What's The Guru Listening To? - August Edition

Welcome to the August Edition of What’s the Guru Listening To? I get asked this question a lot. What am I currently enjoying and what would I recommend? And since time is severely limited these days, it gets harder and harder to post a full review of the outstanding music that I am discovering (or re-discovering). Therefore, every month I will fill you in on the latest song, album, and/or band that I am obsessed with.

Here's what The Guru is listening to this month:

Imagine Dragons – Evolve

The latest record from Imagine Dragons is as spectacular as their first two releases. This band continues to make exceptional music that is enjoyed by the masses. And while I like all the songs on the disc, my two favorite standouts are “Rise Up” and “Yesterday.” Both are wonderful and showcase what Imagine Dragons can do when crafting and recording. And while not all critics loved the record (Rolling Stone and The Guardian gave it two stars), they should have. Just because a band goes in a different direction critics are quick to write them off without listening to the new sounds thoroughly. A wise person would ignore the mainstream media and form their own opinion. However, if you’re on the fence about investing a lot of time in this record, I can tell you that it is time well spent. This is the third consecutive terrific album from Imagine Dragons.

KC & The Sunshine Band – Please Don’t Go

A classic song, “Please Don’t Go” by K.C. and The Sunshine Band is one of the all-time greatest ballads ever recorded. Every now and again I find myself going back to great songs that I’ve loved over the years. I’ll find an amazing one and listen to it several times through before I move on to some other song. This month the song happens to be “Please Don’t Go.” If you don’t know this song, or if you’ve just not heard it a long time, I recommend that you give it a whirl and bring it back into your life.

The Revivalists – Man Amongst Mountains

Admittedly, sometimes I’m late to the party with certain bands. Such is the case with The Revivalists a band that I should have recognized a heck of lot sooner than this summer. Their latest record, Man Amongst Mountains has been out for two years and I am only really appreciating it now. I first heard The Revivalists on an alternative station through Amazon Music. “Wish I Knew You” played through my speakers and I stopped immediately. I jotted down the artist and song and then sought out more of their music. That led me to their magnificent album “Man Amongst Mountains” which I’ve been playing ever since. If you like your music to be different but extremely entertaining, you will like The Revivalists. They are a talented 7-piece band complete with a horn section. You can see a lot of influences from bands like O.A.R. and Dave Matthews Band in their art. Their sound is well polished, well executed, and well worth your time.

Black Eyes Peas – Let’s Get It Started

I haven’t listened to this song in years. However, a recent viewing of the movie Hot Tub Time Machine reminded me how great a track “Let’s Get It Started” is and now I find myself playing it at least once a day. When this song first came out, I couldn’t get enough of it. The strength of this song was the reason I purchased the entire album and I was glad that I did. For a few months I listened to Elephunk nonstop. It was a terrific album full of fun songs that had great beats. It’s been nice to revisit a piece of this record and listen to “Let’s Get It Started” over and over and over again.

Rise Against – Wolves

I’ve been a fan of Rise Against for numerous years now and I was excited to hear their latest disc, Wolves. As expected, the record did not disappoint. Wolves delivers the sound and style of music that fans have grown accustom to with Rise Against. Pop punk rock and all the beauty that the music has to offer can be heard on every song throughout the record. And while the record was released earlier this summer (June) I haven’t had a chance to really kick back and dive into it until it recently. I’m certainly glad that I took the time to enjoy it, because Wolves is another fantastic album from this fantastic band.

Comments are open. Feel free to post some.

Concert Review: Dave Matthews Band - June 6-8, 2013 (Part Three)

This is a continuation of my concert review for Dave Matthews Band June 6-8, 2013.

You can find part one here: http://rockandrollguru.blogspot.com/2017/08/concert-review-dave-matthews-band-june.html

You can find part two here: http://rockandrollguru.blogspot.com/2017/08/concert-review-dave-matthews-band-june_22.html

The Tale of Night Three

The third and final night of my birthday weekend with Dave Matthews Band was observed from the lawn once again. Snaz had a good seat up close to the stage, but I had opted to stand on the lawn for my final night. Once we got to the venue and went our separate ways, I staked my claim to a spot on the lawn. Then I settled in to watch the world around me and wait for the opening act. After seeing their last two songs the night before, both Snaz and I agreed that watching the entire set from The Head and The Heart was in our best interest. I even went to the Best Buy that afternoon and bought their lone studio album, a purchase I still cherish to this day.

