MY FRIENDS ARE GROWING UP & SHOWING UP ON LATE NIGHT TV

First it was my friend Baron Vaughn on Conan O’ Brien. Baron was always a comedian who was going places, but I just remember him cornering people in my living room in Brooklyn to try his jokes on them. Maybe he still does this at parties. But suddenly, he looks like a man comic instead of a boy comic.

Then Stephen Squibb, another fixture in my Brooklyn apartment, showed up on Keith Olbermann this week. Stephen was always super academic, heart-on-sleeve, with fly-away hair.

Here he is talking about the arrests in Occupy Boston. Despite what I’m guessing is a pretty high stress, high emotion, low sleep situation… he sounds unbelievably articulate and thoughtful. Lead my revolution!

STEPHEN DISCUSSING OCCUPY BOSTON ON KEITH OLBERMANN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os4oxWbGXv0

Suddenly, he’s gone from a guy who could talk about political movements and social theory to someone who’s doing something. I’m so proud of my friends!

It’s strange. I leave New York to pursue my dreams, and my friends did too. And within just two years they start popping up in really awesome places.

It’s like they’re laying the rungs of this awesome ladder that I too will climb up.

Fuckin’ hard work & a lot of heart. That’s what it takes.

Ps—You know why they’re arresting people in New York & Boston? Because they’re afraid the message is actually taking hold and starting to spread. They were willing to indulge a bunch of kids getting their yah-yahs out, but now it’s getting a little real.

Think about the cost of education, healthcare, and how many jobs in this “strong Texas economy” are really minimum wage jobs, then ask yourself if we as a country are really investing our money in ourselves, our people, our futures?

Watch In the Time of Butterflies (free on hulu) if you’re feeling the revolutionary spirit – based on a book by Julia Alvarez about three sisters who helped topple the Dominican dictator Trujillo.

But we’ll leave you with a laugh…. Thanks, Baron.

MY FRIEND BARON VAUGHN ON CONAN

http://teamcoco.com/video/baron-vaughn-wishes-he-was-in-plane-crash

* * * * *

Purple Rain turns 25

I know this is my blog, and I’m supposed to promote my music. But this once, I have to detour to praise Prince & the good people of Prospect Park, Brooklyn who had the brilliant idea of a Purple Rain screening/sing-along.

Purple Rain is 25 this year, which puts into perspective how prescient and fresh his songs still sound.

For three hours last night, dance moves, ruffled shirts, and teardrop-shaped white electric guitars reigned supreme. I am blown away anew at the audacity of Prince’s lyrics, the originality of his sound & hip swivels, how insane & perfect his vocal phrasing is. (Don’t be alarmed if I grunt & grind the floor at my next full band show… Is that illegal in Texas?)

Yes, the movie is misogynistic, with plenty of bad ‘80s dialogue, and most of the characters are kind of assholes. But how I wish for a world where all heroes arrived on motorcycles, gave a girl the earring from their own ear as a token of their soul. And that first kiss scene... you got to hand it to a guy who’s egomaniacal vehicle to stardom includes more than a few tips on where & how to touch a woman. (Seriously guys, take note.)

We were on our feet for the last three songs – yelling encore, tricked into thinking we were at an actual stadium rock show. It was that good.

I’ve been in NYC for two weeks now, my first visit back since I moved to texas. Traffic sucks. I’m beyond overtired, (on vacation?!). And lugging your guitar around the city is a bitch.

But there’s no end to the interesting, smart, unexpected twists life takes in new york. Standing shoulder to shoulder with 5,000-plus people under a full moon perfect 75-degree night swaying with your arms around your best friends, shouting an entire Prince album is something you should all experience once before you die.

New York City, I never wanted to be your weekend lover….
But I guess that’s the way it’ll have to be for a while.

One lyric/one song/one story about why Prince rocks your world.
I can’t help myself. Prince, Michael J, & James B. – together at last.