Getting Out On The Road Again!

Now that summer's over, and before all the CPO Classes get rolling again, I've a short window of opportunity to get back out on the road, and I've got two trips planned that should be fun, as well as interesting. Or maybe 'challenging' is a better term for the first trip.
The National Recreation and Park Conference is being held in Saint Louis this year, and I've decided to attend. Although it's been some time since I was employed full time in the Recreation field, I try to keep up with what's going on in the profession, so that I can advise clients, field questions, and even put some of the newer ideas to use at places I work. Plus the last time the Conference was in St. Louis, I couldn't go, so I'd like to experience it this time around.
Normally, I'd jump in my 2014 Challenger/Cuda and head down the road. But, this trip gives me a chance to do something cool. St. Louis sits right on Route 66, on a portion of the road that I've not traveled. And, I've been asked to give a presentation next month at the Cortland State Recreation Conference about Route 66 and it's lasting effect on American Culture. So, what better way to prep for that than to cruise for a bit on 66? And better yet, how about taking that ride in a classic car? Yeah, that's the ticket! Take the old Yellow Fish out to Saint Louis, then cruise back to NY along Route 66, taking loads of photos, eating great road food, and stopping at the tourist spots! 

Yeah, that sounds like a solid plan! Take that old gal for a nice long ride; no power steering or power brakes; no air conditioning; a three speed manual transmission; what could go wrong? Of course, I did have my mechanic give the car the once over, generally speaking, it's in really good shape. I've packed extra anti-freeze, oil, a spare fan belt and a couple of ballast resistors (the slant six's Achilles heel; a $2 electrical part that blows out regularly, causing a 'no start' condition). And I'm feeling pretty good about the trip. Of course, you can't make the same kind of time in this old car that you can in a modern one. So on the way out, instead of two days to St. Lou, it'll be 3, most of which will be done on Turnpikes and Interstates. I'll certainly post short notes about that trip. But the fun stuff will be on the way back, as I trace Route 66 up through Illinois. I've not ridden on this part of 66 before, so it will be a learning experience, and hopefully full of new and interesting places. I've got my Route 66 maps out, and while the trip looks a bit tricky, it also looks like fun! So keep your eyes out for posts starting next week, and keep your fingers crossed that I don't have to call for any tows!
After St. Louis, home for a day or two, then back out on the road for a trip to Nashville, TN, to do a CPO Instructor School with my buddies. This time, I'm taking the Challenger, and will do the trip down rather quickly, figure two days. 

Karen is flying in to meet me, and we'll have a couple of days together to sight see before the school gets going. Nashville is a cool town, I was there years back for a conference, and there's a lot to see and do, so I'm looking forward to this trip as well. On the way back, I'll probably take a little detour off the interstates, and cruise some of the nicer more scenic roads coming north, perhaps the Shenandoah or Blue Ridge Parkways. We'll see. In any case, two fun trips in the next couple of weeks, a good way to get into the new season.

West Coast Wrap Up

After a nice, relaxing weekend back home, it's time to do a little housekeeping, and wrap up the amazing trip that I just had out to L.A. for Mike Nesmith's final Monkees show.
I've posted a few videos, and some thoughts, over on my Facebook page, so if you search for me by name (Paul Blake) you should be able to spot those; I'll not repeat them here, exactly, but might reference them in this post.
First off, the reason for the trip, the concert. Since Michael made his announcement about three weeks ago that this would be his final performance as a "Monkee", lots of interest was sparked among fans and critics alike. It was refreshing to see that most of the articles and short essays that came out were extremely positive about The Monkees and their legacy. It would appear that most of the media finally got the story straight, and the guys are finally getting the credit they deserve. Honestly, I think a lot of the negative vibes went away after the documentary "The Wrecking Crew" came out. The old 'they don't play their own instruments' insult became pretty lame once it was revealed that very few of the big acts in the 60's actually played on their records. I won't go over the whole list here, but suffice it to say there are some pretty big names on it.
With that in mind, of course the guys do, and always have, played 'their own' instruments; although Peter did joke that the ones they played on Friday were rented! And, over the years, their musicianship has only gotten better, and their backing band, most of whom have played in various incarnations of the group for 20+ years is outstanding. So I was expecting a great show, and I was not disappointed.

The theater was sold out, and it was a very enthusiastic bunch of fans. Some dressed in '60's style clothes, a few in red "Monkee" shirts with white buttons, some wearing green wool hats, but all in great spirits. At around 8:10, the lights dimmed, and the large video screen at the rear of the stage came alive; "Bah-Dah-Dum; Here we come...." the intro from the second season of the t.v. show played as the band took their places on stage; the video ended, the spotlights came on, and the introductions of the guys, to thunderous applause. And off they went, kicking right into "Clarksville", followed by Michael taking the lead on "Papa Gene's Blues" - and the crowd went wild. 

