Sometimes, I Just Wish You Would Blog, Eric Himan.

The talks I have with myself in between songs.-Eric www.erichiman.com

[erichiman-blog]

SB 1062 VETOED!!!!:)

I am ecstatic that Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has chosen to do the right thing for Arizona, and for the country, by vetoing SB 1062 which would have legalized discrimination against entire communities simply because of who they are.  Whether it was based on one’s religion, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity, this bill targeted many.

I want to commend everyone in Arizona and across the country for being proactive and making people aware of the potentially devastating effects of this bill, and the dangerous precedent it would have set.

While this battle has been won, we should definitely take a moment to celebrate.  However, there are plenty more battles ahead. The war for true and full equality continues. Marriage between consenting gay adults is still not legal in Arizona.  Gay people can still be fired from their jobs in that state simply because of whom they love. Even though it has not been codified into law today, discrimination sadly still exists. The mere fact that this bill was passed by the Legislature is proof that ignorance and bigotry are still alive and well, hiding behind religion or hate or fear. And these things do not stop at Arizona’s state borders.

I am truly grateful to Governor Brewer on behalf of all my friends in Arizona and LGBT people across the country, especially in those states where equality for all is being challenged on a regular basis. This has been a week full of assaults on the LGBT community but the victories are beginning to outnumber the losses.

Please continue to support the organizations that work tirelessly to fight this kind of legislation. Our voices will only be heard if we use them.

I will personally continue to proudly support the efforts of organizations like H.E.R.O. Phoenix who are heroes not only in name, but in their actions, for with groups like this organizing against this type of legislative action, we are all better off!

OK , back out on the road I go:) 

~Eric

[erichiman-blog]

What's a Hanukkah Elf?!

What is a Hanukkah Elf, you ask?

Check out this new holiday series I've been working on focusing on a new character, CHAI' (pronounced Hi with a hard clearing your throat sound at the beginning), The Hanukkah Elf. Mischievous like most elves, Chai' sneaks in my house and I kick him out. Apparently, not such a good idea. 

Check out these episodes:

EPISODE 001: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhAu1i8bJfY

EPISODE 002: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFLGhjEmEnI

Chai's Commercial': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loxB5WAwBk4

[erichiman-blog]

It's a muggy Tuesday here in Broken Arrow, OK and I am back behind my computer (which I feel I spend more time on than with my guitar/piano at times). 

I did have a great time though in Pensacola. I drove down Thursday night making it halfway stopping in a small town in Arkansas. It was a cheap hotel room (only needed to be there about 7 hours really) and the amount of noise from the McDonald's kept me up. Or was it the BLACKFISH documentary I watched right before bed. Have you seen this documentary? It centers on the deaths of Sea World trainers who deal with the killer whales. It also focuses on the question of keeping this large mammals in captivity and if these deaths are the fault of the trainers, whales, or worse, Sea World executives. They are EXTREMELY smart mammals and I was amazed at some of the things they were pushed to do for entertainment, an underwater circus of sorts. Very sad but worth seeing. 

Drove to Pensacola on a sunny day drinking my Dunkin Donuts coffee, eating my oatmeal (with protein powder and flax seed, of course). I arrived at Vinyl Music Hall to see Edwin's bus right out front. Immediately I got excited. 

Edwin was out fixing the bus when I showed up, a true performer: one who knows sometimes the only person who can do the job is yourself. I saw the band setting up and decided to hang around and wait to set up and soundcheck. His band were fun and took the time to say hey. When they were done, I set up my sound (thanks to the sound guys for being awesome!) and waited for the show. My best friend from high school, Misty (oh, she's still my best friend:) was there as well as some other fun friends from high school (I went to Ft. Walton Beach High School about 45 minutes away). 

Misty and Me:

I played my set (here's a short run down: 

Red Hot Tears, Everything To You, Royals (Lorde cover), Waiting For Thunder (Malala), Running, Gracefully, In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins cover), and Dust.  The crowd was fantastic and many of those that bought CDs after the show from Misty (playing my Merch Maid for the night) said that "Gracefully" was the song that really connected with them that night. I was very touched and even said onstage that I had ties to Pensacola because my grandfather was buried in Pensacola at the Jewish cemetery before playing the song. So grateful that my most quiet song of the night received the biggest reaction:). 

