Well, this is pretty cool ...
I was working late Friday night when I noticed several tweets referencing John Mayer performing "American Pie" on the Late Show with David Letterman. And the reviews were positive.
So tonight, Kates and I were catching up on TV and knocking things off our DVR when I cued up Mayer's performance.
The chills started running up and down my spine the moment he started in on this classic, and the feeling continued almost non-stop as Mayer pushed through every verse.
Enjoy.
Showing posts with label John Mayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Mayer. Show all posts
7.07.2009
Michael remembered
And now Michael Jackson rests -- sort of.
Kates and I just finished watching the Michael Jackson memorial service. Soaked it in from start to finish …
I had started watching some of the early coverage this morning on the Internet at the office. Then, having worked some extra time yesterday, I hastily finished my work and managed to squeak out of the office a little after 12. I drove home -- interestingly, to “Billie Jean” which was playing on a radio station -- and settled in to watch the rest of the service on television. I knew this memorial service had all the makings of something historic and I wasn’t going to miss it …
John Mayer, for his masterful guitar solo of “Human Nature,” and Jermaine Jackson, for his touching rendition of “Smile,” stand out as my favorite performances of the tribute. Usher’s tearful “Gone Too Soon” also pulled at the heartstrings.
By the time the Jackson family, friends, performers and speakers gathered on the Staples Center stage for the finale, the memorable moments were too many to count … Berry Gordy calling Jackson “the greatest entertainer that ever lived.” Magic Johnson recalling a dinner meeting during which Jackson feasted on Kentucky Fried Chicken. Smokey Robinson talking about the first time he heard Michael sing his song. Brooke Shield’s tales of their young friendship. And young Paris’s heart-wrenching moments of trying to describe how much she’ll miss her daddy.
These last two weeks have marked the end of an era for a generation. The passing of an icon. Again today, as we watched Jackson’s memorial from our living room, the world seemed to stop … I read a tweet from a local entertainment writer who noted he found something like 22 different television stations carrying live coverage of the memorial.
As some of the commentators noted, it was a fitting tribute that was respectful, joyous, at times political and sometimes humorous, but never over-the-top. With appearances from Mariah Carey to Kobe Bryant, it was a star-studded achievement that promoters aptly pulled off quickly and without a hitch.
More memories to let settle.
Update 07.08.2009: Some good reads ...
a Growing Up Under a Lover's Spell
a Deification of Jackson as creepy as he was
Kates and I just finished watching the Michael Jackson memorial service. Soaked it in from start to finish …
I had started watching some of the early coverage this morning on the Internet at the office. Then, having worked some extra time yesterday, I hastily finished my work and managed to squeak out of the office a little after 12. I drove home -- interestingly, to “Billie Jean” which was playing on a radio station -- and settled in to watch the rest of the service on television. I knew this memorial service had all the makings of something historic and I wasn’t going to miss it …
John Mayer, for his masterful guitar solo of “Human Nature,” and Jermaine Jackson, for his touching rendition of “Smile,” stand out as my favorite performances of the tribute. Usher’s tearful “Gone Too Soon” also pulled at the heartstrings.
By the time the Jackson family, friends, performers and speakers gathered on the Staples Center stage for the finale, the memorable moments were too many to count … Berry Gordy calling Jackson “the greatest entertainer that ever lived.” Magic Johnson recalling a dinner meeting during which Jackson feasted on Kentucky Fried Chicken. Smokey Robinson talking about the first time he heard Michael sing his song. Brooke Shield’s tales of their young friendship. And young Paris’s heart-wrenching moments of trying to describe how much she’ll miss her daddy.
These last two weeks have marked the end of an era for a generation. The passing of an icon. Again today, as we watched Jackson’s memorial from our living room, the world seemed to stop … I read a tweet from a local entertainment writer who noted he found something like 22 different television stations carrying live coverage of the memorial.
As some of the commentators noted, it was a fitting tribute that was respectful, joyous, at times political and sometimes humorous, but never over-the-top. With appearances from Mariah Carey to Kobe Bryant, it was a star-studded achievement that promoters aptly pulled off quickly and without a hitch.
More memories to let settle.
Update 07.08.2009: Some good reads ...
a Growing Up Under a Lover's Spell
a Deification of Jackson as creepy as he was
2.08.2009
Live on Grammy night!
It’s 8:20 p.m. … We've just filled our bellies with bowls of Chilli while watching tonight’s “60 Minutes” featuring Katie Couric's interview with Capt. Sullenberger and his crew. (A-maz-ing story …). Now, Kates is putting Phoebe to bed …
And I’m tuning into the Grammys. What else would I possibly be doing tonight? …
I’m starting it an hour and 20 minutes late, but watching it from the beginning thanks to the wonder of DVR …
Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” has been playing all day in my head, and it‘s actually growing on me. Gee, you think she’s going to be appearing anything tonight?
8:23 p.m. … U2 is opening with “Get On Your Boots.” Great stuff, they’re rocking it …
8:24 p.m. … Oh my gosh. Whitney Houston actually looks … healthy! … And she’s showing some leg, too … Acknowledging Clive Davis, blah, blah, blah, get on with it … And Jennifer Hudson gets Best R&B Album. Darn, I was sort of rooting for Boyz II Men. A moving acceptance for Hudson though …
8:29 p.m. … The Rock reciting the lyrics to “I Kissed a Girl.” Ha-larious …
8:33 p.m. … Al Green with Boyz II Men! … Nice … Unfortunately Justin Timberlake is trying to upstage them all. Typical. Step back Justin. … The Boyz are barely doing anything. Is it me or is this dragging already? …
8:38 p.m. … Bring on the Coldplay … Chris Martin going solo on the piano with “Lost.” Beautiful … Oh, and Jay-Z with the rap!! Awesome … And bring in the band for “Viva La Vida.” Now we’re rocking!! … Meanwhile, Kates’s is analyzing how Martin is dressed. I don’t care, honey, I’m just interested in the music.
8:45 p.m. … Carrie Underwood’s on now … I’m not sure I like what she’s wearing … And there’s something going on with the sound. Distorted, maybe? Not liking it. … Carrie’s acting like she doesn’t know what to do with herself surrounded by all of those guitarists.
8:48 p.m. … Sheryl Crow and LeAnne Rimes. Now that’s a good-looking pair. Liking their dresses … They’re presenting Best Country Performance by a Duo/Group: Oh! Lady Antebellum!?! … Doh! It goes to Sugarland. Dang.
8:53 … Song of the Year … This is a doozy! I love them all!!! … Coldplay wins. Aw yeah! I love that album.
8:56 … Kid Rock is on …Ugh. … Ok, he’s playing “Amen.” Decent song. … Now Kid’s doing “All Summer Long.” I hate that it’s a total rip-off of “Werewolves of London” and “Sweet Home Alabama,” and I hate that I like it … Third song, I have no idea what it is …
9:01 p.m. … And here’s Taylor … With Miley Cyrus!?! Aye … Aye … My ears! … Aye! Somebody tell them to go back to singing to the stuffed animals in their bedrooms!!
9:05 p.m. … Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals … For me it’s “No Air,” hands down … Nope, it’s Allison Krauss and Robert Plant. They win every time …
9:07 p.m. … Jennifer Hudson’s performing now … Not interested. I’m checking my e-mail and Facebook.
9:17 p.m. … The Jonas Brothers with Stevie Wonder, huh? … I really, really want to like it, but it’s not working for me. The Jonas’s are too whiny … Ok, here we go!! Stevie’s doing “Superstition.” … I think one of the Jonas boys just messed up the lyrics. Funny! … Remember when I saw Stevie last summer? That was a good time.
9:22 p.m. … Blink 182?! Where did they pull them from? … They’re presenting Best Rock Album. My bet’s on Coldplay, easily … Coldplay! Yes!! Did I mention how much I love that album?
9:26 p.m. … Hey, it’s Craig Ferguson. He’s a funny, funny guy … And bring on Katy Perry for “I Kissed a Girl.” Arguably the most anticipated performance of the night -- And she’s being dropped on the stage in a banana. Not phallic at all. … You know, I could hardly stand this song the first couple times I heard it. Now, I love it. Seeing Katy perform it on New Year’s Eve and again now, I think she’s got some pretty good performing chops.
9:31 p.m. … Kanye and Estelle! Yeah! “American Boy!” … Great, great song! … And whoah, Kanye, going all Miami Vice on us! He also looks like he’s singing into a flashlight with that red microphone.
9:34 p.m. … Best New Artist. Big category, and another doozy! … It’s Adele! Yes!! … I thought for sure it was going to Duffy, which wouldn’t have been bad either. I also would have accepted Lady Antebellum. I would’ve screamed if it was the Jonas Brothers. … Great speech, Adele!
9:37 p.m. … Kenny Chesney’s performing … Checking e-mail again.
9:41 p.m. … Record of the Year. … Please not “Bleeding Love!” … Seriously. Robert Plant and Allison Krauss win everything. Aye.
9:47 p.m. … Now the rappers are on. So not a fan, though I respect the talent that’s on the stage right now -- pregnant M.I.A., Kanye’s ’80s hair and all.
