No, I am not writing a show stopping... show, about oral hygiene.
My hero, Pete Townshend of The Who, is currently writing a new musical in the style of Tommy and Quadrophenia, entitled (for now) Floss. Floss is the female lead interest in the story. For those of you not up on the discography of the greatest rock band of all time, Tommy is the story of the deaf, dumb and blind boy... Tommy Walker, or the Pinball Wizard. Quadrophenia is probably lesser known to non-Who fans, but is, in my opinion, Pete's magnum opus. Every lyric in that album drips with philosophy and enlightenment and pure human reality. Quad focuses on a young male, Jimmy Cooper, caught in the battles between mods and rockers in London and his personalities are heard through each member of the band, and there are four, so quad... quad also refers to the concept of surround sound. This album got me through many a dark time.
Anyway, his latest work would best be described in his own words, so I will let you read his latest blog entry regarding his new venture:
"FLOSS is an ambitious new project for me, in the style of TOMMY and QUADROPHENIA. In this case the songs are interspersed with surround-sound 'soundscapes' featuring complex sound-effects and musical montages. FLOSS will be a son-et-lumiére musical piece, intended for outdoor performance, or arenas. Several of the more conventional songs from FLOSS will be featured on a forthcoming Who recording for release in 2010. FLOSS will be heard in concert for the first time in 2011, at a venue and date yet to be established. I am already having talks with producers in New York.
The collected music and sound for FLOSS convey the story of a married couple whose relationship gets into difficulty. Walter, a straight-cut pub rock musician, is able to retire when one of his songs becomes the TV anthem of a big car company. He becomes a house-husband while his wife Floss devotes herself to a riding stables and stud. When he tries to return to music after a fifteen year hiatus, he finds that what he hears and what he composes evoke the ecologically rooted, apocalyptic mindset of his generation. Shaken by this and torn by personal difficulties, he and Floss become estranged. A series of dramatic events in a hospital emergency ward bring them both to their senses.
While Roger Daltrey exercises his ageing vocal chords by embarking on a two month USE OR LOSE IT solo tour, my focus is on FLOSS, which touches on the current issues faced by the Boomer generation. It also addresses their uneasy relationship with their parents, children and grandchildren. As a 19 year old – with My Generation – I wrote the most explicitly ageist song in rock. At 64, I now want to take on ageing and mortality, using the powerfully angry context of rock 'n' roll." - Pete Townshend courtesy of www.thewho.com
So that's pretty damn great. Pete worked with directors and producers on a staged adaptation of Quadrophenia, and that is currently showing in the UK. My fingers are doubly crossed that it makes a journey over to our neck of the woods. They (The Who) always had a difficult time performing this album live as a 4 piece band because unlike Tommy, Quadrophenia doesn't have a very obvious forward narrative. It really requires extra writing to string together a story line.
I'm very excited to hear this news of a new album and project. I have to agree with another hero of mine, also named Pete, that Pete Townshend is the living embodiment of "The Poet" as defined by Emerson... and I too, will fight you on this one.
Damn it's hot! The miserable heat of summer has finally hit the Bay State this week as temperatures hold in the mid 90s. It seems like the seasons this year were incredibly jarring. We went from winter, to weird cold rainy sloppy Spring, to just rainy and sloppy summer with not much sun, and now we just have oppressive thick heat and humidity. That sentence is probably far longer than it is supposed to be, but who cares? NO ONE READS THIS BLOG ANYMORE ANYWAY!!! How are YOU dealing with this week's heat? Below Average Height wants to know! Post your answers as replies if you wish... or just tell me what you're wearing today.
This entry is going to be a MELTING pot of subjects since a fair amount occurred since I last wrote. Starting with:
We did it!!! Great big thank yous go out to everyone that attended Kelly and I's show and to Patty and the "boys" of Awkward Compliment for having us on. We (I) really enjoyed performing together and we (I) hope we (I) can do it again sometime soon. Props to Jeremy and Evan for also having a really great show. Evan, why do you hate me SO much?
We went on first before a packed house (32 people) and it was so nice to see familiar faces and some non-familiar ones and some familiar ones that at the end of the show I didn't recognize... sorry Kim and Randy. You're both great.
Kelly and I showed up to the theater a bit early to rehearse and ended up in the storage room lifting bags of popcorn. When asked what we were doing in there, I smoothly answered, "we're just warming up". Kelly looked like a deer caught in head lights as thoughts of free candy and soda danced through her over processed head/hair. Our relationships and characters were often conflicting, but it kind of worked. Suck it rules of improv! "Just rape what's in front of you" - Susan Messing.
Ok so next: I moved!!! And I heart my new apartment so hard. Here are some photos courtesy of my new roommate, Christina.
It's really pretty great. My step mother gave me the record player her and her first husband purchased together, so I'm going to play the Who records she gave me on it! I'm so excited for that.
Ok just 2 more quick updates, and I'll wrap up. I realize that no one enjoys reading long blog entries.
So this idiot had a birthday:
To celebrate we strolled along Cambridge Street and checking the Jameson at each bar. Plus one Mai Thai. While drinking the Mai Thai, the bartender, a 60ish year old Chinese man received a foot rub from another 60ish year old drunk biker-esque looking man named Billy O'Malley... ugh only with Nick. We ended the night snuggling up on his futon, possibly for the last time, as he's moving out to Forest Hills in JP with 3 middle aged men.
OK! We're almost done, my last bit of news involves me having a job interview... TODAY at Brodney's Antiques Shop on Newbury Street.
Oh! Oh! and do yourself a favor and pick up this book:
I'm literally obsessed with all things Amy Sedaris lately, and this book is just JAM packed with humor and insight and recipes and crafts, and ugh... I just love her.
Well everyone, my blog has been picked up for season 2.314 including a live performance! ! ! "A live performance?! How on EARTH can you do a LIVE version of this blog?!?!?!"... you probably just asked. Well, you will just have to come to the Somerville Theater THIS Thursday night, August 6th, at 8PM, to find out.
I will be performing a 2 person improvised set in Awkward Compliment's weekly comedy showcase with my very dear friend, Kelly Dooley. Kelly and I performed together with Seriously Bent for three years, and now that they have filed a restraining order against me, I have to find other venues to do shows. Since Patty's group does not know me well enough to realize that I have issues, they agreed to let me perform with them!
This is their logo!
Yikes, I almost put 'there' instead of 'their'... boy I would not have heard the end of that from my editor...
Anygay, Patty and the "boys" of Awkward Compliment perform in the Somerville Theater just about every Thursday night this summer, and perhaps beyond, featuring different improv groups and stand-up comedians. Shows are always at 8PM and only cost $10! What a great bargain in these turbulent economic times... I think something's going on with oil or insurgency... I don't know I can't keep up with everything... I get nose bleeds.
Bottom line, please come see our show, we're both very excited to entertain each other and maybe even you.
