"Tate Stevens"--Tate Stevens

To be honest, I've never watched a single minute of "The X Factor"; so I had no idea who Tate Stevens was, or that he'd won the second season.

My introduction to Stevens, and his music, came via the Bull's overnight show, where I heard his debut single, "The Power of a Love Song" for the first time.  I liked what I heard, but still just kind of had it in the back of my mind.

It was actually one of my own little quirks that got me to buy Stevens' self-titled debut CD.  I have a favorite songwriter, and when anyone records one of this writer's songs, I'll buy the CD. In this case the songwriter has two songs on Stevens' CD; so off I went in search of another addition to my collection.

It's funny, because I almost passed by the CD in the store.  I saw it, however, before reading the title, I saw the photo and thought the person was Chris Cagle.  Not an exact match, but at a glance, it was close.  I then realized it was Tate Stevens, so I bought it, and popped it into my CD player as soon as I got in my car.

From the first track, to the last, Stevens is definitely a country singer.  It's as though old school, 90's and new country were all tossed into a blender and pureed into what Stevens delivers to listeners.

Several times while the tracks played, I was reminded of other artists and songs.  For instance, "That's Where We Live" had me thinking of similar Craig Morgan tunes.  It speaks of small towns, families, and other staples of the country way of life.

 "The Last Thing I Do", is a song I've heard before, first by Brooks & Dunn; then James Otto, and also Montgomery Gentry.  Stevens' rendition of this tune is almost spot on as good as B&D, yet still different enough to stand on it's own as one of his songs.   

There's also humor in some of the tracks; subtle little things, like describing the car in "El Camino" as a "car with a bed".  Or "Sweet", where the singer is telling his mama about the girl he found.  He compares his love interest to being "sweet like a Cadillac, sweet like a stack of cold hard cash," and "sweet like a diamond bling dangling down from a belly button ring".  Honestly, how many songs can say that and still convey how much the guy really does love the girl?!

While I truly like every song on this CD, my favorite has to be the true country ballad, "Ordinary Angels".  Again, it reminds me of other songs and artists I've heard, yet is still totally unique to Stevens and his style of singing.

Though as I stated at the beginning of this post, I'd never heard of Tate Stevens until recently; though from the sound of his debut CD, I'm pretty sure this isn't the last any one has heard from this man.  "Tate Stevens" is definitely a CD worth buying!

Summer Song Summary

(Today's word will be in red and bold.)


In July I had two posts listing my top ten current songs I'd been hearing on the radio.  At the time I wrote about my hopes and predictions of how each song would fare against other tunes being played.

Now that summer's over, it's time to revisit the music and see how each artist did in the heat of the moment.  As with the other posts, I'll list each performer alphabetically.

For those wanting to hear these songs, here's the links to the two previous posts:

 http://kuplramblings.blogspot.com/2012/07/five-of-my-ten-favorite-current-country.html

http://kuplramblings.blogspot.com/2012/07/five-of-my-ten-favorite-current-country_05.htm

Aaron Lewis debuted "Endless Summer" just before the season got into full swing.  This is a great song, and I thought for sure it would be one of this year's summer anthems.  Unfortunately, Lewis never made it past the overnight rotation.

At the time I wrote the previous post I said that there was no doubt Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away" would be a hit; I was right.  What I wondered about more was whether or not this song would stay one of my favorites; or be played so much I'd be sick of it.

The song has been in heavy rotation all summer; I'm happy to say though, I've yet to tire of hearing it.

 Chris Young had been on a hot streak of  four #1 singles when "Neon" was released.  It's such a cool tune, I thought for sure Chris would be scoring his fifth #1.  Sadly, this song never made it very far out of the overnight rotation.  Once in a while it could be heard at other times of the day, but rarely.

Craig Morgan's "Corn Star" was probably the shortest lived single of the summer.  The song was a quirky, tongue in cheek tune filled with puns.  I liked the song, though I wondered if it would wear thin with time.  I never really got the chance to find out.  The song was rarely played; and almost as soon as it hit the airwaves, it was pulled, and Craig's current single "More Trucks Than Cars" was released to radio.

Of my top ten summer songs, David Nail's "The Sound of a Million Dreams" tied with another tune as my very favorite.

