6.30.2008

Sunday Spree

… Kates and I had a full slate of gatherings and activities today. But between coordinating with Phoebe’s schedule and an afternoon of rain, we only made it to one of those gatherings …

And then. It was off to Summerfest again. Though the rain left some doubt for a little while …

Tonight I headed up with friends Laura and Kevin with one goal: To see Polyphonic Spree. Laura and I share a little bond over our excitement for the crazy-happy band, and when they appeared on this year’s schedule, we immediately made a pact to go …

We entered the gates shortly after 7, and the crowd was noticeably thin tonight; the rain probably chased a lot of people home. But as the night continued, the skies opened up, the air cooled and it shaped into a beautiful night on the lakefront …

Just a few minutes in, we were passing the Big Backyard stage and were caught by a brass band jamming on the stage. Four trombone players, a guitarist, a drummer and a sousaphone! They were called Bonerama, and their sound pulled us right in like a magnet …

It’s one of the coolest things about Summerfest. Every year you’re bound to stumble on a band you’ve never heard of, and they possess a sound that sucks you right in. Last year, for me, it was Scythian. This year, I think it’s going to go down as Bonerama …

Here’s a clip …



After about a half-dozen songs, we moved on. Stopping to get drinks and then settled in at the Connection Stage … Again, we benefited by the thin crowd, promptly snatching up a bench about four rows from the center of the stage. We were in prime position for the Spree …In the meantime, we took in a quirky little accordion-based band called The Scarring Party

In addition to the accordion, the band included a banjo player and a baritone player … And that brings me to another point. Kids, if there was lesson to be learned today it was this: Practice hard and learn to play your band instrument well, and you can go far. In the bands we saw tonight, we saw trombonists, baritones, violins, cellos, percussionists, trumpet players … Not all rock bands are just for guitar players and drummers.

Then at 10 o’clock it was time. Time for Polyphonic Spree …Now, I’m willing to bet -- like Laura, Kevin and I -- 99 percent of the crowd didn't know any more songs by the Spree, other than “Light and Day.” In fact, later in the show, when front man Tim DeLaughter asked how many people were seeing the band for the first time, almost the entire crowd raised their hands … But we had come because we all understood the spectacle in store. And the guy who introduced the band tonight told us, “You’re gonna feel like a million bucks when you leave here tonight …

Boy did we ever.

With a huge red sheet strapped across the front of the stage to hide the band, the show started with DeLaughter cutting a heart into the sheet, and then cutting it completely. On cue, as the sheet fell and exposed the players, the band burst into their symphonic rock.



I counted 22 players on the stage. There were brass players, violin players, a harpist, a flute player, keyboardists. A set of background singers and dancers. The percussionists were on drum sets, chimes and tympanis.

In a nutshell, it was a fist-pumping, high-energy, out-of-this world, explosive show that we will never ever forget … On the way out tonight, we mused whether it was the greatest show we’d ever seen. But the thing is, it was so incomparable to anything you've seen in the standard rock show …



Midway through the show, DeLaughter paused between songs and told the crowd, “We’re going to go out on a limb here.” … The band delivered a dazzling cover of “Live and Let Die,” one that I’m definitely adding to my list of the greatest covers I’ve heard live



DeLaughter also had the crowd join him and the band in singing “Happy Birthday” to one of the guitar players. And I’m thinking, Man, two nights in a row!

As the initial set ended DeLaughter announced the band was playing its last song and then said, “But if you’ve been to any shows before you know that all bull----. But this going to be our last song.” … Of course it wasn’t going to be their last song; they hadn’t played “Light and Day.”

The band finished the set with “The Championship,” and a sweet fade out. As each of the band members left the stage one by one, DeLaughter got the crowd chanting “All in good time, raise our voices” repeatedly until it was just the crowd and the harp player. Then the harp player disappeared as the crowd continued the chant …



As the tempo of the chant sped up, the energy level picked up too -- as if it wasn’t way up already. You knew something cool was about to happen …

Then, suddenly we started seeing the band members streaming one by one into the crowd. They had changed out of the military garb they were wearing and into their signature white robes. They began mingling through the crowd … Meanwhile all of us are looking all over the place like their mice and we're trying to figure out where they’re going to pop up next …

After a few minutes, the band began reappearing on the stage and soon proceeded into “Light and Day …



The band played a couple more songs before calling it a night. Then DeLaughter serenaded the crowd with an a capella of the Beatles great “Blackbird.”

As we left the stage area, our ears were blown to bits, our voices were hoarse and the grins were practically bolted to our faces. But man, did we enjoy the spectacle …

Three nights down …
a Thursday: Stevie Wonder
a Saturday: Dashboard Confessional

6.29.2008

The return for Confessional

… The tour continues.

Tonight, I was back at Summerfest for Dashboard Confessional at the new and improved Harley-Davidson stage … I got my first glance at it Thursday night, but spending some time there tonight proved the worthy changes. Not only are the sight lines about as perfect as you can get, the audience space has been opened all the way back to the lakefront with a cozy park area toward the back. There’s three big screens, including one on the lakefront. And the coolest part is a grouping of motorcycles built into the stage area’s tower and on the stage itself. Pretty cool …

I got there in time to catch the last two songs from Northern Room. The rock band seemed to be a good preview for Dashboard, but the real show seemed to be some 50-something couple sucking face all through the last song. It was enough to have the surrounding crowd sharing squirmy laughter and snapping pictures with cell phones … Ah, the people watching at Summerfest.

Next up, Single File, a rock band out of Denver, came on at 8:30 and played for a half hour … I was thankful it didn’t last longer. Their style could best be compared to a Good Charlotte or Blink 182, but I thought the vocals were out of key and whiny. Most of the crowd seemed to barely notice they were on stage …

Then, the recorded music came on and played a string of songs from Aaron Neville and Phil Collins. In between a concert with Single File and Dashboard Confessional. Random ...

All the while, of course, the excitement for Dashboard Confessional was building. A couple of beach balls were being swatted around and the group of boys sitting next to me ordered a whole pizza that smelled so good I wanted to swipe a piece for myself, or at least ask the kid next to me, “Hey, do you mind if I take a bite of that?

At this time last year, I’d barely heard of Dashboard Confessional; I didn’t have a clue they were so popular. I went blindly into their show at last year’s Summerfest and left totally intrigued. I was struck by how passionately frontman Chris Carrabba sang every line, and even more at the way the crowd hung on every word, nearly drowning out his voice. I’ve been to shows with some darn good crowd sing-alongs before, but never like that …

After last year’s show, I got a hold of the “Dusk and Summer” album and got excited when I saw they were returning this year …

The Dashboard shirts appeared to be selling well, too, because every other kid was wearing one. And I watched another couple arrive wearing hand-painted, matching shirts. The boy was wearing the “D,” the girl wore the “C.”

