An Art of Living

    What's up, everyone? Well, it has been a crazy week/weekend, with school taking up a lot of it. But it's fine, I'm still finding my peace within it.
    Otherwise, just hanging out with some awesome friends recently and actually got to see Iron and Wine tonight at Millenium Park for free!! I hadn't heard of them, but checked them out when I found out that there was going to be a free concert, and I'm glad I did! The concert was short but it was a lot of fun, and the music was really cool! Very talented musicians on the stage, I suggest you check them out!
     Also got to check out Bluesfest this weekend, and it was pretty awesome!! I also got a new bike, and have been using it quite a bit recently! I love it, it's my new mode of transportation. Lets me save a little on CTA fare. So all and all, it's been a good week/weekend.
     So I have been thinking a lot about my "art" and my "work" and what I do, my writings, etc. And I have been frustrated that I can't always come up with stuff or school distracts me from it. I did come up with one good poem/song, which I am happy about and may release it here in the future, but thinking about my art always gets me going. So I thought to myself "Well, what can I really put in my art that I love more". My love for music is already going, and my love for history is going, and of course there is my love for travel which I am trying to incorporate more, but what can I bring more into it?

    Well, it hit me about a week ago, even though it's been there, I realized it a little bit more. I can explore the art that I am trying my hardest to understand and at the same time, the one I think I'm pretty good at. The art of living.
     What do I mean by that? Well, I mean I love the outdoors, I love emoiton, I love the world, I love feeling, and I love just being. I love to expreience things, and I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to be here on earth and to meet the people I have in my life. What's wrong with being happy? Sometimes I feel like it seems so taboo in an arts school. Believe me, I have my sadder side and my life have certainly not been fun and games, but I've been very good with finding my peace. I think there is a balance when it comes to looking at the world. Yeah, the world can be a really crumby place, believe me, I'm very much aware of that fact. But at the same time, you have to look at all the beauty in the world that is here as well. Too much do we just gloss over what is around us and what we have outside our doors that we pay little respect to the world around us. That's why I feel like I walk around a lot. I do love walking obviously, but I also like exploring and feeling the world around me and looking at where I am. To truly feel the present and the world around, is an art within itself.


Me on some cliffs in Israel

     I am addicted to traveling, and have been fortunate enough to do quite a bit of it in my life. But whether it be somewhere outside the US or exploring somewhere here in Chicago, I always love just taking in the world around me and letting it inspire me. It brings a sense of joy, peace, and connection between me and the world. It fills up my heart, being glad to be where I am right now in life, and I'm glad I have the "gift" of being able to get joy from what surrounds me. I really wish to incoorperate this in my art more, as I would like to make my art have that international flair in it, and with the flair of living. For me, it's like my own kind of drug, reality is my art, and the world around me is my art and far too much do I think we take that for granted, to be glad to be alive. So be happy with what you have and take advantage of the world around you.
    I could go on and on, but I will save more for another blog post.
    Anyway, so I've been on a Coldplay kick and, I will have to say, Viva La Vida Or Death and All His Friends is one of my favorite albums ever, because (like I was talking about before), it has a very international and passionate sound to it, as well as musically and lyrically amazing! So this is the album I'm reviewing today.
   Well, the album has many different influences in it, there is Middle Eastern, Hispanic, European, and more! The lyrics also mention Osaka (Lovers In Japan/Reign of Love), Chinese Sleep Shant, London (Cemeteries of London), and a few more! Actually, it turns out that some of the recording was done in chuches in Mexico and Spain, which I think is cool! Chris Martin also stated reading a lot of Charles Dicken's work, inspiring some imagery in songs such as "Cemeteries of London" and "Violet Hill". Alas, this album is one of the most unique albums I have ever heard in my life.
   It is their shortest album, lasting only about 45 minutes, but that is the way the band wanted it. They wanted to have a much stuff on the album but keep it to a shorter length so one could listen to it in one sitting. But let me just say, this album is a journey, and it's a damn good one.

   This is another album where I must say I don't have favorite songs, as I love the whole album. It feels like you can travel the world in your own living room listening to this. Also, this album has everything I mentioned I love earlier: traveling (the international influences), art (it's experimental style to it and album art), history (album art and lyrics), and writing (lyrics). It also has a lot of passion to it, which I love, and this album can put you in a good mood whether your having a good day or a crumby day (Coldplay is good with doing that).
   So let me ask, who HASN'T heard at least "Viva La Vida"?? If you have not heard this album in full, you are missing out!
   I got to see Coldplay on their Viva La Vida tour when they played Saratoga Springs, NY. One of the most amazing concerts I have been too. Chris Martin is such a performer, he's really something. And the band is amazing!! The stage set up was very simple yet colorful and the lighting was the big thing, in my opinion. Perfect! The band also did an acoustic set in the back of the audience (close to where my friend and I were) and it was awesome! They did a cover of "Billy Jean" which was soooo cool!!
   So yes, world, if you have yet to listen to the album, go check it out. Probably one of the best album to come out the last decade. Personally, this was my first Coldplay album I had ever bought, and did not know much about them. I was in Best Buy the week it came out, and just came across it while browsing through the music section. I saw the cover and looked at the tracklisting in the back. It looked like a very interesting album, and I knew nothing about the music or anything, but I was intrigued by what I saw, so I ended up buying it. Went home, gave it a listen, and I fell in love! One of the coolest albums I ever heard. One of my favorite albums to listen to when I was driving up to Montreal with a friend that summer! Actually, now that I think about, I listen to it a lot when I'm traveling, just because it has that international, adventuristic vibe to it!
   Also, if you have a chance, check out Prospekt's March, the EP Coldplay put out a few months later. It contains music that was very close to getting on Viva La Vida. It has the same kind of atmosphere to it. It also has the song "Lost" but featuring Jay-Z on it, called "Lost+" on the album. There is also "Life In Technicolor ii". The first one, which opens up Viva La Vida is an instumental, but this has lyrics to it and it's a great song! There is also the Osaka Sun Mix of "Lovers In Japan", which is just the song in a faster tempo. And there are also original songs which are all amazing, so check it out!
   Well, that's all I have for now! Hopefully have more for you later in the week. Peace out, and have a great beginning of the week!! : )

- The AR


"Life In Technicolor ii" by Coldplay:


"Lost!" by Coldplay:

Didn't See You There

     What's up everyone? It's been awhile, almost a month since I have written here! Well, now I have a bit more time since it is summer, I'm going to try and get this blog going!
     So what do I want to discuss today? Well, it's been a very long week. One of the reasons was that one of my closest friends from back home was in a bad motorcycle accident. It could have been a lot worse, but it still was pretty bad. He even collapsed a lung and has broken a few of his bones in his spine. It's going to take about three months to heal, which sucks. And what did my friend see when he crawled back to the crash site and collapsed, as he was thrown into a windshield and then into the guardrail and launched into a field?...
   The asshole holding his cellphone, a text ready.

