Well by now, you should be rolling around helplessly, and that’s a good thing, am I right? Yum Yum food, right? Well, you are so helpless, I would assume, that the only joy you could possibly get today would be from playing records, right? Well, have I got a treat for you!!! Listen to these records! Yes, do it!

Switchfoot – Hello Hurricane – ***1/2 – It always amazes me that Switchfoot has this endless supply of hooks and choruses that pull you into the song, and keep you engaged. There are several songs here that are sure to become staples of thier live sets. It’s great. The only complaint might be that they seem to discuss the same topics over and over, and have the same TYPE of songs, but they are still catchy!!

Relient K – Forget & Not Slow Down – *** – Another winner from Relient K. Maybe not as hooky as previous releases, but good nonetheless. This album feels a bit more self contained, with all the intros and outros, songs kind of blending into one another. It really showcases Relient K’s ability to create these kind of epic, multi-tiered songs. Cool!

Wolfmother – Cosmic Egg – **1/2 – Eh… I don’t know about this one. I liked their first record, but got a bit tired of it after a while. This is basically retreading the same ground, but with less catchy hooks overall. I think they would have needed to step it up a bit to get me back, and this didn’t do it for me.

Mike Lombardo Trio – The Fordham Sessions – *** – Pretty good album of piano-pop songs that can’t resist being compared to Ben Folds, but once you take that out of the equation, there is still solid songwriting and well thought out lyrical material. Definitely a standout for this genre.

Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears – Mad Valentines EP – ***1/2 – A fantastic taste of the power and genius of this guy. His album last year was wonderful, and this EP is just as good. Check it out!

Well by now, you should be rolling around helplessly, and that’s a good thing, am I right? Yum Yum food, right? Well, you are so helpless, I would assume, that the only joy you could possibly get today would be from playing records, right? Well, have I got a treat for you!!! Listen to these records! Yes, do it!

Switchfoot – Hello Hurricane – ***1/2 – It always amazes me that Switchfoot has this endless supply of hooks and choruses that pull you into the song, and keep you engaged. There are several songs here that are sure to become staples of thier live sets. It’s great. The only complaint might be that they seem to discuss the same topics over and over, and have the same TYPE of songs, but they are still catchy!!

Relient K – Forget & Not Slow Down – *** – Another winner from Relient K. Maybe not as hooky as previous releases, but good nonetheless. This album feels a bit more self contained, with all the intros and outros, songs kind of blending into one another. It really showcases Relient K’s ability to create these kind of epic, multi-tiered songs. Cool!

Wolfmother – Cosmic Egg – **1/2 – Eh… I don’t know about this one. I liked their first record, but got a bit tired of it after a while. This is basically retreading the same ground, but with less catchy hooks overall. I think they would have needed to step it up a bit to get me back, and this didn’t do it for me.

Mike Lombardo Trio – The Fordham Sessions – *** – Pretty good album of piano-pop songs that can’t resist being compared to Ben Folds, but once you take that out of the equation, there is still solid songwriting and well thought out lyrical material. Definitely a standout for this genre.

Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears – Mad Valentines EP – ***1/2 – A fantastic taste of the power and genius of this guy. His album last year was wonderful, and this EP is just as good. Check it out!

Artist:  Switchfoot
Title: Hello Hurricane (Deluxe)
Purchased at: Amazon
Artist link: MySpace
Rating:  love it!

When I saw this album I was a little nervous about them being a christian band. I am not a christian and I don’t want that stuff shoved down my throat. Or my ears. Then I listened to the sound samples and decided I had to have this music no matter what. And I was pleasantly surprised that there isn’t any preaching here, just good music.

In fact, this is awesome, intense, rock music. The vocals really deliver emotionally and the thick guitars filled my brain with alternative rock endorphins. The quiet songs, with acoustic guitar and his heartfelt singing, also hit the spot. These are incredibly catchy songs. I’ve listened to this album several times already and I enjoy it more each time.

Artist: Switchfoot
Album: The Beautiful Letdown
Release Date: February 25, 2003

We’re taking today off, as it’s Thanksgiving, so to all my American readers, hope yours was a happy one, and I’ll be back for real tomorrow. Readers abroad, continue about your day as normal.

