Week in review

So here's how my week rounded out after Tuesday night's softball game ...

Wednesday, I headed a couple hours south for my monthly meeting with leadership cohort. Our theme for the day was empowering. We took the True Colors test (I've taken it before, and I'm still a gold ...) and played out associated activities that somewhat humorously illustrated our personality types. Always a good time.

We heard from a young man who grew up as the son of a third-generation grocery store proprieter, and when the family grocer had to close a few years ago -- the result of a new Super Walmart in town -- the young man, who had earned his college degree and become a youth worker, had the brilliant idea to turn the building into a youth center. He saw a need for it in the community, forged partnerships with the schools and businesses to garner support, and remodeled the store into a first-class facility with meeting rooms, a computer lab, kitchen and a common area. In fact, our meeting place Thursday was the remodeled facility. The transformation and perseverance is a great story.

We also took a tour of the city's historic library and heard from its director. She shared with us the story of an $8.5 million estate gift that was recently left to the library and how the library is using the money strategically to implement programs and enhance the library's services.

* * *

Thursday, the university photographer and I headed to Kansas City to interview an alumnus for the cover story of our fall magazine. The subject is the founder and CEO of a corporate strategy firm.

We spent the morning with him as he biked through a park -- part of his daily fitness regimen -- before grabbing lunch at an upscale Italian restaurant and spending the afternoon at his office complex.

We rode with him from place to place, of course, in his Porsche.

* * *

Thursday night, I played softball.

It started out well. Our bats were hot early and I had a good night at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a walk, a couple RBIs and a run scored. On the defensive side, I was stationed at third base and made a couple putouts, including a catch of a foul ball at the dugout fence.

My most memorable play of the night, though, took place late in the game with runners on first and second on a ground ball hit to me. I scooped up the ball and then headed for third base in a foot race with the runner heading from second to third. I dove for him just in front of the base and was sure -- as were my teammates -- I put the tag on his torso, but the umpire called the runner safe. ... In the process of trying to make the tag and sliding on the dirt, I also skinned my knee up pretty good. It looks like I took a cheese shredder to my knee cap and shin. Man, it hurts.

We held a 9-2 lead after three innings. ... Then it all fell apart. The opponent had a monster inning in the fourth and we never recovered. We lost the game by 12 runs.

* * *

The 9/11 museum opened Thursday in New York. Chills again traveled through my body and all of the emotions and memories of that day came rushing back as I watched new coverage about the opening this week.

Add the destination to my bucket list.

Time magazine posted this timelapse video of the construction. 

* * *

Friday, I returned to my office after two days away. But I cut out during the lunch break and joined Phoebe at her kindergarten picnic.

Tasked with bringing a treat after their lunch, I picked up some popsicles and headed to the local park to meet her class. I had barely stepped out of my car when Phoebe spotted me and was pulling me into a game of tag with her friends.

We played tag. We played duck-duck-goose. We played more tag. We ate the popsicles -- which also involved me helping several of Phoebe's little friends open the popsicle packaging and stick in the straws in their juice boxes. Then we played more tag until one of the teacher's blew her whistle to signal the picnic was over.

I said my goodbye to Phoebe and headed back to my office.

* * *

I was settling back at my desk Friday afternoon when I caught a tweet saying Ingrid Michaelson had taken the stage at the Hangout Music Festival and her show was available to watch through a live internet feed. 

Sweet.

I clicked the link, watched an advertise and -- bam -- I was in. I watched her entire set -- a splendid mix of new songs and old ones -- and it was awesome. 

Here's a review from Paste ...

Ingrid Michaelson has a large and devoted following alone, but what made her set work at Hangout is how many of her songs the masses knew without realizing it: songs like “Everybody Wants to Love” and “Be OK” are so accessible and pervasive in TV and commercials, even the casual observer on a blanket in the back could have his or her moment to jump up and knowingly shout the words. It was a buoyant, fun set, and Michaelson made plenty of jokes about the “pretty girls in bikinis” getting in trouble for sitting on shoulders to see the show. The high point of the performance was “Afterlife,” a track from Michaelson’s latest release Lights Out. She guided the audience into a momentus sing-along, making for a more upbeat experience than I’d expected from a singer-songwriter.

* * *

Today was wonderful for the simple fact that we spent the majority of it outside. I hung out with the girls on the deck while they shared a bowl of Cheerios. Later, Faye went inside and Phoebe stayed with me on the deck to color.  

Now Kates and I are watching "The Vow" on TV. A good movie I liked more the second time.

Kansas City, they don't come

My claim that Kansas City is a music black hole, it seems, is growing stronger by the month.

I’ve received a flood of concert announcements in my inbox lately, with several coming from my all-time favorite artists and bands.

Toad the Wet Sprocket is touring with Counting Crows.

Ingrid Michaelson is promoting a new album.

Fleetwood Mac is reuniting – with Christine McVie!

Nickel Creek is reuniting – after a seven-year hiatus!

Do any of those announcements include a stop in Kansas City or any place in its proximity?

Nope. Nada. Zilch.

If we were still living in Chicagoland? I’d be set.

Seriously. What is it about Kansas City?

