2020 continues to be a crazy year for all of us. But I found that these turbulent, uncertain times are a reminder to be grateful for every little thing.
Enjoy your friends and families, near and far, as we await brighter days ahead. (We did just pass the Winter Solstice, so they really will arrive.)
Remember – now more than ever – we must continue to wear our masks, stay socially distant, and wash our hands. Stay safe and healthy!
Here's to a fresh start in 2021, full of fun, joy, peace, togetherness, and Kitties! See you soon.
"So, to me, Joll is a series of very strong protective walls he's built to ward off feeling, to escape feeling. I mean, what does he do when he's alone? He may weep in a closet. I don't know. To me he seemed like he was ready to pounce on anything that penetrated his armor. I think Joll is, in a sense, a victim on his own." Johnny Depp on Colonel Joll
"He was very charming and across the camera was very present and focused. A lovely person to act with. He brings up a kind of great vulnerability." Mark Rylance on Johnny Depp
Why are we waiting for barbarians?
The daily routines of a magistrate (Mark Rylance) managing an isolated outpost of an unnamed empire is disrupted by a visit from Colonel Joll (Johnny Depp), who demands a report on the current state of affairs amid growing concerns of an impending uprising by the local nomads or — as the colonel refers to them — the barbarians. His cruel interrogation tactics toward them makes the magistrate question his loyalty to the empire over his conscience. Director Ciro Guerra'sWaiting for the Barbarians is a thought-provoking film based on the 1980 novel, written and adapted by Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee.
I haven't read this novel, but both Johnny and Mark Rylance immediately connected to the story's relevance. "The shocking thing for me, which was the beacon that stayed there, was the fact that it felt all true and relevant to today in many ways in a lot of different places in the world," Johnny explains. "Power begets power, and there are those who decide who follows or who is disposable or unnecessary, and all those decisions are made by the people at the top." Mark Rylance adds, "The way the novel can be extrapolated to almost any circumstance in the world, to any point in history, is staggering."
Who are the real barbarians here? Because of the pandemic, Waiting for the Barbarians was released to streaming services, and I ended up watching it at my desk on my iMac. I prefer a trip to a movie theater for the big screen, but it was nice to be able to prepare my own snacks (hot chocolate and strawberries) and click play on YouTube whenever I was ready.
I was afraid to watch this movie because I already unintentionally saw headlines of mixed reviews that praised Johnny's terrifying performance. But that didn't stop me. Not only did I watch it, but I liked it! Of course, I prefer no cruelty or torture, but as a whole, I liked the look and feel of everything else in this film. Beautifully shot by cinematographer Chris Menges, it's got a meditative, slow pace and a great soundtrack by Giampiero Ambrosi to match.
The movie opens to this pulsating beat in an expansive desert, following a lone carriage surrounded by soldiers on horseback. Colonel Joll, a member of the police from the Bureau of State Security, has arrived at this random outpost to question the magistrate and locals about the current state of affairs.
Johnny is sinister and stoic with a steadfast frown here: He has always been great at expressing everything with a look rather than a word, and this performance is a good example. He does have some great lines, but mostly, he instills fear by just looking official and menacing. With a nod or other minor gesture, he can get his underlings to spring into action.
"I find the most interesting thing about bad guys throughout history, or characters like Joll, is that people don't wake up in the morning and decide while they are shaving: 'I'm going to be the meanest or worst human being. I'm going to cause as much havoc as possible,'" Johnny explains. "No, for me, playing Joll, he seemed very different to me than a bad guy. That felt like it would have been too easy. If you try to think about how a man like that is built, how he is turned, how a man like this arrives at that place: Is it really to be without emotion; is it sociopathy or psychopathy? Or is there somewhere in that guy that harbors a broken child in there or that has been hammered into a shape by his father or mother in his upbringing?"
Colonel Joll is a stark contrast to the magistrate, wonderfully portrayed by Mark Rylance. This quiet, thoughtful observer is kind, gentle and respectful toward the natives. Having witnessed the unnecessary pain and suffering that Colonel Joll inflicts on the locals without any real cause, you see the magistrate's frustration grow. The Colonel's explanation — "Pain is truth; all else is subject to doubt." — just doesn't cut it. As Colonel Joll's crew disturbs the peace and leaves the outpost in ruins, the magistrate's loyalty sides with the locals. It's a good thing, too, because these nomads will eventually get it together.
I like that there's so little action in this movie that it's hard for me to describe. For example, one scene shows the magistrate falling asleep after hours of washing a local woman's injured feet with warm water. Watching this movie, I could focus on and see what the characters were thinking. How often does that happen?
The Kitties will put a stop to any barbaric behavior.
The best part of Colonel Joll is his cool shades. Johnny describes them: "When Ciro came up with the shape, they were threatening, menacing, somehow; and the fact that he wouldn't take them off, he would make the magistrate as uncomfortable as possible. He learnt some tricks over the years. Calmness, stillness and quiet, and holding your response to a question can be quite disturbing to the person on the other side of you. They are levels of maintaining the armor."
Check out this sketch by production designer/set decorator Crispain Sallis. "Through that characterization, [Johnny] cut Colonel Joll back to the absolute bone, making any additional theatrical flourishes, such as the glasses or the swagger stick, things to absolutely relish," he explains.
In my own illustration, I'm not sure the shades come across quite as menacing, but Colonel Joll (Gordon) also accessorizes his uniform with a golden hammer that he considers using to beat up the next barbarian. (Did I mention he's not a nice guy?) This is the only moment where Colonel Joll manages a slight smirk, pleased with the fear-induced power he has over these nomads. When the magistrate (Comet) speaks up, pointing out his evil ways, Colonel Joll's face and stance stiffen and his frown returns. Don't worry, Comet didn't get hurt in the making of this illustration. (Also, I realized after I finished this drawing that the uniforms are a deep navy color — not black — but it all depends on the sunlight, right?)
Check out this Crock of Gold!
In other exciting Johnny news, be sure to catch Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan, a documentary that Johnny produced about his friend and frontman of the Pogues. It is available now in the United States and Canada for viewing on home digital platforms and DVD. Additional worldwide releases are coming later this month. I am getting ready to watch it with the volume up.
What's next? Look at me, all caught up with Johnny Kitties! Mark your calendars for February 5 to see Johnny as war photographer W. Eugene Smith in Minamata. I am pacing the floors for this one.
