I thought I'd share some songs from my running/workout playlist. Here's a sample of what's playing on my ipod during my runs:
Live Like a Warrior -- Matisyahu Feel So Close (radio edit) -- Calvin Harris Blow -- Ke$ha Payphone -- (clean version) -- Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa Super Bass (clean version) -- Nicki Minaj Runaways -- The Killers Good Time -- Owl City and Calry Rae Jepsen Heads Will Roll -- Yeah Yeah Yeahs Till I Collapse (clean version) -- Eminem Lights -- Ellie Goulding Part of Me -- Katie Perry The Fighter -- Gym Class Heroes featuring Ryan Tedder Let Me Down Easy -- 2AM Club Turn Up The Music -- Chris Brown Best of You -- Foo Fighters
Also, here's a little something from Nike and Ellie Goulding. Love it:
Memorial weekend Kendle, my mother, and I made our way to Spokane to see the totally fabulous and magical production of Wicked. Here are Kendle's thoughts about the day:
Okay, first this is one of the only (awesome) plays I've seen. I thought the coolest prop was a dragon that breathed fire -- aka red smoke. We got to sit in row F. Good for me 'cause I'm pretty short. When we finaly got into the event center I was super excited. My top 2 favorite songs were Popular and Defying Gravity. The main characters in the play were Galinda, (Glinda later on) Elphaba, Fiyero, Boq, Nessarose, The Wizard of Oz, Chistury, (that was a flying monkey), Madam Morrible, and the fellow Ozians. There was one part I don't recommend for kids age 6 and under. I thought it was just loud and violent in one scene. (The part where the Wizard's big talking head moves around and makes lots of noise.) Oh, and did I mention in the beginning it had a big map of the Emerald City? My favorite scene was when they sing Defying Gravity and Elphaba's a witch and her dress is HUGE! It's like her dress just magically grew.
I will just add that Kendle had a huge smile on her face for the majority of the show and her eyes got really big quite a few times. I'm so glad it worked out that my mom was able to come with us as well. It was the best girls day ever! After the show we walked the water front and the park, Kendle climbed the huge red wagon and rode the carousel, and we stopped in at Cyrus O'Leary's for the pie we'd been craving all day. The weather was perfect to boot. My mom and I concluded we MUST do that more often.
Wednesday afternoon Riley and I took off for a little overnight stay in Portland. A month or so ago, I saw that one of my favorite bands was going to be coming there and since they hardly ever tour, I didn't want the chance to pass me by. So I ordered tickets online and we decided to just have faith that we could make it happen. Yes, there are more famous artists on my list to see in concert, but this husband/wife duo was on the very tip-top of my "absolute must see if they come anywhere close" list. It felt like fate that the date of the concert worked out, child care worked out, and Riley's soccer/work schedule allowed us to leave.
Upon arrival in Portland, we decided to check into our hotel and then get something to eat before the show. We were staying downtown right by the Convention center. As we got closer and closer we noticed streets blocked off, police everywhere and crowds of people. "Was there a bomb scare?" I joked to Riley. Then we started seeing people holding signs and it suddenly dawned on us why there were thousands and thousands of people making their way to the convention center - President Obama was coming to campaign for the Governor of Oregon and having a huge rally - right across the street from where we were staying. Wow, totally didn't do very good planning on that one. The only reason we stayed where we did was because Riley's work uses them for business trips and we got a good deal. So just getting into the parking lot for the hotel took lots of maneuvering and was quite the adventure. We saw lots and lots of interesting folks waving their signs around (some of which made absolutely no sense whatsoever) hoping to catch a glimpse of the president. I think they said there was around 8,000 people or so.
