Tulsa, People!
I’ve had a truly good time in this city. I lucked into a great week to be here.
Shooting an episode of Reservation Dogs has been great. It’s odd, I spend a lot of time thinking about what to do with a ‘character’ when I get roles like this. Ultimately, I just end up being some version of myself and being funny. The director, Blackhorse Lowe, and Sterlin Harjo were both pushing me to improvise so it was always fun and funny. I’m excited to see what they cut together. I shoot one more day here.
It was the opening week of the Bob Dylan Center here as well. There were concerts at The Cain Ballroom for the entire weekend. I saw Mavis Staples, Patti Smith and Elvis Costello in three consecutive days. Everyone was great but Patti is transcendent. I can’t even explain why she is so amazing to watch. Present. Engaged.
The Cain is a historical venue and was home to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. You can really feel the history in the place, particularly in the floor. It was built for swing dancing and it has a bounce to it. It’s one of the best venues I have ever been in.
The Bob Dylan Center is an amazing place. The interactive retrospective exhibition of his work is amazing. The center is based on the ownership of his archives by the Kaiser Foundation and there are at least 100,000 items to draw from. Notebooks, clothes, recordings, sculptures, paintings, photos, ephemera. Exhibitions will change and rotate. It was a bit mind-blowing.
I had some emotional business to take care of as well. I always promised myself if I was ever in Tulsa I would take a trip out to Sam Kinison's grave and piss on it. The plan was payback for him pissing on my bed back in the day. It’s a long story I’ve told many times. Anyway, I went to the grave and found myself forgiving the guy for terrorizing me when I was 22. I actually was able to put the amazing things that happened back then into context and let go of the horror. Still alive.
Today we did something we’ve never done on a regular episode day. I reposted a talk I had in March 2014 with Dan Vitale. Dan passed away last week and I wanted to reflect on my feelings for him and share the episode in its entirety, including the intro from the original. I wanted it to be heard as a tribute but also it was the type of talk that defined what the show became and what the show is at its best. I really appreciated Dan. I am sad that he died.
On Thursday I talk to the Doobie Brothers, well a couple of them at least. Also, I will include a talk I had with Steven Jenkins, the director of The Bob Dylan Center. Lots of stuff. Good talks.
Enjoy!
Boomer, Monkey and LaFonda live!
Love,
Maron
A Tribute to Dan Vitale.
