Good Times- The Easybeats The Definitive Anthology
Jacquline Susann- Pernice Brothers Goodbye, Killer
Bish Bash Bosh- Jook Different Class
Back In The Working Class- Panic Squad Panic Squad 12" EP
In The Night- Back Seat Romeos Zero Ambition 7"
If You Tried- The Fastbacks ...And His Orchestra
Teenage Days- Hilly Michaels Calling All Girls
^What Do All The People Know- The Monroes The Monroes
Radio Love- The Breakers Radio Love Single
Evil Change Of Seasons- The Infidels The Infidels x4
All or Nothing- Rooney Eureka
Best Friend- The Gangsters Shake Some Action Vol. 3
Cry A Little- The Chicaynes Further Thoughts Single
*On The Beach- Raspberries Side 3
*On The Beach- The Producers On The Beach 45
*On The Beach- The Revillos Rev Up
*On The Beach- SVT Extended Play
Crackin' Up- Hoodoo Gurus Purity Of Essence
I've Got A Girl (I Can Count On)- Jim Freeman & the Golden Gate Jumpers Romantic
(I Never Loved) Eva Braun- The Boomtown Rats A Tonic For The Troops
Rendezvous- Greg Kihn Most Fun You Can Have with Your Clothes On: Beserkley Story
She Goes To Finos- The Showbiz Kids She Goes To Finos Single
Take It or Leave It- The Runaways The Best of the Runaways
>Romeo & Juliet- Michael & The Messengers Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era
Second Floor- DM3 Dig it the Most
December- Teenage Fanclub Bandwagonesque
Keep On Thinkin'- Sloan Navy Blues
We're Too Young- The Boys Titan: It's All Pop!
Don't Moonlight On Me- The Flys See For Miles (1978-1980)
Lie To Me- Dirty Looks Dirty Looks
My Junk- Spring Awakening Spring Awakening: A New Musical
Wont Make It Hard- Fools Face Tell America
We're Going To Be Friends- The White Stripes White Blood Cells
^Power Pop Peak: #59 Billboard Hot 100 5/29/82
*SacroSet: Four Songs "On The Beach"
>Power Pop Prototype: 1967
Earlier this month my son Jack graduated from the 8th Grade at Woodland Star Charter School. Though we had little doubt he would, this was still a momentous occassion in the Love household. The class shared songs and verses they'd learned in each year at the school and sang a beautiful version of The White Stripes "We're Going To Be Friends," which is the sign-off song on tonight's show. Jack's teacher Mr. Harrington asked me to give the Parent Address at graduation- here's what I said:
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I'd like to thank Mr. Harrington and Ms. Reilly for inviting me to speak this evening- it's an honor to be here. Tonight we celebrate the graduation of Woodland Star Charter School’s Class of 2010, which, after two years of kindergarten and eight years through the grades, I consider to be the school’s first fully matriculated class, though Johnny Graham may disagree with me on that one. These young men and women of the Class of 2010 rock, it’s true, but more on them in a moment.
First, I want to acknowledge another important group tonight. For these older men and women, this moment is the culmination of up to ten years’ work. Ten years of building, sanding, painting – landscaping, planting, harvesting – knitting, stitching, crocheting - helping, supporting, encouraging and of course the all-important fundraising. These are just a few of the tasks these people have performed on behalf of the school and the class of 2010. Please stand as I quickly read your names and audience, please hold your applause until I’m finished:
(I read a list of names here)
Ladies & Gentlemen, I present to you the PARENTS of the Woodland Star Class of 2010.
A Graduation ceremony is a time to think big picture. To think about the world we are leaving for those who come after us- our legacy, their future. The challenge is that the “future” isn’t what it used to be. Fifty years ago our future was consumer space travel, housecleaning robots, the end of disease, and flying cars. Now, thanks to our media’s fear-based marketing in the 24-hour news cycle, discussion of our future is likely to include terrorism, deadly viruses, global warming, and if it’s a slow news day, maybe even killer bees. Author Chuck Palanhiuk sums up this shift in perceptions of our future in his book Invisible Monsters, asking the question: “When did the future switch from being a promise to being a threat?”
Seriously. “When did the future switch from being a promise to being a threat?” I ask you, as a society, where did our optimism go? And I’m not just whining because I’m still waiting for my rocket car and robot butler.
War, ignorance, poverty, climate change- these global problems are bigger than all of us. And yet, I’m optimistic about our world in large part because of all of you. As a community we’ve come together to find small solutions for these big problems. Small solutions for big problems. In our classrooms, students learn about history, about compassion, about respect for one another and for our planet. For ten years I’ve watched the students in the class of 2010 grow into the fine young men and women seated before you tonight. I consider myself lucky to have been with them:
in Kindergarten during Miss Monnica’s Easter Egg Hunts at what Jack then called the Teepee School;
in the 4th Grade under the bark houses at Indian Grinding Rock State Park, where we went on to see the Locke Lady’s infamous Toilet Bowl Garden;
In contrast with his downer quote about the future I read earlier, Chuck Palahniuk writes in his novel Choke: "We can spend our lives letting the world tell us who we are. Sane or insane. Saints or sinners. Heroes or victims. Letting history tell us how good or bad we are. Letting our past decide our future. Or we can decide for ourselves. And maybe it's our job to invent something better."
Shortly after one of Jack’s class field trips, the same year my daughter Veronica started as a Morning Glory kindergartener, I was inspired to write a song about our school community. Don’t worry; my guitar is still safely in its case at home. But I do want to tell you that the chorus of the song included these words: “If we stop history from repeating itself, we’ll save the world one family at a time.”
One family at a time. Small solutions for big problems. Everyone says “the world’s a mess, but its problems are so big what can you do about it?” This community has done something about it. Ladies & Gentlemen from the bottom of my heart I thank you for The Woodland Star Class of 2010.
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