{Side note: Every time we go to Portland, I always come away with the distinct impression that they want to discourage as many people from driving there as possible. It is seriously annoying.} Luckily we found a good parking spot across the street from the venue for the concert and there was already a line wrapping around the outside of the building so we thought we'd better hustle over and get in line. It was a beautiful warm night and we marvelled that it was nearly Halloween and we could stand outside without coats on. It was held at the Aladdin Theater, which only seats around 620 people. What a cool place to see a live show. Since it is on the smaller side there isn't really a bad place to sit. All the floor seats have a good view and then there is a balcony up top as well. The only thing I could complain about was the lack of air conditioning so it was pretty darn warm in there. I couldn't believe all the people that were still sitting there in their big wool coats and sweaters. Crazy! We had good seats in the middle section about 6 or 7 rows back and the sound inside was great.
The lovely Lucy Schwartz was the opening act. She came on stage to get things started at 8:00 sharp.
She plays the piano, guitar, and harmonica and was backed by another lady guitarist and an amazing woman percussionist who sat on a wooden box and made the coolest sounds with her hands, feet, and all sorts of little instruments. They did a 30 minute set that went by way, way too fast and was simply a - ma -zing. I had only heard a few of her songs before, but her song "Life in Letters" from her new album of the same name is definitely my new favorite. It's a toe tapper, and a hand clapper. I can't stop singing it. Riley looked at me after she finished her first song and was like - wow! He didn't think he'd be enjoying the music but even he was blown away. Lucy's song "When We Were Young" was the theme song for the television show "Parenthood" and also "Life in Letter's" was featured on a recent episode of ABC's "No Ordinary Family." Here's the clip:
Her new album is super great and it was seriously a treat to have her as the opening act.
After a brief set change to fill the stage with lighted lamps decorated like their album cover art and glowing candles, The Weepies hit the stage at 9:00.
They are touring to promote their new album "Be My Thrill" which was recently released. They have a three year old and a 6 month old baby. Deb Talan and her husband Steve Tannen have the magical ability to make the best harmonies and make music that just melts like butter on warm bread. I think Deb Talan has probably my most favorite voice in the whole wide world. It's simple and clear and unpretentious. I was worried that they wouldn't sound as good live as on their recorded music, but I am so glad to say that not only did they sound better than I could have imagined, but in between songs they were hilarious and entertaining and you couldn't help but fall in love with them. Like, I seriously wanted to move in next door to them so we could be neighbors and hang out and listen to them play music all the time. They were backed by a four piece band that added to their nice indie-singer/songwriter folksy, pop rock magic. It really was magical. Seriously. I've been to concerts to see people that I've liked, but never someone where I love every single one of their songs and each and every song is a work of art. And sometimes other artists are kind of off key and lacking, not so with The Weepies. They packed in 20 songs and each and every one gave me goosebumps. They love their fans and gave us the feeling that we were just old friends that they were playing for. If I wouldn't have been about ready to pass out from the heat, I probably would have stuck around after it was over like a crazy obsessed fan and told them how their music changed my life and their lyrics paint the prettiest pictures that any lyrics could. They are pure genius to me, and I don't dish out compliments like that very often. We tried to get some pictures, but the lighting was low so they didn't come out that clear.
(Deb and Steve are holding hands in the middle)
This was taken at the end of the show. Right after which they returned following a standing ovation to do an encore of three more songs. It couldn't have been a more beautiful evening. We couldn't get very good video footage on Riley's phone but here is a clip of their concert five days earlier in California. This is one of their most well known songs "The World Spins Madly On".
Me after the concert getting ready to head back to the hotel:
I'm so glad we got to go and I know it will be something I will always remember. Umm, and did I mention the people watching was awesome? There was definitely a good mix of people from every walk of life. I guess that is the great thing about music is that it brings so many different types of people together.
The following morning we ate a late breakfast, squeezed in some shopping at the Nike and Gap outlet and then enjoyed a lovely drive through the Columbia Gorge which was splendid with jewel toned colors of autumn. To this busy mom of four, and wife to one of the busiest men I know, it was the perfect little getaway.
