Danny O'Keefe - Snohomish, WA 3/10/2012

 The very best singer-songwriters are mood-shifters, magicians, musicians with the ability to transmute words into feelings, to transport a listener to another time and/or place.

Danny O'Keefe has certainly conjured up some lasting spells over his nearly 50 years of performing; last Saturday night at Snohomish's Tim Noah Thumbnail Theatre, he proved that his sleeves still had plenty of tricks and tales tucked into them.

O'Keefe, best known for the classic American lament, "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues," took a sold-out audience to New Orleans, to the Mississippi Delta, to Eastern Washington's dusty roads — and to the sleepy front porches of its orchard country.

And that was just in the first song or two.

A product of the 50s who honed his craft in the 60s and began garnering worldwide attention in the 70s, O'Keefe's compositions are truly timeless, the result of being a lifelong student of roots music, of jazz and rhythm 'n' blues, of the music that people once sang to themselves as they plucked apples or picked cotton. 

At O'Keefe's side this night stood fellow student Joel Tepp, a Seattle musician who's served as wingman and session ace for dozens of artists, but seemed destined to be paired with this particular singer often over the last decade or two.  They're a perfect fit; Tepp is one of the best accompanists in the country.  Many multi-instrumentalists are dabbling jacks-of-all-trades; Tepp's a master, especially when it comes to slide guitar.

O'Keefe's still-strong, instantly recognizable voice and well-practiced guitar, along with Mr. Tepp's accents and embellishments (including oboe, mandolin and harmonica), wove their way through a mighty impressive back catalog.

"Magdelena," "So Long Harry Truman," "Steel Guitar," "Last Call," "The Road"... newer material was presented during his two sets, but O'Keefe seemed to visit his early years with Atlantic Records more often.  It didn't matter, for in this stripped-down, intimate setting, "timeless" took on a second meaning as the evening progressed.

While I was sitting in the pews of this apparently converted funeral home, soaking up this typically fantastic Danny O"Keefe show, I thought of the infamous enigma of his career: why his records for Atlantic weren't a springboard for superstardom.  Oh, over subsequent years O'Keefe made some excellent albums, but for all their qualities, the recordings sometimes didn't do his talent justice.  For a long time, he darted in and out of the spotlight, writing many songs that superstars liked enough to cover, but "household name" status somehow eluded him.

There's doubtlessly plenty of reasons for this... one of them being that O'Keefe is almost impossible to classify, in a tag-obsessed world — Folk-rock?  Blues?  Country?   However, as O'Keefe leaned towards the tin can this night to sing classics such as "Outlaw" and "Pieces Of The Rain," another obvious answer came to me, a solution to a dilemma many singer-songwriters face as they try to present themselves to an often-fickle, flavor-of-the-month, record-buying public.

With few exceptions, all O'Keefe needed over the past few decades was a microphone and a recorder.  And, perhaps, an accompanist like Joel Tepp.   Various production styles, top-notch rhythm sections, keyboards, backup singers — all largely unnecessary touches that sometimes obscured the magic. 

The magic that was right in front of me, right in front of a hundred spellbound people who, for a couple of hours on a rainy night, listened to the best damn Danny O'Keefe album they've ever heard.

- Steve Stav

"Bully" - MPAA Battle Heats Up, AMC Theaters Join Fray

 From your friends at the Weinstein Company, verbatim :

NEW YORK, NY (March 13, 2012) – “BULLY,” the highly anticipated anti-bullying documentary (in theaters March 30th), has sparked a protest and now a movement, as a number of major movie stars, theater owners, and Members of Congress have joined forces to protest the film’s R rating. In a clear triumph for the film, Gerry Lopez, CEO of AMC Theaters, one of the most prominent theater chains in the world, spoke out against the R-Rating, saying, “To 'automatically default' BULLY is a mistake. Automatic default to a rating, a category, a genre... doesn't matter, is a mistake.  The message, the movie and its social relevance defy that kind of formulaic, conventional thinking. AMC will show this movie, and we invite our guests to engage in the dialogue its relevant message will inevitably provoke.”

