Twelve Things To Do In Nashville

Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers!

Merry Christmas Eve to those who celebrate it and Happy Tuesday to those who do not.  

Last month I traveled to Nashville for a quick visit.  Not counting the airport, it was my first time in Nashville and I have to say I very much enjoyed it.  I planned on blogging about all the places I went to individually but it is the holiday season and my procrastination is running on an all time high.  So instead I am borrowing a format I saw a DC food blogger (whose name and blog I can't remember - sorry!) do for a quick travel blog highlighting 10 things she did in a city.  I couldn't limit it to just ten, so here goes … "Twelve Things To Do In Nashville" - in no particular order.

Proof that Nashville Gift Shops Love Me and Want My Money

1)  See Live Music.

You can't go to Nashville and not hear live music.  It is everywhere and it is wonderful!  The purpose of my trip was to see Kelly Clarkson perform an acoustic Musicians On Call benefit at the Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville (2nd row, VIP ticket baby!)  Kelly of course delivered in superstar form.  But you don't need to see a big name act in Nashville to have a good time. I also heard many fantastic local bands in the various bars along Music Row for the price of a drink or a low cover charge.  The air is filled with music and you have to breathe it in.

I think this is Kelly Clarkson's way of asking me to come on stage for a duet

2)  Try Mexican Spaghetti.

Mexican Spaghetti and Steak - sorry for the bad lighting!

I did not do a lot of research for my Nashville trip, so my first night in town I had no idea where I should go for dinner.  I stumbled upon "Demos Steak and Spaghetti House."  I thought "I like steak.  I like spaghetti.  The place is packed.  I think I need to try it out."  So I had a steak skewer and Mexican spaghetti.  It was a very inexpensive restaurant with AMAZINGLY FANTASTIC customer service.  I have been in five star restaurants with 1/100th the customer service.  From the minute I walked in to the minute I left, I was treated like the most valued customer ever.  I was just gobsmacked at how great every employee in the restaurant was.  

The steak was an inexpensive cut heavily marinated.  It was very tender but a little too salty for my tastes.  The Mexican spaghetti was intriguing - I still prefer good old Italian-style spaghetti - but the peppers, Mexican-style sauce and sour cream topped pasta was something I glad I tried. 

3)  Inhale Pure Heaven.

Savannah Candy Kitchen

There are a couple candy stores on Music Row, but the one that smells the best is the Savannah Candy Kitchen.  Rows and rows of freshly made pralines literally yank you off the sidewalk and pull you in.  I dare you to walk past their store without at least sucking in 2 pints of praline-scented air.  I purchased several boxes to give to friends and family.  (They are crazy rich and sugary, so I gave out 4 packs as to not create diabetic comas.)  I also justified that I could not give the pralines out as gifts without sampling one myself - a chocolate covered one called a gopher.  It's like a turtle … except it's called a gopher.  So there you go.  It was delicious on top of delicious on top of a lot of sugar.

4) Stand In Awe In Front of The Man In Black.

Johnny Cash Museum

I have loved Johnny Cash's music as long as I can remember.  I don't know why.  I don't know how.  I just do.  So when I heard that the Johnny Cash Museum recently opened in Nashville, I knew I had to visit.

The experience lived up to the hype my brain created.  It's not a large museum, but the pieces in it are wonderful.  There is a small viewing room in the back where I watched clips of Johnny Cash starring in the movie "Five Minutes To Live."  How did I not know that Johnny Cash starred in movies when he was young?  The museum also showed a clip where Johnny Cash voiced Homer's spirit guide on "The Simpsons." Again, how did I NOT know about this episode?  

Every piece of memorabilia was steeped with history.  Even a simple heart shaped pillow that Johnny had inscribed to June, spoke volumes.  And of course toward the end of the museum, was Johnny Cash doing his iconic version of Nine Inch Nails' song "Hurt."  A song that has so become infused with Johnny's stardom that Entertainment Weekly once  reviewed a Nine Inch Nails' concert and mistakenly commented that the band did a cover of the Johnny Cash song "Hurt."  (The retraction came at lightning speed - tsk tsk Entertainment Weekly.)

The gift shop (I am ALL ABOUT THE GIFT SHOP.)  Did not disappoint.  Whether you are an infant all the way to a senior citizen, there is some quality merchandise at the Johnny Cash Museum for you.  

