Henry Kissinger signs autographs in Toronto exclusively for The Signature Library

When I recently learned that Henry Kissinger would be coming to Toronto for a debate, I was intrigued by the thought of potentially meeting one of America’s most controversial political figures of the last half century. Though many people may feel differently towards Kissinger’s celebrity status, his impact on American foreign policy cannot be overlooked. Even today Dr.Kissinger is still sought out for his exertus by many including President Obama. Aside from Kissinger’s storied resume, his status as a “celebrity” has always followed him since his days alongside President Nixon. His policies have made him a very controversial figure which present a challenge when it comes to attempting to meet Kissinger in person, let alone getting close enough to having him pose for photos and autographing memorabilia. This past friday in Toronto, I had my opportunity to meet that challenge when Dr.Kissinger flew into Toronto for The Munk debates held at Roy Thompson Hall. The first step was procuring the right memorabilia to have him sign. That presented another challenge in itself, as Toronto is not the ideal place to be looking for books or magazines on American political figures. However, after some intense research, I was able to locate 3 first edition books by Kissinger; his memoirs “Years of Upheaval” , “Henry Kissinger on China” and “Henry Kissinger:Does America Need A Foreign Policy.” In addition to these books, I secured 3 Time magazine covers featuring Kissinger on the cover. Now that I had the right material in play, it was off to Roy Thompson Hall to complete my mission and meet Henry Kissinger. After only a few minutes of my entering the premises of RTH, I quickly found where the VIP post reception would be held. As the debate ended I went directly backstage and found my way into the reception room, which was very exclusive to about 75 of Toronto’s socialites & Canada’s dignitaries. Which included former Prime Minister of Canada; Brian Mulroney. After 10 minutes into the reception, there was still no sight of Kissinger in the room. I began wondering if he decided to not attend the reception and snub the Prime Minister? And Me? Just as my paranoia began to set in, Kissinger appeared with cane in hand. I was one of the first people to greet Dr.Kissinger and took this picture after I introduced myself to him.
Followed by Kissinger being reacquainting with the former Prime Minister. Kissinger did not stay very long, though he did manage to find time to scarf down sea bass with a side of asparagus just moments before I had the very same table he ate on cleared by the catering staff; in order for me to make it easier for Kissinger to autograph all the books and magazines I had brought.
After Kissinger signed the very last magazine for me, he was escorted by Toronto PD and the RCMP and was off to the private airfield where his plane awaited. For an 88 year old man with a cane, Kissinger disappeared into the Toronto night like a Russian Spy in Brooklyn, and so did I.

Global News Story on the Business of Autographs Featuring The Signature Library

I’ve spent the better half of my life in pursuit of building one of the most unique and diverse Autograph collections. It’s been more than just a hobby, a passion, an obsession, and now its become my business. The Signature Library is more than just a website that sells “Signatures” or “Autographs”, its about the journey and the backstory behind each autographed piece, about how I met each Celebrity in person and how they obliged my desire to have them autograph something that will be treasured by myself and others alike. The journey for The Signature Library has only just begun, as the time has come for me to share these stories and exceptional Autographed pieces of memorabilia with the public. A few months ago, Global News did a story on the business of Autographs and featured The Signature Library in that piece.

Johnny Depp & The Signature Library reunite in Los Angeles

The other day I was waiting in my car in the Valley for Clint Eastwood to arrive on his film set: J Edgar (starring Dicaprio) , when I quickly thought I recognized a black tinted SUV that resembled the vehicle that drives Johnny Depp. Purely going on a hunch and my instincts, I hesitantly drove after the car, and by the time I caught up to it, the car was pulling past a security gate at a private airfield. My friend and friend to the stars, Radioman was with me and we both tried to see who was in the car but couldn’t see past the tint. 20 seconds had gone by and all of a sudden the car appeared backing out past the security gate. Once next to us, the back door opened and out stepped none other than Johnny Depp! He recognized both Radioman and myself and was shocked and happy to see us at the same time. One of the reasons I admire Johnny Depp as not only a great talent, but as a human being is because of a gesture like this. Always, going out of his way and making time for his fans, Johnny is one of the few contemporary Actors who understands what it means to be a Celebrity and how to manage both a public life and a private life. I should add that in my opinion Johnny genuinely likes to make people happy and realizes he has been blessed with great things in his life and is only happy to share this gift with others; the word obligation is NOT at all a part of Johnny’s vernacular. Once Johnny came over to Radioman and I, we talked with him for a few minutes, and took a picture before Johnny left to promote “The Tourist” in Japan. This experience was truly serendipitous.