    Well, ladies and gentleman, this again goes into an argument that texting while driving SHOULD be against the law, as stupid irresponsable things like this happen. I'm sorry, but I'm sure nothing is SO urgent that you have to text someone back. If there is, there is such thing as a handsfree phone/bluetooth. Those are a lot safer than looking down, texting, and keeping your eyes away from the road. My friend did not deserve what happened to him, and it's very irresponsable because of the reason he is hurt. This is part of the reason why technology gets to me sometimes, because there are also negative outcomes because of this technology and the need to be so connected 24/7. It's dangerous and I feel like too many of our youth simply do not care. I mean, what's the point? You can't really say "ohh, look at me, I'm a rebel because I text while I drive". At least if you have to text, get off the road and stop driving your vehicle. And you always here these statistics of how many people get hurt from things like texting while driving, I just never thought the statistic could be someone I love, and that's really bad. These reports are made for a reason and we think "oh, we're gonna be fine, that won't happen to me". Well, guess what, it could. You could be the victim or the perpetrator. My generation needs to be a bit more careful with their driving, as it seems like a lot more of people my age are just careless. This goes with drunk driving, reckless driving, and such. When I was in 8th grade, my grandmother was hit with an SUV and was hurt for awhile, because of someone trying to run a red when she was on the crosswalk following the signs, this asshole just came out of nowhere. I mean, for real. Can't we be a bit more careful with our driving? A study showed that nearly 6000 people died in accidents caused by distractions such as these. You would think we would take care of our safety more, wouldn't you? Who knew our technology would come first? I didn't. Value your life. The car is a great invention as are cell phones. I love taking drives at night and listening to music, and I also like talking on the phone (though I enjoy face to face more, obviously, which is another thing that is somewhat dying out). But use common sense!
   So please, don't be an asshole and hit someone because of your texting. Have a bluetooth or other handsfree device if you need to get in contact with someone. Cell phones are definitely a very good invention for the world, but they also bring hazards, so watch out people! I love my friend very much and wish I could be there with him right now, as he is like a brother to me, but I wish this just didn't happen in the first place! So please keep my friend in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks!
  On another note, I also want to write about the Coldplay album, X&Y. I have been listening to it a lot recently, and I really enjoy it.

   This is their third album, which came out in 2005, is musically a little bit more electronic, as they citied in getting inspiration from electronic music from the likes of David Bowie, Brian Eno, and Kraftwerk, to name a few. In fact, they got permission from the German electronic band Kraftwerk to use their main riff from their song, "Computer Love" (or "Computerliebe") for their song "Talk", which is a great song. Anyway, so the album has a little bit of a more electronic vibe, but that doesn't stop it from being beautiful and universal.
  Lyrically, the music has a bit more "fears" into the album, even though I think fear and hope is evident in the album. That being said, this album is really blunt and is not afraid to show insecurities and fears, which I think is very, well, human, as we all have them, wheather we like to admit them or not. It really brings out every emotion in you if you listen to the album closely, yet you don't feel alone in it, you feel apart of something.
    Alright, my favorite songs from this album: "Square One", 'What If", "Fix You", "Talk", "Speed of Sound", "A Message", "Low", "The Hardest Part", "Swallowed By The Sea", "Twisted Logic", and the hidden track, "Til Kingdon Come". So yeah, that's like the whole album haha, so I'm just going to say the whole album is good, but I'll talk about a few songs.
    "Square One", the first track of the album, is great as a first track, as it sets you up for the album. It's almost forshadowing, giving us a bit of hope but also questioning our lives and who is listening to us, as we always want someone listening to us, "it doesn't matter who you are". It sets us up for a journey into our own lives.
    "What If" is the song that follows. And it puts our questions out there pretty bluntly; the "what if" questions. Those questions that worry us everyday, as ridiculous as they may be. It's a scary feeling, and the song lets us know that they are very present. What if you lose a loved one, a family member, or whoever because you think you did something wrong? At the same time, I think the songs also tells you to explore that feeling and why we feel it, learning from our mistakes, but at the same time, sometimes taking risks. "That's the risk that you take".


     Then there is "Fix You". Who doesn't know this song? I love every transition in it, it begins with fear and ends with hope. At first, the singer makes it aware that you have been broken and hurt, and you are aware of the pain, but then, he goes to say that there is a way out of it and that he, along with the music and the recovering journey you are about to endure, will "try and fix you". The music gets louder and epic, until it explodes with emotion, passion and hope. It tells you that you are not hurting alone and that there will be light. At the very end, it is a bit more intimite, but you have made a step. I'm going to say that I have listened to this song when I was going through some rough times, and it puts me in a good mood.
    "A Message" is a very hopeful song, even on a rainy day. Actually, it really does work on a rainy day. Anyway, this is a song about not being alone, and hope, as I said. "My song is love". Yeah, this is a love song, and it's a really different one. I don't think everything is perfect in the singer's situation, as he is telling the person he is singing about to "please come home", but I think that's the tradegy in it, as well as the beauty.
    "The Hardest Part", well, it's in the title. After all the hope and fear you have been through, what ends up being the hardest part? The hardest thing to let go? Is it the memories, the fear, the hurt, the confusion? It all ties in, but it tells you, sometimes it's better to let go and that you have to work it out. And you end up working it out usually, but hey, who said it was easy? The singer is very aware of that.
    "Swallowed By The Sea" is an amazingly beautiful song. It's very poetic and the music is very hopeful and beautiful, and it is like you have gone through a journey in the album and have come out of it a step ahead. This is the second to last song in the album (not including the hidden track, "Til Kingdom Come") and it is a good song to be that close to the album, as it is very hopeful, as it tells you that whatever hard road you go through, you can make it. It is also a love song, as he is singing to someone, but in this love song, things are getting better.
    The album ends (excluding the hidden track) with "Twisted Logic". It is a perfect ending, as it is really a message. A look into the future, and a bit of a rally call. It really reminds me of "Don't Feed The Plants" from Little Shop Of Horrors (stage version) as it ends the album in a very similar way, with a message and a warning of sorts. It tells of a future of over technology (hmm, kind of goes with that I talk about first with the texting while driving). But, it also warns us that there will be more bad times, but to keep pressing on and to try to move forward. We all take punches. Yet again, a GREAT ending.
    Well, that's all I have to say on this post! I hope everyone is having a good summer so far (even if it has been raining as much as it has in Chicago). I'm sure I'll be back soon. Well, everyone, I give you my best, and I'll see ya'll later!! Peace!!

- The AR

Texting While Driving website:
http://texting-while-driving.org/

Shocking Video Warning To Teen Drivers (I can't embed this):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiEFjt6ouqI&feature=related

Swallowed By The Sea (live) by Coldplay:

It's Been Awhile

   Well, it's been a few weeks since I have written here. School has been taking up a lot of my time, which kind of sucks. But hey, it's life. Summer is about two weeks away and soon, I'll be able to write in here more and think of more stuff to write about. Right now, my mind is here in school.
   So it turns out Coldplay is going to be one of the headliners at Lollapalooza, along with Eminem, Foo Fighters, Muse, and many many other bands! I'm really excited for it and I hope I can go, it looks sooo awesome!!
   Well, in the past few weeks I really only had time to sit down and listen to one album full out, and that is A Rush Of Blood To The Head by Coldplay.

