TEDxPortland 2011 - Storm Large - Performance
[Music] they're holding me backstage going there's a thing there's a there's a storm large thing I'm like don't do the thing no so it didn't happen so hi I'm going to sing about the devil you're [Music] welcome I live my life like there's no tomorrow all I got I had to steal got no need to beg or borrow yes I'm living in a pretty sweet de oh sweet I found the simple life ain't so simple when I jumped out on that road got no love no love you call real got nobody waiting that H oh Running With the Devil Running With the [Music] Devil nicotine Valley on vad marijuana ecstasy and alcohol a NIC a valley I'm a vad marijuana ecstasy and alcohol [Music] singers better resty father father father why these words sound so nasty oh oh oh oh oh oh oh I'm running with the devil yeah running with the running with her found a simple life ain't so simple when I jumped out on that road got no love no love you call real got nobody waiting [Music] home ain't got nobody no no I I ain't got nobody [Music] oh running with running [Music] [Applause] all I'm running running running Runing with the [Music] [Applause] day [Music] thanks of course you all know that I sold my soul to the devil to be a famous rock and roll musician actually that's not true if it were true I probably would have much better health insurance um or insurance at all but um seeing that the theme tonight is the crossroads in American music and folklore the crossroads is guarded by the devil and supposedly you're supposed to go to the crossroads around midnight make a deal with the devil and he will make you a famous musician or at least you know a decent guitar guitar player like in the evidence of Robert Johnson who was one of The Originators of that Legend um didn't really work out well for him he's a great songwriter and he a great uh musician and we still talk about him but he died pretty poor um but the devil in modern times talks about you know making a choice do you want the easy way do you want fame you want fortune you want love you want acceptance the devil offers it in an easy way and do anybody else here an artist or a musician raise your hand be proud don't be [ __ ] ashamed doesn't mean you're a bum how many of your friends and your family and your peers when you said you know what I'm going to be a painter they were like you know what that's that's genius what a great idea go for it you we laughing because most people say you're out of your mind or they say oh that's nice yeah you have some some talent but what are you going to do for work and when I was introduced actually I was I was I was chatting with you backstage about he said how did you do crazy enough how did you do that for five months eight shows a week for five months downstairs sweating it out in the basement now if you ask me in the middle of the run it's like cuz I'm a [ __ ] ninja that's why what that's right and within a month of closing my hair was falling out I was emaciated and I couldn't stand up without falling over because I was severely anemic and exhausted and adrenally completely compromised and uh because it's hard work there is no easy way in the Arts and um so the devil be damned even though Tipper gor seems to think that all of us are uh are are somehow in League with the devil but she just has a bunch of sand in her vagina about everything it seems um so anyway hold on we have limited amount of time and I want to make sure that I get all my notes out these are my awesome notes friends and family support not yeah I was told I was a really good singer but a little overweight because you have to be cool you have to be cool and you have to be hot in order to uh make it in the music business yeah right um I'd rather burn than be cool any day oh yeah Crossroads artist versus the performer now the performer in me carries the artist the performer and the artist are it's a dualistic kind of thing um the performer walks out into a room a dark room full of strangers and tries to get every one of those strangers to love the artist that is housed within and usually the performer walks in and goes look at my boobs you're welcome okay and then the the artist is sitting inside just like oh my [Music] God I'm so sorry so the performer and the artist are kind of like a couple and they show up at a party and the performer gets completely [ __ ] up and just like making out with the drummer over here and then the artist will walk around and apologize for the performer's behavior but then when you encounter the artist and you actually get through to the artist you might learn a thing or two about an abstract concept of your feelings and your thoughts and your spirit and the World At Large or politics in general and that's really the job of the artist is to find the commonalities between the banker and the politician and the policeman and the criminal and the dog and the cat and the universe and the Earth and and the artist and the performer and we are supposed to convey those abstract Concepts so really in general to let everyone know that we're all [ __ ] up in a lot of ways we all have dualistic natures and we all have flaws and we all have terrible things about us and wonderful magical things about us and um this next song that I'm going to perform with my lovely James Beaton ladies and gentlemen uh is a song it's kind of a love song to the flaws in all of us because we should always be grateful to the stupid [ __ ] that we do and the terrible mistakes that we make um Because unless it kills you you keep walking forward and you keep coming to the crossroads and you keep having to make that choice and you could choose the easy way but usually as an artist I'll trip and fall down the [ __ ] credy cliff and then I'll show you it was okay after all [Music] dear Terror thank you for sticking around I owe you one big guy dear courage thank you for skipping town and leaving me dry because being afraid and falling apart over and over again isn't it part of every beginning dear happen St coincidence and fatal mistakes thank you for looking just like fate oh dear rage and anger hopes and dreams you make me get out of bed every single blessed God D day is being afraid and falling apart over and over again isn't it part of every [Music] beginning and falling awake and breaking your heart open open is in it part of starting all over again isn't it part starting all [Music] [Applause] [Music] over oh yeah [Music] oh [Music] oo oh [Music] dear love this whole thing is about you I bet you knew that baby kicks and I never ever could thank you in enough for [ __ ] me up I loved all my mistakes because being afraid and falling apart over and over again isn't it part of every beginning oh and falling awake and breaking your heart open hope and isn't it part of starting all over again yes isn't it part starting all over now isn't it part starting all over now isn't it [Music] part again again again again again again again again again again again [Applause] again thank [Applause] you now yay Thomas Lauderdale you made it I did so I can't say anything because we have 4 minutes and 15 seconds oh I'm Thomas Lauderdale with and I have a band called P martini and um we had the great privilege of uh well our singer lost her voice and so uh Storm Large stepped in at the last minute and played Four fantastic performances at the Kennedy Center with the national Symphony and wowed everybody so we should do this number this is Steven bodan we're not boyfriends check check check he has a boyfriend and I do too you do too and I do too and all have boyriend James is the only one who doesn't have a boyfriend we should sing the song okay speaking of Duality we're going to do a duet that was um that should have been like a death match brawl like a cage fight but it was a beautiful duet not between you and I but between Judy Garland and Barbara strian our alter egos forget your troubles Happy Day come on get happy a here again you better change your car away clear again shout hallelujah so let's all sing a s come on get happy of cheer again get ready Jud Portland the sun is shining unbelievable come on get happy shout it now is waiting to take your hand can doubt it now shout hallelujah so let's all sing a song Come on get happy about it now get ready for the Judgment we're heading cross a river soon your cares will all be gone oh be no more from now on from now forget your troubl and just get happy again you better Chase all your again shout hallelujah sing Come on get happy again happy time happy time happy night happy night happy days are here again and we did it with one minute to spare ladies and gentlemen Steven Mark bwan you will see him again with Fame Academy Thomas Lauderdale James Beaton ladies and gentlemen storm thank you thank you for having us beautiful [Music]