Mr. Lopez is one of almost 300,000 people to get behind a petition started by a junior in high school named Katy Butler. Ms. Butler, who has experienced severe bullying herself, started the petition on Change.org after the MPAA ruled by one vote that “Bully” should receive an R rating due to six swear words. When Mr. Lopez asked one of his sons about the film, curious as to whether the debate had reached the demographic the film is geared toward, his son had already signed onto Ms. Butler’s petition.

The support from Hollywood has been on a steady increase since Katy Butler launched her petition. On March 20, Meryl Streep and her daughter Mamie Gummer will co-host a screening of the film with and David Boies, one of the two attorneys responsible for overturning Proposition 8 in California, and his daughter, Mary Boies.  The screening will be held in New York City.

Johnny Depp has also signed on to lend his support; Ellen DeGeneres has devoted time to the film on her television show; and in the sports arena, Drew Brees, quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, has also added his voice to the movement.  Kelly Ripa and Anderson Cooper came on board as news anchor partners, hosting a screening in New York City last week, that was presented by Bing, the search engine from Microsoft. In addition to the screening in NYC, Bing will also be supporting the film in a number of ways, including hosting an additional screening in LA.

 Iconic American designer Tommy Hilfiger will design an exclusive t-shirt inspired by the Bully movie poster which will be sold in Tommy Hilfiger stores with a portion of proceeds benefiting Facing History and Ourselves (http://www.facing.org/). Mr. Hilfiger is the first of ten designers that The Weinstein Company will ask to donate their services on behalf of the fundraising effort.  IMG, renowned global sports, fashion and media agency continues to support the film in a number of ways, and famed photographer David LaChapelle has offered to donate his talents towards an advertising campaign.

 In Congress, Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) issued a bipartisan letter to the MPAA, supporting Katy Butler’s petition, to urge former Senator Dodd, now Chairman of the MPAA, to overturn the ruling. Over 20 Members of Congress have signed on to the letter. The political engagement continues to grow this week while Congress is in District Work Session, with additional support coming from the Senate. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) called for a PG-13 rating on Twitter today, and has told The Weinstein Company she intends to play a more active role in this protest.

Last Friday, Justin Bieber joined the cause, telling his fans on Twitter about the movie and encouraging them to stand up for each other. He is currently working with The Weinstein Company on how he can do more for the film.

“We’ve got the MPAA’s attention, and with nearly 300,000 signatures and support from celebrities and politicians, there’s now a national movement of people calling on the MPAA to drop the ‘R’ rating for ‘Bully,’” Katy Butler said. “As someone who lived through bullying day in and day out in school, including having my finger broken by bullies, this film is too important to silence with an ‘R’ rating. Everyone should have a chance to see ‘Bully.’”

An Oscar For Oldman? Gary Talks About Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Counting Gary Oldman's unforgettable roles, one will find the tally to be sadly, inversely proportional to his number of Oscar nominations.  One of the finest actors of this or any other era, Oldman's dedication to his craft combined with a lack of vanity has provided him a chameleon's dossier of iconic parts - from a tragic punk rocker and a supremely terrifying Transylvanian to a legendary composer and a rumple-suited, middle-aged police commissioner.  Not to mention a memorable psychopath or two.

Perhaps 2012 will be the year for Oldman's validation, trophy - wise.  In a "Best Actor" field dominated by reserved, even silent roles, his portrayal of John Le Carre's George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is one of the actor's most understated, yet rivetingly sublime feats to date.

The Seattle International Film Festival group hosted a special screening of Tinker Tailor on Dec. 11 that also served as a brief retrospective of Oldman's work.  After receiving a special award created by Dale Chihuly, Oldman participated in a Q&A moderated by SIFF's Artistic Director, Carl Spence.  As one might suspect, the veteran actor was devilishly charming and humorous, yet gracious and earnest in speaking to a theater full of enthralled fans.

On portraying Smiley:

"I don't know if I could have played a character who's quite as subtle as this when I was 25," he ventured.  "I think what I bring to Smiley now, at 53 years old, is 30 years of experience.  And the courage and confidence, I suppose, as an actor to play it that quietly."

