Changes!!

I am so excited about the new album Shi (#4) by my band Seedy Young Knights!!!

My buddy Frank & I and a few other friends like to play and record songs by David Bowie. This our fourth album of Bowie covers. We don't do a lot of his hit songs, but we include some of his most obscure gems!

The new single by the band is "Changes" and you can listen to it by visiting our new Ning social networking site here.

Spamalot

Had a great "only in Los Angeles" day yesterday with my great friend Michael "Betty" Gribbin, who is town with the Spamalot tour. We started by meeting at Mike's rental house in the Los Feliz hills. The view and location are absolutely spectacular! The view of downtown is breathtaking and the air was so clear yesterday that we could see all the way south to Long Beach, more than 20 miles!




Just up the block sits the famous Ennis House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1923 and constructed from geometric concrete blocks. This stunning, huge house has been used in dozens of movies, including Blade Runner, Black Rain with Michael Douglas, and the Vincent Price classic House On Haunted Hill.

We drove up to Griffith Park, which is just up the hill from his place, and stopped at the Observatory for a visit. The Observatory looks so nice since its extensive renovation a few years ago. Again, the air was so clear and fresh it felt like we could see forever. There were a lot of people there, mostly tourists and families with children.



After a quick bite downtown, it was time for the musical Spamalot showing at the Ahmanson Theater and Mike was going to conduct the show! I got to sit and watch from the orchestra pit next to the guitarist, two keyboard players, and the violinist. Of course I had an awesome time listening to the band and seeing most of the action on stage above me. I couldn't see everything upstage but since the dialogue is Monty Python's Holy Grail almost verbatim, it was easy to enjoy the humor. The audience loved it as well and Maestro Gribbin got some laughs during a couple bits he had with the actors. The "star" of this production is John O'Hurley who played J. Peterman, Elaine's boss on Seinfeld.

Not only did I enjoy the show immensely, it was great to see Michael conducting. He's always been one of the most talented guys I've ever met and it's been so long since we worked together, I was impressed by how precise and articulate his conducting has become. His beats were easy to follow and he gave clear cues to the band and the singers for entrances, cut-offs and dynamics. Mike told me he's conducted the show about a hundred times so far and it showed because the performers were right with him the whole time.



After the performance we went back to his place for a glass of wine and snacks with Michael's roommate, Ben Whiteley who is music director of Spamalot. Ben is a big fan of Bing Crosby and we listened to some great vintage Bing with the Andrews Sisters while sitting outside on their terrace enjoying the spectacular night sky and view of downtown Los Angeles. The moon was bright, as was Jupiter, and we got to see a fireworks show from Dodger's Stadium around midnight.

All in all, a fantastically memorable day, and one that could only happen in LA. (hey, that rhymes!)

Michael Jackson Memorial Service

What an amazing day! I can't quite find the exact words to express the range of emotions I felt during and after the Michael Jackson Memorial Service at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Michael Jackson's untimely passing on June 25 upset me to a surprising degree. Even though I hadn't really followed his career since Thriller, I have felt shocked and mournful since he died. I've been listening to his and the Jackson 5's music constantly, seen more than enough TV coverage, and have read almost every recent news article written about him. When the family announced a lottery for fans to get tickets to the public memorial, I took a chance and entered three email addresses. What a lucky surprise to be selected!

The security precautions were extravagant: ticket winners had to enter a special, unique code to the Ticketmaster website to get a voucher, which had to be printed out and presented at Dodger's Stadium the next day in order to receive your ticket and shiny wristband which the attendant fastened around my wrist immediately. I had to wear it all night, shower, and sleep with it on. Now I don't want to take it off.

City officials warned people for days to avoid downtown if possible and fans and mourners were expressly forbidden from entering the Staples Center security zone without a ticket and wristband. I invited my friend Alia Yunis, who happens to be in town promoting her book, to join me since I knew she was big MJ fan as a teenager. We avoided traffic and parking hassles by taking the Metro downtown.

When we got there, the police were checking tickets and wristbands and generally keeping the crowd moving. They were very professional, yet friendly. The crowd was polite and orderly the whole time before, during and after the service. It was surprisingly quiet outside and inside the Staples Center, which is usually filled with noise from the various games and concerts held there. Everyone was refreshingly reserved and respectful.

We made it inside the venue and looked out the huge picture windows to see the motorcade arrive with the casket and the Jackson family. All the streets around the venue were closed for blocks, helicopters hovered overhead, and hundreds of media trucks surrounded the building. The ushers handed out souvenir programs to all in attendance. The program contains a wealth of photos of Michael and the Jackson family, and it includes messages to Michael from some of his siblings, nieces, and nephews. It was a nice family keepsake.

