Robin Williams, depression, The Church, and me.

I suffer from depression and anxiety.  I thought about the many ways I could begin a post about the loss of Robin Williams and honestly, I think it's just best if I say this out loud: I was clinically diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and adult attention deficit disorder. But more about me in a minute...

Robin Williams killed himself yesterday. If that isn't a wakeup call, I don't know what is.

Depression is a subject that has a stigma to it, even though 1 out of 9 Americans report suffering from it. So why is it such a taboo subject? Why are we afraid to talk about mental health issues?

I am a worship leader and I believe that we in the Church (with a capital C meaning all churches) need to start talking about it. Regularly. 

We need to remove the stigma from mental health issues. People who suffer need to know they are not alone -- that they are not "doing something wrong". They need to know that it's okay to seek out help. And they need to know that it's okay to do more than just pray for healing. God gives us miracles every day through modern medicine.  

Four years ago I decided it was time to do something about my A.D.D.  I had lost a job over it and after leaving another job to pursue music full time I was having a lot of trouble getting anything done at home without the discipline that comes from an actual boss. So, after reading this article in Relevant Magazine, I decided I should go and do something about it. 

I went through a battery of tests and came to find out--and by "find out" I mean, admit--that I have depression and anxiety issues on top of the A.D.D.

And you know what? There is nothing wrong with that. There is nothing wrong with me that can't be taken care of by medicine. Since going on medicine my life is better. It's not perfect and I still have a lot of work to do, but it's better. 

There are still long periods of depression for me. To be even more transparent than I've already been here, I'm in one now.  Often times, the other 8 out of 9 Americans who have never dealt with depression seem to think depression is conditional. So some people might hear me say that I'm depressed and assume it's because one of my heroes died yesterday. It's not. There is a chemical imbalance in my brain that medicine does its best to fix, but it's not always gonna happen.

The medicine does allow me to better cope however. If you take nothing else from this than that, take that. If you are suffering from depression or other mental issues, take it seriously. Take it as seriously as you would a bleeding wound that won't heal and go to the doctor.

I no longer lay in bed and fantasize about not waking up. Yes, that was me a few years ago.  This comes as a shock to people when they hear it from me. They equate that I'm funny with me being happy. I am a funny person. I don't have to be modest about that. It's just a fact. Ask anyone who knows me. I'm frickin' hilarious sometimes. If I didn't have musical ability I might have wanted to be a comedian. But to be honest, being a comedian is a heck of a lot harder. 

And a TON of funny people suffer from depression and other mental issues. That's why we've lost so many of them to suicide and overdoses. Comedic greats like Freddie Prinze, Richard Jeni, and Greg Giraldo all killed themselves. John Belushi, Chris Farley, Mitch Hedberg and others did it accidentally because they tried to cope using drugs that never produced the high that being on a stage making people laugh provided.

And now we add Robin Williams to the list. He was probably my first favorite comedian. The only other stand-up that came close was Bill Cosby. But Robin made me laugh harder. He made me laugh harder than anyone on television. He taught me on Mork and Mindy that, as Time Magazine said yesterday, "weirdness wasn't just o.k.--it was amazing."

Between his movies and his appearances on late night shows from Carson to Letterman to Fallon, he shaped my view of adults. As a grown up I know that it's okay to be silly sometimes and still expect people to take me seriously. I had never thought of it until this very moment, but he really had a great impression on that aspect of my personality.

Taking a cursory glance at Robin's IMDB page, I was amazed to see how many of his movies I not only had seen, but had loved. In fact, I've seen almost all of his movies. I mean, I am a cinephile, but come on...that's pretty rare. Come to think of it, within the past year I've shown my kids Aladdin, Hook, Ferngully, Jumanji, Happy Feet and the first two Night at the Museum films. That's seven movies in one year that my family truly enjoyed. (Yeah, we watch a lot of movies.)

He was like a family member that most of us never had the good fortune to meet. My cousin Jennifer and I have noted on many occasions that as he was getting older, Robin was beginning to look more and more like a Coomer. As I created the artwork above, I could not help but be overwhelmed by that.

There's a reason why there was a point yesterday where most if not all of the top trending topics in the United States on Twitter were based on his death. Robin Williams is a part of our fabric. It's why we (and the news stations) are talking about it so much when there are other things we need to be talking about like Iraq and ISIS and Ferguson, MO. and Israel. But in some ways...like it or not, this is more important to us. We've lost someone very near and dear to our hearts.

Two good things can come out of this loss. The first is that we will experience the healing power of laughter as we watch his movies and television appearances again. The top trending Twitter topic as I finish this post is #RobinWilliamsWillLiveOnForever.

The second is that we can begin to talk about depression. We can bring it out into the open. We can destigmatize it, demystify it. And we can begin to heal. 