"The Professor is a quirky comedy of sorts – stark, enchanting, funny, tragic. It's rare to see comedies that tackle the subject of death." Danny Houston
"Accepting one's mortality and the fact that we're going to die shouldn't be a depressing thing." Wayne Roberts
"May we forever remember that in each and every moment, we are composing the stories of our lives. Let's aim to make it a meaningful read or at least an interesting one." Richard Brown (Johnny Depp)
Life is what you make of it.
After learning that he has terminal lung cancer and maybe six months to live, Professor Richard Brown (Johnny Depp) realizes that he has no time to waste and spends the rest of it teaching his last students to say what they mean, live however they want, and make the most out of life. Taking his own advice, Richard speaks without a filter, indulges in his whims, and creates his own path toward the exit. Through The Professor, writer/director Wayne Roberts poses tough questions and makes bold statements to remind us that death is an important part of life.
The Professor got a failing grade.
Typically, I don't look for or read movie reviews before I see them – especially for movies I'm looking forward to seeing. Reviews affect my own opinions: Once I read them, I can't forget what was said while I'm watching the movie. In the case of The Professor, the reviews found me and most of them were bad. The sentiment was so universal that the movie was never properly released in theaters in the United States. Instead, it went straight to DVD in 2019.
I only read a couple of these bad reviews before I decided to deduce the opinions from just the headlines. Some reviewers made the unfair comparison of Richard's behavior to Johnny's own, so I stopped reading and waited to see this thing for myself.
I see what they mean, but...
Maybe it was because of the reviews, but I didn't like The Professor at first. He and his wife are so mean to each other. He is bad at his job and doesn't care. He's a bad influence on his students. He's making bad choices. Is this really what people think Johnny is doing in his own life? How dismal.
What I find so jarring is that Richard's choices of how to spend the rest of his days are so different from what I would think to do, but that's probably the point. Anyone who finds out that they are going to die soon probably assumes that they should do whatever they feel like doing in the moment. In Richard's case, that includes drugs, infidelity, and a bender in the middle of the week.
...The Professor has some good points.
I warmed up to The Professor because there are also moments of reflection, clarity and purpose. In fact, it made me cry by the end, which has got to mean something.
Like most Johnny movies, The Professor has a great beginning. In the opening scene, Richard is in the doctor's office getting the bad news – a terminal diagnosis and only a few months to live. For the next few minutes that span the rest of his day, the news sinks in and Richard is lost in thought about what it means. Johnny is so good at saying so much without saying anything, but Richard shares his distress and anger every once in a while with a single repeated curse word, expressed in a variety of ways. It's both funny and sad.
I also love the elements that glue this movie together – the structure and soundtrack, the cinematography and scenery, and the script and cast.
The Professor is divided into chapters that reflect Richard's thought process: For example, Chapter 1 is I Have Something To Say and Chapter 3 is I'm Really Going to Die. I like how these titles set the tone for the next scenes.
Also setting the tone is a great soundtrack that includes refreshing classical and comforting Motown.
Filmed in Vancouver, The Professor is full of beautiful shots, highlighting impressive architecture, sets, and scenery that makes me want to plan a vacation there. Given the grim start and Richard's resulting irreverence, I appreciate having something pretty to look at.
Unorthodox behavior aside, Richard offers plenty of worthwhile lessons about not letting life pass by unnoticed.
This great cast, including Rosemarie DeWitt, Danny Houston, Odessa Young, and Zoey Deutch, seem wholly invested in capturing the balance between life and death, and it's clear that they are having fun doing it. "Johnny's just so alive and present and real in every moment," says Devon Terrell (who plays student Danny). "It's so brilliant to be in a scene with someone who is so kind of almost animalistic in a way that something's going to happen in every moment. You just didn't know what."
I love seeing the relationship between Richard and his best friend Peter (Danny Houston). Danny Houston's performance is my favorite in this movie, maybe because I would likely react the same way to the news of a friend's (or Johnny's) impending death. Apparently, the feeling was mutual: "My experience with Johnny was love at first sight," Danny Houston says. "I don't know if we're playing into what's required for the characters of the piece or whether it's truly heartfelt, but at the moment, it feels absolutely real." I also related to Richard's bond with his daughter Olivia (Odessa Young). In the end, their goodbye is what brought me to tears. (The original title of this movie was Richard Says Goodbye, which makes more sense to me.)
I'm not sure The Professor deserves all the bad reviews it got. Sometimes, it lays it on thick that life should not be wasted, but is that such a bad message? The humor might be lost on some people because of the seriousness of this subject, but I appreciate the attempt to take the sting out of death. The Professor suggests that we should not be afraid of death but let it help us focus on a well-lived life, there is no time like the present to make changes and do what we need to do, and when the time comes, we should go out however we want. These are themes Johnny has always seemed to live by, so I'm not surprised that he connected to this character. This story may have struck close to home too: The Professor is dedicated to Johnny's mom, who died of lung cancer in 2016.
The Kitties get it.
When thinking of how The Kitties could represent The Professor, one scene kept coming back to me. Most of the movie shows Richard indulging in his vices, telling people what he really thinks, imparting words of wisdom to his students, or saying goodbye to those he loves. But in this scene, Richard is alone, dealing with his own thoughts and pain. Maybe I'm reading too much into this moment, but it seems like Richard is realizing that this is really happening, that it's out of his control, and it's something bigger than everything else. He looks up toward the sky, as church bells toll in the background, and it cuts to Chapter 4, titled, It's Really Starting to Kick In. Maybe I'm not too far off.
I was also struck by the interesting stark angles and textures in this shot of someone huddled in a space with jagged rock, aged wood, and hard tile. It's an uncomfortable but pretty space.
What's next?
In Waiting for the Barbarians, Johnny plays a colonel who doesn't have to say much to instill fear in innocent people, waving his misguided authority around with a fancy golden hammer.
Surprise! This drawing took me weeks to finish, I think, because I feel like I captured everything I wanted to capture about John Waters' 1990 classic Cry-Baby in my first tribute drawing in 2011. Can you believe it's been almost 10 years?
I've always felt uneasy about including the Confederate flag stage curtain in that original drawing, even though it is accurate to and fits well in the film. The Black Lives Matter movement and recent events only amplified my concern. Yet, that Cry-Baby artwork was drawn with nothing but love, so I will keep it in my Johnny Kitties collection.
But here's another piece to celebrate Cry-Baby that I think I might love just as much: It's Cry-Baby in the daytime. The nice thing about revisiting this movie to create a new illustration so many years later is that enough Kitties have joined our family to play all the characters.
Welcome to Turkey Point!
