The harshest critic would say that my resolution is already a failure. I didn't do anything awesome last weekend. In fact, it was the opposite of awesome. I was sick with a nasty cold. My original plan was to do the Polar Bear Plunge in Wildwood, NJ with one of my friends. Basically, the Polar Bear Plunge entails making a donation to Special Olympics and then running into the (nearly) freezing cold ocean with several hundred other...brave souls? Yeah, that's a nice way to put it. Sure, you risk hypothermia, but it's for a good cause and it's just good fun. I missed out on this excursion but luckily I have a whole year left to make up for it.
Over the last few weeks more and more announcements have come out regarding the upcoming Grammy awards. I generally don't pay much attention to the Grammys, but I started thinking about the different music I've gotten into over the past year. Having the ability to purchase new music with the click of a button is one of the best things the Internet has brought to us, and I love being able to expand my music library so easily. I decided to come up with my own, slightly unconventional music awards. Remember this, because I'm sure that when I'm rich and famous these will actually be coveted accolades.
Album/Artist that Made Me Reconsider My Childhood Dreams of Becoming a Singer: Adele's 21. Adele is a knockout artist. Her sound is so deep, bluesy, soulful, and honest. She's really in a class all her own as far as modern day female artists. Every time I think I have a favorite song from this album, I start to like another one more.
Album that Will Most Likely Cause Me to Blow Out the Speakers in My Car: Foster the People's Torches. The songs on this album can only be played on full blast. They're very fun and funky and I love their generous use of bass.
Album that Will be on My Playlist for Years to Come: Mumford & Sons' Sigh No More. Who knew that I would like British banjo rock so much? This album has a wonderful mix of upbeat and somber tunes and some wonderful lyrics. I would love to see them live!
If I Were an Album, I Would Sound Like...: Young the Giant's self-titled album. "My Body" was one of my favorite "driving in the summertime with the windows down" songs in 2011. I like the first half of the album more than the second, but the album in general is very good. The intertwining guitar melodies add personality to the music and the percussion provides more of a heartbeat than a drumbeat.
Artist I Rediscovered as One of My Favorites: Jimmy Eat World. I had the pleasure of seeing this band from my high school days last February at the House of Blues in Atlantic City, NJ, and they were AMAZING. It prompted me to dust off and revisit their albums and they're so great. I probably listened to Futures, Clarity and Chase This Light every day for months. Their new album that came out in Fall 2010, Invented, is decent, but their overall catalog is some of my favorite music.
These are the albums that really shaped my musical tastes this year. I'm looking forward to discovering some new bands in 2012!
Now I'm off to start the third weekend of 2012. 'Til next week!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
"Oh, what a night..."
The first weekend of 2012 was a success. It was my last weekend as a 23-year-old and I sent myself off into my mid-20s with two really fun evenings.
On Friday, January 6, I went to see Jersey Boys at the Forrest Theatre. Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It was one of the most energetic shows I've seen. The two acts are divided into "seasons", each narrated by one of the members of the group. The music was fantastic and the foursome's original songs fit into the story nicely. One of my favorite aspects of the show was how they presented the group's notable television performances. The actors would turn their backs to the audience and a screen would drop down showing what I assume was actual performance footage. I love the merger of traditional musical theater with other types of media.
On Saturday night I celebrated my upcoming birthday at the Manayunk Brewery. It was a great night with live music, good brews and tons of friends and friends of friends. This weekend was a reminder of how lucky I am to have these wonderful people in my life and to have the opportunity to enjoy their company. I am also fortunate to be able to experience arts and culture so close to home.
On Monday, January 9, I turned 24. I am determined to make this a successful year, both personally and professionally. In case any of you were wondering, my birthday song is "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" by John Parr. A person's birthday song is the first song they hear on their birthday and it becomes their song for the year. I think it fits pretty well, actually. View its '80s-tastic music video below.
On Friday, January 6, I went to see Jersey Boys at the Forrest Theatre. Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It was one of the most energetic shows I've seen. The two acts are divided into "seasons", each narrated by one of the members of the group. The music was fantastic and the foursome's original songs fit into the story nicely. One of my favorite aspects of the show was how they presented the group's notable television performances. The actors would turn their backs to the audience and a screen would drop down showing what I assume was actual performance footage. I love the merger of traditional musical theater with other types of media.
