After nearly ten years working in South Central, first volunteering at Dorothy Kirby Center with incarcerated girls for 3 years teaching yoga, to then designing yoga curriculum for the physical education courses at The Accelerated School on MLK Blvd, in addition to teaching visual arts, outdoor education and nutrition, I am so happy to listen to this man's story and spirit---bringing nutrition back to the neighborhood by doing what we should all be doing---planting food. I have a big food garden myself, it gives more peace and physical and mental health than I suspected it would--but to bring the awareness of gardening, the ecosystem, the interactivity and community if insects, birds, worms, sun, rain, water, butterflies, birds, all the things involved in creating a healthy lovely vegetable plant or piece of fruit, is truly a gift that keeps giving.

Go meet him with your shovel....if you're looking for a charitable organization, consider http://lagreengrounds.org/ to put your time and sweat into. It makes a difference. Watch this and see.

http://www.ted.com/talks/ron_finley_a_guerilla_gardener_in_south_central_la.html?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=image__2013-03-06


http://www.ted.com/speakers/ron_finley.html

The review of the show was astonishing...here's the first page of three. If you want to read more, and see the slideshow, click the link!  WooooooT!



The crowd in the packed Fonda Theater went quiet as a film flickered and began projecting onto the curtain, a documentary about the making of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' new album, Push The Sky Away. It was all the regular stuff -- studio scenes, noodling scenes, Cave sitting and looking nonchalantly brooding while saying things like "We were trying to avoid all those known entities in song writing." The crowd was rapt, the film set the tone for what we were here to do, which was to worship.

Over the course of almost two hours and 18 songs, Cave slink-strutted on stage in his signature trim black suit and silky black shirt in front of more that 30 backers: two backup singers, a strings section, a children's choir (from the Silver Lake Music Conservatory -- "aren't these kiddies cute?" Cave asked more than once), and the band. They launched into the first song from Push The Sky Away, "We No Who U R," and then Cave declared, "We're gonna play our new record. We're gonna play it in order. So it'll be just like listening to a record except I'll be saying a bunch of stupid shit in between."

And with that the band recreated their new collection of songs, which were meditative, compared to the Bad Seeds' 2008, Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! and the two albums Cave has released with Grinderman. Where those works have been exercises in blunt force pandemonium, Push The Sky Away is Cave at his ominous, melodic, pensive best. Sang in order with a choir of children's voices, it had the effect of casting a kind of dreamlike tension. By the third song, "Water's Edge," Cave was in full storytelling mode, leaning over the crowd, drawing them in like a dark tent preacher. After Cave dedicated a song to his wife, someone in the crowd yelled something indecipherable. "Jesus you Americans are weird," Cave replied.

Timothy Norris

Warren Ellis

The last song from the album, the same-titled "Push The Sky Away," felt like the emotional heart of the show, the tension in the room brought to a swelling mass. With quiet, electric control, Cave sang: "Some people say it's just rock and roll, but it gets you down to your soul. You've gotta just keep on pushing it, keep on pushing it, push the sky away."

He had us wound up completely, just in time to launch into "From Her To Eternity," from the Bad Seeds' 1984 first album of the same name. The lack of mayhem in the early part of the show meant that when it arrived, in moments like the break in "Red Right Hand," or the entirety of "Jack The Ripper," it felt like an immense release, a flood and smack of controlled dark energy. It made me want to wreck things.

Very excited for the release of this film for three reasons, not in particular order:  a) Patrick Cassidy is a truly gifted with writing beautiful, moving compositions, b) I had a wonderful time singing for him on a few of the pieces he has written, it was an honor and a challenge; and c) Brendan Gleeson is one of my most favorite actors ever, he brings soulfulness to every role, and he can take the most complex, conflicted characters and bring a sense of earnest dignity to his character's plight....oh and d) I really do love almost everything Irish.  People who sing songs over wine or pints or tumblers whenever they meet together for a party are the saving grace of humanity!

Some people have said that the retro-electro sound of Flynn reminds them of the Drive soundtrack....that gorgeous grainy look of Drive came from the renowned Arri Alexa camera, the same that cinematographer Michael Pescasio used to shoot "Don't Let Your Love Annihilate," and with which he earned the ICG Award, 2012.  Pretty cool when Arri Alexa's homepage featured the video in January 2013! I'm a bit late getting my website up, but I thought I would post it here for posterity :)

Here's a link to buy the Flynn EP on iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/dont-let-your-love-annihilate/id577707101

Reposted from:
http://www.trailermusicnews.com/2012/11/steps-hell-concert/

After Immediate Music and their first concert with their band Globus in 2006, Two Steps From Hell is the second trailer music company to take the plunge… and make the decision to organize a concert.

This event, highly-anticipated by fans and requested countless times, is now close to come to reality. A few months ago, Two Steps From Hell mentioned on their site that they were working on making a concert happen. It is now confirmed that there will be one, in Los Angeles, next year, on June 14th. For this special occasion – their world premiere – Two Steps From Hell has decided to play in a large concert hall – Disney Hall – with a big orchestra and choir. “It’s official. Two Steps From Hell is doing a concert, and it’s not just any concert. This spring/summer you can experience our music performed live by a massive orchestra and choir in one of the greatest concert halls of the world: Two Steps From Hell – live at Disney Hall, Los Angeles, USA – June 14th, 2013!”

Fans now hope that some of the female vocalists that performed on several famous Two Steps From Hell tracks, such as Merethe Soltvedt and Aya Peard, will take part to the concert.

Tickets aren’t available yet.