Miss Kendle is adjusting to having her expander put in yesterday. She is frustrated that it is harder to eat and she was really grumpy this morning as she tried to eat cereal for breakfast, she finally gave up on it and ate some banana instead. It will be interesting to see how her lunch goes. Relearning how to eat is going to be a top priority. I would have thought having the expander on the roof of her mouth would have been more uncomfortable but so far she has only complained about the brackets on her two front teeth. They only put two on and are waiting for her other teeth to come in and she has one tooth that she needs to wiggle and help fall out. I was helping her take some pain medicine for it last night and accidentally banged the spoon on her teeth. Ouch! She was not happy about that. But, she is excited to being on her way to beautiful teeth!
{Got to love the "I just got done beating up on my little brother hair"}
Have I mentioned what a little snacker Mister Morgan is lately? Every time I turn around he is eating something or asking for a snack. He is like a little bird that grazes all day long. He is so skinny though, I figure it's not hurting him. He is stretching out and getting taller and has the skinniest little legs. I'm always trying to get him to drink more milk and I don't mind when he wants a spoonful of peanut butter. He has so much energy and is always playing and running and doing something. He hardly sits still for long. Last night I found him sitting on the kitchen counter snacking on an apple.
I've never seen a little kid that drinks as much as he does either. He is always running to the fridge to fill up his cup for a drink. I don't think we will ever have to worry about Morgan staying hydrated!
In other exciting news, I have cut my time on running the mile by 45 seconds in the last month since I started running more consistently. I am aiming to cut off another 15 seconds in the next few weeks. I am feeling good but my knees are hurting me a little. My legs tend to get kind of sore because I have one leg that is a bit longer than the other (just one of my many oddities) so I think one leg tends to get more pressure put on it and it puts me off kilter a bit. Since we moved our treadmill into our bedroom and I can't watch TV anymore while I run I have to rely on a good playlist of workout music on my ipod. It totally keeps me going and keeps me pumped up and helps me run harder and longer than I think I can. Here's a small sampling:
Airplanes - B.o.B (Featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore)
Undo It - Carrie Underwood
When You Were Young - The Killers
Spotlight (Twilight Mix) - Mutemath
Heart of a Champion - Nelly
Everlong - Foo Fighters
Let the Drummer Kick - Citizen Cope
Something Good Can Work - Two Door Cinema Club
How Do You Get High? - The Weepies
I make sure to mix it up and change up the playlist every now and then so I don't get bored. Oh yeah, and it's always interesting to see what Morgan has been doing during my run. For example when he's supposed to be watching a movie and he's really been climbing up on the counter and eating all the sprinkles in the baking cupboard. Never a dull moment I tell ya.
Have you ever been frustrated trying to find something? I've been haunted by the song on the new U.S. Cellular commercial, the one where the couple is out making snow angels at night. Every time the commercial comes on I have to stop and listen to it. It is kind of magical. I've been scouring the internet to try and find out what it was and then finally stumbled onto it by accident. It is called "Kaliedoscope" by Sleepy Rebels. You can listen to it here. Scroll down the page until you see the blue box.
I think I want to go make some snow angels at night now!
Today while I was on the treadmill I was watching "The View" and their special musical guest was..........
get ready.........
oh no they didn't...........
New Kids On The Block
They have gotten back together and are attempting to make a comeback. They performed their song "Single" off their new album "The Block" and I have to say that I was bopping along with it as I ran. Not only that, but they brought back some of their sweet dance moves for the performance. At the end of the show they performed "Step By Step" from the old school and I'm not ashamed to admit that I remembered all the words.
Them back in the day:
Now:
While interviewing them, Elizabeth Hasselback was totally flustered, because like me she had been a huge fan back in the day. I always had the biggest crush on Joey McIntyre and I used to have a large poster of the NKOTB on the outside of my bedroom door that I think one of my brothers ripped off in some disagreement we had. (anyone want to fess up to that one?) I probably had it coming after making my family endure endless hours of "Hanging Tough" and "The Right Stuff".
