Sister's Birthday weekend & Xavier Rudd

The last time Xavier Rudd was in the Central Florida area I was blessed to see him at a small club called the Social. Actually, my sister was with me at that show as well.

Congrats Xavier, for moving on up into the House of Blues venue category!

People ask, cause I've been known to be a music snob sometimes (see High Fidelity), so are you kinda miffed that this guy and his band you really love are playing in a bigger place which in turn means more people and closer into mainstream music?

My answer:

No. First, I love the fact that more people are tuning into other music than what is just on the radio. Second, I have this grand plan that everyone will absolutely love the music that I listen to and to me it's the more the merrier. Third it's the natural progression of an artist who becomes popular (how many bars/clubs would Dave Matthews have to play on a tour to accommadate his fans, answer-he'd never be able to take a break).

Besides, I still get to have the nostalgia and say, "well I saw Xavier when he was still playing tightly packed hole-in-the-wall places..."

So my sister and I head out to House of Blues Orlando to kick off her birthday weekend celebration with some awesome live music.

[[posterous-content:pid___0]]Now, it was not a "packed" house and the balcony area was not opened. Having said that, this crowd did fill up the main floor pretty well. And it was an extremely kind crowd.

We talked to people around us, they talked back and when the music was going we were quiet and spellbound.Except when we were yelling for "Land Rights" with Tom, Wade & their gang (we were basically right in front of the soundboard), and only yelled during respectable pauses between songs.

The first thing I noticed was how mature Xavier has become musically. Improvisation was much more prevalent at this show than when I'd previously seen him. Anytime a guy is playing a guitar with all of his soul and a didgeridoo, well it just blows your mind! He was having so much fun and we (the rabble) fed off of it.

Finally, it was time for the encore. Xavier comes out by himself and starts in on "Land Rights" which meant that my sis on her birthday weekend got to hear/see the first time performance in the U.S.! Then they did 3 more tunes ending with "Let Me Be." Even got my sister a setlist from a very cool crew member after the show (Gosh I'm a good big brother, ::pats self on back::).

Here's a listen of my favorites from Xavier:

 

Let me know if you like.

~bbryon

Hockey is almost back!

Let me start by saying what amazing hockey we (as the world) got to witness last year! It's wonderful to see hockey on center stage since in Canadian terms I come from south of the border and we Americans tend to not always pay attention to the game. Maybe we're turning it around friends to the north. I hope we do.

We witnessed the U.S. beating CAN only to watch Sid score the gold medal winning goal one week later.(The video of the goal is actually from a fan in the arena)

Then we saw the city of Chicago bring home the Stanley Cup, something 49 years in the making.

I've been jones-ing for hockey basically since the day after the Blackhawks won. At least The Production Line keeps it going pretty much through the summer, though I'm not a Redwings fan. Hockey Night in Canada with my boy Jeff Marek takes a summer hiatus. The only real taste was catching some of th draft when I was in NJ and hanging out with my friend from college.

So my need of something cool, crisp, and refreshing...yes hockey, was quite hard to quench this summer especially living in Central Florida.

Then: I met someone through Twitter who started a phenomenal cause: The Flammable Stanley Cup for Cancer Survivors

As I write this she is on her way to Burning Man. She is an awe inspiring individual who I'm quite happy to have met. She will then put the Flammable Stanley Cup into the fire when they "Burn the Man."

My only connection was letting her pick my brain about social media. But it was great watching her go through the motions of doing this crazy cool project. I feel like not only was that hockey need fulfilled but I also got to connect with a total stranger through social media and a friendship has been planted. A side bar here, Marissa is a Blackhawks fan, so it was fun talking to someone so excited about Chicago winning and who she likes and going to games.

October is so close and we will again be blessed with: The Sport of the Gods - Michelle Kenneth

~bbryon