Fight for Equality

Today I find myself driven to action. Throughout time, there are tipping points that have lead to action in so many situations. Something happens that makes people decide to either take action against or for something that they believe in. For me, that moment came with the banning of gay marriage in Maine.

I believe in marriage as the union of two people in love, gender being irrelevant. I don't believe who someone can or can't marry. I don't believe that I have the right to judge what rights certain people are allowed to have. As a heterosexual person, I am so lucky that I am allowed to marry the man that I love. I'm not told that I don't have the same rights as my neighbor because of who I want to share my life with.

I am also a person of faith. I believe in God. But I believe in the God of love and of acceptance. The one that said "Love thy neighbor." The one that sent his son to live among us and embrace those less fortunate, the outcasts of society. God would not condone many of the actions that are performed in his name. Through his son, he preached forgiveness, love and acceptance. Hate was not acceptable, nor was it preached.

The world we live in is an ever changing thing. There was a time when black people could not marry white people. That was not accepted by our community as a whole. But people rose up, they fought the status quo because it was unfair. We are at another turning point in history. There will be a time, and it's not far away, that the gay community will be accepted and have the same rights as everyone else. The questions becomes, are we going to let this be a black mark in the history books? Do we want to be something for our children to be ashamed of, or proud of? I want my children to look back and know that their mother stood up for equality. That I stood up for what I know to be right. That every person in the world deserves the right to love who they want, no matter race, color or sex. That those same people have the rights of every other person. The gay community is not second class. They are our neighbors, our brothers and sisters, our friends. If I am to love my neighbor, I am to accept them.

As a person, you do not have to agree with someone else's choices. That is one of the fundamental basics of our country. But as a community, we do not have the right to tell someone that they are a lesser citizen. The day is coming when we will have to make a choice to move forward in the global community where we are one civilization united together. I know where I stand. I know the world I want to live in. Do you?

Love & Memories

Of a Revolution. What comes to mind? Weed and a field of hippy dancers. You know the kind. You're not quite sure if they're fighting a bee or dancing? Yeah, that's what I think of. But maybe that's not fair. No, I know that's not fair. I've been a fan of O.A.R. (as they are more commonly known) for some years now. I don't think I ever bought a full album in college but I had some songs from various places. They had that mellow jammin' groove that I love so much. Bands like Dave Matthews Band, Phish, The Dead, they have this ability to get on stage and create music on the spot. They are so in tune with each other that they just groooove together. It always blows me away to see. O.A.R. is of the same mold. I saw them in concert recently at UNH. It was in the Whittemore Center Arena which probably seats about 6000. Previous to seeing them in concert, I had seen a video of their concert on msn.com. It was at Madison Square Garden and it was packed. Their fan base is the college crowd. Pretty much age 16-30 I would say. They got their start in college so it's only fitting that that is the crowd they tend to attract. I was sadly disappointed initially at the crowd. The floor was 3/4 full and then the rest of us were sitting in the stands. A big part of a show is the energy from the crowd and when it's not a full house, it's not as electric. We got there early, thinking that it was going to be a full house so we had some time to kill. We quickly found our entertainment. There was clearly a high percentage of high school age kids there. The girls were trying to look like they were in college and the boys were trying to pretend they weren't looking for real college girls. It seemed that the majority of them were there because they felt it was the cool place to be. I'm sure the enjoy the music but I don't think that was the number one reason they were there. I'm getting sidetracked.

The show was awesome. They have that dynamic on stage that (to quote Paula Abdul) gives them the "wow factor". Marc Roberge, the lead singer, has a quality to his voice that is very unique. It's sexy and emotional. Most of the songs are about love, lost, new, pretty much any way you can find it. He often ad-libs from the record version, which I love. For me, that is a sign of a true musican. If it sounds like the record every time they perform it, why bother paying to see them?? I can just go watch them on MTV and get the same experience. There were 2 moments in the show that brought out the smile on my face. Well, there were more than 2 but these stuck out. In the middle of a song, I forget which one, they melded into the song, another song. Cannonball by The Breeders. And then they did it again later with So Lonely by the Police. The songs were so well melded in that you almost didn't notice the transition. It was just a few bars of each but I loved it! John Mayer has done that live but it's more obvious. O.A.R. did it with such fluidity!

My favorite song that they performed was Love and Memories. I heard that song on the radio some time ago, on an indie station. I instantly loved it. It sounded like O.A.R. but it seemed more streamlined than their usual mash-up of times (which was one of my favorite things about their music, ever changing beat) When I heard that it was O.A.R., I was surprised and pleased. While some hardcore fans might have been upset at the seeming departure from their grassroots music, I'm more of the mindset, if I like the music, I like the music and that's it. I bought the album, Stories of a Stranger that had Love and Memories and loved the whole thing. I listened over and over. Love and Memories still was a favorite. Sometimes, you find that song that just speaks to your heart. It may not make sense why but you are drawn to it and find yourself playing it on repeat. Can't get it out of your head. When I heard it live, it was even better. He ad-libbed some new lyrics that made it clear to me why I loved it so much. But that's a story for another time. Music speaks better than words, sometimes.

