Life Beyond A Day Job

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For most of us, our job is what we do to pay the bills.  A rare few are lucky enough to have their "dream job"; most of us though do our "day job", relegating our passions to the sidelines.

Then there are those, like Gene Presler, who works for The Standard.  By day Gene works for the insurance company; devoting his spare time to music.

Born in Vancouver, Washington, Gene was the middle child of nine born to Ed and Faye Presler.  Gene grew up in an atmosphere filled with music.  Most of his relatives played an instrument and everyone sang.  Some of Gene's early influences were Hank Williams, Hank Snow, The Sons of the Pioneers and the Carter Family; all favorite artists of his parents.

While living in Montana, Gene's music genre knowledge increased when his older brother introduced him to the music of artists like Richie Valens, Buddy Holly and the Beach Boys.  It was also during this period that Gene first heard the Beatles and was completely hooked. He wanted to be one of the Beatles; actually, he wanted to be all of them!

At the age of eighteen Gene learned to play guitar, though it wasn't until he was in his thirties that he really devoted himself to the craft. Even now he says he really only plays rhythm guitar.

For the most part Gene has sang harmony for others. When he began writing his own songs however, he also began singing them.  Over the years Gene has written more than a hundred songs, with as wide a range of musical styles as those that influenced him early on.  One of my favorites is called "That's Called Love".  It's a beautiful song, and Gene's voice enhances the beauty of the lyrics and music.

 Along with his group, the Vantucky Ramblers, Gene performs at local venues in the Portland, Oregon, Vancouver, Washington region.  One of the songs the group performs for audiences is called "If I Had To Climb Me A Mountain".  The song, heavily tinged with bluegrass, was written by Gene after a trip to Nashville.

 This is just a small post about Gene Presler and the Vantucky Ramblers.  If you like what you've read and heard, be sure to check out Gene and the band on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/public/Vantucky-Ramblers, or look them up on YouTube.

Ole' Boys, Directions & Living

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I've heard Craig Morgan's current single, "This Ole' Boy", a lot over the past couple of months or so; it's a great song and I like it a lot.


It got me to thinking about another version I like also; by Joe Nichols. While Morgan has the single on radio in 2012, Nichols' CD, "It's All Good" was released in November, 2011, with "Good Ole' Boy" as one of the tracks.

Of course, this isn't the first time more than one artist has had a song out at the same time.  Billy Currington had a hit with the song "Good Directions".

The song was written by then newcomer, Luke Bryan, who also included the song on his debut CD.

 A while back, LeAnn Rimes was supposed to sing, "How Do I Live", from the movie, "Con Air".  However, after it was recorded, Disney decided they wanted Trisha Yearwood to do the song instead. The result was, LeAnn's version of the song was released to pop stations, while Trisha's went to country radio.

Throughout history songs have been recorded, and rerecorded by countless artists.  These are just a few samples of this, narrowing it down to songs that were also recorded around the same time.  I'm sure there will be more in the future.

Memorial Day, 2012

Just a short post in honor of Memorial Day.

Whether you have the day off, or have to work, 

please take a moment today to remember those who gave all.

Those men and women who sacrificed everything 

so we as a nation can live free.

"Tanked" on the Animal Planet Network

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I've mentioned in other posts how I don't watch TV much, especially reality shows.  I've since discovered though that I do watch more reality shows than I thought.  Shows about ghosts, hoarders, cakes; all of these are in the realm of reality TV.

Sometimes shows catch my attention, not because of their content, but for other reasons; sometimes it's as simple as a name.  That's the case with the show "Tanked".  Though I like fish and am fascinated by aquariums, "Tanked" probably wouldn't have been a show I'd have checked out, had it not been for the name WAYDE King.

"Wayde" is how my brother's name is spelled, and you rarely see that name with a "y" in it.  When I saw how King's name was spelled, I decided I had to check the show out; I've been hooked ever since.

Besides King, the main cast features Brett Raymer, Heather King, (Brett's sister and Wayde's wife), Brett and Heather's dad, Irwin Raymer, Robert "Robbie Redneck" Christlieb, and Agnes Wilczynski.
                                     
The family is originally from New York, but now live and work in Las Vegas, Nevada running their business, "Acrylic Tank Manufacturing".

