Archive for the ‘Music’ Category

Ode to Earplugs


15 Mar

I know that concerts are supposed to be loud. I know that it makes me “old” when I want to have earplugs for concerts, but you know what, I don’t care, because besides saving my hearing (if it can be saved) earplugs actually make the concert a more enjoyable experience.

They cut out the majority of the background crowd noise so that I hear the band but not a hundred people talking. They also cut down on speaker feedback and help me hear the singer and lyrics much more clearly. But I can still feel the bass pumping through me.

Great Live Performances: Flogging Molly at the Paramount


14 Mar

Last night was our second time seeing Flogging Molly in concert. Let me just that Flogging Molly is one of the few bands that I would travel to see. In fact, if they are going to be playing near me, but not in my city, there’s a good chance I will travel to see them.

The show atSeattle’s Paramount Theater last night was almost 4 hours long, with two hours of that being all Flogging Molly. Their energy was amazing. They played a number of new songs, but also a lot of the old stuff that the crowd loved.

The Voice (s2, ep 7)


13 Mar

I’m boring right now, because for the most part, I agree with the judges’ decisions. I may not always agree with their song choices as I think song choice has a major effect.

I felt bad for the blond sandwich maker from Cee Lo’s team. I don’t think he sang badly, but the guy he was battling knocked it out of the park. Best performance of the battle rounds so far, in my opinion.

Now we know four of Christina’s team, two of Adam’s, and three each from Blake and Cee Lo. Overall, I think it’s a talent packed season.

The Voice (s2 ep6)


06 Mar

Battlerounds! I like that we did six in our two hours- lots of singing and not too much time spent on people we’ll never see again.

I was really impressed with the battles. There were some amazing performances. In a couple cases, I would have chosen differently than the coaches, but I could also understand why they chose the way they did. The only choice I really disagreed with was Blake’s first- Raelynn.

I know she reminds him of his wife, but the girl can’t sing anything outside country. I don’t think she makes his team stronger at all.

The Voice (s2 ep5)


28 Feb

It was the last night of the blind auditions. I feel a little bad for the people who audition later on, as the judges have only one or two spots left. They are pickier. There were people last night, who I am certain, if they had auditioned earlier, would have been chosen.

I was amused (though not surprised) to see that Kelly Clarkson will be one of the guest mentors on the show. I’ve heard rumors that she had a break with the American Idol folks, and I think this probably really confirms it.

Looking forward to the battle rounds.

The Voice (s2 ep4)


21 Feb

I came in half an hour late, but last night I was more impressed by the talent than I’d been previously. But that might have something to do with the fact that we ended up on American Idol for half an hour last Thursday. It was awful- even though the judges seemed to like some of what we saw. C commented that he wasn’t certain how they could air that at the same time the Voice was on the air.

I was surprised Cee Lo was the only one to turn his chair around for We Are the Champions guy.

Why I’m not Watching American Idol This Season


16 Feb

When we got rid of cable (except for the limited basic package that keeps our internet cheap) we lost the DVR. I cannot, can NOT watch American Idol without a DVR. Back when Simon and Paula were still there, it was occasionally worth it to listen to the banter between the judges, but not anymore. Even during Hollywood week, I have no real desire to hear what the judges say.

So, I am not watching Idol this year. If I can’t fast forward to the performances and skip Ryan and the judges, I spend more time being annoyed than entertained.

The Voice (s2 ep3)


14 Feb

Admitting that I miss the first half hour of the Voice to watch How I Met Your Mother, but so far, no one in the blind auditions has blown me away the way Nikita did last year. (And yes, I think he should have won, or at least made the finals, so I’m going to harp on it.)

I found it interesting that they promo-ed three albums from last year’s winner and two other finalists, but not an album from Cee Lo’s finalist. Maybe her’s just isn’t done yet, but I do think that’s something contestants should pay attention to.

The Grammy Awards Show


13 Feb

I watched the Grammys last night, but only up through Best New Artist. I did find it interesting that the Grammys have become more about performances than giving awards. I swear that in the two and a half hours I had it on, I saw maybe one award per half hour (if that). I like that better. I love music, do not like talking heads.

I am not a Foo Fighters fan (nor was I a Nirvana fan), so I could have done with a little less of them. I loved Adele’s performance though, and always enjoy watching Blake Shelton.

SMASH


08 Feb

My favorite thing about SMASH was the opening moment- Katherine McPhee singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I just started laughing out loud. I don’t know how many people got the joke- that was the song Simon Cowell chose for her to sing on judges’ choice night, and one of the songs she sang for the finals when she came in second on Idol –but for me it was fabulous.

I love musical theater. SMASH wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough that I’ll keep watching. I’ll just have to remember to watch Castle on Hulu Plus later in the week.

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