The Ghost of Me

Oh How I'll Miss You...

2007-08-02T11:24:00.001-07:00

This blog has served me well since June of 2005--both as The Attack of the Killer Blog and The Ghost of Me. I started this blog as a place to tell all about my trip to Antalya, Turkey in 2005 and have continued using it ever since.

However, the time has come to say goodbye. I have officially created a new blog--The Austin Chronicles. Specifically, this blog is about me moving to Austin and all that goes along with that move. Of course, it will also serve as my place for typical musings, rants, music opinions, and what not.

Nonetheless, I invite you to my new blog The Austin Chronicles.

My Wisdom Is Lost...

2007-08-01T19:37:00.001-07:00

Thanks to this man to the right, I am wisdom free. To clarify, that's wisdom teeth free. Thanks to Doc Rock (Dr. Jeff Rockacy) on the right, I no longer have to worry about going to the dentist to hear him tell me how I need to have my wisdom teeth removed before they ruin the thousands of dollars of work that braces did in my mouth.

Doc Rock had me a little nervous last week as he explain that there was a slim possibility that my lips would tingle for the rest of my life if they hit a nerve. Nonetheless, there's is zero tingling in my lips. Thank goodness.

It's a little weird to thank that I had only been around this man about fifteen minutes before I let him put me under and stick sharp objects in my mouth. Last Monday, he explain the surgery to me in about 10 minutes. This Monday, I saw him for about five minutes before the anaesthesia kicked in. Over the next forty-five minutes, Doc Rock did what he does best (remove teeth). When I awoke, we spoke for five to ten minutes before I left. Wow. This man was given pretty big privileges to have only spent around 25 minutes with me.

Going Under the Knife...

2007-07-29T22:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, so, I'm not even sure if they use a knife for this. Anyway, I'm getting my wisdom teeth taken out tomorrow at 1:00. I plan on being in a lot of pain tomorrow and the next day. So, if you're in Rogers over the next two days, feel free to stop by my parent's house with a milkshake. They make great hand-spun milkshakes at the Chick-Fil-A right by my parent's house.

Thieved...Again.

2007-07-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

As you may recall from an earlier post, at one point Famous In May was robbed of the PA amp that Adam had worked hard to buy. Well, some evil bandits have struck again. This time, it was at my house. Early this morning Todd and Sandy awoke to find the back window (right by my back door, 10 feet from my room) was open. Upon inspection, they noticed that Hartness' PS3 was taken.

I first heard the news when Andrew called me later that morning. He told me I should go check that room to see if my stuff was missing--the PS3 shared a room with my guitar gear. My heart sank, and I was certain that my new telecaster was gone. When I entered the room, nothing of mine was gone. Ubben's LCD TV was still there as well. The living room still had the DVR and the Wii. Nothing was missing except the PS3.

Now, admittedly, this is worse for others than it is for me. Obviously, Hartness paid to buy that PS3 (even though he got it 50% off as a return at Wal-Mart). Todd's copy of NCAA '08 was gone with it. The $50 controller that Tad and Todd split was gone. Yet, I still feel weird about it. Obviously, I feel bad for Andrew. The guy works hard for what money he's got. He can't afford to replace that PS3, and he wouldn't want to buy one at full price anyway. Yet, that's not what has me thrown off the most.

What bothers me most as that it had to be someone we know. That window was in the living room with a big screen, a DVR, and a Wii. Most people would figure that this is the only room with crap like that in it. They went to the front room, which is supposed to be a dining room. They passed up an HDTV and 1,000's of dollars worth of guitar gear. I had 3 guitars in that room worth about 4 PS3's together. Somebody had to have known there was a PS3 sitting in that room, and they knew it would be easiest to take. If you were really just going in to get something quick, you would've grabbed the Wii or the DVR from the first room you saw. You wouldn't keep searching (in the middle of the night, while the residents are asleep).

Someone that I know and trusted well enough to let in my house felt that they needed a PS3 bad enough as to steal it from us. That hurts.

Creating Great Tone in a World Gone Mad...

2007-07-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

THE STUART DISCLAIMER: "If you're not an electric guitar player that has a lot of experience tinkering with highly specific components you will waste your life and be confused by reading this post..."

So, I have been doing a lot to mess with my guitar tone and my guitar setup as of late. As you'll probably recall from an earlier post, I purchased a Fender '72 Telecaster Deluxe Reissue at the new Guitar Center in Fayetteville. This, as I had suspected at the time of purchase, was possibly one of the best decisions/best purchases I have ever made in my life.

Recently, I acquired a new pedal board. I got it from the same place I acquired my old pedal board (Ryan Ceola got rid of it). The plus to this board is that it has a storage compartment that houses all my power supply stuff, extra picks, and what not. So, it's less messy. To make things even less messier, I wired all of my pedals with George L cables (the red cable with gold plugs in the pictures below). So, every cable is the exact length it needs to be. That saves a lot of mess. One draw back was that I don't have room for my Line 6 MM4 on my new board, but I don't really like that pedal much. Adam had a good suggestion for that pedal anyway--we're going to use it for effects on the "speaker mic" (of which either I or Adam will post pics when it's finished).

I also lucked up into another great addition. The other day, I picked up my acoustic guitar from Blue Moon Music. New Heights Church had given me a gift certificate to Blue Moon in order to get my guitar setup to fully install the LR Baggs M1 pickup I got in December (and have had only half installed for 7 months). I thought this would cost about 50 bucks, but it only cost 10. Well, they had bought me a 75 dollar gift certificate. I used the extra 65 bones to buy a ProCo Vintage Rat distortion pedal. The Rat has replaced my old Electro-Harmonix Big Muff (Russian Version), which will now be a part of Adam's guitar setup.

Finally, the last (and probably biggest) change in my setup is in the electronics of my amp. I'm rocking a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, which is a decent amp. The problem is that Fender uses really crappy tubes and biases said tubes really cold. With the help of Andrew Bailey, I replaced my pre-amp tubes (Groove Tube 12AX7's) with a matched pair of Tung-Sol 12AX7's. I replaced the Groove Tube 12AX7 in my phase inverter first with a China 12AX7, but that had a little too much bite for my taste. I took out the China 12AX7 and replaced it with an Electro-Harmonix 12AX7 that sounds phenomenal. Changing these three tubes helped my sound a lot, but today I took the next step. I had ordered a new set of power tubes, and I got them in today. I replaced the GT 6L6B's with a matched pair of SED Svetlana "winged" 6L6C's. To correct the problem of the amp running too cold, I (by which I mean Bailey) re-biased the amp from the 58 mA a which it is factory-biased to 70 mA. This heats up the tubes a lot more, which gives a much better tone. One negative to this change is that my tubes won't last as long, however that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

There is one last addition that needs to be made to my setup. While I was still rocking all my old severance pay money from Sam's Club, I purchased a pair of 12" Celestion Greenback guitar speakers. Last March, I purchased two sheets of Baltic Birch wood and all the necessary parts (metal corners, handles, cable, connectors, etc. ) needed to build a cabinet. Basically, I just need to cut the wood and assemble the cabinet. That way I can provide a home for those speakers. I'll use the newly modified Fender Hot Rod Deluxe to power this cabinet. It should sound pretty "ballsy" (for lack of a better term).

Anyway, here's some pics:

Here's the new pedal board setup. It goes Boss TU-2 tuner to vintage Dunlop Crybaby to Keeley-modded Boss BD-2 Blues Driver to an Aramat-modded Ibanez Tube Screamer DX to a ProCo Vintage Rat to a Keeley-modded Boss TR-2 tremolo to a Line 6 DL4 delay modeler. The pedal at the top center is my Fender footswitch.

Here's the new distortion pedal, The Rat. Also, you can get a much better view of the George L cables. I made them all just long enough to get to the next pedal. That way, there's not a lot of excess cable floating around.

Here's the new tubes. They're powered down, so you don't get that pretty orange glow in the pic.

Resumé Building...

2007-07-23T23:38:00.000-07:00

Well, as you have no doubt heard or read by now, I am preparing to move to Austin, TX. Now, as much as I'd love to call myself a professional musician--because I have been paid on so many occasions to play the ol' guitar--I simply cannot support myself on music alone. Later on down the road, I hope to make that dream a reality, but I'll need to try some extra-curricular activities in order to eat, pay bills, buy music, and bribe city officials.

Now, I have a friend who said he could most certainly secure a job in the food service industry--as a waiter at Santa Rita's Cantina. However, I'm trying to shoot a little higher at the moment. I'm currently working on my resumé, so that I can pursue a corporate (that's right, insert your gasp) job. However, I have a certain corporation in mind.

There is a certain computer company that is partially based out off Austin. I'll give you a hint--it's neither Dell nor IBM (Austin's other computer industry giants). Another hint is that I'm typing on one right at this moment. This company, which has excellent benefits and sweet discounts, is a corporation at which I'd be proud to say I worked (namely because of the discounts and sweet products).

Nonetheless, I'm currently working on using my experience from Sam's Club Call Center and Data Forms, Inc to make myself sound like a customer service genius--a prodigy of customer care and relations. I scoffed at the idea of resumé writing in Advanced Composition (where I was fictionally attempting to obtain a job as a Jr. Copywriter for a company in New York City). Now, however, I'm putting to good use the knowledge instilled into me by Fabio (my instructor totally looked like a skinnier, less foreign, more heavy-metal-gone-GQ version of Fabio). We'll see what happens. Nonetheless, if I get this, Adam and I will have both secured great jobs. Considering my only other friends in Austin are a waiter/massage therapist and a valet attendant, I feel good about this.

So, I'm Moving to Austin...

2007-07-21T21:16:00.001-07:00

T-Ten Favorite Austin Bands:
10. The Butthole Surfers (And the worst band name ever award goes to...)
9. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead
8. What Made Milwaukee Famous
7. Daniel Johnston
6. Voxtrot
5. I Love You, But I've Chosen Darkness
4. Explosions in the Sky
3. Okkervil River
2. The American Analog Set
1. Spoon

T-Five Favorite Places I've Eaten At in the ATX:
5. Taco Cabana (Not local, but I love it.)
4. Opal Divine's
3. Santa Rita's Cantina
2. Poke-E-Jo's BBQ
1. Roppolo's Pizza

T-Five Coolest Places I've Been To in the ATX:
5. The Daniel Johnston mural off of Guadalupe Ave.
4. Regal Arbor Cinema
3. Bull McCabe's Irish Pub
2. The Arthouse @ the Jones Center
1. Waterloo Records

T-Five Most Exciting Things About Moving:
5. Settling in to a new house that has a little character.
4. Hopefully meeting some new, interesting people.
3. Experiencing life in a bigger city.
2. Playing, hearing, and seeing music.
1. Striking out on my own, with just God and Adam to turn to.

Michael Jordan, Move Over...

2007-07-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

As we all should know by now (even Brett, who only figured this out 2 weeks ago), the world's most popular/famous athlete is making his way to the United States to play some ball. No, it's not Ichiro. It's not Yao Ming. It's not even Dirk Nowitski. It's the one and only, David Beckham.

The ball-bending midfielder makes his Major League Soccer (MLS) debut this Saturday night, and I'm having a little party to celebrate it. ESPN will be airing a special about the man himself ("David Beckham: The American Dream," forget the slight irony) at 6:30 on Saturday. The game, which will pit Beckham's LA Galaxy against his home country's FC Chelsea, begins at 7:30. Feel free to drop by for either the hour special or the game, or both.

I'm probably going to order some pizzas. You'd be welcome to have some for a small donation. Also, bring your own beverages--whatever they may be. I'll have some water if you want it, but it won't be in a bottle.

If you don't know how to get to my house call me or call someone who knows me well, because I'm clearly not putting directions to my house or my phone number on my blog.

SIDENOTE: If Beckham ends up sitting out due to his sore ankle, you're welcome to come over. I will probably not be watching the game.

Kafkaesque

2007-07-14T21:53:00.000-07:00

So, I swung by Chick-Fil-A for a sweet tea this afternoon. As I waited in line for what seemed like an eternity (in the negative sense of the word), I noticed a beetle of some sort on the hood of the Mazda. The poor beetle was stuck on his back, struggling to flip himself over. It reminded me of Kafka's "Metamorphosis." Nonetheless, the little guy struggled and struggled. With each failed attempt to turn over, he slid down the hood of my car. Finally, he fell to the ground below. I can only hope he landed on his feet.

Speaking of Almost Official...

2007-07-11T12:21:00.001-07:00

Today, at 12:30, I entered the U of A Computer Testing Lab to face-off with the CLEP test for College Biology I. To be perfectly honest, I hadn't studied until last night, and I did a piss poor job then. I half-studied some more this morning. Then, I left to face certain doom.

As I took the test, I kept a real positive attitude. I constantly thought, "Oh my god, I'm going to fail this test." I started thinking about how I needed to figure out which branch of ACC (Austin Community College) was nearest to my new house, and I needed to see if they had a 1 night a week Biology I class. When I finished all 115 questions (with about 50 minutes to spare), I didn't bother to check my answers.

Well, I thought about not reporting my scores. Then I thought, well, what if I did pass? So, I clicked report score. Low and behold, a 53 was staring back at me. "Holy crap," I thought, "that's 3 points more than I needed to pass." Right on.

So, my man, you're reading a blog from a now (almost) official college graduate. I'm going to call the English department tomorrow to speak with an advisor. After the paper work clears, which will hopefully be soon, I will have my Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Arkansas. How awesome is that?

Well, It's (Almost) Official...

2007-07-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

Well, it's basically official. We sent in our deposit to Eyes of Texas Properties. Adam spoke with our realtor Holly, who said that they will fax us or ship us the lease when it gets closer to August. Apparently, they aren't even going to give the current residents the opportunity to release, because they've pretty much trashed the place. The house needs a little elbow grease: the yard could use trimmed up, the porch would love a nice coat of paint, things need to be cleaned and painted inside, and maybe some other small things. Nonetheless, this house fits our needs perfectly. It has 3 bedrooms and a closed off dining room. We're going to turn the dining room into a 3rd bedroom (an office for now), and we're going to make the Master Bedroom the official music space.

This house is a real blessing to us. We wanted a space that wasn't too far north, was affordable, and that had a space for music. This was the last house we looked at before leaving Austin, and we hadn't found anything that worked. We were feeling a little dejected. It's great that this house worked so perfectly. It has a kitchen with a space for a table, a usable living room, 2 normal bedrooms, the dining room that shall become a bedroom, and of course a perfect music room. The yard is a little bigger than I would want to have to take care of, but that's not a big deal. I'm just happy to have a place in Austin that could one day feel like home. Now, all I need is a job.

I'm Not Leaving Without Bumblebee...

2007-07-09T22:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I went to see Transformers tonight. It was pretty much everything I hoped it wouldn't be but expected it would be--pure crap. They tried to throw in some "intentional comedy" in the film. Example: the Autobots trying to hide from Sam's (Shia Lebouf) parents, Sam's mom asking why his door was locked (wink!), Bumblebee "urinating" on a government agent, a George Bush-esque president asking for a Ding Dong, and various other things of this nature. However, the funniest parts of the film were when they tried to get sentimental or tough.

My absolute favorite moment was when the soldiers tried to get Megan Fox's character to follow Sam to a building, but she wouldn't leave without helping a fallen Autobot (Sam's Chevy Camaro). This sparked this soon-to-be-classic line "I'm not leaving without Bumblebee." A failed attempt at being sentimental.

More failed sentiment: Optimus Prime's "Sam, if I fail to defeat Megatron, push the All-Spark into my chest. I will sacrifice myself to save mankind." So much for subtlety. Another great Optimus Prime sentiment: "Sam, I owe you my life. We are forever in your debt." I think they're may have been a little bit of robot tear in his robot eyes in that scene.

How about some failed toughness? Megan Fox's character (Mikaela? What a lame name for a character...no offense to any Mikaela's who might read this blog.) is hauling around the fallen Bumblebee with a tow truck and throws out the one-liner, "I'll drive, you shoot." Classic. A Decepticon is trying to steal the All-Spark (basically the central theme to the movie) from Sam, giving us this well-written and totally believable gem: "I'll never give you this All-Spark!!" My absolute favorite tough line comes from Megatron--the Decepticon leader. Jazz (an Autobot who is an advertisement for the Pontiac Solstice) says to him, "Want a piece of me?" Megatron replies, "No, I want you in two pieces." Then, he rips him in half.

Basically, this movie was everything I really expected: Shia Lebouf making witty comments, Jon Voight committing career-suicide (no wonder Angelina won't talk to him), Tyrese Gibson modeling tank tops, Megan Fox looking like an absolute tramp, the Transformers looking and acting cheesy as ever, and General Motors advertising a variety of cars (Chevy Camaro, GMC trucks, Hummer H2, Pontiac Solstice, GMC Yukon, and surely something else I've forgotten about).

I think the closing moments of the film speak best for the overall tone and quality of the film. Imagine it. Linkin Park's "What I've Done" is slowly fading in. There's a shot of a soldier picking up his baby girl for the first time (she was born while he was at war...tear). Cue up Shia Lebouf and Megan Fox kissing. Pan out. Oh baby, they're on top of Bumblebee (in Chevy Camaro form, of course). Cut to credits. Insert shots of Sam's parents saying funny things to reporters. Back to credits. Cue James Miller laughing.

Basically, this was the third installment of Short Circuit. Just substitute the once-dignified character Optimus Prime (heck, I cried when he died in the animated Transformers movie) for Johnny 5. There's cheap comedy, failed emotionalism, and robots. Unfortunately, the robots of Short Circuit 3: Transformers fail to maintain the likability of the first two installments' protagonist Johnny 5. If you walk into this film with the intention to laugh, you have to give it a higher grade. Unfortunately, I walked in hoping to be surprised by seeing a decent-to-good sci-fi film starring one of my favorite childhood toys. Silly me.
Movie Grade: D+

EDIT: There's one high point to Transformers: the soundtrack features a version of the original theme song by Mutemath. It's worth downloading from iTunes. Luckily, it's not in the movie. So, Mutemath has that going for them.

SIDE NOTE: What is up with the main chicks of Transformers and Spider-man? Both Mary Jane Watson and Mikaela Whogivesacrap are troubled teens that are somehow the most popular girl in school. Mary Jane has a verbally abusive, alcoholic father. Mikaela Whogivesacrap learned to fix cars from her locked-up car thief dad. Heck, she's even got a Juvy record. Let's be honest--that's bull crap. The girls at my high school who were popular had dads who were dentists and congressman and lawyers. They drove nice cars that were paid for, not stolen. Not to mention, Mikaela dresses like a complete skank in Transformers, which isn't really the quality of the All-American cheerleaders that were popularized at RHS (although, they did all go through a short-lived "punk rock" phase thanks to Hot Topic).

Ladies and Gentelmen, Introducing...

2007-07-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I did something sort of crazy today. I'm selling my bass amp to Aaron Hopwood of CFP, and I was planning (or thinking about) using the money to buy a Fender '72 Telecaster Deluxe Reissue with a walnut stain finish. Well, I made a trip to the new Guitar Center in Fayetteville today. I saw the guitar I have wanted for years right there. Well, I bought it. I know I haven't actually sold the amp yet, but Hops is buying it when he returns from Ireland. This is certainly not the wisest thing I've ever done, but I'm a musician (so there's not a lot of wise decision-making in my life). I would imagine that moving to Austin to start a band is probably not viewed as wise either, so chalk up another crazy move to my history. Anyway, here's my lovely new guitar.

