Not your typical Thanksgiving

My friend Sarah and I spent this past Thanksgiving in Paris visiting our friend Philippine.

The first question I get when people hear this piece of information is “Oh, do you have family over there?” I see how people relate Thanksgiving to family, but for us overcharged, overworked, and underpaid recent grads, spending days with family answering dry questions about our new jobs and lack of social life didn’t appeal to us for the only vacation time we could wrestle away. So we packed our (carry-on) suitcases and jumped ship for five days.

After a two-hour delay out of Orlando and landing in Atlanta with only 25 minutes to cross five concourses to catch the last flight to Paris for the night, we squeezed onto the plane as airport security closed the boarding doors barking “these are the last two!” (After that fiasco, spending eight hours cramped on plane was more than enough vacation.)

When Philippine’s friends found out two American girls were going to be coming over for the holiday, we got roped into cooking a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Not exactly an easy task, but considering she was nice enough to let us crash rent free, we obliged. We mapped out our recipes on the plane ride over and after a fierce debate over mashed potatoes vs. sweet potatoes, we settled on our menu: turkey breasts, — I have better things to do than spend eight hours cooking a full bird in Paris — stuffing, mashed potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce, — they don’t exactly sell the canned stuff in France — asparagus, gravy, and a fresh apple tart from a local bakery.

Easy enough, right? Nothing two well-bodied women couldn’t whip up. 

We knew we had another thing coming to us when we first laid eyes on the kitchen, pictured above right. To put it into perspective, Carrie Bradshaw’s closet in her penthouse apartment (before Big revamped it) was bigger. There were two stove tops, a small sink, one skillet and a couple of small pots, and enough counter space to comfortable fit two baguettes. And that microwave-looking apparatus: that was our oven. (And that blob was our version of an apple tart, something you apparently can’t get after 7 p.m. in Paris.)

But we swallowed our apprehensions and scooted off to the supermarché to stock up on supplies — and wine, lots of wine. (It was Thanksgiving, and I am thankful for good, Parisian wine.) The vegetables and potatoes were easy enough to come by, although we raised our eyebrows and reluctantly handed over 10 euro (about $14) for one bushel of asparagus.

We headed a few blocks over to the boucher to find some turkey breasts before heading home to start cooking. In broken french, we asked him for poitrine de dinde pour huit personnes. We looked down and pulled some crumpled euros out of our pocket, and when we met the butcher’s gaze, we were face to face with a turkey head, firmly still attached to an uncooked body with features protruding from its appendages.

This Thanksgiving, we settled on chicken.

Dave Matthews Band stormed West Palm Beach

I’ve never been to a bad Dave Matthews Band show. I’ve just been to really good ones.

Saturday’s show at West Palm Beach was the night of jams. Was it for LeRoi? Was it for the new album? Or was it just because Dave, Boyd, Stefan, Carter, and Tim — yes, Tim Reynolds: for the entire set — fed off the crowd and each other’s energy? That type of energy you can’t manufacture. That energy comes with near 20 years of playing together; that compatibility comes with founding members as still current members 18 years of their first show — a feat that few bands can achieve; that passion comes with overwhelming respect for other band mates’ ability on their instrument of choice.

That energy makes a good band.

This wasn’t a concert for the fair-weather fan. This wasn’t a concert for newbies. This was a concert for those that have stuck by the band through solo albums, standard studio albums, and founding member’s deaths. This was a concert thanking those fans with 20-minute jam sessions of So Much to Say, Cornbread, Lie in Our Graves, and Two Step.

Boyd Tinsley set the tone for the night with violin skills I didn’t know existed in Warehouse. Carter Beauford took it to the next level when he kicked in the all-too-familar beats of Ants Marching. But, I’ve never seen a group of people more happy than when Tim and Stefan killed it during Crush.

It didn’t even matter that we spent more time in the 8-hour, roundtrip carride than we did in the actual concert itself. It didn’t even matter they played a 3-hour set when he could have played for 6 — the crowd wouldn’t have even noticed. It didn’t even matter that a small hurrcaine pummeled through south Florida Saturday night and the entire lawn resembled one giant poncho.

In fact, I think it made it better.

But mommy, where’s the daddy?

