Coldplay Concert Review & Set List Winnipeg MTS Centre

An Intro:

The day after we celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary - my Wendy & I had the amazing opportunity to see Coldplay in concert at the MTS Centre. This is my attempt at capturing what Wendy called the most entertaining concert she's ever been at and I'm willing to back her up on that. Coldplay is one of those bands that is getting better with age - I first was exposed to them with their Parachutes offering thanks to my cousin's hubby who has a similar taste in good music.

As a musician myself - I am quite picky with what music I purchase & consume but Coldplay fit easy into my music collection with its strong U2 influence, positive but reflective lyrics, great rhythm section, grooving bass lines, and layered, melodic guitar riffs - not to mention the emotive croonings of a lead singer by the name of Chris Martin!

The Review:

The show started out with a giant 10' orb which started to pulsate a deep blue glow - the band appeared on stage behind a shadow box type screen and ran across with sparklers - their first song began - the instrumental Life in Technicolor and then dived into the powerful Violet Hill.

This band knows how to transition & build their setlists. They had us as an audience right from the beginning and took us all the way to the encore - there wasn't really any time to get bored - they took their responsibility as musicians & entertainers seriously. As the setlist progressed - the lighting changed with the orb becoming a video screen, red laser lights pierced the darkness with the powerful song Clocks and suddenly the show's intensity increased. By In My Place the band was in top form - ready to take on the song that was their doorway to fame from the Parachute era - Yellow!

Suddenly giant yellow balloons filled with confetti entered the arena and the audience excitedly played a game of catch & throw with at least 20-25 of them - and the entire arena was lit up with golden lights.

Chris popped one of the final balloons with the head of his guitar at the end of the song - showering the front stage & first rows in confetti. The man knows how to smile & celebrate the gift of music!

The next song Glass of Water - the atmosphere again changed as 5 more video orbs were lowered from the lighting rig above the band. And the band kept chugging away into Cemeteries of London and then seamlessly transitioned into 42 with a retro black & white movie flickering screen as a background.

The song that makes every girl swoon Fix You started out with Chris Martin on a mournful organ - he knows how to play his keys on top of singing his heart out!

The audience was one with this song and was followed by the song Strawberry Swing which had everyone clapping in unison with the kick drum.

We had great seats for the show but were admittedly a little jealous of the other side of the arena - as the band walked over to a mini stage that was designed to look like a lit-up disco dance floor. And they started into one of my favorite songs God Put A Smile On My Face - only a more techno/disco version of the song. Not exactly an intimate rendition of the song but quasi-intimate if that makes any sense? They played a reworked version of Talk and then headed back to the main stage for a solo piano rendition of The Hardest Part - I think this song was more intimate & touching than Fix You.

Again the band is a marvel at transitions and they went big with the song Viva La Vida complete with Timpani - gotta love big drums! I'm a bass player so you know I love a good rhythm!This was followed by Lost! also a great song from their latest CD offering.

Now I wasn't expecting more intimacy at this point but suddenly all four members walked off the stage down the aisle and up the stairs to a hidden stage at the back of the arena and did an acoustic-y version of Green Eyes and a little song they made up that referenced our love of the Winnipeg Jets (somebody did some research - thank Wikipedia I guess) - of course getting the crowd riled up! And then topped the acoustic set with The Monkees hit - I'm A Believer and invited the crowd to a cellphone mexican wave around the arena! I heard people murmur - hey that looks like blue fireflies - cool I've never seen that! This band has class and they adore their audience to go the extra mile to set up these mini-stages where they actually interact with their crowd!

I'm not sure if you call the next part their first encore but they had to run around to get backstage and so the PA played a techno version of Viva La Vida until the band was ready to take the audience into the powerful song Politik - one of the highlights of the show for me because they go so big with it! Big drums, strobe lights, layered guitars - big, big, big!

Again - a great transition into Lovers in Japan - and the band & audience is showered by confetti shaped like neon butterflies - I can't imagine the clean-up crews look at that point! But wow - what a show! It just kept showering down throughout the song! I love this song as well - great imagery on the screen that tied nicely with the lyrics. The band ended the set with Death & All His Friends and again were British gentlemen with thanks to the audience, bows, and were really genuinely enthusiastic about their crowd!

Of course Winnipeg brought them back with applause for the second encore of The Scientist & Life in Technicolor II.

And with that the show ended and the crowd exited the building to be graced with a gift from the band - a live 9 song EP Left Right Left Right Left. This band adores its fans and of course we love them back!

