Sleep Over (with Shrek)

Watercooler Wednesday post (a BIT of a stretch with the guidelines, but there's a movie in the post...and I cooked...it counts....):

OK...so it was just Noah (my 6 year old son) and me. He'd asked--no, begged me a week or so ago for me to have a "sleep over" with him. I told him that we'd put it on the calendar. The day finally came: Easter Sunday night. I made some popcorn (NOT microwave, but I actually made popcorn, with the big pot, oil, some really good seasoning that my sister gave me a while back, etc.--much more satisfaction than throwing a bag in a microwave), poured some root beer, and put on a movie of his choice (we watched Shrek). We made a "bed" of sleeping bag and lots of blankets and pillows on the living room floor.
I learned a few things from it:
1. I love Noah.
2. He loves me.
3. We won't have forever to do this kind of thing--live the moments.
4. Shrek's disgusting ogre-ly manners are hilarious to a 6 year old.
5. Sleeping on the floor all night hurts way more than it used to.

American Idol TOP TEN

OK...we're back with the top 10 now--the group that will get to know one another REALLY well, on tour around the country this summer.

Theme: the year they were born--big range of years, for sure.

Ramiele Malubay--born in 1987 (I feel old)-- "Alone"--great song (she'll probably ruin it). Out of tune out of the gates--pretty sharp. Now flat. Now sharp again. Out of control the whole song, and on the edge of utter disaster in every way musically. While she never completely fell apart, she definitely didn't pull it off. I was right about the "she'll probably ruin it" thing...consider it ruined. Not very good.

Jason Castro--born in 1987--"Fragile"--my favorite song ever sung on American Idol probably...let's see what he does with it. Interesting flamenco sounding twist to it...something I've never heard Sting do with it, but he totally would, I'm sure. I liked it. I would like to have heard the percussion from the band more--maybe some percussionists out on the stage or something, to make it appear more intimate a performance...great performance, though.

Syesha Mercado--born in 1987--"If I Were Your Woman"--I can't believe she did the wacked out baby cry thing again...how annoying. She is much more of a "classic" sounding perfomer. She really does have a great voice, for sure...in 5 years or so, she could be an absolutely amazing diva vocalist. Really good tonight. Her absolute best vocal so far, in my estimation. Well done.

Chikezie--born in 1985--"If Only for One Night"--seems like a great guy... OK--bad song choice, in my opinion.... He didn't do too bad with it though, I guess. Nothing horrible about it, but nothing stand-out amazing either. Average for me.

Brooke White--born in 1983--"Every Breath You Take"--a "Police" song (FYI, Sting/Police are among my favorite from that era)--OOPS! She started in the wrong key vocally, trying to do something cool, by pulling a pitch out of the air. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Probably a bad song choice, for her, actually. I don't know...not my favorite, but better than last week. Not bad. Does she have on a lot of make-up or something...?

Michael Johns--born in 1978 (still younger than me)--"We Will Rock You" and "We are the Champions"--Pretty cool opening acapela opening thing, then into a big ending with the next tune. Great song choices. Maybe should have just stuck with one of the two, but still great choices. He did a great job.

Carly Smithson--born in 1983--"Total Eclipse of the Heart"--great song. They could have gotten better bgv's on that tune, for sure (which maybe threw her off a bit). Her usual great job, though. The ending was not at all necessary, and a little showy for no reason at all. Not very musical there. Other than that, solid job.

David Archuleta--born in 1990 (I was 15)--"You're the Voice"--weak start, in my opinion. Kinda weird song choice...But he came into his own for sure. I like the passion that he pours into performances. Maybe the wrong key, as it really stretched him in the middle.... Not bad, but not his best. He's safe as ever, though.

Kristy Lee Cook--born in 1984--"God Bless the USA"--(sorry to say this) I'm so sick of that song (maybe because I've sung it 40,000 times), but it's probably a good song choice for her. The arrangement is EXACTLY the same as the original I think, outside of the key change. She has no originality in her. Some pitch problems, for sure. She's just not good enough, but not as horrific as some of her past performances.

