Ok, so maybe I do need to rethink the “tribute to Sade” ponytail because of my dinner plate sized ears! Regardless, I still had a lovely time at the Sade Listening Party this week. I got to hang out with folks like Matt Vaughn, owner of Easy Street Records, interns Dustin and Brittany, a pair of great Mountain listeners, and lots of Seattle music industry folk in the bar at Hotel 1000. Nice fireplace! The new Sade? Well, to be honest it was really hard to hear over all the hobnobbing, so I’m looking forward to hearing it in earnest on Feb 9 when it hits stores.

Here’s proof of those saucer sized ears:

Dustin and I

Ears and Sade fan John Spicer and his lovely bride

Ears and Party Goer Carrie McIntyre and her hubby

And finally, my ear took this photo of Brittany and her friend Morgan.

- Shawn

More good works from the music community for the people of Haiti . . .

The Dave Matthews Band has established the Bama Works Haiti Relief Fund — an initiative to help provide long-term support to the people of the earthquake-ravaged nation of Haiti.

They’ve released a digital EP with five live tracks called The Haiti Relief Project. Here’s the track listing:

Butterfly
Cry Freedom
Out Of My Hands
Lying In The Hands of God
Dive In

The EP is downloadable now, and it’s only 5 bucks! Click here to get it.

You may have already discovered Eddie Vedder’s beautiful version of Bruce Springsteen’s “My City of Ruins,” which benefits Haiti relief. (The details are here.)

Now Pearl Jam’s guitar god, Mike McCready, is putting together an event called A Hootenany for Haiti on February 28 at the Showbox at the Market in Seattle. The featured guest will be Duff McKagan of Guns ‘N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver, and there’s a nice assortment of other great artists: Kim Virant, Kristen Ward, Kim Warnick, Mark Pickerel, Star Anna, Chris Friel, Gary Westlake, Jeff Rouse, Justin Davis, Ty Bailie and friends.

They’ll perform in the intimate surroundings of the Showbox to benefit Partners in Health, a 20-year-old organization that’s on the ground providing much-needed medical care in Haiti.

Tickets are only 15 bucks — how can you not go? Here are the details.

If having a copy of your novel tucked under the arm of John Lennon’s assassin doesn’t qualify your novel as one of the biggest cultural touchstone’s of the 20th century, then what does?

Reclusive author J.D. Salinger passed away today, but his novel Catcher In The Rye will live with everyone who ever suffered a crush, felt misunderstood by their parents, thought teachers were phonies, or got drunk and felt lonely. Since that describes just about every teenager in America, it’s safe to say Catcher In The Rye will live on.

Need more proof? Check out a short list of songs inspired by or referencing J.D. Salinger and Catcher here:

• The Beastie Boys – Shadrach
• Green Day – Who Wrote Holden Caufield
• Old 97’s – Rollerskate Skinny
• Too Much Joy – Willam Holden Caufield

(Mind you, this is only skimming the surface!)

My favorite? Clem Snide’s “The End Of Love”, which perfectly suits the mood of the day.

Bye bye, J.D. Salinger, we’ll miss you but we’ll never forget you.

- Shawn

Hey Justin Timberlake, I like you.

I know, I’m pretty late to that party, but, I just have to say it out loud. You have really curly hair, you did that D!@# In A Box song, your jeans flatter my lady parts, and you are good to your friends. I know this because we share a mutual friend, Matt Morris.

It was really cool when you brought him along to sing on the Hope For Haiti benefit show. I know you guys have been friends since you were Musketeers together and that your record label is putting out his new cd, but it was cool none the less. And you guys sing like angels together. Speaking of angels, nice pick on the Leonard Cohen cover too. I can’t tell you how many calls I’ve had asking about it. I hope you raise about a billion dollars for Haiti with sales of this song. That’s what we at Ask The MD call a win win!

Here’s the performance:

- Shawn

You’ve heard “Soldier Of Love” on New Music Tuesday, or on the promos for the new season of Lost. No? Well give it a listen here.

