Facebook concert 6/2018

$5 for 5 Thousand Seconds of Rock – Russian Hacking Thwarted

For a limited time only (technically, all time is limited if you read Stephen Hawking – or the Bible), you can get all of my music for only $5!!

CLICK ON THIS TO SAVE

And full disclosure, the total runtime of the music is less than 5,000 seconds, but I needed that continuity for the subject line.

Facebook Live Concert – No Longer Live

If you for some reason missed my Facebook concert the other day, you’ll be pleased to know that you can still watch the video right here:

For those of you that watched, I really apologize for the technically difficulties!  The video stream froze up at various points and the video cut off when I was just beginning “Fight Your Programming.”  The Russian hackers might have thought they won, but little did they know I already recorded “Fight Your Programming” as a sound check earlier on!  You can watch that by clicking here! USA!!

And I still had more to do!  The last song, a No Picnic cover called “Last Year’s Girlfriend” can be seen here.

Much thanks to all who tuned in and to all who might take a gander at the above videos!

In the Eardrums and Eyeballs: U2 Experience + Innocence Tour

I had the pleasure of seeing U2 for the first time back on June 18 in Washington DC at the Capital One Arena. I thought I would wait until the band members were almost 60 and had been making music for nearly 40 years. But man, it was worth the wait. Touring off their latest album, a strong one, it was everything a concert goer might have hoped for and more: stunning special effects, fantastic performances, and a great setlist.

The concert rig included a standard looking stage connected to a smaller “B” stage by a long “catwalk.”  Suspended above and perpendicular to the catwalk was a double-pane projection screen, showing images to the audience on either side of the walk.  A few of the songs were performed by the band on the B stage in a closer-knit fashion than the main stage.  Then the concertgoers could realize the B stage itself lit to life as “screen,” displaying images and patterns underneath the band.

The performances were spot on: Bono’s voice was as strong as ever, the Edge ruled on his collection of axes, Adam Clayton coolly meandered through his bass lines, and Larry pounded his drum set mercilessly.  The sound mix was great and included some studio overdubs to fill out the sound, but not in a contrived way.  The band still rocked on the stripped-down songs sans overdubs.

They played with some of the arrangements of their songs, like a more skeletal version of Sunday, Bloody Sunday, where Larry Mullins played only a snare drum, walking around the catwalk in a sort of ominous marching fashion.  The performance of their new song, “You’re the Best Thing About Me,” was acoustic, and quite nice, along with “Staring at the Sun.”  Having just toured on a celebration of “The Joshua Tree,” where they played the album beginning to end, they played no songs from it.  That made me sad, but that only meant there was more room for other great songs, like “City of Blinding Lights” and “Until the End of The World”.

The rumors I’ve heard about U2 concerts are true.  Go see them if you get the chance.

Facebook Live Footage

Watch My Facebook Acoustic Concert FREE

A common response when you get an invitation is, “I’m sorry, I just can’t make it.” In a perfect world, I’d make it, but man, this is a fallen world. It’s not possible. I just can’t do it.

Whenever I say “I can’t make it” what I really mean is “Technically, if I overextended myself, neglected responsibilities and relationships, I could make it. But I don’t really want to” – or “I just don’t want to go.” Maybe that’s what you mean, too. Whatever you mean, maybe you said “I can’t make it” when I invited you to my Facebook concert recently.

It’s ok, I understand. We all get busy. But worry not – you can view the whole thing for free:

You’ll have to disregard the offers for free stuff, because that ship has sailed! Stay tuned for the next concert, though. I’ll probably do another one before I die.

In the Earbuds – “Songs of Experience” by U2

This collection of new songs from the nearly 40 year old band is such a breath of fresh air. By the way, is there any other band that has stayed active with their original lineup for this long? I don’t think so.

I haven’t been really taken with much of their material in the past 15 years, but this album is rejuvenating. It reminds me of 2000’s “All That You Can’t Leave Behind.” Great hooks, a sort of raw, understated production, the Edge’s trademark delay guitar leads, and some classic Bono poetry:

“Dinosaur wonders why it still walks the earth; meteor promises it’s not gonna hurt”
“Blessed are the liars, for the truth can be awkward.”
“I have everything but I feel like nothing at all; there’s no risky thing for a man who’s determined to fall”
“Love is bigger than anything in its way”
“There’s a level of shallow that you just can’t fake”

Born out of political upheaval in the West and Bono’s own personal crisis, the songs are woven together by the ideal of Love – as much of U2’s music is. Although, this love is experienced in the real, broken world:

“You’re the best thing about me;
lovely things are easy to destroy
If you’re the best thing about me
Why am I walking away?”

Bono’s commentary on the songs is a bonus in the lyrics booklet; an eloquent elaboration on the meaning behind the songs. It should save you a Google with the terms “lyrics meaning.”

An outstanding comeback from the pop / rock titans.

I Cover a U2 Song

Speaking of U2, check out this acoustic slide version of their new song, Lights of Home:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m no Robert Johnson, but hey, who is? Besides Robert Johnson?