Well, my show for next week’s opening at the Principle Gallery has been delivered. It was an easy day of traveling, the traffic relatively light and no major aggressors menacing the four-lanes. Smooth.
Going through Pennsylvania there are these large gas stations/convenience store plazas that line Rte. 15. Sheetz runs a number of these always bustling havens for the road traveler. They have dozens of gas pumps and fast food and aisles of snacks. They’re almost always packed with cars and people. As I drove yesterday, I noticed one such plaza that was almost empty, shockingly. I looked at the sign and noticed the colors. It was a BP-ran plaza. The actual BP logoat the top of an obelisk-like sign had been covered with what looked to be heavy white plastic that had been shrink-wrapped around it, obscuring the logo except for the outline of their trademark sun symbol. Apparently, the driving public had cast a vote of extreme disapproval for the company in the most potent way– with their buying dollars. It was an interesting thing to note and, while I wish no business harm, it heartened me to see that people were making conscious choices and, in their way, voicing an opinion with their pocketbooks rather than just shrugging it off as another “Oh well, what can I do about it?” moment.
Just interesting.
Also, I heard a story on NPR about the ukulele revival around the world. I have featured ukulele pieces here a couple of times, with the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain and virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro, so I was happy to hear that I wasn’t alone in my admiration of this much maligned instrument. Apparently, for many years now, many schools throughout Canada use the uke in teaching music to elementary grade students, giving each kid their own ukulele. On this program, they played a clip of a performance where a large number of the audience had brought their own ukes and at a point in the concert joined with the onstage performers in a version of Keep on the Sunny Side of Life. It was great and made me wish that people were required to carry ukuleles with them at all times. How can you be mad with a uke in your hands?
Anyway, here’s a peformance from the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain that doesn’t feature the uke but is great fun nonetheless. Sounds pretty good on a Saturday when I can relax for a bit now that my studio is emptied…
Redtree Times 
Pennsylvania is a long state to drive through, I always liked that stretch of road along the Susquehannah. Hope you sell out.
Ya the Ukulele is in style, how about Train’s “Soul Sister”
Toronto could have team.
I looked up Jake Shimabukuro’s version of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” on Youtube and all I can say is WOW. I have certainly never been more impressed by someone’s ukulele skills…but seriously, THAT WAS INCREDIBLE.
Clint– I’m glad you caught Jake’s playing. I was talking with the owner of a local music store, an older man, who has a fairly large display of ukes on the wall. I asked if he was seeing a jump in interest in the uke and he said it was incredible and was due primarily to a few folks, primarily Jake Shimabukuro. he had seen him perform at a music trade show and was blown away.
Wonderful stuff to hear…