Your Boyfriend's Back...

2007-07-08T23:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm not anybody's boyfriend. Boy toy? Maybe. Nonetheless, I'm finally back in town for a long stretch of time. In the past 3 weeks, I've slept in my own bed twice. I left for Waco, TX on the 16th, went straight to Austin, was in Fayettenam for 1.5 days, went to Branson, was in The Ville for 1 day, left for Colorado, returned 1 week later, and I immediately left for Brian & Gennie's wedding in Little Rock.

Well, it was all worth it. Waco was awesome. Austin was fruitful (found a probable house). Branson was cheesy (especially Dixie Stampede). Colorado was beautiful. The wedding was a freakin' blast. All-in-all, I was blessed to have so much to do. I mean, I could've been sitting on my butt playing Wii or watching Friends or Seinfeld DVD's repeatedly. Instead, I had adventures--and plenty of them.

There's just too much to tell you about from all those trips. I guess I shared some Waco/Austin experiences in my last few posts. I mean, what the heck, how about a Colorado story or two?

Okay, this is exciting. We went to Noah's Ark to raft the Arkansas River. [Quick lesson in irony: This is ironic, because you wouldn't expect Arkansans to travel 15 hours to go down the Arkansas River. This would be like someone in Colorado driving to Austin to float down the Colorado River. The outcome is unexpected and thus ironic.] The day started slow. I sort of underestimated myself, and I went in the combo raft (which has a guide with oars). In my defense, I didn't want Mark (a Springdale senior who had broken his hand/wrist) to be the only guy on the combo raft and I was hoping to be able to video some rafting action (the camera ended up not working). Anyway, we were about 5.5 miles down stream when the wrath of God fell from the heavens. I'm not even joking. We had large marble-sized hail for over 45 minutes. I'm not sure the actual amount of time that it hailed, but we were off the river for 45 minutes due to hail. Thus, it was at least 45 minutes of hailing. I experienced the early stages of hypothermia, which was scary and exhilarating all at the same time. Basically, it was the most epic rafting trip ever. It put my rafting trip in Alaska to utter shame.

Another story? Yes? How about a quick summation of the spiritual atmosphere of Timberline? I'm not sure what it is about Colorado, but it seems like it's easier to experience God when you're 8,000 feet closer to heaven. I guess you can couple that with being surrounded by His beautiful creation that serves as a constant reminder of it's Creator, constantly talking about spiritual things with students, and removing myself from the distractions of the world (my computer, my iPod, my cell phone, my TV, etc.). Guess what? I didn't listen to one CD while I was there. I had no idea what Pitchfork was reporting. I made one call the whole week...to my mom, about the application for my house in Austin. I just got the heck away. The kids did the same, and it was amazing. God really broke down some spiritual barriers in some students' hearts. For others, he lit a fire that they'll carry back to the darkness of their schools. It was great. More than anything, people got excited about praying for their schools, for each other, and for the nations. What could be better than that?

Seriously, Colorado was amazing. I loved hanging out with those kids. I loved leading worship all week. It was great getting to spend time with guys like Finley Robinson and John Flowers--who both challenge me and encourage me so much. Basically, I wish I could still be there, but I'm so glad to be home. So, you might remember me posting about being "homeless." Well, I feel home right now. I'm done movin' and shakin' all over the country. It was good to be home, to go to Grove, to hang out with my roommates, and I'm about to sleep in my own bed. Hallelujah.

Also, another quick high point of traveling. The wedding was a blast last night. I had to shatter some traffic laws, but I made it to the ceremony in time. It was an enjoyable (and short!) ceremony. The reception was great. I got a free beer and plenty of free diet cokes. The food was amazing (stuffed mushrooms!!). Dancing with all of my friends was a blast. Also, speaking of irony...I heard a wedding band that consisted of 5 African-American males singing the words "Play that funky music white boy." It was fun catching up with people I hadn't seen in a while--especially a Mr. Adam Argo. I stayed at La Casa Argo after the wedding. Since Meredith was working overnight, Adam and I stayed up late listening to music and talking about music. It was a blast, and it reminded me that I miss Adam Argo. Above all else, though, it was really awesome to get to celebrate the fact that God brought Brian and Gennie together. Soon enough, I'll actually update Gennie's name over on the Blog Roll.

Well, I've rambled enough. I've updated for no apparent reason. It's been real. It's been fun. Heck, it's been real fun, but I'm tired and going to bed.

P.S. - Check Out This Sweet Video

2007-06-30T15:33:00.001-07:00

Check out this sweet video "The American Potato Stop Motion." It was made by Andrew Steger (thestegers.blogspot.com). The song in the background is "The Way We Get By" by Spoon (Austin's favorite sons).

Homeless, but Not Houseless

2007-06-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've lost touch with the concept of "home." The word feels like nothing more than what it is...a word. It's a word that's supposed to be filled with some sort of mystical quality--a refuge for some, a fear for others. There's something special, unique even about going "home."

I've lost touch with the word. After spending a week and a half in Waco and Austin, I felt a little bit homesick. When I got back to my house in Fayetteville, I just didn't feel like I was back home. I left for Branson for three days, and coming back to Fayetteville still doesn't make me feel at home.

It seems like every single day, my house in Fayetteville feels less like my home. Yet, the thought of going to Austin doesn't feel like going home. It feels like leaving home to go on this year-long, years-long, maybe life-long adventure. I'm sick for home whenever I leave, but I long just get everything over with and leave Fayetteville behind.

It's just this weird transient stage. I've been preparing myself for months to leave Arkansas, but the thought of being somewhere else still scares me. Somehow, I feel good neither here nor there.

I really think it's a mix of fear and longing. I am certainly afraid of what comes next in life. I could move to Austin and become poor, lonely, and a failure. At the same time, I long to get there and prove those fears wrong. Soon enough, I will be in Austin--making it my new home. I have a feeling that once I'm there coming back to the NWA will feel a bit like home--seeing old friends and my family. What I mean is this, this is a weird period in my life--the transition between old and new. However, soon enough, life will be back to "normal" though everything will be new.

Local Music Review

2007-06-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

Christmas Fuller Project
The Philosophy of Time Travel

Christmas Fuller Project brings a certain D.I.Y. mentality to the Fayetteville indie scene. The band produced its first demo/EP in the milkhouse behind guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Nick Roland’s house (aptly titling it The Milkhouse EP). The EP was far from studio-quality, so I was certainly skeptical when I heard that the band was attempting to record their first full-length album—The Philosophy of Time Travel—at home. Thinking only in terms of sound quality, this album is undoubtedly one of the best products to come directly out of the Fayetteville music scene.

So, the band definitely grew in their ability to capture their sound in a recording. The question, then, must be whether or not they grew in their ability to write and play music. The Milkhouse EP, while fun for friends and family, wasn’t breaking any new ground and certainly wasn’t the high point of their career. The Philosophy of Time Travel is an entirely different story. It’s difficult to believe that the same band that released Milkhouse last May just released this new album.

What’s changed? The band has literally moved light years ahead (maybe in a time machine?) with their songwriting. Lyrically, the band challenged itself to hit new levels. For the most part, the songs are deeper lyrically—striving for more pressing content and better imagery. Musically, this doesn’t even seem like the same band. The songs are more creative, more developed, and flat-out riskier than anything on Milkhouse (and probably anything done by anyone else in Fayetteville). The band abandons what makes some of their fans happiest (shiny, simple pop music) by providing more than your healthy share of weird studio tricks—synthesized organ lines (“Meet Me in Montauk”), controlled chaos (“Ghosts Are For Graveyards”), jet-engine feedback (“The Part That Lives”), and plenty of backwards craziness (“Prelude” and “Pop Philosophy”).

Roland pushes his ability as a multi-instrumentalist by adding banjo and saxophone to his growing repetoire (which already included guitar, keys, and vocals). Drummer Cameron Heger adds glockenspiel in several songs, which is a great touch. However, like The Beatles, CFP is certainly getting by with a little help from their friends. The band should seriously consider adding some of the guest musicians on this album to their full-time lineup [they already added Tyler Ceola from the now defunct Famous In May, who appears on “Learn How to Die (Country Step)”]. Kassie Sen’s operatic siren song on “Captain Webb vs. the English Channel” and “1875” are the highlights of those songs, but her biggest contribution is her vocals on the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind-inspired “Meet Me in Montauk”. Caleb Sieck’s violin and Michael Bollero’s cello appear on half the album, and the pair gives CFP more than their money’s worth of quality strings.

The album, which is somewhat of a concept album of time traveling, is simply good. A lot of times, I am guilty of judging local music to a lower standard than the rest of the albums I own. I’m not doing that here. The album—though eclectic—really does pull together into one great piece of music with several highlights. Personally, I suggest listening to “Captain Webb vs. the English Channel” for it’s epic swell and complex nature, “Pop Philosophy” for it’s mostly laid-back pop beauty, “Meet Me in Montauk” for a pure indie rock love song with lyrical depth, and “Try” for it’s sweet fiddle action.

You’re not going to be disappointed by this album. I’m not going to inflate this album so much as to tell you it’s one of the all-time greats, but it’s certainly good. You probably won’t find it on any year-end lists of any major music reviewer, but that’s in-part because they’ve never heard it.

Showing Love With a Granola Bar...

2007-06-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get ahead of myself. Like just about any person in their early 20's staring down the lifetime ahead of them, I have one general goal for my life: change the world. What the hell does that even mean? What am I going to change? End all the wars? Feed all the people? Stop all the hate? Cure all the diseases? Seriously, there's a lot of stuff that needs changing.

I've come to realize that I will probably not do any of those things on any sort of global scale. What I'm coming to realize is that God really wants to use in a big way in little moments. Every day, I seem to be faced with moments to do something great. Most of the time, I lean towards apathy and fear.

Take this past week in Austin. I got out of the car at Ryan's house, and the guys from across the street yelled to us. My thought was to look distant, because I was distant. I really wanted nothing to do with these guys, and I had no idea who they were. I felt a small amount of shame at being so apathetic towards a couple of guys on the porch who were trying to be nice. Okay, fast forward 27 hours. It's 1 am the next night. We're locked out of Ryan's house, and Allen (one of the guys from the porch) comes across the street. He offers us a beer and a chair on his porch--we oblige. Well, we meet Roy (Allen's partner) when we walk up. The refer to themselves as Ryan's "gay pagan neighbors." Allen (who so far has proven himself to be one of the nicest people I've ever met) asks us if we're religious like the guys across the street (who he doesn't really know at all, he says). Adam and I were given a chance to be out-of-the-closet Christians to this gay couple. We didn't judge them. All we did was talk about art and music--we indirectly shared our faith (he asked where I work, which is indeed a church). We didn't do much for these guys except treat them like human beings and thank them for their kindness. I think God probably smiled. I talk a lot about loving the gay community, but this is probably the first time I've ever made good on those words.

I spent a week in Waco working with people in the inner city, and I think it really gave me insight to what it will be like when I live in a big city (i.e., Austin). There are homeless people all over Austin. If I were to give a couple of bucks to every person I saw, I'd be broke in a week. How can I help these people? Even I give a couple of bucks, many of these people are homeless due to addictions. I don't want to give someone 5 bucks to go towards booze or drugs. I had a simple thought the other day. What if I carried a box of those really awesome Wal-Mart brand granola bars? They cost like $1.50 for ten. In other words, for $.15, I can put a small amount of food in someone's stomach. It's not curing homelessness, but there are other means to that. It's providing about as much help as a couple of bucks does. In Fayetteville, it's been easy to pick up McDonald's or Arby's for someone standing near the bypass. Austin provides a much tougher situation. How do you give one person something when there's ten more standing next to him? I know a granola bar isn't much, but it doesn't take much to love.

My point is this: changing the world isn't some grand thing. Every time you do something little the world has changed. It won't get noticed on CNN, Bono won't give you a high-five, Oprah won't pretend to care about what you've done. Nonetheless, the world is different. It's better. I confess that I'm probably going to fail at this on a lot of occasions. I'll probably choose apathy over empathy. I'll probably just get used to seeing homeless men as I get on the bypass. I'll probably grow ignore the gay community rather than reach out to it. Hopefully, God will continuously break my heart for these men--homeless, gay, whatever. I pray that God would break my heart daily for those around me that don't know him. Maybe I won't see a giant revival in Austin. Maybe I won't see world peace. I just hope that I bring love and hope in a practical way wherever I go.

Church Shopping: Mosaic Austin

2007-06-24T19:10:00.001-07:00

We went back to Mosaic tonight. Unfortunately, it was yet again an abnormal service. This was their last night to meet in that unfinished closet at First Baptist Church of Austin. So, they had a special time of sharing of "dreams" for the new space at 5619 W. Airport Blvd. and memories of the space at FBC-Austin. It was cool to see a church celebrate where it's been and cast vision for where it is going.

There are a lot of pros and cons to Mosaic. There's some things that are amazingly both a pro and a con about Mosaic. However, I've had a positive experience in being there these two times. I'm interested in looking further into this church.

Here's a list of positives: different than anything I've know a church to be, pretty small, very prayer-driven, very art-focused and art-friendly, community-oriented, an emphasis theology, and very focused on outreach to the community.

Here's some negatives: different than anything I've know a church to be, not much talk about foreign missions (only community missions), maybe a little prideful about the theology thing (that might be unfair), and I've yet to have someone say "I haven't seen you here before" or "Are you new?"

It's hard to feel a part of this church at first. Everyone knows each other, because it's so small. They have their own songs that they've written within the community (no Passion or Hillsong United songs here, please), so I don't know how any of them go. It's just really different from anything I have ever experienced.

However, I feel like I would feel more a part of the church if I were involved in community groups and as I learned the songs that they sing. I like that they really see worship as more than singing--that it's can be anything expressing our love for God (including life and serving the community around us). They had several people read poetry in the service tonight. One person spent the whole service painting, and there's an art gallery in the new space. I feel like this place is very connected with God's love for the arts and connected with the idea of redeeming the arts.

I've yet to hear someone teach the word on a Sunday night. Part, I've come to two random services (one with a guest speaker and one a transition between old and new). They have scripture readings throughout the services and push deep bible study in community, so I imagine the service is the same.

The biggest problem is a lack of attention (seemingly) to foreign missions. Granted, TOMS is an outreach to another part of the globe, and they had Blake come speak. Also, missions to the people of Austin and the international community near the new space is important too. However, I've yet to hear anything in a service or see anything on Mosaic's website about spreading the Gospel across the globe. Is that something that should cause Adam and I to run? Or, in such a small community, is that something that we would add? I think of New Heights and Joseph Mason. Joseph's dad is an elder at New Heights. When Joseph was hired to be the youth pastor, New Heights had very little interest. Joseph brought his passion for the nations with him to New Heights. Now, the church has missionaries around the world, pushes Perspectives On the World Christian Movement, and is on the board for ADMG. Wow. What a difference one man made in a community of believers by being passionate.

All this is to say, I'm not sure where I'll be going to church yet. I really liked the two places that I visited today...a lot. I felt really comfortable at The Stone, and I felt challenged at Mosaic. I feel like I would fit in the community at either. We'll just have to see where God leads me, because that is where I will follow.

(P.S. - What are the odds of moving the entire Grove body to Austin?)

Church Shopping: The Austin Stone

2007-06-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

We visited another church today. It's called The Austin Stone Community Church, and it really reminded me of The Grove. There's a lot of things in Austin that remind me of bigger versions of things in Fayetteville. Bull McCabe's is like a bigger Crown Pub. Lamar Ave. is like a bigger 71B. I-35 is like a bigger I-540. 6th Street is like a bigger Dickson. In a way, Austin really is like a bigger Northwest Arkansas. For the most part, it's a Fayetteville. But, there's Round Rock and Pflugerville that are like your Rogers and Bentonville. My point is this: The Stone is like a bigger Grove.

There's a few more people with a couple more services. Nonetheless, it seems like a really similar church. The style of worship is similar. The age range is similar. The style of the sermon is really similar. They have a ton of community groups all over town, which is good. Community=good.

Here's the "pros": similar to Grove in many respects, downtown Austin, meets in a high school gymnasium (not a super-fancy building), sermon was intellectually challenging, worship was sincere, they support Austin's version of Church Under the Bridge (at the I-35 overpass of 7th Street), and they support missions (had 2 short-term teams just return).

Here's the "cons": Chris Tomlin is on staff and leads once a month (meaning, I have to pretend to like Chris Tomlin and there's a lot of people just there to hear him), the service seemed hierarchical--I didn't feel like you'd ever see someone like a Mike Harper giving the sermon or have a lot of participation from members in the band (I could be wrong about this), and it's kind of big for my taste as far as number of people.

Here's the thing. The Chris Tomlin con isn't entirely serious. He is a great worship leader, and he has to work somewhere. I am turned off by the fact that there will be a lot of church hoppers. I could be wrong about the separation of body and staff thing. I might have to get over the numbers thing, because this town has a lot of people like me who want to go to the types of churches I want to go to.

There's one thing that is a question for me: the prayer culture of the church. However, I hear that they have a Wednesday night prayer meeting that I'd want to check out. I would also like to see a community group to experience the prayer culture of the church.

I like that they have a 5:00 and 7:00 night service to offset a 10:45 (soon to be 9:00 and 11:00) morning service. This would allow me to go to the Church Under the Bridge here in Austin, where I could worship with the homeless and the poor. That's very appealing.

We're about to re-visit Mosaic (the hippies and hipsters church) tonight. They have a new building (small and in a shopping center), and it should be a normal service (i.e., Blake Mycoskie from TOMS won't be speaking). I'm interested to see what it's like. Adios.

I Just Paid for Wi-Fi, but At Least I've Had an Amazing Week

2007-06-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

So, Adam is at his interview with the local Anderson rep here in the ATX. Me? I'm sitting at a Starbucks that's about a half a block away. Can you believe they didn't have free Wi-Fi? I had to pay to use their "T-Mobile Hot Spot." That's pure crap.

On a brighter note, it's good to be in Austin. I've been in Texas for a week now, and I think I can handle the muggy July heat. Pretty soon, I'll be a resident of this state. Crazy, huh?

Anyway, the last week in Waco was everything which I hoped it would be. I painted a house, cleaned a kitchen, sorted clothes, gave a devotional at a homeless shelter, went to a church that meets underneath an interstate overpass (Church Under the Bridge) during a rain storm, played with kids at a 3-day camp at a rec. center in a government housing complex, and witnessed my students at New Heights grow in so many ways. It was amazing.

It's hard to think about spending a week with those New Heights guys and gals then going straight to find an apartment in a new town. I'm really going to miss working at that church, and I'm really going to miss those kids. Leading those kids in worship has undoubtedly been the biggest privilege I have ever been given as a worship leader. If I had to choose 1,000 times between the ability I had to control lights and have bands at Fellowship for 5 years or worshiping with these New Heights kids for 6 months, I'd choose the NHSM kids 1,000 times. When those kids encounter Jesus in worship, it's amazing--whether in a Boys & Girls Club, a warehouse, or a small training center in Waco. I pray that God would continue to teach them to abandon themselves to His glory.

