I Officially Need ONE blog
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November 17, 2009
Seriously, this is just silly. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, this website... and then of course the possibility of having an entirely separate blog called "TannenTalk" or some other idiotic title...
So where in the world should I blog? Thoughts? I really only want to do one.
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Twitter. Tweet?
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April 9, 2009
So I'm officially on twitter and tweeting and generally feeling like a talkative bird. Follow if you'd like to know what I had for breakfast and my deep thoughts at 2AM...
http://www.twitter.com/gregtannen
Also, I'm wondering how many blogs I actually should update? I have one on my official website (gregtannen.com), and one on myspace (myspace.com/gregtannen), and I suppose I could do one on facebook too...yeeesh... modern life... what to do?
Lately In Life
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March 29, 2009
General Life:
* Real Estate
- Hunting for an apartment… worse than buying a used car? I think so. Suffice it to say that I was just shown a place that still had tenants in it. Who were planning on staying in the apartment. So, in reality, the apartment wasn’t “available” so much as “not at all available.” A lovely way to spend a Sunday morning. And this story at least has a comical side to it – the other stories just make me come up with crazy alternative energy plans (Real Estate agents on giant hamster wheels? It could work)…
If you are thinking about going into Real Estate, please keep a very tight grip on your soul.
*Air Travel:
- All airline executives should be required by law to fly Coach. Whenever and wherever they travel. Want to bet how long it would take for air travel to be comfortable and enjoyable again? I would say 6 months.
In case you’re missing the point of this – WOW it sucks flying these days.
* Expensive GPS devices in crappy cars. No joke here. It’s funny by itself.
* I may become totally addicted to updating my Twitter. Or I may lose interest entirely. It could go either way at this point.
* The Economy:
- Whose idea was it to, instead of giving $800 billion to banks and car companies and AIG, just give $2 million to everyone over 18 years old? And why wouldn’t that work? As far as I can tell, it would save everyone’s house, pay off everyone’s debt, and directly stimulate the economy in almost every sector.
Movies:
* The Good Shepherd (Netflix)
- Wow. How does a movie like this get made? Let’s take an exciting concept like the start of the CIA, during such times as the end of WWII, the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis…but let’s make it about a paper-pusher who’s biggest character trait (as said in the film) is that he’s Boring. Matt Damon playing a stoic and boring bureaucrat for 2 ½ hours… Wow.
* Romancing The Stone (Netflix)
- So 80s. So awesome. Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner at the height of their powers. Danny DeVito having fun. Crocodiles eating people. OK, they ripped off Indiana Jones a little and still claimed they were “ground breaking”, but that doesn’t stop it from being a great movie.
* Slumdog Millionaire
- I’m late on the bandwagon. It’s awesome. Although…the ending? Erm. Not to ruin it or anything, but to suddenly veer totally Hollywood with the storyline was weird. I’m not complainin’, I’m just sayin’
Music:
* Keren Ann
* Camille
- Two French artists that I’m digging. Great voices. Camille’s a bit more pop, Keren Ann a bit more of a writer. Great to listen to even if you don’t understand a word of French (I understand 20 words, at last count, I think).
My Music:
* I’m writing a lot. I’d like to get a complete set of all-new tunes in shape. I’m close.
Miami and Beyond...
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January 7, 2009
Hey guys!
First off I'm terribly, terribly sorry to say to all of you in the wintry midwest and northeast that I'm blogging here from 75 degree weather. I also won't mention that when I glance out the window, I usually see dolphins (look like Atlantic Spotted Dolphins to me) playing in the harbor.
Yes, how enjoyable are shows down South during the winter? VERY enjoyable. They're enjoyable even if I'm playing to 1 guy and the bartenders (although thankfully I'm not).
I'm going further south than this, too - all the way to the wonderful island nation of the Turks and Caicos.
What's nice about this little tour is that I also get free time. I'll check a little of Miami out - a big city that I'm not at all familiar with. Bike to South Beach? Check out the nightlife? I'm game. I always love exploring new cities.
I've been to the Turks and Caicos before, and I always love it. Incredibly friendly people, a really diverse and fun musical scene (everything from reggae to rock to soca), amazing white talcum-powder beaches and first-class diving (I do love SCUBA)...
This is turning into more travelogue than music blog here, but I can't help it - one of the dolphins just jumped right in front of me...
The bartender is asking if I want another margarita. Do I really need to answer?
Random Things I've Learned in 2008
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December 17, 2008
Hey everyone!