People are posting abt their grief re: Robin Williams but are unwilling to check in with their friends who have the same struggles.
— Lindsey Harris (@MonacleMonOncle) August 12, 2014

My friend Lindsey's tweet brings me to my final question: "When was the last time I was brave enough to ask (or even lovingly confront) someone about their depression... Or to open up to them about mine?"

How can we be the hands and feet of Christ and reach out to them to let them know we are here, to let them know God is here. How can we be the sign from God that they need? How can we be the butterfly on the cliff from which they're about to jump?

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert made me love the art of film more than I already did.

I admired him so much.

I loved his impassioned reviews of movies he loved and hated. I loved his arguments with Siskel (and Roeper). I loved his yearly Movie Home Companion. 

I loved that he championed films like Hoop Dreams, which he and Siskel were outraged wasn't nominated for the Academy Award for Documentary Feature. 

Most critics can be taken with a grain of salt, but when Ebert loved a movie -- when he gave it a "BIG thumbs up!" -- it made me want to see it. I always looked forward to his year end lists of best and worst films. 

I remember specifically 1998. It was a year filled with wonderful, groundbreaking, and critically acclaimed movies such as Out of Sight, Life Is Beautiful, Pleasantville, The Truman Show, Rushmore, Saving Private Ryan, American History X, A Simple Plan, A Bug's Life, Pi, The Big Lebowski, etc. etc. But for his top film of the year, Ebert picked a movie no one had heard of called Dark City. It made me want to see it. And when I did I, not surprisingly, fell in love with it. What's more, he so loved the film that he provided a commentary track for the DVD.

One of the things I admire most about Roger Ebert was that when life handed him lemons...no it handed him manure...he kept on going. He battled cancer with the dignity of a prince. When it took his jaw, he kept making appearances anyway. When it took his voice he found a company that used his DVD commentaries (which also included Citizen Kane and Casablanca) to give his voice to his computer narration system.

Through and through he was a class act. Just yesterday on his blog he wrote "Thank you for being the best readers any film critic could ask for... thank you for going on this journey with me. I'll see you at the movies."

Roger died today at 70. He will be greatly missed.

- Eric Coomer

Music Video: John Mark McMillan - "Death In His Grave"

I think contemporary Christian music has reentered a place it hasn't been since the seventies in that the best music it has to offer is coming from the Church. Worship bands such as Gungor, The City Harmonic, Rend Collective Experiment, and Jesus Culture are making music that is much more raw and interesting and passionate than the schlock that mainstream Christian labels are signing and putting out.

One of the most exciting success stories of the past few years has been John Mark McMillan. He's too good, too interesting, and too weird to be on a Christian label. And yet he is. And it's Integrity Music, seemingly one of the most conservative labels around. But because he wrote one of the best worship songs of the past decade, "How He Loves", he is able to put out music as excellent as the stuff on his album The Medicine.

John Mark writes worship songs that don't rely on cliches like verses that start with "I fall on my knees" or choruses that only contain the word "holy". His music has challenged me as a songwriter and I hope it's doing the same for others. And the guitars on the album are phenomenal. John Mark's lead guitarist James Duke gets some of the best tone I have heard.

Check out a great video, recorded live (I like it just a bit more than the album version), of the song "Death In His Grave".

Mr. Monk and Uncle Nigel

My wife Daphne and I started watching the TV series Monk on Netflix around Christmas on last year. Tonight we will watch the two part finale, finishing the eight seasons of the USA Network show, and we're very sad to be done.

We've wondered aloud on several occasions why we never watched Monk when it originally aired. We've also wondered what show would replace Monk for us when we we finally finished it. I like USA's similar series Psych as well as their new San Francisco show Fairly Legal. But neither could really fill the void for us.

So, I was curious as to what Monk's writer/creator Andy Breckman would do next and was happy to find that he's created a show called Uncle Nigel. It was picked up by TBS and is indeed an hour-long comedy about a detective! Monk director Randy  Zisk is also attached.

The show centers around Nigel Wells (Gary Cole), a Philadelphia homicide detective who hires his incompetent nephew Ronnie as a partner. Cole is always brilliant -- whether as the creepy guy (who was maybe Satan) in American Gothic, as Mike Brady in the Brady Bunch films, as Lumbergh from Office Space, as Ricky Bobby's dad, or any number of other memorable characters.

Many actors auditioned for Ronnie (EW has a wishlist here), but the job went to Matt L. Jones. I absolutely love this idea because Matt was so good as Badger on Breaking Bad.









Ethan S. Smith (below) may not have grabbed the role of Ronnie, but if this audition is any indication, the show could be pretty good.

TBS.com has no info for Uncle Nigel and I've yet to find a firm release date elsewhere. The news of the show's pilot came over a year ago, but these things take time. With a pedigree of the folks listed above as well as cast members such as Lea Thompson, we can stay optimistic I'm hoping to see Nigel and Ronnie Wells sometime soon.