Mostly, the crowd was comprised of, not surprisingly, teenie boppers, especially girls … But there were some neat looking families there too, including a set of parents with their two tween boys. I would love it if Phoebe and I could do Summerfest like that some day …

At 10 o’clock, Dashboard appeared on stage to piercing cheers and then, as I’d suspected, broke the lid off their set with “Don’t Wait.” A call-and-answer sort of song, Carrabba and crowd were singing passionately and loudly again, just as I’d remembered last year …

After doing “Rooftops and Invitations,” Carrabba told the crowd, “I’ve been waiting a whole year to come back and do Summerfest!”

He then went into “The Good Fight” and “As Lovers Go,” a song he told the crowd was about “a foxy little girl I was chasing around in a bar one night.”

Between songs, Carrabba glanced at the four motorcycles stacked on the stage set behind him and told the crowd “I’ve never had so many motorcycles on stage.” Then he paused and said facetiously, “Usually I have three.” Nice.

From there he went into “Saints and Sailors,” and then had the crowd sing “Happy Birthday” to his friend Gizmo. And that, for a moment, made me realize no one sang it to me yesterday. Dang.

Carrabba went acoustic for “Where There’s Gold” and “The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most.” Then he told the crowd the band was pulling out some old and rare stuff. And boy did they deliver, playing a great cover of Weezer’s “El Scorcho.”



They closed out the initial set with “Screaming Infidelities,” “Again I Go Unnoticed,” “Remember To Breathe” with that sweet pulsating guitar, and then a great “Currents.”

It was about 11 p.m. when the band said good-bye the first time … And they returned a couple minutes later to more piercing cheers. They busted out “Stolen” and “Hands Down.” Again and again, the crowd was singing loud and getting deep into every song …

Here's my clip of “Stolen” ...



Which made what happened next sort of interesting. Carrabba said good-bye a second time and almost half the crowd left … The veteran concert-goers know, though, you never leave until the floodlights come on. And after a prolonged break, Carrabba came out again. All of the fans who had spent the show near the back suddenly filled in the voided spaces and he played an acoustic of “The Best Deception.”

It was a good show, and I was happy I had gone …

On the shuttle ride out, the talk about the other shows tonight was that John Mellencamp was disappointing, Trace Adkins was all right, the BoDeans were good and a beer-bellied man sitting behind me said “Blondie rocked!

I found my car and drove home in a steady rain …

Sleep well.

6.28.2008

Another year

Another year older today. Doesn’t feel any different.

It was a low-day for me yesterday. But that was good. That’s the way I like it …

I was woken at 7:15 with a birthday call from Mom and Dad, and then rolled out of bed to see Kates and Phoebe coming to greet me. They had spent the night in the cool basement because it was so hot upstairs …

At work, I was immediately fielding questions about my “Evening with Stevie Wonder” experience. I cranked out a couple stories. My friend Raechel bought me Subway for lunch. I designed a couple Travel pages. And then by 2 in the afternoon I was on my merry way home …

As I arrived home, Kates was arriving home from a doctor’s check-up … and we celebrated the fact her blood pressure has returned to normal and she is officially off her medication! Woo hoo …

After spending the remainder of the afternoon playing with Phoebs, I was off to play baseball … finally. Though there were a few minutes Kates and I wondered if I was meant to play this year. Two hours before game time we were hit with a major downpour, but it lasted only a few minutes …

Maybe it would have been better if we did get rained out …

We got bombed. By the other team and the mosquitoes …

Our catcher gave up on us. We were playing without our starting infield … We stopped counting score when we went down 11-3.

I went 1-for-3 at the plate. I struck out my first time up on a hanging knuckleball that was right in front of me; I foul-tipped it into the catcher’s glove. Then I chopped a ball up the middle in the fourth and stole second, but got picked off when I tried to get a little aggressive and the shortstop snuck behind me to catch a really good throw from the pitcher. My last time up I hit a hard groundball to the shortstop and was thrown out at first …

6.27.2008

Good times

Let’s just start calling this next stretch of 10 days or so “The 29th Annual Horns’ Good Times Tour.”

Somehow every year this time of the year comes loaded with good fun (heck, just look at last year's run around this time ... ) and memories to last a lifetime. The weather is ideal. The baseball season is heating up. Summerfest arrives. And it all falls around my special day. After all, it was all this time of year that inspired me to start this little blog (What was I thinking?!)

Only this year, I barely saw it coming. We were getting buried in snow right up to, oh, April. Then Phoebe came and swept our attention away from life as we knew it … Our thoughts also have been caught up in soaring gas prices, natural disasters, tough economic times and hopes that change is on the way soon (Obama ‘08!)

This week I’ve been buried in a flood of deadlines and projects, including my part in preparing the finishing touches on what is shaping up to be a truly memorable baseball weekend -- but you’ll hear more about that next week.

What I’m trying to say is Summerfest -- the event I’ve come to live for every summer -- slammed me in the face this year … Sure, I had my schedule lined up weeks ago …

… Saturday: Dashboard Confessional
… Sunday: Polyphonic Spree
… Monday: Gin Blossoms
… Tuesday and/or Wednesday: O.A.R.
… And next Thursday: Ingrid Michaelson

… But still it felt as though it had to be another week or two away. Seriously, when did the end of June arrive …

So tonight was opening night for the Big Gig … But I had no plans of going up tonight. My plan was to partake in my first baseball game in weeks …

That all changed about 12:15 today while I was driving to catch some lunch. Kates called me to say I was the benefactor of a single ticket to tonight’s Stevie Wonder show at the Marcus Amphitheater. Summerfest’s opening night. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

My jaw hit the floor. And I’m pretty sure my eyeballs hit the windshield too.

As badly as I wanted to go to the show when it was announced, my hopes subsided. Never in a million years, I thought …

I got out of work this afternoon, printed out my e-ticket and off I went. I think it finally hit me around 5:30 tonight as I was driving up on the Interstate, Stevie blaring on my iPod and “Uptight” started playing … Everything was all right.


By 7, I was in my seat, under the overhang and just off the left corner of the stage. As expected, about 80 percent of the crowd was comprised of Baby Boomers, but there was a good chunk of my generation, too.

The tickets read “An Evening With Stevie Wonder,” and as hard as it was for me to believe, the buzz was that there would be no opening act.