We made it to our "VIP" seats just a few minutes before the ceremony began. Our seats would be great for a basketball game, but our view of the memorial was from the side and slightly behind stage left. It was fine though because we had a clear view of the stage and the front rows of seats where the Jackson family sat. I also watched the TelePrompter cuing the speakers and musical performers during the program.

When the music began and the Jackson brothers entered the arena as pallbearers carrying Michael's golden casket, it suddenly became very real that he was gone. There is something so powerful, so final, that the casket represents. It was covered in a beautiful blanket of red flowers. Moments later, Mariah Carey took the stage to perform "I'll Be There" and she suddenly choked at the sight of Michael's casket resting in front of her. It was the first of many tearful moments that day.

Brooke Shields gave a lovely, emotional remembrance of her childhood friend. Barry Gordy, founder of Motown Records who discovered the Jackson 5, gave the first and most articulate euology. He made us laugh and cry with the story of how the Jackson family got started on their path to stardom. Lionel Richie sang a soothing gospel hymn I hadn't heard before and Usher brought everyone to tears with his stunning rendition of "Gone Too Soon." He even jumped off the stage and sang directly to Michael's casket. When he choked up at the song's conclusion, the Jackson family stood to embrace him and thank him for his tribute. More touching tributes came from Queen Latifah, Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant, and others.

Jennifer Hudson gave the best vocal performance with her powerful rendition of MJ's "Will You Be There" and Stevie Wonder brought everyone to tears again with his ballad "Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer" [Incidentally, I also saw Stevie perform at Carl Anderson's memorial a few years ago]. John Mayer gave a thoughtful guitar version of "Human Nature" and brother Germaine Jackson concluded with a touching rendition of Michael's favorite song, Charlie Chaplin's "Smile." A big surprise came when little Shaheen Jafargholi, whom Michael had invited to join his tour blew the roof off the dump with his version of "Who's Loving You." The show ended with a big finale of "We Are The World" featuring all the performers and Jackson siblings on stage with cast members of Michael's ill-fated This Is It production, which was in final rehearsals on the same stage two nights before he died.

Several of the euologies went on a bit too long -- it's hard to keep stating the same platitudes and hyperbolies ("Michael Jackson was the greatest entertainer in history") and not get a little over the top. Al Sharpton roused the crowd with the most exciting speech of the day. He made a touching statement to MJ's three children: "There was nothing strange about your Daddy. What he had to deal with was strange." That earned a huge roar of agreement from the audience. Although it didn't shy away from controversial aspects of Michael's life, the memorial focused primarily on his music and his life as a person, not a superstar or pop icon.

After the finale, the Jackson siblings remained on stage with Michael's three kids. A few brothers made comments, exposing their raw emotions: grief, confusion, anger, bitterness, and most of all, love. Finally, Michael's 11-year-old daughter Paris devastated the whole auditorium with her tearful tribute to her Daddy. There was a lot of love in that room, and not a dry eye in the place. Although almost 20,000 were present, with millions more watching on television and online, the event felt extremely intimate and personal. I felt like a fly on the wall at the Jackson family's private service for Michael. It was a beautifully organized production and a very special honor for me to be included.

After the ceremony, the brothers removed the casket and the crowd filed out slowly, somberly. Outside, the beautiful California sunshine welcomed us into the LA Live plaza. The brilliant blue sky was cloudless except for a skywriter creating the initial M in a heart above us. All the Jumbotrons and video screens around the LA Live complex projected slideshows with pictures of Michael Jackson throughout his life and career. Several giant "walls" were erected with a black & white image of Michael, the dates of his life and death, and thousands of signatures and messages written by fans. I felt a beautiful welling up of affection from the crowd for Michael's life and achievements, plus sadness and grief over his tragic loss.

The only distraction were all the media outside, reporting on the service and interviewing spectators for their impressions. It seems very clear to me that although Michael courted the media, he was actually consumed by them. He became a commodity, not a human being, and the disgusting spectacle of his aftermath continues to feed a vicious media frenzy. I never knew Michael Jackson, but I'm now certain that the figure presented through the media was not the real man.

I'm not just sad for the loss of a talented artist, it's also personal in the sense that a long period of my life has ended. Michael Jackson has been famous my entire life and I've heard his songs since I began listening to music. He created some of my all time favorite songs and early musical experiences. Now that he is gone, a chapter of my youth has also closed.

Globally speaking, it's the loss of one the biggest stars in history, ranking up there with Elvis Presley, John Lennon, and Princess Diana. Michael Jackson was the most famous, and at one point the most beloved, celebrity in the world. The worldwide attention to his death and the massive viewership of his memorial service on television and the Internet proves that point.

