Sampling The Samples

For those of us who were in college in the early-to-mid 1990s, you may remember the Colorad-based band The Samples, led by singer Sean Kelly. Great sound. One of my favorite songs of theirs was "Who Am I." Beautiful tune.

I think they made a stop or two in Lexington when I was at UK and along the way, they opened for some big bands on tour, including Dave Matthews and Phish.

So, Saturday night we attended a St. Patrick's Day party at the home of some friends. Our kids have gone to preschool and grade school together and there were LOTS of folks we know from school. Plenty of fun and, of course, plenty of NCAA basketball (Go CATS!). But, the highlight of the evening was when the hostess, Emily, surprised her hubby, Larry, with a live concert by Sean Kelly. In their living room. Holy cow. Before we had to head out to relieve our babysitter, he sang "Who Am I." It was an awesome experience.

Thanks, friends, for a memorable St. Paddy's Day.
Album cover from thesamples.com

Goodbye, Etta

I was standing at the lunch counter at an Italilan grocery today, waiting on my Muffaletta sandwich, when I heard one of my favorite songs, "At Last," by Etta James. I think I even swayed back and forth a little bit as I listened to it. Then, upon returning to the office, I learned of Etta's death.

Thank you, Ms. James, for your contribution to the world of music. That voice of yours will be sorely missed.
Image from Argo Records

Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors

I recently discovered the Nashville band Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors. I am LOVING their sound. It's a little Indie rock with some Country influence. 

Drew's wife, Ellie, also is a member of the band - love her voice! Her sound reminds me a bit of Alison Kraus. I checked their site about tour dates and unfortunately, they're not making it to my neck of the woods. Maybe Hubby and I need to take a trip down to Nashville and catch them in their hometown.

Anyhoo, if you haven't heard Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, here's a live version of Drew and Ellie singing "Hung the Moon."

And here's a more rockin' tune of theirs, "Fire and Dynamite."

Any new music you have discovered of late?

Happy Thursday, friends. One step closer to the weekend. Thank you, God.

P.S. - Quick update on our friends, B and C. Baby Emma arrived on Tuesday night. Yay! Now, they are waiting the requisite 72 hours before they can bring her home. So, we continue to p in hopes that everything goes smoothly with the adoption. And we pray for the birth mother who is likely dealing with a lot of emotions. But, what she is giving to B and C, as well as to Baby Emma, is the ultimate gift of love. Thank you again for your many prayers.
Images from drewholcomb.com, wogmagazine.com and YouTube.

Best. Concert. Ever.

Check out this stage! Here I am listening to the opening act, Florence and the Machine, which was an awesome opener.

Words can't describe what an amazing event U2's 360 Tour in Nashville was Saturday night. The music, the spectacular set and technical display, and the overall experience of seeing Bono, Edge, Larry and Adam in person were beyond my wildest dreams.

We had to wait a while to check into our room at the hotel because apparently about 200 crew members with the concert were dilly-dallying and not checking out on time. So, we ate lunch and then walked around Vanderbilt's campus. But, given that it was as hot as the surface of the sun and the humidity was stifling, we made our way back to the hotel. Our room STILL wasn't ready. So, to shut us up appease us, the hotel staff gave us a voucher for two free drinks. Nothing like sitting in the lobby of a fancy hotel with a Corona in hand. Believe me, though, it was a common scene for most of us waiting for our rooms.

Finally, our room became available and Hubby surprised me with a suite on the top floor. SCORE! Not only an ultra-cool space to reside for the evening, but access to the special VIP lounge as well. Yay!

A moment during the concert, as Edge is featured on the jumbo screen.

After the concert, Hubby and I hooked up with a good friend to grab something to eat. It was after midnight and someone at the hotel recommended Cafe Coco, a 24-hour eatery near Vandy's campus. It's a place where the college kids hang, play guitar on the patio and surf the net, all while smoking an endless supply of clove cigarettes; blech, I was so sick of that smell by the end of the night. Needless to say, I felt a bit old. At this point, I was starving, so I opted for a cheese burger. Afterwards, it was more than evident that my days of eating, drinking and staying up past 2 a.m. are long behind me. But, it was such fun and I'm so glad we did it.

