"Jessamyn & Charles" were highlighted as the winner of the new talent search in the winter edition of Black Oak Media. I was even quoted in the opening editorial! Check it out here:
http://www.blackoakmedia.org/
A new music video is almost finished for "Where Do You Go." Filmed by Nic Collins and Ben Fouts. It's due out soon, you can view the trailer here:
http://vimeo.com/17796918
Finally, Jessamyn and I are happy to announce that we are going to be making a new record in a few weeks! We are excited and hopefully can make something beautiful to share with our friends and with the world. Thanks for the support and encouragement of our friends.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Sabbatical -- R.I.P.
What a blessed three months. God is so good. Lots of time with loved ones. Good books. Great classes. Time to pray and relax. Bike rides. Walks around the lake. Chicago -- awesome city! Renewed love for the Word. Concerts -- Mumford & Sons in Boston with Matt and friends, Sufjan, Giving Tree Band. Lissie postponed for health reasons -- can't make the rescheduled January date :(
Filmed a music video in south Loop Sunday. Thanks Nic and Ben! Can't wait till finished product. It'n no "I like turtles." But what is?
Ready to go back. Thankful...
for music
sweet music
all these signs
all these signs
all these signs
that show me
all is mine
Filmed a music video in south Loop Sunday. Thanks Nic and Ben! Can't wait till finished product. It'n no "I like turtles." But what is?
Ready to go back. Thankful...
for music
sweet music
all these signs
all these signs
all these signs
that show me
all is mine
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
What the indie ???
The word “indie” seems common and popular today . It’s used in contexts such as, Sufjan Stevens and his drooling indie kid fans, or Zooey Deschanel the indie poster-girl.
But what does “indie” really mean?
The word seems to have strayed from its original meaning and context, having drifted closer to the wrecking machine of mass cool-culture. Which, ironically, it was originally a defense against. This is unfortunate. It’s a word with such lovely connotations. I’m afraid it may soon be lost forever. Pity, I hate to see this happen.
The root word is “independent.”
I think the first time I heard it was sometime in the 90's in reference to the music of Ani DiFranco.
With her, it’s appropriate and understandable. She’s independent. For a number of reasons, she is a marginal figure – knowingly and intentionally. She’s been an outspoken critic of slick and soul-less corporate American culture, including the music industry. She has been a trailblazer of what might be called punk humanism. She has a unique style which she has always remained faithful to. She has been true to herself even amid criticism and at considerable personal expense (“The Million You Never Made” is an anthem for this theme).
After years of selling homemade records out of her car after two-bit shows, she gained a large enough following to start her own label. She wants to help other songwriters do as she has done. She wants good artists to find their audience and connect with them, while still owning the rights to their own music, hence remaining “independent.” She doesn’t want them to become corporate-owned products, she wants them to remain artists.
From this Ani DiFranco perspective, “indie” makes sense. If this type of “indie” manages to be “cool,” it’s incidental and unintentional. It’s “cool” because it’s a fresh voice coming from some free place which is appealing and rare. People lack that, they gravitate to that, they are attracted to it, they want to be part of it too. That’s why they see it as “cool.”
“Indie,” then, has a reference to writing, art, or creativity, especially those with something to say and an original and compelling way of saying it. By the way, this is not meant to be elitist. The elitist cult of the “artist” is itself a symptom of the problem that true “indie” resists. It’s just that some people are gifted to speak in a way that moves others, and they become good and helpful reference points for others.
“Indie” includes elements of being poor, creative, faithful to one’s heart and vision, critical of common-herd group-think, unsatisfied with culturally-imposed superficial status-quo categories of existence. It includes wanting more, being unsatisfied, seeing what the culture has to offer and finding it wanting. It includes wanting to represent a voice which has gone unheard; speaking for people and things which are forgotten or neglected, to everyone’s impoverishment.
This requires a special type of person, one who is deep and self-aware enough to know and articulate their own heart beyond the imposed feelings/thoughts/tastes/categories of the heavy-handed common mentality.
Did I mention “poor?”
The “indie” will always be poor... existentially, if not always monetarily. The “indie” will always be a marginal figure who stands willingly contrary to the common mentality, to a large degree left out of its ill-gotten riches. The indie will rarely, and only accidentally, be popularly fashionable, because today, let’s face it, the Man manipulates cool like he manipulates people. He controls the popular imagination and its opinions and categories, and the indie wants no part of them. The indie sees and is moved and lives for a world that the Man and his minions do not see. The indie serves a different master altogether, and has an agenda that’s like a parallel universe.
