Song of the day......The Amazing Royal Crowns with "Gretschy"

Today's song of the day is a tribute to the Gretsch guitar from the band The Amazing Royal Crowns. A couple of friends in high school really dug these guys, but that rockabilly sound didn't really catch on with me until more recently. So, click "Play" on this video for "Gretschy" and hold on!!

The Amazing Royal Crowns with "Gretschy"

Song of the day.......Peter Bjorn and John with "It Don't Move Me" (Remix by Mike Snow)

I am not a big fan of remixes of rock songs by DJ's to be rather honest. Most are barely tollerable. This one is pretty decent though. It helps that it's a remix of a Peter Bjorn and John song as well since they are in heavy rotation at my house at the moment. Check out this remix of "It Don't Move Me."

Peter Bjorn and John with "It Don't Move Me" Remixed by Mike Snow

Song of the day........The Cramps with "I'm Cramped"

For Christmas Eve why not a little Rockabilly to go with your Egg Nogg? Today's song of the day is The Cramps with "I'm Cramped." Have a great Christmas Eve everybody!!!

The Cramps with "I'm Cramped"

Song of the day.........Wilco with "You Are My Face"

Wilco is definitley in my top 5 bands of all time list. They are amazing on record and live in person. I try to see them any time they are in the Denver area. The Sky Blue Sky album is one of my favorites from Chicago based Wilco, and it includes this song. "You Are My Face." A great, great song........

Wilco with "You Are My Face"

Song of the day........Drain S.T.H. with "Serve the Shame"

This is the second time that I have chosen a Drain S.T.H. song as the song of the day. They are an amazing band that disbanded about 10 years after becoming a band. They are an all female metal band from Sweden. Both of their albums are really good, and are worth a listen. Great harmonizing vocals make every track almost sound like a pop song, but with a heavy metal edge to it.

Drain STH with "Serve the Shame"

Song of the day......Trans-Siberian Orchestra with "Tracers"

Most people are familiar with TSO's Christmas albums, but some are not familiar with their other albums including "Night Castle," and their Beethoven inspired album "Beethoven's Last Night." Both of which are great albums. This track comes to us from the "Night Castle" album, and the video for this song illustrates what a visual overload TSO's live shows are. I've seen them four times live and can atest that they do an amazing job at putting together a full visual/musical show. Great band!!

Song of the day..........Trans-Siberian Orchestra with "Tracers"

Song of the day.........Depeche Mode with "Policy Of Truth"

I think everyone should own a copy of Depeche Mode's "Violator" album. It is one of my favorite albums of all time. So many great, great songs. Some that you've probably never heard. This one was a big hit for them back in the day. Great track!!

Depeche Mode with "Policy of Truth"

Song of the day........Brad with "Believe In Yourself"

One of the most under-rated bands in music in my opinion. Brad creates some amazing music. From Shawn's vocals to Stone's guitar to Mike's bass, and Regan's drums. This is a new track from Brad's album "Best Friends." If you are new to Brad check out their album "Welcome To Discovery Park." That's a great place to start. Amazing band!!!

Brad with "Believe in Yourself"

Song of the day........Drain STH with "Smile"

Today's song of the day is from the now disbanded all-female rock band Drain STH. I saw them perform at Red Rocks years ago for a local radio stations birthday party. They released two albums before they called it quits, and this track is off of their debut album. Both albums are really good and are worth checking out.

Drain STH with "Smile"

Song of the day........U2 with "With or Without You"

I've always enjoyed U2's music throughout the years, but it was just in the last couple of years that I feel like I really started to appreciate their music. To see them on their '360 tour was absolutely amazing, and I can't wait for the chance to see them again. They put on an amazing show. Today's song of the day is from 1987's "Joshua Tree" album. It is such an amazing live song. The crowds volume exceeds Bono's at times during the clip below. "With or Without You" is one of the most amazing songs ever written in my opinion. Enjoy!!

U2 with "With or Without You"

Song of the day.........Persephone's Bees with "Ugly Thing"

Today's song of the day is from a band that you probably are not familiar with. A few years back I saw Persephone's Bees open up for the New Cars at the Boulder Theater. They were a decent Rock/Pop band. In the last year or so I've started listening to more and more of their stuff. It is all really good. If you see them coming to your town, go and check them out. Pick up one of their albums, and listen to the intricate sounds of this band. I think that you'll find it well worth your time. This song is "Ugly Thing" off of their 2010 album "New In Berlin."