David Cook--born in 1982--"Billy Jean"--I've never even considered that song to be sung anything like that (kind of a waltz). I didn't like it quite as much as the crowd seemed to, but it was certainly really good, and the big note in the chorus was amazing. Great reverb on his vocal from the tech crew. He's a very original performer (probably the most original performer in the lot), and he did a great job tonight. Jennifer hit rewind to hear it again (she really liked it). He's a MAJOR competitor.

Going home tomorrow night will be Ramiele Malubay (and Chikezie may have a tough go tomorrow night).

Leeland Concert (kind of)

Welcome to Watercooler Wednesday.

So, a few months ago, my wife, Jennifer, asked me if I wanted to go to a concert: Casting Crowns. My response was what she expected: no. THEN she told me that Leeland was opening for them. That changed my answer to a big YES.

I first met Leeland Mooring at the 2007 reCreate Conference, in Franklin, TN. He was there with his brother, sister, and parents. I really didn't know much about him at all, but quickly recognized God's Spirit shining through him and his family. They left quite an impact, and I've been kind of following them since.

With the recent release of their new CD, Opposite Way, I was VERY excited about the concert, which I attended the week before last with my brother, Tyler and his wife, Cassey, and my friends Mark and Ilze Calahan. The concert was a bit of a let down, as Leeland did only 5 or 6 tunes before Casting Crowns took over, but it was still great to be there.

One of the songs from the "Opposite Way" CD that is sticking in my mind a bunch lately is called "Let it Out Now". What makes this song stick are phrases like:

"I'm not ashamed to call myself one of Yours, Lord"
"God's looking for a people with passion in their hearts"

"God says who you are, not...."

"Is there anybody different?"

"We're stuck in a system"

Long story short, go to Leeland's website and click on the "listening booth" icon on the right, if you've not listened to them before. If you hate them, blame me for the wasted 43 seconds of life (assuming you'll turn it off quickly).

"Let it Out Now"

It’s like you got to walk like him

Got to talk like her

Got to be like them

Everybody knows you follow the crowd

Or get singled out

But God says who you are

Not the world or movie stars

Don’t you know

He holds the answers in His hands?

We’re stuck in a system

Is there anybody different?

Is anybody listening?

Is anybody listening?

Everyone has their own sound

Let it out now, let it out now

There’s nothing wrong with living loud

Let it out now, let it out now

I’m drawing the line between

Being them or being me

I’m not ashamed

To call myself one of Yours, Lord

But it’s a narrow path

I’ve got to break from the pack

No turning back

No turning back

Yes, God’s looking for a people

With a passion in their hearts

We’re God’s children

We need to shine bright

We need to shine bright

Everyone has their own sound

Don’t you know all God’s children have their sound?

American Idol with FRIENDS

OK...so what's better than watching American Idol? Watching American Idol with great friends. I'm blogging live again, with my friends here at mi casa--Dennis and Carol George, and Mandy Murray (along with Jen, Noah, Morgen and me).

We're down to top 11, and still with the McCartney/Lennon thing--actually Beatles...I'm still trying to figure out the difference, I guess. (On a side note, I'm buying a VOX amp tomorrow for my new guitar...a few of you will get the connection there).

Amanda Overmyer--"Back in the USSR"--She's very good at what she does, for sure. It looked like she had more fun tonight than normal. What a stage set up....who could miss with that, honestly? Still, she's getting a little old to me. I, like Paula, would like to see her do a "vunerable ballad" at some point.
Kristy Lee Cook--"You've Got to Hide Your Love Away"--Incredibly better song choice than last week, for sure. She has some real pitch problems, and again, I say...there is no possible way she could win this. That being said, it was better this week than last. Still not good. Should have been very involved, with a lot of energy, but it really wasn't. Not good. Average voice. Average performer.

David Archuleta--"The Long and Winding Road"--He has in ear monitors this week (actually only one). Weird. Great singer. Great performer. He probably could have picked a better song, actually, but great job still. I didn't like the VERY old sounding arrangement much at all (it sounded like something on an elevator if you took away the vocal). It was great still. And he got exactly 3 claps from Simon. Wow.

I want an iPhone. And a Coke.

