Start spreading the news....

Today was promote the bands day. On Wednesday, March 19, I am going to see Sherwood and We Shot the Moon, The Higher, Houston Calls and Allred. It should be a great show! I've never been to the venue before, also known as "The Circuit" so I have no idea what to expect there. I ran in to Allred's manager at the Angels and Airwaves concert and told him I'd put a few up at the local Graywhales, also known as, a small area chain of cd/games/video exchanges.

On April 4, I have a ticket to see Mae w/ the Honorary Title, Between the Trees and Far Less. I have been a big fan of Mae's since about 2005. The first time I saw them it was in May. I loved the sound of saying that I was going to see Mae in May.
I volunteered to promote the concert. As a result, I will be on the guest list, although I have a ticket already. I do this for love, ya know. I had hoped to have flyers to hand out at the Angels & Airwaves concert on March 4 and the Matchbox 20 concert on March 6, but some of the posters arrived just after I left for the show with another envelope of posters and stickers arriving the following day. In one of the envelopes were the instructions. I gave some thought as to timing and decided that Saturday would be my best shot at getting things up. So today, I printed venue, date, time, etc. and affixed them to the posters and set out on the road. IT was a very long, but very productive day.

First stop wasn't far. I just went up the street and around the corner to a small coffee shop I'd been wanting to check out called Bikini Coffee. It was actually a nice little shop and I was able to order a Peach Italian Soda without the cream and it was quite good. They I asked if I could put up concert posters and was given permission. I could barely reach enough to put them up, however. Yes, I am vertically challenged. I should just take a portable stool with me next time I try this. LOL




Then I headed out in ernest for Bountiful, Salt Lake City and Taylorsville.
In Bountiful I stopped at one of the Graywhales and it looked as though they knew
I was coming and cleared the way for my posters. That was so very kind of them. ;) I got permission to hang the posters, took a few pics, went over and looked at their new releases and headed off to the next site, although not before I left a few Mae stickers for their counter top.


I had seen another music/cd place called, Music to the Maxx, a few weeks earlier while meeting with friends at a restaurant in Bountiful, so I decided to check it out. I was so very glad I did! The young folks working there were extremely excited about Mae. I told them they were coming on April 4, and gave them information they could use to get their tickets. They said posters should be no problem and their manager loves that sort of thing. She wasn't available, but in the end, they put the posters up then and there so I could photograph them. LOL I also left them with stickers. I was now jazzed and ready to head out to stop number 3.



Stop No. 4 is a local/indie type cd shop in Salt Lake City known as Slowtrain. The young lady at the counter was extremely friendly and helpful. I asked about the posters and was granted permission to put them up, so of course, I put them up! LOL
I also left a few Mae stickers for the counter. While I was there I asked about Benton Paul's cd, as I had to miss his cd release party to see Mute Math, et al., and she listed it as being available through their store on March 18. I thanked her for all her help, took my photos and left for the next location.




I didn't really get enough Sherwood posters, so I stopped and made a few b&w 8-1/2x
11" copies and some small flyers made up to take along at Staples. The guy at the counter was really helpful, and I asked him if he ever went to concerts. He said as a matter of fact he did, so I told him about Mae on April 4. As it turns out he's a Mae fan, and he also commented on my Mae tee. I gave him a sticker and also left one of the Sherwood flyers with him. On the way out the door, I spotted a couple of interesting items in the clearance bin for 50 cents each and picked them up. After I paid for them, I gave the gal at the register a sticker, and also to a customer there and told them about the show.

I wasn't quite sure which direction to head next, but I ended up passing Wild Oats, so I turned around and went back. I stopped to see if they had any place for posters, but they really didn't. So, instead I gave stickers to a few people and told them about the show, made a quick purchase (soy sour cream substitute) and headed for Beans & Brews 906 S 500 E in Salt Lake City. There is another on S. State that I never managed to get to this time around. As it turns out, I found another Mae fan working the counter at Beans & Brews, so she was very excited to hear about the concert. I put up the posters, took a few pics, bought a muffin (ended up being 2 for 1 because it was after 4 p.m.) and headed for the next place on my list.


The Graywhale on 208 S 1300 E is rather close to the college. It looks almost as much like a house as a cd exchange, except for the large blue "Graywhale" on the exterier, and a cool looking sign with a dolphin out front. Parking on the street is limited, and I didn't see any. I had to fork over $2 to park behind the store.
I was able to get posters up there and take pics, although I had a bit of a time again being considerably shorter than the place they have designated for posters. I did manage, though. Again I left some stickers. (Is there a pattern here?)



My next plan was The Avalon and Bad Ass Coffee. I had thought it was one of the other places that closed at 7 p.m., but it turned out to be the coffee place, so I missed that one. On the way from Graywhale, I got turned around and went 31 long blocks out of the way, but I did finally arrive at the Avalon. I thought for sure it would be bustling with concert activity, but the place was pretty dead (seems rather unusual for a Saturday night.) I taped a poster up on their poster area (usually it looks like they use staples), and hoped that tape was o.k. I'm sure they won't mind the poster, just not sure they like the method I used to post it. Anyway, I took a photo of the poster, and then the theater with the area the poster was in, and one of the pics must not have really been taken at all. While I was posting I heard all these sirens going off, so my first thought was "uh oh, busted" but it obviously wasn't from the venue. LOL

I got back in my car and headed for my last stop of the night, Graywhale in Taylorsville. I was able to put up the posters, leave some stickers, purchase "The Maine's" ep for $4.99 and get the requisite photos.


By that time, it had been well over an hour that I had really needed a potty break badly, so I went over to Albertson's and used their facility. While I was there, I spotted a tea that I love and hadn't been able to find here for some time. I really love Bigelow's Decaf French Vanilla, and places at my end of town had pretty much stopped carrying the decaf version. I bought all three boxes at Albertson's. Then I ordered small #1 combo at Wendy's, ate my burger, and headed for home. It was a long but very productive night.

I only missed two locations on my list and if I have a chance I will catch them later. I still have some more local stops to make this week, but it should not be quite as much of an effort to get to them since they are closer to home.

So there you have it... the adventures of a wayward old lady acting like a teenager once again.

Love, peace and joyful poster hanging,
Melanie

More Ramblings...

New entries to my wanderous ramblings:

Thoughts --

floating in a sea
like trying to catch a fish
the line's too short
elusive, escaping thoughts
try to catch a thought as it floats along

profound thoughts
lost thoughts
found thoughts
unwound thoughts

Meandering thoughts
looking for trails and clues
trying to find a needle in a haystack.
Lost in a maze
I can see the end, but I can't quite get there

I'm so very tired now, I can't believe I haven't collapsed in a heap right here. Well, I did doze at my desk for about 20 minutes or more. Tonight I saw Mute Math, Alanis Morisette and Matchbox 20. Those who know me know that I am a huge fan of the band known as Mute Math, and the guys in it as well. :) I don't think I can think clearly enough to recount the whole night's events, but I will very soon.