5)  Spend Some Time With Reba McEntire's High School Photo.

Reba - is it really you?

When my sister heard I was going to Nashville, she told me that I absolutely positively had to go to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.  I hemmed and hawed -- I mean going to the Johnny Cash Museum was one thing -- but the Country Music Hall of Fame?  Ehh.  But then I walked past it and I saw a gigantic picture of Reba McEntire (current exhibit) beckoning to me.  So I thought "what the heck?"

And my sister was right - the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum was crazy good with all sorts of memorabilia from the early days of country music to today.  If you like entertainer costumes - there are some great ones here.  I found myself standing in front of one of Taylor Swift's dresses and wondering if she was size triple zero.  The waist was the tiniest thing I have ever seen. 

Why did it take so long to induct Kenny Rogers???

The one thing that really shocked me was the actual Country Music Hall of Fame itself - it is amazing who has been inducted and in what year.  I was floored that Kenny Rogers had not been inducted into the Hall of Fame until 2013!  (And even more surprised that they used a pre-plastic surgery picture for the announcement.  Poor Kenny, you look good but you don't look like yourself any more.  I want my old Kenny Rogers "The Gambler" back!)  He needs a much better face change.

The gift shops are BEYOND FABULOUS.  I restrained myself from buying my friend Nick a t-shirt with Reba's name in red sequins.  I don't think Nick is a Reba fan, but I would be a big fan of seeing his face when he opened a box containing a bedazzled shirt!

6)  PIMENTO CHEESE!

I loves me some Southern cooking, so I absolutely had to have the Fried Green Tomatoes with Pimento Cheese at Merchants Restaurant.  

Merchants' Restaurant

I first took a bite of the Fried Green Tomato on its own.  It was OK - a bit bland, nothing to rave about.  But when I took a bite of tomato with Merchants' house made pimento cheese, holy cow - now there's a party!  It was incredibly delicious (as was the rest of my meal at Merchants).  Highly recommend!

Pimento Cheese and Fried Green Tomatoes

This dish set me off on a pimento cheese frenzy for the next 2 weeks, but none of the cheeses I tried were anywhere close to being as good as Merchants' pimento cheese.

7)  Sleep Amidst Nashville History.

Union Station Hotel

I splurged and stayed at the spectacular Union Station hotel while I was in Nashville.  It is a boutique hotel made from parts of a renovated train station and it's just gorgeous.

Lobby of the Union Station Hotel

 The customer service was great - and who can beat fresh baked scones free in the lobby each morning?

Free scones in the morning in the lobby!

The rooms were lovely.  I had a gorgeous marble bathroom.  I was also surprised at the speed of the WiFi - usually in the older renovated hotels, the WiFi connection is terrible.  Not so at Union Station!  A pleasant surprise!

Twice during my stay there were film crews in the lobby - darn paparazzi chasing me!

Plus there was live guitar music in the lobby in the evenings.  A great place to stay!

8)  Have A Proper Southern Breakfast.

The restaurant at Union Station is called Prime 108.  They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner in a lovely dining room off the lobby.  Sadly the customer service was not as good as the hotel staff's.  I was seated quickly and given a cup of a coffee right away.  But then I sat there, forgotten.  There were four tables and three servers and the service was ridiculously slow.  I sat for twenty minutes before the server came over to greet me hello.  Then walked away without taking my order!  

It seemed like the waitstaff were playing a game - one table would get service within 20 seconds, the next one 20 minutes, the next 60 seconds, the next one 25 minutes.  I started timing the servers' visits to other tables - because I had nothing to do since no one seemed to want to take my order.

After a total of 30 minutes of waiting, I finally flagged down the coffee server and asked if I could place my order.  She looked flummoxed - again let me remind you at this time there were only four tables, 3 servers and 2 of the tables already had their food.  She said she guessed she could take my order and then scurried to find something to write it down on.  My order was shrimp and grits, but from the look on her face you would have thought I had just recited an order as long as the encyclopedia.

My order came within 10 minutes and was very good.  The shrimp were cooked perfectly and had a kick of spicy heat.  The grits were somewhat decent but not cheesy as advertised.  But overall, a pretty good plate of shrimp and grits.  The only saving grace for Prime 108.  Needless to say I did not eat any other meals there.
      
