Band Names
Better Than Nothing
OC/DC
Ocean Society
Incubator


more about this session on a later date...still have the show to go!!

I must say, I'm enjoying this summer. I'm using up the rest of my vacation days at my desk job to teach two session of summer camp at The School Of Rock. I feel like a kid again...the way summer should be. Playing rock music, being stupid and acting totally immature. I find that I relate much more to teenagers than to adults. They are so much more interesting, complicated and very very funny. It's too bad that we lose so much of our sense of humor and our sense of just plain silliness as we get older. I'm not sure why that happens. I learn so much from these kids and so much about how to be a good parent.

I'm also loving not going to my desk job 5 days in a row. Just goes to show how much an office job can just simply suck the fucking life right out of you. What a wake up call. I'm excited to go to Portland and start a whole new direction in my life. It's cool!

Speaking of Portland, things are moving forward. we have a place to stay for two month, a school to send Tuesday for awhile and our house in Chicago has an offer so we're just waiting to see how everything pans out.

I'm starting to think about all the people and kids from the school I'm going to miss. That will be a total bummer.

So take a look at the photos I took of the Session 1 kids. I brought some make-up and hair products and some of them went insane with it...totally hilarious stuff!!



Band names were:
AD/HD
Something Giraffes
No More Pants
More Cowbell

stay tuned for updates on Portland and second session of rock camp.
xo
tamar
Zebulun

It's called "Leaves Of Absence"
Tamar's Myspace page

I wrote this probably about a year ago and just remixed it. It makes me sad to listen to. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

This is a photo of my cichlid that i've had for 6 years. I just had to give it away because we're moving. that was a heartbreaking day.

steve got a job at Wieden + Kennedy in Portland Oregon. We're really moving.
I'm not kidding.

We're selling our house, which is making me sad. It's in Logan Square at Kimball & Dickens.
If you're interested, shoot me an email at
tberk@tamarberk.com
starball1@yahoo.com

Yes. i shit you not. all the rumors are true. there's lots to this story but suffice it to say, we survived a lot of stooopid record label stuff and we are releasing one last album on Invisible Records.
To keep you all excited, here is a picture of The Countdown in the bitter cold of a chicago winter. This was shot for a story in Pistil Magazine in which we were to be featured. Unfortunately, the magazine folded before this ever got published. Seems like quite the true metaphor for what has happened to The Countdown.


Nevertheless, an album is being released. We hear it's being "worked on" and "tweaked out" and what have you. Steve and I don't really care as long as it's in your hot little hands. More to come soon.....

This weekend, I finally bought the painting shown above that I've been coveting for 2 years. This incredible Chicago artist Jeff Zimmerman did a series called VEHICLES and this is one of the paintings from that series. All of the VEHICLE paintings are amazing but the ice cream trucks in particular, blew me away.

These images are so iconic to Chicago and to living in the city, that I knew I would always be reminded of those summer nights when the ice cream truck putters onto your street blasting some inane song that gets stuck in your head until you want to pull your hair out.
Good times.


You can read more about his Vehicles here:
Vehicle
For more about Jeff go here:
Jeff Zimmerman

I'm also waiting for my birthday present to be framed. Check out what Steve got me for my birthday:

Limited edition Serigraph signed by R Crumb
"DALE STEINBERGER: THE JEWISH COWGIRL"



Could not be more relevant.

until later-

On June 8th the faculty at The Paul Green School of Rock is playing a benefit for the kids who are going to Philadelphia for the big School of Rock festival. We're trying to raise money to rent the bus etc. The set list is strange, as all of us come from different backgrounds and had our own ideas about song choices. But nonetheless, it should be an entertaining show.
The one song I'm excited about is Prince's "Let's Go Crazy". I'm playing keys on that and I've been having a blast learning it. I went to YouTube and spent some time watching Prince videos for inspiration. This one is great since it includes scenes of "Purple Rain".
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YLHLLIu4uo0

I'm singing David Bowie's "Rock N Roll Suicide" (which was my choice). I definitely wanted to do a Bowie song and this one felt right. This is an unbelievable live version of it that really conveys Bowie at his height in 1973. I can't even express how much I love David Bowie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaN2khHjtdw

I'm also excited because we're doing one of my original songs, "On The Run". That song has never been played out live before!

I think we're playing "Stranglehold" by Ted Nugent. I actually like that song!! The Nuge rocks!



okay..no more hints at this point.

Come to the show.
http://www.subt.net/
SUN 6/8/2008
DOORS @ 4:00 PM | SHOW @ 5:00 PM | ALL AGES
TICKETS: $20.00
PAUL GREEN'S SCHOOL OF ROCK PRESENTS:
ROCK THE BUS
A FUNDRAISER FOR THE PAUL GREEN SCHOOL OF ROCK!!

A new show on CBS called Moonlight used my song "Say About Me". It aired on Friday May 2nd. I wasn't home to watch it, but checked it out online. It's about a private investigator who's a vampire.

Other song placements lately are:
A composition I scored for a Windex Commercial. Haven't seen the spot yet but waiting to get it so I can post it here.

An instrumental of mine is being used in the new Cubs radio campaign. I'll try to get it so I can post it here too.

Tuesday finally got to hang with all of her cousins at one time this past weekend. my sisters house was filled with 5 kids, 2 dogs, 2 cats, 6 adults. needless to say, as crazy as it was, it was really awesome to be with everyone. spring had finally sprung, and we spent most of the time at the park where Tuesday was obsessively riding on the tricycle because she finally figured out how fast she could go down hills. she was very proud.


Cousins with matching shirts my mother bought them in Florida. we all looked like some strange cult when we went to the park. from left to right, Aviela, Eytan, Tuesday, Leor and Elijah


Tuesday on the tricycle with her best friend Leor


Tuesday in her passover dress which incidently was sent directly from Mexico by her babysitters mother. very very girly. I was surprised she liked it! look at those puffy shoulders! hilarious.

I have no idea why, but I've been thinking about Bob Ross lately. Thought i would throw a photo of the guy up on my blog because it makes me happy. I find it amazing what the guy was able to accomplish in 1/2 hour show. I need to make a goal and try to accomplish more in 1/2 hour. Not sure what i want to accomplish but just thinking about it is a start.


Incidentally, almost all of Bob Ross's paintings were given away for free. he didn't want to make any money off of them! insane. I bet the few paintings that are available somewhere on the auction block, go for a pretty penny simply because there are so few available for sale.

Okay. Wanted to spread my "happy little trees" to you all as well.
later...