From large and custom tanks built for people's homes, to displays in hotels, etc., there isn't a job too big or hard that these guys can't handle.

I think one of the things that I really like about the show is how much detail Wayde and Brett put in to every aspect of the aquariums they build.  One that really stood out to me was a tank that the crew built for a couple in Las Vegas.

The couple was originally from New York, and wanted an aquarium that would remind them of their old stomping grounds even while living in Nevada.

Brett found an old phone booth, and convinced the others that he could make it into something the couple would love and associate with New York.

Not only did Brett's idea work, the details continued right down to the types of fish that were to be put in the tank.  I don't remember the names of any of the fish, though what I do remember is why they were chosen.  There were several blue fish, to represent the police in New York, yellow ones to represent taxis, and red ones for fire trucks.  There were other fish, all representing something to do with New York.  The aquarium was then set up in front of a New York background, with a few other little details to round out the display.

It was those little details that kept me watching "Tanked".  It's those kind of little things *I* do when I'm creating something; finding all the little ways to tie things together and enhance it even more.

Of course, the aquariums are the real stars of "Tanked"; however, if the cast wasn't so fun to watch, the show wouldn't be as good as it is.

This is just one small aspect of the show "Tanked", seen Saturdays at 9pm on the Animal Planet channel.  If this has peaked your interest to see more of what the "Tanked" team creates, check out their page at, http://animal.discovery.com/tv/tanked/

There you can check the bios of the cast, see the many photos of Acrylic Tank Manufacturing's creations, and watch previous episodes of "Tanked".

Oh, the Frustration!

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Well, here it is, the Tuesday blog post for KUPL listeners...What is it about today?  It's about what I can't post at the moment!

You see, I do have a post I'd like to put here; however, it's still missing a key element, so it's not *quite* ready yet.  Not exactly sure when it will be; hopefully it will be soon though.  It's very frustrating to have it and not be able to post it yet!

In the meantime, this is a short post to let readers know they haven't been forgotten.  A post and word are still available to you today; though as you can see, no photo accompanies the offering; my apologies for this.

Is This Really Necessary?!

No matter what type of music you listen to, it's pretty well guaranteed everyone's heard of Loretta Lynn.

Lynn became popular in the 60's and 70's for her straightforward, and at times controversial, songs.  Now it seems Lynn's past has stirred up some controversy of it's own.  According to a story by Cory Strombland, posted on Taste of Country's website, Loretta Lynn is under fire for lying about her age.

http://tasteofcountry.com/loretta-lynn-age/

I first became aware of the story from a post on Facebook.  My first thought after reading the story was, "so what, people lie about their age all the time".  From the responses I saw to the post, I'm not alone in how I feel.

Yes, the age discrepancy does affect the actual timeline for when Lynn was married, became a mother, etc.; and it changes the history of her autobiographical song and story, "Coal Miner's Daughter".  Really though, over all, it's not a big deal; let's face it, bigger things in history have been changed over the past, what's a couple of years?

The age difference didn't changed Lynn's contributions to country music in any way.  She would still have the many hits she's had, the awards, you name it.  Lying about her age had nothing to do with her ability to sing.  So again, who cares?  There are bigger things in the world to worry about than if Loretta Lynn is 77 or 80 years old.

I say, leave the woman alone, focus on the positives Lynn brought to the world, and not about how old she is.  It just doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

Music Industry Loses Two More

It seems of late that more than the average number of singers and musicians have been passing away.  We're only half way through May, and two more have joined the growing list of celebrity deaths.

On May 17, 2012, the music world lost the "Queen of Disco", Donna Summer.  Summer was 63, and suffering from cancer; cancer she believed was caused by harmful things in the air after the 9/11 attacks.  Summer lived near where the attacks took place in 2001.

Robin Gibb, one third of the mega-group, the Bee Gees, passed away May 19, 2012.   Gibb, who was 62, had recently been in a coma in the hospital, due to a bout with pneumonia.  At the time doctor's didn't think Gibb would survive; however Robin did come out of the coma, and was seeming to make great progress in recovering.  It was the return of the colon and liver cancer, on the heels of the pneumonia, that caused Robin Gibb's death.

Being a lover of music, it's always sad to hear that the music world has lost more talented artists.  Honestly, even those in their 60's really aren't that old to be dying so soon.