Persephone's Bees "Ugly Thing"

Song of the day......Godsmack with "Moon Baby"

I don't mind these guys.......and I usually mind stuff like this. This song is pretty catch and it's got some great changes in it. I've seen them once live, and they were pretty decent too.

Godsmack with "Moon Baby"

Song of the day.........Van Halen with "5150"

Are you a Roth, or a Hagar Van Halen fan? I am a fan of the Sammy Hagar years. I may be in the minority with my opinion, but I just think the music was better during the Hagar years. Sammy could sing all those classics live and I think they sounded better than Roth. Today's song of the day is the title track from the "5150" album.

Van Halen with "5150"

Song of the day.....Dave Matthews Band with "#41"

Today's song of the day is one of my favorite songs from DMB. Live it usually ends up being 10-15 minutes with a pretty extensive jam at the end. It is just a beautiful song. A great song to hear them play live with everyone in the crowd joining in on the chorus in unison. It's one of my faves.

Dave Matthews Band with "#41"

Song of the day.......The Fray with "All At Once"

Today's song of the day is from The Fray, a local Colorado band that made it on the charts with their debut album "How To Save A Life." I really like the album, but the band members all do seem a bit full of themselves. Through interviews that I've read and through some of the comments that they made when I saw them live it definitely appears that they believe that they walk on water.

Lots of good songs on this first album though in my opinion. Including this one, "All At Once."

The Fray with "All At Once"

Song of the day.......Bon Jovi with "Runaway"

I've always liked the Bon Jovi. Today's song of the day is one of the first tracks that we heard from this band from New Jersey. A very catchy song if you ask me.

Bon Jovi with "Runaway"

Song of the day..........Audioslave with "Doesn't Remind Me"

Probably out of all of the singles that Audioslave released this one is my least favorite, but I do enjoy the guitar solo. I am so glad that I was able to see these guys when they played their first show on their tour after the debut album came out. It was an incredible night at the Fillmore. Tom Morello is absolutely brilliant in my books.

Audioslave with "Doesn't Remind Me"

Song of the day.......Mazzy Star with "Blue Light"

This song reminds me of back in the day when I used to play billiards at a local pool hall. They had a jukebox, and my friends and I would put in $20 and have total control of the jukebox for most of the evening. Sometimes we would pick a song and request it over and over again, which I'm sure made us very unpopular at the place. One of the CD's that they had was from Mazzy Star. Great relaxing hipnotic music......

Mazzy Star with "Blue Light"

Song of the day........Rogue Wave with "Eyes"

The song of the day for Friday comes from the Rogue Wave with their song "Eyes," which has been used on the TV series Scrubs, and the movie "Just Friends." A relaxing melody to start your Friday morning.

Rogue Wave with "Eyes"

Song of the day.........Steve Earle with "I Don't Want to Lose You"

I remember seeing Steve Earle open up for Pearl Jam when my wife and I saw Pearl Jam in Seattle back in 2001. I wasn't honestly all that impressed with Earle at the show, however, as I hear more and more of his material I'm starting to like it more and more. I love the electric guitar tone in this track. I'm a firm believer that if you can make your guitar sound like that then you are off to a good start. I love that tone. Not a bad song either.

Steve Earle with "I Don't Want To Lose You"

Song of the day..........Jimmy Eat World with "Work"

Today's song of the day is "Work," which is one of my favorite songs off of the "Futures" album by Jimmy Eat World. I love that verse guitar riff, and the vocals immediately after the chorus. Good song!!!

Jimmy Eat World with "Work"

Song of the day........The White Stripes with "Do"

I'm kind of getting into The White Stripes a little late via The Dead Weather. I've heard a couple of their tracks that made me want to check out some of the White Stripes stuff. Of course I'm familiar with their radio hits, but tracks like "Do" are fantastic, and may only be known by the most dedicated of White Stripes fans. So, check out "Do" off of the White Stripes 1st album.

The White Stripes with "Do"

Song of the day.........Bob Dylan with "Knockin' On Heaven's Door"

Today's song of the day is from the one and only Bob Dylan. Back in 1995 Dylan played on MTV's Unplugged. Today's song of the day features a video of Dylan playing his classic "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" from that MTV performance. Enjoy, and have a great Sunday.

