Look at Oprah

“Bein’ all Oprah.”  This is a second hand quote from Tracy Morgan to Kathy Griffin at an awards show.  Kathy was doing standup and set the stage to talk about presenters.  She was sitting next to comedian Tracy Morgan and when Ms. Winfrey took the stage, he said to Kathy, “look at Oprah, bein’ all Oprah.”  The joke was funny and the statement was rather profound…

Pop culture forces you to be in the here and now.  Today, we see Oprah as a billionaire media mogul who seems to have cast a spell on her audience.  The shows are often mocked, but at the same time, a fearful reverence is in tact.  In other words, you can joke, but don’t mess with Oprah.

Delicious Summer Brew

The other week I watched the last show of her 25-year long program, the Oprah Winfrey Show.  Full disclosure, I did have some beer before pressing play on my TiVo, but I can honestly say I didn’t expect to cry throughout most of the hour. 

Ms. Winfrey took to her studio stage by herself with a chair…she never sat.  She did most of the show like a preacher or motivational speaker and she had me with hello.  From her recollections of her professional beginnings to mention of shows and topics that had an impact, she drew me in with constant reminders of how her connection with the TV audience is what kept her going.  If you break this down, it’s amazing…what she says about this connection is so true…how else do you last for 25 years and become one of the most wealthy entertainers/women in the world?  Say what you want, the core motives must have been real.

I was reminded why this woman became so powerful.  She made a talk show bigger by discussing difficult topics and empowering viewers to think about more than their own day-to-day lives.  There are folks who have had little parental guidance who learned from her shows and became better people.  There are men who graduated from college only from her generosity.  There are people who had terrible workdays, marriage struggles and family illnesses and attribute sole joy to the one hour each day delivered by this woman and her team.

Say what you will, but Ms. Winfrey is an important pop icon and she will have a place in 20^th/21^st Century history, as she should.

Mature Entertainment

The Manhattan Transfer and Jennifer Coolidge

Sometimes I like to pick a saucy title to get your attention.  This entry is not about the adult entertainment industry…well, it is, but not what you’re thinking.  I recently had the pleasure of attending two shows and while the performers are no spring chickens, their performances rival those of any teen sensations.

I first heard The Manhattan Transfer when I was about 5 years old.  That would be 1975.  I grew up in a modest and quiet home and our “stereo” had a radio and 8-track player.  My mom and dad would purchase the occasional 8-track tape to enjoy and they were intermingled with my brother’s comedy tapes.  I was informed I wasn’t supposed to listen to George Carlin, the Blue’s Brothers or the Saturday Night Live recordings…so I listened to the music of my parents.  To be honest, I think they only had two – The Manhattan Transfer and Phoebe Snow.  Both of those tapes quickly became my inner soundtrack and helped form the music taste I still hold today.  When I was 14 or 15, my first concert was with my parents and we went to see The Manhattan Transfer at Starlight Musicals – an open-air amphitheater on the campus of Butler University.  The amphitheater is gone, but the Transfer is still going strong.

 My most recent encounter with the Transfer was this past February at Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University (thank God for Butler).  I’d had a couple of beers before the concert started, so I was ready to go.  The first sign it would be a tough night was when the woman in front of my shot a DIRTY look because I was talking…did I mention the concert had not even started?  So, I knew I had to monitor my enthusiasm.  Once the Transfer took the stage, my heart sank as I looked around me and saw barely any movement and excitement from the audience.  I was under the impression that if you were older, maybe in your 50’s, 60’s or 70’s, you could still have fun.  Not these folks…they give AARP a bad name.  The Transfer was amazing and I got out a few hoots, but I watched myself as I didn’t want too many evil eyes.

The concert featured some of my favorites, including Birdland and Route 66.  The quad allowed a solo performance from each which enabled the crowd to witness their individual talents.  Janis Siegal is my favorite, so I tended to watch her singing and facial expressions most of the time.  These performers have been singing together for four decades and they still appear to like each other…their bond must be like a family at this point.

I have seen the Transfer numerous times.  As I age, each performance becomes more special to me.  I am filled with emotions as I relate their music and performance style to my childhood and family.  When I perform, I just know these four vocalists have been my coaches and I display some of the same mannerisms (please note, I’m not nearly talented enough to be in their league). 

