Check out: Alessandra Stanley's review of the new 90210 in today's New York Times is brilliant. I should quote and link to it. But am feeling rushed and may add it in later.
NEW YORK SUN MAY FOLD!. Various reports claim that Seth Lipsky may have to fold The New York Sun within the next month or two. As the founder of the English language Forward (I wrote regularly for The Forward under his administration)and the New York Sun, Lipsky had the great talent to make persons of great wealth feel privileged to financially support his endeavors. Hopefully he will find new supporters.
There we were standing for two hours in a room that more like a high school auditorium than a concert hall -- no chairs on the floor, general admission, only seats in the bleachers in the back -- the floor raked downwards toward the stage, so the better sight line was about a third way back.
I will say that the show was better than the one he put on last summer at the Orange County Fair -- it was musically more together and he was just more into a groove.
He opened with "Rainy Day Women< It Ain't me Babe, and Stuck inside of Mobile (with the Memphis Blues again) -- making me wonder if those were the songs he played the last time her performed at the Civic 30 years ago, but there was no comment about that. He closed the show with Like A Rolling Stone and All Along the Watchtower .
Dylan spent the evening standing at a small electric piano, swaying to the music, dipping an make movements like he was about to do a Chuck Berry duckwalk -- and he directed his band. He played harp or harmonica on several numbers and occasionally after a number he would make a small arc from his piano to in front of the drum kit and back again. No guitar, electric or acoustic. There were no backup singers.
Dylan didn't talk to the audience, no comments other than to introduce the band at the encore. No recognition of the place he was playing, or about the last time he was there, or that he was home, or had friends and family nearby (if he did). Nope.
He was kind of in a jam band kind of mood. Many of the songs allowed for extended musical detours some of which were hot and heavy, like ZZ Top had come aboard. There were as a stripped down version of Ballad of a Thin Man which was one of the evening's highlights, where Dylan alternated voices (one gruffer than the other) on lyrics. He did a two hour set and looked fit and sharp throughout.
Looking around the room I felt younger and slimmer than I was, by comparison -- but there were a lot of teenagers there. One fifteen year old, who was seeing Dylan in concert for the first time told me she thought the show was great and was happy to hear so many songs she knew.
As I've written elsewhere, there are not a lot of people out there doing what Dylan does, putting on musically, lyrically, the kind of show he does -- not an oldies show, but a living thing (with material that reaches deep into his catalogue). He's 65 and he's been performing for 45 years. And last night he played before some 1500 people and tonight he';ll play in Santa Barbara. Like A Rolling Stone, indeed.
Stepping outside my home this morning to gather the morning newspapers, I noticed something that perhaps I had not been paying attention to: The Wall Street Journal, which used to be delivered in a clear wrapper now comes in a red wrapper.
It then struck me that the New York Post is delivered in a red wrapper. So perhaps now that the WSJ is owned by Murdoch, delivery is done by the same company.
Then I looked over at the New York Times and I was struck by the fact that the paper comes in a blue wrapper.
So dig this, as Lenny Bruce was wont to say: Based on their wrappers, we are being given the not subtle marketing message that The New York Times is a blue (state) paper, i.e. Democratic/liberal; and the New York Post and Wall Street Journal are red (state) papers, i.e., Republican/conservative.
Can it be that simple? To paraphrase Miss Peggy Lee: Is that all there is to it? Could things be so obvious, on the nose, intentional? Is it just a coincidence? I don't think so. Turns out what you see is what you get.
It then struck me that the New York Post is delivered in a red wrapper. So perhaps now that the WSJ is owned by Murdoch, delivery is done by the same company.
Then I looked over at the New York Times and I was struck by the fact that the paper comes in a blue wrapper.
So dig this, as Lenny Bruce was wont to say: Based on their wrappers, we are being given the not subtle marketing message that The New York Times is a blue (state) paper, i.e. Democratic/liberal; and the New York Post and Wall Street Journal are red (state) papers, i.e., Republican/conservative.