A few days later, I learned Johnny was returning from his quick trip to Japan and was once again very fortunate to see Johnny in such an exclusive setting. Once again, Johnny graciously autographed more pictures for me and even took some photos with staff members from the airline who were hoping to get up close to the endearing star.

I have been very lucky to have met Johnny so many times in my life and whats most notable is the fact that Johnny’s treatment of others hasn’t changed one bit since I first met him on the set of “Blow” in Los Angeles over 11 years ago. I’ll never forget that day, how incredibly humbled Johnny was by my desire to meet him. After filming at a house in Los Angeles’ Hancock Park, Johnny took me around the set, took a picture with me in his costume and autographed several things that day.

I always thought this one experience would never be topped, however sometimes I underestimate my own abilities when it comes to new challenges and new adventures. Like the time I had a burning desire to see Johnny in costume again and hope to capture film history by taking a picture with Johnny on the closed and private set of “Pirates of the Caribbean 2“. After seeing the first film, I knew this character was going to become a legendary character on film. When I decided to put my mind to it and figure out a way to sneak on to the Disney lot where (Pirates was filming) I was able to see my plan through and reach my goal of taking a picture with Johnny in costume. However, if it wasn’t for Johnny being such a considerate and generous person, the picture wouldn’t have happened. Once I got up to Johnny on the set that day on the Disney lot, I was approached by Disney security. They asked who I was and were about to throw me in “Disney Jail” if it were not for Johnny telling them “I was with him, and I’m okay.” the situation was quickly resolved and Johnny and I talked for a moment and captured this incredible lifetime memory on film. I have countless stories with Johnny in person and each and every time he is just as cool as the last. Of all the great people I’ve met over the last 25 years of collecting signatures from the World’s most talented artists, Johnny is truly one of a kind and has had a great impact on my life, I am forever grateful for all of these surreal experiences.

The Signature Library’s night at the Oscars

After taking a year hiatus from the Oscars and Hollywood completely, The Signature Library returned to the red carpet and Kodak Theater for another historical evening. As some of you may know about my Oscar tradition of taking pictures with the winners to capture these fleeting moments in Cinema history, this year I picked up right where I left off in 2009. The Oscars is not like any other award show, the prestige and financial impact are taken very seriously in Hollywood, and so their “Talent” is very well protected on this ever important night of celebration. Walking into the Governors Ball and seeing all the winners embracing each other and odd combinations of Actors all over the intimate yet very spacious room can make anyones head spin. However the one Oscar winner that I was most interested in meeting and having a picture taken with was Trent Reznor, (won for best score-The Social Network) who has been one of my favorite musicians since I saw his band NIN on their Downward Spiral tour in 1993. Trent Reznor has come along way since then and I think he himself was in shock that he won an Oscar. An ironic twist of fate for a guy whose music for the longest time was seen as subversive? and now is being recognized and rewarded by the most prestigious establishment in the Arts, The Oscars. It may have come almost 20 years after I first saw him in concert, but Trent Reznor just changed lanes and won an Oscar. A new audience for Music’s quiet genius.

Although meeting Trent Reznor was the highlight of my night, the night was young and there was a lot of GOLD around…

Sometimes it is a game of inches… as the person who took this photo seemed to miss the point about the Gold.

The Fighter’s other Academy Award winner, Melissa Leo…

Best Director Academy Award Winner, Tom Hooper…

It was fitting when Aaron Sorkin paid tribute to the greatest film writer ever, Paddy Chayefsky in his acceptance speech.