I should make a quick note about the opening bands. I really wasn't familiar with the opening band The Howling Bells but apparently they hail from the land down under - Australia and they had a few songs that stuck out but really we all know the audience was their for Coldplay. Chris Martin recommended the audience download their song Nightingale. The Scottish band Snow Patrol actually had a really good set but it seemed they really had to work at winning over the crowd and did so with the songs: Hands Open, Run & of course the crowd favorite Chasing Cars in their 9 song set-list (short & sweet).

Here's the setlist for Coldplay:

1. Life in Technicolor
2. Violet Hill
3. Clocks
4. In My Place
5. Yellow
6. Glass of Water
7. Cemeteries of London
8. 42
9. Fix You
10. Strawberry Swing
11. God Put a Smile on Your Face (techno)
12. Talk (techno)
13. The Hardest Part
14. Viva La Vida
15. Lost!
16. Green Eyes
17. Death will Never Conquer
18. I'm A Believer (The Monkees cover)
Encore:
19. Politik
20. Lovers in Japan
21. Death and All His Friends
Encore 2:
22. The Scientist
23. Life in Technicolor II

Note: pics taken on a tiny point & shoot digital - so not art but taken for memory's sake.

Life of David

I'm teaching a course on the Psalms this semester and in fact almost through the majority of my lectures and now in the midst of presentations. A big section of the course is centred around the life of David & how we relate to his story. One of my favorite musicians Michael Knott did an album which essentially is his own story interwoven with the life of David. The album is from 2001 and here's the promo:

Only 4 Chords Needed:

All you need is four chords and a means of selling a song and voila! Enjoy - some classics in this youtube mix!

Bob Dylan Concert - 11.02.08

For whatever reason - my Sunday only really started at 7:45pm when Dylan walked onto the stage at the MTS Centre. I suppose the time-change messed up my wiring because I was dragging my feet until the show started. Wow. WOW! Bob Dylan and His Band simply blew my preconceptions away.

That's right - Mr. Dylan playing some gee-tar!

I was expecting his voice to be somewhat mumbling & rambling but whoever was doing sound was spot on - his voice was perfect and musically the band was tight. Some of the songs listed below were completely reinvented - which is typical Dylan I'm told and I wish I could get some recordings of it.
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right had these amazing guitar parts that reminded me of a modern Moonlight Sonata (I joked with my sister who joined me for the show that Dylan had written that too).
My personal favs included: Don't Think Twice,Highway 61, I Still Believe, Ain't Talkin, Thunder on the Mountain, and the two closing numbers in the encore totally rocked - Rolling Stone & All Along The Watchtower! So there ya have it - I once again witnessed a legendary musician. It's been a good year of live music for me!
Setlist:
1. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
2. The Times They Are A-Changin'
3. The Levee's Gonna Break
4. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
5. 'Til I Fell In Love With You
6. Simple Twist Of Fate
7. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
8. I Believe In You
9. Desolation Row
10. Blind Willie McTell
11. Summer Days
12. Nettie Moore
13. Highway 61 Revisited
14. Ain't Talkin'
15. Thunder On The Mountain
Encore:
16. Like A Rolling Stone
17. All Along The Watchtower

Bob Dylan "prancing" on the stage...you go Mr. Zimmerman!

Band Members
Bob Dylan - keyboard, guitar, harp
Tony Garnier - bass
George Recile - drums
Stu Kimball - rhythm guitar
Denny Freeman - lead guitar
Donnie Herron - viola, banjo, electric mandolin, pedal steel, lap steel

Concert Review: Neil Young with special guests Death Cab For Cutie & Everest

Well - another great show at the MTS centre on Oct. 16, 2008. Not as great seats as we had for Sheryl Crow but it was great to have a hometown legend like Neil back in the Peg. I could have done without two opening acts personally - even though I enjoyed Everest's sound (vocals reminded me of Paul Simon) and Death Cab For Cutie were brilliant but better suited as a feature act. Their set was short & sweet with most of my favorites. Here's a review from the Winnipeg Free Press and a few other links here & here.

Here is the setlist for those interested in Neil Young's show - a great mix of grunge-y rockers, some acoustic classics, and everything in between. Highlights for me were Cortez, Cinnamon Girl, Mother Earth, The Needle, Unknown Legend, Heart of Gold, & Old Man. I was hoping for Harvest Moon but was impressed with the great mix of old, in between, & new.