I didn’t like their crowd.  When leaving, I had a fantasy of them appearing on Glee, so that millions of teens who like show choir would see the originals.  In other words, there would not be a Glee without them.

Fast forward a week and I had the unique pleasure of seeing Jennifer Coolidge perform at a local comedy club.  Let me repeat, Jennifer Coolidge at a comedy club.  When I told folks I had tickets, they either knew her or didn’t.  If they didn’t, I would say “Stifler’s mom from American Pie.”  That generated some acknowledgement.  I know Ms. Coolidge from Best in Show, a Christopher Guest film and one of my all-time favorites.  After folks recognized whom I was talking about, they would say “Crackers?  Really?”  Cracker’s is the local club in Indianapolis.

So, we went to the show and happened to be seated right at the stage at this little bar – it separates the performers from the audience.  It almost felt like a striper bar (if you’ve ever been to one).  There was an emcee comic who had a flop sweat that rivaled Albert Brooks’ in Broadcast News.  He was actually pretty funny, but he did use the cocktail napkin I offered him.  The second comic (sorry, can’t remember his name) was also very good.  I was shocked that both of these comics referenced “midgets” – not the most politically correct term.

After the openers, Ms. Coolidge took to the stage.  I actually thought she looked fabulous, in a drag-queen sort of way.  Her hair is long and blond (extensions) and she had very intense shoes with killer heals.  Her dress was short and black.  She’s not a petit flower, but her presence was notable.  The context of her act was that she needed to get out of LA since it’s so warped when the Kardashians and Paris Hilton get all of the attention.  She opened with “I don’t know why I picked Indianapolis as a place to perform…I didn’t know what I expected….I thought I might see a couple of horses in the audience.”  She went on to acknowledge that the crowd was so young…and they were.  Where were these folks when I needed them at the Transfer?

Coolidge was extremely funny.  She based most of the performance around her career and the parts she didn’t get.  At the end of the day, she delivered a commentary about aging as a female actress and the difficulty of securing parts when newcomers are around.  If she weren’t so funny while being jaded, I may have cried.

Don’t get me wrong, I do try hard to recognize new talent, but I have a soft spot in my heart for those with true talent, they may just not be so young.  The word “classic” is around for some reason, so I encourage folks to have diverse tastes.  Researching the past is something we call can do when moving forward.  There’s really nothing truly new, just the interpretation (except for Facebook, that’s original for the most part).  If you can’t think of a new idea, look to the past and see what worked, then put your spin on it.

The Mighty Queens of Freeville – Book Review

The Mighty Queens of Freeville – A Story of Surprising Second Chances

By Amy Dickinson

Copyright 2009

Okay, for some reason, all roads point to Chicago in this indirect route to me reading Amy Dickinson’s memoir of divorce, motherhood and career.   I don’t read Chicago newspapers, where Amy currently works and writes “Ask Amy,” but I do listen to NPR, especially on the weekends when the Indianapolis affiliate, WFYI, airs Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me on Saturday and then AGAIN on Sunday.  This show is recorded in Chicago and Amy is a frequent panelist.  But, I didn’t want to buy or read her book because I hear her pleasant voice a couple of times each month or because she’s a popular advice columnist, but because I saw her speak in Chicago at the Printer’s Row Lit Fest…again with Chicago.

Charlie Pierce and Amy Dickinson

So, for those of you who have never been to the well-known book fair, try to make it some year.  The only risk is the weather.  Back to Amy…I went to a “talk/reading” with Amy and Charlie Pierce in 2010 and thought I should buy at least one of their books, so I bought hers.  I am drawn to memoirs since most folks reserve their best stories for readers in neat chapters.  Amy’s work follows this format with the flow of her life starting at the time of her divorce through today.  Within this framework, she reflects on her childhood, which paves the road to explain her duel residency she is able to maintain, even when her career and finances didn’t appear to be so robust.  Simply stated, over the years, Amy and her daughter had two homes – one in Freeville, NY where Amy grew up and then in cities where Amy had writing work, namely Washington DC and Chicago. 

