"You are only as much as you settle for."
October 2, 2013 4:03 AM Subscribe
Four days before her death in 1970, Janis Joplin spoke with The Village Voice's Howard Smith for what was to be her last interview. PBS Digital Studios presents an animation (SLYT) of that interview. (via BoingBoing; PBS Digital Studios animations previously)
Just the other day I saw a mention of a Janis Joplin musical on Broadway and I just don't know what to feel about it. Part of me is glad that a new generation is discovering an artist I grew up listening to, but I wish they were listening to Janis herself not someone else's imitation of her (nothing against the artist, of course).
posted by tommasz at 5:47 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by tommasz at 5:47 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
This is still my official April or so Summer kick-off...
posted by sfts2 at 6:56 AM on October 2, 2013
posted by sfts2 at 6:56 AM on October 2, 2013
Just the other day I saw a mention of a Janis Joplin musical on Broadway
Hard to imagine anything much more antithetical than Joplin's music and Broadway musical music. I assume they'll make something like a musical version of The Rose, which is to say it will have nothing at all to do with Joplin's particular genius.
posted by yoink at 7:28 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Hard to imagine anything much more antithetical than Joplin's music and Broadway musical music. I assume they'll make something like a musical version of The Rose, which is to say it will have nothing at all to do with Joplin's particular genius.
posted by yoink at 7:28 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
I was a roadie for a rock band in SF in the sixties and seventies. I met Janis one time, when I delivered David Getz's drums to her house. (Three-foot sculpted penis in front yard.) David told me to march right in, because no one would answer the door. When I did, Janis was engaged in conversation with Sam Andrew, and wearing only red panties and red shoes
Our conversation was brief.
"Where would you like me to put the drums?"
"Over there."
posted by Repack Rider at 7:44 AM on October 2, 2013 [12 favorites]
Our conversation was brief.
"Where would you like me to put the drums?"
"Over there."
posted by Repack Rider at 7:44 AM on October 2, 2013 [12 favorites]
One of the things I've been realizing recently is that Jimi, Jim and Janis have all been dead much longer than they were alive. It's a realization that makes me feel sad and strange in a way that I cannot put my finger on.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 8:41 AM on October 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 8:41 AM on October 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
I've been in love with her music since college. Her cover of "Summertime" and her live rendition of "Ball and Chain" pretty much send me into a trance.
Over a decade ago, the Royal George theatre in Chicago put on a production of the play, "Love, Janis", which was based on the real letters she wrote home to Texas while living in San Francisco and becoming famous. I was a poor bookstore employee who couldn't splurge on theatre tickets, but my older sister won them somehow, and we went together. The show featured live-band covers of her music, and the actress singing as her was incredible. (In fact, they performances required two actresses alternating the speaking and singing roles because of the vocal demands.) My sister, who was not at all a fan, was in complete shock at the effect the performance had on everyone. During the musical portions we were all often on our feet, enraptured, connected, and singing along, almost as if it were really her. Some people were in tears. It was such an incredible feeling and one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I know it's the closest I'll ever come to knowing what it was like to see her live.
I want to watch this interview, but knowing how imminent her death was makes it difficult.
posted by sundaydriver at 9:06 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Over a decade ago, the Royal George theatre in Chicago put on a production of the play, "Love, Janis", which was based on the real letters she wrote home to Texas while living in San Francisco and becoming famous. I was a poor bookstore employee who couldn't splurge on theatre tickets, but my older sister won them somehow, and we went together. The show featured live-band covers of her music, and the actress singing as her was incredible. (In fact, they performances required two actresses alternating the speaking and singing roles because of the vocal demands.) My sister, who was not at all a fan, was in complete shock at the effect the performance had on everyone. During the musical portions we were all often on our feet, enraptured, connected, and singing along, almost as if it were really her. Some people were in tears. It was such an incredible feeling and one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I know it's the closest I'll ever come to knowing what it was like to see her live.
I want to watch this interview, but knowing how imminent her death was makes it difficult.
posted by sundaydriver at 9:06 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's silly, and a little woo-woo, but I've always felt a psychic connection to Janis. She grew up the weird, shy kid in a small town in Texas spent the rest of her life trying to escape that part of herself.
Me too, Janis.
Gone too soon, but she left us with a great gift.
posted by mudpuppie at 10:28 AM on October 2, 2013
Me too, Janis.
Gone too soon, but she left us with a great gift.
posted by mudpuppie at 10:28 AM on October 2, 2013
The first woman that I fell in love with looked a lot like Janis Joplin. She was 27-28 at the time and was just starting grad school with great tenacity through a distance education course. She wouldn't like that I just Googled her, but she would probably appreciate that the only time that I do that is when Janis Joplin is in the news. I bought a copy of "Tears of Sweet Paradise" and the Joplin CD box set and used those to carry me through my break-up recovery.