9:51 p.m. … Ah, the charming and beautiful Kate Beckinsale -- entering to, yes, Coldplay. … (She says M.I.A. was due today!? Holy crap.) … Oh, she’s introducing The Beatles tribute! I’m so excited too, Kate!! … HERE WE GO!!! … “Saw Her Standing There,” Great! opener!! … Kates and I were just reminiscing about how we thought this song belonged to Tiffany. Crazy ’80s. … That’s it!?! One song, really!? That was a letdown.
9:58 p.m. … Best Male Pop Vocals … Calling for Jason Mraz!?! … John Mayer’s “Say”!?! What!?! Blah. I think it’s one of the worst songs John Mayer has done.
10:05 p.m. … Sugarland couldn’t finish their performance fast enough. Bring on Adele! … “Chasing Pavements” sounds wonderful as expected. Loving the strings!
10:08 p.m. … There’s Gwenyth! Kates and I were debating whether she was there tonight … Introducing Radiohead, aw yeah. Another one of my favorite albums of the year. … Awesome percussion, sweet guitar, and brass too!! Wow. What a band! … THAT was quite possibly my favorite performance of the night.
10:13 p.m. … Justin Timberlake. Eh ... I’m getting tired and starting to lose interest now.
10:19 p.m. … Why, I had NO IDEA that Barack Obama was a Grammy winner. Sweet!! … A Secretary of the Arts cabinet position sounds like a great idea …
10:22 p.m. … Four Tops tribute with Smokey Robinson, Ne-Yo and Jamie Foxx. Nice … Aw, there’s Jordin Sparks next to Paul McCartney! Lucky girl!!
10:27 p.m. … Josh Groban introducing none other than Neil Diamond … “Sweet Caroline!” Liking it!! … Love that the crowd’s into it!! This is biggest smile I’ve been wearing all night.
10:35 p.m. … REALLY liking the Bo Diddley tribute. John Mayer, B.B. King and a country singer whose name I don’t know (They all look the same to me, but I think this one's Chesney). Another awesome collection of talent.
10:42 p.m. … Liking the New Orleans tribute too. Alan Toussaint is super talented. … But seriously, let’s get to Album of the Year and get out of here …
10:46 p.m. … So happy to see Zooey Deschanel … introducing Robert Plant and Allison Krauss. Ugh.
10:50 p.m. … Ok, really liking Plant and Krauss on “Gone Gone Gone” right now!
10:51 p.m. … Finally! Album of the Year … Better be Coldplay … Or Radiohead … No!!!!!!! It’s Robert Plant and Allison Krauss. Everything! Aye.
Time for bed.
Nope, Kates just reminded me I have to do dishes …
Then, it’s time for bed.
And I’m tuning into the Grammys. What else would I possibly be doing tonight? …
I’m starting it an hour and 20 minutes late, but watching it from the beginning thanks to the wonder of DVR …
Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” has been playing all day in my head, and it‘s actually growing on me. Gee, you think she’s going to be appearing anything tonight?
8:23 p.m. … U2 is opening with “Get On Your Boots.” Great stuff, they’re rocking it …
8:24 p.m. … Oh my gosh. Whitney Houston actually looks … healthy! … And she’s showing some leg, too … Acknowledging Clive Davis, blah, blah, blah, get on with it … And Jennifer Hudson gets Best R&B Album. Darn, I was sort of rooting for Boyz II Men. A moving acceptance for Hudson though …
8:29 p.m. … The Rock reciting the lyrics to “I Kissed a Girl.” Ha-larious …
8:33 p.m. … Al Green with Boyz II Men! … Nice … Unfortunately Justin Timberlake is trying to upstage them all. Typical. Step back Justin. … The Boyz are barely doing anything. Is it me or is this dragging already? …
8:38 p.m. … Bring on the Coldplay … Chris Martin going solo on the piano with “Lost.” Beautiful … Oh, and Jay-Z with the rap!! Awesome … And bring in the band for “Viva La Vida.” Now we’re rocking!! … Meanwhile, Kates’s is analyzing how Martin is dressed. I don’t care, honey, I’m just interested in the music.
8:45 p.m. … Carrie Underwood’s on now … I’m not sure I like what she’s wearing … And there’s something going on with the sound. Distorted, maybe? Not liking it. … Carrie’s acting like she doesn’t know what to do with herself surrounded by all of those guitarists.
8:48 p.m. … Sheryl Crow and LeAnne Rimes. Now that’s a good-looking pair. Liking their dresses … They’re presenting Best Country Performance by a Duo/Group: Oh! Lady Antebellum!?! … Doh! It goes to Sugarland. Dang.
8:53 … Song of the Year … This is a doozy! I love them all!!! … Coldplay wins. Aw yeah! I love that album.
8:56 … Kid Rock is on …Ugh. … Ok, he’s playing “Amen.” Decent song. … Now Kid’s doing “All Summer Long.” I hate that it’s a total rip-off of “Werewolves of London” and “Sweet Home Alabama,” and I hate that I like it … Third song, I have no idea what it is …
9:01 p.m. … And here’s Taylor … With Miley Cyrus!?! Aye … Aye … My ears! … Aye! Somebody tell them to go back to singing to the stuffed animals in their bedrooms!!
9:05 p.m. … Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals … For me it’s “No Air,” hands down … Nope, it’s Allison Krauss and Robert Plant. They win every time …
9:07 p.m. … Jennifer Hudson’s performing now … Not interested. I’m checking my e-mail and Facebook.
9:17 p.m. … The Jonas Brothers with Stevie Wonder, huh? … I really, really want to like it, but it’s not working for me. The Jonas’s are too whiny … Ok, here we go!! Stevie’s doing “Superstition.” … I think one of the Jonas boys just messed up the lyrics. Funny! … Remember when I saw Stevie last summer? That was a good time.
9:22 p.m. … Blink 182?! Where did they pull them from? … They’re presenting Best Rock Album. My bet’s on Coldplay, easily … Coldplay! Yes!! Did I mention how much I love that album?
9:26 p.m. … Hey, it’s Craig Ferguson. He’s a funny, funny guy … And bring on Katy Perry for “I Kissed a Girl.” Arguably the most anticipated performance of the night -- And she’s being dropped on the stage in a banana. Not phallic at all. … You know, I could hardly stand this song the first couple times I heard it. Now, I love it. Seeing Katy perform it on New Year’s Eve and again now, I think she’s got some pretty good performing chops.
9:31 p.m. … Kanye and Estelle! Yeah! “American Boy!” … Great, great song! … And whoah, Kanye, going all Miami Vice on us! He also looks like he’s singing into a flashlight with that red microphone.
9:34 p.m. … Best New Artist. Big category, and another doozy! … It’s Adele! Yes!! … I thought for sure it was going to Duffy, which wouldn’t have been bad either. I also would have accepted Lady Antebellum. I would’ve screamed if it was the Jonas Brothers. … Great speech, Adele!
9:37 p.m. … Kenny Chesney’s performing … Checking e-mail again.
9:41 p.m. … Record of the Year. … Please not “Bleeding Love!” … Seriously. Robert Plant and Allison Krauss win everything. Aye.
9:47 p.m. … Now the rappers are on. So not a fan, though I respect the talent that’s on the stage right now -- pregnant M.I.A., Kanye’s ’80s hair and all.
9:51 p.m. … Ah, the charming and beautiful Kate Beckinsale -- entering to, yes, Coldplay. … (She says M.I.A. was due today!? Holy crap.) … Oh, she’s introducing The Beatles tribute! I’m so excited too, Kate!! … HERE WE GO!!! … “Saw Her Standing There,” Great! opener!! … Kates and I were just reminiscing about how we thought this song belonged to Tiffany. Crazy ’80s. … That’s it!?! One song, really!? That was a letdown.
9:58 p.m. … Best Male Pop Vocals … Calling for Jason Mraz!?! … John Mayer’s “Say”!?! What!?! Blah. I think it’s one of the worst songs John Mayer has done.
10:05 p.m. … Sugarland couldn’t finish their performance fast enough. Bring on Adele! … “Chasing Pavements” sounds wonderful as expected. Loving the strings!
10:08 p.m. … There’s Gwenyth! Kates and I were debating whether she was there tonight … Introducing Radiohead, aw yeah. Another one of my favorite albums of the year. … Awesome percussion, sweet guitar, and brass too!! Wow. What a band! … THAT was quite possibly my favorite performance of the night.
10:13 p.m. … Justin Timberlake. Eh ... I’m getting tired and starting to lose interest now.
10:19 p.m. … Why, I had NO IDEA that Barack Obama was a Grammy winner. Sweet!! … A Secretary of the Arts cabinet position sounds like a great idea …
10:22 p.m. … Four Tops tribute with Smokey Robinson, Ne-Yo and Jamie Foxx. Nice … Aw, there’s Jordin Sparks next to Paul McCartney! Lucky girl!!
10:27 p.m. … Josh Groban introducing none other than Neil Diamond … “Sweet Caroline!” Liking it!! … Love that the crowd’s into it!! This is biggest smile I’ve been wearing all night.
