We left sorta early.. I didn’t want to drive at 5 o’clock through Chicago no matter what way we picked to go. Joe’s dad suggested we take 41 in through the Bush up to lake shore.
I’m not afraid of a little Bush HA!
Of course Joe calls to ask or make sure I didn’t listen to his dad.. Nah I listened to his dad..
So as we cruised by a drug deal that truly amazed the one teenager in the back I was completely unfazed. I did get a little fazed and barked a sharp NOWAY when she asked to stop and get a picture of ST Michaels. I’ve been in the neighborhood enough back when Aunt Lizzy lived there to not stop willingly especially to let the little white suburban teen out to shoot some pictures.
We got on the best park of lake shore drive and cruised along beautifully.. Admiring the sites and talking about future trips to the city we need to make.
As we pulled into uptown I had a little apprehension about parking Eloise.. Well anywhere with the Indiana plates..
My eyeliner was smudged from allergies and I wished I had brought more with me. It was colder there than at home and the girls were a little windblown.
We wandered over to the Greenmill where I left the cold teens outside and walked in to suck in all the Dan of jazz life’s past. Next to that was the coolest little record and book shop that my friend Brad had recommended. “Shake Rattle and Roll” I could seriously kill my pocketbook there!
We wandered into a few local food establishments the girls would not eat and then ended up at Starbucks. Yeah great dinner Mom.
Then it was time to get in line.
We sat in the car facing the line until it moved.
We got lucky that we were early enough to have parked in the lot next to the Aragon Ballroom. I took a panorama pic..I will include it at the end in the slideshow.
What a line!
But it moved and we soon went in..
The security guards were cool and born with humor.. We made jokes and were soon inside.
I was floored. WOW.. This place was incredible. The detail in the walls the painting the staircase.. Everything.. And the DNA left behind of bands that had played in the past.. Just wow.
It looks awful from the outside.
But inside it’s a castle.
So why were we there?
To see two up and coming pop stars from down under. Right now they share a number one hit across the globe..
And yes I talk about them all the time..
Gotye and Kimbra
Kimbra is the opening act.. And I am sure she will join Gotye onstage for their hot duet..
But first let’s get upstairs and ready to dance and sing and have a good time people!
We go to the floor and it’s still not filled.. Yet I know this is a sold out show.. The girls move to the front with anticipated speed. Very seventeen of them. I leave them be and look around.
I am still very in awe of everything inside this place.
I am not gonna do your usual show review with songs and shit.. Just my impressions.. I want you to feel me there.
Soon the lights flicker and Kimbra starts. I move in front of a very cute couple and dance and sing along.. Yes Kimbra has been a staple in the house and I find her songs poppy, dancy and fun to sing along too. I fall madly in love by the second song with her charm and youngness. She is adorable.. She is talking about being in a Disney film and how lucky she is to be playing America for the first time in such such lovely places to play.. She feels honoured to be there with us.
I picture Maia smiling and crying way up front as her fave song “Good Intent” is playing.. I post on my facebook how much I love the lady with the legs to here.
She is wearing the cutest Carmen Miranda style salmon colored dress with gold piping. You can tell she pinned it between her legs as to not give us a special kind of peep show that I am sure half of the guys there would love to see.. Ok almost every guy would like to see. Seriously everyone could crush on her.
She was incredibly tall and SKINNY..
Her band is a little dressed like a cross between an aha video and maybe a Michael Jackson cover band.. Very 80’s.. And the drummer is sporting one of the shaved on the side afros do’s that rappers had in the 80’s like Kid N play. About 5 inches high.
And just amazing live.
I was incredibly floored. As If she was the better looking Sia. And a non drugged Amy Winehouse.
As the third song started I thought there was no one behind me..Yet I turned to see that the floor had filled in. I moved to the other side and a little closer. My eyes did tear up with the awe of it all.
After she was done I made the mistake of having to pee.
As I finally got through the line Gotye was starting up and I hear the opening chords of “Eyes Wide Open”
There was no place to see him over the crowd.. I all of a sudden felt 3 feet tall. Too short for Chicago..
I wandered up and stood in a balcony alcove for a few but the lights kept flashing up and I still couldn’t see him.
Up in the balcony there was actual POT SMOKING!
OK so I felt old.. but clearly I was not the oldest person there..One of the straightest maybe! Ha.. seriously..Did I get my butt grabbed.. Maybe?????No not grabbed…brushed maybe.. She was cute.. It was funny…
I finally got to see him when the third song “Easy Way Out” started. He was using a video of his art work behind him and some of the stuff from the videos. It was a pretty impressive stage show.
A few more songs and another one of my faves “Customer Service” and it was time for the HIT.
What not at encore..HA! jokes on the people just to hear it! He starts with “Someone that I used to know and screws it up almost immediately. He then offers to skip it.. You could tell everyone was there for just that and he might be bored of it already. Still he does it.
And Kimbra of course steals the stage as well. She is really a force to be reckoned with.
And the whole audience sang along. I saw people crying.
I found this video someone shot of him doing this.