As I was watching the grown women in the audience singing along to the songs, I thought back to an Oprah show where she had David Cassidy on and all of the middle aged women were going wild. I couldn't believe they were still ga-ga over some guy that was popular in the 70's. Now, admittedly, I am one of those people enthralled by the possibility that my favorite boy band from grade school could be making a come back.
I remember in the third grade I literally thought my life was coming to an end because I wasn't able to go to the Tiffany/NKOTB concert. I had to listen to my friends talk about it for weeks while I seethed in silence.
Yeah, I know there is a certain amount of cheesiness that is associated with boy bands, but sometimes I like a big slice of cheese. It's that inner-suppressed-teeny-bopper that's just dying to get out.
One of my favorite music shows on television is "Crossroads" on CMT.
Great music knows no boundaries. CMT Crossroads shows the far-reaching roots of country music by pairing country artists with musicians from other genres. Each episode will feature a different set of stars playing together, swapping stories and sharing their common love of music.
They pair up great artists that you normally wouldn't consider having similar styles, but could easily trade songs with one another and make a hit. One of my recent favorites was Sara Evans and Maroon 5. Her song "A Real Fine Place to Start" could easily be a new Maroon 5 song. Here's a clip:
Some of my other favorites included the episodes of: -Bon Jovi and Sugarland -Dave Matthews and Emmylou Harris -James Taylor and the Dixie Chicks -Lindsay Buckingham and Little Big Town -Pat Benatar and Martina McBride -Kelly Clarkson and Reba McIntire -John Mayer and Brad Paisley
One of the next new episodes airing on November 8th will feature Taylor Swift and Def Leppard. Can't wait to see what kind of interesting arrangements they will come up with for that pairing. I'm not sure on the exact show times, but if you ever happen to catch it, it's worth tuning in for even if you don't consider yourself a country music fan.
If you have the time, here are some of my other favorite clips:
Music is a big motivator for me. Whenever I'm feeling really low-energy, need to clean the house, or have to work-out, I crank up some tunes or pop in my earphones of my iPod and feel an instant boost. I like lots and lots of different types of music, and you just never know what's going to be playing behind those earphones. Here are some fav's of mine that never fail to push my kick-start button:
A Little Too Late -JoJo Yes, this may seem a little teeny-boperish, but it's so catchy I can't stop singing it
More Than A Feeling - Boston Good old classic rock song, reminds me of my weight training class in high school because the only station our teacher would let us listen to was Eagle 106.5. Maybe that' s how we all got so buff. HA!
Best of You - Foo Fighters I love the Foo Fighters and this song makes me feel like I can run an extra mile or wash 20 more windows.
Don't Stop Believing - Journey No explanation required.
Makes Me Wonder (radio edit) - Maroon 5 Fun, catchy, and good beat. I definitely sing out loud to this one.
Say It Right - Nelly Fertado This song brings out my inner diva. (my husband hates divas by the way, but even he likes this song)
Get Free - The Vines I can get out almost all of my frustrations in a day from singing this song. It's good therapy for me.
Ocean Avenue - Yellowcard I'm not sure why I really like this song so much, but it gives me a good vibe for some reason.
I Can't Get Next To You - The Temptations I like lots of oldies, and love the Temptations. This song is just fun.
Dance Floor Anthem (I Don't Wanna Be In Love) - Good Charlotte This is one of the few Good Charlotte songs I like. It's easy to sing along too and has a good beat.
Sweetness - Jimmy Eat World This song is great to run or work-out to. High intensity.
My friend Kristen wrote a funny post about losing things. I can totally relate; isn't it frustrating when you can't find something you really want or need? And then when you do find the lost item, you feel like you've won a small lottery.
