New Website Launches for Trans College Students

New Website Launches for Trans College Students

Jill Stein: "Turn the White House into a Green House."

"If history is violence and sex, I'd rather not pay my respects. If I've caused offense, I'm just trying to talk sense. Forgive me if I'm too direct or politically incorrect."Jon Foreman

http://www.redstateprogressive.com/2012/09/i-am-voting-for-jill-stein.html

http://www.redstateprogressive.com/2012/09/i-am-voting-for-jill-stein.html

Jill Stein For President (Unofficial Ad)

"If history is violence and sex, I'd rather not pay my respects. If I've caused offense, I'm just trying to talk sense. Forgive me if I'm too direct or politically incorrect."Jon Foreman

THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE: JILL STEIN FOR PRESIDENT

THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE: JILL STEIN FOR PRESIDENT:

The Devils Advocate hereby officially announces its support for Jill Stein, the Green Party Candidate for president . For some reaso...

"If history is violence and sex, I'd rather not pay my respects. If I've caused offense, I'm just trying to talk sense. Forgive me if I'm too direct or politically incorrect."Jon Foreman

Dr. Jill Stein: We Need a Politics of Courage

Dr. Jill Stein: We Need a Politics of Courage

"If history is violence and sex, I'd rather not pay my respects. If I've caused offense, I'm just trying to talk sense. Forgive me if I'm too direct or politically incorrect."Jon Foreman

Jill Stein- speaks at Wallstreet south March 9/2/12

"If history is violence and sex, I'd rather not pay my respects. If I've caused offense, I'm just trying to talk sense. Forgive me if I'm too direct or politically incorrect."Jon Foreman

Jill Stein Discusses the Dynamic Vision of the Green Party Part 1

"If history is violence and sex, I'd rather not pay my respects. If I've caused offense, I'm just trying to talk sense. Forgive me if I'm too direct or politically incorrect."Jon Foreman

Dr Jill Stein & Cheri Honkala Q&A

"If history is violence and sex, I'd rather not pay my respects. If I've caused offense, I'm just trying to talk sense. Forgive me if I'm too direct or politically incorrect."Jon Foreman

Jill Stein, Green Party Candidate for President, Talks About Why She’s Running

I’m running because we’re in a crisis. Because I’m a mother and mothers don’t give up.

When the president put Medicare and Social Security on the chopping block last year, I suddenly got religion about national politics. I’ve always been active on the state and local level, but suddenly I understood and felt like so many others that it was unthinkable that these threats would go unchallenged in the national debate. So I became involved with the Greens.

The nation is in crisis. People are losing jobs, losing their homes, the climate is in meltdown, the rich are getting richer and the political establishment is making things worse by imposing austerity on the American people while they squander trillions on wars, Wall Street bailouts and tax breaks for the wealthy.

In short, Americans are at a breaking point. Our role is to turn the breaking point into a tipping point.

My job is to give people a voice in this election, everyday people, and a choice at the polls that isn’t already bought and paid for by Wall Street. My job is to put real solutions on the table that the American people are clamoring for.

Jill Stein, Green Party Candidate for President, Talks About Why She’s Running

Want Jill or Cheri at Your Event?

Jill's schedule for September is completely full and we're starting to fill her October calendar as well.  The same goes for Cheri.  

Do you want one of them at your event?  Is there something huge going on in your area that we should be at?  Let me know today!  

We've already gotten tons of event requests from all over the country, so it's time for the best of the best.  Put together a proposal for a day or two in your area and we may be able to get one of them there.  

What makes a great proposal?  We need to be reaching out to people from many different communities, not just Greens.  Great proposals in the past have included speaking events with peace organizations, rallies at college campuses, marching with labor unions, etc.  They have great media opportunties and often contain at least one fundraising event.  

Do you think your proposal will make the cut?  First, check out our guidelines for hosting Jill or Cheri-if you can't meet these guidelines, please do not send in your request.  After you've read these, fill out this form with all the required information.  

I look forward to reading all of your ideas! 

Best,
Tia Nowack
Associate Campaign Manager
http://www.jillstein.org/ 

Where does the campaign stand financially?

