Spirit of The Holiday

On this day, remembering my father - 

a compassionate man, and talented musician/visual art 

(the apple did not fall far from the tree).

Thank you for the love and example you set for us 

- in essence, the spirit of Christmas. 

Time Marches On...

Saving the clock tower, fall 1991

In honor of Throwback Thursday, here's a red letter date: November 5th!

Not only is this the date that Doctor Emmett L. Brown invented time travel (60 years ago), it is also the date that my mother was born (Happy Birthday, Mom!). Here are a few photos to mark this significant date in history.

That's me and my Mom (below) at Universal Studios Hollywood, taken during my year in Los Angeles, studying film. I remember being thrilled to see the actual set where they filmed parts of Back To The Future, as well as taking part in a little performance based around the film. Believe it or not, that's me standing on a mock clock tower set in a Doc Brown wig (one of my finest performances, I assure you). Also, a shot of me in front of one of the actual vintage cars used in the series. Somewhere I also have a photo in front of one of the screen-used DeLoreans, but it seems to have gone missing (as has my copy of the Gray's Sports Almanac...hey!).

If I had access to that time machine, I wouldn't mind traveling back to June of 1964, and watch the two crazy kids pictured on the left (my Mom and Dad) get married...talk about the power of love!

Thinking a lot about family and friends today, and those I have loved past, present, and future.

"Nov. 5, 1955: A Flux of Genius," Wired, November 5, 2009

Picture Perfect

12.25.12. Canon EOS Rebel T3, manual setting.
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

We had a great time in Rochester, even though we decided to leave a little earlier than expected today. With predictions of the first big winter storm on the way and up to a foot of snow possible in the Capital Region, we decided not to chance it since Sarah is scheduled to work tomorrow. Sure enough, the snow has been coming down steadily since we got back this evening, and I can already hear the plows out and about. Luckily, a stop at the grocery store means that we are all set in the event we get stranded overnight (oh please, oh please!).

If we do find ourselves with grand mountains of fluffy white tomorrow, I'll be well-equipped to document it... yes, one of the Christmas gifts I received yesterday was a sweet Canon EOS Rebel T3 camera. Finally... a true digital camera worthy of the cameraman! 

I have been having fun taking some shots here and there, and look forward to sharing some of the better ones here on this blog. Thanks again to my lovely mum and stepfather for all the hospitality... 

Christmas 2012. Canon EOS Rebel T3, manual setting.
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Glory Be

It's Christmas Eve and we're back at my Mom's place in Rochester. We just got back from a candlelight service at this beautiful church in the city, not far from where I used to live... I always enjoy going to this service, and I was reminded tonight about how much I love this song:

This year I felt like I needed to sing a little harder, hold on to my candle a little longer...   I'll write more about my thoughts tomorrow... I'm a little too tired right now, and need to get to bed to avoid running into Old St. Nick (I still remember the empty plate of crumbs and thank you note, whose handwriting looked oddly similar to my Dad's). 

On our drive out here last night, we heard another holiday standard, Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas" on the radio... I was reminded of my days portraying the King of Rock and Roll, which was fun. This holiday song by Elvis is really good, and Sarah mentioned hearing about a Porky Pig(!) version of it... we had to look it up, and it had me tearing up it was so hilarious:

I haven't laughed so hard in ages... definitely needed that. I also realize how much I needed to get away... I'm thankful to be home for the holidays.. The snow started coming down steadily after the service, so it looks like it will be a White Christmas after all... yay.

"Sleep in heavenly peace... sleep in heavenly peace..."

Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas...

We headed back to Hudson, New York today to pick up a Christmas tree. This came courtesy of my family's farm property, and was Sarah's first! 

Funny how they look different once you get them inside... it's huge! Probably the largest tree I have ever had. Now to decorate... 

A Norman Rockwell Moment

Well, this certainly was a memorable day... 

A Japanese TV crew visited the Museum today to begin filming a segment on the work of Norman Rockwell. Today was devoted to recreating the scenes depicted in two of Rockwell's most famous paintings−The Marriage License and The Runaway. My friend Mas, the producer, asked me ahead of time if I knew of anyone who could play the part of certain figures in the illustrations...

My friend/Museum volunteer Carlton agreed to play the part of the clerk in The Marriage License. By the time I got to the shoot (held in the Stockbridge Town Hall) he was already suited up and doing several takes, as if he was waiting on the couple stopping in to get their license. He even got a couple lines... it will be interesting to see if they are dubbed over in Japanese! 

