Inspired by Boing Boing – and the availability of video projection at the Whitefire – I plan to add some visuals to the proceedings there. Head over to Boing Boing (link below) for details and instructions 
.
Make a short video for Curt Smith’s first residency in two years, win prizes – Boing Boing.
Writing in his blog “Rock N Roll Truth,” Orange County Register music critic Robert Kinsler pronounces the McCabe’s gig “a wonderful performance from start to finish.” He has warm wards for Curt’s voice, for the band, for the originals as well as the covers.
“Among [Smith's] most recently-penned tracks unveiled,” he writes, “was “Perfectly…Still,” a song he noted that had only been performed live once. “We have yet to perform it successfully,” he mused before playing a seemingly-perfect take. The song details how a man has a wonderful wife and children, but is tempted to throw it away for a romantic encounter in an exotic country far from home. As performed on Friday, complete with sparse layers and excellent harmonies from several members of his band recalling the sound of Zero 7, it was a powerful song that earned him some of the loudest cheers of the night.”
You can read the full review here.
If you missed my appearance on Peter Himmelman’s Furious World last month (and really, the “Turtle Talk” interview was a classic for the ages), now’s your chance to see it again. It’s being re-run as one of their “classic” episodes this Tuesday, November 23, at 7pm PT. Click here to watch online.
A few photos from last night’s gig at McCabe’s.
Psych’s Kirsten Nelson, James Roday and Tim Omundson joined us onstage for “Shout”:
Psych executive story editor Tim Meltreger, a pineapple, a 3-hole punch, and some guy in a suit:
Photos by Richard Glasband.
I’m honoured that the organizers of TEDxSF have invited me to speak at their conference on November 16. The event’s theme is “The Edge Of What We Know;” my talk is called “Into The Deep And Over The Edge.” (Bonus points to the first person in the comments who explains why.) If you’ll be in or near the Bay Area around that time, you can register for TEDxSF at the link below. Let me know if you’ll be attending!
New Holiday Single: ‘This Is Christmas’
This Is Christmas by curtsmith
“This Is Christmas” tells the story, Smith says, “of an adult visiting his parents at Christmas and lamenting how he’s always made to feel like a child when he returns home. It culminates in his realization and acceptance that they’re family after all, and nothing will (or even should) change that.” Fittingly, backing vocalists on the track include Smith’s daughters Diva and Wilder; Charlton Pettus (Smith’s longtime friend and collaborator) and his children Georgica and Harry; Jason Joseph; Simon Steadman; and a chorus comprised of local school children.
“This Is Christmas” will be featured in the December 15 episode of the USA Network series “Psych.” “I’d been attempting to write a holiday song for years,” Smith says, “but always found them a bit trite and forced. I was trying again when Psych’s James Roday approached me about licensing a song for the holiday episode of “Psych.” Once he sent me a clip of the scene he had in mind, it all made sense and the song came together naturally.”
Like Smith’s previous solo efforts, he’s releasing “This Is Christmas” under a Creative Commons license. The license Smith uses allows others to freely share, perform, and remix his work, so long as the uses are non-commercial, Smith is credited, and any derivative works carry the same license. Smith shares production credits on the song with Charlton Pettus.
Smith will play several Los Angeles-area solo gigs in 2011, along with planned Tears For Fears tours in South America and the U.S. West Coast.