Switchfoot – Meant to Live [iTunes] (YSI)

==TJ==

Switchfoot - Hello Hurricane

Este año hay nuevo disco de Switchfoot y esta genial, viene una edición especial con algunas canciones en acústico y otras cosas. En general el disco se escucha muy bien, he estado escuchando mucho el disco de The Best Yet y este es aun mejor.
Switchfoot mezcla muy bien sus canciones de guitarra eléctrica con las guitarras acústicas y otros instrumentos de cuerda como el Chelo y el Violín, pueden comprar el álbum en tiendas fisicas o en la iTunes Store ($ 9.99).

Pueden seguirle la pista a los chavos de Switchfoot en http://www.youtube.com/user/switchfoot y en twitter http://www.twitter.com/switchfoot

Les dejo el vídeo correspondiente al sencillo de Mess of Me, muy muy ponchada canción, saludos y paz…

I have decided to make a list of my favorite albums from the decade, since the decade is drawing to a close. These are in no particular order:

• blink-182, blink-182 – A pop-punk masterpiece.
• Green Day, American Idiot - A more mature side of Green Day and one of the only punk rock operas ever.
• Jack’s Mannequin, Everything In Transit – An album from Andrew McMahon that showcases perfect pop.
• Switchfoot, Nothing Is Sound - Talented alt rockers show their darker side.
• Kings Of Leon, Because Of The Times - Alt rock with a small twist of southern rock. Somehow it makes a great album.
• Audioslave, Audioslave - Former members of Rage plus Chris Cornell of Soundgarden make the perfect supergroup record.
• Angels & Airwaves, I-Empire – Tom Delonge of blink-182 makes yet another great record that is completely underrated
• Blind Pilot, 3 Rounds And A Sound – A folky, acoustic album that makes you hope this band will be around for years to come.
• Fall Out Boy, Folie à Deux – An band overlooked for being too poppy, they prove themselves for those willing to listen.
• Switchfoot, Hello Hurricane - The latest from Switchfoot, going from perfect alt rock songs to perfect pop songs all in the matter of 45 minutes…

Switchfoot is beyond words to me. Coming after three near-perfect records (2003’s The Beautiful Letdown, 2005’s Nothing Is Sound, and 2006’s Oh! Gravity), Hello Hurricane defines Switchfoot’s career. A masterpiece in it’s whole, Switchfoot really delivers not really just perfect songs, but a perfect album with Hello Hurricane. A PERFECT ALBUM. There have been other albums I have called perfect (Jack’s Mannequin’s Everything In Transit, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Californication, etc), but the albums I have called perfect don’t have the diversity of Hello Hurricane. After taking nearly 3 years to make, hundreds of demos to choose from, and a bunch of producers to complete, Hello Hurricane is here for sure. The review should tell you something:

1. Needle and Haystack Life
2. Mess Of Me
3. Your Love Is a Song
4. The Sound
5. Enough To Let Me Go
6. Free
7. Hello Hurricane
8. Always
9. Bullet Soul
10. Yet
11. Sing It Out
12. Red Eyes

If I haven’t said this before, I think music is best expressed in FULL ALBUM FORM. Not single song downloads, not as the 3 best songs on an album, but as a full album. That’s how I suggest you get this music. As an album. That’s how I suggest you get all your music, in fact. Music is so much better when you can sit down and take in a band through the known and unknown songs in a journey, however weird that sounds. Hello Hurricane may be the perfect example of how listening to an album in its entirety is so enjoyable.

