http://www.tedgarber.com/blog/feed Website blog for www.tedgarber.com Mon, 02 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.tedgarber.com/blog/impressions-from-the-white-house-lawn-after-bin-ladens-death NOTE:  I will post some videos to my YouTube Channel if I find some time to corroborate this blog.  I have at least a dozen clips from this morning.  Here is my personal experience from May 2, 2011 from 2:30am-4:00am on the North Lawn of the White House, Washington, DC   Left Bethesda at 2:00am. Arrived at 17th and Eye St. at 2:30am and easily found parking. Walking south down 17th toward the White House I saw dozens of revelers going the opposite direction, some staggering from drink, and most of them draped in American flags. Moments later I was amid the throng immediately in front of the North Lawn of the White House.  It was a peaceful celebration, and at age 33, I was one of the oldest present.  The mediant age was probably 20.   I remember being at The Capitol for Obama's inauguration, and I very keenly remember September 11, 2001 and the events that followed.  Each of those times I had felt a solidarity with my fellow citizens--a swelling pride from inside my heart that warmed my belly--a sense of hope, unity--a glorious shout to the heavens that, "We are all human beings, and we are alive and seeking to be the best we can be!  This is the America of our Forefathers!"   I did not get any of that earlier this morning, and I was really looking.  This was an awkward mob comprised mostly of college students shouting things like, "Fuck Osama!!" and "This is What Happens when you Fuck with America!" followed by deafening chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!"  I saw some uniformed Army and Marines who had gone down to attend the gathering, and they were standing along the sidelines looking ambivalent.  I can't know what they were thinking, but I imagine they had a sense that this was a trivial perhaps even insulting demonstration.  A girl of about 20, stripped to her bra, was on her boyfriends shoulders waving a large American flag and screaming incoherently.  The rest of the crowd would swell and abate depending on the proximity of the TV cameras, which would illicit the most shouting.  This wasn't the Freedom movement of the 1960's, this was "let's get on TV!"  Around 3:30am, things began to disintegrate into smaller groups.  There was a breakdancing "Stomp the Yard/You Got Served" dance-off circle.  A marijuana circle.  A Washington Capitals, "Let's Go Caps!" circle.  A few more girls got on shoulders in their bras, but the cameras were gone, and that died quickly (though, there were several shouts of "Show us your titties!  A very Bourbon Street atmosphere).  By 4am, thousands were several hundred, and the numbers were continuing to thin out.   The spectacle was entertaining, but it was not inspiring or uplifting.  In fact, it was embarrassing.  It felt more like a Mardi Gras celebration from my Tulane Days--a bunch of college kids too young to accurately recall September 11 that had found a great excuse for blowing off steam from finals week. I know because twelve years ago, I was doing the same thing.  It was a display of machismo and bravado ultimately aimed at glorifying the death of one man rather than providing a rallying point for a a sense of a victory or national pride.  However, at about 3:40am, a young man of about 20-23 stepped into the dance circle and made some remarks about those that had lost their lives and friends of his that had lost their lives and families that has lost lives.  That elicited some sobering calm for a few seconds but then, as if feeling self-conscious, he fell back on the tried and true "U-S-A! U-S-A!" chant, and someone from the crowd shouted, "Let them do some more breakdancing!"  I would have hoped for some more rallying behind the victims of 911 or the soliders fighting the War on Terror or the innocent civilian casualties abroad or maybe some sort of candlelight singalong.  It didn't happen.  A little after 4:00am, I was one of six people in the McDonald's on 17th getting sausage McMuffins, hash browns and coffee.  The city felt deserted.  I got in my car, drove home, and went to sleep feeling uninspired, disappointed, and old.   http://www.tedgarber.com/blog/impressions-from-the-white-house-lawn-after-bin-ladens-death http://www.tedgarber.com/blog/masters-of-the-universe HE MAN BLOG POST WILL RE-UP TOMORROW!  STAY TUNED AND PLEASE CHECK BACK! BY THE POWER OF GREYSKULL! http://www.tedgarber.com/blog/masters-of-the-universe http://www.tedgarber.com/blog/giggin-on-the-lower-east-side Today has been one of those remarkably exhausting days, whereupon, I know that if I just close my eyes, I will drift off into a blissful and satifsying sleep that will last until mid-morning.  