A few weeks ago I read some of my work at Story Slam! Charlotte as part of a local writers' night. The lovely and talented Tonya Jameson shot some video, and Lord help us all, I'm now on YouTube. Five things you should know before you watch:
1) Why yes, I am a rather large man. I noticed that too.
2) I'm still working on the first set of reading glasses I bought a year and a half ago. They were the $7.98 special at Costco. I had no idea they had gotten quite that crooked.
3) Believe it or not, that's my real voice. I had throat surgery years ago and ended up with a voice that I like to call "obscene phone caller in training."
4) We didn't realize my beard would scratch the microphone, so every time I turn my head to the right, it sounds like somebody unwrapping a peppermint in church.
5) This bumps right up against YouTube's 10-minute limit, so there's a little skip in the middle and you don't get to see the wild applause, panties being thrown on stage, etc., at the end.
So if I haven't run you off completely, here's my essay on the song "Chevy Van." I wrote this for the book "Making Notes: Music of the Carolinas." The fellow on guitar is the great Steve Stoeckel of Charlotte's legendary Spongetones.
If you want more -- and if you do, well, thanks, Mom -- you can see three more videos from that night over at my YouTube channel. Yes, I now have a YouTube channel. The world is a strange and wonderful place.
Friday, December 18, 2009
My YouTube debut
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12 comments:
Fantastic.
Beware of the panties, you never know where they have been.
The voice, never thought what your voice may or may not sound like..I give it a
"Ronco in the larynx, larynx scrambler". +1 for effect, and adding an internal sound dialog to your future blog posts.
K-tel, ha were they the tape the nickel, tape the penny, or attach a church shushed peppermint wrapper on the postcard enterprise?
I think we can subscribe to that channel Mr. Tomlinson.
Good Ink.
I hope santa brings you a life tommy! it's really sad
I never last much more than three minutes with YouTube videos, and after your full-disclosure build-up I figured I'd do well to make half that. But damned if I didn't hang in for the full story. Definitely brings back memories!
Thanks Tommy, that was great, and brought back such memories! I like the Steve Stoeckel accompaniment too. The song that does it for me is "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)". Takes me right back to my youth, and all the confusion of growing up in the early 70's. Of course, a love song sung by a man who is too much of a roamer to stay with his True Love only underscored the general confusion.
Chevy Van was dumb simpleminded.
Johns R&R band in the early 70s played the Cellar were also so-so. There were other local groups much better like Crisis or TKOB who ended up in LA.
There was a three piece Good Bad and Ugly in the late 60s who looked a lot like Creme but busted up and formed some so-so band. They had decent talent giggin a late 60s hippie joint way out Independence called Fantazmagoria.
Best of 1975 = Arrosmiths Dream On, Zeps Kashmir, Got That Right Saturday Night Special That Smell by Skynryd, All of PFloyds Wish You Were Here, Queens Bohemian Rhapsody and the rest of Killer Queen, all the Eagles and AWB Cut The Cake and Pick Up The Pieces, Way Of The World by EWF, Bad Companys Feel Like Makin Love.
Fatboy TT does sound exactly like John Fox though.
Well, SOME people really did spend allowance money on "Kind of Blue." But I take the point.
You nailed it, bro -- great reading of a great piece.
Hope you're well .....
I am so sorry I missed this in person! Hope you will eventually have a book reading/signing where I can see you in person. Kudos on a job well done...
I also have a similar memory experience whenever I hear certain songs from that era. At one time I actually had the Toni Tennelle/Dorothy Hamil haircut...
Thank you for reminding us how 11 felt. For me, it was more like 13...
Nice. Chevy Van was edgy but the Brandy song was awesome.
The Osmonds and Jacksons were terrific then. One Bad Apple was our fav but Michaels Rockin Robin and Olivia Newton Johns Have You Ever Been Mellow.
And of course we cant forget the wonderful 70s disco dance songs.
We would love to hear the guitarist play some soft Carpenters hits or Tony Orlando Knock Three Times or Tie a Yellow Ribbon.
And who can forget the immortal John Denver? Wow.
Thanks for the memories.
I sense just the tiniest bit of sarcasm there :)
Cool reading. Don't you know the crooked glasses and raspy voice are going to make you a youtube hit? Off to track down the book now. Thanks!
Right on the money, Tommy, and left a sweet taste in my mouth and some warm memories in my heart. You, sir, have got the gift. Thanks for sharing it with us.
The paper needs to stop being a shill for Democrats and illegal aliens.
Report news...investigate for a change
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