Edwin took the stage after with his band and rocked it. He played newer songs ("Shooting Stars") and of course, the classic hits of his ("I'll Be, "Solitude", "I Could Not Ask For More"). Truly awesome and stood beside the stage for most of it as you can see here:

After the show, I packed up my gear and spoke with the band a bit. Thanked the venue for having me (Thanks, Chris, at Vinyl Music Hall!) and waited to say goodbye to Edwin. He took a bit (I think he was changing back at the hotel) and Misty and I spoke to Jason, Edwin's bassist, for a while about music. Great guy and we shared the same love for The Finn Bros of Crowded House (don't you LOVE Crowded House too?!)

Edwin finally appeared and we got to speak for a bit. I gave him a copy of my cookbook (orders for it on my website starting Tuesday Nov. 5th!!!:) and a copy of GRACEFULLY.  We took this pic and they were off to the next city. Getting to share the stage with one of your songwriting idols is awesome, getting to tell them how much they influenced you to their face, even better. 

Saturday, I hung with Misty and it was like old days. Went to the mall, got coffee and we thought it was Hi-Larious that Dunkin Donuts was connected to Aspen Delta. A match made in heaven: drink/eat your sugar and then immediately go next door to fill all those cavities. 

Even went back to my high school to say hi:

Saturday night I played over at Hog's Breath Saloon for a fun crowd of folks after the World Series was over (I should really check out sporting event dates before booking shows because people MIGHT be inclined to wanna watch those at the same time as I'm playing,ha). 

Sunday morning, I rose early, said goodbye to Misty and family, and drove the 13 and half HOURS back to Oklahoma. On my car rides, I:

listen to music/comedy cds (HAIM, Maria Bamford, Edwin)/write song parts/come up with new ideas/drink coffee ALOT/call family.

Now I am back at home and planning on making kreplach this weekend for 120 people (you got that right!) at Temple Israel's Taste of Temple event (asking singing and playing too). Kreplach is like jewish ravioli (see: http://www.kjrh.com/dpp/lifestyle/sunday-brunch-with-eric-himan%3A--roasted-chicken-and-carmelized-onion-kreplach). 

Have a good rest of your Tuesday:) ~Eric

Ps. Hot Chocolate at Denny's is AWESOME. Misty and I celebrated after the Edwin show with this:

[erichiman-blog]

LIVE FROM MY DESK: Eric Himan "The Only Way"

Performing one of the songs, "The Only Way", from my latest album, GRACEFULLY. Catch me this weekend in Pensacola opening for the talented, Edwin McCain at V...

LIVE FROM MY DESK, I play some of the songs I rehearse, am learning, or just feel like talking. Here is two out of three of those:

[erichiman-blog]

“I think of it often and imagine the scene clearly. Even if they come to kill me, I will tell them what they are trying to do is wrong, that education is our basic right.” – Malala Yousafzai”

I am feeling overwhelmed with emotion right now.  I just finished the book, I AM MALALA, written by Malala Yousafzai about her experiences standing up for girls education at 14 years old in the Swat Valley. After the Taliban targeted and shot her, she recovered and is still speaking out for the free education of everyone in the world. With knowledge, she feels that the world will be a better place. I believe her. Her book is filled with stories of her country, the way of life, the beauty she finds in her religion and Swat Valley. It also discusses how unstable it was to live in Pakistan with the Taliban taking over. Even the government  could not be trusted at times. As she goes to school now in the UK at sixteen years old, she still longs to return to Swat Valley and wonder if she will ever be safe to return there.

Last night, I watched HBO's documentary, VALENTINE ROAD, about the murder of Larry King, a 15 year old boy who was shot and killed by a fellow student for being too effeminate. This brought tears to my eyes when I saw jurors in the trial for Larry's killer, Brandon McInerney, feeling sorry for Brandon with no compassion towards Larry. I couldn't believe my ears hearing these adults discussing how sad it is (for Brandon) to be tried as an adult at such as a young age. What about Larry? Isn't it sad to die at such a young age by a fellow student? This didn't have to happen. Both boys had troubled pasts and one is dead while the other sits in jail. The difference is one killed the other and you watch the adults sit around trying to decide what to do with Brandon. Larry's teacher, whose class was the scene of the crime, was terminated from her position. So many affected by one kid's choice to bring his father's gun to school. As Brandon grew angrier as he grew up, Larry felt less angry. Larry felt more comfortable in his skin as his situation changed. He was placed in a home for abused teenagers where he felt safe to express himself. From the film, it appears that Larry was transgendered. He gravitated towards women's clothes and attire. He even announced he wanted to be called by a women's name right before his death. 