Hello Hurricane starts out with Needle And Haystack Life, a song which may be one of my favorite songs on the record. Jon Foreman’s vocals are near perfect, there’s a solid bass trying to make itself heard in the background, the guitar is playing pretty solidly, mostly based on the rhythm of the song. The drums on this a pretty great too, some of Chad Butler’s best work yet. This song is as close as Switchfoot has gotten to perfect, one of my favorite new songs Switchfoot has put out. Mess Of Me is a different song for Switchfoot, with a very distorted guitar riff and stop-start music, trading off vocals with instruments. The song is lyrically brilliant, a highlight is the bridge where the guitar is sing the same melody over (or under) Foreman’s vocals. As the first single of the album, it showcases what Switchfoot is doing with this album, which is changing things up a little from their previous albums. Great. Your Love Is a Song is a slower, softer song, really contrasting with Mess Of Me. It starts off with an acoustic verse, which once again makes the listener complete fall in love with Foreman’s lyrics. Maybe a song for a lover or maybe a song for God, the chorus is where this song complete comes alive, where Foreman sings comparing love to a song, hence the title. This song is like nothing Switchfoot has done before, which means I could go either way on this song, but it’s an essential part of the record, it defines what this album is about, just as much as any other song on here. The Sound (John M. Perkins’ Blues) starts off with a guitar riff that is best described as dark and eerie, and Foreman’s vocals in the verse are just about the same way. The chorus leaves a little to be desired, it’s not exactly perfect. the second verse name drops John M. Perkins, a civil rights activist, which is a little piece of trivia for you, I suppose. Compared to the rest of the album, this song leaves a little to be desired, but the song is pretty good. Enough To Let Me Go is where I feel that this album takes a bit of a dive. It starts out with an acoustic guitar, and turns into a quiet song, which doesn’t really fit into the album. I suppose Foreman’s vocals are pretty good, but other than that, this song is pretty bland, but the album reignites in some sorts with Free. Free has a vocal line that reminds me of Black Sabbath’s War Pigs. Yes, I just compared Switchfoot to Ozzy Osborne, but if you listen to the verse of Free and listen to the verse of War Pigs, you will see the similarity in the melody. Interesting. Yeah, so Free has a pretty solid guitar riff that backs most of the song where Foreman is not singing. The bridge is kind of weird considering it doesn’t really fit the songs at first but the transition back into the song goes pretty well. A great part of the album. Hello Hurricane starts out with what I believe is a mandolin, and transitions into the verse, which is pretty unusual for Switchfoot. For the title track of such a great album, I think this song is a little weak. Always starts out with a piano line, which is pretty beautiful, I guess you could say. When Foreman starts to sing, you feel like he is off a beat, but I think it slowly gets back into pace. This is a song the band is very proud of, and rightfully so, it sounds great, it fits in with the record fully. Bullet Soul is the song that Switchfoot uses to test their limits between. It fits in with Mess Of Me and The Sound with it’s guitar riff, but it’s definitely heavier than anything on the album. It’s fairly short, but it’s enjoyable none the less. Yet is a surprise on the album. It’s very mellow, Foreman seems to be torn in two between loss of self confidence and wanting to live and come alive. My only complaint is the bridge, where the music stops and repeats the same line a few times (If it doesn’t break- …if it doesn’t break-), which doesn’t really ruin the song, but it doesn’t help it too much. Sing It Out is one of the most touching songs Foreman has ever written, lyrically. It’s indescribable, if you are going to buy a song from the record, buy this one (but just get the whole album). Red Eyes finishes off the album with hope in some form. The song itself isn’t really too exciting, there are a few good lines Foreman sings, but the ending brings the album to a close with a reprise of Needle And Haystack Life, which sounds GREAT.

In conclusion, this album may be one of the best of it’s decade. Enough said. Drop what you are doing and buy this album, it’s as close to perfect as you can get in the alternative rock genre. If you liked Switchfoot’s previous work (since 2003’s The Beautiful Letdown), this album will definitely be on replay for weeks.

The context of this journal: If it doesn’t break your heart, it isn’t love. If it doesn’t beak your heart it’s not enough.¹

I’ve read these books before. I’ve read how to think positive, how to recognize who is in my circle of influence, how to empower, how to listen. But as I read this portion of The Art of Possibility, I listened with new perspective. With fresh eyes and an open mind, I listened to Rosamund and Benjamin Zander.

Presence without resistance: Understand what is, and don’t fight it, don’t resist it. Instead of combating it, look at the situation with a new perspective, through new glasses. Every situation has the potential for positive growth. It’s all in how we perceive the situation.

“Life is a story… all of life comes to us in narrative form; it’s a story we tell.” If we know that this is, then what can we do to tell a story that will encourage? To tell a story that will inspire, motive, give strength and spread truth?