Song of the day........Bob Dylan with "Knockin' On Heaven's Door"

Song of the day........Idlewild with "Little Discourage"

I saw Idlewild open for Pearl Jam for 3 dates on the 2003 tour. This band is amazing. They have been on a leave for quite a while, but I'm hoping for a tour in the states again. All of their albums are just amazing. This track is off of their 2000 album "100 Broken Windows." Such a great track.

Idlewild with "Little Discourage"

Song of the day........ Tanya Donelly with "Shoplifters of the World Unite"

Today's song of the day is from Tanya Donelly, the former lead singer/guitarist for the indie band Belly. I've always really liked Tanya's solo stuff. This song is a cover of one of my favorite Smiths songs, "Shoplifters of the World Unite," and is taken from a Smiths tribute album titled "Please, Please, Please." A very mellow version of the original, but really good.

Tanya Donelly with "Shoplifters of the World Unite"

Song of the day..........The Strokes with "Soma"

The Strokes are one of those bands for me that have this very interesting sound. You can really tell the influences of '50's and '60's rock sounds, but they have a modern day edge. "Soma" is a song that really sounds like it could have been a part of the British Invasion, or a band that opened for The Doors. Good stuff!

The Strokes with "Soma"

Song of the day........Everclear "I Will Buy You A New Life"

I remember liking this song back in the day........ After hearing it over and over again I grew rather bored with it. Where are these guys now?

Everclear with "I Will Buy You A New Life"

Song of the day..........Screaming Trees with "Black Rose Way"

One of the most underrated, and unappreciated bands from the grunge era was Screaming Trees. They just never caught on. Mark Lanegans vocals remind me of so many of those vocalists from the '70's rock era. The music is pretty straight ahead rock and I think was very comparable to some of the early Pearl Jam material. In 2011 the Screaming Trees released the album "Last Words: The Final Recordings." The album included material that had been recorded in '98-99', but had never been released. One of the gems on that album is the song of the day, "Black Rose Way."

Screaming Trees with "Black Rose Way"

Song of the day...........Def Leppard with "Photograph"

I've always really liked this song. Especially the chorus riff. Who really dislikes Def Leppard anyways? I think everyone's got a favorite Def Leppard song. It's hard to believe that this one came out when I was 10 years old.

Def Leppard........"Photograph"

Song of the day.........Brooks & Dunn with "Boot Scootin' Boogie"

Boy I feel old..........watching this video. It seems like this song came out yesterday, and this video looks like something from an old episode of "Soul Train." Maybe it's how ancient the stage looks. Not a big fan of Brooks & Dunn honestly, but if you listen to the song once it will become stuck in your brain for at least 24 hours. For better or worse......

Brooks & Dunn "Boot Scootin' Boogie"

Song of the day........Splitsville with "Ponce de Leon"

Do you like Ben Kweller, or Ben Folds? Chances are if you do that you might also enjoy Splitsville. Quirky, pop, piano rock is how I would describe it. See what you think.

Splitsville with "Ponce de Leon"

Song of the day.........Traffic with "Walking in the Wind"

Listening to Wilco has definitely given me a fonder appreciation of Traffic's material. I've always liked Steve Winwood's great song's from the '80's but never listened to his stuff with Traffic. This song is a great introduction to the band that is Traffic. Piano based rock that has a lot of beautiful things going on with it. Give it a listen.

Traffic with "Walking in the Wind"

Song of the day.........Foster the People with "Pumped Up Kicks"

I really don't want to like this song, but it's so damn catchy. I love that bass line, and the guitar riff that mimics it. Just a great pop/rock song. I can't say that I've liked much of their other material that I've heard, but this is a worthwile iTunes download for sure.

Foster the People with "Pumped Up Kicks"

Song of the day.......Screaming Trees with "Paperback Bible"

The Screaming Trees are a great '90's grunge band that was often overshadowed by the major Seattle bands at the time. They definitely are worth a listen. Their material was maybe not as dark as some of the colleagues at the time, and was more straight ahead rock. This track off of their 2005 album is a great example of their brand of rock.