10:35 p.m. … REALLY liking the Bo Diddley tribute. John Mayer, B.B. King and a country singer whose name I don’t know (They all look the same to me, but I think this one's Chesney). Another awesome collection of talent.
10:42 p.m. … Liking the New Orleans tribute too. Alan Toussaint is super talented. … But seriously, let’s get to Album of the Year and get out of here …
10:46 p.m. … So happy to see Zooey Deschanel … introducing Robert Plant and Allison Krauss. Ugh.
10:50 p.m. … Ok, really liking Plant and Krauss on “Gone Gone Gone” right now!
10:51 p.m. … Finally! Album of the Year … Better be Coldplay … Or Radiohead … No!!!!!!! It’s Robert Plant and Allison Krauss. Everything! Aye.
Time for bed.
Nope, Kates just reminded me I have to do dishes …
Then, it’s time for bed.
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
Disc Two
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
- Thirty-Something Main Theme … It is a quintessential theme for adulthood, and I think it’s one of the sweetest instrumentals ever composed.
- 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.
- 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.
- Sweet Thing (Van Morrison) … Had to get a Van Morrison song on the list. And “Sweet Thing” is a sweet song.
- I Will (The Beatles) … Simple, sweet melody. And it’s The Beatles.
- 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.
- 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.)
- Windmills (Toad the Wet Sprocket) … Another old-school favorite of mine that’s perfect for mellowing out …
- Homebird (Foy Vance) … Much of this song’s beauty lies in its sound. (Hear it here.)
- ‘Til Kingdom Comes (Coldplay) ... "For you, I've waited all these years / For you, I'd wait 'til kingdom come."
- Ice Cream (Sarah McLachlan) … Another longtime favorite.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.)
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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.
- 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)
- All Through The Night (Shawn Colvin) ... A beautiful, prayerful lullabye
- Lullaby (Dixie Chicks) … This one is heart-achingly beautiful.
Disc Two
- 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.
- Everything (Michael Buble) … A recent hit, this song was another one of those that would’ve made our Soundtrack for the Last Nine Months.
- Song For You Far Away (James Taylor) … I had to get some James Taylor in there, and this was the one to get in.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.)
- Sunrise (Norah Jones) … Sunrise, sunrise / Looks like mornin' in your eyes (Hear it here.)
- 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.
- Somebody Loved (The Weepies) … Sun turns the evening to rose / Stars turning high up above / You turn me into somebody loved
- Blackbird (Sarah McLachlan) ... It's Sarah McLachlan's angelic voice on one of the most beautiful Beatles songs around.
- 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.
- All the Pretty Li’l Horses (Shawn Colvin) ... Hush-a-bye / Don't you cry / Go to sleep, my little baby.
- 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.)
- 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.)
- 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.)
- 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
- 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.)
- Stars (The Weepies) … A dreamy, good lullabye. (Hear it here.)
- What A Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong) ... A classic that needs no explanation. (A nice clip here.)
- 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.
- 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.)
7.08.2007
Summerfest '07: The End
All of my Summerfest '07 posts...
a Day 1
a Day 2
a Day 3
a Day 4
a Day 5
... No Summerfest tonight.
... Kates and I were up at 6:30 this morning and on the road by 7:30, trekking to join my extended family for 'lil Owen's baptism ... Wonderful service. Owen was cute and did well. We celebrated at the house afterward. Caught up on life. And it was good ...
We were on our way home by 2 ... and thoughts of sneaking in one more night of Summerfest were filling my mind ...
I still had a couple tickets left over, and I thought it would be cool to be there once more on closing night. Blue October was playing at the U.S. Cellular stage at 10 and I was interested in seeing them ...
I think more than anything I just wanted one more giant Summerfest cup of Mountain Dew and the perfect amount of ice ...
On the other side, it was really hot. And having to drive up to the Park N' Ride and catch yet another bus to Summerfest didn't really excite me. Same for the crowds and for the notion of another night of minimal sleep ...
(I am really dragging after all. I tried driving home this afternoon, but a third of the way into the drive I had to pull over and switch with Kates out of fear I was going to crash the car. She took over driving and I slept the rest of the ride home ...)
... I was still trying to decide whether I wanted to go right up until 7 p.m., and for a time Kates was going to go with me ... but we stepped back to reality and decided to stay home instead, cooking a pizza and watching Friends DVDs, thus easing the soul with some good laughs ...
And so it ends. Summerfest 2007, the 40th Anniversary celebration turns into a memory now. And a fine memory it will be ...
So too ends, the best 11 days I've had in a long, long, long time. Easily the best 11 days to start a new year of birth ... Lots of Summerfest, with Nostalgia Fest, a good night of baseball and Fourth of July on the beach mixed in -- nice.
My mourning period will last a few days. But don't worry I'll be OK ...
... This year, I made it to five of the 11 nights and saw a total of 17 bands -- give or take one or two, it was hard to keep track ... and from Headlights last Friday night to Scythian on Saturday, there hasn't been a year where I've had such a good time seeing the no-name/up-and-coming/pre-headliner bands ... Every night was better than the one before ...
... Above all, if you asked me to name my top four bands/musicians right now -- I’d give you Ben Folds, The Shins, Fleetwood Mac and Guster. And here I sit, having seen three of them (Lindsey Buckingham, of course, representing the Fleetwood Mac aspect) in a week's span -- I think that’s pretty darn special …
(For the record, I tried to come up with an even five for my top bands, but among the next bands I thought of -- Beach Boys, Chicago, Matchbox Twenty, Mute Math -- it was too hard to pick just one, and even then, none of them have garnered the consistent play over the last several months as my top four … )
... Actually the reminiscing began a few days ago already as I started searching YouTube for some videos from this year's Summerfest ... So here I give you some of my findings, representing a few of my favorite moments from this year's Summerfest ...
The first is a video of Lindsey Buckingham performing "Big Love" last Saturday night. The visual on it sucks, but the audio does the job ...
This one, although not from Summerfest, is of Lindsey doing "Never Going Back Again." According to the tag, this video was actually shot a few months ago in New York. But his performance at Summerfest was almost identical to this one, so here you go ...
Here's a short clip of Ben Folds doing the "Such Great Heights" cover ... man, I wish the whole thing was here! ...
... And here's a clip of the A-MAZ-ing synthesizer solo that he played at the end of "Such Great Heights" ...
Thankfully, there's a lot more of John Mayer's show. Like my favorite of the night, "Waiting On The World To Change" ...
... "Bigger Than My Body."
And "Your Body Is A Wonderland" (yeah, the crowd was this loud almost all night ...)
And of course, it wouldn't be worth remembering Summerfest without people dancing on picnic tables. This video apparently was taken last night as me and a few hundred others were waiting to see Guster ...
Summerfest reads ... cleaning out my Google alerts about all things Summerfest ...
a Heat doesn't stop the beat
a Keeping a clean smile
a Milwaukee Talks: Summerfest Chairman Howard Schnoll
a Trains, planes and guided missiles at the lake
a Summerfest grounds may get makeover
a Is this Summerfest or Oktoberfest?
a Carlin's naughty words still ring in officer's ears
a Roads traveled: 40 years of Summerfest
a Summerfest TV documentary blends history with reminiscences ... I watched this documentary. I didn't think it was that good; it didn't tell me a whole lot I didn't already know and the production quality was lacking, if not cheesy ...
a Festival shook off dust, mud to put smile on summer
a jsonline's Summerfest page
a Day 1
a Day 2
a Day 3
a Day 4
a Day 5
... No Summerfest tonight.
... Kates and I were up at 6:30 this morning and on the road by 7:30, trekking to join my extended family for 'lil Owen's baptism ... Wonderful service. Owen was cute and did well. We celebrated at the house afterward. Caught up on life. And it was good ...
We were on our way home by 2 ... and thoughts of sneaking in one more night of Summerfest were filling my mind ...
I still had a couple tickets left over, and I thought it would be cool to be there once more on closing night. Blue October was playing at the U.S. Cellular stage at 10 and I was interested in seeing them ...
I think more than anything I just wanted one more giant Summerfest cup of Mountain Dew and the perfect amount of ice ...
On the other side, it was really hot. And having to drive up to the Park N' Ride and catch yet another bus to Summerfest didn't really excite me. Same for the crowds and for the notion of another night of minimal sleep ...
(I am really dragging after all. I tried driving home this afternoon, but a third of the way into the drive I had to pull over and switch with Kates out of fear I was going to crash the car. She took over driving and I slept the rest of the ride home ...)
... I was still trying to decide whether I wanted to go right up until 7 p.m., and for a time Kates was going to go with me ... but we stepped back to reality and decided to stay home instead, cooking a pizza and watching Friends DVDs, thus easing the soul with some good laughs ...
And so it ends. Summerfest 2007, the 40th Anniversary celebration turns into a memory now. And a fine memory it will be ...
So too ends, the best 11 days I've had in a long, long, long time. Easily the best 11 days to start a new year of birth ... Lots of Summerfest, with Nostalgia Fest, a good night of baseball and Fourth of July on the beach mixed in -- nice.
