New Year's Message

Alright proggers! Another year has come and gone. I am using the final hour of 2016 to write this message to all of you. This was a terrific year for concerts in particular. This year, my dream to see David Gilmour was fulfilled. Along with that, I made some important new musical discoveries, the main one being Marillion. It's only been a little over two months since my first time seeing them, and I already feel very strongly about them. I look forward to spending 2017 discovering the rest of their music. I think I will make a strong effort to show them to other people in my life who may not be so familiar with them. I feel like they are a band that people just need to at least be aware of. I feel a solemn duty to make sure that their talent isn't overlooked.

As for the rest of you, I know that this year was tough for some of you. 2016 had its share of setbacks for me, particularly the loss of Greg Lake and Keith Emerson. As devastated as I am by these losses, I also know that no one is destined to live forever, and that our time on this earth is finite. Unfortunately, if there's one thing I've learned in life, it's that you're going to have some years where it seems like all hope is lost and that things can't get any worse. I've had a few years like that, but when I think about it, I eventually got through those tough times, and I'm still here today. Even though things may seem hopeless at times, just know that you WILL get through them. Hang on to the people and things in your life that matter to you. Keep them close and don't take a single one of them for granted. That is the main lesson I took away from this year. 

I gained lots of new members on ProgBook this year, and I'm really excited for that. Thank you so much to everyone for all your support. Your enthusiasm for prog and for music in general is what inspires me to keep this group and this blog active. I hope you all have a very happy and safe 2017 full of music and memories. :)

 - J Michelle

Greg Lake Journal Entry

The entry you are about to read is an account of my experience of seeing Greg Lake's Songs of a Lifetime show on May 18, 2012 at the Orpheum Theatre in LA. It was taken directly from the journal I filled out throughout 2012, when I was 15. Since Greg's passing, I have felt the need to share my experience of him with as many people as possible. You have heard my thoughts on that evening as I look back on that night from 4 years ago, approaching 5. Now,  I think you should hear my thoughts on that evening from when I was 15. Some of the words in this entry have been removed, but for the most part, I have typed it out exactly as it was written four years ago. Yes, I know some of the grammar and spelling is a bit off, but cut me some slack. I was only 15. Typing this entry out was very emotional for me, especially the last two lines of it. I hope you enjoy it:

I cannot state the time for this entry because today is the 20th. This was a very bust weekend. School was busy, but I much to look forward to this night. I was going to meet with some good music buddies for dinner at a small Brazilian restaurant with my Dad, and then we would head over to the Orpheum Theatre to see Greg Lake. The restaurant was called "Wood Spoon," but you did not have to guess too hard on that, for there was a large wooden spoon set in place of the restaurant's name outside the building. Had some chicken, Brazilian rice, and fried bananas for dinner, and Coca-Cola imported from Mexico to drink. Mexican coke has a softer texture than American, but still tasted great. The whole meal was great. My good friend Bill arrived late due to heavy traffic coming down from Bishop, so he had no time to eat. With him, was his brother Richard, and a box of caps he had customized to have the logo of his Friday night radio show on the front. Mine fit perfectly, fortunately. Finally, my excitement for the show was too great, so Dad and my buddies paid the bill and we walked to the Orpheum. I had a nice talk with my friend Xhana on the way down there. I told her about my ordeals with adults on John Wetton's guestbook, and the anger I felt from it. Apparently, her high school experience matches perfectly with my current one, since she felt like an outcast due to the music she liked, but in the end, everyone she met after high school accepted her for who she was. Once we arrived, we picked up our tickets and VIP aftershow stickers from the will-call box... Dad and I had seats near the aisle in the sixth row, a wonderful view. 

The show started about a half hour late, approximately 8:30 pm, but it was lovely. Greg came out after an intro of the song "Power" by Kanye West, which features a sample of Greg's vocals on a King Crimson track called, "21st Century Schizoid Man." I must say he looked a lot healthier than he did two years ago, and his voice was taken well cared of. His choice of songs was very impressive, for he included not just Emerson, Lake, and Palmer songs, but also King Crimson songs and covers of songs by artists who greatly influenced him, like Elvis Presley and The Beatles. Throughout the show, he told wonderful stories about some of the biggest experiences of his life, from seeing Elvis in concert, to getting his first guitar after gaining interest from playing with a friend's one-string guitar. Sadly, though, after a 20-minute intermission, a man sitting behind me would not let me ask a question at a point during the Q&A session because he "was next." He had also complained to me and this poor woman in front of me that we were using flash photography, which we were not. It wasn't fair. I wanted to ask Greg why the ELP album "Trilogy" is special to him, for I had heard him mention its importance to him in various interviews. The rest of the show went by, and before I knew it, it was time for the aftershow.

I was led into the concession room with Dad, Bill, Xhana, my new buddies Victor (JJ) and Rebecca, and the others attending, where we were told to wait. There were several VIP packages with different features included, so we ended up having to wait for two hours, making it after midnight when we finally came out to meet Greg. During those two hours, I had nice conversations with Tony Ortiz, a longtime friend of ELP, who gladly took a picture with Bill and me. After that, I spoke for a bit with Ron Lyon, the man who took our picture, a d he showed interest in seeing my YouTube videos upon learning that I was a guitar player. I have yet to hear from him on that. He gave me his card so that I could email him for the pictures of me with Bill and Tony. The Meet and Greet was outside for some reason, but well worth it. Everyone with laminants went first, so a little more waiting was needed. Finally, after Bill had a nice talk and picture with Greg, it was my turn. After I set y sweater on the steps (which turned out to be a bad idea since ti was cold), I heard the photographer introduce Dad and I. Greg shook my Dad's hand and then, as he went to shake mine, I held out my arms, and the dream I had had for the past five months had been fulfilled: I hugged Greg Lake. He and I embraced each other, and everything felt alright. He wondered how someone my age could be interested in his music, which I responded with the statement that I have been a fan since I was 12. He blushed and began to mention "this girl with amazing talent called Rachel Flowers." I told him I knew exactly what he was talking about and had seen her perform. We talked about the message I left on his website when I was 13, which he remembered  after thinking for a bit, and then he signed my Tarkus CD with: "To Michelle. Love, Greg Lake, XXX." I tried to hide my shivers, but he saw that I was cold and expressed concern, but I assured him that I'd be fine. He then gave me a thin guitar pick, one side having the ELP logo, and the other having his own logo. I thanked him, and after the pictures, gave him a huge hug. He blessed me, and expressed his appreciation for my attendance. I told him it was the least I could do. I smiled the whole way home. That pick is safe with the pick Steven Wilson gave me last year. I hope to see Greg again. He is so special to me.

