Monthly Archives: June 2013

Country is Taking Country by Storm


 

Can you hear it?

Can you hear it coming?

With immense passion it’s gaining momentum,

Like a huge thunderous cloud rollin’ in.
 

Do you know what it is?
 

It’s Country.
 

And I can’t believe I’m going to do this.

Never in my life would I think of confessing to this.

I am going to admit to something I never thought would ever happen.

And that is…
 

I am listening to…
 

Country.
 

Yes, as in, Country music.

And I’m not alone.
 

Country has even taken over The Voice. Which is now taken over the Country.
 

I’m not talking about Hillbilly, Bluegrass or Honky tonk.

No, this is not the music Grandma and Grandpa used to play.

Somehow, over the last several decades, Country has infused with Rock.

Don’t ask me how it happened. But it is hap-pen-ing!
 

Hubby and I got an invite over the weekend to attend a free outdoor concert over at the Irvine District Mall in southern Orange County, California. This invitation came from some friends of ours that we’ve known, well, almost forever. It involved their son who is playing in a band called Black Label.
 

Well, may I just say this Country Band rocked!
 

Black Label is a group of five very talented musicians, whose background is mainly Rock. Confused? I was. That was until I heard them play. Or should I say sing. Well, sing and play actually.
 

But I was suspicious. Why would a group of obviously talented young men who lived and loved Rock ‘n Roll play Country?
 

It was the Voice.
 

No, not that Voice.
 

The Voice.
 

Let me explain.
 

The minute Hubby and I walked into the outdoor mini-amphitheater we heard it.
 

We heard—the Voice.
 

The voice was belting out notes with immense passion, like a thunderous cloud rollin’ over the crowd. It was powerful. It was resonating. It was captivating. It was a little Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley and Garth Brooks, all mixed into one. It melted like butter seasoned with grit. And it, the voice, is the reason why this group of musicians sacrificed Rock and made the switch-a-roo…
 

To Country.
 

So can you hear it?

Can you hear it coming?

Country is taking country by storm.
 

Here’s a little of what I’m talking about…
 


 
And Lady Gaga no less! Not bad, eh?
 
And if you live in the vicinity, Black Label will be appearing for a free concert at the Surfin Cowboy in Capistrano Beach this Friday, June 14th. Should be lots of fun! 🙂
 

So what do you think? Do you think that Country is taking over Country? What kind of music do you enjoy? Are you a little bit Country or a little bit Rock n’ Roll? Does your mood reflect the type of music you listen to? Do you find that listening to music stimulates your creativity? Got plans for a summer concert? Who are some of the musicians that you like to listen to?
 
 
Thank you everyone for stopping by and for sharing your thoughts!
Karen

 

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Let’s Whip Our Summer Into Shape!

(Huntington Beach, California)
 

Yes, those lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer are upon us.

For most of us, what does that mean?
 

For those of us that have children in the house it means school is out. That is a whole other subject altogether. Although I will say that may fall into the category of crazy, IYKWIM.
 

For those of us who fall into the other category, meaning, for whatever reason, there are no children to disrupt our daily activity, we have our own challenges. Not to take away from those parents who pull double duty mind you. We all have immense respect for you. Been there, done that. And may the force be with you.
  

Yet, it was brought to my attention the other day that summertime may cause a lazy haze to creep into our daily routine much like a fog bank makes its way onto shore. One minute we’re enjoying the warmth of the sun and then a climatic change threatens to rearrange our good intentions and before you know it, we can’t make our way through the all the minutiae.
 

But do we give ourselves the time to appreciate life’s little pleasures? Most of us have trained ourselves to be self-disciplined people. And as such, we make lists and schedules that do not allow us to take a break from our normal routine. I would venture to say that few of us ever accomplish what we set out to do on any particular day. Which keeps us in this vicious cycle of frustration and exhaustion knowing full well it is virtually impossible to get everything done.
 

So what to do?

Take a small break.
 

No, I’m not talking about cleaning a toilet, or fixing a meal, or doing a load of laundry, or catching up on all your emails. Over the years, I have found that for some reason, those things will still be there for you to do later. It’s called job security.
 

No, what I am proposing is to take a little break. For some of us, we may have a vacation planned on some exotic Island for all I know. Yet, what I’m suggesting does not require that drastic of a measure. Here’s what I propose:
 

Get out of the house!

Yes, get out!
 

Go for a walk and breathe in some fresh air. It can be around the block. Or at a beautiful park. Or at the ocean, that is, if you live near an ocean. As you can tell by the picture above, that is one of my personal favs. Even if you are living under a deluge of precipitation that measures in seismic proportions, go to a mall or some other indoor arena available to you and walk.
 

I know some of you are working out. You may be doing potty squats with Ginger Calem. Or Crossfit like Jenny Hansen. But that’s not what I’m talking about. We need to get out of our normal routine and change the scenery.
 

And the best part— it doesn’t cost us anything.
 

Well, maybe our time, which I know is a precious commodity. But you will not believe how stimulating it can be. It helps to clean out the cobwebs in our brain.
 

Have you had writer’s block lately? Has a figurative “fog bank” rolled in across the page?
 

Then take a walk.
 

And you will be surprised how fast you’ll Whip your WIP this Summer into shape!
 
 

So what do you think? Have any special plans for this summer? Do you like to exercise? Do you have a hard time allowing yourself to take the personal time needed to regain your creativity? What things do you like to do to help stimulate your mind and keep your sanity?
 
 
Thanks everyone for stopping by and for all your amazing comments!
Karen

 
 

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