Four-fer Part 2: Forgotten Years

Episode 2 of my four-fer friday.  This thing is evolving so have patience. If you haven't guessed, I'm figuring it out on the fly.

After reading Bono's cool tribute to the 60 artists that 'saved his life," and influenced him in his incredibly successful musical career, I decided to resurrect my Forgotten Years mix.  This list includes songs from artists starting in 1979 up to present and represent 42 of my favorite artists and an associated great song.  Enjoy.

1. Listening to and watching:

Listening:

The new Strokes album, The New Abnormal is their first in 7 years and is produced by Rick Rubin.  It  got lots of play this week on my Bose headphones and this is a review of sorts.  I admit I am not a Strokes purist but I’ve listened to all their early stuff and generally enjoy them and know of their reputation as indie/hipster music legends.  At its best, the new album sounds like some of their classics and that is damn good.  I loved The Adults Are Talking, Bad Decisions, Brooklyn Bridge To Chorus and liked Eternal Summer.  They even have a song titled Ode to The Mets and I have not really taken the time to figure out those lyrics and title just yet. 

Despite some critical bashing, the remainder is not bad at all either, maybe a bit overproduced with many of the rough edges ground down and the volume and guitars a bit too understated for my taste but still they are quality songs.  Julian Casablancas, one of the great names in rock n roll, is pretty damn talented too.  Some songs sound influenced by the Cars/Ric Ocasek vocals, some by Prince (yes that one) and others hint at Pink Floyd.  Unfortunately, the least powerful songs hint at '10s Killers or maybe a rip-off of a generic LCD Soundsystem tune.  And yeah, I do love the Prince-like caterwauls. Pitchfork gave it a 5.9 and that’s bullshit. I give it a 85.  Solid B bordering on B+.  I think it will make good hangout music with friends on the porch or in the backyard whild enjoying the Charleston spring.

Next week, I’ll review something new in a little more detail, maybe the relatively new Pearl Jam record, maybe the new Car Seat Headrest album or perhaps Angel Olson, Hamilton Leithauser or Chicano Batman.  I love that band name!

Watching: 

• Morning Show on Apple TV - entertaining.  So far so good for first three episodes
• Defending Jacob – My good friend Joe and the writer of the novel, William (Billy) Landay went to high school together at Roxbury Latin and hung out a bit. I enjoyed the book and am enjoying the made for tv movie.  It’s gotten mixed critical reviews so far but so what…I’m entertained

2. Reading:

• Loved the article in the Boston Globe about the Instagram Room Rater and grades for each celebrity's room decor during COVID-times interviews.  Entertaining.
• Finished Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann.  Man, this one is disturbing.  It’s amazing on how many levels that we screwed the Native Americans here on their very own soil.  To the victor goes the spoils but this story and others of our treatment of our Native American brethren don't make me feel so proud.
• The Mechanic - A novella published by the Boston Globe and written by Ben Mezrich best known for the book Bringing Down the House...which was also made into the movie 21.  Gambling and card counting, MIT, Harvard history professors, Paul Revere, Gardner Heist, USS Constitution, South Boston and Dorchester.  I'm in.

3. Consuming or using:

• Beer from Low Tide Brewing - My local on Johns Island just over the James Island Connector bridge is now re-opened for outside service and serving up fresh and tasty brews.  I tried a crowler of the Ocean Course Ale (Pale Ale - American 5.2% ABV), Back to Normal  (Brown Ale - American 5.2% ABV), Down the Hatch Tropical IPA (5.2% ABV) and Aloha Beaches IPA (5.2% ABV).  All tasty and quite drinkable.  I need to have more patience and understand the ins and outs of beer tasting. I pledge to provide more specific and actionable beer reviews.
• Sporting my new Dakine hat from Mike Leahy.  Thanks to my dear and thoughtful fried for providing the cool lid.  Also, still enjoying my Nike sportwear and my Olakai slip-ons.
• My MTB shoe strap broke and now I've bought a new pair of Shimanos. Pretty sweet but I need to size up one for comfort.  