Sure enough, at around 8, Stevie appeared to roaring cheers and a standing ovation of course. His beautiful daughter Aisha had escorted him on stage and Stevie laid out a theme he would carry throughout the night, explaining his excitement and hope for changes to come and endorsed Obama himself. “I’m excited about us becoming a united people of the Unites States,” he said. Completing his schpeel and talking about his desire for equality, he added “It’s not about the color of your skin, it’s about the color of your heart.”

And then the music began.

In his backing band, I counted three percussionists (including bongos, set, etc), two keyboardists, a sax and trumpet player, three guitarists (including a bassist) and three backup vocalists … Stevie played for about 2 1/2 hours, non-stop, and I counted 26 songs in the set. It truly was an evening with Stevie Wonder.

He opened with what was, as far as I can tell, a new song that backed up his opening commentary and then seamlessly moved onto four other songs that I didn’t immediately recognize either … But I didn’t care. They all sounded good, and I knew I was watching a legend do his thing.

Finally, Stevie started up “Higher Ground,” and the crowd darted to its feet … He followed that with an extended smooth jazz jam on which he played a bit of his harmonica and then gave way to let every single member of the band showcase his and her talents. It was a very cool jam …

Next up was “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” -- one of my true Stevie Wonder faves -- and finished it off with a sweet samba jam …





But then he started toning things down a little with “Visions,” which, unfortunately for Stevie, sent a good batch of the crowd to the concessions. Not that he noticed … The song started another run of songs that I didn’t know well, including a new one called, “Keep Fooling Yourself, Baby Girl.” And Aisha joined him at his keyboard for a solo of her own, “Love You Right Outta My Life.”

Afterward, the two shared a cute moment as Aisha handed her father a towel, and he urged her to wipe his head with it … Interestingly, I had just been thinking moments earlier, oooh, this would be a good time to bust out “Isn’t she lovely.” And lo and behold, no sooner had Aisha wiped his forehead, Stevie was leaning into his keyboard and playing the opening, as Aisha started dancing around him … After all -- trivia alert -- Stevie wrote it for her

Just when he had the crowd up again, he took down the mood once more with “Ribbon In The Sky” -- though he did humorously introduce it by asking the crowd, “I wonder how many people have made love to a Stevie Wonder song?”

He followed it up with “Overjoyed” …

Then! Finally! ... He cranked the energy level way up by reeling off, one after another, “My Cherie Amour,” “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” “Sir Duke” and “I Wish.” … People were dancing in the aisles, the brass was nearly blasting the roof off amphitheater. It was absolutely awesome … In another seamless transition, the band went into “I Just Called To Say I Love You,” and then they capped off the amazing run of songs with “Superstition.”

Here's my vid clip of "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" ...



Closing things out, Stevie introduced the band once more and then let backup singer Keith John sing “Fever,” in a cool tribute to his father Little Willie John … The band ended the night with “I'll Be Loving You Always,” a slower number that again seemed to have the crowd a little disappointed. People started heading for the exits the way they leave a stadium when the home team is down by eight runs in the seventh inning …

(Here's a review from Stevie's similar show the other night in Detroit ...)

In the meantime, I stayed, holding out hope that he might play by very favorite of his songs “Uptight (Everything’s Alright).” But it didn’t happen.

With the clock going on 10:30, I wiggled my way through the crowd and out of the amphitheater and scurried over to the Classic Rock Stage, hoping to catch Three Dog Night finishing their set … But I arrived just as the flood lights were coming on and the crowd was starting to leave. Doh!

I looked at the schedule for other possibilities. They Might Be Giants and Gnarls Barkley were going on at 11, but neither was enough to keep me there. I was ready to head home … and believe me, I’ll have plenty of time at Summerfest. Don’t wanna get sick of it after one night …

Just as I started heading to my car, loud explosions began popping behind me … I turned around, and the fireworks were popping off over the lake …

Pretty sweet way to end the night.

6.22.2008

Sunday reading

... Here it is another Sunday. And I'm wondering where the weekend went ...

... On Friday, we grilled out and shared a night on our deck with good friends Laura and Kevin. The conversation was so good, the sun set without us barely noticing ...

... On Saturday, I soaked up the sun and worked in our yard. And then we went off to see Mom and Pops, who were camping not far out of the city ... It seemed like a good idea -- until we got out of the car were mowed down by a buzz kill of mosquitoes. We rushed Phoebe inside the camper ... and all of joined in shortly after. Instead of an ideal night around a campfire, we spend it inside playing Uno ... Pops played a buzz kill of his own; he won six of the eight hands we played ...

Today, we did church (Phoebs slept the whole service again ... ). I did a baseball practice ... And Mom and Pops came to our place. But the thunder and rain chased us inside once more, and we settled for watching the Brewers finish of the Orioles ...

And how 'bout those Cubs ... After becoming the victims of a hard-fought sweep in Tampa Bay last week ( ... Dang, Tampa is good this year; that series was every bit as tough as I figured it might be ...), the Cubbies came out swinging this weekend. Aramis won it in the ninth on Friday ... Then I got to catch that rocking fourth inning and yesterday's thriller ... And now they're blasting the Sox again tonight as I write this ... But let's not talk about September until we get there, OK?

Here's two weeks worth of stories that caught my eyes ...

But first, this one says it all: Is everything spinning out of control? Can-do, bootstrap approach embedded in American psyche is under assault

Sports & Baseball ...
a Cubs documents: Wrigley condition not dire
a The Bringer Of The Big Heat ... A good one from the SI archives about Nolan Ryan.
a A Jones For Hitting: Chipper Jones, the baddest switch-hitter since Mickey Mantle
a Spirit of '77 for White Sox, Cubs
a Guillen swap sides? No way
a Met fan squawks about Willie Randolph firing, sends Wilpons chickens
a The Catch: Super Bowl moment small part of Tyree's journey
a Rodgers savoring honeymoon as Packers' starting QB ... A good one from my friend Raechel.
a Verdict still out on Kobe's legacy ... Compare him to Michael Jordan all you want, but they'll never be equals.
a Watching Tiger, Kobe compete on same day

Music ...
a Alanis Morissette continues channeling her anger
a Another Somebody Sung Somebody's Song Wrong

Politics ...
a Obama, or Osama? Hotmail glitch
a In Her Own Time

TV ...
a 'Big Bird' Caroll Spinney Still Flocking to Sesame Street

The Internet ...
a 'Geek girl' helps keep Mozilla safe in scary times
a The Fate of The Sentence: Is the Writing On the Wall? ... Interesting.
a The Web makes us antsy readers, not deep thinkers ... Also quite interesting.

