It's All True

Change is Inevitable

2010-02-15T23:02:00.000-08:00

I have good news and bad news for you. You might wanna sit down.

The bad news: this blog is no more. Done. Kaput. It was a great run, but all good things must come to an end... or must they?

The good news: I've upped stakes and hauled it over to tumblr. My new blog is mikeschmid.tumblr.com, and I'm updating it like I MEAN it, so you can get the skinny on everything going on at Schmid Island. It's like a crazy party over there and I need your voice. Come comment, join the discussion, start a discussion, or just lurk like a creepy creature in the dark with shiny eyes.

And of course the long and entertaining back-catalog is still available for your reading pleasure here, and won't be going anywhere..

Embrace the future and update your bookmarks!

Return to Form (?)

2010-01-20T22:24:00.001-08:00

Yes. I know.

I said I was gonna start blogging a lot more since I got my new iPhone. Grand plans. And then I didn't blog ONE more time the entire tour.

But I did have fun. Heaps of it. It was a great tour (you can see it all over YouTube) and I was too busy soundchecking with Noah, dancing embarrassingly at parties, making new friends (but not because of said dancing) and driving/flying/hotelling all over the place.

I believe, though, that I am back, dear readers. We'll see how long THAT lasts.

Mall Policy

2009-11-14T15:06:00.000-08:00

Standing on an escalator behind a mall cop, I overheard the following from his walky talky:

"I would like to reiterate that this is ALSO a customer service job. We do NOT need to yell at people to take their hoods down or stop dancing by the fountain or stop playing with their yoyos. Everybody needs to chill out."

Ironically, the man on the radio was screaming.

Press the Button!

2009-11-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

During Noah's last visit to the tour, Pyro Steve gave him a little Smoke 101.

A Tour, In Pictures

2009-11-09T19:57:00.000-08:00

I've started posting pics from the tour on my Flickr stream again. Anything particularly picturesque will make it's way there, so consult the Flickr badge on the right side of this page to see if any new photos have shown up, and click on it to go get an eyefull.

Testing Testing 123

2009-11-08T08:17:00.000-08:00

Well. The unthinkable finally happened. I got an iPhone. Testing my blog connection from the phone right now. "What does this mean and why should I care," you ask? Well, Snarky, it means more blog updates!

On Tour with Tiny Drummer!

2009-10-31T14:52:00.000-07:00

Noah is coming to visit the tour again. In honor of his visit, here are some great pics from earlier in the tour.

Soundcheck

Listening to the mix

Resting up for the show

Watching the show

Congratulating the star

After-show commute

Pajama party!

Schmid Island Did Not Sink Into the Ocean, I Promise

2009-10-13T16:48:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed: I haven't been blogging as much on this tour as I did on the previous one (unless you count all the Tweeting!). Take this as a good sign. It means I'm having much more fun this time around, not living in the dumpy post-apocalyptic wasteland of divorce and custody battles. So this means I'm not hiding from the band in my bunk, writing pithy blog entries every second of every day.

But I do miss you. Let me give you a hug.

*HUG*

I haven't forgotten you, loyal readers.

Here's a picture of a little monkey to cheer you up.

I told you it was little.

Anyway, we're having a great time putting on a huge show full of singing and dancing and flying objects and explosions.

Now, I gotta go rock Schmid Island for our big make-up show here in Omaha. Then off to Texas!

Spiderfingers

2009-09-28T20:26:00.001-07:00

An awesome shot from flickr user tevee123, taken at the Phoenix show. Go HERE to see many more incredible shots from that night.

Noah's Drum Journey

2009-09-20T13:47:00.001-07:00

What Are You Looking Forward To?

2009-09-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

This time around, I'm psyched that I get to use a wireless keytar, and leave Schmid Island for a bit. Sure, the Island is a great vacation destination, but sometimes you need a vacation from your vacation, you know?

What are you most excited about for this tour?

The Today Show

2009-09-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

It was early, it was wet.

There was water dripping down from the top of the tent onto my keyboards, so I laid a towel on some of the keys and marked them off limits.

Somebody made me a sign! Please do this during the tour. I need to know where ma' fans at.

Here We Go Again!

2009-09-12T00:01:00.001-07:00

After many hours and days and weeks of rehearsals, we're ready to hit the road and perform our humongously entertaining show for you!

I've been packing all night; trying to cram 2 weeks' worth of clothes into a tiny weekender bag. Good idea, Mike. But eventually, I won.

My computer is freshly upgraded (after I gutted the thing and replaced a couple parts... cause I'm too cheap to buy a new laptop), and all my gear has found a cozy home in my backpack. I'm hoping to finish my new album on the road.

Flying out in the morning.

Portland, here we come!

Noah & Daddy Have Been Busy...

2009-08-31T22:13:00.001-07:00

Driving:

Hanging out before the Teen Choice Awards:

(pic by Violet Schmid)

Drawing:

(pic by Violet Schmid)

Drumming:

(pic by Violet Schmid)

Sleeping:

Playing a bit of keys:

(pic by Miley Cyrus)

And drumming some more:

The Sleepiest Baby on the Block

2009-08-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

Noah is currently operating in safe mode. He will reboot in 60 seconds.

Coming Soon to a Town Near You!

2009-07-28T23:50:00.001-07:00

Yes yes y'all! We're gearing up for an incredible Miley tour this fall, and as always I'll be blogging it all from the road like a nerdy little newsman.

I'm so excited about this tour. It's gonna be a blast! I'm going to do some things a bit differently this time though. For instance, this time I plan on:

-not coughing up a lung the whole friggin' time
-not getting violently hit by a car
-not being such a saaaad little emo boy
-not spending any time in Rochester

Hope to see you at a show. While you're waiting for the best night of your life, you may wanna brush up on the rules for attending a Miley concert.

"Today I'm OK" on The Real World

2009-07-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

My happy bouncy sing-a-long, "Today I'm OK" is featured on the July 15 episode (tomorrow night) of MTV's The Real World. Should be on at 10pm, but check your local listings.

Bye Juice

2009-07-02T00:20:00.000-07:00

It sure has been quiet here at It's All True recently. That's because I've been having a great time being a Dad!

You may have heard that we have a tour coming up this fall, and of course I'll continue to bring you my own brand of mildly snarky backstage commentary.

Watch this space.

Out & About with Noah

2009-06-15T10:41:00.000-07:00

What we've been up to this week:

Watching Fountains

Climbing Fences (PopPop is holding him up)

Joining Gardening Parties

Watching a Concert

Bear McCreary and the Battlestar Galactica Orchestra!

