I’m excited that I will be attending many a music events this weekend. Beginning tonight I will take in the sounds of The Last Domino at his double CD release party at the always lively ES Jungle, Indianapolis’ premiere All-Ages venue.
John Orr aka The Last Domino is a talented songwriter who has an interesting way with words and an always upbeat and fun stage presense. He’s been working on this double CD for awhile now. I’ve hear a few pre-release track and it sounds very promising. He will be appearing with a full band tonight as opposed to just him and his guitar with a lot of looping, even though I hope he does some of that tonight!
Here is his music video for “Last Call”. Enjoy!
Shara Worden of
My Brightest Diamond
I saw one of the most wonderful performances I have seen in a long time on Thursday. My Brightest Diamond performed with special guests Clare and the Reasons and Marla Hansen. All three performers were wonderful and they all supported each other as band members for the individual performances, but the night belonged to Shara Worden as she stole my musical heart!
*Swoon*Strip away the incredibly talented string trio backing her, the immaculate setting of the Royal Theatre in Danville, IN and the best live sound I have probably heard in a decade and you would still have one of the most amazing voices I have ever experienced in the pop or rock realm.
The amazing gymnastics she performed with her voice weren’t the vocal equivalent of a soviet era tumbler on steroids gone bad. Everything was perfectly couched in the stunning arrangements of each song and oh so wonderful to experience. Finding the words to describe my feelings in the afterglow of the show is too difficult. I was so worked up after the concert. My faith in live music restored to a level I haven’t known in a long time. So much beauty should not be kept in one place and certainly needs to be experienced by so many more than the few who made the drive from Indianapolis to the sleepy town of Danville and it’s hidden treasure of a performance hall. It is too bad Danville is not a little closer to Indianapolis. I think there is a psychological disconnect that kept many people at home that night and it was, most certainly, their loss. If Shara brings My Brightest Diamond back to this area you had best be there! If she is coming to your town you had better attend the show! Don’t make me say it again…I’m just sayin’!
Here’s a snippet of “Inside A Boy” from her new CD “A Thousand Shark’s Teeth”:
We voted in a new president on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. Barrack Obama will historically take office in the new year. What a day that will be. I was so thankful to see the majority of American people vote for something different than the status quo. It’s time for a change.
It’s been sad to see some of the reactions to Obama’s victory especially from some people I know. I know that my views may not gel with many of my friends and family, but in the last few days I was surprised to have my faith challenged because I wanted something different. That someone would suggest that I am potentially not a Christian because of the way I voted in a national election was unfathomable to me before this last weekend. I’ve read reactions that sound much more racist than thoughtful in response to President-elect Obama’s victory. It’s so disturbing.
But fortunately I am reminded that I only answer to God about my faith, He is still in control and in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Tomorrow (Tuesday, November 4, 2008) I will excercise my right to vote in the general election. At the end of the day I will still have the audacity to call myself a Christian.
MTV is back fo’ rizzle…online at least. MTV Networks launched mtvmusic.com yesterday to remind you why MTV use to be cool. I think it’s great that many of the most viewed and highest rated videos are from the 80s. Who needs another ridiculous Brittney Spears video…that “Womanizer” song is such crap! I’m not opinionated, am I? Anyway…enjoy the vids.
Watch music videos online at MTV Music
I am in the midst of a big transition and part of me really doesn’t like it. I need to find a part-time job to get my feet back on the ground. I haven’t had to do this in about 20 years…unhappiness abounds and I’ve been struggling with confidence again.
Transitions can be fleeting. Hopefully this is a quick one. *sigh*
You all will think I’m crazy and old skool for this, but this song seemed appropriate to my predicament:
Changes (Live) – Yes
I’m a goober head, not keeping up with my blog. Sorry ’bout dat! I need to make more of an effort here and have committed in my heart to do so…alas my heart can be a fleeting friend on occassion so forgiveness for future lapses might be in order…get ready!