The indie sticks it to the Man, but not by direct attack. The Man does not merit that much attention. No, the indie sticks it to the Man by becoming absorbed in projects of beauty and wonder, which the Man is blind to and uninterested in, and is more than a little threatened by, since they may thwart his control over minds and hearts (and wallets). And in this way, the indie wins hearts and so, is the ultimate subversive. Love and beauty and truth always effect more powerful and lasting change than violence and coercion, something the Man may reluctantly note (in his more lucid moments) but will never understand.
The rebellion of the indie is ultimately not so much an opting out as an opting in. The indie opts for a world of different interests and engagements – ones of freedom and beauty. Sticking it to the Man is not, at heart, some stupid adolescent excuse for acting like an irresponsible jerk. That’s poser, not indie. “The Man” can be a scapegoat excuse for mindless rebellion. But for the indie, “The Man” represents the impersonal forces which enslave, hinder, thwart, or otherwise abuse the human soul. Despotic authority, not the authentic authority of truth, beauty, goodness, love. The true “indie” serves these humbly and obediently. Rather, the authority of the Man is the impersonal social and cultural forces which serves their own interests, not those of others.
So what does any of this have to do with the increasingly stereotypical – and increasingly risible – cool/ironic hipster schtick? The word “indie” is now more and more used in these contexts. It will soon be one more sad irony of postmodern culture when “indie” is associated primarily with the popular fashion styles of bored, mostly white, often moneyed, and increasingly mainstream twenty- and thirty-somethings. And then, is killed and renounced, only to pass into the ever-growing vocabularistic warehouse of irony.
The spirit of “indie” will endure. It has been the creative impulse behind the great heralds of benevolent newness. It has helped make a voice for many of the voiceless, and will continue to do so. It’s just that soon, we may need a new word to describe it.
But what does “indie” really mean?
The word seems to have strayed from its original meaning and context, having drifted closer to the wrecking machine of mass cool-culture. Which, ironically, it was originally a defense against. This is unfortunate. It’s a word with such lovely connotations. I’m afraid it may soon be lost forever. Pity, I hate to see this happen.
The root word is “independent.”
I think the first time I heard it was sometime in the 90's in reference to the music of Ani DiFranco.
With her, it’s appropriate and understandable. She’s independent. For a number of reasons, she is a marginal figure – knowingly and intentionally. She’s been an outspoken critic of slick and soul-less corporate American culture, including the music industry. She has been a trailblazer of what might be called punk humanism. She has a unique style which she has always remained faithful to. She has been true to herself even amid criticism and at considerable personal expense (“The Million You Never Made” is an anthem for this theme).
After years of selling homemade records out of her car after two-bit shows, she gained a large enough following to start her own label. She wants to help other songwriters do as she has done. She wants good artists to find their audience and connect with them, while still owning the rights to their own music, hence remaining “independent.” She doesn’t want them to become corporate-owned products, she wants them to remain artists.
From this Ani DiFranco perspective, “indie” makes sense. If this type of “indie” manages to be “cool,” it’s incidental and unintentional. It’s “cool” because it’s a fresh voice coming from some free place which is appealing and rare. People lack that, they gravitate to that, they are attracted to it, they want to be part of it too. That’s why they see it as “cool.”
“Indie,” then, has a reference to writing, art, or creativity, especially those with something to say and an original and compelling way of saying it. By the way, this is not meant to be elitist. The elitist cult of the “artist” is itself a symptom of the problem that true “indie” resists. It’s just that some people are gifted to speak in a way that moves others, and they become good and helpful reference points for others.
“Indie” includes elements of being poor, creative, faithful to one’s heart and vision, critical of common-herd group-think, unsatisfied with culturally-imposed superficial status-quo categories of existence. It includes wanting more, being unsatisfied, seeing what the culture has to offer and finding it wanting. It includes wanting to represent a voice which has gone unheard; speaking for people and things which are forgotten or neglected, to everyone’s impoverishment.
This requires a special type of person, one who is deep and self-aware enough to know and articulate their own heart beyond the imposed feelings/thoughts/tastes/categories of the heavy-handed common mentality.
Did I mention “poor?”
The “indie” will always be poor... existentially, if not always monetarily. The “indie” will always be a marginal figure who stands willingly contrary to the common mentality, to a large degree left out of its ill-gotten riches. The indie will rarely, and only accidentally, be popularly fashionable, because today, let’s face it, the Man manipulates cool like he manipulates people. He controls the popular imagination and its opinions and categories, and the indie wants no part of them. The indie sees and is moved and lives for a world that the Man and his minions do not see. The indie serves a different master altogether, and has an agenda that’s like a parallel universe.