I'm going to put the doggies in their crate while I sleep.... sleep, perchance to dream? :)

Hope everyone is well and has a good day. :)

Peace Out,
Melanie

Sneak Preview:

Taking a Risk

I started a little notepad "ideas" page last night and added a little bit today. I thought I'd be a little vulnerable and post what I have so far. It's really not anything serious yet. The first bit ended up being a little bit rhymy and maybe a tad cheesy, who knows. I will play with it for a while. LOL

It's raining outside and the torrent is carrying me
It's raining inside and these clouds are all I see
The clouds that envelope and surround this place
with memories only time will erase.

Rain, rain go away come again another day.
Children's rhymes are so cliche
But there's truth to them in a simple way.

Rain, rain you're all I see
You have such a hold on me
I'm longing for simplicity
It's time to let you go

I want to be an optimist today.
The glass isn't half empty, nor is it merely half full
Half is just a pit stop on the way to overflowing.
I wish I knew where this was going. ;) LOL

Lots to say, but nowhere to start...

There has been so very much going on lately, that I have no idea where to start. LOL

I'm back at work. This is a good thing, overall. I have to get out and live in the real world for a while, and the pay definitely doesn't hurt. Things have been a bit tight, but I'm still supporting my concert habit. Just when I think I'll cut back several of my favorites will come to town. I love it too much, I guess.

I'm very excited to see Mute Math this Thursday! I'm also excited to see Angels & Airwaves, The Color Fred and Meg and Dia on Tuesday, but I don't know them quite as well and we haven't met yet. LOL I've been listening to TCF's cd this week a little and I think I'll like Fred's set. The downside is no photo pass. I'll request one this weekend, if I can figure out who to ask. LOL But this Thursday, I get to see one of my very favorite bands open for Matchbox 20. Roy says they will be at the merch tables after Alanis' set, so I'm double excited to actually get to see them!!! I not only love their music, but I'm quite fond of them as well. I don't know if they'll understand why, but I did blog about that very issue once. And, I found out some really good/happy news for a certain someone in the band, so I'm way more excited than I probably should be. Again, the downside is the camera thing. I hope they at least allow point and shoots. I can usually photograph Mute Math, and I would so be excited to get to in some decent lighting for once, but it would have to go through Matchbox 20 this time. Anyone know how to contact them? I just want to take pics of Mute Math (not that I wouldn't love the opportunity to photograph the others, just MM is more important to me.)

This week I had to put in 46 hours so that I could go to the shows. I was sweating it for a bit as work is denying all leave until March 14. I finally got approval last night, so it's a huge relief!! I had to turn copies of my tickets and my receipts.

In addition to the 46 hours last Saturday I was up at 6 a.m. (after working until 1 a.m., getting home around 1:30 and staying up until 4 a.m. to prepare) to work at the Steven Curtis Chapman concert. It was a very long day, but one with some good memories. I really wish I could have met Steven, but I had the opportunity to meet his sons and I thought they were very nice indeed. There wasn't a lot of time to chat, but it was really a pleasure meeting them just the same. I worked in catering, so I helped set up and prepare food. I made a trash run once.

One thing I can say about this tour is that it cemented my impression of tour bus drivers. They continue to be some of the nicest people. I guess bands wouldn't want them around otherwise, I suppose. I talked to one of the bus drivers a bit during breakfast. We are both lactose intolerant and he was looking for something he could drink. We talked about Lactaid and Soy Milk, and he had a runner take him to the store a little later and came back with some Lactaid and said it was for me. LOL I thought that was really sweet! So, you know I had to have some with my lunch.

For the concert I purchased a reserved seat in the front row. Someone made an error and treated the seating in the VIP section as open for the first few rows. So, I had a little argument with the person in my seat to no avail. I spotted a seat between 2 couples dead center front row and finally gave up and sat there. I felt badly for the person that should have had that seat, though. Anyway, it was only the second time at that sort of venue for me, and overall things went well. Word has it that Steven and company were quite happy and want to come back, so that makes my day! He said they were treated like gold. That's how it should be.

After the show, I hung about outside the meet/greet for a few minutes, but only a few. I was sort of hoping to be able to go in but there was work to be done, so I was feeling I should help. It was good, though, because I got to talk to a few friends there, met Will Chapman and others. During the concert there was a collection to help offset expenses for an adopting family. I met them before the show and afterward they were in the catering area and I got them all drinks. I really enjoyed meeting them a lot and hope I can see them again sometime. They are a beautiful family. I managed to get some pics of them on the stage at the end of the show as well.

It was a very long day. I don't think I can remember being so very tired but it was worth it. So many good things happened. As usual, I have to struggle with my more selfish side of things sometimes which I always hate, but it's probably a good thing to work through this somehow.

As for the rest of my life, I have my days and nights totally swapped. I was up until after 7 a.m. and woke up around 3. It's 6:43 p.m. and I'm still at the computer in my nightgown. Don't get too excited, it's cutesy but that's all. ;? My feet are cold, but inertia has set in, so I've done nothing about it. The plan was to go to Olive Garden tonight with our gift card, but Ed has settled in for the day, so it's unlikely. As I thought about it, Sunday evening would be better as there are fewer crowds and Ed hates crowds. I love the OG, though. :) If I could eat there twice a day I'd be happy except I'd probably look more like a blimp than I already do.

Things are busy, but I just want to sit here a while. A nice warm shower sounds good. I think that's my next stop.

God's blessings,
Melanie

Steven Curtis Chapman, photo blog

It's late, so I will try to write about the Steven Curtis Chapman concert later, but for now, here are some photos from the evening:

Colbie Caillat

I rather enjoy Colbie Caillat's voice, so when I saw that she was going to be in Salt Lake City, I purchased a ticket. The show was scheduled for Dec. 19 and I was rather hoping I would be furloughed before the date. I had already used much of my leave on my trip to California, as I wasn't expecting to be at work in November. As it happened, I was furloughed on the 18th and breathed a huge sigh of relief. As I prepared for the day of the concert, I double-checked everything online to find out that Colbie was sick, and the show had been post-poned. So, I just prayed for a time when I wouldn't be working, and that it would NOT be on a Friday. The concert was rescheduled for Friday, Feb. 15. Lucky me. ;)

As things worked out, I was only called back to work on the 13th, and when I mentioned that I had plans for Friday, I was told I could start on the 19th. So I was free to enjoy the show without worry (although the extra couple of days of income would have been nice.) The biggest issue, then, turned out to be what time to head for the venue on a Friday to a general admission, sold out show. I figured after noon was probably o.k., although sometimes people start showing up quite early. Sometimes hardly anyone shows until an hour before the show. I showed up at 1 p.m. Most people didn't. For the bigger part of the day I talked to someone I recognize that works a lot of the shows, when he was available (which wasn't often), listened to my Zune, occasionally answered questions about the concert and stood around. The big excitement was when in a moment of complete grace, I knocked some sort of blue light tube onto the ground and shattered it. Had my parents had been a tad more sarcastic, they could have named me "Grace".