2 time Oscar winner Randy Newman…

Oscar Nominee and future Oscar winner, Hailee Steinfeld…

The directors…

A night at the Kodak Theater…

From Backstage to the After Parties: The Signature Library takes you inside the Grammys 2011

Now that the Grammy week is over, and my dog Hank and I have returned to LA, there is only a small gap of time before Los Angeles is once again host to another grand celebrity event watched by millions; the NBA All Star Weekend. So lets look back on this EPIC Grammy evening that it was for me. A few nights prior to the Grammys, the recording academy bestowed the legendary Barbra Streisand with the 2011 Musicares award. This annual star studded event was no different than any other year as musicians like Jeff Beck, Stevie Wonder, Tony Bennett, Herbie Hancock, Prince along side cast members of Glee payed tribute to Babs. I was backstage and had the honor of chatting with Stevie Wonder in his dressing room about his album “Innervisions”, specifically I mentioned to Stevie how every time I arrive in New York City, it is my custom to listen to “Livin for the City”, and so I began to speak the words “New York City, just like I pictured it..” and then Stevie joined me by finishing the lyrics “Skyscrapers and everything.” Stevie was incredibly cool as he always is and graciously autographed some classic vinyl titles for TSL

In addition to Stevie, I had the good fortune to talk with Jeff Beck Tony Bennett was another legendary artist lurking around backstage while the legendary Barbra Streisand autographed a few vinyl titles as well, which is a rare feat in the world of acquiring signatures in person. An even rarer feat (near impossible actually) is getting Barbra Streisand to pose for a photo as she is known for being very camera shy and very private. Even with my backstage access Barbra’s people prevented any photos from happening. I was lucky to snap this quick photo when Barbra was signing autographs for a select few VIPs backstage… I was thrilled with the evenings success and fun filled moments backstage, and was hoping this was a sign of things to come on my homecoming Grammy trip.
On saturday, my schedule took me to Staples Center for the Grammy rehearsals with Bob Dylan and co. There is no more coveted signature to acquire than Bob Dylan in our current day, due to the difficulty and rarity of Bob’s signature. As I had learned of Bob’s scheduled rehearsal time, I had hoped this insight would give me the opportunity to acquire something I’ve never been able to get and at times thought I never would get; Mr.Dylan’s signature. My hopes were instantly deflated as I asked Bob alone backstage at Staples and he just walked on by. And so I changed course for the day and decided to lay low until the Clive Davis bash later Saturday night. I have been attending the Clive Davis party since the late 90′s when it was held in New York’s The Plaza hotel. It annually is THE Grammy party to be at, as legendary musicians gather to sing each others songs and mingle amongst Icons. This year however I should have stayed in bed as the turnout was not what it once was. The night featured a tribute to David Geffen and yet where were all of Geffens Rock acts that made him the Music Czar that he is. Not even Slash (who is annually in attendance) was there. Aside from Neil Young who showed up unexpected and for not very long, the room was thin on Icons and was more of a new artist showcase with acts like Mumford & Sons, Bruno Mars being the ones feted around the ballroom at the Beverly Hilton. After Whitney Houston & Dionne Warwick performed a great duet of the Burt Bacharach classic “Walk on by”, I turned in and saved my energy and focus for the big night expecting big things. On Musics biggest night I had no idea just how BIG things would play out for me. Grateful to just be in LA and back at the Grammys, I was excited to get back in the action. As the Grammys ended and all of the artists began to descend on backstage, I was anxious to see who would pass my way. The first artist I saw was Nicki Minaj talking with a stunning Kim Kardashian. Walking right by was a dapper dressed Dr.Dre sans entourage, followed by Justin Bieber leading his security to the exit. I had Justin stopped dead in his tracks when he heard me say I was from Toronto, He was incredibly friendly and I couldn’t resist the Bieber fever…
Rihanna had already changed into her sweats while her girlfriend Katy Perry …was heading out to host her after party held at Milk studios. I was hoping I’d get another crack at Dylan or even Mick Jagger, when out walked Barbra Streisand arm in arm with her husband James Brolin. Barbra happened to stop right in front of me as she was leaving and she seemed to be in a good mood (probably because the show was over) so I quickly asked her if she would mind taking a picture with me? She smiled and posed… At this point my Grammy night was already made. I waited and saw a few others leave like Eminem (who seemed very unhappy) losing to Arcade Fire (who were in total shock and joy) but neither Dylan or Jagger or Neil Young were anywhere to be seen. It was time for TSL to make the move to an after party. I chose to hit the Sony party at the Beverly Hills Hotel’s Bar 1812. Once inside the intimate party I first noticed Ray Lamontagne, whose music I dig. As I told my friend “Hey, Ray Lamontagne is here!” He looked at me with a serious deadpan look and responded with “that’s nice, Bob Dylan is sitting right behind me.” My mouth became instantly dry as I confirmed my friends remarkable spotting of Dylan, who was sitting down in a corner and barely recognizable. In fact nobody else at the party knew he was even there. I didn’t waste any time and approached Dylan quietly and he graciously extended his hand as we engaged in a conversation about music that seemed to last forever when in fact it was mere minutes. I asked Bob if I could take a picture with him, naturally he declined as he didn’t want to draw any attention to himself. Which was completely understandable as he was trying to lay low. So, as I thanked him for his time I had the nerve to ask him if he would autograph an acoustic guitar for me and he shockingly said “sure, that I’ll do.” This was beyond any expectation I had during Grammy week, and even a goal of mine that I thought I’d never reach. Dylan’s signature is as rare as a Jimi Hendrix signature, and Jimi’s been gone for almost 40 years. I was now in full celebration mode with Gwyneth Paltrow on the dancefloor I was having a srreal night, when my friend came up to me and said “your night is about to get even better!” I looked at him like he was crazy, until he smiled and said Neil is walking in to the party. Neil Young! standing in the foyer talking to the legendary producer and fellow Canadian, Daniel Lanois. The two were nominated and won a Grammy for Le Noise, Neil’s latest great album. Neil was in a jovial mood and was hanging out with Lanois, Mumford & Sons, and even a few Beverly Hills escorts took the time to pay respect to Uncle Neil. I had the incredible honor of talking with Neil & Daniel about the making of “Le Noise” and celebrating their Grammy win; which was Neil’s first ever! Congrats Neil. As Neil left the party he happily autographed a guitar for TSL. This was the most fitting ending to my night and my homecoming Grammy weekend. Thanks to all my friends, family, lady luck and people who made this weekend an unforgettable one.

