Please Come Home

Late post /review but something I have been meaning to get to since Thursday. Video files are to large to post on youtube, but i have them...I will figure that out and add more later.

I went up to NYC for the only acoustic performance Dustin Kensrue was doing on the east coast for his new album. The hole in the wall venue called the Knitting Factory was a very “cozy” place to say the least. The main room could not hold more then 300 max.

Being in NYC was definitely an experience. Doors for the show opened at seven. I got there at 630. “Accidentally” got myself through the doors. Sat quietly in a corner and listened to the sound check of the two opening artists. Very cool. I felt special. Once doors finally opened, I claimed my spot on the left corner of the stage, prime place for taking pictures.

Both opening acts were very good, singing a variety of originals, covers, and songs of the bands they both play with. When Dustin took the stage he was just as amazing as every other time I have seen him. Mixing his originals off his new album along with a few classic covers, he commanded the stage with his voice. His guitar held out the twang a little more then usual, and everything was much less electric then when he performs with Thrice.

“If you think you hate Bruce Springsteen, go listen to my album….and I feel your opinion may have been changed for you.”

--Dustin, before he covered “State Trooper” a song off Springsteen’s album Nebraska

When I left the Knitting Factory that night, despite the 11-degree weather, I felt warm inside. Just a guy with a guitar, nothing special right? I know it is odd to say that one persons music can change how you feel, but some artists have that power. This show left me with such a good taste in my mouth (no, not an alcoholic taste) that I would recommend to anyone checking out Dustin Kensrue when he tours in the summer…or at least his new album.

Web of Deceit

Now normally i am NOT at all a Steven Colbert fan...but he had a fantastic guest on tonite. Nothing at all music related, just fun. Way to go America...
Barry Lando's Blog

Two of the same

Assingment 2: find a relative

In recent years, my Aunt Donna became heavily involved in genealogy. She is currently writing a book on our families history and trying to contact the relatives I never knew I had. Of the relatives I knew, growing up I looked up to my cousin Missy, mostly because we had the same name.

When I was younger a few of my family members thought it would be a good idea to start having family reunions every few years. Aside from my immediate first cousins, I never really got close to anyone except my Missy. She is actually my second cousin, and I have not seen her since the last family reunion, held in middle of nowhere, PA, about 5 or 6 years ago.

Contacting Missy was harder then I thought. My aunt, the geologist somehow did not have her number. She game the contact number Missy’s mother and I spent some time talking to her, learning that she works for the government.

When I finally got in contact with Missy, I discovered she attended an all girls Catholic school and continued her studies at Penn State. She switched into Bowie St University and graduated in 2000. Missy is now 29 and works for the Department of Defense in Ft. Mead. She still resides in Maryland, and is also a nationally and state certified counselor.

Missy and her older sister Stephanie were always very close. They now live about five miles apart and Missy is very close with Stephanie and her four children. After catching up with Missy, we discussed the upcoming family reunion this summer, where I may be seeing her.

new release tuesday

Ok, so every Tuesday Ill be going thru some of the new cds released, giving them a listen then posting my thoughts. Looking into the weeks ahead there may be some weeks where I go back and do something that isnt brand new, but just a good new album.

*Download it: Various Artists 2007 Grammy Nominees
*Sounds like: Every song on the radio in the past year

Just a good album to have to add to your collection. This cd complies all of the biggest songs of the past year that were good enough to recive a Grammy nod. All those songs that get stuck in your head when you hear part of it on the radio? Yup, all here. Put your records on, by Corrine Bailey Rae, is really getting to me in a good way, and my all time favorite: (over my head) Cable Car, by The Fray. I may not be the biggest Dixie Chicks fan, but damn that song (Not Ready to Make Nice) is catchy. (please don't hold that against me)
*Grammys will air Feb 11th!


