5
 
 
(click the picture above for the high definition video - but also click YouTube for me!)
 
2:27 AM, Thursday, October 9th, 2008:
 
33.
 
 
 
Birthday entries the past few years have tended to be rather intense. From my 30th in Central Park, repeating that with Donna a year later to this performance in Chicago, it's hard not to reflect. And it's very difficult for me to sit here and watch this guy perform these two songs and say: "Yeah, he should be in comedy."
 
Welcome to the crux of this Journey and the blessing and curse of my life. When you follow your heart you can end up being the jack of all trades and master of none. And at my age, it's hard not to take a looooooong look at that.
 
The performance itself went really, really well. I only did 2 songs on that break because my best friend from high school just arrived and I really wanted to catch up. And although never in my life would I dream of having 3 versions of the same song on The Journey, "Independent Actions" is just that special to me. It's also a perfect opener to get people's attention. If you notice the talking level at the beginning of the verse, and then when I hit "running round in circles" it nearly stops. The entire front of the room paid close attention, all the noise was from the far back, and it just echoed like a bitch. Hmm, that's odd - do bitches echo? Anyway...
 

So I sit here at 33 and look at myself playing the role of singer/songwriter and I admit it does kind of shock me. As I said before - I cannot fathom an outsider watching this video, not thinking that this is not only what I "do" but certainly, what I should do. You tell that outsider about The Egos and they look at you like you're crazy. Why the hell aren't you trying to start a music career?
 
Oh, I don't know, because the music industry sucks ass? It's a game that is actually more soul-killing than film and television? Because there's nothing more rewarding than a Journey song shared on the net to me? Because playing for drunks that can't understand the words anyway is only fun once a year? LOL. Actually, it's complicated. People assumed I went on stage with 4tvs because I was trying to hide some flaw and need 4tvs to make up for it. That was never true. I was inspired by doing something no one ever did... so I did it. So in that respect this is just wonderful.
 

But is it more? I have to say - right now? I don't really know. I think I could put together an incredible piano-based album with the last 10 years worth of material and put together a band to play out... all of that. The pieces are there... but I'm hard pressed to believe it isn't inevitably a waste of time. Again, it's been done before. Although I am at home in that capacity, it just doesn't grab me like Adam & The Egos.
 
Yet here I am... mid-thirtyville. Swallow that for a bit. I've had successes literally beyond anything I could imagine, but like everything in this industry it's fleeting. I'm also in the midst of a networking push unlike any I've ever undertaken and it's brought me an unprecedented amount of interest. I'm certainly not going to jump off that train for music... but you watch that video, and you see another path. Clearly. It's right there. It isn't a stretch to see putting a certain amount of effort in that direction and seeing dividends. A strange crossroad and one that will simply have to simmer for a bit as I'm dying to see what happens next week in New York.
 
 
In video news, those blue lights (and the house lights that came up once they closed) at the club provided for what will be the money-shot in the video for sure. After days of shooting stuff that didn't seem right, this shot came along and just worked on every single level. I'm extremely excited now about how this is going to come together and should have the finished video up Saturday evening if I work my ass off. Would be the perfect way to end this Journey Series for sure. Oh and I almost forgot, the celebrity.
 

So uhm, this is all I can show you until next week. LOL. I used my camcorder to record the audio and pointed it down nearly the entire time. I did get one shot of him where you can see my thumb ring, so you know it is indeed me. LOL. I was joking with people - my jeans are like $10 from the 90s. His are probably $1000 from last week. I actually saw a show about what I'm certain were these exact jeans that ran upwards to $6-700. Hey if you've got it... they were nice jeans.
 
So funny that this is all secretive. :-)
 
Alrighty - last entry from Chicago on Saturday and then Adventure #2 begins...
 
Adam
 
PS - I know there was a 2nd Bomb Iran mention but I have to say - one thing trumped them all: "My Fellow Prisoners". Oh my freaking God what kind of freudian slip was that? Was that a POW flashback? Was that an allusion to how we would feel if he were president? I've never seen anything like it... EVER.
 
Is that the October surprise? How frightening is that?