The Signature Library’s Top Ten Autograph Moments of 2010

After spending almost a decade in Los Angeles, the mecca of celebrity autographs, being based out of Toronto, Canada made the year of 2010 a year devoted to acquiring signatures of the rare, reclusive and rewarding.  The following is The Signature Library’s Top Ten autograph moments of 2010.

1.  Neil Peart/Rush Autographed Guitars:  One good thing about being back in Canada is the opportunity to meet a lot of the reclusive and great Canadian musicians like the band Rush in their hometown setting.  After collecting signatures for over 20 years, there are very few artists signatures I still desire.  However, the elusive and reclusive drummer for Rush, Mr. Neil Peart has slipped by TSL for all these years. 2010 marked the end of that Favre-like streak for The Signature Library during the bands induction weekend for the Canadian Songwriting Hall of Fame

2.  Axl Rose/Slash/Steven Adler/Guns ‘N Roses Autographed Guitars:  The year of 2010 began with the announcement of a Canadian tour by Guns N’ Roses, led by original member & lead singer Axl Rose.  Rarely do you hear of a band touring Canada exclusively. Sure bands have done it before, but an act like Axl Rose is an act that rarely tours at all, let alone touring Canada? This shocking and very exciting news afforded The Signature Library an incredible amount of exclusive access to the reclusive and mysterious Axl Rose.  After having met Axl in Los Angeles in exclusive settings, TSL set out to meet him again on his Canadian tour.  The first stop was Toronto.  It was a travel day for Axl and TSL was there when he departed his bus to a show in London, Ontario. Rarely will you see W. Axl Rose in public like this…

Slash was coincidentally coming to Toronto in just two weeks from Axl’s last show in Canada.  Thus began the journey to complete the GnR original lineup on TSL’s recently signed Axl guitars.  Here’s a peek at Slash drawing his signature skull & crossbones on one of TSL’s GnR guitars at a private meet & greet during the NXNE music conference

And as luck would have it, original drummer Steven Adler was due in Toronto just a few months after Slash & Axl came through town.  Steven was in Toronto to promote his new book “My appetite for destruction.” After meeting Steven in LA, I reached out to him to sit down for a few minutes with The Signature Library to autograph some Guns ‘N Roses guitars during his stop in Toronto.  Here’s a picture of Steven signing for The Signature Library…

2011 will hopefully see the completion of these Guns ‘N Roses guitars!

