Pheaturing Alumni Mike Finnigan From The Phantom Blues Band

Hey, kids, welcome to Phile's 501st. How are you? I don't know about where you live but In Central Florida last night we had the storm from hell. It was all nice and clear for once when all of a sudden wham! I expected to look out the window and see Thor. I was thinking, damn it, the Mayans were wrong, the world is ending tonight.  President Obama spent one night at his home in Chicago for the first time in over a year. It was nice... he even went down to the basement and dusted off some old campaign promises. That’s right, Obama spent the night at his home in Chicago. Of course it got awkward when he left and his housekeeper was like, “So, see you after the election?”  Hugh Hefner is back together with his fiancée, Crystal Harris, one year after she called off their wedding. It’s like they say: “If you love something, let it go, and if it comes back to you, it probably ran out of money and remembered you were a billionaire.”  This is weird news, seven monkeys were stolen from a zoo in Poland. You know, so they could begin shooting season 6 of "Jersey Shore."  Mitt Romney has been giving his volunteers a free sweatshirt for making phone calls on his behalf. The sweatshirts are just like Romney, 100 percent reversible. A new survey found that Mitt Romney is ahead of Obama among those who make $36,000-$90,000. Or as Romney put it, "And they said I can't connect with the poor." It’s being reported that Mitt Romney’s personal Hotmail account has been hacked. Yeah, Hotmail. Even Ron Paul was like, “Get with it, you old geezer!” Romney's campaign is in the news for misspelling several words on his promotional items. Today, Romney issued a press release that said, "I'll get to the bottom of this, or my name isn't Malt Ramrod."  New York is considering a law that would keep people out of jail if they were caught with small amounts of marijuana... which explains why stoners are like, "It's a cop. Hide most of the weed."  The weather in the northeast has been unseasonably cold this week. Yeah, people here are still waiting for the heat to show up... you know, just like basketball fans in Miami.  Former GOP candidate Rick Santorum said he’s planning to make a big announcement tomorrow. It’ll probably be something really huge like, “Hello shoppers, we’ve got a 2-for-1 sale on Tide in aisle five!”  The Dow gained almost 300 points to have its best day of the year. Yeah, 300 points... which explains why today, the Heat tried to trade LeBron for the Dow.  The founder of USA Today recently referred to Donald Trump as a “clown.” Even clowns were like, “Are you kidding? That guy’s hair is ridiculous.”  So, kids, as I mentioned yesterday, it was recently announced that in the next James Bond movie, Skyfall, the legendary spy will not be drinking his trademark martinis... instead he’ll be sipping Heinekens. That's not the only product placement that's gonna be in the film.

Today Apple is gonna reveal a brand new products they are releasing. But the Phile has the scoop already and I will announce it here. This is what Apple is coming out with.

Hmmm.. and extra hand could be handy. If you know what I mean.  So, did you kids see the new Snow White film, Snow White and the Huntsman? I thought it was gonna be an action movie when I saw it, but judging by this screen shot it looks like the action was done off screen.

Talking about movies, it's time for...

 

                                               

Time to eat a few words. Not all of them, but a few.  Specifically, I hereby take back everything I've been saying to anyone who was ever within earshot of me while I complained loudly about the posters, billboards, bus ads and trailers for this, the latest Madagascar film. Of course, it's the franchise's fault I felt that way in the first place, shoveling out two earlier movies that were fine technical achievements built on generic, self-esteem-based plotlines and characters that could only be described as The One That's A Lion (Ben Stiller), The One That's A Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), The One That's A Giraffe (David Schwimmer), The Zebra That's Chris Rock and All The Monkeys and Penguins. Watch them, finish them, forget them, wish there'd been more penguins and monkeys. Believing in yourself is fine, but does every single talking animal in every single movie need to learn that lesson in front of a paying public?   And now we come to the moment when the Madagascarites, at long last tired of all that freedom on the African plains, yearn to be re-imprisoned in their former Manhattan zoo cages. Don't ask why they'd prefer that life, they just do. And it doesn't really matter anyway, because along the road to captivity they meet up with a crew of similarly domesticated animals, a traveling circus that's seen better days, and they stow away under false pretenses.   Together, the enlarged menagerie re-brand themselves as a laws-of-physics-defying Cirque du Soleil-style act, performing impossible acrobatic feats while trying to stay one step ahead of a cruel and cruelly funny French animal control official (Frances McDormand, who even stops to sings an Edith Piaf number when she's not flying through the skies on her scooter).   It's still largely about Not Much, the main characters still have a lot of catching up to do if they want to leave the kind of indelible impression of say, Woody or Buzz Lightyear, and you always want more mischief from the penguins and monkeys, but the final product feels like it got a giant energy transfusion. It's fast-paced, visually inventive, occasionally moving and, best of all, really funny on a level both kids and adults will appreciate, probably thanks to the arrival of co-screenwriter Noah Baumbach (The Fantastic Mr. Fox). There's a special kind of moviewatching pleasure that comes from expecting the worst kind of boredom and finding yourself shocked by how much fun you're having. At one point, a penguin yells to the airplane-flying monkeys, "Deploy shenanigans!" and you realize that the entire film feels like it's happily obeying that command.  But really, please, can somebody tell me why they want to go back to animal jail? From 1 to 10, I give it a 9, and I might by it on Blu-ray.

Alright, well, it seems Mitt Romney is outraised Obama for the campaign. I don't know how, or by how much so I thought I would an old friend to the Phile to explain. So, please welcome back to the Phile, the Communications Director for the Democratic National Committee, Mr. Brad Woodhouse.

Me: Brad, welcome back to the Phile. So, what happened?

Brad: Last week we learned Mitt Romney and the Republican Party outraised us in May, bringing in $76 million to our $60 million.

Me: That's not too bad, right?

Brad: Jason, that deficit is even worse once you include the millions of dollars a few wealthy special interests and billionaires are pouring into super PACs and outside groups.

Me: Okay, so what now, sir?

Brad: Support Democrats today and help build our grassroots organization.

Me: Brad, how can one billionaire influence the election?

Brad: Here's a perfect case study: Sheldon Adelson. This casino owner's spending is a textbook example of the Republican battle plan. Here are just a few of his "investments" this year:  Singlehandedly keeping Newt Gingrich's presidential bid alive for months by pouring $20 million of his family's money into a pro-Newt super PAC. Donating $5 million to Speaker John Boehner's super PAC, aimed at protecting the GOP majority in the House, and targeting vulnerable Democrats. And just this week, after meeting with Romney last month, pledging $1 million to a Romney- affiliated super PAC.

Me: They say one person can change the world, but I'm pretty sure this isn't what they meant.

Brad: As Democrats, we aren't counting on wealthy patrons to buy this election. We rely on millions of Americans stepping up to grow this organization and provide the resources to open field offices, organize on the ground, and push back against Adelson, the Koch brothers, and all the rest of these billionaires trying to use their money to control our future. We're counting on people like you and that means we need everyone to step up if we're going to win. Let's show what we can do.

Me: Brad, thanks again, and good luck.

Brad: Thank you, Jason.



Well, the most anticipated, at least in my eyes, comic came out last Wednesday. I am talking about "Before Watchmen". I read it and loved it, but I thought I would invite another friend who hasn't been here in awhile to give his review. He has a Facebook group called Comics Will Make You Stronger, and you can visit him at the Coliseum of Comics store in Orlando. Please welcome back to the Phile, my good friend Jim Mello.

This Review May Make You Stronger: "Before Watchmen: The Minutemen" with everything by Darwyn Cooke, because he is a fucking powerhouse of magnificence.  Things are remade. Made upon. Made against. Made for the before. Made for the after. Added too. Subtracted from. This is the current gradient we slide down in our desperation to find some new story to tell. This is why such a thing as "Before Watchmen" exists.  I've long ago made my peace with this current storytelling state. Whether you agree with Moore, his views, and are appalled at his treatment at the hands of DC Comics; you also must realize that until the day comes where someone actively rewrites Moore's "Watchmen" script so someone else can draw it, we'll always have that original. They can construct whatever else you want around the original, but it will still stand while everything else comes and goes.  Now, I do love "Watchmen", and there is nothing I can say that can either improve upon or enlighten your self-conceived notions on the material. Maybe you could care less or maybe it's your favorite piece of art. To some, telling new "Watchmen" stories is like writing a prequel to Homer's the Iliad or a sequel to Steinbeck's "East of Eden", and to others it is a an obvious choice and a fun addition to that superhero world.  After reading Cooke's first issue, and the introduction to this "Before Watchmen" world; I can say I firmly stand in the middle.  This was a great first issue. Not just for this mini-series, but as a reintroduction to the Watchmen universe. It serves as a prologue; following Hollis Mason, the original Nite Owl, as he tries to sell his rather explicit tell-all book, "Under the Hood", to a publisher. Through him we catalogue the nature of the universe and meet each founding member of the Minutemen, that universes Golden Age team.  This book isn't trying to be "Watchmen". I think Cooke is a smart enough storyteller to understand it can't be. It does, however, carry the mother books tone with its sense of violence, and the overall foreboding of a world careening out of control. This is a world full of desperate, flawed people trying to force sense into a world that refuses to make any.  Cooke's sense of imagery is evocative of the original title, and he has the penciling chops to make it look great. When you buy a Cooke book, it's like buying a piece of art, you should hang it up somewhere.  The story is complete and satisfying. It was my favorite read of the week (Right next to "Fury Max" #3 which if you're not picking up, I think you're insane). If this even runs at a borderline interest for you; pick it up. It's worth it.  There are plenty of new stories out there. Most of them will be variations on something that has worked before. Some of them will be the trash you expect, and some will be well-executed, fine pieces of storytelling.  "Before Watchmen: The Minutemen" is a fine piece of sequential storytelling. It's also just a fun fucking read.

