Posted on

Four for Friday (fast forward)

And just like that a month goes by.

It has been a full one. They are all full ones. So by way of update, I thought I’d throw together four random things.

1) A couple of weeks ago, I went to a Blind Pilot show at Sticky Fingerz. As I expected, it was great. But real treat was that the opener, Dan Mangan, who was unknown to me ended up being a pleasant surprise. Here’s one of several songs I’ve enjoyed off his latest album, Oh Fortune.

Dan Mangan – How Darwinian

2) A while back, I shared the trailer for a book and video called Bloodlines. I had the chance to watch the full-length video with the rest of the church staff this week. It is worth seventeen minutes of your time.

3) Tomorrow evening, I’ll be going to my first Waterdeep show. It is right here in town. In fact, it is at my church. If you came, then we would both be there.

4) And finally, I crossed a milestone birthday last month. Yep. I’m old. Anyway, to celebrate the occasion, my family (minus one… or two?) slipped away to Banff. This little town in the heart of the Canadian Rockies is an outdoor lover’s paradise. We hiked every day. Over the course of the week, we probably covered somewhere close to 40 miles. Even little Si was up for some of the longer treks. Alison has a few posts and several photos on her blog. We loved every minute!

Dan Mangan – Leaves, Trees, Forests

Later.

Posted on

Four (to see/hear) for Friday

Little Rock’s live music scene is just about right for me. Certainly, most of the bands and musicians I enjoy don’t find their way to Central Arkansas, but that is probably a good thing. I really don’t have the time or money to go see some live music once or twice a week. As it stands, I probably end up seeing about half a dozen or so shows a year.

That being said, this fall, Little Rock will be graced with the musical talent of no less than four artists that receive my stamp of approval. It is rare that everything works out for me to actually make it to these shows, but if any of you are interested, I might make a special effort.

Blind Pilot – Keep You Right / October 8th – Stickyz / Saw these folks a couple years ago in Chicago. Really great. Brand new song off an album being released soon. This is a can’t miss show.

Mutemath – Odd Soul / October 11th – Rev Room / These guys are some pretty creative dudes. Need proof? Head over HERE and see how they have put the wonderful world of the internets to use.

Generationals – Ten-Twenty-Ten / October 30th – Rev Room / They are appearing with Mates of State, which ain’t so bad either.

AA Bondy – The Heart Is Willing / November 11th – Stickyz / A perennial favorite is back again. This new track is a bit darker than some of his previous work. But no matter, I’m still looking forward to going.

BONUS…

Ben Rector – Autumn / October 26th – Juanita’s / All my college friends are nuts about this guy. I like him too. He has a new album out that you can DOWNLOAD for whatever amount you would like to donate… even free.

Happy Friday!