If you've been listening in recently, you've heard about WTMD's Eco Tour. This week Terre Jones, President and CEO of Wolf Trap joined us. We talked about the first ever National Arts and Environment Summit being held this Monday.
Wolf Trap invited "Americans for the Arts, The Aspen Institute, Reverb, Booz Allen Hamilton, and NPS Climate Friendly Parks Program; Wolf Trap Foundation President and CEO, Terre Jones, will host an intimate gathering of environmental and arts experts, along with government, community, and business leaders at the Corporate Headquarters of Booz Allen Hamilton in McLean, VA. For over six hours, attendees will operate as a collective think tank of sorts, with the end goal of outlining a list of strategies and solutions for fully engaging performing artists and performing arts presenters in environmental stewardship." (Wolf Trap Blog)
On Sunday they'll be demonstrating their efforts to go green, details here. Want to get involved? The last hour of the seminar will be online allowing you to provide input and ask questions on how the performing arts industry can be more environmentally friendly. Click here to register for the Webinar.
I'll be in attendance Sunday and Monday with intentions of informing you on what the Performing Arts Industry is doing to help save the environment.
Tune in Wednesday mornings at 6 & 8 on the WTMD Morning Show, this Wednesday we learn about simple changes made around the house that make sense economically and help the environment.
Only a few months after cutting The Wire, Baltimore-based author, journalist and writer-producer, David Simon returns to HBO at 9 p.m. Sunday, July 13, with Generation Kill.
The seven-part miniseries follows one of the first Marine units into Iraq at the start of the war. I recently had the chance to chat with David extensively about the show based on the book by Rolling Stone reporter Evan Wright.
Highlights from the interview will air at 7:40 a.m. Thursday, July 10, on the TMD Morning Show, and the full conversation (nearly 30 minutes) will be available on http://www.wtmd.org/ later that morning. is available here.
Here's a sample:
ERIK: One thing that we all can't help but notice with The Wire, and for those who have read the book Generation Kill and learning about some of the soldiers, is that some of them DO stand up to authorities and the incompetence of bureaucracy. It seems like that's one of the themes...
DAVID SIMON: It's funny, everybody's going to attribute that to me! It seems symbiotic with a lot of the Wire's themes. And, of course, I had nothing to do with this book. I didn't know Evan Wright when he wrote it [in 2003]. Evan Wright didn't know The Wire . . . .
He is just experiencing the bureaucracy that is First Recon Battalion as it exists and he's reporting with great clarity on a day-to-day basis . . . . Yes, a lot of the same institutional dynamics were present in Generation Kill that are present in The Wire—completely unrelated to my take on the world . . . . I guess the best I can say for myself is that Ed Burns and I, we got some things right on the nature of bureaucracy and that it applies to military culture as well.
With a jaggedly sweet voice that speaks of the rolling hills and open plains of his native Nebraska, Joshua James plants the seeds of promise on his debut, The Sun Is Always Brighter. You may have heard infectious "The New Love Song" on TMD by now.
Many got a taste of this young talent at the Meyerhoff when he opened up for Glen and Marketa (The Swell Season), fresh off their Oscar win for Once.
Joshua sings of personal struggles of family members, the environment and tragic/historical figures amidst sparse musical accompaniment. The piano, accordion and steel guitar brushstrokes are so beautifully subtle, you might forget there's any at all! And that's a very good thing, because what I think will stay with you is his singing; it yearns and burns a welcoming porch light.
Be on the listen for Joshua James on Morning Sessions in the near future.
In the meantime, check out this little tour diary and a little mischief he got into at the end....
...and an this very, very cool Modest Mouse cover.
WTMD members are invited to join us on Monday, July 14, at the Recher Theatre for a Members Only Showcase featuring Joan Osborne performing songs from her career and previewing new material from her forthcoming album Little Wild One.
Each WTMD Member is invited to bring one guest to the event.
RSVP (or become a member and reserve a pair of tickets) by calling 410-704-8970 by 6 p.m. Monday, July 7th. Thanks to everyone who called to reserve tickets. Registration is now closed. We look forward to seeing you on the 14th!