To be honest, I was worried this was like a northeast Steel Magnolia’s from the title…like a bunch of hen pecking stories from her youth….thank goodness, Mighty Queens is not.  I think Amy wants you to know she’s the person she is today because of her humble upbringing, but she also can’t hide the fact that she’s a talented journalist.  Her tales of motherhood, some dating and reflection on her mom and dad’s divorce certainly have prepped her for her advice giving, but the fact she seems relentlessly grounded and funny are her best qualifications.

The book begins with a description of her divorce and the fact they had a small daughter at the time.  From there, Amy describes her journey of moving back to the states, reestablishing herself in her hometown where she is then able to sprinkle in a little backstory of her childhood.  At this point the pursuit of career is described, but none of the chapters go into too much detail.  Perhaps this is where I find fault with the book.  I know Amy is funny and has had a very interesting past personal and professional life, but she is really good at downplaying all of it.  The best story was when she visited her estranged father and they go on a trip to tow a tractor.  The book’s cutest moment is the primitive drawing Amy gives us to describe their options for getting the tractor out of the mud.

Even if you don’t read Amy’s column or listen to her on Wait Wait, I think this book makes a pleasant read for those on holiday or for women seeking a little inspiration when raising a child on their own.  Frankly, Amy seems rather lucky professionally, so I drew inspiration to keep on….you know, push through, make it happen, sort it out…keep on.

Internet Find – Musician Molly Lewis

Do you all know about You Tube?

So for the past 10ish years, I’ve not used a computer for personal purposes.  I would tell folks that I don’t use a computer at home as I sit in front of one all day at work.  When folks would talk about upgrading their laptops, or their new iphones, I would almost judge thinking there’s more to life than electronics and the Internet.  Boy did I change my story when I purchased my MacBook Pro.  I would be lying if I didn’t say there’s been a learning curve.  For example, the other day, I tried to get on itunes (or You Tunes as I was calling it) and I couldn’t figure out how to get to the page where you buy the music.

So, after spending long hours with family and friends this winter season, I’ve been watching videos on You Tube.  I even used an ipad.  I like the song Toxic by Britney Spears, so I searched for it on the You Tube.  What I found has changed my life (at least my computer life).  There’s a video of a girl (and you can’t see her face) playing the ukulele and singing Toxic.  It’s amazing – here’s the link (I don’t know how to embed the video yet) -- my first Molly video.

I watched this several times and wanted more.  From there, I learned this faceless youth has a name….Molly Lewis.  So, I found this page - http://www.youtube.com/user/sweetafton23 with links to several of her You Tube videos.  She does covers and writes her own songs.  She mainly plays the uke, but it’s clear she’s a bit of a musical prodigy.  Since I’d rather watch her enjoyable videos, I’ve not really researched her too much.  I think she’s around 20 and lives on the west coast.  She has public gigs and I’m probably late in even finding her.

My recommendations are Poker Face and California Gurls (pop covers) and her original song called Road Trip, a song about the astronaut love triangle from a couple of years ago.  Two Girls and a Uke is amazing.  She partners with another musician and they perform We Can Work It Out  -- two ladies playing one uke at the same time.

Why do I like her?  I think she’s talented, clever and irreverent.  She’s the type of performer I would follow around town from gig to gig just to hear her perspective and marvel at the simplicity of her show.  She makes me think there’s hope in the world and reminds me how talented people really are.  No, she’s not playing classical music like the kids on From the Top (NPR), but I think she’s just as special.  There’s something organic about her skills and I’m impressed someone so young is so observant and insightful about popular culture.

As I mentioned earlier, perhaps you already know Molly Lewis.  If not, and if you have some time to spend on the Internet, watch her videos and pretend you have the rest of your life in front of you….like she does.

Book Review -- Kitchen Confidential

Kitchen Confidential

Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

Anthony Bourdain

Copyright 2000

Bourdain and Ripert

After seeing Anthony Bourdain on television’s Top Chef as a guest judge and his own series No Reservations, I found his persona charming and fascinating and every time I heard about his acclaimed memoir Kitchen Confidential, I thought “I need to read that book.”  I was prodded by a public event with Bourdain and master chef Eric Ripert in Indianapolis.  I wanted to see them and knew a book signing would ensue.  

