Posts by Benjamin
Shaking All The Nonsense Out
It took some convincing to get noted author, activist, singer/songwriter and mystic Bo Lozoff to preside over Abbigail and my wedding ceremony. In addition to his 200+ days on the road speaking in prisons, schools and churches on behalf of his Human Kindness Organizations’ Prison-Ashram Project, Bo co-manages the affairs of his organization with his…
Read MoreReclining On An Ocean Swell
Dude, I know it bums you out that everyone but you is taking sea-kissed, sun-baked vacations right now. Mom’s in Egypt. Dad’s in South Carolina. Chris and Jen are heading to Barbados in the morning. And Abbi’s going to West Palm on Saturday. You? You’ll be spending your three-day weekend alone in New York City…
Read MoreThe War Of Independence: A Family Snapshot
I was a sixth grader at Holmes Elementary in Oak Park, IL, when my parents divorced, and my mother moved my brother and I to Berwyn, PA. I began sixth grade at Devon Elementary there. I was eleven-years-old. My father (who, it’s worth noting, was exactly my age now) remained in Chicago where he worked…
Read MoreLet’s Go Somewhere Else
My first inclination was to hail a cab. According to my Apple Dashboard weather widget, it was fourteen degrees when I stepped through the revolving doors of 1515 Broadway into Times Square. I live just over a mile from my office. It takes me roughly twenty minutes to walk west on 45th, then north on…
Read MoreGrammy! Grammy! Grammy!
Last weekend, I live blogged Superbowl XLII. Tonight, I bring your The Grammys from the cozy confines of my office twenty-nine stories above Times Square. 8:00 – “It’s Grammys 50th Birthday, and everyone’s coming to the party.” Nothing puts asses in seats like two minutes of black & white television. 8:02 – Ooouuuch, Alicia Keys…
Read MoreWith Or Without You
The release of “U23D” has prompted a wave of quips about how even a 70mm IMAX screen can’t hold Bono’s oversized ego. I dragged my pal Brian to a screening on Thursday night, my second. Once again, what struck me wasn’t its size, volume, or depth (though all remain impressive, especially in front of a…
Read MoreRunnin’ With The Devil
The very first rock show I ever played was Conestoga Senior High School’s Jamfest. The year was 1987. I was a sixteen-year-old junior in high school. With just a few months of rehearsals in drummer Wako Iwasaki’s basement, my band, Neoteric Youth, was performing its very first show. We prepared a fistful of disparate covers…
Read MoreGiving Up The Ghost
Who are these ghosts, really? Whence we last saw The Midwest’s Favorite Sons, The Nadas, co-frontmen Mike Butterworth and Jason Walsmith and I were hanging backstage at Philadelphia’s World Cafe. The boys were seeding a new venue while road testing a few new tunes. They had shared demos for their forthcoming record with me just…
Read MoreHere Comes Your Man – Video
In the fall of my sophomore year, I hung three fliers that read: Seeking: Bass, Guitar, Drums Influences: REM, U2, Police Call: Ben 315-412-8735 The advert was posted on three key bulletin boards on campus: The Schine Student Center, Crouse College of Music, and School of Visual & Performing Arts.The boards were selected for their…
Read MoreYes We Can
It’s important to be open to possibility in life, and certainly in politics. Moreover, two parties a democracy does not make. So I’m a registered Independent. This choice means that today, in New York, I can’t vote. Which is kind of bogus, but it’s the rule. And so I will sit patiently in my office,…
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