Working on our Golf Swings

Wearing Daddy's Hats and Playing with Toys

Also, checking out the art fair, frolicking in the dog park, going to the market, and jumping around at the Under the Sea playground! A fun week.

Mike & Co. on Bellaziza's Favorite Things!

2009-06-10T01:10:00.001-07:00

I'm so happy to announce that I am now writing for Bellaziza's Favorite Things, a blog all about life with a baby. Full of product recommendations, parenting advice and general wisdom with a very personal spin, it's a great place for me to talk candidly about my experience as a single dad.

Here's my introduction. Keep your eyes (and your bookmarks) on the site for more!

Very excited to be a part of such an awesome team.

Atlantis

2009-06-08T23:28:00.000-07:00

The Bahamas trip was a nonstop party. The day before I left, I received the verdict that Noah would be coming to live with me, so despite the fact that I was on the island for a job, I decided to enjoy every second, and celebrate for the entirety of the trip, starting by appreciating the gorgeous view from the plane:

If you squint, through those clouds, you can see the coast down on the ground. And that coast was jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

My friend Ben flew out to bask in all the touristy glory of the resort on the man-made island. We spent our time reveling in the crystal-clear water, riding the big Mayan temple water slides:

Enjoying our crazy awesome view:

And just generally becoming beach bums. My favorite attraction in Atlantis was the Lazy River, which is an inner tube ride that loops all the way around the island. Most of it is slow and relaxing, and then you hit a series of rapids that buffets you out of your tranquility. Then back to the calm part. It was sort of like my divorce.

Oh yeah, we played a show. That's why we were there. It was rockin' and the audience was great.

Then more partying. More swimming. More eating. And home.

So You Think You Can Dance

2009-06-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to announce that my song, Wave Goodbye, will be featured on the June 3rd episode (tomorrow night!) of So You Think You Can Dance on FOX. It's Vegas callbacks night. Maybe somebody will get sent home to my tune. Or maybe they'll just dance gorgeously to it. Who knows? Set those Tivos!

Spoon Day

2009-06-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

Cause I said so. That's why.

Enjoy.

Noah's General Order of Things

2009-05-27T12:35:00.000-07:00

Go somewhere with and laugh hysterically:

Look at cool things till I get tired:

Pass out on Daddy:

Stay passed out in car:

(additional option): wake up magically in bed at home.

Animals & Instruments

2009-05-26T20:15:00.001-07:00

Last week, we played the little piano:

the big banjo:

visited the puppies at the pound:

and fed some bunnies:

This Song Sounds Familiar...

2009-05-05T11:51:00.001-07:00

Swine flu scare. Where have I heard that one before?

Idol Hands

2009-05-05T01:46:00.000-07:00

Some footage from the American Idol soundcheck:

American Idol

2009-05-03T11:42:00.000-07:00

We pretaped this one two weeks before it aired. You may have noticed the copious amounts of fog during the song, that disappeared instantly when the song ended. The rest of the show was filmed live.

As with all these kinds of shows, the room was much smaller than it looks on TV.

I got to play a real piano for a change!

Rabbi McSchmid

The hat I wore for rehearsal was provided by Dahlia, our wardrobe lady, who decided that I looked too Jewish, and not "rock" enough. So I wore a different one for the show.

See the Idol logo reflected on the piano? And speaking of the Idol logo, I noticed that it looks suspiciously like the logo of the show's sponsor, Ford. This is definitely not a coincidence:

Subliminal Messages

Outside the dressing trailer with Brandi Cyrus

During rehearsal, we sussed out where the cameras were, and pretended we were on TV, accepting our Grammy.

(L.to R.) Sara, Miley, me

This was clearly a waste of time, as we were just about to be on TV anyway.

All Eyes on Sheryl

2009-05-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

Just received this pic of the Country Music Hall of Fame show. Here we are playing "If It Makes You Happy" with Sheryl Crow and Miley:

(L. to R.) Sheryl, Jaco, me, Miley

Tonight Show w Billy Ray

2009-04-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

Only two weeks after doing the Tonight Show with Miley, we were back with Billy Ray. Felt like we never left.

This time we were indoors, which was much warmer.

The night's guests:

I had a nice conversation with Kristin after the show. What a sweet gal.

Jaco IS Neil Young

This was the last Tonight Show with Jay Leno we'll ever do, as Jay is done in June. But maybe someday we'll be on the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien... I can only hope!

Cider Farm II: The Chickening

2009-04-25T13:46:00.000-07:00

During my last visit to Washington, Noah and I returned to the cider farm. Only, this time, he knew the names of all the animals, instead of calling them all "puppy."

"More bunnies! Hi bunnies!"

Fun with Camera

2009-04-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's more fun to have a conversation through the lens of a camera.

Elevator Game

2009-04-21T16:35:00.000-07:00

Noah really loved working the elevator at the hotel. He would say, "uh-gate-uh," and we would run down the hall, push the button, get in and go somewhere.

Except this time was different.

The Post-Premiere Nashville Bash

2009-04-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

A couple hundred lucky superfans won tickets to the Nashville premiere of the Hannah Montana movie, and afterwards, they were bussed out to the Country Music Hall of Fame, where we put on a surprise concert of surprising awesomeness.

Here's the setlist:

You may have noticed some special guests. In addition to Billy Ray and Miley, we were joined by Sheryl Crow, Jeffrey Steel and Ed King.

Sheryl did a duet version of "Real Gone" (which she wrote) with Billy Ray, and we played her hit, "If It Makes You Happy", which was a total blast. Total pro, that one. Then we all rushed her for pictures:

L to R: Me, Sheryl, niece Ava

Sara, Sheryl, Carmel

Those are our new background singers, by the way.

We played Sweet Home Alabama with Ed King, the dude that wrote it. And after hearing countless awful bar bands play it, it was pretty mindblowing to hear his authentic version.

Jeffrey Steele has co-written several of Miley's tunes, including "Simple Song", which we played with him, and then we jammed on his song, "Hollywood Girl", which has been a favorite of Miley's since she was very little.

A lot of this stuff was put together at the last minute, so the band spent most of our day at the hotel, learning all these new songs. I actually kinda like it when they throw that kind of stuff at us.

After the show, I hung out with Mai, one of Miley's makeup people. I always love when Mai shows up. What a sweetheart.

Then we hopped on a plane and came home.

Pillow Hide & Seek

2009-04-19T16:56:00.000-07:00

Boogie Morning

2009-04-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

Dances with Goldfish

2009-04-18T22:31:00.001-07:00

Noah's new thing on this visit was his obsession with the camera. He loved watching himself on the monitor, and I rarely got much footage before he started pointing at the camera and saying "Noah! Noah! I want to watch it!"

