Greetings Slimmest of All People,

I was at the natural history museum looking up at the towering dinosaur exhibits for hours when I discovered a new species...

Myneckisaurus.

Hello Slim Folks,

How are we? Everybody OK? I'm just checking in on the ridiculously good-looking and way above-average Slim People. I hope everyone is fine and dandy.

THIS JUST IN! My new screenplay, I Got You Babe, made it to the semifinals of the Nashville Film Fest Screenwriting Competition. On to the FINALS!

Here's the synopsis:

A struggling straight musician reluctantly takes a gig as a Cher impersonator at his gay cousin’s drag club to pay his mom’s medical bills. Things get complicated when he falls in love with the woman who designs the costumes.

It's funny. Charming! If you want to download a copy, it's only 10 bucks. It's on the slimman.com website. Here's the link:

I Got You Babe

Thanks to everyone who attended the sold-out show at Humphrey's in San Diego. What a blast!

And hats off to the Slim People who came out in full force to Laguna Beach for the Festival of Arts on Tuesday. It was jam-packed.

California, we had fun!

And huge gratitude to all the Slim Folks at the sold-out Slim Man and Will Donato show at Soundbites Grill in Sedona, Arizona. You kids are the best!

We've got more shows coming up...

The Rat Pack Duo plays at the Larkspur Grill every Wednesday (except August 16th). Chase plays sax. I sing...Frank, Dino, Nat. And Tony Bennett, may he rest in peace.

What's going on Wednesday August 16th, you might be wondering?

Well, the Slim Man Band returns to the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach. SHOWTIME is 5:30. You don't want to miss this show, Slim Mommas and Poppas. Get tix now!

On September 16th, Saturday, we have a Big Gig at a new club called Encore. It's in Columbia, Maryland, right outside of Baltimore. Bawlmer!

Giorgio Hazelrigg on piano, Hit Man Howie Z on bongos, John E Coale on drums, Kevin Levi on sax, and Cowboy Pickles on keyboards. Cowboy Pickles!

All details on all Slim Shows are down below and on the Slim Man website. Come on out and see us some time!

AND NOW THE REAL NEW REAL NEWS FROM SLIM'S SHADY TRAILER PARK

The following is a true story. A tale of Peace, Love, and Space Travel....

A few months ago, Peace Man asked me if the Slim Man Chase Huna Rat Pack Duo was available for a gig in Wisconsin, a surprise 21st birthday party for his friend's daughter.

Of course. Anything for Peace Man!

For those of you who are new to these newsletters, I met Peace Man years ago after a Slim Show at the Big Bear Jazz Festival. I noticed his blue suede shoes and mentioned how cool they were.

He looked down at my clodhoppers and said we might wear the same size…

14! 

We chatted for a bit and then I drove back to Palm Springs.

A few months later, I saw Peace Man at a Slim Gig in San Juan Capistrano. He came up during a break and gave me a box.

Inside was a pair of blue suede shoes. Size 14! They fit perfectly. I loved ‘em! Wore ‘em out.

Since then, Peace Man and I have become true blue amigos.

So when he called me about the surprise party in Wisconsin, Chase and I happily accepted. We love the Dairy State. And Cheeseheads!

When it was time to head to Cheeseland, Chase and I met on the Sonny Bono Concourse at the Palm Springs airport.

We flew to Salt Lake City, then Minneapolis, and finally landed in Wausau. Peace Man picked us up at the tiny airport and we drove down country roads to the Peace House.

He turned onto a small tree-lined street called Old Sugarbush.

Which--if my memory serves me correctly--was the name of an octogenarian exotic dancer who used to perform at the 2 O'Clock Club in my hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. 

The Peace Man House is deep in the woods, surrounded by tall trees with a pond in front and a small river out back.

Before we went to bed, Peace Man informed us there had been sightings of black bears in the woods. Seriously.

I laid my Swiss Army knife next to the bed. So if I were attacked I could pull out the corkscrew and defend myself...

Or open a bottle of vino.

The next morning, I got up early and took a freezing cold shower. I do it every day. Not sure why. I don't like cold showers. At all.

But the frigid water is supposed to give you a rush of endorphins which enables you to leap tall buildings in a single bound.

Or run faster than a speeding bear.

Afterwards, I put on my jogging duds and took a brisk walk down Old Sugarbush. After a couple hundred yards I noticed a sign surrounded by dense trees and shrubbery.

“OPEN.”

There was a small wooden walkway. I walked in.

Standing before me were sculptures. Huge, rusted sculptures of dragons and dinosaurs and all kinds of animals. All shapes and sizes. Made from leftover machinery. Discarded hand tools. Old shovels. Rusted car engine parts. 

All welded into works of art, on display among the trees.

True story. 

A guy came up, dressed in denim overalls, coffee thermos in hand. He asked me my name.

I told him. Slim.

He looked me up and down and said, “Well, you’re not fat!”