Thank you to each of you who made contributions last week to close out the primary campaign season. Because of you, our first two TV ad campaigns ran nationally on all coasts and everywhere between, and we were able to make concerted ad buys in communities as particular as Duluth, Minnesota and Syracuse, New York, and as large as Portland, Oregon and Austin, Texas. These ads ran at the height of the Democratic National Convention, and they attracted media coverage and debate as well.
Because of you, we leave the primary season with limited debt, primarily for expenses related to ballot access, and we expect that nearly 9-of-10 voters will see Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala's names on their ballots.
Over the weekend, we switched gears, and moved into the general election season. This means we are soon to announce the hires of ten new staff people, all of whom are ramping up their efforts to get Jill and Cheri into the debates, organize Superrallies, organize key constituencies and communities, raise money, mobilize volunteers, and turn the Stein-Honkala ticket into the Green Party campaign you've been waiting for.
We're also about to make a critical decision: Can we afford to hire field staff to coordinate volunteers in different regions of the country? We have to make this decision now because it will take time to make the hires and to get our new staff up and running. And time, along with money, is an item we never have enough of.
Thankfully, we are surging forward. On Facebook, more than 50,000 people have "Liked" Jill Stein for President, up 250% from under 20,000 just two weeks ago. More voters will be able to vote Green in this election than ever before. And just today, a CNN poll showed Jill Stein at 2% of registered voters -- that's not where we intend to be on election day, but it's already almost 20 times the percentage received by our presidential nominees in recent elections.
As Jill often says, "we are taking this breaking point and turning it into a tipping point." This is the moment for us to do that. We've made it possible for voters to vote Green. We've put our presidential candidates on the national media stage. Now we must help Jill and Cheri win voters over to voting Green.
Thank you for making the primary campaign a success. Thank you for helping us pay off our debt from the primary season. And thank you for continuing to move forward with us into the general election so that we can deliver the demand for a Green New Deal for America.

• If we raise just $10,000 by midnight on Tuesday, we will move ahead with plans to hire at least four regional field organizers.
• If we raise $15,000, we will bite the bullet, and hire regional organizers covering every part of the country.

Every day in an election campaign is decision day. Please help us decide to expand our field team by donating now: http://www.JillStein.org/donate

Thank you,
  Ben Manski
  Campaign Manager

---

Please take an immediate step by making a donation: http://www.jillstein.org/donate
Authorized and paid for by Jill Stein for President
PO Box 260217, Madison, WI 53726-0217
http://www.JillStein.org 

-=-=-
Jill Stein for President · United States 

Cheri Honkala at the University of Maine

"If history is violence and sex, I'd rather not pay my respects. If I've caused offense, I'm just trying to talk sense. Forgive me if I'm too direct or politically incorrect."Jon Foreman

Green Party Presidential Candidate Presents a "New Green Deal"

"If history is violence and sex, I'd rather not pay my respects. If I've caused offense, I'm just trying to talk sense. Forgive me if I'm too direct or politically incorrect."Jon Foreman

Green Party Candidate Jill Stein’s Green New Deal

Green Party Candidate Jill Stein’s Green New Deal

The Political Omnivore: The Omnivore Interviews Green Party Nominee Dr. Ji...

The Political Omnivore: The Omnivore Interviews Green Party Nominee Dr. Ji...:

The Omnivore is kicking off a series of looks at the vital and vibrant 3rd parties that our great nation has--ours  isn't  just a two party.

Jill Stein, Green Party Candidate for President, Talks About Why She’s Running

Jill Stein, Green Party Candidate for President, Talks About Why She’s Running

Interview: Jill Stein, Green Party presidential candidate

Interview: Jill Stein, Green Party presidential candidate

WGME 13 - News - Presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein addresses medical marijuana event in Portland

WGME 13 - News - Presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein addresses medical marijuana event in Portland

Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala on Third-Party Politics - 2012 Presidential Campaign

Bill talks to Green Party presidential and vice presidential candidates Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala, who share their unique perspectives on the intersection of personal missions and modern politics.

Stein graduated from Harvard Medical School to become an internist specializing in environmental health. She was a Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate in 2002, co-founded the Massachusetts Coalition for Healthy Communities in 2003, and represented the Green-Rainbow Party in state races in 2004 and 2006.

Honkala is an anti-poverty activist and community organizer who co-founded the Kensington Welfare Rights Union and the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign. A formerly homeless single mother, Honkala became the first woman ever to run for Sheriff of Philadelphia in 2011.

Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala on Third-Party Politics - 2012 Presidential Campaign

"If history is violence and sex, I'd rather not pay my respects. If I've caused offense, I'm just trying to talk sense. Forgive me if I'm too direct or politically incorrect."Jon Foreman

Third-Party Presidential Hopefuls File To Be On Ky. Ballot | LEX18.com | Lexington, Kentucky

Third-Party Presidential Hopefuls File To Be On Ky. Ballot | LEX18.com | Lexington, Kentucky

"If history is violence and sex, I'd rather not pay my respects. If I've caused offense, I'm just trying to talk sense. Forgive me if I'm too direct or politically incorrect."Jon Foreman

Jill Stein: "I'm practicing political medicine"

"If history is violence and sex, I'd rather not pay my respects. If I've caused offense, I'm just trying to talk sense. Forgive me if I'm too direct or politically incorrect."Jon Foreman

Banner targets Governor on HOPE | News | Athens News

Banner targets Governor on HOPE | News | Athens News

"If history is violence and sex, I'd rather not pay my respects. If I've caused offense, I'm just trying to talk sense. Forgive me if I'm too direct or politically incorrect."Jon Foreman

REAL PROGRESSIVES FOR REAL CHANGE 2012 ! AND WHY: Green Party VP Candidate Cheri Honkala Joins "Romn...

REAL PROGRESSIVES FOR REAL CHANGE 2012 ! AND WHY: Green Party VP Candidate Cheri Honkala Joins "Romn...:

LINK Green Party VP Candidate Cheri Honkala Joins "Romneyville" Encampment to Give Voice to the Poor

"If history is violence and sex, I'd rather not pay my respects. If I've caused offense, I'm just trying to talk sense. Forgive me if I'm too direct or politically incorrect."Jon Foreman

2012 Presidential Candidate Jill Stein

"If history is violence and sex, I'd rather not pay my respects. If I've caused offense, I'm just trying to talk sense. Forgive me if I'm too direct or politically incorrect."Jon Foreman

A Viable Alternative (A Letter to the Editor

So, I'm trying to launch an aggressive Letter to the Editor campaign on behalf of Jill Stein for President. I've pinpointed four newspapers in my area, and plan to write them as many times as I can between now and November 6th.

Below is my first letter:

     Jill Stein is a physician and activist from Massachusetts. She's a Harvard graduate and a teacher of Internal Medicine. She calls her platform the Green New Deal, and it has four major components.

     The first plank of this platform is to guarantee economic rights for all Americans. This entails the right to a job at a living wage for every American willing and able to work. It also entails the right to quality education, health care, utilities, and housing as well as the right to unionize, to fair taxation and to fair trade.

     Dr. Stein has what she calls a Full Employment Program which will create 16 million jobs through a community-based direct employment initiative that is nationally funded, locally controlled and democratically protected.

     There are many rights Dr. Stein wants to honor, including a right to quality healthcare through an improved Medicare-for-All program and a right to tuition-free, quality public education from pre-school through college at public institutions (Stein would forgive student loan debt left over from the current era of unaffordable college education and couple this debt forgiveness with a tuition-free higher education based on the model of the post World War II GI Bill).

     Stein believes that it is necessary to halt all foreclosures and evictions and then to create a federal bank with local branches which would take over homes with distressed mortgages. These mortgages could either be restructured to affordable levels, or, if the occupants cannot afford a mortgage, then the homes will be rented to the occupants.

     Being an activist for the way the health of the environment affects the health of the person, and being the Green Party candidate, Dr. Stein as president would redirect research money from fossil fuels and other 'dead-end' industries toward research in wind, solar and geothermal. Along with this, she would invest in research in sustainable, nontoxic materials, closed-loop cycles that eliminate waste and pollution, as well as organic agriculture, permaculture, and sustainable forestry.

     Addressing the financial sector, Stein would restore Glass-Steagall, establish a 90% tax on bonuses for bailed out bankers, regulate financial derivatives, break up the big banks that are 'too big to fail' and nationalize the Federal Reserve.

