Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Matt Palka wants to
replace ‘Hang on Sloopy’ as the Ohio State fight song.
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
VINDICATOR ENTERTAINMENT WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN — The Volkswagen bus conjures up some idealistic imagery.
It’s connection to hippiedom has made it a symbol of free-spiritedness, with equal measures of brotherhood and self-sufficiency.
But one phrase it is never confused with is “reliable transportation.” The vehicles are notorious for having frequent breakdowns.
That matters not to Matt Palka, who is about to embark on a cross-country journey in his 1970 VW bus. “I’ve got some crazy karma with it,” said the musician-writer-actor. “It only breaks down in safe areas.”
A singer-songwriter with an upbeat, SoCal vibe, Palka will pepper his trip with performances at colleges and other spots. He’s in Youngstown this week preparing for the journey, but before he leaves, he’ll play a free concert at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday at Kilcawley Center at Youngstown State University.
Palka talked with The Vindicator Monday at a coffee shop near the school.
When Palka decided to make the trip, he said there was no doubt it would be in a VW bus, for all its romantic notions of a bygone era.
He found one a few months ago in Utah, drove it back to Los Angeles, where he was living, and then to Youngstown. It tops out at 65 mph — on a straightaway. “Going up the mountain passes out West, it only got up to 32 miles per hour,” said Palka.
But that’s the point. “I want to slow down, and see what’s passing by,” said Palka, who is a native of Haskins, a small farm town between Bowling Green and Toledo.
Slowing down is a life philosophy to which Palka is committed.
In 1999, after a job prospect fell through, he headed to Lake Tahoe, Calif., to visit some friends — on a bicycle. Armed with $600, some cans of food and a knife that his mother handed off to him as he was leaving town, Palka made the 2,000-mile trip. “Everybody talks about taking time off to travel the country, but few people do it,” he said, noting “You find out what the essentials are.”
The Ohio University graduate chronicled the bike trip in a book he wrote titled “Moment In the Sun,” which he released in September. He also wrote and recorded an accompanying soundtrack.
One of the songs, “Frayed Blue Jeans,” was made into a video by Youngstown filmmaker Chris Rutushin, and features Roxanne Hauldren, who is a community theater actress in the Mahoning Valley. It was shot in rural areas outside Youngstown last month and can be seen on Palka’s MySpace page.
Palka had met Rutushin years before when both men were living in Los Angeles.
After the bike trip, Palka moved to New York City, where he produced an off-Broadway play that he co-wrote entitled “Discoverosis,” which he describes as “a cross between Blue Man Group and Abbott and Costello.” Palka also did some acting there.
Wherever he roams, Palka keeps returning to Youngstown. He’s gotten a warm reception here and has come to appreciate the city. “The arts community here is erupting,” he said. “I was overwhelmed by the creative expression here and the quality of life.”
Not surprisingly, Palka isn’t afraid to tilt at windmills.
He’s trying to drum up support to replace “Hang On Sloopy” as the Ohio State University football fight song with a tune he wrote titled “The Ohio State Song.”
“It doesn’t even mention Ohio,” said Palka about “Hang On Sloopy.”
He’s also involved in another campaign — for president (strictly as a write-in candidate).
While the affable Palka probably won’t get elected, he does carry a message of positiveness: “Mine your creative talents, and have a positive impact,” he said. “Anything is possible.”
XTo learn more about Palka, go Myspace.com/mattpalka or mattpalka.com.