For now, I'll take solace in the good chance I'll return to Summerfest -- the coolest and best music festival in the world -- this summer. Ray LaMontagne, Pentatonix, Fitz & the Tantrums, Foy Vance, Tegan & Sara, and -- if I'm really lucky -- Dave Matthews Band. For the record, Bruno Mars would be at the top of my must-see list, but that will be near impossible because I'm committed to something else the night after he makes his Milwaukee stop.

Behold ...

Sandy Hook Choir and Ingrid Michaelson Go 'Over the Rainbow'

Pretty cool.

Some music that somebody sent to me

Props to my good, music-loving friend Tom for sending me this one ...

He sent these music videos for me to check out earlier this week, and I had no idea what I was about to view. I'd never heard the song. In fact, the title, "Somebody That I Used To Know" makes me think of the song of the same name by Elliott Smith.

I didn't have a clue about Gotye, or Kimbra, for that matter. I didn't know this video existed. But judging by its nearly 40 million views, it's big.

So I clicked play and began watching it. At first, the video creeped me out. Then, Gotye began wailing the chorus line and my ears perked up. Around the three-minute mark, I caught myself smiling. And my mind was blown. ... The imagery is amazing.




Putting a cherry on top of this cake, Tom supplemented his mailing with this cover of the song by the one and only Ingrid. She puts her own stamp on the song. Add some slick editing. Mind blown again.

Enjoy.

A winter song

I stumbled on this video tonight while searching for video of the ladies' performance of the same song at this winter's White House tree lighting ...

In an age when Lady Gaga and Katy Perry get more attention than they deserve, Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles are far more appealing and pleasant in my ears. ...


.

Songs of the season

Following up on a previous post, Summerfest has finished announcing its headliners …

If this was like past summers, this would be my go-to list …

• Thursday, June 24: Sheryl Crow
• Tuesday, June 29: Guster
• Wednesday, June 30: The Moody Blues
• Thursday, July 1: OAR
• Friday, July 2: Yes
• Saturday, July 3: Counting Crows

… And those are only my top choices. Never mind that I’d also love to catch a glimpse of Colbie Caillat, She & Him, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, The B-52s, 311, Danny Gokey, and Blue Oyster Cult playing “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” (... more cowbell!)

But this won’t be like past summers. We’ve entered a new era. We’re starting over and trying new things.

At least I can take solace in the fact I’ve seen Guster, I've seen OAR and I've seen Counting Crows -- three times, in fact, on all three. It’s the idea that they’re so darn fun to hear and see that keeps me wanting more! I also can settle on the idea that The Moody Blues and Yes are, um, aged and perhaps wouldn’t be worthwhile …

Which leaves the one and only Sheryl Crow. The dream isn’t dead yet.

If all goes well and according to plan, we’ll be moving from K-Town the weekend that Ms. Crow will be touring through the area. Which is also my birthday weekend … Yay me.

Of course, now I’m on a mission to find the hot concert venues around our new home base.

* * *

The New Pornographers show I was pining to attend in June, however, is not likely to happen for me.

Sigh. It’s ok. Really. We have a lot on our plate right now. And we don’t need to spend the money. … Sigh.

Ooh, but it could have been great. Seeing one of the great indie bands of this era, the ridiculously talented supergroup, with all eight of its members jamming on a stage together. Hearing upbeat rock songs like “The Bleeding Heart Show” and “All the Old Showstoppers” live. Perhaps Neko Case would pull out a couple of her solo songs …

Surely there would be some cuts from their new album, "Together," which I picked up the day after its release a couple weeks ago. I haven’t felt the immediate love I did for 2007‘s “Challengers,” but it’s growing me.

Here’s a great perspective from AllMusic.

* * *

I am certain on not liking another album …

Court Yard Hounds. In case you’re not familiar with the duo, it’s the Dixie Chicks, minus Natalie Maines. You’d think it’s gotta be great, right!?

I had already added it to my Amazon wish list in wild anticipation, when I streamed it online a couple weeks ago … And oh, how very disappointed I was. A Washington Post review couldn’t have summarized it better: “tepid, torpid and disappointingly pleasant.”

I want Natalie Maines back.

* * *

The other night I spotted a posting about Ingrid Michaelson covering R.E.M.’s “Nightswimming.”

I gasped and logged onto YouTube for a glimpse.

In our household: “Nightswimming” + Ingrid Michaelson = Bliss.

Check it out.

* * *

Before I go …

Here’s one more I got wind of this week …

Ben Folds covering Elliott Smith’s “Say Yes.” More bliss.

Check it out.

'Idol' thoughts

Let me start by saying this: If there’s one reason I keep watching “American Idol” this season, it’s to see what Andrew Garcia will bring each week.

I've never declared myself a fan of Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar We’re Going Down.” But Garcia’s acoustic take on it tonight was sweet music to my ears -- much like his much-talked-about Hollywood Week performance of “Straight Up.” I wholeheartedly disagreed with the judges on "Sugar," and I was completely surprised to hear all four of them say they weren't impressed with the performance. (Simon: "Not original enough" ... Have you heard the original!?)

Up to the moment Garcia started singing Wednesday night, I’d been thinking I was thisclose to being over and done with “American Idol.”