Good job, Jim, and I waited since 198fucking6 for more "Watchmen" stories.

The 19th artist to be pheatured in the P.P.A.G. is comic book artist Robert Pope. And this is one of his pieces...

 

Robert will be a guest on the Phile this coming Saturday.

 

Today's Alumni guest was last on the Phile way back on January 10th, 2009. He is an American keyboard player and vocalist, his specialty being the Hammond Organ. His band The Phantom Blues Band has a new CD out available on iTunes and Amazon called "Inside Out" and he'll be next appearing at Olathe Summer Concert Series in Olathe, Kansas on July 20th. Please welcome back to the Phile, the great... Mike Finnigan!

Me: Hello, Mike, welcome to the 501th entry of the Phile. So, how are you?

Mike: I'm real good. Have a little break this week before I begin the Bonnie Raitt tour

Me: Q: I have to tell you, sir, your last interview here put me on the map for a lot of people and get really noticed, so thank you. You been really busy these last few years, haven't you?

Mike: Been fortunate to remain active. Been in more than 40 countries in the past 5 years, while gigging with Joe Cocker.

Me: Ever think about slowing down, Mike? LOL.

Mike: Satchel Paige, the legendary baseball pitcher, once said, "don't look back, somthin' might be gaining' on you." That's my philosophy, keep moving ahead. Working is way better than the alternative.

Me: So, recently I interviewed the Phantoms drummer here on the Phile, Tony Braunagel. How long have you known Tony, Mike?

Mike: Tony and I have known one another for more than 30 years!

Me: He's been working with Robert Cray. Have you ever worked with Cray?

Mike: Never have, but always dug what he does.

Me: You both have worked with Bonnie Raitt though. Do you play on her new album, Mike?

Mike: I did play on 8 tracks of Bonnie's new CD, and did a little singing, too.

Me: How long have you known Bonnie?

Mike: I've known Bonnie for more than three decades.

Me: Mike, I saw you on Letterman recently with Bonnie. That wasn't the first time you were on that show, right?

Mike: I've done the show a couple times prior to this most recent appearance. I did it with Etta James way back when the show was still on NBC, and also with Crosby, Stills, and Nash, about 15 years ago.

Me: Alright, let's talk about your band The Phantom Blues Band. Where did that name originally come from?

Mike: I think the band was named after the first album the band did with Taj Mahal, "Phantom Blues." That was before I joined.

Me: The band is primarily Taj Mahal's backing band... how did Taj and you guys originally get to work together?

Mike: It was primarily Taj's band, not any more. We do a lot of projects with other artists, and of course, have made three CD's of our own. So primarily is no longer an accurate description. We still work with Taj though. We did the January R&B Cruise with him and the other guys just did a gig with him at Lincoln Center in NYC. I couldn't make that one because of a scheduling conflict with my Bonnie Raitt gig.

Me: Was it during breaks with Taj that you guys started to make your own music?

Mike: Kinda. We just really enjoyed playing together.

Me: What do you prefer the most? Doing your own thing with the band or playing with somebody else?

Mike: I like playing and singing. I've been fortunate to have done several solo projects and several with groups of which I was a part. Done records and worked live with scores of other artists as part of their bands, too. It's all good, it's all playing, and every new opportunity is a valuable learning experience.

Me: Go ahead and mention all the other guys in The Phantom Blues Band, Mike.

Mike: To get a true picture of the depth and breadth of this band's experience and credentials, let me quote from a recent review of our new CD: There’s Tony Braunagel on the drums, from Houston, who has played with Eric Burdon, Rickie Lee Jones, Bette Midler, and Raitt. He produced Mahal’s Grammy-winning "Shoutin’ in Key"; last year’s "Wrong Side of the Blues" from "Trampled Under Foot", which is currently nominated for three BMA awards; and, co-produced Curtis Salgado’s just-released "Soul Shout". Oh, and he’s Robert Cray’s regular drummer, too, and on the LRBC he triple-dipped, also drumming with Coco Montoya. Handling guitar and many vocal duties for the Phantoms is Johnny Lee Shell, who also produced "Inside Out". Shell always looks like he’s getting away with something when he’s performing, with a twinkle in his eye and a big grin, like he’s having more fun than he deserves to have. He’s yet another Texan who learned the ropes working with Buddy Holly’s producer Norman Petty. Shell lead the band Baby, has recorded and toured extensively with Bonnie Raitt, The Bump Band, Ron Wood, and John Fogerty. Shell also runs Ultra Tone Studios where the Phantom’s CD was recorded, and he recently recorded and mixed Little Feat’s latest. Fulcher is the bass player and frequent vocalist on "Inside Out". He has recorded with Smokey Robinson and The Crusaders, and toured and recorded with reggae artists The Wailers, Third World, and Andrew Tosh. He was a featured vocalist on the Emmy Award-winning ABC-TV series "I’ll Fly Away". Then there is the terrific horn section, individually Darrell Leonard on trumpet and Joe Sublett on saxophone, together the Texacali Horns. Another pair of Texas transplants, they got together first in 1989 to record on Stevie Ray Vaughan’s "In Step", which won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues CD. Leonard then spent time touring with Delaney and Bonnie before working with Dr. John, Mahal, Raitt, Elton John, Leon Russell, Glenn Frey, and Little Feat. A master arranger, Leonard’s work has been featured on recordings by Randy Newman, Vaughan, Mahal, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Keb Mo, and Raitt. And he’s featured on the new Bruce Springsteen CD, "Wrecking Ball". Sublett started his career in Austin with Paul Ray and The Cobras, which included a twenty-one year old Stevie Ray Vaughn. He has played on albums by The Rolling Stones, Mahal, Vaughan, Los Lonely Boys, Keb Mo, Bono, Little Feat, Raitt, B.B. King, Macy Gray, The Black Crowes, Buddy Guy, The Crickets, and Bette Midler. The Texacali Horns have their own CD, and have appeared on more than seventy-five albums.

Me: Wow, that's bloody impressive, Mike. Last time you were here we talked about you playing with Jimi Hendrix. You got the gig on "Electric Ladyland" by bumping into him in New York, right? Was he aware of you before then? How did you get to be in his band?

Mike: It happened by pure chance. My band at the time, The Serfs, were in NYC recording an album at The Record Plant, which happened to be where Hendrix was making "Electric Ladyland". He heard us and invited tenor man Freddie Smith, percussionist Larry Faucette, and me, to stay after our session and play with he and Buddy Miles.

Me: You have worked with so many musicians and singers over the years, and there's one I have to ask you about and that is Etta James who passed away this year. When was the last time you ran into her, Mike?

Mike: I spoke with Etta on the phone briefly a couple months before she passed on. She had been quite ill for an extended period of time and was too weak to talk much. I knew Etta for about 30 years and worked with her regularly for about 20 years, from 1988 until 2009. We were very close and she was also close with my wife, Candy. Her sons, Donto and Sammetto were also in her band for a good portion of the time I played with her. They remain my friends. I was her music director for a couple years in the late 80's. I consider playing with Etta perhaps the greatest honor of my career. She was a giant. One of the most honest, gifted, and soulful singers ever... and an artist I had admired and loved since I was about 13 years old! Playing with her was an unbelievable gift. Truly, a dream realized.

Me: Most people know her just from the song "At Last". But her catalogue is huge. Do you think there'll ever be anyone like her?

Mike: Etta's career spanned over half a century. She transcended eras, trends, and styles. She was equally at home with classic ballads... like "At Last"... gospel, blues, rock, R&B, and was a convincing and conceptually evolved jazz singer. My description of her is inadequate. Like saying Einstein was bright.

Me: Me, personally, I love her version of "I Just Want To Make Love To You" for personal reasons. LOL.

Mike: I played that tune with her many times. She could sing the phone book and make you love it.

Me: Did you go to her funeral, Mike?

Mike: I was heartbroken that I was unable to attend her funeral. Her journey ended on the day The Phantom Blues Band had to leave on the January Blues Cruise and I was still at sea in the Caribbean the day of her funeral. My wife attended, though. Certainly my thoughts were with Etta and her sons and grandkids on that day, and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss her.

Me: Levon Helm also just recently passed away. Did you ever know or work with him?

Mike: Levon and The Band, minus Robbie Robertson, toured with CSN when I was with them. I hung with Levon and all the other cats for a couple months that summer so long ago. Richard Manual became a close friend and Rick Danko and I remained friendly. I last saw and hung with Levon several years ago in Memphis at the Blues Awards. I have jammed a little with him, but never played any official gigs. A great drummer and singer, he was what some people might have considered the real "Voice of America."

