Recently, the flamboyant Steve Machat bought his presence to Videopoem. Not easy to categorize, Machat is a man of diverse talents. At once a famous entertainment lawyer, he is also an author and political activist. His latest work is entitled “Gods, Gangters and Honor,” where he chronicles the dark underside of celebrity life, the music business in particular.

Having grown up in the industry, his father was the lawyer for such types as Frank Sinatra and The Rolling Stones amongst others, Machat is very comfortable in dealing with big egos. The book, which reads like a tv episode, is full of entertaining tales and insights into the people who define what culture is in today’s society. But Machat is about more than telling us the secrets of interesting individuals. He also encompasses a whole spiritual dimension which is actually his bigger focus. The founder of The Wheel Party, Machat aims to bring wholeness back to the system which be believes has been corrupted by corporations and the influence of money. He has written two books on world history which explores the rise of this system. The creation of The Wheel Party is his response. And like everything else in his life, Machat has seen the devastating effects of this culture up close in the form of his daughter’s drug addiction. Mer miraculous recovery after many failed attempts through the program of Per Wickstrom who offers a holistic approach, led Machat to embrace a more spiritual view of life. So watch this episode and be prepared to be amazed by this man.

Videopoem – Steve Machat from New Castle Media Center on Vimeo.

I recently had the great pleasure to interview Adam Tyler and hear him perform his song Like A Drug. An enxcellent performer Adam brings great sensitivity to the pop idiom. With a formal training from the Berklee School of Music in Boston, he crafts finely tuned melodies with a lyrics of great emotion and intensity. He has been touring lately and wowing audiences with his fusion of pop and intensity. With his eclectic mix of electronic beats and pop craft, he is sure to be on the scene for a long time.

Hot rising star Stacey Jackson joined us on Videopoem to discuss her music and outlook on life. An innovative star currently residing in London, Stacey Jackson has been shaking up the dance floors in Europe and more recently in the United States. Working with such luminaries as Snoop Dog and remixing White Snake’s “Is This Love” Jackson displays a dexterity in her craft which is not usually seen.
This is reflected also being the mother of four and balancing her family life with the demands of her musical career. She is equally at home singing soft ballads accompanied by an acoustic guitar to shaking it up to monstrous dance beats. Keep an eye out for her because her star is only going to get brighter.

Here is a Videopoem that features poetry and music. I was able to capture some amazing light out in Brookyn’s Prospect Park. There is a jam with Dennis Breen, Susie Fava and Roger Mahaney where we play some of Jorma’s spiritual tunes. Also some spoken word from Beth’s scene down in White Plains.

Long before there was an Occupy Wall Street movement Paul Kantner was singing songs of protest. On October 15 at B.B. King’s Bar and Grill in midtown Manhattan, there will be a celebration of Paul’s 70 birthday as he will be joined by his band the Jefferson Starship and other illustrious guests.
Proving that songs of social protest are not a passing fad, Paul first emerged upon the scene in the 60′s in the storied band Jefferson Airplane. Evolving into the Jefferson Starship with the advent of Blows Against the Empire, the band still plays Volunteers of America which echoes the sentiment ringing across the country today with its call to revolution on the street, First and foremost, however, Paul and the Starship have been about the music which has been in constant evolution since the start. Joining them in in vocals n 2008, Cathy Richardson who appears on the 2008 release Jefferson’s Tree of Liberty. The band easily moves from songs of protest to heart wrenching tunes of heartbreak such as Miracles or the humorous Fast Buck Freddie. Complimenting the night will be a tribute to the band’s former violinist Papa John Creach. And not to be outdone bay area legends Moonalice will be playing a set as well as special guests Nona Hendryx and Prairie Prince.

So be sure to come down Saturday for a full musical experience which echoes the sentiments of the times as well as provides historical context.

I showed up sober. That was a plus in my favor. I think. Not that anyone would care. To care wouldn’t be anti folk. So it goes.

So I took a slice of the show and threw it into a Videopoem. One because I actually like the music and two I needed material for a new show. How convenient. Plus the Sidewalk is only a few block’s from my brother’s place. A set deal. So the Sprinkle Genies, Joe Bendix, and Randi Russo made it in. Here is is.

The National provide intense introspective lyrics framed under luscious melodies…

Activist Don Debar joined us on Videopoem to offer a different perspective on Libya. He provides a more penetrating analysis than corporate mainstream media delivers.

As a journalist who has actually visited Libya as he did in 2009, Debar paints a far different picture than what you get from the broadcast and print media here in the States. For instance, Quadaffi is not seen as a monster by the people in Libya. Under his leadership Libya has full employment, free housing, complete medical benefits, and free universal education from kindegarten through university. These facts are never reported by the Western media.

In this Videopoem I return to my roots and layer imagery over Kerouac, Ginsberg with some vintage Patti Smith thrown in for good effect. I’ve been shooting imagery with a cam corder and a dslr in an indiscriminate manner focusing a great deal of energy on the Chappaqua landscape surrounding my house. This includes a copious amount of imagery in the woods directly behind the house as well as bike rides over to such parks as Whippoorwhill, Glazier, Rockwood and the Hardscrabble Wilderness Area.

This show started off with presenting poetry and I felt like returning to its roots with all the imagery I had amassed. The idea is to see what you’re seeing even when that becomes painful. After all, how much beautiful light in the woods can one watch? It’s the same with our notion of America. We bandy about such concepts as democracy, freedom, constitutional rights but do we how often do we stop to really consider what these notions mean? In his poem America Allan Ginsberg explores these concepts offering his viewpoint of where America is at. And two selections in this episode Jack Kerouac offers brilliant insights into America from his beat perspective.,

The mainstream media tells us one thing. Our politicians, who are supposed to be checked by the media tells us one thing. And then there is reality. Cynthia McKinney is in Libya. Watch for yourself and make up your own mind.