GAVINCREEL.COM

NANA’S BACK

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 17:55:30 -0500

oh little town...

this one makes me laugh.

peace

(on earth)

g

MUSIC RAIN DREAMS GALL

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 17:30:02 -0500

it’s quiet right now
a new york quiet
horns still blare and people call
but in my space, stillness.

my little man lies to my side
he is sleeping
his breath reeks
boy does love feels good to give

i want more patience
i want more creativity
i want that phone call
and i want to get what i asked for
i AM getting what i asked for

robbie is about to be a father
a brilliant father
a NEW adventure for a brilliant creative patient mind
his match is the most perfect woman for him
she is light and power and impulsivity
she is wonderful and beautiful

what will this little person of theirs be
who is it?

a musician? a poet? a soccer star? a prime minister?

one definite: an inspiration

it has been raining all day today
wally won’t poo in the rain

silly dog

peace

g

KERMIE BUM

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 23:18:55 -0500

every year, i get tacky traditional and tune into the thanksgiving day parade on nbc. go macy’s! and every year they get those big tarps/balloons out from some warehouse in queens, and i giggle with glee while watching the floats and ‘stars.’ i can’t wait for santa to arrive at the end (and i usually don’t because i can only take so much of it)

i went up to watch them blow up the balloons the night before with sandy and evan and isaac. it was great. total tradition, on the streets of the upper west side. THOUSANDS of people, all gathering to take pictures and see this silliness unfold. it is bliss. truly. such spirit. such joy.

this is a picture of kermit the frog’s ass! i couldn’t resist.

i’m still 10.

peace

g

ME AND ELTON

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:14:54 -0500

happy thanksgiving everyone!

i bought three pies today. three. i mean, really? who needs that much pie. but i did. and i do. amen.

this is a shot from the elton john benefit i was a part of a few weeks back. was a crazy night. lots of awesome singers (ben folds, rufus wainwright, jake shears, and more) i barked out some back up for the gang and elton. very cool experience. thanks to tom kitt for inviting me to be a part.

what’s everybody doing for the big day tomorrow? wally and i are heading to sandy and evan’s tonight to hang with ocsar and isaac and sleep over! i love sleep overs! that way, we can wake first thing and watch the parade and eat cinnamon rolls (gotta prime the tummy with some sweet starch!) we’ll have a lazy day and start cooking early afternoon.

my brit friends scarlett and nick are coming over so that they can experience the full splendor of america’s most embarrassing gorge-fest. i wouldn’t trade this holiday for the world. it’s my favorite. without the nauseating commercialism of christmas (sorry jesus...we really biffed your birthday) turkey time is just friends, food, family, and love.

have a great one

peace

g

DECK THE HALLS

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:22:09 -0500

as the holidays approach...

i thought i would share a few videos of my beautiful sweet nana singing for you all.

peace

g

THANKS AND MORE

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 15:29:45 -0500

i just took the pooper for the longest walk. it was awesome. the weather in new york today is crisp, blue and perfect. a great saturday to wake up to (and no, i haven’t showered yet)

we headed up ninth ave and crossed over at 60th street to central park. he had his great sweater on and was the hit of the city. he’s learning to heel better so i am happy about that.

we strolled through park up the west side (after playing in some leaves) and came out at 72nd street in front of the stunning dakota. we kept going north along central park west where all along the park side, they have set up the bleachers for the thanksgiving day parade. it is so exciting...feeling the city rev up for it’s historic celebration. it is also bizarre to think that i live here, where my family and i watched every year. love that.

we crossed over and ran up and down the steps of the natural history museum, then hit the bull moose dog run at 81st street. wally met a bunch of new pooches and showed off his sweater some more (and got it really dirty)

after running around there, we popped over to surprise my friends jenn and curtis, and they made the BEST lunch of grilled cheese, pb&j, and tomato soup. perfect for this cold day. wally played with their 3 pound teacup yorkie, killer marie. it was hilarious to watch because that tiny dog does NOT take any sh*t. she put him in his place. (he weighs almost 40 pounds at 5 months!)

