Just Sticking My Head In... (A Note to the Fans Who Have Asked)

Hi guys,

I've gotten quite a few messages from a lot of you who are wondering where I am, and where my American Idol coverage went. I haven't answered very many of you, because I honestly didn't know what I would do for the rest of this season.

For starters, I had trouble initially with having time to devote to this blog. One thing I was concerned about way before I had anybody even reading this blog was that the blog always be done as well as I could do it, and between the job I was at when I last posted and my new marriage, I didn't have the time to devote to the blog to make it worth your read. And by the time season 7 of American Idol rolled around, I was having to record the audition episodes, watch them on another night, and generally speaking by the time I watched them, I was too tired to really enjoy them. That plus I was dealing with a temporary dial-up connection which made getting online more aggravating than it was worth.

And I realized one thing that was even more important... I wasn't having fun with it anymore.

My short list of annoyances were as follows:

--I was getting tired of Idol. It wasn't so much the show as it was the fans. Never in my life have I seen a more volatile group of people who, through the anonymity of the internet, would say such unbelievably hurtful and mean things about someone just because of their preference of a singer. Now before you object, I realize that I made fun of certain people. But the fact is that I never once, not even in Kellie Pickler's case, meant it as a personal gesture or insult. It was always in good fun, and meant for us all to laugh at the absurdity of it. But there were people who sent me some really not-so-nice stuff, both in the comments here and in private emails and messages, that were extremely hurtful and ugly, and they just took away the fun of the show.

--How many jokes can you make about a show? To tell the truth, I was running out of material.

--The Idol Waves show. Actually, I loved doing the show, and the show will always be special to me. If Idol Waves management wants me back, I'd probably still do the show again, when I can focus on it. I continued the show a bit longer--about six months after my last posting here--going as far as to record 2007's Christmas special, but my heart wasn't in it, and I think it showed, especially on the last few episodes. Priscilla loved the show too, but her extreme self-consciousness about how her voice sounds made the show a bit more nerve-wracking than she would have liked, and since my job was packing in long hours and a long commute, the time I spent in the editing bay for the show was becoming a drain on our time together, and I wanted to give that time to her. So, y'know, you have to cut some things loose.

--I also got fired at Reality TV Magazine for not answering an email quickly enough, which was stupid, and certainly a big fat "no thank you" for helping make sure that they had any Idols at all at the Reality Convention, a favor that I most likely won't be returning any time soon. Apparently new management has taken over at that site, and it's corporately owned now by the same people who run soaps.com. Another example of a great fan site being destroyed by a corporate money-making machine.

--And speaking of the convention, although I had a great time with the stars (particularly Heather Cox, Dani McCulloch, and Will Makar) I was highly disappointed with the way that it turned out.

It's been refreshing, really, taking this break. As hard as it may be to believe, I haven't seen any episodes of American Idol this season since the end of the auditions, and that has freed my time up considerably. Priscilla and I have re-located to a much better and more rewarding job. I've had a moment to pull back out of the spotlight. I've no delusions of grandeur, but the small amount of fame I was getting certainly caught me off-guard, and I wasn't really ready for some of the responsibilities of it. And though I miss sharing 3 hours of Idol music with the faithful listeners, I've definitely not missed the 8 hours it takes to produce the show. (Yeah, you read that right. Show prep is tough, and post-production is even tougher!)

So for now, it's back to square one. In fact, I'm not all that sure any of you are still checking in or reading me. I haven't checked the page hit counter in months.

To answer the questions that any of you who haven't forgotten about me might have:

Will I be writing more? Yes. I fully intend to start writing again, here in these very pages. I've posted some articles at another site which I shall not mention because the articles were not written as my best work, and I'd rather not take credit for them. They were simply written as exercises to sharpen me up for coming back here.

Will I be writing about Idol? I don't know. My answer to that varies from day to day. The only thing I'm really sure about is that I will not be writing about this season, as I haven't watched it and don't really want to spend the time catching up on it. Perhaps next year, Idol will again be my focal point, but until then, I'm just going to write about whatever it feels good to write about.

Will I still be funny? I hope so. I'm hoping to start writing more humor, because laughing makes me feel good, and I laugh at my own jokes even if nobody else does.

And if I'm the only one reading it, that's okay too! If you're still reading, you'll never know how much that means to me.

