July 11, 1986 - Montreux

Grand Rapids lipdubs its way to fame

My film buff friend, Bob, calls this video, "the most amazing single shot I've ever seen." You may think you've seen this done before, but, as verse after verse of "American Pie" goes by and singer after singer picks up the tune, you begin to say to yourself, "Wow", and, then, you're just left Speachless in Grand Rapids.

The video's Director & Executive Producer, Rob Bliss says, "the Grand Rapids LipDub Video was filmed May 22 [, 2011 for $40,000] with 5,000 people, and involved a major shutdown of downtown Grand Rapids, which was filled with marching bands, parades, weddings, motorcades, bridges on fire, and helicopter take offs. It is the largest and longest LipDub video, to date.

"This video was created as an official response to the Newsweek article calling Grand Rapids a "dying city." We disagreed strongly, and wanted to create a video that encompasses the passion and energy we all feel is growing exponentially, in this great city. We felt Don McLean's "American Pie," a song about death, was in the end, triumphant and filled to the brim with life and hope."

Classical as you don't remember it

Heard the George Hurd Ensemble at the Red Poppy. It's a tiny performance space in San Francisco's Mission district, but the ensemble's music was BIG.  The house was packed and loudly

appreciative as long as the electronic track played along with the "band".

It's the rhythm of the electronics that takes Hurd's music out of the straight classical and makes it special. Sadly, this clip doesn't give you the full sense of the electronica. Maybe fans will grab more of this stuff to share as the ensemble becomes more widely known.

He gives life!

It may be hard to imagine seeing a horror show with a bunch of people who are howling in laughter, but that's "Re-Animator:The Musical". I saw the show in March, but it refuses to die. Herbert West gives life! ...not merely the semblance of life, as he proves here in a scene that usuals gets an audible gasp from the audience.



And this is just ONE scene. Music Director Peter Adams is no longer playing every night, but even that can't kill this show. There's talk of opening another venue in Chicago, but for now it's all yours LA!

Electronic Music Marathon April 30

At the BEAMS Electronic Music Marathom, Brandeis University, Saturday, April 30, sometime between approximately 7 and 8pm Mari Kimura performs three songs. Her repertoire combines the violin with signal processing, interactive computer, pre-recorded sound, and GuitarBot- a robotic guitar simulator.

Sadly it doesn't appear that the GuitarBot will be coming with her.

Artists for Peace & Justice

April 12 is the official launch of "Acting Together on the World Stage," a documentary film about theater artists around the world whose artistry nurtures peace and social justice. Created by Cynthia Cohen, director of peacebuilding and the arts at Brandeis, and local filmmaker Allison Lund in partnership wtih Theater Without Borders. A reception follows the 4 pm screening. At the Shapiro Campus Center Theater, Brandeis University.Again on Thursday, April 28, 12 - 3 p.m., Shapiro Campus Center Multipurpose Room during Festival of the Arts.

Existence is playful - Alan Watts

Trey Parker and Matt Stone go all Buddhist on you.  Takes me back to a lot of years of listening to Alan Watts on Sunday morning radio.

Music and Life


Prickles and Goo 

Re-Animator: The Musical finally opens!

Re-Animator: The Musical finally opens this Friday (March 4) at LA’s Steve Allen Theater! For months rumors have predicted this hilarious staging by Stuart Gordon of his 1985 comic/horror film “Re-Animator”. It’s for real fans: I saw it in preview last week, sitting center stage just one row beyond the “Splash Zone” where blood-shy patrons ducked as they howled in laughter.

George Wendt (Dean Halsey) is the name star, but for me the story really comes to life in the hands of Jessie Merlin (mad –and headless- Dr. Hill) and Graham Skipper (uber-kook Herbert West). Then, of course, there’s the music —

Mark Nutter (composer and lyricist) has done himself proud. You’ll go home chanting “He’s dead, Dan!” and laugh  yourself silly all through Dr. Hill’s amorous vocal pursual of  the shackled Megan Halsey (Rachel Avery). Nutter’s songs really come to life in their full-orchestral* arrangements by Music Director: Peter Adams and the singers are mostly up to their challenge. 

Fans of the film will find most of the original dialogue right there in the songs. Some critics compare the disturbance Nutter's songs engender to Tom Lehrer's acerbic wit.  I heard a more profound connection to Gilbert and Sullivan farce.

*As keyboardist, Peter Adams produces all of the sound from five octaves of keys running one computer. Looks like a really simple rig to those who know no better. Musicheads watch him with one sharp eye while wiping away the laugh tears from the other.

 Jessie Merlin

Graham Skipper 

Rachel Avery 












The trailer from the film sets out its romantic plot:

Paul Dresher -You see my problem?

If you have heard this, what more could you expect from me?