It’s pretty darn brilliant. I am so far back I didn’t even get to see half of the arms or facial things..It’s good for people and cellphone cameras and whatnot and of course Youtube.
Now the highlight of course is when the song was over 25 percent of the floor cleared out and people left. HA!
That person who shot that also shot these..

I gotta say that he played a lot longer than that.
Most of the songs being slower and reminded me of watching Pink Floyds “the Wall” performed by Genesis.
He did three awesome faster songs to close and then bam it was over…
It really was a modern day performance art music show..I can imagine him doing well playing the Fillmore in the seventies..
I wish the fans of the hit stayed to see his vast differences.
The talent was there..He gave 200 percent.. And his soul!
It took almost a half hour to get out. I hate the exit routes in this place.. I felt trapped and claustrophobic.
But then soon we were in the car trapped waiting to get across Lawrence to lake shore to home.
As we drove down lakeshore with Maia taking random shots from her cell of the streets and buildings we were all tired yet floored by the night.
The girls clearly had a great time. And the cold didn’t even faze them.
I wish both bands well.
They deserve it!
Here are the shots between all of and our phones.

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In this one if you look on the left bottom corner at the end you will see Emily’s side braided hair..Maia is in front of her!

I am late on posting Tuesday questions..
This is the last question blog as I am revamping it for next Tuesday in a much better way.. You’ll see and it will be totally worth it.
I will also be posting my Wednesday blog a little bit later today..
So you get a humpday 2ferone.

why is the sky blue?
It’s actually an optical illusion… google it..

why do short men have such annoying complexes?
Cause hot women are tall apparently and use them as arm rests.

what rhymes with purple?
Slurple… that Slurpee sucking noise you make when you have a hangover and 7-11 is the only cure.

What’s your favorite song from the year you were born?
Oh so easy…
1967 top 100
There is a few on there that I was raised on and just love.
“Expressway to your heart”
“To Sir With Love”
“Something Stupid”
“Alfie”
“This is My Song”
But my two faves on the list are
“Everlasting Love” and “How can I be sure”

How many different colors has your hair been through the years?
Blue, pink, red, burgundy, green, yellow(not on purpose)
White. And its natural blonde.. oh once I tried dark brown..

Easter’s coming up, if you could only eat one Easter candy on that day, what would it be?
A rocky Road egg from See’s candy

Do you watch Mad Men?
Not at all.
But I love Christina Hendricks breasts..

CARS!
Your first, the rest, their demises, up to Eloise.

Technically my first car was a 1968 mustang..I was 8 months old when my parents brought me home in that.. Green convertible.

Ok my first was a 1969 Toyota It died the first day I had my license.. Engine fell out.
Then for the next few years I drove my dad’s lease cars.. He worked for Ford Aerospace so I get to drive a new ford every year..
Escorts and Tracers usually..
When I got married I had a 1992 Mercury Capri
That was killed in an accident.
So I bought a 1995 Dark burgundy (red clear coat metallic)black Ford Contour SE.. They did away with the SE after the first year.. Mine was fully loaded.
I also owned but never drove a 89 ford ranger and a 82 escort. And a 90 taurus.
It was also a bug fest and instead of lemon law-ing it for us they finally gave us a buy back and we bought a 99 ford Taurus.. That same week I traded in the Taurus and the ranger for a 99 Ranger.. Which I still own.
I sold the Taurus when I moved.
I had acquired a Mazda MPV and an 84 Olsmobile Royal delta 88.
I bought Eloise my Flex in 2009..
Now just the Olds, Eloise and the Ranger.
My parents had more cars than me though..Including Nashs, and Buicks and Pontiacs:)

PLUS your ‘want/dream list’ the Galaxie, Nash and the rest.
I would love to have a huge collection of all the Nash’s in particular the Metropolitan.
I really would love a Galaxy 500/ltd particularly the 65.
I am also fond of of Renaults.
Amphicars.
Borgward Isabella coupe.
A Datson Honey bee..It’s cute
A Datsun Roadster

Thank you all for playing along and thank you for the awesome questions.