it was a 35 block walk home for wally to eat his lunch (with a quick stop at the pet store for a treat...he can literally take me to every pet store in midtown, even if he has only been there once. it is freaky, what dogs know)

i wiped his paws, fed him, and he went right to his bed and is out like a light.

they say a tired dog is a good dog. he’s a VERY good dog right now.

have a great day.

peace

g

RECENT FINDINGS

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:03:26 -0500

this is my dog in his new sweater. isn’t he handsome? it’s getting colder here in new york, and he’s got no fur to keep him warm...so...couture. rock it wally.

some new recent findings for the gav:

STEAK: del friscos
CRAB CAKE: del friscos
LEMON LAYER CAKE: del friscos
LEAF SPOT: central park by columbus circle
NIGHT FUN: don’t quit your night job
REGULAR MIDTOWN NOISE: jackhammers
FEELING: hope...
TV COUNTDOWN: rosie’s variety show (please be good)
VIEW: sunshine on the side of a skyscraper
UPCOMING TRIP: reunion in PA
UPCOMING CONCERT: B.I.V. christmas concert
VISITORS: brits
TV CHANNEL: hgtv
ANNOYANCE: canker sores on my tongue
HOLIDAY: thanksgiving!!!
FOUL SMELL: wally farts
JOYFUL SMELL: wally farts
SHAKE: banana, peanut butter, soy milk, ice, protein
ANTICIPATION: jan 20, 2009
GENDER NEUTRAL PET: wallace clemens creel

as the holidays approach, i hope you are all surrounded by kick ass friends and family. and may you eat so much food you have to undo your top button, couch it, and take a nice long nap.

peace

g

ONE STEP

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:29:22 -0500

i went to the big rally at city hall yesterday. it was incredible. so many people all coming together in the name of equality and love. we heard some great speeches, got fired up, and then i had a quiznos sub with banana peppers. i mean...does it get any better than that?

i think this debate is a total no brainer. but saturday made me realize, standing there with all those amazing people, that this is THE civil rights movement of our time. it is huge. HUGE. i’m going to keep my eyes and ears open to find more rallies, more talks, more action opportunities. too important and too exciting not to.

had a great brunch this morning with my friends. paris commune down in the village. anyone been there? yum. i had never had their brunch before. twas niiiice.

looking forward to amazing race tonight. i got all caught up online and now...i’m ready to watch and see if terrance and sarah (i always wanna say phillip...) are going to be as annoying as they usually are. i want the mom and son team to win. how great would that be? i like them. nick and starr piss me off, but they are good at the race.

lord, i’m a nerd, but it is just SO GOOD!

peace

g

BYE BYE BALLS

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:01:27 -0500

so my little guy got his nads out yesterday.

i know, it isn’t a pretty picture, but i like to call a spayed a spayed! OH!!! that’s comedy, folks! (bad comedy...and it’s actually a neuter so....boo)

we woke early early (6am) and i put him in his crate in the back of a zipcar (i LOVE zipcar) needless to say, the only other times he has been in a car were on his way home from North Shore when i got him and halloween night when he barfed all over me. so...i wasn’t sure how he would fair this time.

it wasn’t so great. he was very uneasy and whine/barked most of the time. as a new dad, it pains me to hear my baby worried, but...it was for his own good. if i were in an accident and he wasn’t in that crate...ugh, i don’t even want to think about it.

anyway, we got there around 7:30 or so, and i checked him in. it was so funny in the waiting room because there were like 10 other people with cats and dogs, and you could tell...they were all there for the chop. it was like the pets knew too. anxiety everywhere. when wally was called, i took him in and weighed him (a big 37 pounds now and only 5 months old...yikes). he took his two shots like a total champ and the vet whisked him away. so fast...so certain.

i went to the mall for the day and spent money that i don’t have on things that i don’t need until it was time to head back. at 3:00 i sat back down in the waiting room and a few minutes later, out trotted my little man.

i was so moved. he looked like such a trooper. when i thought about what he had just been through, and still, there he was, alive and sniffing away, it made me realize that, although i am a relatively calm person and i think i can handle crisis quite well, i worried for his life in a way. it was the same when i went to canada a while back and my (generous) friend scott watched him for me. i thought...”i’m going away from him...what if something were to happen? i don’t know what i would do. please god, don’t let anything happen to him.”

i guess that is what parents feel. only 1000 times more. wow. i can’t wait to have kids.

it was another whiney ride home and once he got up to the apartment, he immediately went into his crate, gently laid down into his soft bed, and was out like a light. every once in a while i would get a little whimper, but i think the day just took it out of him.