Here he is dancing and trying to grab the camera:

Noah's 1st Guitar Lesson

2009-04-18T22:28:00.001-07:00

I finally had some time to edit the Noah videos from my last trip to Washington. Here is Noah's first guitar lesson:

Good Morning America

2009-04-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

We were taping at the Hard Rock in Times Square. I think this was the first time we've ever played in a restaurant. Also, the first time I've ever been in a Hard Rock at 7am. Hopefully the last.

Soundcheck went very smoothly; no major disasters.

And suddenly the place filled up with Billy Ray and Miley fans.

What time again?

What in the world was Diane Sawyer saying at the beginning? "A huge hit off the tack?"

And Schmid Island got more camera time than ever.

Then we busted out a new track.

AOL Sessions

2009-04-16T00:16:00.000-07:00

You can see video of the Billy Ray/Miley AOL Sessions show HERE.

Setlist:
The Climb
Full Circle
Butterfly
Back to Tennessee

Miley on Leno

2009-04-10T16:47:00.000-07:00

We had the privilege of playing the last-ever outdoor concert on Leno. To celebrate, there was a backstage ice cream bar. It's all about the little things.

We came:

We soundchecked:

We conquered:

And then we waited:

Then we played "The Climb"

Followed by an internet-only performance of "Full Circle"

Noah Visit

2009-04-07T11:34:00.000-07:00

Adorable videos coming soon (as soon as I have time to edit them), but here are a few pictures from my last Noah visit in Washington:

L.A. Premiere

2009-04-06T23:16:00.000-07:00

The L.A. premiere of the Hannah Montana movie was a big success. I didn't get to see the whole thing, cause we were getting ready to do our thang in the dressing room, but what I did see was very fun and entertaining, and we were all commenting on how gorgeously-shot the movie is.

As the movie ended, the screen lifted, smoke poured out and Miley surprised everyone with a concert.

Here are some pics from our rehearsal with the orchestra:

You Can Still Watch

2009-04-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

The RawRhythms show was a lot of fun. The always lovely Molly Jenson even stopped by.

You can see the show in its entirety here.

Wait, It Gets Better...

2009-03-25T12:42:00.000-07:00

Check THIS out:

Somebody's really paying attention. They even got my receding hairline right:

I'm flattered...and slightly afraid.

I Am Made of Ones and Zeroes

2009-03-24T22:45:00.000-07:00

Quintessential nerd that I am, I was casually browsing IGN for video game news. It's what we nerds do. And out popped a screenshot for the upcoming Hannah Montana: The Movie: The Game. Of course, it's still a work-in-progress (the title alone is proof of that), but have a little look-see:

What is interesting about this? They've duplicated our tour stage. Good for them! With selective attention to detail. They nailed the layout, but notice: no Jaco, no Vashon, no Jamie. Stacy may be hidden behind Hannah. All we see are three (oddly spaced) dancers...and, look at Schmid Island.

Look closer...

I appear to be wearing my actual tour wardrobe (tourdrobe?) and playing some sort of plexiglass plate instead of keyboards (it's the FUTURE!). I'm in a videogame! And they accurately depicted my blindingly white skin. Kudos, game developers, for knowing what matters.

I Will Answer Your Questions

2009-03-23T15:19:00.001-07:00

On tonight's RawRhythms show (info in previous entry), you can comment and ask me questions that I will answer live. Or, if you aren't going to be able to watch the show, you can post your questions/comments right now by going HERE.

At 11pm Eastern/ 8pm Pacific, you can watch the show HERE.

RawRhythms

2009-03-21T11:31:00.001-07:00

This Monday night, I'm doing a live performance and interview on RawRhythms, an hour-long internet music show. I'll be playing 6 songs. You can send in comments and questions for me that I'll be answering live! Tune in at 11pm Eastern/ 8pm Pacific to thestream.tv.

All-Covers Singalong this Friday!

2009-03-17T15:21:00.000-07:00

This Friday, March 20, is my All-Covers show at Genghis. I'll be playing with my Small But Mighty Band (Jan Stolpe on guitar and Mark Stanley on percussion), and we're gonna put our own spin on Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, Billy Joel, The Beatles, Elton John and lots more fun stuff.

I'm really excited about this one. It's gonna be a great time. Come on out and sing/shout/laugh along.

Genghis Cohen
9pm
$7
740 N Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90046
http://www.genghiscohen.com/

Twouble with Twitters

2009-03-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

While we're on the subject, this is awesome:

The 5 Stages of Twitter Acceptance

2009-03-16T14:48:00.000-07:00

I'm only reprinting this because of its great relevance:

Where do you fit?

Away

2009-03-10T19:15:00.000-07:00

I'm headed up to Washington to spend a week with Noah! Will take lots of pics and videos. In the meantime, here's a cover. Bear with me, I just started playing guitar recently.

Favorite Albums?

2009-03-09T23:53:00.000-07:00

I'm compiling a list of my favorite albums of all time: the ones I can listen to any time, all the time, forever.

And I'm wondering -- what are yours?

Orbiting

2009-03-03T23:43:00.000-08:00

The Top 10 Films of 2008

2009-02-22T08:05:00.000-08:00

2008 was a wonderful year for movies. To celebrate tonight's Oscar ceremony, here are my picks for the top films of '08 (you can find my '07 list here).

Honorable Mentions (all great, but didn't quite make the list): In Bruges, The Wrestler, Milk, The Fall, Iron Man, Revolutionary Road, The Dark Knight, Waltz with Bashir, Kabluey, Burn After Reading.

Also, I didn't have time to see Frozen River, The Class or Wendy & Lucy, any/all of which may have made the top 10. Now then. Here we go:

10. The Reader

The Reader tells the story of a teenage boy and his secret affair with an older woman. At first. And then it takes a series of surprising turns, each of which deepen their relationships and our understanding of these characters. But none of it would work without Kate Winslet's beautifully layered performance, which anchors the film and gives it a hearty dose of emotional resonance. Deceptively complex and rich, and BONUS! - Lena Olin has two scenes as two different characters, the second of which is worth the price of admission alone.

9. Frost/Nixon

I'm not generally a fan of political anything, but Frost/Nixon is too compelling to pass up. Ron Howard wisely chose to eschew big name stars in the leads and went with Frank Langella as Richard Nixon and Michael Sheen as David Frost: the two men who played these roles in the stage play. This choice paid off in spades, as Langella and Sheen infuse these characters with an astounding level of detail and realism. It's an amazing acheivement that two hours of political talk manages to feel like a thriller.