I started watching Finding Nemo the other day. Nothing else was worth watching, and I was pretty tired hearing about health care reform and Sarah Palin “not quitting,” so I opted for a Disney movie. What could it hurt? I didn’t make it 5 minutes into the movie until something struck me as odd.

Marlin had just come-to after a barracuda attack to find his wife, Coral, and all his children had just been eaten. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted one, small egg that had somehow been passed up. Cradling it in his fin, Marlin said, ” Don’t worry Nemo; I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”

That’s what irked me. “Hmm,” I thought. “This was Disney–the foundation of family values–and there was a single parent raising a child.”

But then I really started thinking about it: How many other animated Disney movies lacked a parental figure?

Cinderella — Sure, there was no mention of either one of her parents, but she did only have an evil stepmother. Where was the stepfather?

The Little Mermaid — I don’t remember seeing a Queen Triton.

Beauty and the Beast — Belle only had Maurice, the eccentric, off-the-beaten-path inventor, as a father. Again, no mom.

The Lion King — Simba had Sarabi, but Mufasa died within 20 minutes of the opening credits.

Aladdin — Aladdin was a swashbuckling orphan, but Princess Jasmine was raised by the single Sultan. No Sultress? In the second sequel, Aladdin and the King of Thieves, we later found out that Aladdin’s father, Cassim, was still alive and the leader of the Forty Thieves. But, where was Cassim’s wife?

Bambi — While young, Bambi’s mom talkes him to meet his father, Faline the Great Prince of the Forest, but only a scene’s later, Bambi’s mom is shot by a hunter. Bambi is left to fend for himself for much of the movie, only to be later reunited with his dad.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs — Princess Snow White only had a wicked stepmother, the Queen.

Dumbo — We never see a Mr. Jumbo.

Toy Story — Andy only has a mom that takes him everywhere.

I was curious about this new piece of information, so naturally: I Googled.

I couldn’t find any substainial sources that cite a reason why so many old, animated Disney movies only featured one parent. My search engine results were just littered with radicals claiming that Disney is tearing families apart and that the movies are just trying alert children of the divorce/death. But what exactly were Disney’s motives having only one parent featured in these movies? There are too many instances to claim it mere circumstance, and I don’t think that this question has ever been formally asked (if so, please humor me with responses; I’m curiously intrigued.)

As for Disney movie to come, The Princess and the Frog castlist has both a mother and father for Princess Tiana, but we’ll have to wait and see what Disney creatives have churned up for this one.

Funny the way it is…

After picking up my two friends, coworkers, and carpoolers Tuesday to make our daily pilgrimage to Ocala for work, the passanger turned my way, grabbed my iTrip and plugged into her iTouch claiming she had a surprise for me. I instantly knew what it was; today wasn’t just Tuesday, it was Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King release day, a day other DMBers have been looking forward to for four years. I was pumped when “Grux” came on cooing out a saxophone solo that could only be from LeRoi Moore (the band was in their initial recordings when LeRoi died in August 2008, and while they don’t mention which songs he played on, it was unmistakeable that this was him) and made a side-swap comment that I had to run to pick up the CD after work.

If I hadn’t been driving, the breaks would have been slammed.

I gunned onto I-75 while the two of them gawked at me like I was in a side ponytail and legwarmers, followed by a rather, ghastly “You still buy, CDs?” when I knew what they really meant: “What the hell? Download it from iTunes when we get to work, and don’t waste your time and money on something that’s going to break in a year, anyway.”

The iTouch owner was a designer no less, and I was banking on her backing me up as a Dave fan, but moreover as a fanatic of good design. (She did later admit she would probably buy this CD to complete her collection.)

But I’m emotionally invested in this band. And moreover, I’m a firm believer that you can’t fully appreciate music without that CD case. Sure, with iTunes you get that cover artwork, but you lose that physical aspect of checking out all the crevices while the music plays in the background. (I realize I do sound like 65-year-old man pining over his lost vinyls, but bare with me, OK?) And with this album, adorned in an original sketch by Dave memorializing his friend and bandmate, you walk away with such a greater appreciate for what the band is getting across with the ablum. It’s like that first cigarette after a couple of beers: that one rush of nicotine just takes your buzz to a whole new level. You get such a better high with that visual image.