Later in the afternoon, my nephew Sam joined us to play the "title character" in Rockwell's 1958 Saturday Evening Post cover illustration, The Runaway. The crew set the scene in Elm Street Market, where I had actually once interviewed the original models for the painting. The production company, Robin/Tani Media Factory, always has a great eye for detail, and they had my nephew fitted with an old-style knapsack (like the boy in the painting), and found a real-life Massachusetts State Trooper to play the kindly cop. They also went beyond the illustration, filming the little runaway walking outside on his journey... Sam did a great job, and we were even greeted unexpectedly by Ed Locke, the original model for the little boy, who just happened to be driving down the street where we were filming!

But the biggest surprise was yet to come. My sister-in-law's boyfriend had confided in me and Sarah the previous week that he had planned to propose to her... however, he was having a tough time figuring out a time when someone could watch after their own separate children, and make it happen. I suggested that he head out to Stockbridge during the shoot, where she would be present with her son. I told him I would figure out some way to get her back to where we had staged The Marriage License earlier in the day (have to thank the production company for their willingness to help us pull it off). After the Runaway shoot, we all walked back over to the town hall, under the pretense that she needed to sign a couple extra appearance forms for her son... When she got there, her guy was waiting for her at the makeshift set that the TV crew had constructed (even Carlton agreed to "reprise" his role as the clerk). It was here that he popped the question (surrounded by members of her family)... luckily, she said yes! 

As I said, it was a fun, memorable day... I truly cherish when I have the opportunity to help make others happy... when I have the chance to do so in a creative way, that's even more satisfying!

All photos ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Dream Weaver

Let the holiday parties begin! Tonight we visited my cousin and her family in the Catskills. Being the first night of Hanukkah, we lit the first candle of the menorah... there was also a performance from a wind-up toy named Latke Larry... good times! But the best part of the night was hearing my aunt tell of how my father used to rush home on the weekends to watch my mother sing on a local TV talent show called Teenage Barn (sort of an early precursor to shows like American Idol). This was before my parents started dating, and the age difference between them was a little more defined (I think my father was in college... mother was still in high school). Apparently my Dad would ask my aunt if she thought the age difference was too much... they eventually started dating just before or during my mother's own college years... kind of sweet.

On the topic of music and memories, I notice that today was the 32nd anniversary of the day that John Lennon was killed. He was actually about my current age when he died... so sad to lose such a creative genius so young. At the time, I was just ten years old and found myself quite intrigued by all the news stories I was hearing, with TV footage of candlelit vigils, and non-stop tributes on the radio... that was what hooked me on the Beatles' music, and there was no turning back... I loved it. I tried to find all the music I could, "borrowing" my mother's old Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road albums, and reading all about the creative music and career of the Fab Four... it even influenced my own artwork and writing at the time. John Lennon was definitely one of the quirkier members of the group, and I definitely responded to his defiant yet heartfelt energy:



Becoming immersed in the Beatles' work at that age definitely influenced the type of music I would gravitate towards in the years to come (you may notice a strong, British thread). A few years back my other favorite band, A-ha, contributed a cover of one of Lennon's post-Beatles songs to a tribute album called Make Some Noise: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur. It was the kind of humanitarian project that Lennon would have been proud of, and I thought A-ha, who were also most definitely influenced by the Beatles, did a fab job on the late artist's psychedelic #9 Dream:



So tomorrow (the 9th) I'm getting my script and musical choices together for another scheduled recording session in the WEXT studios. This time it will be to finally get my 
A-ha tribute show on the air... something that has been in the works for the last couple years, but it's good timing to coincide with this, the 30th anniversary of the band's founding. I hope it can finally come together... right now... over me(!)


Related Link:

www.amnestyusa.org

Family Affair

Great Thanksgiving back at the family farm in Hudson... so nice that we can all keep the tradition going at my Grandma's old home. She was there in spirit, for sure...

One of the fun surprises was this old poster that my Mom brought... eat your heart out Alex Ross! I had totally forgotten about it... Mom also brought tons of my old comic magazines I created as a kid... ah, how free and easy the creativity flowed back then. I should hang this somewhere as a reminder...




Make Mine Marvel! (circa. 1977). Photos ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Home Sweet Home

Today we enjoyed a quick trip back to Rochester for a special birthday serenade... wish we could have stayed longer!

Photos by Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

The Love

Arrgh... here's another one. I was so tempted to check out Florence + The Machine's concert in Saratoga last night... she's got a great sound, and appears to be a great performer.... oh well. I would have gone, but it is Rosh Hashanah, so Sarah couldn't go... at sundown it was time for her services. After considering, I decided that I didn't fancy sitting on the lawn by myself, and thought the $70 tickets were a little too steep for an artist I'm still getting to know (had some car repairs to take care of as well). So, I decided to join Sarah and her family for dinner and services (hopefully I'll have another chance to see the Machine).

The food at the holiday dinner was good and plentiful (with apples and honey... straight from Sarah's father's beehive!), the company great, and the service rather long, but interesting... I'm still getting used to the Jewish traditions, but I enjoyed the music... and one reading, in particular, that talked about life's journey, written by someone named Josh Liebman--it was quite poetic, using some beautiful metaphors-- I'll have to find that, and repost. 

I can't believe it was last year at this time that Sarah and I took off for Canada, and I popped the question... it's been a wonderful year, and appropriate time to now say: "L'Shana Tovah!"... may the love continue...

Uncle!

un.cle

"n. 1. a. The brother of one's mother of father."

 Sam I am. Helping out with the "I Miss America" pageant/
protest, Schenectady, New York, May 2008.
Photo ©Schenectady Neighbors for Peace. All rights reserved.

So, I just received the news... I'm an uncle again-- for the sixth time! My new niece looks adorable. Of course my friends are asking me "isn't it about time..." yeah. I know. Hanging out with my lovable new nephews is making it harder to come up with reasons not to...

"Idiom: 1. cry/say uncle 
Informal
To indicate a willingness to give up a fight or surrender."

Well, I can't take that definition to heart, but life sure gets tough sometimes... I wish I could make changes happen sooner in other areas. It's been a long time comin'...

Not The Same Old Song...

We really enjoyed the Old Songs Festival last night--the weather was pleasant up there in Altamont, the food was delicious (Moroccan cuisine!), and the bands were quite lively... there was actually a strong French bent to them (perfect preparation for our upcoming trip to Quebec). One of the acts, in fact, was from Canada:

The band's name is Galant, tu perds ton temps, and is comprised of five women (and a male percussionist) who sing a cappella. We don't speak French, but it was hard not to love their infectious renditions of traditional folk songs.

The band Comas play the 32nd Annual Old Songs
Folk Festival. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

There were plenty of other highlights, including a Celtic-infused group called Comas, the Creole sounds of Dennis Stroughmatt, and the Scottish singer/songwriter Archie Fisher. I admit that to have had sort of a preconception about what folk is all about, but this festival really opens my eyes (and ears) to the bigger concept of folk music, and I must say that I appreciate hearing bands from other regions (and countries) sing traditional songs that have been passed down through the ages.

My gal (in my shirt) revisiting old memories at
Old Songs. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

This was the 32nd anniversary of Old Songs, and Sarah's family has been going since the beginning. In fact, we came across a photo display, which included an old photo of Sarah and her mother listening to a performer from back in 1987 (Sarah was only five)! It had a note attached to it saying that this cute little girl went on to become an Old Songs intern in later years... Having taken part in this summer family tradition for the past few years, I can see the appeal.

Related Link:

http://www.oldsongs.org/festival

Sweet Memories

We were back in the Hudson Valley today to honor our loved ones on Memorial Day. Sarah helped me pick out some nice flower arrangements to plant in the cemeteries, and also introduced me to the beautiful Jewish tradition of leaving pebbles on top of gravestones as a sign of respect and remembrance. 


We really didn't have to travel too far for beautiful flowers... there are some stunning peonies planted right alongside my family's farmland property. The area is scented with that hint of sweet spring air... at times intoxicating... and I keep searching for the cherry trees! It really is my favorite time of year, and being back here reminds me of how beautiful and inspiring the area is...

Photos ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

One Step Closer

We've got our rings! Nicely engraved. Northeastern did a good job... we've been happy with the experience all the way around.

Now it's up to the ring bearer! Sarah's mother posted a really cute photo today on Facebook of my soon-to-be nephew learning some of the ropes of a wedding ceremony... of course it was a toy cake being served to a couple of stuffed animals (apparently I was the hound-dog... appropriate considering my background as an Elvis impersonator). I'm sure he will be great. It's still a little startling to hear a kid yell "Uncle Jeremy!..." but actually, it's pretty cool... he even loves Spider-Man. 

