A Night with Neil

As a child I don't remember a lot of music in our home.  My parents liked different types of music, but they rarely played albums and tapes on our home stereo.  I can recall one artist that both my mom and dad enjoyed listening to:  Neil Diamond.

The Jazz Singer soundtrack was huge in our home in the early 80's.  All the songs were big hits for us:  America, Love on the Rocks, You Don't Bring me Flowers, and more.  I can still remember my older sister having us all play "dress up" to perform some of Neil's greatest hits.

I continued to listen to Diamond's songs as my musical tastes were developing.  I absolutely loved singing along with Sweet Caroline and I'm a Believer.  How many high schools guys knew all the words to Shilo?  I can name one - this guy!

For my birthday earlier this year Tara asked me what was something special I wanted.  I told her that I would like to see Neil Diamond in concert.  I knew that he was coming and I wanted to be there.  She bought the tickets and last night Tara and I were rocking out with Diamond at Rio Tinto Stadium.

It was a great night.  Diamond brought the crowd to their feet and had the grandmas dancing in the aisles.  Tara and I had a lot of fun, singing along as Neil's cranked out hit after hit.

The highlight of the night was signing Sweet Caroline.  Maybe it's because we love the 8th inning version of the song at Fenway Park, but this song always makes me smile.  Neil knows the crowd loves it as well - he sang the chorus 5 times!  It didn't matter though, we could have sang it one more time.  Our date was amazing, the night was perfect, and the concert was so good, so good, so good!

Not Forgotten

Last night Kennedy, Tara, and I went on a date.  Call it an early birthday present for Dede or just a good excuse to go out, but we joined with Tara's family to see the play The Forgotten Carols.  The play wasn't new to us.  Tara and I saw it 15 years ago when we were dating.  Like so many young couples it was a good chance to go out around Christmas time.  Both of us loved the play.

I don't know why it took us so long to see it again.  It was even better the second time around.  Maybe it was the chance to share the music with Kennedy.  Perhaps it was because the music has a greater impact on my life today.  Could be a magical date with the same girl over a decade later.  I don't know.

The story is simple and powerful. It reminds us that the Savior didn't just impact the world in the past.  He still impacts our lives and His message is the same today as ever.  If you haven't heard the music I hope you'll add it to your Christmas traditions.  It will certainly help you feel the Spirit of Christmas - the Spirit of Christ.

360° of U2

Last year I bought tickets to see U2 for Tara's birthday.  We were both really excited to see Bono and the boys one more time.  Unfortunately, Bono had a problem with his back which required surgery.  The last part of the North American tour was postponed and we were left in limbo.  Should we turn the tickets in and get our money back or should we hold onto our passes and wait for U2's possible return to Utah?

We held onto our nose-bleed seats and I'm glad we did.  Last night was the return of the 360° Tour to SLC and it was worth the wait.  U2 came onto the stage and overwhelmed the crowd with a musical and visual force that's hard to describe.

A lot has been made of "The Claw" - U2's gigantic stage.  With it's unique design, including 4 massive legs and a mammoth video screen you couldn't take your eyes of it.  To be honest, we couldn't take our eyes off of it because it was the only way we could see the show.  Still, that was the intended point, as the stage was designed so that you could see the action no matter where you were sitting. My favorite part of the show was when the screen broke apart into hundreds of smaller shapes and became a video curtain that stretched down to the stage. It was something I've never seen before and it was unreal!


With a collection of songs over the past 30 years it was easy for U2 to pick a vast array of diverse songs. Good thing for us. We weren't really big fans of the last album, so it good they didn't choose many songs from No Line on the Horizon. To be honest, Get on Your Boots actually sounded great live. Take a look at the setlist from the SLC show and you'll find a great mix of old and new:

Even Better Than The Real Thing
I Will Follow
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways
Elevation
Until The End Of The World
All I Want Is You
Love Rescue Me
Happy Birthday to Bob Dylan
Stay (Faraway, So Close!) - This was a great acoustic set with Edge and Bono
Beautiful Day / Here Comes The Sun (snippet)
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Miss Sarajevo
Zooropa
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo / It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It) (snippet)
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight / Discothèque (snippet) / Mofo (snippet)
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Scarlet
Walk On / You'll Never Walk Alone (snippet)

