i don't know what i can do to help this situation, but it's a rough one. it deals with the adoption of a youth named Alex, and trying to get him out of his terrible life as a street child in Ethiopia. this has been on my friend Brittany's blog for a while...check it out.
http://intothedeep.wordpress.com/2007/05/19/emergency-appeal-for-alex-do-something-people/
peace and God bless,
Nick
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Can Music "Shine" Through Evil?
I'm writing from my dorm at 4 AM, a bit tipsy from the last weekend before the last finals of the year at ONU. I don't want to leave, and I've been avoiding thinking about the end of the year.
Anyway, I was on Youtube watching a live video of Collective Soul playing "Shine", and, reading the comments, I was informed of the following: Cho Seng-Hui, the psycho who committed the Virginia Tech shooting, listened to "Shine" on repeat incessantly.
Wow. This is really crushing and disturbing. This haunting, beautiful song and I go way back. I moved heaven and earth trying to get an MP3 in 2001, and when I finally got the album that year, the spring before eighth grade graduation, Ross Childress' ripping solo helped drive me to wanting to learn guitar.
How could someone like Cho draw affirmation for their evil self from such a beautiful song and/or be utterly unaffected by the song's overall message and music: "Heaven let your light shine down"? How the FUCK can someone have the idea that it's okay to cut 32 lives short and yet still want to hear "Shine" over and over? These kind of things sure challenge my core belief that music (and all art) can permeate the soul, drive out evil, and bring love.
This article in the Village Voice offers an excellent commentary on the whole situation.
http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/music/archives/2007/04/collective_soul.php. Their conclusion is thus: like the innocence of a town or a "pre-tragedy" attitude, a song can be yet one more abstract "innocent casualty" of an overwhelming, horrifying event. This makes sense. Imagine: If I hit someone with my car while Van Halen's "Jump" were playing, that song would be over for me through no fault of Eddie and Diamond Dave.
I don't know how I'll regard "Shine" from now on, but I can say with fair confidence that for me, and that for 99.999% of people (ordinary citizens, spiritual warriors, and rock stars alike), a beautiful song is a little incongruous with murdering 32 innocent people.
I guess some .001% people are so twisted that their evil shell cannot be cracked, not by a song, not by anything in this earthly realm. But that still doesn't explain why Cho would want to hear this song.
P.S.
Speaking of the VT situation, it goes without saying to keep praying. And EVERYONE needs to see this memorial to the late students.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18143312/
Read the names and see the pictures. Make time to do this. Each and every one of these people deserves respect and a proper memory.
God bless,
Nick
Anyway, I was on Youtube watching a live video of Collective Soul playing "Shine", and, reading the comments, I was informed of the following: Cho Seng-Hui, the psycho who committed the Virginia Tech shooting, listened to "Shine" on repeat incessantly.
Wow. This is really crushing and disturbing. This haunting, beautiful song and I go way back. I moved heaven and earth trying to get an MP3 in 2001, and when I finally got the album that year, the spring before eighth grade graduation, Ross Childress' ripping solo helped drive me to wanting to learn guitar.
How could someone like Cho draw affirmation for their evil self from such a beautiful song and/or be utterly unaffected by the song's overall message and music: "Heaven let your light shine down"? How the FUCK can someone have the idea that it's okay to cut 32 lives short and yet still want to hear "Shine" over and over? These kind of things sure challenge my core belief that music (and all art) can permeate the soul, drive out evil, and bring love.
This article in the Village Voice offers an excellent commentary on the whole situation.
http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/music/archives/2007/04/collective_soul.php. Their conclusion is thus: like the innocence of a town or a "pre-tragedy" attitude, a song can be yet one more abstract "innocent casualty" of an overwhelming, horrifying event. This makes sense. Imagine: If I hit someone with my car while Van Halen's "Jump" were playing, that song would be over for me through no fault of Eddie and Diamond Dave.
I don't know how I'll regard "Shine" from now on, but I can say with fair confidence that for me, and that for 99.999% of people (ordinary citizens, spiritual warriors, and rock stars alike), a beautiful song is a little incongruous with murdering 32 innocent people.
I guess some .001% people are so twisted that their evil shell cannot be cracked, not by a song, not by anything in this earthly realm. But that still doesn't explain why Cho would want to hear this song.
P.S.
Speaking of the VT situation, it goes without saying to keep praying. And EVERYONE needs to see this memorial to the late students.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18143312/
Read the names and see the pictures. Make time to do this. Each and every one of these people deserves respect and a proper memory.
God bless,
Nick
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Profound Revelation: Part 1
This idea came to me as I was trying to nap, and I had to get up and write it down.
In terms of the most exaggerated, cookie cutter, lame junior high stereotypes, you have the "jocks" and the "nerds". The attractive, socially adept, cool kids vs. the less-adept kids who are fucking geniuses in creativity or thought. I was a nerd. I'm still learning to accept that. But that's not the point.
Let's think about how (male) members of these two groups might insult each other in stirring up a fight. In this corner, we have the jock with the sexy girlfriend, good slang, and cool status. What would someone stereotype him for lacking and tease him about? They'd call the jock a dumbass, leaping to the foolish conclusion that they must be totally stupid.
In this corner, we have the nerd who may or may not be up to par socially, but who lacks the clout of his jock-y counterpart in spite of brilliant mental capacity and a very deep way of seeing the world. How do you insult the nerd? Call him on his nerdiness; point out that he lacks a hot girl, a social life and mad hoop skillz.
The nerds insult the jocks by saying the jocks lack smart cred, which the nerds have and the jocks want. The jocks insult the nerds by saying the nerds lack social cred, which the jocks have and the nerd wants.
In conclusion, each person wants what the other person has, and not what they already possess.
In terms of the most exaggerated, cookie cutter, lame junior high stereotypes, you have the "jocks" and the "nerds". The attractive, socially adept, cool kids vs. the less-adept kids who are fucking geniuses in creativity or thought. I was a nerd. I'm still learning to accept that. But that's not the point.