This scene is early in the movie, just after Cry-Baby talked to Allison for the first time and then serenaded her while driving on the wrong side of the road after school. Now at home, with Allison still on his mind, Cry-Baby and his gang greet Grandma Ramona and Uncle Belvedere. I knew this movie was going to be great when I saw that Director John Waters got Iggy Pop to take a bath outside in a bucket.
In this illustration, Gordon plays Johnny's character, as always, and Lily, again as Allison (Amy Locane), invades Cry-Baby's thoughts. The Mother Kitty and B.J. also reprise their roles as Ramona and Belvedere (Susan Tyrrell and Iggy Pop). The rest of the Kitties mix it up: This time around, Comet and Ashes play Milton and Hatchet-Face (Darren E. Burrows and Kim McGuire). Mini portrays Cry-Baby's sister Pepper (Ricki Lake), with Stephen and Mew as her little kids (Jonathan Benya and Jessica Raskin). Emily shows her stuff as Wanda (Traci Lords), and Walter plays it cool as Dupree (Robert Tyree).
But maybe the real star of this drawing is the skeleton head, just in time for Halloween. The Kitties stayed away from that role.
The only thing missing from this drawing is a snippet of Cry-Baby's fantastic soundtrack. I couldn't fit the lyrics, but I did have "(My Heart Goes) Piddily Patter, Patter" by Nappy Brown in my head the entire time I was coloring: "My heart goes Piddily Patter, Patter/ Piddily Patter, Patter/ Every time I look at you/ Don't I know what's the matter, matter?/ What's the matter, but I think it's cause I love you." That Cry-Baby soundtrack still rocks, '50s style!
What's Next?
New Johnny Kitties illustrations, celebrating Johnny's two latest films – The Professor and Waiting for the Barbarians – are swirling in my head and on the horizon. Until next time, I hope you enjoy this flashback.
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg stood up for and educated us like no other, leading the way to a better future. She created a path, and we must continue to push it forward.
Here are just a few of her inspiring words to live by:
My mother told me to be a lady, and for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.
If you're a boy and you like teaching, you like nursing, you would like to have a doll, that's okay. We should each be free to develop our own talents, whatever they may be, and not be held back by artificial barriers.
So often in life, things that you regard as an impediment turn out to be great, good fortune.
Reading is the key that opens to many good things in life. Reading shaped my dreams, and more reading helped me make my dreams come true.
I'm a very strong believer in listening and learning from others.
You can disagree without being disagreeable.
Don't be distracted by emotions like anger, envy, resentment. These just zap energy and waste time.
Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn't be that women are the exception.
I don't say women's rights – I say the constitutional principle of the equal citizenship stature of men and women.
I didn't change the Constitution; the equality principle was there from the start. I just was an advocate for seeing its full realization.
Women will have achieved true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation.
In my life, what I find most satisfying is that I was part of a movement that made life better, not just for women...gender discrimination is bad for everyone.
Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.
Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.
I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability.
Whatever you choose to do, leave tracks. That means don't do it just for yourself. You will want to leave the world a little better for your having lived.
Thanks for all your hard work, R.B.G. Your wisdom, guidance, and spirit are sorely missed.
Now, everybody, do what she says here and vote – November 3 or (if you can) earlier! Visit BetterKnowABallot.com to find out how and where in your local area.
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Thank you, Chadwick Boseman for setting an example to follow, providing words of wisdom, and making some really good movies. You were and always will be an inspiration to so many of us.
"We will work to be an example of how we as brothers and sisters on this earth should treat each other. Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis, the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe." - King T'Challa, Black Panther
"Purpose is an essential element of you. It is the reason that you’re on the planet at this particular time in history. Your very existence is wrapped up in the things you are here to fulfill. Whatever you choose for a career path remember the struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose....I don’t know what your future is, but if you’re willing to take the harder way, the more complicated one, the one with more failures at first than successes, the one that has ultimately proven to have more meaning, more victory, more glory—then you will not regret it. This is your time." - Chadwick Boseman
The kitties have a public service announcement. See below and follow these simple rules to save lives. You know it's serious when cats are willing to get their paws wet.
Hi everyone,
Unlike everybody else in our Kitty family, our second honorary piggy kitty came from a pet store. Usually, buying animals from pet stores is against our principles, but this little one was a thoughtful gift, and soon the Kitties realized that Byzee's origin story was just like theirs. After all, everyone's just looking for a place to be loved.
Like one of his heroes Gil from Finding Nemo, Byzee spent his early days planning his escape from the guinea pig pen in which he and so many others were placed. He knew he was destined for something better.
My sister's work friends picked Byzee out and gave him to my sister after she fell so in love with Carmella, the OG guinea pig who honorably served as a school class mascot before retiring to my sister's home. At first, we thought Byzee was another girl. When we realized our mistake and apologized, Byzee said, "Hey, whatever, man. We're all the same on the inside." Byzee was tiny then, but he had big ideas.
Byzee is named after two legendary beings, the Star Wars saga's Baby Yoda and Avatar's extraordinary fire bender Zuko. Byzee also keeps busy – always on alert, practicing old and new hobbies, and itching to run the growing obstacle course in his new home. Byzee eyes are different colors – one is blue and one is brown – and he and The Mother Kitty discuss this uniqueness endlessly, including their mutual admiration for fellow multicolored-eye glam rocker David Bowie.
Byzee is a wild rock star at heart. Since he moved into my sister's house, he has let his hair grow out like Jerry Garcia, and he's been dreaming of being in a band ever since we watched School of Rock together. He practices all sort of instruments but seems to like the keyboards and drums the best. Most of his favorite musicians play classic rock – The Doors, Cream, The Grateful Dead, ELO, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. But Byzee's got soul too, often grooving to Funkadelic, Al Green, Stevie Wonder, and Chuck Berry. And, he surprises us all whenever he sings along to newer music, from the likes of Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and Alicia Keys. But I guess we shouldn't be surprised – he's always up with the times and trends, exploring the latest things.
Byzee doesn't watch much TV, unless I make him sit still for a movie that provides life lessons, but he loves a good goofy comedy. His favorite actors include Steve Carrell, Will Ferrell, Michael Keaton, Holly Hunter, Bill Murray, and Jeff Bridges. His favorite films include Young Frankenstein, Johnny Dangerously, Elf, and any of the Cohen Brothers movies (though he's too young to watch the R-rated ones). Last night, we watched City Lights, so now Comet (our resident silent movie expert) is telling him all about Charlie Chaplin.
