a troubled youth, caught up in all the evils of the modern-day world, Marjoe was raised on the evangelist circuit, trained from his earliest years to preach the word, hold revivals, perform, save souls, bring in money. Marjoe rejected this life, exposing it as the sham he knew it to be, while Todd embraced it as his lifetime career. Both men were doing the same thing – evangelical revivals on a mass scale – at relatively the same time in their lives, yet one was on the way in, while the other was on his way out, moving to Hollywood and pursuing an acting career.

I don't know, I guess it's just me. You know I always love the bad boy. And in this story, the bad boy is definitely Marjoe.

Rock n Blues Camp, part III

FINALLY! Some decent video shot by a fellow parent who had a tripod. I know I'm beating this into the ground, but PLEASE give these a listen. You'll see how good these kids really are!

ORZ, Texas Flood, which not only shows off my Nick's keyboard skills, but also Aaron's and Logan's guitar solos:


ORZ, Fame. This is a hard song to play, but my favorite part is how they nail the ending!


Ghostbustaz, Ghostbusters. Nick on sax this time. It was the last song of the night...and a great send off. The crowd loved it!


Yes, there were other bands that night...here's my favorite one besides Nick's. They're called Dad Jar, and I love their singer to bits! Here they do Born Under a Bad Sign:


Here's my second favorite band, Highway. Rumor has it these guys have a CD out. They've been together since Joe's camp a few years ago. This is an original of theirs, Kinky Wizard, aka We Aren't Good at Naming Songs:


And here's Joe jamming with the Ghostbusters band, doing What I'd Say. He had to use a lyric cheat sheet taped to the floor, which amazed even Nicholas! How could he not know the words already? No offense, Joe...


So much talent in that little group!

Chicago Joe's Rock n Blues Camp concert

Last night was the big end-of-camp performance for the Chicago Joe musicians of week four. There were five bands in all, and they absolutely rocked the house! Nick's band, ORZ, played four songs: an original piece called Home, Stevie Ray Vaughan's Texas Flood, a crazy Black Keys song Strange something, and David Bowie, Fame. I must say, his band was the tightest, most fun, and had the best variety of songs. In my humble opinion...

Here's Nick nailing the synth riff in Fame. Please excuse the sound. I was right by the monitors and it was LOUD:



Here's Nick and Aaron, his best band buddy, at the dinner we had beforehand. Pylon fans and band members, note that he's proudly representing!

Below is Nick with Jeep, friend, counselor and carpooler extraordinaire. He was also in Talk Talk, as you may already have heard...

And this is Nick with the famous Chicago Joe, who made it all happen.


At the end of the show Nick was on sax, and he and another sax player and a trombonist joined the last band for this rousing number. They only added the brass section on Thursday night, but they nailed it and it was SO MUCH FUN!!! Once again, my apologies for the crappy sound.



In truth, everyone totally rocked last night...

Talk Talk update

I talked to Jeep tonight. He told me all about his time with Talk Talk. He toured with the band for about a year, in 1984, and knows them all. Personally. He said what I figured he'd say, that he really doesn't know what Mark Hollis is doing, but that he bought a house somewhere in the country and has given up music. He said Mark was a private person, very uncomfortable with the public lifestyle and touring and performing. He said "He was a hard guy to get to know." I knew that. I could tell. Damn genius musicians and their quirks. Jeep told me that he was uncomfortable in the limelight, and felt awkward, and to cover it up he "often came across as arrogant." Yep, I completely get it.

Anyway, Jeep told me there are several videos from the tour he was on, and I've found a few. I had to search pretty hard to find him in the video, cause the Jeep I know has bleached blond hair and is 20 something years older than he was then. I figured he'd look a lot different back then, but he really doesn't He has dark short black hair, but other than that, it's him.

In this video of Dum Dum Girl, Jeep's playing acoustic guitar and wearing jeans and a jean jacket. At around 2:39 there are several shots of him. He's also the guy who is standing up on the drum riser a bit after that mark.



Here's another one, from the same tour. This time he's in a white tee shirt at the left of the stage. He jumps off the risers in a really rock and roll move at one point. I can't embed cause YouTube won't let me, but here's the URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW_3DcfoDLc

Hey, I think he's in this one, too! I'll have to ask him, but isn't that Jeep on the left playing his guitar way up under his arm? I'm almost sure it is:



WOW. I've watched this one before, and had no idea. I'm thunderstruck, only a much more clever word than that...

I'm honestly humbled and impressed, but not because Jeep was in a famous band. I know lots of famous band members. I'm overwhelmed caused Mark Hollis is an idol of mine, and to me is this mysterious, reclusive icon of popular music. I can't believe I know someone who knows/knew him. It's just too much.

Nick....wants to rock and roll all night...

Tonight my son played his first gig as a musician. He's been in Chicago Joe's Rock 'n Blues Camp all week, and they have a big concert tomorrow. Tonight was their 'dress rehearsal.' It was amazing to see how much these guys, who didn't even know each other before Monday, have been able to learn in just four days. And they're all so calm and easy together. There are five bands in all...some of whom have played together for a while, others, like Nick's band, just formed this week. It's a great thing!