1. Love And Only Love
2. Hey Hey, My My
3. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
4. Powderfinger
5. Spirit Road
6. Cortez The Killer
7. Cinnamon Girl
8. Oh, Lonesome Me
9. Mother Earth
10. The Needle And The Damage Done
11. Unknown Legend
12. Heart Of Gold
13. Old Man
14. Get Back To The Country
15. Just Singing A Song
16. Sea Change
17. When Worlds Collide
18. Cowgirl In The Sand
19. Rockin' In The Free World

Encore:
20. A Day In The Life

Concert Review: Joe Satriani with special guest Mountain

Well - it appears my blog has become a concert review site. Last time I saw Joe Satriani was in 1990 - fast forward to 2008 and my same thoughts re-appeared - I clearly am not worthy of playing a stringed instrument compared to Satch. Not only can he shred effortlessly - his melodies & tone are unmatched! He played my favorite classics like Ice 9, Always With Me/Always With You (played at our wedding), Surfing With The Alien, Time Machine, Flying in a Blue Dream, One Big Rush, and some new ones like: the showstarter - I Just Wanna Rock (not my favorite but appropriate to open with to a crowd going), Asik Vaysel - really neat sound to this one!

I won't claim ownership of this pic but it captures well two legends!

I had no idea who the opening act Mountain was until clicking in while playing Rockband that Mississippi Queen was their song! Both Corky Laing & Leslie West of Mountain were entertaining but were joined by perhaps the most annoying bass player I have ever seen. He was a good player but seemed to think his 5 braids at the top of his head were a circus act as he twirled them repeatedly. Corky - apparently from Montreal - entertained the audience by firing about 40 drumsticks into the audience towards the end of their set. Leslie is still an accomplished vocalist & guitar player but has no clue about starting songs smoothly - his solos were cooking but intros & endings were brutal.

Satriani clearly was who most people came to see and my jaw was on the floor consistently...it was good to see Stuart Hamm back Joe up on bass. Very inspirational player - although he seems to have aged the most between the two. Joe is 52 years old and Stu 48 apparently but I would have sworn it was the reverse.
I still have my concert ticket stub from July 13/1990 - $24.75 at the Concert Hall. Ticket prices apparently have sky-rocketed with this show at Burton Cummings Theatre ringing in at $45 not including taxes & entertainment fees. Having said that - compared to Tom Petty and some of the other shows - that's cheap!
I haven't found a good setlist for the show - if I find one I'll post it! Here's another review of the show.

Sheryl Crow Concert - 9/27/08

It seems Wendy & I have become regular concert goers as of late. We had amazing seats for the Sheryl Crow concert - 5th row on the aisle in line with the stage in the 106 section - basically about 30 feet away from center stage. She definitely is a great entertainer, musician and interacted well with the Winnipeg audience. The favorites were definitely her classic tunes but some of her new songs definitely caught our ear as well. Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo fame opened up the show with some of his solo hits and a couple of Blue Rodeo tunes from the vault as well. He has an amazing voice and super-talented musicians surrounding him. Wendy & I have seen Blue Rodeo a few times back in the day and so it was get to hear Cuddy again. Here's a local review for those interested.

Sheryl's website listed this as the setlist:

GOD BLESS
BABYLON
LOVE IS FREE
CHANGE
VEGAS
STRONG ENOUGH
CAN'T CRY
MOTIVATION
MISTAKE
GASOLINE
NEIGHBORHOOD
DETOURS
I SHALL BELIEVE
HAPPY
OUT OF OUR HEADS
SOAK
WINDING ROAD
****************************************
ALL I WANNA DO
ROCK AND ROLL

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Aug 9/08

The show was fantastic sonically & visually and Tom Petty connected well to the Winnipeg audience.
The shot above you can see the cool backdrop (U2 videobeads) and the cubes that projected video or images. A very cool stage set-up from my perspective. The Steve Winwood set seemed to lag somewhat compared to Tom Petty and although the musicianship was top-knotch - Winwood didn't seem to connect as well to the crowd. He just doesn't have the long-term radio hits that TP & H have.
I love this shot - I find that my little point&shoot digital works better with more light projected - especially white light. It was great to have two songs with Winwood joining Petty (The Heartbreakers are probably the best backing band you could ever have - eg. Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash) - a lot more energy than when he was with his band. All in all a great rockin' show that Winnipeg loved!
Here's the setlist:

1.　You Wreck Me
2.　Listen To Her Heart
3.　I Won't Back Down
4.　Even The Losers
5.　Free Fallin'
6.　Mary Jane's Last Dance
7.　End of the Line
8.　Can't Find Way Back Home (with Steve Winwood)
9.　Gimme Some Lovin' (with Steve Winwood)
10.　Saving Grace
11.　Breakdown
12.　Honey Bee
13.　Learning to Fly
14.　Don't Come Around Here No More
15.　Refugee
- encore -
1.　Runnin' Down A Dream
2.　Mystic Eyes
3.　American Girl

A shot of Wendy, Mandy, Sarah, and the crowd at the show!