My mourning period will last a few days. But don't worry I'll be OK ...
... This year, I made it to five of the 11 nights and saw a total of 17 bands -- give or take one or two, it was hard to keep track ... and from Headlights last Friday night to Scythian on Saturday, there hasn't been a year where I've had such a good time seeing the no-name/up-and-coming/pre-headliner bands ... Every night was better than the one before ...
... Above all, if you asked me to name my top four bands/musicians right now -- I’d give you Ben Folds, The Shins, Fleetwood Mac and Guster. And here I sit, having seen three of them (Lindsey Buckingham, of course, representing the Fleetwood Mac aspect) in a week's span -- I think that’s pretty darn special …
(For the record, I tried to come up with an even five for my top bands, but among the next bands I thought of -- Beach Boys, Chicago, Matchbox Twenty, Mute Math -- it was too hard to pick just one, and even then, none of them have garnered the consistent play over the last several months as my top four … )
... Actually the reminiscing began a few days ago already as I started searching YouTube for some videos from this year's Summerfest ... So here I give you some of my findings, representing a few of my favorite moments from this year's Summerfest ...
The first is a video of Lindsey Buckingham performing "Big Love" last Saturday night. The visual on it sucks, but the audio does the job ...
This one, although not from Summerfest, is of Lindsey doing "Never Going Back Again." According to the tag, this video was actually shot a few months ago in New York. But his performance at Summerfest was almost identical to this one, so here you go ...
Here's a short clip of Ben Folds doing the "Such Great Heights" cover ... man, I wish the whole thing was here! ...
... And here's a clip of the A-MAZ-ing synthesizer solo that he played at the end of "Such Great Heights" ...
Thankfully, there's a lot more of John Mayer's show. Like my favorite of the night, "Waiting On The World To Change" ...
... "Bigger Than My Body."
And "Your Body Is A Wonderland" (yeah, the crowd was this loud almost all night ...)
And of course, it wouldn't be worth remembering Summerfest without people dancing on picnic tables. This video apparently was taken last night as me and a few hundred others were waiting to see Guster ...
Summerfest reads ... cleaning out my Google alerts about all things Summerfest ...
a Heat doesn't stop the beat
a Keeping a clean smile
a Milwaukee Talks: Summerfest Chairman Howard Schnoll
a Trains, planes and guided missiles at the lake
a Summerfest grounds may get makeover
a Is this Summerfest or Oktoberfest?
a Carlin's naughty words still ring in officer's ears
a Roads traveled: 40 years of Summerfest
a Summerfest TV documentary blends history with reminiscences ... I watched this documentary. I didn't think it was that good; it didn't tell me a whole lot I didn't already know and the production quality was lacking, if not cheesy ...
a Festival shook off dust, mud to put smile on summer
a jsonline's Summerfest page
7.04.2007
Summerfest '07: Day 3
... Remember that hard slide into second base I mentioned last night? Yeah. I felt it went I got up yesterday morning ... My left ankle felt like someone had driven a stake right through the right side of it. I could barely walk. Kates had to help just with getting to the couch -- and there she made me sit the rest of the morning with my ankle hopped up on pillows and wrapped in ice ...
I had taken the day off from work today, but this wasn't exactly what I had in mind ...
... For a little bit there, I was scared enough and I was in enough pain that I thought I was going to have to pay the doctor a visit ...
... Thankfully, by the afternoon I was able to start putting pressure on it and walk it off ...
... and by 5 p.m., I was tying up my shoes and Kates and I were heading to Summerfest! for Ben Folds and John Mayer, baby!
... Talk about a double-bill. Any reference to John Mayer these days goes to his "guitar-god" status (see Rolling Stone). And Ben Folds is a piano-god in his own right ...
* * *
We arrived at the grounds within the hour and began scouting the offerings for another Summerfest supper. This time I went with a turkey wrap from McGillycuddy's while Kates went to the Chipotle stand. Crowds steamed past and into Marcus Amphitheater for the show while we settled at a picnic table to eat. Then we started making our way into the theater a little before 7 p.m. ...
Now, last night was my ninth team seeing Ben Folds. My second time seeing John Mayer. But it was my first time seeing a show inside the Marcus ... great facility. We sat in section 4, just to the right of the stage and underneath the roof. If my counting was right we were about 45 rows back from the stage, offering us a great view, though at times it seemed further than it actually was -- kinda weird ...
The show wasn't supposed to start until 7:30, but already the first act, Brett Dennen, was taking the stage as we were sitting down at 7 p.m.; the place was barely a third full ... As for his performance, his lyrics were muddled and hard to understand, but I liked his positive vibe and sunny guitar pop songs; they seemed perfect for the summer concert atmosphere … Dennen played for a half hour. Among his songs were “The One You Love The Most” and “When You Feel It,” his upbeat final number that won over the fans, judging by the loud cheers he received.
* * *
... And then came the time Kates and I had been waiting for -- Ben Folds. If there was any downfall to the performance, it was that we've seen the guy so may times, we almost know exactly what to expect; we sort of take it all for granted. Still, I get a smile on my face every time -- there's something special about seeing him perform and I try to absorb every performance as though it might be my last ...
He went on at about 7:45 p.m. and didn’t disappoint, providing the die-hard fans like me with an array of songs that spanned his career and the five full-length studio albums he’s made both with Ben Folds Five and as a solo artist.
Folds was front and center on his grand piano and he was joined on stage, as usual, by a bassist and drummer. He wasted no time plowing into the pounding “Gone,” and then! he pulled out “Theme from ‘Dr Pyser’ ” -- a song that had been an exciting staple of Folds' early shows with the Five (video here!) -- that was a treat to hear it again live!
Folds played for an hour, and afterward Kates and I agreed, it was as if he was determined to get through as many tunes as he could, hastily bopping through several numbers. Almost all the songs were played noticeably faster than the recordings we were used to hearing. But the rapid-fire pace only enhanced the performance, and Folds' catchy, smart-alecky songs. On a few tunes, Folds even pulled out a pair of bright green maracas, playing his piano with one hand and shaking the maracas with the other.
We also noticed it was easy for us to pick out the die-hard fans sprinkled throughout the amphitheater -- (One guy had on a T-shirt that read “I (heart)’d Ben Folds before he sucked!” Nice! I can relate to that one! ) -- because they were the ones paying attention and hanging on to Folds' every word. Then there were those who didn’t even realize Folds was playing -- like the girl nursing a Miller Lite a few rows in front of us who spent more time with her back to the stage, looking at everyone in the lawn seats. Or the girl who spent almost the entire Ben Folds show clicking through pictures of what appeared to be last weekend’s house party on her digital camera. Or the young couple in front of us who spent more time making out. Why do these people even bother spending the money when they could be doing the same thing at some corner bar?
Given the seemingly lack of people paying attention to Folds, it was a little surprising that when he did “Army,” Folds didn’t bother teaching the song's backing horn melodies to the crowd, but the crowd picked them up and sang them out just fine.
He followed it with one of my favorites "All U Can Eat" (which he introduced as a song he wrote when he was thinking about pieces of things and he was talking with his dad at Denny’s), than a fast-paced "Kate," "Bastard," (with a nice piano jam and some tight harmonies), a sped up "Underground" (another oldie but a goodie I didn't expect to hear from his Ben Folds Five days ... he introduced it with a bit of classical piano playing and then a few bars of “Stairway to Heaven” ... )
Next up was "Landed," and then, probably the most anticipated song of the night -- Ben Folds' cover of the Postal Service's “Such Great Heights,” a number he just recently added to his repertoire (Watch him perform the song on YouTube!). The song sounds like a tough one to play, but Folds makes it look so easy, and then he topped it with a crowd-raising synthesizer solo ...
Again, he wasted no time in between songs and went right into "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces." Then he prepared the audience for "The Ascent of Stan," dividing us into three sections and teaching the song’s three-part backing harmony. But the crowd was weak singing the parts and it almost seemed as though Folds had to stop playing his piano sooner than he wanted to pick up and direct the crowd's singing ...
... His last song was "Narcolepsy," a thunderous epic that I've only been fond of when Folds performs it live.
... One of the funniest moments of the show, came just before "Narcolepsy" as Folds was showing off the synthesizer that had been sitting next to his piano all night. The guy was like an excited little kid describing the mind-numbingly low bass -- "This'll make you S*@# your pants," he said ... I'm laughing about it now, just hearing him say it again in my head…
Folds was done at 8:45 ... And it was at that point I realized I was right to follow my gut when Kates and I bought our tickets for the show. Despite the price, I reasoned we would be better off getting seats under the roof because we would be miserable if it rained -- which it's been known to do at Summerfest ... Turns out, there were severe storms Tuesday night. We were treated to quite the lightning show behind the Marcus and over the lake between bands. And then it started pouring just before John Mayer came on. Those pour souls up in the lawn seats could do nothing but huddle in their ponchos, while we stayed dry as a birds under a tree ...
* * *
... Call this cheesy, but it seemed fitting with all the lightning flashing around us, given the electrifying! performance John Mayer put on ...