8. Doubt

Sensing a theme? Another talky play-turned-film with riveting performances, Doubt asks many intruiging questions and provides few answers. This film ends up being a personality test of sorts: your answers to these questions say more about you than the movie. Add to the mix some of the finest actors of our generation, and tense direction by John Patrick Shanley (who also wrote the screenplay based on his original play) and you've got yourself a winner. Also, my buddy Ben worked on it!

7. Slumdog Millionaire

I was hesitant at first. As I watched each traumatic event batter these characters bloody, I considered checking out. But Slumdog won me over with its beautiful story of redemption and loss and television and poop swimming. You can't help but root for Dev Patel's sweet, naive protagonist. This movie is an incredible accomplishment: a gritty, disturbing foreign film that is also an uplifting crowd-pleaser. How did that happen? Oh right, cause Danny Boyle is a genius, and this is the biggest triumph of his amazing career.

6. Wall-E

Pixar is magic. Everybody knows it. But nobody was expecting Wall-E. Not content to follow the same old Pixar formula and rake in the dough, Andrew Stanton and his crew challenged themselves by doing away with cute talking animals, and centered this kids' movie on a garbage-recycling robot with very few facial features. In addition, the first 30 minutes contain nearly zero dialogue. It should have been a disaster, yet kids and adults alike were completely taken by this beautiful love story about machines, which also happens to be a legitimate cautionary sci-fi tale.

5. Happy Go Lucky

Poppy is unlike any movie character I've ever seen. She is an eternal optimist, full of joy and naivete. And ten minutes into Happy Go Lucky, I had already fallen completely in love with her. Of course, being a Mike Leigh movie, she still lives in working class London, surrounded by volatile timebombs like her new driving instructor, played brilliantly by Eddie Marsan. There's no plot per se, but it's fascinating to watch Poppy interact with the cynical world around her and learn why she is who she is. This is truly a feel-good movie, and had me on a high for days.

4. The Visitor

From the director of The Station Agent, comes a similarly heartfelt, detailed character study. It focuses on a complacent college professor and his re-awakening to life, inspired by a chance meeting with a stranger. Richard Jenkins is a one of our best character actors, but he shines here in a rare (now Oscar-nominated) leading role. Despite dealing with some heavy political post-9/11 themes, the movie's tone is sweet and gentle and gorgeously life-affirming. This is the kind of movie some people call "little" ("a nice little indie"), but that just means they're not paying attention to all the meticulously observed details. It's already on DVD, and you owe yourself to seek this one out.

3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

You may be surprised to see this so high on my list. I'm aware that a lot of people don't like this movie, calling it cliche, overlong, a Forrest Gump ripoff, etc. While it does tread some Gumpy ground (and is unfortunately from the same writer -- maybe he needs to try something new), it is also full of emotional resonance, captivating performances, remarkable visual effects and sharp direction from David Fincher, from whom this kind of romantic story is a complete surprise. Yes, Benjamin Button is a passive character; a blank slate of sorts, but that's partially the point. Even this blank slate deeply effects the lives of every person he meets.

2. Rachel Getting Married

I was not an Anne Hathaway fan. Consider me a convert. Hathaway's Kym is a ragged ball of misplaced anger, neediness and tension. Watching her, you can't help but oscillate between empathizing and cringing. Shot like a home movie, with the musical score provided only by on-site musicians, Jonathan Demme makes us feel like guests at this wedding, and by the end, we truly feel like we know every member of this family, and love them despite their faults. Propelled by a powerful ensemble cast (including Rosemarie Dewitt, who I have a huge crush on), this is one wedding I actually want to relive.

1. Synecdoche, New York

This movie is a foolishly ambitious dream about foolishly ambitious dreams. Everything about this film is a risk, except for the lineup, which was pulled straight from my dreams: the cast features Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Emily Watson, Hope Davis and Samantha Morton. It is written and directed by Charlie Kaufman (one of the greatest screenwriters of all-time), and scored by Jon Brion (who I am slowly trying to become). The film centers on theatre director Caden Cotard (played by Hoffman), and his life-long quest to capture truth in art. This may sound like a simple setup, but it grows increasingly surreal and complicated, until Caden is building sets the size of New York City (literally) and begins hiring actors to play the actors playing the actors. It's all incredibly meta and incredibly brilliant. Oh also, it's hilarious. Granted, it's a very very dark brand of humor, but I laughed for nearly the entire length of the movie, unaware it was simultaneously breaking my heart, until the end when the laughs slowly tapered off. The control of tone here is astounding. But it wouldn't be at the top of my list if this movie didn't have a huge heart, and Kaufman recognizes that everyone, deep down, wants to be seen and known. The title is a play on Schenectady, New York (where it takes place) and the word "synecdoche," which means "a part representing the whole, and the whole representing a part." As the end credits play, a woman sings, "I'm just a little person, one person in a sea, of many little people, who are not aware of me." Unlike Caden, Charlie Kaufman's foolishly ambitious dreams have been realized, and we are all better for it.

For the Chuckles

2009-02-18T01:41:00.000-08:00

Here are some things I've been laughing about lately:

And an all-time favorite, for anyone who's ever had to suffer through Dora the Explorer:

Let the Firetrucks Bring Us Together

2009-02-16T14:07:00.001-08:00

I love it when a fire engine is sirening its way down the street and everyone pulls to the side of the road and freezes.

For a moment, everyone puts aside the enveloping sagas of their lives and works together toward the common goal of getting the truck to its destination quickly.

It's such a beautiful simple moment where suddenly everybody, regardless of politics, religion or taste, is on the same page. A rare moment of grace.

A Handmade Horror Movie for Children

2009-02-13T14:35:00.000-08:00

I've always been a sucker for creepy kids movies. As a kid, I loved Beetlejuice, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Nightmare Before Christmas... So of course, I adored Coraline, which I saw in 3D last night. Most kids movies nowadays have become incredibly watered-down with scatological humor and celebrity talking animals, but this movie remembers that kids have an attention span, and that they like to be a little scared, within the safe confines of a movie.

Button Your Eyes

This is my favorite Coraline trailer, which focuses more on how it was made than on the movie itself.

Brilliance in Your Eardrums

2009-02-10T20:21:00.000-08:00

In case you missed the Grammys the other night, this is what magic sounds like:

Radiohead - 15 Step
Uploaded by Alisvideo

Versailles

2009-02-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

Flashback: Paris. On day 3, Jaco, Candice and I went to Versailles to explore the palace.

Seriously beautiful and seriously over the top.

