If you haven’t scored your 2009 New Orleans Beatles Fest Tickets yet, get them NOW because theyre going fast. www.ticketmaster.com www.hob.com
July 11, 2009 @ The House of Blues!
36 days till Beatles Fest Saturday, Jun 6 2009
Uncategorized 6:52 am
Story Tellers Tuesday, May 26 2009
Uncategorized 6:09 am
I am sure I’ve posted this before, but I love this talk.
Had To Cry Today Tuesday, May 19 2009
Uncategorized 5:39 am
EC and SW live at MSG, released on DVD today.
That’s a lot of acronyms!
“Anything For Your Love” live at the o2 Tuesday, May 19 2009
Uncategorized 5:37 am
“Anything For Your Love” is a song off of the Journeyman album from 1989. I believe the last time it was played in concert was around 1992. A fantastic song, a Jerry Lynn Williams original…glad to see it made it back in the set.
Boldly Going Tuesday, May 19 2009
Uncategorized 5:22 am
When you’re a kid, heroes are very impressionable. A child’s hero is often a good indication of what that child will aspire to be when they grow. Heroes help define our self-worth and give a measuring stick on where we want to be in life.
You’re going to laugh at this. I swear you are, so get it out now. Go ahead. Laugh. keep going. Are you done? No?! Ok….keep going. Laugh. All out? Sure? Good, moving on.
When I was small, way back in the early 80s, Star Trek was heavy in syndication. Not the NEXT GENERATION (hadn’t come out yet),…or Deep Space Nine, or any other damn series….just plain ol’ Star Trek. The TV show with the terrible special efx and a cast straight out of a 60s B-rated sci-fi movie. When you’re four years old though, none of that matters. The phasers were cool because it shot out a lazer, and what’s this beaming thing? and Warp drive?! That’s some cool shit when you’re four years old.
From those days of sitting on my aunt’s floor in Kansas City watching an episode called “Mudd’s Women”, I wanted to see what happened to these characters of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. Captain Kirk was always the coolest guy ever. I had no idea who William Shatner was, nor did I care. Kirk was awesome…captain of the ship, young, got all the ladies, got to go explore the universe, shoot up some aliens….again…pretty cool for a four year old kid!
Spock was always solid too. It always seemed like to me when I was little that, when shit hit the fan, you want a Mr. Spock giving you guidance. Why? Because you can trust his opinion. You never saw Kirk asking the red shirt crew member what he thought…he asked Spock. Note to self: when I get older, find a Vulcan friend to bail you out of bad situations.
I know all of the NERD crap that follows Star Trek. It’s a very taboo thing to say you like the show…immediate branding soon follows anyone brave enough to admit it. So what’s the big deal, why do so many people like the show? What’s the hooplah all about?
For me, personally, the characters and stories are untouchable. Gene Roddenbery did some of the best character development in the history of modern entertainment. Regardless of a bad budget and models and poor effects, the CHARACTERS and the STORIES made these shows worthwhile. Boil the show down to the basics and you have an incredible experience waiting for you. The characters in Star Trek engage in a core human value that is RARELY touched on in any form of media: PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY! Do the right thing, no matter how HARD it is, no matter what set of circumstances you’re facing…no matter what. Surround yourself with people who you trust and know what they’re doing and avoid people who say you can’t do something. …AND, my favorite, NEVER believe in a No-win situation.
There are so many great values at the heart of this show.
If more people GOT IT, the world would be a better place
(that’s an amazingly hippy thing to say, sorry if you think I’m crazy, but it’s really good stuff if you ever take the time to examine it).
The new movie is INCREDIBLE. J.J. Abrams, to me, is one of the ONLY people alive and working in the movie industry who can still TELL A STORY. Like Roddenbery, like Rod Serling, like Spielberg, Abrams has this uncanny ability to MAKE YOU CARE about what he’s telling you. As much as he’s a pro director and producer, he’s an ACE storyteller…which makes the rest of what he does amazing.
Abrams GETS IT. He finally made a movie that took the essence of these characters and brought them to light…..something that the rest of the movies simply implied. They knew their audience “got it” and knew these characters. Abram says, “you might know these guys, but you really don’t.” For us Trek geeks, it’s an amazing movie…but it’s also a fantastic movie for everyone who has never seen an episode. It takes Roddenberry’s characters that are truly timeless and brings the essence of his stories to the front of the line.
As a long time fan as well, it’s very exciting to see the franchise re-launched in such a positive way and it’s incredible to think that we have so much more to come.
Yeah this blog screams NERD ALERT, but you know what, that’s fine with me. You won’t see me at the supermarket with Vulcan ears on. I will be the first person in the movie theater to see what happens next though…check out the movie, you might be there too.
Obama Please Tuesday, May 19 2009
Uncategorized 4:50 am
A friend of mine who works for the Archdiocese first alerted me to the presence of President Obama at the Notre Dame graduation. The initial complaint was that Obama insisted on having symbolic Catholic statues and symbols covered during his televised address. Having seen the coverage of the graduation, it was apparent that many on campus were troubled about his presence there.