Greg Lake

When I was 12 years old, back in 2009, my guitar teacher introduced me to the band Pink Floyd. That band marked the start of a musical journey that has made me the music fan I am today. My dad saw how much I enjoyed the music of Floyd, so he decided to encourage me to check out more bands that fell under this genre called “progressive rock.” One day he called me into his office. He sat me down and put on a song called “C’est La Vie,” by this band called Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, or ELP. Instantly, I fell in love with every aspect of that song, particularly the vocals. I learned that the name of that singer was Greg Lake. I was struck by the uniqueness of his voice, and it became very obvious to me that it was a voice you could not mistake for any other. I decided to look further into this band and, soon enough, discovered albums like Tarkus and Trilogy. I was hooked. I could not get enough of their music. I had never heard of a successful band dominated by keyboards. Early the next year, I learned that Greg Lake and Keith Emerson were going to be performing at my now favorite concert venue, the Orpheum Theatre. It was an opportunity we could not pass up, so we went for it. That night proved to be a game changer for me, not just musically, but personally as well. A few people who were at that show are now good friends of mine, though we discovered each other on Facebook. The show was unique to me because it was a chance for me to get to hear Keith and Greg talk about their experiences over the years. It was a joy getting to hear them perform and speak, but I was particularly excited to see Greg. I had developed a soft spot for him and felt a sense of warmth and ingenuity whenever he spoke. After that night, I had developed a dream of someday meeting him.  In the summer of 2010, my musical soundtrack was devoted entirely to ELP. It seemed as though I could not get through an entire day without playing the Tarkus suite or Brain Salad Surgery. In October of that year, I found Greg’s website and his Q &A page. Because we had balcony seats for Keith and Greg’s show, I was not able to ask him a question during the Q&A portion of the show, so I felt I would take a chance and see if he would answer. I wasn’t getting my hopes up though, since I figured he had a lot of questions from people. But then, one day, I got an unexpected surprise: he replied. It went like this:

Question

Hello Greg. I am a 13 year old girl who has been playing guitar for almost two years and am greatly influenced by your music. Getting the chance to see you and Keith in concert on your recent tour was very important to me and a night I will never forget. I wanted the opportunity to ask you a question during the Q&A part of the show but sadly could not because I was located on the upper level. My question was: What was your inspiration for Tarkus (my favorite ELP album)?

Answer

Dear friend,

Firstly I am most impressed that at such a young age you are able to appreciate and enjoy such a complex piece of music as Tarkus. The initial inspiration for this record came from the music that Keith had written. Following on from this I wrote various songs and worked together with Keith and Carl as a producer to create the record you now hear. Tarkus has been the backbone performance piece for ELP for almost four decades now and has certainly stood the test of time. It is one of the best examples of the musical genius of Keith Emerson as a composer and of the band ELP working and performing together at the very top of their game.

Thank you for you interest and support and next time you come along to see a show just make sure you write to Eileen at this website in advance, ( with your name) and she will arrange for you to come back stage and I will introduce you to Keith and you can ask him about the piece personally.

Best wishes,

Greg.

(Oct-09-10)

I couldn’t believe it. Greg Lake had answered MY question. It totally made my night, and I had developed a new appreciation for him. After that, I was determined to meet him. At the end of 2011, a devastating year for me, I received some happy news: Greg would be coming to the US in spring of 2012 with a tour called Songs of a Lifetime. Now is my chance, I thought. I immediately contacted Eileen and showed her the transcript of my exchange with Greg. She replied that she would be happy to help me out. We scored sixth row seats for his show on May 18, 2012 at the Orpheum. I was also thrilled to hear that some of my best music friends were also going to be attending.

May 18, 2012 remains today as one of the best nights of my life. That night, I, along with my dad and good friends, got to hear stories from a voice that contained so much wisdom and a lifetime of experience. That same night, at 15 years old, my dream to meet Greg was realized. We waited about 2 hours for him, so by the time he came out, it was well after midnight. However, I will never forget the love, warmth and generosity he showed my friends and me. Even though it was 12:30 am and quite cold outside, he kept on smiling and made sure he met everyone.  For a precious 5 minutes, I was able to talk to Greg as a person. That is something that I would never forget.

I knew that, one day, I would have to write this entry. I knew one day, I would wake up to the news that Greg was no longer with us. This has to be the most difficult entry I have ever written, because I was fortunate enough to experience Greg as more than just a musician. I was able to see what he was like as a person, as another human being. Meeting him remains one of the highlights of my life, and I will always remember the big hug he gave me before and after our conversation. It is bittersweet to be writing this, since the last thing he told me was that we would see each other again someday. I cry at the realization that there is no possibility of that now. I also cry at the realization that I will never know the answer to why Trilogy was his most cherished ELP album. To be honest, in spite of everything bad that is going on in the world, I always took comfort in knowing that Greg was still with us. If anything bad ever happened, I always told myself, “Well, it’s not all bad. Greg Lake is still alive.” I realize that the days of me saying such a thing are over now.

Grief is a feeling that I have grown to be very familiar with in the last 5 years. In that time, I have experienced the loss of family, friends, and certain musicians that I looked up to. I guess it’s the price I pay for loving these older rock bands as much as I do. I get less time to enjoy them while they are still here. However, at the same time, I am eternally grateful to have been able to see many of them perform live. The Emerson and Lake show as well as the Songs of a Lifetime are now very special memories for me. I will always remember the love, warmth, and grace Greg put into each song, and each lyric. I will always remember the fact that his music managed to bring so many people into my life. Through his music, we connected with one another and formed some truly special bonds that I hold dear to me. That is what continuously blows me away about the power of music.

Today had me thinking of the famous ELP line, “Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends.” To me, the show truly will never end, as long as the music continues to be played. The same can be said about Bowie, Prince, Chris Squire, Keith, and all the other musicians that have left us, or who eventually will leave us. The artist may be gone, but the art lives on forever.

Rest in eternal peace, Greg. There will truly never be another one like you. I will never forget you.

Love,

J Michelle

ARW

Don't worry. I'm not going to talk about Marillion in this post. Ok, maybe I will just a little, but in short, I'm still reeling from that show even though it's been a little over a month now since that fateful night. I'm going to try to write this entry while F.E.A.R. plays on my turntable.

In this post, I'm going to talk about the most anticipated prog act of the year that I finally saw last night: Anderson, Wakeman and Rabin. Like many people, I was super excited for this show. There had been talk about these guys coming together over the last two or three years. They kept hinting at a possible album or tour but nothing ever became official until earlier this year. When tickets went on sale for their show at the Orpheum, my most beloved concert venue, the first thing we determined was that floor seats were out of the question because of their outrageous prices. Sorry, but $700+ a ticket isn't happening. Instead, we settled for balcony seats. We weren't concerned though. We have never had a bad experience at the Orpheum in terms of sound quality or ability to view the stage. As far as we're concerned, there's no such thing as a bad seat at the Orpheum.

Anyway, we waited about 8 months for this show, about the same amount of time we had to wait to see David Gilmour. During that time, there was much speculation from people on Facebook as to what this show was going to be like. Many people had different ideas of what king of show we would get. Some expected it to be just Jon, Rick, and Trevor. Some expected many additional musicians to be on stage with them. As for me personally, I was expecting it to simply be different from the shows that the current Yes lineup was putting on. I anticipated a creative setlist, great attention to the musicianship of Rick and Trevor, and interesting visuals. From how much hype this project was getting, this concert should be excellent. Was it excellent?

No.

Now, it wasn't a bad concert. However, thinking about how good it could have been depresses me to some extent. I think the place where it suffered the most was simply not being creative enough with the setlist. When you have the talents of Rick Wakeman and Trevor Rabin, I would think you would make an extra strong effort to pick songs where their abilities shine the most. I was really hoping to hear some longer pieces of music like "Close to the Edge," or even anything off of albums like Relayer. I will give Trevor props for not trying to be like Steve Howe, but I think he could have handled those longer pieces. Now there were some really big moments in this show. There were songs that I loved hearing. I loved that they played songs like "Changes" and "Hold On." There were times where I really perked up and was really impressed with what I was hearing. But those were few. For the most part, I have to say that I was sitting in my seat wishing for something different to come up. The majority of the setlist was made up of all the same songs we've heard time and time again with Yes, like "Perpetual Change," "Heart of the Sunrise," and even "Owner of a Lonely Heart."

