"Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything. " Plato
First off, I have an awesome job. I get to travel and meet a bunch of people. Plus, my coworkers are amazing people.
Anyways, the first night we got there, we rented out ACL Moody Theater for our reception. If you don’t know what Moody Theater is ( so help me if you don’t), it’s one of the most famous theater where they record live music shows. Recently they just moved the theater right to downtown area where we were staying.
That’s besides the point, it was amazing. There were pictures everywhere of people that performed there and the theater itself was just breathtaking. That’s not even the best part. ACL the festival unfortunately was rained out, but the headliner for Sunday ,Atoms for Peace, played at Moody Theater that night. We were able to see a headlining act of ACL the festival! It was amazing and they played an amazing show!!
Alright, so besides the fact I had an awesome time in Chicago, I’ll have you know… I took a picture of the city skyline and I put a caption ” Having a drink at the Sears Tower” … yeah I was at the John Hancock building.
… we all have our blonde moments right?
So despite the fact that I don’t know downtown Chicago for anything, I went down to the Windy city for two purposes: to see my friends and to go to Riot Fest.
Riot Fest to say the least definitely had it’s up and downs.
The one thing they did right was their line up: thumbs up Riot Fest, you guys killed it.
However, there are several things I would fix: sound was one of them. When you are playing in an outdoor venue, sound has to carry. It didn’t carry…at.all.
Also, whoever was doing the video for the big screens, I was not impressed. I don’t know maybe it was the “look” they were going for, but I don’t care if Yellowcard says ” let’s make a crowd circle” .I don’t want to see a bunch of yahoos running around in circles. I want to see the band.
Overall, would I go back. Maybe, but if I’m going to spend that kind of money, I’m going to La La instead.
If you know you me well, you probably know I do things for a good reason, deed, however you want to put it. Long story short, I’m always up for the right thing. I grew up with the mind set to always help others and I think it has definitely helped my life in the long run by being nice to others.Because in the end, it’s just better that way.
The other night,I worked at FM1021 for the Pablove Concert in Milwaukee. Let me tell you, fantastic music for a great cause! What is this foundation about,I’ll tell you: Below all the information and picture is taken from the website.
Pablo’s Story
Pablo Thrailkill Castelaz
June 21, 2003 — June 27, 2009
“The mission of The Pablove Foundation is to fund pediatric cancer research and advances in treatment, educate and empower cancer families, and improve the quality of life for children living with cancer through hospital play, music and arts programs.
The Pablove Foundation is named after Pablo Thrailkill Castelaz, the son of Jo Ann Thrailkill and Jeff Castelaz and the little brother of Grady Gallagher. Pablo was six years old when he lost his valiant yearlong battle with bilateral Wilms Tumor, a rare form of childhood cancer. Imbued with his spirit and inspired by his strength, Pablove is dedicated to the daily, global fight against childhood cancer and the suffering that comes in its wake.
We fight on in order to amplify one simple message: kids get cancer too.
Your support of The Pablove Foundation helps us help kids with cancer. ” Pablove Foundation , 2013.
.So naturally I worked this event, because I believe in supporting a good cause.
So obviously, I’m a sucker for this kind of event. But not to mention there was some really good music there.
There were four bands
– The Championship
– Kane Place Record Club
– Northern Room
-The Delta Routine
I was really excited to see The Delta Routine, I love their music: but the Kane Place Record Club and the Northern Room blew me out of the water. I’ve never heard the first three bands live, so I was really excited to see what they are all about.
If you like a spunky, groovy tune: Kane Place Record Club is up your ally. If you like modern tune with a twist of modulation and tritone chords,the Northern Room is a group full of amazing musicians, these guys can wail. And of course The Championship and The Delta Routine are great bands and you should take a gander at them. I guarantee you will like them.
Picture taken at Turner Hall 1/26/13:
This was my first time at Pablove concert and I will be attending again. Here are some other great non-profits I believe in as well:
To Write Love On Her Arms
Humane Society Of America
Wild Life Foundation
Toms Shoes
This are just some of my favorites, and now I can add Pablove to that list. I hope you believe in a good cause and good music.
I decided to go out a couple of weekends ago to see Edens Edge at a local bar in my area.
First off, I should let you know, I bought their cd during the summer time for around $6. Yeah… now they are singing the national anthem at football games. It’s amazing how much one single hit can get a band so famous quickly. But get this, they toured with Little Big Town, Rascal Flatts, Brad Paisley and more ,yet they are still playing at local bars. Eh, whatever, locals can listen to good music and not have to fork up an arm and a leg for it. I’m col with that. However, they are still a young band and they have a long way to go and still have much more to work on as a group.
I started listening to them because they remind me of a band I really like called the JaneDear Girls. Naturally ,I streamed their music and low behold they had some pretty good music. Edens Edge I think can will become something more as long as they work on their best asset: harmony.
When I saw them live, I really liked the fact that they didn’t play to many cover songs. They only have 10 songs on their album so I was worried it was going to be nothing but cover songs. Surprise, surprise, they played all of their songs on the album. Of course know one knew them except me.
