Band update

Last night Timmy, Logan and I helped dad take some big speakers from the old house to he new one so we could hook them up to a microphone for Logan so we can hear him sing. Timmy also brought over his mom's old bass amp, which is larger than Logan's 20 watt amp and started on practice. We played through everlong successfully for the first time recently, and also realized that we had two other songs that just needed a little bit of polishing up that we could use for the show. (Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down and What I've Done by Linkin Park)

However there is bad news. Michael confirmed that there is a band competition on the day of the part, so now we are drummerless. The three of us have decided to go on just the same without a drummer, and maybe one of the bands down there will know how to play one or two of the covers with us.

Sunday

Yesterday I spent a lot of time at church. I went in the morning for the monring service and sunday school. Michael was asked at the begenning of the month to prepare, write, and perform a drum arangement of trash cans for the end of summer celebration for the elementary school children. He asked me to help and a few days before we spent an hour or so working out some beats to play.

After sunday school they invited us to a free lunch of chinese food as a thank you for helping them out and being involved. After lunch we rehearsed the beats and breakdowns and then relaxed in the conferance room with Timmy and Logan, watching videos, making jokes, talking about the band, and other stuff until we played.

When we performed, I messed up one time only, but the rest of it was a success and the audience loved us. When we were done we headed to the youth room to prepare for praise band practice, which was delayed by technical difficulites.

Once we finally got practice off the ground however we had some great songs lined up to play. I was especially happy since the songs had important bass riffs for me, and one even had something of a solo that was realy fun to play with. All and all it was a good day, but there was one bad thing about it all. Jessica had to spend the day at home and I missed her alot. When I was finally done at church though, I got a chance to spend some time with her, take her to wal-mart, and hunt down her dog when he decided to take off down the street.

Blue October

Blue October is a band that Jessica introduced me to not long after we started dating with the song Calling You (which is now the main song for our relationship). Since then the two of us have started listening to them more and more, finding new music and information about them and they have become our favorite band together.

Blue October's music is amazing. They are more somber and mellow much of the time with dark, deep lyrics. They employ an electirc violin just as much or more often sometimes than any other instrument. They classify themselves rightfully under their own genre Bipolar Art Rock because they're music never stays in the same place for too long on an album. Also, the frontman for the group Justin Furstenfeld(singer/songwriter/guitar) suffered from an intense case of bipolar attacks for much of his life.

There music has such a subtle greatness about it that hooks me into each one of their songs. Simple yet intreguing drum beats, melodical violin that sometimes sounds like it is playing guitar riffs, and some complex lyric structures and meanings have me addicted to this band for life.

I need a job

My job at Skates Alive used to provide me around $100 a week, but once I was layed off I had to learn to do without that money. I started to get used to it but couldn't wait to get a paycheck again when they hired me back. Now however I know that they will not hire me back, or if they do it will be another 4 months probably.

I have a lot of things I want and need to require money, but Papa has been good to me all summer long by paying me about ever week or so for cutting the grass. Hopefully I can do some cutting today because I really need to cash now for some plans I have in my head including gas and other things.

The Band

My band with my friends Michael, Timmy and Logan is begening to go somewhere finally. We've spent a few practices goofing around with a cover or two, but with the recent realization that if we get down to it, write some stuff and learn some songs we could have a gig next month, we have buckled down and started to focus more. I know I can do it, and Timmy and Logan have said they can too, but I only hope Michael doesn't have a marching band competition that day.

Last night my girlfriend (who is helping us by writing lyrics and acting as band manager) wrote song lyrics based off of an old song from an old band I was in, and wrote a new one, along with a few others just from scratch. Then we invited Timmy over and we wrote an intire song in about an hour or so to go with the first lyrics. All that is left is to tweack a few parts and write it out.

We also have 2 other songs in the making, and more lyrics pumping out. We are discussing covers to learn for the gig (so far Monster by Skillet and Everlong by Foo Fighters are for sure). Now if we can just decide on a name we'll be doing really good :P Michael came up with one that had something about Eternity in it, and Timmy and I were talking last night about band names like Green Day and Blue October and August Burns Red and came up with Black Friday, but we'll see.

1/8

Officially 1/8 through the last school year. I took I moment to realize that there are already a few things that I will never get to experience again. I will never go home, feeling slightly tired to find myself being asked "So how was your first day back?", or "How are your classes looking this year?"

I've already settled back into the monotonous repeating droll that I will soon come to dread of reliving the same basic two days over and over. I've made it past the time where I was scared of what my lunch shift would end up being and who to sit with, and having to do a lot of thinking to remember exactly what class I am going to next and what homework I had. I'm a few weeks into The Last High School Year in my LIFE. Back to roaming the halls and passing by familiar nameless faces and some aquaintences on my way to class or to see my friends. I already realize how exremely much I'm going to miss it all after these few short months fade to join the rest of my past.

Love is Blind?

"Love is Blind." - Geoffrey Chaucer

I do not believe love is blind. Some people say that when it comes to love looks do not make any kind of difference. I however think that looks are one of the first things that can attract someone. This doesn't necessarily mean that everyone is looking for a certain person of a certain height, weight, clothing, hair color, etc, but that when people meet, they do take the time to look at each other. When people meet on myspace they can look around at pictures. If people meet online and do not share pictures, then we still seem to form a picture in our mind of what they other may look like.
I'm not saying that looks make or break relationships, that people only love when they look pretty, or that it is any more likley to for someone to be in love with a person when they are looking there best as opposed to just waking up from not getting enough sleep, but looks to make some difference in love.

Jessica's Bday

Jessica’s birthday is this week. To celebrate the day, we invited a bunch of friends to go see the movie 9 after church on Wednesday. This is also celebrating Timmy’s birthday since it is the day after Jessica’s. Then on Saturday night we are throwing a big party at Jessica’s house in her garage. Her dad helped hook up a bunch of lights, posters, a disco ball, and other really good things for the party, and is still refining it through out the week. We are going to do what we did on prom night, and use a gas station like shot machine to make energy drink shots. Drinks of choice include Amp and Nos, and to spice it up, we sometimes add candy like Nerds or Gummy Worms, and this time we will try Pop-Rocks. Other than that, we’ve been trying to get our hands on some music for a playlist for the party; we plan to make use of the surround sound speakers set up in the garage. I can’t wait for the party.

Bensrob Bash!

My Uncle Bennie and Aunt Sue have an annual ‘Bensrob Bash’ party at their house. They invite some big local bands and people and party in there driveway. They thought that this year they would not be able to have one, but they decided to go ahead and have one last bash in October. I can’t wait to go and see all of my family again, and see my cousin’s band Paradise Daze play again. This year, if everything happens to go smoothly, then I hope to play a song with them, and possibly have my band play a gig. We will have to figure out a lot of stuff and learn a few more songs before that can happen though.

Good Day

Yesterday was pretty good. My band had its first really progressive practice. Logan couldn’t make it, but Michael, Timmy and I worked and wrote a rough version for one song, and part of another. We’re going to refine it throughout the week, and I have Jessica to help me with lyrics.

Apart from that, the cast and crew for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition had a private party at Skates Alive and since I am still technically an employee there, Timmy invited Jessica and me to go, and I volunteered behind the skate counter. The party started late and I had to get home, but I did get to get a picture with Tye. I’ll probably upload it here later. It was 70’s night so there were some pretty funky outfits floating about too.