Rolling Stone posted some great videos of the band talking about the new album and their good, good friend LeRoi in preparation of the music coma I was self-inducing myself into later. When I got home from work, I gave Big Whiskey my first full run-through, and it really is the GrooGrux to say the least.

Watch the videos, you’ll understand.

Can I please go back to being a college student?

OK. I slacked. I admit it.But finishing up senior year at UF took up more time than expected, focusing all my efforts on Business Finance and Orange and Blue magazine, which still isn’t yet fully finished. Yes, I’ve already graduated. Yes, I’ve already got my grades–rocked a 4.0 by the way: (Maybe now that I’ve figured out how to do this whole college thing I should just start over?) Yes, I’m still working on finishing a school project. Why? Because the world needs to see this magazine. Watch out, Skin. Black is back.

So, needless to say, after my 12 hour days and frequent all-nighters in Weimer Hall, the last thing that I wanted to do was come home and spend even more time on a computer. Plus, at some point, I needed to sleep. But, now that I’ve landed a full-time salary job with benefits–yes, it’s totally possible my fellow grads of 2009–my schedule is loosened. No more club meetings, no more school projects, no more part-time waitressing. When I get done at 5 p.m., I’m actually done with work for the day. My weekends will no longer be spent serving people Italian food. This is a whole new way of living!

So, in an effort to create some deadlines and keep good on my posts with Rock Ridge Music, I’m staring a new weekly series: New Music Mondays. My nightstand is overflowing with CDs from Rock Ridge Music, aching to be reviewed, and it’s a shame that it’s taken me this long to start sifting through the masses. But, here goes nothing. Plus, my job has absolutely nothing to do with music, and while my sights are still set on Jann Wenner’s job one day, keeping some sort of weekly music writing isn’t going to hurt my chances of scoring a position–any position–at Rolling Stone.

New Music Mondays starts tomorrow. Future posts on the job–assistant editor at Atlantic Publishing Company if you were interested–and the newest addition to the Everhart family, my amazing Austrilian Terrier Jax are soon to come.

Reel Big Fish and a different kind of cover album

Cover songs are cop outs. It’s an easy way for a band to get their name out there with an [almost] guarantee of some radio air time without having to put the effort into either A) finding a songwriter themselves or B) actually writing a song themselves. Plus the redone version will probably only last for 6 weeks at the most, then fade into the song archives getting minimal hits on iTunes store. Think about it: how many times have you heard Don McLean’s “American Pie” redone, and how many times does the original keep popping up on your playlist? Does anyone actually still listen to Madonna’s version?

But all of that is null-and-void if the band finds the 1 in a million way to actually make cover songs their own.

Reel Big Fish is that band.

To stand out from the other cover albums, Reel Big Fish scoured the music archives looking for that perfect inspiration for their latest album,  Fame, Fortune and Fornication. The orchestra-esque band came up with 10 classic rock hits to spin their reggae sake-punk sound to really twist these timeless tunes into something of their own.

Covering everything from hair band Poison’s “Nothin’ But a Good Time” and “Talk Dirty to Me” (pre Bret Michael’s pseudo celeb-status on VH1’s Rock of Love) to Tom Petty’s “Won’t Back Down,” Reel Big Fish does the originals justice while spicing them up a big to keep their signature flare. Take Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl.” Originally, a DJ standard in bars like Cheers that gets everyone singing. Reel Big Fish amps up the volume, throws in some a trombone and trumpet and makes it nearly impossible not to bounce along to the reggae-infused beat.

Sure, you can’t beat the original, and you shouldn’t expect a cover album to be better than the original. You just want something different. You want a band that pushes the envelope to cover the song but doesn’t lose their sound.

Reel Big Fish doesn’t play it safe, raising the standard for other cover albums to come.

HalfDown Thomas hits hard with Beautifully Strange

Four years after HalfDown Thomas initially laid down the first tracks of their third album, Beautifully Strange, the album was finally released. It wasn’t poor planning on band breakups that caused delay. The band was prepped and ready to get their new sounds out. But in 2005, Hurricane Katrina had a different idea, leaving the Mississippi recording studio and the band’s mastered tracks under 12-feet of water.

