12/9/11 – 12:49 AM
Greetings from Gowanus.
I’m sitting in the studio, finishing packing up gear for the next 11 days. It’s in a pile the size of Rhode Island, and it’s making me laugh.
(Currently going into the truck: 3 guitars; 2 keyboards; a Fender Deluxe Reverb; a backup amp in case of a 22 watt apocalypse; a suitcase filled with charts, books, and binders; a percussion rig; a pedalboard; enough picks, capos and strings to outfit a hootenanny; a fully functioning audio/midi editing suite; a 5’ portable projection screen; a box of tea lights; and, a host of other miscellaneous gear that will show its face at one time or another during the run.) I just find it funny that all of this stuff is needed to pull off what’s about to happen. Seriously.
Tonight (I typed tomorrow night, looked at the clock in disbelief, and revised) is the 1st Warehouse Shabbat service held outside of NYC. We take over Velvet Lounge tonight (U street, peeps) and bring a little electrified worship to the nation’s capital. Rabbi Esther Lederman and Michelle Citrin will join us for an evening of food, drink and prayer sponsored by the Reform Action Center, the Union for Reform Judaism, Temple Micah and NextDorDC. Don’t miss this. We ordered souvlaki. Alex (on bass) is Greek, and he’s overwhelmingly excited on your behalf. We also ordered sushi. Rob (on drums) is Jewish, is allergic to such things, and is excited to hold on to his epi-pen.
We drop in on a private event Saturday night, and then relocate to the Gaylord National Hotel to ramp up for the URJ biennial. 5500 Jews (equaling 8250 opinions) will gather together to pray, sing, learn, and maybe even party a little bit. The list of speakers and performers is nothing short of incredible. The list of attendees is even more so. This is the culmination of two solid years of work, and I am completely thrilled to see it come to life.
Other fun news:
Sleepless in Seattle is rolling along, and is on track for a June, 2012 opening at the Pasadena Playhouse. This is not a drill.
Even more importantly(!): Judah, my youngest boy, has learned to say the word “shoes.” Consequently, much of our time together is currently focused on my willingness to keep putting them on his feet; this after they’ve been put on and subsequently taken off and thrown into various locations throughout our apartment. He will retrieve them, come running back, and (in his way) carry on an extensive conversation about the procedure. Priceless.
Ok. The sun is up. Looking forward to a wonderful ride. Also looking forward to an entire week of sleep when this is through. Shabbat Shalom.
