It was PEACE DAY at a local elementary school a few days ago. So naturally, HERE II HERE was invited to perform for about 600 crazy, rambunctious, vibrating children ... and naturally we said YES!!!
We actually did three performances that day ... the first for the 1st graders ... then for the 2nd and 3rd grade ... and then for he 4th and 5th graders.
It was fascinating to me how the older kids got, even in that young age group, the more they seemed to be concerned with being "cool" ... how quickly we start worrying about what others think about us and start to conform!!
The younger kids were jammin!! We didn't do the "s#!t song" or anything (although that song always seems to be the younger kids' favorite!) ... but we played Time IV Change, Besitos Chiquiticos, Feelings Come and Go ... and a few others.
Those younger kids were clappin, hollerin, dancin, shoutin' ... they were having so much fun! The older kids took a litle longer to warm up, but they got there. You just can't resist HERE II HERE ... besides, most of those kids had never seen a man in a turban before ... fortunately it was also crazy hat day at the school, so Ash blended well. : ) ... there were no other turbans in the audience that day, interesting enough.
Towards the end of the show, we had a young lady come up - a 5th grader - and she sang with us along to the song IMAGINE ... except that she channeled something divine!!! We gave her the mic and it was amazing what came through this little girl ... she was channeling ghandi, mother teresa, martin luther king, john lennon, and a nervous, authentic little 5th grade girl all at the same time ... it was an incredible moment
At the end of the day, we handed out tons of our cards to all the kids ... you know how kids love free hand-outs ... no matter what it is. The band's pictures are on the cards, with their names. It was hystericaly to see the kids in the cafeteria calling out he band members' names from the cards and waving hello like they were in the presence of rock stars (they were, anyway : )
The funniest was when they would look at me, trying so hard to place me on the card ... the looks of disdain and dismissal were so precious as they gave up trying to figure who I was ... "Who's the skinny guy with the beard? Where is he on this card?" ... hey fellas, note: I want my picture on the card next time. Hate to let the kids down, you know?
One strategic blunder: my phone number is on that card so people can contact us for gigs, etc. Well, about 1 hour after the last performance, after handing out our cards to a few hundred 8 year old's with cellphones ... the calls started rolling in ... at first I thought, "who is calling me for the fourth time in a row ... must be an emergency ...
So I answered ...
-- HELLO!!!!! CAN YOU PLEASE COME TO MY HOUSE??? MY ADDRESS IS ....... "
-- HELLO!!! I am YOUR NUMBER ONE FAN ... you guys rock!!! [this one called 3 times]
-- HI!!! MY NAME IS JESSIE ... YOU GUYS ARE BETTER THAN THE JONAS BROTHERS!!
-- HI! ... ... HI! .... HELLO! ..... HELLO!!! [as they passed the phone around to 25 friends)
-- HEY! I WANT TO GIVE YOU BESITOS CHIQUITICOS! .. PEACE!!!
hysterical ... I think it's Time IV Changing my phone number!
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