Diamonds Are Forever

Happy New Year.

Stardust Memories, 2016

So far so good. Last night I checked out the Savoy Soul Club--the premier soul night (a la Northern Soul) in the Capital Region. The other day we caught the movie La La Land-- one of the best films I have seen in some time... bring back the musical!

Speaking of music, WEXT will be re-airing my David Bowie tribute this Monday, January 9, at 11 p.m. ET. It's slotted one day after his birthdate and one day before the anniversary of his passing. I remember my dismay at hearing the news a year ago, and I have been thinking a lot about his musical influence ever since.

With this My Exit special, I tried to pick songs by the artist that had an immediate and lasting impact on me. I only had an hour, so I had to give it a good deal of thought (hard to narrow down). 

As I mention on the show, the first I remember being truly aware of him was during the Live Aid concert in 1985, performing with Mick Jagger in that silly "Dancing In The Street" video. That song was catchy enough, but the tune that really caught my ear was a year later-- his theme song for the British film Absolute Beginners, which he also starred in. 

At the time I actually wondered if he was a retro artist, since that lead me into the 1950s-styled Let's Dance album. 

Digger deeper, I found myself captivated by such moody tracks as "China Girl," "Cat People," and "Ashes To Ashes"-- I was beginning to discover the weird, artsy Bowie, and there was no turning back.

My wife's museum, The Albany Institute of History and Art is currently showing a really nice exhibition of rock and roll photography (Bowie included!) by local artist Patrick Harbron. In conjunction with the show, they held an open mic night tonight. We weren't sure what the turn out would be, so I brought my electric guitar just in case. I have been taking guitar lessons for a couple years now, still struggling to find time and motivation to practice, but I decided to give it a shot. Now I have no problem getting up and singing/performing in front of an audience, but playing the guitar and singing adds another level of complexity. Oof... I probably should have sat it out, but I gave Bowie's "Starman" a try. Coincidentally, the line "that weren't no DJ that was hazy cosmic jive" has some relevance with the current news about the discovery of mysterious radio waves from outer space. David, is that you? "Ground control to major Tom..."

Best In Show: "Diamond Dogs" 2016 Memorial Edition.
©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

More successful for me at Albany Institute was my taking part in a recent album cover design contest (also tied in with the rock photography exhibit). Again I chose Bowie as the subject, and reinterpreted his 1974 album Diamond Dogs. 

I had the perfect model: our dog Trixie. My illustration took things quite literally-- I sprinkled diamond shapes across the vinyl sized design, and Trix was decked out in full Bowie "Ziggy Stardust"-era glam (even the shoulder pads from the "Ashes To Ashes" video). The assemblage was mixed media, with elements of collage, colored pencil, paint, and glitter, as well as type created on the museum's old printing press. You can view some photos of my creative process in this Facebook album.

In addition to David Bowie, the through line for these projects is that they were about me focusing on artistic projects. I wish I could master the fearless creativity that Bowie had--I guess that's a big reason I admired him so. The other attractive part of his legacy is that his work transcended--as if he was the conduit for its creation. Although he is gone, his songs remain... and I think he understood, whatever his obvious fears and demons, that he should get out of the way of being creative. 

My Diamond Dogs reissue ended up winning the cover design contest! I know... it may seem a little fishy with my wife working at the museum, but this was entirely voted on by the public. I even saw a couple of people admiring the work when it was on display (even taking photos). So "bully for you, chilly for me..." I'll try and keep David Bowie in mind, and keep out of my own artist's way in the new year.

Listen Live: exit977.org

Starman

I am the DJ, I am what I play...

I should have known back in January that this would be a rough year. Let's keep good thoughts — if you need a little musical inspiration, tune into my tribute to the late, great David Bowie tonight at 11 p.m. ET on 97.7. WEXT's MyExit. 

I've been wanting to do this ever since the news of Bowie's passing, and finally got around to recording the other week with the great KTG. If you have listened to one of my (or others) MyExit shows, you know they let you play an hour of your favorite music...so obviously, this was a daunting task when it comes to a musician with the body of work like David Bowie. I'm happy with the way it turned out though... and only just learned that it would be played tonight, election eve (cue "I'm afraid of Americans"). If you miss it, it should be replayed on Saturday, November 12, at 11 a.m. 