Me: Last time you were here I didn't talk about my dad at all, Mike. I am guessing you ran into him on the road or around, did you?

Mike: Yes. The Serfs were on a bill with Foghat in the late 60's and another band I was in played with them in Kansas City in the early 70's. I can't say I 'knew' your dad, though, which was my loss.

Me: In the late 60's it had to be Savoy Brown. Alright, also last time you were here you were working with Joe Cocker. Are you still working with him as well?

Mike: I'm on hiatus from Joe's band right now, touring with Bonnie Raitt.

Me: Since you were here as well I had Les Dudek on the Phile who you worked with. When and how did you first meet Les?

Mike: I met Les in the mid-70's and played on several of his albums. He played on my solo LP for Columbia and then, of course, we did an album together, also for Columbia. The DFK Band. Les, myself, and the late, Jim Krueger.

Me: That man likes to rant. Was he always like that? LOL.

Mike: He was never shy.

Me: Do you still keep in touch with him?

Mike: Last time I spoke to Les was a couple years ago in Florida, where he lives, when I played there with Joe Cocker. He came to the show and we hung. He also sat in with Steve Miller who was on the bill, and with whom he had recorded in the past.

Me: Would you ever work with him again?

Mike: No reason not to, if the opportunity arose. The man plays!

Me: Before we talk about PBB's new CD, I have to ask you about Ringo Starr. You have recorded with him, but would you ever play with his All-Starr band if you were asked?

Mike: Sure! Why not? Probably a damn good pay day, and Ringo is a real gentleman.

Me: Okay, let's talk about the new album "Inside Out" which I downloaded from iTunes and really dug. Do you do the singing on the album, Mike?

Mike: Of course! I sing several of the tunes on the new album.

Me: What do you like best? Singing or playing keyboards?

Mike: I like both equally well. I've always done both. Two different disciplines, but when you start out doing both, it seems pretty natural. I think being a singer can be helpful in understanding what complimentary accompaniment is all about when playing behind another singer.

Me: Who does most of the songwriting for the band?

Mike: All the guys contribute. A lot of our original compositions include two or more of the members. 

Me: I have to ask you about the album name... "Inside Out". Where did it come from, Mike?

Mike: I can't speak for everyone, but to me, it means inspiration, whether it's musical or any other form of artistic expression, comes from the inside. Life is lived from the inside out. Mind, body, spirit.

Me: Do you do a lot of songwriting in your spare time?

Mike: Not that much...and I don't have a lot of "spare time!" I believe that songwriting, really good songwriting, is a craft and talent that is entirely separate from performing. There are, and certainly have always been, musicians who are also fine composers, but ability in one area doesn't automatically qualify one in another. There are countless examples of excellent singers and players who never wrote a song. Some of the best composers are lousy singers/players, and vice versa. That said, I don't consider myself a very good composer.

Me: As well as this album and Bonnie's, a live CD from Finnigan & Wood called "It's Only a Rock and Roll Show" was released last year. That was from a show in '71. Did you release this, Mike, or did somebody else?

Mike: Actually, The "Rock & Roll Show" collection was put together by recording engineer, and old friend, Stephen Barncard. He recorded Finnigan & Wood at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco. Those tracks were done a year or so before we did an album for Blue Thumb, an excellent 'boutique' label. Stephen's collection includes some of the same tunes that eventually made their way onto the Blue Thumb record, but they're entirely different performances. Amazingly, Stephen had held onto the tapes for 40 years, and thought it would be a good thing to release them. I had no objection, indeed, I was pleased and was interested in hearing the stuff.

Me: For readers that don't know, who is Wood?

Mike: Guitar player/organist/singer, Jerry Wood. He and the other members of that group were all Kansas City guys. He was a very gifted, soulful guy. It was a very hard-driving and funky band.

Me: Are you guys gonna be doing a new album with Taj by the way?

Mike: There are no plans for that right now, but I wouldn't be surprised. The last album the PBB did with Taj, was "Maestro," which was nominated for a Grammy in 2010.

Me: I have to congratulate you for winning the WC Hardy Blues Music Award. Did you get a cool statue or plaque?

Mike: We won that award about 10 years ago with Taj for "Blues Band of the Year." We all got blue statues of an eighth note!

Me: Man, I asked you a shit load of questions here, Mike. I know you are a busy man, so I will let you go... but first. Lets talk about the blog Crooks and Liars you write for. How long have been writing for them and how often do you post articles?

Mike: I helped a friend, John Amato, start the political blog, Crooks and Liars, back around 2003. He was the driving force, I just loaned him a little seed money. He's known in the blogosphere as, "The Vlogfather," because he was the first one to incorporate video in a weblog. This was before Youtube, and other video formats. It was quite revolutionary and put C&L on the map as a big player. The readership went from a few hundred to around a million readers a week within a couple years. I contributed a daily feature called Mike's Blog Roundup, which was a survey of what others in the world of political blogging were writing about. Sadly, I had to 'retire' from blogging last year because of my busy overseas touring schedule with Joe Cocker. I had been spending 15- 20 weeks a year out of the country since 2007, and after many years of daily posting, the time constraints made it too big a chore to continue. Mike's Blog Roundup still appears every day at C&L, but a team of people are doing it. I'm honored that John chose to keep the name, despite my absence. I may go back to it sometime because I miss doing it.

Me: Some people have complained about your liberal points of view, Mike. I get that a lot myself, as well as other things I put on the Phile. What do you say to those complainers?

Mike: I say, nobody is forcing you to read or listen. My politics and my art go hand in hand. I believe in equality, justice, and peace. It's a flaw.

Me: So, if you ever want to write an article on the Phile, you are welcomed to, Mike.

Mike: Thanks, Jason, but remember what I said about "spare time!"

Me: Yeah, I know. Mike, it's Jeff Cameron who has been a big part of the Phile who hooked the original interview with you on the Phile, Mike. When and how long did you know Jeff?

Mike: I've known Jeff for a long time. Maybe 25 years? He's a good man.

Me: That's cool of you that you worked on his "Bargofaxis" album. It's a small world after all, isn't it? 

Mike: It is, but you know what they say..."small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it." I enjoyed being able to contribute to Jeff's project.

Me: Thanks again for being here and please come back again soon. Go ahead and mention all your websites and tell the other Phantom guys (including Taj) they need to be here on the Phile. And tell Tony I said hello. Thanks again, Mike, and take care.

Mike: phantombluesband.com is the only one I think I'll mention. Don't want to overload your readers with a lot of self-promotion Thanks for your interest, Jason. It means a lot...

Well, there you go, another entry of the Phile done. Thanks to my guests Director Brad Woodhouse, Jim Mello and of course Mike Finnigan. Alright, this Saturday the Phile will be back, there's been a change since yesterday, I know. The Phile will be back next Saturday with artist Robert Pope. Then on Sunday which is Father's Day the guest will be Chris Levy from the band Son of Levi and on Monday it's Alumni Lee Negin. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. I'll leave you with a picture Jen took of the storm last night.

The 500th Entry Pheaturing Dion

            

I will write 500 blogs, I will write 500 more... Hello, everybody, welcome to the 500th entry of the Phile! Five hundred... or phive hundred as I should say, that's like half a thousand. This is gonna be the biggest entry ever, so I hope you have a few hours to read all this. Let's get to it, shall we?  You know DC comics? Turns out the Green Lantern is gay. It's funny that the Green Lantern is the character that is gay and yet Spider-Man has the Broadway musical. Wow, talk about irony!  Miss Rhode Island is the new Miss USA, ladies and gentlemen. And today Donald Trump demanded to see her birth certificate.  Anybody enjoy the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebration? Well, I thought Helen Mirren did a nice job as the Queen.  Hugh Hefner, founder of Playboy, was engaged to a 22-year-old woman and then at the last minute it fell apart and they didn't get married. Guess what? They're back together. Once again they're sharing his adjustable hospital bed. What 22-year-old American girl doesn't dream of one day marrying an aging smut king?  The National Spelling Bee champion's name is Snigdha Nandipati. Every Spelling Bee champion's name sounds like it came from an explosion at a Scrabble factory. Snigdha won by correctly spelling JWoww with two w's at the end.  Presidential primaries were held in California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota today. Both candidates for president, Obama and Romney, have already clinched their nominations. So the primaries were mostly for people who really like stickers.  So, do you kids like astronomy? Astronomy is fascinating, and this past week there was an eclipse. Venus was involved along with the sun and the Earth. The depressing part is it won't happen again for another hundred years. It's like a Mets no-hitter.  Hey, tonight on TV is the Tony Awards. I might watch it for the first time, Green Lantern is hosting.  New York City Mayor Bloomberg has outlawed giant cans of soda. Now Mayor Bloomberg wants to make something else illegal. He wants to remove the third layer from a club sandwich.  Another al-Qaida No. 2 guy was hit by a drone. I'm telling you, these al-Qaida leaders, they don't last as long as a Kardashian marriage.  So, did you kids see that new Snow White movie Snow White & The Huntsman? We saw it last week, I will review it in a bit. Anyway, it had a different spin on it than the Snow White you're used to. Take a look at this screen shot.

