Weekend Music Game: June!

Well, for some people, Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer...but for me there is something special about the start of June. It just feels more like summer, and June is just around the corner. So why not a June themed weekend music game? This one is a little trickier. Put your music player on shuffle/random and let it fly. Just keep hitting skip until you find a song that fits the criteria. Here's what we're looking for:

Song 1: J - First song or artist that starts with J
Song 2: U - First song title that includes the word "You" (or any variation, i.e. "your," etc)
Song 3: N - First song or artist that begins with N
Song 4: E - First song or artist that begins with E
Song 5: A song that comes up that REALLY reminds you of summer.

And of course we'd love some comments and explanations on these songs.

And be creative...you always are. Doesn't matter if it's the first or last name that begins with the letter. We're all about creative license here on the porch! Oh, and feel free to do them out of order, because this one takes a little time. Just put them in order when you post them.

So I'll go first...here's what I came up with...

J - Jimmy Jazz by The Clash - from one of my all time favorite albums. Great way to start!

U - Thank You by Dido - I met Dido when she was doing a private show at my workplace when she was touring in support of this CD. I'm still hooked. This album stands up well.

N - Numbered Lithograph by John Vanderslice - Not an artist I consciously choose to listen to, but every time he comes up on my mp3 player I really enjoy it.

E - The Envy Corps performing Keys to Good Living - Great indie rock band that you all should check out. Love their sound. I think my friend Lori turned me on to them.

Summer Song - And It Stoned Me by Van Morrison. I was just commenting the other day that Van Morrison's greatest hits compilation is the perfect summer driving CD...great for a road trip.

Alright then...your turn! Have fun with this.

I'm On A Porch...

In case you haven't heard...I have a porch.

We moved to Lancaster city nearly two months ago, and the one thing this new house has that I've never really had before is a front porch. Not a stoop. A porch. About 8 feet above street level, set back from the road, with a railing, and two glider benches.

I've joked about the fact that I have a porch, and spend a lot of time on it, and this fact has pretty much gone viral. But it's more than just a joke or a diversion. The fact is, I love my porch. Because I work out of my home and have wireless, I can just as easily work on my porch. Just yesterday my friend Joel came over with his laptop, sat on the porch, and we both worked while we chatted. It was very relaxing. I can even have clients stop by for business. Much better than meeting inside in a stuffy office.

I can sit on my porch with my dog and relax. I can watch people as they pass by, figure out who my neighbors are (some might call that being nosey), and check on the steady flow of traffic. And of course, for those who follow me on Twitter, I can comment on what's going on around me.

Like at this very moment an ambulance is speeding by with it's sirens blaring...and my dog is howling. In his five years of live he has never howled until we moved to the city. Now it is a daily occurrence with the steady stream of sirens.

I also have a nice back yard with a deck...and lots of sun. I could spend my time there soaking up the warmth, but then I wouldn't be able to interact with Lancaster and its residents. I wouldn't see my friends as they drove by and honked at me. I'd miss out on a lot.

But for me, the porch is more than all of this. It is a symbol of community. For the five years that I lived in the suburbia that is Elizabethtown, I barely ever saw or got to know my neighbors. And not for lack of trying. But at the end of the day, they would drive home from work, the garage door would open, and they would drive in and close the door behind them...never to be seen again until the following morning when they left for work again. Here in Lancaster, in the two short months that I've lived here I've met quite a few of my neighbors. The couple two doors down made a point of coming over and introducing themselves. They told me that they really desire that our little slice of Lancaster would feel like a neighborhood. Like the kind of neighborhood I grew up in. Everyone knew everyone else. We played together. We worked together. We had cookouts together. I miss that.

So for me, my porch is really all about community. Or as one friend said, a "safe place." A place where friends can stop by and relax and chat. We can get to know one another over a cup of coffee or a glass of my home brewed sweet tea. Sure they have to deal with my over-exuberant dog until he calms down, but that's part of the charm as well. It's a place for both individuals and families. Grown-ups and children. To read one of my favorite authors, Wendell Berry, you will learn that community implies both "membership" and "interdependency." What I do has an impact on my neighbors. In his book, The Long-Legged House, Berry notes:

A community is the mental and spiritual condition of knowing that the place is
shared, and that the people who share the place define and limit the
possibilities of each other's lives.

