heroes

"Hero, it's a nice boy notion that the real world's gonna destroy. It's a Marvel comic book Saturday matinee fairytale." - Steve Taylor in Hero
Complete lyrics available at http://www.sockheaven.net/music/albums/meltdown/09.html

"We can beat them, forever and ever. We can be heroes just for one day."- David Bowie in Heroes
Complete lyrics available at http://www.vastlyrics.com/d/David%20Bowie/Heroes/

"You know my hero, he's ordinary." - Dave Grohl in My Hero
Complete lyrics available at http://www.alohacriticon.com/alohapoprock/article1824.html

You occasionally hear a professional athlete or rock star say something along the lines of "I don't won't to be a role model." To them I want to say "Tough crap, you're famous. You're in the public spotlight, doing something every little kid dreams of doing when they grow up. They will idolize you whether you're worth it or not. If you don't want to be a hero, quit your job and disappear. Become a postal worker or something."

After a long phone conversation last night with my brother, and then another (and longer) phone call with my parents, I thought it would be appropriate to examine my heroes. Granted, it might not be the most interesting read, but I need to get it off my chest. I'll include a handful of links in case you're more interested in finding out more about some of these people. Enjoy.

To start off, Steve Taylor. Not only a hero, but a huge influence. He's had a long and controversial career in the Christian and mainstream music industry. An interesting fellow, originally a youth pastor, he's recorded several albums as a solo artist and one with his band Chagall Guevara, headlined phenomenal tours, and produced for varied artists like Newsboys Guardian and The Insiders. His short lived label was the launchpad that gave Chevell and Sixpence None the Richer well deserved recognition. He's now working on his first feature length movie The Second Chance. http://www.sockheaven.org/

Next up, Dave Grohl. Most people will remember him as the drummer for Nirvana, or recognize him as the front man for Foo Fighters. I refer to him as one of the hardest working people in rock music. He got his start drumming for punk bands on the East Coast and has worked with artists as varied as Trent Reznor, Nora Jones, and Jack Black. Check my post "In Foo Honor" and www.foofighters.com

Billy Corgan. The man is a legend, his band changed the way I look at music, and much of the way I look at life. I consider him one of the greatest song writers in rock music. The thing that makes him (at least in my mind) great is his imperfections. He doesn't have a good singing voice, he's got crooked teeth, he's kinda ugly, he had a breakdownreakdow in the late 90's. Yet, he's truged on, and stands strong. He's got that spark, when he speaks - you listen. His lyrics are profound and resonate on such a deep and personal level that it's nearly impossible to dismiss. The Smashing Pumpkins music videos are artistic and emotional masterpieces. For me though, he's an inspiration. Why? I not a great singer, I got crooked teeth, and I'm kinda ugly. I just haven't had a mental breakdown...yet. But more than that, his music inspires me to write. Everytime I hear a Smashing Pumkins song, or Zwan song, or even a song from his recently released solo album, I want to write, be it song, poetry or fiction. I'll often have Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness or some acoustic bootlegs playing in my headphones while working on my novel. "I fear that I'm ordinary, just like everyone" - Muzzle http://billycorgan.com

Next are two very different men with one thing in common. Jon Stewart and David Duchovny. David is most known as the X-Files' enigma Fox Mulder, but has also had other memorable parts in films like Evolution, Zoolander, Playing God, and Return to Me. A great actor and disturbingly charming. Jon, on the other hand, is a comedian and host of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. A very funny man. His stand-up performance on seeing a proctologist is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Aside from comedy, he's also done some movies like Big Daddy and Playing by Heart. Watch Jon's show on late night tv and find out more about the show at http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/index.jhtml. David has roughly 2.7 million fan sites give or take a million, just Google search his name if you want to read more about him. Oh yeah, what do they have in common? They've both kissed Gillian Anderson.

Moby. Another funny little man who's not that good looking and not a great singer. A Christian, vegan, somewhat militant political activist, I find it difficult to agree with some of his views, but his work ethic is to be admired. While on record, much of his music is mellow, he puts on one of the most energetic live shows. It's hard to believe he got his start playing hardcore punk. It's been interesting to see his transormation from wiry dorky kid to rave/techno demi god to the respected musician he is today. http://moby.com/

Finally, my older brother Aaron. As much as I take after my father, it's my brother that I've most wanted to be like. He played three equal roles in my life when I was younger: Big Brother, Bodyguard, and Best Friend. Five and a half years older, we never went to school together and never developed much of a rivalry. He was the athletic one and I was the artistic one, I think the only time we ever competed was while playing volleyball at church outings. We have many mutual friends and share a passion for music. We used to go to concerts together, now he's a concert promoter. His two kids are my only neice and nephew, and they're at the age where almost everything they do is funny. My wife and his wife chat often, much like they're sisters. Despite the 10 hour drive between us, we're still friends. His web site is in my links section, Prairie Fire Concerts.

Well, that's a peek inside my head. My brain is starting to hurt so I'm done for now. Enjoy.