It is up to us to be a conduit for that positive energy. It is up to us to look at life with this perspective, the perspective of opportunity, the belief in possibility.

Rosamund Zander writes: “The more attention you shine on a particular subject, the more evidence of it will grow.” She likens attention to light, air and water: “Shine attention on obstacles and problems and they multiply lavishly.”

It is when we view these obstacles as hazards – as challenges to overcome – in which we cease to be a conduit for positive energy. We cease to look at these situations with a perspective of possibility. Instead, let’s look at them as opportunities, as chances to make something great.

I am an optimist. I like to see the positive in life’s situations. But many people have often interpreted me as a dreamer, one that cannot accept reality. Well, in fact, I am recognizing reality. I am recognizing what is, the clear possibility of a situation. Rosamund Zander says, “Those of us who think of the possibility are not dreamers ignoring reality, we see the potential in what is real.” See the glass half full, she says, is a measure of the physical reality under discussion.  It’s all in the framework in which we perceive a situation.

“Our universe is alive with sparks. We have at our fingertips an infinite capacity to light a spark of possibility. Passion, rather than fear, is the igniting force.” Possibility exists in every situation – in all of life’s challenges. Look at life through a framework of hope, a framework of opportunity. And be a conduit for this hope. Inspire. We will break; we will fall. But this means one thing, one thing that is very encouraging, very inspiring: love is here.

¹Lyrics, Switchfoot: “Yet,” from the album Hello Hurricane.

loving this song right now

Welcome to Stats Suck Sunday on the Churro Blog. If you’ve never heard of Stats Suck Sunday before it’s pretty simple. This is where you post random thoughts in bullet points on your blog because nobody reads blogs on Sundays anyways.

• I’ve been to a Casting Crowns concert and a David Crowder Band concert this week. Lots. of. Fun.
• In the last 2 weeks I’ve bought 4 CDs. Switchfoot – Hello Hurricane. David Crowder Band – Church Music. Casting Crowns – Until the Whole World Hears. and, David Crowder Band – Remedy Club Tour.
• I got tickets to go to the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade recording at the beginning of December. I hope I’ll be able to go. If I can’t go, I’m going to see DecembeRadio though.
• I think I’m gonna listen to my David Crowder Band Remedy Club Tour CD now..
• ..for the 5th time..
• I’m trying to make you sing..
• Don’t forget to watch MercyMe tonight live if they’re streaming it. http://m.ercy.me
• Thanksgiving is Thursday. Awesome.
• I have school Monday and Tuesday.. they I get my Thanksgiving Break. Yay.
• la la la la la la la la..
• I want a churro.
• Push the Talking Trash Can is on Twitter.. @PushTrashcan.
• I wish the David Crowder Band would look at my pictures that I took at the concert. It’d be even cooler if they commented.
• You are my Joy. You are my Joy. You are my Joy. You are my Joy.

Okay, well that’s it for this week. Come back soon!

Hoyas 3-0! Yeah, buddy.

Speaking of which, it was nice to see our old homeboy Jeff Green on the court against the Wizards last night…

…Looking for an act of devotion in honor of the Solemnity of Christ the King?

Consider adding your e-signature to the Manhattan Declaration…

…After I finished high school, I got a job typing the reports of a company of local archaeologists.

The company specialized in pre-historic archaeology–that is, the study of artifacts produced by people who did not have writing.

In our area, you can discover a pre-historic artifact while you are out for a walk. There are still Algonquian arrowheads and potsherds lying on the surface of the earth.

Contrast this with archaeology in the Old City of Jerusalem. On Monday evening, we walked down four flights of steps from street level. We emerged into a cistern that was built to hold water for use in the Temple in the fifth century B.C.

Chiesa Nuova in Rome

There are books written about the building of that temple–they can be found in the Old Testament. My point is: In Jerusalem, archaelogists have dug and dug and dug, and they still have not gotten to the pre-historic level.

And here is some more perspective: In our day and age, since the beginning of the Digital/Organic Era (which began when Bill Gates’ net worth reached $1 trillion), “new” refers to something that came into being in the last half-nanosecond.