Can it be that simple? To paraphrase Miss Peggy Lee: Is that all there is to it? Could things be so obvious, on the nose, intentional? Is it just a coincidence? I don't think so. Turns out what you see is what you get.
I'm referring of course to the season premieres' of GOSSIP GIRL and the new 90210
Seeing Jay McInerney acting in the season premiere of Gossip Girl was weird and strangely well cast -- and he was totally credible in his acting -- but it was weird. The Tinsley Mortimer cameo seemed also like a weird product placement (yes, celebutantes are now brands). But the guilty pleasure that is Gossip girl did not disappoint.
As for 90210, it is too early to know whether it's going to work, but the new cast is kind of compelling.
Now that school's back in session, I need to study more.
Seeing Jay McInerney acting in the season premiere of Gossip Girl was weird and strangely well cast -- and he was totally credible in his acting -- but it was weird. The Tinsley Mortimer cameo seemed also like a weird product placement (yes, celebutantes are now brands). But the guilty pleasure that is Gossip girl did not disappoint.
As for 90210, it is too early to know whether it's going to work, but the new cast is kind of compelling.
Now that school's back in session, I need to study more.
With hurricanes approaching New Orleans, it seemed appropriate to mention Burke's excellent novel of Katrina and its aftermath,The Tin Roof Blowdown (Dave Robicheaux Mysteries) which he somehow managed to temper within the confines of a Dave Robicheaux mystery.
There is some powerful writing and plenty of truth told and dispensed. An enjoyable mystery, a powerful book.
There is some powerful writing and plenty of truth told and dispensed. An enjoyable mystery, a powerful book.
First days back can be tough: so much to report but so much to deal with!
I feel like there's much to report on, much to comment on, but don't know if I will get to it all. Just might have to do more tonight: But here's some random thoughts:
Spent a day at Legoland -- this is worth its own entry but not sure where to start. More later.
Hamptons report: Need to bring you, cher lecteur up-to-date on matters Hamptom with special focus this year on Montauk.
DYLANOLOGY. A few notes of interest here. Dylan is playing the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on Sept 3 for the first time in 30 years. I once heard Jackson Browne talking about being 16 and taking a bus up from Orange County to hear Dylan at the Civic. Could it have been the same concert?
Also there was an item in the press that a book of Hollywood photos with poems from Dylan will be pubished this Fall. A long ago project that lay dormant in the photogrpaher's files all these years. Here's some thoughts on that. Suze Rotolo's book describes how Dylan in the first blush of his writing career was very attached to his phonetic original spellings for prose poems -- and these seem to be the style he follows in these. Further there is a great moment in the Martin Scorcese assembled documentary 'No direction Home' when Dylan explains that when he wrote "Like a Rolling Stone" that was his novel, his epic poem, he felt he had found his form, he no longer needed to look to the dream of writing a novel to be a "real writer."
Conversely this book of poems is part of the period before when Dylan hoped to establish himself as an authinetic voice as a writer -- as a poet and was competing with fellows like Richard Farina and others for that mantle not having fully accepted that songwriting was its own reward.
Scientists report that Mama and Dada are popular first words for infants because they are made up of reporitve elements which causes brain stimulation and language development. You needed a research team to figure that out?
100 College Presidents have signed a petition calling on states to lower the drinking age to 18. I grew up in a state and a time where drinking was allowed at 18 -- and I'm all in favor. The constant refrain is that drink teenagers cause accidents, but it seems that raising the drnking age only creates more irresponsible drinkers, and encourages bing edrinking, and causes more accidents.
I feel like there's much to report on, much to comment on, but don't know if I will get to it all. Just might have to do more tonight: But here's some random thoughts:
Spent a day at Legoland -- this is worth its own entry but not sure where to start. More later.
Hamptons report: Need to bring you, cher lecteur up-to-date on matters Hamptom with special focus this year on Montauk.
DYLANOLOGY. A few notes of interest here. Dylan is playing the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on Sept 3 for the first time in 30 years. I once heard Jackson Browne talking about being 16 and taking a bus up from Orange County to hear Dylan at the Civic. Could it have been the same concert?