Michael Johns--"A Day in the Life"--Perfect song choice for him. A little flat on that note--yikes. OK...he's getting back into it. Well, it ended too soon. Maybe not the right song after all. It just didn't work in that small amount of time. Paula is probably right again--iem's (in ear monitors) make a dramatic difference when on the stage, in regards to connection with the crowd (I HATED my first time with them in front of a group of people). But he wasn't wearing them. Too bad--I thought Paula was maybe on to something. I still like this guy.

Brooke White--"Here Comes the Sun"--Noah's comment, "...that's the song from Bee Movie!" OK--the repetitive phrase throughout of the song, "it's all right"--that's about the best I can give her. She again proved tonight why she needs an instrument in her hands or something, to hide her. She looked so uncomfortable to me on the stage, trying to dance or something. It seemed so forced through the whole thing, to me. She needs a guitar. or a piano. or a harp. or a kazoo. Anything to keep her from trying to do something performance-worthy in any other way.

David Cook--"Daytripper"--Much better guitar tone this week--Oh...it's not him. It's a different guitar player. It think he was faking the first guitar bit. But he came in with a voice box for his guitar! Trippy! It felt like a bit of a gimmick, though, for a not really amazing performance. It was solid, but not the greatest to me.

Carly Smithson--"Blackbird"--Great song. Great performance. She is an amazing performer. Really. She seemed to drop a few words at one point, and I wish she could have another run at it, honestly. Really good, though. Simon missed this one.

Jason Castro--"Michelle"--Didn't like the arrangement that much. Or the performance...it seemed like he was kind of laughing at the French a few times, and it felt a little dorky at a few parts, with the arrangement. He could have pulled off a REALLY cool arrangement, I think, but didn't. Not that great. He still could draw a huge fan base, obviously. Simon's comment, "you're not obnoxious." Ah--what a complement.

Syesha Mercado--"Yesterday"--One of my favorite Beatle's songs. Hopefully she doesn't kill it much.... OK-It was pretty good, but for some reason, I wasn't feeling it, so much. The arrangement didn't fit her voice quite enough, I think. She has a GREAT instrument, for sure, but it didn't seem to lock in tonight. She left room for improvement, but good enough to stay on the show, probably.

Chikezie--"I've Just Seen a Face"--Back to average. At best. This one also sounded really gimmicky to me. It seems like he tried to repeat what last week was, and didn't work nearly as well. He also just insulted all the harmonica players in the universe, by trying to tell people that he can pick it up in a few days, and play it on national TV...I don't know. It wasn't that good.

Ramiele Malubay--"I Should Have Known Better"--Not at all. Felt like "Star Search" to me (not a complement). She does have a pretty good voice, but not a good choice of song. Not a good perfomance, really for me.

A let down of a night, really. They need to be a LOT better than this at this point. 2 weeks of Beatles was probably the wrong choice, honestly.

Kristy Lee Cook is leaving, I think, although there are a lot of singers who left an enormous amount of room for improvement for weeks to come.

Confession

Last Sunday, my good friend, Clay Burkle, got an opportunity to teach at Journey (come, join us for Easter next week!) Ok, back to the story.... While addressing Journey, Clay said something that left quite an impact on my week:

"If your view of anything is more vivid than your view of Jesus, then you need new eyes."

"Anything"--Easily defined. It means anything. It could be a problem. It could be money (that could the problem--ha!). It could be your own sin. It could be someone else's sin. It could be someone's approval. It could be work. It could be the pursuit of ______(insert appropriate word here). It could be...well...anything.

It was my new guitar. This week, "anything" was my new guitar/rig. I've been going through downsizing recently (truck being the biggest example). In the process, I decided to get an electric guitar, and I'm going to sell one of my acoustics (net profit and much more versitility as a musician). I'm kind of known for being the guy who can find the best deal on nearly anything (see above definition). In order to do that, I research like a mad man--reading reviews, checking prices everywhere, talking to people about it, etc.

I realized that there was a problem when I laid my head down on my pillow the other night, and all I could think about was guitar stuff--all night (until I got up at 4am and went downstairs to be convicted for the next few hours). I had let that guitar rule me that day--my thoughts, my time, my decisions, etc. It was all about the mighty guitar. I even skipped my morning prayer time that day--not necessarily because of the guitar (it's really not even that great of a guitar), but because of the distraction of not being able to focus on that which is to be the center. It all got out of balance. It's so easy to do (especially in our culture, it seems).

