Doggie Television

Here's my main man Isaac watching his favorite show, "The Sidewalk". It never fails, open a window and here he comes. Now if he could just figure out how to pop corn...

Song o' the Week - September 6, 2010

Well Friends, I hope everyone had a happy and safe Labor Day weekend but it's time again for your weekly musical morsel! I've been on a Jeff Buckley kick lately, and it could be my imagination, but it seems a lot of other folks have been as well. More and more in the past few months I've noticed Buckley songs playing on Muzak in businesses around town, a few covers being played at open mic nights, and even popping up on television. It could be, perhaps, that I am only recognizing these things because it was just last year that I discovered Jeff Buckley's music in earnest. Of course some of it was already familiar to me, having been an MTV viewer and listener of mainstream radio in the early and mid 90s, but I largely dismissed it at the time. Yet it's funny how your perceptions change as you grow... tastes becoming more refined and discriminating. So, is it heighened awareness or a renaissance for Mr. Buckley? Maybe you can help me decide. In the meantime, here is one of my current favorites from the album Grace...


"Lover, You Should've Come Over" by Jeff Buckley



Listen to "Lover, You Should've Come Over" here: http://www.rhapsody.com/jeff-buckley/grace/lover-you-shouldve-come-over


...enjoy!!

South Elm Silhouette

Slow night a work, so here's another photo in my Greensboro series...




I took this shot as I was on a walkabout in the heart of downtown. In the background is the Lincoln Financial building, which dominates the Greensboro skyline. The perspective is from South Elm Street. I particularly like this photo because of the contrast between the rigid, angular patterns of the building's facade and the dark, organic silhouette of the tree I was standing under.

Song o' the Week - August 29, 2010

Originating in South Florida, the Gabe Dixon Band have made New York City their home for almost a decade. Since forming they have released three full-length studio albums and one live album. They have also turned quite a few heads, getting airplay on NBC promo spots and landing a song on the soundtrack of the Sandra Bullock film "The Proposal". Frontman Gabe Dixon has even served as studio keyboardist to Sir Paul McCartney, which led to a sit-in spot with McCartney during the Concert for New York City following the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001.

What began as a three-piece "piano rock" band has evolved to a much larger, swinging sound including horns, multiple back-up vocalists, and varieties of stringed instruments. The selection I offer you today is from their 2008 self-titled release...

"Til You're Gone" by the Gabe Dixon Band

Listen to "Til You're Gone" here: http://www.rhapsody.com/gabe-dixon-band/the-gabe-dixon-band/till-youre-gone


...enjoy!!

Big Balls

One of the great things about living downtown in Greensboro was having a baseball stadium two blocks from my front door. It is a beautiful facility, the tickets are cheap, and they typically have great promotions. I found myself taking a lot of pictures of this stadium and its grounds while living there. This one is a sculpture that sits outside one of the gates. The baseballs are about five feet tall and seem to be made of pure concrete.

Center City Spouts

The downtown district of Greensboro, North Carolina has undergone dramatic changes over the last ten years or so. New businesses, public spaces, high-rise condominiums, a downtown baseball stadium, greenways, public wi-fi access... all adding up to a revitalized center city. Once an area of town to be avoided, downtown Greensboro is now a hub of activity boasting tons of new restaurants and bars, shops, museums, and seasonal, free outdoor entertainment and festivals.

I lived there, downtown, for two years while some of this revitalization was going on. Despite everything I had heard about Greensboro prior to moving there ("Greensboring" was a popular moniker at one time), it has proven to be one of my favorite places to live. A city with activities and events accessible to all walks of life, all tastes. A city of college students, young professionals, and growing families. A city of genuine people, talented musicians, insightful artists, and world-class athletes. A city of innovative restaurants and rustic diners, posh night clubs and unapologetic dive bars, rocking music halls and refined theaters. A city to which I would return in a heartbeat.

Before I left Greensboro in 2008, I was able to compile a collection of images that I would like to share with you. An attempt to capture some of the quirks and hidden gems in a town that I grew to love. Here is the first of the series...



...part of the fountain that sits in the middle of a new Center City park. Located in the heart of downtown, the park regularly hosts weekday lunch-breakers, sun bathing students, evening concert goers, and picnicing families.

Song o' the Week - August 16, 2010

It's a sound that makes you wanna light up a cigarette, throw back a couple of rot-gut whiskies, and kick an alligator in the groin. "Swamp Funk 'n' Blues" is about the best way to describe the vibe that oozes out of a J.J. Grey & Mofro record. Hailing from the Florida backwoods, just outside of Jacksonville, the group released their first album Blackwater in 2001. Three full-length records later, J.J. Grey & Mofro will be unveiling their next project, Georgia Warhorse, on August 24th. This week however, I wanted to get everybody ramped up for the new record by choosing a cut from their 2008 release Orange Blossom...


"On Fire" by J.J. Grey & Mofro
Listen to "On Fire" here: http://www.rhapsody.com/jj-grey-mofro/orange-blossoms/on-fire

Enjoy!