Not one of the 24 Idol wannabes gave a performance that had me feeling so giddy I’d risk -- quoting a recent description of me from my friend Tom -- “passing out from a music-euphoria-induced coma.” And believe me folks, I can be a sucker for some pretty raunchy music sometimes … (Now I’m starting to wonder if I'm crazy for liking Andrew Garcia’s “Sugar” performance as much as I did ...)

Maybe it’s that I’ve got so much going in my life right now to care. Maybe it's that there’s a dozen other things I could be doing than wasting two hours, three nights a week, watching what feels more and more like a karaoke singing competition.

Maybe it’s that I’m not feeling the kind of attachment to any of the contestants this year that I remember feeling during past seasons for a Chris Sligh, a Gina Glocksen or a Brooke White ...

Maybe it's that I've been watching "Idol" for too long and the novelty has worn off for me.

Wednesday night’s guys night performances were dreadful. Aside from Garcia, none of them made an impression on me.

I haaaaaated Todrick Hall's performance of “Since U Been Gone.” Sure, I give him props for changing it up and taking the kind of risk the judges lust for. But I haaaaaated it.

Jermaine Sellers (“Get Here”), Tyler Grady (“American Woman”), Lee DeWyze (“Chasing Cars”) and John Park ("God Bless the Child") -- I couldn’t wait for their performances to finish.

I’ve never understood what the judges see in Tim Urban and was utterly dismayed when I read the judges had decided to bring him back to the competition. Interestingly, everything Simon said in his critique about Urban’s performance was what I’d been saying during his previous performances.

And Kara’s flirt fest with Casey James was just wrong, even if his rendition of “Heaven” was decent.

Ok, Michael Lynche’s smooth rendition of “This Love” made a slightly more positive impression on me. The judges were just lukewarm on Lynche’s take, too, even though he did a commendable job of making the song his own without “murdering it” (ahem, Todrick).

For the girls on Tuesday night, I had higher expectations than the boys. But all the girls offered were two hours of mostly bad song choices, terrible runs and forgettable performances.

Haeley Vaughn? Have I mentioned I don’t understand what in the world the judges hear in her voice? Truth be told, her version of “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” was better than I could have predicted, and it might have been her best performance to date. But seriously, she’s like a little school girl wailing off-key in the shower. She’s gotta go.

And Lacey Brown made a valiant effort trying something different on “Landslide,” but there’s no lying -- it was awful. Like Simon, I was ready for it to end after about 15 seconds. Haeley might actually be safe, thanks to Lacey. And thank you, Randy, for reminding the younglings that Fleetwood Mac made “Landslide” famous, not the Dixie Chicks … And Kara, pulling out the references to Sixpence and The Sundays -- nice!

I had seen Janell Wheeler and Katie Stevens as frontrunners until Tuesday night. Now, I’m not so sure. And I’m not getting the "dark horse" fuss about Siobhan Magnus.

As for my bright spots from Tuesday night?

Didi Benami stole my heart singing Ingrid Michaelson’s “The Way I Am.” My thoughts about Miss Ingrid are no secret, and I thought Didi‘s version was a charmer. I totally disagreed with Simon; I get a strong Brooke White vibe from her, which might be good sign that Didi could go far. That’s not so good for winning the whole thing, though, and I get what the judges meant about her being too sleepy.

Crystal Bowersox, I thought, was the best of the girls with her coffeehouse take on Alanis Morissette’s “Hand in My Pocket” -- one of my all-time favorites. Loved her vocal, loved her acoustic guitar, loved her harmonica-playing, and I’d totally download her version from iTunes. I’ll bet Crystal is in the top 12, easy.

Here's a good read from The New York Times: On ‘Idol,’ Shifts in Power, Not Talent

A night with Ingrid Michaelson

It took us four weeks, but Kates and I finally took some time out to celebrate our wedding anniversary last night ...

With a night on the town and a concert, featuring Ingrid Michaelson ... If The Weepies were our soundtrack for 2008, Ingrid Michaelson has been our soundtrack for 2009. We couldn't think of a better way to celebrate.

We left Pheebs with Grandma and Grandpa for the night and ventured into downtown Milwaukee ... The weather couldn't have been more perfect, the scenes more gorgeous. The air was warm and the trees along the riverwalk were bright gold ... We stuffed ourselves with a dinner at the Rock Bottom Brewery and marveled at the way the Bengals were pummeling the Bears on the TVs overhead ...

Soon it was off to the show ...

Last night's concert venue was the Turner Hall ballroom, a new one for us but a pleasure to take in, nonetheless. Classic architecture. Hardwood floors that sloped left and right. And a creaky staircase that carried us to the ballroom. ... Inside the ballroom, tables and chairs were arranged into cabaret seating, each of the tables capped with candelight. Kates and I claimed a table in the second row, in line with centerstage. We were set.

* * *

Matthew Perryman Jones opened the show, playing to the mellow vibe that came with the venue and the mostly adult crowd. ... The whole time I could hardly stop thinking about how familar his voice sounded and yet I couldn't put my finger on how or why it sounded so familiar. Like Ingrid's music, I also couldn't stop thinking about how well his music would fit on "Grey's Anatomy." (After further review, it turns out we have heard his voice before; a couple of his songs are in our music library and he has been on Grey's.)