Quick story. We had an extended time of singing on Wednesday night. It was our last night. We wanted kids to have the ability to respond to Him and reflect on their week. Josh put out a bowl of water and a towel, so they could wash someone's feet if they wanted. In the midst of singing, I opened my eyes for a moment to see one of my guys (who never really sings on Sundays) just singing out to God, and I just about lost it. I looked over moments later to see his little sister washing his feet, and I couldn't hold it in. I just cried. I have prayed for these two kids and their brother (who I saw lying prostrate on the floor) for months. I honestly feel that they have more leadership potential than just about any of the kids in our ministry. To see him crying out to Jesus, to see her humbly washing her big brother's feet, and to see their brother lying facedown in worship touched my heart so deeply.

I cannot wait to move to Austin. I'm excited beyond all realization. However, I am daily realizing that there is a lot that must be left behind to get here. Right now, I'm sitting in a Starbucks in Austin. Pretty soon, this will become a regular occurrence (except, probably with a more local coffee house). Yet, I can't help but think about those kids, my job at New Heights, The Grove, the University of Arkansas, my favorite places on Dickson, the way Fayetteville looks at night when you first drive into the city, looking at the Christmas lights on Old Main, and mostly my friends and family. There's a lot to leave behind, but is there ever an adventure that doesn't start with leaving all you've known and loved behind?

Champions...again.

2007-06-14T22:46:00.001-07:00

Just thought I'd remind you all that the San Antonio Spurs just won their fourth NBA World Championship. That means they've won four of the last eight championships. The Spurs join the Lakers, the Bulls, and the Celtics as the only franchises to win at least 4 championships.

So, I went to my first Spurs game at the age of 5 (did you know I lived in San Antonio from the time I was three until I was almost eleven?). They're easily the team that I've most passionately followed throughout my life (though, you could argue that I've surpassed that with the Razorbacks). Regardless, I'm excited to be moving back near Spurs country soon. I hope to go to like 10 games next season.

I'm pretty much the only Spurs fan I know (excluding my parents, my sister, and my brother-in-law). I think I met someone not long ago who called themselves a Spurs fan. If memory serves correct, they had jumped on the bandwagon after the 2003 championship. Regardless, it's really exciting to see your team win it all. After 3 disappointing close calls (football, basketball, & baseball) with the Razorbacks almost winning the SEC (& making runs for the National Title), it's good to have a team I love take home some hardware. If the Braves continue their success and the Dolphins climb out of obscurity, this could be a great sports year for me.

The Busiest Summer of All Time...

2007-06-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

Okay, maybe not. Actually, I was probably busier last summer when I took 6 hours of classes and worked full time for Sam's Club. Nonetheless, this one's getting busy. Here's my next few weeks.

6/16 to 6/21 - Mission Waco. We're taking 20 people to work with inner city kids and to do work projects at a homeless shelter. I'm going to give a devotional to some adults men and women at a homeless shelter as well. It should be exciting.

6/21 to 6/25 - Apartment hunting in Austin. Also, a possible Polyphonic Spree show.

6/26 to 6/29 - Family fun in Branson. What could be more fun than all eight members of the Miller/De La Rosa family locked in a condo together?

7/1 to 7/7 - Timberline. I was going to be driving to Winter Park. Now I'll be flying from Kansas City to Denver (where I'll catch a van ride to Winter Park). I'll ride the bus back home. It should be a good time out west. I'll be leading worship for seniors at Fellowship.

7/7 to 7/8 - As soon as the bus pulls into Fellowship, I will jet to my house to shower and put on a suit. Following that, I'll jet set to Little Rock for Brian & Gennie's wedding.

7/11 - CLEP test for Biology I. Yeah, somewhere in the midst of all that craziness, I have to study for this test so that I can finish college. Yay.

As they say in the hood, "no rest for the weary." Something like that. Anyway, it's going to be a crazy few weeks. I apologize in advance for not hanging out with anyone on the 2 or 3 days I'll be home.

(Side Note: I'll be iPod-less for the first leg of this trip, which is a real bummer.)

Band of the Week...or Longer

2007-06-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

So, I know I was raving about The Frames the other day as my new band that I'm obsessed with. Well, they've already been dethroned. I know, this is friggin' ridiculous. However, I can't help it. I love music. I love falling for new bands. So, my new band is The National.

They're a 5-piece from Ohio, which is pretty cool. Ohio is sort of near & dear to my heart being that I lived 30 miles south of Cleveland (in Medina) from the age of 10 to the age of 14. It's pretty sweet to get into a band from Ohio...especially one that's not a crappy roots rock band (read: OAR).

Anyway, I got The National's newest release (as in a few weeks old) Boxer a couple of weeks ago. I really liked it. In fact, I think it's becoming one of my favorites albums of 2007--making a possible run at Writer's Block, Armchair Apocrypha, and (gasp!) Neon Bible. So, I wanted to hear some of the back catalog. While in Columbia, MO this week, I picked up a limited edition copy of their 2005 release Alligator. This pretty much cemented my love affair with the band.

The thing I love most about this band is the ability they have to produce musical understatement. Matt Beringer's low Cohen-esque vocals are what make this band. The vocals giving this dragging, apathetic feel to the music. I love it. Musically, the band mixes driving Joy Division influenced rock with chamber pop--layering strings and pianos behind their simple two guitar & bass lineup. The National have a good ability not to overstate the case on anything. The bass lines are great, the guitars are big, and the drums are solid; but nothing overtakes the song. There's no real point where I describe the song by any individual instrument's sound (with the exception of the piano on a few songs).

I give you my full recommendation on this band. I hold nothing back. I don't feel even the least bit unsure about giving them my backing. This is a band that you won't regret listening to for any reason.

Am I the "Indie Kid"?

2007-06-12T23:23:00.000-07:00

It's been brought to my attention that I might be the "indie kid" amongst my friends. My summer roommate David has a friend at Mizzou that we refer to as Indie Kid. He once called Sufjan Stevens too mainstream for his taste. I rest my case.

Regardless, it's been brought to my attention that I could be a watered-down version of this guy. Here's some attributes of myself and occurrences from my week that lead to this possible conclusion:

1. Thick, black, plastic frame glasses.
2. I wear trendy shoes from an independent shoe company.
3. I explained the workings of Broken Social Scene/Arts & Crafts to my mom.
4. I ordered green tea ice cream today.
5. I collect/listen to vinyl records.
6. Bushy, unkept beard.
7. I own a 3rd Generation iPod (that's right, pre-click wheel).
8. My homepage is Pitchfork.
9. This list ends at nine.

Have I lost touch with the real world or am I just the right amount of trendy?

Why are people stupid?

2007-06-10T22:08:00.000-07:00

I hate more than anything to get on iTunes and see people complaining that a soundtrack is "album only." It happens with every soundtrack. Either the whole thing is album only or the songs that can only be found on the soundtrack are album only. It has nothing to do with iTunes. This is how movie studios make money off soundtracks. The studios putting out these soundtracks aren't interested in selling individual tracks. People act like iTunes has the greatest power of all the music industry entities. People don't understand when iTunes doesn't have a certain band. Do you think the people at Apple don't want Radiohead on iTunes? Do you think they don't want The Beatles on iTunes? People are just plain ignorant sometimes. Apple would love to sell you individual tracks. iTunes would love to have two of the world's greatest bands. People should understand that--like most things in this country--the music industry is run by corporations. As much as iTunes (and the internet as a whole) is changing the way the game is played, the RIAA and the 4 big corporate labels still have a lot of power.

What Have I Become?

2007-06-09T19:54:00.001-07:00

So, my roommate David is obsessed with funnel cakes and corn dogs. No lie. When we realized Springdale's Feather Fest was this weekend, it was pretty much a given that David would be there for some funnel cake & corn dog action.

So, Friday night, four of us headed out to downtown Springdale to take part in the festivities. We all enjoyed a corn dog and a funnel cake. Well, David simply wasn't satisfied. He wanted to go back today for lunch--for two corn dogs. So, I headed over there with him.

All was going well until we walked to the Corn Dog/Funnel Cake booth. As we passed a kid who worked in the both, he said, "Back again, guys?" This is no good. This is sign one that we've become Feather Fest regulars. 10 minutes later, the guy at the window says to David, "Man, you loves these corn dogs. You guys have been here a lot." Then, it was official: we were Feather Fest regulars.

What have I become? I've never felt so dirty in my entire life. There I was in my trendy TOMS (did you know Sienna Miller wears TOMS?) and my D&G thick rim glasses, and I was now a regular of Feather Fest. I thought I was going to have to trade in my Barsuk Records shirt for a Bill Goldberg or nWo shirt. Throughout junior high and high school, I strived not to become one of those--for lake of a better term--tool bags who spent their whole weekend at Frisco Fest. Throughout college, I've avoided Spring Fest all together. Even Tontitown's coveted Grape Festival, with it's fancy spaghetti dinner, I've managed to avoid. Now, here I am: a Feather Fester.

I Love Falling in Love With Bands

2007-06-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

So, for those of you that know me, you know that I love to fall in love with bands that I had never heard before. I usually go from owning none of a band's music to owning most of their catalogue within a few weeks. Well, here's my new band: The Frames. They've been around a long time, but I just haven't paid attention.

Recently, I heard about this new movie called Once, which stars Glen Hansard from The Frames. This movie looks amazing, and the reviews are incredible. I began listening to a stream of the soundtrack the other day (because it's a musical, crazy). It's unreal. I really liked Hansard's voice and his songwriting, so I got two CDs by The Frames and the solo CD he put out with his co-star in Once, Marketa Irglova. It's all pretty amazing. I would have bought the soundtrack, but I could only find it on iTunes for 10 bucks. I got all the other stuff with my eMusic account (I get 30 downloads a month for 10 bucks).

Regardless, you should check out Glen Hansard or The Frames. If you happen to be in a city larger than Fayetteville (like an Austin, or a Denver, or a KC, or a Dallas, etc.) you should see if you can catch a showing of Once...I hear it's incredible. I recommend The Frames (especially the album Burning the Maps) for anyone who likes European sorts of epic rock--Coldplay, Travis, and the like (but expect a less polished, more passionate singer). There's a lot of comparison between U2 and The Frames, but I think it's unwarranted. The only thing they have in common is that they're rock bands and they're from Ireland. Also, if you like Damien Rice (but feel he's been a little too commercialized as of late), then you'll really like Hansard's solo stuff.

Also, whichever band you check out, listen to the song "Falling Slowly." Hansard's acoustic version is maybe one of my favorite songs right now. However, The Frames' version on The Cost is sweet as well.

New Kicks...

2007-06-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

I just got my second pair of TOMS in the mail today. My first pair were a little small, so I went up two sizes this time. These new size 12 TOMS fit like a dream. Not to mention, now that I have two pairs, that means TWO kids in South America will have a pair of shoes at the end of the year. Awesome. Anyway, here's a pic of my new shoes below. On the TOMS site, they looked orange & white. They're very much red and white. That's cool with me...very Razorback. Also, if you don't know, I've been in this crazy stripes obsession for a couple months. All the shirts I've bought lately have been striped. I bought a blue & white striped seersucker blazer. Now, I even have striped shoes.
EDIT: If you see mine or Adam or Kristen's TOMS and decide you want a pair for yourself, I have a 5% off code that I'm allowed to give to my friends. Just let me know, and I'll give it to you.

...

2007-06-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

I think I can honestly say I'm happy right now. Things haven't gone as I've hoped in many ways, but I feel good. I won't say that my life is picture perfect. I certainly won't say that I'm picture perfect. I'm still failing at many things, but I think I'm getting better at those things. I'm trusting God right now to do a good work in me.

What Do Record Execs Know Anyway?

2007-05-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

"Clive Davis once told me that a hit song consists of a catchy melody and lyrics with a formula: verse, verse, pre chorus, chorus, instrumental, verse and chorus fade. The perfect song to me would be Pete Seeger's "Turn Turn Turn" even though it doesn't follow the formula. Pete wrote a lovely melody and adapted the lyrics from the timeless truths of Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8."

-Roger McGuinn of The Byrds

NPR asked a dozen or so artists to tell them about the perfect song. While I don't agree that Pete Seeger's "Turn, Turn, Turn" is the perfect song, I do like what McGuinn had to say. If you don't know, The Byrd's biggest hit was their pop cover of this old folk song. Clive Davis is a long time record exec. He's launched many careers (and re-launched Carlos Santana's career). However, this is proof to me that record execs and A&R reps will NEVER know more about music than a musician. Davis and the like can stick to formulas that will make money, but those forumlas will never be as important as a musician making music that means something to himself (or herself). You can write for the radio and write to please people, but the music we still listen to today (without chuckling to ourselves) is music that defied the formulas and broke the molds and expressed a musician's artistic and emotional desires.

Community...

2007-05-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

I gave a talk on the Corporate disciplines today at New Heights. It went really well, but it was really hard to prepare for this talk. I may have mentioned this, but this has been a tough week.

I've had to make some decisions that will minorly isolate me from the community I love. It's hard to tell kids how important community is when this is happening. I realize that man was not made to be alone--God said so. I keep thinking about the book Blue Like Jazz (which I've convinced my mother to read...yay). Donald Miller talks so much about how we need community. I need it too. I'm going to be struggling to experience it in the near future, but I need it just the same.

Even worse, each passing day is one day closer to moving. When we get to Austin, Adam will be the only community I have. That's not a bad thing: I love that guy in a totally heterosexual way. (We're even soon to be hetero-lifemates like Stu & Lafe.) It will still be hard to leave behind so many people I love. I know Adam will struggle too. That's why I'm glad that he's the Paul McCartney to my John Lennon. I'm glad that I have a friend to make music with, to live life with, and to go on this crazy adventure with in Austin. I couldn't make it any other way.

God, I pray for a real sense of community. I pray for time alone to be a time of solitude--a time to listen to my creator speaking love and truth into my heart. God, when no one else is there, would you be by my side.

Therapy...

2007-05-23T20:35:00.000-07:00

I miss playing guitar with a bunch of guys. It's like therapy. Everything that's bothering you in the world comes out through your fingertips into the guitar. This sounds really cliche, but it's true.

I played guitar with Adam last night, but it isn't the same. There's something about having the whole band together. There's something about feeling the music come together. I can't wait to get to Austin. If guitar playing is like therapy, Austin must be the freakin' psych ward.

A Dream Ruined My Day Today...

2007-05-21T17:45:00.001-07:00

Today, I awoke from a dream. It wasn't a nightmare, but it was something I feared greatly. Could it be true? Or, are my own fears mocking me in my very sleep? I laid in bed for quite a while--wondering if, alas! hoping that it was only in my mind. Had the darkness that's haunted my mind come to fruition? Was I perhaps a simple sort of prophet seeing my own dismal future? All of it was too much to bear so early in the day. I knew then that my day would be worse for it.

Drove to Chicago, All Things Go, All Things Go

2007-05-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I just got back from Chicago this morning--what an amazing trip! I'd never been to this city before, so I was very excited to visit. We spent two days there, and it was a blast. Above is a view from the State Ave. bridge. The bridge in the picture is the Huron Ave. bridge. The night before I took this, we saw the filming of a scene from some new Morgan Freeman/Angelina Jolie movie in this same spot. Below here is the buildings I know only as the Wilco buildings. These are the buildings from the cover of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.We had a good time visiting cool stores (Virgin Records, H&M, Niketown, etc.) and eating at good restaurants (notably Giordano's Pizza and the Weber Grill). However, we didn't drive 10 hours for a shopping spree or good dinner. Below is a couple of pics from the Arcade Fire concert at The Chicago Theater:So, the pictures that I have of the show aren't amazing. My camera isn't great. Regardless, this is one of the best shows I have ever seen. Literally. Other than Radiohead at Bonnaroo 2006, I have never seen a better performance than this. If you ever get a chance to see Arcade Fire live, do yourself a favor and go. There's nine people in the band, and every single one of them is giving 100% on every single song. The energy is amazing. The musicianship is incredible. Unbelievable.

The Skies Have Never Been More Blue...

2007-05-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

You'll read some varied reviews on the new Wilco album. I've seen it called "dad rock." I've seen it called "better than The Eagles." None of that really matters to me. What I can tell you is this: when I put the needle to the vinyl, I heard something at once familiar and at once completely different from anything Wilco had ever done.

Wilco (read: Jeff Tweedy) has never been one to live up to expectations. Basically, whatever you expect from Wilco, plan for the opposite. Being There was a country-tinged masterpiece, and it was followed by a brilliant experimental pop album called Summerteeth. That album showed promise for a radio-friendly rock band; it was followed by the experimental, noise-laden studio wonder Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. A Ghsot is Born was a more likely follow-up to YHF, but it's minimalist rock was probably a surprise to those expecting the noise that had accompanied Wilco's music since Summerteeth. All this is to say, never expect Wilco to meet your expectation. Jeff Tweedy makes his own set of rules.

Sky Blue Sky continues this trend. The sixth album from the Chicago-based band sounds nothing like any of its predecessors. However, there are hints of familiarity. There's Jeff Tweedy's unforgettable voice, which sounds better than ever. Mixed into this straight-forward (musically and lyrically) album is Tweedy's trademark stream of consciousness musings, like on "You Are My Face" (filling into tight lines/of ordinary beehives/the door screams I hate you/hate you hanging 'round my blue jeans). Though Wilco has never had a straight folk sound, the backbone to most of YHF and A Ghost is Born and Being There was simple folk songs built into country-rock or deconstructed into experimental progressive rock. That's there, but this time Wilco has chosen to let folk songs be folk songs.

Some will critique Wilco's lack of adventure on this album. The band isn't charting any new territory in music. This isn't what you would have expecting from Wilco's newest lineup (remember what I said about expectations?). After all, Glen Kotche is one of the most amazing avant garde drummers on the earth. Nels Cline is a master of texture on the guitar. However, Glen Kotche has Glen Kotche albums to be that guy. Nels Cline has Nels Cline albums to explore texture on. Here, they aren't held in a box by Wilco's frontman. Instead, I think Kotche and Cline are using Wilco as a platform to express themselves differently. Sometimes, you just want to rock. Nels brings his jazz to the table on the album (see "Impossible Germany"). Glen brings some of his amazing drum "skillz" to the table (see "Shake It Off"). Regardless, Nels Cline knows he can play textural jazz music behind Jeff's songs. Instead, he chooses to play rock leads (though jazzy) and slide guitar to compliment the songs.

This new Wilco isn't about being progressive for progressiveness' sake. This band is about playing what feels right, playing what sounds great, and being comfortable with straight-forwardness. This isn't Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. There are no great studio tricks here. There's just great songs being played by a great band who's probably more comfortable than they've ever been.
Album Rating: A

It's A Wii Bit Different...

2007-05-11T14:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I got an X-Box 360 for my birthday last November. It was a pretty fun system to own--great graphics and all. However, it died recently, so I took it back to Sam's Club. I decided to use the money I got back differently.

Yesterday, I used the money to purchase a Nintendo Wii. While it doesn't have the same great graphics as the 360, it's so much fun. Not to mention, the Wii is a lot of fun when you have groups of people over; whereas the 360 is more of a "me" kind of system. In fact, on it's inaugral evening in the house, the Wii was used by 7 different people.

Also, due to the vast price difference between a 360 and a Wii, I had a couple hundred dollars left over. I made a semi-controversial purchase with this. Some will call this stupid. Some will call this girly. However, I purchased the Friends: The Complete Series boxed set from Sam's. I won't lie: I've wanted this for a long time. Considering I'm almost certain that I'm not going to pay for cable in Austin, this will get some use.

Nonetheless, if you want to play Wii or want to watch some Friends, give me a call.