9)  Be Overcome With Modern Art's Poignant Message.

If you are anywhere close to Nashville between now and January 12, 2014 - you absolutely must see the "30 Americans" exhibit at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.  

The Frist Center is housed in the former Post Office and is a glorious Art Deco structure.  It is worth going there just for the architecture alone.  However when I visited, there was a Norman Rockwell exhibit and the 30 Americans exhibit.  

The Norman Rockwell exhibit was outstanding - from his Saturday Evening Post covers to the civil rights pieces like "The Problem We All Live With" and "Southern Justice."  These haunting pieces indeed follow the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words.

The 30 Americans exhibit was more modern art - some pieces were simple upon first glance but then tunneled in to your psyche.  There was one piece (Duck, Duck, Noose by Gary Simmons) that was reminiscent of the childhood game - Duck, Duck, Goose (although for some reason in the Midwest we called it Duck, Duck, Gray Duck).  There were stools in a circle with Ku Klux Klan caps on each stool and in the center was a noose.  How can some stools, some fabric and some rope leave me absolutely frozen and speechless? 

Even over a month later, I am still thinking about some of the pieces I saw in the exhibit.  This exhibit has been seen in Milwaukee as well.  Highly, highly, highly recommend you see it if you get a chance.

10)  Enjoy the Architecture.

Nashville is a delightful mix of old and new.  The architecture was superb.  I loved to just walk around and take in all the different building styles.

11)  Have some Barbecue!

You cannot go to Nashville without having some good old Southern barbecue.  Since I was in town for only a short time, I chose the legendary Jack's Barbecue on Music Row for my meal.

I had the three meats plate - brisket, ribs and pork with macaroni and cheese and baked beans.  The ribs were my absolute favorite.  If I am ever back at Jack's, I'll just get a huge plate of ribs and be perfectly content.  For dessert, a traditional Southern Chess pie.  

12)  Last but not least … SHOP, SHOP, SHOP!

Music Row and the surrounding streets are filled with boot shops, gift shops, boot shops, candy stores, bars, boot shops, restaurants and boot shops.  I had fun checking it all out!

If you're planning a trip to Nashville, I hope this post has inspired you to check out just some of what Nashville has to offer.  Happy traveling!

Supporting Righteous Babes Everywhere No Matter Where They Are ...

Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers:

This past Tuesday, I attended the Ani DiFranco concert at The Ritz in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida.  Now if you're a regular reader of my blog, you will know that I have an admiration for Ani DiFranco and her music.  OK perhaps stalkeresque obsession?  (Check out my previous blog post here about my love for Ani DiFranco and another drop in the bucket of my dating angst.)  

I went to grad school in the same city (Buffalo, New York) as Ani DiFranco's self-created music label, Righteous Babe Records.  At the Ritz, there was a small group from Buffalo in front of the stage.  They yelled "Buffalo" several times in solidarity of Ani growing up in Buffalo.  However Ani lives in New Orleans, Louisiana now and I think that city blends more with her aura and spirituality.  

Ani's opening act was Ruthie Foster.  I had never heard of her, but I know that Ani DiFranco has excellent tastes in selecting her opening acts.  Several years ago, I went to see Ani DiFranco in Philadelphia.  Her opening act was the brilliant Regina Spektor.  I knew a couple Regina Spektor songs, but hearing her live cemented my fandom.  I also have spread the fandom - my parents are attending Regina Spektor's concert in Minneapolis tonight and I will be seeing her when she performs in Clearwater, Florida at Ruth Eckerd Hall next month.

Ani's magical touch did not fail.  Ruthie Foster was incredible live.  How would I describe Ruthie Foster's music?  Strong, powerful but also delicate ... it's like she opened her soul and this music just floated out.  Do you know the term "speaking one's truth"?  Ruthie Foster's singing is her truth brought to light and set on fire.  It's not a phoenix rising from the ashes, it is poetry soaring high above on the wings of a strong woman to inspire and captivate.

I find it ironic that while many in America were watching the Presidential debate and hearing a comment about "binders of women" that I was standing in front of a stage hearing the power and the beauty of two strong, independent women following their dreams and inspiring countless women and men.  Creativity, beauty, freedom, truth, independence and spirit.  An amazing night at the Ritz Ybor, let me tell you.