3. Paul McCartney/Toronto & Montreal 2010: In August Paul McCartney made a long awaited return to play Toronto and for the first time ever, Montreal. The Signature Library was there as Sir Paul stopped to sign several autographs as he departed Toronto. A few days later, TSL was lucky enough to see Sir Paul again in Montreal and have him autograph the vinyl 12″ single (previously signed by) Michael Jackson “Say Say Say.” Paul McCartney’s signature remains one of the more sought out autographs to have, and thankfully Paul has been gracious to those who desire it.

4. Neil Young/Nashville: Having the opportunity to see Neil Young in concert at the legendary cathedral like Ryman Auditorium, was alone one of the best moments of 2010.  Neil was incredibly friendly in the intimate confines of  The Ryman and spent quite along time signing his name for those who happened to be in the right place at the right time. Coincidentally, Neil signed the album that was the feature of the Jonathan Demme film “Heart of Gold” which was filmed at the Ryman Auditorium in 2005.

5. Roger Waters/Toronto: In September of 2010, Roger Waters kicked off his world tour of the 30th Anniversary of “The Wall” in Toronto, Canada. There were 3 shows in Toronto, which gave Roger a few days to enjoy the city of Toronto. The Signature Library had a few exclusive encounters with Roger during his opening week of his world tour. This beautiful black acoustic guitar signed in a “pink” paint marker was one of the items Roger autographed for TSL…

Just recently after Roger hit the West Coast for his World Tour, he announced he would no longer be signing guitars, or any musical instruments (read Roger’s blog here http://on.fb.me/gNmdDA.) The Signature Library was very fortunate to meet Roger at the onset of his 2010/11 World Tour.

6.  Them Crooked Vultures:  When The Signature Library first heard of this “supergroup” forming,  we were very excited to both see the band perform and see the band in person.  When bands are spawned by 3 Rock n Roll superstars, they usually don’t last long, so for TSL the challenge and goal was to attempt to get these 3 rockers together to mark this historical Rock n Roll union.  Thanks to my own superstar doggie, named Hank “Moody” Greenberg-Williams, the band members, Dave Grohl, Josh Homme & John Paul Jones all got a kick out of playin with Hank in their hotel lobby following their Toronto concert in 2010.

7. The Gorillaz/Bobby Womack :  Much like Them Crooked Vultures, the aforementioned Gorillaz embarked on a World Tour in 2010 with a collective all star-band.  What made this tour so special was the touring band lineup that Blur frontman Damon Albarn has mashed together to create one of the most unique and entertaining tours of 2010. The lineup features some legendary talent, beginning with the opportunity to see 2 original members (bassist Paul Simonon & guitarist Mick Jones) of the seminal punk band, The Clash and the legendary soul man, Bobby Womack.  After TSL’s time spent as personal assistant to the legendary Sly Stone, Bobby’s name was mentioned often by Sly in describing Bobby as one of his key collaborators on the iconic “There’s a riot goin on” album.  I was thrilled to be invited by Bobby on to his tour bus following the Gorillaz show in Toronto.  Bobby took the time to share some great stories about the old days with Sly and loved seeing & signing the old vinyl,  from his debut album “Fly me to the moon” to his classic “Across 110th Street.”

8.  Harrison Ford:  Even though Harrison Ford has seen his box office power dwindle over the last few years, he still maintains the iconic stature amongst autograph pursuers. From Star Wars To Indiana Jones, Ford is always in desire when it comes to his John Hancock. Typically Harrison has been known to be shy out in public and though acommodating when it comes to autograph requests,  he will often limit his time spent signing. However, when Harrison arrived in January 2010 to promote his film “Extraordinary Measures” he adapted to his publicity role and autographed endless pieces for TSL and others.  Unfortunately for Harrison, no amount of autographs could save this Ford flick.

9. Taking My Niece to Meet Miley Cyrus:  Having announced that Miley Cyrus would host the 2010 Much Music Awards in June in Toronto, I called my niece and asked her if she would like to meet Miley in person? her response was “Oh my God! Are you serious? Yes!!!!!!!!!” “Can I bring a friend?” Having the opportunity to play super Uncle for the day, I took my niece & her friend to meet Miley where there were no other fans waiting.   Here’s a quick video of Miley signing things for my niece and her friend.