Screaming Trees with "Paperback Bible"

Song of the day........Frou Frou with "Breathe In"

I like quirky pop music from time to time. I love the sound of Frou Frou. A very interesting voice mixed with loops that remind me of bands like Postal Service. I like the sound of it...... I'm not sure why the stage looks like an elementary school play set. I'm not feeling that, but I like the sound.....

Frou Frou with "Breathe In"

Song of the day........The Flaming Lips with "Waiting for a Superman"

I have always thought that The Flaming Lips were a very unique band. Some of the antics are a bit odd, but you can tell that a lot of thought has gone into their songs. This beautiful number is off of their "Soft Bulletin" album. I really like the piano parts in this song. Very nice!!

The Flaming Lips with "Waiting for a Superman"

Song of the day.......Cake with "Never There"

Is there a Cake song that isn't infectious? Every song on every album has a hook that leaves it on your mind for days. I love that lead guitarists guitar tone, and there should be a trumpet player in every rock band. I remember this song from back in the day listening to KTCL. Cake is great live as well. Would definitely like to see them again.

Cake with "Never There"

Song of the day.......Third Eye Blind with "Never Let You Go"

Call this a guilty pleasure. Third Eye Blind was great at delivering catchy riffs and pop melodies in the '90's. I have to admit I liked a couple of their songs including this hit from their album "Blue."

Third Eye Blind with "Never Let You Go"

Song of the day......B.R.M.C. with "Conscience Killer"

I still remember seeing these guys at the "Lion's Lair" in Denver back after their first album was released. I remember sitting out on the sidewalk watching the band unload their gear out of a U-Haul. An amazing live band. Would love to see them again. These guys are still playing old fashioned Rock & Roll the way that it was meant to be played. This is off their most recent release "Beat the Devil's Tattoo."

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club with "Conscience Killer"

Song of the day.......Men at Work with "Who Can It Be Now"

One of my favorite bands from the '80's. Men at Work had a few very catchy songs including this hit. Definitely one of my favorite songs from this era. In an era of mostly bad hair bands, some of the synthesizer pop was really, really good.

Men at Work with "Who Can It Be Now"

Song of the day......Tony Furtado with "Bolinas"

Have never been a really big fan of Banjo music. This guy is great though. He can really make a banjo sing. It's worth the watch. Tony can rock the banjo.

Tony Furtado with "Bolinas"

Song of the day........ Filter with "Hey Man Nice Shot"

This one is from way back in the day. I never really cared for any of the other tracks that I heard from these guys, but this one was pretty good. I think the Slaughtered Seagulls even played this one back in the day. Great example of the drop - D tuning that was used on so many songs in the '90's grunge era. Good stuff.

Filter "Hey Man Nice Shot"

Song of the day...... Loose Fur with "Laminated Cat"

Perfect example of a song that builds into a massive crescendo at the song's end. Clocking in at just over seven minutes, the song has plenty of time to build, and as each minute goes by more instruments are added until the end of the song is just a battle of thoughtfully constructed noise. This is definitely one of my favorites from the Loose Fur catalog. Loose fur is made up of two members of Wilco (Glen on Drums, and Jeff on Guitar/Vocals/Bass), and Jim O'Rourke from Sonic Youth fame. Jim O'Rourke actually did the final mix on Wilco's hugely successful Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album. This song was originally slated to appear on that album, however, it didn't make the final cut. Great song!!!

Loose Fur with "Laminated Cat"

Song of the day.......Roy Orbison with "Only the Lonely"

Roy Orbison has such an amazing voice. This is one of my faves from Roy Orbison.

Roy Orbison with "Only the Lonely"

Song of the day.......Train with "Drive By"

Ok. I must admit. So far I have not been very impressed by this new album by Train. Very cliche lyrics, and bubble gum pop melodies that I'm frankly not into. This song is catchy though, and if you ignore the lyrics then it isn't too bad.

Note to Train......Get back to the music and lyrics that made your first two albums amazing. That's what your good at. Stop this bubble gum nonsense. Thank you, your friend Jimmy B.

Train "Drive By"

Song of the day........Van Halen with "I'll Wait"

This is one of my favorites from Van Halen from the 1984 album. I love how prominent the synth is in this track and how it complements Eddie's guitar perfectly. Not a huge fan of the David Lee Roth years. I preferred the Hagar years, but this song just stands out. I need to see if I have this on my iPod today.........