Tonight we continued with our pre-marriage counseling. This time we looked at the area of finances... it was probably one of the more sober conversations, and there is a bit to consider... but I have had enough practice at this by now that I think we'll be alright (in fact, I just paid off one of two credit cards today).

Other great news: one of my good friends, who I met in a local film organization, just had twin boys! Earlier than expected, but they seem to be doing well. Unfortunately, they won't be able to make it to the wedding, as they live in California... I think a trip out west is in order soon.

One more day of work until Memorial Day weekend! It's the official start to summer, meaning that the fun is just about to begin...

5.24.12. Smart photo taken with Smartphone. ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

With a Little Luck...

Happy St. Patrick's Day! It was a beautiful day, so we took the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. We joined Sarah's family for a hike around the Plotterkill Preserve in Schenectady County−it was a little muddy in parts, but things are starting to come to life, and the smell of pine trees mixed with other foliage was good for the spirit. 


There were still patches of ice here and there, and the nearby river was racing (appearing, at times, like flowing milk). We were hoping to add another waterfall to our list, but the connecting point on our trail appeared to have washed away by last year's Hurricane Irene storm, so we just enjoyed a healthy hike and each other's company.


I was feeling a little down earlier in the day, so I think a walk in the woods was just what I needed. Playing uncle to Sarah's two nephews is also good fun−a further chance to be silly and to entertain. It goes without saying that I am a lucky man to have such a lovely fiancee, and equally blessed to enjoy spending time with her family. Now if only my other great wish for the year would come true. I didn't find a four-leaf clover, but here's hoping that the couple pints of Guinness from the night before will offer me a spot of that old "Irish luck" that I need... back to "work" tomorrow.

Photos by Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

I'm in love. What's that sound?

Continuing on the music vibe, I was pleasantly surprised to read this article today in The Albany Times Union about how Hudson, New York, is becoming such a "musician-friendly town." The article interviews Tommy Stinson, a new Hudson resident and former bassist in the influential rock band The Replacements.

Pretty cool. And he's not alone... apparently Meshell Mdegeocello lives here, as does Melissas Auf Der Maur from the band Hole, members of indie rock band Vetiver*, and my stepfather says he even ran into Sonny Rollins one time. Wow.

Producer Henry Hirsch (Lenny Kravitz)
has opened a new studio in this converted
1869 church in Hudson. Can I get an amen?

It means much to me because Hudson is where my family is from-- both mother and father, and I still have several aunts and uncles in the area. I'm actually living part-time at my grandparent's old farm property at the moment, and it has been nice to revisit the town that I have such fond memories of growing up.

I don't know if my family or I would have guessed that downtown Hudson would turn into the scene it is today. Over the past twenty years or so I have seen it grow into quite a creative hub--art galleries, trendy restaurants, and the thing that started it all, antique dealers. It makes sense-- it is an easy train ride to and from New York City, and sort of centrally located (like the Berkshires) from NYC, Boston, and Montreal. It's kid of ideal... if you can make a go of it. I never found much work here in Hudson besides the odd part-time job helping out at art galleries, but many New Yorkers now claim it as their own-- second homes, or even commuting.

I hope the city doesn't get too spoilt by this-- as the article describes, it does have a sort of "real" quality about it. Believe me, you don't really get that in the Berkshires. Music is the way to cut through that though, and while I am here I look forward to hearing about new creative artists, and seeing how Club Helsinki takes off (recent acts have included Tift Merritt, Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds, and Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings. Wow).

The Piano Man + Songbird. My two
favorite musicians (Holland, MI, c. 1963)

For me it is especially sweet because music brought my parents together. My Dad was a pretty accomplished pianist, and my Mom had a lovely voice-- I used to enjoy hearing them perform together in the churches where they both worked as an organist and choir director (I was in the teen choir). Ok, now my family's town is reminding me again it's time for me to step it up in the music department! I'll see what I can do... In the meantime, local musicians in Hudson, please get in touch-- I'd love to at least look into having you on my TV music show, which has been mostly New England-based up to now. Time to bring it all back home...


Related Link: 

Hudson, N.Y.: Where Bands Feel at Home, New York Times


More about producer Henry Hirsch's studio


*Note: The lead singer of Vetiver, Andy Cabic, is one of the many artists featured in A Concert for Loved Ones in Haiti, which I filmed at The Colonial Theater in Pittsfield, MA, back in February 2010. Here is a short clip with the previously mentioned Tift Merritt. Watch this space for more details on an upcoming broadcast.