From the San Jose MercuryNews.com:

Peter Gabriel urges more Myanmar action

Associated Press

WASHINGTON – Musician Peter Gabriel and Sen. Mitch McConnell joined forces Tuesday in demanding stronger action by the United Nations against atrocities they say are being committed in Myanmar.

McConnell, a leading Republican, said that misrule by the junta that governs Myanmar, also called Burma, "threatens the entire region, and the world community needs to get a lot more concerned than it has been."

Gabriel praised U.S. sanctions against Myanmar’s military regime and emergency relief efforts to help thousands of Burmese displaced inside their country.

These efforts, he said, "make the U.S. one of the few countries in the world willing to step up to this challenge."

McConnell said that a rare U.N. Security Council briefing last year on the political and social deterioration in Myanmar is "not nearly enough, but at least it’s a start."

Gabriel and McConnell want the United Nations to pass a binding resolution demanding change in Myanmar, where the generals have kept pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in detention for 10 of the last 16 years. She is among some 1,100 political prisoners.

Thanks to MaryVParks for the link to the picture!

Great article from the Poughkeepsie Journal.com! Also from there the below announcement

What: Kingston resident and Peter Gabriel bass player Tony Levin will host a "playback" party for the new Tony Levin Band CD "Resonator," which is released today.

When: Wednesday, 5-7 p.m.

Where: Bearsville Theater, Route 212, Woodstock.

Admission: Free.

Also: The CD will be played through the theater’s stereo system and will be for sale; Levin and band members will be on hand to chat with fans and sign CDs.

Information: Visit www.tonylevin.com

Also per Tony himself on his own site:

Yay, today is the release day of the Resonator CD. After a few years of work on it, that’s a big pleasure for me.

I know it’s short notice (and short notice seems to be how everything is moving for me lately) but today at 2pm I’ll be on Vox Pop at WAMC radio in Albany, and it’ll be streamed on the web for anyone who wants to catch it.

If you’re in the Albany area, maybe you can visit with me later today, 7pm at Borders on Wolfe Rd. – I’ll be signing the new release there for about an hour (and will bring my books – you could get a little discount on Crimson Chronicles!)

Let me give a little more notice on tomorrow’s radio appearance, at 9am on Woodstock’s WDST – that is also streamed live.
And at 5pm tomorrow (Wednesday) the band and I will be at Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, to listen back to the new cd, hopefully joined by anyone in the area who cares to come by and listen (and yes, maybe buy the CD and have us sign it!)

I’m going to bring my laptop to Albany, and while waiting for the radio show and signing, I’ll finish up my web page about Resonator, so you can see some of what it’s like.

Thanks to mr mozo, we have an interesting photograph of Peter and an Italian photographer, Oliviero Toscani, posted March 30.

http://www.rosanelpugno.it/rosanelpugno/node/3704?

It is from the website for an Italian Socialist party.

Interesting picture.

Hey, Mac Cat here!

The awesomeness that is Lia Eastwood hath submitted this report to the Hill to be posted on this here blog.

Begin transmission

________________________________________________________

Aachen, 28. März 2006

"I don’t believe in borders…”

Peter gabriel receives “Innovation Price of Art” in Aachen, Germany

Familiar, relaxed and humble. With a decent cup of tea Peter Gabriel chats about art and culture.
After his experimental time with Genesis and his turbulent and diversified time during his later solo career it seems that Peter Gabriel – now in his mid 50’s – has gained his inner piece. Charming and charismatic he presents himself and fascinates the audience of about 500 people at the Ludwig Forum in Aachen.
“I am very touched” he comments the standing ovations.

But it is not his musical career which comes to the fore though his music is always part of Peter Gabriels projects he’s realizing. Either if it is Amnesty International or Witness – it is always about crossing borders.
“I don’t believe in borders. I am an optimist and I hope that history will prove me right.” But it is not only about rural borders. It is about borders in our heads – on political, economic or social levels.

Where do those inspirations come from? His biggest influences, sais Peter Gabriel, were drums – “I never was a good drummer, but I was very enthusiastic”, voice – “you do it with your voice, you feel it with the songs. Sound connects emotionally and physically” and radio – “it is a magical world, at daytime nothing happens, but at night, when it gets darker and darker, it is coming alive with its noises.”
Up til now influences from other people are very important to Peter Gabriel, they are always connected to crossing borders and experiencing new ways.

“It’s like dating. You set up everything right, atmosphere, relaxation. Sniff each other and explore.”

Peter Gabriels explorations are always very pictorial and imaginative. For those who have experienced the WOMAD rock festivals or his live shows – or have discovered his virtual world in “EVE” and “XPLORA” recognizes that it is more than “just” about music. It is also about pictorial worlds.
"As a child I was dyslexic, so images were helpful.“

The technological boom via multimedia and internet was also very helpful to Peter Gabriel to develop and create new ideas. Though “I am not technical but I love it!”

“Follow your bliss” is a motto of Peter Gabriel which seems to be a very successful concept looking back on his career.

Photos and text Lia A. Eastwood