Overall, the show was awesome from the music side. Unfortunately, the crowd took away from it a bit because they were very distracting with their constant crowd-surfing. Yes, crowd-surfing. At a hippy show. Makes sense, no?

Ozomatli

Ever find yourself listening to some latin music and you can't stop yourself from dancing? You could be in the grocery store, pushing a cart, cha cha cha-ing down the frozen food aisle. Or in your house, cooking (because there's nothing better than cooking to latin music) and you find yourself trying to shake it like Shakira. Hopefully I'm not the only one! I love latin music. I can't help myself. It makes me smile and want to channel Charro. Just give me some marraccas.

The newest band that I found is Ozomatli. Granted, they've been together for 12 years but I just found them. It's a melting pot of heavy latin influences coupled with English hip-hop and topped off with anti-war lyrics. Not that I actually know what the lyrics are but they sure sound great. As soon as the music starts to play on my iPod, I'm grooving in my car. And I don't care WHAT I look like to the other drivers on the road. I'm a prime candidate for that show on VH-1 where they secretly video people singing in their car. If it were a contest, I'd win for looking like the biggest idiot.

For that reason alone, everyone should download their music because it's food for the soul!

In a Word...SOUL

Newest discovery- James Morrison. I heard of him in a round about way. I found myself downloading as much of his music as I could find. And I listened to it. And loved it. He's from the UK, which doesn't really matter to me. What matters is how his music makes me feel. I have this filing system with music. If it doesn't make me feel anything, if it's just some low-rate singer with a computer generated backup, that get's the click-and-drag to the recycle bin. If it makes me happy, that goes on the feel good playlist in my head (which I often find myself singing to myself. At work. A few songs in.) Then there's the file that holds all else. The music that makes me really feeeeeeel it in my bones. There are musicians out there that do more than sing a song. They feel it and in turn, the listener feels it. Music that moves the soul. Musicians that do that should be brought to an island somewhere so they can write the soundtrack to our world.

Morrison is one of those musicans. He has this roughness to his voice, like he just got out of bed in the morning-every time he sings. It's this roughness, and the way he feels his way through his music, that brings out his soul. After I listened to his music for a while and just fell in love with him as an artist, I went to his myspace page and found this quote, which I found absolutely fitting for what I felt about his music.

"I grew up on artists like Otis Redding, Al Green, Cat Stevens, The Kinks and Van Morrison. I always loved songs where the singer would sing with real soul, like they really believed in what they were singing about. Those are the kinds of songs that really stayed with me. I can't sing a song about something I don't believe in."

For me, that quote encapsulates exactly how I feel listening to his music. His current album is called Undiscovered. I can't imagine him being undiscovered by the main stream music scene much longer. Sometimes, I'd like to keep secret my favorite musicians so that I could still go see them in dingy, smoky bars in some out of the way town in middle America but that's not fair to them. If I have to, I'll go to the stadiums if it means success for them as they have earned it. I'll deal with Singing (off-key) Sally, Drunk Dan and Talking Tammy if it means hearing music that makes me feel good. Thankfully (for me), Morrison is still under the big-time radar so I have a bit more time to enjoy him as I like to.

Today's Playlist

Cupid's Chokehold-Gym Class Heroes
Sweet Escape-Gwen Stefani
Give it to Me-Timbaland, Nelly Furtado, JT
Love-Matt White
Love is just a Game-The Magic Numbers
Sly- The Cat Empire
Hello, Hello-The Cat Empire
Don't Wait-Dashboard Confessional
Last Request-Paolo Nutini
LDN-Lily Allen
Balancing the World-Eliot Morris
Where Did My Baby Go?-John Legend
Slow Dancing in a Burning Room-John Mayer
Lost Without U-Robin Thicke
Loving You-Paolo Nutini
Bittersweet-Big Head Todd and the Monsters
Boston-Augustana
Careless-Amos Lee
Heaven-John Legend
Will She Ever Love Again-Eliot Morris
I Don't Trust Myself with Loving You-John Mayer

Bits and Pieces

There are 2 new bands that I just discovered. The first is the Cat Empire.

They're from Australia and they remind me of old school No Doubt with a bit more ska thrown in. They have this great song, Sly, that's playing on the indie radio stations right now. They just have this fun sound that makes you want to get up and dance around your house like a kid. Kind of like that Friends episode where Rachel goes jogging with Phoebe only to have Phoebe run like a little kid, arms and legs flailing in the wind. It would be one of those moments where if you were being secretly video taped, it would have ended up on America's Funniest Home Videos. Probably would win the $10,000 prize. I haven't listened to too many of their songs yet but I love what I have! Go Download it!

The second band is the Magic Numbers.

