Musical preservation, sustaining democracy, achieving world peace, concert photography, a decent cup of coffee, friends you can count on, rugged rock shocks, tasty bit torrents, adventurous non-fiction, stupid human tricks, two-step programs, eating locally, sustainable farming, eclectic fests, gig posters, vintage vinyl, comfy shoes, environmental advocacy, enthusiastic volunteers
Enthusiastic volunteers who love music and the environment -- ask me why (and thank me later).
Earliest Influences: The Beatles, Boots Randolph, Johnny Cash, Simon & Garfunkel, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Rush, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Yes, Black Sabbath, Santana, The Who, The Faces, The Buggles, The Fabulous Poodles, and The Kinks. Almost all of this music was brought to me compliments of WDVE-FM in Pittsburgh.
Also notable during my late high school years was time spent hanging out at Alameda Park with my frisbee-addicted, punk rocker friends who opened my eyes to the intense world of independent, hard core music, dragging me off to the Electric Banana for all ages choas scrambles with rising young bands like Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Dead Kennedys, Minutemen, Flipper, Butthole Surfers, and The Ramones.
Then came the college years and the discovery of the good ol' Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia Band, Old & In the Way, Bob Dylan, New Riders of the Purple Sage, The Byrds, Bonnie Raitt, Tony Rice Unit, New Grass Revival, Widespread Panic, Bob Marley, David Grisman, Michelle Shocked, Alison Krauss, Peter Rowan, Tim O'Brien, Seldom Scene, Doc Watson, John Hartford, Michael Hedges, Bruce Cockburn, and many more. Bay area music and bluegrass were my primary drivers during this period, but overall my musical growth was a bit stunted by my strong fascination with the Dead, who I saw well over 100 times between 1983-1995.
After college, I continued to follow an endless trail of bluegrass and folk festivals until I magically tapped into a vein of old time music via the Tompkins County HorseFlies, an energetic young string band with a penchant for experimenting with tradition. This eventually led me to the rich and vibrant Western NY music scene and perhaps the most influential band of all in my life, Donna the Buffalo. Donna is the host band for the Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance, a wonderfully diverse annual event held each July in Trumansburg, NY. Along with the Great Blue Heron Festival in Sherman, NY and the Shakori Hills Festival in Silk Hope, NC, these musical smorgasbords have engorged me with an endless feast of tasty Americana and world beat acts over the last 15 years. The result is a rich mix of exotic sounds from around the globe with a heavy concentration on independent acts from three American regions -- Ithaca, NY and the surrounding Finger Lakes environs; Brooklyn/Williamsburg, NY; and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Things I Hear Lately: In addition to all of the above, here's what's been kicking it for me: Fela Kuti, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, Ryan Adams, Beulah, Fruit Bats, Sufjan Stevens, Essex Green, Chuck Prophet, Chris Smither, Greg Brown, Leo Kottke, Skillet Lickers, TalkToMes, The Duhks, Keith Frank, Preston Frank, Chris Ardoin, Boozoo Chavis, Aidan O'Brien, Danny Barnes, Skillet Lickers, Freight Hoppers, Foghorn String Band, Black Twigs, String Cheese Incident, Steel Train, King Wilkie, Assembly of Dust, Africando, Bamboleo, Grupo Fantasma, Michael Franti, Sharon Jones, Budos Band, El Michels Affair, Sugarman Three, Donovan Frankenreiter, The Shins, Mofro, RL Burnside, Hanuman, The Slip, Solas, Flook, Toumani Diabate, Boubacar Traore, Thomas Mapfumo, D'Gary, Bishop Allen, Phil Weinrobe, and the Butane Variations.
Get lost in a good movie. I try to watch at least one a week... I can recommend anything produced or directed or written by Terry Gilliam, Wes Anderson, and Cameron Crowe. And Alfred Hitchcock was a friggin' genius. Rear Window and Strangers on a Train are two of the best mysteries ever put to film.
Best bet - Kill your television. However, if you find yourself trapped in a room with nothing but a TV, then hopefully you have cable so you can watch The Daily Show or The Colbert Report. I'd also recommend The Office, reruns of The Gilmore Girls, and maybe even Saturday Night Live, but only if they have a good musical guest. On PBS, I watch Frontline and Wide Angle Lens.
While I could live without TV, I'm a self-proclaimed public radio junkie who spends most of my commute time listening to NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Late night, I often tune into CBC's As It Happens w/ Carol Off and Barbara Budd. On the weekends, it's This American Life w/ Ira Glass. All are brilliant commentaries on what is happening in our world and it helps me feel connected.Anything by John McPhee, Kurt Vonnegut, or John Krakauer. Right now I'm reading Rita Marley's biography, No Woman No Cry. I am also a proud subscriber to The Nation, because the truth matters.
My parents, my wife, my daughter, my two cats, Marc & Barb @ Rock the Earth, Maria Montessori, Russ Feingold, and anyone else who is willing to give more than they take.