   Like Bruce Springsteen's The Rising, some of the lyrics have been affected by the September 11th attacks, as the band started recording in London a week before the attacks. Did this effect the album in the same way, lyrically, as The Rising? Well, yes and no. I think you can see a bit more urgency in this album than it's predecessor, but at the same time I think Springsteen's is a bit more blunt to see, lyrically.
    This album is a bit heavier musically, then the first one. There is a bit more guitar and piano heavy, though there is still acoustic guitar present.
    My favorite songs on this album: "In My Place", "The Scientist", "Clocks", "Green Eyes", and "A Whisper".
   "Clocks" was, I believe, also one of the first Coldplay songs I ever heard, though I didn't know who did the song at the time. But the piano riff, I think everyone knows now (I can also play it on the piano!). Originally, it was not suppose to be on the album, as Coldplay thought it was too late to add it at the time, and put it aside for a bit. But when, after they decided to rework the album a little, was told by their manager Phil Harvey that they would be crazy to NOT do this song, as it felt like it fit with the theme of the album and that it fit with how they were feeling personally at the time.  Alas, it was included on the album.
   "Green Eyes" is such an amazing love song, a serenade to someone who completes you. Yes, I'm a romantic. I just think it's really a good, light, upbeat, and truthful. It's really a beautiful song. The guitar in the beginning until when the band comes in is just very light and personal. When the band comes in, it really brings it to a climax. Great song!
   "A Whisper" is one of Coldplay's lesser known songs but I think it's very underrated. It's one of the more urgent and fast songs on the album, but it really has something to say. To me, it feels like a panic attack, trying to figure out where to go from there. The singer is singing about how he can "hear the sound of the ticking of clocks" and it's like he is being somewhat disturbed by them. One of my favorite parts of the song. I think we all feel the urgency in our lives.


tour poster

    "The Scientist" is pretty well known, but I think it's very blunt in it's message about wanting "to go back to the start". It's life, when it comes down to it. "Nobody said it was easy". This is a very true song, and I really like it. Musically, it is very beautiful as well. But at the same time, it still makes you want to keep going.
   "In My Place" has one of my favorite guitar parts. This is honestly a song I really took for granted before I really listened to it, it is really good. Another song about waiting and time. You can't change what is, and however you must wait for that good thing, it's worth it. This seems like the waiting aspect. The singer is looking at his past and memories and where he is now (very true to how the band felt at the time, just stuck and wondering what to do now).
    Something interesting I just read now on wikipedia: Chris Martin stated that the title track, "A Rush Of Blood To The Head" is a homage to Johnny Cash. Martin considers Cash one of the "greatest men...with just guitars". Can't deny that Cash is amazing.
    Well, lyrically, Coldplay had a new perspective because of the attacks on 9/11. Martin stated "The new songs are reflective of new attitudes. [They tell listeners] not to be frightened. Anybody can achieve whatever they want to". This was pretty important for the listeners at the time, especially to those here in USA who went through the time period of 9/11. We needed all the hope we could get.
   The theme here is urgency, and I think it's portrayed very well in the album. It really is a good listen, so check it out!
    Well, that's all I got for now. Time to get back to life. Peace out for now.
   
  -The AR


Coldplay Interview on MTV about the album in 2002:


"The Scientist":

We Live In A Beautiful World

     Well, it's been about a week or so since I wrote here last, and it's been a pretty good week/weekend. I hope everyone is doing well! School has been kicking my ass. Oh well. As far as what I said in my last post about there being a part II to it, you can scratch that, as it will be it's own seperate post one of these upcoming days.
     So, tonight I am featuring a new artist, as we have already went through all the Bruce Springsteen albums. So this past weekend, I listened to the first album. And that album was Parachutes by Coldplay. So, yeah, I'm am now gonna feature Coldplay on this blog, along with whatever comes along in the life/entertainment/the world. But now on to Parachutes...
     Well, this is Coldplay's first album, released in 2000. I actually first really heard about Coldplay my freshman year in high school. My friend had told me about this movie called Garden State and he let me borrow the soundtrack to it. I checked it out, and the first song on it was "Don't Panic" from this album. I fell in love with the song and that's really where I left it. I listened to that song (and The Shin's "New Slang) quite a bit. I really didn't know it was from this album until I actually bought the album, but hey, it's a small world.

    This album has a special place in my heart now because it has been with me through a few certain personal events in my life. So I love the album. I don't think there is one bad song on it, even though Coldplay has stated that they are not really fond of the album. Anyway, I have to disagree with them. You can definitely see some soft rock/indie rock/alternative rock in this album, and I definitely believe this is a "romantic" album. Now, when I say romantic, for this album, I mean being in love with life and the world, as well as with someone else. Coldplay has a very worldly sound to them, and this first album really introduces that sound; their sound. It has a dark but smooth sound to the music, but the lyrics are really (for the most part) very hopeful. The first song really sums up, in my opinion, their music in general, with the lyrics "we live in a beautiful world" in the song "Don't Panic". From there, the album just soars.
    It's a very intimite album, which is why I like it. It's a good "soundtrack" to life in general, just walking around the city (at least for me) on any kind of day and it really does rock. That's the thing about this album, it really does put you in a good mood, and on a good day, it just makes it better!
    I think the album is also about journeying through your own emotions, as this album lets out a bunch of emotions within you as you really listen to it. But it always gives you the hope as well and the happiness of just being alive and being able to feel.
   "Yellow" is always a fun song. When I went to see them live a couple years back with my friend Tom, they had a bunch of big yellow balls tossed around the audience with confetti in them. It was really cool, and it's always fun to hear the song live. They are a really awesome live band as well, it was a GREAT concert! This song also is probably their most popular song from this album.
    Some songs you may know from the album: "Don't Panic", "Shiver", "Yellow", "Trouble", "High Speed".
    I'll post the video for "Don't Panic" below! Hmmm, so that's that that album. Check it out!
    Well, that's all I have for now. See ya'll next time! : )

-The AR

Don't Panic

The Boss

      Well, it's been a few days. Hope everyone is doing fine and dandy! I've had a good week/relaxing weekend, so can't really complain here! There's quite a lot to catch up on, so this is going to be a two part blog, the firs part going up now and the second going up later tonight! So for this blog, I'm going to concentrate on saying my final thoughts and review (for now) of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, as in my last post, we have reached his most recent album to date, Working On A Dream.

      First of all, I hope everyone enjoyed going though Bruce's studio album discography with me! It has been a blast going through his history again, and I hope I introduced you to a little bit of "The Boss", The E Street Band, and all their greatness!
     So for future reference, along with the other stuff I write on here, I'm going to go through studio album discography of bands and such, along with the music videos and all, and my reviews. Through my years, I have built up a pretty big CD collection (and it always grows) so I'll always have a band to talk about or feature. Of course, I take suggestions on what bands I should also check out, or albums! So recommend away! So yeah, for the previous few weeks, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have been the ones featured. But alas, until they come out with another album, we will end here for now!

      So why did I pick Bruce Springsteen to feature first? Well, one reason is the New Jersey connection. If you don't know that he is from New Jersey by now, then *slap*. Bruce was born in Long Branch, and grew up in the Freehold Borough, not too far from Asbury Park on the Jersey shore. He now lives in Rumson, New Jersey.
      I was also raised in New Jersey, so I can relate to his music. Even if you don't live/are not from New Jersey, you can listen to this music and get a feel for the culture there and such. And you also get a feel for something Bruce was very important for: The Jersey Shore Sound
     As far as I'm concerned, we have our own music scene in New Jersey. So who comes from New Jersey? Well, let's see, Bon Jovi, My Chemical Romance, of course Bruce, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Frankie Valli and the Four Season and more! Of course, some have more of a "jersey shore sound" than others, but it is still a very important part to the history of music.