10. The Signature Library Gallery Exhibition: In September of 2010 right in the middle of the world renowned Toronto Film Festival, The Signature Library & invited guests celebrated at its own opening night party for the autograph exhibition:”Signed, Sealed, Delivered” held at the prestigious Gallery One in Toronto’s Yorkville district. The exhibition featured many incredible Autograph Moments from The Signature Library’s over twenty-plus years collecting and preserving these iconic signed collectibles.  Watch a video of the exhibition here:

This concludes The Signature Library’s Top Ten Autograph Moments of 2010, stay tuned to to read about TSL’s autograph and memorabilia features. Also check out TSL on Twitter at for daily updates

Autographs become Art at The Signature Library

Over 20 years ago in Toronto, I embarked on an unknown path . That unknown path would lead me on a journey of adventures in the creaation of a collection– a collection of “Signature Art“. I recently put my collection on display in an art gallery in Toronto’s Yorkville during the Toronto International Film Festival. Over 20 years of experiences with some of the World’s most celebrated icons. The collection is the home of epic stories and elaborate adventures, all of which have manifested their way into the signatures that gracefully touch each unique piece. The signatures have become the culmination in my love for the chase- the journey that brings together elements of style, design and rarity. This exhibition brings my passion for film, music and sports together to showcase some of my most treasured “Signature Art“, and the photos and memories that go with it.
The exhibition includes a wall dedicated to Michael Jackson and the incredible unique items I had Michael personally autographed for me during his last 7 months.

Additionally, there is a wall dedicated to autographed record album covers from The Beatles to The Eagles. I also showcase a grand white wall featuring autographed guitars from Paul McCartney to Guns ‘N Roses. The most unique part of the collection is the Black & White Icon wall, which features a collection of black and white Iconic images–all autographed by the celebrities from generation to generation. The gallery exhibition continues its themed walls with an autographed movie poster selection from Chinatown to Wall Street. Possibly the most “Art” inspired wall is the wall of hand drawn and signed sketches from the likes of Bono, Johnny Depp, Tim Burton and The Simpsons creator Matt Groening. All of these one of a kind pieces of “Signature Art” have their own journey which is featured with photos of myself and the Celebrity and in some cases the Celebrity signing the actual item. I have gone to great lengths to build this collection–devoting an entire room in the Gallery to my photo collection with Celebrities from over two decades, documenting triumphs on camera from my entire life’s work. I have found a way to put myself in the right place at the right time; which has afforded me the opportunities to share this “Signature Art” and the stories behind my life’s work with you.

“One Big Holiday” for My Morning Jacket & The Signature Library

1 week, 6 nights, 5 shows, 5 albums, 100 songs, and only 1 repeat. From The Tennessee Fire to Evil Urges, and from Heavy Metal (Black Sabbath) to Country (Bobby Bare) there was nothing My Morning Jacket didn’t and couldn’t tackle this week. Whether you were a die hard MMJ follower or have never seen them before, this weeks run of shows had something for everybody. It is this unbelievable range of music genres and musicianship that in my opinion sets My Morning Jacket apart from any contemporary live act. The bands 5 piece was accompanied throughout the week by a horn section (Elvis Perkins in Dearland) that made cover songs like Sly & The Family Stone’s Hot Fun In The Summertime sound just the way Sly intended it to sound. It’s not just the ease and perfection of the music that MMJ performs each night, but also their genuine appreciation for their musical predecessors and influencers that make them so unique in this day and age where most music history is lost. MMJ’s selection of cover songs for each nights encore was something I may never see again from one band. It didn’t matter how soft (George Michael’s Careless Whisper) or how hard (Danzig’s How The Gods Kill) the song, MMJ didn’t just “pull it off”, they nailed them all.

On the final evening’s performance of their most recent studio album; Evil Urges, the band ran through the album’s funky Highly Suspicious to the emotional ballads of Librarian and Look At You, just as easily as they went from The Velvet Undergrounds beautiful Oh Sweet Nuthin to Sly & The Family Stone’s Hot Fun In The Summertime in their encore.

