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!!!