Where Pianos Roam

Video of the Week: Asian Street Dancing

My "Video of the Week" segment returns with a slight deviation from the norm.  The basic requirement for a video to be featured on this blog is for it to have some kind of piano/keyboard instrument, of any kind, in it. Well, I'm going out on a limb this week as this video relates to a VERY guilty pleasure of mine .  .  . Since I was a teenager many moons ago, I've been a dedicated Madonna fan.  I've been to two of her concerts, and I own just about every album in her catalogue. This week she releases a definitive collection of 36 hit songs that span her entire 26-year career.  It is a collection called "Celebration", and I, for one, will be obtaining my copy this week, along with millions of other fans around the world. When it comes to celebrating pop culture icons, I don't think anyone does it better than the Japanese (or any Asian culture, for that matter, as over a thousand dancers in Thailand just did a choreographed number to "Vogue" last week in the streets of Bangkok). This week's featured video is of an impromptu dance mob that takes over a busy intersection in Tokyo, Japan.  They appear out of nowhere and just start dancing.  In case you are wondering, they are performing to Madonna's two new songs on the collection, "Celebration" and "Revolver". This is pretty freakin' awesome .  .  . [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KS7QN3sODk] Asian Power!  Aww Yeaaah!! -g

Early On a " Sunday " Morning

Okay, so it's not the morning.  The late arrival of this blog post is the result of a weekend gone amiss.  I wound up going to an outdoor concert/bbq/bonfire on Saturday night and then ventured out for some late night dancing.  Finally getting into bed at 4 AM was not conducive to morning blogging.  I also had a very busy Sunday, and so, oh well.  That's just how it goes. I wanted to share a little bit about what I've been up to.  I have various art projects in the works. There is a big knitting project that I've been working on consisting of a bunch of knitted squares that will be sewn together to make a throw blanket.  I needed a change of pace from all of the scarves I've been knitting. I've also decided to do some renovation projects around the house.  I want to paint some rooms and start infusing more color in my surroundings.  All those hours watching HGTV shall not go to waste. Last week, I had painted a design for the shirt I wore at my show at Manifest Discs.  I will be painting more t-shirts for myself both for casual wear and performances.  I have a bunch of ideas. Lastly, I have been working on a lot of new music.  I cannot say for sure where it is all going (though I do have a vague idea in mind).  I will be going to back to basics over the next few months.  Daily piano practice, exploring other people's music by playing them, and the constant searching and unearthing that songwriting is.   I am enjoying this the most because I often surprise myself.  I honestly don't know if I'm really any good at this, but I certainly enjoy the heck out of it. Well, this is just a small snippet of what I am up to.  I'd rather be doing something interesting and fun than being bored. Have a great week folks! -g

The Week In Pictures

Oh what a lovely week it's been. First off, thanks to my dear friend Chris in Charlotte, I was able to acquire these photos from my show at Manifest Discs.  You might notice that I shared the stage with none other than R2D2.  This was kind of awesome actually .  .  . This show was a lot of fun.  I painted that heart on my t-shirt, and my stage plot included 2 keyboards, 2 mics, and a drum machine--a little one-man-band.  The whole set went smoothly. My little niece Lai likes to dress herself up  in all kinds of ways.  In this instant, she was moved by the colors pink and yellow.    It's funny how she managed to rotate the colors from head to toe.    The Fashionista strikes again. On Wednesday, I was lucky to watch the latest episode of one of the best new shows on tv right now.  It's called Glee. This week's episode is the best one so far as it had a team of football players dancing to Beyonce's hit song "Single Ladies".   (Ughhh!!  Shut up!!)  Check it out: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U-Qz8yzxVQ] On Thursday afternoon,  I took on a painting project.  I've had this little wooden storage bench that my nephews destroyed by scribbling nonsense all over it.  I decided to give it a new life with a new paint job. Here are the "Before" photos: After!!!!!!! Lastly, I've spent the last few weeks working on my latest knitting project.  It is a throw blanket made out of mitered squares.  So far, I've only managed to make six.  I just finished another one on Thursday while I waited for the first coat of paint to dry on the little wooden bench.  I have a ton more to make.  Here are some photos: Well, that's it for now.  Another fun and busy week beckons. More photos to come soon. Have yourselves a lovely little weekend. -gordo