The media ...
a The L.A. Times's Human Wrecking Ball
a Katie Couric shows her ‘nerd’ side ... Quite amusing.
a Will Viacom nuke the YouTube clip of CBS' Lara Logan ... Also quite amusing.
a Tom Brokaw: 'Meet the Press' til Nov. 4
a Tim Russert: the details about what caused his death

The Onion ...
a Mariners Fire Whiffing Coach
a Cricket Located
a Fantasy Baseball Owner Rips Team In Media
a Falling Down Laundry Chute And Breaking Neck Remains America's No. 548,221 Killer

Travel ...
a America's Unkempt Front Yard
a Fake But Fun Destinations

Life & other stuff ...
a How a lake went down the drain
a Men fillet Charlie the Tuna statue in Oregon
a Nike sneaks logo onto the lakefront path ... Not cool.
a More Schools Trying Separation of the Sexes
a Looking to Avoid Aggressive Drivers? Check Those Bumpers
a Your friends? They're dead.

6.17.2008

Celtic pride

... I just finished watching the Celtics finish off the Lakers for the NBA title. Though it wasn't so much a finishing-off as it was a flat-out trashing.

131-92. Sheesh.

Great series. So glad to see my Kansas boy Paul Pierce get his title and win the MVP. And Kevin Garnett finally gets his title too ...

So now Boston has the World Champion Red Sox and the World Champion Celtics. If only the Patriots had won the Super Bowl ...

Good reads (Updated 6.19.08) ...
a A championship unlike any other
a Green envy: Celtics polish off Lakers for 17th NBA crown

What's his line?

This is a pretty funny one, compliments of Very Short List...

Remembering Tim Russert

Here's a great and touching read about Tim Russert ...
"... there was a similar deal – the terms were 58 years – with Tim.

We just didn't know it.

But we – his family, his friends, his guests and his viewers, all of us so enriched by him – would have made it in a second."

6.16.2008

"Snack time" is a good time

So our friend Raechel presented us a few weeks ago with the Barenaked Ladies’ new album -- “Snack time”

I’ve been listening to it repeatedly, and the most important thing I can say is this: Whether you’re a BNL fan, or a parent of young children -- get it!

Leave it to BNL to pull off an album that not only feels great on the adult ears, but an album that’s loaded with whimsical, kid-friendly sounds and lyrics.

The songs are filled with the signature BNL rock sound and sunny Beach Boy-like harmonies -- and the quirky dialogue a la “If I Had A Million Dollars.” And yet, a ton of the songs also are ready-made for a “Sesame Street” sing-along.

Only a rock band like BNL could sing about everyday things like erasers and allergies and lament the struggles of hand-me-downs (“My Big Sister”) and not being able to talk to your dog …

The album starts with the grouchy "7-8-9" (as in seven ate nine) and keeps on, drawing on flavors of rock, ’80s synth pop, a little bluegrass (“I Can Sing”) and a samba sound in one of my favorites on the album, “Polywog in a Bog.” … “Raisins” is a great, singable tune with a whistling chorus … The relaxing “Louis Lou” and the somber/so relatable “Bad Day” are other strong faves … “Humungous Tree” sounds like a new-agey Burt Bacharach tune.

The real gem on the album, though, is the Canadian Snacktime Trilogy -- a trio of sweet songs that starts with the title track. The first half of the song keys on a celebration of snack time and a cheeky spoken lyric -- “Talkin' ‘bout snack time.” Then, as the song winds down, a series of people are heard calling in their favorite snacks -- including a darling little boy who says his favorite snack is craaaaaaackers! We hear from callers who like lobster, salt and a vinegar chips, Japanese rice cakes and microwaved chocolate donuts. We hear from a robot and even Gordon Lightfoot -- to which my initial reaction was: Was that really Gordon Lightfoot!?

Part II of the trilogy is “Popcorn” -- a song on which just one word makes up almost all of the song. And still the guys succeed at conjuring a excitement of cooking popcorn, and it totally rocks … Then the trilogy concludes with the soothing/cooling “Vegetable Town.”

The album wouldn’t be complete, of course, without some good BNL humor. That can be found on second-to-last track, “Crazy ABC’s,” which features Ed Robertson teaching the alphabet with a collection of non-traditional words would challenge a decent Scrabble player (B is for bdellium, C is for czar, E for Euphrates, G for Gnarly, M for mnemonic … and you get the idea) … The humor really kicks in with fellow BNL member Steven Page’s retorts …

Ed: L is for llama
Steven: What's so strange about llama?
Ed: Llama, it starts with two L's
Steven: What's the second one for?
Ed: No idea.
Steven: I know, loser.
I need to say no more. “Snack time” is worth eating up.

* * *

A couple other albums of note I’ve recently acquired …

Scarlett Johansson’s “Anywhere I Lay My Head” … I have to say I knew almost nothing about this album other than the fact Scarlett was putting it out. I honestly didn’t know what to expect … But a couple minutes into the first track and the heavy brass, I had to double-check the CD cover to make sure I was listening to Scarlett Johansson – the actress. It’s not the poppy, summer-lovin’ style of music we’ve become accustomed to from the likes of Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton… Not even close.

Instead it has a cool indie vibe. I like the sultry, jazz zinger sound on the second track … though you have to be in a matching mood to listen and fully enjoy it, I think. So goes much of the album …

Some of the songs are ready made for Grey’s Anatomy (“Fannin Street,” “Song for Jo”), while “I Wish I was in New Orleans” is sort of a relaxing, twinkling tune … But a much-needed upbeat song doesn’t come until the ninth track, “I Don’t Want to Grow Up.”

It’s a worthy effort, but it’s not something I’m going to pop in again and again. I give it 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Death Cab For Cutie’s “Narrow Stairs” … I know there are some fanatical Death Cab fans out there. I am not one of them, but they do intrigue me. So let it be known that “Narrow Stairs” was a much-welcomed addition to my library (thanks again, Raechel).

It too has been getting a lot of play from me lately, and it has me making a lot of comparisons to The Shins “Wincing the Night Away” album and -- believe it or not -- “Smile”-era Brian Wilson. My favorite song on the album, “You Can Do Better Than Me,” totally gets me thinking it could easily fit somewhere on “Pet Sounds.”

From top to bottom, “Bixby Canyon Bridge,” “No Sunlight,” and “Cath …” to “Your New Twin-Sized Bed” -- the album is chock full of great, great songs. Then, to cap it, they read aloud every single word of the album credits -- genius.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

6.15.2008

Happy Father's Day

No Sunday Reading today folks ...

