How do, Faux friends?

The first record album I ever fell in love with was Hot August Night by Neil Diamond. It was recorded on August 24, 1972. I was 3 and a half on that day.

When I was four and a half, I‘d ask my mom to put it on while she worked in the garden or did housework. I’d look at Neil and pretend I was playing along, and she could leave me alone except to come and flip the record every so often. It is etched in my mind (Though the “Porcupine Pie” side gets less play.) for real.

And now, 49 years after that recording and 43 miles south-south-east of the Greek Theater in Los Angeles where it was recorded, I am going to try to make my own Hot August Night happen. (#hotFauxSummer?)

In Irvine, California, the new headquarters of Faux Jean Int’l.

All this to say: I am so very excited to play a show this Saturday, August 14, 2021.

In public.

My first time dangling the ego-slash-muse since March of 2019.

That’s a long time with no stage time for a ham like Faux Jean.

Vulnerable.

My last scheduled show was January of 2020 and that was canceled because it was 25 below for an entire week in Madison, WI. (Brien, correct me if I’m wrong.)

And then the pandemic.

And then the mid-pandemic move to California.

Saturday August 14, 2021 will not be 25 below in Southern California.

It could rain. (Not terribly likely, but, you know…)

There could be a fire or an earthquake. (Locusts?)

But this gig will not be canceled due to extreme cold.

I’m going to try to capture it digitally and share it somehow, but I’m not overthinking it.

You’ll be among the first to know.

Here’s the poster for the gig:

I am an artist in captivity.

I have deputized a few Fake Journeymen to play some of the set with me. Nelly Jean will play beatbox (cajon) for a few selections, and Scruffy Gene Squire will be playing harmonica on them there songs too. (That’s Zach Nelson of the Clef Hangers, a group from UNC, and Kurt Squire, formerly of the Mary Janes from Bloomington Indiana.

I am quite excited.

Here is the set list that got out of control. I’ll probably only play 50 songs, realistically, but this is the vibe we’re working with.

1. O Listen!

2. You Are A Machine

3. My Gift for You

4. This land is your land (Guthrie)

5. Corinna Corinna (Trad/Dyan)

6. Poopy Pants

7. Leitmotif

8. My Greatest Sin *

9. Gotta Get Up (Nilsson)

10. As Long As We’re Alive

11. I’ll Waste Away

12. Set the World On Fire (Ink Spots)

13. Jaded/Believe

14. 4 seasons

15. Act Naturally (Buck)

16. Bye Bye Love (Everlys)

17. Nature

19. Drop D

20. Powderhorn Park

21. The Way You Say Goodnight (MAG Fields)

22. What’s not to love?

23. Halloween dance

24. You were the one / Big Believer

25. Be Free and Do Not Die

26. I willingly submit to your Tyranny

27. The Boy from New York City (Ad-libs)*

28. BumbleBee

29. Street fighting man (stones)*

30. It’s a free Country

31. Go get fixed

32. Mediocre Gatsby

34. Laptop excursion (every breath (Police))/30k feet

36. Couldn’t Believe it’s true (Willie)

37. When You Were Mine (Prince)

38. Androgynous (Replacements)

39. When Will I be Loved (Everlys)

40. I Want You To Want Me (Cheap Trick)

41. 59th Street Bridge Song (S&G)

42. There She Goes (La’s)

43. What goes on (velvets)

44. Oh Yoko (Lennon)

45. Fisherman’s Blues (Waterboys)

46. Blowin’ in the Wind (Dylan)

47. Like A Rolling Stone (Dylan)

49. Jackie O (Coug)

50. Fake Blood and Sweat 

51. Dü the Watüsi

52. KLOTL

53. Get up

54. You can sing in your underwear

55. Let it rain

56. Summer of hate

57. Dream about Sharks

58. O! Canada

59. She Comes from Money

60. Everyday / well all right (Holly)

61. You make lovin fun (MAC)

62. File it away 

63. Chartreuse

64. Her movie

65. Mrs Jean

66. Race-baiting jailbait race

67. Pillow Talk / A hole in my Ozone

68. Hey!

69. Winter’s So Long

70. She’s my Baby

71. We used to kill the communists

72. Get With That

73. The Moon is a Dead Lover

74. File it Away

75. Unintouch

76. Can we stop the war machine

77. Did she have a dream?

78. The normal way

79. Another Day In Paradise

80. Higher Ground (Wonder)

81. Satisfaction (stones)

82. I know it’s over (smiths)

83. Grapevine (Gaye)

84. Girl From the North Country (Dylan)

85. I had an idea and it was all wrong

86. House on Fire

87. The Good fight

88. Long Dissed

89. C’mon now

90. Giant Robot

91. Bane

92. Martha

93. Stranger to the Blade

94. Fatal Bert

95. Steppin’ Stone (monkees)

96. Down to the well

97. Haircut

98. That don’t mean that I love you

99. Hey Mom! Wake Up!

100. 100.Let it rain

101. 101.Let’s Have some fun!

102. 102.I think that it’s apparent

103. 103.If at the time

104. 104.I’m so mad at myself

105. 105. Alone (and so)

106. 106. Pisces

107. 107.Rene

108. 108.P.O’d City 

109. 109. I think about you all of the time

110. 110. This might sound odd

111. 111.Love is in the Air

112. 112.Waiting on the 17

113. 113.Of the fruit

114. 114.Sitting in the dark

115. 115.Various Expectations

116. 116.Tired of trying blues

117. 117.Lasto

118. 118.Lazy

119. 119.Ballad of the Man Ray Quints

120. 120.Jean Duluth Jenny

121. 121.Girlfriend Again

122. 122.Fast friends

123. 123.Everybody Dies

124. 124.Come and Get your 45s

125. 125.Too Shy to Ask

126. 126.This is a song

127. 127.Sophisticated

128. 128.Thrift

129. 129.Don’t walk away from love

130. 130.Drama club

131. 131.Lachrymal

132. 132.I’m so mad at myself

133. 133.Girlfriend Again

134. Sometimes you change your mind

Alrighty then, you like lists too, eh?

I hope to see you on Saturday, and then maybe again sometime at another public place where I share my art and you participate somehow, possibly by sharing your art or energy. Gosh, maybe people will dance even.

Art is therapy.

Promenade home.

OX&C,

Faux Jean