On Tuesday night I attended the Release Party for the new Bizmarks self-titled CD project. This was a great night with my friend Tim Bridgham and Katie Falk opening before the Bizmarks took the stage. Aaron Mitchum wrote the lyrics and music for the new project. Aaron was involved as a student in Youthfront and now serves on staff. It has been so fulfilling watching Aaron develop as an artist, a leader, a youth worker, a budding theologian, a husband and a soon to be father. Aaron has matured significantly over the last couple of years as an artist. I really, really like this new project. A couple other friends from my church also play in the band which is also a cool thing. The only thing missing this night was Paige, Aaron's wife, who plays the violin but was in California. Below are a few pictures from the Release Party. I especially like the nice Youthfront product placement picture with Aaron. Check out the CD on iTunes here.
I seem to be on a good run of finding new, really good music.
Micah, my son, has recommended The Script, a three-member band from Dublin, Ireland. Good songwriting, very catchy songs. I bought their entire recently released project. Most of the time I pick a song or two but this is worth buying the album. Ian Cron recommended Estonian Composer Arvo Part and played me a couple
of his pieces. I’ve always loved classical music. Part’s music is celestial. Check out 7 Magnificat Antiphons: IV. O Schlussel Davids and Berliner Messe: VIII. Agnus Dei.
On a break during the Reclaiming Paul Conference Tim Bridgham and Micah Thomas were playing Max Richter. I’m stricken by On the Nature of Daylight from his 2004 album The Blue Notebooks. Here is the video from YouTube
NPR recently highlighted Adele and School of Seven Bells. Adele is twenty years old and describes her musical style as “heartbroken soul.” Even though Adele attended the famed BRIT School in Croydon, UK, it was her MySpace that actually catapulted her career to stardom. Get Adele’s entire project 19, great stuff. Her video Chasing Pavements is worth a watch - here.
I was telling Youthfront staff member Erik Leafblad about Kristen May, a friend and
student who was involved in Youthfront and has a band called Vedera. I recently connected with Kristen and her husband Jason at Starbuck’s. They are currently opening for The Fray on their current tour (I will come back to The Fray). I watched Kristen sing publically one of her first times during a trip I led to Hungary and Romania. She was really shy then, not anymore. They play in KC on New Years so I hope to catch them.
OK, back to Erik. Erik followed up my story about Kristen told me about his high school buddy Justin Vernon, who fronts the group Bon Iver. Justin has a very unique voice and style. Erik said to watch for him on Letterman, here it is
Now, back to The Fray – their new song You Found Me pre-released ahead of the album is a great preview hopefully of more good music to come.
Finally, while I was hanging out with the Affeldt’s in Spokane before Christmas we exchanged several music interests. Jeremy turned me on to Mat Kearney. The Nothing Left to Lose album is all good.
So what have you discovered that you would like to pass on?
My post "New Favorite Group" has led to really considering "Are there other great groups out there which might vie for the distinction of this label?" Thanks to Jim Newberry for hitting me with this multi-talented music/dance troupe...
I walked into Jacob's Well this afternoon and saw Deth Im and Tim Bridgham diggin' on some ground-breaking new edge music. I'm instantly hooked and look forward to their appearance on Saturday Night Live this fall and hopefully a Sprint Center gig.
A few of us scurried away early from the Summer Institute to attend the Sigur Ros concert at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City. My daughter, Jessica, and boyfriend Micah saved me a seat because Uptown is general admission. The last time Sigur Ros came to Kansas City I wasn't there but I heard for weeks from the likes of Aaron Mitchum, Nick Pickrell, Tim Keel, Moe Didde, and many more how unbelievably awesome and other-worldly the music and performance of Sigur Ros was. I decided I couldn't miss this show especially since the word on the street is that this band from Iceland were only doing a handful of US shows this year - Kansas City being one.
Wow, they almost lived up the unrealistic expectation that had been created by my circle of friends. This was an intriguing show. I kept trying to compare the music of Sigur Ros to something that seemed familiar to me. Halfway through the show, I made the connection with the similarities of this music with some Chinese Opera that I've heard. Chinese Opera? Well, I would say Chinese Opera set to a very contemporary and way cool world music. The combination of string quartet, brass section, percussion varieties, and the antique foot pump organ, along with all the other instruments common with Sigur Ros added up to quite an amazing demonstration of musicality and showmanship. I particularly loved lead singer Jonsi playing his electric guitar with a cello bow.
Sigur Ros are legendary for 7 to 10 minute songs and even refused an appearance on the David Letterman show because they wouldn't live within a four minute time frame. "Celebrities that have
either attended sigur rós concerts or raved about them in the press include
brad pitt, madonna, tom cruise, gillian anderson, jason lee, tommy lee, natalie portman,
david bowie, björk, moby, and bands such as metallica, red hot chili peppers,
bush, coldplay, foo fighters, rage against the machine, no doubt and radiohead." Sigur Ros was great fun and very inspirational... don't miss them if they come near you.
Last weekend we added one more thing to our busy weekend – the late night shooting of a music video at HyVee Supermarket. Nick Pickrell, who I relate to more and more as “friend” and “fellow revolutionary” instead of “the kid who grew up in my youth ministry,” is always creating something… most of the time – really good things. Nick and Dane
Casey (also one of my youth ministry kids turned adult friend) wrote a song called "Bucket of Babes" about going to the grocery store to meet “babes.” You gotta know these guys to realize how funny this is. Anyway, a bunch of college kids we know participated in the video, including our daughter, Jessica and her boyfriend Micah Thomas. Of course, Blue Springs is ecstatic right now about David Cook (American Idol) so several people thought the shoot might have something to do with him. It was funny to watch people coming in the store to shop take pictures and speculate whom the celebrity was. Nick, in an attempt to make the “babe ratio” go up, forced Vicki into a couple shots which totally humiliated my wife who wants no attention. And a fun time was had by all. I love my full life.
I remember being absolutely captivated within the first few minutes of the movie Once by the music of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. Vicki, Micah, Anne and I went to the movie because we knew it was set in Dublin, Ireland and we heard that the music was good. The music was more than good and the movie turned out to be one of my favorites of the year. The song "Falling Slowly" won an Academy Award for the Best Original Song of 2007. Last night Glen, Marketa and a cast of amazing musicians
performed Swell Season at the Uptown Theatre. This was a perfect venue for this show. It was also excellent to be there with more than two dozen YouthFront staff and/or alumni, more than 50 Jacob's Well staff and/or members, and a handful of friends on staff at Christ Community Church. Wow, what an experience, what a night.
The Khrusty BrothersCD Release Party was last night at the Record Bar in Kansas City. I knew that I should get there early in order to get in but it just didn't work out. Chris Folmsbee and I arrived around 6:30 to find a line stretching down the sidewalk. I peeked through the window and saw a venue full of close friends all snug and warm inside, laughing and have a grand time. I stood at the window a bit to ponder how much I would enjoy being on the inside participating in the party instead of standing outside in the deep freeze. The icy winds quickly caused me to abandon the hope of getting inside... bummer.
Recent Comments