I apologize there was no Friday Flashback. I kept messing it up..
Don’t forget tomorrow is question Tuesday…Please get your questions in early ..
OK on with Monday at the movies..
I was sick this weekend. Ok it started last Friday.. I was on the air and was just awful feeling.. By Friday night I was a basketcase. I had a grade a fucking cold. Ughhh.
So that leaves lots of TV watching time.
We started on Saturday. We watched some really bad lifetime crap and then switched out to a really pretty darn good movie called “North Country” I never wanted to see this film as it had well Woody Harrelson and Charlize Theron. If you get past that then you got a pretty darn good movie.
No seriously.. Charlize is a single mom who gets a job at the mines where her dad works.. Everyone in town thinks women shouldn’t work at the mines and of course wipe their asses on their clothing lockets and personal belongings.
They even put the youngest hottie working in the mines in a porta potty and flip it upside down.. Covering her with shit.. Literally.
So she sues the mines.. Gets women’s rights and puts out some damn good acting while at it.. I didn’t say it was brilliant.. But it wasn’t bad either.
If I hadn’t been taking off to mass at Stan’s on Saturday I would have watched a film called “Grace Is Gone”
I need to rent that one. John Cusack is this man without a personality.. He is sort of lumpy and completely unattractive. His wife is serving in the war then of course one day she died. I left right at the part where instead of telling his kids that their mother has passed and he is taking them on a road trip.
John Cusack might possibly be one of the best actors in my generation.
Every role he plays he PLAYS.. He was really good at lumpy and barely likeable..Most people would ignore this man and his bad glasses and horrible posture. But he needs to turn it around for those kids and I want to rent it and find out what happens.

I of course went out to the Stray dog after mass and didn’t want anymore TV on Saturday. Got the salad called “Garbage” and a chicken club.. it was all kinds of yummy of course.

Sunday then I was sicker.
So me and Jack started out watching “Parenthood”..He didn’t like it..So then we watched ten seconds of Guy Fiero.. That didn’t go over well so we settled on “Ramona and Beezuz.” We missed the first few minutes. I would like to watch all of it soon.. I loved those books as a kid.. They did a really good job casting the precocious Ramona and seriously I kinda liked Selena Gomez as Beezus.
John Corbett is the out of work dad fighting to keep it together. Bridget Moynihan is his wife. The aunt is played by the lovely Ginnifer Goodwin and her flaky boyfriend Hobart is the super cute Josh Duhamal.
OK it was good clean fun. Safe for kids and a little heart tugging.
We get to see Ramona tangle with Sandra Oh and her teacher and do her usual hijinx.
Of course my heart tugged a bunch when Ramona goes to run away and her mom then packs her suitcase to help her. As Ramona pulls up to a bus stop and opens her suitcase she sees that there is a few super heavy items such a a bowling ball in the suitcase so it would be heaver and weight down. She ditches the suitcase. Read a book her dad doodled in and see her mom put the baby monitor in to track the child down as she “ran” away.
Good cheesy mom and kid fun.. Though as I got to the end of the movie I realized my other watcher left half way into it.
So I changed to HBO and watched “Grace of my heart”. A beautiful film by the lovely director Allison Anders . The film is loosely based on the Brill building and the songwriting love that comes out of it.
I would do it no justice whatsoever to describe it to you.. All I can say is Edna/Denise played by the lovely Ileana Douglas might be one of my all time fave female roles written. She is able to keep herself.. weak and longing throughout the course of the film. Allison didn’t set out to make her a role model or a hero for her generation.. She keep Edna/ Denise insecure and just at sanity’s edge all throughout the film.. You find yourself yelling at her to grow balls.. But she is just who she is..
And you love her for being what she is..
And more than anything you kinda find yourself in parts of her.
But of course there is Bridget Fonda.. She played the pop starlet loosely based on Lesley Gore.. Who also helped on the film.
She performs a song about having a secret love written for her by the song writers as an inside joke that they know she is secretly a lesbian and has to hide it because people were not ready for a lesbian pop princess.
Matt Dillon is brilliant on the Brian Wilson character.
But the highlight of my watching was this scene between the doc/guru visiting Matt Dillons’ Jay. Jay hadn’t showered in three weeks and was holed up in his studio after losing the kid while he was stoned with them at the zoo.
As Jay lets the doc in Chester sitting next to me lets out this long ass killer fart.. Talk about “SMELLORAMA”
It was beautiful.
Today I watched “My neighbor Totoro” with the boys..
I think I have made up a few lost weekends here….
Now back to normal right?

