Random Start: Nietzsche's Madness by Living Sacrifice

Love me some Living Sacrifice.  Still can't believe I saw them for the first time when I was in high school in the early 90s and they're still making good music.  I couldn't find a quality video of a live performance.  LS is best experienced live.

Random Start: Hotfoot by Sainthood Reps

Man, this is the only file I can find of this band...unfortunately the recording isn't that good.  I'm stoked to be seeing these guys on a tour with La Dispute, Balance & Composure, and All Get Out....a stacked lineup if you ask me.  Sainthood Reps have a sound that hearkens back to grunge.  I never liked grunge, but I do like these guys.

Random Start: FEZ - Being Born by U2

This song is from U2's most recent record, which I didn't like much.  Honestly, I probably didn't give it much of a chance.  I really like some of their newer material, but I tend to "discover" it after it's been out for a year or two.  Maybe I don't like things that are over-hyped.  I will say that the concert I saw from them last Summer was amazing.  I was glad a big tour like that rolled through Nashville.

Random Start: Do The Trick by Dr. Dog

I just found Dr. Dog this week and fortunately they came up on Random Start today.  When I was working on Thursday I had a Dr. Dog based SmartDJ playlist running on Zune (think Pandora) and it was good stuff all day long.  I'm thinking this will be a good find.

How Did US Soccer Let This Happen?

It was an exciting thing when Nashville was chosen to host Olympic qualifiers, and that the U.S. team would be playing in the group that would be hosted in Nashville, instead of in Carson CA.  We've known about it for months - that the games would be spread over three days and the four teams in the group would play each other team once.  Three days of high quality soccer in Nashville.


So how did we get to gametime tonight - a FRIDAY night - and LP Field is this empty?  I know Nashville and surrounding areas can draw for soccer.  We had 30,000 for a US Men's team friendly against Paraguay.  30K may not seem like a lot, and it's less than half of capacity at LP Field, but it's a strong crowd.  Many professional soccer stadiums around the world only hold about that many people.


The only game I'm going to is Monday's.  I have other things going on during the other games and just can't make it.  I've known about it for months and have seen web ads, print ads, and heard about it on the radio.  Until tonight I had ZERO notion that turnout would be this low.  I didn't hear any urgency anywhere.


Surely US Soccer knew the tickets weren't sold.  In a case like this they need to do what it takes to get people there, both to enrich the event and to recoup financially.  They should have been giving BLOCKS of tickets to all the local soccer clubs and school districts.  I'm sure there are lots of people who would have gone.  I would have brought my U12 boys team.


Is it because this isn't the senior team, but U23s?  These are our future stars, and some of these players are already featuring for the senior team (Adu, Shea, Hamid in a backup role).  


This is an unorganized rant, but I just had to get it out.  I'm very much looking forward to getting out there Monday and supporting our boys.  I'm excited to see in person the same team that will most likely be representing the USA in London this Summer.

Random Start: East on Tracks by Slick Shoes

This is one of my favorite bands from my concert booking days.  If it looks like they're young, well they are...and this is from about the middle of their time as a band...from their 3rd record.  I liked their songs and they played fast and tight.  In my opinion they're one of the better pop-punk bands of the late 90s/early 2000s.

Random Start: Street Spirit (Fade Out) by Radiohead

The Bends is my favorite record from Radiohead.  I was going to say this is a standout track, but to me that record doesn't have any filler - so it's just another solid song from The Bends.  I can appreciate what Radiohead is now, but I wish they'd just make one more record with more traditionally structured songs.  If they can deconstruct music the way they've been doing for years, surely they can put it back together and create something that's really special.

Random Start: Everlong by Foo Fighters

I've talked about how I feel about Foo Fighters in previous posts, so I won't re-hash that.  This is one of my favorite tracks from them, and I think it might have been their breakout hit.  Simply a very very good rock band.

So, We Did It Again...

I first opened this blog thinking I'd write a lot more posts, and have written a few about soccer, music and my love of Disney World.  We've been thinking for awhile about what to do for our next vacation and it's only been 2 years since we've been to Disney World.  I'm always dropping hints that I want to go, and am following multiple blogs, tweeters, and discussion boards about Disney.


In a very casual texting discussion about it my wife, Patty, said it would be fun to go with her brother and his family when their kids are 5 and 2.  Guess what?  THEY'RE GOING TO BE 5 AND 2 THIS FALL!!!  We convinced them and Patty's dad to go with us on a trip during the kids' Fall Break.  I'm a little more than stoked.  Part of why we're going at this time is that it's during Fall Break, but also that it's during a free dining promotion.  

