National Anthem

I love singers. That should be clear. However, I don't feel like the National Anthem is the time for a solo singer to shine. It should be a time for all of us to sing, in camaraderie. Much to Annie's chagrin, I (at least softly, or lip-sync) sing it every time we're at a sporting event.

Don't get me wrong, Mariah's Super Bowl Anthem was amazing:

"free" was so high that my TV didn't make a sound back then

And even that wasn't as good as Whitney's:

This was the first time that a recording of our Anthem made the Top 10 singles charts and went Platinum.

It's re-release in 2001 became Whitney's last Top 10 hit.

Regardless, I find this to be way more inspiring:

It should be about America. It should not be about riffs, runs, and jazz. Also, it's pregame. We want to give the Anthem a little fanfare, but we paid to watch the sport. An old Navy singer did the whole Anthem in under a minute before a volleyball game once. Now, that's an American!

On a side note, I have two extremely memorable SSB incidents. The first: I was conducted by John Williams as a member of the Michigan Marching Band when we performed his version of the Anthem at the 2004 Rose Bowl. The real cannons almost caused me to shit my pants. Secondly: upon walking into a Michigan soccer game, I immediately dodged into a port-a-potty to relieve myself. As I was in there, the Anthem started. In front of a growing group of people who were entering, who had all stopped to pay their respects, I had to step out of the john and stand in front of it in order to participate in the group's nationalism. Trust me, it was aw-w-w-wkward.

'merica,
~RoB

My Whitney Tribute

I'm not really good at being sappy.  So, I'll let her do it.  She's been singing in my head all morning anyway.

We're alone now, and I'm singing this song to you.
I love you in a place where there's no space or time.
You are a friend of mine.
I'll never ask for too much, just all that you are and everything that you do.
I get so emotional, baby, every time I think of you.
Ain't it shocking what love can do?!
Where do broken hearts go?
Can they find their way home?
It's not right, but it's ok.
I'm going to make it anyway.
Goodbye.  Please, don't cry.
I hope you have all you dreamed of.
I will always love you.

I can't really explain why this caught me so off guard.  I mean, I'm more than aware of her drug problems.  I guess I always assumed she would pull through.  When she released her last album, I was so excited that she was on the rebound.  When it wasn't great (which is still better than I'll ever be), I figured that she was going to work her way back to the greatness she once was.  That's, apparently, not how drugs work.  Ya know, same script, different cast.  It'll be her catchphrase, and her internet obituary, but that is because it is so thoroughly true:

Crack is whack,
~RoB

Equivalent of Crying

I'm not an emotional person.  I laugh everything off.  Not so much that I hide behind laughter, but I think that's how it started.  Now, I've trained my emotions to just be odd.  So, when I say that I at least admitted that I was affected by hearing that Whitney Houston died, that's pretty much the equivalent of crying in my book.

I never really understood any of the hullabaloo when Michael Jackson died.  Hell, I was there... kinda.  Now I do.  It just has to be an artist that means a lot to you and had a large impact at some point in the past.  Not only did I admit that I was down about it, but I had a mini-meltdown that was unfortunately documented on Facebook:

I ditched my plans for the night to go out dancing.  I seriously considered walking to a nearby pub and drinking until I thought I could out-sing Whitney.  Instead, I took off to Coldstone to drown my sorrows in ice cream:

Took me about 15 minutes.

I swung by some friends' house across the street from Coldstone, drank a bottle of wine, and they played cards with me until I was sober enough to drive home.  I didn't drive home.  I drove to Steak n Shake and ate a grilled cheese combo (with bacon and a side of ranch).  By the time I got home and I stopped whining on Facebook, I was able to snuggle up with Angel and pass out at like 3:30am.

Annie's not here.  She's at home visiting her family.  It's probably good timing.  She shouldn't have to deal with me when I'm being so ridiculous.  This is way worse than when the Spice Girls broke up, and that kept me home from school for a day.  (Puberty was rough.)

I could only be as devastated if all the members of Boyz II Men died simultaneously,
~RoB

12 Days of Xmas Videos - Day #12

I'm a diva.  We all know that.  Let's top off these 12 Days of Xmas Videos with my soul sister, Whitney.  That voice is gone forever, but at least I have all of her records to cherish what was once the greatest singer ever.  Bow down to my Gospel Jaw Goddess.  And whatever holidays (or lack thereof) you're celebrating this season, enjoy them!

That's right.  No studio altering/fixing.  No auto-tuning.  Just amazing.

But seriously kids, crack is whack.

Happy Holidays,
~RoB

Bonus Track!  This was a specific request earlier in the 12 Days, and I figured I might as well please the masses.

Power Ballad Key Changes

It was a late night after my closest friends and I finished Annie's performance of Les Mis and headed to Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe in downtown Oakland.

