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Music is one of my biggest life motivators. It is something I truly enjoy in the same way an oenophile loves a good glass of wine or a gastronome appreciates a fine meal. My life would be much less fulfilling without music. That being said, I am also one with strong opinions who knows what he likes and does not. This page primarily focuses on the former. |
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My favorites can vary from day to day. So this list is not set in stone. Think of it as more of a guideline that helps define my tastes and who I am.
Genres
Bands
Vocalists
Guitarists
Albums
Songs
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Here I am at a Halloween Party. The theme was to come dressed as your favorite decade. Guess what decade I was representing?
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On October 15, 2007, Cliff (a co-worker) and I left work and took the Metro into Georgetown. Norma met us along the way. We headed to the Barnes and Noble bookstore where Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue arrived for a book signing. He was promoting his new book, The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star. This book debuted at #7 on the New York Times Best Seller List. After reading The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band, I just had to have The Heroin Diaries. Cliff and I are big fans of the whole 80s heavy metal scene...especially Motley Crue. We could not possibly pass up a chance to meet what I consider the mastermind of the greatest metal band from that era.
Things were quite organized at the bookstore. I purchased two books...one for myself and one for a friend. Cliff did the same. There was a two book or two CD limit. We went to the third floor of the store to get in line. I'm guessing there were about 70 people in front of us. I gave my camera to Norma and she waited patiently on the second floor for Nikki's arrival. A few times, we heard people on the second floor chanting "Nick, Nick, Nick!" Eventually, the line began to move...but ever so slowly. 
Eventually, we got to see Nikki. For a guy ready to turn 49 on December 11, he looked great. He definitely has all his hair, not too many wrinkles, and was quite slim. Add to that the fact that several years ago he was a heroin addict and died, he looked fantastic! 
Nikki signed both my books then shook my hand. He seemed quite the gentleman. I heard him on a Sirius Satellite Radio Hair Nation interview and he seemed very intelligent and well spoken. With all he has going on, I'm amazed he found the time to come to Georgetown for a book signing. He's quite busy with his new band, Sixx: A.M., interviews, and promoting his clothing line. I'm sure he must also have a hand in the filming of The Dirt, a movie based on the book. 
Cliff and I were both quite pleased to have met Nikki. Norma seemed pleased that I was pleased. I can honestly say that Nikki met all my expectations. We went across the street for Vietnamese food then took the Metro back to Hyattsville. The time was about midnight by the time we got off the Metro. It was a long evening...but well worth it. |
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Norma and I went to church at All Souls Unitarian. The Reverend Rob Hardies gave an excellent sermon about Moses and Joshua. It all related nicely to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday and the Presidential Inauguration. Additionally, it set the tone for the rest of the day.
Afterwards, Norma, Thorston (a visiting photographer from Latvia), and I took a bus to the National Mall. As we neared the Washingon Monument, crowds began to form. It seemed everyone wanted to get near the Lincoln Memorial to see the inaugural celebration performance. Thorston ended up going his way while Norma and I walked around and looked for another entrance that might get us closer to the action. With 300,000 people expected, there were no short lines. We ended up standing about a third of a mile from the stage. Though it wasn't a great location, it wasn't bad and it was certainly a much better view than the one John Paul Jones had. I wonder why they put the Led Zeppelin bassist in a Napoleon hat. 
We stood on a manhole cover which put us a few inches above most people. To our back, thousands stood closer to the base of the Washington Monument. 
Through my binoculars, I could see the Obama family walk across the stage. I couldn't make them out clearly but it was obvious that the silhouettes I saw from afar were the ones that appeared on the giant television screens in front of us. Bruce Springsteen opened the show. 
He was followed by several other acts including Mary J. Blige, Jon Bon Jovi, Bono, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renee Fleming, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, John Mellencamp, Usher, Shakira, and James Taylor. Norma and I stuck around until Garth Brooks finished his performance. We wanted to beat the crowd to the Metro. While we were leaving, we caught a bit of Bono's show. It seems I've dated myself by referring to him as Bono Vox (the name he used in the 1980s)...and I still refer to John Mellencamp as John Cougar. Speakers included Joe Biden, Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah, Denzel Washington, Tiger Woods, Jack Black, and Tom Hanks. I think I would have preferred if Jack Black had sung with Tenacious D but maybe it is just as well he didn't since the censored versions would not have been to my liking. Unfortunately, we missed Beyonce, Barack Obama's speech, and the finale. I thought it would have been nice if Steven Tyler, Kid Rock, and Alice Cooper had performed. I would have loved to have seen Alice sing "Elected": And if I am elected I promise the formation of a new party A third party, the Wild Party! While the performance was for the voters and Barack Obama, the real star of the show was Obama himself. The crowd went wild whenever the camera shifted to our soon-to-be 44th President. The whole event was a very positive and uplifting one. 
The last eight years has seen a significant amount of polarity in our country. Like Lincoln, Obama is working to pull the country together, regardless of political party. Hence, the name of the event was simple and appropriate: We Are One. |
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I attended the annual West Virginia Barbeque and Bluegrass Festival, also known as Pickin' in the Panhandle. I went to this on September 12, 2009 with Norma but then we only caught the final act of Friday and the morning acts of Saturday. This time I wanted to be around to enjoy much more.
I sent out an e-mail to a LOT of people, inviting them to join me. Steven J. (a kayaker) bought his ticket for both days but ended up not going, due to work committments. In the end, I attended on Saturday with Joyce and Jimmy then on Sunday with Norma and Jessica (Norma's intern), shown below. 
We saw several bands but the ones I remember best are the following: I was hoping to save money by buying CDs at the event directly from the performers but at $15 per CD, that was not the case. I was also hoping to get to taste some of the entries in the BBQ contest but I think only the judges got to eat the entries. The rest of us were limited to the vendors. Not that the vendor food was bad but I was hoping for more. The food was a little expensive too. The campground was just o.k. Very simple. Lots of porta-johns and water for washing your hands but none for drinking unless you bought bottled water. So bring lots of your own drinking water. No showers at the campground either. One thing that was nice is that I saw no mosquitos. Bring your own chair if you sit at the main stage. They have a few hay bales for sitting on but these are limited. The sun can get pretty intense so bring a hat and sunscreen. If you've got one of those chairs with the roof, that's even better. Don't worry about bringing a lowrider chair. The stage is elevated enough so you can bring a regular chair. The performers were very talented. This is definitely the place to go if you love bluegrass music. Overall, I had a good time. Next year I might just go for one day. I was a little disappointed that so few of the people I invited came out. But at least I had good people with me. |
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You might be a metal nerd if you get 20 or more of the following questions correct. No using books, magazines, the internet, other people, etc. Just answer using what little you have between your ears. These questions are all centered around what I consider classic hard rock.
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Appealing to our sense of sin
Bands I wish I saw
Osborne
Rock star hair
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