So I’m at the gym this morning running the elliptical like the hamster that I am, and one of the TV screens was showing videos.  I’m sure it wasn’t MTV cause you know… they don’t play videos, but I started watching.  I’ve long been one of those people that bitches about how MTV no longer plays videos and that they should get back to it.  Yeah… I’m gonna change my tune there.  No one should be showing videos anymore.  They’re crap.

I’ll preface this by saying that I wasn’t actually LISTENING to these videos.  I was just watching them on the screen while listening to my iPod.  Now that I’ve actually listened to them they’re a LITTLE better… but not much.  I’ll also say that I’m super out of touch with what’s popular music these days that I may be way off base here.  Essentially the only time I hear “new” music is when the wife makes me watch the Grammy’s.  So yeah… I know who Adele is and I know that Nicki Minaj is a train wreck.

The All American Rejects – Beekeeper’s Daughter – So I’m watching this and I literally can’t tell if it’s a high school musical ripoff or some sort of acid trip gone wrong.  We’ve got Sharks vs. Jets, we’ve got Glee inspired dance routines and the dude wearing pants (pink pants by the way… what the hell?) so tight that I can see his pulse.  Speaking of that dude.  Is it me or is he wearing a watch around his bicep?  And just when I thought this couldn’t get any weirder… boom.  Wayne Newton.  What?  Wayne FUCKING  Newton???  He was awesome in Vegas Vacation and that James Bond flick License To Kill but honestly, I thought he was dead.

Toby Keith – Red Solo Cup - Next up was this gem.  Holy shit.  There’s a dude signing about the greatest drinking cup alive?  This I can get behind.  Granted, I don’t need to see a video about it but it was kind of cool to see a video that was essentially a 406 Northlane party.  And if the All American Rejects called in a few favors to get a “celebrity” in their video, then Toby Keith absolutely kicked their ass.  Larry Legend, Roger Clemens (really?), Ted Nugent & The Red Rocker himself Sammy Hagar (just to name a few).  Well done Toby Keith… you’re the man!!!  And then I listened to it.  Shit.  It’s a mix between Charlie Daniels and a retarded guy playing a banjo.  Really?  A banjo?  Pretty sure I’m 5 IQ points dumber just for listening to this song.

Jessie J – Domino – I’m not really sure what to think about this one.  I’ve never done acid but I’m guessing this is what life is like when tripping.  She’s wearing a unitard that blends into the background which happens to be constantly morphing.  Then she’s wearing striped (yeah… striped) lipstick and looks like she’s right out of a Debbie Gibson video.  Incidentally… have you seen Debbie  (now going by Deborah) Gibson lately?  Smoking hot.  After listening to this one I really can’t tell if it’s Jessie J or Katy Perry singing.  From a video perspective I much prefer a girl shooting fireworks out of her boobs to this.

Lady Gaga – Born This Way - Last up in my mind altering elliptical ride was this one.  I have to admit that I’m familiar with Gaga and this song.  That said, seeing this video wasn’t really all that shocking.  She’s weird and I don’t think I’m telling anyone anything that they don’t know.  However, in doing a bit of research for this post, I ran across this 7 minute version of the video complete with a “birth” scene intro straight out of the Matrix.  This was a decent song, but I have to say that I liked it more 20 years ago when Madonna sang it and called it Express Yourself.

In an unrelated note, I’m coming out with a new line of clothing where I take shit from around the house and wear it on my head and call it fashion.  My kids are gonna be pissed when they find their Legos and puzzles missing, but when they see Super Dad walking the red carpet wearing their toys I’m guessing they’ll be proud.

Please don’t take this to mean that life at IU was all about partying.  There was certainly (more than) a fair share of that, but what this really evokes from my memory is the FUN that we had.  I met some of my best friends there… friends that I’ve got and cherish to this day.  Not only that, but I grew up there (kind of).  IU and Bloomington hold a special place in my heart and these videos have captured a little piece of  it…

Where the hell did they dig up all the 406 footage for this video???

If I wasn’t pumped for my trip back to my second home on Friday (which I was) you can damn well be sure that I’m bursting with excitement at this point.  Am I remembering and romanticizing a time from when I was a lot younger, in a lot better shape and could drink a lot more beer?  You’re damn right!