Another part that really disappointed me was how seemingly underrepresented Rick was. Pointing him out to the audience after every song doesn't count as representation to me. To me, their song choices were not the ones that showed off Rick's talents the best. I think Trevor actually got more attention than Rick did and, sometimes, even more than Jon did. I like Trevor, but Rick was the one I was actually the most excited to see live. He got some solo time, but those times were very brief. I actually wouldn't have minded hearing him play something off The Six Wives of Henry VIII or Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

So overall, this was a pretty good concert, but I'm struck by how underwhelming it was, especially considering how talked about this project was and how hyped it was. Knowing how talented these guys are, I was definitely expecting more. Did they deliver? Eventually, yes, but by that time the show was more than halfway done. I think the only point where I was truly sucked into the show was during "Awaken." To put it simply, I liked this show, but in the end I think it could have been a lot better. I would think that, for a show as unique as this, there would be a strong effort made to do a show that separates them from what the current Yes lineup is doing these days, especially because we don't know how much longer these guys will be touring.

7/10

An Interesting Night at the Saban

I gave myself a week to think about it before writing my entry on the concert I saw last week. I did so because I wanted to make sure I wasn't just overreacting. I would hate to write an overly ecstatic entry about a concert I went to, come back to it later, and realize that I no longer felt the way I did when I originally wrote that entry. But now that it's been eight days, I think I can confidently write out exactly how I felt about last Saturday night. Last Saturday night, I saw Marillion for the first time. 

About ten months ago, I saw a notice on Ticketmaster that Marillion were going to be on tour in fall of 2016, and were making a stop in Beverly Hills. I heard Marillion for the first time when I was watching performances from the 2010 High Voltage Festival. I was mainly watching that to see ELP's final performance, but one other act caught my attention: it was this band called Marillion playing this song called "Neverland." I remember really liking that performance. I was particularly struck by how much feel seemed to be put into the music. That wasn't something I saw all the time, and it actually impressed me quite a bit. My dad and I were only mildly familiar with the band's discography, but we decided to check it out. Who knows? Maybe we'll become converts. The last ten months weren't full of an overwhelming amount of anticipation for this show, to be honest. I mean, I was sure it wasn't going to be horrible since I know many people who really love this band, but at the same time, I wasn't sure if I should expect anything spectacular. The last few shows I went to for bands that I didn't really know were not particularly enjoyable. For example, I saw Katatonia in 2012, and they bored me to death. Sorry to all you Katatonia fans, but I was struggling to not doze off at some points in that show, and that's saying something, considering that I was right up front and leaning on the stage. Blue Oyster Cult in 2014 was not that much better. So, long story short, I wasn't getting my hopes up for this.

Guys, this concert left me speechless. I came in not expecting much, and boy was I wrong to think that. It didn't take me long to realize that this is a severely underrated band. Of the 46 concerts that I have been to since 2010, I can't really remember the last time I went to a show for a band I didn't really know anything about, and left the venue feeling so refreshed and excited about what I just saw. If you were to ask me to name a band or artist off the top of my head who I felt played with such sincerity and passion, I would immediately say David Gilmour. Now, after seeing this show, I would probably be inclined to name these guys too. Everything from the music to the vocals to the visuals just won my attention. Steve Hogarth (affectionately called "h." by fans) is, to put it simply, freakin' awesome. He was so fun to watch and even more fun to listen to. It's not often that I see a singer perform a song rather than just sing it. It was very apparent to me that he meant every word he sang. Watching him really feel the music was such a joy. It reminded me a lot of why music is so important to me, and why I get joy out of attending live music events, especially prog music events. I talked to my dad on the way back from the show and he observed that h. had a stage presence that reminded him a little of Peter Gabriel in Genesis. Looking back, I think my dad has a point. Every song that was played was a musical journey. I can't remember the last time a concert went by so quickly. I think they played for about 2.5 hours, but it felt much shorter. That's what happens when I'm completely sucked in to the show. That's how I know that it was a great concert.

However, having said all of that, I do have one complaint. Steve Rothery was really hard to hear at some points in the show. There were actually some times where I didn't realize that he was actually playing a guitar solo, and that concerns me because I think he is a very underrated guitar player. His style and guitar tone reminds me a lot of David Gilmour's. Maybe it was because of where I was sitting (front row balcony), but I'm not sure. All I know is that I had a hard time hearing him. Now the rest of the band, I heard just fine. Mark Kelly, h., Ian Mosley, and Peter Trewavas all killed it. 

To sum it all up, I finally understand why everyone likes this band so much. There is a lot to enjoy about these guys. They definitely know how to connect with their fans, and that's something that I really look for when I discover a new band or artist. It's more than just going to a show and watching musicians play for 2+ hours. The worst thing a band can do is just be boring and not be fun or engaging at all. As I stated at the beginning of this entry, I've been to a few shows like that, and it's extremely painful to sit through. 

Overall, this was practically concert perfection. My expectations were more than exceeded. I was not bored at any point in this show. In fact, I was grinning for most of it. I think I can confidently say that this show was one of the best I have ever been to. Everything that I think makes up a good prog concert was present the entire time. It was engaging, fun, and truly remarkable. I hope it is not long before I see these guys again.

9.5/10

10/23/16

A lot has been happening lately. First off, I finally got a part time job on campus. I work Tuesday afternoon, and Thursday and Friday evenings. I've already worked two shifts and I really enjoy it. I'm responsible for custodial tasks, so that means I do things such as cleaning tables, doing dishes, or vacuuming. Doesn't sound like much, but it's a good start. It would be cool if I could upgrade to a position like student manager eventually.

Second, this week I saw not one, but TWO concerts. I'll talk about the first one in this entry and then the second one in the next entry, since I have much to say about the second show I saw. The first show I saw was right in Riverside: Jethro Tull the Rock Opera, performed by Ian Anderson. I had been waiting to see this show for a long time and honestly wasn't quite sure what it was going to be like. From the reviews I heard, it seemed like people either loved it or hated it. Many of the bad reviews were from people who were disappointed that this show was not Jethro Tull (meaning it was not Ian Anderson, Martin Barre, Doane Perry, John O'Hara, and David Goodier together). After going to the show, I think I have a better understanding of why those people were disappointed. This show was, for the most part, advertised as Jethro Tull. That was what the marquee outside the venue said and that was what was printed on my ticket, so I can see where people are coming from when they mention misleading information. The show isn't advertised as "Jethro Tull: The Rock Opera" or "Ian Anderson plays the music of Jethro Tull."

The show itself was interesting. First off, it didn't take me long to realize that there was some sort of story line accompanying the music. However, I had no idea what it was, and I still don't really know. I meant to get a tour programme at the merchandise stand, but couldn't since it was cash only. Next, I figured out that there was a story line to the show when they featured "virtual guests" on the screen behind the musicians. They were in costumes, so I figured, "Oh, so this show must be about something."

Another common complaint I saw from people online was the quality of Ian's voice. Overall, he did great. As a musician he's still got it and he also still has a tremendous amount of energy for his age. However, I can sort of see what people mean when they say his voice is lacking. I won't lie. There were times where he didn't sound too great. But, having said that, I will give him props for not trying too hard and not pushing himself beyond his limits. I am glad he didn't do a Geddy Lee and attempt to hit notes he clearly couldn't reach or keep the songs in their original keys. That would have made matters much worse, in my opinion.

I didn't recognize every song but I knew a good number of them. I consider myself a very casual Tull fan. Even though I love Thick as a Brick to death, I'm pretty neutral on the rest of their albums. The rest of them seem to be hit-and miss, meaning there are some tracks that I like more than others.

Overall, this show was a lot of fun. I had a great time, but I don't think it's a show I would recommend to someone who knows nothing about Jethro Tull. I just think that the story line and all the puns and references throughout the show may confuse newbies. It's a show that seems to be targeting either longtime fans or people who are pretty familiar with the band's discography. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must finish my history homework.

7/10

10/4/16

The first quarter of my sophomore year is going pretty well. I'm taking four classes, a total of 17 units. I'm taking two English writing classes, a computer science class, and a world history class. There's lots of reading and writing to do, as you can imagine, but I think it's doable.