4. Doing:

•  I got tested for COVID-19 because I had a procedure this past week (colonoscopy and endoscopy) to figure out why I am anemic.  I found out.  Yay. Ulcer caused by surgery and maybe diet (?) but I have knowledge and soon I will have a plan.
• Riding my Peloton in preparation for the Pan Mass Challenge (SC-style) and hopefully for Gran Fondo Hincapie.  More to come on those in future posts.  Also counting miles for Bikes and Brews virtual ride contest.  I've gone from 40 to 50 to 60 to 70+ miles in last month. I'm starting to feel like a cyclist again...a bad one, but still a cyclist.
• Gardening - Dipping my toes a bit. How could I not with my beautiful yard as a backdrop and all this "free time" on my hands.

I wrote the following blurb prior to the pandemic but never published it. I wonder if it still holds true.  

"These shall not be forgotten years!"
Although the events and context of Peter Garrett of Midnight Oil's song Forgotten Years are a bit different than our current American perspective, the years 2016 A.D. through 2019 A.D. will definitely ring a distinct and ominous bell for me and for many Americans and these years will certainly not be forgotten.  From both a political and a cultural perspective, we as a nation have fundamentally changed and although it didn't exactly start with Donald J Trump, it surely jump from the back burner to front and center, into our InstaPot and microwaves and onto the front burner right before our very eyes.

With these political and cultural changes comes the reset of the bar of acceptable behavior by politicians and by its citizens.  The bar for political discourse has been lowered to a place on the continuum that I did not think existed.  "Look at me" screams the president and his followers, "I will make things better for you because those idiots that came before me were both stupid AND evil.  I'm your new deal maker and I will fix this broken system on your behalf."  Of course this is simply bluster or a huckster's fervent yet unbelievable pitch to his would-be followers but due to a confluence of incredible set of events, this snake oil salesman is believed...and backed...and defended with vigor, to the detriment of our citizens and the foundation of freedom we previously took for granted.  Our governmental systems are under attack and we need to fight..."Few of the sins of the father, are visited upon the son.  Hearts have been hard, our hands have been clenched in a fist too long,"

And come to think of it, politics and pop culture have melded and become one large and crazy version of reality television where facts no longer exist or more accurately where facts are mere political opinions that "depend what side your on."  Come on folks, despite wearing their wolves closes, the sheep are there for you to see if you just look past the ridiculous coverings being thrown on their backs by nefarious forces.

From my personal perspective, 2019 will reflect a new sense of gratitude for the gifts I have been given.  Yeah, I earned them by being diligent in the two areas of life that require you to succeed: social and professional growth.  ABGAGAL Always Be Grateful and Growing and Learning.  If you think your voyage has ended, it has not, it simply has stopped for a period to allow for provisioning , for maintenance and the start of the next great voyage in life.

Few of the sins of the father, are visited upon the son
Hearts have been hard, our hands have been clenched in a fist too long
Our sons will never be soldiers, our daughters will never need guns
These are the years between
These are the yrs that were hard fought and won
Contracts torn at the edges, old signatures stained with tears
Seasons of war and peace, these should not be forgotten years
Still it aches like tetanus, it reeks of politics
How many dreams remain? This is a feeling too strong to contain

The hardest years, the darkest years, the roarin' years, the fallen years
These should not be forgotten years
The hardest yrs, the wildest years, the desperate and divided years
We will remember, these should not be forgotten years

Our shoreline was never invaded, our country was never in flames
This is the calm we breathe, this is a feeling too strong to contain
Still it aches like tetanus, it reeks of politics
Signatures stained with tears, who can remember
We've got to remember

The hardest years, the darkest years, the roarin' years, the fallen years
These should not be forgotten years
Forsaking aching breaking years, the time and tested heartbreak years
These should not be forgotten years
The blinded yrs, the binded years, the desperate and divided years
These should not be forgotten yrs, remember

Four-fer Friday - Get the Balance Right

Four-fer
I'm not exactly sure what they call four beers bound by a plastic-y holder thing-y (other than a 4-pack), but I'm stepping out on a limb and calling it a four-fer.  You know, "Four-fer you" on a Friday that will close the gap between work closeout and bed time.  Tim Ferris calls his Friday email blast to his thousands of followers, "Tim's 5-bullet Friday," and contains links and details to what he's listening to, what he's reading,what he's drinking, what he's super happy about, and a quote he's pondering.