Mayer took the stage at about 9:15 to piercing cheers and dove into “Belief,” an offering from his latest disc. He shouted a quick “Thank you, good evening!” to the crowd and then churned out the first of a half dozen big hits with his breakthrough “No Such Thing.” Loved it!
All night long, young girls swooned and the older fans bobbed their heads ... With a pair of rugs laid out on the stage and a set of lamps hanging overhead, Mayer played as though he was killing time in his living room and invited thousands of people to watch ... Mayer clearly is a more mature and seasoned performer now than the up-and-coming pop star Kates and I had seen perform at Carthage two or three years ago ...
He performed extended jams on “Good Love Is On The Way” and then “I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You),” which also included a nice trumpet solo ...
Then in between songs, Mayer mentioned he and his band don’t normally spend a lot of time in the places they visit “but last night we stayed at Sheboygan State Park!” As the crowd cheered, Kates and I looked each other with wide eyes and gave each other a high five -- I grew up going to that park with my family, and Kates and I will be heading there in a few weeks for a long weekend!
Next up were "Neon" (appropriately, neon lights flashed from the stage area; plus a drum solo by J.J. Johnson), "Dreaming With A Broken Heart" ( ... included beautiful piano intro) and "Waiting For the World to Change" -- which is easily my favorite John Mayer song to date, and it sounded even cooler and more fresh hearing it live last night!
By the time Mayer finished it, he had been playing for about 45 minutes. He paced around the stage for a few moments and leaned into the mic, saying something about the ratio of pop songs and then muttered “must jam more. Must jam more” …
And with that, he delved into a eight-minute jam session of "I Don't Need No Doctor" that changed tempos multiple times and featured Mayer taking solos along with his trumpet and sax players.
On the next song, “Why Georgia,” Mayer might have had the crowd at its loudest. As Mayer, who plays an array of colorful guitars throughout his shows, strapped on an acoustic, he was more than content letting the audience carry the song, singing “so what so I've got a smile on” at the top of their lungs.
Next up, "Vultures" featured another great sax solo, and that was followed with "Bigger Than My Body" ... and for a second during that song, I couldn’t help but zone in on Mayer, survey the singing crowd and think “This is where it's at!”
"Gravity," which was his last song before the encore, was arguably Mayer's best song of the night … Mayer gave it a sweet bluesy spin (as if the album version wasn't good enough already ...), and he had the crowd singing loudly again: “Gravity / Is working against me / and gravity / wants to bring me down.” It was packed with emotion packed and it too lasted about eight minutes ...
When Mayer came back to the stage for the encore, three stools were positioned at the front of the stage, which Mayer and his two guitarists took for an acoustic set …
They started it off with "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room." Then, Mayer took the mic and said, “I tend not to want to brag, but this next song night be the best song ever written.” Leaving no doubt as to what song it was (after all, it was about the only song he had yet to play ... ) Mayer went into an acoustic of "Your Body Is a Wonderland." … The crowd clapped with the beat, and I don't need to tell you how loud they sand on that one.
Finally, the band returned for one more song -- "I’m Gonna Find Another You" -- traded guitar solos and turning in one last long jam before calling it a night.
... The rain was still falling as we made our way out of the amphitheater. Earlier we had talked about trying to catch Lewis Black or Weird Al Yankovic (turns out Ben Folds went over to play with Weird Al ... and John Mayer had played with Buddy Guy!), who were playing at other stages on the grounds, but at 11:30 and under rain we decided it wasn't worth it ...
We were satisfied with what we got ...
Read Dave Tianen's review on jsonline.
I had taken the day off from work today, but this wasn't exactly what I had in mind ...
... For a little bit there, I was scared enough and I was in enough pain that I thought I was going to have to pay the doctor a visit ...
... Thankfully, by the afternoon I was able to start putting pressure on it and walk it off ...
... and by 5 p.m., I was tying up my shoes and Kates and I were heading to Summerfest! for Ben Folds and John Mayer, baby!
... Talk about a double-bill. Any reference to John Mayer these days goes to his "guitar-god" status (see Rolling Stone). And Ben Folds is a piano-god in his own right ...
* * *
We arrived at the grounds within the hour and began scouting the offerings for another Summerfest supper. This time I went with a turkey wrap from McGillycuddy's while Kates went to the Chipotle stand. Crowds steamed past and into Marcus Amphitheater for the show while we settled at a picnic table to eat. Then we started making our way into the theater a little before 7 p.m. ...
Now, last night was my ninth team seeing Ben Folds. My second time seeing John Mayer. But it was my first time seeing a show inside the Marcus ... great facility. We sat in section 4, just to the right of the stage and underneath the roof. If my counting was right we were about 45 rows back from the stage, offering us a great view, though at times it seemed further than it actually was -- kinda weird ...
The show wasn't supposed to start until 7:30, but already the first act, Brett Dennen, was taking the stage as we were sitting down at 7 p.m.; the place was barely a third full ... As for his performance, his lyrics were muddled and hard to understand, but I liked his positive vibe and sunny guitar pop songs; they seemed perfect for the summer concert atmosphere … Dennen played for a half hour. Among his songs were “The One You Love The Most” and “When You Feel It,” his upbeat final number that won over the fans, judging by the loud cheers he received.
* * *
... And then came the time Kates and I had been waiting for -- Ben Folds. If there was any downfall to the performance, it was that we've seen the guy so may times, we almost know exactly what to expect; we sort of take it all for granted. Still, I get a smile on my face every time -- there's something special about seeing him perform and I try to absorb every performance as though it might be my last ...
He went on at about 7:45 p.m. and didn’t disappoint, providing the die-hard fans like me with an array of songs that spanned his career and the five full-length studio albums he’s made both with Ben Folds Five and as a solo artist.
Folds was front and center on his grand piano and he was joined on stage, as usual, by a bassist and drummer. He wasted no time plowing into the pounding “Gone,” and then! he pulled out “Theme from ‘Dr Pyser’ ” -- a song that had been an exciting staple of Folds' early shows with the Five (video here!) -- that was a treat to hear it again live!Folds played for an hour, and afterward Kates and I agreed, it was as if he was determined to get through as many tunes as he could, hastily bopping through several numbers. Almost all the songs were played noticeably faster than the recordings we were used to hearing. But the rapid-fire pace only enhanced the performance, and Folds' catchy, smart-alecky songs. On a few tunes, Folds even pulled out a pair of bright green maracas, playing his piano with one hand and shaking the maracas with the other.
We also noticed it was easy for us to pick out the die-hard fans sprinkled throughout the amphitheater -- (One guy had on a T-shirt that read “I (heart)’d Ben Folds before he sucked!” Nice! I can relate to that one! ) -- because they were the ones paying attention and hanging on to Folds' every word. Then there were those who didn’t even realize Folds was playing -- like the girl nursing a Miller Lite a few rows in front of us who spent more time with her back to the stage, looking at everyone in the lawn seats. Or the girl who spent almost the entire Ben Folds show clicking through pictures of what appeared to be last weekend’s house party on her digital camera. Or the young couple in front of us who spent more time making out. Why do these people even bother spending the money when they could be doing the same thing at some corner bar?
Given the seemingly lack of people paying attention to Folds, it was a little surprising that when he did “Army,” Folds didn’t bother teaching the song's backing horn melodies to the crowd, but the crowd picked them up and sang them out just fine.
He followed it with one of my favorites "All U Can Eat" (which he introduced as a song he wrote when he was thinking about pieces of things and he was talking with his dad at Denny’s), than a fast-paced "Kate," "Bastard," (with a nice piano jam and some tight harmonies), a sped up "Underground" (another oldie but a goodie I didn't expect to hear from his Ben Folds Five days ... he introduced it with a bit of classical piano playing and then a few bars of “Stairway to Heaven” ... )
Next up was "Landed," and then, probably the most anticipated song of the night -- Ben Folds' cover of the Postal Service's “Such Great Heights,” a number he just recently added to his repertoire (Watch him perform the song on YouTube!). The song sounds like a tough one to play, but Folds makes it look so easy, and then he topped it with a crowd-raising synthesizer solo ...
Again, he wasted no time in between songs and went right into "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces." Then he prepared the audience for "The Ascent of Stan," dividing us into three sections and teaching the song’s three-part backing harmony. But the crowd was weak singing the parts and it almost seemed as though Folds had to stop playing his piano sooner than he wanted to pick up and direct the crowd's singing ...
... His last song was "Narcolepsy," a thunderous epic that I've only been fond of when Folds performs it live.
... One of the funniest moments of the show, came just before "Narcolepsy" as Folds was showing off the synthesizer that had been sitting next to his piano all night. The guy was like an excited little kid describing the mind-numbingly low bass -- "This'll make you S*@# your pants," he said ... I'm laughing about it now, just hearing him say it again in my head…
Folds was done at 8:45 ... And it was at that point I realized I was right to follow my gut when Kates and I bought our tickets for the show. Despite the price, I reasoned we would be better off getting seats under the roof because we would be miserable if it rained -- which it's been known to do at Summerfest ... Turns out, there were severe storms Tuesday night. We were treated to quite the lightning show behind the Marcus and over the lake between bands. And then it started pouring just before John Mayer came on. Those pour souls up in the lawn seats could do nothing but huddle in their ponchos, while we stayed dry as a birds under a tree ...