At any rate, I made it to the show, barely made the front row because they had about 40 or so people in a meet and greet that beat me to the stage, but I asked someone and they let me in next to them. Phew! It was a pretty good spot and pretty much right in front of Colbie.

The biggest and nicest surprise of the night was looking up at the stage and seeing Jacob Luttrell in front of the mike. Sometimes I get excited over little things. Jacob used to sing backup for Clay Aiken, and I'd met him several times before. He is living in Utah now (which I knew), and he was opening for Colbie (which I definitely didn't know.) He has a rather bluesy sound and a gorgeous voice. I really enjoyed his set quite a lot, and it was well received. After the show, I met him at the merch table, picked up his cd and chatted. He did remember me, which was kinda cool. He looked very happy and relaxed and was very gracious when the camera wasn't co-operating for a photo. LOL



After Jacob performed the next artist to take the stage was Trevor Hall. Trevor has rather a Jamaican sound to his songs, which made them a little different and very fun. Turns out he isn't from Jamaica at all, but from South Carolina. I was standing next to probably one of his biggest fans. Apparently Trevor's biggest fan and I weren't the only ones that enjoyed his set. He neglected to tell us who he was, so everyone was yelling at him to tell them. They all wanted to know. He really played off the crowd and seemed to enjoy himself. It didn't hurt that he was adorable. I also had an opportunity to talk to Trevor and Chris a bit and get photos. I bought a cd/ep set because he made me an offer I had a hard time refusing. :)




After Trevor played it was time for Colbie Caillat. As is quite often the case, the crowd couldn't wait and started chanting for Colbie. It really wasn't all that long before she came to the stage. I was really struck by how pretty she really is. Her online photos don't do her justice. She didn't talk a lot during her set, although she did a few times. It was most fun when she interacted with the band, which she did well. The band was funny a few times. I saw one of the guitarists (I think his name's Justin toss something at the keyboardist who tossed it at the drummer. It was pretty funny. I'm not sure how many people noticed. At any rate, Colbie has an absolutely beautiful voice, and it was rather nice to be listening to her sing withoug being shoved into the railing. A good portion of the crowd had probably never been to that particular venue. There were people of all ages there including children, so it's obvious she has a very broad appeal. I can see why. I never felt at all cheated by Colbie's set. Not only was her voice gorgeous, the set seemed to be just about right length-wise. I thought I missed my chance at the set list, but then noticed that someone there was still unclaimed and was able to persuade some nice member of the stage crew to hand it to me. I know there is at least one encore song (a duet with Jacob Luttrell) that is not listed, but I love having it as it helps me to remember. I'm always excited when I can get a set list. LOL






After the show, I went to the merch tables and pretty much headed for home. As I was getting into my car, I saw Tim Fagan, one of Colbies' guitarists, (or his Twin? LOL) walk past me. I started to say that I enjoyed his music, but he was making a cell call, so it didn't seem appropriate, so I got situated for the drive home and headed out.




It took a while to get home as the wonderful folks at UDOT had the road closed at Hwy. 89 with signs to take the Park Lane (or Ave, or something) detour. I have no idea where that detour is as I sure never saw it. I ended up on 89. Luckily I knew how to get back from there, but it was a bit longer route. I stopped and got gas for my trip to Vegas and spent pretty much all night trying to make my computer work so I could put up some pics.

I hope you enjoy them.

God's blessings,
One Tired Melanie

Local Talent, who knew?

James Belliston:

Spiral Diary:

Josh Rosenthal:

Benton Paul:

John Allred:


I just watched last night's American Idol through the magical and wonderful courtesy of DVR. I happen to notice that one of the better singer's was a 16 year old from Murray, UT. That's really not too far from here at all. So, thinking about our local talent scene, I am taken back to last Saturday night, February 9.

Saturday the plan was to head out to Sandy, UT (a hop, skip and a jump from Murray, pretty much) and attend John Allred's cd release party. I had received a note via myspace telling me that me and my camera were loved. Now how can you not go where you are loved? ;) At any rate, I was having second thoughts only because I wasn't feeling the best. I wasn't really sick, but I felt rather disconnected and spacey. However, I had said I was going to show so I figured I should. The drive out seemed inordinately long. I was paying attention the the road and traffic o.k., although I secretly hoped no one would do anything stupid right in front of me just in case. Gratefully no one did. I kept forgetting to pay attention to where I was, though, and I'm pretty happy that I did notice in time not to miss my exit. This time I found the Solid Ground Cafe pretty easily. Normally I'm at shows quite early. This time my camera and me arrived and I was there only a little more than a half hour before the show. I think there was another couple, but they didn't wait outside.
I had a nice visit with Rhet who lined up behind me about 23 mintues before things were to get going. Wow, he is a big Allred fan! We had a conversation about promoting bands, and who was up and coming. :)

Finally the doors opened, I purchased my ticket (and was asked who I had come for) and headed for a spot near the stage. I sat there for a minute or two and then took out some of my camera gear and began to figure out the lighting. The lighting at Solid Ground is interesting to say the least.The place began to slowly fill up and actually ended up being rather packed. It was good to see.

Then it was time for the show to start. There were five artists all playing acoustic sets. First up was James Belliston. I really enjoyed his set a bit and was impressed. I took pics as I usually do when allowed to. Spiral Diary (Dave) played next. As he finished setting up the stage, he brought out a disco ball and a couple of blue lights that he kept at the side of the stage. Then he jumped up and turned the light switch off with his guitar. So much for pics. I can do low light, but no light doesn't work well. I tried one with blue lights that was quite dark, and one with flash. Then I took out the point and shoot and took a few flash photos and put it away again. I took those just to have something. Dave's set was really good, and had I brought enough cash I would have purchased his cd, but I will be getting it soon. Next up was Josh Rosenthal. He started out singing a song he "wrote just last week" called Blackbird. And if you guessed it was the version of Blackbird that was originally performed by the Beatles, you get a gold star. I laughed. I did enjoy Josh's set. I've heard his EP, but he sounds much better live. He was also very personable onstage. After Josh played, it was time for Benton Paul to perform. Benton was also very personable on stage. At one point he called a couple of gals from the audience to come up and dance on stage and they did. It looked like they were having a great time. Benton had a very nice listening voice, and a great falsetto. I like falsetto, but it has to be good!

