Gary Calamar
&
Great Willow
From ANDRAS JONES: GARY CALAMAR is the hero of the GREAT WILLOW story, a story of finding oneself in Los Angeles. It’s funny because, like a few of the illustrious cats we’ve had on the show, Gary’s also a kind of villain. I mean he’s a “gatekeeper” which means he spends his days, whether it’s as KCRW DJ or as a music supervisor (not “music director” ugh), saying “no” to a lot of artists, and “yes” to an elite few. That’s the job. On top of this, the man has the gall to be a singer-songwriter?!?! Oh you can hear the nattering naybob’s a nattering, and I’d probably be joining their chorus were it not for this fact; Gary’s one of the heroes of the Great Willow story. And many, many others. So, if you love Great Willow or another artist Gary’s kept the gate for (and I do) you have to love Gary Calamar. And if you don’t, then maybe, like me, you’re just a miserable old curmudgeon and you should get over yourself. Fact is, the life of the gatekeeper is just as sleepless as those wishing to penetrate the gates. We’re all artists and we’re all desperate and we’re all doing our best. Welcome to Los Angeles, the most American city in America.
Find Yourself In Los Angeles
And here you find yourself in los angeles
How do you make your way here in los angeles
Looking up at dirty palm trees
And cactus in the yard
In a neighborhood that you have never heard of
And can you make your name out
On the little mailbox
You’ve staked quite a claim out
In los angeles
You’ve staked quite a claim out
In los angeles
Heady, deft explorer of the new world
Pizarro or Magellan in the new world
Sizing up the landscape from a taco stand downtown
You and margaritas and the inevitable sound
Of bees around the courtyard
trying to hunt the syrup down
we are all the same here in los angeles
you will do just fine here in los angeles
you will be just fine here in los angeles
