MONDAY
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Rod &
Kubby. Photo by Bob Gentry, ©2002 by Stanyan Entertainment Group.
A Thought for Today
Men still fear thought above all else,
but only thinking sets us free.
.ASK
ROD
Since I’m back writing the daily Flight Plan on a regular basis this seems
to be as good a time as any to bring you up to date on what I’ll be doing
in the next six months. Here’s a list and you can get more complete
information by clicking on the Concert and Appearances links below.
12/09/02
Home For Christmas • All Star Gala • Herbst Theatre, San Francisco, CA.
01/18/03, 01/19/03
Hollywood Collectors & Celebrity Show with Don Knotts, Fess Parker, Gogi
Grant & Others Beverly Garland Holiday Inn, North Hollywood, CA
03/07/03, 03/08/03, 03/09/03
Loesser Is More • The Songs of Frank Loesser • All Star Benefit at The
Luckman Fine Arts Complex Cal State Campus, Los Angeles, CA.
04/30/03
Rod McKuen at Carnegie Hall • The 30th Anniversary of the 40th Birthday
Concert • Carnegie Hall, New York City
Now you know as much as I do but don’t forget to continue checking the
links for updated information.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a new poem so you’ll find something
only a few days old at the end of this Flight Plan. As always in the case
of the new kid on the block it’s a work in progress so it’s a pretty safe
bet that the next time it makes an appearance there will be some
additions, deletions or both.
On to the mail . . .
GUARDIAN ANGELS
What a miserable night in Lubbock, Texas! Texas Tech
got whooped up on big time by Oklahoma ('round here it would be dangerous
to admit you saw that one coming), it's cold and windy, and the domestic
problem two doors down ended in murder about three hours ago.
At the present time I have three cops sitting at my table, drinking coffee
and downing tuna salad sandwiches while they work on reports and whatever
else cops work on after a husband kills his wife. Somehow I feel like I've
hit rock bottom. It's one thing to stop and pick up a dog roaming down the
middle of the street during rush hour traffic, but now I'm making
sandwiches and coffee for cops. I just thought about the vet who asked,
after treating the dog I picked up after he was clipped by a car (minor
injuries), "What do you do when you're not out saving dogs?" Does it seem
somehow pathetic that the answer tonight is making sandwiches and coffee
for cops on murder detail?
I've had your music playing all evening and I was asked to pass along to
you that the officers passing through here tonight have enjoyed it
tremendously. Every time another officer comes in someone will ask me to
play "that Guardian Angel music" for him. Thanks for keeping us company
tonight. Your music has certainly helped everyone here calm down a little
and get the adrenaline rush under control. Luv, Ann
Dear Ann: To begin with lets not talk about murder! Especially since in
the last year Los Angeles has become the new “Murder Capitol of the USA."
Just ask FOX NEWS, you know their slogans 'Unfair and Unbalanced' & 'We
Report, We Decide,' Er, something like that.
For once they are right. Even our new police chief (imported at great
expense from New York City) admits it's difficult to keep track of how
many homicides we’ve had in the last ten days – was it 14, 16? Excuse me
while I check CNN (who, between reports on who is blowing up whom in the
Middle East & how much cash a princess from the Saudi Royal Family
contributed to the great blow job of 9/11, have NEWS ALERTS that may or
may not include LA's Murder Inc.)
I think our new Police Chief is a good guy. He's stepped into a hornet’s
nest that is desperately in need of improving. He'd like to double our
police force – something long overdue – good luck to him as he faces a
city council that can't seem to agree on anything (including whether their
coffee should be 'office brewed' or, at public expense, be catered by that
Great Northwest Coffee Cartel. Need I mention their name?)
Making sandwiches for cops looks to me like a pretty good idea. Yes, there
are very social and sadly sociopathetic men and women in blue, just as
those titles apply to people in every color uniform (including but not
limited to those in gray flannel suits), but cops in general get a bad
rap. Most cops, like most firemen, teachers, librarians (what ever
happened to libraries?) and other public servants are overworked and
underpaid.
Trust me, Ann, if I thought my "Music for Guardian Angels" would have the
same effect on Peace Officers that doctors, psychiatrists and social
workers claim it has on their patients I'd provide complimentary copies to
every station house in the country – whatever the personal cost. My hope
is that one day we can get past the "if it bleeds it leads" mentality of
the press (electronic & print) to report on the work of most "peace
officers," who are just that.
Weather here has been wonderful. While the days are hot enough for
homicide the nights have been blessed with a too full moon that helps the
hovering helicopters hunt down perpetrators perpetuating Live & Die in
L.A.