My hats off to either the ladies' sound technician or the Ritz's sound technician, because the sound for this show was the best I have ever heard at the Ritz.  Did they get new speakers or something?  Pure, crisp sound quality.  

The only negative was that 1/3 of the crowd talked non-stop through both Ruthie and Ani's shows.  The Ritz in Ybor has a huge smoking lounge and multiple bars-- there are plenty of places you can go to talk and watch the show on video monitors without disrupting the fans who actually want to hear the music.  

So my apologies to both Ms. DiFranco and Ms. Foster for the rudeness of some of my fellow chatty Tampans (or as I prefer to call them Tampanians -- Tampans sounds too much like tampons.  And I've never been super-absorbent.)

Check out Ms. Foster's version of Ring of Fire - if you're not moved by her rendition, you just may be dead on the inside.  

Ani DiFranco's performance was incredible as always.  She is pregnant with her second child.  The show was general admission and my crafty crowd-maneuvering techniques got me about 6 people back from the side of the stage.  I just kept staring at Ani DiFranco wondering how loud it might be for the fetus!  But I also thought how wonderful it must be to spend nine months gestating on pure, harmonious, truth-telling music.

Ani ended her show with some of my favorite songs-- "Gravel" and "32 Flavors."  "Gravel" is the soundtrack for a terribly bad eight year relationship I had once upon a time.  Time heals all wounds (and wounds all heels), so I can listen to the song with a wispy smile and lessons learned but no pain.  It's a good place to be.

There are so many fabulous Ani songs to choose from ... so I end this blog post with two Ani songs - the very popular "Both Hands" and a song ("Splinter") from her last album "Which Side Are You On?"  Hope you enjoy them!

Google Affiliate Ads:

I love Ani DiFranco's poetry - "Grand Canyon" is one of my favorites.  You should check this book out.

New Product Wednesday: Modern Love by Matt Nathanson

Wednesdays at LilyOnTheLam.com are usually reserved for products or services that are new to me.  However, rules are made to be broken.  Today's "New Product Wednesday" is about a product I have had for quite some time ... the album "Modern Love" by singer/songwriter Matt Nathanson (@MattNathanson on Twitter).  I purchased it on iTunes when it first came out over six months ago.

So now you may ask - if I have owned this album for quite sometime - why am I featuring it for New Product Wednesday?  It's simple math ... if you are a talented singer/songwriter who happens to be sexy as hell and you write my name on your CD (spelling it correctly without me spelling it because you are a super genius) and then give me a cute little squeeze ... I will make your CD my recommendation for New Product Wednesday!  Yes, I can be bought - I make no bones about that whatsoever.  Matt Nathanson has set the bar -- I'll be installing velvet rope lines for all other sexy singer-songwriters who would like to be featured on New Product Wednesday.  (Anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller?)

Yesterday, Matt Nathanson was the opening act for the lovely and talented Miss Kelly Clarkson at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida.  I have been a Matt Nathanson fan for years, but first saw him in concert opening for Maroon 5 at the sadly named 1-800-ASK-GARY amphitheater.  Thanks to LM and KT, I was able to see Matt Nathanson last night in a much smaller venue from the 10th row.  I don't think it's fair that someone so good-looking should be so talented as well.  Share the wealth a little, Mr. Nathanson!

But what was even better than watching the concert from the 10th row was getting to talk with Matt himself (who knew he had a nose ring?), get a signed CD (yes, I already own Modern Love and yet bought a new one to get it signed.  You smart moneymaker, Mr. Nathanson!), get a half-hug-squeeze and a picture with the aforementioned sexy singer-songwriter.  

My favorite songs off "Modern Love" are "Bottom of the Sea," "Room @ The End of the World," the uber-delicious song "Faster" and of course, last but not least ... "Modern Love."

As Matt Nathanson sings on the song "Modern Love": "I've carried hopes/And heavy daydreams she said/But I'm done with sleeping ..."

For some reason my hair looks like it was crimped in this photo, so I cut myself out and kept the beautiful Matt Nathanson in ... He evidently found the fountain of youth because he looks 23 to me!

Whether you are pro-good music or pro-hot men, Matt Nathanson fulfills both needs.  So check out his latest release "Modern Love" today.  