And let out a chuckle. 

Did I mention this is a true story?

His name was Clyde. He was funny. We started talking as we strolled among the sculptures. Clyde was cracking jokes the whole way.

I asked him his story. He told me he was in his 80s. Been married 66 years.

About 40 years ago, he decided to give up his successful law practice to make sculptures. And he’s dedicated his life to it, scouring dumps and rivers for discarded junk to weld into works of art.

He calls it: Jurustic Park.

The first sculpture he made was a pterodactyl. He hung it from a tree near his house. A circular handle was dangling down. When you pulled it, the wings flapped. The wingspan was about 10 feet!

There was a dragon sculpture, about 25 feet tall. Clyde had taken the mixer from an old cement truck and used it as the body. On top were three helicopter blades. Underneath was a torpedo.

A crazed warrior was riding the neck, wielding an ax.

Pretty amazing.

I wandered around chatting with Clyde for a while and then walked back to the House of Peace.

That night, Chase and I played on the back deck for Peace Man and a bunch of his friends. The highlight of the party was when Peace Man broke out the cheese curds he bought fresh that afternoon.

Fresh and squeaky!

The next day, Peace Man, Chase and I drove to the surprise birthday party. At the end of a small, dusty road was an old red barn in the middle of a cornfield. 

Chase and I set up the sound system inside and stood quietly to the side of the front door. Dozens of her friends and family were hushed, waiting for the guest of honor.

When Birthday Girl walked in, everybody shouted HAPPY BIRTHDAY! She seemed truly surprised. And very touched. 

Chase and I started playing Frank and Dino and Nat.

There were a lot of twenty-somethings at the shindig.

I wasn’t sure if they were gonna be moving and grooving to songs like “That’s Life!” Or “That’s Amore!”

But everyone seemed to enjoy it. Nobody tossed a chicken wing at us, so I’m marking it down as a success!

The next day, Peace Man took Chase and me to a restaurant in downtown Marshfield called Kitchen Table. It was small. Held maybe 20 people.

 It was charming and the food was all homemade and scrumptious. And ridiculously inexpensive.

We ate and got to talking about SpaceX, the company that organizes trips into outer space. Chase said he’d never, ever do that in a million years.

And then Peace Man proclaimed he was gonna be launched into space.

What?!?

When he passes on, Peace Man wants to be cremated, have his ashes put in a capsule and shot into space.

True story!

Peace Man knew of a company which does just that. So that’s the Peace Man plan after his time is up here on Earth.

I told Peace Man that if he wanted, Chase and I would be honored to play a song as his smoky bones rocketed beyond the stratosphere. Maybe croon...

Fly Me to the Moon!

Keep smiling, Slim People. While you still have teeth!

It's all about love.

Who loves ya?

Uncle Slimmy

PS: What do you cook when it's hotter than Death Valley outside? How about a nice pasta salad! Here's the Slim Man Pasta Salad with Shrimp recipe that's pretty cool. And cool-looking, too! Here's the link:

Pasta Salad with Shrimp

Wednesdays in August! [Except August 16th]

The Slim Man Chase Huna Rat Pack Duo!

Larkspur Grill at the Hotel Paseo

45400 Larkspur

Palm Desert, CA 92204

760.340.6069

6-9 PM

Come see the Rat Pack Duo! Slim Man sings. Chase plays sax.

And we have a cool video screen behind us that shows hundreds of vintage photos of the Rat Pack, Vegas, Palm Springs, old album covers, travel posters and postcards from the 1960s. Come check it out!

It's fun. Ain't that a kick in the head!

See you there!

https://www.larkspurgrill.com

Wednesday, August 16th!

The Slim Man Band returns to Laguna Beach!

Festival of Arts

SHOWTIME 5:30 PM

On Wednesday, August 16th, come see the Slim Man Band perform at one of the coolest venues around. The Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach!

Craig Chesnut on drums, Chase Huna on sax, and Tateng Katindig--the Thrilla from Manila--on piano. You don't wanna miss this one, Slim Folks!

Festival of Arts

65o Laguna Canyon

Laguna Beach, CA

SHOWTIME 5:30

Get tix here

Saturday, September 16

ENCORE!

Columbia, Merryland

SHOWTIME 8 PM

Come see the only Baltimore area show this year! George Hazelrigg on piano, Kevin Levi on sax, Cowboy Pickles on keys, John E Coale on drums, and Hit Man Howie Z on bongos. Hit Man!

Encore

10221 Wincopin Circle

Columbia, MD 21044

443.545.1030

Get Tickets Here!

AND WE GOT THE CATALINA JAZZ FEST ON OCTOBER 13TH! A BONA FIDE SLIM MAN TRIBUTE TO BOBBY CALDWELL.

DETAILS TO COME. CHECK THE WEBSITE FOR ALL GIGS. AND MERCH! BUY A COOKBOOK!

PEACE, MAN!