The week leading up to Friday, April 5th definitely wasn’t the best I’ve ever had. Disappointments happen :) (and music helps with that too). So, that weekend, I was looking for something fun to do. I found it! Slamabama! At TAK Music Venue! And boy, it was the right place to be that night. Tickets were super cheap ($10), so I grabbed some pasta and garlic bread at Altony’s (SO good) and headed across the street to the concert. The venue is great. It’s well equipped with cool lighting, a large stage, plenty of seating, and a fully stocked bar area. It’s fairly small, nothing like the Fargodome or a big stadium, but it was perfect for this concert. The energy was ringing through the room even before the band came out, and the audience of maybe 200 people was clearly excited. The Cinematographer’s Party, a local band (Moorhead High students/grads!), opened. They were so much fun, and their original compositions were awesome. I loved watching them completely love what they were doing, and they really hammed it up with their onstage comedic material. Watching Jacob Rolle run around the stage playing various instruments was hilarious.
Since I happen to be friends with the son of Slamabama, Erik Hix, I got to head backstage for a quick tour. Albeit short, the tour and short conversation with the band was such a good time. Apparently their drummer can do 700 bpm, which is insane. And we learned that their green room, the room where the band warms up and gets ready, is actually green! The concert kicked off with some solid classic Shania Twain. Though I’d never heard this country legend before, I’m a big fan now! Slamabama’s lead female vocalist was incredible. I was absolutely blown away by her voice. It was simultaneously effortless and powerful, her confident belt filling the venue. She nailed every note and every word, which is especially impressive considering the complexity of some of those country songs. Her energy was through the roof, and she easily kept everyone engaged, exciting, dancing, and singing alone. I know I was bopping the entire night! Some of my favorite songs by Twain that they performed included “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” (plus, how many songs do you know that have the word “prerogative” in them?!), “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under”, and “You’re Still The One”. Wow. I still love driving around to those songs! Such a good time! Intermixed with the Shania Twain was Taylor Swift. I grew up listening to Swift, so I was very excited to sing along. Slamabama nailed Taylor’s modern country vibe, from “Love Story”, “Our Song”, and “You Belong With Me”, to her new pop sound, with songs including “Look What You Made Me Do”. They flowed effortlessly from Swift to Twain and back, ensuring everyone in the room was engaged in the music. By the end of the concert, my voice was a bit tired from singing along, and my feet were definitely sore from dancing the whole time. I had so much fun, and it was such a great way to spend a Friday night in Fargo-Moorhead. Slamabama has a new fan :) If they do another show in the area, you can be sure I’ll be there, and I hope you come enjoy this fabulous band too!
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Hi everyone! Instead of writing on a particular event today, I’m going to share something that’s been on my mind recently. Maybe I’m the only one who feels this way, but whenever someone asks me “what’s your taste in music?”, I always have to pause. Because really, I’m not really sure. Clearly, I have music I like. I shared it with you in my previous blog post! And that wasn’t anywhere near the true size of my playlists, I have hundreds of songs that I love. But when flipping through my Spotify, there’s very little coherence. I even mentioned the fact that they don’t fit into one particular genre in the post from last week. And it’s true. I don’t really know what my taste in music is. So recently, I’ve been thinking about that a lot. Good news! I’ve come to a conclusion. I’m a musical chameleon. I love it all. When someone plays me music, I usually adore it. I’m yet to come upon a genre of music that I actually despise (eh, hard rock/trap is definitely not my favorite), and the music I listen to and love spans a wide range of vibes. Is that normal? I honestly don’t know.
Thinking more on this, I realized that a majority of the music I listen to makes me think of a specific person, event, or memory. Put simply, I love the music that people I love, love. Lots of love! Then, I think I start to associate much of my music with those people. For example, when I listen to country music, I always think of my friend Annika, and hanging out at her lake in the summer. When I hear girl power bops, I think of Thalia and I hyping eachother up before shows and speech tournaments. Songs like “I Want It That Way”, “Mamma Mia”, and “Jessie’s Girl” (summer-y, happy vibes) make me think of Ally and summertime bike rides. There’s songs that make me think of theatre, and songs that make me think of speech. When people I love share songs with me, 9 times out of 10 I’ll end up loving them too. Maybe I just love people with good taste in music! BUT then I thought more. Does this mean I don’t have taste in music? Or that I’m incapable of thinking for myself music-wise? So many of my songs come from people I love. What now? Here’s the thing. I LOVE that my songs make me think of memories. I love that songs are so much more than songs. I love listening to music with people that I care about and love, because music is such a universal language. It’s a clear shot into someone’s soul. So when someone asks me to play music, the music I play for them might not be the most coherent, and it definitely won’t be by just one artist. It won’t be one vibe, it won’t all sound similar. We’ll go through decades, emotions, tempos, and vocal ranges. We’ll belt summer songs with the windows down and sit with candles and apple cider. There’s this one song that I like. Yep, it’s from a musical. “Cecily Smith” from Fly By Night. Yep, you should listen to it. I’ll play it on my uke for you, though it’s sung by a tenor, so I can’t really sing it. But there’s this one really good lyric. “It’s not what you are listening to, it’s who you’re listening with” Read that again :) Whether it be by yourself, with your best friend, or at a bopping party, take a minute to love the music. It might be something you’ve never heard before. And since music has been proven to bring back memories, even in Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, look around and take in how you feel. So if you’re a music chameleon like me, that’s okay. Let’s keep loving it all, let’s keep exploring new songs, let’s keep appreciating the music that our friends love. I think it makes us more empathetic, more sensitive, and more grateful for the wide range of art we get to experience. Pretty cool. Have a great week :)) As spring kicks off, you may be looking at your Spotify playlists with a bit of disdain. You’ve been listening to the same songs all winter, except during Christmas, and have maybe grown a little sick of the same tunes being played. I feel that! So these past couple weeks, I’ve been intentional about shaking up my music, whether it be by bringing back songs I haven’t listened to in awhile, asking friends for music recommendations, or finding pre-made playlists on Spotify that look interesting. Spotify has a ton of awesome playlists. Some are based on mood, entitled things like “Wake Up Happy” ( a collection of classic happy bops), “Dark and Stormy” (slower, deeper, moodier songs), and “With You” (vibe-y, alternative love tunes), Spotify has something for everyone and every day. Others are made for you, so check your “Daily Mix” or “For You” playlists to find songs that Spotify thinks you’d love based on previous listening.
