Synthetic Division Snubbed at MTV Music Awards
September 8, 2008
Saturday night a synthpop duo played their hearts out in Charlottesville. Then, on Sunday night in Los Angeles, MTV gave all their awards to Britney Spears. What?
No Best Synthpop Duo. No Outstanding Thinblooded Male Vocal. Not even a Video Vanguard Award for this.
Nothing! How many other artists can get up there and tear it up with a bleeding disorder?
Despite the snub to the bleeding disorders community, the weekend could only be considered a success. The rain stopped early in the afternoon on Saturday, and a good amount of people came out to shake their booties even though they saw us last month at the Dawning benefit show. (Cool live shot by Cousin Holly!)
This time, we were at Gravity Lounge, a place that holds fond memories. Gwenn and I had our rehearsal dinner there, and I did a reading at GL last year for the Festival of the Book. But this time? My only purpose at Gravity was to bring the rock.
The show was originally to be headlined by Girlfriend in a Coma, but the Smiths cover band broke up a couple of weeks before the gig… just like the original band! Still, the night was salvaged- Brad Savage from The Corner 106.1 spun 80’s and early 90’s tunes in between two Synthetic Division sets… the highlight of the evening? Watching Gwenn dance to Prince’s “Pussy Control”.
The day or so after a gig, I’m always limping around. Sometimes I’ll take a nasal hit of Stimate, a clotting agent, before a show, because I have so much fun on stage hopping around like an idiot with the proper amount of clotting factor. If Synthetic Division ever toured, I’d have to tone the antics down. But, at one gig a month, I think I can handle the fleeting discomfort.
In a long overdue move, on Saturday night Synthetic Division did a Depeche Mode cover, programmed by JDavyd Williams, who works with Marshall in another C’ville dynamic duo, Tacit Act. If you are on Facebook, check out a video of us performing the Depeche classic from 1981, “Photographic”, recorded by Stephanie DePaolis, who ironically has taken lots of photos at Synthetic Division shows… thanks, Steph!
If you’re not on Facebook, I’ll try to get an embed on the next blog.
Hope everyone else had a picture perfect weekend.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
Check out my memoir, My Pet Virus, and click to read a sample. Video of reviews.
Give a listen to "Sign", one of my songs from Synthetic Division’s Get with the Programs (co-written with Kyle Wiggins):
Get the song here on iTunes!
Be sure to visit ShawnandGwenn.com, where you can see clips of our educational work at colleges and universities, as well as media clips from MTV safe sex programming and a Dr. Drew talk show. 2006 video of me and Gwenn, when I was finishing up My Pet Virus.
Haven’t seen a real blog in a day or so? Follow my cellphone micro-blogging at Twitter.com.
Cool Cats Weigh In On Palin
September 5, 2008
I decided to take a break from writing about politics, but fortunately two brave females have stepped up to the forefront to discuss late-breaking matters regarding Vice Presidential pick Sarah Palin.
You may remember the greatest cat on Earth, pawsitoid River (living with FIV, aka “CRID”(Cat-Related Immune Deficiency)), whom I wrote lovingly about and who is still in foster care in Connecticut looking for a good home. Nudge nudge.
In response to the Palin pick, My Pet Virus’s feline reporter wrote this to me: “Meeeoooowww! She wants to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Way to come up with alternative energy sources! Oh, wait, if your husband works for an oil company, why would you cut into your personal profits to save the planet? People, I have fur… are you kidding me? What’s a cat to do?”
River isn’t the only cool cat weighing in.
Regan Hofmann, fellow Poz blogger, wrote. “The issue is not whether or not abstinence works to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies (it does), but whether or not it’s possible to keep people, particularly teens with raging hormones, from having sex (apparently, we can’t). Bristol is proof-positive of our nation’s failure to realize that abstinence is a farce.” Read the whole blog here.
Regan posted this alleged photo of Palin on her blog. I think it’s a fake, but I’m quite sure that if she and McCain are elected, her annual Vice Presidential Hunting Trip will draw far more interest and enthusiam than the current, hair-triggered Vice Prez.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
Live in or around Charlottesville? Then come see me rock my balls off at Gravity Lounge on Saturday. First set is at 8, second is at 9. Will post video on the blog for out-of-staters next week.
Give a listen to "Sign", one of Synthetic Division’s songs from Get with the Programs (co-written with Kyle Wiggins):
Get the song here on iTunes!
Check out The Hook’s write-up of the show online.
