FamiLee Life

Waiting for Spring by Watching Karaoke in Hawaii

It's supposedly Spring in Minnesota and the weather IS warmer than earlier in the month but it's so dreary outside right now. Blah! So I am sitting in my office looking out at grey skies. Then I check out Hapa9's blog on his trip to Hawaii where he's showcasing the Norae Shanty. Oh man, I miss Hawaii, karaoke, and Hapa9! Read more about his fame on the local island here.

Karaoke Will Make You Happy

The original fitness guru, Jack Lalanne, provides us with the three things to bring happiness in life which includes karaoke. Well, okay, he said "bursting into song" but it's close enough! Plus, check out this great website. It's gotta be the coolest website out there for a 90+ year old man. Sure, it's probably not maintained by him but still...

Classic Rock Lovefest with Heartbreaker (plus Toto, Santana)

On Saturday night, HW and I went down to some country club in Hastings because her brother Jim's band Heartbreaker had a holiday gig there. I had never seen Jim perform (he's the lead guitarist), so I was excited. Boy, let me tell you that they did not disappoint. Classic rock heaven. It was an amazing performance that night because the former lead singers for Toto and Santana were guest vocalists! No joke. Fergie Frederiksen fronted Toto for a couple of years and Alex Ligertwood has been the lead singer for Santana on and off for over 18 years. I guess these two singers are best of friends (or so it was said on stage) and have performed together as part of the -- get this -- World Classic Rockers! Okay, enough of them. Let me conclude by saying Jim is an amazing guitarist. He nailed the guitar solos on every song, even the ever difficult Santana licks. It was pretty sweet to watch. We were all proud of him that night. What a perfect prelude to Christmas. An early gift. Wouldn't it be great if they performed at our wedding?! Hint, hint.... oh, and don't worry, there will still be karaoke.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!!

Small Updates on Things

1) It's already dark outside. Ugh. On the bright side, days get longer after Friday (or whatever the exact date for the winter solstice).

2) The pest control guy came to the home today and thinks we have mice in the house. Then, he was doubtful because we could find no mice droppings. Possibly chipmunks (argh!), but unlikely squirrels (phew) or bats (phew). Threw down some poison to solve the problem. Fingers crossed and hopefully no dead mice or chipmunks or whatever in the middle of the living room or elsewhere.

3) Journey (the band) has signed on Arnel Pineda from the Phillipines as their new lead singer (replacing Steve Perry who has left the band or is holding out for some reason). Apparently, they discovered the singer on YouTube!

4) I rode my bike, SS Amnesty, yesterday and today. Ah, felt good to be back on the road with two-wheels. Was a bit scary riding through downtown rush hour traffic. I think I need to invest in some ski goggles because my glasses keep fogging up.

The Terror of Karaoke

From the AP wire comes a story about a group of teenagers singing "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns-n-Roses into the school PA system and a teacher thinking it's a death threat against her.

A school custodian's impromptu after-hours karaoke performance prompted a police response when a teacher thought she was being threatened over the loudspeaker.

Police say one of them sang "Welcome to the Jungle" into the microphone. The song contains the lyrics "You're in the jungle baby; you're gonna die."

Three More Words (+1 More)

BOWIE ROCK BLOCK + SLEDDING!

Three Words (or Two Words + 4 Letters)

INXS ROCK BLOCK

Happy Times: It's the Simple Things

Last night, I had the pleasure to attend with friends Mike/Sarah a concert by the New Pornographers at the legendary First Avenue club. The opening act was Emma Pollock. We were fortunate to get free passes to the show, thanks to our friend Miwa who works for the NP's record label. The overall show rocked. Emma Pollock was first-rate and has a lovely voice and great, tight band. Her songs are winsome and her voice is sweet/velvety. The Pornographers also put on a great show (listen here to one of their songs). They had planned to play in Mpls about half a year ago, but canceled after their bass player had his appendix burst! It was crazy because Mike was supposed to deliver his bass guitar to the guy that day. Fortunately, they came back with Neko Case. They played a nice long set with a 4-song encore.

Then, I had to get up early to see the dentist for a regular check-up/cleaning. I don't have any crazy dentist fears, so it was business as usual. I actually like the dentist because I see it as such a privilege and luxury. Growing up, I didn't go on a regular basis because it was costly and when money is tight, dentistry is low on the priority list. After a meal and doing some revisions, I felt the need for a sugary snack, so I headed to the famed Vendo-Land on the 1st floor of our building. Apparently, our vending machines are famous among grad students from the neighboring Dept of American Studies which is next door. Usually, I just get some Skittles, but I discovered that they now stock Dark Chocolate M&M's!

Yes, sometimes it's these simple things in life that make you happy, especially on a gray/rainy day.

Three More Words...

JOURNEY ROCK BLOCK

Three Words....

FOREIGNER ROCK BLOCK

07-07-07

Photo courtesy of Crossmax

As I mentioned the other day, I hosted a 7-7-07 party to bring us all luck. Peter did his best to invoke lady luck with his charm and song. The goal was to go from sunset to sunrise culminating with a walk around the lake at 5:31 am when the sun rose. A few friends (Hapa9, PhT, Crossmax, and Kari) were strong and brave, whereas I tuckered out by 3:15 or so. With me fast asleep, they abandoned the sunrise walk and head home around 4:00 am on bicycles. Perhaps they did see the sunrise on the ride home. My apologies for missing out. I am getting old.

Jesus was on TV

and I missed the performance. Fortunately, I found the David Letterman show video clip online (click here). To my surprise, Jesus and Mary Chain have reunited and are touring again. Goodness knows how they sound these days but the Letterman clip suggests not bad!

Back in high school, alongside my listening of the Velvet Underground, I would listen to Jesus and Mary Chain over and over again. They had some amazing albums that were full of feedback, melody, and all the stuff you hear on the radio today that is semi-indie, but really just pop. Then, I got religion in me and felt guilty for listening to them, given the blasphemy of their band name and subsequent album covers. I am not sure if I even still own the vinyls. If I did, they would be somewhere in my brother's basement in Connecticut. Oh the days of old....