Finally it was time for John Allred to play. I took pictures and listened intently and it was good. :) John started off by having everyone sit down so everyone could see. It pretty much meant I wasn't going to be walking around taking pics. LOL At one point John turned out the lights by shimmying up the pole (wasn't quite ready for that one) and took a very bright, white, light bulb to the center of the room and played from there for a song. After the show, there was a clamour made for an encore, and there was indeed an encore. After giving due applause, I headed over to the merch table to by a cd or two, and ended up talking to Josh a bit and buying his ep. Then I went over and purchased John's new cd, "Parades".

I talked to a few people and left for home, making a brief pit stop at Wendy's.
I really enjoyed all of the artists and I'm so glad I went.

Peace out, Melanie

Luck

I've always been told that I have a lot of Irish in me somewhere. But if the Irish have luck, this week it's rather hiding and not really the best 'o' luck, so to speak. Sorry to be so cryptic. I'm an open book, but it involves other people, so I can't say much.

Anyway, sometimes Thiessen says things that just mean a lot, and I don't think he realizes it. LOL

I love this. Just had repeat it because I needed to hear it this week.

"There is no bad luck... just trials traveling in packs. When it rains it pours, but after it pours it stops.
Matty"

I think my umbrella is about to collapse with the weight of all that rain. So, it can stop now. LOL

Still with everything, I know there are people that are so much worse off than I.
I can't decide if that's a comfort or not. I'm not overall unhappy, if that's how it seems. Just a lot is going on.

God's blessings to ya!
--Melanie

P.S. I was in the car listening to Jason Morant (very much under recognized Christian artist, imho) and feeling a tad spacy. Anyway, just composed something in the car on the fly... don't know if anything will come of it. I can't believe I remembered it. LOL

Draw out my soul
Bring me to life again
Intertwine me with you
Make me whole.

Silver State Helicopter Fiasco

The more I read, the more I think this should be a criminal investigation.

http://www.news10.net/video/player_news10.aspx?aid=51544&bw=

--Melanie

Two of my favorite artists played for the Music Cafe at Park City during the Sundance Film Festival, Eisley & Melee. All of the artists were Warner Bros. artists. A small bit of the performances were made into a one hour special. You can see clips here. I believe it will be repeated on a few other dates. Anyway, I also rather liked Missy Higgins and Jeremy Lister on the show quite a bit. Check it out.. the clips aren't long, unfortunately. :(

http://fuse.tv/tv/thesauce/events/parkcity/videos/index.php

Hope you enjoy. :)

Melanie

Now what?

My son has been going to helicopter school. He was doing really well, scoring high on the tests. He had started flying already. Let me tell you that helicopter school is not inexpensive. He has some pretty sizeable student loans to cover the cost (this in addition to working his regular job.)

They closed the school.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_State_Helicopters

The worse thing is that they just disbursed a sizeable portion of funds 2 days ago.

So, he is back to less than square one and feeling a bit overwhelmed. I am hoping there is another school out there that will help pick up the slack. Pray that the lending agency will be able to get back the most recent disbursement so he at least has some hope.

Apparently Silver State had a school in Ogden as well. The exact same story.. the student loan funds were disbursed 2 days before the bankruptcy. It would be pretty tough to convince me they didn't know about this before they took the money, which to me means they took the money out of false pretenses. This really is criminal, imho.

http://deseretnews.com/article/content/mobile/0,5223,695251025,00.html
http://www.inergizedigitalmedia.com/story.aspx?content_id=B8
85CFC3-3F2D-484B-AFE6-934E11B33D76

I don't know how some people sleep at night. :(

Thanks,
Melanie

Depression, etc.

This is a repost from my myspace blog last night. First I'd like to preface it with a few things the most important of which is that I am feeling a bit better today. I do have bouts with depression, probably hormonal most of the time, but not always. Usually something will trigger it, and the physical part will just last a bit longer than the emotional. Fortunately I can usually tell the difference, and for that reason it usually doesn't last long. I consider that a real gift. Secondly, I love my husband. He is still my best friend, but I don't think any one person will be able to meet every need I have. In fact, only God can do that in reality. Some of us just want more intimacy with more people than others. The feelings that I mention here are real and I still struggle with them. I want to be someone who's transparent, warts and all, although sometimes it can get complicated. LOL I figure I'm not the only one muddling through this life, and I am muddling a lot lately. LOL

Oh, I made both phone calls. The first one I stuttered like crazy trying to say what I wanted to say, left out some key info., but still went well overall so far and since I was able to follow up via e-mail, I think it will work out just fine. The other I left a message because the person was out. --Melanie

"Wow, this is the second time this month I've felt kinda down and rather isolated. The feeling down isn't so great, but I'm sure that will quickly pass. It usually does. What is bugging me most, I think, is that I really don't have anyone close to me. I need that. I mean my spouse, of course, but there are some things that we don't share much - like my love of concerts or my faith. We talk about it, but it's not something he is as passionate about as I am.

He's not very socially oriented, and I am. So, we have no couple friends. No one comes to my house for dinner. I go out with friends after church for lunch sometimes, but then I don't see them again until next Sunday. I love most of them dearly, and I fit there better than I've ever fit anywhere else, but that's all there is.

I like a lot of the artists I meet, and some I've seen for years now. But I'm still just a fan. I understand that, I honestly do, but it still makes me a little sad. I guess if I didn't like any of them it would be different. But I do.

People elsewhere have their own lives and families. I do some volunteer stuff, but I am on the inside, but not on the inside, if that makes sense. So, I feel like I'm on the outskirts of every relationship I'm in now, and I want more than that. And I still feel like I'm mostly an anomoly that everyone just tolerates. I guess that's all selfish, huh? But I can't help feeling that way. I will talk myself out of this eventually, and prayer helps. I'm just tired.

Then there's other things I can't blog about publicly. It just kinda piled up on me tonight. Everytime I think things are about to fall into order, disorder is right there behind it to knock me down. I just want to catch up, but can't get started; or when I start I am only treading water. I'm not lazy. When I have a specific task to do, I work hard. But I am overwhelmed.

Don't get me wrong.. I am very, very grateful for what I've had, for the opportunities I have been given. If I had no sorrow, the joys would somehow probably just be taken for granted. But I'm feeling sorta lonely and isolated tonight, and buried. Pray that I come up for air.

God's blessings to all,

Melanie

P.S. I know it's not the most important thing out there, but would love to have some prayer for tomorrow if you are the praying sort. I need to make a couple of presentations over the phone, and I am horrible at that sort of thing. I am very nervous about it, and the depression isn't helping!"

Love Many, Trust Few?