Van Halen "I'll Wait"

Song of the day.......Paul McCartney with "Got To Get You Into My Life"

The song of the day today is Sir Paul McCartney performing the classic Beatles track "Got To Get You Into My Life." When I was first exposed to the Beatles growing up this was the song that really stuck with me. The horn section at the chorus just gives this song such a great hook.

Paul McCartney "Got To Get You Into My Life"

Song of the day.........Radiohead with "Optimistic"

This is one of my favorite Radiohead songs. Just love how the songs builds. I'm not as fond of their more recent stuff, but this one is just great.

Radiohead with "Optimistic"

Song of the day.......Garth Brooks with "The Thunder Rolls"

This has always been one of my favorite country songs. I guess I love minor chords. The song just has a creepy, dark feel to it. Really good.

Garth Brooks "The Thunder Rolls"

Song of the day........ Dave Brubeck with "Upstage Rumba"

Here is a little Dave Brubeck Jazz for your Monday morning. I can totally see Bill Cosby getting down with this jam.

Dave Brubeck "Upstage Rumba"

Song of the day.......Ziggy Marley with "True To Myself"

Song of the day today is a great song from Mr. Ziggy Marley off of his album Dragonfly. A great song called "True To Myself."

Ziggy Marley with "True To Myself"

Song of the day........Garbage with "Automatic Systematic Habit"

I love, love, love it when bands change up what they do from album to album. Yesterday Garbage released their "Not Your Kind Of People Album." In preparation for the album release the band had released mini-films for some of the songs on the album. I was particularly interested in this track. In the mini film for this song they had an interview with Garbage drummer, recording guru Butch Vig. If you remember he was the producer of Nirvana's breakthrough album "Nevermind," and more recently the Foo Fighters album "Wasting Light." In the video he explains that when they started playing around with this track in the studio that they chose to lead off the album with this track. The song itself has kind of a pop/dance feel to it. Butch said that he thought that it was a great way to lead off the album. He said that he wanted people to put the record on and listen to that first track and say "WTF?" So, the first new Garbage song that you hear in seven years is this one. I think it's marvelous!!!!

Garbage with "Automatic Systematic Habit" from Jimmy Kimmel show last week.

Song of the day......... Michael Jackson with "Thriller"

Say what you will about the guy. The man can sing and dance and all that. This was a huge hit for him back in the '80s. It was arguably one of the best music videos ever made as well.


Michael Jackson "Thriller"

Song of the day.......... Talking Heads with "Houses in Motion"

What can you say about the Talking Heads? Great band. A little bizarre at times, but very infectious. The song of the day is a lesser known Heads song called "Houses In Motion." Great song, and as you can see a great live jam.  

The Talking Heads with "Houses in Motion"

Song of the day..........God Lives Underwater with "The Rush Is Loud"

I never got into these guys when they originally came out. I remember a friend of the bass player in our band was really into them. Years later I am discovering them for the first time. I love bands that can mesh pop or hip hop sounds and rock. That's something that I think bands like Portishead and God Lives Underwater do exceptionally well. This song of the day is a good example of that.


God Lives Underwater with "The Rush Is Loud"

Song of the day..........Tears for Fears with "Everybody Wants To Rule The World"

It seems like '80's music has often times received a bad wrap. There was some really good music coming out of that era though. Tears for Fears were one of those '80's bands that were putting out some really good tunes. This was one of their big hits, "Everybody Wants to Rule The World."

Tears for Fears "Everybody Wants To Rule The World"

Song of the day....Nirvana with "You Know You're Right"

This was a Nirvana song that was released almost ten years after Kurt Cobain's death on a Nirvana compilation disc. Near the end of Kurt's life he was working on a project with Michael Stipe of R.E.M., and there are interviews with him where he said that Nirvana's sound was going to change in the coming albums. Nirvana's music is still very relevant today and it is unfortunate that we will never hear what could have been with Nirvana.

Nirvana with "You Know You're Right"

Song of the day..........They Might Be Giants with "Road Movie to Berlin"

Their stuff is always catchy and a bit quirky. Would like to catch them sometime when they come through Boulder/Denver. It seems like they tour still quite a lot. 

