Milk Money

My name is Marc and I want to recruit you.

For those of you who have seen Milk, I am sure you will pick up on the reference. For those of you who have not, you must see it. First and most importantly, it is a magnificent film. Everything works. Sean Penn is amazing, truly astonishing… and so is Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin and James Franco. The entire cast is spot on. The direction by Gus Van Sant is brilliant and so is the beautiful score. I loved everything about this movie; yet at the same time it was hard not to feel an overwhelming sadness at how we seem to be moving backwards in terms of our acceptance and open mindedness. I was too young to know about Prop. 6, but let me just say that we seem to be fighting the same fight that was won back in the 70s… and this time, we are going back into the closet of repression and denial. California is supposed to be the most advanced, free thinking state in the country, but the debacle of Prop. 8 has shown us there  is still a huge red line of ignorance and intolerance. It is shocking.

I vaguely remember Anita Bryant and I do remember her anti-gay crusade, but I had no idea how malicious she was and how much of an effort she made to travel across the country spouting what she said was G-d’s word. It was and is not. She was wrong, and those who supported Prop 8 are wrong. You do not have to like homosexuality or listen to Judy Garland. You do, however, have to support freedom and civil rights. If you don’t, you risk losing your own some day, for something as simple as being a lefty or liking brussel sprouts or the band Styx. We can no longer be quiet, because silence does equal death.

The importance of this film is obvious. The timing could not be more perfect, as people’s civil liberties and freedoms are once again being challenged, and in many states stripped away.

I am not a gay man… but I have many friends who are. And they are my friends because of the kind of people they are. They are generous and kind and make great parents and husbands and wives and companions… and I say this about all my friends. That is why they are my friends. I choose those people who make my life and hopefully the world a better place. I don’t judge people on the color of their skin or their orientation, but how they carry themselves and their character. That is not to say I am angel, far from it. I have biases and act in ways I do not always like, but I am a human being, seeking out a connection with other human beings. And this involves acceptance and tolerance and love. Hell, I have a million reasons why people might not want to hang with me, but thank goodness they go beyond a lot and see my true character.

There are people who do good and those who do bad… and this is true in every section of the world… in every race and creed and orientation. We cannot just make a blanket statement like all Arabs are terrorists, all whites are racist, all gays are deviants. It is simply not true and serves no purpose, other than to promote hate and separation. “Good” people make the world a better a place to live in, “bad” people seek to destroy it through greed or a quest for power. But even in this, there is no clear black and white delineation. We live in a world of mixed colors and complexities. But that is a discussion for another time and could keep us here for years.

My point is this, who you love and marry is a freedom and freedom cannot be selectively given… it is for one and all… and we live in the United States of America, where all men and women… all people are created equal, or at least they are supposed to be.

So show people that you are willing to speak up and step forward. Show people that you are not willing to have one group have their freedom’s stripped away. Once it starts, it will not stop. First it will be the gay community, then one by one, it will be any group who does not think or act in the way another group thinks they should. This is how genocides and wars start. So let’s show the world how a movement starts… a movement of peace and freedom and civility and love.

On Saturday, Dec. 20, communities across the country will be holding events centered around screenings of Milk and candlelight vigils. Sign up to be a leader or just find a group to support. This is a fight that we all need to take on. We can actually make the world a better place, just by showing up somewhere and seeing a film and gathering together as human beings. So be human and connect and love!

http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/content/MILKplusLOVEguide

Dear John

Dear John:

It is hard to believe that you left this world 28 years ago. It still does not seem real. I hear you on the radio and on my stereo and in my itunes. What would you have thought of that? What would you have thought of this whole crazy digital world?

The Beatles still resonate so strongly with so much of the universe. Yet, you and George are gone.  Gone. Never coming back. It is surreal to think about and hard and sad to grasp. I wish there was something I could do, a way to go back in time. I know your spirits would help heal a lot of the ills of this world. Your music and words and ideas are missed… and yet all of that is still alive. All one has to do is listen. Listen to the voice of John Lennon.

“Love is free. Free is love. Love is living. Living love.”

Your words, like that of the Dalai Lama are simple, yet so hard to embrace and live by. They are the purest expressions of a human being, yet so hard to attain. But listening to you, makes me want to be a better person. It moves me and soothes me. 

