Sing A New Song

We are looking forward.  I'll never be able to catch up on everything, so the right thing to write about is what I want to write about right now, right?  {Say that ten times, fast!}

Right.

As far as last week went, there were a few significant things:

• My birthday {please see my previous post for the details}.  I'm 34.  It seems a little weird, but I'm not ashamed of my age.  Am I supposed to be?  I hate my wrinkles, but I feel like I have earned them. 
• Benji actually initated going to the bathroom at school last Thursday.  Apparently he did it again today.  His teachers said that he said "I need to pee," an entire phrase I have never heard.  They also said he was sick, so I picked him up and took him to see Dr. Cox.  Nope--healthy as a horse.  It's not that I don't believe them; I just think they understand him a little differently.  Even so, any progress is progress!  I'll take it!
• The weather has been CRAZY.  There was a strange frozen rain phenomenon last week, something I had never seen before.  I was working that day, and I can't even count the number of Traumas that came in through the ER.  It has also been extremely cold, and then there's the tag team of Fog-and-Smog.  Today was actually pretty nice; the recent snowstorm cleared out all of the "inversion" gunk in the air.  Here's hoping it stays away!

If I am to get back on track with my blogging "guidelines," today would be . . .

I'd like to write a little bit about concerts.  My friend Shauna {who lives in St. George} recently went to a Muse concert in Los Angeles, and she said that my writing sort-of inspired her to go.  Yay!  I'm so glad!

I like going to concerts.  Hang on--scratch that.  I love going to concerts, but I'm a little bit picky about which concerts I go to {surprise!}.  There has to be some aligning of stars in order for a good concert to happen chez moi.  Before I even consider going to a concert, I have to check my work schedule.  It's such a crapshoot as to whether or not I will have that day off, so if it's early enough, I can request it.  If not, I have to try to find someone to cover my shift--not an easy task.  Then, I have to be sure Benji is taken care of, which is not always an easy task.  I'm VERY grateful my Mom was able to spend the night when I went to Boise.  Of course, I can't wait too long or dawdle in this process, because the concert may sell out.  That is what happened with Snow Patrol last year, so I'm trying to stay more on-top of it.

I also have to decide if the featured artist is worth my time, effort and money.  Sometimes I wish I could be a  roadie, but I don't think I could do that for any band other than U2, and I would need a trust fund to pay for all the travel involved.  If I like the band, if I know any of their songs by heart, and if I own any of their albums {or am willing to purchase said album(s)}, then it's a lot more likely I will make the effort. 

For example: my friend Allison told me that Maroon 5 is playing in Las Vegas on March 16, and she'll be taking her whole family to Vegas for that weekend.  As much as I would love to spend time with her, it has never really been a possibility for me.  First off--that's my "short" weekend, meaning I'll probably have to work that whole Friday 11-11 and that Saturday night from 11pm-7am.  Getting one day off work is one thing, but two days?  Much.  More.  Difficult.  Secondly, I like Maroon 5, but I don't love them.  I don't own any of their albums, and as hot as Adam Levine is, I'm pretty sure he's a serious d-bag.  And frankly--his voice is a little whiny.  Thirdly, I couldn't drag Allen and Benji to Vegas for two days just to go to a concert that I'm not really excited about to begin with.

* * * * *

I started this post last night, but I fell asleep while writing.  I've got to get a better routine down if I am to make a go of this thing!  Also, it's now Tuesday, and I can tell you right now that there is not going to be a tutorial this week.  I need to write early in the day, or get the whole guideline-of-the-day thing rolling the night before.  It's a work in progress, so thank you for your patience.

* * * * *

Okay, back to concerts: here's why I go:

• It's something to look forward to. 
• I get to experience some incredible live music
• Sometimes I get to hang out with Allison {my concert buddy}, who is one of the coolest people ever. She's amazing, and she actually likes to hang out with me!  By the way--concerts are WAY more fun when you have someone to share them with {especially if they actually like the music and are not just there to "support" you, which is why I don't take Allen}.
• They are fun!

                    and last but not least,

• "The Concert High."

What is a "Concert High," you may ask?  I imagine it's like other "highs" one gets from certain experiences.  Having never been high on illegal substances {or even drunk} myself, I don't really know.  Plus, I'm not really one to get "natural highs" from running marathons and such, so I'm certainly not an expert on the subject.  All I know is that I am happy and excited for long periods afterward.  Sometimes it doesn't last very long, especially when you have to go right back to work/reality, but it really is an amazing feeling.  I'm pretty sure the high from the U2 360° concert lasted for several days . . . at least as long as my hearing loss.  If memory serves, it actually took a shoulder dislocation to bring me down. ;o)  I also get a little of that feeling when I wear a concert t-shirt, because it brings back so many good memories.  