The indie sticks it to the Man, but not by direct attack. The Man does not merit that much attention. No, the indie sticks it to the Man by becoming absorbed in projects of beauty and wonder, which the Man is blind to and uninterested in, and is more than a little threatened by, since they may thwart his control over minds and hearts (and wallets). And in this way, the indie wins hearts and so, is the ultimate subversive. Love and beauty and truth always effect more powerful and lasting change than violence and coercion, something the Man may reluctantly note (in his more lucid moments) but will never understand.
The rebellion of the indie is ultimately not so much an opting out as an opting in. The indie opts for a world of different interests and engagements – ones of freedom and beauty. Sticking it to the Man is not, at heart, some stupid adolescent excuse for acting like an irresponsible jerk. That’s poser, not indie. “The Man” can be a scapegoat excuse for mindless rebellion. But for the indie, “The Man” represents the impersonal forces which enslave, hinder, thwart, or otherwise abuse the human soul. Despotic authority, not the authentic authority of truth, beauty, goodness, love. The true “indie” serves these humbly and obediently. Rather, the authority of the Man is the impersonal social and cultural forces which serves their own interests, not those of others.
So what does any of this have to do with the increasingly stereotypical – and increasingly risible – cool/ironic hipster schtick? The word “indie” is now more and more used in these contexts. It will soon be one more sad irony of postmodern culture when “indie” is associated primarily with the popular fashion styles of bored, mostly white, often moneyed, and increasingly mainstream twenty- and thirty-somethings. And then, is killed and renounced, only to pass into the ever-growing vocabularistic warehouse of irony.
The spirit of “indie” will endure. It has been the creative impulse behind the great heralds of benevolent newness. It has helped make a voice for many of the voiceless, and will continue to do so. It’s just that soon, we may need a new word to describe it.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Sabbatical highlights
One month in...
Lots of time to be a brother, uncle and son. Learning how to do it better I hope. Civil War Days in Lake Villa, Laser Tag, and Go Karts with Zach and Derrick, plus a rigorous turorial in Halo Reach, among other notable adventures. Lots of trips into Chicago, one of the best of cities, especially in the fall. Bike rides along lakefront, great playlists, catching up with old friends, exploring. Praying. Feeling like a child again. Great for awhile to be just another guy free to roam in the city, discover, eat, drink. Seeing, hearing, receiving, taking in. One blessed day where I got to not only see grandma’s old house on Berteau, but actually go inside, thanks to providential encounter with the owner who happened to be walking out as I was outside. Two theology classes, one on Paul and one on Jesus (can’t go wrong there, right). Good books, getting into some of the emergent/missional authors. Especially liked Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller, which I’m sorry I only now got around to, seven years after its publication (typical for me, late on the trends...) Also getting into Bradbury, fellow Waukeganite. Thanks to Tom for getting me three of his books... very thoughtful, as usual. Visits to other Christian churches, notably Willow Creek (subject for whole other blog) and Life on the Vine (one of Brett McCracken’s “Hipster Christianity” churches, though they are not at all convinced the title applies to them!) Making new friends, especially Dale, the monsignor from Scranton who likes to wine and dine in the city just like me. And can’t forget... Oktoberfest and then The National show at the Riviera with Jeff this past Sunday. Awesome! Rode the Triumph in: way there... fun! way home... brrrr.
Oh yeah... also leaning how to use my new super phone (I was a long holdout).
Working on just a few things, musically. Key song fragment/seed has also been my prayer:
let me drink
and have my fill
and return home rejoicing
that the cup
will be full again
tomorrow
So far, God has been coming through (as usual)! Grateful and happy.
Lots of time to be a brother, uncle and son. Learning how to do it better I hope. Civil War Days in Lake Villa, Laser Tag, and Go Karts with Zach and Derrick, plus a rigorous turorial in Halo Reach, among other notable adventures. Lots of trips into Chicago, one of the best of cities, especially in the fall. Bike rides along lakefront, great playlists, catching up with old friends, exploring. Praying. Feeling like a child again. Great for awhile to be just another guy free to roam in the city, discover, eat, drink. Seeing, hearing, receiving, taking in. One blessed day where I got to not only see grandma’s old house on Berteau, but actually go inside, thanks to providential encounter with the owner who happened to be walking out as I was outside. Two theology classes, one on Paul and one on Jesus (can’t go wrong there, right). Good books, getting into some of the emergent/missional authors. Especially liked Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller, which I’m sorry I only now got around to, seven years after its publication (typical for me, late on the trends...) Also getting into Bradbury, fellow Waukeganite. Thanks to Tom for getting me three of his books... very thoughtful, as usual. Visits to other Christian churches, notably Willow Creek (subject for whole other blog) and Life on the Vine (one of Brett McCracken’s “Hipster Christianity” churches, though they are not at all convinced the title applies to them!) Making new friends, especially Dale, the monsignor from Scranton who likes to wine and dine in the city just like me. And can’t forget... Oktoberfest and then The National show at the Riviera with Jeff this past Sunday. Awesome! Rode the Triumph in: way there... fun! way home... brrrr.