PANIC! SHAZAM! I’m going to Guam!

On Sunday October 23, 2011, I attended the Panic! At The Disco concert at The Ritz in Ybor.  (For those of you unfamiliar with Ybor City, it is pronounced EE-bor and not WHY-bor.)  I was attending the concert with” Reymundo the Annoying.”  (Yes, that’s his actual name – it’s on his birth certificate and everything.  Trust me.) 

The concert opened with Foxy Shazam – a band that I feel is caught in a time warp, trying to create a Frankenstein monster persona out of the worn out gimmicks of past bands.  But regardless of their less effective adoption of larger band personas, they do tend to draw attention in.  Like a trainwreck.  Like a circus train trainwreck.

I’ll give them big time kudos on their name though.  Foxy Shazam.   That’s pure genius.  Is it a 70’s porn star name?   I was mesmerized with something between fascination and mock horror as they grinded through their set.  In addition to the killer name, Foxy Shazam also has some great merchandise.  I was tempted to buy a bag and a T-shirt, even though I found Foxy Shazam’s music mildly grating.    

The next act was Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy.  His set was like a vacation through the 1980’s.  Since the ‘80’s were mostly a sad part of my youth, I wasn’t necessarily over the moon with some of his song choices.  But he performed every song well with true frontman bravado.  (Foxy Shazam, take notes!)

By the time, Panic! At the Disco started, Reymundo the Annoying and I were in a grumpy grandpa version of a fight.  What I mean by this is that we were both tired from heavily partying weekends, so we lacked the energy for a full stage brawl.  Instead we just looked at each other with heavy-lidded indignation and the seething dialogue was composed of lazy diatribes:  “Really?”  “Are you serious?”  And a lot of long, frustrated sighs.  It’s as if our partying during the weekend had depleted our vocabularies.  We communicated through pained grimaces and stiff body language. 

For the past week, we had slowly been nurturing the eventual fight we both knew we needed to have.  Like a raging zit desperate for popping, his impatience and my fury were straining for an outlet.  We needed to splash the bathroom mirror with our emotional bacteria.  And hopefully healing would come. 

I was plowing through Ketel One Citroen and tonics like they were glacier water and I had just finished a marathon.  Evidently I had not received the memo that clearly states that one should not be drinking when having a fight.  Alcohol is not the answer!  My “Really?” and “Seriously” retorts were turning into slushy accusatory slams as my tongue turned into a meaty flaccid vessel from which no mature words would spring.

Like any normal, straight woman, one of my favorite movies is “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.”  (John Cameron Mitchell, you are magnificent!)  Staring at Reymundo- despite his being so handsome and dressed deliciously – I felt defeated and deflated.  A scene from Hedwig flashed in my head:  Yitzhak, sad and resigned, says to Hedwig: “Are you tired?  You look tired?  I think maybe we are just … both very tired.”   I always think of this line when I’ve just had it with someone I care deeply about.  It’s like every bit of energy has drained from me and I can’t fight anymore.  The only thing I want to do is go … walk away and not look back.  Emotional tap out – done, no more.  I surrender.  Game over.  I didn't know how to resuscitate the evening and frankly wasn't sure I wanted to anyway.    

One of the best lines from "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" actually comes slightly before the part I quoted above, where Yitzhak shouts at Hedwig:  “F*ck you, I’m going to Guam!”  I stifled the urge to shout “F*ck you, I’m going to Guam!” to Reymundo the Annoying.  But I’m not sure I even know where Guam is.  Public school education, y’all.      

But back to the evening … Panic! At The Disco, in the middle of this all, was fantastic.  Their music cut through the emotional air and distracted my self-diagnosed ADHD tantrum throwing banshee wails.  The lead singer of Panic! At The Disco sounded even better live than in his recordings, which in this day of ProTools – I find remarkable.  The air was electric with Panic’s full-blown driving set.  (Again, Foxy Shazam – take notes.)

As much as I enjoyed Panic’s performance, the shadow of the drunken ranting between Reymundo the Annoying and I was a gloom I couldn’t escape.  I kept jabbing Reymundo with poisoned barbs until his usually surfer-laid back demeanor rippled and I could see the fury underneath.  Part of me had grim satisfaction that I was able to provoke an emotional reaction from his cold robot heart, but it was a hollow victory because the emotions were not what I needed.  It was all just a sad, sad shame.

