Right Around Christmastime, Part II

I think most would agree that the holidays can be something of a pain in the ass.

First there’s the hazy shades of winter; the gloomy, short, cold days.

Then there’s the whole gift thing. I love giving, but there’s a lot of Madison Avenue fueled pressure to get it right and really dazzle recipients.

And, of course, there’s all the pressure to be cheery and festive, which is usually manageable enough, but not always.

As my pals in Flying Machines aka The Attorneys sing, “Why do I always lose my mind right around Christmastime?”

I haven’t lost my mind, but I do have one hell of a headache.

Still.

Nearly thirty-six hours after the rousing, all-star “Do They Know It’s Christmas” finale to our big benefit show, I’m still hung over, still exhausted, and still not sure what to make of it.

For now, then, lemme keep it simple.

When I was a teenager, my brother, Christofer, and I used to sneak out in his Brown Bomber (a 1978 Cutlass Supreme Stationwagon) every Christmas Eve. We’d drive around all the lush neighborhoods of suburban Philadelphia smoking pot, admiring luminaria, and listening to “A Very Special Christmas.” Adolescent drug use notwithstanding, that’s the spirit of Christmas for me: brotherhood, light, and music.

That’s what we were trying to do Wednesday night.

I’ll tell you all about how awesome Flying Machines were, how sweet our pal, Jen Snow, from 826NYC was, and how cool it was to hear the audience sing along with Chris later today or over the weekend or something. Meanwhile, click here to check out photos from A Family Holiday Benefit.

And if you haven’t, please buy the album. Heck, buy three.