In the back of my mind, I've always thought I could be Jimi Hendrix. I'm not saying I could be as good a guitar player. Nor am I saying that I would make as iconic a rockstar. My Afro could never compare to his. But I always thought I could do the thing where I went overseas to make my name and then come back A STAR! And people would ask me questions like, "How are you enjoying your first time in the States?" And I'd be like, "I'M FROM HERE BUT YOU DIDN'T GET ME SO I WENT TO WHERE I WAS WANTED!" This pretty much already happens whenever I go back to Chicago.
But that is exactly kinda what happened with Jimi Hendrix, and right now I am on a plane hoping it kinda exactly happens to me. I'm headed to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the original, biggest, and greatest fringe festival in the world. There are more than 2,500 shows and 1,300 premieres, more than 500 of which are X-rated. And guess what? Fringe audiences love --- and love to love --- comedy. They think it's as valuable a form of artistic expression as dance, music, or theater. Silly, huh? Many American comics have made their bones in Edinburgh: Rich Hall, Demetri Martin, Doug Stanhope ... others. And I'm hoping -- maybe even desperately and furtively praying -- that it will happen to me. TO READ MORE CLICK HERE
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| Zees is Jimi in Sweden. Borgy borgy borgy! |
On this episode, a legend sits down with a legend to talk about a legend. Vernon is on tour with Living Colour on The Experience Hendrix Tour, a tour which features musical legends of guitar and other instruments coming together to pay tribute to James Marshall Hendrix. And Vernon had a chance to sit down and chat with one of those legends, guitarist Ernie Isley of The Isley Brothers. Ernie knew Jimi well before the rest of the world did, so Vernon and Ernie talk about the Jimi that Ernie knew. They talk about Hendrix's days in the Isley Brothers, Jimi's love of Pez candy and Super Chicken cartoons, and also how Jimi was always the baddest guitarist around. This is truly great stuff and a new perspective on Jimi Hendrix. Kamau sits this one out because it was apparently for legends only!