I'm not really a fan of David Nail, however this song had me from the first time I heard it.  I was just sure this would be his biggest hit yet; I was wrong.  Sadly, this tune was yet another that didn't make it too far from overnight plays.  Sometimes I wonder how such great music can fail so much at radio.

Due West had a couple of songs on the radio with their old record label.  Since then, the band has changed labels and released a new single to radio, "Things You Can't Do In A Car".

Though this song is still only being played during the wee hours of the morning, it's at least still getting airplay. I'm still holding hope it will catch on and be played more in the coming days and weeks.

The Eli Young Band had just come off their #1 single, "Crazy Girl" when their current single, "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" was released.  I predicted at the time that the band had another hit with this song; and I was actually right about this one.  "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" is the Eli Young Band's second consecutive #1 song on the Billboard Country charts.

George Strait is known inside and outside of country music as "King George". Over the span of his career, Strait has had fifty-nine #1 songs.  There's nothing he touches that doesn't turn to gold; except "Drinkin' Man".

This is one of my favorite George Strait songs of all time; yet somehow it never made if very far from overnight status.  I honestly can't remember the last time George Strait didn't have a hit, until now.  Another great song that never got the chance at seeing the light of day.

Gwen Sebastian is best known for her stint on "The Voice" as part of Team Blake.  Since that time, Gwen has been on tour, and has also done back up for Blake during his tour.

Gwen's first radio single is, "Met Him In A Motel Room".  The song is slightly complicated, and really needs to be listened to for the full impact.  So far this song hasn't made it past KUPL's overnights, though it is getting good rotation during that time.

The final song on my list is the one that's tied with David Nail's tune as one of my favorites; Phil Vassar's "Don't Miss Your Life".

I've always felt  Phil Vassar is one of the most underrated, singer/songwriters in the business; "Don't Miss Your Life", is more proof of that.  Arguably one of the best songs released to radio, Phil hasn't been getting the airplay he deserves; yet, the song hasn't faded away totally.  Just about the time I think it's going to silently fade away, I'll hear it again on the overnight show.  I'm still holding hope that if it hangs on a bit longer, it will catch on enough to make it into other radio time slots; it definitely deserves to be heard by more listeners.

And there you have it, a recap of what I've been hearing on the radio this past season.  Now that fall is here, I'm wondering what new tunes are on the horizon.  I guess time will tell.

"Stars & Guitars" @ Alderbrook Park-9-9-12

Sunday, September 9, 2012, KUPL held it's first "Stars & Guitars" concert at Alderbrook Park in Brush Prairie, Washington.

The concert was to honor all military personnel, veterans and first responders.  Tickets were given free to any of these people.

Alderbrook Park is a beautiful place, and an excellent venue for an all day event like "Stars & Guitars".  Plenty of room for concert goers, and those looking for other things to do as well.  Even the weather was perfect; not too hot, or too cold the entire time.

KUPL's inaugural "Stars & Guitars" concert featured a mix of new and established, local and national country acts.

Ben Rue, from Sliverton, Oregon got things started with a short set of tunes he'd written, as well as a few cover songs; like David Lee Murphy's "Dust On the Bottle".

Rue's voice complimented each song he performed, and judging from the people gathered to meet him after his set, he was a definite crowd pleaser.

Next up was local favorite, Kurt Van Meter.  As always, Kurt was the ultimate professional, and kept concertgoers entertained throughout his set.  From slow songs, to uptempo, and everything in between, Kurt had the audience's attention the whole time.

Unlike some concerts, very little time was spent between acts.  Almost as soon as one artist was done, the next was onstage.  In this case, "next" was another local act, Cloverdayle.

Like Kurt Van Meter, Cloverdayle has been a local favorite for quite awhile; though recently the duo, (Chad and Rachel), has spent some time in Nashville, recording their music.  Among the songs Cloverdayle played was their current single, "Like We Were Kids Again".  KUPL has been playing the song during it's overnights, and you could tell, there were those in the crowd who had heard the song before.

During their set, Cloverdayle played other music from their new CD, and even brought Ben Rue back onstage to sing a duet he'd recorded with them.  Once again, another great set was performed during "Stars & Guitars".