So, friends, thanks for indulging me over the last week as this blog became all-things U2. It was amazing!

Happy 4th of July! Hope you have wonderful Independence Day - God Bless America!!
Images property of JMW A Place to Dwell

Beautiful Day (and Weekend)

This is über-excited me, counting down the hours until I see my boys in Nashville. Yeah, I'm a tad bit giddy (and a little cheesy, I know).

I know, I’ve droned on for days about the upcoming U2 concert so, apologies if you’re a bit sick of hearing it. But, I can’t even begin to tell you how much I am looking forward to this weekend, on so many levels: seeing my favorite band, enjoying time away with Hubby in a cool town like Nashville, and chilling out over a three-day weekend. This week has been CRAZY at work, so I really need some down time to just decompress, as I'm sure we all do.

Friends, have a wonderful 4th of July. I just know it's going to be a Beautiful Day.
First image property of jmw-aplacetodwell and second from u2tourfans.com

Exile on Main Street

In honor of my husband and his great love for the Rolling Stones, I must blog about today’s re-release of the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street, one of their most iconic albums. In addition to the legendary tracks, the re-release also features 12 never-recorded songs, some that didn’t even have lyrics until recently. To catch a sneak preview of some of the new songs, as well as an interview with Mick Jagger, listen to this clip from NPR. I really liked the sound of “Plunder My Soul.” Good tune.

If you like Exile on Main Street, what is your favorite song from the album? For me, it's a toss-up between “Sweet Virginia” and “Tumbling Dice.” Although, I really like “Shake Your Hips,” too. It’s hard to choose! Hubby has seen the Stones several times in concert. I’ve seen them once, with Hubby and a group of friends, about four years ago. They performed at Churchill Downs, in the pouring rain, and it was awesome!

House update: believe it or not, we actually had an offer on our house this past Sunday! We’re going through the countering process right now, so we’ll see how it goes. In the meantime, there’s another showing this afternoon, so we’re getting good traffic. Yea! Thanks to everyone for your prayers and kind words! Whatever is meant to be, will be.
Photo by Dominique Tarl, courtesy of NPR

I'm Digging this Music...

One of my favorite bands, Vampire Weekend, has just released their second CD, “Contra.” I’m so jazzed because I love this band. If you’re not familiar with Vampire Weekend, they’re an Ivy League-educated, madras-wearing group of young guys who sound as if they’ve been inspired by Paul Simon’s “Graceland,” but with more of an indie/punk flavor.

I purchased their self-titled debut album after hearing an interview with them on NPR a few years ago. Their sound reminds me of summer vacation. You can totally imagine yourself listening to these guys on the outdoor deck of your favorite beach town’s watering hole, Red Stripe in hand, as you sport a polo shirt (collar popped, of course) and Eliza B. flip flops (with a little sand between the toes).

So, if you want to be transported to a warm, happy place through some great music, check out Vampire Weekend. Because, baby, it’s cold outside.
Image courtesy of vampireweekend.com

Kings of Leon

Damn, I love this band. Listened to them on the way into work this morning. Great way to get the day started.
Image courtesy of last.fm

Keith Urban - Oh my!

Quick update on Saturday's Keith Urban concert: Whoa. He's one Hottie McHottie. I hope Nicole knows what she has there. For someone I knew very little about prior to the concert, I was quite impressed with the show he put on. It made up for the fact that we sat in traffic for close to two hours just to get in the gate (it was during the Kentucky State Fair - don't get me started). Pat Green opened - I was bummed for my sister-in-law, Anne, because we were late for her meet-and-greet with Pat. But, we did hear him perform. He even did a brief tribute to U2 by singing "With or Without You" so he made a new fan in me by doing that. Then, Keith hit the stage and performed for more than two hours. Shew - it was awesome!