At the end of the year, a small list of the things I've learned over the past 12 months:
- Cell phones suck. OK, we all know this. But 2008 is the year I gave up a land-line and really discovered how poor cell service is in the United States (it's better in Europe). I live in one of the world's biggest cities (New York), and used two of our biggest carriers (Verizon and AT&T)... and the service cuts out half the time, or the quality is crap. We've had cell phones for, let's say, 2 decades... And this is the best they can do? Really? Oh, and they may give you brain tumors. Great.
- Connected to that: the iPhone really is pretty cool. It does everything amazing. Except make phone calls. Hope they get that fixed.
- The 1980s had good music.
This wasn't a revelation to me this year. I've always known it (or suspected it). But this was the year that I had more arguments about it than ever. For the record, I won all the arguments. A list, a small sampling for everyone, of albums put out in 80s:
AC/DC - Back in Black
The Police - Ghost in the Machine, Synchronicity
Michael Jackson - Thriller, Bad
Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska, Born In The USA
David Bowie - Scary Monsters, Let's Dance
U2 - War, Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Legend
Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever
Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
Prince - 1999, Purple Rain, Sign O The Times
Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs
R.E.M - Murmur, Green
Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Trust, Imperial Bedroom
The Clash - Combat Rock, London Calling
Paul Simon - Graceland
Beastie Boys - License to Ill, Paul's Boutique
Peter Gabriel - So
Sting - Dream of the Blue Turtles, Nothing Like The Sun
Shawn Colvin - Steady On
Nanci Griffith - Storms
Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman
John Cougar Mellencamp - Scarecrow
Dire Straits - Making Movies
The Pixies - Surfer Rosa, Doolittle
N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions...
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
Robbie Robertson - Robbie Robertson
Billy Joel - Glass Houses, Songs In The Attic, The Nylon Curtain, An Innocent Man (all released in 4 years!)
The Cure - Kiss me, Kiss me, Kiss me
Van Halen - 1984
Pete Townshend - Empty Glass
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Squeeze - Singles 45 and Under
...to name only a few. The 80s rocked, guys. Thank you very much.
- Banks and Financial Institutions are - gasp! - greedy. OK, this is another one we all knew. But could it possibly have been illustrated in a more dramatic way? Bank failings, huge swindles, stock market crashing, billions of dollars of our money...ugh. And all based around, when you get right down to it, greed.
- TV is not evil. But it is unnecessary. I finally got cable because when I'm out of town I sometimes rent my place out, and everyone seemed put off by the fact that I didn't have TV. Sigh. So I got cable. I actually like a whole bunch of shows - from Family Guy to House to a lot of HBO. But my life is richer without it. Glory be, my service just changed to all-digital, meaning I have to get a "converter" box and pay an additional fee a month (more greed! Aren't these "public" airwaves they're charging us for?)... so I have no TV again. Phew.
- Netflix rocks. I finally broke down and got it. My queue is 135 titles long. Joy. ...Although I am not looking forward to "Blu-Ray" and buying all new equipment and discs for it. Or the next "new" thing after that.
- I love soccer.
I'm a dork. But I grew up playing it, have always enjoyed watching it, and this year my local MLS team made it to the finals. So I got a little obsessed in the last year. I'm calling it now: The MLS will be more popular than the NHL in 5 years. In 10 years it will be mentioned in the same breath as the NBA, MLB, and NFL. Not kindly, of course... we're strangely resistant to the world's most popular sport... but it will be mentioned.
- Lucy Liu is pretty AND cool. It's a little unfair. She speaks 5 languages AND does art. Seriously? I'm just saying.
- Nieces and nephews are just about the best thing ever. All of the joy of a child with none of the mess. Plus I eventually get to buy them their first drink (shhh). Although I don't see them enough.
- Obama!
Loved him from the minute I saw him give his DNC speech. I have hope for the future for the first time in 8 years. Here's hoping he conquers Washington and not the other way around.
- A Wurlitzer 200a in good condition is a heavenly thing.
- I'm going to miss the Harry Potter books. It was a great escape to look forward to every year. Yes, I know, more "dork" label for me... Look, if you really want to discuss "One Hundred Years of Solitude" (awesome) or "The Sound and the Fury" (crap), I'm down with it. It's just not as fun.
- I need to learn more guitar. Don't get me wrong - I'm OK. But watching friends like Michael Daves, James Maddock, or Richard Julian play this year made me think about becoming a park ranger a little.
- The South of France is gorgeous. I've been there before but never really gotten it. I got it this year. Sign me up for a villa.
- Good, true friends make almost everything easier, better, and more worthwhile. Everyone else is a potential time-suck.