Encores:
One
Blowin' In The Wind (snippet)/The Times, They Are A-Changin' (snippet)
Where The Streets Have No Name - Loved watching the stage go red during the intro!
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
With Or Without You
Moment of Surrender


We loved every minute of the show, but as the second encore was starting we knew we needed to end our night.  Jason and Kristin were nice enough to watch the kids (on Kristin's birthday no less) and our night was well after 11:00 pm when the boys started playing With or Without You.  We decided to pack it in and head to TRAX, hoping that we could beat the rush and make it home by midnight.  We were wrong about everything.  The TRAX riding crowd had no end and we missed every connecting train.  It was impressive.  In fact, we couldn't have messed things up any better.  Still, we finally made it home a little after 12:25.

So, that was our night with U2.  It was fun to see them - probably for the last time for us.  Their music was great.  The show was beyond description.  The night was fantastic.  For a night, we were taken back through the years and U2's part of our lives.  It was just us and a band that have been together a long time.

NETA in Nashville

A few months ago I was asked to help with UEN's social media presentation at the NETA (National Educational Telecommunication Association - think public TV stations from around the country) conference. Now, I'm always excited to present at a national conference. It's great to show some of the great things we do to a larger audience. Plus, we've worked with the NETA folks for a few years now and they're wonderful. It worked out that Tara could come along, so we were set to head South for a few days.

When you think of the South, you think of warm weather, good food, and great people. We got 2 of the 3 on our recent trip to Nashville. When we touched down in TN on Tuesday there was light snow and it was 20 degrees outside. You would have thought there was a blizzard in town. Schools were shut down for a couple of days and the roads were pretty empty. I guess they're not used to a little powder in the air.

I wish I could tell you that my trip was full of all the sights and sounds of Nashville. In truth, it was mostly full of the sites and sounds of NETA and the Loews Hotel near Vanderbilt. The conference was great. I think our presentation went well, as people said some nice things afterwards. Even though I don't have much to do with the TV side of UEN, it was interesting to learn of the incredible things stations were doing across the country.

A few of highlights surrounding the trip:

1) Jammin' at Hippie Jack's: On Wednesday night NETA put together a fun reception at the Tennessee State Museum. Lots of great food, a chance to tour the museum (they have a mummy from 1300 BC in there - unreal), and a taping of Jammin at Hippie Jack's. This is a local TV show that's going national through all the PBS affiliates (KUEN Channel 9 shows Jammin' at Hippie Jack's on Saturdays at 10:30 pm FYI). After the show we saw, it should. Todd Snider was the act for the night. He's kind of a folksy Americana singer (think Bob Dylan without the mumble). Anyway, he played a collection of songs ranging from Beer Run (my favorite - B double E double R UN) to Tillamook County Jail. I think he mostly spoke while playing guitar, but it was fun and he's a great live act. Definitely one of my favorite parts of the trip.

2) The Parthenon: So Nashville has an exact replica of the Parthenon from Greece. I can't really explain why at the turn of the 20th Century folks from Tennessee decided to built a 5-story replica of an ancient greece monument, but they did. It was massive. There were two levels to the building. The first was mostly historic photos of Nashville and the park where the Parthenon was built. We got to learn a bit of the history surrounding the building.

Then you go to the second floor. As you turn from the stairwell you enter a large open room. Lagre columns stand on either side of you and then you see it. A gigantic 40 foot statue of Athena.

It was creepy!

Think of the scope of the Lincoln Monument, but now put a gold dress and lipstick on it. With a 12 foot snake on her side and the face of Medusa as a breast plate. This was one of the wildest things I've ever seen. Crazy thing is - you can't stop looking at it!


3) The Food: We found a nice mix of food around campus. Even though most of my meals were at the conference, each night Tara and I tried to eat local fare. I think the best meal we ate was at the Pancake Pantry south of Vandy campus. It has been on Travel Channel and Food Network before and now I know why. Famous for - you guessed it - pancakes. The house specialty was a pancake made from sweet potatoes. It was awesome!

Well, that about wraps up my trip. We arrived home earlier tonight and it was time to get back to the routine. I'm glad Tara was able to come with me. Even if we didn't spend a ton of time together during the day, it was fun to hang out and see some of town together at night. NETA was a great conference and it was neat to enjoy a little Southern hospitality.