I love the concept and hoping my four-fer friday is catchier and does not appear too self-absorbed.  I'm not so sure how deeply anyone cares about what I am doing but I find this a chance to write down some ideas, express my gratitude and share my love of learning.  So, my attempt at a four-fer Friday contains:

1. What I'm listening to and watching
2. What I'm reading
3. What I'm using
4. What I'm doing

Oh yeah and a picture of a four-pack from my favorite brewery.  This week, Commonhouse Aleworks of course. My favorites in order; 1. Park Circle Pale, 2. White Point Lager, 3. Looking East IPA, 4. Patchwork IPL

These are some recommended items in my life that bring me entertainment and utility.  Of course, this is by no means a complete list of what I am doing or focusing on.  I'm spending lots of time earning a paycheck and much of the remaining  time being a good husband and father.  These activities supplement the core of me being a good husband, dad and citizen and keep me entertained in this crazy time of COVID-19.

1a. Listening to (new and old):

• Nathaniel Ratliff - And It's Still Alright (2020) He was supposed to close the now-cancelled High Water Festival and Carmen and I love this guy.  Feels like he's been around forever and pretty sure his music will be lasting.
• Angel Olson - All Mirrors (2019) I fell in love with her song Shut Up Kiss Me Hold Me Tight and have dug deep and found her talent and uniqueness totally engaging and entertaining
• Hamilton Leithauser - The Loves of Your Life (2020) Enojyed him as the lead of the Walkmen and now seeing this NYer in a differnt light.
• The Strokes - The New Abnormal (2020).  I did not catch the initial buzz so I am jumping back in with their new album and working my way back to their classic releases in the early aughts
• The Clash - Live at Shea Stadium on Spotify
• My lists and music on the streaming service: Spotify
• Youtube - Tiny Desk Concerts:The Black Crowes one that was aired recently.  Very good. 
• KEXP - lots of great performances but Mitski warmed my heart.  Quite quirky. And War on Drugs among others.
• Paste Magazine videos
• Shaky Knees TV - Virtual Festival - Featuring lots of cool acts, this festival was supposed to be this weekend in ATL but obviously it was moved.  New show planned for mid-October headlined by the Black Keys, Smashing Pumpkins and Strokes.  I'm quite torn right now what I am going to do given the current state of COVID-19 and getting together with tens of thousands of people.  Stay tuned.

1b. Watching

• Better Call Saul - Season 1-4 is quite the prequel.  Plus, I love Bob Odenkirk
• Tiger King  - Of course, I'm driving along in my car, there is smoke and flames on the side of the road and I can't resist slowing down a bit to take it in.
• 2020 Paris Nice bike race.  Just got it in under the corona virus gun.  This was my April cycling fix.  
• The Outsider - Stephen King's best adapted tv show or movie
• Gira / Haji - Cool Tokyo/London back and forth crime drama. Great characters
• First round of the NFL draft with Ailish
• Defending Jacob - Just starting and did read the book. Fried of a friend is the author (Bill Landay). I enjoyed the book
• The Last Season - Was not all in on Jordan at the time as I had/have a Celtics bias, but great theater. He is the man.

2. Reading

• Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI - by David Grann
• New York Times, Boston Globe and Post and Courier daily for my news updates
• Boston Globe article on BLS and exam schools
• Pitchfork article: Why Do We Even Listen to New Music?
• Paste Magazine
• Pocket
• The Atlantic- This Is Trump's Fault
• UESCA - Running coach certification training

3. What I'm using:

• Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones - These things rock.  Great sound and comfort and they look good
• Eddie Bauer 4L backpack - I take the damn thing everywhere.  Perfect size, amount of pockets, and rolls up into a little ball
• Nike zip up sweaters, sweatpants, t-shirts and my Dry Fit socks. I sometimes go all Nike apparel with Altra or Olukai kicks

4. What I'm doing:

• Riding the Peloton. Oh great Peloton, what would I do without you?
• Fixing: my deck, my kitchen sink and soon bathroom mirrors and basins
• Planting seeds in the new garden.  Well Bridget can claim the successful planting . I'm watering and tending to the soil.
• Hanging with my friends on Friday afternoon with a four pack.  To all my friends!