I think that's the Huntsman taking the photo in the background.  Speaking of movies, it was recently announced that in the next James Bond movie, Skyfall, the legendary spy will not be drinking his trademark martinis... instead he’ll be sipping Heinekens. I think it’s shameful when a classic institution whores itself out  and I realize it’s only the beginning in a slew of dreadful product placement in the Bond films.

Well, like I said this is the 500th entry of the Phile. People often ask me what is it like writing the Phile all this time? Well, I couldn't sum it up in words, so check it out from this picture. This goes through my head every time I sit at the computer.

 

You know, 500 is a whole lot when you think about it. I mean, McDonald's is charging 500 bucks for for food nowadays.

 

Okay, now from the home office in Port Jefferson, Long Island, here is this week's...

Top Ten Ways I Was Thinking To Celebrate 500 Entries Of The Phile

10. A list of my favorite moments from 500 Days of Summer
9. A list of 200 facts about 300.
8. A list of 300 facts about 200 Cigarettes.
7. A list of 399 facts about 101 Dalmations.
6. A list of 420 facts about 40 Days and 40 Nights
5. A list of 495 facts about "Party of Five Starting"
4. A new blog show called Party of 500.
3. 488 facts about 12 Angry Men.
2. 477 facts about the movie 23.
And the final way I might celebrate 500 entries on the Phile...
1. Something something 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.


Okay, for the last five weeks I have invited my good friend Jeff Trelewicz to the Phile to talk about the Star Wars films one by one. Today we are gonna wrap it all up by discussing Return of the Jedi. Please welcome back to the Phile, my good friend Jeff.

Me: Hey, Jeff, welcome back to the Phile, and for the 500th entry to boot. How long have you been a guest on the Phile now? Over a year, right?

Jeff: Congratulations on making it to 500 entries! That's amazing! Yes, I think I have been a guest here for a year or so. I like to think a regular contributor, but if you want to say guest that's fine! Just kidding.

Me: No, I guess I can say contributor. Alright, let's talk about Return of the Jedi, our last Star Wars movie we're gonna discuss. No, we are not discussing the Clone Wars film. Did you like Episode 6?

Jeff: Yes, let us not talk about the Clone Wars movie since I have never seen it! Return of the Jedi is a good place to end, I say. Of course I liked Episode 6. It's a great way to end the original trilogy.

Me: Last week you said something about the Ewoks, that you didn't like them. What didn't you like about them?

Jeff: What's to like about the Ewoks? Are they cute and cuddly? Some of them are. But let's face it, teddy bears with sticks and stones should not be able to help over turn an Empire. Is it sad when an Ewok died at the Battle of Endor? Of course. They were just eating and singing before the Stormtroopers had to come to their home planet!\

Me: Well, I didn't mind them. I didn't like in the film how they used Lando though. He could of been used more.

Jeff: What do you mean Lando could have been more useful? He helped destroy the Death Star II. Someone had to pilot ships up there. Not everyone could be on the surface of Endor.

Me: I didn't say useful, he was useful in a way, but they could've used in more. I would rather him go to Endor and watch Han and Lando argue the whole time. Anyway, what did you think of Boba Fett's ending? You know he didn't really die in the Sarlaac Pit, right?

Jeff: I had heard rumors that Boba Fett didn't die at Sarlacc. He had used his jet pack to fly out of the mouth of the beast. Is that what you heard too?

Me: Yeah, in the Extended Universe he survived the Sarlaac. They need to make a whole Boba Fett spin-off movie series. Okay, I asked you a bunch of random questions about the films, let's do the same here. Why are there transports in the Battle Of Endor? It doesn't seem sense that transports were to go into to battle without any armament at all. Also, the Death Star II is seen firing on one of these transports. Wouldn't it be more reasonable to fire on Home One?

Jeff: There had to be transports to Endor. If the battle station that housed the shield needed supplies, the transport ships were there to give them to them. Plus it's how the Stormtroopers went back and forth from the ground to a space station. They are simple transport ships, they wouldn't need armor. But the Empire thought no one would notice them there, so the ships didn't need weaponry. I'm not sure what you mean when you talk about Home One.

Me: Home One, also known as the Headquarters Frigate, was an MC80 Star Cruiser in the Alliance to Restore the Republic's fleet, famous for its role at the Battle of Endor and as one of Admiral Ackbar's flagships. It was the namesake of the Home One type subclass and was noted as being the largest and most advanced of the Rebel Star Cruisers. Duh. LOL. Alright, when Vader realizes that Luke has a twin sister, does he know that Leia is the sister or just that someone is Luke's sister? Or does he know when he/Anakin sees Luke and Leia during the Ewok celebration later?

Jeff: When Vader sensed Luke had a twin sister, he searched Luke's mind and knew it was Leia. No matter how he tried to block Vader from finding the truth, he is a bad ass Jedi who will always know the truth!

Me: Jeff, I'm sort of curious about why the Vader, the Emperor, and other Sith (in the other movies/books) refer to the dark side as the "dark" side. It sounds like a negative term. In Episodes 2 and 3, both Dooku and Anakin seem to think that the dark side is the truth and the right thing to follow, so why would they call it "dark"? Even though the Emperor creates a lot of schemes and wants power, he probably doesn't think of himself as evil, so him calling his powers "dark" (in Episode 4) seems a little odd.

Jeff: I know I am switching shows and movies and what not, but Lex Luthor in an episode of "Smallville" once said, "The Villian is the hero of his own story". I am sure it has been said before as well, not just by Lex. That's why Dooku and Anakin feel justified in what they do. They are doing the right thing, in their mind. Anakin is completely justified in slaughtering the young childen at the Jedi Temple. He was instructed to do so and is only following orders. The Dark Side term was probably started by the Jedi, but the Evil ones probably really liked it. It just sounds cool! Especially when Darth Vader says "If you only knew the power of the Dark Side". It would sound lame "If you only knew the power of B Side."

Me: That's funny. LOL. Okay, next question, when Luke asked Leia if she remembers her real mother she said she does but she died when she was very young. Her mother died during child birth. How can Leia remember what her mother looked like?

Jeff: That is something that has always bothered me. Leia clearly couldn't know her birth mother. But maybe her memories have super powers since she too has a bit of a the force in her.

Me: Actually, something just occurred to me, Jeff. I think the mother Leia refers to would be Queen Breha Organa of Alderaan. At this point, Leia has no idea that she was adopted. What reason did the bounty hunter who was Leia in disguise have for staying in Jabba's palace overnight? Wouldn't Jabba expect the person to leave after getting the payment for Chewbacca?

Jeff: There was a lot of bounty hunters still in Jabba's palace. Not just Princess Leia in disguise. I just assumed that it was a hang out spot for bounty hunters until they were given other assignments. They had a band. Why not stay there?

Me: Good point, it was like a night club/hotel. Jeff, I wonder what Luke's Sith name would have been had he turned to the Dark Side. Any ideas?

Jeff: I am kind of hoping that if Luke did go to the dark side he would have been Darth Farmboy.

Me: According to what I've heard, when a Jedi dies and accepts it, their body disappears, like Yoda and Obi-Wan, Darth Vader accepted that he was going to die, so why didn't he disappear? Is disappearing more complex than that, or did Darth Vader not really accept his death, and if not, why? Man, that was a complex question.

Jeff: When Yoda and Obi-Wan died, they were on the good side. So they disappeared. Vader, while slowly turning good, probably didn't disappear for that exact reason. Plus he was more machine then he was human, so that probably played a part in it too.

Me: There, Jeff, we completed talking about the Star Wars films. Please come back on the Phile soon. And if you could think of anything to discuss let me know. And remember, football season is starting up real soon. Take care. Jeff Trelewicz, everybody. And now for some sad news.

 

Ray Bradbury
Aug 22, 1920 - Jun 6, 2012
Something wicked this way smells.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who eats raw bird hearts and takes baths in Elmer's Glue and hollers like Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest and black-widow sexes guys to death and sucks the virgin breath out of teen models and aspires to Kristen Stewart-based cannibalism best of all?  It's a rhetorical question. You know the answer. And, lucky us, Charlize Theron decided to commandeer this film for her own purposes, delivering the hissingest, preeningest, shoutingest, screechingest, nakedest, writhingest, wigglingest, stabbingest performance of 2012 to date. It's more than worth the cost of a ticket and may wind up edging its way into film history alongside Dunaway and Elizabeth Berkley in Showgirls as one of the great go-for-broke moments of misunderstood female awesomeness.  As for rest of it, may I interest you in a a beautiful-looking and directionless mess that mashes up Excalibur and Princess Mononoke, all rote superhero origin stories and whatever your favorite romantic drama starring two people with no romantic chemistry happens to be? There are worse choices lurking at the multiplex, so why not?  The story goes like it always goes: the queen is pissed off that she's getting old and when the Mirror Mirror (here resembling a phantom made of shiny butterscotch syrup) lies to her and tells her that she does not, in fact, look exactly like Charlize Theron but more like Charlize Theron in Monster, she's got to eat the heart of Snow White (Stewart) to make it stop. Enter The Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth), a frequently drunk man whose ability to fight seems to depend on whatever mood the script happens to be in and whose backstory... the queen killed his wife... is more compelling than any single moment he shares with the inert young woman he's eventually going to have to kiss the life back into.  Now, no matter what the internet tells you there isn't much out there that qualifies as "epic" failure. There are always shades of gray, matters of degree. And because the movie itself is never really sure what it wants to be... honestly, Spice World has a more complex understanding of the concept of "girl power" than this thing, from it you can parse just about any message of female empowerment or retro misogyny you choose. Is Snow, our bedraggled warrior-heroine, a cipher? A damaged post-traumatic stress disorder patient? A super hero in waiting? In need of someone, anyone, to rescue her from, well, everything? Will the magic forest cooperate with her when its magic rules already seem so arbitrary? And why, in her Henry V/Braveheart sequence, when she really needs to rally the troops to go after Mecha-Charlize, why can't she take a few deeper breaths and really let it rip? The movie's not telling. And you won't much care. The camera will eventually find its way back to the huffing, puffing, black-feather-suited Theron and, when it does, she'll be snacking on bloody red bird hearts like they're popcorn shrimp. Nice. From 1 to 10, it gets a 7 and I probably won't be buying it when it comes out.


