HNT VIVA JOE STRUMMER!!!

Well it just so happens that today is the anniversary of Joe Strummers death in 2002. The guy was and still is one of the most influential people in my life. Though I never actually met him (seen him live a bunch of times) he made a big impression on me at a very young age. He is one of the biggest reasons for who I am today. I know that sounds kind of hokey and corny but it's true. When I was growing up the kids in my school wanted to be firemen or doctors or lawyers or teachers. I wanted to be Joe Strummer. Nothing else. And I really tried. I come from a family of very educated people. My dad is a minister so church played a very big part in my early life. My parents knew what I wanted to be and they were totally supportive. They were always good like that. I love them for that. They really let me be what I wanted. They gave me the freedom and support to make decisions on my own. Now I was a punker but not in the total physical sense. I didn't have a mohawk or anything like that. For me it was a state of mind and it was really all about the music and the emotion that was drawn from it. The raw intense emotion that comes only from that one little place. For me there is no other way. So instead of finishing college I pursued music for one reason and that was to be Joe strummer. I don't mean actually become joe strummers alter ego or some shit like that. I just wanted to be able to express myself with music and on stage the same way he did. I wanted to make people feel the same way I felt everytime I heard a Clash song or heard Joe speak his mind. For me it's a hard feeling to describe but I think you get the idea. Anyway this HNT picture is of me and A buddy of mine Tommy standing in front of the Joe Strummer Mural at the bar Niagara in the east village sort of looking somber. That's me with the hat. Tonight me and my buddy Tommy and his sister Veronica (who actually got to meet him at an album release a few years ago) will sit at my house and drink some beers and watch some videos and listen to some favorite songs in his honor. It's one of my favorite nights of the year. It's not a sad time it's more of a party. There are a few more people coming this year so it's starting to pick up every year. At this time tomorrow I'll be jumping up and down to "White Man in Hammersmith Palais" or "Complete Control" or "On The Road To Rock And Roll" in my Brigade Rossi shirt and loving every minute of it. VIVA JOE STRUMMER!!!
Oh and check out my HNT for last week. I know it was really late but fuck, I tried.
Later,ROB

I Suck!!!

I really suck. I missed the HNT so here is a very late post. It's one for the imagination. I won't say what it is. See if you can guess. I'll just say that it was taken at my friends Christmas party outside. We had a lot of beer and at the time we were laughing our asses off. I put a close up and the original pic for your viewing pleasure. Here are a few pics from our gig at the Bergen performing arts center on fri. That was one for the books. The show was great and I thought that we sounded very good but the ride there was the ride from hell. We got a flat in the middle of route 80 around exit 70 in the eastbound express lane. This was around 5:00pm too so the highway was pretty full and cars were flying by at around 75 mph. That was not a fun place to change a tire let me tell you. We arrived at the show unharmed however and the rest of the night went perfect. It was fun to hang with the guys in the dressing room and just talk about shit. We get pretty silly when we're all together so it was a total blast. The next big gig is at the Baker Theater In Dover New Jersey on New Years Eve with The Duprees. That should be fun as well. The only thing that sucks is that I will have to spend it alone. My wife won't be able to go. No Babysitter to be found that night. Looks like I'll be kissing one of the guys in my group on new years. Anyway I hope everyone has a great Christmas.
Later,ROB

Glory Glory Halleluiah!

Christmas for kids was great! It was pretty crowded and the amount of toys and gift cards we recieved was phenomonal. I forgot to mention in the last entry that we have a group of kids from the Peter Smith School Of Irish Dancing come and dance every year. These young kids are so talented and they really kick the whole event up like 20 notches. They come all dressed in the traditional garb and put on such a good show that it always prompts a standing ovation. These kids must put so much time into thier routines. We can't thank them enough for dancing at our event every year.Here are a few pictures from the event. Stupid me forgot to take a picture of all the toys and gift cards we recieved. There was so much stuff and I hope it was enough to help all these kids have a happier christmas.
The gig on saturday was really fun. A bunch of our friends made the trip out to hershey to go to the gig. We all had a blast. Drank some beers ,they danced, we played but we all had a good time.
I only have a few pics from that show so I'll post them at a later date.
I'm trying to think of a good HNT for this week. Last weeks came out pretty good, at least I thought so. I got a couple of nice comments about it and that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I'm not sure I can top last weeks though. Anyway, I have a really busy week and weekend coming up so I'll end it here and try and get some rest.
Later,ROB

A late HNT

I have really been slacking off lately with this whole blog thing. Here is a late HNT. Sorry. I have been so busy and I can't seem to get a second to relax and breathe. Work and home life have both been crazy with christmas just around the corner...oh sorry...."the holidays" just around the corner. You can't say Merry Christmas anymore. A kid in New York got suspended for saying Merry Christmas to another kid in school. If my kid ever got suspended for wishing someone a merry christmas I'd flip my fucking lid. I'd be down at that school and believe me I wouldn't be spreadin holiday cheer around. Someone would have a fucking foot up their ass. sorry, I had to get that off of my chest.
Anyway, I am really looking forward to the holidays. We're going up to Maine the day after Christmas for some much needed relaxation with my folks. That is if we don't get too much snow. It snowed like a bastard here today. I don't really know how a bastard snows but if one did it really did it here today. This is a picture outside of my building. Pretty huh? I think so. I really love the snow. As much as it's a pain in the ass I still love it. My wife thinks I'm nuts but she's one of those people that is cold all the time in the winter. The cold doesn't bother me. I knd of like wearing sweaters and shit like that anyway so I'm always comfortable with the cold temperatures. man this is a boring ass entry.
Tonight we (the band) are throwing our annual "Christmas for Kids" party at the local parish center. There is no charge to get in all you do is bring a toy or a gift card to the party and you're in. We play all night and there is beer and wine and food all donated by local businesses. Last year about 350 attended so we hope this year is as good with the snow and all. We collect the toys and gift cards and give them to the needy children is our town. Believe it or not there are needy children in almost every town in the U.S.. You may not see them but they're there.I was never aware until we decided to start this benefit every year that we had so many needy kids in our town. The thought of these poor kids getting nothing for christmas really breaks my heart.I mean to me christmas is really special and not because you get presents. It's special for personal reasons and beliefs now, but when I was a kid it was mostly about the presents. So I hope that we bring a little joy into the hearts of these kids this year and every year from now on. This year the local politicians are trying to get into the act seeing as it's been such a big hit since we started doing it. We have always done it through the local elementary school where one of the band members wife is a teacher. It works really well that way, no strings. The presents go directly to the kids who are supposed to get them. Now the mayor wants to get in and it's really complicating things. We're not going to let that happen though. It's too important to us to watch someone else fuck it all up. I hope it gets bigger every year for the sake of these kids. I have met several of these kids and they are all such sweethearts. Even the older ones in high school. What they lack in finacial stability they make up for in sheer kindness and optimism.
Tomorrow we are playing up in hershey again so it's going to be a busy weekend as well. I NEED A FUCKING VACATION.
Time for me to get back to work as much as I don't want to.
"HAPPY HOLIDAYS"
Later,ROB