Good God it’s going to be great to be back in the Hoosier state!

Get ready… Chewie’s coming home!

“Cheers (Drink To That)” – Rihanna

Cheers to the freakin weekend
I drink to that, yeah yeah
Oh let the Jameson sink in
I drink to that, yeah yeah
Don’t let the bastards get ya down
Turn it around with another round
There’s a party at the bar everybody putcha glasses up and I drink to that
I drink to thaaaaaaaat.

Life’s too short to be sittin’ round miserable
People gon’ talk whether you doing bad or good, yeah
Got a drink on my mind and my mind on my money, yeah
Looking so bomb, gonna find me a honeyyy
Got my Ray-Bans on and I’m feelin’ hella cool tonight, yeah
Everybody’s vibin’ so don’t nobody start a fight, yeah-ah-ah-ah

Cheers to the freakin weekend
I drink to that, yeah yeah
Oh, let the Jameson sink in
I drink to that, yeah yeah
Don’t let the bastards get ya down
Turn it around with another round
There’s a party at the bar everybody putcha glasses up and I drink to thaaaaat
I drink to thaaaaaaaat.

Bout to hop on the bar, put it all on my card tonight, yeah

Might be mad in the morning but you know we goin hard tonight
It’s getting coyote ugly up in here, no Tyra
It’s only up from here, no downward spiral
Got my Ray-Bans on and I’m feelin’ hella cool tonight, yeah
Everybody’s vibin’ so don’t nobody start a fight, yeaaaahhh

Cheers to the freakin weekend
I drink to that, yeah yeah
Oh let the Jameson sink in
I drink to that, yeah yeah
Don’t let the bastards get ya down
Turn it around with another round
There’s a party at the bar everybody putcha glasses up and I drink to that
I drink to thaaaaaaaaat.

Cheers to the freakin weekend
I drink to that, yeah yeah
Oh let the Jameson sink in
I drink to that, yeah yeah
Don’t let the bastards get ya down
Turn it around with another round
There’s a party at the bar everybody putcha glasses up and I drink to that
I drink to thaaaaaaaat.
And I drink to thaaaat.
I drink to thaaaaaaat.
And I drink to that.

I’m heading to Indy later this month to hang out with Pip and though we don’t really NEED an anthem for our twice a year debauchery, this just seems like it was written with us in mind   Rihanna’s rocking some sort of rasta/Jamaican accent here which makes her that much hotter (if that’s possible).  Enjoy!

Firework – Katy Perry

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind
Wanting to start again

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards
One blow from caving in

Do you ever feel already buried deep
Six feet under scream
But no one seems to hear a thing

Do you know that there’s still a chance for you
Cause there’s a spark in you

You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you’re a firework
Come on show ‘em what you’re worth
Make ‘em go “Oh, oh, oh!”
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you’re a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make ‘em go “Oh, oh, oh!”
You’re gunna leave ‘em fallin’ down-own-own

You don’t have to feel like a waste of space
You’re original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe you’re reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road

Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow
And when it’s time, you’ll know

You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you’re a firework
Come on show ‘em what you’re worth
Make ‘em go “Oh, oh, oh!”
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you’re a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make ‘em go “Oh, oh, oh!”
You’re gonna leave ‘em all in awe-awe-awe”

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It’s always been inside of you, you, you
And now it’s time to let it through

Cause baby you’re a firework
Come on show ‘em what your worth
Make ‘em go “Oh, oh, oh!”
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you’re a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make ‘em go “Oh, oh, oh!”
You’re gonna leave ‘em all in awe-awe-awe

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

I haven’t watched an actual music video in about a decade, but after I figured out what was being said I looked it up.  Also very moving.

I’m Alright – Caddyshack (1980)

I can’t embed it here, but if you want THE edition of this song you’ve got to check it out here… the hair ALONE makes it all worth it: Kenny Loggins – I’m Alright (Live-HQ).  If you’ve never seen Caddyshack… well, PLEASE for the love of God stop reading this and go out and rent it… like right now.  Shame on you.