The trees were manicured to within an inch of their little twiggy lives.

No Photoshop, Seriously

The palace itself was a testament to excess and royal insanity.

At odds with the beautiful gold-leafed everything was an art exhibit, unnerving in its randomness. You see, this palace-wide sculpture installation might have been cool... Somewhere else. Somewhere that wasn't the friggin' Palace at Versailles.

What was this installation, you ask? Balloon animals. Made of steel.

Inappropriate

Quite modern and cool actually, but not when standing in front of a gorgeous mural from the French Revolution.

Uber-inappropriate

And, as if things couldn't get more arbitrary, one piece was a steel sculpture of Michael Jackson and his chimp, Bubbles.

Which of These Things is Not Like the Other?

Then we frolicked through the gardens of Marie Antoinette. That party princess had a serious party house with a serious party yard.

Jaco took a pic of me with my serious face:

Don't Mess with the German-Egyptian Frenchman

One more beautiful night in Paris, and then we flew to London to finish the Eurotour with Miley (to be continued).

EXTREME Home Makeover of the Sad Kind

2009-02-07T16:29:00.000-08:00

You may have heard by now that our gig with Billy Ray didn't go exactly as planned. Witness for yourself:

What is it with me and fire!?

Fortunately, no one was hurt. But the building was a total loss.

Microchips Make Joy Machines

2009-02-04T18:08:00.000-08:00

I got a Nintendo DS for Christmas. And I love it. It teaches me how to cook, I can compose music on it, bring Mario with me, shorten a long plane ride with a deep Japanese RPG... it's a glorious thing. A glorious thing that fits in my pocket. Dee-lightful.

Also, I have a soft spot for touch screens... and stylus pens for that matter, though I realize they are "so five years ago." Come on. You can write on the screen!

What was your favorite Christmas gift in '08? Hit me up in the comments.

Love Stinks, for Free and with DJs!

2009-02-03T23:15:00.000-08:00

In addition to the Love Stinks playlist I spoke about yesterday, CDBaby is featuring my song "The House We Built" on their very special Anti-Valentines Day edition of the Music Discovery podcast. This is an awesome podcast that I listen to regularly, so it's quite an honor. Check it out.

Available here:
http://musicdiscovery.cdbabypodcast.com/

You can also listen and/or subscribe on iTunes:

Love Stinks

2009-02-02T19:14:00.000-08:00

In honor of Anti-Valentines Day, CDBaby has created the Love Stinks playlist, featuring my album "The House We Built." In their own words:

"Do you think candy hearts and pink balloons are for sentimental suckers? Here are some songs about loneliness, breakup, and divorce for those of us that love to hate Valentine's Day."

I Believe the Children Are Our Future, Teach Them Well and Let Them Lead the Way, Show Them All the Beauty They Possess Inside...

2009-01-23T21:58:00.000-08:00

The night before the Inauguration, we flew to DC to play a Kids Inaugural concert presented by Michelle Obama. She was in the front row with her kids, enjoying Miley, The Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovado, Corbin Bleu (my favorite chicken dish) and Lil' Bow Wow, who I was notified is no longer lil'. He still looks lil', however, so it is quite confusing.

We began with soundcheck, as always. Here's a slice of how slow and uneventful those things are:

Despite the Big Nothing happening in that video, you can still hear how sweet Billy Ray is, as he makes small talk with a crew member.

Then Clay (our playback guy and my dear friend) and I decided to hit the streets and see the hoopla!

Mainly, the hoopla consisted of icy cold air, tons of people (half of whom were selling Barack-related merchandise to the other half), and many many cops.

Obama Obobbleheads

Obama Water

(Because you'll never go broke underestimating the American public)

The Street-level Mosh Pit

We pushed and shoved our way back to the arena for our show:

And then we made history all over the place. Miley even brought a tear to us hardened band members when she sang "The Climb."

The Pistachio Game

2009-01-16T22:08:00.000-08:00

Okay, one more Noah video from Christmas.

He really enjoyed bringing pistachios to his uncle Doug.

"Biiiiiiiiite?!"

Who's This Andre Gill, Anyway?

2009-01-14T23:45:00.000-08:00

Ah yes. Back to my EuroStory. From October. I'm that far behind.

When we stepped off the train in Paris, I immediately fell in love. I was sort of geared up for disappointment. After all, how many things in life can possibly live up to my high expectations?

Well, Paris was exactly what I thought it would be: a gorgeous city full of passionate artists, intimate bistros and cheese. Lots of cheese.

Upon arrival, I checked into my impossibly tiny hostel, the Hotel Andre Gill. Yeah, they called it a Hotel, but it was a hostel. In fact, it was basically what you'd get if somebody made a French cartoon about a hostel, complete with a big spirally staircase, Japanese tourists, and the management baking croissants in the kitchen. It was sort of like living in The Triplets of Belleville, only with much less awesomeness and much more body odor.

Okay, not exactly the Ritz, but Disney was not paying for this room. I was. And I am not a person of wealth.

Proudly Displaying Our Two-Star Rating

After checking in, I crammed myself and my bags into the smallest elevator in Europe.

I attempted to turn around while in the elevator, but my backpack and the tiny lift prevented any of that nonsense. This was the kind of elevator one could only "back out" of.

Oh also, my room was on the 6th floor, and the elevator only went to the 5th. Why?

One should not ask questions at the Hotel Andre Gill. If one does, that question may lead to other questions. Like perhaps:

Why is my bed made for a little person?
Why is there only a closet and a sink in my room, and no toilet?
Why is the toilet on the 6th floor out-of-order, forcing me to walk down the stairs, in the dark, in the middle of the night, in my boxer shorts?
Which leads to, why is there no light in the hallway?
Why, when I finally do reach the 5th floor toilet, is the light broken, forcing me to try and aim properly in the dark?
Why, when I want to (heaven forbid) actually shower, do I have to walk to the 5th floor, take the elevator to the 1st floor, and then wait in line for the only shower in the entire building?

So... One should not ask questions at the Hotel Andre Gill.

Apparently, Andre Gill was a famous caricaturist. Just take a moment to let that sink in.

But none of that mattered anyway, because I was in Paris (!), and I certainly planned on spending as little time as possible in my Hotel/hostel.

So out I went. First, to the Eiffel Tower:

Then, to gorge on EuroSweets:

I had quite an adventurous day out, riding the trains, meeting Parisians, speaking pigeon-French.
___________

The following day, I met up with Jamie, Jaco and Candice for a little museum hopping. First, the Rodan museum, for a little sculpture 101.