He moved from ballads to slow rock jams, playing all of them solo on an acoustic guitar. He also played a lovely cover of Patti Griffin's "Top of the World." And there were some amusing interactions with the audience.

He introduced "When It Falls Apart," a song he co-wrote with Katie Herzig by explaining that it included some hand-clapping -- but nothing fancy like Ingrid does, no double-claps or anything like that ... Then, he stopped halfway through the song to give the crowd a "heads-up" and explain a change in the hand-clapping. Afterward, he called it "the best clapping involvement this whole tour."

He introduced "Until the Last Falling Star" by explaining "there's just not enough melodramatic love songs out their in the world ... this is my contribution." ... Before playing his last song he encouraged the crowd to buy on of his CDs and to keep in mind that all the proceeds go to "a child in need." Then he paused, added, "That child in need is my daughter ..." and drew much laughter from the crowd.

Here's his set list ...

1. (Unknown)
2. "Letting Go"
3. "When It Falls Apart"
4. "Rain or Shine"
5. "Refuge"
6. "Top of the World"
7. "Until the Last Falling Star"
8. "Save You" (performed with Chris Kuffner and Allie Moss)

* * *

Ingrid Michaelson and her band took the stage shortly after 9 and promptly offered a hint of what was to come with a cool guitar jam to open "Soldier" and begin their set.

For the next hour and 40 minutes the band served up a healthy dose of music spanning Michaelson's mounting catalog -- from her breakthrough "Girls and Boys," to her latest, "Everybody." (We have 'em all.)

Michaelson's songbook is long on quirky songs dealing with melancholy feelings of lost love, relationships gone wrong and wishful thinking. But Sunday night's show had few hints of such sadness ... One moment did come after the band left the stage and Ingrid went solo on her keyboard for "Sort Of." After finishing the song, she fought off a lump in her throat and said, "Mmm, that's a sad song." A couple songs later, remaining solo, she performed her cover of "Can't Help Falling In Love," and let the crowd take over each time she came to the chorus. The crowd's soft singing was so lovely and moving, it sent chills down my spine.

Mostly, though, Michaelson and her band engaged -- and entertained -- the crowd with upbeat sing-a-longs, humor and cool pop rock songs. As expected.

There couldn't have been more than 500 people in the ballroom. The whole thing felt like Miss Michaelson and her band mates were guests in our living room. It felt as though they were sincerely interested in giving us the best show possible -- not just playing another show in some city along the way to selling a few more downloads.

That's part of the appeal of Ingrid Michaelson, I think -- that she engages her audiences with raw emotion and personality. And, in just that hour and 40 minutes, she has you thinking that just maybe we could be good friends.

The band moved effortlessly from slower, yearners like "Die Alone" and "Giving Up" to rocking jams -- like "The Hat," "Be OK," and "Everybody" -- powered by steady, thumping drum beats and loud electric guitars. Since we last saw them at Summerfest, clearly, the band has grown -- which is a sure product of their hard touring.

The arrangements, the sunny harmonies, snaps and hand claps -- all of it sounded tight and polished. The group huddled around the mic and stamped their feet for the cute and fun "You And I." They added a country twang to "Giving Up" and "Men of Snow" featured an accordion.

And yet, it was evident in their playfulness on stage that the band doesn't it take itself too seriously. That's part of that appeal thing again.

Rather than having to disappear from the stage and make the crowd applaud for an encore, Ingrid explained, the band was just going to hide somewhere. So they did: Allie Moss behind a stool; Ingrid behind the drum set; and drummer Elliot Jacobson in clear view but holding a skinny drumstick in front of his face.

In the midst of going solo for three songs in the middle of the show, Ingrid told the crowd she had come up with a new slang word -- scrubs. Then, she explained, she came up with the phrase "no scrubs" and thought it was so cool that she wanted to write a song about it ... The little story led to her playing a baroque-styled cover of TLC's "No Scrubs," complete with Ingrid doing the vocals like an opera singer -- or better yet, like Ana Gasteyer's Bobbie Mohan-Culp.

The band also performed a hilarious song about their love for Mexican food, which I can only guess, judging from the chorus, was titled "We Love Mexican Food." The music was exactly that of "Maybe," but the band changed the lyrics and included a chorus that rattled off their favorite Mexican meals.

On the rollicking "Locked Up," -- arguably my favorite of the set -- the band invited the crowd into a call-and-answer segment after the bridge. Band members took turns singing the "ba da da, ba da da" and having the audience repeat it ...

But when it came to bassist Chris Kuffner's turn, he went off on a scat that the audience couldn't possibly have recalled. The audience and the band burst into laughter (It was hard to tell if the rest of the band knew he was going to do that, or the band was simply laughing at Kuffner's spotlight-stealing effort.). ... Then! -- to seal the song and all the goodness of its rocking climax -- the band suddenly stopped playing and Ingrid shouted, "Switch!" On cue, all of the band members traded instruments. Ingrid landed on the drums, counted off the beat and the band finished the song.

