And... Go.

If you are around in central Virginia tomorrow, you should come check this out. ...And if you're not, you should still look at the lovely event poster that my buddy James K. Ford and I made. The best imaginary vintage paperback cover never made, methinks. Very "Ace Double", in color scheme and layout. Anyhow, DJ gig. In the hometown. With my buddy James (AKA DJ Hummingbird Feeder) and me. We'll start around 9/9:30/10pm and go 'til last call. It will rock, and funk, and do other genretastic verbjectives... And it would be great to see you.

My first DJ set of the new year, from Camino in Charlottesville, Virginia. Starts out with a mini-set of mellow Beatles covers, builds to a pretty solid run of funk and hip-hop tunes, wraps up in much the fashion it began... Lotsa classics, lotsa rare stuff, a few random bits of whimsy, and one point where the amp overheated and everything went quiet. Pretty alright. Jimmy Ponder-While My Guitar Gently Weeps Booker T. & The MG's- Lady Madonna Overton Berry Trio- Hey Jude Ramsey Lewis- Day Tripper Harry J. Allstars- Don't Let Me Down Booker T. & The MG's- Michelle Harvey Averne- I Feel Fine The Selecter- The Selecter King Curtis- Memphis Soul Stew Lee Dorsey- Four Corners (pt. 1) The Fantastic Johnny C- Boogaloo Down Broadway Marvin Gaye- Stubborn Kind Of Fellow Jamie Lidell- Multiply The Houseguests- What So Never The Dance (pts 1 & 2) Johnny Cameron & The Camerons- Funky John Tony Alvoin & The Belairs- Sexy Coffee Pot Freddie & The Kinfolk- Mashe...

My set from Wednesday the 16th, 5-10pm, first of a two-night run of happyhour gigs. Mostly funk and hip-hop, with a bit of soul and ska and other surprises: Maceo & All The King's Men- Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin) The Impressions- Why Don't You Check Out Your Mind The Temptations- Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down King Curtis- Memphis Soul Stew Pete Rock & CL Smooth- T.R.O.Y. The J.B.'s- Pass The Peas Milly & Silly- Getting Down For Xmas Bob James- Take Me To The Mardi Gras The Emotions- Blind Alley Curtis Mayfield- Power To The People Jimmy Cliff- The Harder They Come The Harry J Allstars- Je t'aime Bobby Williams- Funky Superfly (parts 1 & 2) Big Daddy Kane- Ain't No Half Steppin' Electric Jungle- Funky Funky Christmas Jeff Beck- Come Dancing Beck- Lloyd Price Express Das Efx- They Want Efx Nice & Smooth- Hip-Hop Junkies Kid Cudi- Make Her Say The Pharcyde- Runnin' Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band- Y...

I'm breaking a long silence here to mention a film that just opened in three cities. And if you know me (and if you're somehow reading this, I bet you do), please take my recommendation. The film is called "The Boys". It's a documentary on Richard and Robert Sherman. Now, odds are you have no idea who those people are, but I'd bet good cash you know many of the songs they wrote. "It's A Small World". "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers". "Tall Paul". "You're Sixteen [you're beautiful, and you're mine]". "I Wanna Be Like You" (from The Jungle Book). All the songs from "Mary Poppins", "Bedknobs And Broomsticks", "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", "Charlotte's Web", and oodles of others. And it's a film that shines a light on unsung giants of pop culture, provides a great portrait of painful family dynamics, and (vitally) pulls at the heartstrings wit...

In the traditional fashion for this festive season, I hereby present your recommended dosage of holiday cheer: GIANT GLOWING INFLATABLE SANTA BOOTY! Have a wonderful holiday season, and don't say I never gave you nuthin'. -PAR

And then (and yes I know I'm suddenly re-establishing contact after a long silent stretch), I was a bit older. And what remained was a weekend's worth of memories made up of blurred recollections and amazing food and digital photos and falling over giggling and many many many many MANY drinks and old friends catching up and some newer friends suddenly being missed and yet more fantastic cuisine and getting distracted and wandering off and unrequited love and stupid jokes and stolen kisses and immense affection and loose ends and missing polaroids and a few long-time collaborators notable in thier absence and early mornings and late nights and intersecting social circles and intending to go somewhere and ending up somewhere entirely different by mistake and disorientation and selective equilibrium and unanticipated tenderness and music and fun and not a lot of sleep and holding one another tightly and missed connections and happy coincidences and no matter what details we'd ...