this is… The Neighborhood
the Story within the Story
Program Guide: The 2015 Season-ending Performance Schedule
It’s Show Time
‘RAW’ The Neighborhood’s 4th Season, is preparing for the curtain to fall.
But the next 5 days, will be as thrilling as a carnival ride.
*****
DEC 26
Game of Elimination – 3rd Song Shot Down
Scheduled Time: Noon PST/2PM CST/3PM EST & 8PM GMT
Stage: thepublicblogger FB Page
DEC 27
Game of Elimination – 4th Song Shot Down
Scheduled Time: Noon PST/2PM CST/3PM EST & 8PM GMT
Stage: thepublicblogger FB Page
A Star is Born Round IX IMPROMPTU – The Finals LIVE
Rebecca Lemke, Mommy Blogger Oklahoma vs Oscar Plascencia, Poet California
Time of Live Broadcast 7:00 – 7:15 PM PST/10:00 – 10:15 EST
Stage: The Neighborhood
Public Voting Opens: Approx: 7:45 PM PST/10:45 PM EST
VOTING ENDS MON DEC 28 @ 10AM PST/Noon CST/1PM EST
DEC 28
Game of Elimination – 5th Song Shot Down (2 Songs Remain)
Scheduled Time: Noon PST/2PM CST/3PM EST & 8PM GMT
Stage: thepublicblogger FB Page
Jack & Belinda A Star is Born the Story within the Story the conclusion
written story by Kendall F. Person
visual story by Robert M. Goldstein
Stage: The Neighborhood
Time: 6:00 PM PST/9 EST
DEC 29
The Missing Link An Opinion on Education directed at Community
written, edited & delivered by Kendall F. Person, thepublicblogger
Intro by Fran Daddy & IvySoul Robinson
set design by Keyur Panchal
Stage: The Neighborhood
Time: 6:30 PM PST/9:30
DEC 30
The Neighborhood Wall of Fame Ceremony
Honoree: Photographer Gabor Dvornik
Special Guests Performers: TBA
Set Design by Gabor Dvornik
The First Envelope: 2015 Song of the Year
The Second Envelope: The Winner of A Star is Born
FINAL WORDS ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD’S FUTURE AND HOW YOU CAN HELP.
curtains fall
*****
click to enlarge
*****
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Rising Star: How Oscar Plascencia & Rebecca Lemke Started a War
The first two were easy pickings. Steis would accept the nomination, thrilled and filled with sincerity. But he never would feel a part of either A Star is Born or The Neighborhood itself, even though his music is much-loved and everywhere.
Christian Marc would not even wait for the results of the election. He would resign – either hoping or believing – voters had done him in, and skipped town, even though, technically he was still in.
First Two Fallen Artists
*****
The next three were surprising in how easily they fell. Robert Goldstein would be oblivious from the start. But always a good sport, he was not only happy to not have been plucked first, but he would race backstage, and continue to work on a show, in which he had been kicked off.
Both H-Y Loco and Summer Rose would wilt – not under the pressure – but feeling stifled as artist, not understanding or wanting to take part in a structured, competitive sport: high-profile or not.
The Next Three Fallen Artists
*****
Things would turn a little tricky after the low-hanging fruit had fallen. Anew(Duo) had packed the house opening night, and rather their fan base did not enjoy the format or it appears more likely, that only one-half of the sister act was on board and they would simply fade out.
Kelly Lewis was so up and down, that even the early nomination committee had picked her to win – and talent wise – she would prove them right. As a first time songwriter, Chasing Dreams would be named 30th Best Song of the Year. But her inability to ever feel comfortable on the set, led to an unexpected early demise, before she ever understood: she could have won it all.
Everyone knew that Charles Okpere’s exit would be fireworks, but no one thought it would be such a dud. His disqualification from A Star is Born and expulsion from The Neighborhood, would bring a turbulent, yet creative relationship to an unfortunate, but fitting end.
