A Concert I Didn't Attend

This is an old story (more than a year old now), but it's a slow news week, and I don't have anything to say about Manti Te'o. Back at the University of Edinburgh, EUSA (Edinburgh University Student Association) would host a variety of events on campus every week. These included live music, comedy, theater, etc. You know, standard college stuff. 

Well, one weekend, in an attempt to participate in the campus culture and have a fun evening, a couple of friends and I decided to go to a live DJ set by Zane Lowe. Never heard of Zane Lowe? Yeah, me neither. But my friend was buying advance tickets and I agreed to accompany her. In fact, I'd never been to a DJ set before, so I thought it would be an experience, at the very least. 

As you can see from this ticket, the show was scheduled to take place on a Sunday evening at 21:00 (that's 9:00 p.m. for those of you who don't read 24-hour time). At this point in my life, I had a standing Skype date with my parents every Sunday at 11:00 p.m., so I figured we would get there around 8:30, stay for a couple of hours, and then I would head home. I mean, realistically, how long could a DJ set last, right?

The first part of the plan goes well. We actually arrive a bit earlier than planned, but when we walk up to the venue, there isn't anyone there except for one or two official-looking people. At first, we assume everyone is already inside. It's then that we learn that the 21:00 time on our tickets is when the doors open. Ok, small setback. We decide to go to a nearby bar and drink for 45 minutes and then come back. I'm thinking if the doors open at 9:00, it should start by 10:00 and then I'll still be able to stay for an hour before I need to go home and chat with my parents.

You may be wondering, dear readers, why I didn't just cancel the Skype date so I could plan to stay later. Well, I certainly could have. But it was a Sunday night, I had class the next day, I was tired, and, to be quite honest, I missed my parents and wanted to see them. And I figured an hour would probably be long enough to enjoy a DJ I'd never heard of.

So at 9:00, we walk back to the venue. The doors are now open, we walk in, and... no one is there. Maybe 7 other people. It's then that we think to ask the official-looking people when the show is expected to start, and as casually as can be, one of them says, "Oh, probably around midnight." Excuse me? Midnight? You put 9:00 p.m. on the ticket and the show starts at midnight? Not once in any of the advertisement for this event did they indicate this show wouldn't begin until early Monday morning. They also inform us that there will be some opening acts we can enjoy starting around 10:00. Great. Thanks.

My friends and I spend the next half-hour sitting in the still mostly empty student union until one of them suggests we go across the street for some chips and cheese. That ends up being the most exciting part of the evening for me, as it was the first time I'd had chips and cheese.

After eating, we go back to the venue, where an opening DJ has started playing extremely loud music to a room of about a dozen people. I have one drink, bid my friends goodnight, and then go home, where I have a lovely conversation with my parents. The next day I learn that the DJ set lasted until about 3:00 a.m., at which time I was blissfully asleep. An excellent Sunday indeed!

And that is the story of the concert I didn't attend.

Recommendation: Truth/Ideals

Perennial favorite of the blog, Julie Slonecki, released a new album last month that is shaping up to be my favorite album of the year. Truth/Ideals marks a new level of excellence in Slonecki's already impressive oeuvre. As usual, she blends really catchy melodies with beautiful harmonies, imaginative guitar riffs, and insightful lyrics, but this third album pushes the limits of genre, blending Slonecki's trademark folk sound with elements of hip hop, electronica, and rock to create something that is surprising in both its cohesion and its production value. The quality of Slonecki's work makes the fact that she produces it herself all the more impressive. 

Slonecki has spent the last couple of years gigging in Charleston, SC, building a following and making a name for herself, as well as collaborating with other musicians who have helped to shape her exciting new direction. There was recently a great article about her the Charleston City Paper. Check out it to read what Slonecki herself has to say about the album.  

It's hard for me to pick a favorite track on this album because they're all so good. I love the bluesy sound of "Lay Me in the River," the upbeat pop vibe of "Garden Gnome," and singing along to "Erase." But you need to listen to it and decide which is your favorite. 

You can find Truth/Ideals on Julie Slonecki's website. 

The jnd and Diet Mojitos!