Let's think about how (male) members of these two groups might insult each other in stirring up a fight. In this corner, we have the jock with the sexy girlfriend, good slang, and cool status. What would someone stereotype him for lacking and tease him about? They'd call the jock a dumbass, leaping to the foolish conclusion that they must be totally stupid.
In this corner, we have the nerd who may or may not be up to par socially, but who lacks the clout of his jock-y counterpart in spite of brilliant mental capacity and a very deep way of seeing the world. How do you insult the nerd? Call him on his nerdiness; point out that he lacks a hot girl, a social life and mad hoop skillz.
The nerds insult the jocks by saying the jocks lack smart cred, which the nerds have and the jocks want. The jocks insult the nerds by saying the nerds lack social cred, which the jocks have and the nerd wants.
In conclusion, each person wants what the other person has, and not what they already possess.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Critique of Fall Out Boy's Single Based On One Full Listen in My Car
...in one paragraph.
I've heard bits of the song, "This Ain't A Scene, It's an Arms Race" at miscellaneous parties (meaning I just heard muffled noise and maybe a little bass) but I finally was "priveleged" with a full listen on my car radio. When I first heard the danceable verse beat, and the shallow-yet-catchy lyrics about words and weapons, I was engaged. Even the yelled title section, with its snarky wit and its unnecessary use of the Lord's name in vain, gets in your head and makes you want to yell along. Then it all was ruined. The chorus hit me. That stupid BOOM BOOM CHA double beat which I hate (except in the context of At the Drive In or me drumming it myself as a joke) came up. Why, oh why? That thumping bass drum, like the heart beat of a whining emo kid....it's so CLICHE! It makes me want to jump into a mosh pit, not to feel the energy of the song, but to instead beat the ass of whoever supports the idea for that damn beat.
Final Grade of Song : B minus
Peace and God bless,
Nick Fed
I've heard bits of the song, "This Ain't A Scene, It's an Arms Race" at miscellaneous parties (meaning I just heard muffled noise and maybe a little bass) but I finally was "priveleged" with a full listen on my car radio. When I first heard the danceable verse beat, and the shallow-yet-catchy lyrics about words and weapons, I was engaged. Even the yelled title section, with its snarky wit and its unnecessary use of the Lord's name in vain, gets in your head and makes you want to yell along. Then it all was ruined. The chorus hit me. That stupid BOOM BOOM CHA double beat which I hate (except in the context of At the Drive In or me drumming it myself as a joke) came up. Why, oh why? That thumping bass drum, like the heart beat of a whining emo kid....it's so CLICHE! It makes me want to jump into a mosh pit, not to feel the energy of the song, but to instead beat the ass of whoever supports the idea for that damn beat.
Final Grade of Song : B minus
Peace and God bless,
Nick Fed
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
rock and roll
I can't stand when I still occasionally hear relgious fundies talk about rock as "the devil's music" or "fleshy music" or "the empty music of the world". I see rock as a very spiritual and positive thing. When I listen to "When the Levee Breaks" or "Us and Them" or "Jump", I don't think, "Gee, this song makes me want to disregard the people around me and live arrogantly for myself with selfish actions!" A good song makes me want to strive upwards, appreciate the beauty of life, and get more in touch with the love of God and the universe. And isn't that a good thing?
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Why Myspace bulletins are stupid
I logged into my myspace to check bulletins and I noticed one of my friends posted a bulletin with their name done obituary style. For example, "BOB SCHMITT* 1986-2007".
* Bob Schmitt is the best pseudonym ever.
Here's what the bulletin read:
Ooookay. First of all, these kind of "if you don't ___, you will ___" things are annoying anyway, but to make a threat towards someone's FAMILY??? Not only is this disrespectful to my friends who have actually lost one of their parents or someone close, but how dare a fucking text bulletin on the Internet make a threat towards my family?!! Who the fuck would make such a thing? And for those of you who would repost such a thing- I guess it's good that you demonstrate care for your family even through superstition- but the God of the universe Who loves us is not going to let harm befall you or your family because of a fucking Internet bulletin. Shit happens in this world, but it definitely isn't caused as a result of you not posting a bulletin.
In conclusion, Myspace is annoying and if Myspace could be incarnated into a single human entity (probably a whining emo guy), I would beat its ass.
Peace,
Nick Fed
* Bob Schmitt is the best pseudonym ever.
Here's what the bulletin read:
You opened it which means u really care....!!!!! Because you opened it now
you have to repost this saying R.I.P. with your name, the year you were born,
and the year now. If you don't your mother will die in 12 days w/a horrible
sickness but if you do the one person you truly love will show you their true
feelings for you...........!!!!!!
Ooookay. First of all, these kind of "if you don't ___, you will ___" things are annoying anyway, but to make a threat towards someone's FAMILY??? Not only is this disrespectful to my friends who have actually lost one of their parents or someone close, but how dare a fucking text bulletin on the Internet make a threat towards my family?!! Who the fuck would make such a thing? And for those of you who would repost such a thing- I guess it's good that you demonstrate care for your family even through superstition- but the God of the universe Who loves us is not going to let harm befall you or your family because of a fucking Internet bulletin. Shit happens in this world, but it definitely isn't caused as a result of you not posting a bulletin.
In conclusion, Myspace is annoying and if Myspace could be incarnated into a single human entity (probably a whining emo guy), I would beat its ass.
Peace,
Nick Fed
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Free Thought or Disrespect? (Blasphemy Challenge)
I'm writing this to explore some complicated feelings. My friend Jeremy Smith wrote an entry on his blog about something called the Blasphemy Challenge. Google or Wikipedia it if you want; I'm not going to link to it. Essentially, this atheist/"anti-irrationality" group has isolated the biblical excerpt about "he who blasphemes the Holy Spirit commits an unpardonable sin", and is encouraging people to deny the Holy Spirit in YouTube videos to get a free DVD.