Here's Nick learning for the first time "Ghostbusters." One of the bands just decided to play it at the last minute, and needed sax players. Nick is in the middle here:


Next came Nick's actual band, the Orz. No, they wouldn't listen to MY ideas for band names. They played Bowie's "Fame," but the guy who was supposed to guest sing never showed, so some random audience member filled in on vocals. He was great. I'll post the video of these when I figure out how to transfer them, cause I shot those songs on the video camera.



The next song was Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Texas Flood." I was especially impressed with Nick's keyboard skills on this one. He's a natural. And I'm NOT bragging, I swear! Judge for yourself!



More tomorrow, after the real concert...

Talk Talk...Six Degrees of Separation

Okay, I have this really fabulous neighbor named Jeep. He lives four doors down from me and is a talented musician and songwriter. I knew he had played in several band as a younger man in his native England, and now he works on the recording side of music. He's got a studio in his basement and is pretty successful recording mainly hip hop and rap musicians. Jeep is the fellow who took us to the guitar store back in April, helped Nick pick out the perfect guitar and gave him all kinds of advice. He's married to a beautiful singer and they have a daughter, Sophia, who's the smartest two year old I know. Their dog Charlie is my dog Jazz's boyfriend and an all 'round great dog. I adore them all.


This week Nicholas is attending a "School of Rock" kind of camp which is run by Jeep and Chicago Joe Jones and several other local musicians (above is pictured last year's camp group...see Jeep back center with blonde hair, Joe on the right with the dreads.) I was just on their website getting directions to the place for tomorrow morning, and I read this blurb on Jeep's biography:

Born in the United Kingdom, Jeep Hook began his career as a touring musician for Talk Talk, the hugely successful 80’s band whose song "It’s My Life " was recently covered by Gwen Stefani of No Doubt... Jeep was later signed to Virgin Records as part of the blue-eyed soul duo, Millions Like Us. Since then he has owned and operated successful recording studios in London, Los Angeles, and now in Atlanta with hookhouse studios.

I'm sorry...but I thought you said "touring musician for Talk Talk." Oh, you did? HOLY COW!!! I have known this guy for like six years, knew about the band Millions Like Us (because he has a big poster of it in his studio) but TALK TALK???? Do y'all know how much I love Mark Hollis? I don't think Jeep was actually in the band, but apparently he was their tour guitarist. Holy crap, this is huge.

Tomorrow Nick is riding to and from camp with Jeep, and you better believe I'm gonna get the whole story. I want to know where Mark Hollis is now. He's done quite the Rimbaudian thing, making a huge splash in the music world, writing beautiful songs and lyrics, recording those fabulous albums with Talk Talk, and later the one solo album, and then disappearing into the English countryside, never to make music again. I'll let you know what I find out. Maybe I can even get an email address or something. But of course I couldn't share that with everyone...so don't even ask...

This is one of the more hypnotic, haunting songs from the band's next to last album, "Spirit of Eden." If you don't have this album already, get it, turn it on, stretch out on the floor, turn off the lights and let it take you where it will...



My God, I love his face.

Fireworks

These pictures were taken tonight by Nicholas. I love them, cause they look like underwater creatures, or galaxies or something.

Our young photographer:

Happy Fourth of July...

Horoscope for this past week

Your Horoscope - Week of June 30, 2008 Mental confusion during the first part of the week is likely to have your heart tied up in knots. You may be getting mixed signals from the one you love, thus making it hard for you to know where you stand, especially after recent emotional upheavals. Slow down, take a deep breath, and meditate. Don't worry about what the other person is thinking or feeling. Just focus on yourself and ask what's going on within you. On Wednesday and Thursday sensitive lunar energy helps you connect more consciously to your emotions instead of getting spun around by movies in your head. Use this midweek period to tune in and speak clearly from your heart. Wednesday is also the time of this month's New Moon, the time for you to initiate a new beginning in the romantic realm. Instead of trying to play off the actions or reactions of other people, make a resolution within your own heart. Be conscious about what you want to manifest and make your wishes known to the one you love. Over the weekend, put serious issues aside and just have fun.

And I'm thinking this one is a few months late:

Your Lovescope - Tomorrow, July 4, 2008

The current planetary configuration means that someone you have been writing to over the Internet may become a lot more than a name in your in-box. There is every chance that a meeting between you will prove to very successful, and you will both feel as if you have finally met your soul mate. The conversation between you is likely to be strange, bizarre, and totally exciting.

Penis Envy

My dear friend Chicken and Waffles had a link to this site posted on her blog last week. I just now clicked on it, and boy am I glad I did!

Here are a few of my faves:

Mr. Bigglesworth
Prince Everhard of the Netherlands
Rumpleforeskin
The Three Inch Punisher
Mr. Wobbly
Cockus Erectus
Adam Halfpint

There's even a form to fill out if you have euphemisms not already listed. I had three!! What can I say, I've dated some men (and I use the term loosely...) with creative minds. There's one term I didn't see on the list but I can't quite remember exactly what it is...somebody and his two somethings...? Anybody?

God, I'm easily amused.

Brilliant