gremmie.net

I feel compelled to begin by pointing out that it’s been nearly half a year since I last posted on my blog. ‘Get busy living or get busy dying’ is the first phrase that comes to mind; I heard that in the Big Lebowski from Sam Elliot as the Stranger. Certain it wasn’t the Cohen brothers who devised the phrase, I did a search on Google only find out that the preeminent Emo band, Fall Out Boy, wrote a song and titled it as such. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, though I’m sure the for the originator, flattery is not the first response. I am sure however that the new song I have been working on called, “I Sing the Body Electric” (after the Twilight Zone episode, which itself is a take on the Whitman poem) is what the origins had in mind. Afterall, amatuers borrow, professionals steal (T.S. Eliot).

The new Tenacious D album - a soundtrack to the dually released movie, Pic of Destiny - hit stores more than a month ago. Highlights of the album include “Dude (I Totally Miss You)”, which bears the same buddy-buddy rub of “Kyle Took a Bullet For Me” from the 15 minute HBO episodes of yesteryear, “Papagenu (He’s My Sassafrass)”, a song which also thematically borrows from its HBO counterpart “Sasquatch”, and “Beezleboss (Final Showdown)” which culminates in a kick ass rock-off where Jables, squaring-off with the Devil, bravely proclaims “You are the devil. But we are the D!” The movie, much like Borat, was entertaining yet tread too much familiar ground. The six episodes on HBO that were created in GASP! 1999 are a much better measure of the myth the D has created for itself. The movie tries to stretch out the myth of the D by applying a plot and developing characters where short bursts are betted suited and ends up spreading itself too thin. Like Borat, I would have been better served seeing Pic of Destiny virgin style because the inevitable comparisons eroded what I surmise what would have been a funnier bit of entertainment. But if that were the case, and I’d never seen Ali-G or the old D, I wouldn’t be a gremmie would I?

Speaking of new music, my band Gremmie’s Noisebucket played to a packed house on the main stage of the Knitting Factory in October. My little sister and her boyfriend (it’s ok he’s a good guy) showed up and so did 100 other Bucketheads. We played a set I’m proud of and introduced a Gremmie original, “the Opposite of Blue”. The next show will be sometime in February. The Bucket has been invited to the Jammy Awards this year which are the equivalent of an awards ceremony for who has the best and biggest boner. You know, the idea should warrant an interesting competition but in the end I’m obviously going to win and everyone else will be left hard-up. Pun intended. Really though the top 10 bands from Off Wall St Jam are invited, each band gets a short setlist of 5 songs, and awards are handed out at the end based on the number of votes a band receives for one of the many dubious categories. I wonder who the judges are and will I win best beard? “I Sing the Body Electric” will debut.

I have a beard now. After getting my cackles cut open in late November I let myself go and now have a full bush. Yes, double entendre - so funny. I feel like Paul Bunyan sans the giant blue ox.