They Might Be Giants "Road Movie to Berlin"

Song of the day........Garbage with "Nobody Loves You"

This is one of my favorite songs from Garbage. I think this album usually gets overlooked when people talk about Garbage's music. It is unfortunate as there are some really great tracks on "Beautiful Garbage."

Garbage "Nobody Loves You"

Song of the day........"In My Neighborhood" by John Common and Blinding Flashes of Light

Last Saturday my wife and I went to Swallow Hill Music down in Denver for an acoustic show with Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket. I knew that the opener was John Common, and I had seen his name many times in Denver music circles, but had never seen him or heard any of his music.

I've been to a lot of concerts over the years, but I would have to say that this was one of the best opening bands or acts that I have seen. If you want to hear beautiful, soulful melodies, and vocals then check these guys out. If you want to hear music that instantly is stuck in your head for days on end check these guys out. If you want to be moved by great soulful rock then go check these guys out. I was very impressed, and usually I'm a pretty tough critic. I still let people know in a hurry that Blink 182 was one of the worst live bands of our era.

John was joined by bandmate Jess De Nicola on vocals and kazoo. Their vocals mesh so well together and have such a great sound. I can't wait to see these guys as the full band.

To make things even better they seem like really great people. I saw Jess after the show talking to people about the band, and in the pouring rain John stopped and introduced himself to us, shook our hands, and thanked us for coming out. Great music, great people, and a great time. Trust me.......go check these guys out.

"In My Neighborhood" by John Common and Blinding Flashes of Light

Song of the day.......Bush with "Machinehead"

One of the first concerts that I ever went to was Bush at the Balch Fieldhouse at CU. They played with Hum, and The Toadies. Bush's first album Sixteen Stone had so many great tracks. This is one of the big hits that came off of that album.

Bush "Machinehead"

Song of the day......Eddie Vedder with "Rise"

The "Into the Wild" movie soundtrack made me appreciate the Ukelele. What a great album, and a great movie by the way. My manager at the Blockbuster let me borrow this album from her after she found out I was a huge Pearl Jam fan, but had not heard this album. This is one of my favorites from that album, "Rise."

Eddie Vedder "Rise"

Song of the day...Johnny Cash "Blue Train"

The great Johnny Cash.

Johnny Cash "Blue Train"

Song of the day... Queen with "Somebody To Love"

Comcast's HD channel is playing a 3 hour Queen concert today. DVR set. Check. Queen had so many amazing songs. Here's one of them.

Queen "Somebody To Love"

Song of the day...The Killers with "When You Were Young"

Just another catchy song from the Killers. There are usually 2-3 songs on each album that are so catchy that you end up humming them all day.

The Killers "When You Were Young"

Song of the day...Gavin DeGraw's "In Love With a Girl"

His stuff is always so darn catchy. This song is no exception.

Gavin DeGraw "In Love With a Girl"

Trans Siberian Orchestra 3/26/12 OMG!!!!

So, in December of last year we took Griffin to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Christmas show at the Pepsi Center in Denver. We had seats about ¾ of the way back from the stage. It was a great show, and we knew that we wanted to see them again. So, during a song break Al Pitrelli of TSO announced that they would be back during spring break this year to play the Beethoven’s Last Night concept album. The album is a rock opera of a fictional story of Beethoven’s Last Night. It was perfect. Griffin was going to be on spring break and he loved seeing them in December. So, we decided to get tickets. At first I looked at tickets way in the back, because from there you can see TSO’s visual presentation in all of its glory. I wasn’t very happy with the locations of the seats that I was pulling so I opted to see what was available on the floor. On my first attempt at picking seats on the floor I pulled first row dead center. I went ahead and got them. That may be one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made. So, for Griffin’s birthday we bought him some 3M noise reduction headphones, because we figured that the volume would be pretty high that close.  We gave Griffin the headphones and a printout confirming our ticket purchase on his birthday.

