Good Vibrations

 Esalen's gardens, ablaze in poppies.

 Mr. Goat.

View outside yurt window.


Yes, I'm back at Esalen, original home of good vibrations, but that's not what this title refers to. On my drive up here I listened to Brian Wilson's CD Smile. To say I love this CD is an understatement. I LOVE this CD. Sure I like the Beach Boys, but I never really thought twice about Brian Wilson. I am here to declare that the man is pure genius. Smile is part Broadway musical, part Mozart composition.  It's hymns meets pop meets rock meets... meets... oh just listen for yourself... I am now hooked. I am now an ardent fan.

Musicology

I can't believe my concert luck. I got to see two (actually, four) legends in a week.

The Paul Simon show at the intimate Music Box in Hollywood was such a thrill. I followed him around like a puppy in the late 80's/early 90's while he was touring with Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints, playing huge arenas. To see him up close and personal twenty years later was an honor. Sure, he's gone grey but now at 70, I think he's at the top of his game. His new work from So Beautiful or So What is outstanding, and he mixed it up with old classics, including many from the two albums I mentioned above.

A last minute Saturday night text changed the course of my evening. I was in the car h

eaded to meet up with friends for a poetry reading when I got invited to the Prince concert. I've written about Prince before. I am an ardent fan. So what was I supposed to say? No? I called the friend who's house I was driving to, explained the last minute change in plans, and headed to the Forum.

I don't think I'd been to the Forum since early college, when my friend lost her car at the Run DMC concert (and we had to call her father to pick us up). Before that, in high school, I saw many a concert there, including The Police (The Clash opened for them), Oingo Boingo, Tears for Fears, The Kinks, etc.

What a blast from the past.

I almost passed out when Prince announced the opening act - "My sister, your sister, everybody's sister, Ms. Chaka Kahn!" (legend #3) She was on fire, belting out my personal favorite karaoke song "I Feel For You", among others.

And then Prince.

I can't do the show justice, so I'm posting the setlist. Let me just say that the show ran 4 hours. And when it ended after the third encore, the lights up, people thinning out of the Forum, it wasn't over. About 15 minutes later, he was back on stage for a fourth encore. Wait, did I mention the third row seats?

I'll end by saying that whenever I see concerts, especially those of people I idolize, I feel so lucky to be alive and able to connect with musicians of my time.

1. D.M.S.R.
2. Pop Life
3. Musicology
   (with Prince & The Band interpolation)
4. Extraordinary
5. Mountains
   (with Sheila E.)
6. Everyday People
   (with Sheila E. and Larry Graham)
7. Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)
   (with Sheila E. and Larry Graham)
8. Sweet Thing
   (with Chaka Khan)
9. The Glamorous Life
   (Sheila E. lead vocals, with Soul Sacrifice coda)
10. Raspberry Beret
11. Cream
12. Cool / Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
13. Make You Feel My Love
14. Misty Blue
    (Shelby J. lead vocals)
15. Let's Go Crazy
16. Delirious
    (with Let's Go Crazy Reprise)
17. 1999
18. Little Red Corvette
19. Purple Rain
20. Encore:
20. When Doves Cry / Nasty Girl / Sign 'O The Times / The Most Beautiful Girl In The World / Darling Nikki / Single Ladies / Hot Thing / I Would Die 4 U
    (Sampler medley)
21. If I Was Your Girlfriend
22. Insatiable
23. Scandalous
24. Adore
25. Encore 2:
25. Kiss
26. Encore 3:
26. Sometimes It Snows In April
27. Dreamer
    (with Welcome 2 America interpolation)
28. Controversy
    (with Housequake interpolation)
29. Encore 4:
29. A Love Bizarre
    (with Sheila E.)
30. Play That Funky Music
    (with I Like Funky Music interpolation)
31. Hollywood Swinging
    (changed to Inglewood Swinging)
    
    
    
    
    
    

New Blog, New Book, Old Music

Remember when I used to post entries about books written by members of the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit? Well, the format and the name has changed and now you can bookmark this website, comprised of authors, and check in to see who's blogging and what they have to say. There will be contests, advice, recommendations, etc. My entry will be up September 16th.

Even though it is only mid-August, I am starting to feel the inevitable 'end-of-summer blues' as school gears up for the August 30th start date. I will mostly miss my reading freedom. I just finished a real page turner called "The Year of Fog" by Michelle Richmond which chronicles a kidnapping from the step-mother-to-be's point of view. I have been mired in the world of crime and kidnapping due to my new new book's subject, which could explain the acid reflux I've been experiencing. Oy.

