I've had a five-week vacation from touring and then did my first concert Sunday night with the San Diego Symphony. Something interesting happened; or maybe it was my imagination, but it was good. When we did the material from the new album, "At This Time," I felt the audience was more receptive than ever.
I sensed a stronger, more positive reaction to these new pieces that deal with dissatisfaction and anger with the administration and its policies. Maybe audiences are more aware or angered by our government's policies. Maybe the music tapped into their frustration, impatience and rage, as it did mine when I was writing and recording it. I know my love songs touch people. Now I think my more serious music might be affecting audiences more, too.
This week's headlines about the recall of the Marines for yet another tour of duty was hard to take. Many of the Marines (most of whom have been to Iraq once or twice already) indicated they were not happy about the decision. What about that phased cut back that we have been hearing about? What happened to that? How did these young Marines get broadsided again?
Now, Democrats or Republicans, independents and undecideds, it is about time for all of us to say, "Mr. Bush, give us a plan, give us something that is less confusing." Do you remember Cheney's great line, "The insurgency is in its last throes"?
I want to report, that as promised in my last blog, I took my 13-year-old son and his friend and my ten-year-old daughter to see "An Inconvenient Truth." They got it. They did get it.
Getting it can be tough, though. My daughter woke up in the middle of the night with a "big nightmare." She couldn't remember what it was that scared her so much. Is it possible that the impact of this movie caused it? I'll never know but I believe it's a possibility. I don't want her to have nightmares, but I do want her to be aware of her world.
On stage with the San Diego Symphony, I urged, no, begged, everyone to see this movie, see it once, and see it twice. I said, whether you like Al Gore or don't, it won't make any difference. I said on stage as I said in my last blog: it should be mandatory to show it in schools all over the country. Schools can take out one day of PE, put classes in the auditorium and show it. It's vital.
After my concert a local school principal came backstage and said, "great idea." I plan to continue to tout this movie in every concert I do starting this Sunday in Cerritos, and I'll continue to play the new music wherever I perform. I'll be curious to see if I get a strong response from this audience like I did in San Diego.
I'll wind up this blog with the last lyric on the new CD: "I know that things may never ever change; things may stay the same. But I know love is always waiting there, always taking aim."
And, still, "What the World Needs now is Love."
We must make a change.
BB