10.17.11 Adam News -- The Advocate Article

My take on Adam's comment about the facade he has created:

I believe, based on some statements he has made in interviews, that Adam is consciously and intentionally positive. It may be his nature, but, he maximizes it, and we almost never read or hear him saying anything negative, or even framing an experience in a negative way. Even when he talks about how hard it was to break into the music business, or how stymied he was trying to make it in musical theater, he puts a positive spin on it. He touches on it with a light tone, and moves on. He says it was tough, but he doesn't go on and talk about his feelings about it being tough. He doesn't expound about the cockroaches in his apartment, or the times he didn't have money for food, or the number of auditions he went to, only to be turned down, the number of doors he had slammed in his face. He says, "I was kinda bored" but doesn't say "pissed, frustrated, depressed, fed up." What happens behind the scenes as far as difficulties or conflicts remains behind the scenes. He doesn't air it in public.


I think, perhaps, that is the facade that he is alluding to. He has perfected it well thru a life of practice, and it serves him very well. Think how many people meet him and comment on how nice he is, and what a joy he is. He may view it as a facade, knowing what he is feeling and not expressing at times. But, after a lifetime of living that positive philosophy, it has probably become instinctive. I don't think we are going to see a 180 shift in his basic personality. People are who they consciously choose to be over time. But, they may feel that, since they feel negative emotions they don't express, they are creating a facade, rather than choosing to approach the world a certain way.

When he talks about being more "real" in this next album, I think he is talking about letting the dark side, the negative side, the negative emotions show thru.

As to Steven Gray's lamentation that Adam is selling out by taking the crowd pleasing route of looking "normal", I don't think he has anything to worry about. Adam has always loved "edgy" and hippie and counter-culture. He surrounds himself with like-minded, artistic people. He is too committed to being his true self to erase all that to appear like the nice guy next door.

But, the flip side to that is Adam is ALSO the nice guy next door. The guy in shorts and flip-flops with the 100 watt smile who will do anything for a friend, or even a stranger. the guy who grew up saying, Yes, ma'am, No, sir, please, and thank you. The guy who expresses appreciation for what he has and for the work and actions of others around him. It is one of the reasons we all find him so compelling. He is both the light and the dark, the normal and the avant garde, the deeply sexy yet silly dork. Steve, if you don't get that, you don't get the essence of Adam.

Damn that's ALOT of buttons.

I heard that too.

I love that there isn't one single comment on Steve Gray's blog about Adam.