Remember a few posts back when I was searching for a song? Well, I found it! I am so excited. *A little back story: My mother is the YW's president in the Hermiston Stake and they are planning a pioneer trek this summer for the youth of their stake. At a meeting a couple of weeks ago, one of the people helping to plan the trek put on a little presentation and played some incredible music along with it. One of the songs really struck a chord with my mom, and she had to call and tell me it would be the sweetest song for Kendle to learn and she couldn't stop thinking about it. She couldn't remember the exact title, just something like "I'm going to climb a mountain".
Fast forward to this last Sunday and while attending a ward conference she ran into the lady who had the music and found out the song is called "Somewhere There's a Mountain", by Jason Deere. It's from the soundtrack to "Trek", A Nashville Tribute to the Pioneers.
I hopped online, and searched and searched but could not find anything about it. Then by a mere chance I found the website for The Nashville Tribute Bandwho performed the songs. They had the sheet music to purchase and I couldn't believe my luck! Not only that I found the song and the sheet music to it, but that I discovered Jason Deere and his amazing song writing. He also wrote "Joseph" a Nashville Tribute to the Prophet. I think you can buy the Cd's at the church book store. Is anyone familiar with either album? Have I just been living under a rock? After reading about some of their performances, I was really bummed that I missed any that were close to our area.
One thing that was also a coincidence is that they did a performance in Malad, ID which is where my pioneer ancestors made their way to and settled. This summer our extended family is gathering to dedicate a trail marker in their honor.
Anywho, I digress, but I need to thank my mom for finding out what the song was called and for encouraging me to find it. It's funny how a small act can set off a chain of events. Learning a new song about pioneers, thinking about my ancestors, feeling the need to read about them and where they came from...........
I was so GLAD when they announced last night on American Idol that they will be doing more music from the Beatles next week due to so many letters, calls, and requests. When I look back on my life, their music definitely made up a huge part in the soundtrack. My parents had all of their records and I think every one of my siblings and I know almost every song by heart. Their music transcends times, fads, and genres. I'm a huge fan. I need to have my mom do a post about them on her blog, because she is the true expert. She can tell you all about the excitement of watching them perform for the first time on the Ed Sullivan show. Here's a clip from that performance:
Their popularity spread like wild fire!
Now even my husband and children love their music and here are some of our favorites:
-Riley loves Twist and Shout, if you've ever seen "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and the parade scene, you know how hard it is to hear that song and not start bopping your head and dancing around.
-I have too many favorites, but I love Blackbird, Hey Jude, Julia, Penny Lane, Yellow Submarine, I Want To Hold Your Hand, Let it Be, You've Got to Hide Your Love Away, Golden Slumbers, OK the list could go on and on.....I can't pick.
-Kendle loves Hello Goodbye, We can work it out, and All you Need is Love. She always requests to listen to her "kids sing the Beatles hits" in the car.
Morgan doesn't have a favorite yet.
After watching the movie "Across the Universe", I fell in love with this music all over again. I loved the arrangements and the amazing voices of the characters in the film. *Side note: I would not say this movie is for everyone, some parts might be kind of trippy and confusing if you aren't familiar with their music and the time period. But the MUSIC is outstanding and I hope that next week on American Idol, the contestants can take a lesson or two from that soundtrack and do something spectacular. To quote from one of their songs, "Don't Let Me Down".
Anyone remember that horrible "Barbie Girl" song from the 90's that you could never get out of your head? Well, I found this hilarious (in my opinion anyways) rendition by these classical chellist boys. You guys probably won't think it's as funny as I do, but I have a twisted sense of humor.
Mom to one feisty 10 year old girl, an adventurous 5 year old boy, and 3 year old twin boys who always keep me on my toes. Wife to a soccer coaching, on the go husband who shares my love for good books, movies, and is my ultimate taste tester for new recipes. I'm a reader, baker, music enthusiast, listener, friend, daughter, sister, aunt, nurturer, coach, and am learning to navigate the craziness that is my world right now with a smile on my face and a spring in my step.