Oh yeah... also leaning how to use my new super phone (I was a long holdout).
Working on just a few things, musically. Key song fragment/seed has also been my prayer:
let me drink
and have my fill
and return home rejoicing
that the cup
will be full again
tomorrow
So far, God has been coming through (as usual)! Grateful and happy.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Here is something that moved me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppSCEaT6SIA
Laura Marling. Goodbye England (Covered in Snow).
Modesty, mystery, reserve. She just stands up there like a child, singing and looking up. She plucks the guitar so gently, it's like a prayer. Absolutely beautiful.
and I tried to be a girl who likes to be used
I'm too good for that
there's a mind under this hat
and I called them all and told them
I've got to move
She's an artist, not a product. She seems to know it, though humbly. She's a person, a soul, an angel. Well, actually, no. Better. She's a human being.
A refreshing contrast to some of her higher profile contemporaries.
I speak because I can
to anyone I trust enough to listen.
You speak because you can
To anyone who'll hear what you say
Yes, you speak, and share your voice with us. What a gift that you have trusted me to listen. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Ms. Marling.
I can't give up that quick
my life is a candle and a wick
you can put it out, but you can't break it down
in the end we are waiting to be lit
Amen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppSCEaT6SIA
Laura Marling. Goodbye England (Covered in Snow).
Modesty, mystery, reserve. She just stands up there like a child, singing and looking up. She plucks the guitar so gently, it's like a prayer. Absolutely beautiful.
and I tried to be a girl who likes to be used
I'm too good for that
there's a mind under this hat
and I called them all and told them
I've got to move
She's an artist, not a product. She seems to know it, though humbly. She's a person, a soul, an angel. Well, actually, no. Better. She's a human being.
A refreshing contrast to some of her higher profile contemporaries.
I speak because I can
to anyone I trust enough to listen.
You speak because you can
To anyone who'll hear what you say
Yes, you speak, and share your voice with us. What a gift that you have trusted me to listen. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Ms. Marling.
I can't give up that quick
my life is a candle and a wick
you can put it out, but you can't break it down
in the end we are waiting to be lit
Amen.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Just checked in for my sabbatical today. Three months. Happy and excited. Praying it will be fruitful and healing and creative. So, no gigs for awhile.
Have three months to absorb new Sufjan record, new Lissie record, new Arcade Fire record, plus The National and other new favorites. So much to take in. What a wonderful world.
Reflecting on Jimmy's show Friday night: thanks to all my friends who came out. And got me lots of Guinness. What a great time.
My favorite moment had to be the finale, when we did "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire while the audience sang merrily along.
Songs like that = why I play music.
Have three months to absorb new Sufjan record, new Lissie record, new Arcade Fire record, plus The National and other new favorites. So much to take in. What a wonderful world.
Reflecting on Jimmy's show Friday night: thanks to all my friends who came out. And got me lots of Guinness. What a great time.
My favorite moment had to be the finale, when we did "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire while the audience sang merrily along.
Songs like that = why I play music.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Space Traveler got a review from RadioIndy.com. Check it out here:
radioindyacoustic.blogspot.com/2010/08/space-traveler-by-charles-klamut.html
radioindyacoustic.blogspot.com/2010/08/space-traveler-by-charles-klamut.html
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Thomas Merton once said that being a priest means being caught between the goodness of God and the evil of man... with no chance for escape.
All the more dramatic when the “evil of man” includes oneself.
The uneasy predicament is no doubt shared to a degree by all Christians.
A curious place to be trapped.
Though...
If one can resist the urge to escape...
a peculiarly fertile place
for producing poets
and saints.
All the more dramatic when the “evil of man” includes oneself.
The uneasy predicament is no doubt shared to a degree by all Christians.
A curious place to be trapped.
Though...