The banter with the crowd was never lacking. Throughout the show she commented about the unnerving slope of the stage, saying at one point, "Seriously, guys, you could put a marble on here. It'll roll right down."

Before singing "Once Was Love," she asked about the crowd's age range. When an 11-year-old girl was pointed out, Ingrid sighed and said, "OK, good to know," before fidgeting and figuring out a way to appropriately explain the song. She began referring to the love interest in the song as a beloved doll whom you love and "sleep with a lot." But then one day, Ingrid explained, you decide you don't love that doll as much as you used to and it's best to take that doll to the thrift shop, go out and get a new doll.

By the time she got to her most recognizable tune, "The Way I Am," it seemed like an afterthought. Surely by now she's sung the song to death and the band seemed to breeze through it so fast that it probably wouldn't have been missed. ... "Keep Breathing," her breakthrough "Grey's Anatomy" anthem was absent from the set. And that was OK.

Here's Ingrid's complete set list (with videos of some of the highlights) ...

1. "Soldier"
2. "Die Alone"
3. "Once Was Love"
4. "The Hat" (This video includes Ingrid's fun scolding of the audience for their poor singing. Also keep in mind as you listen to her "story" that by this time the 11-year-old girl had been pointed out to her.)



5. "You And I"



6. "Be OK"



7. "The Chain"



8. "Sort Of"
9. "No Scrubs"
10. "Can't Help Falling in Love"
11. "Giving Up"
12. "Mountain and the Sea"
13. "Everybody"
14. "Men of Snow"
15. "Locked Up"
16. "The Way I Am"



17. "Maybe"
18. "We Love Mexican Food"
19. "Far Away"

Meandering

In the last three days, I’ve taken two walks with Phoebe. Just the two of us. No iPod in my ears. Just exploring our neighborhood, admiring the gardens and soaking in the sun. And clearing my head… I need to do a whole lot more of that.

Who flipped the switch on fall a month early this year? … It’s been a mild summer, after all. But this week we’ve had low 70s during the day and 40s over night – and lots of sun. I’m not complaining; I’m loving it, actually. It’s perfect.

After spending several days at home – alone -- with Phoebe during that last few weeks, I’m convinced being a toddler is the best age. (George Constanza once had an excellent take on why we should live our lives backwards …) The most stressful things Phoebe has to face every day are eating green beans and Cheerios, or figuring out how to arrange her blocks. She’s teaching me more and more about letting everything else go and just playing …

I'm still starting my work day at 5 a.m. every morning. As I get myself out of bed and start getting ready each morning, I think This has gotta end some time, right? Six months in, it still doesn't feel permanent.

After three years of watching and reading all the buzz, Kates and I have finally started watching AMC’s “Mad Men.” … I like it. Love the 1960s nostalgia and the take on society then compared to now. And I think Peggy is a fascinating character.

We purchased the new Ingrid Michaelson album last week. We love her music and we love the new album. We listened to it all weekend long ... It's tough to name a favorite -- because there's so many catchy and singable songs on the collection -- but Kates and I really enjoy Ingrid's achingly beautiful "The Chain." ... Even though just about every time we play it, Phoebe ruins it with her babbling or by playing one of her own musical toys.

I’m noticing more and more lately as I wake up in the morning and look at my bed-matted hair in the mirror – there’s a whole lot of gray in there. Part of me really likes it; part of me wants to groan.

Kates started her ninth year of teaching last week. Where have the years gone?

Women in music

I’m such a sucker for music featuring good-sounding female singers …

First, I caught this very cool video bit about the very cool Mates of State the other day. Good stuff …

Second, Imogen Heap, one of my real faves, is about to release a new album. She Twittered the first single earlier this week … I listened and loved it instantly. Her dreamy vocals never fail to lift me up.



Third, Ingrid Michaelson is about to put out some new stuff too … So I’m pasting this here on her behalf …

“ … Ingrid is releasing "Everybody" under her own label, Cabin 24 Records so we need your help more than ever. Tell a friend or 2 (or 10) and let's get "Maybe" to the top of the Billboard charts.”

When it rains ... it snows

It's snowing today.

I don't need to say anything else.

(Ok. I hate it. The whole far-reaching slushy mess. We've only got a couple inches, but it's the worst slop you've ever driven in and the roads have been turned into a giant skating rink)

* * *

I was driving Phoebe to the daycare this morning when the news was announced on the radio ...

Feds take Gov. Blagojevich into custody

In unison, myself and the morning show hosts I was listening to let out a long "Whooooooooaaaaa."

I think we spoke for the state of Illinois and all of Chicagoland.

* * *

I've been on a pretty good Ingrid Michaelson kick this week ...

Part of it stems from downloading her new album a couple weeks ago. It's a wonderful and beautiful collection of new stuff, acoustics, covers and live takes -- a lot of which we were lucky to hear when we saw Ingrid last summer. "The Chain" is one of those songs that will melt and warm your heart all at once; I remember loving it at her show and it's great to hear it on the album.

Reason No. 2 for my Ingrid kick: I can't get "Be OK" out of my head ... along with the Borders video she did for the song. So cool!

I played it for my friend Laura last week, and a couple minutes later she announced, "Yeah, now I can't get it out of my head."