Staring Contest

The Thinker(s)

Consoling the Inconsolable

Okay, that last one wasn't in the Rodan museum. Because in Paris, there's just random sculpture on the streets. It's like a big art explosion. Otherwise known as "Mike Schmid's New Favorite Place."

At the end of that day, Jamie and I took a little tour of Monmarte: him because he's all cultured n' stuff, and me because I like Amelie.

Sacre Coeur Basillica was a sight to behold: partially because it is a marvel of architechture, and partially because the French insisted on partying hard in front of said marvel, creating a depressing and ironic sight:

Oh, Paris. Even your flaws are strangely artful.

The next day, we checked out Notre Dame, The Musee D'Orsay, The Latin Quarter and...just everything awesome. Lots of walking, lots of bread & dairy, and great...great escargot.

The final day, we went to Versailles. (Next entry).

Christmas Pics

2009-01-12T21:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas with Noah!!!

2009-01-11T20:45:00.000-08:00

My family and I were very fortunate to have Noah visit us for Christmas. Here's some delightfulness from the first day:

And the next day:

And Christmas Eve (the "Hide Eeeeeeeee" game never gets old!)

Bad Girls Club...again!

2009-01-07T23:04:00.000-08:00

My song, "Little Noah," will be featured on next week's episode of The Bad Girls' Club. No idea how they're gonna tie that song in. If you're as curious as I am, tune in Tuesday, January 13th, at 7 or 10pm (depending on where you live - check local listings) on the Oxygen network.

All Covers @ Genghis Cohen

2009-01-06T13:54:00.000-08:00

This Friday, I'll be playing a very special all-covers show at Genghis. I've never done this before, so come on out and get all experimental with me.

Friday, Jan 9th @ 10pm
Genghis Cohen
740 N. Fairfax Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Christmas Day Parade

2009-01-05T23:31:00.000-08:00

If you had your TV on during your Christmas day festivities, you may have seen Miley and Billy Ray playing the Disney parade. If you squinted, you may have also seen us.

The day of the show, I woke up in Disney's Animal Kingdom hotel, which was...odd:

We took a shuttle from Animal Kingdom to the Magic Kingdom for the big show, where it was bonkers-hot outside. Frying. But the set was huge and impressive:

We soundchecked and rehearsed for a bit, while the thousands of fans were still barricaded behind ropes.

And I took a moment to grab a couple shots with my new friends:

I pretended not to notice these signs, sprinkled throughout the set:

After awhile, they let the fans pour in.

We played "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" with Miley:

In between songs, Jamie flirted with Stich (not sure if he/she/it flirted back) and I was entertained by Donald Duck:

Note how Kay's eye-rolling actually hurt Donald's feelings. Joy destroyer.

Then we played with Sir Billy Ray Cyrus (the out-of-syncness due to YouTube):

After that, I went back to the resort to watch the lonely animals pace.

New Year, New Look

2009-01-02T15:42:00.000-08:00

Welcome back! Hope you had an amazing holiday, filled with wonderfulcrazysillygood times!

And a happy 2009 to you. To celebrate the universe plunging forward into possibility, I changed up the look of the blog. Seemed apropos.

I'll finish up the Euroblog soon, and also I'll have some pics & vids of my incredible Christmas with Noah shortly.

CD Baby Editor's Pick!

2008-12-27T17:45:00.000-08:00

CDBaby has chosen my new album, "The House We Built" as their Editor's Pick, and they are featuring it on their front page. Here's the full review:

"A confessional piano-pop album about divorce doesn’t sound like a very cheery audio affair, but thankfully this keyboard wiz (who currently performs with Miley Cyrus) has the good sense and talent to set his lyrical melancholia to bright, bouncy melodies. Behind the earnest, emotive vocal delivery and aching falsetto there is infectious optimism. Mike Schmid’s sound is reminiscent of a smoother Ben Folds Five, a more ambitious version of The Fray, or Scott Fisher if he were to use more electronic elements in his production. This album is a must-have for any fan of modern, dreamy pop-rock."

Thanks so much to the folks at CD Baby for their support!

AMC John Wayne marathon

2008-12-26T15:25:00.000-08:00

Cable network AMC just used my song "Lullabye (Christmas is Here)" in the promo for their annual John Wayne Christmas movie marathon. The song is available on iTunes, as part of the Snow Day EP.

Podcast Features

2008-12-23T18:01:00.000-08:00

The first episode of F-Stop Beyond, a photographers' podcast, has featured "To Show You My Love." Check it out here. Also, the ETC podcast has featured me again, this time using "Born Yesterday." You can check that out right here. Both songs are from my "High Cost of Living" album, available on iTunes and CDBaby.

Bonus Cute

2008-12-19T21:46:00.000-08:00

The Republic Can't Feel Your Pain

2008-12-18T16:52:00.000-08:00

"Prague...You'll come back a bug."
Grover, Kicking & Screaming

On the train from Berlin to Prague, there was a very distinct point at which we realized we were no longer in Germany. It looked like this:

In our travels to London, Amsterdam and Berlin, we had seen McDonalds, Starbucks, H&M...all the same stuff we see at home. Things weren't really that different. You could usually find someone who spoke English.

Prague, on the other hand... Prague doesn't care about you. It doesn't care that you are lost or cold or hungry. It says, "You're in the Czech Republic now, fool. Deal with it."

And we loved that about it. But not at first.

When we arrived, it was a Sunday night around 8pm-ish. The train station was dirty and filled with sketchy-looking people. We were all creeped out. So we quickly jog-walked to the exit. Above ground, the streets were empty. There was an eerie calm in the city.

We wanted out immediately. But instead, we went to dinner. At a restaurant called "People." I thought perhaps we would be on the menu.

Alas, tasty tasty food at (what I think were) reasonable prices.

In Prague, the currency is Czech Crowns, which has to be the dumbest currency ever. Want an ice cream cone? That'll be 45 crowns. Wanna see a string quartet concert? 250 crowns. I about had a heart attack when I went to the ATM and withdrew 2000 crowns (approx $120). Of course, it all starts to make more sense after a couple days.

While we definitely felt we weren't in Kansas anymore, there were a couple modern blights to remind us of home:

Day 2. During the daylight, the city was much more beautiful, and much less sketchy.

Jaco, Candice, Jamie and I decided to make our own walking tour of the city. Spotting a castle on a far-of hillside, we decided to walk. It was up a very, very tall hill, of these:

Knee Pain, Just for You!

At the top, we toured the giant castle, as well as the cathedral next door.

Took 3 Whole Weeks to Build!