In Rome, there is a beautiful church called Chiesa Nuova, the “New Church.” It was completed in 1606.

In Jerusalem, the Nea, the “new” church in honor of Mary the Mother of God, has lay buried beneath the rubble of earthquake and Persian destruction for 1200 years.

Today is the day the Nea was dedicated in A.D. 543.

Our Lady was born in Jerusalem. She was among the girls who cared for the Temple paraphernalia.

When Mary brought the newborn Jesus to the Temple to present Him to the Father, she encountered the priest Simeon and the prophetess Anna. The three of them may already have known each other.

The above is a mosaic map of Christian Jerusalem. It is not easy to read. The Cardo, or main street, runs left to right through the middle of the city. The huge ancient basilica of the Holy Sepulcher is below the main street, the Nea is above it, to the right. There was an annual procession between the two churches.

…I am sorry that I allowed the following “Bests” list to get as stale as five-year-old granola bars. It is retired. An exciting new edition is available behind the Bests tab above.

SPECIAL “MY iPOD” EDITION

Best Rob Thomas Song: “Real World” (Matchbox 20)

(“I wish the real world would just stop hassling me” is not a bad motto.)

Best Paul Simon Song:
The Obvious Child

Best Radiohead Song:
Talk Show Host

Best Bruce Springsteen Song since 1979: Radio Nowhere

Best K.D. Lang Song: Constant Craving

Best Rock Band Alive Today: Switchfoot

Best B–n–d Ladies Song: Falling for the First Time

Best Cover Ever: The Boys of Summer by the Ataris

Best Nineties Band that No One Has Ever Heard Of: World Party

Best Taylor Swift Song: Teardrops on My Guitar

I heard Switchfoot live earlier this year, and they were corking. I plan to hear them again this year, and they will be absolutely super.

It has been about 3 years since I have seen Switchfoot live in concert. It was their tour for Nothing is Sound. I enjoyed that show, but thinking back on it now, nothing really stood out. The one thing I remember is Augustana opening for them, and beginning that love affair. Their next album “Oh! Gravity” had not been one of my favorites, so when I bought the tickets to go it was a compulsive buy. They had a new album coming out that was being released only a week before the concert, so I was taking a gamble without knowing if I would like it.

Alicia and I got there about 30 minutes before the doors were to open and the line was already down the block. The Parish is one of my favorite venues downtown. I had the privilege of seeing Angel Taylor/Gavin DeGraw here back in April.

When we got in we found a decent spot on the side of the stage but for some reason every tall man decided to stand around us. I know I am not tall by any means, but this was the first time in awhile where I felt like I was a munchkin.

The stage had numerous seagulls floating around from the ceiling, which is inspired by their album cover art (no worries, the band assured us during the concert that there had been no accidents).

The show was about to start. The band was coming on stage and everyone was screaming and clapping in anticipation. The only one missing was lead singer, Jon Foreman. I was looking around to where their green room was when I notice a man walking towards me. I realize its Foreman! No one around me realized it. He had his hood up trying to  be discreet. As soon as he passed I realized who he looked like at that moment. Dominic Monaghan (Charlie from Lost). Side note: The countdown is on. February 2nd for the last season!

To start the concert Foreman began by singing in the audience. He stood on a bench on the opposite side of where I was. At that moment I knew it was going to be a different kind of concert.

Foreman announced they were going to play their new album “Hello Hurricane” from beginning to end. They said they worked hard on this album and felt like to play it in its entirety for the fans would be a great way to showcase it. Right away my mind went to the Decemberists when I saw them at SXSW. They did the same thing. I loved how I did not have to worry about whether they were going to play my favorite song off the new CD. It was a given

By the time we got to the 6th song, “Free,” Foreman left his mic and guitar to pound on a big drum (I tried to look up the technical name for it, but I failed miserably). I really enjoyed when they performed my favorite song, “Always.” Foreman actually played the piano for this song and said he wrote it while playing on the piano he learned on as a child. He dedicated it to Led Zeppelin, who made him stray from the piano and move onto the guitar. It was beautiful.

For “Bullet Soul” they whipped out the cowbell. Which always sends my mind straight to Will Ferrell and his skit from SNL. To add more to that feel in the following song, “Yet” they whipped out an accordion and harmonica.

