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.
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!
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
