During approaching evening rainstorm, folk singer and actress, Sara Melson ended her intimate release set by assuring everyone, singing “Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz.
Sara was a glowing warm light shining in dark and stormy times, reassuring people that things will be alright.
Actually this intimate concert was a live recording of an upcoming release, recorded live.
A rare treat being a select few, witnessing a capture of lightning in a bottle that will be released in an album.
Other than “Over the Rainbow,” each and every song is fresh and brand new and never been heard until that dark and stormy night.
That freshness was like a freshly baked loaf of bread, warm, soft, and nourishing.
As a first-hand witness, he knows it is the lead singer who gets consumed by fame. A subject that a decade younger punk rocker, Billy Idol discussed a week earlier.
People and fans project their fantasies and assumptions and expectations on the lead singer, causing the pressure and stress leading to alcoholism and drug addiction to cope with all that attention and stress.
John talked about how Jim was already a narcissistic yet creative and expressive alcoholic.
He described Jim as “creative, self-destructive Dionysian Alcoholic Sex God.”
John discussed there was sexual energy and sexual attraction and narcissism with creativity that all matches and combines together in one human being.
Remember in the mid to late Sixties, Alcoholic Anonymous was new and considered lame, not widely accepted among the Rock n’ Roll set, like it is now.
To cope and deal with fame during the mind-altering psychedelic Sixties, it was considered mainstream normal to drink your problems. John commented if Jim was alive today, he would be an health freak who avoids alcohol.
John added when The Doors formed then got running into legends that they are, Jim’s United States Naval Admiral dad was commanding battleships in Vietnam’s Gulf of Tonkin, that unofficially started the Vietnam War without Congress, Senate, or the public approval and awareness.
This created shame and stress on Jim Morrison. He coped by writing poetry that evolved into those timeless classic songs that defined LA and California in the Sixties, morphing into today’s rock classics, making The Doors legends.
Even the fame from admirers and his dad starting the Vietnam War, Jim unintentionally created the rock n’ roll uniform of black leather jeans and matching black leather jackets. John commented to Jim, does it get hot down there in the crotch?
That black leather jeans uniform continues thru Billy Idol. Jim Morrison set the standard for the continuing generation of rockers through Lenny Kravitz to Yung Blud of today.
To this day, dealing with being a rock legend, John Densmore simply says he’s divorced and still go to the bathroom.
If you’re one of the lucky guests approved as an Artist Den audience member for performance-artist-musician, Lord Huron’s taping on Thursday night, somewhere deep below, south of Pasadena. Sssshhhh, the taping location is a closed set.
As a form of thank you for being approved, these audience members were gifted discounted tickets to his real concert on Sunday night.
Lord Huron is a self-assured gentleman. He lets then thanked well-established fellow folk rocker, Feist, to open for him, warming up his fans with her hits.
With his ballet dancers, performance art, and projected videos on the background, too bad Spoleto USA has yet to get him. Hint, hint.
On an Artist Den taping, there’s no opening act. It’s straight forward on spotlighting directly on the artist.
Lord Huron’s regular concert is teaser of his closed set taping, come Thursday night, somewhere in the Inland Empire.
Thursday evening will be an intimate set that’ll be televised nationwide.
Having breakfast with Billy Idol, first thing Monday morning…
While announcing his new documentary, “Billy Idol Must Die,”
Billy offered wisdom being a punk rocker for 50 long years.
In his opinion and according to his insights, yes,..it is easier to get on social media technology to put out your music but the path and the road is getting harder as they are getting murkier and muddier.
Back then when he was getting started with his old punk rock band, Generation X, there was a definite road, path, and time line to career success and becoming a rock star, regardless of rock or pop genre.
It was a 5-years journey. During those 5 years, you discover what genre you and your mates are good at. Eventually, you refine, improve, and master that particular genre you all are good at. Finally, you’ll find a manager who’ll like your genre enough to take you to professional level.
There’s still a definite path. Billy told his fellow Brit, who just moved here in LA, that he was no different. He, too, moved to America based on what his American manager advised him.
On his path as a punk rocker, Generation X had to get a license to work a gig at a lesbian disco. That was then, when he decided to become Billy Idol.