I was spending my first Father's Day relaxing with my daughter.

... We did the church routine this morning. Only this time, the dads got to lead the service -- it was pretty cool. I wore my pink tie in honor of Phoebs, and Kates surprised me by dressing her in her "Daddy's Little Princess" outfit ...

... After lunch, we settled down on the couch, snuggled in my Cubs blanket and watched the Cubs game (which they won ... man, they're looking good) together. And napped together ...

It was the best Father's Day I've ever had as a dad.

My friend Glen sent this too ...

6.14.2008

Saturday morning videos!

So Kates and I are doing are Saturday morning thing ... Watching the VH1 countdown ...

Love the new Weezer video for "Pork and Beans" ... It's a who's who of YouTube personalities. Nice!

And then! there's a new video from the New Kids on the Block!

Sheesh ... I don't care how much cheese you want to spread on it -- Kates and I were laughing and gleaming through the whole video. It's a cool, catchy, summer song, and it's great to see the boys together again ... and so surreal. In an instant we're transported back 18 years to one of the golden times of our childhoods ...

6.13.2008

Shock and sadness

Kates and I are in shock and mourning tonight at the loss of the great Tim Russert ...

I was among the first in my office this afternoon to get the news alert. It came across and I shouted in disbelief "Tim Russert died!?" ... Other heads around me poked up and the news spread. I called Kates who was in the grocery store with Phoebs ...

Unbelievable.

I can't say we were regular watchers of "Meet the Press" -- now I'm kind of wishing we had been. Instead Kates and I became fans of Russert watching him each night aside Brian Williams, in addition to mediating debates and his appearances on The Daily Show ...

We so enjoyed watching him each night and hearing him dissect the political races ... He was at the pinnacle of his career, at the center of one of the most exciting elections for all-time ...

And like all of his admirers, we can't imagine the rest of this political season without him ...

6.12.2008

Early Father's Day

So I've just survived two days alone with Phoebe ...

Not that I was worried.

Kates returned to work this week, so her mother stayed with us to take care of Phoebe Monday and Tuesday. Then I stayed home from work yesterday and today...

We had a good time ... Yesterday morning, we took a ride to visit some friends at the police station and at my office place. For the afternoon, things were a little tougher, though -- she wouldn't go to sleep when she was supposed to and there was a lot of crying ... She did give me a good 45 minutes midway through the afternoon, however -- just enough time to meet with an air-conditioner repair man and make some phone calls ...

Today, we got to sleep in a little. Then we ate breakfast. And played. And listened to music. And then took a ride to Kates's school ... It was the last day, so the atmosphere was festive -- there were other babies there, too, and even doggies. All of her cohorts got to see Phoebe and ogle and adore her ...

Then Kates kept her for the rest of the day while she packed her classroom ... and I got to come home and catch up on some work. And shower ...

I'm really tired. Which is why this post is lacking the pizazz I hoped it would have ...

Really, there's been nothing more memorable this week than watching Phoebe hold up her head -- and keep it up. And this evening Kates and I watched with glee and pride as she rolled over four times in a row ... Seriously. At this rate, she's going to be crawling within weeks.

6.10.2008

Very Short List

So my friend Chris tipped me off to a cool new Web site a couple weeks ago called Very Short List ...

Each day the folks at Very Short List send an e-mail that points to some of the coolest, lesser-known music, digital media and other entertainment stuff circulating on the World Wide Web ...

Chris got me hooked on it when he pointed me to this sweet Web site -- which is like a family tree of sorts -- for bands. Type in any band that comes to mind, and the site immediately gives you a collection of related bands. So cool!

In recent days, Very Short List has suggested very cool sites that have included ...

A site featuring some of the greatest commercial parodies of all-time ...

A site dedicated to the art of mix tapes ...

One man's stunning portfolio of his daughter from infancy to adulthood ...

The worst album covers ever ...

And the other day it featured this nice video, a commercial for the Zurich Chamber Orchestra ...



... And while I'm talking about cool stuff on the Web, I stumbled across this site the other night. It features a men's a capella group doing some great covers. The sound quality isn't great but their performances of Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek" and Kansas' "Carry on Wayward Son" are worth a listen ...

6.09.2008

Mother Nature's fury

We survived the weekend rains, er, monsoons ...

But there's some pretty crazy footage coming out of Lake Delton tonight. It was all the rage in our office today and on the local news tonight ...



Phoebe's Rock 'n' Roll Playlist

Last week, we gave you Phoebe’s Lullaby playlist. Tonight, we give you Phoebe’s Rock ‘n’ Roll (aka playtime) playlist …

This one didn’t take near as much time and thought as the Lullaby list, and it’s about half as long – though we might continue adding songs as we come across them …

For this playlist, my goal was simply to find a collection of songs that were fun, sing-able and clean. I wanted songs that are classics and songs that are popular today. Songs that have brought lots of smiles to mine and Kates’s faces, and songs I could envision Phoebe smiling with too …

So here it is, Phoebe’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Playlist …
  1. 1-2-3-4 (Feist) … Not only was it one of the defining songs of the last year, it’s a great counting song. I didn’t realize how appropriate it was for kids until reading the Mates of State blog a few weeks ago.

  2. Come to Me (Koop) … This one had been on the Lullaby list for awhile, but Kates argued -- and won – that it was better suited for this list. It’s a great tune nonetheless. (Hear it here)
  3. We Are the Sleepyheads (Belle & Sebastian) ... One of the most fun songs I've ever heard in my entire life. Seriously. (Hear it here)
  4. Fun, Fun, Fun (Beach Boys) … One of my all-time favorites. When it comes on, I wail. It had to be on this list. Period.
  5. The Middle (Jimmy Eat World) ... It's just a feel-good song.

  6. Hound Dog (Elvis Presley) ... You ain't nothin but a hound dog / Cryin all the time. (Classic video here)
  7. Feeling Alright (Joe Cocker) … One of Kates’s all-time favorites ... I like it too. (Hear it here)

  8. Happy Together (The Turtles) ... Imagine me and you, I do / I think about you day and night, it's only right / To think about the girl you love and hold her tight / So happy together.

  9. Good Vibrations (Beach Boys) … Another one of my all-time faves. Aptly titled, it doesn’t get a whole lot better than this one. (Vintage video here)

  10. Lovely Rita (The Beatles) ... A great, bouncy, singable Beatles tune. (Hear it here)

  11. Funny Little Frog (Belle & Sebastian) ... Honey, lovin' you is the greatest thing / I get to be myself and I get to sing / I get to play at being irresponsible / I come home late and love your soul / I never forget you in my prayers / I never have a bad thing to report ... It's a sweet sounding song, with some sweet lyrics, and a sweet video too. (Hear and watch it here).