Oldman said that he waited a month to accept the job.

"Several great actors have played the part — James Mason, Denolm Elliott...  Alec Guinness is considered by many to have given the definitive performance," Oldman explained.   "When you're walking in the shoes of someone like (Guinness)... it was fear; I was really quite terrified.  It wasn't an easy decision, because of the inevitable comparisons that will be made.  At the end of the day, I treated it rather like an actor would a classical role.   For example, if you're going to play Hamlet, you're going to be compared to all the great Hamlets.  So I said to myself, 'Pull yourself together.'

On working with John Hurt:

"I've been a fan of his since before I had the idea of becoming an actor," the actor said without hesitation.  "It was a career ambition fulfilled, really, to work with him. 

"When I went to the UK for rehearsals, fittings and things, the part of 'Control' was still up in the air," Oldman recalled.  "I asked, 'What about John Hurt?" and was told he passed (on the offer).  I think he probably felt that it wasn't big enough for him.  And I said, "Well, call him again.  We can't pass this up.'  Fortunately, he said yes.

"I was so nervous on the first day (of shooting with Hurt); I was like a fanboy!"

On his relationship with Swedish director Tomas Alfredson:

"Obviously, there is a following for Le Carre (in the UK) that you don't have here in America, or elsewhere," Oldman observed.  "It's like a Holy Grail, so many revere his work... a few English directors were approached who would not go near it."

The actor had nothing but praise for Alfredson, whom he commended for pursuing Tinker, Tailor — which was his first film project outside of Sweden.  Oldman raved on how well the two were in sync with one another on the set.

"By the end (of filming), we didn't even need language;  we sort communicated... telepathically.  I don't do know what it was; we would do a take, and he'd say, 'Um, it needs some, um...' and I'd go, 'Okay,' and we'd do another take."

 What is the best thing a director can do for an actor?

"Leave you alone."

"I'll give you a very good, specific example," he added.   "The scene where Smiley is zeroing in on the safe house, the meeting place; when he's zeroing in on the mole.  And the landlady takes him up to the room, and he asks, 'What's the procedure, where's the microphone?'   And she shows him, and leaves.  And then it's just Smiley, alone in the room.  It's a very simple scene, on paper.  But Tomas took me aside, and said, "This is where all the betrayal leads.  There are people whose lives have been taken from them because of what went on this room.  It's been contaminated, it's rather like if you went to a gas chamber in a concentration camp.  It's an empty space, but...

"It shifted the perception; it gave me something to walk into the room with," Oldman continued.  "He was wasn't telling me how to play the scene, he wasn't a dictator; but he was giving me another dynamic.  It was a marvelous moment; it just gets you thinking, keeps you alive.  Good directing is knowing when not to say something; sometimes directors, I feel, have to justify their position, and have to get in your face."

Oldman revealed why he hasn't been behind the camera himself, since his smash directorial debut with Nil By Mouth in 1997. 

"I've been a single father for the past 10 years," he said.  "It's been my 'project,' which I consider to be my greatest achievement." 

Citing the increasing popularity of film production abroad, and in Eastern Europe in particular, Oldman said that he has missed opportunities not only as an actor, but as a director by wishing to stay close to home and his children.  However, he added, now that they've gotten older, he's been toying with the idea of directing again. 

Oldman hinted at a possible return to the camera, a "19th century period piece set in the West," perhaps in the next 18 months.

Who's easier to play, heroes or villains?

"Bad guys get better lines."

Oldman recalled iconic baddie Christopher Plummer, opining that the screen legend's "nice guy" role of Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music was probably his most difficult.

On luck:

"I've been very fortunate in my career; I don't think there's another actor who's been as lucky as me.  Sure, you have a work ethic and bring a focus and a commitment and all those things - but to get as lucky as to be in Harry Potter, that's just being greedy."


The 84th Academy Awards airs Sunday, Feb. 26 at 7pm EST/4PM PST on ABC.

- Steve Stav

Thomas Dolby To Launch North American "Time Capsule" Tour

Leave it to Thomas Dolby to make a big splash upon returning to the road. 