Mourning the loss of Gary Coleman and Diff'rent Strokes

I've always felt a connection to Gary Coleman. I have been saddened over the past several years to see the troubles he went through. May he rest in peace.

Like many children of the eighties, I learned the word bigot from the show that made Gary Coleman (and his character Arnold Jackson) a household name, Diff'rent Strokes. The show also reinforced my parents' teaching that racism is unacceptable. It taught me to love "even the purple people" as Arnold put it.

Come to think of it, Diff'rent Strokes taught me many truly important lessons. I learned about:

• Eating disorders - Arnold suspected, and turned out to be correct, that his sister Kimberly had an eating disorder. I had never heard of bulimia before this episode.
  
• Taking care of the environment - washing with acid rain turned Kimberly's hair green
• The ills of drugs - First lady Nancy Reagan even appeared on an episode to thank Arnold for his work against drugs
  
• CPR and the importance of telling the truth - Arnold's brother Willis lied about knowing CPR to get a job. When Arnold electrocuted himself, his life was jeopardized because of Willis' seemingly harmless lie.
  
• Bullies - they never showed The Gooch and I'm still a little scared of him
• Child molestation - Gordon Jump played many memorable characters--from WKRP's Art Carlson, to Maggie's dad Ed Malone on Growing Pains, to the Maytag Man in his later life--but none were as memorable to me as his portrayal of Mr. Horton, the child molesting bicycle salesman from the two episode special

I could go on and tell you about Dudley and Robbie. I could talk about the guest appearances by Ed "Too Tall" Jones or Muhammad Ali. I could tell you about my crushes on the mean Lisa and Janet Jackson's character Charlene (and maybe Mrs. Garrett too). I could tell you the exact moment the show jumped the shark (it literally involved a red-headed stepchild).

I could talk about Diff'rent Strokes all day, but I'll just say this: I learned all of these lessons and gained all these memories from a truly funny 30 minute sitcom. Which leaves me with the question, what are prime time shows teaching children today?

Steven Curtis Chapman's "Beauty Will Rise"

Growing up, I was a big fan of Steven Curtis Chapman. His songwriting, singing, and guitar playing were all influential on me. I was so sad to hear about the tragedy he faced last year.

I have been amazed at the strength of the Chapmans in the months that have followed the death ,and after listening to "Beauty Will Rise" all I can say is wow.

Steven Curtis put his whole heart into this new album. The entire project is about losing his little girl and learning to live without her. And yet is filled with the hope that only Christ can provide and the faith that one day he will see her again.

Go here and listen to "Beauty Will Rise" in its entirety.

Cover Song for the Week of Halloween: Ben Gibbard - "Thriller"

MP3 via Stereogum

Legal MP3 for the Week of Halloween: Concrete Blonde - "Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)"

MP3 via BeeMP3.com

Free Legal MP3 of the Week - Eric Coomer covers Michael Jackson

I'm not sure why, but at 2 am Sunday night I decided I wanted to record Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" from his legendary Thriller album.

I recorded it in one take using the internal microphone of a laptop. So, sorry for the distortion in the track. One day I'll record it properly.

Hope you enjoy. Oh and enjoy the ridiculous picture as well.

MP3 (Right click to save)

The making of pop art.

I've been making pop art for posts for several months now. It's a great creative outlet. I usually start with a picture of a band or artist and use Photoshop to try to craft something new.

My latest bit of fun is the picture of The Raveonettes in the post below this one.

It started with this picture:


That made me think of Bonnie and Clyde.


So, I decided to imitate that poster a bit. I used two of the store signs from the poster in the final pic.

I needed old cars and found them here.


Throw in a storefront from downtown Walnut Ridge, AR.

I reversed that pic to match the cars.

Merged the photo layers and used various combinations of Photoshop effects--mostly "Cutout", "Poster Edges" and "Halftone Pattern".

Added a box with the name of the band using a font called Showtime and a bit of drawing.

Then finish it off with some paper behind it for texture...I toyed around with this paper by cutting it, inverting it and...well a bunch of stuff.

It came out looking quite nice if I do say so myself.



You can see a gallery of other Photoshop creations I've done here or see them in blog posts by clicking the "Eric's Pop Art" tag below this post.

Free Legal MP3 of the Week: The Raveonettes - "Last Dance"

This is simply excellent. An excellent song from The Raveonettes' forthcoming album "In And Out of Control" called "Last Dance". Enjoy.

MP3 via Stereogum.

MacGruber the Movie

Over the years, Saturday Night Live has produced some great films such as The Blues Brothers and Wayne's World. But, more often than not, SNL has turned some funny recurring sketches into really bad movies such as It's Pat, Stuart Saves His Family, Superstar, and A Night at The Roxbury. Oh and Blues Brothers 2000 and Wayne's World 2. I'll let you decide on Coneheads, Waterboy, and Ladies Man.