We kept the trip a secret from the kids for about a week until my sister-in-law's birthday party.  We ALL showed up wearing either Mickey or WDW shirts and our kids were puzzled and wondered what was going on.  Even Uncle Danny who wouldn't be caught dead in a Mickey shirt got in on the act - so they knew something was up.  I think they were more surprised and trying to process the news than immediately elated, although they are definitely excited - especially because they're going with their younger cousins Jack and James.


We decided after our last trip in October of 2010 that we REALLY want to make sure we get the dining plan whenever we go to WDW.  While it's VERY expensive if you have to pay for it the plan is a GREAT deal if it's free/included (nothing is free, after all).  Disney is only running the free dining promo for about a month and it ends on 9/29, which is the day we want to arrive.  Here's a good tip for booking with Disney - if you check in DURING a promotion and it ends during your stay, you still get the promo for the entire time.  So, we're checking in on the LAST day of the promo and we'll get to use it for our whole stay, meaning restaurants will be LESS crowded than they will be during the "meat" of the promotional period.  THAT is how you take advantage of a promo, my friends.


Only about a week elapsed before the crazy idea to do this trip and getting it booked, but it ended up being stressful for me because when I looked online it looked like moderate resorts were sold out of rooms that qualified for free dining.  I had priced out both moderates and values (which we've NEVER stayed at) and the difference was only about $200 for our length of stay, making the moderate TOTALLY worth it.  Once I got everyone in our potential group to buy in I called Disney and spoke to a WONDERFUL CM named Delta who held rooms for ALL of us and made arrangements for us.  In our discussion she told me that I should be a Disney vacation planner - and I might just agree!!  While planning the trip can be stressful I REALLY enjoy it.  I'm the self proclaimed Disney addict in our family and put it on myself, but I really do love planning a Disney trip and the pressure is part of the fun to me.

So here's the deal - we're staying at Port Orleans French Quarter, where Patty and I honeymooned in 1998.  I didn't realize how much smaller it is than the other resorts.  It's been folded into what used to be Dixie Landings, and is now called Port Orleans Riverside, but the French Quarter section is still very small for a Disney resort, which makes it more personable.  We loved it in 1998 and have read LOTS of good reviews from people who've stayed there recently.  


We'll have a Park Hopper pass, but are bypassing the water parks this time.  Park Hopper is key for us, especially since our travel companions have young children who will need mid-day breaks...and also for more convenience when planning meals.


I can start making ADRs (Advance Dining Reservations  for the uninitiated) on April 2nd and am planning on large group meals at Chef Mickey's for a dinner, Ohana at the Polynesian for a breakfast, and Crystal Palace for a dinner.  I'll also try to get a lunch for my wife and myself at Le Cellier.  I've wanted to go there for years so this might be a chance for Patty and me to have an EPCOT date.  Other than that I'm not sure about the rest of our meals, but I'm sure I'll get more of a plan together this week.


Other than that I'm going to try not to "over-plan" the trip.  I guess I'm failing there as I already am looking at crowd calendars and am amending my Excel spreadsheet from our trip in 2010 with details for this trip.  I know I'll end up over planning, but with Disney it's much better to have a plan, or at least know things to avoid, to make the trip more enjoyable for all of us.


I think Patty, her dad Mike, and sister-in-law Karen will do the inaugural Tower of Terror Ten Mile race on 9/29.  The run starts at 10pm and afterward they can hang out at the Studios til the wee hours of morning.  We'll also get to enjoy EPCOT's Food & Wine Festival, which is probably one of the things I look forward to more than others.  I LOVE trying foods and beers from around the world, and I LOVE being at EPCOT, so put 'em together and I'm a happy dude.  


All in all, I'm just happy to be going to The World again and can't wait to be immersed in the culture.  Now I have something new to write about in this blog!!

Random Start: Your Unsung Friend by Story of the Year

I can't make up my mind on Story of the Year.  I think my personal window to like this band has come and gone.  A few years ago I downloaded some of their stuff as it was similar in ways to Finch, Thursday, etc, but amid the heaviness it had too much of the sing-songishness of emo for me.  So my take on these guys is that they wrote some sick, heavy riffs, but end up being a typical heavy, then poppy sounding emo band.  

Random Start: You Get Burned by Deluxtone Rockets

I know the band is obscure if I can't even find a file for the right song.  This is another song off the same record as You Get Burned.  I booked shows for Deluxtone Rockets and got to know the band pretty well - mainly as they stayed with us once for nearly a week during a break in a tour...and even cancelled a show or two to stay with us longer.  I guess for a small band not making much money life is tough on the road.  I don't know what these guys are up to these days - I saw something on Myspace (who?) that they had gotten back together and recorded some more.