Dolby, who hasn't toured North America with a band in umpteen years, will do so beginning in March, including a stop at SXSW.

And he'll have a little surprise in tow... literally.  Dolby, one of the original steampunks, will be parking a mobile time capsule in front of each venue.

Really.

From yesterday's press release:

"The Time Capsule is a chrome- and brass-plated road trailer that seats three. With handcrafted leather and wood fittings, and complex electrical wiring that could have been designed by Nikola Tesla, it resembles a Jules Verne/HG Wells-inspired time-travel machine. Inside is a high-tech video recording suite that allows a music fan or guest artist to upload a personal video message to the Future. The Time Capsule will be parked in the street outside each venue on Dolby’s month-long North American tour, and in front of select local radio and TV stations. It will capture hundreds of 30-second clips over the course of the tour, assembling them into an online video montage.

Fans will be able to walk up and step into the Time Capsule to make their own fully produced and effected digital 30-second video clip. The clips will then be automatically uploaded and viewable on a brand-new YouTube channel along with the individual user’s own Facebook and Twitter pages. The most viewed clips will win prizes. Dolby’s label Lost Toy People Records is in discussion with several potential sponsors for the project.

'If you had 30 seconds to explain to an alien visitor what went wrong with our civilization, what would you say?” said Thomas Dolby. “Our species may not be around on this planet much longer, so you might as well leave a welcome message for the next guys!'"

Dates and more information can be found on the tour website http://www.thomasdolby.com/tour

For those who would like an introduction to Dolby's first studio album in two decades, the brilliant A Map Of The Floating City, and a refresher on what else this innovator has been tinkering with in recent years  - I interviewed him twice in 2011:
http://www.stevestav.com/2011/05/windpower-and-floating-cities-interview.html
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/149541-a-synth-pioneer-returns-an-interview-with-thomas-dolby
plus, I reviewed his brief, but astounding lecture/concert tour last fall:
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/150695-thomas-dolby-2011/

Old fans who are aware of the link between Dolby and today's synth-pop, those who never tested the waters beyond "She Blinded Me With Science," as well as intrigued youth will all be blown away by this tour. I guarantee it.

- Steve Stav

2011 — A Visual Sampling Of The Year In Music

    What a wild, strange year for music... and for myself.   I absorbed a lot of the excitement, but not nearly as much as I should have; various personal crises and odd situations conspired to restrict my aural input and writing output.  As the last days of December wind down, my limited, yet memorable exposures ironically serve to help me avoid making any "Top 10" lists that I'm not qualified to write, anyway.

Instead, I've chosen to slap together some personal highlights in the realms of writing and photography.  If you're thinking this might akin to those ego-driven, year-end Christmas card-newsletters from friends whose lives seem much more exciting than yours... it's not.  Trust me, though I've been at some of the right places at the right times, you've had more thrills over the past twelve months than I've had.  You might even have better pictures to prove it.

I guess I should begin close to home... my acquaintance with singer-songwriter Michael Dean Damron has reached the point where I can no longer professionally critique his work, but ethics do not prohibit me from chronicling his profound comments and wild adventures.  Portland's favorite hillbilly released his annual offering of raw Americana, Plea From a Ghost, in the spring, and spent much of the rest of the year promoting it on the road... in between appointments with ink artists and whiskey bottles.  Seriously, though, Mike D proved once again that hard work and honest lyrics often earn a lasting place in people's hearts.

Speaking of hearts, who in Seattle doesn't love Nick and Heather Millward, the town's First Couple of rock?  Few keep it as real as the Millwards and their long-running outfit, the Riffbrokers.   This year's Every Pilot's Blinded By The Sun was the album that fans and fan-friends have been waiting for.  Their Rubber Soul is still on the horizon, but this disc proved without a doubt that Nick — one of the Northwest's finest songwriters — has even more greatness lurking in his noggin than I had imagined.  The Riffbrokers were, once again, seemingly omnipresent in area clubs this year; I hope the band makes a return to roads beyond in 2012.  Genuine and rollicking and thought-provoking in all the right places, The Riffbrokers are what rock 'n' roll is all about, Charlie Brown.

