There’s a star in your midst, folks…

…and his name is gramp.

That’s right! Our own, beloved senior poster is nothing short of brilliant in the short we shot for the big “Concert for New York City” that’s happening on the 20th (and being simulcast on VH1). There are some other, familiar View Askew faces in the four minute piece who’d be hard to miss, as well (including Marvel Head Honcho, Joe Quesada); but right now, I just wanted to give the shout-out to gramp. He was the true discovery of the project.

I’m told the short’ll play in the second hour of the show, which features performances by folks like Bowie, the Who, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Elton John, Macy Gray, Janet Jackson, Melissa Etheridge, the Backstreet Boys, Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Carrey, etc.

How did I get involved? The Powers That Be invited me, Scorcese, Woody Allen, and Spike Lee to make short flicks about why we love NYC.

I’ll repeat that list…

Scorcese, Allen, Lee… Smith?

Great company, yes; but you know it just insures that my short will be the worst (although, some would say that was a given, regardless of the roster). But, hey – being the worst on THAT list is a pretty big honor, I say.

But while I’ll be at Madison Square Garden on Saturday for that shindig, tonight and tomorrow night, I’ll be emcee-ing a pair of concerts a little closer to home. The Alliance of Neighbors of Monmouth County – a local charity benefiting the families of the 160 Monmouth County residents killed in the WTC Bombing – is throwing two shows in Red Bank at the Count Basie Theater (tickets are already sold out), featuring a host of local acts and music legends, bookended by the Big Two from our neck of the woods: Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen.

I was at the sound check last night, sitting no more than fifteen feet from the Boss as he performed “My City on Fire” and “Thunder Road”, and within spitting distance of the Bon Jovi boys as they rehearsed their choir-backed rendition of “Keep the Faith.” This goes without saying, but both sounded phenomenal (and you haven’t heard Springsteen until you’ve heard him in a 1400 seat theater with only twenty people in it).

Also on deck for the show: Joan Jett, The Smithereens, and a host of others. If you live in Jersey and you want to check it out, Friday night’s show is being simulcast, live, on Comcast cable, starting at 8:30pm. I’ll be the fat guy in the sleeveless, hooded sweatshirt, introducing the talent.

I’m 115 pages into “Jersey Girl”, with maybe another thirty to forty to go (the first drafts are always the longest). Would’ve been done by now, but the short flick thing kinda came out of nowhere and took about a week, all in.

As for the script thus far: the few folks who’ve read it (Jen, Mosier, Affleck, Jon Gordon and Gina Gardini at Miramax) seem to think it’s the best thing I’ve ever written. But, then, what’re they going to say? “Wow – you really ARE a one-hit wonder, Kev.” Or “Perhaps you retired Jay and Silent Bob a little too soon?” Regardless, it was nice to hear the feedback.

My opinion of the scipt?

I love it.

But man, is it different than anything we’ve done before.

I’ll check back after the show Saturday night, to see what you think of the short.

DIRECTING FOR NEW YORK: Woody Allen, Edward Burns, Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, Jerry Seinfeld and Kevin Smith all directing short films that will debut at Saturday’s all-star Concert for New York City. The films are each expected to “celebrate the spirit of New York.”