Monday is king. Friday is Queen. There used to be nine days.
I became a songwriter last night.
I saw a film I loved for the first time.
Last night I went to a double bill of The Muppet Movie and The Phantom of the Paradise. Singer/songwriter Paul Williams himself was in attendance. The man behind Rainy Days and Mondays, We’ve Only Just Begun, and the Theme From The Love Boat among others. A living legend.
The Muppet Movie was incredible and sad as always. The death toll of the cameos keeps mounting every time I see it. Madeleine Khan, Richard Pryor, James Coburn, and James Bergen are not longer with us. Not to mention Jim Henson himself and half of the Electric Mayhem band. Sniffle. Raise a glass. Bow your head. Tell your loved one you love them. Say a prayer. Whatever rows your boat.
The lovely Porphyre and George showed up for the next bit.
The Phantom of the Paradise is a movie that I had not yet seen but has achieved legendary cult status. I had no idea of its existence which is odd considering my ‘Rain Man’ bordering-on-the-savant approach to movies.
Not to mince words but it was a masterpiece. I ordered the DVD and the Soundtrack today online. I recommend you do the same. It’s like the Rocky Horror Picture Show but better. I’m sorry if that’s blasphemy to you, dear reader, but realize that it would be blasphemy to me too if I hadn’t seen this show.
I mean WOW. It’s great.
After the show, the July Fourth Toilet out on an All Paul Williams set with the man himself in attendance. They camped it up and sang off key and almost made a joke out of it but Paul Williams seemed to chuckle along and like it.
After the intermission, the band had the audience write lyrics with the promise that they would get sung. Contrary to my expectation of a Vancouver audience (Vancouver being the original Algonquin for “audience participation? How about you go screw yourself. I am going to look at my shoes.”) they ended up with a thick sheaf of songs. Mine was first. I got to hear it sung. It went like this.
If there was something in the air the night that I met you.
I’d bottle it and package it and send it to Peru.
The population of Peru would double in an hour.
After smelling of the magic of that purple potion’s power.
Hardly Shakespeare but better than my first offering:
There once was a man named Paul Williams.
The songs that he wrote all sold millions.
I’ve reached an impasse
The movie kicked ass
And Paul Williams made a good “VILLIAN”
I had a feeling they would mispronounce the last word and chalk it up to bad spelling instead of making it an intentionally funny dissonance but then I realized that it wasn’t that funny after all.
But someone sang a song I wrote. And with an entire backing band, no less.
And I have a new favourite movie for a while.
All in all, a great night.
I saw a film I loved for the first time.
Last night I went to a double bill of The Muppet Movie and The Phantom of the Paradise. Singer/songwriter Paul Williams himself was in attendance. The man behind Rainy Days and Mondays, We’ve Only Just Begun, and the Theme From The Love Boat among others. A living legend.
The Muppet Movie was incredible and sad as always. The death toll of the cameos keeps mounting every time I see it. Madeleine Khan, Richard Pryor, James Coburn, and James Bergen are not longer with us. Not to mention Jim Henson himself and half of the Electric Mayhem band. Sniffle. Raise a glass. Bow your head. Tell your loved one you love them. Say a prayer. Whatever rows your boat.
The lovely Porphyre and George showed up for the next bit.
The Phantom of the Paradise is a movie that I had not yet seen but has achieved legendary cult status. I had no idea of its existence which is odd considering my ‘Rain Man’ bordering-on-the-savant approach to movies.
Not to mince words but it was a masterpiece. I ordered the DVD and the Soundtrack today online. I recommend you do the same. It’s like the Rocky Horror Picture Show but better. I’m sorry if that’s blasphemy to you, dear reader, but realize that it would be blasphemy to me too if I hadn’t seen this show.
I mean WOW. It’s great.
After the show, the July Fourth Toilet out on an All Paul Williams set with the man himself in attendance. They camped it up and sang off key and almost made a joke out of it but Paul Williams seemed to chuckle along and like it.
After the intermission, the band had the audience write lyrics with the promise that they would get sung. Contrary to my expectation of a Vancouver audience (Vancouver being the original Algonquin for “audience participation? How about you go screw yourself. I am going to look at my shoes.”) they ended up with a thick sheaf of songs. Mine was first. I got to hear it sung. It went like this.
If there was something in the air the night that I met you.
I’d bottle it and package it and send it to Peru.
The population of Peru would double in an hour.
After smelling of the magic of that purple potion’s power.
Hardly Shakespeare but better than my first offering:
There once was a man named Paul Williams.
The songs that he wrote all sold millions.
I’ve reached an impasse
The movie kicked ass
And Paul Williams made a good “VILLIAN”
I had a feeling they would mispronounce the last word and chalk it up to bad spelling instead of making it an intentionally funny dissonance but then I realized that it wasn’t that funny after all.
But someone sang a song I wrote. And with an entire backing band, no less.
And I have a new favourite movie for a while.
All in all, a great night.