Skip to main content

Ashes & Snow and a Purple Idol

Hey Soul Mates,
we've got another one! We're booked into the Stalls Bar in Harrogate. It's in North Yorkshire. Coolest thing, it's Doug's Birthday! Lots of celebrating will be going on.

Yesterday, the girls and I went to Santa Monica to see the art installation
Ashes & Snow. It was fantastic. The temporary gallery (Nomadic) was elephantine. Appropriate, because a lot of the photography focused on elephants and animals in their natural habitats. The artist Gregory Colbert also showed several films featuring the same subjects. The show is pretty breathtaking and thought-provoking. It runs till mid-May.

Before we went to the exhibition, we stopped for lunch at Cafe Crepe on 3rd St. Promenade. As we were walking in, M. Night Shyamalan was walking out. Taller than I reckoned. It was the second time in 3 days that I saw a director whose work I enjoy. Thursday, I ran into Harold Ramis ("Caddyshack," "Groundhog Day") Of course, he was Egon in Ghostbusters. Big props to both.

After the beach, we went to see Adam Marsland's Chaos Band in Van Nuys. As we walked in, they were playing a very faithful version of Good Vibrations, until they saw me. They changed to the chorus to "Gotta keep those Norm Kelsey vibrations happenin' with her." Hilarious. What a versatile group. I also got a copy of their "70's Soul" boot. Lots of fun music.

OK, here's some wild news if it's true. Following in the footsteps of Stevie Wonder & Barry Manilow, Universal has enticed Prince into appearing on American Idol to promote his new record. Much like Shakira's promotional shot last week. If Prince is on AI, he'll smash some of their viewing records. This man hasn't been on a major network in primetime since the Grammy awards last year. And frankly, AI has a larger viewership. Think Prince won't stay at #1 on the Billboard charts? Ha Ha. 3121!

Time to get the day started. Daylight savings time in da house.
Love, Power, Peace

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Being There [Grammy Recap]

Hey Soul Mates, Check out your boy. Yes, I did look that damn suave at the Grammys last night. Look, the tickets very clearly said "black tie." What could be less rock and roll than black tie? Not wearing "black tie." Frankly, the hipsters and the club girls just looked silly. Maybe I'm getting sartorially conservative, but you must be clean for the Grammys. We arrived early in the afternoon. A beautifully mild afternoon in downtown L.A. and not a sign of the predicted rain. I wanted to experience the whole nine, so we got there in time for the "Pre-telecast" ceremony. This is where 97 of the 108 gramophone statuettes are awarded. It was much more entertaining and endearing than the actual broadcast. The winners were genuinely moved, were not limited in their speech time and came in all stripes. Now, very few of the acts I voted for won. But the day did start off with a bang as OK Go won best short form video for the treadmill hopping video for Here...

John Lennon 40 Years On

Remembering John Lennon today. Forty years have flashed by. I can still hear my clock radio turning on to the incongruent sound of the Beatles on Dec. 9, 1980 and wondering why? I think about John every day. I am fortunate to have been able to make pilgrimage to Mendips, Abbey Road and Strawberry Fields, NY; to play on stages like the Cavern, the Jacaranda and the Troubadour where he performed or made trouble, or both. Here’s a quick playlist for you and me. (Just Like) Starting Over I Should Have Known Better Bless You Nobody Told Me Strawberry Fields Forever Nowhere Man Enjoy the day. Fill it with peace. Fill it with music. #JohnLennon #Liverpool

Murderous Haircut of the Mayor of Bel Air - Book Review

“The Murderous Haircut of the Mayor of Bel Air” is a trippy new mystery novel from Phillip Mottaz. It captures the grit and gilt of the City of Angels with the flair of a contemporary Raymond Chandler. The brisk pace and wit are reminiscent of Douglas Adams’s entries in the detective game. Flourishes of  Fletch  and “Medium” also spring to mind. However, Mottaz has added a psychic/mutant/superhuman touch and his own comedic voice, structure and internal monologues to the proceedings that help the author announce his own style and the arrival of a literary heroine for a new generation. Hairstylist and budding private investigator, Danica Luman is the perfect character to convey the irony, angst and sarcasm needed to tell a 21st century L.A. crime story. Danica also represents anyone who thought it would be neat to get tangled up in a mystery and the darkly comic cautionary tale that follows. The genre is recognizable, but Mottaz offers a fresh take on the not-ready-for-prime-ti...