Okay, I have interviewed a lot of people over the last few years on the Phile. For the 500th entry a Phile Alumni wanted to come on and ask me a few questions. I said sure, what the hell.

Interviewing me is an Alumni who was last on the Phile just recently on May 28th. Please welcome back to the Phile, Robert A. Medeiros from The Clarences.

 

Me: Okay, Robert, welcome back to the Phile for the 500th entry. So, go ahead, hot me with your questions.

Robert: Coolio. How long have you worked at Disneyland?

Me: I don't work at Disneyland, Robert, I work at Disney World and have been there for almost 25 years. That's like quarter of a century!

Robert: Have you seen any famous people?

Me: A lot of famous people over the years.

Robert: Who?

Me: Way to many to name... John Travolta, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, George Lucas, Tom Cruise, Molly Ringwald, Sidney Poiter, Meat Loaf, Bob Saget and all the cast from "Full House", Jim Henson... I can go on and on...

Robert: Does it bother you when people refer to Disney World as Disneyland?

Me: Not as much as when people say Disney World is The Happiest Place on Earth. That's Disneyland's tagline.

Robert: What made you come up with the Peverett Phile?

Me: I always wanted to have a talk show and do stand up (which I tried three times before) and when I heard about blogging I thought it was the easy way to do it. It's not that easy though.

Robert: How long have you been doing the Peverett Phile?

Me: I'm into the sixth year. A better question would be how long will I be doing the Phile? I really don't know, but I did almost quit doing it a few times.

Robert: Does it bother you that Florida is considered creepy?

Me: I didn't know Florida was considered creepy. If it is, no, it doesn't bother me.

Robert: Are you proud of the HUGE Florida death metal scene?

Me: I also didn't know there was a huge Florida death metal scene. I don't like death metal, so I am not proud of it. But is nice that we are known for something apart from people like Casey Anthony, or screwed up vote's and Mickey Mouse.

Robert: Who is your dream interview (besides The Clarences)?

Me: Well, you would be a dream interview if I didn't interview you twice already, Robert. LOL. But my dream interviews would be Dave Edmunds, Kelly Clarkson and any of the Barenaked Ladies.

Robert: Do you remember the USFL team, the Orlando Renegades?

Me: Vaguely, yeah... we had so many teams here in Orlando over the years. Thanks for the questions and wanting to be a part of the Phile's 500th entry, Robert. Come back again soon. While you are here why don't you plug your websites and stuff?

Robert: Thank you, Jason. theclarences.com, facebook.com/theclarences, youtube.com/theclarences, twitter.com/theclarences.

The 18th artist to be pheatured in the P.P.A.G. is comic book artist Robert Pope. This is some of his work.

 

Robert will be a guest on the Phile next Sunday.

Okay, people, now for the interview you and myself have been waiting for. I am so freaking honored to have today's guest on the 500th entry of the Phile. He is an American singer-songwriter whose work has incorporated elements of doo-wop, pop oldies music, rock and R&B styles to straight blues in his recent work. One of the most popular American rock and roll performers of the pre-British Invasion era, Dion had over a dozen Top 40 hits in the late 1950s and early 60s. He is best remembered for the 1961 singles "Runaround Sue" and "The Wanderer". His latest album "Tank Full of Blues" is now available in stores, on Amazon and iTunes. He is the king of New York streets. Please welcome to the Phile, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer... Dion!

Me: Hello, Dion, welcome to the Phile. It's such an honor to have you here. How are you?

Dion: I am good, thanks.

Me: Okay, I have to start by saying you are renowned for being a rock 'n'roller, sir, what made you embark on recording a trilogy of blues albums in the past few years?

Dion: It's nothing new, really. I was there at the beginning of rock n roll, and back then we didn't draw bright lines between rock and blues, or rock and country. So I was influenced by Howlin' Wolf as I was by Elvis... and Elvis himself was soaked in the blues. We all were.

Me: Did you just start recording the blues in the last few years?

Dion: I started recording blues in the 1960s. I made a single of Willie Dixon's "Spoonful" years before Cream did. So these albums are not so much a departure as a return to my roots.

Me: It's cool you made three great blues albums, which I downloaded from iTunes. How does it start with "Bronx In Blue" and how does it finish at "Tank Full of Blues?" There is a narrative, right?

Dion: If it does finish on “Tank Full of Blues.” I didn't have a story line in mind. If you want to read into it, I guess you can say the trilogy starts in the Bronx, like I did, then finds mentors and influences in black southern bluesmen, then finds a certain fulfillment as I make my own music... a tank full of blues.

Me: I read that in your sleeve notes you are pretty candid about driving the crew crazy. Have they forgiven you? LOL. What was challenging about making this album?

Dion: The challenge was that the music was coming into my mind so fast and furious that I couldn't control it. It wouldn't let me go. I'd get songs while I was driving, showering, making breakfast. It's never happened to me this way before. I ended up writing many more songs than ended up on the album... and almost all of it happened during the recording of the album.

Me: There's not many covers on the album, are they?

Dion: Originally I'd planned to make this a disc of covers. It turned out to be a disc that's almost entirely made up of my music.

Me: How did your lifelong passion for the blues start? Why did it resonate with a kid from the Bronx?

Dion: It started with those first transistor radios. Guys would sit out on the front stoop of their apartment buildings and crank up the volume. People don't give the 1950s the credit for being what it was... a time of tremendous creativity, especially in music, but also in the other arts. If you're walking down Arthur Avenue in the Bronx's Little Italy and you suddenly hear Hank Williams moaning a country blues, it's gonna stop you in your tracks. It stopped me... and it remade me, down to my soul. The blues speaks to something deep inside us, no matter who we are or where we live.

Me: If you had made these blues albums back in the late fifties, sir, do you think they would have received a different reception compared today?

Dion: Definitely. The new media have made it possible to create communities of blues lovers with instant access to one another and to the new music as it appears, no matter where it's coming from. Earlier this year I toured the Caribbean on a "Blues Cruise." And I play now and then at the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis. There's a network, an institution, and a means of reaching people that didn't exist when I was a kid. Back then you had to hope on the good graces of a visionary disc jockey.

Me: Do you think you would have pulled off making a blues record back then?

Dion: Writing the songs, yeah. Recording them... maybe not so easy. Again, the technology was expensive, only a few people had it, and they controlled the access. They were suspicious of rock n roll and its long-term survivability. They wanted me to record a couple songs in the Sinatra style, just to secure a "grown-up" base. I don't think the record labels would have warmed up to the idea of a blues album from Dion... a song or two, maybe, but not an album.

Me: So, you think technology has changed the game?

Dion: Everybody, the musicians and listeners, has access.

Me: You mentioned before I read Jimmy Reed and Robert Johnson are your heroes. For example your song “Ride’s Blues,” is for Robert Johnson. What made you write a song about Robert Johnson, as opposed to any other blues singer?

Dion: I always wanted to write a song about Robert Johnson. You hear all the urban legends about him, and they don't jibe with the songs he wrote. If he'd sold his soul to the devil, could he have sung the line: "Lord, have mercy ... Save Bob if you please"? I don't think so. Robert Johnson was a tormented soul, but he was a believer who wanted salvation. He had such a gigantic talent, though, that smaller talents couldn't let him rest. They did it to Mozart, too... just plugged him into the folk tales, and we got the movie Amadeus. No human being should be able to play guitar the way Robert Johnson does. To us mere mortals, his talent is a mystery; so people plug him into the myth of Dr. Faustus selling his soul. I wanted to rescue him from all that. The theme of this song is the theme of Robert Johnson's life: loss. As George Harrison said: all things must pass. Or as Jesus put it: on earth, moth and rust consume and thieves break in and steal. Tell me what you got, I'll tell you what you lost. Tell me what you bought, tell me what it cost. Look out your window now, it's gone like morning frost.

Me: Dion, sir, You have been solidly producing hits since the late fifties, performing, you have been nominated for Grammy awards, wrote a book last year and a trilogy of albums over the past few years, plus you are still looking great. What's your secret? I barely made it through 500 entries of the Phile.