New Era, New E-mail

2007-05-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

So, I have a new e-mail address. The classic jlm09@uark.edu still works for like a year, and it will be automatically forwarded to my new address. However, it will be totally passe to e-mail me at that address. My new e-mail address is JamesLynnMiller@gmail.com. Ooh, that just sounds so "I'm out of college."

New Additions...

2007-05-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

I made two editions to my music collection today: an Elliott Smith rarities collection called New Moon and the new Travis album The Boy With No Name. Both albums were a good buy.

The Elliott Smith compilation is filled with mostly unreleased tracks from his Kill Rock Stars era. He released both Either/Or and Elliott Smith on the label, so most of the songs come from the sessions for those albums. There are a few other demos as well. Regardless. It's a worthwhile collection. I think it's a great addition to Elliott's catalogue, and I'm glad that more of his songs are being released. Afterall, he's not around to realease any new material.

The new Travis album is pretty good. I like it a lot. It's not ground breaking, and it's not a huge stretch on the Travis sound. However, it's an enjoyable album and a good listen. If more pop/rock bands sounded like Travis, the world would be a better place. Maybe that's a stretch, but radio would probably be more enjoyable. I can't wait to catch Travis as they tour to support this album in the states. I'm sure I'll be sitting alongside Adam--the biggest Travis fan I know.

Anyway, I reccommend both these albums. You don't have to buy them if you don't want to, but they're worth your money.

On A Lighter (Maybe Weightless?) Note...

2007-05-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

Here's my five favorite songs about space travel...

5. "Rocket Ship" - Guster
4. "Rocket Man" - My Morning Jacket (Elton John cover)
3. "Space Oddity" - David Bowie
2. "Sail to the Moon. (Brush the Cobwebs Out of the Sky.)" - Radiohead
1. "The Commander Thinks Aloud" - The Long Winters

Who Am I Now?

2007-05-06T15:58:00.000-07:00

Well, for those of you that read my last post, it's over. All of it. I have no more classes left--only a couple of tests. Tomorrow night at 6:30, I won't go to community group. Thursday night, there won't be band practice. There'll be no show on Friday or Saturday. All of it is done.

I don't know how to feel or what to think. Who am I now? I'm not a student. I'm not in a band. I'm not in a community group. What am I? I'm an intern at a church...for a month and a half. I'm on a softball team for the summer. These are the only things I have to which I can belong, but they're oh so temporary.

I'm afraid that the only way left to identify myself is through Jesus. All I have left to say is that "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." Do I have what it takes for that? Can I truly follow Christ and find my identity in him alone? I hope so.

There is nothing for me to hide behind any longer. There's nothing to give me purpose out there. This is proof to me that this world is temporary. All good things must come to an end...except Christ. He is eternal. I pray that I would find myself in things that are eternal.

Finals Week

2007-05-04T13:10:00.000-07:00

Next week is my actual "finals week." I will take all of my finals for all of my classes starting this Saturday and ending on Wednesday. However this last week has been a week of finals as well: the final community group meeting, the final band practice, the final time to hangout as a band, the final day of college classes, and soon enough the final concert.

These things have all been the constants in my life for three years. I've been able to say I'm a student at the U of A, I'm in the Mondays at 6:30/7:00 community group, and I'm the guitarist in Famous In May. All three of those things end (or have ended) this week.

So, join me in saying goodbye to the me I've been for the past three years. I feel like this week really has marked the end of a long chapter of my life. I'm excited to live the next one.

A Song You Should Probably Be Listening To Right Now

2007-05-02T22:32:00.000-07:00

You should be listening to "The Pelican" by Menomena. First off, you should have already bought Friend and Foe by Menomena. It's probably one of the best albums to have been released this year. It's really gaining momentum for me. I like it more and more with each listen.

Regardless, "The Pelican" is a freakin' awesome song. It reminds me of TV on the Radio without sounding derivative of TVotR. Basically, that's a good thing...a really good thing.

Also, this is BY FAR the best album artwork of the year. You really need to see an actual copy of the artwork to appreciate it. A picture really just doesn't do it justice. All those colored spots are on different layers showing through holes in the cover. It's weird but awesome.

**EDIT: An argument could be made that Casadaga by Bright Eyes has the best artwork. That's a good argument to make. However, since the music on Casadaga is utterly disappointing, Friend and Foe wins.

**EDIT: The picture finally works. Isn't it sweet? By the way, the red spots are an inner layer of the booklet and the yellow spots are on the disc itself. The one blue spot and the speech bubble are also on the disc.

Every Beginning Has an End

2007-04-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Famous In May, Hello Thailand!!
A Farewell to Famous In May
In Benefit to Mission Thailand
Fellowship Bible Church
Jr. High Auditorium
Saturday, May 5th
9:15-11:00
Free (Donations Accepted)

We're playing our final show EVER. This will be the last time that the five of us ever take the stage together. We'll be sad, we'll be happy, we'll be a ball of emotions. And, we want to share it with you.

The event is free, but we're asking for donations to Mission Thailand (for our friend Andrew Hartness and others). We'll also put all of our merchandise up for grab. CDs, shirts, all yours. However, if you're able, we're asking for a $5 donation for each item you take.

Even Rebels Deserve Justice

2007-04-29T20:12:00.000-07:00

For the most part, our mass media ignores much of what's valuable in this world. It ignores most of the injustice in this world. I've seen more about Paris Hilton on the CNN crawl than Darfur. More about Anna Nicole Smith's death than the death of 400,000 innocent people. Even the Virginia Tech massacre--a tragedy and an injustice in all regards--that included 30+ deaths has dominated airwaves while the world has ignored the ongoing murder of the black African people of Darfur. Why is this?

Is it because Virginia Tech is over? We don't have to worry about Sueng-Hui Cho murdering any more people, because he has already taken his own life. All we have to do is remember--we don't have to act. I know it's easier to think about Paris Hilton wrecking a car than to think about the Janjaweed burning an entire village. Why do we care so much about where Anna Nicole's body is going to be buried? Let the dead take care of the dead. There are millions living in refugee camps that aren't dead yet...but they will be if we don't act.

I once heard someone give a reason for why we should not help. This person said that we would be aiding the side of rebels. Yet, is a government justified for murder just because it's the government? Since when are rebels always the "bad guys"?

There was once a nation full of rebels fighting for freedom from a foreign king. America was born because of rebels. What if the French had never come to our aid against the British? We were fighting for equal representation, for fair taxation. The people of Darfur are fighting for their home, for their very life. What if we never come to their aid?

I won't pretend that I've done much in this effort. I've put the sticker on my car. I'm wearing the bracelet. I've donated some money. I marched. I've written e-mails to legislators. I've prayed. Yet, they keep dying. I won't pretend that I'm a champion for the people of Darfur. Sometimes, I lose hope all together.

Will our country ever pull through? We've tried to justify Iraq with the notion of freedom from oppression. What greater oppressor is their than death itself? Death is marching on Darfur right now, yet we don't even look their way. Death has burned down entire villages and killed family after family after family, but not one oil well has been damaged. Do we not act because Darfur has nothing to offer us? Is their no commodity that the businesses of America find worth saving? Human life may mean nothing to them, but is there no commodity they can save?

Sometimes I wonder why God hasn't acted. Nothing 'causes me to question more than evil and injustice. Why does a good god let innocent people suffer? It's tough to think about, but I trust that God is good. I rest in this fact: God created a world without evil, but he gave man a choice between good and evil. My friend put it this way: "A long time ago there were two people in a garden. God offered them the best life, but they choose to sin. Now we're all f**ked." Maybe it's not the most eloquent way to say it, but it's true.

God does not want the people of Darfur to suffer, but he allows it. He allows it not out of evil, but he allows mankind the ability to do what's right. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are the peacemakers. May we make peace all the days of our lives.

I will never be able to personally to end the genocide in Darfur. I will continually pray, pray without ceasing, that God intervenes. I will continue to write Pryor, Lincoln, Beebe, Boozman, and the like. I will continue to wear a green wristband--hoping someone might ask what is going on in Darfur. I can't do much, but I can do what I can. So can you. Every representative and senator has an e-mail section on his/her site. Sign the petition on SaveDarur.org. For God's sake, for Darfur's sake, do what you can, and I'll do the best I can.

Remember When We Used to Sing?

2007-04-27T21:00:00.000-07:00

It's April 27th. That means that Famous In May has about 8 days left of existence. OhNo! Milo plays their last show tomorrow. I'm going to miss both of those bands. Of course, being that I'm in it, I'll miss Famous In May more.

I feel like this is going to be a sad summer. I'm going to miss making music with my friends. I'm going to miss playing shows with all the bands I liked--OhNo!, Hot Shot, CFP, Generic Fare (ha!). I'm probably going to have a minor stint of depression this summer. I imagine that not playing is going to be very difficult.

I, of course, rest in the fact that, while Famous In May dies, something new is going to be created. The end of Famous in May means that Adam and I are a little bit closer to starting a new project--which is exciting and scary and hopeful and terrifying and all those types of feelings rolled into one. I just wish there wasn't going to be such a long gap between ending this band and moving to Austin. I don't know that I'm ready to face that.

We're playing a show next week. It will be our last. I don't know where it's going to be or what time yet, but I really want you to mark your calendars. We're shooting for Saturday night. We want you to be there, and--fyi--I might cry. At very least, I'll sweat like the Dickens and rub my fingers raw--that's what I do. I'll probably do my supposed trademark "stomp dance" as well.

Self-Importanance in "Suffering"

2007-04-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

I've decided that I hate that the campout at From Dickson to Darfur is being billed as a "refugee camp simulation." I want to use much stronger language than this, but this is total bullcrap. A few dozen college kids (& whoever else graces the strip of grass behind the Greek Theater) can NEVER simulate a refugee camp. Why? Well, problem one: there are no rock concerts at refugee camps. Problem two: refugee's don't get to return to their air-conditioned/electrified homes the next morning. Problem three: refugees don't sleep in North Face tents. Problem four: refugees are fleeing their war-torn home not trying to look cool at the "cause of the week."

I definitely hurt for what's happening in the Sudan. I want people to be aware. Don't get me wrong: I've got the stickers, I sign the petitions, and I think a big rally is a great idea. However, let's not be self-important. Let's not pretend like we're doing more for these people than we are. We're holding a concert and a short march. We're having a campout. All this is in hopes that people hear about Darfur, some money is raised for victims, and so on. Nothing more. We're not "experiencing their pain." We are simulating nothing.

On that note, I'll be there--although not "suffering" by camping out. So, I hope to see you there.

Thy Kingdom Come

2007-04-19T23:02:00.000-07:00

This was said by Virginia Tech professor and poet Nikki Giovanni at a Tuesday evening memorial convocation at the Blacksburg campus. I think it is a beautiful thought in the wake of a tragedy.

We are sad today, and we will be sad for quite a while. We are not moving on, we are embracing our mourning. ... We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did nothing to deserve it, but neither does a child in Africa dying of AIDS, neither do the invisible children walking the night away to avoid being captured by the rogue army, neither does the baby elephant watching his community being devastated for ivory, neither does the Mexican child looking for fresh water, neither does the Appalachian infant killed in the middle of the night in his crib in the home his father built with his own hands being run over by a boulder because the land was destabilized. No one deserves a tragedy.

In light of this, I'm reminded that evil is not in this world because God doesn't exist or because God isn't good. Evil is in this world, because God exists and He is good. He made man, and he wanted man's love to be true--not forced. He allowed Adam & Eve to choose Him, but they chose sin. I've done the same. You've done the same. Regardless, Jesus Christ came. He brought with him the Kingdom of God. It is at hand. We are not waiting for the kingdom to come; we're living in it. God's kingdom is now, and it is real.

The Irony of The Who

2007-04-17T13:31:00.000-07:00

Comeback albums, reunion tours
for the right price they'll all be yours.
"Hope I die before I get old"--
A lie Roger Daltry once told.
Pete Townshend must be sixty-five
But somehow he is still alive.
Keith Moon, he kept his word to leave.
Entwhistle came close, I believe.
For God's sake, Pete--you too Roger--
Just stop being such death dodgers.
Man up, give up, do what it takes
Quit making such career mistakes.
You don't have to die, it's okay,
But please, for the love, fade away.

What Light

2007-04-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

So, you can purchase the first single from Wilco's new album Sky Blue Sky on iTunes. The song is called "What Light." It's been around for about a month streaming from various websites. This is the first full quality version to come out.

This is quite possibly the happiest Jeff Tweedy has sounded in years. The song is filled with hope, something that has been absent from his songs for quite a while.

Musically, the song is very americana/folk-rock. It's not really the deconstructed rock found on Wilco's last three albums. Yet, it's not quite the country roots rock found on AM and Being There. In my opinion, the song kind of channels a sort of Bob Dylan meets Woody Guthrie meets...well...Jeff Tweedy. It reminds me of songs like "California Stars" and "One By One" from the Mermaid Avenue albums--which was Wilco (and Billy Bragg) giving birth to songs with unreleased Woody Guthrie lyrics.

Nonetheless, "What Light" makes me even more excited for May 15. I've pre-ordered the album on vinyl (with a free copy of the CD). I even paid the extra money to guarantee the album is on my door step on May 15. I just can't wait.

Also, I've decided not to listen to the bootleg copy of the album that's floating around. I just don't want my first experiences of the album to come from low quality bootlegs of the web stream Wilco put on their site. Also, I think having the full copy of Neon Bible by Arcade Fire before it came out sucked all the fun out of buying the album. I'd prefer not to mess with that when it comes to Wilco. I want to experience this album for what it is.

On Writing Poorly

2007-04-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm thinking about writing something of greater length. I'm not quite shooting for the novel length like my friend and fellow writer John Schellhase (who is planning a novel currently). However, I was thinking about writing a Short Epic (note the irony). Here's the deal, though: I'm torn between actually writing it in verse like with traditional heroic epic or furthering the genre-based irony by writing a Short Epic in Prose. This is ironic, of course, because epics are typically neither short nor in prose. I think I'm a better poet than fiction writer, so I imagine that writing in verse would be to my advantage. However, I wonder if it would just be funnier as prose. Right now, I'm leaning towards prose.

Nonetheless, by summer's end, I hope to have completed The Georgead: A Short Epic (in Prose). I aplogize in advance to any Bush-sympathizers and/or Republicans who have happened their way upon my blog. The idea is to write a parody of the Bush administration setup like a classic epic. I would, of course, make Bush the sort-of antihero of the story--parodying several traditions of epic literature. The idea is to set the story on a smaller scale. I was thinking he would be Chief of a large fictional village. John Schellhase suggested doing something totally off-the-wall and having the whole epic be about army men (the little green ones). I don't know what I think about the possibility of his idea becoming my reality, but I will say that it is intriguing at the very least.

Your moral support would be greatly appreciated.

**EDIT: I am truly hoping that this project doesn't turn out like the short film that I planned on writing/directing with Cameron Heger last summer.

The Fugitive

2007-03-30T11:12:00.001-07:00

Well, there was certainly a fiasco at my house. We've been put in charge of watching the Stewart family's poodle Howie. We were doing a fairly good job at loving Howie and taking him outside to doodie. However, yesterday, all hell broke loose.

Apparently, nobody had taken Howie out to potty that morning. When I was leaving for school, Howie darted out of the house. I chased him down and let him finish leaving our neighbor's a present. At this point, I was now running terribly late for class, so I tossed Howie in the house and quickly shut the door behind me.

What happened next sucks. The door didn't latch shut, so a small gust of wind later blew it back open. Howie left. Nobody was home to stop him. Howie disappeared. Well, after 24 hours of searching and hoping, Todd called the pound (which he had previously done to no avail). Howie had been turned in late yesterday.

Howie is back home at the Hickory Glen house, and we're keeping an extra-close watch on him.

Rock 'N' Roll Hootchie Koo

2007-03-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you guys know about our show tomorrow night. It should be exciting. We're trying a couple of new tricks: 1. no keyboard player (TC is out of town), 2. Adam on electric guitar, and 3. maybe even a new song. So, please join us. We only have 3-4 more shows before we stop playing together.

famous in may
w/ Avenue
@ The Boom Boom Room
Friday, March 30, 2007
9:00 pm 21+
$3 at the door

Risk Is a Game of World Domination and I'm Taking Over the World

2007-03-21T21:43:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take a chance? I know I have. I'm pretty sure that I've never really taken a chance on anything--a real chance. Sure, I've made some small gambles here or there: switching from Diet Dr. Pepper to Diet Pepsi, buying DVDs without having seen the movie, and so on. Nonetheless, there aren't very many real consequences to these things.

I have skipped out on a lot gambles in my life too: telling certain girls how I feel about them, moving to Nashville sophomore year, and things of that larger nature. Nonetheless, those all worked out as I no longer have feelings for any of those girls and I'm about to be a college graduate.

For the first time in my life, I've decided to lay it all out on the line. Many of you know that I want to move to Austin, TX in 5 months. What many of you don't know is how much I wrestled with this decision--especially after the possibility of a future job with New Heights arose.

I gave the decision to God. I knew that my heart wanted to go to Austin, but I wanted my heart to match God's heart in this. Not to mention, my head was thinking about the logistics. I wanted to prayerfully consider this. So, that's what I did. I prayed. I prayed a lot, and I prayed hard for God to help me make up my mind and make a decision.

Adam and I left for Austin last Friday, and I was ready for God to give me a resounding "yes" or "no." On the way down, Erin Johnson had called me; however, she thankfully did not tell me what had been on her heart about my moving (although she later revealed it to me).

The weekend was amazing. It was extremely fun and relaxing, but the best part was that I felt God answer my prayers. One of my worries was finding a community of believers--a church and friends. Now, I never thought this would happen on a weekend excursion. However, we found a group of people with a common heart for Jesus and a common heart for the arts and a common heart for people. We visited some churches, but you've already read about that. By the way, I liked Mosaic a lot, but I want to visit a few more churches.

The fact that I'm planning on visiting more churches should clue you in to what God revealed to me. I felt God strongly telling me to move to Austin. I felt like he eased my fears about moving too. On top of this, when I got home, Erin decided to tell me what she had held back in our phone conversation. As she had prayed for me, she felt on her heart that I would be stupid not to go--a mix of her wisdom and God's. She's right.

I love New Heights, and I love leading worship. However, there will always be an opportunity to lead worship (either volunteering or as a job). There will probably be an opportunity to do this in Austin. However, the opportunity to take a risk this big will not always be there. This is a chance for me to step out on a limb and do the thing which I love most--make music.

So, if you've been wondering, I have OFFICIALLY decided to move to Austin. I'm not going to say that I'm probably moving anymore. Now, I am simply moving. This is to say that I love you all, I'll miss you all, and let's hang out for the next 5 months.

You Spin Me Right Round (Like a Record Baby, Right Round, Round Yeah)

2007-03-20T15:44:00.000-07:00

Today, I embarked on a new journey; although, this journey actually began on Saturday. That doesn't make any sense.

Nonetheless, today, I purchased a turntable (or record player) to play the vinyl records that I purchased on Saturday. By the way, a record player costs more than you would think--or at least more than I would have thought. My first three vinyl purchases occurred on Saturday: Oh Inverted World by The Shins, The Loon by Tapes 'N' Tapes, and the self-titled EP by I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness (a band from Austin; produced by Spoon's Britt Daniel). I'm pretty excited.