If one can resist the urge to escape...
a peculiarly fertile place
for producing poets
and saints.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Peoria band Waterstreet played at Crusens Saturday night. CD release show. Delightful. Amazing. Beautiful. And many other adjectives that I can’t think of at the moment. Make no mistake: these four guys ROCK!
Their new 5 song EP, “Of Gossip,” is their 4th album and their best yet. They performed all the new songs from the record plus a bunch more that are new but not on a record yet.
To watch the video for their new single "Psycho" click here:
www.myspace.com/waterstreetband
They opted for the 5-song EP because of some unfortunate issues with a past producer and a desire to put something out there NOW that represents who they truly are. Live, young, raw, alive, and full of ENERGY.
These guys radiate pure energy at their shows. They are what rock and roll is all about. Intense, fun, mad skills on their instruments. They are the antithesis of posers. And although they look like the awesomely cool rock dudes they are, for them it’s not a freakin fashion show. It’s about the MUSIC.
And they have added a new, awesome tool in their arsenal: consistently great songwriting. Not that they were ever bad. But they have found their definitive sound now, the lyrics are very cool and thoughtful and engaging, and singers Evan and Joe have really matured as vocalists. These guys are now at the height of their powers.
They started as teenagers, a mostly acoustic jam band with a hand percussionist. A few years ago they changed drummers and got alien Rob Gould, who brought a whole new vibe of pure rock and roll fire and passion. Many influences show through their music, including Radiohead (they covered 15 Step and Airbag flawlessly), Zeppelin, Soundgarden, but also with melodies and vocal harmonies reminiscent of the Beatles and the Doobie Brothers. But these guys defy comparison. Anymore, they simply sound like THEM. They are Waterstreet. Enough said.
I have known Mike since his senior year, and Joe since he was fifteen years old at Notre Dame High School. I still remember going to the Riverfront to hear Joe and Evan do acoustic Zeppelin covers at the Art Festival on a hot September Saturday. They had a certain chemistry even back then. It used to be that I’d go and hear Waterstreet and be like, “that’s cool, I know these guys!” But now, it’s more like, “Damn these guys kick major a - - !”
Whether I know them or not, these guys are the real deal. They have worked so hard and SO deserve to be heard by a much, much wider audience.
They are bringing back the awesome magic of rock and roll in a way both classic and modern. And utterly original. There’s none of this “let’s try to be edgy and ironic and impress the Pitchfork snobs” nonsense. They are real. They are honest. They are not trying to be ironic or hip. They do not whine. They are simply trying to write and perform great rock and roll that will make you want to rejoice in being young and alive. No matter how old you are.
These guys may well be on the verge of a major break out. In music, there’s a lot of luck involved. Being heard by the right people, etc. But these guys are READY. They may well end up the most rockingest thing to ever come out of Peoria (all due respect to Dan Fogelberg and Mudvayne). Though they now live and operate out of Chicago, they could put a very cool feather in our humble Peoria hat.
Whatever happens, I love these guys and am so proud of them. Their music has enriched my life, and their shows rock my world. And I am by far not the only one. If there is luck and justice in their future, there may be hundreds of thousands more one day.
Their new 5 song EP, “Of Gossip,” is their 4th album and their best yet. They performed all the new songs from the record plus a bunch more that are new but not on a record yet.
To watch the video for their new single "Psycho" click here:
www.myspace.com/waterstreetband
They opted for the 5-song EP because of some unfortunate issues with a past producer and a desire to put something out there NOW that represents who they truly are. Live, young, raw, alive, and full of ENERGY.
These guys radiate pure energy at their shows. They are what rock and roll is all about. Intense, fun, mad skills on their instruments. They are the antithesis of posers. And although they look like the awesomely cool rock dudes they are, for them it’s not a freakin fashion show. It’s about the MUSIC.
And they have added a new, awesome tool in their arsenal: consistently great songwriting. Not that they were ever bad. But they have found their definitive sound now, the lyrics are very cool and thoughtful and engaging, and singers Evan and Joe have really matured as vocalists. These guys are now at the height of their powers.
They started as teenagers, a mostly acoustic jam band with a hand percussionist. A few years ago they changed drummers and got alien Rob Gould, who brought a whole new vibe of pure rock and roll fire and passion. Many influences show through their music, including Radiohead (they covered 15 Step and Airbag flawlessly), Zeppelin, Soundgarden, but also with melodies and vocal harmonies reminiscent of the Beatles and the Doobie Brothers. But these guys defy comparison. Anymore, they simply sound like THEM. They are Waterstreet. Enough said.