This is a tough issue for me in a lot of ways. Firstly, it brings up a lot of baggage. Early in my Christian journey, I struggled with the idea that the wrong choice of words or opinions can shut someone off from God's grace permanently. (Also, someone like me with minor obsessive compulsive tendencies will go crazy over the idea that there is an "unforgivable" thing to think or say).
Thank God, I was able to resolve this issue by placing an emphasis on God's love above a focus on biblical literalism (an emphasis I developed from experiencing God's real love through His creation- from friends and puppies to rock music). I had a great Orthodox priest explain to me in vivid, profane examples that the passage doesn't refer to literal blasphemy per se. I also realized that God loves people beyond measure and nothing can seperate us from the love of God.
So I believe that these people who deny the Holy Spirit on YouTube can and will be forgiven. So what's the big deal? The big deal is that the Blasphemy Challenge raises a struggle, in me, between respectfulness and free thought.
On the one hand, people should be allowed to use their God-given intellect to speak and think without restriction. On the other hand, a site like this strikes me as just disrespectful, both to God and to Christian individuals.
I am not the kind of person to tiptoe around things to avoid offending people. But there's a difference. To enjoy offensive irreverent humor, to stand up for your actions and beliefs, to ask any question no matter how blasphemous- this is one thing. It's something else to go out there and deliberately try to upset people (Christians) who have really done nothing to deserve it (even if there are serious problems with fundamentalism, aren't we supposed to love the sinner and hate the sin, or hate the game and not the player?)
It seems that there are better ways to question religion than by upsetting people and deliberately encouraging others to do something disrespectful. I have really mixed feelings about this site. It seems completely different than something like Moral Orel or The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told or The New Sins- things which tweak traditional religion to serve a greater goal and provoke thought.
Instead, the Blasphemy Challenge sets out merely to shock, offend, and encourage people to behave disrespectfully both to God and to sensitive Christians.
What do you think?
This is a tough issue for me in a lot of ways. Firstly, it brings up a lot of baggage. Early in my Christian journey, I struggled with the idea that the wrong choice of words or opinions can shut someone off from God's grace permanently. (Also, someone like me with minor obsessive compulsive tendencies will go crazy over the idea that there is an "unforgivable" thing to think or say).
Thank God, I was able to resolve this issue by placing an emphasis on God's love above a focus on biblical literalism (an emphasis I developed from experiencing God's real love through His creation- from friends and puppies to rock music). I had a great Orthodox priest explain to me in vivid, profane examples that the passage doesn't refer to literal blasphemy per se. I also realized that God loves people beyond measure and nothing can seperate us from the love of God.
So I believe that these people who deny the Holy Spirit on YouTube can and will be forgiven. So what's the big deal? The big deal is that the Blasphemy Challenge raises a struggle, in me, between respectfulness and free thought.
On the one hand, people should be allowed to use their God-given intellect to speak and think without restriction. On the other hand, a site like this strikes me as just disrespectful, both to God and to Christian individuals.
I am not the kind of person to tiptoe around things to avoid offending people. But there's a difference. To enjoy offensive irreverent humor, to stand up for your actions and beliefs, to ask any question no matter how blasphemous- this is one thing. It's something else to go out there and deliberately try to upset people (Christians) who have really done nothing to deserve it (even if there are serious problems with fundamentalism, aren't we supposed to love the sinner and hate the sin, or hate the game and not the player?)
It seems that there are better ways to question religion than by upsetting people and deliberately encouraging others to do something disrespectful. I have really mixed feelings about this site. It seems completely different than something like Moral Orel or The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told or The New Sins- things which tweak traditional religion to serve a greater goal and provoke thought.
Instead, the Blasphemy Challenge sets out merely to shock, offend, and encourage people to behave disrespectfully both to God and to sensitive Christians.
What do you think?
Sunday, March 4, 2007
How I spent my spring break....
The jubilation I felt when I got in my Mazda 3 and fled ONU campus for spring break was an indescribable rush of non-substance-induced ecstasy. Although I love college life (and this quarter afforded me wild opportunities ranging from partying with Argentinans to playing guitar in a 1960s version of Shakespeare)....all things (and quarters) must come to an end, thank God. No more sleeping through my 9 o clock, no more discussions on things I haven't read....I cranked up Talking Heads' "Once in a Lifetime" and Mogwai's "Yes! I am a long way from home" and blasted down US-30, using my skills and experience to spot and avoid those nasty speed traps.
So what did I do with my time in Kalamazoo? Well, I didn't do anything too earth shattering or exciting, but I still think it was a worthwhile break. Essentially, shitty weather and feeling sick conspired to keep me chillin at home...either I was too worn out and tired or the roads were too bad and I tended to not want to go anywhere. I did get to work a LOT in ProTools. I did get to see my old friend Pastor Mike and hear about his mission trips, got to jam with my priest (yes, you read it right!), got to see Josh and Brian for a bit, and got to go to the blues bar.
That said, I feel like break came and went really fast and I didn't get a chance to see everyone I wanted to. (That's part of why I'm glad I'm coming back to K-town next weekend too...to get my money's worth on this "time at home" thing). Yet I am hopeful and not depressed. Why? Because of some things I learned over break. I had some interesting conversations (and arguments) with my folks about how I sometimes tend to drag myself down with negativity and doubt. Long story short, the conclusion I have reached is that even though shit happens and some pretty depressing failures loom in the past, I don't have to make myself miserable.
I can choose today whether to dwell on failures of the past or to instead look ahead to what I can do right now. And right now I am choosing to look on the bright side. Tommorow morning begins a new quarter. New classes, new chances to actually study, new chances to really appreciate my friends, new chances to jam, a new cell phone that WORKS and will get activateds soon, new chances to focus on all the good things in my life, new chances to thank God for the fact that there is much in the world to be thankful for, and that I am alive in it.