I never had the privilege to see Donna Summer in concert; though I did like her music. On the other hand, I've been a Bee Gees fan since the 60's and saw them in concert at the height of their disco heyday in the 70's. 

Whether you were a fan of the disco era or not, there's no denying that both Donna Summer and Robin Gibb, (as part of the Bee Gees), contributed greatly to the music world.  As with other great artists that have passed on, both will be sorely missed.

The Phenomenon of Simplicity

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Sometimes the simplest things get more attention than even the most extravagant, over-the-top things.  This is true of anything, including music.  A good example is Toby Keith's "Red Solo Cup".

A cute little ditty written by Brad and Brett Warren, along with Jim and Brett Beavers, "Red Solo Cup" , was recorded by Toby as an internet video, for fun; it wasn't initially meant to be a radio single for Keith.  The video sparked so much attention that the song went on to actually become a radio, and internet phenomenon.  It didn't matter what genre of music people liked, it seemed like EVERYONE had heard "Red Solo Cup".

Even while the song was still climbing the charts, the hit TV show "Glee" honored the tune on one of their episodes.

The internet, especially YouTube, has been inundated with covers and parodies of the song almost from the time people became aware of Toby's video.  As is the norm, some are good, some not so much.

Cledus T. Judd, country's version of Weird Al Yankovic, has put together a great parody; his version is called "Double D Cups".

While searching for video to use in this post, I ran across another great parody by someone on YouTube; I don't know the person's name, however, whoever it is, I love their "Big Sonic Cup".

Then there's the video that started me writing this post in the first place.  A hip-hop version by $ick$wag that my son showed me.

It's amazing how such a small, simple song has become not only an internet phenomenon, but a genre crossing one as well.

'A" Is For...

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Ahhhh, avocados!  It's one of those things people either love or hate; very few people ride the fence on their like or dislike of this fruit.  There are several varieties of avocados; the most popular one though is the Haas type.

I'm the only person in my family who really likes avocados.  My mom likes guacamole, sometimes; my dad can take it or leave it, and my son despises avocados completely.

What got me thinking about the love/hate of avocados was this weekend.  For Mother's Day, my son grilled several types of meat, vegetables and fruit for us and his grandparents.  Chicken, steak, red peppers, pineapple, and, for me, avocados.

He also grilled some red onion for me, so I could make one of my favorite things, "Grilled Guacamole".  Basically, grilled guacamole is regular guacamole; the difference is, the ingredients have been grilled before being turned into the tasty dip.

I also took the guacamole to work with me Monday, to share with co-workers.  Much like my family, there are those who love the stuff, and those who despise it.  As one co-worker put it, "more for the rest of us; they don't know what they're missing".

For those interested in trying "Grilled Guacamole", it's very simple to make.

Cut red onions and red peppers into rings, and grill them until tender.  Then chop the rings into 1/4" to 1/2" pieces.

Cut each avocado in half, and remove the pits.  For each half, cover lightly with lemon or lime juice, olive oil, and  minced garlic.  Put the avocados cut side down on the grill and set a timer for five minutes.  When done, let them cool, then scoop the centers from the skins, into a bow, and mash them.  Add the red onion and red pepper, stirring well to mix.  Serve with chips, or use on sandwiches, etc.

There are no real measurements for this recipe; five medium avocados makes about 16 ounces of guacamole.  The amount of the other ingredients depends on the person's taste when making it.  Add as much, or as little of the listed ingredients as you want.

Happy Mother's Day!

Just a quick little post to wish all the moms out there a very Happy Mother's Day! 

I'd post a pic of my mom here, however she hates having her picture taken, so no luck with that. 

With or without a pic to go with this post, I want to state here and now that I feel like I have the best mom ever!  I know lots of people say that, and believe it; I'm no exception.  And though today is deemed "Mother's Day", that title has always seemed a bit stuffy to me.  My mom is my "mom", a very kind, caring cool person, who's not at all stuffy.  She's had the patience to put up with me and my brother for all these years, and no matter what, still loves us.

Mom, this day is not "just another day", this is YOUR day and I hope you have a wonderful one!  I know I'm going to try to make it that way for you. 

Glen Templeton Revisited

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The first time I ever heard the name, "Glen Templeton", was about a year ago, when he performed at the Bing Lounge.  I remember being totally blown away by this man's talent on stage; then being blown away again by how genuinely nice Glen is.