Blancmange didn't stick around as long as say, Depeche Mode, but there was a time during the 80s that the influential duo stood shoulder-to-shoulder with DM, Heaven 17, Yazoo, Soft Cell and every other synth-pop giant of the era.  Last spring, Neil Arthur and Stephen Luscombe released their first album in 25 years, Blanc Burn.  I talked to Arthur in May, a real treat for myself — as I still have their hits on my record shelf and on my computer.  Arthur was as warm, honest and interesting as I could have hoped for.  Unfortunately, a serious illness prevented Luscombe from performing at some UK reunion shows; hopefully, the band will make it to the States in 2012, with a recuperated Luscombe at center stage.

I wish I had taken this picture, but alas, I've never been to England.

Synthesizers and 80s-influenced music seemed to be a recurring theme in 2011, both on the alternative charts and in my choice of interviews.  I rang up pioneer Thomas Dolby at his seaside home twice this year, in May and again in September .  The subject?  His first album in twenty years, A Map Of The Floating City — and an accompanying, interactive online game.   Interviewing Thomas Dolby is a fantastic experience; extraordinarily fascinating and expectedly intelligent man.  And funny.

I then caught up with Dolby in October at the Triple Door, where he was making a stop on a solo performance/lecture tour.  The next day, at Redmond's PlayNetwork studios, I shook hands with one of my idols.  Dolby will be touring the States with a band in 2012.

2011 was another banner year for women in rock.  What an understatement.  I could tie a noose for missing Lykke Li at the Showbox, but catching Telecaster-slinging chanteuse Anna Calvi at the Crocodile on the first day of June almost made up for it.  Occupying an ethereal aural otherworld somewhere between Siouxsie Sioux and Maurice Ravel, Calvi put on a show that I'll never forget.  Her critically acclaimed debut album saw limited airplay Stateside — and she didn't tour much here.  However, this was offset by numerous big gigs in the UK and Europe, where she's made a lot of year-end lists.

Somehow, Imelda May topped herself in 2011... and I was again front and center.  Waiting at the cozy Neptune Theater's stage for two hours in August — for my ten minutes' worth of photography — was worth it, and then some.   After taking my pictures, I usually bug out to the back of the room for a drink - but this time, standing about five feet away from heaven made me forget my aching feet.

Boys want to take Imelda May to a prom; girls want to go clothes shopping with her.  Anyone who's witnessed a show by this roots music-channeling, girl-next-door-turned-pinup-dream wishes this Irish siren could tuck them in at night with a lullaby.  U2's Bono capped Ms. May's year - or perhaps it was the other way around — by joining her on a Dublin stage in December. 

In July, Carrie Akre said goodbye to Seattle, moving to Minneapolis.  Still unbelievable.  The former Hammerbox and Goodness frontwoman has been a sister, a mentor, an influence for so many.  It seemed that everyone in town was either on the stage or in the crowd for a Crocodile sendoff concert.  The night was perfect, if farewells can be characterized as such.  An equal mix of tears - including beautiful Rachel Flotard choking up at the microphone—

— and smiles and laughter.  This photo of Seatown rhythm-section demigods Chris and Rick Friel is one of my favorites of the year. 

Jesse Tabish not only gave Robin Pecknold a run for his money in 2011's "Best Bearded Countenance" competition, his band — Oklahoma's Other Lives — rivaled the vaunted Fleet Foxes in the "alternative folk" genre this year.  Frequently likened to Seattle's darlings by critics, Other Lives actually have little in common with the Foxes, other than the capacity to make astounding music.  Other Lives' sophomore disc, Tamer Animals, proved to be not only one of my most listened-to records of 2011, but one of my favorite albums of the last ten years, as well. 

After interviewing Tabish for a feature, I spent two nights in July watching, photographing and chatting with this oh-so-talented, yet genuinely well-grounded group.  Cramming everything from a cello and xylophone to antler bells and keyboards on stage, they played clubs in Seattle and Bellingham; it was like hearing a symphony in a garage.  Other Lives toured incessantly this past year, zig-zagging across America, plus the UK and Europe — garnering praise wherever they performed.  The quintet is resting comfortably at home now, but they'll be back on the road soon, opening for Radiohead.

