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GUNG HAY FAT CHOY

恭賀新禧

(Here’s to the New Year, not like the Old Year)

 Back in the days when the U.S. Postal Service delivered mail on Saturdays, I always used to send out New Years’ cards. As my circle of friends, folks who knew my work, and family grew in number, it wound up being a very expensive proposition. Plus, most of the time, I wouldn’t get it together to actually get the picture selected for the card, the card designed, and the mailing labels printed until well into late January. To repair this, I decided they should be Chinese New Year cards instead. So – even though it’s a little past due – Happy Year of the Snake, everyone!

The Chinese zodiac, which is what the “Year of’s” are all about, says this about Snake people: “… the Snake is listed after the Dragon, but its place and its significance as a symbol of worship is far less than that of the Dragon.” Since I was born in a Dragon year, I’m fine with that. Actually, though, truth be told, I don’t believe in astrology, Chinese or otherwise. But when I was a young teenager in the ‘60s, and I read that Scorpio was the “sexy” sign, I admit I thought… well… yeah!

In 2012, I played lots of local venues, from comedy shows, to spoken word events, to songwriter round-robins. One of my favorite shows was earlier last year at the Fremont Centre Theatre. My good friends Lissa and Jim Reynolds, who own the theater, put me on during the Pasadena Art Walk, and there was a nice crowd there, including some very good friends like Steven Banks (aka Billy the Mime) and Tom McLoughlin (not the “Billy Jack” Tom Laughlin, but THIS one).

In October I got to play hotel rooms, guerilla-style at FAR-West, along with the likes of Kevin Fisher, and Robert Morgan Fisher (no relation…that we know of). Plus, I had a birthday extravaganza where I nearly gave my wife a heart attack by inviting over 165 people to come eat, drink, see me do a show, and watch me turn 60 (a SEXagenarian, correcting my blog announcement at the time which added 10 years to my age).

I hope I’m becoming a fixture (like a soapdish, perhaps) in the LA singer-songwriter community.  I am always humbled by the level of talent here, but when I take a moment to look at how great those folks are that I often get to perform on a stage with – well, I figure as long as I’m not getting booed off, I must belong there, too. (Here I have to make a mention of the sad loss of John Braheny, a man to whom all songwriters, especially the many who were directly  helped by him, owe a debt of gratitude.)

2012 was a tough year for a lot of folks. We had our trials, too, but I’m not complaining. I’m writing a lot of new songs, and getting to perform some of them in some very cool places. Here are some that are coming up:

Feb. 17^th – FOLKTACULAR, created and hosted by the above-mentioned Robert Morgan Fisher. In the spirit of full disclosure, I go on at around 10:30 as the start of the “aprés-show,” appearing after the headliner, Dan Bern. Considering the fact that the concert BEGINS at 2pm with the rocking yet debonair Clive Kennedy, and I go on after Dan at 10:30, it’s about come when you can and you’ll hear great music.

THEN, a very exciting appearance on Severin Browne’s “First Fridays” series at Kulak’s Woodshed. I play a set at 8pm, then Severin plays with his great band, and, hopefully, some intermingling will ensue. I love Kulak’s, among other reasons, for the fact that it has a (real) grand piano. I sure like playin’ on them. And I love Severin because, well, who doesn’t love Severin? Although, to be fair, his wife Melinda Browne makes him even more lovable.

Coming up in late March, I get to do the Americana Music Circle for and with the incredibly tuneful Lauren Adams. More on that later, but save the date: it’s March 29^th at Mare’ka restaurant. If you come you get to see the amazing Lauren, music legend Debra Dobkin (who played on my CD), great guitarist Nick Kirgo, and bassist extraordinaire (and former Victoria’s Secret model) Mark “Pocket” Goldberg play, in a place that calls itself an “Organic Watering Hole.” I intend to channel my inner Mr. Natural.

BIG HOLIDAY-SEASON SHOW (Whoop-de-do!)!!

So much to do, so little

a. time,

b. discipline,

c. willingness to forego being distracted by the open window to the entire

world that the internet provides,

d. all of the above,

to do it…

Yet, here we go.