Speaking of Bowie, this past weekend I visited family in my hometown, and had a chance to meet up with a local filmmaker who is working on a documentary about the artist's arrest in Rochester back in 1976. You have probably seen the infamous mugshot that was "discovered" several years ago. It's a haunting image, and I enjoyed hearing about all of the threads that the filmmaker has discovered about this story (I believe the only time Bowie was arrested - for pot). Perhaps it explains why he never returned to the Flower City... I had tickets to his 1987 Glass Spider tour that was supposed to take place in Rochester in September of that year, but it was mysteriously canceled (we all thought it was because U2 was coming to town the next month in support of the breakthrough, The Joshua Tree... which I did see!). In any event, Bowie's legacy lives on... I hope I'll be able to assist with the documentary in some way — I'll be sure to keep you posted.

Afraid of Americans (or maybe just Rochesterians), 1976

Hopeful lyric for tonight/tomorrow. Inspired by LA riots (which I survived):

"We reach out over race and hold each other's hands
Then die in the flames singing 'we shall overcome'
Whoa! What's going on?
There'll be some blood no doubt about it
But we'll come thru don't doubt it" - "Black Tie, White Noise" (1992)

Encore

With Diego Garcia this past November at a WEXT-
sponsored show in Albany (yes, he made "OurExit!").
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Sarah and I just learned that the guest DJ spot we recorded for Exit 97.7 WEXT over the summer will be rebroadcast this upcoming Monday, December 23, at 11 p.m. ET. We stumbled upon this news by hearing our promo air on the station a couple times during the last 24 hours... a bit of a surprise, but a nice compliment and way to end the year! 

WEXT's weekly "My Exit" program allows listeners to host an hour of their favorite music— this was my second time hosting, and Sarah and I used this occasion to celebrate our one year anniversary. It was good fun. 

We're lucky to have a non-commercial station like WEXT in the area. They produce several ongoing specialty shows, focusing on local music, Latin rock, classic soul, and so on... earlier this year they broadcast a retrospective I produced that looked at the 30 year career of Norwegian band A-ha, and this past week they have been counting down a list of the "top 500 bands of all-time"— for the most part I appreciate their choices (I even submitted a few picks of my own to them before hand). The station is currently in the midst of their year-end fund drive— to make a donation, learn more about their programming, or stream our show next week, visit exit977.org

Music To Our Ears

Tonight's the night! Tune into Our Exit show on WEXT. To celebrate our anniversary, Sarah and I play some of our favorite songs, and I think you'll enjoy the results. You can get a preview today on the site All Over Albany, and listen live to the broadcast at 11 p.m. this evening on the station's website.



Speaking of music, Sarah and I are on our way to New York City this afternoon to attend a taping of Live on Letterman, featuring Scottish indie rock band, Franz Ferdinand. Our first time seeing the band, so we're excited... and cool to know that the venue is where the Beatles made their North American debut (Ed Sullivan Theater). You can watch a live stream of the concert here.

Related Links:

http://exit977.org

"My Exit: Jeremy and Sarah Clowe," All Over Albany, July 22, 2013

www.cbs.com/shows/liveonletterman

Harmonious!

Now that's what I call "The Clowe Show!" Photo ©Jeremy Clowe.
All rights reserved.

Another way Sarah and I chose to celebrate our anniversary was to head over to the WEXT studios last week. Music has been such a big part of our relationship that we thought it would be fun to record a MyExit show together. 

This was my third time in the WEXT studios, and each time has been a great experience. For Sarah, it was her first time DJing... and I thought she did a great job! I was particularly impressed with her volume control (makes sense, knowing that she is a teacher). 

Anyway, you can listen live to OurExit show next Monday, July 22, 11 p.m. ET, and again on Saturday, July 27 at 8 a.m. 97.7 FM around New York's Capital Region or online at exit977.org

Next week should be a great week for music... I'm finally going to see rockabilly artist JD McPherson in concert at Troy's Ale House (should be quite the intimate show!) and I just won tickets to see Scottish indie band Franz Ferdinard in New York City next Monday ("Live at Letterman"). And the hits keep on comin'...!