Questions of the week

What event, trip, get together are you looking forward to when we transition out of quarantine?
What will change for the better?  Is this a reset time for us with healthcare, energy, education and buying local?

Striving for Balance
To be a well adjusted person, experts often advise that living in the present moment is one of the keys to happiness. Oh yeah, and meditating.  However, let's not underestimate the importance of daydreaming.  No matter how driven, disciplined or focused on the moment/or task we are, we should consider spending some time reminiscing about our past and pondering the future and what it might bring for us.  Let's call that envisioning a better future.  What ratio of those perspectives produces just the right balance?  Of course, the optimal mix is not a hard numerical standard or goal to achieve but rather an amorphous, undefinable state that depends largely on the company we keep, our jobs, our mental outlook, mood, and our physical circumstances at that moment.  We're influenced by our friends, family, mentors and heroes and together those forces along with our circumstances at the moment will help define which way we should look.

With all this unexpected family time on our hands, let's strive to be be a better friend, citizen, sibling, spouse or mentor to those around us.  In this time of uncertainty, extend yourself as a listener, be present with the ones you love while balancing the joys of what exciting future lies ahead. Maybe it's a family vacation, a race, a work trip, a fishing trip, a concert or festival.  Mark it down on your calendar and savor the vision of the experience.  And every now and again, look back at those friendships, events and memories to help recall who you were and who you still are deep inside. Get the balance right.

Song of the week from my guilty pleasure band, Depeche Mode:

Get the Balance Right

Depeche Mode

There's more besides joyrides
Little house in the countryside
Understand, learn to demand,
Compromise, sometimes lie
Get the Balance right, get the balance right
Be responsible, respectable,
Stable but gullible
Concerned and caring, help the helpless
But always remain ultimately selfish
Get the balance right, get the balance right
You think you've got a hold of it all
You haven't got a hold at all
When you reach the top, get ready to drop
Prepare yourself for the fall, you're gonna fall
It's almost predictable
Don't take this way, don't take that way
Straight down the middle until next Thursday
Push to the left, back to the right
Twist and turn 'til you've got it right
Get the balance right

A Beautiful Day (?)

"You miss too much these days if you stop to think"- from Until the End of the World

"It was a beautiful day, don't let it get away" - from Beautiful Day

Should we despair and be alarmed at the current state of our leaders, our nation, our leaders and its place on the world stage on this most American non-holiday holiday, Super Bowl Sunday?  Or should we look back at our past triumphs and know that the institutions that have served us well to date will prevail over the despotism and hatred that has invaded 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

Good questions.  Well, although pessimism has crept into our household, our family has generally taken a positive attitude toward America's future.  I say that knowing that this optimistic attitude has been challenged over the last six months.  It has also been even more deeply threatened since Trump took office after his dreadful, dreary, pessimistic and fear-filled inauguration speech in January.  How does this relate to Super Sunday?  Unfortunately as a Bostonian, Boston sports fan, avowed Patriots fan and lifelong professional sports fan, my perspective, heritage and allegiance to team and sport have been severely challenged and the connections to my NFL passion and football past remain frayed at best.

My earliest and fondest sports memories  growing up in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Boston were of our Pop Warner football team and my connection with teammates and friends.  Twins Patrick and Peter Galvin, Donnie Johnson, Chris "Budsy" Walsh, Michael "Monkey" Norton, Paul "OB" O'Brien, Richie Miller among others were in it together.  We had each other's backs.  None of us came from much, some broken homes some stable and loving.  With football we relied on each other, and importantly, we also shared our private and undeclared wars on our more privileged suburban neighbors.  The game of football, replete with its full menu of bluster, violence, male ego, and camaraderie was our unifying experience.   We lived and loved it, won way more than we lost and had years of stories, friendships and laughs. We grew up playing the game we loved, most of us playing on in high school and some in college and then like most Boston males of my generation, we followed the Patriots. We watched and marveled at their ascent from laughingstock to legendary.  The question I ask on the day of Super Bowl LI, matching the number of years on this earth for me is,"Should I even be paying attention to the NFL and the Patriots any more?"

