80s Metal is NOT Dead!

One of my dreams came true, and a regret faded, when I got to see Winger live last year at Harpers Ferry in Boston. To rewind a bit, there were three live music regrets that I have had since the 80s:

1) Missing the Police live on the Synchronicity tour when I could have seen them in 1987,
2) Seeing The Cars live in 1985,
3) Seeing Winger live in 1987.

Winger got missed mainly due to not many of my friends being into metal, or I should say, none of them. I liked Motley Crue, Winger, Guns and Roses, etc. for many reasons, but I never saw any of them live.

In the past few years, many of these bands (metal or otherwise) have reformed (e.g., Motley Crue, The Police) and I ended up seeing them and rocking like nobody's business, but Winger? I just wasn't sure if my dream would come true (minus the spandex).

For those that don't know Winger's history or personnel, Kip Winger was, and is, the lead singer of the band, and after the band broke up in the early 90s, he started a solo career. Unfortunately, those albums didn't get much PR, but I can tell you they are works of art. My friend and coworker, Matt, who not only was taught at Berklee by Rod Morgenstein, the drummer of Winger, but was also a huge Winger fan even before he attended school. He had all of Kip's solo albums on his shared iTunes at work, and I fell in love again. I couldn't believe I had missed all that music over the years, but as they say, "better late then never."

Fast forward to last year, Matt and I found out at just about the same time that Winger was BACK IN THE STUDIO RECORDING ANOTHER ALBUM. We were stunned. Did I read that right?? BACK IN THE STUDIO?? Yes, it was true. Winger IV was to be released, and the stuff was well, ROCKIN'! As with any good band, studio time means tour shortly after, and it wasn't that many weeks later that we got that news of a tour! Needless to say, I was freaking out! Another regret erased!

I had no idea what to expect that night (we were also one of the first dates on the tour), but seeing that Kip had been recording all these years, it's not like he hadn't been singing and just walked back on stage, older and not in tune. It was very much the opposite.

That night, in February 2007, I was blown away. Not only had I rekindled my love for the band, but that show made me a fan for life. Kip looked and sounded amazing, and Reb (lead guitar), Rod (drums) and John (guitars) were just as great. I was lucky enough to be right in front of Reb while he played that night, and it was beyond mind-blowing to see a Shredder play that close. Fingers flying up and down the neck of the guitar like it was nothing. At points he was playing so fast his fingers blurred, all the while the rest of the band, tight as could be, flying along right beside him.

Fast forward to this past Thursday, the scene wasn't much different, other than the venue. I do have to say that I like the Harpers venue better than The Middle East, but The MidEast is almost like a second home to me due to all the shows I have seen there and participated in. But needless to say, Kip and crew were spot on, rested, happy, and truly extraordinary. A smile from Reb, and a fist to fist "hello" from Kip during the show made my night. Not to mention, a couple buddies Joe and I met last year at the show rockin' it up front again!

I did one thing that I usually don't do, and adhered to the sign at the front of the venue stating: "At the request of the artist, photography, video, etc. is strictly prohibited." Awesome. Well, due to being so close, I decided to just enjoy the show with all my might, and stopped myself from taking pictures. I did find a few pics from the show the night before that I will post here.

Kip and Reb:


Kip on his electric acoustic:


Here also is an amazing "action shot" of Kip from last years show courtesy of Susan Thorsen:



What can I say? The crowd was great, I mingled with and met some great fans, and the band was nothing less than amazing. I'm already looking forward to the next time, and I'm happy to say with confidence, there WILL be a next time!

Metal, baby. 80s Metal will NEVER die!

I love you, Kip!


2008 Winger Setlist:
1. Blind Revolution Mad
2. Loosen Up
3. Easy Come, Easy Go
4. Your Great Escape
5. Down Incognito
6. Rainbow in the Rose
7. Generica
8. Junkyard Dog
9.Right Up Ahead
**Reb Solo**
10.You Are the Saint, I Am the Sinner
**Rod Solo**
11. Headed for a Heartbreak
12. Can’t Get Enuff

ENCORE:
13. Who’s the One
14. Miles Away
15. Madalaine

Done and DONE!