Ask Not What Your Country Can Pay To You...

From the What Is The World Coming To? Department...

A lot of entities have a huge stake in the constant copyright battle that is YouTube. There's a great deal of disparity among the combatants. Some, like CBS, have laid down their arms, brokered deals, and wrapped their arms around the Grawp-like social media behemoth. Others continue to treat it more like a Goliath that must be struck down with the pebble that is the Digital Millenium Copyright Act.

One might be able to understand the struggle over content when it comes to pieces that were obviously produced for commercial retail. Though I feel a music video's presence on YouTube is in the long run beneficial for the artist and record company, I can see their argument over the distribution of their copyrighted material. I can see television studios argument over the placement of clips from the Daily Show or clips from shows like Smallville or Gilmore Girls on the service. (However, if you gave me a choice between watching a grainy four inch flash version of the show versus buying the DVD and watching it in all its gloriousness on my widescreen HDTV, the choice would be a no-brainer.) In the smallest way, I can understand sort of why restaurant staff can't sing "Happy Birthday To You" without it being considered a public performance for pay and thereby subjecting them to copyright violation liability, at least until the year 2030, when the song, written in 1893, will finally fall into the public domain, providing that the copyright isn't renewed. (Okay, I lied. I can't understand that one.)

But what I simply can't understand is the fact that some are suing YouTube over NEWS FOOTAGE. In particular, the greatest threat to YouTube at this moment is a man by the name of Bob Tur. You have no clue who he is, but you've seen his video footage of the beating of Reginald Denny during the 1992 Rodney King riots in Los Angeles millions of times. His video, shot from a helicopter, was the centerpiece of most newscasts, and to this day the images therein are iconic of one of the ugliest days in our nation's short history.

Bob Tur is hopping mad because nobody is paying him to watch this video on YouTube. Not that he hasn't already had a huge payday from it already. To date, Bob has made approximately $5 million from licensing the video. Bob and his company, Los Angeles News Service, also own the majority of video of the O.J. Simpson bronco chase, which has made them wealthy beyond most of our wildest dreams.

I wonder how much Bob Tur pays Reginald Denny every time he licenses out the video that shows him getting his brains beaten in. I wonder if Bob ever thought of landing his helicopter, which had already sustained $200,000 in damage, in order to try to help Denny, instead of doing as he did, which was to just stay in the air filming it while gangbangers shot at the chopper. I guess if there's not a payday, Bob won't do it.

The question in my mind is this: in the future, what will be our country's recorded history? Will it be a compendium of licensed accounts? Will stuff be left out of it simply because the author of the book or the films can't afford to license recorded history? When we recount the horrific images of 9/11, will we be able to show children 30 years from now the spine-tingling image of a plane crashing into a tower, or will CNN or Bob Tur own the right to that? One can only imagine John F. Kennedy trademarking his "ask not what your country can do for you," and history writers being forced to give royalties to his estate every time they print it. What if we had to pay the family of Benjamin Franklin every time an almanac was used, or worse yet, each of the sayings from them?

Another day...another step toward Orwell's vision...

Party Like a White Girl

The following YouTube video comes from none other than American Idol Season 5's own Marcie Smith. (If you don't remember, she was the one who was Brenna Gethers' arch-nemesis in Hollywood.)

Apparently Marcie has quite a sense of humor, and she shares my love for the Shop Boyz song "Party Like a Rock Star."

After you've watched the video, which parodies the song, as well as Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears (in that order), check out Marcie online at www.myspace.com/musicbymarcie. Check out her more serious material. She's a really great person and totally talented.

That Old Time Rock & Roll

Every now and then, when I walk into a store, I feel like I live in the 80's again. It could be any store, really. For example, I was in Target the other day, shopping for clothes with my wife. I actually saw leg warmers for sale. (And yes, they still look as ugly as they did back then. Heaven help us if we go back to the whole "big hair" thing.) We walked past the toy section which was crowded with displays of Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and G.I. Joe. The girls clothing had My Little Pony, Strawberry Shortcake, and Care Bears stamped all over them. And as we left to go to the movie theatre, the marquee reflected titles like "Transformers," "Die Hard," "Underdog" and "The Simpsons" at us.