It’s a gorgeous song, and now we all want to know… how’s the rest of the Sade album?

Find out with me!

I’ve got one space on the guest list for an exclusive, private Sade listening party in downtown Seattle on Wednesday night, January 27th. Sade won’t be there, but people who love her will! We’ll get to hear the whole album and mingle with local Sade lovers.

I’ve also got 10 copies of the new CD to give away.

All you have to do is leave a comment here on the blog, make it a nice comment about love and happiness, and then check your email to see if you’ve won the cd or listening party passes. Cool?

Good luck, lover.

- Shawn

It means it’s time to take down the holiday lights.

Oh sure, some people might say you should take the lights down on, like, New Years Day. I say, what’s the rush? Why should I drag my big extension ladder out of the garage and around to the front of the house on some rainy early-January day, when I can wait until a mild, sunny-ish morning comes along?

Gee, now it’s only 10 months until it’s time to put them up again. Maybe I should’ve just left them . . . .

Prince might be at the game, but I’ll be in Ballard to cheer on the Vikings as they face off against the Saints for their spot in the Super Bowl. Come on out!

Zayda Buddy’s Pizza & Bar will be hosting the area’s biggest “purple-pizza-party” Sunday. Food and drink specials will highlight festivities, as Seattle’s Minnesota contingent will cheer on the Vikings in their bid for Super Bowl XLIV. Zayda Buddy’s expects to be standing room only by kick off.
5405 Leary Ave. NW
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 783-7777
The following games will be shown in HD on Zayda Buddy’s three big screens:

Sunday, January 24:

Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints 12 p.m.
New York Jets vs. Indianapolis Colts 3:40 p.m.

Sunday, February 7:

Super Bowl XLIV, 3:25 p.m.

The restaurant opens at 9:30 a.m. for one of Zayda Buddy’s biggest parties. Breakfast specials include a variety of Egg Break Pizzas and the Iron Range A.M., two eggs, two pieces of bacon, tater tots, Texas toast with a choice of coffee or Hamm’s.

Zayda Buddy’s Pizza & Bar is Seattle’s only Minnesota-style pizzeria. For more information, visit: www.zaydabuddyspizza.com.

See you there!

- Shawn

There is no color more synonymous with Prince than purple. Purple velvet jacket, purple symbol, “Purple Rain.” But add some gold to the mix, and you’ve got yourself a gem.

You might not know that Prince is from Minnesota! And lo and behold, he was sitting in the suite for the Vikings-Cowboys game this past week. He was so moved by his home team’s victory (they trounced 34-3), he penned a song about the Vikings.

As The Wall Street Journal described, “Purple and Gold” has “the feel of a 1940s Ivy League campus cheer.” Hear for yourself:

“Purple and Gold”

the veil of the sky draws open
the roar of the chariots touch down
we r the ones who have now come again
and walk upon water like solid ground
as we approach the throne we won’t bow down
this time we won’t b denied

raise every voice and let it b known
in the name of the purple and gold

we come in the name of the purple and gold
all of the odds r in r favor
no prediction 2 bold
we r the truth if the truth can b told
long reign the purple and gold

the eyes say ready 4 battle
no need 4 sword in hand
we r all amped up like a rock n roll band
ready 2 celebrate every score
ready 2 fight the elegant war
ready 2 hear the crowd roar

that’s what we came 4
and so much more
in the name of the purple and gold

r spirits may b tired
r bodies may b worn
but since this day is r destiny
r history – that’s y we must b
4ever strong as the wind that blows the Vikings’ horn
in the name of the purple and gold

- Shawn

Here’s the latest chapter in the saga of my broken thumb.

Just to recap, I broke it in a bicycle accident on December 2. I wore a cast for a month, then I switched to a splint as I began physical therapy to restore my once-formidable hand muscles. It’s a long process, but I’m getting there. Check this out: