Why is there smoke coming out of my computer speakers? Because I’m playing the new CD by Alice Russell, “To Dust”. If you like Adele, KT Tunstall or Annie Lennox, you’ll love Alice’s smoky, soulful vocals.
I think your sing-a-long Summertime soundtrack just arrived. Enjoy!
I don’t know about you, but I’m worn out after the last couple of weeks. So emotional! Just when I was about to throw up my hands, this delightful video of Tilda Swinton showed up on my Twitter feed. It was so joyous that I had to watch it again and again. Most of all, I loved watching Roger Ebert’s widow, Chaz, looking beautiful as she danced along.
If you’re feeling drained, here’s 6 minutes to fill you back up. As Tilda said, “No observers!”
I’ve become a fan of Duff McKagan’s column in the Seattle Weekly. He always has an interesting take on things, but his essay “How to Be a Man” really knocked me out. Whether you’re a man or woman, you will find something which resonates, especially during the week of Valentine’s Day. If you’re skeptical about the former bassist of Guns ‘n’ Roses having some great insights, think again.
Enjoy!
I’ve never made time to see Rent. There’s always been something else that caught my eye, but it keeps hanging around on my “maybe” list. I have friends, though, who love the show. I mean really, really love it. I think this is why I took notice when I read on Playbill that it was closing its off-Broadway run last week.
If you’re not a Broadway fan, it’s worth taking the time to give you a little background. Rent originally opened at the New York Theatre Workshop in 1994. It opened on Broadway two years later and continued to run for 12 years. During its stay on Broadway, it won every major “Best Musical” award, including the Tony, New York Drama Critics Circle, Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle. It is also one of only eight musicals to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
The backstory of Rent is equally dramatic. Like dozens of hit shows before it, Rent underwent many, many changes during development. Plenty of creative tension, with songs added and cut. Hurt feelings by cast members from the workshop who were not included in the Broadway debut. And the death of its composer and playwright, Jonathan Larson, due to an aortic aneuryism the night before the Broadway debut.
A couple of months ago, I saw Idina Menzel perform a beautiful version of “Finale B” on PBS. The extraordinary Marvin Hamlisch was her conductor. In the months since that performance, I’ve taken the words of “Finale B”, renamed in her concert to “No Day But Today,” to heart. It’s played through my mind in so many circumstances. During the extraordinary Indian Summer days we’re enjoying in the Pacific Northwest. When Marvin Hamlisch suddenly passed away. And anytime I have moments of frustration. Instead of carrying emotions with me like a backpack, it seems ridiculous to invest in something which should come and go. I’m not wasting any more days on anger. Or disappointment. Maybe an hour or two, but I’m not throwing the whole day away.
In case you haven’t heard Finale B, the lyrics are below. This week, take them in.
There’s only us, there’s only this
Forget regret, or life is yours to miss
No other path, no other way
No day but today
There’s only us, only tonight
We must let go to know what’s right
No other road, No other way
No day but today
I can’t control my destiny
I trust my soul, my only goal
Is just to be
There’s only now, there’s only here
Give in to love or live in fear
No other path, No other way
No day but today
Am I the only person who’s a little confused by Rihanna? One minute she’s walking the red carpet and performing on an awards show. The next, she’s exposing herself and cozying up, professionally and personally, to the man who viciously beat her, Chris Brown. Huffington Post UK has gone so far as to ask, “Rihanna Has Forgiven Chris Brown: Are We Right to Remain Angry On Her Behalf?”
It may be easy to overlook her behavior. After all, Rihanna is still in her twenties. She has a reputation for partying hard. Perhaps drugs and alcohol impair her better judgment. I mean, what can you say about tweets like, “U know life is great when u wake up at 9 am DRUNK!!!!!”
But the underlying emotions are much more complicated. In a recent interview with Oprah Winfrey she said about Chris, “I truly love him, so the main thing for me is that he is at peace.” I was struck by the kindness of her words. But then she went on, “I’m not at peace if he’s a little unhappy.” That was the point where my jaw dropped open.
Medical intuitive Caroline Myss teaches that every decision you make either integrates you or fragments you. Essentially you either becoming more aligned with your Higher Self, or become more disconnected. I couldn’t help thinking about Caroline’s statement as I read Rihanna’s quote. On the one hand, it seems like she’s trying to move forward with her life. New people. New situations. On the other hand, she’s left an important piece of herself permanently linked to Chris. Forgiving someone, and even wanting their happiness, doesn’t mean you need to remain in a dysfunctional relationship.
Maybe you haven’t been in a situation as extreme as Rihanna’s. However, look around and see if there’s something in your own life where you’ve inadvertently left something important behind. There’s a healthy way to acknowledge the lasting influence of someone or something without shattering your own life. Do you have something which needs to be reclaimed? This is the week! Maybe you can take some inspiration from writer Yasmin Mogahed: “I was giving my heart away to everything, until there was nothing left. As I grew spiritually, I also began to realize that I was not alone. There were many people who lived their lives entrapped by the same repeated patterns of heartbreak and disappointment that I did. What I learned from my own experience is that every heart can heal, and each moment is created to bring us closer to that transformative return.”
Rosanne Cash filmed a wonderful video for “Land of Dreams” for the Discover America campaign. It may inspire you to plan a Summer trip of your own, even if it’s just going to the next town to visit the Farmer’s Market. Before you get going, be sure to read “7 Lessons From a Year on the Road“. Practical tips and excellent writing by Brian at the Everywhere Once blog!
This video is a beautiful demonstration of a quote by Maya Angelou: “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”
Enjoy!
I’m so happy to share the trailer for the movie I saw at SIFF on Sunday. “The Intouchables” is THE feel good picture of the year. It tells the true story of a quadrapalegic man and his irreverent assistant. It is funny, poignant and completely disarming. My screening was filled with people of all ages, and the young guy next to me was wiping away tears as the closing credits rolled. Once you see it, it will come as no surprise that it is one of the top grossing French pictures. I can’t encourage you enough to put this on your list this year.
Fantastique!
The Huffington Post had a delightful article this week describing how the Copenhagen Philharmonic played the theme from “Peer Gynt” on a city train. Of course the music is beautiful, but I was totally fascinated by the responses of the people around them. Amazed. Charmed. Smiling. Now that’s my kind of flash mob!
Enjoy.
Like a lot of people, I’ve been following Lana Del Rey. Not closely, but she keeps popping up in my lunchtime Entertainment and Gossip columns.
If you don’t know her story, she released an album in January and promoted it with a performance of “Video Games” on “Saturday Night Live.” There’s some controversy about the release, since in 2010 she released another album. Under another name. So it’s hard to say whether “Born to Die” is her first release or her second.
Initially the Lizzy Grant album was released to iTunes, but then her father bought back the rights. I’ve known a lot of musicians, and even in the rare case where someone hasn’t made a good record, they rarely want it completely out of circulation. It was an interesting choice on her part, and brought some speculation that releasing the album and then pulling it back was simply part of a PR strategy. Starting a buzz, then essentially erasing version 1.0 of her persona.
In a way, I feel for Lana. She’s trying to express herself, and do so with a certain amount of style, but she can’t seem to catch a break. There are plenty of people who feel she’s fresh and unique. On the other hand, she has plenty of detractors. NBC news anchor, Brian Williams, called her performance “one of the worst outings in SNL history.” Actress Juliette Lewis initially tweeted that she was “like watching a 12-year old in their bedroom when they’re pretending to sing and perform.” Lewis quickly walked it back the next morning by deleting her prior tweet and saying, “I woke up singing a @LanaDelRey song! Such great haunting melodies! Regardless of my own taste LIVE she’s a #FreshandYummy songwriter Period.” Hmmm…quite a reversal, Juliette! Last week Lana even had to address whether her lips were real.
Lana’s a beautiful girl, but my jury is still out. I have a sinking feeling that she’s a perfect reflection of some of the worst of our current culture. Chic, initially alluring, and perhaps a little manipulative. Maybe this is why people react to her with so much emotion.
In the future, perhaps Lana will worry a little less about her wardrobe and brand. After all, this is an extraordinary time for inspiring, authentic women in music. Adele. The fantastic, and now Grammy-award winning, Susan Tedeschi from the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Sara Bareilles. Rosanne Cash. And even the lovely, yet ill-fated, Whitney Houston. In the words of essayist, John Burroughs, “The lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive. The great opportunity is where you are.”
Like a lot of people I rediscovered Nat King Cole when his daughter Natalie released “Unforgettable with Love.” Since then, he’s been a steady part of my music collection. He’s the kind of musician that makes everything look so easy.
This holiday season, don’t forget to add one or two of his Christmas albums to your player. Perfect music for relaxing with friends or decorating the tree. You may find yourself happily drifting off to sleep listening to the poignant, “A Cradle in Bethlehem.”