LITERALLY!!! (OH!!! COMEDY AGAIN FOLKS...LOOK OUT!)

besides a couple pukes this morning, and a whine or two, he’s sleeping soundly, and i imagine he’ll be up and at ‘em in a few days.

i just love this little guy. so blessed to have him in my life.

peace

g

GAY OR STRAIGHT: BE AWAKE AND ALIVE

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:25:33 -0500

yo my lovely blog readers.

it is a cracklin time here in the united states. thought i would share something i saw this week on the old intraweb. i don’t watch this guy on tv...to be honest, the first time i saw keith olbermann was when mcain ditched letterman and good old dave took johnny boy to task. keith was the ‘in a pinch’ guest and was very cool.

well...anyway...please watch this. he is beyond impassioned and beautifully spoken. he lays it out and really gets to the core of what this huge debate on gay rights is all about. i found this totally wonderful and inspiring.

and....if you are out there reading and would have voted YES on proposition 8 were it in your state, and if you would have sited your “religious beliefs” as the reason why you justify condemning gays from having equal rights, your argument is hypocritical, hateful, and just plain wrong. i don’t hate you, i don’t want to hit you, i don’t even want to shake you a little. i just want you to realize that this is one issue where there is only one correct position...

acceptance. not tolerance. but full and total...

ACCEPTANCE.

and if it takes you your lifetime to realize this, sobeit...but realize it you will... and i will be here to witness your epiphany and rejoice with you when you realize how good it feels not to judge ANYONE, but to LOVE all people and let them live in their own joy, regardless of whether or not it is what you would have wanted for yourself. for as we have been taught to say, we are:

one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice FOR ALL.

it is an amazing time to be alive, people! if you haven’t gotten involved yet because you think, “i’m not gay, this doesn’t have anything to do with me” or “silly homos, stop talking about being gay all the time and just live” or “what’s gay?”, this is not a gay or straight issue. this is basic human rights and you must join me in making loud, BEAUTIFUL noises:

saturday: rally with wally and me.

www.jointheimpact.com

peace. BIG BEAUTIFUL

PEACE!

g

GO TO YOUR ROOM

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 00:10:25 -0500

still reeling from the amazing news from tuesday night. so so so happy. cannot wait to see how president obama deals with this big fat mess we are in. i wouldn’t want his job for all the cookies in Oreo town. bless him on his journey.

this is a pic of my wally for the fall. he is already bigger than he was in this pic. he is growing so fast, i can’t keep up. my favorite thing he does: when i need to put him in his crate, i say “GO TO YOUR ROOM!” and he walks over and hops in. it took a minimal amount of training because, he’s a genius. totally amazing. nuts at times, but amazing. i love him very very.

tonight...ZIPPER THEATRE! please come out. i promise it is going to be a party. the energy is in the air this week! we have some fun songs planned.

just want to give a shout out to my parents again. i am so proud to be their son. and i love them a lot.

peace

g

YES WE DID

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 01:11:04 -0500

what a night.

horns honking down ninth avenue, people running through the streets cheering and laughing, genuine JOY outside my window.

history. right now. REAL HISTORY being made.

lead us barack. lead us.

peace

g

THE CANADA FOLK ROCK!