Peace and God bless,
Nick
So what did I do with my time in Kalamazoo? Well, I didn't do anything too earth shattering or exciting, but I still think it was a worthwhile break. Essentially, shitty weather and feeling sick conspired to keep me chillin at home...either I was too worn out and tired or the roads were too bad and I tended to not want to go anywhere. I did get to work a LOT in ProTools. I did get to see my old friend Pastor Mike and hear about his mission trips, got to jam with my priest (yes, you read it right!), got to see Josh and Brian for a bit, and got to go to the blues bar.
That said, I feel like break came and went really fast and I didn't get a chance to see everyone I wanted to. (That's part of why I'm glad I'm coming back to K-town next weekend too...to get my money's worth on this "time at home" thing). Yet I am hopeful and not depressed. Why? Because of some things I learned over break. I had some interesting conversations (and arguments) with my folks about how I sometimes tend to drag myself down with negativity and doubt. Long story short, the conclusion I have reached is that even though shit happens and some pretty depressing failures loom in the past, I don't have to make myself miserable.
I can choose today whether to dwell on failures of the past or to instead look ahead to what I can do right now. And right now I am choosing to look on the bright side. Tommorow morning begins a new quarter. New classes, new chances to actually study, new chances to really appreciate my friends, new chances to jam, a new cell phone that WORKS and will get activateds soon, new chances to focus on all the good things in my life, new chances to thank God for the fact that there is much in the world to be thankful for, and that I am alive in it.
Peace and God bless,
Nick
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Van Halen Reunion MIGHT NOT HAPPEN???!!
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/cl-et-vanhalenfeb23,0,932790.story?coll=la-home-entertainment
Read it and weep, if you will. Some fine journalism regardless of your opinion.
Could it be that God is punishing Van Halen for kicking out Michael Anthony? (I have mixed feelings about Eddie's son playing bass- it's a strange mixture of family sweetness and pure rockstar dysfunction, and it ain't VH without Mike.) Or could it be that Eddie's impetuous personality has finally caught up with him?
Peace and God bless,
Nick Fed
Read it and weep, if you will. Some fine journalism regardless of your opinion.
Could it be that God is punishing Van Halen for kicking out Michael Anthony? (I have mixed feelings about Eddie's son playing bass- it's a strange mixture of family sweetness and pure rockstar dysfunction, and it ain't VH without Mike.) Or could it be that Eddie's impetuous personality has finally caught up with him?
Peace and God bless,
Nick Fed
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Finally new music...
Well, here's what I choose to do in the middle of finals weekend: finally update my Myspace.
http://www.myspace.com/nickfederinkosolo
I have been informed by several people that the wait for new material has just been unbearable, so even though I was kind of waiting to knock everybody out (yeah right) all at once with four finished songs, I will put up two things I have now so everyone can get a hint of what I've been up to.
And I'm going back to my studio at home in less than a week so I should be finishing up the things I was waiting on...they'll be up soon :)
For now, I present to you "654" and "The Overpass Song". The first, "654", was literally the first thing I created in the year 2007 (aside from "creating" a piss first thing in the morning). I got back from New Years, spending the night at the Radisson in K-town and crashing a "James Bond" tuxedo affair....in my jeans and baseball cap. It was a fun experience that was rife with imagery of glamour, glitz, and shallow decay disguised as expensive alcohol. I used my new Roland Jazz Chorus amp and banged out a jazz progression that came to me pretty fast. I played all the instruments on this song on my Protools setup. I sought to capture the feel of John Lennon's later material mixed with Pink Floyd, and I ended up with a sweet Steely Dan guitar solo after like 20 takes.
I also play everything on "The Overpass Song." This is currently just an instrumental demo of a bigger idea I have (hence the lack of downloadability, so it can't come back to haunt me), but I think it's a fun little ditty so I'm putting it up. The big snare and overprominent bass drum were supposed to rip off the Killers, but my mom said it reminds her of the Who. Still an excellent group to rip off.
Please offer up any feedback you have. I hope I've brightened your day, warmed your soul, made you look to the sky and think of higher things, or at least given you something to do. Stay cool, America.
Peace and God bless,
Nick Fed
Have you ever heard James Earl Jones read the Bible?
I have, on my Ipod (which used to be my dad's IPod until I fried my IPods batteries, and I asked him why he wasn't using his), the Bible as read by Darth Vader. It's pretty intense. That booming voice...it's like having the toughest preacher ever.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
NO CLASS TODAY!!! SNOW DAY!!!
Snow Day in college!!!
It is windy and biting out there. This was a nice surprise as I was getting ready to leave for my 9 o'clock and wondering how I was gonna squeeze my work in between classes.
Thank God for small favors.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Thank God I didn't watch the Grammys....(MURDER OF HOTEL CALIFORNIA)
Even though I was told the Police reunion was solid, I read something in the news today that made me so happy I didn't watch the Grammys.
Rascal Flatts covered Hotel California.
Let that sink in for a second. Hotel California- one of the greatest epic rock songs ever written, for both lyrics and music- was covered by Rascal Flatts- a midtempo pop-country band shallowly adored for their clean cut good looks by pretty much any attractive girl. (Nine times out of ten, if you ask an attractive girl whether they like Rascal Flatts, they will answer "I LOVE Rascal Flatts!". Disclaimer: quote is not statisticaly significant and is instead utter bollocks.)
What blasphemy! This is like having a live TV special with Hinder covering "Stairway to Heaven", or Lil Jon covering Tupac's "Changes", or Nickelback covering "Hey Jude" **.
You can't fuck with the classics, especially if you are nowhere near the level of the original artist. If a band with "classic" status covered a song with "classic" status, it'd be a bit more forgivable- for instance, if someone like U2 or Pearl Jam did such a cover, it wouldn't be bad, because these artists have earned credibility. But Rascal Flatts, daring to touch one of the greatest songs of all time?
No respect.