Spent the last week at the Heartland Film Festival. One of my clients, Annie Quick, had two short films in the festival. They are short promotional documentaries about her current project we are working on together called Souvenirs & Shiny Things. They are a little hard to explain in a short space, but here are a couple of links to them on Youtube I hope you will watch for yourself:
The Exlanation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o5idGy1ZSg
The Pre-Opening Documentary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4ZJiQvlv2g
They are both about 4 minutes long so they won’t take much of your time and there are cupcakes! Let me know what you think. We are planning to tour the installation on University campuses soon. If you have any ideas of people we should contact to book it, let me know.
We were in San Diego two weeks ago puting on the first university show and it was a huge success.
Annie Quick: Souvenirs & Shiny Things, The Loft at the University of California, San Diego
You can read Annie’s post about the event by clicking here.
Well there is much more to talk about, but I will have to save that for the next time.
So…my back still hurts, but it still aches too much and I can’t sit, stand, or lay down comfortably. Whoa is me I guess. It is getting better though. Since this is primarily a music blog it’s only appropriate to include the song “Getting Better” by the Beatles, but I could only find a video of The Kaiser Chiefs covering the song. Enjoy…
I attended a special concert last night. The final show of a seminal Indianapolis based band called Loretta. Loretta are a powerful, moody, thoughtful and rocking quartet composed of three brothers, Jason, Damon & Jeremy and their longtime friend Stan. At their pinnacle moments, the three brothers harmonies poured over the incredibly powerful and melodic wall of sound the band produced live would make you swear that you’ve been lifted a few inches off of the ground.
I believe that I first saw Loretta (originally known as Jihad until 9/11 hastened a name change) back in late 2001. They were part of a grouping of bands I came to admire when I dove head first into the mainstream music scene here in the crossroads of American. They obviously stood head and shoulders above the pack of local music hopefuls in Indianapolis at the time. I was able to attend a lot of their shows as they shared the bill with several of my local favorites. Also when I started working more closely with a host of bands, they often ended up on the same bill as Loretta.
Loretta trudged through the minefield of the music industry for a long time. Their record label at the time (the newly formed Benchmark Records) created good buzz for them nationally. When their debut CD was released it performed very well on college radio hitting the College Music Journal (CMJ) charts and providing further publicity for the guys. They toured all across the country and seemed to be on the fast track to be the next big thing. Sadly, that never happened and the guys of Loretta saw their fame fade away as their record company slid into bankruptcy.
They’ve spent the last couple of years recording their new CD “Message Received, Not Understood” and coming to the realization that time was no longer on their side and realities of life, getting married, having kids, moving on, etc. was catching up to them.
Last night’s show was a wonderful yet bittersweet swan song for them. It was great to hear all of them say that they don’t have any regrets and that they are ending well as good friends. Many tears were shed after they closed with a new song appropriately titled “Settle Down.”
Thanks you Jason, Damon, Jeremy and Stan for painting a beautiful brush stroke through my journey in the music world these last seven years. Blessings on you as you move forward in life.
Listen to “Settle Down” by Loretta:
“Settle Down” by Loretta
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0
When we settle down
When we come aground
With hundreds of victories won
“Indiana’s chosen sons”
I could sing all day
But I won’t forget to say
We always were the best of friends
This isn’t where our story ends
Songs about the
The golden desert rides
Swimming in the ocean tides
Ten-thirteen’s selfish side
Will suffice for when we settle down
As we grow into old age
And whittle days away
Our stories will become as lore
And generations will have sworn
When we settle down
With only friends around
Were we giants in our day?
I think that we should only say
Songs about the
The golden desert rides
Swimming in the ocean tides
Ten-thirteen’s selfish side
Will suffice for when we settle down
The boss at Fenway Park
Last call in LaCrosse
Our record in St. Mark’s
And go time in New York
Will suffice for when we settle down
