After 18 months of worldwide touring, Green Day brought it home for their last performance of the 21st Century Breakdown Tour. Saturday night in front of the hometown crowd at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA, Green Day gave it their all—I think for us as well as for themselves, too. Last year at [...]
First of all, Garrison Keillor is a much better writer than he is an entertainer. Second, Keillor’s self-proclaimed “Summer of Love Tour”— “celebrating the theme of romantic love…an evening of love duets, ballads, love sonnets, and stories of great passion and marriage” IS NO SUCH THING! Third, boy do I feel hoodwinked. Thusly, I feel [...]
[Note: Part 1 of a 3-part series. Part 2 is tomorrow. Part 3 is 8/27/10.] Who would have thought MENOPAUSE could be so funny? Personally I find it depressing, debilitating, and disorienting. Here’s why: 1. Your body ain’t what it used to be—and it ain’t gonna get any better—and probably will get worse. That’s depressing. [...]
A couple weeks ago I was on an “inspirational song lyrics” kick—songs that inspire you to take on the world; songs that inspire you to laugh. Guess I’m not finished kicking… Now I’m on to song lyrics that inspire “a peaceful easy feeling.” (Thank you, Jack Tempchin—not the Eagles. “I like the way your sparkling [...]
In my last two blogs I’ve written about song lyrics that inspire you: to exercise—or take a bite out of the world—or denounce business as usual in America. Today’s valuable songs lyrics: those that inspire you to laugh. Humor songs are tricky—because many aren’t funny. Like Weird Al Yankovich’s songs. (Clever is different than funny.) OR [...]
Yesterday I blogged about songs that energize me—songs that pump up my brain with positive molecules. Songs that make me feel more confident about barging through this world and going after what I want. Songs that make me feel better about myself and the world. I prefer the rock-n-roll genre—more anthemic tunes. More thudding and [...]
I have Baby Boomer angst big time. My first act was a bust (and still busting—a dissonant, unfulfilled, soul-strangling existence in corporate America)—and I feel like time is running out on the second (successful writing career). As such, I have two visions of my future. In the first I’m wearing a Ceil Chapman wiggle dress [...]
Ever wonder why the Tony Awards Show has the lowest ratings of any of the major entertainment awards shows? BECAUSE IT’S BORING! It’s boring because BROADWAY IS BORING for most people. Broadway, generally speaking, is an acquired taste. Broadway musicals, generally speaking, are corny, dopey, and irrelevant. Cats anyone? UGH. IMHO, in all of history, [...]
Here’s how shocking becomes NOT shocking: Ninety-seven years ago today, a ballet created by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky was unleashed to an unsuspecting Parisian audience. The French audience was used to ballets like Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker Suite—music described as elegant and beautiful. Rite of Spring sounded nothing like those other [...]
I’m a big NPR fan: This American Life, Fresh Air, Wait! Wait! Don’t Tell Me, Radio Lab, Seventh Avenue Project, The Splendid Table, and The Diane Rehm Show: All superb shows. I also enjoy listening to The Story with Dick Gordon. He has a terrific personality and knows what and how to ask questions. While [...]