There's a lot of albums I want on vinyl now. Here's my notable vinyl wishlist (in case you'd like to get me a gift...ha):
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco
A Ghost is Born by Wilco
Cold Roses by Ryan Adams
Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie
Everything All of the Time by Band of Horses
Gimme Fiction by Spoon
Definitive Greatest Hits by Al Green
Castaways and Cutouts by The Decemberists
Neon Bible by Arcade Fire
Funeral by Arcade Fire

Hi, How Are You? (or, A Few Pics from Austin)

2007-03-19T20:20:00.000-07:00

We've gone mad. The Joker - makeup = Adam.

Here's Austin's version of The Grove.

Me in front of of a mural of Daniel Johnston's Hi, How Are You?

Same mural. Adam. Enough said.

Don't Know What Ya Got 'Til It's Gone...

2007-03-18T14:19:00.000-07:00

"You know the words to that Cinderella song 'Don't Know What You Got 'Til It's Gone.' That pretty much says it better than I could..." ~ Roy on TV's The Office

Adam and I are still in Austin. We're visiting churches today. We went to a church called Gateway Church this morning, and we're visiting a church called Mosaic at 6:00. I'd like to say that Gateway Church made me so very grateful for everything I have ever had as a church. Fellowship may be a little "showy" on Christmas and Easter, but Gateway thrives on showy. There was a crazy stage setup, a drama, a performance song, a jazz jamout during the offering, name repetition for the teacher, really cheesy latin-influenced versions of late 90's worship music, and a standup routine for a sermon (or it might as well have been). Between each there was clapping....that's right, clapping by the audience. This church was everything I don't want. It made me realize how much I've loved the Grove, Fellowship, and even my short time as an intern at New Heights. I know those things aren't gone (like the Cinderella song says), but I'm really appreciative for these things.

I don't think Mosaic will be much like this Gateway Church. It's a small mobile, artistic, individualistic church. I know that they're really into theology and the arts, and they meet in downtown Austin (as opposed to Gateway's white suburbia). It should be cool.

I feel bad that I sort of bashed this church above, but it really does represent all that I don't want in church. On the other hand, they do give to missions and serve in the community. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that I would experience little-to-no spiritual growth at a church like this. I think it's probably great for some people, but Adam and I agreed that neither of us ever wanted to go back there.

Sad News...

2007-03-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

I just found out (from Wikipedia of all places) that this will be the last season that the Braves are exclusively aired on TBS. Time-Warner (owners of TBS)have a pending sale of the Braves to Liberty Media Group. Starting in 2008, TBS will be a national MLB affiliate. In other words, they'll air games from everybody and some playoff games. I'm disappointed to know that I won't be able to watch the Braves as often as I'd like, but at least there will still be baseball on TBS.

The Universe is an Oyster (and the World is My Pearl)

2007-03-15T09:48:00.000-07:00

I don't have much to write at this moment. There haven't been any crazy revelations in my life, and I have in no way come any closer to discover the meaning of life. However, it's been a great week regardless of the stresses I have faced.

I had a lot to do this week--including two midterms, two quizzes, a short paper, a big gig at George's, and being the general manager of the Atlanta Braves (on MLB 2K7). Well, other than my fake job for the Braves, I'm done with it all.

Mid-Term number one was take home but fairly difficult. I sucked up my first quiz, but it'll be okay. The short paper was fairly easy. I'm pretty sure that I aced quiz number two. Much to my shock and bewilderment, midterm numero dos was a freakin' breeze considering my lack of preparation. I didn't leave George's last night until 1:30, I didn't get a chance to study this morning, and I really didn't put the prep-time I had planned into. Regardless, I think I did well.

As far as non-academics, we played a really enjoyable show at George's Majestic Lounge last night. I had a good time--plus OhNo! Milo and Hot Shot Karate both put on great shows.

On the other half of my non-academic life, I have put together one heck of a Braves franchise on MLB 2K7. I brought the team back out of the pits (Can you believe they were the 18th best team on the game?!?! They're usually top 5). However, I've become the real Braves in a very bad sense. I've got 10 straight divisional titles with only 1 World Series win and plenty of first round losses. For those non-baseball lovers, the real Braves won 14 straight divisional titles from 1991-2005 (1994 = strike) with only one World Series win in 1995. Most of the time they would lose in the divisional round of the playoffs--after the 3-round playoff was created in 1994, of course. Regardless, with it being Spring Break and all, my goal is to win some stinkin' championships.

The Days, They Only Get Crazier

2007-03-12T10:18:00.000-07:00

Well, the plan yesterday was to rent a minivan for $80 and drive back home. We worked this all out via Enterprise Rentals 1-800 number. Things seemed great. Sure enough, everything fell apart. The guy from the local Enterprise called to tell me he can't rent me a van unless I'm 25, so we planned on 2 cars for $50 each. Well, we found out that this branch of Enterprise doesn't do "One Ways." We'd have to bring the car back to Columbia the next day...clearly not possible. He said that they could do it for $1 per mile--that would cost $350 per car. Hertz rental doesn't have a drop off fee, but it costs $240 to rent a car. Things were looking bad.

Eventually, the guy called to say he'd rent me one car for the $80 price but let me know he'd be risking his job in so doing this. I told him, "Thanks, but no thank you." Instead, 8 of us piled into David Ubben's Nissan Xterra. We drove an hour and a half to Whiteman Air Force Base where Hopwood's cousin Yuki (one of the 8) lives. Once to Whiteman, Yuki (in her car) and her friend Patel (in his car) drove us another hour and a half to a gas station in the middle of nowhere Missouri. At this point, Hopwood's dad was waiting with their family's suburban.

Our trip was 3 legs and long, and involved 4 days. We ended up leaving late (due to all the confusion). We had to wait an hour at the base. However, we made it home safely. We had a good time over the weekend (for the most part). It's all okay.

On a side note...HOGS ARE IN THE BIG DANCE!!!

Nazis, Crashing Cars, TVs on Radios, and Some Kids from the Cold War

2007-03-10T22:31:00.000-08:00

So, this was a pretty eventful day on my trip to Columbia, MO.

11:00 - Lunch at this cool mongolian grill called HuHot. It's pretty sweet.

12:15 - Go to watch a Nazi march.

12:45 - First Nazi sighting. It's pretty scary.

1:00 - Riot almost ensues, so it's now really scary. It's okay, Riot Police got it under control.

2:00 - Finally sit down to watch a recording of the Hog game...hallelujah, we're going to the championship.

5:00 - Go check out this cool bar/coffeeshop--Columbia's version of The Common Grounds.

6:00 - Dinner at this great cajun restaurant called Jazz, complete with seating in the VIP room and a jazz band.

8:30 - Car wreck. I was in Ubben's car, and George rear-ended us. It was a little bit crazy. Everything will be okay once we figure out exactly how we'll get home tomorrow (the suburban has been decommissioned).

9:30 - Finally get the Suburban towed. We're finally off to the show (an hour and a half behind schedule).

10:30 - TV on the Radio takes the stage and rocks the house.

12:00 - We high-tail it over to a different club to see if we can catch Cold War Kids.

12:05 - We get to see the last few songs of Cold War Kids from outside the door. It was cool (and free).

Well, that was eventful. I ate at two great restaurants, was involved in a car accident, saw a jazz band, sort of saw Cold War Kids, and watched TV on the Radio play a killer show. To top it all off, we witnessed a freakin' crazy Nazi protest (complete with people protesting the Nazis). Unbelievable. I'm spent.

**EDIT: So, we figured out how to get home. We're renting a mini-van from Enterprise.

A Confession of Affectation & Pretension

2007-03-08T11:11:00.002-08:00

I may or may not be a pretentious jerk. When it comes to music and movies (and even literature), I am very opinionated. I like to make my opinions known as often as is possible. Not only do I have strong opinions about music and movies, but I'm also very picky about these things. I like certain music, and I hate most else. I like certain movies, and I hate most else. This isn't a bad thing, and I refuse to believe it is (even if you tell me otherwise). I like what I like, and I shouldn't be forced to like or pretend to like anything that I don't really like.

The point is this: I want to be less forceful with my music opinions and my movie opinions. I want to like what I like and let you like what you like. I don't have to like it to. I don't have to approve of you liking it. I just have to let you like it.

For example: if you want to listen to the new Mat Kearney (by the way, man, it's spelled Matt) album, go for it. It sucks, and I hate it. I'm not going to listen to it if I don't have to. However, I'm going to let you like it. If you ask what I think of it, I'm going to rip that sucker apart. However, if you casually mention how much you love it, I don't want to explain to you why it sucks. You enjoy what you enjoy, and I'll hate what I hate (or enjoy what I enjoy).

I understand that what I've just said is dripping with pretense. I have basically asserted that what I like is good and what I don't is bad. I'm okay with that. I really don't feel like I have to pretend that something doesn't suck for the sake of seeming humble. On a deeper level, isn't that a really affected form of humility anyway? I'd be putting up a false front in order to look better--if that isn't affectation, what is? Nonetheless, I'm not going to pretend stuff doesn't suck. I'm just not going to be in your face about it (unless you ask my opinion, in which case, you've opened up a whirlwind of criticism and debate).

I doubt that I'll ever be "humble" about my pop culture opinions. This is my attempt to get as close as I can get to it. I'll will continue to blog my opinion. I will continue to categorize things as good and crappy. I will continue to force things into Top 10 lists and the like. However, I will try not to rip apart your "favorite" pop radio band or box office blockbuster unless you ask for my opinion. I will in no way attempt or pretend to like these things, but I will not blast them unless asked. That's the best I feel I can offer right now.

**EDIT: One, I have failed to live up to this so far. Two, sorry about the whole triple post thing. I was having internet problems at the Union. It keep refusing to load. Somehow, it later loaded every time.

Ten Things to Do Before I Die

2007-03-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

Stephen Compston and I talked the other day about compiling lists of things we want to do before we die. Here's my list (in no particular order).

Hike the Grand Canyon.
Eat a cheesesteak sandwich in Philly.
Skydive.
Visit every one of the United States (17 to go)—preferably in an RV though.
Drink a Guiness in Ireland.
Record an album of solely James Miller-penned tunes.
Learn to surf.
Write a novel.
Make a movie (short-films included).
Backpack Europe.

Tax Collectors...

2007-02-27T14:32:00.000-08:00

I think I have found the modern day equivalent to tax collectors. The Jews hated tax collectors, because they were Jews that were working for Caesar and giving the Jews money to Caesar. The best I can think to be equivalent to these tax collectors is the students who work for UA Parking & Transit. You know the ones I mean--walking through the parking deck, assigning tickets to people who didn't pay the meter. These are students collecting for "The Man." I have to believe that these students also run late to class and would love to park in the ever-convenient deck but lack the monetary funds necessary. I always feel a little back-stabbed when I see a fellow student writing a ticket to someone's car. On a side note, I never get tickets in the deck. I park there 3-5 days a week. I never pay. I have a handful of tickets from the past few years.

A new poem...

2007-02-27T14:22:00.000-08:00

Here's a poem that I've been working on for a couple of weeks. It's pretty cynical and completely sarcastic. If you're a Republican, you'll probably hate it. Just a short warning, I'm not even going to dignify or respond to any sort of ideological rebuttal on the comments. I might read them, but I won't care. If you don't agree, stop reading and keep your lips sealed. If you hate the poem for strictly poetic reasons, feel free to share. Also, if you have any stylistic suggestions, I'd love to hear them. I've though pretty hard about the punctuation in this, so I would love to know what you (avid poetry reader) think about the punctuation. Well, now that I've said way too much about the poem, here it is:

If Jerry Falwell Were King...

We could all sing songs of praise,
For there would be no more gays--
To mock us in contempt or spite,
With pleas for marriage or for rights--
if Jerry Falwell were King.

And no children would die by operation;
They'd all die from the starvation
Capitalists inact upon the poor--
Which we would try to help no more
if Jerry Falwell were King.

We'd have no need for war again:
We'd make the whole world American--
With hands on hearts they'd stand to praise
Truth, Justice, and the American Way--
if Jerry Falwell were King.

But we could finally live in peace--
Enforced by the Religious Police.
We'd have no more need for Jesus--
By law, we would all be sinless--
if Jerry Falwell were King.
(2/14/07 to 2/27/02)

The Future is Now and I'm Wondering When It'll Pass

2007-02-12T21:30:00.000-08:00

I don't have a whole lot to say, but I will say this. I have taken two steps further into the future. I upgraded my Mac from 512 MB of memory to 1 GB, and it is running incredibly well. I'm really excited about this upgrade. I can't wait to mess with ProTools now. Step two. I traded my mother some computer gear for a car stereo today. I'm giving her my DVD burner (which I no longer need thanks to the SuperDrive in my MacBook), and she gave (read: bought) me a new stereo for my car that has an auxilary port. This basically allows the lights in my dash to work again, because they wouldn't work when wired with my current stereo. Basically, that means that I haven't been able to see my speedometer after sundown for about a year. Now, I'll be able to drive the speed limit at night. Also, I'll be able to plug my iPod directly into my stereo thanks to the 1/8" aux jack on the front of my stereo. It's pretty sweet.

I'll be honest. I love technology. Yes, technology has some bad sides to it (i.e., not working at inopportune moments, costing lots of money, nuclear warfare, the machines taking over, etc.). However, for all the problems technology causes me, it's been pretty handy as well. So, I'm thankful for my well-made Apple laptop, my iPod, and my new stereo, and I think that's okay.

The Plan...

2007-02-07T14:14:00.002-08:00

So, I have come to two decisions regarding the next couple of years of my life.

Plan A
This scenario involves Adam and I moving to Austin, TX to start a band. It could play out in several ways. If Bailey were to attend grad school at UT-Austin, we would probably decide to keep famous in may going with replacements on bass and keys. If Bailey doesn't end up in Austin, Adam and I would forge our own new musical path with a new band. Basically, this scenario for life involves me giving the next couple of years towards fulfilling my life's dream--being a professional musican (although, technically I am a professional musician right now, because I get paid to play music at New Heights Church). Nonetheless, the next couple of years of my life are pretty expendable. I don't have a girlfriend/wife/fiancee. I don't have a set career path. I don't have anything permanent in my life. Basically, now is the time to relocate and take a risk. If I spend the next two or three years playing music and don't "break into the business," I'll really have lost very little. I'll be 25 years old, and I will have plenty of time to start a career. Now, it should be pointed out what I mean by "break into the business." I don't really dream of being Coldplay or U2. If MTV never plays my video, I'll be glad. If I never headline a 20,000 seat venue, that's great. I want to make enough money to live simply and to play music. I want people to hear my music. I want to be signed to an independent label (although, in the right circumstance--as in full control of my music--I would sign to a major label). So, I might not ever win a Grammy. Maybe I won't be on MTV You Hear It First. I might not rceive significant airplay on pop radio. That's okay. I can still be successful.

Plan B
This plan is technically the backup plan. However, there's a good chance it wouldn't come to fruition anyway, so I should probably be thinking of a backup to Plan B. This plan basically begins today. I've decided to apply to the Peace Corps. I might not make it, but I have a good chance at being able to teach English in Eastern Europe/Central Asia. If Austin doesn't happen and I can get into the program, this will be how I'll spend 27 months of my life (starting in August). Upon returning, I'd probably try to go to grad school or get a job in the non-profit sector. This could potentially be my first step into a carerr of politics (sort of). I probably won't be running for senator or anything, but I might be involved in politics in some way.

Plan C
You tell me...

The Ironicity of It All

2007-01-26T16:51:00.000-08:00

I recently discovered something that I absolutely hate. I've noticed that some people (often college professors) will use words that don't exists but sound like they could exist. These words are often several syllables and could easily be replaced by a shorter word that already exists. For example, we have a word in the English language called "irony." I could then say that the title of a work--say A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift--is ironic. Now, when referring to the fact that this title is ironic, I should not refer to it's ironicity. Rather, I would probably better serve the world by referring simply to the title's irony. How about another example? Some people in this world are what we would call "sadists." We could also say that those people are sadistic. However, sadistic people are not sadisticists. They are merely sadists. Please refrain from this type of speech...for your sake, for my sake, for Heaven's sake.

I So Overposted Myself...

2007-01-19T15:50:00.000-08:00

For the record, I meant to put that last entry up weeks ago. It took longer than expectated to deliberate on the final version of my top ten albums. That is silly, of course, because no one really cares that much what I thought the ten best albums of the year were. However, life's way too short for me to care about that. Nonetheless, I already have my first musical recommendation of 2007.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder
So, this album isn't technically out until January 30th. However, if you preorder the album from Insound.com, they will e-mail you a link to receive a digital copy of the album in advance. This is cool, because I still get a physical copy of the CD, but I don't have to wait for the mailman to deliver it to me 3 days after the album comes out. Of course, it's also cool because I have the album before most people. Nonetheless, this album is such a step forward for CYHSY. They've taken the music one step further. The songs are better developed than on their self-titled debut. The music has a bit more depth to it. However, the songs still have the pop beauty of the first album as well. While Alec Ounsworth still has a quirky voice, which can be a problem for some, he uses his voice to the best of it's abilities on this album. Keep in mind, I think his voice was great on the first album, so that's saying a lot that he uses his voice well. Some standout tracks are "Love Song No. 7", "Satan Said Dance", "Arm & Hammer", and "Emily Jean Stock." Those are my initial favorites. However, the album is great start to finish.

2006...A Year in Review.

2007-01-19T15:49:00.001-08:00

Here's my tribute to the year that was 2006:

Most Annoying/Overused Sports Comment:
A Tie!!
"Did you know that Notre Dame WR Jeff Samardzija also plays in the Cubs farm system?"
and
"Bob Knight: A Season on the Brink"

Best Sports Moment:
George Mason going to the Final Four

My Favorite Personal Event:
Playing the STAND! for Darfur benefit at George's, which allowed famous in may to play for a huge audience and let us lend our music to a great cause.

Best Book:
The Road - Cormac McCarthy (I actually haven't finished it, but it's McCarthy.)

Most Politically Satisfying Moment:
Dems take the House and the Senate!/Mike Beebe is elected governor! ...or, simply, Election Night 2006.

Favorite Film:
Little Miss Sunshine

Favorite New Band:
Band of Horses

Five Favorite Songs:
5. "Oregon Girl" - Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
4. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley
3. "I'm Safer on an Airplane" - Copeland
2. "The Funeral" - Band of Horses
1. "Wolf Like Me" - TV on the Radio

and finally....

Top Ten Albums
10. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
I'm sort of a sucker for female alt-country. In fact, Neko is just the first of 2 female alt-country singers on this list. This is a great album, and it's just so easy to listen to it from beginning to end. It's not incredibly diverse, and it's not as creative as Jenny Lewis. However, it's a great album. Neko definitely has her own thing going with her solo work, and she doesn't have to rely on the success of her band The New Pornographer's to earn acclaim. Fox Confessor is probably one of the easiest albums to listen to of 2006, and--should you purchase it--you'll find that it delightfully makes it's way into one your mellow playlists.
Track Most Worth Noting: "???"

9. Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat
Jenny Lewis, leading lady of Rilo Kiley, put out a great album. She doesn't differentiate herself too much from her band with this album, but she definitely strikes out on her own. There's not the difference of, say, Ben Gibbard in Death Cab and Ben Gibbard in Postal Service (who does make an appearance on the album, just as Jenny did on Postal Service's Give Up). However, Jenny still displays her own songwriting ability with a little more alt-country flare than Rilo Kiley. This album is very pleasing and is worth your money.
Track Most Worth Noting: Rise Up With Fists!!