The band reconvened in 2006 at that same recording studio with the same producer, Chris Henderson from 3 Door’s Down, hoping for a better stream of luck this time around. They recorded in three week’s time and mastered the tracks for production, only to be stopped short by a computer malfunction leaving half the tracks unusable.

In 2007, the band moved to Nashville with Henderson to finish the album that nature didn’t want to finish, and Beautifully Strange was finally released in February 2009.

It’s easy to hear that HalfDown Thomas drew inspiration from Henderson and his work with 3 Door’s Down, but HalfDown Thomas doesn’t let the similarities sit for long. (Just because two bands are categorized the same genre, doesn’t mean they sound exactly the same, even if members intertwine.) Take a listen for yourself to their first single “Guiltless (Mend Your Broken Heart).”

Beautifully Strange is anything but ordinary. It’s a rock hard, heavy-set album that pushes the envelope of modern rock and roll, only intensified by Wesley Smith’s electrifying guitar chords and Randy Ayers’ raw voice.

For some reason, you expect this band to lean more on the mellow side—maybe because of their connection with 3 Door’s Down—but the first 3 seconds easily change your mind.

Just listening to it brings out the inner rocker in you.

Where punk rock meets political service

Sure, we were all a bit bummed when it was announced that Langerado was canceling due to some strategic issues back in February. But lucky for us Florida festival lovers, there’s always something else brewing. This weekend, it’s the first annual Harvest of Hope Fest, a multi-stage music festival blending punk rock, hip hop and blues into one outdoor setting all benefiting the Harvest of Hope Foundation, an organization providing direct aid to migrant farm workers and their families.

I’ve been following the Fest since early February, and it’s like Christmas Eve knowing that opening night is tomorrow.  If you want more details, check out the links below to articles in the Gainesville Sun, including a one-on-one with Against Me! frontman Tom Gabel.

Harvest of Hope Fest will draw music lovers

140 bands, 30 acres, a lot of hope

Against Me! anchors the new Harvest of Hope Fest

The Fray covers Kayne West’s “Heartless”

My buddy Cameron got me hooked on The Hype Machine, a site that follows music blog discussions tracking the latest blogs and most popular artists. I haven’t had time to fully surf the site, but I did come across a song that was worth a quick post.

Four-piece piano rock band The Fray recently covered Kayne West’s “Heartless,” spinning their acoustic flair on the beat-driven song from West’s latest album 808s and Heartbreaks. It’s a complete change of pace from the original, but it’s definitely well received.

Check out the cover here.

Dave Matthews Band Summer 2009 Tour

I love February. And not just for the fact that winter is finally over in Florida and we’re back to enjoy 70 degree weather.

Every February Dave Matthews Band releases their summer tour dates. It’s like clockwork. Right around the time when I need to renew my membership on Warehouse, an e-mail pops up in my inbox announcing the next strand of tour dates.

This summer will mark my 11th Dave Matthews Band show (Call me obsessive, fine, but you haven’t lived until you’ve seen them live). Last year was pretty incredible because his Atlanta show fell on my 21st birthday, so it’ll be hard to top. But this year is a big year for Dave. With their first studio album in four years coming out June 2, it’s going to be a different kind of tour. I’m always hesitant about seasoned bands touring a new album, because obviously you want them to play the songs that got you hooked—Crush, Satellite, Two Step, Ants Marching, you know, the songs that embody everything the band is—but the band will most likely be promoting their new stuff. And I’m always down to groove to something different, as long as few throwbacks are tossed in the middle.

But I’m even more curious about who’s going to replace LeRoi Moore on sax since he passed last August after an ATV accident. It’s eerie thinking he’s not going to be on that stage. For the 18 some years that DMB has been touring, the band hasn’t shuffled through a slew of members. For the most part, it’s always just been Dave, Stefan, Boyd, Carter and LeRoi. (Minus the beginning 3 years when Peter Griesar was on keyboards.) And it’s rare to say that the the majority of founding members of a band are still playing together almost 20 years later. I am pumped that Jeff Coffin of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones is going to stick with the band on sax through the summer tour and future projects.

