Nice to know ya Minnesnowta

Before I know it, back on the ole Megabus and heading towards the marvelous windy city.  I can't get over what a great city Minneapolis is, compact, but the arts just really seem to flourish nicely there.  It makes me wonder about my own city, I took notes, and hope to apply some of those amazing lessons in the various scenes I work through.

Meeting P.o.s, amidst all the health problems, this hip-hop Goliath does an in store performance, and then plays a sell out show.  I remember watching him rock a crowd of confused on lookers five years ago at the H.O.B here in Chicago.  It started off a quite hush but by the end of his show there were bodies just flying all around.  His new album "We Don't Even Live Here" is as gritty, well paced, and thought provoking as everything he's done to date.  All my positive hopes, thoughts, and feelings are definitely directed to his recovery.  I hope to be shaking his hand 25 years from now at a Doomtree Reunion show :D

Sitting watching the bears smash the Titans and glowing at the growing momentum of the only sports team I care to dream about.  Let's talk coincidence, I'll be passing through New Orleans, doing some street performing, as the Super bowl happens to be going on...I couldn't write it better myself...Not saying anything will happen but please believe I'll have a shit eating grin on Bourbon street if/when that all comes to be.

The rest of my time in Minneapolis was spent labbing with some amazing dancers, intellectuals, and hitting up various open mics.

Dave Marcott (dancin Dave) has always been a rather large inspiration in my life and it was nice to finally spend some quality time with him.  He's taken a back seat from the popping community these days but still doesn't cease to amaze me.  His intellect revolving around current affairs, the grasp he has over economical systems, and his relentless service to troubled youth is nothing I've ever seen before.  We get into it...
Life
Evolutions of the human soul...consciousness
And of course Justin Beiber

There we were (dave and I) fairly lit up from some delicious spiced whiskey and wandering around downtown Minneapolis.  All of a sudden we start to come into contact with way to many teeny boppers.  One walks by and on her face I could have sworn she had written "Beaver Fever" but after some shrewd investigating we come to find that my good friend Justin Beiber is in town doing a show at the Target Center.  This prompts me into a frenzy, screaming "BEVER FEVER" at every mother and teenage girl I cross paths with.  The hilarious part, they are all cheering me on, screaming with me, paying no mind to the fact that I'm talking about vagina's.  You know...FAGINA'S!!!  At some point we end up at the Beiber nexus, there are girls everywhere, high pitched screaming, and a really large tour bus.

Dave notices my buddy first...
"Hey, I think that's him, he's getting into the bus..."
Sure enough a whiplash of screams fills the block and dies down as he gets into the bus.  Then Dave makes another observation...
"Oh my god, I think that's him next to that window..."
Right! On IT!
I step out into the middle of the street 40ft from the bus and start screaming...
"You!  Ohhhhhh YOU, ya little CUTIEY PATooTEY...YOUUUU!"

and then the heavens split open, a white beam of light comes out, and Justin Beiber acknowledges me.  Out of a sea of crazed little girls, mothers whom are half in the bag protecting their kids from Cops on horse, and flashing camera's; HE CHOOSES ME.  Points out the window, tips his fingers to his forehead and then extends them towards me.  As into say...
"Tom, you are the one, the greatest, the ultimate, everything I'm working to be, and I hope that I'm making you proud."

You do Justin!  Every damn day!  I thank this country for creating a pop start sensation such as you.

Yeah, that was over all to soon and we got back down to things that really mattered.  Like "cakes" and some day finding an entire soaked in delicious cakeyness.  Attending games at the cakeasium and hoping of a cakepocolips to bring a soft, sweet, happy ending to it all.

My time with dave was great!  For once we weren't worried about dancing, teaching, or hosting.  Just two dudes, greatly worried about the current state of our country, and really getting down to what needs to be done.....and how Justin Beiber can help.

I spend a lot of time with Annie, while Charlie is out of state, and she breaks me into some new Yoga poses.  That women is a shining example of never give up, never surrender, and always gets better.  She's a b-girl, what was amazing to me though, was a few years back doctors told her she might not ever walk again, and definitely wouldn't dance.  Sitting on the wall of fame in their house is her large therapeutic brace, signed by friends, and inspiration through out dance.  We eat hummus talk about how silly doctors can be and how hopeless it is to try attempt living for someone else expectations.  I really appreciate her, the way she goes with the flow, the fact she warmly invited me into her house, and all the little ways she is trying to make the world a better place.

Time spent with the popping scene in the Twin cities was extremely interesting, they play games with one another to condition, and always battle the other.  They are an extremely tight nit group of dancers, watching the inside jokes splash around was amazing but after a few times of going I definitely started to feel like the outsider.  I'm not much of a popper in the first place but then to come into an established group...well...It reminded me of what I'm sure will become my "glory days".  When you just click with a group of dancers and hours melt away into leveling up.  I learned a lot, tried to share what I could, and couldn't have been happier to be allowed into their sessions.

All to soon though, I'm missing things, liquid, loud bass, and well Liquid.  Just as that is starting to really hit me, I'm walking through Minneapolis, oddly enough by this sign...

To meet Tommy at the Megabus station and bring him into the fold.  The fold being the struggle for control in "the FP" and I'm left wondering how can I stand up for myself when I don't have anyone to stand up for me.  If you haven't seen the movie "the FP", please, I BEG YOU, please check it out!  Don't research it, IMdb, or anything else...Netflix, search, GO!  Prepare to be dazzled and quoting some classy dialog.


Mr. Bill, whose Mr. Bill?  Click the name and find out!  Just

so happens to be playing Minneapolis when I'm there and I was able to secure an 18 dollar round trip ticket for some my tomahawk brada.  I had been training for the past few weeks and not really just getting down.  So all to soon I have that childlike grin on my face and am slinging shapes with the peoples champ.  It's great!  I definitely (especially during this time of year) get caught in the past but it's great to know that with at least some people things don't change.  We corner Mr. Bill in a stairwell, talk influences, possible future projects, snap photo's, and then head back to the boogie.  Butch Clancy was up next and definitely dropped a mixed bag.  Pulled an older Bare Noize track I love and this pleased the swatting gods.

The night before departing we toasted some spiced whiskey, danced, ate pizza, and harrassed the cats.  I was able to interview dave, hope to have it posted up here soon, and can't wait to start interviewing more people along the way.  Before Tommy and I get on the bus, Charlie lets me know, "You've always got family here", and after the past few years of my life thats good to know.

Next stop, Chicago, just a for a night or two, and then my friends it gets interesting!

I wanted to add pictures to this post but the notebook I'm using is SooooOOOOOooOo oooooOOooOOohhhh slow.  Jason can vouch for me :D  So once I get to a stationary PC device I'll update this post with all the wonderful pictures I've got.

Thanks for reading!

Send me those positive vibes!

and all those well wishes!

See you on the flip side <3 p="p">