Seeing youth being targeted in these ways just makes me cry. I recall my own childhood growing up feeling scared to come out as gay in the 90's. Not getting too close to anyone for fear of being attacked for it or judged either. I didn't want to make myself a target so I policed myself into just being a supporting character in other's lives. I didn't make mention of girls or boys and my feelings. I look back at the time as a really sad part of my life. I didn't feel brave back then.

Larry was attacked for being too effeminate in school while I wonder if Malala was being attacked for appearing too masculine with her voice. Both being told to stay in their "place", their gender roles. If Larry chose to be frightened by his hecklers and police himself into not appearing effeminate, would that be better? What if Malala decided not to speak up for girls education because she was silenced by fear after seeing young girls get acid thrown in their faces for the same in Afghanistan?

All of us have a voice. We also have the choice to use violence to get that point across. I feel the world is a better place when we use our voices for peace no matter the message. When we use our voice and it threatens a group of people or individual (Brandon in Larry's case, the Taliban in Malala's), why must that lead to violence? Why must their lives end? Can't we live amongst those with different views?

Did Larry's absence make "the problem" go away? Brandon's in jail for the next 21 years, a movie has been made and Larry's story has found a new way to be told all over the world. Did Malala's attempted assassination silence her? The story of her shooting traveled around the world, she spoke at the UN, and just came out with a book from her own voice. Violence does not solve problems, I think it just ends up creating new ones.

My heart goes out to Larry's loved ones and to Malala, who is making her voice heard despite criticism in her own homeland. Let this be a lesson so this does not have to repeat itself again.

~Eric

To watch Valentine Road, check out:

http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/valentine-road

To support Malala in her cause for girls' education, donate to the:

www.malalafund.org

[erichiman-blog]

Edwin McCain!

I grew up all over the place because my father was in the Air Force and we traveled quite often (New York, New Jersey, South Carolina, Hawaii, Florida). But I consider my middle and high school years the ones where I did the most growing up. 

I remember my father buying me my first guitar, handing it to me like, "Ok, good luck" at age 8. He was a guitarist also but knowing me, I must have given off the vibe of "I can learn myself" when he started to instruct me. Not my best quality back then, but I learned the hard way finding the chords on my own. I struggled with it though because I didn't link it to the music I was listening to. Back then, I was listening to R&B (Bell Biv Devoe, Fu Shnickens, Shanice) and I didn't really hear it predominately in that style. 

When we moved to Homestead, FL, I was sad to leave Hawaii but excited at making new friends in a new city. We were close to Miami and I was curious about the area. Well, the day we got our belongings from Hawaii shipped to us, my dad said that a giant hurricane was headed our way and take what we need because we may not be back.

I decided it best to take my tapes and walkman leaving much of everything else behind. Hurricane Andrew came the next day and basically blew South Florida to bits. Homestead Air Force Base doesn't even exist anymore. I remember listening to Temple of the Dog and Pearl Jam a lot then and watching Wayne's World on repeat at a family member's house we evacuated to escape. To this day, all three of those things remind of being back in South Florida.

My dad got re stationed to Hurlburt Field in the Panhandle near Destin in Ft. Walton Beach and I attended school up there right away. I was very shy and when my dad bought me the Woodstock series after I showed  a bit of interest in Janis Joplin, I was hooked. I got an acoustic guitar and started learning any song I could get my hands on especially in that genre. I remember hearing Edwin McCain on the radio with "Solitude" around that time and my friend, Anna, invited me to go see him do a small acoustic concert at Harbor Docks in Destin. Edwin inspired me musically and vocally. I loved his soulfulness and how quick he was on the guitar. It made me want to be a performer not just a musician.

Next Friday, I get the chance to see Edwin perform again but this time from the wings of the stage because I will be opening the show for him. I am UBER-psyched and truly believe if you stick with your dreams eventually they will come true. If you are in the Pensacola area, come on down and witness the biggest smile I have ever produced in my life:).

http://seatgeek.com/edwin-mccain-with-eric-himan-tickets/pensacola-florida-vinyl-music-hall-2013-10-25-8-pm/concert/1667885/

Here's to writing more blogs! Have a great weekend and talk soon! ~Eric 

[erichiman-blog]

Today starts a brand new blog:) Been wanting to do this for quite some time and finally am going for it.