No. 6, 7 and 8
*****
Ned Hickson threatens to turn A Star is Born into a runway. But the Golden Chace/Silver Fleece union, displayed the lack of a Champions stranglehold. More importantly, it would begin the rumblings, that Ned Hickson could produce the biggest choke of the year.” – October 30, The Story Within the Story
For six of eight rounds, Ned Hickson would appear to be in control of the game – but in actuality – controlled only himself. A mindful tactician, a phenomenal talent, but would never truly understand the complexity of the game or the genius, in which it was being pulled off. Only once would he change tactics, and would double down on that one. Giving not enough credit to his opponents, who were also playing to win.
Creation of the Golden Chace was meant to stir reaction between him and holders of the Silver Fleece. Instead, Ned would form an alliance with Oscar & Rebecca, which would come back to haunt him, and later confirm – that was the exact moment – when the game changed. Oscar and Rebecca would note his weakness: that he was too nice of a guy, to ever pull the trigger.
Oscar and his sister Chio would trample him. But that was not completely unexpected. But the utter collapse of his entire squad, came of the blue for most, but not all.
No. Nine
*****
Whatever, Oscar Plascencia and Rebecca Lemke thought of one another at the start, neither one thinks the same thing now. They beat back 9 of the Best and Most Talented Artists 2015 had set forward. They were imaginative, creative, strategic and aspiring.
And that is how, the 19 year-old Mommy Blogger from the middle American state of Oklahoma and the bilingual, openly gay Poet from California… started a WAR.
The Final Two
The Finals
A STar is Born
Round IX: IMPROMPTU
LIVE
2015 Song of the Year
2013 Lonely World by PShaw
2014 I Deserve That by Hussle Crowe
*****
One good thing about music,
when it hits you, you feel no pain.
– Bob Marley
Morissaaa ‘Raw Then Tic’
Morissaaa is a knockout and if there were a category for best new find of 2015, there would have only been one Nominee.
Nominated for Song of the Year for Raw Then Tic by Morissaaa
*****
ELIMINATED DEC 24TH
Music royalty is what you are looking for? Look no further than Hussle Crowe. He has dominated The Neighborhood’s music scene since 2013, culminating at the 2014 thepublicblogger Awards where he delivered a knockout blow by unanimously winning Song of the Year.
For the 3rd consecutive year, Hussle Crowe along with Billionaire Bossy & LiveSosa has been nominated for Song of the Year, this time with Feel Us.
*****
H-Y Loco is a true performance artists. He writes, sings, raps and his stage presence makes his audiences scream and shout.
Nominated for Song of the Year… Cant git out by Hustle Rhythm Soul featuring H-Y Loco.
*****
*****
J.P. Kallio Dublin Ireland
J.P. Kallio’s music is often reflective, putting it in a genre of folk-rock. But Losing Faith is in a class of its own; like last year’s winner, J.P. tells a story, that is haunting as it is beautiful.
Nominated for Song of the Year… Losing Faith by J.P. Kallio
*****
Anew(Duo) the sister contemporary gospel recording group from Chicago Illinois are simply profound in their harmonies, lyrics and sense of reach. Never Let Me Down is a textbook of collaborative musical genres as it is just as much hip hop as gospel.
Nominated for Song of the Year, Anew(Duo) with Never Let Me Down
*****
ELIMINATED DEC 25
The surprise nomination of John B Strong aka John Doe has caused the most discomfort among the voting quadrants, even raising an official objection which was quickly struck down. John B Strong may not have the musical prowess of the heavy hitting nominees, but his rapid fire style of storytelling is gold.
Nominated for Song of the Year, John Doe with Jabee & Takeoff with Hold’em Fold’em
*****
ELIMINATED DEC 26
Mariam Ali
Eve’s Lament by Mariam Ali featuring Tamara Yousry is as heartbreaking as it is brilliant. The way we find ourselves falling deeper and deeper into the lyrics and melody is a testament to powerhouse music making.