But nowhere does it feel more like old times than in the record section. (For those of you born in the mid-90's or later, that's where they sell music. It's a record section. Get over it.) More and more, I'm seeing titles from bands that I thought went out of style at the same time as bell-bottoms or at the very least neon suspenders. But they're there. They are either coming back or have just been here all along without us noticing it until now. And it looks like that trend isn't going to change anytime soon.

I found out The Eagles are back in the studio. Word is they're producing their first full-length studio set since 1979's "The Long Run." And while Joe Walsh, Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Tim Schmit are all so old that they fart dust, I still find myself anxious to hear the album, so much so that I've pulled out my "Hotel California" CD for the morning commute tomorrow. I'm excited at the chance to possibly catch them on tour too.

Then I saw that Guns N' Roses members were contemplating a reunion, and got the sudden urge to grow a mullet. I remember quite clearly riding a BMX bike with a huge boombox on the handlebars blasting out "Welcome to the Jungle" much to the consternation of local residents who didn't have the musical sophistication to know that Axl Rose and Slash were musical geniuses, at least for a couple of albums. I remember also when MTV featured, supposedly, a special appearance by GNR on the VMAs, only to disappoint me by showing me a band made up of Axl Rose and these other guys. (I do love Buckethead, but not as a member of GNR.)

Led Zeppelin isn't far behind in this trend, with three new releases of old and rare material in the month of November. Hmm. Spend my money on a new Maroon 5 CD or Fall Out Boy album, or get to listen to freshly printed versions of "Black Dog" and "Misty Mountain Hop?" I think the choice is clear.

Last year, I hit the roof when I heard that Queensryche had released "Operation Mindcrime II," a follow-up to one of my favorite heavy-metal albums of all time. Now, they're getting ready to hit the road in September with Alice Cooper, as well as releasing a "best of" 2-disc compilation, with rare tracks from Geoff Tate's previous band, "Myth." Queensryche, ever the masters of social commentary, have managed to stay spectacularly relevant.

Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers will be releasing his new album. Suddenly visions of Demi Moore, a clay pot, and "Unchained Melody" are visiting my brain again.

And of course, as a Memphian, I couldn't help but notice that Elvis is still making money hand over posthumous fist, so much so that CKX is planning to overhaul Graceland's neighborhood, which was just short of a demilitarized zone last time I checked.

With all the proven goodness from "classic" rock still making waves on the current music scene, it must be even more difficult these days to break through. I doubt much that it has anything to do with the old-timers' refusal to go away. I rather think it's more apt to say that current and up-and-coming artists are having a hard time, given the current system, creating new music that in any way equals their predecessors artistically.

And quite frankly, with the graduate class still around, who needs the upstart freshmen? There are certainly notable exceptions, but on the whole, today's artists are becoming more and more difficult to relate to, at least within the circus of the mainstream. Who cares if Eminem sues iTunes?? Tupac Shakur will always be releasing underground material. What do I care if he's been dead for more than 10 years? Does it really matter if Mindy McCready gets arrested?? I still have my Reba McEntire. So Kelly Clarkson is suffering from depression after having been thrown butt first into the lap of luxury? So what! I can get all of that from Pat Benatar or The Bangles. They're still around. When I think of having to deal with the likes of Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears, I find myself more drawn to KISS, even if Paul Stanley had to miss a couple of shows due to heart problems.

Why do we love the oldies but goodies so? Maybe it's because we grew up with them. But I submit that there's another factor, also. The fact is this: music was fun back then. I don't care if you were into the most goth punk rock or death metal or whatever, it was STILL a lot less stressful being a music fan back then. Bootlegging wasn't a crime; it was actually encouraged! Different radio stations around the dial played different music and weren't all owned by one huge megacorporation. The DJs who spun the music weren't digitally recorded and interspersed into the music by computer. They actually sat there, took your requests, and occasionally introduced you to something that you needed to hear. Music was great. You met up with your friends and swapped tapes, or you went over to their house and sat and listened to their latest vinyl. You pretended you were with them on stage, played air guitar, and sang along.

Seriously, when's the last time you played air guitar? Check on that, okay?

One word on comebacks, though: Backstreet Boys... you might want to wait another decade or two. That way, people who grew up with you will be hitting their stride in nostalgia. For now, give me my re-issued Sex Pistols debut, and crank up the Seger. I want my old time rock n' roll!

