Oh look, it's Chuck Prophet

Apologies for any typos. I had some kind of reaction to the ephedrine in the Novocaine at the dentist's today. I didn't know they put ephedrine in Novocaine--did you? That stuff makes me feel really crazy. I'm apparently very sensitive to its speedy, heart-palpitating, sinus-clearing side-effects.

The left side of my face swelled up, which I do not need, and I sat in a stupor for most of the afternoon, just thinking slow thoughts. Meanwhile my kid was desperate for batteries for several of his toys at once, which he would abandon immediately upon my putting new batteries in them. That's the weirdest concept; wishing someone would continue playing with something just because you put batteries in it. I did fix a toy tractor named Terrence, using a toothpick and some tweezers. But I couldn't rescue a severed Lego-like arm from the inside of a giant marble-tower elevator contraption. It was a strange, strange day and the arm--it got away from me once again.

Which reminds me: Here's Chuck Prophet. In an upcoming documentary about his travels to Mexico City to make a record. Chuck Prophet is a very talented guitarist who's been playing and composing in the Bay Area for...ever. He's been doing this forever. I met him more than 25 years ago when I was entrusted to train him as a college-radio DJ at cable station KSFS. I did so and he was fine on the air. He's got a good radio voice--deep. I remember I had to tell him not to move his swivel chair when he talked in the mic because the chair was really squeaky. It was part of the State University college system and no one had oiled it...ever. It had never been oiled, even though it was the DJ chair. And it was really noisy. So I had to tell Chuck Prophet to sit still when he talked and he took it really well. It was an awkward moment in training because fidgeting is a natural outlet for nerves, but that's how it was at SFSU. You had to work around the technical difficulties. And I should know because I went back there for grad school.

So anyway, Chuck Prophet, he's been kicking around for a long time and he deserves a documentary about his rock & roll muse, which he's been following forever. He's been following that particular muse for ever. Cheers, Chuck.



As seen on Live for Films.