July saw the debut of an exciting new project by a group of very talented people I am honored to know personally. The jnd, which stands for "just noticeably different," is an artist collaborative consisting primarily of Julie Slonecki, Kenny Sharpless, Billy Green, and Vanessa Ndege, four Washington and Lee University graduates who want to build a community for musicians and artists to share contacts, experience, and knowledge. To that end, they are producing their own art, music, and designs, which they will use to promote further artistic collaboration.

Their first release is a collection of eight tracks, featuring very listenable electronic instrumental music, with influences in hip-hop and blues. These tracks highlight the members' own creative interests, which they hope will inspire other musicians and artists to further develop what they've begun. In addition, Sharpless and Slonecki are currently working on solo projects due out in the fall.

I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next, and I can tell you from personal experience that these people are cool as hell. Take a listen to "Dance to a song," which features some great sampling of the Beatles. You owe it to yourself.



You can check out more from The jnd on Facebook, Twitter, and SoundCloud.



And what better way to enjoy this awesome new music than with diet mojitos? That's right, my friends. Thanks to Crystal Light and my mother, I have discovered a fantastic new potent potable.

Crystal Light (I swear I'm not buzz-marketing) has recently started making a series of "mocktail"-flavored drink mixes, including margarita and mojito. Add a little booze and you're in business! Assuming your business is drinking sugary alcoholic beverages. To each his own.

Here's how we did it:

1 package Crystal Light mojito mix
1 1/2 cups light rum (I suppose you could use less, but why would you want to?)
2 cups Sprite Zero (these are diet mojitos, remember)
2 limes
~ 2 1/2 cups water (to taste)

Serve over ice. Preferably in crazy bent glasses. Fan-frickin'-tastic.

Some music videos

I am totally digging on these music videos. The first is straight-up incredible, the second is a beautiful cover of an awesome song, and the last just makes me happy. So watch them, share them, and then write to NBC and tell them not to cancel Community. (I couldn't help throwing that in. That show is just too good.)







BONUS VIDEO:
I realize I have already shared all these videos on Facebook, so here's a bonus video for those of you who bothered to check out the post. Cheers!

Recommendation: Tell Them I Died Robbing

Tell Them I Died Robbing is an awesome new band out of Lakeland, FL, comprised of members Joe Cruz and Kimber Wiggs. Ok, I realize it's not really fair to recommend myself, but hey, isn't that what this whole blog thing is really about? Joe and I wrote this song over Christmas break, and we think it's pretty good, so we'd like for you to listen to it. We hope you think it's good too. All the production and music is the work of Mr. Cruz. He is amazing. A few days ago, this was pretty bare-bones, and he's transformed it into something pretty epic. Give it a listen. Tell us what you think (as long as what you think is positive).

The Final Countdown!

Yesterday at work I was listening to Pandora - as you know I am wont to do - and I was invited (by an ad) to listen to 5-Hour Energy's "Get Up and Go" station. It's all pump-up songs to get you moving and excited. Also to keep you awake at work, I wager. The first few numbers were of the pop hip-hop genre. Then they played one of the greatest pump-up songs ever: "The Final Countdown" by Europe. If you haven't heard it, GTFO. No, no, I'm joking. I will post it below for both newbies and seasoned listeners alike.

Many of you will recognize it as Gob's theme song from Arrested Development. But I wonder how many of you have ever actively listened to the lyrics of this little ditty. It's clearly about space travel, that much I understand. The "countdown" of the title most likely refers to the countdown before lift-off. Okay, that's fine. But when you really listen to the verses, you start to realize that English is not Europe's first language. (They're Swedish.) And then you start to wonder how they came up with the words that make up "The Final Countdown." Maybe they thought these words sounded good in succession. Maybe they knew these words all had something to do with space travel. Maybe they had a really bad translator. I don't know. It seems like they're going for something deep, but it's not coming across.

Listen carefully to the lyrics, and you be the judge. Keep in mind: you will accept these words at first as making sense because grammatically it works, but then think about what they're saying and tell me if the story of the song means anything, particularly the part about Venus and a previously-unmentioned female character. I say it means nothing. But then again, so do a lot of songs. It's still epic. I just wanted to bring this to your attention. Enjoy.