I was very busy on Wednesday. On Wednesdays, I record my parts for that week's exciting Sunday night presentation of The Best Three Hours Of Radio On The Whole Friggin' Planet, This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl. This Wednesday was no exception, and our June 23rd edition of TIRnRR is now in Dana's hands, and his usual alchemy will ensue.
But the week after that, we're planning a special TIRnRR celebrating the imminent publication of my long-threatened book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). That show will air on June 30th, and logistics dictated that it was better to get it done now rather than wait until next Wednesday. So, I did my parts for two weeks' worth of shows in one afternoon. I do believe you'll dig the results of both efforts.
But wait--there's MORE!! I also completed a one-hour telephone interview with Arty Lenin, guitarist for Syracuse's own power pop powerhouse the Flashcubes. As we know, I've begun work on a new book about the 'Cubes, Make Something Happen! The DIY Story Of A Power Pop Band Called THE FLASHCUBES. That book is planned for Summer 2025 publication, and there is a lot of work to be done for that project. There is also a lot of work to be done for my top-secret other book project, and I hope to be able to tell you about that, y'know, pretty soon.
(So far, I've done one-hour initial interviews with each of the four Flashcubes, and a one-hour initial interview with [redacted] for the top-secret thing. I'll be doing additional interviews with all of these fine folks, as well as interviews with a whole bunch of other [presumably] likewise fine folks. Busy, busy, busy.)
Right now, the bulk of my short-term attention and work will be on The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). That is due out July 10th on my own Syracuse Noise imprint, and it is already available for preorder from the usual suspects. I have scheduled a July 17th appearance on Bridge Street, the popular morning TV talk show on Syracuse's NewsChannel 9, a July 19th in-store at Syracuse's Parthenon Books, and a podcast guest-appearance with Dana in August (details to follow). I have reached out to a couple of online and print forums over the past few days, and I reached out to more on Wednesday.
Busy day, that Wednesday.
Today is the first Blogkeeping I've run here since January 2nd. I want to look back at what I wrote then:
"This has been itching in my skin for a few days. I realize that the current state of the world is troublesome, from war and violence all across the globe through the ongoing plausible threat of red-hatted brownshirts returning to power right here in the USA. It's a miasma of large-scale misery.
"And it's compounded by the tragedy and loss that so many of my friends--and I--have been forced to face one on one. Loss doesn't heal. The best we can hope is to figure out how to rebuild around our loss. I understand why so many wanna kick the recently-expired year to the curb, and then kick it some more, and then kick it some more still. I don't want to say or imply anything that trivializes the ache, the sorrow, nor even the anger.
"But I also have to be honest: I'm going to look back upon 2023 as a good year for me.
"I know. I'm sorry.
"Allow me my tunnel vision for the moment. My daughter got married in 2023, and seeing her and my new son-in-law come together with such delight and joy made it the single happiest night of my life. I mean it. I will never forget how wonderful that evening felt.
"I wish everyone could have a chance at that kind of feeling, for however fleeting a time.
"There's more. At the age of 63, I finally saw the publication of my first book. I have a second book finished, a new idea for a third book, and notions for more. It's very possible that none of these other books will ever happen; the first one did happen, and it happened in 2023.
"This blog will accrue its millionth visit this week, and it came close to hitting that mark before Ryan Seacrest declared a new year. The number is actually modest for a daily blog approaching its eighth birthday, but what the hell. A million clicks. No money, mind you, and very little acclaim, but a weird sense of clueless pride prevails. A million. It just sounds good.
"And I know: None of the above helps anyone else one damned bit. I don't feel guilty, exactly, but I'm very much aware that I lucked out last year.
"I can't deny the glow that 2023 granted me. I know so many who are hurting. It's not fair. So much of our suffering is inflicted by forces beyond our control.
"If you've had some victories along the way, don't begrudge yourself the right to recognize them. But spare a thought for all those cast in a shadow by 2023. Pray they'll have some victories of their own to celebrate, some light to slice the darkness. And when our own shadows and specters return--as they absolutely will, make no mistake about that--pray also that our brothers and sisters will, in turn, spare a thought for us when we need it most.
"2024 looks to be a big, ugly, and, I fear, clinically insane beast of a year. It doesn't take Nostradamus to predict that some of us won't make it to 2025.
"But I hope I do. I hope all my friends and loved ones do. I hope you do, and I hope the same for all those you hold dear. Join hands. Face front. We'll tame the beasts--big, the ugly, and the clinically insane--impartially.
"To the extent we can, anyway.
"Together."
Since writing the above, the disappointing sales reports for my 2023 book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones reestablished a firmer tether to reality. But what the hell. I have things to do, stuff to write, and music to play. Days to seize. And a mere million clicks is more than 300,000 additional clicks in my rear-view mirror by now.
Busy? Busy is good.
And much good awaits.
If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar.
Carl's book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is available, courtesy of the good folks at Rare Bird Books. Gabba Gabba YAY!! https://rarebirdlit.com/gabba-gabba-hey-a-conversation-with-the-ramones-by-carl-cafarelli/
If it's true that one book leads to another, my next book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) will be published in July. Stay tuned. Your turn is coming.
This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. Recent shows are archived at Westcott Radio. You can read about our history here.
I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl
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