The way she was

… Kates and I had yet to be out of the house as a couple since Phoebe was born. Until tonight.

Ingrid Michaelson was at Summerfest. We called our good friends Ray and Leah (also big fans). Left Phoebe with the grandparents. And went out on the town for our first outing without the kid …

Now, for me, this year’s Summerfest lineup hasn’t been knock-yourself-out amazing -- excluding Stevie Wonder, who played at the Marcus and was a gift I never imagined getting last Thursday. But on the ground stages, heading into this year’s Fest, I’d already seen Dashboard Confessional once, I wanted to see Polyphonic Spree just for the spectacle, I’d seen O.A.R. twice before, and Gin Blossoms once …

At last, the only ground stage performer I was all-out excited to see more than anyone this year was Ingrid Michaelson … Sure, I was just lukewarm on her album -- aside from “The Hat” and “The Way I Am,” which are great songs -- when I got it a couple months ago. But I’ve been listening to it a lot the last couple weeks, and it’s grown on me big time …

So Ingrid was set to go on at 8. But we got a late start heading out of town. Then I was nearly sweating when we hit a construction snag and the time kept ticking away … Thankfully, it all worked out. We got parked and scurried into the grounds around 7:15, and then had to trek all the way to the other end to find the Rock Stage where Ingrid was playing …

Lo and behold, there were plenty of seats. We got about fifth row.

Toby, an Australia-based rocker, was on the stage … She ended her set with a rousing cover of Janis Joplin‘s “Me and Bobby McGee.” She also played until 7:30, which I didn’t think bode well for Ingrid considering I’ve watched the bands at Summerfest take at least 45 minutes or an hour to set up … But again, I had nothing to worry about …

Ingrid came on at around 8:30 and charmed us immediately, with her sweet music and energetic stage presence.

She started the night singing “Die Alone” from the center mic then welcomed the crowd by saying “I looked out at every one after the last band and everyone left and I thought oh no!” She said it with an adorable grimace; then her face lit up as she added, “But you came!”

Throughout the night, she had Allie Moss and Bess Rogers backing her on guitars and providing some gorgeous background vocals and harmonies. Joining her was Chris Kuffner on bass and Elliot Jacobson on drums. Ingrid moved to her keyboard for “Breakable,” and stayed there for “Overboard,” which she introduced by giving us three clues and saying the title of the song rhymed with “Scmoverboard.”

Those gorgeous harmonies came back again for “Far Away” and for a sweet, sweet cover of Death Cab For Cutie’s “I Will Follow You Into The Dark.”



… Ingrid then introduced “Get Well,” a song she said she wrote “when I was channeling Ben Gibbard, or at least trying to.” She followed that with another new song a catchy one called “Be Ok.”

And then came the dramatic “Keep Breathing” -- awesome.



And then “Masochist.” … Song No. 10 was another new one, “The Chain.” … Ingrid introduced it as a round. “Do you remember rounds?” she asked. Yeah, I thought, I probably haven’t done one of those since I was singing as a kid in Sunday School. Those were fun.

And finally, it was time for my favorite, “The Hat.” With a neat light show ...




As I’d expected, she turned it into a great crowd-interaction number, first teaching the crowd the chorus and then teasing us when we didn’t sing with enough energy …



Then we reached the pinnacle of her show: “The Way I Am.” Awesome, again … As I’d expected, she brought the crowd into it too with the hand-clapping beats. But what I never saw coming was her going off and rapping “Ice, Ice Baby” to the crowd’s clapping. It was a great moment … and she topped that by doing the “Fresh Prince of Bell Aire” theme song the same way ...



...Before finally singing “The Way I Am” the way we all know it.



Ingrid finished things out with “Starting Now” before flying solo for her encore and doing “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.”

It was great, great time.

Gomez played after Ingrid, but we stuck to our original plans of calling it an early night … We watched the fireworks rise above the city and snacked on a giant pretzel on our way out …

Six nights down …
a Thursday: Stevie Wonder
a Saturday: Dashboard Confessional
a Sunday: Polyphonic Spree
a Monday: Gin Blossoms Performer Passes Out On Stage
a Tuesday: O.A.R. Interview with Chris Culos
a Interview with Marty Stuart
a Interview with Ingrid Michaelson

The way she is

It's weeks like this that I am so thrilled and thankful for the gig I have. Last week I got yet another interview with a Summerfest performer -- the very cool and very talented Ingrid Michaelson ...

We're on our way to see her tonight. In the meantime, here's the piece I wrote about her for last Sunday's Kenosha News ...

Here’s a fun fact you might not have known about the quirky, cool, cute songstress that is Ingrid Michaelson: She knows her stuff about the cheesy sitcom “Full House.”

And if you need further proof, log on to YouTube and search for her video with sidekick Allie Moss, “The Hunt For the Full House House.” On it, she dramatically recites the show’s theme song (“Whatever happened to predictability?” ...) and then mesmerizes viewers with her trivia knowledge.