Holidays & Blogging

You'd think with some "extra" time on my hands I'd be blogging more often - apparently not. I do want to record though that I went to two great concerts this week. Tuesday - my cousin Alex and I enjoyed Jimmy Eat World at the Burton Cummings Theatre - seats could have been better but they put on a great show.

But the best show I've been to in a long time was this past Friday with Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits) at the Concert Hall - amazing, amazing, amazing musicians & incredible tonality & sound! Thanks much S & D for the invite and getting the tickets. I just love shows that exhibit such amazing musicianship & class. Definitely up there with The Police show I saw last fall.
Update: Courtesy of Isaac - a setlist!

Cannibals
Why Aye Man
What It Is
Sailing to Philadelphia
True Love Will Never Fade
The Fish and the Bird
Hill Farmer's Blues
Romeo and Juliet
Sultans of Swing
Song for Sonny Liston
Marbletown
Speedway in Nazareth
Telegraph Road
Encore:

Brothers in Arms
So Far Away
Going Home (theme from Local Hero)

We've managed to squeeze in two garage sales which I've officially nicknamed Purge-itory - not convinced I'd be willing to do that again. Great making space & getting rid of some excess possessions but really time consuming. Celebrated with taking in the fireworks on July 1st here in Steinbach and escaping down south to Grand Forks for July 4th & my Grandma's 80th birthday.

I haven't done as much riding as I'd like - hope to escape sometime tomorrow - we'll see! We're enjoying a great summer though!

Exploring the Music of the Eighties

It almost feels like I'm confessing when I admit I grew up as a teenager in the 80s but clearly it has shaped my taste in music. Being born in the 70s & the influence of my Dad's listening tastes exposed me to Johnny Cash & Elvis which I am forever grateful - interestingly on 8-track. I still have that machine somewhere in a box in my house.

But it was in the 80s that I heard the sound of U2, R.E.M. & the Police - post-punk and the new rock of the era. Both bands remain on my playing lists along with a number of other lesser known bands of the 80s. The 80s also birthed a new type of hard rock or metal that some now refer to as glam rock or hair bands. So Van Halen, Giant, White Lion, Stryper, White Cross, the Scorpians, Def Leppard, Queensryche, & others influenced my love of screaming guitars. As I write this the fluid melodies of Joe Satriani provide me with an inspiring background of sound.

Thankfully - it wasn't all metal being played on my walkman or stereo. Some musician friends exposed me to Canadian folk rock artist Bruce Cockburn which led me to others more eclectic music like the 77s, the Choir, INXS, Mark Heard, Neil Young, Tom Petty, the Traveling Wilburys, Peter Gabriel, Dire Straits, Paul Simon, Larry Norman, and thank God - Bob Dylan! I think this balanced out my taste in music and I moved beyond one category of music.

Fast forward to the late 90s and the 00s and I realized I did miss a whole category of music from the 80s with my focus on hard rock/metal/americana. This category is in the same vein as early U2 & the Police - a post-punk that morphed into what some call new wave. Some examples that I consider favorites in this genre include: Echo & the Bunnymen, the 77s, the Cure, the Smiths, and interestingly just this last week I discovered the band The Feelies. These bands influenced so many bands of the 90s & the 00s and have impacted me as well.

Music for me is an ocean of sound that I love to swim in and occasionally just get lost in & dream. The soundtrack of my life is varied and includes more genres than I dare to list right now. A post for another time is how the 90s further blew wide open my tastes. I love rediscovering music either I'd forgotten about or haven't heard in awhile or music that somehow I missed. As a musician and an audiophile - it really is one of my escapes.

Carpe Diem - Harvest the Fruit - Seize the Day

iPod Game

Okay so here's the classic inspired by a former classmate - pull out your iPod & advance your shuffled playlist for each question.

1. What does next year have in store for you? Closer to You - The Wallflowers. This definitely is a song about intimacy & introspection. Sounds good to me!

2. What do you say when life gets hard? Race against Time - U2. This track has an amazing bassline that just drives & builds. This song is almost unknown instrumental with one real line "race against time" - I can hear me listening to this song while road-biking; good pace! As a side note - the song was originally released as a B-side for Where the Streets Have No Name.

