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Walking on Planet C

My Brain Is Fried

April 1, 2012


Amazing end to a long day - and now, My Brain is Fried

I just had the longest day ever and THEN we did a concert. I'm just going to put up a bunch of random pictures because My Brain Is Fried.

 

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It Was On Live TV

March 31, 2012


Yesterday I did a press junket which included the Joe Causi Show on WBCS-FM

Yesterday I did a press junket which included the Joe Causi Show on WBCS-FM, Harry Allen's Non-Fiction Show on WBAI, and the Good Morning New York TV Show. Every journalist was entertaining and didactic in their own unique styles.

Joe is an encyclopedia of dance music. Harry is introspective and has a unique connection to The CHIC Organization's music. Rosanna Scotto and Greg Kelly were upbeat, prepared and genuinely had a good time. Rosanna even danced the hustle with choreographer/dancer/TV personality Deney Terrio when CHIC played a few songs.

While I was preparing to perform those songs, the co-host Greg asked me a question about the origin of the "Le Freak." I didn't think that we were live because I was in the process of being fitted with a microphone.

My answer told the story of being turned away from Studio 54 while being told to f-off. I wanted to be clear so I told him the bouncer's exact words. I said, "He told us to fuck off." I don't usually curse, but the rare time that I did, It Was On Live TV.

 


I don't usually curse, but the rare time that I did It Was On Live TV

 


Deney Terrio and me on the Joe Causi show


Journalist Harry Allen


The Good Day New York set


Rosanna Scotto and Greg Kelly were upbeat, prepared and genuinely had a good time - Me and Deney Terrio were totally entertained


Rosanna even danced the hustle with Deney while we played a few songs


Talking about CHIC on Live TV


Performing on Live TV


Folami on Live TV


Kim on Live TV


Me on Live TV

 


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The Luckiest Man On Earth

March 30, 2012


Even with all of the physical, technical, and logistical hardships, when we bring these international teens together I feel like The Luckiest Man on Earth

Today is the official end of the Just Peace Summit and the official start of getting back to music projects. Tomorrow I'll do TEDxTeen in the morning, then the Red Carpet Book Signing, followed by the Legends of Disco concert at Hammerstein Ballroom.

The next day, rehearsals begin for the Save The Rainforest Concert which will take place on Tuesday at Carnegie Hall. The following week I'll fly to Japan, which starts the spring/summer touring season. This year we'll do more concerts than we have in any calendar year since Bernard and I founded the CHIC Organization.

I'll then go into rehearsals for my musical DoubleTime and I'm also working on yet another big musical/film project. Throughout all of this I'll continue to write the daily blog as the specter of cancer is always looming.

I'm very aware that I just have a little over a year cancer-free. The choices I make are extremely important to me because I'm trading days of my life for them. Even with all that I'm going through physically, technically, and logistically, some days I feel like The Luckiest Man on Earth.

 


2011 TEDxTeen host, Touré


Wide shot of the Rainforest Orchestra


Carnegie Hall Backstage Sign


Flight plan into Tokyo


The CHIC Organization LTD Box


Actors rehearsing the songs from my musical, Double Time


??? A big musical/film project ???


Picture of me in the emergency room in Melbourne - The specter of cancer is always looming. This was just a few weeks ago


The Luckiest Man on Earth!

 


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New York City Night Out!

March 29, 2012


Last night, the Just Peace Summit had our New York City Night Out!

Last night, the Just Peace Summit had our New York City Night Out! The workshops are so intense that we always treat the teens to a night out. For the last few years we've been using the legendary Bitter End night club. I sincerely thank everybody who played any part in the event from the bottom of my heart.

Last night's program included improvisational theater, freestyle dancing, beat-boxing, freestyle rap/singing/spoken word, IMPACT Repertory Theatre, and an open performance combining all disciplines to my song "We Are Family" as the finale. It was an amazing New York City Night Out!

 


The teens Night Out


Some more of the teens Night Out


And some more of the teens Night Out


And even some more of the teens Night Out


The Full Circle Dance Crew


Lady Gaga is one of the many performers who started at The Bitter End (So did I)


IMPACT Repertory Theatre rehearsing


Child human beat-boxer "Science" playing chess against the computer during rehearsal


A long shot at rehearsal from the back of The Bitter End


A candid rehearsal shot


When someone raises their hand in a fist, the group gives them their undivided attention


Science working on a routine while IMPACT comes to the stage for rehearsal


Me with vocalist Jaye Watts


Intense freestyle singing and beat-boxing


IMPACT's Khadim and Full Circle's Rockafella


Rockafella doing her thing


Full Circle just about to finish rehearsing for A New York City Night Out


A NYC Night Out was at The Bitter End
BTW, my father jumped out the window of the building on the left when I was a child - That was a long time ago on an NYC day out

 


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Check It Out!

March 28, 2012


The Three Dot Dash GTLs with the Tribeca Film Fellows

Today our We Are Family Foundation's Global Teen Leaders (GTLs) from our Three Dot Dash program, got together with their counterparts from the Tribeca Film Institute's Tribeca Film Fellows program.

Our GTLs are in town for the Just Peace Summit. The GTLs have traveled tens of thousands of miles from all over the globe. Check It Out!

 



Meet the 2012 GTLs

 


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So Much Love In The Room

March 27, 2012


Chilling with some 2012 GTL's

I'll spend most of this week with our 2012 Global Teen Leaders (GTLs) during our Just Peace Summit. It's a function of one of the We Are Family Foundation's initiatives called Three Dot Dash. Teens from all over the world come together for a year long mentoring program. The goals are sustainability, scalability, and media (communications) training to benefit their individual home charity programs.