  12. Rockin’ The Suburbs (Ben Folds, Over the Hedge version) ... Great song by the one and only ... But did you really think we'd put the "R" version on poor Phoebe's playlist!?

  13. She’s a Woman (Chikezie) ... Chikezie's "American Idol version was way cool.
  14. Put Your Records On (Corinne Bailey Rae) ... Girl, put your records on, tell me your favorite song / You go ahead, let your hair down / Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams, / Just go ahead, let your hair down. (Hear and watch it here)

  15. You Baby (The Turtles) ... A little ray of sunshine, / A little bit of soul / And just a touch of magic, / You've got the greatest thing since rock 'n' roll!

  16. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (The Beatles) ... So fun to sing.
  17. I’m Looking Through You (The Wallflowers) ... Great cover of the Beatles song. (Hear it here)

  18. Sloop John B (Beach Boys) ... Really, I could load this thing with Beatles and Beach Boys songs, but Phoebe needs some variety (Video here)

  19. Daddy’s Girl (Peter Cetera) ... The title and lyrics say it all ... Who else remembers it from "Three Men and a Baby" !?
  20. New Soul (Yael Naim) ... See I'm a young soul in this very strange world / Hoping I could learn a bit bout what is true and fake (Video here)

Fun, Fun, Fun!

So I'm doing some surfin' on YouTube ...

And I just stumbled on some video of a Brian Wilson Tribute. And he's doing "Fun, Fun, Fun" ...

With ... Get this ...

Paul Simon. Billy Joel. Elton John. David Crosby. Carly Simon. Heart. Wilson Phillps. Darius Rucker. And the Go-Gos.

It brings "Fun, Fun, Fun" to a whole new level.



There's also this one from the Go-Gos.

6.08.2008

Sunday reading

The story of this weekend: the weather.

I arrived home from work Friday afternoon to bright sunny skies, thick muggy air -- and the sound of tornado sirens. Kates, Phoebe and I held out for about an hour in the basement and waited for the warning to expire ... Then I went outside, mowed the lawn and puttered in the yard until a pouring rain forced me back inside ...

Yesterday, we were out on the town for the annual downtown and kite festivals. It was another bright sunny day ... Phoebe loved getting pushed around in her shoulder. We met friends. Listened to live music. Shopped the deals. Ate ice cream -- it was won-der-ful ... Then we had barely arrived home and the storms rolled in again. And more tornado sirens.

Today. We went to church ... and then watched it pour for most of the afternoon. The sun came out for the latter part of the afternoon, giving us time to visit a graduation pary and for me to do some more puttering in the yard. Tonight, Kates and I got Phoebe to bed and waited for Grandma -- she's staying with us for a couple days -- to arrive ...

Grandma had just arrived. Kates was helping her unpack. And I was settling in to watch what was left of tonight's Cubs-Dodgers game ... when a tornado warning appeared on the TV, and the sirens started sounding once more. We grabbed Phoebe out of her crib, and here we are in the basement again. Good thing its a homey basement ...

Hey, remember when we had a tornado in January? Those were fun times.

Here's my Sunday reads ...

Baseball ...
a Organist plays at both church and ballpark ... A great read by an old friend of mine.
a Streaky outfielder Alfonso Soriano leading Cubs' charge to division lead
a D'backs one of several clubs who reversed their fortunes last month
a Lesbian kiss at M's game stirs up Seattle
a Safety of maple bats raises sticky issue for MLB
a Why the MLB draft matters more now than ever before

Politics ...
a The Price Of Forgetting A Presidency
a On the Fence and in the Spotlight
a Will the Real Scott Please Stand Up?

Media ...
a History in Slow Motion ... A good read about the Democratic race. We raised our eyebrows too when the AP's message about Hillary conceding the nomination arrived -- only to be strung out the rest of the week before her official announcement -- which was pretty inspiring, I might add.

The Internet ...
a Sudden Disconnect Over Social Networking Deal ... Very interesting.
a The Top 10 Social Networking Annoyances ... a good one from my friend Raechel. I completely agree with No. 10 -- if it takes too long to load, I'm gone and never coming back.

TV & movies ...
a Colbert tells grads: Please don't change the world
a With 'Zohan,' Robert Smigel will mess with you

Music ...
a A Requiem: Songs That Made the Hit Parade . . . They don't make TV themes like they used to ...
a Rolling Stone's Bo Diddley snub
a Carly Simon: Coming around again with 'This Kind of Love'
a Musicians push for better sound online and on disc
a The Ultimate Cheesy Ballad Playlist ... They might be cheesy, but you're likely to find me wailing in the car every time one of these comes on the radio ...

Life & other stuff ...
a Chicago makes cut, has Olympic-size to-do list ... More on the this week's news of Chicago's Olympic hopes.
a On a Short Leash Did you hear about that Buddhist couple who're never more than 15 feet apart?
a Don't bogart the binoculars: Bong Recreation Area, Wayne Woods more than just pun-worthy names ... A fun read about a local park.
a Ikea Helps a Town Put It Together

6.07.2008

Great live covers

(Revised 07.29.2013)

While I was driving the other day, the Doobie Brothers’ “Long Train Runnin’ ” came on the radio. For me, that song will forever be linked with my first concert experience and hearing Hootie & The Blowfish do a great cover of it ...

It got me thinking: What are the most memorable live covers I've seen performed, live and in person?

So I composed a list. Here they are, counting down …

18. “Eleanor Rigby” -- The Fray (Jan. 2007, Carthage College; Kenosha, Wis.)

17. “Maggie May” -- Edwin McCain (July 2004, Summerfest; Milwaukee)

16. “Tiny Dancer” -- Ben Folds (July 2003, Summerfest; Milwaukee) … He did an impeccable Elton John impression, donning the big white-rimmed sunglasses and all

15. “Carry On Wayward Son” -- Ben Folds Five (Nov. 1997, The Grenada; Lawrence, Kan.)

14. “Imagine” -- Blues Traveler (Aug. 1996, Sandstone Amphitheater; Bonner Springs, Kan.) … John Popper on his harmonica; a version of it appears on their “Live from the Fall” disc.

13. “Going To California” -- Train (July 2006, Summerfest; Milwaukee)

12. “Such Great Heights” -- Ben Folds (July 2007, Summerfest; Milwaukee)

11. “Long Train Runnin’” -- Hootie & the Blowfish (July 1996, Sandstone Amphitheater; Bonner Springs, Kan.)