But Byzee is more of a hands-on kind of piggy. When not creating music or watching a comedy classic, he likes to build things. He would rather spend his time outside in the wilderness, but his fancy cage is the next best thing. He dreams of remodeling his cage into a guinea pig mansion of his dreams (see below). It's a work in progress, and his new home offers plenty to do and places to run as it is. Most important, there are places to hide and spy: Byzee is always on the look out for his new nemesis Stephen. Don't worry – he's okay with it now that he knows Stephen is everyone's nemesis and, also, Stephen's brain is about the same size as his.)
Like Carmella, Byzee likes to chill with a good book and fresh food, including his favorites, bananas, parsley, and pepper plant leaves. Right now, we are reading The Daily Show (The Book) by Chis Smith together, and he just asked me who Stephen Colbert is. Byzee's still got a lot to learn, but he's getting there – fast.
It's time for a new portrait of Walter, who has grown from a tiny, fuzzy kitten into a sleek, lanky, handsome stud. (That's how Emily describes him anyway – sometimes.)
"The Wizarding World is a mirror of our world, and we're talking about a period in Wizarding history when there was a rise of what I would call Wizarding Nationalism, if you like, so it's a form of a populist hero, a very populist hero. He's a very different baddie. Grindelwald's far easier to like, which makes him quite dangerous." J.K. Rowling
"Grindelwald, to me, represents a side of the Wizarding World. He has the power, the magic of the wand, and all that, but I think, more than anything, he seems to have a psychological edge on most." Johnny Depp
What's happening?
In 1927 London, Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) escapes imprisonment and gets to work winning over followers, most of whom are unaware of his true goal to have pure-blood wizards ruling over everyone else. Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) is on to this scheme and enlists his star student, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), to help him stop Grindelwald. To help him stop Dumbledore, Grindelwald finds Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), who has turned up in Paris. In Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, the second installment of the Fantastic Beasts franchise, almost everyone picks a side as these two leaders prepare for the ultimate battle for supremacy.
How did we get here?
I've never read the Harry Potter books, and I only binge-watched the movies a few years ago, even though I tried watching them with my nephew several times before. Every time I tried to watch the first Harry Potter movie, I fell asleep within five minutes. I realized that this happened because I had no idea what anyone was talking about, using the unique terms of Harry Potter's world. I tuned out conversations as if they were in a foreign language. Once I got passed that initial confusion, however, I loved the Harry Potter movies just as I thought I would! The trouble with binge-watching them is that they have now run together in my head. I am still a Harry Potter beginner, who is always a bit confused and too unfamiliar (so please be kind if I mix up some details).
Still, it was magic that made me catch up on Harry Potter just before it was announced that Johnny signed on to star in the Harry Potter prequel franchise Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and four more related films, uncovering the past of beloved Professor Dumbledore and his rival. Don't you agree?
I didn't create an illustration for 2016's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first Fantastic Beasts movie, which premiered in 2016, because Johnny was only in it for about two minutes. My options were to draw either the back of his head or an action shot of him being whisked away to prison.
I liked this dark adventure in the Potterverse. Newt Scamander arrives in New York to find a lost magical beast and save it in the fantastic beast sanctuary hidden in his suitcase. While there, things don't go exactly as planned.
This film sets up the Fantastic Beasts saga's characters: In addition to Newt, there's his love Tina (an American witch who tried to get him arrested, played by Katherine Waterston), a baker named Jacob (Dan Fogler), and his love (and Tina's sister) Queenie (Alison Sudol). The dark side of this movie stems from troubled teen Credence (Ezra Miller), who was adopted and subsequently emotionally and physically abused for years by his crazy mother (Samantha Morton).
Credence meets Percival Graves (Colin Farrell), who promises to get him away from her if he helps him locate a child with great powers. But it turns out that Graves is evil and Credence is the child with great powers. Credence is possessed by an obscurial, an abstract dark entity. When his rage gets the best of him, the obscurial takes over and causes destruction all over New York.
In the end, Credence is gone. Graves is arrested, and his true identity is revealed: Graves is really Grindelwald! Now what?
Are you confused yet? (The Pirates movies seem so much easier to explain than these ones!) I must admit, I liked Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them better than Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. This time, instead of the language putting me to sleep, the special effects did. Don't get me wrong – some of the special effects are really cool! But my admitted newness to and unfamiliarity with this magical world made it harder for me to follow the story, and I found some of the special effects to be too, too much.
Who cares? Johnny looks great! I love his spiky bleach-blonde Billy Idol-ish hair, weird David Bowie-esque eyes, and black outfit! This is a wizard I could get behind, if only he were a good guy. Most of the time, he walks around looking like a menace and gets his followers to do his dirty work while he makes enticing speeches to convince everyone to come over to the dark side. It was a slight letdown after dreaming about Johnny sharing scenes with Jude Law, but I guess I have to wait.
Who's the bad guy?
My favorite part of this movie is the first 10 minutes before the title even appears. The film opens, showing Grindelwald imprisoned in London's Ministry of Magic. He looks weak and defeated with long gray hair and expressionless face, as he watched a fly spark off of the invisible bubble that he's trapped in.
He's been there for six months, and it's time to transfer him back to New York to answer for his crimes. I love how he literally floats up the stairs in chains, past the other jail cells, and ultimately escapes amid stormy skies from the carriage drawn by flying dragon-horse-like creatures, who intended to transport him to America. He was just waiting for the right moment to make his move.
Last year, Johnny was touring with The Hollywood Vampires, who released a second album, called Rise. For this album, Johnny wrote several of the songs, and he also sings David Bowie's "Heroes," which the band performed on TV first on Jimmy Kimmel Live and then on The Late Late Show with James Corden.
Then, Johnny went to Europe, publicizing his next film Waiting for the Barbarians (which will be out on demand and DVD this August). He made stops at the Venice Film Festival and received a silver plaque and tribute, presented by Catherine Deneuve, at the 45th Deauville American Film Festival.
This year, everyone's at home because of the global pandemic. Johnny's been in France and he joined Instagram! Also, today is his birthday; happy birthday, Johnny! Later this summer, the third installment in the Fantastic Beasts series should begin filming.
What's next?
Johnny is The Professor, someone who learns to appreciate and live his live to the fullest in the time he has left.
I know it's been a while. I have lots of kitty illustration ideas in my head, but I struggle to find time and motivation to get them on paper. I wonder if the pandemic-induced stay-at-home order will help me get back on track.
I've been lucky to work at home during this weird time. Lily is loving it, though I think she secretly wonders what's going on.
Lily is all about her routines, and the pandemic has messed them up. But bed time is still our favorite time of day.
Every night, Lily snuggles up against my chest, wraps her front paws around my arm, talks, purrs, and kneads whatever is nearby (my arm, my pillow, the mattress, the air). She turns around often to see if I'm still awake and, if so, rests her chin on my hand, and purrs for some cheek rubs. This routine sometimes goes on so long that I'm considering adjusting my bedtime to accommodate it and my need for more sleep.