Also there was an item in the press that a book of Hollywood photos with poems from Dylan will be pubished this Fall. A long ago project that lay dormant in the photogrpaher's files all these years. Here's some thoughts on that. Suze Rotolo's book describes how Dylan in the first blush of his writing career was very attached to his phonetic original spellings for prose poems -- and these seem to be the style he follows in these. Further there is a great moment in the Martin Scorcese assembled documentary 'No direction Home' when Dylan explains that when he wrote "Like a Rolling Stone" that was his novel, his epic poem, he felt he had found his form, he no longer needed to look to the dream of writing a novel to be a "real writer."
Conversely this book of poems is part of the period before when Dylan hoped to establish himself as an authinetic voice as a writer -- as a poet and was competing with fellows like Richard Farina and others for that mantle not having fully accepted that songwriting was its own reward.
Scientists report that Mama and Dada are popular first words for infants because they are made up of reporitve elements which causes brain stimulation and language development. You needed a research team to figure that out?
100 College Presidents have signed a petition calling on states to lower the drinking age to 18. I grew up in a state and a time where drinking was allowed at 18 -- and I'm all in favor. The constant refrain is that drink teenagers cause accidents, but it seems that raising the drnking age only creates more irresponsible drinkers, and encourages bing edrinking, and causes more accidents.
I don't expect to be posting between now and August 27th -- but you never know.
In the meantime, I'll be soaking up experiences, reading, and recharging the batteries to return with plenty to share.
Before I take off I want to share the following with you.
AN IMPORTANT PODCAST OF A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE LA TIMES held AT ALOUD at the Central Public Library
In the meantime, I'll be soaking up experiences, reading, and recharging the batteries to return with plenty to share.
Before I take off I want to share the following with you.
AN IMPORTANT PODCAST OF A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE LA TIMES held AT ALOUD at the Central Public Library
Los Angeles
Without the Los Angeles Times?
This week Variety released their "Facts on Pacts" which deals which producers have deals at which studios. For a while, I've been saying that the studio system under which many persons such as myself prospered or at least survived was disappearing. Turns out the facts support it.
In 1998, at which time I was coming off a job as a development executive at a production company based at Universal, there were more than 300 producer deals at the studios. Today there are 180 and many believe that number will be even less by year's end. Also, many of those deals are smaller than prior deals.
Consider that all those producer deals meant the hiring of one to three development executives (sometimes more), assistants, and meant breakfasts, lunches and drinks for agents, writers, executives, and scripts optioned and many many ideas hatched, pitched, revised, considered. I won't say that the movies that resulted were any better, but we can also say that the studios were no less profitable then than they are now and the collateral damage to producers, writers and the economy at large is considerable.
In 1998, at which time I was coming off a job as a development executive at a production company based at Universal, there were more than 300 producer deals at the studios. Today there are 180 and many believe that number will be even less by year's end. Also, many of those deals are smaller than prior deals.
Consider that all those producer deals meant the hiring of one to three development executives (sometimes more), assistants, and meant breakfasts, lunches and drinks for agents, writers, executives, and scripts optioned and many many ideas hatched, pitched, revised, considered. I won't say that the movies that resulted were any better, but we can also say that the studios were no less profitable then than they are now and the collateral damage to producers, writers and the economy at large is considerable.
There's a good interview with Irma Thomas, New Orleans' Queen of Soul, in the July/August issue of THE BELIEVER, which is also their music issue. Thomas talks about her early brush with fame but not success, about having to take a job at Montgomery Ward, about Katrina before during and after, about her closing her club The Lion's Den, about late in life success and about her new album which is imminent and which I look forward to listening to soon.
Bark Obama? John McCanine? You've got to love it. Our own buddy Teri Hertz along with Lori Lambert of Psychedelic Fur have started www.Petsvote.com where you can buy these incredibly cute doggie wear items. Bet you'll be seeing more of these around.....
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