CLARIFICATION- If a small, local band is covering a song like "Hotel California" to get people grooving at a bar, it is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. You're playing for the joy of playing, and possibly to get drinks and/or a hookup. The problem with Rascal Flatts is that not only are they very successful with their own material (unlike a small local band) and not in need of flashy covers, but they did this cover on TV in front of millions. If they did it at one of their concerts, where people paid to see them (and their own style when they play both their own music and others' music), this could even be acceptable. But for a very new popular band to cover "Hotel California", on TV, to an audience of millions, endorsed by the Grammys, is unacceptable.
Peace and God bless,
Nick Fed
**I'd make a snide comment about Shinedown covering "Simple Kind of Man", but I will admit to the guilty pleasure of loving their singer's voice on that cover.
Rascal Flatts covered Hotel California.
Let that sink in for a second. Hotel California- one of the greatest epic rock songs ever written, for both lyrics and music- was covered by Rascal Flatts- a midtempo pop-country band shallowly adored for their clean cut good looks by pretty much any attractive girl. (Nine times out of ten, if you ask an attractive girl whether they like Rascal Flatts, they will answer "I LOVE Rascal Flatts!". Disclaimer: quote is not statisticaly significant and is instead utter bollocks.)
What blasphemy! This is like having a live TV special with Hinder covering "Stairway to Heaven", or Lil Jon covering Tupac's "Changes", or Nickelback covering "Hey Jude" **.
You can't fuck with the classics, especially if you are nowhere near the level of the original artist. If a band with "classic" status covered a song with "classic" status, it'd be a bit more forgivable- for instance, if someone like U2 or Pearl Jam did such a cover, it wouldn't be bad, because these artists have earned credibility. But Rascal Flatts, daring to touch one of the greatest songs of all time?
No respect.
CLARIFICATION- If a small, local band is covering a song like "Hotel California" to get people grooving at a bar, it is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. You're playing for the joy of playing, and possibly to get drinks and/or a hookup. The problem with Rascal Flatts is that not only are they very successful with their own material (unlike a small local band) and not in need of flashy covers, but they did this cover on TV in front of millions. If they did it at one of their concerts, where people paid to see them (and their own style when they play both their own music and others' music), this could even be acceptable. But for a very new popular band to cover "Hotel California", on TV, to an audience of millions, endorsed by the Grammys, is unacceptable.
Peace and God bless,
Nick Fed
**I'd make a snide comment about Shinedown covering "Simple Kind of Man", but I will admit to the guilty pleasure of loving their singer's voice on that cover.
Friday, February 9, 2007
INCREDIBLE STORY OF THE WEEK!
Read up on this guy...a mathematical genius beyond anything we could imagine, and all because of epilepsy and the disorder of synthesia- where the senses mix together (i.e seeing music as colors). Here, Daniel Tammet is able to solve incredibly complex math problems and calculate Pi to thousands of decimal places because he can visualize numbers as colors and mix them.
http://www.mymultiplesclerosis.co.uk/misc/danieltammet.html
Wow. What does this say about what our human minds are truly capable of?
Peace and God bless,
Nick
http://www.mymultiplesclerosis.co.uk/misc/danieltammet.html
Wow. What does this say about what our human minds are truly capable of?
Peace and God bless,
Nick
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Why Live Theatre Is Incredible
Opening night of our 1960s adaptation of 12th Night, and it went outstandingly well. Small crowd, but a very engaged one, and it fed the energy of the show.
One of the most exciting moments of the night actually was an accident. At one point, Sir Toby Belch (played excellently by our good man Robert) hits a button on an eight track player, and "Get Off Of My Cloud" is supposed to be cued and a wild dance number ensues. Tonight, he hit the button, and nothing happened. As the silence grew longer, the uneasy feeling that something had gone wrong sank into those in the pit.
Toby Belch (Robert) looks over at us and asks us "You guys got anything?" I tentatively hit a quick note and stop, unsure of what to do. Our bassist and bandleader Greg, sitting behind drums for a bit while our drummer had a percussion ensemble commitment, starts a rough, raw, fast beat much like the one of the planned sound cue. I come in, trying my damndest to play the chords of "Get Offa My Cloud". BJ stars playing lead on his acoustic. Our director, Lloyd, sitting at the piano, flips through his charts trying to find out what sheet music we're playing. A few seconds later, the cast starts dancing as planned. Robert climbs on a table and belts "Louie Louie" over the groove. All is well with the world.
Our stage manager, Marci, gives us an exaggerated Buddhist "bow of honor" and a huge thank you. We play out the first half of the show...and when we walk off into the green room, the cast is waiting to give us a round of applause and thank us for "pulling something amazing out of our asses." The warm feeling of success, creation, musicality, and improvised well-execution rushes over me.
I remember in high school we did a production of Anything Goes (the first show where I played guitar in the pit) and one character played by my good man John H had a machine gun that he first refers to as "Putt Putt Putt". One night, another character knocked the gun onto the floor and it fell apart. John H, without missing a beat, yells "You broke Putt Putt!" The audience was in stitches, and so was the cast- it was easily one of the most memorable moments of the whole run.
It is this delicate, fluid quality of live theatre that is so incredible. And it's not just the possibility that something doesn't go as planned- it's the possibility that something unplanned can actually work out better, having the desired effect on the audience, and also bringing an indescribable rush of joy to those who know, and appreciate, the contrast between what sucessfully happened and what was supposed to happen.
Peace and God bless,
Nick
One of the most exciting moments of the night actually was an accident. At one point, Sir Toby Belch (played excellently by our good man Robert) hits a button on an eight track player, and "Get Off Of My Cloud" is supposed to be cued and a wild dance number ensues. Tonight, he hit the button, and nothing happened. As the silence grew longer, the uneasy feeling that something had gone wrong sank into those in the pit.
Toby Belch (Robert) looks over at us and asks us "You guys got anything?" I tentatively hit a quick note and stop, unsure of what to do. Our bassist and bandleader Greg, sitting behind drums for a bit while our drummer had a percussion ensemble commitment, starts a rough, raw, fast beat much like the one of the planned sound cue. I come in, trying my damndest to play the chords of "Get Offa My Cloud". BJ stars playing lead on his acoustic. Our director, Lloyd, sitting at the piano, flips through his charts trying to find out what sheet music we're playing. A few seconds later, the cast starts dancing as planned. Robert climbs on a table and belts "Louie Louie" over the groove. All is well with the world.
