You all might have met the charming Cole Keeton at the merch table at the start of the State Lines tour last winter. If you did, you met a guy with a permanent smile on his face and a hilarious quip or funky dance move. He's a hotty mchotterson too. Do a friend of Jason a favor, or help out Cole because you know what I say is sooth. Either way, check this link and help get Cole a walk on spot on Mad Men next season. Hopefully, if you don't see him on that page, it means he's moved up so check page 2. You are supposed to be able to vote once per day... Some of us have multiple computers and devices too ifkwim.

Today, July 6, is Bill Haley's (1925-1981) birthday. He and his group, The Comets, were one of the first to successfully bring rock 'n' roll to a wider (read "white") audience, and their 1955 hit, a cleaned-up cover of Max Freedman and James Myers' "Rock Around the Clock," is frequently used as the beginning of the "rock era." And here it is:



Hope that helped wake you up after the long weekend!

It used to be that on every 4th of July, in every town square and large park and gathering place in the United States, someone would get up and read the Declaration of Independence to the assembled revelers. It may be two hundred and thirty-four years since it was written, but to me those words still evoke all the courage and dignity and idealism and determination it took to make such a radical and irrevocable break with tradition and family and history. So gather round:

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.

[...]

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Yankee Doodle (1770s), the Towpath Volunteers




Stars and Stripes Forever (1897), the Boston Pops




America the Beautiful (1895), Ray Charles




Have a happy and safe Independence Day!

That's the date that the Continental Congress voted to declare independence from Great Britain. As John Adams wrote in a letter to his wife, Abigail:

...The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.--I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not.--I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States.--Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.

Adams got the date of the celebration wrong--we celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence instead--but he didn't miss on much else. The cost in "Toil and Blood and Treasure" may be ongoing, but "the End is more than worth all the Means" indeed. So, in his honor, a little holiday preview:

There's a July 4th sale going on at Jason's web store. Head on over to jasoncastromusic.com for details!

That's, right, tonight is the 64th Annual Tony Awards, yay! Unlike the Oscars, there is no Tony for best song, but I can't let the music of Broadway pass without notice, so here are a few--a very few--songs from Tony-award winning shows.

From 1949's Best Musical Kiss Me, Kate (Cole Porter)--"It's Too Darn Hot," sung by Stacey Kent, 2008:




From 1953's Best Musical Wonderful Town (Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Comden & Green)--"Conga," sung by Kim Criswell, 2002:




From 1971's Best Musical Company (Stephen Sondheim)--"Ladies Who Lunch," sung by Elaine Stritch, 2000:



Elaine Stritch sang that song in the original Broadway run, too.


* See The Producers. No, really, you should see it--the live show, not the movie.

I am very happy to announce that REReader has agreed to bring her sleuthing skills to the front page and will be helping keep the blog up to date with the latest and greatest news, videos and other random tidbits. You all already know that she is a constant source of news on the forum and I'm extremely grateful to her for coming aboard.

I hope you'll join me as I ask her for the first time: "There's a blog?"

Courtesy of Arty and Cinnamazon.

credit: icanhascheezburger