Morning Commute "Shuffle All Songs" Playlist

This morning's songs ran the gamut, and what's more, I sang along to each and every one!
Here's the list:

1. Silent Lucidity ~ Queensryche
2. Odyssey ~ KISS
3. Desire ~ U2
4. The Number of the Beast ~ Iron Maiden
5. Don't Believe Her ~ Scorpions
6. One Tree Hill ~ U2
7. What A Wonderful World ~ Joey Ramone
8. Nothing Lasts Forever ~ Wendy Wall
9. The Great Destroyer ~ NIN

Sunday Playlist for the Hills

Sometimes randomness is a beautiful thing... my iPod spit out a great playlist for my session at the gym this morning. For a 30 minute "run" I got the following, with a bit of prompting...

Heaven And Hell by Black Sabbath - perfect warm-up tune, at about the 2:30 mark the tempo picks up just enough to really get the heart rate pumping.
Spoonman by Soundgarden - continuing the fast tempo with a bit of syncopation just to keep it interesting
I'm Not Afraid by Lacuna Coil - more high energy for the first hill, still pumping hard and fast enough to sprint it!
Keep Yourself Alive by Queen - a good motto for working out! approaching the second hill segment...
Sometimes by King's X - a downshift in tempo for the second grueling hill!
Dani California by Red Hot Chili Peppers - coming off of the second hill and then picking up the pace on the way into hill number three
Where's My Thing?, Pt. 4: Gangster of Boats Trilogy by Rush - a nice mid-tempo instrumental that allows for the intense concentration the final hill requires
Lost Highway by Jason & The Scorchers - a good fast finishing sprint
Dear God 2.0 by The Roots - a nice slow R&B number for a cool down

Jason & the Scorchers @ The Iota, Arlington VA

I saw Jason & the Scorchers for the first time in the early Eighties in a club in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. There were maybe 10 of us in attendance. The band played like their hair was on fire, mindless of the modest size of the crowd.

Friday night at the Iota in Arlington that fire is still burning. Even though the original rhythm section has been replaced by Al Collins on bass and Pontus Snibb on drums, the band still plays their signature blend of county and rock like the twenty somethings we all were back in that small Florida club.

The Iota is a small venue with a national reputation. Friday night was, sadly, my first time seeing a show there. I say sadly, because I've "meant" to go to shows there many times over the years and have always punked out for one reason or another - but no more!

I have referred to Jason & the Scorchers as my favorite band that no one has ever heard of. This is obviously not the case for the 200 or so other folks at the Iota Friday night.

The band is touring in support of their latest release Halcyon Days. Check it out and then buy it.

Anyway... the band opened with "Mona Lee" from the new album. Guitarist Warner E. Hodges' Stonsey riffs just about peeled back our eyelids, a dynamic of the small club experience! Hodges is an Army brat whose parents played Country Music shows all over Europe while he was growing up and I'd like to think that his "Bratness" informs his guitar playing. Sadly he is one of the most under-appreciated and overlooked guitarists of the last 20 years.

After a couple or three more songs, the band was warmed up enough to play hosts to their support act, Stacie Collins. Stacie is also the wife of Scorchers bass player Al. This lady brought the goods! She opened with the Scorcher track "200 Proof Lovin'" and easily made it her own. She followed with a few of her own numbers, both singing and playing the blues harp. I was quite impressed. As I told her after the show, I've never seen a woman play the harp like that - hell, don't think I've ever seen a woman play the harp, period!

Once Stacie was finished getting everyone in the place nice and sweaty, singer and frontman Jason Ringenberg rejoined the band on stage and they proceeded to rip through another 90 minutes or so of Scorcher's classics and tracks from the new album.

Some of the highlights, and by highlights I mean my favorite songs, included "Harvest Moon", "Lost Highway", "White Lies" and the Dylan cover "Absolutely Sweet Marie". Other highlights include picking up a piece of fringe from Jason's western shirt, having Al Collins give me a pick and getting a tour poster autographed by the band members - I felt like such a fanboy! Oh, and a hug from Ms. Collins! Unfortunately, it didn't occur to me to get pictures taken with the band or Stacie until halfway back to the car.

It was a great show, in a string of great shows over the past month, each one so different from the others. With no other shows on my radar for the remainder of the year, it will be one helluva a memory to close out 2010.

As a side note, Jason Ringenberg is also known as "Farmer Jason" an Emmy award winning "kids of all ages" act.

Selected discography : Halcyon Days, Clear Impetuous Morning, A Blazing Grace and Midnight Roads & Stages Seen

Concerts, concerts, concerts...