This is what I think of them live:
I love their harmonies. When they all sing together it’s pretty cool when they hit a chord at the same time. Could they work a little more on the performance on stage, sure, but every performer needs to work on that. However, for a band that is up and coming, I think they could use a different drummer. But otherwise they sounded great and not many pitch problems. Overall, good concert, I would see them again.
I really don’t get around to writing much on this blog. I really need to get on that… if I had the time.
Lately, I’ve been working 50 to 60 hours a week. My schedule has been the following: work, sleep, work, sleep. Repeat. Which basically means I don’t have time for anything. It’s really frustrating when I want to work out, write, compose , volunteer, play piano/guitar, play sports and try to have a social life. Not to mention all the things that suck up your life like cleaning … I hate cleaning.My point is my life is on fast forward and I can’t seem to slow down. Like my emotions, my music controls my life in certain ways. So lately I’ve been listening to mellower music to slow down and maybe put myself in reverse.
I’ve been listening to Colbie Caillat. Why, I’ve been a fan of her music since I don’t remember when.I will admit, at first when I heard ” Bubbly”I thought ” gag me” . But then my friend told me to listen to her album and I’ve been hooked ever since. I’m in love with her ” Break Through” album. I think it’s something that I personally relate too because it’s not all about stupid heartbreaks. It’s about … life. Duh, what a concept.
Why do I like her so much. One word: talent. And she’s got it. She can play multiple instruments and she co writes her songs. Normally I would have a problem with an artist not writing their songs completely, but I mean she can sing in different keys and can play more than 4 chords in a song. That’s a frickin’ accomplishment in the music ” pop” world I feel. And most pop artists can’t even play one instrument so she is already 100 steps ahead in the pop world.
The cool thing I like about her music is it’s not “pop” necessarily: It is but it isn’t let me explain. Her music obviously can be upbeat like most pop songs but a lot of her songs also have a mellower tone to it ( if you actually listen to her albums). I sometimes think there is a Sublime influence in her music, but I’m probably wrong.
So yes, she may have several songs that are love/sappy/makemegag type of songs, but at least it has a point. I was told writing a song is like writing a story. It should have a beginning ,a middle and a end, and I feel her music has a plot line unlike a lot of pop music. So yes, I like her music and I think you should listen to her as well.
It gets really annoying when you are told constantly by many people, ” Are you so and so’s sister?” ” Do you have a cousin name… you look just like them?” ” Are you related to …?” It gets freakishly annoying because let’s face it, I get those comments at least once a day…. Greattttt. But the one person that I’m told I look like that I never get tired of hearing I look like her: Miranda Lambert.
Miranda Lambert is one of my idols for many reasons:
1. She’s hardcore, let’s face it, she’s more manly than I am in many ways ( and if you know me, I love my trucks and my fishing). She will kick your butt any day if you get in her way.
2. She knew she was different from the start and she continued down that road, when many people would have been afraid of something different in life.
3. When she was picked up by Sony, she said she wanted to write her own songs, and even though it was a big risk, it was one of the best she ever took.
Miranda grew up in Texas, where she would play in small pubs and concerts. Obviously no one really cared about a blonde hair girl singing country because let’s face it, everyone and their grandma was doing in the same thing. However, she was lucky enough to get in a singing competition where she was recognized for her talent and eventually picked up by Sony.
Now, most people think, ” Really, another country artist”. But she is different, from many of the other female artists. For example, she was critized by PETA for hunting, however, she is one of the biggest animal lovers you will ever meet ( I’ve never met her, I just did my reasearch). Now most people would say that is hypocritical, and maybe it is in some ways. But according to Lambert, ” she likes to hunt”. And there are a lot of people out there that hunt and have animals… just look at all the people in Wisconsin. So she sticks to her beliefs and goes with it, no matter what anyone says.
I think one reason why I love her music so much because it is no where close to being “pop country”. If you listen to her songs like “Airstream”, it’s very twangy and almost sounds like older Dolly Parton songs. It’s a good mixture between Brantley Gilbert rock/country and her husband Blake Shelton Twang with a twist of feminine Faith Hill touch to it. She’s a good mixture of what female country artists are/should be about. Most importantly, her music is all about her life , her experiences, her dreams, her thoughts and they all come from her.
In this day in age for a woman, being in the spotlight or just a regular girl like me, it’s very easy to change to society norms and make it so it’s easy on everyone. Because know offense to the men out there, but they are still afraid of strong, powerful women that can stand their own ground. In a way, I’m like Lambert. I stick to my thoughts and my beliefs, and I also stick to being myself and never changing for anyone.
Lately, I’ve been obessed with this song. Making Plans- by Miranda Lambert
If you know me well, you know I get excited over the smallest things. Like seeing an awesome band . Or just meeting new people, or talking to people that are wiser than me. I love things like that in life because I grow and understand more about the world around me. I’m all about growing in life and that’s why I love music so much. Because I feel music is a non-stop process of growing and developing new sounds/vibrations , overall culture and bringing people together.