Keep befriending hapless dogs and hopeful cops who do their too often
dogged jobs of taking care of us. Yell if you run out of Alpo, tuna and
peanut butter. As ever, Rod
EDGAR CAYCE
Dear Rod: I recently attended your performance at
Citrus College in Glendora and enjoyed it very much.
I would like to send you a copy of a book I completed, if you're open to
it, called "The Reincarnation of Edgar Cayce, a tale of interdimensional
communication, evolution of consciousness, and global transformation".
It's quite an amazing story of a young man I discovered who actually
qualifies for the title, with a myriad of correspondences connecting him
with Cayce, and it's filled with revelations as to what's happening in the
world over the next 20 years from the very deep perspective of an
interdimensional being, the same being who gave Cayce his data.
I am very close to a publishing deal and perhaps if the book has relevance
to you, you might have a comment on it which I could use to help promote
it. Thank you for considering my request. Wynn Free
Dear Wynn: Thanks for the kind words concerning the concert at Citrus. I
had a great time there and this past weekend at DuPage College in
Illinois. Part of my enjoyment was derived from having Bob Gentry on board
for both concerts. He's an inventive and resourceful songwriter with a
voice all his own and has the potential to became a great artist.
As to your book Wynn, because of the number of manuscripts I receive I've
had to make it a hard and fast rule not to read any unpublished work (that
includes manuscripts from friends.) Once your book has been accepted for
publication and goes into galley proofs I'll be glad to read it and if I
like it give your publisher a quote he can use to help promote it.
Good luck to you with the book and with all your future writing. All the
best, Rod
DOUGLAS & DuPAGE
Thanks for a wonderful performance in the
Chicagoland area last night. When I was with spoke with you after the
concert I forgot to mention that I first saw you on the old Mike Douglas
shows. Regards, Pete
Dear Pete, Wow you really take me back. I did a bunch of Mike Douglas
Shows and even co-hosted his program for a couple of weeks. Rhino has even
released a video where Alfred Hitchcock, Joan Rivers and Bennett Cerf
joined me as guests. I've seen another one making the rounds where I duet
with Petula Clark on Jake Thackery's "La-De-Dah." I miss Mike. He's one of
the good guys.
There were lots of fun shows to do in those days; Merv Griffin, David
Frost, Joey Bishop, Tom Snyder and Dick Cavett all had good talk shows.
(An old Cavett show I did with John & Yoko has been played on MTV a couple
of times.) And I did Oprah, Donahue, Sally and Povich when they were all
regional shows.
And of course Today, Tonight and Good Morning America were viable venues
in those days. Guest shots on these worthies are now reserved for
pubescent rappers and roommates booted from so-called reality shows. I’m
not complaining because I’d rather watch three-minute sound bites than be
one.
I’ll be needing some help promoting the Carnegie Hall Concert so I’m
hoping a long forgotten incestuous cousin or two will surface and agree to
go on Springer and plug the evening. Failing that I might invent a problem
with Kubby or Sunny & get Dr. Phil to devote a show to “guys who are
abused by their cats.” If not my friends and fans who make a habit of
visiting this website have proved very adept at spreading the word
regarding appearances. There was little or no advertising for Citrus and
DuPage but the audiences were very respectable in their numbers.
DuPage was a blast, but I always have a great time in Chicago. Not that I
even got to see the Windy City this time, because I was in and out so
fast. Saw lots of friends though and their kids and grandkids. As you know
the show ran two and a half hours and I spent two more hours in the lobby
meeting folks and signing books and records.
I enjoyed talking with you Pete and another favorite memory was meeting a
lady who was spending her 88th Birthday at the concert. She had turned her
son onto my work years earlier and he brought her to the theatre as a
birthday present. My best, Rod
ON BEHALF OF NUT CASES EVERYWHERE
Rod, I have just found your web site and feel I have
bumped into an old friend. I bought Coming Close To The Earth when it
first came out, (I have bought others but that is my favourite.)
Since then have had a variety of lives experiences, being broke, being
happy, sad, in love, and out of love, over the years I have traveled the
world, lived abroad, come back home and all the while Coming Close To The
Earth has been with me. It has brought me so much pleasure, and the
feeling in the words are like music. I have been very grateful to you as I
could relate to the words and felt there was someone else in the world who
had been through the same thing I was going through. Life has been good to
me, and I am very happy and content but you did get me through some
difficult times and I just wanted to give you a bug hug and a thank you.
So once again many thanks. Paula.
I hope you don't think I am a nutcase, I've never done anything like this
before, I know my husband will think I've gone truly mad.
Dear Paula: If you are a nut case you've come to the right place. All of
us here are more than a little nuts about something or other. I'm not sure
I know what "normal" is, other than a nice little town in Illinois.