8. The Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics
The was the early runner for #1. However, with time, better stuff came out. I've got to give my Oklahoma-neighbors serious credit, though. They didn't do the obvious album to follow-up Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (one of my Top 10 all-time favorites). While this album is filled with typical Flaming Lips weirdness, it is a different weirdness from Yoshimi. There's a little more guitar rock in there--a nod back to their rockin' past. There's a little bit of psychadelia in there as well. This was a delightful album. If it had been released in September or October, it might have made a stronger case to be higher than #8. Unfortunately, I've been listening to this album for like 10 months now, and it's lost some of it's initial appeal--not to say I don't still love it. It's a good album from a great band.
Track Most Worth Noting: "My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion (The Inner Life as Blazing Shield of Defiance and Optimism as Celestial Spear of Action)"

7. Thom Yorke - The Eraser
Let's be honest for a second: Thom Yorke could record an album of fart sounds, and I would probably call it genius and put it in my Top 10 (probably somewhere around #8 or #9). I feel of Thom (and Radiohead as a whole) a sort-of "they can do no wrong" attitude (with the obvious exception of Pablo Honey, but they were young and naive when they recorded it). Nonetheless, Thom Yorke made a really cool album. Sure, it's simple. The songs don't develop from electronic trickery into Radiohead-grandiose. That's what makes it so likeable. It's not a Radiohead album, it's a Thom Yorke album. Maybe Scott Stapp should take solo-album lessons from Thom Yorke.
Track Most Worth Noting: "Skip Divided"

6. Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming
Honestly, this album (in my opinion) isn't as good as Wolf Parade's Apologies to the Queen Mary. Unfortunately, since both are projects of singer Spencer Krug, there has to be a comparison between the two. It's inevitable. However, Susnet Rubdown presents a much darker sound than Wolf Parade, and it works very well. This is a great album, just don't expect it to be Apolgies to the Queen Mary--if only because that's unfair to try and make almost any album to have live up to that. Let me end by saying it again, this is a great album.
Track Most Worth Noting: "Us Ones In Between"

5. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Broom
These neighbors to my north (Missouri) have created one of the better pop albums of the millenium. If you've never heard of 'em, you better find out. What's crazy is that these guys are essentially a local band from Springfield. However, once Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie called their album the best pop album of 2006 (early in the year), people started taking notice. They had a song on Fox's The O.C., signed a record deal with Polyvinyl (home of The Polyphonic Spree), released their album nationally, and began making waves in national music publications. They're worth listening to if you love you some good indie pop fun.
Track Most Worth Noting: "Oregon Girl"

4. Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche
This was a freakin' B-Sides collection!! This was all the songs that Sufjan wrote or started recording during the Illinois sessions. That album was initially slated to be a 2-disc set, but Sufjan figured it was a bit pretentious to release it as a double disc album. He was probably right. Maybe Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers should subscribe to that thought. Nonetheless, Sufjan took some of those songs and alternate takes from the Illinois sessions. He did more work on them. He tried some new tricks--like adding more electronic elements and electric guitar and allowing someone else to produce the drums on 6 of the tracks. All in all, the album is great. It's not as great as Illinois, but few albums are that good.
Track Most Worth Noting: "The Mistress Witch from McClure (Or, the Mind That Knows Itself)"

3. Band of Horses - Everything All of the Time
I saw this album as a reccomendation on iTunes, but I never thought much of it. The review looked good and I liked the clips, but (at the time) I didn't want to take a chance paying $10 for this. Unfortunately, the band is on Sub Pop who--despite being one of the most important indie labels in America--is not available on eMusic. Finally, I went to Columbia, MO for the weekend. I checked out my friends favorite record store, which stocks an amazing selection of music. I wanted to buy something, because I couldn't go into a store like that and walk out empty handed. I decided I'd finally try out this CD. Well, it was worth it. This CD is not far from being my favorite of the year. I hope to hear more from Band of Horses in the future, because they are by and far the best new band of this year.
Track Most Worth Noting: "The Funeral"

2. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
What can I say about this album? Critics have been raving about since May. I picked it up over the summer after reading an article in Paste Magazine and hearing "Wolf Like Me." First off, that song is amazing. The video is amazing. This album is eclectic and amazing. The opening track "I Was a Lover" screams hip hop while "Wolf Like Me" is a straight forward rock song. the album's production is amazing. If you haven't picked up this album yet, go get it. Don't be the last person on your block to realize that TV on the Radio is the new it band.
Track Most Worth Noting: "Wolf Like Me"

1. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
This isn't the critic's choice for number one. I believe it was #41 on Pitchfork. Nonetheless, I freakin' love it. It's everything The Decemberist's first major label album should be. It sounds like The Decemberists but with the ability to afford more studio time. They took chances with their sound. They expanded what they had done in the past. It's a great album, and it's fun to listen to it. That's all that needs to be said.
Track Most Worth Noting: "The Crane Wife 1 & 2"

Here's a few albums that might should have been in my Top 10, and I highly recommend:

Destroyer Destroyer's Rubies
Gnarls Barkley St. Elsewhere
Shapes & Sizes Shapes & Sizes
Alexi Murdoch Time Without Consequence
Mute Math Mute Math
My Brightest Diamond Bringing Down the Workhorse
Tapes 'N Tapes The Loon
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs Show Your Bones
Danielson Ships
Peter and the Wolf Peter and the Wolf
Beck The Information
The Mountain Goats Get Lonely
The Long Winters Putting the Days to Bed

Goodbye 2006. Welcome 2007.

In need of an adventure...

2006-12-30T02:09:00.000-08:00

Wow. I was reading my first posts from this blog--a series of posts describing my 14 day trip to Turkey. It was an amazing retrospective. I can't believe it's been a year and a half since that trip. That's unbelievable. It made me realize something: I need an adventure. That trip completely changed me for one reason--I left home.

I saw a whole different side of the world. In the aftermath, it changed so much of me: it changed my conception of myself, it increased my tiny Western worldview to a more complete worldview, it turned my political feelings upside down, and it changed my narrow perception of God. When I left the comfort of home, I had to sort of question everything about where I was from. Is it right the way our country treats most of the world? No. Is it right the way I lived my life? No. Is it right to define morality in our country by two issues (neither of which being the "poverty" issue)? No. Is God limited to the way we define him and worship him in America? No.

I questioned. I found answers. I saw people who begged for bread on the street. I saw "rich" people that seemed poor to me (by our poorest American standards). I saw people who were totally different from me and totally the same as me. I'm not even 100% sure what that means, but it just makes sense inside me. In all of this, I saw something different in me. I realized that I had to truly find myself--not in some new age mystical way. I needed to know why I believed what I believed--both mentally, politcally, and spiritually. When I did that, I found myself.

I found out what was important to me. I found out that God reigned supreme--even in the darkness. I found out that a life of significance for me involves being a person that deeply cares for the poor and the mistreated. I found out that the Republican Party is not God's chosen political party (in fact, I think God probably hates politcs to a certain extent). If I had never left Arkansas for even those short two weeks, I would still be what I was. That might sound good to some people, but it isn't.

I needed to leave comfort behind. I needed to leave familiarity behind. Even for two weeks. I had to see the world that the Walton's didn't build. I had to see a place where it wasn't safe to believe in Jesus. I couldn't have changed if I'd never seen the world outside of here--not that I haven't travelled a lot our country or lived in 5 other states. I just needed to do it.

When I was 16, I went to Saltillo, Mexico to study for a few weeks. I had to survive on my own--without my parents to help. It changed me. In fact, that was the time where my relationship with God went from the new/free trial period to a full subscription. When I was 20, I made the trip to Turkey. Now, I'm 22. I'm almost done with college. I think it's time to go somewhere. It doesn't have to cross any national borders or oceans. I need to strike out on my own. I found out who I would be in high school by going to Mexico. I found out who I would be in college by going to Turkey. Now, I have to found out who I'm going to be in life.

Sometimes, you just have to leave home.

Merry Christmas!!

2006-12-25T20:30:00.000-08:00

Well, I just wanted to wish everyone who stopped by my blog a Merry Christmas. Even though today probably isn't Jesus' actual birthday, let's all stop to think about what a wonderful day it was when the Creator of the universe, the Lord Almighty, God himself stretched on skin in the form of a small baby. Think of all the wonderful implications that come from that. Our God chose to live on earth as one of us--that he might teach us, love us, model life for us, and eventually die for us. Hallelujah!

On a side note, I've been really frustrated lately. I haven't been able to get to my blog. I figured it was obviously a problem with "the New Blogger." Actually, I had two new accounts--one at jlm09@uark.edu. That's okay, that's my e-mail. HOWEVER, I initially created a new account at jlm09@urk.edu (the a's missing). All along, my account was on this typo of an account. Ha!

Also, I got a Magic Bullet for Christmas. It's pretty much the sweetest blender ever. Come over for a smoothie or some chicken salad or even some queso sometime. Check the informercial for all this kitchen utensil bad boy can do. Seriously though, smoothies and queso on me. Stop on by.

Giving is for Givers

2006-12-08T09:28:00.000-08:00

And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."

~2 Corinthian 8

I think this is me. Eagerness to give; little actual giving. I talk a whole lot about wanting our country to help the poor, wanting others to help the poor, and wanting myself to help the poor. I realy don't give all that much. I give. I'm not a complete hypocrite. In fact, I don't know that it's actually a lack of giving that has me convicted. I think it's more a lifestyle of giving that I don't have. I give a decent amount, but I do it after I've bought for me. I don't have to sacrifice a whole lot to give. I usually give solely out of my excess. Not my excess after covering basic survival needs. I give out of my excess after I've gotten my luxuries. I know God's not necessarily calling me to be poor (as Paul says in the second paragraph), but he's certainly calling me to provide for others survival before I provide for my own luxury.

Quick Lists of 5

2006-12-03T22:52:00.000-08:00

5 Songs I've Been Wearing Out Lately...
1. "The Man" - Pete Yorn
2. "Control Freak" - Copeland
3. "Maybe This Christmas" - Ron Sexsmith
4. "Lightning Rod" - Guster
5. "Via Chicago (Live)" - Wilco

5 Favorite Ways to Avoid Studying...
1. Blogging
2. Browsing iTunes
3. Xbox 360
4. Fantasy Football
5. Friends/Seinfeld/The Office on DVD

5 Books I Bought but Haven't Finished Reading Yet
1. Lullaby - Chuck Palahniuk
2. The Road - Cormac McCarthy
3. No Country for Old Men - Cormac McCarthy
4. The Space Trilogy - C.S. Lewis
5. IV - Chuck Klosterman

5 Most Recently Watched Movies
1. Mystery, Alaska
2. Fight Club
3. Cars
4. United 93
5. The Believer

Howdy-Ho or Tally-Ho, Which is Better?

2006-12-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

I'm bored, so I'm blogging.

My friends are playing video games.

The Razorbacks lost, but it'll be okay.

My moccasins are kind of loose.

I made Lil' Smokies today.

John got a letter and a package from Chuck Palahniuk.

"Flea Flicker" is a weird name for a football play.

Chuck Palahniuk is more personable than John Boozman.

Erin and Eva left my house early to see The Nutcracker.

I'm wearing my Poser's jersey from Fall Retreat 2002.

People outside of Arkansas give Houston Nutt more credit.

Pre-foamed soap is much better than normal soap.

The taco salad is the greatest deception in America today.

In 5 days, I'll be unemployed.

Tad lost by over 70 points to Woodson...in football.

Woo, Pig Sooie!!

A friend once called The Arcade Fire's Funeral weak, and it hurt.

Leah bit my head yesterday.

My roommates watch Beauty & the Geek. It's lame.

The "friend zone" is a funny term, but it hurts to be there.

I bought Superman Returns, but I haven't watched it yet.

John Boozman wrote John, Stephen, and I the same exact letter...impersonal jerk.

Democrats love America.

Hartness' dad is not on Facebook.

I pooped my pants on a date; I'll tell you the story sometime.

Have you ever seen Mystery, Alaska?

I disagree Stephen; Scott Stapp won't lead worship in Heaven.

KISS would've been cooler without the makeup or the '80's.

Did you know Vladimir Putin poisoned a former spy?

Pujols sounds like the plural form of a gross body part.

Hartness' little brother thanks God that he's in public school.

The Camaro is a really lame car.

You are the weakest link, goodbye!

I'm Twenty-Two!!

2006-12-02T10:10:00.000-08:00

I turned 22 two days ago. It was a pretty weird birthday. I started off by staying up late (until 3:00 in the a.m.) writing a paper for my rhetoric class. Then, I woke up to go to Rhetoric to give a presentation--plus we had a quiz. I was running late, so I had to become a runner. That's right...I ran across campus to buy a scantron and to get to class only to find out that we were doing class evaluations that day, so I could have showed up late. Then I spilled my coffee in class...urrgh.

It got better. I had lunch with the Compstons--always a pleasure. The weather was getting pretty bad, so I decided that I should head home in lieu of my afternoon classes (one was cancelled anyway). Upon arriving at home, I found that the gas man had come and given us heat and hot water. Even better, our new gas fireplace was up and running (and very warm).

That night, I ventured out to meet my parents at the Olive Garden here in Fayetteville. It probably was not very smart to leave the house. When I was getting on the highway, I slid for a few hundred feet down I-540 before finally gaining control and being able to drive my way (slowly) to the hospital. Why the hospital? That's where my parents had to pull into with their freshly blown-out tire. I picked them up, and we went to dinner. It was great.

Afterwards, my dad and I had to change the tire. Changing a tire is not very easy when the ground is icy, the car is a enormous, and your body parts are freezing up. Nonetheless, after about 45 minutes of hard labor, dad and I got a new tire put on the car.

It was a weird birthday. It was definitely atypical. However, I enjoyed it greatly. I got some time to relax with friends, I got to spend a little bit of time with my parents, I ate a great meal, and I played my new XBox 360 until 3 in the morning with my roommates. I can't ask for much more than that, but I'm going to.

I want an Arkansas Razorback SEC Championship for my brithday, and I think Houston and the boys are going to give it to me. By the way, the party's at my house--SEC football and my lately celebrated birthday. 4:30-ish.

P.S.--I was scared out of my mind driving back home. After the sliding incident on the way to Olive Garden, I was worried. Afterall, the weather had only gotten worse. I decided to turn off my CD player (although I had Wilco's Kicking Television in), and I spent the next few minutes praying. It was a great way to return home, and I felt God's peace clam my heart. I just thought I'd share that.

Woo Pig

2006-11-14T11:27:00.000-08:00

Well, this has nothing to do with depth. I'd just like to acknowledge that my beloved Razorbacks are now 9-1 and ranked #5 in the AP, #6 in the USA Today Coache's Poll, and #7 in the BCS. I'm pretty sure that this is really awesome.

I've had a long run of disappointing school sports. High School sports was always a disappointment; although, the Mounties went undefeated this year. Nonetheless, when I was in high school, we consistently sucked. I went to John Brown for a year, and they were an NAIA school. Therefore, I didn't matter if they were good or bad, because that's not real college sports. Finally, I transferred to the University of Arkansas. We were coming off of an almost good year in 2003, where we won the Indepence Bowl. It was Matt Jones senior year. We were on the verge of upsetting Texas, which would probably spark a decent Razorback football season, but we fumbled on the 12 and secured our loss and our poor season. Last year had no hope. We had no clue at the QB position, and it took us 4 games to realizes that McFadden and Jones were--even as freshmen--our best tailbacks.

Let's be honest, I didn't have high hopes for this season. It was the same defense as last year, who took about 7 games to realize they were pretty good. We really hadn't figured out the QB position yet--although we had recruited Mitch Mustain. Going into the USC game, I thought to myself, "This game will make or break us." Well, we were trounced. I thought we were broken. We barely snuck by Vanderbilt. When we took Alabama to an overtime victory, I thought things were looking bright enough to go back to some crappy bowl game. Then, we beat Auburn. We haven't looked back. We answered a lot of questions with that 31-14 victory over Tennessee. We've finally found a quarterback in Casey Dick, and Darren McFadden has run himself into the Heisman race as a sophomore.

We're 9-1. My best hopes for this season had us at 8-4. I really didn't think we'd win more than 6 or 7. I thought we'd go back to the Independence Bowl or the Music City Bowl--something crappy. However, we're 9-1. We're a win over Mississippi State away from going to the SEC Championships in Atlanta. If we lose out, we at least go to the Cotton Bowl. If we win one more game, we at least go to the Capital One Bowl (formerly the Citrus Bowl). Holy Crap!! We're going to a real bowl game. We might even be going to a great bowl game--the Sugar Bowl. Heck, we might even go to Glendale, AZ to play in the National Title game. This is unreal. This season has already shattered my wildest dreams, and it's not over.

On a marquee...

2006-11-10T10:54:00.000-08:00

So, last night was the first time that I ever saw my band name on a marquee. I got excited and took a cell phone picture. I know--that's kinda nerdy. Nonetheless, I was pretty excited.

Last night went really well. I think it was one of my favorite shows that we've done. It was the first time we played at a bar on Dickson Street (excluding the time we played at George's for a BYX Save Darfur benefit). We got a good reaction--and not just from our friends.

We sold a ton of merchandise last night. We're down to just a few copies of the CD, which means we're going to order a whole lot more. It's good to know that we've sold almost 50 copies of our CD in just two shows. We're down to just a few more roots t-shirts, so I think we're going to design a new shirt sometime soon.

Nonetheless, if things go well, we might play some more shows with Hot Shot Karate down in Little Rock and some other places. Their drummer has a promotion company, and he's probably going to help us get some gigs around the region--Tulsa, Joplin, Springfield, Little Rock, and Fayetteville (of course). I feel good about our band right now. I'm hoping that we can get some stuff rolling, and I really feel like we can.

Top Ten Lists

2006-10-23T14:25:00.000-07:00

I'm unemployed. I cleaned my room today. I got it mostly packed up to move. I washed most of my clothes (and let my mom have the rest). Now, I have this. I decided to create some pointless Top Ten lists in between folding laundry loads.

Top Ten Favorite Albums
10. "Graceland" - Paul Simon
9. "Oh, Inverted World" - The Shins
8. "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" - The Flaming Lips
7. "Heartbreaker" - Ryan Adams
6. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" - The Beatles
5. "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" - Sufjan Stevens
5. "Abbey Road" - The Beatles
4. "Transatlanticism" - Death Cab for Cutie
3. "OK Computer" - Radiohead
2. "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" - Wilco
1. "Kid A" - Radiohead

Top Ten Bands Whose Height of Popularity Was Before My Birth
10. Hank Williams, Sr.
9. The Beach Boys
8. Pink Floyd
7. Woody Guthrie
6. Velvet Underground
5. Led Zeppelin
4. Johnny Cash & the Tennesse Three
3. Simon & Garfunkel
2. Bob Dylan
1. The Beatles

Top Ten Favorite Bands
10. The New Pornographers
9. The Shins
8. Ryan Adams
7. Broken Social Scene
6. The Beatles
5. The Decemberists
4. Sufjan Stevens
3. Wilco
2. Radiohead
1. Death Cab for Cutie

Am I a bad person?

2006-10-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

I just wrote a post. When I got done, all I could think was that I was a horrible human being and that I'm an ungrateful pile of crap. Needless to say. I didn't publish it.