I went home and rode a wave of bed spins and regret.  Eventually, on the weight of the vodka tonics, I fell into an unsatisfying slumber.  It was the type of sleep where you think you are still awake, so you keep thinking how you have a big day ahead of you and you need to go to sleep.  While all the while, you’re already asleep.

I dreamt that I was on a game show hosted by Bravo TV’s Andy Cohen.  I don’t normally dream about TV personalities, so Andy Cohen- count yourself extremely lucky.  I was in the final round of the game show.  I, sailing on my dazzling wit and fabulous intelligence, had breezed through all previous game show questions.  I was a game show rock star, biatches!  Stand back and be in awe of me, me, me!  Andy Cohen did a lengthy, suspense-garnering build up to the final lightning round question.  The whole game centered on this one moment in time and baby, I was ready for it.  Andy flashed a picture of a dog in a parka vest at me and screamed out: “NAME THAT REAL HOUSEWIVES DOG!” 

And I froze. 

I began stuttering and chirping … yes, chirping.  And then the buzzer went off.  I had lost everything.  All my winnings were predicated on my answering the last question correctly.  Instead of again wowing the audience with my amazing brilliance, I gaped, fish mouthed, at the ladies in polyester in the audience.  All canine recognition skills lost from my brain.  I was a loser.

A LOSER!

At this moment, I woke up.  I sat up in my bed and screamed “DELORIS VAN CARTIER!”  The dog in the picture is Deloris Van Cartier – the pampered pooch of Greg Bennett from Bravo TV’s “The Real Housewives of New Jersey.”  I adore Deloris Van Cartier – I even follow her on Twitter.  (Yes, I follow A DOG on Twitter—get over it, already!  I am who I am!)  I found my dream/nightmare to be ridiculously insulting.  As if I wouldn’t recognize Deloris Van Cartier in real life!  Come on!  What a mean-spirited, twisted dream.  I am sorry, Deloris Van Cartier.  Evidently, you’re not first in my heart when I am dreaming.  A sad, sorry statement, that is.  Please forgive me!

I’m not a huge Twitter fanatic – I basically use it to promote my latest Lily On The Lam blog posts and to annoy the rare few of my friends who are also on Twitter.   Doesn’t that charming description make you want to follow me on Twitter?  SouthTampaLily on Twitter!  Follow me!  Follow me, dammit! 

I must admit I do get tremendously jazzed when I get a retweet or a tweet from someone I have reviewed.  When I wrote about a cooking class with Bravo TV's Top Chef Masters winner Chef Floyd Cardoz, Floyd tweeted to me that I totally get what he’s all about.  Now that was super cool!  I do get you Floyd.  You and your short ribs!

And recently when I mentioned reading Brad Warner’s book “Zen Wrapped in Karma and Dipped in Chocolate,” I received a “thank you” tweet from Brad Warner himself.  OK maybe it wasn’t personally from Zen Master Brad Warner.  Perhaps it was one of his nubile, zen-loving harem, responding to tweets on Brad’s behalf.  By the way, even though Brad Warner specifically writes about how zen students should not idolize their teachers; I like to picture Brad Warner with a bevy of nubile women doing his bidding.  How else should I imagine a punk rock bassist zen master?  I mean, come on … let’s throw some Hollywood soap opera into that vision, shall we?  Sorry Brad … I could not resist.

The cherry on the top of all Twitter experiences was when I received an email that said “Yoko Ono is following you.”  Following me on Twitter, that is!  I’m not being stalked by a Beatles’ widow.  But I’d be up for that if the opportunity ever presented itself!  I’d love to spend a day with Yoko Ono.  My mother is actually like a Chinese version of Yoko Ono – big sunglasses, big personality, strong soul.  I love that Yoko Ono is following me on Twitter- no bigger compliment in my book.  YOKO!