Good Times In Charlotte, NC

I am now back in Nashville after spending an extended weekend in Charlotte, NC. On Saturday, September 19, I performed at Manifest Discs.  (Click on the image above to visit their website) Hopefully I can get my hands on photos from that show.  It was a small set on the Manifest main stage on which I got to debut new song arrangements  and to perform with my new drum machine and my awesome keyboard synthesizer. Here was the setlist: 1.  Mr. Stranger 2.  Arabesque 3.  Tears In Savannah 4.  Billy Jean (Cover) 5.  Torrid 6.  Never Is a Promise The entire set went very smoothly.  There were no technical glitches on my part.  Due to some scheduling problems, the sound guy was not there.  A team of Manifest employees got together and made it all work in the end.  I had a great time. Afterwards, my friends Chris and Eddie took me to eat at this awesome burger joint at Southpark Mall called The Counter.  It is a restaurant where you can custom-build your own burger with your choice of ingredients.  I can honestly say that it is one of the BEST burgers I have ever had.  You can check out their official website here: I highly recommend grabbing a meal at this place.  The service was great, and I also really loved their sweet potato fries.  So Yummy!! I spent the rest of the night wandering through the jewel-encrusted walls of Southpark Mall.  With high-end retailers like Burberry, Nordstroms, and Anthropologie, it is the premiere shopping center for the rich folk in the greater Charlotte area. On Sunday, my friend Darrell took me to the newly built Ikea store in north Charlotte.  OMG!!!  I had the best time.  The place is HUGE and felt like walking through any show on HGTV. If you are a fan of modern home furnishings and design, then this place is for you.  There were fantastic light fixtures, rugs, kitchen fixtures, sinks, comforters .  .  . anything and everything you would need to make your home look AMAZING.   We even grabbed a snack in their little cafe/restaurant where you can get a plate of their signature Swedish meatballs for less than $2.   Needless to say, if you haven't been there before, you'll need at least two hours of time to get through the place.  There is a TON of stuff to feast your eyes upon. Thankfully, I was also able to spend time with three dear friends who I hadn't been able to see since leaving Charlotte for good back in 2006.  I exchanged stories of adventure and new beginnings over some delicious meals. On the way to and from Charlotte, I stopped in Asheville, NC to visit my friend Wes and his glorious garden.  He cooked up tasty meals, and we got caught up with each other.  I am blessed to have some awesome friends in my life. On Sunday night, I visited my old church (New Life MCC) and caught up with some good friends. Unfortunately, my camera was acting weird, and so I do not have photos to document the weekend. In any case, I am back now and back to my regular schedule.  There will be more blogs, more projects, and some new things to come. I hope all of you are doing well. -gordon

Charlotte Bound

I will be in Charlotte, NC this weekend to perform at Manifest Discs which is the premiere independent record store in the greater Charlotte area.  It is a very large store that boasts a diverse selection of new and used music (including vinyl). I hope to see many friends while I'm out there.  This will be my last show in Charlotte for a really long time, and it's going to be very special. Not sure if I'll be able to blog this weekend, but I will certainly try. Hoping for a great weekend for everyone. -g