She would also put in place a Voter's Bill of Rights that would guarantee us a voter-marked paper ballot for all voting and require that all votes are counted before election results are released. It would also replace partisan oversight of elections with non-partisan election commissions, make Election Day a national holiday and bring simplified, safe same-day voter registration to the nation.

     With concern to the military and homeland security, Dr. Stein would repeal the PATRIOT Act and the parts of the NDAA that violate civil liberties. She would also call for a 50% reduction in military spending that includes the withdrawal of U.S. military bases from the over 140 countries in which our military is now located.

Jill Stein is an official write-in candidate here in Georgia. Her website is JillStein.org

If you have any ideas for letters related to Jill Stein, or if you have your own that you would like to share, please feel free to pass them my way.

Thanks!

- Long-Haired Poet

@JAFThrasher

What does Green mean? (playlist)

"If history is violence and sex, I'd rather not pay my respects. If I've caused offense, I'm just trying to talk sense. Forgive me if I'm too direct or politically incorrect."Jon Foreman

What does Green mean? (playlist)

"If history is violence and sex, I'd rather not pay my respects. If I've caused offense, I'm just trying to talk sense. Forgive me if I'm too direct or politically incorrect."Jon Foreman

What does Green mean? (playlist)

"If history is violence and sex, I'd rather not pay my respects. If I've caused offense, I'm just trying to talk sense. Forgive me if I'm too direct or politically incorrect."Jon Foreman

URGENT: Tell Google TV not to censor our ads!

Last week, the Jill Stein for President campaign placed over a hundred thousand dollars worth of airtime on cable TV nationally and in select markets across the country. The ads are scheduled to air tomorrow, Tuesday through this Thursday, to raise important progressive issues key to our nation's future that will not be discussed during the corporate-sponsored Democratic National Convention.

This morning, Google --which served as a broker for placement of our national satellite and cable television ad placements-- informed Jill Stein for President that they were censoring the campaign's ads due to "inappropriate language."  (The ads in question can be viewed here).

What Google does not seem to understand is that federal law prohibits broadcasters from censoring ads submitted by candidates for public office.

Because all primary advertising has to air before the close of the Democratic convention on Thursday, this is an extremely urgent matter.  We urge all of our supporters --and any American who does not think corporations should have the right to censor political free speech-- to contact Google at once:

• Google Headquarters:  1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA 94043. Telephone 1-650-253-0000 Fax 1-650-253-0001 
• To contact Google's Advertising Department toll free, call 1-866-2GOOGLE (1-866-246-6453) or email them with the form provided at https://services.google.com/fb/forms/ensales/  

In the event that this censorship matter may not be resolved in time, we have quickly produced three other ads, "What Green Means," that we can get on the air immediately, with your support.  You can see the ads here. And if you donate now, you can vote on which one of them we should use.

Please donate as much as you can as soon as you so we can get our ads on the air during the Democratic National Convention and before the primary season has ended! Thank you.

 In Solidarity, 

 Ben Manski
 Jill Stein for President
 Campaign Manager 

---

Please take an immediate step by making a donation: http://www.jillstein.org/donate

Authorized and paid for by Jill Stein for President
PO Box 260217, Madison, WI 53726-0217
http://www.JillStein.org 

GP RELEASE Green Party: Victory by either Romney or Obama will be a global climate setback

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Monday, September 3, 2012

Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-904-7614, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@gp.org


While Obama and Romney ignore global warming, Green presidential nominee Jill
Stein and other Green candidates promote real solutions

• Unless Stein can join the presidential debates, there will be no discussion of
fossil fuel consumption, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, hydrofracking,
mountaintop detonation mining, and other threats to the environment and public
health


WASHINGTON, DC -- Green Party candidates and leaders said today that the delay
of the Republican National Convention in Tampa and hurricane Isaac's Gulf Coast
landfall should remind voters of a worsening crisis that both Mitt Romney and
Barack Obama keep ignoring: global climate disruption.

Greens expressed alarm over Thursday's news that the Obama Administration has
granted Shell Oil approval for dangerous oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean in a
fragile region off Alaska, especially when a critical oil-spill containment
vessel still awaits certification.