Our stage manager, Marci, gives us an exaggerated Buddhist "bow of honor" and a huge thank you. We play out the first half of the show...and when we walk off into the green room, the cast is waiting to give us a round of applause and thank us for "pulling something amazing out of our asses." The warm feeling of success, creation, musicality, and improvised well-execution rushes over me.
I remember in high school we did a production of Anything Goes (the first show where I played guitar in the pit) and one character played by my good man John H had a machine gun that he first refers to as "Putt Putt Putt". One night, another character knocked the gun onto the floor and it fell apart. John H, without missing a beat, yells "You broke Putt Putt!" The audience was in stitches, and so was the cast- it was easily one of the most memorable moments of the whole run.
It is this delicate, fluid quality of live theatre that is so incredible. And it's not just the possibility that something doesn't go as planned- it's the possibility that something unplanned can actually work out better, having the desired effect on the audience, and also bringing an indescribable rush of joy to those who know, and appreciate, the contrast between what sucessfully happened and what was supposed to happen.
Peace and God bless,
Nick
Monday, February 5, 2007
this ever changing world in which we live in
Had to start with a Paul McCartney quote. How else to start anything on the right foot?
So my mom, in a bout of her usual Internet paranoia, decided to go to this site and look up registered sex offenders in our neighborhood. Pretty scary, to say the least. Looking at the pictures of the offenders, it makes you shudder; you can see in their eyes and face that something just isn't right. Something has snapped inside and these people have become consumed with horrific, evil desires to do things that are far below humanity.
I've read statistics, I've seen bits of the MSNBC "To Catch a Predator", I've spoken with our resident expert on crime, Dr. Durkin....but I can't make up my mind as to the level of fear I should hold. Clearly there are lots of twisted people willing to do horrible things out there. That can't be denied. (The question of "Why does God allow this stuff to exist in this world?" is one for another day...)
But how much can you worry, or rather, how much can you turn a blind eye? To one extreme, you can totally shut your eyes. You can pretend this kind of evil doesn't exist, turn up the happy music, and live in denial. To the other extreme, you can see yourself as a warrior, always having to be on guard, always fighting to protect yourself from the worst kind of evil, being overly cautious and paranoid, and never going outside alone for fear of what might happen.
Shit happens in this world, no matter how prepared or "aware" you are of it. Tragic accidents, violent crime...these things happen to people who fear it and to people who don't expect it. May God grant that none of us ever are faced with the horrible kind of evil these offenders represent.
You can't prevent awful things from happening, but you might also be able to take steps to avoid them. But what steps are too far? Let's return to our two extremes: You could never get in a car for fear of crashing, never talk to new people for fear they might be a psycho killer (fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa), never enjoy a nice solitary walk outside for fear of being attacked...or you could blindly assume everyone you see is safe and that "nothing will ever happen to me". Two extremes. Where is the balance?
The problem with a "moderate" stance, as with anything in the middle, is that there's no clearly defined answer. I guess one just has to try their damndest to be cautious without being paranoid, be outgoing without being unaware of potential danger. I also think we have an instinct, a way of picking up "vibes" from people. Brian Wilson sang about "good vibrations", and we can also pick up bad ones; that uneasy feeling you get seeing a picture of a rapist tells you something on a primal level, that on some subconscious level something is not right. This instinct can be a useful thing. Oh yeah, and you should probably ask God for guidance too, of course. He knows. Everything.
Thoughts?
So my mom, in a bout of her usual Internet paranoia, decided to go to this site and look up registered sex offenders in our neighborhood. Pretty scary, to say the least. Looking at the pictures of the offenders, it makes you shudder; you can see in their eyes and face that something just isn't right. Something has snapped inside and these people have become consumed with horrific, evil desires to do things that are far below humanity.
I've read statistics, I've seen bits of the MSNBC "To Catch a Predator", I've spoken with our resident expert on crime, Dr. Durkin....but I can't make up my mind as to the level of fear I should hold. Clearly there are lots of twisted people willing to do horrible things out there. That can't be denied. (The question of "Why does God allow this stuff to exist in this world?" is one for another day...)
But how much can you worry, or rather, how much can you turn a blind eye? To one extreme, you can totally shut your eyes. You can pretend this kind of evil doesn't exist, turn up the happy music, and live in denial. To the other extreme, you can see yourself as a warrior, always having to be on guard, always fighting to protect yourself from the worst kind of evil, being overly cautious and paranoid, and never going outside alone for fear of what might happen.
Shit happens in this world, no matter how prepared or "aware" you are of it. Tragic accidents, violent crime...these things happen to people who fear it and to people who don't expect it. May God grant that none of us ever are faced with the horrible kind of evil these offenders represent.
You can't prevent awful things from happening, but you might also be able to take steps to avoid them. But what steps are too far? Let's return to our two extremes: You could never get in a car for fear of crashing, never talk to new people for fear they might be a psycho killer (fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa), never enjoy a nice solitary walk outside for fear of being attacked...or you could blindly assume everyone you see is safe and that "nothing will ever happen to me". Two extremes. Where is the balance?
The problem with a "moderate" stance, as with anything in the middle, is that there's no clearly defined answer. I guess one just has to try their damndest to be cautious without being paranoid, be outgoing without being unaware of potential danger. I also think we have an instinct, a way of picking up "vibes" from people. Brian Wilson sang about "good vibrations", and we can also pick up bad ones; that uneasy feeling you get seeing a picture of a rapist tells you something on a primal level, that on some subconscious level something is not right. This instinct can be a useful thing. Oh yeah, and you should probably ask God for guidance too, of course. He knows. Everything.
Thoughts?