10. “Sunday Bloody Sunday” -- O.A.R. (May 2006, Carthage College; Kenosha, Wis.)

9. “Rock n’ Roll” -- Sheryl Crow (June 2010, Summerfest, Milwaukee.)

8. “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” -- Sister Hazel (June 2001, The City Market; Kansas City, Mo.) … My friend Tom and I recognized the opening riff immediately and looked at each other with “Are they really playing this!?” looks. It was A-Maz-Ing … And our friend Tad missed the whole thing because he decided a minute earlier it was a good time to make a bathroom run.

7. “For What It's Worth” -- OneRepublic (Nov. 2008, Carthage College; Kenosha, Wis.)

6. “Peg” -- Jason Mraz (Nov. 2008, The Rave; Milwaukee) … The brass made it. Here's a clip of a Mraz performance in L.A.

5. “Crazy” -- OneRepublic (Nov. 2008, Carthage College; Kenosha, Wis.) … A hopping, rock ‘n’ roll-tinged cover that the guitarist introduced with a Mariachi-styled solo.

4. “Breakfast in America” -- James Blunt (Oct. 2006, The Rave; Milwaukee) … It was so darn surprising, and so darn good.

3. “You Can't Always Get What You Want” -- Fun (June 2013, Summerfest, Milwaukee)... It was classic rock n' roll, and Nate Ruess was channeling Mick Jagger.

2. “Dream On” -- Train (July 2006, Summerfest; Milwaukee) … A highly memorable live cover at one of the best shows I’ve seen. The yellow confetti exploding over the crowd at the end put it over the edge ...

Even better -- I found a clip of it ...



1. “Live And Let Die” -- The Polyphonic Spree (June 2008, Summerfest; Milwaukee) … It came totally unexpected and it was almost as if Paul McCartney and Wings had taken over the bodies of The Polyphonic Spree orchestra ...

Here's a video of the performance, which, of course, doesn't do it justice, not to mention it's a wee bit shaky ...

River of Dreams?

So I had a dream last night that I was driving around with Billy Joel.

It went like this ...

He was in town for a small private concert. And somehow I got backstage, where I met him after the show ...

He appeared and I said something like, "Man if I knew I was going to meet you, I would have brought my records for you to sign." To which he replied, "Aw, well c'mon. I'll take you home so we can get them."

Some other classic rocker was there too, but I don't remember his face now. It could have been Elton John or James Taylor...

We hopped in Billy Joel's modest, silver, compact average Joe car and drove to our house ...

But the dream ended before we could get there.

6.06.2008

History in the making

I watched Game One of the NBA Finals last night...

Celtics-Lakers, baby. Amazing. ... It's probably the first NBA game I've watched since Michael Jordan was in a Bulls uniform. I'm totally going to soak this one up and root for the Paul Pierce and the Celtics.

The TV ratings have got to be going through the roof for this series ...

* * *

... Watched Randy Johnson break No. 2 on the all-time strikeout list against the Brewers the other night. That was pretty cool ... Even cooler was seeing the Brewers pitcher get two hits off of him.

... The Cubs are looking -- dare I say it ... Like a good Cubs fans, I've faithfully stayed up late to watch their games on the west coast this week.

Until the Padres finally put 'em down on Wednesday night, the Cubs had won nine in a row -- and eight straight were stellar come-from-behind wins. My favorite of the week: Zambrano's performance on both sides of the ball on Monday night.

And there was this from the Chicago Tribune:

Seldom has a Cubs team been linked to so many of its predecessors as the 2008 edition has been during the first two months of the season.

Every day seems to bring about a new history lesson.Consider that the Cubs on Tuesday night were off to their best start since 1977, even before
Geovany Soto, Mark DeRosa and Alfonso Soriano homered in a 9-6 win over the Padres at Petco Park.

They've won nine straight for the first time since 2001, and entered June with the best record in baseball for the first time since 1908. They finished their first 7-0 homestand since 1970, and they've led in 25 consecutive games for the first time since 1935.

* * *

Barack Obama finally clinched the Democratic nomination. Thankfully ... I'm fully in his camp now and hoping the Hillary supporters will do the same for the sake of the party ...

Admittedly, our support was strong for Clinton when she swung through these parts over the winter, but it seemed to go totally down hill from there. And for the last couple months I didn't know what to think about her; watching her hang on to her campaign for dear life was woeful. But then again, I can understand and respect her reasons for not quitting ...

* * *

Speaking of Obama ... We got word this week that Chicago is still in the running for the 2016 Olympics. Sweet!

And how sweet would it be if Obama gets in the White House to give us a little pull?

It's not like we haven't been thinking about it already. We were already dreaming of it last year.

* * *
... I got two more Mountain Dews in one of my trips to the office soda machine this week ... I really should go to Vegas.

6.03.2008

Phoebe's Playlist

Here’s another post I’ve been wanting to write for weeks - months even.

Not long after Kates and I learned she was pregnant, I began delving deep into our music collection for the perfect playlist. Naturally, music is a huge part of our lives, and we hope it will be a big part of Phoebe's …

Perfect being the key word, the construction of this playlist turned into a tedious, obsessive process. I am a perfectionist after all, and when I really want something I'm gonna go after it whole-heartedly, not moving to the next task until the one at hand is complete. I'm digressing ...

Also noteworthy is that the making of this list only spanned what I have on CD and digital formats. Imagine what it would’ve been had I broken into my vinyl collection or my boxes and boxes of cassette tapes, and taken the time to record those songs into a digital format …

There were some tough cuts along the way -- Johnny Rivers' "Swayin’ to the Music" being one of them -- but they had to be made in order to keep the playlist to a good number - a two-CD set if you will. Then, some more cuts were made after Phoebe’s birth, because some of the songs I had chosen were gender specific. I toiled long and hard to get the right songs with just the right lyrics and just the right sound.

In the end, it proved to be exactly what I had set out to do ... It's a marvelous collection of music, comprised of the artists we love, singing the songs we love. A lot of the lyrics are pretty appropriate and meaningful, and there’s a couple really good cover versions on this list.

I rocked Phoebe to sleep using it tonight ...

So here it is, Phoebe’s (Lullaby) Playlist … Phoebe’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Playlist is forthcoming.