My tattoo is healing very nicely. A new layer of skin has formed over it, so it is officially a part of me now. I can wear tank tops now so people can see it. So far, I've received quite a few compliments. I feel very proud of it.

On September 24, I saw Al Stewart for the second time in Thousand Oaks. One of the guys that ran the merchandise stand recognized me from the show I went to back in February. The venue for this show was much better than the first one. It was bigger and the sound was better. Al was accompanied by more people on stage this time around. I stayed after to say hi to him. Sadly, I don't think he remembered me from February, but I told him that I thought the story he told about taking guitar lessons from Robert Fripp was interesting. The funny thing is, I remember reading an interview with Robert Fripp a while ago in PROG magazine. There was a part where he talked about the days when he gave guitar lessons, and he said that, of all the students he had, the only one who went on to become successful was Al. He said that the reason for this was because Al never took any of his advice. I always found that interesting.

I deactivated my Facebook again. I think this time I will keep it that way until after the presidential election. There's so much negative energy on Facebook right now because of it, and I only expect it to get worse as the election gets closer. However, I still plan to update this blog during my time away from Facebook. Stay tuned...

9/17/16

I've officially settled into my new apartment at UC Riverside. I'm ready to begin my sophomore year of college. Hopefully it will only be better. I'm taking four classes: two English, one computer science, and one history. The last two are requirements. I'm excited to finally have my own bedroom and a kitchen, since I enjoy cooking as a hobby.

Anyway, I made a big change on Wednesday. On Wednesday afternoon, I crossed off another bucket list item: get a tattoo. For about the last year or so I imagined myself getting the P logo from the Progressive Music Awards tattooed on my right upper arm. I knew that that would be a huge commitment, so I thought about it for a long time. Since I knew that the process of getting a tattoo was a particularly painful one, I decided that it would be better to get one symbol that represents all of prog instead of many individual tattoos representing different bands. To me, my new tattoo represents more than just prog. It represents what I feel strongly about, and how important music has been to me over the last 7 years. When I look at my tattoo I think of all the ripple effects that came out of my musical journey. That one day at guitar class back in 2009 led to the discovery of new music, new people, and a passion that I never knew I had. It represents the old music, the current music, and the music that's to come. The tattoo took about 2.5 hours to put on. I gritted my teeth against the pain of the needles racing across my skin, but I kept reminding myself why I was putting myself through this. I was doing it because I felt that strongly about prog. I felt strong enough about it that I was willing to have a symbol for it permanently marked on my skin. I wear my new ink proudly. Once it heals up (just in time for the Ian Anderson concert on October 18!) I will proudly display it.

9/1/16

Yes played a great show Sunday night. It was an honor getting to hear Drama in its entirety as well as sides 1 and 4 of Tales From Topographic Oceans. There was also a surprise appearance for "Tempus Fugit:" Trevor Horn. I was surprised that he could still sing that song as well as he did. He definitely didn't disappoint. There was a slight change in lineup shortly before the tour started, however. Since Alan White needed to undergo some physical therapy for back pain, he had to sit this tour out. Filling in for him for the time being is Jay Schellen. I couldn't help but compare this tour to the last one, which was quite sad to watch. On the last tour with Toto, Yes seemed to have lost the energy, presence, and drive that they had when Chris was still alive. I was afraid that that drive was lost completely due to the absence of Chris, but I decided to give them one more chance. I am very pleased to say that the Yes I saw Sunday night was a far more confident Yes than what I saw last year. I think playing entire albums really impacts their performance in a positive way. When they play full albums, they really seem excited about the show. To me a Yes concert (and really any concert) is supposed to be a positive, uplifting experience. I would hate to associate a Yes concert with bad memories, which is why I was ready to retire from going to Yes shows had this one been low-energy. Needless to say, I will be continuing to see them as long as they tour by themselves. I have seen them five times now, three times alone, and twice with another band. The two times I saw them with another band were very weak compared to the other three. Chris' death may have played a factor last year, but I think it was also because they couldn't be as creative with their set lists as they could when touring alone. As long as they continue to play alone and with confidence, I will be there. 

7.5/10

The 2016 Progressive Music Awards took place tonight in England. It was streamed live on Facebook so I was able to watch it in real time. Tonight's show seemed to be a lot more diverse than last year. It seemed like more attention was given to younger and lesser known bands. Last year's awards show was basically a love fest for Steven Wilson. I have a few new bands to look into now. As some of you may know, Jon Anderson was presented with the Prog God Award at the end of the evening by Rick Wakeman and Trevor Rabin. Trevor Horn even flew in from Santa Barbara to attend. Appropriate attention was given at the beginning of the evening to the many musicians who have died this year, including Keith Emerson and David Bowie. During Jon Anderson's speech, I couldn't help but imagine my friend Rachel Flowers up there one day accepting the Prog God award herself. She is more than deserving of that title, even now at 22 years old. Maybe, one day, we can both be in attendance at the Prog Awards.

8/28/16

Before I post part 3 of "I Never Ever Saw the Stars so Bright," I wanted to give you all a quick update on what's been going on.

Since getting back from my Phish adventure with Dylan, things have been pretty quiet. I've been trying to keep busy by writing in my journal, listening to music, playing music, cooking, and doing volunteer work. My record collection has been increasing. On the first day of this month, I got an email from The Killers Victims fan club stating that The Killers' second album Sam's Town was going to be re-released on vinyl this October in honor of its 10th anniversary. A limited edition pressing that included two discs, a booklet, and a bonus 45 was made available for pre order. There were only about 5,000 copies of that version available. It was an opportunity I couldn't pass on, so I immediately jumped on it and pre-ordered mine. That turned out to be a good idea, for the minute the order went through, the pre-order sold out. I'm stoked and cannot wait until it arrives in the mail.

I've been getting back into a band that I have liked for many years: the Jonas Brothers. I started thinking back to when I first saw them on TV back in 2006 and became inspired to begin playing the guitar. I found my CD of their 2007 self-titled album and gave it another listen while driving one day. I can safely say with complete confidence that that is my favorite pop album of all time. The songs are memorable, sophisticated, and likable. To this day, my biggest concert regret is not seeing them while they were together. I missed what turned out to be their final concert at the now demolished Gibson Amphitheater back in 2013. I will always regret that. Nick Jonas is still doing music, so my goal is to see him one day, since he was the one member of the band I really paid attention to musically. Some may simply disregard him as just another teen pop star who will soon be forgotten, but I have always admired his talent. He was the driving force of the Jonas Brothers. He played the most instruments, wrote most of the music, and wrote most of the lyrics. I only just now discovered his solo discography and ordered a vinyl copy of his latest solo album the other night.

I will be attending my fifth Yes concert tonight at the Arlington Theatre in Santa Barbara. We decided to try a venue different from the Orpheum this time around. We began to regret that decision, but I found out something last night that made me feel differently: Trevor Horn will be joining the band onstage as a guest musician. I can't believe it. What are the odds? I'm way excited to hear Drama in its entirety along with sides 1 and 4 of Tales from Topographic Oceans. We'll see how this goes...

I Never Ever Saw the Stars so Bright (Part 2)

Minutes went by. We saw no signs of progress in making our way to the venue. Many people began to give up and start walking the rest of the way. As we moved, Dylan would occasionally ask a passerby how much farther we had to go. Once an hour had gone by, we began to get worried. We were worried that we may miss the beginning of the show. By the time we reached the parking lot, it was a little after 8:00! We parked as soon as we could and hurried inside the venue. Fortunately, all of our tickets went through the scanner. Dylan was hoping to score an event poster from the merchandise stand, but was not able to since we arrived so late. Our main goal was to get to the grass area. As we made our way up the hill leading to the grass area, we could hear excited Phish fans shriek and the first notes of the song “Tweezer” ringing out.