Nominated for Song of the Year, Eve’s Lament by Mariam Ali
*****
And the Winner is….. Dec 30th @ the 2015 Season-ending Show
click to enlarge
A Star is Born Round VIII: Imitation of Life
Let your performance do the thinking. – Charlotte Bronte
***
from Sacramento CA
K333NG T with R&B Full
Kendall F. Person, thepublicblogger Creator of The Neighborhood, Producer of A Star is Born
Good evening everyone and welcome to The Neighborhood. I am your host for A Star is Born and the second Performance of today’s special double header: Round VIII: Imitation of Life.
The Proxy Performance Round was simply amazing, and the performers did their team proud. But now it is time for the Main Event. 11 Started this journey back on October 13th, only 3 remain but sometime tomorrow, the Nominees for Best Performance of the Year will be further reduced to two.
But tonight, like they have done throughout, they must earn their spot in the Finals. Each was asked a single question, that is all. But it is the answer to the question that will determine if they rise or if they fall.
And without further adieu… Round VIII: Imitation of Life
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Oscar Plascencia, Poet
La Puente California
Words fail me; they’re too limited in their ability to convey. I watch the world unfold around me in silence. Futile attempts at expressing myself result in stammering utterance. I stutter, they mock. I play the Mute. My childhood is spent walking around in silent wonder. A sense of resentment permeates my heart as I covet the ease and fluidity with which all those around me impart their feelings. I condition myself to believe that meekness is my weakness and fearfully accept it as my lot. I am compliant and tractable.
English as a second language is a breeze for my siblings to master, but I struggle in grade school and fail to comprehend why Spanish is not allowed. I naturally gravitate and bond with the girls in my class. Boys are crass and call me “queer”, yes I’m always the last one picked by default in any team activities. I bury my face in a book to express disinterest. The written words sway, swirl and march about the page like an army of ants, rearranging themselves, taunting and teasing: Run spot run. Read Oscar read!
I find solace in the arts and learn to express myself through dance, theatre, drawing and writing. But none of these completely eradicate my innate sense of not belonging. I push myself to excel creatively, but then demurely brush off all compliments. My speech is much improved, thanks to theatre, but often described as old-world, too serious and dramatic. I want to live and I want to love, but I’m afraid that I’ll be made fun of. I hurt, I bleed, I cry just like everyone else, why is it all lost in translation?
The distance from Heart to Head is long and feelings frequently loose their way. Those that survive the voyage arrive haggard and misconstrued only to be sputtered in my inadequacy. I chose the Pen as mediator and discovered a platform for Heart, Mind and Soul to speak as one. A lyrical form dominates my writing and a passion for poetry is born. Silverlake cafes and bookstores’ open mic awaken my mind to alternative means of expression. Love burrows itself into my heart and spawns twins named Hope and Faith. I court the trio for the next twenty years.
Fickle at best, Love, Hope and Faith have been in and out of my life shaping every stanza from day one. I have lived, I have loved, but no one can make fun of the pain, and tears I pen in translation for my stuttering heart. Once an observer of life watching it unfold with or without me, now a dedicated wordsmith interceding to preserve and honor Love in it’s myriad forms. It’s not a question of who I am, for I am a great many things, but rather a question of who I have become.
A meek and queer boy humiliated into insecurity finds his voice and pride in poetry. Words fail me; they’re too limited in their ability to convey.
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Ned Hickson, Humorist
Florence Oregon
Am I an imitation or reflection of my art?
By Ned Hickson
For me, the line between life and art as a humorist is a blurry one. And it’s that way by design.Though my art is often satirical, taking things to extremes in order to offer perspective, much of what I create is inspired by real-life experience and observations as a father, husband,journalist, firefighter, human being and middle-aged male stripper.
Ok, fine. But if I were a stripper, there would be a lot of laughter involved.
My father told me something many years ago that I’ve tried to live by. Taking me aside one day, he draped his thick forearm around my shoulder and, in his wise voice, said to me, “You’re 18 now. Get out.”
