gatorcast from paul smith

I heard this song today and I think its so cool.

This is the best thing I have ever heard a son say about a dad.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17703687

 This is a blog entry by his son Adam on the day of his fathers death.

Joel Dorn  (April 7, 1942 – December 17, 2007)   ~  NY Times Obit

This is the story by NPR shortly after his death.  It is very good and worth hearing: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17504751

Thank You Adam Dorn.

Today I went to Best Buy and bought the just released Tom Petty & The Hearbreakers movie Runnin’ Down a Dream by Peter Bogdanovich. 

I swear I love new media, but there is nothing in this world like unwrapping the DVD’s, plastic, cards and CDs.  TP always includes great pictures and .. ..just stuff.  Included in this was a set of cards with art from some of the tours.

The movie is 3 DVD’s and a CD soundtrack.   The movie is filmed around and includes footage from the Sept 2006 concert here in Gainesville celebrating 30 years.  Lisa and I went with my brother bob and his wife Christine.

   Info Here

I absolutely love Tom Petty.  I’m not sure if I identify with him because I also grew up in Gainesville. (kinda, really Miami,)  Probably as early 8 years old I visited Gainesville and spent several summers with several of my uncles and aunts going to clubs and outside rural ‘parties’.   When I came to Gainesville in 84 as a 17 year old I immediately fell in love with his music.

Ironically standing behind me in line at Best Buy to purchase the new DVD’s was an older guy who told me he actually went to the ‘almost’ 4 hour private showing on Monday at a local movie theater.  He also seemed rather reluctent to also admit that he knew Tom as a young boy.  He then proceeded to tell me that he is on the credits of the film and was interviewed the VH1′s Behind The Music.  Anyway, he seemed very humble and I was so shocked I did not ask him his name. What a wild thing to be buying a DVD and randomly someone who is actually on the credits is standing behind you.  As I drove out of the parking lot I watched and wondered how differently two lives end up while coming from the same place.

The soundtrack is great and I’ve already made them MP3′s to listen on my mp3 player.  It has my all time Tom Petty song, Honey Bee.  “give me some sugar my little honey bee”  wow this song is just great (listening now).  [update-I think every Tom Petty song is my favorite, but HB puts a smile on my face.]

Several years ago Lisa gave me the Tom Petty box set.  I have played all of the cd’s many times over.  I am truly amazed at Tom’s ability to influence people and music.  We have been to several TP concerts.

We just watched DVD 1 (Part 1) and it was great.  It opens with the start of the concert in Gainesville and just starts telling the story. Stuff I have never heard of, told perfectly, mostly by Tom Petty.    I am very impressed with the sound, photos & home movie footage.  It is amazing these guys had cameras all of the time.  Talk about video blogging?  This guys invented it.

I can’t wait to watch Part 2.

Tonight Lisa I went to see Dave Mathews Band in concert at the Odome.   While huge fans in 1995-96 we really didn’t know any of the music.  But DMB has a very unique sound where most songs sound the same (sometimes good, sometime not so good)  Our consensus was that it was very loud jazz/funk.   It was a good concert, not stellar.  Too loud and the lights so bright we actually left a song early, plus it was a work/school night.   The videos played during the show and closeups of the band was really cool, it fact the best part.  However, after the show Lisa commented that the screens were cool, but none of the band members was pleasant to look at.  :>  I thought the violin & trumpet player were great. 

This shot was taken with Cameron’s Olympus FE-190 (6.0 Megapixel)  Our seats were in the second level, center stage.

Opera singer Luciano Pavarotti died Thursday at his home in Modena, Italy after a battle with cancer. He was 71.

I never thought I was a huge fan, but listening to his music today fills my heart.  What an amazing voice that makes me think it comes directly from God.    I want to go today and buy a few CD’s… 

I just discovered that I can see and hear the video’s of Beatles songs.

 This song is the first song I remember as the 1st song a ever heard..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXG83p2nkHw