     Bruce has always had a bit of Jersey in his music, but I think it's most prominent in his earlier work, such as Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.; The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle; Born To Run and Darkness On The Edge Of Town. What's important is that these show his roots, which, when you listen to later stuff, you can hear the sound still very much in the music. It's hard for me to explain really what the Jersey Shore sound, or the New Jersey sound, is in it, maybe it's the boardwalk style, the street style, the struggle style, but it always has that sound of old school rock and roll to it! Maybe that's it. Maybe it sounds like the roots of rock and roll. Actually while I look it up now, it says on wikipedia that it is "a mixing of pre-Beatles rock and roll, R&B, doo-wop, and the urban culture of the mid-Atlantic states". Now that I read that, it does make sense, good way to describe it, but I would also really emphizise "urban culture of the mid-Atlantic states". I think this may be another reason why I really like it so much, it does really ring a bell with the culture of what I grew up with, as I grew up and spent a lot of time around working class environments and suburbia. I also grew up ten miles outside of NYC, in North Jersey, and a lot of it is urban. All this comes out in Bruce's lyrics a lot, wheather it be about struggles of working class, walking along streets, or just being happy with the essentials of happiness: emotion, love, and hope. Even when we are stuggling to pay the bills or just to get through those endless shifts at work (like me at Holsten's at times haha), at least you have, well, you. It's about loving the little things, which I have come to realize makes life all the more great. Bruce's music is music that we can relate to and that can (and has) brought many people hope and a feeling of not being alone. It's done that for me as well. When I was having a down day and felt trapped in my little hometown in New Jersey, I could drive around, listen to Bruce, and get myself in a good mood. Many of the drives I took to work were drives with Bruce music blasting on my 20-25 minute commute, and I would always hum them while I cleaned dishes, or cooked food, or served people at the counter and I could say "yup, that's me right now" as I did it, refering to a Bruce song. Alas, working in a very "New Jersey"ish diner, I grew somewhat fond of it in my own way.

      That's the other thing. Bruce and the band really make you appreciate the working class people. The people who do the jobs that we think aren't so glamourous. Well, SOMEBODY'S got to do them. It also makes you appreciate your life a little more. Some of us are so lucky to be able to have luxuries such as IPhones, fancy cars, fancy clothes and such. Yet, some of us are working a job/jobs for pretty long hours just to pay the bills, have food and a home, feed a family, and save up for other things and have the luxury of nothing but dreaming. A vacation may be walking around in the streets, which in all honesty, I enjoy doing as well. Now, I can't say that I don't have it good, because I do. I go to school, I'm not loaded but I'm comfortable (at least most of the time), and I have many oppurtunities. But I'm by no means rich and I grew up in a middle class house and my dad and I try to save money, but we are happy. I did, however, know and do now know many people who had to work for what they have, and that meant (in some cases) working three jobs. Yet, these people were happy. And it clicked with me, that their stories and Bruce's music and my own dreams are what made me appreciate where I am from and that's why I'm happy with where I am at right now. That's also why I like going on long walks, just sitting and watching (now) the Chicago skyline and (back in New Jersey) driving around New Jersey and occasionally driving into NYC (though I usually take the bus). It took me a long time to appreciate New Jersey, as I used to HATE it with a passion, as many people knew. But, as I was here in Chicago, and as I listened to more Bruce Springsteen and thought about it more, I have come to really appreciate it and like it. It's not my FAVORITE place in the world, but I'm actually quite excited to go back for a week or so this summer!

      So in conclusion of all this, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are lengendary and a big part of today's rock and roll and New Jersey culture! They are just amazing and are the definition of modern rock and roll! I hope you will go out on your own and listen to some of his music, as you can see a bit of what New Jersey is all about. And as I have said before, those who think New Jersey is just like "Jersey Shore", I'm afraid you are wrong. I think that's why I hate it so much (as do many people I have talked to in New Jersey), it's a misinterpretation of New Jersey and it's not what New Jersey it all about. Sure, we have quite a few guidos/guidettes that annoy the crap out of us, but not many of us go clubbing every night/have the time to do it and it fails to capture any of Jersey's working class culture or rock and roll history as well as the hope we have living there, wheather it be from faith, dreams, or music. Sorry Jersey Shore, but you are a fail. (p.s., I don't live too too far from where those idiots live on the shore, Seaside Heights).

    So I hope you enjoyed going through Bruce's history with me and I will feature another band very shortly. But I hope everyone enjoyed hangin with Bruce for awhile, and I hope you enjoyed some of the songs I posted! There is really none other like Bruce Springsteen and the Legendary E Street Band. I have seen them three times back home in NJ, and seeing them live is an experience! They all have such energy and character, it's a must see show at least once in your life. If you want to check out a recent concert video of his, check out London Calling: Live In Hyde Park which is from his most recent tour. It is pretty much a full concert video and it does a good job capturing their energy, though there is nothing like actually being at one of their concerts! But that should give you a good taste for them.
    Well, there is so much more I could say about Bruce, but I will leave it there for now! Here's to the Boss and the Legendary E Street Band! Baby, we were born to run!

  -AR

Can You Hear Me?

    What's up everyone?
    Well, it's been  a few days, and I am very sleep deprived right now so I am gonna make this kind of short.
    Not too much going on besides school and writing music. Been coming up with some more lyrics and guitar stuff for a few songs I have in mind. I've found myself concentrating on making the music before the lyrics recently, and it's proving to be alright! So we will see where that goes. I have an offer to record some stuff so that would be great if I could do that before the year is over. Picking and choosing songs has proven a bit difficult too, because there is so many ideas but I know I need to concentrate on a few central ones (at least from what I'm trying to do). So yeah, that's what I've been up to, late night music theory with a friend of mine last night which was awesome! And then came back at like 2:30ish and did some spanish homework, listened to music, procrastinated, and barely got any sleep before my 9:00am dance class, but all and all good day, a bit more on the out of it side but still awesome!
    So my friend Phil and I were waiting for a brown line train at the Library stop, when I noticed that some old guy was filming us on his phone from the other side of the track. We were like "woah, that's a bit creepy". So we moved to the other side of the platform....to see him following us with his camera. What. The. Fuck. It was really creepy! What is this guy doing creeping on us? It was absolutely weird. The train came pretty quick after that, but it was just a creepy experience all and all. So watch out for that guy : /
    Anyway, so that's my creeper story.
    So I'm going to pass out in a few minutes because I have to get up, eat breakfast, hopefully morning swim, type up a paper, shoot a film in the morning, class from 12:30-3:20, study for music theory exam and spanish quiz, dance paper, try to see a dance show, work on more lyrics/music, try to get a little reading in, and then jump off a cliff.

   But, these past few days, I did get to listen to the latest Bruce Springsteen album, Working On A Dream, released in 2009. Some of the songs were written during the Magic tour, and they decided to take it from there and make another album, which is pretty fast for Bruce. It's different than Magic for sure, with a less bleak and dark tone. It has a bit more upbeatness to it, but still, like usual, has the Bruce sound. Magic will always be my favorite but this comes pretty close, and the more I listen to it, the more I fall in love with it.