For me, they are music I would cook to or road trip to. I know that doesn't describe the music. It's good. They're from the UK. Mellow stuff, groovy acoustic stuff, background music to my life. There's a really good song, Love is a Game. It's not on their myspace and I haven't checked iTunes yet. Worth a listen!

Grammy Madness!

I sat through all 3.5 hours of the Grammy's last night. Mostly to see the performances (seeing as that's all there really is now-15 performances and 5 awards). I know they have to keep the viewers interested for ratings but I feel bad for the artists that get no time in front of the mic. I mean, at least do what the Oscars does-hold a separate award show for the awards they give out in advance so at least the artists get some kind of visual recognition in front of their peers.

I did watch a bit of the red carpet. Nothing really interesting at all. Except Imogen Heap. She was a site to see. It kind of looked like she was channeling mother earth and Madonna from the 80's.

The Police opened the show, that was no surprise. It's great to see them back together but for someone who doesn't remember when the Police were together, it just looked like Sting and his backup band. I know that sounds bad because it's THE POLICE but it's what I saw. It was a great performance, none the less.

I did have issue with the fact that Prince did the Beyonce intro and all he said was "one word-Beyonce!" Now I know she's talented but at 24, she hasn't earned a one word entrance!! Now if it were Madonna or Whitney or Aretha, that's one thing. But Beyonce? She hasn't earned it, in my book.
Why haven't award winners realized how to accept an award yet?? I mean, people are always bitching about acceptance speeches and how they are too long or too fake or what have you. Listen. We all know you appreciate the award. You can thank everyone in person. There is no need to stand in front of the mic with index cards reading off names of everyone from the producer to the guy who cleaned the record studio (ahem, Mary J. Blige) Just get up there, let everyone see your pretty dress (or tux), say thank you to the fans and everyone who helped in creating the album and walk away from the mic. Maybe throw in a thanks to my wife or god or your parents. That makes you look humble.
Here's the biggest issue I had with the Grammy's. The "My Grammy Moment" segment. The Grammy's is THE award show in the music industry. It celebrates artists and musicians who have produced incredible music (supposedly). Why on earth would they need to bring in a competition for completely unknown singers to give them a chance at singing on stage with Justin Timberlake at the Grammy's? AND to add in that the viewer at home is calling in to vote during the show? For me, that completely missed the mark. It cheapened the whole show but yay for that girl that won! She got to stand on stage with Justin and try not to be upstaged. Maybe next time she's on that stage, she'll have earned it.
They had a good concept with a couple of the performances. John Legend, Corrinne Bailey Rae and John Mayer performing together. But it didn't click. It was basically like they wanted all three to perform but didn't have time for the full songs so they threw them on stage together. There was no cohesiveness. Not to say I didn't enjoy it, they are three of my favorite musicians out there right now. It was great but I would have preferred John Legend or John Mayer doing a whole song.
Shakira's performance kicked Beyonce's ass. Shakira, while she does have a unique sound to her voice, is so entertaining to watch! I watch her and wish I could move my hips the way she does. Beyonce's performance was completely forgettable. She should take some tips from Shakira.
The performance from Gnarls Barkley was just weird. Cee-Lo looked uncomfortable, the singing was slow and there was no movement on stage. When he was done, I felt like Simon Cowell after a really bad audition.
While I do feel that a band like The Eagles should be recognized for their greatness, I don't think there should be tribute performances because the viewers and the audience would much rather see the real thing. If you can't do them justice, don't do it at all.
My biggest gripe about the awards was the fact that Carrie Underwood won best new artist. That is just WRONG. She can sing, I'll give her that. But she has no stage presence and she can't write music or play music. She was up against Corrinne Bailey Rae who is an amazing singer/songwriter and James Blunt singer/songwriter. Two incredibly talented individuals. But Carrie Underwood is one of the biggest selling artists of 2006 so lets just give her the award. That is my issue with the Grammy's. It's a popularity contest for many awards. There are some amazing musicians out there that don't ever get the recognition because they don't have a big label behind them. I thought that was a sad commentary on the music industry. If they want to give her the Best Performance award, that's fine with me. Though I am so sick of hearing that stupid song Jesus Take the Wheel. Every time I hear it, I say, Seriously??

Chris Brown impressed me with his performance. I knew he could sing but didn't realize he could move, too. I love that he incorporated step into his performance. That was really fun to watch. And then his version of James Brown was awesome.

While I'm sure the Dixie Chicks earned all their awards (I love that song-I think I need to go buy the whole album now!) they had the worst acceptance speeches of the night. Next to Mary J. They seemed completely unprepared and unfocused. But yay for them! The Chili Peppers had the best speech of the night. Quick and to the point. Thanks to everyone. And done.
Overall, it was just another award show. Unfortunately, there were only a few moments of brilliance on stage. They should hire me to come produce next year. I bet it would be a lot more entertaining. I'd have the most fun with the seating arrangements. Imogen Heap next to Kanye West.