SO
I missed blogging on Wednesday and I am late today with the music..
My brain has been mush…
But this is a fairly painless blog to write and tomorrow is already halfway done!
SONG OF THE WEEK
In honour of the fact I will be seeing Gotye and Kimbra next Tuesday I decided a Gotye song was in order..

“Easy Way Out”
Seventeen seconds and I’m over it
Ready for the disconnect
Putting on a brave face
Trying not to listen
To the voices in the back of my head

Wearing me out
(But it’s alright now)
Hanging around
(Alright now)
Getting me down
(But it’s alright now)
Looking for an easy way out

SO I just love that song. No reason… The lyrics are awesome.. The video is hot and I can’t wait to see him live…

Now to the next category.. wow..
FUNNY VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Amanda posted this video the other day on her page.. And I of course reposted… wow.. Just wow..I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants.
I needed this.. And I hope you do too.
Do not watch with kids in the room..Or easily offended people.

OK So on to the “Secret Weapon” Ooo wait I forgot the flashback video.. Damn I suck.

OK now about that guy “Boris”
He had a hell of a week..On Tuesday he celebrated 22 years of sobriety
And today was his Birthday and he turned 192 years old..
Ok so maybe he is ageless like Dick Clark.
Either way I gave him two NOT ONE BUT TWO birthday shows this week.. To thank him for his service. He keeps my shows happy and going. I am grateful to his expertise and I learn from him every chance I get.
I gave him real live Gidget shows.. with me talking and everything..
I’m not sure how I would have kept my shows going with that little edge that he pushes.. I’m glad I have a radio partner who believes with me that the music deserves to be heard…
SO here are five videos I played between the two shows.

And this last one is very important to him.. And I just can’t say happy birthday enough.. So here it is permanently..
Happy Birthday “Boris”
This one is for you..

I think the question and answer thing will be a total fail..
Promised to ride it out till the end of the month…
So let’s do this!
.I do have a question; I’ve seen your pictures from your peachy puff days…how many times did you get your bottom pinched while you were working that gig? Inquiring minds want to know! You were quite the babe back in the day!
Actually padded once.. And that is it!
Really for some reason no one ever wanted to grab my butt. I would have hurt them anyway..I had more problems with customers after work then ever during work..
Once I was eating dinner after work.. 3 am right? I had sold some guy smokes maybe at 11.. He insisted on talking to me at the diner while I was eating. Would not let up. I had to tell him I was going to follow him around a bit. See how his wife likes that and all. He backed off. I couldn’t eat with people watching.. And for me that is clearly rude to other people who have a mouth full of food.
I hardly ever got hit on at work too. I had a 25 pound tray attached to me I could take off a head with that fucker!

If you could kill someone and no one would know and there would be no karmic or after life problems for you because of it, who would it be and why?
Now a lot of you will call bullshit on this one.. Short of Hitler I can’t see any person worthy of death.. Even without karma. Life is too precious..
Every dead person is someone’s son or daughter..I can’t do that to a parent.. No matter how evil they are..

Favorite character on Gilligan’s Island and least favorite character? Please don’t tell me you hate Gilligan’s Island!
I don’t hate GI at all.. Love it in fact.. And this is so easy!
I LOVE Gilligan.. Even to the point of crush level.. He is the ultimate little buddy every dork wants to grow up to be.
I do however LOATHE the professor.
What a fucking pretentious dickhead..

Now that that is out of the way..
Please send your questions for next week as soon as you think of them..

