Vacation Aug. 14- Aug. 25

Aug. 14th: Went to the MOMA to see the exhibit Dali: Painting and Film

Aug. 15-17th: Drove to Baltimore for the weekend to see the Ravens vs. Vikings preseason football game. Some highlights of the trip were the Aquarium, Fells Point, the American Visionary Art Museum and the Sports Hall of Fame.  

Aug. 18- 25: 

Memphis & Nashville Tennessee 

Great trip for anyone who loves live music and BBQ!

highlights:

Memphis- Graceland, Gibson Guitar, Memphis Zoo, Sun Studio, and the Stax Museum. If you are in town when the Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals AAA team) are playing, buy tickets in advance, they sell out. Try the wet ribs over the dry rubbed, you will not be disappointed. Bar hop on Beale, although a little cheesy, you can really hear some great musicians here and most places do not have a cover. 

Nashville- Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame, Ryman Auditorium, Arcade, Musicians Hall of Fame, Studio B, Belle Meade Plantation and the Nashville Sounds stadium. Catch one of the Sounds games if you can, they are the Brewers AAA team and great seats are always available. You have to eat at Hog Heaven. It is a little dive behind the McDonald's near Centennial Park. Head over to Broadway or 2nd Ave. to hear some up and coming artists for free. 

Museum Week

This is the week of going to museums for me. So far, I went to The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Sunday and today the American Museum of Natural History.

Highlights of The Met:

Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy

Modern Art

El Greco Collection

Highlights of Natural History:

Anne and Bernard Spitzer Hall of Human Origins

Dioramas Web site

Fossil Halls

Grizzly Bear @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Last night I went to see Grizzly Bear  in Brooklyn with Violens as the opener. Both bands put on a really mellow show, but Bear were truly at the top of their game. This is the third time I've heard them live and they seem to be getting better every time. 

Counting Crows @ PNC Bank Arts Center

I went to see Counting Crows last night at PNC Bank Arts Center. Due to Parkway traffic and bad parking, I missed Sarah Bareilles, but caught the end of Maroon 5. The show was descent at best. I have seen the Counting Crows numerous times and this was one of their most mellow nights of playing. There wasn't an encore and they only played for a little over an hour. Unfortunately I forgot my camera at home and had to settle for some really crappy cell phone pics. 

Music Hall of Williamsburg July 31 & Aug. 1

I went to see a few bands this week at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY. Here are a few photos from the two events.

Thursday night: Apache Beat, Oxford Collapse and We Are Scientists

Friday night: The Submarines and Aimee Mann

The Summer of George Mix 2

1. Learning to Fly by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
   
2. Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) by Squeeze
   
3. Everyday I Write The Book by Elvis Costello
   
4. More Than a Feeling by Boston
   
5. The Weight by The Band
   
6. Don't Stop Believin' by Journey
   
7. With Arms Outstretched by Rilo Kiley
   
8. Be Still My Heart by The Postal Service
   
9. When Did Your Heart Go Missing? by Rooney
   
10. Things We Don't Need Anymore by Jenny Owen Youngs
    
11. My Only Offer by Mates Of State
    
12. Brightest Hour by The Submarines
    
13. Gamma Ray by Beck
    
14. 3 Get-Well-Cards by Conor Oberst And The Mystic Valley Band
    
15. Over The Edge by Ciam
    
16. Standing Bird by LOVE PSYCHEDELICO
    
17. Get On With It by Val Emmich
    
18. Mystery by Ashleigh Flynn
    
19. Local Hero by Crazy Q
    
20. Honeyhoney by Honeyhoney

*I felt the need to make a new mix for the month of August. Surprise, the selections are old and new stuff that just gets me excited about summer. Be aware, I tried to stay true to my mood at the time the songs were selected. Enjoy!

Projekt Revolution 2008 @ PNC Bank Arts Center

I went to see Projekt Revolution on Wed. July 23rd and was not disappointed. The doors opened at 1:00 and bands started at 2:00. Due to the hint of a rainstorm, we didn't arrive at the venue till 5:00, so we missed on the Revolution Stage: Armor For Sleep, Hawthorne Heights, 10 Years and Atreyu. The Main Stage was where we wanted to be and we got there just in time for: Street Drum Corps, Ashes Divide, The Bravery, Chris Cornell and the main act Linkin Park. I was totally impressed by all the bands, but blown away by Linkin Park. Not only were they loud, but they had great stage presence and really connected with the audience. Busta Rhymes came out during the encore and sang one song, which slightly made up for his missed performance on the bill. He was suppose to come on before The Bravery, but never made it to the stage, with zero explanation. Maybe he got stuck in Parkway traffic, who knows? Chris Cornell and Linkin Park also sang a few songs together, which was an added surprise. There was a lot of heat and rain that day, but not enough to stop the fans. The place was packed and everyone knew every word to every Linkin Park song. It was amazing! It poured halfway through Linkin Park's set and by the end of the show the rain miraculously stopped. Overall, this was worth the price in admission and if the weather wasn't so bad, I would have made it for all the openers.