If anything good is coming out of this pandemic, it's the recognition of those around us and how we are helping each other get through it – hospital workers and volunteers; essential business and city workers; teachers, caregivers, and pet sitters; flight attendants for essential travel; restaurants staff offering takeout; entertainers who have found ways to reach us from their own homes; and, of course, friends and family members, including our ever-loving animals.
Thanks, Lily! This one's for you.
Keep safe and at a safe distance, everyone. (Lily knows that she's breaking the rules here.)
I just counted my playbills and discovered that I have been to 10 benefit concerts for the Rainforest Fund! I started going to the event in 2000. I still lived in Ohio at that time and don't remember how this streak got started. I must have just discovered it and decided I had to go. I still feel that way every time they announce a new one, and this year was no exception.
Many times, I have bought a ticket to this concert without knowing the lineup. Based on my first benefit concert experience with the Rainforest Fund (then known as the Rainforest Foundation) – which had a Motown theme and Stevie Wonder as a surprise guest – I don't need to know the plan. This year, the preliminary lineup was revealed in advance, but I was already sold on the theme, We'll Be Together, featuring songs and videos from the '80s and '90s. Also, it was the charity's 30th anniversary celebration. Again, I had to go!
Unlike previous years, this concert was hosted at Beacon Theatre, not Carnegie Hall. Beacon Theatre is smaller, which is nice, but it also had fewer seats available to the public, and the ticket-buying process was frustrating.
First off, I swear that they announced a 10 a.m. start time for ticket sales. It was just my luck and anxiety that made me check early, and I found that people were already buying up seats at 9:36. Secondly, I kept selecting supposedly available seats and being told to wait, then that the seat was taken already by someone else, and to try again. This panic-inducing process went on for at least a half hour before I finally got whatever seat they'd let me have.
Who was in charge here? Thanks, Ticketmaster. (At the event, the person next to me said that tickets went on sale at 9 a.m., and that he had the same experience I did, trying to buy tickets for four people: he ended up having to buy individual seats, so he had to go through that nightmare four times. I guess I was lucky.)
Let me borrow some of Trudie Styler's zen energy and move beyond this fiasco. At least I got a seat; that's all that matters. (Ticketmaster, fix this!)
Let's get ready.
I went all out for this trip to New York: I stayed in a fancy hotel, I saw two other shows on Broadway (Dear Evan Hansen and David Byrne's American Utopia), I spent a day at my favorite museum (Museum of Modern Art), and I treated myself to lots of good food. (Thanks for my daily cup of chocolate chestnut chai tea, Argo Tea Cafe: it's the best!) But it was all leading up to the Rainforest Fund concert, by which time it was raining and I was in full denial that I had a cold.
I arrived at Beacon Theatre more than an hour ahead of time because the email warnings from the venue scared me: Get in line an hour beforehand or you might not be seated in time for the start of the show, one read. We suggest that you go through this door on Amsterdam rather than that door on Broadway for quicker entry, another advised. Once inside, I nearly rolled my eyes at the fact that I was seated within 15 minutes (and that timeframe includes my stop at the merchandise counter to buy the event's commemorative tote bag). Did I mention that the Beacon Theatre is small? But I didn't roll my eyes because (1) I am not late, (2) this place is beautiful, (3) the concert logo/image projected on the ceiling is cool,; and (4) Ahhh, this is happening!!!
I've been to the Beacon Theatre once before for Sting's amazing 60th birthday charity concert, but I didn't remember what it was like until I was in it. My seat, in Row E of the Loge Level, had a great view, and I had newly bought binoculars with me just in case. (I was still in the Carnegie Hall mindset: to see this concert in that venue, I had to climb at least seven flights of stairs to get to the top-level "cheap" seats, where binoculars are useful.)
The stage was set for the big, talented house band, always directed by drummer Narada Michael Walden. Three video screens were hanging around the stage too – one above it, one on the left, and one on the right. A few chairs were placed at stage right too: this is where the featured performers can sit and watch each other throughout the show. Those are probably the best seats in the house.
We were all instructed to get in line by 6 p.m. for a show that would start promptly at 7 p.m. As I waited in my seat for 45 minutes, it amazed me how many people did not follow these simple directions. The show ended up starting at 7:15, while people were still milling around, chatting, and thinking about maybe sitting down sometime.
It's showtime, people! I want my MTV!
Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" played on the screens as the lights went out. That classic video was followed by a classic animated MTV commercial, the one that's set to MTV's guitar riffs as the MTV logo flickers in different colors and patterns.
Then, host Robert Downey, Jr., kicked off the concert by picking his own tune! My ticket was already worth it. Here's a rundown of the performances.
1. Addicted to Love – Robert Downey, Jr. and MJ Rodriguez. I remembered earlier that Robert Downey, Jr., hosted and sang at Sting's birthday concert too. He's good at it. The music started in the dark but turned on just as he sang the first lyric, "Your lights are on..." Robert was backed up by a girl band, and they dressed in outfits that paid homage to Robert Palmer's video, which played behind them on the middle screen. MJ Rodriguez from the fantastic TV show Pose, joined him on this song. (About a month later, while promoting his latest movie, Doolittle, Robert Downey, Jr., showed up on The Tonight Show, talked about this concert, and sang a little bit of this song with Jimmy Fallon. Ah, memories...)
When he finished this song, a guy in the audience yelled, "Iron Man!" He responded with, "I'm retired. This is my new gig." He continued that before the concert really begins, he should give us a "rambling soliloquy" about climate change, but he was interrupted by a loud ringing cell phone that came through the speakers. He started looking around and asking who's phone it was, pointing to people in the audience, and then realized, "Oh, it's me."
Someone brought out a giant boxy cell phone."It's the '80s calling," he said, "Enjoying Reaganomics, are we? Yes, I know, I got fired from SNL, but things work out fine for me. Really, everything's okay.... If you're so smart, guess who's president right now. You'll never guess....Okay, deal with your self-important denial while we deal with the ramifications of your behavior. Okay, little brother, gotta fly." After he got off the phone, he told us to put ours away: put them in your pockets, watch the show, and enjoy it without your phones in hand. If he saw a phone, he warned, he would yell at us. And, then, he introduced the next guest.
2. Englishman in New York – Sting and Shaggy.Sting and Shaggy are an unusual pair, but they complement each other well. I've seen this song performed on their joint tour that supported their reggae album 44/876. It's a great duet, where Shaggy improvises some rapping and sings in the chorus that he's a Jamaican in New York. They have lots of fun together and it shows.
