Knoxville

I just wanted to post some of the videos I've taken around my town: Knoxville. You can also watch them on my profile at DailyMotion. Also, did you know there was a knoxtube? It doesn't seem like there are a lot of contributors yet, but I made a profile there, too.

This video is my favorite video. I call it The Happy Dancer. The other night, I met the girl who got up there to dance with him and told her about the video, but I don't really know how to find her on MySpace or remember her name...so, if you know her or the happy dancer send them a link. [Oh, and I also can't tell you who this is singing, so if anyone knows...enlighten me.]

Happy Dancer
Uploaded by grandpoo

This video is equally awesome. I'm pretty sure I'm going to accrue a collection of drunk guys dancing. This was at Machelle Malone at Patrick Sullivan's. Michelle rocks btw, and you should totally check her out. I'm astonished that Knoxville doesn't support her like it should.

Drunk Guy @ Michelle Malone
Uploaded by grandpoo

And then there's this guy, who I don't think is drunk...just crazy. He was also "breakdancing" at pride, so I think he pretty much lives on the square. Here he's doing a dramatic interpretation of one of Hudson K's songs. You should also check out Hudson K...They're local, awesome, and on my friends list.

Dramatization to a Hudson K song
Uploaded by grandpoo

This is a video of the end of an Einstein Simplified show. They're Knoxville's best [and only] improv troup, and their shows are every Tuesday night upstairs at Patrick Sullivan's. If you'd like to go sometime, give me a holla. We don't go regularly, but I'm very willing to escort you to your first improv experience.

Einstein Simplified Ending
Uploaded by grandpoo

Here's another Einstein Simplified, but this time with a guest appearance from our friend Jo Dunkle, who moved to Chicago to study with Second City. We're kinda proud of her and kinda think she's awesome.

Einstein Simplified with Jo Dunkle
Uploaded by grandpoo

My friend Hallie took these two videos of Blue Mother Tupelo at Barley's. Blue Mother Tupelo rocks my world, and if you know me at all you've heard me gush over them for at least a year and a half. Not only do they rock out a joint, they are sweet as hell and spreaders of sunshine. They're very real and very talented.

Blue Mother Tupelo "Home"
Uploaded by grandpoo

With Ricky's dad:

Blue Mother Tupelo "Ride in My Wagon"
Uploaded by grandpoo

Here's Michelle Malone and two of Garrison Starr...both at Patrick Sullivan's and both awesome, awesome, awesome!

Michelle Malone
Uploaded by grandpoo

Garrison Starr
Uploaded by grandpoo

Garrison Starr
Uploaded by grandpoo

Here's Marc Broussard at Sundown on Market Square:

Marc broussard
Uploaded by grandpoo

And last but far from least...Here's my friend Samuel playing fiddle with his new band Smokin' Grass. I'm SO proud of him!

Smokin' Grass Singing "Wagon Wheel"
Uploaded by grandpoo

Smokin' Grass
Uploaded by grandpoo

Share Your Music With Me

So...two peeps of interest launched new cds yesterday: Martha and Alanis. Obviously, I'm way out of the loop, because I had no idea that Alanis was releasing a new cd, but I'm way happy that it's the result of a breakup because I really missed the scorned but vulnerable, transparent, and soulful Morrisette of old.

Anyway, because of Martha's release and the bulletin her MySpace manager posted, I learned about ilike.com. I was using Last.fm, but this place is even better because it lets you play full songs continuously, artists seem to be more interactive, it tells you the release dates of new cds and whether or not they're on tour, and like other places, gives you great recommendations.

I invite you to join and share what you're listening to with me. My profile is @ http://www.ilike.com/user/grandpooofaweso I just started yesterday, so there isn't a lot of info about what I've been listening to, but you should join because it's super cool. I have no friends yet and I'd like some that I really know. I want to stalk your music taste, so add me bitches.

Oh, and also, I love you.

