Hi beautiful people!
First of all, let me wish you a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2019.
2018 was a tumultuous year for the US, but I was lucky enough to have a very good (personal) 2018. There were a lot of big milestones.
The musical of Go-Go’s songs, HEAD OVER HEELS went to Broadway, where it played for SIX months! This whole musical thing has been a total trip. You may or may not know that it has been in the works for SEVEN YEARS. So many gifted people joined the HOH family along the way. We were blessed with the best talent in the theatrical world. Still, when it finally opened on Broadway, at the gorgeous Hudson Theater, it felt like a dream to me. Sometimes I still can’t believe it all happened. I saw the show over and over and never loved it any less. Many of you graced us with your presence there (some of you multiple times!) and I thank you so much for your support!
Now that HOH has finished its (first) run on Broadway, the show is open for other theaters in other cities, states and countries to stage. I have fingers crossed that this happens. I can’t think of anything more fun than visiting places (London please!) to see new and different versions of the show.
The Go-Go’s were honored with the invitation to play THREE nights at the Hollywood Bowl as part of the annual Fourth Of July celebration. There were fireworks and the LA Philharmonic! It is a slightly intimidating gig. As you can imagine, we are VERY different musicians than a classically trained orchestra!
Still, it was a total blast, and gave me the opportunity to reconnect with so many friends in Southern California. I love the Hollywood Bowl. It’s the first place I ever saw a concert at (Elton John), and the place the Go-Go’s have come back to over and over, since Hollywood is the band’s hometown.
My band ELETTRODOMESTICO also had an exciting year. The best part was being the opening act for legendary LA band X on their 2018 tour. I’ve known X since the 1970s and have always adored them musically and personally. They are just as brilliant as ever so don’t miss them if they play in your town. ELETTRODOMESTICO was also chosen to write the theme song for a cool TV show called PINK COLLAR CRIME that played on CBS all summer.
Speaking of X, singer/songwriter for the band John Doe has put together another book about the LA punk scene. I was honored to write a chapter in his first book, UNDER THE BIG BLACK SUN. I was chosen again for the second book, coming out in spring of this year. It’s called MORE FUN IN THE NEW WORLD. I can’t wait to read it! If you are interested in the origins of California punk (and the Go-Go’s) you should check out these books!
I adopted a new dog in February 2018. I got him at the San Francisco SPCA. He is a young rat terrier and I named him Kevin. He is the smartest, most energetic dog I have ever had. Luckily he is also very loving and loyal, otherwise he’d drive me insane! I post a lot of Kevin pictures/stories on my Instagram page. And my sweet dog Malcolm just turned twelve. He’s deaf and he’s got no teeth, but he is still a little male supermodel. He is also on my Instagram a lot.
In other dog news, I continued my work volunteering for Golden State Greyhound Adoption. We bring in approx. 30 racing greyhounds from Florida every three months and help them get in forever homes. It’s the best feeling helping them! Luckily, greyhound racing is being stopped in Florida (the last US state to have it) in the next year, so there won’t be a need for our group anymore. I also volunteered at a place called Xenophon. They provide therapeutic riding for children with all kinds of disabilities. It was so fun working with the horses, and also, for my first time, helping kids! Impossible not to fall in love with both!
The best thing that happened to me in 2018 is that I finally met my “forever manâ€! I’d been basically single for 4 years and had given up on meeting anyone. This was okay, because I’d finally figured out that I was happy alone and had found a new appreciation of the love I get from family and friends. I had tried the online dating thing several times with terrible results. I decided to give it one more go and TA DA…I met a great guy! His name is Terence and we are very very happy together. We both share a love of traveling, adventures, creativity and DOGS! It’s been pretty amazing so far and 2019 is going to be REALLY exciting because we are going down to Mexico to see if we want to move there! I love me a new place to live!
If you follow me on social media, you know that I’m constantly cleaning out my closet (Konichiwa, Marie Kondo-san!) and selling my things via MY ONLINE STORE to raise money for animal charities. 2018 was no exception. Lots of money was raised and lots of groups benefitted from your generosity. I thank you.
One group I particularly support is WHITE COAT WASTE PROJECT . They fight to stop specific animal experimentation that is redundant and/or wasteful. That means they save animals AND taxpayer dollars. There are lots of other charities that benefit from your purchase, so please look in my store and buy yourself some JW stuff in 2019! There are a lot of new things coming, as I have once again done a brutal culling of my possessions! Oh, and as a further incentive, I am offering a 5 minute phone call with me if you spend more than $200.
Thank you for reading and lots of love to you all,
Jane
Oakland, CA February 2019