Julie and I will be training it to NYC early Saturday afternoon and Julie doesn't know it, and won't unless she lies to me and really does read my blog, but I have booked us a room at a pretty damn spectacular hotel. I do have a recommendation for an awesome vegetarian restaurant nearby, but I'm open to suggestions for another or a great seafood restaurant...so if anyone reading this can give me a five star recommendation, I'm all "ears". Though it's incredibly tempting to return to the West Bank Cafe on 42nd Street, owned by a total King Crimson fanatic, and where we shared the most amazing, amazing meal back when Adrian, Julie and Eric played at BB King's last March. I fully documented the experience, including full details of the meal, right here and just reading it over...oh wow...yes, yes, very tempting...
I dunno, I'll have to check with my daughter and see if she's up for that. Or maybe we'll just grab some sushi and go out with the band after the show. I know King Crimson ate at West Bank Cafe when they played the Nokia this past summer so maybe Tony and Pat are up for a return visit, too.
Ha ha - pretty presumptuous, aren't I? Whenever I get like that, it usually means Julie and I will end up doing something entirely different.
Anyway, let me tell you about another very, very special concert this weekend: The School of Rock Beatle Show! What makes this extra wonderful is that this show commemorates the 40th anniversary of the White Album, and it will be performed in its entirety, in order, by kids ages 6-17. Eric Slick is the music director for the show, and he is assisted by his proud papa, Gary Slick, who has spent tireless hours getting this show together. Here's the details:
Saturday Jan 24, 03:00 pm
Sunday Jan 25, 03:00 pm
@ World Cafe Live
3025 Walnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19104
All Ages
$10
Buy your tickets right here.
Obviously I won't be at the Saturday afternoon show as that is just about when Julie and I will be checking into our amazing hotel in NYC, but I will be there Sunday and I've been assured that I will pretty much be bawling the entire time -- that's how good this show is and how touching it will be to see the music I cut my teeth on performed by young, gifted students. I cannot wait!
So that's my weekend of music...I really hope to connect with a lot of you at the UKZ/Stickmen show in NYC and at the Beatle show in Philly - come over and say Hi and maybe I will give you candy...
In other news, Eric Slick, freshly back from NAMM and doing a top secret recording session on the west coast, is meeting me for lunch today and there is much to catch up on. As I've hinted, I've been sitting on major Eric news but until any of it is actually confirmed, I have promised that I won't blab anything. In the meantime, both Eric and Julie are anxiously and excitedly awaiting recording their first studio CD with Ade from February 9-17 down at Casa Belew in Nashville, and of course Eric goes out on the road with Project Object starting Thursday, January 29 at Mexicali Live in Teaneck, New Jersey.
Whoa! Wait a minute! Andre, why is Glenn Leonard in the band photo on Mexicali's website? He hasn't been your drummer for over two years since moving to Oregon and being replaced by Eric Slick! What did you do with all the new photos I forwarded you? Sheesh. That's it, I'm taking over as your publicist. This is just an unforgivable error. Ha!
By the way, Andre Cholmondeley is the tech man and all around everything man for the Stickmen/UKZ show Saturday night so we're very happy about that as well.
Anyway, can you tell I'm a little bit thrilled about spending two days with my daughter in Manhattan? And about seeing Tony and Pat again, and meeting Eddie Jobson? Well, in a perfect world...again, every time I assume anything...well, let's just say I had a vision of skating all by myself alone at Rockefeller Center at midnight. Wait. They're probably closed. Okay, me sitting by myself at the hotel bar. Ahem. But considering the hotel, that bar is a pretty damn fine choice. Now. If we can only get both bands to join us there...
Oy, I'm such a groupie Mom. Which you are all going to find out shortly when my first mainstream novel, a rock music memoir, is released next month. Yep, Daddy Left Me Alone with God is coming to a bookstore near you in just a few weeks, and not only is it a memoir, albeit highly fictionalized, it's also got a strong School of Rock back story which chronicles one of the first All-Star tours five years ago while Eric and Julie were still students...but again...fictionalized to protect the innocent (ha) and all positive. (The positive aspect is not fiction!) I was incredibly excited to receive a cover blurb from brilliant author Ellen Meister, who described my book thusly:
"At last--a funny, sexy and scathingly honest look at what it means to be an aging baby boomer in a world changing faster than a phone number on speed dial. With a fresh voice, a fast plot and a unique perspective on the new generation of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, DADDY LEFT ME ALONE WITH GOD is a delight from start to finish." -- Ellen Meister, author of THE SMART ONE
And do you think I'm also a little stoked about that? Ellen is an incredible writer and to get that blurb from her gave me the utter chills. And I received it one day following the momentous occasion of the inauguration of the best President this country will ever have...you know, I can't even write about that yet as I'm still on such a high and you had to see me watching said inauguration...I started sobbing non-stop from the minute Aretha came out and sang...
Oh God, I'm teary eyed right now as predicted. Alright, enough out of me. Lots of stuff to do today, lunch with Eric, packing for NYC, scoping out restaurants and shops....ah...life is very, very good.
Later,
xo
