Feel Good Guru

I was given tickets from the good people at Warner Music for last night’s incredible performance of Straight No Chaser, a 10-dude acappella group I’d never heard of from Indiana made famous by YouTube 10 years after their university careers. Yeah! They’d put the group to bed long ago, but a recent reunion had one of the members tossing up a vid on YouTube for old time’s sake and before they knew it, 8 million people had viewed their wacky-wonderful version of The 12 Days of Christmas. Atlantic Records came calling and now they’ve got a Christmas album under their belts, a tour on the go and a future none of them dreamed of. If you get a chance, catch them in your town. These guys are seriously groovin’ with the woowoo! Check the video that started it all: (more…)

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Sustainability, green politics and music have mashed up in the mosh pit of Toronto’s hip and conscious culture scene. A local Afro beat collective called “Mr. Something Something” have put together Canada’s first pedal-powered sound system called “Sound Cycle” to encourage participation and joyful revolution.

Here’s how it works: human energy produces a current; current gets stored in batteries and converted; electricity powers sound system; amplified poly-rhythmic music causes spontaneous outbursts of dancing and other symptoms of happiness; enthusiasm is transferred back to the cyclists; energy grows and before long everyone in the room is groovin’ with the woowoo. Can my gym please hire these guys for spin classes? (more…)

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Ten years ago, Mark Johnson was on his daily commute to work in New York when he was stopped in his tracks by the music of two brown-robed monks playing and singing in the subway. He looked around at about 200 people from all ethnic backgrounds and all walks of life sharing the moment together, some in tears, some with their jaws agape.

Then and there, Mark understood that music was the key to a better world. He felt his calling to go out and find “as many of these inspiring human moments as possible.” The result is “Playing for Change: Peace Through Music”. And it’s groovin’ with the woowoo! (more…)

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It’s been a GREEN kinda weekend around here. We took in the Earth Day celebrations on the 3rd St. Promenade in Santa Monica yesterday. Today, the Green Living Expo at the L.A. Convention Center. A few highlights in the video above.

Loved the band Superbroke, spreading mirth and merriment with their funky brass and tin and string electric marching grooves. Read their manifesto on their myspace page. It’s kooky and fun. (more…)

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