Catching Up

Here are a slew of photos from last Thursday at Perry and Mustang.

But first I want to share an email with you that I received from one of the dads who saw the show at the Mustang library, and likes to perform my songs himself for his son at home:

"The Mustang Library Show was awesome, loved the show and so did my son. We all love your CD's especially The SLimy Green COncert Thingamuhoochee ... uh yeah, that one. Having the song lyrics with chords on them was a super wonderful Idea.. I really like playing the Silly SOng and Love That Baby (I change the gender in my cover lol) for my son Hunter. I named him after Jimi Hendrix (middle name) and Hunter S Thompson (first name). He must have good musical taste...because he loves your stuff too." - Ron Horschler

Thanks, Ron, emails like that really make my day! I'm glad you and Hunter enjoyed the show and my CDs!

Ron has his own blog, here, with lots of cool music videos. 

Now on to the photos. The first two are from the Perry library, where I performed in the outdoor pavilion. The wind blew my banner down, but other than that it was fun to be outside singing on a sunny morning.

Then it was on to the Mustang library where we met Eric Herman and his family between shows. Eric is another children's musician - in fact if you like my songs, you're sure to like his as well. He's been on the road with his family in their big colorful RV traveling across the country for about four months! If you catch one of his library "bug" shows this summer, you might hear him play one of my songs!

Here's me and Eric:

This is me on the left, then Eric's daughter, Evee, and two other kids watching my daughter Evalyn and Eric's other daughter Becca put on a puppet show. Evee is short for Evelyn, by the way. It's not too often we get two of them in the same room!

For some reason Lisa loves to photograph me during "Silly Song":

Here is Becca dancing during "Pop Up Sit Down," with Evee and Evalyn crouching in the foreground:

Evalyn says she was just happy in this shot:

Oklahoma Storyteller Chester Weems was also in the audience. He took the following photos and sent them to me. This one shows how big the room is!

Here I am signing autographs after the program:

It was a busy day, followed by a busy weekend because I had a Children's Music Network board meeting to attend. Tomorrow, I'll be taping some segments for Tri-City TV in Bartlesville, and I have a 2:00 program at the library in Collinsville. 

I'd better get some sleep!

Super Flea III

Tonight I'm getting ready for tomorrow's programs at the Stillwater library - that's always a fun day, with three packed shows. 

Here is the third and final installment of Evalyn's comic based on my song, "Super Flea." Relevant lines from the song follow. Click the image for a larger more legible version.

Panel 1

As he's cleaning up and thinking "That's it for today,"

His antennae sense new trouble down the street!

Panel 2

What's flying toward that burning school?

Panel 3

"But wait," shouts Flea, "That book was overdue!"

Panel 4

He flips it out and trips and flap, he's trapped in chapter two!

Panel 5

Will he perform the sly escape tradition doth require?

Or will he just be roasted like a weenie?

Ft. Gibson and Checotah + Super Flea Part II

Today I performed at the libraries in Ft. Gibson and then in Checotah. Evalyn came along for the ride, but Lisa had to stay home to get some other work done. Ev and I had fun together. She did a whole lot of reading in the car and during the shows.

The libraries sure are having fun decorating for the theme this year! Here are some photos from Checotah...

Here is Part II of Evalyn's comic book adaptation of my "Super Flea" song. Applicable sections from the lyrics follow. Click the image for a slightly larger more legible version.

Panel 1:

When last we left our heroes they were prisoners in the pound

Confined behind a combination lock

Panel 2:

Houdini's Guide to Picking Locks - Flea looks up what to do

He picks the lock and exits in a blur

Panel 3:

Super Flea to the rescue!

Panel 4:

Meanwhile two librarians are tied up at the desk

Watching helpless as their books are being destroyed

Panel 5:

By a vacuum-like contraption hooked in manners most grotesque

To the forehead of a leering humanoid

Panel 6:

We watch the Doctor's eyes pop as his bottom goes in the air

Being lifted by the Flea's atomic might

Panel 7:

But then Flea sees the waistband of the Doctor's underwear:

It's woven out of siphonopterite!

(Skipping ahead a bit)

Panel 8:

A monstrous pile of literature has buried Dr. K.

Super Flea flips lightly to his feet.

Ada + Super Flea Part I

I performed today at the Ada library. It wasn't quite the same without Janet Lee there. She has been the children's librarian for as long as we can remember, and we've been visiting Ada every summer for many many years in a row. She has retired, and we'll miss her! When Evalyn was a baby Janet gave her a stuffed buddy, and "Purple Monkey" has always been one of Ev's special favorites. She likes to bring him back to visit his place of origin. She brought him today, but was disappointed he didn't get to see Janet.

In a moment, some cool artwork from Evalyn. 

First, Lisa took a few photos during "Pop U p / Sit Down" at today's show...

"Sometimes it helps me feel laid back and loose..."
Evalyn is ready to "pop up"...

In the car today Evalyn started working on a comic book version of my new song, "Super Flea!" Here is the first page for you to enjoy, followed by the song lyrics it is based on. Click the picture for a slightly larger, more legible version.