3. What does your love life look like next year? Into Your Hideout - Pilot Speed - cool indy band I saw & heard open up for MuteMath in the fall. The song is about tearing walls down which I'll equate to continue to getting to know my lovely wife better and better.

4. Song that reminds you of good times? Out of Time - Jason Collett - another indie artist who I heard through Paste Magazine which sends me good music monthly along with an alright rag. This song fits in the rock-americana vein - a modern day Springsteen (definitely some Dylan influence) - good bass line here too. Reminds me that the good times are fleeting.

5. What do you think when you get up in the morning? Watch What You're Doing - Larry Norman - I loaded up some classic rock from the 70s after Norman passed away this past month. Classic blues rock song and great reminder to think before acting - especially as a teacher. If you know the song - amazing humour & great guitar tone.

6. What song will you dance to at your wedding? From West Texas - Explosions in the Sky - amazing song that drips with emotion, reflection, but I'm not sure it would be the best song to dance to - definitely would be a slow dance.

7. Song that reminds you of your first kiss? No One Like You - David Crowder Band - ha! I love it - it's actually a worship-type song that praises Yahweh with how Beautiful He is! I would say our first kiss was a God-inspired moment so it fits. I find a lot of love songs reflect well my relationship with the Creator. "There's never been anyone like you!"

8. Your favorite saying? We Are the Sound - The Afters. Hmm, it's a great song - I suppose it's somewhat about speaking up & about not giving up. It's not my favorite saying but I'm all for speaking up and not giving up.

9. Favorite place? Natural Beauty - Neil Young. Talk about eclectic and an amazing acoustic song by the legend from Winnipeg. This is a sad song and I have to admit being in that place is normally not where I'd like to be but I do know I learn from such circumstances. It seems my songs are all about seizing the moment - carpe diem.

10. Most Missed Memory? Norwegian Wood - The Beatles. Wow, trippy & reflective - gotta love the fab four. Admittedly this one takes me back to high school & the flirting in the hallways. Talking to girls, holding hands, etc.

11. What song describes your best friend? Jump - Van Halen. What? How'd that get in the mix...let's put our hands together for the Winnipeg Jets! Memories of a high school dance that wasn't was but was, seeing VH in the Winnipeg Arena twice...how does this describe my best friend? Well I have a few...I won't mention their names but it does capture the thrill of adventure we've experienced in life!

12. What song describes your ex? Good Intentions - Toad the Wet Sprocket. I think we both wanted things to work out but mistakes were made and the relationship died. Song is fitting - linked to era. I actually don't have too many regrets though years later as it all led to future decisions that has forever changed me. Oh and I skipped a couple tracks to get to this one...somehow the Hounds of Winter by Sting or God's Gonna Cut You Down by Cash didn't seem appropriate.

13. Where would you go on a first date? Ride - Cary Brothers. Great song that is all about escape - riding in a convertible with the top down is the picture I get or riding horses on some wooded trail.

14. Drug of choice? Hurt - Johnny Cash. Wow what a song. In my top 5 for sure - which is why it shows up on my iPod. This is a song about trying to escape but seeing the reality of hurt. My drug of choice has always been escape - usually on two-wheels or for a paddle - there is nothing like the high of surfing a wave or weaving through perfect single-track.

15. What song describes you? A Dream Like Mine - Bruce Cockburn. Hmm, again a bit of a Carpe Diem feel - imagining what could be. Love St. Bruce - seen three or four times and his lyrics ooze with depth & symbol. Great drums & bass - I love the subtleness of the surf guitar in this song.

16. What is the thing you like doing most? Synchronicity - The Police. Okay I saw these guys live back in November in Atlanta - they nailed this song! I love connecting things together when I teach - abstract things that somehow fit. I love connecting people together - & reconnecting people who have struggled in conflict. The thing i love most is teaching and so in a sense this song affirms that. Cool - I'll never look at this song the same.

17. The song that best describes the prime minister? Doomsday Clock - Smashing Pumpkins. Umm, okay that's a little freaky & no I didn't cheat on this one but I will say...I really haven't ever liked any politician anywhere. I don't think our prime minister is as scary as some country's leaders but can the power of leading any country be healthy? I definitely don't envy the responsibility that comes with such power.

18. Where will you be in 10 years? Typical - Mute Math. Ha! Okay I'm motivated by being unique and so my pet peeve is the typical. I love the music in this song and these guys put on an amazing live show!

