the new ideas...

So as I said I think i'm going to turn my blog into a music one. Where I list a song and write about it.

So I think the idea will be to include the mp3s of the song soon. i think i'm going to make a whole new blog - we'll see. So here's 2 songs for today.

KT Tunstall - Heal Over

The first time I heard this song, I was amazed. I hadn't felt the power of music in a long time. It's the warmest song I've heard in years. Just amazing production. Reminds me of the first Zero 7 album, and how I felt when i first heard it. This is another song that I listened to over and over on those quiet dark rides down the parkway from rehearsal.
KT is pretty amazing though and so is her entire album. It will definitely be making the top 10 albums of 2006 for me. The lyrics in this song are pretty amazing, and she's an amazing songwriter. I assure you this album will not let you down.

Next: Keane - Is It Any Wonder

It's been a while...

So its been a long time since I wrote - and I'll assure you that this blog may not take a turn for the better. It may not be something that some people want to read (No, Jillian, no PETA pics). But I've avoided putting down things for longer than I would have liked out here. All over the internet.

I think what I will be doing for now is linking to random songs and lyrics that I either feel are hitting home right about now. Something inspired by this book. Now this will be both good and bad. Music's in my blood. So it's pretty appropriate to do this here. Or I could do the other idea I had. Which is make a new annonymous one. No links, or readers, just a place for me in my little head - documented on my computer, instead of in that book I carry around. Eh - who knows.

So a quick update on life and then onto the new idea.

Yesterday I DJed here. What a trip. I kinda felt cool doing this to be honest. Thanks to Peter for the reccomendation. I was a part of the show as I ham-ed it up with the host and then did a little 2 hour set for them. This company is amazing, and full of wonderful people, the quote of the day was from my brother said to me "I've been here for 4 hours, and still have no idea what this company does." I think I figured it out...eventually. Thanks to Kate, who told me is it now her mission in life to get me another DJ job. As much as that's really nice and I'm flattered, she needs to find a better life.

So that was all coming down from the high of the weekend in Philly. Returned to Pure for a wonderful night, and they're very excited to have me back in less than 3 weeks for the closing night of gay pride. Sunday, June 11. Where I will be playing what I believe is the longest set I've ever done. 9 1/2 hours. I already talked to James about getting some food up there or something. Karen may come along for the ride as well. Got to hear James and Jonathan spin seperately on Friday. Played a great set on Saturday night, and had 600 people singing along to "Express Yourself." I do believe I have to get an I (heart) Tre shirt for pride. Had 2 meals with Tommy, who was very proud of his latest work project which destroyed a huge pillar. Also spent some great time with Jeanette, a friend I haven't seen in a while, and whom I always forget I miss until I see her. We also ran into MJ (the light guy from Pure) on the street and hung out at his place for a while. Admired his cool eclectic taste in everything from paintings to furniture.

Oh, the play also finished up. All in all, it was fantastic. Had a blast. And it was only this week, that I really miss it. Well more I miss the great staff and the constant partying we did. I hear there will be a DVD soon.

So now for today's song. Hell - here's 2.

#1 Vedera - Lover's Lie

I listened to the acoustic version of this just about every night on the way back from rehearsal. Sometimes more than once. Check out Vedera on myspace.com if you want. Great band.

#2 Counting Crows - Anna Begins

I've heard this song a thousand times before. But something about it grabbed me a few days ago. As I listened to it over and over today. It kept digging in. When I read the lyrics, I'm not totally sure I get it. But thats the beauty of it, and well it's written by Adam Duritz; so you know 2 things for sure. It's about a girl and heartache.



So thats all for today

Frank

Performing for 30

Tonight I got to go to the tech rehearsal for this. Needless to say it was fantastic - I saw Renee Fleming, John Williams, Itzhak Perlman, Kevin Klein and Peng Peng (pronounced Pong Pong) perform for about 30 people - most of which were staff for tomorrow's live show on PBS.com. As you know I'm a huge John Williams fan, and it was really amazing to hear the theme to "Schindler's List" conducted by the composer and performed by the person who recorded that sad violin.

2 quotes of the evening -

#1
Who: From man in tech booth to person on stage
Context: Itzhak Perlman not happy with sound
Quote: "Ask him if he was happy with the sound at the Oscar's"

#2
Who: Robin Williams via taped video
Context: Talking about Julliard
Quote: "It's kinda like jail - except with cellos"

This was all possible because Billy's partner Mitchell did the set design for it all. So thanks to both of them for remembering - I really appreciate it!! It couldn't have come at a better time.

Frank

New Blog to Read

I would like to introduce to you the love child of the THS class president of 1996 and 1997. He was also a crossdresser in SING 97. The best to Anthony and GeriAnne!


http://www.mcmahonsbaby.blogspot.com/

Frank

If Only It Were Fiction

Saranne 03: if only it were fiction

Sarah and I saw this a few weeks back while in the mall - and thought - what the fuck. Next week what is it? Backwaxing next to the Gap? Pedicures in the fountain outside Sears? Sometimes, this island is just so fucking scary. And to make matters worse there will be this.