An Evening with RUSH

A couple of nights ago I took a journey back in time. For me the journey started in 1988, but for others the trip took them back to 1974. Everyone had the same destination though - the RUSH concert from the Time Machine Tour. I know I'm a total nerd, but I was so excited to attend another RUSH concert. I'm just glad Rob and Ross are die hards and they let me tag along.

Thursday we headed back to USANA and spent three and a half hours listening to some classic songs by "the world's biggest cult band." They had a great setlist which included the entire Moving Pictures album (probably their most acclaimed work). Here's a look at the playlist:

"The Spirit of Radio"
"Time Stand Still"
"Presto"
"Stick It Out"
"Workin' Them Angels"
"Leave That Thing Alone"
"Faithless"
"BU2B"
"Freewill"
"Marathon"
"Subdivisions"

Intermission:

"Tom Sawyer"
"Red Barchetta"
"YYZ (song)"
"Limelight"
"The Camera Eye"
"Witch Hunt"
"Vital Signs"
"Caravan"
"Love 4 Sale" (Drum solo)
"Closer To The Heart"
"2112" - "Overture" and "The Temples of Syrinx"
"Far Cry"

Encore:

"La Villa Strangiato"
"Working Man"



I think the funnest part of any RUSH show is people watching. This is definitely a concert that attracts some diverse people. With a loyal following that includes mostly guys who like harder music - there are some wild looks going. At one point in the show we had a long haired guy walk right up behind me and start grooving out. He had a joint in one hand, a beer in the other and he was ready to party! Needless to say we were all a bit relieved when he left, even more so since he didn't spill his beverage or drop his smoke in our area. The sad thing is - this guy isn't even out of place at a RUSH concert!

We had a great time! Ross introduced his boys to the world of concert going. Rob played some mean air guitar and drums. Lauretta got her groove on. And I, well I occasionally tapped my foot and moved my head to the beat. I know, pretty wild. Still, I was there to take it all in, and that I did.

Here's another RUSH tradition - a fun opening video to introduce the concert. In this one the fellas are taking a trip through time with the "gafiltar"....

U2 4 US

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Last week it was announced that U2 was coming back to Utah later this year. You may recall the last time Bono and the boys came around I ditched Tara and went with some friends. There's no way I could get away with that again so this time around Tara took charge of getting the tickets. Basic tickets were $55, but judging from the view of Rice Eccles above you can see that $55 doesn't get you very far (except for far away from the stage). See you June 3....

Music Review: U2 - No Line on the Horizon

Like a lot of you I've been waiting for some time for the new release from U2. The last two albums have contained some great songs and I looked forward to some new tunes from one of my favorite bands. The early release of Get on Your Boots certainly didn't get my hopes up for No Line on the Horizon, neither did the appearance at the Grammys - I just don't get Bono and the eyeliner. So, we bought the CD a few days ago and here are some initial thoughts.

I like the music, particularly the major riff accompanying many of the songs. I think that Edge is in rare form and I really like the backing bass and drum line of several tunes. No Line on the Horizon is a good song and I really like the tune in I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight. White as Snow is a hidden gem on the end of the CD.

I don't get most of the titles of the songs. Here are just a few: FEZ - Being Born, Stand Up Comedy, Get on Your Boots. I just really can't imagine myself saying how much I like the song FEZ - Being Born to a friend. The titles just don't grab you like many of their classics: One, With or Without You, Mysterious Ways. I actually think their song titles have been going down for a while now.

I'm just not that into the lyrics on this album. I think there's a lot of nonsense when you actually read the words in the jacket. I know you can say that about a lot of music, but you tend to expect more from Bono. He seems like an individual of substance and this album certainly needs more of that in it's lyrics. Also, I don't get why Bono seems to spend so time rapping or talking rather than singing on this CD.

Overall, I think No Line on the Horizon is ok. Certainly I liked the past few albums more. Is it better than Zooropa and Pop, yes - but that isn't hard. I've heard several people say that it takes a few listens to really enjoy this album and I hope that's true.

Policing Usana

Tara and I are pretty boring people, ok we're very boring people. Most of the time a night out on the town includes a GPS unit and some fast food. Last night we broke the bank and the mold. About two months ago Annie mentioned that she had two extra tickets to a concert this summer. I wasn't really interested until she told me that this was for The Police. Now, I have to admit I was nine when The Police broke up, but I grew up listening to their music. The chance to see the reunion show was something I couldn't pass up.