As I waited for The Head and The Heart to walk onstage, I watched some young college kids around me stagger and sway. It was obvious they already had too much to drink and I had a feeling they were not going to survive to the end of the evening. Then the inevitable happened. A girl in front of me fell to her knees, threw her head forward and unleashed vomit all over the lawn. Puking before the opening act while the sun was still up---what a way to start a show. I still don’t understand why people come to a concert and drink to the point where they won’t remember much of the show at all. Wouldn’t it be wiser (and cheaper) to just do that at home?

Shortly after the vomit incident, The Head and The Heart began the night of music. I watched their entire performance with glee and knew that I had found a new band to fall in love with. While their songs sound great in the studio, the live performance enhances their music tenfold. The Head and The Heart have a great stage presence and know how to produce a live performance. Their short opening set was magnificent, well crafted, and well received. By the end of their opening presentation most of the crowd had found their seats and the lawn was near full. Everyone wanted to see at least some of this band’s set and I could understand why. Their live performance was magical and worth seeing.

And while I would have loved to watch them perform longer, the main event was coming up next, and that was the real reason we were all there. Night three lacked the weather issues of night two and the surprises of the previous two concerts, but it was still a solid show put out by the Dave Matthews Band. They opened with a magnificent version of “Seek Up,” which was followed by “Proudest Monkey” and “Satellite.” When “Satellite” played, I texted Rick to let him know what he was missing. It was the one song that he wanted to hear two nights prior and I was getting to hear it for him.

Other highlights of the night included a terrific “Don’t Drink The Water” which I sang along to at the top of my lungs, a hard rocking “Seven,” a beautiful “Best of What’s Around,” a tremendous version of “Spoon” (which was the first time I got to see that song live), and a tremendous “Two Step” as the final song of the night. It was possibly the best version of “Two Step” I’ve ever seen the band perform. And it was a spectacular way to end the three nights. By the end of the night I was exhausted but also jubilant. It had been an incredible way to usher in my 40^th birthday.

Setlist From Night Three:

June 8, 2013 (Comcast Theatre)

Seek Up

Proudest Monkey

Satellite

Don’t Drink The Water

Seven

Spoon

Shake Me Like A Monkey

The Riff

Grey Street

Mercy

So Right

Jimi Thing

Gaucho

Best Of What’s Around

Recently

Funny The Way It Is

Pantala Naga Pampa

Rapunzel

Encore:

Blue Water Baboon Farm

Two Step

The Tale of New Friends 

 Serious question. Have you ever tried Vegemite? It’s an Australian thing that the folks on the other side of the world seem to absolutely love. And being that Snaz was from Australia, she brought plenty of it with her and was handing it out to anyone brave enough to try it.

On the morning of my 40^th birthday, Snaz and I stopped to have brunch on our return trip to New Jersey. We were weary but also joyous. We had just seen three great evenings of Dave Matthews Band, formed a new friendship, and were looking forward to future DMB adventures together. The only thing we hadn’t done was bond in a way that would cement our friendship for eternity. That was about to change over a brunch with Vegemite.

Once we were seated at the restaurant, Snaz insisted that I try Vegemite. Seeing that it was a milestone birthday, I figured what the heck. She even told me I could keep the bottle and let others enjoy it too. What she didn’t tell me was how interesting it was going to be.

For those not in the know, which means almost anyone from the USA, Vegemite is an Australian food spread made from leftover yeast extract with various vegetables and spices added into the mix. The ingredients form a rather short list. There’s yeast extract, salt, malt extract, flavor enhancer, spice extract, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, and folic acid. All of this is combined to make what Australians insist is a delightful spread for toast or bread.