I was on myspace a night or two ago and someone had the following posted:

Love Many
Trust Few

My first instinct was to believe that this was a wonderful citation, and one with much truth in it; and in fact, it is the reality of this world we live in. We are forced to love within the constraints of reality at times. :(

On the other hand another question came to my mind -
how can you love completely and freely without trust?

I am pretty much a person that tries her best to trust until given a reason to do otherwise. Once that trust is violated, it is a bit of a road to earn it back. Given the sinful nature of man, and the real world, I suppose that is how it has to be for this day, but it's really sad.

How much more easily and freely we could love if we could trust. How much more unhindered would love be if we could live without cynicism.

And while I was pondering the implications of this and thinking about what it means to truly love, it also struck me that fear hinders our ability to love freely as well. I suppose the distrust that we have has some basis in fear (real or imagined)
and fear hinders love. Perhaps that is why perfect love casts out fear. The two have a difficult time co-existing. With perfect love (the kind only that God gives or inspires) fear must be cast out or love will be swallowed up by it. To be without fear, one cannot be self-centered or motivated. Fear has, at it's root, concern for one's own self. Love that would be perfect would be without fear which makes one free to just love without reservation.

That is the sort of love I long to experience. It is the love I hope that others can experience as well.

God's blessings,
Melanie

Note: Hopefully, I didn't go in too many circles there. Lord help me to be free to just love you, and through you love others without fear.

Melee at Kilby Court

Now I'm part of the entertainment

I'm sitting here trying to think of a way to give you a window into the time since I last posted a blog without writing yet another mini novel. I don't suppose it is any accident that the two vocabulary words that really stuck with me from high school were garrulous and loquacious. See, I'm already getting long-winded!

Friday the 18th, I headed out to Kilby Court to see We Shot the Moon. If you are not familiar with them, it is Jonathan Jones of Waking Ashland's band. The recorded version of the band includes Joe and Dan of Sherwood. If you are totally lost at this point, I can only suggest checking out myspace. Kilby Court is a small venue reminiscient of a large garage. I guess there is new ownership and they recently upgraded the sound. Let me tell you, it was the best thing anyone has done for shows here in a while. The sound was amazing. No struggling to make out words because of bad or distorted vocals. I don't know if I would have known the great sound was in part due to an upgrade, except Jonathan mentioned it. Let's just say that I had a great time at the show and the music was fantastic. I got to talk to everyone, since it's pretty difficult to avoid artists at Kilby, and enjoyed that as well. The show on Friday was an early show starting at 5:30 p.m. and ending by 8 p.m. Then there was a second concert. The downside to this was that there was no hanging out by the fire making s'mores. :(






Saturday, I made the drive to Sandy to the Solid Ground Cafe to see Brighten with Number One Gun, Sever Your Ties, S.A.W. and Larusso. Shortly after I arrived one of the bands got out of their van and had a snowball fight. I captured a great shot of one of them in the act, but unfortunately I didn't give the camera enough time to focus (in which case there would have been no pic. That was a bummer. Once the show started, all of the bands played well, although Sever Your Ties was too screamy for me for the most part. I have to say they have one of the better stage presentations, though and they were really fun to watch. I met and talked to the lead singer, Justin, after the show and he is just such a nice, fun person! Brighten was outstanding, as they were last time I saw them at the same venue. I was able to chat with Justin a bit (yea, too many Justin's - it gets confusing sometimes) and got a few good photos to show for it. After the show I bought a tee from Brighten, an ep from Larusso along with a stretchy shirt with hood. I wore it the next day and got several compliments. I also bought a cd from Number One Gun. In other words, I overspent. LOL It was a long drive home, but I had a good time.



Monday, I went to yet another concert to see Sound the Alarm open for Finch. The first band that played, Mury wasn't too bad. Their second song song was a little rough with the vocals at the beginning, but everything else had a pretty good sound.
Second, the band I came to see, Sound the Alarm played and put on a great show. I think they impressed some Finch fans that had never heard them before. After STA, some band played for an excruciatingly long time. Their music had no clear melody and one song droned into another. It was painful. I'll die if they read this, as I usually try to find good things to say, but seriously, I just wanted their set to end. I wish I could say I was alone in this feeeling, but I wasn't. Then Finch played. I have to say I liked the first two songs, but then they got screamy. SO, I went to the back to talk to STA and buy merch (a tee.) I watched Finch from the back. I did like the last song they played. IT wasn't screamy. LOL I didn't get a lot of great pics since the lighting wasn't exactly the best (story of the week), but I do think I have a few. Thanks to Savannah, I have a pic with the STA guys. The biggest downside, was dropping one of my 50mm lenses solidly on the cement flooring and breaking it in two. Not a happy moment. It isn't an overly expensive lens, and I have a back up, but I don't think the back up is quite as sharp for some reason. C'est la vie!



Tuesday I had just got a few things done, tried to work on some photos, and I got my hair cut. :)

The last night, Wed., the 23rd, I went to lunch with my husband and to the paint ball gun store (or whatever you call it) to get him something for his birthday. Yea, I ditched him on his birthday to go see Melee. It's o.k. He didn't seem to mind at all. He had a nice quiet time to work on his new toy! LOL Usually he is asleep pretty early anyway. I was supposed to have a meet & greet, which was funny since Kilby is so small. So, I headed for SLC and arrived at Kilby Court at about 4:05 p.m. As I am pulling into the alley, a white van was pulling out, and I thought I saw Ryan driving. I pulled over to let them drive by and saw Ricky in the passenger seat. He waved at me and I waved back. (Later I was told they were on their way to a radio interview.) When they finally arrived back at the venue, I saw Chris and gave him the C.S. Lewis book I had for him. He loved it. :) Then I talked to Chris for a while until I saw Mike by the fire pit (yes, Kilby has a fire pit) and took him some Pirate's Booty. He was pretty excited about it. That made my night. I didn't get much of a chance to see Ricky before the show and I didn't really talk to Ryan until later. I had something for Ricky, which he loves, but everyone else didn't. LOL And I had a birthday gift for Ryan. Matt White played first, and I enjoyed his set a lot. I met him before the show and gave him a hand warmer because he had no gloves and it was making me cold looking at him. LOL So, from the stage, he thanked me for it. AFterwards, I had the planned meet & greet, but since Until June wasn't playing at our show, Melee was kinda busy setting up for theirs. I had a place to the side of the stage where I thought I could get some pics. This time I should have been on the other side. I never seem to get the right spot with them. LOL
Anyway, they did set up, and the show was great! The sound was simply amazing and I think this is the first time I could really hear Ryan's background vocals well. I had hoped for Can't Hold On as part of the set, but it didn't happen. Chris told me he'd try to put in in next time (and I will do my best to hold him to that.) ;) I had the best time during their set. It was so fun and energetic. After the show I talked to all of the guys again and to Ryan and gave him his birthday gift. We talked about the Beatles, among other things. Someone came up to me and told me I was adorable. I told her that I don't think that is usually what most people think of when they see me, but she reiterated it and said that she was watching me as much as the band. LOL... so now I'm part of the entertainment. ;) I'm still not sure what to think of that. Melee is just too much fun to watch - much more fun than this semi-old lady acting silly while watching Melee. :) I hated to leave so early, but Melee was packing up, and then heading to Park City to open for Josh Groban. They were totally excited about it. :) I was excited for them!!!
Anyway, I got lots of hugs, which I love. I'm a hugging sort of person at heart. I finally walked to my car with Lauralee and her sister, and gave them a chocolate bar since s'mores didn't work out. Then I headed for home.