There was a longer pause in the action after Cloverdayle, as the stage was set for that day's first national act, Lonestar.

 When it came time to introduce the band, Earthquake Jake, from "Simon in the Morning", was the man for the job.  As Jake told the crowd, he begged to be able to introduce the band, because they're his all-time favorite group.

Despite some technical difficulties during their set, Lonestar still managed to put on a stellar performance.  They played many of their most popular hits, as well as some new tunes from their latest CD.  Watching them perform, it makes one wonder why these guys aren't still having hits on the radio; they definitely still have the talent for country radio.

Another short break, then it was time for newcomer Andy Gibson.

Though Gibson is new to radio as a singer, ("Wanna Make You Love Me" and "Summer Back"), many have already heard a song of his.  Gibson wrote the Jason Aldean/Kelly Clarkson #1 hit, "Don't You Want To Stay".

Gibson did all of these songs, and more he's written and recorded for his upcoming CD.  Andy Gibson is someone to be watching for on the horizon; this  talented young man deserves to make it big in country music.

Following Andy Gibson was Dustin Lynch.  From the crowd reaction, Lynch was who the majority was there to see.

During the other performances, concertgoers were sitting listening to the music, or wandering Alderbrook Park.  As soon as Lynch hit the stage however, a swarm of people, (mostly teenage girls),  gathered at the front of the stage, singing and rocking along during Lynch's entire set; and he didn't disappoint either.  Lynch proved to be an ultimate entertainer, playing and singing his best, and interacting with the crowd.  You could tell he was having fun, and that fun was rubbing off on the crowd as well.

After Dustin Lynch was through, quite a few in the crowd left the concert; which was too bad, because more great music was in store.

Following Dustin Lynch, the Mavericks took the stage.

 Though the Mavericks have just recently reunited and are working on a new project out this month; it seems lead singer, Raul Malo was the only original member in attendance this day.  No worries though, Malo played many of the Mavericks early hits, as well as new music the band has been working on.  The only real letdown to the Mavericks' performance was that it seemed much shorter than the other acts, and it seemed most people weren't really paying attention to the music.

Once the Mavericks were through, it was time for the day's headliner, Craig Morgan.

Morgan proved to be the perfect artist to wrap up an incredible day of music.  He was funny, very interactive with the audience, and poured his heart and soul in to every song he sang; which he sang perfectly as well.

From his signature hit, "That's What I Love About Sunday", through all his hits and including his current radio single, "More Trucks Than Cars", Morgan kept the crowd on their feet, clapping cheering and laughing along with him.

All too soon however the show was over.  What a day it had been though! There aren't many concerts like this, where you can see so many great acts for only $20; well worth it for sure!

 During the concert there had been talk about possibly holding KUPL's "Countryfest" at Alderbrook Park.  After "Stars & Guitars, at the venue, I'd have to agree, it would be an excellent place for that event.  Can't wait to see if it happens; and also can't wait to see if there will be another "Stars & Guitars" concert next year.  I sure hope so! 

This Weekend

(Today's word will be in red and bold.)

This Sunday, September 9, 2012 is the big day!  The day country comes to the country near Hockinson, Washington!

By now, anyone who listens to KUPL knows that I'm talking about the station's "Stars & Guitars" concert at Alderbrook Park.  The show features artists, Andy Gibson, Dustin Lynch, The Mavericks, Lonestar and headliner, Craig Morgan.  In addition to this stellar line up, local artists, Kurt Van Meter and Cloverdayle are also on the bill.

I'm excited, not only for the concert, but for other reasons also.  One, a friend of mine is coming from Idaho to see Craig Morgan; and two, the concert is only six miles from where I live!  Never had a concert that close before.

"Stars & Guitars" is a concert in honor of military members and first responders, and several tickets were given free to these people, which is really cool.

At this writing there are still a few tickets left, for those interested in going.  The price is $20 in advance, or $25 the day of the show.

All details of what can and can't be brought to the show, etc., can be found on KUPL's website:  www.kupl.com; just click on the "Stars & Guitars" pic on their home page.

Hope to see everyone there!

Five of My Ten Favorite Current Country Songs

(Today's word will be in red and bold.)