To sum up, what have we learned here? … Reymundo continues to earn his moniker “Reymundo the Annoying.”  I may be going to Guam.  Foxy Shazam has fabulous merchandise.  Patrick Stump and Panic! At The Disco are absolutely amazing – go see their show ASAP.  The universal answer is not to be found at the bottom of a vat of Ketel One Citroen and tonics.  While Dream Lily may not recognize Deloris Van Cartier, Waking Lily is in love with that pampered diva pooch.  God Bless You, Greg Bennett – you divine doll!  Yoko Ono can follow me anytime.  And while enlightenment doesn’t come easy, you certainly won’t find it if you’re doing everything to pollute your consciousness and run away from the questions that need answering. 

Oh and read Brad Warner’s books.  That’s all.                     

Any Day is a Good Day for Cabaret ....

Please see the October 2012 update below about the upcoming Oct. 20, 2012 "The Bette Set" fundraiser for the Trevor Project.

Happy Monday!  When I was in sixth grade, I decided that my before school winter breakfast would be a poached egg and a glass of V-8 juice.  I don't know why, but to my sixth grade mind this sounded like the most luxurious of breakfasts.  I hosted a Bloody Mary brunch on Saturday (featuring delicious Hangar One roasted chipotle vodka), so this morning I made a protein-packed breakfast of poached eggs, turkey bacon and a glass of bold and spicy Bloody Mary mix (without the vodka, thank you!)  It was a nice childhood memory and a hearty breakfast.  A good start to a Monday.

This weekend was chock full of fantastic social events.  On Saturday, LM and I went to New American Theater in St. Petersburg, Florida to see "The Bette Set: A Musical Journey to Midler Earth."  A cabaret set featuring Bette Midler songs as sung by Michael Raabe and Sara DelBeato.   See a YouTube promo for the show here.  The show was a benefit for The Trevor Project - the national organization providing crisis and suicide prevention for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.  The selection of songs was great.  (Can't tell you the last time I heard "Otto Titslinger"!)  Sara and Michael's voices were fantastic.  Michael's piano playing was over the top terrific as well! 

However, I think the most touching part about the show was hearing Sara and Michael's stories of their youth as intertwined with Bette Midler songs.  They had a slide show with their own childhood pictures (and one particularly hysterical picture where Michael and Sara's heads were nouveau nipple covers ... ya gotta see it to believe it!) 

Michael had one picture of himself at age 14, in a "Wizard of Oz" trucker hat holding a fiftieth birthday cake for Bette Midler.  Not only did the picture show that Michael has been a die-hard Bette Midler fan from an early age, but it also was a poignant reminder of how organizations like The Trevor Project and It Gets Better Project are so important for LGBT youth.  At my high school, a 14 year old in a "Wizard of Oz" trucker hat holding a Bette Midler 50th birthday cake for his own personal Bette Midler party would have been like waving a red flag in front of a pack of angry bulls.  My school was predominantly white and as a 1/2 Asian, 1/2 white student - I felt the scrutiny and ridicule of being different.  I'd have things thrown at me, be spit on and the verbal abuse was at a catastrophic level of cruelty.  It is absolutely necessary that LGBT youth have role models and support groups to help guide them.  Children can be overwhelmingly cruel.  Organizations like The Trevor Project and It Gets Better Project are crucial.  Dan Savage - the author and "Savage Love" columnist - created the It Gets Better Project.  I have always enjoyed Dan Savage's books and was glad to see that his name has now become synonymous with such a wonderful and worthwhile organization.

Michael Raabe and Sara DelBeato's cabaret set was funny, heart-warming and cost me $50 on iTunes as I went home and purchased a ton of Bette Midler songs after hearing Michael and Sara sing!  So Apple, you owe Michael and Sara some finder's fees! 

I was happy to see that Michael Raabe and Sara DelBeato will be doing another benefit in December 2011, but this time as a Wizard of Oz cabaret set called "Friends of Dorothy."  Knowing that Michael Raabe is also a diehard Wizard of Oz fan, I know that this show will be amazing.  The benefit is on behalf of the St. Petersburg Museum of History. 

If you are near the St. Petersburg, Florida area, check out Michael Raabe and Sara DelBeato.  Their cabaret is warm, fabulous and spiritually uplifting! 

October 2012 Update:  Michael Raabe and Sara Del Beato are bringing back their "The Bette Set" Cabaret described below on Saturday, October 20 - $15 tickets available at Free Fall Theatre.  I had a wonderful time last year and you should check it out.  It's also a benefit for the Trevor Project, so please attend for a good cause!