I wrote about the experience in a blog post a couple days later, mentioning at the time that I thought Glen had added a few more fans to his roster after that show.

Since that time Glen has had a couple of songs out to radio, his first single, "I Could Be The One", and his current single, "Sing That Song Again".

I know that both songs have gotten well deserved, extensive airplay on KUPL's overnights. For the most part however, Glen's name isn't on the tips of everyone's tongue quite yet; at least not in this area.

That's why this morning I was happy to see two of my friends on Facebook post about this talented young man.  Much like the review I wrote a year ago, both these ladies had high praise for Templeton's music and talent.  Aside from this, there was mention also of how kind Glen is.  One of my friends is a line dancer, and after seeing Glen perform that evening, was surprised to see him out on the dance floor, dancing along with the rest of the crowd.

To say the least, Glen Templeton made a huge, favorable impression on both these women, and probably a lot more people as well.  It's their posts on Facebook that had me remembering that same feeling when I met Glen Templeton; and being glad to hear he hasn't changed in the past year.  I was thinking it was time once again to help get this man's name out to the rest of the world.  He has an official website:  http://www.glentempleton.com/ ; as well as a Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/gtmusic ;  and Twitter account:  https://twitter.com/#!/GLENTEMPLETON.

If you haven't heard Glen Templeton yet, take the time to listen to his music, you won't be disappointed!

Art Imitates Life

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It's funny how a song can mean one thing, yet fit other situations equally as well.  For instance, Kenny Chesney's "Big Star".

The song tells the story of a woman who starts out singing karaoke in a bar, and is so good, she goes on to be a huge success in the music world.

The story continues about how the woman's friends and neighbors tear her apart, trying to start rumors about how she became successful.

The sad thing about this is, it really happens; and not always when someone makes it "big".  For some reason, there seems to always be someone who can't be happy for others who succeed at something.  Even when it's just a little thing, the fact that someone has been able to do what another hasn't can lead to resentment and jealousy.

I've never understood why things have to be this way; it always has been though.  The bigger someone becomes, the more dirt seems to get thrown at them.  Granted, sometimes it's deserved; not everyone legitimately earns the status they've attained.  That's how songs like "Big Star" come to be; because of those slinging mud and trying to make the person look bad.  The stereotype of a person having done all these things to become famous, gives even the legitimate people a bad reputation.

No, not everyone is going to be good at everything they do.  Some are going to be good at some things, and bad at others.  It's a given, no one's perfect.  Why can't people just strive to be the best they can, without tearing others around themselves down?

I'm thinking if everyone tried to be a better person, rather than tear others down, it would help to make this world a better place. Skip the people who haven't legitimately attained the status they have; it's not worth wasting time over.  Those people usually turn out to be just as negative as others around them.  It's like they know in their heart they've taken shortcuts to get where they are.

Instead of being negative of someone's hard earned success, big or small, be happy for them.  Look at what they've achieved, and if you're so inclined, make strides to be successful yourself.  This seems to be a much more positive approach then tearing people down.  When people are more positive, they attract more positive people.

As I said in the beginning of this post, it's funny how a song can be about one thing, and lead someone to think and hear the song differently than the original intention.

Hunter Hayes @ the Bing Lounge--5-2-12

Twenty-one year-old Hunter Hayes is the latest country artist to have graced the Bing Lounge stage, May 2, 2012.

Hayes, who was in town for a concert later that evening, did a short set and interview that day at noon to a packed house of fans.  Usually, the noon shows in the Bing Lounge have a  sparse audience;  due mainly to people having to work. The requests to see Hunter Hayes however were around 800.  Because of this, seating was to be first come, first serve, for the first 175 people.  Most started lining up about two hours before the set was to begin, with one fan actually getting to the Bing Lounge four hours in advance.

The crowd that day was made up primarily of young women, wanting to get a closer look at the blond haired, blue eyed Hayes.  It's obvious Hunter is one of the latest country heartthrobs to come out of Nashville.

There's more to Hayes than just his looks however.  The young man is extremely talented, having started performing at the tender age of two, when his grandma gave him a toy accordion as a gift. He told this during the interview segment, and said that from then on, he got a different instrument for every holiday.  He's learned to play thirty so far; though he'll admit, the fiddle is one instrument he's never mastered.