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Philosophy, Superbowl, Theatre, Courtesy Vans....
Wow, that title is a mouthful. I basically wanted to do seperate blog entries for each item, but I've been really busy (and my soul will be consumed by Twelth Night for the next week) so I'm gonna write a little bit about each item. But first....some heavy stuff.
-Today I ordered Padrones' breadsticks with Marinara sauce. Delicious. I did the usual thing of dipping in the sauce before each bite...and then I took a bite of plain bread by itself. I was struck by the warmth of the dough, its softness, the grease on my fingers....I realized that although the sauce adds something, there's also a benefit to isolating a specific small thing and appreciating it as it is. It should be like that with all of life. We tend to fill up with so many different obligations and activities, creating a crazy "mix" of "flavors"...but do we ever appreciate the small things? How much do we fail to appreciate even the things we hate like walking in the wind or climbing out of bed? Let the web of implications unfold....
-Speaking of the web of implications, I've been working with BJ and Greg from the famous Enough for our performance of Shakespeare's 12th Night. We're basically performing the original Shakespeare, but in a 1960s setting with a backing band, and some sweet new original 60s style songs by Jon Negus. He's actually flown to ONU to help us with the material. It's been really busy but it's also a blast. When I was in our first long rehearsal on Saturday, I remembered why I love the theatre. People hanging out and wisecracking and doing whatever they can to survive extensive rehearsals. It's always a great time. Now if only I could act...
-Ah, the Superbowl. What can be said? I didn't get to see much of the game because of the aforementioned rehearsal. I'm a Bears fan, but I knew realistically the Colts would dominate them. Great defense or not, Grossman's inconsistency was gonna be the death of Da Bears eventually. Oh well. We made it to the Big Game, for the first time in a while, and now we're prepped to go again next year! The only bad part is now I have to hear the Colts get sucked off by the press (and their fans) this whole week.
-One thing our school did re: the Superbowl that made me smile was our cafeteria menu. They had two lines, Bears (Chicago-style chili dogs) vs. Colts (country chicken + mashed potatoes). I also got a fuzzy feeling today when I read our school was offering courtesy vans that you could call to take you from your dorm to class, avoiding the freezing wind. Our school is so heartwarmingly nice sometimes. I love this place.
If music be the food of love, play on!
Peace and God bless,
Nick Fed
Nick Fed
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
MUSIC THAT CHANGED MY LIFE: Van Halen
(I’m going to do one of these every week for a different artist or song.)
It’s difficult to describe my complicated and beautiful history with this rockin’ band that can make you wanna party but can also give you the chills.
Back in middle school, when I thought I knew music but listened to mostly the Rick Dees show and pop radio, I was always able to pigeonhole artists I had barely heard. Pink Floyd’s music was spacey and dragged on with moaning vocals. U2 was just that signature annoying guitar chime. And Van Halen made loud noise for the class-cutting dropouts. I had heard “Jump” on the radio and vaguely knew it was them, but it was just another one of those songs before my time that I heard on the radio and didn’t connect with.
I can’t remember what triggered the transformation, but I know sometime in sophomore year, as I was getting more into guitar, I was struck by the big synth chords, and that badass solo, of “Jump”. Like it was with all new things at first, I hesitantly tiptoed in, worried that people might see me and laugh. I downloaded “Jump” off of filesharing and buried it as the last track on a CD-R mix before I went down to University of North Carolina at Wilmington for a writing camp that summer.
At some point, we were driving through this small town in Virginia, or Ohio, or one of those states. Not the kind of small town where homophobic redneck youth drive fast cars and old white Republicans have picnics. No, no. It was the kind of small town where kids walked to the ice cream stand and the town square fountain hadn’t been closed for liability. It was a bright day and I put “Jump” on in my headphones. Thoughts raced through my head. The small town reminded me of “Back to the Future”; I thought of Marty McFly trying to make it as a rocker in an iconic small town. The small towns where there are so many ways you could have fun, where kids like me make bold plans to change their world and get the girl. After listening, I was ready for anything. When I went to UNCW the next summer, I had a CD-R devoted solely to Van Halen.
I would listen to a Van Halen song extensively around a certain time, and hear it in my head when the music stopped and I got back to reality. Those times will always be associated with certain tracks. Ironically enough, this slacker band was my motivator for “the most academically difficult” junior year. Even though I was the antithesis of a Van Halen fan, being trapped in a ludicrous academic workload with no fast car or hot girl, their music connected with me—those guitar acrobatics, the rumble of the bass, the speeding-ticket-fast drums, the shouted singalongs— and motivated me to get through whatever.
The most memorable anecdote probably comes from November of that famous junior year. Band O Rama, the annual event where high school marching bands play with the WMU Bronco Band, was a Saturday morning, but I missed it because I had to take the SAT. At an elementary-school-reunion bonfire that night, I heard what I had missed: a Van Halen themed show, complete with a performance of Eruption on guitar by WMU’s tuba professor. Missing a show of my favorite music for academic hoop-jumping—what a metaphor.
Yet there was hope. I had my guitar there at the bonfire, and me and my friend Haskell were jamming. He felt the urge to hear Eruption. We walked to his car; he opened the door and found the disc and put it in the stereo. He invited me to sit in the passenger seat; I declined. My obsessive compulsiveness knew that when he drove the car back towards the front of the house, my over prying mom would have arrived to pick me up, and since that was the time when she didn’t like me cruising around with people, there was a high potential for a shit storm I didn’t really want. Rather than decide to just take a stand and explain myself, I avoided the potential all together. So there I was, leaning on the door of the car, on a brisk but windless night with it almost ready to rain, separated in my own world, yet united with Haskell in the pursuit of guitar rapture as “Eruption” played.
What a representation of my naïve, teetotaling, freaked-out high school self. Isolated, scared, and tentative, for no one’s fault but my own, but still able to connect with my friends and feed my soul thanks to God’s gift of rock. I ain’t the worst that you’ve seen. Might as well jump.
