Variety is the Spice of Life???

So today...I went in to work, determined to be in a good mood.  It has been a rough few weeks, and I thought we needed a change in pace.

It was a pretty crazy day, which meant that I was not at my desk as much as I needed, or wanted.  The reason I wish I was there more, is because when I am, I get to listen to music.  Generally, I put my iPhone on shuffle and see what comes up.  At this moment, I have just over 700 songs on there.  I wish it were more, I just don't have room at this time.

For the first time, I decided to track what came up, and listen to whatever came up.  It was a pretty interesting list.

See You Again – Pat McGee

Almost Everything – Wakey!Wakey!

I’m Like a Lawyer With the Way I’m Always Trying to Get You Off – Fall Out Boy

West Coast Smoker – Fall Out Boy

I’m Not That Girl – Wicked

Sincerely, Me – Better than Ezra

Cold or Bold – Patrick McAloon

Dreams – Brandi Carlile

One Foot – Fun.

27 – Fall Out Boy

Rise (The Dog Barks) – Ryan Cabrera

Down – Mat Kearney

She Got the Honey – Mat Kearney

What a Catch, Donnie – Fall Out Boy

Benson Hedges – Fun.

Don’t Stay – Laura Izibor

Sad Song – Christina Perri

Lover of the Light – Mumford & Sons

The Morrow – Brandi Carlile

Girl that you Love – Panic! At the Disco

Wishing He was Dead – The Like

Anna – The Honey Brothers

The Medicine – Keaton Simons

Why When Love is Gone – The Like

Release – Pat McGee

Compliment – Collective Soul

The Clock – Alex Mendenall

Nicotine – Panic! At the Disco

Square Peg Round Hole – Wakey!Wakey!

Shadow of a Doubt – Down the Line

Death and All His Friend – Coldplay

Ok It’s Alright with Me - Eric Hutchinson

It Hadn’t been Long Enough - Eric Hutchinson

Rollin’ Home – Tyler Hilton

Pass the Time – Justin Stover

Honestly, I'm a little surprised at what the list ended up containing.  It did not have near as much Tyler Hilton as I expected, it had way more Eric Hutchison (only cause I only have a few songs), not enough Indigo Girls or Todd Carey.

As you peruse the list, you see that overall, I tend to listen to fairly mellow stuff - singer/songwriter, heavily male, some fairly obscure stuff, a lot of popular stuff.  And throw in a mix including some more rock such as Fall Out Boy and some Broadway with the Wicked soundtrack.  It was an interesting day.

I will say, listening to the awesome music helped to keep me in a good mood all day. I recommend you give it a try one day.

I think for my song of the day, I will - obviously - go for something on the list.  In honor of the upcoming blog on the rest of my concert experience, I am going with Patrick McAloon (guitarist for The Pat McGee Band).

So I give you...Cold or Bold by Patrick McAloon

Lots of Hugs...NBD

I know, random start. :)

So, Saturday night.  Epic.  Simply epic.

Lainie and I headed out to see an artist that I started listening to sometime in the past year, and an artist that I first saw in 2007.  We met up with a new friend, Beth, that we met through other concerts we have attended.

The venue - unmatched.
Keaton Simons - unrivaled guitar work.
Pat McGee - remarkable band

We were at Seven Steps Up.  It is billed as a listening room.  After a series of concerts in venues that include hearing other acts through the walls, annoying people yelling throughout, and more - it was an extremely nice change in pace.

 Yep, there are couches.  That's where we happened to be sitting.

It is only 110 seats, drink service during the show, amazing acoustics, great prices, what more can you ask for?!?

So we get there early, not sure of what to expect, as none of us have been there before, order drinks, and just hang out.  We got to visit with the owners, as well.

It gets to be time for the show to start, so we take our seats.  Then we see Keaton Simons head out towards the stage.  Then he heads back towards us.  Turns out he knows the table sitting directly in front of us, and takes the time to greet us.  Yep, we got hugs from Keaton Simons...no big deal. ;)

So, side note.  I hate live cd's.  Really, truly hate them.  I find that live cd's have too much crowd noise, no way to appreciate the music, all together a lousy quality about them.  Remember that.