"Come on, can’t I dream for one day
There’s nothing that can’t be done
But how long should it take somebody
Before they can be someone"

19. Your love life right now? Drunk With The Thought of You - Sheryl Crow. Okay, I'm laughing again. I love my wife and no she's not leading me to getting drunk - but I love the song's attempt at capturing being giddy with the thought of someone special - I think it is very Song of Solomon'ish. Love makes one do crazy things! Although I don't think this isn't a simple song about love & alcohol - it seems to be a song of unspoken love. I think in the busyness of being a dad, husband, & teacher - there are things unspoken & definitely times for escape! The song I wish I hit was Derek Webb's I Wanna Marry You All Over Again - great tune!!!

20. What is your state of mind like at the moment? The Book I Write - Spoon. I absolutely fell in love with this song when I heard it in the Stranger Than Fiction movie. This is the book I write - great line and absolutely apt.

21. How will you die? Bottom Line - the 77s. Okay hilariously there is a line, "I fall down every mountain I try to climb" that sounds pretty ominous. The bottom line is about "I'm going to live forever", about "I've got someone to love me forever" - interestingly these two lines are echos not captured in the liner notes. The bottom line for me is that I want to live my life to the fullest!

Spring's Thaw & Anticipating New Music

So here I sit marking & grading once again. I'm feeling pretty good about where I'm at in the academic year but more assignments to come. I know that grad will be here soon and I'll be sending off yet another crop of graduates - I am finding it tougher every year. I imagine it is similar to what it feels like for parents releasing their 18 year olds to college.

Well March is thawing away the snow & ice that has accumulated since winter's first kiss back in November. The sun is slowly warming the earth and revealing new growth. I'm longing for some new music and thankfully some has made its ways to my ears through I-tunes. I'm loving the new Daniel Lanois album soundtrack to Here Is What Is and hope to purchase the movie it accompanies today sometime. It definitely is growing on me similar to what Shine did.
Sheryl Crow's album Detour is good & upbeat but not mind-blowing. Good music to play in the background I suppose and some songs are stirring lyrically. Reminds me most of her first album - somewhat trippy & happy but plays with some darker & political themes as well. A bit over-produced though, she needs to get in the studio with Lanois or Burnett or Rick Rubin methinks.
It definitely does not have the depth musically of Norah Jones' Live in 2007 EP - not that it is surprising because Norah knows how to hit the soul of the ear. The new Jack Johnson Sleep Through The Static is in the same category as Sheryl Crow - good but everything feels revisited - I've heard this before sort of. I really think this is the worst album cover I've seen in a very long time. I bought the first JJ basically because I listened to two tracks and liked the cover. It isn't that it is a bad album and admittedly he pulls out an electric for some songs which is refreshing but I'm still hoping for a more defining album.

I'm looking for something original this Spring and I'm hoping the new Death Cab For Cutie due in May will be that. Their new single "I Will Possess Your Heart" definitely is interesting and is a good wake-up from the winter song. Great intro bassline that grooves & provides an amazing foundation for the song. An 8:36 single = crazy eh?
The Afters new album Never Going Back to Ok is good driving music - lots of depth musically and to a point lyrically. I'm loving Wintersleep - great "drive" in their music - particularly in "Oblivion" - reminds me somehow of The Hip. So what am I waiting for this spring? Well the new Coldplay, Death Cab For Cutie, and we'll see if the Counting Crows can bring a new sound to my ears. Here is to hoping? Oh and the U2-3D Imax film - definitely worth the ticket price - great sound & amazing videography. Not cheesy 3D but a little freaky at times - Bono kind of steps into your personal space at times. Great songs but at an hour and half - left me wanting more. I'm not sure though visually if I could have gone 2 hours in 3D. So surreal! I also am hoping U2 will finish up their new album for fall - fingers crossed.

Ukuleles

An amazing song by the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain - got to love how a basic song structure can be used again and again. Did I ever share the story of taking ukulele lessons in Hawaii? I didn't go far in that scene but the ukulele is one of the many stringed instruments I've played.

Happy Valentine's

Life keeps whirling on it seems this February...I love my wife, my daughters, my son, and all that God has graced me with from an amazing & inspiring job to the opportunities I have to travel, to keep adventuring, to encourage those I meet on this journey called life! I realize nothing I do is of value unless I love...and so this Valentine's I call out to planet earth - learn to love & learn to live! This video is a cool collection of postcards to postsecret - a library of broken hearts & mended ones. Enjoy!

Album of the Year 2007

Scotch Mist - A Film With Radiohead In It (All of In Rainbows)


Did I mention that really like this album?