This past weekend, down in the third ward , the second annual Yellow Phone Conference was taken place. What’s so cool about this music conference are the panels and the undiscovered music. It’s basically a conference where everyone in every part of the industry come to Milwaukee to talk about music, their experience in music and why people just love music. So if you are a music freak like me, and you missed this conference, that’s your loss, because it was awesome and I learned so much and met some pretty amazing people.
What I took from this conference is this: perseverance , patience and practice is key in this industry. Without that, you will probably not succeed. So I’m hoping I can take this idea and run with it. Because like I said, I’m young and dumb and I have a lot to learn, and I’ll take any advice I can get.
There was plenty of good bands at Yellow Phone: But I really like these two bands
I’m so bad keeping up with this blog . I’m sorry about the delay, I can’t keep up due to the fact my job keeps me running around anywhere from 30-50 hours a week… happy labor day to me…
So the new gig I have coming up is Rock the Green.
Rock the Green is an environmentally friendly concert/festival held at Veteran’s Park in Milwaukee, WI. This will be the second Rock the Green, so it is pretty new to the music scene! What makes it so cool and interesting, they turn anything and everything to have less of an impact on the environment. Take for example, Goodwill; Goodwill is one of the sponsors for Rock the Green. They contribute by donating gently used t-shirts and making them into ” Rock the Green” concert t-shirts. So if you have donated an old t-shirt to Goodwill recently, you’ll probably find it at Rock the Green. Another cool thing Rock the Green is doing, this year, it is completely paperless tickets. I don’t have all the details on that, but this is the first concert series I’ve worked/been too that is trying to do it all paperless. Rock the Green is not only eco-friendly, but also locally friendly. Whole foods and other Milwaukee native restaurants will be there to sell local food and beverages.So who’s pumped for great music and saving mother nature! This girl! 🙂
As a concert goer, I went to it last year. It rained and it was 40 degrees outside. But I still had fun, because well I love music. But if you know me, I’m all for a good cause, and I believe that Rock the Green is for the good cause.
This year the following bands will be performing on the main stage:
I’m super excited because I haven’t seen many of these bands live, so it should be an awesome concert. There will also be a side stage for the following bands performing:
As you can see, it’s a pretty good lineup, so I think you should go. If you are interested in going but what to help out,contact me to volunteer at Rock the Green!If you have any other questions, go to www.rockthegreen.com
So basically I missed a ton of concerts at Country Thunder on Thursday and Friday, and I wanted to make up for it on Saturday. So I did my business. I mingled and watched 5 concerts that day. It seems like a lot of work, but I love doing it. Being in the concert setting watching it or being backstage is just amazing to me. I love every minute of it.
The first guy I saw at 1:00pm was Matt Stillwell. I’ve never heard of him, I didn’t even know that name existed until I saw him at Country Thunder. To my surprise, he put a good show. It was very ” out in the sticks country” but he played all of his songs and he explained why he wrote each song. Even though he was playing to an audience of 50 people, he was still acting like he was the headlining act. Which to me says a lot about a musician, and with that being said, I would rather go see him than pay to see Big & Rich again. It wasn’t forced, it was natural, and it was good music. Not the best performance, but it was all instruments, a lot of heart and a lot of country.
Casey James came to Summerfest this year. I didn’t get to catch his concert at Summerfest which is why I made the effort to go see him. At first, I had very skeptical thoughts going to his concert. He was the runner up of American Idol and all that jazz, so I thought ” great, another one of these guys”. Boy was I wrong. This guy can WALLLLLLLLLE on his guitar. I was so impressed with his playing skills and the way he and his band played together. It was definitely not another “American Idol ” contestant. He is an artist, and a good one at that. I was very, very impressed.I would pay to see him again.
Aaron Lewis and Easton Corbin: I’m putting these two together because I have the same thoughts for both of them. They didn’t really put on a show. I actually sat down when both of them were playing… I started to fall asleep. Not because it was bad, but it was so mellow, it really wasn’t a concert. I think they both have talent singing and playing wise but as a show, not so much.
Now Blake Shelton knows how to put on a show. He is one talented dude. I first heard his music when I was 11 or 12… I can’t remember. I heard ” Ol’ Red” on the radio and I’ve been hooked ever since…and now so is my mom because she loves ” The Voice”. But I’ve heard from many people that he is awesome to work with, and it shows in his performance. I was back stage for his concert and the way he interacts with his band is awesome. He’s just a natural at it. My biggest compliant again ( and this is for most headliners), he has so many albums, why can’t he just play more of his songs that people don’t ever hear. Otherwise, if you ever get to see him in concert, please go see him, he’s awesome live.
Overall, I think Saturday I was really happy with how most of the shows went. None of them were “bad”, but everyone could work on something to improve themselves as an artist .Everyone, in any industry, including myself, could improve on something everyday. 🙂
The Thein Way to Live 