That is how I view my porch. It may be MY porch, but I want to share it with others. With you. It is a sanctuary of public solitude, and a refuge. At times it can be noisy because of all the traffic, but when I sit out here alone, I am in a place of silence. And when I sit here with friends, despite the chaos around us, it is a place of relaxed conversation.

So...with that, I invite you to my porch. Yes, you too can be a part of Porchapalooza 2009. And if you can't make it, enjoy your own porch, your own community...and be welcoming to your friends and neighbors.

Weekend Music Game: Summer's almost here!

Today is Music Friday in Lancaster and my family and I will be hanging out at Building Character on the 300 Block of North Queen Street, checking out the music of Katie Becker and Trash & Glory. Hope to see you there.

And since I'm bringing back the Weekend Music Game, let's look forward to summer. All of the big summer festivals are announcing their lineups. So I thought we could do our own festivals. Put your music player on shuffle/random and play the first ten songs...no skipping. Jot 'em down for us here and let us know what your personal summer festival would be like.

So now, here's the lineup for my Porch-a-palooza 2009.

1. R.E.M. performing "It's the End of the World as We Know It" on the Aging, but still very Hip, Rockers Stage.

2. Bruce Cockburn performing "Wondering Where the Lions Are" on the Straight from Canada, eh? Stage.

3. Mark Heard performing "It's Not Your Fault" on the Gone, but Defnitely Not Forgotten Stage.

4. Chatterbox performing "Fallen" on the Industrial Porch Stage.

5. Brandston performing "Breaking Ground" on the Back When Emo Didn't Suck Stage.

6. Eric Clapton performing "Let it Rain" on the Guitar Hero Stage.

7. Fleming & John performing "Don't Let it Fade Away" on the UberCool Married Couples Stage

8. Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash performing "Careless Love" on the Dead & Alive Stage

9. The Dingees performing "The World's Last Night" on Where Did All the Cool Punkers Go? Stage

10. Starflyer 59 performing "No New Kinda Story" on the Gaze at Your Shoes Stage

And ten more performers who MIGHT make surprise appearances:

The Lassie Foundation
The Vigilantes of Love
Lovedrug
764-HERO
Andy Pratt
Pigeon John
The Fire Theft
The Promise Ring
Pony Express
Dolour

Alright. Now it's your turn. If your music player programmed a festival for you, who would be performing?

The Shackeltons: An Inspirational Story

Been awhile since I've blogged and I know I need to get back into it, so when I read this story over at NPR, I figured this was as good a reason as any, since Mother's Day is tomorrow.

The Shackeltons are one of the coolest bands to come out of Central PA, and lead singer Mark Redding and the guys put everything into all of their shows. This story from NPR really shines a light on what Mark and his band are all about, and really gave me a new appreciation for their music and live performances. Read and enjoy...and make sure you get out and see them live. Can't wait to hear some new recorded music from them in the near future.

And make sure you do wonderful things for your mother (and the mother of your children) on this Mother's Day weekend.

Harry Kalas - 1936 - 2009

I was stunned this afternoon when my son yelled down the stairs to me: "Harry Kalas died!" The words didn't sink in quite so fast, but then I started getting messages on Twitter and Facebook, as well as text messages. Harry Kalas passed away this afternoon after collapsing in the broadcast booth just hours before today's Phillies game in Washington against the Nationals.

Harry Kalas, was in my opinion, the greatest voice ever to call the game of baseball. The Hall of Fame announcer of the Philadelphia Phillies was "it." He had the goods. The best pipes in the business. His voice is embedded in my head, with Kalas and his trademark "Outta here!" home-run call. His voice uttering the name "Michael Jack Schmidt" every time Schmitty hit one out of the park. And most importantly, his voice calling the final out of the Phillies' World Series victory last season.

Kalas joined the Phils as an announcer in 1971, and was the voice of the Phillies for all but the first nine years of my life. You can look back at all the great players who have donned a Phillies uniform over the past 38 years. Schmidt. Luzinski. Carlton. McGraw. Utley. Rollins. Howard. But players, and certainly managers, come and go. Even the broadcast booth saw a bit of a revolving door, but for the past 38 years, Harry Kalas has been there, and in some ways, defined the Phillies. He was the constant...through all the lean years, as well as through the World Series Championship seasons of 1980 and 2008, and of course the "almost" seasons of 1983 and 1993.