I figured my husband might be asleep, but I called him to tell him I was heading home and he was still up, so I stopped at Smith's and bought him a chocolate cake. I knew it had to be chocolate for him, but since I don't eat chocolate, I noticed that Smith's had individual pieces of white cake, so I bought one, so we could have cake together, and we did. :) I even sang Happy Birthday.



Peace out,
Melanie

Murphy's Law?

Murphy's law was in full effect today. The funny thing is that things worked out, timing worked out well, and considering, I didn't get overly stressed. I started to at one point, but it's amazing how well a little prayer works. I was probably bargaining a little as well... not that it works, but it's definitely human nature.

I woke up this morning. And although it took me a while to awaken fully, waking up and getting out of bed are usually good starts. It took a long while to finally feel like I was among the living. I let the dogs out of their crates, and got ready to leave. Now, I had a few chores I wanted to accomplish before I left, and just as I was finishing one of them up, my youngest daughter called. She wanted to know if she could have me transfer money to her friend for something she owed her and she would bring it over in a bit. I thought, I'll never get out of here, but I agreed. After all, everything in God's perfect timing, right? I will NOT stress about time! ;) I went to get my cell phone so I could get a message she sent with account info., and I see the words "No Service" displayed prominently on the screen. I thought it odd since, the same words were in the same place last night. I changed location -- still no service. So had to call T-Mobile. There were no service outages, so it must be the phone. I needed to take the sim card out. I was unsuccessful in that endeavor. I put the phone back together and got info. on the nearest store in Salt Lake City. The phone started working. So now I was leaving an hour later than planned, but I assured myself that God's timing was perfect and that I had plenty of time. I still needed to stop at Smith's to pick up my Nexium, so after loading the car with camera gear, etc., I headed for Smith's. As I was turning into Smith's the car suddenly got very hard to steer. I thought it had died, so I tried to restart the car -- only it was running after all. I had no power steering. I tried to call my husband to no avail. I went in got my prescription, picked up a few items and went to the car. I tried again. So, what's a girl to do. This crazy girl drove to SLC with the power steering cutting in and out. I went to Graywhale to run an errand for the Melee Street team, and saw a Tesoro across the street. I figured I'd go to the Tesoro and see if they could put in power steering fluid. My husband (when we finally connected) figured that the most likely cause. But first I thought maybe I'd get something to eat. I found a bagel place and bought a salad and a blueberry bagel with honey butter and some decaf tea. As it turned out, there was no decaf, only herbal (not a fan of hibiscus) so I got a refund for the tea. I sat down to eat, and when I went to take a piece off the bagel I got a little of the spread on my finger and licked it off. It tasted like garlic, and the texture was pretty odd for butter. I went back up to the counter and I asked what the spread was. "Honey butter," came the response. "It tastes like garlic, and it has a really weird texture for butter," I said. So, then another gal asked what I had on the bagel and I showed it to her. She said, "Oh, that's hummus." LOL So I had another bagel made with honey butter. Sorry, but blueberry and humus are not a match! At least I've tasted hummus now. LOL It's not bad, unless it's on a blueberry bagel, of course. So I decided to head to the Tesoro,
so I used my great muscular strength (tee hee) and made it across the street. There was a note on the door saying, back in 20 minutes. I wanted to get to Kilby Court, so I didn't want to wait andI headed out. Along the way I spotted a Jiffy Lube and stopped to ask if they could put in power steering fluid and asked how much it cost. I was told that they could, and then I realized that the guy never told me the price. LOL

The mechanic pulled my car into the bay and after waiting a few minutes in the lobby, he came over to say that he "hated to be the bearer of bad tidings. He checked the fluid which was full, and the belt which was fine and he thought it was the pump. Then Murphy's law took a little break -- he said he filled up the washer fluid and then told me that there would be no charge. Now, how often does that happen? LOL

Anyway, to make a short story long, I made it to Kilby about the same time as the band, about 15 minutes earlier than I had originally planned (although I had hoped to find a few coffee shops to put up promo along the way.) I read, waited in the car, and listened to Jon Foreman's acoustic ep, Winter, until around 5 and got out of the car. I had a little chat with some young ladies I knew from previous concerts and members of the band. Finally it was show time. Let's just say that We Shot the Moon put on an excellent show, and I had a great time. Pictures to follow soon. :) I put off driving home as long as possible, but I finally bit the bullet and headed out. The hardest part was really pulling out of the parking space, as it took all my strenght. Paulie (from the band) made a comment about it really being hard when you were going slow, and that helped a little on the way home. It was definitely true. It was easier to steer if I was going a little faster. Just a tidbit if you ever have to drive without your power steering. I made it home and my daughter was there. We visited a short time and she left.

Wish me luck... tomorrow I head for Sandy, UT. The chance of the power steering being fixed by then are slim to none. LOL

Peace out,
Melanie

Some people don't know when...

...to come in from out of the cold. The plan today was to head out to Orem, about 70 miles from home, to see One Republic. They are probably my mom's favorite band at present, and she absolutely loves Apologize. I have to agree with her that it's a great song. As a result during my visit, we (my mom, sister and I) saw One Republic as the main opener for Avril Lavigne at Jingle ball in Stockton. I was definitely impressed with Ryan's vocals. Stop and Stare is the one that hooked me and made me really want to go, however. The floor "seating" was general admission, so my plan was to get there insanely early. It figures that some cold air from Canada decided to pay us a visit. The weather reports, in all fairness, did warn me that it was coming, so I dressed warmly. The directions to the McKay Events center that linked from the website didn't work out so well. I ended up in Orem just fine, only I was at the dead end of a residential street behind the hospital. Something told me I wasn't going to see a concert there. SO I drove down the road and found a place to ask for directions. The place was Apple Spice something or other.. I think Junction? Anyway, it was a small restaurant. I walked in and they had a rack at the front with loaves of day old bread for $1, so I picked one up and asked directions. They worked out perfectly! I arrived at the McKay Events Center at 1 p.m. The concert started at 7:30 p.m. I was in for a long day. I read, listened to my Zune, paced, and waited for someone besides me to show up. People went in and out of the building until it was finally locked somewhere between 1 and 2 p.m. I ended up being the bearer of bad tidings (yes, the door is locked) to quite a few people. Finally about 3:30 p.m. three young ladies showed up to keep me company. I handed out little flyers for Melee's concert on the 23rd. One of the gals had a speaker, so we plugged it into my Zune and played Melee. Hopefully they'll come. The battery on my Zune died, which was odd as it usually lasts much longer. So, the gal with the speaker (did we get names.. I'm so forgetful anymore!) hooked up her iPod and played One Republic. Then her iPod died. We decided it must have been the cold. Brrrrrrr.....