• Andrew Groff, Green candidate for US Senate in Delaware
(http://www.andrewgroffforsenate.us):

"Unless Green presidential candidate Jill Stein is allowed to participate in the
presidential debates, there will be no discussion of what we need to do to curb
catastrophic climate change. On one hand, Romney is appeasing the know-nothing
extremists and junk-science believers in the GOP who deny human responsibility
for global warming. On the other hand, President Obama has proposed minimal
steps to deal with global warming -- and then undercuts them by surrendering to
the corporate energy lobby, supporting off-shore drilling in US coastal waters,
repeating the myth of 'clean coal', and allowing hydrofracking and mountaintop
detonation mining to continue. All of these are immediate threats to public
health and the environment and contribute to the fossil-fuel consumption that's
pumping more and more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The effects are
already evident in the drought and growing instability of weather patterns in
the US."

(See also "Climate Change: An Information Statement of the American
Meteorological Society," August 20, 2012,
http://www.ametsoc.org/policy/2012climatechange.html)

• Martin Pleasant, Green candidate for US Senate in Tennessee
(http://www.martinpleasant.com):

"Jill Stein and other Green candidates are running on a platform that will put
millions of Americans to work and restore economic stability by combatting
global warming with new jobs in conservation, developing new and safe energy
technologies, retrofitting buildings and homes and redesigning public
infrastructure for energy efficiency, expanding public transportation to reduce
car traffic, a carbon tax as an incentive to promote safe and clean energy, and
other ideas. Obama and Romney keep talking about independence from foreign oil.
The real problem is America's addiction to fossil fuels, regardless of where
they come from. Only Dr. Stein is offering solutions."

(More on Dr. Stein's 'Green New Deal': http://www.jillstein.org/green_new_deal)

• Ursula Rozum, Green candidate for US House in New York's District 24
(http://www.ursulaforcongress.com), author of "Solve climate crisis to make
economy humane," Syracuse Post Standard, April 20, 2012
(http://www.greenpapers.net/?p=240):

"The Obama Administration has turned out to be a disaster on the global warming
front. He wants to banish the 2C goal (keeping the world's average temperature
from rising more than two degrees Centigrade) from international negotiations on
climate change (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19161799).
President Obama is also promoting the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a new
international trade pact that will serve powerful corporate lobbies by
overrriding environmental protections and allowing more logging, drilling,
mining, and transportation of raw materials in the Pacific rim, as well as
weakening labor rights and imposing more restrictive intellectual property
rules. TPP was negotiated in secret and is supported by Mitt Romney. Greens
oppose it. There will be no discussion of these enormously important issues in
the Obama vs. Romney debate. A victory for either candidate on Nov. 6 will spell
more disaster for our planet."

See also:

Green Party Platform on Climate Change
http://www.gp.org/committees/platform/2012/ecological-sustainability.php#ClimateChange

"Green Party to Obama: Whether foreign or domestic, it's time for America to cut
oil and gas from our energy diet"
Green Party press release, January 31, 2012
http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=474

"Solar Utopia: Another future is possible!"
With articles and essays by David Schwartzman, DC Statehood Green Party
candidate for the US Senate, Professor Emeritus, Department of Biology, Howard
University
http://www.solarutopia.org

"Framing in the context of fracking"
By Cecile Lawrence, Green Papers, August 29, 2012
http://www.greenpapers.net/?p=340

Green Party Eco-Action Committee
http://www.gp.org/committees/ecoaction/index.php

"Climate change is here — and worse than we thought"
By James E. Hansen, Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies,
The Washington Post, August 3, 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/climate-change-is-here--and-worse-than-we-thought/2012/08/03/6ae604c2-dd90-11e1-8e43-4a3c4375504a_story.html

"Who’s afraid of the big, bad drought? Romney and Obama say they want to help
farmers, but refuse to mention the cause of the drought that's hurting them"
By Andrew Leonard, Salon.com, August 10, 2012
http://www.salon.com/2012/08/10/whos_afraid_of_the_big_bad_drought/

"The TPP & the Environment: A Behind-Closed-Doors Deal for the 1%"
Citizens Trade Campaign
http://www.citizenstrade.org/ctc/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/TransPacificEnvironment.pdf

"Obama Trade Document Leaked, Revealing New Corporate Powers And Broken Campaign
Promises"
By Zach Carter, The Huffington Post, June 13, 2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/13/obama-trade-document-leak_n_1592593.html


MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191
• 2012 Green Party Presidential Nominating Convention, July 12-15 in Baltimore,
Md. http://www.gpconvention2012.com
• Green candidate database and campaign information:
http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml
• News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
• Speakers Bureau http://www.gp.org/speakers
• Ballot Access Page http://www.gp.org/2012/ballot-access.html
• Video Page http://www.gp.org/video/index.php
• Green Papers http://www.greenpapers.net/
• Google+ http://www.gp.org/google
• Twitter http://twitter.com/gpus
• Livestream Channel http://www.livestream.com/greenpartyus
• GP-TV Twitter page http://www.gp.org/twitter
• Facebook page http://www.gp.org/facebook

Green Pages: The official publication of record of the Green Party of the United
States
http://gp.org/greenpages-blog

Meat Loaf (What It Was Like to See Him Live)

Do you have a hero? Or an idol? Oftentimes you find a person like this, whether they're a writer, a musician, a singer, a sports icon, whatever they may be. Someone you look up to, maybe someone who's personal narrative you find relatable, someone who you look to for guidance and comfort, through what they've said in interviews, or through the mottos and/or philosophies they operate under, or through the things they've created.

     Growing up, Meat Loaf was always a presence in my house. Bat Out of Hell was always an album that made my mom smile when she wanted to have a couple drinks and have some fun. So I grew up listening to "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" and "You Took The Words Right Outta My Mouth" and by the time I was in seventh or eighth grade, I was beginning to really become a Meat Loaf fan myself. "Bat Out of Hell" did it for me. A ten minute long epic journey. An entire opera, as it were, in and of itself. Being the hopeless romantic that I still am, I had always thought about it as a love song, but it was fun to watch Jim Steinman talk about it on Behind the Music and talk about the gothic irony and how he wanted to write the greatest car crash song ever. For my money, he succeeded. And even though it has always proved a turbulent and fragile partnership, Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf are a great and rare musical and artistic pair.

     When I was in eighth grade, I was facing personal issues. This was about the time that Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose, came out, and I got it that Christmas. When I put it in for the first time and heard the almost apocalyptic intro to "The Monster Is Loose" build into these angsty and angry lyrics and I fell in love with Meat Loaf all over again, and I knew (not that I needed the reassurance) that he was as good as he ever was, if not better (not to neglect that he surrounds himself with great musicians).

     And I spent many dark nights in corners listening to this album. It was my comfort and my solace. As I knew that Meat Loaf had a rough life growing up, and I saw all that he come to be, I'd sit there and listen to his music, and know that everything was going to be okay.

     Since then, Meat has released two more C.D.s and done some more touring. On his most recent, the "Mad, Mad World Tour" I knew that I had to see him. Now a student in college, now working part time, now was the time (neglecting the fact that some people around me said this may be my last chance to see him). I bought a ticket 3/4s the way back (all the most expensive tickets were sold) on the first floor (because I'm afraid of heights) and practically dead center of the hall. I was going to have to travel three and a half hours to Nashville, Tennessee to see Meat, and it was going to be worth every mile traveled.

      It turned out that Meat was playing at a very special auditorium.

     I was going to see him perform at the Union Gospel Tabernacle. A church that can seat up to 2,362 people. But what is special about this auditorium? It was made by a riverboat captain and Nashville businessman, yes. It was made for an influential revivalist, yes. But Union Gospel Tabernacle's greatest claim to fame, for those who don't know, is that from 1943 -1974 it was the home of the Grand Ole Opry.

     And then there is the Neverland Express, the band that tours and records with Meat Loaf, and its current line up is almost as impressive as the venue in which I was lucky enough to watch them perform in. The lead guitarist, Paul Crook, has also been the lead guitarist for Anthrax. The drummer, John Miceli has worked or toured with such acts as Adam Lambert and such bands as My Chemical Romance, Blue Oyster Cult and Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. Then there are the terrific female lead vocals of Patti Russo, who has worked with groups such as Queen and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The rest of the band includes Randy Flowers (Guitars/Vocals), Danny Miranda (Bass), Justin Avery (Piano/Vocals) and Dave Luther (Saxophones/Keyboards/Vocals) who were all amazing, regardless of whether or not I could find other work they may have done.

     Now you've been reading for this long and you still don't know, how was the show?! Well, I arrived about an hour early. So I sat in the pew for about an hour, taking pictures of the stage and waiting for all of the musical deliciousness to start.