But, if you’re looking for a quick list of some songs, I’ve decided to create one! I’ll list some of my recently played, in no particular order. It’s a big mix, with absolutely no coherence. Alongside the song, you’ll find a quick description or statement. Hope you enjoy!
So here’s a list of 76 great tunes! I hope you love them! May your Spotify playlists always be fresh, and your kitchen dance parties always be full out. Have a great week! This week, I went to the Blenders concert! The concert took place at the Fargo Theatre on Tuesday, December 18th, at 7:30pm. The members of the band are Tim Kasper, Ryan Lance, Allen Rust, and Darren Rust. This band cannot really be boxed into just one category, because it seems like they can sing anything! The Blenders are a professional music group known for their fun, tight harmonies and interesting remixes of songs. They also write originals, and have been recording and touring the nation for nearly 30 years. This concert was part of their “Holiday Soul Tour”, so it featured almost entirely Christmas Music. I think it would be nearly impossible to write a concert review about the Blenders without fully detailing their incredible harmonies, and vocals in general. These guys are tight! It’s clear that they are very experienced and well-trained. Each song seemed to ring with full harmonies, and it seemed unbelievable that four people could create such a vibrant and rich sound. They completely filled the space, yet no voice was ever overpowering the others. Fittingly, they blended beautifully! For example, one of my favorite songs was “Light of the World”. Loosely based on O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, this song was absolutely gorgeous. I’ve had it on repeat on my Spotify all day! In this song, all four harmonies were clearly there, but they were so well blended I nearly couldn’t pick them out. Tim Kasper was especially impressive, I bet he was in his falsetto range for at least 98% of the time. As the tenors in our choir like to mention, he didn’t even have tenor neck! The harmonies and blending of this group were absolutely stunning. And as if their vocals weren’t enough, their stage presence was absolutely incredible! It was so fun! All four members were clearly best friends. They played off of eachother, telling fun jokes, dancing, and interacting with the audience. It kept everyone in cheery holiday spirits, and the whole audience was clapping along. I was literally dancing in my seat! During “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, one of the members did a quirky and hilarious ballet, which had entire audience in giggles. Though most of the audience was probably over the age of 60, it seemed like the show brought everyone a youthful joy. I think that’s exactly what the Blenders intended, to spread Christmas joy and love with their music! In conclusion, I LOVED this concert! Though their dancing may have been slightly cringey (haha!), the Blenders’ Christmas concert was probably my favorite I’ve ever been to. It could’ve been because I had just drank a lot of hot chocolate, but I was oh so happy from the first note. I’d say my favorite song was “Let the Music Get Down In Your Soul”. It’s a little odd, considering it isn’t a Christmas song, but the song just felt so relevant! It talks about letting go of your frustrations, getting up, and letting the music get down in your soul. To me, the Blenders did just that. The music really did get down in my soul! I couldn’t keep the smile off of my face. I’d highly recommend this concert to any of my friends - it’s sure to get anyone in a cheery Christmas spirit. Good news...they’ll be back next year! If You Go: December 18 and 22 at 7:30pm, 22 and 23 at 2:00pm The Fargo Theatre All ages welcome Tickets available at Tickets 300 As soon as Halloween comes and goes, the stores immediately flip from spooky masks and pumpkins to the season I love most: Christmas! Trees, lights, red and green decorations, snowflakes, ornaments, and themed pajamas fill the aisles. I can’t help but feel happy. Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year. Waking up to a winter wonderland that is absolutely gorgeous, pristine winter skies, warm mugs of apple cider and hot chocolate; what’s not to love? But my most favorite part of this cheery season is one thing: the music. Christmas music makes my heart sing like no other genre can. Playing some of the Christmas songs I’ve been listening to since birth (literally, I was born ten days before Christmas) on the piano is one of my favorite things to do on a chilly winter night. Whether it be Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” or traditional “Silent Night” at my grandma’s church, Christmas music is the best.
I realize that it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet, and some people are strong advocates for “No Christmas Music Until After Thanksgiving!”, but, really, why not? Christmas music is joyful and spreads holiday cheer. It brings us back to fun memories of setting up the tree and playing in the snow, watching movies like “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Elf”, and eating cookies at Grandma’s house while a blizzard rages outside. There’s also a song for every mood. “What Christmas Means To Me” is a fun song to dance around the kitchen to, while “White Christmas” for a more slow, calm vibe. Almost everyone knows at least some Christmas music, so it’s a fun genre to play at parties in the winter to get everyone in a happy mood. There’s so many benefits to Christmas music, so I’m proud to say I’m a fierce supporter of these jolly tunes. Maybe not during the summer months (even that’s a bit of a stretch!), but as soon as I pull out my sweaters and boots, you can be sure that my Christmas playlists will be quite prominent in my speakers. But what’s even better than Christmas music? Live Christmas music! And luckily for us, Fargo-Moorhead has an abundance of live concerts dedicated solely to the music of this cheery holiday. So stay updated, get your tickets, and enjoy the holiday season! I mean, c’mon. Santa would want you to :) |
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