I'm not sure if I mentioned my road to law school on this blog, but over the past several months, I have been applying to law school, or preparing I should say, since October. I wrote a 5-piece blog on my Myspace blog about how all of this came about, but the cliff notes version is that my new law interest was due to my stint in Jury Duty late last year, and what transpired over those three weeks.

I felt so at home in the courtroom, and due to not really enjoying my job in educational sales at the time, I thought, why not? All it's going to be is time to prepare for the LSAT and a few hundred dollars in application fees, so let's go for it! With a final blessing from my husband, I was back hitting the books. These are the two I swear by, for your information:

Logical Reasoning Bible

Logic Games Bible


I took the LSAT three weeks ago and received my score EARLY of all things! I got a 140, and although that's not what I would have liked, I was glad to see a "4" in the number! I was also in the middle of submitting my applications when I got the news.

As of 8pm tonight, all four applications were complete and sent! With the score in, I'm sure I will find out within the next 2 weeks if I've been accepted or on a wait list.

No matter what happens, for one of the first times in my life, I am truly proud of myself. I actually had to stop myself from "being proud" during the LSAT! I just couldn't believe I was taking the test, AND felt prepared enough to take it!

And now, here I am with applications completed. When I started this process, I had no idea if I'd even continue, but when the LSAT studying was actually interesting, well, that was a great sign!

I'll post more on this when I hear news.. now, on to the kitchen!

This Is What I Call Pride!

As a 25+ year fan of Daryl and John, I was so proud to see this BMI Icon announcement in my inbox today! If you are not a long time fan, you may not know that they have been snubbed from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for years.
As Daryl said on a recent Howard Stern interview (which is one of the best interviews of Daryl I have ever heard, btw), he said that he could really care less about getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Although it's obvious they should be in there, Daryl speculated that, if you were influenced by Howling Wolf, you're cool, but if you were influenced by Al Green and the Spinners, you're not. Daryl added that reverse racism at play, like the phrase “blue-eyed soul,” really upset him. If you take a look at the "Criticism" area of the Wiki link above, you will understand what I'm talking about.

In my opinion, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and something like this BMI Icon Award are more their style. I'm sure in the future Daryl and John will get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but really who cares? The bottom line is that they are getting recognized for the songwriters and influences they are. I'm just glad they are being recognized while they are still alive!

Here's a pic of Daryl and T-Bone at the Stern show:


Here's the announcement! Congrats Daryl and John! It feels like family!

DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES TO BE NAMED BMI ICONS
AT 56th ANNUAL POP AWARDS MAY 20 IN LOS ANGELES

LOS ANGELES, February 20, 2008 –

BMI will salute duo Daryl Hall & John Oates as BMI Icons at its 56th annual Pop Awards, slated for Tuesday, May 20 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles. Hosted by BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and BMI Vice President & General Manager, Writer/Publisher Relations, Los Angeles, Barbara Cane, the invitation-only event will also honor the songwriters and publishers of the past year's most-performed pop songs in the United States. The evening's capstone will take the form of a stirring musical tribute to Daryl Hall & John Oates.

BMI Icons are selected because of their "unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers." As BMI Icons, Daryl Hall & John Oates will join elite ranks that include the Bee Gees, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, Brian Wilson, Willie Nelson, James Brown, Ray Davies, Carlos Santana and Dolly Parton.

The effervescent popularity of Daryl Hall and John Oates's magical collaborations springs from the duo's devout passion for Philly soul and buoyant pop harmonies. Warmly accessible and expertly polished, Daryl Hall & John Oates's smooth production utilizes undeniable hooks and innate contemporary lyrical sensibility. The resulting eight no. 1 singles, three double-platinum and two platinum albums catapulted the pair into pop superstardom; in 1987, Daryl Hall & John Oates became the 1 selling duo in pop music, according to the RIAA. Skilled songwriters, Daryl Hall & John Oates are both members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, together boasting 24 BMI Pop Awards and a catalog studded with 14 BMI Million-Air award songs, including "She's Gone," "Everytime You Go Away," "Kiss On My List," "Maneater" and "Sara Smile." They have prompted a surge of interest and homage from a diverse bevy of new artists, who cite the pair as definitive influences. Restless creators, Daryl Hall & John Oates have spent much of the last decade touring throughout the world.