Click here and here and here to view the JAMC myspace site and the respective myspace sites for the two brothers - Jim and William Reid.

Sun Follows Rain

Yesterday was a hot, humid, rainy day. It reminded me of those childhood summers without air conditioning in the house. I would make orange juice popsicles using the popular-back-then (and becoming popular again) Tupperware popsicle maker to stay cool and then expend all my energy outside riding my Rampar bmx bike on the make-shift bmx trail in the backyard. When I awoke in the morning, I was figuring out if I should ride or drive to work. After listening to NPR and eventually hearing the weather report, I whimped out and drove to work. It is becoming strange to drive my car to work these days, as I increasingly ride the bike. That said, I was glad I drove because there was a nasty downpour just as I was leaving work. It stopped for a few minutes and then came down hard again as I got on the highway. Phew.

Later in the night, I met up for a ride with the regular Wednesday guys, meeting Hapa9 at his house and then PhT, Kurt, and Sergio on the greenway. It was nice and cool out with a little sprinkling to keep it real. We arrived at the Poodle to send off the Korean Dream (EBL) who was heading out to Europe and then an artist colony (not ant colony as I first thought when he emailed me). There was a new karaoke jockey working there and no one was signing up to sing, so the poor soul had to sing maybe 6 straight songs. We were eating and had to endure it. It got us thinking that a person should have a decent singing voice if one is going to be a KJ. Later on, Cross arrived and we workshopped some new songs. My four songs were "Great Balls of Fire" (JL Lewis), "Let's Dance" (Bowie), "I Love Rock and Roll" (Jett), and "Purple Rain" (Prince). The ride home was dry but still humid. Nothing like coming home feeling all sticky from the humidity.

But sun follows rain and today is gorgeous. The air is crisp, the sun is shining bright, and there are few clouds in the horizon. A perfect day to ride one's bike. I like to think that we sang away the rain and ushered in the sun.

Two More Days :: One More Day

Two more days till the opening reception for the Still Present Pasts exhibit. I can't believe it is almost here. I am excited, nervous, proud, amazed. Mostly, I am amazed at the dedication and commitment of the steering committee, particularly Anne P, Jennifer and Holly, who have put in more hours than one can imagine to make this show a smashing success. They are the engine and wheels that kept this show on the road. Me? I was just the driver and oftentimes driving with cruise control. I could not have done it without them. I'm a lucky person and the community as a whole benefits from their efforts. If you see them, give them a high-five and a big thank you.

One more day till my close friend Kenny/Kenji/Ken's going away party. Friday night from 6 pm till dawn. He's moving to Miami, land of Don Johnson and CSI-Miami, on Sunday. The party is happening at Grumpy's on Washington Ave. We received the party room and will have (surprise) karaoke and guitar hero! It will be fun. It will be crazy. It will be well worth coming to check out the extravaganza.

Art Shanty Projects 2007

Photos courtesy of Kenji O.

On Saturday, I went to the opening of the Art Shanty Projects on Medicine Lake in Plymouth, MN. It was a wonderful day. It began with a tasty brunch with Venora and Eric and then we headed over to the lake. V and E had never been to the ASP before, so I gave them a tour of some of the shanties, serving as the docent for the day. It was cold, but the sun was out just enough to make it tolerable. Plus, I am now a firm believer that wool is the new fleece (or rather fleece is no longer the new wool). With layers of wool, I was warm despite the bone chilling cold.

I spent 9 hours outside (and inside various shanties), finally departing at midnight after a few hours of eating, singing, and laughing. It was a full, happy day. The shanties this year were a step up from past years. I think artists are taking more risks, giving it all more thought, and spending lots more time on the planning and construction of their designs. The Lincoln Log shanty (above) was just one example of a really impressive effort. Another shanty was 2+ stories tall - I referred to it as the Malaysian skyscraper. There was a shanty insulated with stuffed animals and still another that was completely lined with pine tree branches (a reuse of a Christmas tree?). And of course, the norae shanty was rocking the house all day and night.

Congratulations to all the artists who contributed to the ASP this year. A wonderful job. Fortunately for us all, there are 5 more weeks to enjoy the Art Shanty Projects!

Styling Hair, Karaoke Rhymes, and Helping the Homeless

A letter from my good friend, Hapa9...

Dear Friends,
Oh yes, there are so many reasons to come by this weekend to support two great youth serving organizations!

For example:
1) Looking good. That is right folks, a $30 donation gets you the latest ultra styling hair do by a professional stylist!
2) Feeling good. Yes, feel good that you are supporting two organizations that support homeless teens in the twin cities.
3) Supporting Art. Come by Moxie Gallery and view some amazing photography by youth artists. Buy artwork (the holidays are coming...) Profits go directly back to youth artists!
4) Time is no issue. Yep, this event goes 24 hours straight!
5) Live entertainment! performances by L. Preston West, Michael Morris, and Jimmy Barnett, Ashley Gold, Angie Oase, and The Purple House Project. In addition, there will be an open mic and a DJ on the SOOVAC STAGE.
6) Karaoke insanity! Just think, at 3:00 AM you can have a personal serenade while you get your bangs trimmed! Think of the possibilities of a flock of seaguls hair do while someone sings "I Ran."
7) Sleep out and Pancakes!

Hope you can make it with three of your long haired friends! More details below...

Michael Hoyt
Kulture Klub Collaborative

Karaoke World Championships :: Where Was I?!

Argh, I learned about the KWC only today. It was held on a cruise ship traveling around Finland and Estonia on Sept 8-10. Learn more about it at this blog site. The winners (female/male) were Tham Hui Chyi (Malaysia) and Mark Wilson (Australia). Click on their names to hear their winning performances. The KWC will be held in Bangkok, Thailand next year, so people get ready!

Restroom Ratings...