Scripture teaches us to confess to one another. I guess the blogosphere counts. Maybe even extra. Maybe I'll get a new guitar to reward myself for stepping into the light so quickly on this one. I wonder what I'll get...maybe a Fender Mustang. I need to go do some research.

And the cycle starts again....

p.s.

The night where my mind was focused on guitar a song came across my mind from the group Leeleand's amazing new CD (click on the Leeland link, then watch the 2nd "Leeland TV" video, called "Cowboy Bob"--You'll laugh like crazy)

The song that came to mind:

"Enter This Temple"

We are saved in a world that’s lost
All our hope rests in Your Cross

God of strength, our weakness shows

We need You. We need You, Lord.

Father, enter this temple

Come touch Your people

We need to be where You are

And children living as their Father

Washed in pure water

We need to be like You are

We are searching for Your presence

We are knocking on Your door

Let Your wings cover us

with promise for communion, for communion....

American Idol TOP TWELVE

(Welcome to my "Watercooler Wednesday" post for Ethos....)

Here we are--What fun...here we are with American Idol's top 12!!! Blogging live again.

Amazing band, amazing audience, mosh pit--you can just feel the electricity in that place, all the way from Hollywood!!! Yahoo!! This is when it gets good (most of the time).

THEME: Lennon, McCartney songbook. Who are those guys? Oh yeah...I've heard of 'em. My favorite song from the Beatles is probably "Yesterday", or maybe "Eleanor Rigby", or...???

Syesha Mercado--"Got to Get You Into My Life"--Not too good for me, out of the gates. Pretty flat in a lot of spots, honestly. She has a great listenable tone, though. I really like the long middle range notes--they sound great. It got better by the end, for sure, but still some pitch problems. Pretty good for being the 1st one up, but she just left plenty of room for 1st place....

Chikezie--"She's a Woman"--You've got to be kidding me!!!I really liked the beginning (except he was trying to keep time, patting his knee or something, and it looked ridiculous). WOW. He really didn't hold back at all. Great song choice. I loved the lead guitar counter-melody things throughout it. Wow. What an entertainer tonight. BIG step up for him. I didn't think he had anything like that in him. Honestly. And he MIGHT be on speed or something. Or at least 4 cans of Rockstar energy drink. Wow. I'd hate to follow that performance.

Ramiele Malubay--"In My Life"--Major pitch problems out of the gates. Nobody will remember that at all, especially after Chikezie. Bad song choice. It was average at best, which will NOT cut it in this competition, at this point. Lots of pitch problems, and horribly forgettable.

Jason Castro--"If I Fell"--I like this guy. He's a good guitar player, to be that comfortable pulling off that song in that kind of environment with no glitches at all (and I really like his sunburst Breedlove guitar). I liked it. I can totally see him with a big following of Jason Castro groupies. He seems to be the real deal to me. Simple. Good. Solid musician. Likable.

Carly Smithson--"Come Together"--bartender/waitress...she's the average American musician (or WAS until this). You could tell that she OWNS that song. What a song. I still am convinced that some day, her vocal cords are going to explode. Great job. I expected nothing less. She is really, really good. For real. (and Simon winked at her...must be a good sign)

David Cook--"Eleanor Rigby"--another bartender...go figure.... Maybe my favorite Beatles song. Hopefully, he doesn't kill it. Good show. I liked the lighting. He lit the place up as well. Personally, it was taken a bit too fast for me, but a good job, obviously (he got the people up and jumping). The chorus shined. I was waiting for that moment. Really good job. Well done.

Brooke White--"Let it Be"--what a great song... I almost wished she had not looked up at all, as she was seeming really forced to look at the cameras, etc. It was average to me, at best. Certainly not the best she's done. Great lighting, for that intimate feel, though. Good lighting can absolutely transform a performance. She did OK, to me. She loves to sing good songs. That's cool. Sincerity shines through, if you like that kind of thing (and I do, of course).... I like her, even though it was not that great of a performance for me.

