Mo Pop's Line-Up is Here!

Mo Pop is NOT playing around this year! With big names like Bon Iver, The National, St. Vincent, and Vince Staples they are cementing their place as a top festival not just in the mid-west, but in the country.

I'm also loving the undercard here with Brockhampton and my new fave, Daniel Caesar! Mo Pop always brings it with the performances, and you can expect great food and drink options. Can we say frozen rose?!? 

For more on the Mo Pop Festival check out their website here!

Up Close with Tommy Davidson

I was thrilled to speak with comedic genius Tommy Davidson.  Yes, him; the cutie who rose to fame on the 1990s groundbreaking variety series, “In Living Color.”  Who could forget his infamous MC Hammer skit?  In case you did forget, let me refresh your memory.

I asked him was Hammer looking for him after he did that, Davidson said, “I’m sure he was!”

He also starred opposite Halle Berry and Joseph C. Phillips as Bobby in “Strictly Business.”  

Tommy (yes, I’m on a first name basis) took time out of his busy schedule to chat with me about his new series Vacation Creation.  It’s returning for season 2, on ABC, premiering on September 30.

Vacation Creation is not your typical travel show.  Couples, individuals and families who are facing a crisis, or a hardship in their life, are whisked off aboard a cruise ship on the vacation of a lifetime.

With so much travel on the high seas I asked Tommy does he get sea sick.  He was like, “No, and I’m glad I don’t - could you imagine!”

The show has taken Tommy to destinations across the globe including Mexico, Italy, Spain and countless other locations, so I asked him is there one place that has just left him in awe; without missing a beat he said, “Cartagena, Colombia.  I thought I was going to see drug lords and shit, I mean it’s Colombia.  But it was beautiful, perfect weather, beautiful sunsets, all types of races and cultures.”

The concept for Vacation Creation is one I can really get behind, but it’s truly a departure from what we’ve seen from Davidson in the past.  I asked him does the show push him out of his comfort zone and he said, “This is my comfort zone, this is the perfect show for me because I’ve always enjoyed helping people and making them happy.”

The situations that bring people to the show for some well-deserved rest and relaxation vary, from a son who wants to give his struggling parents a surprise trip for their 35th wedding anniversary, or the former police officer and father of three who lost his job due to failing eyesight, or the episode that has really stuck with Tommy where a husband and a father to four daughters loses his battle with multiple sclerosis, and the family sets sail after the heartbreaking loss.  Tommy said, “When the oldest daughter told her mom that she was a hero, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place.”

I shared with Tommy that I’m not a fan of reality TV, but this one is obviously different.  He chimed right in—in true Tommy fashion saying, “This is the good side of reality TV.  It’s not like you gotta watch somebody learn to dance, or watch some dude make cakes, or somebody trying to sell something to sharks, or the I wanna see a bitch get slapped TV, this is great, life-changing TV.”

Indeed it is!  I am counting the days until the season premiere of Vacation Creation, September 30 on ABC.  Check your local listings for programming schedules in your time zone.  Here’s a sneak peek: 

Watch hosts Tommy Davidson and Andrea Feczko take this show beyond any typical travel show. By customizing vacations for couples, individuals and families wh...

Tommy stays super busy, so I asked him what else can we expect to see from him in the future, and I was happy to learn that he will be starring in the family friendly, comedy game show, “Funny You Should Ask” alongside the likes of Howie Mandel, Louie Anderson and Jackee Harry. 

He’s also in the fashion business, which we love.  His company, Tongue and Cheek makes super stylish, affordable accessories for men, like ties, flower lapels and pocket squares – check it out here:

https://www.shoptongueincheek.com/shop-all

Tommy was adopted as a baby, so I cautiously asked him about his start in life, not wanting to pry or be intrusive, but really hoping he would share his story to encourage others, and share he did.  His birth mom left him in an abandoned, dilapidated house in the deep south.  The woman who would find him, and who would eventually adopt him knew his birth mom.  She had met her while she was in Mississippi during the voter registration drives in the 1960s.  She began to ask around about Tommy’s mom because she hadn’t seen her in several days.  Someone told her that they didn’t know where she was, but they heard that she left something behind. She was told about an old house where she might want to go and check things out.  She rushed to the house, looked around and saw nothing, but just as she was about to leave, something prompted her to look behind an old tire, and there under a pile of trash she saw Tommy’s little foot sticking out.  She grabbed him up and she has been his mom ever since.  She took Tommy back to Colorado with her, and the rest as they say is history.  All I know is, if he can survive that beginning in life, there is always hope if you never give up.

I thanked Tommy for his time, his honesty and the laughs, and as we parted ways he yelled out, “Phashion Phish, you better go to my website!”  We will Tommy, we will. 

We encourage you to do the same. 

http://tommycat.net/

Marilyn Twine, Contributor