What followed was an hour plus of great songs, terrific playing, and very emotional moments. The guys did all the great tunes, plus 3 songs from their new album, "Good Times". The Michael/Micky duet "Me And Magelena" was the highlight of these; their voices harmonize as well today as they did 50 years ago. After Mike did "What Am I Doin' Hanging 'Round", a short 15 minute intermission gave us all a chance to catch our breath, and get ready for the second portion of the show. Right on cue, the guys came back and did a full second hour, featuring hits, album cuts, and songs from "Head". After about a dozen more tunes, everyone left the stage, and Michael returned, by himself, and sat on a stool with just his Gretsch 12 string. 

He spoke about the first time the guys performed to a concert audience, and how there was something extra happening that night, and related how the guys all felt it and spoke about it, deciding that it was us, the audience, that made "The Monkees" come to life on stage. Mike then played "Tapioca Tundra", as a solo, almost ballad like tune, and explained that he had written it after that first concert to try and put the feelings into words. Hearing that, the phrase in the song "It cannot be a part of you for now it's part of me" makes a lot more sense.
It was a very fitting way for Michael to say 'thanks' and 'farewell' to the whole Monkees thing. Back came the band, Micky and Peter, and the last songs; "Daydream Believer", played live but with Davy's vocal. A quick trip offstage, then the return for what has become the standard encore, "Pleasant Valley Sunday", and "I'm A Believer". Wild applause, bows, acknowledgements of the band, and of each other, hugs, smiles, and some tears, and it was over.

If this was the last time, and I do believe it was, the guys hit a home run. The band sounded great, and all three, yes, including Peter, also sounded terrific. A wonderful night, one which will live in my mind's eye for the rest of my life. 
There are some great videos of the show available on YouTube, taken by folks who were on the floor for the show, in the first dozen or so rows. If you search "Monkees Pantages Theater", you'll find links to them. Well worth your time to check them out.
Beyond the show, a couple of short 'bullet point' notes about the trip:
* The hotel. I got some queries about where I had stayed while in L.A., as I had mentioned that I was only a block away from the Pantages Theater. Since this was pretty much a one day trip, I didn't want to have to rent a car, so I did a search for a hotel that was in the neighborhood of the theater, and I came up with the Hollywood Le Bon.

It's right on Argyle St., less than a full block from the theater's location on Hollywood Blvd. And it's two short blocks from Sunset Blvd., so it was a nice central location. It's a small hotel, as you can see, which has only 20 rooms. And the rooms are tiny; not the kind of place you'd want to be stuck in for a week, but for two nights? Just fine. Here's a photo of my room:

As you can see, it's small, but the bed was comfortable, the a/c worked just great, and the bathroom was immaculate. Great choice, as I was right near most of the tourist sites.
Like this one:

It's "Sunset Gower Studios", which was formerly the Columbia Studios lot. It's located perhaps four blocks from the Pantages Theater. Probably doesn't mean a lot to most of you, but this studio is where "The Monkees" show was filmed - and here they are, 50 years later, performing a 'farewell' of sorts so close to where it all began. I'm not sure how many others doped this out, but it didn't take me long to make the connection.
*Ameoba Music. This spot was only a couple of blocks away from the hotel, and while I'd been there before, and didn't really want to buy anything, I had to go there for a while.

With so much of today's music being online MP3's, or virtual downloads, I miss going to a physical store, and being able to flip through the products. Picking up an album, or a CD, checking out the liner notes, looking at the songs, gleaning information about the band, all things we've lost as we transitioned to a digital world. Fortunately, this place has loads of product to look through;

You could easily spend a day browsing here, and probably not see everything they have. I guess I was in there maybe an hour and a half, and although I didn't buy anything, it was a really enjoyable time. Unfortunately, the owners of the store recently sold the property that the place sits on, and the new owners are planning on building a skyscraper of some sort, so this place is on borrowed time. The plan is to relocate to a new location, but I'm not sure it'll be the same.
*The Cinerama Theater. Another iconic Hollywood image, this theater has been around since the early 1960's, and was one of the first wide screen 'Cinerama' theaters in the country.

I always thought it just looked so cool. Back in the day, it was a single auditorium theater, but now, in addition to the wide Cinerama screen, it's more like a local multi plex. I think I spotted either 6 or 8 movies playing there. And, you don't go in the front doors anymore, they're locked; you enter around to the left hand side of the building. I remember being a little kid, and reading about the premier of "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", and how it was being held at this theater. I've always loved comedies, and even as a 10 or 11 year old, I could appreciate the cast of this movie, and I really wanted to see it. I can imagine what that first screening was like at this place

I did eventually see the movie, I think at the Century Floral Park theater, and I loved every minute of it. A few years back, I received as a present, the two disc set of Mad World and a documentary about the making of the movie. Great stuff, and a few references to filming locations. One of the most iconic, is the "Big W", which was located, according to the film, in "Santa Rosita State Park".

