Pretty Pictures Posted

Hey Soul Mates,
there a bevy of new pics of your Rush Hour Soul on RHS.com. There are also some exclusives for our MySpace page. These were shot up at Lake Hollywood in last month. Enjoy.
More pix and stuff to come. Gotta get the hair styled today.

Also, if you've received our evite for the show on Tuesday, be sure to RSVP. Even if you cannot make it or live out of town, we want to know how many people to anticipate. Plus, there are polls that need your responses. Thanks!

Hope you are having a great weekend. My Mom's off for Egypt. No kidding. Bon Voyage, Maman!

Love, Power, Peace

A Talent For Loving

OK, Soul Mates,
by request here are the lyrics to A Talent For Loving. Now everyone can sing along! Oooh, Hotness.

I'm gonna be the real lover that you can't resist
Of all the kissers, baby I'll be topping your list
Brighter than the diamonds that are lighting your wrist
Well, you're my favorite reason that I've got to exist

I ain't got a Plan B y'all I ain't gonna fail
There's no future frontin like a typical male
Time to pull your hair back in a pony tail
It's about to get more humid than a Miami jail

Your royal hotness is second to nothing
I'm gonna show you pretty one
I got a talent for loving

(T.A.L.E.N.T.) I got a talent for loving

You come downtown baby when you get uptight
Always ring me up in the middle of the night
Sayin you need a dose of shining disco light
Well come and see about me and it'll be outtasight

Your royal hotness is second to nothing
I'm gonna show you pretty one I got a talent for loving

(T.A.L.E.N.T.) I got a talent for loving

Copyright 2005 Rush Hour Soul (Kelsey) Mighty Ohio Music (BMI)

Independence Looks Good On You

Hey Soul Mates,
hope you are having a safe and relaxing 4th of July. Our friends on MySpace should be waking up to a Independence Day greeting.

We had a great rehearsal yesterday in the Valley heat. Thank goodness for A/C. We still made it hot. Got a funky new track we are working on and independence has got a lot to do with it. Gotta thank So. Fla & Chic, too... ha, ha.

Don't forget our next show is in one week. Oh, yeah, there will be indoor fireworks.
Love, Power, Peace

My First Visit To The Musical Mecca

Hey Soul Mates,
5 years ago today, also a Sunday, I made my first trip to Mecca... the musical one: the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum on the shore of Lake Erie. I hadn't been back to Cleveland in 11 years and in that time they had constructed a palace for pop music right next to the new Cleveland Browns stadium. I went with my oldest childhood friend, Pete, who had been before and knew the layout of the place. The Rock Hall is a beautiful glass pyramid that beckons with music and flash. Towering set pieces from U2's Zoo TV tour welcomed us.

We began by watching a short film called Mystery Train which tells a brief story of how Delta Blues and Hillbilly Country music were forged together to create Rock & Roll. The curator and staff are keen to make sure that the public recognizes Rock's ancestors and it's history. This is a musuem after all, but it's not static! As you begin your tour of the Rock Hall you see the faces of important blues and country artists. Folk singers, all. And everywhere, there is music. Music coming from monitors, headsets, displays. Music to discover. Music to remember. Non-stop.

The first floor of the Rock Hall is subterranean. It's main feature is a giant array of stage costumes. From Britney Spears to Elton John, from Sly Stone to Talking Heads, from the Glove to Sgt. Pepper uniforms, the outfits cover 50 years of outrageousness & extravagance. Then there are several displays dedicated to particular groups. Artifacts from the "real lives" and working lives of the Beatles, James Brown, the Who, Rolling Stones, Ramones, Aretha, Hendrix, & the Doors are highlights. There are displays that cover various musical movements & birthplaces: blues, punk, disco, soul, new wave, Detroit, Seattle, Liverpool, etc. On the upper floors there are temporary exhibits that cover particular artists; or rock journalists & photographers; fans; technology. As you go higher in the building, you reach the Hall of Fame itself. The HOF presentation features a film (updated every year to include the latest inductees) that highlights the career of every performer & non-performer entered. It's very poignant to see artists who have passed and electrifying to watch snippets of performances rarely aired.

That first day at the Rock Hall, I barely got half of it in. I had to go back the next day to pour over the more obscure objects and soak up the atmosphere. I'm a charter member of the museum and had been paying dues for 3 years before I even got a chance to go, so I was gonna get my money's worth! I flew out of Hopkins later that July 4th afternoon still wearing my neon pink Rock Hall entry wrist band. I have barely begun to describe what you can see when you visit. It's impact on me is immeasurable. John Lennon's glasses, the side of Otis Redding's private jet, Keith Moon's detonated drum kit, Jimi Hendrix's jackets, Sam Phillips' Sun Studio recording console, hand-written lyrics to Blitzkrieg Bop, Howlin' Wolf's briefcase... Just a taste.

I've been back to Cleveland twice since and to the Rock Hall a total of 3 more times. It's ever-changing exhibits and even the permanent ones leave me awestruck. The last time we went there was a giant U2 exhibition, along with a new group display for Duran Duran and the music of Ohio. The year prior there was art by Ronnie Wood and 2 floors dedicated to John Lennon. So, if you find yourself in Northeastern Ohio anytime of year, for any reason, carve out a few hours to spend at the Rock Hall. You won't be dissappointed.

Love, Power, Peace and Rock & Roll.

p.s. Cleveland does actually rock!