Is this a rhetorical question? No, I no longer think that is the case and I have begun plotting my trip down the sports continuum from fan(atical) to transactional (read: fantasy football) to social to oppositional.  Growing up in Boston, we always knew our sports and I was probably on par with the most knowledgeable about our Boston teams' history.  I loved the x's and o's, the athleticism, the athletes, the competition.  I loved being the Boston guy, not exactly the Boston Sports Guy Bill Simmons, but someone that knew what the hell was going on with all our four major sports, especially baseball and football.  Steve Grogan was my hero as a kid, the K-State quarterback that could run the bootleg better than any qb I've ever seen.  Tough as nails too.  Stanley (Steamer) Morgan, John Hannah, Leon Gray, Steve Nelson were just a few among a slew of '70s/80s Pats legends that captured my heart.

At the turn of the century, fate dropped Tom Brady on New England. He changed everything for Boston fans and has taken over the top dog spot in the town and then sports wold for the past 18 years.  I was a Bledsoe guy and a skeptic at first but that sure did change quickly.  Tom Terrific just did all the right things on the field and handled himself off the field and one could not help but be impressed.  A true role model that I could invest in and entrust to my children as a worthy model. Despite his recent affiliation to our current president, I still believe that he is a worthy role model (his qb qualities were never in doubt) but I find it far more difficult to connect emotionally to him.

Well, times change.  People change.  Perspectives change.  Regarding professional football, like my dad with his sports interest in the middle years of life, I've lost that loving feeling.  I never was a team-jersey wearing kind of fan, but I could tell you where all 22 starters went to college and felt sick on Monday after losses.  Unlike many of today's converted non-fans, my main issue is not with the big salaries or player egos as some love to decry. My issues are with the game and the damage it does to its players while the fat, rich, white privileged owners print money and get tax breaks to build stadiums.  Some even have the audacity to extort tax breaks and charge the fan for the right to buy a seat. What a joke.

There are lots of other problems with the NFL game (e.g. incessant commercials, game flow, game duration) but take for example the fact that players are meat and quickly become hurt and dispensable, as in a contract is not a contract.  You get hurt, you're cut. Look at great former players like Ted Johnson, Junior Seau, Leon Gray and Mike Webster to name just a few and then just as importantly role players Kevin Turner, Steve Gleason,  and Dave Duerson. They died too early, they died injured in the head and mostly penniless and they died in ways that they did not expect when they were getting hooked on Pop Warner football as I did. The owners have the power, the owners wield the power and the American sheep line up and pay to watch the carnage while the owners call the shots from their mansions and luxury suites.  Many of the players, like Seau and Duerson, struggle mightily with their head injuries but eventually succumb to the pain, take their own lives and then ask their family to study their brains to find out what went wrong.  Meanwhile, the NFL is fighting the truth, fighting its players for every last penny in court and refusing to admit to the problem and begin looking for real solutions.  Right. You can't have my dollars.

As this Super Sunday progresses, I am struggling to find the energy to root for my wonderfully successful Patriot troika of owner (Kraft), coach (Belichick) and quarterback (Brady) that support our unsavory and most unworthy POTUS.  My Boston blood, ( you know loyalty and all that Boston stuff)  keeps getting in the way though. Unlike most of my Boston brothers, I'm going to struggle to get truly excited for the game but I am going to watch New England's team and pull for the "good" guys to win. Whatever happens though, I'm not going to lose any sleep this Sunday night.