Usana is an interesting venue for a show. Located in BFE - Kearns, it takes a while to get through traffic, dirt roads, and people, but once you're there it's a fun outdoor spot to watch a concert. Of course, shirts are optional, tattoos seem mandatory, and dancing is questionable. Still, I was there to watch the concert not the crowds - although you couldn't help watching the show behind you when the drunk guys start break dancing on your blanket. A bit too close for comfort...

Then there was the concert. The Police are now in their 50's and I think their age was reflected in their song choices and stage show. Gone was the raucous stage antics and several of the songs had a mellow "adult contemporary" feel to them. Not saying the songs weren't good, but they were different. The song list had most of their greatest hits, which made it nice to sing along with the boys. About the only song I wanted to hear and didn't was Synchronicity II - it was a "humiliating kick in the crotch" (sorry I had to include that line). Take a peek at my bootleg concert footage..




So, for one night Tara and I shook off our Thirty Something doldrums and did something spontaneous - even if it did take 3 months of planning, two babysitters, and a credit check before we pulled it all off...

U23D 4 US

I have seen U2 in concert twice and each time it's been an amazing experience. U2's show is one to be witnessed live, complete with hard rocking tunes and inspiring commentary. All of things may be true, but a live concert also has it's draw back - bad sound, annoying concert goers, and cost. This leads us to U23D, a look back at U2's Vertigo tour in Central and South America. What an experience! I thought that the 3D could be a big miss, but I was wrong. I felt like I was actually at the concert. Every time that Bono and the boys moved or the crowd raised their arms in approval I thought I was actually there. The movie was a 15 song set which spanned U2's career, from New Year's Day to Vertigo. It was fun to see the band recapture their political edge, as the show had plenty of ideology to go along with the music. All that in 30 minutes, along with the chance to wear some pretty cool glasses.

After the movie, our group of six headed over to Spaghetti Mama's for dinner. Being the first time any of us had ever been there, we didn't quite know what to expect. I hadn't eaten lunch that day, so I was ready for some food. Upon reading the description of the Baked Lasagna it was time to eat. I quote: "You've heard of the Leaning Tower of Pisa? Wait 'til you've seen Mama's lasagna!" When my plate finally arrived, I thought it contained a grocery style sample of my dinner. Needless to say, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is safe and sound as the largest item in Italy.

U2 in 3D

I just heard about the new u2 concert film for IMAX and it looks incredible. If it's anything like Rattle and Hum, it's going be great. Anyone want to go?

A Rush to RUSH

Yesterday I started the day on the road at 6:30 am headed towards Manti to teach a class. I knew that I was going to need to leave around 4 pm in order to make it to the Usana Amphitheater for the RUSH concert. At 4:30 I was still in Ephraim, waiting at the Maverick while trying to get some gas. I don't want to get into small town stereotypes, but I had four people in front of me: all wearing tanktops, all ordered cigarettes, and one with tattoos supporting "White Power." Needless to say I was in a hurry to get out of town.

The drive back proved to be uneventful and I was at the concert on time. I saw RUSH a few years ago, but it was good to go again. A couple of the guys from the neighborhood are huge RUSH fans, so I was happy they invited me to go to the show with them. In the end, Rob, Ross, Lauretta, and I all had a great time and I'm glad they included me in the posse.



The music and stage show were very engaging, almost as much as the people in the crowd. The one thing I can safely say about the fans at a RUSH concert, they definitely cross a wide age demographic. There were way more 50+ in the audience than 20 year olds. I don't know many shows that had as many old hippies since the Dead were around.

RUSH has always been a favorite of mine and it really takes me back to my teenage years. It seems like they are a pivotal band in the lives of many adolescent males and I was certainly no different. Many of their songs struck a cord with me and I still enjoy listening to a little Canadian rock today. Even if I don't want to admit that I'm starting to resemble the RUSH crowd more every day, I'm glad I can go out every few years and listen to some classic music.




Neal Peart Drum Solo

Book Review: U2 by U2

I was in a real groove a few months ago reading books on the bus, then I started reading U2 by U2. There was no way I'd be able to take this one to work with me, since the book is more a coffee table book. It's about 330 pages and is full of wonderful pictures of the band. Needless to say, with the size of the book - this one was read at night before going to bed. I guess that's why it took me three months to finish.