Back to what I was saying.....

Then the show starts.  Having never see Keaton live before, it was amazing.  Check out the pics and videos...trust me....the videos are worth your time.

Isn't his guitar playing just amazing!!!!

All too soon, Keaton was done.  But wait...he was to be back....

And yep, we got more hugs after the set.  N.B.D.

After that set, I knew I needed more Keaton Simons music.  I already owned Beautiful Pain - which is amazing.  For sale was also his live cd.  Now I have told you how I feel about live music.  This was another story.  I now knew just how amazing his guitar playing was, and how much more goes into the live version versus the recorded.  The live cd had to happen.  And it did not disappoint.

Below is the live version of Ordinary Words.  It is worth a listen.  If nothing else, put it on in the background.  If you aren't amazed, I am sorry....  I could not have EVER asked for more out of this show...except for maybe another couple of hours :)

I vs Me vs We

Yep, I've been absent again.  Sorry bout that.

Lots of thoughts running through my head lately.  To the point that I have been struggling to actually make a coherent sentence with them.  Let alone music to match my mood.  Nothing is more frustrating for me than when I can't find a song to express what I am feeling and thinking.

But here goes an attempt.

I have been thinking about the word "I" a lot.

First.  Have you ever noticed that we are quite the conceited beings?  No matter the situation, no matter the questions, the first thing that everyone thinks is - How is this going to affect me?  We then will turn to our family, our friends, our world, strangers, and everyone else.  But our instinct is always to worry about ourselves first.

Second.  For those who don't know me well, a little background is necessary here.  I have a Masters degree in Social Work.  So I have had quite a bit of education on counseling, communication, etc.  Because of this, my brain tends to work a little differently.  As I was thinking about how we are always concerned with ourselves first, I turned to the other side of using "I".  When in an honest conversation, it is really important to us "I" statements.  That way, you aren't accusing the person you are talking to of having feelings, thoughts, etc., that maybe they aren't experiencing.  For example, saying I felt angry versus you made me mad.

So here I am, trying to merge these two very different ideas.  One where I feel like we need to cut back on thinking about ourselves and one where we need to use I more often.  And yep, didn't get too far.  I think it boils down to the intention behind it.  Is the intention to help those around us, or to care only about ourselves?

I'm not saying that we can't ever think about ourselves, I'm not saying that we don't have a right to worry about what happens to our immediate life amongst everything else.  I'm just saying that maybe we need to try and move outside of ourselves.  Maybe we need to think about others first, then take our preference into account.  Or...maybe we just need to try it once in a while.  It is not exactly an easy change to make.  Each day, choose one decision, one situation, one opportunity to think outside of ourselves and maybe we can be just a little better.

Wow.  Sorry for the ramblings.

In other news, it has been a crazy couple of weeks.  Spent some time on the other side of the state to celebrate a friends birthday, and lots of time busy getting back into the fall swing of things.  Even though I am not in school, the school year always has tons more stuff going on.  And for fun we have also had Oktoberfest and Art Prize.  Oh, yeah, and last night was an AMAZING show.  Pics and video are coming.

 The birthday boy :)

 What birthday party is complete without a little 8 vs 1 Trivial Pursuit?!?

 Chocolate cake for breakfast

 Mmmm....Oktoberfest

ArtPrize time!!!

The winning quilt

And so, with all the crazy thoughts, all the busyness, all the randomness, I have a phenomenal song for you.  And it works well since the artist is one that I saw last night.

I give you - "Beautiful Pain" by Keaton Simons

Summer is over?

Really?  Where did it go?  As is typical, I made plans...and by that, I mean tons and tons of plans for this summer.  Beach trips, amusement parks, concerts, bike rides, and more.  I think we accomplished about 10% of what was planned.

Life just gets in the way.  I'm not so sure that's a bad thing.  Would I like to have a summer that I can go where I want, see what I want, do what I want, without worrying about work, money, time.... Of course I would.  But that just isn't practical.  While I love these adventures and I love being busy with fun stuff, I believe that who we are is more formed by our every day life.  We are more influenced by those that we see every day, by what we do day in and day out, by what we experience all the time, yet may appear new, than we are by those times when we are out of our element. 