Musically I've been obsessed with two CD's - one oldey but a goody and the other semi-oldey. I love cranking Srgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in my car. I am having such a resurgence of love for The Beatles and their songwriting and musical skills. The other album I'm digging is The Shins' Wincing the Night Away. With MP3's I find that I rarely listen to music in the car anymore so it's fun to stick in a CD, raise the volume, open the moonroof and jam.

Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal

I was so saddened to hear that hip hop legend Guru was in a coma after suffering a heart attack at the tender age of 43. I'm not sure of his prognosis, but apparently he has survived an operation and is in a hospital in NYC.

Guru is from the hip hop band Gang Starr and also produced a series of hip hop/jazz fusion albums called Jazzmatazz. Needless to say, with hip hop and jazz being my favorite genres of music, I was obsessed with these albums and while living in San Francisco had the pleasure of seeing a few of his live shows. I believe I was the first on the dance floor shaking my thang, or at least pretending I knew how.

A few years later, in Los Angeles, I was going to see a movie with some friends when I noticed a line outside the Virgin record store on Sunset. I peeked my head in and saw that it was Guru, signing his new installment of the Jazzmatazz series. I grabbed my friends and jumped in line. As it progressed, I wondered what I was going to say to him, and then when I was finally in front of him I found myself tongue tied. I'm sure I stammered something like, "Oh my God, I love your work. I saw you in SF. You are the best. You are my favorite Your music is brilliant." He didn't really look at me, he was busy signing my CD and a picture of himself, but he was smiling. He returned my loot, shook my hand and sent me on my way.

A few seconds later I thought I heard Guru call out my name. It couldn't be me. There must have been another Melissa that he knew. I heard him call it out a second time. I turned around just to see and indeed he was pointing to me. He waved me over when we made eye contact. "What should I do?" I said under my breath to my friend who was standing next to me. "Go!" she said.

I walked back over.

"Melissa," he said. "I just want to say 'thank you' for all the nice things you just said to me."

"Aw," I said. "I meant every word. Your music means a lot to me."

"And you mean a lot to me," he said. "It's beautiful that my music touches you."

And he stood up to hug me.

I was stunned. And moved. And a bit giddy.

"Peace, Melissa," he said with a wink.

When I rejoined my friends they were cracking up.

Can you imagine that happening with someone like Kanye West? 50 Cent?

I am saying a little prayer that Guru recovers. Meanwhile, I've got all of his CD's in my player right now and my cat is watching curiously as I practice my moves in my living room.

This List is Life...

You know those Facebook quizzes? I usually ignore them ("What crayon color are you?") but one circulated recently that I just had to partake in. It wasn't a quiz, it was "Name 50 concerts you've been to". Seeing as I've gone to a handful this summer, I thought I'd conjure up a list. The 50 I came up with doesn't even cover half of it. Later, I remembered The Clash, REM, Black Eyed Peas, 10,000 Maniacs, World Party, Sarah McLaughlin, The Waterboys, Depeshe Mode, Beastie Boys, and on and on and on.

I've always been into music, especially live music, and try to go to as many shows as possible and that my bank account will allow. As my old college roommate Jodi wrote after the Facebook list, "This list...is life, and yours is very rich." To which I emphatically agree. 

1. Grace Jones
2. Big Audio Dynamite
3. The Police
4. Paul Simon
5. Lyle Lovett
6. The Cure
7. X
8. Barry Manilow
9. Rod Stewart
10. Prince
11. Simon and Garfunkel
12. Ozomatli
13. Macy Gray
14. Ella Fitzgerald
15. Frank Sinatra
17. Sarah Vaughn
18. Tracy Chapman
19. Jane Siberry
20. Diana Krall
21. David Byrne
22. The Flaming Lips
23. Beck
24. Paul Weller
25. Alanis Morisette
26. Bonnie Raitt
27. Jackson Brown
28. Sidestepper
29. Lucinda Williams
30. Jonathan Richmond
31. Dave Frishberg
32. Indigo Girls
33. The Kinks
34. Madness
35. Peter Gabriel
36. The Four Tops
37. Joni Mitchell
38. Joe Jackson
39. Ben Harper
40. Ani DiFranco
41. Heart
43. The Who
44. Los Lobos
45. Arrested Development
46. Michelle Shocked
47. Hugh Masakela
48. Black Eyed Peas
49. Brazillian Girls
50. Leonard Cohen