“That show is timeless,” she says. “It’s so bad, it good.”
But Michaelson, who two years ago was teaching part-time, hardly could have predicted becoming a widespread indie sensation, something that almost literally happened overnight. Thanks to a handful of songs being picked up for episodes of ABC’s smash “Grey’s Anatomy” and an Old Navy sweater TV spot that propelled her to pop radio, her stock is soaring.

On Thursday, she’ll make her debut at Summerfest, playing at 8 p.m. at the Zippo Rock stage opening for Gomez. Fans can expect plenty of crowd interaction and lots of songs from “Girls and Boys” mixed with a couple new songs and a cover or two, she says, “but I’m not telling.”

In the meantime, the singer/songwriter’s self-released sophomore album “Girls and Boys” continues to gain critical acclaim while selling more than 210,000 copies and counting. Her hit single “The Way I Am,” the song featured in the Old Navy commercial, has sold more than 700,000 digital downloads.

She’s been doing the talk show circuit, too. After Summerfest, Michaelson is due to perform at the Mile High Festival in Denver before a string of dates opening for Dave Matthews Band in stadium-sized venues. She also is set to play both Bumbershoot and Austin City Limits.

Even while the non-stop touring can be harried and stressful, she takes it in stride. Her happy-go-lucky personality shined through the phone as we talked last week, despite some management miscommunication that delayed our conversation and a less-than-ideal phone connection.

“I’m in a car and driving to a gig and doing a phone interview,” she shouts happily. It’s easy to visualize her bouncing in a passenger seat. She and her mates were on their way from Los Angeles to San Diego. She tells me she had to order her food — a fish taco with chips and beans — while doing a prior phone interview. “It’s good. I’m happy,” she says.

Born and based in Staten Island, N.Y. (She lives with her parents actually. But it’s not necessary to feel sorry for her. “I’m never there,” she says.) Michaelson was raised to appreciate the arts and encouraged early on to be herself and pursue her interests. While her mother sculpted and her father composed classical music, little Ingrid was taking piano lessons at age 4.

She took her cues from the classical music her father played throughout the house, old-time musicals like “The Wizard of Oz,” “White Christmas” and “Top Hat,” and, of course, The Beatles.

“I didn’t really listen to the radio as a kid,” she says. “(The Beatles) are the only pop music he was listening to. They’re sort of like the classical music of pop.”

Though in later years she would get into the grunge movement — her first cassette tape was the Violent Femmes, and she enjoyed Nirvana and the Cranberries — Michaelson attended college with dreams of appearing on Broadway. For a short time she toured with a national troupe, but after graduating from college and doing a couple shows, she got turned off by the process.

“I couldn’t take it,” she says. “It was too hard. So I just started writing music and the music thing seemed to fit better.”

It was then that she began composing the songs that would make it on to her “Girls and Boys” album, an album she released on her own Cabin 24 Records. Like any aspiring, entrepreneurial artist, Michaelson also put up a MySpace Web site.

“You had to have it as a musician,” she says. “You have to have a MySpace page and I just figured better to do it then not do it. The idea wasn’t that one person would hear it and put me on a commercial, the idea over time was to build a fan base.

The music caught the ears of a TV music supervisor in the fall of 2006 and Michaelson unexpectedly got the call that would put her on the music map. The music supervisor from “Grey’s Anatomy” wanted to use her song “Breakable” in an upcoming episode. By the end of the 2006-07 TV season, Grey’s had used four of Michaelson’s songs, including her dramatic “Keep Breathing,” which was chosen for the climax of the show’s heralded season finale.

“I knew they had great music placement and I really wanted to get my songs heard by them,” she says. “It was pretty awesome that it ended up happening.”

Then last fall, her infectious little “The Way I Am” became yet another sensation when Old Navy used it in its ad campaign to advertise a new sweater line. Michaelson admits she had reservations at first and worried her expanding fan base might think she was selling out. Those fears never materialized.

“I didn’t really know what it was going to entail so I was like, ‘sure you can use it,’ ” she says. “I didn’t know it was going to be as big as it was.”

The recognition was instant and people started paying attention. “Girls and Boys” cracked the Billboard Top 200 for the first time, even claiming the No. 1 spots on both the Heatseeker and Alternative New Artist Album charts. She had the No. 2 pop album, No. 11 overall album, No. 3 pop song, and No. 4 song overall on iTunes — milestones previously unheard of for an indie release.

Now, you might wonder if playing the hand-clappy sweater song night after night has worn it thin, but Michaelson gives no indication of that.

“I know the audience really enjoys it,” she says. “We play the same songs every night but the audiences are different, so they make it feel different. If I was playing that song every day by myself, then yeah. But it’s not about you anymore and every night I feed off it.”

“The Way I Am,” Michaelson says, was written on a day while she was feeling down and she started thinking about “the whole idea of finding somebody who was going to love you no matter what,” she says. “It came from that sentiment really. It wasn’t too specific.”

And that’s the charm of her aptly titled “Girls and Boys.” While the disc is filled with songs about love and relationships, the tunes are built on catchy, simple and singable lyrics layered with luscious harmonies. On “The Hat” — which begins with a meandering melody and morphs into the most irresistibly catchy song on the album — she sings about a blue and gold hat she knitted but didn’t fit a love interest. Few of the songs run much longer than three minutes.