Dylan told me many times before that there is no moment quite like walking into The Gorge for the first time. You walk up a steep hill and once you get over the crest, you see a stage surrounded by an amazing backdrop of hills, water, and incredible shadows cast by the clouds. It really was a great view. Phish took the stage at about 8:15, when the sun was just beginning to set behind the hills in the west.  In the far distance, I could barely make out the figures on stage: Trey Anastasio on guitar, Mike Gordon on bass, John Fishman on drums, and Page McConnell on keyboards.

That night, I was introduced to the unique community that was Phish phans. They reminded me very much of the type of audience Arcade Fire attracts: young, lively hipsters in the full pride of youth, smoking joints and dancing around. This audience was a bit older, but I got a similar vibe. I also noticed something that I have only seen at one other concert in my life: the absence of phone usage. As far as I could see, not one person had their phone out. I had not seen that since King Crimson in 2014. The only difference here was that the band did not plead with us to “embrace the moment” like King Crimson did. I guess that makes sense though. I imagine it would be hard to maintain control over 20,000 people as opposed to 2,000. Throughout the show it became very apparent to me that Phish were capable of playing multiple genres of music. I heard them play prog, jazz, and even country at some points. However, the first set seemed a bit slow. Everyone in my group as well as people around us seemed put off by the lack of energy exhibited by the band. Peter felt that the band was doing that intentionally, just to mess with us. I hoped so. I did not want my first Phish concert to be low-energy. Throughout the first set I recognized a few tunes, such as “Wolfman’s Brother,” “The Line,” and “Rift.” Phish were the only band I knew of that could manage to play a unique show every night. No two shows are ever the same, from what I’ve heard. Not only that, they also manage to go all out with their songs. A song that is originally 5 minutes can become 20 minutes when performed live. They take live shows as an opportunity to show off their wonderful improvisation skills. During intermission, I took an opportunity to run to the merchandise stand and pick up a vinyl copy of Phish’s latest album, Fuego. I was hoping they would have it available in orange vinyl, but from what I understood, that version of the album was pretty scarce, practically out of print. On my way back to our spot, I lost track of where my group was amidst the sea of Phish fans. I was soon able to locate Dylan, who was wearing a flashing glow-in-the-dark vest. We just happened to find that vest at his house when we were packing for the campsite, and it turned out to be a lifesaver. He thought it would be fun to wear at nighttime, when all the glow sticks started coming out. Without that vest, I probably would have had a much harder time finding my way back to the group.

Finally, the lights dimmed for the second set. That is, both the natural and artificial light disappeared. The band reemerged and began what turned out to be a much more fun, energetic, and enjoyable set. They began with a cover of the Talking Heads song, “Crosseyed and Painless.” I had not heard the original version of that song, but they really took it to another level musically. John Fishman actually sounded just like David Byrne. It was at that moment the glow sticks began flying through the air. It almost looked like a glow stick fireworks display. For a while, the sticks were landing everywhere, except where my group was standing, but eventually, a few sticks hit me in the head, and I was able to participate. I would save up my sticks until I had a massive handful. Then, I would release them into the crowd.

Then Phish began a fun jam called “No Men in No Man’s Land.” I think that was where I really started enjoying myself. Apparently, this song was not off of any of their albums. In fact, many of the songs in this set have never appeared on any studio albums, such as “Meatstick,” “Wilson,” and “Makisupa Policeman.” There were a few audience cues that I was not aware of, such as the claps during “Stash,” or the exclamation of the song title during “Wilson.” Well, now I know them for next time.  After playing “Meatstick,” the band transitioned into a cool jam of the theme from the movie 2001. It was during this jam that I finally realized that Phish were a special band, and grossly underrated band. It was this jam that made me wonder why this band never gets talked about in Prog magazine, or why they don’t seem to ever tour outside of America. I was aware of the lack of American prog acts represented in Prog magazine, but it just seemed especially wrong to overlook a band like this. I personally don’t see anything about Phish that international audiences would not enjoy.

Finally, the band closed with the song “Good Times, Bad Times.” Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the campsite, and my first Phish concert was completed. One night down, one to go.

I Never Ever Saw the Stars so Bright (Part 1)

Everyone, think of a band that you really, really like. It could be a band that you’ve loved for many years or it could be one that you just discovered. Do you recall the exact moment when you realized that that band spoke to you? Do you remember the moment you heard that band and realized, “So that’s what I’ve been missing out on all this time!” I’ve had that happen to me many times since about 2006, when my journey of musical discovery was in its infancy. It was that year that I discovered the first band that truly mesmerized me: the Jonas Brothers. They were just a typical teen pop band on Disney Channel singing about being in love and traveling to the year 3000. When their first album came out the following year, it seemed as though almost every girl at school had to have that album. You couldn’t turn on the radio without hearing “S.O.S.” or “When You Look Me In The Eyes.” When I watched the Jonas Brothers perform on The Oprah Winfrey Show in about early 2008, that was when I realized that I wanted to play the guitar. I would watch Nick Jonas pound out those power chords and think to myself, “I want to do that!” So, in a way, I have the Jonas Brothers to thank for inspiring me to pick up the guitar, which subsequently led to my discovery of prog and other forms of music that I now hold dear.

Fast forward to about February 2016. I received a text from my friend Dylan that the band Phish was rumored to be playing a show at his favorite concert venue, the Gorge Amphitheater, that summer. Last year, Dylan sent me a CD of Phish’s album Rift. That album sparked my interest in the band, and in August of that year, I listened to Phish’s third performance at their Magnaball festival in New York. Since that show, Dylan had talked about how cool it would be if I came up Portland sometime so we could go on a Phish road trip. I was certainly not opposed to that idea, so when the news was made official that they would be playing two nights at the Gorge in July, we could not pass up the opportunity. Before I knew it, I had a plane ticket to Portland scheduled for July 13. “Life will never be the same after this,” Dylan stated. Five months later, the week finally came. I flew into Portland on the afternoon of July 13. We headed out for Washington the next afternoon, accompanied by Dylan’s friends Joe and Lee. Dylan considered Lee to be someone you absolutely had to take with you on a camping trip, since he had the most experience with it. The plan was to stay at a camping resort about 15 minutes from the venue. I had never gone camping before so I was interested to see what the experience would be like. We stopped at the grocery store and stocked up on what was supposed to be enough food to last us the weekend. In the end, I think we ended up with what felt like a month’s supply.

Dylan had talked about how beautiful the drive from Portland to Washington was. He called it “one of the most beautiful drives in the country.” It really was a breath of fresh air to be able to sit in the car listening to music while also taking in the natural beauty surrounding us. The scenery was definitely not what I normally see in California. It was very green, calm, and the sky looked massive.  That was one of the things that really stuck out to us. “It makes you feel so small and insignificant when you’re surrounded by a sky that huge and by things that are millions of years old!” Dylan observed at one point in the drive. It reminded me of a similar observation Neil Peart of Rush had made in the Rush documentary Beyond the Lighted Stage, when he was discussing his Ghost Rider travels that took place in the late 1990s, following the deaths of his daughter and wife. Those natural views were part of what allowed him to heal from all that he had endured. I put that observation to the test when I traveled through India in December 2012, and it was certainly true. During the drive from Delhi to Jaipur, the mountains surrounding us looked huge. They were so red and vibrant that you couldn’t help but notice them. It was that feeling of smallness that made me look at the natural world differently. I live just outside of Los Angeles, which is known for city life and the views of skyscrapers and the Hollywood sign. However, those are all manmade views. There is something truly special about being able to get away from land that has been taken over by humans and just take in what hasn’t been touched.