Throughout the entire set Foreman was very interactive with the audience. Not only sharing in between songs but coming down, standing on things, borrowing hats. After they finished the entire set they told us they were going to leave and whatever song we started singing they would come back and do. So, right away different groups begin shouting different songs, until one large group begins to sing in unison Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA.” It was pretty funny. The band came back out, but they did not perform Cyrus. They played their song “Home.” Someone was singing it in the front.

The entire time I was hoping they would play my all my time favorite song “24.” I had seen in a tweet earlier in the week that they had done it at a show, so I was crossing my fingers hoping they would repeat it in Austin. And what do you know…they did! And it was awesome! They played some of their other popular songs like “Dare You To Move,” “Learning to Breathe,” “Stars,” and “Oh! Gravity.” And their encore included “This is Your Life” and “Meant To Live.” During the encore John walked around the audience, getting on top of tables, hence how I got this lovely pic:

The show was a full two hours and I loved every second of it. With the band doing the new album in its entirety it definitely helped me fall in love with it even more and I think it is one of their finest they have done. I recently read an article in Relevant Magazine, where they interviewed John Foreman. He said for the new record they started with 120 songs! That is so many! Maybe that is normal, but to me that is crazy. But it is obvious they chose the right one’s. “Hello Hurricane” has a good balance of upbeat and slower songs. And the lyrics–one can most definitely feel the passion and message that each song holds.

I would encourage you to check out Switchfoot’s latest album “Hello Hurricane” and if you get a chance–check them out on the road. They are putting on a great show, in a semi-intimate setting, for a great price.

Until next time…PEACE OUT!

There is so much good music out there right now.  Take a look at a few records I have on rotation right now.

John Mayer – Battle Studies – Selected Track: Heartbreak Warfare

Switchfoot – Hello Hurricane – Selected Track: Mess of Me

Phil Wickham – Heaven and Earth – Selected Track: Safe

What do you have on rotation?  Listening to these albums?  What’s your favorite track?

-jordan

If you’re itching to get out there before the weekend, the next two days hold some interesting music events here in our fair city.

Wednesday, November 18th

Monster Big Band, Jazz Pharaohs

From Monsterbigband.com: The Monster Big Band is a collection of the finest jazz and commercial musicians from the Austin area. Members of the local area bands Mingo Fishtrap, Los Jazz Vatos, The Lucky Strikes, The Atlantics, Duck Soup, Rotel and the Hot Tomatoes, The Stingers and The Scabs come together to play hard driving swing with an attitude.

They’ll be playing at the Elephant Room at 6:30 pm.  No cover!

Switchfoot

Some 1990s radio rock for your liking.  They’ll be at The Parish, doors at 9 pm.  Tickets are a somewhat steep $25 and you can buy them here.

Wednesday’s picks, including Zappa! after the jump.

Wednesday, November 19th

Imogen Heap, Tim Exile, Back Ted N-Ted

The prodigious multi-instrumentalist plays at La Zona Rosa tomorrow.  Doors at 8 pm.  Tickets are $25-$30 and you can buy them here.

Dweezil Zappa plays Zappa

Should be a good one!  Dweezil will be at Stubb’s at 8 pm.  Tickets only $15 and you can pick them up here.

We went downtown tonight to catch a concert with one of my favorite alternative Christian bands, Switchfoot. They were playing at the House of Blues in Dallas, and it was an awesome show!

We arrived early with tickets in hand, but there was already a long line of concert goers waiting to get into the venue. At first, I thought they were in line to get tickets, so we went to the box office area to evaluate the situation. When we got there, we realized it was in fact a line of people waiting to get inside. Before leaving, we confirmed it with one of the event staff, but instead of directing us to the back of the line, he started talking about their VIP Lounge, the Foundation Room. And then he did the unexpected…he walked us to the VIP entrance and gave us entrance into their special lounge to wait for the show!! It was SO cool!

