EOD - July 7 (Well, July 28)

 Wrote this a couple weeks back … not sure why it hadn’t posted. 

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“Peace and Love.”

That’s the phrase to utilize on 7/7 every year. It’s truly more than that - it’s a mantra to live by. 

Or to try to live by. 

Let’s face it. There are myriad externalities that churn into a massive ball of stressors. We struggle with our interpersonal relationships and work commitments as we fight to present our best selves. Say nothing of the internal struggles and vacillation of one’s “worth.” That’s a longer missive for another time - measuring systems, validation and seeking approval and all.

But this one’s about swiping that to the side with the speed and dexterity of a fearsome NFL pass rusher.

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Sometimes you need to just pause, select an artist and let the playlist be your guide. I got some great work in, a thriller with England over Denmark in the semifinals of the Euro2020 tournament and I streamed myriad Ringo Starr songs. 

Sir Richard Starkey turned 81 on Wednesday. I celebrate the Beatles catalog and have always revered the stylings of Ringo’s solo career. My daughters and I have seen Ringo and his All-Starr Band twice, and his appearance at a 2019 Paul McCartney show in LA remains a near-religious experience. 

So, dialing up myriad live renditions of “Photograph,” “It Don’t Come Easy,” and “With A Little Help From My Friends” put me in the proper mindset to dominate a day. I whipped up a beautiful chicken divan, took a long stroll with the dog and crushed a four-hour national radio run on FSR. 

Positivity. On Wednesday, the dips on my roller coaster - a crude analogy, without a doubt - seemed to pass more quickly, and I leaned into the turns. There’s no promise that Thursday will be a repeat. But I’ll try. 

But for a moment …  I present the legend of “I’m The Greatest.”

Let The Sun Shine In - Day 6

Let The Sun Shine In -


I'll keep this one brief. It's a tribute to a cool community that's developed online during this pandemic situation. As I've noted in previous posts and on my radio show, sleep and I aren't friends. So, after the show ends, I've found some positivity and community in the Instagram world.

(Was I supposed to just put IG?)

A friend turned me on to the sets being orchestrated each night (sometimes during the day) by @DNice. Thousands of people from all walks of life, LA celebrities to NY moguls, and everyone, everywhere in-between. Mixing 70s soul with recent hits, themed sets and tributes, it's that perfect exhale to slough off stressors and weights. The conversations are fun and sometimes downright silly with mountains of emoticons. Check out the LA Times Article On Club Quarantine and Derrick Jones.

And "last call" is the last song of the night, that usually becomes a 45-minute superset. For the particular set that's playing now, I'm bouncing to Barry White at 2:05a PT.

This Walrus track came almost a full hour (maybe longer, I lost track) of the "last song" announcement. At that point, DNice made dedications to longtime friends and supporters and celebrated the community of nearly 5,000 people still chair dancing or maybe up and moving. And he mentioned the spiritual aspect of the virtual gathering, a theme that I'll hammer often here in the blog. And he played the unmistakable track from "Hair" -- "Let The Sun Shine In."

You could feel the virtual sway and see the smiles. If it was at a show, the flashlight apps would have been lit! (literally)

Derrick then talked about a blowout bash at The Hollywood Bowl. Sign me up for the VIP section. I need to meet these people and thank them for the conversations and community. And vibe to some bad ass music. Which is what I'm gonna get back to now. Find your groove, and stay in that pocket as long as you can. And feel the bass.

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"Let the sunshine, let the sunshine in, the sunshine in
Let the sunshine, let the sunshine in, the sunshine in
Let the sunshine, let the sunshine in, the sunshine in

Oh, let it shine, c'mon
Now everybody just sing along
Let the sun shine in
Open up your heart and let it shine on in
When you are lonely, let it shine on
Got to open up your heart and let it shine on in
And when you feel like you've been mistreated
And your friends turn away
Just open your heart, and shine it on in"