Dear friends,

Last week, my friend Micah and I filmed a video for the Sarah Palin song. We're proud of the way it turned out, but not as proud as my parents are about their first-born son dry-humping a framed 8x10 all over the Internet. They taught me well.

So we know there's only a week and a half until November 4th, but we don't care...send the video to everyone you know!!! Even if they might be offended, it could open a dialogue for discussion that didn't previously exist. You're welcome for that in advance.

And remember, it doesn't matter who you vote for. Just vote. We mean that.
-Ben & Micah

It's evident by now that I've got a crush on Sarah Palin. If not, update your hearing aid and contact lens prescriptions. Unless you're like me and prefer rimless glasses...(sigh).

If you enjoy the song (and if you're reading this I'll assume you do) then either copy the URL or download the mp3 and send it to friends, coworkers, family members, classmates, inmates, etc. A music video is in production and will be up on YouTube by week's end (I'll be embarrassing myself for the potential blink-of-an-eye gratification known as Internet fame).

Just remember that Barack Obama, John McCain, Ralph Nader, Bob Barr, and many other characters are running for president. On November 4th, vote for one of them. I don't care who. Just vote. It's your right as a free citizen. And I'll send you free candy!

Ben

I realize the Canal Room show was over a month ago -- but I've finally got video clips of the performance! You can watch them at Sonicbids or on my Facebook Page. Soon you can see them on my YouTube Page or on BenSheehan.com, as the site is undergoing some construction...

And remember, if you haven't got a CD yet, order them at CD Baby. Because the summer feels like a good time to be generous, for a limited time Soft Landing is available for only $7.99...and CD Baby downloads for only $5.99! Yes, that means you can add a few more bucks to the "dollar beer night" fund.

Because I like to end each post on a completely unrelated tangent, I was driving in Bethesda the other day, and what I thought was a truck carrying a tractor pulled up next to me -- but I soon realized this was no farm vehicle -- it was the Batmobile from "The Dark Knight" (aka the Tumbler)!! I was certain I was seeing things -- I was coming from the gym, so perhaps this was a hallucination brought on by endorphins. It must have been in mid-transit to the Smithsonian, but suddenly I felt like I was 5 years old again -- and I realized how freaking excited I am to see "The Dark Knight" -- which is another way of saying I'm a total nerd.

So I've moved to New York. I'm told (by friends and therapists) that relocation is a positive step in developing one's independence. I aim to establish a solid gig schedule and a budding professional career while maintaining a thriving social life. Or, at the very least, a couple more iTunes downloads.

Now the 4th of July is around the corner, but that doesn't mean we can just dismiss the oft-forgotten kid brother of our nation's birthday -- Flag Day (June 14). I had a very interesting/horrifying experience last week while trying to get back to DC -- so I thought I'd share it with the world. Please enjoy...

How I Spent My Flag Day
After a productive week in New York, I check out of my hotel at 1:15 and head to Penn Station for the 2:06 Regional. I'd spent more time than expected in the city, so I had to wear my dirty clothes – I figured I'd deal for the three hours until I got to DC. But I look up at the screen to find my train is :15 late, followed by :20 and then :25 late. A few minutes later, it flashes to "delayed", which is Amtrak for "cancelled." So I transfer my ticket to the 3:00 Acela, and all is well until 2:55 when the screen suddenly changes, again, to "delayed" - however the 3:06 Regional leaves on time, and had I kept my regular ticket I would've been onboard. Just after the 3:06 departs, it's announced that all DC bound trains are delayed indefinitely. So I call Delta, and they had one spot left on the 6:30 Shuttle to DC. I cab it to LaGuardia, arriving just in time for the 4:30 Shuttle – what luck! But while sitting on the runway at 4:25, we're informed of severe thunderstorms in DC. 5:00 rolls around, and we're still sitting – and that's when both my laptop and phone run out of batteries. 5:30 shows up, followed by 6:00 and 6:30. Then I go to the bathroom and while I'm in there the plane jolts forward and I piss all over my khakis. After scrubbing out the stains, I return to my seat to find they've passed out chips and water. I flag down a stewardess who brings me water but informs me they're out of chips. At 7:00 the captain tells us weather in DC is fine, but NYC has thunderstorm warnings – however according to passengers on the phone with their friends in DC, there were no storms – and it was still sunny here in Queens. Nonetheless, the pilot says he's taking us back to the gate. Of course every plane is now trying to get back to the gate, so there's traffic – with airplanes – on the runway! Finally we get back, and they say they're combining our flight with another one, still unsure if it's going to take off. I say "fuck this", and leave the plane with a voucher – because as I'd later find out, no planes or trains were going to DC the rest of the day.