On Saturday night I celebrated my upcoming birthday at the Manayunk Brewery. It was a great night with live music, good brews and tons of friends and friends of friends. This weekend was a reminder of how lucky I am to have these wonderful people in my life and to have the opportunity to enjoy their company. I am also fortunate to be able to experience arts and culture so close to home.
On Monday, January 9, I turned 24. I am determined to make this a successful year, both personally and professionally. In case any of you were wondering, my birthday song is "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" by John Parr. A person's birthday song is the first song they hear on their birthday and it becomes their song for the year. I think it fits pretty well, actually. View its '80s-tastic music video below.
Until next week, my friends!
Friday, January 6, 2012
An Introduction
Sometime in December of 2011, I decided that I was going to make a New Year's Resolution. I've tried this before, you know, the classic stuff: stop biting your nails, drink less soda, stop cursing, read more. But I realized something: none of these things are fun. Maybe I'll feel more "fulfilled", but there's no story there. I came to the conclusion that a New Year's Resolution should push you to experience the world around you, and that's just what I'm going to do.
My New Year's Resolution for 2012: Do something awesome* every weekend.
Maybe it sounds silly, but I think it's a good one. In 2010 I did this for the last two months of the year, and it turned out great. I enjoyed myself and got to do some cool stuff, including attending my first Flyers game and seeing musical comedian Zane Lamprey at the TLA. 2011 was a busy year without resolving to do more.
2011: A Year in Review
I did a lot of East Coast traveling in 2011. In May I spent a weekend in Boston. Boston is a really cool city. I decided to call it "clean Philly" because its vibrant downtown area has a lot of character and is bursting with American history, just like Philadelphia's, but everything just seems a little tidier and brighter. We took the Sam Adams tour, went to Quincy Market and just generally explored while mastering the T subway system. In August, I spent a weekend in Washington, D.C. and saw two Phillies games at Nationals Park. Finally, in mid-November I went to New York City with some friends from my high school theater days. We saw two shows: Anything Goes and How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying. Both were excellent and it was a long but great day.
Last year was also filled with many of my favorite things, including Phillies games (I'm a huge Phils fan. My all-time favorite player is Jimmy Rollins) and shore trips (Ocean City, NJ is one of my most favorite places on Earth). One of my best friends got married in June and for the first half of the year I kept busy preparing for her special day. And here we are in 2012.
I hope that this blog will help me remember, reflect on and appreciate what I do with my time. I also hope it will reawaken my creativity and my writing skills. I hope it is entertaining for you as well, the reader who was so lucky to stumble upon my blog.
Starting tonight, my New Year's Resolution goes into effect. Here's to a year of happiness and excitement. Let's get started!
*Things that will always be awesome include, but are not limited to: Phillies games, shore trips, watching The Office, trying new seasonal beers, and having off from work.
My New Year's Resolution for 2012: Do something awesome* every weekend.
Maybe it sounds silly, but I think it's a good one. In 2010 I did this for the last two months of the year, and it turned out great. I enjoyed myself and got to do some cool stuff, including attending my first Flyers game and seeing musical comedian Zane Lamprey at the TLA. 2011 was a busy year without resolving to do more.
2011: A Year in Review
I did a lot of East Coast traveling in 2011. In May I spent a weekend in Boston. Boston is a really cool city. I decided to call it "clean Philly" because its vibrant downtown area has a lot of character and is bursting with American history, just like Philadelphia's, but everything just seems a little tidier and brighter. We took the Sam Adams tour, went to Quincy Market and just generally explored while mastering the T subway system. In August, I spent a weekend in Washington, D.C. and saw two Phillies games at Nationals Park. Finally, in mid-November I went to New York City with some friends from my high school theater days. We saw two shows: Anything Goes and How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying. Both were excellent and it was a long but great day.
Last year was also filled with many of my favorite things, including Phillies games (I'm a huge Phils fan. My all-time favorite player is Jimmy Rollins) and shore trips (Ocean City, NJ is one of my most favorite places on Earth). One of my best friends got married in June and for the first half of the year I kept busy preparing for her special day. And here we are in 2012.
I hope that this blog will help me remember, reflect on and appreciate what I do with my time. I also hope it will reawaken my creativity and my writing skills. I hope it is entertaining for you as well, the reader who was so lucky to stumble upon my blog.
Starting tonight, my New Year's Resolution goes into effect. Here's to a year of happiness and excitement. Let's get started!
*Things that will always be awesome include, but are not limited to: Phillies games, shore trips, watching The Office, trying new seasonal beers, and having off from work.
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