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:34:05 -0400

20 days later...i finally get a new blog post up. whew!

hope all is well in your world and you are finding new inspiration every day. i am.

headed up to toronto to see robbie and michelle and it was an AMAZING trip. been feelin kinda stuck lately. ever feel that way? i do. and i have. but robbie has relit the fire and michelle is beautifully pregnant and energized and it is ON!

we did a kickin concert at the diesel theatre in downtown toronto to a wonderful crowd. eliza-jane scott opened up for us (first time i have ever had an ‘opener’...and she was awesome. check her music out) then we tried a new thing...a chill set with a few new covers and new songs. peppered in there were a few broadway tunes. it is a new vibe we are trying out, and i think it went pretty darn well.

we headed to etobicoke school of the arts to teach four classes. great students, amazing teachers. many thanks to meegan, trish, mr v and especially paul aikins. bravo. then the next day, greg and the amazing mary-lu welcomed us to sheridan college to do a pop music / musical theatre workshop with the 3rd years. they KILLED and we had a blast (right sheridan?!) some great voices and beautiful spirits. we ended the day with a q & a at randolph academy, downtown. thanks to george, lawrence, and lucas for helping set it up. they asked great questions, and we played a bunch of stuff for them.

if you are out there, reading, and at a performing arts high school or college, tell the head of your department about me. i think the only thing that i love doing almost as much as singing, is teaching. robbie and i are in the process of organizing our first tour! and we will be hitting as many programs in the states and canada as we can get to. we’ll be running master classes with students, doing talk backs, and then, that night, playing gigs at your local concert hall. for more info, please email contact@gavincreel.com

we’ll send a press packet, my management will be in touch, and we’ll bring the music to you! if you want recommendations....SHERIDAN, RANDOLPH, and ETOBICOKE kids....COMMENT ON HERE! tell them about me. spread the word.

as i am inspired by the grass roots tenacity of mr obama, robbie and i are going to follow the example of his passion and grass-roots-it up ourselves.

JOIN THE JAM!!

peace

g

LOTS O NEWS

Thu, 9 Oct 2008 08:36:38 -0400

fall is arriving swiftly in new york city. it is the best time for this city. of all the seasons, i love spring the most, but in new york...fall takes the cake.

i wanted to keep anyone reading up to date with some projects i have coming up. check the news page for all the deets.

NOV 6th. it’s OFFICIAL! shayna steele and gavin creel (steele & creel...oh yeah) are gonna rock it at the zipper theatre. y’all, we had a rehearsal to pick the set list and i’m telling you...she’s amazing. if you have never seen her perform...GET THERE. if you have...GET THERE. she’s debuting a ton of new stuff, and i am going to share a new tune or two as well. plus, we have some surprises that you may have heard before...but in new saucy ways. so...come on out. TIX HERE

NOV 2nd: i’m gonna join a bunch of kickin broadway peeps at joe’s pub for a ‘broadway loves joe’s pub concert’ i am pleased to say i will be re-teaming with the luscious laura benanti (we did a concert together at the pub a few years back) should be a great night TIX HERE

OCT 26 (i’m just realizing these are not in chronological order....ah well...you’ll figure it out) to anyone in TORONTO! call all canadians! i’ve been booked for a one night concert at the diesel theatre in downtown toronto. i’ll have special guest, JERSEY BOYS national tour star, and close friend, andrew rannells joining me, another canadian and it’ll be a night of broadway jams and original tunes. very chill, very vibing, VERY canadian. robbie is, of course, a maple leafer so...he’ll be out in full force (he’ll be at ALL these gigs, but...especially...this one!)

RADIO CITY, JASON MRAZ, THIS FRIDAY: this is little but exciting. i’ll be part of a small group of singing fools backing up jason mraz on three songs at his radio city music hall concert friday! the amazing michael mcelroy (who directs the broadway inspirational voices choir of which i am SO proud to be a part) is heading this up. thanks michael! can’t wait!

i think that’s it for now :)

peace

g

39 DAYS

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 09:04:21 -0400

last night, my best friend, celia keenan-bolger, hosted a meeting at her home to talk about what we can do in the next 40 days (now 39) to ensure that barack obama is elected the next president of the united states.

it was an incredible night. artists and friends who are new yorkers, michiganders, ohioans, coloradoans and many others... gathered together to learn from celia. she attended a ‘camp obama’ weekend conference aimed at spreading the word, and she is moving to pennsylvania for 5 weeks to work on the campaign! SO INSPIRATIONAL!!!

up to this point, i’ve always thought, ‘i’ll give my money and cast my vote...but i just don’t feel comfortable bothering people on the phone or in person’

celia taught us last night how vital it is that we DO talk about it. we need to celebrate it. we need to give people the chance to be heard. we need to open up communication and let voices and concerns out. and we need to not be afraid of the naysayers and the fear/smear that is out there.

watching barack last night during the debate, i got fired up about how active he was. it was like he finally got the chance to say, in front of the entire country, “no john, you have been spinning my message to try to confuse and frighten undecided voters. let me set the record straight.”

i am going to join him and get more active. he has inspired me. celia has inspired me. she gave us a packet with information about what we can do RIGHT NOW...and continue doing until the election.