David Hernandez--"I Saw Her Standing There"--Good singer, for sure, but the opposite of the sincerity of a Brooke White. It was good, but felt trite or something (maybe just following Brooke). Something was just off for me. I can't really define it exactly, but just not right. The judges may have it right--too much for the song, maybe. He tried too hard.

Amanda Overmyer--"You Can't do That"--She's getting a little old to me, but she's good, for sure. Probably a good song choice, but I've never heard it (could have picked a song that more people would at least know). Harley Davidson is getting a lot of great marketing from her. They should give her a bike. Solid performance.

Michael Johns--"Across the Universe"--Average performance, for him, but above average compared to many performers. Solid job. I didn't like notes sung on the last word. He's a great, well-seasoned performer, but not his best showing. I still like him, and he's safe as can be.

Kristy Lee Cook--"Eight Days a Week"--She's still here because she got the country music vote last week. Tonight, I don't think they'll vote for her, anyway. It was not good. That song did not work at all with that kind of change. It seemed trite, like David H's performance earlier. WAY too fast. Yuck. She may have bought a ticket to the front row of next week's show with that performance. She's not good enough to stay in the top 12.

David Archuleta--"We Can Work it Out"--Seemed forced to me, and HE JUST FORGOT THE WORDS...no way! He just FELL APART. I think he's safe as can be, still. He's probably just experiencing the "I'm 17 years old, and have a lot of people watching me" factor. He tried to come out, and do something different, like they asked for last week. It just didn't "work out" for him tonight. Certainly his weakest performance yet, but again, he's safe as can be, no doubt. Maybe even safer after that showing, because his loyal fan base will feel sorry for him, and vote like gangbusters.

Predictions: Leaving tomorrow night will be Kristy Lee Cook (most likely) or Ramiele Malubay.

Rock Star

So, the concern that Morgen might grow up to be a rock star was elevated this afternoon when we realized that she is quite afraid of marshmallow Peeps (the little yellow bird shaped Easter marshmallow candies). It just seems to be a very "rock-starry" thing to be afraid of. One of those weird, quirky facts that you read about an artist in tabloids (notice I said YOU read in tabloids...not me).

She is the cutest rock star ever, though....

TITAN (update)

Well, I've always been up for a good adventure. Like the time that my brother and I went into the Colorado Rockies wilderness for a day--fishing, exploring, finding an amazing elk skeleton with antlers, etc. We returned only about 20 minutes later than what we'd told our mom we would, displaying our catch of native cut-throat trout, hung from the tines on the elk rack (what a day!) We thought we did pretty well. I'm certain that our day turned out better than my mom's, who thought we'd been eaten by a bear or mountain lion or something. It wasn't nearly as fun for her....

So, it seems that I'm off on another adventure. I sold my truck today...on eBay...to a Canadian. Call me crazy. I'll let you all know how this wild ride pans out. I'm feeling pretty good about it, actually.

I DID at least talk to the teller (Marilyn) at a large bank there (Affinity Credit Union--I initiated the call), and will be wired the entire amount directly to my bank account before sticking the truck on a large shipper truck of some sort, on its way to the lucky new owner, eh?

American Idol (girls)

OK--I'm trying something new, with a friend, Randy Elrod, over at Ethos. It's called Watercooler Wednesday, and will be done every Wednesday (hence, the name). It's an opportunity for creative people to huddle in one place, once a week, to discuss or monologue about...well, whatever they can come up with, I guess (generally relating to current culture, creativity, etc.). I'm going to (for now) use it as a place for my weekly American Idol review and predictions of who gets the boot, etc.

On with the show...

OK...we have the girls singing 80s tonight. Hmmm....

Asia'h Epperson--Pretty good song choice. She seems to be trying a little too hard tonight. I liked the key change. BGVs were spot on. I generally liked it. Pretty good job.

Kady Malloy--She did the annoying "sh" thing to end words (sang the word "plash" instead of "place"). Celine Dion does that, and it drives me nuts. This girl is NO CELINE. Horrible song choice, and she didn't do it well. There's no possible way she could actually win this.

Amanda Overmeyer--She's back. WAY better than last week. Good song choice. Yahoo! Well done. Really.

Carly Smithson--Good song choice. Well done. Not my favorite from her, but really good. She doesn't hold back much. I like that. Her vocal chords are going to explode some day, but until then, I really like her.