   This is also the last album to have long time E-Street Band member Danny Federici on it. He passed away on April 17th, 2008 from melanoma, which he suffered with for three years. The song "The Last Carnival" on the album is ususally played for him (at least on the CD's DVD, which shows a 38 minute long special about the making of the album and has a little memorial clip for him, and also has an extra music video on it for one of his songs he wrote for Halloween, "A Night With The Jersey Devil", which is AWESOME). The song is also considered by quite a few people as a sequel to "Wild Bill's Circus Story", a song off of Springsteen's second album The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle. Great album by the way. Anyway, so this album is dedicated to him and he is missed by many Bruce and E Street Band fans. I personally have seen him perform during the Magic tour, and he has such an amazing stage presence on the organ and the accordian. He was such an amazing musician and band member, it's so weird to not seem him on the stage with Bruce anymore. Alas, we all get old : (
    All this aside, this is a great album. Some of my favorite songs: "Outlaw Pete" (an 8 minute epic), "Lucky Day", "Working On A Dream", "Queen Of The Supermarket", "What Love Can Do", "Good Eye", "Kingdom Of Days", "Surprise, Surprise", "The Last Carnival", and "The Wrestler" (which is an bonus track, and it is from the movie The Wrestler. It's the song that starts the credits at the end of the movie. It's an amazing song, and I'm sad it got snubbed by the Academy for Best Song. err)
     Hey, also check out this website called myfavoritekirby.com. My friend TJ worked on it and it features my friend Kent's work. So check it out and enjoy it, I'm sure you'll find some good stuff there! The link is below!
    So that's all I have right now. I'm gonna go pass out. Good night everyone!

   - The AR

myfavoritekirby: http://mattsoria.com/Kent_Kirby/

Working On A Dream:


The Wrestler:

"Human Sacrifice, Cats and Dogs Living Together, Mass hysteria!"

    What's up everyone?
    It's been a few days, and just been a relaxing weekend. Catching up with school work and hanging out with friends and roommates and such. For all you Columbia people or people who have also been on spring break, I hope this week back in school has not been to bad for you!
    So I got to listen to the album Magic by Bruce Springsteen, released in 2007.

    Well, all I've got to say is: fuck yeah. This is my favorite Bruce Springsteen album ever! It was also the first Bruce Springsteen album I ever bought. I remember going to the K-Mart in my hometown with a friend of mine and seeing it there. I had listened to him before with my father but never really explored his music on my own, so I went ahead and bought it to give it a try. We drove around and listened to the whole album. (while skipping pretty much all my morning classes because of that and going out to get lunch and just driving around NJ and such. I was not a big fan of high school.) After one listen, I was immediately hooked.
    This is Bruce's first album with the E-Street Band since The Rising was first released, and they make quite the comeback. This album is pretty much the definition of modern rock and roll today. It brings the Bruce and E Street band elements, obviously, but also brings the music to a new intensity. Every song on this album is raw but spot on, all the instruments being emphizised and everyone giving it all they've got. Jon Landau, Springsteen's manager, classified the album as "a high energy rock" album, and he couldn't have been more right about that. He also said that is has a very "heavy E-Street Band" sound, and there too he is right. I would definitely say that this album is a bit heavier than his other albums and he does it in a way that it still sounds like him.
   Also, I remember reading that the songs on Magic were meant to be played live. I can see this, because the songs have such an energy to them that it even sounds like they were played live. It's just pure rock and roll, and I think Bruce always does a great job with this, and Magic is him at his peak.
   The themes on this album are little bit more darker and blunt. It still has the working class element to it, but it also has an element in it that sort of like about the country crying for help. It is about really looking at society in America and that state it's in, and also looking for the truth around us, even when the country seems to be slowly coming apartment. It is definitely many kinds of statements that this album is making, and you can get lost in this album very quickly, but letting the music and lyrics take you is the best way to experience this album. It does make you think a bit, so be warned.
   I can not express how much I love this album, so I can't really pick any favorite songs on this album, as they are all amazing, so I will write the whole track list for you:
     1. Radio Nowhere
     2. You'll Be Coming Down
     3. Livin' In The Future
     4. Your Own Worst Enemy
     5. Gypsy Biker
     6. Girls In Their Summer Clothes
     7. I'll Work For Your Love
     8. Magic
     9. Last To Die
   10. Long Walk Home
   11. Devil's Arcade
   *12. Terry's Song- bonus/hidden track- Bruce's song for Terry Magovern, his long time assistant, who passed away July 30th, 2007.
   
   So there you have it folks, Magic. It's a must and it never gets old.

   So otherwise, my roommate and I watched Ghostbusters last night. Ok, who HASN'T seen this movie? If you haven't, I'd get on that. Right now. It's a classic! Released in 1984 and directed by Ivan Reitman, the film is about three scientists (played by Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis) who, after losing their academic jobs, decide to start a ghost catching business. The film also includes Sigourney Weaver, who plays Dana, as she gets mixed up with a spiritual plot to end the world. Rick Moranis also plays Louis, Dana's geeky neighbor and Ernie Hudson, who plays one a team member of the Ghostbusters. And I mean, who doesn't know the theme song?
   This movie is a classic and should not be missed, so watch it! That's all I have to say about that.

    I also got to watch The Black Parade Is Dead!, the live DVD from My Chemical Romance, which includes the final performance of that tour over in Mexico City, where they played The Black Parade in it's entirety. It really is quite the performance. They have so much energy and stage presence when they play the album, and it really is a fun show to watch. Probably nothing like being there, but you can get a good taste of it from the DVD. It also features a show from Hoboken, NJ of all places. I have yet to see that one, but once I do, I'll report back on it. Anyway, that's pretty much it for now!
   Stay classy.

  -The AR

Long Walk Home:


Ghostbusters trailer:


The Black Parade Is Dead! trailer:

Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight?

     What's up everyone?
     Well, not too much new going on today. I'm just continuing to use this week to get back into the school mode and catch up with a bunch of work : /  I guess it has to be done!
     I did act in my roommate's film today for the later part of the afternoon, which was pretty fun! I love acting in movies and hopefully I can do more of it. Not that I don't love musical theatre (after all, it IS my major) but there's something I really love about movies also. I would also love to make some movies in my lifetime as well. I am working on a script too (when I have time) so we will see where that goes! Anyway, so my day consisted pretty much of movie shooting, my Natural Disasters class (which I HIGHLY recommend), homework, and relaxing for another long day tomorrow!

    Anyway, my lounging around consisted of me listening to an album (yes, at this point, you should realize that it is a hobby of mine, music listening). That album is We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions by Bruce Springsteen, released in 2006. It was actually recorded in only three sessions, one in 1997 when he recorded his rendition of the song "We Shall Overcome" for a tribute album for Pete Seeger. Then, he explored more of Pete Seeger's music, and it influenced him to make the album, using a second recording session in 2005 and one more in 2006. So, the album was basically recorded in three days. It is also a "live" album. What do I mean by that? Well, it was not really rehearsed at all, and just played mostly right on the spot. You can hear Springsteen shouting stuff to the band (known as The Sessions Band, as the E Street Band also sits out for this album) and it is very gritty and raw, and it's like you're listening to a folk band live in your own living room. It's actually really cool because you get to hear the music being MADE right there on the spot, no real editing, just good old live raw music.


