It is a hard life for someone with great expectations. I think of my friends in the art world and what they do to survive. My friend
James Williamson comes to mind. He’s just amazing.......Dominique Wilkins amazing. Yet he can’t get that steady faucet of money. Miklos too, one minute he’s cutting movies for Costner and the next it’s Joe job city. Anthony Avildsen should be getting paid tens of thousands of dollars a day as far as I’m concerned (well maybe a week).

I remember when I played for Jewel. I played lead guitar on a version of “You were Meant For Me”. We laid it down in the studio. Sean Penn directed the video. We played it on the Conan O’Brien show. The date was November 27th, 1995. There was a close up of my fingers as I soloed my warpy Dan patterns. I nailed it! Conan shook my hand.

The next day I was back at Roosevelt Island Day Nursery, singing Yellow Submarine with five year olds. For years that felt like defeat. Now I’m not so sure.
- posted by danvt @ 1:36 PM