In addition to the Icon, BMI will recognize Song, Songwriter and Publisher of the Year during the evening, along with the recipient of the BMI Foundation's John Lennon Scholarship. Pop Award winners from previous years include Maroon 5, R. Kelly, Nickelback, 3 Doors Down, Pharrell Williams, Michelle Branch, Lil Jon, the Foo Fighters, Linkin Park and Sheryl Crow.

Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI) is an American performing right organization that represents more than 350,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music and more than 6.5 million works. BMI's latest financial results, $839 million in performing right collections for its 2007 fiscal year, are the highest for any copyright organization in the world. BMI has represented the most popular and beloved music from around the world for over 65 years. The non-profit-making U.S. corporation collects license fees from businesses that use music, which it then distributes as royalties to the musical creators and copyright owners it represents.

Here they are in 1981!

The TUBE Has Deflated

I may be late on this one, but due to the end of last year being a bit crazy due to starting the kitchen remodel, jury duty and deciding to apply to law school, I just found out information that made me quite sad.

For you music video lovers, and specifically those that love classic vids, The TUBE Music Network seemed like a musical angel when it arrived on the cable networks. A friend in Dallas turned me on to it. Was this the old MTV where they actually played videos?? It included no VJs, incorporated funny quotes, and fan-oriented--overall, just great. I even considered working for them and had talked to a contact via email in NYC.

Due to the holiday today, I thought I would click it on and do some work; smiling here and there at the long lost video I had forgotten about. But no. It wasn't listed on the guide. I checked 4 times.

I decided to research online and got the Wiki entry that I have linked above. It was gone as of October 1, 2007. Amazing.

For those that didn't get to see it, you missed something. I do feel like I was part of history, and who knows, maybe it will be back. But while it was here, I do have to say it was one of the best channels ever.

I did feel 12 again.. like watching MTV for the first time.

R.I.P., The TUBE.

Headaches and Getting High

I'm not one that is into drugs, but I have to say a word about Excedrin.

I used to suffer from migraines eons ago, and they were debilitating. I even went to the doctor several times to see what I could get for it. At one point I was on three different prescription drugs, one of which was a muscle relaxer. And, none of them worked. At best, one of them deadened the pain, but I was so loopy I couldn't work.

I found that it was stress related and as soon I realized that they subsided, but since then (it's been a bit over 10 years), I needed to find something when I got that occasional headache or migraine. As I went thru all the over the counters you can find in your local CVS, I found my beloved Excedrin. I say 'beloved' as anyone who has suffered from ongoing headaches or migraines, you know, not only how annoying they are, but how painful and interfering they are in your life.

In some ways, it doesn't even matter what type of Excedrin you get, just as long as it has the caffeine in it. I swear by Excedrin as it's the only thing on the market (including prescriptions) that works. However, the big part of it is... the high feeling I get when I take it.

It takes about 15 minutes, but when it kicks in, I'm happy, jolly, in a good mood and can type faster than anything! LOL And it's not that the headache is gone either.. it's just well, cool. My husband can't believe that I take it before bed sometimes, but when I do, that is the best. There is a floaty feeling just as I'm falling asleep.. a peace.

I know I talk about this thing that sounds like heroine for some people, but it's just amazing. I share this as so many people suffer from headaches and this at least gives you an option to have it go away. Obviously I am no doctor and if you do suffer with them consistently it could be something else, but for the occasional headache? Try the little green bottle :)

Getting serious

Wow.. it feels so serious coming over here to blog instead of using my MySpace, but due to wanting all the world to see/read my thoughts vs. having to send people like my parents over to MySpace, this seemed like a better idea.

There's a lot going on.. at this moment I'm watching the Clements hearing on NESN which is honestly quite amusing. I feel for the guy as no one should have to go thru that, but either way, this is America. Enjoy.

In other news, Joe and I are working on renovating our kitchen. It's taken on a life of it's own, but we still feel like we have control. I will post more pics soon, but here is one of the kitchen:


More has been done in the past week such as demolition of all the remaining cabinets, the old appliances are gone (with new one's delivered) and Joe created framing for the new soffit above the sink. Pretty amazing and we can't wait til it's done.

More later.. pretty good for a first post :) Let me know if you want to hear more about anything else!