We arrived at the campsite well after 8:00pm and were greeted by brutally strong winds. None of us were prepared for that, but I quickly learned that camping is all about playing things by ear. Things never go exactly as planned, and they certainly did not for us. I did not want to deal with the hassle of setting up a tent in the strong wind, so Dylan made some space for me in his car and I slept in there. I was out of the wind, but it was terribly uncomfortable. I awoke early the next morning since the rising sun was heating up the inside of the car. Lee brought along enough equipment so that we could have pancakes and coffee for breakfast. After I showered and cleaned myself up, Joe decided to take a walk down to the lake that was just outside the campground. I decided to go with him. When we got to the water, I wasn’t in much of a swimming mood, but I did stick my hand into the lake. Had I brought along any swimming gear, I would have definitely gone in. The water was perfect! Cold, but not too cold.  It would have been a perfect way to cool off since it was a hot day.

The day went on. Later in the afternoon, another person joined our group: Dylan’s friend Peter. The day was very laid back. Too laid back, I may say, for at one point, we realized that it was after 6:00pm. The doors to the venue had already opened! Dylan wanted to get there with enough time to buy a poster from the merchandise stand. There was no possibility of that now, so he texted another friend of his who was already there to see if she could get one for him.  We cleaned up our campsite as quickly as possible and then piled into Dylan’s car. Once we were about a mile outside of the venue, we realized what a mistake we had made leaving late. Traffic was completely backed up. However, that gave us enough time to buy a ticket for Peter from a fellow Phish fan (or Phish “phan”) who was walking by the backed up vehicles offering spare tickets. Perfect! Now we all had tickets. Lottery tickets, mind you. Dylan had entered for a chance to buy Phish “lottery” tickets way back in February. Lottery tickets are supposedly available in limited amounts. They are printed with artwork that is unique to each concert event, although the artwork for the two Gorge shows was the same. We all had tickets. Now, we had to get through traffic.

To be continued…

6/19/16

I need to think of things to do this summer. I have until about September 16, which is Move In Day for those living in the UC Riverside campus apartments. I'm really looking forward to that. I'll finally have my own bedroom and a kitchen. I think I will work this summer to improve my cooking and baking skills since I will be making all of my meals next school year instead of going to a dining hall. In addition, I think I will do some volunteer work at my local animal shelter. I did that last year and I really enjoyed it.

This summer has been off to a great start so far. On June 9, I drove to Ventura to see the premiere of Hearing is Believing, a documentary about my friend Rachel Flowers. I had a great time and enjoyed sitting next to Rachel during the movie. I could tell a great deal of time, care, and attention went into making it. Her family truly is amazing. I always feel great after spending time with them so I will definitely have to jam some prog with Rachel some time this summer. I need that kind of positivity in my life.

On June 12, I drove to the Canyon Club to meet up with my friends Xhana and Steve to see Justin Hayward. I had not seen him since I saw the Moodies back in November 2013. We had a wonderful time. I was seated right up front, and throughout the show, I could tell Justin was looking at me. At times, I felt like he was telling me stories from his past rather than the audience. After the show, I managed to get one of Justin's guitar picks as well as a setlist. I had never been able to get a setlist at a concert before, so that was very cool.

Anyway, I went to my local record store again the other day to return the live ELP album the owner had let me borrow the last time I was there. It was a live album released on this year's Record Store Day, but recorded in 1997 (my birth year!). He wasn't present sadly. I really wanted to tell him what I thought of it. I finally picked up a copy of the late Chris Squire's solo album Fish Out of Water. I had been meaning to get it for a while but never got around to it until now. That copy had been sitting in the store for a long time and I always knew that someday it would be mine. I'm listening to it now. So far, I can see why so many people like it. It definitely has a classic Yes sound to it with special emphasis on Chris as a bass player. I never really liked him as a lead singer, though. I also grabbed a 45 of the Stevie Wonder song "My Cherie Amour." 

Staying off of Facebook has continued to be nothing but beneficial. Almost every time I log back on, I am quickly reminded of why I chose to take a break in the first place. It seems like it is typical to see people post negativity on Facebook these days. I don't mean this towards any of my friends or ProgBook followers, of course. If it's not music, then it's politics, or religion, or how much society sucks. It gets exhausting seeing all of that all the time. If it weren't for my friends or ProgBook, I would probably not have a Facebook page anymore. That's how bad it's become. But since I have such great friends and followers, I will stay. :)

6/8/16

Sorry it's been almost a month since my last entry. I have been taking an extended break from Facebook and social media in general. Facebook was once a positive, upbeat place where you reconnected with people from your life. Nowadays, it has become a black hole full of negativity, politics, religion, pointless debates that never get resolved, and the ugly world known as the comment section. I realized that it's not good for me to see that every single day, so I deactivated my account for a few weeks. I reactivated it today, but deleted the app from my phone, since I realized that that is where I log on the most often. From now on, I think I will just go on to make a few updates or to post a new blog entry.

Anyway, I am home for the summer. I came home Monday afternoon after my finals. I can't believe my first year of college is done. It went by so quickly! I got very lucky this last quarter. My computer science class had no final. My poetry class did have a final, but we worked on it during the last few weeks of the quarter and then turned it in on the day of the last lecture. The only two finals I really had were in my English class and in a class I took on an intro to women's rights. I think I did well.

Concertwise, I have a few more shows to look forward to this year. Firstly, I learned that Al Stewart would be coming to Thousand Oaks in September, which is very close to my hometown. Naturally, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. In addition, my dad and I got tickets to see Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, and Trevor Rabin at the Orpheum in November. However, we ended up with nosebleed seats since those were the only decently priced seats. As much as we love those guys, we weren't willing to squander well over $1500 for both of us to briefly meet them. We learned that lesson when we did the Yes meet and greet back in 2011.

5/13/16

Haven't been up to too much in the last few weeks. I've mainly just been trying to finish off my first year of college as best as I can. My English professor is really happy with my writing. She told me that she thinks I am an A-level writer and that she is very impressed with my essays. That makes me feel really good. My poetry class is going pretty well too. I like having at least one class that allows me to exercise my creativity. Grading is pretty loose in that class, so it's hard to not do well in it. My computer science class is a little tough, though. Some concepts are basic while others are more technical. Oh, well. I'm doing what I can.

Concert-wise, I have a few more things to look forward to. First, my dad and I will be seeing Yes in Santa Barbara in late August. We're essentially giving them one more chance. If this show is as low-energy as the last one, then we will have to retire from going to Yes concerts. I hope that's not the case, though. I also learned yesterday that the new Jon Anderson project with Rick Wakeman and Trevor Rabin will be at the Orpheum on November 22. A Tuesday night, yes, but I'm thrilled. I wish it had been a day later though, since that is the week of Thanksgiving vacation, and I will be going home the very next day.

Since today is Stevie Wonder's 66th birthday, I played a couple of his albums while I was baking this evening. I played Fulfillingness' First Finale and Disc One of Songs in the Key of Life. Great tunes.

5/2/16

Can't believe it's already May and Week 6 of spring quarter. Before you know it, it will be time to move out!

Anyway, I went home this weekend. I did homework, which included finishing an essay for English class. I really think that I should make English my second major if I'm going to do a double major because I have been doing really well in my English classes. I got off to a bumpy start in the fall but I have improved since then. I got an A- on my first essay for this quarter's English class and I feel great about that. My professor thinks that I write very nicely and that I structure my arguments really well.

Another homework assignment I worked on was a visual project for my poetry class. We've been reading one collection of poetry per week since the beginning of the quarter. For this assignment (which will count as our midterm), we had to pick one of the collections we read and create a visual representation of the themes of that collection. It could be a diorama, a video, a picture, or some other kind of visual creation. It couldn't be a poem, though, since we've been doing that too. If I had been given more time, I would have tried to make a stop-motion video since I have tried that in the past and have enjoyed it. It's a ton of work, but it's really fun. I have made a few 3-4 second-long videos in the past. Those 3-4 seconds contain up to 60 frames, so you can see what I mean when I say that stop-motion is a ton of work. It pays off, though. 

