I'm going barefoot tomorrow

I'm joining Toms Shoes and going barefoot tomorrow - and here is why :)   

I would LOVE to have you join me!

-Mark

THE FACTS

• Fact #1: In some developing nations, children must walk for miles to food, clean water and to seek medical help.
• Fact #2: Cuts and sores on feet can lead to serious infection.
• Fact #3: Often, children cannot attend school barefoot.
• Fact #4: In Ethiopia, approximately one million people are suffering from Podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil.
• Fact #5: Podoconiosis is 100% preventable by wearing shoes.

JOIN US

• On April 16th, go barefoot on the way to the water cooler, walking to the mailbox, in an afternoon meeting or on your lunch break; go barefoot for the entire day or long enough to raise awareness.
• Attend a shoeless event in your area. Check this page for updates on times and specific locations.
• RSVP and pledge your support on Facebook: click HERE.
• Share One Day Without Shoes with all your friends on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Myspace by updating your status, writing a note, or posting a bulletin.
• Blog about One Day Without Shoes on April 16th.
• Buy TOMS Shoes and join our One for One movement! For every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. One for One. Purchase yours today!
• Share the TOMS mission, and how our One for One movement is changing the lives of children in need.

http://www.tomsshoes.com/content.asp?tid=284

Blonds and Bistros

random blond joke of the day:

Three blonds were walking through the forest when they came upon a set of tracks.

The first blond said, "hey look, deer tracks!"

The second blond said, "no, idiot, those are moose tracks."

The third blond said, "you're both wrong!  Those are definitely Elk tracks."

They were still arguing when the train hit them.

Please don't hate me blond headed people.  You are beautiful AND smart I am sure. 

Stay away from trains though - just in case.

Hey!  Manhattan show was fun!  Thanks to those who came out and especially to Carolyn, Brenna, and Lindsey for helping with the set list during the show.   

Bluestem Bistro is a great place - and you really can't go wrong with whatever you get from the menu.  Over the course of the day there I had Mint Vanilla tea, Paris Vanilla tea, Gunpowder Green tea, and some awesome fruit blend.  And several cups of each.  It was awesome.

Recap: Blonds - please don't hate me.  Manhattan show = fun.  Engrave your name on a table at Bluestem Bistro in Manhattan and never leave.

 

hmmm...

On my drive to Manhattan today, I passed a guy who had his arm and head stuck out his door - brushing his teeth.   I'm pretty sure that's not a good idea.  But good ideas are seldom so entertaining.

Show tonight in Manhattan is at Bluestem Bistro at 8 PM.  Sounds like we won't have the sound board either, so it should be a genuinely unplugged night.  Fun times.  No really, I like genuinely unplugged.  As long as you are here.

William Fitzsimmons and the beginning of randomness

I've decided to include something random with every post from here on out.

Random quote someone told me today - taken totally out of context - "You look like a 3."

Good luck figuring that one out.  Don't hurt yourself.

Onto something of substance: I went to the Bottleneck in Lawrence to watch William Fitzsimmons play his tunes last night.  I really, really like him.  Its really quite amazing how captivating his songs are when they really have almost no dynamic varience - but they are so so good that way!  

How to describe William Fitzsimmons... hmmm...

Ok, here we go.  If I was stranded on a desert island, living among ravenous wild beasts and restless natives, and could pick only one person to come along, calm my thoughts, and sing me to sleep every night, it would be William Fitzsimmons.  And I'm straight.  Lets put that out there since most of you don't know me personallly.

He just has this way of singing that soothes your soul and heals the wounds of past years gone awry. And if he were to take the place of the pied piper playing his guitar - I would probably follow him to the sea.  

Oh, and for those of you in Manhattan, see you in less than 24 hours at Bluestem Bistro! 

Static Electricity for the Heart

Thunderstorms outside right now.  Watching the hard rain catch the luminance of the lighting while listening to Dashboard Confessional sing "Heaven Here" is probably one of the greatest things in the world - at least at this moment.  Its like static electricity for the heart.

"And heaven's not waiting

It's spilling its secrets, its right here between us

And We've no other choice but belief"

___________________

And here are 5 more songs I love right now - and therefore you should check them out -  or just outright buy them on itunes and support good music.

"For My Love" - Bethany Dillon

"Wish You Well" - Katie Herzig

"When Did You Fall" - Chris Rice

"Tea and Sympathy" - Jars of Clay

"The Hardest Part" - Blake Aaron Guthrie

So I saw the best concert of my life - Andrew Bird

The question came from my friend, Brian, a few months ago - "Hey, have you ever heard Andrew Bird?"  Well, I never have actually heard him before, I replied truthfully, though I've heard of him from anoth

er friend of mine, Jeff.  

Brian can barely hold it in - "Dude, you HAVE to listen to him!  I'll lend you a CD."  So he did.  And I intended to listen to it - I really did.  But I never did listen...  

Several months pass...

Brian calls - "hey, you want to go to an Andrew Bird concert?"  

Me - "Sure, how much is it?"

Brian - "Don't worry about it.  I'll take you for your birthday."

Me - "Heck yes!"

The night of the show...

I didn't really know what to expect.  I knew he was good.  I knew he played violin and whistled and sang and all.  But what I heard and saw blew my mind.  

He started out the show solo, but within two minutes I could have sworn he had a string quartet, guitar player, and 3 background vocalists standing there with him - such was his mastering of his instruments and multiple loop pedals.

After a couple numbers, he was joined by his multi talented drummer, bassist, and secondary guitarist - and they perfectly accented Birds abilities even through their own obvious mastery of their instruments.  Everything from dress and stage presence to musical prowess seemed perfectly synchronized and well thought through.  Everyone knew their roles and played them out to perfection.

But it was Andrew Bird's gypsy like music and Captain Jack Sparrow swaggering that drew me to an immediate conclusion - this was the best performer I have ever witnessed or heard of.  Layer after layer of pizzicato gyspy scales and classical violin swoons were topped with smooth jazz vocals and accented with flawless whistling doubled by glockenspiel.  And I don't even usually like whistling - at least, I didn't before.  

People often ask me what concert is the best that I have ever seen.  After partaking in Andrew Bird at Liberty Hall on March 16, 2009, I finally have an answer.