Random Start: Lonely As You by Foo Fighters

I think I've said this about Foo Fighters - while I know they're a killer band and probably the best mainstream rock band of our generation, I have a hard time listening to them on a regular basis because the songs seem too perfect.  I know it doesn't make sense.  In a year or so I'll probably hear a song of theirs that will throw me into a Foo Fighters kick and I'll listen through the whole catalog.  For now I'm still liking my rock a bit more grimy.  

Random Start: Saturdays by Chevelle

I used to really like Chevelle and their wall of guitars sound, but I've kind of soured on them.  They really walk the line between butt-rock (being Nickelback-ish) and good rock.  The singer sounds a lot like Maynard James Keenan from Tool in my opinion.  I think part of the reason I've soured on them is the sound has gotten boring, but also from having been aware of them since their early days as a band I know these guys have been jerks to seemingly everyone I know they've come across.  Particularly at concert venues.  Whatever chip they have on their shoulder they've also gotta respect and appreciate the people who are working with them to make shows happen...so yeah, I'm not too down w/Chevelle anymore.

Random Start: Give A Little Love by Rilo Kiley

This is one of the few songs I like that my daughter likes too - a girl singer with an infectious hook will do it though.  So far I like stuff I've heard from Rilo Kiley/Jenny Lewis, but it's not really in heavy rotation.

Random Start: Missing by Everything But The Girl

It was HARD to find the original version of this song.  It was EBTG's breakthrough hit as a Todd Terry Remix - the song was unescapable at that time.  But it came off a record called Amplified Heart and had a mostly acoustic sound.  After this song's success the other half of this group (the guy - can't think of his name) got REALLY into Drum & Bass and going forward EBTG was more of a D&B group with good melodies.  Tracy Thorne is a fantastic singer and this was an underappreciated group.  I wonder what they'd like to see live...maybe in Atlanta...like 15 years ago...if someone had invited me.

Random Start: Bad by Michael Jackson

Yeah, it's not in regular rotation, but dude was an icon and changed pop music in the 80s.  My collection doesn't have a ton of MJ, but I've got the hits and there were some wickedly good songs in there.

Random Start: When The Deal Goes Down by Bob Dylan

This is a song I got into my collection by downloading a best of record from Bob Dylan.  He's not in regular rotation, but something I respect and it rounds out my collection.  I always keep more than I should thinking I'll find something I'll like.  This is a nice song - one of the "I'll stand by you forever" songs that I'm really pretty fond of.  The video features Scarlett Johansson as the writer's love interest.  They did a very good job of making it look like it's from the 50s.

Random Start: Lost Boy by Mychildren Mybride

This would be the polar opposite to yesterday's Random Start.  This band is pretty similar to The Devil Wears Prada, but I can tolerate this one a bit more.  It's from the new metal genre of over-processed everything - so the drums and guitars sound a bit too perfect.  Thinking I may delete this from the catalog.  It's one of those things I thought I'd try out but just wasn't for me.

Random Start: Why Me by Kris Kristofferson

Once again, proving this thing is random - got some Kris Kristofferson mixed in with the rest of the stuff I listen to.  This video has him explaining the story behind the song, then the song starts 3:22 in.

Random Start: Said The King To The River by La Dispute

Nice transition from Thrice on Friday to La Dispute on Saturday.  I had never heard of this band until they opened for Thrice on their Fall 2011 tour.  I downloaded their records to "study" and my very first impression was "What's up with this guy's voice?"  But once I got past it or decided to like it I noticed the quality playing and energy in the songs.  I wrote about them in my top bands of 2011...it's like hardcore with a different kind of heaviness.  This is one of their best songs and as you can see in the video - their fans know it word for word, which is saying a lot because these are some wordy songs.  And my last thought on them is this - La Dispute has girl trouble.


Oh yeah - their spring tour is coming to Nashville on April 17th with Balance & Composure, All Get Out, and Sainthood Reps, and all FOUR bands have been in heavy rotation for me for awhile, so I'm excited to see this show.

Random Start: The Earth Will Shake by Thrice

This is one of my favorite songs off Thrice's Vheissu and I'm stoked it got into Random Start today.  It obviously wasn't written with this in mind, but I'm reading the 3rd book in the Hunger Games series and this song resonates with the storyline - oppressed and restricted people yearning for freedom.  Thrice has been a humanitarian band and they just received a "Thank You" from some of the kids they've helped through their support of Invisible Children.  Check it out at here.

Random Start: The Rain by Deliverance

This is still one of my favorite bands from the late 80s/early 90s Christian metal scene.  They went from being a purely speed metal band to a more progressive, Bowie-influenced prog metal band and I kept up with them until their last record or two where they seemed to lose their way.  This is from the early 90s when they were in the wheelhouse of their progressive era.