Related Link:

"The Clowe Show!," blog entry, May 15, 2012

Dream Myself Alive

Thank God it's third Friday... that means it's time for another gig with the Royal Berkshire Improv Troupe! This is our first show of what looks to be a busy year, with new faces and venues to liven things up. Tonight's show is once again at the Spectrum Playhouse in Lee, MA, starting at 7:30 p.m. Come in from the cold and enjoy some laughs on us... visit our website for information on more shows in the near future.

Also on the horizon, I have an exciting new theater venture I'm involved with in Schenectady. It's early days now, but I'll be sure to post more information soon. 

Promo on WEXT's website: exit977.org

The biggest news of the moment is that my A-ha tribute show is finally airing next Monday, January 21, from 6 to 8 p.m. (eastern time) on Albany, New York radio station WEXT! Chrysalis Dreams: 30 Years of A-ha will tell the story of the Norwegian band's interesting history (from a uniquely American perspective). If you're outside of the Capital Region you can tune into a live stream of the broadcast on the station's website (you might consider downloading their app as well, since there has been quite a bit of interest in the program already). While you're on their website, swing over to the WEXT home page and check out the nice write-up about the show... you can even enter to win a special prize (if you live in the area that is)! I'm very excited about this broadcast, and looking forward to catching up listeners on the band's long and successful career--we'll look at groundbreaking videos, Guinness World Records, knighthood(!) and, of course, the music.

Related Links:

Royal Berkshire Improv Troupe website

"Chrysalis Dreams: 30 Years of A-ha," WEXT website

Back On The Boards!

I have some more vacation time to use before the end of the year, so I took the day off from work... but that doesn't mean I wasn't busy! More on that in a sec...

I did check into my work email during the day, and discovered that the Museum's new holiday billboards are up... and if you see them around the Berkshires, you may recognize a couple dedicated do-gooders!

Yep, that's me in the Spidey suit, along with my web-slinging nephew Ben! The Museum wanted to promote our latest exhibition (Heroes & Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross), but we were having a heck of a time trying to get the copyright holders of Ross' artwork to agree to let us showcase his art on a promotion of that size... but me, I had no problem (they don't call me a wallcrawler for nuthin'!). 

Seriously, it's pretty cool... I'll have to take a better picture once I get back to the Berkshires (and find the locations of these displays). 

Minor earth, major sky...! Celebrating my "A-ha" moment at WEXT's
studios in Troy, NY. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Continuing my bid to be called the new "king of all media," I returned to radio station WEXT's studios today to finally record my tribute show on 

A-ha. Actually, it was a re-record... I had already given it a shot a couple years ago at the request of Program Director Chris Wienk, but it was decided to put it on hold... in the meantime, the band retired (2010), briefly reunited to perform during a memorial concert for the victims of that tragic shooting in Norway last year, and on a more joyous occasion... were actually knighted by their home country last month during a ceremony held in Oslo to honor the 30th anniversary of their founding and contributions to Norwegian culture... the least I could do was re-record my tribute, and pull out all the stops!

I'm happy with how the recording session went... I thought my delivery was even stronger than the MyExit show I recorded a few months back. Radio production assistant Katie G was wonderful as usual, and was encouraging during my hour-plus, reading my prepared notes. Now I just have to wait for her to produce it... I prepared a couple discs full of music and editing background themes, and she has my notes... make her job a little easier. There's a chance it might air before the end of the year, otherwise early next... hopefully. So cross fingers and Morten Harket's leather wristbands that it will finally see "the living daylights"... soon! 

I'm ending the day by continuing to organize our new home. We are supposed to host a night of Hanukkah for our family, but I'd feel better if we could straighten it up a bit more... having said that, we lit our own candles earlier... not a bad day at all today!

Related Link:

http://exit977.org

pop goes my heart

Well, I spent most of today still trying to get out from under this pesky cold I have developed over the last couple days... I can't tell what was making me feel so miserable: the cold, lack of sleep, or the heat (or combination of the three). There could be a third factor: lack of food. Yeah, we hadn't managed to get the store yet this week, so my "breakfast" consisted of left-over tortilla chips from last night's burrito. The saving grace came when my soon to be mother-in-law called to see how I was doing, and offered to bring over some homemade chicken soup... ok, I think I'm marrying into the right family here!