   
    And on time, they did, but it wasn't what I expected at all (especially since I looked to see if this was going to be the case and found nothing to suggest it). There was an opening act, her name was Katrina. And I'm not complaining. She is a singer/songwriter with a license to practice law in California (not to mention she looked stunning). It was a very simple set. Randy Flowers played acoustic electric and she sang.

      Speaking between songs about each song and what they were about. She was sweet, and after forty shows, was very aware that the crowd was there to see Meat Loaf, still, she gave a great performance, interacted with the crowd, and said she'd be around after the show to talk, take pictures and sign stuff.

     And then another long wait came as we waited for the stage to be set up for the main attraction.

     But finally, after what felt like an eternity, the lights dimmed. The band came out to "Runnin' for the Red Light (I Gotta Life)" without introduction (as if they would need it) and played straight into "Dead Ringer For Love". I don't think there was a moment from "Dead Ringer For Love" that I wasn't on my feet singing (read: obnoxiously screaming) the lyrics as best as I knew them.

     And I knew I was home when the chorus to "If It Ain't Broke, Break It" came. I'd already realized I was at a Meat Loaf concert, I saw him there in front of me, but by time I was singing the chorus to "If It Ain't Broke" I was not only seeing my idol and hero do what he does, but I was at a music concert, the music was inside of me, and I love music.

     Next was "Stand In The Storm", complete with a Lil' Jon video, which, even though it isn't my favorite, I still stayed standing up and rocking to.

     And then it was time to take a moment to listen to Meat Loaf the storyteller, as he told us about how life comes with good and bad, getting applause to the ideas that sometime you'll have bad that will last for a week, or a month, concluding that bad always comes with good.

      He talked about doing anything for love, from taking out the trash, to doing the dishes, to taking your Love out to a nice dinner. This story (which also included Meat talking about his being a sex god, and the story of how "Paradise" came about) ultimately segued into "Paradise By The Dashboard Light". One of my favorites. And after all of these years, this song still comes with all the theatrics. From 'parked down by the lake and there wasn't another car in sight' to 'what's it going to be boy? Come on! I can wait all night! What's it going to be boy? Yes or no?'

     And including jokes. "This is our very first date." Meat Loaf pointed out to Patti, to which Patti quickly retorted, "But honey, you're sixty-four, I might not get a second date out of you."

     All together "Paradise" was beautiful, it included the baseball announcer track, costume (read: jacket and hat) changes, and I think some of that gothic, tongue-in-cheek humor that Steinman originally put into it.

     After "Paradise" they played "Living On The Outside" and "Los Angeloser" off of Hang Cool Teddy Bear. Both songs that I really like, and that I really enjoyed seeing live. But they stood little chance of standing out for what had preceded them, and for what was about to follow.

     The eighth song on the set list was "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)" Now, I could tell you that this is one of my favorite Meat Loaf songs, and that would be true, but it wouldn't do this story justice at all. Meat Loaf and Patti had sung through the song, and had done so beautifully. I sung along to every word and soaked up every moment. I was on a high. But what happened when Meat Loaf asked the crowd to do a chorus of "You took the words right out of my mouth - It must have been while you were kissing me." is the story that I'll probably tell for the rest of my life. First of all, that was the most powerful chorus I'd ever been a part of, it was moving for me just to have that many people around me, completely engrossed and singing in unison with me. But then something happened that I never expected, and I just stood and watched it unfold.

     Meat Loaf stopped the show, got the band to stop playing, got the crowd to stop singing and said something to the effect (I'll never get it verbatim) of: "It's too bad you can't see this bottom floor down here, balcony, it's too bad! Because they're all on their feet."

     He went on to talk about the spirit of the place, and how his grandfather was a preacher, and how his grandfather had told him to always give 100% from his heart. Joking at one point, "He'd say to me, he'd say 'balcony.' No, he wouldn't say that."

     Though joking a little bit, Meat Loaf seemed sincere in his message to give a 100%, something that he has done throughout his life and his career. And when the show started back up and we got back to the chorus, it was better than ever.