How Not to Make Money as a Street Performer

I was trying to remember why I had the theme from Rocky in my head today, and then I remembered seeing this video late one night when I was probably high [on life] and how great I thought it was.

I'm not sure why I was video googling "street performers" in the first place, but here you go. IDK who to give credit to for this video, but many kudos to Tim Eric, aka grandpoo of awesome street performers...not.

Jesus Camp

Here's the trailer, but see the complete documentary [here].




Jesus Camp is about children who are being raised up as a part of "God's army." I had seen bits and pieces of this documentary before, and it really hit home with me. It took me 25 years to grow out of this mentality that I grew up with, because it's a powerful force. At one point in the film, a little girl talks about how there are "dead churches" because the power of God isn't in them. I completely understood why she was saying that. This belief [which is really more of a powerful feeling] is all-consuming for people who are involved in churches where the people are fanatical, and kids are completely vulnerable to the power of this hypnosis. I don't identify with Christianity much at all anymore, but because of my experiences, I have an understanding of the power it has over people who consider it their life, their calling, and their purpose for living. A lot of people think that individuals who are prone to fall into this fanatic way of living are weak minds, but I think it's more likely to be the most passionate people with strong minds who have misfocused passion. The feeling of having a sense of purpose is overwhelming at any age.

When I finally broke away from everything I'd ever been taught growing up, it was like I had been living in the Matrix. I'd never even realized how closely related Christianity and the Right had always been. The first time I really thought about it was when I bought the book "Mind Siege" by Tim Lahaye and was like, What's all this crazy talk? I actually bought several copies at a Christian book store because they were on sale and I was really interested in how the brain works. I thought it would give some validation to the struggle between learning and faith that I was having. Rather, it validated the vital need to re-examine everything I thought I stood for.

I'd say I'm one of the resilient ones, who was lucky enough to eventually cross paths with people who challenged my beliefs and helped me to develop more of a world view. Not every child will be given that luxury. Many of them will take up their position in "God's army" and be surrounded by this mentality for the rest of their adult lives and will continue to fight to keep our country full of bigotry and hate disguised as "God's love."

Love Me Tender

Look what I found :). I made this video about three years ago and have had YouTube accounts deleted [thanks to that video of Elvis Costello on SNL I had up] and computers crash, and I haven't been able to find it. So...I came across it today online by googling myself and was able to download it and upload it again to dailymotion [since YouTube hates me]. It was great to see it again. It made me cry a little...you know, in a good way.

Love Me Tender
Uploaded by grandpoo

"I'm Awesome, You're Awesome" the Ringtone

So...at phonezoo, you can create your own ringtones [for free btw], and I created this "I'm Awesome, You're Awesome" ringtone, because I'm retarded and I do shit like that.

I keep forgetting that once you create it, other people can then send it to their own phones. So...88 random people out there somewhere have my voice as their ringtone. Now, that's awesome...and also retarded.



Create free ringtones at Phonezoo

Current TV

Current TV is an independent media company headed up by Al Gore that gives viewers the opportunity to create and submit their own content. I think this is a phenomenal step in the right direction for keeping people in the US aware of what's going on around them both inside and outside of their own country. It also gives talented people with something to say an outlet. One of the things I love about the time we're living in is that we all have the opportunity to make our voices heard. Plus, mainstream media is highly censored.

Aside from all this, though, the pods [3-7 minutes each] are really interesting, and as the name suggests, it keeps you up-to-date; it keeps you current. If we don't know what's going on around us, we may as well be dead...we certainly wouldn't be truly living. To live is being connected to the things and the people around you. With Current TV [the television station and the website current.com], you have the opportunity to see, through someone else's lens, anything from young people now blogging in China, the mental health of US soldiers, and solar bath houses for tibetan buddhist nuns, to nipple ring removal via pliers by US airport security.

Look into it. Get addicted to it. Spread the word.

I mean...did you know this went on in San Fransisco to protest the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq? I didn't. I wasn't there, but that doesn't mean I don't wanna know about it.



Know what's going on in the world around you. Stay current.