(Songs are in order and titles are linked to their lyrics - where applicable - for your perusal …)

Disc One
  1. Thirty-Something Main Theme … It is a quintessential theme for adulthood, and I think it’s one of the sweetest instrumentals ever composed.
  2. Here Comes the Sun (Bob Khaleel) … Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter. This was the first song Phoebe heard when we turned on the iPod after her birth, and I was holding her for the first time.
  3. April Come She Will (Simon & Garfunkel) … And while I was holding her for the first time, I rocked her and repeated gently "April come she will!" Phoebe’s due date was April 10, but there was a time we thought she was going to arrive in March, and even then we thought she was going to be a boy. I badly wanted to use this beautiful song on her playlist.

  4. Sweet Thing (Van Morrison) … Had to get a Van Morrison song on the list. And “Sweet Thing” is a sweet song.
  5. I Will (The Beatles) … Simple, sweet melody. And it’s The Beatles.
  6. Night Swimming (REM) … An old-school favorite of ours and probably our favorite REM song of all. Kates and I were unanimous about adding it to the list when it came on the iPod while we were driving home one night last winter.
  7. I Don’t Want To Live On The Moon (Shawn Colvin w/Ernie) … We adore Shawn Colvin’s music, and here she’s singing with Ernie - need we say more? We’ve long loved this song and the night we heard it live will always be a cherished memory … (Hear the song (with a really bad Ernie voice) and watch the video here.)
  8. Windmills (Toad the Wet Sprocket) … Another old-school favorite of mine that’s perfect for mellowing out …
  9. Homebird (Foy Vance) … Much of this song’s beauty lies in its sound. (Hear it here.)
  10. ‘Til Kingdom Comes (Coldplay) ... "For you, I've waited all these years / For you, I'd wait 'til kingdom come."
  11. Ice Cream (Sarah McLachlan) … Another longtime favorite.
  12. Gotta Have You (The Weepies) ... It's no coincidence there's a lot of Weepies music on this list. We've been listening to them a lot for the last several months.
  13. The Luckiest (Ben Folds) … If you know me at all, you know Ben Folds' music is something deep and special to me. Still, I didn’t start to fully get the sentiments expressed in “The Luckiest” until last fall.
  14. World Spins Madly On (The Weepies) … Sort of a dark song. But it’s The Weepies and, like “Homebird” much of its beauty lies in its sound. (Hear a sampling of the song here.)
  15. Songbird (Eva Cassidy) … Christine McVie’s original for Fleetwood Mac is a gem, but Eva Cassidy’s voice brings another dimension to it that makes the song even more beautiful. (Hear it here.)
  16. Love Has a Hold On Me (Amy Grant) … This one was on the cutting board, but after a strong vote of approval from Kates, I kept it on the list.
  17. Imagine (Avril Lavigne) … I wanted to add “Imagine” to the list, and out of all the versions out there I settled on Avril’s cover because she’s current, Kates and I love her music and her version has a sweet, childlike, girlish vibe to it.
  18. Answer (Sarah McLachlan) ... I will be the answer / At the end of the line / I will be there for you / While you take the time / In the burning of uncertainty / I will be your solid ground / I will hold the balance / If you can't look down (Hear it here)

  19. All Through The Night (Shawn Colvin) ... A beautiful, prayerful lullabye

  20. Lullaby (Dixie Chicks) … This one is heart-achingly beautiful.

Disc Two
  1. Sooner or Later (Michael Tolcher) ... This is the edgiest and most upbeat song on the playlist, and it could've easily gone on the Rock 'n' Roll, but there's the gentleness in the lyrics, and the parental sense of wanting to see your daughter succeed, made this song too hard to pass up.

  2. Everything (Michael Buble) … A recent hit, this song was another one of those that would’ve made our Soundtrack for the Last Nine Months.

  3. Song For You Far Away (James Taylor) … I had to get some James Taylor in there, and this was the one to get in.
  4. The Heart of Life (John Mayer) ... I hate to see you cry / Laying there in that position / There's things you need to hear / So turn off your tears and listen
  5. Keep It There (The Weepies) ... The thing I love about this one is the way the lyrics read like a nursery rhyme, and the melody is beautiful, too. For the purpose of this playlist, it's my favorite Weepies song.

  6. Northern Sky (Nick Drake) … Nick Drake's stuff is one of a kind, and this is one of those that gives me chills every time. (Hear it here.)

  7. Sunrise (Norah Jones) … Sunrise, sunrise / Looks like mornin' in your eyes (Hear it here.)

  8. Love Song (Treat Williams) … A great cover of a great song I discovered just a few months ago. The cover version, not the actual song.

  9. Somebody Loved (The Weepies) … Sun turns the evening to rose / Stars turning high up above / You turn me into somebody loved

  10. Blackbird (Sarah McLachlan) ... It's Sarah McLachlan's angelic voice on one of the most beautiful Beatles songs around.

  11. Stewart’s Coat (Michelle Branch) ... Just give me many chances / I'll see you through it all / just give me time to learn to crawl.

  12. All the Pretty Li’l Horses (Shawn Colvin) ... Hush-a-bye / Don't you cry / Go to sleep, my little baby.

  13. Let It Be (Brooke White) … Like “Imagine,” it was important to me that this song also made the list. Brooke White charmed us big time this year on “American Idol,” and after her amazing rendition of the song, it seemed only appropriate to add her version. (Watch it here.)

  14. Never Saw Blue Like That (Shawn Colvin) ... Sung at our wedding this song has as much meaning to Kates and I as any on this list. (Hear it here.)

  15. A Cold Wind Will Blow Through Your Door (Bill Ricchini) … As Kates and I were driving up and down the state’s eastern coast after my grandfather died last Easter, this song seemed to come on every time we turned on the iPod. I couldn’t resist putting it on Phoebe’s playlist. (Hear it here.)

  16. I’ll Say I’m Sorry Now (Shawn Colvin) ... For everything I do / That will tear into you / Let me say I'm sorry now

  17. Last Sunset (Glen Phillips) … A gentle gem from the great Glen Phillips, former frontman of - do you know? - Toad the Wet Sprocket. (i.e. one of my all-time favorite bands and the artist behind the “Windmills” song above.)

  18. Stars (The Weepies) … A dreamy, good lullabye. (Hear it here.)

  19. What A Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong) ... A classic that needs no explanation. (A nice clip here.)

  20. January Rain (David Gray) … Another sweet, sweet instrumental - this one conjures up warm visions and dreams, and gives Kates and I the chills every time.

  21. Lullabye (Billy Joel) … This one made Kates cry a couple weeks ago as she was rocking Phoebe to sleep to the song. Take a look at the lyrics and this one explains itself. It's perhaps the most perfect song on the list, and the perfect way to end it. (Hear it here.)