But as much as I enjoy the music, there are times when it stops me and I cannot help but think about you and how your life was cut so drastically short. There are times when I can just listen to the music for the music’s sake… and other times when I will simply cry, knowing what we lost. It’s hard to separate the art from the man or the circumstance, but perhaps we are not supposed to. That is what makes music art. Knowing the history behind a song, why it was written, how it was written and for who it was written can be a powerful thing, a lovely bit of insight… but the reaction of the gut and the heart and the soul… that is what  makes music so powerful, so universal.

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” (Beautiful Boy) 

Your music will endure forever, or until the world goes deaf. Hopefully that day will never come, but it is scary out there… even scarier then when you left us. In January, we will have a new spirit, a new sense of hope and I think the world may be better for it. I know the world was better for you and George and The Beatles. It was. You made the world a better place.

One of my great regrets was that I never got to see you play live. I watch the old Ed Sullivan tapes and am astonished at the passion and the utter, screaming joy that surrounded Beatlemania. No matter what fans of the Jonas Brothers say (I’ll explain when I see you), it is not the same. It will never be the same. There was only one group called The Beatles and there was and will only be one John Lennon. I miss you. Perhaps on this day more than most, when it is focused and we are more precisely reminded of our loss… but whenever I listen or hear or catch a note from a random storefront, I miss you.

So thank you, John. And please tell George and Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison and Warren Zevon and whoever else you see that I said hi. You guys must have a hell of a garage band up there!

November/December Playlist

Ahhh… there is nothing quite like Fall back East. Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday, I think because it cuts across all religions or most anyway, and is just a nice way to bring family and friends together and reflect on what we have to be grateful for. That is, if you are not a retail establishment, who now only holds Thanksgiving sacred for the day after, the notorious Black Friday.

Did you notice that the day after Halloween is now the day the Christmas decorations and signs and sales start? And you know what, I do like Christmas music… well, some of it… but don’t start playing it in early November. Come on! Let us build up a little bit. I still want Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving music in my brain before I jump into Vince Guaraldi’s version of O Tannenbaum.

Sorry, but that is just wrong. Let us enjoy Thanksgiving and then, as we are falling asleep on L-Tryptiphan and settling nicely into a food coma should we start thinking about the next holiday. Sheesh!

Anyway…

Here is my Thanksgiving gift yo you… a new music listening list. Some of it is new, some of it is old, but it’s what I am grabbing onto now. Enjoy!

Rachel Yamagata – Soothing and really pleasant.  Sounds like a lot of the recent crop of female singer-songwriters, but she puts herself above the heap with some great lyrics and smart tunes. I like Happenstance.

In the Heights (Original Cast Recording) - I never had much interest in this because I let some snob at an audition tell me how it was a cheap version of Rent.  Maybe it is, but the music is more like Capeman… and is a real fun listen.  Hopefully I can see it live before Lin-Manuel Miranda (creator and star) leaves the show.

Tom Baxter – Either Skybound or Feather and Stone will keep you happy for the whole listen. It’s not that he’s doing anything different, he’s kind of a mix between David Gray and Jack Johnson… he just does the pop-folk thing really well and has some great, great songs! “Girl From the Hills” and “Day in Verona” are two of my faves!

Dennis Wilson – Pacific Ocean Blue. You heard me right… Dennis. This is proof that genius may just run in the family… which is great luck for my brother!  This work takes a lot from Brian, but it also shows a whole side of Dennis many never got to hear.  Go for the Deluxe version!

Bob Marley and the Wailers – One Love From Studio One. History and musical pleasure rolled into one. It’s cool to hear how they started and how the world of R&B was such a huge influence… but at the same time, you can hear the true birth of the Reggae that would take the world by a Jamaican storm!

The Bears – The Bears. Great 80′s style pop from Adrian Belew and friends. Someone at a party told me about these guys and this was well worth the search!

Bears - Simple Machinery. This was the band I found when looking for the other bear band The Bears.  It is great folk-rock, obviously influenced a lot by REM and the Beatles… hey, who wasn’t… and boasts great melodies and is a really enjoyable listen!

My Favorite Holiday CDs:

Bruce Springsteen – “Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town” and Merry Christmas, Baby.

Okay, this is not an album and I will send a list of Xmas singles later, but how can you not love the jolly old Boss!!!

John Prine’s John Prine Christmas – One of the best singer-songwriters there is… and what a sense of humor… but just as touching and moving when he wants to be.

John Pizzarelli’s Let’s Share Christmas - His holiday CD is the perfect fireplace companion. Romantic and a pleasure to listen to.

A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector – Aside from the fact that he is the new OJ and a total whack job, it is hard to deny his musical genius… before becoming a freaky murderer