The Final Countdown

Cello trio Melo-M and the Liepaja Symphony Orchestra (of Latvia) perform Europe’s The Final Countdown. I thought it appropriate to post this considering it is the final week of college (final exams) this year for my students...Pretty amazing piece of music and yes it was written in 1986!

Atlanta Musings 11.18,07

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So here's a few clues that involved my last evening in Atlanta...and oh it rocked! Okay so I succumbed to going to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of seeing The Police on their potentially only reunion tour.

The Police got me through part of the 80s...and it was a great show! Oh and they opened the show with one of my favorites -Message in a Bottle! A great last night in Atlanta!

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Album

I'm not going to even bother reviewing this album - it is 5 stars and will sweep up Grammy's this year. Download it from I-Tunes asap and feel free to post your thoughts...I'll maybe review it later but I listened to one sample earlier today and boom I was downloading the whole album. Perfectly matched vocals and yes one of my favorite producers T-Bone Burnett graced the production of this album. Enjoy!

Summer Music Review

Throughout the summer I make mixes of the latest music I'm into for those road trips to the cottage or Grand Forks. I sprinkle both old & new tunes on these play-lists and by the end of summer I probably have at least a dozen different mix CDs that make their way through my vehicles stereo, along with pure albums from the past or present. Radio for me is ancient history other than the occasional talk radio or weather updates. IPod is the other medium but I still prefer hearing music rather than having it injected into my ears.

So what have I been listening to? I'll warn you it is all over the map eclectic. Here's a sample playlist that may give some idea:

1. Change of Seasons - Sweet Thing EP - Sweet Thing 2006
2. Clocks - Rhythms del Mundo: Cuba - Coldplay 2006
3. Get Your Way - Catching Tales - Jamie Cullum 2007
4. Grow Old With Me - Instant Karma - Postal Service 2007
5. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - Rhythms del Mundo: Cuba - U2/Coco Freeman 2006
6. Instant Karma - Instant Karma - U2 2007
7. Let Me Give The World To You - Machina II - Smashing Pumpkins 2000
8. Perfect World - Alligator - Guards of Metropolis 2007
9. Possession - I-Tunes Originals - Sarah McLachlan 2005
10. The Promise - Cities - Anberlin 2007
11. Real Gone - Cars Soundtrack - Sheryl Crow 2006
12. Something To Believe In - Memory Man - Aqualung 2007
13. Tarantula - Zeitgeist - Smashing Pumpkins 2007
14. Too Much Too Hide - Nuclear Daydream - Joseph Arthur 2006
15. Violetlight - Codes & Secret Longings - Raised By Swans 2005
16. Watching The Wheels - Instant Karma - Matisyahu 2007
17. The Way We Get By - Stranger Than Fiction - Spoon 2006
18. Whispering Pines - Endless Highway - Jakob Dylan 2007
19. Whole Wide World - Stranger Than Fiction - Wreckless Eric 2006
20. Winter Night - Sweet Thing EP - Sweet Thing 2006

ALBUM REVIEWS:

The Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist - 4 out of 5 Stars. I personally love this album and although it's not their best album it really drives well & lyrically in a whole new direction. 4 stars. Favorite songs - Zeitgeist, Bring The Light, Tarantula, & Doomsday Clock - lots of rhythm, lots of angst - meant to be played loud!

Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur - 4 stars for tracks downloaded. I bought a few songs from this album from I-Tunes that I highly recommend: U2's version of Instant Karma (strangely doesn't sound like them - hard to explain but great song), Matisyahu's Watching The Wheel's - reggae but still true to the original, Postal Service's Grow Old With Me - I could hear John Lennon in his vocals, & Imagine by Jack Johnson.

Travis - The Boy Without A Name - 4 stars. A great album that is worth the purchase or download. For fans of Radiohead, Coldplay or U2. Favorite tracks: Closer (5 star - powerful), Sailing Away (laid back & wandering), & Under The Moonlight.

Northern Room - Only Seconds EP & Last Embrace EP - 5 Stars. I love these guys, great soaring melodies, good drive with bass & drums, Coldplayish but have their own sound. Up and coming. Favorite tracks: Galaxy, Last Embrace, We're On Fire, Waiting. Both EPs are worth purchasing.

Spoon - GaGaGaGa & Spoon songs from the soundtrack for Stranger Than Fiction - 3 stars & 5 stars. I don't know why I haven't been exposed to these songs before watching Stranger Than Fiction because they have been around for awhile but for some reason that movie got me hooked into their melodic, trippy version of music. It is hook-laden and moving. Their latest album from my perspective is good but not as significant as the tracks they provided for the movie but it seems to be one of those albums that takes time to simmer before you fall in love with it. So it could very well become a 4 star one for me yet. Favorite songs from GaGaGaGa: Don't Make Me a Target, Finer Feelings, & Black Like Me. Favorite songs from Stranger: The Way I Get By & My Mathematical Mind.