Everything That You Ever Wanted

Priscilla and I are always on the search for good live music as well as a good baseball game. It's a rare occasion when we get to have both, but today was just such a day.

For months we've been hearing about Hawk Nelson. The band is comprised of Jason Dunn on vocals, Daniel Biro on bass, Jonathan Steingard on guitar and Sqwid (yes, Sqwid) on drums.

Before I get into telling you about the band, I just have to get one thing off my chest. The Memphis Redbirds, the team who hosted this event, did a horrific job with promoting and selling tickets to the show, particularly with regard to online sales and phone orders. The concert was listed as a promotional event, and pretty much all the events that are listed as such throughout the year are included with the price of the ticket. (For example: fireworks, giveaway jerseys, etc.) This one, however, was NOT included in the price of the ticket UNLESS you bought a special package. I never saw this on the website.

So once I got to the game and sat in the expensive seats I had purchased behind home plate, I rudely found out--somewhere in the fourth inning--that I would not be allowed to hang around for the concert afterward. You can imagine my dismay, as that was the primary reason for our attendance. Of course, I immediately went to address this with the Will Call office (which, by the way, had screwed up my tickets earlier and charged me for a game that I didn't go to) and I was subsequently met with an argumentative representative who insisted that despite the growing line of concerned ticket-holders who were piling up to complain during the fifth inning that it was painfully obvious to anyone who wasn't a complete retard that the concert admission was a separate charge. According to this person, I should've bought tickets that were half the price of the ones I had and they would've come complete with concert admission. Essentially, for spending less, I would've gotten more. I sat there, utterly flabbergasted at the thought of pricier tickets being of lesser value and also irritated at having to miss part of the game I paid so much for, as well as wondering how disappointed Priscilla would be, since she had been looking forward to this show for months.

I argued my way through a couple of managers and all the way up to the ticket manager, who stood there and argued with me till I he was blue in the face that the website clearly stated the prices, and basically screw you, and pay $20 more to get the wristbands that would allow admission, even though, as I repeatedly mentioned, my tickets cost more than double what those tickets cost. In any case, I finally argued him down to switching my tickets to the lesser field box seats and giving me the wristband without paying one cent more, left the box office as a hero to the others behind me in line, and sat back in the seats I had originally purchased, angry because I had to miss two innings to argue with the idiots who run the Memphis Redbirds box office. Let's just say that I still enjoy going to Redbirds games, and I attend many, but I doubt that I'll be going back for a game this year.

Anyway...now that I've got that off my chest, on to the concert.

It was sweltering hot out in Autozone Park's plaza. I mean fry an egg on your head hot. And humid too. The plaza was PACKED with screaming tweens who just couldn't wait to see the band hit the stage. Priscilla and I stood about five feet from the stage, which as fate would have it was just one foot closer than a gaggle of screaming girls who couldn't have been older than fourteen or fifteen and whose screaming would later drown several portions of the show. And since none of them were old enough to have experienced an actual punk rock concert, with mosh pit, et al, they insisted on trying their version of it as well, which ended up with them nearly knocking me over on top of my wife three times. The third offense was met with a glaring malevolent stare from me, and as I am a Large Individual, the activity subsequently relocated itself further behind me. I'm all for having fun, but no one needs to get hurt at the show.

The opening band was late getting onto the stage, but they turned out to be worth the wait. Tooth and Nail artists The Send got the crowd going with a four song set. You can check them out by clicking through to their Myspace. They've got most of their songs from their EP posted there. Their debut album comes out July 31st. You can listen to their music and judge for yourself. It's sort of a mish-mash of punk and alt rock. I like it. It's got just enough edge to keep it from being too generic, but not enough frayed edges to make it hardcore. There's a lot of heart and soul flowing through the lyrics, and watching Joseph Kisselburgh singing them is to watch him pour his heart onto the stage. Give them a listen, add them on Myspace, and if you like what you hear, you can pre-order their album at thesendonline.com.