It also leads me to speculate that we may never have an entertainment figure as well-known as Michael Jackson was. Entertainment media is so globalized and fragmented today, it is difficult for one person to appeal to a massive cross-section of humanity because our attention has been diffused so deeply into our personal niche interests. When Elvis Presley died, there were only three broadcast networks in the United States. Today's service was viewed simultaneously by hundreds of millions of people around the globe via various technological means. Thanks to technology, the recording industry is in a tailspin and no longer generates the mega-millions earned by the likes of Michael Jackson. He was and will always remain the King of Pop.

Sad Ending to a Bizarre Life

I can't help but feel sad about Michael Jackson. I guess I'm still in shock over the news of his death. It's just so unexpected, and then again, his life story was so extraordinary it seems predictable that he would meet an unexpected end.

Whether he died accidentally, intentionally, or simply from natural causes, one can't help but mourn his loss, at least for those poor children who have lost their daddy. Their fucked-up young lives just got even worse.

Love him, hate him, or indifferent, we can't deny his phenomenal talent and charisma. Just watch those old tapes of little Michael leading the Jackson Five with his commanding voice and dancing. He could really rock! And Off The Wall contains a couple of my all-time favorite radio hits. Thriller shook the world, even though I got sick of seeing the video on MTV every half hour for months.

I admit growing weary of him by the time Bad came along; my tastes had changed. Plus, his increasingly odd lifestyle became ludicrous and distasteful. His physical transformation confused me because I couldn't understand why someone so beautiful would want to change himself so drastically. He became another Howard Hughes: reclusive, paranoid, and filthy rich.

Now, almost 30 years later, Thriller is still the number one album of all time. I actually downloaded it from iTunes just a couple months ago! His children might appreciate the donation, but they will probably never see it, nor the proceeds from the planned comeback performances. Apparently Michael was spending credit instead of money, and when the bills came due, he just couldn't pay.

A psychologist said that when we feel sad about someone else or cry at a movie, it's actually ourselves for whom we cry. Subconsciously we are relating the emotion felt on screen to some event in our own lives, or to our own mortality.

Michael's death compares to that of Elvis Presley, John Lennon, or Rudolph Valentino. It feels to me like a milestone, the passing of an era. Michael Jackson was a symbol of my youth and now he has mysteriously passed away at age 50.

So, I give myself ten more years to grow up!!

The Jacarandas are in bloom again

I just love this time of year when the gorgeous Jacaranda trees issue their brilliant violet blooms!

"We Shall Overcome...."

Not surprisingly, the California Supreme Court today upheld Proposition 8, thereby stripping civil rights away from a whole class of people in this state. Oddly they upheld the 18,000 marriages already performed legally before voters approved the ban, so now marriage rights are unequal within the same community being discriminated against. I can't remember in my lifetime a court actually supporting the taking away of rights from citizens, but I am absolutely convinced that the right to marry will be reinstated for all Americans.

This will happen sooner rather than later; it's inevitable. If you look at the huge demographic shift underway in this country, there's an enormous generation of young people just coming of age, a majority of which are not bothered at all by the concept of same-sex marriage. It's not a threat, and eventually enough people will come around to support equality for all Americans regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

We have to remember that interracial marriage only became protected by the US Supreme Court in 1967. At that time it was a very controversial decision considering that 38 states still banned interracial marriage. I'm sure a lot of conservative types still disapprove of it. Today a handful of states have already approved gay marriage, either legislatively or through a court decision, and other states will soon follow. The District of Columbia now recognizes gay marriages performed in other states.

If the states do not pass appropriate legislation protecting the civil right to marry, the US Supreme Court will eventually overrule the bans against same-sex marriage under the equal protection clause of the Constitution. Either that, or they will force the government out of the marriage business altogether and everyone can get a civil union and leave "marriage" -- a precious word to some -- to the churches.

The United States has fallen behind the international community on this topic. Seven countries, including Canada and Spain, have already allowed same-sex marriage. Sixteen countries, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom, have instituted civil partnerships with rights and responsibilities equal to heterosexual marriage. Dozens of other countries, including the United States, are debating the issue and crafting legislation.

Simply put, there is no rational argument against gay marriage. There are plenty of bigots out there who don't recognize homosexuals as human, much like the plight of blacks in the past, but honesty and fairness shall prevail and WE SHALL OVERCOME.

Memorial Day

Every day after work at UCLA, I drove home via Veteran Avenue towards Sunset Blvd. This stretch of Veteran runs beside the Los Angeles National Cemetery, and I am struck every time by the thousands upon thousands of white marble gravestones blanketing the lush green landscape.

It's a sobering vision, and it makes me realize how many brave and dedicated men and women, and their families, have made the ultimate sacrifice just so I can enjoy the freedom of opportunity this country offers as well as the right to criticize my nation when it fails to live up to its potential.

This is a luxury I do not take for granted, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to every person serving in our armed forces here at home and around the world. We love you, we support you, and we hope you return home safe and soon.