Asked about his worldwide, notorious sneer, Billy says it still continues with today’s rocker, Yung Blud. The attitude continues.
Asked about being one of punk rock pioneers, Billy talked about punk rock’s origin. It was a backlash against guitar and drum orchestral overload of Led Zeppelin and Electric Light Orchestra. It was back to basics simplicity that anyone can do. It was the Sex Pistols’ anger and attitude that ignited it. Their punk shock on British tv, that made it popular and nationwide. It was Billy’s Generation X crossing over to America then splashing on MTV’s early days, that made punk mainstream, especially in America.
When asked if he’ll do Coachella, Billy is very much observingly aware. He mentioned that Coachella is currently Electric Dance Music. But when it becomes more focus on guitar, more rock oriented, then yeah, he’ll do Coachella.
Speaking of being established, he says the flip side of that, is ageism, and having to still work on being relevant to whatever is the current demographic.
In other words, if Coachella is more opened to presenting and promoting more rock, he’ll be more open to doing Coachella.
Talking about his new documentary, Billy said it’s about fathers and sons. His dad never approved of him being a punk rocker or his success until now, late in life. Billy reinstated he’s a father and a grandfather, himself.
Throughout the breakfast, there were people who were there with him from the beginning, back in the days. When an ex-music promoter commented he was there, when he promoted Billy in the early Eighties NY MTV days. Everyone understandably laughed when Billy said, he didn’t remember those days and,..nights. Fame was one big rocket of whirlwind.
Coffee and cosmetics pairing marketing to girls’ and women’s lifestyle have been fueling for two years now.
Even Kim Kardashian’s SKIMs shape wear did a Mel’s Diner menu collaboration, pairing meals with figure-control underwear.
Targeting busy, health-conscious women beyond the edible skincare smoothies, Dialog Cafe offers a quick pick-me-up of skincare Surreal Skin Latte by Makeup by Mario dusted various shades of cocoa and cinnamon matching his foundation shades.
Each cup comes with a mini universal rose bronze multiple stick for quick swipe for lips, eyes, and cheeks, as women sip their Surreal Skin Latte. Lifestyle pairing on the go.
Impress a date or a girl dessert?
During one weekend, Patrick Ta helped out designing a 88 Table dessert that matches his nude-toned eyeshadow palette that diners get for free, with dessert.
Saturday night’s hottest party was Micheaux Film Festival’s Young Hollywood Party awarding the hottest, rising talents in film. One of them winning the award, was Tosin Morohunla from Showtime’s “The Chi.”
The film festivals show trends. Micheaux Film Festival’s trend is young women film makers making very contemporary movies about dating woes, such as “Love Is Blind.”
“The Wire’s” and “The Walking Dead’s” Brandon Fobbs chatted about the difference between dramatic acting versus comedic acting.
“Love Is Blind” writer-director took charge of dating frustrations into a movie.
Poem video short, “I’m Love” is a video affirmation that makes for a great Dove Soap and Dove Chocolate commercial.
Micheaux Film Festival was a great time to discover and shop fresh talent and material.
In this age of streaming and post-COVID quarantine world, this post “This Ends With This,” “Regretting You” young adult movie catering to middle aged Millennials, who were teenaged parents to current teens, searching for a do-over, “Regretting You” pulling all the stops in promotional tour.
On its opening night, the cast warned up the audience with a free necklace, designed by one of its stars, McKenna Grace, a collectible poster, then a cast Questions & Answers session followed by a short two-songs, from the soundtrack, mini concert by rising Gen-Z Americana singer-songwriter duos.
That’s how you snag then keep your audience in the theater to streaming market, that becoming increasingly competitive young adult movie and tv market.
It really helps in the finance budget when one of the scenes is set in AMC theater as the workplace for aspiring movie student, working as one of its employees. Cross-marketing helps out a lot, word to the wise.
Don’t want to spoil the surprise, the normal young adult teen characters are relegated to secondary plot line, to their Millennial parents seeking second chances for an alternative life of “what ifs.”
Oh, the wise and Baby Boomer country grandfather made a joke about inheriting “air.”
“Regretting You” is now pushing promotions in a new direction.