After all the hassle and the heat, Hawk Nelson took the stage. I already sort of knew what to expect, because I've heard their hit single "Everything You Ever Wanted," and it occasionally makes me cry, because I know the feeling well. I'd also heard "Zero," which is the song they've got on the soundtrack of Evan Almighty. (If you haven't heard either of these songs, I strongly urge you to click over to myspace.com/hawknelsononline and listen to those as well as the other two right away. The two songs I mentioned are ballads, but Hawk Nelson, I found, was ready to rock it out. Lead singer Jason Dunn is the consummate showman, and he knows how to work the crowd. You can't help but take notice of him when he hits the stage, particularly not today as he was sporting blonde cropped hair with a black feathery mohawk. There's a reason why Jason has a legion of young teenage girls climbing the walls to get to him. He's a good looking guy, but he can also sing, and he works the crowd like a master. They played every song they'd ever done that got any sort of radio play, a couple of covers, and a few deep cuts, but the whole show was quite enjoyable. It was a rowdy good time, and my wife, who already adored the band is now, in the words of her T-shirt, nuts about Hawk Nelson. (Parents, Hawk Nelson is on the Tooth and Nail label, a label that consists mainly of Christian rock bands, so you needn't worry about any bad influences coming from this CD.)

Check out their Myspace page, and I strongly encourage you to pick up their latest CD.

Oh, and in case you're interested in seeing Hawk Nelson and The Send live, they're on a tour of baseball stadiums through the end of summer. If you have a minor league ballpark in your area, chances are they've either already been there or will be soon. Here's the schedule at the moment:

FRI, AUG 03.07 - GRAYSON STADIUM, SAVANNAH, GA
SAT, AUG 04.07 - GOLDEN PARK, COLUMBUS, GA
SUN, AUG 05.07 - FIVE COUNTY STADIUM, ZEBULON, NC
SUN, AUG 12.07 - DR. PEPPER BALLPARK, FRISCO, TX
SAT, AUG 18.07 - CHENEY STADIUM, TACOMA, WA
MON, AUG 20.07 - GRIZZLIES STADIUM, CHUKCHANSI PARK, FRESNO, CA
TUE, AUG 22.07 - BANNER ISLAND BALLPARK, STOCKTON, CA
FRI, AUG 24.07 - CLEAR CHANNEL STADIUM, LANCASTER, CA
TUE, AUG 28.07 - JOHN THURMAN FIELD, MODESTO, CA
WED, AUG 29.07 - STATER BROS. STADIUM, ADELANTO, CA
FRI, AUG 31.07 - TUCSON ELECTRIC PARK, TUCSON AZ

Do be sure to check each ballpark's website if ordering online, and make sure that you've specifically booked the special package that includes admission to the concert. Tickets should only be $15. Once you get that out of the way, I'm sure you'll find out as we did that the band is hot, and when you get to meet them, they're a great (and humble) bunch of guys.

So, what are you waiting for? Visit their sites!

In Memory Of...

Musical Ramblings would like to pass deepest condolences in the passing of the father of Jordan Southerland. Jordan, a participant in American Idol season 5, has been profiled in this blog before, but like all Idols who interact with us here, has become a friend as well. Our deepest sympathies go out to Jordan and his family, and we hope that God is watching over his father somewhere.

For Those of You Who Want to Preserve Internet Radio

IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED FOR THURSDAY, JULY 12TH

Greetings,

Time and options are running out for Internet Radio. Late this afternoon, the court DENIED the emergency stay sought on behalf of webcasters, millions of listeners and the artists and music they support.

UNLESS CONGRESS ACTS BY JULY 15th, the new ruinous royalty rates will be going into effect on Sunday, threatening the future of all internet radio.

We are appealing to the millions of Internet radio listeners out there, the webcasters they support and the artists and labels we treasure to rise up and make your voices heard again before this vibrant medium is silenced. Even if you have already called, we need you to call again.

The situation is grave, but that makes the message all the simpler and more serious.

PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES RIGHT AWAY and urge them to support the Internet Equality Act. Go to http://www.capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/alert_9738601.html to find the phone numbers of your Senators and Representative.

If they've already co-sponsored, thank them and tell them to fight to bring the bill to the floor for an immediate vote. If the line is busy, please call back. Call until you know your voice has been heard.

Your voices are what have gotten us this far - Congress has listened. Now, they are our only hope.

We are outmatched by lobbying power and money but we are NOT outmatched by facts and passion and the power of our voices.

Again, please go to http://www.capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/alert_9738601.html to find the necessary phone numbers and make the call today.

Thank you,

The SaveNetRadio Campaign