- Breyer's Mint Choclate Chip ice cream. All natural. All awesome. I'll also throw in a shout-out to "Mathez" truffles finally being online. Let it melt in your mouth and the whole world is a beautiful place (ncamarketing.com)...
- AND - I spend too much time on the computer. And so do you :)
Happy New Year everyone!! All good things for 2009.
Summer & Fall
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October 4, 2008
Hey guys!
Ever seen “The Wizard of Oz?” Of course you have. Dumb question. Anyway, the last few months have felt a bit like the twister at the beginning of the movie – except much more fun. So, OK, take the twister, throw out the black and white and add the Technicolor right from the start (was there ever a goofier or more effective mechanism for going to a different world?), make it kind of fluffy and sunny, and that’s the kind of twister I’ve had.
I first jetted out to California for shows and my best friend's wedding in Long Beach (it’s always great to go to California – I get to see lots of friends and my brothers and my niece and nephew. And the sunshine. And the beach. My best friend has an apartment that’s RIGHT on the beach, so you wake up, see the ocean, and all is right with the world. Ahhhh. I crash there a lot.).
I came back to NYC for some shows and a little recording (not my stuff – helping out others), and then jetted over to Europe for a little music and a lot of friends.
I spent some time in Sevilla, Spain a while ago and met a really wonderful group of people. So wonderful, in fact, that I learned practically no Spanish, but we’ve been tight ever since. Anyway, this trip I was going to Paris, and then met up with my friends in the South of France in a wonderful little town named Gordes. I never got the South of France before. I do now. Wow. There pretty much is nothing better than waking up in a villa to a sunny sky, going for a swim, having a light breakfast, biking to town to explore, having a light lunch, drinking some rosé (and I’m not even a fan of rosé) at a vineyard in the dying heat of the day, a little siesta, and then planning the night… Or does that go without saying?
view from Paris
view from Gordes
So I very reluctantly came back to the United States. I had to, really, because besides playing shows I was shooting a video for "Single Man"
We had a gorgeous rooftop down in Soho to use, but only for one night. We hoped to avoid rain (we didn't), and to be done by 1 AM (not even close) - but we got it all done in the end. Incredible people being incredible. That's the key.
3AM and getting punchy on set of "Single Man"...
I then flew BACK out to California, both for some family time in San Diego (my family's cool, what can I say?), and also to shoot an episode of "Dirty Sexy Money" with my brother and sister-in-law in Los Angeles ("The Weepies"). Totally fun. Even if it took 6 hours to film one song.
Steve Tannen, Seth Gabel, Deb Talan, Lucy Liu, Me on set of "Dirty Sexy Money"
Then it was time to fly back NYC to produce this “Live @ The Rockwood” series, which films next week. Essentially it’s a music series filmed with 5 HD cameras at my favorite little venue, the Rockwood Music Hall in New York City. We’re filming 8 or so amazing independent artists (Yes, I’m one of them. No, I didn’t want to at first. Yes, they insisted) doing their thang – playing on stage. In 2009, this company that’s paying for everything will launch an internet TV station, and this will be on the music channel. More on that next year….!
Which brings me jussssst about up to date. We’re nearing the end of the year, and I always love the Halloween-Thanksgiving-Holidays period. OK, I could do without the crazed consumerism and the crowds, but the weather and feeling of it always makes me smile…
Happy Hallow-Giving-Mas!
Excuse me, have you seen my blog?
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April 1, 2008
I'm stumped on this one. A bad April Fools Joke? But my computer hiccuped, or the server did, and now I'm missing a chunk of blogs from 2007/2008. Hmmmm.
I could get upset at this, I suppose, but I'll look at it as an opportunity to do some revisionist history. So here's a quick recap paragraph from the last year:
"While releasing the internationally-acclaimed album "Rocket", Greg single-handedly forged a lasting peace in the Middle East, created a cheap, renewable energy source from air, found deep water in the Sahara, built homes for homeless around the world, and turned down dates with both Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman just because he could. The next year, though, looks REALLY busy."
Please update to Wikipedia.
New Album - Finished!
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September 16, 2007
Can it be? Yes, it can.
I’ve got my latest album, “Rocket”, sitting in front of me right now and I couldn’t be more psyched.
Quite a journey it’s been on. OK, so it took a little longer than I expected, but for something that I originally thought was going to be a solo acoustic album, it was worth it. I’ve got new tunes on there that most of you haven’t heard. Musicians that I’ve always wanted to have play on my stuff and, miraculously, I was able to get (plus my regular band of stellar players, of course). Some brilliant new engineers that lent their talents. I could go on, but I’ll leave it for the liner notes...