The End Of The Day

So after we had bomb scare #2 at work today - and waking up sick again - the day ended somewhat ok. I did book another wedding - which is very good obviously. However, it's kinda hard to go to work tomorrow and expect to actually get anything done - for the 4th day in a row. But just incase the day couldn't get any worse - I find this site. This is an audio daily double people - turn it up!!! I will be sure to write an uplifting gospel track about arthritis next week! Now I mean, there's PR, and then there's this. This makes me want to get Glaucoma so I can get high, and maybe then the song will be good.

Other than that - I'm off to bed - doctor in the morning and another sonogram tomorrow! Hopefully I won't be in the office if the terrorist fuck at work strikes again.

Frank

A little piece of everything...

So it's been a bizarre week - as they all tend to be. However this one is a bit different. I had a lot of fun and a lot of disturbances, relaxing however - well thats happening now. 12:30am on a lonely Saturday night. I'm sure my parents are having more fun right now in Vegas.

So let's start with music and wrok our way on -
I've been listening to KT Tunstall for the past couple of weeks - I will say that - as the album isn’t earth shattering or all that inventive. “Heal Over” may be one of my favorite songs of the year - possibly falling even into the best of ever category. There’s so many things about that one song that make it so amazing, from the production to the hook and back again. The "warmth" of the song once it really kicks in is just mind blowing. She wasn't well known, but then you get a top album in the UK, and people start listening (also see Artic Monkeys). However, sometimes mainstream music is actually good. In Britain. Sarah also told me about Corinne Bailey Rae, my first reaction to the single being played on BBC1 on Sirius was that I was done with the post-Jem / Natasha Bettingfield chick electro pop with actual talent sound. I know you probably have no idea what that means. However, after listening to Corinne's other tracks - I was trying to find out where she was playing live on Monday in the city. In any case - she's also good. Either wait for the US release ofthe album, or simply ask me for it.

Speaking of Sirius - I finally heard my Area 33 mix. Granted it was the last 4 minutes of it as I left a post-work happy hour at 10:55pm. But I finally heard it. You can always check out my website djfrankmanzo.com for some of those sets. My site administrator has actually been listening when I tell him it's on - cool - and bizarre.

Now we move on to other things - the play has been going well. I think. Still paranoid that we're supposed to be "off book" in 3 weeks. Which to all those non-thespians - a word I did not know the definition of and I felt like an uneducated ass fuck at work 2 weeks ago - means to have your lines memorized. Yeah, no.

Now we talk about the bizarre. Part 1 - Bizarre - yet funny. Natalie Portman on SNL.

Part 2 - Bizarre - yet disturbing. This past week - we've had hate crimes, anti-semetic grafitti and a bomb scare at work. Now, I assure you - this isn't fun. And more distrubing about it - is that it's most likely an employee. Things are only getting a bit more scary - as Wednesday it was anti-semetic words written in 12 places on our walls. Thursday - it was water in the toaster and microwave - followed by 4 phone lines being cut. Then at 11:15am on Friday - BOMB - written on a piece of paper in the copy room. This obviously created panic all around. Stores evacuated - the whole deal. We were cleared to go back in - but everyone was left a bit shaken by the end of the day.
For me - my adrenaline was on - I tend to deal with crisis situations well, but I crash big time after them. And that was what happened.

Fortunately - last night was fun at the house - probably more fun than my parents had in Vegas!

Till next time.

Frank

Springsteen sings the PS3 Chorus

I think when Bruce Springsteen begins to cover songs I sang in chorus in PS3 when I was 9 - he may have jumped the shark. However - it is nice to know who wrote some of these songs. Thanks to Pete Seeger - no relation to The Silver Bullet Band.

Springsteen's back with Seeger's songs

Frank

Disturbing..but not in a PETA way

Sarah writes: I started to read it and then I got really upset and had to stop. It's so scary that people like that exist.

Sicko "Marriage Contract" One For The Ages

This is an article - no pictures of animals being mistreated. Unless however - by animal you mean "Travis Frey" and by mistreated you mean "should be shot" - than this article may be as disturbing as that link to the PETA video a while back.

Frank

Tonight we're gonna blog like it's 1998

I've been doing a small amount of pre-Spring computer cleaning and found some good stuff. In particular saved pages from my old AOL website. Which, despite what Allison said about the internet, is not still there.

So if I get some time I will put the site up again, it's mostly text pages with the old school jpegs and gifs. However, what I did like most about my site was the collection of seemingly now classic "Random Thoughts." So I will give you a few till I figure out what to do with the rest of the pages. So here they come from some familiar readers here - ok well maybe one or two.


9/24/98 Monica Lewinski is getting paid $450,000+ to model in Milan because of her new found noterity--If all you have to do to get half a mil is blow the president...then show me to the oval office (Tom G)

10/17/98 "Bring Back The Richard Bey Show" (Tommy M)

11/16/98 Damn...you forget how much a shot of 151 hurts till you haven't had it in a long long time...(Jack)



Well on that note I'm going back to finishing up my next Sirius mix - make a few DJ phone calls - and actually send some time with the woman today.

Frank