New album review (and John Kerns review!) at Phantom Tollbooth

The Phantom Tollbooth is a Chicagoland-based online magazine that's been very supportive of me since the mid-90s. I just discovered a brand new review of my Insomniaccomplishments album at the Tollbooth page, and the text is below. Link to the site itself here. By coincidence, the same writer posted a review of the Kerns and the Hemispheres album on the same date! John Kerns, of course, being local Minneapolis rock royalty, and frequent bassist and collaborator with me (even on the aforementioned Insomniaccomplishments album). Link to the review of the Kerns album here.

INSOMNIACCOMPLISHMENTS
JONATHAN RUNDMAN
4.5 Stars out of 5
Sleep deprivation, evidently, can be a good thing. Jonathan Rundman's latest album, Insomniaccomplishments, is equal parts theology, songs about family, insane genius, childhood memories, and in-jokes. Rundman can be described as an heir not only to Neil Young and T-Bone Burnett, but also "Weird" Al Yankovic. "December Chicago" is an acapella verse that oddly recalls Yankovic vocally, when the Weird Al is actually trying to sing normally. "If You Have a Question" recalls Sunday School teachings, and also nods to the idea of Christ teaching the multitudes. "New Eyes" is Over the Rhine meets Nickel Creek. Failed romance is the theme of "I Thought You Were Mine", but "Here at 2141" is the counterpart with its portrayal of domestic bliss. "Imperfection" sounds like a late night ranting (at God?) about ones perceived inadequacies. "Her Lip Balm", featuring toy piano, could be about a childhood girlfriend. "Nothing Downtown" is a bleak depiction of urban blight, and the decline of a neighborhood. "Daniel and Peter and Thomas" connects three TV anchors to their Biblical precursors, and raises the question of why anyone would take today's versions as more credible. Rock creeps out here as well. "I'm Alive and Sleep Deprived" is garage rock, while "I Saw Greenland" is darker, prog-edged rock with a droning vocal style from Rundman. "Dialysis Carpool" defies all explanation ­ I can picture it being done by Frank Zappa, the Dead Milkmen, or even Cracker. A tongue in cheek tale of misery loving company. Rundman may have his best original album with this one. With the very occasional national press he gets, maybe this will be the one that gets him some airplay and sales to go with it.

Aerial tour of Ishpeming, MI, my hometown.

I just discovered this surprising little video. The first third of it is pretty much just shots of the new hospital, BUT after 2:00 minutes it gets really interesting.

At 3:08 and 3:45 my parents' house can be seen just up Oak Street Hill a few blocks from the edge of Lake Bancroft. At 4:28 the former house of my Great-Grandma Kaijala can be seen in the lower center of the screen, and at 5:05 he's flying over Division Street, with my Grandpa Roberts' house (where my Mom grew up) just out of the frame on the left side.

From the air good old Ishpeming looks really small and a bit dumpy. Nice views of junkyards, flooded mine pits and industrial garages, eh? Those three huge Cliffs Shaft towers are breathtaking, though. What a skyline!

My Dad knows this pilot, and the locals frequently see him buzzing around in his motorized parachute.

Rocking Chicagoland with Beki Hemingway

I've been on the road for the past four-plus days, and have been so busy having fun and making music that I haven't even checked email or blogged or anything. It's all I can do to catch a few hours of sleep per night.

TOUR RECAP

THURSDAY

Left Minneapolis in the evening and headed East on I-94 with the iPod loud on shuffle through the rental car stereo. Made it to the Dells, but the 20-below temps and dark night and speeding semi trucks tired me out. Got a room at the Motel 6 for $44.

FRIDAY

More freezing temps, but I made it to Chicagoland in time for brunch with Beki Hemingway and Randy Kerkman, the musical all-stars I'd be teaming up with for the weekend. We consumed eggs, and had fun rehearsing. That evening we were the house band (literally) for a private birthday party. The biggest hit of the night: a cover of Journey's "Lovin, Touchin, Squeezin."

SATURDAY

I rehearsed my liturgy with some church musicians in Wheaton in the morning, drove into Chicago and shopped at Reckless Records in the afternoon (The Best of Dan Folgelberg for $0.99!), and played a gig that night with Beki, Randy, and our old pal Lou Carlozo at Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church. The place was packed, the sound system was perfect, and I got to rock with a great rhythm section: Chuck H. (I've got to get his last name correct) on drums, and Mike Bradburn on bass. It was musical euphoria for me...we caught musical wave that was undeniable that night...truly a special evening. Highlights for me were "Narthex," "If You Have a Question," and "Lost in the Night" with the band, and "Everything to Everyone" and "Vacancy Sign" with Beki. Oh, and Lou did a cover of MY song "Tape" (very strange and fun to be the audience when another band is playing one of my songs!). Everyone jumped up on stage to close the show with a cover of the Eurythmics' "Missionary Man."