Instead, I made a shoebox diorama using fabric, markers, a little bit of molding clay, and a small doll that I don't really use that much. I used all those things to make a bedroom with the doll representing the author. The poetry collection I chose was the first one we read: Stag's Leap, by Sharon Olds. The entire collection centers on her divorce from her husband of thirty years. From what I read, there were all kinds of thoughts and emotions running through Sharon's mind during that time. There was an overwhelming amount of pain from it. I went through the entire collection and took out words that stood out to me ("pain," "dying," "broken," "fuck," whirlpool…") and typed them into a Word document. I typed a lot of words. After that, I printed them out and cut them out of the paper. I taped them all to the "floor" of the diorama to represent the variety of thoughts going through the author's head. It was as if they were all spilled out onto the floor in a big mess. Then, using fabric from my mom's sewing kit and extra cardboard, I made a small "bed" and some wallpaper. I made the bed small since she now sleeps alone. I taped the doll in the middle of the "room." I used a little bit of clay to mold two wine glasses, one which is upright, and one which is spilled, since Stag's Leap is a brand of wine, apparently.

On Sunday, dad and I went to the Regent Theater in downtown LA for the monthly Great Rock and Roll Flea Market. I had been wanting to check that out for a while but we never got the chance to go since we always had something to do on the first Sunday of every month. The venue where it was held was really small. Not quite as small as places like the Whiskey or Roxy, but small enough. There weren't just records available. There were guitar straps, vintage posters, shirts, and even handicrafts. I mainly focused on the vinyl. My main goal was to look for Stevie Wonder material. I actually found quite a few things. First, I got an album called Uptight for $10. The rest of what I got were 45s. I picked up five Stevie 45s. To be exact, I got: Big Brother/You Haven't Done Nothin', Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer/We Can Work it Out, I Was Made to Love Her/Hold Me, Higher Ground/Too High, and Sir Duke/He's Misstra Know-It-All. I haven't had much luck finding Stevie 45s in other record stores so I was very happy to find all of these. There were more available, but I was happy with these five. I also grabbed a 45 of "Dancing in the Street" by David Bowie and Mick Jagger just for fun.

I played two Stevie albums on the drive back to campus: Fulfillingness' First Finale and Innervisions. I'm having a hard time picking a favorite Stevie album because I've really liked every one that I've heard. I told Dylan that I was tied between Innervisions and Music of My Mind but now I think Fulfillingness' First Finale may be up there. Songs in the Key of Life has grown on me a lot lately. I played the entire record recently and it really stuck with me that time. I brought all my Stevie LPs and 45s with me to campus so I can really give them a good listen. Hopefully I will pick a favorite some day.

4/25/16

Today is the 6th anniversary of a very special show I attended. It was my first time at the Orpheum, which is now my favorite concert venue. It was also my first time seeing Keith Emerson and Greg Lake. What makes that night particularly special is the fact that a number of people who were in that audience are now my friends. We all found each other through Facebook and the memory of that night connected us. Meeting those people led me to meet their friends, who, over time, became my friends. I now have a very special group of people I bond with through music and concerts. Sadly, I don't get to see them very often, but when I do, I make sure to cherish every moment.

The night of April 25, 2010, is now somewhat of a bittersweet memory to me, because it marked my first, and sadly, only time, seeing the late Keith Emerson. He blew everyone away and arguably stole the show. He put so much passion into every note he played. ELP were the first band to show me that you could have a successful band with piano as the dominant instrument. I had never heard of anything like that before, and I was stunned by it. It led me to develop a whole new appreciation for keyboard players.

I remember that Keith had so much to say that night, particularly during the Q&A session about halfway through the show. He told great stories about playing with The Nice and joining ELP. I enjoyed hearing the memories he shared. He really was a joy to watch and listen to. I will always remember that.

Thanks for an unforgettable night, Keith. We all miss you <3

4/23/16

I had the day to myself and decided to spend it in Hollywood. I had never gone down there all by myself before, so I was excited to try it out. I drove to North Hollywood Station and took the subway to Hollywood and Vine. After a lunch of buttermilk pancakes at The Waffle, I walked to Amoeba Music. This was my first trip to Amoeba of 2016. I spent most of the time looking for Stevie Wonder music. I found some good things. Firstly, I found a better used vinyl copy of Music of My Mind. In addition, I also got a copy of In Square Circle, which was available for just a few dollars. On CD, I got Songs in the Key of Life as well as Signed, Sealed, and Delivered. I haven't heard the latter yet, but I'm pretty confident that I will like it. I have a lot of confidence in Stevie's music.

On a sad note, I found out that a good music friend of mine died this morning. He and I never got to meet in person, but he often commented on my postings and had such nice things to say. For my birthday one year, he even sent me a very special gift: a drumstick he had caught from Graeme Edge at a Moody Blues concert he went to back in about 1987. I have that stick kept safely in the box in which it was shipped. It's very sad to see these friends of mine go. It's sad, but I know that everything that lives faces death someday. I wish that weren't the case, though…

Death has been a subject on the minds of many people lately, with so many musicians and celebrities dying, the latest being Prince. It's sad to see all these people going, not just because their lives are ending, but also because it reminds us of our own mortality. Everyone will die at some point, but hardly anyone wants to be reminded of that fact. Since I have had my share of loss in the past, I have learned to enjoy every moment I have with people I care about, because you just don't know when they won't be here anymore.

4/12/16

I wrote my first poem for poetry class. It had to be at least 20 lines long so it was a good start. I thought I would share it. I will keep the inspiration for it a secret and let you all interpret it in your own way.



At home, one day,
when the sun was out,
and the dogs began their daily ritual of watching the house,
I wondered if maybe something could have been done
so that he may still be here today.
Suddenly, I heard a strange and distinct sound-
Knock-knock-knock - on my front door,
though the dogs were not disturbed,
(as they normally would be)
and nothing was out of place.
I went and opened the door,
but there was no one there.
No one, not a person in sight,
though one dog followed an invisible sight across the yard with his eyes.
The wind was steady as a rock.
We tried to imagine what his last hour was like.
His last our on this earth, in our lives.
Ideally, he was at home, behind the keys,
playing a piece called “The Parting.”
When the song ended, so did he.

4/8/16

Week 2 of the third quarter is done. Spring quarter is already going by fast. 

Anyway, I've made a number of Stevie Wonder additions to my music collection. I ordered a CD of Fulfillingness' First Finale off of Amazon, which arrived yesterday. I played it on my portable CD player (yes, I have one of those). It sounds great, but I enjoy my vinyl copy of it as well. On vinyl, I also ordered copies of Stevie Wonder's Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants and Music of My Mind off of eBay last week. The Secret Life of Plants arrived yesterday but I'm still waiting on Music of My Mind. I gave The Secret Life of Plants a complete listen last night since I had time. Dylan suggested that I not listen to that one until I had heard Fulfillingness' First Finale, since it's very different from Stevie's other albums. From what I've read, it was the album that marked the end of his "classic" era, which supposedly lasted from Music of My Mind to Songs in the Key of Life. I liked it, but I will admit it definitely was not like the other Stevie albums I have heard. It's a soundtrack to a documentary, so maybe that's why. Apparently a lot of people were confused by it when it was first released. I'm going home next weekend so I think I will grab my other vinyl Stevie albums to take back with me.

I think of the two David Gilmour shows I went to every day. It really was an incredible experience both times, though the first show was the most special since it was the first time. I had never been moved to tears at a concert before, not even when I saw Roger Waters perform The Wall in 2010, but that was because it was not David who was playing the solo during "Comfortably Numb" at that show. As much as I loved hearing The Wall performed live, I longed to hear David play it with my own ears.