Ripert Signing

Kitchen Confidential is mainly a memoir, revolving around Anthony Bourdain’s culinary career before television.  One of the reasons the book was so attractive to me was what I’d already heard about it…how Bourdain “exposes” secrets of the restaurant world.  When I read it, I was less shocked by some of the food handling and procuring methods, but just realizing how difficult, if not grueling, food preparation really is for cooks.  So this book explains Bourdain’s journey from his youth and newfound love of food, to culinary school and finally to the world of restaurant cooking in New York City. 

While his writing is infused with humor and self-deprecation, I was drawn to the serious side of his career path, his addictions and his very deep passion and respect for the food.  I enjoyed the toggling between descriptions of sociopathic kitchen antics, to restaurant planning 101 to his delight of new places or admiration for other chefs and/or restaurateurs.   I am mainly amazed that this man who seemed to have lived such a full and often wreck less life wrote this book before his illustrious television career even started.  In other words, this book describes a pretty full career and yet he was just getting started.  Wow. 

Bourdain

The walk away from this book speaks to so many folks.  It’s like an anthropological look into the restaurant world as well as a beginners guide for foodies who want to learn some key terms.  It also gives you insight to a man who we really enjoy watching and listening to.  His chapter about his trip to Tokyo is foreshadowing of his television series.  I have his most recent book to read next  -- Medium Raw – and I’m looking forward to it.

KT Tunstall visits Indianapolis

Friday, November 19, 2010

Studio 92 and The Vogue

As my brief bio indicates, I’m now 40 years old and with that title, I can’t seem to stay up late anymore.  Now, others will read this and say it’s not my age (those who are my age and older that don’t like admitting they are getting old) but a personal preference.  All I know is 10 years ago I could stay out long enough to close bars and then eat greasy breakfast food afterwards.  Today, I’d rather sit in the BMV all afternoon than close a bar.

So, the fact we left KT Tunstall’s concert on November 19 at The Vogue  after about 6 songs had NOTHING to do with Ms. Tunstall’s performance.  To the contrary, I was deeply saddened that I could no longer stand at a bar and listen to her perform…it was around 11 p.m.

Luckily, I was fortunate enough to see Ms. Tunstall at a small VIP performance at the WTTS 92.3 studios in downtown Indianapolis.  As you can imagine, I LOVE these “private concerts” as we get to see the artist up close and personal, typically by themselves and performing three to five stellar songs.  Best of all, it’s all during your lunch hour when you’re bright eyed and bushy tailed.

After waiting only a short while in a line, the guests were seated in a small studio with a stage big enough for only a few acoustic style performers.  Ms. Tunstall walked in and almost immediately played her first song, “Madame Trudeaux” prepping us with an explanation of the inspiration.  After her energy-filled tune, there was a brief q & a with a radio station dj.  I think you can tell a lot about a “famous” person by how they act when in these settings.  I’ve seen Ms. Tunstall three times now in “private” concerts and each time she is gracious, generous and professional.  I can imagine how hard it is to be on the road, but I also know it’s what these rockers sign up for.  Tunstall sings her heart out, answers questions with humor and is even patient to smile for photos.  That lunchtime, the small group also enjoyed listening to “(Still A) Weirdo” and “Fade Like a Shadow.”  All of these sections can be found on her latest release Tiger Suit.

I became a fan of Tunstall’s with her Eye to the Telescope release and was happy that I did hear “Black Horse & The Cherry Tree” later that evening as well as “Other Side of the World.“  I did miss “Suddenly I See,” but whose fault is that?  For those of you who know and own her music, you already know how special Tunstall’s talent is.  For those of you who are not familiar but enjoy female singers who play guitars, are extremely rhythmic and make your blood move a little faster, then you must buy one of her tunes or CDs.  I am one of those people that don’t listen to lyrics, so I can’t tell you the meaning of most of her songs….but I’m sure she’s profound.

So at her concert, Tunstall had an opening act – Hurricane Bells.  They played for about 45 minutes and I guess they were good.  In all honesty, I was trying to stay awake and look for a reason not to go home and sleep.  Finally, around 10:15 p.m., Tunstall took the stage with her band.  They were great.  To be frank, however, I most enjoy her when she’s by herself with her little recording device she controls with her feet.