The Foundation Room is a lounge with a number of small gathering areas uniquely decorated with art and artifacts from around the world. You can hang out there and grab some food before the show. I’ve been in the Foundation Room at the HoB Chicago and Las Vegas for corporate events, but usually the space is dedicated for “members” only. Needless to say, we were thrilled to be there. Gary and I arrived about 90 minutes before the show was scheduled to begin so we lounged in one of the private rooms (pic below), grabbed some food, and enjoyed our evening.

The concert began at 9 pm. Switchfoot recently released a new album (in early November), so they decided to do something different during this concert. They performed the entire album — start to finish. Afterwards, they came back for a 2nd set and performed some of the “fan favorites.” It was really funny when they left the stage for a quick break, they said whatever song the audience was singing when they came back would be the song they would play next. Soon, the audience began to sing, “Oh Gravity,” and the band kept their promise. They strolled on stage and began to play the song.

It was a fantastic show! Not only did the band play some amazing songs, but they let us have fun too. Their stage presence was entertaining — natural, not overdone, just right. They also had fun with the audience, interacting with us and drawing us into the performance. I will definitely go see them again the next time they are in town, and hopefully they’ll be playing at the House of Blues again. It’s a great venue!

Below are some grainy cell phone pics from tonight’s show:

Hanging out in the Foundation Room before the show

Gary and the Buddha

Ah, so much better than waiting outside in the cold in a long line!

Audience waiting for the show

Switchfoot!!!!

Gary’s cell phone camera is much better than mine — here’s another, less grainy, shot of the band.

This one is for you, Mom. The guy on the right was playing an accordion! Never heard that before in a rock band, but it was great. The lead singer was also playing a harmonica…pretty cool!

Jon Foreman wrote this song for his wife who requested some worship songs from him. He explains that he figured the best song for worship would be stolen straight from the Bible…so that’s what he did.

It is essentially the Lord’s Prayer with a focus on recognizing that God loves us and will take care of our needs. It’s a simple song, but says a lot. I’m looking forward to worshiping with everyone this week.

Side Note: I’ve had the chorus of this song stuck in my head before but never knew the melody. I figured I could learn it and record it all in about 30 minutes. Turns out the melody has some atypical parts and there’s a chord in there that while easy, I’m just not used to playing. You’ll notice a few mistakes in the video, so please be easy on me. On a positive note, I got the lighting fixed and the video quality should be pretty good from this point on.

I’m sure some of you might think I’m crazy, but Tuesdays can be one of the best days of the week–especially when long-awaited albums hit the shelves. Last week I could have blown almost an entire paycheck on newly released albums (ok, that may be a bit of an exaggeration). Bon Jovi released, The Circle, Switchfoot’s Hello Hurricane hit the shelves (listen to Mess of Me) and A Fine Frenzy put out a Christmas album–Oh Blue Christmas. I have to admit, I wasn’t overly thrilled (and nothing but love for Jon and the gang) by The Circle. But, trust me, that hasn’t stopped me from getting tickets for his show in Atlanta on April 15. I am, however, loving the entire Hello Hurricane album! And Alison Sudol stayed true to her sultry, amost other-worldly sound on Oh Blue Christmas. The only other thing I could have asked for from the album was more songs (there are only six).

Today, John Mayer’s Battle Studies went on sale. I’m particularly enjoying the song, Assassin, off the album. Friends, Lovers or Nothing is also really good! The Swell Season also recently issued a new album, Strict Joy. Check out Low Rising here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5KV1Lf2NkY

Pentru că Switchfoot este una dintre trupele mele preferate, vă propun această piesă şi noul lor album “Hello Huricanne”

things have changed. I no longer have a best friend. but I have a boyfriend. under any other circumstances, I would consider this bad. but I do believe he is/will be my best friend before long. this isn’t a dumb thing that won’t last. (well I guess I shouldn’t assume it won’t not last, but I prefer to be optimistic here.) this is going to mean something. and this is what I’ve waited for, right? for a meaningful relationship, not some stupid fling to kill time. I have given up on a 4.0 gpa. a 3.8 would be nice. I think I’m going to KU for college but seriously who the hell knows. I need a job badly. concerts are not nearly as important to me as they were just two weeks ago. I still don’t understand people who think they understand the world and how it works. I don’t really have a conclusion. jon foreman is my hero.