* * *
... Call this cheesy, but it seemed fitting with all the lightning flashing around us, given the electrifying! performance John Mayer put on ...
Mayer took the stage at about 9:15 to piercing cheers and dove into “Belief,” an offering from his latest disc. He shouted a quick “Thank you, good evening!” to the crowd and then churned out the first of a half dozen big hits with his breakthrough “No Such Thing.” Loved it!
All night long, young girls swooned and the older fans bobbed their heads ... With a pair of rugs laid out on the stage and a set of lamps hanging overhead, Mayer played as though he was killing time in his living room and invited thousands of people to watch ... Mayer clearly is a more mature and seasoned performer now than the up-and-coming pop star Kates and I had seen perform at Carthage two or three years ago ...
He performed extended jams on “Good Love Is On The Way” and then “I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You),” which also included a nice trumpet solo ...
Then in between songs, Mayer mentioned he and his band don’t normally spend a lot of time in the places they visit “but last night we stayed at Sheboygan State Park!” As the crowd cheered, Kates and I looked each other with wide eyes and gave each other a high five -- I grew up going to that park with my family, and Kates and I will be heading there in a few weeks for a long weekend!
Next up were "Neon" (appropriately, neon lights flashed from the stage area; plus a drum solo by J.J. Johnson), "Dreaming With A Broken Heart" ( ... included beautiful piano intro) and "Waiting For the World to Change" -- which is easily my favorite John Mayer song to date, and it sounded even cooler and more fresh hearing it live last night!
By the time Mayer finished it, he had been playing for about 45 minutes. He paced around the stage for a few moments and leaned into the mic, saying something about the ratio of pop songs and then muttered “must jam more. Must jam more” …
And with that, he delved into a eight-minute jam session of "I Don't Need No Doctor" that changed tempos multiple times and featured Mayer taking solos along with his trumpet and sax players.
On the next song, “Why Georgia,” Mayer might have had the crowd at its loudest. As Mayer, who plays an array of colorful guitars throughout his shows, strapped on an acoustic, he was more than content letting the audience carry the song, singing “so what so I've got a smile on” at the top of their lungs.Next up, "Vultures" featured another great sax solo, and that was followed with "Bigger Than My Body" ... and for a second during that song, I couldn’t help but zone in on Mayer, survey the singing crowd and think “This is where it's at!”"Gravity," which was his last song before the encore, was arguably Mayer's best song of the night … Mayer gave it a sweet bluesy spin (as if the album version wasn't good enough already ...), and he had the crowd singing loudly again: “Gravity / Is working against me / and gravity / wants to bring me down.” It was packed with emotion packed and it too lasted about eight minutes ...
When Mayer came back to the stage for the encore, three stools were positioned at the front of the stage, which Mayer and his two guitarists took for an acoustic set …
They started it off with "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room." Then, Mayer took the mic and said, “I tend not to want to brag, but this next song night be the best song ever written.” Leaving no doubt as to what song it was (after all, it was about the only song he had yet to play ... ) Mayer went into an acoustic of "Your Body Is a Wonderland." … The crowd clapped with the beat, and I don't need to tell you how loud they sand on that one.
Finally, the band returned for one more song -- "I’m Gonna Find Another You" -- traded guitar solos and turning in one last long jam before calling it a night.
... The rain was still falling as we made our way out of the amphitheater. Earlier we had talked about trying to catch Lewis Black or Weird Al Yankovic (turns out Ben Folds went over to play with Weird Al ... and John Mayer had played with Buddy Guy!), who were playing at other stages on the grounds, but at 11:30 and under rain we decided it wasn't worth it ...
We were satisfied with what we got ...
Read Dave Tianen's review on jsonline.
6.01.2007
Summerfest countdown!
Aw, the Summerfest schedule is set. 40th anniversary bash here we come!
Kates and I have long had our tickets for Ben Folds and John Mayer at the Marcus on July 3. It’ll be my ninth Ben Folds show (I think ... I'm beginning to lose count), my second for John Mayer, but a first for the Marcus …
Still the real fun, the essence of Summerfest is the ground stages, and I live for the days each spring when the schedules start seeping out. This year I found myself pulling for the Summerfest crew to reel in The Shins (whose album I'm still head over heels for ...), or Guster or Avril Lavigne (also still listening to a lot of her album ...) or even Mute Math. Some I got, others I didn't. Soon enough, the outlines began forming in my head. And eventually the picturer became clear ...
So without further ado my 2007 Summerfest to-do list…
I’m eyeing up O.A.R. on Friday, June 29 ... Saw them for the first time last year. Awesome! Fell in love with their sound and showmanship immediately. I’ve been dying to see them again. Passed on a chance to see them in Milwaukee last fall. But nothing should stop me from seeing them in a few weeks …
On Saturday, June 30, I’ll have to decide between Lindsey Buckingham or the Goo Goo Dolls. Given that I saw the Goo Goo Dolls last summer, and my fascination with Fleetwood Mac, I’ll probably end up at Lindsey Buckingham’s show …
I’ll have another decision to make on Sunday, July 1. Do I go to Summerfest and catch Sister Hazel, or do I stay closer to home and go to our city’s annual Independence Day celebration, where this year, Peter Noone and Barry Williams will be performing? That’s going to be a hard one -- I’ve already seen Sister Hazel twice, and though both shows were good, neither was so captivating that I’m yearning to see them again. Still, just being at Summerfest is enough of a pull for me … Then there’s Peter Noone, whom Kates and I had a blast seeing last February. Pack him with Barry Williams, aka Greg Brady (I’m a huge Brady Bunch fan …) performing at our lakefront park, and that might be enough to snag me … It might be a game-time decision …
I may take or leave Augustana on Friday, July 6. Same with Blue October on Sunday, July 8 …
The big one is going to be Saturday, July 7. Guster … Last year, you might remember, I also pegged Guster as my big one. And instead it was my big bomb. Things didn’t go off as planned that night, I spent much of it tying to locate a friend and by the time the Guster show started, I was so frustrated and fed up with the frat house crowd, I left for some of the other stages a few songs into Guster’s set …
Yet, in the past year, I’ve continued to adore their more recent albums. And in the months since last year‘s Summerfest, I’ve wanted so badly to be redeemed. I had an opportunity to see the Guster boys last fall when they hit Milwaukee again, but it didn’t work out for me to go. In the meantime, I held on to a flicker of hope that they’d be invited back to Summerfest, even while figuring it was a long shot. So, yeah, you can imagine my blissful excitement this spring when I discovered that Guster was indeed returning …
Yep. Summerfest. Bliss.
Kates and I have long had our tickets for Ben Folds and John Mayer at the Marcus on July 3. It’ll be my ninth Ben Folds show (I think ... I'm beginning to lose count), my second for John Mayer, but a first for the Marcus …
Still the real fun, the essence of Summerfest is the ground stages, and I live for the days each spring when the schedules start seeping out. This year I found myself pulling for the Summerfest crew to reel in The Shins (whose album I'm still head over heels for ...), or Guster or Avril Lavigne (also still listening to a lot of her album ...) or even Mute Math. Some I got, others I didn't. Soon enough, the outlines began forming in my head. And eventually the picturer became clear ...
So without further ado my 2007 Summerfest to-do list…
I’m eyeing up O.A.R. on Friday, June 29 ... Saw them for the first time last year. Awesome! Fell in love with their sound and showmanship immediately. I’ve been dying to see them again. Passed on a chance to see them in Milwaukee last fall. But nothing should stop me from seeing them in a few weeks …
On Saturday, June 30, I’ll have to decide between Lindsey Buckingham or the Goo Goo Dolls. Given that I saw the Goo Goo Dolls last summer, and my fascination with Fleetwood Mac, I’ll probably end up at Lindsey Buckingham’s show …
I’ll have another decision to make on Sunday, July 1. Do I go to Summerfest and catch Sister Hazel, or do I stay closer to home and go to our city’s annual Independence Day celebration, where this year, Peter Noone and Barry Williams will be performing? That’s going to be a hard one -- I’ve already seen Sister Hazel twice, and though both shows were good, neither was so captivating that I’m yearning to see them again. Still, just being at Summerfest is enough of a pull for me … Then there’s Peter Noone, whom Kates and I had a blast seeing last February. Pack him with Barry Williams, aka Greg Brady (I’m a huge Brady Bunch fan …) performing at our lakefront park, and that might be enough to snag me … It might be a game-time decision …
I may take or leave Augustana on Friday, July 6. Same with Blue October on Sunday, July 8 …
The big one is going to be Saturday, July 7. Guster … Last year, you might remember, I also pegged Guster as my big one. And instead it was my big bomb. Things didn’t go off as planned that night, I spent much of it tying to locate a friend and by the time the Guster show started, I was so frustrated and fed up with the frat house crowd, I left for some of the other stages a few songs into Guster’s set …
Yet, in the past year, I’ve continued to adore their more recent albums. And in the months since last year‘s Summerfest, I’ve wanted so badly to be redeemed. I had an opportunity to see the Guster boys last fall when they hit Milwaukee again, but it didn’t work out for me to go. In the meantime, I held on to a flicker of hope that they’d be invited back to Summerfest, even while figuring it was a long shot. So, yeah, you can imagine my blissful excitement this spring when I discovered that Guster was indeed returning …
Yep. Summerfest. Bliss.
