Food for Thought

A few days ago, I was out for breakfast at Dupar’s in Studio City – haven’t been there in forever. Actually, I think it was Easter Sunday. We had started out trying to go to Toast but it was too crowded, then Joan’s On Third which was closed. So, we went to Swingers and easily got a table outside. It took a half hour for the waitress to take our order, after she had taken the orders of three tables that sat after us. We went with it only because we figured it would take longer to go somewhere else...that is until the food arrived another half hour later…and was stone cold.

We left, drove back to the Valley, bitched for a while and ended up at Dupar's, where I started messing with my new iphone. I started thinking it might be cool to do an iphone photography book after taking this still life picture…

Then I took a picture of what was left of my plate of food...

I thought the picture was pretty cool (I like the old school plate) and decided it would make an interesting travelogue if I photographed every meal I ate on my trip.

I arrived in NY last night at 7:30 and made it into the city by around 9:30. It was too late to go to my favorite NY eatery (that will surely be covered today) so my kid took me to one of his neighborhood get-it-quick food stomps (I think it was called Europan)...where I promptly forgot about my travelogue theme. But I didn't forget to shoot what it was:

I had a cup of lentil soup with a sesame roll and a piece of strawberry cheesecake (hey, it's NY). All quite yummy. The top half of the tray was Tyler's chicken noodle soup, sesame roll and Dr. Pepper. By the time I got back to the apartment at 11:30pm I was pretty beat, even though it was only 8:30 LA time. It was quite a feat preparing for this trip while simultaneously trying to keep up with the regular workflow. I was asleep by 12:30am and up by 8 this morning eating this breakfast in the dark in order not to wake the sleeping kid who had obviously decided to skip his morning class (which I can't bitch about because he's paying for his own edumication).

Oh, I also ate the leftover half of that delicious sesame roll pictured above.

Now I'm here...

...drinking the rest of breakfast, writing this blog entry and spending the next 1.5 hours trying to finish my screenplay rewrite, which I promised to send my producing partner last night. Oops.

Then it's off to pick up the rental car - needed for picking up the book and print shipment for the Fest for Beatle Fans that starts tomorrow - then spending the afternoon prepping for the Fest and ending with an in-studio interview on the Joey Reynolds Show at WOR radio at 10:20 tonight. Not sure if the interview is live since the website says his show is from midnight-5am, but you can listen to it on the internet by clicking the LISTEN LIVE icon HERE.

I 'm really going to try and post every day, since I'm guessing it's not a travelogue (or should I say travelblog) if I don't.

Mighty Joe Young

Not the movie...the very soothing blues guitarist and singer. He passed away 9 years ago today at the age of 71 due to complications from spinal surgery.

I have vivid memories of the day I shot him. It was a day long Blues Jam that also included Withersponn, Collins and Hollywood Fats (sadly, all in my book) and Taj Mahal. I had a really great time and needless to say, the music was ridiculously great.

Here's one of mine:

And this is the only footage I could find of MJY online:



Wish you were still here, Mighty Joe.

Bat Shoot

Sometimes I do a little work that has nothing to do with music or film.

Case in point...the bat shoot. As in, about 70 wood bats known as X Bats. If you watch professional baseball you've surely seen them. If you want to see a list of the who's who, click here. I was around for the inception of the company and shot the first set of maple bats they produced. Before the major leaguers had their hands on them. I was very happy to get the call again to do the shots for the new catalogue.

Anywho, I thought it would be fun to post some photos of the photo shoot, so without further ado....

The Set-up

And a Finished Shot

I invented this Spiral-style shot the last time and they asked for it again...took over a half hour to remember how to make it. I think it went all the way around last time but it was 2am by the time we got to this shot so a partial bail occurred. Still like it and think I should trademark it.
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Hey, Brett, this post's for you.

Last Saturday I...

...got one of these.

The-coolest-thing-ever.