I was searching the web for some new karaoke spots and came across this website -- RestroomRatings.com. How did I come across it exactly? I google keyword searched "Poodle Club Minneapolis" and this was listed #3!

The site features historical articles on restrooms - from its origins, Minnesota public restrooms, Japanese restrooms, fun facts about urine. All sorts of oddities plus reviews of restrooms at local restaurants and bars.

I always wanted to take photographs of graffiti in restrooms and publish a coffee table book. Maybe I will just create a blog for bathroom graffiti.

Silent Library (viral video)

Okay, I have to admit it. I love viral videos, even though I don't watch them too often (really). I came across this one on boingboing and laughed out loud. It is from a Japanese reality tv show called Silent Library and features a well known mixed martial artist, Ernesto Hoost, as a participant. In the show, contestants must endure silly but torturous pranks without making a sound. Later, Hoost ends the show singing karaoke (in Japanese)!

From boingboing....

Silent Library is a Japanese game show where the players have to remain silent as they are forced to eat a huge wad of wasabi, get slapped in the face by a machine, get their ear gummed by a dour old man, get hit in the butt with a baseball bat, or -- shown here -- inhale "bad smell air."

The Korean Dream

A few years ago, Bao Phi coined the term Korean Dream to describe Ed Bok Lee and it seems Ed is trying his hardest to live up to this moniker. Here is the latest cover spread of Ed, promoting his book Real Karaoke People in Seoul, South Korea, from the magazine SEOUL.

Okay, enough about KD. I've promoted the man's book enough.

Traveling as a Posse

Just over a month ago, the Wednesday night guys spent the weekend in NYC in support of Ed's book release party at the Asian American Writer's Workshop. We also went simply to karaoke like rock stars and stay up way too late for our ages. Ken snapped this photograph of us departing the subway, either heading down toward or back from the World Trade Center. The trip was a first for this posse of Asian American men and a trip to remember for sure.

Around this same time, I had guest lectured in the undergraduate course "Cultures of Korean Adoption" at the UMN. Toward the end of the lecture, I began to talk about racial socialization within families and the importance of learning social skills and strategies to combat personal, everyday kinds of racism and discrimination. I was recounting stories of dealing with an ignorant White grocery store clerk who starts speaking to me in Chinese and Vietnamese and confronting a drunk White guy outside the VFW hall shouting out "Hello Asia!" as I walked passed him. As I shared with the students my approach to handling these situations, hands quickly shot up, asking what is the best way to handle these situations. Then, one woman in the back asked the question: don't you get tired of having to educate these idiots?

My answer was simple -- "Yes, it is tiring but if I don't do it - who will? It's also a good reason to travel in posses."

The Asian American posse... Quite honestly, I never had this sort of luxury in my life. My White friends, by virtue of being in the majority, always travel in a same-race posse. It's the privilege of Whiteness in this country. But for me, growing up, I never had such a posse. Sure, I have had groups of friends in the past with whom I often traveled in packs. But these groups were usually comprised of mostly White friends. Oddly enough, it has been living in the Midwest that has allowed me to find an Asian American posse.

When my boys and I were walking through NYC, I felt the difference. Having grown up just across the border in CT, I've been in NYC many, many times, so I can say with some surety that this time was different. There is a social reassurance that comes with being with others who are similar to you, who can relate to your experiences, who pick up on the same things as you do. And importantly, when confronted by a person who makes an ignorant racist comments, it does help to have a posse surrounding you -- for safety and support but also to respond to the racist when you don't want to do it yourself.

Yes, yes, the posse is a basic group phenomenon -- true for Whites as it is for Asians or Blacks -- but it takes on a different form and function when one is a member of the minority in this country. If you are White, there is a de facto similarity with everyone around you. It's not the case for ethnic and racial minorities.

So, this photograph is a reminder for me. Mostly it reminds me of the value of friends, of having a posse to call your own.

Art of the Immigrant Experience :: Ed Bok Lee

Just a quick, belated plug for my friend, Ed Bok Lee, who was interviewed today on MidMorning on MPR. Click here to listen to the audio broadcast of Ed talking about his award winning book of poetry and prose -- Real Karaoke People.

Karaoke Battle :: Retiring a Song

Last night, the Walker Art Center hosted a Karaoke Battle as part of their Open Thursdays. Good friend Mike (aka Hapa9) served as KJ. There was a good turnout of local hipsters, teens, and random museum visitors in attendance. The first 14 folks to sign up were part of the actual competition with a 1st prize purse of a $100 certificate for the museum restaurant (20:21) run by Wolfgang Puck. (sidenote - the food there is okay but overpriced).

I arrived a bit early and was pleased to bump into CC and his adorable children. Ed, V, and Nic showed up a bit later. CC decided to sign up for the battle and I followed suit, nabbing the last of the 14 precious spots. I was ambivalent about "performing" because I was not in a super singing mood, plus I had only eaten a salad earlier in the day and was so famished that my body was shaking (okay, enough excuses). But I knew that I would perform and planned to go out in a blaze of glory.

Well, without giving a mad and lengthy rundown, neither CC nor I won (nor placed in the top 3), though CC rocked with Surrender by Cheap Trick. The applause-o-meter (an actual scientifically fancy decibel reader) served as the arbiter of audience approval. Without a large fan base and without the stage antics/gyrations/insanity, we were doomed from the start. Still, we rocked as the aged men in the competition.

For me, the Karaoke Battle served as a swan song for one of my first and most beloved karaoke songs -- Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen. After singing this song on a twice/monthly basis for nearly 2 years, I decided it was time. Like a true artist, I knew I had to let go and find new material to disassemble and remake as my own. With this in mind, I went out blazing on stage (or, at least, I was blazing in my own mind...).

Perhaps in a symbolic way, the retirement of Born to Run reflects the start of a new chapter in my life. Which song will be my anthem for the upcoming year? Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, I will be doing Spring yardwork for the weekend. Peace.