But right after that, he gave me some advice I’ve never forgotten:
Do something well and the rest will take care of itself.
It’s been my approach to most everything in life since leaving home at 18. I had no college pursuits; just a desire to put my father’s advice into practice and see where it would take me. It helped me go from dishwasher to regional chef; 44-year-old firefighter recruit to Recruit of the Year; writing between laundry loads as a single father to award-winning newspaper columnist; ending a long unhappy marriage and finding a woman who inspires my heart and shares in my humor every day.
Like any artist, what I create is a reflection of myself. It’s offered from within and painstakingly crafted in hopes of engaging others. And while it may be painted in broad, satirical strokes, the canvas beneath has been stretched and stapled into place through my life’s experiences.
Is what I do as a humorist an imitation of life?
Perhaps.
But I prefer to think of it as an invitation to life instead.
***
Rebecca Lemke, Mommy Blogger
Lahoma Oklahoma
Perhaps you can catch some small glimpses of who I am by looking back on my 19 years.
In the past, I accomplished many things. I was an award-winning photographer, I was a performer at places like the Oklahoma State Fair and the Oklahoma Opry, and I held offices within 4-H. Perhaps the most uncommon and unique thing is that I graduated high school at 15 and a half and began college immediately.
People said I was “driven” and “goal-oriented”, but the truth is, you won’t find who I am in those accomplishments. Not really. Who I am was forged in the difficult times, some of which I’ve made public, but a few that are still unknown.
Sure, there was our NICU stay, my journey of recovery from anorexia, and leaving behind the culture I grew up with. These are some of the most difficult parts of my life, but I’ve still kept a few secrets.
Some details stay buried, but this much can be said: I was the runaway who never looked back.
You can see the fundamental values and beliefs behind the actions I took during those times. They have shaped who I am.
What are the values and beliefs that I hold?
I am a young woman whose life has been shaped by the belief that the only two people who can save you are God and yourself. Other people can help by giving you the tools to accomplish this, but you have to decide to save yourself.
From this belief stems a desire to help others learn how to save themselves. I want to be someone who gives those tools, whether it be physical or emotional support, to those who are ready to take it. In some small ways, I have already achieved this through writing.
I don’t do this to be praised or recognized. I do it so that I never forget where I came from, what the pit of despair feels like, and what it took to rise above that. I do it so that I can be the person I needed during that time, so that no one has to go through that alone.
The truth is, I will always keep part of my past with me, whether I want to or not. I choose to hold the piece of the past gingerly in my heart and to use the wounds I have to help others.
So who am I?
I am a mix of who I was and who I want to be. I am a young woman who will forever struggle against the past while striving to create a better future. At my core, my heart aches to hear “you made a difference for me”.
There is always hope.
A Star is Born Round VIII: the Preliminaries – The Proxy Performances
cover art Star by Kurama Phoenix & Flowers also cry by Elleonnass
I have been training hard and I’m ready to fight hard.
I have my game plan and I’m going to stick to it.
– Robbie Cannon, Undercard Quote
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From London England, the United Kingdom,
Ellie Goulding feat. Angel Haze
with Life Round Here
***
Greetings Ladies & Gentlemen, Friends & Family, Neighbors & Guests. My name is Kendall F. Person, and I am your host of A Star is Born. Thank you for joining us for the Undercard of this special double header Round VIII: Imitation of Life.
Each participant receives their own votes and their own score card and should be judged on their own merits. But make no mistake, both the Proxy and the Nominee scorecards will be combined for the Official Rank and elimination.
Each Performer – in the Preliminaries – was asked a single Question:
And without further adieu…. The Proxy Performances
***
In my search for love and happiness I have come up short many times. Often giving more than what I got in return. The trust I placed on men was boundless until I married a man who would hold me prisoner within my own mind and heart. I became the stereotypical woman in an abusive relationship. I learned to hide the abuse from family and friends and even myself.
I found the mask I wore sufficient to disguise the emotional and psychological abuse. But once the physical abuse began, I realized the love he professed was all part of his need to control. Still somehow, with two young children, I rationalized that we needed to stay together as a family.