Peace and God bless,
Nick Fed
It’s difficult to describe my complicated and beautiful history with this rockin’ band that can make you wanna party but can also give you the chills.
Back in middle school, when I thought I knew music but listened to mostly the Rick Dees show and pop radio, I was always able to pigeonhole artists I had barely heard. Pink Floyd’s music was spacey and dragged on with moaning vocals. U2 was just that signature annoying guitar chime. And Van Halen made loud noise for the class-cutting dropouts. I had heard “Jump” on the radio and vaguely knew it was them, but it was just another one of those songs before my time that I heard on the radio and didn’t connect with.
I can’t remember what triggered the transformation, but I know sometime in sophomore year, as I was getting more into guitar, I was struck by the big synth chords, and that badass solo, of “Jump”. Like it was with all new things at first, I hesitantly tiptoed in, worried that people might see me and laugh. I downloaded “Jump” off of filesharing and buried it as the last track on a CD-R mix before I went down to University of North Carolina at Wilmington for a writing camp that summer.
At some point, we were driving through this small town in Virginia, or Ohio, or one of those states. Not the kind of small town where homophobic redneck youth drive fast cars and old white Republicans have picnics. No, no. It was the kind of small town where kids walked to the ice cream stand and the town square fountain hadn’t been closed for liability. It was a bright day and I put “Jump” on in my headphones. Thoughts raced through my head. The small town reminded me of “Back to the Future”; I thought of Marty McFly trying to make it as a rocker in an iconic small town. The small towns where there are so many ways you could have fun, where kids like me make bold plans to change their world and get the girl. After listening, I was ready for anything. When I went to UNCW the next summer, I had a CD-R devoted solely to Van Halen.
I would listen to a Van Halen song extensively around a certain time, and hear it in my head when the music stopped and I got back to reality. Those times will always be associated with certain tracks. Ironically enough, this slacker band was my motivator for “the most academically difficult” junior year. Even though I was the antithesis of a Van Halen fan, being trapped in a ludicrous academic workload with no fast car or hot girl, their music connected with me—those guitar acrobatics, the rumble of the bass, the speeding-ticket-fast drums, the shouted singalongs— and motivated me to get through whatever.
The most memorable anecdote probably comes from November of that famous junior year. Band O Rama, the annual event where high school marching bands play with the WMU Bronco Band, was a Saturday morning, but I missed it because I had to take the SAT. At an elementary-school-reunion bonfire that night, I heard what I had missed: a Van Halen themed show, complete with a performance of Eruption on guitar by WMU’s tuba professor. Missing a show of my favorite music for academic hoop-jumping—what a metaphor.
Yet there was hope. I had my guitar there at the bonfire, and me and my friend Haskell were jamming. He felt the urge to hear Eruption. We walked to his car; he opened the door and found the disc and put it in the stereo. He invited me to sit in the passenger seat; I declined. My obsessive compulsiveness knew that when he drove the car back towards the front of the house, my over prying mom would have arrived to pick me up, and since that was the time when she didn’t like me cruising around with people, there was a high potential for a shit storm I didn’t really want. Rather than decide to just take a stand and explain myself, I avoided the potential all together. So there I was, leaning on the door of the car, on a brisk but windless night with it almost ready to rain, separated in my own world, yet united with Haskell in the pursuit of guitar rapture as “Eruption” played.
What a representation of my naïve, teetotaling, freaked-out high school self. Isolated, scared, and tentative, for no one’s fault but my own, but still able to connect with my friends and feed my soul thanks to God’s gift of rock. I ain’t the worst that you’ve seen. Might as well jump.
Peace and God bless,
Nick Fed
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Brand new blog...
Well, this is it. I am going to start a brand new blog. Why would I do this, when I already have a Xanga I never use, and a Facebook where I post rants that only ONU peeps, if anyone at all, will enjoy? I really do love to write, and I've been getting lots of "heavy" ideas lately, and I want a way to convey them....plus, I want a more consistent and actual blog...something "professional" which I will fill with profanity, drinking stories, and unedited rants.
This is one of those spur of the moment ideas, like forming a Kevin Federline cover band or telling an out-of-league girl that she's sexy, that a person will probably be embarassed about later. But I am commited. I am dedicated. I will use this blog. Here are the rules...oh wait, I don't really dig rules, so here are three foundations.
1.) I will write on all kinds of topics for all kinds of audiences. Some posts might be boring or stupid, others might be mindblowing. I will discuss the sacred and profane, the funny and sad, the heavy and the mundane....
2.)...but most of all, I will express myself and will try my damndest to create something you'll want to read.
3.) Comments are much appreciated. If you took the time to read, I appreciate you and want to hear from you! Anyone from anywhere can comment a Blogspot blog (why I chose this site!), so please leave some kind of comment. It can be anything. Whether it's "good point", "right on", the more likely "what the hell are you talking about?", or even the highly unlikely "I'm sex-starved and you're really hot".
Welcome aboard, dear readers.
Peace and God bless,
Nick Fed
This is one of those spur of the moment ideas, like forming a Kevin Federline cover band or telling an out-of-league girl that she's sexy, that a person will probably be embarassed about later. But I am commited. I am dedicated. I will use this blog. Here are the rules...oh wait, I don't really dig rules, so here are three foundations.
1.) I will write on all kinds of topics for all kinds of audiences. Some posts might be boring or stupid, others might be mindblowing. I will discuss the sacred and profane, the funny and sad, the heavy and the mundane....
2.)...but most of all, I will express myself and will try my damndest to create something you'll want to read.
3.) Comments are much appreciated. If you took the time to read, I appreciate you and want to hear from you! Anyone from anywhere can comment a Blogspot blog (why I chose this site!), so please leave some kind of comment. It can be anything. Whether it's "good point", "right on", the more likely "what the hell are you talking about?", or even the highly unlikely "I'm sex-starved and you're really hot".
Welcome aboard, dear readers.
Peace and God bless,
Nick Fed
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