Allowing the issue to fester for a few days in the ol’ brain, I came to a pretty solid conclusion: Notre Dame needs to fire whomever allowed President Obama to speak. Simple. Period. Mr. Obama’s very presence at the commencement ceremonies of the nation’s top Catholic institution is as appalling as David Duke speaking at a Synagog. It’s insulting to believe, as a Catholic, that Mr. Obama’s shock and awe campaign for president has allowed those in charge of the university to forget the underlying principles and responsibilities.
“Alright, alright, hang on their Chuck-O! You’re going a little overboard. After all, you’re not a right-wing extremest! Plus, you’ve already wrote who you are going into this administration with an open mind.”
My anger in this issue is two-fold. I am angered (but not surprised) that Obama would consider giving this speech at this University. I am also angered at the board of supervisors at Notre Dame who said, “I think this is a GOOD idea!” The later is what I’d rather spend my time discussing.
The fundamental obligation of all catholic educators is to uphold the traditions and standards set by Rome. In a lot of ways, American Catholics follow and allegiance to both Washington and Rome. While many would see this as conflicting ideology, this two-headed system gives the American Catholic the ability to move beyond the political hodgepodge of Washington and rely on the traditions set by Rome. When the state passes out condoms to “solve an illegitimate child concern”, Catholics can still look to a higher-order for true spiritual guidance without blindly accepting CNN political nonsense.
If the separation of Church and State is a core value of decision making in the halls of Congress, shouldn’t our executive branch STAY THE HELL OUT of a Catholic graduation?! Obama’s abortion stance alone justifies his exclusion from this event…much less his LESS THAN 100 DAYS decisions concerning stem cell research and gay marriage!
But, HEY, HE’S BARACK OBAMA, Savior of the nation!
It was polled that the majority of the students at Notre Dame did not mind Obama’s presence at their graduation. …..if four to five years in the flagship Catholic university didn’t instill a greater moral compass in any of these graduates, then they should be denied their diploma. If this statement is true, than not only have the faculty and staff at Notre Dame seen a total disgraceful decline in responsibility, the students have as well. It appears to me that Notre Dame is on the fast track to become a Berkley or any other liberal higher-learning institution…a value that is not found at the core mission of the school.
So, to finish my rant, I find it totally insulting for Obama to have had any involvement with the Notre Dame graduation…I find it totally insulting that those in charge of the university are obviously blinded to their responsibility and are caught up in Obamamania….and I find it TOTALLY DISCOURAGING that more catholics (students and beyond) did not draw a line in the sand in South Bend and declare this act an outrage to our beliefs.
Think what you want about Obama. He’s a lot of things. Catholic ain’t one of them.
Jazz Fess’ 09 Monday, May 4 2009
Uncategorized 10:47 pm
Jazz Fest 2009 is history. While the organizers were all over the news touting the most successful year since 9/11, I found a true lacking of above average entertainment this year. This is not a criticism of the festival. The line ups included people that should have delivered a bit better. The majority of acts ended early, which is a management problem that needs to be addressed.
Overall, I found a “good” festival. I’d give it a B rating this year.
The night time shows is always where the fun is.
You would have been hard pressed to find a better show than Bonarama with special guests Kermit Ruffins and George Porter Jr at the new Rock N Bowl on Saturday night. SImply amazing show of New Orleans talent.
A lot of people have asked me about a Mr. Credo performance at the Fess in 2010. It’s in the works! Stay tuned.
C
Check me out, Shawty Tuesday, Apr 28 2009
Uncategorized 6:46 am
A shot from last Friday at The House Of Blues. Wynton and Trombone Shorty dueling it out.
Who Dat! Monday, Apr 27 2009
Uncategorized 10:02 pm
The Nuts performing for New Orleans Saint Zach Strief and his new wife Mandy at their wedding reception in the Riverview Room. Thanks to Studiotran Photography and Zach and Mandy! WHO DAT!
….and THANK GOD FOR YA! RIP, Mid-City Lanes, LONG LIVE ROCK N BOWL! Friday, Apr 24 2009
Uncategorized 7:41 am
This is my favorite thing in the world.
1:10am at Rock N Bowl. Friday Dec 18, 2002. It’s my graduation night from LSU. It’s also The Mixed Nuts live recording that eventually became the CD “MIXED NUTS, Y’ALL”….
At the end of the evening, John Blancher always gets up and chats with the crowd. Here is an example of what it’s like to be there.
For me, there is no place better to be than 1 am at the Rock N Bowl. The blessed mother is looking down from several pictures in the room, the bartenders are dancing on top of the bar, John is singing “Can’t Help Falling In Love With You”…or in this case “Crying Time”…..people who don’t even know each other are dancing for the first time.
People have said I’m an old soul, and they’re damned right. I love this city with all my soul, but seriously, if you want to experience New Orleans past, present, and future…the fun and craziness….click above and enjoy.
HAPPY JAZZ FEST, Y’ALL!