Sign o' the Times

I would be expecting too much to even imagine that my personal health and well-being would be in lockstep with the health of my community, nation or planet.   Personally for me, 2016 was an extension of my honeymoon, full of health and happiness for my family and I.  In contrast to that happiness, our society lost too many talented personalities and sadly acquiesced to a hateful and cynical political story brought forth by a man that is unqualified to be the President of the United States.  He isn't even gone yet and I already miss my outgoing POTUS.  In true DIY style, Mac McCaughan lead singer of the great Raleigh NC band Superchunk and founder of Merge records, released a cool and fitting tribute to 2016 with a nod that 2017 cannot get any worse Happy New Year (Prince can't die again).  Let's hope he's right and that our nation wakes up, takes notice and fights to preserve our freedoms, democracy and our environment.  

The musical community fared poorly in a different but sadder way.  In 2016 we lost a number of great artists, including three prolific and important artists to me; David Bowie, Glenn Frye, and Prince.   I consider myself a real music fan, someone that pays attention to music and supports it by buying music and paying to see the artists perform.   I'm filled with a vague sense of guilt for not having seen any of these three legends in person. Performances in the for of youtube videos, musical anthologies and extensive revisits of their works will have to do. That and a pledge to get the hell out more often and make the time to see who I want to see.  Bucket list is such a trite phrase but I'm building my musical list and need to experience the greats, past, present and future while still capable…and willing.

The loss of Prince hit me a bitter hard and deeper than Bowie or Frye's death because he was my generation's own original.  Right?  Based on his 57 years on this earth, I guess he was not a Gen-X'er but he sure as hell was on the bedroom walls of my generation and on my mix tapes, tape decks, turntables and apple play lists.  My birth at the end of 1965 does officially qualify my X cred but with Purple Rain's explosion onto the scene in '84, we could not help noticing the brilliance of the music and the artist.  He appealed to black and white kids and just about everybody else. Jimi Hendrix guitar riffs,  rock ballads, funky grinds, disco beats,rap and whatever version of rock n roll or funk you liked. How about that Super Bowl halftime show in Miami in the rain or the jam at the Hall of Fame with Petty, Lynne, Winwood et al?! He's clearly influenced many musicians and his music will not be forgotten.  Prince is dead.  Long live Prince. 

My year end playlist is a celebration of the songs and artists that impacted me in 2016. Explore, enjoy and let me know what you think.  The links to videos are below and contain some live and unique performances and of some of my favorites tunes from 2016.

Honeymoon mix:

Sign o 'the Times - Prince

Ashes to Ashes - David Bowie

Pedestrian at Best - Courtney Barnett

Berlin Got Blurry -Parquet Courts

Smooth Sailing - Leon Bridges

Drawer - Band of Horses

Shut Up Kiss Me - Angel Olsen

Giant - Banks and Steelz
We the People - A Tribe Called Quest

Mountain at the Gate- Foals

Fountain of Youth - Local Natives

Honey White- Morphine

Off the Ground - The Record Company

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen performed live by Panic at the Disco!

Losing Time -Bob Mould

Tiny - Dinosaur Jr.

Doused - DIIV

Capsized - Andrew Bird
Car Seat Headrest - Drunk Driver/Killer Whale
Radio Kids - Strands of Oak

Sound and Colour -Alabama Shakes

Lampshade on Fire -Modest Mouse

Pretty Pimpin - Kurt Vile

Wow - Beck
Dark Necessities - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Daydreaming -Radiohead

Dearly Departed - Shakey Graves

Dark Necessities-RHCP

All the Pretty Girls- Kaleo

Father John Misty - Real Love Baby
Bon Hiver - 33 God
In a Blackout - Hamilton Leithauser and Rostam

Best Six Songs of 2016:
1. Pedestrian at Best - Courtney Barnett
2. In a Drawer - Band of Horses
3. Shut Up Kiss Me - Angel Olson
4. Giant - Banks and Steelz
5. Dark Necessities - Red Hot Chili Peppers
6. In a Blackout - Hamilton Leithauser

Secondary Six:
Berlin Got Blurry - Parquet Courts
Smooth Sailing - Leon Bridges
Pretty Pimpin - Kurt Vile
33 God - Bon Hiver
On Hold - the xx
Burn the Witch - Radiohead

Although not on this year's list, Pearl Jam rules the roost. Man, why did I take so long to catch a non-festival Pearl Jam show? How can a band stay so true to its roots and take care of its fans so thoroughly? The energy, musicianship, passion, artistry and straight forward, raw rock-n-roll power was mesmerizing at their show in my newly adopted vacation town of Greenville, SC.   Those traits, along with Eddie's connection to his audience blew me away and made me appreciate the ability for some to take their passion and convert it to their vocation while earning a damn good penny.  Then, to top things off, I got to catch Pearl Jam at Fenway this summer and with super high expectations, the girls and I enjoyed a hot and steamy night in the grandstands at Fenway. I think my expectations were a bit out of whack but oh hell, it was still powerful.