We started to have a discussion about how the 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Mis had the best 'Bring Him Home' ever.  (Well, that's my opinion, at least.)  I said Alfie took it up like a 4th or a 5th when he came in, and Annie called me stupid and said he probably only went up a step.  Then I went on to agree that she was probably right, since that is the way things are done in power ballads.  (If you don't know anything about Les Miserables, then you should find a way to see it performed on stage.  If there was only one musical that you were to ever see, make this one be it.  Fuck Phantom.)  Amazing quartet of Jean Valjeans follows [old guy is the original, guys on the outside are the current, English JVJs, and Alfie comes in last]:

We were with two friends that, though very intelligent, don't have minors in music from Michigan like Annie and I, so they didn't quite grasp our discussion.  We went on to try and name examples.  My first guess would be that there's a Whitney Houston song with a big dramatic key change, but I couldn't think of it in 'I'll Always Love You'.  Annie, and I look at each other, obviously singing it in our heads, and we both smiled at the same time.  Yeah, it's probably the most notable key change of a power ballad ever.  About 3:10 into it, after the brilliant grand pause and a single drum beat, she returns to the chorus in a different key.  It's easiest to tell by listening at 1:57 and immediately scrolling to 3:20.  Play with the song here:

Since then, I've decided to go through some of my music and find more examples.  I listen to the cheesiest collection of music from all of those soul sisters you're picturing in your head right now:  Celine, Mariah, Christina, Groban, Clarkson, Underwood, Wonder, and a plethora of American Idol rejects.  I was actually surprised at how many of the songs I assumed change keys about 2/3 of the way through didn't.  Anyway, one that's really easy to hear is found at 3:24 of Bon Jovi's 'Livin on a Prayer' (let me be the first to apologize for '80s hair):

If none of this post made any sense to you, then don't worry about it.  This was just a chance for a few bandos to geek out.  There's another one in MJ's 'Man in the Mirror', but I'm finally bored with this.

What other songs can you find?
~RoB

My First Concert

I've been to a few orchestra concerts and several operas.  I've been to numerous musicals and one play.  Yet, I've only gone to two concerts in my life, and I only paid for one of them.  This is kind of ridiculous if you consider how much I enjoy music, and how obsessed I am with some artists:  Boyz II Men, Gloria Estefan, Whitney, etc.  Concerts just always cost a lot of money; money that I don't have.  I've also always been into sleeping.  Late nights rarely sound worthwhile.  So, I never went.

My first concert (though I don't count it) was actually a Ludacris concert.  It really was ludicrous!  My roommate designed the posters for the concert when Luda came to play at Hill Auditorium, on campus at Michigan.  As a musician (though not super talented) growing up in Michigan, Hill Auditorium had long been considered an altar to me.  Well known for its amazing acoustics, and graced by the music of greats like Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and Wynton Marsalis.  Then, all these homies busted in and yelled, "Throw your middle fingers in the air if you like hip hop!!!!"

It was immediately apparent that I did not fit in there.  Let's be real.  My roommate and I, both awkward, pasty white guys, were sitting in the center of the 5th row of a Ludacris concert.  I don't know the most appropriate way to tell you how African American it was up in there.  We survived, and I found out that I knew like every Ludacris song there ever was, and I actually kind of had fun, but it was random and I went for free.

Last night was what I'm going to consider my first real concert.  Why?  I had legitimate interest in the artist(s), I paid to see them, and one of my friends is the rock star drummer.  Those around Ann Arbor while I was there are probably familiar with Tally Hall.  They gained some local fame, started selling albums, went on tour, and the drummer (whom I met through marching band, and he dated another friend of mine) eventually dropped out to try out the whole rock star thing.  Annie had a bunch of their music from purchasing their old CDs, and one of our mutual friends is Tally Hall's #1 crazy, insane fans.  Anyway, their most recent tour brought them to San Francisco last night.  I'd never really been to a concert, especially one that felt so indie, so I agreed to go.

As it turns out, I was really impressed by Tally Hall.  The venue made me feel a little old, though.  The concert was 'all ages', and the number of black Xs on minor hands were uncountable.  I felt like I was straight out of a scene from Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist.  There were references to Chelsea Clinton, a cover of Biz Markie, and a cover of another 80s euro rock song that I can't think of right now.  All I kept thinking is, these kids don't even know that these are references/covers to things before they were born or at least before they were paying attention.  Anyway, Tally Hall music was really interesting (no, not cynical interesting, but for realz).  I see no reason why I shouldn't add all their music to my playlists.

Tally Hall in San Francisco

Afterward, our friend came out and talked to us.  He had to keep interrupting his stories to turn around and take pictures and sign autographs and accept gifts.  (How fucking ridiculous is it to get gifts from fans?!  Nobody brings my ass gifts while I'm working.  It was almost as crazy as Halloween with El Chavo del Ocho.)  We were out really late at a bar/concert on a Monday night, and there must be pictures somewhere to prove it.  I feel like the rock star.

In the middle of his autograph signing, I jokingly asked him to sign my tits while I pretended to start unbuttoning my shirt.  No less than 2 minutes later, another Michigan person walked up and used the same line.  It made me upset at the stunted creativity of our generation.  It also made me think of David Sedaris pointing out the same thing when he read a sign in a joke shop not to hold the fake eyeballs up to your face (after thinking to himself that it would be funny).  Humans are so pathetically predictable.

Regardless, I'm such a rock star,
~RoB