As MMJ left the stage after their incredible encore, (which also included their soulful cover of Curtis Mayfield’s Move On Up) the crowd was not ready to be done with the week of My Morning Jacket. The energy was at the weeks all time high and the band too was at their peak as they came back to give the crowd what they wanted…One Big Holiday! A track that has become the traditional closing song at all MMJ shows over the last few years. This week has definitely been “One Big Holiday” for me as I took the week off to travel to witness MMJ history. During the week I personally met the band several times and was able to have MMJ autograph their entire vinyl catalogue and acquire a setlist from each night’s performance. This incredible gesture from the band members hit the high note for me. Here is a picture of the collection from my week with MMJ (minus the album “Z” which was signed previously and left at home in the TSL vinyl library)…

For those of you who love MMJ and were able to attend this weeks magical run at NYC’s Terminal 5 here’s a brief recap of what you were privy too:
100 songs– 99 different, One Big Holiday as the lone repeated tune
79 MMJ originals– of which 63 were MMJ album tracks, the rest
b-sides, unreleased, or carl broemel original
20 covers– 19 different artists, Velvet Underground being the sole
repeat artist covered.
And for those of you who missed it, well at least you can watch my videos…

http://www.youtube.com/user/thesignaturelibrary?feature=mhum

My Morning Jacket go “bananas” with ‘Z’ Album in NYC: Night 4

As we move through the My Morning Jacket album catalogue this week at Terminal 5, the band brings an entirely different show each night. Last night, MMJ filled the venues walls with a powerful and incredibly tight set of their fourth studio album entitled Z.

This is the album that turned me into a MMJ believer and loyal follower of their music. I first heard Z during Pearl Jam’s 2006 US tour which had MMJ opening. It was during one of those Pearl Jam shows where I first heard MMJ cover The Who’s A Quick One While He’s Away; with Eddie Vedder helping out on vocals. Last night in NYC, MMJ pulled A Quick One out in their 9 song encore. As ferocious as The Who cover was, it was the bands cover and final song of the night, George Michael’s classic Careless Whisper that had people blown away by the effortless ease with which Jim James sang this delicate ballad. Along with his lead guitarist and multi talented musician Carl Broemel jazzing up the song with his saxaphone, you couldn’t imagine a better rendition of this 80′s classic. Towards the end of the track, Jim James offered his opinion that George Michael is “one of the great singers of our time” and “he gets a bad rap” this was a very honest and telling gesture about the vast musical appreciation MMJ has for it’s peers. If you simply gaze at any MMJ encore from their sets this week, you would scratch your head in disbelief that a band could range from covering a Shel Silverstein penned Lullabies, Legends and Lies to the Funkadelic’s Hit it & Quit It.

After a sweaty and gritty night of dancing and singing to MMJ, the crowd was treated to a showering of bananas from the band. Thanks to the lyrical suggestion by Jim James that the end of George Michael’s Careless Whisper sounds like “Ba-nana nana, ba ba banana nana, ba ba banana nana..” I hope the band saved some bananas for themselves, as I anticipate an epic show tonight to close out the weeks run of all 5 albums.

My Morning Jacket Rock “It Still Moves” All Night Long: Night 3

On the third night of My Morning Jacket’s five night run of their album catalogue was the bands incredible It Still Moves record.

Once again TSL with members of MMJ hold up the evenings Album, It Still Moves

Starting off with a driving Mahgeetah into Dancefloors, the band’s traditional encore track One Big Holiday was played only five songs in to the show. That’s what happens when you’re lucky enough to hear a band perform an album from beginning to end. On this night, we were lucky enough to hear some of the bands greatest material as a whole, it was once again an MMJ experience unlike any other. Even the encore selected cover tracks were equally as beautiful as the album set. Starting off the encore with Bob Dylan’s Tonight I’ll Be Staying

and closing with The Band’s classic It Makes No Difference (which could very well have been the most perfect cover for MMJ ever) into Lionel Richie’s All Night Long. A perfect way to close an outstanding show.

A friend and fellow MMJ enthusiast made a very good point to me after the show last night, he pointed out that MMJ playing The Band’s It Makes No Difference into Lionel Richie’s All Night Long, demonstrates the unbelievable range of My Morning Jacket as a band. They can play anything and sound amazing doing it. My friend nailed it and so did MMJ…again.