Playing With The Boys – Top Gun (1986)

OK, so this one has a bit of homo eroticism thrown in there, but it’s not Loggins’ fault… damn you Val Kilmer.  Damn you to hell.  To up the “stud factor” Loggins came back with Danger Zone on the same soundtrack. Too cool.

Footloose – Footloose (1984)

Pure… brilliance.  I imagine there’s a video of Pip and I floating around somewhere dancing to this song at his wedding.  I haven’t seen it, but I know it exists… somewhere.  God help me.  (If you’re interested, here’s my toast to him).

Meet Me Halfway – Over The Top (1987)

It’s like a switch… enough said.

Throw in two other of my all time favorites Conviction Of The Heart (even after you factor in the Al Gore connection) and his version of Rainbow Connection and I’m more than sold. I’ll leave you with one more Loggins tidbit.  A twitter pal LaVieBoheme73 turned me on to this gem: The Year Kenny Loggins Ruined Christmas.  Epic.  Long live Loggins!

Koko.

This dude (who I’ve since learned is named Cee Lo Green) was out there doing a performance with a bunch of Muppets and Gweneth Paltrow.  Not sure exactly how that came together, but that’s what it was.

And just so you don’t think I’m going crazy with the comparison, I did a little digging and put together this side by side.

Wow… just wow.

Colorful – The Verve Pipe
This song was featured at the end of the highly underrated Mark Wahlberg movie Rock Star.  As a man who’s married to a woman WAY above my pay grade this song really speaks to me.

The show is over close the story book
There will be no encore
And all the random hands that I have shook
Well they’re reaching for the door
I watch their backs as they leave single file
But you stood stubborn, cheering all the while

I know I can be colorful
I know I can be gray
But I know this loser’s living fortunate
Cause I know you will love me either way

Most were being good for goodness sake
But you wouldn’t pantomime
You are more beautiful when you awake
Than most are in a lifetime
Through the haze that is my memory well
You stayed for drama though you paid for a comedy

I know I can be colorful
I know I can be gray
But I know this loser’s living fortunate
Cause I know you will love me either way

Look ahead as far as you can see
We’ll live in drama but we’ll die in a comedy
I know I can be colorful…

There’s Something In The Way She Moves – James Taylor
If I had to pick one song that represents the way I feel about the wife, this is it.  JT is an incredible singer/songwriter and this is by far my favorite of his tunes.

There’s something in the way she moves,
Or looks my way, or calls my name,
That seems to leave this troubled world behind.
If I’m feeling down and blue,
Or troubled by some foolish game,
She always seems to make me change my mind.

And I feel fine anytime she’s around me now,
She’s around me now
Almost all the time.
And if I’m well you can tell that she’s been with me now,
And she’s been with me now
Quite a long, long time
And I feel fine.

Every now and then the things I lean on lose their meaning,
And I find myself careening
Into places where I should not let me go.
She has the power to go where no one else can find me,
Yes, and to silently remind me
Of the happiness and good times that I know, you know.
Well I said I just got to know that:

It isn’t what she’s got to say
Or how she thinks or where she’s been.
To me, the words are nice, the way they sound.
I like to hear them best that way -
It doesn’t much matter what they mean,
She says them mostly just to calm me down.

And I feel fine anytime she’s around me now,
She’s around me now
Almost all the time.
If I’m well you can tell that she’s been with me now,
And she’s been with me now
Quite a long,
Long
Time -
Yes, and I feel fine.

Blind Faith – Warrant
I don’t think I can ever make any kind of “favorite song” list without including some 80′s hair metal.  This unreleased classic from Warrant really speaks from the heart… or the hairspray.

Darling I know you’re sleeping
But there’s something that I’ve just got to say
Wonder if you’ll hear me while you’re dreaming
You make a lifetime out of every day
Thanks to you now I know
All my dreams can come true

Blind faith in you, oh yeah,
I got blind faith in you

Your eyes keep things well hidden
Just a hint of what you’re holding inside
And the first day that I met you
I consider the first day of my life
Thanks to you now I know
All my dreams can come true

Blind Faith in you, oh yeah.
I’ve got blind faith in you
And I’m not sure that I deserve
A woman so true,
But I love, that you think I do

With You and Faith, beside me
I’m feelin’ stronger every day

Love Walks In – Van Halen
My favorite band.  My favorite of their albums.  This song captured a moment and to this day every single time I listen to this song I’m back in that moment.  That’s what a great song is all about.