FIRST AND FOREMOST: make sure that you are registered. if not...GET IT DONE before oct 6 !!
GO TO barackobama.com and read about his positions and beliefs. the website is amazing. look at the videos and read the testimonies.
CHANGE YOUR NAME ON FACEBOOK! read this new york times article:

CLICK HERE

this is a creative, fun, and harmless way to bring us together. as you probably know, he has been criticized (in a totally racist fashion) for his name. i personally think, he IS america, and his name proves that. he a god loving christian, with a beautiful family, and because of his diverse and rich background, he is truly able to understand so many more people with their various differences.

and finally...

TALK TO ONE ANOTHER. GET THE DISCUSSION GOING. i was speaking with my mom last night, and i said, ‘i know your generation probably thought of discussing politics as taboo, but i feel like that is all changing, mom. it needs to change. i mean look at the state of our country. it HAS it to change before we become victims of our own complacency.”

and my mom said, ‘i know, gavs.’

I LOVE HER!

peace

gavin hussein creel

CRAZY PUPPY

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:29:59 -0400

had a couple fun singing moments this past week. bravo to the prospect theatre company and pasek&paul.

a night with tom kitt at joe’s pub, coming up next on oct 6. joining peeps like alice ripley, billy porter, brooks ashmanskas, kelli o’hara, and loads more. should be fun. come! 
i haven’t been blogging much lately...i’m a dad now, so...i’m a little busy.

we did try taking our first walk yesterday... didn’t get far. wally was pretty freaked out about this new abyss called “outside.” but we’ll get there. he’s a little dream.

enjoy this video.

peace

g

MY BIG NEWS

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:09:11 -0400

meet WALLACE CLEMENS CREEL aka WALLY

after waiting and waiting and trying to pick the perfect time to do it... i finally said, “screw it, there is never a ‘perfect’ time,” and i took the plunge.

i’m now totally in love and a proud father to my own little piggy.

i adopted wally from north shore animal league in fort washington, ny. i cannot recommend this place enough. it’s really easy to get there by car (and i think you can take the train out pretty simply as well) my awesome friend catherine matuza and i went out together, and it only took us about 30 minutes on 495.

the facilities, while appropriately ‘doggish’ (i.e. an occasional whiff of wet pet, poo and wee) were kept immaculate and the people were so kind and helpful. AND, they have an unbelievable selection! (cats too) north shore has adults, young adults and puppies of all different breeds.

catherine and i slowly walked through the entire building to see what they had. it was hard not to fall in love with every little monkey, but i wanted to be a responsible father, and it would have been very IRresponsible of me to come home with 16 dogs (which i could have...)

on the first pass through, wally was sleeping with his butt to the front of the cage so we didn’t see him. above him there were two BEAUTIFUL pit pups that were playing loudly...and wally couldn’t have cared less. (note taken, i said to myself) we went into another room and looked at more puppies, and i while started to fall for one of them, i felt strongly that i needed to do another look through ALL of the dogs to make extra sure. there was also a gorgeous adult black lab named ‘cupid’ that i thought might be the one.

it was on our return trip that that face was staring right at me through the gate. i said a prayer that his temperament would be great, and when i picked him up to do some puppy tests, he just let me. calm as could be, he didn’t tremble, he didn’t whine, and he wasn’t nervous or anything.

catherine said, “if you leave here without this dog--” and i finished with “i’m not going to. he’s mine, i know it.”

wally is a dream. a POOPY dream right now, but a dream nonetheless.

everyone has an opinion about this sort of thing, but i have to say....rescuing is THE way to go. there are so many dogs out there that need good homes. breeders are expensive and pet stores are evil. they make it too easy for a person to make an impulse decision to get a pet because of that ‘cute little face’ looking up at them. what they don’t see is a completely dependent, 10-15 year committment.