About the Authors

My colleagues (Patricia Frazier and Mike Steger) and I recently wrote a reaction to a major contribution in The Counseling Psychologist, which is a well-respected peer-reviewed journal in our field. The topic of our paper is not that relevant. What I want to talk about is the part of the journal in which contributing authors provide a brief professional biographical sketch. Usually, these biographies have a standard format that includes current position, degree and university, current research interests, and any professional achievements. Not too sexy.

Here is my "About the Authors" biography...

Richard M. Lee is an associate professor of psychology and Asian American studies
at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities and an amateur karaoke singer. His
research interest centers on the process, outcome, and protective function of cultural
socialization and its relevance to mental health in diverse Asian American populations.
He has received funding from the National Institute of Mental Health for his
research on the cultural socialization and mental health of Korean adoptees. He is a
recipient of early career awards from the APA Minority Fellowship Program and the
Asian American Psychological Association.

Did you catch it? If not, read it again carefully. I recall that it was a crazy busy work day when I was asked to submit the brief bio-sketch. I was feeling a bit on edge (maybe too much caffeine) and decided to add some humor to my day. I figured, "Heck, might as well try to spice up these dry, academic journals." Amazingly, they did not edit it out!

So there you have it folks...I am now in the library database as an amateur karaoke singer.

American Idol (circa 1972)

You see...my love for karaoke dates back a few years. I found this photograph while organizing my home office the other day. My brother Martin is in the background, along with an unknown female fan. Enough said, I'll sit back and just let you enjoy the image.

Baritone on Ice :: The Art Shanty Project and Music Lessons

"It has begun..." This was the subject line of Mike's email regarding the upcoming Art Shanty Projects on Medicine Lake in Plymouth, MN. The above photo is a shot of three art shanty's in construction. The exhibit will premiere on the lake on Saturday at 12 noon and run February 19th. If you are in town, be there!

For me, the highlight will be Mike's norae shanty (aka the karaoke ice house). You will find me there often this winter, trying to stay sane during the long cold season (although I must say it has been unseasonably "warm" this winter).

And, I learned this week from two independent sources (Holly and Christopher) that I am a baritone. This was an interesting revelation because I am so unmusical (despite 3 years of minimal effort on the piano as a pre-teen!) and thus quite illiterate in such matters. But I trust my sources given that they are both trained singers/vocalists and outstanding karaoke singers.

What does it mean to be a baritone? Of course, I had to do some "research" on this matter. According to Wikipedia, a baritone (from Greek βαÏ?υτονος 'deeply, heavily sounding') is a male voice of intermediate pitch, between bass and tenor. It is typically written for in the range A one octave and a third below middle C to F above middle C (i.e. A2-F4), though it is often extended at the top.. Dummies.com gives this definition -- The baritone can usually sing from an A (first space bass clef) or F (first space treble clef) below the male High C. The bass-baritone has some height of the baritone and some depth of the bass and his range is usually A-flat (first space bass clef) to F (first space treble clef) and sometimes as high as G below the male High C. The baritone's register transitions usually occur at the A or B just below Middle C and the D or E above Middle C.

Now, given that I am so musically illiterate, these notes really mean very little to me. It is like trying to understand statistics by simply looking at equations. I am a more practical thinker who needs concrete examples to illuminate an idea. Fortunately, Wikipedia lists some well known singers who are baritones. And, as concurrent validity to my friends' assessment of me, there are a number of singers on the list whose songs I sing or at least recognize as singable. For example, Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley are all considered baritones (Cash is viewed as a bass-baritone).

My usual karaoke set has included songs that can be sung in this range, such as Born to Run by Springsteen, Sister Christian by Night Ranger, as well as a medley of songs by female singers which I bring down a register or two, such as Beautiful by Christina Aguilera and If I Ain't Got You by Alicia Keys.

Lately, though, I have been practicing some new songs. If you come visit me at the norae shanty, I promise to sing one of them. These songs include Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash, Girlfriend by Matthew Sweet, and Dance Hall Days by Wang Chung.

So come for a music lesson on the lake this Saturday! Until then, I will be practicing my voice and my breathing.

Halloween Karaoke

On Saturday night, I was the karaoke jockey (kj) for a Halloween party that was at Christopher's tattoo artist's house (Charlie). It was a costume party and I was loathe to actually dress up. Here is what I came as...any guess? Well, think back to the mid-80s...think Courtney Cox in the Dancing in the Dark video...think Bruce Springsteen's album cover for Born in the USA. Yes, I brazenly came as Bruce! The Boss!

Read more to check out some photos from the evening...

Here is the party's host, Charlie, in the hot dog outfit with friends

Christopher as Axl Rose

Some guy, whom we called Dog Boy, engulfing the mic

Holly came as a Mardi Gras party girl

Ken keeping it real with some Elton John

Mike, my main man, in a wig he found on the couch.

Lost and Found :: A Life Lesson Learned

I had an interesting lost and found experience last night that taught me a life lesson. The story begins two weeks ago when my friends and I decided to check out the Poodle Club which is a divey, neighborhood bar around the Longfellow neighborhood of Mpls. We had heard they have karaoke and we were feeling adventurous. Well, it was a nice time. We sang a few songs, chatted with some regulars, including a guy named James, and left in good spirits. The next morning, I realized I had left my favorite jacket at the Poodle. I went back to retrieve it but they said it was not there. The bartender recalled that someone had taken it. I was bummed.

The lost jacket. It was my favorite fall coat -- a grey colored fleece jacket made by North Face -- that I have not seen on anyone else. I checked their company website and it is no longer made or sold.

Move forward two weeks to last night. We return to the Poodle Club to try out some new karaoke songs. It is much more crowded but we still get in a few songs. I see James whom we met last time and buy him a drink. Unexpectedly, James asks us for a dollar. We ask him why he needs a dollar, but he doesn't explain. He just keeps asking. Ed says that a dollar can't even pay for bus fare and why not ask for $5. After briefly debating with him, James walks away.