OK Monday back at my desk after a day off cleaning and doing crap around here. Doing what I love.. Which is a good reason we discuss movies on Mondays.. I love movies!
Another thing I love is to piss people off with my opinions so it’s a perfect world.
I bought a movie to watch over the weekend.. Totally ran out of time.. So we will discuss it next week. It’s called “Grumpy old men” and yes that is what I want to be when I grow up. No really one of my all time fave movies.. Ever.. Nuff said.. I never look at ice fishing or Minnesota the same again after a viewing of this film.
I ran over to the local theater to find it had closed. I was just there 3 weeks ago seeing “the Lorax”.. I am confused. Where did it go.. Well it’s still there just not showing movies. WOW.
I look at the local art theater in Michigan to see if I could see a film out there.. It’s in the next time zone and I had just missed a showing of some Keira Knightly film that looked like crap. And “the Descendants” was playing after that and I’m just not following that buzz.
So I came up with a great idea in my head..
If I don’t get out to the movies I can still talk about them right?
So let’s look at the next closest theater. I was actually hoping to find the new Roman Polanksi still playing at the art theater.. Nah it’s gone already.. Rodney said it was too long.. At 73 minutes that might be saying something about the film.. Plus he said it’s very claustrophobic taking place in one room the whole time. Yea 73 minutes at a dinner table with Kate Winslet might kill me…
Ok first up…
“ 21 Jump Street”
File this one under WTF? Jonas fatkidwhatshisname needs another vehicle franchise to ruin I guess. No way no how. I watched this show religiously when I was younger.. With Tammy.. We had our crushes.. And neither of us crushed on Johnny Depp.. Though he was a hottie.. For me it was Peter Deluise and Tammy ,Richard Grieco and Holly Robinson.. she wasn’t Pete back then.
Redoing old TV shows is a vapid boring concept that grates on my nerves. I am sooo not into it.. Ruining my childhood memories for money. I could give a flying rat’s ass if the movie is any good.
Now I did come up with a concept for “Streets of San Francisco” …Ben Affleck and Tommy Lee Jones bring back the highlight of my childhood. That might be worth watching.. As long as they don’t film it in Vancouver.
Here’s the plot. Darlene Stone(played by Elizabeth Banks) Joins a religious cult. Run by ex-con Kevin Spacey. With the help of a local stripper that Keller is banging (played by Tara Reed) they set to bring him down.. But not before Darlene attemps suicide with a few of the cult members.
Now of course this plays on a famous SF story in itself.
people’s temple Which still operates in SF off off Harrison and 11th.

OK on to the next film
“A thousand Words”
No clue what it is even about but it star Eddie Murphy …yeah… ummm… noooo.. not even on Redbox.
“Act Of Valor” “This Means War””Project x” “Ghost Rider” and some movie with the Rock..
One of them has Nic Cage.. one has real soldiers, one has Reese Witherspoon, and I have no clue what the other is but I don’t have care to look it up. And NO..
“Silent House” I’m Claustrophobic and afraid of the dark.. But I still might wanna see this anyway.. Looks creepy and fun.. But wasn’t sure I wanted to see it alone. In the dark with strangers.
“John Carter” I loved the book.. The star looks hot.. But Redbox will have it soon enough.
And finally
“The Hunger Games”
Maia wants to see this.
NOT ME
Here is my rant.. We live in a desensitized society as it is. This film is based on books.. Yes I did start to read the first one and was disgusted by the premise. In the future in your district for a reality TV show you have to give one of your teenage child to this show to fight for the death so your family can survive.
Out of 24 kids age 13-17 one will survive.. If you have a kid in this age group I pity anyone that thinks this is ok. I am not sending Maia out anywhere to compete in a reality show where they kill each other.
It did lead to a few discussions about George Orwell and Aldous Huxley. But my mind is made up.. in this day and age this is no different than letting your kid watch Wolf Creek and Hostel..Yes with reality shows being the big thing I can totally see this happening in our future and with films like this desensitizing people they will think it’s ok.
Years ago they started to show dead bodies on the news. After a childhood of it being the one untalkedabout journalism law.. Just don’t show the carnage., well now in this day and age the carnage is everywhere.
Back to Jim Jones.. When I was a kid Time Magazine put out a cover with dead bodies.. All the suicides from the cult. Stores refused to place that where kids could see it.. I was 11. I saw it when it came in the mail. I think my parents stopped reading Time after that.
When we show kids today that violence is a necessary means to survival we do end up with more teens popping people because death is just a part of life. It doesn’t MEAN ANYTHING.
I am so against this film and book series that Maia is not even allowed to bring it up around me.
Reality TV is ruining our children.
One of Maia’s friends at school lost her little 12 year old sister to suicide on Saturday night.. Maia said it was that she was being bullied in school.. And this is fucking acceptable.. What the fucking fuck…????
My friend Brad is a substitute teacher at the middle school this child went to. She was a bright honors student. Played in the band and sang with the choir. My heart goes out to her family.
Desensitize the kids..
It’s good for them right?

