David profile picture

David

I am here for Friends

About Me

I'm a thinker and a do-er. And, at times, I can be a huge risk taker. A creative-type, nerdy and geeky. I listen to music that none of my other friends do, which means that when I go record shopping, I'm bound to find something that is only a treasure to me. (If you know who the Firehouse 5 Plus 2 are, you've scored major points)I drive my friends crazy with my two passions: puppets and banjos. But I do have other interests. ("You do?" a good friend asks) I've been lucky enough to make a career out of both music and puppetry. And now I'm fulfillng a childhood dream of working as a puppeteer on a television show.As for the banjo, here's what my friend Susan has to say: "If you and I were stranded on a deserted island, what is the one thing I would bring? 'You would bring your banjo...I would bring a gun...for me.'"If you want the whole bio: www.allhandsproductions.com and www.davidstephensbanjo.com
You Are Kermit
Hi, ho! Lovable and friendly, you get along well with everyone you know.
You're a big thinker, and sometimes you over think life's problems.
Don't worry - everyone know's it's not easy being green.
Just remember, time's fun when you're having flies! The Muppet Personality Test

My Interests

Writing, reading, sketching, independent films, puppetry, making weird things out of foam rubber, altertate uses for ping-pong balls, the banjo, playing guitar, songwriting, illustration, writing kids books, bluegrass festivals, informal pickin' circles, Terrapin Rye Ale. Homestar Runner!

I'd like to meet:

Anyone with John Hartford or Roger Miller vinyl they're willing to part with.

Music:

Acoustic, bluegrass, old-tymey, rockabilly, old country, folk, singer-songwriter, ragtime, New Orleans jazz (think Preservation Hall), and most things ecclectic. Anything with a good melody and smart lyrics. Favorite artists include: John Hartford, Roger Miller, Danny Barnes (Bad Livers), Flatt and Scruggs, Buck Owens, Grandpa Jones, The Firehouse 5 Plus 2, Stan Freberg, Homer and Jethro, Mike West, Iris Dement, John Prine, The Little Country Giants. (Friends have tried to get me to "rock." They always end up shaking their heads)

Movies:

Independent films and documentaries, please. Oh, and "Coal Miner's Daughter." Wes Anderson amd Jim Henson movies are also a must.

Television:

No cable in my apartment, so its just me and NYthirteen, PBS. But if there's cable, then bring on the Daily Show!

Books:

Sarah Vowell, David Sedaris, Augusten BurroughsRick Bragg, Tom Robbins, James Thurber, Rumi, Haruki Murikami. I'm a new fan of Joseph Campbell. Southern-fried fiction, biographies, children's books, books on puppetry, illustration, and music. I have a weird library of books. You'd just have to see it.

Heroes:

Anyone who has a dream and chooses to pursue it.

My Blog

Reba June Stephens

 Dear Friends, I hope this finds you all healthy and happy and doing well in your lives. For the few of you that may not know, I realized a childhood dream this year of working on Sesame Street. ...
Posted by David on Sat, 12 Apr 2008 03:47:00 PST

Because Becca tagged me...

Now I have to write a list of 10 things that people might not know about me. So, here we go. 1. I always have a kazoo in my banjo case (jaw harps are a definite possibility) 2. I love kitchen wands th...
Posted by David on Thu, 10 Jan 2008 10:46:00 PST

Frank the banjo player..

How was everybody's Labor Day? I had a great day off from work and spent time with friends. While riding the train back to Bushwick, a fellow wearing a Wrangler shirt and blue jeans (my normal uniform...
Posted by David on Tue, 04 Sep 2007 03:09:00 PST

I miss gravy, dammit.

Why is it that time off doesn't acutally turn out to be time off? This past week, SeeMore's took a "dark week,"which,  in TV terminology means, basically, a week off. I looked forward to lounging...
Posted by David on Sun, 26 Aug 2007 09:41:00 PST

Britney made me do it!

Far from it, really. It all started in a bar (Of course it did. How else would you expect a story to begin which ended with having a shaved head?). Friends Brian, Marcus and Nina and I went out for d...
Posted by David on Sat, 17 Mar 2007 08:30:00 PST

My First Random Celebrity Encounter

Of course, NY is a city ripe with celebrities. Part of the fun about going into Manhattan is never knowing when you'll bump into one. Now, I consider all the talented folks who work on Sesame Street c...
Posted by David on Thu, 21 Dec 2006 10:14:00 PST

MASTERTONE?!

New York is full of interesting people. They fill the streets, the subways, every nook and cranny is filled with  faces, voices...people. There are the occassional crazies that get on a full...
Posted by David on Thu, 14 Dec 2006 12:26:00 PST

Merry Christmas from Bob and Erma

Last week, I recieved in the mail a wonderful gift from my girlfriend, Brandie, which included a strand of Christmas lights and a box of tree ornaments that she and her mom had made for me over the Th...
Posted by David on Thu, 14 Dec 2006 10:50:00 PST

One big apple and a broken banjo

Well, folks, I'm in New York City. (Feel free to quote a famous salsa commerical at this point)  Thursday was a long day of flying and arriving and discovering that Delta airlines had, indeed, br...
Posted by David on Sun, 12 Nov 2006 08:11:00 PST

I _Used_ to like Wax n Fax

Ah, records. I love them. Good ol' 2-sided 33 & 1/3 grooved vinyl. I have a warm, waxy place in my heart for it. I love it because most of the weird stuff I like exists only on vinyl, for rea...
Posted by David on Thu, 02 Nov 2006 01:52:00 PST