The Album Leaf - Green Tour EP- 5 stars. If you like Sigur Ros or Explosions in the Sky, the Album Leaf is for you. Instrumental heaven with waves of emotion & musical electronic genius. Favorite songs: We Need Your Help & San Simeon.

Eisley - Combinations - 3 stars. They remind me of Sixpence None The Richer but with a more folky influence. Great vocals but like Tegan & Sara they suffer from sounding very similar from track to track. Favorite tracks include: Go Away, Invasion & Taking Control.

Beduin Soundclash - Street Gospels - 3 1/2 stars if you like Reggae Folk. A Canadian band that embraces a reggae style that grooves but still very emotive & moving. His vocal has a roughness that grows on you but still melodic enough that it doesn't distract. Favorite tracks: Walls Fall Down & Until We Burn In The Sun (I hear a little INXS here meets Bob Marley).

Silverchair - Young Modern - 3? Stars. I don't know where to go with this review as I've just sampled it really and not sure. I really love Straight Lines but it doesn't sound like Silverchair, in fact I give that song at least 4 stars - building but powerful once it starts going. The rest of the album I'm just not sure. Okay maybe I need to wait for a month before I review this album, but it isn't Silverchair.

Sweet Thing - Sweet Thing EP - 4 stars. A great little EP. First two tracks are amazing but the album slips a little after that but I'm guessing this is just a taste of what the band has to offer in the future. Great drive, melodies, lyrics, nice vocals, and over-all feel. Has a emo-influence but rock enough for it to get airplay hopefully. Favorite tracks: Winter Night & Change of Seasons (great intro to this song!).

More reviews to come this fall!

Ebb & Flow

I can tell I haven't been out on my bike for awhile as I'm a little edgy. Probably doesn't help that I got about two hours of sleep last night thanks to my Aimee having a fever & becoming somewhat hallucinogenic. She claimed spiders were in her bed and woke us up with a full on blood-curdling scream - poor girl but daddy came to the rescue. Hard to be compassionate though when you are half-asleep but I pulled through. I love my girls & now my son so much! They are the biggest gifts I've ever received and that they are a reflection of my love for my wife and it just makes me marvel.

I love the ocean, the surge of waves, the sound of water crashing and the taste of sea salt on my lips. I even miss the sting of ocean water in the eyes - apparently that is acquired because that is most people's complaint about the sea. But it is the sting that heals cuts, that softens the water & makes it unique from a lake or river. I love the ebb & flow of it all...reminds me of that the circle of life has that same tide. At times all is calm & peaceful, other times we are in the chaos of a storm. It was after the flood that the rainbow came out. - G

I'm listening to some great tunes right now that speak to me on so many levels: right now I'm enjoying a band called Aqualung - album is entitled Memory Man. Coldplay meets Radiohead meets the 70's folk rock. I really like the vocals, lyrics & the great building groove overall that happens throughout the album. Positive but melancholy lyrically, super-reflective and yeah just a mirror of where I am at right now. You are what you eat - right?
Also enjoying a band called Anberlin which reminds me of Jimmy Eat World - heavy, pushing, all out rock with a hint of emo & punk - check out their 2007' release entitled Cities.
Also of interest to me sonically is Blonde Redhead's 23 album - really unique sounding female vox, great vibe, sort of emotive & wandering, reflective & soaring...very enjoyable as background music or to just sit and soak in. Oh and they have a cool website.
Another female fronted band that I like are the Guards of Metropolis - more edgy, European, a bit of a fuzz to their sound but with a full-on bring on the party feel. Album is entitled Alligator and if my memory serves me correctly have a Pixies influence & shares a label with Frank Black & have done some recording with him & Larry Norman.
In the electronic folk scene (sounds like an oxymoron) - I'm still digging LCD Soundsystem - great sit in your chair, get up & move, or iPod @ work tunes.
Alert: I just downloaded Smashing Pumpkins' single Tarantula - not bad reminds me of some older stuff of theirs but still a modern edge to it. I prefer digesting entire albums over a single but it has successfully intrigued me for what will go down 7.7.7.
So there goes my random musings once again - from family to the ocean to music review - ebb & flow. Oh and did I brag to you that I have a son named Zach & he rocks! Actually he sleeps most of the time...but when he's awake he's loving life!