SUNDAY

Beki and Randy and I played the Heartland Liturgy along with the fine folks at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Wheaton in the morning, and the three of us were guests for the Confirmation class as well. Had a delicious lunch with new friends, and a quiet and relaxing afternoon. That evening Beki and I returned to the church for a duet concert, and WOW...the place was packed, every seat full...probably 250 people! Again, many musical highlights including a killer set of Beki solo songs like "All The Time," "Skybound," and "Ft. Bragg." Also joining us was friend Jeff Elbel on upright bass (see photo above) for nice versions of "Get Behind The Wheel," "If You Have A Question," "Forgiveness Waltz," and "You Never Last Where You Land," as well as a massive singalong to "Hey Hey Samuel" (which so happened to be one of the lectionary texts of the day). After the show we had a concert afterparty at the nearby Steak & Shake. DELICIOUS. Wow. An awesome weekend indeed.

TODAY

I slept in, watched the E! network in the hotel, repacked my suitcase, checked out, went to Guitar Center to buy a cheap key-of-D harmonica for $8, had lunch at Giordano's Pizza, shopped some used CD stores (nothing good!), and listened to my favorite Chicago radio show: the Roe Conn show on WLS as I drove West on I-88. Tonight I'm in the Quad Cities to spend the week as a guest lecturer and performer at Augustana College. More later!

Write a caption for a cartoon and maybe win my new CD via Daniel Radosh's blog!

Here's Daniel Radosh, author, social commentator, blogger, and contributor to publications like GQ, The New York Times, Salon, and many others.

Each week on his blog Dan posts a cartoon from the New Yorker magazine with the caption missing, and invites readers to submit their attempt at the "worst possible caption." He gives a prize to the winner each week, and this week the prize is a signed copy of my new album Insomniaccomplishments!

CLICK HERE to visit Dan's blog and submit your own idea for his anti-caption contest!

Dan also wrote a very thoughtful review of my new album on his blog. It's always nice when a journalist truly comprehends the strange subject matter of some of my songs. CLICK HERE to read his review of the Insomniaccomplishments CD.

Polluting young minds.

I just got an email this morning letting me know that a 5th Grade class in Fredericksburg, VA is featuring my new CD in their "Music for the Week" series!

I suppose they could listen to the song "New Eyes" to talk about cell regeneration, or "I Saw Greenland" to talk about world geography, or "Dialysis Carpool" for health class. Of course, "If You Have A Question" is appropriate as well.

It's not a regular occurrence for elementary schools to play my music. I suppose I owe this particular situation to their teacher Mr. Todd Miller who also happens to be a singer/songwriter/performer and recording artist. Here's pic of me and Todd rocking out at LiFest in Wisconsin a few years ago.

Beki Hemingway singing our song "Easy Chair"

Beki just posted this great video of "Easy Chair," a song Beki and I wrote together for our duet album Tennesota. This performance features Randy Kerkman on lead guitar, and Josh Hemingway playing and singing my part! Nice work, Josh! I've never heard that song without me in the band before!

Way back in about 2001 or so, when Beki and Randy and I were all still living in Chicago, we got together to try to collaborate on songwriting for the first time. It was a good, productive session, and we came up with a few cool tunes, including this one and "Everything To Everyone" which both appeared on the 2004 release called Tennesota.

In two weeks I'll be in Chicagoland playing some shows with Beki, and I look forward to singing this tune with her there. Come out to hear us if you can:

Saturday, January 17th:
Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church in Chicago

Sunday, January 18th:
St. Paul Lutheran Church in Wheaton

Geonosian Handler, meet Chelsea Handler

As many of you know, since I bequeathed my collection of vintage '70s-era Star Wars toys to my son about a year ago, my life has been filled with action figures. Paavo received even more Star Wars guys for Christmas and his birthday, so their population continues to grow.

This lovely creature, pictured to the left, has been a part of my household for a few years now. I was on tour in some other state (I forget where), and I pulled my car up to the curb and opened the door. There in the gutter lay a lost and forlorn action figure, dirty and insectlike. I didn't recognize the character, and didn't think he was a Star Wars guy...he looked too skinny and creepy. I thought maybe they'd made toys for one of the Alien films. Never one to bypass an creature in need, I grabbed him and brought him back home for Paavo, who at the time was only about 2 years old. I worried that the alien might be a bit too scary for Paavo, but Paavo seemed to like him anyway.

As the years went by, this action figure remained in our collection, but was a bit excluded from the fun adventures of the Star Wars toys...we were convinced he was from some other movie.

Last week Paavo received a Star Wars stickerbook for Christmas, and as he paged through dozens of alien stickers, he saw a familiar face. "Dad!" he said,"we HAVE this guy!" Sure enough, there in the Star Wars book was a photo of the same alien that we'd been neglecting! He WAS a Star Wars character after all! I decided that I needed to find out this guy's name and history, so I Googled "Star Wars Action Figures" and found zillions of links! I found a page where you could scan through photos of every action figure series manufactured for the past 30 years, and sure enough, I found the guy. Turns out he has a name! He's called a GEONOSIAN HANDLER!

So, Paavo and I immediately grouped him in with the other Star Wars figures, where he was warmly welcomed.

I also thought he may be related to the talk show host on the E! Entertainment Network, CHELSEA HANDLER. It's an unusual name, right? They've got to be cousins or something.