I have known Mike since his senior year, and Joe since he was fifteen years old at Notre Dame High School. I still remember going to the Riverfront to hear Joe and Evan do acoustic Zeppelin covers at the Art Festival on a hot September Saturday. They had a certain chemistry even back then. It used to be that I’d go and hear Waterstreet and be like, “that’s cool, I know these guys!” But now, it’s more like, “Damn these guys kick major a - - !”
Whether I know them or not, these guys are the real deal. They have worked so hard and SO deserve to be heard by a much, much wider audience.
They are bringing back the awesome magic of rock and roll in a way both classic and modern. And utterly original. There’s none of this “let’s try to be edgy and ironic and impress the Pitchfork snobs” nonsense. They are real. They are honest. They are not trying to be ironic or hip. They do not whine. They are simply trying to write and perform great rock and roll that will make you want to rejoice in being young and alive. No matter how old you are.
These guys may well be on the verge of a major break out. In music, there’s a lot of luck involved. Being heard by the right people, etc. But these guys are READY. They may well end up the most rockingest thing to ever come out of Peoria (all due respect to Dan Fogelberg and Mudvayne). Though they now live and operate out of Chicago, they could put a very cool feather in our humble Peoria hat.
Whatever happens, I love these guys and am so proud of them. Their music has enriched my life, and their shows rock my world. And I am by far not the only one. If there is luck and justice in their future, there may be hundreds of thousands more one day.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
I tried but can’t find refuge in the angle
I walk the mystery of the curve
– Sam Phillips, "Five Colors"
Tell all the Truth but tell it slant –
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm delight
The Truth’s superb surprise
– Emily Dickinson
Language – given to us to glorify God, to receive the revelation of God, to witness to the truth of God, to offer praise to God – is constantly at risk. Too often the living Word is desiccated into propositional cadavers, then sorted into exegetical specimens in bottles of formaldehyde. We end up with godtalk.
–Eugene Peterson
I know right!
–me
I walk the mystery of the curve
– Sam Phillips, "Five Colors"
Tell all the Truth but tell it slant –
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm delight
The Truth’s superb surprise
– Emily Dickinson
Language – given to us to glorify God, to receive the revelation of God, to witness to the truth of God, to offer praise to God – is constantly at risk. Too often the living Word is desiccated into propositional cadavers, then sorted into exegetical specimens in bottles of formaldehyde. We end up with godtalk.
–Eugene Peterson
I know right!
–me
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Steve Vai fulfills lifelong dream, meets Fr. Charles KlamutIt was October 31, 1999.
I had tickets to see Steve Vai with some friends at the now-defunct Firehouse in St Louis. I learned that he was signing autographs at Guitar Center earlier that day. YES!!! Now’s my chance!
The store was crawling with kind of scary musician guys in costumes, since it was Halloween. And a few reluctant girlfriends. Lots of warlocks, grim reapers, and some guys with silver face paint (?). Well, Vai was the devil’s guitarist in “Crossroads,” I guess.
After a long time waiting in line, it was finally my turn to meet himself. I was nervous. What do I say to this ultra cool living guitar god, the alien with freakish chops? I sat down next to him and shook his hand. His first words to me were “nice costume.”
Huh? Oh yeah... the priest outfit. I was an earnest, zealous new priest, representing in full clerics.
“Oh. Thanks. Actually, I really am a priest...”
Uncomfortable moment. Not sure Steve knew what to say.
“Have you ever had any priest fans before?” I asked stupidly.
“No I don’t know too many priests. Just Judas Priest.”
I sat there gaping. I barely heard him. I was staring at his huge hands, thinking of what they could do to a guitar.
“That’s a joke, Father. You can laugh.”
“Oh yeah. Right!” Ha ha.
I gave him the Guitar Center promotional flyer for him to sign, which he graciously did. Then my buddy Joe took our picture. One of the silver guys can be seen in the background.
“Well, it was great meeting you,” I said.
“Yeah you too. Enjoy the show tonight!”
As I got up to leave, I remembered... the tape! (This was the tail end of the tape era). I had made him a tape of some of my songs, featuring my awesome shredding on the guitar.
“This is for you,” I said, fumbling through my pockets, retrieving the tape and handing it to him.
He looked at it numbly, then back up at the long line of remaining fans. He was probably wondering how much more of this he could take.
“It’s some of my stuff. I wanted you to have it. You’ve been a big influence on me,” I said.
Turns out that for this particular tour there was a contest being held, which I was, alas, unaware of until that hour, in which guitarists could submit their playing to Steve and he would choose the best one to come on stage and play with him at the show.