It's just that, I'm having a hard time being content with my life. Of course, like all crappy situations, it started with a girl. I really like this girl. She's fun to be around, she's cute, and she's got an awesome heart. I hang out with this girl a lot, and it's really great. Yet, I'm pretty sure she's starting to be interested in another guy. The only problem is that this is guy is one of my close friends. I know--not that big of a deal. It's just that I already struggle being jealous of this guy. Trying not to give his identity away--he's another musician that I'm good friends with. I'm already jealous of this guy's songwriting abilities. Let's be honest, he's better looking than me too. Anyway, I'm pretty sure she likes him--or at least finds him attractive. It's just hard, because it makes me even more jealous.

Days ago, I was ready to throw it all on the line and ask this girl on a date. I was confident; I totally believed in myself. Now...I just feel like I always feel. Not good enough.

Am I a bad person for feeling this way? Am I ungrateful? God's given me musical talent, but I'm jealous of this guy's musical talent. God's given me something to offer women (I hope), but I feel like I don't stand a chance like other guys. Why is it so hard to be content? Sometimes, I feel like I'm not asking for much, but I'm getting even less.

I know. I shouldn't need anything but God. He's enough to fill every void. Sometimes it's just hard to feel that way. It's hard to watch your friends get married or fall in love and not feel alone in your singleness. It's hard to watch other people get patted on the back and lauded as a musician and not feel insufficient as a struggling artist. God, where are you now?

The Concert Report...

2006-10-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been to a couple of concerts recently. I feel them worth telling you about.

Sufjan Stevens - 09/24/2006 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
What can I say? He's simply brilliant. First off, the man came out with huge eagle wings on, and his band was sporting butterfly wings. They had whimsically dubbed themselves "The Majestic Songbird & the Chinese Butterfly Brigade" for this tour--which ranks up their with the "Sufjan Stevens & the Illinoisemakers" moniker from the last tour. This show was epic. The band consisted of an 8-piece string section (2 cellos, 2 violas, and 4 violins) and a 3-piece horn section (2 trumpets and a trombone). One of the violinists doubled as a guitar player on a couple of songs. He also sported a pretty typical drummer (who also played a little piano), a guy who switched between guitar and bass (and a little piano), and a chick who was all over the place. She played this wierd keyboard, guitar, bass, and sang all the backup vocals. Sufjan switched between acoustic, piano, and banjo (of course!). The setlist contained songs mostly from the masterpiece Come On Feel the Illinoise. He played a few songs from Greetings from Michigan and a few songs from Seven Swans. Surprisingly, there was only half of a song from The Avalanche, which was "Dear Mr. Supercomputer." We were lucky enough to hear a few songs about birds. The first of which was "The Lord God Bird." This was especially meaningful to us, because the song is about a bird thought to be extinct that was found alive in the delta region of Arkansas. The next bird piece was a brand new song with which I have fallen in love. The song is called "Majesty Snowbird," and it is an epic masterpiece. I have two bootlegs of the song, so you may feel free to ask me if you could hear it. This was one of the most amazing concerts I have ever seen. Also, My Brightest Diamond (which was led by the Sufjan's background vocalist and consisted of many members of his band) was a terrific opener.
My Brightest Diamond - B
Sufjan Stevens - A

Mute Math - 10/11/2006 - Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
This show was a fun little trip. I hadn't planned this concert much in advance. Things just happened to work out, so I went to the show. I have been wanting to see Mute Math for a while, but it has never worked out. They were at Bonnaroo, but they were at the same time as Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!, so I didn't get to see them. I was excited to finally get the opportunity to witness Mute Math in concert. After waiting through a weak series of openers, Mute Math finally took the stage. They were every bit as energetic as I had heard. Some of the best moments were the instrumentals. The absolute best highlight of the show was "Obsolete." On their album, this song is a cool bass-driven interlude between "Stare at the Sun" and "Break the Same." It was so much more live. The band experimented quite a bit during this track. Musically, it was amazing. Sonically, it was amazing. They made sounds that blew my mind. The encor, which was also instrumental, was pretty sweet as well. It involved Paul Meeny's homemade instrument, The Atari. At one point, Paul was holding this thing out for the audience to paly (it's essentially a touch sensitive cross between a guitar-looking thing that sounds somewhate like a theremin). Eventually he let go of the isntrument, leaving it in the crowd's hands to make all sorts of crazy sounds. It was great. Paul was a heck of a frontman. The only drawback to this show was a weak set of opening bands.
Mute Math - A-
Shiny Toy Guns - D+
Jonezetta - C+
Transit Wars - C

Wilco - 10/16/2006 - Springfield, MO - The Shrine Mosque
Wilco came to play. They were freaking awesome. First off, they opened with "Via Chicago," which is one of the most amazing live songs ever. The band was in stellar form this night. Nels Cline is probably the baddest guitarist on the planet--and completely underrated. I just happened to be about 10 feet from Nels during the show, and he blew me away. On a new song, which is pretty rocked out, Glen Kotche pulled off a bad drum solo. It was completely sick. Also, I saw Jeff Tweedy pop a guy upside the head and drag him to sidestage by his hair. The guys first mistake was jumping on stage. His second mistake was touching Tweedy during a song (or at all). Tweedy was in rare form. He punched that guy. He gave some other guy the bird in the front row for bullying a smaller guy in the front row. He didn't talk much, but he was pretty fun when he did talk. The crowd was a lot more energetic than in Fayetteville last Spring. It's always fun when the crowd is packed in tight--dancing and singing along. Also, the opening band (The Altered Statesman) was really good. They had a total chilled Memphis rhythm & blues sound--though they were from Nashville.
Wilco - A+
Altered Statesman - B

Here's the current list of the 10 best shows I have seen with my own eyes. For the record, I have only put one performance per band. For example, I've seen Wilco twice and both deserve to be near the top of this list, but I want to diversify the list. So, one show per band.
10. Guster - Cain's Ballroom - September 2004
9. Andrew Bird - Bonnaroo - June 2006
8. Mute Math - Cain's Ballroom - October 2006
7. Dave Matthews Band - Bonner Springs - August 2004
6. Coldplay - HFStival - May 2005
5. Sufjan Stevens - The Pageant - September 2006
4. Ben Harper - The Starlight Theater - June 2003
3. Death Cab for Cutie - Cain's Ballroom - April 2006
2. Wilco - The Shrine Mosque - October 2006
1. Radiohead - Bonnaroo - June 2006

And I Quote...

2006-10-10T10:33:00.000-07:00

"The worship band in Heaven's gonna be led by Scott Stapp.
You can quote me on that."
-Stephen J. Compston

All the Pretty Horses

2006-10-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

This is still good country.
Yeah. I know it is. But it aint my country.
***
Where is your country? he said.
I dont know, said John Grady. I dont know where it is. I dont know what happens to country.

- Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses

I just finished reading the first installment of Cormac McCarthy's border trilogy. It was a beautiful novel that illustrated the differences between our romantic view of the West and the violent, bloody reality of the West. The story is of a sixteen-year-old John Grady Cole that sets out for Mexico on horseback with his seventeen-year-old partner Lacey Rawlins. John Grady, an unlikely romantic, finds the harsh reality of his romantic ideals of the West--or, in this case, old Mexico.

McCarthy does well to demythologize our view of the West in this novel, and I highly suggest reading it. I know that my praise for this book is unnecessary; afterall, it was a National Book Award winner and a winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award. Nonetheless, McCarthy is one of the most important writers in American history. Not to mention, he's one that is still writing.

McCarthy just came out with a new book, The Road, which I hope to read soon. I believe that he's currently my favorite author. I've only read three of his novels--Child of God, Blood Meridian, and All the Pretty Horses, but everything I've read has been unbelievable. I highly suggest reading his work. If you want a good introduction to his, I wouldn't start with Blood Meridian; although, that is his best novel. It's pretty dense--not with pages, but with depth. I haven't read it, but I heard that 2005's No Country for Old Men (his second most recent novel) is a fairly quick and easy read. To give you some background, all of his novels before Blood Meridian are set in the South and deal with issues of the South. Blood Meridian marks McCarthy's shift from southern literature to westerns. However, don't shudder at the word "western." He's no Louis L'Amour. McCarthy's westerns are considered some of the most important novels of the last twenty-five years.

**Edit: To quote my professor, Dr. Robert Brinkmeyer, "McCarthy's worst novels are better than 98% of the stuff by everyone else in American literature."

Fayetteville (To the Unemployed and Underpaid)

2006-09-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

For those that didn't catch it: that's a Sufjan reference in the title. His song, of course, doesn't say Fayetteville. It says Flint, because it's from an album about the state of Michigan. Nonetheless, I like Sufjan.

I saw Sufjan on Sunday, and it was one of the most amazing concerts I have ever been to. His band was wonderful. He was wonderful. His music makes me feel so free and weightless--like I could just fly away as I listen. I love it.

Speaking of being free and weightless, that Sufjan song in the title is pertinent today. The song's title refers, of course, to the thousands that were laid off by GM in Flint, MI after GM moved it's plants to Mexico. Well, there aren't thousands of us, but my call center got shut down today. As of next Friday, I'm unemployed. I'm officially a victim of outsourcing. Sam's has officially outsourced it's call centers to a company called TCI, who will be operating a call center in Morrilton, AR.

Don't feel bad for me. I'm a college kid with his whole life ahead of him. I'm going to take my severance pay and live the high life. Feel bad for my co-workers. I spoke with one woman, Carolyn, who had worked in administrative duties for 20 years. She had worked with our call center for 4 years. She's unemployed.

We're all victims of capitalism. I couldn't believe the nerve of the Sam's executives in the room today. They felt the need to explain why they were doing this. Telling me that outsourcing saves customers money and saves the company money and increases Robson Walton and Jim Walton's fat pockets doesn't give us our jobs back. It pisses me off to hear some guy talk about how "hard" of a decision this was. Why was it hard for him? He's still going to pull down a 6 figure paycheck this year. It's not hard for people like him to lay anyone off. Nobody wants to hear how hard it was for him.

That's the problem with executives and all those big business fat cats over on the right wing. In the end, they only care about cutting costs and increasing profit. People like me will never--ever--matter to people like them.

Music can save the world. Well, actually that's Jesus, but music can play a seriously sweet part.

2006-09-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

Take Action!
Darfur Benefit Concert
Famous in May, Ben Rector,
& Jackson Waters
George's Majestic Lounge
Tuesday, September 26
9:00 pm

Here's some additional information. The Darfur Benefit Concert is just one event out of several for the evening. The evening starts at 5:30 in the Union Ballroom. There will be a screening of the film Hotel Rwanda, which is about the mid-90's genocide in Rwanda. Afterwards, at 7:00, Paul Rusesabagina will be lecturing in the same ballroom. Mr. Rusesabagina is, of course, the real-life inspiration for the film Hotel Rwanda. He's the real person that Don Cheadle portrays in the film. There will be several chances to donate to the cause to Save Darfur throughout the many events of the evening. Also, there are some sweet t-shirts, which will be for sale at the event, that have been made to raise money for the cause.

I Had a Dream...

2006-09-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

I had a dream last night. In fact, I only woke up from that dream twenty minutes ago. Nonetheless, I had a dream.

It was a pretty freaking wierd dream. I think that at some point I was on the run from somebody. I don't know why. Nonetheless, the dream ended with me at some sort of youth rally on a big hill. Some hippie looking guy was giving a sermon. I can't remember if it was entirely biblical or not. All I remember was that as I walked away I shook his hand and told him it was inspirational. I remember thinking (in my dream) that God is so glorious and we are so small and that he could ever love us is simply amazing. Then I awoke.

Let me tell you this: that's the best way to wake up ever. I woke up refreshed, because I'd actually gotten enough sleep. No groggy anger at the alarm clock. To have that though on my mind just made it that much better. It was amazing. I think today will be a good day, even if we get trounced by USC tonight (which we won't).

**Edit: We did get trounced.

Happy Holidays (or the Separation of Church and Sam's)

2006-08-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

Chaos ensued yesterday in the wholesale side of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Sam's Club, in an attempt to respect their ever-changing and ever-growing member base, sent out an announcement about their upcoming "Holiday" catalog. Well, the Jerry Falwell-types of the world freaked-the-heck out. Clearly, or so the ultra-Religious Right would like us to believe, not saying Merry Christmas is directly offensive to Christians. Now, even though Happy Holidays is an all-inclusive season's greeting for the five holidays occuring from late November to the beginning of January (Thanksgiving, Chanakkuh, Kwanzaa, New Year's, and of course Christmas), it is offensive to not solely represent the viewpoints of Christians on the catalog of a large wholesale company that sell to people of all races and creeds.

As an employee of the Sam's Club Member Services Call Center, I got to hear all about these "Christian's" points-of-view. Apparently, it is not offensive to completely disregard holidays celebrated by our Jewish and native African members. Not to mention, according to one shining example of Christ's love that I spoke with, that "those people" represent a tiny minority that we shouldn't be trying to please. That's a simply beautiful picture of Christ's love.

God forbid that we listen to the minority. Afterall, Christians have never been a minority seeking a voice. Oh wait, Christians all over the world are a minority that would like a voice. Until the reign of Constantine in Rome, there was no such thing as a Christian majority.

It pisses me off that these type of Christians think that spreading the gospel means having Merry-freaking-Christmas on a Sam's Club catalog. Answer me this, did the 12 Apostles celebrate Christmas in the Bible? What about Paul? Is there any mention of December 25th at all? NO?!?! The early church must have been a bunch of heretics (read as sarcasm).

Here's what pisses me off the absolute most. These people will get all worked when they see the words "Happy Holidays." They'll threaten to boycott Sam's. When's the last time these people got offended at the treatment of the poor? When's the last time these people picked up a phone to complain that the United States wasn't doing enough to help the poor in this country or the world? Why aren't they out there boycotting companies that don't fairly trade or that make products in sweat shops? What about the least of these? I think Christ dealt with people similar to this. They were called Pharisees.

It's my prayer that my view of Christ never becomes like these people's view of Christ. When I start getting worked up over the mistreatment of greetings of man-made holidays, I'll know I've lost touch with Jesus. I want to spend my life getting worked up over the mistreatment and neglect of people, whom God made in their mother's wombs. That's something worth getting worked up about. I have a hard time believing that my God is preoccupied with Sam's Club's choice of a season's greeting. I do believe his heart breaks at the preocccuopation American Christian's have with it while many of his other children are starving and dying of disease.

My Enemies Are Men Like Me

2006-08-05T15:06:00.000-07:00

"Peace by way of war is like purity by way of fornication.
It's like telling someone murder is wrong
And then showing them by way of execution."

~Derek Webb

The Good Pride (or A Sense of Accomplishment)

2006-07-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

I'm standing at the threshold of watching my most prized accomplishment come to fruition as we put the finishing touches on Famous in May's first EP. I can safely say that the thing I've worked hardest on the past few years is my music. I've negelected a lot of other things in order to make music. Maybe that's a good thing; maybe it isn't. Either way, it's my desire and my passion to express myself musically. Other people have their visual art, but this is what I have. It's what I love.

On that note, the last two years have been all about making music through Famous in May. It's like this band came together on accident. It just happened. Guys have come and gone. Some feelings were probably hurt. We didn't always choose the best methods of leaving a guy behind. Nonetheless, we kept going on towards one goal--making music. Rather, making good music. And, we've progressed immensely in that time. We started off as a lesser version of the Dave Matthews Band. Eventually, we wanted to be the next Coldplay or U2. At times, I wanted to be Radiohead or Death Cab. Slowly, we're making something that's ours. It's not someone elses music...it's our music. I'm proud of that.

We've spent weekend after weekend in my garage making music happen. It hasn't always been easy. We've struggled at times. Arguments ensued. Sweat poured. Fingers grew numb. We've poured out everything we have on stage. We've played to packed bars, and we've played to empty clubs. We've played to partying college students, and we've played to kids dropped off by their parents. What seemed like a hostile crowd at first (a room full of hardcore kids), loved every minute of it. We've always worked our butts off during that half hour or hour beneath the lights.

We finally have something to look back on it with. A year from now, we may all call it quits--get jobs, go to grad school, get married, go solo, who knows. When we look back, we'll have something to show people. "Pop in this CD," I'll say. "It's my old band from college." Maybe some pieces of this band will carry on. Maybe this EP won't be our musical yearbook, but maybe it will just be the beginning of our career. Everyone has to start somewhere, and I'll be very proud if this EP is our start.

It only lacks a few final brushstrokes to be called our masterpiece. We're going to record some acoustic tracks in August to tag on at the end. Of course, it is yet to be named. It definitely needs a title. Once we have the title, we'll design the cover art. Once those few pieces are done, we'll send it off to be mastered/packaged & printed. All that is just to say, that we should actually have it released in late September (a few weeks later than we'd planned).

Anyone, feel free to stop by my house to get a listen (that is...if I know you). I can't wait for you to hear it.

Soof-Yan Stee-Vuhns

2006-07-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

The Avalanche came out today. It's the "Outtakes and Extras from the Illinois Album" album. It's freakin' awesome. How good do you have to be to have your b-sides album be one of the best things to come out this year? Admittedly, this has been a weak year musically so far. However, this album is good. Obviously, it doesn't have the same cohesion of Illinois, but it is filled with some amazing songs that rival any individual song on any of Sufjan's previous albums. You should probably drop what you're doing to go buy this album. Also, while you're at Hastings/Best Buy, purchase any previous Sufjan albums that you have neglected add to your collection.

***Edit. The Song "Springfield, or Bobby Got a Gadfly Caught In His Hair" is freaking awesome. It also has a very Wilco-esque guitar lead in the middle. If you don't know what a Wilco-esque guitar line would be, drop everything you're doing again. Now, go purchase Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

Happy Birthday America

2006-07-04T22:41:00.000-07:00

Well, it's America's birthday. America is like that friend that you don't really like, but her parents are really rich. Therefore, she has a sweet party every year for her birthday, so you kind of pretend to like her once a year in order to take part in the festivities. However, despite your dislike for this girl, when you think about it, she has some good qualities at her core that you really enjoy in a friend. Every year you end up thinking...maybe I should just be friends with her. She's not all that bad. Then, a few weeks later, she does something to piss you off again. It makes sense, if only in my mind.

Nonetheless, does anybody know what fireworks are made of? I'm really curious. Mainly, I wonder how bad it is for the environment. Seriously, the cloud of smoke over Baum Stadium was enormous. It looked like it had to be doing something bad up in the atmosphere. If fireworks are bad for the environment and contribute to global warming, it must be a pretty detrimental day for the atmosphere on the 4th of July. Think about it. Every small town in America does some crazy display of fireworks. I wonder...

Recent Music Purchases...

2006-05-26T19:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent music purchases I have made that I recommend others make as well...

Ships - Danielson
This is the best album that I have heard this year. This will possibly be the best pop album that comes out this year. It features an extremely talented cast of guest musicians--Sufjan Stevens, members of the Danielson Famile, members of Deerhoof, and John Ringhofer of Half-Handed Cloud. This album is a little more accessible than his other albums under the incarnations Danielson Famile, Br. Danielson, and Tri-Danielson. Smith keeps his signature vocal sound but in a much more tolerable way than other albums. There are some amazing songs on this album. From the very first song "Ship the Magestic Suffix" to the end. This album is full of great songs, catchy pop melodies, and musical surprises. I highly, highly recommend it.