Contact is all that it takes
To change your life, to lose your place in time
Contact. Asleep or awake
Coming around you may wake up to find

Questions deep within your eyes
Now more than ever, you realize

And then you sense a change
Nothin’ feels the same
All your dreams are strange
Love comes walkin’ in
Some kind of alien
Waits for the opening
Simply pulls a string

Another world, some other time
You lay your sanity on the line
Familiar faces, familiar sights
Reach back, remember with all your might

Ooh, and there she stands in a silken gown
Silver lights shinin’ down

And then you sense a change
Nothin’ feels the same
All your dreams are strange
Love comes walkin’ in
Some kind of alien
Waits for the opening
Simply pulls a string
Love comes walkin’ in

Oh, sleep and dream; that’s all I crave
I travel far across the milky way
To my master I become a slave
‘Til we meet again some other day

Where silence speaks as loud as war
Earth returns to what it was before

And then you sense a change
Nothin’ feels the same
All your dreams are strange
Love comes walkin’ in
Some kind of alien
Waits for the opening
Simply pulls a string
Love comes walkin’ in

Love comes walkin’ in
Baby, pull the string
Love comes walkin’ in
Love comes walkin’ in, yeah!

Jacob – Jackopierce
This entire album is full of introspective stuff like this, but Jacob stands out for me.  I loved this song before I had kids and now that I have children of my own it hits me even harder.

Jacob’s a fine boy
But his parents don’t get along
They hardly talk, when they do
He thinks he’s done something wrong

He heard all the screaming
As he lay down to bed
He should have been sleeping
But he listened instead

They say he’s fine
It’s not his fault
Between the lines he somehow got caught
‘And in our game
It’s more like war
I just don’t think i love you anymore’

He picked up the phone
His tears touched the receiver
His grandmother answered down in Tempe
He told her the story
That his daddy was leaving
She tried to convince him it was nothing he’d done

She said ‘you’re fine
It’s not your fault
Between the lines
You somehow got caught
And in their game
It sounds more like war
I just don’t think she loves him anymore’

Jacob’s a father
And his kids are in teens
He’s done what he could to make meager ends meet
When it comes down to family
It’s the primary goal
To keep the thing working
No matter the toll

His sons heard them screaming
About something he said
He opened the door and invited them in

He said ‘Now sons
It’s not your fault
Between the lines you somehow got caught
So when you’re hurt
You lean on the crutch
But I still love your mother very much’

I bought this one directly from iTunes but it’s also available for purchase on their site as well: http://jackopierce.bigcartel.com/product/mile-high-1035 Here’s the description from iTunes:

Another great live CD for the collection. This was a really fun, loose show – ripe with Colorado references, extended jams, stories and general tomfoolery. Recorded live at the Soiled Dove on May 9, 2009 directly to CD. Though they had to edit out some songs and chatter there are no overdubs, tuning or studio wizardry. What the audience heard is what you you’ll hear.

As I’ve said in the past, I’m a big fan of these guys, but this is not their best offering.  It’s difficult not to compare it to Live From Atlanta but the similarities are too great not to.  The set list is pretty similar though this show is shorter and seems a bit less “organic”.  The chatter between songs isn’t nearly the quality that it is on Atlanta and there are a couple of times where Jack and Carry just seem out of sorts.  As an example Vineyard just seems to stop mid song.  That said, they’ve done that song so many times on so many albums that not hearing it isn’t too much of a loss (though it’s still one of my favorites).