After that, we walked around the city, watching painters paint on the bridge, puppeteers puppeting in shops, and the aforementioned string quartet concert. A gorgeous day. By the end, nobody wanted to leave Prague. Except me. I was too psyched about Paris!

Early, Early Morning

2008-12-16T21:35:00.000-08:00

Extra sleepy = extra adorable.

It's That Time of Year Again!

2008-12-10T21:46:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season to break out that festive sweater that doesn't match anything and start strewing lights over every surface you see! Hope you've started shopping (I haven't).

In honor of the holiday season, I've decorated my blog all kinds of garish colors and added holiday songs to the music player. Don't forget that my Snow Day EP is available on iTunes (link button below), and you can click on "Gift this Music" to give it to your loved ones.

What are you doing to prepare for the holidays? Hit me with comments.

Rockefeller Tree Lighting

2008-12-10T19:04:00.000-08:00

Playing on the roof in the middle of Rockefeller Center can be quite an exhilarating experience. New York City is a meat locker this time of year, as we learned when we played on the roof last year in NYC. So, know that when I say "exhilarating," I mean "frozen extremities and sore throat" exhilarating.

Me. Exhilarated.

Cold, cold, fun times.

If you live on the west coast, you saw "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree":

If you live on the east coast (in certain markets only), you also saw "Full Circle":

A Day at the Cider Farm

2008-12-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

Ich Bin Ein Berliner

2008-12-08T02:07:00.000-08:00

We took the Eurorail from Amsterdam to Berlin.

We headed straight to Brandenburg Gate, and started soaking in history immediately.

Okay, so neither Candice, Jaco nor I had any clue what the historical significance of this gate was. We even read the big plaque thingy. Basically, it had something to do with fighting for independence. Anyway, it was big and pretty and important.

Moving on.

We went to a "traditional German restaurant," whatever that meant. Well, that meant wieners.

And heavy, starchy weightiness in our bellies.

Imagine the digestive tornado to follow. Germans have cast-iron intestines.

We then proceeded to ride the subway everywhere.

We met some really awesome German folks, who became our new friends. Partying ensued. At one point, we had a big sing-along. The Germans sang Kate Nash, the Americans sang Third-Eye Blind (okay, well Jaco did). But everybody knew all the lyrics to Oasis. It's universal.

Eventually we found our way to a party that everybody in town seemed to be talking about. Super "underground." (Of course, how "underground" could it be if everybody was talking about it?) It was a giant dance party held in a former power plant.

Note the 3rd Floor Rocking Out

There was much dancing and frolicking and stumbling about.

On the way home, I noticed that someone had written "Someday you will be loved" on a car window:
It was late, I was not-quite-coherent, and I had only seen German written everywhere. For these reasons, I suddenly felt very emotional, and started taking approximately 973 pictures of said window. Jaco and Candice had to convince me of my lameness and pull me away from the car.

And thus the night ended.

Back to our cheap little hostel we went.

Cheap Hostel Room for Three, Please

As we were totally slumming it, Jamie wanted nothing to do with us, and rented a beautiful apartment elsewhere in Berlin. I'm sure he was having fun, but we were roughing it.

Day two: we strolled down the Berlin wall.

The Most Berlin-y Picture I've Ever Seen

Over the next two days, I decided to brush up on my German (I took a few years of it in high school, but had since forgotten much). And there was more dancing. More partying. More taking the subway all over German creation.

In the Leaves

2008-12-04T11:35:00.000-08:00

Keyboard Magazine

2008-12-03T21:20:00.000-08:00

I am featured in this month's Keyboard Magazine. The article focuses on the Miley gig, and the gear I use. You can read it online here.

The magazine is available now at newsstands everywhere.

More On Flickr

2008-12-03T12:11:00.000-08:00

You may not know, most of the entries on this blog contain just enough pictures to tell the story, but there are usually other (prettier) pictures.

They go on my Flickr stream (of which you can now see a preview on the right side button under the music player).

So if you're ever reading a post and want some more pictures, just click on that button to go straight to the photos, where you can look at them individually, or click "Slideshow" to get your own fullscreen pictorial tour. Hooray for technology.

Hot Girls On Bikes

2008-12-02T21:25:00.000-08:00

Amsterdam. Beautiful, beautiful Amsterdam.

After BBC Switch, Jaco, Candice, Jamie and I flew from London to Holland for a little time off.

We stayed on this houseboat.

Which was very exciting,

and showcased a gorgeous view at night.

The streets were full of people on bicycles, flying every which way. It seemed incredibly dangerous to me; I always felt on the verge of being mowed down by some two-wheeled maniac.

One of Jamie's good friends wrote a song about the city, called "Hot Girls on Bikes," due to the scorching hotness of said girls on said bikes. They all looked like models...whizzing past us at high speeds. Jamie was totally into it, because he just likes to look, and not actually talk to girls he finds attractive. I didn't love it as much. By the time I even noticed them, they were already gone. Somehow though, it seemed a fitting metaphor for my lovelife.

Amsterdam is all about Overwindowing

We spent 3 days walking, relaxing, eating, walking, going to museums, eating, walking, and massaging our aching feet. The Van Gogh museum was quite moving.

Our final day in town was punctuated by an extremely random and violent hailstorm, which was kinda fun.

Hail on the houseboat next door.

Then we were off to Berlin.

Beds Are For Silliness

2008-11-28T21:15:00.000-08:00

The sweetest boy ever, subtitled for your convenience (and coherence).

Turkey Day, Y'all!

2008-11-27T11:48:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all have an incredibly relaxing day, and eat way too much.

What an incredible year it's been.

I am so thankful for:

my amazing superboy Noah
my crazy surreal job
great friends
a ridiculously supportive family

What are you thankful for?

BBC Switch

2008-11-25T23:38:00.000-08:00

About a month ago, when we first arrived in London, I was immediately stricken by the sheer Britishness of it all. Somehow, it was even more British than I was expecting:

The UK is a Cartoon Version of Itself.

For Real, Though.

But of course, we weren't there to sight-see; we were there to work.

We were playing a show called BBC Switch, which was aimed firmly at teens. No one over 19 in the crowd, which meant no parents, which meant a room full of crazy adolescent Brits. The energy in that room was electric, and we all had a blast.

Backstage, Kelly Osbourne interviewed Miley, surrounded by every camera in the United Kingdom...and made her do the limbo, for some unknowable reason:

Afterwards, the band went to The Defectors Weld, which has a dress code I will never understand. You are not allowed entry if you're wearing a hat. Okay, fine. So this just means they expect a certain higher level of dress, right? Well, no. You are also not allowed in if you're wearing formalwear. Wha-what? So you've got to just be right-down-the-middle then. The principal of this made me want to leave immediately. I don't wanna be anywhere that particular.