3.24.2007
Bookin' for summer
Kates and I booked our first date for Summerfest date this morning ...
It was a no-brainer, really. July 3. Marcus Amphitheater. Ben Folds. John Mayer. And some guy named Brett Dennen.
Through my teens and before growing into such a connoisseur of concerts, I used to have a rule about paying no more than like $30 for a concert. Then that figure was pushed to $40 ... Yeah, that rule has gone waaaaaay by the wayside in the last year or two ...
Tickets for this show were $65.50 or $55.50 under the overhang, $43 for bleachers or $30.50 for lawn seating ... As content as I would have been with a lawn seat, I had to think about how important it was to have an enjoyable time at this show. Bleacher seats would be uncomfortable and there's always a chance of rain on at least a couple days of Summerfest. We've been caught in that situation a couple times and I would hate to be caught with a lawn seat at the Marcus on a stormy night ...
And I had to consider all of this in the three or so minutes Ticketmaster gives you to decipher those obscure security codes, punch in your mailing information and complete your purchase...
Oh, and don't even get me started on those stuuuuuupid, exorbitant, inconvenient convenience fees ... This time I even got charged for a building fee. A building fee?! I'm not building anything! The building is built!
The final total for two tickets? $132.30.
Ugh.
But when you adore Ben's music as much as I do, you just do it ...
When I broke the news to Kates about the final total this morning, she smiled and said simply, "Good thing I love you ... "
It was a no-brainer, really. July 3. Marcus Amphitheater. Ben Folds. John Mayer. And some guy named Brett Dennen.
Through my teens and before growing into such a connoisseur of concerts, I used to have a rule about paying no more than like $30 for a concert. Then that figure was pushed to $40 ... Yeah, that rule has gone waaaaaay by the wayside in the last year or two ...
Tickets for this show were $65.50 or $55.50 under the overhang, $43 for bleachers or $30.50 for lawn seating ... As content as I would have been with a lawn seat, I had to think about how important it was to have an enjoyable time at this show. Bleacher seats would be uncomfortable and there's always a chance of rain on at least a couple days of Summerfest. We've been caught in that situation a couple times and I would hate to be caught with a lawn seat at the Marcus on a stormy night ...
And I had to consider all of this in the three or so minutes Ticketmaster gives you to decipher those obscure security codes, punch in your mailing information and complete your purchase...
Oh, and don't even get me started on those stuuuuuupid, exorbitant, inconvenient convenience fees ... This time I even got charged for a building fee. A building fee?! I'm not building anything! The building is built!
The final total for two tickets? $132.30.
Ugh.
But when you adore Ben's music as much as I do, you just do it ...
When I broke the news to Kates about the final total this morning, she smiled and said simply, "Good thing I love you ... "
3.13.2007
SPRING had SPRUNG!
My apologies. There hasn’t been a lot of activity on this blog the last week or so. For good reason …
I had, oh, a not-so-great five days of work last week. And when I walked in the door at night, all my efforts were concentrated on our ongoing bathroom renovation and other chores around the house. And to incite me more, we were still getting snow on top of the piles of white stuff (or should I stay black, trash-filled stuff ) already covering our lawns and roads …
Ah, what a difference a weekend makes.
Mom and Pops spent the weekend catching up with Kates and I and helping us around the house. Dad and I installed our new sink in the bathroom. Mom made a splendid chilli for supper. And we watched A LOT of basketball. March Madness is here baby.
The doldrums of winter have finally lifted, and by the time Sunday night arrived, clocks reset and all, I sighed to Kates at one point, “I finally feel like I’m in a good place …”
The last drop of snow melted from our yard yesterday and I drove to work this morning under a bright sunny sky. Windows were rolled down. My new Shins CD playing on the car stereo …
And I was soaking in the knowledge that I would be coming home tonight to work in my yard, the NCAA Tournament starts Thursday, Opening Day will be here in 19 days, and Summerfest -- the 40th Anniversary edition -- which is 107 days away, is bringing back Ben Folds for a July 3 performance with John Mayer. (Kates called me this morning after hearing the announcement on the radio during her drive to work; it was a great moment).
Yep, the weather report today was 73 degrees and sunny in Chicago. Very sunny.
(Don't tell me about the forecast for the rest of the week. I know, I know ... Just let me bask in today ...)
I had, oh, a not-so-great five days of work last week. And when I walked in the door at night, all my efforts were concentrated on our ongoing bathroom renovation and other chores around the house. And to incite me more, we were still getting snow on top of the piles of white stuff (or should I stay black, trash-filled stuff ) already covering our lawns and roads …
Ah, what a difference a weekend makes.
Mom and Pops spent the weekend catching up with Kates and I and helping us around the house. Dad and I installed our new sink in the bathroom. Mom made a splendid chilli for supper. And we watched A LOT of basketball. March Madness is here baby.
The doldrums of winter have finally lifted, and by the time Sunday night arrived, clocks reset and all, I sighed to Kates at one point, “I finally feel like I’m in a good place …”
The last drop of snow melted from our yard yesterday and I drove to work this morning under a bright sunny sky. Windows were rolled down. My new Shins CD playing on the car stereo …
And I was soaking in the knowledge that I would be coming home tonight to work in my yard, the NCAA Tournament starts Thursday, Opening Day will be here in 19 days, and Summerfest -- the 40th Anniversary edition -- which is 107 days away, is bringing back Ben Folds for a July 3 performance with John Mayer. (Kates called me this morning after hearing the announcement on the radio during her drive to work; it was a great moment).
Yep, the weather report today was 73 degrees and sunny in Chicago. Very sunny.
(Don't tell me about the forecast for the rest of the week. I know, I know ... Just let me bask in today ...)
2.11.2007
Goodnight Grammys!
My thoughts on tonight’s Grammy’s as the events unfolded … As usual, uncut and off the top of my head …
… Ah, The Police … man, did they sound (and look!) good!! It’s as if they never broke up!! … Their performance of “Roxanne” was A-mazing, but I would’ve much rather preferred a mind-blowing medley that opened with “Roxanne,” then a blend into “Message In A Bottle,” and from there “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and then end it a with a bang on “Every Breath You Take.”
… The first award: Best Pop Compilation -- “For Once In My Life” (Tony Bennett & Stevie Wonder), “One” (Mary J. Blige & U2), “Always On Your Side” (Sheryl Crow & Sting), “Promiscuous” (Nelly Furtado & Timbaland), “Hips Don't Lie” (Shakira & Wyclef Jean) … Holy cow, this category is loaded!!! ….. All five of these are top-notch and deserving. But I was kind of rooting for the winner: Stevie Wonder & Tony Bennett …
… The Dixie Chicks!! What a performance!!!! … Holy cow, Natalie’s a brunette!! And she looks good!
… Hey, there’s Prince again. He’s been everywhere lately … Wasn’t he always a recluse??
… I’m so over Beyonce.
… I’ve even more over Justin Timberlake.
Ok, his performance was good -- except for that whole holding-a-camera-in-his-face thing… Was he really playing the piano??
… Stevie Wonder couldn’t have given a better introduction -- overjoyed!? I’ll say!! -- Corrine Bailey Rae/John Legend/John Mayer … wow. … Surely Corrine could’ve done the crowd better by performing “Put Your Records On” over “Like A Star.” … ooh, I like the Corrine’s and Mayer’s backing vocals to Legend’s lead … Seriously, Mayer?? “Gravity”?? … What’s with this slow stuff?? This is the Grammys!! Let’s have some excitement!! … I’m disappointed. But hey, Mayer can play that guitar!!
NICE!!!!!!! John Mayer just won for best Pop Album!!! … I thought for sure that one was going home with Justin Timberlake …
Seriously. Can Shakira do anything but shake her hips?? I’m so over her too …
It’s always good to see Burt Bacharach …
Yes. The Dixie Chicks won Song of the Year. I’m smiling from ear to ear. You go girls.
Hey! It’s Allyson Hannigan and Cobie Smulders!! … They’re so great!!
… Ok. Not at all liking Gnarls Barkley’s mash-up Army march version of “Crazy.” … But hey, that’s a sweet set with the band and background singers.
… I don’t care who gets to sing with Justin. I’m not voting’ …
… Wow. Mary J. Blige just gave the performance of her life … that was good stuff.
… The Dixie Chicks just won for best country album … Natalie’s “Simpsons” quote was shrewd and so HA-larious. Yep, a whole bunch of people probably just rolled their eyes and turned off their TVs …
… Rascal Flatts -- nice take on “Hotel California” … But seriously. Do they ever perform any original material?
Here we go best new artist!!! … CARRIE UNDERWOOD!?!?!?! … “This is absolutely unbelievable,” she says … I’LL SAY!!!!!!! (can you hear me groaning !?!?)