As the night is winding down, we go to shoot one game of pool and James reappears to say goodbye. He's a nice enough guy, maybe a bit down on his luck, but not homeless or struggling. I give him a handshake and an A-frame guy hug and suddenly notice his jacket. Believe it or not, it was my lost jacket. I was certain. James had stolen my coat and was now acting all chummy with me, as if I would not recognize my coat! He leaves the Poodle Club.

I tell Mike that it's my jacket and he walks out of the bar to confront James. I pause a minute and then follow Mike. Outside, James is on his bicycle and Mike is talking with him. I get into the conversation and confront James. James denies it's my jacket. I tell him it is not cool to steal my coat, let me buy him a drink, and then deny it. The bouncer is looking on. Another man stands nearby observing. I turn to this guy and say aloud, "Can you believe this guy let's me buy him a beer and he steals my jacket." He replies, "That's just wrong. You need to get back your jacket." I continue to argue with James who keeps denying that it's my jacket. Finally, James says "Fine, you want this coat. Here you can have it," takes it off, and hands it over to me. He bikes off.

I put the jacket on. It is my jacket. I have no doubt. Mike and I walk back into the bar.

Afterwards, I reflected on this incident. I am so conflict avoidant that I was going to just take the loss and be pissed, but Mike stood up for me and gave me the courage to stand up to James. I learned a lesson that night. I learned that it is okay to engage in conflict sometimes and the outcome can be positive. I also was reminded of the importance of having a good group of friends to watch each other's back. Last night, I was fortunate to have a friend like Mike who had my back.

A Saturday in Minneapolis with Friends

Saturday was a beautiful, action packed day, from morning straight till the next morning. It is the kind of day that you can't do every weekend because it is exhausting but it is good to do from time to time to keep things interesting and, more importantly, to remind you of the fortune of having good friends. There is a lot to do in Minneapolis and this was a great example of the diversity of things to experience with those ya love.

It began with a day trip to Afton Apple Orchards where my friends and I explored the corn maze and then picked some apples. It was a perfect Autumn day to be outside - crisp air, blue skies, whispy clouds, and great foliage. Here is a photo of my friend, Christopher, with his son, Ty, in the corn maze -- a 10 acre labyrinth. On the way home, we stopped for lunch at this quirky restaurant called Professor Java's in Hastings.

Then, later in the evening, I went to watch some Golden Gloves amateur boxing at Uppercut Gym. My friend, Sarah, works at the gym as a trainer and also is fighter (tho' she didn't fight this night). I must confess that I love watching boxing and similar combat style fights (K1, Ultimate Fighter, Muay Thai). I attribute this affection to spending many nights in front of the TV with my father watching Ali, Leonard, Duran, Holmes, Hearns et al. fight. Because of the language barrier between us, it was a way to bond without words. But back to this story...I arrived late, but caught the last three bouts. I had never seen a knockout before and was lucky to witness one this night. In the last fight, it was a classic match up between a taller boxer and a shorter fighter. The fighter was much more aggressive and set the pace. The boxer could not set his jabs and keep distance. In the 3rd round, the fighter scored a knockdown but it looked like a slip. When the boxer got up, however, it was clear that his legs were not under him. Shortly thereafter, the fighter hit him solid in the head and the boxer went down for good. The referee stopped the fight. It was impressive.

By now, it was just around 9 PM, so Mike and I decided to grab a drink at the U Otter in Northeast Mpls. For those who don't know, the U Otter is a tiny hole in the wall bar that has karaoke most nights. It's an unusual mix of young hipsters and older Minnesota regulars (aka big, White farmer types). Mike and I were the diversity quota for the night. No one was singing when we got there, so we put in a few songs that we had workshopped the previous week (i.e., practiced privately to make sure we could sing the songs). I sang "Ziggy Stardust" by Bowie and "Hand in My Pocket" by Morrisette (in honor of my friend 'stine).

Afterwards, the evening ended with a concert at the Varsity Theater.

We met up with a group of friends and watched an amazing performance by American Analog Set. This is an Austin, TX based band that plays some of the tightest, hippest, melodic music around. Check out some of their demo recordings. I was hypnotized by the music. Just a great performance. It reminded me of those youthful days back in HS and college when I was just so into music that it was my identity. Nowadays, I just can enjoy it without it defining me.

Got home late, slept in late, and had a lazy Sunday morning with (no surprise) the Sunday New York Times.

Sidebar -- Special thanks to Hee Won for touching up the blurry photo of Ty running up the hill. Such a cute boy.

Minnesota Needs to Honor Daisuke Inoue

This is a photograph of the man who changed many of our lives (for better or worse). Daisuke Inoue is the founder of karaoke. To him, we owe many whiskey drinks!

I was never much into karaoke until I moved to Minnesota. I had karaoke'd in Korea and elsewhere (LA, SF, NYC), oftentimes while attending psychology conferences, but I had never had a group of friends who were collectively into karaoke. Then one day, as a group of us were sitting around Dulono's Pizza eating pizza and drinking pitchers of Newcastle, it was realized that we all loved karaoke. Well, first this led to singing in a friend's house. Then, it led to a Monday night at Chatterbox and the rest is history...culminating in the Norae Shanty.

But it's not just a bunch of Asian Americans who love karaoke in Minnesota. For whatever reason, Minnesota seems like a karaoke mecca. According to a story on MPR, in St. Cloud (tho' I've never been there), you can even record karaoke tracks!

So, I think it's high time for Minnesota to honor the man who started it all -- Daisuke Inoue.

Bob Mould, Minneapolis, and Me

I was surfing the web during my late lunch break and came across a new City Pages interview with legendary rocker, Bob Mould. Reading this article brightened my day and erased (almost) the unpleasantness of awakening to George Bush's voice.