“It’s actually a little late for this, I’ve already listened to the submissions and made my choice,” he said kind of apologetically.
“Oh, yeah. Don’t worry about it. I just wanted you to have it anyway.”
What I didn’t tell him was...
I had slipped my business card in with the cassette! It had my number and e-mail. You see, I knew he would be in Peoria the next week at the Madison, and I couldn’t come to the show (I think I had a wedding rehearsal). I envisioned him and me hanging out in P-town, having some beers, talking God and music, jamming together...
It’s the closest I think I have come to crossing the line into weird stalker-dom. I was genuinely surprised when that next Friday night came and went and Steve Vai never called me to hang out and jam. I was a little sad.
THE END
Monday, July 26, 2010
Elly Benin from the Peoria Examiner wrote an article on Jessamyn & Charles. Click here for more:
www.examiner.com/x-41099-Peoria-Catholicism-Examiner~y2010m7d25-Jimmys-hosts-local-dynamic-duo
www.examiner.com/x-41099-Peoria-Catholicism-Examiner~y2010m7d25-Jimmys-hosts-local-dynamic-duo
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Last night we played at Jimmy’s. Broke guitar (bad start). We finished our 28 song set a half hour early (oops). I then whipped out some Bon Jovi and Guns n Roses, betraying my strong bias towards 80's rock anthems. Had lots of fun. Played barefoot. Got free Guinness on the house :)
I got to see lots of my former students. They arrived more or less after the show had ended. Oh well, it’s the thought that counts. It was great to see them.
After the show I went to a hobbit birthday party hosted by “Samwise,” Lord of the Rings class veteran. It was not his birthday. There was LOTR paraphernalia all around. There was even a hobbit hole, in the form of a fully pitched tent in the living room. Guests wore costumes. I came straight from Jimmy’s so couldn’t bring my Gandalf sword and wizard hat.
As you know, hobbits give other people presents on their own birthday. He fulfilled the role admirably. There were stuffed toy cats and chickens, old fashioned mugs, a doctor’s outfit, and a flip video camera. All wrapped with love in old newspapers. There was a horn of Gondor for me, but the guy who was supposed to bring it didn’t come :(
Teaching at Notre Dame has led to so many great friendships. I am so blessed.
I got to see lots of my former students. They arrived more or less after the show had ended. Oh well, it’s the thought that counts. It was great to see them.
After the show I went to a hobbit birthday party hosted by “Samwise,” Lord of the Rings class veteran. It was not his birthday. There was LOTR paraphernalia all around. There was even a hobbit hole, in the form of a fully pitched tent in the living room. Guests wore costumes. I came straight from Jimmy’s so couldn’t bring my Gandalf sword and wizard hat.
As you know, hobbits give other people presents on their own birthday. He fulfilled the role admirably. There were stuffed toy cats and chickens, old fashioned mugs, a doctor’s outfit, and a flip video camera. All wrapped with love in old newspapers. There was a horn of Gondor for me, but the guy who was supposed to bring it didn’t come :(
Teaching at Notre Dame has led to so many great friendships. I am so blessed.
Friday, July 23, 2010
This just in from Dan MacIntosh, a reviewer from Indie-music.com:
There's something undeniably odd about the folk-pop Charles Klamut writes and performs. It just comes off as old-fashioned at times.
Both "Go West" and "7 More Stories" feature Klamut with a female vocal. Strangest of all is "You Don't Interest Me" which has what can best be described as white folk man rap. It's curious stuff, but nevertheless compelling. Klamut may be young, but he sounds old before his years.
At almost 37, it feels great to be called young.
“White folk man rap.” That is awesome. I’ve actually been questioning my whiteness lately. I took the quiz from “Stuff White People Like” and only scored 34 out of 150. According to the scoring table, that makes me only like 20% white. But I actually have always feared I have been TOO white and lived uncomfortably with that. I’m so confused.
However, I did recently add Arcade Fire’s Funeral to my iPod.
There's something undeniably odd about the folk-pop Charles Klamut writes and performs. It just comes off as old-fashioned at times.
Both "Go West" and "7 More Stories" feature Klamut with a female vocal. Strangest of all is "You Don't Interest Me" which has what can best be described as white folk man rap. It's curious stuff, but nevertheless compelling. Klamut may be young, but he sounds old before his years.
At almost 37, it feels great to be called young.