After they left the stage, Sting walked back out and said, "I was so excited that I forgot I had the next thing to do!" He introduced James Taylor, who has participated in 17 of the Rainforest Fund's concerts and is considered family.
3. Your Smiling Face – James Taylor
James came out, ready with his guitar, signaled to the band, and performed this one. He's no fuss, which I appreciate.
Afterward, he thanked everyone for coming and how happy he was to be back in New York with his friends at this event.
4. Up on the Roof – James Taylor."This song is not technically from the '80s or '90s. It's actually from the '60s," James Taylor explained before he started singing. It's a Carole King song, he continued; he said he did a version of it in the '80s, which he thought might count for something. He considers "Up on the Roof" to be "the quintessential New York statement." This was a good one. I love that James Taylor always shows up at this concert, he's always funny and charming, and he always looks and sounds the same with that amazing voice. Who cares about the theme? He can do whatever he wants.
After James Taylor finished, Robert Downey, Jr., came out again and introduced Bob Geldof, saying, "He likes six days of the week, but not necessarily this one." Then, he knelt on one knee toward Bob as he walked on stage because we were in the presence of more greatness.
5. I Don't Like Mondays - Bob Geldof.I was surprised by how excited I got at the sight of Bob Geldof, but it hit me that he's the organizer of Live Aid! He's the guy who got everyone in Band Aid together to sing "Do They Know It's Christmas!" He's the old friend of Sting's that I've read about all these years! Bob Geldof also looks and sounds exactly the same as he did in the '80s; he just has gray hair now.
After he was finished, Bob Geldof said that Sting and Trudie told him to sing that song. "'It'll be perfect,' they said, but they were being kind because it's probably the only song you might recognize." That's true: it's the hit from his Boomtown Rats era, and it was perfect because this concert was on a Monday. He continued, "You don't know any of my other incandescent songs, so I'm going to sing someone else's song." 6. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding – Bob Geldof. I forget that this is a Nick Lowe song because Elvis Costello always sings it, and I also always think about Bill Murray's version in Lost in Translation. Bob Geldof's version was just as unique as those other covers. At times, he spoke the lyrics like poetry, and behind him, the screens flashed images from his work in South Africa and at Live Aid. Everyone cheered when certain images of concert performers appeared, like Freddie Mercury and Bono. It brought back lots of memories of that once-in-a-lifetime event at that critical time and reminded us how universal music is and how it can spark change.
Sting walked out after that and introduced his friend Shaggy.
7. Electric Avenue – Shaggy. This song made me so happy! So many of us cheered at the first sign of recognition. I wasn't expecting to hear it, and Shaggy put his typical fun energy into it. And, everyone in the room sang and danced along. This song was a good choice!
Robert Downey, Jr., walked out afterward, exclaiming, "That was Shagtastic!" Then, he said, "I saw a few people with their phones out. This is what I call your first warning."
Next, he introduced Sting's eldest son, Joe Sumner, who heads his own band called Fiction Plane. I first saw Fiction Plane when they opened for The Police during the reunion tour. Then, I saw him perform solo on a couple Sting tours. But Robert Downey, Jr., shared something I didn't know – that he was the frontman for the David Bowie tribute band (which performs as the David Bowie Alumni Band for A Bowie Celebration). He said, "Here is Joe Sumner to channel Ziggy Stardust himself!"
I can't find any photos or videos of this
performance, but here's a nice photo with
Bob Geldof instead.
8. Ashes to Ashes – David Bowie.Before he launched into this song, Joe Sumner (wearing a black t-shirt with "I Love You" printed on it in white letters) described himself as the taller, cheaper version of his dad. He also mentioned that Robert Downey, Jr., was his neighbor in Malibu. (These are the kinds of details I like to remember.)
It just occurred to me that I heard Joe Sumner sing this song before, connected to a Sting song ("50,000") during Sting's 57th & 9th tour a few years ago. This evening, he sang it on its own. I love this song, was happy to hear it, and sang along, but it made me sad too. I wished that David Bowie were there to sing it himself.
Don't worry, Sting cheered me up when he walked out afterward and said, "Well, that's what happens when you feed them." Sting talked about performing at these concerts with so many amazing artists over the last 30 years, noting that many have passed away. He named a few, including the great Pavarotti, and he introduced the next guest, Zucchero. He performed a popular duet with Pavarotti, which he sang for us next.
9. Miserere – Zucchero (with Pavarotti). Like James Taylor's songs, this doesn't really fit this concert's theme, but who cares? I love that anyone can turn up at these concerts, and we will like it! This was a duet with Pavarotti's recorded part coming through loud and clear. Wherever he is, he's still in charge.
After Zucchero finished to rousing applause, Sting and Robert Downey, Jr., argued over who would introduce the next guest: "You ask me to host and now you want to take it over? I see, I see how this is going," Robert said. They went back and forth trading trivia about her, but then Robert put an end to it: "Well, I guess, it takes two men to introduce Debbie Harry."
10. Call Me – Debbie Harry. I saw Debbie Harry on tour with Blondie (and Elvis Costello) last summer. Months later, I saw her at a book signing for her memoir. And, a few days after that, I found out she was going to be at this concert. I swear that I'm not following her around, but we must have similar tastes. Of the three places I saw her last year, this is where she looked the most amazing in a sparkly animal print minidress with thigh-high boots and a red cape that had a couple of bees patched on the front (because she also wants to save the bees) and an important environmental message stitched on the back. She was true to form!
11. Rapture – Debbie Harry. This is one of my favorite songs. It became more exciting when a rapper showed up to continue rapping after Debbie Harry was done. People cheered at the sight of him, but I was slow to realize who it was – DMC from Run DMC! (You'd think I would have looked at the lineup during my 45-minute wait for the show to start. What was I doing? I was thrilled by this surprise!) Eventually, DMC rapped his own rain forest rap including a mantra, "Leave my rain forest alone." It was while he was doing his thing that I got to read the Debbie Harry's cape; she faced the band and swayed while he rapped. Then, I almost lost it with the next song.
12. Walk This Way – DMC. Like "Electric Avenue," I don't know if it's because I hadn't heard it in a while, because I didn't expect to hear it, or maybe both, but I (and everyone else) was jumping up and down over this song. Everyone was yelling the lyrics so loudly, we became a part of it. Toward the end, DMC went over to the chairs on the right side of the stage, where Sting and James Taylor sat, bobbing and clapping. He held his mic up to both of them to take turns with the chorus. Even James Taylor screamed it. That's what this song does to people.