You see, Bob Mould was one of the main reasons I was willing to move to Minneapolis and accept the job at the University of Minnesota. His music, particularly back when he fronted Husker Du, was my life jacket in the 80s and early 90s. Husker Du, Mould's subsequent work with Sugar and his solo stuff kept me afloat during those angst ridden, identity crisis moments of adolescence and young adulthood. The other reason to move to Minneapolis was my affinity and equally fond memories of listening to The Replacements. I thought to myself, "If these music giants came from Minneapolis, it must be a cool place to live!" I know, pretty crazy to have such a thing factor into a major career move, but it did. Of course, let's not kid ourselves, teaching at the University of Minnesota in the Dept of Psychology was itself an honor. Husker Du and The Replacements was just icing on the cake.

Check out Bob Mould's blog to keep up to date on his happenings.

Sushi, god, and karaoke = Oh what a night!

I had the most fulfilling Saturday night and am so thankful for the friends I have and to live in a city that offers so much. Oh what a night, indeed! Here's a brief recap and my thoughts on what made it so special.

On Saturday evening, my friend, Holly, and I were invited by our friends, Sun Yung and Christopher, to dinner and concert. Very sweet of them. We made our way to Fujiya at LynLake for some sushi and noodles. When I eat sushi, I tend to prefer to eat at the sushi bar where you can interact with the chef and try out new delights (or at least their specials). At Fujiya, I also recommend sitting in the front room where the liquor and sushi bars are located. They have a fine dining room in the back, as well as outdoor seating, but it's not as fun back there. I seem to be going to this place about once per week, either for just drinks or to eat/drink. Being a frequent customer has allowed me to get to know a couple of the sushi chefs, one of whom is a friend of many friends. This sort of "in" as well as a generous tipping policy has led to some wonderful dining experiences. I usually ask the chef to make me X dollars worth of sushi (his choice) and leave the rest to him. It's always a surprise and never a disappointment. I try things I've never tried before. This time I had a spicy oyster in the shell and seared belly of tuna. All washed down with a 22 oz. Asahi beer. Yummy.

After gorging ourselves, we took the mini-van (SY and CC's vehicle of choice) to the Walker Art Center to see three bands perform. Each band was unique. Blood on the Wall sounded like early Sonic Youth - they played the shortest set of songs ever (most lasting about 1 minute). The next band up was 13 & god and they sounded like a gift from God. They were amazing in creating a unique sound that blended various genre of music together into a beautiful arrangement of melody and harmony. Check out their song Men of Station. The last band Black Dice, unfortunately, left us literally daef and seizure induced, which very well might have been the intended effect. I am not quite sure how to describe them besides saying it sounded like noise...high quality television static mixed with guitar feedback. Needless to say, we left after about 30 minutes of high pain endurance.

By 11:30, we were 1 hour and 30 minutes late to our last stop of the night -- Mike and Sarah's home -- for a little karaoke. We really needed it to purge ourselves of the Black Dice trauma. Mike had been waiting for us and Sarah ended up going to bed because we were about an hour plus late (oops!). Shortly after our arrival, Ed, Kurt, and Ken showed up and Ken brought apple pie of all things...which did taste great at around 2 a.m. Somehow, it was decided that it would be a "workshop" night for karaoke which means singing songs that we don't know very well to practice. Per Christine's email suggestion, I tried to sing "Hand in my pocket" by Alanis Morissette and also tried out "Peaceful, easy feeling" by the Eagles. I massacred the first and flew on the second. Well, about 4+ hours later, including a brief 15 minute nap, I made my way home. Voice sore, belly full, and ready for a night of sleep.

It was the perfect combination for the evening...a great meal, amazing concert, and a relaxed evening of singing with friends. All the things I love to do when I have time and money on hand.

Real Karaoke People and Ed Bok Lee

Hey everyone! Here is a great new book of prose and poetry by one of my closest friends in Minnesota - Ed Bok Lee. Ed's an amazing multi-genre writer (and power karaoke singer) known to many as the Korean Dream. Check out his new book and stay tuned for his book release party on October 15th at the Loft Literary Center (more info to come). Rumor has it that I will be doing some Korean cooking for it. Plus, there will be karaoke for those ready to publicly unveil their singing pipes.

REAL KARAOKE PEOPLE: POEMS AND PROSE
by Ed Bok Lee

Many Voices Award-winning New Book
Published by NEW RIVERS PRESS, release date: October 1, 2005

ED BOK LEE’s various writing awards include grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Loft Literary Center, the Minnesota State Arts Board, SASE and the Jerome Foundation. He attended kindergarten in South Korea, and grew up in North Dakota and Minnesota. Lee is a former state Grand Slam Poetry champion and holds an MFA from Brown University. REAL KARAOKE PEOPLE: POEMS AND PROSE is his first book. More information at www.edboklee.com.

REAL KARAOKE PEOPLE: POEMS AND PROSE
by Ed Bok Lee

ISBN: 0-89823-226-0 CUSA / 9780898232257
Paperback, 96 pp.
$13.95

(to purchase, call your local bookstore, or visit
www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com)

ABOUT THE BOOK

A dramatic literary debut, Real Karaoke People
juxtaposes tradition, politics and pop culture to
bridge generations and continents in a way both
heart-rending and real. From a Buddhist temple on a
Korean mountain top, to Sex World in downtown
Minneapolis, to the smoldering L.A. Riots, far beyond
to a tornado touching down on a reservation in
Northern Minnesota, Ed Bok Lee’s award-winning poems
and stories usher the reader through a cultural
kaleidoscope of karaoke rooms, churches, dog fights,
movie houses, Asian night clubs, immigrant kitchens
and small-time Midwestern wrestling rings, all the
while scrutinizing conceptions of race, class and
history. At once nostalgic, critical and revelatory,
Real Karaoke People offers a provocative portrayal of
an America at war with change and loss, hope and the
living colors of desire.

Real Karaoke People will appeal to a wide variety of
domestic and international readers (of all ethnic
backgrounds and ages) with personal connections to the
changing face of America, the Immigrant Experience,
Karaoke singing, Poetry Slams, Hip-Hop, Buddhism, the
Korean War, and/or Travel through Asia.