When I hit the wall, we walked out of the Vogue and headed towards our car.  Next to the Vogue is another bar and they had a cover band that night….they were singing “Black Horse & The Cheery Tree” and I mouthed and pointed to the lead singer that we just heard the song…the singer laughed.

The Scottish born Tunstall is the real deal.  She’s the type of singer that even if they’ve not had a radio “hit” for years, her fans will always want to see her perform in person.  If you have the chance, see her live and make sure to have plenty of coffee as she starts late!

Holiday Celebrations

Baby Eating, Womanizer and Macy’s Elves

I think those Folger’s commercials are misleading.  You know the one, where the son comes home from somewhere and his parents and sister are SO excited to see him.  They start off their reunion with Folger’s coffee.  They’ve even updated this one with new, more modern looking kids and the son is coming home from Africa.  First off, you can tell that family has money.  If the son can afford to go off and do “good work” in Africa, he comes from money.  Have you seen the house?  Lovely.  There’s no way they drink Folger’s.  At the minimum they should be grinding their own Starbucks or scooping the Italian grounds from an Illy can.  So, aside from their choice of beans being unrealistic, I just can’t buy how excited his teenage sister is to see him.  Do people really act like that?

The holidays are hard for some folks.  I think because we’ve created these unrealistic images of joy and disappointment ensues.  I certainly don’t want to waste too much time on the obvious consumerism the season advocates.  More than anything, I just try to focus on the economy building all the shopping may help and that some folks find work when they need it most. 

What I’m finding is a shift in thought about the holidays.  I think the trend is to appreciate the time off work and the opportunity to have parties, drink, laugh and splurge on activities.  At least that’s what the holidays are turning out to be for me.

My season starts at an annual holiday party at a local advertising agency.  You can set your clock to this event as the activities are pretty boilerplate.  But, we all look forward to going and wouldn’t miss it because of the tradition.  It’s not a sweet party, although proceeds are given to charity.  The party starts with some social lubrication (booze), then moves to some musical numbers.  It’s amazing how many guys know how to play the guitar.  Jack, the artistic director for the evening, writes some new songs each year based on the year’s news and events – all set to popular Christmas songs.  The highlight is a song called Don’t Eat the Baby.  This is about a pig in the nativity scene that wants to eat the baby Jesus.  The room chimes in during the chorus with “don’t eat the baby.”  That’s why there is no pig in the nativity.  From there, we move onto a white elephant gift exchange where rules are thrown to the curb because of extortion and alcohol consumption.  Good times.

Depending on the year, I either have other parties to attend or I perform at some private function.  This year I was invited to a St. Andrew’s Day party (Scottish theme) and was later asked if I could sing.  So, my performing partner and I then turned into gig mode.  We show up early, set up and then chat other guests up until we have to sing.  For the most part, our act is pretty harmless.  I say this as we never expect kids to be around, but once they show up, anxiety is part of the prep as I then worry about being inappropriate.  I think we did okay at this event, but in our attempt to be cool for the tweens (yeah, I don’t think they were actually teens yet), we broke out Womanizer, Sexy Back and Humps.  I guess since I don’t listen to words, I don’t expect them to know how terrible these songs are.  I did find joy in some of the parental smirks.  They were uncomfortable a little, but this 40 something crowd still thinks it’s the 80’s and were throwing some caution to the wind….as much as they can with other parents from the private Catholic school.

Last week I went to see Santaland Diaries, based on a short story by David Sedaris from Holiday’s on Ice.  I am a huge fan of Sedaris and fell in love with him after reading Me Talk Pretty Some Day.  I distinctly remember reading that book in bed and shaking from laughter.  Sedaris is a master storyteller and his memoirs continue to bring me joy, so I was happy to see this play.  I’d read the short story about Sedaris before his writing career took off and he’d gotten a job at Macy’s in New York as an elf for Santa.  To tell you more would do his story a disservice as he is the funny writer, not I.  The play was rather enjoyable and only lasted an hour.  It’s only one actor and the play is pretty much exact to the short story.  Sedaris’ humor is slightly twisted, so seeing a slightly twisted holiday play was a perfect way to spend a Saturday before Christmas…much better than shopping.

There’s still time before the holidays and I’m pretty happy.  I don’t have too many more plans, but I do know I’m not going to make coffee for my brother, unless he asks.