Since I'm not a program facilitator I get to pop into every course, take notes and answer the GTL's questions. The one thing that I overwhelmingly observe regardless of the session is: the cooperation of the group as a whole and there's So Much Love In The Room.

 


Natalie Warne and Lisa Lucas lead "Social Media The Age of Information"


The GTLs in the Social Media session


The GTLs listen to presentations from Rachael Chong (Catchafire), Celeste Bottorff (Coca-Cola), Rose J. Flenorl (FedEx)


One of the 2012 GTLs and me during a break


A group of GTLs in an intense discussion during a break


So much love in the room - Oscar nominated film director, Prof Jamal Joseph, giving some film fine points


A GTL finishing up a book during a break


So much love in the room - They really are sisters


One of our 2012 GTLs listening to me during a break - I could feel So Much Love in the Room

 


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Told With Photographs

March 26, 2012


Sir Elton John - a We Are Family Foundation Awardee and an amazing performance

Over the past ten years, the We Are Family Foundation has had some amazing moments. Our annual Just Peace Summit is filled with many of those moments, and this year it's off to a powerful start. Our premier program called Three Dot Dash (morse code for the letter V, the international sign of peace) brings in teens from all over the globe.

3DD is a year long mentoring program. Today, award winning photo journalist Teun Voeten taught our group of Global Teen Leaders "Telling A Story With Photographs." Here's my daily story Told With Photographs.

 


As I left my building for the JPS, I looked up and took this photo


I took the subway to 28th Street which is two blocks from the Summit's HQ


As I neared the Summit's HQ I noticed the church across the street was surrounded with yellow ribbons


I read this plaque in front of the church which explained the ribbons


When I walked into the Summit's main room, International Award winning Photo Journalist Teun Voeten was teaching Telling A Story With Photographs


The session ended after Teun gave the teens tomorrow's homework assignment


I was snapped in front of one of Teun's powerful photos


I was snapped in front of another one of Teun's most famous photographs


I snapped the Yellow-Peace-Ribbon church across the street because I was so moved by Teun's war photos


I grabbed a shot with Jeni Stepanek, aka Mama Peace or Mattie's Mom, and went home to prepare for the next day

 


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Keeping It Simple

March 25, 2012


Here's a picture of one of my previous book signing / pre-concert parties

In a week I have a book signing/pre-concert party followed by a concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom. This is unusual, but I'm trying to interact with as many people as I can since I rarely play in New York.

Messages on the internet can be confusing. I add certain features like Thinglink, Grooveshark, and maps to make the user experience fun and easy. But even with all of that, I sometimes still get a ton of questions. So today I'm Keeping It Simple.

Next Saturday March 31st, I'm doing a FREE book signing/pre-concert party from 4:30p to 6:30p. It will take place at the Hammerstein Ballroom. There will be books there for you to purchase but only if you want to.

I will sign books, tell some stories, and explain and play a few songs. Everybody is invited and you can come whether you sign up for tickets or not.

Thirty minutes later, at 7:00 pm, there will be a big concert featuring many artist (including me and CHIC) called the Legends of Disco. Me and CHIC are strictly performers at that amazing event.

The address of the Hammerstein Ballroom is 311 West 34 St. See you there! How's that for Keeping It Simple?

 

 


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My Year of Live Music!

March 24, 2012


Yesterday I had a meeting with the CEO of the Montreux Jazz Festival, Claude Nobs

Yesterday I had a meeting with the CEO of the Montreux Jazz Festival, Claude Nobs. It was to discuss what I was planning for the night of July 13th at his festival. I'm curating that night and I said I'd like to have the whole night at Stravinsky dedicated to dance music. Stravinsky is the biggest venue at Montreux and CHIC has played it every year we've played Montreux.

I plan for this to be our most exciting show in Stravinsky ever. The last time I performed there I also curated. I brought in Kid Rock, Stevie Nicks, Robert Plant, Steve Winwood, Paolo Nutini, Chaka Khan, and CHIC. I was the Music Director and CHIC was the band. The night was amazing for many reasons, but we don't play many live shows because I've always had other commitments.

This year CHIC will play more live gigs than we've ever played in any calendar year since Bernard Edwards and I founded The CHIC Organization. I will name my show's lineup after the Montreux Jazz Festival's formal press conference. This is My Year of Live Music!

 


Hover over the dots for more...


This is My Year of Live Music

 


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The Red-Carpet Party

March 23, 2012


Since being attacked by cancer I've got a lot of reasons to be thankful

Since being attacked by cancer I've got a lot of reasons to be thankful. So many great things are happening, it's hard to keep up them. The Red-Carpet Book Signing Concert Pre-Party keeps growing.

The Hammerstein Ballroom is the home base for my We Are Family Foundation's annual charity gala. Every time I play the room I'm giving away money instead of taking it. So, I've decided to give my concert salary to my charity.

One of our most successful programs, TEDxTeen, happens a few hours earlier that same day. It's so successful that we have three times the amount of people who've registered than we can handle.

If that weren't enough, the lead singer of "We Are Family," Kathy Sledge from Sister Sledge, joined our Board of Directors today. Even The Legends of Disco organization kicked us a donation. Amazing!

Then, I heard from some artist friends who'd just found out about my cancer struggle and they're coming to The Hammerstein to hang with us at The Red-Carpet Party.

 

Click on the images to enlarge - use your left & right arrows to navigate
Click on the images to enlarge - use your left & right arrows to navigate

 


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