Burnaby, BC CANADA - A punk legend / city councillor and local mayor have combined forces to create the seemingly impossible: a COVID-19 rock anthem.
Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley and Councillor Joe Keithley celebrate the spirit of our communities and our frontline workers with the release of "We're All in This Together," a passionate, upbeat song for our times.
"Joe wrote this great song, and I hope it energizes and fortifies people to stay strong," said Hurley. "It captures the community's grit and determination that we see all around us today, and calls on us to double down on our commitment to each other and beat COVID-19."
Keithley and Hurley performed the song - with appropriate physical distancing - for a video shot at Burnaby's Deer Lake Park. The song is both a salute to the resilience and perseverance of residents during the COVID-19 crisis and a rallying call:
"We're all in, this together We've got to brave, this stormy weather You can count on us, we're your neighbours We're all in, this together"
Councillor Keithley sings lead vocals and plays guitar for the arrangement, while Mayor Hurley, a lifelong guitar player, accompanies Keithley on bass and backup vocals.
"Writing this song was just a natural as I saw the growing effort by our fellow Canadians to keep as many folks as possible safe throughout the pandemic," said Keithley, who is also the front man for legendary punk band D.O.A. "It's my way of thanking and expressing my admiration for the nurses, doctors and all the front line workers. They are the best!"
Considered a 'godfather of Canadian punk,' Keithley founded D.O.A. in 1978. The band is known for its consistent thread of political activism and its diverse sound rooted in punk rock.
In 2018, Keithley took the band's slogan TALK-ACTION=0 to the next level when he was elected to Burnaby City Council. Hurley, a former fire fighter, was elected mayor in the same election and since then, the two musicians have performed together for a number of charitable events around town.
In this week's episode of As The Quarantine Turns it's been Netflix & Chill all the way Minions. Hey, I had to see Tiger King to find out what the deal was. Then there was the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Grace & Frankie and Santa Clarita Diet... and many more to come.
Thus I bet you can tell you are headed for a lot of opinions this week, oh yes you are!
My take away from Tiger King? Carole Baskin totally knows what happened to her husband and had something to do with it.
That Geico commercial with Ratt makes me laugh every time I see it
I burned my last F#ck a fortnight ago
Santa Clarita Diet is off the wall fun! You haven't lived until you've seen Drew Barrymore biting a guys fingers off!
"We can't always choose the music life plays for us, but we can choose how we dance to it" - Unknown
Has anyone ever tuned into an Instagram Live and thought: "That was worth it?"
A random marker of time, anyone?
The less said about the Jane Fonda/Lily Tomlin starer Grace & Frankie, the better
"I've got a barrel of this, what do I do with it? I do it clean, I do it clean" - Do It Clean, Echo & The Bunnymen With all the current rage with cleanliness being next to something or other, I thought today we would Hump Day & Chill to a photo series called "Shower Scene" by Suntown Photography. Featuring, nude men in the shower, hey what else were you expecting, five drummers drumming?! This is brought by Tye Briggs Favorite Hunks & Other Things. Oh and trust moi there are many other things this week, not just one. The model above is here to help cleanse your dirty wicked soul along with a plethora of other nude dudes. So why don't you drop your soap, bend over to pick it up and while you are there join me in a Hump Day & Chill. Come on minions grab a towel and let's get to it, Hump Day & Chill there's nothing to it at the link below!!! https://favoritehunks.blogspot.com/2017/05/shower-scene-by-suntown-photography.html
It's been a while since we have heard from singer/songwriter/actor Jay Jacobson. His last album "The Ride" was released in 2014. It produced an acclaimed animated video for the single "I Lived." Jay also starred in his own successful and acclaimed one man show "Mental Creatures" that he performed at The Lounge Theater in Hollywood. So where in the world has Jay been? Well you are about to find out!
MS: How's "The Ride" been since 2014? You've been pretty quiet since then.
JJ: Unfortunately, not by choice. I was nearing the end of recording my next CD, “Travelogue”, when I came down with a rare auto-immune disease. I’ve been on heavy medications, and couldn’t really function. I’m now in the process of reducing my medications, and starting to somewhat function again. The goal is to keep the disease in remission and get back to functioning normally. It’s been quite “a ride”, pun intended.
MS: Well you are back with a quite timely single "These Troubled Times" give some insight into the creation of it.
JJ: Almost all of my songs reflect what I’m experiencing as I go through my life. I can actually see my journey if I look at my CDs one by one. I came to a point, just before COVID, where I felt I needed to say something about the state of the world. I think just about everyone is scared or suffering to some degree, no matter what your political outlook. We’ve gotten so full of greed and anger, and so far from empathy and caring for one another. I felt the need to say something about it.
MS: I cried when I first heard it, while the whole song is great, these lyrics: "A nation stands in need Capitalism has turned to greed, We killed off the dream we had, And threw away the seed" really nailed it.
Hi Jay!
JJ: Thanks! The fact that you were moved is a huge compliment. I certainly hope the song inspires people to be kind, loving and generous. It seems there are definitely more of those qualities appearing, with the quarantines all over the world. I can tell you from being sick, something like that changes one’s perspective as to what’s important in life. And while there are some people who still haven’t gotten in touch with a “bigger” picture of life, it seems like a majority of the world has. This pandemic will definitely change the world and we have a chance to make it a better place. Hopefully, that is how this will play out.
MS: Any plans for a video?
JJ: I’m actually in the process of working on one now. I’m a bit slower at things than I normally am, so it will come out sometime after the song’s release.
MS: Spill the tea, what was it like singing back-up for Liza Minnelli?