ADVANCE PRAISE

"Real Karaoke People takes the rich immigrant
experience of our urban centers and gives it both a
quiet grace and the energy of
hip-hop....reinvigorating the Whitmanian tradition for
the twenty first century—one of the most impressive
debuts in recent memory."

—David Mura, author of Turning Japanese

"Ed Bok Lee’s Real Karaoke People is one of the most
engaging, troubling, and rewarding collections [of
poems and prose] I have read in quite some time. There
is no place this poet’s eye does not enter, no
darkness it doesn’t look into, no light it doesn’t
absorb..."

—Pablo Medina, author of Points of Balance/Puntos de
apoyo;
President of AWP (Association of Writers & Writing
Programs)

"A master of word, music, image, and character
creation, Lee invokes Greek drama, slam poetry,
Japanese haiku, Native American storytelling,
Shakespearean sonnets, MTV, and African griots in his
beautiful ‘poelogues.’"

—Elaine H. Kim, University of California at Berkeley

"Ed Bok Lee will break your heart and sew it back up
again with his piercing words... Real Karaoke People
will make you want to break into song."

—Ishle Yi Park, author of The Temperature of This
Water/Poet Laureate of Queens, New York

"The narrator is unforgettable— as well as his
characters such as the man who looks for a wife 'with
oceanic lungs who can blow life into the spirit he’s
lost.'...There is voltage in these hard lessons— these
secrets on how to survive... A fire burns here."

—Diane Glancy

"Ed Bok Lee follows the exuberant tradition of poets
like Whitman and Ginsberg, those who sing wildly for
tribe and culture and self."

—Debra Marquart, author of The Hunger Bone: Rock &
Roll Stores

"What a beautifully complex, contradictory, and
insistently compelling world Ed Bok Lee gives us...
this is a book that opens up new possibilities for
American poetry."

—Jim Moore, author of Lightning at Dinner

MORE PRAISE

"Ed Bok Lee’s Real Karaoke People is one of the most
engaging, troubling, and rewarding collections [of
poems and prose] I have read in quite some time. There
is no place this poet’s eye does not enter, no
darkness it doesn’t look into, no light it doesn’t
absorb. I follow the people in his poems down
Midwestern streets, I watch them wrestle, love, dance,
fall down drunk, get up. Real karaoke people sing "in
Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, English, Korean,
Indonesian, Vietnamese." Ultimately they sing the
language of poetry, the language of us all."

—Pablo Medina, author of Points of Balance/Puntos de
apoyo;President of AWP (Association of Writers &
Writing Programs)

"What a beautifully complex, contradictory, and
insistently compelling world Ed Bok Lee gives us in
Real Karaoke People. This is a book that takes as its
jumping off place the idea that the "global soul" is
not a literary invention, but a vision and a
sustaining home: as real as a hot summer's day in
South Minneapolis or a cold winter's day in Seoul in
1945. These poems move surely through many different
realities, thanks to compelling narratives and a lyric
grace which both inspires and challenges: this is a
book that opens up new possibilities for American
poetry."

—Jim Moore, author of Lightning at Dinner

"Real Karaoke People takes the rich immigrant
experience of our urban centers and gives it both a
quiet grace and the energy of hip-hop. "What feeds
your soul?" the poet asks, and answers with the
pungent smells of Asian cooking, off-key voices of
karaoke, and a "girl's wicked drawl that first
crackled through a KFC late-night drive-thru speaker."
Here are delicate lyrics and verbal tours de force,
side-splitting ‘poelogues’ and plangent voices that
tear away the screens of indifference and cliché…
reinvigorating the Whitmanian tradition
for the twenty first century… one of the most
impressive debuts in recent memory."

—David Mura, author of Turning Japanese

"Stories, nightmares, fables, myths, tall tales,
legends, family secrets... Ed Bok Lee will break your
heart and sew up back up again with his piercing
words… I felt like a changed woman... Real Karaoke
People will make you want to break into song."

—Ishle Yi Park, author of The Temperature of This
Water/Poet Laureate of Queens, New York

"These poems come in rapid fire from a world at war
with change and loss, forgetfulness and memory. Ed Bok
Lee’s words hit like pellets. He delivers amazing
lines: "we learn to navigate by drowning." Lee is a
truth teller of the immigrant experience in our vast
and diverging demography. He brings the world right up
in our face. The narrator is unforgettable— as well as
his characters such as the man who looks for a wife
"with oceanic lungs who can blow life into the spirit
he’s lost." Lee brings knowledge of what it is like to
settle in the current New America, updating the
European immigrant experience of the last century—
providing a latter to the earlier America. There is
voltage in these hard lessons— these secrets on how to
survive. Lee’s words are his navigational devices. He
speaks with profound energy in this first collection
of poems— A fire burns here."

—Diane Glancy

"Ed Bok Lee is an exciting new American writer. His
layered collection, Real Karaoke People, chronicles a
tumultuous journey through time and space that's never
chronological or linear…an intensely emotional and
intellectual journey around decades and oceans to
glimpse America's continual becoming… A master of
word, music, image, and character creation, Lee
invokes Greek drama, slam poetry, Japanese haiku,
Native American storytelling, Shakespearean sonnets,
MTV, and African griots in his beautiful ‘poelogues.’"

—Elaine H. Kim, University of California at
Berkeley/author of Asian-American
Literature: An Introduction to the Writings and Their
Social Context

(for more book or author information, please contact:
Donna Carlson, Managing Editor, New Rivers Press /
carlsond@mnstate.edu / (218) 477-5870)

(for PHOTOS / INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:
o Interview with and photo of author
o Print quality e-mail photo files of Book Cover and
Author Photo, please contact Lisa Fink / SASE: The
Write Place / (612) 822-2500, ext. 104 /
lisa@saseonline.org)

Rock Star: INXS - The Finale

This summer's best karaoke reality show is over and the winner is...JD Fortune from Oakville, Ontario. My good friend, Christine, was spot on with this call from the start of the show. Her dreamy "I wish he were my" boyfriend, JD, beat out the other last two contestants (MiG and Marty) to become the new lead singer to INXS. Truth be told, though I put in my plug early on for my Twin Cities girl, Jordis, I have to agree with the choice. JD fits best with INXS in terms of looks, persona, voice quality, song writing skills, and that ineffable something needed to be a rock star. JD's original song, Pretty Vegas, also demonstrates his ability to pen a hit and, more impressively, it is pretty close to what INXS themselves might have written. It was clear that the band was really into the song.