Kristy Lee Cook--Amazing song. It really makes me nervous to think she's going to take on a Steve Perry song. I don't like her high range much (it loses the little rasp, and goes more pure--not consistent). The end was not good. She needs to learn her limitations, and sing accordingly. Not as good as the judges thought, honestly, but OK.

Ramiele Malubay--Great song. I love Phil Collins. Not too bad of a performance. Honestly, I think there's a lot more in her than what she's doing. She seems to be holding back a bunch to me, and playing everything really safe. An amazing singer is able to get away with that. She's not amazing. She can't get away with it. (And Paula is MESSED UP...what was that?) Only OK.

Brooke White--WAY better than I thought it was going to be. I was really nervous when they said what she was going to sing...she really pulled it off, though. Good job. I would have loved a cello line through that, or something.

Syesha Mercado--I don't like the song choice, much. She did OK. Her licks aren't always tight enough for me, really. She has a really good instrument, though, and I think she could be really good, with more experience under her belt. Not bad.

Prediction: Leaving the show tomorrow night will be Kady Malloy and Kristy Lee Cook.

A New Law

This song came to my mind in a recent conversation...I thought I'd post it for you all--to give you something to think about before American Idol starts up. Derek writes most of his tunes to the church, and is known for being a straight shooting, "stir-the-pot" type (obviously). I really like that about him.

A song lyric to make you think by Derek Webb:

A New Law
don’t teach me about politics and government
just tell me who to vote for
don’t teach me about truth and beauty

just label my music
don’t teach me how to live like a free man

just give me a new law

i don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy

so just bring it down from the mountain to me

i want a new law

gimme that new law

don’t teach me about moderation and liberty

i prefer a shot of grape juice
don’t teach me about loving my enemies
don’t teach me how to listen to the Spirit

just give me a new law

what’s the use in trading a law you can never keep

for one you can that cannot get you anything
do not be afraid

American Idol (guys)

OK...blogging live again (in the comfort of my home, drinking freshly brewed green tea, and eating Jen's home-made banana pudding--yum!)

80's theme--YAHOO!! I'm feeling good about it.

Luke--He could have been in a boy band MAYBE, as a sidekick when he was 16 or something ('cause he's a good looking guy--not because of his vocal ability alone), but his time is over. He's just not good enough for this. And a dumb song pick for all of the songs he could have chosen from the 80s. Not good enough. He's toast.

David A.--I love this song. He sings a little flat often, but it really doesn't matter at all. He's great. The song ended way too soon. I wanted him to keep singing. I like that he switched the song up enough from Phil Collins' version to make it his own.
Danny--What a dork. He totally fits some of the 80s, though, with the horrific cheesy gestures, etc. Not a horrible performance, really, but I hope he leaves soon.

David Hernandez--a pretty good song choice, but I wasn't as impressed with his vocals this week. The song may have been a little too much for him.... Jen told me today that it came out in the news this week that he used to be a stripper/dancer or something. Yuck. He's a good vocalist, though--generally.

Michael--He puts off the image of superstar. Great song choice for him. I'd go to his concert before any of the others, probably, honestly. I agree with Paula about his strong lower range--it's a really cool thing. No worries for him.

David Cook--He's really a good vocalist. That was probably his best yet. I still don't like the tone of his guitar. He lacks a bit of charisma for me--he probably needs his band behind him to give him a confidence boost. Jen loved it. I thought it was really good.

Jason Castro--Great song. Lincoln Brewster does this song in worship at Bayside Church in Granite Bay, CA--ha! (he put a few different words to it, but it's awesome--look it up on iTunes).

Almost good, but the ending killed him, a bit (if something can kill you "a bit")--you can't show mistakes like that on the stage, in that kind of setting. He could have really taken it somewhere, and didn't. I don't know...I didn't love it, but it was pretty good. I still like him, but not my favorite performance.

Chikezie--Straight up 80s feel. No surprise to me. He's honestly not good enough for me to like him that much. I only like him because he seems like a nice guy--not because of his performance abilities. He looked scared to death at the end of the song.

My predictions: Luke is gone, and Danny (or maybe Chikezie).