Tom Chaplin of Keane, at the Knitting Factory in Boise on January 9, 2013

I put a lot of effort into going to the Keane concert: getting multiple people to cover my shifts, getting my Mom to spend the night so she could take Benji to school in the morning, dealing with car issues, etc., etc.  For me, it was worth it.  I almost get more obsessed with certain bands after I go to a concert, and I end up listening to their albums repeatedly.  After a concert, it's no longer "studying up," it's reliving.  So, to be able to see a band again, who is still touring to support an album which I have long since memorized, was a pretty rare event.  The first time I saw them last June was so great, I knew this show would be excellent as well.  What I didn't know was what this venue would be like.  It was tiny!  We were so close to the stage, and we didn't even have to wait in line for hours!  We actually got kind-of lost trying to find the venue, so we got there about 6:40 pm.  Doors opened at 7, and the concert started at 8.  Youngblood Hawke opened for them, and they were pretty good.  But Keane was amazing, again.  They sound so good live!  Concerts are a very good acid test for singers.  Some do NOT sound good live, some are okay {like Train--very entertaining, but not the best live band}, and others sound as good, if not better than on their albums.  Keane is one of very few who can do that, at least in my opinion.

I need to get ready for work, so I'll just leave with a list of concerts I have been to.

Peter Cetera {1993?  Mom, I blame you for that one!}

Barry Manilow {1997, as a graduation gift.  Don't judge!  I was going through a phase!}

They Might Be Giants {1997 or '98}

Sarah McLachlan  {1997}

Yanni {1998, I think.  Yeah . . . seeing Yanni once is quite enough for a lifetime}

Dave Matthews Band {2003}

Goo Goo Dolls {2004?  I don't remember!}

U2 {2011}

Keane {6/2012}

Train  {9/2012}

The Killers {11/2012}

Keane {1/2013}

And there you have it.  I recommend making time to go to concerts, if you are able to.  And if you need someone to go with, let me know. Bon Jovi, anyone?

The Songs In Your Head Are Now On My Mind

All right, friends.  I am going to write every day this week, using the "guidelines" I set up in my last post.  I even made up fancy little headers, in case this becomes a habit.  I'm hoping it will, since writing with a prompt seems much easier than just spewing out all of the nonsense in my brain.  Of course, that's what I have been doing for the past five years {for which you are very welcome}.   I'll try not to be too long-winded, since I want to finish a very good book tonight and it's already midnight.  So here is the very first edition of:

I have several thoughts to share, but I think it only fitting that I should start with my favorite band in the world, U2.  Since one of my goals this year is to turn my sister-in-law into a U2 fan {just you wait, Lexy, it WILL happen!}, this is a good place to start.  This is a picture of the band in their very early days {circa 1980}.

{all photos courtesy of U2.com}

This is one from The Joshua Tree, one of their finest and most highly-acclaimed albums {including "Where The Streets Have No Name," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," and "With or Without You"}.  Personally, I think this era was where they all looked their best.  This picture is from 1987.  Mmmm.

{L-R: Edge, Bono, Adam, and Larry}

Here's one from "Achtung Baby," my favorite album {circa 1991}

Nothing lasts forever, even cold November rain.  I think everyone agrees that "Pop" was one of their low-points.  Exhibit A {around 1997}:

They haven't aged very gracefully, but as incredible as their music was in the 80's, I believe it has gotten better.  This is a picture from "All That You Can't Leave Behind," one of my favorite albums {circa 2000}.

And this is from around 2009, in conjunction with their last album, "No Line On The Horizon."

My point in posting all of these pictures is this: they are still together.  They formed in 1978 as teenagers in Ireland, and 35 years later, with all of them in their 50's, they are still together.  They have all grown up together, making their lives together, forging a brotherhood.  It's more than a band, it's a family.  There have been many times where they came close to breaking up, and there have been plenty of fights and yelling, etc.  There have been a few solo projects here and there, but they always come back to the group: it's where they want to be.  The whole is much stronger than the individual, and it's one of my favorite things about these men.  They know they can't do it alone, so they rely on each other to do what they do best--create incredible music.

I think we can all learn a lesson from a band who wouldn't give up.  For a short biography, please read here.

P.S.  At the risk of sounding too preachy, I would like to include this in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, whose birthday and legacy were celebrated today:

"Sleep, sleep tonight
And may your dreams be realised.
If the thunder cloud passes rain
So let it rain, rain down on he.
So let it be.
So let it be."

{MLK, from the album "The Unforgettable Fire" by U2 (1984)}