Fox Confessor Brings the Flood - Neko Case
First, this sounds nothing like what she does with The New Pornographers. This is one of the better female alt-country records I have heard. This is a pretty chilled out CD with some great songwriting. Lyrically, this album is just great. Musically, I think it depends on your taste. If you don't dig alt-country music, you won't dig the album. Then again, that's kind of a given.

The Slow Wonder - A.C. Newman
This album is from 2004, but it's from Neko Case's counterpart in The New Pornographers. This record is not a huge departure from Newman's band, but it's got it's differences. I know this is an older album, but I really think it's worth getting. This is a pretty upbeat album, which kind of makes it a good counterpart to the Neko Case album above--which is pretty low key.

Bitter Honey - Eef Barzelay
First off, I love Clem Snide. They're one of my favorite bands. I think I'll throw that out there, because it could bias my judgement on their lead singer's solo album. Nonetheless, I really like this album. A lot of people will have a hard time getting used to Eef's voice, but he is such an amazing singer and songwriter. His storytelling is great. "The Ballad of Bitter Honey" is a real highlight. If you've heard Clem Snide, this album really sounds like an acoustic Clem Snide album. The whole album is just Eef and his guitar.

Life as I know it...

2006-05-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

Well, there's really nothing profound to say today. Nothing that's technically worth reading. Nonetheless, I thought I'd throw in a quick update from my life. So here's what's going on:

School ended. I didn't have a terrible great semester academically. It was actually my worst of college. I'll recover. I really want to make school a priority over the next year. I want my last year to be my best year academically.

I quit Data Forms. Yesterday was my last day. I really enjoyed working there, but I had to take certain classes next semester that interfered with my DFI work schedule. Luck would have it, though, I found another job that pays more.

The Compstons got married last night. It was the most fun of any of my friend's weddings that I've been to. The reception was simple--no cheesy videos, no unity candle, nothing like that. They took their vows, Kent prayed, Garland led us in two songs of worship and prayed, Kent told their story, they took more vows and did the rings, Kent prayed, and they kissed. It was simple but everything it should be--two people declaring before all their friends and family that they want to unite as one and center their relationship on Jesus. Awesome. The reception was a blast. By the end, it cleared out to just a bunch of good friends (and of course, their parents). It was a good time celebrating with our two friends. Plus, I totally caught the garter.

Finally, the band is playing it's last show before our summer break tonight. I want to play really well. I really want to just blow some people out of the water tonight. I hope it's a good turn out. Nonetheless, it should be really fun.

Well, I have a week of relaxation coming up. No school, no work. I'm looking forward to it. It'll be a good time to recharge. I hope to spend a lot of time in the Word and a lot of time reading some stuff for the fun of it. My summer reading list is exciting. First up is The World According to Garp by John Irving. I'm excited to read it. Hopefully, I'll get it done next week.

Well, that's a surface level update of my life. Peace.

Life as a Moon

2006-05-01T11:01:00.000-07:00

I am not the sun.
I have no light
of my own.

I am just no one,
the timing right
to reflect

that which has begun
at a far more
perfect source.

Wisdom...

2006-04-23T22:34:00.002-07:00

"Meaningless! Meaningless!"
says the teacher.
"Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless!"

There is no remembrance of men of old
and even those who are yet to come
will not be remembered
by those who follow.

I have seen all things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

~Ecclesastes 1:2, 1:11,and 1:14~

Oh Solomon, how I can relate. Everything seems pointless.

School seems pointless. I'm working my tail off to earn a piece of paper that says I'm qualified to say I have an English degree--but not qualified to do anything with it. For that, I would need some other piece of paper--one the says I have mastered the art of English or the art of Teaching.

People seem pointless. I don't know if I have very many lasting friendships right now. I look back at last April, and I think to myself that I didn't hang out with any of these people then nor do I hang out with any of those people from last April now. What about next April? Will any of these people be there? Maybe I am unable to make lasting friendships.

Music seems pointless. I'm a mediocre guitarist devoting all his time to a band that might break up in a year. Everyone else will be putting their useful college degrees into use, and I'll still be stuck in some boyhood dream. Will I be left alone in my musical dreams come May 2007?

Work seems pointless. I'm attaining experience in a field that I hate--mail. When am I ever going to need that skills set? I can put a stamp on. I can sort by mail rate. I can tell you the theory behind zip codes. Need to know the price for postage on something? That should come in handy if I ever decide to throw my life away in a career in the warehouse part of the post office.

What is the point of everything? If there is no point, why haven't I given up yet?

Solomon had an answer.

"Now all has been heard
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments
for this is the whole duty of man.

For God will bring every deed into judgement,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil."

~Ecclesiastes 12:13-14~

So, everything else seems pointless. True. Nonetheless, follow God.

School seems pointless. People seem pointless. Music seems pointless. Work seems pointless.

Follow God.

Everything seems pointless.

Follow God.

I have no idea where I'm going.

Follow God.

I can't see the road ahead.

Follow God.

I don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

Follow God.

I will never know the future. Maybe I will write great novels someday, and I'll thank my Arkansas professors that made me love literature. Maybe the people that are beside me today will be there tomorrow, even if they weren't there yesterday. Maybe when I accept my nomination into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame, I'll look at Adam and Matt and Bailey and TC to say, "Thanks for never letting me give up on boyhood dreams." Although, I'll probably always hate mail.

Nonetheless, God has a plan for me. I don't know what it is. I get frustrated that sometimes the roads that I worked hard to travel just lead me to more roads to travel when I just want to be at the destination He has assigned for me. He's leading me somewhere. When I look back from that place, I'll thank Him for the roads He took me down and the memories He gave me.

Right now, I haven't a clue. Period. I have no clue.

Someday, it will all make sense. Until then...

Follow God.

By the way, this post started without any intention of adding hope to it. God just decided to use His Word to change my heart. Thanks God.

The Great Magnification Battle (or the Difference Between Microscopes and Telescopes)

2006-04-09T15:03:00.000-07:00

I have been going through the book Don't Wast Your Life by John Piper with a small group of high school guys . In one chapter, Piper brought up this idea of the differences between magnification by microscopes and telescopes. I pointed this out to the guys, and we discussed it a little bit. Then, I moved on. However, today, a friend of mine was giving a talk to junior high and high school kids. I was there leading worship, and I was convicted when he began explaining this principle.

You see, there are two ways to magnify something. One way involves a microscope and the other involves a telescope. Both use lenses to magnify images for our eyes to see. The difference is really simple though. A microscope takes something ever so small (like a bacterium) and makes it much larger, thus enabling us to see this miniscule object. A telescope, on the other hand, takes something that is great and enormous (like a distant glaxy) and gives us a smaller, easier to view glimpse of it.

I often find that I live my life like a microscope. In relation to the grand scheme of the universe, I take some very tiny things and attempt to make them look bigger.

For example, my co-workers often laugh at the music playing in my van when I return from my mail route. They listen to very bad music--like Aerosmith, Toby Keith, and Puff Daddy. I often find it my civic duty to explain good music to these people. Often, I find myself arguing the reasons that Death Cab for Cutie and Wilco and Radiohead are the greatest bands in the world. I often argue why The Flaming Lips are creative and take an intelligent listener to understand and appreciate. Basically, I'm taking things that are very small (like musicians) and magnifying them as much as I possibly can to my co-workers.

A second example anyone? Very often, I find myself magnifying something very miniscule--myself. I want people to recognize what I have done. I want people to know about Famous in May. I want people to like my music. I want people to like poems I have written. Sometimes, I even find myself craving attention for the ways I have helped out and served (insert_"gasp"_here). In short, I am selfish and tiny. Therefore, I try to magnify myself as much as I can.

This isn't how we are meant live. We're not meant to live to argue good music. We're not meant to live to magnify our own accomplishments. We're not meant to live for a lot of the things we live and die and eat and sleep and breath and don't breathe for. Wilco and Death Cab and Radiohead are tiny specks on a tiny speck of a planet in a solar system at the very edge of just one galaxy. We are tiny specks just the same. We're meant to live for something bigger.

God created us to be telescopes. There's this distant and enormous thing--God's greatness and God's grandness. We're supposed to take that thing and make it visible to those around us. Don't believe me? That's what Jesus did. He took an abstract thing like God's love, and he showed us a visible picture of it--His death on the cross. We're to live like that.

How do we magnify God like a telescope? How do we show people the greatness and grandness of God in a visible display? We live it out. Our actions show them. When people see us live and die and eat and sleep and breathe and don't breathe for God's glory and not our glory or some other thiny thing's glory--they see God. They see God in the way we hope in the salvation that Jesus has given us. They see God in the way we serve without expecting so much as a thank you or even an acknowledgement of our deed.

I'm not saying it's wrong to love music. In fact, I love music very much. I am very glad that I went and saw Wilco and Death Cab in the past month. I am very proud of the music that I get to make with Famous in May. Unfortunately, there are days (too many days) where I am more concerned about magnifying these things than I am about magnifying the One True God, the Creator, the Savior. That is a tragedy in the making.

Stuck Between Iraq and a Hard Place...

2006-03-24T23:42:00.000-08:00

So, despite the use of the country of Iraq, I have nothing political to say. I was just listening to a Republican on NPR talk about how this year's campaigning congressman have to be weary not to stray too far from the President's stance on the war while not standing too near his view either. He said that these Republican congressman were "stuck between a rock and a hard place." A pretty cliche saying. However, I thought he had done something clever for a second--"stuck between Iraq and a hard place." However, I soon realized that he hadn't.

So, I subscribe to this independent music site called eMusic. It's pretty cool. You get 50 free songs just for trying it out--without ever paying a dime. After that, you pay a monthly fee. The selection is small--they only carry indie labels and they're missing several important indie labels (notably Sub Pop and Barsuk). I really like it though. I usually check to see if a CD is there before I buy it off iTunes now. I get 40 songs each month for 10 bucks...that's like 3-4 CDs for the price of one. If you're interested, let me know. I can send you a reccomendation link, and I get 50 songs for you signing up.

Anyway, the two albums I've downloaded so far this cycle (my months start on the 20th) are both good. I got Circles by The Autumn Defense--which is the side project of John Stirratt and Pat Sansone of Wilco. Actually, Pat was in The Autumn Defense before he was in Wilco, and John was his connection to being added into Wilco (along with Nels Cline) at the start of the A Ghost is Born tour. The second CD is the Hotel Lights' self-titled debut. The Hotel Lights features Darren Jessee (who played drums in Ben Folds Five) making a run as a front man--singing and playing guitar/piano. Consider this the indie pop version of Dave Grohl--except Ben Folds didn't kill himself (he actually moved on to a wonderful solo career). Also, Ben Folds wasn't married to a psychotic drug addict who refused to release any of his unheard music to his fans. Which brings me to my point, Darren Jessee (who wrote the famous chorus to "Brick") is a good songwriter and has assembled a good band. Anyway, I suggest both these albums.

At least that's what you said...

2006-03-18T23:25:00.000-08:00

One word...Wilco.

That should be enough to describe tonight's concert, but I'm kind of a blabber mouth when it comes to typing/writing/blogging. That, of course, means that I am going to tell you way more than you need to know about it.

Seriously though, it was the most amazing show I have ever seen in my life--better than HFSTival in Baltimore, better than Coldplay in St. Louis, better than DMB in Bonner Springs, better than Ben Harper in KC, better than Guster in Tulsa, and better than Son Volt at George's. No lie, this was the best show I have ever seen. There's a good chance (a real good chance) that Death Cab won't top it in two weeks. There's a good chance that no one (except maybe Wilco) will ever top it.

Now, on to the narrative of tonight's events...

After a delicious dinner at Kosmos, we walked over the Walton Arts Center (by way of a Bank of Fayetteville ATM). Inside, I bought a sweet new Wilco tour t-shirt. I was getting really antsy in the lobby. Finally, we went in and found our seats. I was so unbelievably close. Dead center of row H of the WAC offered such an amazing view of the concert. Probably the best seats I have ever gotten for a concert--excluding general admission concerts where I've weaseled my way to the guard rail.

The Latebirds took the stage a little after 8. This band is an alt-country band from Finland. They were definitely Wilco-influenced. Their show progressed very much like Wilco's career. It started off with some pretty good country-influenced songs. The later into the set--the more the songs rocked. By the last three songs--the band was going crazy. Their guitarist was doing some crazy stuff with the knobs on his delay. They got pretty experimental and crazy. It was really cool. To be from Finland, they sounded very much like a good southern/Midwest American rock band. They must (and I can confirm this--see details later) stick out like a sore thumb in the Finnish music scene. I highly suggest you check this band out.

Well, finally (anticipation was really mounting), Wilco took the stage a little after 9 o'clock. The lights were out entirely, and the openeing riff to "At Least That's What You Said" made it's way from Jeff Tweedy's AC-30. A spotlight shined down on Tweedy singing the first few verses. Then it all kicked in mid-song. This was an awesome performance.

Honestly, I hate thinking in advance what songs should be played--namely because a band like Wilco has too many good songs. I tried not to. In hindsight, there were some cool songs that they didn't play--especially thinking through the live album. However, I am so grateful to the band that they didn't rehash the Kicking Televsion live album for the Kicking Television tour. I'm glad that it wasn't just a visual version of that CD.

There were so many "ups" to this concert. I couldn't stand this one guy in the front row who kept looking back and pointing to people and drawing attention to himself. I guess he kept yelling at Tweedy during "Muzzle of Bees." Finally, Tweedy called him out--sort of. He told him how much he loved the enthusiasm, but he asked him to maybe save screaming "TWEEDY!!!" for between songs--or to move down by John Stirratt and yell at him. Jeff had some funny moments in talking with the crowd. One guy looked disappointed with that start of an acoustic driven song. Jeff stopped the intro and asked him why he was unhappy. He told him that he promised to rock out again later in the show. Also, he confessed to calling us "those 'SOB's' down in Fayetteville" last night in Nashville. He said he meant no harm, and he kept apologizing for it. He broke two strings and one of his amps cut out, which he blamed on bad karma for the misunderstood comments on Fayetteville. Also, before starting "I'm the Man Who Loves You," he stopped. He said that he'd normally go straight into this "loud" song, but he was worried about waking the sleeping little girl in the third row. He asked the mom to cover her ears so that she wouldn't get woken up. First off, I hope I'm cool enough to take my kids to see Wilco some day. Second off, that's pretty funny.

This show was amazing (I know, I mentioned that already). I'm still blown away. They rocked so hard. Nels Cline was one of the most amazing guitarists I have ever seen. Glen Klotche blew my mind with his drumming. Stirratt was a sweet bassist that hit some killer harmonies. I really enjoyed Pat Sansone and Mikael Jorgensen on the keyboars as well--although Pat also tore it up on the guitar and harmonies too. It was breathtaking several times.

After the show, my loser friends decided to run up to the stage to see if anyone would come out to sign stuff. This is where I mentioned that it would be better to walk outside where the bus was--they scoffed and mocked me. I bumped into my old World Lit prof who was working as an attendant for the WAC. Eventually, we moved our waiting to the lobby. We were the last to leave when a security guard asked if we were waiting for the band. We said yes, and he said we should go out by the tour bus. That sounds familiar. We went to the tour bus...

There he was...Jeff Tweedy. After a prompt "I told you so" by me, we met Tweedy--he signed my Famous in May (my band) shirt, which I was wearing. Yes, I'm the kind of tool that wears his own band's shirt. Also, we met Glen Kotche and Nels Cline. We got group pictures with each of the three of them. We also got a picture with 3 of the 5 members of the Latebirds--although, we got to eventually meet and converse with all five. Those guys were really cool. By the way, that's how I know that they stick out like a sore thumb in Finland--they told me so. Seriously, those guys were awesome.

Basically, I've spent the rest of my night really giddy that I met Jeff Tweedy. I've never met a rock star that I respected before (I met Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue in an airport). I mean, I've met some Christian bands I like--Jars of Clay, Caedmon's, Crowder band, and Derek Webb. It's just different, though. Those are bands that I like, but none of those are bands that shearly mesmerize me with their music. I respect those bands, because they use their talent to bring glory to God. I'm babbling. Let's just leave it at this--Jeff Tweedy is one of the artists I most admire. It was really freaking cool to meet him, shake his hand, and tell him how awesome I think his music is. Enough said.

To sum it all up...this night was freaking cool.

By the way...more pictures to come...but for now...

Here's Jeff Tweedy's signature on my shirt.

In faltering or victory...

2006-03-17T22:33:00.000-08:00

I crumble at Your kiss and grace
I'm a weakling in the dust
Teach me how to cling to You
With all my life and all my love

Father, come to me and hold me up, 'cause I can barely stand
My strength is gone and my breath is short, I can't reach out my hands
But my heart is set on a pilgrimage to Heaven's own bright King
So in faltering or victory, I will always sing

And on the road to beautiful
My seasons always change
But my life is spent on loving You
To know You in Your power and pain

Father, come to me and hold me up, 'cause I can barely stand
My strength is gone and my breath is short, I can't reach out my hands
But my heart is set on a pilgrimage to Heaven's own bright King
So in faltering or victory, I will always sing

You're my portion in this life
You're my strength now in my fight
And to You I pledge my heart
In the pain and in the dark, I'll love You
I'll love You, I'll love You

Father, come to me and hold me up, 'cause I can barely stand
My strength is gone and my breath is short, I can't reach out my hands
But my heart is set on a pilgrimage to Heaven's own bright King
So in faltering or victory, I will always sing

But my heart is set on a pilgrimage to Heaven's own bright King
So in faltering or victory, I will always sing

I'll love You...

-Charlie Hall "On the Road to Beautiful"

I want this song to be my prayer...

The hardest part was letting go...

2006-03-15T11:20:00.000-08:00

Well, today marks the last day of this chapter in my life. Something big--huge even--takes palce tomorrow.

(Suspenseful pause...)

I get my own room again. First, let's take a trip into 1752 N. Evening Shade Dr.'s history for a moment...

December 1, 2004 - Drew Nelson & I officially move into this house. We had no furniture or anything really, but we were content to sleep on the floor. We also had no heat on a cold December night.

December 3, 2004 - I have officially moved into my room. Everything I own is all in one place. It 's just me in my own huge room. After six months of sharing a room with Beasley in a one bedroom apartment where Drew slept on a bed in the living room, this new room and new house is complete bliss.

June 11, 2005 - I return from Turkey to an empty house. It's just me in complete solitude--what a wonderful thing.

September ?, 2005 - For some reason, I invited Moser to live with us--sharing my room. My room is cut in half. It starts out fun though, but misery will soon set in.

March 15, 2006 - I still like Moser, but I'm glad to be moving out of this horrid room. I no longer have to worry about his sleep patterns, wait for him to get out of the shower in the mornings, hear his alarm clock go off at 6:00, go to bed (including changing) in complete dark, listen to music with headphones when he's listening to Michael Buble on his laptop, freeze to death when he has the room at Ice Age temperatures (that's what he's comfortable with being a caveman and all), or any other of those tiny annoyances that creep in after 6 months of living in the same room.

It's the end of an era. This room and I have had some good times, but I think it's time to move on. Moser and I have had some good times, but I'm content seeing him in the living room and what not. Sure, I'll be moving into a smaller room. That doesn't matter. Though it's smaller, no other human being will be living in it with me. For that, I am thankful.

Goodbye room. You will be missed.