After a rather long wait where no one could remember what it was like to feel their toes anymore, it was finally time to go in and enjoy the show. I was able to get in the front just left of center. It was a pretty good spot overall. I almost didn't make it to the front as I really ended up with a little scrutiny at the security table. I put everything in the car except a little wallet with a handle, my phone and gloves. The guy even opened my coin purse. That was weird. Then the wrist band guy got real slow on my wrist band and stood where I couldn't go around him. I'm still trying to figure out how that all happened! LOL But I made it anyway.

I'll skip the rest of the "gory" (well, not so gory, really) details and get to the show. I didn't look at the time, but it seemed like things started pretty much on time. The first band The Ivy League was pretty good. I particularly liked their song Hold On, and the part of their set where they set out barrels and each of them did percussion, stood on and generally entertained everyone with their showmanship. Next up was a band by the name of The Daylights. Let me tell you that I really was impressed with them. Two of the guys sang vocals and alternated. Their vocals were the first thing to impress me. I also happened to love the music, especially the song "Outsider". I decided that I would definitely pick up their cd. I also managed to snag their setlist. I love setlists. :) Then Eric Hutchinson played, and the very first thing I noticed was that he is 1,000 x's better live than what I heard on myspace. He sounded great. Not only that, but he was funny and a lot of fun as well. At the end of his set, it was time for One Republic to set up and finally take to the stage. One Republic was very polished in their stage presentation. About the third song in, they played Stop and Stare (their 2nd single) and I was a happy camper. LOL Their set, from the setlist was "Intro, Say, Mercy, Stop and Stare, All Fall Down, Tyrant, Goodbye Apathy, Won't Stop, Apologize, Prodigal, Someone to save..." Then there was raucous applause, hooting and hollering and chanting for an encore, and then Last Goodbye, and All We Are. It was a great concert!

Then I went back to the merch table, and bought too much stuff, met and talked to The Ivy League, and The Daylights. All in all I ended up with a tee shirt, an Ivy League cd autographed, and an autographed Setlist from the Daylights as well as their cd. Someone took a pic of me with The Daylights, with my phone, but it's really fuzzy. :( I didn't take my cameras because last time I was at that venue I was told that the venue policy was no cameras. I often take it anyway and leave it in the trunk, just to be safe, but this time I decided not to because it was so cold out. This time, they let point and shoots in. I could have had amazing shots even with a point a shoot, this time I think, but I was stuck with a camera phone that doesn't know how to focus well. But I have a ton of blurry pics to go through later. Hopefully there will be something I can at least look at from time to time. And next time I'll know. LOL

After chatting everyone's ear off at the merch table, I finally headed for home. I made one pit stop at Wendy's for a burger, and another to pick up my P.O. Box mail. Kevin Max's cd, The Blood was waiting for me as well as my ticket to see Sherwood on the 19th of March! So, in spite of nearly freezing to death and nearly frostbitten toes, I managed to have a pretty good time.

Friday, We Shot the Moon will be here. I'm looking forward to it. :)

Peace out,
Melanie

Misfits

This is rather how I'm feeling lately.



Do you ever feel like you really don't belong anywhere? Sigh...

Hmmmm.... feelings I hate:

I hate feeling like I'm being tolerated rather than liked. How do you know?
I hate feeling that I'm a pest, even if I am.
I hate that I can't just trust that maybe someone might actually like me.
Again, how do you know?
I hate that I don't know what to do most of the time lately. I thought I had all this settled so long ago... I hate feeling unsettled and uncertain so often.
I hate that I know lots of people, but hardly anyone comes to my house. Yea, it's messy. I know that isn't the reason, since someone would have to be here to know that. LOL. I mean how many people do I really invite? I'm not really upset with anyone over it. I just feel isolated sometimes.
I hate it when I feel like I overstayed my welcome. I need clear good-byes and I never feel like I have the timing quite right.
I hate that I feel like crying for no reason whatsoever - usually a good sign that my hormones have gone completely whacko. Hopefully, this too, shall pass.
I really hate feeling patronized.
I hate feeling stupid - a feeling I have a real struggle with lately.

I love feeling accepted, and sometimes a little guilty that it's important.

O.K. so that's out of the way... for Christians, do you ever wonder if anyone really is making it at all out there - or even coming close? I'd love to know since it would give me hope. I know people will always let me down. God doesn't, but I want to see people really making it - whatever that means.

American Dream has been on my mind a lot...
This ain't my American Dream
I want to live and die for bigger things

I just don't know what or how. God, please show me.

--Melanie

P.S. I know this is risky to post, but maybe someone else can relate

Song of Solomon and Other True Tales

Yesterday was a rather slow day. I was determined to catch up on sleep, although I didn't want to sleep too late as I need time to shower, dress, get my camera gear in order and head over to see Bryan Magana at 6 p.m. I didn't sleep quite as long as I had hoped and woke up more than an hour before my alarm clock went off. I went to sleep at 5:30 a.m. I woke sometime between 12:15 and 12:30 p.m. At least it was almost 7 hours. I was tired, but not really sleeping and the dogs needed out of their crate so I just got out of bed and started the day. It took me a long time to fully wake up, though. I was able to work on cleaning out the refrigerator, fold a few clothes, and still be ready in plenty of time. Ed came home and I made him listen to a little of the music and we chatted a little. I took my shower, dressed and it was 4 p.m. by the time I sat down to put on my shoes. I wasn't rushing. I decided to leave between 4:30 and 5 p.m. because I needed to get gas and some cash to purchase a cd before I left. Just before I went out the door, I decided to check the church website before I left. Even though I was fairly certain that I had been there before, I wanted to double check that I wasn't thinking of the wrong place. I've done things like that in the past, and there is nothing like going to an event and not even being at the right place. As it turned out, I did have the right place, but the church site listed the concert date as Jan. 11. I tried to call the church, but since there was no answer I just took my chances. I was certain Bryan had told me the 12th, which was also the date on his myspace. So, I headed out the door, put some benzene in the car, stopped at Smith's briefly and headed for the church. Out of habit, I turned onto the wrong street and had to turn around and backtrack. So, it's probably a really good thing I left early. LOL Still, I made it to the church about 5:30 p.m. and there were a few cars there. I took that as a good sign. I walked around the building and tried a door or two. I started to walk back to my car and someone beckoned me to go ahead and come inside. I told him I needed to get something out of my car and I would be right there. I went back and grabbed my camera and gear and went into the church. Bryan was waiting at the door and greeted me by name. It was nice that he remembered who I was. Of course, posting messages on his myspace probably didn't hurt. ;) But it was still really nice to be greeted by name. We chatted a bit and then he went to greet other people who were slowly starting to arrive. I picked out a spot in the front row where I thought I might be able to see Bryan behind the keyboards. The closest person to me at first was 5 rows back. I finally went up and introduced myself and had a nice conversation for a bit. Then I went back up to my seat. I was the only person in the center front row. It was odd, but worked out well as I was able to move once or twice to take a photo without bothering anyone. I tried not to take too many pics as the camera seemed so loud. Later Bryan told me that he saw me taking pics, but he couldn't hear it. That was a relief. I was sure everyone in the place could hear it loud and clear.

