Yep, provocative title, I know, what about it? I find that if the world is just a gray area, there’s no auger for inspiration, debate, and meaningful exchange of ideas. So, I challenge you, the reader, to dispute my claim: Brian Wilson is the greatest American pop artist ever…period! Read on »
I am a musician, a dad, a songwriter, an employee, a fisherman, blah, blee, blum…you get it. But the one thing that I am not (yet) is a playwright, and that IS something I would like to be, whether my work ever gets realized on a stage or not. I once wrote 42 pages of something I was calling on the wings of a thumb but it was never finished and I am not at a place in life where I could finish that story…my mindset is too different now. But I am ever-on-the-alert to “THE story” that will make my inner playwright emerge again and take me to the finish line this time!
Movies, plays, and stories have really helped shape my view of the world and art and our/my relationship with both. There has always been an optimist and a pessimist (borderline cynic) inside of me dueling it out at every turn in life. Had I never watched Annie Hall by Woodie Allen I may have never been able to embrace this reality and go with it. If I had never read The Lord of the Rings I may have never realized just how important it is to hold on to what is good…and ultimately, what might happen if good “gave up.” In this installment I am going to focus on movies and which ones, in particular, were absolutely life changing for me. Mind you, this list could be drastically different a year from now…but I think this incarnation will stand the test of time as a snapshot with strength and vivid representation. Read on »
Been to many concerts? Have a few of them been life changing? Ever been in the front row when the band’s energy was up so high that the hair on your neck and arms stood up straight? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you are reading the right article! We all have our favorite albums, we all have our favorite songs, but a favorite concert is different. You were actually participating in what was going down, and that my friends, can be EPIC at times. Here are a few of my favorite shows, some recent, some not so much…
U2 at the Cow Palace 1987: Wow…great show! Their huge album “The Joshua Tree” was still all over the airwaves and they were starting to settle in for their tenure as “The World’s Biggest Band” and by that point they were definitely one of the best live bands on the arena circuit. I remember the “New Years Day” was really haunting, I was close to the stage by then…towards the end of the show. EPIC.
So yeah, maybe the last article (#6 keeping your ear fresh) reaffirmed some things you sort of already knew but sometimes we all need to hear someone else say it, right? Well, Google is great, Youtube is a very powerful tool, Grooveshark will get you to some deep cuts, Cable/Satellite stations will open up a genre for you, and chasing influences is a great way to give yourself a degree in musical history. But if all of these are a part of your daily routine, what else can a minstrel do to add some zest to his ballad? What can a crooner do to reinvigorate their bebop lullaby? You may need to go medieval on yourself!!! Here are a few things I do when I am experiencing a renewal period musically OR when I am deep in a rut and need to break it! Can’t wait to hear some of your ideas, please share and feel free to suggest topics you’d like to explore in the article. And be warned…Weekly Worthy #7 gets a little more “touchy-feely” than any of the previous Weekly Worthy’s!
It is no secret that if you have a question about your car, you need a recipe, or you are dying to hear a song you haven’t heard in ages; all of these can usually be handled and satisfied in a couple of keystrokes on the internet. I’ve noticed that with all forms of information so readily available that I, personally, get “satisfaction fatigue!” If that term has not been coined yet, it should be. Who would’ve ever thought that a person could get tired of getting exactly what they asked for? Here are a few things that I do that keep my musical ears “fresh,” some of them are intentional, some are just a natural part of the way I operate, maybe some of them will be of use to you guys. At the very least they’ll be interesting enough to get you to the end of the article. Please share and DON’T BE SHY!!!
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