So there ya have it… Oh we got movies we got movies left and right …
UGH
So before I went to bed I put in a DVD..”My Neighbor Totoro” It took me ten minutes to realize I was watching it in Japanese.
I know the movie by heart.
I first saw the movie at the art theater in SF before I was married or even had kids. I rented it when I was Pregnant with Maia and bought it on Laserdisc when she was a baby.
It’s set in a time of innocence when kids run free and play with the king of the forest. Dads are busy all day because mom is suffering in a hospital in a far away town.
But the kids have neighbors and no one is worried till one goes missing.. But even then it’s so pure you can’t help but feel it.
In the book there is just one small child.. Satsuki. In the movie there is a younger sibling and Satsuki is aged. It takes place in a small village in Japan shortly after Hiroshima. The kids and their scientist father who works for the university move into a decrepit old house near the rice patties.. Nanny the neighbor and her boy Cantu help out so dad can work.. His wife is sick and maybe will get to come home someday but the kids are without a care. They are carefree and loved.
One day while dad is working from home Mei the charming and precocious 3 year old follows a Totoro (a forest ghost) into the smaller trees under the big camphor. She encounters the biggest Totoro and he takes on watching over her for the rest of the film.
The film has magic undisplayed in many films of today.and even though it was made in 1988 it set forth a standard in Japanese animation that bonds to your heart no matter when you first see it.
Hiyazaki has gone on to make many more brilliant feel good films for the grownups to enjoy with their children and grownups without children who just want to feel good. “Princess Mononoke”, ”Spirited Away”, “Ponyo” and a favorite here “Kiki’s delivery Service”.. Along with many others.
I challenge each and every one of you to watch this film and not feel good.
There ya go.. A review for a movie I only watched ten minutes of in Japanese:)

Now in closing…. 44 years ago today my adoption was finalized and my brother was no longer and only child. He likes to think he adopted me..So they wish me a happy paper signing day every year.
I even thought of watching a movie with an adopted character this weekend..
On Lifetime TV the adopted character always returns as a sociopath determined to wreak havoc on those who gave him or her away.
In some movies the aunt or uncle adopted the kid only to have them work as slave labor or treat them badly.
Which brings me to the Muppets.
Acceptance in non blood families is the key to Muppet success.. I’m pretty sure Walter was adopted. And Gonzo is from outerspace and treated like family from everyone. Even gives up going home finally to be with his “adopted” family.
I am Gonzo..

Don’t forget to send your questions to me for tomorrows blog!

this one especially makes me happy.. i almost cried when i saw Totoro in Toy Story 3

This guy explains Totoro better than i ever could.

and ending today with what is probably sorta my theme song..
as much as “Rainbow Connection” is my fave song, this is my second fave for the reason you know you belong somewhere.

This looks familiar, vaguely familiar,
Almost unreal, yet, it’s too soon to feel yet.
Close to my soul, and yet so far away.
I’m going to go back there someday.

There’s not a word yet for old friends who’ve just met.
Part heaven, part space, or have I found my place?
You can just visit, but I plan to stay.
I’m going to go back there someday.
I’m going to go back there someday

I saw the outfit Maia was wearing for this dance number in the variety show and was like oh boy fun.. One of the parents had to support her right.
I was in the school variety show back in the day and I dreaded it then and I would still dread it now. Usually the popular kids singing songs by popular singers and an occasional bright and talented star amongst them.
I’m sure this wasn’t going to be any different.
For some reason I dread high school kids of today.
It started off simple enough.. I got there and paid the extra 2 bucks to sit in the first 4 rows. The band was actually great.. Jazz band. Really talented kids with a care behind what they were playing.. Kinda impressive. They moved from the front of the stage and the MC’s took over.. Dorky younger teachers who think they are funny.. Ooooh boy.. We’re in for fun.
This very flamboyant high school boy popped out next doing some dance song.. More like a boy band song.. I felt as if I was at an audition for American idol. All we needed for this boy was to sit on Simon Cowell’s lap and lick his face..
Umm yeah…
Then this boy came out and played a original composition on drums. Well guitar bass and drums which he hooked up to his computer.. It was kinda weird but good.. Too bad his original had shades of a MGMT song in it.
Then the girls were on..
Or there was a girl singer before them.. Quite a few of those.
The girls did great.. They danced to a Korean pop song.

