Operation 365 2... Blog 13

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Covers - 13 "The Rain" by Oran "Juice" Jones

People are panicking. Everywhere is flooding. There was even a tornado warning in Ocean Beach for a minute earlier today. TORNADO WARNING!!! People, and places for that matter, in Southern California, have no ability whatsoever to cope with, rain. People just start flying around the roads like a blizzard at the top of the Rocky Mountains. It's zany.

I decided to get into the El Nino spirit and cover an 80's classic, "The Rain." My 6th grade bud, Mark Evans, and I got great amusement out of this tune back in the day, especially the over-the-top hilarious rap section, offered here in its entirety. This might have been Ev's favorite tune back then, except for Madonna's "Love Don't Live Here Anymore." I can hear him singing that one like it was yesterday. Yesterday. Thirty years ago. It seems more similar than you'd ever guess when you're rolling down the Forties Freeway.

Cheers to Vincent Bell, who wrote the rap and the music for this tune. Nice job, Vincent.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 13 "Big Gay BBQ" by Jefferson Jay
Well, apparently it still exists. I just read this. I played this event formerly known as The Big Gay BBQ on the campus of San Diego State University when I was a graduate student getting my Master's degree in History. It was probably 2001 or '02. I was excited. I was just starting to get out and play more and it may have been my first concert on my home campus. I was supposed to play an hour or so. I was SO excited I even wrote a song for the occasion. This song.

Excerpt from their press release, "SDSU's LGBT Student Union (now Queer Student Union) first hosted this event in the Fall 2000 semester as the "Coming Out Day BBQ," to bring greater visibility to the LGBT community on campus. In Spring 2001, the event was re-branded as the "Big Gay BBQ" and has been held each and ever semester since then. Hundreds of students and community members come out to celebrate each semester. - See more at: http://www.sdgln.com/social/2015/04/16/sdsu-30th-big-queer-bbq-thursday#sthash.VpM1AfJO.dpuf"

So, maybe, you like I, thought this would be a fun place full of open-minded people cutting loose and celebrating. Not so much. I put on my flamboyant regalia and headed out to play for the most straight-laced bunch of people I'd ever seen, much less played for. I may not have been more gay than any of them but as far as being "out," it wasn't even close. They couldn't even be in the same room as me. I played about twenty minutes before they made me stop. I figured I was safe with my "Big Gay BBQ" song. Heck, the only lyrics in it were right off the flier for the thing. "Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender. Big Bay Barbecue." What's so objectionable about that? It's beyond me. Maybe they thought I was making fun of them. I have no idea. Silly. Well, good for them on making it 30 big gay barbecues. They're even having it on my birthday this year, it seems. Maybe I should do to talent show they're having, play this tune, and see what they think. Wait a minute. That was last year. Oh well.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Words - 13 "Have Fun in the Rain"

 I have fond recollections of strolling through the rain-filled gutters of the streets of New Jersey as a child. Me and my best pal, Tony Russo would walk and talk and splash around. There were few better times to go for a walk, if you were us back then, than during a torrential downpour. Perhaps only the middle of the night. Ahhh, life as a teen. So, dig it and enjoy. Have fun, (be safe) and have fun.