I am doing a very special HOLIDAY SHOW on Dec. 8^th in the lovely Thousand Oaks Library. I will be appearing with the even more lovely Rosemary Butler, renowned vocal coach and background singer for Jackson Brown, Linda Ronstadt, and James Taylor, heard on countless hit records, and whose new cd “You Just Watch Me” is due in Spring 2013. AND the equally lovely Deborah Pearl, singer, TV writer, and playwright, whose CD “Souvenir of You -New Lyrics to Benny Carter Classics” was released last year. I will be singing my share of irreverent (and heartwarming) holiday songs, and accompanying Debbie and Rosie on a real piano! The bald and beautiful Scotty Breadman will be providing percussive underpinnings (is that dirty?). Thanks to my longtime friend Saria Kraft for asking us to do this show as part of her “Blues, Bop, and Books” concert series at the library. Please come if you can.

Thanks to all who came to my 60^th BIRTHDAY SHOW and PARTY. It was quite a bash. There were people there from all eras of my life, from Leslie Peterson, who literally lived down the street from me when I was in 2^nd grade at Balboa Elementary, to some great folks I’d met only recently like songwriter/producer Ed Tree. My band kicked major musical ass, and my old friend (and major guitar god) Grant Geissman, even jumped up and joined in on the last song. Also, big thanks to my dear friend Rick Astor, who put together a DVD of pictures spanning nearly every time and event in my meandering life story.

And, as I have done for nearly 10 years, I am happy to be doing music for the Sit ‘N’ Spin Holiday Show on Dec. 13^th. This is the comedy/spoken-word show that pretty much started it all in Los Angeles, started by Jill Soloway and Maggie Rowe. Maggie’s and Sit ‘n’ Spin’s support has been an integral part of my commitment to being a performing songwriter, and I am deeply in debt to her and to everyone involved. Also on that show is brilliant insane-person Eddie Pepitone. Also appearing are the hilarious Drew Droege, Terri Mintz, and my writing partner on the musical Bukowsical!,the delightfully drollSpencer Green.

AND I’ll be performing Dec. 7^th with some of LA’s best songwriters for TOP TUNE – The Songwriter’s Game at the Fanatic Salon in Culver City, where we will each get 17 minutes to come up with a new original song. I’ll be appearing with the likes of Clive Kennedy, Logan Heftel, Cynthia Carle, Brad Kay, and Pam Loe.

As of this writing, there aren’t event pages for these next shows, but here’s the info:

Dec. 14 I’m doing some songs for my old friend Pablo Marz’ acclaimed storytelling show Tell It! at the Spirit Studio in Silverlake. 7:30pm, I think (check the page).

Dec. 19 I get to perform with the amazing and legendary Freebo at Genghis Cohen. I believe I will be sharing the stage with Robert Tepper and one of the greatest musicians on the planet, Chad Watson. More info as this develops.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERY ONE!

Every once in a while, I’m embarrassed to say, I get into political/philosophical discussions on Facebook. Every time I do, I try to be the measured, calm, non-name-calling one, and I’m usually successful. Of course, truth be told, in the face of the huge amount of condescending vitriol that is slung daily across the interwebs, especially in this Presidential Campaign Season, when you act like YOU’RE the calm, sensible one, it is, in itself, a form of condescension – the best example of that being Reagan’s famous “There you go again” smackdown of Jimmy Carter, complete with bemused head-shake.

A perfect illustration of my affliction (shared by so many) is this cartoon. It is by Randall Munroe. Those of us who write (and who are less disciplined than my director-writer friend Mark Steilen. I don’t think he has ever even looked at Facebook.) know only too well that every moment spent cyber-arguing with some blowhard (it’s always the other guy who’s the blowhard) is time spent not writing. So you get the double-whammy of realizing that you’ve not only sunk into the quicksand of a pointless Facebook argument, but you’re also not getting your job done at the same time. Multi-tasking!

I AM TURNING 60.

This November. It’s true. Yes, here I am a showbiz professional (a term of indefinite meaning these days), admitting that I am actually this age. If you know my songs at all, you know that I’m not hiding anything, my age is my “hook.” I realize this is going to ruin my chances at being the next teen sensation. Oh well.

My wife asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday. I said what I would really like to do is a birthday concert. The last time I did a full show, with just me and my band (folks like Scott Breadman, Steve Deutsch, and others), was last February at the Fremont Centre Theatre, and I had a blast, so this seems like a good reason to do one again.