I went to a picnic this summer, and wound up at a power-pop extravaganza.  Shortly after arriving at a nearby private party/overnight campout, I stumbled into Kurt Bloch, Seattle music's reigning godfather.  Which wouldn't have been unusual, except for the fact that we were 30 miles from Bloch's domain, in the middle of a farm.  The reason?  The freakin' Fastbacks were playing a show on the sly.   The immortal band had just reunited, out of the blue, for a couple of gigs the previous weekend - and decided to keep the good times rolling.  You haven't lived until you've seen the Fastbacks blow out a converted garage... Bloch's on-the-fritz mic only added more authenticity to the fracas.   

The only thing is, I had forgotten my camera.

The Psychedelic Furs seemed to have made a pact with the devil sometime in the past few years.  Impossibly, yet certainly, they have never sounded better onstage than they did in 2011.  I managed to bump into these icons three times this year, beginning with a May interview with bassist Tim Butler, whose youthful enthusiasm is equaled only by a great sense of humor.  Later that month, after a mindblowing Furs gig at the Showbox, I ran into legendary saxophonist Mars Williams on the sidewalk...and forgot to chat him up about The Waitresses. 

The Furs also played the Redhook Brewery's 30th Anniversary bash in September.  While they were in top form - and openers Tom Tom Club were even more fun than I'd imagined them to be — the night belonged to Devo.  In the midst of a rainstorm, my age-defying heroes performed as if their first record contract depended on it.  One of the best, most entertaining concerts of my lifetime.

My music-journalism year was capped by another dose of the Dark Prince.  Peter Murphy returned to Seattle in December, supporting his glam/raw-power Ninth album; unfortunately, it wasn't the best of nights.  Minor technical issues and a could-be-tighter band slightly marred the show, seemingly — to the diehards who paid attention — throwing Mr. Murphy off a quarter-step.  Nonetheless, catching the icon on an "off night" is infinitely more enjoyable than listening to most of those he's influenced on their best evenings.

Happy New Year, and may the coming months bring you close to the music you hold dear.

- Steve Stav

Steve Jobs, Technology and Me

Part One: The Cellular Telephone, And Drama's Demise

Two decades ago, the thought of calling someone while walking down the street, or while driving a car... well, it wasn't thought of.  In a relative handful of years, the cell phone has made the once-fanciful concept more than a reality — it's an immediate reality.  An answer to a question, dinner reservations, a call for help... all are now at our fingertips — or in a Bluetooth shoved into an ear. 

My movie-buff father-in-law pointed out recently that film studios are having to produce increasingly complex plot-twists — or produce more period pieces — in order to side-step the advantages of the cell phone.  Certainly, many classic horror, murder-mystery and epic adventure storylines would be moot if an iPhone was handy. 

Most people over the age of thirty have at least a few pre-cell phone, lack-of-communication-related adventure-anecdotes to tell.  I know I do.  My favorite occurred when I was 19, during the summer of '87.

My pal Ryan and I went with our friend Craig one lazy Sunday afternoon to the local marina, to kill some time by drinking a few beers on Craig's parents' boat.  We had a rendezvous scheduled with some lovely young ladies at an infamous, now-defunct drive-in that evening.  There was no intention of going anywhere; we were just going to sit there, moored, while anticipation for the night's adventures built up.

After an hour or two of shooting the breeze, we three aspiring Huckleberry Finns packed up to go.  Craig reached for his keys, fumbled and into the drink they went.  Uh-oh.  There were no spare keys readily available - no handy spares for his car, the boat, or his house.

After a period of requisite cursing, we had a look around.  The water was sludgy black, as many marina waters are.  No was volunteering to see just how sludgy it was, or how nasty the bottom could be.  There was no one around; our fellow yachtsmen had all set sail.  The dock master's office, which often keeps a magnet-ended pole for such mishaps, was closed.  We stared forlornly through the windows of Craig's car at the hidden wallets that contained cash and other valuable scraps of paper.