So, considering all of the funny sketches SNL has brought to us over the past few years, it is interesting to say the least that the next film to spawn from SNL is none other than Will Forte's MacGruber.

MacGruber is the series of short sketches in which Will Forte plays a MacGyver wannabe who always blows up the building at the end of the sketch. So, how do you make that into a movie?

SNL's Bill Hader talks about it in NY Mag where he reminds us that the characters don't die at the end of each sketch, "They just blow up." When asked how a series of sketches that run in length from thirty seconds to three minutes can become a full length movie, he says, "It's a really funny character. I don't think that's a stretch."

The cast will include Val Kilmer, Ryan Phillipe, and Kristen Wiig. No word yet on whether or not Richard Dean Anderson will appear in the film. We found out on SNL (and on the Super Bowl Pepsi commercial) that MacGyver is MacGruber's dad. Then again, MacGyver died in a MacGruber sketch. Or maybe he just blew up and died later in life.

We'll have to wait to find out. MacGruber the movie is set to release April 16, 2010.

Free Legal MP3 of the Week: Wild Beasts - "All the Kings Men"

I want this to be on the soundtrack for Where the Wild Things Are and it's not just because the band is called Wild Beasts. It just seems to fit.

It's very British. I like that. And when he sings what the girl says, he does so in an almost ridiculous falsetto. I love that.

Enjoy Wild Beast's "All the Kings Men" via Stereogum.

Prediction: Saxophone solos will make a comeback

I actually predicted that sax solos would make a comeback earlier in the year. But that was just to my wife. So, now it's official. I'm not saying I'm for it and I'm not saying I'm against it.

Since making the prediction I heard a sax solo in a song by The Killers and tonight (I'm going to admit that) I am casually watching the Teen Choice Awards and noticed a sax solo during the opening song by The Jonas Brothers. So, that's a pretty big musical spectrum I suppose.

The 80s have been back for a while in music, and contrary to the opinions of some, that hasn't changed. Exhibit A. Exhibit B. So, if that's the case I have to think saxophone solos will make a comeback whenever I think of Bruce Springsteen, Huey Lewis and the News, or that Family Ties Alex P. Keaton song.

Paula Abdul is leaving American Idol

Bye bye, Paula. I'm surprisingly disappointed.

Free Legal MP3 of the Week: Olivia Broadfield - "Don't Cry"

For fans of Imogen Heap, Frou Frou, and Rosie Thomas.

Download MP3.

Via Spinner.

Free Legal MP3 of the Week - Kopecky Family Band,

Nashville's Kopecky Family Band is just plain excellent.

Download "Animal (Live from Exit/In)" here.

Other links: Twitter, Facebook, Last.FM.

Michael Jackson - 1958-2009

I can't find the words. I don't even know where to begin. We have lost a genius...a true genius. That word is thrown around so often, but Michael Jackson was an absolute genius. A legend.

Michael was an enormous influence on my music as he was on all musicians who make modern music.

I am devastated...I can't believe it...and yet, listening to his music, I can not help but smile. His music has that effect. And so, I will probably keep listening to his music for a long time.

Rest in Peace, Michael.

Free Legal MP3 of the Week - Jeremy Enigk, "Mind Idea"

I love Jeremy Enigk and I'm excited to point you a free MP3 from him. You may know Jeremy from Sunny Day Real Estate or The Fire Theft. I've always thought he had one of the coolest rock voices out there. There are touches of Robert Plant, Perry Farrell and...oh I don't know. He's just excellent.

MP3 Via Spinner.com

Free Legal MP3 of the Week - Meat Puppets, "Rotten Shame"

I love the Meat Puppets and I'm excited about their new music. Their first album in nine years, "Sewn Together", is out today and if "Rotten Shame" is any indication of how the rest of the album will sound, I think Meat Puppets fans have reason to rejoice.

MP3 via Stereogum

Here's their upcoming tour dates including their Nashville appearance on June 17:

05/12 - Los Angles, CA @ The Mint
05/27 - Louisville, KY @ Waterfront
05/28 - St. Louis, MO @ Blueberry Hill
05/29 - Madison, WI @ The Annex
05/30 - Chicago, IL @ Schuba's
05/31 - Chicago, IL @ Schuba's
06/02 - Cincinnati, OH @ Mad Hatter's
06/03 - Columbus, OH @ The Summit
06/04 - Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
06/05 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls
06/06 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
06/07 - Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk
06/09 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
06/10 - Boston, MA @ Paradise
06/11 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
06/12 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
06/13 - Washington, D.C. @ Rock n' Roll Hotel
06/14 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
06/16 - Atlanta, GA @The Earl
06/17 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
06/19 - Dallas, TX @ Pontiac Garage at HOB
06/20 - Austin, TX @ The Parish