Although highly anticipated, I did not have lofty expectations for the Alabama Shakes show in Charleston.  The venue, Volvo Car Stadium (nee the Family Circle Cup Tennis Stadium) on Daniel island surely impressed. We struggled with the sound early on but a short walk down a level saved the night and eradicated the problem. I guess there was just not enough speaker to entertain those up high. I remember a Ramones show in a small music club/pub on Halloween somewhere in Queens or Long Island that boasted about 5x the speakers at this outdoor spacious stadium.  I vaguely remember that the only way to differentiate one song from the next was Joey shouting, "one two three four" at the top of his lungs and more noise just pouring out at us.  Epic and definitely memorable

I look back at my favorite musical artists by staying in the present and appreciating what's out there, peaking ahead for the next cool thing, but never assuming the past was better than the present or that the future will be better than the past. Speaking of the future, how about the brand new High Water Music Festival making its debut on the North Charleston waterfront at Riverfront Park.  Very cool that local band mates Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent from Shovels & Rope are putting on such a great festival and yes, I have tickets to the too-good-to-be-believed festival that is officially sold out.   Headliners include The Shins, The Avett Brothers, Nathaniel Raitfliff and the Night Sweats, Deer Tick, Shovels & Rope, Dawes, Jump Little Children, and more for a total of 20 plus bands. Nice.  Oh yeah, and Shakey Graves on NYE at Charleston Music Hall.  

Hang in there, get involved and make 2017 the best you can by doing good things for yourself, your family, your community, your country and your earth.  

Fantastic Voyage

2015 was such a fantastic voyage.  Love, travel, physical activity, music and deep connections with friends and family made the year special.  Carmen and I wed on June 6, 2015 on the Carolina Girl and it was an incredible wedding week, wedding day and honeymoon, exceeding my expectations on every level.  Also as expected, the wonderful evening on the Girl raced by far too quickly and before we knew it, the DJ was calling Carmen and I for our last dance, "All I Want Is You" by our beloved band, U2.  We were privileged, honored and so happy to enjoy the company of our family, friends, loved ones, hanging out together on the waterways near our Charleston home.  Bridget, Ailish and Owen shined brightly that night as they have from their first days on earth, filling me with joy and pride for who they are along with anticipation of who they would become.  The children's relationship with Carmen, beautiful and evolving, was yet another reason for me to look forward with expectation and joy.

On a bittersweet note, I can't describe  deeply enough how especially missed my mom Pat, my dad Bob and sister Dale were. They were always there for me and on this night of love and celebration, I felt the loss powerfully.  My mom, especially close and loving, would have appreciated Carmen and her effervescent and deep beauty. I know that.  She would also have loved to hang and talk and enjoy her mom Brenda's presence and clearly would have been on the dance floor with her.  My dad would appreciate Carmen and what she means to me but also would have relished meeting Carmen's dad George and his wonderfully Charlestonian family.  I long for a photo of Carmen and our complete families, including my beautiful sister Dale I but know that it will only happen in my dreams.

Music, as it typically does with Carmen and I, provided the tapestry and set the tone for the evening.  Our wedding on the Carolina Girl was nothing short of spectacular, everything Carmen and I could have hoped for, including perfectly warm and inviting weather.  With the sites, sounds and smells of the maritime world all about us and salt barely flaking on my lapels, we could not have had a better backdrop.  With that said, we spent lots of time and focus crafting the ultimate playlist and party mix that would accentuate the night with the sounds we had in our heads.  Alas, not all is perfect and we did not get the exact result we expected.  I mean, the music was good, great dancing and lots of fun, but our DJ missed the mark on what we were totally after.  It was partly my fault, partly his fault for hearing what I was saying but not really listening to what I was telling him.   Mostly smaller things we could discuss over a few local craft beers, which by the way I forgot to order and we did not have that night as I had planned, but still something that bothers me a bit. 

