From Cape Cod to Maine for the final leg of my summer travels…

Portland has been blessed by the arrival of Andrew and Rachel last summer. Rachel is involved in the art community there and I attended a vibrant outdoor fair in which she and other local artists set up booths to display and vend their wares, while bands rocked the stage in beautiful weather. We then hit up Hugo’s Restaurant, where Andrew is Chef de Cuisine and indulged in gastronomic delight with his absurd tasting menu. Both of them are incredibly creative and passionate artists and have settled into a wonderful life in Maine.

My parents celebrated their 40th (!) anniversary on 8/29/10 and joined their kids and spouses in Portland for a great dinner at Fore Street–the second best restaurant in Portland!–and we thanked them for getting married and raising us in the past 2/3rds of their life. I can not say enough about how much they have done for me; I literally owe them my life! Their marriage is an inspiration and I hope to someday match their accomplishments. Thank You and I Love You!

Three days at the family cabin on Mt. Desert Island with hiking, biking, swimming, grilling, chilling, and audio/visual creating may become a Stephen law: Minimum three days required every Summer with non-compliance punishable by no cabin time!

And to wrap it up, two days on North Haven island at the annual Lobster Ball, in which we gorge ourselves on Lobster and other assorted delicacies and enjoy one final jolt of Summer before steeling ourselves for Fall…

And Summer is done! It is especially hard to say goodbye to this summer because it has been one of my best ever. There was zero work involved for the past three months so it was pure freedom; great traveling, incredible food, amazing friends and family and inspiring nature. But as perfect as the summer was, there is a part of me that craves work (and cash!) and I am looking forward to the next 9 months of making music with children, of learning from them and experiencing their joy. Until next Summer!

Theater is typically immune to foul weather, but when the venue is Delacorte Theatre in Central Park, The Doppler Radar is the main tool for determining a show’s viability. At 8pm, when Paul Simon’s Capeman was scheduled to start, standing umbrellaless was a mistake so Alaina and I huddled under the one we had and waited the next hour until it was closer to mist than storm and we filled our seats in the quarter-bowl. Before the head of The Public Theatre, Oskar Eustis, gave his introductory thanks and acknowledgments (calling the Delacorte “the greatest theater in the greatest city in the world” because IT’S FREE!), he was furiously squeegeeing the stage with the rest of the crew. It never actually stopped raining, but the show must go on… I remember hearing about this musical when it first hit Broadway and being surprised when it flopped. I always liked the music from the album, but hearing it live with a full Latin band is very powerful; all the performers were great and an epic moment like “Adios Hermanos”, when 40 people on stage are locked into tight rhythm and beautiful harmony, somehow feels even better wet.

3D technology is everywhere and I think we can safely say it has proven itself beyond a gimmick. It truly enhances the visual experience even without the original cliched application of sharks and other objects popping into your face. Phish 3D is the best look I’ve ever had at my favorite band, bringing the audience onstage with incredible depth and perspective, allowing visual details that would be invisible to anyone at the show and some that would be unseen even in a 2D format; I saw what their “farewell” show in 2004 simulcast in a theater, and this blew it away. Watching Trey’s fingers rip the guitar from 5 feet; peering over Page’s shoulder as he navigates his keyboard universe; watching Mike’s hair and seeing Fishman smile is such an unbelievably fun way to experience a concert. Of course, something is definitely lost in comfortable cinema seating, and being a part of a crowd’s energy can’t be enhanced or even remotely replicated by wearing magic glasses… which is why I was fortunate to see the Bloody Bloody Band play immediately after.

Post-show on Sundays, the cast and band of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson have been throwing together a comedy and music variety show and, being the amazingly talented group that they are, the nights are brilliant, featuring great stand-up comedy with a sizzling band blowing up the tiny space at Jimmy’s No. 43. It is an hysterical dance-athon and sing-along that reminds me of mankind’s innate love of fun.

I was de-virginized last night at my first Rocky Horror Picture Show experience and it was, as I had been warned, highly participatory. If you yourself are still a virgin, I will enlighten you: the ridiculous 1975 rock musical B-movie is augmented by a group of live actors who dress (scantily) as the actors and lip-synch the lines while yelling commentary at the screen. Audiences are encouraged to throw stuff, dance and yell at appropriate or inappropriate moments. Before the midnight show at Clearview Cinemas in Chelsea, all the virgins–as in audience members who had never seen the show before–were asked to come to the front of the theater. Alaina obviously blew up my spot and sent me to the front to “fake an orgasm”.
This is the very definition of cult following. This terrible movie has been in theaters for over thirty years because of its fans, who transform it into something much greater than it ever was conceived to be and give it life beyond its moment. It also takes the 2-dimensional work and adds infinitely more, reclaiming the cinema as a live venue with self-awareness.

About a week ago, I watched another transvestite rock musical called Hedwig and The Angry Inch. Also ridiculous, yet touching and beautiful, it is a melodic story of love and creation and loss, music and themes that cross all gender lines. Everybody has issues with sex, no matter what packaging we have, and all that matters is loving ourselves and, if we are lucky, finding someone with whom to share that love.