in order for me not to get overwhelmed the day i brought a dog home, i got most of the accoutrement before and set it all up in my apt so that i could adjust on my own. i bought a crate ahead of time, all the bits and bobs you need, containers, toys, etc. i read books, surfed websites, researched shelters and ...i took care of my friends’ dog for a long weekend as a ‘test drive.’

all that said, i’m still overwhelmed!

but it’s joyful. so so joyful.

my little man is amazing.

peace

g

HOW CAN HOPE BE BAD?

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 01:15:17 -0400

hope can only be labeled as ‘bad’ if the other team thinks they might lose because of it. that is why they are spinning it into being a horrible thing; nothing more that ‘eleoquent speeches’ and ‘empty talk.’

well screw that, yo.

listen to the guy 36 seconds into this video: ‘i don’t want a nation just for me, i want a nation for everybody’

do you believe you are your brother’s keeper? do you believe you are here for ALL of us? or do you believe you are just here for you and a few?

i have come to realize that if want things to get better, i have to be willing to make sacrifices. i need to accept responsibility for the fact that this system is broken. AND...i must be willing to pay, with MY money, for things that i might not need right now but my neighbor does in order for all of us to live better lives.

i hope that this time around we don’t make this election just about getting to control our stupid cash and exercise/impose our select beliefs on all. i hope the people who think i’m just some crazy liberal are actually able to recognize that i’m a christian and believe in god 100%, even if i don’t tout it or use it for my political convenience. i hope we all have the ability to look deeper and beyond our own limited views. i hope with such a deep passion that i am given a voice this time around by a candidate who will actually see that i am here.

i HOPE.

i HOPE.

i HOPE.

obama 08.

peace

g

UNEXPECTED THINGS

Sun, 7 Sep 2008 10:03:00 -0400

i was walking with my friend jenn on 110th street the other day. we passed a building and in front of it...was this HUGE sunflower. it looked so beautiful, yet so out of place. but there it was, thriving. as we kept walking, there were a few more, and a big garden growing right in front of a big apartment block. new york...full of surprises.

i’m relaxing today, sunday. been watching my friends’ dog, oscar. he’s amazing. sleeps all the time. and poops... A LOT. i have never seen a dog poop so much. it’s truly amazing. almost every walk we take...there he is...terdin’ it out. go little man!

another unexpected thing is this whole sarah palin saga. are we really going to fall for the reality television, instant fame, barbie-esque fairytale of it all? or are we going to look deeper and see what is really going on here: some crafty maneuvering by a candidate who just wants to win a contest. what is this, junior high student council elections? it’s so manufactured and crazy to me. i keep waiting for someone to pop into the picture and go, “JUST KIDDING....she’s not really the vp pick...HA HA...just KIDDING!” but they don’t.... well, it isn’t fooling me, and i have to say that even if mother theresa came down from on high and replaced palin on the ticket, i still wouldn’t vote for mccain. just ain’t my way, baby.

gotta go walk the pooper now and look for sunflowers.

peace

g

RECENT FINDINGS

Thu, 4 Sep 2008 17:25:04 -0400

everybody registered? everybody ready? the next two months are gonna be awesome. we all gotta make sure we’re in the system so our voices can be heard when november rolls around. check it out and get in the books! 
i added a few news items today. if you’re in town and you can make it, call the appropriate number, visit the appropriate website, and come on down/up/wherever.

i’m diggin some new stuff lately. thought i’d share:

RECENT FINDINGS:

SAM SPARRO: fun poptastic music (thanks peanut)
MOMOFUKU SSAM BAR: try the scallops & steam buns
WEST SIDE BIKE PATH: it’s all about my bike
NATIONAL CONVENTIONS: they’re no olympics, but...
THERAPY: i thank the lord for it
OSCAR THE DOG: he’s my roomie this weekend
AIR CONDITIONING: now we have nyc summer?? oi
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ: the petersons rock
MY BIKE AGAIN: what can i say...i love it.
PREGNANCY: it’s everywhere.

peace

g