I left 90 minutes late for New York City, delayed by the need to finish some client contracts for upcoming wedding gigs and follow up on some booking confirmations.  @Reb_Rambles was kind enough to lay out a feast of scrambled eggs with spinach, mushrooms and goat cheese, a bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon grapes and honey, and a hot mug of organic, fresh ground, french-pressed coffee with organic cream.  With her vittles stored in my mighty (and every-expanding stomach), I hit the road at 12:30pm, needing to arrive in NYC no later than 5:15pm. The drive was thankfully uneventful aside from an ominous sky above Sout-east Jersey that passed before I came over the Goethal's and Verrazano Bridges into Brooklyn.  I could have kicked myself for getting gas at The Chespeake House in Maryland.  It was thirty-cents a gallon cheaper in Jersey, and they provide mandatory full service.  I alwasy tip the gas guys, and I tip extra when they clean the windshield and check my oil.  No one checked my oil or cleaned my windshield today, and I had timed the consumption of my second coffee wrong.  If I had waited to Jersey I would have been fine, but by the time traffic halted on the BQE five miles from the Manhattan Bridge, I had to pee like Secretariat after the Triple Crown.  Luckily, traffic began moving, and I was able to pull into the pole position (i.e., "very front") parking space in front of The Rockwood Music Hall by 4:30pm--well enough in time for my 6:00pm set.  I decided to take a stroll through the Lower East Side.  I love Orchard and Ludlow Streets--visiting my old haunts from my drunken 20's--Motor City Bar and Local 136 were two of my favorite places to commit atrocities, and they continue to look sinful and provocative.  I headed down Delancey St. for a look up at the bridge against the clear blue sky, and then headed back toward Houston.  Walking up Houston, I saw a sign for Illy Coffee, my favorite.  Gaia Italian Cafe was on the Southern Side of Houston (SoHo, if you're cool) and between Norfolk and Essex Streets.  I headed down the stairs and entered a blazingly warm bistro cafe, replete with Milanese decor.  Gaia, the sweet Italian gal that runs and owns the place from whence it gets its name, gave me a large Illy on the house since I was playing up the road.  I tipped her with the few bucks I had had ready for the gas guys in Jersey.  Then is was back up Houston, past Katz's Deli, and around Allen St. again to the Club. By now some friends had arrived, and I started sound check.  It was going to be a light turnout, but I was thrilled to see my cousin Joanna had shown up with her friend, Lacey, from CollegeHumor.com.  Apparently, I am still funny to college kids, and this is a good thing (I hope ;-).  Half way through my set, I elected to play another one of my new songs, "I Don't Wanna Make a Baby, Baby," and I think it may have annoyed a few of the ladies in the audience.  NYC and DC are not the same, and what works great in one town doesn't always work great in another.  I recovered quickly though with a stellar version of "Another Monday" followed by "Break Me Down."  By then, the venue was packed with the fans for the act that would follow me, a talented, beautiful, vivacious singer-songwriter originally from MD named Johanna (not to be confused with my aforementioned cousin Joanna who is also beautiful and vivacious).  In typical NYC fashion, the room, in spite of being packed to the gills with another artist's fans, was entirely silent for my ballad.  I closed out with "It's About Time" and got folks singing and clapping.  Unfortunately, I think I could have played better.  I was exhausted from the four hour drive and jittery on stage from the three or four huge cups of coffee that day. Still, Johanna and her fans were awesome.  I stuck around for her intimately quiet and sardine-packed set. She really has a great following in NYC, and she is willing to do some shows here with me in town.  I am excited about that.  I am also excited that I sold some CDs last night and continue to do well in front of a NYC audience.  That was my third show at Rockwood, and I am already looking forward to my next gig in Manhattan on Wednesday, March 23 at Session 73 on The Upper East Side.  The night ended with my favorite Lower East Side Tradition, burgers and fries at the illustrious Piano's Bar on Ludlow (upstairs room is best for dining w/ live music).  Then, my buddy Mike agreed to split the cost of a drive back to DC, which saved me considerable money on gas and tolls.  A round trip drive to NYC costs about $120. Time to hit the sack and get that sleep I talked about thirty minutes ago . . . http://www.tedgarber.com/blog/giggin-on-the-lower-east-side