Dion: I think it's staying close to God. He's the source of everything. I think of the blues as the naked cry of the human heart longing to be in union with God.

Me: Sir, you have been nominated for a Grammy award for best Gospel album to best Christian album. You have a lot of faith in you, right?

Dion: Yeah, I think it keeps me fresh, keeps me young, keeps me in tune with other people, and that's what makes the music. I'm still feeling the rock n roll, and I think it's because I'm still a kid living in my Father's house.

Me: My dad was into the blues maybe more than you, I am not sure. Anyway, he didn't believe in God and wasn't religious at all. Do you feel that this spirituality is present in the Blues? Do you see it as a spiritual form of music at all despite the usual subject matter focusing on life, from alcohol, women to death?

Dion: Absolutely. It's all over Robert Johnson's lyrics. Alcohol and adultery aren't bringing him any joy. That's why he's singing the blues, and a lot of the time he's crying out to God. I knew some of the great bluesmen. I took guitar lessons from the Reverend Gary Davis in his home in New York, and he was a Christian preacher who happened to have a guitar in his hand. I knew Skip James, and he's the one who challenged me to recognize that I was a sinner... just like him and everybody else, and look to Christ for salvation, not to booze and drugs. These guys had strong faith. The blues comes out of faith. Open the Bible and read the Psalms, especially the Psalms of lament. If King David wrote those today, we'd call them the blues.

Me: I have to mention this, towards the end of last year, there was a play/musical developed about your life and was performed to the industry only. Did you see it and how did you feel to see the story of your life on stage?

 Dion: It's a little strange, a little gratifying. It was all part of that period of creativity I mentioned earlier. I wrote some new music for the play as well.

Me: You describe it as a story of redemption, sir, why is that? Is that how you see your life?

Dion: I've seen a lot of people in the music business die young as casualties to drugs and drink and fame. If you get to be my age and you're enjoying the company of the same woman you dated in high school, and you're surrounded by kids and grandkids who are still speaking to you and to one another, you got to realize that you were redeemed... especially if you wasted as many years with heroin and booze as I did.

Me: Someone once said about you "the history of rock 'roll' is all in that voice." That's quite an accolade. Have you ever had to work on your voice to suit the various styles of music you have played? Or is it a case of singing what comes natural to you?

Dion: I try not to over-think it. When I do, you can tell. By the way, it was Richard Gottehrer who said that quote. Richard's a beautiful man.

Me: Cool, sir. Anyway, you are described as the only first generational rock’n’roll artist who has remained creative and relevant through the intervening decades. Is there anyone apart from you that you feel fits this bill? 

Dion: Not that I know. Dave Marsh said that, and he's the historian, so I'll trust his word.

Me: I don't know if I should ask you this, but I will anyway... You nearly ended up on the same flight that tragically killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. What does that leave you feeling about the idea of destiny/fate?

Dion: God has a plan. It includes a place for Buddy and Ritchie and the Bopper and me. God loves us all, and he gives us a part to play. I believe music is an important part of God's plan. He gave us bodies that respond to a backbeat, and he created some great souls to make music that thrills us. Those guys made some great music and they made history, even by dying. Don McLean said that their death marked "the day the music died." I disagree. I think it's the day the music was born. Rock arrived that day, and I think it's here to stay.

Me: Dion, sir, thanks so much for being on the Phile. It was a huge honor to have you here and please come back soon. Is there a website you wanna plug?

Dion: diondimucci.com. Thanks, Jason. Keep up the good work.

Wow! That was so cool. That about wraps it up for the 500th entry. Thanks to my guests Jeff Trelewicz, Robert A. Medeiros from The Clarences and of course Dion. The Phile will be back tomorrow with Alumni Mike Finnigan from Phantom Blues Band and then next Sunday with artist Robert Pope. Thanks for reading, and I do hope to post another 500 entries. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.

Pheaturing Alumni Marc Savoie From Infinite-Lane Highway

 

Hey, kids, welcome to the Phile for a Monday, how are you?   So, this past weekend like I mentioned on Saturday was Gay Days at Disney. The Florida Family Association hired a few planes to fly banner's over the parks. Here is what the banner looked like.

The irony moment was the banner being was towed though the sky warning of Gay Days at Disney by an aircraft known as a "bi-plane"  Well, kids, do you watch "Jeopardy"? Alex Trebek says he may retire at the end of the season. Trebek says he wants to spend more time at home, arrogantly correcting his family. The answers won't be there on cards at home, Trebek.  Did you hear some schools across the country were banning spelling bees. For obvious reasons, of course... steroids. Some people take the spelling bee very seriously. These people are called "parents of children in the spelling bee." They're trying to make up for their own childhood of crushed dreams and misspelled words. One thing I've noticed about the spelling bee is everyone in the audience is very, very quiet.  New York City's Mayor Bloomberg is cracking down on the most dangerous threat to the Big Apple: sodas. Bloomberg wants to outlaw sodas and other sugary drinks over 16 ounces. I try to limit my sugar intake. That's why I eat little fun-size candy bars. But I eat them 50 at a time. By the time I'm done, nobody's having fun. My almond joy turns to almond shame. Who is this Mayor Bloomberg who thinks he can tell us what we can and can't drink? Probably one of those vegan fascists who drives a Prius. This ban only applies to large sodas, 16 ounces or more. So if sodas were Kardashians, they're really just banning Khloe. New Yorkers, I've got a tip for you. Here is a way to get around the ban. Buy two 12-ounce sodas. All the soda you can drink in exchange for paying twice the sales tax. Bloomberg, you midget genius!  Wait, I don't drink soda... unless you count cream soda.  Well, a few weeks ago we went to see Slash in concert. I was so happy to see he was selling inspirational posters.

I don't understand it though, who is not unimpressed? Slash?  Last month Newsweek I think it was called President Obama the first gay President. I think that was stepping over the line, he's not gay. And  then I saw this picture...

 

And now for some sad news...

                                       

Richard Dawson 
Nov 20, 1932 - Jun 2, 2012
100 people were surveyed, top 5 answers are on the board, here's the question: What talentless, unattractive, kiss-crazy game show weirdo finally got beat by esophageal cancer?

 

Alright, something is happening tomorrow on June 5th, an election of some kind. I kinda lost track of everything during Star Wars Month. Anyway, a friend of the Phile wanted to come on and talk about tomorrow. So, please welcome to the Phile once again, Chair of the Democratic National Committee...
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Me: Hello, Debbie, welcome back to the Phile. So, what's so important about tomorrow?

Debbie: Jason, of all the elections we are preparing for in 2012, one of the most important ones isn't happening in November. Tomorrow, the people of Wisconsin will have their chance to recall Governor Scott Walker, whose attacks on workers' and women's rights are the definition of a fireable offense.

Me: Okay, I live in Florida though. I am sure I have some readers in Wisconsin. So, I am guessing the Democrats are rallying around your nominee. Who is your nominee?

Debbie: Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. And we are organizing one of the largest get-out-the-vote efforts in state history.

Me: It's up to Democrats across the country to help win this thing, right?

Debbie: Organizers and volunteers on the ground across Wisconsin are knocking on doors, talking to neighbors, and making phone calls to make sure voters know the stakes in this year's elections.

Me: So, Debbie, how important is this outcome?

Debbie: The outcome is important to anyone who supports Democratic values, no matter where you live.

Me: And what has Walker been doing?

Debbie: Governor Walker has spent the last year and a half dividing Wisconsin. He's cut sweetheart deals for wealthy corporate donors and special interests, while students, families, and workers are facing very different kinds of cuts: slashed budgets for education and teachers, higher health care premiums for tens of thousands, and devastating attacks on the rights of public employees to negotiate wages and working conditions. And Walker's done all this while overseeing the worst jobs record in the country for the last year and a half. Now he's spending millions in special interest money, including support from the Koch brothers, to buy his way out of a recall.

Me: And your candidate, Tom Barrett, what has he done?

Debbie: Tom Barrett has made creating jobs a priority his entire career... as Milwaukee's mayor, he brought the public and private sectors together to transform the region into a thriving business community, bringing hundreds of new jobs, many in clean energy, to Wisconsin. And he did it while defending core Democratic principles... protecting the environment and the rights of workers, standing up for a woman's right to choose, and supporting a strong middle class.

Me: Well, I guess choices don't get clearer than this, do they, Debbie?

Debbie: Winning in Wisconsin sends a powerful message to the far-right extremists, and it starts to roll back their worst offenses. To build our organization and make it happen, Democrats need to come together to turn out hundreds of thousands of voters... and we all have a part to play.

Me: Well, thanks, Debbie, and good luck. People in Wisconsin, vote for Barrett I guess. Debbie, talk to you soon.

Debbie: Thanks, Jason.

The 18th artist to be pheatured in the P.P.A.G. is comic book artist Robert Pope and this is one of his drawings.

Robert will be a guest on the Phile in a few weeks.

   

Alright, today's guest was last on the Phile August 1st, 2011. He has two albums under his "band" name Infinite-Lane Highway available on iTunes... "Infinity-Lane Highway" and "The Long Dark Road". Please welcome back to the Phile, our friend... Marc Savoie.