Even though there’s some bad, there’s quite a bit of good as well.   JP’s cover of Please Come To Boston is quickly becoming of my favorites and hearing Jacob live (especially with this intro) is always a treat.  Here’s the full track list:

1 Everything I’m Not
2 Trials
3 Woman As Salvation
4 Valencia
5 Late Shift
6 Jack’s Gratitude
7 Please Come To Boston
8 Forces
9 You Make A Sign!
10 Come On July
11 Swallowing Teeth
12 March
13 Promise Of Summer
14 Weather
15 Vineyard
16 Free
17 Still Awake
18 Wildflower
19 I’ve Seen Him Around…
20 Twinkle My Nose…
21 Jacob Intro
22 Jacob
23 Finest Hour Snippet/Story
24 Get To Know Me

If you’re looking to get your first live Jackopierce album I’d suggest you skip this one and go with Live From The Americas or Live From Atlanta which will both give you a better JP “experience” than this one will.  However, this is definitely not a BAD show by any stretch of the imagination (just not quite as good as those are).  This is a nice mellow show that you can kick back and relax to.  Personally I’m looking forward to whatever these guys put out.

Artist/Band: Rodney Atkins
Lyrics for Song: Watching You

Drivin’ through town just my boy and me
With a Happy Meal in his booster seat
Knowin’ that he couldn’t have the toy ‘til his nuggets were gone.
A green traffic light turned straight to red
I hit my brakes and mumbled under my breath.
His fries went a flyin’, and his orange drink covered his lap
Well, then my four year old said a four letter word
It started with “S” and I was concerned
So I said, “Son, now where’d you learn to talk like that?”

Chorus:
He said, “I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that cool?
I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
We got cowboy boots and camo pants
Yeah, we’re just alike, hey, ain’t we dad?
I want to do everything you do.
So I’ve been watching you.”

We got back home and I went to the barn
I bowed my head and I prayed real hard
Said, “Lord, please help me help my stupid self.”
Just this side of bedtime later that night
Turnin’ on my son’s Scooby-Doo nightlight.
He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees.
He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands
Spoke to God like he was talkin’ to a friend.
And I said, “Son, now where’d you learn to pray like that?”

Chorus:
He said, “I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that cool?
I’m your buckaroo, I want to be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
We like fixin’ things and holding momma’s hand
Yeah, we’re just alike, hey, ain’t we dad?
I want to do everything you do; so I’ve been watching you”

With tears in my eyes I wrapped him in a hug.
Said, “My little bear is growin’ up.”
And he said, “But when I’m big I’ll still know what to do.”

“‘Cause I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that cool?
I’m your buckaroo, I want to be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
By then I’ll be strong as superman
We’ll be just alike, hey, won’t we dad
When I can do everything you do.
‘cause I’ve been watchin’ you.”
hey yeah
uh huh

NOTE: I’m not advocating putting your 4 year old in the front seat of your Jeep… just thought I’d give you a link to the video

Lo and behold, Jack and Cary are back at it again!  They’ve released a new studio album, an acoustic version of that same album and a new live album as well!  I can’t tell you how good it is to hear JP live once again.  There’s plenty on the track list for old school fans and there’s some new stuff as well.  It’s obvious that the guys are having fun once again.  The show was recorded as an album kickoff for Promise Of Summer at Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta, Georgia.  From the album sleeve, “This CD was recorded completely live – direct to CD.  What the audience heard is what you get – no overdubs, no studio wizardry.”  Being a huge fan of live music I love this.  Totally brings me back to those small-venue shows of my college years (Bluebird anyone?)

The album isn’t available on iTunes so if you want to pick it up you’ll have to visit their online store: http://jackopierce.bigcartel.com/ Totally worth it.  Here’s a track listing:

1. Eddies Intro
2. Get To Know Me Better
3. Rain
4. Late Shift
5. Please Come To Boston
6. Speedos 1976
7. PS Story
8. Promise of Summer
9. I’m a Jack O’Neill Fan
10. I Gotta Know
11. First Timers/Zip Line/Outstanding….
12. My Time
13. 17 Words
14. March Intro
15. March
16. Free
17. Wildflower
18. Trials Intro
19. Trial
20. Advent
21. Request Line
22. Deviated Set List
23. Jokey Jems
24. Jack Loves Cary
25. But Seriously…
26. I’m A Man
27. Vineyard Story
28. Vineyard
29. Sweet Ocean
30. Three Of Us Intro
31. Three Of Us In A Boat

If you’re a fan of Jacokpierce you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.  If you’re not but you enjoy good live, acoustic music then pick it up… you’ll enjoy it!  Here’s hoping the guys don’t take another 12 years off before their next album!