When we are in a new situation, with new people, it is pretty easy to be good.  To give the best side of yourself for a night or a day, that isn't tough.  The people that we are with every day, are the ones who see who we really are.  They see us without a facade.  They know us for the good and the bad, the days when we are able to show the side that we want the world to see, the side that we want to be the true us, and then there are the days when we are the worst version of ourself, no matter how hard we try.

But once in a while, we do need to indulge.  We need to have those adventures.  We need to experience new things, new people, new places...and of course, new music!

Summer may be over, but that doesn't mean that I am going to stop planning.  I'm not going to stop overplanning, either.  I don't think I would be me, if I did that. 

Yet, in honor of summer, what almost feels like a lost summer, check out this song.  "Last Hurrah" by Scott Porter.  He was a find on Twitter, and I love his music.

I hope you enjoy!

Thanks for the Memories

Memories.  It's something that I talk quite a bit about.  I'm sure you've also noticed that I love to have pictures and videos of everything.  These two items are very related.  I tend to have a terrible memory.  I mean it, it is awful.  Day to day is just fine, but ask me about past birthdays, events, etc, and I will have no clue.  Therefore, I like pictures and videos.  They allow me to trigger those buried memories.

I hope to never lose the memories that I have of these concerts I have been going to.  I am rarely happier than when I am at wonderful live music, so why would I want to forget it?  I'm sure seeing these pictures don't excite you as they do me, so thanks for putting up with it.

So...back to the concert.

I told you that I would talk about the lovely women who photobombed us.  Not sure how to say this politely.  Let's go with...they were....rude.  They were the kind of people who do not stop talking, ever.  They didn't even stop talking during most of the music.  They were louder than twenty one pilots.  And that takes some effort.  But nonetheless, they are part of the memories.  It reminds me why I tend to prefer smaller venues.  When it is a smaller venue, people are less likely to scream throughout a show.

Fall Out Boy was amazing.  Really, they were.  The energy, the quality, the show.  It was awesome.  I have loved their music for quite some time, but until seeing them live, I didn't truly understand how amazing of musicians that they are.  Many rock and punk bands hide behind loud music and bright lights.  Not Fall Out Boy.  They have quality musicians.  Just watch the show, watch their guitar and drum work.  And especially, watch the acoustic video.  I'm sure you will agree.

So, enjoy my memories.  Enjoy the pictures, enjoy the videos, enjoy a glimpse into an amazing night.

A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More "Touch Me"

 
Alone Together

 

Before they would perform the next song, they insisted that the whole stadium do "The Wave", then came the classic....Sugar, We're Going Down!!!

Check out the giant balloons!!!

 With the FOB logo on them

Brendon from Panic! joined FOB on stage

 
I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off - Acoustic Version...who knew they rocked as acoustic?!?!?

 The acoustic stage was set up in the middle of the pit


 
Dance, Dance 

 
Save Rock and Roll...gotta love the encore! 

So...my song for this day is Thanks for the Memories by Fall Out Boy.  This was performed at the show, but I didn't catch any video of it.  So here is a video of Patrick with an acoustic version.

 

Close the Door?

"Haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn door?"

That would be a lyric from one of my favorite songs of all time.  "I Write Sins not Tragedies" by Panic! At the Disco.

This song came out in 2005.  I was in college and/or grad school at the time.  It was radio popular, it was a little outside the realm of what I normally listened to, and it was darn catchy.

There is quite the truth within that song.  It talks of deceit, honesty, and how to deal with these things.  In a sticky situation, there are only so many options of how to deal with things.  You can be honest, meaning brutally honest, you can find a strange middle ground with no actual truths, or you can shut your mouth.  I'm not sure that there is an actual right answer as it usually depends on the situation.  I am also willing to bet that everyone else, like me, has chosen all of these options at one point in time or another.

My mind got to thinking about these things as I remembered the first two acts at the concert I went to on Saturday.  Twenty One Pilots opened, followed by Panic! At the Disco.  It was, simply put, a darn good show.  I wish our seats had been closer, but next time they will be!