4/3/16

I don't have very long because I have to finish a close reading assignment for poetry class.

I came home this weekend. I left early Thursday afternoon since class got out early. I came home because on Friday night, dad and I went to see Steve Hackett at our favorite concert venue, the Orpheum. I know my way around that place as though it were my second home. We had front row mezzanine seats, but in reality, there's no such thing as a bad seat at the Orpheum. No matter where you're seated, you always have a good view of the stage and the sound is always perfect. We've seen more shows at this venue than anywhere else, so we've experienced shows from many different vantage points.

This Steve Hackett show was different from the Genesis Revisited show we saw back in December 2014. We loved that show so much that we couldn't pass up the opportunity to see Steve again. This show consisted of two sets: one of solo material, and one of Genesis material. I was surprised that only two Genesis songs that were played during the 2014 tour were included in this set. Everything else was different. That's good, though. It's nice to mix things up and play some tunes that you haven't played in a while. I actually liked the solo material a lot. I think I will have to start getting Steve's solo albums since we don't have any at the moment.

I saw a number of people at the show with David Gilmour shirts from the Rattle That Lock tour. It's great that so many people were able to see him at least once. I'm still reeling from that week. It's only been a week since the second show but it feels like it's been much longer. Part of me wishes I could go back and do it all over again, but that usually happens when I go to a great concert, especially a concert I had been looking forward to for a long time.

Dylan is very excited for my trip to Portland and our drive to the Gorge for the two Phish concerts. I am too. I need to get more familiar with Phish's music, though. So far, I've only heard Rift and Billy Breathes. The biggest record store near campus often has a large selection of Phish CDs and vinyl available, so I will look there once I get back to campus.

My essay for English

Here's what I wrote for that English assignment last quarter. I have to admit that I don't think it's as good as it could have been. We weren't given much time to write since it was os close to the end of the quarter. If I had had more time, I think I would have done much better. Anyway, here's what I wrote:

“It works because we said it worked." This was what John Lennon had to say in regards to whether he felt Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was, what many people were calling, the first concept album. Many believe this album was the first to introduce the use of elaborate album artwork, sound effects, and a central idea that would surround an entire record. It was 1967, and the British psychedelic movement was well underway. This was the year that saw the release of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper as well as Pink Floyd’s debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and The Moody Blues’ Days of Future Passed, the first prominent rock record to feature a full symphony orchestra. It was a time of experimentation and new ideas. The use of hallucinogens mixed with elements of jazz and influence from pioneers of American blues and R&B would soon give rise to a new musical movement that would forever challenge listeners and change the course of music: progressive rock, or “prog” for short. This was a movement that would combine classical music with rock, present lyrics inspired by works of literature and philosophical ideas, and introduce the presence of stage antics during live performances.

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is believed to be the first album that incorporated many different genres such as rock, jazz, blues, classical, and psychedelic. Prominent cultural figures of the 60s such as Timothy Leary attributed the album’s subtle philosophy to the way people felt about drugs (in songs such as “With a Little Help From My Friends” and “When I’m Sixty-Four”) and the desire for a cultural change based on peaceful values. Due to its suggested drug references, many songs off the album were banned from British radio. Sgt. Pepper inspired aspiring musicians to deviate from the norm and break away from the society they grew up in that enforced conformity and structure. The album influenced musicians that would go on to form bands like Yes, Genesis and King Crimson.

After the success of Sgt. Pepper, in 1969, a new band arose: King Crimson. Guitarist Robert Fripp, along with bass player Greg Lake, drummer Michael Giles, multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald, and lyricist Pete Sinfield, had their first rehearsal in January and their first show in April. They became an overnight success and soon after, began work on their debut album, which would mark the official start of the entire British progressive rock movement of the 60s and 70s: In the Court of the Crimson King. Lyrically, the album explored injustice, the fear and terror that arose from the Vietnam War, and a “lack of faith in traditional institutions.” The beginning track, “21^st Century Schizoid Man,” is illustrated by the album’s cover art, which depicts a close up of a man screaming in terror. According to Greg Lake, when the band saw the artwork for the album for the first time, they knew that they were staring directly into the face of the Schizoid Man. The image illustrated not just the opening track, but also the overall fear and confusion that existed within the world at the time. The inner gatefold of the LP depicts a “vampiric ghoul,” which is referred to as the “Crimson King.” He appears to be smiling, but when the smile is covered, his eyes display a kind of sadness to them. “Schizoid Man” features a jazz-influenced musical composition, complete with 6/8 time and heavily distorted vocals. The rest of the album, notably the songs “Epitaph” and “I Talk to the Wind,” contain lyrical symbolism expanding on the concepts of war and disillusion.

The rise of King Crimson had a massive influence on many musicians who were just starting out at the time, including the members of Yes. Although Yes felt “secretively competitive” with King Crimson, they gained much influence from them, and in 1971, they released their breakthrough album, The Yes Album. The album marks the moment Yes began to develop an established sound and really take off with their careers. This new approach and direction can be heard beginning with the first track, “Yours is No Disgrace,” which was the band’s first try at featuring lengthy musical introductions and guitar breaks. It is one of their longest recorded songs, clocking in at over nine and a half minutes. The second-to-last track on the record, “Starship Trooper,” displays the influence bassist Chris Squire and lead singer Jon Anderson gained from Simon and Garfunkel as well as the influence guitarist Steve Howe gained from players like Chet Atkins and Chuck Berry. The lyrics on the album (as well as those of future Yes albums) come from the spiritual ideations of Jon Anderson along with the spiritual texts that he had read.

While bands like Yes and King Crimson were developing their sounds, Pink Floyd were pushing the boundaries of rock music even further with their continued incorporation of psychedelic imagery with music. By the time they released their eighth and most successful studio album in 1973, Dark Side of the Moon, they had moved on from the “extended instrumental excursions” of their first few studio albums. With the absence of original member and key composer and lyricist, Syd Barrett, Roger Waters had taken over as the main lyricist and visionary creator. While it is debatable whether this album is a concept album, there is no denying that every track on Side A (From “Speak to Me” through “Great Gig in the Sky”) and every track on side B (From “Money” through “Eclipse”) flows into each other, taking listeners on a musical journey through topics such as war and racism (“Us and Them”), greed and 7/4 time (“Money”), and the process of living and dying (“Time” and “Great Gig in the Sky”). The album takes a close look at the “temporal nature of time” and everyday stresses. The track “Brain Damage” was inspired partially by Syd Barrett’s madness before leaving the band. Dark Side of the Moon is said to be one of the main albums that truly embodies the essence of prog rock and its timelessness through its use of broad themes that remain relevant today. The album’s world-famous cover artwork comes from keyboardist Rick Wright’s desire for a cover that was “clean and classy.” The signature image of the rainbow passing through the prism is what branded the band into the minds of rock listeners to this day.

While progressive music has received support from millions of people worldwide since it began, it has also been subject to endless amounts of negative criticism from various music magazines and critics. Many of them complain that this music is too complex for the common listener, and even pretentious at times. As a result, fans of progressive music have been considered to be part of a cult following. A prog concert is not like other concerts that we know today. At a prog concert, the audience connects not just with the band, but also with each other. Prog encourages musicians to step away from what is expected and to, instead, challenge their listeners to explore philosophical ideas that may not be present in traditional rock songs. It lets the world know that there are many stories left to tell, many concepts left to explore, and more musical ideas available than one can ever hope to exhaust. In a world where music is now thought to be repetitive and unoriginal, prog exists to challenge musicians to create music that is worthwhile to them, rather than what mainstream media is looking for. Rick Wakeman of Yes once described prog as being “freedom of your heart and freedom of your mind.”