I've come to the conclusion that I'm one of those music lovers who falls between the cracks.  I like listening to the radio, so I'm not unaware of what current songs are hits.  On the other hand, a lot of my favorite songs tend to be ones that haven't really made it on the charts yet, and sometimes never make it far.

When I really thought about it, my ten current favorite country songs fall into this same pattern.  It has me interested to see how they're going to play out over the next few weeks and months.  Rather than rank them from one to ten however, I've decided to list my current favorites in alphabetical order, starting with Aaron Lewis.

With his second single, "Endless Summer", Lewis seems to have this year's perfect summer anthem for listeners.  So far though, I've really only heard the song in the wee hours of the morning.  I'm hoping it takes off though, because it really is a cool song.

To be honest, I'm not always a fan of Carrie Underwood.  It's not that I don't like her songs; I just get tired of the repetition of them on the radio.  So far I've only heard Underwood's latest single, (the title track to her latest CD), "Blown Away", a couple times, again in the late night/early morning hours.  So far it's a favorite with me; only time will tell if I grow tired of it or not.

Chris Young's current single, "Neon", has been getting more airplay than the previous two listings; however, it still hasn't been played so much that I'm tired of it yet.  Not sure if Chris will score a #1 with the song though. Doesn't matter to me though, it's still one of my favorite new singles.

Continuing the list alphabetically, the next artist up is Craig Morgan.  Morgan's follow up to "This Ole Boy", is the quirky "Corn Star".  It's the type of song that catches one's attention, because of the tongue in cheek lyrics and play on words.  "Corn Star" is the type of song that makes me smile, because I love puns and the like.  However, as with Carrie Underwood's song, time will tell if I grow weary of this tune or not.

Rounding out the first five of my current favorite country songs is, "The Sound of a Million Dreams", by David Nail.

I'm not really a fan of Nail's; his songs are okay, I've just overheard them for the most part.  "The Sound of a Million Dreams", strikes a chord with me though.  As I wrote in an earlier post, though the song sounds nothing like Billy Joel's "Piano Man", that's the tune I think of when I hear this single.  It's one I really hope to hear more of on the radio.  It would be a shame for it to not be a hit, in my opinion.

I'll end this post for now, and write about my other five favorite songs in my post for Thursday.

Ole' Boys, Directions & Living

 (Today's word will be in red, and bold.)


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.

CONCERTS ON THE RIVERFRONT

This year KUPL will be sponsoring two concerts as part of the Rose Festival.  On May 29^th Justin Moore, (along with Christian Kane and Walker Hayes), will take the stage; and June 11^th will be Craig Morgan.  Both will be on the riverfront in what’s being billed as the “RoZone”.

This got me to thinking about an idea I’ve had for quite awhile now.  About not just having concerts on the riverfront, but actually having them on the water.  It’s not something that hasn’t already been done.  Alan Jackson for one has held concerts on the water before.  My idea is along the same lines, just on the Willamette River instead of somewhere in the south.

I’ve always thought the Morrison Bridge would be a cool place to have a concert.  On one side the bridge pillars have these big areas that extend out from them, (see photo below); that always remind me of a stage. 

                                     

I think it would be cool to have bands on each one, and have people be able to gather around the bridge in their boats.  For those without water transportation, they could line up along either side of the waterfront to hear the music.

Another idea would be to have people enter contests, (through radio stations, TV stations, etc.), where they could win a chance to actually be on the “stage” part of the Morrison bridge while the performance is going on.  Maybe tie that in with a sponsor, like La-Z-Boy for instance.  They could provide the seating for the event, and the winners would get to keep the chairs.  Or there could just be regular seating, like folding chairs, for those sitting on the stage.

My reasoning for using both areas of the bridge is simple:  Start with a singer, band, etc., on one area; when they’re done, the show can switch instantly to the other area, with no interruption of the music.  While the second act is performing, if there’s to be a third, the first area could be readied.  The entertainment would keep switching between the two areas until the concert was over.

Another cool thing about the Morrison Bridge is that it can be lit up at night.  All the more reason it reminds me of a stage. 

I’m guessing since the bridge can have different colors for lighting, it could be used to light the stage area for a night time show also.

Over all, I don’t know if any of this is really possible.  As I said though, I’ve always thought it was a cool idea, so I decided to share that idea here.