After that, Robert Downey, Jr., walked out in shades. He explained that he wanted to switch to the dark glasses so we can't tell that he's reading the teleprompters. He announced with typical flair, "Up next...is a lull, an interval, as Sting, Trudie, and the Brits would say. Our lull will last 10 minutes."
Intermission
During the intermission, the screens showed a classic "I want my MTV" ad with The Police. It was followed by two videos – Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl" and Aretha Franklin's "Freeway of Love." Then, there were outtakes of The Police's MTV ads (which I hadn't seen before and loved), followed by another video – "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits.
Then, Sting and Robert Downey, Jr., came out, talking about that song: Robert asked Sting how that collaboration came about, and Sting said the tune started out as "Don't Stand So Close to Me," but they changed it to "I want my MTV." There's our trivia for the night. (Note: Sting had changed outfits, from one black suit to another. This one featured a longer coat, and I liked it.) Sting introduced musical director Narada Michael Walden, who in turn introduced the band members.
Then, they paid attention to us, and Robert asked, "Did everyone get everything they wanted out of that lull that they ever wanted?" It's on to the second half.
13. Secrets O' Life – James Taylor. James Taylor kicked things off with one of his own songs from the '70s. For this song, he sat on a stool and sang while playing his acoustic guitar. That's James Taylor at his best.
Afterward, Sting and Robert Downey, Jr. returned, and Robert waved, "Hi, up there, by the way," to all those seated in the top balcony. They all cheered back, of course, and Sting walked up to the backup singers' section of the stage to get his partner for the next song.
"Are you ready, Lisa?"
"Yes!"
"Good, so am I." 14. We'll Be Together – Sting and Lisa Fischer. Whenever I hear this song, I remember Sting saying sometime that he could have made it better. It was a hit when it came out in 1987 and may have been what sparked my hopeless devotion to everything Sting. In any case, turning it into a duet with the great Lisa Fischer elevated it several levels. In the background, the song's black-and-white video played, featuring Sting with shaggy hair singing to Trudie, who sauntered around in a pretty black dress. Maybe it was this video that won me over. I remember it well: Sting was cute and the dancers were cool. (I didn't know much about Trudie back then.)
When they finished singing, Sting gave Lisa Fischer a giant bear of a hug that warmed my heart. They are old friends.
It's Time to Listen Up!
When Robert Downey, Jr., came back on stage, he asked, "Who was that smokin' lady in that video?" He talked about Trudie's kindness, how she helped him through dark times, and now how lucky he is to be a part of Sting and Trudie's ever-expanding circle of wonderfulness. (They have known each other at least since the mid-2000s, when Trudie produced one of his films, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints.)
All of this talk also warmed my heart! He went on for longer with a lot of superlative adjectives that Trudie has earned, but I didn't write them all down. In the end, he introduced her as "the literally incomparable Trudie Styler."
I think Trudie came out wearing the same dress that she wore in the "We'll Be Together" video. If that's true, of course it still fits her. They hugged, and she said, "Thank you, Robert, for that amazing introduction. I knew it was a good idea to have you host."
Trudie's speeches at these concerts leave me feeling simultaneously inspired and depressed. She's regal, well spoken, and thoughtful. And, she tells you the facts, like, "In my own lifetime, we have lost half of the world's rain forests. In my own lifetime, we've lost half of the world's land animals. And, in my own lifetime, we've removed life-sustaining oxygen from the seas and filled them with plastic."
She fears that we are losing safe places to live. "Every year, 20,000 square miles of tropical rain forest are destroyed and with it thousands of species of plants, animals, an insects," she said. The rate of deforestation in Brazil has been the highest in a decade because Brazil's President Bolsonaro actively encouraged the burning of the Amazon, and then he blamed Leonardo DiCaprio for the problem. Then, the always serene and composed Trudie Styler punctuated her frustration with, "You can't make this shit up!"
She continued, talking about how officials in Madrid are considering offering incentives to governments and industries to cut down carbon emissions. "That's extraordinary, isn't it? That any kind of financial incentivisation should be required at all – as if rising sea levels, extreme weather, the melting of the glaciers and ice caps, the deaths of coral reefs, droughts, floods, uncontrollable fires were not incentive enough!" She mentioned the migrant crisis and how millions more people will be on the move from their own destroyed environments, in search of food, security, and survival.
The Rainforest Fund is more important now than ever, a vital part of the bigger problem of our warming planet. While it may feel impossible, we owe it to the next generations not to give up. "We need to turn our activism into real, concrete action," she said. "The urgency demands that we must create a community of activists acting in harmony to save humanity."
She stressed that every choice we make matters – our diets, our cars, our use of plastic, our vote – if it's part of a unified vision. She urged for a new environmentalism that fosters a universal language of inclusion, that celebrates diversity and suggests a new way of being for humanity, and that ultimately protects all things on our Earth.
And, after all that heavy seriousness, it was now time for something completely different.
15. The Cup of Life – Ricky Martin. I don't think this guy ages. The crowd went wild for the sudden burst of energy and party atmosphere this performance provided.
16. La Vida Loca – Ricky Martin. Everyone sang along, stood, clapped, and danced to both of Ricky Martin's songs. The best thing I remember about this is that, two big guys were standing next to me, and when this song started, one of them exclaimed to the other, "Now, we're talkin'!!!"
After Ricky Martin brought down the house, we got a video message from Peter Gabriel! He said he was sorry that he couldn't attend tonight's event but was confident that Sting and the band would do okay. He complimented Sting and Trudie's efforts toward this cause and then said that Sting has introduced "tantric advocacy." (No, I still won't roll my eyes tonight.) He's helped the world realize how dependent we are on the rain forests.
17. Sledgehammer – Sting. A few years ago, Sting and Peter Gabriel toured together. It was a fantastic pairing, and they traded singing each other's songs at times. So while this version of "Sledgehammer" wasn't new to me, I was thrilled to hear and see it again. The backup singers all moved toward the front of the stage to sing with Sting, and to do Peter's "Sledgehammer" video walk together – such a crowd pleaser!
After it was over, Robert Downey, Jr., walked out, saying, "Peter, what a dick! 'Tantric advocacy'?" Thanks, Robert, but let's move on... He and Sting introduced Adrienne Warren, who is now on Broadway portraying Tina Turner in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.