Cousin Holly, Synthetic Division and Family Reunions
September 2, 2008
At the beginning of August, I was honored to entertain my secondish-cousin, Holly, who was in Virginia for our family reunion.See, the six siblings of my late grandmother’s family were serious about staying in touch. And Holly’s grand-or-great grandmother was my grandmother’s sister. I’m terrible with family trees. Anyway, each of the six siblings picked a color many years ago, and every summer the extended families get together.
Holly is a Red Shirt from Kentucky, I’m from the Navy Blue shirt clan based here in Virginia.
Holly is 17, and traveled all the way for Louisville (”Lua-vuh”, as she says). I was lame and skipped out of the reunion this year, but I was there last year and that’s when I got to know Holly. She rocked out for the dreaded Talent Competition of the family reunion, playing either the clarinet/trumpet/sax.
I’m terrible with wind instruments. (”A trumpet!” Holly has corrected me.)
After the dreaded Talent Competition, which I watched from the sidelines, there was the dreaded Family Reunion Auction. Family members make homemade jams, ovenmitts- you name it we make it. Inevitably, feelings are hurt when hours of work are auctioned off at less than wallet-busting prices.
Last year, one of Holly’s relatives bought My Pet Virus at the discounted rate of $3. A signed copy, no less! This slight only occurred because my Mom wasn’t there to insult the family into putting more bids towards the single greatest professional achievement of my lifetime.
After tipping a tray of nachos, I regained my composure and noticed the trumpet player had my book. I complimented her on her outstanding musical abilities. We exchanged MySpace and email addies, and stayed in touch.
I even sent her a Synthetic Division CD, based on her impressive lists of favorite bands on her site. She liked it, so when I got a last-minute show in Charlottesville that coincided with her trip to Virginia, I invited her to come along.
A talented photographer, Holly brought her camera along to document the show and the fun, which involved her meeting our friends in town and a late-night, post-show trip to iHop. “We don’t have one back home!” Holly said, lighting up at the opportunity.
One of the things that bonded me to Holly was the fact that, around her age, I too competed in the dreaded family Talent Competion. It was one of Synthetic Division’s first gigs, taking place at 1 p.m. at Dupont Park in the dead heat of summer in 1992. Armed with a synthesizer, I played an instrumental ditty, backed by layers of preprogrammed drums and synth lines.
The Green shirts, our beloved and most rural branch of the family, didn’t know what hit them.
Aside from the curious sounds, a fair amount of confusion and concern surrounded my fate in ‘92. I pinned so many hopes on making it in music, and the hours I spent listening to Depeche Mode and fiddling with my keyboards provided a safe haven from the doomed visions of AIDS, and what it may have held in store. Regardless of shirt color, I believe that most of the family members thought that that moment would be their only opportunity to see Synthetic Division live.
But that had little to do with Synthetic Division staying alive.
Proof of my confidence that I’d be around for a lot longer dates back to that Talent Competition in 1992. Painfully shy about my music, I agreed to give the family a Synthetic Division, but only under the agreement that I’d never have to participate again if the performance didn’t help secure the Trophy.
I played a couple of instrumental songs, and then the rest of the family came and clapped, playing the fools to the delight of no one. And seeing Dad shirtless in a faux-diaper made me realize what a masterstroke my deal was.
In 1989, Synthetic Division was more about image than actual music. (That’s me on right)
Mom figured that the judging panel would be swayed to reward me for my brave battle with AIDS, and could see the delight in her own mother’s eyes when the trophy came back home to the Navy Blues. What they didn’t figure in is that my music sucked, AIDS or no AIDS. Also, this reunion was a full five years after my diagnosis, and the family was starting to get comfortable with the thought that I’d be around for a while.
“There’s always next year, kid,” as they say.
We lost that year. And I’ve stuck to the terms of the agreement, never participating in Talent outside of judging for the Blues. I like that. And I like the thought that the only time I will attend the family reunion as an adult in diapers won’t be until the year 2060.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
PS… see Synthetic Division in Charlottesville, this Saturday! Two sets, first one at 8 p.m, second at 9 p.m.
Prayers For Rain
September 1, 2008
Last week God was asked for rain- and lots of it- by James Dobson and his cronies at Focus on the Family. The purpose? To rain on Barack Obama’s parade.
Well, Mother Nature bitchslapped the request, and Obama gave his speech as beautiful weather surrounded him, almost in protest to the wishes. Either that or God did listen? He put the requests on a sticky note, got on a serious roll on World of Warcraft, and then scrambled to whip up the storm and get it to Mother Nature in time.