Growing up in a nuclear family of eight had its amazing lessons in love. Though being the fifth born out of six siblings came with it’s challenges in feeling secure. A true bond and kinship was born between my brother, Oscar and I at a very early age and continued through our grade school years. Despite the eccentric and androgynous fashions of the mid-eighties, we were still seen as the twin black sheep of the family. An unspoken oath and alliance was forged to ensure against internal or external prejudices.
Throughout my many mistakes in life and love, I knew that Oscar was someone I could turn to in confidence, someone who would not judge, a man I could trust. And time and time again, he proved to be the rock of support that I came to depend on. When a violent bout of physical abuse jeopardized my children’s safety, I phoned him before dialing 911. He took me and my children into his home with open arms.
The indefinite stay under his roof was short lived as I chose to return and try to work things out with my husband, for the sake of love. Oscar’s persuasive words of reason were no match for the shackles on my mind and heart. Perhaps it was in desperation, but I could hear the anger in his tone as he switched into tough-love mode to state, “If you leave now, know that it’s the last time you walk through that threshold.” It took all the courage I had to not wipe away my tears and hold fast to my children’s hands as I led them out the door.
I couldn’t explain it then, and I’m finding it difficult to adequately express now, but I needed to test my own strengths. I wanted to be my own rock. Instead I walked right back into a life on pause eagerly awaiting to start right where it had turbulently left off.
Despite his admonition, my children and I were welcomed back into his home again. I filed for a divorce and with the love and support of my brother, I gradually learned to be the strong, independent woman I am today valuing above all self-love, honor and respect.
***
Let’s start from the beginning, shall we? It all started in 1995 when we became womb mates. We passed the time by playing Rockem Sockem at the expense of our mother. We delightfully squished each other for a joyous 9 months until we entered this exciting world looking like aliens and covered in slime. I popped out first, silent but alert… My sister, on the other hand, came out proclaiming her existence and protesting the cold environment of the hospital (just between us, Rebecca has always been the loud one).
Once we were old enough to crawl and babble, we developed our own language and got into all kinds of mischief. We had food fights and became human dusters by wearing ruffled-butt onesies and crawling under beds. We came out looking like the lint trap of a dryer; we were just trying to help mama with the cleaning.
We spent the summers of our younger years running through wheat fields, having mud fights, helping at the Davidson family watermelon stand and bouncing on hay bales. Even though we lived in town, we spent a lot of time on the family farms. There were many baseball games played, many wild adventures and tree climbing down the pasture. During harvest time, we were both all about riding in the combine and having wheat wars in the beds of the wheat trucks. You are a true farm kid if you have buried your sibling in a pile of wheat.
Rebecca and I are on the opposite ends of the spectrum; we are night and day. She definitely takes after the “day” part. She’s the social butterfly and I am the human equivalent of the grumpy cat when it comes to social events. What I lack in enthusiasm about people she makes up for. We don’t even look-alike; people say we’d be an unlikely pairing if we weren’t sisters.
We always had different interest growing up but that didn’t stop us from having fun. I liked being outdoors and she liked playing computer games. She liked photography and I liked painting. We did share one common passion, dancing. It was always a good time to be had on the dance floor when we were together. I was the one that kept the rhythm and she would be the one with the flashy dance moves, we complimented each other with our different dancing styles.
We are two halves that make a whole. Twins have a bond that only other twins can relate to. We started life together. We were born to be partners in crime. It went from mud pie master chefs when we were knee high to a grasshopper to a momma and auntie team (can anyone say the COOLEST babysitter EVER??). She will always be my little sister; she will always be my partner in crime. But most importantly, I will always have her back and she will always have mine.
***
The Polls are now Open. Vote for your favorite or for the Best Proxy Performance of the Undercard.
Polls Close for Undercard Voting @ 4:00 PM PST/6:00 CST/7:00 EST
The Main Event Now on Stage
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