Neil Innes: Pop Goes Your Culture

All around the musical villageThe alarm-clock chased the vulture.The sands ran through the hourglass -Pop! goes your culture……………(old children’s song) “Good evening,” said Neil Innes, as he stepped out onto the Hughes’ Room stage last Thursday. “It’s wonderful to be.” He opened with “I’m the Urban Spaceman”, ended it after 30 seconds, smiled at the audience and said, “Thank you. That was a medley of my hit.”

A Great Way to Keep Smiling in a Difficult Time

[Editor’s Note: We are delighted to welcome Mark LeVine, Tikkun’s longest serving contributing editor, to Tikkun Daily. Mark wears at least two hats and another one apart from musician is political prof and Middle East expert. His latest post at tikkun.org is “No Hope for Haiti” Without Justice.”]
If the end of 2009 is any indication, 2010 is going to be a difficult year. Whether it’s the economy, foreign policy or just political and cultural pulse of America more broadly, a host of problems confronts our society from the political leadership to the average citizen that hardly anyone knows how or even wants to deal with honestly. We need inspiration, and few things inspire people to action better than music.