Back In the Saddle

So, um, yeah.  I've been pretty sick lately.   What started out as a little bit of a fever on Sunday morning turned into a torrential attack of nausea, stomach pains, fever, a headache, and an unmentionable or two.  I then spent the next two days more or less curled up in a ball and miserable. The worst part was the nausea. Nausea sucks. Being sick sucks. You become incapacitated and powerless.  It's amazing how important it is to have good health.  It underlies and facilitates anything that you do in your life. At some point, I decided to take in some Pepto Bismol and chicken soup, and somehow, I started to feel better.  The stomach pains and nausea started to wane, and slowly enough, my appetite returned.  I'm still taking some medicine, but for the most part, I am now recovered. Thank goodness. Now, on to brighter and happier things .  .  . This weekend, I will be in Charlotte, NC to perform on stage at Manifest Discs, and so, I'll be spending the latter half of this week getting ready for that.  This show will be my last out-of-town show for 2009, and I want to make it really special.  It will have a mix of songs from "Seahorses" and some newer pieces I've been working on.  Can't wait to head out there to do this. My recent bout with miserable sickness has heightened my awareness for proper nutrition and all-around wellness.  I generally am very good about getting regular exercise, but I've decided to incorporate more foods that are natural and full of nutrients in my diet.  I'm going to try to eat more fruits and veggies every day.  I also really love eating soups (like chicken soup which is drenched with all kinds of nutrients for some reason), and so, more of those for sure.  Besides, soups taste so much better in colder weather. I took a break from knitting over the last couple of weeks to devour some new books on my reading list, but now, it is time to knit again.  I am almost done with another mitered square.  Finally, I will begin work on a new scarf that has a cool basket weave pattern.  Can't wait to get this one going. I did manage to record last Sunday's VMA's on DVR, and I watched it all the other night.  The highlights for me were Madonna's  and Janet Jackson's tributes to Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga's theatrical performance (that little piano bit she did was REALLY cool), and Muse's first US tv performance.  Muse is one of the best bands in the world right now, and it's a shame that the US market is only now getting a real taste of what they do. This was probably my favorite part overall.   A fitting tribute to a king: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PMDeN_aTP0] I'll have more soon.  Thanks to everyone for wishing me well during these last couple of days. Be kind and be healthy. -gordo

Video of the Week: Rosie ' s Lullaby

Norah Jones is one of those artists who seems to get better and better with each album.  Her last album, Not Too Late, was released two years ago.  If you've heard my album, you'll know that I have an appreciation for things dark and mellow.  I think that it is her best album to date.  (Yes, even better than her mega-platinum, multi-grammy winning debut album Come Away With Me.) Unlike previous albums, she actually had a hand in writing a lot of the songs.  I have chosen one song in particular for it's sheer sad and melancholic beauty.  It's called Rosie's Lullaby.  This is footage from a live performance in Europe. This song has a mournful hopefulness to it, and Norah sings it oh so well. Enjoy .  .  . [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyy_HPtRHyU] Imagine my joy at hearing that Norah Jones has a new album coming out this coming November.  This new set is reportedly a new musicial direction for her.  She's written all of the songs and mainly plays guitar instead of her trademark piano.  I look forward to any music this artist creates, and I am grateful to see so much artistic growth in what she is doing.  I have a feeling her best music is yet to come. More to come soon. -gordon

Early On a Sunday Morning

Okay, so today's blogpost hasn't quite turned out as I had hoped.  Not only did I forget my camera (with all the images I intended to upload) at my friend Laurel's house last night, but my computer was acting up a bit this morning. I'll just have to arrange a camera retrieval some time this week.  The computer glitch has been resolved.  It's nothing that some time consuming TLC couldn't fix. So, without my camera, I have now been at a loss for what in the world to blog about. That original post will have to wait for now. Well then, I think I'll just take the time to share what is coming up in the next week .  .  .