It's been a busy year for me. Lots of travel and mini reunions with old classmates. Not that any of them are old, mind you.

It occurred to me that its also been a busy year for concerts too. So far this year I've seen Epica, Megadeth, Testament, Cheap Trick, Iron Maiden, Dream Theater, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, Rush, King's X and Accept, with Jason and the Scorchers next Friday.

Look for a couple of mini, or maybe not so mini-reviews coming soon!

Rock on!

Friday Morning Playlist

These are the first 25 songs to play on my iPod this Friday morning...

What are you listening to?

1. Rush - Freewill
2. Trent Reznor - Pieces from the Whole (The Social Network Soundtrack)
3. Alice in Chains - Acid Bubble
4. Alice in Chains - Down in a Hole
5. Street Songs - Alejandro Escovedo
6. Iron Maiden - Starblind
7. Sex Slaves - Long Live the Dead
8. Foo Fighters - Big Me
9. The Goo Goo Dolls - Rough Boys
10. The Refreshments - Wanted
11. Iron Maiden - Hallowed be Thy Name
12. Journey - City of Angels
13. Soundgarden - Black Rain
14. The Hold Steady - Soft in the Center
15. Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
16. The Like - Don't Make a Sound
17. The Like - Catch Me if You Can
18. The Grip Weeds - You're Not Walking Away
19. Taking Dawn - The Chain
20. Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse - Revenge
21. Rush - 2112:Overture
22. Altar Boys - Footsteps of Love
23. Stryper - Shining Star
24. ELO - Don't Bring Me Down
25. Stardeath and White Dwarfs - Those Who Are From The Sun...

Morning Drive Shuffle, Friday Edition

This morning's commute was much more pleasant than yesterday's. For one, the sun was out. For another, I'd enjoyed a great chat (along with coffee and croissant bread pudding I'd made) with a good friend. And... traffic moved pretty smoothly. Add this morning's Shuffle Playlist into the mix. Kind of interesting... but I'm kinda liking it. I'm rediscovering stuff I'd added then promptly forgotten.

Here's this morning's list:

1. "The Ripper" - Judas Priest (LIVE, from Unleashed in the East)
2. "Drifter" - Iron Maiden
3. "Viking Juice" - INXS
4. "L 'Ultima Notte" - Josh Groban
5. "Pushing Me Away" - Linkin Park
6. "Corner of the Sky" - Pippin (Karaoke version - and yes, I did sing all of it)
7. "Please Don't Stop the Rain" - James Morrison
8. "The Body" - PiL
9. "Shy Boy" - TALAS (LIVE)
10. "Aquarius" - Hair Soundtrack
11. "Last Kiss" - Pearl Jam
12. "Sandstorm" - Peter Gabriel (off of The Last Temptation of Christ soundtrack)
13. "With Love" - Gary Moore
14. "Voice in the Crowd" - Marillion (with Fish)
15. "Kanga-Roo" - Jeff Buckley (LIVE)

What happens when you hit "SHUFFLE ALL SONGS"

The past couple of mornings, I decided to hit "shuffle all songs" on my way into work. This can be a bit dangerous as my musical taste covers a wide range of genres- from classical to metal and beyond, but I was stuck in traffic so I thought, "What the hey." I can't remember the songs that popped up yesterday, but this morning, I actually scribbled them down as they came on, because my memory is not what it used to be. (I blame "exrtra-curricular activities" in my 20s - or maybe too many hits to the head. Choose whichever explanation makes you feel most comfortable).

So, without further ado- this morning's "Shuffle Commute Playlist:"

1. "With You" - Pippin Soundtrack
2. "Jump" - Van Halen
3. "The Hill" - Once Soundtrack
4. "The Prayer" - Josh Groban & Charlotte Church
5. "Rosalie" - Thin Lizzy
6. "Something's Got To Give" - Beastie Boys
7. "Heroes" - David Bowie
8. "Night" - Bruce Springsteen
9. "Dracula" - Bruce Dickinson
10. "Giving" - Collective Soul
11. "Mr. Self Destruct" - Nine Inch Nails
12. "Only You" - KISS
13. "The Scientist" - Coldplay
14. "Lust or Love" - Scorpions
15. "Ready for Love" - Gary Moore

So... my challenge to you: Tomorrow, set your Zune (or iPod or whatever brand of MP3 player you've got) on "SHUFFLE ALL SONGS." Then sit back and enjoy your eclectic (or not so eclectic) playlist. And don't forget to share them with us here.

Happy Listening! \m/