I will send out more details, but for those of you who might ever have thought to themselves, “You know, I’d like to go out and see Gary play sometime, but I just haven’t had the chance,” Well, this is the one to be at, I gar-ron-tee! I’m shooting for November 17^th. I’ll send more details as soon as they come together. Feel free to drop me a line if you have any thoughts about it, or you want to make sure you’re specially notified: garystockdale@gmail.com

Here are upcoming gigs for September.

9/10 – I’m the musical entertainment, appearing with Kelly Carlin, and “TV’s Frank” Conniff at the Independent Investigations Group (IIG) Awards, Steve Allen Theater, 4773 Hollywood Blvd. Reception starts at 7pm. Admission is free, although donations are encouraged.

9/12 – 6pm PDT I’m being interviewed for 2 hours at Indie Showcase. You can listen live, and join in the chatroom. If you can’t listen live, a podcast will be available shortly after. Indie Showcase consists of volunteer DJ’s all over the world, and runs 24/7/365 in all time zones. http://www.indieshowcase.net/

9/15 – Another HELLSTOCK, the great Skip Heller and me doing our own stuff and trading covers at Rafa’s Lounge 9pm 1836 W. Sunset Blvd., LA, (213) 413-4464. Special guest, Lydia Ooghe!

9/21 – 8:30 Third Friday Salonat the Rapp Saloon. It’s Elena Secota’s spoken-word, poetry-slam evening with some of LA’s best writers. I’ll be appearing with Carrie White, and one of LA’s best-loved poets, the great Michael C. Ford!

9/27 – Sit ‘n’ Spin Comedy Central; Stage @ Hudson Theatre 6359 Santa Monica Blvd., LA, 90038.  It’s FREE, but it fills up so reservations are suggested.  Call 323-960-5519

A couple of weekends ago I got to share a stage with some cool people. My buddy Paul Provenza booked me for his ¡Satiristas! show at The Amazing Meeting in Las Vegas. TAM is named after its founder, James “The Amazing” Randi, and is a convention of science geeks, skeptics, free-thinkers, and atheists – a lot of black T-shirts, podcast junkies, and people who can quote multiple lines from Star Trek. As Doug Stanhope, who was in the show, commented to the crowd at the start of his act, “Congratulations on your graduation from Comic-Con.”

My people.

I love James Randi. He has spent a lifetime exposing frauds, charlatans, mountebanks, fakes, phonies, etc. – in short, anyone who tries to pull the wool over your eyes (and, often, take your money) by making you think what they’re doing is real when it’s not. He was famously (and unsuccessfully) sued by Uri Geller when he exposed the tricks behind Geller’s “psychic powers” to a national audience on the Johnny Carson Tonight Show.

At TAM, folks like Neil deGrasse Tyson, Richard Dawkins, and this year, Lawrence Krauss speak about various topics, like, what the universe is made of, why anything exists at all, and how to negotiate a rational existence in the midst of all the blather that passes for thought today. Things like TAM are not necessarily about changing peoples’ minds, but perhaps opening them up to new information. Most people aren’t aware of just how much we (humans) DO know because it’s obvious there’s so much we don’t. It’s also pretty inspiring, at a gathering like this, to be around a lot of people who live in the excitement of discovery, seeing great freedom in uncertainty, who are willing to have even their most cherished ideas proven wrong, should new facts arise. This is not to denigrate those who believe in stuff – some of my best friends do – but others of us want to make sure that science, rational thought, and atheism has, at the very least, a prominent seat at the table of public discourse.

We just returned from Washington D.C. and West Virginia (thanks to my great friends Chip and Grace Denman). We were in a record heat wave. And we also drove through the most dramatic and awesome lightning storm ever, that took out electrical power for hundreds of thousands of people.

This month I’m doing a pretty cool gig with my friend Amy Engelhardt. She was the female member of the quirky and cool a capella group The Bobs for over 10 years, and we started a band in 2010 called “The Peepshow Trio,” along with my great friend and percussionist, Scott Breadman, and sometimes Steve Deutsch on bass. (We were a trio like the Ben Folds Five is a quintet). The band had to lie dormant when Amy was in New York studying at Columbia. But thanks to Bob Stane and the Coffee Gallery in Altadena, Amy and I are reanimating the PS3o, as well as performing our own songs. There may also be a surprise or two. We would love it if you could come join us.

I’ll be in touch in a supplemental email for some other gigs that are coming up, but until then, please do enjoy the rest of your summer.