It's a strange beginning for a newly reformed band whose first lead singer, Michael Hutchence, died of suicide (though many believe it was auto-erotic asphyxiation). I mean, it's strange to have a contest to determine the next lead singer. That said, it's also perhaps the best way to find the best talent out there (vs. having limited tryouts and rehearsals), so whom am I to critique. Congrats to JD and good luck to the new future of INXS. And to Christine, I guess Tai is relieved to have his wife back and to be able to lift the "no more talking about JD" ban!

Sidebar -- I've seen commercials for a similar karaoke/dance contest for the new third member of TLC but I don't think it will have the same success as Rock Star: INXS.

Rock Star: INXS

I admit it...I'm a fan of Rock Star: INXS. I sort of fell into the show without hearing much hype about it. Then, I just started to watch it. And fatefully, tonight, I even voted for the first time for any reality show. For whom did I vote? Well...

I had to go with my local girl...Jordis Unga from St. Paul, MN. She's only 22 but she has this great bluesy voice and wonderful smile. Plus, you gotta give props to the Pacific Islander in her (dad is from Tonga).

Tonight, she rocked it with a soulful rendition of "Imagine" by John Lennon. She appeared a bit nervous at first but her voice was pure and she gained momentum as the song progressed. Strumming her guitar, she found her groove shortly into the song and took it away. It was beautiful.

Now, do I think she will win it? Unfortunately, I don't think she will because I suspect she's not the best fit for INXS. If she were on American Idol, she would win it all - hands down. But this reality show is about finding the best singer for INXS. That's a different story and we will have to wait to see what happens. I'm rooting for Jordis nevertheless.

Tenure/Birthday Party

Here's a friend (Chris) belting out some KISS at my birthday/tenure summer celebration party. As you can see, he knows how to sing with style! It was pretty much like this all night. Karaoke was the big hit of the evening which started with bbq and beer/cocktails outside and gradually moved inside with the karaoke. The last stragglers left the house at 3:30 am. All in all, it was a great way to celebrate a birthday in your 30s...which got me thinking...

Younger folks say that the 20s are the best years of your life because you are enjoying the last years of college and starting out on your own...well, I have to disagree and say that the 30s are better. Here's why...

First, the times are a changing. It used to be that your 20s were when you struck out on your own and made a name for yourself. But today, people in their 20s are often still in school, living at home (or borrowing something from their parents from car to housing to cash), looking for work...in other words, they are still fairly dependent on others. When you hit your 30s, time has made you more independent. You tend to be more financially secure, have a stable job/career, and may even be helping care for your parents (or at least treating each other as more equals).

Second, the 20s are a time when you are still figuring out who you are and what you want out of life. Maybe it's because we've delayed careers and maybe it's because we live in a more complicated time where it takes longer. I don't know but it does seem like your 20s are a time of questioning the old you and finding the new you. By our 30s, you've figured most of those things out and you are tired of playing all those games.

Third, you know who your friends are when you hit your 30s and you understand that friends are not like family (i.e., you can choose with whom to be friends). Life becomes easier when you have a solid core of friends to support you, celebrate with you, comfort you...In your 20s, people come and go much more.

Well, anyway, I only bring this all up because I've truly enjoyed my 30s (much more than my 20s). Don't they even say that the 30s are the new 20s? Well, I have to agree.

To be fair, I've had my fair share of ups and downs. In fact, I've had higher ups and higher downs in my 30s but still it's okay. I simply think that I am capable of handling these challenges more easily, because I have more life experience to put it into perspective and I have more resources available to me.

I'm very thankful to have made it through life this far and in this way. The other night, I realized (once again) how fortunate I am to have such wonderful friends. I don't have family in Minnesota, so to have such friends means a lot. They made it a great night.

Then, the next morning (early, early at 6 AM), my brother (Martin) arrived from Olympia where he lives. He had to pick up his truck which was being repaired in Mpls after getting hit overnight while visiting me a few weeks ago (we never found out who hit his parked truck). It's a long story but unrelated to this blog.

I spent the next sleep deprived day with him, running errands, chilling out with my friends (Ken and Meeks) who came over for dinner...It was a real nice time to spend with him. We don't see each other often these days and are very different people. But over the last couple of years, I think we've grown more similar or something. In our 20s, we were such different people. I used to tell people that, in our 20s, I was the punk turned academic while he was the jock turned hippie. In our 30s, though, we are similar in more ways. We are both progressively liberal, both teachers (I'm a college professor and he's an elementary teacher), both divorced (boy, what does that say?), and both independent in our lives. Unlike my oldest brother (King), Martin and I have not lived in CT for over a decade or more. So, it was good to just get to know him again. I'm happy for him and how his life has turned out. That made it an even better weekend.

Okay, well, now I have to get ready for the APA Convention in Washington, DC. APA stands for the American Psychological Association and it's a gathering of over 10,000 psychologists. Beware DC!

Karaoke and Art

You may be wondering about the below photo of me holding the microphone...why, yes, I am indeed karaoke singing. This shot happens to be taken at the Art Shanty Project exhibit at Soap Factory. I encourage folks to visit before the show ends on August 21st. Come by on Friday from 5-8 to sing in the shanty. I will be there with my friends.

The Norae Shanty (Singing House) was designed and built by my good friend, Mike Hoyt, with help from friends. It's a great juxtapositioning of private space experiences (ice fishing and karaoke singing-korean style in private rooms). People really open up in this space and creative singing juices flow. There also are other great exhibits there too, including other shanties and photographs.