Yes, I love Dan Smith

ADHD Symptom:  Hyper-focus to the point of obsession.  Not celebrity-stalker obsession but a more healthy obsession.  Like Dan Smith.

One of my readers gave it to me good this week. No, not that way. But someone who can read between the lines regarding this post: Here is his comment:

I had written my original post nine months ago, the approximate gestation period for me to carry Dan's baby that I hope would someday look like this:

Now, I don't  plan on carrying Dan's baby but maybe in a soap opera Young-&-the-Restless sort of way.  

I was walking down West 72nd Street and in the window of a decorative bodega, I saw a new flyer of Dan Smith.  It looks like this:

Initially, I was afraid.  Was Dan changing his look?  What happened to the Dan of 2008?

Why the new hairdo?

Where's the bar stool...what's up with the new erect and ready look?

What's up with the burst of new energy?  

The new dungarees?

Could Dan be dating someone new?

Aside from his simplistic marketing genius, here's the real truth of why I am curiously in awe of Dan Smith:

Back in 2007, I was shooting a show called Rough Copy starring me, Bernie Rockaway and my side kick, Brick.  We were looking for a local celebrity to interview and debated between Upper West Side Celeb Kevin Bacon or the great guitar aficionado himself, Dan Smith.  We decided to go with celebrity who's got more face time.  We chose Dan Smith.  

As seen here:

And here:

Pretty much everywhere.  The phone call went something like this:

(PHONE RINGS)

Dan: Hello?

Kali:  (HANGS UP & TURNS TO BRICK) I can't.  

Brick: Just call him.  It'll make for a great crank call.

Kali:  I'm not crank calling him.  I really want to interview him.

Brick: Fiiiine.  Just call him back. I hope he doesn't 'star 69' us.  

Kali: That's so '90's. Why would you even say that?

(KALI'S PHONE RINGS)

Kali: Hello? 

Dan:  Did you just hang up on me? I just 'star 69''d you.

Kali:  Yeah, I stepped on the phone. Sorry.  Hi Dan, my name is Bernie.

Dan:  Yes?

Kali: I work for a local news show and I was wondering if you would be available for interview?

Dan: What is this pertaining to?

Kali:  You.  And your guitar. That is.

Dan:  No, thanks.

Kali:  Why?  I think it would be great exposure.

Dan:  Last time I gave an interview it turned out to be something completely unexpected.

Kali: That's a shame.  OK. Bye.

My witty Oscar Wilde self had whittled away, for under the vocal commands of Dan Smith, I froze. Uptown.  Downtown.  East side. West side. Should I be graced by the presence of a Dan Smith Will Teach You Guitar flyer, I revel in the girlish butterflies his rock star image evokes.  As I walk the streets of my once gritty city and wonder in astonishment if Dan Smith, in looks and talent, is really the incarnate of the great Rick Springfield?? 

For now, I'm all Danned out. You decide.

Comments

[Charity]

Okay...honestly...his flyer thingie looks like it came out of the eighties...a BAD photography job in the eighties...a BAD photography job, BAD jeans day in the eighties...

And no, I don't know who the hell he is...LOL!

[paisley]

well if it wasn't for you i wouldn't even know who the hell dan smith was.... of he even is... i mean anything but a guitar teacher......

[Jim]

Kali, P U L E E Z!!!!! You made up that entire blog comment from "Nick Bvanhanan" yourself. First, I found it rather odd someone would be responding to a blog in January that you wrote in April of last year. Second, it was interesting that it was written in your writing style, third, your comments do not come with people's last names and forth, both a Google and a USA People Search (an addictive site for stalking old girl friends that you turned me on to) has no mention of a so called "Nick Bvanhanan" anywhere in the United States!!

SHAME! SHAME!! SHAME!!!

Jim

PS Last time you cooked me dinner I saw you hurriedly throwing out take out boxes from Zen Palate.

[Rob]

Kali - why didn't post my reaction? What's soooo great about Nick's comment. I think my comment presents the other side of your psyche. But apparently words like integrity, loyalty, and well rounded reporting have no meaning for you and your beloved Nick. Besides my comment is way better written then his!

By the way, you're way off about the timing of when Dan changed his flyer. The one that's out now is hardly new. It's been out on the street for at least a year. Not to mention the fact that there have been at least TWO others that I know about since the one in your original post. If you were a real fan of Dan, then you'd know that....Maybe you should ask Nick since he seems know so much!

[Kali]

Woah, woah, woah...Im being attacked on both sides here. Rob, that means I now need to write yet ANOTHER follow-up to Dan Smith...you're killin me here.

As for you Jim, what they hell are you talking about. I am a HUGE and I mean HUGE advocate of recycling. That is false information that you are spewing out. As for Nick Bvahanan, he is not a fictitious character! He has been a Devoted Dan Reader. Perhaps US Search doesn't like the fact that he uses an alias. Get off my back...or bette yet get off my blog!

[Rebecca]

I think we all need to take a deep breathe and remember what brought us together in the first place: Dan. After all, would he want us to be acting this way? Let's not ruin the moment with our petty squabbling.

Rob - listen, I said some things, you said some things. Let's put it behind us. From what I understand, you're living at home with your mom, and that can't be easy on a guy struggling with his sexual identity. If I my offer an olive branch of sorts...I agree that your second comment to Kali's original Dan post would definitely be a worth while addition to Kali's next follow up. I thought the "wanna be Frazier" line was very funny.

And in solidarity (to use your word Rob) with that timeless eighties/nineties reference I suggest we call Nick Bvahanan "Kelsey" from now on. Not in a mocking way, but more of a term of affection.

Kali, I hope I'm not stepping on your toes here because it goes without saying that what you include in your next Dan post is entirely up to you. May I say that we love your blog and are thrilled that you're prospecting the Dan Smith goldmine. By the way, I loved the phone conversation. Did that really happen?

Now paisley, anyone who says they haven't heard of Dan Smith is either lying or they're just not trying hard enough.
I've come across at least 5 other blogs about him (Kali's is best written), also a New York Times Article, someone wrote a song about him, tons of stuff on flickr including Mike Meyers doing a parody of Dan Smith Will Teach You Guitar for that atrocious movie - The Love Guru, and an online game based on his flyer distribution. One girl on flickr put it best when she said Dan has his own subculture.

One last question Kali. Why did you include two of the same picture for examples of where Dan puts up his flyer? Is there a joke I'm missing?

[Tom]

This is the CRAAAAAZIEST blog I've ever read. And definitley the best blog about Dan Smith. Just the comments alone are like a soap opera.

Not that the pot needs any stirring but check this out.

http://voice123.com/danielhsmith

Is it possible that Daniel H. Smith is the same as Dan Smith Will Teach You Guitar? Is he a mild mannered voiceover guy by day and a guitar playing super hero by night? Kali you talked to him, does it sound like his voice?

[Nick Bvahanan]

I do exist, and you can call me anything you want. One thing is pretty obvious. I hit a nerve.