Smokie and Lionel might be getting older, but they can still do some smooth singin’ …
Chris Brown. Christina Aguilera. Yawn ... I’m starting to lose interest here.
Mary J. is performing again?? … She was great the first time, but did we really need to see her anymore tonight … this show’s really dragging now …
James Blunt’s performance was nice …
This girl singing with Justin Timberlake isn’t bad. I had my doubts about this whole “My Grammy Moment” thing, but the girl is holding her own, and gosh darn it, she’s having fun …
The Dixie Chicks won again!! Record of the Year!! Man. Good for them.
... Here we go with Album of the Year ... (I can’t believe Scarlett Johanssen is recording an album…. Seriously!?!) … The Dixie Chicks AGAIN!! … Wow. You gotta love ’em.
… Ah, The Police … man, did they sound (and look!) good!! It’s as if they never broke up!! … Their performance of “Roxanne” was A-mazing, but I would’ve much rather preferred a mind-blowing medley that opened with “Roxanne,” then a blend into “Message In A Bottle,” and from there “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and then end it a with a bang on “Every Breath You Take.”
… The first award: Best Pop Compilation -- “For Once In My Life” (Tony Bennett & Stevie Wonder), “One” (Mary J. Blige & U2), “Always On Your Side” (Sheryl Crow & Sting), “Promiscuous” (Nelly Furtado & Timbaland), “Hips Don't Lie” (Shakira & Wyclef Jean) … Holy cow, this category is loaded!!! ….. All five of these are top-notch and deserving. But I was kind of rooting for the winner: Stevie Wonder & Tony Bennett …
… The Dixie Chicks!! What a performance!!!! … Holy cow, Natalie’s a brunette!! And she looks good!
… Hey, there’s Prince again. He’s been everywhere lately … Wasn’t he always a recluse??
… I’m so over Beyonce.
… I’ve even more over Justin Timberlake.
Ok, his performance was good -- except for that whole holding-a-camera-in-his-face thing… Was he really playing the piano??
… Stevie Wonder couldn’t have given a better introduction -- overjoyed!? I’ll say!! -- Corrine Bailey Rae/John Legend/John Mayer … wow. … Surely Corrine could’ve done the crowd better by performing “Put Your Records On” over “Like A Star.” … ooh, I like the Corrine’s and Mayer’s backing vocals to Legend’s lead … Seriously, Mayer?? “Gravity”?? … What’s with this slow stuff?? This is the Grammys!! Let’s have some excitement!! … I’m disappointed. But hey, Mayer can play that guitar!!
NICE!!!!!!! John Mayer just won for best Pop Album!!! … I thought for sure that one was going home with Justin Timberlake …
Seriously. Can Shakira do anything but shake her hips?? I’m so over her too …
It’s always good to see Burt Bacharach …
Yes. The Dixie Chicks won Song of the Year. I’m smiling from ear to ear. You go girls.
Hey! It’s Allyson Hannigan and Cobie Smulders!! … They’re so great!!
… Ok. Not at all liking Gnarls Barkley’s mash-up Army march version of “Crazy.” … But hey, that’s a sweet set with the band and background singers.
… I don’t care who gets to sing with Justin. I’m not voting’ …
… Wow. Mary J. Blige just gave the performance of her life … that was good stuff.
… The Dixie Chicks just won for best country album … Natalie’s “Simpsons” quote was shrewd and so HA-larious. Yep, a whole bunch of people probably just rolled their eyes and turned off their TVs …
… Rascal Flatts -- nice take on “Hotel California” … But seriously. Do they ever perform any original material?
Here we go best new artist!!! … CARRIE UNDERWOOD!?!?!?! … “This is absolutely unbelievable,” she says … I’LL SAY!!!!!!! (can you hear me groaning !?!?)
Smokie and Lionel might be getting older, but they can still do some smooth singin’ …
Chris Brown. Christina Aguilera. Yawn ... I’m starting to lose interest here.
Mary J. is performing again?? … She was great the first time, but did we really need to see her anymore tonight … this show’s really dragging now …
James Blunt’s performance was nice …
This girl singing with Justin Timberlake isn’t bad. I had my doubts about this whole “My Grammy Moment” thing, but the girl is holding her own, and gosh darn it, she’s having fun …
The Dixie Chicks won again!! Record of the Year!! Man. Good for them.
... Here we go with Album of the Year ... (I can’t believe Scarlett Johanssen is recording an album…. Seriously!?!) … The Dixie Chicks AGAIN!! … Wow. You gotta love ’em.
10.01.2006
Good reads
Sometimes fun, mostly just interesting and insightful reads from the last week and beyond ...Cubs stuff...
a Why Cubs deep-sixed in '06
a Depression in a shade of Blue ... by buddy Matt (he's a Mets fan ...) sent me this one. If you're a Cubs fan you can relate ...
Baseball stuff...
a Absence of 20-game winners: emerging trend or statistical anomaly?
a Fun stats, facts enliven baseball
Baseball from The Onion ...
a Bud Selig Nervously Informs Ozzie Guillen That White Sox Aren't Making Playoffs
a Frank Thomas Credits Recent Power Surge To Steroids
a Trevor Hoffman: 'I Want To Be A Hall Of Famer Right Now'
Politics ...
a A textbook definition of cowardice ... Keith Olbermann comments on Bill Clinton's Fox News interview ... you hate to play the blame game with who was more responsible for not stopping the 9/11 attacks, but watching Bill Clinton lash out earlier this week was bliss ... ... and seriously. It was not an attack on journalists. Whah, whah, whah ...
Entertainment ...
a Absurd TV ... the things we hardly seem to notice about our favorite TV shows ...
a "Itsy Bitsy" mistake: Songwriter still alive ... oops! More proof that what goes around comes around ...
a The French and Germans have remade the BBC series. Why?
a He's just a Jersey Joe ... good stuff on Zach Braff.
a 'Cause I said so ... John Mayer’s musings
a 'Sunshine' star shines as a sweet kid
Other stuff ...
a These Badgers exhibit band loyalty ... undoubtedly one of the greatest marching bands in the world. The story of their boot camps and loyalty is legend ...
a Microsoft's Zune player to cost $249.99 ... I'm not buying it. The iPod rules the world. And don't even get me started on Microsoft software ...
9.17.2006
Sunday reading ...
Once again, ridding my desktop of interesting and intriguing reads I've collected ...
a Exile in Stonesville ... the best and worst of Oliver Stone ...
a Marketing 'World Trade Center' takes a special touch
a Windy City goes for the green
a 'Monday Night Football': My Good Snooze Spoiled ... I've long looooooved Tony Kornheiser's commentaries. Long before he even set foot on an ESPN set and he was still writing HA-larious Sunday Style columns for the Post. And I'm thrilled that he's part of the MNF team ...
a YouTube: You're in charge
a 50 years ago, Elvis shook us up
a In the Concert Hall, It Smells Like Tween Spirit
a Where there's smoke, there's soul ... good stuff about John Mayer ...
a A Measure of Change in the American Home
a Exile in Stonesville ... the best and worst of Oliver Stone ...
a Marketing 'World Trade Center' takes a special touch
a Windy City goes for the green
a 'Monday Night Football': My Good Snooze Spoiled ... I've long looooooved Tony Kornheiser's commentaries. Long before he even set foot on an ESPN set and he was still writing HA-larious Sunday Style columns for the Post. And I'm thrilled that he's part of the MNF team ...
a YouTube: You're in charge
a 50 years ago, Elvis shook us up
a In the Concert Hall, It Smells Like Tween Spirit
a Where there's smoke, there's soul ... good stuff about John Mayer ...
a A Measure of Change in the American Home
4.05.2006
John Mayer who?
… I fell in love with Teddy Geiger’s music the first time I heard him on the killed-off-way-too-early ‘Love Monkey.’ … And now I’ve fallen in love with his music all over again.… I got a copy of his new release “Underage Thinking” yesterday and popped it in the stereo tonight after work … I’m listening to it now for a second time.
Geiger inevitably will draw comparisons to John Mayer, but then again Mayer drew pretty heavy comparisons to Dave Matthews when he exploded onto the music scene in summer ‘02 … Nonetheless, Geiger’s release isn’t just for 16-year-old daughters, as one reviewer I read this week puts it. Instead, I find Geiger’s music even more edgy and rock-heavy than Mayer’s mainstream pop/rock releases (… unfortunately for fans like me, Mayer’s in blues-heavy lal-la land right now …). Plus, Geiger’s melodies seem even more fanciful and lush, in addition to a pleasant mix of piano and guitar ... Perfect for after a tiresome day of work.
The album opens with “These Walls” and a piano intro reminiscent of The Beatles’ ‘Let it Be.’ And then there’s the sweet, catchy chorus of a rockin’ second track ‘For You I Will.’ ... the album continues to evolve between smooth acoustic-like ballads, danceable pop songs and rockers. Also notable are the bouncy No. 9 track 'A Million Years' and the heartfelt last track, 'Love Is A Marathon.'
Yep. Teddy Geiger has arrived.
11.27.2005
Reads of the week
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