We stayed for a few drinks, and then Clay, Nadia and I left for a very special British treat:

Magnum Classic. Best Ever.

Yummy yummy ice cream.

On the way home, we saw this sign:

Anyone Wanna Take a Crack at Interpreting This One?

AMAs

2008-11-23T23:11:00.000-08:00

The American Music Awards took place tonight, and we spent all day hanging out at the Nokia theater waiting for them to start.

But seriously, what a blast. In the morning, we ran through the whole show. We did our little "Fly on the Wall" thing with Miley (the birthday girl turned 16 today!). We shared the stage with 30 -- yes, 30 -- dancers. That was some crazy chaotic choreography.

After we ran Miley's song, I ran back into the auditorium and watched the rest of the show. Incredible.

Beyonce blew the house down, and her dancers were cr-a-a-zay. Even during dress rehearsal, she got a standing ovation. How can they dance like that? Doesn't that hurt? I hope they have dislocation insurance.

Sarah McLachlan was lovely and perfect, Annie Lennox mesmerized us with her voice, and at the very end, Coldplay came out and checked for their song. Not only did they sound gorgeous, but as Clay (our ProTools guy) says, "y'all seem real nice."

When a tiny smattering of paper leaves fell from the ceiling, Chris Martin exclaimed, "That looks like crap! Is that all there is?" But alas, there would be more paper butterfly confetti for the real thing.

After the big runthrough, we waited in an impossibly long line for roast beef and mashed potatoes, and as I was leaving, I saw Chris Martin waiting for his own little slice of beef. He smiled at me. What a nice gent. And also, did they really have to wait in that line? Isn't there someone to fetch Coldplay some beef?

Backstage, all the Miley band members ran into people we know. The world of professional bands is pretty small, and we always see the same peeps at these shows. I ran into a couple folks, including the radiant Daphne Chen (who played violin on my newest album, "The House We Built"). Tonight, she was playing with Leona Lewis.

It's always a challenge to find ways to pass the time at these awards shows. Usually there's a lot of standing, sitting, napping and reading. But this time there was a gifting suite. We basically moved in. I got a sweater, a yoga mat, a shirt and a tie.

Then we hopped on stage, and this happened:

3 minutes later, we were done.

Trucks & Bubbles

2008-11-23T00:03:00.000-08:00

So recently, as you may know, I've been doing some traveling.

Last month, I spent a lot of time in Europe and took tons of pics and videos. Last week, I spent time in Washington with my beautiful and amazing son, Noah, and took lots of pics and videos. Since I wanna tell you about everything right now, I'm gonna pretend this is some kind of artsy film and intercut the two. Let's start with Noah.

For this particular visit to see him, my parents came along with me. They have only met Noah briefly twice, so this was a wonderful time for them to get to know him.

Noah has grown a lot in the the two months since I last saw him: he's running around like a champ, has become exponentially more verbal and has discovered the joys of roughhousing. He tumbles, bounces on couches and beds, and runs full-steam-ahead at the wall (this was quite alarming).

He also loves bubbles; demands them with great frequency and passion, and then dances like a drunkard in the ensuing bubble storm. It's probably the most charming thing I've ever seen.

New Player

2008-11-19T11:28:00.000-08:00

I've added a music player to the site, so you can listen to a sampler of my songs while you read.

If you like it, you can share the player on your own site (just click the SHARE button).

If you don't like it, just hit the PAUSE button and enjoy the silence.

Sweet Sixteen

2008-11-18T14:01:00.000-08:00

We've got some catching up to do. In bits. About a month ago, we played Miley's Sweet Sixteen birthday party at Disneyland. Several thousand screaming girls dragged their moms to see Miley sing, and also saw:

Billy Ray rockin' it out (yay!)
Justin and Brandy joining in on guitar (yay!)
Dancers on boat floats (I was worried for their safety)
Mickey Mouse (pretty sure that was a girl in the suit)
A jumbo check presented to charity (where do they get those made?)
Tyra Banks being odd ("she's just being Tyra")

Real Me on Fake Ride with Fake Miley

L to R: Mike, Jaco, Billy Ray, the Kay Hanley Mime

After that show, it was off to Europe.

Synecdoche, New York

2008-11-10T01:03:00.001-08:00

Just got back from seeing "Synecdoche, New York," Charlie Kaufman's new film. This time he directed it too. I'm a huge Kaufman fan (Eternal Sunshine is an all-time favorite) but I didn't expect to love this one as much as I did. Incredible cast plus music by Jon Brion (BONUS!) Phillip Seymour Hoffman, as usual, is lovely and sad and real.

This ambitious, surreal movie takes "meta" to a whole new level. Hysterically funny while deeply heartbreaking and thoughtful; this is by far my favorite film of the year so far. I'm going to be thinking about it for weeks. You owe it to yourself to seek this one out.

Yay America!!

2008-11-05T00:24:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, things go right. As my friend said, "tonight is truly New Years Eve."

All Night Yahtzee Rocks The Socks

2008-11-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

I love my fans. They are quite a creative bunch, and I always enjoy seeing what they're up to. This video was just brought to my attention by Aaron Picar. Please to enjoy "To Show You My Love" as performed by All Night Yahtzee.

Way Way Away

2008-10-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

Still in Europe, doing a round of promo for Miley's "Breakout" album. WiFi access has been spotty at best for the last 3 weeks here, but I've taken buckets of pictures, so plan on full disclosure when I return next week.

Until then, here's a video of a monkey waiting tables:

I'm Still Here

2008-10-01T21:10:00.001-07:00

Yes it's true. I have not vanished from the face of the planet (does the planet have a face?) and the rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated (I'm just a little bit dead).

In all honesty, I have just been really busy: Miley gigs, recording sessions, bingo night at the Eagles' Club... You know how it is. And the sloppy, cyanide-filled icing on the cake is I recently acquired a cold. I realize that I got a bit of a reputation as Mr. Sick Face last year (while sloshing in the petrie dish we call a "tour bus"), but this year, I haven't gotten sick since the end of said tour in February. So let's look at it like "celebrating eight months sober...from viruses."

But I assure you, the tap has not dried up (okay that sounds a little gross segueing from virus talk). New blog entries coming your way shortly. Find something to hold on to. We'll pull through this together.

Stripped Is Live!

2008-09-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to my reader Shannon, who pointed out that our episode of Stripped (read my original post here) is now live at iheartmusic.com. The whole band got some serious camera time, and it's quite an enjoyable, intimate show. Check it out, yo.