Looks like she's doing well in academia and she's holding a Joplin biography on her staff page, working in a town in the SW that might as well be somewhere in Texas. So if it makes anyone feel any better, you can can pretend like I do that Janis Joplin settled down, found good work and is helping young people get through school.
posted by Skwirl at 10:33 AM on October 2, 2013
Looks like she's doing well in academia and she's holding a Joplin biography on her staff page, working in a town in the SW that might as well be somewhere in Texas. So if it makes anyone feel any better, you can can pretend like I do that Janis Joplin settled down, found good work and is helping young people get through school.
posted by Skwirl at 10:33 AM on October 2, 2013
That was pretty interesting. I loved the animation.
Her bits dissing the feminist movement and how she didn't want any chicks in her band because they would be competition made me a bit uncomfortable though.
posted by suburbanbeatnik at 11:38 AM on October 2, 2013
Her bits dissing the feminist movement and how she didn't want any chicks in her band because they would be competition made me a bit uncomfortable though.
posted by suburbanbeatnik at 11:38 AM on October 2, 2013
Late in the Autumn of 1970 I was driving on a county road in Massachusetts. I'd just returned from what was, effectively, a 6-year stint in the Far East--Vietnam, Okinawa, Japan. I was stationed at Fort Devens, working on a project that would have sent me to Korea for another year, had circumstances (not related to this anecdote) not intervened. The AM radio on my Corvair began to play "Me and Bobby McGee," a song I'd never heard Janis do...I guess it was a new release. I knew of course that she'd died recently. Chicken skin and tears. I had to pull over to the side of the road and sit it out. Two other soldiers in the car with me just stared out the windows. Afterward, one of them said, "Sweet Jeezus."
That song will always mark that day and time for me, and yet another void to notice when I look back.
In this interview, she kept trying to say: Be who you are, not who they want you to be.
posted by mule98J at 11:55 AM on October 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
That song will always mark that day and time for me, and yet another void to notice when I look back.
In this interview, she kept trying to say: Be who you are, not who they want you to be.
posted by mule98J at 11:55 AM on October 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
Her bits dissing the feminist movement and how she didn't want any chicks in her band because they would be competition made me a bit uncomfortable though.
Those were different times. People forget how resistant the cool hippy 60s set were to feminism, which was seen as relatively killjoy and opposed to the whole "free love" ethos. It was important for Janis to establish herself as the "tough chick" who wasn't going to be a moralistic scold or bring anyone down.
On a different note, I'm really pleased to read this thread as one of those kids who used to persist in putting Joplin albums on at parties when I was a teenager to be greeted by universal dismay--it's nice to know there are people out there keeping the faith. One of the greatest blues singers of all time, in my estimation. Thank God there's some great concert footage of her in her prime, as well as the great "In Concert" album.
posted by yoink at 3:43 PM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Those were different times. People forget how resistant the cool hippy 60s set were to feminism, which was seen as relatively killjoy and opposed to the whole "free love" ethos. It was important for Janis to establish herself as the "tough chick" who wasn't going to be a moralistic scold or bring anyone down.
On a different note, I'm really pleased to read this thread as one of those kids who used to persist in putting Joplin albums on at parties when I was a teenager to be greeted by universal dismay--it's nice to know there are people out there keeping the faith. One of the greatest blues singers of all time, in my estimation. Thank God there's some great concert footage of her in her prime, as well as the great "In Concert" album.
posted by yoink at 3:43 PM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Many years a lurker so here goes my first comment. Repack Rider noted the penis sculpture in Joplin’s front yard and I happen to know how she acquired that sculpture. Big Brother and the Holding Company was playing Providence, RI in either late fall ’68 or winter ‘69 (can’t remember exactly). There were four of us (recent RISD graduates) living in a loft space above a bar (Bal’s Tap) on Eddy Street . An acquaintance who had spent the summer as a Holding Company groupie asked us if the band could use our loft for the after party. Of course we said yes. The band arrived with their groupies and Joplin made for our kitchen table where she held court for the night. The painted wood sculpture in question, was made by Malcolm Collins, one of our group. and she either spotted it and asked about it or Malcolm brought it over to show her. Anyway, he ended up happily giving it to her and it was carried out in triumph at the end of the evening. A wild night, long ago.
posted by plaintext at 5:35 PM on October 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by plaintext at 5:35 PM on October 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
And her last televised interview was heartbreaking, where she talked about being voted "ugliest man on campus."
They laughed me out of class, out of town and out of the state.
Kills me. She was talented, spirited and very feminine, without being saccharine about it.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 7:56 AM on October 3, 2013
They laughed me out of class, out of town and out of the state.
Kills me. She was talented, spirited and very feminine, without being saccharine about it.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 7:56 AM on October 3, 2013
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