But, here are the dates:

DATE	CITY	VENUE	SUPPORT
05/27/09	Darien Center, NY	Darien Lakes Performing Arts Center	Robert Randolph & The Family Band
05/29/09	Boston, MA	TBA	TBA
05/30/09	Boston, MA	TBA	TBA
06/05/09	Hartford, CT	New England Dodge Music Center	Femi Kuti and The Positive Force
06/06/09	Hartford, CT	New England Dodge Music Center	Femi Kuti and The Positive Force
06/09/09	Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Molson Amphitheatre	Femi Kuti and The Positive Force
06/10/09	Montreal, Quebec, Canada	Parc Jean Drapeau	Femi Kuti and The Positive Force
06/12/09	Saratoga Springs, NY	Saratoga Performing Arts Center	The Hold Steady
06/13/09	Saratoga Springs, NY	Saratoga Performing Arts Center	The Hold Steady
06/16/09	Cincinnati, OH	Riverbend Music Center	The Hold Steady
06/17/09	Maryland Heights, MO	Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre	The Hold Steady
06/19/09	Burgettstown, PA	Post-Gazette Pavilion	The Hold Steady
06/20/09	Burgettstown, PA	Post-Gazette Pavilion	The Hold Steady
07/18/09	East Troy, WI	Alpine Valley Music Theatre	Umphrey’s McGee
07/19/09	East Troy, WI	Alpine Valley Music Theatre	Umphrey’s McGee
07/21/09	Wantagh, NY	Nikon at Jones Beach Theater	Old Crow Medicine Show
07/22/09	Wantagh, NY	Nikon at Jones Beach Theater	Old Crow Medicine Show
07/24/09	Hershey, PA	Hersheypark Stadium	Jason Mraz
07/28/09	Clarkston, MI	DTE Energy Music Theatre	Old Crow Medicine Show
07/29/09	Cuyahoga Falls, OH	Blossom Music Center	Old Crow Medicine Show
07/31/09	Noblesville, IN	Verizon Wireless Music Center	Hill Country Revue
08/01/09	Noblesville, IN	Verizon Wireless Music Center	Hill Country Revue
08/04/09	Syracuse, NY	Alliance Bank Stadium	Donovan Frankenreiter
08/05/09	Bethel, NY	Bethel Woods Center for the Arts	Donovan Frankenreiter
08/07/09	Virginia Beach, VA	Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater	Donovan Frankenreiter
08/08/09	Bristow, VA	Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge	Donovan Frankenreiter
08/12/09	Tampa, FL	Ford Amphitheatre	Robert Earl Keen
08/14/09	West Palm Beach, FL	Cruzan Amphitheatre	Robert Earl Keen
08/15/09	West Palm Beach, FL	Cruzan Amphitheatre	Robert Earl Keen
08/29/09	San Francisco, CA	TBA	TBA
08/30/09	Fresno, CA	Save Mart Center	TBA
09/01/09	West Valley City, UT	USANA Amphitheatre	Yonder Mountain String Band
09/04/09	George, WA	Gorge Amphitheatre	G. Love & Special Sauce and Yonder Mountain String Band
09/05/09	George, WA	Gorge Amphitheatre	G. Love & Special Sauce and Yonder Mountain String Band
09/06/09	George, WA	Gorge Amphitheatre	G. Love & Special Sauce and Yonder Mountain String Band
09/12/09	Chula Vista, CA	Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre	Switchfoot
09/13/09	Irvine, CA	Verizon Wireless Amphitheater	Switchfoot
09/19/09	Scranton, PA	Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain	TBA
09/22/09	Camden, NJ	Susquehanna Bank Center	Robert Randolph & The Family Band
09/23/09	Camden, NJ	Susquehanna Bank Center	Robert Randolph & The Family Band
09/25/09	Des Moines, IA	Principal Park	Robert Randolph & The Family Band
09/26/09	Tinley Park, IL	First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre	TBA
09/29/09	Little Rock, AR	Dickey-Stephens Park	TBA
09/30/09	Kansas City, MO	Sprint Center	TBA
10/02/09	Tulsa, OK	BOK Center	TBA

I’ll probably head to West Palm Beach for the Aug. 15 show, although I secretly hope to be making enough money to make it the the Gorge. I’ve yet to make out there (It’s tough to fly across the country for a concert when you’re a poor, starving college student), and I’m really not serving my duty as a devoted fan and music lover if I haven’t seen a show there. Cause c’mon, check out the view:

There’s a strong possibility that I would see God if I went to that concert.