RIP Junior Seau

From the Fretboard Journal:

"The world knew him as one of the greatest linebackers to ever play football. What some may not know is that Junior Seau was also a ukulele player and enthusiast."

Link

Stolen Uke Alert!

Vintage Martin Baritone stolen from Shelby Lynne. Link

Ukulele Takes Center Stage in GSA Conference Drama

GSA (former?) Employee Hank Terlaje strums an original tune in a video featured at the now infamous Las Vegas GSA conference. The conference has been dubbed Clown-and-Cheesegate by the press. So clearly we've dodged a bullet here. It could have been Ukulele-and-Cheesegate. Whew. Link:

Jesus Christ Ukulele Star

This Friday (Good Friday), Seattle performance artist K Brian Neel will perform a one man, one ukulele, house concert version of Jesus Christ Superstar. If you go, leave us a comment and let us know all about it. Link to location at Neel's site. Link

NoCal and Reno Ukulele Festivals

The Northern California Ukulele Festival is this Sunday, April 1, 2012 in Hayward. Link

For those of you a bit to the East, the Reno Uke Fest starts Thursday and runs through Sunday as well. Link

Hello To Jason Isaacs

Prompted by a challenge originating from the Kermode & Mayo show, Jason Isaacs says "ukulele". So, Ukulelia says Hello to Jason Isaacs.

h/t to Paul Adams

Arthur Godfrey Shot By Stanley Kubrick

If you go to the Museum of the City of New York site and search on "ukulele", you'll find 14 pix of Arthur Godfrey playing his uke, including some shots from a live radio broadcast. All shot by Stanley Kubrick. Note the pilot's wings on Godfrey's lapel. He was also an aviation nut. Link

Buster Keaton, the Boys, and a Petterson Banjo Uke

Ever see a Harold Petterson banjo uke? Ever see one being played by Buster Keaton's son? Now you have. Link

Photo credit: Kate Gabrielle

Just What We Needed?

You've been thinking, I'd like to get a ukulele, but why should I spend $35 on a Red Mahalo when I can spend closer to $1,000 on an iPad, iPhone, and the Futulele app?

I suppose if you already have the aforementioned gadgets in your life, this might have some novelty appeal. It actually might be great for people with developmental or physical disabilities. But I think you're going to be voted off the island if you show up to kanikapila with this. Link

Tiny Library Raises Money with Tiny Uke and Awesome Video

Big Sister Boing Boing blogged this story today. Enjoy

Donate to the library here.

Update: Julie Webster on uke. Nice, Julie!

George Clooney Plays the Ukulele

This just in, via The Daily Beast:

"For the relaunch of Newsweek’s iPad App, photographer Gavin Bond filmed George Clooney, Viola Davis, Charlize Theron and other actors from our Oscar Roundtable interacting directly with your iPad screen. In this video, Clooney hums a Hawaiian ditty while playing the ukulele." 

Well, not really, but if you're a George Clooney fan, I'm sure you'll be happy. If you're Hawaiian, you may be happy that Clooney didn't win the Best Actor Oscar. The app is free to Newsweek subscribers. Now I just need an iPad.

Info at The Daily Beast.

h/t Ukulele.fr Check out the junk uke sent to members of the press for The Descendants.

Win a Uke Autographed by Seth Rogen and Friends

Seth Rogen sez:

Donate $26 or more by April Fool's Day and you'll be entered to win an actual ukulele signed by me & other performers from the Hilarity For Charity event.  

Also... if you win, I'll tweet a video of me singing a love song to you. And if you want, you can make a video with the ukulele too and I'll tweet it out to the world. It will be our own little love fest, all for a good cause.  

Check out the video...to see everyone who signed the ukulele. Paul Rudd did, Ty Burell did... Sexy Aziz Ansari did...All you need to do is give $26 and you'll be entered to win. It's 26 bucks for a one-of-a-kind instrument/momento/awesome prize.  

Please help support the cause and something really cool while you're at it.  

Thank you, 

Seth & Your Friendly Neighborhood Hilarity For Charity Team

Link

(h/t, Elaine de Man)

Lil Rev in the Bay Area

Mike DaSilva reminded me that Lil Rev will be in the San Francisco Bay Area this week for a bevy of workshops and concerts.

• February 16, 2012 - Santa Cruz Ukulele Club, 4:00 pm workshop, evening meeting and show. Bocci's Cellar.  http://www.ukuleleclub.com
• February 18, 2012 - Gryphon Strings, 1:00 - 2:30 pm workshop, evening show. http://www.gryphonstrings.com/events/workshops.php
• February 19, 2012 - DaSilva Ukulele Co., 1:00 - 2:30 pm workshop, short demo at 3:00 pm.
•     Lil' Rev will be presenting his Jug Band Styles For Ukulele workshop.
•     Learn the I, VI, II, V progression, Stop Time, Repertoire, Vaudeville tricks, Triple Patterns, Fan Stroke and Jug Band History.
•     Open to all levels. $20.00
•     This is not listed on Lil' Rev's calendar.
• February 19, 2012 - KCTurner House Concert Series. http://kcturnermusic.com/calendar.html for more info.

Bob Brozman's New Ukulele Toolbox DVDs

I just ordered and received Bob Brozman's new 2 DVD series: The Ukulele Toolbox Volumes 1 and 2. I've only had a chance to watch 30 minutes of the first disk, but thus far it's terrific. I've taken two lessons from Bob, and I've always left feeling that my uke has turned into a Sawzall--an amazingly powerful and versatile tool. So the title for the series is spot on.

"THE UKULELE TOOLBOX series is in C tuning (G-C-E-A), and is suitable for Soprano, Concert and Tenor ukuleles. These DVDs are designed to build on easy-entry fundamentals, providing a huge toolbox of useful techniques, sounds, and concepts. For beginner and intermediate/advanced players alike, these lessons are packed with ideas which can be applied to many types of music, from vintage popular uke songs to blues, jazz, swing, Caribbean, and Hawaiian sounds. This series is a great starting place for beginners, but will also offer intermediate and advanced players powerful tools and shortcuts for improvising and arranging."

You can order the DVDs directly from Bob Brozman's site, here.

Saturday Night Live: Zooey Deschanel

Zooey Deschanel opened SNL this week with a uke number.