Could procrastination- one of humankind’s most abundant traits- also plague the Big Guy? It could be a coincidence, but if Hurricane Gustav is a belated answer to those silly misguided prayers, then God help us all.
Wait, never mind.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
PS… in all seriousness, I hope that Hurricane Gustav does as little damage as possible.
On Behalf of the Thinbloods…
September 1, 2008
The Republican National Convention is starting today… could politicians- of both blue and red stripes- please cool it with all the talk of breaking glass ceilings? It’s making people with bleeding disorders a bit nervous.
Thanks,
Shawn
McCain’s Shocking V.P. Pick
August 30, 2008
In a shocking development, John McCain chose Tina Fey as his running mate. Hey, it could have been worse- he could have chosen Dennis Miller.
Actually, that’s Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska… see, I called it! I mentioned Alaska in my last blog. But even I can’t steal McCain’s thunder on this one. Is the maverick back, or did he just concede one of his biggest arguments- the one on experience?
A lot of attention has been paid to the youthful Palin and the thought of her assuming the White House should the worst case scenario occur. McCain is the oldest guy to run for the office, but I’m not worried about his mortality. That’s because I’m convinced that Cheney has died at least five times while serving as Vice President, revived back to life each time by a contraption that probably looks like this…
Positively Yours,
Shawn
“Vital signs are up… Cheney is going to be alright.”
Obama Accepts Nomination
August 29, 2008
In a stunning development, Barack Obama accepted the Democratic party’s nomination of him for president last night in Denver.
OK, so it wasn’t stunning. As he walked out, what was stunning was a producer/event coordinator’s decision to wash out the cheers of over 80,000 people with some seriously cheesy inspirational music… I mean, the tune was bad. And loud. If Obama loses, it’s because that song caused millions of independent voters to turn the channel.
The blunder, as bad is it was, still didn’t compare to the infamous “Balloons” moment of the 2004 convention. How can you trust a man to lead if his team can’t even release the balloons properly?
Fortunately, Barack Obama took to the mic and pulled this particular moment out of the shit basket, refusing to allow the Democratic instinct to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory to prevail. As the terrible, terrible song faded, you could hear the cheers of the people just before Obama began.
Next week- and beyond- the Republican party will say don’t vote for Obama because he is popular, in an attempt to discredit their opponent. It’s a strategy that could only come from a party with a sitting President with a less than 20% approval rating.
To make an analogy to the cause that has defined my own life, sex education and condoms, the only way I can sum up how I feel about this election is this: Barack Obama is fresh. The air bubble has not been punctured, and he hasn’t been carried in the wallet of special interests long after his expiration date has passed. McCain, on the other hand, is the equivilent of taking the old ideas of the current administration, turning them inside and giving them a shake- then expecting everything to turn out OK.
As I wrote that somewhat tasteless line, Chris Matthews just said on TV: “That was what we call, in politics, “a lowball”.
In terms of McCain, his moment to lead the country came and went in 2000. Back when he was too independent for the Republican party to back him and his campaign was derailed in South Carolina by rumors that he’d fathered a child whose skintone resembles that of Barack Obama’s.
So, all things considered, as those kinds of forces begin to line up behind John McCain instead of in front of him, I think a little hardball, or lowball, is warranted.
Someone else who gave a great speech tonight was Vietnam war vet Al Gore. Which makes me even more worried than I was earlier this week about Obama’s chances. I really don’t want to be blogging like this in eight years, writing about how well the 2008 Democratic losing candidate Barack Obama did in introducing some upstart Albino senator from Alaska.
I say it’s time to buy a big box of condoms- er, ideas, at a deeply discounted rate.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
The Democratic Convention
August 27, 2008
I’ll admit, I’m having a hard time keeping up as of late. International AIDS Conferences, the Olympics, the CAMPUSPORT drama and now the Democratic National Convention.
Last night, Hillary delivered her highly anticipated whopper of a speech while Michelle Obama looked tight-jawed and pensive. Was she upset, unable to control her real feelings for the Clintons? Or could it just be her Default Face?
I have a friend who constantly bemoans the fact that her own Default Face, the expression your face naturally takes, is one of Disgust and Disapproval. This pal can be listening to you talk, feeling great things and in harmony with the universe, but if she isn’t focused on how she appears feelings are usually hurt.She has the advantage of having friends who understand, and is also lucky that her unfortunate Default Face isn’t being broadcast to billions of people around the world. Of course, if it wasn’t a Default Face situation for Michelle, then she needs to at least act happy to see a Clinton from here on out.