     But the best part was being on the main floor. Having been on the main floor, that moment when Meat Loaf complimented the main floor for it's dedication and passion, it felt like approval from him, this legend, this idol, this hero. This person who had, until tonight, been almost but a myth to me. I know he wasn't stopping the show to compliment or credit me or anyone specifically on the first floor, but rather to kind of reprimand the balcony, but it was still a great moment for me.

     And when we got back to singing the chorus, Meat Loaf's eyes crazed as he kept pointing at his heart and then to the crowd, it was the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced, all of these people singing in unison.

     After that he did the "Giving Tree" and "Mad Mad World", which I used as time to kind of rest, except for the chorus of Mad Mad World.

     The next song he dedicated to his best friend, as he put it in his own words. Mentioning that he gave a speech at this person's induction into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame. The song was "Rock and Roll Dreams Come True" and Meat Loaf claimed it to be Jim Steinman's favorite song. It was a grand moment, not as solemn as it could have been, as we all let the drummer tell us what to do. I loved that performance, I love that song, and I love that Meat Loaf dedicated it to Steinman. And then I heard the sound, the music, the cosmic choir that I'd been waiting to hear, the coalescing of drums and guitar and piano that signified everything I'd ever hoped for in a Meat Loaf concert.

     "Like a Bat out of Hell, I'll be gone when the morning comes!"

     This was catharsis mixed with baptism. I was perfectly accurate when I had text my friends before the show and said, "It's fitting that this used to be a church, because I'm about to get baptized in Rock N' Roll."

     And I did.

     "And wherever you are, and wherever you go, there's always going to be some light."

     I was jumping up and down, screaming the lyrics, throwing my hands in the air, grabbing the bench and almost collapsing to the floor, only to bring myself back up.

     And then, as abruptly as it had started, at the peak of my adrenaline. The last notes of "Bat" played and the entire band walked off stage without a word.

     I think the crowd had a collective "Oh hell no!" moment. As there was stomping, beating on the pews in front of us and clapping, as well as cheering and yelling. It was loud and beautiful. You would have thought we were going to bring the place to the ground, and I almost gave up hope. Even thinking when the pianist  and the drummer came out and started playing classical music, that they were just offering us something to lick our wounds to as we walked out the door.

     But then I heard something from the piano, and I cheered like I was watching the under-dog hero of an old gladiator movie getting up after suffering what seemed to be the defeating blow.

     And the rest of the band came back out, and the crowd cheered to see Meat Loaf again.

     "And I would do anything for love."

     You could feel the crowd collectively melting as this version of this Meat Loaf classic quickly moved into the duet, which was beautiful in and of itself.

     After "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" Meat Loaf brought over a stool and as he sat down he said, "I'm stalling, and sucking at it."

     They were having issues with an acoustic electric they wanted to use for the next song. Meat Loaf said, "You know, I'm sixty-four."

     A few of us cheered to which Meat responded, "No, no, fuck that!"

     And then he covered his mouth and bowed his head. "I can't believe I just did that."

     After shaking his head for a moment he said, "I promised my wife I wouldn't do that anymore."

     Apparently his wife had asked him to try to stop using 'fuck' on the road. And to emphasize his wife's concern, Meat Loaf mentioned a show in Long Island, New Jersey where he said it seventy-four times. He said after the show the drummer came backstage to his dressing room and "punched me as hard as he could... on the arm."

     Apparently on this tour he'd only said it about six times and on this he said, "You know, six out of forty ain't bad."

     And the crowd cheered.

     Meat looked at the guitarist, who shrugged, they'd been beaten by technology for the moment, and were going ahead with a regular electric guitar. Before starting "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" Meat Loaf told another story. Apparently there was an actress who challenged Jim Steinman, saying he couldn't write a song as simple as Elvis's "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You." and Jim, telling the actress that she was probably right, wrote "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad".

     They played "Two Out of Three" straight into a medley of "Boneyard/All Revved Up With No Place to Go". And like with "Bat Out of Hell" had me singing and screaming and clapping until they (in my mind) abruptly left the stage.

     But this time I felt more comfortable leaving. I knew the night was over, and I was more than pleased.

     Meat Loaf is my favorite singer. "Bat Out of Hell", which is an album they played four songs off of, has my vote for greatest album of all time. And that was the greatest show I've seen to date.

     I'm so grateful I was able to see Meat Loaf perform live, I hope he enjoyed it as much as I did.