Pete Seeger

      The album does not actually have any original material from Bruce, being his first and, so far, only record without any original material. The record is composed of Bruce and the Sessions Band rendition/covers of songs by or made famous by activist/musician Pete Seeger. Seeger, of course, is famous for his folk music and was very important in the American folk music revival in the 50's. Bruce was intrigued by this kind of music and didn't know too much about Seeger, as he was really brought up on rock and roll. But later, after he recorded "We Shall Overcome", he investigated it more, buying a bunch of Seeger's records and was intrigued by them. Then, he was introduced to a bunch of musicians local to the New Jersey and New York area. Through that, he formed The Sessions Band and recorded the album.
    It's a very interesting album, as it is "updated folk" and Springsteen and the band bring the old songs into a new light, renewing them and making them his own, but at the same time keeping a very solid folk sound. All the instruments he used for the album, in his words, were ones that "you can't plug in", keeping that old time folk sound. Some of these songs, go back a long way, for example the last track on the album, "Froggie Went A-Courtin", dates back as far as the 1548 in Scotland! But Bruce and the band bring 'em back to life, and it makes you want to just get up and dance, and it is one hell of a hoot-e-nanny! This album will do that to you, you just want to get up and dance, like you're outside on a field or in a barn or just in a dance hall, dancing the night away!
    Bruce mentioned (also going along with using instruments that are not electric) that these instruments used to play these songs were meant to travel, and that it was meant for live performance, one of his reasons he recorded it in only three sessions. He also believed that the real beauty of this kind of music was that it wasn't edited and it was gritty and raw, and that's a feeling he wanted to bring back. He succeeded!


Bruce and the Sessions Band

     This is also a dual disc, so there is another side to it besides the album, which includes a thirty minute documentary of the recording process of the album with performances of select songs from the three sessions, and two bonus songs, "Buffalo Gals" and "How Can I Keep From Singing?", two amazing songs!
    There is also one more song that is on the re-released deluxe edition, called The American Land Edition, which I really like. I have not listened to the whole expanded edition, but I have heard the song "American Land" on it and it is also an AMAZING song, and it's a shame it's not on the regular edition (I bought the song from Itunes anyway!). Bruce closed all the concerts I saw with this song (well, not including the encore) and it is AMAZING to see it live for yourself, as he shoots fireworks and they really rock the stadium with this song as they end their set! It's quite a thing to see!
    So yeah, my favorite songs are...well...I honestly can't choose for this album because I really like them all! So I'll just give you the tracklist:
     1. "Old Dan Tucker"
     2. "Jesse James"
     3. "Mrs. McGrath"
     4. "O Mary Don't You Weep"
     5. "John Henry"
     6. "Erie Canal"
     7. "Jacob's Ladder"
     8. "My Oklahoma Home"
     9. "Eyes On The Prize"
     10. "Shenandoah"
     11. "Pay Me My Money Down"
     12. "We Shall Overcome"
     13. "Froggie Went A-Courtin'"

Also, don't forget to check out "Buffalo Girls" and "American Land"

     By the time this album came out, I had already became pretty aware of Bruce Springsteen, though I really didn't start listening to him that much until the next album. But I remember my dad being really excited about it being released and he played "Buffalo Gals" quite a bit in the car, which honestly is a favorite of mine too. He bought the album and we listened to it a bunch of times while we traveled or just used the car or whatever, and I really loved it! Bruce is such a talented guy and he does a great job with this record, so check it out!
    Well, I need to get to sleep. Dance class tomorrow morning!
     Goodnight!

  -The AR


American Land:


Pete Seeger singing "Buffalo Gals"

Devils and Dust

   What's up everyone?
   Well, I'm back at school...err. Back to the grind of homework and such. Oh well, it was going to happen anyway. Today was just class, work, hung out with a few friends throughout the day and yup, that's pretty much it.
   Among the midst of all getting back into school, my music theory teacher said my little one line paino piece was really good! I don't know, that was cool to me. It sounded pretty cool on the paino!
   Anyway, yeah that was the highlight of my day I guess. Besides being a goofball in Spanish class haha. Oh, and I took pictures for one of my roommates movies I am going to be in. We shoot tomorrow so that should be fun!

   I also got to listen to an album today, and that would be Devils and Dust by Bruce Springsteen, released in 2005. Yet again, another style change, back to folk/acoustic driven music! Also, this album does not feature the E-Street Band. Still, it happens to be a really good album! It is not as solo acoustic as Nebraska and The Ghost of Tom Joad, having a few more instruments and not being as crowded, even though a few songs are pretty acoustic. But I would consider this a bit more acoustic rock like. He goes back to his big storytelling in this album, more about people's stuggle yet this one is less dark than the other two acoustic folk albums. It has a Western feel to it, which I really like. It also does deal with many different themes, such as a soldier's story, and deals a bit more with relationships between mothers and their children. This is a bit different from Springsteen, as he always seems to talk more about his relationship with his father. There was also a lot of shock from listeners from the song "Reno" which talks, in graphic detail, of a man rendering services from a prostitute. He then told listeners that the actual story was about a man who can't get over the loss of his wife, so much that even a prostitute couldn't make things any better, as you can tell from the last lines of the song and the dark mood of it all. It's a really cleaver but blunt song to me, I enjoy it. Anyway, this is definitely a good album to check out! My favorite songs: "Devils and Dust", "All The Way Home", "Reno", "Long Time Comin'", "Maria's Bed", "Silver Palomino", "Leah" and "All I'm Thinkin' About". I'll leave one of them down below as a video! So check it out! And one day, I want to be able to drive through the west listening to this album. Just a small little dream of mine, it seems peaceful!
    Oh yeah, and the CD I have (which I think they all are of this album) of Devils and Dust is a dual disc, so it has a back side to it. On this album, it contains a inside look into Springsteens writing and into some of the process of the album and his inspiration for it. It also has acoustic performances of five songs from the album. It's short but sweet. I like a bunch of things he says about writing songs. The two things that really stuck me are when he said he thinks the most interesting people (at least to write about) are people that have struggles inside of them. Something that eats them up, people with "devils and dust". I thought about this and I can agree with it very much. I also like how he said that if you don't write a song from the very center of your heart, it will eventually fall. His songs are very personal, and that's what attracts me to him as an artist. I can relate to him and what he sings about and when he sings about living in New Jersey, I get it. It's really quite something and he speaks to me. So yeah, check out this album!
    Well, that's all I got for tonight. Gonna go to sleep so I can get up somewhat early and take care of a few things before class. Hope everyone is well, and I'll be talkin' to you all later!