I was still feeling pretty drawn out for the rest of the day, and just looked at a few wedding-related items here and there. Trying to figure out banners, and we had a meeting scheduled with our DJ to go over music... but I was feeling so lousy by the time we were planning to meet, that I told Sarah to go ahead without me--that's saying something, because music matters to me! I told them to give me a call, and went and made myself a bowl of popcorn...

Get ready... cause here we come!
Photo by John Whipple. All rights reserved.

Well, if I didn't love popcorn enough before... I ate the delicious fluffy kernels and found myself feeling a hell of a lot better... sinuses cleared up a little, my head stopped hurting, and I suddenly felt a surge of energy--it was the best I have felt in a couple days! Did I just need some fresh air (popping)? 


I jumped in the car and headed over to Starbucks, where Sarah was meeting with our DJ, Raphel. It was cool in there, and the chai tasted good (as always). Again, I think we're in good hands... Raphel brought up certain considerations about the use of music in the ceremony and other details that I had thought about myself; she's a fun personality (and former high school classmate of Sarah's) and I think she will be a big help to us on our wedding day. Now comes the challenge... whittling down our list of songs for the reception... hmmm.

The Clowe Show!

Thanks to all who tuned into My Exit show last night on WEXT. We were in Schenectady, so we had a chance to listen in to the program on the good old-fashioned stereo. It felt good. Made me hungry for more...


For those who missed it (or loved it so much they want to tune in again), the show will be airing again this Sunday, May 20, at 10 a.m. eastern time. You can listen in at 97.7 WEXT-FM in New York's Capital Region (and outlying areas) or online at exit977.org


In the meantime, here is my playlist and a line from each of the songs, which I love:

Waxing poetic... vinyl is hip again! Photo ©Jeremy Clowe.
All rights reserved.

1. "Dark Is The Night," A-ha: "It's time to break free, we need to celebrate the mystery..." (indeed).


2. "Here Comes The Sun," The Beatles: "Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting... little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear..."


3. "(I Know) I'm Losing You," The Temptations: "Ooh, I can tell when we kiss... from the tenderness I miss... Ooh, little girl I'm losing you..."


4. "A Girl Like You," Edwyn Collins: "You've made me acknowledge the devil in me, I hope to God I'm talking metaphorically, hope that I'm talking allegorically, know that I'm talking 'bout the way I feel..."


5. "Superstitious," Stevie Wonder: "Keep me in a daydream, keep me going strong... you don't want to save me, sad is my song..."


6. "Don't Gotta Work It Out," Fitz & The Tantrums: "I don't know but I've been told... the world outside is oh so cold, late at night when you're along... do you think about me now that I"m gone? When I'm on the road I often dream and think of you, girl... I hope that you do too..."

Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

7. "Heart In Your Hand," Colwell (Hector on Stilts): "You've got my heart in your hand, Sarah... have you ever felt this before..."


8. "My Eyes," Travis: "Ya ya yay, ya ya yay... you got my eyes... we can't see what you'll be, you can't disguise... and either way I will pray you will be wise... pretty soon you will see tears in my eyes..." (I think this is the sweetest song ever written from a father to his child!)


9. "People C'mon," Delta Spirit: "If you're feeling what I'm feeling c'mon, all you soul-searching people c'mon..."


10. "Girl of the North Country," Bob Dylan: "If you're going when the snowflakes storm, when the rivers freeze and summer ends... please see for me she has a coat so warm, to keep her from the howlin' wind...."


11. "Rebel Rebel," David Bowie: "You like me and I like it all, we like dancing and we look divine... you love bands when they're playing hard, you want more and you want it fast..."


12. "Live Forever," Oasis: "Maybe I will never be all the things that I wanna be... but now is not the time to cry, now's the time to find out why... I think you're the same as me, 
we see things they'll never see, you and I are gonna live forever..." 

Funny how a-ha records keeping popping up when I enter a store... 
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

13. "Home," Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros: "We laugh until we think we'll die, barefoot on a summer night, never could be sweeter than with you..."




14. "Hey Ya!" Outkast: "Shake it like a Polaroid picture..."




15. "Analogue," A-ha: "All I want you to know: I love you... all I need is the time to show you..."


Related:


All Over Albany profile


Up Next:


RBIT has an improv show this Friday, May 18, at the Spectrum Playhouse in Lee, MA...and it's exactly two months until the BIG day! Whoa...