“I like just to write about the bare bones of a situation,” she says. “The most important parts are the foundation. I try to not really get too tied up in it or too wordy. I like keeping it short and sweet.”

Michaelson says she’s not sure if she’ll soon sign with a major label, but she won’t close the door on it, either. Clearly, she’s happy with where she’s standing, no matter how unpredictable things can be in her business. She’s writing and recording new material.

“Hopefully everything else will fall in to place,” she says. “That’s all I can really hope for.”

Here's another good read about her from MTV.

Sweet music

I’ve been looking forward to writing this post for weeks …

There’s a new Weepies album out.

And it blew my expectations away. As if the husband-wife folk music duo of Steve Tannen and Deb Talan hasn’t made enough beautiful music to fill a lifetime, they’ve gone out and done it again with the dreamy “Hideaway.”

You could say The Weepies have been the soundtrack for us over the last year or so. I fell hard for them the first moment I heard their amazingly soothing harmonies and melodies last year, and I immediately turned Kates on to them. And then I went on a crusade to introduce them to anyone else who was willing to listen.

We’ve been playing them constantly over the last several months, and they helped make our long, cold winter so much more bearable …

And perhaps one of the coolest memories I’ll take away from Phoebe’s birth is the comments we drew with The Weepies playing in our hospital room. It was something Kates told me she wanted when she went into labor, so shortly after we arrived in our hospital room that Friday evening the iPod got plugged in and The Weepies were turned on. We had their music looping for the entire night and into the morning … And we turned the whole birthing staff onto them, too. Every time a new nurse came into our room that night, questions were asked about the music we were playing. And later, when the anesthesiologist arrived to administer Kates’s epidural, the nurse was giving him the whole giddy schpeel about the music, before he could ask about it …

Needless to say, this new album was hugely anticipated in our household this spring. The only other times I’ve looked so forward to an artist releasing new material is with Ben Folds, and that’s pretty huge considering my music interests and how long it takes me sometimes to warm up to a new artist or album …

Thanks to a couple Paste previews, I’d been listening to the title track and “Antarctica” over and over for weeks … Initially, I was a little surprised at “Hideaway,” which is a little more electrically-charged than their previous, more acoustic stuff. But like The Weepies of the previous two albums, the tune is so simple, catchy and singable, I couldn’t get it out of my head. “Antarctica,” too, is constructed of such a sweet -- and surprising -- melody that I started to believe I might be in for a real treat with the new album …

On April 22 it arrived. And I was propelled into bliss …

Indeed, the album is a little more electric and darker than their previous two releases, but it’s hardly a downfall. This album takes on a fuller sound that’s worth taking along …

The first two tracks, the twinkling “Can’t Go Back Now” and the celestial “Orbiting,” along with the title track, are easily my early favorites on the new album. The Weepies’ relatable and sincere lyrics are in “Can’t Go Back” as Tannen sings, “You know there will be days when you’re so tired that you can’t take another step / The night will have no stars and you’ll think you’ve gone as far as you will ever get.“ Then, on “Orbiting,” Talan takes the lead vocals on what might be the sweetest-sounding chorus, though the song is heartache-driven lyrically.

Still, there‘s a lot of good stuff beyond the first three tracks, too. “Not Dead Yet” is an upbeat standout. While the title says it all in “Just Blue” and “How You Survived the War” -- both songs are about loneliness, melancholy days and trying to move on when things aren’t going exactly your way …

“All Good Things,” a song on which The Weepies collaborated with Mandy Moore (a nice alternate version with Mandy singing lead appears on her “Wild Hope” album) also is a pleasant addition to the album.

The album ends appropriately with “All This Beauty,” a feel-good, upbeat gem that includes horns and sings “All this beauty / You might have to close your eyes / And slowly open wide.”

It describes my sentiments on The Weepies perfectly.

* * *

I’ve had quite a few listens now of one my other new favorite albums: Ingrid Michaelson’s “Girls and Boys.” … It took me far too long to get a hold of this one, but I finally did last week. Much like Regina Spektor and A Fine Frenzy, all I needed was to hear Michaelson’s sweet voice sailing lightly over the pianos and acoustic guitars and I was hooked. “The Way I Am” is a song I may never get sick of hearing, and “Breakable” and “The Hat” rank right up there …

* * *

I got the new Counting Crows a couple weeks ago too, thanks to my friend Raechel … Honestly, though, I had a better time hearing the new stuff live. “Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings” is good, but I don't think it measures up to the earlier stuff. Like I said, sometimes it takes me awhile up to warm up to a new album … I’m hoping that’s the case here.

* * *

One of my favorite actor / musician blogs to read is the Mates of State "Band on the Diaper Run" about touring with their kids. (Other good blogs: Zach Braff, and Jenna Fischer …)

I don't read them often, but it's fun checking in every once in awhile when I think of it. So I was on a little Mates of State kick the other night and I logged on. Good stuff, as usual … For a good chuckle, check out Kori’s post about their daughter’s love affair with Feist’s “1-2-3-4.” (Every time I think about or hear the song, I have to mention the Letterman performance, which by the way, featured the Mates singing background …So good!) ... Magnolia's multiple personalities is a good one too.