I really enjoyed the book. This is U2's story as told by the band themselves. It is written in a round table format, with each member of the band telling their version of different parts of the band's history. U2 by U2 is broken up into chapters which coincide with different albums representing the various stages of the band's career. I loved revisiting the old U2, then watching them progress to the World's biggest band.

I would say that this book isn't for the casual U2 fan. It is a long read, and goes into a lot of detail about the creation of U2's albums. As someone who's followed U2 since the late 80's I absolutely loved reading this book. I grew up with U2 and this book was like taking a trip into my past. So many memories of riding around with friends listening to Joshua Tree, arguing about whether or not the band had lost their souls with Achtung Baby (now my favorite U2 album), and wondering if the boys had lost their minds with Zooropa and Pop. U2 is my band and I'm glad they let the fans into their rather unique world.

A Night with U2

So, as you read in a recent post I got tickets to go to the U2 concert last night.  As it turns out, I didn’t get struck down by any higher power or sentenced to an eternal misery for going to the concert alone while Tara hung out with Cousin Eddie…err, Kenny.  In fact, Tara didn’t even go to my family Christmas party.  Kennedy got sick on Saturday, so she and Tara stayed home all night (let’s not get into the debate about what’s worse:  attending your in-laws Christmas party or staying home with a sick baby).

Anyway, let’s get back to the concert.  We went downtown a couple of hours before U2 was scheduled to come on, so we decided to go to the Gateway and eat dinner.  One problem:  trying to eat at the Gateway on a Saturday night with a U2 concert next door and about 20 high school dances that night.  Needless to say, there was a 1-2 hour wait at every restaurant we checked.  That is until I suggested Samba Grill.  The owner is a woman I know from UEN, so we decided to at least give it a try.  Joan Souza is such a wonderful woman, she not only got us a table, but she gave us a meal for free!  The night was looking up for sure!

After dinner we headed across the street for the concert.  Fortunately, we were just in time to miss Kanye West (I have no desire to listen to a rapper, even if he is a good -whatever that means -rapper).  As luck would have it we ran into another guy I know from work who was an usher at the Delta Center.  Scott asked to look at my ticket and said he would try to get us better seats – things were really starting to look up.  I wasn’t sure if Scott could come through or not, but while we were waiting for the show to start – here comes Scott coming up (and I mean up) the stairs to talk to me.  Here’s an excerpt from our conversation:

Scott:  “So, do you guys want better seats or what?”

Me:  “Yes.”

After this brief conversation Scott received a call on his walkie-talkie.  He said he had to leave, and he never came back.   I guess the good luck had to end sometime.  Too bad though because the seats Scott was in charge of were in the middle of the arena, much better sound.   For most of the evening Bono sounded a bit muffled where we were seated.

Around 9 pm U2 arrived onstage with an amazing light show. Most of the early songs came from the Atomic Bomb album, mixed with splashes from the All that You Can’t Leave album.  Throughout the rest of the evening they played all the best songs including:  Sunday Bloody Sunday, Where the Streets Have no Name, New Year’s Day, Pride, One, With or Without You, Mysterious Ways, 40, The End of the World, and many more.  Surprisingly (not really), there wasn’t one song from the Pop album (the last U2 concert I went to).  It was a great mix of music and spectacle that last well past 11 pm.  It was a great night and I was so glad I had the chance to see U2 again in concert.  I may or may go to Hell, but I am happy man ‘cause I found what I was looking for.

Going to Hell

Yesterday morning I got a phone call from Tara that dramatically changed my life forever (or at least for the weekend). It seems that Brant found 8 tickets to the U2 concert for Saturday night. I have two problems with attending the concert: 1) Each ticket costs $80 and we're broke! 2) My mom's big Thomas Clan Christmas party is on Saturday night. What a moral dilemna! Dare I spend all the remaining money from our tax return on the tickets? Will I be able to stand having my mom hate me from skipping her party?

After weighing all the issues, Tara came up with an interesting solution: She would send me to the U2 concert with Brant and she would attend my family party without me (Talk about taking one for the team!!!!) How could I go to a concert and send my wife to a family party without me? Come on, I have a soul!!! Well, maybe not. I may be going to hell, but at least I'm going there after watching U2 on Saturday!