So in light of that, I compiled a number of the songs, 72 great ones as a matter of fact, that were on our list, many played, many were not.  These songs provide our backdrop to the laughter, love and celebration of our sacred wedding night.  On that wonderfully warm and beautiful June night in Charleston harbor, Carmen and I fell more deeply in love as we laughed and danced without self-consciousness as the night flew by way faster than one could imagine.  And these songs will forever mean more to us than simply the combination of their words, notes, choruses and refrains.
Enjoy,

Voyage 1: Preview

Tonight, Tonight                        Smashing Pumpkins      

Rise                                            Eddie Vedder   

Here Comes Your Man              Pixies   

Breezeblocks                             Alt-J      

Do You Realize??                      The Flaming Lips            

Everlong (Acoustic Version)     Foo Fighters      

Into Your Arms                          Lemonheads    

Wake Up                                    Arcade Fire       

Howling At the Moon               Phantogram     

Gooey                                        Glass Animals   

Your Love Is the Place              Teenage Fanclub            

Never Tear Us Apart                  INXS     

Three Little Birds                       Bob Marley and The Wailers         

Time of Your Life                      Green Day         

Never Going Home                    Phantogram     

Recover                                      CHVRCHES        

Islands                                        The XX 

One                                             U2        

Near Death Experience              Andrew Bird     

Voyage 2: Primary
Intro                                           The XX 

I Melt With You                         Nouvelle Vague

I Melt With You                         Modern English

When I Get My Hands On You  The New Basement Tapes          

Into The Mystic                          Van Morrison   

Blessed                                        Elton John         

Right Here, Right Now               Jesus Jones       

Policy Of Truth                           Depeche Mode

Bizarre Love Triangle                 New Order        

Howling At the Moon                 The Ramones           

Howlin' for You                           The Black Keys  

Give It Away                               The Red Hot Chili Peppers          

What You Need                           INXS     

Feel Good Inc.                             Gorillaz

Every Other Freckle                    alt-J      

Beautiful Day                              U2        

Voyage 3: Party
Fire It Up                                     Modest Mouse

The Seed (2.0)                             The Roots          

Revolution Rock                          The Clash          

It's Tricky                                     Run-DMC          

Fantastic Voyage                          Lakeside            

Where It's At                                Beck                   

Let's Groove                                 Earth, Wind & Fire         

World In My Eyes                        Depeche Mode

Groove Is In the Heart                 Deee-Lite           

Nothing to Worry About              Peter Bjorn and John     

Need You Tonight                        INXS     

Peace, Love and Understanding  Elvis Costello/The Attractions    

Once In a Lifetime                      Talking Heads   

Alive and Kicking                       Simple Minds   

Don't Know How to Party           The Mighty Mighty Bosstones   

I'm Shipping Up to Boston          Dropkick Murphys         

Voyage 4: Party II
Heroes                                          David Bowie 

Inside Out                                     Spoon  

Deeper Shade Of Soul                  Urban Dance Squad

We Exist                                       Arcade Fire       

R U Mine?                                    Arctic Monkeys

Walk This Way                             Run-DMC          

Uptown Funk                                Mark Ronson, featuring Bruno Mars    

One Nation Under a Groove         Funkadelic        

Let's Get It Started                        The Black Eyed Peas      

Mysterious Ways                           U2

Suck My Kiss                                Red Hot Chili Peppers   

Digital Witness                              St. Vincent

Romance                                       Wild Belle

Genius of Love                             Tom Tom Club  

Private Idaho                                 The B-52's         

Shining Star                                   Earth, Wind and Fire         

I Wish                                            Stevie Wonder 

Hey Ya!                                          Outkast

1999                                               Prince

Like a Prayer                                 Madonna
Hysteric                                         The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
All I Want Is You                           U2