18. Simply the Best – Adrienne Warren. I saw Adrienne Warren on The Late Show about a month earlier, talking about being a lifelong Tina Turner fan, working on the musical, getting to meet her idol and pick her brain about everything, and having her come to see the show in person. She sang "River Deep/Mountain High" with the cast that night, and it was powerful. Here, again, she channeled Tina in hot pink fringe dress, doing signature moves, and sounding pretty similar but in her own way. There's only one Tina, but Adrienne Warren could be the next best thing.
Robert Downey, Jr., came back out afterward. "We are continuing our theme of disgustingly philanthropic performers," he said, and he introduced John Mellencamp.
19. Jack and Diane – John Mellencamp. "How am I supposed to follow that?" John Mellencamp said, referring to Adrienne Warren's performance. He just had a guitar, but that's all he needed. In the '80s, I was never a big fan of John Mellencamp, but as the years have gone by, I've admired his work for Farm Aid and the interesting music projects I happen to hear about. This performance, singing just with a guitar, was quiet and fantastic! Everyone was singing along to this classic to a point where the audience became louder than the performer. During some choruses, he stopped singing and even playing. We took care of it acapela. We all know this one.
20. Pink Houses – John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen. Here's where everyone went berserk. Bruce Springsteen walked out and duetted with John Mellencamp. The titans had arrived. I somehow know all the words to this song too, but I guess everyone done, at least in this room. In the middle of this John Mellencamp song – with everyone standing, bouncing to the music, singing along, and anxiously trying to capture this monumental moment on their phones – it hit me how special these concerts are and how lucky we were to see these two singing such a great song together.
After that was over, Robert Downey, Jr., walked out again, saying, "Okay, okay, I can't blame you for having your phones out for that one. Put them back in your damn pockets!" And, "I think I can safely say this is the greatest concert we've ever been to."
21. Would I Lie to You – Eurythmics. Here is where maybe I went berserk. It's funny how so many people in the audience seemed to be here to see different performers. There's the Debbie Harry crowd, the Run DMC crowd, the Ricky Martin crowd, the John Mellencamp crowd, the Eurythmics crowd, and so on. Granted, I have seen Annie Lennox before – on tour with Sting, where else? – and I already know she's amazing, but it's been a while, and this time she came with her partner Dave Stewart. That was an extra treat. Dave Stewart looked the same as always: cool, stylish, and quiet with sharp suit, tipped hat, shades, and a sparkly silver guitar strap. He played a lengthy guitar solo here, during which Annie Lennox had time to change looks, switching from a sparkly silver jacket to a black one with a sparkly music staff pin on the lapel.
22. Here Comes the Rain Again – Eurythmics. This song started out acoustic and quiet. As with John Mellencamp's, everyone was singing along to this one too. Annie Lennox stopped singing at one point and prompted us to sing the chorus for her. "You sing so well," she whispered when we finished. Then, the song exploded, using the full band and crescendoing with another guitar solo from Dave Stewart. 23. Sweet Dreams – Eurythmics.Keeping with this momentum, they launched into probably their best known song with the classic video playing in the background. We were all standing, singing, and swaying together. We were lucky to see them here, reunited for the first time in several years.
After this set, Robert Downey, Jr., returned and asked, "Does anyone find it ironic that The Boss never really had a job?" He was met with the typical response after any mention of this guy: "Bruuuuuuuce!'
24. Glory Days – Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp. I was never a big Bruce Springsteen fan in the '80s. He was in the same boat as John Mellencamp in my mind. Still, I somehow know all of his songs too, and like John Mellencamp, I've come to appreciate his work and music more over the years. And, once he started showing up at the last few rainforest concerts, I understood the fandom. He really interacts with the crowd and puts on an infectiously energetic performance every time. I've always liked this song, and everyone else here did too. We all immediately stood up and sang along. Again, this moment, seeing these two sing together, seemed to change the energy in the room.
25. Dancing in the Dark – Bruce Springsteen. As John Mellencamp left the stage, Bruce yelled and signaled Narada Michael Walden to start with a drum solo. All the backup singer clapped to the beat and did some happy choreographed moves throughout the whole song. We sang, danced, and cheered along to this one, which featured a great saxophone solo. Eventually, all of the performers joined Bruce on stage, dancing and clapping to the beat as he ended this song.
26. Don't Stop Believing/Rapture/Rain Forest Rap – All. I wish they had ended it with Bruce. Even though I've never liked it, I get it that this is a go-to uplifting song for any occasion. (I remember when this song ended this concert before, in 2010, with an eclectic group, including Debbie Harry, Shirley Bassey, Lady Gaga, and Elton John. I probably complained then too – just because there are better songs. This time around, especially, though – there are so many other choices from the '80s and '90s!)
But, I won't complain because everyone is on stage here! One of the backup singers I didn't know took on main singing duties and sounded great. I appreciate that she dressed up in an '80s-inspired mostly black outfit, with hot pink lips on her t-shirt and a matching hot pink hair tie, jewelry, fingerless gloves, and leg warmers. But I spent most of my time trying to figure out if she was a famous special guest I didn't recognize or if she'd been here the whole time. (It was the latter.) I also noticed, more importantly, that Trudie had changed her look and outfit; now with a long ponytail, she wore a more festive shiny silver dress.
As usual, the performers had their own hand-held microphones and participated in this last song of the night, singing along to the chorus and big finish. When the song ended, the music from "Rapture" started up again and DMC rapped about the rain forest, leading everyone to chant, "Leave our rain forest alone!" It was a good message to end on.
To end the chanting and music, DMC turned to face the band with outstretched arms. He had his back to us and stomped to end it. He immediately hugged Trudie and Sting, who were right in front of him, and everyone on stage followed suit, cheering, clapping and hugging each other. Then, Trudie stepped forward to thank everyone for coming and and supporting the Rainforest Fund: "We've done it!" What does the future hold?
All concert photos' copyright: Getty Images
A few days later, I read a Vanity Fair interview with Trudie Styler, where she said this concert event (which includes a silent auction and related events) may be the last for the Rainforest Fund, at least for now. While it's great fun, the labor and costs aren't necessarily matching the returns and response they need during these urgent times. They have achieved a lot, but the problems have become increasingly critical as time has passed. She plans to reevaluate strategies to see what can be done more efficiently to reach the leaders of these countries and get them to make substantial change.
I whole-heartedly support this plan. However, I'm also glad that she's not saying they're never having the concerts again. I'm holding out hope that this is just a break because I like these concerts. Can you tell? Thanks, Trudie, Sting, and everybody involved for making these events so unforgettable!
Now, everyone, every little bit counts. Donate to the Rainforest Fund today, vote, recycle, bring your tote bags to the grocery store when you shop, and do whatever else you can to help save our home. We've only got one.
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