I’ll be posting a few of the new tunes on myspace for you to check out – but they’re not up there yet. I’ll let you know soon!
Album, Video, My Brother's Film!
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May 20, 2007
Album Update: I’ve been in the studio mixing, and the end is, amazingly, in sight. It sounds tremendous (lots of talented people working on it), and I’m excited to add a couple of very new tunes soon and see how they fit into the general feel of the record... I’ll probably post a new song or two on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/gregtannen soon just to let you all hear how it’s shaping up. The word of the day for the mixes has been: tasty.
Also, I’m gearing up for my first music video shoot! Yes, in mid-June I’ll be all over NYC pretending to sing in front of the cameras and not noticing people looking at me funny. We’ve been doing casting sessions this last week, which is something I have absolutely no skill at and am basically embarrassed to sit there and judge someone… Anyway, everyone’s been great and it’s pretty fun so far. It’s a great group doing the shoot, and you can see an example of their work here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=kNr4dJgbmK0
(yes, that’s an instrumental version of “In America” as the music, which was on “Coney Island”. Me on guitar, Andrew Sherman on piano, who also co-produced)
Oh – and go see my brother Robert’s first film! It’s called “Even Money”, stars Forest Whitaker, Kim Basinger, Danny Devito, and a ton of others. See a trailer here: http://www.yarifilmgroup.com/films/evenmoney/
There’s other stuff going on behind the scenes, I’ll touch base again soon!
GT.
Old shows, new shows, making the Album
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September 30, 2006
So this is my favorite time of year in New York City. The end of summer/beginning of fall. Still sort of warm, the nights getting a little chilly. The tourists thinning out. Not so crazy or empty on the weekends (and it’s one or the other during summer). You can even see more than one star in the sky. Ahhh.
Oh yes. Music stuff.
Opening shows for Rosanne Cash was amazing. Not only is she great in concert, but she’s one of the coolest people around (Hi Rosanne!). The San Diego show in particular was fun, playing outdoors looking out on San Diego bay. Of course, the highlight for me was having Lucy, my almost 3-year old niece, shout out “Hi Uncle Greggie!” during the set, and watching hundreds of heads turn her way. I’ve never had an easier time winning over an audience in my life…I should always have a 3-year old on tour with me.
And, ok, the album. The immortal album. It’s been a lot of fun. It sounds great. Not as produced as Coney Island, not as acoustic as Roam. A wonderful, “live” feel with the band. BUT, I’m in a fund-raising mode right now to get the funds to finish it, so no more recording/mixing/mastering until I reach a certain goal. Want to help? Drop me a line. Really. I love you a lot.
There are a few shows between now and the end of the year, and of course I’m working on a lot of things behind the scenes. Stay tuned!
The Weekly Update
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June 13, 2006
OK, it's becoming more like a yearly update, but hopefully I can muscle-up and start changing that. I am a writer by trade after all (music, film, non-fiction, love notes, rants to the editors at newspapers, world domination manifestos), so I really should be better at this.
Quick re-cap of the year: Played on various radio stations around the country. Yes, you really did hear instrumental versions of my music for the past year on the Weather Channel, of all places. Toured California and the West a few times. Also a bit of the Northeast and Southeast. Wonderful tours all around. Such amazing people everywhere! You are all invited to crash on my couch if you ever make it to New York.
Speaking of which - Spring is in full force here in NYC. It's no longer death-by-freezing-if-you-open-the-windows-in-a-taxi-to-escape-the un-identifiable-odors. It's pretty nice out. People are in good moods. Trees and flowers bloom (I live near Central Park). Allergies, of course, have therefore hit everyone like a brick helmet. But still. Plans are being laid for the summer (vacation houses that I'm invited to?? Hello??)
The new album. Yes, the new album. It really is being recorded, and I dance little spontaneous dances of joy when I listen back to some of the tracks. Still needs a bit of work, of course. But it's a blast and the band has never sounded better. Incredible musicians have lent their talent, for which I am eternally grateful.
Songs that may make it on the album (as long as everything goes smoothly and I don't decide to junk it and live out my days working on a charter sailboat in Australia…true story) : Something About October, Somebody True, Into The City, Things Don't Always Work Out, Beautiful Day, Hey Love, Save Us From The Light, The Big City, She's Still Asleep, Stuck In Reverse…and a couple of others that y'all don’t know.