Snaz placed the jar on the table and we waited for the toast to arrive. She had the video camera on her phone ready to capture the moment. The toast arrived and Snaz held the camera up. I placed the toast in front of me and opened the jar of Vegemite.

“How much should I put on?” I asked. “Is it like Peanut Butter? Should I spread it thick?”

She shook her head. “No, you don’t want too much,” she insisted. “Just a little will do.”

I nodded and spread a very small amount of vegemite over my toast. I held the jar in my hand and sniffed at its contents. The smell almost knocked me off my chair. “That smells horrible!” I informed her. “Are you sure you really eat this?”

Snaz laughed and urged me to go on. Citing that I only live once, I took the vegemite toast and had myself a nice mouthful. When the vegemite hit my taste buds I gagged so hard that I almost spit everything out. This was without a doubt the most awful thing I have ever tasted in 40 years. Somehow, I managed to chew and swallow the monstrosity that I had placed in my mouth. My whole body shook and I immediately downed the water glass in front of me.

“What the hell was that?” I asked. “That had to be the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted! You actually eat that and like it?! What’s wrong with you?”

Snaz laughed so hard she had tears coming out of her eyes. It turns out she laughed so hard that she was never able to film me eating vegemite. She accidentally turned the camera off when trying to film. So, my moment of vegemite ingestion was not documented for posterity. And seeing as how I was never going to put that awful stuff in my mouth ever again, it never will be.

Noting how hard she was laughing, I insisted that I was being duped. “You don’t really eat that!” I exclaimed. “This is some kind of Australian trick that you play on dumb Americans.”

She laughed harder and then helped herself to some of the vegemite toast. I looked on in disgust as she ate it and appeared to enjoy it. I wondered if she had some mental problems that were not disclosed to me.

Snaz and I finished out brunch and took the long drive back to New Jersey. I dropped her off at her hotel and we said our goodbyes. We were both happy to have made a new friend, a fellow DMB fan that understood and appreciated the joy of their music and the effect it had on our lives in the same way. It was nice to make a new friend even if it is one that lives thousands of miles away.

Snaz and I have remained friends to this day and have seen each other a few times. We even visited The Gorge together (LINK) to see DMB in that historic venue. And while I haven’t made the trek across the ocean to Australia, I haven’t ruled it out of my future. It’s nice to know that I would have somewhere to crash and someone to guide my wife and I through all the sites and attractions that the land down under has to offer. I’m sure that one day I will find myself in that sunburn of a country, but I can guarantee that I won’t be eating the local favorite spread for toast. That’s just not going to happen.

Concert Review: Dave Matthews Band - June 6-8, 2013 (Part Two)

This is a continuation of my concert review for Dave Matthews Band June 6-8, 2013. You can find part one here:

http://rockandrollguru.blogspot.com/2017/08/concert-review-dave-matthews-band-june.html

 

 

The Tale of Night Two

Night two put me in a much better seat location at a venue I had never been to before with someone that was fast becoming a new friend. There were a lot of firsts that evening, and I even purchased a new DMB hoodie for my growing collection.

Snaz and I made the ride to Connecticut from New Jersey in a huge rainstorm. Our trip was pelted with wet weather the entire time and that caused even more traffic than usual. Our original plan was to get to the hotel, check in, relax for a little while, and then head to the venue. That plan changed when we were barley into Connecticut at 7pm. We opted to get to the venue and check into the hotel after the show.

Conversation during the ride was friendly enough and we were both excited to see DMB for a second night in a row. We both had great seats that evening, although on opposite sides of the venue. I had what could be the best seat I’ve ever had for a DMB concert. I was 10^th row stage right near the aisle. It was an amazing perspective from which to witness the band.

As we rolled into the parking lot the skies opened wide. It was bad enough that it had rained all day, but as we parked the car the rain came down even harder. I was resigned to the fact that we were getting wet. With a hard, soaking rain coming down, Snaz and I made our way inside the venue and went to find our individual seats.

We were fortunate enough to get to our seats before The Head and The Heart finished their set. I was able to see their last two songs and I immediately scolded myself for not watching them the night before. I also made a mental note to get to the venue early enough the next day to watch their entire performance.