www.gordonroque.com

As soon as I unleash the first new performance video on the video page, I will officially unveil the newly-refurbished website of mine this week. So, for the most part, my website makeover is all done.  It's been updated with new images, better formatting, and some new features .  .  . -Show Listing Archive -A new music player -A new slide show for the gallery -A new links page as the central hub for all things me In the next month, there will be an updated bio page with an "unofficial" bio, a lyrics page, more new photos, and finally, more new performance videos. Aside from being an outlet for my music, I have always had an interest in web design, and I am getting ready to learn more about CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and XHTML.  I've used all of my knowledge thus far to do what I have done, but through the course of the next year, I plan on tweeking my site with more of what I've learned.   This is all fun for me, and I hope my site will be even better through time! Also, another issue of the WWoG hits mailboxes this week. There will be all kinds of goodies in store including a free gift for all of my WWoG subscribers. In a couple of weeks, I return to Charlotte, NC to perform at Manifest Discs.   This will be a solo set, but with some new technology added to the mix.  It should be a lot of fun!! Oh yes, there is plenty for me work on!!  Life sure is busy! -g

The Week In Pictures

Just a few more photos to document the week that was .  .  .

Skies over Nashville .  .  .

Last Sunday afternoon, my good friend (and album co-producer) Ben Wilson celebrated his birthday with his wife Kassie.  I took O and B along for some good poolside fun .  .  .

By the birthday couple .  .  .

Earlier this week, I received the most awesome birthday gift in the mail.  It's an issue of the Zoetrope: All-Story with all of the art design by Antony of Antony and the Johnsons.  It's so COOOL!!!!!

I spent some time over the last week rearranging my room to make space for a make-shift music station.  I currently have all my gadgets in place, and I've been doing a good bit of work .  .  .

My Mom, who is an avid gardener, has yellow roses that grew super tall this week and started peeking through her living room window.  She has the best garden in the whole subdivision .  .  .

Lastly, this morning I took a picture of my niece lost in sleep .  .  .

Well, that's all folks.

There's another busy week ahead with more photos to come!!!

Be well everyone!!!!

-gordo (an Asian with a camera, go figure!)

A Reading Frenzy

So, I've been doing  a good bit of reading lately.  In addition to all of those Chris Van Allsburg children's books, there are three wonderful books that I have been plowing through. I finished a book called "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield last week. This one was a total page-turner.  It is a story about a somewhat reclusive auther/biographer who is asked by a world-reknowned novelist to write her biography.  I don't want to give anything away, but what happens as a result is a story full of twists, turns, and emotions running deep.  As one of the best books I've read in a while, it is extremely well-written and has characters rich with depth and power.  I absolutely loved it. A couple of weeks ago, I borrowed a book called 100 Cupboards for my nine-year-old nephew to read.  Suffice it to say that he's not really into books, and so, I started to casually read it one morning while I was taking a break from working on my website.  Within the first 10 pages, I was hooked.  Since I new I had to finish "The Thirteenth Tale" first, I decided to hold off until that book was done. I am so glad I did because this book is a roller coaster ride in and of itself.  It starts off on an unusual premise when a boy named Henry arrives in a small, sleepy town called Henry, Kansas.  He arrives there to stay with his aunt and uncle because his parents were kidnapped while travelling in a South American country.    He stays in the attic, and within his first couple of days there, he discovers something hidden behind the plastered wall that his bed leans up against.  The rest of the story is imaginatively well documented, and I couldn't put it down .  .  . This book is all about adventure and non-stop action.  Don't let the slow-paced opening chapter fool you.  Once the story gets going, it won't let you go.  If you liked the Harry Potter series, then you will love this one.  What I liked the most was the main character named Henry.  There is this dignity and humility about him that is all too intriguing.  I kept rooting for him all the way through. Of course on the same day that I finished "10o Cupboards", I rushed off to the library to get part 2:  Dandelion Fire.  Within two days, I read all 466 pages of it .  .  . I was not disappointed.  This book packed more of a punch than the first one.  I am looking forward to the next and last instalment of the series when it comes out in January of 2010. Thanks to these books, I am now also a fan of their author N.D. Wilson.  (www.ndwilson.com)  He's really quite good, and I'm looking forward to reading more of his work in the future. Okay, so over the next week, I'm taking a break from reading and will return to my other passion--KNITTING!!!  There is a brand new pattern I am itching to get started on. No rest for The Asian!!! Is reading better than chocolate?  Hhhmmm, tough call. -gordo