There was a phone booth, however.  With no change in our pockets, Ryan, Craig and I began performing the antiquated act of placing collect phone calls to the few numbers in our memories, including our own.  Alas, no one home on this sunny Sunday, anywhere.

We began to get a bit desperate as the day wore on.  After all, there was the Thunderbird Drive-In — and possibilities with girls — at stake here; the thought of Craig getting in hot water with his folks placed a distant second among our concerns.  Thoughts of bashing the car window and subsequent hot-wiring were ruled out.  Then we considered deep-sea diving.   Flipping through a soon-to-be-antiquated device known as a phone book, we started calling dive shops.  Collect. 

They all seemed to be closed, as it was a sunny Sunday in a region where sun and Sundays were treasured, even in summer.  Then we struck pay dirt.  A series of collect calls and answering machine messages led us to a fellow hosting a barbecue in Seattle, some 45 minutes away.  Yes, he'd come look for the keys, for an (to us) exorbitant price.  Whether he found them or not.

After calculating how much we had combined in those locked-up wallets — minus the looming evening's expenses — we agreed.  The fellow arrived, we helped him into his dry suit and breathing apparatus, and into the murky deep he went.  About the time we leaned over to look for bubbles, he came to the surface with the keys.  Boat was locked, car was unlocked, and the man had the grace to take our money without muttering, "dumb kids."

We went on to have a night that was fun, but completely forgettable.

Now, if we had just had a cell phone that afternoon, we could have quickly located spare keys, a ride... or at least someone to let me into the house so I could get my old dive mask and a plastic bag-wrapped flashlight.   All of this anguish and shouting and grief could have been avoided.   

The three of us would also not have a good story to tell, 25 years later.

- Steve Stav

Steve Jobs and Apple didn't invent the cellular telephone, but the Star Trek-inspired iPhone has certainly taken information technology to the next level.  Jobs' tragic passing has prompted countless fans across the globe to pause and consider how profoundly the tech innovator has changed their lives.  In the coming week or so (this is "Intermittent Signals," after all), I'll pause for reflections on how profoundly "Jobs' World" has impacted mine.

The Playboy Club Folds, Pan Am Soars and American Horror Story Scares The Bejesus Out Of Us

NBC's The Playboy Club filled a time slot for three awful episodes before being put out of its misery yesterday.  Cancellation came as no surprise; bad script, bad dialogue...a half-assed Mad Men ripoff with Leann Rimes' husband put in the obviously uncomfortable position of imitating Jon Hamm. 

Though a "morality on TV" group or two is claiming victory in the wake of The Playboy Club's plug-pulling, one of the shows biggest problems is that it wasn't provocative enough.  Rival retro show Pan Am's flight crew, modestly attired in the classic blue, is infinitely sexier.   And they've been given considerably better dialogue to deliver.  Not Emmy-worthy, but enjoyable entertainment that's pleasing to the eye and not half-bad filler until Mad Men gets its act back on the air.  Ratings are good; Pan Am's not going anywhere but Paris and back anytime soon. 

Jessica Lange eschewing the loathed "retard" to refer to a Down Syndrome child in favor of "mongoloid" is one of the least eyebrow-raising aspects of FX's new Amityville Horror-meets-The Shining foray, American Horror Story.  Lange, who plays a once-aspiring actress-turned-crazy-neighbor, will probably win an Emmy on the strength of the show's debut last night.

American Horror Story isn't going to tell any new tales, I suspect, but will frighten and titillate scary-flick fans as it repackages old themes.  "Family in crisis gets a fresh start in haunted house with weird characters lurking about" is a pretty tired formula, but with this cast and some pretty vivid cinematography, the show looks like a winner.  Amazing babe Connie Britton plays the wounded wife; Dylan McDermott stars as the troubled husband who's being seduced by the grandmother-aged maid who appears only to him as a naughty ingenue.

I'll take bets as to when the family finally determines that it might be time to get out.

- Steve Stav