My Music = My Exit

Well, tonight's the night when I take over the airwaves of New York's Capital Region! Tune into WEXT's My Exit show, to hear me host an hour of my favorite music. If you're not in the Albany, NY, area, you can listen online at exit977.org. This really was great fun, and reminded me of how much I loved DJing back in college and during the mid-90s at WBER—maybe I need to look into doing a regular gig again...

Standing in the shadows of Motown... Detroit, 2004.
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

As I mentioned yesterday, the website All Over Albany has posted a profile and preview of my show on their website today. It gave me a great opportunity to promote my TV music interviews, and talk about some of the music I will be playing on tonight's My Exit program. 

When asked to describe my taste in music, I responded: "I'm a soul man. I respond to music that is emotionally honest. Classic soul, indie rock, alternative, Britpop, classic rock, reggae, ska, jazz, etc. I'm a big fan of melody, and Sarah is always teasing me for frequently being drawn to melancholic songs. Moreover, I tend to be attracted to songs that deliver a sweeping chorus--these are the moments that usually give me goose bumps, and remind me why music is such an important part of my life."

Rock on!

Links: 

alloveralbany.com/archive/2012/05/14/my-exit-jeremy-clowe

My Exit promos

http://exit977.org

I am the DJ, I am what I play...

Borrowing a lyric from the great David Bowie there, which perfectly describes my experience DJ-ing yesterday at WEXT. Of course, Bowie made it into the hour-long playlist I created, which consisted of everything from classic soul to Britpop to Bob Dylan. I had a blast−DJ KTG was very helpful, and I can't wait to hear the end result, which is supposed to air sometime in May.

My music, my EXIT--at the WEXT studios. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe.
All rights reserved.

It made me realize how much I missed DJ-ing. I had my first taste back in college, where I hosted a weekly show on the campus radio station. It was a great forum for me to express my love for music, act goofy, and just enjoy performing. By my last semester, I had developed a pretty popular show called The Café 80s, where I dipped back into my new wave roots. It was always good fun taking callers or having guests in the studio, who talked excitedly about  the songs they grew up with.


After college, I moved back to Rochester, New York, and really got involved with radio in a big way−I had a regular gig with WBER-FM, a great independent station in the city. It was the mid-90s, a great time for music, and I worked with a regular playlist, with light to heavy rotation. I also did specialty shows, attended free concerts (including Bowie and Nine Inch Nails in Toronto) and meet such artists as Peter Murphy, The Lords of Acid, Jewel, Elastica, and Blur−I have a small collection of promos I created with several of these artists. 


This certainly informed the work I would do later with hosting my own TV music show, and interviewing music acts. During the My Exit set I was able to promote these shows, which I am still in the process of producing. It was a win-win, and I am talking with WEXT about still trying to produce the A-ha tribute program, in time for their 30th anniversary.


Tonight the performing continues, as I take the stage with the Royal Berkshire Improv Troupe for another show at the Spectrum Playhouse in Lee, Massachusetts. Coincidentally, one of my fellow RBITers used to live in Rochester, and says that he remembers hearing me during my WBER DJ days! Maybe there's some way that I can make this Casey Kasem thing continue...





WEXT website: http://exit977.org

DJ Rock The Mic!

Ok, feeling better since the last post... the skies have cleared (thanks A-ha). Sarah also reminded me of the value of sleep.

I did have some good news yesterday in the form of an email from WEXT Radio, an independent station located in the Capital Region. They want me to come in and do what they call "My Exit," where you get to play DJ for a set. It should be fun-- as I mentioned previously, I used to DJ back in Rochester (WBER), as well as during college. I kind of miss it.

I actually visited WEXT a year ago to record a two-hour tribute show for A-ha. This was at the request of their programming director, who had learned about my documentary. Well, it has yet to air, but maybe that serves me right... perhaps once I finish the documentary they will finally give it a spin. 

"The Exit" has pretty good taste in music-- it is where I first heard Fitz & The Tantrums, The Sam Roberts Band, and Diego Garcia-- we're actually on our way to see the latter act perform in Albany tonight. I love latin music, and Diego has a romantic, sort of "indie latino" vibe (apparently he used to play in the latin alternative band Elefant). The first song I hear from him was You Were Never There, and I loved it. Sort of a '60s thing going here as well:

The weekend is here! Looking forward to it.