JJ: First of all, it was a major thrill to sing with her. I saw her in concert several times in the 1980s and she would make the hairs on my arms stand on end. She is probably one of the greatest live performers of all time. As for working with her, she was always very nice and professional. One thing that surprised me was that she would be smoking while singing during rehearsals. It didn’t seem to affect her singing though, and in the end she delivered an amazing performance, as she always did.
MS: You did a one man musical show "Mental Creatures" that was very successful. Give some 411 on it.
JJ: “Mental Creatures” was definitely one of the highest points in my career and life. It started out as a way to combine my songs with my acting, and I started to write a show around some of my songs. At one point, I suddenly realized I had something to say, and form that point on, the show took on a life of its own. It took four years to write. It was a show about living life fully, no matter what is thrown at you. The degree we can feel happiness, pain, anger, love, and so on, is the degree to which we can be fulfilled. I played 8 characters (or nine?), with no costume changes, and only a chair on stage. I would change my voice and physicality with each character. There were three main characters: a young painter from the south with his first gallery show ever; a middle aged female window, who starts dating again for the first time in years; and an elderly man, moving into a retirement home. The show was narrated by a singer-songwriter. A huge compliment I would often get is that people expected the other characters to come out at the curtain call, forgetting that I played each character. I was shocked night after night, week after week, at the overwhelming reaction. After the show I would be told over and over by people how moved and inspired they were, and many would still be sobbing, and tried but couldn’t speak. It was a huge success, with rave reviews, and I learned a lot by doing that show. It kind of spoiled me as an actor, in that it was in something that had a lot of meaning for me, and I got to play many different characters through their breakdowns and breakthroughs. And I got to sing my songs and connect with an audience. It was magical.
"I Lived"
MS: Ever planning on resurrecting it again?
JJ: I keep getting asked that over and over, usually by people that saw it and want to see it again. I would love to do it again, so if any of your readers knows a theater looking for a one-man-show, definitely let me know! The show was taped, so I do have a record of it. I thought about putting segments on my website, but the sound and lighting aren’t particularly good. it was a filmed play after all.
MS: OK, I know you are a film lover. Which film do you wish you could have done a song for most?
JJ: A film that comes to mind immediately, is “Call Me By Your Name”. There was so much emotion at the end, a perfect set up for a great, emotional, beautiful song. And I did love what Sufjan Stevens came up with.
MS: What actress would you like to work with the most and why?
JJ: Definitely Meryl Streep. She is so present and so great at listening which is key to great acting. I think I’d learn a lot from her. Also Toni Collette, Jessica Lange or Saoirse Ronan.
MS: To be, or not to be?
JJ: That is the question. “To be” definitely! Life is filled with hardships, and “troubled times”, but there is so much beauty and love in the world too. Quality of life is determined by how we relate with what it presents us. Nothing ever stays the same and all things, good and bad, eventually pass. Life is a mixed bag, but it is definitely an adventure to be experienced.
MS: Let's do Thai Food again soon.
JJ: I’m totally down for that!!
"These Troubled Times" is out today, check it, and everything Jay at the links below -
"A-well-a everybody's heard about the bird!, Bird bird bird, b-bird's the word" Surfin' Bird, The Trashmen You've heard of the Surfin' Bird, now there is the Surfin' Butler, Gerard Butler that is. In the midst of a Los Angeles heat wave Gerard was caught surf board handed heading to the ocean in Malibu. Funny my understanding was the beaches had been shuttered and no bueno with regard to inhabiting them, but I'm guessing if you are a resident??? Moving on, Gerard is looking good in his quarantine scruff and unkempt hair, and then there's the matter of his wet suit, it seems to me Gerard's not so little friend would like to say "Hello" and Happy Monday! Indeed... Gerard on IG - https://www.instagram.com/gerardbutler/?hl=en
“His take on “One Night” — Presley’s foot-stomping rockabilly barnburner, which made it up to Number Four in 1957 — retains all the lustful passion of the original with gently buzzing guitar and as much glorious slap-back reverb as Danzig could find” - Rolling Stone Magazine
The wait is finally over as punk rock icon DANZIG releases his highly anticipated new album DANZIG Sings ELVIS today with Cleopatra Records. After crediting Elvis Presley as one of his greatest influences, DANZIG has wrapped up this eagerly-awaited full-length album, which is also available on vinyl.
While recording this project, it was important for DANZIG to not only include some well-known Elvis recordings, but also some that were not hits, but influential nonetheless. With tracks such as “One Night,” First In Line,” “Like A Baby,” popular versions of “Fever” and a haunting rendition of “Always On My Mind,” there is no denying, DANZIG cut no corners when creating this iconic record.
The first single to be released was “One Night,” which stays true to its classic Elvis foundation while exhibiting a modern alternative polish unlike anything fans would expect to hear. The single was exclusively premiered by Rolling Stone on April 9, giving everyone a glimpse into what this anticipated album will be like.
Now that it is time to shine for DANZIG Sings ELVIS, his loyal fans are being transported back to simpler times as DANZIG pays tribute to The King of Rock & Roll, Elvis Presley.
To view Danzig’s exclusive interview with Rolling Stone, visit here.
I have a confession to make, I have not seen Tiger King. Yet, because of the wonder of Social Media I feel like I have. Yeah, there's that. Well the media frenzy has extended to celebs dressing like Joe Exotic during their quarantine downtime. File that under things to do in Hollywood when one is bored. My pick for the best Joe Exotic get up is Rob Lowe pictured above. It's pretty eerie, and there's a feral intensity to Rob that really shouts "Exotic." Thus it makes perfect sense that he and the ubiquitous Ryan Murphy are developing their own version of the truth is stranger than fiction story. Hey, sounds good to me, and aren't you happy??? Rob on IG - https://www.instagram.com/roblowe/?hl=en