The past 3 days have been jam packed with goodness. There was a flood of Taylors into the city for the action, which began with The Brooklyn Museum show (see below) on Thursday night. Friday was my show at Monkeytown, which was a great experiment in the unique venue and hopefully the first of more evenings there. Saturday was Halloween, which has to be my favorite holiday for the fun and zaniness that defines the night. While I used to love it because of the booty stash I collected and hoarded for months, I now just love a good reason to dress wacky and I am always inspired by the creativity on display throughout the city.
Sunday was the 40th running of the New York City Marathon and I was inspired by all of the 40,000 people who ran the 26.2 miles through the five boroughs, but I was especially inspired by my sister, who ran her first marathon and looked great doing it. Mom, Dad and I saw her at three points, at mile 7 in Brooklyn, mile 16 just over the Queensboro bridge and mile 26 in Central Park. I was amazed at the spring in her step and smile on her face every time she passed us, and while running has never been an activity I enjoy, I could understand the excitement and satisfaction she must have felt in completing the course. It is always an extraordinary day in the city and I love cheering on strangers in their personal quests, but this race was extra special; I am extremely proud of my sister and her strides of glory!

When my mother-in-law said two years ago that she was going to write a book about rock n roll photography I was skeptical; while her knowledge of photography is about as deep as anyone in the world, her familiarity with the subject matter was pretty thin. Last night, all doubts were erased as I attended the opening of her exhibition at The Brooklyn Museum. She has pulled together 175 incredible photos from all aspects and generations of rock n roll and presented them beautifully, with text that demonstrates her complete understanding of rock’s cultural power. It is inspiring to see candid pictures taken before they were stars next to images of the transcendent phenomenon they became. Some shots glisten with sweat and seem to jump off the stage and out of the frame, visually capturing the pure emotional expression that drives the aural excitement. There are quiet shots of the artist alone and others surrounded by fawning fans. Some are staged and others raw, but despite the incredible variety, they cohesively paint a beautiful picture of our obsession and cultural dynamo, Rock n Roll.

Tonight was a surprise explosion all over 5th ave. First I found myself bicycling home from work and every 2 blocks there was a musician/band performing on the corner, a beautiful action coordinated by local musicians. I was reminded of Firenze, Italia, where I lived for 3 months in 1999 and was always amazed at the variety of music and art produced in the streets. Not that New York doesn’t have it’s fair share of incredible buskers, but in Florence (and most of Italy, for that matter) the art was more public. It was a corridor of musical bliss… And then I came upon a grand opening of a new bar, The Black Horse on 5th and 16th, which was jam packed from the moment they opened their doors and I proceeded to watch the Yankees lose game 5 of the ALCS in dramatic fashion. While not nearly as fun as supporting my own team, rooting against our bitter rivals is still remarkably satisfying.

The Gowanus is pretty nasty. It is an industrial waterway through Brooklyn that collects some extremely grimy artifacts from the city and brings them to the bottom, or in the case of condoms (Gowanus Ghost Fish), float them to the top. It has been designated as a Superfund EPA site, and according to their website:

As a result of years of discharges, storm water runoff, sewer outflows and industrial pollutants the Gowanus Canal has become one of the nation’s most extensively contaminated water bodies. Contaminants impacting the canal include PCBs, coal tar wastes, heavy metals and volatile organics. The contamination of the canal poses a threat to the nearby residents who use the canal for fishing and recreation.

It is no joke, and it is crucial that we don’t neglect it any longer. The Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club is dedicated to its enjoyment and preservation and tonight they hosted their annual fundraiser party featuring BBQ, Beer and Boats. Sandro, always the urban adventurist, has been a member for years (for $50, anyone can have access to the gear) and I finally got to join him on a moonlit journey exploring nautical Brooklyn. The water actually seemed to have some life in it, with lots of surface fish activity, and we passed a pair of Night Herons doing their one-legged stand on the bank, not to mention the human parties which have crept into the formerly abandoned area. It seems possible that with some time and energy, this area could thrive once again; not in the same industrial way, but with the vitality that comes from its enjoyment.

On a related note, I will be performing a song at the Underwater New York Launch Party, this Wednesday Oct. 7 from 7-10pm. The event involves writers, artists and musicians creating around the theme of objects lying at the bottom of New York waters. Check out the work at www.underwaternewyork.com/.
Join us on The Frying Pan, a vessel that once sat on the bottom of the ocean and now maintains its barnacle encrusted interior as a reminder of its dark past!

Ever since I attended high school with him, I have been awed by the sounds Steve makes with his saxophone. He is a true master of the instrument and plays into another dimension; it is intellectual and conceptual jazz, rooted in the classic sound but with a modern edge. Tonight at Barbès was perhaps the most exciting performance I’ve seen from him, propelled by the absolutely ridiculous rhythm section of Matt Brewer on bass and Damion Reid on drums. Steve introduced his band and pointed out that they are, among other things, the reason people put up with living in New York. True. It is impossible to describe this music in words, so I will defer to video…

Steve Matt Damion 09.30.09

Yum. I ate some of the greatest comfort food that i’ve ever eaten tonight. Cheryl’s in Prospect Heights BK delivered heaping portions of absolutely delicious down home cooking that I had been desperately craving after a day spent in the agony of a hangover — last night involved epic and gluttonous consumption of every type of alcohol imaginable at a wedding celebration for my father-in-law and his bride (my step-mother-in-law?) at The Bowery Hotel and a late night at Last Exit. Six hours later I awoke in my bed in anguish and have been looking for help ever since. Cheryl was my savior, filling my stomach and my soul with delectable goodness.