So now I sit here, on a Monday night, contemplating life, truth, and how we all get into ugly situations, despite our best efforts.  Tonight...I have no answers.  I have no great revelations.  So please, enjoy the limited picks and the awesome videos.

And if you get the chance, check out the music by these artists, and even better, get out and see them in concert.  It is well worth your time.

Stories about the lovely ladies behind us are still to come

View without zoom

twenty one pilots on stage

  

Guns for Hands

Almost time for Panic! (I waited years to see them!)

I hate the blurriness when zooming in far...but not too many options

The Ballad of Mona Lisa

Nine in the Afternoon

I Write Sins Not Tragedies

Home Again?

This weekend was another one for the memories.  Saturday was darn close to perfect.  But I will talk more about that in my next post.

I was driving home last night, after a long but wonderful day.  And I was listening to music by some of my favorite artists.

And low and behold, a song came on that made me think. (I know you're shocked!)

"Long Way Home" by Dan Godlin.

If you haven't heard of him, check him out.  Trust me, well worth your time!

But back to my point.  We can never go home again.  We are unable to go back to what life was like.  We cannot take back what has happened in the past.  But I'm not sure this is a bad thing.

Our mistakes and our pasts make us who we are.  Without them, we wouldn't learn the valuable lessons that they teach us. 

I'm not saying that these mistakes aren't painful.  I'm not saying that we can't have regrets.  I'm not saying that we can't remember things longingly at times.  What I'm saying is that we can't go back and shouldn't wish we could.  I know that there are times in my life that I wish I had done things differently.  There are times that I should have made a different choice.

But here I am.  I am the person those decisions have formed, good or bad.  So I keep taking a step forward.  Every day I try to do a little bit better.   I look back on my past with both smiles and tears.  I look back in order to try and see the future more clearly.  I dream of what tomorrow may bring, and then, with all my might, I try to live in today.  We can dwell in the past, we can live for tomorrow.  But the past is dead and gone - the future is not a guarantee - so why do anything besides put most of our focus on today.  I'm not someone who says we shouln't plan for tomorrow, just as I don't say to never look backwards.  I'm just saying that we need to remember that today is here.  Let's enjoy it.

Maybe Dan Godlin is right.  It is such a long way home from here.  But the question is.  What is your "home"?  Is it a place of peace with your family and friends, is it a promotion at work, is it finding fulfillment where you never expected it?  Whatever it is, it may appear to be a long way off.  But remember, each day, you can find your home just where you are.  You can strive for contentment with what and who you have, or you can strive to make a change.  As I said.  We can't go backwards, we can't change the past.  So please, don't make your home your past.  Make it your now and your future.  For it is all we have.

Now I give you "Long Way Home" by Dan Godlin

These are the lyrics to Dan's song (at least I hope I got them all correct!).  Enjoy the music.

I wish you could read my mind

Cause I can’t mastermind the breakout

I’ve been locked inside of life

Scared to roll the dice on you

I’m the stranger in the crowd

No one like me around to talk to

No entry on the side

No exit I can find

For me

Are we leaving our best behind?

I’ll never know, but I gotta go

Leaving to redesign

The story to be told

It’s such a long way home from here

Walking the miles we lost last year

Counting the promises and tears

It’s such a long way home

It’s a long way from here

I wish I could lift the weight of the choices that I made about us

All the voices in my head, the echo in the things you said

There’s no credible defense from the emptiness that rents this heartache

Just a groom without a bride

A train without a track to ride

Are we leaving our best behind?

I’ll never know, but I gotta go

Leaving to redesign

The story to be told

It’s such a long way home, from here

Walking the miles we lost last year

Counting the promises and tears

It’s such a long way home, it’s a long way from here

It’s a fire that won’t burn out

It’s a time you can’t turn around

We can never go back, we can never go back again

It’s a princess without a crown

It’s an army of soldiers in a no war town

We can never go back, we can never go back again

It’s such a long way home from here

Walking the miles we lost last year

Counting the promises and tears

It’s such a long way home, it’s a long way from here

It’s such a long way home, it’s a long way from here