Now, I’m not suggesting that Michelle Obama go Simple Jack everytime one enters the room. But the primary drama means these moments of reconciliation- no matter how staged or forced- need to seem genuine. Giving anyone ammunition not to buy into these mind-felt sentiments seems like a bad idea…
But who knows? Maybe she’s just saving the good stuff for that charmer, Bill Clinton, who speaks tomorrow night.
I guess I’m just nervous. The country is deeply divided, but I couldn’t feel more comfortable supporting Obama, who has a real shot in November. In terms of the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic, he’d be much better than McCain, who isn’t sure if condoms prevent the spread of HIV.
That’s kind of a big issue for me.
One of the interesting nuggets about this election year is that McCain’s honorable service to this country in uniform is being touted as an advantage, when in the last four elections War vets have gone 0-4. This string of bad luck started I 1992 with George Sr., then befell Dole in 1996 followed by Gore (Yes, he went to Vietnam) and John Kerry. Hell, Dukakis probably lost in 1988 because people mistakenly thought he was an actual soldier when those shots of him in the tank got out.
What do these men have in common? They were losers. (Of elections.)
With Hillary’s rousing speech resonating in my thinblooded heart, I really won’t feel any better about Obama’s chances until I talk to my Mom: a proud Hillraiser. Or, as Hillary said, a member of “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Suit”.
It’s all very interesting.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
The Closing Ceremonies of the Olympics
August 25, 2008
The Olympics are over and I am spent from having watched. TiVo, God bless his heart, was pushed to his limits, recording up to three six-hour plus blocks of badminton, boxing and my new favorite: BMX.
The Closing Ceremonies blew the final whistle on the event. There was dancing. Flying. Fire. And Smiling. They say that the reason for the big gala is to bring all the athletes together as human beings and not competitors. Here’s a photo from the jaw-dropping spectacle:
I think the closing ceremonies has more to do with warding off an alien invasion than anything else. Is it completely out there to think that could be the entire reason for the games themselves? What other ways are there to show other planets how much ass we can kick? Perhaps the multi-million dollar closer is just to show that we are not only a planet of gifted athletes, but unhinged weirdos as well.
Something to think about…
Positively Yours,
Shawn
San Bernardino With You
August 21, 2008
Am about to hop a redeye back home in a few hours, but wanted to post about this afternoon’s orientation talk at Cal State San Bernardino: it totally rocked!
The students were great, very attentive and, as is always the case whenever I speak without Gwenn, they were very curious about Gwenn. Near the end, after so much about this Gwenn character, one girl asked. “Where is Gwenn right now?” (I said she’s busy managing a rock band, which is true.)
At the end, I got a couple of pics with my cell phone. This is only half the room- the other half didn’t turn out. It was funny, just as I snapped it this whole gang of students came in, just in time to raise their hands and shout out victoriously.
The class of 2012, a classy group of students. 
I sent the picture to Gwenn, who shot back a photo of her own and a nice message that the pic made her day. Her photo- and the great reception from Cal State San Bernardino- made mine.
(Notice the signed, framed Depeche Mode record in the background. Relevant to next paragraph.)
One of the most surprising moments of the talk was when I spoke about meeting Depeche Mode through the Make-a-Wish Foundation. There was a pop of approval from the audience at the mention of their name, and a sizeable pocket of impressed students smiled widely after the cheer died down. Later, during Q&A, I was asked what it was like meeting Depeche Mode. (Have I mentioned how damn cool the Class of 2012 is?) I talked more about the 2nd time I got to meet them, with Gwenn in 2001 thanks to Poz Magazine.
Of course, I was brief in talking about the guys who brought us “Master & Servant”, since it was a talk on sexual responsibility, but I did hit upon the reasons why that second encounter was even possible: my access to HIV medications when I got really sick in ‘99.
The real “Master & Servant” video, featuring Depeche Mode.
A tribute video featuring awesome dudes. God I love people.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
Check out my memoir, My Pet Virus, and click to read a sample. Video of reviews.
Give a listen to “Sign”, one of my songs from Synthetic Division’s Get with the Programs (co-written with Kyle Wiggins):
Get the song here on iTunes!
Be sure to visit ShawnandGwenn.com, where you can see clips of our educational work at colleges and universities, as well as media clips from MTV safe sex programming and a Dr. Drew talk show. 2006 video of me and Gwenn, when I was finishing up My Pet Virus.Haven’t seen a real blog in a day or so? Follow my cellphone micro-blogging at Twitter.com.