“White folk man rap.” That is awesome. I’ve actually been questioning my whiteness lately. I took the quiz from “Stuff White People Like” and only scored 34 out of 150. According to the scoring table, that makes me only like 20% white. But I actually have always feared I have been TOO white and lived uncomfortably with that. I’m so confused.
However, I did recently add Arcade Fire’s Funeral to my iPod.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
I recently got my free song review of “Seven More Stories” back from TAXI. They’re an independent professional A & R networking company. The freebie review came through my CD manufacturer. I figured that song was the closest thing I have to a short catchy pop song. Also the least likely to scare off the reviewer.
Not sure how such a subjective medium as music merits numerical ratings (sorry, Pitchfork). Oh well, in any case the ratings were:
9/10 for arrangement; 8/10 for lyrics; 7/10 for music, production and engineering; and (this one made me smile) 6/10 for marketability.
I received much positive feedback such as: “Good structural balance. Great work keeping the arrangement tight and focused.” And “a creative piece... the music feels good, with natural transitions between the sections. Cool idea to bring in the female vocal for the final chorus... Overall, a unique and well-constructed song. Great job creating a mood with the music that effectively fits the subject matter and imagery of the lyrics.”
Critique: there may be too many words in the chorus, making it difficult for the listener to sing along with.
The album was also listed as an “Editor’s Pick” on June 13 on Indie-music.com. Not sure what that means, but I’ll take it. For whatever it’s worth.
Not sure how such a subjective medium as music merits numerical ratings (sorry, Pitchfork). Oh well, in any case the ratings were:
9/10 for arrangement; 8/10 for lyrics; 7/10 for music, production and engineering; and (this one made me smile) 6/10 for marketability.
I received much positive feedback such as: “Good structural balance. Great work keeping the arrangement tight and focused.” And “a creative piece... the music feels good, with natural transitions between the sections. Cool idea to bring in the female vocal for the final chorus... Overall, a unique and well-constructed song. Great job creating a mood with the music that effectively fits the subject matter and imagery of the lyrics.”
Critique: there may be too many words in the chorus, making it difficult for the listener to sing along with.
The album was also listed as an “Editor’s Pick” on June 13 on Indie-music.com. Not sure what that means, but I’ll take it. For whatever it’s worth.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
I just saw “Inception.” Absolutely beautiful.
Usually for me the movies are entertainment. Once in awhile, though, the genre is transcended into true art. Seems like a real labor of love on the part of Christopher Nolan, who apparently spent ten years writing/re-writing the script. The fact that it doesn’t crumble under its own weight is evidence of how hard he must have worked. Great cast... great script... great ideas... awesome FX but not over the top, always in service of the story and characters, both of which were superb. So many layers. Psychology: deal with your stuff or it will get buried and keep haunting you... Philosophy: the nature of the self, consciousness, reality vs ideals of the mind... Morality: guilt and the conscience as unshakable verification of being “real...” Relationships: father and child, husband and wife, colleagues in the heist; Suspense: the awesome, tortuously slow fall of that van...
Like the best works of art, this film left me feeling alive and awake and incredibly exhilarated. A masterpiece! THANK YOU Christopher Nolan and cast! More movies like this!! PLEASE!!!
Usually for me the movies are entertainment. Once in awhile, though, the genre is transcended into true art. Seems like a real labor of love on the part of Christopher Nolan, who apparently spent ten years writing/re-writing the script. The fact that it doesn’t crumble under its own weight is evidence of how hard he must have worked. Great cast... great script... great ideas... awesome FX but not over the top, always in service of the story and characters, both of which were superb. So many layers. Psychology: deal with your stuff or it will get buried and keep haunting you... Philosophy: the nature of the self, consciousness, reality vs ideals of the mind... Morality: guilt and the conscience as unshakable verification of being “real...” Relationships: father and child, husband and wife, colleagues in the heist; Suspense: the awesome, tortuously slow fall of that van...
Like the best works of art, this film left me feeling alive and awake and incredibly exhilarated. A masterpiece! THANK YOU Christopher Nolan and cast! More movies like this!! PLEASE!!!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Last night I heard Future of Forestry play at First United Methodist. This California band ROCKED. Three people, a few dozen instruments, and a loop system. WHOA. They have classical background but play "ethereal rock." Eric, the front man, said U2 and Sigur Ros were influences but 100's of others as well. I was unfamiliar with them till some friends tipped me off. SO glad they did. Well worth looking into. They have a YouTube Channel and a cool website. I got all their records and can't wait to dive in. Gratitude to whoever got them to come. They rocked Peoria harder than it's been in quite awhile.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
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