Last night we walked into the arena and Griffin was oblivious to where our seat location was. So, we kept walking and walking and walking until we were first row with no obstructions, and dead center.  About 30 minutes after arriving the show started. The fog machines turned on and smoke billowed off the stage and right into our front row seats. I will never forget the look on Griffin’s face. For the next 2.5 hours TSO proceeded to blow the roof off of the Budweiser Events Center. To make it even more incredible it was exactly 185 years ago last night that Beethoven passed away. Vocalist Rob Evans played the part of Beethoven, and at one point in one of his songs he pointed down at Griffin. We all were shocked, but had no idea what was coming in the hours to come. Vocalist Andrew Ross was singing a Savatage song, which was the band that would become TSO, and he went into the crowd. From my perspective it didn’t appear that he would be coming our way, but then Andrew made the turn that would lead him right in front of us. My wife and I both nudge Griffin to put a hand out. Andrew stopped, grabbed Griffin’s hand, and sang another couple bars of the song. But wait!!!! There’s more. TSO played an incredible last song with all of their signature pyrotechnics, lasers, and lights. Then the band all comes up front for a bow. After the bow a member of the band comes to the edge of the stage and motions for Griffin to come up to him. It’s the drummer, and he’s got two drumsticks in his outstretched arms towards my son. Now you have to understand where I’m coming from. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a music fiend. I live and breathe it. I’ve been to so many concerts where I’ve never even been close to catching that thrown drumstick at the end of a show. My son just got two!!!!

After what I just witnessed I had to see if there was some way that I could express my thanks to Jeff Plate for his generous donation to my son. As we were leaving we had heard that the full band would be available for autographs in the concourse. That seemed perfect. We ran up front and purchased a tour program. In the middle of the program there is a picture listing of all of the musicians in the band. We decided that it would be perfect to have the band sign the sheet. I also wanted to make sure that I talked to Jeff. As we got closer and closer to the tables I saw Jeff in the very first spot. Jeff saw Griffin and said “Hey, it looks like you got some drumsticks.” I leaned over to Jeff and told him thank you, and told him how excited Griffin was to take them to show and tell next week. He smiled and said, “man, I had those drumsticks earmarked for him minutes into the show tonight. I knew exactly where they were going.” Wow!!! I shook Jeff’s hand and told him thank you. Then we made our way down the line. I had held up the line a bit talking to Jeff, so I thanked everyone quickly and moved down the line. Griffin and my wife had made it down to Natalya, and they were both talking about how they were both “Aquarius’.” Everyone down the line knew exactly who Griffin was. “Hey front row buddy.” “Hey you were the kid in the front with the headphones.” Roddy Chong gave griffin a fist bump and told Griffin that he appreciated Griffin’s claps during the show, and that he was great at keeping the beat. My son just fist bumped Roddy Chong. Yeah, that’s Roddy Chong playing with Celine Dion, and Shania Twain in the videos that I posted earlier today. OMG. We get to Rob and he looked at my wife and I and said that 8 shows in 7 days has been really brutal. It’s been a really long week. “Everytime that I was looking for inspiration during the show tonight I looked down at your son.” What?!?!?!?!?! What?!?!?!?!?! Is this happening. Yeah, it was. And while it was happening Griffin had already made it down to Al Pitrelli, who was up from his chair and giving Griffin a bear hug. What?!?!?!?! Al, who has worked with Alice Cooper, Megadeth, and is the director of the Trans Siberian Orchestra is giving my son a bear hug. Al sat with Griffin for a couple of minutes, and pulled out an envelope from behind the table, and helped Griffin select a photo from the stack. Al then signed the photo personally to Griffin and gave him another hug.

Then Griffin stood up at the end of the table and gave the “horns” rock sign to the group at the tables. Once for the band members closest to us, and then another time for band members down the row of tables who did not see it the first time. Al yells down to all of the people in line, “Let’s hear it for Griffin!!!!” Griffin gave out another “horns” rock hand gesture to the band and the crowd and band cheered and clapped.

So, then the whole drive home we tried to understand what had just happened. Griff with two drumsticks from Jeff, two TSO guitar picks, a personalized autograph from Al, and an autograph of each of the members of TSO. These guys and gals are a class act. Thank you Al, Chris, Johnny Lee, Georgia, Jeff, April, Kayla, Rob, Roddy, Mee Eun, Vitalij, Chloe, Bryan, Chris, Andrew, Ronny, and Natalya. It was a night that we will never forget. You guys are amazing musicians and amazing people. Thank you so much.

So, this is how it begins........

At times in our lives we are compelled to do things that we normally would not do. This is one of those times. I never thought that I would create a Blog. Through the events of last night though I feel inspired to put down on paper, or screen as it were, my thoughts on music. So, to the power of music!!!