Panel 1

Who's faster than a lightning strike?

Panel 2

More powerful than dynamite?

Panel 3

Yet smaller than a bumble bee?

Panel 4

It's Super Flea to the rescue!

Panel 5

And with his sleepy sidekick, Mighty Mutt

Panel 6

His mission is to rid the world of every evil nut.

To be continued... 

McAlester

I did two shows at the McAlester Library today. The children's librarian there, Anita, works mighty hard for her kids. In between her two library programs she re-sets the room to distribute a free lunch to any kids who show up for it. She has a great bunch of kid volunteers working for her, and she's also a real go-getter when it comes to drumming up funding from the community.

This photo is from "Insect Zoo," a new song, which I'm still working out the participation to. Any song that includes kid interactions takes some time to "settle" - every show I learn a little something new about what works and what doesn't. Here we're doing "grasshoppers gliding." (That's Anita back there helping me out.)

The rest of these photos were taken with some of the helpers. I've kind of gotten to know these kids over the years that I've been visiting McAlester and it was great to see them again today!

Here we are with a toad! There were also painted lady butterfly chrysalises, and a preying mantis egg for the kids to observe.

Pryor

I had two fun shows at Pryor today. Check out the awesome background - it was covered with all kinds of colorful bugs. There was even one beetle on there I thought looked very realistic; then it moved! It was real!

After the morning show everybody was in the mood for photos. Here are the Headstart kids:

Hmmm... this one looks familiar!

These next two sets of kids we saw at McDonald's between shows!

Cute bunny!

Okeene and Watonga

I did two shows today, one in Okeene and one in Watonga. Lisa and Evalyn came along to help out. Without Lisa's driving & running the sales table, I'm sure I would be worn to a frazzle. Many thanks to the librarians in Watonga for taking and sending me the following photos!

Moore

Last night I performed at Buck Thomas Memorial Park in Moore for their concert in the park series. I was the opening act for Zoom City. Oddly enough, we've appeared on the same stage before for a similar concert series in Paul's Valley! 

Last night was a fun show. The weather was great, if a bit windy. I had an attentive audience and it was cool to be outside.  A good-sized group of kids came up front to participate for "You're a Dinosaur" and "Pop Up, Sit Down." I also did my new bug songs, and I saw some pretty impressive dancing going on during "Creepy Crawly Party Time."

After the show, two young fans came up to hand me some artwork they had done by way of a thank-you. Is that cool, or what? I scanned in their pictures so you can see them too:

The World I Imagine

You know when you get to talking with your friends about how unfair the world is? And you get all into how it ought to be different? Then you kind of laugh at yourself and say, "Well someone should just put me in charge! Ha ha!" And then you drop it go on about your business...

Well Debbie Jordan had a bunch of those kinds of thoughts and she didn't just drop it, she published it! Her book, The World I Imagine, is now available at Amazon.com. In it she lays out a simple but comprehensive common-sense plan for world peace. Debbie, you've got my vote if ever you run for Supreme Master of the Planet!

So how did I find out about this book? Well, I'm in it! Debbie contacted me a while back asking permission to quote one of my songs. She uses a few short quotes from "If Kids Ruled the World," a song I wrote with fifth graders, in the introduction to her book - right on page one! Her point is that many songs express the wish to run things. She even quotes John Lennon later in the same paragraph!

It was exciting to receive a book with references in it to one of my songs!

Tomorrow, I open for Zoom City at 7:00 PM at Buck Thomas Park in Moore, OK. It should be a fun evening outdoor gig, if it doesn't rain!

Zarrow

Today I performed at the Zarrow branch library in Tulsa, OK. We had a great little group; a lot of fun! We got into a whole discussion about eating bugs (sparked by the song "The Kid Who Ate a Bug.") Did you know some folks are serious about insects as a food source? It's called entomophagy. 

Here Evalyn and I are posing next to the reading bug in the library entrance. She has her dog, Toto, on my head.

Here I am with the librarian and the teen volunteers.

Here's Evalyn communing with the blue buffalo in the front lawn of the library.

I  have a backlog of photos from recent performances that I haven't posted, so I'll try to get those up soon as well. Stay tuned!

First Summer Show in Sand Springs

My first two summer shows went well today in Sand Springs. I debuted three brand new songs, "Catch the Reading Bug," "Super Flea," and "Insect Zoo," plus a buggy new version of "Silly Song." Lisa likes to photograph me during "Silly Song" for some reason...

Here I'm posing with the children's librarian. Check out that hat! There's a bug on it! That's the reading bug!
Evalyn grabbed a bite to eat while I loaded the car after the show. She was not on stage with me today. We've worked on a couple of songs together this year but are not yet ready to perform them. Maybe later in the summer.
Tomorrow I'll do a show at Zarrow. (I just can't help rhyming!) That's one of the Tulsa branch libraries, at 2:00. Then on Friday at 7:00 I'm on stage for the concert in the park series in Moore. Next week: four days in a row! 

I'll be posting often during the summer. Thanks for reading! See you soon!