He's performed with some of the biggest names in the music business throughout the years, and is very knowledgeable about his craft.  It also comes through in his showmanship.  No matter the size of the stage, or crowd, Hayes easily captures, and keeps the audience's attention.  This was obvious during the Bing Lounge performance; even though it's a small stage in an intimate venue, Hayes and his band rocked full tilt on every tune they did.

Of course, it wouldn't be a proper performance if Hayes hadn't done his first single, "Storm Warning".  What was interesting, and nice to find out, was, Hayes sounded just as good live as the recording of the song.  That's often not the case with some artists.

Hayes also did his latest single, "Wanted", telling the story behind the song first.  He said he'd written the song for a girlfriend that he didn't want to lose.  He went on to say that obviously the song didn't do what it was supposed to; but it was okay, he has a hit out of the song now.

KUPL's afternoon DJ, TicTak, put out a challenge to Hayes and his band to perform a song by another artist.  Hayes chose Ronnie Milsap's "No Getting Over You", and nailed the song perfectly.

Throughout the event one could tell Hayes has learned over the years to be himself.  His youthful exuberance shines through genuinely, and equally with his professionalism.  Though things were a bit rushed, because of a time crunch, Hayes still took the time to shake each attendee's hand, ask their name, sign an autograph and pose for a photo.

If every performance Hunter Hayes gives is like the one at the Bing Lounge, I'm willing to bet this is a young man who will be around the music business for a long, long time.

None of My Business

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a worrier.  I worry about everything; sometimes I don't even think about it, it's like breathing, I just do it.

I'm having one of those moments right now, about the Dirt Drifters.  My first blog post, ever, was about the Dirt Drifters performing at the Bing Lounge, a little over a year ago; I've been a fan ever since that day.

So, today, when I saw this news item posted on a couple of websites, as well as the Dirt Drifters official website, I was sad, and worried.

• “We hate to disappoint you guys, especially after all the support you have given us over the past few years. But due to some private, personal issues we will not be going out on the road and will be canceling all upcoming shows and appearances. We cannot thank you enough for your support and for standing by us." 

Though it's none of my business, or anyone else's, just the tone of the post has me worried about what's happening with these guys.  I'm hoping they come through whatever it is, without being hurt too much.

George Strait--Drinkin' Man

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George Strait has been entertaining fans around the world since his first single, "Unwound", hit radio airwaves in 1981.  Over the last three decades Strait has racked up hit after hit, with over fifty of them going to #1 on the country charts.  This has earned Strait the title of "King George".

Part of Strait's consistency on the music charts is probably due to his change of styles.  Over the years, Strait has released everything from uptempo songs to ballads; always seeming to release the right type of song at just the right time to the listening audience.

In addition, though Strait's voice is usually very recognizable, often times a song will sound nothing like a "typical" George Strait tune.  In other words, variety is Strait's key to success; he's like a music chameleon.

Strait's latest hit, "Drinkin' Man" is a ballad about the life of a man who's been drinking since his early teens.  Though there are hints of the "George Strait" sound in the vocal delivery; the song also has a bit of a different sound and feel to it than Strait's usual offerings.

Written by Strait, his son, Bubba, and Dean Dillon, the tale is a haunting one, with a straightforward delivery. It tells of a man growing up drinking and the effects it's had on his life through the years.  It's definitely another hit for Strait to notch on his belt.

David Nail--"The Sound of a Million Dreams"

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Sometimes a song comes along, and for whatever reason, it just strikes a chord in a person.  That's what happened the first time I heard David Nail's "The Sound of a Million Dreams".

The first time I heard the song, it brought to mind Billy Joel's "Piano Man".  Though the subject of each is completely different, I think it was the piano playing that had me comparing Nail's song with Billy Joel's.

That comparison had me really listening to Nail's song, to see how much it was like the other tune.  The cool part is, as stated earlier, the songs aren't anything alike.  Joel's tune is about being a piano player in a bar, and observing the different patrons that come and go.

Nail's song seems a bit simpler, about love lost, and growing up; yet still manages to capture the listener with it's message.  Nail's delivery of this tune is intense, and the passion of the lyrics shine through.

If you haven't heard David Nail's new single yet, give it a listen and see what you think of his latest offering.