*Buy it: Please Come Home, Dustin Kensrue
*Sounds like: Bruce Springsteen/Eric Clapton meets John Mayor

Very rarely do i purchase music--and maybe this is a shameless plug--but this one is worth a listen. Dustin Kensrue is the lead singer of the hard rock band Thrice. This album takes a completely different turn for him. An artist that usually screams his way thru lyrics backed by rediculous guitar and driving drums, changes completly. This amazing lyricst takes his heart and an acoustic guitar (and occasionally a harmonica) for this almost completly acoustic collection. I am trying my best to not sound biased, but for those who like a more mellow laid back sound this album is definitly worth checking out. And...since im going to see Dustin in NYC on Thursday...except a review.

blog forcast

snow? no, thats outside...

In this blog i hope to discuss (and get feedback) on various topics of music in general and in the philadelphia area.
*technological changes in music (sattalite, streaming, downloading)
*new cd reviews
*concert/venue reviews
*ipod phenomina (since i dont have one, this interestes me alot)
*musics influence on our daily life

good ideas?

Assingment 1

Directions for this assignment exactly how I wrote them in my planner.

Step 1: Locate person you have lost touch with (check!)

Step 2: Convince them your not crazy. (half check)

Step 3: Interview! (check!)

Step 4: Blog:

Ever wonder what happened to your dress up buddy? The girls and boys who used to run the neighborhood, playing jailbreak until it got to dark to see? The person who you used to re-enact the theme song of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with you?

That person for me was Sam Wilson. Her family lived directly next door to me in Blackwood, New Jersey until roughly 1994. The summer before 3^rd grade, her family decided to move from Blackwood to Moorestown, NJ. When I got older, I realized her family only moved about 30 minutes away, but to a third grader that drive seems to take hours.

Born just about two months after me, Sam and I were obviously destined to be friends. Or maybe it was just because everyone is friends with their next door neighbor when they are younger. The normal neighbor hood “gang” was fairly innocent growing up. Sam and I, and other neighbors spend our nights and weekends just being kids and having fun. Typical activities of kids growing up in New Jersey, terrorizing the neighbor hood on our bikes, pool hopping, beach visits, hiding in the woods and wishing to never grow up.

It has been a few years since I have actually seen Sam and her family, probably somewhere around the time of our high school graduations (summer 2004) Since they moved away, her father (a Drexel graduate in Mechanical Engineering) has since started his own company in South Jersey. My mother still keeps in touch with Mrs. Wilson via email from time to time, especially during the holidays. Her sister Emily is now a freshman at Millersville University and is studying to be a teacher. Her youngest sister Colleen is currently a freshman in high school. When Sam lived next door her family had a dog named Rocky, aptly named because she ate rocks. Now the family has two dogs, Digger and Goalie, who are just as much part of the family as they are pets.

Sam now attends Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. She is part of the Cook College and majoring in Exercise Science and Sports Studies. She lives in an on campus apartment with three other girls. Sam ran all through high school and now in college, she is a part of the Roadrunners, a running club on campus. With an expected graduation date of June 2008, when she has completed her degree, she hopes to work with children in the field of physical and occupational therapy.

The most interesting thing I found out during this interview was that her family had recently purchased a home in Ocean City, New Jersey. When we were younger, the Wilson family used to rent a beach house for an entire month during the summer. During the month, my family would make weekend trips of sleepovers, the beach and the boardwalk. The Jersey shore in the summer is something that now that we are older we can enjoy even more then when we were younger. After interviewing /catching up with Sam for quite a while today, I am going to try to visit her families shore house over the summer with some other close family friends from our old neighborhood.

Photo: Sams dog, Goalie, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean (looking much older then i remember her being)

first post

Welcome to my blog?

So after creating this for the purpose of posting assingments for my online journalism course, my main focus of this blog will be music in and around the philadelphia area. I attend my fair share of concerts and (seldomly) purchase cds, but i will do my best to supply reviews and reccomendations. Also, are random ramblings/thoughts allowed? i tend to do that.

Later today (or early tomorrow) i will post my first real assingment. I am in the process of getting in concact with a friend from home, that moved away when i was in 3rd grade. Hopefully i find her and she can help me out!