I was planning to get one the minute I heard they were coming but my practical side said, "Wait for version two." I figured it would be announced at Macworld but instead they started their own airline - MacBook Air. So, my practical side again said, "Wait for version two," despite the fact they had already dropped the price a hundred bucks.

But then two things happened. First, the battery on my Sprint phone wouldn't hold a charge longer than an hour of talking. I dutifully went to the Sprint store and had them give me a new battery, thinking I had to be practical and wait for version two. Well, the new battery gave me maybe two hours, which is useless if you're out for the whole day and get a lot of calls.

Secondly, I planned this trip to London. I called Sprint and found out they don't have any service in the UK. I called AT&T, and they do. That was the straw that broke this camel's back. I had to jump into the iPhone pool. Not that I wanted to shell out the $399 but what choice did I have?

So, I tripped the light fandango over to the Apple Store and picked up my new baby. Then I went to the AT&T store and set up the plan. And that's when I realized I was an idiot. The plan I got at the AT&T store was less money than the plan I had with Sprint. Not to mention it includes all the data service and text messaging, which I didn't have on my Sprint phone. The money I'm saving on the new plan will pay for the phone in about eight months. If I'd purchased the iPhone when they dropped the price, I'd have paid for more than half of it by now. And would have had several months of joy to go along with it. Stupid me.

But I guess it's better late to the party than missing it altogether. It is so great to get my emails when I'm out and about without having to stop outside a Starbucks and open my laptop. It's so great to have online maps at my fingertips. OK, I know I sound like an idiot who has been living in a bomb shelter for the last five years. I know you all have your Blackberrys and Sidekicks and Treos. Go ahead and laugh. But just know, I'm glad I waited for the iPhone because the graphics blow all others out of the water. It's like having a mini computer in your hand.

It's-the-coolest-thing-ever.

Mike Gibbins

Today is Mike Gibbins' 59th birthday.

I only knew Mike briefly, during the course of the Badfinger concert at the Vancouver Garden on March 8, 1974. It was a great time - the band's first tour under their new Warner Bros. contract - and everybody was happy.

Badfinger backstage: Joey Molland, Mark Wilson (WB rep), Tom Evans, Pete Ham and Mike Gibbins

In looking for footage of Mike to post so you could get to know him and his music, I was dismayed on how little is available. It doesn't help that he was a drummer - you know, the forgotten guy in the back. But I did find this - No Matter What - from what looks to be a 1971 British TV show, where they at least gave Mike a couple of close-ups. It's a great song and overall this footage is a pretty cool representation of the times.



And here's one of my photos of Mike, one of my all-time favorite pictures:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MIKE!

And, thanks to those of you who put in your vote for Mike's kid's band, The Seven Sisters. They won the battle of the bands competition and as a result their music is being sent to the troops in Iraq. Mike would be thrilled.

The Seven Sisters

The offspring of Badfinger drummer Mike Gibbins play in a band called The Seven Sisters.

They are currently competing in the Rock Iraq Battle of the Bands in Central Florida. Like their dad, the Gibbins boys are talented musicians. And you can help them win the current round by voting for them HERE. It's really easy...you don't have to register...you don't have to sign up for anything...you just have to click on the word "here" in the previous sentence, then click the bubble next to The Seven Sisters in the voting box and click the word "vote". That's all there is to it. It won't take longer than 15 seconds.

And if you want to hear 'em before you vote for 'em, here's a sample (Adam Gibbins is on the drums and Owen Gibbins plays guitar):



So, please help me help Mike's sons continue on their musical journey.

Your support is appreciated.

Rory Gallagher

I can't even begin to tell you how incredible it was to see Rory Gallagher live. Absolutely brilliant.


It is Rory's birthday today. He would have been 60 years old. And probably still playing strong.

If you've never seen or heard him play, check this out. Even if you have seen and heard Rory, check this out. It's from a really great documentary that my now friend Tony Palmer did called Rory Gallagher - Irish Tour 1974. I bought it and watched while I was putting the book together. It's an emotional film. And, yes, I cried. You can pick it up on Amazon for less than $13. Trust me...it's well worth it.