- The AR


Devils and Dust:

9/11 Memories

    What's up everyone?
    Well, yesterday I talked about the Bruce Springsteen album The Rising and how it was Springsteen's response to 9/11. This album brought hope to a country that needed it.
    Well, I have my own little story to tell about 9/11:
     I grew up about ten miles from NYC across the river in New Jersey, and you could see the city from many parts of my hometown.
    September 11th, 2001: I remember being in 6th grade at that time. It was second period and I had my math class. I remember going to my locker and getting my stuff and then going to the classroom and sitting down with my fellow classmates. One of my classmates informed me that something was going on. I wondered what and when the teacher got into the room, we asked her but she said "Don't worry about it", though she seemed a bit distraught. It was weird. So we went on with the class as usual, though everyone seemed distracted.
    After the class, I proceeded to go to the next class I had, which I believe was gym and on the way to the gym I passed the office and a bunch of people were peering into the tv. Something wasn't right here, I could tell. Something was going on.
     The day went on as usual, and during my last class, the teachers told us to go straight home. It was a very unusual thing for our teachers to say. So I walked to the bus, passing a lot of parents who came to pick their children up early from school. So I got on the bus and went home. When I got there, my dad was home! Now this wasn't right, because my dad was never home when I got home from school, as he didn't get out from work until later. Usually it was only my grandma. They greeted me at the door and I remember being excited my dad was home but at the same time wondered why he was home, so I asked him. I'm a child so of course I'm curious. We went to the living room, flipped on the tv, and were greeted with the news that the World Trade Center had been attacked by passenger jets and the buildings have collapsed and that also the Pentagon in Washington DC was attacked and another plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

     My eyes were glued to the tv for the rest of the day.
     Not too long ago I had been on top of those towers, looking out at the city below. They were amazing memories with my parents and I. We always passed the World Trade Center when we were in NYC, they always dazzled me. Let me tell you, those buildings were some of the coolest buildings I have ever seen.
     When I went to visit dad at his office, I would always see them. My dad worked in Jersey City in a building on the river, right across from where you could see the World Trade Center. It was really beautiful.
    I had all these memories of the place and, at that time, I was just confused about how all this could happen. As I grew up, I matured and, though still confused by it, I understood everything around that day, at least as best I could.
     My dad told me his boss saw the second plane hit. Everyone in his building left, because, I believe, NYC needed to clear the surrounding area to use for bases, bodies, equipment, and for people to go as Lower Manhattan was evacuated. Everything was a mess
    NYC shut down, and I had never seen more national chaos so close to home before. I was both curious and a bit frightened. I was young.
    I remember on the anniversary of it a year later, they had those huge two lights shine in the sky, and it was a sight to see. It was a memorial to the World Trade Center, and you could see it from my hometown.
    It's still slightly eerie to go to the lookout in my town and see the NYC skyline withouth the towers. I grew up around them, it's so crazy to know they are gone and to know I was up there once on top of the towers.
    There is a memorial at the lookout in my town for the 9/11 victims. It's a really nice memorial. I go there every time I visit, for that and the view.
    I remember, later, Dad mentioning he used to work in the World Trade Center before I was born, but left. I still sometimes tell myself how lucky I am that he wasn't working there when all this happened. I am lucky.
   It sucks that this happened, and it sucks that it did. I have visited ground zero a bunch of times, and it always does something to you, and makes you realize that you should never forget what happened. Looking back on it all, it's still so hard to believe it happened. I had never seen so many people hurt around me.
   Listening to The Rising now, it brings back memories of it all and it also makes me realize how important this album was in history and how it tells a story that I lived through, that I witnessed. It all still brings some tears. I've been tearing up a little writing this, no lie.
   I don't think I can ever forget what happened to me, this country, and the world around me that day, and I look back and I realize how far we have come since. Sure, the country has it's problems, but we have come a long way. And I still try to search for the beauty. Springsteen definitely had the right idea with this album, as it is hopeful and tragic at the same time, this album paints the country and it's people's response to the attacks very beautifully and caring. For me, this album is part of my history.
   Thanks for taking the time to read this and letting me share my memory, and I would be interested in hearing any stories you have of that day. I could go on and on and on, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask me.
   Anyway, that's all I have for tonight, time to sleep and get back to classes tomorrow. I bid everyone a good night.
   And remember...never forget.

-The AR

~this post is dedicated to the victims and rescuers who died in the 9/11 attacks. RIP and may you find a peaceful light~

Come On, Rise Up!/Spring Break '11: Complete

Mt Baldy, photo taken by me!

    What's up, everyone? Well, another week has begun and spring break '11 has officially ended! What a spring break it has been! I hope everyone enjoyed their spring break if you so happen to also have been off on your own Spring Break adventures. My dad left earlier today, and it was a really good visit with him. We ended up going to the Indiana Sand Dunes yesterday, which was in this book I had recently bought called 501 Must Visit Wild Places. Well, now only 500 to go! It was really cool though. The dunes are on Lake Michigan and when you look out on the lake from the beach, you can see Chicago far off in the distance. It's really beautiful and definitely would love to go back again! I learned a cheap train goes right to the national lakeshore, so it won't be too hard to go back! Anyway, we drove out there and first went to an area of the park called Lake View, which is this stunning beach/dunes. It was a really beautiful lookout and the dunes covered quite a bit, even getting on the roads in some areas. Some sand covered benches too. It was pretty sick! There were also some big ass birds in the air stationary in the wind, looking around. It was a pretty cool sight to see, and also bird watching is very popular there. There are over 350 species of birds there, so you're bound to see a bunch of interesting birds, even though it was pretty damn cold and windy when we went, but still, even we saw a few cool birds. It's famous for the great blue heron, as it has a nesting ground in the park, and there wing span is about 6.5 feet. Unfortunatly, we never got around to going to the nesting ground but it's on my to-do list! I still need to wander around there and adventure, as our time was limited there, though I had a GREAT time there. We also got to climb to the summit of Mt. Baldy, which is this 126 foot sand dune (the biggest one in the park) and it was really awesome up there (despite the nuclear power plant next door, but just try to ignore it!...err...)! It was a really cool place, so I can't wait to go back!

     We also went on the Chicago Ghost Tour at night (the black bus you see around Chicago that says Ghost Tours). I was always fascinated with paranormal stuff, ever since I was really young. It still all fascinates me, and throughout my childhood and growing up until now, my dad and I would always go on different ghost tours when we were traveling, most of them being major cities.historical places in the US, such as San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York, Gettysburg and we also went on a London one back when I was in high school and I went on a Prague one when I was there last summer. And, of course, now I have also gone on the Chicago Ghost Tour (or at least one of the main ones) and it was really well done! We stopped at a lot of cool places that I knew of but didn't know how to find, such as the spot where the famous St. Valentine's Day Massacre happened, where the SS Eastland tipped over on July 24th, 1915 and killed 844 people in the Chicago River. It's the largest loss of life shipwreck disaster on all of the Great Lakes. It's really a sad story. There is a historical marker there now on the river walk on E. Wacker, so that's pretty cool. So anyway, yeah the tour was really awesome and our tour guide was really funny and really nice so yeah, a good tour to check out here in the Windy City!