Me: Bonjour, Marc, welcome back to the Phile, for the third time. How are you?

Marc: Hi, Jason! Feeling great, thank you! Glad to be back!

Me: Are you still living in Montreal?

Marc: Yes, although I wouldn’t mind living abroad for a while, if only to appreciate it more when I come back. It’s a great city, though.

Me: Is French your first language, Marc?

Marc: Yes. I’m a French Canadian who studied French literature and who is now teaching it as a fulltime job! Can’t get more French than that! On the other hand, I studied at McGill University and I've always been fascinated by English and American cultures. I used to write songs in French a couple of years ago, but I switched to English at the same time I decided to go from folk to rock.

Me: So, I have to ask you about this... one of your songs from your first album was in the cartoon show "Generator Rex"? Is that right?

Marc: Yes, that’s right. It is featured at the end of an episode called "A Family Holiday", which is episode 15 from season 2.

Me: What song was it, Marc? It’s a song called "Close to You" and no, it's not a cover of The Carpenters! LOL.

Me: How did you find out about this, your song being on the show?

Marc: Well, it happened last Summer, in July, same time as my mom died of cancer. I was devastated and did not really pay too much attention to some of the emails I received. One of them was from Socan, the Canadian Company that administers the composers performing rights and royalties. It was saying I had received money for one of my songs, but I didn't read it at the time. I was convinced it was another newsletter or something. I also noticed that "Close to You" was selling rather well on iTunes compared to my other songs, but I didn't really know what to make of it. And anyway, my mind was elsewhere, as you can surely understand. Then, recently, a young lady commented on my Facebook page that she had always liked "Close toYou" since she had first heard it on "Generator Rex". I did some research… et voilà! Thanks to her, I finally discovered what I had missed.

Me: Have you ever seen or heard of the show?

Marc: No, to be honest, up to this point, I had not heard of the show, unfortunately. It seems good, though, and I was really flattered that the people in charge chose my song for an episode, especially an episode that seems to be among the fans favorites. If I'm not mistaken, it's the episode where the lead characters go on their first date. And my song was used to mark this moment! Pretty cool!

Me: My son watches "Generator Rex" I believe. Did you contact anybody connected with the show and asked them how they found your song?

Marc: I wrote a thank you email to the show’s music composer, but learned since that he may not have anything to do with it. The director or the musical director is probably the person I should thank.

Me: This is really cool for you, Marc. Especially if they release the show on DVD and stuff. I hope you are getting royalties for this.

Marc: Yes. Of course, it's far from what the Beatles received when "Tomorrow Never Knows" was recently featured in“Mad Men”... LOL, but still… it's pretty nice to receive some kind of financial retribution for your work.

Me: So, how have you been, my friend? How is your painted Ibanez? I have a picture of it here.

Marc: I'm doing better now. I was really close to my mother and I was taking care of her the best I could. It was really hard when she passed away. I've already lost my father in 2002, so it makes it even harder. On a lighter note, I still have my painted Ibanez, of course. It weighs half a ton, like a lot of those 1970s Gibson copies, but it plays like a dream, especially since I changed the stock pickups for Gibson Burstbuckers.

Me: How many guitars do you have? It seems you have a quite a few.

Marc: Yes, you caught me! I’m an addict! I have a lot, though I sometimes sell one or two on Ebay (most of the time to finance a new one. The ones that I'm really attached to are the ones I bought in the 1990s, when I was playing live, my Ibanez and my 1996 Gretsch Silver Jet. I also recently bought a Gibson L4 which I like a lot and a Fender Custom Shop Telecaster that completely rocks! You can see those two guitars in the “Close to You” video clip.

Me: You also play keyboards, drums and everything else, right? What instrument came first?

Marc: I play bass, guitars and keyboards. The drums are programmed. I can hold a simple beat, but that's it. I thought about buying an electronic drum I could practice on in my condo, but I have already enough on my plate for now without adding drum practice on top of everything else. To answer your second question, guitar came first; classical guitar, then acoustic and electric.

Me: I don't remember if I asked you this before but how old were you when you first started to play guitar?

Marc: I was… 12, I think. My sister, who is a classically trained pianist, had received a guitar for Christmas. She taught me how to play "Horse With No Name" and that was it… I was sold! Funny thing, though, is that I never had the instinct to play my sister's right handed guitar like a left-handed one, even though I'm left-handed. And when I thought about it, it was just too late to change. I would have had to start anew.

Me: Do you remember what the first song you learned was?

Marc: It was “Horse With No Name", but "Stairway to Heaven" was the first song I really wanted to learn from beginning to end. I asked my guitar teacher at the time to teach it to me and he laughed, saying I was not good enough, that I needed more time. I came home pretty offended... LOL, said I didn't want to go to my guitar classes anymore, went to my room… and taught myself "Stairway to Heaven" with a tablature songbook I had at the time.

Me: Okay, let's talk about your band name... Infinite-Lane Highway. Those new to the Phile, explain where the name came from, Marc.

Marc: I was looking for a name that wasn't "THE something". I had already had that with The Graduates, my previous band, and The Eugenes, another one man band project of mine. I wanted something more modern sounding, in the vein of Our Lady Peace. I made a lot of lists, combined the best elements to finally come up with Infinite-Lane Highway. I immediately liked it because it combined a rock and roll cliché... the Highway and something more poetic and abstract...Infinite-Lane. To me, it was a way of saying that music could be appreciated in an infinite number of ways. We’re all on the same road, travelling together, yet we all have our own lane.

Me: You are still the only one in the band, right?

Marc: I am. Not by choice, though. I’m thinking about transforming this solo venture in a real band, but I’m not quite there yet. We’ll see!

Me: I have to tell you I play your two albums quite often, "Infinite-Lane Highway" and "Long Dark Road". Have you been working on music for a third album, Marc?

Marc: Yes, I am. The third album will integrate blues, country and southern rock influences. Of course, it will still be mainly pop/rock songs and it will still sound like an Infinite-Lane Highway album, but I think it will be a little bit edgier than the first two albums.

Me: You mentioned "Close To You", the song from the first album that was in "Generator Rex". You made a video for that song as well as you said. Was it done recently?

Marc: Yes, I did that after someone who saw the “Walking on the Ceiling” clip suggested I make one for “Close to You” as well. I thought it was a good idea, especially because I had made two clips to promote my second album, but none for the first one, apart from a couple of acoustic performances (“Rainy Smile”, “Too Good to be True” and“Time Flies Without Wings”). It made me rediscover that song, which I had a little bit forgotten.

Me: The video looked like it was fun to make, was it?

Marc: Yes, it was. The concept was really simple, there were no technical difficulties whatsoever, I could just focus on coming up with new, silly ideas, like the fishing pole. Plus, I had a lot of fun in adopting that Roy Orbison/Johnny Cash kind of look (with the Ray-Bans, the big Gibson L4 and the black jacket).

Me: Is that your dog in the video? What's his name?

Marc: I have three dogs: Mulder a dachshund, Georgie a Jack Russell and Blue the fawn Doberman you see in the clip. Most people don’t know it, but Dobermans are real sweethearts when trained correctly. And this one is no exception. I’m just crazy about him!

Me: Marc, thanks so much for being on the Phile again. You are welcomed back anytime. Go ahead and plug your website and anything else you wish. Take care, and au revoir.

Marc: Thank you, Jason! I’m really glad we stayed in touch! Long live the Peverett Phile! And to all your readers: join me of Facebook anytime! It would certainly mean a lot to me! facebook.com/pages/Infinite-Lane-Highway/91009765815,  itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/infinite-lane-highway/id290959141, infinitelanehighway.com.

Well, that about does it for another entry. Thanks to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and of course Marc Savoie. The will be back next Sunday, can you wait that long, with the 500th entry pheaturing rock and roll legend Dion. Then on Monday it's Alumni Mike Finnigan from Phantom Blues Band. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.

Pheaturing Bree Rose

Hello, kids, welcome to the Phile on a Saturday. How are you?  So, this week Mitt Romney will campaign in Las Vegas with Donald Trump and Newt Gingrich. Did somebody say The Hangover, Part III?  First lady Michelle Obama said that if she could trade places with anyone in the world, it would be Beyoncé. Of course it got awkward when Barack was like, “I’m game!”  Did you guys see this? Last week at the Twins-White Sox game in Chicago, Snoop Dogg threw out the first pitch. And as predicted, the pitch was pretty high.  This week a solar-powered plane attempted to fly more than 1,500 miles. It was going great until the plane encountered one technical problem... night.  It was announced that they're auctioning off the Elvis tomb. The auction house in Memphis actually is selling the place where Elvis left the building. He's not in there, of course, because he's working in a gas station in Henderson, Nevada. Selling celebrity memorabilia is nothing new. It started in prehistoric times. Cavemen used to bid on animal skins worn by Larry King.   Well, as most of you know I am from Great Britain and it's a proud day for us Brits, today is the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years she has been Queen. I haven't been to England in a few years but it seems times are tough. Look at this picture of the Queen as she left Buckingham Palace today.