As for being old friends, we certainly are if you've been with me as far
back as "Coming Close to the Earth." I'm pleased that you found A Safe
Place to Land and please, spread the word. I'm glad I was there for you
and even happier that you continue to be here for me. With affection, Rod
WHEN THE SPIRITS MOVE YOU
Rod, I have been a fan of yours since your first
book was published. My husband and I saw you a couple of years ago in
Aurora, IL, and so enjoyed your concert then. But this concert was
sensational. As the old expression goes, "you're not getting older, you're
getting better". Thank you for a lovely time, Kathy Voelz
Dear Kathy: Thanks for the nice review. I didn't get much sleep on Friday
or Saturday night but boy did I have a happy and even thrilling Saturday
evening. I love getting back together with my far-flung family but the
problem is it doesn't happen often enough. Bring on the concerts, the more
the better.
I felt terrific, sang as well as I ever have in concert and fell into a
groove with my conductor Dave Gross and guest base player Rob Amster. With
an audience who came to be pleased and were honestly rooting for me I
could have continued singing all night. It's always a joy to write and
perform with my talented friend Bob Gentry and sharing that experience
with as many people as possible is a new mission in my life.
Thanks for attending both of the Chicago area concerts and in the spirit
of continued fun I thought I’d share the PS from your letter (obviously
written from work) with my other readers.
Here it is:
“You must be 21 yrs old to order or receive alcohol from this web site.
Please be advised that the information contained in this transmission is
intended only for the use of the person named above and does not
necessarily reflect the policy of Sam's Wines & Spirits. “
Everyone's a critic! I don't dare if the management of Sam's Wine and
Spirits agree with you and your husband or not. But imagine how young I
feel now that they've asked to see my ID! Warmly, Rod
POETRY VS. SONGS
Hi Rod, I had a wonderful time at the concert in
Glen Ellyn. You gave a great performance. I was just wondering why you
didn't recite more poems (especially I Always Knew). That is my favorite.
Hope to see you at Carnegie Hall. Regards, Jen
Dear Jen, I had planned to read I Always Knew but then Bob & I decided to
do an additional song together (The Summer's Long) and I ran out of time.
Remember, after the two and a half hour show I faced another couple of
hours of shaking hands and signing books and discs in the lobby.
It's hard to decide the proportion of poems to be read vs. the songs to
sing. Usually I do four poems split between acts one & two in each
concert. If I thought people really wanted a higher ratio of poetry I'd be
glad to oblige. Thanks for bringing up the subject and I'd love to hear
some more feedback on it.
I had a great time performing last Saturday night and I’m glad you did
too. Warmly, Rod
CARNEGIE HALL
One of my computerless friends asked me to access
your website. She attended one of your recent shows in CA and thought that
she heard you say your agenda included an upcoming show at Carnegie Hall
in New York City in March of 2003. I searched your site and could not find
that city or time frame on your agenda.
Would you be so kind as to verify an upcoming date at Carnegie Hall in NYC
if it is, in fact, on your agenda? Peg will be thrilled if that is so. She
wants to include that on her itinerary. Thank you for your courtesy.
Joanne V. Lavender
###
Rod: Would you please give me the date(s) of your
birthday concert at Carnegie Hall in 2003? Thank You, John Tomasetti
Dear Joanne & John: Thanks to you both for the question. For some reason I
keep referring to the Carnegie Hall Birthday concert as being May 30th. I
even made the mistake again in an announcement from the stage at last
week’s DuPage concert. The correct date is Wednesday, April 30, 2003. One
day after my birthday.
We hope to have a price schedule and tickets available through the website
before Christmas. Jack Brenton recently came on board as director of
special projects and he is working on a tour package that would include
tickets, airfare, hotels, tickets to other Broadway shows, a reception and
tours of New York. Several different packages have been proposed that
would accommodate travelers coming to New York City for the concert as
well as those who might want to stay in the city for a few additional
days.
Again, for the record, here is the correct information:
ROD McKUEN at CARNEGIE HALL
The 30th Anniversary of the 40th Birthday Concert
Wednesday, April 30, 2003 • 8:PM
Thanks again, Joanne and John. All the best, Rod
Thanks to all of you who attended the concerts in California and Illinois
and made them such a personal triumph for me and to Bob Gentry, his
talent, charm and generosity made all the difference.
Over the Thanksgiving weekend I’ll try to put together some notes and
photographs taken on the concert trail that I can share with you.
A special word of thanks to Webmaster Ken who not only held down the fort
and field (when doesn’t he) while I was off concertizing but put together
the last dozen or so Flight Plans.
Sleep warm.
RM 11/24/2002 11:34 PM PST
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posted November 25.
ROD McKUEN
CONCERTS & APPEARANCES
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