Of course, there is no such place as Santa Rosita, nor is there a state park with that name. This is a private estate, and the film's director, Stanley Kubrick, landscaped and planted it with all the tropical trees, grass, benches, etc., to the tune of $40,000. In 1963, that was a lot of money! Through the years, fans have identified many of the filming locations, such as the airport, the winding road that the first car chase takes us on, and, of course, the "Big W".
Unfortunately, over the years, three of the palms have been lost, and only one remains

The current owners of the property have said that they want to re-plant the area and restore the look of the movie - but they've been saying that for years, and nothing has been done. Hopefully, some day, this scene will be restored and open for folks to visit.
*Walk of Fame. On Friday morning, I took a nice long walk down Hollywood Blvd. and Vine Streets, and checked out the stars on the Walk of Fame. I've been down this walk a couple of times in the past, but it's nice to re-visit the stars that are important to me, and to check out the new ones, as they are constantly being added to. The walk goes for about 15 blocks on Hollywood Blvd., and another 3 or so blocks on Vine St., so you get a pretty good workout if you do the entire thing in one trip. Couldn't help but notice how some of the stars are getting pretty worn out and cracked. The stars are not really maintained by any group, it's pretty much fans of the various artists that occasionally clean them. But, in any case, I found a few of my favorites, starting, of course with this one:

Note that their star is for television, not records nor music. Wonder what the chances of the fans getting together to get a second star for the music would be? Many people have multiple stars along the walk for the various areas in which they performed. Not too far from The Monkees star is another of my favorites

George. The only Superman that really matters. It's arguable that no other actor who has portrayed the man of steel had the impact that George did. With television still in its infancy, and the millions of young baby boomer children, just the first run showings impacted so many of us. Then, add in the brilliance of the production company filming 50+ episodes in full color. They broadcast those in black and white, sealing the color versions away in a vault, only to release them in the mid 1960's, when color television was just taking off. The result? The Adventures of Superman, and George, became one of the most long lived and best remembered shows of all time. And it still plays on stations around the world to this day.
As does another early show, The Lone Ranger.

Like Superman, later years of this show were also filmed in color, which gave it 'legs' across the decades. I find it very interesting that Clayton Moore's star does not just have his name on it; it also says The Lone Ranger. Mr. Moore lived his life AS the Lone Ranger, from the first days of doing the role until his passing. The code the Ranger lived by was adopted by Mr. Moore, and to many of us baby boomers, just as George was Superman, Clayton was the Lone Ranger. Hard to argue that fact, given that none of the revivals, or re-boots as they now call them, have been successful.
And finally, the star that brought the largest turn out ever to see an unveiling.

In 1983, the guys finally got their star. Unfortunately, by then, Moe, Larry, Curly, and Shemp had all passed. "Curly" Joe DeRita, although still living, was too ill to attend; Joe Besser, who performed as "Joe" in 16 of the final shorts the boys made, was in attendance, and gave a wonderful speech. Fans were on rooftops of neighboring buildings, on billboard platforms, and generally overcrowding the street for the ceremony. A testament to the enduring legacy of fun and laughter that the Stooges left us.

So there you go (as I say all to often to Karen), a little wrap up of a trip which I am so happy to have been able to make. Those of you who know me well are very aware of my dislike of air travel, and so you'll know how much this trip meant to me simply by the fact that I traveled by air on this one. I still am not a big fan of California, and was relieved to be in the air on my way back to NY on Saturday morning. But that's a rant for another post down the road. For now, I'll finish up with a *huge* Thank You to Karen, whose love, encouragement, and support allows me to take these trips, to experience things that, to an outsider, might seem inconsequential, but which are important to me. Whether it's driving to CA to see the "Superman Plaque" being unveiled, going to Detroit to see the Chrysler Museum before it closed to the public, or getting to Michael's last show, I know that if it's important to me, Karen will understand and be supportive. Now, what's next? Hmmmm...how about taking the Yellowfish to St. Louis for the NRPA Conference, and running it back on Route 66? Yup, that's gonna happen, so check back for updates on this blog.

Out West For a Farewell

Got a little time until the show tonight, so I thought I'd wander around the Hollywood area and check out the sights. Already posted some photos on FB, but I got one that has a cool story behind it.

Kind of hard to see, but this is a photo of the street signs at the intersection of Hollywood Blvd. and Argyle St. Okay, I'll give you all a minute to think of what it could be.

(Paul is humming the theme from 'Jeopardy').

Give up? Okie dokie, here we go!

In 1933, a comic strip about a group of cavemen first appeared; the name of the comic, and the lead character, was Alley Oop. This comic was wildly popular throughout the 1940's and 50's (and is still published in some 500 newspapers to this day). In 1960, a song about the comic was written. Several groups recorded the song, including Dante And The Evergreens, whose version went to #15 on Billboard.

But the biggest version featured a group of studio musicians backing up a fellow named Gary Paxton. Paxton had his own record label (Garpax), and was also under contract to another label as 'Flip' of the duo Skip & Flip ('Cherry Pie', 'It Was I'). Therefore, he needed a name for this studio group that would hide his true identity. The song was recorded at the American Recorders studio, next door to Lawrence Welk's Palladium Theater, which was at the corner of......Hollywood & Argyle. Thus, The Hollywood Argyles were named, and had their one and only hit.

Can I dig up the nuttiest stuff, or what?!?!