Bryan's music is not raucous or loud. It's just beautiful, though. He has a very pleasing voice and the melodies have almost an ethereal feel to them. I find them very peaceful. The concert started off with prayer, which was as it should have been, and then we sang a few familiar songs along with him before he went into his original compositions. The majority of the songs were from his new cd, Song of Solomon. He did sing "My Story" which I absolutely loved. The concept of God writing "my story" was one that meant a lot and I really cherished the thought. You know, sometimes I try to stick my own lines into the story, and I need to just give the pen back to God (and hope the ink is eraseable some days.) LOL At the end of the concert we again sang along to an old hymn, beautfully done, I might add.

Afterwards I had a short chat with Bryan and went over and bought Song of Solomon as I had planned, but also picked up the cd with "My Story" on it. I am putting it on my Zune even now. I was able to meet Sarah who sang with Bryan on one of the songs (she has a really pretty voice, I might add) which was a real pleasure.

I had a very nice evening and I know it will help me to keep things in focus for the next week -- at least that's the plan. :)

God's blessings,

Melanie

Listening to beautiful music...

Tonight I'm going to see Bryan Magana. If you like really pretty, haunting melodies, piano driven music and beautiful singing, check him out. He's local. It's nice to see we have some really good talent close to home. :) I plan to pick up a new cd tonight.

http://www.myspace.com/bryanmaganamusic

Would love to hear what you think. Of course, if you just like heavy metal, I don't suppose this will be your cup 'o tea. But you never know. LOL

God's blessings,

Melanie

Short Melee Headlining Tour

My busy January plus February concert news

So far January has been somewhat quiet, which is a good thing. I'm not sleeping enough... not too unusual. I have been going to sleep a little earlier, but I seem to wake up after 6-7 hours of sleep, and I always feel like I need 8. Such is my life. LOL

I have tickets for quite a few shows in January, and two shows planned that I don't have tickets for as of yet. I am supposed to be called back to work around
Jan. 21. I'm hoping to delay it, if possible to the 24th. I already put Jan. 23 as a requested day off, but I really want to see Sound the Alarm on the 21st, and I really don't want to use my leave for the 23rd. So, we'll see what happens.

Anyway, here is what things look like so far:
Jan. 12 Brian Magana in Layton, UT (local, not too far from home... beautiful voice, haunting melodies.)
Jan. 16 One Republic McKay Events Center in Orem
Jan. 18 We Shot the Moon at Kilby Court in Salt Lake
Jan. 19 Brighten (Number One Gun, et al.) Solid Ground Cafe in Sandy
Jan. 21 Sound the Alarm, et al. at The Avalon in S. Salt Lake City
Jan. 23 Melee at Kilby Court in Salt Lake
I need to move to Salt Lake City for about a week. LOL Gas prices are going to
kill me.

In February, I only have two concerts planned, and that's because one of them was postponed from December(Colbie Callait.) It just figures that the December show was moved to Friday, Feb. 15, which will be a bear to get off work. They hate it when anyone takes off on a Friday. The other date is Steven Curtis Chapman on Feb. 23. I will likely be working at that show. I'm still waiting for word on how that's going to work as I've never worked at that venue before.

Anyway, here is the info. on the Steven Curtis Chapman concert:



(click for larger view)

This is the first time Mr. Chapman has performed in this area. The nice thing is that it's a much easier/shorter commute than usual. That's always helpful. :)

If you know anyone in SLC, pass the info. along. I've seen him in concert before and he puts on a good concert. I think he is much, much better live than his cd's.

Should I even talk about March yet? Hey.. why not?
Angels & Airwaves, The Color Fred on March 4 at In the Venue (still need approval for time off work)
Mute Math with Alanis Morisette & Matchbox 20 on March 6 @ the E-Center
March 29, The Starting Line (yea for a Saturday show!)

You know... I almost hope no one comes in April. LOL I hate to miss a show I really want to see, but I may need a break. Yes, I think I am certifiable. LOL

Love, Peace, and a musical 2008,
--Melanie

Some of my favorite cd's for 2007

I actually loved a lot of cd's this year. There are probably 20 honorable mentions, but I probably listened to these the most:

1. Five Score & Seven Years Ago - Relient K
2. Prelude to Arrows EP- The Myriad
3. Fall - Jon Foreman
4. A Different Light - Sherwood
5. Eat, Sleep, Repeat - Copeland
6. Singularity - Mae
7. Secrets Keep You Sick - The Fold
8. Combinations - Eisley
9. A New Hope - Minipop
10. The Polar Bear & Cougar EP - We Shot the Moon
11. Riot - Paramore
12. Good Night, Witness Light - Daphne Loves Derby
14. Devils & Angels - Melee
(O.K. so that's 13 - give me a day, the list will grow to 20 at least.) LOL
Wait is that bad luck? Just to be on the safe side... I won't designate the No. 13. LOL (Does that really work? It's kinda like buildings skipping the 13th floor.) ;)

They are not necessarily in any order - just basically the ones I probably listened to the most.

I wonder if I could come up with a Top 10 shows list.

1. Relient K/Switchfoot
2. Relient K/Mae/Sherwood
3. Mute Math/Eisley
4. Copeland/The Rentals
5. Trans-Siberian Orchestra
6. The Fold/Minipop at a small San Francisco Cafe called Cafe du Nord (not the best show, because it was too short, but it was my intro to Minipop, and I had the MOST fun! except for getting lost.)
7. Sherwood/The Fold/Sound the Alarm/Allred
8. This Providence, June, Paulson, A Change of Pace
Oh, and any show that Melee was a part of!

Will have to think hard about the rest. I'll probably end up adding them all. LOL

Have a very happy and blessed 2008!!!

--Melanie