So, thanks, Anne, for such a fun girls-night-out! I am definitely going to get his new CD. Woo hoo!

What to wear?

Would you wear this to a country music concert?

My must-have for fall: The Paley Sweater from Lilly Pulitzer

I’m really looking forward to this weekend because my sister-in-law and her boys are coming to town for a visit. During her visit, she and I are going to the Keith Urban concert tomorrow night. Now, I’ve never been to a country music concert. In fact, I’m not really a country music fan. The only thing I know about Keith Urban is that he’s married to Nicole Kidman. But, I thought it would be a fun thing to do with my SIL, so I’ve made the commitment to venture into new territory.

Now, here’s the question: what the heck do I wear? Jeans? A sundress? Luckily, the temperature is supposed to drop a bit this weekend, so it won’t be too awful hot.

I’m thinking the outfit from J Crew above, perhaps with jeans rather than shorts, would be cute to wear to a concert. I’m sure I’ll find something.

BTW, has everyone seen the Paley sweater from Lilly? This is an item I MUST have. It’s too cute for words.

TGIF, folks. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
Images courtesy of J Crew and Lilly Pulitzer

Diana Krall

Did anyone catch Steve Inskeep’s interview with Diana Krall on NPR’s Morning Edition today? I love Diana Krall. I have several of her albums. In fact, I remember browsing at Joseph Beth Bookstore in 1995 or ’96 and coming across her CD. I had never heard of her before, but I gave it a listen and was hooked. It was a tribute to the Nat King Cole Trio. Now, whenever she releases a new album, Hubby always knows it would be a welcome stocking stuffer.

Krall just exudes cool; her music, her repertoire. She’s one cool lady. And, she’s married to one of Hubby’s favorites, Elvis Costello. That’s super cool. She’s also mom to twin two-year-old boys, which I think is pretty cool, too. Did I mention I think she’s cool?

Her latest album, Quiet Nights, is dedicated to Brazilian music, but with her quintessential twist on classic hits. I don’t think I can wait until Christmas to get this CD.
Image courtesy of www.npr.org.

Some dinner music...

Just finished making dinner for the kids, as I play the role of single mom this weekend. While they watched Toy Story 2 for the umptenth time (I know, I'm such a bad mom), I baked a chicken dish. So, to lift my spirits a bit, I played some Sam Cooke while cutting vegetables. I just love "Bring it on Home to Me." Gorgeous. gorgeous song. I also had to listen to some of the Garden State soundtrack and litte Peter Gabriel. To say my music tastes are diverse is an understatement. But, I guess when you grow up in a house where Motown and folk music are well revered, your music choices are likely to be eclectic, to say the least.

Sadly, I cannot make it to the Forecastle Festival tonight. Widespread Panic and the Black Crows are playing at the Belvedere in Louisville. Ugh. Last year we went and took in some cool tunes. I guess I'll have to count on next year.

By the way, if you happen to be in the area over the next month, be sure to catch Molly Rucks's exhibit at the Zephyr Gallery. She's our neighbor's daughter and is an amazing photographer (her photo is featured above). Since the gallery is close to where I work, I may head down there one day during lunch.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Molly Rucks photography courtesy of Zeyphy Gallery.

U2

My favorite band of all time is U2. Love, love, love the boys from Dublin. They released their latest album this week and are supposedly announcing their 2009 tour plans on March 9. I am hoping the tour will call for a stop in Louisville - perhaps Churchill Downs? Within the last couple of years, we've seen the Rolling Stones and The Police perform at Churchill. It's quite an amazing concert venue. Since that time, I've been hoping for another power house band to perform there and U2 is the only group that would live up to those expectations.

I've been trying to track down any information about where they're going to perform but mums the word for now. So, readers, have any of you heard if U2 is coming to Louisville? Or the tri-state area at least?
Photo courtesy of www.u2rockband.com.