Wednesday, July 6, 2005
Kind of a dark, dreary day here in town. But, it's gonna be a great day.
Weather-wise, we just had another wonderful weekend and I had a great time playing music all over New York City. Central Park on Saturday, Riverside Park on Sunday, and the 71st St. Kayak Dock on Monday. This Friday (weather permitting) I'll be back on Pier 45 in the Village for the "Sunset Concert Series"... then, we start the weekend all over again.
I'm a very lucky man. If you stayed in town this past weekend and spent any time with me... THANKS A LOT!
But, today is gonna be a fascinating day for me and few of my good friends. My buddy, Dennis, and I are gonna borrow James Marino's car and roll down to Staten Island to meet with a remarkable woman who started something called the "Global Medical Relief Fund". We're bringing the proposal that Mimi Evans put together for the benefit concert we're planning, so that we can get this project off the ground. We want to start helping this woman, and people like her, help the people who are being hurt most in this nightmare of a war in Iraq... the children... the innocent mothers and fathers... the civilians who are bearing the brunt of the casualties over there. These ordinary people, people just like you and me, are largely being ignored by the people in Washington and the American people in general. (They are certainly being ignored by the Maerican "news" media, who are more interested in bringing you follow up stories on Martha Stewart and wealthy, white, female, missing persons in Aruba.)
But, the people whose lives are being torn apart in Iraq need help.
And, this woman...
...Elissa Montanti, is working miracles.
Recently, in my life, an incredible circle of wonderful people is coming together. Y'know? I finally got to meet our friend, Gordon, in Central Park the other day. He's back from spending over a year in Iraq and Afghanistan. I'll be in Washington in two weeks to meet with people from a certain Senator's office, and the people at CIVIC. (The group that Marla Ruzicka started.) My good, good friend and honorary grandfather, Sid Bernstein, is on board with all of this. All kinds of wonderful, good-hearted, spirited, committed people are joining hands in this. It's very... very... good.
Y'know what? If you feel like it, right now go visit...
...this website to find out about Elissa's work.
Um... here. There was even a fine article about her in People Magazine recently.
People
Anyway, that's what I'm up to today on this rainy day in New York City. All in all, not a bad way to spend a day in a life.
Y'know, I'm not about politics. I'm about people. I'm about music. It's what I do. I'm a music man. But, I'm not a dancing monkey with his head in the sand, either. Hopefully, every day... I try my best just to be one of the "good guys". (I don't always succeed, but I try.) Y'know, I still get emails once in a while from people who complain about the fact that, out of a 6 hour concert of music on a Saturday afternoon, I play 5 or 7 songs that reflect what's going on in the world. Y'know, along with songs like "Crazy on the Same Day" and "Oak Beach Inn", I've also written songs like "My Morning Coffee", (About the morning Baghdad was being bombed.) I've written songs like "Tired of Being Lied To" ...and, songs that everybody likes singing along to, like "Where'dat Money Go". And, that bothers some people. Last year, I got the negative emails a lot more frequently, but I still get a few of these each month.
No big deal. I'll handle it.
But, just for the sake of "gettin' it out there", here's my recent response to a very nice woman who just didn't like the "political overtones" she felt were "dominating" the music experience in Central Park. (I'll post it here... then, I gotta run. Gotta get to Staten Island!)
*****
Hi [anonymous]...
Thanks so much for taking the time to write. I appreciate what you are saying.
But, y'know? You wrote...
"However, it is no longer an escape when political overtones dominate."
Gotta say... Ha! "Dominate?" That's just a little nuts. C'mon... I play music in Central Park for 5 or 6 hours. I play about 4 or 5 songs in all that time that have a social conscience or "political overtones", as you put it. If it feels like those songs are dominating the experience, you might wanna look at what bothers you so much about those particular songs. (that's just a suggestion from someone who doesn't really care if you do or not, okay?)
And, besides... I often hafta laugh at the irony of it all.
Y'know? Yes, since 1992 when I first started playing music in the park... people have been requesting wonderful songs like "Blowin' in the Wind" or "Imagine" or "Ohio" or "For What It's Worth" or "One Tin Soldier" or dozens of others... songs that were written at a time when this country was once again hip-deep in hypocrisy and duplicity, fighting another immoral war. I've been playing those songs the whole time you've been listening at "The Hill" and you never seemed to mind. These are songs with a powerful social conscience and... um... "political overtones". But, now I guess some folks consider them quaint.
These songs, and songs like them, BELONG in American Folk music... they BELONG in American rock n roll. (It just kinda comes with the job description, y'know?) And, the newer songs, and some of the new songs I am writing BELONG there, as well. It's the gig. It's who I am. It's what I do.
I am an American singer/songwriter.
And, besides... I really don't have a choice in the matter. I hope you understand that. As an artist... and, as a feeling, thinking human being.... but, mostly as an artist, you just hafta write the songs that wants to be written. We write the things that are on our minds and in our hearts... whether they are love songs, songs about loss, songs about human spirit and commonality, funny songs, or yes... songs with a social conscience.
Y'know, JFK said that "the hottest place in hell is reserved for those who, in a time of moral crisis, remain in a position of neutrality."
Yeah, "escape" is always a choice... but, writing about this stuff is part of being an American singer/songwriter.... folk musician... in the tradition of Dylan, Crosby-Stills & Nash, and Neil Young, and Pete Seeger, and Guthrie... and, on and on and on....
If those 4 or 5 songs over the course of a 6 hour set make the experience unpalatable for you... really nothing I can do about that. I'll deal with it. It's been nice singing for you all these years and hope you remember most of the experience fondly. (Don't be too hard on me in your memory, okay?) I've really appreciated you hanging out with me. And, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. But, I write what I write... and I sing what I sing.
And, thanks again for caring enough to share your feelings with me.
I hope you will fare well.
Thanks again
David
*****
Oh, and listen... when I call this an "immoral war", don't go sending me emails telling me I'm not supporting our troops or whatever bluster you wanna come up with... yak-yak-yak. (Y'know, like the people who drive SUV's but put a sticker of a flag or a yellow ribbon on their huge bumpers.) I feel the brave men and women in the military are now fighting the noblest of fights... to do their job, to somehow end this nightmarish blunder, to somehow repair the damage that this Bush administration has done in the world... and, I believe they are now sacrificing and giving their all so that NO ONE EVER LIES TO US AGAIN!
Anyway, that's all from me right now.
Maybe I'll stop in the "Forum" (message board) tonight when I get back.
You're all welcome to jump in there and talk about whatever you want.... music, movies, Love, sex, world events... each other... whatever.
And, whatever you are doing today, hope you make it worthwhile.
Thanks again.
Wouldn't Want It Any Other Way (CD)
I Love The Company (CD)
Common Ground
The People on the Hill
Crazy On The Same Day
It's Just Us (Live)
Talk Louder (single)
Right now in Central Park:
