IMR Music Fest

Ever since March of this year, I've been fortunate enough to write for the online magazine, Indie Music Reviewer. When I found out we were holding our first music festival in Atlanta, GA, I knew I wanted to help out. Luckily, two other writers for IMR, Jen (who helped me get this job) and Erin were going to make the drive to Atlanta from New Jersey. So, we jumped in the car (along with Erin's boyfriend, John) and made the 13 hour road trip for a weekend full of music. Not only was I excited to see all of these musicians, but I was looking forward to meeting some of the other writers, our editor (Victor), and publisher (Nate) at IMR. Since we're an online magazine, we all live in various places around the country and the world.

We arrived Thursday night and met up with another writer, Kayt, and our fearless leader/publisher, Nate for some drinks. Then the fun began Friday afternoon around 1pm. The doors opened around 3pm, but we had to set up the venue to prepare for the weekend festival. Even though we were working for free, I didn't mind the work one bit. I've always wanted to be behind the scenes in the music business and I was happy to start by writing the reviews, but helping put on a music festival? This was really behind the scenes. Everything from working the door, to handing out flyers and goodie bags on the streets, to loading gear on or off the stage, or just mingling with various artists all weekend - it was such an amazing experience.

Most of the artists were from the Atlanta area, with a few from New York, New Jersey, and Philly. Each day there were 13 artists, and they played straight through from 3pm till 3am. 26 total artists, 24 hours worth of music - and I enjoyed every single artist. I will admit, some of the music I probably wouldn't have been a fan of in the past, but this job has opened my mind to every genre of music. I appreciate what every artist has to offer and all of the passion they put into their music. One of the many highlights of the weekend was being able to meet Prisca, the artist I did a special feature review on before the festival. She's best described as an indie version of Adele, and she's the coolest chick ever. She put on an amazing show, too and I've actually kept in touch with her (which is just another perk to working for IMR).

Here's the line up from Friday, April 27th and Saturday, April 28th at the Five Spot in Atlanta, GA. Please check these artists out on Facebook, ReverbNation, and especially IMR's website. I must also mention that DJ Wolf did an amazing job spinning records in between each act to keep the party going!
Friday, April 27th
Paper Dress
John Henry Velez
Prisca
Besides Daniel
Leah Marie
Detroit Mutant Radio
The Romans
Jack of Hearts
Baby Baby
CUSSES
Trances Arc
Heavy Mojo
We Roll Like Madmen

Saturday, April 28th
Nick Camillo
William Gruff
The First Stone
Swank Sinatra
Hijacking Music Collective (Featuring heRobust and friends*)
Grand Prize Winners From Last Year
ODIST
Damon Moon & The Whispering Drifters
Novakord
Gun Party
Jungol
Fine Peduncle
Prof Zero

Overall the weekend was one I will always remember, and I am so thankful to be a part of this amazing family at Indie Music Reviewer. We have such a fantastic group of people working for this magazine and after meeting some of them, I really do feel like I'm part of another family. We are continuing to grow as a magazine and I can't wait to see what's in the future. I'm looking forward to the day when IMR gets big enough and makes enough money to have an actual office, because I know I will pick up everything and move wherever that is...that's how much I love this job. :-)

I included some links to our festival website and our official IMR website below. I also included my personal videos I shot at the festival. Please check them out and feel free to share!!!!

IMR Music Festival
IndieMusicReviewer's Website
"Like" us on Facebook!
Prisca performing "Tiny Dancer"
Drummer, Sarah Wilson performing with Jack of Hearts
Heavy Mojo performing at IMR Fest
Nick Camillo performing "Something I Ought to Know"
William Gruff performing at IMR Fest
The First Stone performing at IMR Fest
Swank Sinatra performing at IMR Fest
ODIST performing at IMR Fest
Damon Moon and the Whispering Drifters performing at IMR Fest
Novakord performing at IMR Fest
Gun Party performing at IMR Fest
Gun Party performing at IMR Fest

Tyler Hilton

On Monday, April 9th, 2012 I saw Tyler Hilton at the Tin Angel in Philly. Tyler is another musician who displayed his music and was a character on the show One Tree Hill. That's how I first discovered him. He played Chris Keller on the show - an egotistical musician who almost broke up a marriage, went away for a few season, and then returned for the last season. In the last season, he showcased a couple of songs from his latest CD and I found him to be the comic relief in a season with a lot of drama. Anyway, the only songs I really knew were the songs played on One Tree Hill. I downloaded his newest CD, Forget The Storm, a few weeks before the show and fell in love with every track.

Hilton isn't stupid - he knows that most of his fans follow his music because of the One Tree Hill fame. He ended up playing a lot of older songs that appeared on the show, along with some of the tracks off his latest release. He had a great stage presence and communicated with the audience a lot. He's got a hilarious personality. My only complaint all night was some groups of girls would clap off beat to almost every song...even the slow songs! I mean, I'm all about the hand clapping - when it's appropriate. This got ridiculous at some points. Other than that, it was an awesome show and you could tell he enjoyed playing for this particular crowd. My friend, Joanna, and I even got a chance to meet him afterward (couldn't get a picture because there were so many girls who stuck around after) and he was super nice. Overall I would definitely go back to see him perform live again. I included the set list and some videos I took with my iPhone (we were in the back of the room, so they're not the best, but the sound's decent). I also included a couple of other videos I found on YouTube so you can check out some of his songs.

Tyler Hilton's Set List - Tin Angel, Philadelphia, PA - Monday, April 9, 2012
Kicking My Heels
Sunset Blvd.
Missing You
Glad
You'll Ask For Me
Ain't No Fooling Me
Keep On
Can't Stop Now
Prince of Nothing Charming

My video of Tyler Hilton performing the cover "Missing You"
My video of Tyler Hilton performing "Loaded Gun"
Tyler Hilton on One Tree Hill performing "Loaded Gun"
Tyler Hilton performing "Kicking My Heels"

Jenn Grinels

My very first assignment at the Indie Music Reviewer, was to review Jenn Grinels' latest album release, "brokenHEARTbreaker." Well, I think I know why I've had so much fun working for IMR so far...because Grinels' album was right up my alley. I fell in love with her music instantly. Unfortunately, I couldn't write in first person, because I had so many personal thoughts I wanted to add to my review, but we have to write in third person. Anyway, as I wrote in my review, I felt like Jenn was a mix between Sara Bareilles and Fiona Apple with a lot of emotion conveyed in the lyrics and lots of piano in most of the tracks.

One of my favorite tracks (although I really liked every single one) was "Don't Wanna Be Happy." This song had a very "old school" feeling to it...I couldn't really figure out what decade, but it sounded like it belonged in the music era many decades ago. So, even though it had an older feel to it, I thought it was very refreshing because there really isn't much music out there right now that sounds like this song. I also really enjoyed how predominate the clarinet is in "Don't Wanna Be Happy" because I used to play clarinet for about 5 or 6 years back in elementary school, middle school, and part of high school. I think it adds a true beauty to the song. Everything about this song is refreshing and I could listen to it all day long.

Overall, "brokenHEARTbreaker" is one of those gem's that you can actually listen to straight through and not skip any songs. Jenn Grinels' has the gift of conveying every kind of emotion through music perfectly. I dare you to find a song on this album that you cannot relate to. I go into a lot more detail about the album on my review for IMR, so be sure to click on the link below for my review. As always, I'd appreciate it if you could show some love by FB "liking" the review at the bottom of the page! :-) I also included Jenns' official website, her ReverbNation website address, and some YouTube videos I found of her performing.

My review of "brokenHEARTbreaker" on IMR
Jenn Grinels' Official Website
Jenn Grinels on Reverbnation
Jenn performing "Don't Wanna Be Happy"
Jenn Grinels performing at the APCA Nationals '09
Jenn performing "Right From The Start"

Indie Music Reviewer Magazine

When I was younger, I remember telling people that it was a dream of mine to not only teach in an elementary school, but to also have a part time job doing something in the music field. Teaching and music are probably the two things I'm the most passionate about. So, when a friend of mine, Jen, contacted me on Facebook asking me if I'd be interested in writing for the indie music online magazine she works for, it didn't take me long to decide it was a great opportunity that I had to take. I obviously enjoy writing about music (as this blog displays) and I loved what the website represented. The Indie Music Reviewer showcases every different genre when it comes to independent music. Almost all of the musicians that are on the website are not well known. So, as writers, it's our job to introduce them to the public and paint a picture as to the kind of music they make. Over the years, I've listened to more indie music than anything else, so this really is a perfect fit for me.

In the week and a half I have been with IMR, I have written three reviews (with two being publish at the time of this blog post) and have read and listened to all the other musicians who have made it to our website. I find myself falling in love with music even more than before I was involved with IMR. It has exposed me to such a wide variety of talented musicians and I am so grateful for the opportunity IMR has given me. I know it's only been a little over a week, but I am having a blast being involved with this project.

From now on, along with my other blog post ideas, I will also be sharing my reviews I write for the magazine on here because our website is all about getting the word out through social media to give these musicians a chance to be heard. I really suggest you not only check out my articles, but the rest of the website. I can pretty much guarantee that you'll find a new musician that you will enjoy listening to. And if you know any indie artists who want to be reviewed by IMR, have them check out the website for more info on submitting their music.

Here's the link to IMR's website : Indie Music Reviewer

My first review that was published was part of Women of Indie feature IMR is releasing. Mycah Chevalier is a jazz, soul, and blues musician from D.C. I really had to open my mind to her music, just because in the past, I haven't listened to much jazz music. After taking some time to listen to her music, I found myself really enjoying her music. She has this soothing way of easing your mind and relaxing you as you listen. So, check out my review on Mycah and be sure to hit the "like" button at the bottom of my article...there's also a Facebook "like" button, too.
My review on Mycah Chevalier

My second review that was published yesterday, was also a Woman of Indie musician, and her name is Yasko. Yasko is a female rapper originally from Toledo, Ohio. My editor asked me what kind of genres I'm NOT into when I first started writing last week, and rap was one of the genres I said I wasn't really into. Well, we were running out of time, and he needed me to pick up another review that no one took yet, but it was a rap artist. He said I may not like the music, but to try my best. Turns out, I don't mind reviewing rappers now. LOL I actually really enjoyed Yasko's music. She uses a lot of popular music as her samples on most of her songs, so I got into the music more because of that tactic she used. She's got a lot of catchy songs and her album/mix tape is available for free download. Like all my other reviews, be sure to help me out and click the "like" buttons at the bottom the articles! :-)
My review on Yasko

Hand Claps and Whistles

Hand claps and whistling. Two of my favorite components in a song. If a song has hand claps or whistling (or even better...both!) there's a pretty good chance I will enjoy it thoroughly. Many people who know me may think my love for hand claps comes from my professional hand clapping debut on Mandy Moore's album "Amanda Leigh" on the track titled "I Can Break Your Heart Any Day Of The Week." That's right...google my name and Mandy Moore's official website comes up with my name in the credits. For those of you wondering....my friend's uncle is a producer and he produced "Amanda Leigh" in his basement outside of Boston, MA. It just so happens that Mandy (yes...we're on a first name basis lol) was recording this album the same weekend we went up to stay with my friend's uncle Thanksgiving weekend in 2008. Oh, and she was also staying in the house while recording, so we stayed in the same house as Mandy Moore. One day, when we were on our way out the door to go to the movies, Mandy asked us if we wanted to help her with some hand clapping on her one track. Obviously, we could not say no to Ms. Moore, so later that night before we went out to the bar, we stood in the stairwell (best acoustics) for about an hour and a half recording hand claps with Mandy Moore. And so my professional hand clapping career began!

Anyway, back to the hand claps and whistling. Because of my love for those two elements of music, I have put together my top 60 favorite songs with hand claps and/or whistling. I attached a YouTube link to most of the songs so you can listen for yourself. I also have this playlist public on my Spotify account. Enjoy and feel free to clap and whistle along!

112 - Dance with Me (Remix)
Adele - Rolling in the Deep
Andrew Hoover - Soul Sucker
April Smith and the Great Picture Show - Colors
Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend
Bangles - Walk Like An Egyptian
Bay City Rollers - Saturday Night
The Beatles - Eight Days a Week
The Beatles - I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Ben Lee - Catch My Disease
Bess Rogers - Everything To Lose
Bess Rogers - Travel Back
Bess Rogers - I Don't Worry
Beyonce - Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
Big Mama Thornton - Hound Dog
Billy Idol - Mony Mony
Billy Joel - Uptown Girl
Billy Joel - The Stranger
The Black Keys - Tighten Up
Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy
Bruno Mars - Runaway Baby
Busta Rhymes - Make It Clap
Hall & Oates - Private Eyes
David Bowie - Golden Years
Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home
Feist - 1234
Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over
Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks
Gary Glitter - Rock And Roll Part 2
Gorillaz - Dirty Harry
Guns N' Roses - Patience
Ingrid Michaelson - The Way I Am
J. Geils Band - Centerfold
John Mellencamp - Hurts So Good
Juelz Santana - There It Go (The Whistle Song)
Kelly Clarkson - Hello
Lelia Broussard - Satellite
Little Big Town - Little White Church
Mandy Moore - I Could Break Your Heart Any Day Of The Week
Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger
Matt Duke - Oysters
OneRepublic - Good Life
Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay
OutKast - Hey Ya!
Paul Simon - Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard
Peter Bjorn And John - Young Folks
Pixies - La La Love You
Prince - Little Red Corvette
Queen - Another One Bites The Dust
The Rembrandts - I'll Be There For You
The Romantics - What I Like About You
Rose Royce - Car Wash
Scorpions - Wind of Change
Simon & Garfunkel - Cecilia
Solange - I Decided
Stealers Wheel - Stuck In The Middle With You
Toni Basil - Mickey
V V Brown - Shark in the Water
The Wonders - That Thing You Do!

Grumpy Monkey Puss (GMP)

That's the name of the cover band I've been singing with for a little over a year. For the past year or so, we've been holding practice most Friday nights with the intention of eventually playing out somewhere, but for the most part it was something we did for fun. Over the holidays, we finally decided to book our first gig at a local bar called Joe's. We ended up playing at Joe's a couple of weekends ago on February 18th, 2012. I think we were all pretty anxious about the gig and were curious as to how we would do for the first time playing out. We spread the word through Facebook, texts, and emails, and ended up getting a really big crowd to come out and support us (it was actually a lot more than Joe's expected, because they weren't very well prepared for our huge fan base lol). I've sang in front of people at karaoke weekly the past few years without getting nervous, but for some reason I was a nervous wreck all day beforehand. I was fortunate enough to have awesome support from my friends, my family (and even family who traveled from Pittsburgh and North Carolina) and my boyfriend, but I just couldn't calm down. It wasn't until I sang my first song (Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason") that I finally calmed down and started to enjoy the moment. Overall, we did a great job for it being our first gig, and I think we all had a great time. Hearing all of that applause and cheers after each song is definitely an addicting feeling.

This gig also made me realize how blessed I am to have such a great support system...from family members to close friends to my boyfriend. Many of the people I love came out to support our band and it was very comforting seeing their faces in the crowd. I made sure I let each and every one of them know how much I appreciated it...they all rock! :-)

We haven't booked our next gig yet because we're working on new songs for a third set, but I'm sure we'll continue to have a great time playing out in front of our friends and family...and who knows, maybe we'll gain a bit of a fan base! ;-) Below, I included the link to our band page on Facebook which includes a lot of pictures from this first gig, so if you're on FB make sure you "like" our page! I also included YouTube links to some video that was shot from our gig.

GMP's Facebook Band Page

GMP - One Way or Another
GMP - Give Me One Reason
GMP - Sweet Home Alabama/Gimme Three Steps
GMP - Keep On Rockin' In The Free World (with our opening band, "Shoot For Noon" and my boyfriend, Adam, on drums)

Miranda Lambert in Hershey

Last Friday, February 17th, 2012, I went to the Giant Center in Hershey, PA for the Miranda Lambert show. I've seen her a few times before, but I was excited to hear her perform some of the music off her newest cd, "Four the Record." Jerrod Niemann and Chris Young opened up for Miranda on the On Fire Tour and they did an awesome job getting the crowd ready for the main act. I really like the Giant Center as far as arena venues because it's an arena but has an intimate feel to it since it's smaller. Miranda performed a majority of her hit singles from her past albums and about six songs from her latest album. She also did a great cover of "Free Girl Now" by Tom Petty. One of my favorite moments was during the encore when she sang Patsy Cline's "Crazy." That's one of the first songs I remember belting out in my basement as a kid when I had my first karaoke machine, so that definitely brought back memories. Miranda did not disappoint, as usual. Even though she's happily married to Blake Shelton, she still has that sassy, bad ass personality when she's singing songs like "Baggage Claim" and "Gunpowder and Lead." Although she also has the ability to show her sensitive, girly side when she performs "Over You" and "House That Built Me." I included the full set list and two videos I shot during the show below.

Miranda Lambert's Set List - Giant Center, Hershey, PA - Friday, February 17, 2012
Fastest Girl In Town
Kerosene
Heart Like Mine
New Strings
Over You
More Like Her
Baggage Claim
Fine Tune
Up Around The Bend (CCR cover)
Maintain the Pain
Dead Flowers
Famous in a Small Town
Only Prettier
Free Girl Now (Tom Petty cover)
Mama's Broken Heart
All Kinds of Kinds
The House That Built Me
That's The Way That The World Goes 'Round
Gunpowder and Lead
White Liar
-Encore-
Crazy (Patsy Cline cover)
Honky Tonk Heroes (Waylon Jennings cover) w/Chris Young & Jerrod Niemann

Miranda Lambert performing "Baggage Claim"
Miranda Lambert performing "Mama's Broken Heart"

Top 100 Love Songs

A year ago today I posted an Anti-Valentine's Day Playlist. Needless to say, there was a reason for that topic. One year later, I'm lucky enough to say I don't need that playlist anymore, so I decided to come up with my top 100 favorite love songs for those of us enjoying this Valentine's Day.

Aerosmith - I Don't Want to Miss a Thing
Al Green - Let's Stay Together
Alicia Keys - No One
Alicia Keys - Unbreakable
All 4 One - So In Love
Anita Baker - Sweet Love
Babyface w/Mariah Carey - Everytime I Close My Eyes
Backstreet Boys - I'll Never Break Your Heart
Backstreet Boys - As Long As You Love Me
Barry White - Can't Get Enough Of Your Love
The Beatles - All You Need is Love
Blake Shelton - God Gave Me You
Boyz II Men - I'll Make Love To You
Brad Paisley - Little Moments
Brandi Carlile - The Story
Brian McKnight - Back at One
Britney Spears - When Your Eyes Say It
Bruno Mars - Marry You
Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts
Chicago - Glory of Love
Christina Aguilera - Love Will Find a Way
Ciara w/Justin Timberlake - Love Sex Magic
The Clarks - Love is What You Need
Colbie Caillat - Bubbly
Color Me Badd - All For Love
The Cure - Friday I'm in Love
The Cure - Lovesong
Dashboard Confessional - Stolen
Diana Ross & Lionel Richie - Endless Love
Dolly Parton - I Will Always Love You
Donna Lewis - I Love You Always Forever
The Eagles - Love Will Keep Us Alive
Elton John - Your Song
Elvis Presley - I Can't Help Falling in Love With You
Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight
Faith Hill - The Way You Love Me
Goo Goo Dolls - Iris
Grand Funk - Some Kind of Wonderful
Huey Lewis & The News - Stuck With You
India.arie - Truth
Jack Johnson - Better Together
Jackie Wilson - (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher
James Taylor - How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
Jason Mraz w/Colbie Caillat - Lucky
Jennifer Lopez - I'm Glad
Jessica Simpson - With You
Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes - Love Lifts Us Up Where We Belong
John Mayer - Your Body is a Wonderland
John Stamos - Forever
Jon B. w/Babyface - Someone To Love
Journey - Open Arms
Kate Voegele - Enough For Always
Katharine McPhee - Love Story
Ken Oak Band (Oak & Gorski) - Slow Dance
Lady Antebellum - Our Kind Of Love
LeAnn Rimes - But I Do Love You
Lelia Broussard - He Makes Me Smile
Lifehouse - You And Me
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam - Head To Toe
Mandy Moore - I Wanna Be With You
Mariah Carey - When I Saw You
Mariah Carey w/Joe & 98 Degrees - Thank God I Found You
Martina McBride - I Love You
Martina McBride - My Valentine
Mary J. Blige - Real Love
Matt Morris - Live Forever
Matt Nathanson - Wedding Dress
Michael Jackson - I Just Can't Stop Loving You
Miranda Lambert - Love Song
Monica - Angel of Mine
'NSync - This I Promise You
'NSync - (God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You
Natasha Bedingfield w/Sean Kingston - Love Like This
Ne-Yo - Because of You
New Edition - I'm Still In Love With You
NKOTB - I'll Be Loving You (Forever)
Plain White T's - 1, 2, 3, 4
Pussycat Dolls - Stickwitu
Rascal Flatts - Waiting All My Life
Ray LaMontagne - You Are The Best Thing
Savage Garden - I Knew I Loved You
Selena - Dreaming of You
Shania Twain - You're Still The One
Shania Twain - Forever and for Always
Shania Twain - When You Kiss Me
Stacey Q - Two of Hearts
Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
Steel Magnolia - Keep On Lovin' You
Stevie Wonder - I Just Called To Say I Love You
Stevie Wonder - For Once In My Life
Sugarland - Just Might (Make Me Believe)
The Temptations - My Girl
Toni Braxton - I Love Me Some Him
Tony Lucca - She's True
Train - Marry Me
V V Brown - L.O.V.E.
Whitney Houston - My Love is Your Love
98 Degrees - I Do Cherish You
98 Degrees - My Everything

Whitney Houston

On Saturday, February 11th, 2012 the music world lost another beautiful voice when Whitney Houston passed away at the young age of 48. Like so many, she unfortunately had a problem with drugs and alcohol in the later years of her life, which caused a lot of people to forget about the incredible talent she had. I'm sure I speak for all of the music lovers out there, when I say that I'm going to try and remember her for all of the music she brought to this world. As a child of the 80's and 90's, I have many favorite Whitney Houston songs, and I can remember lots of memories from my childhood thanks to Whitney. It's a shame that so many wonderful musicians are taken from our world way too early, but at least they leave their memory behind with all of their music. To pay tribute, I have come up with my top 25 favorite Whitney Houston songs along with a video to go along with each song. Enjoy!


All At Once
Could I Have This Kiss Forever
Didn't We Almost Have It All
Exhale - Shoop Shoop
Greatest Love Of All
Heartbreak Hotel
How Will I Know
I Have Nothing
I Learned From The Best
I Wanna Dance With Somebody
I Will Always Love You
I'm Your Baby Tonight
It's Not Right But It's Okay
Love Is A Contact Sport
Love Will Save The Day
My Love Is Your Love
One Moment In Time
Run To You
Saving All My Love For You
So Emotional
The Star Spangled Banner
Try It On My Own
When You Believe
Where Do Broken Hearts Go
Why Does It Hurt So Bad

Hotel Carolina Philadelphia

I've been following many singer/songwriters throughout the years and most would say it is my favorite genre of music. There's something about going to a small, intimate venue to see a stripped down performance of a true, talented musician that is good for my soul. It's an escape from reality. In those few hours, I forget about any stress or worries I'm having and I get carried away in the music. For the last couple of years, I've heard about a weekend festival called Hotel Carolina which is held down in South Carolina. I've always wanted to go because I've heard great things about it. Most of the musicians I'm interested in and see when they're in the Philadelphia area, are usually at Hotel Carolina. I had heard that it's a full weekend of music, getting the chance to hang with those musicians, and playing games with them and other fans who are just like you. Since I had never been to South Carolina for this fantastic weekend, I jumped at the chance to attend the first ever Hotel Carolina in Philadelphia on January 27th and 28th at The Grape Room in Manayunk. This was a dream weekend for me and my friend, Joanna, who went along with me (she's my go-to person when it comes to these singer/songwriter shows). Hotel Carolina did not disappoint. Not only was there fantastic music both Friday and Saturday night, but there was also mingling with the artists when they weren't on stage. We also met a few new friends. On Saturday afternoon, we participated in Camp Carolina. Camp Carolina had all of us fans split into random teams with a different musician acting as a captain for each other. I was paired up with two of my favorite musicians, Ernie Halter and Tony Lucca. We played Fact or Crap, Pictionary, and a version of Mad Libs. For Mad Libs, Tony had a popular song (ours was "Bad Romance") and then had to change many words in the song. It was our job to give him random nouns, pronouns, adjectives, etc. to fill in the blanks. Then when we were done, Tony and another artist, Sarah Miles, had to perform the new song (I included the video to this lovely, random song below).

Overall this was a weekend filled with wonderful memories that I'll never forget. A favorite highlight was getting to spend time with some of the artists, especially Tony Lucca. He was the main act I was excited to see since he is probably one of my top five favorite musicians of all time. It was so cool to spend so much time with him because as most of you know, he auditioned for NBC's The Voice and his blind audition was aired after the Super Bowl. All four judges ended up turning their chairs around wanting him to be on their team. In the end, he picked Adam Levine. I'm really looking forward to seeing how he does on the show and what the future holds for him. I've been going to his small, intimate shows for a few years now and I'm so happy that he is getting the national attention he deserves. Like so many of his fans, we have all known how rare and precious his talent is ever since we first heard his voice, so I can't wait till the rest of the country jumps on the Tony Lucca bus for the ride we've been enjoying for many years. I'm just glad I had so many moments with him after those small shows, because I have a feeling he's going to be big soon and he may not have those opportunities to share with fans anymore.

Even though I went into some detail about the Hotel Carolina Philadelphia weekend, a friend I met that weekend, Jen Carroll, actually does an even better job explaining the weekend in full detail. Jen writes reviews for the Indie Music Reviewer and I have included (with her permission of course!) a link to her article/review on Hotel Carolina Philadelphia. Please take some time to check out this link. She does an amazing job describing the whole weekend through the eyes of a music lover just like myself! Here's the link to her article: http://www.indiemusicreviewer.com/welcome-to-the-hotel-carolina/

Below are the YouTube links to the videos I took all weekend. They may not be the best quality, but they're not too bad. I also included some other videos that other people took all weekend. Check them all out! :-)

My Videos from the weekend:
Say Chance performing Duffy's "Mercy"
Keaton Simons performing "Unstoppable" w/Tony Lucca
Ernie Halter performing "Whisper" w/Tony Lucca
Tony Lucca & Sarah Miles performing the Mad Libs song
Caleb Hawley performing Destiny's Child's "Say My Name"
Delta Rae performing "Bottom of the River"
Tony Lucca performing "Like Love"
Tony Lucca performing "Death of Me"
Matt Duke performing "Rose"

Other videos shot by other fans:
Matt Duke & Tony Lucca performing "Sex and Reruns"
Ernie Halter performing "Blue Dress"
Matt Duke performing "I've Got Atrophy On The Brain"
Matt Duke performing Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer"
Matt Duke performing "Lover I Don't Have To Love"
Caleb Hawley's version of "I'm Sexy and I Know It"
Tony Lucca performing "Pretty Things" w/Keaton Simons
Tony Lucca performing "Foxy Jane" & Stevie Wonder's "Superstition"
Ernie Halter, Tony Lucca, & Keaton Simons performing Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me"
Matt Duke performing "The Father, The Son, and the Harlot's Ghost
Grand Finale w/all artists to "Tiny Dancer"

FAMILY

I've always known how lucky I was to be a part of a family that was filled of musicians and people who worked in the music business. Maybe that's one of the many reasons why I have always been such a huge fan of all types of music. Growing up, I was always introduced and exposed to many different genres of music so I learned to appreciate it.

My parents always listened to all types of music when I was younger, whether it was the music of the 50's and 60's (my mom's personal favorite), the classic rock and motown genre (thanks to my dad's taste), or recent hits of that current year. To this day (and starting at a younger age) my dad still quizzes me on who sings whatever song is on the radio. My dad actually took me to my first concert when I was 15 years old. We saw The Monkees at the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia, PA...yes, a 15-year-old wanted to see The Monkees in 1997. I'm pretty sure I was the youngest person there and I was surrounded by middle aged women. Then there was the influence of Uncle Ed, who had been a concert promoter since the 70's and had so many stories to share with me about the different musicians he met over the years and the great shows he saw. Not only is he in the concert business, but he's also a great musician with the amazing ability to play drums or guitar by ear. Once CD's came into play, I always remember Uncle Ed either mailing me CD's or giving me CD's when I visited him in Pittsburgh. I was always amazed with the giant collect of music he had at his house. I spent hours looking through all that music and listening to new music I had never heard of with him.

Then there are the cousins who are also in the music business whether it's working with concerts or being musicians themselves. I'm especially proud of my one cousin, Taylor, who has been in an independent band called Airiel Down for the last six or seven years playing drums. I've seen him play small shows with twenty people in the crowd at small bars, larger sold out shows in the band's hometown of Raleigh, and the most exciting - winning a local contest and being able to open for KISS at one of Raleigh's popular indoor/outdoor venues. How many people can say they've seen a family member open for KISS? Not many.

I decided to post this blog entry from a recent experience I had at my family's house in Pittsburgh over the holidays. I had been in town for our family Christmas get together and decided to stay an extra night to experience the popular annual "Jam Session" that usually took place around this time of year at my aunt and uncle's house. My cousins' friends all come over and any of them who play instruments, bring them over to "jam" with my cousins and my uncle. It was so much fun watching my family and their friends mess around playing all different songs ("Hotel California," "Runnin' Down a Dream," "Ring of Fire," and "The Redemption Song" being a few). For the most part, my two cousins and my uncle were just playing these by ear, which always amazes me. Here are some of the videos I took from the "Jam Session."
Jam Session #1 - Hotel California
Jam Session #2 - Runnin' Down a Dream
Jam Session #3 - Ring of Fire
Jam Session #4
Jam Session #5 with some freestyle rapping
Jam Session - Uncle Ed jamming with one of my cousin's friends

There are probably so many other stories and family members I could talk about in this entry, but I'd be here forever. Overall, this is just a reminder of how lucky I am to have so many different family members in my life who have influenced my eclectic taste in music and have given me so many music memories. With the topic of family and music, I decided to include a playlist of some of my family's favorite songs just to show how eclectic our taste is. It was so interesting to hear from so many family members and see all the different types of music that we listen to. As expected, I think it was difficult for many of my family to choose only one favorite song, but they ended up coming up with one or two. I added one of my favorites to the list. It was definitely difficult for me to choose only one since my collection goes on and on. I also enjoyed hearing the stories that went along with some of these favorites. That's the other thing about music...there are so many songs out there that bring back a memory when we hear them. Along with my family members' names, I also included a YouTube link to as many songs as I could find. Just click on the song if you'd like to hear any of these choices. Enjoy! :-)

Me - Butterflies and Airplanes by The Clarks
Jack L. - My Girl by The Temptations
Jack L. - Sharp Dressed Man by ZZ Top
Donna L. - (I Can't Help) Falling in Love With You by Elvis Presley
John L. - Juke Box Hero by Foreigner
Ed T. - Jungleland by Bruce Springsteen
Mary Pat T. - The Sound of Sunshine by Michael Franti
Mary Pat T. - Your Smiling Face by James Taylor
Taylor T. - Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd
Cydnee B. - Please Forgive Me by David Gray (Live Version)
Patrick B. - Stockholm Syndrome by Muse
Cory T. - We've Got To Live Together by Buddy Miles
Tim L. - Breakdown by Tom Petty
Adam L. - Breakdown by Tom Petty
Ange L. - Dream On by Aerosmith
Sarah T. - Be With You by Mr. Big
Mike K. - Old Time Rock 'N Roll by Bob Segar (ALF version LOL)
Terry K. - Like My Dog by Billy Currington
Pat K. - Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond
Pat K. - Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers
Patrick K. - DMV by Primus
Erin K. - September by Earth, Wind, and Fire
Cindy K. - Life is a Journey
Jim P. - Paradise by the Dashboard Light by Meatloaf
Katy P. - Don't Stop Believin' by the Glee Cast
Ron C. - Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
Luanne C. - Midnight Train to Georgia by Gladys Knights & The Pips
Nicole C. - Say Goodbye by Dave Matthews Band
Dominic C. - I Can Change by LCD Soundsystem
Susie H. - Nightswimming by REM
Gina S. - Sympathy for the Devil by Rolling Stones
Gary C. - Indifference by Eddie Vedder w/Ben Harper
Paolo C. - The Zephyr Song by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Izzy S. - Sunshine, Lollipops, & Rainbows by Lesley Gore
Bob D. - Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan
Vicki D. - You Light Up My Life by Debby Boone
Vicki D. - Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler
Shannon A. - Sunrise by Norah Jones
Victor A. - Dancing Days by Led Zeppelin
Lillia A. - To Believe by Jackie Evancho
Lillia A. - Tonight Tonight by Hot Chelle Rae
Alisia A. - Firework by Katy Perry
Jared A. - Clocks by Coldplay
Jared A. - Paradise by Coldplay
Gavin A. - The Army Goes Rolling Along
AJ D. - Piano Man by Billy Joel
AJ D. - Faster Than My Angels Can Fly by Eric Church
Kristina O. - The Longer The Waiting by Josh Turner
Dan F. - Black Water by Doobie Brothers
Kathy F. - Piano Man by Billy Joel
Michelle H. - A Man Holdin' On (To A Woman Lettin' Go) by Ty Herndon
Michelle H. - Good Stuff by Kenny Chesney
Matt F. - Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley
Matt F. - John Brown by Bob Dylan
Anne Michelle F. - Iris by Goo Goo Dolls
Mary D. - People by Barbra Streisand
Mary D. - Evergreen by Barbra Streisand
Meghan D. - She's Got A Way by Billy Joel
Kelly D. - You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift
Ryan D. - Home by Dierks Bentley
Karly D. - Tonight is the Night by Outasight
Jonathan C. - Fred Jones Part 2 by Ben Folds
Kelley H. - Don't Change by Musiq Soulchild
Todd P. - Seven Bridges Road by the Eagles

Social Distortion & Foo Fighters

On Thursday, November 10, 2011, I saw Social Distortion and Foo Fighters at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. I had already seen Social D back in October 2010 at the Electric Factory, but I was pumped to see them again because I loved them the first time around. I was hoping to hear more of their music, but I was pleased with the songs they chose to perform that night. As far as the Foo Fighters, I had never seen them live before. I will admit, I had never been a diehard fan of the Foo Fighters, but I always knew most of their music. I'm pretty sure I can thank my two neighbors, Sean and Mike, for even knowing any of the Foo Fighters music because they were obsessed with the band from middle school on. I hung out with Sean and Mike a lot, so needless to say, I was ALWAYS hearing about the Foo Fighters. After learning that I'd be attending the concert, months before the show, I decided to devote some more time to listening to their music. Well, I listened to their newest CD, Wasting Light, a lot and absolutely loved it. I had also forgotten how many hit songs they actually had over the years. So, by the time the concert came around, I was ready to see them live.

Their show was unbelievable. These guys are so talented and I was in awe most of the show. I had seats in a club box that were right next to the side of the stage, so they were great seats. They played so many new and old songs. It's pretty hard to point out favorite parts of the show, because I'm pretty sure this went into my Top 5 favorite concerts I've been to (and I've seen a lot). One moment that was really unique and had me speechless was when Dave Grohl was standing in the middle of the arena and sang an acoustic version of "Best of You" by himself. All of the house lights were on and you could see every single face in the arena. I'm pretty every single one of those people were singing all the words. It was so cool to just sit back and listen to it. It's one of those moments that I will never forget and it's another reason why I believe music is a universal language between everyone on this planet. Dave went on to sing a snippet of "Blackbird" by The Beatles, and then continued the acoustic set by singing the first verse of "Times Like These" with just him and his acoustic guitar but then once the chorus kicked in, he was back with the whole band for the rest of the song. Another favorite part of the show was the mash up of "Dear Rosemary" into Tom Petty's "Breakdown." I actually got the entire mash up on video...may not be the best quality, but it was still awesome. Overall it was really refreshing to see one of the only true rock and roll bands that are still around. They write and play all of their own music, and they are popular. It's really hard to find popular musicians who actually play and write their own music.

I've included the set lists for Social Distortion and the Foo Fighters from that night. I also included some video I shot that night (with my camera and my iPhone), and some videos I found that were posted by other people on YouTube from the Philly show.

Social Distortion's Set List - Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA - Thursday, November 10, 2011
Bad Luck
I Won't Run No More
Machine Gun Blues
Story of My Life
Gimme the Sweet and Lowdown
Reach for the Sky
Prison Bound
Don't Drag Me Down

Foo Fighter's Set List - Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA - Thursday, November 10, 2011
Bridge Burning
Rope
The Pretender
My Hero
Learn To Fly
(not sure what song came next here...)
Arlandria
Breakout
Cold Day in the Sun
Stacked Actors
Walk
Monkey Wrench
Let it Die
These Days
This is a Call
In the Flesh (Pink Floyd cover)
All My Life
-Encore-
Wheels
The Best of You
Blackbird snippet (Beatles cover)
Times Like These
Dear Rosemary/Breakdown (Tom Petty cover)
Everlong

Social D performing "Story of My Life" (my video)
Social D performing "Ring of Fire" (my video)
Foo Fighters performing "Best of You/Blackbird/Times Like These" (not my video)
Dave Grohl performing "The Best of You" (my video)
Foo Fighters performing "Dear Rosemary" & "Breakdown" (my video)
Foo Fighters performing "Monkey Wrench" (my video)

The Civil Wars

On October 25, 2011 I saw The Civil Wars at The Trocadero Theatre. This was the first time I had seen The Civil Wars live. To be honest, I didn't hear their music until this past summer. I had heard of them a few times on Twitter through some celebrities that I follow and I heard they opened for Adele in her last tour in the US. Well, anyone who is handpicked by Adele has got to be talented. I was hooked from the moment I heard the first song, "Poison & Wine." The Civil Wars consists of two people, Joy Williams and John Paul White. Their harmonies are unbelievable and you would think these two are married or at least lovers because of the chemistry between the two of them, but they're actually both married...to other people. You really feel like they're singing to each other when you see or hear them perform. They have a very raw sound...most of their album is basically their voices, a guitar, an occasional piano and violin. They released their debut album, "Barton Hollow," in February 2011, but they actually released a live album, "Live At Eddie's Attic" back in June 2009. I love both albums, but "Live At Eddie's Attic" is my personal favorite because you get a chance to hear their banter in between each song, which is adorable and quite humorous. It's hard to pick some of my favorites, but if I had to choose it'd have to be, "I've Got This Friend," "Poison & Wine," "Falling," and "Tip Of My Tongue." They also do an amazing and very rare version of the Jackson 5's cover of "Billie Jean." Unfortunately I wasn't able to take any video because I wasn't close enough to the stage, but I did include some live video from some YouTube videos I found. I also included the set list below.

On another note, it was my first time at The Troc, and I was very impressed. The sound was great, and the overall atmosphere was really unique. The Troc originally opened in 1870, and over the years it housed musical comedies, vaudeville, and burlesque shows. I believe they remodeled the theatre in 1986 to be used more as a concert hall. There is so much history in the building and I really enjoyed the old school feel to it. Downstairs is the main floor where the main stage is with a concession stand in the back. Upstairs is the bar area, a balcony seating area, and a smaller stage in the back of the bar where they have smaller acts come to play when there isn't an act on the main stage. All in all, I will definitely be on the look out for some more shows at The Troc because I'm a big fan. :-)

The Civil War's Set List - The Trocadero Theatre, Philadelphia, PA - Tuesday, October 25th, 2011
Tip Of My Tongue
Forget Me Not
From This Valley
20 Years
I've Got This Friend
My Father's Father
Barton Hollow
Falling
C'est la morte
I Want You Back
New Song - "Oh, Henry"
To Whom It May Concern
(unknown song)
Poison & Wine
-Encore-
Billie Jean
Dance Me To The End Of Love

The Civil Wars cover of "Billie Jean" (LIVE)
The Civil Wars performing "Poison & Wine" live
The Civil Wars performing "Falling" live
The Civil Wars performing "Barton Hollow" live
The Civil Wars performing "I've Got This Friend" live
More Info about The Civil Wars on Wikipedia