It was fun and poppy and they dressed like little well let’s just say seventies porn stars and leave it at that.. Lots of glitter and sparkle…Wish they wore more clothes.. But I’m a mom.. all that gold lame killed my eyes.. But I was so proud of them.
They are theater girl friends of Maia’s.. The one girl dropped out after her parents said it was too sexy for high school and so Maia stepped in with five days notice. 11 years of dance lessons paid off.
I’m not gonna bash the rest of the show.
They are high school kids.. This was their shining moment.. Some could sing.. Some could not.. the dueling drummer boys were pretty darn awesome and this really sweet little girl sang a song from “Mulan” better than Christina Aguilara did..I was blown away by her. I even told her so after the show..
But like most variety shows there is an over abundance of singers singing popular songs badly.. This time Adele songs.. it was overkill.
But two things stood out to me this night..
A young tall girl in a red flannel and messy hair took to the piano. She sang a song she wrote herself. This kid is a sophomore in high school and her song was about the empty spot in her room. Where the chair was once filled.( A song she later told me was for her mother who had died last year.)My eyes filled with tears.
This was a sophomore small child with so much pain it cracked her voice and her words were her tears.
I was completely blown away.
I talked to her after the show and she promised me she would record it for me. I was honest with her.. Most stars today can’t even write their name let alone a song themselves. She was truly a gift to my senses and my ears. I made her grandma cry when I explained how I lost my best friend last year and her granddaughter was able to capture the feelings exactly.
And I was sad that she was just 16. To have that much pain so soon.
I hope that maybe I could help her. In a way she reminded me of Tammy. The words inside her were there to be written.. I hope she gets them out. The extra gift is her piano playing.. Which in itself was great.
The second highlight was really a two parter.
Last month the girls came home and told me a kid had died of an overdose before school started. I recognized the kid as one of the EMO kids in town. Well apparently he had been a member of the shows Show Choir. Proving drugs are more common then realized. Not just for the druggies anymore.. Choir kids theater kids.. The kids walking down your street with the hoodies over their heads..
Sweet and blonde.
And now dead. With only 12 weeks he had left to graduate.
The show Choir was to do a tribute to Jordan but the slide show wouldn’t play.. So along with the tears they sang to their fallen friend.
They were a good choir too.. With all the Adele singing girls right there. I recognized the girl who makes my coffee at temple among them.
I couldn’t help but wonder about The last post on Facecrack Jordan wrote.. Now legend around the school as the girls have told me.
His last status was he was going to ask out a girl in choir.. And by the next morning he will have a yes or a no.
Instead a half hour before school he shot up some dope and died.
So which of those Show Choir girls was he going to ask out.. One may never know but that is a sad way to leave off the ending.

At the end of the show and a few more songs by Adele and a cute version of a Chris Brown rap song done with a harpsichord and a girl sweet singing it the Show Choir decided to give Jordan’s tribute one last chance
The ghost in the machine gave in and they finally were able to play the slide show with the kids singing.
The showed a cute boy playing in his yard. Getting his Black Belt and playing his guitar.. A normal everyday kid succumbed to depression and drugs.. a life snuffed out at 18. Having never dated the show Choir girl of his dreams.. Missing prom and graduation.
During intermission and after they sold T-shirts with an anti drug message with the proceeds going to Jordan’s family to help the funeral costs.
I bought one
As I left the show I texted my friend Adam to tell him of the little piano girl.
She touched me..
I will always think of her song and her pain..
She really owned that moment.. I will think of the girl who sang a Disney song better than it was in the film and I will think of the Show Choir hugging after losing one of their own.
I’m really glad I went..
Almost wish Maia had done the variety show ever year.. shhhh.. Don’t tell her that…
Peace Within Jordan