I spoke to my 2 ½ year old niece on the phone the other day and she said in her cute little-girl voice, "Uncle Greg, when is the album going to be finished?" She was prompted by my brother, of course, but I think I started this one before she could even talk, so…sometime soon. Probably. I'm trying to get it right.
(And if anyone has ever dreamt about being a Patron-of-the-Arts...gimme a call. Really. What? I'm serious. Artists throughout the centuries have had Patrons.)
Ah, yes, Hi there
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August 25, 2005
I keep meaning to update this journal.
OK, that’s not entirely true.
I completely space about the journal until someone emails and yells at me for not updating the journal.
Then I think about writing a journal entry, realizing they’re right, and muse about where to start. Then I get hungry, and since I obviously can’t write on an empty stomach, I make myself a sandwich. The phone rings, which somehow it does every single time I’m trying to eat, and I have the usual conversation consisting mostly of the other person saying “Are you eating? Did I interrupt you eating? Do you want to call me back when you’re not eating?” and then I hang up, content to eat my sandwich, and I go outside to meet a friend for lunch, where they are amazed at how little I eat, and then rush to band rehearsal for the show in NYC the next night, and we wait around for Andrew, which we always do, and then we do the gig, which goes swimmingly except that Richard once again plays a B# when he’s supposed to be playing a C, and then suddenly I’m on tour throughout the Southeast, and then over to the West Coast, and I end up on the set of my brother Bob’s new movie with all these movie stars who really are quite a bit shorter in real life, and summer is kind of dragging on by, and I just can't believe I’ve managed to get up to Vermont but not to the beach yet, and I wind up back in NYC with all these emails yelling at me for not updating the journal.
Anyway. Everything’s good with me. How are you?
(yes, I am working on the new album. Yes, it's taking too long.)
Xmas Afterglow
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February 11, 2005
So I forgot to tell everyone that I fulfilled a life-long dream at Christmas.
I got to sing with a muppet.
Hey, some dreams are smaller than others.
A friend of mine, Ethan Eubanks, was putting on a charity event for the holidays and invited me to sing a Christmas tune (it was jazzy Christmas themed event). He always puts on a hell of a show, and it was for charity, and I was free, so of course I said yes. I love "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and told E I'd like to sing that one.
And then I remembered Rowlf.
Rowlf the dog from the Muppets, singing the best version of that song I have ever heard. A duet with John Denver. I tracked down a copy of it on Ebay, listened, and
fell in love with it all over again.
And got pretty damn excited about the idea of a duet.
You see, I know a guy who is a Muppeteer. The wonderfully talented Tyler Bunch.
Who just finished filming the next Muppet Movie.
He said he'd be psyched to do it.
Long story short - Tyler and Rowlf were a "surprise guest", and the crowd reacted like you think they would. I was upstaged by a piece of felt, but who cares? Cloud 9,
baby.
Cloud 9 and nervous. This is why it was a dream come true: when I was growing up, the biggest show in the world for me was The Muppet Show. You could always tell who'd "made it" - if they got to be on the show, they obviously had.
So here I was on stage, and I looked over...and I'm singing with a MUPPET. Man.
It's the small moments that make life worthwhile.
It's a terrible picture - but the only one I have.
If anybody has better shots from that night - I'd love a copy!!
Basking In The Heat of NYC
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January 18, 2005
There is absolutely no artic chill happening in New York. Everything you've heard on the news is false. It is warm and sunny and I am going to the beach just as soon as I find my suntan lotion and sandals and get a large lemonade to quench my thirst.
Man, it's cold.
The beginning of the year is starting slowwwly - planning the new album (finding cash is a tough job), planning a few tours (an even tougher job), and planning to move anywhere hot. The desert? Sounds like heaven.
** Still getting hilarious feedback from the Weather Channel using my music - who knew so many people watched that channel? I'm not sure how I feel about hearing my music as "muzak", but 90 million people is 90 million people.
** I will be the "voice" that sings the theme song to a hip new TV show on the ABC Family channel. It's called "Garden Of Love", and it's a documentary-style look at the busiest Las Vegas wedding chapel.
I've only seen the pilot, but it's remarkably addictive and watchable. I mean, these two people get married in a McDonald's with a hooker and a homeless guy as witnesses...
New Website!
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January 7, 2005
For the New Year, we decided on a New Look for the website!
(we'll continute updating the website in the next few weeks)
Greg will be on tour in 2005 - keep an eye out...
If you'd like to host a House Concert, or know of a venue in your home town you'd like Greg to play - please email us!
info @ gregtannen.com
(remove spaces)