That’s another magnificent enjoyment of live concerts. Sometimes an opening act is so amazing that they become a favorite band in no time. Such was the case with The Head and The Heart. Hearing just two songs (one and a half in all honesty) made me an instant fan. I had to hear more from this band. I had to hear more of their songs. I wanted to know more about this band.

As The Head and The Heart left the stage and it was prepared for the headliners, the rain came down even harder. I was so thankful to have an actual seat under cover for that night’s show. Being on the lawn would have drowned me in no time. It looked absolutely miserable!

When it came time for Dave Matthews Band to take the stage, the opening notes of “#34” rang out and the crowd roared. “#34” is a rare song to hear in concert and it’s almost never played since LeRoi Moore passed away. To hear it as the opening number was going to be a real treat. Alas, we would not be treated that night as expected. It was just a tease. The band segued from the first thirty seconds or so of “#34” into “JTR.” This was an appropriate opener with the hook of “Rain, rain, rain down on me.” I was pleased because I don’t believe I’ve ever seen that song in concert (before or since).

My second of three consecutive nights with Dave Matthews Band was magnificent. The band performed a cover of Tom Petty’s “Running Down A Dream” and played an outstanding version of the song. I’m a big Tom Petty fan and I thought that DMB was true to the original while still adding their own flavor. It was a nice surprise, and I would welcome seeing them play that song more often.

Other highlights of the night included “Big Eyed Fish” (only the second time I’ve seen that live), my first time seeing “Song That Jane Likes” (a song I absolutely love) and a terrific performance of “Bartender” which I think is one of the best songs in the DMB catalog.

Another special moment occurred during that concert. It was once again a situation where a song was played that I either hadn’t paid attention to, or hadn’t really cared for. In this instance, it was “The Dreaming Tree.” This is a song that I liked but never thought it was anything special and never consumed it that often. And then the band played it live in Hartford. Seeing the live rendition of this song moved it up the chart for me. I was captivated at how the song weaved in its live setting. By the end of the performance I was a cemented fan and knew that “The Dreaming Tree” was going to be in regular rotation a lot more often than it had in the past. It just blew me away.

The big moment of the night came at the end of the concert. For those that are not aware, at the end of every concert, drummer Carter Beauford comes to the front of the stage and tosses drumsticks into the crowd. It’s been a dream of mine to catch a drumstick from him; a fine piece that I would have framed and mounted on my wall as the jeweled piece to my concert memorabilia collection. This was going to be my best opportunity as I was just a few rows from the stage and well within catching distance.

As Carter made his way to our side of the stage grinning and full of the happiness that he always has, my heart raced and a smile of my own crept upon my face. I was getting a drumstick that night. I could feel it. He tossed a couple of drumsticks to the people in the very front and I watched and waited. Then he pointed and tossed a couple of drumsticks deep behind me as I continued to watch and wait. Then the moment happened. Carter pointed a drumstick in our direction, pulled back, and let the drumstick fly from his hand. My eyes watched as the world moved in slow motion and the drumstick headed toward me, spinning and rotating like a well thrown curveball from a pitchers’ hand. I stretched my right arm up at the exact moment the drumstick crossed my path and felt it hit my hands. I closed my hand as quick as possible and when my hand came back toward my body, there was nothing in it. The drumstick had hit off my hand and landed behind me. I quickly wheeled around only to see someone else with the drumstick clutched to their chest like the amazing reward it was. I sighed and let out a laugh of disappointment. Not this time…

Setilist From Night Two:

June 7, 2013 (Comcast Theatre)

#34 (tease)

JTR

Warehouse

Squirm

Broken Things

The Idea Of You

Kill The Preacher

Why I Am

Captain

Belly Belly Nice

Big Eyed Fish

Bartender

The Song That Jane Likes

Lie In Our Graves

Running Down A Dream (Tom Petty Cover)

Rooftop

The Dreaming Tree

Rhyme And Reason

Everyday

Ants Marching

Encore:

Drunken Soldier

All Along The Watchtower