So I get back to the same hotel around 9:15, eight hours after I'd checked out, to check in for another night. Turns out the elevators were temporarily out of service, so I climb 16 flights to my room with my bags. Then it turns out there's a Bar Mitzvah in the party room a few floors below me, with a live band playing until after midnight. I try to drown out the music with my TV, but the cable is down due to the weather. I run out to get some food, and in the five minutes I'm outside it starts to pour, thunder, and lightening – and obviously I have no umbrella. I get back to my room, soaked, with some food to find out that there are tons of college kids on my floor, pregaming until around 1:00 – and of course my room is right by the elevator (which is now working) so it's loud as hell until around 1:30 with people stop leaving drunkenly for the bars. I fall asleep at 2:30, wake up at 7:30 to transfer my leftover ticket to the 9:00 Acela, which by the grace of Moses actually leaves on time. And that's how I spent my flag day. God bless America.

CD Release Attendees et al,

Thank you for making the Canal Room show a success! Despite the heavy drink prices (it's New York) and the belated start time, the feedback has been quite positive. A live video will be up soon, so get ready to see if the back of your head was captured in the lens.

June/July/August has a few DC-area dates coming up -- The Rookery in Georgeown, Cameron Perks in Alexandria, Wonderland Ballroom, St. Elmo's, and a few others.

For those that don't know, I'm relocating to New York in the fall. That's not to say I don't love DC -- but I feel obliged to expand my ever-growing fanbase beyond Senate Staffers, Congressional Aides, and perennial groupie Nancy Pelosi.

And PLEASE check out the updated Facebook Page -- lots of new pictures, videos, etc.

Until next time, enjoy chasing the Good Humor man around the block in between breaks from your slip 'n' slides.

XOXO,
Benjamin

I just got off the Continental Airlines/Amtrak Express combo that was my return trip from Italy. 12+ hours of travel = recipe for fun. But that's no excuse for such a belated post.

I spent the last week in the town of Spitorno on the Italian Riviera for my cousin's wedding. Her groom's family didn't speak a word of English, and my Italian consists of speaking Spanish in a Mario Brothers accent. The food, however, was beyond amazing. Highlights were fueled by copious amounts of vino bianco, and included video footage of my 92 year old grandfather confessing his love of wartime brothels and contemporaneous "skinemax". He will be at my CD release this Saturday, May 31st. I challenge any of you to outdrink him.

As for the show itself, it's from 7 - 10 and music starts at 8. CD's cost only $5, and it's a full band show featuring The Spines as backup. Tickets are selling fast -- get them soon through Ticket Web.

See you there...

For those of you who listened to WEBR last night, thank you for your support! The show was a lot of fun. Remember that May 31st is the release party, and get your tickets @ Ticket Web before they're sold out!

And now for something different. Allow me to present an age-old dilemma regarding male/female relations: after the initial rejection, how does one make a second attempt? Is the rejector simply playing 'hard to get', or is she truly disinterested? It's a tough situation to read, and the different methods of rebounding are varied -- the truly confident prove successful, while the ruggedly persistent end up with mandated perimeters. The following video, however, offers a classic approach:

Turtle Rape

But what about male/female situations that don't involve sex as the subtext, and it's just a matter of respect? The answer lies in the greatest YouTube video of all time, which I refer to as "Generation Hand Bag vs. Generation Douche Bag":

H-Bag v. D-Bag

I hope you've learned something today. I know I have. See you on the 31st.

Benjamin

Colleagues, Cronies, & Tomorrow's Stars of "To Catch A Predator",

I'm pumped. Why? Because the weather is finally nice. Because summer is just around the corner. And because at the end of May I get to play a frikken (German spelling) cool venue like Canal Room. There's even talk about recording the show for a Live E.P. I'm not really nervous, except that a few days ago I had a nightmare where I walked on stage and no one was in the audience, except my grandma. Even in my REM cycles, she's still my biggest fan. Aww.

But the good news is, you can buy tickets ahead of time. Visit Ticket Web and search my name. Tickets are General Admission, cost 10 bucks (it's New York -- even your doorman charges a cover on weekends), and get you a 1/2 price CD. And if you mistakenly show up on Monday, you might just catch Pat McGee's weekly residency.

And now I have to get something off my chest. I don't usually discuss my love life in blogs, and not just because it doesn't exist. But I've got to come clean about my crush on the talented, brilliant, strangely hot Sara Bareilles. Why? Because her songwriting completely rocks. She's a hybrid of Elton John and Eva Cassidy (Google her), and her voice is astounding. Plus if we ever get married, she looks Jewish enough to pass off to my parents. But we'll cross that highly improbable bridge when we get there. For now just remember Saturday. May 31st. 7:00 PM. Save the Date.

-Benjamin

Thursday I'm playing the Grog & Tankard, a 40-year landmark/dive bar in the heart of "upper" Georgetown a.k.a. Glover Park, the neighborhood of my birth. I only lived there for two years, but I remember my babysitter taking me to the Grog every morning -- whiskey for her (understandable), formula for me. Most people don't realize that dive bars have excellent Day Care programs complete with wobbly stools, glass on the floor, and strange men covering you in peanuts for their personal entertainment. I wouldn't be the man I am today without the attention of those friendly, dehydrated patrons.

For those of you who didn't make it last night, Mikey Powell rocked the house -- check out his band, Villains Trust. They sound like Marc Broussard and G Love playing beirut against 311 and the Jackson 5, especially on songs like "Typical Miserable Attitude".

See you Thursday!

Ben