      This morning, we went to the Jane Addams Hull House (which was also on the ghost tour!), which was pretty sweet! Jane Addams, of course, was the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize and was a political and social activist and was very important and influencial in the Progressive Era and VERY important for Chicago. I could go on about her, but you should definitely check out the museum if you are in Chicago. It's actually only a house, which is all that remains of the whole settlement besides one other building next door and the small courtyard. So it's not that big but it's really interesting about hearing about life in the settlement and how Jane Addams helped all these children and lower class and working class kids and adults have a meaningful life where they did what they loved to do and how she was nice to immigrants who came to Chicago and much more! So check it out, it's right on the UIC campus, and you can get there by the Blue Line and getting off the UIC/Halsted stop. There should be directions if you look up the website! So enjoy!
     Also had lunch with my good friend Nick which is always a treat and then my father drove me back to my apartment and went to the airport to fly back to NJ!
      A good trip had by all! And now, if you didn't know before and probably now know, I am a bit of a history buff and I love love LOVE the outdoors! : )

      Well, today, I also got to listen to The Rising by Bruce Springsteen, released in 2002. Now, this is a GREAT album. It is Springsteen's response to the September 11th attacks and the effects it had on the nation. But, it is also a message of hope when the country seemed to be losing it. I read an interesting story today that I didn't know about the album. Supposively how Springsteen got inspired to make the album was when he was driving somewhere a few days after the attacks on 9/11 and a car stopped next to him. The person in the car rolled down his window and said to Springsteen "we need you now". This was said to be confirmed by Bruce, so I thought that was really cool! That's a cool way to get inspiration, and that person who said that was right, we needed some hope at that time, and that album certainly brought it to many people. So thank you, Bruce and the E-Street Band! Speaking of which, this is his first album with the E Street Band in 15 years (or 18 if you don't count Tunnel of Love) so that's really cool! And they do an AMAZING job on this album! This is also the album that I heard my first Bruce Springsteen song off of, "Further On (Up The Road)". My dad used to play it a lot in one of his mix cds and I always loved everything about it! So that song holds a special place in my heart. Anyway, this album is filled with amazing songs and has a very hopeful, upbeat vibe to it, but still has the struggle within it, especially when the theme is the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. And, of course, it also has the classic Bruce sound! So this is a great album to check out, and it is an important album for the folks like us that went though the 9/11 attacks. Though I didn't listen to the whole album until later in my life, I did know quite a few of the songs from that album as I grew up, either from my dad or from the radio. And as I listened to the album tonight, it made me go back to those times and the times of the September 11th attacks. I live ten miles from NYC and you can see it from my town, and I the day like it was yesterday. It had a very big impact on the area around me, and in my town. It also had it's own impact on me, and have my own story to tell about it. Alas, it is 4:42 in the morning and I should really get some rest, so I will save that story for my next post.
     Anyway, my favorite songs from the album: "Lonesome Day" (a video for it listed below), "Into The Fire", "Waitin' On A Sunny Day", "Empty Sky", "World's Apart", "Let's Be Friends (Skin To Skin)", "Further On (Up The Road)", "Mary's Place", "You're Missing", "The Rising", and "My City Of Ruins". So yeah, this album is one to check out for sure!
    Well, that's all for tonight! My next post will feature: My 9/11 Story and probably a review or two.
     You all have a good night! : )

  -The AR

Lonesome Day:

As Spring Break '11 Goes On: Thursday, Friday, Saturday

     What's up? Well, spring break is reaching it's end, with one more day (well, two for me since I don't have class mondays) and it has been a pretty relaxing one! I hope everyone has had a relaxing week as well and got to stay warm! Yes, the windy city is still as windy and cool as ever, but at least the sun has been out!

     So these past few days, my dad has been in town here (he's here until tomorrow night) so I have been spending time with him, and it's been a great time! Got to go see Second City (ok, who DOESN'T know Second City?? Well, I guess if you don't, it's the popular improv theatre company here in town that many from Saturday Night Live started out, and even the classics like Mike Myers, Dan Akroyd and many many more.) They have a show up now called "The Absolute Best Frickin' Time of Your Life" which has now been extended due to popular demand and is playing on the Second City ETC stage. Second City will always crack me up, and this show was no different! Had a great time and the cast is amazing as ususal, so yeah! Check it out! Second City is a must if you are only visiting too and if you live here, you NEED to see one of their shows. Now!

      Anyway, let's see. Also got to go to the opening of Sucker Punch, directed by Zack Snyder, and starring Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Oscar Isaac, Scott Glenn and a few more. It is about a girl, Babydoll (played by Emily Browning) in the 1950's who is sent, by her father, to an asylum after accidentally killer her younger sister who the father was about to molest. Her father arranges for her to be lobotomized in five days. Along the way, she tries to escape with the help of four other girls as they live in the hell of the corrupt asylum and, we the audience, get to see how Babydoll mentally copes with her harsh reality and if her plan will work or not.
     Now, I never really was a fan of 300, which Snyder also directed, and the style the movie seemed to be in wasn't my favorite but, alas, something drew me to it. It may have been it's dark mood that I picked up from the trailer that really struck with me, but I think it was also the story, even though I didn't fully realize it until after the movie. If you look at it really closely, though it is an action movie, there is also something very tragic about the whole thing, as this being a "super-hero" or sorts is her way of dealing with her harsh reality in life and using her imagination to look at it differently. This, I am also guilty of at times, so that could have been the reason for me being drawn to it. Of course we all have those fantasies occasionally of being someone more "super" when we are stuck in rough situations, especially when we were all little and young. I've always had a very active imagination, from when I was a young kid going into now. It's why I like writing stories so much. My imagination is very much one of the stronger cards I was delt, and I'm proud of that! So yeah, Sucker Punch. Honestly, it's worth the watch. Maybe netflix it or rent it or whatever when it comes out in DVD, but I think you'll be surprised if you really look at the message. Watch it with an open mind. Also, I think some of the best performances are from Oscar Issac, who plays the evil orderly Blue Jones and also Scott Glenn, who plays the comedic but wise Wise Man. They were really fun characters to watch. Honestly, everyone does a pretty good job in the movie. So I guess no complaints. Was it my favorite movie of all time? No, but it was very enjoyable! (and oh yeah, I especially liked some of the covers of classic rock songs the movie had in the soundtrack, including "White Rabbit" covered by Emiliana Torrini and "Tomorrow Never Knows" covered by Carla Azar and Alison Mosshart. Also the cover of "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" is by Emily Browning who plays Babydoll, the lead! She sings the song "Asleep", a Smith's cover, as well! She has a nice voice!)

      Also got to listen to The Ghost Of Tom Joad by Bruce Springsteen, released in 1995. Well, yet again, the style has now changed for Springsteen since the album that came out before this one. This time, going back to a Nebraska-like sound, this being a very acoustic album, though not as dark as Nebraska. There are a few more instruments in this album, such as with "The Ghost of Tom Joad" and "Youngstown", but still are pretty acoustic heavy. In the album, Springsteen paints a picture of what mid-90's life was like here in America and Mexico, going back to his more folk like style. He sings about the working class life as well, and it is a very peaceful album, but at the same time it tells a story that beautifully tells the "struggle" of such life at that time, and it comes out in the music and lyrics. It's a really cool album, and it's stories are always interesting to hear, as if you are listening to these songs out of a rustic and all too real storybook. Some of my favorites off this album: "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" (named after The Grapes of Wrath character, written by John Steinbeck), "Straight Time", "Highway 29", "Youngstown", "Across The Border", "Galveston Bay", and "My Best Was Never Good Enough". Below the post, I put up a video of Bruce performing "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" with Tom Morello, and it just kicks ass! One of the best performances of it I've seen! So check it out!
       Well, that's all I have for now! More to come tomorrow night! Time for me to get some much needed sleep! Tomorrow's post, I'll write more about my adventures today and more! Well, folks, have a great night!

  -The AR


Sucker Punch trailer:


The Ghost of Tom Joad (w/ Tom Morello)