Speaking of Queen's, this weekend at Disney World, the greatest company to work for ever, it is Gay Days. Although neither Walt Disney World nor any of the parks or tourism organizations in greater Orlando actually produce this event, they do sanction and support this week-long series of social gatherings at the area's various theme parks and hotels as well as both circuit-style parties and concerts along with more laid-back revelry at countless venues throughout the region. That's the official word anyway. Anyway, like I said, even though Disney doesn't produce the event they do cash in. Check out these pins they are selling this weekend.

I want the Princess one. Disney says they don't have any gay characters, but I beg to differ. May I present you Exhibit A.

If you don't know if you're gay or not there's a way to tell. Check this out.

Hmmmm... lemme check. And now from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York, here is this week's...

Top Ten Signs You're Eating At A Bad Fast Food Restaurant
10. Free EKG with every meal.
9. Cashier and fry cook do high fives when they make a sale.
8. Everyone is watching you take your first bite.
7. The roaches all look like they're starving.
6. Manager insists on taste-testing each item before it goes in the bag.
5. Employees wash hands BEFORE using the restroom.
4. You get the feeling they stole the big yellow "W" from some other restaurant.
3. Warning label reads, "Chicken Fingers may contain actual chicken fingers".
2. You hear Chris Christie say, "I'll just have coffee."
And the number one sign you're eating at a bad fast food restaurant...
1. Melancholy Meals.


Alright, well, Star Wars Month on the Phile is over but there's still two more films Jeff and I have to chat about. Today is my favorite amongst all the Star Wars films. Please welcome back to the Phile, my good friend Jeff Trelewicz.

Me: Hello, Jeff, welcome back to the Phile. I am so excited to be talking about The Empire Strikes Back as this is my favorite of all six films. You said it's your favorite as well, right? It's the film that introduced us to Boba Fett and Yoda, and Lando, three of my favorite characters.

Jeff: I am excited to talk to you about Episode 5, The Empire Strikes Back. Yeah, I said it's my favorite too. It has a little bit of everything for everyone. There is a little comedy. A whole lot of action. A little romance. Plus no stinking Ewoks! And like you said, it introduces three iconic characters in Boba Fett, Yoda and Lando.

Me: Jeff, what's your favorite part of the movie?

Jeff: I think my favorite part has got to be the scene in Cloud City where Boba Fett has Han and they are getting ready to put him in the carbonite. The "I know" scene is such a pivotal scene but it never gets enough credit. But Boba Fett is clearly my all time favorite Star Wars character.

Me: Okay, I have a few questions about the film that I would love to get your take on, Jeff. So after the Falcon floats off with the garbage they look for a place to go and find Cloud City like you said. They take off and Boba Fett follows. Later Lando says that the Empire arrived before them. How did they get there before the Falcon if Boba Fett was following the Falcon and it appears he told the Empire where they went?

Jeff: I think it's safe to say that the reason the Empire gets to Cloud City before the Falcon does is the Empire has faster ships. Yes, the Falcon is one of the faster ships around but the Empire probably has some fast ships too. We don't know how long the Empire got there. It could have simply been a matter of minutes. And you certainly won't say no to Darth Vader.

Me: Here's some Star Wars trivia you might not be aware of, Jeff. Did you know that George Lucas will not let any Star Wars books/media reveal Yoda's species, last name, etc.?

Jeff: I didn't know that about Yoda. It makes sense. I could see why Lucas would be more protective of Yoda over any of his other characters. He is a very unique character that can't be found anywhere else. So yeah, I support that. Not that he needs my support.

Me: Yeah, he does. LOL. Alright, during the Battle of Hoth, why is the AT-AT walker suddenly easy to blow up after it has crashed? I thought their "armor was too strong for blasters."

Jeff: I think the AT-AT defense system was down once they are down, so it makes it so much easier to blow them up. That would be my guess anyway.

Me: Darth Vader didn't know he has a daughter... until the end of Return of the Jedi. How did he know that he had a son? One may think that when Obi-Wan hid Luke with his uncle, they'd have changed his last name from "Skywalker" to something else so that Anakin couldn't find him. Or did Vader just realize it when he was chasing him in Episode 4 when he says "the force is strong with this one...". This has always confused me.

Jeff: You should know not to question Vader! He is the strongest person in the Force in the Galaxy so he could feel his own son. Think about it. During the fight with Luke when he says "Search your feelings, you know it to be true". Vader searched his feelings and realized that it was his son he was fighting, that's also how Luke figured it out too.

Me: I say there's two plausible reasons. The first is that Obi-Wan wanted Luke to feel some sense of pride in the Skywalker name, which could strengthen his resolve to restore it by fighting the Empire when he reached adulthood. The second is that Obi-Wan knew that Vader would eventually encounter his son and left the name in place to ensure that Vader knew who he was up against... maybe hoping that some residual goodness within the Sith Lord would make him less effective in fighting his own son. Anyway, Jeff, thanks for coming back onto the Phile. Come back next week and we'll finish this up and talk about Return of the Jedi.

Jeff: I look forward to talking Jedi with you. Till then!

Okay, art lovers, the 18th artist to be pheatured in the P.P.A.G. is a comic book artist named Robert Pope. This is one of his pieces...

Robert will be a guest on the Phile in a few weeks.

Today's guest is a teenager singer who sings with her band The New Royalty and also her own solo project. Her latest EP is simply called "Breakthrough" which is available on iTunes. Please welcome to the Phile... Bree Rose.

Me: Hello, Bree, welcome to then Phile. How are you?

Bree: I'm great, thanks!

Me: You are only 17, right? So, are you in high school still?

Bree: Yes, I'm still in school and I will be graduating this month.

Me: Are you going off to college somewhere?

Bree: Yeah, I am. I'm going to stay local and attend Middlesex County College and I plan on transferring later.

Me: Bree, in the past five years I have interviewed quite a few teenage singers who kinda vanished for different reasons. Perhaps they got older and burnt out, or the music business wasn't what they thought, or maybe I am wrong. Maybe they are still living onto that dream. Anyway, have you always wanted to be a singer?

Bree: Since I was 8 years old, yes! I loved music and singing but I started taking it more seriously at about 13 years old.

Me: You write your own music, right? How old were you when you started seriously writing?

Bree: Yes, I do, I started writing at 15 years old.

Me: Bree, you've been compared to Avril Lavigne and I could hear why. Is she a big influence of yours?

Bree: Yeah, she is a big influence of mine. She was one of the first punk female artist's I heard and I wanted to be just like her!

Me: Who else do you listen to?

Bree: I listen to everything from Mac Miller to Woe, Is Me to Katy Perry. Everything.

Me: Alright, before you went solo you were the lead singer in the punk band The New Royalty. Is that band still together, Bree?

Bree: Yes, We are still together! We're all best friends, play shows and practice constantly!

Me: What made you decide to do your own thing and release an EP?

Bree: I decided to do something just for me. I really want nothing more than to be successful and accomplish my dream. This is just another way to help make that happen!

Me: Did the other kids in The New Royalty understand?

Bree: Yes, they all support me through everything.

Me: So, who plays on the EP "Breakthrough" with you?

Bree: My twin, Nick plays guitar and writes along with me.

Me: Bree, a lot of singers about your age try to audition for "American Idol" and similar shows. Did you ever think about doing the same thing?

Bree: I auditioned for "The Voice" a few months ago. It was a great experience but I can honestly say that way of achieving fame is not for me.

Me: Well,  I have to say congrats on being the top female vocalist by the Asbury Park Music Awards. Did you win anything cool?

Bree: Thank you! I did not win anything but it was an honor to be a part of the music awards!

Me: Are you from New Jersey?

Bree: Yes, I am. Central Jersey.

Me: So, ever played at the Stone Pony?

Bree: I've performed there with my band several times, I love that place!

Me: You have to be fans of Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi if you are from Jersey, am I right?

Bree: Of course! Who isn't? I just saw Bon Jovi at Bamboozle 2012.

Me: Man, my wife would be jealous. Bree, you have taken part in a few charity events. Do you choose which ones you wanna be part of?

Bree: I like to take part in everything I can! Choosing is not hard, if I find a charity that I really feel Icould benefit and help, I'd love nothing more than to help out!

Me: Tell the readers about one of the charities you work with...  Ampleharvest.org. Ample Harvest is an amazing charity that help give families across the U.S. proper nutrition with food pantries that supply healthy food and freshly harvested crops.

Me: Bree, now you have your new EP, are you gonna be working on your first solo album?

Bree: I am, of course. I am always writing and I'm working on new songs currently.

Me: Thanks for being on the Phile and good luck with your graduation and college. Go ahead and plug your website, Facebook and Twitter, and please come back again.

Bree: Check out all my music, videos and events facebook.com/breerosemusic or go to my twitter @ Killerbreee! Also make sure to look at youtube.com/breerosemusic.

There you go, kids, another entry of the Phile done. Thanks to my guests Jeff Trelewicz and Bree Rose. Alright, there's no Phile tomorrow as I did it today instead. Tomorrow we are going back to Star Wars Weekends at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The Phile will be back Monday with Alumni Marc Savoie from Infinity-Lane Highway. Then next Sunday it's the 500th entry with rock legend Dion. Then on Monday it's Alumni Mike Finnigan from Phantom Blues Band. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.