I still get chills listening to his voice, and some of his trademark calls. I was fortunate enough to have met him on three separate occasions, one of which was a seminar called "Take Me Out to the Ballgame: Baseball on the Radio," which I moderated at the Museum of Television & Radio in NYC. The seminar featured legends, and local NY announcers, but Kalas was clearly the star of the panel, with the other announcers recognizing the talent in their midst.

As I write this, the fans at Nationals Park in Washington are observing a moment of silence for Harry. I'm merely a fan, and there is an empty feeling inside. I can't imagine what it must be like for Harry's colleagues to have to call today's game...or for the players to play the game. All I know is...Harry, you will be missed.

Welcoming Spring: The Weekend Music Game

First off, I apologize for not updating the blog lately, but things have been very busy and will hopefully settle down over the next two weeks.

But...I can't neglect the weekend music game for too long! I didn't have time to really come up with a theme, so we'll stick to the basics. Music player on random/shuffle, and list the first ten songs you come up with. Perhaps comment on them. And, as always, no skipping! And see if anything comes up that reminds you of Spring, because today IS the first day of Spring.

Here's my list for the weekend:

1. John Vanderslice - Parade - this is from a live Daytrotter Session. I love this song. Just really got into Vanderslice within the past year after seeing him at the Chameleon. VERY small audience, but a great intimate show.

2. Lovedrug - Happy Apple Poison - another band I saw for the first time at the Chameleon a few years ago. Quirky voice, but I like it.

3. Copeland - May I Have This Dance - whoa...I'm sensing a theme. Saw these guys at the Chameleon for the first time...and I think it was on the same bill as Lovedrug! Really pretty vocals and music.

4. T-Bone Burnett - Stunned - OK, I've never seen T-Bone live...let alone at the Chameleon. But I've been a fan of his music since about 1980. Great producer, but I love his solo discs.

5. The Lassie Foundation - We Are Kings - nice Southern Cali indie-pop band featuring the talents of Wayne Everett and Eric Campuzano, among others. Now this is the kind of music that would be fun to listen to in the car on a warm Spring day.

6. U2 - I Will Follow - this is the live version from Under A Blood Red Sky. 'Nuff said.

7. Always Sunday - Let You Down - One of my favorite songs from this band that is no longer together, featuring one of my favorite singers, Trent Dabbs. I've loved all of his projects and his solo stuff is great.

8. The Gloria Record - Grace the Snow is Here - Well...I guess this is NOT the kind of thing you want to hear on the first day of Spring. I'm not interested in any more snow, thank you.

9. The Violet Burning - More - I'm partial to earlier Violet Burning stuff, but this is still good stuff from the album Drop Dead. Love Michael Pritzl's voice.

10. Led Zeppelin - Dazed and Confused - Going REALLY old school here. Gotta love me some Zep.

And ten more quick ones for the road:

11. Future of Forestry - All I Want

12. Michael Knott - Deaf and Dumb

13. Mute Math - Picture

14. Mark Heard - She Don't Have a Clue

15. Fly Eagles Fly - Philadelphia Eagle's fight song - hmm. Wish I had a Phillies song!

16. Serene - Autumn

17. U2 - Shadows and Tall Trees

18. Robert Deeble - Blue

19. Van Morrison - Steppin' Out Queen

20. Yes - Starship Trooper

OK, now it's your turn. Add a comment with your ten songs for the weekend. And have a happy first day of Spring. And don't forget, that means it's Free Rita's Day!

Weekend Music Game

Well, due to the fact that I'm really busy, I didn't put a lot of thought into this edition of the Weekend Music Game. So really quick...down and dirty old school version. Music player on random/shuffle and list the first 10 songs you hear...no skipping! See what surprises you come up with.

Here's my list:

1. Brandtson - As You Wish - one of their older songs. Still enjoy this stuff.

2. Woven Hand - The Good Hand - I think this is from the first Woven Hand album (post 16 Horsepower), and I really love this song.

3. Bob Dylan - Jokerman - nice song from Infidels.

4. Glorybox - Sonic Ocean

5. Mute Math - Control - can't wait to hear more from these guys

6. The Juliana Theory - Love - has a bit of a Joe Jackson feel to it...

7. Brown Feather Sparrow - Sleep Well Child - nice and quiet beautiful song.

8. The Bird and the Bee - Because

9. Always Sunday - Great - another great project involving Trent Dabbs. Love his music and his voice.

10. Elvis Costello - Clubland - seriously catchy tune.

Ok...your turn!