Just a few random thoughts this week.

• I’m a big fan of movies and TV shows where people will just break out into a song and dance at the drop of a hat…
– Crooning, tap dancing socialites played by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
– Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra as sailors on shore leave in NYC.
– Maria and Tony trying to keep their forbidden love secret from the Jets and the Sharks.
– Elvis Presley as the singin’est, swingin’est, lovin’est, fightin’est, lifeguard to ever patrol the beaches of Acapulco.
– The nerds and the cool kids in “Glee” trying to put their differences aside to make it to the State Regionals and be named the best glee club in Ohio.
…. and many, many more. You get the idea.

Right now my favorite show on television is called “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”. The premise is ridiculous (because of a freak power surge while getting an MRI Zoey can read people’s minds by the songs in their heads), but big musical production numbers occur which only the title character can see and hear. It’s sweet, funny, sad, thoughtful, frustrating, and more… sometimes all at once, just like real life.

I love seeing what songs (usually 4-6 per episode) the unbelievably talented cast tackle.  On any given week you’ll hear anything from “Help” by The Beatles to “Starships” by Nicki Minaj, with Broadway’s “Hello Dolly” in between. You can count on laughing during at least one song, singing along at least once, and crying (or at least getting choked up) once. I guarantee it. If the stars of the series ever did a live tour like the Glee folks did Susan and I are so there with our vaccine cards. This video sort of gives you an idea what I’m talking about.

• Have you checked out the list of albums available for the two Record Store Day Drops (June 12th and July 17th)?  Click HERE to take a look.

I will be studying this list like a 14 year old that’s found a copy of Hustler in the woods. After doing research, taking notes, and planning ahead I just hope that I can grab the limited edition records I want. On my first pass through this list I know I want the Monkees, Prince, and Sun Records collections, but I have the feeling there’s more in there for me to discover.

• The answer to “What is Billy listening to while writing this week?” is just an old favorite of mine… Elvis Costello’s “Spike” from 1989. I think everyone has those certain albums and movies that fit like a comfortable old sweatshirt, and make you feel good. “Spike” is one of those albums for me with songs like “This Town”, “Deep Dark Truthful Mirror”, “Veronica”, “God’s Comic”, and “Pads, Paws, and Claws” being just a few tunes on the disc that give me that “relaxing clothes” feeling. I bet if you go to Record Archive they have a used copy for $5. Give them a call at 585-244-1210 and ask.

• I’m not a fan of the music of Puerto Rican rapper/singer Bad Bunny, but he was fantastic wrestling at Wrestlemania this past weekend. He trained really hard and wound up putting on a better match than many real professional wrestlers, and I appreciate the effort.  Mr. Bunny even pulled off a crazy hard move called The Canadian Destroyer as he and his tag team partner Damien Priest defeated The Miz and John Morrison. For that alone I recommend you support his musical career if you are so inclined.

• I’m finishing this week’s post with a bit of news. It looks like that with the help of family, friends, severance pay, unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, and especially my wife I’ve been able to make it through the past year. I’m now fully vaccinated and ready to dip my big toe back into society, and am taking that careful step with a new job that I’m excited about.

I’ll be the new guy in the Wegmans distribution center/warehouse working as part of the team that makes sure everyone gets the stuff they need when they go shopping. In Rochester (and other cities too) people don’t say “I’m going to the store”, they say “I’m going to Wegmans”, so I don’t take this responsibility lightly. As someone who is kind of awkward and shy with new people and situations at first I hope I can quickly adapt, make new friends, and do a good job. That’s happened everywhere I’ve ever worked, so I’ll just assume that will be the case this time too.

How did I wind up getting a job with a company that’s always near the top of Forbes magazine’s list of Top 100 companies to work for? I don’t know. I mean I know I applied and went through a couple interviews, but I’m not sure why they picked me. Maybe they think I’m one of my cooler, smarter siblings. Whatever the reason is I’m grateful. I start next week.

I did ask Alayna if I could continue to write this blog for the Archive newsletter and she said yes.  As my schedule changes that may become more difficult, but I hope I can figure it out and keep doing this, even if I miss a week occasionally. Where else can I share my opinions on music, and make obscure references to the sitcoms of my youth at the same time? If I wind up skipping a blog post I’ll make sure to get an absentee note from Juan Epstein’s mother.

That’s all for this week. Now I have to figure out if I can stream the 1990 TV show Cop Rock somewhere.  How did I not watch that drama with singing and dancing police officers when it was on ABC three decades ago?

Billy

Scroll Up